Alm. Ha, ha, ha! brave and bold!50
Because thy perjury deceived me once,
And sav'd thy life, thou think'st to escape again.
Impostor, thus thou shalt[Runs at her
Iph. Oh, hold! I have enough.
Had I hope of life, thou shouldst not have this secret.55
Fran. What will it be now?
Iph. My father, having long desir'd
A son to heir his great possessions,
And in six births successively deceived,
Made a rash vow—O, how rash vows are punished!60
That, if the burthen then my mother went with
Prov'd not a male, he ne'er would know her more.
Then was unhappy Iphigene brought forth,
And by the women's kindness nam'd a boy,
And since so bred—a cruel pity, as65
It hath fallen out. If now thou find'st that, which
Thou thought'st a friendship in me, love, forget it.
It was my joy—and—death.[She faints
Alm. For curiosity
I'll save thee, if I can, and know the end,70
If 't be but loss of blood
Breasts!
By all that's good, a woman! Iphigene!
Iph. I thank thee, for I was fall'n asleep before
I had despatch'd. Sweetest of all thy sex,75
Francelia, forgive me now: my love
Unto this man, and fear to lose him, taught me
A fatal cunning, made me court you and
My own destruction.
Fran. I am amaz'd.
Alm. And can it be, O mockery of heaven?80
To let me see what my soul often wish'd,
And make't my punishment—a punishment
That, were I old in sins, were yet too great!
Iph. Would you have lov'd me, then? Pray, say you would:
For I, like testy sick men at their death,85
Would know no news but health from the physician.
Alm. Canst thou doubt that,
That hast so often seen me extasi'd
When thou wert dress'd like woman,
Unwilling ever to believe thee man?90
Iph. I have enough.
