 | The Broken Heart |  |
Scæne 2.
Flourish.Enter Amyclas the King, Armostes, Prophilus, and attendants.
Amy.
The Spartane gods are gracious, our humility
Shall bend before their Altars, and perfume
See Lords, Amyclas your old King is entring
Into his youth againe. I shall shake off
This siluer badge of age, and change this snow
For haires as gay as are Apollo's lockes;
Our heart leaps in new vigour.
Armo.
May old time
Run backe to double your long life (great Sir)
Amy.
It will, it must Armostes, thy bold Nephew,
Death-brauing Ithocles, brings to our gates
Triumphs and peace vpon his conquering sword.
Laconia is a monarchy at length;
Hath in this latter warre trod vnderfoot
Messenes pride; Messene bowes her necke
To Lacedemons royalty: ô 'twas
A glorious victory, and doth deserue
More then a Chronicle; a Temple Lords,
A Temple, to the name of Ithocles.
Where didst thou leave him Prophilus?
Proph.
At Pephou
Most gracious Soueraigne; twenty of the noblest
Of the Messenians, there attend your pleasure
For such conditions as you shall propose,
In setling peace, and liberty of life.
Amy.
When comes your friend the General?
Pro.
He promis'd
To follow with all speed conuenient.
Enter Crotolon, Calantha, Chrystalla, Philema, and Euphrania.
Amy.
Our daughter:—Deere Calantha, the happy newes,
The conquest of Messene, hath already
Enrich'd thy knowledge.
Calan.
With the circumstance
And manner of the fight, related faithfully
By Prophilus himselfe; but pray Sir, tell me,
How doth the youthfull Generall demeane
His actions in these fortunes?
Proph.
Excellent Princesse,
Your owne faire eyes may soone report a truth
Vnto your judgement, with what moderation,
Calmenesse of nature, measure, bounds and limits
Of thankefulnesse, and ioy, 'a doth digest
In others, moulded of a spirit lesse cleare,
Aduance 'em to comparison with heaven.
But Ithocles.—
Cal.
Your friend.—
Proph.
He is so Madam,
In which the period of my Fate consists:
He in this Firmament of honour, stands
Like a Starre fixt, not mov'd with any thunder
Of popular applause, or sudden lightning
Of selfe-opinion: He hath seru'd his Country,
And thinks 'twas but his duty.
Crot:
You describe
A miracle of man.
Amy.
Such Crotolon,
On forfeit of a Kings word thou wilt finde him:
Harke, warning of his comming, all attend him.
Flourish.
Enter Ithocles, Hemophill, and Groneas: the rest of the Lords vshering him in.
Amy.
Returne into these armes, thy home, thy sanctuary.
Delight of Sparta, treasure of my bosome,
Mine owne, owne Ithocles.
Itho.
Your humblest subiect.
Armo.
Proud of the blood I claime an Interest in;
As brother to thy mother, I embrace thee
Right noble Nephew.
Itho.
Sir, your love's too partiall.
Crot.
Our Country speakes by me, who by thy valour,
Wisdome and seruice, shares in this great action;
Returning thee, in part of thy due merits,
A general welcom.
Itho.
You exceed in bounty.
Calan.
Chrystalla, Philena, the Chaplet.—Ithocles
Vpon the wings of Fame, the singular
And chosen fortune of an high attempt,
Is borne so past the view of common sight,
That I my selfe, with mine owne hands, haue wrought
To crowne thy Temples, this provinciall garland;
Accept, weare, and enioy it, as our gift
Deseru'd, not purchas'd.
Itho.
Y' are a royall mayd.
Amy.
Shee is in all our daughter.
Itho.
Let me blush,
What nothings I haue done, compar'd with th'honours
Heap'd on the issue of a willing minde;
In that lay mine ability, that onely.
For who is he so sluggish from his birth?
So little worthy of a name, or country,
That owes not out of gratitude for life,
A debt of Seruice, in what kinde soeuer
Safety or Counsaile of the Common-wealth
Requires for paiment?
