University of Virginia Library

Actus quintus.

Scæna prima.

Enter Oriana, and Lucinda.
Ori.
How do's my Boy?

Luc.
Oh, wondrous lusty, Madam,
A little Knight already: you shall live
To see him tosse a Turke.

Ori.
Gentle Lucinda,
Much must I thank thee for thy care, and service.
And may I grow but strong to see Ualetta,
Enter Miranda, Norandine, Collonna.
My husband, and my brother, thou shalt finde
I will not barely thank thee.

Mir.
Looke Captaine, we must ride away this morning
The Auberge sits to day, and the great Master
Writes plainly, I must or deliver in
(The yeere expir'd) my probation weed;
Or take the Cloake: you likewise Norandine
For your full service, and your last assistance
In false Mountferrats apprehension
Are here commanded to associate me; my twin in this high honour.

Nor.

Ile none on't: doe they think to bind me to live
chaste, sober, and temperately, all dayes of my life?
they may as soone tye an Englishman to live so: I shall
be a sweet Dane, a sweet Captaine, goe up and downe
drinking small beere, and swearing 'odds neagues; no
Ile live a Squire at Armes still, and doe thou so too;
and thou beest wise: I have found the mystery now, why
the Gentlemen weare but three barres of the crosse, and
the knights the whole one.

Mir.

Why Captaine?

Nor.

Mary sir, to put us in remembrance, we are but
three quarters cross'd in our licence, and pleasures: but
the poore Knights cross'd altogether; the brothers at
Armes, may yet meet with their Sisters at Armes, now
and then, in brotherly love; but the poore Knights cannot
get a Lady for love, nor money: 'tis not so in other
Countries I wis, pray haste you, for i'le along, and see
what will come on't.

Exit.
Mir.
Collonna, provide strait, all necessaries
For this remove, the Lytter for the Lady,
And let Lucinda beare her company,
You shall attend on me.

Coll.
With all my duties

Exit.
Mir.
How fare you, gracious Mistresse?

Ori.
O Miranda.
You pleas'd to honour me with that faire title
When I was free, and could dispose my selfe;
But now, no smile, no word, no looke, no touch
Can I impart to any, but as theft
From my Gomera; and who dares accept,
Is an usurper.

Mir.
Leave us; I have touch'd thee,
(Thou fairer vertue, then thou'rt beautifull)
Hold but this test, so rich an ore was never
Altar ready, Tapers & booke.
Try'd by the hand of man, on the vast earth:
Sit brightest Oriana, is it sinne
Still to professe I love you, still to vow
I shall doe ever? heaven my witnesse be,
'Tis not your eye, your cheeke, your tongue, no part
That superficially doth snare young men,
Which has caught me; read over in your thoughts
The story that this man hath made of you,
And thinke upon his merit.

Ori.
Onely thought
Can comprehend it.

Mir.
And can you be so
Cruell, thankelesse, to destroy his youth
That sav'd your honour, gave your double life?
Your own, and your faire Infants? that when fortune
(The blind foe to all beauty, that is good,)
Bandied you from one hazard to another,
Was even heavens Messenger, by providence
Call'd to the Temple, to receive you there,
Into these Armes, to give ease to your throwes,
As if't had thunder'd; take thy due Miranda,
For she was thine; Gomera's jealousie
Strooke death unto thy heart; to him be dead,
And live to me, that gave thee second life:
Let me but now enjoy thee: Oh regard
The torturing fires of my affections.

Ori.
Oh master them, Miranda, as I mine;
Who follows his desires, such tyrants serves
As will oppresse him, insupportably.
My flames, Miranda, rise as high as thine,
For I did love thee 'fore my marriage,
Yet would I now consent, or could I think
Thou wert in earnest, (which by all the soules
That have (for chastity) been sanctified
I cannot) in a moment I doe know
Thou'ldst call faire temperance up to rule thy blood,
Thy eye was ever chaste, thy countenance too honest,
And all thy woings was like maidens talk;
Who yeeldeth unto pleasures, and to lust
Is a poore captive, that in Golden Fetters
(And pretious (as he thinkes) but holding gyves)
Frets out his life.

Mir.
Find such another woman,
And take her for his labour, any man:

Ori.
I was not worthy of thee, at my best,
Heaven knew I was not, I had had thee else;
Much lesse now gentle sir; Mirandas deeds
Have been as white, as Orianas fame,
From the beginning, to this point of time,
And shall we now begin to staine both thus?
Think on the legend which we two shall breed
Continuing as we are, for chastest dames
And boldest Souldiers to peruse and read,
I and read thorough, free from any act
To cause the modest cast the booke away,
And the most honour'd Captaine fold it up.

Mir;
Fairest; let goe my hand: my pulse beats thick,
And my mov'd blood rides high in every vaine,
Lord of thy selfe now, Souldier, and ever:
I would not for Aleppo, this fraile Bark,
This barke of flesh, no better steeres-man had
Then has Mountferrat's: may you kisse me, Lady?

Ori.
No; though't be no essentiall injury,
It is a circumstance due to my Lord,
To none else: and my deerest friend, if hands
Playing together, kindle heate in you,
What may the game at lips provoke unto?

Mir.
Oh what a tongue is here? whil'st she doth teach
My heart to hate my fond unlawfull love,
She talkes me more in love, with love to her,
My fires she quencheth with her arguments,
But as she breathes 'em, they blow fresher fires.
Sit further: now my flame cooles; husband, wife,
There is some holy mystery in those names
That sure the unmarried cannot understand.

Ori.
Now thou art strait, and do'st enamour me,
So far beyhnd a carnall earthly love;
My very soule doats on thee, and my spirits
Doe embrace thine, my minde doth thy mind kisse,
And in this pure conjunction we enjoy
A heavenlyer pleasure then if bodies met:
This, this is perfect love, the other short,
Yet languishing fruition, every Swaine
And sweating Groome may clasp, but our's refinde
Two in ten ages cannot reach unto;
Nor is our spirituall love, a barren joy,
For mark what blessed issue we'll beget,
Deerer then children to posterity,
A great example to mens continence,
And womens chastity, that is a childe
More faire, and comfortable, then any heire.

Mir.
If all wives were but such, lust would not finde
One corner to inhabit, sinne would be
So strange, remission superfluous:
But one petition, I have done.

Ori.
What (Sweet?)

Mir.
To call me Lord, if the hard hand of death seize on Gomera first.

Ori.
Oh, much too worthy;
How much you undervalue your own price,
To give your unbought selfe, for a poore woman,
That has been once sold, us'd, and lost her show?
I am a garment worne, a vessel crack'd,
A zoane untide, a Lilly trod upon,
A fragrant flowre cropt by anothers hand,
My colour sullyde, and my odour chang'd,
If when I was new blossom'd, I did feare
My selfe unworthy of Mirandas spring:
Thus over-blown, and seeded, I am rather
Fit to adorn his Chimney, then his bed.

Mir.
Rise miracle: save Malta, with thy vertue,
If words could make me proud, how has she spoke,
Yet I will try her to the very block:
Hard-hearted, and uncivill Oriana,
Ingratefull payer of my industries,
That with a soft painted hypocrisie
Cozen'st, and geer'st my perturbation,
Expect a witty, and a fell revenge:
My comfort is, all men will thinke thee false,
Beside thy husband having been thus long
Enter Nor. Collonna & Lucinda with a Childe.
(on this occasion) in my Fort, and power.
Ile heare no more words: Captaine, let's away
With all care see to her: and you Lucinda
Attend her diligently: she is a wonder.

Nor.
Have you found she was well delivered:
What, had she a good Mid-wife, is all well?

Mir.
You are merry Norandine.

Luc.
Why weepe you, Lady?

Ori.
Take the poor Babe along.

Col.
Madam 'tis here.

Ori.
Dissembling death, why didst thou let me live
To see this change, my greatest cause to grieve?

Exeunt.

Scæna secunda.

Enter Astorius, Castriot, Valetta, Gomera, Synnet: Knights, 2 Bishops, Mountferrat, guarded by Corporall and Souldiers, Abdella, a Gentleman with a cloake, sword, and Spurres: Gomara.
Val.
A tender husband hast thou shew'd thy selfe
My deerest brother, and thy memory
After my life, in brazen Characters,
Shall monumentally be register'd
To ages consequent, till times running hand,
Beats back the world to undistinguish'd Chaos,
And on the top of that thy name shall stand
Fresh, and without decay.

Gom.
Oh honour'd sir!
If hope of this, or any blisse to come
Could lift my load of griefe off from my soule,
Or expiate the trespasse 'gainst my wife,
That in one houres suspition I begat,
I might be won to be a man againe,
And fare like other husbands, sleepe and eate,
Laugh, and forget my pleasing penitence;
But till old nature can make such a wife
Againe, I vow ne're to resume the order
And habits, that to men are necessary,
All breath i'le spend in sighes, all sound in groanes,
And know no company but my wasting moans.

Ast.
This will be wilfull murder on your self,
Nor like a Christian doe you beare the chance
Which th'inscrutable will of heaven admits.

Gom.
What would you have my weaknesse doe, that
Suffer'd it selfe thus to be practis'd on,
By a damn'd hell-hound, and his agent dam,
The impious mid-wife to obortive birthes,
And cruell instrument to his decrees?
By forgery they first assail'd her life,
Heaven playing with us yet, in that, he wrought
My deerest friend, the servant to her vertue
To combat me, against his Mistresse truth.
That yet effectlesse, this enchanting witch,
Bred banefull jealousie against my Lady,
My most immaculate Lady, which seiz'd on her
Almost to death: Oh yet! not yet content,
She in my hand put (to restore her life
As I imagin'd) what did execute
Their devillish malice, farther, great with childe,
Was this poore innocent, that too was lost,
They doubled death upon her, not staying there,
They have done violence unto her Tomb,
Not granting rest unto her in the grave:
I wish Miranda had injoy'd my prize;
For sure I'm punish'd for usurping her,
Oh what a Tyger is resisted Lust?
How it doth forrage all?

Mount.
Part of this tale
I grant you true; but 'twas not poyson given her.

Ab.
I would it had, we had been farre enough,
If we had been so wise, and had not now
Stood curtsing for your mercies here.

Mount.
Beside,
What is become oth' body? we know not.

Val.
Peace impudents,
And deere Gomera practise patience
As I my self must, by some meanes at last
We shall dissolve this riddle.

Gom.
Wherefore comes
This villaine in the festivall array,
As if he triumph'd for his treacherie?

Cast.
That is by our appointment: give us leave,
You shall know why a non.

Enter Miranda, Norandine, Collona.
Val.
One of the Esguard.

Esg.
The Gentlemen are come,

Val.
Truyce then a while
With our sad thoughts; what are you both resolv'd?

Nor.
Not I my Lord: your downe right Captain still
Ile live, and serve you, not that altogether
I want compunction of conscience,
I have enough to save me, and that's all,
Bar me from drink, and drabs, ev'n hang me too,
You must ev'n make your Captaines capons first,
I have too much flesh for this spirituall Knighthood,
And therefore do desire forbearance, sir,
Till I am older, or more mortifide,
I am too sound yet.

Ual.
What say you Miranda?

Mir.
With all pure zeale to Heaven, duty to you,
I come to undergo it.

Ual.
Proceed toth' ceremony.

Gom.
Before you match with this bright honor'd title,
Admir'd Miranda, pardon what in thought
I ever did transgresse against your vertue,
And may you find more joy with your new bride
Then poor Gomera ere in joyd with his.
But 'twas mine own crime, and I suffer for't:
Long wear your dignity, and worthily,
Whilst I obscurely in some corner vanish,

Mir.
Have stronger thoughts, and better, first I crave
According to the order of the Court
I may dispose my captives, and the fort,
That with a clean and purified heart
The fittiler I may endue my roabe.

All.
Tis granted.

Enter Oriana vaild, Ladies, Lucinda, child.
Mir.
Bring the captives. To your charge
And staid tuition my most noble friend;
I then commend this Lady; start not off
A fairer, and a chaster never liv'd;
By her own choyce you are her Guardian,
For telling her I was to leave my fort,
And to abandon quite all worldly cares.
Her own request was, to Gomeras hands
She might be given in custody, for sh'ad heard
He was a Gentleman wise, and temperate,
Full of humanity to womenkind,
And cause he had bin married knew the better
How to entrat a Lady.

