 | Juliana or The Princess of Poland |  |
The Second ACT.
Enter Cardinal, Ossolinsky, Cassonofsky, Lubomirsky.Card.
Escap't!
Osso.
All betray'd by Count Colimsky.
Card.
I fear'd as much.
Casso.
My Lord, you may remember
He gave us warning with mysterious words
He dropt at Councel; I might have had the wit
To have seen it, but I am grown both fool and knave
With keeping knaves and fools company.
aside.
Lub.
VVith mysterious words!
In plain terms he talk't both saucily
And like a Traytour.
Casso.
Well said wisdome:
aside.
Card.
I observ'd him;
And do repent we did not then secure him:
But I was unwilling to create
Too many enemies. Well, this news is bad,
The Duke arriv'd, the Count and Princess fled
To arms, Colimsky turn'd a Partizan:
I now foresee a dreadful storm o'blood.
Casso.
A storm of thy own creating; but yet I love thee,
Because thou lov'st mischief, 'though these simple Lords
Have not the wit to see't.
aside.
Osso.
My Lord, all places shall be strictly search't,
Houses, Vaults, Churches, Monasteries,
And then by break o'day we'l be ready
To bring our Slaves arm'd into the field.
Then let the tempest blow, this storm o'Fate
Shall overset the Pyrates of the State.
Ex. Osso. Lub.
Car.
Brave Patriots! may heaven succeed your Loyalty.
Casso.
Oh! most noble Cardinal; I am almost as cunning
A Knave as thy self, and I have one knack more,
aside.
To appear, what I am not, one of thy bubbles.
Ex.
Card.
Good men, how easily they swallow down
The bait; such honest men are the soft moulds
Wherein wise men do cast their great designs.
Still crost! what ill-natur'd star envies my glory?
That they have dazled each spectators eye:
When to the highest story I should come,
Even just to have a prospect into Rome,
To view the Conclave, and o'retop them all,
And catch the golden fruit, when it should fall,
Then some unhappy ball, at one rebound,
Hath thrown down all my projects to the ground.
And now, as all my policies were ripe,
And each thing fitted as I had design'd,
The Duke a captive, and his friends confin'd;
And I had stole an interest in the State,
Enough to sell the Crown at my own rate;
Just on the sudden they are all got free,
And the whole storm is like to fall on me:
Such things as these would puzzle humane sense,
And make one half believe a providence;
And I confess it staggers me, to find
My Engines broke, by one that stands behind.
But all this shall not my designs defeat,
It is a wise mans duty to be great
To save the helpless World.
For they above affect to shew their powers,
And haughty wisdom, by confounding ours.
Then heaven we bow; but if that will not do,
The sword shall give, what I demand from you.
When Beads and Altars no relief afford,
The best devotion then is in the Sword.
Ex.
The Scene the Town.
A noise within of breaking doors.
Break down the doors, I care not for ne're a City Cuckold of 'em
all.
Within.
Murder, murder, call up all our neighbours.
Within.
Guard.
Hold your babling, or I'le set a pellet in the throat of you,
I've authority to search your house for the Princess.
Within.
Land.
A Princess Sir, I'de have you to know I keep no such house, I
keep no Princesses, and so get you from my doors.
Woman within.
Man
within.
Do I pay Tax and Contribution, and the Devil and all, to have my doors
broken open at midnight to search for Princesses, Ile complain to the
Councel.
Woman
within.
Some scalding water there.
Officer
within.
How do you threaten? fire upon 'um.
Murder, murder.
Within.
Land.
Murder! murder! there's murder cryed in the streets, we shall
be all kill'd in our beds; ho! where are you all? light a candle; call up
all our Lodgers; ho, murder.
Enter Paulina and Joanna.
Paul.
Oh! we shall be murder'd:
Land.
Here's a Steel hath as much fire in't as is in my tooth:
Enter Alexey.
Alex.
Oh! Madam, Madam; I have seen the
softly to Paul.
Duke, he lies in this very house: coming by a Chamber that had a light
burning in't, I had a curiosity to look through the Key-hole,
and I saw the Duke walking without any disguise, and talking to a
Gentleman, his servant I suppose; and instantly hearing a noise, slips on
a disguize, took his sword, and here he's coming.
Paul.
Oh! thou ha'st surpriz'd me;
I faint.
Jo.
Strange, what a fortunes, this?
Al.
See this is he.
Enter at one door Ladislaus and Theodore, at another Demetrius and Battista, with drawn swords:
Land.
