University of Virginia Library

Scena Secunda.

Enter Mattemoros.
Matt.
Those lazy times that do degenerate minds,
And breed new thoughts in most Heroick hearts,
By noble spirits are to be abhor'd,
And lothed as the ruine of their souls.
Whilst I did follow the Triumphant War
Through fire and blood, I was a happy man;
I thought no pleasure was a parallel
To the loud cry of mortal wounded foes:
But now I am transformed from my self,
Hipolita hath charm'd me with a look;
May I but hear her speak, how I rejoyce!
May I but hear her sing, I think me blest.
O how my heart's ashamed of my tongue,
Which never until now effeminate thoughts
Could win upon. O would to heaven this Lady
Were but a man, and circled round with death,
That I might kill her, and release my self:
Or were she like the Warlike Amazon,
VVith whom renowned Theseus did contend,
That with my honour I might challenge her
For an enchanter, and a witch. How fondly
And foolishly I rave! strongest resolutions
A womans powerful beauty doth destroy;
He that can conjure men, unpeople towns,
Cover the sea with Fleets, drink rivers dry
VVith armed squadrons he conducts to fight,
VVhom potent monarchs fear, and Emperors wish
To make their friend, a Ladies smile, or eye
Subdues above resistance, and makes die.

Enter Horatio and Prudentia.
Hora.
Most dearest worthiest Princess, I am blest
Above the proudest of my former wishes;
Your love to me was like a thing desired,
But far from expectation: as men
Forlorn and wretched, being content to die,
And sure to suffer, wish to live, although,
They fully do despair of life; of late
Even so was it with me, I lov'd you
Above my lives expression, but did ever
Despair the blessedness of such an honour.

Prud.
My dear Horatio, I cannot speak
So well as you, but I can love as truly.

Mat.
A strange discovery! I will retire
More close and hear the rest.

Pru.
And noble Sir,
Because I know my brother the Great Duke
Will not at all, or scarce allow this match,
I will with you whensoever you command
Leave Florence, and what fortune it shall please
The Gods to send us, bear with cheerfulness.

Hora.
Excellent merciful Prudentia,
I must pray Heaven make you a full requital,
For I shall ever be unable.

Prud.

I cannot stay longer with you now, at our
next meating I'le cloy you with my company.
A kiss.

Farewel my hearts best pleasure.

Exit Prudentia.
Hora.
Let others travel Italy all over,
To talk of such a City, such a place:
Go to magnificent and holy Rome,
Once the sole Empress of the conquered world;
To Venice rich, commanding, politick;
Unto sweet Naples, plenteous in Nobility;
Unto great Milain; unto fat Bologna,
Civil Ferrara, Arriostoes town,
Strong-walled Padua which Antenor built,
The Trojan Prince, and Titus Livius fames
For his nativity and sepulchre;
To subtile Burgamo, most highly honoured
For neer relation to Tarquato Tasso;
To proud and stately Genua renown'd
By her seafaring citizen Colombo;
Worthy Varona, old Catullus city;
Bloody Peruggin, warlike Bessia,
Glorious Mantua, Virgilius Maro's birth-place,
Good Rimini, iron Pistoya,
Fine languag'd Siena, and industrious Luca,
Odd-humor'd Forly, honest old Ravenna,
Ill-aired Simegallia, Capua
Effeminate and amorous, wherein
The Carthaginian Captains Souldiers were
Spoil'd and debauch'd with pleasures; Pisa hanging,
Pesaro a garden of best fruits, Ancona
Prays'd for the Port Loyal, and true Urbino,
Round Ascoli, long Recanati, built
Upon a steep hills ridge, Foligno full
Of sugry streets, among the Apennine,
Faro for handsome women most extold,
And Modena happiest of them all;
From beauteous comely Florence when I part
Without Prudentia, thunder strike my heart.

Exit.
Mat.
A gallant resolution; for the man
I cannot blame him, but the Princess, she
To look so low, and dote upon a slave,
Seems very strange, and full of wonder to me.
Had Delphian Oracles, ever ador'd
For uttering truth, spoke this, I should have doubted:
She whom we thought a Saint, a pattern for Nunnes,
Thus to forget herself, it doth amaze me.
O women, I could rage against the sex!
And lov'd I not Hipolita I would.
She cannot hear me, and I needs must speak
A word or two, they are all false and fickle all,
The poyson of mens happiness, within
(Though they are fair without) most full of sin.

