University of Virginia Library

Scœn. 7.

Amicar, Favoina, Ancillae.
Fav.
What makes Amilcar so obesequious?
Damsels depart.

Amil.
Yes, rather, so, then maids.

Fav.
Amilcar.

Ami.
Madam.

Fa.
Thy graue countenance
Truss'd vp in such a formall cognisance,
With front compos'd; so perpendicular
Directing steady aime at open gaze,
Your longing silence doth detect; as if
The businesse should concerne my audience:
In-faith, in-faith, you are dis-consolate.

Ami.
Yes, but my meaning is emaculate
Like the forgotten primitiue attempts,
When all things were accounted innocence.
O might the wrath-full arrogance of some
(Who by a peeuish-tutor'd vehemence,
Conspire in habite of corriuallship
Against one pious beauty) be so farre
From preiudiciall meaning as my selfe
The age and Kingdome both might liue secure:
Madam, I can discose a prodigee
That appertaines to you.

Fv.
Deliuer it.

Ami.
Haue you then female fortitude enough,
A most resolued courage, to conceiue,
To apprehend a passion that will wound
Nay penetrate, the fabricke of the soule?
Shoote through the center of thy trembling bloud?
Infuse siue shaking palfies mutuall
Before I finish the first period?

Fa.
Giue then a quicke release; I am resolu'd:
Tormênt mee not with idle circumstance,
Begin this tale of prodigy.

Ami.
Heark hea'un;
How carelesse shee accounts of accident,
Griefe, and this woman be familiar
I thinke, and well acquainted.

Fav.
VVhen begins
The prodigie you spake of?

Amil.
'Twill amaze
The organs of attention Madam: yet
Seeing you enforce and couet misery,
You shall no longer be with-held: then thus:
But I beseech thee Queene remember well
These admonitions that exemplefy
The horror of my following discourse.
Imagine whilst you doe ingurgitate
My poyson'd soppes the beauty of your sence
Of your ingenious parts (all donatiues
Of Natures bounty, and the Gods aboue)
Imagine they'le be chang'd with violence
With vnresisted lunacy; so long,
Vntill each spirit leaue her function:
Till with a surfet you sur-fease to liue
Neglecting mundane solace; be trans-form'd
Into a liuelesse image, all thy veines
And vitall arteries being stop'd with feare:
Thus much remember Queene I do præ-mise.

Fa.
Amplifications yet? begin, begin:

Ami.
VVith all remember, you (right noble Queene)
VVho may attend my tale, are but a woman.

Fa.
And whether will your prolixê Lord-ship amble?
To the worlds end I thinke in preamble:
That (after all) you may anew begin.

Ami.
No (my compendious Lady) heere's an end:
Obstinate silence is the safest whip
To punish a peruerse disciple with.

Fa.
Are you enraged iolly sir i'faith?
O be appeasd, leaue ambiguities;
Finish thy tale (man.)

Ami.
Worthy Madam no,
Your supple phrase shall not againe recouer
One vowell of narration.

Fav.
O abrupt!
Yes (my blunt youth) if torment may vnbind
Your costiue silence, know, I will recouer
The whole narration; if deuulsiue rackes
Haue not forsooke the Kingdome; if the King
Will hearken to my spatious complaint;
Or yeeld with exoration of his Queene.

Amil.
Your spatious? ô then Arithmeticke
Hath taught you to augment and multiply:
(Deere Madam) speake within the bounds of truth.

Fa.
(Cheape Lord) thy impudence shall smart for this.

Ami.
O bitter!

Fa.
Thy dumbe silence be inforc'd
To witnesse, nay reiterate the depth
Of your concealement.

Ami.
O pernicious.

Fa.
You shall rehearse, nay shall expound, this tale
Of prodigies.

Ami.
Without your wide complaint
Without all torment to enforce the same
I will expound them straight; and therefore thus:
Ladies by birth of late are satisfied
With natures gifts, nor leeke they to resist
Impediments of age, or stinking breaths,
But well are guided by the heauens decree
Respecting beauty lesse then the command,
Of Gods aboue; be not these prodigies?
They honour husbands, hallow chastity
Reiect all midnight offers, liue within:
Abhorre the name of lustfull visitants,
Take little relish in a home-bred foole;
And lesse delight in Physicke, or the knaues
Who practise that purloyning office well.
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake,
When Ladies do bestow their idle time
In scrutination of deuinity
Not seeking to beguile the abused Art
Of painting; or to wish fiue Iubiles
Might be allotted to their tumbling tricks
And coltish vntam'd pleasure; which they vse
To practise without intermission: speake:
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake
When Ladies, and light-women be estrang'd
From Para-kitos, Munkies, island-curres
Coaches, and Coach-mares, masking nouelties;
From waspish æmulation, to exceed
Some eleuated Madame in her gowne;
Some Iuy-bush attire; to engrosse
The knowledge of a fucus, dentifrice,
Vuguentum, plaister (for in-faith sometimes
Diuerse scab'd sheepe do perish for defect
Of these restoratiues) ô then resolue
When Madames do estrange their facultie
From inquisition, from delight in these;
Will not the mouldred ashes that haue slept
So many thousand yeares, againe reuiue?
Will not the crazy ioints of earth dissolue?
And rotten fathers be resuscitate?
The finall extirpation of each dame
Both light and sober may this tale portend
Be not these prodigies deere Madame? speake.

Fa.
Wisedome doth vrge me to entreate him faire
Least hee indeed dissemble, or conceale
Businesse of high importance, that may touch
My most perticular aduantage: (sir
So-well-accomplish'd, meritorious Count)
I must importune your dexterity,
To re-collect the now-forgotten tale
Of prodigies indeed; withall confesse
My peeuish error.

Ami.
This doth mollify,
Nor may redemption of abuse, though late;
Although abruptly offer'd, derogate
From the large sequele; either thy beleefe
Or my vnfeigned meaning (noble Queene)
But Madam you shall seriously admit
A most impugned caution, ere I speake;
And shall obserue the same inuiolate,
Without base mentall reseruation.

Fa.
Wee will engage our female Maiesty
Thy strictest of iniunctions to prefer
Aboue all temporary baits, which may
Allure smooth falshood to infringe the same:
Sweare by this image of Paladium,
(Reckon'd amongst our Sacramentall oathes)
Neither by subtle tokens nor by voyce
By second causes, by secure complaint,
Vpon malitious, or well meaning termes,
To manifest, diuulge, communicate,
Nor any way disclose the future plot
Whereof you shall anon participate
By processe of relation.

Fa.
I do sweare
And will submit my life to thy aduise.

Amil.
With priuiledge, then Madam, Ile expresse
The wicked meaning of your enemies:
Lucilla my proud step-dame, doth abhorre,
Sole repetition of thy harmlesse name:
Shee doth repose her chiefest confidence
In my audacious act, who am oblig'd
Vpon surprise to kill thee.

Fa.
Subtle whore!
So yong, and yet so full of impudence?
So full of indignation, causelesse wrath?
Enuy how feeble are thy foming iawes?
With vndefined rancor they attempt,
But seldome are obnoxious to any,
Who haue acquaintance with integrity;
For enuy (vpon spight) assailes the henge
Of our successe: but wrong enflames reuenge:
And therefore did high Ioues omnipotence,
Envy; vnto the female sex impart:
Woman's a witch by Malice, man by Art.
How, how (Amilcar) may wee recompence
The new disease of her indignity
Which would entice, and so corrupt thy youth
By fraudulent commotions.

Ami.
Ile instruct
How opportunely, Madam, you may meete
With her abusiue malice; and exempt
Your selfe from the suspicion of reuenge.
And yet reuenge will be conspicuous:
For all complaints and publicke remedy
The primitiue iniunction doth deny;
You therefore shall admit my new deuise,
When Summer makes each field, each medow faire;
When pleasant spring-tide musicke is in tune,
You may retire into this thicket-groue
Loosely attended, with one maid, no more:
Whilst, like a common souldier in disguise
I suddenly rush forth, and do surprise
You not misdoubting, whom I will conuey
Into my lodging neere the Citty wals
After all inquisition cease: till then,
Wee may re-past in some poore Country Towne.

Fa.
The manner I allow; speake for euent.

Ami.
(All men amaz'd with such a sudden chance)
I will subborne a simple ideot
(Being first oblig'd by bounty) to confesse
That hee through wicked instigation
Of my most infamous step-dame, did attempt,
Nay finish the supposed murther; then
That meere compunction did enforce the tale;
To mittigate, his wound of conscience.

Fa.
So hee may hazard life being innocent.

Ami.
No, hee may craftily insert a boone
VVhich will auoide the danger of his life.
Hee shall beseech his death may be defer'd
Till my vnlawfull mother by the Law
Tast execution, or hee will professe
Obstinate silence; so conceale the place
Of your pretended buriall; the King
Nor any man aliue may this deny;
But I'le instruct him when hee doth espy
Occasion; this to manifest aloud
The Queene doth liue, though I were tempted oft
By that malitious woman, now depriu'd
Of naturall bad parts, by righteous death,
(Meaning my mother who shall then be dead)
To slay whom I preseru'd, this hopefull Queene.

Fa.
The plot prouokes me to esteeme reuenge
Aboue all earthly blessing; and embrace
The subtle vertue of a painted face.

Ami.
Subtle indeed, for my pretence implyes
Nothing but foggy mist to blind her eyes;
VVhen faire temptaion's weake; surprisall must
Giue satisfaction to my flaming lust.