Enter Bellario.                                                [4.6]       Bell. A heaviness near death sits on my brow, And I must sleep: Bear me thou gentle bank, For ever if thou wilt: you sweet ones all, Let me unworthy press you: I could wish I rather were a Coarse strewed o're with you, 1900 Than quick above you. Dulness shuts mine eyes, And I am giddy; Oh that I could take So sound a sleep, that I might never wake.       Enter Philaster.       Phi. I have done ill, my conscience calls me false, To strike at her, that would not strike at me: When I did fight, me thought I heard her pray The gods to guard me. She may be abus'd, And I a loathed villain: if she be, She will conceal who hurt her; He has wounds, 1910 And cannot follow, neither knows he me. Who's this; Bellario sleeping? If thou beest Guilty, there is no justice that thy sleep       [Cry within. Should be so sound, and mine, whom thou hast wrong'd, So broken: Hark I am pursued: you gods I'le take this offer'd means of my escape: They have no mark to know me, but my wounds, If she be true; if false, let mischief light On all the world at once. Sword, print my wounds Upon this sleeping boy: I ha' none I think 1920 Are mortal, nor would I lay greater on thee.       [Wounds him.     Bell. Oh death I hope is come, blest be that hand, It meant me well; again, for pities sake.     Phi. I have caught my self,                         [Phi. falls. The loss of bloud hath stayed my flight. Here, here, Is he that stroke thee: take thy full revenge, Use me, as I did mean thee, worse than death: I'le teach thee to revenge; this luckless hand Wounded the Princess, tell my followers Thou didst receive these hurts in staying me, 1930 And I will second thee: Get a reward.     Bell. Fly, fly my Lord and save your self.     Phi. How's this? Wouldst thou I should be safe?     Bell. Else it were vain For me to live. These little wounds I have, Ha' not bled much, reach me that noble hand, I'le help to cover you.     Phi. Art thou true to me? [end page 34, signature [F1v], catchword: Bell.]     Bell. Or let me perish loath'd. Come my good Lord, Creep in amongst those bushes: who does know 1940 But that the gods may save your (much lov'd) breath?     Phi. Then I shall die for grief, if not for this, That I have wounded thee: what wilt thou do?     Bell. Shift for my self well: peace, I hear 'em come.     Within. Follow, follow, follow; that way they went.     Bell. With my own wounds I'le bloudy my own sword. I need not counterfeit to fall, Heaven knows, That I can stand no longer.       Enter Pha. Dion, Cle. and Thra.       Pha. To this place we have tract him by his bloud. 1950     Cle. Yonder, my Lord, creeps one away.     Di. Stay Sir, what are you?     Bell. A wretched creature wounded in these Woods By Beasts; relieve me, if your names be men, Or I shall perish.     Di. This is he my Lord, Upon my soul that hurt her; 'tis the boy, That wicked boy that serv'd her.     Pha. O thou damn'd in thy creation! What cause could'st thou shape to hurt the Princess?     Bell. Then I am betrayed. 1960     Di. Betrayed! no, apprehended.     Bell. I confess; Urge it no more, that big with evil thoughts I set upon her, and did take my aim Her death. For charity let fall at once The punishment you mean, and do not load This weary flesh with tortures.     Pha. I will know who hir'd thee to this deed?     Bell. Mine own revenge.     Pha. Revenge, for what?     Bell. It pleas'd her to receive 1970 Me as her Page, and when my fortunes ebb'd, That men strid o're the carelesly, she did showr Her welcome graces on me, and did swell My fortunes, till they overflow'd their banks, Threatning the men that crost 'em; when as swift As storms arise at sea, she turn'd her eyes To burning Suns upon me, and did dry The streams she had bestowed, leaving me worse And more contemn'd than other little brooks, Because I had been great: In short, I knew 1980 I could not live, and therefore did desire To die reveng'd.     Pha. If tortures can be found, Long as thy natural life, resolve to feel The utmost rigour.              [Philaster creeps out of a bush.     Cle. Help to lead him hence.     Phi. Turn back you ravishers of Innocence, Know ye the price of that you bear away so rudely?     Pha. Who's that?     Di. 'Tis the Lord Philaster.     Phi. 'Tis not the treasure of all Kings in one, The wealth of Tagus, nor the Rocks of Pearl, 1990 That pave the Court of Neptune, can weigh down That vertue. It was I that hurt the Princess. Place me, some god, upon a Piramis, Higher than hills of earth, and lend a voice Loud as your Thunder to me, that from thence, I may discourse to all the under-world, The worth that dwells in him.     Pha. How's this?     Bell. My Lord, some man Weary of life, that would be glad to die.     Phi. Leave these untimely courtesies Bellario. 2000     Bell. Alas he's mad, come will you lead me on?     Phi. By all the Oaths that men ought most to keep: And Gods do punish most, when men do break, He toucht her not. Take heed Bellario, How thou dost drown the vertues thou hast shown With perjury. By all that's good 'twas I: You know she stood betwixt me and my right.     Pha. Thy own tongue be thy judge.     Cle. It was Philaster.     Di. Is't not a brave boy? Well Sirs, I fear we were all deceived. 2010     Phi. Have I no friend here?     Di. Yes. [end column one, page 35]     Phi. Then shew it; Some good body lend a hand to draw us nearer. Would you have tears shed for you when you die? Then lay me gentle on his neck that there I may weep flouds, and breath out my spirit: 'Tis not the wealth of Plutus, nor the gold Lockt in the heart of earth, can buy away This arm-full from me, this had been a ransom To have redeem'd the great Augustus Cæsar, 2020 Had he been taken: you hard-hearted men, More stony than these Mountains, can you see Such clear pure bloud drop, and not cut your flesh To stop his life? To bind whose better wounds, Queens ought to tear their hair, and with their tears,   (laster. Bath 'em. Forgive me, thou that art the wealth of poor Phi       Enter King, Arethusa and a Guard.       King. Is the villain ta'ne?                                              (laster     Pha. Sir, here be two confess the deed, but say it was Phi     Phi. Question it no more, it was. 2030     King. The fellow that did fight with him will tell us.     Are. Ay me, I know he will.     King. Did not you know him?     Are. Sir, if it was he, he was disguised.     Phi. I was so. Oh my stars! that I should live still     King. Thou ambitious fool; Thou that hast laid a train for thy own life; Now I do mean to do, I'le leave to talk, bear him to prison     Are. Sir, they did plot together to take hence This harmless life; should it pass unreveng'd, 2040 I should to earth go weeping grant me then (By all the love a Father bears his Child) Their custodies, and that I may appoint Their tortures and their death.     Di. Death? soft, our Law will not reach that, for this fault.     King. 'Tis granted, take 'em to you, with a Guard. Come Princely Pharamond, this business past, We may with more security go on to your intended match.     Cle. I pray that this action lose not Philaster the hearts of the people. 2050     Di. Fear it not, their overwise heads will think it but a trick.                                              [Exeunt Omnes.   © Twilight Pictures, March 2001. This text is freely available for educational, non-profit uses only. Please report any errors or suggestions to Drew Whitehead.