University of Virginia Library

Scena prima.

Wallenstein, Fredericke, Dutchesse.
Wallens.
Can this be possible.

Fred.
'Tis a truth,
And if your high authority countermand not
His fond intentions, he will wed her, and
Dishonour our great Family.

Wallens.
Call him hither.
I shall instruct the gallant youth his duty.

Dutch.
But good my Lord, do not with too severe
A harshnesse chide the error of his love,
Lest like a chrystall streame, which unoppos'd
Runs with a smooth brow gently in its course,
Being stop'd oth' sudden, his calme nature riot
Into a wilfull fury, and persist
In his intended fancie.

Wallens.
Gentle Madam, teach
Your women how to dresse you, here are none
Doe need your presence or instruction, you would have him
Leape your neat Chamber-maid, and get a Monkey
For you to play withall: He is here,
Pray you depart, Fredrick attend your mother,
I would be private.

Int. Albert.
Alb.
Your Grace was pleas'd to send for me.

Wallens.
I did so,
Know you the cause?

Alb.
Not yet, my Lord.

Wallens.
I am your Father sir,
Whose frownes you ought to tremble at, whose anger
Should be as dreadfull to you, as Heavens curses;
Looke on my face, and reade my businesse there.

Alb.
Alas my Lord, your lookes
Are discompos'd with rage, your fiery eyes
Rowle with the accustom'd motion, they had wont
To dart upon your enemies, I am
Assur'd my innocence can no way merit
Your all-consuming anger.

Wallens.
'Tis a lye,
A worthlesse lye, false as thy flattering hopes are,
You are in love, most gallantly in love
With Isabella, one who is compos'd
Of paint and plaisters: thou degenerate monster,
Traytor to fame, and parricide to honour,
Abject in thy condition, as thy thoughts are;
Teare this vil'd strumpet from thy foule, do't quickly,
Renounce her with all binding tyes can urge thee
To keep thy faith, or I will quite put off
The name of Father, take as little notice
Thou art my of-spring, as the surly North,
Does of the snow, which when it has ingendred,
Its wild breath scatters through the earth forgotten.

Alb.
This was the killing fever I still fear'd;
Sir I should be a stranger to your blood,
As well as noble worth, should I commit
Actions I sham'd to justifie: I confesse
I love faire Isabella, and beseech you,
The meanenesse of her fortune and her birth
Omitted, she may be confer'd upon me
In lawfull marriage.

Wallens.
Dare you boy,
Speake this to me.

Alb.
I should Sir be degenerate
From your great spirit, should I feare to utter
What I doe wish effected, were you a God,
As being my Father, you'd but a degree
To me beneath one, in a cause so righteous,
I should not onely boldly crave your license,
But hope to have it granted.

Wallens.
Hell and furies,
Durst any mortall foole, but my owne issue,
Venter to brave my fury thus; resolve
Villaine in full to satisfie my purpose,
Doe it without regret, renounce this strumpet
Even from thy soule, abandon her remembrance.
Or by my owne unwearied valour, better,
And with more safety thou mayst hug a wave,
When its white lips kisse heaven: yong sir your honor
Is not your owne, for it you'r but my factor,
And must give me account, a strict account
Of the errors you run in: to the Dust
Of my great Ancestors, stand I accountant
For all my family, and their blest ashes
Would breake their Marble lodgings, and come forth
To quarrell with me, should I permit this bar
To staine their glorious Heraldry.

Alb.
Great Sir,
Can vertue be a blemish, or true worth
Disgrace Nobility; 'twas that at first,
When Nature made all equall, did distinguish
'Twixt man and man, and gave a just precedence
To the most worthy: Honour is Vertues of-spring,
Since then the Angell, my affection's fixt on,
Is faire and vertuous, all the good that ever
Durst with fraile flesh commix, or earth be proud of:
How to our Families honour can she bring
A diminution? Can sir the chaste ice,
Kiss'd by the Sun, into its native substance,
Pollute a chrystall River, surely rather
It addes fresh moysture to its streame. My Lord,
I am your sonne, and have been still obedient
To your commands; O by your love, your vertue,
Your never daunted vertue, I beseech you,
Grant me this one request, wer't for my life,
I should not be so abject, as to spend
This breath for its redemption.

Wallens.
Well, thy prate
Has overcome me, I am pittifull,
Beyond my nature pittifull to thee,
Thou shalt injoy thy wishes.

Alb.
All the blessings,
Prayers can obtain from heaven, showr down upon you
For your superlative mercy.

Wallens.
Stay and marke me,
'T shall be with this condition, that as soone
As thou art wed, and hast injoy'd thy wishes,
Ere the next Sun rise on you,
You resolve without remorse,
To kill your Isabella.

Alb.
Heavens protect me!

