 | The Maid of Honovr |  |
Scene. I.
Gonzaga, Astutio, Roderigo, Iacomo.Gonzaga.
VVhat I have done Sr by the law of armes
I can, and will make good.
Astutio.
I have no commission
To expostulate the act. These letters speake
The King my Masters love to you, and his
vow'd service to the Duchesse, on whose person
I am to giue attendance.
Gonz.
At this instant.
Shee's at Pienza; you may spare the trouble
Of riding thither: I have advertized her
Of our successe, and on what humble termes
Siena stands: though presently I can
Possesse it deferre it, that shee may
Enter her owne, and as she please dispose of
The prisoners and the spoyle.
Astut.
I thanke you, Sir.
I'the meane time, if I may have your licence,
I have a Nephew, and one once my ward
For whose liberties and ransomes, I would gladly
Make composition.
Gonz.
They are, as I take it.
Call'd Gasparo, and Anthonio,
Astut.
The same, Sir.
For them you must treat with these, but for Bertoldo,
He is mine owne, if the King will ransom him,
He payes downe fifty thousand crownes, if not
He liues, and dies my slave,
Astut.
Pray you a word.
The King will rather thanke you to detaine him,
Then give one crowne to free him.
Gonz.
At his pleasure.
I'll send the prisoners under guard, my businesse
Calls me another way.
Exit Gonzaga.
Astut.
My service waits you,
Now Gentlemen do not deale like Merchants with me,
But noble Captaines, you know in great mindes
Posse, & nolle nobile.
Rod.
Pray you speake
Our language.
Iacom.
I finde not in my commission
An officers bound to speake or understand
More then his Mother tongue.
Roder.
If hee speake that
After midnight 'tis remarkable.
Astu.
In plaine termes then,
Anthonio is your prisoner. Gasparo yours
Iacom.
You are i'the right.
Astu.
At what summe doe you rate
Their severall ransomes.
Rod.
I must make my market
As the commodity cost me.
Astut.
As it cost you?
You did not buy your Captainship? your desert
I hope advanc'd you.
Rod.
How? it well appeares
You are no souldier. Desert in these daies?
Desert may make a Serieant to a Colonel,
And it may hinder him from rising higher,
But if it ever get a company,
A company, pray you marke mee, without money
With a commendatory Epistle from her,
I will turne Lansprizadoe.
Iacom.
Pray you observe, Sir:
I serv'd two prenticeships, just foureteene yeere,
Trayling the puissant pike; and halfe so long
Had the right hand file, and I fought well, 'twas said too:
But I might have serv'd, and fought, and serv'd til doomsday
And never have carryed a flagge, but for the legacy
A buxsome widdow of threescore, bequeath'd mee,
And that too, my backe knowes, I labour hard for,
But was better paid.
Astut.
You are merry with your selves
But this is from the purpose.
Roder.
To the point then.
Prisoners are not tane every day, and when
We have 'em we must make the best use of 'em.
Our pay is little to the part we should beare,
And that so long a comming, that 'tis spent
Before we have it, and hardly wipes off scores
At the Taverne, and the Ordinary.
Iacom.
You may adde to
Our sport tooke up on trust.
Roder.
Peace, thou smocke vermin.
Discover commanders, secrets! In a word, Sir,
We have requir'd, and find our prisoners rich:
Two thousand crownes a piece, our companies cost vs,
And so much each of us will have, and that
In present pay.
Iacom.
It is too little; yet
Since you haue said the word, I am content,
But will not goe a gazet lesse.
Astut.
Since you are not
To be brought lower, there is no evading
I'll be your pay-master.
Roder.
Wee desire no better.
But not a word of what's agreed between us,
'Till I have schoold my gallants.
Iacom.
I am dumb, Sir.
Enter a guard: Bertoldo, Anthonio, Gaspero, in yrons.
Bert.
And where remov'd now? hath the Tyrant found out
Worse usage for us?
Antho.
VVorse it cannot be.
My grewhound has fresh straw, and scraps in his kennell,
But wee have neyther.
Gasp.
Did I ever thinke
To weare such garters on silke stockings? or
That my too curious appetite, that turn'd
At the sight of godwits, pheasant, partidge, quales
Larkes, wood-cocks, caluerd sammon, as course diet,
Would leape at a mouldy crust?
Antho.
And goe without it;
So oft as I doe, O how haue I jeer'd
The City entertainment. A huge shoulder
Of glorious fat Ramme Mutton, seconded
With a paire of tame cats, or conies, a crabbe tart
With a worthy loyne of veale, and valiant Capon,
Mortifi'd to grow tender. These I scorn'd
From their plentifull horne of abundance, though invited:
But now I could carry my owne stoole to a tripe,
And call their chitterlings charity, and blesse the founder.
Bertol.
