University of Virginia Library

Scæna quinta.

Enter Acanthe, the vizarded seruants, Mathias, Baptista.
Acanthe.
You haue donne brauely, locke this in that roome,
There let him ruminate, I'll anon vnhood him.
they carry of Baptista
The other must stay heere, as soone as I
Haue quit the place giue him the liberty,
And vse of his eies, that donne disperse your selues
As priuately as you can, but on your liues
No word of what hath pas'd.
Exit Acanthe.

1.
If I doe, sell
My tongue to a tripe wife, come vnbind his armes,
You are now at your owne disposure and howeuer
We vs'd you roughly, I hope you will find heere
Such entertainment, as will giue you cause
To thanke vs for the seruice, and so I leaue you,

Exeunt seruants.
Mathias.
If I am in a prison 'tis a neat one,
What O edipus can resolue this riddle? Ha!
I neuer gaue iust cause to any man
Basely to plot against my life, but what is
Become of my true friend? for him I suffer
More then my selfe.

Acanthe.
Remoue that idlefeare
Hee's safe as you are.

Mathias.
Whoso'ere thou art
For him I thanke thee, I cannot imagine
Where I should be, though I haue read the table
Or errant knighthood, stuff'd, with the relations
Of magicall enchantments, yet I am not
So sottishly credulous, to beleeue the diuell
Hath that way power, Ha? musicke!

Musicke aboue, a song of pleasure.

[Mathias.]
A song too, certainely be it he, or she
That owes this voyce, it hath not bene acquainted
With much affliction, whosoere you are
That doe inhabit heere, if you haue bodies
And are not meere aeriall formes appeare
Enter Honoria.
And make me know your end with me, most strange
What haue I coiur'd vp? sure if this be,
A spirit 'tis no damn'd one what a shapes heere;
Then with what maiesty it moues. If Inno
Were now to keepe her state among the Gods,
And Hercules to be made againe her ghest
She could not put on a more glorious habit
Though her handmaid Iris lent her various colours
Or ould Oceanus rauishd from the deepe
All iewels shipwrack'd in it, as you haue
Thus far made knowne your selfe, if that your face
Haue not too much diuinity about it
For mortall eies to gaze on, perfit what
You haue begun with wonder, and amazement
To my ashonish'd senses, how! the Queene!

kneeles she puls of her masque.
Honoria.
Rise sir, and heare my reasons in defence
Of the rape for so you may conceaue, which I
By my instruments made vpon you, you perhaps
May thinke, what you haue suffer'd for my lust
Is a common practise with me, but I call
Those euer shining lamps, and their great maker
As witnesses of my inocence, I nere look'd on
A man but your best selfe, on whom I euer
(Except the King) vouchsaf'd an eie of fauour

Mathias.
The King indeed, and onely such a King
Deserues your rarities Madam, and but hee
'Twere gyant like ambition in any
In his wishes onely to presume to tast
The nectar of your kisses; or to feed
His appetite with that ambrosia, due
And proper to a prince, and what bind mores
A lawfull husband, for my selfe great Queene
I am a thing obscure, disfurnish'd of
All merit, that can rayse me higher then
In my most humble thankefulnes for your bounty
To hazard my life for you, and that way
I am most ambitious.

Honoria.
I desire no more
Then what you promise, if you dare expose
Your life as you professe to doe me seruice,
How can it better be imployd, then in
Preseruing mine? which onely you can doe.
And must doe with the danger of your owne.
A desperate danger to, if priuate men
Can brooke no riuals in what they affect
But to the death pursue such as inuade
What law makes their inheritance, the King
To whom you know I am deerer then his crowne
His health his eies his after-hopes with all
His present blessings must fall on that man
Like dreadfull lightning that is won by prayers,
Threates, or rewards to staine his bed, or make
His hop'd for issue doubtfull.

Mathias.
If you aime
At what I more then feare you doe, the reasons
Which you deliuer should in iudgement rather
Deter me, then invite a grant, with my
Assured ruine.

Honoria.
True if that you were
Of a cold temper one whom doubt, or feare,
In the most horrid formes they could put on
Might teach to be ingratefull, your deniall
To me, that haue deseru'd so much, is more
If it can haue addition.

Mathias.
I know not
What your commandes are.

Honoria.
Haue you fought so well
Among armi'd men, yet cannot ghesse what lists
You are to enter when you are in priuate
With a willingly ladie, one, that to inioye
Your company this night deni'd the King
Accesse, to what's his owne, if you will presse me
To speake in playner language.

Mathias.
Pray you forbeare,
I would I did not vnderstand too much
Already, by your words I am instructed
To credite that, which not confirmd by you,
Had bred suspition in me of vntruth
Though an Angell had affirm'd it, but suppose
That cloyd with happines (which is euer builte
On vertuous chastity, in the wantonnesse
Of appetite, you desire to make triall
Of the false delights propos'd by vitious lust:
Among ten thousand euery way moreable
And apter to be wrought on, such as owe you
Obedience being your subiects, why should you
Make choice of me a stranger?

Honoria.
Though yet reason
Was nere admitted in the court of loue,
I'll yeeld you one vnanswerable, as I vrg'd
In our last priuate conference, you haue
A pretty promising presence, but there are
Many in limbes, and feature who may take
That way the right hand file of you, besides
Your May of youth is pas'd, and the blood spent
By woundes, though brauely taken, render you
Disabld for loues seruice, and that valour
Set off with better fortune, which it may be
Swels you aboue your boundes' is not the hooke
That hath caught me good sir I need no champion
With his sword to guard my honor, or my beauty,
In both I can defend my selfe, and liue
My owne protection.

Mathias.
If these aduocates
The best that can plead for me, haue no power?
What can you find in me else, that may tempt you
With irrecouerable losse vnto your selfe
To be a gayner from me?

Honoria.
You haue Sir
A iewell of such matchlesse worth and lustre,
As does disdaine comparison, and darkens
All that is rare in other men, and that
I must or win, or lessen.

Mathias.
You heape more
Amazement on me, what am I posses'd of
That you can couet? make me vnderstand it,
If it haue a name?

Honoria.
Yes an imagin'd one,
But is in substance nothing, being a garment
Worne out of fashion, and long since giuen ore
By the court and country, tis your loyalty,
And constancy to your wife, 'tis that I dote on,
And does deserue my enuy, and that iewell
Or by faire play, or foule, I must winne from you.

Mathias.
These are meere contraries, if you loue me Madam
For my constancy, why seeke yo to destroy it?
In my keeping it preserue me worth your fauour,
Or if it be a iewell of that value,
As you with labour'd rhetorick would perswad me
What can you stake against it?

Honoria.
A Queenes fame,
And equall honor.

Mathias.
So whoeuer wins
Both shall be loosers.

Honoria.
That is that I aime at
Yet on the by I lay my youth, my beauty
This moist palme, this soft lippe, and those delights
Darkenesse should onely iudge of, do you find 'em
Infectious in the tryall, that you start
As frighted with their touch?

Mathias.
Is it in man
To resist such strong temptations?

Honoria.
He begins
To wauer.

Mathias.
Madam as you are gracious
Grant this short nights deliberation to me,
And with the rising sum from me you shall
Receiue full satisfaction.

Honoria.
Though extreames
Hate all delay, I will denie you nothing,
This key will bring you to your friend you are safe both
And all things vsefull that could be prepar'd
For one I loue and honor waite vpon you,
Take counsaile of your pillow, such a fortune
(As with affections swiftest wings flies to you
Will not be often tendred.
Exit Honoria.

Mathias.
How my blood
Rebels! I now could call her backe and yet
Ther's something stayes me, if the King had tenderd
Such fauours to my wife 'tis to be doubted
They had not bene refus'd, but being a man
I should not yeeld first, or proue an example
For her defence of fraylty, by this sans question
She's tempted too, and heere I may examine
looke on the picture.
How shee holds out, she's still the same, the same
Pure Christan rocke of chastity perish all
Allurements that may alter me, the snow
Of her sweete coldnes, hath extinguished quite
The fire that but euen now began to flame!
And I by her confirm'd, rewards, nor titles,
Nor certaine death from the refused Queene
Shall shake my faith, since I resolue to be
Loyall to her, as she is true to me.
Exit Mathias.