 | The Renegado |  |
Scæna Secunda.
Enter Asambeg. vnlocks the doore, leades forth Paulina.Asam.
Be your owne gard; obsequiousnesse, and seruice
Shall winne you to be mine. Of all restraint
For euer take your leaue, no threats shall awe you,
No iealous doubts of mine disturbe your freedome,
No fee'd spies, wayte vpon your steps, your vertue
And due consideration in your selfe,
Of what is Noble, are the faithfull helps
I leaue you as supporters to defend you,
From falling basely.
Paul.
This is vvondrous strange
Whence flowes this alteration?
Asam.
From true iudgement,
And strong assurance, neither grates of iron,
Hemde in vvith vvalls of brasse, stricte gards, high birth.
The forfeiture of Honour, nor the feare
Of infamie, or punishment, can stay
A woman slaude to appetite from being
False, and vnworthy.
Paul.
You are growne Satyricall
Against our sex, vvhy sir I durst produce
My selfe in our defence, and from you challenge
A testimony not to be deni'd,
All fall not vnder this vnequall censure,
I that haue stood your flatteries, your threats
Bore vp against your fierce temptations; scorn'd
The cruell meanes you practis'd to supplant me,
Hauing no armes to helpe me, to hold out
But loue of piety, and constant goodnesse,
If you are vnconfirm'd, dare againe bouldly
All opposites mans malice can bring forth
To shake me in my chastetie built vpon
The rocke of my religion.
Asam.
I doe vvish
I could beleeue you, but vvhen I shall shew you
A most incredible example of
Your frayletie in a Princesse, su'de and sought to
By men of worth, of ranck, of eminence; courted
By happinesse it selfe, and her cold temper
Approou'd by many yeeres; yet she to fall,
Fall from her selfe, her glories, nay her safet,
Into a gulfe of shame, and blacke despayre,
I thinke you'll doubt your selfe, or in beholding
Her punishment for euer be deterde
From yeelding basely.
Paul.
I vvould see this vvonder;
Tis sir my first petition.
Asam.
And thus granted;
Aboue you shall obserue all.
Paul. steps aside. Enter Must.
Must.
Sir I sought you
And must relate a vvonder, since I studied
And knew vvhat man vvas, I vvas neuer vvitnesse
Of such inuincible fortitude as this Christian
Showes in his sufferings, all the torments that
We could present him vvith to fright his constancy
Confirm'd, not shooke it; and those heauy chaines
That eate into his flesh, appear'd to him
Like bracelets made of some lou'd mistrisse hayres
We kisse in the remembrance of her fauours.
I am strangely taken vvith it, and haue lost
Much of my furie.
Asam.
Had he suffer'd poorely
It had call'd on my contempt, but manly patience
And all commanding vertue, wins vpon
An enemy. I shall thinke vpon him, ha!
Enter Aga with a black box.
So soone return'd? this speede pleads in excuse
What's the grand Signiors pleasure?
Aga.
Tis inclos'd heere
The box to, that contaynes it, may informe you
How he stands affected: I am trusted with
Nothing but this, on forfeit of your head
She must haue a speedy triall.
Asam.
Bring her in
In blacke as to her funerall, tis the colour
Her fault wils her to weare, and which, in iustice
I dare not pitty, sit and take your place,
Howeuer in her life she has degenerated
May she die nobly, and in that confirme
Her greatnesse, and high blood.
A solemne musicque. A garde. The Aga, and Capiaga, leading in Donusa in blacke, her trayne borne vp by Carazie, and Manto.
Musta.
I now could melt;
But soft compassion leaue me.
Fran.
I am affrighted
With this dismall preparation. Should the enioying
Of loose desires finde euer such conclusions,
All Women would be Vestalls.
Donu.
That you cloth me
In this sad liuery of death, assures me
Your sentence is gone out before, and I
To late am cald, for, in my guilty cause
To vse qualification, or excuse—
Yet must I not part so with mine owne strengths,
But borrow from my modesty boldnesse, to
Enquire by whose authority you sit
My iudges, and whose warrant digs my graue
In the frownes you dart against my life?
Asam.
See heere
This fatall signe, and warrant this brought to
Victorious troopes, rauishes from his hand
His eu'n then conquering sword; this showne vnto
The Sultans brothers, or his sonnes, deliuers
His deadly anger, and all hopes lay'd by
Commands them to prepare themselues for heauen.
