ight to take up arms?

_Queen_. Poor envious wretch!
Was this the venom that swelled up thy breast?
My grace to Philocles mis-deemed my love!

_Lys_. Tis true, the gentleman is innocent;
He ne'er sinned up so high, not in his wishes;
You know he loves elsewhere.

_Queen_. You mean your sister.

_Lys_. I wish some Sibyl now would tell me,
Why you refused her to him.

_Queen_. Perhaps I did not think him worthy of her.

_Lys_. Did you not think him too worthy, madam?
This is too thin a veil to hide your passion;
To prove you love him not, yet give her him,
And I'll engage my honour to lay down my arms.

_Queen_. He is arrived where I would wish--
[_Aside_.
Call in the company, and you shall see what I will do.

_Lys_. Who waits without there? [_Exit_ LYS.

_Queen_. Now hold, my heart, for this one act of honour,
And I will never ask more courage of thee:
Once more I have the means to reinstate myself into my glory.
I feel my love to Philocles within me
Shrink, and pull back my heart from this hard trial.
But it must be, when glory says it must:
As children, wading from some river's bank,
First try the water with their tender feet;
Then, shuddering up with cold, step back again,
And straight a little further venture on,
Till, at the last, they plunge into the deep,
And pass, at once, what they were doubting long:
I'll make the experiment; it shall be done in haste,
Because I'll put it past my power to undo.

_Enter at one door_ LYSIMANTES, _at the other_ PHILOCLES,
CELADON, CANDIOPE, FLORIMEL, FLAVIA, OLINDA, SABINA, _the three
deputies, and soldiers_.

_Lys_. In arms! is all well, Philocles?

_Phil_. No, but it shall be.

_Queen_. He comes, and with him
The fever of my love returns to shake me.
I see love is not banished from my soul;
He is still there, but is chained up by glory.

_Ast_. You've made a noble conquest, madam.

_Queen_. Come hither Philocles: I am first to tell you,
I and my cousin are agreed; he has
Engaged to lay down arms.

_Phil_. 'Tis well for him he has; for all his party,
By my command, already are surprised,
While I was talking with your majesty.

_Cel_. Yes, 'faith, I have done him that courtesy;
I brought his followers, under pretence of guarding
it, to a strait place, where they are all coupt up
without use of their arms, and may be pelted to
death by the small infantry o'er the town.

_Queen_. 'Twas more than I expected, or could hope;
Yet still I thought you