University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Enter Montsurry dragging in Tamira with hair dishevel'd after them Teresia.
Tam.
Oh! do not kill me Husband.

Mont.
Cease to be Obstinate, and I may find my Temper:
Will you write?

Ter.
For Heavens sake, my Lord, be not so Cruel.

Mont.
Oh! trouble not your Charity with my Cruelty,
This course I must take for my Honours sake,
Till she obeys, and faithfully discloses
Who was the secret Manager of this matter.

Ter.
Oh! 'tis a horrid work to pursue those Secrets;
More Mischiefs may arise from such curs'd Knowledge:
Nor is't a Path for Christian Feet to tread;
But out of all way to the Health of Souls;
A Sin impossible to be forgiven.
My Lord, you will be Damn'd if you proceed.

Mont.
Reverend Religion, prithe hold thy peace,
And tell not me of Damning; get thee gone,
For fear my Passion should forget thy Age.
Away, I say, I shall not break the limits of a Man,
Till she turn to a Devil.

Tam.
Be gone, good Governess, my Lord will hear me.

Ter.
Well, Heaven inspire ye both, I'll go and pray for ye.
[Exit Ter.

Mont.
Who shall remove this Mountain from my Breast
[Mont. locks the door.
Or stand the opening Furnace of my Thoughts,
Or lend fit Outcries for a Soul in Hell;
For nothing now is fit to speak my Griefs
But Thunder, were the Wind blown from my Throat,
Loud as the Trump of Heaven, whose Sacred Blast
Must unite moulder'd Earth, and wake the Dead,
I could not vent enough my Horrid Woes.

Tam.
My Lord, my Fault, perhaps, as you are told it
With too strong Arguments, is past your pardon;
But how the Circumstances may excuse me,
May yet appear, and my true Penitence
Hereafter, move your Pity.

Mont.
Hereafter! 'tis a suppos'd Infinite,
That from this Point will rise Eternally,
When a feign'd Vertue is discover'd Vice.
Excuses, Damn her! they, like Fires in Cities,
Enrage with those Winds that less Lights extinguish.
Sing, Syren, Sing, and dash against my Rock,
[Pulls her by the hair.
Thy Ruffian Gally burnt with flaming Lust.
Sing, I mean write, and then take from my Eyes,
The Mists that hide the most instructable Pander
That ever lap'd up an Adulterous Vomit,
That I may see the Devil and Survive,
That I may hang him, and then cut him down,
Then Rip him up, and with true Cunning search
The Cells and Cabins of his Brain and Study,
Like him the Wilderness of a Womans Heart,
Where half the World that venture in are lost.
Oh! wretched Man, that still will haunt the Coast
Of Fatal Marriage, and hunt the dear-bought Game,
Till he does find within his Wives two Breasts,
All Pelion and Cythæron with their Beasts,
Will ye write yet—

[Dragging her.
Tam.
Oh! let me not, Dear Lord,
In lieu of my great Faults Ingender greater,
And make the suppos'd Breach of Vows cause Murder.

Mont.
It follows needfully, as Child and Parent,
The Chain-shot of thy Vice is still aloft,
And it must Murder, 'tis thy own dear Twin,
None e'er could add height to a Womans Sin.

Tam.
Why did you Marry me?

Mont.
Controling Fate design'd it for my Curse.

Tam.
Your Griefs were small, 'tis I have felt the worst.

Mont.
I thought your Heart my own, and wish'd no more.

Tam.
My Heart, alas, 'twas given long, long before.

Mont.
The greater still thy Mischief—will you write?
For it must be, or by this Fatal Steel,
That here shall do me Justice, and the Rage
Thy Obstinacy breeds within my Bosom,
I'll be a Year a killing thee.

