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Show 3^4 The SPARTAN DAME. Thus thou haft always found m e ; but till now, Ne'er came prepar'd to leave thee. I have told thee The hard NecelTity that preffes me, And by m y Abfence beft will be obey'd. Thel Our Marriage fure was ominous: The Storms That threatned, and the Face of Things That frown'd upon its Birth, -when w c were join'd, Portend fucceeding Mifchicfs. Eury. Not to thee, M y Love! they cannot mean thee any harm: Safe in thy Innocence, and Sifter's Love, Thy Fears are vain: But I have done thofe things, Cleombrotus, tho' I were reconcil'd T o all his Ills, can never pardon me. " Therefore, befides m y Duty to the King, M y Safety does advife m y Abfence now. Thel. O take m e with you then! This is a World The Weak will fufTer in; and w h o fo weak, As W o m a n thus expos'd, thus naked left, Without the Care Ery. Thou art m y deareft Care. »Thel. Yet I a m left behind y o u - • - Eury. Not expos'd: O ! think not fo: M y Crites here, m y Friend, Whofe Honefty, " bis Service to the King Has fo renown'd, is thy Security, Thy Refuge from all Wrongs. Crit. Sir, I a m bound The Servant of your Fortune. Thel. H e indeed Is truly honeft; and 'tis fome Relief Of m y Misfortunes, that he flays behind. Crit. M y Life upon the Truft. Eury. I k n o w thy Faith. And farther, Crites, let Bizanthe k n ow Her near Relation to m y Wife, docs claim Her, a Companion of this Solitude, Dunng m y Abfence. Thel. Her kind Company Will pafs away the melancholy Hours, The SPARTAN DAME. 36$ Crit. Madam, m y Wife fhall conftantly attend you. -Eury. Tho' I a m forc'd thus to abfent m y felf From all I love; I fhall contrive fome Means, Some friendly Intervals to vifit thee: But then my-Coming muft be private, made A Secret; m y o w n Servants not employ'd. Crites, w h o has m y Reafons, will inform you* At better Leifure, w h y I thus proceed. Thel. I have fufficient Reafons in your Will, A Law to me, and fhall be fo obey'd. Eury. H e fhall be qualify'd from time to tim*, To let you k n o w what happens. Thel. I muft hear Hourly of your Health 1 k n o w not why, Altbo' I k n e w you fafe in Crites' Faith, yet ftill m y Heart muft tremble in its Fears. Eury. Only the Tendemefs of parting Love: Banifh all Fears. \ExwnU Crit. Ay, fo fays Crites too; Security will ferve the Turn as well. Here he difpofes in m y Hands the Scheme Of their Deiigns, " to Re-inthrone thc King; So much for State Affairs. Then he commits His Wife to ihe Prote&ion of m y Care, And certain Honefty. W h y thus he fpares My Pains, and plays the G a m e into m y Hand, My Honefty, alas! that has long fince Been brib'd by the Ambition of thofe Hopes » Cleombrotus muft raife to Growth and Power. Therefore I a m his Slave, and a & all Parts, His Spy in Bufinefs, and in Love h i s - - w h a t ? The Word indeed is coarfe to dainty Ears; But he w h o makes his Fortune in this World, Muft fometimes do what he would blufh to name. I wou'd not be obferv'd the Coaft is clear [Goes to the Door, and returns, " Thus in the Days of Reformation, We muft put on thofe Forms, and Features, which Refemble, and come neareft our Defign. All are not born with handfome Faces \ then Q. 3 Mend |