 | The raging Tvrke, or Baiazet the second |  |
Actus Tertij
Scena Prima,
Enter Selymus alone,Selym.
Am I so poore in worth? still kept so low?
Was I begot only to liue and dye,
To fill a place, moue idlely to and fro
Like other naturalls? vnmanly life,
The world shall take more notice of my fame,
Els will I with the venom'd sting of warre,
Deface the beauty, of the vniuerse.
Posteritie shall know, once there did breath
A Selymus, a mortall diety,
A man at whose blest birth the planets smil'd,
And spent their influence to create a boy,
As braue as Greece e'r hatcht, or Rome, or Troy.
Enter Isaack
Heer's Isaack Bassa, hee's already mine,
He courts my father, but intends for mee,
And furthers all my counsells; Noble friend,
How stand our hopes?
Isaacke.
Great Sir, most happily,
The Bassaes murmure at Achmetes wrong:
Seize on their wauering loue, their breasts are ope,
To him that first will enter ther's free scope;
Drop downe thy franke affection in their hands,
To bribe is lawfull, and 'tis strongly prou'd
By good examples, Otho ne'r was lou'd,
Till he had bought the souldiers, that once done,
Addict them to vs by a gaine-full fee:
Giue freely, and speake fairely I'le be gone,
Stay, here, the Bassaes will be here anon.
Exit.
Enter Mesithes.
Sely.
I shall obserue thy precepts, Mesithes welcome,
How fare you in these dayes of discontent?
My dutie bids me aske, and wish you well;
I haue beene long a barren debtor to you,
At length I may proue thankfull: weare my loue,
'Tis yours without refusal, a sleight gift,
giues him a ring aside
Yet your lookes tels me, 'twill helpe out my drift.
Mesi.
This courtesie exceeds my weake deserts
Sweet Prince but when occasion calls me forth,
To helpe you, I'me deuoted to your worth.
Sely.
Your kind acceptance of that recompence,
Binds me more strictly to you.
Mesith.
Sir, farewell,
Exit.
and enter Mustapha
Sely.
So one hath tooke, see where another comes:
All health to Mustapha.
Musta.
Thankes gracious Prince,
Your gentle pardon for my boldnesse Sir.
Sely.
Command my pardon, and commend my loue
To thy bright daughter: tell her I admire
Her vertuous perfection; let that chaine
giues him a chaine
Make me remembred often in her mind.
Must.
When my weak strength, or wealth shall stretch so far,
As to continue—
Sely.
No Cynicke complement, good Mustapha.
Musta.
Then I returne you thankes
Exit.
Sely.
Health follow you,
And honour me; here is a third at hand.
Enter Asmehemides.
Selym.
Continuance to your health Sir.
Asme.
Thankes gentle Prince,
Please you to vse my seruice?
Sely.
Yes, thus farre
Spend me that purse of gold.
gives him a purse.
Asme.
What meanes your Highnesse?
Selym.
But to deserue your kindnesse, and avoid
Asme.
This is your liberall vertue not my deeds,
But you shall find me thankefull.
Exit.
Sely.
So I hope;
Three steps are trod already to a Throne,
And I am rich in friends, these profferd gifts
Conjure observance from their servile breasts:
Oh powerfull gold, whose influence doth winne
Men with desire for to engender sinne.
Isaacke Bassa?
Isaacke.
Euen the man you wisht;
What did the golden lu e worke good effect?
And make the Bassaes stoupe vnto your minde?
Sely.
Words are but empty shaddowes, but if deeds
Answere their words, we cannot doubt their faith,
They stoupe beneath my feete, I seeme to be
As true as Ioue, but slye as Mercurie,
Enter Mesithes
Here comes Mesithes muttering backe againe,
But step aside and we shall know his mind.
Mesith.
But he is cruell, bloody, and his pride
Vnsufferable great—
Selymus
Ha?
