University of Virginia Library

Actus tertii

Scena prima.

Enter the Funerall of Montferrers.
D'amville.
Set downe the Body. Pay earth what shee lent.
But shee shall beare a liuing monument,
To let succeeding ages truely know,
That shee is satisfied, what hee did owe:
Both principall and vse; because his worth
Was better at his death then at his birth.

A dead march. Enter the Funerall of Charlemont as a Souldier.
D'am.
And with his Body, place that memorie
Of noble Charlemont his worthie Sonne.
And giue their Graues the rites that doe belong
To Souldiers. They were Souldiers both. The Father
Held open warre with Sinne; the Sonne with bloud:
This in a warre more gallant; that more good.

The first volley.
D'am.
There place their Armes; and here their Epitaphes,
And may these Lines suruiue the last of graues.

The Epitaph of Montferrers.
The Epitaph of Charlemont.
The second volley.
D'am.
O might that fire reuiue the ashes of
This Phenix! yet the wonder would not be
So great as he was good; and wondred at
For that. His liues example was so true
A practique of Religion's Theorie;
That her Diuinitie seem'd rather the
Description then th'instruction of his life.
And of his goodnesse, was his vertuous Sonne
A worthy imitatour. So that on
These two Herculean pillars, where their armes
Are plac'd; there may be writ, Non vltra. For
Beyond their liues as well for youth as age;
Nor young nor old, in merit or in name;
Shall e'er exceede their vertues or their fame.
The third volley.
T'is done. Thus faire accomplements, make foule
Deedes gratious. Charlemont! come now when t'wut,
I'ue buryed vnder these two marble stones,
Thy liuing hopes; And thy dead fathers bones.

Exeunt.
Enter Castabella mourning to the monument of Charlemont.
Casta.
O thou that knowest me iustly Charlemonts,
Though in the forc'd possession of another;
Since from thine owne free spirit wee receiue it,
That our affections cannot be compel'd,
Though'our actions may; be not displeas'd, if on
The altar of his Tombe, I sacrifice
My teares. They are the iewels of my loue
Dissolued into griefe: and fall vpon
His blasted Spring; as Aprill dewe, vpon
A sweet young blossome shak'd before the time.

Enter Charlemont with a Seruant.
Charl.
Goe see my Truncks disposed of, Ile but walk
A turne or two i'th Church and follow you.
Exit Seruant.
O! here's the fatall monument of my
Dead Father first presented to mine eye.
What's here? in memory of Charlemont?
Some false relation has abus'd beliefe.
I am deluded. But I thanke thee Heauen.
For euer let me be deluded thus.
My Castabella mourning o'er my Hearse?
Sweete Castabella rise, I am not dead.

Casta.
O heauen defend mee.

Fals in a swoune.
Charl.
I Be shrew my rash
And inconsid'rate passion.—Castabella!
That could not thinke—my Castabella!—that
My sodaine presence might affright her sense.—
I prithee (my affection) pardon mee.
Shee rises.
Reduce thy vnderstanding to thine eye.
Within this habite which thy misinform'd
Conceipt takes onely for a shape; liue both
The soule and body of thy Charlemont.

Casta.
I feele a substance, warme, and soft, and moist,
Subiect to the capacitie of sense.

Charl.
Which Spirits are not; for their essence is
Aboue the nature and the order of
Those Elements whereof our senses are
Created. Touch my lip. Why turnst thou from mee?

Cast.
Griefe aboue griefes. That which should woe relieue,
Wish'd and obtain'd, giues greater cause to grieue.

Charl.
Can Castabella thinke it cause of griefe
That the relation of my death proues false?

Casta.
The presence of the person wee affect,
(Being hopelesse to enioy him) makes our griefe
More passionate then if wee saw him not.

Charl.
Why not enioy? has absence chang'd thee?

Casta.
Yes.
From maide to wife.

Charl.
Art marryed?

Casta.
O I am.

Charl.
Married? had not my mother been a woman,
I should protest against the chastitie
Of all thy sexe. How can the Marchant, or
The Marriner, absent whole yeares (from wiues
Experienc'd in the satisfaction of
Desire) promise themselues to finde their sheetes
Vnspotted with adultery, at their
Returne? when you that neuer had the sense
Of actuall temptation; could not stay
A few short months.

Casta.
O doe but heare me speake.

Charl.
But thou wert wise; and didst consider that
A Souldier might be maim'd, and so (perhaps)
Lose his habilitie to please thee.

Casta.
No. That weaknes pleases me in him I haue.

Char.
What? marryed to a man vnable too?
O strange incontinence! Why? was thy bloud
Increas'd to such a pleurisie of lust,
That of necessitie, there must a veyne
Be open'd; though by one that had no skill
To doe't?

Casta.
Sir, I beseech you heare me.

Charl.
Speake.

Casta.
Heau'n knowes I am vnguiltie of this act.

Charl.
Why? wer't thou forc'd to doe't?

Casta.
Heau'n knowes I was.

Charl.
What villaine did it?

Casta.
Your Vncle D'amville.
And he that dispossess'd my loue of you;
Hath disinherited you of possession.

Charl.
Disinherited? wherein haue I deseru'd
To be depriu'd of my deare Fathers loue?

Casta.
Both of his loue and him. His soule's at rest.
But here your iniur'd patience may behold
The signes of his lamented memorie.
Charlemont findes his Fathers Monument.
H'as found it. When I tooke him for a Ghoast,
I could endure the torment of my feare;
More eas'ly then I can his sorrowes heare.

Exit.
Charl.
Of all mens griefes must mine be singular?
Without example? Heere I met my graue.
And all mens woes are buried i'their graues
But mine. In mine my miseries are borne,
I pr'ithee sorrow leaue a little roome,
In my confounded and tormented mind;
For vnderstanding to deliberate
The cause or author of this accident.—
A close aduantage of my absence made,
To dispossesse me both of land and wife:
And all the profit does arise to him,
By whom my absence was first mou'd and vrg'd.
These circumstances (Vncle) tell me, you
Are the suspected author of those wrongs.
Whereof the lightest, is more heauie then
The strongest patience can endure to beare.

Exit.
Enter D'amville, Sebastian, and Languebeau.
D'am.
Now Sir! your businesse?

Seba.
My Annuitie.

D'am.
Not a deniere.

Seba.
How would you ha'me liue?

D'am.
Why turne Cryer. Cannot you turne Cryer?

Seba.
Yes.

D'am.
Then doe so, y'haue a good voice for't.
Y'are excellent at crying of a Rape.

Seba.

Sir, I confesse in particular respect to your selfe, I
was somewhat forgetfull. Gen'rall honestie possess'd me.

D'am.
Goe, th'art the base corruption of my bloud;
And like a Tetter growes't vnto my flesh.

Seba.

Inflict any punishment vpon me. The seueritie shall
not discourage me, if it be not shamefull; so you'l but put money
i'my purse. The want of money makes a free spirit more
mad then the possession does an Vsurer.

D'am.

Not a farthing.

Seba.

Would you ha'me turne purse—taker? T'is the next
way to doe't. For want is like the Racque; it drawes a man to
endanger himselfe to the gallowes rather then endure it.

Enter Charlemont, D'amville counterfaites to take him for a ghoast.
D'am.
What art thou? Stay. Assist my troubled sence.
My apprehension will distract me. Stay.

Languebeau Snuffe auoides him fearefully.
Seba.
What art thou? speake.

Charl.
The spirit of Charlemont.

D'am.
O stay! compose me. I dissolue.

Lang.

No. T'is prophane. Spirits are inuisible. T'is the fiend
i'the likenesse of Charlemont. I will haue no conuersation with
Sathan.

Exit Snuffe.
Seba.
The Spirit of Charlemont? I'le try that.
Strike, and the blow return'd.
'Fore God thou sayest true, th'art all Spirit.

D'am.
Goe call the Officers.
Exit D'amville.

Charl.
Th'art a villaine; and the Sonne of a villaine.

Seba.
You lye.

Fight.
Sebastian is downe.
Char.
Haue at thee.
Enter the Ghost of Montferrers.
Reuenge to thee Ile dedicate this worke.

Mont.
Hold Charlemont!
Let him reuenge my murder, and thy wrongs,
To whom the Iustice of Reuenge belongs.

Exit.
Char.

You torture me betweene the passion of my bloud,
and the religion of my soule,

Sebastian rises.
Seba.

A good honest fellow.

Enter D'amville with Officers.
D'am.

What? wounded? apprehend him. Sir; is this your
salutation for the courtesie I did you when wee parted last?
You ha'forgot I lent you a thousand Crownes. First, let him
aunswere for this riot. When the Law is satisfied for that; an
an action for his debt shall clap him vp againe. I tooke you
for a Spirit; and Ile coniure you before I ha'done.

