 | The Phaenix In Her Flames |  |
Actus Primus
Scena Prima.
Amandus, Consolario.Cons.
Sir, do not grieve, it is the chance of warre,
Cheer up, & triumph in despight of fortune,
What fals without the compasse of redresse
To sorrow for, argues a feeble spirit,
And it doth nothing suit your Princely minde
Too much to yeeld to passion.
Amand.
I confesse,
Morall Philosophy doth teach as much,
And you have given me precepts, read me lectures
Of fickle fortunes mutability,
How madly, and without consideration,
She doth conferre her favours, yet my sufferings
(How great you know my faithfull Consolario)
Are of that nature, as but counterpoiz'd
In equall ballance with weake humane frailty,
They would in spite of my resistance weigh me
Down, down unto the ground.
How noble Prince,
Your passion hath unrectifi'd your minde,
And lead you into errour, did you never
Read and believe what Scipio Affricanus
Said unto some commanders of his army?
That he did shew a greater magnanimity
In mastering the affections of his minde,
Then in o'rethrowing armies, conquering kingdomes.
Apply this noble Roman, to your selfe,
Sweet Prince Amandus, what although your state
Be desperate now, your Country almost ruin'd,
Your army fled, and your chiefe City strait
Besieg'd by these Barbarians, if you can
Beare with a constant patience what the will
Of heaven doth lay on you, no doubt you shall
Purchase a greater glory to your selfe
By manly suffering what you cannot helpe,
Than Geolon the Tartar, though the fates
Surrender faire Damascus to his hands.
Amand.
Why should the partiall fates be so unjust,
So cruell to me? had my fortune been
Good as my right, the lot of griefe had falne
Vpon another soile: and thou my Country,
My dearest Country, hadst not felt these wrongs,
These miseries of warre thou now sustainest;
The carefull husbandman had then enjoy'd
His harvest to himselfe, and reap'd the fruits
Of his owne labours, had not seene his house
Burnt to the very ground, his Vineyards spoil'd,
His fields laid waste; the wofull father then
With bleeding heart had not beheld his daughter,
His fairest daughter ravish'd in his sight,
And his chaste wife lye prostituted to
The lust of common souldiers, whilst alas
He stands spectator of the loathed Scene,
Whose death at last shuts up the tragedy:
These things had never hapned if my cause,
Had been consider'd, nor this stately City
Had never been begirt thus round about
By forraine foes.
Enter a Gentleman with a letter.
What newes bring you my friend?
Gent.
Sir, heavy newes, this letter will inform you
Sent from the Governour, which to bring hither
In a disguised shape, I pass'd the guards,
The trenches and the campe of Geolon,
With thousand hazards of my life, all which
I reckon not to doe my Noble Prince,
My Prince Amandus service.
Amand.
You are welcome,
And we congratulate your safe arrivall;
But in what state did poore Damascus stand
When you departed thence? how victualled?
How furnished with ammunition was it?
How long can it hold out? first I will heare
Your sad relation ere I breake the seale.
Gent.
O Sir, I'm sorry my unworthy mouth
Should be the organ to convey a sound
Vnto your Princely eares, so harsh as this,
So dolefull, so unpleasant, I would rather
Be silent in a story of such woe;
Yet since you doe command me, know my Liege
The City is distress'd for want of food:
All their provision is consum'd and spent,
And nothing left for to sustaine their lives.
These two moneths have they fed upon the flesh
Of horses, dogs, and cats, now they are driven
To such an exigent, as they begin
To eate sod leather, yea the excrement
Of men and beasts, and which is more, their flesh,
Their proper flesh: this day within Damascus,
I saw a sight which grieves me to relate,
It did appeare so horrid, 'twas a woman
In seven dayes space of any sustenance,
Forc'd with her knife to cut her infants throat
That suckt upon her breast, to satisfie
With its sweet flesh, her ravenous appetite:
And for the ammunition of the towne.
