Page:Works of Sir John Suckling.djvu/313

] This night the king will revel and be gamesome:

He will change beds with thee. Deny him not,

And leave the rest to me.

Flor. Thy youth, I see, doth put thee on too fast:

Thou hast too much of passion, gentle brother.

Think'st thou the death of a poor lustful king

Or peer can give me ease?

No; for, if it could,

My hand durst go as far that way as thine.

Had she been chaste, there had no tempters been;

Or, if there had, I had not thought it sin.

Draw not thy sword at all, I do beseech thee;

'Twill not deserve one drop of noble blood.

Forget it, do, for my sake.

Clar. May heaven forget me then!

Where is the courage of thy house become?

When didst thou cease to be thyself? Shall two

Brave families be wrong'd—most basely wrong'd—

And shall we tamely, like philosophers,

Dispute it without reasons?

First may I live the scorn of all the world,

Then die forgotten! No, no;

Were there as many actors in thy wrong,

As does the vast stage of the world now bear,

Not one should 'scape my rage: I and my ghost

Would persecute them all.

By all our ties, of love, of brother, friend;

By what thou hold'st most dear, I do conjure thee

To leave this work to me;

And, if e'er thou canst think

That I present thee not a full revenge,

Then take it out on me.

Flor. Thy zeal hath overcome me:

What wouldst thou have me do?

Clar. Nothing but this.

Obey the king in all he shall desire,

And let your servants be at my dispose

This night. One of your faithful'st confidants

Send hither presently.

Flor. Well, I shall; but what

You'll do, heaven knows: I know not, nor will I.

It is enough that I, against my will,

Am made a passive instrument of ill.

Farewell.