University of Virginia Library

Scena prima.

Enter Calasiris, Theagines, and Cariclea.
Calas.
Come let's away my children, let's away,
Why do we linger here? the gods commands
Must be obeyd, all things are ready for
Our secret flight, a ship for Memphis bound
Waites us without, the wind comes gently from
Th'adjoyning shore, and stayes to swell the sailes
With pride till you imbarke, see here the Fascia,
Which by a slie devise from Caricles
I have obtain'd, nothing doth hinder us
To meet this long wish'd opportunity,
If you have got your jewels, deerest jewell,
From your supposed father.

Caric.
Calasiris
I have them all, but how gat you I pray
The Fascia from old Caricles, for when
He had receiv'd me from Sysimethres,
Who brought me up, he brought me here to Greece
I know not how, and tooke the Fascia from me,
Which in a chest he did preserve and keepe.

Calas.
How I came by it you shall know hereafter,
But can you tell me what it doth containe?

Caric.
How should I as being never told by any?
Besides although I oftentimes had seene it,
I could not understand the character,
Pray sir, interpret what it doth containe.

Cala.

Persina Queene of the Æthiopians to her daughter, onely in sorrow
by what name soever she shall be called, doth write in haste this
lamentation contayned herein, as her last gift.

My daughter, the sunne being authour of our stocke, is witnesse
that for no mis-deed, I have cast thee forth, and concealed thee from

thy father Hydaspes sight, yet I would have my selfe excused to
thee, if thou happen to live, and to him that shall finde thee if the
gods procure any, and therefore I declare the cause of thy exposition,
after king Hydaspes had beene married to me ten yeeres, and
we had never a child, we happened one time to rest us after dinner in
a gallerie where hung rare pictures and images, amongst which
were those of Perseus and Andromeda portrayed as when he first
redeem'd her from the rocke, at this time your father lay with me,
swearing that by a dreame he was commanded so to doe, and I by
and by perceived my selfe to be with child: but thou wert borne
white which colour is strange among the Æthiopians. I knewe the
reason, because I looked stedfastlie upon the picture of Andromeda
naked, and by that meanes, conceived a thing like to her, yet I determined
to rid my selfe of shamefull death (counting it certaine that
thy colour would procure me to be accused of adulterie, and that
none would believe me when I told them the cause) and to commit
thee to the unstablenes of fortune, which is a great deale rather to
be wished for then present death, or to be called a bastard: and telling
my husband that thou wert straight dead, I have privilie layd
thee forth with the greatest riches that I had for a reward to him
that shall find thee and take thee up: above all thinges remember that
thou seeke among thy jewels for a certaine ring, which thy father
gave me when we were first made sure, in the hoope whereof is a
princelie posie, the stone is a Pantarbe of secret vertue, consecrated
in the place where it is set. The gods preserve thee my deerest
daughter, and grant us a happy meeting.

Theag.
A strange but blest discoverie hast thou made
Of faire Caricleas royall pedegree
(Right reverend father) which before lay buried
Deepe in the obscure vault of ignorance.
Now princelie virgin raise thy glorious head
Above the clouds, and give thy conquering beautie
Command to pull the thunderer from his seate
To serve thee here on earth or in Olympus
Where thou shalt please to dwell, and rest not here,
Let Mars be fetter'd, Mercurie a slave,
And bright Apollo dazled with the sight
Of beames more splendant then his owne, fall downe
And worship thy appearance, offering thee
His throne to sit upon.

Calas.
Theagenes,
Fie, be not such a vaine Idolater
The gods may plague you for it.

Theagines.
plague me for
Adoring queene Caricles deity?
They are unjust then, for themselves commit
The same Idolatry aswell as I.

Calas.
That's but your superstitious jealousie.
Thinke you the gods will rivall you, or love
A mortall Virgin? fie 'tis blasphemy.

Theag.
They have done so, or else the Poets lie,
Witnesse Europas bull, and Lædas swans
Faire Danaes shower, and Daphnes transformation;
If their poore beauties had that operation
To worke such strange effects in heavenly powers,
How much more force, nay violence thinke you
Hath hers, to whose compard, theirs are like glasse
To sparkling diamonds.

Caric.
My dearest friend,
Forbeare these candid raptures of your wit,
Not my desert, and enter into thought
Of what concernes us most.

Theag.
Agreed my goddesse.

Calas.
No more dispute then, but forthwith to sea.
Delphos adiew, the fates call us away.

Exeunt.