Wall.
Nay thou shalt sweare it too: 'Las gentle boy,
I know thy nature is too full of fire,
To mix with sordid earth, and though thy last,
(Which is but manhood in thee) prompt thee on,
To taste the sweets of Isabellas beauty,
I know thou scornst so much to unmake thy Gentry,
To take her for thy wife, perhaps she will not
Give up her honour, till the Church has seal'd
That grant as lawfull; freely I allow
Her brave ambition, if as a reward
Due to her haughty pride, thy own hands kill her,
And so wipe out the infamy.

Alb.
Strange cruelty! so tyrants us'd to grant offenders life,
After their condemnation: to reserve them
To combat wild beasts in the spacious Cirque,
Or bloody Amphitheater: My Lord.

Wallens.
Pish I am deafe, inexorable as Seas
To th'prayers of Mariners, when their sinking Keel
Is drunke with billowes.

Ent. Dutch, Isabel and Page.
Dutch.
O my Lord,
Your justice on this cursed witch, this thiefe,
This morning I have lost out of my Cabinet
The so much valu'd Jewell, which your bounty.
Bestow'd upon me, none but she and I
Having been there since; she must be thiefe:
Force her to restitution.

Wall.
'Twas a gem, my mother gave me, which I did preserve
With as much care, as votaries doe the reliques
Of their protecting Saints: I gave it you,
When in the eager fervor of my youth,
I destin'd you my wife: come hither minion,
You who can steale the Jewels of mens hearts,
With your inchanting sorceries, will not feare
To make a venter upon pettier theft:
Sirrah goe bid them wait me here.

Isab.
My Lord,
I'm so secure in my own innocence,
That should your fury riot on my life,
'Twould not affright me, I should meet my death,
As willingly as I should doe my rest,
After a tedious watching, there's no armour
Like that of innocence, with which I'm guarded,
And therefore laugh at punishment.

Wal.
So brave, I shal soon quell your insolence; lay hands
Ent. a Guard.
On this ignoble strūpet, hang her up, here in my presence.

Alb.
Stay sir, I doe beseech you heare me.

Wal.
Your intreaties are cast on me, as fools throw oyl on fire,
Striving to extinguish it: hang her up,
Ile hang you all else.

Alb.
Then Sir I will speake,
Since you forget to be a father to me,
I wil put off my duty; I'm resolv'd,
Since 'tis impossible that we should live,
To dye together: nor doe not slave presume,
To touch this mine of purity, 'tis a treasure
While I'm alive Hell cannot ravish from me,
(For fiends would feare to touch it) if you murder
This spotlesse innocent Virgin, you are such,
So mercilesse a tyrant, as doe love
To feed on your owne bowels, one whom nature
Created for a curse, and to get curses,
Such prodigies as I am, one whom all Lovers
Shall tremble at, if mentioned; one.

Wallens.
Death have I lost my command, is he or I
To be obey'd? hang her, if he resist,
Kill the unnaturall Traytor.

Isab.
Deare Albertus, draw not a ruine on thy prizeles life,
For my despis'd sake I will go to death,
All peace as does an Anchorite, that's assur'd of all his sinnes forgivenesse.

Alb.
Sawcie divell, carry that touch of her to hell, 'twill serve
To mitigate thy tortures.

Is run through.
Kils one of the Guard.
Dutch.
O my Lord, what has your fury acted,
Deare Albertus.

Alb.
'Twas a most friendly hand, and I could kisse it,
For the most welcome benefit; Isabella,
In death thou givest me life, thy innocence,
Will like my guardian Angell, safely convey me
To yonder heavenly Mansion: pray forgive me,
Deare Sir, if in my over-hasty zeale
In this poore innocents quarrell, my wild fury,
Transgress'd my naturall duty, and as the last
Request your dying son can aske, take pitty
On this most innocent Maid: thy hand, my faire one,
And now as willingly I doe expire,
As a blest Martyr, who does court the fire. O Isabella dies.

Dutch.
O my deare Albert.

Wall.
Death slave, dare you play with a flame
That shall consume you.
Hang her up, or torments shall pay your breach of duty.

Isab.
There friend, there's all the Jewels I am mistris of,
And that thou merits, prethee be as speedy
In thy dispatch, as fate it selfe; there is
A pure white Ghost in yon same azure cloud,
Expects me straight, I come my deare Albertus.

Is hang'd.
Wallens.
Take hence their bodies, 'twas a hopefull boy,
And one I lov'd well, till his wild love
Made him forget his duty; and 'tis better
He di'd with fame, his sword in's hand, then that
He'd liv'd with foule dishonour: would he were
Alive agen, I do begin to feele strange horrors here, and that
Big guest, my soule, is shaken as with a nipping frost, hence idle
Grief, I must be furnish'd with more spritly passions, thou art too
Heavy, fit for the society of none but pensive women. All must dy,
Why should not he then, 'twas his destiny.

Exeunt.