University of Virginia Library

Actus IV.

Scena I.

Enter three or foure Courtiers.
1. Court.

By this light—a brave Prince,
hee made no more of the Guard, than they would of a Taylor on
a Maske night, that has refus'd trusting before.

2. Court.
Hee's as Active as he is valiant too;
did'st mark him how hee stood like all the points
o'th'Compasse, and as good Pictures,
had his eyes, towards everie man.

3. Court.
And his sword too,
all th'other side walk up and downe the Court now,
as if they had lost their way, and stare,
like Grey-hounds, when the Hare has taken the furze,

1. Court.
Right,
and have more troubles about 'em
than a Serving-man that has forgot his message
when hee's come upon the place.—

2. Court.
Yonder's the King within, chasing, and swearing
like an old Falconer upon the first flight
of a young Hawke, when some Clowne
has taken away the quarrie from her;
and all the Lords stand round about him,
as if hee were to be baited, with much more feare,
and at much more distance,
than a Countrey Gentlewoman sees the Lions the first time:
looke: hee's broke loose.—

Enter King and Lords.
King.
Finde him; or by Osiris selfe, you all are Traitours;
and equally shall pay to Justice; a single man,
and guiltie too, breake through you all!

Enter Ziriff.
Zir.
Confidence!
(thou paint of women, and the States-mans wisdome,
valour for Cowards, and of the guilties Innocence,)
assist mee now.
Sir, send these Starers off:
I have some businesse will deserve your privacie.

King.
Leave us.

Jol.
How the villaine swells vpon us?— Exeunt.


Zir.
Not to punish thought,
or keepe it long upon the wrack of doubt,
know Sir,
That by corruption of the waiting woman,
the common key of Secrets, I have found
the truth at last, and have discover'd all:
the Prince your Sonne was by Aglaura's meanes,
convey'd last night unto the Cypresse Grove,
through a close vault that opens in the lodgings:
hee does intend to joyne with Carimania,
but ere hee goes, resolves to finish all
the rites of Love, and this night meanes
to steale what is behinde.

King.
How good is Heav'n unto mee!
that when it gave mee Traitours for my Subjects,
would lend mee such a Servant!

Zir.
How just (Sir) rather,
that would bestow this Fortune on the poore.
and where your bountie had made debt so infinite
that it grew desperate, their hope to pay it—

King.
Enough of that, thou do'st but gently chide
mee for a fault, that I will mend; for I
have beene too poore, and low in my rewards
unto thy vertue: but to our businesse;
the question is, whether wee shall rely
upon our Guards agen?

Zir.
By no meanes Sir:
hope on his future fortunes, or their Love
unto his person, has so sicklied ore
their resolutions, that wee must not
trust them.
Besides, it were but needlesse here;
hee passes through the vault alone, and I
my selfe durst undertake that businesse,
if that were all, but there is something else,
this accident doth prompt my zeale to serve you in.
I know you love Aglaura (Sir) with passion,
and would enjoy her; I know besides
shee loves him so, that whosoere shall bring
the tidings of his death, must carrie back
the newes of hers, so that your Justice (Sir)
must rob your hope: but there is yet a way—

King.
Here! take my heart; for I have hitherto
too vainly spent the treasure of my love,
Ile have it coyn'd streight into friendship all,
and make a present to thee.

Zir.
If any part of this rich happinesse,
(Fortune prepares now for you) shall owe it selfe
unto my weake endevours, I have enough.
Aglaura without doubt this night expects
the Prince, and why
you should not then supply his place by stealth,
and in disguise—

King.
I apprehend thee Ziriff,
but there's difficultie—

Zir.
Who trades in Love must be an adventurer, (Sir)
but here is scarce enough to make the pleasure dearer:
I know the Cave; your Brother and my selfe
with Iolas, (for those w'are sure doe hate him,)
with some few chosen more betimes will wait
the Princes passing through the vault; if hee
comes first, hee's dead; and if it be your selfe,
wee will conduct you to the chamber doore,
and stand 'twixt you and danger afterwards.

King.
I have conceiv'd of Joy, and am growne great:
Till I have safe deliverance, time's a cripple
and goes on crutches.—as for thee my Ziriff,
I doe here entertaine a friendship with thee,
shall drowne the memorie of all patternes past;
wee will oblige by turnes; and that so thick,
and fast, that curious studiers of it,
shall not once dare to cast it up, or say
by way of ghesse, whether thou or I
remaine the debtors, when wee come to die.

Exeunt.
Enter Semanthe, Orithie, Philan, Orsames, Lords and Ladies.
Ori.
Is the Queene ready to come out?

Phi.
Not yet sure, the Kings brother is but newly entred;

Sem.
Come my Lord, the Song then.

Ori.
The Song.

Ors.
A vengeance take this love, it spoyles a voyce
worse than the losing of a maiden-head.
I have got such a cold with rising
and walking in my shirt a nights, that
a Bittorne whooping in a reed is better musike.

Ori.
This modestie becomes you as ill, my Lord,
as wooing would us women: pray, put's not to't.

Ors.
Nay Ladies, you shall finde mee,
as free, as the Musicians of the woods
themselves; what I have, you shall not need to call for,
nor shall it cost you any thing.
Song.

Ori.
I should have ghest, it had been the issue of
your braine, if I had not beene told so;

Ors.
A little foolish counsell (Madam) I gave a friend
of mine foure or five yeares agoe, when he was
falling into a Consumption.—

Enter Queene.
Orb.
Which of all you have seene the faire prisoner
since shee was confinde?

Sem.
I have Madam.

Orb.
And how behaves shee now her selfe?

Sem.
As one that had intrench'd so deepe in Innocence,
shee fear'd no enemies, beares all quietly,
and smiles at Fortune, whil'st shee frownes on her.

Orb.
So gallant! I wonder where the beautie lies
that thus inflames the royall bloud?

Ori.
Faces, Madam, are like bookes, those that doe study them
know best, and to say truth, 'tis still
much as it pleases the Courteous Reader.

Orb.
These Lovers sure are like Astronomers,
that when the vulgar eye discovers, but
a Skie above, studded with some few Stars,
finde out besides strange fishes, birds, and beasts.

Sem.
As men in sicknesse scortch'd into a raving
doe see the Devill, in all shapes and formes,
when standers by wondring, aske where, and when;
So they in Love, for all's but feaver there,
and madnesse too.

Orb.
That's too severe Semanthe;
but wee will have your reasons in the parke;
are the doores open through the Gardens?

Lo.
The King has newly led the way.

Exeunt.
Enter Ariaspes: Ziriff, with a warrant sealed.
Ari.
Thou art a Tyrant, Ziriff: I shall die with joy.

Zir.
I must confesse my Lord; had but the Princes ills
prov'd sleight, and not thus dangerous,
hee should have ow'd to mee, at least I would
have laid a claime unto his safetie; and
like Physicians, that doe challenge right
in Natures cures, look'd for reward and thanks;
but since 'twas otherwise, I thought it best
to save my selfe, and then to save the State.

Ari.
'Twas wisely done.

Zir.
Safely I'me sure, my Lord! you know 'tis not
our custome, where the Kings dislike, once swells to hate,
there to ingage our selves; Court friendship
is a Cable, that in stormes is ever cut,
and I made bold with it; here is the warrant seal'd
and for the execution of it, if you thinke
wee are not strong enough, wee may have
Iolas, for him the King did name.

Ari.
And him I would have named.

Zir.
But is hee not too much the Prince's (Sir?)