Cal.
A speaks truth.
Itho.
Whom heauen
Is pleas'd to stile victorious, there, to such,
Applause runs madding, like the drunken priests
In Bacchus sacrifices without Reason;
Voycing the Leader on a Demi god:
When as indeed, each common souldiers blood
Drops downe as current coyne in that hard purchase,
As his, whose much more delicate condition
Hath suckt the milke of ease. Iudgement commands,
But Resolution executes: I vse not
Before this royall presence, these fit sleights,
As in contempt of such as can direct:
My speech hath other end; not to attribute
All praise to one mans fortune, which is strengthed
By many hands.—For instance, here is Prophilus
A Gentleman (I cannot flatter truth)
Of much desert; and, though in other ranke,
Both Hemophil and Groneas were not missing
To wish their Countries peace; for in a word,
All there did striue their best, and 'twas our duty.
Amy.
Courtiers turne souldiers?—we vouchsafe our hand.
Obserue your great example.
Hemo.
With all diligence.
Gron.
Obsequiously and hourely.
Amy.
Some repose
After these toyles are needfull; we must thinke on
Conditions for the Conquered; they expect 'em.
On,—come my Ithocles.
Euphr.
Sir with your fauour,
I need not a supporter.
Proph.
Fate instructs me.
Exeunt. Manent Hemophil, Groneas, Christalla et Philema.
Chry.
With me?
Phil.
Indeed I dare not stay.
Hem.
Sweet Lady
Souldiers are blunt,—your lip.
Christ.
Fye, this is rudenesse;
You went not hence such creatures.
Gron.
Spirit of valour
Is of a mounting nature.
Phil.
It appeares so:
Pray in earnest, how many men apeece
Haue you two beene the death of?
Gron.
Faith not many;
We were compos'd of mercy.
Hemo.
For our daring
You heard the Generals approbation
Before the King.
Christ.
You wish'd your Countries peace:
That shew'd your charity; where are your spoyles,
Such as the Souldier fights for?
Phil.
They are comming.
Chri.
By the next Carrier, are they not?
Gro.
Sweet Philena,
When I was in the thickest of mine enemies,
Slashing off one mans head, anothers nose,
Anothers armes and legs.
Phil.
And altogether.
Gron.
Then would I with a sigh remember thee;
And cry deare Philena, 'tis for thy sake
I doe these deeds of wonder:—dost not loue me
With all thy heart now?
Phil.
Now as heretofore.
I haue not put my loue to vse, the principall
Will hardly yeeld an Interest.
Gron.
By Mars
I'le marry thee.
Phil.
By Uulcan y'are forsworne,
Except my mind doe alter strangely.
Gron.
One word.
Chri.
You lye beyond all modesty,—forbeare me.
Hem.
I'le make thee mistresse of a City, 'tis
Mine owne by conquest.
Chri.
By petition; sue for't
In Forma pauperis:—City? Kennell. Gallants
Off with your Fathers, put on aprons, Gallants;
Learne to reele, thrum, or trim a Ladies dog,
And be good quiet soules of peace Hobgoblins.
Hem.
Christalla?
Chri.
Practise to drill hogs, in hope
To share in the Acorns. Souldiers? Corn cutters;
But not so valiant: they oft times draw blood,
Which you durst neuer doe. When you have practis'd
More wit, or more civility, wee'll ranke 'ee
I th list of men: till then, braue things at armes
Phil.
And Hemophill the hardy,—at your seruices.
Gron.
They scorne vs as they did before we went.
Hem.
Hang 'em, let vs scorne them, and be reueng'd.
Eexunt Chri. et Philema.
Gron.
Shall we?
Hem.
We will; and when we fleight them thus,
Instead of following them, they'll follow vs.
It is a womans nature.
Gron.
'Tis a scuruy one.
exeunt omnes.
| The Broken Heart | |