University of Virginia Library

Act. 4.

Scœn. 1.

Menander
, Laelio, Milites.
The Mountaine ecchoes they shall catch his name
And euery nooke re-iterate the same;
For I will teach the night-rauen to repeat
His pensiue sound, the sleepy owle shall sing
And happy newes of lost Pheudippe bring:
Awake dumbe Ghost, Pheudippe, friend awake
And now repaire thy old mansion-place;
Returne Pheudippe but a while returne
And truly answere to my iust demand
I will resigne a Kingdome to thy hand.
Hearke you mad furies of eternall nighr:
Boats-man of Stix, by burning Phlegeton
Secluded Angels, and superiour aide
I doe con-iure you to direct his soule
Backe to the bosome of that slaughtered Hearse
Ah Charon, Charon, prethee Boats-man bring
His errant shadow to the place of rest,
And Charon I will Canonize thy name
Giue thee a Queene to sleepe in thy cold armes,
To kindle moisture in thy rugged limbes
And make thy waftage easy with her hymnes:
Bring but the soule of that ignoble man
To aske forgiuensse, and I will forgiue.
A foolish hope! (heau'n knowes) for hee indeed
Hee hath a haughty stomach full of rage
Swolne-big with pride, begot of too much loue,
And my familiar vsage makes him thinke
(The more fault's mine) hee should not now submit.

Lae.
O sir the finall stab of mischiefes end
Hath strucke him dead; hee cannot now amend.

Me.
No! 'tis a language difficult to learne
Though rules be frequent in our mother-tongue.
O that a lesson of one word; not two,
Should aske a life to learne, an age to do?
Yes; though Pheudippes age had beene defer'd
Till a consumption of the Vniuerse
In hope of his amendment, I beleeue
Hee would haue purchas'd immortality
Through vice and vitious acts.

Lae.
Damnation claps,
Gaping for custome at mans new relaps.

Me.
Right: Can the earth yeeld such a faithles man
As false Pheudidippe?

Lae.
O damnation laughs
And winged mischeife claps her dusky plumes,
If proud ambition great mens hope consumes.

Me.
What a continuall clapping is there then?
For daily hope consumes the greatest men:
I doe appeale to dead Pheudippes shame
Thou terrour to my sence, a prodigy
Of all remembrance neuer to be match'd
With any Ghost or man except thy selfe:
Who through abortiue hope didst match thy selfe:
A man most worthy of all impious fame,
Who Don Pheudippe cleaped was by name.
Know (gallant sir) I did repose my life
Vpon the friend-ship of that foolish man;
Hee kept my soule betweene his Tyrant's armes
Nay (let mee adde) the value of my Crowne,
(For which some Kings would eu'n exchange their soule)
Hee kept both Soule and Crowne betwixt his armes,
Yet both lay open to excessiue harmes:
O if I had election to dispend
My fauour vpon such a Rogue as hee
But once, once more; I'de locke my counsell vp
And keepe my bosome secrets to my selfe.

Lae.
Kings may indeed depriue their Senate-house
Of some pretence, and may (let others prate)
Conceale affaires belonging to the State.

Me.
If hell affoorded such a menstruous ragge
I'de re-conclile the error of my sence;
But, now may reckon vp some woe-full verse
For solid passion Poets best reherse.

Lae.
A Poets rapture Kings haue wish'd to feele
Which some despise because vncapable.

Me.
The Muses make my braine their banquet-house,
And thus with Lucan will wee frame our song
Of dreaded horror, whose in-human rage
Blew dire-full tempest through the Tharsall plaine
Of lawes neglected, and a stubborne age
Whose bloud & black-deeds did their country staine
Of ciuill discord, and a haplesse breach
In Kingdomes couenant, which did sore impeach
The worlds whole Confines, and their Publicke-weale
Wee sing, and sternely treat how euery deale
Standards met Standards, Ensignes were a-like,
Bowes threatned Bowes, and nimble speares the Pike.
(Romans) what madnesse may wee terme this strife?
Be your owne blades let loose, against your life?
That Nations farre remote should see and smile
At your wide gaping wounds, and Rome reuile?
And must your hot encounters carlesse boyle,
When Babylon should perish in the spoyle
Of her victorious Trophies? when the Ghost
Of vnreuenged Crassus heere stood toss'd
Aboue ground? then must war-like humors breath
Which wanting triumph, want a worthy wreath.
O and alas! what Kingdomes, what renowne
This bloud might haue obtain'd? some temptiue Crowne,
Where beautious Titan sleepes, and heauy night
Exempts the ioyfull harbengers of light:
Else where the sweltring noone-day scalds with heate,
Else where continuall Winter takes her seate:
Where Scythicke Pontus pierc'd with crazy cold
Lyes bed-red on a cripple corner-moul'd,
Ceres might conquer'd beene, Araxes yoak'd
Had not domesticke warre such broiles prouok'd.
If (Rome) thy battailes thou esteeme such blisse
Subdue all Kings, then were it not amisse
To combat with thy selfe; meane while breake of,
For multitude of foes may freely scoffe.

Om.
Our King hath tasted iuice of Helicon.

Me.
Tasted? no foole, the Muses do entraunse
My deere imagination, I will swim
Through each sweete streame of rauish'd eloquence
Of Passion, Satyre, AEglogue, Epigram
Of Sonets, Imprecations, Epitaphes,
And by them all admonish Mighty Kings
To keepe their bosome lockt; for friendship stings.

Scœn. 2.

Menander
, Hypponax, Laelio, Evphorbvs, Hyarchvs.
Go fetch a Garland from the Muses-groue
For I will sit amongst the Sheep-heard Swaines
Vpon some pretty tuft or pleasant hill
Hung (in my honour) with fresh hallowed baies,
And eccho forth an Alphabet of layes:
My Queene, poore Queene, bereft of beauties pride
Shall in our fancy sit and touch our side.

