 | The Maid of Honovr |  |
Scene. 1.
Astutio. Adorni.Adorni.
Good day to your Lordship.
Astutio.
Thanks Adorni.
Ador.
May I presume to aske if the Embassador
Imploy'd by Ferdinand, the Duke of Urbin
Hath audience this morning?
Enter Fulgent.
Astu.
'Tis uncertaine,
For though a counsaylor of state, I am not
Of the Cabinet counsaile. But ther's one if he please
That may resolve you.
I will move him Sr.
Aulgen.
If you have a suite, shew water, I am blinde else.
Ador.
A suite, yet of a nature, not to prove
The quarrie that you hawke for: If your words
Are not like Indian wares, and every scruple
To be waigh'd and rated, one poore sillable
Vouchsaf'd in answer of a faire demand,
Cannot deserve a fee.
Fulgen.
It seemes you are ignorant,
I neiher speake, nor hold my peace for nothing:
And yet for once, I care not if I answer
One single question, gratia.
Ador.
I much thanke you.
Hath the Embassador audience Sir to day?
Fulgen.
Yes.
Ador.
At what houre?
Fulgen.
I promis'd not so much.
A sillable you begg'd, my Charity gaue it.
Move me no further.
Exit Fulgentio.
Astu.
This you wonder at?
With me 'tis usuall.
Ador.
Pray you Sr. what is he?
Astu.
A Gentlemaan, yet no lord. He hath some drop:
Of the Kings blood running in his veines, deriu'd
Some ten degrees off. His revenue lyes
In a narrow compasse, the King eare, and yeelds him
Every houre a fruitfull harvest. Men may talke
Of three croppes in a yeare in the fortunate Islands.
Or profit made by wooll. But while there are sutors,
His sheepe sheering, nay shaving to the quicke
Is in every quarter of the Moone, and constant,
In the time of trussing a point, he can undoe
Or make a man. His play or recreation
Is to raise this up, or pull downe that, and though
He neve yet tooke or ders, makes more Bishops
Enter Bertoldo, Gasparo, Anthonio, a servant:
Ador.
Most strange!
Astu.
The presence fils. He in the Malta habit
Is the naturall brother of the King, a by blow.
Ador.
I understand you.
Gasp.
Morrow to my Vncle.
Antho.
And my late Guardian. But at length I have
The reignes in my owne hands.
Astu.
Pray you use 'em well,
Or you'll too late repent it.
Ber.
With this Iewell
Presented to Camiola, prepare
This night a uisit for me. I shall have
Exit servant.
Your company Gallants I perceive, if that
The King will heare of war.
Antho.
Sr. I have horses
Of the best breed in Naples, fitter far
To breake a ranke, then cracke a lance, and are
In their carere of such incredible swiftnes
They out-strip swallowes.
Ber.
And such may bee usefull
To run away with, should we be defeated.
You are well provided Signior
Antho.
Sr. excuse me.
All of their race by instinct know a Coward,
And scorne the burthen. They come on like lightning,
Founder'd in a retreat.
Ber.
By no meanes backe 'em.
Vnlesse you know your courage sympathize
With the daring of your horse.
Antho.
My lord, this is hitter.
Gasp.
I will rayse me a company of foote,
And when at push of pike I am to enter
A breach, to shew my valour, I have bought mee
Ber.
You will not leape then
Ore an out-worke in your shirt?
Gasp.
I do not like
Activity that way.
Ber.
You had rather stand
A marke to try their muskets on?
Gasp.
If I doe
No good, I'll doe no hurt.
Ber.
'Tis in you Signior
A Christian resolution, and becomes you,
But I will not discourage you.
Antho.
You are Sr.
A knight of Malta, and as I have heard,
Have serv'd against the Turke.
Ber.
'Tis true.
Antho.
Pray you shew vs
The difference betweene the city valour.
And service in the field.
Ber.
'Tis somewhat more
Then roaring in a taverne, or a brothell,
Or to steale a Constable from a sleeping watch;
Then burne their halberds; or safe guarded by
Your tenants sonnes, to carry away a Maypole
From a neighbour village; you will not finde there
Your Masters of Dependencies to take up
A drunken brawle, or to get you the names
Of valiant Cheivaleirs, fellowes that will bee
For a cloake with thrice died veluet, and a cast suite
Kick'd down the stairs. A knave with halfe a britch there,
And no shirt (being a thing superfluous,
And worne out of his memorie) if you beare not
Your selves both in, and upright with a provant sword
Will slash your skarlets, and your plush a new way;
Or with the hilts thunder about your eares
Such musicke as will make your worships dance
Gasp.