Why ho, will you bring a light here? sleepy Rascals, are
you all dead?
Om.
VVhere is this murder?
Land.
Nay what know I? all the Guards are about, Horse and
Foot, this is about the Duke of Curland; I would I had him
by the nose with a pox to him, I'de hold him as strong as Mustard; he
might smell to a crust long enough I faith, nor should it be
four thousand nine hundred ninety-nine crowns should excuse his
head:
Theo.
D'ee hear my Lord? this fellow's a Rogue.
aside to Lad.
Lad.
I hear him.
Paul.
A damp strikes to my heart at sight of him.
aside.
Dem.
Where are these murders done?
Bat.
In the Landlords pate.
No other we shall meet withall to night.
Enter a servant.
Ser.
Master:
Land.
Master, you Rogue, where's a light? shall we be all killed in the
dark here?
Ser.
All's over Sir.
Land.
Over or under, I'le have a light Sir, I won't loose
my life in the dark, a light I say, whil'st I go call up all my people.
Ex.
Dem.
VVhat an impertinent cowardly follow is this?
Fear Sir, is natural to vulgar spirits.
Dem.
VVhat people are those in the room here?
Bat.
Your fellow lodgers Sir!
Lad.
I do suppose the Guards are searching for me;
aside to Theo.
Perhaps they may break into the house.
'Tis safer being abroad; call for the key of the Garden door; I'le go
walk in the Grove.
Ex.
Alex.
Follow, follow, Madam, he is going out.
Bat.
Come, my Lord, y'ave slept but little, will you to your Chamber?
or walk abroad?
Dem.
'Tis too early yet, hardly day, and I feel my eyes a little heavy,
I care not if I take the t'other slumber, and finish the remainder of my
dream.
Bat.
Had you a dream? I thought you slept so little, you had no time
to dream.
Dem.
'Twas a confus'd one:
of the Duke, and my Princess, methoughts I met 'um in a Grove; and
in a house I wounded him; she fainted, and they both vanisht: and a
thousand such wild things.
Bat.
This busie soul of ours cannot be idle;
It must be doing, and doth it knows not what.
Dem.
Come I'le to my Chamber, take t'other slumber, and then
in chase of the Duke, and I'le find him if all the arts of hell can discover
him.
Enter Ladislaus, Theodore, and Landlord. The Scene the Gardens. Followed by Paulina, Joanna, Alexey.
Land.
Now you may venture to walk in the Garden, all's over; beshrew
me, I tremble like a quaking pudding.
Lad.
How comes your Grove and Gardens to lie open?
Land.
How comes a Wench to lie open, and common? when no body
will fence her? Your Grandfather: you wonder to hear me say, your
Grandfather, I warrant. You must know, I call all my lodgers my
sons; and so I being your Father, my Landlord is your Grandfather. Now
Sir, your Grandfather is in Law about it, with the Monastery of Santa
Clara? and did you never see a couple of Hectors fight for a Wench,
here I tickle thee, and there I tickle thee— so, fa, fa, Co' your Grandfather,
a homethrust Co' the Monastery! and so they fetch one another
with whiscum, whascums, and I know not what; and neither of
'um will suffer it to be fenc'd, and so my Garden lies stark naked, without
ever a rag to her back; but I keep the poor Jade as private as I can,
and suffer none to pass, but those that go between the Counts Gardens
and the Monasteries.
Paul.
There is no speaking whil'st this fellow's here.
aside
Lad.
What Gardens are those, yonder?
One Count Colimsky's Gardens;
A very brave man, he hath a gallant house at the t'other end; ah! many
sousing soakings have I had in his Cellar: There have I sail'd, top and
top gallant, all Sailes aloft, and bravely boarded the French-man, the
high Dutcher, the Spaniard, the Grecian; then Sir, there hath made up
to me, a Fleet of Algerines, Tunis, and Salley men (for so I call the drunken
dogs.) A Saile, a Saile quoth I; strike for Algier quoth they, strike for
Dantzick quoth I; then to't we go, and board one another with small
shot, pint glasses, and the like; from them we go to Cuddy-guns, and
so to Demy-cannon, whole Cannon, and all our lower Teer, Romers of an
Ell; and then there's bloody work; here sinks a Galley, there a Galleass;
there a stout Frigot turns up his Keel, then high for the main boyes
cry I.
The.
What a tedious impertinent fellow is this?
Lad.
And what high wall is that, that faces to the Counts Gardens?
Land.
That's the Monastery wall I told you of.
Paul.
Will this fellow never ha' done?
