University of Virginia Library

Scœn. 1.

Gracchvs
, Favorina, Gladiator.
Madam, all chaste desires be laudable,
But if you tempt a mischiefe mercilesse,
Such certaine truths be doubtfull to auoide;
And I prefer the publicke safety still
(Which wants you as a chiefe and mouing wheele)
Before my simple damage, though the curse,
Railings, and wrath of my contemptuous Lord
Fall fast vpon me, like so many shaftes
Shot from heau'ns fabricke by offended Ioue:
Come therefore death, destruction, stabs or steele,
Come out-rage, madnesse, fierce amazing oathes,
Terror, and tortures come, what can betide,
You shall, vnknowne, by our aduice escape
Least long exspectance doe incurre the rape.

Fav.
I much commend your zealous charity,
Yet I beleeeue Amilcar cannot wrong
The harmelesse meaning of our innocence:
Suppose I doe exspect vpon the rage
And lustfull fury of that impious man,
Yet I presume the Gods will gouerne lust
And giue such valour to a vertuous maide
As shee may well in-counter Canibals.
Why should Amilcar seeme to conquer mee?
Or why assault my noble chastity?
Secûred hope, and heauen can witnesse too
I haue no biting bosome-snake which gnawes
With greedy vulture-teeth and stinging iawes
Vpon the pretious comfort of my soule;
No second In-mate ready to controule
Our quiet actions; no loud fearefull sinne
To stab mee in the midst of honest mirth
And ouer-looke the musicke of my minde,
To make mee start and rob mee of content
No, no (good Gracchus) I am innocent,
And therefore not excluded from the helpe
Of heauens tuition; know I dare affront
Amilcar in the fury of his flames,
Raile at the stubborne youth, and make him melt
Eeu'n like a leaden statue, or indeed
Like some obdurate image caru'd of Ice,
Which through one blast of lightning doe despaire
And from tall statues vanish into aire:
I feele within mee such true noble signes
Of earnest courage, as no female thought
Can (except pure and pious) well compare:
I am not valiant, like a drunken whore,
Ramping by vertue of abused wine;
Nor is my resolution desperate,
I am not fearelesse, to see feare abound
But innocence is resolutions ground.

Gra.
Will you neglect my counsell to escape?
Will your deluded loue to innocence
Not reckon meanes ordain'd for innocence?
Protection doth imply our vigilance,
Else vertue is reputed arrogance;
Honest and simple hearts alone deserue
That in extremitie pure holinesse
Should make meanes thriue, not without good meanes, blesse.
(Madam) I sweare they lacke humanity
Who will teach men to tempt their destiny;
Beleeue it (Fauorina) I should feare
The doubtfull mercy of a hungry Beare:
They who desire to feele the Lyons paw
May liue in compasse of the Lyons Caue;
I know good meanes, neglected, make a slaue.

Fa.
(Gracchus) I once againe commend your zeale
Thanke, and admit your loue, which labours well
To win the heigth of our capacity:
But (Gracchus) tell mee now, suppose I stay,
Suppose Amilcar doe continue still,
Like a wilde Satyre, most libidinous;
Admit hee shall extend so farre as rape
And by the ruine of our modest grace
Erect a shamefull Priapus in place?
Tell mee (good Gracchus) what rich victory
Can the foole boast of? what egregious act
Can hee ascribe to conquest of our sex?
Wee are alas like wals vn-fortified,
Or like a Castle made of March-pane wals
Easely subdu'd, without fierce rauishment.
Women were made to make rash men repent.
Shame to my fortunes, I did seeke reuenge
And sure the Gods will turne reuenge on mee;
Lucilla's death, the Kings Catastrophe
Might haue bene both auoided, if reuenge
And malice had not bene so force-able
To banish pitty from our spightfull brest,
The want of which procur'd a funerall chest
To keepe the cinders of a sleeping paire;
Which losse, no time can proue, no age repaire:
Lucilla's death had my malicious doome
As Epitaph to dead Mænanders Tombe;
The plaintiffs lye which prou'd Lucilla's death
Did like-wise rob Mænander of his breath.

Gra.
(Madam) you are deluded; I can giue
A testimoniall that both doe liue.

Fa.
Mænander liue? and doth Lucilla liue?
Speake it againe, proclaime the newes aloud
Let heauen and earth be witnesse to thy tale:
Speake it againe (good Gracchus) giue the Gods
Notice againe of my certificate
Which makes mee in a glorious estate:
Dance my deiected soule, sing merrily
Leape all my organs, I am innocent,
Gracchus will witnesse, I am innocent,
I did not kill Mænander, not accuse
My riuall yong Lucilla, no (good heau'n)
Gracchus will witnesse I am innocent:
Lucilla liues, my best Menander liues,
Speake it againe (good Gracchus.)

Gr.
both do liue.

Fa.
Beare witnesse now; hearke heauen, he said they liue
Take speciall notice of his name and words
For hee is prompt enough to iustify
Our depositions, neither will hee lye:
No, hee's an honest, very honest man
Is called Gracchus so inscribe his name;
And set his certaine testimoniall
Vpon record: Lucilla doth suruiue
And my Mænander hee is yet aliue:
So saith good Gracchus, so inscribe the same.
Ioy hath no passage through my rauish'd soule:
I did before put on a painted face
Forging false colour to my innocence
But now indeed am truely innocent:
Thou Gracchus be my iudge, and heau'n be iudge
I am not now defil'd with bloudy thoughts
And fearefull agues; thou be like-wise iudge
That false Amilcar is a menstruous ragge,
A youth ranke-rotten, before mellow-ripe:
Flye-blowne already as a carkasse hot
Which hath no shelter from the dog-day Sunne:
Beyond all vertues cunning to reclaime:
Goodnesse and reformation bee to him
Monsters in nature; and detested more,
Then of a Hermite is the common-whore.
Vices, like Maggots, creepe on him so thicke,
As who destroies the one, hee must not sticke
To follow the sub-version of them both:
Of lewd Amilcar and his lustfull growth.

Gra.
Who can escape the lime-twigs which are set
By loose affections to ensnare himselfe?
Man doth about him carry watchfull foes
And must be carefull to in-counter those;
For all without him, though by troups they come
Cannot offend, who is in peace at home:
Amilcar (Madam) is now riding post
Vpon exact imployments; his returne
Is doubtfull, therefore to auoid delay,
The loue and duty of my zeale obey.
A friend in whom I claime full interest
Doth giue attendance to accompany
Your Grace, till I can trusse a fardell vp
And follow.

Fa.
What's thy friend?

Gr.
A Fencer.

Gla.
I am ingag'd vpon fidelity
And must preserue you from hostility,
Eeu'n to the latest of a mortall life,
I will defend thee widdow, maide, or wife.

Fa.
My new redemption is a doubtfull taske,
You both doe promise more then I will aske:
And though my squint-ei'd fortune looke ascaunce
Yet heau'n will succour my deliuerance:
Which being once purchas'd, proud Amilcars lust
Shall vanish into Salamanders dust.

Gra.
Put on the wings of speed; flie fast away
I follow (Madam) before peeping day.