Ari.
Hee is as lights in Scenes at Masques,
what glorious shew so ere hee makes without,
I that set him there, know why, and how;
Enter Jolas.
but here hee is.—
Come Iolas; and since the Heav'ns decreed,
the man whom thou should'st envie, should be such,
That all men else must doo't; be not asham'd
thou once wert guiltie of it;
but blesse them, that they give thee now a meanes,
to make a friendship with him, and vouchsafe
to finde thee out a way to love, where well
thou could'st not hate.

Jol.
What meanes my Lord?

Ari.
Here, here hee stands that has preserv'd us all!
that sacrifis'd unto a publique good,
(the dearest private good wee mortalls have)
Friendship: gave into our armes the Prince,
when nothing but the sword (perchance a ruine)
was left to doe it.

Jol.
How could I chide my love, and my ambition now,
that thrust mee upon such a quarrell? here I doe vow—

Zir.
Hold, doe not vow my Lord, let it deserve it first;
and yet (if Heav'n blesse honest mens intents)
'tis not impossible.
My Lord, you will be pleas'd to informe him in particulars,
I must be gone.—
the King I feare already has beene left
too long alone.

Ari.
Stay—the houre and place.

Zir.
Eleven, under the Tarras walke;
I will not faile you there.
Goes out, returnes back againe.
I had forgot:—
'tmaybe, the small remainder of those lost men
that were of the Conspiracie, will come along with him:
'twere best to have some chosen of the Guard
within our call—
Exit Ziriff.

Ari.
Honest, and carefull Ziriff:
Jolas stands musing.
how now Planet strooke?—

Jol.
This Ziriff will grow great with all the world.

Ari.
Shallow man! short sightedder than Travellers in mists,
or women that outlive themselves; do'st thou not see,
that whil'st hee does prepare a Tombe with one hand
for his friend, hee digs a Grave with th'other for himselfe?

Jol.
How so?

Ari.
Do'st thinke hee shall not feele the weight of this,
as well as poore Thersames?

Jol.
Shall wee then kill him too at the same instant?

Ari.
And say, the Prince made an unluckie thrust.

Jol.
Right.

Ari.
Dull, dull, hee must not dye so uselesly.
As when wee wipe of filth from any place,
wee throw away the thing that made it cleane,
so this once done, hee's gone.
Thou know'st the People love the Prince, to their rage
something the State must offer up; who fitter
than thy rivall and my enemy?

Jol.
Rare! our witnesse will be taken.

Ari.
Pish! let mee alone.
The Giants that made mountaines ladders,
and thought to take great Iove by force, were fooles:
not hill on hill, but plot on plot, does make
us sit above, and laugh at all below us.— Exeunt.


Enter Aglaura, and a Singing Boy.
Boy.
Madam, 'twill make you melancholly,
Ile sing the Prince's Song, that's sad enough.

Agl.
What you will Sir.

[Boy.]
Song.

Agl.
Leave mee! for to a Soule, so out of Tune
as mine is now; nothing is harmony:
when once the maine-spring, Hope, is falne into
disorder; no wonder, if the lesser wheeles,
Desire, and Ioy, stand still; my thoughts like Bees
when they have lost their King, wander
confusedly up and downe, and settle no where.
Enter Orithie.
Orithie, flie! flie the roome,
as thou would'st shun the habitations
which Spirits haunt, or where thy nearer friends
walk after death; here is not only Love,
but Loves plague too—mis-fortune; and so high,
that it is sure infectious!

Ori.
Madam, so much more miserable am I this way than you,
that should I pitie you, I should forget my selfe:
my sufferings are such, that with lesse patience
you may endure your owne, than give mine Audience.
There is that difference, that you may make
yours none at all, but by considering mine!

Agl.
O speake them quickly then! the marriage day
to passionate Lovers never was more welcome,
than any kinde of ease would be to mee now.

Ori.
Could they be spoke, they were not then so great.
I love, and dare not say I love; dare not hope,
what I desire; yet still too must desire—
and like a starving man brought to a feast,
and made say grace, to what he nere shall taste,
be thankfull after all, and kisse the hand,
that made the wound thus deepe.

