University of Virginia Library

Scœn. 3.

Phevdippe.
May then my cauterised soule forsake
The rules of nature? sanctimonious law?
Religion? or distinct humanity?
The common sparke of times morality?
Must lethargy now seize vpon my soule?
Shall my infectious humor so controule
Iudgement? so much preferre fantasticke ioy?
Giue licence to dis-loyall trechery?
Atheisme? Rebellion? blacke deformity?
O most vn-gouern'd appetite of man!
Wee may fore see what few escape, e're can.
Resolue me, Sophist, or Philosopher,
Some cunning morall disputant resolue,
If (as the people do maintaine) Gods liue,
Gods, who reuenge our close iniquity.
And search the re-cluse corners of each soule;
Why doe the Gods forbeare to punish me?
Who am as wicked as a man may be:
Why doth Olympus, or the Gods who dwell
Within that fabricke suffer smoaky hell,
Horror, impostume, prodigies, and death,
Vengeance, delay; to stop a villaines breath?
Can such a sublunary slaue as I
Out-liue two minutes longer? Thus protract
A peace-able successe, without heauens cracke?
Can omenous portent, be now asleepe,
Whilst I am waking? do the Angels keepe
No watch for Kings? then Iupiter awake,
And giue the world some notice that you take
Especiall care on Princes: ô mee thinkes
Morpheus the God of sleepe, who daily winkes,
Should leaue his drunken catalogue of dreames,
And start with repetition of extreames,
Wherewith I am infected; seas should burne,
Beares, woolues, and Lyons peace-able should turne
Into their antique affability,
And argue men of much impiety.
Now should thy thunder (loue) assaile the the fort
Of my ambitious hope, by way of sport,
Blast me with lightning, brand me full of spots;
Who haue intrench'd a garrison of plots
Against my second maker, 'gainst my King,
So credulous, so clement, so sincere,
So flexible, and gratious to me,
As I without him neuer had my name;
Hee hath endeer'd my dangerous attempt,
Is both indulgent of each true surmise,
And zealous of each tale that may arise,
Or to detect, or to oppugne my pride,
My most perfidious dealing; doth deride
All true suggestion of his Councellors,
VVho would exasperate his amity,
VVhilst I inchant his eares with flattery,
VVith meere dissimulation (Physicke Art)
My gilded dagger stabs him to the heart.
Can my streperous passion eccho forth
A sound so dismall ir-religious,
VVithout some sudden earth-quake omenous?
VVithout a clap of thunder to be-numme
My trembling ioynts, and make my language dumb?
Then Il'e inferre the masly frame of earth,
Man vniuersall, peasant, patriarch,
Grocers and great men, Kings and Copper-smiths,
Be gouern'd by the Gods, no more then sheepe,
Or Il'e depose, the Gods be all a-sleepe:
Scruple in actions doth augment the vice,
Which courage hath surnamed Cowardice.
Soone may a states-man savour of the Foole,
Who leaues his torrent for a standing-poole;
Who doth neglect his high præ-eminence
For safety of a quiet conscience.
All senior Sophists, and each puisne else
Account him wise, who's wisest for himselfe.
Yet for conceited disputation sake,
A long discourse of Honesty Il'e make,
Of times corruption will I saterize,
And with each cunning nature temporize.
Thus doth a serpent, which will satisfie
His common thirst, and Summer heat allay,
After hee is approach'd vnto the banke
Of pleasant Nilus, without much delay,
Instinct doth teach him to dis-gorge the bagge
Of poyson, kept in his pernitious iaw,
Till hee hath tasted the resulting waue;
Then readily lickes vp the viscous gall
Which hee by nature did e-vacuate,
And so remaines his body temperate,
His poyson (though suspended) virulent.
So when wee craftie fellowes (for attempt)
By sudden motiues do remember wayes
Which men more honest, name Legitimate,
Or by conuerse, if wee shall tempted be,
To shew the bent of our affections, wee
Doe like the thirsty snake, renounce our Saint,
(Accounted sinne) which re-assume wee will;
So re-assumption makes the Serpent still:
If my designes incurre discouery,
I then admit, the King is mercifull,
And hee a milke-sop is, (wee may resolue)
Can feare, if Kings bee ready to absolue:
Noble attempts beget experience,
Re-publiques purchase mundane pollicy
Through obseruation; my successe will bring
Plenty of knowledge: errors difficult
Daily in-gender rationall discusse,
Which by events doe sweepe away the sinke
Or muddy oppilation of our sence,
Originall of knowledge is offence:
I therefore thus imbarqu'd for enterprise,
May win a double stake, learne wit, and rise.