 | The Prisoners |  |
Scena Tertia.
Enter three slaves.Storme
Slaves.
The Gods protect us and with all this judgement.
Enter Gallippus.
Gall.
Hence yee dogges leave your howlings, death!
Have we liv'd as if we hop'd for mercy, or
Expected protection from our prayers be gone
And endeavour: Every wise man rules
His starres, and may deferre that fate which Prayer
Cannot alter, see if I have not lost
Sheele founder through the slaves negligence.
Sla.
Why should we labour against heaven
That has decreed our losse, there's no hope
We'are all lost, the Sea alreadie's our grave.
Gall.
Villaine thou shalt not dye by water, Ile bee thy fate.
He stabs the Slave.
And yours if yee stay
Exeunt Slaves.
Enter Zenon and Lutanthe.
Zen.
See if the storme has not wrought in her element
Of water too, and blowne it in teares
From her eyes.
Gall.
Would it had blowne the fire thence too,
The earthly part would not wound me, my danger
And their beautie in those active elements lye
For in her living Iet fire beares sway.
Zen.
I will watch him.
Steps aside.
Gall.
Will you yet grant my suite and yeeld me love,
Or must I follow the example of the Gods,
And in a storme compasse my will? Say
Will you give, or shall I force?
Luc.
Is this a time for love, when the raging storme
Drownes thy words? Oh thou abused power!
Who thus enrag'd pursues us ev'n to the last
Of all our name, and for abus'd sacrifice
Will the Priest in judgement offer.
If thou hast decreed my fall tak't while I am fit
For sacrifice, while I'me pure and my virgin Snow
Vnsoyl'd, and protect me from this Ravisher
Whose impious heate burnes his hated breast
Ev'n in the bosome of the Sea.
Gall.
Cease to curse and yeeld me love, thou see'st
Of our danger, which my love will not give
Me leave to feare, thoughts of that take up
All the roome here, that care of my selfe
Cannot get in, Nor is this storme so dangrous,
You're unacquainted, else youl'd finde it but noyse
And not apprehend it.
Lucan.
Away, unhand me.
He offers to take hold of her.
Gall.
To me tis no new things to see the Elements
At warre, and strive againe to runne to Chaos
Thousands of times have I naked stood the rage,
When th'Element of fire has shot his angry flames
Into the yeelding maine, as if he had meant
To wound her god with his fork'd lightning,
This I have seene and felt the mischiefes
The unruly windes beget when they breake prison
And force from the torne entrance of the earth,
A dang'rous birth.
Luc.
O impious man! hast thou seene their power,
And felt their mercy, and dost slight it?
Gall.
Slight it, no, nor feare it: I have seene
A hideous storme grow from his nothing, and
Look'd on Sea, heard the false winds whisper to her
Till their flatteries have wrought into her bosome,
And there fil'd with ambition the covetous Element
That would aspire at heaven, discovering
E'en to the eyes of men the secrets of
Her wombe, This I have seene and these dangers
Wrought through, Nor wil I beleeve any thing
Can save me when I cannot save my selfe.
Will you yeeld?
Luc.
Oh strange daring! quench his sawcy flames, or adde.
Foole and villaine I never met before:
Though wise and wicked soldome joyne do'st tempt
Me now with all my feares about me?
If I were a common prostitute that were
Acquainted with sinne; I durst not when Thunder speakes.
Listen to thee, thy wickednesse
Shakes even my reason; rather fall upon thy knees
And no longer tempt the Gods to our destruction.
Gall.
Away I'me deafe.
Lucan.
Villaine wilt thou sinne, while
His plagues hang over thee? And adde to thy faults
While he is punishing? O yee winds take my teares
Vpon your wings, and through this storme convey
'Vm to that youth, whose honour tooke me even
I'th midst of my dangers, And
Tell his faith unfortunately hath betrayd
Me to this misery.
Gall.
Hah! is there another that you love?
Nay then the earth shall not save thee.
Enter Zenon.
Zen.
But it shall. Veere more sheate!
Hale tacke aboard; Who's at helme? Master!
Set a yare man to the helme, Thus, thus.
Hel.
Done 'tis.
Zen.
No more.
Gall.
Hell take thee for thy interruption.
Exit Lucanthe.
Zen.
Lower your maine saile, 'twas your fault
We lac'd onr bonnet too; full, full.
Hel.
Done 'tis.
Mast.
Strike our foresaile, heer's a gust will beare
Gall.
How now Master is she tight?
Mast.
No a pox upon her for a whore she leakes
But we have girt her; port port hard
Helme.
Done, done 'tis.
Zen.
Who keepes the lead there?
Within.
O dem a deepe fifteene fathome and a halfe O,
Gall.
Where's the wind?
Zen.
North-East.
Mast.
What ground ha'yee?
Within.
Corrall.
Mast.
Hell and confusion! Corrall? Luff, luff hard;
Veare tacke and hale your sheate abord, Boatswaine.
Brace your Foresaile, bring her ith wind,
Be yare mates, clap helpe a lee, bring her
Whistles.
Vpon her stayes: Hell and confusion!
We are upon the rockes of Asilara.
Zen.
Keepe the Lead going.
Exit Zenon and Master.
Gall.
What's my fate, is my fate, and it may conquer
Groning within.
But I'le never yeeld too't, nor sinke while
These Oares can beare me through.
| The Prisoners | |