Mesithes
Proud Baiazet,
Thou hast vsurp'd a title, thy descent
Could neuer reach vnto, thou wrongst the world
Since thou detain'st the Crowne, which heavens decree
Due to a better brow, thou art defam'd
With Tyranny and wrong, but Selymus
Is voyd of blemishes as trueth of lyes;
Bad stocks must be cut downe, the good must rise.
Sely.
He davnted me at first, but now I find
The golds bright lustre made his judgement blind,
Mustapha comes.
Enter Mustapha
Musta.
Fortune hath wheel'd me vp aboue the starres,
Vnder a Monarch Ile not fell my hopes:
Bold Selymus Ile second thy designes,
And thou shalt Queene my daughter, that being done
With mine owne splendor Ile eclipse the Sunne.
I'st so? a while Ile feede thy ayrie hopes
Then dash thee into nothing.
Heer's a third.
Enter Asmehemides
Asm.
A purse of gold? I can vntie the knot,
The close ængima say's, I would be King.
Braue Selymus I like thy mounting thoughts,
Worke out thy proiects, thou canst neuer need
Or aske my helpe, but thou art sure to speed.
Exit
Sely.
What we resolu'd, stands firme, but the euent
Be scan'd when leasure serues, weele now preuent
My brothers hopes, and by a sudden fate
Vnto their liues and dayes giue equall date,
To compasse a blest end: now we beginne
Ioue hath offended if it be a sinne
To throw a father downe: Saturne did dwell
Once in the heauens, Joue threw him downe to hell.
Enter Baiazet and Achmetes, hand in hand, Cherseogles, Mesithes, Mustapha, Mahometes, Achomates, Trizham, Mahomet, Asmehemides.
Sely.
But stay. Achmetes and our fathers friends?
Baia.
Achmetes I haue iniur'd thy deserts,
Subbornd accusers, wrong'd my credulous eares,
And my rash censure vndervalued much
Thy noble spirits, when it first condemnd
Then of intended treason, rense thy soule
In the dull riuer of obliuion,
We halt beneath the burthen of thy hate,
Thinke my mou'd anger made me hot and wild,
I cannot sleepe till we be reconcil'd.
Achm.
The gods neglect my welfare here on earth,
And when I shall put off this mortall load,
Let me be out-law'd from the Court of heauen,
If in this bosome there lye hid one thought
That doth not honour Baiazet.
Baia
Wee know—
Thy vertues make vs happy: valiant Sir,
Thy feete once more must tread a warlike match,
Vnder our fearefull banner, thou shalt pace
Where our halfe Moone rear'd in the middle camp,
Like a distempred Meteor in the ayre,
Shall strike amazement in the cloistred monkes
And shake the prelates Miter from his head,
Till he yeeld Zemes vp aliue or dead.
When we haue mou'd thee from thy Ianuzaries,
Thou shalt not trauell farre.
aside
Isaack
A subtile tricke
And well pretended, I admire thy wit.
aside
Achm.
Let me march hence, and Baiazet shall know,
How little I befriend my Princes foe,
Ile cast a ring of souldiers round about
The walles of Rome, if Zemes scape thence out,
Cut of my breath: he that's deepe in blame,
Must hazard boldly to regaine his fame.
Triz.
What meanes our father, noble Baiazet,
To worke vntimely horrors through the world,
Desolate ruine, publike discontent
Haue printed deepe impressions in our path,
Danger and feare scarce emptied from our towne,
The shaken members of our common wealth,
Yet staggers with their wounds, when discord shall
Make but a second breach, they faint and fall.
Mah.
Short peace hath charm'd your subiects all asleepe,
And throwne a quiet slumber ore their eyes,
Whilest with a sweete restoratiue she heales
Their Martyr'd joynts, and wipeth out their scarres
Writ on their bosomes by the hand of warres,
Zemes is safely cloystred vp at Rome,
The prelate dares not ayde him, all the gods
Smile on the entrance of triumphant peace,
War lies fast bound, nor can she worke our paines
Vnlesse we loose the fury from her chaines.
Baia.
Our sonnes instruct vs? must your pregnant wits,
Crosse my command? Bassaes prepare for warre,
And since your graue discourse argues a will,
To stay at home you shall weele lay you vp,
Euen in the bowels of your mother earth
I will intombe you: Put them both to death.