Hy.
Grieue not, she was my daughter (gratious King)

Me.
Gratious, and King, be words not knowne to mee;
I am no King, nor will be gratious
But an impartiall Poet of this age
Who must inueigh at Kings and Kingly grace:
I must a multitude of woes rehearse
And stab my audience with I-ambicke verse:
Raile at the peeuish humour of a slaue
Whose rude examples be notorious.
Attend my whole narration (royall Dukes)
Remember how I did the Forrest rule,
How I amongst the troupe of Elephants,
Foxes, and Tygers, Apes, and Leopards,
Was, by appointment of my fathers will
Left as an heire legitimate, to liue
And re-establish my true parents bloud:
Remember and imagine I did rule
Like an audacious Lyon of the lawnes,
Who by mis-fortune haue caught a pricke
Which doth distemper his presuming paw
Meetes with a heart-lesse Pilgrime, doth salute
His coward fancy with a peale of feares
Then doth submit (some ceremonies done)
His royall stoutnesse to the trembling man
Puts forth his pained member, shewes the wound
Till the distracted traueller con-ceiues
A remedy to succour that which grieues:
The Lyon thus allur'd with seeming loue
Protects the Pilgrime by his noble force
Doth not for-sake him, fawnes vpon the wretch
Whose poore compulsiue cowardise did vrge
That tributar alleageance (not his loue)
Least life should answere what his will deny'd:
Thus did they liue till the most faithlesse man
Grew so familiar hee was not afear'd
To shake the sleeping Lyon by the beard:
Thus hee pretended still to be aboue
So slew the Lyon for his Kingly loue.
And thus, ô thus! did my Pheudippe deale:
For from the dust and dunghill did I raise
The needy fortunes of that naked man
Without all merit, saue hypocrisy
Which was my thanke for all his dignity:
The Gods and you beare witnesse (noble friends)
I took that fellow for the truest man
That woman e're was bless'd with; did beleeue
His birth and education both Deuine,
Who was indeed a deuill; for whose death
My brainelesse fury did blaspheme the Gods:
O if I had election to for-sake
The substance of my soules eternity,
If soule and body did together die
If deaths corruption could corrupt the soule,
(So make it vanish, and auoide controule,)
No speedy torment should escape, no death
Be vn-attempted, till my life and breath
Were as my soule is now, inuisible:
O I would climbe Acro-seraunian rockes,
Run to the top of Ætna, or the Alpes
And rush downe head-long like a desperate slaue;
Or like an Aiax, greedy of reuenge,
I would in-counter Woules, and Vnicornes,
Tempting the sauage worthies to assaile
My carelesse life, and so in-counter mee.

Ev.
But sir, the soule of man is pretious,
Made of immortall essence, cannot die.

Me.
So, I'me oppress'd with immortality,
And though my rotten Carkasse soone decay
Yet must my soule account for blasphemy:
For Blasphemy, which I in zealous loue
To a false lewd impostor did augment
With sharpe invectiues eeu'n to vex the Gods.

Hip.
Your loue to that dissembler was extreme
And all extremes beget extremities.

Me.
To that dissembler, to that deuil, say;
To that Magitian, true-borne Impe of hell,
Speake thus; and let mee thanke your eloquence;
For had hee beene produc'd of earthly race
His charmes and witch-craft could not so deceiue
My narrow apprehension, ô attend!
And I will make you weepe before I end.
Pheudippe like a frozen viper was
Whom, I (delighted with a formall shew)
By chance tooke vp, and warmth and life bestow'd
Vpon this piteous creature; till at length
Hee crept and crawl'd into my bosome; I
Did suffer still, through plaine simplicity,
The serpent to become familiar;
My table and my Trencher gaue him food,
Still did I suffer, still hee slept and fed
Vpon my trembling bosome; hee did kisse
And licke my tender veines, as I did his:
Still did I suffer, though my soundest friends
Bad mee beware of such a subtle Guest,
Giuing faire cautions to embrace the best;
Still did I suffer, and did scourge aduice,
With sharpe rebukes, not valewing the price.
So long I sufferd, hee so long did sleepe,
So long hee lick'd mee, and so long time crept,
So long I lou'd him, hee so long time wept
With false affection, as hee did confirme
My not mis-doubting friend-ship, which was firme,
But after all my loue, and all his teares,
After my patience, and his creeping smiles,
My long, long sufferance, and his thankefull vowes;
After all these ô God, my bosome groanes
To thinke, that after all such boundlesse good
Hee wish'd to sucke vpon my royall bloud.

Evp.
The subtle wretch, in mischiefe, did reioyce,
And was corrupted by the peoples voyce.

Hya.
True, they corrupt, whom they still hope to please
The peoples physicke, doth enflame disease.

Men.
Foule vengeance choake the people, and their loue,
They doe deiect whom they aduance aboue:
The peoples suffrage, to a rising youth
Is like their folly at a publicke Stage,
Striuing to purchase a dumbe audience
By multitude of clamour; they suppose
Peace is engendred by still crying peâce,
As if confusion did by murmure cease:
So they imagine, by their open mouth,
To make a Gyant, though but scarce a man:
They speake him vertuous, bountifull, and wise
Hoping polluted breath, might Canonize
Whom they (with durty palmes) do seeme to raise,
And bind his Temples with their stinking baies:
No, they but make him dizzy, deafe, and mad,
Whom they desire to make a demi-god;
Their multitudes of clamour doe beget
A most vn-cured swimming of the head;
For so the rules of ringing do agree,
Confusion euer spoiles a harmony.
What Cox-combe now dares call Mænander mad?
Doe not (I pray) abuse mee (noble boyes)
Although I be a Poet; all men know
I neuer writ of Cupids whirligig,
Of amorous conceites, nor daliance,
And iust so long as Poets will abstaine
From foolish loue and Cupids Diety,
The Poets Art is counted Piety.
But if the tenor of a loue-sicke Theame
Stuffe rotten Volumnes then the Author's mad,
Or Moone-sicke, some iudicious booke-men, say,
Though others, amid' earnest, allow play.

Evp.
(Alas good King) what sudden ouer-throw
Distracts poore weakenesse by a little woe?