Tam.
Oh! enjoyn my Sin,
A worser Pennance and I'll bear it patiently;
Hide in some gloomy Dungeon my loath'd Face,
And let Condemned Murderers let me down,
Stopping their Noses my Abhorred Food;
Hang me in Chains, and let me eat their Arms
That have offended; bind me Face to Face
To some Dead Body, taken from the Cart
Of Execution, till Death and Time
To grains of Dust dissolve me;
Or any Torture that your worst Invention
Can fright all Pity from the World withall;
But to betray a Friend with show of Friendship,
Is such a baseness I can ne'er consent to:
Be Cruel as you please, here are my Breasts,
Last night your Pillows, here my wreathed Arms,
Lately the dear lov'd Confines of your Life,
Now use 'em as you please—

Mont.
Oh! do not touch me, they have now no Charm,
Thy Arms have lost their Priviledge by Lust,
And in their Torture thus, thus, they must pay it

[wounds her.
Tam.
Oh! Heaven—

Mont.
Till thou writest
I'll write in wounds my wrongs fit Characters.
Will ye yet do't?—

[Wounds her again.
Tam.
Oh kill me! kill me!
Dear Husband, be not Crueller than Death;
You have beheld some Gorgon, feel, Oh feel!
How you are turn'd to Stone with my Hearts Blood;
Dissolve your self again, or you will grow
Into the Image of all Tyranny.

Mont.
As thou art of Adultery, I will ever
Prove thee my Parollel, being most a Monster;
Thus I express thee—

[Wounds her again.
Tam.
Oh! who is turn'd into my Lord, my Husband,
Or have I none? Oh! will this Dreadful Vision
Last then for ever? Help me, ye Powers above,
And pitying Saints, help me, Oh! help me Husband.

Mont.
VVrite, or I'll be more Cruel in thy Death
Than Tyranny can utter—

[Ragingly.
Teresia ascends from the Vault.
Ter.
Save, Save her Life, and take the Fatal Secret.

Mon.
Hah! Ghosts and Goblins;
If thou art Air my Dagger cannot hurt thee.

[Stabs Ter.
Tam.
Oh! what have you done?

Mont.
I know not, killed the Devil I think—Hah—
VVhat's here, th'old Governess?

Tam.
The same, the same—

Mont.
Author of Prodigies;
A Thunder-bolt breaks from the Firmament,
And Plows up Counsels never known before:
Now is it true, Earth moves and Heaven stands stands still,
And the whole Course of Nature is disorder'd;
VVas this the way, was she the Imp between ye?

Tam.
She was, she was, kind faithful wretch, she was.

Mont.
VVhy well said Sanctity, I'm undeceiv'd
By this, in what I never had believ'd;
This Praying Saint, that talk'd of nought but God,
I'th'midst of strong Devotion was a Bawd;
They're all, they're all just so, the VVeed Hypocrisie,
Spreads over all the Earth, and Buds and Blossoms;
'Tis Rank, 'tis Rank; come, come, will you write now?

Tam.
Oh mighty Love! whilst I had strength to bear,
I have oppos'd, but now my Fainting Spirits
Yield up their Powers; I will write my Lord,
But it shall be in Blood, that he may see
The Lines came from my wounds, and not from me.

[Writes.
Mont.
Since it is so, why will the Priests take pains
To tell us of Rewards for being Good;
Since Vice is Sickness Epidemical,
And curs'd Hypocrisie swayes Humane Nature;
Since no one can be Just, nor so rewarded,
There's no such thing as Justice or Reward.

[He reads her writing.
Tam.
Oh my hard Fate!—

Mont.
'Tis well, and now Charlott shall be the Messenger,
I'll to her straight, and court her with a Bribe;
Come Grannum, you must lye a while conceal'd
In this dark Cave, wherein I'll enter too,
To see the Hellish Cavern; methinks the odd Adventure
Revives, and teaches me no more to Mourn.

Tam.
And me to curse the Hour that I was born.

SCENE II.

Enter d' Ambois, and Magician.
Mag.
Since long you have Intrusted to my Care,
A Secret of such weighty Consequence;
I will at your Request unfold my Art,
And leave no point, to help you in distress.

Bus.
Thanks, Honour'd Father, Oh! if I were alone,
The Mark at which the Fates intend to shoot,
I would not trouble Art, to give fore-knowledg;
But, 'tis alas! for safety of my Love.
My dear Tamira, that I seek this Secret,
And therefore do Implore your choicest Skill,
To show the Plots of subtle Guise and Monsieur.

Mag.
Sit down, be silent, and what ere you see,
Still keep your place.

Bus.
Proceed then, I am ready,

Sits down.
Sings.

