 | The Dvke of Millaine |  |
Scæ. Prima.
Enter Medina, Hernando, Alphonso.Med.
The spoyle, the spoyle, 'tis that the soldior fights for;
Our victorie as yet affords vs nothing,
But wounds, and emptie honor. We haue past
The hazard of a dreadfull day, and forc'd
A passage with our Swords, through all the dangers,
That Page like waite on the successe of warre;
And now expect reward.
Hern.
Hell put it in
The Enemies mind to be desperate, and hold out:
Yeeldings, and compositions will vndoe vs;
And what is that way giuen, for the most part,
Comes to the Emperours Coffers, to defray
The charge of the great action (as 'tis rumor'd)
When vsually, some Thing in Grace (that ne're heard
The Canons roring tongue, but at a Triumph)
Puts in, and for his intercession shares,
All that we fought for: The poore Soldior left
To starue, or fill vp Hospitalls.
Alph.
But when
We enter Townes by force, and carue our selues,
Pleasure with pillage, and the richest Wines,
Open our shrunke-vp vaines, and poure into 'em
New blood, and feruor.
Med.
I long to be at it;
To see these Chuffes, that euerie day may spend
A Soldiors entertainement for a yeere,
Yet make a third meale of a bunch of Raysons;
These Spunges, that suck vp a Kingdomes fat
(Batning like Scarabes in the nung of Peace)
To be squees'd out by the rough hand of warre;
And all that their whole liues haue heap'd together,
With one gripe to be rauishd.
Her.
I would be towsing
Their faire Madona's, that in little Dogges,
Monkeis, and Paraquito's consume thousands;
Yet for the aduancement of a noble action,
Repine to part with a poore Peice of Eight:
Warres plagues vpon 'em: I haue seene 'em stop
Their scornefull noses first, then seeme to swone
At sight of a buffe Ierkin; if it were not
Persum'd, and hid with Gold; Yet these nice wantons,
(Spurd on by Lust, couer'd in some disguise,
To meete some rough Court Stalion, and be leap'd)
Durst enter into any common Brothell,
Though all varieties of stinke contend there;
Yet prayse the entertainment.
Med.
I may liue,
To see the tatteredst Raskals of my troupe,
Drag 'em out of their Closets, with a vengeance:
When neither threatning, flattering, kneeling, howling,
Can ransome one poore Iewell, or redeeme
Themselues, from their blunt woing.
Her.
My maine hope is,
To begin the sport at Millaine: Ther's enough,
And of all kinds of pleasure we can wish for,
To satisfie the most couetous.
Alph.
Euerie day
We looke for a remoue.
Med.
For Lodowick Sforza
The Duke of Millaine, I, on mine owne knowledge,
Can say thus much; He is too much a Soldior,
Too confident of his owne worth, too rich to;
And vnderstands too well, the Emperor hates him,
To hope for composition.
Alph.
On my life,
Her.
On mine,
I doe not wish it: I had rather that
To shew his valor, he'd put vs to the trouble
To fetch him in by the Eares.
Med.
The Emperor.
Enter Charles the Emperor, Pescara, &c. Attendants.
Charl.
You make me wonder (Nay it is no councell,
You may pertake it Gentlemen) who would haue thought,
That he that scorn'd our proffer'd amitie,
When he was sued to; should, ere he be summond,
(Whither perswaded to it by base feare,
Or flatter'd by false hope, which, 'tis vncertaine)
First kneele for mercie?
Med.
When your Maiestie,
Shall please to instruct vs, who it is, we may
Admire it with you.
Charl.
Who, but the Duke of Millaine,
The right Hand of the French: Of all that stand
In our displeasure, whom necessitie
Compels to seeke our fauour, I would haue sworne
Sforza had been the last.
Her.
And should be writ so,
In the list of those you pardon. Would his Citie
Had rather held vs out a Seidge like Troy,
Then by a fein'd submission, he should cheate you
Of a iust reuenge: Or vs, of those faire glories
We haue sweat blood to purchase.
Med.
With your honour
You cannot heare him.
Alph.
The sack alone of Millaine
Will pay the Armie.
Charl.
I am not so weake,
To be wrought on as you feare; Nor ignorant,
That Money is the sinew of the Warre;
'Tis in our power to grant it, or denie it.
