Poly. View well this lady,

Whose mind as much transcends her beauteous face, As that excels all others.

Amal. My beauty, as it ne'er could merit love, So neither can it beg: And, sir, you may Believe, that what the king has offered you, I should refuse, did I not value more Your person than your crown.

Leon. Think it not pride,

Or my new fortunes swell me to contemn you;
Think less, that I want eyes to see your beauty;
And, least of all, think duty wanting in me
To obey a father's will: But-

Poly. But what, Leonidas?

For I must know your reason; and be sure
It be convincing too.

Leon. Sir, ask the stars,

Which have imposed love on us, like a fate,
Why minds are bent to one, and fly another?
Ask, why all beauties cannot move all hearts?
For though there may

Be made a rule for colour, or for feature,
There can be none for liking.

Poly. Leonidas, you owe me more

Than to oppose your liking to my pleasure. Leon. I owe you all things, sir; but something, too,

I owe myself.

Poly. You shall dispute no more; I am a king, And I will be obeyed.

Leon. You are a king, sir, but you are no god;
Or, if you were, you could not force my will.
Poly. [Aside.] But you are just, ye gods; O you
are just,

In punishing the crimes of my rebellion
With a rebellious son!

Yet I can punish him, as you do me.

Leonidas, there is no jesting with

My will: I ne'er had done so much to gain
A crown, but to be absolute in all things.

Amal. O, sir, be not so much a king, as to Forget you are a father: Soft indulgence Becomes that name. Tho' nature gives you power To bind his duty, 'tis with silken bonds: Command him, then, as you command yourself; He is as much a part of you, as are

Your appetite and will, and those you force not, But gently bend, and make them pliant to your

reason.

Poly. It may be I have used too rough a way.--Forgive me, my Leonidas; I know

I lie as open to the gusts of passion,

As the bare shore to every beating surge:
I will not force thee now; but I entreat thee,
Absolve a father's vow to this fair virgin;
A vow, which hopes of having such a son
First caused.

Leon. Show not my disobedience by your prayers;
For I must still deny you, though I now
Appear more guilty to myself, than you:
I have some reasons, which I cannot utter,
That force my disobedience; yet I mourn
To death, that the first thing, you e'er enjoined me,
Should be that only one command in nature,
Which I could not obey.

Poly. I did descend too much below myself, When I entreated him.-Hence, to thy desart! Thou'rt not my son, or art not fit to be.

Amal. Great sir, I humbly beg you, make not me [Kneeling.

The cause of your displeasure. I absolve
Your vow; far from me be such designs;
So wretched a desire of being great,
By making him unhappy. You may see

Something so noble in the prince's nature,
As grieves him more, not to obey, than you,
That you are not obeyed.

Poly. Then, for your sake,

I'll give him one day longer to consider,
Not to deny; for my resolves are firm
As fate, that cannot change.

[Exeunt King and AMAL.

Leon. And so are mine.
This beauteous princess, charming as she is,
Could never make me happy: I must first
Be false to my Palmyra, and then wretched.
But, then, a father's anger!

Suppose he should recede from his own vow,
He never would permit me to keep mine.

Enter PALMYRA; ARGALEON following her, a little after.

See, she appears!

I'll think no more of any thing, but her.
Yet I have one good hour ere I am wretched.
But, oh! Argaleon follows her! so night
Treads on the footsteps of a winter's sun,
And stalks all black behind him.

Palm. O, Leonidas,

For I must call you still by that dear name,
Free me from this bad man.

Leon. I hope he dares not be injurious to you.
Arga. I rather was injurious to myself,

Than her.

Leon. That must be judged, when I hear what you said.

Arga. I think you need not give yourself that trouble:

It concerned us alone.

Leon. You answer saucily, and indirectly: What interest can you pretend in her?

Arga. It may be, sir, I made her some expressions Which I would not repeat, because they were Below my rank, to one of hers.

Leon. What did he say, Palmyra?

Palm. I'll tell you all: First, he began to look,
And then he sighed, and then he looked again;
At last, he said, my eyes wounded his heart:
And, after that, he talked of flames and fires,
And such strange words, that I believed he conjured.
Leon. O my heart! Leave me, Argaleon.
Arga. Come, sweet Palmyra,

I will instruct you better in my meaning:
You see he would be private.

Leon. Go yourself,

And leave her here.

Arga. Alas, she's ignorant,

And is not fit to entertain a prince.

Leon. First learn what's fit for you; that's to obey.
Arga. I know my duty is to wait on you.

A great king's son, like you, ought to forget
Such mean converse.

Leon. What? a disputing subject?

Hence, or my sword shall do me justice on thee. Arga. Yet I may find a time

[Going. Leon. What's that you mutter, [Going after him. To find a time?

Arga. To wait on you again—

In the mean while I'll watch you.

[Softly.

[Exit, and watches during the scene. Leon. How precious are the hours of love in

courts!

In cottages, where love has all the day,
Full, and at ease, he throws it half away.
Time gives himself, and is not valued, there;
But sells at mighty rates, each minute, here:
There, he is lazy, unemployed, and slow;
Here, he's more swift; and yet has more to do.

So many of his hours in public move,
That few are left for privacy and love.

Palm. The sun, methinks, shines faint and dimly, here;

Light is not half so long, nor half so clear:
But, oh! when every day was yours and mine,
How early up! what haste he made to shine!
Leon. Such golden days no prince must hope to

see,

Whose every subject is more blessed than he.

Palm. Do you remember, when their tasks were done,

How all the youth did to our cottage run?
While winter-winds were whistling loud without,
Our cheerful hearth was circled round about:
With strokes in ashes, maids their lovers drew ;
And still you fell to me, and I to you.

Leon. When love did of my heart possession take,
I was so young, my soul was scarce awake:
I cannot tell when first I thought you fair;
But sucked in love, insensibly as air.

Palm. I know too well when first my love be

gan,

When at our wake you for the chaplet ran:
Then I was made the lady of the May,
And, with the garland, at the goal did stay:
Still, as you ran, I kept you full in view;
I hoped, and wished, and ran, methought, for
As you came near, I hastily did rise,

you.

And stretched my arm outright, that held the prize.
The custom was to kiss whom I should crown;
You kneeled, and in my lap your head laid down:
I blushed, and blushed, and did the kiss delay;
At last my subjects forced me to obey:

But, when I gave the crown, and then the kiss,
I scarce had breath to say, Take that, and this.