Occidentalium Legionum Spiritualium Imperator, per Stygijs Insurut abillia Areana,
Adesto O Behemeth, veni, per Noctis & Tenebrarum Abdita profundissima,
per Labentia Sydera per ipsos motus horarum furtivos Hecatesque altum Silentium,
Apare in forma Spirituali, Lusente Splendida, & Ambili.

Thunder and Ligtning.
[d' Ambois falls Asleep, Behemeth assends and Sings, then appears in a Dance Spirits, Representing the manner of d' Ambois's Murder and Exeunt.]
d' Ambois Awakes.
Bus.
My Spirits are Exhal'd, the Air's so hot,
As there had been a hellish Legion here;
Speak Father, speak my Fate, I am prepar'd.

Mag.
Oh! thou great Prince of Shades, where never Sun
Strikes his farr darted Beams, whose Eyes are made
To shine in Darkness, and see ever best,
Where Men are Blindest, open now my Breast,
And let my Tongue, Interpret what was shown.

Bus.
What will befall me, and my dearest Mistriss?

Mag.
When ere thou seest her Face next, thou shalt dye,

Bus.
Oh! Cruel Destiny, that I must dye?
By what gives Light, and Life to all the World,
But say then barbarous Oracle, is there then
No way left to prevent it?

Mag.
There is none,

Bus.
Who is it can hinder such a Grace?

Mag.
Fate and its cruel Ministers;

Bus.
Who are Fates Ministers?

Mag.
The Guise and Monsieur.

Bus.
A fit pair of Shears
To Cut the Threads of Kings and Kingly Spirits.

Mag.
Yet 'tis decreed, that Sword, Poyson, nor Dagger
Shall never hurt thee, but still thou art not safe;
I am control'd, and dare disclose no more, farewell.
[Exit. Mag.

Bus.
Nor Steel, nor Poyson, What then can I fear?
My Mistrisses Face, where Beauty lies and Smiles,
A Thousand Thousand Charms to chear my Vallour;
Pish these are Dreams, and this Old doting Wizard,
Not knowing with what Purity she Loves,
Believes that she'll be Treacherous and kill me;
Who's this?

Enter Charlot with a Letter.
Char.
I hope my Business with your Lordship,
May well Excuse th'Intrusion;

Bus.
I guess from whom, but how came you the Messenger?

Char.
The Governess has catch'd cold, my Lord, the rest
You'l know by the Contents.

Bus.
What Writ in Blood?

Char.
Yes, 'tis the Ink of Lovers?

Bus.
Oh! 'Tis a Sacred witness of her Truth,
So much Elixir of her Blood as this,
Would make a being and Regenerate Death:
Oh! How it Multiplies my Blood with Spirits,
And makes me fit t'Incounter Fate and Hell;
Away dear Creature, be my happy Guide,
And on the Wings of Love, let me fly to her.

[Exeunt

SCENE III.

Enter Monsieur, Guise, Montsurry, and Murderers.
Mont.
Charlot by this time must be coming back,
Are ye all Armed and Ready?

Murd.
All, all my Lord,

Guise.
Speed us then Vengeance;

Mont.
Resolve my Masters, you will meet with one,
Will try what Proof your privy Coats are made on,
But let not that defer your promis'd Action,
But when he's Enter'd, and you hear the Sign,
Approach, and make all sure.

Murd.
Ne'er doubt, my Lord, we'l make him tame enough;

Mont.
And now upon my Sweet Revenge, I'll Feast
Love like a Razor Cleanses being well us'd,
But fetches Blood still, being least abus'd.

[Exeunt.
Enter Tamira.
Tam.
When will my Mortal Griefs be at their height,
And Time assure a Period to my Sorrows.
Oh! Who can look upon this Stage of Fate,
VVhere my dear Bussy must be Sacrific'd,
VVithout Convulsions of Heart-killing VVoes;
Have I a Heart, and can I see his Bleed,
Have I a Soul, and can I fail to hinder
This Dam'd Design; VVhat a weak helpless thing
Is wreatched VVoman; all our Powers to Live,
Is given to no End, but t' have Power to Grieve.
He Comes, he Comes, the precious Victim Comes,
And I alas! have nothing but this Dagger left,
And my weak Cries to help him, or my self.
[Shows a Dagger.
d' Ambois and Charlot, Assend from the Vault.
Away, Away my Love, thou wilt be Murder'd.