Me.
Who talks of woe? did you sweete passenger?
Open thy case if it bee parallel,
Let's liue co-partners in some vgly shade
Where none but melancholy night-rauens keepe
There let's complaine, but (breath being silent) weep.
Not farre from hence, low in a humble Caue,
My little cottage stands deuoide of care
Finely en-compass'd with a pleasant waue
Drest vp with Daisies, Cow-slips, Hyacinths
And many thousand pretty, pretty things
Which Nature lends me while the black-bird sings:
Foure Goats I haue which browze vpon the twigs,
Two did relinquish mê, for I had six,
One seem'd a Lambe which was indeed a Wolfe,
Him did my dog discouer, kill, and eate—

Ev.
Wee doe discouer all thy weakenesse King
To helpe is hard, to weepe an easy thing.

Me.
Dares then thy blistredtongue (audacious foole)
Forget all duty and disturbe a Duke?
(Impudent Asse) I do degrade thy eares
And thee, from all imployment; be an Asse
At large, and carry loaues, like Lucius
Deserue a Cudgell and a biting spurre,
Be dull and sluggish in extremities
Till I bestow a Rose or any thing
To make thy suddaine metamorphosis.

Ev.
It's made already (King) and I will kisse
Your dainty palme, then laugh, and Poetize
Cast of my robe and act old Lucius,
Or Messala Coruino; daunce I will,
And after sixty Summers will I doate
So, change my garment for a mimickes coate:

Om.
Age is become a yong in-amorate.

Me.
Laugh, laugh, infernall furies leape for ioy;
Make mee a flaming Chariot, I will ride
Vpon the wings of potent Lucifer,
And flie, like lightning, through th'amazed Orbe.
Thunder shall be my Page, and Æolus
Leade vp my Coach-horse to big Titans Hall,
Where in that faire Assembly of the Gods,
Glistering with golden robes Pontific all:
I must a volume of large thankes recite,
And a petition to dame Luna write:
All, for thy sweete acquaintance Messala
Whom I adore, and much will dignify
Those who pertake in rauish'd lunasy.

Ev.
So, then wee are companions (lusty ladde.)

Me.
Till daring Ioue dissolue the Vniuerse,
Till the last reuolution of this Orbe.

Ev.
Till Cittizens accounted ciuill knaues,
To cheating custome be no longer slaues.

Me.
Till sage authentickes of vn-spotted liues
Leaue baudy Panderisme to their willing wiues.

Ev.
Then, faith til Courtiers too, with satten sleeues
Renownce all begging and be arrant theeues.

Me.
Till Taylors like-wise made of shreds and shelues
Enrich the debtor to vn-doe themselues.

Evp.
Till the most gallant Ladies of the Court
Esteeme deuotion there abused sport.

Me.
Then 'faith till Players, Poets, (Ape and Asse)
Spend all they get from Iune to Michaelmas.

Evp.
So then for euer shall wee liue like friends,
Thou must forgiue though Messala offends.

Hip.
What can exceed these miracles of age,
Whose actions might againe reuiue the stage?
A Common councell must protect the State,
Till mad Mænander haue atton'd his fate:
Till Cinthia her punishment release
And giue Mænander leaue to rule in peace.

Scœn. 3.

Mantesio, Menander, Evphorbvs, Laelio, Perillvs.
Whither, ô whither, and to what extreames
Doe the most waking Gods driue guilty men?

Man.
Who liues to know, obtaines a blessed age,
But hee a curse, who knowledge doth abuse;
Subtle temptation must not make men erre
With iudgement, though approvall may conferre
Kingdomes of wealth, which is impossible
(So gotten) to continue, if well paid.
O since I knew the folly to aduise
And nourish vp the rude infirmities
Of each voluptuous Epicure in state
Striuing to take dependance from the smile
Of an imperious fauorite, weake shame
Neuer till now oppress'd mee; and I sweare
Did not the sword of iustice now strike home
I would in-counter shame with fortitude,
But a discarded woe (the common plague
Of seruile age eeu'n dead with misery)
Hath after long for-bearance seiz'd on mee:
Pheudippes death was fatall to my life
Because neglected by his liuing wife.

Me.
Haue I then caught thy vn-appeased soule?
Tell mee, come tell mee, wicked wretch declare,
Why hast thou broken holy friend-ships vow?
Speake (damned vermin) each true accent tell
For wee'le vn-rip thy bosome spight of hell;
Speake thou contemptuous varlet, doe not striue
And shake thy limbs with vn-expressed feare,
For (trembling slaue) my hand shall catch thy haire,
Hold thee perforce, with chaines of adamant,
Till thy audacious shadow quaking seeth,
If hands be weary I can hold by teeth.

Man.
But ô Iudicious—

Me.
Villaine I abhorre
The hatefull sound of thy be-witching voyce,
Keepe in thy clamorous eccho (coniurer)
And cease with Magicke to enchant our sence
Or I will sindge thy beard off with my breath:
O you damn'd fawning Rascall, canst thou shake
And tremble after all thy infamy?
Thou thanklesse, rotten-hearted-slaue, thou snake
Did I deserue suppression? tell mee (Foxe)
You temporising Courtier, that's enough,
Hee needs not call thee knaue, nor Sycophant,
And ir-religious Iew, that cals thee so,
For thou didst study these; thinking to proue
A learned Polititian, that's a diuell,
A most abortiue monster, strangely made
With long huge hornes a crafty Foxes head
A Lyons posture and extended eares
With eighty soules and hearts, like little egs;
But with a Camels backe, and Tygers legs;
Wanting a breast-bone, like the sauage Beare;
So climbe hee doth and curry vp the rockes,
Mounting the tops of straight Pyramides
But when hee tumbles, like a smitten Tower,
Declining softly to an omenous dearth,
First will his head salute the shaking earth.
The blacke remembrance of thy fatall end
Makes my assertion true, thee a false-friend:

Ma.
O pacifye great King.—

Me.
—Your yawning voice
With a full concord of my furious palme
If you produce another syllable
You most notorious caitife, you mad curre,
Thou Polititians dog, did I aduance
Thy ragged fortunes to degrade my selfe,
Make thee a partner of my Kingdomes ioy
Giue thee my Kingdomes pleasure, wealth, and wiues,
When I (made foolish) to make thee as King
Tooke the bare title and a glorious heape
Of golden sorrow requisite for Kings,
Keeping the best (by priuiledge) for thee
Without a second riuall? thus I did,
Nay, did I thus and yet thou proue vnkind?
I call my faith in question to demand
Such need-lesse truth, for thou didst proue vnkind,
Contriuing the subuersion of my rule
Which gaue a perfect essence to thy soule,
Submit, submit for shame, and say forgiue:
Say but forgiue and I am gratious.

