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Scena tertia.
Enter Caricles solus, Nebulo listning.Caric.
Cariclea rap'd, O gods how can it be;
Where is your justice then? where our reward
For serving at your altars, when you suffer
Your sacred temples to be rob'd and spoyld
Of its chiefe jewell, and my life, Cariclea?
O sacriledge unheard of! can you sleepe
And winke at this? or is your anger to me
Implacable, and therefore to torment
My heart the more, you seeme not to regard it?
Was't not ynough, O cruell powers, to kill
My daughter at her Nuptiall, and my wife
For griefe thereof, but to augment my sorrow
Beyond the bounds of reason, give consent
Unto Caricleas rape, who was my joy,
My onely comfort, heart, yea life and all?
Nebu.
Ha, what was that? a dreadfull sound me thought
More pilgrimages? stay but listen yet.
Caric.
And goe in quest of thee throughout the world,
First to Thessalia, where that thiefe was borne
That stole thee hence, then unto Memphis City
Where Calasiris that false priest remaines.
Nebu.
I am confirm'd in horror, tis too true
He'll travell once againe, but soft attend.
Caric.
And if I finde thee not, ile travell further,
Even to the utmost bounds of Æthiopia,
Where I suppose thy parents live and raigne.
Nebu.
To Æthiopia, what strange land is that
(I marvell) oh, oh now I doe remember
Sysimethres was borne there as he said;
Nebulo discovers himselfe.
We shall be blacke as divels if we goe there.
Caric.
What Nebulo, my trusty friend and servant,
Prepare thy selfe to accompany thy master.
Nebu.
Where sir, unto the temple of Apollo?
Caric.
Beyond the seas I meane.
Nebu.
Beyond the seas;
He's mad I thinke, or hath some worse disease.
aside.
Caric.
I heare you sir, it seemes your growne a Poet
You rime so well.
Nebu.
I care not who doth know it.
Caric.
Raptures still flow upon thee more and more,
Nebu.
But this bad newes of yours doth vex me sore,
That you will crosse the seas, the bare conceit,
Will keepe me seven daies without taste of meat.
Caric.
Why that is profitable, saves thy purse.
Nebu.
But hurts my body sir, and that is worse.
Caric.
Why th'art a second Ovid, all he saies
Doth flow in verse.
Nebu.
Then I shall weare the Bayes.
Caric.
But Nebulo no more of this, you are content to accompany
me this journey, are you not?
Nebu.
Good sir, do not urge me to it; you know how willing
I should be to wait upon ye, did not one thing crosse it.
What's that thy wife?
Nebu.
You have hit the marke, tis dangerous (I can tell
yee) for me to goe abroad and leave her at home, I had woefull
experience on't after our last peregrination.
Caric.
What did she make thee a cuckould in thy absence?
Neb.
I know not, but she dub'd me knight of the forked order.
Caric.
Why that honour is for terme of thy Life man; thy
staying at home cannot take it away, nor thy going abroad
adde unto it.
Nebu.
No, doe they not rise by degrees? I suppose yes, as
in this manner, from Knight to Lord, from Lord to Earle,
from Earle to Duke of the forked order, and so forward: but
my ambition is not to climbe so high, therefore i'le stay at
home and prevent that promotion.
Caric.
fie, prevent thy honour?
Nebu.
My Nebulona will heape ynough such honours on
my head, If I follow your counsell, but I tell you againe I am
not ambitious so to be promoted, yet notwithstanding, so well
I love you, that rather then you shall goe alone, i'le once more
adventure my fortune.
Caric.
Spoken like a right honest man, come let's away then
withall expedition.
Denyes him still t'enjoy a setled state.
Exeunt.
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