Which would stand with the quiet of your soule
To thinke vpon, and imitate.
Donusa.
Giue me leaue
A little to complayne, first of the hard
Condition of my Fortune, which may moue you
Though not to rise vp intercessors for me
(Yet in remembrance of my former life,
This being the first spot, tainting mine honor)
To be the meanes to bring me to his presence;
And thou I doubt not, but I could alleage
Such reasons in mine owne defence, or pleade
So humbly (my teares helpinge) that it should
Awake his sleeping pitty.
Asam.
Tis in vayne.
If you haue ought to say you shall haue hearing,
And in me thinke him present.
Donusa.
I would thus then
First kneele, and kisse his feete, and after tell him
How long I had beene his darling, what delight
My infant yeeres afforded him; how deere
Hee prizde his sister, in both bloods, my mother;
That she like him had frailety, that to me
Descends as an inheritance, then coniure him
By her blest ashes, and his fathers soule,
The sword that rides vpon his thigh, his right hand
Holding the Scepter and the Ottoman fortune,
To haue compassiion on me.
Asam.
But suppose
(As I am sure) he would be deafe, what then
Could you inferre?
Donusa.
I then would thus rise vp,
A most voluptuous, and insatiable Epicure
In his owne pleasures: which he hugs so deerely,
As proper, and peculiar to himselfe,
That he denies a moderate lawfull vse
Of all delight to others. And to thee
Vnequall iudge I speake as much, and charge thee
But with impartiall eies to looke into
Thy selfe, and then consider with what iustice
Thou canst pronounce my sentence. Vnkind nature,
To make weake women seruants, proud men Masters
Indulgent Mahomet, doe thy bloudy lawes
Call my embraces vvith a Christian, death?
Hauing my heate and May of youth to pleade
In my excuse? and yet want power to punish
These that vvith scorne breake throgh thy Cobweb edicts
And laugh at thy decrees? to tame their lusts
There's no religious bit, let her be fayre
And pleasing to the eye, though Persian, Moore,
Idolatresse, Turke, or Christian, you are priueledg'd
And freely may enioy her. At this instant
I know, vniust man, thou hast in thy power
A louely Christian Virgin; thy offence
Equall, if not transcending mine, vvhy then
We being both guilty doest thou not descend
From that vsurp'd Tribunall and vvith me
Walke hand in hand to death?
Asam.
She raues, and vve
Loose time to heare her: reade the Law,
Donusa.
Doe, doe,
I stand resolu'd to suffer.
Asa.
If any Virgin of what degree or quality soeuer,
borne a naturall Turke, shall bee conuicted of corporall
loosenesse, and incontinence, with any Christian, she is by
the decree of our great Prophet Mahomet to loose her
head.
Asam.
Marke that, then taxe our iustice.
Euer prouided that if shee, the sayd offender, by
any reasons, arguments or perswasion, can win and preuaile
with the sayd Christian offending with her, to alter his
religion, and marry her, that then the winning of a soule to
the Mahometan sect, shall acquit her from all shame, disgrace
and punishment whatsoeuer.
Donu.
I lay hold on that clause and challenge from you
The priueledge of the Law.
Musta.
What will you doe?
Donu.
Grant me accesse and meanes, I'll vndertake
To turne this Christian Turke, and marry him:
This triall you cannot denie.
Must.
O base!
Can feare to die make you descend so low
From your high birth, and brand the Ottaman line
With such a marke of infamy?
Asam.
This is worse
Then the parting with your honour, better suffer
Ten thousand deaths, and without hope to haue
A place in our great Prophets Paradice,
Then haue an acte to after times remembred
So foule as this is.
Musta.
Cheere your spirits Madam,
To die is nothing, tis but parting with
A mountaine of vexations.
Asam.
Thinke of your honour;
In dying nobly you make satisfaction
For your offence, and you shall liue a story
Of bould Heroicke courage.
Donu.
You shall not foole me
Out of my life, I claime the Law and sue for
A speedy triall; if I fayle, you may
Determine of me as you please.
Asam.
Base woman!
But vse thy wayes, and see thou prosper in 'em
For if thou fall againe into my power
Thou shalt in vaine after a thousand tortures
Vnloose the prisoners chaynes, goe leade her on
To try the Magique of her tongue; I follow:
I am on the racke, descend my best Paulina.
| The Renegado | |