As powder, bullets, match, and such materials
Of warre, 'tis almost spent, for three yeeres siege
Cannot but empty well the magazine;
Yet notwithstanding all this misery,
(Such as the like I thinke was never heard
Or seene in any age) they are resolv'd
(So much their loyall hearts affect their Prince)
Never to yeeld the towne, so long as any
Survives to make resistance, and despise
All quarter, all reward that hath been offer'd
By Geolon the Tartar.
Amand.
Consolario,
Where are you now with your Philosophy?
You'r gone, you'r gone, will you preach patience yet
To wretched me your pupill? can you open
Your mouth to that effect in such a deluge,
In such an inundation of my woes?
No, 'tis in vaine, I can receive no comfort:
Open ye watry sluces of mine eyes,
And let our teares enough to drowne my heart,
My heart that's gaul'd for poore Damuscus sake,
And my deere friends within: O had the heavens
Showr'd cataracts upon me, had their plagues
Drunke up my moysture, till my shattered bones
Had crumbled into dust, had I excus'd
My country with my fall, my peacefull ashes
Had fill'd their urne in silence, whereas now
Even life is tedious.
Consol.
Sir, I am your tutor,
And I must chide you though you are my Prince,
When I perceive you erre as now you doe
Through weakenesse of your youth, else I should show
Which time hath turn'd into a silver hue,
Know something of the world, and my experience,
How ere you slight it, hath seene many changes
And alterations wrought in mighty states.
I have waded through the various passages
Of a long life, and therefore can instruct
Your youth in the right way, if you but lend
An eare unto my counsels: harke my sonne,
I'le tell you plainely, you degenerate
In this intemperance of your griefe,
From the brave stock of your progenitors,
Your royall predecessors; fie for shame,
Wrong not your vertue to be desperate,
O bury not in the forgetfull grave,
Nor drown in this Læthean floud your glories,
Your former glories purchas'd on your foes
By your so oft relieving of your country:
Rowse up your drowsie spirits, and mitigate
Your swelling passions, till I finde a way,
A way to cure your sorrowes.
Amand.
For this sweet Balsom thou hast powr'd into
My wounded heart, your words have eas'd me of
A great part of the burthen which oppress'd me,
And I referre me wholly to your wisedome,
To perfect what you have so well begun;
Now to my letter, here's sad matter sure.
Sir, so miserable is the state and condition of the towne
for want of food to sustaine us (as this bearer can more particularly
informe you) that unlesse we have speedy reliefe, I
feare Damascus will be taken in upon an assault, for our men
are so weake through hunger, as they are scarce able to come
up and visit the breach, notwithstanding we are resolved
rather to dye there, then surrender: so much we preferre
your good before our own safety.
Now Consolario, what will you advise me
To doe in this extremity of fate?
Harke how the Ordnance battereth the walles
Of yond faire City, how the Muskettiers
Discharge whole volleyes; 'tis some salley sure,
Made by the brave besieg'd; how doe I talke,
They are too weake, too feeble to attempt it,
Poore hunger-sterv'd soules; may it not be
A Mine sprung in the rampire of the towne,
And an assault made? O I feare 'tis so,
My minde presageth ill, mine armes, sa, sa,
I'le once againe attempt for to relieve it,
Although repulsed last.
Consolar.
Sir, 'tis in vaine,
They are too strong entrench'd for your weake power
To make an entrance, had you not experience
Too sad, last time by losse of your owne bloud,
And slaughter of your men, what folly 'twas
For to attempt impossibilities?
You may fall on, and loose your selfe and souldiers
Vnnecessarily, and to no purpose:
But this yon cannot terme true fortitude,
But rather rashnesse and temerity;
For 'tis a policy in warre, sometimes
For to preserve your souldiers, as it is
At other times to put them upon service:
But 'tis not proper now, stay and attend
The sequell of this businesse.