Yet for our glorie, and to shew him that
We haue brought him on his knees; It is resolu'd
To heare him as a Supplyant. Bring him in;
But let him see the effects of our iust anger,
In the Guard that you make for him.
Ex. Piscara
Hern.
I am now
Familiar with the issue (all plagues on it)
He will appeare in some deiected habit,
His countenance sutable; And for his order,
A Rope about his neck; Then kneele, and tell
Old Stories, what a worthy thing it is
To haue power, and not to vse it; Then ad to that
A Tale of King Tigranes, and great Pompey,
Who said (forsooth, and wisely) 'Twas more honor
To make a King, then kill one: Which, applyed
To the Emperor, and himselfe, a Pardons granted
To him, an Enemie; and we his Seruants,
Condemn'd to beggerie.
Med.
Yonder he comes,
En. Sforza
But not as you expected.
Alph.
He lookes, as if
He would out-face his dangers.
Hern.
I am cousen'd:
A suitor in the Diuels name.
Med.
Heare him speake.
Sf.
I come not (Emperor) to inuade thy mercie,
By fawning on thy fortune; Nor bring with me
Excuses, or denials. I professe
(And with a good Mans confidence, euen this instant,
That I am in thy power) I was thine enemie;
Thy deadly and vow'd enemie; One that wish'd
Confusion to thy Person and Estates;
And with my vtmost powers, and deepest counsels
Nor will I now, although my neck were vnder
The Hang-mans Axe, with one poore sillable
Confesse, but that I honor'd the French King,
More then thy selfe, and all Men.
Med.
By Saint Iaques,
This is no flatterie.
Her.
There is Fire, and Spirit in't;
But not long liu'd, I hope.
Sf.
Now giue me leaue,
(My hate against thy selfe, and loue to him
Freely acknowledg'd) to giue vp the reasons
That made me so affected. In my wants
I euer found him faithfull; Had supplyes
Of Men and Moneys from him; And my hopes
Quite sunke, were by his Grace, bouy'd vp againe:
He was indeed to me, as my good Angell,
To guard me from all dangers. I dare speake
(Nay must and will) his prayse now, in as high
And lowd a key, as when he was thy equall.
The benefits he sow'd in me, met not
Vnthankefull ground, but yeelded him his owne
With faire encrease, and I still glorie in it.
And though my fortunes (poore, compar'd to his,
And Millaine waigh'd with France, appeare as nothing)
Are in thy furie burnt: Let it be mentioned,
They seru'd but as small Tapers to attend
The solemne flame at this great Funerall:
And with them I will gladly wast my selfe,
Rather then vndergoe the imputation,
Of being base, or vnthankefull.
Alph.
Nobly spoken.
Her.
I doe begin, I know not why, to hate him
Lesse then I did.
Sf.
If that then to be gratefull
A friend in his necessities, be a crime
Amongst you Spaniards (which other Nations
That like your aym'd at Empire, lou'd, and cherish'd
Where e're they found it) Sforza brings his Head
To pay the forfeit; Nor come I as a Slaue,
Piniond and fetterd, in a squallid weed,
Falling before thy Feet, kneeling and howling,
For a forestal'd remission; That were poore,
And would but shame thy victorie: For conquest
Ouer base foes, is a captiuitie,
And not a triumph. I ne're fear'd to dye,
More then I wish'd to liue. When I had reach'd
My ends in being a Duke, I wore these Robes,
This Crowne vpon my Head, and to my side
This Sword was girt; And witnesse truth, that now
'Tis in anothers power when I shall part
With them and life together, I am the same,
My Veines then did not swell with pride; nor now,
They shrinke for feare: Know Sir, that Sforza stands
Prepar'd for either fortune.
Her.
As I liue,
I doe begin strangely to loue this fellow;
And could part with three quarters of my share
In the promis'd spoyle, to saue him.
Sf.
But if example
Of my fidelitie to the French (whose honours,
Titles, and glories, are now mixt with yours;
As Brookes deuowr'd by Riuers, loose their names)
Has power to inuite you to make him a friend,
That hath giuen euident proofe, he knowes to loue,
And to be thankefull; This my Crowne, now yours,
You may restore me: And in me instruct
These braue Commanders (should your fortune change,
Which now I wish not) what they may expect,
The charges of the warre I will defray,
And what you may (not without hazard) force,
Bring freely to you: I'le preuent the cryes
Of murther'd Infants, and of rauish'd Mayds,
Which in a Citie sack'd call on Heauens justice,
And stop the course of glorious victories.
