University of Virginia Library

Sœna. 2.

Constabarus and Babus Sonnes.
Babus. 1. Sonne.
Now valiant friend you haue our liues redeem'd,
Which liues as sau'd by you, to you are due:
Command and you shall see your selfe esteem'd,
Our liues and liberties belong to you.
This twice sixe yeares with hazard of your life,
You haue conceal'd vs from the tyrants sword:
Though cruell Herods sister were your wife,
You durst in scorne of feare this grace afford.
In recompence we know not what to say,
A poore reward were thankes for such a merit,
Our truest friendship at your feete we lay,
The best requitall to a noble spirit.

Const.
Oh how you wrong our friendship valiant youth,
With friends there is not such a word as det:
Where amitie is tide with bond of truth,
All benefits are there in common set.
Then is the golden age with them renew'd,
All names of properties are banisht quite:
Diuision, and distinction, are eschew'd:
Each hath to what belongs to others right.
And tis not sure so full a benefit,
Freely to giue, as freely to require:
A bountious act hath glory following it,
They cause the glory that the act desire.
All friendship should the patterne imitate,
Of Iesses Sonne and valiant Ionathane
For neither Soueraignes nor fathers hate,
A friendship fixt on vertue seuer can.
Too much of this, tis written in the heart,
And need no amplifying with the tongue:
Now may you from your liuing tombe depart,
Where Herods life hath kept you ouer long.
Too great an iniury to a noble minde,
To be quicke buried, you had purchast fame,
Some yeares a goe, but that you were confinde.
While thousand meaner did aduance their name.
Your best of life the prime of all your yeares,
Your time of action is from you berest.
Twelue winters haue you operpast in feares:
Yet if you vse it well, enough is left.
And who can doubt but you will vse it well?
The sonnes of Babus haue it by descent:
In all their thoughts each action to excell,
Boldly to act, and wisely to inuent.

Babus 2. Sonne.
Had it not like the hatefull cuckoe beene,
Whose riper age his infant nurse doth kill:
So long we had not kept our selues vnseene,
But Constabarus safely crost our will:
For had the Tyrant fixt his cruell eye,
On our concealed faces wrath had swaide
His Iustice so, that he had forst vs die.
And dearer price then life we should haue paid,
For you our truest friend had falne with vs:
And we much like a house on pillers set,
Had cleane deprest our prop, and therefore thus
Our readie will with our concealement met.
But now that you faire Lord are daungerlesse,
The Sonnes of Baba shall their rigor show:
And proue it was not basenes did oppresse
Our hearts so long, but honour kept them low.

Ba. 1. Sonne.
Yet do I feare this tale of Herods death,
At last will proue a very tale indeed,
It giues me strongly in my minde, his breath
Will be preseru'd to make a number bleed:
I wish not therefore to be set at large,
Yet perill to my selfe I do not leare:
Let vs for some daies longer be your charge,
Till we of Herods state the truth do heare.

Const.
What art thou turn'd a coward noble youth,
That thou beginst to doubt, vndoubted truth?

Babus. 1. Son.
Were it my brothers tongue that cast this doubt,
I frō his hart would haue the question out:
With this keene fauchion, but tis you my Lord
Against whose head I must not lift a sword:
I am so tide in gratitude Const. belieue
You haue no cause to take it ill,
If any word of mine your heart did grieue
The word discented from the speakers will,
I know it was not feare the doubt begun,
But rather valour and your care of me,
A coward could not be your fathers sonne,
Yet know I doubts vnnecessarie be:
For who can thinke that in Anthonius fall,
Herod his bosome friend should scape vnbrusde:
Then Cæsar we might thee an idiot call,
If thou by him should'st be so farre abusde.

Babus. 2. Sonne.
Lord Constab: let me tell you this,
Vpon submission Cæsar will forgiue:
And therefore though the tyrant did amisse,
It may fall out that he will let him liue.
Not many yeares agone it is since I
Directed thither by my fathers care,
In famous Rome for twice twelue monthes did liue,
My life from Hebrewes crueltie to spare,
There though I were but yet of boyish age,
I bent mine eye to marke, mine eares to heare.
Where I did see Octauious then a page,
When first he did to Iulious sight appeare:
Me thought I saw such mildnes in his face,
And such a sweetnes in his lookes did grow,
Withall, commixt with so maiesticke grace,
His Philmony his Fortune did foreshow:
For this I am indebted to mine eye,
But then mine care receiu'd more euidence,
By that I knew his loue to clemency,
How he with hottest choller could dispence.

Const.
But we haue more then barely heard the news,
It hath bin twice confirm'd. And though some tongue
Might be so false, with false report t'abuse,
A false report hath neuer lasted long.
But be it so that Herod haue his life,
Concealement would not then a whit auaile:
For certaine t'is, that she that was my wife,
Would not to set her accusation false.
And therefore now as good the venture giue,
And free our selues from blot of cowardise:
As show a pittifull desire to liue,
For, who can pittie but they must despise?

Babus first sonne.
I yeeld, but to necessitie I yeeld,
I dare vpon this doubt ingage mine arme:
That Herod shall againe this kingdome weeld,
And proue his death to be a false alarme.

Babus second sonne.
I doubt it too: God grant it be an error,
Tis best without a cause to be in terror:
And rather had I, though my soule be mine,
My soule should lie, then proue a true diuine.

Const.
Come, come, let feare goe seeke a dastards nest,
Vndanted courage lies in a noble brest.