The Birth of Merlin, or, the Childe Hath Found His Father
ACT III SCENE V
Enter Ostorius, Octa, and Proximus.
OSTORIUS.
Come, come, time calls our close complots to action.
Go, Proximus, with winged speed flie hence,
Hye thee to Wales: salute great Vortiger
With these our letters; bid the king to arms,
tell him we have new friends, more forces landed
In Norfolk and Northumberland; bid him
Make haste to meet us; if he keep his word,
Wee'l part the realm between us.
OCTA.
Bend all thine art to quit that late disgrace
The Christian hermit gave thee; make thy revenge
Both sure and home.
PROXIMUS.
That thought, sir, spurs me on,
Till I have wrought their swift destruction. (Exit.
OSTORIUS.
Go, then, and prosper. Octa, be vigilant:
Speak, are the forts possest? the guards made sure?
Revolve, I pray, on how large consequence
The bare event and sequel of our hopes
Joyntly consists, that have embark't our lives
Upon the hazzard of the least miscarriage.
OCTA.
All's sure: the queen your sister hath contrived
The cunning plot so sure, as at an instant
The brothers shall be both surpriz'd and taken.
OSTORIUS.
And both shall die; yet one a while must live,
Till we by him have gather'd strength and power
To meet bold Edol, their stern general,
That now, contrary to the kings command,
Hath re-united all his cashier'd troops,
And this way beats his drums to threaten us.
OCTA.
Then our plot's discover'd.
OSTORIUS.
Come, th'art a fool, his army and his life
Is given unto us: where is the queen my sister?
OCTA.
In conference with the prince.
OSTORIUS.
Bring the guards nearer, all is fair and good;
Their conference, I hope, shall end in blood. (Exeunt.
On to Scene VI
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