 | Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie |  |
Scœn. 7.
Amilcar, Gracchvs.
What you already with good cause condemne,
I must (though need not) vrge thee to contemne
With all extremity of noble hate,
To proue vnthankfull if occasion speakes,
The ioyfull head of free-borne bounty breakes:
Gr
Do but imploy your bond-slaue (mighty Lord)
If Kings command not, how can slaues accord?
The blessings of my body, breath and soule,
Be so ingag'd, as their existence knowes
Not one redeemer amongst all the Gods,
(Fabulous things to mee) except your selfe:
You haue replenish'd my poore empty veines,
Haue lent new spirits to despairing hope
Nay haue bestow'd a whole creations worke
Vpon mê offall-caitife, who adore
Impression of your foot-steps; that is all:
Expecting hourely on the happy time
When you shall dare command what I dare do:
When with advantage you will but pronounce
O Gracchus, giue mee of thy bloud an ounce:
An ounce? take fifty pottles Id'e reply,
Open your selfe a passage to my soule,
To take a lawfull debt who dares controule?
Nor do impute this loue to lacke of wit,
Or some dis-ioynted weakenesse of the braine;
For if I argue as the thing demands,
Vnlesse my life, what with your honour stands?
Let mee professe, vnto the Saints and you
I do desire imployment, will bee proud
Of death or life, being by your selfe allow'd.
Ami.
Life wee allow, but never wish thy death,
For wee expect vpon true diligence,
And must improue the nature of thy zeale;
Eunuch's, forbidden actions do conceale;
Thou art an Eunuch, listen to my shame,
Then giue aduise, and secresie, though blame:
I loue; no, rather lust and loue the Queene,
Whom (all-supposing dead) by stratagem
And strong delusion of her silly sence,
Nor did shee seeme repugnant to such ruth
My Rhetoricke was clad in robes of truth:
Affirming shee might thus reuenge the spleene,
Of proud Lucilla (who malign's her state)
Giuing no colour of reuengefull hate;
As to subborne a subtle wretch I vow'd
Who with aboundant knowledge being endow'd
Most caitife-like should counterfeit, no lesse,
(For pænitent compunction) heauinesse;
And so diuulge hee slew the Noble Queene,
There-to induc'd by poore Lucilla's spleene:
Then should Lucilla liue no longer day
But loose each vitall benefite for aye:
Thus did the hope of vaine reuenge entice
Woman to proue more valiant then wise:
Whom I (as captiue) do retaine, till shee
Shall manu-mit my selfe, (her bond-slaue) free.
Gra.
Heere in the Village doth your Goddesse liue?
Ami.
Heere; and thy selfe though sprung of humane seed
As Iaylor to my Goddesse I areed.
Faithfully wise wee doe account thy loue;
And managing of this designe will proue
Thy elegant enforcements, touching mee,
Which (happily per-chaunce) may set both free.
O now my bloud and reason be at warre
With apparition of this fatall starre:
Fatall to mee, because inchanted beames
Shoote from her eye-lids into loue-sicke streames:
See where shee comes with excellence enough
For fifty thousand of the female sexe,
Beauties which blesse the owner, neighbours vex.
| Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie | |