University of Virginia Library

Scen. 5.

Enter Cosma.
Cos.

Faine would I know how my ginne thriues and prospers.
Olinda is fast, and by my disamour hath quencht her loue
with death: if now Glaucilla bee taken in that snare, then am I
cunning: well may I proue a fisher, who haue tooke too maides
so soone with one selfe baite and hooke. Is not that Nomicus? I
shall learne of him. Nomicus?

Nom.

Who Cosmo?

Cos.

Why are these fishers bound?

Con.

For you.

Cos.

For mee?

Can.

I for you, had not you cus'd Glaucialla, shee had not bene
condemnd: if shee had not beene condemnd, Perindus would
not haue died for her: if he would not haue died for her, he had
not fallen from the rocke: had he not fallen from the rocke, we
had not sau'd him: if wee had not sau'd him, wee had not beene
bound: were wee not bound, wee would showe a faire payre
of heeles,

Cos.

What talks this foole? Perindus falne from the rocke!

Nom.

Hast thou not heard then of Perindus faith and fall?

Cos.

No, not a word; but faine would heare.

Nom.

And shalt: my tongue is as ready as thy eare;
Meane while leade these away, soone as Dicæus returnes, I'le
ouertake you.

Can.

I prethee Mr Priest, let mee craue one fauour; that I may
haue an Epitaph for mee in Neptunes church porch, Ile neuer
goe farther.

Nom.

Heres no time for Epitaphs, away.

Can.

Nay, tis soone done, Ile trouble neuer a poet of them all,
I haue it already.

Cancrone valorous and kind, where art thou?
Cancrone too kind and valorous to liue,
Ingulft in Cyclops guts. Readers, why start you?
His life for his master he did freely giue.
Vngratefull Sicelie that want'st his bones,
Instead of members keeping his memorie in stones.
Short and sweete, Mr Priest.

Scr.
Cancrone, this is a land voyage, you must leade the way.

Can.

But when wee saile downe the Cyclops throat, Ile giue
you the preeminence.

Exeunt.
Nom.
After that haplesse Nymph had heard her doome,
As shee was led to'th' rocke, i'th' middle way,
Perindus flying fast, calls out, Stay:
And for he thought his feete too slowly bore him,
Before he came, he sent his voyce before.
Stay, stay, Dicæus, th'art a man, I see,
And well mayst erre heauens not more pure then she.
Yet since the doome is past i'le, pawne my breath,
And make your fact losse hanious by my death:
I'le lose her life in me, and she shall spend
My life in her, so both shall better end.

Cos.
This was no ill newes to the Nymph.

Nom.
Yes, yes: then first she thought her selfe condemnd,
Death in him shee fear'd and in herselfe contemnd.
That law it selfe (says shee) should suffer death,
Which one condemnes, another punnisheth.
True, sayes Perindus, my life, my all's in thee,
When thou offendst, why shouldst thou punish me?
But briefe to giue their words in short contracted,
VVas neuer part of loue more louely acted:
Both loath to liue, and both contend to die,
VVhere onely death stroue for the victory.
Meane time I could but weepe, nor I alone,
That two such loues should die, not liue in one.

Cos.
Their spotlesse fayth's a cristall, where I see
Too late my cancred hates deformity.

Nom.
At length the law it selfe decides the strife,
That he with losse of his might buy her life.
Then and but then she, wept, and to preuent him,
Downe fell shee with a deadly looke and eye,
Acting the prologue of his tragedy,
And wak'd againe, she 'gan to chide and raue,
And vowes to liue no further then his graue;
VVhile he with cheerfull steps the rockes ascending:
Fearelesse beholds his death, that steepe descending,
And boldly standing on the vtmost browe,
Thus spake:
Poore life, I neuer knew thy worth till now,
How thou art ouer valewed to pay
Her life with thine, gold with base alcumy.

Cos.
Iust, iust, you heauens, I haue set a gin
For them, and now my selfe the first am in.

Nom.
Then turning to his loue, thus spake his last:
Farewell Glaucilla, liue and in thy brest
As in a heauen my loue and life shall rest:
Seeke not by death thy selfe from griefe to free,
Remember now Perindus liues in thee.
Cherish my heart, which in thy heart doth lye,
For whilst thou liu'st, Perindus cannot dye:
So leapt he lightly from the cloudy rocke.

Cos.
Is hee then dead?

Nom.
No: for the guilty sea
With soft embraces wrapt his limbes;
It seemes the waues moou'd with Sympathy,
Would teach vnhumane men humanity.
Though they could not preuent, would ease his fall;
And not consenting to his pious death,
Restor'd him vp againe to aire and breath:
Briefly, those two his seruants not regarding,
Dicæus threatning voyce, and iust awarding,
With him tooke vp his guilt, and to a shippe
That rides in the hauen safe conuayd him, there
They left him now reuiu'd, themselues were taken
And as the law commands, were doom'd to suffer
The death of slaues: both to be strongly bound,
And in those hils left to the greedy Cyclops:
And now the stay is onely in Dicæus,
At whose returne they suffer, iust they dye,
Who loue their master more then equity.

Cos.
O lawlesse loue! this soule offence,
Which when it prosperd, pleasd my rauish't sence:
With what a drie aspect, what horrid sight,
Now done, it fils my soule with guilty fright,
Who ere thou art, if in thy spotlesse brest,
Thy vndefiled thoughts doe quiet rest:
Wake them not, and let no blood-hound with thee dwell,
These murthering thoughts are like the mouth of hell,
Into whose yawning 'tis more easie neuer
To fall, then falne, to cease from falling euer.

Enter Pas.
Pas.
Nomicus, thou now mayst let thy prisoners free,
Thalander to Olinda now reuiu'd,
Perindus to Glaucilla are to be married,
And all are brought along with singing,
Hymen the shores, Hymen the ecchoes ringing.
Namicus, seest thou this Nymph? ah couldst thou thinke
That treason, enuy, murder, spight and hell,
All hell it selfe in such a heauen could dwell?
This is the knot of all these sorrowes; Cosma,
If not for shame, why yet for spight or fashion,
For womans fashion let some teares bee spilt:
A sea of weeping will not wash thy guilt.

Nom.
Great nature, that hast made a stone descry
Twixt meaner natures, checking baser metalls,
Which proudly counterfeit the purer gold,
Why hast thou left the soule of man no touch-stone,
To iudge dissemblance, and descry proud vice,
Which with false colours seemes more vertuous
Then vertues selfe? like to some cunning workeman,
Who frames a shape in such a forme of stature,
That oft he excells by imitating nature.
He that should looke vpon this Nymphs sweete eye,
Would vow't a temple sworne to purity.

Pas.
If murder rest in such a louely grace,
Here do I vow neuer to trust a face.
Shall I call backe your Prisoners?

Nom.
Prethee doe:
Our nets, boates, oares, and hookes shall now goe play,
For heauen hath sworne to make this holy day.