Agl.
'Tis hard indeed, but with what unjust scales,
thou took'st the weight of our mis-fortunes,
be thine owne Judge now.
thou mourn'st for losse of that thou never hadst,
or if thou hadst a losse, it never was
of a Thersames.
would'st thou not thinke a Merchant mad, Orithie?
if thou shouldst see him weepe, and teare his haire,
because hee brought not both the Indies home?
and wouldst not thinke his sorrowes verie just,
if having fraught his ship with some rich Treasure,
hee sunke i'th'verie Port? This is our case.

Ori.
And doe you thinke there is such odds in it?
would Heaven we women could as easily change
our fortunes as ('tis said) wee can our minds.
I cannot (Madam) thinke them miserable,
that have the Princes Love.

Agl.
Hee is the man then—
blush not Orithie, 'tis a sinne to blush
for loving him, though none at all to love him.
I can admit of rivalship without
a jealousie—nay shall be glad of it:
wee two will sit, and thinke, and thinke, and sigh,
and sigh, and talke of love—and of Thersames.
Thou shalt be praising of his wit, while I
admire he governes it so well:
like this thing, said thus, th'other thing thus done,
and in good language him for these adore,
while I want words to doo't, yet doe it more.
Thus will wee doe, till death it selfe shall us
divide, and then whose fate 't shall be to die
first of the two, by legacie shall all
her love bequeath, and give her stock to her
that shall survive; for no one stock can serve,
to love Thersames so as hee'll deserve.

Enter King, Ziriff.
King.
What have wee here impossibilitie?
a constant night, and yet within the roome
that, that can make the day before the Sunne?
silent Aglaura too?

Agl.
I know not what to say:
Is't to your pitie, or your scorne, I owe
the favour of this visit (Sir?) for such
my fortune is, it doth deserve them both:

King.
And such thy beautie is, that it makes good
all Fortunes, sorrow lookes lovely here;
and there's no man, that would not entertaine
his griefes as friends, were hee but sure they'd shew
no worse upon him—but I forget my selfe,
I came to chide.

Agl.
If I have sinn'd so high, that yet my punishment
equalls not my crime,
doe Sir; I should be loth to die in debt
to Justice, how ill soere I paid
the scores of Love.—

King.
And those indeed thou hast but paid indifferently
to mee, I did deserve at least faire death,
not to be murthered thus in private:
that was too cruell, Mistresse.
And I doe know thou do'st repent, and wilt
yet make mee satisfaction:

Agl.
What satisfaction Sir?
I am no monster, never had two hearts;
One is by holy vowes anothers now,
and could I give it you, you would not take it,
for 'tis alike impossible for mee,
to love againe, as you love Perjurie.
O Sir! consider, what a flame love is.
If by rude meanes you thinke to force a light,
that of it selfe it would not freely give,
you blow it out, and leave your selfe i'th' darke.
The Prince once gone, you may as well perswade
the light to stay behinde, when the Sun posts
to th'other world, as mee; alas! wee two,
have mingled soules more than two meeting brooks;
and whosoever is design'd to be
the murtherer of my Lord, (as sure there is,
has anger'd heav'n so farre, that 'tas decreed
him to encrease his punishment that way)
would hee but search the heart, when hee has done,
hee there would finde Aglaura murther'd too.

King.
Thou hast orecome mee, mov'd so handsomely
for pitie, that I will dis-inherit
the elder brother, and from this houre be
thy Convert, not thy Lover.—
Ziriff, dispatch away—
and hee that brings newes of the Prince's welfare,
looke that hee have the same reward, wee had decreed
to him, brought tidings of his death.
'T must be a busie and bold hand, that would
unlinke a chaine the Gods themselves have made:
peace to thy Thoughts: Aglaura— Exit.


