University of Virginia Library

Actus Primi.

Scena prima.

Syphax and Vangue.
Sy:
Syphax, Syphax, why wast thou cursd a King?
What angry God made thee so great, so vile?
Contemd, disgraced, thinke, wert thou a slaue
Though Sophonisba did reiect thy loue
Thy low neglected head vnpointed at
Thy shame vnrumord and thy sute vnskoffd
Might yet rest quiet: Reputation
Thou awe of fooles and greatmen: thou that choakst
Freest addictions, and makst mortals sweat
Bloud and cold drops in feare to loose, or hope
To gaine thy neuer certaine seldome worthy gracings,
Reputation!
Wert not for thee Syphax could beare this skorne
Not spouting vp his gall among his bloud
In blacke vexations: Massinissa might
Inioy the sweets of his preferred graces
Without my dangerous Enuy or Reuenge
Wert not for thy affliction all might sleepe
In sweete obliuion: But (O greatnes skourge!)
We cannot without Enuie keepe high name
Nor yet disgrac'd can haue a quiet shame.

Va.
Scipio:—

Sy.
Some light in depth of hell: Vangue what hope?

Va.
I haue receaud assur'd intelligence
That Scipio Romes sole hope hath raisd vp men
Drawne troupes together for inuasion—

Sy.
Of this same Carthage.

Va.
With this pollicie
To force wild Hannibal from Italy—

Sy.
And draw the war to Affricke.

Va.
Right.

Sy.
And strike
This secure countrey with vnthought of armes

Va.
My letters beare he is departed Rome
Directly setting course and sayling vp.—

Sy.

Ua:
Wronge?

Sy.
I, tho twere not, yet knowe while Kings are stronge
What thei'le but thinke and not what is, is wrong
I am disgrac'd in, and by that which hath
No reason. Loue, and Woman, my reuenge
Shall therefore beare no argument of right
Passion is Reason when it speakes from Might
I tell thee, man, nor Kings, nor Gods exempt
But they grow pale if once they find Contempt: haste.

Exeunt.

Scena Secunda.

Enter, Arcathia, Nycea with Tapers Sophonisba in her night attyre followed by Zanthia.
So.
Watch at the dors: and till we be repos'd
Let no one enter: Zanthia vndoe me.

Za.
With this motto vnder your girdle
You had bin vndone if you had not bin vndone humblest seruice.

So.
I wonder Zanthia why the custome is
To vse such Ceremonie such strict shape
About vs women: forsooth the Bride must steale
Before her Lord to bed: and then delaies
Long expectations all against knowne wishes
I hate these figures in locution
These about phrases forc'd by ceremonie
We must still seeme to flie what we most seeke
And hide our selues from that we faine would find vs
Let those that thinke and speake and doe iust actes
Know forme can giue no vertue to their actes
Nor detract vice.

Za.
'las faire Princes, those that are strongly form'd
And truely shapt may naked walke, but we
We things cal'd women, onely made for show
And pleasure, created to beare children
And play at shuttle-coke, we imperfect mixtures
without respectiue ceremonie us'd
And euer complement, alas what are we?
Take from vs formall custome and the curtesies
Which ciuill fashion hath still vs'd to vs
We fall to all contempt, O women how much
How much are you beholding to Ceremony,

So.
You are familiar. Zanthia my shooe,

Za.
Ti's wonder Madam you treade not awry.

So.
Your reason Zanthia.

Za.
You goe every high.

So.
Harke, Musicke, Musicke.

The Ladies lay the Princes in a faire bed, and close the curtaines whil'st Massinissa Enters.
Ni.
The Bridgrome.

Arca.
The Bridgrome

So.
Hast good Zanthia, helpe, keepe yet the dores

Za.
Faire fall you Lady, so, admit admit.

Enter Foure boyes antiquely attiered with bows and quiuers dauncing to the Cornets, a phantastique measure, Massinissa in his night gowne led by Asdruball and Hanno followed by Bytheas and Iugurth, the boyes draw the Curtaines discouering Sophonisba to whom Massinissa speakes.
Ma.
You powers of ioy: Gods of a happie bed
Show you are pleas'd, sister and wife of Ioue
High fronted Iuno and thou Carthage Patron
Smoth chind Appollo, both giue modest heat
And temperat graces.

Mass. drawes a white ribbon forth of the bed as from the waste of Sopho.
Mas.
Loe I vnloose thy waste
She that is iust in loue is Godlike chaste:

Io to Hymen.
Chorus with cornets, Organ, and voices. Io to Hymen.
So.
A modest silence tho'te be thought
A virgins beautie and hir highest honor
Though bashfull fainings nicely wrought
Grace hir that vertue takes not in, but on hir
What I dare thinke I boldly speake
After my word my well bold action rusheth
In open flame then passion breake
Where Vertue prompts, thought word, act neuer blusheth,
Reuenging Gods whose Marble hands
Crush faithlesse men with a confounding terror
Giue me no mercy if these bands
I couet not with an vnfained feruor
Which zealous vow when ought can force me t'lame
Load with that plague Atlas would groane at, shame.

Io to Himē.
Chorus.
Io to Hymen.
Asdru.
Liue both high parents of so happy birth
Your stemms may touch the skies and shaddow earth
Most great in fame more great in vertue shining
Prosper O powers a iust, a strong diuining.

Io to Hymen.
Chorus.
Io to Hymen.
Enter Carthalo his sword drawne, his body wounded, his shield strucke full of darts: Massin. being reddy for bedde.
Car.
To bold harts Fortune, be not you amazd
Carthage O Carthage: be not you amazd.

Ma.
Ioue made vs not to feare, resolue, speake out
The highest misery of man is doubt: Speake Carthalo.

Car.
The stooping Sun like to some weaker Prince
Let his shads spread to an vnnaturall hugenesse
When we the campe that lay at Vtica
From Carthage distant but fiue easie leagues
Discride from of the watch three hundred saile
Vpon whose tops the Roman Eagles streachd
Their large spread winges, which fan'd the euening ayre
To vs cold breath, for well we might discerne
Rome swam to Carthage.

Asd.
Hanniball our ancor is come backe, thy slight
Thy Stratagem to lead warre vnto Rome
To quite ourselues, hath taught now desperat Rome
T'assaile our Carthage, Now the warre is here.

Ma.
He is nor blessd nor honest that can feare.

Ha.
I but to cast the worst of our distresse.—

Ma.
To doubt of what shall be is wretchednesse
Desier, Feare, and Hope, receaue no bond
By whom, we in our selues are neuer but beyond.

On.
Car.
Th'allarum beates necessitie of fight
Th'vnsober euening drawes out reeling forces
Souldiers halfe men, who to their colors troupe
With fury, not with valor: whilst our ships
Vnrigd, vnusd, fitter for fier then water
We saue in our bard hauen from surprise.
By this our army marcheth toward the shore,
Vndisciplind young men most bold to doe
If they knew how, or what, when we discrie
A mightie dust beate vp with horses houes
Straight Roman ensignes glitter: Scipio.

Asd.
Scipio.

Car.
Scipio aduaunced like the God of blood
Leads vp grim war, that father of foule wounds
Whose sinowy feete are steepd in gore, whose hideous voice
Makes turrets tremble, and whole Citties shake
Before whose browes flight and disorder hurry
With whom March Burnings, murder, wrong, waste, rapes
Behind whom a sad traine is seene, Woe, Feares
Tortures, Leane, Neede, Famine, and helplesse teares
Now make we equall stand in mutuall vew
We iudg'd the Romans 18. thousand foote
5000 Horse, we almost doubled them
In number not in vertue: yet in heate
Of youth and wine iolly and full of bloud.
We gaue the signe of battle: shouts are raisd
That shooke the heauens: Pell Mell our armys ioyne
Horse, targets, pikes all against each apposd
They giue fierce shoke, arms thundred as they closd
Men couer earth which straight are couered
With men and earth: yet doubtfull stood the fight
More faire to Carthage; when loe as oft you see
In mines of gold, when laboring slaues delue out
The richest ore, being in suddaine hope
With some vnlookt for vaine to full their buckets
And send huge treasure vp, a suddaine damp
Stifles them all, their hands yet stuffd with gold
So fell our fortunes for looke as yee stood proud
As hopefull victors, thinking to returne
With spoiles worth triumph, wrathfull Syphax lands
With full ten thousand strong Numidian horse
And ions to Scipio, then loe we all were damp't
We fall in glusters and our wearied troups
Quit all: slaughter ran throw vs straight, we flie
Romans pursue, but Scipio sounds retraite
As fearing traines and night: we make amaine
For Carthage most, and some for Vtica
All for our liues: new force, fresh armes with speed
You haue said truth of all: no more. I bleede.

By.
O wretched fortune.

Mas.
Old Lord spare thy haynes
What dost thou thinke baldnesse will cure thy greefe
What decree the Senate?

Enter Gelosso with Commissions in his hand seald.
Gelo.
Aske old Gelosso who returnes from them
Informd with fullest charge strong Asdruball
Great Massinissa Carthage Generall
So speakes the Senate: Counsell for this warre
In Hanno magnus, Bytheas, Carthalon.
And vs Gelosso rests: Imbrace this charge
You neuer yet dishonord. Asdruball
High Massinissa by your vowes to Carthage
By God of great men Glory, fight for Carthage
Ten thousand strong, Massilians readie troupt
Expect their King, double that number waites
The leading of loud Asdruball; beate lowde
Our Affrike drummes, and whil'st our o're-toild foe
Snores on his vnlacd cask, all faint though proud
Through his succesfull fight strike fresh allarmes
Gods are not if they grace not bold iust armes.

Mass.
Carthage thou straight shalt know
Thy fauoures haue beene done vnto a king.

Exit with Asdruball and the Page.
Soph.

Cornets a march. Enter two Pages with targets and Iauelins two Pages with torches. Massinissa arm'd a cape a pee. Asdruball arm'd.
Ma.

Car.
We vow by all high powers.

Ma.
No doe not sweare,
I was not borne so small to doubt or feare.

So.
Worthy my Lord.

Ma.
Peace my eares are steele
I must not heare thy much inticing voice.

So.
By Massinissa, Sophonisba speakes
Worthy his wife: goe with as high a hand
As worth can reare, I will not stay my Lord
Fight for our country, vent thy youthfull heare
In field not beds, the fruite of honor Fame
Be rather gotten then the oft disgrace
Of haplesse parents, children, goe bestman
And make me proud to be a soldiers wife
That valews his renoune aboue faint pleasures
Thinke euery honor that doth grace thy sword
Trebbles my loue: by thee I haue no lust
But of thy glory: best lights of heauen with thee
Like wonder stand, or fall, so though thou die
My fortunes may be wretched, but not I.

Mas.
Wondrous creature, euen fit for Gods not men
Nature made all the rest of thy faire sex
As weake essaies, to make thee a patterne
Of what can be in woman. Long Farewell.
Hees sure vnconquer'd in whom thou dost dwell
Carthage Palladium. See that glorious lampe
Whose lifefull presence giueth suddaine flight
To phansies, fogs, feares, sleepe, and slothfull night
Spreads day vpon the world: march swift amaine
Fame got with losse of breath is godlike gaine.

The Ladies draw the curtaines about Sophonisba, the rest accompany Massinissa forth, the Cornets and Organs playing loud full Musicke for the Act.