O that I were no farther sensible
Of my miseries then you are! you like beasts
Feele onely stings of hunger, and complaine not
But when you are empty: but your narrow soules
(If you have any) cannot comprehend
How insupportable the torments are,
Which a free and noble soule made captiue, suffers:
Most miserable men! and what am I then,
That enuy you? Fetters though made of gold,
Prepar'd by Median cookes for Epicures,
When not our owne, are bitter quilts fill'd high
With gossamire and roses, cannot yeeld
The body soft repose, the mind kep't waking
With anguish and affliction.
Astut.
My good Lord.
Ber.
This is no time, nor place for flaterry Sir,
Pray you stile me as I am, a wretch forsaken
Of the world, as my selfe.
Astut.
I would it were
In me to helpe you.
Ber.
I if that you want power Sir,
Lip comfort cannot cure me, pray you leave mee
To mine owne private thoughts.
Astu.
My valiant Nephew!
walkes by.
And my more then warlike-ward! I am glad to see you
After your glorious conquests. Are these chaines
Rewardee for your good service? If they are
You should weare 'em on your necks (since they are massie)
Like Aldermen of the war.
Antho.
You jeere us to!
Gasp.
Good uncle name not (as you are a man of honor)
That fatall word of war, the very founde of't
Is more dreadfull then a Cannon.
Antho.
But redeeme us
From this Captivitie, and I'll vow hereafter
Never to weare a sword, or cut my meate
With a knife, that has an edge or point. I'll starve first
Gasp.
I will crie broome or cats meate in Palermo;
Turne porter, carrie burthens; any thing,
Rather then live a souldier.
Astut.
This should have
Beene thought upon before. At what price thinke you
Your two wise heads are rated?
Antho.
A calves head is
More worth then mine, I am sure it had more braines in't
Roder.
And I will eate it
With bacon, if I have not speedy ransome.
Ant.
And a little garlick too, for your own sake Sir
Twill boyle in your stomacke else.
Gasp.
Beware of mine
Or the hornes may choake you. I am married Sir.
Antho.
You shall have my row of houses neare the pallace
Gasp.
And my villa all.
Antho.
All that we have.
To Astutio.
Astut.
Well, have more wit hereafter
For this time you are ransom'd.
Iacom.
Off with their irons.
Rod.
Do do If you are ours again, you know your price.
Antho.
Pray you dispatch us: I shall nere beleeve
I am a freeman, till I set my foote
In Sicilie agen, and drinke Palermo,
And in Palermo too.
Astut.
The wind sits faire,
You shall aboord to night with the rising Sun
You may touch upon the coast. But take your leaves
Of the late Generall first.
Gasp.
I will be briefe.
Antho.
And I, my lord heaven keepe you.
Gasp.
Yours to use
In the way of peace, but as your souldiers never.
Antho.
A pox of war no more of war.
Ber.
Have you
Exeunt Roderig. Iaco. Anthonio. Gasparo.
Authority to loose their bonds, yet leave
The brother of your King, whose worth disdaines
Comparison with such as these, in irons?
If ransome may redeeme them, I have landes,
A patrimony of mine owne assign'd me,
By my deceased sire to satisfie
What ere can be demanded for my freedome.
Astut.
I wish you had Sir, but the king who yeelds
Hath seas'd on all you had; nor will Gonzaga,
Whose prisoner now you are, accept of lesse
Then fiftie thousand crownes.
Ber.
I finde it now
That misery nere comes alone. But grant
The King is yet inexorable, time
May worke him to a feeling of my sufferings.
I have friends, that swore their lives and fortunes were
At my devotion, and among the rest
Your selfe my lord, when forfeited to the Law
For a foule murther, and in cold blood done,
I made your life my gift, and reconcil'd you
To this incensed king, and got your pardon.
Beware ingratitude. I know you are rich
And may pay downe the Sum.
Astut.
I might my lord,
But pardon me.
Ber.
And will Astutio prove then
To please a passionate man, the kings no more,
False to his maker and his reason? which
Commandes more then I aske? ô summer friendship,
Whose flattering leaves that shaddowed us in
Our prosperity, with the least gust drop off
In th'Autumne of adversity! How like
A prison is to a grave! when dead we are
With solemne Pompe brought thither, and our heires,
(Masking their joy in false dissembled teares)
Weepe ore the hearse, but earth no sooner covers
The earth brought thither, but they turne away
With inward smiles, the dead no more remembred.
So enter'd in a prison.
Astut.
My occasions
Command me hence my lord.
Ber.
Pray you leave me, doe;
And tell the cruell king, that I will weare
These letters 'till my flesh, and they are one
As in a glasse, I'll looke on humane frailty,
And curse the height of Royall blood: since I
In being borne neare to Ioue, am neare his thunder.
Cedars once shaken with a storme, their owne
Exit Astutio.
Waight grubs their rootes out. Lead me where you please;
I am his, not fortunes martyr, and will dye
The great example of his cruelty.
Exit cum suis.
| The Maid of Honovr | |