Lad.
You don't know who those young Gentlemen are, that lodge
in your house, do you?
Land.
Not I, they are pretty youths, strangers, speak but bad Polish;
I askt 'um when they came, Rosmepopolsky said I, no Rosmepopolsky quoth
they; but one may make a shift to understand 'um.
Lad.
How came you to have any room in your house, at so great a
concourse as this, of all the Nobility and Gentry of Poland with their
Trains, for the election of a King?
Land.
How came my neighbours wife to have any room in her? she
was delivered of a boy, and my big-bellied house of a man; and both
were brought to bed yesterday morning: the great Count Palatine of Smolensko
(if you know him) lodged here; and he whipt out o'town upon
some bickerings betwixt him and the Cardinal: he told the Cardinal
his own, he made a most brave mutinous speech in the Diett, which is
highly applauded, I have a Copy on't in my pocket.
Lad.
No matter for the Copy Landlord.
The.
This fellow's tongue hath the perpetual motion;
Good my Lord, rid your self of him?
aside to Lad.
Lad.
Well Landlord, I have a little business with my servant, you'l
excuse me.
Land.
I think I ha' lost the Copy of this same Speech, I must
run in to find it I'le be back presently.
Ex.
Theo.
Heaven be prais'd!
Paul.
So now I'le venture to him.
Jo.
Do, and we'l stay behind.
Ex. Jo. Al.
Theo.
Ha! who's this follows the Duke?
My Lord, retire, here's some one follows you.
to Lad.
Lad.
Some of the lodgers for the morning aire.
No, no, my Lord, he makes directly to you.
Lad.
I think he doth, as if he'd speak with me.
Paul.
My Lord.
(goes up to the Duke.
Lad.
To me Sir?
Paul.
Yes, to you my Lord;
Come make it not so strange, I know you well enough.
Lad.
Oh! heaven's, betray'd.
Paul.
Nay, be not startled Sir;
I've no design but what is honourable.
Lad.
Surely you do mistake your person Sir;
I'me but a stranger here.
Paul.
I know you are not Sir,
You lately came out of Muscovy;
You were a pris'ner there Sir, were you not? yes Sir, I'me sure you
were, and your name is Ladislaus Duke of Curland.
Lad.
Ha! he names my name,
How came I thus discover'd?
Paul.
So 'tis he;
Now I have born him down with confidence.
Lad.
I know him not, but since he names my name,
Let him be Man or Devil, Friend or Enemy,
I'le not disown it Sir, I am Ladislaus
Duke of Curland; what's your business with me?
Paul.
That Letter Sir, that Letter will tell you.
Gives the Duke a letter
Lad.
Whence is this?
Paul.
Read, and you'l see.
Lad.
Ha! subscrib'd Demetrius:
peruses it.
What, is this from Muscovy? where's the Prince?
Paul.
The Letter Sir, will tell you.
Lad.
(Reads)
I am now at the Frontiers of Poland; my Errand
you your self may conjecture, and I had rather tell you with my
Sword then my Pen; which I had done, if an unhappy accident had
not confin'd me to a small Village, and my Chamber; and enforc't me
to make use of the kindness of the bearer, my Cousen, the Duke of Novogrod,
to seek you. The acquaintance you have had of my temper, will
easily give you to believe, that I had rather fight ten battles, then write
six lines, and therefore you must not expect long Epistles from me.
Then in short you have abus'd me with dissembled friendship; affronted
and ruin'd me, by stealing away my Princess; your crimes are unexpiable
by any thing but your life, which I expect you tender me on
the point of your sword. The circumstance, as of time, place, and
weapon, I refer to your self; and you may acquaint my Cousen the
Duke, whose return from you, I expect with impatience:
Demetrius.
Lad.
The Prince is very severe, and his charge is high.
Paul.
Sir, I suppose he hath reason.
Lad.
That he ought to'have been assur'd of, e're he had condemn'd his
friend.
Well Sir, in short, your answer.
Lad.
My answer is Sir, that the Prince hath wrong'd me,
I've not abus'd him with dissembled friendship,
Nor stole his Princess; she remaines with him
For ought I know, so may my friendship too,
If't pleases him;—
Paul.
Oh heavens! how unfortunate
Am I in my love? see, he disowns my flight
And he'l disown the marriage too, and I
Shall pass for some base prostrate thing.
aside
Lad.
You seem disorder'd Sir.
Paul.
