 | Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie |  |
Scœn. 1.
Menander, Laelio, Milites.
The Mountaine ecchoes they shall catch his name
And euery nooke re-iterate the same;
For I will teach the night-rauen to repeat
His pensiue sound, the sleepy owle shall sing
And happy newes of lost Pheudippe bring:
Awake dumbe Ghost, Pheudippe, friend awake
And now repaire thy old mansion-place;
Returne Pheudippe but a while returne
And truly answere to my iust demand
I will resigne a Kingdome to thy hand.
Hearke you mad furies of eternall nighr:
Boats-man of Stix, by burning Phlegeton
Secluded Angels, and superiour aide
I doe con-iure you to direct his soule
Ah Charon, Charon, prethee Boats-man bring
His errant shadow to the place of rest,
And Charon I will Canonize thy name
Giue thee a Queene to sleepe in thy cold armes,
To kindle moisture in thy rugged limbes
And make thy waftage easy with her hymnes:
Bring but the soule of that ignoble man
To aske forgiuensse, and I will forgiue.
A foolish hope! (heau'n knowes) for hee indeed
Hee hath a haughty stomach full of rage
Swolne-big with pride, begot of too much loue,
And my familiar vsage makes him thinke
(The more fault's mine) hee should not now submit.
Lae.
O sir the finall stab of mischiefes end
Hath strucke him dead; hee cannot now amend.
Me.
No! 'tis a language difficult to learne
Though rules be frequent in our mother-tongue.
O that a lesson of one word; not two,
Should aske a life to learne, an age to do?
Yes; though Pheudippes age had beene defer'd
Till a consumption of the Vniuerse
In hope of his amendment, I beleeue
Hee would haue purchas'd immortality
Through vice and vitious acts.
Lae.
Damnation claps,
Gaping for custome at mans new relaps.
Me.
Right: Can the earth yeeld such a faithles man
As false Pheudidippe?
Lae.
O damnation laughs
And winged mischeife claps her dusky plumes,
If proud ambition great mens hope consumes.
Me.
What a continuall clapping is there then?
For daily hope consumes the greatest men:
I doe appeale to dead Pheudippes shame
Thou terrour to my sence, a prodigy
Of all remembrance neuer to be match'd
With any Ghost or man except thy selfe:
Who through abortiue hope didst match thy selfe:
Who Don Pheudippe cleaped was by name.
Know (gallant sir) I did repose my life
Vpon the friend-ship of that foolish man;
Hee kept my soule betweene his Tyrant's armes
Nay (let mee adde) the value of my Crowne,
(For which some Kings would eu'n exchange their soule)
Hee kept both Soule and Crowne betwixt his armes,
Yet both lay open to excessiue harmes:
O if I had election to dispend
My fauour vpon such a Rogue as hee
But once, once more; I'de locke my counsell vp
And keepe my bosome secrets to my selfe.
Lae.
Kings may indeed depriue their Senate-house
Of some pretence, and may (let others prate)
Conceale affaires belonging to the State.
Me.
If hell affoorded such a menstruous ragge
I'de re-conclile the error of my sence;
But, now may reckon vp some woe-full verse
For solid passion Poets best reherse.
Lae.
A Poets rapture Kings haue wish'd to feele
Which some despise because vncapable.
Me.
The Muses make my braine their banquet-house,
And thus with Lucan will wee frame our song
Of dreaded horror, whose in-human rage
Blew dire-full tempest through the Tharsall plaine
Of lawes neglected, and a stubborne age
Whose bloud & black-deeds did their country staine
Of ciuill discord, and a haplesse breach
In Kingdomes couenant, which did sore impeach
The worlds whole Confines, and their Publicke-weale
Wee sing, and sternely treat how euery deale
Standards met Standards, Ensignes were a-like,
Bowes threatned Bowes, and nimble speares the Pike.
(Romans) what madnesse may wee terme this strife?
Be your owne blades let loose, against your life?
That Nations farre remote should see and smile
And must your hot encounters carlesse boyle,
When Babylon should perish in the spoyle
Of her victorious Trophies? when the Ghost
Of vnreuenged Crassus heere stood toss'd
Aboue ground? then must war-like humors breath
Which wanting triumph, want a worthy wreath.
O and alas! what Kingdomes, what renowne
This bloud might haue obtain'd? some temptiue Crowne,
Where beautious Titan sleepes, and heauy night
Exempts the ioyfull harbengers of light:
Else where the sweltring noone-day scalds with heate,
Else where continuall Winter takes her seate:
Where Scythicke Pontus pierc'd with crazy cold
Lyes bed-red on a cripple corner-moul'd,
Ceres might conquer'd beene, Araxes yoak'd
Had not domesticke warre such broiles prouok'd.
If (Rome) thy battailes thou esteeme such blisse
Subdue all Kings, then were it not amisse
To combat with thy selfe; meane while breake of,
For multitude of foes may freely scoffe.
Om.
Our King hath tasted iuice of Helicon.
Me.
Tasted? no foole, the Muses do entraunse
My deere imagination, I will swim
Through each sweete streame of rauish'd eloquence
Of Passion, Satyre, AEglogue, Epigram
Of Sonets, Imprecations, Epitaphes,
And by them all admonish Mighty Kings
To keepe their bosome lockt; for friendship stings.
| Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie | |