University of Virginia Library

Scæna tertia.

Beaufort senior, Malefort, Montaigne, Chamont, Lanour, Beaufort, junior, Montrevile, Servants.
Beavfort Senior.
You are not merry Sir.

Mal.
Yes my good Lord,
You have given us ample meanes to drowne all cares,
And yet I nourish strange thoughts, which I would
Aside.
Most willingly destroy

Beauf. sen.
Pray you take your place,

Beauf. jun.
And drink a health, and let it be if you please
To the worthiest of Women, now observe him.

Mal.
Give mee the bowle, since you doe me the honour,
I will beginne it.

Cham.
May wee know her name Sir?

Mal.
You shall, I will not choose a forraigne Queenes,
Nor yet our owne, for that would relish of
Tame flattery; nor doe their height of title,
Or absolute power confirme their worth and goodnesse,
These being heavens gifts and frequently confer'd
On such as are beneath em; nor will I
Name the kings Mistresse howsoever shee
In his esteeme may carry it, but if I,
As wine gives liberty, may use my freedome;
Not swayd this way, or that with confidence,
(And I will make it good on any equall)
If it must be to her, whose outward forme
Is better'd by the beauty of her minde,
She lives not that with justice can pretend
An interest to this so sacred health,
But my faire daughter. He that only doubts it,
I doe pronounce a villain, this to her then.

Drinkes.
Mont.
What may we thinke of this?

Loud musicke.
Beauf. sen.
It matters not.

Lan.
For my part I will sooth him rather then
Draw on a quarrell, Chamont.

Mont.
Tis the safest course, and one I mean to follow.

Beauf. jun.
It has gone round Sir.
Exit Beaufort junior.

Mal.
Now you have done her right, if there be any
Worthy to second this, propose it bouldly,
I am your pledge.

Beauf. sen.
Lets pause here if you please,
And entertaine the time with something else,
Musicke there in some lofty straine, the song too
That I gave order for; the new one cald
The souldiers delight?

The song ended: enter Belgarde in armor a case of Carbines by his side.
Belg.
Who stops mee now?
Or who dares only say that I appeare not
In the most rich and glorious habit that
Renders a man compleate? what court so set off
With state and ceremonious pompe, but thus
Accoutred I may enter? or what feast
Though all the elements at once were ransack'd,
To store it with varietie transcending
The curiousnesse, and cost, on Traians birth day,
(Where princes only, and confederat kings
Did sit as ghests, serv'd, and attended on
By the senators of Rome, sat with a souldier
In this his naturall, and proper shape
Might not and bouldly fill a seat, and by
His present make the great solemnity
More honour'd and remarkeable?

Beauf. sen.
Tis acknowledg'd,
And this a grace done to me unexpected.

Mont.
But why in armor?

Mal.
What's the mysterie?
Pray you reveale that.

Belg.
Souldiers out of action,
That very rare, but like unbidden ghests
Bring their stooles with em, for their owne defence,
At court should feed in gauntlets, they may have
Their fingers cut else; there your carpet knights,
That never charg'd beyond a mistresse lips,
Are still most keene, and valiant, but to you
Whom it does most concern, my Lord, I will
Addresse my speech, and with a souldiers freedome
In my reproofe returne the bitter scoffe,
You threw upon my poverty, you contemn'd
My courser outside, and from that concluded,
(As by your groome you made me understand)
I was unworthy to sit at your table,
Among these tissues, and imbroideries,
Unlesse I chang'd my habit, I have done it,
And show my selfe in that which I have worne
In the heare and fervor of a bloudy fight,
And then it was in fashion, not as now
Ridiculous, and despis'd, this hath past through
A wood of pikes, and every one aim'd at it,
Yet scornd to take impression from their fury
With this, as still you see it fresh and new
I have charg'd through fire that would have fing'd your sables
Blacke fox, and ermins, and chang'd the proud colour
Of Skarlet though of the right Tirian die;
But now as if the trappings made the man, such only are
Admir'd that come adorn'd
With what's no part of them, this is mine owne
My richest suit, a suite I must not part from,
But not regarded now, and yet remember
Tis we that bring you in the meanes of feasts,
Banquets, and revels, which when you possesse,
With barbarous ingratitude you deny us
To be made sharers in the harvest, which
Our sweat and industrie reap'd, and sow'd for you.
The silks you weare, we with our bloud spin for you;
This massie plate, that with the ponderous waight
Does make your cupboods crack, we (unaffrighted
With tempests, or the long and tedious way,
Or dreadfull monsters of the deepe, that wait
With open jawes still ready to devoure us)
Fetch from the other world. Let it not then
In after ages to your shame be spoken,
That you with no relenting eyes looke on
Our wants that feed your plentie; or consume
In prodigall, and wanton gifts on Drones
The Kingdomes treasure, yet detaine from us
The debt that with the hazard of our lives,
We have made you stand ingag'd for: or force us
Against all civill government in armour
To require that, which with all willingnesse
Should be tender'd, ere demanded.

Beauf. sen.
I commend
This wholsome sharpnesse in you, and prefer it
Before obsequious tamenesse, it shewes lovely:
Nor shall the raine of your good counsell fall
Upon the barren sands, but spring up fruit
Such as you long have wisht for. And the rest
Of your profession like you discontented
For want of meanes, shall in their present payment
Be bound to praise your boldnesse: and hereafter
I will take order you shall have no cause,
For want of change to put your armour on
But in the face of an enemie; not as now
Among your friends. To that which is due to you,
To furnish you like your selfe, of mine owne bountie
I'll adde five hundred crownes.

Cham.
I to my power
Will follow the example.

Mont.
Take this Captaine,
Tis all my present store, but when you please,
Command me further.

Lan.
I could wish it more.

Belg.
This is the luckiest jest ever came from me.
Let a Souldier use no other Scribe to draw
The forme of his petition. This will speed
When your thrice humble supplications,
With prayers for encrease of health and honours
To their grave Lordships shall as soone as read
Be pocketted up, the cause no more remembred.
When this dumb Rhetorique.—Well, I have a life,
Which I in thankfulnesse for your great favours,
My noble Lords, when you please to command it,
Must never thinke mine owne. Broker, be happie,
These golden birds flie to thee.
Exit Belgarde.

Beauf. sen.
You are dull, Sir,
And seeme not to be taken with the passage
You saw presented.

Mal.
Passage? I observ'd none,
My thoughts were elsewhere busied. Ha! she is
In danger to be lost, to be lost for ever,
If speedily I come not to her rescue,
For so my Genius tels me.

Montr.
What Chimera's
Worke on your phantasie?

Mal.
Phantasies? They are truths.
Where is my Theocrine? You have plotted
To rob me of my Daughter: bring me to her,
Or I'll call downe the Saints to witnesse for me:
You are inhospitable.

Beauf. sen.
You amaze me,
Your Daughter's safe, and now exchanging courtship
With my sonne her servant, why doe you heare this
With such distracted lookes? since to that end
You brought her hither?

Mal.
Tis confess'd I did,
But now pray you pardon me, and if you please
Ere she deliver up her virgin fort,
I would observe what is the art he uses
In planting his artillery against it,
She is my only care, nor must she yield
But upon noble termes.

Beauf. sen.
Tis so determind.

Ma.
Yet I am jealous.

Mont.
Overmuch I feare.
What passions are these?

Beauf. sen.
Come I will bring you
Where you, with these if they so please, may see
The love-scæne acted.

Montre.
There is something more
Then fatherly love in this.

Monta.
We wayt upon you.

Exeunt omnes.