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29 King.Take him! farewell! henceforth I am thy foe; And what disgraces I can blot thee with look for.

Evad.Stay, sir!—Amintor!—You shall hear.—Amintor!

Amin.[coming forward.] What, my love?

Evad.Amintor, thou hast an ingenuous look, And shouldst be virtuous: It amazeth me, That thou canst make such base malicious lies!

Amin.What, my dear wife!

Evad.Dear wife! I do despise thee. Why, nothing can be baser than to sow Dissension amongst lovers.

Amin.Lovers! who?

Evad.The king and me.

Amin.O, God!

Evad.Who should live long, and love without distaste, Were it not for such pickthanks as thyself. Did you lie with me? Swear now, and be, punish'd In hell for this!

Amin.The faithless sin I made To fair Aspatia, is not yet revenged; It follows me.—I will not lose a word To this vile woman: But to you, my king, The anguish of my soul thrusts out this truth, You are a tyrant! And not so much to wrong An honest man thus, as to take a pride In talking with him of it.

Evad.Now, sir, see how loud this Fellow ly'd.

Amin.You that can know to wrong, should know how men Must right themselves: What punishment is due From me to him that shall abuse my bed? Is it not death? Nor can that satisfy, Unless I send your limbs through all the land, To show how nobly I have freed myself.

King.Draw not thy sword: thou know'st I cannot fear A subject's hand; but thou shalt feel the weight Of this, if thou dost rage.

Amin.The weight of that! If you have any worth, for Heaven's sake, think I fear not swords; for as you are mere man, I dare as easily kill you for this deed, As you dare think to do it. But there is Divinity about you, that strikes dead My rising passions: As you are my king, I fall before you, and present my sword To cut mine own flesh, if it be your will. Alas! I am nothing but a multitude Of walking griefs! Yet, should I murder you, I might before the world take the excuse Of madness: For, compare my injuries, And they will well appear too sad a weight For