 | The Bond-Man |  |
SCÆNA III.
Gracculo leading Asotus in an Apes habit, with a chaine about his necke. Zanthia, in Coriscaes Cloathes, she bearing vp her traine.Gracculo.
Come on, Sir.
Asotus.
Oh.
Grac.
Doe you grumble? you were euer
To come aloft, and doe tricks like an Ape
Your mornings lesson: if you misse—
Asotus.
O no, Sir.
Asotus makes moppes.
Grac.
What for the Carthaginians? a good beast.
What for our selfe your Lord? exceeding well.
Dances.
There's your reward. Not kisse your pawe? So, so, so.
Zanthia.
Was euer Lady the first daie of her honour
So waited on by a wrinkled crone? she lookes now
Without her painting, curling, and perfumes
Like the last day of Ianuary; and stinkes worse
Then a hot brach in the dogge daies. Further of,
So stand there like an image; if you stirre,
Till with a quarter of a looke I call you,
You know what followes.
Corisca.
O what am I falne to!
But 'tis a punishment for my lust and pride,
Iustly return'd vpon me.
Gracculo.
How doo'st thou like
Thy Ladiship Zanthia?
Zanthia.
Very well, and beare it
With as much state as your Lordship.
Gracculo.
Giue me thy hand;
Let vs like conquering Romans walke in triumph,
Our captiues following. Then mount our Tribunals,
And make the slaues our footstooles.
Zanthia.
Fine by Ioue,
Are your hands cleane minion?
Corisca.
Yes forsooth.
Zanthia.
Fall off then.
So now come on: and hauing made your three duties,
Downe I say, (are you stiffe in the hams?) now kneele,
And tie our shooe. Now kisse it and be happy.
Gracculo.
This is state indeed.
Zanthia.
It is such as she taught me,
A tickling itch of greatnesse, your proud Ladyes
Expect from their poore Waiters, we haue chang'd parts;
Shee does what she forc'd me to doe in her raigne,
And I must practise it in mine.
'Tis iustice;
O heere come more.
Enter Cymbrio, Cleon, Poliphron, Olympia.
Cymbrio.
Discouer to a Drachma,
Or I will famish thee.
Cleon.
O I am pin'de already.
Cymbrio.
Hunger shall force thee to cut off the brawnes
From thy armes and thighes, then broile them on the coles
For Carbonadoes.
Poliphron.
Spare the olde Iade, he's foundred.
Gracculo.
Cutt his throat then,
And hang him out for a scarre-Crowe.
Poliphron.
You haue all your wishes
In your reuenge, and I haue mine. You see
I vse no tyrannie: When I was her slaue,
She kept me as a sinner to lie at her backe
In frostie nights, and fed me high with dainties,
Which still she had in her belly againe e're morning,
And in requitall of those curtesies
Hauing made one another free, we are marryed,
And if you wish vs ioy, ioyne with vs in
A Dance at our Wedding.
Gracculo.
Agreed, for I haue thought of
A most triumphant one, which shall expresse, wee are Lords, and these our slaues.
Poliphron.
But we shall want
A woman.
Gracculo.
No, here's Iane of Apes shall serue;
Carry your body swimming: where's the Musicke?
Poliph.
I haue plac'd it in yon Window.
The dance at the end.
Gracculo.
Begin then sprightly.
Enter Pisander.
Poliphron.
Well done on all sides. I haue prepar'd a Banquet;
Let's drinke, and coole vs.
Gracculo.
A good motion,
Cymbrio.
Wait heere,
You haue beene tyr'd with feasting, learne to fast now.
Grac.
Ile haue an Apple for Iacke, and may be some scrapps
May fall to your share
Exeunt Gracculo, Zanthia, Cymbrio, Poliphron, Olympia.
Corisca.
Whom can we accuse
But our selues for what we suffer? thou art iust
Instructs me now, that yesterday acknowledg'd,
No Deitie beyond my lust and pride.
There is a heauen aboue vs, that lookes downe
With the eyes of Iustice, vpon such as number
Those blessings freely giuen, in the accompt
Of their poore merits: Else it could not be
Now miserable I, to please whose pallat
The Elements were ransack'd, yet complain'd
Of Nature, as not liberall enough
In her prouision of rarities
To soothe my taste, and pamper my proud flesh:
Now wish in vaine for bread:
Cleon.
Yes, I doe wishe too,
For what I fed my dogges with.
Corisca.
I that forgot
I was made of flesh and blood, and thought the silke
Spunne by the diligent worme, out of their intrals,
Too course to cloathe mee; and the softest Downe
Too hard to sleepe on; that disdain'd to looke
On vertue being in ragges; that stop'd my nose
At those that did not vse adulterate arts
To better nature; that from those, that seru'd me,
Expected adoration, am made iustly
The scorne of my owne Bond-woman.
Asotus.
I am punish'd,
For seeking to Cuckold mine owne naturall Father.
Had I beene gelded then, or vs'd my selfe
Like a man: I had not beene transform'd, and forc'd
To play an ore-growne Ape.
Cleon.
I know I cannot
Last long, that's all my comfort: come, I forgiue both,
It is in vaine to be angry, let vs therefore
Lament together like friends.