Man.
I am not (sacred King) as you suppuse
The tortur'd Ghost of that in-glorious man
Pheudippe, sunke below the verge of hell.
But old Mantesio is my seruile name,
Once did I serue whom you so much did loue,
The murdered honour of that haughty Duke.

Men.
Thou Spirit of delusion, ô affirme
This doubtfull figments; once againe deny
A soule of reason to thy Soueraigne.

Man.
My flesh doth witnesse for mee I doe liue.

Men.
Am I then mad Mantesio? agree
Your are no Ghost and make the consequence.

Evph.
But brother, who's mad now? not Messala.

Me.
Deride vs then, and be ridiculous.
Tell mee Mantesio, why didst talke of curse,
Discarded woe, and vexing misery?

Man.
Of all I tasted in extremity.

Me.
Liues there that soule vpon the spacious globe,
Which doth vprightly thinke it can deserue
Extremity of sorrow, heapes of woe
As did Pheudippe? it's impossible:
No (good old man) though thy large multitude
Of capitall offences do exceed,
The wandring starres, I may account thee cleane,
Like a religious innocent, or babe,
As a bright Angell, to Pheudippe's shame.

Man.
Yet am I poore, and will partake in woe:

Me.
Canst be distracted? melancholicke? mad?
Sweare by the beauty of the burning Zone?
Looke like a dead-mans scull, most scirvily?
Laugh, weepe, raile, sweare, and hang thy selfe at once?
Rend off thy pleated haire, be lunaticke?
Liue naked in a tempting wildernesse?
Call mee Don Aiax? liue by roots and hearbes?
Be a true male-content? be ever sad?
Cloudy, like Christmas? be dis-consolate?
And (aboue all) renounce society?
If thus thou canst obserue a dogged change,
If gloomy sorrow (made excessiue strange)
Stab thy distracted senses to the life,
Wee may dispatch all sence without a knife.
But who comes heere?

Lae.
A Poet (pretious sir)

Me.
Thy name?

Pe.
Perillus.

Me.
O aduance thy tune,
Provoke thy sharpe Melpomene to sing
The story of a begger and the King.
Canst command Poems vn-præmedite?

Per.
I haue a little smacke of poesie,
Can smell the amber-breath that rapture brings,
Vpon receit of which my consort sings.

Me.
But I haue bedded the faire Muses nine,
Slept in the bosome of Melpomene,
Haue rid vpon the wings of Pegasus,
Drunke downe a floud of sparkling Hyppacren,
Keepe a perpetuall moisture in my head,
Hating such dilatory sloth of men,
From whose weake braines the rotten papers shed,
Like leaues in autumne; I account him quicke
Who is by nature so; with small intent
Such (as my selfe) may be proficient:
I could now turne conceited stagerite,
And represent I will, with feeling straines,
The Ghost of Crassus, or cracke all my vaines:
Suppose me then the Ghost of that old man,
That sorry man, my ribs trans-fix'd with steele,
Or with a tempest of the Scythian darts,
My wounded carkasse blacke with bloody gore,
Long steep'd in frosty stuper, to arise,
With squallid rayment from the waues of hell,
And vnto Pompei apparitions tell:
Will you great Pompei, patron of my cause,
Who didst by solemne oath, vowfull revenge?
Will you, the comfort of my funerals,
Tombe to my ashes, and my naked bones?
Will you, will Pompei proue delinquent? hee,
Who hath in loue to Crassus, threatned stabs,
Death and destruction till deepe wounds increase,
Can hee loue Crassus foe, and seeke for peace?
Bleed then my gaping and forgotten wounds
Bleed eu'n afresh, or let my frozen blood,
Like a congealed sirrop, now dissolue,
After such cloudy seasons of the yeare,
Such heauy sorrow, and such doubtfull feare:
After so many dismall nights and dayes,
So many tempests of the Stygian Barke,
And prophesie, things fatall, true, but darke:
Calamity made famous by extreames
Erected in a marble monument,
Shall by her often meeting vexe thy minde,
Else by opposed number make thee blinde:
Horror and ruine (Pompei) shall affront
Thy shamelesse fortunes, thy fowle negligence,
Cities at thy sub-uersion shall reioyce
The sculs and trophies of thy captaines losse
The victor shall vpon his raueling tosse;
Where swift Euphrates, sent such worthy names
To blacke oblivion, and the tumbling waues
Of big-swolne Tygris, cast my carkasse dead
Vpon the margent of that muddy shore,
And gaue to earth what Neptune could not keepe,
Hauing once cast my wounded limbes asleepe:
There shall thy woe approach, and Pompei know
If quicke avoidance bee not difficult,
Thou then more easely mightst attone the strife
Which thy proud factious Nephew hath begun,
Raging amid the heart of Thessaly.
Thinke but a while vpon the Roman orbe,
Thinke of thy friends at home, thinke who they are,
And those few friends with watchfull foes compare:
Thinke yet of Ægypt, her seuen-headed gulfe,
Ioyne with Ægyptian Ptolomei, and thriue,
His high tuition appertaines to thee,
Tender his nonage, aime at Ægypts throne,
Whose King hath but the shadow of a name,
Because a childish infant, lacking fame,
And feare, (the substance of a Diademe)
Nor thinke the old allegeance to their kings,
Can so estrange the peoples loue to thee,
But know the state of kingdomes be most milde,
If, or, the King is new, or is a childe:
Both do concurre to crowne thy happinesse,
Set saile for Ægypt, make thy couenant there,
Oppose the Parthi, and depopulate
The fields, where Crassus did enioy his fate:
Say, from the cinders of a slaughered man,
You tooke aduice to turne Ægyptian.

Pe.
Most liuely acted, and like Roscius.

Lae.
Hee doth pronounce with volubility.

Man.
For a pure copious linguist hee doth well,
But for ingenious action doth excell.

Evp.
The King for a Comædian I'faith;
But I will striue to act aboue thee (King)
And out of brim-stone rockes may vertue split,
I am a cold, and must go digge for wit.

