Let me be swallowed quick, if I can find,
In all the anatomy of yon man's virtues,
One sinew sound enough to promise for him,
He shall be constable. By this sun, he'll ne'er
make king,

Unless it be of trifles, in my poor judgment.

Phi. [kneeling.] Right noble sir, as low as my obedi

ence,

And with a heart as loyal as my knee,

I beg your favour.

King.

Rise; you have it, sir. [Philaster rises.

Dion. Mark but the King, how pale he looks, he

fears!

Oh, this same whorson conscience, how it jades

My language to you, prince; you, foreign man !
Ne'er stare nor put on wonder, for you must
Endure me, and you shall. This earth you tread

upon

(A dowry, as you hope, with this fair princess),
By my dead father (oh, I had a father,

190

Whose memory I bow to !) was not left
To your inheritance, and I up and living-
Having myself about me and my sword,
The souls of all my name and memories,
These arms and some few friends beside the
gods-

To part so calmly with it, and sit still

And say, 'I might have been.'

mond,

tell thee, Phara

When thou art king, look I be dead and rotten,
And my name ashes: for, hear me, Pharamond!
This very ground thou goest on, this fat earth,
My father's friends made fertile with their faiths,
Before that day of shame shall gape and swallow
Thee and thy nation, like a hungry grave,
Into her hidden bowels; prince, it shall;
By the just gods, it shall!

201

Pha.
He's mad; beyond cure, mad.
Dion. Here is a fellow has some fire in's veins :

The outlandish prince looks like a tooth-drawer.
Phi. Sir prince of popinjays, I'll make it well
Appear to you I am not mad.

King.

You are too bold.

Phi.

You displease us:

No, sir, I am too tame,

Too much a turtle, a thing born without passion,
A faint shadow, that every drunken cloud

Sails over, and makes nothing.

210

King.

I do not fancy this.

Call our physicians: sure, he's somewhat tainted. Thra. I do not think 'twill prove so.

Dion. H'as given him a general purge already,
For all the right he has; and now he means
To let him blood. Be constant, gentlemen:
By heaven, I'll run his hazard,

Although I run my name out of the kingdom!
Cle. Peace, we are all one soul.

Pha. What you have seen in me to stir offence,

I cannot find, unless it be this lady,

220

Offered into mine arms with the succession ;
Which I must keep (though it hath pleased your
fury

To mutiny within you), without disputing

Your genealogies, or taking knowledge

Whose branch you are: the King will leave it me,

And I dare make it mine. You have your answer. Phi. If thou wert sole inheritor to him

That made the world his, and couldst see no sun
Shine upon any thing but thine; were Pharamond
As truly valiant as I feel him cold,

And ringed among the choicest of his friends
(Such as would blush to talk such serious follies,
Or back such bellied commendations),

And from this presence, spite of all these bugs,
You should hear further from me.

231

King. Sir, you wrong the prince; I gave you not this

freedom

To brave our best friends: you deserve our frown.

Go to; be better tempered.

Phi. It must be, sir, when I am nobler used.

Gal. Ladies,

This would have been a pattern of succession,
Had he ne'er met this mischief. By my life,

He is the worthiest the true name of man
This day within my knowledge.

240

staise of Phil.

Meg. I cannot tell what you may call your knowledge;
But the other is the man set in mine eye :

Gal.

Oh, 'tis a prince of wax!

King. Philaster, tell me

A dog it is.

250

The injuries you aim at in your riddles.
Phi. If you had my eyes, sir, and sufferance,

My griefs upon you and my broken fortunes,
My wants great, and now nothing-hopes and fears,
My wrongs would make ill riddles to be laughed at.
Dare you
be still my king, and right me?
King. Give me your wrongs in private.

Phi.

Take them,

And ease me of a load would bow strong Atlas.

Cle. He dares not stand the shock.

[They whisper.

Dion. I cannot blame him; there's danger in 't.

259

Every man in this age has not a soul of crystal, for

all men to read their actions through: men's hearts and faces are so far asunder, that they hold no intelligence. Do but view yon stranger well, and you shall see a fever through all his bravery, and feel him shake like a true tenant: if he give not back his crown again upon the report of an elder-gun, I have no augury.

King. Go to;

Be more yourself, as you respect our favour ;

You'll stir us else. Sir, I must have you know, 270
That you are, and shall be, at our pleasure, what
Fashion we will put upon you. Smooth your brow,
Or by the gods-

Phi. I am dead, sir; you're my fate.

It was not I
Said, I was wronged: I carry all about me
My weak stars lead me to, all my weak fortunes.
Who dares in all this presence speak (that is
But man of flesh, and may be mortal), tell me,
I do not most entirely love this prince,
And honour his full virtues !

King.
Phi. Yes, with my father's spirit.

279

Sure, he's possessed.
It's here, O King,
A dangerous spirit! now he tells me, King,
I was a king's heir, bids me be a king,
And whispers to me, these are all my subjects.
'Tis strange he will not let me sleep, but dives
Into my fancy, and there gives me shapes
That kneel and do me service, cry me king: