University of Virginia Library

Scæna prima.

Enter Mathias, Baptista.
Baptista.
We are in a desperat straight, ther's no euasion
Nor hope left to come of, but by your yeelding
To the necessity, you must faine a grant
To her violent passion, or

Mathias.
What my Baptista?

Baptista.
We are but dead else.

Mathias.
Were the sword now heau'd vp,
And my necke vpon the blocke, I would not buy
An howers repriue with the losse of faith and vertue
To be made immortall heere, art thou a scholler
Nay almost without paralell, and yet feare
To dye which is incuitable you may vrge
The many yeeres that by the course of nature
We may trauaile in this tedious pilgrimage,
And hou'd it as a blessing, as it is
When innocence is our guid, yet know Baptista
Our vertues are preferu'd before our yeeres
By the great iudge to dye vntaynted in
Our fame, and reputation is the greatest
And to loose that can we desire to liue?
Or shall I for a momentary pleasure
Which soone comes to a period, to all times
Haue breach of faith and periury remembred
In a still liuing Epitath, no Baptist,
Since my Sophia will go to her graue
Vnspotted in her faith, I'll follow her
With equall loyalty, but looke on this
your owne great worke, your masterpeese, and then
She being still the same teach me to alter.
Ha! sure I doe not sleepe! or if I dreame,
The picture altred.
This is a terrible vision! I will cleare
My eiesight, perhaps melancholly makes me
See that which is not.

Baptista.
It is to apparent.
I grieue to looke vpon't, besides the yellow
That does assure she's tempted there are lines
Of a darke colour, that disperse themselues
Ore euery miniature of her face, and those
Confirme.

Mathias.
She is turnd whore.

Baptista.
I must not say so.
Yet as a friend to truth if you will haue me
Interpret it, in her consent, and wishes
She's false but not in fact yet.

Mathias.
Fact Baptista?
Make not your selfe a pandar to her loosenes,
In labouring to palliate what a vizard
Of impudence cannot couer did ere woman
In her will decline from chastety, but found meanes
To giue her hot lust fukll? it is more
Impossible in nature for grosse bodies
Descending of themselues, to hang in the ayre,
Or with my single arme to vnderprop
A falling tower, nay in its violent course
To stoppe the lightning then to stay a woman
Hurried by two furies lust and falshood
In her full carier to wickednes.

Baptista.
Pray you tempter
The violence of your passion.

Mathias.
In extreames
Of this condition, can it be in man
To vse a moderation? I am throwne
From a steepe rocke headlong into a gulph
Of misery, and find my selfe past hope
In the same moment that I aprehend
That I am falling and this the figure of
My Idoll few howers since, while she cotinued
In her perfection that was late a mirror
In which I saw miracules shapes of duty,
Stayd manners with all excellency a husband
Could wish in a chast wife, is on the suddaine
Turnd to a magicall glasse, and does present
Nothing but hornes, and horror

Baptista.
You may yet
And 'tis the best foundation, build vp comfort
On your owne goodnes.

Mathias.
Noe, that hath vndone me
For now I hold my temperance a sinne
Worse then excesse, and what was vice a vertue,
Haue I refus'd a Queene, and such a Queene
Whose rauishing beauties at the first sight had tempted
A hermit from his beades, and chang'd his prayers
To amorous Sonets, to preserue my faith
Inuiolate to thee, with the hazard of
My death with tortrne, since she could inflict
No lesse for my contempt, and haue I made
Such a returne from thee? I will not curse thee,
Nor for thy falshood raile against the sex
'Tis poore, and common, Ile onely with wise men
Whisper vnto my selfe, howere they seeme
Nor present, nor past times, nor the age to come
Hath heeretofore, can now, or euer shall
Produce on constant woman.

Baptista.
This is more
Then the Satirists wrot against 'em.

Mathias.
Ther's no language
That can expresse the poyson of these Aspicks,
These weeping Crocadiles, and all to little
That hath beeing sayd against 'em but I'll mould
My thoughts into another forme, and if
She can out-liue the report of what I haue donne
This hand when next she comes within my reach
Shall be her executioner.

Enter Honoria.
Baptista.
The Queene sir.

Honoria.
Wait our commnnd at distance, sir you haue to
Free liberty to depart.

Baptista.
I know my manners
And thanke you for the fauour.
Exit Baptista.

Honoria.
Haue you taken
Good rest in your new lodgings? I expect now
Your resolute answere, but aduise maturely
Before I heare it,

Mathias.
Let my actions Madam,
For no words can dilate my ioy in all
You can command with cherefulnes to serue you,
Assure your highnes, and in signe of my
Submission, and contrition for my error.
My lipps, that but the last night shund the touch
Of yours as poyson, taught humility now
Thus on your foot, and that too great an honor
For such an vndeseruer seales my duty,
A cloudy mist of ignorance equall to
Cimmerian darkenes, would not let me see then
What now with adoration, and wonder
With reuerence I looke vp to: but those foggs
Dispersd and scatterd by the powerfull beames
With which your selfe the Sun of all perfection,
Vouchsafe to cure my blindnes like a suppliant
As low as I can kneele I humbly begge
What you once pleasd to tender.

Honoria.
This is more
Then I could hope, what find you so attractiue
Vpon my face in so short time to make
This suddaine Metamorphosis? pray you rise;
I for your late neglect thus signe your pardon.
I now you kisse like a louer, and not as brothers
Coldly salute their sisters.

Mathias.
I am turnd
All spirit and fire.

Honoria.
Yet to giue some allay
To this hot feruor 'twere good to remember
The King, whose eies and eares are euery where
With the danger to that followes, this discouer'd.

Mathias.
Danger? a bugge beare Maddam let ride once
Like Phaeton in the the Chariot of your fauour,
And I contemne Ioues thunder though the King
In our embraces stood a looker on,
His hang-men and with studied cruelty ready
To dragge me from your armes, it should not fright me
From the inioying that, a single life is
Too poore a price for, O that now all vigour
Of my youth were recollected for an hower
That my desire might meete with yours and draw
The enuy of all men in the Encounter
Vpon my head, I should, but we loose time,
Be gratious mighty Queene

Honoria.
Pause yet a little
The bounties of the King, and what weighs more
Your boasted constancie to your machlesse wife,
Should not soone be shaken.

Mathias.
The whole fabricke
When I but looke on you, is in a moment
Oreturnd, and ruind, and as riuer's loose
Their names, when they are swalloed by the Ocean
In you alone all faculties of my soule
Are wholy taken vp, my wife, and King
At the best as things forgotten.

Honoria.
Can this be?
I haue gaynd my end now.

Mathias.
Wherefore stay you Madam?

Honoria.
In my consideration what a nothing
Man's constancy is.

Mathias.
Your beauties make it so,
In me sweet lady.

Honoria.
And it is my glory:
I could be coy now as you were, but I
Am of a gentler temper, howsoeuer,
And in a iust returne of what I haue suffer'd
In your disdaine, with the same measure graunt me
Equall deliberation I ere long
Will visite you againe and when I next
Appeare, as conquerd by it, slauelike wayt
On my triumphant beauty.
Exit Honoria.

Mathias.
What a change
Is heere beyond my feare but by thy falshood
Sophia not her beauty is it deni'd me
To sinne but in my wishes? what a frowne
In scorne at her departure she threw on me?
I am both waies lost; stormes of Contempt, and scorne
Are ready to breake on me, and all hope
Of shelter doubtfull I can neither be
Disloyall, nor yet honest, I stand guilty
On either part, at the worst death will end all,
And he must be my iudge to right my wrong,
Since I haue lou'd too much and liu'd too long.

Exit Mathias.