 | Histrio-mastix. Or The Player whipt |  |
Actus primi
Scæna prima.
Enter Peace, Grammer, Logick, Rhetorick, Arithmatick, Geometrie, Musick, and Astronomie.Peace.
Vnmaske thy face thou minister of Time
Looke forth bright mirror, let thy golded hand,
Ride (with distinctlesse motion) on the eyes
Of this fayre Chorus, till the Raigne of Peace,
Hath propagated Plenty, and increase.
Now sit wee high (tryumphant in our sway,)
Encircled with the seauen-fold flower of Art,
To tread on Barbarisme with siluer feete;
These, these are adiuncts fit to waite on Peace,
Who being courted by most searching spirits,
Haue alwayes borne themselues in God-like state,
With lofty foreheads, higher then the starres.
Draw neere fayre Daughters of eternity,
Your Fostresse Peace, is (like the aged Nursse)
Growne proud to see her Children florish thus.
Gram.
We know not how to turne these bounties backe,
But with continuance of obsequious loue,
Whil'st Peace tryumphes, it lyes in Grammers might,
To make the rudest braine both speake and write.
Log.
Logick shall furnish them with Argument,
And make them apt and able to dispute;
The theame shall be of Peace, and her sweet name,
And euery Sillogism' shall proue her fame.
Rhetorick will put her richest habite on,
Of gestures, Voice, and exornation,
Her Tropes and Scheames, shall dignifie her sence.
And Honours Peace, with clearest eloquence.
Ar.
Her graces in my numbers shall be seene,
So full that nothing can be added more,
Nor ought subtracted: true Arithmetick
Will multiply and make them infinit.
Musick.
Musick shall feast the bounteous eares of Peace,
Whil'st she inspires her numme conceipt with life,
Varying each concord, moode and faculty,
In flowing straynes, and rapting Symphonie,
Astr.
The motions of the Planets and their Spheares,
The Starres, their influence, quantities, consents,
All that Astronomie can teach or know,
She doth professe from sacred Peace to flow.
Geo.
And I will make her powers demonstratiue,
In all my angles, circles, cubes, or squares,
The very state of Peace shall seeme to shine,
In euery figure or dimensiue lyne.
Peace.
Inough fayre Virgins Time shall prooue this true,
Whil'st you do honor Peace shee'le cheerish you.
Enter Mauortius, Philarchus, Larius, Hiletus, Chrisoganus.
Omnes,
Honor and safety, still attend fayre Peace
Peace.
Thankes noble Lords and worthy Gentlemen:
But wherefore looke you so askaunce on these,
As if they were not worthy your salutes?
Omnes.
Because wee knew them not.
Chri,
The more your blame.
Peace.
O pittied state! most weake, where nobles want
The loue and knowledge of the liberall Arts;
Are you the men (for birth and place) admir'd?
By whose great motions, lesser wheeles turne round?
And shall your mindes affect so dull a course?
What is a man superiour to a beast
But for his mind? nor that ennobles him,
While hee deiects his reason; making it
The slaue vnto his brutish appetite.
Make then your mindes illustrious in your deedes
And each choose (in this troupe) a spowsall mate,
Mauo.
Wee doe obay: And I choose Musick first.
Phil.
I Geometry.
Hilc.
I Rhetorick.
Lar.
And I Astronomie.
Chri.
And I to be a seruant vnto all.
Peace.
But now beware yee iniure not the same
Of these bright Virgins with adulterate loue,
Meane time their seruant (heere) Chrisoganus
Shall teach of euery Art the misterie.
Exeunt Peace and Arts.
Mauo.
But if (by Art) as all our Artists say,
There is no reall truth to be attain'd,
Why should wee labour in their loues bestow?
The wisest said: I know I nothing know,
Chri.
The wisest was a foole for saying soe:
That Oracle pronounc'd wise Socrates:
For doe I know I see you, or the light?
Or do you know you heere mee, or I touch you?
Phil.
All this wee needes must know assuredly.
Chri.
If this bee certaine then which comes from sence,
The knowledg proper to the soule is truer;
For that pure knowledg by the which wee know
A thing to bee, with true cause how it is,
Is more exact then that which knowes it is,
And reacheth not to knowledge of the cause.
Besides; that knowledge (that considers things
Abiunct from senciue matter) is exacter
Then that which ioynes it selfe with elements;
Arithmetick euer considers numbers
Considers it with sence, as mixt with sound:
Therefore Arithmeticque is more exact,
And more exact then is Geometrie:
Since vnitas is still simplicior puncto,
And number simpler then is magnitude.
For Vnitas may still be sine puncto,
But Punctus neuer without Vnitie,
Nor; Magnitudo sine Numero.
Dum (enim) punctus ponitur, ponitur (ex necessitate) vnitas.
Mauo.
But all this prooues not wee may know a truth.
Chri.
If wee haue this wee call Scientia,
We must haue truth of meere necessity,
For Acriueia doth not signifie,
Onely a certainty in that wee know,
But certainty with all perfection.
Phil.
Although I am not satisfied in this,
It doth me good to heare him thus discourse.
Mauor.
My Lords, let's betake vs to our studies.
Phil.
In nothing am I better pleas'd, let's goe.
Exeunt.
Enter Incle, Belch, Gutt, Post-hast.
The Players Song.
The nut-brwne ale, the nut-browne ale,
Puts downe all drinke when it is stale,
The toast, the Nut-meg, and the ginger,
Will make a sighing man a singer.
Ale giues a buffet in the head,
But ginger vnder-proppes the brayne:
When ale would strike a strong man dead,
Then nut-megge tempers it againe,
The nut-browne ale, the nut-browne ale,
Puts downe all drinke when it is stale.
This Peace breeds such Plenty, trades serue no turnes
Bel.
The more fooles wee to follow them.
Post.
Lett's make vp a company of Players,
For we can all sing and say,
And so (with practise) soone may learne to play.
Incle.
True, could our action answer your extempore.
Post.
I'le teach yee to play true Politicians.
Incle.
Why those are th'falsest subtle fellowes liues.
Bel.
I pray sir, what titles haue trauailing Players?
Post.
Why proper-fellowes, they play Lords and Kings.
Idole.
What parts would best become vs (sir) I pray?
Bel.
Faith to play Roagues, till wee bee bound for running away.
Post.
Content; Scriuener, hoe,
You must tye a knott of Knaues togither.
Enter a Scriuener.
Scri.
Your appellations?
Post.
Your names he meanes; the man's learn'd.
Belch.
I Belch the Beard-maker.
Gut.
I Gutt the Fiddle-string-maker.
Incle.
I Incle the Pedler.
Post.
I Maister Posthast the Poet.
Scri.
Your nomenclature?
Post.
O stately Scriuener, thats wher dwell yee?
Omnes.
Townesmen, townesmen all.
Scri.
The Obligatories Condition?
Post.
Politician Players.
Exit. Scriuener.
Bel.
But whose men are wee all this while:
Post.
Whose but the merry Knight's, sir Oliuer Owlets,
There was neuer a better man to Players.
Gut.
If our parrell be not poynt-deuice the fatt's i'th fire.
Post.
What a greazie phrase: This playing will furnish yee.
Bel.
What hoe Maister Bougle, a word.
Post.
Heeres halfe a dozen good fellowes.
Clout.
Soft sir, wee are but foure or fiue.
Post.
The liker to thriue.
Enter Bougle.
What saucy knaues are these?
Post.
A speakes to you players; I am the poett.
Bel.
As concerning the King and the Clowne.
Boug.
Will you haue rich stuffe indeed?
post.
Tis not to be dealt on without store of drinke.
Boug.
Store of money you would say.
post.
Nay tis well said, for drink must clap vp the bargaine.
Lets away.
Exeunt.
Enter Fourcher, Voucher, Velure, Lyon-rash and Chisoganus in his study.
These Merchants and Lawyers enter two and two at seuerall doores.
Lyon.
Maister Fourcher, how fares your body sir? come
you from your booke?
Four.
Troth Masster Lyon-rash, this Peace giues Lawyers
leaue to play.
Velure.
Maister Vourcher? you are very well incountred sir?
Voucher.
Maister Velure, I value your frienship at as high
a price, as any mans.
Lion.
Gentlemen, how shall wee spend this after-noone?
Four.
Fayth lets goe see a Play.
Vel.
See a Play, a proper pastime indeed: to heere a deale
of prating to so little purpose.
Vour.
Why this going to a play is now all in the fashion.
Lyon.
Why then lets goe where wee may heare sweet musick
and delicate songs, for the Harmonie of musick is so Heauenlike
that I loue it with my life.
Four.
Nay faith this after-noone weele spend in hearinge
the Mathematickes read.
