University of Virginia Library

Scen. 4.

Cynosbatus, Martagon.
Cy.
My honor'd friend, most noble Martagon,
Who whilom didst with thy imperiall power
Command the mountaines proud and humble plaines
Of happy Thessaly: who hath eclips'd
The splendour of thy light, and clipp'd those wings
That did ore-shade these fields from East to West.
Each Shepheard that was wont to feed his flocks
Vpon these fertile meads, was wont whilere
To pay the tribute of his primest lambs.
But now as one coup'd in an angle up,
Thou art compell'd to satisfie thy selfe,
With a small portion of that soveraignty
Which thou didst earst enioy.

Ma.
Deare friend Cynosbatus, if that the world
Had bin compos'd in a cubicke forme
And not orbicular; or if this globe
Were destin'd to be ought else then fortunes ball,
By alterations racket banded to and fro;
Then iustly might'st thou wonder to behold
My present state, so short of my precedent height.
Nor doth this monster, Change, beare sway alone,
Ore elements, men, beasts, and plants,
But those celestiall bodies that are fram'd
Of purer constitutions, are compell'd
To be obedient to her awfull doome.
Reare up thy eyes unto the spangl'd cope,
And there behold Ioves starre-enchased belt,
The glittering Zodiacke wonderfully chang'd
In a few thousand yeares:
For those fixt stars, which like a Diamond cleare,
Adorne the baudricke of the Thunderer,
Have wander'd from their former stations.
Witnesse the golden Ram who now is gone astray,
And shoulder'd hath the Cretian Bull; and he
Those twins of Iove so sore hath butted,
That they have crush'd the Crab, and thrust him quite
Into the den of the Nemæan Lyon.
Thus by the change of these superiour bodies,
Strange alterations in the world are wrought,
Great Empires maim'd, & Kingdoms brought to naught.
And that auspicious lampe, who freely lends
His light to lesser fires, the prince of generation,
Even Sol himselfe, is five degrees declin'd,
Since learned Ptolome did take his height.
But if Egyptian wisards we may trust,
Who in Astrologie wont to excell;
By them tis told, that foure times they have seene
That glorious Charrioter flit from his place:
Twice hath he rose (they say) where now he sets,
And twice declined where he now doth rise.
If these Celestiall powers, whose influence
Commands terrestriall substances,
Be object to mutation, then needs must
Sublunar things, submit themselues to change.
Then wonder not good friend Cynosbatus,
To see my state and power diminish'd thus.

Cy.
Tis true deare Maridgon, experience showes
That alteration every day brings forth
A new birth of effects.

Ma.
But I prethe friend, satisfie me in one thing.

Cy.
My bosome's yours, take from that Cabinet
The choisest secret that can pleasure you:
Tell me in what your will's to be resolu'd.

Ma.
There is a rumour spred through Thessaly,
That your faire sister, Madame Eglantine,
Shall be espoused to the Shepheard Rhodon,
The prince of all the Swaines that dwell on Hybla.

Cy.
From no ill grounds this rumor sprang, thou
The Fates did crosse what was by us intended.

Na.
Then there's no expectation of my Nuptial rite.

Cy.
No; all's dissolv'd.

Na.
I thanke my Starres for that.

Cy.
Your reason, Noble friend.

Ma.
A kin he is to that male spirited Dame,
That stout Virago, that proud Shepheardesse
Call'd Violetta: who complaines of wrongs
Late suffer'd at my hands:
And hee's the man by whom she hopes
To be aveng'd on me, for this pretended injury;
And had he matcht your sister, sweet Eglantine,
Then might I have had cause for to suspect
Your love not to be sound, since you accepted
So great a foe of mine, for your neere friend.

Cy.
Then I am glad the Fates would not agree
That I should lose so true a friend as thee.

Exeunt.