Val.
What Country woman is she?

Mir.
Borne a Greek.

Val.
Gomera, 'twill be barbarous to deny
A Lady, that unto your refuge flyes,
And seekes to shrowd her under vertues wing.

Gom.
Excuse me noble sir; oh think me not
So dull a devill, to forget the losse
Of such a matchlesse wife as I posses'd,
And ever to endure the sight of woman:
Were she the abstract of her sex for forme,
The only warehouse of perfection,
Where there no Rose, nor Lilly but her Cheek,
No Musick but her tongue; vertue but hers;
She must not rest near me, my vow is graven,
Here in my heart, irrevocably breath'd
And when I break it,

Ast.
This is rudenesse Spaniard,
Unseasonably you play the Timonist,
Put on a disposition is not yours,
Which neither fits you, nor becomes you.

Gom.
Sir.

Cast.
We cannot force you but we would perswade.

Gom.
Beseech you Sir, no more I am resolv'd
To forsake Malta, tread a Pilgrimage
To faire Jerusalem, for my Ladies soule,
And will not be diverted.

Mir.
You must beare
This Child along 'we then.

Gom.
VVhat Child?

All.
How's this?

Mir.
Nay then Gomera, thou art injurious,
This child is thine, and this rejected Lady
Thou hast as often known, as thine own wife,
And this I'le make good on thee, with my sword.

Gom.
Thou durst as well blaspheme: if such a scandall
(I crave the rights due to a Gentleman)
Women unvaile.

Ori.
Will you refuse me yet?

Gom.
My wife!

Ual.
My sister!

Gom.
Some body, thank Heaven
I cannot speak.

All.
All praise be ever given:

Mount.
This saves our lives, yet would she had bin dead;
The very sight of her afflicts me more
Then fear of punishment, or my disgrace.

Ual.
How came you to the Temple?

Mir.
Sir, to do
My poor devotions, and to offer thanks
For scaping a temptation ne'r perform'd
VVith this faire virgin. I restore a wife
Earth cannot paralell: and busie nature
If thou wilt still make women, but remember
To work 'em by this sampler; take heed sir,
Henceforth you never doubt sir.

Gom.
VVhen I do
Death take me sodainly.

Mir.
To encrease your happinesse
To your best wife, take this addition.

Gom.
Alack, my poor knave.

Ual.
The confession
The Moor made 't seemes was truth.

Nor.

Mary was it sir; the only truth that ever issud out
of hell, which her black jawes resemble; a plague o'
your bacon-face, you must be giving drinks with a vengance;
ah thou branded bitch: do 'ye stare, gogles, I hope
to make winter bootes o' thy hide yet, she feares not
damning: hell fire cannot parch her blacker then she is:
do 'ye grin, chimney sweeper.

Ori.
VVhat is't Mranda?

Mir.
That you would please Lucinda might attend you.

Col.
That suit sir, I consent not to.

Luc.
My husband?
My deerest Angelo?

Nor.
More liggam bobs; is not this the fellow that swom
Like a duck to th'shoare in our sea-service?

Col.
The very same, do not you know me now sir,
My name is Angelo, though Colonna vaild it,
Your Countryman, and kinsman born in Florence,
VVho from the neighbour Island here of Goza
VVhas captive lead, in that unfortunate day
VVhen the Turk bore with him three thousand soules;
Since in Constantinople have I liv'd
VVhere I beheld this Turkish Damosell first.
A tedious suitor was I for her love,
And pittying such a beauteous case should hide
A soule prophan'd with infidelity,
I labourd her conversion with my love,
And doubly won her; to faire faith her soule
She first betroth'd, and then her faith to me,
But fearfull there to consummate this contract
VVe fled, and in that flight were tane againe
By those same Gallies, fore Valletta fought.
Since in your service I attended her,
VVhere, what I saw, and heard, hath joy'd me more
Then all my past afflictions greiv'd before.

Ual.
Wonders crown wonders: take thy wife Miranda.
Be henceforth called our Malta's better angell,
And thou her evill Mountferrat.

