 | Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie |  |
Scœn. 2.
Menander, Hipponax, Evphorbvs, Lelio, Phevdippe, Hyarchvs, Perillvs, a Hearse.
Nature acquainted well with indigence,
Defining (in it selfe) our impotence,
Liable to corruption generall,
Shewes, nothing doth endure that's naturall:
Sterne death no pitty takes on hallowed age,
Vpon the sucking babe, whose harmelesse twine,
Tenderly hangs about the nurses necke.
Neuer did old mens holy teares obtaine,
Neuer did death from Innocents refraine.
The slaue who smothers in obscurity
His hated life; who neuer did account
Of rising Sunne, eclipse, and prodigies,
More then of customes and impertinence;
Neuer accounted seasons, months, and yeares,
Autumnall haruest, Spring-tide happinesse,
Further then meanes to nourish misery,
But breathes out melancholy aire, and groanes.
This man (alike with Epicures and Kings,
Who often striue with a departing soule)
Expects vpon the leisure of his fate,
So Kings and Cripples be incorporate;
Their ashes often mixt, when they repose
Two petty vrnes, their bodies oft inclose.
Death, how impartiall be thy wounds? how free
From all exceptions? My beloued sire,
Lusty and full of Spirit fiue dayes since,
Here humbled lyes, once royall prop of Greece.
Ev.
Laments are idle, neither can recall
Your fathers soule backe from Elizium.
Men.
But griefe informes the world hee once did liue
Worthy, and well respected, like a Prince,
Whom people pray for, and whose happy raigne
True subiects craue to be perpetuall.
Hyp.
But sorrow in excesse (dread soueraigne)
Begets a weake distraction of the braine,
Breeds a contempt of mundane diligence,
Neglects profession, violates the law
Of solace, and abhorres congruity,
Giues carelesse raignes to sicke security,
Turnes nature to a liuing lethargy.
Men.
True Hypponax, and therefore temperance
Limits with reason our compulsiue woe:
For men of pure discretion (you may finde)
Beare all extremes with a most æquall minde.
Repeat Perillus (the last signe of loue)
A poem to expresse the Obsequie,
With teares concluding his Catastrophe.
Per.
Feare to offend his farre divulged name,
Which (who may mention without righteous fame)
Being euer busied in effecting lawes,
Commended still with popular applause,
Retaining orders of Antiquity,
Each clamorous eccho and all forrest-noise
Ingendred by the Sylvan Dryades,
Be henceforth silent; neuer may such tunes
Affoord free mirth to Poets phantasie;
Who, may surcease to sing their sacred layes,
Viewing the vnaccustom'd change of time:
Till future ages do reviue the losse
Of our deiected worthy in his sonne,
Whose true externall image doth retaine,
The liuing lustre of our wonted king,
May whose deere genius dwell thy gifts among,
And vs prouoke to leaue his funerall song.
Maenan.
Enough; and in that finall word, Enough,
Our lamentations faile: remoue the hearse,
His body sleepes: who may the soule reverse?
(My Councell) stay, assist me; and because
From the succession of new Kings, new lawes
Take their originall, I do intend
Enormities of custome to amend,
Matters (though in themselues erronious)
Amended, may proue meritorious.
Had but impartiall Fate fiue longer weekes,
Allotted to my safe progenitor.
He, by aduise of your sage grauity,
Had finished (ere this) what you begun,
Which (through default) I must remember done.
The people of our continent, each sexe
Both masculine and female, do adore
A Goddesse, whose essentiall part is change,
(Proper to widowes, virgins wilde, and wiues)
Antiquity doth call her Cinthia;
The honour, sacrifice and Hecatombes,
Spent in the solemne, superficiall awe
Of her accounted-sanctimonious law,
Are (without æquall number) infinite.
We, knowing her supremacy extends
That annuall expence, and will confine
Such customare deuotion to the sect
Of Priest-hoods fœminine; their simple sexe
Shall by iniunction worship Cinthia,
To whom indeed they be subordinate.
So, this decree of priuiledge exempts
Men from oblations: Let an Officer
Informe the people thus.
Omn.
We all subscribe.
Maen.
Your dutifull acceptance (noble friends)
Of this propounded pollicy, doth vrge
My secret nature to disclose the loue
Which was inflam'd when iuniority
Of yeares and iudgement (my associates)
Gaue me aduice, which a more grounded age
Doth entertaine, with equall permanence:
With selfe-same feruor and integrity
Of true entire affection, as before.
Hyp.
What Spartan Lady will oppose the King?
Evph.
What Spartan Lady doth Mænander loue?
Maen.
Nay friends allow the marriage of your King,
A matter lawfull first in generall
And thence refute the scruple so precise,
Which boulsters vp a life Monasticall.
Omn.
That scruple wee as errour do account.
Men.
Then Il'e aduertise in especiall,
You sapient hearers of that beauteous dame,
Who, vnredeem'd Mænander, captiuate
Doth hold in fetters, though a free-borne King,
The daughter of Hyarchus doe I loue.
Hy.
My daughter? vnexpected happinesse!
Giue me then leaue, sweet rauishment, to see
Her glad espousall celebrated once,
By which, but some coniecture may arise,
To see the royall issue of her wombe;
And Il'e go lodge in my forefathers tombe.
Maen.
Do all agree with this old or'e-ioyd man?
True subiects will commend Mænanders choyce.
Men.
Nothing doth more prevent a Princes fate,
Then wise directing Councellors of State.
| Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie | |