 | The Change of Crownes |  |
SCENE THE SECOND
State SceneCourtiers, and Statesmen before the QUEENE under a Canopy led by the DUKE to her seate. MALVECCHIO LEONIDAS, & BARSANES, Lords, and Ladyes Attendant, when ye QUEENE is sate.
MAL.
It is the Joy of euery Heart to see
This Throne so fairely fill'd, and from the Race
of Him, whose Name and Memory is Sacred.
DUKE.
May the blest Angells houer still about it
to keepe you safe and Glorious; may Cares
and Dangers which Attend All other Crownes
Loose their way hither, and if the Prayers of those
whose Dutyes you Deserve may find Accesse
to Heauen, there shall not be a Blessing there
that shall not fall vpon your Heart, & Kingdome.
FLO.
His Grace hath spoken All our Hearts.
LEO.
Madam, be pleas'd, to let a stranger lay
his Grayne of Incense at this happy Altar:
for though I was not Borne within your Confines,
Your Favours haue created me your subject.
QUEEN.
Noble Leonidas.
LEO.
Liue Glorious in your Naples, Lov'd, and Honour'd;
And may the Example of your virtues teach
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Liue in the Hearts of more then your owne people
And for the good of earth, Goe late to Heaven.
Liue Madam by your Actions to Improue
your Fame so great, that when you Dye, Posterity
may make it all theire Buisnesse to Admire you.
QUEEN.
you are so Just, I dare not Doubt your wishes.
our cleare and hearty thanks to All, and as
you haue with such a freedome of your souls
Declar'd me Queene, I hope I shall not want
Your faythfull and free Counsells to support me,
whome you haue made and Plac'd aboue you; and
I shall with the best Studyes, my weake sex
Can Reach, Employ my Cares to make me worthy
of All your Loves, and Loyaltyes; But my Lord
to the Duke
and Princely Kinsman what wee owe to your
Great merrits, neuer can be payd with Language,
and therefore something must be thought on higher.
LEO.
There it Goes.
MAL.
what Honours you Bestow on him
must be Addition to the Generall Happynesse.
DUKE.
Madam, you are ouer Gracious; and Call
that Merritt, which is but my Duty.
QUEEN.
Be it your Care, who are Nam'd of our Councell
to see the Lawes Preserve their owne free Channell.
LODO.
I, now shee has broken 'em for her owne Ambition,
they shall be kept hereafter for the Humillity
of the Subject.
QUEEN.
It is my wounder, all this whyle
wee heare nothing from our Sister Ariana,
Prepare our kindest Letters, it is fitt
shee know vpon what Hindge, the State moues now.
LEO.
You'l Doe me Sir an Honour.
to ye Duke
DUKE.
Madam, the Lord Leonidas would make
an humble Suite.
QUEEN.
For what? it must be a strange Request
wee should Deny him.
DUKE.
He Prayes the Grace to kisse your Royall Hand;
some Great Affayres in his owne Country presse him
to Leaue the Court, and Naples.
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That must not be;
My Lord, I hope you will not leaue vs now.
LEO.
Tis my vnhappynesse.
QUEEN.
Wee shall thinke it ours, if Naples haue
been Guilty of vnkindnesse to your Person—
LEO.
Not in the least, nor is the Cause, Royal Madam,
that Calls me hence worthy of your Regard,
who am too Inconsiderable to giue
your Majesty a Concerne for me.
QUEEN.
But this will haue the face of some neglect
to us, as if you did not well Resent my Fortune:
LEO.
Such an Impiety
be farre from euery thought; I should Esteeme
no Happynesse to your Commands.
QUEEN.
Ile try that by Enjoynment of your stay;
My Father thought your Presence gaue his Court
An ornament; He Lov'd you well, let vs
not loose you for his sake. It must be so,
And you may not Repent it.
LEO.
I must obey then.
Enter OCTAVIO
OCT.
Madam, the Embassador from the King of Lumbardy
QUEEN.
Giue your Attendances.
Exit DUKE and MALVECCHIO
Enter SEMPRONIO Attended by the DUKE, MALVECCHIO, and others.
SEM.
Thus doth the High, and mighty Prince
the King of Lombardy, my Royall Master,
Pay his Affectionate Salute, and wishes
All Joyes and Happynesse Attend the Accesse
of the Incomparable Artemia
to the Crowne of Naples; but this is not All:
I am not sent to keepe vp the state Complement,
And by a formall Ceremony of words
not first Digested in the Hearts of Princes
Promise a freinds Allyance, to this Crowne;
But I haue his Commands to Tell you Madam,
He wishes himselfe neerer.
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observe that My Lord Malvecchio.
SEM.
And he Commanded me
speake it to Heauen and you; he shall esteeme
himselfe then happy, and his Kingdome, when
you will vouchsafe to Call 'em both to serve you.
MAL.
Meere Complement Sir.
SEM.
In playne, now you are settled in your Throne,
He wishes Lombardy the next Advance
to be Receaud yours Madam, if you can
find an Affection for the King my Master,
whose Glorious Name, and merrits is already
the pryde of Fame.
DUKE.
I did suspect this.
LEO.
Here may be a Match Barsanes.
MAL.
This Treaty comes too late.
SEM.
The losse he had in the late mother Queene
whose Providence and Piety made easy
for his Greene yeares, the mannage of a Kingdome;
with Treasures daily filling vp his Coffers,
will haue free Recompence he sayes, if Heauen
Prosper the fayre Conjunction of your Hearts;
And if so Great a Blessing may be hop'd for
After a Councell of your thoughts, you may
make vp one Empire of your Minds & Countryes.
QUEEN.
My Lord Embassador, your Royall Master
hath much obliged Naples to thanke him for
his high Respects to vs: Wee shall Consult,
As such a great Concernment will Require,
And Giue our Answer, such as may be worthy
our Honour, and his Greatnesse.
SEM.
It will Become me Madam to Attend it.
MAL.
All's firme, your Grace does Ill to Cherrish
to the Duke
Any suspicion.
QUEEN.
wayte on the Lord Embassador.
Ext SEMPRO., MAL., FLO. &ct.
what thinke you Couzen of this overture?
DUKE.
Your prudence Madam can best Judge.
Enter MALVECCHIO hastily
MAL.
I heare your Sister the Princess Ariana—
QUEEN.
what of her? shee is not Dead I hope.
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Shee is Arriv'd the Court they say, and Come
to vizitt you.
DUKE.
Preserve your Temper, Madam,
You are now aboue her power to shake.
BAR.
Here's something lyke a story,
Concernes another Person—
Enter LODOVICO
LODO.
The Princesse Ariana Madam, your Royall Sister.
QUEEN.
wee heard of this before, you show a Zeale,
that maybe spar'd.
MAL.
your least Breath Madam
may yet forbid Accesse, make myne the office.
QUEEN.
that would but show
An vnkind Entertaynment; No Attend her,
Shee is our Sister.
DUKE.
Perhapps shee has Giuen herselfe this trouble Madam,
In person to Declare her free Resigne.
MAL.
Shee has left her vayle.
QUEEN.
I am Resolv'd.
Enter ARIANA Attended, mett By the DUKE, shee makes a stand.
ARI.
I haue seen, and been Accquainted with theise Faces;
Haue they so soone Forgott me? You are my Kinsman.
DUKE.
Call me your Servant Madam.
ARI.
I would Call you Just, and Honest, but I feare.
FLO.
That word pinches.
ARI.
If I mistake not Couzen,
I Know this Presence, wherein my Royall Father—
At that word I must pause; I misse him here.
MAL.
He is Dead Madam, and snatchd hence to Heauen
Before wee thought him sick, by a violent Apoplexy.
ARI.
Dy'd Suddenly? pray Heauen you haue vs'd him well;
But if my Father haue made haste to Heauen
You haue been slow in paying your Just Dutyes
to me, whome Nature and the Lawes of Naples
Declare his eldest Daughter, and your Queene.
LODO.
That was spoke handsomely; now the state oracle
opens his mouth.
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our Care to th'publicke good made vs supply
his Absence, with what Dilligence became vs,
as knowing you had Dedicated all
your thoughts to a Better world.
ARI.
You neuer wanted Argument My lord
when you tooke vp an Error to mayntayne it.
was I a Branch so Desperatly wither'd,
to all your hopes, I was not worth your Memory
or Consult in this High Cause? But I am here
without your Calling home, and Bring with me
a Confidence, you'l not Demy me, what
my Birth, and Blood doth Challendge? Ha! what Lady
Is that, which by her state, presents something
I would not Call a Queene.
DUKE.
Your Sister Madam.
ARI.
Not Artemia?
MAL.
Now vested in the Royall seate, and own'd
the lawfull Queene of Naples.
ARI.
Dare you heare this Treason Couzen, and not Punnish it?
Where did I loose my selfe? If I be
No Imposture, but the first borne Pledge of Naples
In what hath Nature mulct'd me, or what
Injurious Act to Honour haue I Done,
that I am Barr'd my Birthright? I did
but step asyde to say my Prayers, and you
would make me a Saynt aboue: Are you my Sister?
QUEEN.
Yes, Dearest Ariana, and Rejoyce
to be so neere thy lip, Wellcome to Court.
ARI.
Shee does owne me too.
MAL.
Madam you will but loose your Breath in Passion
be kinder to your selfe, and yeild to Prouidence
that would not haue you troubled with the Cares
of this vayne world; some men may paynt your hopes,
And poyson the fayre peace you now Enjoy.
But I Deale plainely.
ARI.
Tis not the first tyme, My lord;
You haue been ouerbold: Couzen Guarini,
You haue a sence of Honour, and Doe owne
a Fame abroad for things Done well, and nobly;
you haue at home Deserv'd your princesse favour
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that you should Employ theise Arts
to Injure me?
LODO.
This worst moue; how this
Ambition eates into the soul of Honour!
ARI.
What was there in My Sisters power, or virtue
or Loue? you should Expect a Degree lesse
from me? I allwayes held you precious,
And could in a Just Cause haue Dy'd for you.
hath my Abused Innocence no freind?
I must Appeale to Heauen then.
offers to goe forth
QUEEN.
Stay Deare Sister.
I haue Consider'd, and to show how much
I wish the naturall streame of Loue, as well
as Blood may keepe his flowing in our veynes.
I haue thought a way to Reconcyle vs.
MAL.
What meanes the Queene?
QUEEN.
And with my much lou'd Sister, think it no
Dishonour to Diuide The Soueraignity.
Let vs be equal in the Government;
I can for your sake part with halfe my selfe,
wee may be Queenes together in one throne,
And Raigne lyke Sisters.
ARI.
I haue a Soul too Great
to shrinke to such equallity.
LODO.
Now it Heightens.
ARI.
Is this the way you haue Consider'd Sister
To Reconcyle the Difference? I looke on't
with greater Indignation, and more stayne
to my Honour then your first Ambition.
If I haue a Tytle to a part, I haue
one Just to All; This Competition
would Blemish my whyte Name, my blood, and all
Act Ready
the Trophyes that Attend vpon the Tombe
of my Great Ancestors, make me vnfitt
to Mingle with their Dust; Be halfe a Queene?
Although to weare one Jewell of the Crowne
may seeme a Starre vpon thy Head, and Draw
vp wounder, whyle it shynes; It would be a Cloud
on myne, since I was Borne to the whole Lustre.
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Braue Soul!
QUEEN:
Sister wee did Beleiue a Cloyster
had taught you more Humillity.
ARI.
Tis your low thoughts and cheap opinion of me.
hath Discompos'd the Temper I learn'd there:
but that you may not Rayse your Sinne yet higher
And Add vnto your lawlesse soveraignity
a greater Cryme by laying a Reproach
vpon Religion; here I throw off Passion,
let Heauen, the Angels, and your selves be Judge
how soone I'le shutt my Eyes to all theise Gloryes.
Sister Enjoy the Trouble and Concerne
of all the Greatnesse your Ambition Aim'd at.
This Cause shall stayne no Ground with Blood for me.
LEO.
All's Calme againe.
ARI.
But if my Teares can soften
that Justice, which lookes on, or prayers may prosper
to make you good and happy in your greatnesse
trust me, Ile poure 'em dayly at the Altar,
I hope you'l Give me leaue now to Returne
to the poore Cloyster whence I came.
QUEEN.
Deare Sister.
Forgiue the vnkindnesse of my Language, I
Know thou art all Compos'd of goodnesse, but
you may Dispence to stay with us a litle—
ARI.
My Lords farewell.
MAL.
All's Right againe.
ARI.
And you my Deare, and Honoured Kinsman.
Exit with Duke leading
QUEEN.
I could melt now.
FLO.
Does the Queene weepe?
LODO.
Those springs will soone Dry vp.
QUEEN.
I know things are not Just; but there's a Charme
within a Crowne, and shee has made it now
lesse Heavy on my Head, where is the Duke?
LEO.
Withdrawne to wayte vpon the Princesse.
QUEEN.
your hand will Doe as well Leonidas.
LEO.
you have my Heart Madam.
QUEEN.
use not that Complement to euery Lady,
least you be taken at your word. Here is
much scuffling for a Crowne Leonidas.
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Tis Madam yours now by a Double Interest,
Nor can it want a Lustre on your Brow.
That still must Take his Brightest Beames from you.
Exeunt
| The Change of Crownes | |