Enter a Colonell.
Colonell,
Can you informe the Prince what did occasion
The shooting that we heard now neer the town:
Was it a sally, or a triumph made
By the Tartarians for their good successe
In conquering this Kingdome?
Colon.
Neither Sir,
A souldier that escap't, told me the manner,
And thus it was: After the enemy
Had sprung their Mine, which levelled the rampire,
And made a breach that eight might march in front:
They did assault it with their multitudes,
And furiously fell on: thrice the besieg'd,
Though hunger-sterv'd, repuls'd them, thrice they were
Enforc'd to quit the breach, some had their braines
Dash'd out with stones and beames, others with flailes
Receiv'd their deaths, and some whose limbs were rent
To pieces with granadoes, but at length,
Fresh succours from the quarters comming downe,
And Hydra-like encreasing, they prevail'd,
When all our men were slaine in the defence,
Before they entred: onely this poore souldier
Escap't whilst they were pillaging the towne,
From whom I learnt this sad intelligence.
Amand.
Now fortune doe thy worst, and if thou canst,
Make me more wretched, I'le no longer now
Flatter thy malice; since mine eyes have seene
The finall period of my Countries fate.
Come Consolario, thou and I, and these,
Will travell like poore pilgrims through the world,
For I am weary of this desolation,
And as we passe through this and to'ther Realme,
We will inquire their state, that I may finde,
If possible, a partner in my griefe.
Deere Colonell, dismisse that little Army,
That little remnant which the warres hath left me;
Bid each man seeke his safety where he can,
And tell them if Amandus ere may hope
To see a change of fortune, and enjoy
Hereafter better dayes, he will then thinke
Vpon their faithfull service, and reward them,
When all these gusts of sorrow are blowne o're,
In ample manner. Now let us obey
Our stars, and follow where they point the way.
Exeunt.
Rapin,
Brother Prædarius, couldst thou not finde in thy
heart to turne Oratour now, and bestow thy best Rhetorick
in praise of our most noble profession.
Prædar.
If my education, friend Rapinus were answerable
to my desire, I should write whole volumes upon that
subject, so much am I taken with it.
Rapin.
How right you jump upon my humour, for when
I doe reflect with judicious eyes upon the poor state and
condition of our former life, and weigh it with this glorious
change, I magnifie my selfe beyond measure for entertaining
such brave sparks of honour and true fortitude in my breast,
which hath kindled my affections to these worthy exploits.
Præda.
And now since you bring that into our remembrance,
let us consider what poor mechanick rascals we
were, under what slavery we lived, how oppressed by hard
and usurping Land-lords, and the like?
Rapin.
All this is true, and much more we suffered, but
how are these times altered since? how doe we live now my
friend? nothing inferiour in command to the King of
Arabia himselfe; are not all these mountaines ours? these
caves and forrests ours? these desarts and wildernesses ours?
are we not safe in these fortifications from the greatest powers
that can possibly invade? we need not now feare the
King nor his imposts, he shall now make us amends, and
pay tribute of all such goods as passe this way under our jurisdiction.
Prædar.
Tribute say you? it shall be tributus totalis, not
a part, but all shall be confiscated to our use: all travellers
whatsoever, whether Arabians, Iewes, Turkes, Persians or
Egyptians, whose occasions bring them hither either as pilgrims
to Mæcha, or as convoyers of rich merchandise ever
these desarts, must here be content to doe homage, and unload
their commodities to enrich the brave montaneers.
Rapinus
How commendable therefore is this course of
life, how profitable unto us, as when wealth and rich boote
required from us but a little valour to make us masters of infinite
treasures.
Prædar.
And what care we though they brand our foreheads
with the names of robbers, theeves, out lawes, rebels,
renegados, and such like, whilst we live rich and brave
and enjoy our pleasures.
Rapin.
