 | Argalus and Parthenia |  |
37
Actus 4.
Scena 1.
Argalus. Parthenia. Kalander. Philarchus.Kalan.
Sit my most honor'd Cosen, you are Lord
Both of this house and feast: the honest Shepheards.
Were taken too much o'th soddaine to provide
A fitting entertainment; but they've striv'd
With their most early haste, t'expresse their duty:
Sapho inspir'd with her Poetique fury,
Will speake your Epithalamy;
They do intend to dance too, I see;
This Musicke declares their purpose.
Musick.
Enter Shepheards and Shepheardesses.
Sap.
The joyes of health and what the spring
Of youth, strength, happinesse, can bring
Wait upon this noble paire;
Lady, may you still be faire,
As earliest light, may you enjoy
Beauty, which age cannot destroy,
May you be fruitfull as the day,
Never sigh but when you pray,
Know no griefe, but what may be
To temper your felicity.
And you my Lord, may truest fame
Still attend on your great name,
Live both of you espous'd to peace,
And with your yeares let love increase,
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Shine there two glorious stars together.
Song and Dance.
Kalen.
Does these presentments please you? our dull wits
Are not so fortunate, in rich conceits
As your quick Cyprian intellects.
Exeunt Sheepherds.
Arga.
You vouchsafe
Too much to grace them, but Parthenia
The King as conscious of my meane desert
To make me seeme more worthy of thy love,
Has by imposing a command, confer'd
An honor greater on my sprightly hopes,
Then the addition of estate or bloud
Before enrich'd me with possession of.
Part.
Let me participate your happinesse,
My dearest Lord, what is it?
Argal.
An honor which like the Eldest child of Fame
treads on the neck of glory.
Kalan.
Come, my Lord, let's leave these happy lovers to
themselves.
Part.
What may it portend tell me, and Ile rejoyce
As much to heare it, as when I recover'd my poyson'd beauty.
Arga.
Thou shalt know't,
And with lowd acclamations sound my fate,
For most compleatly happy: by the King
I am elected instantly to meet
In single opposition, honors type
The brav'st of Soldiers and the best of men,
The noble Lord Amphialus.
Par.
Blesse me divinity! can you conceive my Lord
That act an honor, upon which the losse
Of the unvalued treasure of your life
Has strict dependence? sure my Lord, the King
Cannot be such a Tyrant to employ
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To sutch a cruell warfare.
Arga.
Now I see, Parthenia loves not Argalus, if she wish him
Turne recreant to his valour; what account
Unlesse of Coward, shall I give the King?
Should I refuse this honorable taske;
Which but to meet I'de scale star-neighboring rocks,
Travell through desarts, scarcely known to beasts,
And combat all that durst oppose my passage,
To this brave enterprise.
Par.
My dearest Lord,
This resolution does oppresse my soule,
With torments worse than death: there's not a word
Which you have utter'd, but like mandraks grones,
Or howles of wolves affrights me: Can there be
Such a contempt of my regardlesse love
Be got so soon? Can you forsake my bed,
Before I scarce conceive my selfe a wife,
Or you a husband? Oh Argalus, I thought
We should have liv'd, and taught the erring world
Affections primitive purenesse; grown like Palmes
(That do with amorous mixture twine their boughes
Into a league-union) and so florish,
Old in each others armes; when now if thou
Proceed to triall in this bloudy taske,
My feares do with prophetike motion tell me,
We are undone eternally.
Arga.
Have you so slight an estimation of my worth,
In managing bright armes, that you can feare
My persons suffrance, O Parthenia?
Thou wouldst deprive me of that fame, which time,
Should he decline his restlesse course away,
Shall never equall, from my youth-full head:
Thou wouldk detaine a chaplet of such bayes,
As not Peneian Daphne first transform'd
Could boast the like for freshnesse: dry my love,
Those sacred eyes drowned in christall streames.
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In stead of heavenly Nectar.
Part.
This but ads to my misfortune, Sir, I am your wife,
And never yet requested any grant,
Unlesse your love deny me not my first,
And only suit; leave my good Lord to tempt
Your destiny, Amphialus is so good
In his kind love to women; that I doubt not
To find some meanes without your honors breach,
To put this fatall combat off.
Arga.
No Parthenia,
'Tis but in vaine to tempt me with your prayers,
Could he spit thunder would afright the Gods,
Or wore at each lock of his haire a flash
Of piercing lightning, yet I should attempt
To snatch the fery chaplet from his head,
And as a garland of victorious bayes,
Wreath it about these temples.
Par.
Well my Lord, since no perswasion will reclaime your will,
Goe, and be happy in your disastrous task
My maids and I will pay each houre to heaven
A thousand vowes for your successe; I give
You my free licence; O that deathfull word
Comes from the Organs of my troubled soule!
As a constant does from a timorous maid,
To an inforcing ravisher.
Arga.
Why now, thou art my best Parthenia, doubt not love,
But I will bring white victory to crown
Thy glorious front; give me but one kind look,
T will fill me with heroick force: let's in,
And fearelesse take a happy parting kisse,
Suspicion hinders loves immediat blisse.
Exeunt.
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Clit.
Sweet Sapho, will you still persist, and kill whom you
might save?
Sapho.
'Tis your owne various will
Inforces my contempt; but here's no place
T'afford our loves an answer: the kinde grasse,
That decks the plaines, will smile when we do sit
On its greene tapistry, and aptly fit
Our wilde affections: Shepherdesses, let
Our woolly charge within our folds be set,
Lest the hoarse Wolfe to fate his ravenous thirst
With blood of Lambes, doe through our weak flocks burst,
After let's meet upon the neighbouring plaine,
And there determine of our loves: I'le straine
A little on your patience to rehearse,
On the late Nuptials, this ensuing verse.
Amint.
Doe my deare Sapho.
Flor.
Shepherds, attend her Layes.
Amint.
They get us credit, and our Sapho Bayes.
Sapho.
The holy Priest had joyn'd their hands, and now
Night grew propitious to their Bridall vow,
Majestick Juno, and young Hymen flies
To light their Pines at faire Parthenia's eyes;
The little Graces amourously did skip,
With the small Cupids, from each lip to lip;
Venus her selfe was present, and untide
Her virgine Love; when loe, on either side
Stood as her handmaids Chastity and Truth,
With that immaculate guider of her youth
Rose-colour'd Modesty These did undresse
The beauteous maid, who now in readinesse,
The Nuptiall tapers waving 'bout her head,
Made poore her garments, and enrich'd her bed;
While the fresh Bridegroome, like the lusty Spring,
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Attending masculine vertues; down he lay'd
His snowy limbs by a far whiter mayd,
Their kisses linke their minds, as they embrace
A quire of Angels flew about the place,
Singing all blisse unto this paire; for ever
May they in love and union still persever.
Amin.
'Tis almost sung for the nuptialls,
Why was't not sung with musick?
Saph.
Castalia's voyce would have beene tir'd with it.
Come, let's depart,
Love though obscur'd still flames about the heart.
Exeunt.
Enter Amphialus, Argalus, Philarchus.
Amph.
I could have wish'd the King
Had destin'd any to this fatall task
But noble Argalus; in him there rests
Such a commanding fulnesse of true worth,
That as't will be a glory to o'recome,
'T will be a griefe equall to think 'gainst whom
The present fury of my arme must be
Unwillingly directed.
Arg.
Famous Amphialus,
'Tis so much honour to be held your friend,
'Twere indiscretion in me to admit
A thought of being your enemy: we two
Should meet, my Lord, to revell, not to fight:
But since th'injustice of our Fates does force:
This sad contention; deare Amphialus,
Think that two brothers may with hot resolve
Strive to atchieve one crowne, yet still be friends.
The lawrell destin'd for my head will wither
If it be snatch'd from thine.
Amph.
More famous Argalus,
Under whose hand the great Demais fell.
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Your noble natures freenesse, you and I
Should rather exercise our able armes
In one anothers quarrell, than imploy them
Upon our selves. Deare Argalus, our fates
Are too injust t'ingage our swords against
Our bodies; for in harming thee, I offer
Wounds to my selfe; we two retaine so much
Affinity, by friendship, we must needs be
One individuall substance.
Phi.
Good my Lords,
Since there's that sympathie of love and nature
'Twixt your two soules, dissolve it not; the blow
That shall divide your hearts will be more impious
In sep'rating that union, than in cutting
Your twists of life asunder.
Arga.
Philarchus, you are so noble,
Our wills desir'd you an indifferent Judge
In our unwilling difference, since you are
An equall friend to both.
Amph.
Philarchus,
We two are fortunes scorne that we should be
Such friends in soule, yet by our deeds be thought
Severest enemies. Deare Argalus,
Let not thy lenity regard my life,
Which is so worthlesse, 'tis a weight I wish
Rather to lose than keepe: but guard thy owne,
Preserve that precious bloud, which I shall grieve
To see diffus'd on earth, nay rather weepe
Than shed a drop of it.
Arg.
How much, my Lord, you vanquish him with curtesie
Whom your arme means to conquer? But Amphialus,
Since we are mutuall friends, and yet must seeme
Mutually enemies, to testifie
'Tis by our fate, not malice, we are foes,
I'le make thee my full Executour; bestow
A gift upon thee of that pricelesse worth
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When I am ashes, if there be a wretch
(For some there are that dare blaspheme the Gods)
Does injure my Parthenia; prithee friend,
Let be thy Care to punish that contempt
'Gainst vertuous purity: and as the last
And most supreme inducement of my love,
If by thy hand I perish, let my heart
Be sent to my Parthenia.
Amph.
The same justice
I beg of thee, my Argalus, to have mine
Convay'd to my Philoclea; and if fame
(As it may chance) traduce me after death,
Noblest Argalus, justifie thy friend,
Thy poore Amphialus; and defend the deare
Authour of my misfortune, sweet Philoclea; otherwise
Posterity inform'd by bad report,
May black her precious memory; and say
A worthlesse man fell by thy sword.
Let us embrace, my Argalus, and take
A true, though sad, farewell; and once
Let us employ our hands against our hearts.
Arg.
Kill our selves mutually; for who first does fall,
Leads but the way to th'others funerall.
Fight.
Enter Parthenia.
Parth.
Eternall darknesse seaze me: O my Lord,
You are reported to be thrall to love;
For her sake you affect most, doe not make
A breach in ebbing nature; More! This bloud
Clothing the grasse in purple, does convert
My heart to Alablaster. O Argalus!
Arg.
O Parthenia! Never till now unwelcome have I liv'd
To such an abject lownesse, that my life
Must (like a malefactors) be by prayers
Redeem'd from death. Let us renew the fight.
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Dance measures on light waves, and I am sinking
Into the watery bosomes, there to rest for all eternity.
Amph.
I have seene
So dying tapers, as it were, to light
Their owne sad funerall; expiring, dart
(Being but stirr'd) their most illustrious beames.
And so extinguish.
Parth.
Angels, if ye have charity, afford
Some Surgery from heaven. Now I see the cause
Why my sad heart (fill'd with propheticke feare)
Sought to have stopt your journey: and why I
Compell'd by power of overruling Fate
Follow'd you hither. Oh Argalus!
Arga.
Parthenia, I doe feele
A marble sweat about my heart, which does
Congeale the remnant of my bloud to Ice;
My Lord, I doe forgive you, friend, farewell.
Parthenia, showre on my pale lips a kisse,
'Twill waft my soule to its eternall blisse.
Parthenia, O Parthenia.
Dies.
Phi.
So cracks the cordage of his heart, as Cables
That guide the heavie Anchors, cut by blasts
Of some big tempest. My Lord, your wounds are many,
And dangerous, 'tis fit you doe withdraw
And have 'm cur'd.
Amph.
I am carelesse growne, my life
Is now more odious to me than the light
Of day to Furies; Madam, I am past
The thought of griefe for this sad fact, and am
Griefes individuall substance: pray forgive me,
Heaven knowes it was not malice that betray'd
Your Lords lov'd life; but a necessitous force
To save my owne. Joy comfort you: thus Fate
Forces us act what we most truly hate.
Exit.
Phi.
Deare Madam, calme your passion, and resolve
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Parth.
Patience Sir?
Doubt not so much my temper, I am calme.
You see o'th sudden as untroubled seas.
I could stand silent here an age to view
This goodly ruine. Noblest Argalus,
If thou hadst died degenerate from thy selfe,
I should have flow'd with pity, till my teares
Had drown'd thy blasted memory; but since
Thou perish'd nobly, let thy soule expect
A joy, not sorrow from me: the greene oake
Lawrell, and lovely mirtle shall still flourish
About thy sepulchre, which shall be cut
Out of a Mine of Diamonds; yet the brightnesse
Proceeding from thy ashes shall out-shine
The stones unvalew'd substance.
Phi.
Sure she is growne insensible of her griefe, or fallen
Into some wilde distraction.
Parth.
You mistake;
'Tis not a fury leads me to this strange
Demeanour; but conceit that I should sinne
Against my Argalus. Should I lament
His overthrow? No Blest soule,
Augment th'illustrious number of the starres,
Outshine the Ledan brothers: Ile not diminish
Thy glory by a teare, untill my brest
Does like the pious Pellican's, break forth
In purple fountains for thy losse, and then,
It shall diffuse for every drop thou shed'st
A Crimson river, then to thee Ile come:
To die for love's a glorious martyrdome.
Exit.
The end of the fourth Act.
| Argalus and Parthenia | |