University of Virginia Library

Scœne. 2.

Enter Lemot, his sister Alizia, putting on the weed of a Sailers boy, Monsieur Davy, and Sailers.
Lem.
Vnfortunate sister, my heart dissolues to bloud,
And payes sad tribute to thy sadder griefes.
Nay, make no period, our woes are not at full,
Hymen did ne're behold so blacke a nuptiall.
Alas! with our delay we hasten misery,
See how they beare vp to vs. Deere sister hide
At least thy sex, though not thy sorrow.

Aliz.
Wretched Alizia, little thinkes yong Raymond
His Brid's so neere vnto captivity.
Be gentle yet you seas, and swallow me,
Since I am denyed his armes, let my virginity
Be offred vnto him in sacrifice.
'Twill be some comfort, his loue a maiden dies.

Lem.
Nay then thou cleau'st my soule, do not distrust
Chast thoughts are guided by a power, that's iust.
My worthy friends, yet what perswasion needs
To stirre vp valour where necessity
And iustice of our cause, in basest spirits
Would strike a fire to kindle cowardize?
Three daies we haue been pursued by a Dutch Pyrat,
And now we are falne vpon no lesse a monster.
Me thinkes I see your eyes darting forth flames
Like Lyons in their chase, the greedy hunter
Seeming to warme that bloud, whose heate and rage
Proues his destruction.

Enter Ward, Gismund, Sailers aboue.
Gism.
Hoy,

Lem.
Not ready yet? alas thou wilt betray
Thy selfe vnto their lust.

Aliz.
Rather to death: Nature this comfort gaue,
No place so miserable, but yeelds a graue
To wretchednesse.

Gis.
Hoy, of whence your ship, and whither are you bound?

Davi.
We are of Marcelles, bound for Normandy.
Of whence are you?

Gism.
We are of the Sea.

Sail.
The Diuell land you.

Gism.
Bring your maister a boord, or wee'l giue you a broad side.

Lem.
As you are men I do coniure your valours.

Aliz.
As you are vertuous keepe from slavery.
A haplesse, haplesse maid.

Davi.
Misdoubt it not faire-maid,
Ther's not a man heere, but well knowes how much
He hath aduantage of his enemy,
A race of theeues, Bankroupts, that haue laien
Vpon their countries stomacke like a surfet,
Whence being vomited they striue with poysonous breath
To infect the generall aire: Creatures that stand
So far from what is man, they know no good,
But in their prey, nor for necessity
But for meere hate to vertue, pursuing vice,
And being downe themselues would haue none rise.

Gism.
The curs are sure asleepe, wee'le waken 'em,
Gunner giue fire.

Lem.
In their owne language answere them.

Gism.

Zounds do they beginne to prate, haue with you,
lace the netting, let downe the fights, make ready the small
shot, gunner, giue them a broad side, wee'le prate with 'em,
A starre board there.

Lem.
Braue countrymen,
Thinke through how many dangers, with what sweate, what care,
How long expence of time, we haue bene getting
Those goods these Robbers fight for, that should make good to vs
The sweete of iust indeauours, looke on this maid,
Thinke with what honourable welcomings,
You shall deliuer her to her betrothed husband,
How much you shall ingage him, lastly, thinke that you see,
Euen all the miseries dispised pouerty
Can throw on men, that by this one houres valour
We onely can redeeme our selues from death
Oh thinke how happy 'tis to innocence,
Where unto guilty soules it lookes black and feareful:
At least let this al thoughts of feare dispell,
Truth fights gainst theft, and heauen opposes hell.

Omnes.
Wee are resolued S. Dennis victory.

Lem.
A constant breast may fall, but cannot dye,

Exit.
Enter Ward with a slaine friend, and Ferdinand.
Ward.
Recall thy spirit braue friend, a while, yet stay,
At least beare thy reuenge hence with thee.

Ferd.
He hath lost all motion.

Ward.
Iniurious heauen that with so excellent matter
As is our soule, didst mingle this base mould,
So fraile a substance earth, as if thou hadst fram'd man
The subiect of thy laughter, gau'st him a spirit
Free, vnbounded, whose firy temper breakes
Through all the clouds of danger, dares euen heauen,
Swels and beares high, when with one little pricke
This buble breakes, displaies a vanity,
Ridiculous vanity, this building
That hath bene twenty and odde yeares a rearing,
One blast thus laies it flat, I could en'e tremble,
To thinke that such a coward I beare about me,
As is this flesh, that for so small a wound
Betrayes our life.

Ferd.
This shewes sir, nature neare intended man,
Other then as she sent him to the world,
All vnoffensiue, vnarm'd: when vnto beasts,
She gaue the meanes to hurt as to defence,
The armour she gaue man was innocence.

War.
True, there was some other end in our creation
Then to be that which men terme valiant.

Ferd.
There was.

Enter Gismond.
Gism.
Courage braue sparkes the slaues beginne to faint,

Ferd.
It is his euill spirit sure that in this likenesse hants him

Ward.
See where he lies.

Gis.
S'foot we shall share the more sir, I alwaies thought
Fortune had markt him out to dye by the French.
He had so much of the English spirit in him.

Exit
Ward.
Fortune! true, the fate of man is fixt,
Vnmoueable as the pole: how idle then were he
Should striue to crosse vnuoided desteny?
And thinke to stay his course, seeing we are sway'd
As are the motionary ingines of a clocke,
By the dull weight that still doth downeward tend,
Till it strike earth, and so there motion end.

Ferd.
Giue me the hearing Sir,

Ward.
Perswade no more, we haue no will to act,
Or not to act more, then those orbes we see,
And planetary bodies, which in their offices
Obserue the will of fate: the difference is,
They are confin'd, we are not: they are stars fixt,
We wandring Runne on thou purple line
That draw'st my liues fate out, thou that dost frowne
Vpon the births of men, now Saturne smile.
Those vnder milder Planets borne liue, seruile: good;
Mars cal'd our Birth, my race shall be through bloud

Exit
Ferd.
Abused knowledge that first werst giuen to man
A light, now helpst to dazell him, and what ere want
Befall through our owne imperfect iudgement,
Vnbridled will the throw on fortune, chance,
I see mans happinesse, were his ignorance,

Exit.
Within Gallop.
Gallop.
A board, a board, a board.

Lar.
Deere sir withdraw, you are depriu'd of sight

Lem.
So much the better, I see no feare in fight,
Courage braue countrymen: what's natures part
May fall; what's heauens can neuer, it is the ods
That iust men haue of bad, still to the gods
They stand or fall.

Gallop.
Enter, Enter, Enter.
Zounds the slaue winkes and fights.

Ward.
A Ward, A Ward, A Ward,
shoute.

Downe with them, downe with them, away let him go ouerbord,
where he a second Alexander, ther's not a man of them
liues, but shall go ouer-board, wee'le offer them to our deceassed
frindes in sacrifice.

Aliz.

My brother, my deere deere brother.

2. Gent.

There were no conscience, no religion in't,

Gallop.

How? Conscience, were't but to banish those two
words they shall go ouer-board.

War.

They shall go ouer-board: suppose I speake the contrary.

Gallop.

My Captaine, my man of warre speake the contrary

they are as safe as the great Turke.

Ward.
Now they shall ouer-board.

Gallop.
Out-swagered?

Ward.
How many French are left?

Gism.
There's onely fiue of foure and twenty liuing.
Neuer did men with equall spirit stand,
A day so blacke and stormy: rob not your selfe then,
Of so braue witnesses of this daies valour.

Ward.
How? dare you sir giue vs directions?

Gism.
How dare I sir? I am a Gentleman
Equall vnto your selfe.

Ward.
Take that now, I am before you,

Gism.
You are, I'le not be long behind you.

Ward.
Know, that our word shall be a law,

Gallip.

That may be, for he hath had conscience by
the eares already.

Ward.
Hoyst me a vessell vp of Maligo,
Wee'le drinke a health vnto the wandring ghosts
Of our slaine followers, and euery draught
The Cannon makes report off, a French-man
Shall ouer-board, who to our friends may tell,
We dranke a rowse to them,

Ferd.
As low as hell.

Enter Sailer.
Sail.

Francisco Captaine of the man of warre, pursu'd our
prize, hath set a Pinace forth, who according to the custome
of the sea, demands halfe of the spoyle, to your demand hee
threatens instant fight, force against force, or if you dare to
accept it, he makes you offer of single opposition.

Ward.
Accept it? he could not name that honour
We couet more, reward the messenger,
They two shall be the hostages
For the equall triall, what's his weapon?
Where the place of fight?

Sail.
His weapons are sword and dagger, the place
Here on our hatches, both our shippes being grappled,
The oath on each side giuen, who conquers the other
Shares the whole booty.

Ward.
Agreed we seale to his condition,
Francisco call you him? I emulate
His daring spirit.

Gallop.
Fortune shapes our reuendge you see.

Ferd.
What need you giue your selfe vnto this danger,
When in our generall strength we haue aduantage?

Ward.
I prithee do not moue my patience, I scorne to take
From others to my rising, he's onely worthy state
From fortunes wheele plucke's boldly his owne fate,
And heere's an arme shall do't.

2. Gent.
You see his insolence how he contemnes vs.

Ferd.
No more, we are agreed.

Sis.
How shall we hinder their pursuite?