Enter Barbarino and Machavil.
Barb.
Good morrow Captain Mattemoros.

Mac.
How do you Captain?

Mat.
Your Honours humble slave, I am well, but sad;
And so had all the Court good cause to be,
Did they but know so much as I.

Bar.
Why Captain,
What's the matter?

Mat.
I'le not be silent for her Honours sake;
Prudentia the Princess is in Love,
With whom do you suppose my Lords?

Mac.
I think with none, for we all know, she yet
Hath slighted Modena's and Parma's Duke,
And seem'd careless of mankind.

Mat.
Alas!
She were most happy were it one of them:
It is Brunetto she's in love withall.

Barb.
How?

Mac.
Impossible!

Mat.
It is a thing most true, my eies and eares
Have seen and heard it, while I stood unseen.

Mac.
You amaze us.

Barb.
It is a thing I never should have thought,
Though spent my life in fond imaginations.

Mat.
As I have seen an amorous cloud receive
A stately hil into her lovely breast,
And of his lofty head our eyes bereave,
And seem to lull his sences unto rest:
So did the scorneful Lady daign to leave
All her majestick state, and sore opprest
With inward flames, her eager armes she cast
About his neck, kist and embrac't him fast.

Bar.
Wonders.

Mac.
How the Great Duke will rage?

Mat.
And do you not my Lords in time prevent them,
They'l steal away I fear, for so she vow'd,
When he but said the word she wood.

Mac.
By his imprisonment we'l hinder that.

Enter Horatio.
Barb.
Here is the man we spake of.

Mac.
For the Princes honour let us keep it close
As possible we can. You of the guard.

Enter the guard.
Barb.
Seise on Brunetto, carry him to prison,
Bid Puchannello keep him safe,
Tis our pleasures.

Hora.

What violence is this? O had I been suffered
to wear a sword, some of you should pay dearly
for it!

Mac.
Away with him.

Exeunt the guard with Horatio.
Mat.
My Lords, you have done wisely to prevent
So great a dishonour as might have ensu'd
Tainted the family of the Medices,
And been a lasting sorrow to the Duke.

Enter Trappolin.
Barb.
His Highness is returned.

Mach.
Great Sir, upon our knees we welcome you;
You come unlookt for, we did not expect
This happy time so soon by fourteen dayes.
Where is our Dutchess?

Trap.

Your Dutchess will not come till the Gods
know when, for I do not, I have gin her leave to
stay as long as she will, but besworne I fear you
have governed but scurvily in my absence, I hear
that you have banisht an honest poor man cal'd
Trappolin, is it true?

Mach.

So please your Highness he deserv'd no less.

Trap.

Why what hurt had he done, had he knockt
any body oth the head?

What was his fault?

Bar.
He was a pander, and corrupted youth.

Trap.

You lie Sirra, not panders but whores do that,
and not they neither if they be sound: banish one
of my subjects for such a matter? besides were
there no more in Florence but he?

Mac.
Be not displeased we humbly pray your Highness,
For we did think we did it for the best.

Mat.
I wonder at our Duke in this.

Trap.

Well, I am very weary, I left all my train behind
with my wife, and rid as fast as I could drive
that I might come unlookt for the better to see
how you behav'd your selves, which you have done

bad enough. When I was almost at Florence a saucy
Varlet rob'd me and stole my horse from me, so
that I was beholding to my leggs to bring me hihither.
Barberino and Machavil come you hither
both of you.

Mach.

What is your Highness pleasure?

Trap.

Sirra Barberino hold by Mach's breeches, and
stoop, for on thy back I will ride to my Palace.

Barb.

Ile go fetch a Coach for your Highness.

Trap.

The Devil take your Coaches, stoop I say without
more ado: where is your obedience?

Matte.

I think the Duke's run mad, or foxt soundly
at the least I know not what to think of this.

Trap.

You Sirra Don, run by my side, supply my Lackeys
office, wonder not but obey.

Mach.

There is no remedy: heaven be merciful, I
think his Highness run mad for fear when he was
robd.

Trap.
Now on and do not loyter:
Thus like the Roman Emperours will I ride
To triumph through Florence; stumble not you had best,
Chariots them carried, a Tuscan Noble me; mine is the statelier and the braver way;
Eo, Meo and Areo thanks.

Matte.
He jeers us and miscalls us.

Trap.
On apace,
That I may quickly be in my Palace.

Exeunt Omnes.