Ziriff steps back and speakes.
Zir.
What ere he sayes beleeve him not Aglaura:
for lust and rage ride high within him now:
hee knowes Thersames made th'escape from hence,
and does conceale it only for his ends:
for by the favour of mistake and night,
hee hopes t'enjoy thee in the Prince's roome;
I shall be mist—else I would tell thee more;
But thou mayest ghesse, for our condition
admits no middle wayes, either wee must
send them to Graves, or lie our selves in dust:— Exit.


Aglaura stands still and studies.
Agl.
Ha! 'tis a strange Act thought puts me now upon;
yet sure my brother meant the selfe same thing,
and my Thersames would have done't for mee:
to take his life, that seekes to take away
the life of Life, (honour from mee;) and from
the world, the life of honour, Thersames;
must needs be something sure, of kin to Justice.
If I doe faile, th'attempt howere was brave,
and I shall have at worst a handsome grave— Exit.


Enter Jolas, Semanthe.
Semanthe steps back, Jolas stayes her.
Jol.
What? are we growne, Semanthe, night, and day?
Must one still vanish when the other comes?
Of all that ever Love did yet bring forth
(and 't has beene fruitfull too), this is
the strangest Issue.—

Sem.
What my Lord?

Jol.
Hate, Semanthe.

Sem.
You doe mistake, if I doe shun you, 'tis,
as bashfull Debtors shun their Creditors,
I cannot pay you in the selfe same coyne,
and am asham'd to offer any other.

Jol.
It is ill done, Semanthe, to plead bankrupt,
when with such ease you may be out of debt;
In loves dominions, native commoditie
is currant payment, change is all the Trade,
and heart for heart, the richest merchandize.

Sem.
'Twould here be meane my Lord, since mine would prove
In your hands but a Counterfeit, and yours in mine
worth nothing; Sympathy, not greatnesse,
makes those Jewells rise in value.

Jol.
Sympathy! ô teach but yours to love then,
and two so rich no mortall ever knew.

Sem.
That heart would Love but ill that must be taught,
such fires as these still kindle of themselves.

Jol.
In such a cold, and frozen place, as is
thy breast? how should they kindle of themselves
Semanthe?

Sem.
Aske? how the Flint can carrie fire within?
'tis the least miracle that Love can doe:

Jol.
Thou art thy selfe the greatest miracle,
for thou art faire to all perfection,
and yet do'st want the greatest part of beautie,
Kindnesse; thy crueltie (next to thy selfe,)
above all things on earth takes up my wonder.

Sem.
Call not that crueltie, which is our fate,
beleeve me Iolas, the honest Swaine
that from the brow of some steepe cliffe far off,
beholds a ship labouring in vaine against
the boysterous and unruly Elements, ne're had
lesse power, or more desire to help than I;
at everie sigh, I die, and everie looke,
does move; and any passion you will have
but Love, I have in store: I will be angrie,
quarrell with destinie, and with my selfe
that 'tis no better; be melancholy;
And (though mine owne disasters well might plead
to be in chiefe,) yours only shall have place,
Ile pitie, and (if that's too low) Ile grieve,
as for my sinnes, I cannot give you ease;
all this I doe, and this I hope will prove
'tis greater Torment not to love, than Love.— Exit.


Jol.
So perishing Sailours pray to stormes,
and so they heare agen. So men
with death about them, looke on Physitians that
have given them o're, and so they turne away:
Two fixed Stars that keepe a constant distance,
and by lawes made with themselves must know
no motion excentrick, may meet as soone as wee:
The anger that the foolish Sea does shew,
when it does brave it out, and rore against
a stubborne rock that still denies it passage,
is not so vaine and fruitlesse, as my prayers.
Yee mightie Powers of Love and Fate, where is
your Justice here? It is thy part (fond Boy)
when thou do'st finde one wounded heart, to make
the other so, but if thy Tyranny
be such, that thou wilt leave one breast to hate,
If wee must live, and this survive,
how much more cruell's Fate?— Exit.