Bus.
Murder'd, I know not what that Hebrew means,
There had been no such word were all like d' Ambois.

Tam.
The Letter sent, was forc'd, that wicked Trait'ress,
Brib'd by my Lord, betrays thee to thy Death.

Bus.
Betray'd to Death;
Out Stinking Taper, thou shalt never see it;
VVhere are these Bravo's, hah! by Heaven.
[Kills Charlot.
He is my Murderer that shows me not a Murderer;
'Tis a word the Noble Heart of Vallour does Abhor,
Murder'd, who dares in all the Space I see,
Come in my Reach, or look with Equal force
My Rage in the Face, upon whose Hand sits Death,
VVhose Sword has VVings, and every Feather pierces;
If I escape Monsieurs Pothecarys Shops,
Foutir for Guises Shambles, 'twas ill Plotted;
They should have Mawl'd me here
VVhen I was Rising, I am up and ready,
Let in my Politick Visitants, let 'em in,
Fate is more strong than Arms, more fierce than Treason,
And I at all Points, Arm'd by Love and Courage.

Enter Monsieur, and Guise Disguis'd, and Murderers.
[They all fall upon d' Ambois, who kills some, and beats out the rest, all but Monsieur and Guise.]
Mont.
Come all at once.

Tam.
Oh! Cowards, barbarous Villains?

Guise.
Come not they on,

Bus.
No Slaves, nor go off;
I'll see what Heroes Masque there in Disguises.

Mon.
Death we are finely snap'd.

[Fights with Guise and Mon.
Bus.
Stand ye so firm, will it not Enter here,
You have an Eye left still.

[Disarms Monsieur, and gets the better of Guise, when Three or Four Attack him behind, whom he Kills, Monsieur and Guise Escape out.]
Bus.
Chear up my Love, see I am Heart-hole still;
Thou art my Buckler, and I fear no Numbers.

Tam.
Oh! Shame of Honour in the Guise
[Embrasing her.
And Monsieur.

Bus.
VVhich were they?

Tam.
Those in Disguise my Lord, that just went off.

Bus.
Oh! Curs'd, Curs'd, Fate, had I but known the Fiends,
Not all the Powers of Heaven and Earth had sav'd 'em;
But where's this Angry Count, Come forth my Lord,
And shew your own Face in your own Affair;
Take not into your Noble Veins, the Blood
Of these base Villains, nor the light reports
Of blister'd Tongues, for clear and weighty Truths,
But Come and Charge me here, who will defend
VVith my last drop of Blood, your wrong'd Lady,
Against the VVorld; And to whose Injur'd Fame,
I stand here as a Bulwork, and proclaim
Long Life to her Renown, that ever yet
Has been untainted even in Envies Eyes.
Come forth, for shame, and keep your Fear from knowledge;
'Tis not my fault if you don't clear your Blot,
Nor Revenge yours, if you perform it not.

Enter Montsurry.
Mont.
Twelve Villains and afraid t'attack one Fury;
Since then thou art a Devil, I will try
If I can Conjure thee.

[They fight, and d'Ambois has Mont. down.
Bus.
That's bravely said—

Tam.
Oh! save my Lord, my Love, for my sake,
Save him.

Bus.
I will not touch him, take your Life, my Lord,
And be appeas'd:
[They rush out behind him, and with [Pistols shoot him; he falls.
Ah! then the Coward Fates
Have Maim'd themselves, and ever lost their Honours.

Tam.
Oh! Bloody, Cruel Men, what have you done?

Bus.
The Chance is thrown, and the Old Wizzards Riddle,
That told I should be safe from Sword, Drug, Dagger,
Is now resolv'd, yet shall my Fame Survive
The Date of time, and 'tis enough for me,
That Guise and Monsieur's Death and Destiny,
Come behind d'Ambois; is my Body then
But penetrable Stuff, and must my mind
Follow my Blood; can my Divine part add
No Aid to th'Earthly in Extremity.
Oh! for one pretious hour of spritely Life,
To kill these Foxes I so oft have Earth'd
And I will give my Soul up with a Smile;
But Fate has bound me fast, turn then to Heaven,
And like a Man look upwards even in Death;
And if Vespatian thought in Majesty,
An Emperor might dye standing, why not I?
Nay without help, in which I will exceed him;
Prop me, true Sword, as thou hast ever done.
[Gets up.
The Equal thought I bear of Life and Death,
Shall let me Faint on no side, I am up,
Here like a Roman Statue I will stand,
Till Death has made me Marble.

