John Ford — The Broken Heart Act 1 Scene 1

Enter CROTOLON and ORGILUS CROTOLON Dally not further; I will know the reason That speeds thee to this journey. ORGILUS Reason! good sir, I can yield many. CROTOLON Give me one, a good one; Such I expect, and ere we part must have. Athens! Pray, why to Athens? You intend not To kick against the world, turn cynic, stoic, Or read the logic lecture, or become An Areopagite, and judge in cases Touching the commonwealth; for, as I take it, The budding of your chin cannot prognosticate So grave an honour. ORGILUS All this I acknowledge. CROTOLON You do! Then, son, if books and love of knowledge Inflame you to this travel, here in Sparta You may as freely study. ORGILUS 'T is not that, sir. CROTOLON Not that, sir! As a father, I command thee To acquaint me with the truth. ORGILUS Thus I obey ye. After so many quarrels as dissension, Fury, and rage had broacht in blood, and sometimes With death to such confederates as sided With now-dead Thrasus and yourself, my lord; Our present king, Amyclas, reconcil'd Your eager swords and seal'd a gentle peace: Friends you profest yourselves; which to confirm, A resolution for a lasting league Betwixt your families was entertain'd, By joining in a Hymenean bond Me and the fair Penthea, only daughter To Thrasus. CROTOLON What of this? ORGILUS Much, much, dear sir. A freedom of converse, an interchange Of holy and chaste love, so fixt our souls In a firm growth of union, that no time Can eat into the pledge: we had enjoy'd The sweets our vows expected, had not cruelty Prevented all those triumphs we prepar'd for, By Thrasus his untimely death. CROTOLON Most certain. ORGILUS From this time sprouted up that poisonous stalk Of aconite, whose ripened fruit hath ravisht All health, all comfort of a happy life; For Ithocles, her brother, proud of youth, And prouder in his power, nourisht closely The memory of former discontents, To glory in revenge. By cunning partly, Partly by threats, 'a woos at once and forces His virtuous sister to admit a marriage With Bassanes, a nobleman, in honour And riches, I confess, beyond my fortunes. CROTOLON All this is no sound reason to importune My leave for thy departure. ORGILUS Now it follows. Beauteous Penthea, wedded to this torture By an insulting brother, being secretly Compell'd to yield her virgin freedom up To him who never can usurp her heart, Before contracted mine, is now so yok'd To a most barbarous thraldrom, misery, Affliction, that he savours not humanity, Whose sorrow melts not into more than pity In hearing but her name. CROTOLON As how, pray? ORGILUS Bassanes, The man that calls her wife, considers truly What heaven of perfections he is lord of By thinking fair Penthea his: this thought Begets a kind of monster-love, which love Is nurse unto a fear so strong and servile As brands all dotage with a jealousy: All eyes who gaze upon that shrine of beauty He doth resolve do homage to the miracle; Some one, he is assur'd, may now or then, If opportunity but sort, prevail. So much, out of a self-unworthiness, His fears transport him; not that he finds cause In her obedience, but his own distrust. CROTOLON You spin out your discourse. ORGILUS My griefs are violent: For knowing how the maid was heretofore Courted by me, his jealousies grow wild That I should steal again into her favours, And undermine her virtues; which the gods Know I nor dare nor dream of. Hence, from hence I undertake a voluntary exile; First, by my absence to take off the cares Of jealous Bassanes; but chiefly, sir, To free Penthea from a hell on earth; Lastly, to lose the memory of something Her presence makes to live in me afresh. CROTOLON Enough, my Orgilus, enough. To Athens, I give a full consent. — Alas, good lady! — We shall hear from thee often? ORGILUS Often. CROTOLON See, Thy sister comes to give a farewell. Enter EUPHRANEA EUPHRANIA Brother! ORGILUS Euphranea, thus upon thy cheeks I print A brother's kiss; more careful of thine honour, Thy health, and thy well-doing, than my life. Before we part, in presence of our father, I must prefer a suit t' ye. EUPHRANIA You may style it, My brother, a command. ORGILUS That you will promise To pass never to any man, however Worthy, your faith, till, with our father's leave, I give a free consent. CROTOLON An easy motion! I'll promise for her, Orgilus. ORGILUS Your pardon; Euphranea's oath must yield me satisfaction. EUPHRANIA By Vesta's sacred fires I swear. CROTOLON And I, By Great Apollo's beams, join in the vow, Not without thy allowance to bestow her On any living. ORGILUS Dear Euphranea, Mistake me not: far, far 't is from my thought, As far from any wish of mine, to hinder Preferment to an honourable bed Or fitting fortune; thou art young and handsome; And 't were injustice, — more, a tyranny, — Not to advance thy merit. Trust me, sister, It shall be my first care to see thee match'd As may become thy choice and our contents. I have your oath. EUPHRANIA You have. But mean you, brother, To leave us, as you say? CROTOLON Ay, ay, Euphranea; He has just grounds direct him. I will prove A father and a brother to thee. EUPHRANIA Heaven Does look into the secrets of all hearts: Gods, you have mercy with ye, else — CROTOLON Doubt nothing; Thy brother will return in safety to us. ORGILUS Souls sunk in sorrows never are without 'em. They change fresh airs, but bear their griefs about 'em. Exeunt omnes