And when I know the Captaines and the Soldiors,
That haue in the late battle, done best seruice,
And are to be rewarded; I, my selfe
(According to their quallitie and merrits)
Will see them largely recompenc'd. I haue said,
And now expect my sentence.
Alph.
By this light,
'Tis a braue Gentleman.
Med.
How like a block
The Emperor sits?
Her.
He hath deliuer'd reasons,
Especially in his purpose to enrich
Such as fought brauely (I my selfe am one,
I care not who knowes it) as, I wonder, that
He can be so stupid. Now he begins to stirre,
Mercie an't be thy will.
Charl.
Thou hast so farre
Outgone my expectation, noble Sforza
(For such I hold thee) And true constancie,
Rais'd on a braue foundation, beares such palme,
And priuiledge with it; That where we behold it,
Though in an enemie, it does command vs
To loue and honour it. By my future hopes,
I am glad, for thy sake, that in seeking fauour,
Thou did'st not borrow of vice her indirect,
Crooked, and abiect meanes: And for mine owne,
(That since my purposes must now be chang'd
Touching thy life and fortunes) the world cannot
I being neither wrought by tempting bribes,
Nor seruile flatterie; but forc'd vnto it,
By a faire warre of vertue.
Hern.
This sounds well.
Charl.
All former passages of hate be buried;
For thus with open armes I meete thy loue,
And as a friend embrace it: And so farre
I am from robbing thee of the least honor,
That with my hands, to make it sit the faster,
I set thy Crowne once more vpon thy head:
And doe not only stile thee, Duke of Millaine,
But vow to keepe thee so: Yet not to take
From others to giue only to my selfe,
I will not hinder your magnificence
To my Commanders, neither will I vrge it,
But in that, as in all things else I leaue you
To be your owne disposer
Florish. Ex. Charl.
Sf.
May I liue
To seale my loyaltie, though with losse of life
In some braue seruice worthy Cæsars fouor,
And I shall dye most happy. Gentlemen,
Receiue me to your loues, and if henceforth
There can arise a difference betweene vs,
It shall be in a Noble emulation.
Who hath the fairest Sword, or dare go farthest,
To fight for Charles the Emperor?
Hern.
We embrace you,
As one well read in all the points of honor,
And there we are your Schollers.
Sf.
True, but such
As farre out-strip the Master; we'le contend
In loue hereafter, in the meane time pray you,
Let me discharge my debt, and as in earnest
Of what's to come, deuide this Cabnet:
In the small body of it there are Iewels,
Which honor me to receiue.
Med.
You bind vs to you.
Sf.
And when great Charles comands me to his presence,
If you will please to excuse my abrupt departure,
Designes that most concerne me next this mercie,
Calling me home, I shall hereafter meete you,
And gratifie the fauor.
Her.
In this and all things, we are your Seruants.
Sf.
A name I euer owe you.
Ex. Med. Her. Alph.
Pesc.
So Sir, this tempest is well ouerblowne,
And all things fall out to our wishes. But
In my opinion, this quicke returne,
Before you haue made a partie in the Court
Among the great ones (for these needy Captains
Haue little power in peace) may beget danger,
At least suspition.
Sf.
Where true honor liues,
Doubt hath no being, I desire no pawne
Beyond an Emperors word for my assurance:
Besides, Pescara, to thy selfe of all men
I will confesse my weakenesse, though my State
And Crown's restored me, though I am in grace
And that a little stay might be a step
To greater honors, I must hence. Alas,
I liue not here, my wife, my wife Pescara,
Being absent I am dead. Prethe excuse,
And do not chide for freindship sake my fondnes
But ride along with me, I'le giue you reasons,
And strong ones, to plead for me.
Pesc.
Vse you owne pleasure,
I'le bere you companie.
Sf.
Farewell griefe, I am stor'd with
Two blessings most desir'd in humaine life,
A constant friend, an vnsuspected wife.
| The Dvke of Millaine | |