Omnes.
What meanes great Baiazet?
Baia.
To murder you, vnlesse you strangle them.
Amba.
But heare vs speake.
Baia.
Stop vp the damned passage of their throat,
Or you are all but ghosts. what; stare you friends?
Isaacke and Selymus, a garter;
Twist me that fatall string about his necke,
And either pull an end,
strangle Trizham.
Mesithes come
Ioyne force with me, by heaven y'were best make hast,
Or thou art shorter liu'd then is that bratte.
Tugge strongly at it.
strangle Mahomet.
So; let the bastard droppe,
We haue out-liud our tutors: dunghill slaues,
Durst they breath out their Stoicke sentences
In opposition of our strickt command?
Selym.
So: things run well along, and now I find
Ioue heares my prayers, and the gods grow kind.
Baia.
Did not I send these to their Provinces
To hinder Zemes flight? and did not they
Dejected bastards giue him open way?
Mine anger hath beene just.
Cherseo.
None doth deny't;
You may proceed in your edict for warres,
And make Achmetes generall of the campe.
Baia.
It is enough: Achmetes goe to hell,
stabs him
The deuils haue rung out thy passing bell,
And looke for thine arrivall.
Shend me slaues.
Exeunt omnes.
They fly before my breath like mists of ayre,
And are of lesse resistance, Ile pursue.
Exit
Achme.
Oh! I am slaine, Tyrant thy violent hand,
Hath done me pleasure, though against thy will,
Had I as many liues as drops of blood,
I'de not outliue this houre: flye hence vaine soule,
There where a guard of starres shall hemme thee round,
Build thee a safe tribunall—I am gone—
Oh tragique cruelty—behold—the end
Of two right Noble sonnes—one faithfull friend
moritur
Re-enter Baiazet in fury.
Baia.
Haue all forsaken me? and am I left
A pray vnto my selfe; did all their breath
Passe through his organs? and in his sad death,
Haue I abruptly crackt the vitall threed
Of all my Bassaes?
Achmetes groanes.
Ha? where am I now?
In some Gehenna, or some hollow vault,
Where dead mens ghosts sigh out their heavy groanes:
Resolue me Mahomet, and ridde me hence,
Or I will spoyle the fabricke of thy tombe,
And beate away the title of a God.
Do'st thou not moue? a trunke? a stocke? to die,
Is to put on your nature, so will I.
Offering to stab himselfe, Cherseogles, Mesithes, Mustapha, Mahomates, Achomates, Selymus, Asmehemides, interrupt him.
Omnes.
Hold, hold, and liue.
Baia.
How come these bodies dead?
Filij.
Father, it was your selfe.
Baia.
Let me reuoke
My wandring sence, Oh what a streame of blood
Hath purg'd me of my blacke suspition,
Two sonnes, one valiant Captaine hence are wrought
By mine owne hand, to cure one iealous thought,
As 'tis, they are the happier, I out-liue,
Them whom I wisht to fall: onely to graue,
Beare foorth their bodies;
Bassaes carry them out,
We were curst in this,
And shall intombe with them much of our blisse,
Indeed wee had resolu'd to spend this day
In things of more solemnitie, lesse woe.
Now our more wished councell shall beginne
Amasia is a province rich and strong,
Mahomates it is thine, keepe it as long
As I haue power to giue it go, prouide
For thy conveyance, at the next fayre tide.
Mahom.
Farewell deare father.
Baia.
Worthy sonne adiew.
The loue my dead sonnes wanted, fals to you,
As an hereditary good.
Selymus
Then we
aside
May vaile our heads in blacke, no mourners be.
Baia.
Mahomates, thy worth
Deserues some trophies of our loue,
Which to let slip vnmention'd, were to adde
To this blacke day, a fourth offence as bad;
Gouerne Manesia, now the people stand
Disfurnisht of an head, let thy command,
Be great amongst them, so; make speedy hast.
Honour ayes for thee.
Selym.
