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47 Cal.Impudence may 'scape, When feeble virtue is accused.

King.He must, If he were guilty, feel an alteration At this our whisper, whilst we point at him: You see he does not.

Cal.Let him hang himself: What care I what he does? This he did say.

King.Melantius, you can easily conceive What I have meant; for men that are in fault Can subtly apprehend, when others aim At what they do amiss: But I forgive Freely, before this man. Heaven do so too! I will not touch thee, so much as with shame Of telling it. Let it be so no more.

Cal.Why, this is very fine.

Mel.I cannot tell What 'tis you mean; but I am apt enough Rudely to thrust into an ignorant fault. But let me know it: Happily, 'tis nought But misconstruction; and, where I am clear, I will not take forgiveness of the gods, Much less of you.

King.Nay, if you stand so stiff I shall call back my mercy.

Mel.I want smoothness To thank a man for pardoning of a crime I never knew.

King.Not to instruct your knowledge, but to show you My ears are everywhere, you meant to kill me, And get the fort to 'scape.

Mel.Pardon me, sir; My bluntness will be pardoned: You preserve A race of idle people here about you, Facers and talkers, to defame the worth Of those that do things worthy. The man that utter'd this Had perish'd without food, be't who it will, But for this arm, that fenced him from the foe. And if I thought you gave a faith to this, The plainness of my nature would speak more. Give me a pardon (for you ought to do't) To kill him that spake this.

Cal.Ay, that will be The end of all: Then I am fairly paid For all my care and service.

Mel.That old man, Who calls me enemy, and of whom I (Though I will never match my hate so low) Have no good thought, would yet, I think, excuse me, And swear he thought me wrong'd in this.

Cal.Who—I? Thou shameless fellow! Didst thou not speak to me Of it thyself?

Mel.Oh, then it came from him?

Cal.From me I who should it come from, but from me?

Mel.Nay, I believe your malice is enough:

But