 | The Tragedy of Alphonsus Emperour of Germany |  |
1
Al.
Boy, give me the Master Key of all the doors.
To Bed again, and leave me to my self.
[Exit Alexander.
Is Richard come? have four Electors sworn
To make him Keisar in despite of me?
Why then Alphonsus it is time to wake.
No Englishman, thou art too hot at hand,
Too shallow braind to undermine my throne;
The Spanish Sun hath purifi'd my wit,
And dry'd up all gross humours in my head,
That I am sighted as the King of Birds,
And can discern thy deepest Stratagems.
I am the lawful German Emperour,
Chosen, enstall'd, by general consent;
And they may tearm me Tyrant as they please,
I will be King, and Tyrant if I please;
For what is Empire but a Tyrannie?
And none but children use it otherwise.
Of seven Electors, four are falln away,
The other three I dare not greatly trust;
My Wife is Sister to mine enemy,
And therefore wisely to be dealt withall;
But why do I except in special,
When this position must be general,
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Further than tends unto thy proper good.
But to the purpose of my silent walk;
Within this Chamber lyes my Secretary,
Lorenzo de Cipres, in whose learned brain
Is all the compass of the world containd;
And as the ignorant and simple age
Of our forefathers, blinded in their zeal,
Receiv'd dark answers from Appollo's shrine,
And honour'd him as Patron of their bliss;
So I, not muffled in simplicitie,
Zealous indeed of nothing but my good,
Hast to the Augur of my happiness,
To lay the ground of my ensuing Wars.
He learns his wisdom, not by flight of Birds,
By prying into sacrificed beasts,
By Hares that cross the way, by howling Wolves,
By gazing on the Starry Element,
Or vain imaginary calculations;
But from a setled wisdom in it self
Which teacheth to be void of passion.
To be Religious as the ravenous Wolf,
Who loves the Lamb for hunger, and for prey;
To threaten our inferiors with our looks;
To flatter our Superiors at our need;
To be an outward Saint, an inward Devill;
These are the lectures that my Master reads.
This Key commands all Chambers in the Court;
Now on a sudain will I try his wit,
I know my comming is unlook'd for.
He opens the door and finds Lorenzo sleep a loft.
Nay sleep, Lorenzo, I will walk a while.
As nature in the framing of the world,
Ordain'd there should be nihil vacuum;
Even so me thinks his wisdom should contrive,
That all his Study should be full of wit,
And every corner stuft with sentences?
What's this? Plato? Aristotle? tush these are ordinary,
It seems this is a note but newly written.
[He reads a note which he finds among his Books.
3
Una arbusta non alit duos Erithicos; which being granted,
the Roman Empire will not suffice Alphonsus King of Castile,
and Richard Earl of Cornwall his competitor; thy wisdom teacheth
thee to cleave to the strongest; Alphonsus is in possession,
and therefore the strongest, but he is in hatred with the Electors,
and men rather honour the Sun rising than the Sun going
down. I marry this is argued like himself, and now me thinks
he wakes.
[Lorenzo Riseth, and snatches at his sword which hung by his Bed side.]
Loren.
What are there thieves within the Emperour's Court?
Villain thou dy'st; what mak'st thou in my Chamber?
Alphon.
How now Lorenzo, wilt thou slay thy Lord?
Loren.
I do beseech your sacred Majesty to pardon me,
I did not know your grace.
Alphon.
Ly down Lorenzo, I will sit by thee,
The ayr is sharp and piercing; tremble not,
Had it been any other but our self,
He must have been a villain and a thief.
Loren.
Alas my Lord! what means your excellence,
To walk by night in these so dangerous times?
Alphon.
Have I not reason now to walk and watch,
When I am compast with so many foes?
They ward, they watch, they cast, and they conspire,
To win confederate Princes to their aid,
And batter down the Eagle from my creast.
O, my Lorenzo, if thou help me not,
Th' Imperial Crown is shaken from my head,
And giv'n from me unto an English Earl.
Thou knowest how all things stand as well as we,
Who are our enemies, and who our friends,
Who must be threatned, and who dallyed with,
Who won by words, and who by force of arms;
For all the honour I have done to thee.
Now speak, and speak to purpose in the cause;
Nay rest thy body, labour with thy brain,
And of thy words my self will be the scribe.
Loren.
Why then my Lord, take Paper, Pen and Ink,
Write first this maxim, it shall do you good.
1. A Prince must be of the nature of the Lion and the
Fox; but not the one without the other.
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The Fox is subtil, but he wanteth force;
The Lion strong, but scorneth policie;
I'l imitate Lysander in this point,
And where the Lion's hide is thin and scant,
I'l firmly patch it with the Foxes fell.
Let it suffice I can be both in one.
Loren.
2. A Prince above all things must seem devout;
but there is nothing so dangerous to his state, as to regard
his promise or his oath.
Alphon.
Tush, fear not me, my promises are sound,
But he that trusts them shall be sure to fail.
Loren.
Nay my good Lord, but that I know your Majesty,
To be a ready quickwitted Scholar,
I would bestow a comment on the text.
3. Trust not a reconciled friend; for good turns cannot
blot out old grudges.
Alphon.
Then must I watch the Palatine of the Rhein,
I caus'd his Father to be put to death.
Loren.
Your Highness hath as little cause to trust
The dangerous mighty Duke of Saxony;
You know, you sought to banish him the Land;
And as for Cullen, was not he the first
That sent for Richard into Germany?
Alphon.
What's thy opinion of the other four?
Alphon.
That Bohemie neither cares for one nor other,
But hopes this deadly strife between you twain,
Will cast th' Imperial Crown upon his head.
For Trier and Brandenberg, I think of them
As simple men that wish the common good;
And as for Mentz I need not censure him,
Richard hath chain'd him in a golden bond,
And sav'd his life from ignominious death.
Alphon.
Let it suffice, Lorenzo, that I know,
When Churfurst Mentz was taken Prisoner,
By young victorious Otho Duke of Brunschweige
That Richard Earl of Cornwall did disburse
The ransome of a King, a million,
To save his life, and rid him out of bands,
That sum of gold did fill the Brunschweige bags;
But since my self have rain'd a golden shower.
5
Into the private Coffers of the Bishop,
The English Angels took their wings and fled;
My crosses bless his Coffers and plead for me,
His Voice is mine, bought with ten sun of Gold,
And at the meeting of the seven Electors,
His Princely double-dealing holiness
Will spoyl the English Emperour of hope.
But I refer these matter to the sequel.
Proceed Lorenzo forward to the next.
Loren.
I'm glad your grace hath dealt so cunningly,
With that victorious fickle minded Prelate; for in election
his voice is first but to the next.
Alphon.
Love is an humour pleaseth him that loves;
Let me be hated, so I please my self.
Love is an humour mild and changeable;
But fear engraves a reverence in the heart.
Loren.
5. To keep an usurped Crown, a Prince must
swear, forswear, poyson, murder, and commit all kind of villanies,
provided it be cunningly kept from the eye of the
world.
Alphon.
But my Lorenzo that's the hardest point,
It is not for a Prince to execute,
Physicians and Apothecaries must know,
And servile fear or Counsel-breaking bribes,
Will from a Peasant in an hour extort
Enough to overthrow a Monarchy.
Loren.
Therefore my Lord set down this sixt and last Article.
6. Be alwaies jealous of him that knows your secrets,
And therefore it behooves you credit few;
And when you grow into the least suspect,
With silent cunning must you cut them off.
As for example, Julio Lentulus,
A most renowned Neapolitan,
Gave me this Box of poyson, t'was not long
But therewithall I sent him to his grave.
Alphon.
And what's the special vertue of the same?
Loren.
That it is twenty days before it works.
Alphon.
But what is this?
6
This an infection that kils suddainly:
This but a toy to cast a man asleep.
Alphon.
How? being drunk?
Loren.
No, being smelt unto.
Alphon.
Then smell Lorenzo, I did break thy sleep;
And, for this time, this lecture shall suffice.
Loran.
What have you done my Lord? y'ave made me safe,
For stirring hence these four and twenty hours.
Alphon.
I see this charms his senses sudainly.
How now Lorenzo, half asleep already?
Æneas Pilot by the God of dreams,
Was never lull'd into a sounder trance;
And now Alphonsus over-read thy notes.
[He reads.
These are already at my fingers ends,
And lest the world should find this little Schedule,
Thus will I rend the text, and after this,
On my behaviour set so fair a gloss,
That men shall take me for a Convertite;
But some may think, I should forget my part,
And have been over rash in renting it,
To put them out of doubt I study sure,
I'le make a backward repetition,
In being jealous of my Counsel keepers,
This is the poyson that kils sudainly,
So didst thou unto Julius Lentulus,
And blood with blood must be requited thus.
Now am I safe, and no man knows my Counsels.
Churfurst of Mentz, if now thou play thy part,
Erning thy gold with cunning workmanship,
Upon the Bemish Kings ambition,
Richard shall shamefully fail of his hope,
And I with triumph keep my Emperie.
Exit.
Enter the King of Bohemia, the Bishops of Mentz, Collen, Trier, the Pallatine of the Rhein, The Duke of Saxon, The Marquess of Brandenburg.
Bohe.