Now the stormes are past.
Mahom.
Father adiew;
Exit.
Baia.
Mahomates, farewell.
Selym.
Now to my lot, I thought 'twould ne'r a fell,
aside
Baia.
Now Selymus, wee know thy hopes are great,
And thine ambition gapes with open jawes,
To swallow a whole Dukedome: but young Sir,
We dare not trust the raines of gouernment
Into the hands of Phaeton. Desire,
Rashly fullfild, may set the world on fire;
Greene youth, and raw experience are not fit,
To shoulder vp a Kingdomes heauie weight,
Mixe wit with stay'd discretion, and spend
Wild yeares in study, then we doe intend
To settle more preferment on thy head
Then thou can'st hope for.
Selymus
Wilt thou enuious dotard
Strangle my greatnesse in a miching hole?
The world's my study Baiazet, my name,
Exit.
Baiaz.
I know he grumbled at it; but 'tis good
To calme the rebell heat of youthfull blood
With sharpe rebukes.
Enter a Messenger.
Messen.
Health to the Emperour.
Baiaz.
What will your message?
Messen.
Duty first from Rome,
Commended by the Bishop to your seruice,
With a firme promise to dispatch your will
What euer it imployd, and would but stay
Till Times swift circle should bring forth a day
Secure for the performance.
Baiaz.
'Tis enough.
Exit.
Thanks for your care. This was to murder Zemes.
Warre with the Bishop? 't had beene pretty sport,
I knew my powerfull word was strong enough
To make him doe my pleasure: simple Priest,
Onely I vs'd it as a trick, to send
Achmetes from the Citie and his friends;
But Fate so smil'd vpon me, that I found
A shorter meanes his life and hopes to wound
With my sententious sonnes, that when my foe
Fled through their Prouince, finely let him goe;
Which being wholy finish'd, straight to please
My friends, I play'd a raging Hercules;
Then to shut vp the Scene, neatly put on
A passionate humour, and the worst was done.
But who comes here?
A dumbe show.
Enter Mahometes with store of Turks, he as taking his leaue, they as ceremoniously with great humblenesse, taking their leaues, depart at seuerall dores.
I like not this. Mahomates belou'd
So dearely of the Comminalty: ha?
Hee's wise, faire-spoken, gently qualified,
Powerfull of tongue; why hee's the better sonne,
Not to supplant his Father. I mislike
The prodigall affection throwne on him
By all my subiects. I belyed my hopes
When I presum'd this day had freely rid
To be a Iade to Fate, and Fortunes scoffe,
My cares grow double-great by cutting off.
Exit.
Scene Tertia.
Enter Caigubus Achmetes sonne.Caigub.
If euer man lou'd sorrow wisht to grieue
Father I doe for thee. Could I depriue
My senses of each object, but thy death,
Then should I ioy to sigh away my breath:
Be Godhead to my griefe, then shall these eyes
With tributary teares bedeck thy shrine:
And thus I doe invoke thee: nimble Ghost
What euer orbe of Heauen, what euer coast
Affords thee present mansion, quickly thence
Flit hither, and present vnto my sense
Thy selfe a feeling substance, let me see,
Acknowledge and admire thy Maiesty.
Put off that ayry thinnesse which denies
Me to behold thee with these duller eyes,
Then shall they sending downe a powerfull floud,
Rence thy colde members from each drop of bloud,
And so returne thee back, that thou may'st soare
Vp to the skies, much purer then before.
Had the iust course of nature wrought thee hence,
I would haue made the gods know their offence,
And backe restore thy soule: but thou art dead,
And 'twas a fiercer hand that clipt thy thread.
Fiercer, and bolder, which did euer thriue
By mischiefe, and once coffinde thee aliue
Vp in deaths mantle, but then would not vse
Such open violence, nor durst abuse
One of such sacred worth, till fury struck
His reason dead, and made his treacherous hand
Creepingly stab thee, both vnseene and foule,
As if he would haue stolne away thy soule.
Enter Isaack.
But oh!
But oh indeede!
Caigub.
Why what?
Isaack.
As bad
A stroke attends thee as thy Father had:
Princes suspition is a flame of fire,
Exhal'd first from our manners, and by desire
Of rule is nourish'd, fed, and rores about
Till the whole matter dye, and then goes out.
Caigub.
Vnfold a Scene of murders: Fates worke on,
Wee'le make a path to Heauen, and being gone
Downe from the lofty towers of the skies
Throw thunder at the Tyrant; will he presse
The earth with waight of slaught'red carcasses?
Let him grow vp in mischiefe, still shall her wombe
Gaping, reserue for him an empty tombe.
We doe but tread his path; and Bassa since
It stands vpon thee, now to cure thy Prince
Of his distemper'd lunacie, goe fetch
The instrument of death, whilst I a wretch
Expect thy sad returne.
Isaack.
I goe; and could
It stand with mine alleageance, sure I should
Imploy my seruice to a better end,
Then to disrobe the Court of such a friend.
Exit.
Caigub.
He that is iudg'd, downe from a steepy hill
To drop vnto his death, and trembling still
Expects one thence to push him, such a slaue
Doth not deserue to liue, nor's worth a graue.
Then Lachisis, thou that deuid'st the threed
Of breath, since this dayes Sun must see me dead,
Thus I'le preuent thy paine, thus I'le out-runne
My Fate; and in this stroke thy worke is done.
Stabs himselfe.
Eternall mouer, thou that whirl'st about
The skies in circular motion heare me out
What I command, see that without controule
Thou make Heauen cleare, to entertaine my soule,
And let the nimble spirits of the ayre
Print me a passage hence vp to thy chaire,
Laugh at obsequious base mortality.
Vanish my soule, enioy, embrace thy Fate
Stabs himselfe. dyes.
Thus, thus thou mount'st aboue a Tyrants hate.
Enter Isaack with executioners.
Isaack.
We are preuented; see the fates command
False deedes, must dye though by the Actors hand.
Returne to Baiazet, and beare that corpes.
Exeunt.
So now I am alone, nor need I feare
To breath my thoughts out to the silent ayre;
My conscience will not heare me, that being deafe
I may ioy freely: first thy hated breath
Achmetes vanisht, next Caigubus fell,
Thus we clime Thrones, whilst they drop downe to hell.
The glorious eye of the all-seeing sunne,
Shall not behold (when all our plots are done)
A greater Prince then Selymus; 'tis hee
Must share with Ioue an equall Maiesty.
But for my selfe his Enginer I'le stand
Aboue mortality, and with a hand
Of power, dash all beneath me into dust,
If they but crosse the current of my lust.
What I but speake, 'tis Oracle and Law,
Thus I will rule and keepe the world in awe.
Selym.
Noble assistant.
Enter Selymus, Mesithes, Mustapha, Asmehemedes.
Isaack.
Happy Selymus.
Selym.
'Tis thou must make me so, for should I stay
Wayting my Fathers pleasure, I might stand
Gazing with enuie at my Brothers pride,
My selfe lying prostrate, euen beneath their feete.
Townes, Cities, Countries, and what ere so euer
Can giue high thoughts content, are freely theirs,
I onely like a spend thrift of my yeares
Idle my time away, as if some god
Had raz'd my name out of the roule of Kings,
Which if he haue, then Isaack be thy hand
As great as his, to print it in againe
Though Baiazet say nay,
No more: I will;
An Empire be our hopes; that to obtaine
Wee'le watch, plot, fight, sweat, and be colde againe.
Exeunt.
Scena Quarta.
Enter Zemes, and Alexander Bishop of Rome.Bishop.
Cannot my words add solace to your thoughts?
Oh! you are gulft too deepe in a desire
Of soueraigne pompe, and your high thoughts aspire.
All the vnshadowed plainenesse of my life
Doth but contract thick wrinckles of mislike
In your Majestick brow, and you distast
Morall receipts, which I haue ministred
To coole Ambitions Feauer.
Zemes.
