 | The Knight of Malta |  |
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,
93
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.
| The Knight of Malta | |