True, but wee can give our selves when wee list
other attributes, taking upon us the glorious name of souldiers,
which we worthily merit in exposing our lives, to
purchase wealth and honour, to so many hard and dangerous
enterprises.
Prædar.
Rightly spoken, for confirmation whereof
witnesse so many skarres upon our bodies, so much treasure
in our Caves, so many Captives in our chaines, all symboles
of our mighty darings.
Rapin.
But I marvell wee have had no doings to day,
will there be no Market thinke yee? no travellers? no carriages?
no Camels, no Dromodaries? no boote? it was not
wont to be so, how comes this change in the name of Mahomet,
what is the clock prethee Prædarius?
Prædar.
It cannot be lesse then six, for Apollo hath left
dallying with Auroræ more then an houre agoe.
Rapin.
By Fermagant this is strange, wee were wont
to be at our prey assoone as they at their play, how comes
it wee heare not from our sentinels wee sent out to discover.
Prædar.
Harke I heare them comming, they should
bring good newes by their joyfull acclamations.
Enter foure or five of the theeves with shouts and cryes.
Rapin.
What newes souldiers, are there any travellers
stirring this morning, or Caravanes driving over the mountaines?
speake quickly, wee are rusty for want of action.
1 Theefe.
Noble Captaines as wee sate to discover the
plaine, from the top of yonder mountaine, wee might perceive
of the place suffered us not to discerne whether they were
travellers, pilgrimes, or marchants.
Rapin.
Which way come they, and whether doe they
bend their course?
2
It should seeme they come from Alexandria, and are
travelling towards Ormus, for they take that way.
Rapin.
Then they are rich without question; courage
my hearts, we shall bee all made by Mahomet; need wee
animate them Prædarius with an Oration?
Prædar.
It will not need, for you see no dulnesse in
them to the businesse, too much wherting will take of the
edge of their courages.
3
Captaine Rapinus.
4
Captaine Prædarius.
5
What d'ye meane to delay the time so long in talke,
and let this rich boote in the meane time slippe out of our
hands.
Rapin.
Tis well consider'd, and we're glad you are
So forward in the action; now my friends
Let's fall one bravley, thus I doe dispose you;
Some 50. shall lie close in ambuscado
Behind the thicket that's within the valley;
Discover not your selves before you heare
Their Cammels passe beyond you, then breake forth
And give a sudden onset; fifty more
Shall be obscurd from sight behind the mountaine
That lies upon the right hand, and commanded
If it stand with the liking of Prædarius
By his discreet conduct; the rest with me
Shall guard the passage o're the bridge, and lie
Along the christall River, which so gently
Glides on the left hand by the mountaines foote.
There is no other passage but those three,
Which thus block'd up, the prey must needs be ours;
Now every man unto his charge; we aime
In our attempts at nought so much as gaine.
Exeunt.
Rapinus
Have we not reason my masters, to adore the
deity of Fortune, for still favouring our attempts, sure wee
are much indebted to that goddesse for her continuall blessings,
and we should be very ungratefull if wee did not acknowledge
it.
Prædar.
Wee are in a double manner bound to her
courtesie. First for this wealth, next for sending such a cowardly
guard to convoy it, for had they behaved themselves
valiantly, wee had not beene masters of our prey, but return'd
home well beaten for our labours.
Rapin.
But no more of this, I am glad we have it: now
we will divide it equally among our selves; your share
Prædarius shall be the Iewels and Plate, the Money, Merchandize
and other commodities shall be evenly distributed
amongst our men, and for mine owne parr I desire nothing
but the faire Lady.
Prædar.
Ha the faire Lady I must not condescend to
that, she is my prisoner taken by my owne handes, and
therefore belongs to mee as a guerdon of my valour, take
you the jewels, and leave me the Lady.
Rapin.
By Termagant thou art a villaine, and shalt not
live an houre for contradicting my will.
Give up all claime to her, or thy life Prædarius.
Prædar.
Never, thou shalt write that resignement with
thy bloud, and seale it with thy heart.
Rapin.
Then have at thee—they fight.
1
Forbeare good Captaine Rapinus.
2
Captaine Prædarius what doe you meane, will you
kill one another for a woman, a pox on her, let her bee
common to both, peculiar to neither, enjoy her alike by
turnes.
3
She will find you both imployment enough I'le warrant
you.
She lookes like a free mettall'd beast that will not faint
in a double careere.
5
When you have spur'd her sufficiently, and shee begin
to grow dull for your service, turne her over to us that we
may back her.
Rapinus
She shall be mine, and who dares lay claime to
her besides, forfets his life.
Prædar.
She shall bee only mine maugre the devill himselfe.
1
Asswage your furies (I beseech you) and let mee decide
the businesse betweene you, since you both claime her
particularly to your selves, and neither will yeeld thereunto,
referre your selves to the Ladies owne choice, and bee
content to stand to her election.
Rapin.
I am content—I know I am the properer
man—aside.
Prædar.
I subscribe to't willingly—shee must
needs chuse me for many respects, whose deserts cannot but
be discerned by her affectionate eyes—aside.
Rapin.
Methinkes I am imbracing her dainety body already,
whilst thou Prædarius stand'st as an envious spectator
of my happinesse.
Rrædar.
Alas poore foole how thou art deceived, thou
imbracest Ixion like but a cloud in thy imagination, while
the Lady Iuno the true substance is reserved for me; marke
thou th'event to thy shame Rapinus.
Rapin.
I come Lucinda, thy Rapinus comes
To court thy beautie, who in spite of fate
And all the opposition of the world
With this right hand will guard thee, though a troope
Of armed Fiends stood up, grant me but Love
I'le hold thee then though rivalled by Iove.
Exit Rapinus.
Prædar.
But that I know Lucinda ne're will grant
When she perceives Prædarius rivals him
Her lovely guardian, I doe see her eyes
Dart amourous glaunces on mee, and her hate
To him shall be discerned in his fate.
1 Theefe
This is good they are gone and left all the boote
behind, but twill not be amisse to discover if the coast bee
cleere or no. Ha, ha, ha, they are gone sheere away by this
light, was it not sport camrades to see them fight one with
another, what fooles were they to fall out in that manner
and leave this unregarded?
2
Let them still disagree so, wee fare the better for't, if
this occasion had not happened we had finger'd but a little
share of this wealth, I can tell yee.
3
This bagge is mine.
4
And this is mine.
1
But where is my part then?
2
And mine, by Mahomet we will not be thus used.
1
This is good y'faith, whilst wee are talking you are
taking, my masters you are best let us share with you, give
me this bagge Sirrah.
2
And me this, or by.
5
Tis in vaine to strive, you shall get nothing that way
but blowes, doe you not know that possession is a maine
point of the Law.
1
Cheate us and jeere too, Rogues our partes are your
heart—they fall together by the eares.
Rapinus, Prædarius.
Prædar.
How now what's the matter here, fighting about
the prey, we'll have you all hang'd for this you
slaves.
1 Thief.
Good Sirs bee patient, and by your good savours,
let me tell you we did but follow your example, and
we know tis a chiefe maxime in warre that Souldiers are
bound to follow their Leaders.
2
Besides Sirs our quarrell beares a better colour with it
then yours, being for gold and jewels, your's but for a prettie
Wench, pardon our sawcy talkings.
Rapin.
Well for this time wee pardon you, yet because
you shall learne next how to behave your selves better, and
to make use of a booty when tis offered unto you, wee will
ease you of this burthen, come your bags, Sir your bags.
And yours Sir, dispatch we must have them all
Henceforth my friends agree, and differ not
In the division of your boot, nor give
The world occasion to traduce our fame
By confirmation of this proverb old,
When theeves fall out, true men come by their gold.
Exeunt.
| The Phaenix In Her Flames | |