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Scæna Prima.
Enter Mountferrat, and Rocca.Mount.
The Sun's not set yet?
Roc.
No Sir.
Mount.
Would it were,
Never to rise againe to light the world.
And yet, to what vaine purpose do I wish it,
Since though I were inviron'd with thick mists,
Black as Cymerian darknesse, or my crimes,
There is that here, upon which, as an anvile
Ten thousand hammers strike, and every spark
They force from it, to me's an other Sun
To light me to my shame?
Roc.
Take hope, and comfort.
Mount.
They are aides indeed, but yet as far from me,
As I from being innocent: this cave fashioned
By provident nature, in this solid Rock
To be a den for beasts, alone, receives me,
And having prov'd an enemy to mankinde,
All humane helpes forsak me.
Roc.
I'le ne'r leave you,
And wish you would call back that noble courage
That old invincible fortitude of yours
That us'd to shrink at nothing.
Mount.
Then it did not.
But 'twas when I was honest; then in the height
Of all my hapinesse, of all my glories,
Of all delights, that made life pretious to me,
I durst die Rocca; death it self then to me
Was nothing terrible, because I knew,
The fame of a good Knight would ever live
Fresh on my memory; but since I fell
From my integrity, and dismis'd those guards,
Those strong assurances of innocence,
That constancy fled from me, and what's worse,
Now I am loathsome to my self; and life
A burthen to me, rackd with sad remembrance
Of what I have done, and my present horrors
Unsufferable come, torturd with despair
That I shall ne'r find mercy; hell about me,
Behind me, and before me, yet I dare not
Still fearing worse, put off my wretched being.
Enter Abdella
Roc.
To see this would deterre a doubtfull man
From mischeivous intents, much more the practise
Of what is wicked: here's the Moore, look up sir,
Some ease may come from her.
Mount.
New trouble rather,
And I expect it.
Abd.
Who is this? Mountferrat?
Rise up for shame, and like a river dride up
With a long drought, from me, your bounteous Sea
Receive those tides of comfort, that flow to you;
If ever I lookt lovely, if desert
Could ever challenge welcom; if revenge,
And unexpected wreak, were ever pleasing
Or could endear the giver of such blessings,
All these I come adorn'd with, and as due
Make challenge of those so long wishd embraces
Which you (unkind) have hitherto denyde me.
Mount.
Why, what have you done for me?
Abd.
Made Gomera
As truly miserable, as you thought him happy,
Could you wish more?
Mount.
As if his sicknesse could
Recover me; the injuries I received
Were Orianas.
Abd.
She has paid deer for them,
She's dead.
Mount.
How?
Abd.
Dead: my hate could reach no further:
Taking advantage of her in a swoon,
Under pretence to give a Cordiall to her
I poysond her: what stupid dulnesse is this?
What you should entertain with sacrifice,
Can you receive so coldly?
Mount.
Bloody deeds
Are gratefull offrings, pleasing to the devill,
And thou, in thy black shape, and blacker actions
Being hels perfect character, art delighted
To do what I though infinitly wicked,
Tremble to hear: thou hast in this tane from me
All meanes to make amends with penitence,
To her wrongd vertues, and dispoild me of
The poor remainder of that hope was left me,
For all I have already, or must suffer.
Abd.
I did it for the best.
Mount.
For thy worst ends,
And be assurd but that, I think to kill thee
Would but prevent, what thy despair must force thee
To do unto thy self, and so to adde to
88
But get thee from my sight: and if lust of me
Did ever fire thee (love, I cannot call it)
Leap down from those steep Rocks, or take advantage
Of the next Tree, to hang thy self, and then
I may laugh at it.
Abd.
In the mean time
I must be bold, to do so much for you, ha, ha.
Mount,
Why grinst thou, devill?
Abd.
That 'tis in my power,
To punish thy ingratitude; I made triall
But how you stood affected, and since I know
I am us'd only for a property,
I can, and will revenge it to the full.
For, understand, in thy contempt of me
Those hopes of Oriana, which I could
Have changd to certainties, are lost for ever.
Mount.
Why, lives she?
Abd.
Yes, but never to Mountferrat,
Although it is in me, with as much ease
To give her freely up to thy possession,
As to remove this rush, which yet despaire of,
For by my much wrongd love, flattery, nor threats,
Teares, prayers, nor vowes, shall ever win me to it:
So with my curse, I leave thee.
Mount.
Prethee stay,
Thou knowst I doat on thee, and yet thou art
So peevish, and perverse, so apt to take
Triffles unkindly from me.
Abd.
To perswade me
To break my neck, to hang, then damn my self,
With you are trifles.
Mount.
'Twas my melancholy
That made me speak I know not what: forgive,
I will redem my fault.
Roc.
Believe him Lady.
Mount.
A thousand times I will demand thy pardon,
And keep the reckoning on thy lips, with kisses.
Abd.
Ther's something els, that would prevaile more with me.
Mount.
Thou shalt have all thy wishes do but blesse me
With meanes to satisfie my madde desires
For once in Oriana, and for ever
I am thine, only thine my best Abdella.
Abd.
Were I assur'd of this, and that you would
Having enjoyd her.
Mount.
Any thing: make choice of
Thine own conditions.
Abd.
Swear then, that performed.
(To free me from all doubts and fears hereafter)
To give me leave to kill her.
Mount.
That our safety
Must of necessity urge us to.
Abd.
Then know
It was not poyson, but a sleeping potion
Which she received, yet of sufficient strength
So to bind up her sences, that no signe
Of life appeard in her, and thus thought dead
In her best habit, as the custome is
You know in Malta, with all ceremonies
She's buried in her families monument,
In the Temple of St. Iohn; i'le bring you thither,
Thus, as you are disguisd; some six howers hence
The potion will leave working.
Roc.
Let us haste then.
Discover Tombe
Mount.
Be my good angel, guid me.
Abd.
But remember
You keep your Oath.
Mount.
As I desire to prosper
In what I undertak.
Abd.
I ask no more.
Exeunt.
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