 | The tragedy of Mvstapha |  |
Scæn. 2.
Enter Solyman and Acmat.Soly.
Acmat, foolish naturall affection
Openeth too late the wisedome of my fathers,
Who onely in their deaths decreed succession:
If Mustapha had neuer beene intitled
In my life, to the hope of my estate;
My life, more then my death had him auailed,
Example might haue beene perswasion.
That high desires are borne out of occasion:
Like crooked sticks made straight with ouer-bending,
What she hath strooke too much must ouer-threaten,
Hath kings loue taught kings raigning giue offences?
That long life in the best kings discontenteth,
And false desires within false glasses shewed.
By Mustaphaes example learne to know,
Who hewes aboue his head shall hurt his eye,
Acmat, giue order, Mustapha shall die.
Acm.
My fortune doth me witnesse beare;
That my hopes neede not stand vpon succession,
Where hopes want all but onely woe and feare,
Then Lord doubt not my faith though I withstand,
The fearefull counsell which you haue in hand.
Sir I confesse where one man ruleth all,
There feare and care, are secret keies of witt,
Where all may rise, and one may onely fall,
Their thoughts aspires, and power must master it.
For worlds repine at those whome birth or chance
Aboue all men, and but a man aduance,
I know where easie hopes, doe nurse desire,
The dead men onely of the wise are trusted,
And though crook'd feare do seldome rightly measure
As thinking all things, but it selfe dissembled,
Yet Solyman let feare direct kings counsels,
But feare not destinies which doe not altar.
Nor things impossible which cannot happen,
Feare false Stepmothers rage, woman ambition
Whereof each age to other is a glasse,
Feare them that feare not for desire, to shame,
And loose their faiths, to bring their wills to passe,
Establish Bassaes, children for your heyres,
Let Mustaphaes hopes faile, translate his right,
Let their ambitious thirst once glutted be,
Streight enuie dies: feare will appeare no more,
For as ill men but in felicitie,
So heyres to crownes, tenants to miserie,
Their good is but in ill lucke vnderstood.
But Sir put of this charme of cunning spight,
Which makes you to yourselfe inuisible:
Make it not knowne deere Lord, by your example
That onely Enuy, furie and suspition,
In euery kinde and state keepe their condition;
If Mustapha haue one fault but his mother
If else where then in her heart he be guiltie,
Let those deafe heauens which punnish and forgiue not,
Let hels most plagues vnto her best beloued,
Mallice and rage, which without mischiefe liues not.
Thunder torment burne ruine and destroy mee,
If Mustapha haue one thought to annoy thee.
Solim.
Mallice is like the lightning of the sommer,
Which when the skies are cleerest, lights and burneth,
Her end is to doe hurt and not to threaten,
Iustice vniustly doth to loose occasion,
Hazards it selfe, to force and to perswasion.
Acmat.
Sir, hastie power is like the rage of thunder,
Whose violence is seldome well bestowed:
Danger not ment, needs not to be preuented,
Reuenge still in your power is not repented.
Solim.
Danger already come is past preuenting,
Princes whose Scepters must be feard of many,
Are neuer safe that liue in feare of any.
Acmat.
Tirants they are that punnish out of feare.
States wiser then the truth decline and weare,
Wisedome in man is but the print and doubt,
Whose inke is either blood, secrets of states,
Which safely walls with gouernment about.
Solim.
In princes dangers iustice euer goes,
Before the fact, that all els ouerthrowes.
Besides my Bassaes in whose faith I trust.
As staies to mine estate, with one consent,
Thy selfe alone, perchance with good intent
Art crosse, wisedome is not faiths Relatiue:
For oftentimes faith growes for lacke of wit
And sees no perill, till he feeles of it.
Acmat.
Doubt wounds within.
For as in kings when feare to kill hath might,
Both wrong and danger must be infinite.
And Sir, we Bassaes, whom you Monarches please
To heare, much further are from princely hearts
Then eares; for fauour growes the states disease,
When more then seruice it to vs imparts.
Base bloud hath narrow thoughts, which set aboue
Sees more of greatnesse then it comprehends;
And for all is not to our partiall ends,
We faile kings with themselues, we take their might,
And vse to our reuenge: make lawes a snare,
To ruine all, but instruments our friends
Till kings euen let in lease to two or three
Are made of vs the ------ to behold their right.
Euen fame of kings estate a miserie.
We Bassaes that do distribute at wil,
And for that we the best mens rising feare
With bruit and remor good desert we kill.
This fashion and not Mustapha's offence,
Hath had an ambush to intrap your loue.
But Sir awake, a kings iust fauorite
Is truth.
All broken wayes not borne of faith but will.
Do but hale danger while that multiplies.
Where there is cause of doubt, lawes do prouide
Restraint of liberty, where force of spight
Lies in the liuing, dead, till it be tried.
Where kings too oft vse their prerogatiue
The people do forbeare, but not forgiue.
My Lord, the state delayes are wisedome, where
Selfe murder is an vgly worke of feare
And little lesse is childrens ouerthrowes.
For truths sake spare your sonne, and pardon him,
Mens wit and duty oft haue diuerse wayes,
Duty with truth which doth with strength agree
Duty of honour striueth wit to please,
Who stands alone in Councels of estate,
Where kings themselues euen with aduise see feares,
Stands on the headlong step of death and hate;
For good lucke enuie, ill lucke hazzard beares;
For fashions that affect to seeme vpright,
To hide their faults must ouerthrow the right.
Sir, Mustapha is yours, moreouer he
Is not, for whom you Mustapha ouerthrow,
Suspition common to successions be,
Honour and feare euer together go.
Who must kill all they feare, feare all they see:
Your subiects, sonnes, nor neighbourhood can beare,
So infinite the limits be of feare.
Soly.
Acmat no more, mischance doth oft o'reshoote
All vnder kings desires without all feare,
Your Bassaes know, for mischiefe seekes the roote,
Not boughes, which but the fruit of greatnesse beare.
Mercy and truth are wisedomes popular,
And like the raine which doth inrich the ground,
They spend the clouds of which they owned are.
Princes estates haue this one misery,
That though the men and treasons both be plaine,
They're vnbeleeu'd, while Princes are vnslaine.
If thy care be of me, enough is sayd,
Go waite my pleasure, which shall be obeyd.
| The tragedy of Mvstapha | |