University of Virginia Library

Snena II.

Polidamas, Sostratus.
Polidamas.
Friend Sostratus, come, haue you euer know'n
Such a distracted face of Court, as now;
Such a distrustfull eye, as men are grow'n
To feare themselues and all; and do not know
Where is the side that shakes not; who lookes best
In this foule day, th'oppressor or th'opprest?
What posting, what dispatches, what aduice!
What search, what running, what discoueries!
What rumors, what suggestions, what deuice
To cleere the King, please people, hold the wise,
Retaine the rude, crush the suspected sort
At vnawares, ere they discerne th'are hurt!
So much the fall of such a weighty Peere
Doth shake the State, and with him tumble downe
All whom his beames of fauours did vpbeare,
All who to rest vpon his base were knowne:
And none, that did but touch vpon his loue,
Are free from feare to perish with his loue.
My self (whom all the world haue know'n t'imbrace
Parmenio in th'intirenesse of my heart,
And euer in all battels, euery chace
Of danger, fought still next him on that part)
Was seazed on this last night, late in my bed,
And brought vnto the presence of the King,
To pay (I thought) the tribute of my head:
But O 'twas for a more abhorred thing!
I must redeeme my danger with the blood
Of this deare friend, this deare Parmenio's blood;
His life must pay for mine, these hands must gore
That worthy heart from whom they fought before.

Sost.
What, hath the King commanded such a deed,
To make the hearts of all his subiects bleed?
Must that old worthy man Parmenio die?

Pol.
O Sostratus, he hath his doome to die,
And we must yeeld vnto necessity.
For comming to the King, and there receiu'd
With vnexpected grace, he thus began:
Polidamas, we both haue beene deceiu'd,
In holding friendship with that faithlesse man
Parmenio, who, for all his glozing mine,
Thou seest hath sought to cut my throat and thine;
And thou must worke reuenge for thee and me:
And therefore hast to Media speedily,
Take these two letters here, the one from me
Vnto my sure and trusty seruants there,
The other signed with Philotas seale,
As if the same t'his father written were:
Carry them both, effect what I haue sayd,
The one will giue th'accesse, the other ayd.
I tooke the letters, vow'd t'effect the same:
And here I go the instrument of shame.

Sost.
But will you charge your honor with this shame?

Pol.
I must, or be vndone, with all my name:
For I haue left all th'adamantiue ties
Of blood and nature, that can hold a heart
Chain'd to the word, my brethren and allies,
The hostages to caution for my part:
And for their liues must I dishonour mine;
Els should the King rather haue turn'd this sword
Vpon my heart, than forst it impiously,
(Hauing done all faire seruice to his Lord,
Now to be imploy'd in this foule villany.)
Thus must we do who are inthrall'd to Kings,
Whether they will iust or vnlawfull things.
But now Parmenio; O, me thinkes I see
Thee walking in th'artificiall groue
Of pleasant Susis, when I come to thee,
And thou remembring all our ancient loue,
Hastes to imbrace me, saying, O my friend,
My deare Polidamas, welcome my friend,
Well art thou come, that we may sit and chat
Of all the old aduentures we haue run.
Tis long Polidamas since we two met,
How doth my souereigne Lord, how doth my son?
When I vile wretch, whil'st m'answere he attends,
With this hand giue the letter, this hand ends
His speaking ioy, and stabb's him to the heart.
And thus Parmenio thou rewarded art
For all thy seruice: thou that didst agree
For Alexander to kill Attalus,
For Alexander I must now kill thee.
Such are the iudgements of the heauenly pow'rs
We others ruines worke, and others ours.

Cho. P.
Why this is right, now Alexander takes
The course of pow'r; this is a Persian tricke.
This is our way, here publike triall makes
No doubtfull noise, but buries clamor quicke.

Græ.
Indeed now Persia hath no cause to rue,
For you haue vs vndone, who vndid you.