Churfursts and Princes of the Election,
Since by the adverse fortune of our age,
The sacred and Impetial Majesty
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We the seven Pillars of the German Empire,
To whom successively it doth belong
To make election of our Emperours,
Are here assembled to unite a new
Unto her former strength and glorious type,
Our half declining Roman Monarchy,
And in that hope, I Henry King of Bohem,
Churfurst and Sewer to the Emperour,
Do take my seat next to the sacred throne.
Mentz.
Next seat belongs to Julius Florius
Archbishop of Mentz, Chancelor of Germany,
By birth the Duke of fruitful Pomerland.
Pal.
The next place in election longs to me,
George Cassimirus Palsgrave of the Rhein,
His Highness Taster, and upon my knee
I vow a pure sincere innated zeal
Unto my Country, and no wrested hate,
Or private love shall blind mine intellect.
Collen.
Brave Duke of Saxon, Dutchlands greatest hope,
Stir now or never, let the Spanish tyrant,
That hath dishonoured us, murder'd our Friends,
And stain'd this seat with blood of innocents,
At last be chastis'd with the Saxon sword,
And may Albertus Archbishop of Collen,
Chancclor of Gallia and the fourth Elector;
Be thought unworthy of his place and birth,
But he assist thee to his utmost power.
Sax.
Wisdom, not words, must be the soveraign salve,
To search and heal these grievous festred wounds,
And in that hope Augustus Duke of Saxon,
Arch-Marshall to the Emperour take my place.
Trier.
The like doth Frederick Arch-Bishop of Trier,
Duke of Lorrain, Chancelour of Italie.
Bran.
The seventh and last is Joachim Carolus,
Marquess of Brandenburg, overworn with age,
Whose Office is to be the Treasurer;
But Wars have made the Coffers like the Chair.
Peace bringeth plenty, Wars bring poverty;
Grant Heavens, this meeting may be to effect,
Establish Peace, and cut off Tyrannie.
8
Empress.
Pardon my bold intrusion mighty Churfursts,
And let my words pierce deeply in your hearts.
O! I beseech you on my bended Knees,
I the poor miserable Empress,
A stranger in this Land, unus'd to broyls,
Wife to the one, and Sister to the other
That are Competitors for Soveraignty;
All that I pray, is, make a quiet end;
Make Peace between my Husband and my Brother.
O think how grief doth stand on either side,
If either party chance to be miss;
My Husband is my Husband; but my Brother,
My heart doth melt to think he should miscarry.
My Brother is my Brother; but my Husband,
O how my joynts do shake fearing his wrong!
If both should dye in these uncertain broyls.
O me, why do I live to think upon't!
Bear with my interrupted speeches Lords,
Tears stop my voice, your wisdoms know my meaning.
Alas I know my Brother Richard's heart
Affects not Empire, he would rather choose
To make return again to Palestine,
And be a scourge unto the Infidels;
As for my Lord, he is impatient,
The more my grief, the lesser is my hope.
Yet Princes thus he sends you word by me,
He will submit himself to your award,
And labour to amend what is amiss.
All I have said, or can device to say,
Is few words of great worth, Make unity.
Bohe.
Madam, that we have suffer'd you to kneel so long,
Agrees not with your dignity nor ours;
Thus we excuse it, when we once are set,
In solemn Councel of Election,
We may not rise till somewhat be concluded.
So much for that; touching your earnest sure,
Your Majestie doth know how it concerns us,
Comfort your self, as we do hope the best;
9
Empress.
I left him at his prayers, good my Lord.
Saxon.
At prayers? Madam, that's a miracle.
Pall.
Vndoubtedly your Highness did mistake;
'Twas sure some Book of Conjuration;
I think he never said pray'r in his life.
Empress.
Ah me, my fear, I fear, will take effect;
Your hate to him, and love unto my Brother,
Will break my heart, and spoil th' Imperial peace.
Mentz.
My Lord of Saxon, and Prince Pallatine,
This hard opinion yet is more than needs;
But, gracious Madam, leave us to our selves.
Empress.
I go, and Heav'n that holds the Hearts of Kings,
Direct your Counsels unto unity.
Exit.
Bohe.
Now to the depth of that we have in hand;
This is the question, whether the King of Spain
Shall still continue in the Royal throne,
Or yield it up unto Plantagenet,
Or we proceed unto a third Eelection.
Saxon.
E're such a viperous blood-thirsty Spaniard
Shall suck the hearts of our Nobility,
Th' Imperial Sword which Saxony doth bear,
Shall be unsheath'd to War against the world.
Pall.
My hate is more than words can testifie,
Slave as he is he murdered my Father.
Coll.
Prince Richard is the Champion of the world,
Learned, and mild, fit for the Government.
Bohe.
And what have we to do with Englishmen?
They are divided from our Continent.
But now that we may orderly proceed
To our high Office of Election,
To you my Lord of Mentz it doth belong,
Having first voice in this Imperial Synod,
To name a worthy man for Emperour.