Pardon Sir,
Your Holinesse mistakes my malady,
Another sicknesse grates my tender breast,
And I am ill at heart: alas, I stand
An abject now as well in Natures eye,
As erst I did in Fortunes: is my health
Fled with mine honour? and the common rest
Of man, growne stranger to me in my griefe?
Some vnknowne cause hath bred through all my bloud
A colder operation, then the juice
Of Hemlock can produce: O wretched man!
Looke downe propitious God heads on my woes:
Phœbus infuse into me the sweet breath
Of cheerefull health, or else infectious death.
If there an Angell be whom I haue crost
In my tormented boldnesse? and these griefes
Are expiatory punishments of sinne?
Now, now repentance strike quite through my heart,
Enough of paines, enough of bitter smart
Haue tyed me to't. I haue already bin
Bolted from ioy, content can enter in,
Not at the open passage of my heart,
With pleasure; my vexation is so much.
My graue can onely quit me of annoy;
That preuents mischiefe, which can bring no ioy.
Exit.
Bish.
Now I could curse what mine owne hand hath done,
And wish that he would vomit out the draught
Of direfull poyson, which infects his bloud.
Ambitious fire? why 'tis as cleane extinct,
As if his heart were set beneath his feet,
Griefe hath boil'd out the humours of vaine pride,
And he was meere contrition.
What's the newes?
Enter a Messenger.
Messen.
Zemes as now he left you, pale and wan,
Dragging his weake legges after him, did fall
Dead on the stony pauement of the Hall,
Not by vnhappy chance, but as he walkt,
Folding his armes vp in a pensiue knot,
And rayling at his Fate, as if he staged
The wounded Priam, or some falling King,
So he, oft lifting vp his closing eye,
Sunke faintly downe, groan'd out, I dye, I dye.
Bish.
It grieues my soule: let Baiazet know this
Could our owne shortned life, but lengthen his
By often sighes I would transfuse my breath
Into his breast, and call him back from death.
Exit.
Scena Quinta.
Enter Selymus, Mesithes, Mustapha.Selym.
Let not my absence steale away my loue,
Or locall distance weaken the respect
Which you haue euer borne me; I must fly
To shake the yoake of bondage from my necke:
My Fathers eyes shall not scan out my life
In euery action; then when I am gone,
Our loue like pretious mettall shall not cracke
In the protraction, but be gently fram'd
From either part, not craz'd by any breach.
Mesith.
Returne with ruine painted in thy brow,
Pale death triumphant in thy horrid crest,
Danger limm'd out vpon thy threatning sword,
The Turkish thraldome pourtrai'd on thy shield,
Wee'le meete thee in thy horror, and vnfold
Our armes as wide as heauen to take thee in.
Selym.
We trust you: if there lie vnspoken loue
Hid in your bosomes? we must bury it
In silent Farewells.
Mustaph.
Noble Prince adiew,
Since thy franke deeds haue printed in our hearts
So true a patterne of thee, we will feed
Our contemplation with thy memory.
VVhen thou art really departed, thus
A better part of thee shall stay with vs.
Exeunt.
Selym.
So the swift wings of flight shall mount me vp
Aboue these walls into the open ayre,
And I will towre aboue thee Baiazet.
Farewell soft Court; I haue beene kept too long
VVithin thy narrow walls, and am new borne
To golden liberty; now stretch out you heauens,
Spread forth the dewy mantle of the cloudes
Thou powerfull Sunne of Saturne, and remoue
The terminating Poles of the fixt earth
To entertaine me in my second birth.
Enter Isaack Bassa.
Isaack
Not yet rid from our warrs? Faire Prince take heed,
Treason's a Race that must be runne with speed:
Æolus beckons, and the flattering windes
Ioyne all to helpe our proiect: quickly hence:
All's full of danger. Did your Father know
Hee'd stop your flight, and breath at one deaths blow.
Selym.
Friend I am gone: thou hoary God of Seas,
Exit.
Smooth the rough bosome of thy wrinckled tide,
That my wing'd Boat may gently on it glide.
| The raging Tvrke, or Baiazet the second | |