Amal. [to RHOD. after a short whisper.] Your friend? then he must needs be of much merit.

Rho. When he has kissed the king’s hand, I know he’ll beg the honour to kiss yours.  Come, Palamede.
                        [Exeunt RHODO. and PALA. bowing to AMAL.

Arte. Madam, you tell me most surprising news.

Amal. The fear of it, you see,
Has discomposed my brother; but to me,
All, that can bring my country good, is welcome.

Arte. It seems incredible, that this old king,
Whom all the world thought childless,
Should come to search the farthest parts of Sicily,
In hope to find an heir.

Amal. To lessen your astonishment, I will
Unfold some private passages of state,
Of which you are yet ignorant:  Know, first,
That this Polydamus, who reigns, unjustly
Gained the crown.

Arte. Somewhat of this I have confusedly heard.

Amal. I’ll tell you all in brief:  Theagenes,
Our last great king,
Had, by his queen, one only son, an infant
Of three years old, called, after him, Theagenes. 
The general, this Polydamus, then married;
The public feasts for which were scarcely past,
When a rebellion in the heart of Sicily
Called out the king to arms.

Arte. Polydamus Had then a just excuse to stay behind.

Amal. His temper was too warlike to accept it. 
He left his bride, and the new joys of marriage,
And followed to the field.  In short, they fought,
The rebels were o’ercome; but in the fight
The too bold king received a mortal wound. 
When he perceived his end approaching near,
He called the general, to whose care he left
His widow queen, and orphan son; then died.

Arte. Then false Polydamus betrayed his trust?

Amal. He did; and, with my father’s help,—­for which
Heaven pardon him!—­so gained their soldiers’ hearts,
That, in a few days, he was saluted king: 
And when his crimes had impudence enough
To bear the eye of day,
He marched his army back to Syracuse. 
But see how heaven can punish wicked men,
In granting their desires:  The news was brought him,
That day he was to enter it, that Eubulus,
Whom his dead master had left governor,
Was fled, and with him bore away the queen,
And royal orphan; but, what more amazed him,
His wife, now big with child, and much detesting
Her husband’s practices, had willingly
Accompanied their flight.

Arte. How I admire her virtue!

Amal. What became
Of her, and them, since that, was never known;
Only, some few days since, a famous robber
Was taken with some jewels of vast price,
Which, when they were delivered to the king,
He knew had been his wife’s; with these, a letter,
Much torn and sullied, but which yet he knew
To be her writing.