Me.
Goe digge for wit whilst I am Ioviall,
And laugh and leape among my flatterers,
Come daunce Lavoltoes my familiar knaues,
Do you commend this mirth?

Om.
Most happily.

Per.
Mirth may expell distraction, if secûre.

Me.
But ô my friend, I am not as I seeme,
Merry indeed, but onely seeming so;
Vn-rip my bosome, and with lines of blood
Deeply ingrau'd vpon my trembling heart,
You may discerne attractiue Epitaphs,
The shamefull curse of a contemptuous King,
A loue-knot double broken; and by whom
Friendship rewarded with extreame abuse;
False-hood, without a colour, and excuse.

Pe.
What flinty flesh could now abstaine from teares?

Me.
Do then thy stranger thoughts compassionate,
And weepe at our in-humane destiny.
If thy relenting heart true passion feele,
Then let thy moist'ned loue some drops distill;
Weepe on (my friend) I cannot I controule
The copious fountaine; for a silent teare
Doth apprehend the quicke; but neuer howle:
Forsake mee now, and leaue me desolate,
I would revolue the lessons of my state.

Scœn. 4.

The Ghost Of Phevdippe
, Menander.
Vp from earths lodging, and those rotten sculs,
Buried in embers till the earth awake,
Wrapt in my funerall-ashes, safe reseru'd,
I doe arise from rude antiquity,
To begge but pardon as a mid-nights almes,
Feeling the horror of my fault immence,
Which doth exceed in nature all offence.
I come (Mænander.)

Me.
Who Mænander cal's?
What hidden Diuell dares molest my muse?

Phe.
Denounce thy iudgement with a milder tune,
I come (Mænander.)

Me.
Death to my soule! what comes?
Who comes? or how do'st come? inuisible?

Ph.
I come with meeknesse.

Me.
Why, or whence dost come?
Damnation ouertake thee, what's thy name?
Shadow of Stygian horror! what's thy name?
(Intruder) know thy distance, keepe aloofe,
Come not within sixe yards, vpon the price
And perill of an vn-avoided charme:
By which, and thousand other potent spels,
The magicke Herball, oyntments, numbers odde,
By trans-mutations, mid-nights, Incubus,
Squint-ey'd Ericthon, soule of Hecate,
I doe con-iure thee, tell, and not mistake,
How fares Pheudippe of the Stygian lake?

Phe.
O I am hee, a spirit of despaire,
Compact (by Ioues decree) of cloudy aire.
I am the wretch, who was in life, a span;
But in excesse of crime, a crooked man.

Me.
Blesse the good stars aboue, thou guilty theefe
Which doe in-close thee with a robe of clouds,
Spight of protection else, and coats of steele,
The tempest of my passion thou shouldst feele;
Thunder and lightning should not dare with-stand
To take due vengeance from my fatall hand.

Phe.
My tortures be aboue thy humane gesse,
The torment of my soule who may expresse?
My comforts now be multitudes of paine,
Viewing a number infinite of soules,
Which stuffe the dampish pit with piercing howles,
Restlesse they tumble, hoping to get ease,
And, more they moue, out-rage doth more increase.
Wee raile at our conception, curse the skye,
And in the face of heau'n spit blasphemy.
Wee all enioy a most impatient curse,
Yet all suppose our owne paine still the worse;
Motion doth vexe vs, sitting still doth vexe,
Torment, no age escapes, no sumptuous sexe:

Me.
Did thy ambitious height incurre all this?

Phe.
My falshood, flattery, and a Courtiers life,
(The fountaines to all sorrow) did infect
My soule with disease vn-curable.

Me.
I doe indeed forgiue thee, therefore tell
Compassion to the Purseuant of hell;
Say I forgiue thee, and on that dis-charge,
Command the crabbed Iaylor to in-large
Thy long and lowlie thraldome; often say
I doe forgiue thee (false vngracious man)
O often-times repeat, the King forgiues,
Often repeat, as an exemplar thing,
Thou hast obtain'd forgiuenesse of a King,
For a tall gyant-error, an offence
Made monstrous bigge by circumstance; contempt
In a degree aboue comparison;
Yet I forgiue those capitall crimes done:
If thou attainted be with some offence,
Equall in nature to this high contempt,
Goe then, accurs'd, till I redeeme thee, goe
Accounted worthy of damnations woe:
But, because officers do sting like bees,
Say I forgiue thee, and will pay thy fees.
Few plaintifes, or appellants doe the like,
Though I without a iudgement will release
Errors escap'd from youth, soliue in peace.

Phe.
But I am past repentance (royall sir)
And so thy pardon is like bounty giuen
To beggers dead, or med'cines ill-bestow'd
On separated members, like vaine life
Purchas'd by seales and writings after death,
And execution of a guilty theefe;
There's no capacity for dead reliefe,
Kings, clad with numerous titles, cannot giue
Promethean fire, to make a dead man liue:
Pardon of Kings no benefite may deale,
Except it passe by a superiour seale:
Surfets and rupture, to be dumbe, and blinde;
Acknowledge Art; but surfets of the minde
And rupture in affections forcing ill,
Know none aboue, but a free gouern'd will:
Which if it proue re-misse, mans powerfull fate
Carries him head-long to my damn'd estate;
The ship-wrack'd Pilot may discerne a shelfe,
But euery foole vn-cheated, cheats himselfe:
Aduance thy pale desires, looke fresh and big,
Thinke on revenge, cleare thy contracted brow,
Be sensible of wrong, and (worthy) know
My false co-partners liue, who did conspire,
And frame the bellowes of ambitious fire:
Amilcar liues (my sonne) Lucilla liues
(Thy subtill sister) old Mantesio liues:
All my adhærents, all competitors
In mischiefe, most well-knowne conspirators;
Yet all suruiue in safety, traytors liue;
Thinke on revenge, I doe aduise thee well;
Sleepe not vpon thy proiects, if thou want
Opinion of a friend, heare mee a supplicant:
Levell inuention with a speedy aime,
Till thou the cunning of such knaues reclaime.

Me.
My sister false? Amilcar such a knaue?
Who indeed is, but is affections slaue?

