SCENE I. ［Before the palace. ］
Enter KING, PHARAMOND, ARETHUSA, GALATEA, MEGRA,
DION, CLEREMONT, THRASILINE, and Attendants
King. What, are the hounds before and all the woodmen,
Our horses ready and our bows bent?
Dion. All, sir.
King ［to PHARAMOND.］ You are cloudy, sir. Come, we have forgotten
Your venial trespass; let not that sit heavy
Upon your spirit; here's none dare utter it.
Dion. He looks like an old surfeited stallion, dull as a dormouse.
See how he sinks!
Thra. He needs no teaching, he strikes sure enough. His greatest fault is, he hunts too much in the purlieus; would he would leave off poaching!
Dion. And for his horn, h'as left it at the lodge where he lay late. Oh, he's a precious limehound!〖A hunting dog. Lyme=leash.〗 Turn him loose upon the pursuit of a lady, and if se lose her, hang him up i' the slip. When my foxbitch Beauty grows proud, I'll borrow him.
King. Is your boy turn'd away?
Are. You did command, sir, and I obey'd you.
King. 'Tis well done. Hark ye further. ［They talk apart.］
Cle. Is't possible this fellow should repent? Methinks, that were not noble in him; and yet he looks like a mortified member, as if he had a sick man's salve〖An allusion to a religious work, Thomas Bacon's “The Sick Man's Salve,” 1561.〗 in's mouth. If a worse man had done this fault now, some physical〖Acting as a doctor.〗 justice or other would presently (without the help of an almanack〖Almanacs gave the proper seasons for blood-letting.〗) have opened the obstructions of his liver, and let him blood with a dog-whip.
Dion. See, see how modestly yon lady looks, as if she came from churching with her neighbour! Why, what a devil can a man see in her face but that she's honest!〖chaste.〗
Thra. Faith, no great matter to speak of; a foolish twinkling with the eye, that spoils her coat;〖Coat of arms. Mason explains that the reference is to the introduction of stars into a coat of arms, denoting a younger branch.〗 but he must be a cunning herald that finds it.
Dion. See how they muster one another! Oh, there's a rank regiment where the devil carries the colours and his dam drum-major! Now the world and the flesh come behind with the carriage.〖Baggage.〗
Cle. Sure this lady has a good turn done her against her will; before she was common talk, now none dare say cantharides〖Spanish fly, used as a provocative.〗 can stir her. Her face looks like a warrant, willing and commanding all tongues, as they will answer it, to be tied up and bolted when this lady means to let herself loose. As I live, she has got her a goodly protection and a gracious; and may use her body discreetly for her health's sake, once a week, excepting Lent and dog-days. Oh, if they were to be got for money, what a great sum would come out of the city for these licences!
King. To horse, to horse! we lose the morning, gentlemen.
Exeunt.