CINTHIAS REVENGE: OR MAENANDERS EXTASIE.
—P [...]rs.
Ipse semipaganus
Ad sacra vatum carmen affero nostrum.
Similia [...] similes
[...]bent lactucas.
LONDON, Printed for Roger Barnes, and are to be sold at his shop in Chancery-lane, ouer against the Rolles. 1613.
The names of the Actors.
- CINTHIA.
- MAENANDER.
- PHEVDIPPE.
- MALINDO.
- AMILCAR.
- LAELIO.
- HIRVDO.
- GRACCHVS.
- MANTESIO.
- PERILLVS
- MAEGALENSES.
- MILITES.
- CASSIO.
- HYARCHVS.
- HIPPONAX.
- EVPHORBVS.
- FAVORINA.
- LVCILLA.
- LESBIA.
- BVFO.
- GLADIATOR.
- SACERDOS.
- SERVI.
- A [...]CILLAE.
- The Ghosts of
- CASSIO.
- MALINDO.
- PHEVDIPPE.
To the worshipfull and his Constant friend, Mr. lo. Dickinson, the Author dedicates this Modele of Inconstancie.
I Did (sir) in this lame, but louing dedication, make it a questionable controuc [...]sie, if an Author will, without prae-acquaintance (as I haue done) respecting his duety and zeale, thrust forth a doubtfull worke into a wise and well-deseruing patronage, whether the true-loue may bee dispenced with, or the confidence taxed as a presumption: Sure I am, if any indifferent Iudge respect my loue, hee will attribute this to loues desire, and so my presumption must bee but well-meaning: Vltra quid superest? Let the vaine mercenary rout of Bastard-poets rubbe an abortiue Muse with hope of honourable benefactors; and sophisticate rich parts of Nature with most corrupting compounds of Sycophansie, yet shall the more attractiue and pure iudgements haue (as they euer had) a free election, Et prodesse, et delectare, without incurring the name of Nice, deuided Opinionists. Let therefore Rockes and Mountaines rise against mee, the boisterous and arrogant auncient Writers gape wide vpon mee, if you shall reape the least true delight, and satis-factio [...], I may bee proud aboue licence, and quietly repose, not watching who dares assault the Fabricke; so confident I am of your free Spirit: Sic & [...] verba Magistri: The worke (no doubt) is in it selfe a worke [...] naked, yet neuer to bee amended, with beautif [...]ll and faire acceptance, praise and dispraise after Impression bee alike, they do neither adde, not can detract from things simply considered, so inherent is the name of Worke to each cor posure; but I can truely say, your im-par [...]l acceptance will make [...] a good worke to mee; Etiam si [...] populus: Briefly then, to auoid prolixe Argument, in stead of an Epistle, I may not inlarge my preambles with needlesse motiues, dis-allowing the errors of all men, and fauourably conniue at my owne heresies, seeming to detest lucre, &c. which deserue a tractate rather then so compendious an Epistle which doth onely salute, say Fare-well, And for my selfe thus much:
Nullus mihi expediuit suum [...]
Nec venter docuit verba conari.
Your industrious friend, I. S.
The Authors Epistle Popular.
I Could now descant (like some sage fabulist) vpon reall difference betwixt Readers, and vnderstanding Readers; prescribe a formall limitation who should, with my consent, sur-vey this Poem, (which, no doubt, many will terme tedious;) or could most humbly beg at the fowle-fisted paw, of each pretending Asse, each staulking Gull, to spare his cheape detraction, or rather vnboyled carpes, till the Authours next seruice, and then to choake him with [...]chewed gobbets of his owne dressing, if each particle in the Cookery were not amended; else might I furnish out a methodicall preparatiue, assuming some depth of mystery beyond apprehension, or assure the hood-winckt buzzards of this age, that euery syllable sauors of milkesops, doth require an easy stomacke, slight concoction, simple and weake iudgement, &c. ad infinitum. Thus doe our pie-bald Naturalists, depend vpon poore wages, gape after the drunken haruest of forty shillings, and shame the worthy benefactors of Hellicon: Some insinuate their paines, some their excellence, but all inf [...]- [...], my selfe together; yet will I thus farre ingage an vpright meaning, Nec famam, nec mercedem, olet hoc opus: not [...] affectation drew forth my scribled ignorance. And with all [...]-willing am I to play Tom-foole in Print for name-sake, as I haue purposly concealedat from the Impression, so as the petty volume enioyes his fortune Fatherlesse: for indeed (if publishing what [...] intended priuate were not so common) this had bene free for my selfe and familliars alone, notwithstanding the publicke stampe; onely to auoide the false imputed taxe of idle and haire-brained disability; not fearing what plume any garrulous fowle of the aire can challenge, nor intreating, Ne moucat cornicula risum: My comfort is, all speake their owne Language, Querritat verres, tardus rudit, oncat assellus: Who then shall blame the tongue, which cannot naturally differ from calumnious an I malevole it scandall? or who exclude any litterall, though otherwise illiterate babone, from his prefunctory and peeuish censure? who must, nay will, inspight of an Author, med [...]le with matter vendable for [...] melancholy currish [...], for the fathers [...] [Page] themselues not know why, vnlesse to proue the dogged Antipathy, whereof Martiall speakes—
—Nec possum dicere quare
Hoc tantum possum dicere, non Amote.
For these, I account of them no better then curst whelyes without strength, and teeth, pollicy, or possibility, to hurt any man who shall oppose them. Neither let any captious Reader expect by this, to win more benefite in perusall, then hee hath curtesy in exposition; the wisest man may learne, though little, out of this: if humour make them haughty, esteeming for the most part (as many doe) workes of this nature [...] worthy of their full stomackes; though much ripenesse of vnderstanding, iudgement of methode, and morning study, goes to the making vp of a true Poem: the wisest therefore might haue a better opinion both of the paines and value of legitimate Poet asters, not referring labours of such consequence to the cloudy censure of a full belly; as marshalling them aranke below cheese: surueying Scoenes, by way of Pamphlet, and Pamphlet for digestion; contemning the coole fountaine in dog-daies like the doltish Asse; to run through flames in haruest: Fare-well. And striue if thou wilt needs maintaine the Asse-head, to be rather Archadian, then Acharnican.
The Argument in briefe.
CINTHIA's Altars be neglected by the chiefe estates of Sparta; both King and Councels adiudge her diuine sacrifice, religion, vowes, worship and adoration to appertaine especially, if not punctually, to the weake order of women; because they are subiect to changeable toyes, which take their primitiue deriuation of Luna: Shee therefore inflamed with resolution to qualifie this error, as to informe how farre from iudgement so ir-religious opinions did arise, doth first possesse the humor of exalted subiects, with manifest ambition, breach of duty, and allegeance, libidinous concupiscence, flattery, faithlesse engagements, which in themselues fauour of Cinthia's large instability. Pheudippe (on whom the Kings loue reflected with more extreame zeale) she averts from his obedience to rebellion, by the power of pra [...]dominance. Manander noting a change so manifest doth (by collection) attribute Pheudippe's false-hood to her suggestion; resolued confidence begat his rage; his rage, blasphemy; which blasphemy doth againe exaspcrate the Goddesse: her indignation followes, which with violence brake forth inyong M [...]nanders vehement madnesse. A stares-man, old Euphorbus, doth compassionate his agony, and for a second purpose, counterfets an artificiall extasie, whil'st conceited humor makes Manander follow (like Cinthia) diuersity of shapes: from Poet he fals to a Player, then to Aiax, from thence to Mercury, in whose habit, assuming the most sacred essence of a substance incorporiall, hee enioynes Euphorbus to make some experiment heereof by his pouiard, being perswaded hee was impenetrable: Euphorbus easily induced by temptation, as pretending to establish a new Monarch, doth oppose and kill this eueryway deluded King: A generall approbation doth thanke his pollicy, which made a finall Catastrophe of madnesse; and so reuenge is pacified.
To his friend the Author.
ONe Swallow makes no Summer, most men say,
But who disproues that Prouerbe, made this Play.
F. C.
To his much and worthily esteemed friend the Author.
VVHo takes thy volume to his vertuous hand,
Must be intended still to vnderstand:
Who bluntly doth but looke vpon the same,
May aske, what Author would conceale his name?
Who reads may roaue, and call the passage darke,
Yet may as blind men sometimes hit the marke.
Who reads, who roaues, who hopes to vnderstand,
May take thy volume to his vertuous hand.
Who cannot reade, but onely doth desire
To vnderstand, hee may at length admire.
B. I.
To his true friend the Author.
I Was vnwilling to praefixe one verse;
Thy booke and Poem may it selfe commend,
My duteous zeale doth make mee yet rehearse
Rimes of thy worth, none as I am thy friend.
For Ladies may, thy Poem Cannot need
An Vsher to lead on, or to succeed.
G. Rogers.
To his Endeered Author.
LOng let thy Muse her wished seate inioy,
Into whose breast shee fertill store doth bring,
Which makes thy penne the cause of her imploy,
By pleasing stile and Poems shee doth sing;
Amidst whose lines sweete Laurels vp are sprung
Which doe adorne their sole effectiue stemme
As flexile branches, fittest to be wrung
Into that forme, of Poets Diademme.
What shall I need then to inuoke at all?
Or wish applause from out the vulgar crue?
I leaue such praise to men iudiciall:
They giue each worke that to it selfe is due,
Whose lauding palmes, might ymp an Authors Pen,
And raise a Phoenix from a silly Wren.
THO: DANET.
CINTHIAS REVENGE: OR MAENANDERS EXTASIE.
Actus 1. Scoena 1.
CINTHIA.
THe chiefest point of Kings felicity,
Some subiects do esteeme Authority.
Wee are aboue, the Potentates of earth
Be vnacquainted with high bloud and birth.
We do transcend supremacy of Kings,
Account them (as they are) most mortall things.
Subiect to putrifaction, to disease,
To folly; which no phisicke may appease.
Yet they do magnifie themselues alone,
Their haughty stomackes doe acknowledge none
Aboue; who may such dignity surmount:
Of power supreme as fables they account.
My God-head may with priuiledge complaint
Of Sparta; whose proud factious Kings refraine
By wicked councell, from due sacrifice
[...]At my religious Altar: they suffice
To render duty in Olimpickes once,
And rob me of an—tique oblations:
Which wee ascribe vnto the base repute
They do conceiue of our Diuinity,
My Temples honour and supremacy.
[Page] To Matrons (Bauds and Widowes) they translate
To seruice of weake women dedicate
My whole praedominance; they do exempt
Mans homage, and beleeue my power of change
Extends no further then the female sex.
This new-conceited error Il'e refute,
Il'e manifest how farre compulsiue change
Doth ouersway proud man; Il'e execute
The rigor of my vengeance: dreadfull awe
Gods do obtaine by a correctiue law.
And thus will I restore that holinesse,
Which they extinguish through bold sawcinesse:
Mortals contemne the Makers Diety,
Vntill his wrath scourge their impiety.
Act. 1. Scoen. 2.
MENANDER, HIPPONAX, EVPHORBVS, LELIO, PHEVDIPPE, HYARCHVS, PERILLVS, a Hearse.
Nature acquainted well with indigence,
Defining (in it selfe) our impotence,
Liable to corruption generall,
Shewes, nothing doth endure that's naturall:
Sterne death no pitty takes on hallowed age,
Vpon the sucking babe, whose harmelesse twine,
Tenderly hangs about the nurses necke,
Neuer did old mens holy teares obtaine,
Neuer did death from Innocents refraine.
The slaue who smothers in obscurity
His hated life; who neuer did account
Of rising Sunne, eclipse, and prodigies,
More then of customes and impertinence;
Neuer accounted seasons, months, and yeares,
Autumnall haruest, Spring-tide happinesse,
Further then meanes to nourish misery,
[Page] Who neuer lent the busie world a smile,
But breathes out melancholy aire, and groanes.
This man (alike with Epicures and Kings,
Who often striue with a departing soule)
Expects vpon the leisure of his fate,
So Kings and Cripples be incorporate;
Their ashes often mixt, when they repose
Two petty vrnes, their bodies oft inclose.
Death, how impartiall be thy wounds? how free
From all exceptions? My beloued fire,
Lusty and full of Spirit fiue dayes since,
Here humbled lyes, once royall prop of Greece.
EV.
Laments are idle, neither can recall
Your fathers soule backe from Elizium.
MEN.
But griefe informes the world hee once did liue
Worthy, and well respected, like a Prince,
W [...]om people pray for, and whose happy raigne
True subiects craue to be perpetuall.
HYP.
But sorrow in excesse (dread soue [...]igne)
Begets a weake distraction of the braine.
Breeds a contempt of mundane diligence,
Neglects profession, violates the law
Of solace, and abhorres congruity,
Giues carelesse raignes to sicke security,
Turnes nature to a liuing lethargy.
MEN.
True Hypponax, and therefore temperance
Limits with reason our compulsiue woe:
For men of pure discretion (you may finde)
Beare all extremes with a most aequall minde.
Repeat Perillus (the last signe of loue)
A poem to expresse the Obsequie,
With teares concluding his Catastrophe.
PER.
Feare to offend his farre divulged name,
Which (who may mention without righteous fame)
Being euer busied in effecting lawes,
Commended still with popular applause,
Retaining orders of Antiquity,
[Page] Forbids me to repeate his Elegie:
Each clamorous eccho and all forrest-noise
Ingendred by the Sylvan Dryades,
Be henceforth silent; neuer may such tunes
Affoord free mirth to Poets phantasie;
Who, may surcease to sing their sacred layes,
Viewing the vnaccustom'd change of time:
Till future ages do reviue the losse
Of our deiected worthy in his sonne,
Whose true externall image doth retaine,
The liuing lustre of our wonted king,
May whose deere genius dwell thy gifts among,
And vs prouoke to leaue his funerall song.
MAENAN.
Enough; and in that finall word, Enough,
Our lamentations faile: remoue the hearse,
His body sleepes: who may the soule reverse?
(My Councell) stay, assist me; and because
From the succession of new Kings, new lawes
Take their originall, I do intend
Enormities of custome to amend,
Matters (though in themselues erronious)
Amended, may proue meritorious,
Had but impartiall Fate fiue longer weekes,
Allotted to my [...]fe progenitor.
He, by aduise of your sage grauity,
Had finished (ere this) what you begun,
Which (through default) I must remember done.
The people of our continent, each sexe
Both masculine and female, do adore
A Goddesse, whose essentiall part is change,
(Proper to widowes, virgins wilde, and wiues)
Antiquity doth call her CINTHIA;
The honour, sacrifice and Hecatombes,
Spent in the solemne, superficiall awe
Of her accounted-sanctimonious law,
Are (without aequall number) infinite.
We, knowing her supremacy extends
[Page] No further then weake women, will abridge
That annuall expence, and will confine
Such customare deuotion to the sect
Of Priest-hoods foeminine; their simple sexe
Shall by iniunction worship CINTHIA,
To whom indeed they be subordinate.
So, this decree of priuiledge exempts
Men from oblations: Let an Officer
Informe the people thus.
OMN.
We all subscribe.
MAEN.
Your dutifull acceptance (noble friends)
Of this propounded pollicy, doth vrge
My secret nature to disclose the loue
Which was inflam'd when iuniority
Of yeares and iudgement (my associates)
Gaue me aduice, which a more grounded age
Doth entertaine, with equall permanence:
With selfe-same feruor and integrity
Of true entire affection, as before.
HYP.
What Spartan Lady will oppose the King?
EVPH.
What Spartan Lady doth Maenander loue?
MAEN.
Nay friends allow the marriage of your King,
A matter lawfull first in generall
And thence refute the scruple so precise,
Which boulsters vp a life Monasticall.
OMN.
That scruple wee as errour do account.
MEN.
Then Il'e aduertise in especiall,
You sapient hearers of that beauteous dame,
Who, vnredeem'd Maenander, captiuate
Doth hold in fetters, though a free-borne King,
The daughter of Hyarchus doe I loue.
H [...].
My daughter? vnexpected happinesse!
Giue me then leaue, sweet rauishment, to see
Her glad espousall celebrated once,
By which, but some coniecture may arise,
To see the royall issue of her wombe;
And Il'e go lodge in my forefathers tombe.
MAEN.
Do all agree with this old or'e-ioyd man?
HIP. EVP.
[Page]True subiects will commend Maenanders choyce.
MEN.
Nothing doth more prevent a Princes fate,
Then wise directing Councellors of State.
Act. 1. Scoen. 3.
MALINDO, HIRVDO.
Grosse indignation! manifest repulse!
Am I neglected? O disdainfull Prince!
May wee obserue thy peeuish altitude,
Like a contemptiue groome or Sycophant,
Without your glaunce and poore espyall? Iudge,
O iudge my quarrell some ingenious man,
Witnesse my righteous challenge of his pride;
Resolue me some indifferent arbiter,
How to digest this ignomious pill.
My loue and duty both reiected thus?
My dignity esteem'd so little worth?
My salutations frustrate? Some poore doult,
Who payes a curtesie and supple cringe
For euery dram of aire hee suckes in,
Cannot be vs'd with lesse humanity.
Wee, bending, stoop'd before his Maiesty,
Hee, with a crabbed countenance, cleane auers'd,
Goes on like some dull statue; neuer stoopes,
Nor smiles, but with a frowning arrogance,
Iust like a moulded picture, like the frame
Of a supported Image, doth moue on,
As by some artificiall new deuice,
Puppets are seene to make a solemne daunce.
He now attended with a barball size
Of sober Statesmen, doth reiect my loue,
As if I were not in full aequipage
Of his owne yeares: nay almost of degree,
Excepting his high place of Soueraigne.
O pride of Princes! ô how forceable
[Page] Be scornfull frownes from an offended King?
This argues guilt, and makes me culpable,
Without a conscious crime; without pretence
Of any thing committed: In defence
I therefore well may pleade pure ignorance.
What new suggestion should exasperate
The Kings displeasure? doubtlesse, he of late,
And his bigge title, was more affable,
More gent and curteous: but the crowne perhap
Is heauy, and requires the cunning helpe
Of those gray dotards (who indeed possesse
Our most deluded Monarch) to support
A thing so massy, and immence; proceed,
Soone may my wrathfull curses ouertake
The proudest veine of their aduanced soules:
May the vaste concaue of Olympus cracke
And giue a signall to our Gods decree
Of dissolution ready to approach,
Of earth and heauen their latest period,
When I repent my curse, or do abstaine
From an effectuall meanes, which may procure
Destruction, though delai'd; yet deadly sure.
Am I not noble? bred of aequall stemme
With Sparta's chiefe and best Magnificoes?
My Auncestors (remou'd but nine degrees)
Knew neuer man below the bloud of Kings
Worth aemulation, as a riuall fit
For them, admitting mighty Emperours,
None as aboue, but as competitors:
From those heroicke monuments of Greece,
From those Hyrudo you can testifie,
Our selfe deriues a lineall descent:
And by the law of Heralds dignity,
A supported by antiquity)
I am [...] amid the chiefest ranke
Of Duke [...]s, which gouerne this Peninsula:
Yet shall I [...]rauerse so obsequiously,
[Page] Within the glaunce of his huge altitude,
Like some deiected melancholy Asse,
Which feeds on thistles.
HY.
Death! you are abusde,
Were I the man appointed to sustaine,
So vndeseru'd a signall of disgrace,
The proudest King in Europe should perceiue,
I'de not digest an iniury so base.
You being the subiect of such high abuse,
You should with faction terrifie the King,
Amaze the Court, and make your opposites
Tremble againe like babes, who shaking stand,
Doubtfull of mercy from the Tutors hand.
Were I the man whom dignity of place
Entitled to such vaste prerogatiue
As you enioy, no scandall, no disgrace,
Should touch my honour without full reuenge:
The King himselfe should not escape my spleene,
(Vpon so iust a quarrell) I'de affront
His ample greatnesse: nay expostulate
On equall tearmes, why without open cause
He should reiect my seruice with a frowne,
I'de taxe him of vngouern'd appetite,
Selfe-humour, peeuish ignorance of state,
And charge him to amend infirmities:
If like a tyrant hee but durst reply,
Rating the licence of audacity,
Then would I menace torture; I would teare,
The big voluminous Title he doth weare
Pin'd on his backe by parasites and knaues,
Who though they want, yet can bestow much grace,
Kings when they leaue to be vpright, are base.
MAL.
Make me acknowledge this thy loue sincere,
Bring thy magnanimous courage into act;
O be my agent, reconcile the doubts
Which do possesse my intellectuall sence.
The Statesmen are my sole Antigonists,
They do seduce and steale away the King.
[Page] Keepe his heroicke bounty for themselues;
They doe detaine his nature punctually,
Make him (deluded) parsimonious,
Erect who pleases their magnificence,
Who them displease, the king must frowne vpon:
They do entombe the silly wretch aliue,
Make him as dead, to eminent designes,
Which they approue not; then reuiue his will,
To aduenture such, as none approue but they▪
In briefe, they leade him like a Lyons whelpe,
Tame, and yet fierce; if so the keeper please,
To wurry with aduantage: then beware,
Those who offended haue the keepers will;
By which, the tame-taught Lyon's gouern'd still.
HY.
Beleeu't my Lord, a home-bred naturalist,
Whose resolution neuer was confirm'd
By art, example, or experience;
Who neuer knew a faith historicall,
(That low step to a warrant rationall)
His anger would be ready for attempt;
Nay finish all with very good successe,
Whilst you revolue a tedious aduice,
Of which, too long delay doth spoile the prize.
MAL.
But sir, the high opponents, who traduce
My honour, and good name, be numerous,
Men of no dung-hill breeding (not aduanc'd
By some especiall Madame of the Court,
For a concealement of her secresie,
In case, where witnesse, bawdy hand, or seale,
To broken Titles be restoratiue)
But matchlesse in their eminence of birth,
Not sprung from petty page, or foot-boyes race,
(Onely remou'd, to fill vp vacant place,
And rob iudiciall statesmen of deserts,
To whom by Nations law, all same reverts)
No, my assailants be both rich and wise,
(Two qualities scarce analogicall,
[Page] Yet my oppugnant enemies haue both)
Rich, wise, and nobly borne; nay fauourites,
Men of an aequall iudgement with my selfe,
Ingenious they be (though Flatterers)
Who with calumnious faction doe depraue
My potent fortunes, making birth a slaue.
My foes be great, therefore I am dismaid,
And to incounter great ones am afraid.
HY.
What huge Antaus may of conquest brag,
Who euercomes a Pigmey? or insults
Ouer a simple wrecth condemn'd to chaines?
May loues owne Eagle stoope at stinking flyes?
And suffer Owles to penetrate the skies?
Well did that mighty Indian dog deserue,
Whom neither Bucke, mad Bull, nor threatning Boare,
Could from the kennell make to rise, before
A stout couragious Lyon, king of strength,
Irefull enough, with vengeance in his iawes,
Prepar'd for single combat; boldly then
Like a resolued Champion forth he flew,
And the Maiesticke Lyon fiercely slew.
Giue me a man, whom neither multitude,
Nor meanes to worke reuenge, can terrifie;
Who, though incompass'd with corriuall foes,
Immur'd with aduerse competitors,
Left eu'n amidst the circumuenting Iawes,
Of greedy hounds, and hunters policy;
Can, like a whirle-winde, in despight of those,
Who with vnaequall faction dare oppose,
Fly through the thickest, make their big-swolne mawes,
Leuell with stinking lakes, and ditches deepe,
Like a Colossus though they stood before.
Who may esteeme it an inglorious act,
Rather who thinkes the valour not deuine,
Which through a banded troope of enemies,
Doth, like some bolt of thunder flye apace,
And force withstanding obiects to giue place?
[Page] Men of your size being vrg'd with insolence.
Of peeuish statists aemulating pride,
(A humor most vnnecessary ill)
Should, like the murdering Chain-shot, driue downe-hill
Castles and rockes, although impregnable,
Make mountaines stoope before you, rend vp Okes,
Buffet large Atlas with incessant strokes,
(Though the supporter of Olympus frame)
Till heau'n and earth begge rescue for the same.
Yet shallow great-men, they must wise-men seeme,
For noble births doe liue by peoples breath;
Nor may the priuiledge of birth redeeme
Our aestimation, subiect still to death;
Bee theerfore wise (wisedome who dares condeme?)
If not by nature, then by stratagem.
MA.
Thou'art yong (Hirudo) resolute and wise,
A plyant apprehension soone will rise;
Remember now thy naturall good parts,
Thinke if they serue to reconcile the doubt
Of my ensuing mischiefe; prethee thinke,
If thou dar'ft venture boldly to remoue
My foes from bounty of Maenanders loue:
Which, till the blinded King doe abrogate,
Each foole may from my fortunes derogate.
Combine thy powers, and ingenious parts
To salue the wound of my disgrace, which smarts.
And be my creature; meditate withall
Our now-declining ioyes to re-install:
And be my creature; satisfie the King
By some corrupted meanes, or anything:
And bee my creature; may some new deuise,
Purchas'd by Magicke Art, and hellish prise,
Wholly avert the puny Kings beliefe
From our opponents tales, which doe in chiefe
Poyson my merits; ô abolish those,
And bee my creature, or indeed deere slaue
I will bee thine; doe but imploy some care
[Page] To best aduantage of thy agent-skill;
Remember then, thou art my creature still.
HY.
Know then I loue thee Duke, and must preferre
Thy fortunes, though I doe confiscate all,
Whom Gods will not releiue, inuention shall.
Act. 1. Scoen. 4.
LVCILLA, HYRVDO, LES [...]IA.
The King my brother? No, my brother clowne,
Malitious coxcombe, peeuish Spartan-foole;
Death brided? ô my torments!
LES.
Madam know,
He is contract already.
LV.
To a whore?
The strumpet Fa [...]rina?
HY.
Hearke iust heauen!
She railes vpon a virgin, whose pure soule
Might giue example of true chestity
To her owne spotted, leprous infamy.
LES.
Now old Hyarchus laughes.
LV.
Her father: yes:
A rotten Magistrate, who may thanke warme clothes,
Caudels and physicke for each rising Sunne,
Which he poore man is made partaker of,
His daughter must be married to the King:
So, I, degraded must acknowledge one
Aboue vs in our female properties,
Be boundlesse my exclaimes, and terrible;
(Curses) assemble your offensiue rage,
And helpe a womans fury to disgorge
The poyson of her stomacke, in the face
Of a most spightfull brother, whose designe
Is vnto me a purge so laxatiue,
As my vnable body will be spent
With bitter execrations; ô I feele
The storme of vengeance wrestle in my bloud,
Tempting my soule to bee more great then good.
O may the horror of some fatall knife,
Finish the blessings of my brothers wife.
[Page]May she liue loath'd, or neuer may she liue,
Till heauens vnto my happinesse shall giue
A freedom, to insult and tyrannize,
Vpon that impious whore, that Cockatrize.
O may new mischiefe tread vpon the heeles
Of terrour, to affront the ioy she feeles.
Let some infernall Negromanticke charme,
Change their expected happinesse to harme.
Let many clouds salute their nuptiall morne,
With omenons affrights in way of scorne.
The height of mischife makes my sorrow sound,
As Op [...]-balsum doth a bleeding wound.
HY.
O the rude licence of a womans rage,
Who her malignant disco [...]ds can presage?
So, let her vanish, and her gall vnmaske,
Till wee accomplish our appointed taske.
Act. 1. Scoen. 5.
HYRVDO, MENANDER, FAVORINA, HYARCHVS, PHEVDIPPE, MALINDO, EVPHORBVS, HIPPONAX, LICTOR.
My sorry conscience doth recoyle (old men)
Worthy Mali [...]d [...] did inforce my vow
To proue delinquent, rather then oppose
My dreaded soueraignes life (an impious act,
Vrg'd by the cunning of more impious age.)
O then submit, with poenitentiall teares
Confesse, your age offends the King through feares,
Omn. Magi [...]r.
Our age offend the King? we vrge this act?
HY.
