 | The Prisoners |  |
Scena Quinta.
Enter Gillippus, Zenon and Souldiers.Gill.
Make all possible speede aboard with the bootie,
They pursue us close. Command Hiparcus
And Pausanes ashore to guard us. Hah!
What meanes this, what makes she ashore?
Pau.
That which thou canst not make aboard; she has made
An honest man, and if thou darst make another,
Gill.
Hiparcus resolve this riddle.
Hip.
This woman whom you gave to my trust
Pausanes would have releas'd, and when
His arguments as friends could not prevaile,
Meanly he threw off his Faith, and by force
Attempted to take her from me.
Gill.
Slave, did I for this preferre thee,
When at the sacke of Tunis thou becam'st
My slave, and by thy owne confession wert
A thing without a name, and could'st neither
From men nor country clayme a being? now
Thy treachery shall make thee as darke an exit
As thy base soule had entrance.
Pau.
I scorne thy threates from this death I shall
Begin to live, till now I lay wrapt in rust,
And the Canker fed upon my fame from this act
I shall adopt a name which till this minute
I despair'd of: since that fatall day
In which old Perseus fell, in whom onely liv'd
That knowledge we so hunt for; And Hiparcus
If thou continuest thou'lt be asham'd to finde.
For the bounties thou urgest what were they
But making us a better kinde of slaves, commanded
Commanders impaling our free soules
So that we could employ but one vertue,
Our courage since we serv'd thee; and that
Has throwne us into dangers, honour would be
Asham'd to owne, and brought wounds that leave
Blushing scarres, this when Hiparcus has
Let fall his passion, will make him tremble
To finde he could not feare but bleede
For a Traytor,
And strucke against a virgins honour. And
Pau. turnes to Cecillia.
In his rage sould his friend to buy his will:
Will hang upon thee with more dishonor
Then thy Chaines, For me I smile at this chance,
For though I have mist my first freedome, et
I have found my last wounds.
Hip.
Ha!
Gil.
Villaine, hast thou not yet enough layd up
Thy treacherous soule, art not satisfied
To be false thyselfe that thus thou labour'st
To shake his try'd faith: Hiparcus kill him
Kill ee'n his memory that the ingratefull slave
May fall like a dogge and leave no name behind him
The slaves offer to kill him.
Yet hold, he shall not die so nobly, nor finde
Such mercy in his fall. Hiparcus strip the slave
And upon a tree stretch the Traytors body,
There let him hang alive, like the condemn'd
Fruit to the fruitlesse tree, damn'd thither
To live a death; and would count that murder
That threw 'em their mercy if it would come.
And breake the snare.
Cecill.
Bloody villaine!
Darst thou command this with a beleefe
Thou shouldst be obeyd, what is he that has
So much hell about him that dares execute
What thy bloody rage imposes.
Pau.
Gentle soule plead not for Pausanes, nor
Grudge him this glorious end, for now I fall
What I could not have liv'd with him;
Honors servant.
Gill.
Away with him and see it done, or by
The gods he pulls his fate downe that disputes it.
The slaves seize him.
Hip.
He that trembles at death, let him dye
Tis just, hold Sir, witnesse my wounds I dare
Through the streights of friendship sworne to serve you,
Yet tho I did this because my faith
Was given, and honor told me I was in
The right, yet doe not thinke I will be
So faultie to my friend as to start at
Thy frowne more then his Sword, or be frighted
To the murder of my brother.
Gil.
Ha! whats this?
Hip.
No Gallippus I have no such Aguie courage,
Nor comes mine honour so by fits; know though
I durst not breake a trust, yet I dare disobey
Your impious commands, nor can you call
It treachery when to your face I disavow
It, frowne not, for while I have mine old guide
Honor, there is no act brings so darke a hazard
But Hiparchus will strike a fire from it
Shall light him through.
Gal.
My rage, whither wilt thou hurle me? Draw mates.
Gall. Zenon and the Slaves draw.
Villaines though my anger hath lost her tongue
Yet her hands are left still: And those in wounds
Shall print on you wretched bodies my revenge.
Hip.
There, defend thy selfe. Feare not Madam,
Hip. returnes Paus. sword and they two defend themselves.
These are our enemies.
Paus.
Now I have my wish.
Gall.
At this rate take it.
Here Paus. steps to Cecil. and unbinds her, Gall. in the interim wounds him, but he releases her before he defend himselfe.
Think'st thou I would not buy her freedome when my blood
Could purchase it, have I lived as if I fear'd wounds?
Thou canst scarce be mine enemy after this favour,
O that I could kisse it! thou should'st kill me
E're I would take my lippes from it.
Cecil.
To what fate am I reserv'd, Helpe, Rape,
Murder, Murder.
Exit.
Enter the King and Souldiers; they beate off Gillippus and Zenon, and tooke Hip. and Paus.
Binde those and pursue the rest. Sister well met,
Along with me.
Exit.
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