Ph.
And none but him, iudgements incounter can,
Although aspersions touch the honest man.
Remember these my motiues, morning peepes,
The day no dilatory time doth giue,
To eccho forth at large, thy Queene doth liue.

Me.
Doth Fauorina liue? deere shadow stay,

Phe.
My absence is enforc'd through rising day.

Me.
Split then in peeces thou pernitious toade,
My plagues deminish to augment thy load.
My Queene sur-viue? ioynt-cause of all my woe?
Of all my anger, blasphemy and rage?
Is shee reseru'd? doth Fauorina liue?
Whose absence made me raile at Cinthia?
O I haue swallow'd poyson, which torments
All my distracted veines with agony,
A griefe continuing without all re-lease,
Consumption of my paine breeds paines increase.
Now for ob-noxious compounds to possesse
The soule with euerlasting lethargy,
Ransome of thousand Kings would I exchange,
Or like a beast, humanity estrange.
O for inchanted Poppei, or the iuice
Of drunken Hemlocke, to lay soules asleepe,
I'de like a Serpent on our belly creepe,
Licking each humble shrub, and carelesse feed
Vpon the stubble of each stinking weed.
Shreike ô the mid-night-mandrakes voyce aloud,
So may the horror of that piercing sound,
Turne soule and body both alike to ground:
Pel-mel together my affections fight,
Each conquer each, some scudd away by flight.

Scœn. 5.

Amilcar.
Coynes and Lust, arch-enemies to loue,
Combat apace within my youthfull bloud;
Feare to attempt my vn-experienc'd wish,
Tels me with what a coy and constant face
The Queene will start in motiues of my lust;
(For I no better Title can bestow
On our audacious meaning) lust abounds,
Free from all apprehension of that loue
Which simple-meaning youths do still protest
And vow to virgin-chastity; but I,
Who am inflam'd with ambiguity
Will not imbarque a faithlesse vow so farre
As evaporate promise, which infects
Beyond fierce natures lust, and stabs my fame:
Because rich Nature, although couetous,
Loth to conferre a full satiety
Of goodnesse, vpon me her suppliant,
Hath yet impos'd one vertue aboue all,
In promise euer to disdaine the breath,
Though strict obseruance do my weale impeach:
Yes, I preferre the violent attache
Of maiden-head, before false promises;
For (all can witnesse) rape's a thing in act,
So there's an end; We never doe dissemble,
Nor do extinguish sparkes of sanctity
With fraud, with vn-supported periury,
(Ioyning ranke false-hood to concupiscence)
Protesting marriage to enioy a smacke,
And so deceiue the long desirous wombe
Of hop'd fruition: A hot rauisher
Giues what the wombe would otherwise demand:
Yet will I not enrage my lust so farre,
As violence to wrong the beauteous Queene,
If shee (as women will) proue plyable,
Nor will engage on oath to assevêre
What I disdaine, yoak'd-marriage; for indeed,
Women be clogs which hang about the necke
Of man, so heauy till it sometimes breake:
A well-couch'd theame of loue shall therefore try
If without promise I may mount on high:
The bonds of marriage I abhorre to chuse,
And rather would vpon such points refuse
The noble Queene (if to accomplish it
Were possible) then happily enioy:
Seeing nature doth demand variety,
Admitting which, with full saciety,
Health is impeach'd, and many men made poore,
Who hauing honest wiues will hugge a whoore.

Scœn. 6.

Amilcar
, Gracchvs.
Speake, is she made of waxe (sollicitor?)

Gr.
Of mil-stones (my good Lord) for lime & chalke
Cannot expresse the full comparison:
Cold Images of Ice, and frozen snow,
Had beene dissolued with my summer speech
Piercing vnto the quicke, but constant shee;
Like to some Ægle on a Cedars top,
Disdaining idle nets, will perch aboue,
In spight of Cupid, and his potent loue.

Ami.
I burne the rather, and by rape will quench
My lustfull famine, were she Ioues owne wench.

Gra.
O doe not offer head-strong violence;
Delay makes modest women more propense.

Am.
Death & damnations plague to boot! how long
Must I abstaine (you smooth-tongu'd flatterer)
Till doomes-day? doe not vrge my flaming wrath,
Least you provoke a Lyon to the spoile.
By Cupids Sacraments of lust and loue,
I will no more delay (thou lazy dogge)
Dost trifle? speake forbearance, and delay?
I doe begin to be suspitious
Of thy proceedings: tell vs of delay?
No, as the Faulcon doth a Phesant seize,
I will both seize vpon her (prating daw)
And trusse her vp in my Imperious claw.
(Sirrah) rememer, I did giue you meate,
Clothes, coine, and such good poore commodities,
When you were quite blowne vp with gamesters lucke,
Ragges and fowle linnen, scabbes and sciruy lice,
The quicke associates of all cheating dice,
Did honestly begin to set vp house
In your old single suit, 'pray do not make
Mee a disseisor of francke-tenements,
By tortious dealing with your free-holders,
Who had a better Title then my selfe
If you do proue vn-thankfull; so consider.

Gra.
Am I vp-braided? noble sir I thanke
The bounteous almes you lent my bare estate,
And I as freely doe desclaime desert,
As you did freely giue them; yet in-faith
I was not lowsie (Lord) consider well,
Though Lords be lowsie too sometimes; if hell
Heau'n, earth, and men, be not so gratious,
As to conceale infirmities of state.

Am.
Say I am lowsie sir.

Gra.
Can pox forbid?
But I must giue him better language now:
No (my respected sir) I dare not taxe
Especiall favorites, of lice or poxe,
'Mongst whom you are the chiefe, but milky skin
That hath faire out-sides, may be fowle within.
And I againe do in despight averre,
Voidance of lice from our natiuity.
Reclaime then that aspersion (Lord) and know
I was not lowsie, but like mid-night snow,
Pure, when thy selfe (now seeking to supplant)
Took'st me to rescue from the iawes of want:
I was not lowsie (Lord) looke bigge and burst,
I will maintaine my credit, though accurst.