Of murther: yes, you loue [...].
Om. Mag.
Subtill distraction!.
LIC.
Silence.
ME.
Hippo [...]ax.
Hyarchus we disclaime your subtilties.
FAVO.
My father so reiected?
MEN.
Queene forbeare,
Malindo is our faithfull favourite.
MA.
In thy protection let our kingdome liue.
MEN.
[Page]Welcome braue Duke; be euer mine, belou'd;
Accounted in the chiefest scarlet ranke
Of vnderstanding Iudices; we thanke
Your noble and magnaminous resolue,
Your charitable vndertaking; be aduanc'd
And euer in my bosome: you are loyall.
MAL.
Daigne mighty Monarch but experience,
ME.
Your loue already hath in ample sort,
Giu'n testimoniall enough: be grac'd
And euer happy in our high account:
Another subiect Officer I haue,
Phe [...]dippe cal'd; on whom the graces smile:
A man so absolute in my approofe,
That Nature hath reseru'd small dignity
Which he enioyes not. Welcome friend approch,
Forsake the Citie, euer dwell in Court;
Nay neerer, in my bosome: we obserue
Your manifest indeuour, diligence,
And all industrious faculties that lodge
Themselues in thee with a true correspondence,
Wee note your proiects, and esteeme them highly.
PHE.
I seruile groome put forth small industry,
Excepting what I owe in subiects duty.
MEN.
My father, in the latest fillable
Of his weake vt'trance, did inculcate often,
Thy vnrewarded loyalty: be bigge
In honour, and out-shine the radiant glosse
Of bearded polititians: kneele before vs.
And in vprising swell with a new name:
No more Phe [...]dippe, but all-potent Duke
Of wide illiri [...]; (noble friend) arise,
We diue into the bottome of thy soule,
Which doth ingender a sweet sympathy.
Liue long and happy in a Monarchs loue:
Malind [...], you prouide some Theater,
Some regall shew, wherewith we mutually
May solace and disport our heauinesse.
[Page] Hyrud [...] liue: May treason euer finde
The biting tortures of a troubled minde.
You magistrates imagine it a curse,
And punishment beyond all punishment.
(If you attainted are with any guilt
Of so enorme designes) thinke it a curse
To sucke vp the salubrious aire, and liue,
Fame will infect you, though I pardon giue:
OMN.
So prosper we as we are innocent.
Act. 1. Scoen. 6.
MALINDO, HYRVDO.
Good slaue I thanke thee, thou hast reconcil'd
The Kings distastfull and ambiguous frowne,
I must enroule thee in the Catalogue
Of my professed fauorites: contemne
The seruile clog of stooping curtesie:
Enioy what euer in the bounds of freedome.
Be idle, and securely friuolous,
Wanton or any thing that appertaines
Vnto a noble personage of worth.
Or if thou wishest a contented life,
Free from the cauils incident to worth,
Bee onely idle, euer gazing ou [...]
Of publique windowes, and obserue the pride
Of such a man, faire mounted on his cloth
And gelding dapple gray, accounting all
His footmen, till the coltish bayard stumble.
Bee whom thou pleasest, whom thou dost suppose
A blessed man is, absolutely rich.
HY.
All this demands a furtherance, my Lord.
MA.
Yes, and that furtherance will I bestow:
But the most noble haue their enemies,
Their opposites, antigonists; nay some
Of ragged base repute do still suruiue,
[Page]Who (notwithstanding) dare maligne the state
Of vs, though splendor to the Common-weale.
These vomit forth each scandall, each contempt,
Malice and gall together: poyson choke them;
I feele their aspicke venome here involu'd,
They wound worse then a raging Basyliske.
How bitter is the taste of contumele!
Some patience I intreate thee (heau'n) bestow
Vpon our scandalized name: Reproch,
That common aduersary of vs all,
Who are in a good way to purchase fame,
Doth dog vs to our latest winding-sheet,
Euen to the wombe of our great grand-mother,
That neuer satisfied wombe of earth.
Blame not my zealous anger, I am hot,
And carried with true valour, to the pitch
Of an exclaime so requisite: ô slaues,
And prodigies of nature, that will taint
Pure sanctity; nay, eu'n the Gods aboue,
And their incomprehended holinesse;
Their sacred essence, with like blasphemy;
If but enrag'd awhile, as they do mine.
HY.
Who? or what man is he that dares do thus?
S'death I will not endure the sight of him.
MA.
How? speake that againe, doe you remember well?
HY.
S'death I will not endure the sight of him.
MA.
No? why thou vngratefull man; must I aduance,
Must I search out a lodging for thy soule,
And make roome for thy friendship in our bosome?
Canst euer hope to bee incorporate
With my owne essence? the same man almost,
And not endure the presence, nay the sight
Of our malitious foe? recall your thought:
Each timorous fellow, that abhorres the name
Of absolute reuenge, could say no more:
What? runne away from our contemned foe?
HY.
Il'e not endure the presence; nay the sight
[Page]Of such a slaue, yet neuer turne my [...]eeles:
No, I'de embowell the base rogue at first,
Contriue a quicke dispatch: the villaines heart
Would I expose vpon a mountaines top,
Or offer it vpon my faulchions point,
Fresh bleeding to some wrath [...]ull Deity,
Of vnappeas'd reuenge, in sacrifice:
I'de mixe my vrine with his reeking blood,
And pisse vpon the carkasse in despight,
Disseuer ioynts and flesh, till all were done,
Then toast his marrow in the melting Sunne:
I'de not endure the sight of him aliue.
MA.
Couragious resolution! I commend
Such vehemence in valor: this doth vrge
And animate my purpose to be quicke,
Royall, and open-breasted to a man
Of such full vndertaking euery way.
Let vs imploy this youthfull vehemence
Betimes: a quicke bloud cals for action.
Imagine this the pauement where my foe
Hath fixt (vpon the quarrell) his firme foot;
For know that such a villaine doth suruiue,
Whom I will scourge in thee my fauorite,
Briefly you must disgrace and murder him
Whose name is hitherto conceal'd; but you
(After instruction for the stratagem)
Shall know the varlet, whom you must imagine
(Meerely for apprehension) is your selfe.
I like a ruffaine (which remember well,
You must hereafter practise) though for instance
I will now vndertake it, vnawares
I fetch away your not misdoubting heeles
From of the trampled earth, eu'n thus: then sweare
Some oath of high importance, that the aire
Shall neuer be infected with a slaue,
Who breathes out poysoned blasphemy on earth.
Sweare then that neither shining light of day
[Page]No interchanged seasons shall affoord
One minute more of blessing, that himselfe
Shall not enioy one article of breath
Beside, to aske forgiuenesse of the world:
Sweare that no planet, no supernall starre,
No Hercules, no Gigant [...]a [...] arme
Shall rescue villaines from appointed harme:
Then spit him through the center of his heart,
Eu'n thus, Hir [...]ds.
HY.
But you iest Im'e sure.
S'death I am slaine; forbeare, ingratitude!
I perish without expectation: O.
MA.
May my suspected agents perish euer.
Act. 1. Scoen. 7.
MALINDO, MESSENGER, PERILLVS.
There sleepe (vnthought of) in a vaulted tombe:
Thus great men must be iealous of their fame,
Preuent all blemish in a noble name.
Now King and kingdome both are almost mine,
Lights be obscured when the greater shine.
The King reputes me loyall and submisse,
(Transparent coulour to deceiue a Prince)
(But hell beare record) I am bent to ruine,
To purchase kingdomes, or impeach my state,
Who neuer ventur'd, neuer knew his fate.
In Epires rule now liues my noble friend,
Thither will we addresse our false complaint,
Pretending I am hated here at Court,
Threatned to death, not likely to escape,
Withall insinuate our appointed ioy,
Which fiue dayes hence the King doth celebrate▪
Informe I may, that then both Prince and Peeres,
Will bee assembled in the Theater:
And being so, how safely hee may send
A manadg'd Army to destroy them all.
[Page](Dissembling still the meanes to rescue mee
When I am safe aduaunc'd) but meaning most
To further my aduancement: for which cause
I fram'd this little motiue: Hoe within,
Fly to the confines of Epir [...]ts rule,
Deliuer vnto Cassius my friend,
The Gouernour, this caution heere inclos'd,
Vrge him vpon allegeance euer due,
From one friend to another, to make haste.
Speake this, and speake no more, neither to any
Open the passage dores of vtterance,
But to my friend, my deere, my best beloued,
MES.
Imagine me a blocke, a Niobe,
Conceiue my mouth to be deuoid of tongue,
Till with content I do accomplish all.
MA.
Bee secret as calme silence, or the night.
My care must follow to frame Theaters,
Warning the Megalenses, our Comaedians
To act some pithy and applauded Scoene,
Wherewith to shadow my pretensiue zeale.
But well-incountred (Poet) [...]pray approach.
And let vs parley of an Enterlude.
PER.
Patron of Poets, much esteemed Duke,
Leauing the Muses, and my pleasant cares
Regarding yours more then my owne affaires,
Poore Poet Il'e attend your conference,
Command mee euer, most ingenious Lord.
MA.
Command Per [...]llus? no, intreate thee rather,
Each high-borne Title must aduance the worth
Of holy rapture: pray informe the Actors
Of some true Morall, of some Tragedy
Or else some subiect more ridiculous,
Which may with new deuis'd conceits stir vp
The dull and solemne audience.
PER.
Beleeue
Il'e stretch the scant [...]esse of my Mother-wit,
Rather then faile for to accomplish it.
The God of Kings protect thee: so adiew.
MAL.
[Page]Attempts of great men speake in siluer tones,
Thus gilded tombes ore-shadow dead mens bones.
Act. 1. Scoen. 8.
CASSIVS, SOVLDIER, MESSENGER.
SOV.
A speedy foot-poast heere atttends your honor.
CAS.
His message?
SOV.
Out of Greece, and more precisely
From Sparta.
CAS.
Then admit the messenger.
Now friend, your businesse?
MES.
Open sir the Casket.
Somewhat's within contain'd, that will instruct you.
CAS.
Arme if thou lou'st me noble CASSIVS,
And helpe thy brother with a royall rescue,
I am in prison, prethee make great haste,
Or I am dead: 'gainst Ianus-festiuall,
Addresse thy courage to assault our King,
Both King and Statesmen kill, for fit occasion
Will bee afforded, while they sleep: secure
Busied with ioy, and iesting Cordials.
Arme if thou lou'st me noble Cassius?
Yes, arme I will, and in despight of spight
Rescue thy valor from the blackest night,
Which enuy, or malignant wrath can yeeld,
To darken thy resplendant fortitude.
Carry the letter (friend) from whence you brought it,
Let nothing hinder quicke deliuery:
Nothing excels a wise dexterity.
Act. 1. Scoen. 9.
PERILLVS, 2 MEGALENSES, MESSENGER.
You (Titio) shall act Mandragona,
But you (Eulal [...]o) stout Bellephoron,
Each hath his part appointed, as in playes,
And this our actiue Scoene, so in the world
[Page]All haue their parts allotted to begin
At seasons knowne after natiuity,
But our evasion out of misery,
What cunning Sophist may denominate?
As for the Prologue in my sportiue Scoene,
There needs no Actor it to amplifie;
The festiuall approches, let vs giue
Direction to your fellowes:
MESSENGER LOOSETH THE LETTER.
Looke Eulalio,
Vnloose that Paper, or peruse the Title:
No superscription? rend the seale, and reade.
TI.
Arme if thou lou'st mee noble Cassius,
And helpe Malindo with a royall rescue,
I am in prison, prethee make great haste,
Or I am dead: at I [...]nus Festiuall. &c.
Words of amazement, and exceeding strange.
PER.
I smell a treason hypocriticall.
TI.
A iust construction; correspondent sure,
To this intent.
PE.
And therefore Titio,
You (much disguis'd) may safe anihilate
Both his, and our proceedings: Let's be wise,
Il'e pen a part shall dash the enterprise.
Act. 1. Scoen. 10.
MENANDER, PHEVDIPPE, MALINDO, AMILCAR, LELIO, HIPPONAX, HYARCHVS, EVPHORBVS, FAVORINA, LESBIA, TITIO, Milites.
Ioue, or what-else supernall Deity,
The Gods and Goddesses who gouerne Kings,
Who arbitrate the schisme of month and yeares,
Whose sacred essence heauen and earth adore,
To whom the greatest potentates below,
Do sacrifice their Greekish Hecatombes,
These are accustom'd to dispence with ioy,
And in remembrance of their holy acts,
[Page](As now) we often solemnize the day,
Recorded long from all antiquity,
And ciuill ioy perhibite without feare;
Mirth may refresh not difanull my care.
Pheudippe (friend) sit heere; all do agree,
That each mans place should answere dignity.
So, call for this appointed melody.
TI.
A quiet calme foretels tempestious winde,
And faire-plum'd swans sing sweetest when they dye.
Gesture doth oft conceale a traytors minde,
And many golden dreames do proue a lye,
Sent and inspir'd by heauens high thundring Ioue,
I bid you arme, desist from iollity,
Those who pretend, shew colourable, loue,
What ere avoids the test, is flattery
Gliding a farre from out the Thracian soile,
I could espy Malindo's friend in armes,
Swiftly addressing his battalions,
Heere to entrap and fully ruinate
You ancient Magistrates, thee matchlesse King.
MAL.
Soueraigne the [...]ellow is lunaticke,
Remoue the mad man sirs; away with him.
TI.
Not mad Malindo, thou a traytor art,
Take witnesse from that paper, his owne part,
ME.
L [...]lio, Lord Generall, giue speedy battell.
LE.
Arme souldiers, arme, cry conquest and approach.
ME.
Make ready forces to repell the foe.
MAL.
Arise from foggy Ler [...]a some foule smoake.
Each liuing creature without mercy choake.
Be euer clouded Phoebus, may thy light,
Turne in a moment to aeternall night:
Returne obliuion, or the antique age;
Forgotten Chaos, and the pilgrimage
Of vndefiled mans first innocence,
That I all torment may escape on earth,
And be accounted guiltlesse (as at birth)
[Page]O for inchantments, for a potent charme,
A magicke spell that may con-iure the clouds,
To couer mee with darknesse at noone-day!
For such a charme would I expose the wealth
Of Tagus, or the Ocean (were it mine)
Helpe, ô assist mee some infernall aid,
Now be propitious (Hell) I am betraid.
Fortune, ô strumpet! Il'e aduance the darke
And fearefull habitation of the dead,
Il'e worship witches, and extoll the praise
Of Pluto, Il'e preferre impiety,
Canonize all before thy Deity.
The bloud of Nessus neuer did inforce
A Hercules to halfe such vehemence.
ME.
Was't you Malind [...], that through mischiefes baite
Compos'd this ensigne of a hollow heart?
Alas I lou'd thee well, why didst deuise
Such fatall Scoenes, fashion'd of bloud and death?
The paper mourn'd when thou thy mind hadst writ,
Yes, mourn'd in blacke meerely to thinke on it:
But you persist in deepe obdurasie.
I mourne my selfe, yet am deuoid of pitty,
Because thy error is ambitious pride.
MAL.
The man whom fate hath from aeternity,
From since the words beginning, hath enrol'd
Amidst mis-fortunes mournefull Catalogue,
Whose downfall frowning planets haue conspir'd,
Who neuer was the bounded fauorite
Of way-ward rumor; whom aduersity
Hoth wholly seiz'd, whom heauens appointed awe
Prepares as fatall obiect of disdaine
To leuell her inuenom'd aime against.
O let him euer dwell in mothers wombe,
Or let that Infants cradle be his tombe.
ME.
Conduct him Souldiers to the car [...]ifex,
E [...]phorbus, you attend the finall gaspe,
Then giue to Cassius the decouped scull.
MAL.
[Page]Ambition leades vs to the fountaines brinke,
But then affoord's destruction 'stead of drinke.
Act. 1. Scoen. 11.
LELIO, SOVLDIERS, AMILCAR, LVCILLA, SACERDOS. &c.
ME.
We reade large conquest in our Captaines face,
Stand forth some sober nuntius, relate
The maner of this notable de-signe,
AMIL.
Brontes, nor did Pyragmon euer shake
The Anuile of that Iron-munger God
V [...]lcan, with blowes so vnsupportable,
In hammering the thunderbolts of Ioue,
As did the courage of our Generall
(By animating souldiers to attempt)
Shatter the weake array of Cassius.
He faint (for faintnesse euer doth attend
On such designes) being faint before the time
Of on-set, he withdrew so speedily,
As, that retinue of his rebell-slaues,
Beg'd noble mercy of the Conquerour.
But wee, like some fierce Gyant giu'n to spoyle,
Enrag'd with a remembrance of their act,
Their too contemptuous vp-rore; did reply,
With anger vnappeas'd in bloody phrase,
That no compassion should redeeme their liues
From famine of our faulchions: for indeed,
Rebellion must be scourg'd vntill it bleed.
Then flew the common Souldier with such speed,
To enterprise in rigor the new spoyle,
As neuer did a hungry Woolfe insult▪
With more vnsatisfied reuenge, then they.
Grim Slaughter in a Chariot of dead sculs,
Rode vp and downe triumphing, till darke night
Shooke off the fetlocke from her sleepy i [...]des,
[Page]And gaue way for retrait; each man before
Troad in contempt vpon the scattred foe,
Vntill my fortune, rather then exploit,
Slue the once owner of this▪ vn-ioyn'd scull,
Then euery man gaue backe, with blood being full.
ME.
Magnanimous Amilcar, I account
Thy courage beyond apprehension; swell,
Swell my Phendippe with aboundant ioy,
Reioyce in thy coragious sonne, like mee,
Who vaunt the rather, euen because thy sonne
Doth so be haue himselfe, thou being my friend,
Whom I esteeme aboue all earthly good.
Stand forth Phe [...]dippe, honour doth attend
To cast a gracious smile vpon thee, friend;
And thee Amilcar, let vs magnifie.
Malindo sleepes (A [...]ilcar) I aduance
Thee through the ruine of his dignity,
Possesse both place and goods.
A [...]i.
Without desert
As hitherto; but I will endeuour.
ME.
We haue a sister, where is she? L [...]illa?
Let some attendant vrge her company:
Bring hither likewise an appointed Priest,
(Be not amaz'd my sober Magistrates)
Pheudippe, you shall be espous'd to her:
Her Il'e bestow, and without preiudice
On thee alone, my noble Bed-fellow.
PHEV.
Pardon (deere Liege) least worthy I of all
To be a Monarchs kinsman, lesse, to be calld
The brother of a Greekish King, your sel [...]e.
ME.
Do not refuse, for (noble friend) my loue
Onely admits thee as a friend and brother,
And for a witnesse that I make this league
Of loue and friendship; let's embrace each other.
PHE.
Euer obeisance to your Maiesty.
ME.
My sister doth approch, let groomes make way
For beauty able to obscure the day.
Sister, behold thy husband; friend, thy wife,
[Page]Marriage doth breed, but sooner banish strife.
You (Priest) the Hy [...]all rites may offer:
Acceptance is experienc'd by proffer.
SACE.
Let Hymen triumph, and vnite your soules.
ME.
Now liue in peace, and brother aske a boone:
Aske what you list, for grant I will what-euer,
Which henceforth may commemorate the time
Of an espousall so remarkeable.
PHE.
Your deuine Maiesty accumulates
Honour, aboue the trite capacity
Of all contemptuous age; that auncestors
(Before thy hallowed birth-day) did approue:
(Great King) I haue a kinsman, though obscure,
Yet wealthy, whom (because obscure) I begge
A small part of your high magnificence,
But to enroule amid the Catalogue
Of those you least remember: Kings be wise,
Their bounty will prouoke a slaue to rise.
ME.
To deific the worth of whom wee loue,
Aduancement Il'e impouerish, compell
Honour to hugge thy kinsman, till a warmth
Quicken his humble bloud without controule.
Enuy, (the scourge of Kings) be henceforth dumbe,
Thus will I treason euermore entombe.
And thus exault our loue beyond all merit,
Birth may do much, loue makes the low inherit.
Finis Actus primi.
Act. 2. Scoen. 1.
PHIVDIPPE.
A Midst my slumber, circumvolu'd with doubt,
In this thicke midnight darkenesse, now all sence
Securely lyes inchain'd; now potent dreames,
[Page]With vnresisted awe, rule the dead lumpe
Of mans poore fabricke; now all humane flesh,
Kings, and the sterne-brow'd Tyrants doe submit
Their maiesty to Sleepes Imperiall feet.
Now, not long since I dream'd, and could with ease,
Vtter the subiect, how a mishapen hag,
His haire full horrid blacke, huge were his eyes,
Bigge, like a bowle encompassed with bone,
Thrice did the Impe appeare, did vanish thrice,
Three massy Crownes, of worth inaestimate,
(Had they enioy'd a worth substantiall:)
Thrice did hee shew, and thrice againe withdraw
The hallowed obiects, then a pace proclaime
Quod libet, li [...]et, and away departs.
I then awak't, strooke with extreme amazem [...]nt,
And nimbly leaping from a secûre couch,
Came to expell this ominous affright.
Reading, or whatsoeuer can auaile
The vigor of temptation, to withstand,
Wee should perhibite (though against our will.)
Heer's an aspiring Poet, whose proud touch,
May eleuate some braine aboue the flight
Of nimble apprehension; Il'e vnclaspe
Thy sacred volume, Lucan: Il'e content
My rouing fancy with full argument.
He writes of witherd sculs, of mutiny,
Ominous apparitions of the dead,
Of Caesar, Pompei, and Imperiall state,
Of combats forreigne, of domesticke broyles,
Of dire inuasion, of ambitious warre,
(What-euer makes vs noble) fortitude,
Of expert vndertaking, of euent:
O hee's a fellow able to inflame
The frosty stomacke of a staru'ling youth,
Who wholly feeds on rheumish winter-plums.
An Author of commanding Altitude,
And such a man giue me; a man of worth,
[Page]Who makes the reader rub his paled brow,
Makes idle nature melt away in fume,
Giues breath and courage to out-puffe the Cannon:
Such Authors you may feele at fingers end,
They gallop in your bloud, prouoke each veine,
To giue them passage without violence,
Bellaper aemathios plusquam ciuili [...] campos
Ins (que) datum scelert canimus populum (que) potent [...]m:
N [...]e quenquamnu [...]c ferre potest, Caesar-ve priorem
Pompei [...]s-ve parem: quis i [...]stùs induit arma
Scire nefas: magno se i [...]dice quisque tu [...]tur.
Ah Pomp [...], Pompei, if thy hallowed acts,
Once more might flourish, I would aemulate
Those bold incounters; ô most happy men,
Whom Fate enroules to bee victorious:
They conquer, spoyle, subuert, and aedifie
Turne Dukes, nay Kings to common Parafites,
And make the proudest flatter to winne life:
Yet Kings are mighty: yes and aequall too;
(Though weake, although base cowards by the law
Of naturall indowment) yet the name
Doth yeeld them aequall; nay aboue the fame
Which often doth enrich a conquerour.
What may we hence collect? a principle,
A maxime of no vulgar consequence:
Subiects are base, and to acknowledge one
Superiour, doth note seruility:
O what a most perpetuall slaue is man,
If not the chiefest in praedominance?
Let obscûre polititians be content
As chiefe in Parish; or some petty Towne,
I'de make Dominions tremble with a frowne:
Make euery subiect, high and low obserue
The heauy danger of our discontent,
Or make a precious forfeit of each life.
Woe to that King where subiects be inflam'd
With greater zeale of eminence then hee:
[Page]There must inuasion triumph, timelesse death,
Rapes, murther, all iniquity of age:
By gulfes; by rockes, eu'n by the lawes of hell.
Wee swim who would obtaine the gates of heauen.
O what a large deuinity's involu'd
About the awfull phrase of Emperour.
The name, the name of King, how it awakes
Our caitife blood, quickens our faculty!
Ambition be my iudge, if I were sicke,
Wounded with pistols, out of hope to liue,
Forsaken by all Art and physicke law,
Lay speechlesse in my chamber, lost my sence
Of man or voyce making no difference
Yet through the magicke of this powerfull sound,
You are a King, (if hallowed in my eare)
I should againe recouer, should recoyle
Skip forty fadome from the couch, and sing,
Dance without shame, though naked, without noise
Trample amid the pauement, touch my roofe,
Run giddy with glad passion, rub my veines,
Like one reuiu'd anew, esteeme all base
Vnder bloud-royall, be a ranke mad man,
Till ioy and rapture both were cleane digested.
How readily mans temper is traduc'd?
How forceable temptation doth oppose
The supernaturall act of doing well?
Wee are like windemils on ambitious mounts,
Open to euery tempest, which will turne
Our sailes without resistance: like the waues
Wurried from shores to rocks; from rocks to shelfe;
Man is not man till he deny himselfe.
Yet on our state's impos'd a slauish curse,
To see things good, though we conniue at worse.
Act. 2. Scoen. 2.
PHEVDIPPE, LVCILLA.
LVC.
Ah husband, husband, what excessiue care
Inuaded me with violence? shot farre
Into my shaking bosome, when I saw
Your sudden absence? heauy sleepe alas
No sooner left mine eye-lids, gaue me leaue
To aske, how does the comfort of my soule?
How does my silent loue? my deere Phe [...]dippe?
But with familiar lip, and flexile arme,
I seiz'd vpon the pillow 'stead of thee.
Thinke how intruding iealously began
To blurre whateuer I could wisedome call,
Within me, or without me; which alas,
All know's extreamely dwa [...]ffish in out sexe.
PH.
Iealous the first night wife?
Lv.
O-then or neuer
An honest, louing wife is iealous euer.
Iealous at home, least husbands ouer-vex
A painfull heart with meditation,
Of matters which concerne his family.
Iealous when husbands bee enforc'd to trauell;
Danger exceeds the obiects they do mee [...],
Whether by sea, or in the publicke street.
I (peeuish foole) perceiuing you were gone,
Thus in my choler did expostulate▪
Doth hee for some dislike abhorre my sheets?
Neglect what others loue? the maiden sweets
Of mutuall embracement? may mens taste
Loose their accustom'd relish▪ and refuse
The mellow ioyes of ripe virginity?
Will hee contemne the sportiue dallia [...]ce
That married couples may engrosse with leaue?
Will he this mid-night shew himselfe no man?
The first night of our meeting bee disgrac'd?
Or will hee by disaster end all strife?
[Page]Perish? and so preuent a formall taxe
That may impeach his manhood? Thus, euen thus
Poore foolish I did thus praevaricate;
Thus (for indeed wee women struggle much
Vntill deliuer'd of opinion) thus
Did louing zeale praeiudicate amisse.
You are offended (loue) I doe suspect
See how his colour's chang'd, astonishment!
Prethee what pensiue thoughts oppresse thy soule?
I reade the humor of a malecontent
Written betweene your eye-browes; recollect
The common sparkes of scatter'd Maiesty.
Speake gentle sir.
PHE.
Women, women, women.
LV.
What of women?
PHE.
Most women loue to talke,
To scatter tales, and yet sweare silence too,
To breed sedition, to deceiue all those
Who in simplicity are confident,
Of honest meaning: ô they do [...] insult
With a tyrannicke boldnesse ouer one
Who through bewithch'd opinion, doth impart
The substance of included secresie.
O they wil dare the soule of such a man,
Make him so subiect to their base command,
As if they had his heart-strings in their hand.
LV.
Raile at our sexe? why husband, though perhap
Such women do suruiue, what will you hence
Conclude within their guilt, my innocence?
PHE.
'Cry mercy wise, 'good faith I did imagine
Their wicked conuersation, generall,
(All in good time be otherwise:) But wise,
The painters of our age be culpable
Of high abuse committed; they portraict.
Each mentall vice in habit of a whore,
A Hagge, a Witch, or Woman, at the least.
LV.
Vertue (although the others opposite)
Is painted with the like habiliment,
Therefore conclude, if tender woman-hood
[Page] Take any full impression of deceit,
Vertue, or vice, of either strong beleefe.
