University of Virginia Library

Scœna Secunda.

Mariam. Alexandra.
Alex:
What meanes these teares? my Mariam doth mistake,
The newes we heard did tell the Tyrants end:
What weepst thou for thy brothers murthers sake,
Will euer wight a teare for Herod spend?
My curse pursue his breathles trunke and spirit,
Base Edomite the damned Esaus heire:
Must he ere Iacobs child the crowne inherit?
Must he vile wretch be set in Dauids chaire?
No Dauids soule within the bosome plac'te,
Of our forefather Abram was asham'd:
To see his seat with such a toade disgrac'te,
That seat that hath by Iudas race bene fain'd.
Thou fatall enemie to royall blood,
Did not the murther of my boy suffice,
To stop thy cruell mouth that gaping stood?
But must thou dim the milde Hereanus eyes?
My gratious father, whose too readie hand
Did lift this Idumean from the dust:
And he vngratefull catiffe did withstand,
The man that did in him most friendly trust.
What kingdomes right could cruell Herod claime,
Was he not Esaus Issue, heyre of hell?
Then what succession can he haue but shame?
Did not his Ancestor his birth-right sell?
O yes, he doth from Edonis name deriue,
His cruell nature which with blood is fed:
That made him me of Sire and sonne depriue,
He euer thirsts for blood, and blood is red.
Weepst thou because his loue to thee was bent?
And readst thou loue in crimson caracters?
Slew he thy friends to worke thy hearts content?
No: hate may Iustly call that action hers.
He gaue the sacred Priesthood for thy sake,
To Aristobolus. Yet doomde him dead:
Before his backe the Ephod warme could make,
And ere the Myter setled on his head.
Oh had he giuen my boy no lesse then right,
The double oyle should to his forehead bring:
A double honour, shining doubly bright,
His birth annoynted him both Priest and King.
And say my father, and my sonne he slewe,
To royalize by right your Prince borne breath:
Was loue the cause, can Mariam deeme it true,
That Mariam gaue commandment for her death?
I know by fits, he shewd some signes of loue,
And yet not loue, but raging lunacie:
And this his hate to thee may iustly proue,
That sure he hates Hercanus familie.
Who knowes if he vnconstant wauering Lord,
His loue to Doris had renew'd againe?
And that he might his bed to her afford,
Perchance he wisht that Mariam might be slaine.

Nun:
Doris, Alas her time of loue was past,
Those coales were rakte in embers long agoe:
If Mariams loue and she was now disgrast,
Nor did I glorie in her ouerthrowe.
He not a whit his first borne sonne esteem'd,
Because as well as his he was not mine:
My children onely for his owne he deem'd,
These boyes that did descend from royall line.
These did he stile his heyres to Dauids throne,
My Alexander if he liue, shall sit
In the Maiesticke seat of Salomon,
To will it so, did Herod thinke it fit.

Alex.
Why? who can claime from Alexanders brood
That Gold adorned Lyon-guarded Chaire?
Was Alexander not of Dauids blood?
And was not Mariam Alexanders heire?
What more then right could Herod then bestow,
And who will thinke except for more then right,
He did not raise them, for they were not low,
But borne to weare the Crowne in his despight:
Then send those teares away that are not sent
To thee by reason, but by passions power:
Thine eyes to cheere, thy cheekes to smiles be bent,
And entertaine with ioy this happy houre.
Felicitie, if when shee comes, she findes
A mourning habite, and a cheerlesse looke,
Will thinke she is not welcome to thy minde,
And so perchance her lodging will not brooke.
Oh keepe her whilest thou hast her, if she goe
She will not easily returne againe:
Full many a yeere haue I indur'd in woe,
Yet still haue sude her presence to obtaine:
And did not I to her as presents send
A Table, that best Art did beautifie
Of two, to whom Heauen did best feature lend,
To woe her loue by winning Anthony:
For when a Princes fauour we doe craue,
We first their Mynions loues do seeke to winne:
So I, that sought Felicitie to haue,
Did with her Mynion Anthony beginne,
With double slight I sought to captiuate
The warlike louer, but I did not right:
For if my gift had borne but halfe the rate,
The Roman had beene ouer-taken quite.
But now he fared like a hungry guest,
That to some plenteous festiuall is gone,
Now this, now that, hee deems to eate were best,
Such choice doth make him let them all alone.
The boyes large forehead first did fayrest seeme
Then glaunst his eye vpon my Mariams cheeke:
And that without comparison did deeme,
VVhat was in eyther but he most did leeke.
And thus distracted, eythers beauties might
VVithin the others excellence was drown'd:
Too much delight did bare him from delight,
For eithers loue, the others did confound.
VVhere if thy portraiture had onely gone,
His life from Herod, Anthony had taken:
He would haue loued thee, and thee alone,
And left the browne Egyptian cleane forsaken.
And Cleopatra then to seeke had bene,
So firme a louer of her wayned face:
Then great Anthonius fall we had not seene,
By her that fled to haue him holde the chase.
Then Mariam in a Romans Chariot set,
In place of Cleopatra might haue showne:
A mart of Beauties in her visage met,
And part in this, that they were all her owne.

Ma.
Not to be Emprise of aspiring Rome,
Would Mariam like to Cleopatra liue:
With purest body will I presse my Toome,
And wish no fauours Anthony could giue.

Alex.
Let vs retire vs, that we may resolue
How now to deale in this reuersed state:
Great are th'affaires that we must now reuolue,
And great affaires must not be taken late.