Pisander.
What a true mirror
Were this sad spectacle for secure greatnesse!
Heere they that neuer see themselues, but in
The Glasse of seruile flattery, might behold
That trust in humane frailtie. Happie are those,
That knowing in their births, they are subiect to
Vncertaine change, are still prepar'd, and arm'd
For either fortune: A rare principle,
And with much labour, learn'd in wisdomes schoole!
For as these Bond-men by their actions shew,
That their prosperitie, like too too large a Sayle
For their small barke of iudgement; sinkes them with
A fore-right gale of libertie, e're they reach
The Port they long to touch at: So these wretches
Swolne with the false opinion of their worth,
And proud of blessings left them, not acquir'd,
That did beleeue they could with Gyant-armes
Fathome the earth, and were aboue their fates.
Those borrow'd helpes that did support them, vanish'd:
Fall of themselues, and by vnmanly suffring,
Betray their proper weaknesse, and make knowne
Their boasted greatnesse was lent, not their owne.
Cleon.
O for some meate, they sit long.
Corisc.
We forgot,
When we drew out intemperate feasts till midnight:
Their hunger was not thought on, nor their watchings;
Nor did we hold our selues seru'd to the height,
But when we did exact, and force their duties
Beyond their strength and power.
Asotus.
We pay for't now,
I now could be content to haue my head
Broke with a ribbe of Beefe, or for a Coffin
Be buried in the dripping Pan.
Cymbrio.
Doe not hold me,
Enter Poliphron, Cymbrio, Gracculo, Zanthia, Olimpia, drunke and quarrelling.
Not kisse the Bride?
Poliphron.
No Sir.
Cimbrio.
She's common good,
And so wee'll vse her.
Gracculo.
Wee'le haue nothing priuate.
Olympia.
Hold:
Zanthia.
Heere, Marullo.
Hee's your chiefe.
Cymbrio.
We are equals,
I will know no obedience.
Gracculo.
Nor superior,
Nay, if you are Lyon-drunke, I will make one,
For lightly euer he that parts the fray,
Goes away with the blowes.
Pisander.
Art thou madde too?
No more, as you respect me.
Poliphron.
I obey, Sir,
Pisander.
Quarrell among your selues?
Cymbrio.
Yes, in our Wine, Sir,
And for our Wenches.
Gracculo.
How could we be Lords else?
Pisan.
Take heed, I haue news will coole this heat, & make you
Remember, what you were.
Cymbrio.
How?
Pisander.
Send off these,
And then I'le tell you.
Zanthia beating Corisca.
Olympia.
This is tyrannie,
Now she offends not.
Zanthia.
'Tis for exercise,
And to helpe digestion, what is she good for else?
To me it was her language.
Pisander.
Leaue her off,
And take heed Madam minx, the Wheele may turne.
Goe to your meate, and rest, and from this houre
Remember, he that is a Lord to day,
Exeunt Cleon, Asotus, Zanthia, Olympia, Corisca.
May be a Slaue to morrow.
Cleon.
good morallity.
Cymbrio.
But what would you impart?
Pisander.
What must inuite you
To stand vpon your guard, and leaue your feasting,
Or but imagine, what it is to be
Most miserable, and rest assur'd you are so.
Our Masters are victorious:
All.
How?
Pisander.
Within
And proud of conquest, the Armado sunke,
The Carthaginian Admirall hand to hand,
Slaine by Leosthenes.
Cymbrio.
I feele the whippe
Vpon my backe already.
Gracculo.
Euery man
Seeke a conuenient Tree, and hang himselfe.
Poliphron.
Better die once, then liue an age to suffer
New tortures euery houre.
Cimbrio.
Say, we submit,
And yeeld vs to their mercy.
Pisander.
Can you flatter
Your selues with such false hopes? or dare you thinke
That your imperious Lords, that neuer fail'd
To punish with seuerity petty slipps,
In your neglect of labour, may be wonne
To pardon those licentious outrages,
Which noble enemies forbeare to practise
Vpon the conquer'd? What haue you omitted,
That may call on their iust reuenge with horror,
And studied cruelty? We haue gone too farre
To thinke now of retyring; in our courage,
And during, lies our safetie; if you are not
Slaues in your abiect mindes, as in your fortunes
Since to die is the worst, better expose
Our naked breasts to their keene Swords, and sell
Our liues with the most aduantage, then to trust
In a forestal'd remission, or yeeld vp
Our bodies to the furnace of their furie,
Thrice heated with reuenge.
Gracculo.
You led vs on.
Cimb.
And 'tis but iustice, you should bring vs off.
Gracculo.
And we expect it.
Pisander.
Heare then, and obey me,
And I will either saue you, or fall with you;
Man the Walls strongly, and make good the Ports
Boldly deny their entrance, and rippe vp
This desperate course: if they disdaine to heare
Of composition, we haue in our powers
Their aged Fathers, Children, and their Wiues,
Who to preserue themselues, must willingly
Make intercession for vs. 'Tis not time now
To talke, but doe. A glorious end or freedome
Is now propos'd vs; stand resolu'd for either,
And like good fellowes, liue, or die togeather.
Exeunt.
| The Bond-Man | |