Charl.

No. Ile turne Coniurer. Diuell! within this Circle,
in the midst of all thy force and malice I coniure thee doe thy
worst.

D'am.

Away with him.

Exeunt Officers with Charlemont.
Seba.

Sir, I haue got a scratch or two here for your sake. I
hope you'l giue mee money to pay the Surgeon.

D'am.

Borachio! fetch me a thousand Crownes. I am content
to countenance the freedome of your spirit when t'is worthily
imployed. A Gods name giue behauiour the full scope of
gen'rous libertie; but let it not disperse and spend it selfe in
courses of vnbounded licence. Here, pay for your hurts.

Exit D'amville.

Seba.

I thanke you sir.—Gen'rous libertie,—that
is to say, freely to bestow my habilities to honest purposes. Me
thinkes I should not follow that instruction now; if hauing the

meanes to doe an honest office for an honest fellow, I should
neglect it. Charlemont lyes in prison for a thousand Crownes.
And here I haue a thousand Crownes. Honestie tels mee t'were
well done to release Charlemont. But discretion sayes I had
much a doe to come by this; and when this shall be gone I
know not where to finger any more: especially if I employ it
to this vse, which is like to endanger mee into my Fathers perpetuall
displeasure. And then I may goe hang my selfe, or be
forc'd to doe that, will make another saue mee the labour. No
matter. Charlemont! Thou gau'st mee my life and that's somewhat
of a purer earth then gold as fine as it is. T'is no courtesie
I doe thee but thankefulnesse. I owe thee it and Ile pay it.
Hee fought brauely, but the Officers drag'd him villanously.
Arrant knaues! for vsing him so discourteously; may the sins
o'the poore people be so few, that you sha'not be able to spare
so much out o'your gettings, as will pay for the hyre of a lame
staru'd hackney to ride to an execution. But goe a foote to the
gallowes, and be hang'd. May elder brothers turne good husbands,
and younger brothers get good wiues; that there be no
neede of debt-bookes, nor vse of Serieants. May there be all
peace but i'the warre, and all charitie but i'the Diuell; so that
prisons may be turn'd to Hospitals, though the Officers liue
othe beneuolence. If this curse might come to passe, the world
would say, Blessed be he that curseth.

Exit.
Enter Charlemont in prison.
Charl.
I graunt the Heauen. Thy goodnesse doth command
Our punishments: but yet no further then
The measure of our sinnes. How should they else
Be iust? Or how should that good purpose of
Thy Iustice take effect, by bounding men
Within the confines of humanitie,
When our afflictions doe exceede our crimes?
Then they doe rather teach the barb'rous world
Examples that extend her cruelties
Beyond their owne dimentions; and instruct
Our actions to be more, more barbarous.
O my afflicted soule! How torment swels
Thy apprehension with prophane conceipt,
Against the sacred iustice of my God?
Our owne constructions are the authors of
Our miserie. We neuer measure our
Conditions but with Men aboue vs in
Estate. So while our Spirits labour to
Be higher then our fortunes th'are more base.
Since all those attributes which make men seeme
Superiour to vs; are Man's Subiects; and
Were made to serue him. The repining Man
Is of a seruile spirit to deiect
The valew of himselfe below their estimation.

Enter Sebastian with the Keeper.
Seba.

Here. Take my sword.—How now my wilde
Swag'rer? y'are tame enough now; are you not? The penurie
of a prison is like a soft consumption. T'will humble the pride
o'your mortalitie; and arme your soule in compleate patience
to endure the waight of affliction without feeling it. What?
Hast no musicke in thee? Th'hast trebles and bases enough.
Treble iniurie; and base vsage. But trebles and bases make
poore musick without meanes. Thou want'st Meanes; Doest?
what? Doest droope? art deiected?

Charl.
No Sir. I haue a heart aboue the reach
Of thy most violent maliciousnesse.
A fortitude in scorne of thy contempt;
(Since Fate is pleas'd to haue me suffer it)
That can beare more then thou hast power t'inflict.
I was a Baron That thy Father has
Depriu'd me off. In stead of that, I am
Created King. I'ue lost a Signiorie,
That was confin'd within a piece of earth;
A Wart vpon the body of the world.
But now I am an Emp'rour of a world.
This little world of Man. My passions are
My Subiects; and I can command them laugh;
Whilst thou doest tickle 'em to death with miserie.

Seba.

T'is brauely spoken; and I loue thee for't. Thou
liest here for a thousand crownes.—Here are a thousand to redeeme
thee. Not for the ransome o'my life thou gau'st mee.
That I value not at one crowne. T'is none o'my deed. Thanke
my Father for't. T'is his goodnesse. Yet hee lookes not for
thankes. For he does it vnder hand; out of a reseru'd disposition
to doe thee good without ostentation.—

Out o'great heart you'l refus't now; will you?

Charl.

No. Since I must submit my selfe to Fate; I neuer
will neglect the offer of one benefit; but entertaine them as
her fauours; and th'inductions to some end of better fortune.
As whose instrument; I thanke thy courtesie.

Seba.
Well, come along.

Exeunt.
Enter D'amville and Castabella.
D'am.
Daughter you doe not well to vrge me. I
Ha'done no more then Iustice. Charlemont
Shall die and rot in prison; and t'is iust.

Casta.
O Father! Mercie is an attribute
As high as Iustice; an essentiall part
Of his vnbounded goodnesse, whose diuine
Impression, forme, and image man should beare.
And (me thinks) Man should loue to imitate
His Mercie; since the onely countenance
Of Iustice, were destruction; if the sweet
And louing fauour of his mercie did
Not mediate betweene it and our weakenesse.

D'am.
Forbeare. You will displease me. He shal rot.

Casta.
Deare Sir! Since by your greatnesse, you
Are nearer heau'n in place; be nearer it
In goodnesse. Rich men should transcend the poore,
As clouds the earth; rais'd by the comfort of
The Sunne, to water dry and barren grounds.
If neither the impression in your soule
Of goodnesse; nor the dutie of your place,
As goodnesse substitute; can moue you: then
Let nature, which in Sauages, in beasts,
Can stirre to pittie, tell you that hee is
Your kinsman:—

D'am.
You expose your honestie
To strange construction: Why should you so vrge
Release for Charlemont? Come, you professe
More nearenesse to him then your modestie
Can answere. You haue tempted my suspition.
I tell thee hee shall starue, and dye, and rot.

Enter Charlemont and Sebastian.
Charl.
Vncle, I thanke you.

D'am.
Much good do it you.—Who did release him?

Seba.
I.

Exit Castabella.
D'am.
You are a villaine.

Seba.
Y'are my Father.
Exit Sebastian.

D'am.
I must temporize.—
Nephew had not his open freedome made
My disposition knowne; I would ha'borne
The course and inclination of my loue
According to the motion of the Sunne,
Inuisibly inioyed and vnderstood.

Charl.
That showes your good works are directed to
No other end then goodnesse. I was rash,
I must confesse. But—

D'am.
I will excuse you.
To lose a Father, and (as you may thinke)
Be disinherited (it must be graunted)
Are motiues to impatience. But for death,
Who can auoide it? And for his estate,
In the vncertaintie of both your liues,
T'was done discreetly, to conferre't vpon
A knowne Successour; being the next in bloud.
And one (deare Nephew) whom in time to come,
You shall haue cause to thanke. I will not be
Your dispossessour, but your Gardian.
I will supply your Fathers vacant place,
To guide your greene improuidence of youth;
And make you ripe for your inheritance.

Charl.
Sir, I embrace your gen'rous promises.

Enter Rousard sicke, and Castabella.
Rousa.
Embracing? I behold the obiect that
Mine eye affects. Deere Cosin Charlemont.

D'am.
My elder Sonne! He meetes you happily.
For with the hand of our whole family
We enterchange th'indenture of our Loues.

Charl.
And I accept it. Yet not ioyfully
Because y'are sicke.

D'am.
Sir; His affection's sound,
Though hee be sicke in body.

Rousa.
Sicke indeede.
A gen'rall weakenesse did surprise my health
The very day I married Castabella.
As if my sicknesse were a punishment,
That did arrest me for some iniurie
I then committed. Credit me (my Loue)
I pittie thy ill fortune to be match'd
With such a weake vnpleasing bedfellow.

Casta.
Beleeue me Sir; it neuer troubles me.
I am as much respectlesse to enioy
Such pleasure as ignorant what it is.

Charl.
Thy Sexes wonder. Vnhappy Charlemont.

D'am.
Come, let's to supper. There we will confirme
The eternall bond of our concluded loue.

Exeunt.