Gallop.
When both the ships are grappled, priuately
Wee'le cut their hausers, the wind blows faire
To giue our lesser barke aduantage, 'tis not ten leagues
To Tunis, where entred, we are as safe
As in a tower of brasse.

Sis.
How if we shoote him, as we make away?

Gallop.
By no meanes t'shall be Franciscoes taske
To cut his throate, this makes our reuenge full,
We share the prise he fights for

Sis.
Rare gull! we are all firme and secret,

Omnes.
All.

Gall.
So that I rise, let the world sinke, heauen fall.

Ward.
My merit: shall I thrall them? the sway of things,
Belongs to him dares most, such should be Kings,
And such am I, what nature in my birth
Denied me, fortune supplies: this maxime I hold,
He liues a slaue, that liues to be contrould,
But see the man whose ruine crownes me.

Enter Fran.
Fra.
Art thou the chiefe and guider of this Bark?

Ward.
The same sir.

Fran.
May I impute it to your ignorance
In Marines actions, or the daring spirit,
That barres my right in thy atchieued prise.

Ward.
This makes you answere, what do you see in me,
Doth promise I should be the sutler sir,
Fetch you prouision in.

Fran.
A little calmer sir, you are not now in Kent,
Crying herrings seuen a peny, nay we haue heard of you;
You can baule well, you haue seru'd a prentiship
Vnto the trade, affrighting of whole streetes
With your full Oyster voyce.

Ward.
Damnation!

Fran.
Poore fishers brat, that neuer didst aspire
Aboue a musle boate, that wert not borne
Vnto a fortune boue two cades of sprats,
And those smoakt in thy fathers bed-chamber;
That by a beggar in meere charity
Being made drunke, steed of a mariner
Wert stole aboard, and being awake didst smell
Worse then thy shell commodity at midsummer,
That desperate through feare wert made a Captaine,
When to haue bene a shoare againe, thou wouldst haue turn'd
Swabber vnto a Peter-man.

Ward.
By all my hopes thou hadst bene better dig'd
Thy grandsirs Vrn vp and haue swallowed it.

Fran.
Thou bark'st too much to bite.

Ward.
Cleere the deck there, each man bestow himselfe

Sis.
It's done, there hauser's cut without descry,

Gall.
Away, farewell braue Captaine, conquest sits on thy brow.

Ward.
Leaue me, I say

Gall.
Th'wert neuer gull'd till now.

Exit.
Fran.

Giue a charge there, say your prayers Knight, doom's
day is nie

fight.
Ward.
True it sinks thee to hel, whilst thus it beares me high.
Stand'st thou so long, thou hast some inchantment sure,
Or haue I lost my wonted vigor?

Fran.
Flatter no more thy selfe, wilt thou deliuer
A moyty of thy prise vp?

Ward.
Yes, thus thou shar'st it: Damnation! his sword fals.
Oh that my gall could spoute out through mine eyes
A poysonous vapour to put out your lights,
And in a vale of darkenesse leaue the world.

Fran.
Wilt thou yet yeeld me right?

Ward.
Know Francisco,
Wert thou an army that imcompast me,
I would breath defiance to thee, and with this arme,
As shot from out a cannons mouth, thus would I make
A way through death and danger.

Fran.
I do applaud thee, and that thou well maist know
All valor's not confin'd within thy breast
He flings away his sword, and aftær looseth his dagger.
I thus oppose thee, fortune shall haue no share
In what I conquer.

Ward.
Why, now I enuy thee, thy life is mine,

Fran.
Take it I dare thy let.

Ward.
Not for the world, thus I returne thy debt:
Not onely in the prise but in my selfe
Thou hast an equal share, henceforth I vow the brother-hood.

Fran.
Your loue, I aske no more.

Enter Ferd.
Ferd.
You need not, there's one gone before
Takes order for your share.

Ward.
Whether makes the slaues, where's Gallop?

Ferd.
Posting as fast as his sailes wil beare him.

Ward.
Incarnate Diuell forth-with giue them chase,
Why mou'st not?

Sail.
They haue cut our hausers we cannot budge a foot.

Ward.
The death of slaues pursue him.

Fran.
You are too violent.

Ward.
To be baffled by a Cur, a foysting hound
My Zani: A creature without a soule
Made to mocke man with.

Fran.
Forbeare I say, and let vs turne our anger
On the next passenger.

Ward.
Might I but liue to see the dog-fish once againe.

Fran.
Neare doubt it sir, next prise we take forth-with
Wee'le make to Tunis, meane time let reuenge sleepe
Those tides most violent are, which winds backe keep,

Ward.
For this alone I vow, whom next I meete
Shall feele my fury, nation nor quallity
Shall be their priuiledge, my sword now vengeance craues,
And who escape this do worse, I'le sell for slaues.

Exeunt.