Or colourable incredulity;
To change her minde will aske another age.
You may conuert beliefe, you may reuoke
Errors of wise-men, by a deepe dispute,
But women setled, nothing will confute.
For painters do imply this consequent
By embleme; that our sexe is permanent.
PHEV.
Are you so philosophicall I'faith?
Well dost thou argue, for they sexe and selfe.
Shee hath a ripe conceit, and I approue
Her subtill apprehension, out of loue.
I relish her deepe iudgement; for indeed,
My railing labour'd onely to obtaine
Of wits reply the due experience,
That in our wisedome of credulity.
We may impart a proud conspirasie.
women shoot faire sometimes, though seldome true
Like whetstones they giue edge to trickes a new.
Braue Catiline for this cause did account
Yong Orestilla worthy to partake
Of his attempt (though farre aboue the braine
Of woman to accomplish) hee approu'd
The talkatiue Sempronia: Thus will I
Induce my wife through cunning circumstance,
To giue directions for a raw conceit:
Though man is rather bless'd, who may with-hold
His closet counsell from a womans eare;
Yet am I of such spungy clay compact,
As till I am dis-burthen'd of my care,
Nothing yeelds comfort: ô I must vnclaspe
A volume, which may preiudice my life;
Happy's the man who dares beleeue his wife.
LV.
What magicke may this motion ocular
Of lips, without all vtterance portend?
PHE.
For men to pause at a poore stile of Dukes,
[Page]Most frequent Lords, and yet more common knights
Proclaimes them base and triuiall; if meanes
Of more aduantage may be thought vpon:
Thy father was a King L [...]cilla.
LV.
Iust.
PHE.
And shall the Chronicles of age report
Lucilla was no Queene? Were I a woman—
LV.
The Madam Fauorina doth vsurpe
My due respect.
PHE.
Shall [...] liue?
Shall she out-shine the beauty whom I loue?
Nature, nay Gods deny a double Moone,
They both are ominous; they do import
A prodigie of vprores and of death.
LV.
O man assist our weakenesse, wee'le enforce
The potent succour of religious fate;
Con-iure by solemne othe, deepe secresy
So crowne the vigor of conspiracy.
PHE.
Now spoke dame resolution: I adore
Such credible ingagement; and embrace
Faction aboue all true faelicity.
I can discouer yet a childish vice
Within my nature, named cowardise:
I feele a fearefull and familiar stamp
That shewes I am a coward: I recoyle
In thought of high atchieuements; I dissolue
With repetition of a sound so braue
As conquest, and impartiall victory;
Yet would subdue Dominions; would enthrall
The vast Horizon of our vniuerse:
But I abhorre the sound of enemies;
Of proud resistance: Ambiguities
(With cowards) are begotten of each tale
Of each phantasticke rumour; idle care:
A new suggestion will beget new feare.
If notwithstanding women will bee stout
Women (the badge of damorous affrights)
This would encourage slaues to victory,
And shall encourage mee; my wife is valiant,
[Page]No creature liuing must (Lucilla) dare
When twise two Moones haue made a change in Greece;
Dare to accost thy super-eminence
Nor with like priuiledge (as now) affront
My then sublim'd authority: be iudge
Thou happy time, when that more haughty phrase
Long liue, shall be pronounc'd, with [...] twise
Wee'le then disclaime acquaintance; liue re-cluse;
Then if wee are dispos'd to imitate
Some liuely gesture of disdainefull grace,
And peepe into the publicke aire awhile,
The thronging Citty will be crowded vp
In a poore handfull, to ex-patiate
With rowling eies our vnaccustom'd face.
LV.
I am inflam'd already: O ambition
Be but auspicious; mount my nymble breath
And win the Gods good liking to command
Of earth and heauen a hopefull furtherance:
Swell heart, and with it swell my brauest bloud,
Sug-gest new motiues deere necessity,
Resolue now for a lucky plot betimes.
PHE.
Nay first resolue of some associates:
Three to a banquet, foure beget a braule
Sayes our instructiue adage; but i'faith
Fiue to a bloudy banquet makes all square:
A banquet (wise) a banquet, shall enthrone
Our happy wishes and our hopefull ioy:
The King shall dye.
LV.
Yes, and the new Queene perish.
PHE.
The Captaine of his Guard will I corrupt
With forceable engagement, and faire shewes:
(Chiefe architects in a designe so rare,
Sole agents for the great men of our age)
Him if I do seduce; the Souldiers apt
For innouation will obey betimes:
My sonne A [...]il [...]ar (by iniunction bound)
Must then remoue thy opposite, the Queene:
My faithfull steward, sage M [...]esie
[Page]Hee (by commandement) shall engrosse the corne
Which haruest hath afforded; and procure
The famishment of those who may resist
By insurrection our new seated blisse.
New barnes Ile build, erect new granaries,
Which (open to their wants,) may well remoue
Cripled allegeance, and procure much loue.
LV.
The banquet shall obey my prouidence.
PHE.
Wee who worke iointly, may ingeminate
An others losse makes many fortunate.
Act. 2. Scoen. 3.
THE GHOST OF MALINBO.
Pheudippe false? and shall the king exclaime?
VVrest vengeance from the rage of Cinthia?
Distraction talk'd of in the lower Dis?
O I am rauish'd with extremity
Of hellish laughter, of loud harmony:
Balme to my torture, musicke to my soule!
How sweete this clamorous eccho: all reuenge;
Crackes in the iawes of repercussiue aire:
Awake thou damned troupe of high-borne youth
Angels of darkenesse my deere friends awake,
Howle forth some ditty, that vast hell may ring
VVith charmes all potent; earth a-sleepe to bring.
VVee who be barr'd from happinesse by fate;
VVho be confin'de within the fiery gulfe,
The kingdome of perdition; who exempt
From full enioying of supernall good,
VVee do but laugh when our colleagues are damn'd.
VVee triumph in their multitude, we daunce
Our dismall rounds; our changes double ouer
VVhilst pur-blind owles with night-rauens do consort,
And still together sing though Caesars daunce:
I a meere caltife in the prime of youth.
[Page]Nourish'd an itching appetite to rule
The sudden rigor of which new disease
Crept in my deerest bloud; vntill at length
As maggots doe engender by the warmth
Of violent reflection; so attempt
VVas all encourag'd by desire, both which
Creating base ambition; bred my fall:
Thus do praedominant affects consume
All hope; and turne the substance into sume:
Yet seeing our fate is vn-auoide-able
VVhat may we answer sauing welcome fate?
For, happinesse wee exiles neuer knew,
Nor any ioy doth holinesse affoord
To vs the out-casts of Eliz [...]m,
But onely this: to yawne aloud below
VVith lofty shouts; when foes may ranged be
Amongst our hellish troupes for company:
Thus though my obscure shadow much compeld
Payes due alleageance to King Pl [...]to's Court
Yet by the fatall wisedome being inform'd
Of dire euents, of Cinthia's reuenge,
Reuenge though future; yet in equity
Hereafter to be cast vpon the Prince
Manander (he my downefall did approue
Doom'd execution, him do I abhorre)
VVill triumph in his mad Catastrophe:
And do awake to haunt his company:
My shadowed spirit walkes invisible
Can worke it selfe into a Tennis-ball,
Shoote through the Center, search into the Sea;
Slide through the Cauernes, penetrate stone-wals:
VVatch by the pillow of a sleeping man
VVithout all notice taken, without noyse;
Hath liberty to play the Incubus;
Haunt whom I please with apparitions,
By priuiledge assum'd from Pluto's fordge:
Thus do I haunt Phe [...]dippe; I suggest
[Page]Visions of aire, of nocturnall sume,
Forceable to buzxe falshoood in his braine:
Falshood in whom the King so deere accounts
VVill breed a rigor in the Kings exclaimes;
Till hee impeach ador'd deuinity,
His anger will expostulate the cause
Of change so suddaine, of a breach, in loue
So manifest; improper, then Distrust
VVill answere chang's deriu'd from Cinthia
His passion will approue the pedigree
And after ful-stuff'd oathes crowne blasphemy:
Then bloudy [...]aw'd reuenge will trot apace
Vpon his winged curtall; to attache
Maenander of high-treason: O my Ghost
Shall quaffe downe, Lethe; tumble in the Wash
The raine-bow couloured waues of A [...]heron:
I, like some Sea-fish, frolicke with faire shine,
Will toffe about the billowes of our floud;
Then through the flames (in leiu of triumph) scudd;
Till then, implore some wrinkled witch, some hag,
VVhich may prouoke Maenanders patience:
To torment braue companions yeeld much ease
In sicknesse our associates helpe disease.
Act. 2. Scoen. 4.
THE GHOST OF MALINDO, AND THE GHOST OF CASSIVS.
MAL.
VVhat shadow voide of substance hither comes?
VVhat incorporeall essence doth approach?
VVhat vapors painted like my selfe with fume?
(VVho steale existence from vnited fogge)
What substance insubstantiall? what Ghost
Walks in the clouded element of aire?
Aread thou dumbe associate of darke
And theeuish midnights; now aread thy name.
CAS.
Recitall serues to tortuose, yet know
[Page]I am the ghost of slaughterd Cassio,
Slaine for the zeale I nourish'd to a friend;
Vnfaithfull vsage wrought my timelesse end.
MAL.
My true borne Cassius? well incountred; see
The soule and image of thy zealous friend.
CAS.
What eccho bred of impudence, what aire,
Eiaculates the name without a blush?
Avaunt, ô vanish (thou vild caitise) run,
Least with a repetition of old tort,
I make thee vanish by the full report.
Stay thou abortiue image, who assum'st
The title of a traytor, whom I lou'd,
Stay thou ignoble wretch, I will informe
How falshood hath deluded innocence.
Tremble, ô tremble (earth) when I repeate
The blacke disaster of my fatall end.
Tremble; for know, this ignominious man,
Whose wicked mischiefe did enthrall my dayes,
Hee was produc'd from out the loynes of earth;
Yes (damned polititian) thy proud aime
Thought by inuasion to surprise thy prince,
Vnder praetext of high abuses done,
Of wrongfull censure, of imprisonment.
Thus did your oyled speech infinuate,
Thus moue a simple meaning friend, my selfe
To traine forth Souldiers; ô impiety!
Pretending rescue still to vndertake
Rescue of thee, whose finger did not ache.
Seated in triumph, sole competitor,
With Princes of high courage, thou didst rule:
Enuy, the common traytor to estate
Stood farre inough from thee: imprisonment,
No way impeach'd thy lustre: yet as windes
Crouded within the re-cluse cauernes, swell,
That dreadfull earth-quake is ingendred thence,
So did thy turbulent faction ouer-boyle
The brim of due obedience; poore I
[Page](Incited to rebellion by faire glosse,
Which colourable smoothnesse had put on)
Perish'd in battell, through thy peevish traine,
Imprisonment prou'd false, and rescue vaine.
MAL.
I vanish where thy Ghost shall neuer see
My shadowed substance of impiety.
CAS.
Runne thou remorslesse Image to the wombe
Of hell, thy heauy mansion: let all sexe
Beleeue that man to lethargy condemn'd,
Who takes a polititian for his friend.
Act. 2. Scoen. 5.
GRACCHVS EVNVC [...]VS.
Gape greedy Lerna, thou most impious gulfe,
Stretch thy vnhallowed gums, belch poyson forth;
Send some infectious plague into my blood,
Into my blood and bosome, send a curse
More biting then the breath of Scorpions:
Be boundlesse my swolne ou [...]rage; ô blaspheme
That irreligious deity of chance;
My good estate's consum'd with idle game:
What-euer this inconstant age tearmes Wealth,
What-euer I did call Peculiar,
My owne poore substance, stil'd with proper name:
What with much trauaile, and extorting meanes,
I scrap'd (laborious to enrich my 'state)
All, in fiue houres, hath foolish game destroy'd:
Large expectation doth impoverish
The wisest polititian: wee are cousen'd
With our opinionate lucke; delusiue hope:
Amongst all creatures (vpon aequall tearmes)
Man is most foolish, most improvident;
Confirm'd in a beliefe, that happinesse
Will make an euerlasting harmony
When mischiefe lurkes within our elbow-roome.
I feele the sharpe disease of beggery
[Page]Beginne eeu'n with a thred-bare impudence,
To seize vpon our nothing-valued life.
All that is Courtier in me, who contemn'd
To'acknowledge one aboue me (but my maker)
To sue for friendship; cogge for patronage,
Who was enfranchis'd by the Kings dcreee,
Had no reuenues but a morning bribe,
(Which now of late are pretious things, all men
Haue so inclin'd themselues to subtilty,
As they conceiue a Courtiers gullery)
But I was well prouided for, before
A fowle disaster of such consequence,
As peeuish gamesters lucke oppress'd my soule.
All that is Courtier in me, now compeld
Must vanish into smooth-tongu'd flattery.
With oyled gums, and with a supple arme,
I must salute my patron (though a foole)
Insinuate how many blessed yeares
Hee will enioy, to blesse my indigence:
Tell him how plumpe, how lusty, latter time
And my yong mistresse make him, though his face
More full of wrinckles then a practis'd witch
With pittifull hoofe-shoulders do consort:
So, like a fawning Spaniell must I wagge
At every costiue wind-fall of a crumme;
Bid fare-well to my Courtiership, and liue,
Like an arch-foole, a Sycophant: flye hence
These childish terrors to my pained soule,
The chiefest Courtiers will my kinsmen bee,
My fellowes in profession, my colleagues,
Nay aemulate my worth, if I excell,
In the most ample trade of glosing well.
O Gracchus! Gracchus! but a free-borne-life
Rather alludes vnto foelicity,
If our estate hath no dependant cause,
If wee possesse without anothers claime,
Reuenues (cleere from tenancy at will)
[Page]Regardlesse of obseruance; doe despise
Payment of homage to a foot-cloth-sir,
And may reuile the best of Tradesmans coate,
If he insult (sans praeiudiciall feare
Of a compulsiue debt, or Officers,
Who follow satisfaction:) for indeed
Revenues I account, although possess'd,
Yet if infected with a name of Debt,
Nothing as mine which answeres to the name;
Possessions be what others cannot claime.
If without scruple therefore we can boast,
In so compleat a fashion as before
I did inculcate; then Rusticity,
To Gods and Monarchs may well answere free▪
Thus doth improuidence of hare-braine mates,
Buy little wisedome at excessiue rates:
'Tis indeed better to bee wise at last,
Then gallop head-long till our hopes bee past.
Though latter wisedome doe import withall
An insufficience in points naturall.
Act. 2. Scoen. 6.
AMILCAR, MANTESIO, GRACCHVS.
What melancholique caitife yonder walkes?
MAN.
Gracchus (my Lord) the gallant Eunuch.
AMI.
So,
What malecontented humor doth oppresse
The image of vnspotted honesty,
With him so frequenr? I adore and loue
The ciuill carriage that I do obserue
In his Imployment: if a Courtier hath
(Courtiers of common out-side-silkes) if they
Haue deere acquaintance with dame Honesty
(Famish'd in exile to the frozen pole)
Gracchus I dare avow may paralell
The best of their acquaintance: (Gracchus) hoe?
GRA.
[Page]My gracious Lord?
AMI.
What perill imminent,
Doth so oppose thy noble splendor? which
(without meere base descention to col-logue)
I must informe thee is re [...]ulgent.
GRA.
ô,
My good and gracious Lord; but pouerty,
Is able to oppresse maturity
Of diligence, of iudgement, of designes,
Each liberall Art and Science doth submit
Their ends and occupations to obtaine
The true terrestriall Saint, the sacred glosse,
Of all-effecting riches; euery man
Will hazard his damnation to adore
A thing so blessed, so licentious:
The weake-brain'd gallant in extremity,
Will change Religion, will aequivocate
With mentall reseruation, racke the ioynts
Of his benummed conscience, will provoke
A lethargy of sharpe distinction: will out-puffe
The Cardinall foure winds, when they oppose
Each other all at once (and procrea [...]e
A whirle-winde) these will hee out-puffe alone,
With some insuffe'rable oath, which farre exceeds
The three dimensions, dares ploclaime himselfe
A periur'd villaine, to appropriate
Six-pence, vpon triuiall mistake.
Arts-maisters will transgresse the rule of Art;
Nay our precisest schoole-men will forsake
The principles which they haue authoris'd,
In cases that concerne selfe-avarice,
And greedy lucre: knowledge is inforc'd
To follow by constraint, abuse of time,
Wit mis-imploy'd gapes at improper ends:
Strong men are impotent without rich friends.
AMI.
What cloudy passion, wrapt in ample phrase
May such a railing vehemence portend?
What meanes thy sharpe invecti [...]e? what's involu'd?
MAN.
Hee doth (my Lord) inveigh at poverty,
[Page]And shewes how force-able a Saint Wealth is,
How potent the command of money is,
The dreadfull awe of dame [...].
GRA.
And whilst I do re-volue the misery
Which happens by constraint of beggery,
Then I remember what my plague must bee.
AMIL.
Vn-shell thy riddle: most miraculous!
GRA.
Your gaming foole is most ridiculous:
O Fortune, Fortune hath infring'd the web
Which I with painfull diligence did weaue,
Whereto the pillar of my state was pinn'd:
Some little store I had (not looking higher)
A houshold smoake our-warmes my neighbours fire.
AMI.
Haue you lost all?
GR.
Some fifty hundred crownes.
AMI.
O the vncertaine lot of idle game!
I long haue knowne thee.
GR.
And haue known me honest.
AMI.
Honest is now a metamorphis'd name:
He that can sweare, blaspheme, be riotous,
Roare till the mid-night eccho, or beginne'
Some vn-appeased fray, who dares commence
A drunken skirmish in a bawdy-house,
Fight for his hackney whore, and hazard all,
In honour of his damn'd associates:
Dares combate with a publicke officer,
Be (out of gun-shot) most irregular,
Drunke in good earnest, be [...]te fiue Constables,
Couzen a flocke of geese compendiously:
Yet after all put a smooth visage on,
Seeme sober, be indulgent of his same,
Though a most practis'd knaue, remembring still,
To make the mid-nights all participate
Of such enormous acts: ô [...]ees the man
Reputed sociable in our age: ò hee
Is reckon'd for the honest gentleman:
Who playes the spend-thrift, the voluptuous foole,
Exceeds the Turke in sensualty,
Is a true mid-night Epic [...]e, can hide
[Page]His leud impostures from discouery,
Hee shall be most vn-touch'd with [...];
Hee (amongst youthful bloods) shall win [...] wreath
Purchase the name of Loyall honest friend;
But (as our adage sayes) obserue his end.
But (Gracchus) I am rather confident
Then scrupulous of thy square honesty,
Gracchus, I loue thee, therefore will bestow
An annuall pension of fixe hundred pounds,
And must withall imploy thee.
GRA.
In a taske
That may require my soule then I beseech thee;
May stretch sincerity with tenters: ô
Impose an ample burthen; ô some taske
That will suruey the depth of loue indeed:
Favour beyond mans merit, doth exact
A most vn-quenched seruor; not his vow,
But sinewes actiue, and a sweating brow.
My life lyes prostrate to praedominance,
Of your commanding voyce: I will bestow
My reeking blood in recompence of loue
Ready, without all first or second cause:
I wish some Doctor in extremity
Of vn-knowne sicknesse, which may seize vpon
Your most respectiue honour; would prescribe
The marrow of a man, medicinall;
You should not be indebted to the bones
Of a forsaken caitife, new condemn'd,
Whose pocky pith might be infectiue: No,
My supple fingers should vnloose a ioynt
From off this flexile carkasse. I would bruise
A luculent and lushious mari-bone,
(The best I can stile proper) to appease
The sharpe divulsions of such new disease.
AMI.
Gracchus, who giues not credence to a zeale
Of thy profession, wee account him base:
Be chiefe among my chiefest followers,
They shall receiue directions from thy selfe.
Which my famêlie [...] with;
And which abusiue ages do afford [...]
A zeale sincere the Gods cannot reproue
And we ere-long will manifest out loues
Let vs inculcate now my fathers charge,
Remember what with vehemence was-vrgd,
Nay was enioyned you [...]
By our most watchfull father.
MAN.
I exspect
Vpon deliue [...] of his closet keyes.
AMIL.
Take them, and prosper; pray be vigilant;
Reuolue I pray on how large consequence,
The bare euent and [...]quell of our hopes
Ioyntly consist; who iointly haue embark'd
The doubtfull hazard of our deerest liues
Vpon a small miscarriage: onely fiue
Participate of our designes; my selfe,
But first my father, then my step-d [...]me next
You (Steward) and the Captaine of the Guard
Whose happy full consent is scarce obtain'd:
Wee seuerally haue instructions learn't
Of each particular function; haue agreed
How each conspirator shall be employed.
Time cals for speedy action; the square plot
Doth now transcend a shapelesse Embrio
And will expect vpon deliuery:
You haue engag'd a wise dexterity,
And trauaile; to procure the famishment,
To puruey, to collect aestiuall corne,
Which Haruest will enrich the Rusticks with:
My taske intends surprisall of the Queene:
Be carefull, take the keyes, expend the weal [...]
Which long hath bene vp-hoorded: traitors all
Like cunning Statuaries, must auoide
Blemish and eye-sores; you conceiue me sir:
Successiue businesse needs no roweld spur:
Treason like some insculpture spacious
[Page]On a smooth touch-stone will demand men wise
A diligent perusall, most precise;
With an elaborate artificer
Who may direct; for 'tis infallible
That errors in a beauteous frame (though small
And at another time though veniall)
Yet if committed in a curious peece
Where blemish might (by sufferance) ensue
The totall is condemn'd and caru'd a new:
Be white, or blacke; not (party-coulour'd) gray;
So follow your commission, poast away.
Now my contentious braine re-uolue the taxe
Impos'd (vpon thy blessing) to surprise,
And spoyle the ruddy blossome of our age;
Faire Fauourina that Angel-like dame
A Equall for beauty, for vnmatched fame;
With Saint-like Venus (by Appelles drawne)
This Queenes espousals haue I vndertooke
To dis-vniite, by a most impious act
Of murther; but alas I am enthral'd
With true libidinous feruor; am enforc'd
By lustfull hot inuasions to decline;
Which punctually tempt me to a-uoide
The colourable death of whom I loue,
Our sweete Cycnaean Goddesse; the faire Queene;
Whose body I'le enioy with priuiledge,
(I will enioy with hazard of my death)
Whilst euery man imagine shee is dead.
Gracchus the Eunuch did I entertaine
Commodiously fore-casting an exploit
Where-with to muffle vp the serpent-eyes
Of probable suspicion: Like the Fuller
Who cannot liue by cloth must liue by colour.
But see, obserue the beautifull approach
Of my commanding obiect: blesse mee fate.
Act. 2. Scoen. 7.
AMICAR, FAVOINA, A [...]CILLA [...].
FAV.
What makes Amilcar so obesequiou [...]?
Damsels depart.
AMIL.
Yes, rather, so, then maids.
FAV.
Amilcar.
AMI.
Madam.
FA.
Thy graue countenance
Truss'd vp in such a formall cognisance,
With front compos'd; so perpendicular
Directing steady aime at open gaze,
Your longing silence doth detect; as if
The businesse should concer [...]e my audience:
In-faith, in-faith, you are dis-consolate.
AMI.
Yes, but my meaning is emaculate
Like the forgotten primitiue attempts,
When all things were accounted innocence.
O might the wrath-full arrogance of some
(Who by a peeuish-tutor'd vehemence,
Conspire in habite of corriuallship
Against one pious beauty) be so farre
From preiudiciall meaning as my selfe
The age and Kingdome both might liue secure:
Madam, I can discose a prodigee
That appertaines to you.
FV.
Delluer it.
AMI.
Haue you then female fortitude enough,
A most resolued courage, to conceiue,
To apprehend a passion that will wound
Nay penetrate, the fabricke of the soule?
Shoote through the center of thy trembling bloud?
Infuse fiue shaking palfies mutuall
Before I finish the first period?
FA.
Giue then a quicke release; I am resolu'd:
Tormênt mee not with idle circumstance,
Begin this tale of prodigy.
AMI.
Heark hea'un;
How carelesse shee accounts of accident,
Griefe, and this woman be familiar
[Page] I thinke, and well acquainted.
FAV.
VVhen begins
The prodigie you spake of?
AMIL.
'Twill amaze
The organs of attention Madam: yet
Seeing you enforce and couet misery,
You shall no longer be with-held: then thus:
But I beseech thee Queene remember well
These admonitions that exemplefy
The horror of my following discourse.
Imagine whilst you doe ingurgitate
My poyson'd soppes the beauty of your sence
Of your ingenious parts (all donatiues
Of Natures bounty, and the Gods aboue)
Imagine they'le be chang'd with violence
VVith vnresisted lunacy; so long,
Vntill each spirit leaue her function:
Till with a surfet you sur-sease to liue
Neglecting mundane solace; be trans-form'd
Into a liuelesse image, all thy veines
And vitall arteries being stop'd with feare:
Thus much remember Queene I do prae-mise.
FA.
Amplifications yet? begin, begin:
AMI.
VVith all remember, you (right noble Queene)
VVho may attend my tale, are but a woman.
FA.
And whether will your prolixê Lord-ship amble?
To the worlds end I thinke in preamble:
That (after all) you may anew begin.
AMI.
No (my compendious Lady) heere's an end:
Obstinate silence is the safest whip
To punish a peruerse disciple with.
FA.
Are you enraged iolly sir i' faith?
O be appeasd, leaue ambiguities;
Finish thy tale (man.)
AMI.
VVorthy Madam no,
Your supple phrase shall not againe recouer
One vowell of narration.
FAV.
O abrupt!
Yes (my blunt youth) if torment may vnbind
Your costiue silence, know, I will recouer
The whole narration; if deuulsiue rackes
[Page]Haue not forsooke the Kingdome; if the King
Will hearken to my spatious complaint;
Or yeeld with exoration of his Queene.
AMIL.
Your spatious? ô then Arithmeticke
Hath taught you to augment and multiply:
(Deere Madam) speake within the bounds of truth.
FA.
(Cheape Lord) thy impudence shall smart for this.
AMI.
O bitter!
FA.
Thy dumbe silence be inforc'd
To witnesse, nay reiterate the depth
Of your concealement.
AMI.
O pernicious.
FA.
You shall rehearse, nay shall expound, this tale
Of prodigies.
AMI.
Without your wide complaint
Without all torment to enforce the same
I will expound them straight; and therefore thus:
Ladies by birth of late are satisfied
With natures gifts, nor seeke they to resist
Impediments of age, or stinking breaths,
But well are guided by the heauens decree
Respecting beauty lesse then the command,
Of Gods aboue; be not these prodigies?
They honour husbands, hallow chastity
Reiect all midnight offers, liue within:
Abhorre the name of lustfull visitants,
Take little relish in a home-bred foole;
And lesse delight in Physicke, or the knaues
Who practise that purloyning office well.
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake;
When Ladies do bestow their idle time
In scrutination of deuinity
Not seeking to beguile the abused Art
Of painting; or to wish fiue Iubiles
Might be allotted to their tumbling tricks
And coltish vntam'd pleasure; which they vse
To practise without intermission: speake:
Be not these prodigies dee [...]e Madame? speake
When Ladies, and light-women be estrang'd
From Para-kitos, Munkies, island-curres
[Page]Coaches, and Coach-mares, masking nouelties;
From waspish aemulation, to exceed
Some eleuated Madame in her gowne;
Some luy-bush attire; to engrosse
The knowledge of a fucus, deutifrice,
Vnguentum, plaister (for in-faith sometimes
Diuerse scab'd sheepe do perish for defect
Of these restoratiues) ô then resolue
When Madames do estrange their facultie
From inquisition, from delight in these;
Will not the mouldred ashes that haue slept
So many thousand yeares, againe reuiue?
Will not the crazy ioints of earth dissolue?
And rotten fathers be resuscitate?
The finall extirpation of each dame
Both light and sober may this tale portend
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake.
FA.
Wisedome doth vrge me to entreate him faire
Least hee indeed dissemble, or conceale
Businesse of high importance, that may touch
My most perticular aduantage: (sir
So-well-accomplish'd, meritorious count.)
I must importune your dexterity,
To re-collect the now-forgotten tale
Of prodigies indeed; withall confesse
My peeuish error.
AMI.
This doth mollify,
Nor may redemption of abuse, though late;
Although abruptly offer'd, derogate
From the large sequele; either thy beleefe
Or my vnfeigned meaning (noble Queene)
But Madam you shall seriously admit
A most impugned caution, ere I speake;
And shall obserue the same inuiolate,
Without base mentall reseruation.
FA.
Wee will engage our female Maiesty
Thy strictest of iniunctions to prefer
Aboue all temporary baits, which may
[Page]Allure smooth falshood to infringe the same:
Sweare by this image of Paladium,
(Reckon'd amongst our Sacramentall oathes)
Neither by subtle tokens nor by voyce
By second causes, by secure complaint,
Vpon malitious, or well meaning termes,
To manifest, diuulge, communicate,
Nor any way disclose the future plot
Whereof you shall anon participate
By processe of relation.
FA.
I do sweare
And will submit my life to thy aduise.
AMIL.
With priuiledge, then Madam, Ile expresse
The wicked meaning of your enemies:
Lucilla my proud step-dame, doth abhorre,
Sole repetition of thy harmlesse name:
Shee doth repose her chiefest confidence
In my audacious act, who am oblig'd
Vpon surprise to kill thee.
FA.
Subtle whore?
So yong, and yet so full of impudence?
So full of indignation, causelesse wrath?
Enuy how feeble are thy foming iawes?
With vndefined rancor they attempt,
But seldome are obnoxious to any,
Who haue acquaintance with integrity;
For enuy (vpon spight) assailes the henge
Of our successe: but wrong enflames reuenge:
And therefore did high Ioues omnipotence,
Enuy; vnto the female sex impart:
Woman's a witch by Malice, man by Art.
How, how (Amilcar) may wee recompence
The new disease of her indignity
Which would entice, and so corrupt thy youth
By fraudulent commotions.
AMI.
Ile instruct
How opportunely, Madam, you may meete
With her abusiue malice; and exempt
Your selfe from the suspicion of reuenge.
And yet reuenge will be conspicuous:
[Page] I thinke, and well acquainted.
FAV.
VVhen begins
The prodigie you spake of?
AMIL.
'Twill amaze
The organs of attention Madam: yet
Seeing you enforce and couer misery,
You shall no longer be with-held [...] then thus:
But I beseech thee Queene remember well
These admonitions that exemplefy
The horror of my following discourse.
Imagine whilst you doe ingurgitate
My poyson'd soppes the beauty of your sence
Of your ingenious parts (all donatiues
Of Natures bounty, and the Gods aboue)
Imagine they'le be chang'd with violence
VVith vnresisted lunacy; so long,
Vntill each spirit leaue her function:
Till with a surfet you sur-sease to liue
Neglecting mu [...]dan: solace; be trans-form'd
Into a liuelesse image, all thy veines
And vitall arteries being stop'd with feare:
Thus much remember Queene I do prae-mise.
FA.
Amplifications yet? begin, begin:
AMI.
VVith all remember, you (right noble Queene)
VVho may attend my tale, are but a woman.
FA.
And whether will your prolix [...] Lord-ship amble?
To the worlds end I thinke in preamble:
That (after all) you may anew begin.
AMI.
No (my compendious Lady) heere's an end:
Obstinate silence is the safest whip
To punish a peruerse disciple with.
FA.
Are you enraged iolly sir i'saith?
O be appeasd, leaue ambiguities;
Finish thy tale (man.)
AMI.
VVorthy Madam no,
Your s [...]pple phrase shall not againe recouer
One vo [...]ell of narration.
FAV.
O abrupt!
Yes (my blunt youth) if torment may vnbind
Your [...] silence, know, I will recouer
The whole narration; if d [...]uulsiue rackes
[Page] Haue not forsooke the Kingdome; if the King
Will hearken to my spatious complaint;
Or yeeld with exoration of his Queene.
AMIL.
Your spatious? ô then Arithmeticke
Hath taught you to augment and multiply:
(Deere Madam) speake within the bounds of truth.
FA.
(Cheape Lord) thy impudence shall smart for this.
AMI.
Obitter!
FA.
Thy dumbe silence be inforc'd
To witnesse, nay reiterate the depth
Of your concealement.
AMI.
O pernicious.
FA.
You shall rehearse, nay shall expound, this tale
Of prodigies.
AMI.
Without your wide complaint
Without all torment to enforce the same
I will expound them straight; and therefore thus:
Ladies by birth of late are satisfied
With natures gifts, nor seeke they to resist
Impediments of age, or stinking breaths,
But well are guided by the heauens decree
Respecting beauty lesse then the command,
Of Gods aboue; be not these prodigies?
They honour husbands, hallow chastity
Reiect all midnight offers, liue within:
Abhorre the name of lustfull visitants,
Take little relish in a home-bred foole;
And lesse delight in Physicke, or the knaues
Who practise that purloyning office well.
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake▪
When Ladies do bestow their idle time
In scrutination of deuinity
Not seeking to beguile the abused Art
Of painting; or to wish fiue Iubiles
Might be allotted to their tumbling tricks
And coltish vntam'd pleasure; which they vse
To practise without intermission; speake:
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake
When Ladies, and light-women be estrang'd
From Para-kitos, Munkies, island-curres
[Page] Coaches, and Coach-mares, masking nouelties;
From waspish aemulation, to exceed
Some eleuated Madame in her gowne;
Some luy-bush attire; to engrosse
The knowledge of a f [...]cus, dentifrice,
Vnguentum, plaister (for in-faith sometimes
Diuerse scab'd sheepe do perish for defect
Of these restoratiues) ô then resolue
When Madames do estrange their facultie
From inquisition, from delight in these;
Will not the mouldred ashes that haue slept
So many thousand yeares, againe reuiue?
Will not the crazy ioints of earth dissolue?
And rotten fathers be resuscitate?
The finall extirpation of each dame
Both light and sober may this tale portend
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake.
FA.
Wisedome doth vrge me to entreate him faire
Least hee indeed dissemble, or conceale
Businesse of high importance, that may touch
My most perticular aduantage: (sir
So-well-accomplish'd, meritorious Count)
I must importune your dexterity,
To re-collect the now-forgotten tale
Of prodigies indeed; withall confesse
My peeuish error.
AMI.
This doth mollify,
Nor may redemption of abuse, though late;
Although abruptly offer'd, derogate
From the large sequele; either thy beleefe
Or my vnfeigned meaning (noble Queene)
But Madam you shall seriously admit
A most impugned caution, ere I speake;
And shall obserue the same inuiolate,
Without base mentall reseruation.
FA.
Wee will engage our female Maiesty
Thy strictest of iniunctions to prefer
Aboue all temporary baits, which may
[Page] Allure smooth falshood to infringe the same:
Sweare by this image of Paladium,
(Reckon'd amongst our Sacramentall oathes)
Neither by subtle tokens nor by voyce
By second causes, by secure complaint,
Vpon malitious, or well meaning termes,
To manifest, diuulge, communicate,
Nor any way disclose the future plot
Whereof you shall anon participate
By processe of relation.
FA.
I do sweare
And will submit my life to thy aduise.
AMIL.
With priuiledge, then Madam, Ile expresse
The wicked meaning of your enemies:
Lucilla my proud step-dame, doth abhorre,
Sole repetition of thy harmlesse name:
Shee doth repose her chiefest confidence
In my audacious act, who am oblig'd
Vpon surprise to kill thee.
FA.
Subtle whore [...]
So yong, and yet so full of impudence?
So full of indignation, causelesse wrath?
Enuy how feeble are thy foming iawes?
With vndefined rancor they attempt,
But seldome are obnoxious to any,
Who haue acquaintance with integrity;
For enuy (vpon spight) assailes the henge
Of our successe: but wrong enflames reuenge:
And therefore did high Io [...]es omnipotence,
En [...]y; vnto the female sex impart:
Woman's a witch by Malice, man by Art.
How, how (A [...]ilcar) may wee recompence
The new disease of her indignity
Which would entice, and so corrupt thy youth
By fraudulent commotions.
AMI.
Ile instruct
How opportunely, Madam, you may meete
With her abusiue malice; and exempt
Your selfe from the suspicion of reuenge.
And yet reuenge will be conspicuous:
[Page] For all complaints and publicke remedy
The primitiue in [...]unction doth deny;
You therefore shall admit my new deuise,
When Summer makes each field, each medow faire;
When pleasant spring-tide musicke is in tune,
You may retire into this thicker-groue
Loosely attended, with one maid, no more:
VVhilst, like a common souldier in disguise
I suddenly rush forth, and do surprise
You not misdoubting, whom I will conuey
Into my lodging neere the Citty wals
After all inquisition cease: till then,
Wee may re-past in some poore Country Towne.
FA.
The manner I allow; speake for euent.
AMI.
(All men amaz'd with such a sudden chance)
I will subborne a simple ideot
(Being first oblig'd by bounty) to confesse
That hee through wicked instigation
Of my most infamous step-dame, did attempt,
Nay finish the supposed murther; then
That meere compunction did enforce the tale;
To mittigate, his wound of conscience.
FA.
So hee may hazard life being innocent.
AMI.
No, hee may craftily insert a boone
VVhich will auoide the danger of his life.
Hee shall beseech his death may be defer'd
Till my vnlawfull mother by the Law
Tast execution, or hee will professe
Obstinate silence; so conceale the place
Of your pretended buriall; the King
Nor any man aliue may this deny;
But I'le instruct him when hee doth espy
Occasion; this to manifest aloud
The Queene doth liue, though I were tempted oft
By that malitious woman, now depriu'd
Of naturall bad parts, by righteous death,
(Meaning my mother who shall then be dead)
[Page] To slay whom I preseru'd, this hopefull Queens.
FA.
The plot prouokes me to esteeme reuenge
Aboue all earthly blessing; and embrace
The subtle vertue of a painted face.
AMI.
Subtle indeed, for my pretence implyes
Nothing but foggy mift to blind her eyes;
VVhen faire temptaion's weake; surprisall must
Giue satisfaction to my flaming lust.
F [...]is Actus secundi.
Act. 3. Scoen. 1.
PHEVDIPPE, LAELIO DVX MILITVM, MILITES.
LAE.
Most opportunely did you prae-acquaint
My place with a designe so requisite.
PHE.
Captaine, you haue well easd my anxious feare
But bounty shall remunerate thy care:
The title Vize-roy (Captaine) doth attend
To counteruaile thy meritorious act:
The famine doth already tyranize.
LAE.
VVhat policy procures the famishment?
PHE.
All insurrection do I disappoint,
Subdue resistance, mollify the fierce
And peeuish ouer-looking multitude
By a substraction of their vsuall foode
VVhich will discourage appetite to warre:
But vnexpected liberality,
And satis-faction of their empty mawes
VVith rich aboundance after penury,
It will enchaine the base to loyalty.
LAE.
A proiect most ir-reprehensible.
PHE.
The chiefest on-set doth belong to you:
Doe you conceiue a full aduertisement
[Page] For each proceeding? punctually relate
How your conceite doth apprehend mee sir.
LAE.
To supper you'le inuite the honest King—
PHE.
Honest?
LAE.
I; simple, indiscreet, bloud-raw,
Of small experience to beguile, suspect,
Frowne, laugh, kill, flatter with a tyrant's face;
A King too-open-breasted for this age;
And so the world doth honest men accou [...]t
By way of high reproach.
PHE.
Smooth Orator,
Ingeniously well worded is thy speech:
May not the sequele perish, now proceed.
LAE.
To supper you'le inuite this honest King;
Hee (not mis-doubting home-bred violence)
With a select strong millitary troupe
I, and the Guard together, will inuade
Murther (a-midst the cups and Magistrates)
Him; who shall surfet of each fatall wound;
Shall rather dye then see Pheudippe crown'd.
PHE.
Captaine, thy apprehension is acute
Thus bounty will oblige men resolute:
With-draw, your seuerall reward is future;
A pregnant Pupill thriues without his Tutor.
Act. 3. Scoen. 2.
MENANDER, PHEVDIPPE, HYARCHVS, HIPPONAX, EVPHO [...]BVS.
HY.
The popular inuectiue doth exclaime
Vpon Pheudippe; sweare with open voyce
Hee bred this famine.
PHE.
Am I then betraid?
Will my sage Steward turne delinquent? ha?
MEN.
Can my Pheudippe proue disloyall? no,
Doth hee intend subuersion of my state?
EV.
Wee may consult of war-like discipline
Amidst our heigth of solace; (though secure)
Although at league with euery Potentate
[Page] Who sits enthron'd vpon the spacious Orbe.
So may wee well aduise your Maiesty
To haue a watchfull ouer-looking spy
Vpon your haughty Duke; (though innocent;
Though in himsefe obsequiously bent)
Learning aduanc'd may proue iudicious;
But (if mis-ledde) extremely vitious.
ME.
Tell mee my proper Genius may proue false,
My bloud become a traitor to my life;
The issue of my loines degenerate;
Say; this right hand conspires against my head;
Tell mee; the Gods whom I adore, neglect
Religion, doe forbid all sacrifice;
And I beleeue you: but the villaines lye,
Who dare imagine my Pheudippe false.
In-faith I am affraid you do abuse
My honest friends integrity, too much;
Pheudippe false? my bosome-counsellour?
The earth will shake at such a prodigy:
Some Phaeton shall mount the Chariot
Of our vp-rising Phoebus, and enflame
The world againe; each widdow shall conceiue
Without mans aide fiue dragons at a birth,
All threatning this impossible euent,
Ere I do entertaine a sillable
Of your sug-gestion: though the Gods descend
Though they admonish my credulity
(In speciall) to beware of whom wee speake
And call him traitor; ô I should reply
Within the bounds (I feare) of blasphemy.
See how hee walks perplex'd with agony;
My anger shall im-proue his patience.
Pheudippe.
PHE.
Doth my dread Soueraigne call?
MEN.
What doth my demi-selfe Pheudippe doe?
PHE.
Beshrew my melancholique dumps I doe;
Which preter-mit Menanders Maiesty
Without obeysance; whilst I walke secure
[Page] In a blind corner thus extrauagant.
ME.
His aro-maticke breath perfumes the aire:
The spicy fields where gossa-moure doth grow
Haue not one vapour halfe so redolent:
I must for fashion chide him fatherly.
Friend, friend, you are ambitous of rule,
Report exclaimes vpon your dignity;
All attribute the times calamity
Of dearth, to you the Authour; who ingrosse
Heapes of prouision without reall cause;
I must not winke at fraudulent abuse
Done to my Subiects; rather abuse mee:
Thou mightst enioy full many blessed yeares,
Liue in an aeqnall happinesse with mee,
Rather then thus neglect my sincere loue,
And loose the hope of our munificence▪
Do not (I pray) deserue that infamy
VVith which our scandalizing age condemnes
Thy whole endeuours; ô redeeme the losse
Of Loyalty; a thing so pretious.
Reiect those machinations infinite
VVith which the people charge thee; I conceale
The horrour of a rage so violent
As some censorious Critticks haue adiug'd
To dwell within thy bosome: prethee thinke
Whether I do deserue thy impious hand
To thrust me from a lineall descent
Or (being downe) deserue thy helping hand,
To rescue and vphold my primacy.
PHE.
Some better Angell be auspicious
Vnto my naked answere; (mighty King)
Your deepe discretion may with ease collect;
(Though I were dumb and did through silence purge
This weighty accusation) that per-force
To publicke censure all authority
Is often subiect: so ir-regular
Be sudden apprehensions; as vpright
[Page] And politicke proceedings are condemn'd;
The Prudent [...]am'd for ignominious
M [...]d Authors, of sicke innovation;
(Though not resolued how this language meanes:)
I do in ample, and with open tearmes
Confesse the crime suppos'd, not culpable,
Though burthen'd with ambition) I confesse
A dutious loue vnto the Common-weale,
Hath bred my damage; O [...]er-diligence
May summon actiue zeale to a defence,
Which doth appeare in my ill-tun'd event,
As you perceiue, or call me insolent.
The famous Art of Mathe-maticke Rules,
(Wherein my ignorance will never boast
A singularity of knowledge, or conceit)
Did by infallible demonstrations
Fore-signifie this famine: ô resolue
Whe [...]her then by the law of Nations
I be accomp [...]able vnto the Gods
For this pretended accusation;
Seeing to the safety of our Common-weale,
A prouidence coniecturall hath vrg'd,
My whole indevour? If vnto the Gods
I am excus'd; what impudence will dare
With false-hood to accuse my innocence?
For those designes which Gods allow, ne're can
Be in themselues offensiue vnto man.
Know therefore (vpon hopefull prae-science)
I did ingage a new dexterity▪
To counteruaile the famishment fore-knowne,
I did ingrosse provision, did expend
Twelue-months revenew to accomplish corne:
Ill be my paines acquited, worse my loue;
Which, labours in the common cause may proue.
Thus imputations are too vsuall,
And bad constructions are authenticall.
Some Kings, (to manifest praedominance)
[Page] Accumulate on subiects, heavy wealth,
Honour aboue de-merit, offices,
Popular Cities, and in-franchif'd Townes;
Nay whole dominions, Dukedomes they'le bestow,
And raise a simple Mushrom to the height
Of any monarch's due magnificence;
Till by excesse of labour, sweate of braines,
Hee hath enrich'd his beggerly estate;
Then (like a full-ripe Orenge; or indeed,
Like a deceitfull spunge, whose empty pores
The owner doth replenish) hee must looke
To [...]eele a sudden crush, a nip will squease
Him; who pretends hee may be rich and please:
If then my Title (ô iuditious King)
My now desertlesse wealth, or eminence,
Which (by especiall fauour I enioy,
Which freely were bestow'd long since), if these
Shall be accounted error and offence,
Or be imputed to my sawcinesse,
I doe submit, and will my crime con [...]esse;
If your vn-reprehended sapience
Thinke it a pollicy expedient,
Il'e runne to exile, dye in banishment,
Liue like a scritch-owle in some secret caue,
Turne errant caitife, and so dye a slaue:
If you suppose it bee availe-able
Or to diminish, or annihilate
To dis-anull, or to abbreviate
My large allowance; if you doe account
The base degrading of a loyall peere
Will giue aduantage and security
To your successiue regiment; (may which
Continue to the worlds aeternity:)
If thus you doe imagine (dreaded Liege)
Loe, I will prostrate fall, and aske a boone,
Begge that the heads-mans Axe may ouer-take,
May with a bloody sentence, mee salute,
[Page] With willing voyce, and a more willing arme,
Would I the messenger of death re-greet;
Till then, most lowly kisse your graces feet:
ME.
Arise my faithfull honourer, arise:
Good honest soule, thy language would enforce
The Cannibals to turne compassionate:
I will trans-mit thee into Scythia,
To Pontus, to the fierce vn-tamed Getes,
Till with a fluent phrase, thou doe compell
Their savage superstition to submit,
And mee acknowledge, as their lawfull King:
Thus thou like Orpheus couldst (I'me sure) enthrall
The rude Arabian, or the rugged Ga [...]le,
And captivate their longing audience
With an aeternity of eloquence.
Thus couldst thou re-inlarge my soueraigne awe,
Thus multiply each prouince, thus augment
The bounds of our dominion, or de-duce
Appointed troopes of Colony; with voyce:
But (my alone beloued) never thinke
I will exchange thy noble company
For temporall possession: though the Gods
Would all resigne Olympus, and elect
Mee as co-heire in-dub [...]ta [...]e to Ioue,
Vpon Proviso to forsake this friend,
I rather would refuse deuinity,
Liue like a drudge in darke obscurity,
Then leaue so loyall, so compleat a friend:
And yet this man deserues a watchfull eye;
Speake you censorious ranke of Magistrates,
Doth hee deserue suspition? who replyes?
EVPH.
Reports and rumour did deserue aduise.
ME.
Who guided by report so farre doth blame
Another, as to argue his ill-name,
Insisting much on some particular,
Detects himselfe, an Asse auricular.
PHEV.
This vn-expected fume to pacifie
[Page] Let your good grace vouchsa [...]e to dignifie
A Summer banquet, and I shall intreate
You the Patricians to accept my loue.
R [...]her then bounty; whom I will invite
And [...]east with my beloued Liege to night.
M [...]
With temptiue cups wee'le was [...] away conceit,
And so [...]enew each health in sober height.
Act. 3. Scoen. 3.
PHEVDIPPE.
May then my cauterised soule forsake
The rules of nature? sanctimonious law?
Religion' or distinct humanity?
The common sparke of times morality?
M [...]st lethargy now seize vpon my soule?
Shall my infectious humor so controule
Iudgement? so much preferre fantasticke ioy?
Giue licence to dis-loyall trechery?
Atheisme' Rebellion? blacke deformity?
O most vn-gouern'd appetite of man!
Wee may fore see what few escape, e're can.
Resolue me, Sophist, or Philosopher,
Some cunning morall disputant resolue,
I [...] [...]is the people do maintaine) Gods liue,
Gods, who reuenge our close iniquity▪
A [...]d search the re-cluse corners of each soule;
Why doe the Gods forbeare to punish me?
Who am as [...]icked as a man may be:
Why doth Olympus, or the Gods who dwell
Within that fabricke suffer smo [...]ky hell,
Horror, [...] prodigies, and death,
Ve [...]ea [...]ce, delay; to stop a villaines breath?
Can such [...] slaue as I
[...] minutes longer? [...] protract
A peace-able successe, without heauens cracke?
[Page] Can omenous [...] be now asleepe,
Whilst I am waking? do the Angels keepe
No watch for Kings? then Iupiter awake,
And giue the world some notice that you take
Especiall care o [...] P [...]inces: ô mee thinkes
Morphe [...] the God of sleepe, who daily winkes,
Should leaue his drunken catalogue of dreames,
And start with repetition of extreames,
Wherewith I am infected; seas should burne,
Beares, woolues, and Lyons peace-able should turne
Into their antique affability,
And argue men of much impiety.
Now should thy thunder (Iou [...]) ass [...]ile the the fort
Of my ambitious hope, by way of sport,
Blast me with lightning▪ brand me full of spots;
VVho haue intrench'd a garrison of plots
Against my second maker, 'gainst my King.
So credulous, so element, so sincere,
So flexible, and gratious to me,
As I without him neuer had my name;
Hee hath endeer'd my dangerous attempt,
Is both indulgent of each true surmise,
And zealous of each tale that may arise,
Or to detect, [...]r to oppugne my pride,
My most perfidious dealing; doth deride
All true suggestion of his Councellors,
VVho would exasperate his amity,
VVhilst I [...]chant his eares with flattery,
VVith meere dissimulation (Physicke Art)
My gilded dagger stabs him to the heart.
Can my obstreperous passion eccho forth
A sound so dismall ir-religious,
VVithout some sudden earth-quake omenous?
VVithout a clap of thunder to be-numme
M [...] trembling [...]oynts, a [...]d make my language dumb?
Then Il'e inferre the mas [...]y frame of earth,
Man vniuersall; peasant, patriarch,
[Page] Grocers and great men, Kings and Copper-smiths,
Be gouern'd by the Gods, no more then sheepe,
Or Il'e depose, the Gods be all a-sleepe:
Scruple in actions doth augment the vice,
Which courage hath surnamed Cowardice.
Soone may a states-man savour of the Foole,
Who leaues his torrent for a standing-poole;
Who doth neglect his high prae-eminence
For safety of a quiet conscience.
All senior Sophists, and each puisne elfe
Account him wise, who's wisest for himselfe.
Yet for conceited disputation sake,
A long discourse of Honesty Il'e make,
Of times corruption will I saterize,
And with each cunning nature temporize.
Thus doth a serpent, which will satisfie
His common thirst, and Summer heat allay,
After hee is approach'd vnto the banke
Of pleasant Nilus, without much delay,
Instinct doth teach him to dis-gorge the bagge
Of poyson, kept in his pernitious iaw,
Till hee hath tasted the resulting waue;
Then readily lickes vp the viscous gall
Which hee by nature did e-vacuate,
And so remaines his body temperate,
His poyson (though suspended) virulent.
So when wee craftie [...]ellowes (for attempt)
By sudden motiues do remember wayes
Which men more honest, name Legitimate,
Or by conuerse, if wee shall tempted be,
To shew the be [...]t of our affections, wee
Doe like the thirsty snake, renounce our Saint,
(Accounted sinne) which re-assume wee will;
So re-assumption makes the Serpent still;
If my designes incurre discouery,
I then adm [...], the King is mercifull,
And hee a milke- [...]pis, (wee may resolue)
[Page] Can feare, if Kings bee ready to absolue:
Noble attempts beget experience,
Re-publiques purchase mundane pollicy
Through obseruation; my successe will bring
Plenty of knowledge: errors difficult
Daily in-gender rationall discusse,
Which by events doe sweepe away the sinke
Or muddy oppilation of our sence,
Originall of knowledge is offence:
I therefore thus imbarqu'd for enterprise,
May win a double stake, learne wit, and rise.
Act. 3. Scoen. 4.
LVCILLA, PHEVDIPPE, MANTESIO.
This frolicke euening, full of silent aire,
Speakes a successe to thy atchieuements, faire:
Both time an opportunity's, benigne;
The Sunne at his departure, seemes to smile,
My banquet is prepar'd, which must beguile:
No apparitions, no refulgent starre,
No threatning Comet can our act oppose,
No new trans-figur'd met [...]or disclose
Our most herôicke humor, and annoy
The glad conception of all future ioy.
PHEV.
Nay, if a plot so well-contriu'd, so square,
So formall, so iudicious, should proue
Ill- [...]eatur'd, and abortiue, I'de forsweare
All crafty dealing; never would I moue,
Compassion with repentance; to obtaine
Most absolute forgiuenesse, though the King
Do then release my criminall attempt,
I'de not en-deere his donatiue, except
With resolution to escape the law,
And wreake more ample vengeance on my selfe,
With my owne proper hands, through violence.
[Page] If a designe so mature, so conceal'd,
So rich in expectation, so oblig'd,
May now mis-carry, and repugnant proue;
Il'e sure prevent the heads-man, hang my selfe
VVith expedition, hire a mounte-banke,
Some noted empr'icke, to anatomize
My polititian corpes, dissect my scull,
Boyle tongue and heart together in my blood,
Effuse them into broth made of my braines,
In which, my vnctuous kidney-lease dissolu'd
VVith my more lushious marrow, may compose
A poultice, which will speedily contriue
The downe-fall of erected favorites,
Enflame desire-then disanull the ends
VVhich that affection gapes for: I resolue
Thus to be queath my members, to the sect
Of those, who narrow inquisition make
After each mysticke vertue, physicall;
If our attempts proue [...]ot effectuall.
LV.
Then prae-suppose your proiect well do thriue,
VVhat recompence may [...] expect,
Chie [...]e captaine of the guard; whose instant blow
Giues an advantage so peculiar?
PHE.
That my officious Captaine of his guard
The cunning woolfe hath taught me to reward
LV.
Resolue the manner, be emphaticall.
PH.
The famish'd woolfe (whom hunger oft endues
VVith belly courage to be valiant)
If by aduenture his extremity
Meets with a beast of more validity.
Though lesse [...]yrannicke rapi [...]e then himselfe,
Hee (practis [...]d in such skill perniti [...]us)
[...] make his body ponderous;
[...] by a [...]t to aequall natures strength,
Till hee de [...]sse, and over-come at length.
By which [...] ▪ his boo [...]y once obtain'd,
An easie [...] naturall doth purge
[Page] His lumpish maw of that despised earth;
Which (after conquest) hee thinkes little worth:
Eeu'n thus the Captaine Il'e re-munerate,
And with contempt, Il'e re-capitulate
His humble seruice; so casheere the hope
Of due re-quitall, with a good excuse,
We entertaine those agents but forvse.
Heere comes my faithfull steward; speake what newes?
MAN.
The Captaine with his military troope,
I haue appoynted to their ambush; they
Expect vpon my signall (gratious Duke)
The Kings vaunt-curriers doe each testifie
His glad approach; giue [...]are to Maiesty.
Act. 3. Scoen. 5.
PHEVDIPPE, MENANDER LVCILLA, HIPPONAX, EVPHORBVS, HYARCHVS, LELIO, MILITES, LESBIA.
The most of subiects welcome, to my Liege,
Accept our weake indeavour, I beseech;
Si [...] (gratious King) the Cates containe our loue.
ME.
Wee doe accept, and will de [...]erue (my decre)
This thy extended free munificence:
This plentifull provision I may call,
(With licence of our Ethickes) Liberall.
PHE
No (my most mindfull & more sapient Prince)
I am your vassaile, drudge, obsequious,
Not bountifull; for 'tis impossible
That a dependant caiti [...]e who doth owe
His whole indeavour, and essentiall part,
His poore existence, spirits animall,
His function, his each power vegetall,
To a supreame efficient, should obtaine
(After a free expence, to gratulate
His all-respectiue patron, God, or Saint)
[Page] One shred or title of Munificent,
Of Bountifull, or Liberall, because
Duty and loue exact such obsequies
For lawfull Kings, in stead of sacrifice.
M [...].
What meanes thy mad irruption L [...]lio?
PH.
The ambush, the ambush; strike fellow, strike.
LAE.
Strike this ignoble traytor, Cockatrice,
The subtill vermin base Pheudippe, strike,
Strike fellowes, strike, as doth your Generall,
Who hath withstood temptation actuall.
HIP.
If deere temptation, if inticement smile,
Happy is hee who can himselfe beguile.
M [...].
Amazement be my death; deere captaine hold:
LAE.
Hold from the rescue of my royall King?
No:
Wee were tempted to thy causelesse death.
M [...].
Permit the the traytor to enioy some breath.
PH.
My wounds are many, I degenerate,
Liu'd villain-like, and dye a reprobate.
LV.
My husband, my deere husband is betraid,
Anothers death makes guilty men afraid.
M [...].
Infamous change of dignity! deere friend,
Loyall repentance might againe restore,
(Couldst thou reviue) thy simple innocence.
Captaine, you haue abus'd our Maiesty,
And thy audacious act will wee revenge.
LAE.
Revenge a traytors ignominious death?
M [...].
Traytor? thou lyest, admit his actiue bloud,
His nimble braine, acute sincerity,
Conceiu'd some sober meanes to ratifie,
Or to confirme opinionate beliefe,
With tryall of our vn-attempted loue;
May this deserue a stab? what insolence
May tearme this loyall proiect an offence?
Il'e over-vexe with artificiall fire,
Thee (slaue) who didst Pheudippe's death conspire.
LAE,
May tretchery be then accounted zeale?
To his perswasiue lines I do appeale.
[Page] Read them, they doe containe Apostasie,
Fowle matter of sedition: I avouch
The guard to witnesse, I implore the Gods
In their omnipotence, to testifie
The zeale of my affection; to resolue
Whether this kingdome had not suffred woe,
Thy Maiesty beene trampled vnder foote,
Thy sinewes crack'd, thy bones vn-buried,
Sparta beene batter'd with intestine warre,
If through dis-loyall humor, through neglect
Of homage, we had hearken'd to the false,
But honey-mouth of this rebellious man.
ME.
Insolent sit, suppose my friend were false,
(Which I can scarce imagine) or suppose
Confident faith made him erronious:
Will you abridge the tryall of our law?
Prevent my absolution? I appeale
Vnto the blessed Theater of Saints,
Let holinesse, or let humanity,
Your zeale, how much defectiue, testifie:
For though the three dimensions did concurre
In his offence, yet I had mercy left.
Pheudippe, simple man, thy false designes
Ne're knew a height in mischiefe so extreame,
A bredth, or depth in solly so profound,
So villanous, but our compassion knew
A meanes to mitigate thy error; See
My Concubine comes fraught with sober newes;
Beginne, resolue, and so ex-aggerate
Our heauy losse, wee will intoxicate
Our soule with im-bibition of more change:
Begin, depose an accident so strange,
As repetition of two syllables
May strike vs with a sudden lethargy,
And so conclude a Kings Catastr [...]phe.
LES.
The queene [...]
ME.
There make thy period; wee know
Mischiefe (like mighty waues) ne're comes alone.
[Page] The Queene's deliuered of a hideous sonne
Some winged Dragon; is shee so? or dead?
LES.
Privately walking in the forrest-groue
A ruffaine seiz'd her, slue thy hopefull Queene,
Truss'd vp the carkasse on a speedy nagge,
Which by instruction (as my iudgement giues)
Flew fast away, like Pegasus: poore I
(Never-enough contented with a chance
Of so secure amazement) stupid wretch,
I looking stood immoue-able with feare,
Whilst hee vpon his palf [...]ey cut the aire;
Whilst ev'ry mountaine eccho'd with laments,
The hollow rockes, and ev'ry bush repents
Their weake vn-able powers to resist
And stop the caitifes passage▪ ô desist
From a pursuit of such high consequence
Not a small minute longer; captaine flye,
A bold careere may st [...]p loues desti [...].
LAE.
Wee'le flye with expedition; follow friends.
ME.
Discharge a bullet in my naked breast;
Be charitable some auspicious arme.
HYAR.
My daughter, ô my daughter, shee is dead.
ME.
Faire Favort [...]a's dead, thy loue, my Queene,
My deere Pheudippe's dead our ioyes bee go [...]e
EV [...]
Mirror of change [...] the plagues of Cinthia
Are manifest, revenge is palpable,
O tha [...] assembly (sir) who by command
Of your in-iunction did restraine the vow
Which masculines a [...] like with females owe
To Cinthia, great Goddesse of the aire,
Was without qu [...]stion all-erronious,
HIP.
Your edict which pronounc'd her deity,
Sole-potent ouer foeminine degrees,
Which did confine her awe coelestiall:
To that vnable sexe, seemes triviall:
These accidents do cancell your designe,
They dis-allow your obstinate decree,
[Page] They doe advance forgotten Maiesty:
O now reforme delusion: terror speakes,
Cinthia is Goddesse over humane sexe.
ME.
Cinthia's a female wether-cocke, a whore,
Doth shee afflict our happinesse? resolue
Speake (friends) deliuer what you thinke.
HIP.
Abstaine
(Distressed King) from blasphemy; beware
Iudgements more strict may follow; these but scare.
ME.
O could I compasse with a sudden leap,
The verge of bigge Olympus, or assault
With Swallowes-wings, the orbe of Cinthia!
O my revenge, my sweet reuenge, more bold
Then bloody-iaw'd Bucyris, then the Boare
Which slue dame Venus-ioy, should wrathfull vexe
Her opposite exce [...]se deuinity.
With rage would I blaspheame, though angry Ioue
Makes ready thunder to praecipitate
My daring voyce: I will ingeminate
With deepe derision, her distastfull name,
Enforcing others to abuse the same.
Doost thou not heare mee Cinthia? dissolue
The melancholly clouds which maske thy brow,
And let compunction mollifie thee (witch)
Forth from thy cloudy pallace (Luna) peepe
And with incessant soft contrition, weepe:
Reduce the antique deluge with thy teares,
Turne thy reioycing into pale-fac'd feares.
Cinthia, remember my abuse, and blush,
Blush thou immodest harlot, be asham'd
To looke vpon the shadow'd vniverse.
Catch mee some whirle-wind with a sweeping blast,
And carry mee aloft, Il'e vexe the Moone
For shee (vngratious Goddesse) doth afflict
Vs, and our dignity: shee did suggest
Rebell-temptations to my beauteous friend,
Whose innocence I euer shall commend.
HIP.
Manifest proofe (Menander) doth detect
[Page] His viperous-reproachfull perfidy,
Compos'd of pregnant infidelity:
To mischiefe his endeauour's daily bent,
I ever thought hee was male-volent:
Of crimes detected (blame vs if thou wilt)
Despairing apprehensions, argue guilt:
Hee did alike despaire: which proceeds
From the confusion of abortiue deeds:
I do enforce, that Cinthia hath done well,
Shee giues good warning to prevent a hell:
These weaker med'cines do but search the wound,
Least rotten members perish; to confound
An vlcerous limbe, is worse then scarifie;
But rather then loose all: what remedy?
To Cinthia's, revenge ó this apply:
M [...].
Touching her name Il'e proue a renegate,
My sudden scourge what soule can tollerate?
Act. 3. Scoen. 6.
CINTHIA.
Error of man which over-tops the sky,
And with quicke wastage doth for vengeance fly;
Cal's downe Gods iudgement (mischiefe to amend)
Nay, often doth enforce the Gods descend:
Horror, more vgly then the iawes of hell,
Horror, that apprehension doth excell,
Startles my God-head to imagine how
I further may avenge the Spartans vow:
Shall wee (great empresse of Imperious night,
Heavens wonder, and wide Corinths blessed Saint)
Thus be, [...] thus compel'd, presumptuous King,
To spit our vn-appeas'd flames in thy face?
O the sharpe edge of bitter blasphemy!
How deepe incision doth attend on it?
Flesh cannot brooke one triviall abus [...],
[Page] And shall the Gods (being iniured) take truce?
No; Il'e inflict a terror to offence,
And will (without compassion) scourge thy sence:
For like some snow-ball toss'd vpon hot coles,
Thy wit shall vanish, and thy se [...]ce consume:
A madnesse must ensue, but mad alike,
Neuer was any; those that see shall shake
And tremble at our vengeance; but because
Thy vn-aduised rashnesse railes vpon
Our monthly change, vp-braiding holinesse,
With a false friends mis-carriage, Il'e impose
A change vn-parralel'd, which ner'e shall cease,
Till thy distracted body sleepe in peace:
The most magnificent may learne of thee,
Kings from a dreadfull vengeance are not free:
Kings may like petty-gods, insult below,
But of a deere-deepe reckoning they must know:
Fame, freedome, fates, and all that may conspire
To make man happy, shall not make thee man:
For Fates doe rescue neither life nor fame,
If Gods high iustice do inthrall the same:
Nor may the strict evasion of mis-hap,
Hurt who secured lye in Vertues lap.
But if destruction be aboue decreed,
Meanes stop in iustice, sew by meanes are freed.
Fall then the horror of blaspheaming feares,
Not wip'd away with poenitentiall teares;
Till by his death my vengeance be appeas'd,
And wrathfull famine absolutely pleas'd.
Act. 3. Scoen. 7.
AMILCAR, GRACCHVS.
What you already with good cause condemne,
I must (though need not) vrge thee to contemne
With all extremity of noble hate,
[Page] Vice which emboldens man to be ingrate.
To proue vnthankfull if occasion speakes,
The ioyfull head of free-borne bounty breakes:
GR
Do but imploy your bond-slaue (mighty Lord)
If Kings command not, how can slaues accord?
The blessings of my body, breath and soule,
Be so ingag'd, as their existence knowes
No [...] one redeemer amongst all the Gods,
(Fabulous things to mee) except your selfe:
You haue replenish'd my poore empty veines,
Haue lent new spirits to despairing hope
Nay haue bestow'd a whole creations worke
Vpon mê off all-caitife, who adore
Impression of your foot-steps; that is all:
Expecting hourely on the happy time
When you shall dare command what I dare do:
When with advantage you will but pronounce
O Gracchus, giue mee of thy bloud an ounce:
An ounce? take fifty pottles Id'e reply,
Open your selfe a passage to my soule,
To take a lawfull debt who dares controule?
Nor do impute this loue to lacke of wit,
Or some dis-ioynted weakenesse of the braine;
For if I argue as the thing demands,
Vnlesse my life, what with your honour stands?
Let mee professe, vnto the Saints and you
I do desire imployment, will bee proud
Of death or life, being by your selfe allow'd.
AMI.
Life wee allow, but never wish thy death,
For wee expect vpon true diligence,
And must improue the nature of thy zeale;
Eunuchs, forbidden actions do conceale;
Thou art an Eunuch, listen to my shame,
Then giue aduise, and secrefie, though blame:
I loue; no, rather lust and loue the Queene,
Whom (all-supposing dead) by stratagem
And strong delusion of her silly sence,
[Page] I did surprize, being blinded with pretence;
Nor did shee seeme repugnant to such ruth
My Rhetoricke was clad in robes of truth:
Affirming shee might thus reuenge the spleene,
Of proud Lucilla (who malign's her state)
Giuing no colour of reuengefull hate;
As to subborne a subtle wretch I vow'd
Who with aboundant knowledge being endow'd
Most caitife-like should counterfeit, no lesse,
(For paenitent compunction) heauinesse;
And so diuulge hee slew the Noble Queene,
There-to induc'd by poore Lucilla's spleene:
Then should Lucilla liue no longer day
But loose each vitall benefite for aye:
Thus did the hope of vaine reuenge entice
Woman to proue more valiant then wise:
Whom I (as captiue) do retaine, till shee
Shall manu-mit my selfe, (her bond-slaue) free▪
GRA.
Heere in the Village doth your Goddesse liue?
AMI.
Heere; and thy selfe though sprung of humane [...]eed
As Iaylor to my Goddesse I areed.
Faithfully wise wee doe account thy loue;
And managing of this designe will proue
Thy elegant enforcements, touching mee,
Which (happily per-chaunce) may set both free.
O now my bloud and reason be at warre
With apparition of this fatall starre:
Fatall to mee, because inchanted beames
Shoote from her eye-lids into loue-sicke streames:
See where shee comes with excellence enough
For fifty thousand of the female sexe,
Beauties which blesse the owner, neighbours vex.
Act. 3. Scoen. 8.
FAVOVRINA, GRACCHVS, AMILCAR.
Are you my Lords attendant?
GRA.
(Madam) no,
But a poore bond-slaue, who can easily owe
The hazard of a soule in sacrifice
To his good Honours health, and pay the debt
Without compulsion, or a double threate.
AMI.
Madame hee is the blessing of my fate
Borne to my fortunes, and my whole estate.
FA.
So [...] then resolue what newes.
AM.
All feare is fled:
The worst of womans feare, Lucilla's dead:
FA.
Most welcome tidings speake, I pray, and stuffe
Your happy speech with circumstance enough.
AMI.
Titan rous'd vp from darkenesse by the day
Shrunke with amazement of the fatall morne,
(Remembring what a mischiefe should befall)
For cloudy night-caps hee againe did call,
When my suborned vassaile gaue consent
To swimme (for satisfaction of our sake)
Through deepe damnations gulfe, so, through the lake
Of vn-digested horror, to accuse
My step-dame, yong Lucilla, of your death:
Hee, a dissembling caitife, deepely read
In ir-religious acts; with doubtfull face
More doubted voyce, and miserable grone
Salutes the foote-step of Maenanders throne;
Then weeping▪ said, the Worme of Conscience
[...] in my bloud; tortures my broken soule;
Haunted I am with terror whilst [...] liue
Who to my life a period will giue?
A finall period: for I liue too long
Let vila [...] fortune be my fatall song,
With which the so [...]y King was some-what mou'd,
And (after silence) did exact his name
[Page] Proceeding to the circumstantiall cause;
My rude impostor did preuent the clause,
And seeming to afflict his pensiue heart,
Backe from the royall foote-steps doth hee start:
Helpe, ô defend mee from her hatefull frownes,
See where Medusa-like shee comes, (hee cried)
Clad all in torch-light like the Queene of hell
Her sealpe's en-circled with a Crowne of flames:
Much leane-iaw'd horror hangs about her eyes;
The gaping wound for greedy vengeance cryes.
What madnesse now affrights thee, quoth our king?
Faire Fauourina's shadow hee replyes,
For throvgh entisements of Lucilla's spleene
I slew the gallant Bride, and Sparta's Queene:
Lucilla, by consent, was doom'd to death
And my Impostor also, whom I taught
For lifes owne safe-guard to beseech the King,
That his vprighteous iudgement of grim death
Might faile of execution, iust so long
As the condemn'd Lucilla did suruiue
Thinking by this, then to discouer all
And say hee did preserue whom shee conspir'd to kill.
The King, enrag'd with sorrow, did re-pell
This poore petition of my totur'd slaue:
Who then despairing to escape from death
Drew forth a dagger, gaue one fatall stab
Into the Kings owne bosome, with which wound
Hee like a lofty Turret, nodding low,
Clape his victorious palmes aboue his head,
And swo [...]e a mighty oath, MENANDER'S DEAD.
FA
[...] dead? My King and Husband dead?
AMI.
My slaue torne peece-meale did enioy his fate,
Lucilla bur [...]t a before the Pallace gate.
FA.
Menander dead?
AMI.
Yes, but Pheudippe's King.
FA.
Pheudippe King?
AM.
Yes; but MENANDER'S DEAD.
FA.
Opprest with sorrow, I lament his death:
But am appeas'd by proud Lucilla's breath.
GRA.
[Page]What is a womans loue? when to reuenge
And empty out the poyson of her gall
Against some Lady her malignant foe
Shee doth forget compassion, doth refuse
Friendship to neighbours, duty to her Spouse,
Respect of parents, piety to bloud:
Nay, aboue these; abhore celestiall good.
AMI.
Now quickly (Madam) to disclose you liue
Were dangerous, and preiudiciall I doubt:
Therefore expect on opportunity,
Least you infringe the league of vnity;
Till I aduise, liue (as you doe) sec [...]re:
Safety's no lesse accepted of obscure
And Country Pezants, then of Courted Kings:
Place cannot change the nature of good things.
Finis Actus tertij.
Act. 4. Scoen. 1.
MENANDER, LAELIO, MILITES.
THe Mountaine ecchoes they shall catch his name
And euery nooke re- [...]terate the same;
For I will teach the night-rauen to repeat
His pe [...]siue sound, the sleepy owle shall sing
And happy newes of lost Pheudippe bring:
Awake dumbe Ghost, Pheudippe, friend awake
And now repaire thy old mansion-place;
Returne Pheudippe but a while returne
And truly answere to my iust demand
I will resigne a Kingdome to thy hand.
Hea [...]ke you mad furies of eternall night:
Boats-man of Stix, by burning Phlegeton
Secluded Angels, and superiour aide
I doe con-iure you to direct his soule
[Page] Backe to the bosome of that slaughtered Hearse
Ah Charon, Charon, prethee Boats-man bring
His errant shadow to the pl [...]ce of rest,
And Charon I will Canonize thy name
Giue thee a Queene to sleepe in thy cold armes,
To kindle moisture in thy rugged limbes
And make thy wastage easy with her hymnes:
Bring but the soule of that ignoble man
To aske forgiuensse, and I will forgiue.
A foolish hope! (heau'n knowes) for hee indeed
Hee hath a haughty stomach full of rage
Swolne-big with pride, begot of too much loue,
And my familiar vsage makes him thinke
(The more fault's mine) hee should not now submit.
LAE.
O sir the finall stab of mischiefes end
Hath strucke him dead; hee cannot now amend.
ME.
No! 'tis a language difficult to learne
Though rules be frequent in our mother-tongue.
O that a lesson of one word; not two,
Should aske a life to learne, an age to do?
Yes; though Pheudippes age had beene defer'd
Till a consumption of the Vniuerse
In hope of his amendment, I beleeue
Hee would haue purchas'd immortality
Through vice and vitious acts.
LAE.
Damnation claps,
Gaping for custome at mans new relaps.
ME.
Right: Can the earth yeeld such a faithles man
As false Pheudidippe?
LAE.
O damnation laughs
And winged mischeife claps her dusky plumes,
If proud ambition great mens hope consumes.
M [...].
What a continuall clapping is there then?
For daily hope consumes the greatest men:
I doe appeale to dead Pheudippes shame
Thou terrour to my sence, a prodigy
Of all remembrance neuer to be match'd
With any Ghost or man except thy selfe:
Who through abortiue hope didst match thy selfe:
[Page] A man most worthy of all impious fame,
Who D [...]n Pheudippe cleaped was by name.
Know (gallant sir) I did repose my life
Vpon the friend-ship of that foolish man;
Hee kept my soule betweene his Tyrant's armes
Nay (let mee adde) the value of my Crowne,
(For which some Kings would eu'n exchange their soule)
Hee kept both Soule and Crowne betwixt his armes,
Ye [...] both lay open to excessiue harmes:
O if I had election to dispend
My fauour vpon such a Rogue as hee
But once, once more; I'de locke my counsell vp
And keepe my bosome secrets to my selfe.
LAE.
Kings may indeed depriue their Senate-house
Of some pretence, and may (let others prate)
Conceale affaires belonging to the State.
ME.
If hell affoorded such a menstruous ragge
I'de re-conclile the error of my sence;
But, now may reckon vp some woe-full verse
For solid passion Poets best reherse.
LAE.
A Poets rapture Kings haue wish'd to feele
Which some despise because vncapable.
ME.
The Muses make my braine their banquet-house,
And thus with Lucan will wee frame our song
Of dreaded horror, whose in-human rage
Blew dire-full tempest through the Tharsall plaine
Of lawes neglected, and a stubborne age
Whose bloud & black-deeds did their country staine
Of ciuill discord, and a haplesse breach
In Kingdomes couenant, which did sore impeach
The worlds whole Confines, and their Publicke-weale
Wee sing, and sternely treat how euery deale
Standards met Standards, Ensignes were a-like,
Bowes threatned Bowes, and nimble speares the Pike.
(Romans) what madnesse may wee terme this strife?
Be your owne blades let loose, against your life?
That Nations farre remote should see and smile
[Page] At your wide gaping wounds, and [...] reuile?
And must your hot encounters carlesse boyle,
When Babylon should perish in the spoyle
Of her victorious Trophies? when the Ghost
Of vnreuenged Crassius heere stood toss'd
Aboue ground? then must war-like humors breath
Which wanting triumph, want a worthy wreath.
O and alas! what Kingdomes, what renowne
This bloud might haue obtain'd? some temptiue Crowne,
Where beautious Titan sleepes, and heauy night
Exempts the ioyfull harbengers of light:
Else where the sweltring noone-day scalds with heate,
Else where continuall Winter takes her seate:
Where Scythicke Po [...]tus pierc'd with c [...]zy cold
Lyes bed-red on a cripple corner-moul'd,
Ceres might conquer'd beene, Araxes yoak'd
Had not domesticke warre such broiles prouok'd.
If (Rome) thy battailes thou esteeme such blisse
Subdue all Kings, then were it not amisse
To combat with thy selfe; meane while breake of,
For multitude of foes may freely scoffe.
OM.
Our King hath tasted iuice of Helicon.
ME.
Tasted? no foole, the Muses do entraunse
My deere imagination, I will swim
Through each sweete streame of rauish'd eloquence
Of Passion, Satyre, Aeglogue, Epigram
Of Sonets, Imprecations, Epitaphes,
And by them all admonish Mighty Kings
To keepe their bosome lockt; for friendship stings.
Act. 4. Scoen. 2.
MENANDER, HYPPONAX, LA [...]LIO, EVPHORBVS, HYARCHVS.
Go fetch a Garland from the [...]-groue
For I will sit amongst the Sheep-heard Swaines
[Page] Vpon some pretty tust or pleasant hill
Hung (in my honour) with fresh hallowed baies,
And eccho forth an Alphabet of layes:
My Queene, poore Queene, berest of beauties pride
Shall in our fancy sit and touch our side,
HY.
Grieue not, she was my daughter (gratious King)
ME.
Gratious, and King, be words not knowne to mee;
I am no King, nor will be gratious
But an impartiall Poet of this age
Who must inueigh at Kings and Kingly grace:
I must a multitude of woes rehearse
And stab my audience with I-ambicke verse:
Raile at the peeuish humour of a slaue
Whose rude examples be notorious.
Attend my whole narration (royall Dukes)
Remember how I did the Forrest rule,
How I amongst the troupe of Elephants,
Foxes, and Tygers, Apes, and Leopards,
Was, by appointment of my fathers will
Left as an heire legitimate, to liue
And re-establish my true parents bloud:
Remember and imagine I did rule
Like an audacious Lyon of the lawnes,
Who by mis-fortune haue caught a pricke
Which doth distemper his presuming paw
M [...]etes with a heart-lesse Pilgrime, doth salute
His coward fancy with a peale of feares
Then doth submit (some ceremonies done)
His royall stoutnesse to the trembling man
Puts forth his pained member, shewes the wound
Till the distracted traueller con-ceiues
A remedy to succour that which grieues:
The Ly [...]a thus allur'd with seeming loue
Protect [...] the Pilgrime by his noble force
Doth not for-sake him, fawnes vpon the wretch
Whose poore compulsiue cowardise did vrge
That tribut at alleageance (not his loue)
[Page] Least life should answere what his will deny'd:
Thus did they liue till the most faithlesse man
Grew so familiar hee was not afear'd
To shake the sleeping Lyon by the beard:
Thus hee pretended still to be aboue
So slew the Lyon for his Kingly loue.
And thus, ô thus! did my Pheudippe deale:
For from the dust and dunghill did I raise
The needy fortunes of that naked man
Without all merit, saue hypocrisy
Which was my thanke for all his dignity:
The Gods and you beare witnesse (noble friends)
I tooke that fellow for the truest man
That woman e're was bless'd with; did beleeue
His birth and education both Deuine,
Who was indeed a deuill; for whose death
My brainelesse fury did blaspheme the Gods:
O if I had election to for-sake
The substance of my soules eternity,
If soule and body did together die
If deaths corruption could corrupt the soule,
(So make it vanish, and auoide controule,)
No speedy torment should escape, no death
Be vn-attempted, till my life and breath
Were as my soule is now, inuisible:
O I would climbe Acro-serannian rockes,
Run to the top of Aet [...]a, or the Alpes
And rush downe head-long like a desperate slaue;
Or like an Aiax, greedy of reuenge,
I would in-counter Woules, and Vnicornes,
Tempting the sauage worthies to assaile
My carelesse life, and so in-counter mee.
EV.
But sir, the soule of man is pretious,
Made of immortall essence, cannot die.
ME.
So, I'me oppress'd with immortality,
And though my rotten Carkasse soone decay
Yet must my soule account for blasphemy:
[Page] For Blasphemy, which I in zealous loue
To a false lewd impostor did augment
With sharpe invectiues eeu'n to vex the Gods.
HIP.
Your loue to that dissembler was extreme
And all extremes beget extremities.
ME.
To that dissembler, to that deuil, say;
To that Magitian, true-borne Impe of hell,
Speake thus; and let mee thanke your eloquence;
For had hee beene produc'd of earthly race
His charmes and witch-craft could not so deceiue
My narrow apprehension, ô a [...]tend!
And I will make you weepe before I end.
Pheud ppe like a frozen viper was
Whom, I (delighted with a formall shew)
By chance tooke vp, and warmth and life bestow'd
Vpon this piteous creature; till at length
Hee crept and crawl'd into my bosome; I
Did suffer still, through plaine simplicity,
The se [...]pent to become familar;
My table and my Trencher gaue him food,
Still did I suffer, still hee slept and fed
Vpon my trembling bosome; hee did kisse
And licke my tenderveines, as I did his:
Still did I suffer, though my soundest friends
Bad mee beware of such a subtle Guest,
Giuing faire cautions to embrace the best;
Still did I suffer, and did scourge aduice,
With sharpe rebukes, not valewing the price.
So long I suffered, hee so long did sleepe,
So long hee lick'd mee, and so long time crept,
So long I lou'd him, hee so long time wept
With false affection, as hee did confirme
My not mis-doubting friend-ship, which was firme,
But after all my loue, and all his teares,
After my patience, and his creeping smiles,
My long, long sufferance, and his thankefull vowes;
After all these ô God, my bosome groanes
[Page] To thinke, that after all such boundlesse good
Hee wish'd to sucke vpon my royall bloud.
EVP.
The subtle wretch, in mischiefe, did reioyce,
And was corrupted by the peoples voyce.
HYA.
True, they corrupt, whom they still hope to please
The peoples physicke, doth enflame disease.
MEN.
Foule vengeance choake the people, and their loue,
They doe deiect whom they aduance aboue:
The peoples suffrage, to a rising youth
Is like their folly at a publicke Stage,
Striuing to purchase a dumbe audience
By multitude of clamour; they suppose
Peace is engendred by still crying peace,
As if confusion did by murmure cease:
So they imagine, by their open mouth,
To make a Gyant, though but scarce a man:
They speake him vertuous, bountifull, and wise
Hoping polluted breath, might Canonize
Whom they (with durty palmes) do seeme to raise,
And bind his Temples with their stinking baies:
No, they but make him dizzy, deafe, and mad,
Whom they desire to make a demi-god;
Their multitudes of clamour doe beget
A most vn-cured swimming of the head;
For so the rules of ringing do agree,
Confusion euer spoiles a harmony.
What Cox-combe now dares call Menander mad [...]
Doe not (I pray) abuse mee (noble boyes)
Although I be a Poet; all men know
I neuer writ of Cupids whirligig,
Of amorous conceites, nor daliance,
And iust so long as Poets will abstaine
From foolish loue and Cupids Diety.
The Poets Art is counted Piety.
But if the tenor of a loue-sicke Theame
Stuffe rotten Volumnes then the Author's mad,
Or Moone-sicke, some iudicious booke-men, say,
[Page] Though others, amid' earnest, allow play.
EVP.
(Alas good King) what sudden ouer-throw
Distracts poore weakenesse by a little woe?
ME.
Who talks of woe' did you sweete passenger?
Open thy case if it bee parallel,
Let's liue co-partners in some vgly shade
Where none but melancholy night-rauens keepe
There let's complaine, but (breath being silent) weep.
Not farre from hence, low in a humble Caue,
My little cottage stands deuoide of care
Finely en-compass'd with a pleasant waue
Drest vp with D [...]isies, Cow-slips, Hyacinths
And many thousand pretty, pretty things
Which Nature lends me while the black-bird sings:
Foure Goats I haue which browze vpon the twigs,
Two did relinquish mê, for I had six,
One seem'd a Lambe which was indeed a Wolfe,
Him did my dog discouer, kill, and eate—
EV.
Wee doe discouer all thy weakenesse King
To helpe is hard, to weepe an easy thing.
ME.
Dares then thy blistredtongue (audacious foole)
Forget all duty and disturbe a Duke?
(Impudent Asse) I do degrade thy eares
And thee, from all imployment; be an Asse
At large, and carry loaues, like Lucius
Deserue a Cudgell and a biting spurre,
Be dull and sluggish in extremities
Till I bestow a Rose or any thing
To make thy suddaine metamorphosis.
EV.
It's made already (King) and I will kisse
Your dainty plame, then laugh, and Poetize
Cast of my robe and act old Lucius,
Or Messala Coruino; daunce I will,
And after sixty Summers will I doate
So, change my garment for a mimickes coate:
Captiues repine at their compulsiue thrall
Who then (sweete Mistresse) may me Captiue call?
[Page] Though conquer'd I confesse
Yet voide of heauinesse:
For-bearance makes my freedom [...]
At length to bee more welcome.
When with compassion thou shalt pitty
Mee; or approue my harmelesse Ditty:
If ransome you require
Tell mee thy chiefe desire;
What is it I would not giue thee?
Make triall and beleeu [...] mee.
Ransome though you refuse
Or at the least excuse
Yet to the latest of a thousand liues
I will reioyce in loue, triumph in giues.
OM.
Age is become a yong in-amorate.
ME.
Laugh, laugh, infernall furies leape for ioy;
Make mee a flaming Chariot, I will ride
Vpon the wings of potent Lucifer,
And stile, like lightning, through th'amazed Orbe.
Thunder shall be my Page, and Aeolus
Leade vp my Coach-horse to big Titans Hall,
Where in that faire Assembly of the Gods,
Glistering with golden robes Pontificall:
I must a volume of large thankes recite,
And a petition to dame Luna write:
All, for thy sweete acquaintance Messala
Whom I adore, and much will dignify
Those who pertake in rauish'd lunasy.
EV.
So, then wee are companions (lusty ladde.)
ME.
Till daring Ioue dissolue the Vniuerse,
Till the last reuolution of this Orbe.
EV.
Till Citizens accounted ciuill knaues,
To chea [...]ing custome be no longer slaues.
ME.
Till sige authentickes of vn-spotted liues
Leaue baudy Panderisme to their willing wiues.
EV.
Then, faith til Courtiers too, with satten sleeues
Renownce all begging and be arrant theeues.
ME.
[Page]Till Taylors like-wise made of shreds and shelues
Enrich the debtor to vn-doe themselues.
EVP.
Till the most gallant Ladies of the Court
Esteeme deuotion there abused sport.
ME.
Then 'faith till Players, Poets, (Ape and Asse)
Spend all they get from Iune to Michaelmas.
EVP.
So then for euer shall wee liue like friends,
Thou must forgiue though Messala offends.
HIP:
What can exceed these miracles of age,
Whose actions might againe reuiue the stage?
A Common councell must protect the State,
Till mad Menander haue atton'd his fate:
Till Cinthia her punishment release
And giue Manander leaue to rule in peace.
Act. 4. Scoen. 3.
MANTESIO, MENANDER, EVPHORBVS, LAELIO, PERILLVS.
Whither, ô whither, and to what extreames
Doe the most waking Gods driue guilty men?
MAN.
Who liues to know, obtaines a blessed age,
But hee a curse, who knowledge doth abuse;
Subtle temptation must not make men erre
With iudgement, though approvall may conferre
Kingdomes of wealth, which is impossible
(So gotten) to continue, if well paid.
O since I knew the folly to aduise
And nourish vp the rude infirmities
Of each voluptuous Epicure in state
Striuing to take dependance from the smile
Of an imperious fauorite, weake shame
Neuer [...] now oppress'd mee; and I sweare
Did not [...] sword of iustice now strike home
I wou [...]d [...]counter sh [...]me with fortitude,
But a discarded woe (the common plague
[Page] Of seruile age eeu'n dead with misery)
Hath after long for-bearance seiz'd on mee:
Pheudippes death was fatall to my life
Because neglected by his liuing wife.
ME.
Haue I then caught thy vn-appeased soule?
Tell mee, come tell mee, wicked wretch declare,
Why hast thou broken holy friend-ships vow?
Speake (damned vermin) each true accent tell
For wee'le vn-rip thy bosome spight of hell;
Speake thou contemptuous varlet, doe not striue
And shake thy limbs with vn-expressed feare,
For (trembling slaue) my hand shall catch thy haire,
Hold thee perforce, with chaines of adamant,
Till thy audacious shadow quaking seeth,
If hands be weary I can hold by teeth.
MAN.
But ô Iudicious—
ME.
Villaine I abhorre
The hatefull sound of thy be-witching voyce,
Keepe in thy clamorous eccho (coniurer)
And cease with Magicke to enchant our sence
Or I will si [...]dge thy beard off with my breath:
O you damn'd fawning Rascall, canst thou shake
And tremble after all thy infamy?
Thou thanklesse, rotten-hearted-slaue, thou snake
Did I deserue suppression? tell mee (Foxe)
You temporising Courtier, that's enough,
Hee needs not call thee knaue, nor Sycophant,
And it-religious Iew, that cals thee so,
For thou didst study these; thinking to proue
A learned Polititian, that's a diuell,
A most abortiue monster, strangely made
With long huge hornes a crafty Foxes head
A Lyons posture and extended eares
With eighty soules and hearts, like little egs;
But with a Camels backe, and Tygers legs;
Wanting a breast-bone, like the sauage Beare,
So climbe hee doth and curry vp the rockes,
Mounting the tops of straight Pyramides
[Page] But when hee tumbles, like a smitten Tower,
Declining softly to an omenous dearth,
First will his head salute the shaking earth.
The blacke remembrance of thy fatall end
Makes my assertion true, thee a false-friend:
MA.
O pacifye great King.—
ME.
—Your yawning voice
With a full concord of my furious palme
If you produce another syllable
You most notorious caitife, you mad curre,
Thou Polititians d [...]g, did I aduance
Thy ragged fortunes to degrade my selfe,
Make thee a partner of my Kingdomes ioy
Giue thee my Kingdomes pleasure, wealth, and wiues,
When I (made foolish) to make thee as King
Tooke the bare title and a glorious heape
Of golden sorrow requisite for Kings,
Keeping the best (by priuiledge) for thee
Without a second riuall? thus I did,
Nay, did I thus and yet thou proue vnkind?
I call my faith in question to demand
Such need-lesse truth, for thou didst proue vnkind,
Contriuing the subucision of my rule
Which gaue a perfect essence to thy soule,
Submit, submit for shame, and say forgiue:
Say but forgiue and I am gratious.
MAN.
I am not (sacred King) as you suppuse
The tortur'd Ghost of that in-glorious man
Pheudippe, sunke below the verge of hell.
But old Mantesio is my seruile name,
Once did I serue whom you so much did loue,
The murdered honour of that haughty Duke.
MEN.
Thou Spirit of delusion, [...] affirme
This doubtfull figment; once againe deny
A soule of reason to thy Soueraigne.
MAN.
My flesh doth witnesse for mee I doe liue.
MEN.
Am I then mad Mantesio? agree
Your are no Ghost and make the consequence.
EVPH.
[Page]But brother, who's mad now? not Messala.
ME.
Deride vs then, and be ridiculous.
Tell mee Mantesio, why didst talke of curse,
Discarded woe, and vexing misery?
MAN.
Of all I tasted in extremity.
ME.
Liues there that soule vpon the spacious globe,
Which doth vprightly thinke it can deserue
Extremity of sorrow, heapes of woe
As did Pheudippe? it's impossible:
No (good old man) though thy large multitude
Of capitall offences do exceed,
The wandring starres, I may account thee cleane,
Like a religious innocent, or babe,
As a bright Angell, to Pheudippe's shame.
MAN.
Yet am I poore, and will partake in woe:
ME.
Canst be distracted? melancholicke? mad?
Sweare by the beauty of the burning Zone?
Looke like a dead-mans scull, most scirvily?
Laugh, weepe, raile, sweare, and hang thy selfe at once?
Rend off thy pleated haire, be lunaticke?
Liue naked in a tempting wildernesse?
Call mee Don. Aiax? liue by roots and hearbes?
Be a true male-content? be ever sad?
Cloudy, like Christmas? be dis-consolate?
And (aboue all) renounce society?
If thus thou canst obserue a dogged change,
If gloomy sorrow (made excessiue strange)
Stab thy distracted senses to the life,
Wee may dispatch all sence without a knife.
But who comes heere?
LAE.
A Poet (pretious sir)
ME.
Thy name?
PE.
Perillus.
ME.
O aduance thy tune,
Provoke thy sharpe Melpomene to sing
The story of a begger and the King.
Canst command Poems vn-praemedite?
PER.
I haue a little smacke of poesie,
Can smell the amber-breath that rapture brings,
Vpon receit of which my consort sings.
ME.
[Page]But I haue bedded the faire Muses nine,
Slept in the bosome of Melpomene,
Haue rid vpon the wings of Pegasus,
Drunke downe a floud of sparkling Hyppocren,
Keepe a perpetuall moisture in my head,
Hating such dilatory sloth of men,
From whose weake braines the rotten papers shed,
Like leaues in autumne; I account him quicke
Who is by nature so; with small intent
Such (as my selfe) may be proficient:
I could now turne conceited stagerite,
And represent I will, with feeling straines,
The Ghost of Crassus, or cracke all my vaines:
Suppose me then the Ghost of that old man,
That sorry man, my ribs trans-fix'd with steele,
Or with a tempest of the Scythian darts,
My wounded carkasse blacke with bloody gore,
Long sleep'd in frosty stupor, to arise,
With squallid rayment from the waues of bell,
And vnto Pompei apparitions tell:
Will you great Pompei, patron of my cause,
Who didst by solemne oath, vowfull revenge?
Will you, the comfort of my funerals,
Tombe to my ashes, and my naked bones?
Will you, will Pompei proue delinquent? hee,
Who hath in loue to Crassus, threatned stabs,
Death and destruction till deepe wounds increase,
Can hee loue Crassus foe, and seeke for peace?
Bleed then my gaping and forgotten wounds
Bleed eu'n afresh, or let my frozen blood,
Like a congealed sirrop, now dissolue,
After such cloudy seasons of the yeare,
Such heauy sorrow, and such doubtfull feare:
After so many dismall nights and dayes,
So many tempests of the Stygian Barke,
And prophesie, things fatall, true, but darke:
Calamity made famous by extreames
Erected in a marble monument,
[Page] Shall by her often meeting vexe thy minde,
Else by opposed number make thee blinde:
Horror and ruine (Pompei) shall affront
Thy shamelesse fortunes, thy fowle negligence,
Cities at thy sub-uersion shall reioyce
The sculs and trophies of thy captaines losse
The victor shall vpon his [...]aueling tosse;
Where swift Euphrates, sent such worthy names
To blacke oblivion, and the tumbling waues
Of big-swolne Tygris, cast my carkasse dead
Vpon the margent of that muddy shore,
And gaue to earth what Neptune could not keepe,
Hauing once cast my wounded limbes asleepe:
There shall thy woe approach, and Pompei know
If quicke avoidance bee not difficult,
Thou then more easely mightst attone the strife
Which thy proud factious Nephew hath begun,
Raging amid the heart of Thessaly.
Thinke but a while vpon the Roman orbe,
Thinke of thy friends at home, thinke who they are,
And those few friends with watchfull foes compare:
Thinke yet of Aegypt, her seuen-headed gulfe,
Ioyne with Aegyptian Ptolomei, and thriue,
His high tuition appertaines to thee,
Tender his nonage, aime at Aegypts throne,
Whose King hath but the shadow of a name,
Because a childish infant, lacking fame,
And feare, (the substance of a Diademe)
Nor thinke the old allegeance to their kings,
Can so estrange the peoples loue to thee,
But know the state of kingdomes be most milde,
If, or, the King is new, or is a childe:
Both do concurre to crowne thy happinesse,
Set saile for Aegypt, make thy couenant there,
Oppose the Parthi, and depopulate
The fields, where Crassus did enioy his fate:
Say, from the cinders of a slaughered man,
[Page] You tooke aduice to turne Aegyptian.
PE.
Most liuely acted, and like Roseius,
LAE.
Hee doth pronounce with volubility.
MAN.
For a pure copious linguist hee doth well,
But for ingenious action doth excell.
EVP
The King for a Comaedian I'faith;
But I will striue to act aboue thee (King)
And out of brim-stone rockes may vertue split,
I am a cold, and must go digge for wit.
ME.
Goe digge for wit whilst I am Ioviall,
And laugh and leape among my flatterers,
Come daunce Lavolioes my familiar knaues,
Do you commend this mirth?
OM.
Most happily.
PER.
Mirth may expell distraction, if secûre.
ME.
But ô my friend, I am not as I seeme,
Merry indeed, but onely seeming so;
Vn-rip my bosome, and with lines of blood
Deeply ingrau'd vpon my trembling heart,
You may discerne attractiue Epitaphs,
The shamefull curse of a contemptuous King,
A loue-knot double broken; and by whom
Friendship rewarded with extreame abuse;
False-hood, without a colour, and excuse.
PE.
What flinty flesh could now abstaine from teares?
ME.
Do then thy stranger thoughts compassionate,
And weepe at our in-humane destiny.
If thy relenting heart true passion feele,
Then let thy moist'ned loue some drops distill;
Weepe on (my friend) I cannot I controule
The copious fountaine; for a silent teare
Doth apprehend the quicke; but neuer howle:
Forsake mee now, and leaue me desolate,
I would revolue the lessons of my state.
Act. 4. Scoen. 4.
THE GHOST OF PHEVDIPPE, MENANDER.
Vp from earths lodging, and those rotten sculs,
Buried in embers till the earth awake,
Wrapt in my funerall-ashes, safe reseru'd,
I doe arise from rude antiquity,
To begge but pardon as a mid-nights almes,
Feeling the horror of my fault immence,
Which doth exceed in nature all offence.
I come (Maenander.)
ME.
Who Menander cal's?
What hidden Diuell dares molest my muse?
PHE.
Denounce thy iudgement with a milder tune,
I come (Maenander.)
ME.
Death to my soule! what comes?
Who comes? or how do'st come? inuisible?
PH.
I come with meeknesse.
ME.
Why, or whence dost come?
Damnation ouertake thee, what's thy name?
Shadow of Stygian horror! what's thy name?
(Intruder) know thy distance, keepe aloofe,
Come not within sixe yards, vpon the price
And perill of an vn-avoided charme:
By which, and thousand other potent spels,
The magicke Herball, oyntments, numbers odde,
By trans-mutations, mid-nights, Iucubus,
Squint-ey'd Ericthon, soule of Hecate,
I doe con-iure thee, tell, and not mistake,
How fares Pheudippe of the Stygian lake?
PHE.
O I am hee, a spirit of despaire,
Compact (by loues decree) of cloudy aire.
I am the wretch, who was in life, a span;
But in excesse of crime, a crooked man.
ME.
Blesse the good stars aboue, thou guilty theefe
Which doe in-close thee with a robe of clouds,
Spight of protection else, and coats of steele,
The tempest of my passion thou shouldst feele;
Thunder and lightning should not dare with-stand
[Page] To take due vengeance from my fatall hand.
PHE.
My tortures be aboue thy humane gesse,
The torment of my soule who may expresse?
My comforts now be multitudes of paine,
Viewing a number infinite of soules,
Which stuste the dampish pit with piercing howles,
Restlesse they tumble, hoping to get ease,
And, more they moue, out-rage doth more increase,
Wee raile at our conception, curse the skye,
And in the face of heau'n spit blasphemy.
Wee all enioy a most impatient curse,
Yet all suppose our owne paine shall the worse;
Motion doth vexe vs, sitting still doth vexe,
Torment, no age escapes, no sumptuous sexe:
ME.
Did thy ambitious height incurre all this?
PHE.
My falshood, slattery, and a Courtiers life,
(The fountai [...]es to all sorrow) did infect
My [...]ou [...]e with a disease vn-curable.
ME.
I doe indeed forgiue thee, therefore tell
Compassion to the Purseuant of [...]ell;
Say I forgiue thee, and on that dis-charge,
Command the crabbed Iaylor to in-large
Thy long and low [...]ie thraldome; often say
I doe forgiue thee (false vngracious man)
O often-times repeat, the Kingforgiues,
Often repeat, as an exemplar thing,
Thou hast obtain'd forgiuenesse of a King,
For a tall grant-error, an offence
Made monstrous bigge by circumstance; contempt
In a degree aboue comparison;
Yet I forgiue those capitall crimes done:
If thou attainted be with some offence,
Equall in nature to this high contempt,
Goe then [...]curs'd, till I redeeme thee, goe
Accounted worthy of damnations woe:
But, because officers do sting like bees,
Say I forgiue thee, and will pay thy fees.
[Page] Few plaintifes, or appellants doe the like,
Though I without a iudgement will release
Errors escap'd from youth, soliue in peace.
PHE.
But I am past repentance (royall sir)
And so thy pardon is like bounty giuen
To beggers dead, or med'cines ill-bestow'd
On separated members, like vaine life
Purchas'd by seales and writings after death,
And execution of a guilty theefe;
There's no capacity for dead reliefe.
Kings, clad with numerous titles, cannot giue
Promethean fire, to make a dead man liue:
Pardon of Kings no benefite may deale,
Except it passe by a superiour seale:
Surfets and rupture, to be dumbe, and blinde,
Acknowledge Art; but surfets of the minde
And rupture in affections forcing ill,
Know none aboue, but a free gouern'd will:
Which if it proue re-misse, mans powerfull fate
Carries him head-long to my damn'd estate;
The ship-wrack'd Pilot may discerne a shelfe,
But euery foole vn-cheated, cheats himselfe:
Aduance thy pale desires, looke fresh and big,
Thinke on revenge, cleare thy contracted brow,
Be sensible of wrong, and (worthy) know
My false co-partners liue, who did conspire,
And frame the bellowes of ambitious fire:
Amilcar liues (my some) Lucilla liues
(Thy subtill sister) old Mantesio liues:
All my adhaerents, all competitors
In mischiefe, most well-knowne conspirators;
Yet all suruiue in safety, traytors liue:
Thinke on revenge, I doe aduise thee well;
Sleepe not vpon thy proiects, if thou want
Opinion of a friend, heare mee a supplicant:
Levell inuention with a speedy aime,
Till thou the cunning of such knaues reclaime.
ME.
[Page]My sister false? Amilcar such a knaue?
Who indeed is, but is affections slaue?
PH.
A [...]d none but him, iudgements incounter can,
Although aspersions touch the honest man.
Remember these my motiues, morning peepes,
The day no dilatory time doth giue,
To eccho forth at large, thy Queene doth liue.
ME.
Doth Fauorina liue? deere shadow stay,
PHE.
My absence is enforc'd through rising day.
ME.
Split then in peeces thou pernitious toade,
My plagues deminish to augment thy load.
My Queene sur-viue! ioynt-cause of all my woe!
Of all my anger, blasphemy and rage!
Is shee reseru'd? doth Fauorina liue?
Whose absence made me raile at Cinthia?
O I haue swallow'd poyson▪ which tor [...]ênts
All my distracted veines with agony,
A griefe continuing without all re-lease,
Consumption of my paine breeds paines increase.
Now for ob-noxious compounds to possesse
The soule with euerlasting lethargy,
Ransome of thousand Kings would I exchange,
Or like a beast, humanity estrange.
O for inchanted Peppei, or the iuice
Of drunken Hemlocke, to lay soules asleepe,
I'de like a Serpent on our belly creepe,
Licking each humble shrub, and carelesse feed
Vpon the stubble of each stinking weed.
Shreike ô the mid-night-mandrakes voyce aloud,
So may the horror of that piercing sound,
Turne soule and body both alike to ground:
Pel-mel together my affections fight,
Each conquer each, some scudd away by flight.
Act. 4. Scoen. 5.
AMILCAR.
Coyn [...]s and Lust, arch-enemies to loue,
Combat apace within my youthfull bloud;
Feare to attempt my vn-experienc'd wish,
Tels me with what a coy and constant face
The Queene will start in motiues of my lust;
(For I no better Title can bestow
On our audacious meaning) lust abounds,
Free from all apprehension of that loue
Which simple-meaning youths do still protest
And vow to virgin-chastity; but I,
Who am inflam'd with ambiguity
Will not imbarque a faithlesse vow so farre
As evaporate promise, which infects
Beyond fierce natures lust, and stabs my fame:
Because rich Nature, although couetous,
Loth to conferre a full satiety
Of goodnesse, vpon me her suppliant,
Hath yet impos'd one vertue aboue all,
In promise euer to disdaine the breach,
Though strict obseruance do my weale impeach:
Yes, I preferre the violent attache
Of maiden-head, before false promises;
For (all can witnesse) rape's a thing in act,
So there's an end; We never doe dissemble,
Nor do extinguish sparkes of sanctity
With fraud, with vn-supported periury,
(Ioyning ranke false-hood to concupiscence)
Protesting marriage to enioy a smacke,
And so deceiue the long desirous wombe
Of hop'd fruition: A hot rauisher
Giues what the wombe would otherwise demand:
Yet will I not enrage my lust so farre,
As violence to wrong the beauteous Queene,
[Page] If shee (as women will) proue plyable,
Nor will engage on oath to assevêtre
What I disdaine, yoak'd-marriage; for indeed,
Women be clogs which hang about the necke
Of man, so heauy till it sometimes breake:
A well-couch'd theame of loue shall therefore try
If without promise I may mount on high:
The bonds of marriage I abhorre to chuse,
And rather would vpon such points refuse
The noble Queene (if to accomplish it
Were possible) then happily enioy:
Seeing nature doth demand variety,
Admitting which, with full saciety,
Health is impeach'd, and many men made poore,
Who hauing honest wiues will hugge a whoore.
Act. 4. Scoen. 6.
AMILCAR, GRACCHVS.
Speake, is she made of waxe (solicitor?)
GR.
Of mil-stones (my good Lord) for lime & chalke
Cannot expresse the full comparison:
Cold Images of Ice, and frozen snow,
Had beene dissolued with my summer speech
Piercing vnto the quicke, but constant shee,
Like to some Aegle on a Cedars top,
Disdaining idle nets, will perch aboue,
In spight of Cupid, and his potent loue.
AMI.
I burne the rather, and by rape will quench
My lastfull famine, were she loues owne wench,
GRA.
O doe not offer head-strong violence;
Delay makes modest women more propense.
AM.
Death & damnations plague to boot! how long
Must I abstaine (you smooth-tongu'd flatterer)
Till doomes-day? doe not vrge my flaming wrath,
Least you provoke a Lyon to the spoile.
[Page] By Cupids Sacraments of lust and loue,
I will no more delay (thou lazy dogge)
Dost trifle? speake forbearance, and delay?
I doe begin to be suspitious
Of thy proceedings: tell vs of delay?
No, as the Faulcon doth a Phesant seize,
I will both seize vpon her (prating daw)
And trusse her vp in my Imperious claw.
(Sirrah) rememer, I did giue you meate,
Clothes, coine, and such good poore commodities,
When you were quite blowne vp with gamesters lucke,
Ragges and fowle linnen, scabbes and sciruy lice,
The quicke associates of all cheating dice,
Did honestly begin to set vp house
In your old single suit, pray do not make
Mee a disseisor of francke-tenements,
By tortious dealing with your free-holders,
Who had a better Title then my selfe
If you do proue vn-thankfull; so consider.
GRA.
Am I vp-braided? noble sir I thanke
The bounteous almes you lent my bare estate,
And I as freely doe desclaime desert,
As you did freely giue them; yet in-faith
I was not lowsie (Lord) consider well,
Though Lords be lowsie too sometimes; if hell
Heau'n, earth, and men, be not so gratious,
As to conceale infirmities of state.
AM.
Say I am lowsie sir.
GRA.
Can pox forbid?
But I must giue him better language now:
No (my respected sir) I dare not taxe
Especiall favorites, of lice or poxe,
'Mongst whom you are the chiefe, but milky skin
That hath faire out-sides, may be fowle within.
And I againe do in despight averre,
'Voidance of lice from our natiuity.
Reclaime then that aspersion (Lord) and know
I was not lowsie, but like mid-night snow,
[Page] Pure, when thy selfe (now seeking to supplant)
Took'st me to rescue from the iawes of want:
I was not lowsie (Lord) looke bigge and burst,
I will maintaine my credit, though accurst.
AMI.
You were not lowsie (knaue) not ragged, no
Nor sicke, I condiscend; yet sirrah know
The plagues of Aegypt all began to march
Full-mouth vpon thee (like devou [...]ing dogges
Ready enough to rend a breathlesse Fox)
When I with noble pitty being oppress'd,
Flew forth like lightning to thy rescu'd life,
Which is indeed my proper donatiue.
Do not reply thou true insulting toade,
Squint-ey'd caitife, you pernitious rat,
You gelded rascall, you most lowsie rogue:
Do not reply, mad masti [...]e, do not swell,
And thinke (because you can discouer well
My trickes of youth) to stop the feruent rage
Of our vn-tam'd affections; future age
Must, and shall, witnesse my fierce violence,
If thou discouer but one syllable;
Nay, if thou entertaine a peece of thought,
Which by vn-masking mee doth hope revenge:
Sweare, sweare (you thick-lip'd rascal) kindly sweare
Without compulsion, or base-minded feare,
To be like mid-night, as a sepulchre,
Dumbe as a Turkish executioner,
Nay, as a marble statue, void of signes
Touching the substance of my secresie.
Sweare (slaue) and thinke my soule a fury mad,
Able to force wide rupture through the face
Of threatning Horror to endamage thee;
As to demand account of periury.
Do not seeme loath, expecting new delay;
For I can stab you (capon) to the quicke,
Cut off your Eunuch-nose, then laugh and kicke
Your lowsie stinking neats-iowle to the dogges.
GRA.
[Page]Without collusion I do strictly sweare.
AM.
And thinke withall, I who haue coine bestow'd,
Clothes, and faire countenance, with store of meat,
Can also giue sharpe sawce, which will procure
Digestion to the stomacke, else (proud sir)
You will dis-gorge the vomit in my face;
If kindnesse do recoyle, let feare take place:
GRA.
I am your foot-stoole, tread vpon my teeth,
And so charme silence if you do mis-doubt.
AMI.
No, but remember if you shall bewray
My darke designments, or vse cheating play
In prosecution of my priuate cause,
(Hoping for payment from the Spartan lawes)
Remember that thy life, and interest
Of being rich, both owe a speciall rent
With homage, and knight-seruice vnto me,
Remember you do hold in Capite.
GRA.
Cut then my seruile tongue out of my head,
Slit my suspected organs, make me dumbe,
Handlesse and sighlesse if you thinke me false,
For I must otherwise be false indeed:
Men that admonish to auoid some vice,
Must not inculcate motiues more then thrice;
Pupils much tutor'd with Identity
Of reprehension, proue but spur-gall Iades;
Because they thinke the vitious estate
Of things habituall, doe argue fate,
Which to resist, they thinke impiety,
Exclude me therefore from society
Of human habitants, or leaue to vex,
Which is a torment to all human sexe.
AMI.
I leaue addition, but consider well,
You are as deepe ingag'd almost as I;
Which depth, of both ingagements, reach to hell,
If any (but our selues) the depth espy.
GRA.
Sir, I haue broke the Ice to Appetite,
And with a studied phrase did I begin,
[Page] Hoping to thaw the coldest frosty North
By representing multitude of feares.
AM.
And did she melt?
GR.
Yes melted into teares,
But was a stranger to my wanton tales:
Shee comes whom your hot loue so close empales.
Act. 4. Scoen. 7.
AMILCAR, FAVORINA, GRACCHVS.
Wonder of women, pompe and pride of earth,
Whose wofull absence might make beauties dearth,
Goddesse of loue-sick soules, thou glorious Nymph
Who mightst attract the Angels eyes to sinne:
O thou beyond Amilcars county loue,
(Because indeed a concubine for Ioue),
Rob not the treasure of my soules delight,
Which lies imprison'd in aeternall night.
FA.
Did you for this (most lying impious man)
Pull me from refuge and protection safe?
Giue me aduice, in hope of due reuenge,
To follow thee, forsake the Title Queene
Of Sparia, to become a Queene of Lust?
For this did you sollicite (beastly Lord?)
And labour by this talking Eunuch-bawd,
To conquer chastity through faithlesse fraud?
For this did you obtest high oathes aboue
My poore conceit, to shew dissembling loue?
AMI.
Let me againe obtest the waking Gods,
Or (beyond them) your beauteous diety,
(Which to abuse, were vild impiety)
Thy glad fr [...]ition were a ransom'd soule,
Or kingdomes conquest in my rich account
Of gloriou [...] beauty; giuing more content
Then soule imagine, or great kingdomes may.
Wee call to [...]nesse thy imperious hate,
And do appeale to vertue of thy loue,
[Page] (If hate and loue may both together lodge)
Thy loue surmounts my value, doth infuse
A sudden rapture to my longing soule,
Doth change dull nature, quicken vp my braine,
Put a persume into my sordid breath,
And is indeed restoratiue to death.
FA.
If you intend a true religious loue,
Professe it sir, without offence to Ioue,
And so remember blessed nuptials;
For hee enjoyes his fate and funerals,
Who sometime was Maenander, and my spouse;
Your selfe did seale his death by constant vowes.
Speake then, and let thy answere be direct,
Or I shall thinke, religion you neglect.
GRA.
O shee hath giuen his fury a full stab,
My sweet-mouth'd Courtier swallows downe a crab.
The Eele is in a sand-bagge, some good man
See how the mimicke scrues an Alphabet
Of hungry faces, how the maggot crawles
To feed vpon the kernell.
FA.
Who replyes?
GRA.
Againe, againe (for loues sake) spur the Iade:
Giue him another pill, provoke the slaue,
And make him spue his heart with madnesse; melt
His larded veines with striving to extend
A lowsie answere; but the Idoll speakes.
FA.
What makes Amilcar dumbe with my request?
What makes thy trembling blood so pale and wanne,
Most like the colour of a dying man?
AM.
The sad remembrance of my foolish vow,
Vexes meeke apprehension; yeelding forth
In stead of answere, ambiguities.
GRA.
Looke for a subtill rare-compacted lye.
AMI.
Madam, the vow mayes mee monasticall,
I haue protested a true single life,
Which did ingender a Dilemma, long,
But religious indeed.
GRA.
Ridiculous,
Indeed you are a Goat libidinous.
AMI.
[Page]I neuer will be yoak'd, by consequence
No drawing beast, no big laborious oxe,
I must not marry madame.
FAV.
Must you then
(Because not marry, to auoyd the oxe)
Liue like a noted and eggregious Asse?
Or like a Cammell, fierce with flaming lust?
Would you seduce my weaker innocence?
Seeke to intrap my credulous conceit?
You must not marry; would you then defile
The modest thoughts of virgin-chastity?
Would you take licence from a single life,
To make each maid a whore, not being a wife?
I blush to view such vild affinity,
Betwixt a Goatish beard, and bearded men.
AMI.
But be familiar (Madam) and re-call
I was a target once to thee condemn'd,
Both by Lucilla, and Pheudippe's doome;
Remember Madam, I did turne the edge
Of quicke Lucilla's wrath vpon her selfe,
Tooke thy confiscate beauty from the snare
Of imminent sub-version, drew thee out
As from a gulfe which gaping, ready stood
To swallow downe thy honor, sing thy hurt,
So change thy golden dignity to durt.
I did (remember Madam) banish hate,
For I did wrestle with vp-rising fate.
FAV.
You did infranchise my condemned life,
You did returne Lucilla's point of spleene
Vpon her wicked bosome; whence it came;
You (sir) did manage my neglected cause,
Tooke my confiscate beauty from the snare
Of imminent sub-version; you did this;
You, you haue beene my target, you alone
D [...]ew my forgotten safety from the teeth
Of tugging [...]singers; you alone did this;
And did you this to amplifie abuse?
Did you reserue my innocence for this?
[Page] For this did you protect my ignorance?
You kept my carkasse from a rampant Woolfe,
To feed your tame, but hungry, Lyons whelpe:
You did preuent a neere captiuity,
To make my thraldome be notorious;
You, from a guiltlesse danger, did redeeme
My maiden thoughts, to make the danger, guilt;
Thou gau'st new being ('bout too faile before)
After which being, must I be thy whore?
'Faith you haue done a deed of charity,
Toke mee by rescue, from death past the chin,
To rip my pregnant wombe, and flea my skin.
But know (Amilcar) I am so resolu'd
Vpon the spot-lesse loue of chastity,
As I with proper violence will rend
My wombe in peeces, teare my tempting face
And go beyond a womans forritude,
Rather then (like a Strumpet) prostitute.
AMI.
(Queene) I contemne your points of chastity,
Laugh at such idle trickes to colour sinne:
You are a captiue in my custody,
Consider well the law of time and place
Be at my proper nod; if naked lust
Bribe mee to some in-iustice, doe not blame
A smooth acceptance; for the frugall age
Wherein I liue, doth barke aloud for fees
Which in themselues be bribes; if to the knees,
Or necke, some rascall knaue be drench'd in bloud,
The scarlet can absolue a scarlet sinne
And call deepe slaughter a correctiue deed.
Then blame the bribes which did in-iustice feed,
Blame not the man (I pray;) so blame our lust
Not met Amilcar, if enioy wee must.
FA.
Haue you decreed some rauisher's attempt?
Will you determine to be violent?
A dead pale horror doth possesse thy cheeke
With repetition of the simple sound;
[Page] Thou violate a virgins chastity?
Canst thou commit an odious rape, a sinne
Of such high out-rage; yet looke pale and de [...]d
Vpon recitall of the sinne it selfe?
AMIL.
N [...]p mee (good Gracchus) how? looke pale and dead?
Fetch Aqua-fortis (Gracchus) stab my arme,
A shaking palsie doth oppresse my heart;
How? pale, and dead?
GRA.
(Wise woman) I adore
The quicke inuention, and if Gods agree
Will in despight of false-hood set her free.
FA.
O what damn'd terrour to a wicked ma [...]
Be guilty thoughts, considering offence
(Fitly compar'd to prodigall expence:)
Nor may the valiant'st sinnefull youth aliue
With resolution so in-wal'd appeare
But his high heart will be below his feare.
Can you commit lewd rape (Amilcar?) no:
Ma [...]s, and chaste women need no more defence
For hot inuasion except innocence,
Earnest resistance, by but one true maide,
Will make the fierest rauisher afraid:
For if a virgin violate you see
Shee did in part deny, in part agree:
[...] resolution of a maidens hand,
Tall Gyant-letchers, cannot halfe with-stand.
AMI.
Take her (good Gracchus) to your custody
Be thou my bawd, and purge Phlebotomy.
Act. 4. Scoen. 8.
MENANDER, EVPHORBVS, LAELIO, PERILLVS BVFO, LVCILLA, MANTESIO.
Our [...]; the most valiant scule
[...] Champion, truely doth possesse
My [...] square limbs; then (subiects) call,
[...] braue Aiax that renowned Peere
By our Tragoedians Art to Deify:
Lalio must Act Vlysses.
LAE.
I agree.
MEN.
Mantesio and Lucilla must like mutes
Expect vpon my rage all counterfeit,
As did the sauage throng that Aiax slew;
Robes shall not make a metamorphosis;
Wee may suppose you whom the Scoene requires
Some sauage couple fit for Aiax wrath.
AM.
You may command vs.
ME.
but braue Messala
Acts Agamemnon.
EV.
Brother I am glad
To thanke your aestimation of my parts
And I will striue to please you sir, though mad.
ME.
Bufo, Perillus, both be Chiefe-taines too,
Attentiue to decide the argument
Of our contention, striuing to deserue
The honour of Achilles after death.
AM.
Wee both be vassailes to your celsitude.
ME.
Each take his part and study to rehearse
[...] may stumble at an easy verse.
BV [...].
Manander is a Delphicke Oracle.
MEN.
Be silent, leaue this big Hyperbole,
And shew thy breeding modest.
BVF.
Sir I am
A Gallant, thankes to Tailors, and good clothes,
Yet keepe no crafty Page to picke a purse:
Nor doe I often play the Sodomite,
Will, with a liuely posture personate
The Scoene of Aiax, and inioy our fate,
MEN.
Enough, the solemne festiuall of ioy
Which doth ensue, exacts your diligence,
To giue some testimoniall indeed
Of [...] deseruings: thinke mee bountifull
If any Action in my troupe excell.
Fortun. I doe contemne thee; sirs aduance
And in despight of death, vse vigilance.
Finis Actus quarti.
Act. 5. Scoen. I.
GRACCHVS, FAVORINA, GLADIATOR.
MAdam, all chaste desires be laudable,
But if you tempt a mischiefe mercilesse,
Such certaine truths be doubtfull to auoide;
And I prefer the publicke safety still
(Which wants you as a chiefe and mouing wheele)
Before my simple damage, though the curse,
Railings, and wrath of my contemptuous Lord
Fall last vpon me, like so many shaftes
Shot from heau'ns fabricke by offended Ioue:
Come therefore death, destruction, stabs or steele,
Come out-rage, madnesse, fierce amazing oathes,
Terror, and tortures come, what can betide,
You shall, vnknowne, by our aduice escape
Least long exspectance doe incurre the rape.
FAV.
I much commend your zealous charity,
Yet I beleeue Amilcar cannot wrong
The harmel [...]sse meaning of our innocence:
Suppose I doe exspect vpon the rage
And lustfull fury of that impious man,
Yet I presume the Gods will gouerne lust
And giue such valour to a vertuous maide
As shee may well in-counter Canibals.
Why should Amilcar seeme to conquer mee?
Or why assault my noble chastity?
Secured hope, and heauen can witnesse too
I haue no biting bosome-snake which gnawes
With greedy vulture-teeth and stinging iawes
Vpon the pretious comfort of my soule;
No second In-mate ready to controule
Our quiet actions; no loud fearefull sinne
To stab mee in the midst of honest mirth
[Page] And ouer-looke the musicke of my minde,
To make mee start and rob mee of content
No, no (good Gracchus) I am innocent,
And therefore not excluded from the helpe
Of heauens tuition; know I dare affront
Amilcar in the fury of his flames,
Raile at the stubborne youth, and make him melt
Eeu'n like a leaden statue, or indeed
Like some obdurate image caru'd of Ice,
Which through one blast of lightning doe despaire
And from tall statues vanish into aire:
I feele within mee such true noble signes
Of earnest courage, as no female thought
Can (except pure and pious) well compare:
I am not valiant, like a drunken whore,
Ramping by vertue of abused wine;
Not is my resolution desperate,
I am not fearelesse, to see feare abound
But innocence is resolutions ground.
GRA.
Will you neglect my counsell to escape?
Will your deluded loue to innocence
Not reckon meanes ordain'd for innocence?
Protection doth imply our vigilance,
Else vertue is reputed arrogance;
Honest and simple hearts alone deserue
That in extremitie pure holinesse
Should make meanes thriue, not without good meanes, blesse.
(Madam) I sweare they lacke humanity
Who will teach men to tempt their destiny;
Beleeue it (Fauorina) I should feare
The doubtfull mercy of a hungry Beare:
They who desire to feele the Lyons paw
May liue in compasse of the Lyons Caue;
I know good meanes, neglected, make a slaue.
FA.
(Gracchus) I once againe commend your zeale
Thanke, and admit your loue, which labours well
To win the heigth of our capacity:
[Page] But (Gracchus) tell mee now, suppose I stay,
Suppose Amilcar doe continue still,
Like a wilde Satyre, most libidinous;
Admit hee shall extend so farre as rape
And by the ruine of our modest grace
Erect a shamefull Priapus in place?
Tell mee (good Gracchus) what rich victory
Can the foole boast of? what egregious act
Can hee ascribe to conquest of our sex?
Wee are alas like wals vn-fortified,
Or like a Castle made of March-pane wals
Easely subdu'd, without fierce rauishment.
Women were made to make rash men repent.
Shame to my fortunes, I did seeke reuenge
And sure the Gods will turne reuenge on mee;
Lucilla's death, the Kings Catastrophe
Might haue bene both auoided, if reuenge
And malice had not bene so force-able
To banish pitty from our spightfull brest,
The want of which procur'd a funerall chest
To keepe the cinders of a sleeping paire;
Which losse, no time can proue, no age repaire:
Lucilla's death had my malicious doome
As Epitaph to dead Mananders Tombe;
The plaintiffs lye which prou'd Lucilla's death
Did like-wise rob Manander of his breath.
GRA.
(Madam) you are deluded; I can giue
A testimoniall that both doe liue.
FA.
Maenander liue? and doth Lucilla liue?
Speake it againe, proclaime the newes aloud
Let heauen and earth be witnesse to thy tale:
Speake it againe (good Gracchus) giue the Gods
Notice againe of my certificate
Which makes mee in a glorious estate:
Dance my deiected soule, sing merrily
Leape all my organs, I am innocent,
Gracchus will witnesse, I am innocent,
[Page] I did not kill Maenander, not accuse
My riuall yong Lucilla, no (good heau'n)
Gracchus will witnesse I am innocent:
Lucilla liues, my best MENANDER liues,
Speake it againe (good Gracchus.)
GR.
both do liue.
FA.
Beare witnesse now; hearke heauen, he said they liue
Take speciall notice of his name and words
For hee is prompt enough to iustify
Our depositions, neither will hee lye:
No, hee's an honest, very honest man
Is called Gracchus so inscribe his name;
And set his certaine testimoniall
Vpon record: Lucilla doth suruiue
And my Maenander hee is yet aliue:
So saith good Gracchus, so inscribe the same.
Ioy hath no passage through my rauish'd soule:
I did before put on a painted face
Forging false colour to my innocence
But now indeed am truely innocent:
Thou Gracchus be my iudge, and heau'n be iudge
I am not now defil'd with bloudy thoughts
And fearefull agues; thou be like-wise iudge
That false Amilcar is a menstruous ragge,
A youth ranke-rotten, before mellow-ripe:
Flye-blowne already as a carkasse hot
Which hath no shelter from the dog-day Sunne:
Beyond all vertues cunning to reclaime:
Goodnesse and reformation bee to him
Monsters in nature; and detested more,
Then of a Hermite is the common-whore.
Vices, like Maggots, creepe on him so thicke,
As who destroies the one, hee must not sticke
To follow the sub-version of them both:
Of lewd Am [...]ar and his lustfull growth.
GRA.
Who can escape the lime-twigs which are set
By loose affections to ensnare himselfe?
Man doth about him carry watchfull foes
[Page] And must be carefull to in-counter those;
For all without him, though by troups they come
Cannot offend, who is in peace at home:
Amilcar (Madam) is now riding post
Vpon exact imployments; his returne
Is doubtfull, therefore to auoid delay,
The loue and duty of my zeale obey.
A friend in whom I claime full interest
Doth giue attendance to accompany
Your Grace, till I can trusse a fardell vp
And follow.
FA.
What's thy friend'
GR.
A Fencer.
GLA.
I am ingag'd vpon fidelity
And must preserue you from hostility,
Eeu'n to the latest of a mortall life,
I will defend thee widdow, maide, or wife.
FA.
My new redemption is a doubtfull taske,
You both doe promise more then I will aske:
And though my squint-ei'd fortune looke ascaunce
Yet heau'n will succour my deliuerance:
Which being once purchas'd, proud Amilcars lust
Shall vanish into Salamanders dust.
GRA.
Put on the wings of speed; flie fast away
I follow (Madam) before peeping day.
Act. 5. Scoen. 2.
GRACCHVS, AMILCAR, SERVI.
Successe attend her, till I soone dispatch
And speedily escape Amilcars rage:
Saddle my horse, and fetch my Caskets, hoe,
Seruants make ready I must ride to Athens.
All men desirous to preuent quicke fate
Scorne (aboue all things) to procrastinate:
Watch there without, like busy centinels
And [...] Lords returne, see some fore-tels.—
SER.
Hee is return'd already; doth approach,
[Page] Saith you may trauaile in his new Caroch.
GRA.
Yes, to the diuell; death! is hee return'd?
I am vndone, I am vndone; (good genius)
Helpe mee; (good Angels) be auspicious,
Or I shall perish past recouery:
Senge mee some lightning, though in-visible;
O burne my bleeding heart; consume, consume!
Flye from my nosthrils an infectious fume!
Stop all my organs, ô commisserate
The bad mis-fortune of a poore estate:
Hee comes, hee comes—
AM.
(Gracchus my deere) how dost?
What answere makes my Goddesse? doth shee melt?
Doth she recant and aske my pardon? speake.
GRA.
No: I am troubled with a falling rhume.
AMI.
Fetch forth Pigmalious Image, I will doate,
And so become Cupids Idolater:
Stay Gracchus, wee will both accompany
Her sacred passage to the publicke aire:
What shaking palsie doth detaine thy steps?
Where is the Queene? speake (trembling coward) speake.
GRA.
She ouer-came mee with incessant teares;
To those I yeelded, ô forgiue my feares.
A [...].
Yeelded? (base caitife) be our hopes all dead?
My labour, lyes, delusion, studied care,
All turn'd to smoake through yeelding of a drudge?
All our ingagements, my beneuolence,
My proiects, aimes, and large gratuities,
All come to this? the center of my thoughts,
My double trickes, and cunny-catching-slights,
All come to this? the rich faelicity
Whereon my faith was grounded, come to this?
Come gastly horror to consummate all,
Adde ruine like-wise to my wit-lesse fall.
O my loud curse! delusion was my baite
And I am now deluded; learning failes;
No new inuented stratageme auailes;
And vertue I am not accquainted with.
[Page] O you damn'd rogue, 'tis holliday at home,
You hope the Queene (sir) will aduance you high,
And hope so still, but (very, very knaue)
I will dis-ioint your eleuated hopes;
And make you (sir) an Alcibiades:
The Queene departed?
GRA.
Pitty did preuaile,
For shee did weepe, nor did of passion faile:
Her eyes (good Lady!) did with weeping smart,
Which made mee giue her licence to depart.
AMI.
I am vndone (you fragment) I'me vndone,
I am detected, whither shall I runne?
The haruest of my long laborious toyle,
Now I haue swom through death and swallow'd fire.
Giu'n doubtfull fury a most braue repulse
Put backe suspence, and all approaching feares
Almost concluded things impossible;
Made smooth my way, and tilted in the face
Of frowning mischiefe ready to take place;
Now, now is all sub-verted; I am lost
In a large Wood, a winding laborinth:
I am excluded from all natiue power,
Am like the rubbish of a ruin'd Tower;
I am abus'd, I am to death betrai'd,
By thee a doctor villaine; not afrai'd
To sweare mee homage, and vn-lace my heart:
The blessings of your body, breath, and soule
Be so engag'd, as their existence knowes
Not one redeemer among all the Gods,
(Fabulous things to you) except my selfe;
Thus did you sweare, and swore I gaue thee life,
Nay did bestow a whole creations worke
Vpon thee offal-caitiffe, who ador'd
Impression of my foote-steps that was all
Exspecting hourely on the happy time
When I should dare command what you durst doe,
When with aduantage, I would but pronounce
O Gracchus giue mee of thy bloud an ounce:
[Page] Thus did you sweare, you dog-day-villaine, thus;
And yet your actions bee malicious:
Teach mee, some diuell, to torment the rogue,
Else take the righteous rigor of his fault
In [...] the depth of hels extremity;
Rescue, ô rescue this offending wretch
(Some powers aboue) from my most fatall-wrath,
For to afflict thee as the crime deserues
Would loose a double part in Paradice:
Yet must I punish thee (thou Spiders-gall)—
SER.
The to ade and spider cannot chuse but brawle.
AM.
—I must (you creeping cur) and would refuse
Rather to be a God, then to forgiue
A thing so capitall; and thou escape;
But an arch-diuell would I euer bee
A fiend of horrour beneath all degree,
Eate flames and brimstone to beget mee fierce
That with astonish'd fury I might pierce
And split each sinew; feare thy plumpest vaine,
So racke thy feeling with perpetuall paine.
GRA.
O feele compassion, for I do repent.
AMI.
Repent? compassion? I would rather whip
My weakned carcasse with a Scorpions taile;
Dwell in a nest of Adders, make them sting
Till patience could endure; then wash my wounds
With burning pitch and lamp-oile, bath in leade,
Or make a poultice of some swelling toad,
Rather then take one cruell thought from 'load.
GRA.
Your meanace and commotion do torment
Aboue all suffering; ô I will repent
Sixe thousand times a day; deuoure my flesh,
Feede vpon frogs, or quaffe downe aconite,
Kisse and embrace, a fearefull Succubus,
If you but leaue to terrifie mee thus.
AM.
No (theeuish tumbler) leaue thy cheating tricks
And sweare allegeance to some puny Lord,
Make those beleeue that lacke intelligence,
[Page] For I am lasht with true experience:
Though on thy bosome thou wouldst therefore crawle,
And, like a Serpent, liue vpon the dust:
Though by continuall creeping thou didst weare
Thy breast and belly, (so become submisse
In a most new degree) didst licke pathes cleane
Where I should walke, and scrape away the filth:
Imploy each seruile sinew to my ends,
Yet you and I must neuer more be friends.
Fill flat vpon thy face (thou paracide)
Fall downe as ready (captiue) to abide
Our indignation, which in child-birth lies,
Big with a thousand swelling lunacies:
Expecting all to be deliuered out,
And by vexation of thy falling strength,
To be an orbe in bredth, an age in length:
Fall (thou condemned Shismaticke) and charme
The killing rage of my aduanced arme;
For I shall proue so desperately mad
And full of rigor, in my sharpe reuenge;
As to reuoule the terrour of my doome
Phanfy doth tremble, but my rage makes roome:
(Falie wretch) I must forget humanity,
And fall acquainted with some forrest Woolfe;
Hee, and such bloudy Tutors shall instruct
The shamelesse Art of sauage cruelty,
To kill thee, and become exorbitant;
I will a [...]ato [...]ife thy limbs aliue;
Will [...] small gobbets of thy quaking flesh
And [...]eed my Haukes, while life continues fresh
Within the bloudy morsell; make the sluce
To qu [...]uer when they swallow downe the iuice:
The Turke shall teach mee to extend some plague
Of most vn-suffering nature: till the day,
And thy blaspheming breath doe both decay.
But [...] [...]orrow seize mee) what auailes
This villaines torture to my liuing woe?
[Page] For I (except I quickly be trans-form'd
Into a Rat, a Hedge-hog, Lowfe, or To [...]de,
Some base and obscure animall) must feele
Torments more tedious then tongues may expresse,
A Equall to which is doubtfull heauinesse:
Nay. our attempts and high abuses done
Be of such horrid shape, such ample straine;
As to absolue them would require a Saint
With speciall pardon from almighty Ioue:
Yes, though I should obtaine that idle wish
Of transmigration; yet the shamefull troupe
Of sinnes which we are my scarlet liuery
Would follow fast, and (as Actions dogs)
Teare mee to peeces, not remembring, once,
That I was maister of the family:
If, to become a new conformitant,
Imply'd a veniall act; each vertuous thought
Should be my fellow: 'tis the fault of all,
Wee doe despaire to stand, because we fall.
One maxime I retaine by priuiledge;
Such secrets, they doe seldome thriue, nor can,
Where we depend vpon the breath of man:
O had my drudge, my Vassaile bene but true,
And faithfull to the fore-cast of my hopes,
I had bene braue confederate of Kings,
Nay, might haue cal'd some Kings my feodars.
(O deuill) hadst thou bene to my desires
A sudden knaue and dutifull enough:
But for a time hadst thou continued so
Vntill some limitation did expire
With such obseruance as ranke deuils vse
Vpon the pretious morgage of a soule
I had bene ready to depart with all;
With pleasures, titles, all things, to enrich
Thy budding fortunes; all did I reserue
Till death determin'd my approaching fate,
Onely to thee, then all, was consecrate,
[Page] By due surrender; but (yong prodigall)
Your hopes and life (poore slaue) be pawn'd to mee
Whom no sworne-diuels Broker shall exceed
In scuruy vsage, though my heart-strings bleed.
GRA.
If no true mercy then may mittigate
Thy dull and stupid deafenesse. I do dare
The vt-most of your franticke violence,
Cast all thy Adder-stings vpon my heart;
Be thy conceited cramps more exquisite
Then is a terrible tormenting Bull;
Breake forth (Hyaena) get some peeuish dwarfe
To hacke mee downe at leasure; till I stand
Like a Colossus, like a Cedar tall
And yet immoueable with smarting wounds:
Stab me now (tyrant) or inflict full paine
Vpon each noble ioint and glorious veine,
Vertue shall keepe mee with a sacred charme
Against the strength of a stipendious arme:
The challenge of my cause being heard at large
All (to thy damage) would my griefes discharge:
Mocke babes and children (sir) with rods in pisse,
I did approue no true defence like this,
That I haue done vprightly; knit your brow,
Swell with a crabbed face conformable,
Let your offended garbidge fry in steakes,
Truth will auerre, and honest dealing speakes
That I haue done vprightly; be asham'd
Of thy vniust reuenge, and murther nam'd.
AMI.
Dare you then buzze (you beetle) and aduance
Your voice to contradict superiours?
Proud slaue come neerer; hee may liue 'mong rats,
Who will be daunted with a swarme of gnats,
Much lesse with one poore mushrump; petty sir
Pray leaue to grumble, (you mad factious curre)
Torments shall mittigate and make you tame
Paines wo [...]s [...] then death, shal make thee deadly lame.
GRA.
Do I deserue such paines? no fiery youth
[Page] I haue done most vprightly, will discharge
A good officious part, if you proceed,
I will vn-maske your shamefull trickes indeed.
AM.
A squib, a squib, cracke, flash, and spit apace,
Breake (my oxe-bladder) vanish into breath,
A scritch-owle bids thee sing before thy death,
Squeake our rare bag-pipe; flesh-flye buzze againe,
Seeme to insult with voyce, (thou very sound)
Take thy last leaue, bequeath short life to ground.
GRA.
Harke how the monstrous whale doth roare alowd.
AM.
Presaging tempests (Pilot) in the straights.
GRA.
No huge sea-wonder) I a sword-fish am,
Who will by vertue most vpright and plaine,
Sting thee, and thresh thee, till thou rore with paine:
Proud man, remember what thou well deseru'st,
Thinke who hath tempted royall chastity;
VVho like a cheating thiefe did steale the Queene,
VVith lying vowes, and studied shamelesse oathes,
Did play the Iuggler; left the Kings high-way,
And went about to breake inclosures: thinke
VVho did excell in mischiefe, who did striue
To worship Diuels, who did seeke by Iust,
And meanes new moulded, most in-ordinate,
To make a Heauenly Saint a Sodomite,
Compell pure thoughts to worship Priapus.
Thinke who protended to defile the Queene,
And did (aboue pretence) affirme the death
Of mad Maenander, the deluded King,
And vow Lucilla's death: obserue yong sir
The sutable description to the end;
And tell vs if it bee significant:
Or if the language be too blunt; obserue;
Tell your opinion of the congruence,
And spew a whetstone vp er'e I proceed:
Thinke if I vse (sir) an affected stile,
Thinke also of the strange absurdities,
Thinke who's the subiect of my railing theame,
[Page] And when thou dost consider heauily
It is thy wicked selfe whereof I speake
And all vprightly spoken; you'le perceiue
You want much leasure (friend) to punish mee
For mischiefes neerer hand-doe threaten thee:
Except thou dost despaire and hang thy selfe.
AMI.
Impudent diuell, didst not heare the voice
Of threatning tortures; like so many toads,
Night-rauens, or scritch owles which together sing
Thy deaths decree, as a [...] funerall dirge?
Repent, repent (slaue) and consider well,
Who is now sailing to the gates of hell.
(Seruants) come apprehend this Eunuch; hoe,
Reserue him till the rigor of my doome
Demands sharpe execution; tie the wretch
With loading manacles, and crucifie
This false condemned railer fifty times,
Till with excesse of paine the Traitor dies.
GRA.
I cannot now with-stand hostility,
But follow death with such alacrity
As one resolu'd vpon religious warre,
Such deaths doe purchase a triumphal carre.
Act. 5. Scoen. 3.
EVPHOREVS, BVEO, MENANDER, LAELIO, LVCILLA, MANTESIO, PERILLVS.
Vnfold your Ensignes, beate your silent Drums,
Exchange (I say) their sable cognisance,
Adding a limitation to the feares
Of this great Captaines death: exhaustad teares
May m [...]ttigate compunction, not despaire
A losse vnmatch'd well worthy of repaire.
Weeping should shew our zeale, not once repine
At Prouidence aboue, which is Diuine.
BV.
[Page]But (Agamemnon) now the funerall rites
Be finished; new horror, new despights
Speake with a bloody accent: Aiax roares,
And like a tempest, or the Gyants race,
Which lay encamp'd against the God-like face
Of great Olimpus, doth hee bellow forth
Bumbast exclaimes, and eals vpon desert;
Giue me (saith hee) that armour which is due,
And (as a trophey of eternall fame)
May stout Achilles, that most valiant man,
Suruiue in mee: O thou vn-thankfull Greece,
(Helmets and launces bee my Orators)
Thou art indebted to my braue designes
Past restitution; let some Souldier speake,
And call thee Bankrout; for I am abus'd:
Will you admit a rivall then saith hee
In my magnanimous aimes to conquer mee?
Will you admit Vlysses?
LAE.
They approach.
ME.
Shall eu'ry coward be competitor
With Princes of such potent fortitude,
Such high descent, such saintish pedigree
As Greece can tell I Aiax doe enioy?
For Ioue and all the Gods acknowledge mee,
My arme hath whole share in the dust of Troy.
PER.
True (Aiax) true, take double share in dust,
But for Achilles now contend we must.
ME.
Contend with me? (thou creeping snaile) with me?
Whom wrathfull Hector on his Elephant,
Mounted like Neptune on the cursed waues,
Loath to incounter, did forsake the field;
Through his faire absence did the Troians yeeld.
PE.
But (Aiax) wise men know selfe-arrogance
Is still instructed sir to amplifie.
ME.
Fie (prating coxcombe) what a senslesse foole
[Page] A stupid wretch, and suffring Asse am I
To enter-change the aire, and empty voice
With such a sheeps-head, a poore Ithacan?
PER.
(Aiax) Your Giant bragges lacke pollicy,
Strength wanting wisedome, argues extasie.
ME.
Giue vs our launce and he [...]met, I consume
Till I haue turn'd this coward into fume:
Fetch some offensiue swords, and scimitars,
Iauelings and Curtaxe, I will crush this Ape,
And as a trophey weare his captiue skinne;
(The doubtfull terror of my certaine spoile
Which may affright, and make our foes recoile.)
PER.
What high renowne or fame is to be had
By fighting with a Souldier who is mad?
ME.
O my forgotten fury swell apace,
And spit forth lightning in the cowards face,
Who hath no title to his bold pretence,
But a most a poore vn-tutor'd eloquence.
EV.
Aiax—
BV.
Be silent, Agamemnon speakes,
EV.
Hang taming fetters on your lofty frownes,
Compell thy wrath which is praedominant,
Force wilde affections (Aiax:) I professe.
Arax [...] are too violent; leaue rage,
And by appointment of my poore aduice,
You (in this great assembly) shall recount
Your noble acts; which if they do amount
Beyond Vlysses memorable deeds,
The armour of Achilles then succeeds
To thee alone, made happy through desert,
Else to Vlysses shall the armes reuert.
ME.
Then let me challenge some prerogatiue
From this forgotten place: laugh Iupiter,
And blame the stupid braines of this rude throng,
Which with vnthankfull eies can here behold
[Page] The ships, the sands, the tattred sailes and shore,
(All rescu'd vassailes of my ventrous arme)
Yet make vs dead, and vaine Vlysses warme;
Warme with the bounty which the frozen snake
Will but abuse (my Lords) and you mistake.
What man was hee tooke danger by the iawes?
Gaue an assault of battry to the ribs
Of rampant Horror? hew'd a passage out
From spoile and ruine, to reape victory?
Wrestled, and rescu'd Nauies from the fire?
And did (for safety) senge his beard with flames?
Gaue to triumphant Hector the repulse?
Quench'd a combustion aequall in extreames
To burning Phaëton, and the torrid Zone?
What man was hee? No talking verbalist;
But I, eeu'n Aiax, with but halfe a fist:
Where was my smooth-tongu'd aduersary then?
What hope had weake Vlysses to supply
A Captaines part with schoole-boyes eloquence?
No (poore Vlysses) if thou apprehend'st
My vn-resisted victories aright;
If you conceiue your disabilities,
Your inclinations naturall, and raw,
Your lame, and halting courage in exploit;
Remembring sir with whom you do contend,
With mee, with Aiax, whom no feares offend,
Then magnifie your selfe, and thinke it praise,
Aboue thy merits, to confesse, by drum,
By harpe and sacke-but, that (though ouer-come)
Thou didst yet striue with Aiax, and renounce
Each other title, which may well denounce
Thee indiscreet, and thy assumption proud;
Helpe mee (deere Wisedome) to refraine, for I
Shall be transported into agony
[Page] By vertue of a sight so omenous,
So full of brazen impudence and feare,
As that proud linguist, my competitor.
Aduance, aduance, your melancholy brow,
Bend your attentiue polititians eare
To that which heauen and I will asseucre,
You haue been taught to dance, and turne the heele,
To runne away betimes, and to forsake
Thy friend, nay soule, vpon extremity.
Nestor, Tydides, both can well auerre,
You lacke the rules of doctrine militant;
All rescue is accounted heresie:
Which rule (if pitty and compassion both
Were not my maximes friend) had cost your life.
I saw death's Sergeant ready to arrest
Thy pensiue soule, when tumbling downe to earth,
I threw my target on thy pallid hearse,
Draue backe thy foes, and did thy soule reuerse.
Will you (sir) walke vnto the place againe?
Goe faigne some foes approach, put feare enough,
And wounds on, for a shift, shrinke vp againe,
And like the Tortorse vnder-creepe your shell;
So sir contend I pray, and stammer well:
Be wise (you mighty Captaines) and collect
How Hector did the Troian troopes renew,
Amazing vaunt-guards with-a multitude
Of heathen Gods giuing a bloody cause
Of quicke despaire to my Antagonist;
Nay to the valiant and prouinciall Dukes:
This dreadfull man, this Hector (tossing soules
Like Gnats and Ants-egges downe to Erebus)
I beate him groueling, laid his limbs asleepe;
And like a mountaine from the firmament,
Downe fell great Hector from his Elephant:
[Page] Let then a wreath of Oke empale my head,
And let Vlysses share with Diomed.
Mars be my aequall iudge! what simple man
(Except in league with sottish ignorance)
Would (vpon forfeit of his patrimony,
And stocke of wisedome to debility)
Admit Vlysses my competitor
To striue in iest with Aiax? if desert
Shall in the vp-shot be praedominant,
Looke on our out-sides, on our helmets looke;
View each mans Beuer, Breast-plate, Sword and Launce,
Looke on our out-sides hoe! consider well
And pawse vpon each target; giue me leaue,
To shew the tokens of a Souldiers claime,
And to vncase a cowards infamy.
Marke but the difference betwixt our shields:
Mine (a true target) hath sustain'd whole groues
Of artificiall timber, topt with steele,
I stood like Mars among my Troian foes,
When all forsooke me but my faithfull targe,
It still continued, and did nobly keepe,
My limbs expos'd to danger of the field;
A Crocodile I thinke may couert sleepe
Within the large wounds of my open shield:
Cast (I beseech) now halfe a pur-blinde looke
Vpon that theeuish varlet; and his shield,
Obserue how smooth and faire his night-caps be,
His helmets (Lords) I meane, obserue his shield,
His Beuer trim'd twise twenty times a day;
His gauntlets, gorgets, and his gilded Armes,
All of a sweet complexion, sanguine sappe,
As to incounter some fine Ladies lappe:
Meaning to be a Champion of the smockes,
A gallant spruce young warriour indeed,
[Page] Warre shall presse wiues; for Souldiers do not bleed.
Account my phrase no ambiguity,
Vlysses sloth my words will verifie:
I laugh most freely to imagine how
Effoeminate Vlysses will support
The massy fabricke of Achiles armes,
If my deseruings shall be rob'd and loose
That which I honour, and affection wooes.
EV.
(Aiax) enough; Vlysses now begin:
PER.
Desire (alas) being not effectuall
To raise from Cinders dead mortality,
And make a liuing heire indubitate,
Heau'n saith, hee shall remaine ambiguous,
Till you (great Iudges) doe decide the strife,
And so restore Achilles vnto life:
Which, because doubtfull, I doe challenge grace
Of you my patrons, and this publicke place.
The bragging fellow Aiax doth deriue
A long forgotten age from Telamon,
Striuing to fetch a foolish argument
Of his renowned acts, from high discent,
If which dead picture of Kings pedigree,
Could but infuce a fortune competent,
And make that piercing wisedome of the soule
A thing intitled to inheritance,
I could produce a genealogy,
From sacred Ioue, and subtill Mercury;
But, may the best of all my stratagems,
Which to thy sole aduantage (happy Greece)
I haue inuented; may they perish all
When I assume the vertue of my sire,
As agent for my hope, and chiefe desire.
[...] braue Achilles to the siege
When hee ( [...]tain'd with feare of destiny)
[Page] Was eeu'n excluded in a female robe?
When hee forgot to be pontificall,
And was a true virago? did refuse
Both weapons, and each little sound of warre?
I had a feeling of my countries cause,
And drew Achilles to the Troian warres;
That mighty Captaine of the Mermedons
I drew to battell, made him disobey
His mother-goddesse, to aduance the state
Of weary toile, and trouble Pergamus:
I put his armour on; gaue weapons too;
For what I gaue (great Lords) I humbly wooe.
Speake, did not I incounter Telephon?
Turne Thebes to ashes? conquer Tenedos?
Chryses, and Cylla, Syron, Hector, Troy,
All do acknowledge me; my valiant arme,
My notable aduice; all attribute
The shamelesse ruine of subuerted Troy
To me, as author sole, and absolute
Of such a safety to the common-weale;
Which, notwithstanding (fathers) I renounce,
And must acknowledge you the principals
Of an atchieuement so perspicuous:
And whatsouer the vaine peoples voice,
Captaines report, and painfull Souldiers loue,
Doth by mis-guided error giue to mee,
I render backe with all humility.
To vrge my owne directions, and aduice
In Architecture of that happy horse,
That fatall fabricke (being so fresh in thought)
Were to condemne you (mindfull country-men)
Of that which wisedome loathes, Ingratitude.
To reckon vp Minerua's image, bought
With hazard of my breath, and precious limbs,
[Page] Wh [...]n wedging barres flew from the Iron gates,
And gaue accesse vnto that sacred spell,
Might argue a most false obliuion
In your quicke wisedomes with strange impudence
In my most bold surmise. But (Mighties all)
May stupid Aiax his reproachfull termes,
(Without each scruple to your iudging eares)
Be twice retorted in his rotten teeth;
So hee may swallow downe such base Rebukes,
And make amends to me: for let him know,
My suffring shoulders could sustaine the load
Not of Achilles armour, but his lumpe
Of solid, brawny flesh, both legges and armes,
Nay the whole massy trunke truss'd vp in steele:
I (Aiax) I, that carkasse once be-stridde,
Vpon my shoulders tooke his heauy trunke
When death stood there, and in the midst of all
Carried Achilles to his funerall.
When after thousand sharpe calamities
Of warre, of winter, famine, pestilence,
Of parching dog-daies, long and taedious,
Of tempest, thunder, much mortality,
After all these, and ten yeares doubtfull siege,
When you forsooke the Campe, did so recoile,
As almost scorning a recouery;
[...] charm'd the top-mast, hal'd you backe to shore,
Conuerted all to conquest, which before
Did seeme aboue my dull inuentiue braine,
Giue me a [...]eed for ten yeares toile and paine.
OM.
Succ [...]d Vlysses, take thy rich desire.
ME.
Depth to my fortunes! shall Vlysses rob
My long d [...]s [...]ruings of so rich a claime?
I will increase the bargaine, stay a while
Take my memento.
OM.
Sir, auoid his rage.
ME.
[Page]Do'st flye from vengeance? whither can you flye?
Whither (thou shifting coward) to escape
The indignation of my doubtlesse wrath?
See how the lurking caitife there doth hide
His Cuckow-bill; what fury could abstaine?
LVC. MAN.
Angels protect vs; helpe, we both are slaine?
LAE. PE.
Defend it (fiction.)
ME.
Helpe it forward (faith)
And giue some fee to Iustice: (gallants) know,
Mischiefe to high extreames this paire did wooe,
AM.
With false Pheudippe did conspire wee two.
ME.
Harke they confesse what wonder did reueale,
Giue your applause, and make a merry peale:
Call mee not Aiax now, but Mercury,
Who could vn-tye a Tragicke riddle thus;
Worthy to be esteem'd miraculous.
Act. 5. Scoen. 4.
FAVORINA, GLADIATOR
Cannot you (sir) espye the honest man
(That noble Eunuch, my deliuerer)
Good Gracchus comming yet?
GLA.
(Deere Madame) no.
FAV.
Indeed my phansie doth suggest new feare,
Seeming to tell me Gracchus is detain'd
By his Lords rage, who did (I doubt) returne
Sooner then hee exspected; which despight
If I could well coniecture to bee true,
With wings of lightning I'de againe goe backe
And bring my Eunuch from captiuity.
GLA.
Take then some officers to apprehend
The lustfull traitor.
FA.
Such delay is long,
And my deere Eunuch may be dead alas
With tortures and extremity of paine,
Er'e such late rescue doth aduantage giue,
To qualifie his torment; hee, good man,
(Little affected with ensuing harme)
Bestow'd vpon mee a deliuerance,
[Page] Which is repaid (I feare), with bloody stripes:
Stay not my purpose; but giue charity
A gentle freedome to deliuer one
Who is my comfort; (friend) I will returne:
And (let no liuing soule participate
Of what I say, except my selfe and aire)
[...]aside [...]
I will, through colour of a pious end,
Enioy Amilcar, whom I did refuse:
For, to set free my Eunuch, will affoord
A fine praetext, though I do prostitute;
Which I did eeu'n defire, exspecting still
Vpon each little signe of violence,
(The modest shadow of a secret whore)
So will I winne what was halfe lost before.
GLA.
Madam, you do protract the pretious time,
FA.
Leaue me, I will returne.
GLA.
The way's not farre;
Walke on whilst I assemble Officers.
FA.
A needlesse caution, be content I pray
To take no care, saue what I shall command;
Be not so dutifull aboue thy hire,
Bring mee no water when I call for fire.
GLA.
A riddle: so in safeties name walke on:
Yet seeing the woman will be obstinate,
I (to auoid suspition) will goe home,
Fetch neighbours, and incompasse round the walles,
If Lords like out-lawes liue, the kingdome falles.
Act. 5. Scoen. 5.
HYARCHVS, HIPPONAX, LAELIO.
When, when (ô Goddesse) will thy anger leaue
To punish nature, and afflict poore man,
Who was created to offensiue sinne?
The Souldiers awe, and common peoples rage,
Make ciuill customes be licentious;
Rapine, rude contracts, discord, enmity,
All take their essence from one extasie:
HIP.
Maenander liues, the lucklesse cause of all;
[Page] His life alone procures the kingdomes fall:
LAE.
The longer life, the losse more eminent:
Know (Lords) I am a witnesse ocular,
And may with priuiledge informe you both
Of a most new and fatall accident:
The King, Maenander, did produce a Scoene,
A Scoene of Ai [...]x, that vnhappy play
(Pretending sport) became a Tragedy
For blood, and breath's efluxion: fiue deepe wounds
(wearing Maenanders badge) at once depriu'd
The sister Royall, next ally'd, by law
Of birth, and natiue consanguinity,
From hope of all succession to the chaire.
AMB.
Lucilla dead?
LAE.
VVith her Mantesio sleeps:
Each life was tributary to the rage
Of our mad King; but each accus'd it selfe
As priuy, to that arch-conspiracy
So long forgotten; to Pheudippe's crime.
HY.
Conceal'd so long?
HIP.
Who did discouer it?
LAE.
A question doubtfull; but Maenander saith
An apparition did reueale the truth.
HIP.
Shadows may walke indeed.
HY.
Impossible!
I am resolu'd against all argument;
I am incredulous; dead neuer walke.
LAE.
Neuer the same, yet the similitude,
HY.
Who sayes againe so, weel'e averre the lye;
What be no things of nature, I account
Fables.
HIP.
You are not Metaphysicall.
HY.
No sir: I thinke the age is giddy; death!
Can wee from ashes raise a second life?
The age is drunken sure.
LAE.
A doting age.
HY.
The times are dizzy.
LAE.
No man doth deny
A theame so irrepugnable and true:
Reasons owne selfe will be our advocate
In prouing what you speake; for punies know
The world's lame reuoluti'on hath beene long,
And all partake of mundane giddinesse:
The turning round of earth hath touch'd our braine;
The longer age, the more absurd and vaine.
HIP.
[Page]Age must decline, life's comfort will decay.
Though all things perish; let religion stay.
Act. 5. Scoene. 6.
AMILCAR, FAVORINA, GRACCHVS, GLADIATOR, SERVI: STIPATORE [...].
I haue a thousand plagues in readinesse,
Strappadoes, and empalements, pitch, and oise,
A Racke of Bow-strings, a tormenting Bull.
Hogs-heads with nailes inuerted; furies whips,
And artificiall prickes of Adders bone,
Which to behold, in practise on my slaue,
Your Lady-ship is welcome; and approach
Most opportunely (Madam:) after all
When griefe hath fear'd your eye-sight vp; you shall
Then be dis-burthn'd of that chastity
Which is a trouble to your conscience:
I (Madam) will remoue the deere suspence
Of question; whither you may prostitute,
And so resolue you a whore absolute:
(Se [...]uants) come cast my drudge vpon the wheele;
Stand vp-right (rascall) stand sir, do not reele,
Take your last [...]eaue of standings say adiew
To ease; and as you leaue paine, looke for new.
FAV.
O saue my Eunuch, and I will submit
My whole reuenue, life, and chastity
To your disposall.
AMI.
President of shame!
Shoote (hell) a bon-fire of vnbounded flame,
And may each heau'nly star augment his light
To make this woman famous; may each night
Change foggy darkenesse to prodigious day,
And (by some signe) a subtle whoore display
To be the miracle of monstruous age
Worthy of iudgements quill, and natures stage.
Are you the vestall? that religious Nun,
Who speake no sillable but Innocence,
Sacred deuotion, Virgin chastity?
[Page] Raile at our fleshly sinnes, concupisence,
Temptations actuall, and yet embrace,
Nay, hug hels bosome? creepe into the vice
(Which you would seeme so liuely to abhorre)
Gaping at small occasion? (Madam) know
Affection is my seruant, Will my slaue,
Passion my drudge, Temptation is my page
And I more easily can command them all,
Then may a Turke his tugging Gally-slaue:
Know, I contemne that curteous venery
Which is affoorded scot-free; such nice dames
Would seeme to couer when they couet flames.
Of puddle-water no sicke patient drinkes;
A pretious odour, cheapely valued, stinkes.
And, that you may conceiue how I esteeme
Your beauty; thus will I deforme—
FA.
O helpe.
GLA.
Harke (neighbours) follow, force downe locks & bars,
Attach the Traitor,
AMI.
Am I then betrai'd?
GLA.
Take vp the Queene.
FA.
My wound's not mortall; stay
Release that Eunuch.
STI.
Keepe the Traitor safe.
FA.
Con-vey him as an Ideot, or Drudge;
My Wrong may be accuser, Clearke, and Iudge.
Act. 5. Scoen. 7.
MENANDER, EVPHORBVS, BV [...]O, LAELIO.
Tilt in my face (Euphorbus) and reclaime
The slight opinion of our Deity.
Tilt in our face (I say) and thence collect
If I be Hermes; make some steady thrust,
And call mee Sacred, Matchblesse, Mercury:
Beleeue it (youth) I will dis-ioine thy necke
And shoulders, if thou dost againe deny
That I am Hermes, Ioues Embassadour,
A winged, and im-penetrable God:
Tilt therefore in my face, tilt speedily;
Be thou con-iur'd by lawes of sanctity.
EVP.
[Page]The fiend (sir) doth oppresse my feeble arme.
MEN.
(Caitife) prouoke not my offensiue rage
Least I depriue thee of all future age.
EVP.
Then I must kill thee (King.)
ME.
I am a God;
Translated by the voice of Parliament
Which sits aboue this cloudy firmament:
I am a God Euphorbus; am no King;
The Tawny-more, and Ethiop shall bring
Vnto my Altars pleasant sacrifice,
Fresh Op [...]-balsum; Fawnes of paradice;
Roe-buckes and balme to please our Deity.
Stab vs (thou Athiest) stab vs, and beleeue
That I am perfect shadow, am a God;
Thrust thy vn-willing Poniard through my ribs;
And thence perceiue our full Deuinity;
Auoide my wrath (I say) 'tis dangerous,
If you refuse, I am vnmercifull.
EV.
Stand to thy fortune (God) my dagger comes:
ME.
Deep enough dig then: ô my smal wound smarts
My breath is stopt, my God-like soule departs.
EVP.
So: I now assume the intellectuall robe
Of Reason; and re-linquish Lunacy
Which idle scare brought mee acquainted with:
And (as I hope) the vnderstanding heads,
Which rule this Common-wealths society;
Will construe this an act of Piety.
LAE.
Where is the King? I carry newes of ioy—
BV.
Where is the King? dead Fauorina liues.
EV.
Heere lies the King who did enforce a death
Vpon the perill of his Authors life,
If hee refus'd to execute his will.
AMBO.
Euphorbus then recouer'd?
EV.
Yes; for I
Did counterfeit a couz'ning lunacy.
AM.
Sparta behoues to'acknowledge thee her friend.
LAE.
The sentence of Amilcar let's attend.
Act. 5. Scoen. 8.
HYARCHVS, EVPHOREVS, HIPPONAX, LAELIO, AMILCAR, FAVORINA, BVFO, GRACCHVS, GLADIATOR, LESBIA, MILITES, STIPATORES.
OM.
Long liue the Queene.
HIP.
Draw the damn'd villaine forth,
And let him swallow sulphure; flaming pitch,
Or else be roasted pittilesse aliue.
AMI.
O giue mee oile of Mandrakes, Poppey iuice
Or poyson of infected Helleber.
HY.
Flea him, and make a trophey of his skin.
FAV.
Cut off his members; bind and broile the slaue.
HIP.
Let him be quarterd.
AMI.
To deceiue all these
Were pollicy aboue the rules of Art:
I haue concluded to preuent the shapes
Of torture; death by death alone escapes.
OM.
Saue, saue the Traitor, saue him.
GLA:
Hee is dead.
HIP.
May then the Traitor sleepe in tortures bed.
EVP.
But may Maenanders dying soule ascend;
Whom for the safety of this Common-wealth,
I did restore to happinesse and health.
HIP. HY.
Amazement of our age! wonder of time!
EVP.
Touch'd with a feeling of my Countries good
I dipt my dagger in his royall blood,
By his owne chiefe desire; so leaue mad care,
Which my suspicion did assume through feare.
OM.
The Queene shall Crowne thee.
EVP.
So I leaue the schoole
Of madnesse, to become mad fortunes foole.
FAV.
Remoue the Carkasse of that slaught'red King.
EVP.
Wee once obey'd him: after extasy
Let's therefore follow his dead obsequy.
(Nature) stand speech-lesse, for aboue thy part
With man preuailes both Lunacy and Art.
Act. 5. Scoen. 9.
CINTHIA.
Horror, affrightments, death, and anger flye,
Flye to the bottome of hels darke Abysse,
That heau'n may smile vpon the clouded earth
And all take notice wee are pacifi'd:
Grim death triumphant, whose empaled brow
Can terrefy the factious Kings below,
(Who when wee were incens'd through blasphemy
Sent forth reuenge to please our Deity)
Shall now enchaine that mischiefe mercilesse,
And qualify reuengefull greedinesse:
Discloud thy lustre (my new borrowed shine)
Scatter thy foggy damps which doe debarre
My bounteous lamp of vniuersall light:
Let exhalations giue my honour place,
All stars attendant looke earth in the face.
Gods cannot dwell in rage; though slimy man
If but en-nobled by permissiue law,
Dares prosecute his vengeance to the death
Till hee extirpe a whole posterity:
Wee though immortall, though aboue best braines
To comprehend; though sole efficients,
Though euery thing in essence, though deuine,
Though Gods; (in which one syllable, the summe
Of euery thing's inuolu'd) though Gods wee are,
Yet in compassion wee doe still accept
Those that prophane our sacred holinesse.
For; should the anger of Omnipotence
Punish man-kind so often, or so long
As their insatiate folly doth deserue,
Ioue would be weary and the Gods aboue
Turne boyling wrath into aboundant loue.
FINIS.
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]