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Lusts Dominion

Lusts Dominion ; or, the Lascivious Queen. A Tragedie
  
  
  

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Act. III.
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Act. III.

Scena I.

Enter Queen Mother, with a Torch, solus.
Qu. Mo.
Fair eldest child of love, thou spotlesse night,
Empresse of silence, and the Queen of sleep;
Who with thy black cheeks pure complexion,
Mak'st lovers eyes enamour'd of thy beauty:
Thou art like my Moor, therefore will I adore thee,
For lending me this opportunity,
Oh with the soft skin'd Negro! heavens keep back
The saucy staring day from the worlds eye,
Untill my Eleazar make return;
Then in his Castle shall he find his wife,
Transform'd into a strumpet by my son;
Then shall he hate her whom he would not kill?
Then shall I kill her whom I cannot love?
The King is sporting with his Concubine.
Blush not my boy, be bold like me thy mother,


But their delights torture my soul like Devills,
Except her shame be seen: Wherefore awake
Christophero, Verdugo, raise the Court,
Arise you Peers of Spain, Alvaro rise,
Preserve your country from base infamies.

Enter severally at severall doors, with lights and Rapiers drawn, Alvero, Roderigo, and Christophero, with others.
All.
Who rais'd these exclamations through the Court?

Qu. Mo.
Sheath up your Swords, you need not swords, but eyes
To intercept this treason.

Alv.
What's the treason?
Who are traitors? ring the larum bell;
Cry arm through all the City; once before
The horrid sound of treason did affright
Our sleeping spirits.

Qu. Mo.
Stay, you need not cry arm
Arm, for this black deed
Works treason to your King, to me; to you,
To Spain, and all that shall in Spain ensue.
This night Maria (Eleazars wife)
Hath drawn the King by her Lascivious looks


Privately to a banquet, I unseen
Stood and beheld him in him in her lustfull arms.
Oh God! shall bastards wear Spains Diadem?
If you can kneel to basenesse, vex them not;
If you disdain to kneel, wash of this blot.

Roder.
Lets break into the chamber and surprize her?

Alve.
Oh miserable me! do, do, break in,
My Country shall not blush at my childs sin.

Queen Mo.
Delay is nurse to danger, follow me,
Come you and witnesse to her villany.

Alvero.
Haplesse Alvere, how art thou undone,
In a light daughter, and a stubborn son.

Exeunt omnes.


Scena II.

Enter King with his Rapier drawn in one hand, leading Maria seeming affrighted in th'other.
Maria.
Oh! kill me ere you stain my chastity.

King.
My hand holds death, but love sits in mine eye,
Exclaim not dear Maria, do but hear me;
Though thus in dead of night as I do now
The lustfull Tarquin stole to the chast bed
Of Collatines fair wife, yet shalt thou be
No Lucrece, nor thy King a Romane slave,
To make rude villanie thine honours grave.

Maria.
Why from my bed have you thus frighted me?

King.
To let the view a bloody horrid Tragedy.

Maria.
Begin it then, I'le gladly loose my life,
Rather then be an Emperours Concubine.

King.
By my high birth I swear thou shalt be none,
The Tragedy I'le write with my own hand,
A King shall act it, and a King shall dye;


Except sweet mercies beam shine from thine eye.
If this affright thee it shall sleep for ever,
If still thou hate me, thus this Noble blade,
This Royall purple temple shall invade.

Maria.
My husband is from hence, for his sake spare me.

King.
Thy husband is no Spaniard, thou art one,
So is Fernando, then for countries sake
Let mee not spare thee, on thy husbands face
Eternall night in gloomy shades doth dwel;
But I'le look on thee like the guilded Sun,
When to the west his fiery horses run.

Maria.
True, true, you look on me with Sun-set eyes,
For by beholding you my glory dies.

King.
Call me thy morning then, for like the morn,
In pride Maria shall through Spain be born.
This musick I prepar'd thine ears,
musick plays within.
Loue mee and thou shalt hear no other sounds,
Lo here's a banquet set with mine own hands;
A banquet brought in.
Love me, and thus I'le feast thee like a Queen:


I might command shee being thy Soveraign;
But love me and I'le kneel and sue to thee,
And circle this white forehead with the Crown
Of Castile, Portugall, and Arragon,
And all those petty Kingdoms which do bow
Their tributarie knees to Philip's heir.

Maria.
I cannot love you whilst my husband lives:

King.
I'le send him to the wars, and in the front
Of some maine army shall he nobly dye.

Maria.
I cannot love you if you murder him.

King.
For thy sake then, I'le call a Parlament
And banish by a law all Moors from Spain.

Maria.
I'le wander with him into banishment.

King.
It shall be death for any Negroes hand,
To touch the beauty of a Spanish dame.
Come, come, what needs such cavells with a King?
Night blinds all Jealous eyes, and we may play,
Carowse that bole to me, I'le pledg all this,


Being down, we'l make it more sweet with a kiss.
Begin, I'le lock all doors, begin Spains Queen,
Locks the doors.
Loves banquet is most sweet, when 'tis least seen.

Maria.
Oh thou conserver of my honours life!
Instead of poisoning him, drown him in sleep,
Because I'le quench the flames of wild desire,
I'le drink this off, let fire conquer loves fire.

King.
Were love himselfe in reall substance here,
Thus would I drink him down, let your sweet strings,
Speak lowder (pleasure is but a slave to Kings)
In which love swims. Maria kiss thy King,
Circle me in this ring of Ivory.
Oh! I grow dull, and the cold hand of sleep
Hath thrust his Icie fingers in my brest,
And made a frost within me; sweet, one kiss
To thaw this deadnesse that congeales my soul.

Maria.
Your Majestie hath overwatch'd your self,
He sleeps already, not the sleep of death;


But a sweet slumber, which the powerfull drugg
Instill'd through all his spirits. Oh! bright day
Bring home my dear Lord, ere his King awake,
Else of his unstain'd bed he'l shipwrack make.

Offers to go.
Enter Oberon, and Fairyes dancing before him, and musick with them.
Maria.
Oh me! what shapes are these?

Oberon.
Stay, stay, Maria.

Maria.
My Soveraign Lord awake, save poor Maria.

Oberon.
He cannot save thee, save that pain,
Before he wake thou shalt be slain;
His mothers hand shall stop thy breath,
Thinking her own son is done to death:
And she that takes away thy life,
Does it to be thy husbands wife.
Adieu Maria, we must hence,
Imbrace thine end with patience;
Elves and Fairyes make no stand,


Till you come in Fairy Land.

Exeunt dancing and singing.
Maria.
Fairyes or Divels, whatsoe're you be,
Thus will I hide me from your company.

Offers to be gone.

Scena. III.

To her, Enter Queen Mother suddainly, with Alvaro, and Roderigo, with Rapiers.
Q. Mo.
Lay hold upon the strumpet, where's the King?
Fernando, son; ah me your King is dead!
Lay hand upon the murdresse.

Maria.
Imperious Queen, I am as free from murder as thy self,
Which I will prove, if you will here me speak:
The King is living.

Roder.
If he liv'd his breath would beat within his breast.

Q. Mo.
The life he leads, Maria thou shalt soon participate.

Maria.
Oh father save me!

Alvero.
thou'rt no child of mine, had'st thou been owner of Alvero's spirit,


Thy heart would not have entertain'd a thought
That had converst with murder: yet mine eyes
(Howe're my tongue want words) brim full with tears,
Intreat her further tryal!

Verdugo.
To what end: here lies her tryall: from this royall brest
Hath she stolne all comfort, all the life
Of every bosom in the Realm of Spain.

Roder.
She's both a traytor and murdress.

Q. Mo.
I'le have her forthwith strangled.

Alv.
Hear her speak.

Q. Mo.
To heaven let her complain if she have wrong,
I murder but the murdresse of my son.

Alv.
We murder the murdresse of our King.

Alv.
Ah me my child oh! Oh cease your torturing!

Maria.
Heaven ope the windows, that my spotlesse soul,
Riding upon the wings of innocence,
May enter Paradice, Fairyes farewell;
Fernandoes death in mine you did foretell.

She dyes King wake,
King.
Who calls Fernando? love, Maria, speak:


Oh! whither art thou fled? whence flow these waters
That fall like winter storms, from the drown'd eyes.

Alv.
From my Maria's death!

King.
My Maria dead?
Damn'd be the soul to hell that stop'd her breath;
Maria, Oh me who durst murder her?

Q. M.
I thought my dear Fernando had been dead,
And in my indignation murdred her.

King.
I was not dead untill you murdred me
By killing fair Maria.

Qu. Mo.
Gentle son.

King.
Ungentle mother, you a deed have done,
Of so much ruth that no succeeding age
Can ever clear you of; Oh my dear love,
Yet heavens can witnesse thou wert never mine:
Spains wonder was Maria.

Qu. Mo.
Sweet have done:

King.
Have done! for what, for shedding zealous tears
Over the tomb of virtues chastitie;
You cry have done, now I am doing good,


But cri'd do on, when you were shedding blood:
Have you done mother; yes, yes, you have done,
That which will undo your unhappy son.

Roder.
These words become you not my gracious Lord.

King.
These words become not me, no more it did
Become you Lords to be mute standers by,
When lustfull fury ravish'd chastity.
It ill becoms mee to lament her death,
But it became you well to stop her breath:
Had she been fair and not so virtuous,
This deed had not been halfe so impious.

Alv.
But she was fair in virtue, virtuous fair, oh me!

King.
Oh me! she was true honours heir.
Hence beldame from my presence, all flye hence,
You are all murderers, com poor innocence,
Clasp thy cold hand in mine, for here I'le lye,
And since I liv'd for her, for her I'l die.



Scena. IV.

Enter Eleazar with a Torch and Rapier drawn.
Eleazar.
Bar up my Castle Gates; fire and confusion
Shall girt these Spanish Currs; was I for this,
Sent to raise power against a fugitive:
To have my wife deflowr'd. Zounds where's my wife,
My slaves cry out, she's dallying with the King?
Stand by, where is your King? Eleazars bed shall
Scorn to be an Emperours brothelrie.

Qu. Mo.
Be patient Eleazar, here's the King,

Eleaz.
Patience and I am foes, where's my Maria?

Alv.
Here is her haplesse coarse that was Maria.

King.
Here lies Maria's body, here her grave,
Her deadheart in my breast a tomb shal have.



Eleazar.
Now by the proud complexion of my cheeks,
Tan'e from the kisses of the amorous sun;
Were he ten thousand Kings that slew my love,
Thus shou'd my hand (plum'd with revenges wings)
Requite mine own dishonour, and her death.

Stabs the King.
Qu. Mo.
Ah me! my son.

All.
The King is murdred, lay hold on the damn'd traitor.

Eleaz.
In his brest that dares but dart a finger at the Moor,
I'le bury this Sharp steel yet reeking warm,
With the unchast blood of that lecher King,
That threw my wife in an untimely grave.

Alv.
She was my daughter and her timelesse grave
Did swallow down my joies as deep as yours:
But thus.

Eleaz.
But what? bear injuries that can,
I'le wear no forked crest.

Roder.
Damn this black feind, crie treason through the Court.
The King is murdred.

Eleaz.
He that first opes his lips, I'le drive his words


Down his wide throat upon my rapiers point.
The King is murdred and I'le answer it;
I am dishonour'd, and I will revenge it.
Bend not your dangerous weapons at my brest:
Thinke where you are, this Castle is the Moors,
You are inviron'd with a wall of flint.
The Gates are lock'd, Purcullesses let down
If Eleaz. spend one drop of blood,
Zarack and Baltazar above with Calivers.
On those high turret tops my slaves stand arm'd,
And shall confound your souls with murdring shot.
Or if you murder me, yet under ground
A villain that for me will dig to hell,
Stands with a burning limstock in his fist,
Who firing gunpowder up in the air,
Shall fling your torn and mangled carcasses.

Qu. Mo.
Oh! sheath your weapons, though my son be slain,
Yet save your selvs, choose a new Soveraign.

All.
Prince Philip is our Soveraign, choose him King.

Eleaz.
Prince Philip shall not be my Soveraign,
Philip's a bastard, and Fernando's dead;


Mendoza sweats to wear Spains Diadem,
Philip hath sworn confusion to this Realm,
They both are up in arms, warrs flames do shine
Like lightning in the air, wherefore my Lords
Look well on Eleazar; value me not by my sun-burnt
Cheek, but by my birth; nor by
My birth, but by my losse of blood,
Which I have sacrificed in Spains defence.
Then look on Philip, and the Cardinall:
Look on those gaping currs, whose wide throats
Stand stretch'd wide open like the gates of death,
To swallow you, your country, children, wives.
Philip cries fire and blood, the Cardinall
Cries likewise fire and blood, I'le quench those flames,
The Moor cries blood and fire, and that shall burn
Till Castile like proud Troy to Cinders turn.

Roder.
Lay by these Ambages, what seeks the Moor?

Eleaz.
A Kingdom, Castiles crown.

Alve.
Peace divell for shame.



Qu. Mo.
Peace doting Lord for shame, Oh miserie!
When Indian slaves thirst after Empery;
Princes and Peers of Spain wee are beset,
With horror on each side; you deny him,
Death stands at all our backs, we cannot flye him.
Crown Philip King, The Crown upon his head,
Will prove a fiery Meteor, Warr and vengeance
And desolation will invade our lend,
Besides Prince Philip is a bastard born.
Oh! give mee leave to blush at mine own shame;
But I for love to you, love to fair Spain,
Choose rather to rip up a Queens disgrace,
Then by concealing it to set the Crown
Upon a bastards head. Wherefore my Lords
By my consent crown that proud Blackamore,
Since Spains bright glory must so soon grow dim;
Since it must end, let it end all in him.

All.
Eleazar shall be King.

Alv.
Oh treachery! have you so soon rac't out Fernando's love;
So soon forgot the duty of true Peers;
So soon, so soon buried a mothers name,


That you will crown him King that slew your King.

Eleaz.
Will you hear him or me, who shall be King.

All.
Eleazar shall be Castiles Sovereign.

Alv.
Do, do; make hast to crown him! Lords adieu.
Here hell must be when the Divel governs you.

Exit.
Eleaz.
By heavens great Star, which Indians do adore,
But that I hate to hear the giddy world;
Shame that I waded to a Crown through; blood,
I'de not disgest his pills, but since my Lords
You have chosen Eleazar for your King?
Invest me with a generall applause.

All.
Live Eleazar, Castiles Royall King.

Roder.
A villain and a base born fugitive.

Aside.
Christo.
A bloody tyrant, an usurping slave.

Aside.
Eleaz.
Thanks to you all, 'tis not the Spanish Crown
That Eleazar strives for, but Spains peace.
Amongst you I'le divide her Empery;
Christofero shall wear Granado's Crown;


To Roderigo I'le give Arragon:
Naples, Navar and fair Jerusalem,
I'le give to other three, and then our vice Roys,
Shall Shine about our bright Castilian crown,
As stars about the Sun. Cry all, arm, arm;
Prince Philip and the Cardinall do ride
Like Jove in thunder, in a storme we'l meet them;
Go levy powers, if any man must fall,
My death shall first begin the funerall.

Exeunt.

Scena. V.

Enter Zarack and Baltazar with Calivers.
Baltaz.
Is thy cock ready, and thy powder dry.

Zarack.
My cock stands pearching, like a cock o' the game;
With a red cole for his crest instead of a colme;
And for my powder, 'tis but touch & take.

Baltaz.
I have tickling geer too, anon I'le cry here I have it,


And yonder I see it; But Zarack is't policie for us
To kill these bald-pates.

Zarack.
Is't pollicy for us to save our selves,
If they live, we die. Is't not wisdom then
To send them to heaven, rather then be sent our selves;
Come you black slave, be resolute. This way they come,
Here they will stand, and yonder wil I stand.

Baltaz.
And in yonder hole I.

Zarack.
Our amiable faces cannot be seen, if we keep close:
Therefore hide your cocks head, left his burning cocks-comb betray us.
But soft, which of the two shall be thy white.

Baltaz.
That black villain Frier Cole.

Zarack.
I shall have a sharp piece of service.
Frier Crab shall be my man.
Farewell and be resoluts.

Baltaz.
Zounds Zarack I shall never have the heart to doo't.

Zarack.
You rogue think who commands, Eleazar.
Who shall rise Baltazar?
Who shall die, a louzy Frier?


Who shall live our good Lord and Master?
The Negro King of Spain.

Baltaz.
Cole, thou art but a dead man,
And shall turn to ashes.

Exit.
Zarack.
Crab, here's that shall make vinegar of thy carcaste.

Ezit.
Enter Crab and Cole, two Friers, with a rout of Stinkards following them.
Frier Crab.
I brother 'tis best, so now we have drawn them to a head,
We'l begin here i'th market place.
Tut so long as we be commanded by the Mother Queen.
We'l say her son is a bastard, and he were ten Philips.

F. Cole.
Take you one market form, I'le take another.

F. Crab.
No, Gods so; we must both keep one form.

F. Cole.
I in oration, but not in station; mount, mount?

1
Well my masters, you know him not so well as I; on my word
Frier Crab is a sowr fellow:

2
Yet he may utter sweet doctrine by your leave; but what
Think you of Frier Cole?



1
He all fire, and he be kindled once a hot Catholick.

3
And you mark him, he has a zealous nose,
And richly inflam'd.

1
Peace you Rogues, now they begin.

Crab.
Incipe Frater?

Cole.
Non ego Domine.

Crab.
Nec ego.

Cole.
Quare?

Crab.
Quia?

Cole.
Quæso,

All.
Here's a queazy beginning me thinks; silence, silence.

Crab.
Brethren, Citizens, and market-folks of Sivell.

Cole.
Well beloved and honoured Castilians.

Crab.
It is not unknown to you!

Cole.
I am sure you are not ignorant.

Crab.
How villanous and strong?

Cole.
How monstruous and huge?

Crab.
The faction of Prince Philip is;

Cole.
Philip that is a bastard:

Crab.
Philip that is a dastard.

Cole.
Philip that kill'd your King.

Crab.
Onely to make himself King.

Cole.
And by Gads blessed Lady you are all damn'd, and you suffer it.



1
Frier Cole says true, he speaks out of the heat of his zeal;
Look how he glows.

2
Well Frier Crab for my money, he has set my teeth an edge
Against this bastard.

1
Oh! his words are like Vergis, to whet a mans stomach.

All
Silence, silence.

Crab.
Now contrariwise.

Cole.
Your Noble King the Moor.

Crab.
Is a valiant Gentleman.

Cole.
A Noble Gentleman.

Crab.
An honourable Gentleman.

Cole.
A fair black Gentleman.

Crab.
A friend to Castilians.

Cole.
A Champion for Castilians.

Crab.
A man fit to be King.

Cole.
If he were not born down by him that would be King,
Who (as I said before) is a bastard, and no King.

1
What think you my masters? do you mark his words well.

Crab.
Further compare them together.

All.
S'blood, there's no comparison between them.

Cole.
Nay, but hear us good Countrymen.



All.
Hear Frier Cole, hear Frier Cole.

Cole.
Set that bastard and Eleazar together:

1
How? mean you, by the ears.

Crab.
No, but compare them.

Cole.
Do but compare them.

2
Zounds, we say again comparisons are odious.

1
But say on, say on.

Pieces go of, Friers dye.
All.
Treason, treason, every man shift for himself.
This is Philips treason. Arm, Arm, Arm.

Exeunt.


Scena. VI.

Enter Eleazar, Zarack, and Baltazar.
Eleazar.
Zarack and Baltazar, are they dispatch'd?

Zarack.
We saw 'em sprawl, and turn up the white of the eye.

Elea.
So shall they perish, that lay countermines;
To erosse our high designments: by their habits,
The Cardinall and Philip scap'd our nets.
And by your hands they tasted our revenge.
Enter Queen Mother.
Here coms the Queen, away! under our wings,
You shall stand safe, and brave the proudest Kings.

Exeunt.
Qu. Mo.
Oh! flie my Eleazar, save thy life.
Else point a guard about thee, the mad people
Tempestuous like the Sea run up and down
Some crying kill the bastard, some the Moor;


Some cry, God save King Philip; and some cry,
God save the Moor; some others, he shall die.

Eleaz.
Are these your fears, thus blow them into air.
I rusht amongst the thickest of their crowds,
And with a countenance Majestical,
Like the Imperious Sun disperst their clouds;
I have perfum'd the rankness of their breath,
And by the magick of true eloquence,
Transform'd this many headed Cerberus,
This py'd Camelion, this beast multitude,
Whose power consists in number, pride in threats;
Yet melt like snow when Majestie shines forth
This heap of fools, who crowding in huge, swarms,
Stood at our Court gates like a heap of dung,
Recking and shouting out contagious breath
of power to poison all the elements;
This Wolf I held by 'th ears, and made him tame,
And made him tremble at the Moors great name.
No, we must combate with a grimmer foe,
That damn'd Mendoza over-turns our hopes.
He loves you dearly.

Qu. Mo.

By his secret Letters he hath intreated



me in some disguise to leave the
Court, and fly into his arms.


Eleaz.
The world cannot devize a stratagem
Sooner to throw confusion on his pride:
Subscribe to his desires, and in dead night
Steal to his Castle, swear to him his love
Hath drawn you thither; undermine his soul,
And learn what villanies are there laid up,
Then for your pleasure walk to take the air:
Near to the Castle I'le in ambush lie,
And scern by force to take you prisoner;
This done, I have a practice plotted here,
Shall rid him of his life, and us of fear:
About it madam, this is all in all;
We cannot stand unlesse Mendoza fall.