Ami.
You were not lowsie (knaue) not ragged, no
Nor sicke, I condiscend; yet sirrah know
The plagues of Ægypt all began to march
Full-mouth vpon thee (like devouring dogges
Ready enough to rend a breathlesse Fox)
When I with noble pitty being oppress'd,
Flew forth like lightning to thy rescu'd life,
Which is indeed my proper donatiue.
Do not reply thou true insulting toade,
Squint-ey'd caitife, you pernitious rat,
You golded rascall, you most lowsie rogue:
Do not reply, mad mastife, do not swell,
And thinke (because you can discouer well
My trickes of youth) to stop the feruent rage
Of our vn-tam'd affections; future age
Must, and shall, witnesse my fierce violence,
If thou discouer but one syllable;
Nay, if thou entertaine a peece of thought.
Which by vn-masking mee doth hope revenge:
Sweare, sweare (you thick-lip'd rascal) kindly sweare
Without compulsion, or base-minded feare,
To be like mid-night, as a sepulchre,
Dumbe as a Turkish executioner,
Nay, as a marble statue, void of signes
Touching the substance of my secresie.
Sweare (slaue) and thinke my soule a fury mad,
Able to force wide rupture through the face
Of threatning Horror to endamage thee;
As to demand account of periury.
Do not seeme loath, expecting new delay;
For I can stab you (capon) to the quicke,
Cut off your Eunuch-nose, then laugh and kicke
Your lowsie stinking neats-iowle to the dogges.

Gra.
Without collusion I do strictly sweare.

Am.
And thinke withall, I who haue coine bestow'd,
Clothes, and faire countenance, with store of meat,
Can also giue sharpe sawce, which will procure
Digestion to the stomacke, else (proud sir)
You will dis-gorge the vomit in my face;
If kindnesse do recoyle, let feare take place:

Gra.
I am your foot-stoole, tread vpon my teeth,
And so charme silence if you do mis-doubt.

Ami.
No, but remember if you shall bewray
My darke designments, or vse cheating play
In prosecution of my priuate cause,
(Hoping for payment from the Spartan lawes)
Remember that thy life, and interest
Of being rich, both owe a speciall rent
With homage, and knight-seruice vnto me,
Remember you do hold in Capite.

Gra.
Cut then my seruile tongue out of my head,
Slit my suspected organs, make me dumbe,
Handlesse and sighlesse if you thinke me false,
For I must otherwise be false indeed:
Men that admonish to auoid some vice,
Must not inculcate motiues more then thrice;
Pupils much tutor'd with Identity
Of reprehension, proue but spur-gall Iades;
Because they thinke the vitious estate
Of things habituall, doe argue fate,
Which to resist, they thinke impiety,
Exclude me therefore from society
Of human habitants, or leaue to vex,
Which is a torment to all human sexe.

Ami.
I leaue addition, but consider well,
You are as deepe ingag'd almost as I;
Which depth, of both ingagements, reach to hell,
If any (but our selues) the depth espy.

Gra.
Sir, I haue broke the Ice to Appetite,
And with a studied phrase did I begin,
Hoping to thaw the coldest frosty North
By representing multitude of feares.

Am.
And did she melt?

Gr.
Yes melted into teares,
But was a stranger to my wanton tales:
Shee comes whom your hot loue so close empales.

Scœn. 7.

Amilcar
, Favorina, Gracchvs.
Wonder of women, pompe and pride of earth,
Whose wofull absence might make beauties dearth,
Goddesse of loue-sick soules, thou glorious Nymph
Who mightst attract the Angels eyes to sinne:
O thou beyond Amilcars country loue,
(Because indeed a concubine for Ioue),
Rob not the treasure of my soules delight,
Which lies imprison'd in æternall night.

Fa.
Did you for this (most lying impious man)
Pull me from refuge and protection safe?
Giue me aduice, in hope of due reuenge,
To follow thee, forsake the Title Queene
Of Sparta, to become a Queene of Lust?
For this did you sollicite (beastly Lord?)
And labour by this talking Eunuch-bawd,
To conquer chastity through faithlesse fraud?
For this did you obtest high oathes aboue
My poore conceit, to shew dissembling loue?

Ami.
Let me againe obtest the waking Gods,
Or (beyond them) your beauteous diety,
(Which to abuse, were vild impiety)
Thy glad fruition were a ransom'd soule,
Or kingdomes conquest in my rich account
Of glorious beauty; giuing more content
Then soule, imagine, or great kingdomes may.
Wee call to witnesse thy imperious hate,
And do appeale to vertue of thy loue,
(If hate and loue may both together lodge)
Thy loue surmounts my value, doth infuse
A sudden rapture to my longing soule,
Doth change dull nature, quicken vp my braine,
Put a perfume into my sordid breath,
And is indeed restoratiue to death.

Fa.
If you intend a true religious loue,
Professe it sir, without offence to Ioue,
And so remember blessed nuptials;
For hee enioyes his fate and funerals,
Who sometime was Mænander, and my spouse;
Your selfe did seale his death by constant vowes.
Speake then, and let thy answere be direct,
Or I shall thinke, religion you neglect

Gra.
O shee hath giuen his fury a full stab,
My sweet-mouth'd Courtier swallows downe a crab.
The Eele is in a sand-bagge, some good man
See how the mimicke serues an Alphabet
Of hungry faces, how the maggot crawles
To feed vpon the kernell.

Fa.
Who replyes?

Gra.
Againe, againe (for loues sake) spur the Iade:
Giue him another pill, provoke the slaue,
And make him spue his heart with madnesse; melt
His larded veines with striving to extend
A lowsie answere; but the Idoll speakes.

Fa.
What makes Amilcar dumbe with my request?
What makes thy trembling blood so pale and wanne,
Most like the colour of a dying man?

Am.
The sad remembrance of my foolish vow,
Vexes meeke apprehension; yeelding forth
In stead of answere, ambiguities.

Gra.
Looke for a subtill rare-compacted lye.

Ami.
Madam, the vow makes mee monasticall,
I haue protested a true single life,
Which did ingender a Dilemma, long,
But religious indeed.

Gra.
Ridiculous,
Indeed you are a Goat libidinous.

Ami.
I neuer will be yoak'd, by consequence
No drawing beast, no big laborious oxe,
I must not marry madame.