I am disorder'd Sir at what y'ave said, I only thought before
the Princess lost to all her friends and fortunes; but now 'tis worse, I see
she's lost to honour, and fallen into the hands of one that basely disowns
her.
Lad.
You are too quick and fierce in your assertions Sir.
Paul.
No fiercer Sir,
Then the case merits: Had you own'd her flight,
And own'd a marriage too, it had been honourable;
For upon other tearms she would not flie;
But let me tell you Sir, in the same breath
In which you disown her flight, you little less
Then call her Strumpet.
Lad.
Do you come here young Duke, to talk or fight?
Paul.
Sir, which you please,
To fight; now that I had a Furies whip
To tear thy heart, and scourge thy perjur'd soul.
draws aside
Lad.
Must it be so?
Jo.
Oh! murder, murder.
Enter Joanna, and Alexey.
Alex.
Hold, hold your hand Sir, save that tender life,
Here is an enemy more fit for thee.
The.
What Villains are these?
draws
Lad.
Ha! an ambush.
Paul.
Begone, what mean you to betray me thus,
aside to Jo. Al.
I am but humouring my part, retire;
These are my servants Sir, regard 'um not,
to Lad.
I'le play you no foul play; retire I say.
to Jo. Al.
Come, come my Lord, let us put up our anger;
This time and place are not convenient
puts up
For this; besides I exceed my Commission in't.
I should displease the Prince to take your life,
And grieve him to loose my own; come let us talk:
By all that's good I honour you:
And do believe you'l tell me sacred truth,
Then tell me truly, by the faith and honor
Of a brave man, do you know where the Princess
Lad.
Then by those sacred things, by which you conjure me, by any
thing that's more Divine then they, I know not of her flight, nor am I
married to her.
Paul. Walks up and down in a passion and disorder.
Paul.
Oh! horrid, horrid; I shall sink and die.
aside
Lad.
Sir, you look pale, how do you?
Paul.
I could find in my heart to stab him.
aside
Lad.
Your countenance changes Sir, I fear you 'r ill, and but dissemble
it in complaisance—pray let me wait upon you to your
Chamber.
Paul.
No, good my Lord, no Ceremony pray,
Sweet natur'd Devil.
aside.
Enter Sharnofsky conducting Juliana, followed by Hypolita, Emilia, Francisca, the Women all Vizarded.
Lad.
Ha! what is't I see? It is a Vision; Count Sharnofsky conducting
a Lady out of yonder Monastery, she and her Train all Mask't,
what should it mean? my Lord, I beg your pardon, I'le wait on you
instantly.
Paul.
Oh! my sweet Lord;
Ironice
Ho there!
Jo., Al.
Madam, the news.
to her Joanna, Alexy.
Paul.
Curland's a Monster.
Al.
I'le run and kill him.
Paul.
No, let me alone, I'le kill him, but it shall be with torments;
Steel, Poison, Fire, Racks, Scorpions, Hell; oh me unfortunate!
Jo.
She's grown distracted.
Paul.
Lead me, I faint.
Jo.
She swounes, help, help.
they carry her out.
Al.
Who should these be?
The.
Who're these my Lord is gazing on so earnestly? ha, it should
be his friend the Count; but what's that Vizard Lady? see, she unmasques.
Jul.
Where are we now my Lord?
Shar.
I'm sure, not far from Count Colimskyes Gardens.
The.
It is the Princess.
Lad.
Heavens! 'tis my Princess;
'Tis she, 'tis she, my guilty soul retires
At th'apparition of that bright Divinity
VVhich my soul whispers I have now offended.
Just so a suffering Saint that long had bin
Triumphant over all the Arts of Sin;
And still preserv'd entire his innocence;
But yet at last, before he is a ware
Begins to slide into some pleasing snare:
By heaven surpriz'd his soul, is then afraid
Of joyes for which he had endur'd and pray'd.
Sh.
I see the Garden gate, this, this way Madam.
(Ex. Sh. Jul. &c.
Lad.
Ha! vanquish't thus, heavens unfold this Mystery;
It is too dark for me, and I must follow
To see the opening of this cloudy Scene.
Ex.
The.
See, my Lord chases 'um, I dread the event,
I wish some Mist had screen'd this horrid Vision from his sight.
Ex.
Enter Sharnofsky, Juliana, Hyp. Em. Fran.
The Scene a Garden, at the one end a Palace.
Jul.
Heavens! in what shady path's my fortunes leads me? And must
I hide my head in Natures Nunnery, among these Virgin flowers to save
my self
Hath often for his safety fled to me?