Nor.

Wee'l call him Cacodemon, with his block gib
there, his Succuba, his devils seed, his spawn of Phlegeton,
that o' my conscience was bred o' the spume of
Cocitus; do ye snarle you black jill? she looks lie the
Picture of America.

Val.
Why stay we now.

Mir.
This last petition to the Court,
I may bequeath the keeping of my Fort
To this my kinsman, toward the maintenance
Of him, and his faire vertuous wife; discreet,
Loyall, and valiant I dare give him you.

Val.
You must not ask in vaine, sir.

Col.
My best thanks
To you my noble Cozen, and my service
To the whole Court; may I deserve this bounty.

Ual.
Proceed to th'ceremony, one of our Esguard
Degrade Mountferrat first

Mount.
I will not sue
For mercy, 'twere in vaine; fortune thy worst.

Musick
An altar discovered, with Tapers, and a book on it. The two Bishops stand on each side of it Mountferrat as the Song is singing ascends up the altar.
Val.
Since by thy actions thou hast made thy self
Unworthy of that worthy signe thou wear'st,
And of our sacred order, into which
For former vertues, we receiv'd thee first,
According to our Statutes, Ordinances,
For praise unto the good, a terror to
The bad, and an example to all men;
We here deprive thee of our habit, and
Declare thee unworthy our society,
From which we do expell thee, as a rotten
Corrupted, and contagious member.

Esq.
Using th'authority th'Superiour
Hath given unto me, I unty this knot,
And take from thee the pleasing yoak of heaven:
We take from off thy breast this holy crosse,
Which thou hast made thy burthen, not thy prop;
Thy spurs we spoile thee off, eleaving thy heeles
Bare of thy honour, that have kick'd against
Our orders precepts: next we reave thy sword,
And give thee armelesse to thy enemies,
For being foe to goodnesse, and to God,
Last, 'bout thy stiff neck, we this halter hang,
And leave thee to the mercy of the Court.

Val.
Song.

1. Bish.
What crave you gentle sir?

Mir.
Humble admittance
To be a brother of the holy Hospitall
Of great Jerusalem.

2. Bish.
Breath out your vow.

Mir.
To heaven and all the bench of Saints above
Whose succour I implore t'enhable me,
I vow henceforth a chaste life, not to enjoy
Any thing proper to my self; obedience
To my superiours, whom Religion,
And Heaven shall give me: ever to defend
The vertuous fame of Ladies, and to oppugne
Even unto death the Christian enemy,
This do I vow to accomplish.

Esq.
Who can tell,
H'as he made other vow, or promis'd marriage
To any one, or is in servitude?

All.
He's free from all these.

1. Bish.
Put on his spurs, and girt him with the sword,
The scourge of infidels, and tipes of speed.
Buildst thy faith on this

Mir.
On him that di'd
On such a sacred figure, for our sins.

2. Bish.
Here, then we fix it on thy left side, for
Thy encrease of faith, Christian defence, and service
To th'poor, and thus near to thy heart we plant it
That thou maist love it even with all thy heart,
With thy right hand protect, preserve it whole,
For if thou fighting 'gainst heavens enemies
Shall fly away, abandoning the crosse
The Ensigne of thy holy Generall,
With shame thou justly shalt be rob'd of it
Chas'd from our company, and cut away
As an infectious putrified limb.

Mir.
I aske no favour.

1 Bish.
Then receive the yoak
Of him that makes it sweet, and light, in which
Thy soule find her eternall rest.

Val.
Most welcome.

All.
Welcome, our noble brother.

Val.
Break up the Court; Mountferrat, though your deeds
Conspiring 'gainst the lives of innocents
Hath forfeited your own, we will not slaine
Our white Crosse with your blood: your doom is then
To marry this coagent of your mischiefes
Which done, we banish you the continent,
If either, after three dayes here be found
The hand of Law, layes hold upon your lives.

Nor.

Away French stallion, now you have a Barbary mare
of your own, go leap her, and engender young devillings.

Ual.
VVe will find something, noble Norandine
To quit your merit: so to civill feasts,
According to our customes; and all pray
The dew of grace, blesse our new Knight to day.

Exeunt.