Uel.
Why then lets to the Academy to heare Crisoganus.
Omnes.
content.
So all goe to Chrisoganus study, where they find him reading.
Maister Chrisoganus: by your leaue sir.
Chri.
Gentlemen you are welcome.
Fur.
I pray sir what were the best course for a scholler?
Chri.
Why no man can attaine to any truth,
But he must seeke it Mathematicé.
Vour.
Which are the Mathematicque sciences?
Chri.
Arithmetick and Geometry are chiefe.
Vel.
What difference is there twixt philosophy
And knowledge which is Mathematicall?
Chri.
This sir; the naturall Philosopher
Considers, things as meerely sensible;
The Mathematician; vt mente abiunctas a materia sensibili,
But this requireth time to satisfy;
For 'tis an Axiome with all men of Art,
Mathematicum abstrahentem non comittere mendacium:
And (for the beauty of it,) what can be
Vrg'd (more extractiue) then the face of heauen?
The misteries that Art hath found therein:
It is distinguisht into Regions,
Those Regions fil'd with sundry sorts of starres:
They (likewise) christned with peculiar names,
To see a dayly vse wrought out of them,
With demonstrations so infallible,
The pleasure cannot bee, but rauishing.
Fur.
The very thought thereof enflameth mee.
Chri.
Why you shall meet with proiects so remou'd
From vulgar apprehension, (as for instance,)
The Sunne heere riseth in the East with vs,
But not of his owne proper motion,
As beeing turn'd by primum mobile,
(The heauen aboue Cœlum stellatum)
Whereas his true asscent is in the West,
And so hee consummates his circled course
In the Ecliptick line, which partes the Zodiack,
Being borne from Tropick to Tropick: this time
Wee call a yeere; whose Hierocliphick was
Wreath'd circular, the tayle within his mouth:
As (happily) the Latines (since) did call,
A Ring, (of the word Annus) Annulus,
Uour.
I apprehend not in my ablest powers,
That once in euery foure and twenty houres,
The Sunne should rise and sette; yet bee a yeare
In finishing his owne dessigned course.
Chri.
Why that I will demonstrate to you, thus;
Turne a huge wheele: contrary to the sway
Place mee a flye vvpon't: the flye (before
It can arriue the poynt from whence it went)
Shall sundry times be circumuolu'd about;
Euen so the Sunne and the affinities:
For if you wonder how at one selfe houre,
Two of discordant natures may be borne,
As one a King, another some base Swaine,
One valiant, and the other timerous,
Let but two droppes of incke or water fall
Directly on so swift a turning wheele,
And you shall find them both cast farre in sunder.
Euen so the heauenly Orbs, whirling so fast
And so impetuously (proiect mens fates)
Most full of change and contrariety.
Four.
Good faith these knowledges are very rare,
And full of admiration; are they not?
Chri.
The Mathematicques are the strength of truth,
A Magazine of all perfection.
Vour.
Shall wee designe some place for exercise,
And euery morning haue a Lecture read.
Four.
Content, (if soe Chrisoganus stand pleaz'd)
His exhibition shall be competent: wee'le all be Patrons.
Chri.
To make you Artists, answeres my desire,
Rather then hope or mercenary hire.
Exeunt
The haruest-folkes Song.
Holyday, O blessed morne,
This day Plenty hath beene borne,
Plenty is the child of Peace;
To her birth the Gods do prease,
Full crown'd Mazors Bacchus brings,
With liquor which from grapes hee wringes:
Holliday, O blessed morne;
This day Plenty hath bin borne,
Holliday let's loudly cry,
For ioy of her natiuity.
Ceres with a bounteous hand,
Doth at Plenties elbo stand:
Binding mixed Coronets,
Of wheat which on her head she sets.
Holliday, O blessed morne,
This day Plenty hath bin borne,
Holliday lets loudly cry,
For ioy of her natiuity.
Peace.
Reach me the bowle with rich Autumnian Iuice,
That I may drinke a health to your new Queene.
Times winged howers (that poynted out my raygne,)
Are fled; I am no mote your Soueraigne.
Wound Ayre with shrill tun'd Canzonets,
I robbe my selfe to make my Daughter rich,
Peace doth resigne her pure imperiall Crowne,
(Wrought by the Muses) in whose Circle grow
All flowers that are to Phœbus consecrate.
Exeunt.
Finis Actus primi.
| Histrio-mastix. Or The Player whipt | |