Nor would it grieve me; if I did but know
For what it is, the persecutes me so,
Or how I ever did offend this proud
Aspiring Man, that he should seek my blood.
Shar.
The Tyrant, Madam, thinks the Duke and you,
Do all his towring policies undo;
And then his active brain wants no design,
The strongest innocence to undermine:
Then for the State, he doth bewitch their sense
VVith the love-powder of his eloquence:
His sliding tongue doth with its charming strains,
Like a smooth Serpent coyle about their brains,
And with its sting not only taints the blood
Of fools and bigotts, but the wise and good;
But yet in spight of all such arts as these,
VVe'l darken his proud Starrs, and on his knees
Yet make him (er'e w'have done this fatal strife)
At these fair hands, thus humbly ask his life—
At the instant that Shar. kneels to kiss her hand, Lad and Theo. enter.
Lad.
Heaven blast my eyes, rather then see this sight,
I'me abus'd; Villain.
draws;
Theo.
Oh my Lord, what mean you?
holds the Duke
Loose me Theodore, or thou diest.
The.
I die, ah Sir, t'will be a fate too glorious to die by your hand,
thus saving of your friend.
Shar.
Hark, I hear a noise.
Hyp.
See, see, the Guard.
Jul.
Flie, I command you flie? we are betray'd.
Jul. pulls Shar. who retreats with his sword in hand, the women run off shrieking.
Lad.
See, shee entices him, and the Coward flies,
And hast thou lost thy courage with thy honesty?
This man was valiant once, I've now done more
Then I have seen whole Armies do before:
But guilt now so unman's him, that he flies
What once he had the courage to despise:
But I'le pursue thee to thy base retreats.
Ha! the Gates fastened, are they barricadoed?
Fetch me a Torch, I'le fire my way to 'um,
And kill him in the arms of that false woman:
Yea rage perhaps, may tempt me to destroy
Her, whom I once thought heaven to enjoy.
The.
Oh! how his passion, like a clap of Thunder, rends her great soul;
but ha, they fire upon us, my Lord, you will be shot, a showre of bullets
flies from each corner, see some Musqueteers upon the Battlements, the fatal
Hail falls thick.
Lad.
Poor men, how dangerously they stand against so numerous an
Army? how bloudily they wound the drooping flowers?
The.
A flight of arrows
Covers the Garden with a poyson'd shade;
And one just glanc't your side, you'r shor, you bleed.
Lad.
I feel it not.
The.
'Tis fallen at your foot;
Shot from some Tartars bow, curse on the slave,
The horse-fed dogg; oh, let me suck the wound,
For fear the Dart was venom'd.
Lad.
Ha, I bleed;
Indeed these are Juliana's Darts of love,
Thank you kind Princess: Come then Theodore,
I will retire, I ought not to resign,
T'each common shaft, a life so great as mine;
No, perjur'd woman, I will live to have
Such a revenge as shall be great and brave;
Suiting thy birth, and mine, and be above
My injur'd honour, and affronted love:
And when I've done, I'le make my last retreat
To her, that never hath deceiv'd me yet,
Honour, a Mistress worthy of my mind,
Both fair and great, as thou, and far more kind.
Ex.
The Scene a room in Colimskyes Palace.
Jul.
Fire on 'um still.
Sh.
I can descry but two from the Terrace walk.
Jul.
They'r hid behind the trees.
Enter Francisca and Emilia running.
But see th'affrighted Maids.
Em.
Oh! out of breath, w'ave been pursued by such a crew o'
Rogues!
Fran.
I indeed Madam, there was Horse and Foot,
I was pursued at least by twenty Pikemen.
Em.
And sixteen Musqueteers ran after me.
Jul.
The Count—my Lord, did you not meet the Guards?
Col.
Not I.
Enter Colimsky.
Jul.
Then sure we'are pursued by fantomes.
Col.
Well Madam, I've had fortunate success,
And rais'd a Force very considerable
For the small time I had to do it in;
I find the young Nobles, and many Commons,
And almost all the Ladies, highly sensible
Of your great wrongs, and ready to engage with you:
Madam, in short, fear not the Cardinals threats;
But above all things trust not his promises.
Hell's not so false Madam; you can but die,
And you had better bravely give your life,
Then be deluded out on 't; but I hope
You'l be constrain'd to neither, if a wall
Of fifty thousand bucklers can protect you.
Jul.
Blest news! let's arm; I will have Poland see,
My Fathers Royal Soul survives in me.
Ex.
| Juliana or The Princess of Poland | |