I must tell you,
In priuate, as you are my princely friend,
I doe not like such Fidlers.
Bertol.
No? they are usefull
For your imitation; I remember you
When you came first to the Court, and talkt of nothing
But you rents, and your entradas; ever chiming
The golden bells in your pockets, you belieu'd
The taking of the wall, as a tribute due to
Your gaudy clothes; and could not walke at mid-night
Without a causelesse quarrell, as if men
Of courser outsides were in duty bound
To suffer your affronts: but when you had beene
Cudzell'd well, twice or thrice, and from the doctrine
Made profitabe uses, you concluded
The soveraigne meanes to teach irregular heyres
Civility, with conformity of manners,
VVere two or three sound beatings.
Antho.
I confesse
They did much good upon mee.
Gasp.
And on mee—the principles that they read were sound.
Bertol.
You'll finde
The like instructions in the Campe.
Astu.
The King.
A Florish.
Enter Roberto, Fulgentio. Embassador. Attendants.
Rober.
VVee sit prepar'd to heare.
Embas.
Your Majesty
Hath beene long since familiar, I doubt not,
VVith the desperate fortunes of my Lord, and pitty
Of the much that your confederate hath suffer'd
(You being his last refuge) may perswade you
Not alone to compassionate, but to lend
To certaine ruine. Hee too late is conscious,
That his ambition to incroach upon
His neighbours territories, with the danger of
His liberty, nay his life, hath brough in question
His owne inheritance: but youth and heat
Of blood, in your interpretation, may
Both plead, and mediate for him. I must grant it
An error in him, being deni'd the favours
Of the faire Princesse of Siena (though
He sought her in a noble way) t'endeavour
To forte affection, by surprisall of
Her principall seat Siena.
Rober.
VVhich now proves
The seat of his captivity. not triumph.
Heaven is still just.
Embas.
And yet that justice is
To be with mercy temper'd, which heau'ns Deputies
Stand bound to minister. The injur'd Duchesse
By reason taught, as nature, could not with
The reparation of her wrongs, but aime at
A brave revenge, and my Lord feeles too late
That innocence will finde friends. The great Gonzaga,
The honor of his Order, I must praise
Vertue, though in an enemy. Hee whose fights
And conquests hold one number, rallying up
Her scatter'd troopes, before wee could get time
To victuall, or to man the conquer'd City,
Sate downe before it, and presuming that
'Tis not to be releev'd, admits no parley,
Our flags of truce hung out in vaine, nor will hee
Lend an eare to composition, but exacts
With the rendring up the towne, the goods, and liues
Of all within the walls, and of all Sexes
To be at his discretion.
Roberto.
Since injustice
With any seeming argument of reason,
In foolish pitty to decline his dangers,
To draw 'em on our selfe? Shall we not be,
Warn'd by his harmes? The league proclaim'd between us.
Bound neither of us farther then to ayde
Each other, if by forraigne force invaded,
And so farre in my honour I was tied.
But since without our counsell, or allowance,
He hath tooke armes, with his good leave, he must
Excuse us, if wee steere not on a rocke
We see, and may avoyd. Let other Monarchs
Contend to be made glorious by proud warre,
And with the blood of their poore subjects purchase
Increase of Empire, and augment their cares
In keeping that which was by wrongs extorted;
Guilding unjust invasions with the trimne
Of glorious conquests; wee that would be knowne
The father of our people in our study,
And vigilance for their safety, must not change
Their plough-shares into swords, or force them from
The secure shade of their owne vines to be
Scorch'd with the flames of warre, or for our sport
Expose their liues to ruine.
Embas.
Will you then
In his extremity forsake your friend?
Roberto.
No, but preserue our selfe.
Bertol.
Cannot the beames
Of honour thaw your icie feares?
Roberto.
VVho's that?
Rertol.
A kinde of brother, Sir, how e'er your subject,
Your father's Sonne, and one who blushes that
You are not heire to his brave spirit, and vigour,
As to his Kingdome.
Roberto.
How's this?
Bertol.
Sir, to be
Cannot deserve your anger.
Rober.
VVhere's your warrant
For this presumption?
Bertol.
Here, Sir, in my heart.
Let Sycophants, that feed upon your favours,
Stile coldnesse in you caution, and preferre
Your ease before your honour; and conclude
To eate and sleepe supinely, is the end
Of humane blessings: I must tell you Sir,
Vertue, if not in action, is a vice,
And when wee move not forward, we goe backeward;
Nor is this peace (the nurse of drones, and cowards)
Our health, but a disease.
Gasp.
VVel urg'd my Lord.
Antho.
Perfit what is so well begunne.
Embas.
And binde,
My Lord, your servant:
Rober.
Hare-braind foole! what reason
Canst thou inferre to make this good?
Bertol.
A thousand
Not to be contradicted. But consider
VVhere your command lies? 'Tis not, Sir, in France,
Spaine, Germany, Portugall, but in Sicilie,
An Island, Sir. Here are no mines of gold,
Or silver to enrich you, no worme spinnes
Silke in her wombe to make distinction
Betweene you, and a Peasant, in your habits.
No fish liues neere our shores, who's blood can dy
Scarlet, or purple; all that wee possesse
VVith beasts, wee have in common: Nature did
Designe us to be warriours, and to breake through
Our ring the sea, by which we are inviron'd;
And we by force must fetch in what is wanting,
Or precious to us. Adde to this, wee are
A populous nation, and increase so fast,
Abroad in colonies, or fall by the sword,
Not Sicilie (though now, it were more fruitfull,
Then when 'twas stil'd the granary of great Rome)
Can yeeld our numerous frie bread, we must starve,
Or eat vp one another.
Adorn.
The King heares
With much attention.
Astut.
And seemes mou'd with what
Bertoldo hath deliver'd.
Bertol.
May you live long, Sir,
The King of peace, so you deny not us
The glory of the warre; let not our nerves
Shrincke up with sloth, nor for want of imployment
Make younger brothers theves; 'tis their swordes, Sir,
Must sow and reape their harvest; if examples
May move you more then arguments, looke on England,
The Empresse of the European Isles,
And unto whom alone ours yeelds precedence,
When did she flourish so, as when she was
The Mistresse of the Ocean. Her navies
Putting a girdle round about the world,
When the Iberian quak'd, her worthies nam'd;
And the faire flowre Deluca grew pale, set by
The red Rose and the white: let not our armour
Hung up, or our unrig'd Armada make us
Ridiculous to the late poore snakes our neighbours
VVarm'd in our bosomes, and to whom againe
VVe may be terrible: while wee spend our houres
Without variety, confinde to drinke,
Dice, Cards, or whores. Rowze us, Sir, from the sleepe
Of idlenesse, and redeeme our morgag'd honours.
Your birth, and justly, claimes my fathers Kingdome;
But his Heroique minde descends to mee,
I will confirme so much.
Adorn.
In his lookes he seemes
Astut.
How these younglings
Take fire from him!
Ador.
It works an alteration
Vpon the King.
Antho.
I can forbeare no longer:
Warre, warre, my Soveraigne.
Fulg.
The King appeares
Resolv'd, and does preapare to speake.
Robert.
Thinke not
Our counsel's built upon so weake a base,
As to be overturn'd, or shaken with
Tempestuous windes of words. As I, my Lord,
Before resolv'd you, I will not ingage
My person in this quarrell; neyther presse
My Subjects to maintaine it: yet to shew
My rule is gentle, and that I have feeling
Of your Masters sufferings, since these Gallants weary
Of the happinesse of peace, desire to taste
The bitter sweets of warre, wee doe consent
That as Adventures, and Voluntiers
(No way compell'd by us) they may make tryall
Of their boasted valours.
Bertol.
Wee desire no more.
Robert.
'Tis well, and but my grant in this, expect not
Assistance from mee. Governe as you please
The Province you make choice of, for I vow.
By all things sacred, if that thou miscarry
In this rash undertaking, I will heare it
No otherwise then as a sad disaster,
Falne on a stranger: nor will I esteeme
That man my Subject, who in thy extremes
In purse or person ayds thee. Take your fortune:
You know mee, I haue said it. So my Lord
You have my absolute answer.
Embas.
My Prince payes
In me his duty.
Follow me, Fulgentio,
And you, Astutio.
Exeunt Roberto, Fulgentio, Astutio attendants.
Gasp.
VVhat a frowne he threw
At his departure, on you.
Bertol.
Let him keepe
His smiles for his state Catamite, I care not.
Antho.
Shall wee aboord to night?
Embas.
Your speed, my Lord,
Doubles the benefit.
Bertol.
I have a businesse
Requires dispatch, some two houres hence I'll meet you.
Exeunt.
| The Maid of Honovr | |