Guise.
Since nothing, but your Death would build our Peace,
'Twill now show Noble in ye to forgive.

Bus.
I do, and on predestinated Fate,
Throw all your Ills into't with Charms of Spirit:
And now, my Lord, let this my weighty Blood,
[To Mont.
Laid in one Scale of your more partial Spleen,
O'ersway my late unwarrantable Love
VVeigh'd in the other, and be reconcil'd
VVith all Remorse to your unhappy Lady.

Tam.
Oh! pardon me, dear Sir, and this base Hand
That train'd your Life to this unhappy end;
The Blood that stain'd that most accursed Paper,
In which I writ the Summons of your Death,
VVas all forc'd from me, from this bleeding wound;
From this here in my Bosom, and from this
That makes me hold up both my hands embrewed
Thus for your pardon.

Burs.
Oh! my Heart is broken:
Fate nor these Murderers, Monsieur nor the Guise,
Have any Triumph in my Death but this;
This killing Spectacle, this Prodigy;
Oh! Frail Condition of Strength, Valour, Vertue;
Oh! that my Eyes could prove two Basilisks,
And dart into your Breasts my Fatal Vengeance;
Ye barbarous Tygers, by my hopes of Heaven,
For that one Moment I'd forego my Peace.
All Heroes then I should in Death out-do,
And purchase-Heaven my self for Damning you.

[Dyes.
Tam.
Farewel, Dear Reliques of the bravest Man
That ever trod upon this Globe of Misery,
Thou art at Peace, nor will I long be from thee;
As in a Glass let Cruel Parents see,
The Consequence of parting Souls by me:
Oh! had their Lenity first given my Hand,
Where first my Heart was given. this Fatal hour
Had never been, my Fame had been unspotted;
My Husband not deceiv'd, nor I undone;
But Fate has emptied all her Store of Darts,
Destroy'd a perfect Love, and broke both Hearts.

Mont.
Come, let's away, my Senses are not proof
Against her Moans.

Guise.
Forgive her, good my Lord, since your Revenge
Has wip'd out all Offences, 'twill be Manly
To suffer Reconcilement.

Mons.
Death has atton'd for Reputation lost,
And now she's clear again.

Mont.
I do forgive her, and do ask her Pardon
For my late passionate and unmanly Riggor;
I wish too that we could be reconcil'd,
But Honour bars all further Conversation,
For as this Taper, tho it upwards look,
Downwards must needs Consume, so must our Love;
Or as when first the Flame looks spritely upwards,
It keeps its Luster, but being thus turn'd down,
Its natural Course of useful light inverted,
Its own Stuff puts it out, so must our Love;
Turn then from me, as here I turn from thee,
And may both Points of th'Worlds great Axis be,
Conjoyn'd in one before thy self and me.

Tam.
Stay yet a Minute longer, stay my Lord,
There's something to be done for both our Honours;
My Niggard Parents gave my Hand to you,
But Ah my Heart was still another's due;
A Love so perfect gain'd, I had not skill,
Tho much I strove to overcome my Will:
Now then, to give you liberty to fly
From your loath'd Yoke, I thus the Knot unty;
[Stobs her self.
From all the Marriage Plagues my self I free,
And uncontrol'd return, Dear Love, to thee.

[Dies.
Mons.
Curs'd Resolution—

Guise.
Wrest the Dagger from her.

Mont.
'Tis too late, she's gone, she's gone for ever,
And I distracted with the unlucky Chance;
What's to be done? Fate rains too fast upon us,
'Tis time now to seek Shelter.

Mons.
Let's retire
From this ill-fated place to Consultation,
For all our Powers and Friends are yet too few
To stand the dreadful Shock of Henry's Anger,
When he shall hear his Eagle is destroy'd:
Let us then make a strong and solemn Vow,
To stand together with our Lives and Fortunes,
And vouch his Fall to be th'Effect of Chance.
Thus far we prove, and 'tis a Maxim strong,
No Favourite liv'd Happy that liv'd long.