Fav.
Must you then
(Because not marry, to auoyd the oxe)
Liue like a noted and eggregious Asse?
Or like a Cammell, fierce with flaming lust?
Would you seduce my weaker innocence?
Seeke to intrap my credulous conceit?
You must not marry; would you then defile
The modest thoughts of virgin-chastity?
Would you take licence from a single life,
To make each maid a whore, not being a wife?
I blush to view such vild affinity,
Betwixt a Goatish beard, and bearded men.

Ami.
But be familiar (Madam) and re-call
I was a target once to thee condemn'd,
Both by Lucilla, and Pheudippe's doome;
Remember Madam, I did turne the edge
Of quicke Lucilla's wrath vpon her selfe,
Tooke thy confiscate beauty from the snare
Of imminent sub-version, drew thee out
As from a gulfe which gaping, ready stood
To swallow downe thy honor, sing thy hurt,
So change thy golden dignity to durt.
I did (remember Madam) banish hate,
For I did wrestle with vp-rising fate.

Fav.
You did infranchise my condemned life,
You did returne Lucilla's point of spleene
Vpon her wicked bosome; whence it came;
You (sir) did manage my neglected cause,
Tooke my confiscate beauty from the snare
Of imminent sub-version; you did this;
You, you haue beene my target, you alone
Drew my forgotten safety from the teeth
Of tugging dangers; you alone did this;
And did you this to amplifie abuse?
Did you reserue my innocence for this?
For this did you protect my ignorance?
You kept my carkasse from a rampant Woolfe,
To feed your tame, but hungry, Lyons whelpe:
You did preuent a neere captiuity,
To make my thraldome be notorious;
You, from a guiltlesse danger, did redeeme
My maiden thoughts, to make the danger, guilt;
Thou gau'st new being ('bout too faile before)
After which being, must I be thy whore?
Faith you haue done a deed of charity,
Tooke mee by rescue, from death past the chin,
To rip my pregnant wombe, and flea my skin.
But know (Amilcar) I am so resolu'd
Vpon the spot-lesse loue of chastity,
As I with proper violence will rend
My wombe in peeces, teare my tempting face
And go beyond a womans forritude,
Rather then (like a Strumpet) prostitute.

Ami.
(Queene) I contemne your points of chastity,
Laugh at such idle trickes to colour sinne:
You are a captiue in my custody,
Consider well the law of time and place
Be at my proper nod; if naked lust
Bribe mee to some in-iustice, doe not blame
A smooth acceptance; for the frugall age
Wherein I liue, doth barke aloud for fees
Which in themselues be bribes; if to the knees,
Or necke, some rascall knaue be drench'd in bloud,
The scarlet can absolue a scarlet sinne
And call deepe slaughter a correctiue deed.
Then blame the bribes which did in-iustice feed,
Blame not the man (I pray;) so blame our lust
Not mee Amilcar, if enioy wee must.

Fa.
Haue you decreed some rauisher's attempt?
Will you determine to be violent?
A dead pale horror doth possesse thy cheeke
With repetition of the simple sound;
Thou violate a virgins chastity?
Canst thou commit an odious rape, a sinne
Of such high out-rage; yet looke pale and dead
Vpon recitall of the sinne it selfe?

Amil.
Nip mee (good Gracchus) how? looke pale and dead?
Fetch Aqua-fortis (Gracchus) stab my arme,
A shaking palsie doth oppresse my heart;
How? pale, and dead?

Gra.
(Wise woman) I adore
The quicke inuention, and if Gods agree
Will in despight of false-hood set her free.

Fa.
O what damn'd terrour to a wicked man
Be guilty thoughts, considering offence
(Fitly compar'd to prodigall expence:)
Nor may the valiant'st sinnefull youth aliue
With resolution so in-wal'd appeare
But his high heart will be below his feare.
Can you commit lewd rape (Amilcar?) no:
Maids, and chaste women need no more defence
For hot inuasion, except innocence.
Earnest resistance, by but one true maide,
Will make the fiercest rauisher afraid:
For if a virgin violate you see
Shee did in part deny, in part agree:
Firme resolution of a maidens hand,
Tall Gyant-letchers, cannot halfe with-stand.

Ami.
Take her (good Gracchus) to your custody
Be thou my bawd, and purge Phlebotomy.

Scœn. 8.

Menander
, Evphorbvs, Laelio, Perillvs, Bvfo, Lvcilla, Mantesio.
Our Scœne is Aiax; the most valiant soule
Of which tall Champion, truely doth possesse
My corpulent square limbs; then (subiects) call,
Call mee braue Aiax that renowned Peere
AEquall to Agamemnon, yee presume
By our Tragœdians Art to Deify:
Lælio must Act Vlysses.

Lae.
I agree.

Men.
Mantesio and Lucilla must like mutes
Expect vpon my rage all counterfeit,
As did the sauage throng that Aiax slew;
Robes shall not make a metamorphosis;
Wee may suppose you whom the Scœne requires
Some sauage couple fit for Aiax wrath.

Am.
You may command vs.

Me.
but braue Messala
Acts Agamemnon.

Ev.
Brother I am glad
To thanke your æstimation of my parts
And I will striue to please you sir, though mad.

Me.
Bufo, Perillus, both be Chiefe-taines too,
Attentiue to decide the argument
Of our contention, striuing to deserue
The honour of Achilles after death.

Am.
Wee both be vassailes to your celsitude.

Me.
Each take his part and study to rehearse
That none may stumble at an easy verse.

Bvf.
Mænander is a Delphicke Oracle.

Men.
Be silent, leaue this big Hyperbole,
And shew thy breeding modest.

Bvf.
Sir I am
A Gallant, thankes to Tailors, and good clothes,
Yet keepe no crafty Page to picke a purse:
Nor doe I often play the Sodomite,
Will, with a liuely posture personate
The Scœne of Aiax, and inioy our fate.

Men.
Enough, the solemne festiuall of ioy
Which doth ensue, exacts your diligence,
To giue some testimoniall indeed
Of true deseruings; thinke mee bountifull
If any Actor in my troupe excell.
Fortune I doe contemne thee; sirs aduance
And in despight of death, vse vigilance.