King. Prythee, to bed then; let me take it warm;
There thou shalt know the state of my body better.
Evad. I know you have a surfeited foul body;
And you must bleed.
King. Bleed!
Evad. Ay, you shall bleed! Lie still; and, if the devil,
Your lust, will give you leave, repent. This steel
Comes
to redeem the honour that you stole,
King, my fair name; which nothing but thy death
Can answer to the
world.
King. Hows this, Evadne?
Evad. I am not she; nor bear I in this breast
So much cold spirit to be calld a woman.
I am a tiger; I am
anything
That knows not pity. Stir not! If thou dost,
Ill take thee unprepared; thy fears upon thee,
That
make thy sins look double; and so send thee
(By my revenge, I will) to look those torments
Prepared for
such black souls.
King. Thou dost not mean this; tis impossible:
Thou art too sweet and gentle.
Evad. No, I am not.
I am as foul as thou art, and can number
As many such hells here. I was once fair,
Once
I was lovely; not a blowing rose
More chastely sweet, till thou, thou, thou foul canker,
(Stir not) didst poison
me. I was a world of virtue,
Till your curst court and you (Hell bless you fort!)
With your temptations on
temptations,
Made me give up mine honour; for which, king,
Im come to kill thee.
King. No!
Evad. I am.
King. Thou art not!
I prythee speak not these things: Thou art gentle,
And wert not meant thus rugged.
Evad. Peace, and hear me.
Stir nothing but your tongue, and that for mercy
To those above us; by whose
lights I vow,
Those blessed fires that shot to see our sin,
If thy hot soul had substance with thy blood,
I
would kill that too; which, being past my steel,
My tongue shall reach. Thou art a shameless villain!
A
thing out of the overcharge of nature;
Sent, like a thick cloud, to disperse a plague
Upon weak catching
women! such a tyrant,
That for his lust would sell away his subjects!
Ay, all his Heaven hereafter!
King. Hear, Evadne,
Thou soul of sweetness, hear! I am thy king.
Evad. Thou art my shame! Lie still, theres none about you,
Within your cries: All promises of safety
Are
but deluding dreams. Thus, thus, thou foul man,
Thus I begin my vengeance!
[Stabs him.
King. Hold, Evadne!
I do command thee, hold.
Evad. I do not mean, sir.
To part so fairly with you; we must change
More of these love-tricks yet.
King. What bloody villain
Provoked thee to this murder?
Evad. Thou, thou monster.
King. Oh!
Evad. Thou keptst me brave at court, and whordst me,
king;
Then married me to a young noble gentleman,
And
whordst me still.
King. Evadne, pity me.