Mentz.
It may be thought, most grave and reverend Princes,
That in respect of divers sums of gold,
Which Richard of meer charitable love,
Not as a bribe, but as a deed of Alms,
Disburs'd for me unto the Duke of Brunschweige,
That I dare name no other man but he,
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Upon the contrary I may be thought
A most ingrateful wretch unto my Friend;
But private cause must yield to publick good;
Therefore me thinks it were the fittest course,
To choose the worthiest upon this Bench.
Bohem.
We are all Germans, why should we be yoak'd
Either by Englishmen or Spaniards?
Saxo.
The Earl of Cornwall by a full consent
Was sent for out of England.
Mentz.
Though he were,
Our later thoughts are purer than our first,
And to conclude, I think this end were best,
Since we have once chosen him Emperour,
That some great Prince of wisdom and of power,
Whose countenance may overbear his pride,
Be joynd in equal Government with Alphonsus.
Bohem.
Your Holiness hath soundly in few words
Set down a mean to quiet all these broyls.
Trier.
So may we hope for peace if he amend;
But shall Prince Richard then be joynd with him?
Pal.
Why should your Highness ask that question?
As if a Prince of so high Kingly Birth,
Would live in couples with so base a Cur?
Bohe.
Prince Pallatine, such words do ill become thee.
Saxon.
He said but right, and call'd a Dog a Dog.
Bohe.
His Birth is Princely.
Saxo.
His manners villanous,
And vertuous Richard scorns so base a yoak.
Bohe.
My Lord of Saxon, give me leave to tell you,
Ambition blinds your judgement in this case;
You hope, if by your means Richard be Emperour,
He, in requital of so great advancement,
Will make the long-desired Marriage up
Between the Prince of England and your Sister,
And to that end Edward the Prince of Wales,
Hath born his Uncle Company to Germany.
Saxo.
Why King of Bohem i'st unknown to thee,
How oft the Saxons Sons have marryed Queens,
And Daughters Kings, yea mightiest Emperours?
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He'l make no question of her Princely Birth;
But let that pass, I say, as erst I said,
That vertuous Richard scorns so base a yoak.
Mentz.
If Richard scorn, some one upon this Bench,
Whose power may overbear Alphonsus pride,
Is to be named. What think you my Lords?
Saxon.
I think it was a mighty mass of Gold,
That made your grace of this opinion.
Mentz.
My Lord of Saxony, you wrong me much,
And know I highly scorn to take a bribe.
Pal.
I think you scorn indeed to have it known:
But to the purpose, if it must be so,
Who is the fittest man to joyn with him?
Collen.
First with an Oxe to plough will I be yok'd.
Mentz.
The fittest is your grace in mine opinion.
Bohem.
I am content, to stay these mutinies,
To take upon me what you do impose.
Saxon.
Why here's a tempest quickly overblown.
God give you joy my Lord of half the Empire;
For me I will not meddle in the matter,
But warn your Majestie to have a care,
And vigilant respect unto your person,
I'l hie me home to fortifie my Towns,
Not to offend, but to defend my self.
Pals.
Ha' with you Cosin, and adieu my Lords,
I am afraid this suddain knitted Peace,
Will turn unto a tedious lasting War;
Only thus much we do request you all,
Deal honourably with the Earl of Cornwall,
And so adieu.
Exeunt. Saxon. and Pals.
Brand.
I like not this strange Farewel of the Dukes.
Bohem.
In all elections some are malcontent.
It doth concern us now with speed to know,
How the Competitors will like of this,
And therefore you my Lord Archbishop of Trier,
Impart this order of arbitrament
Unto the Emperour, bid him be content,
To stand content with half, or lose the whole.
My Lord of Mentz go you unto Prince Richard,
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For English Islanders; tell him, 'twere his best,
To hie him home to help the King his Brother,
Against the Earl of Leicester and the Barons.
Collen.
My Lord of Mentz, sweet words will qualifie,
When bitter tearms will adde unto his rage.
'Tis no small hope that hath deceiv'd the Duke;
Therefore be mild; I know an Englishman,
Being flattered, is a Lamb, threatned, a Lion;
Tell him his charges what so e're they are
Shalbe repaid with treble vantages;
Do this; we will expect their resolutions.
Mentz.
Brother of Collen, I entreat your grace
To take this charge upon you in my stead;
For why I shame to look him in the face.
Collen.
Your Holiness shall pardon me in this,
Had I the profit I would take the pains;
With shame enough your Grace may bring the message.
Mentz.
Thus am I wrong'd, God knows, unguiltily.
Brand.
Then arm your countenance with innocency,
And boldly do the message to the Prince;
For no man else will be the messenger.
Mentz.
Why then I must, since ther's no remedy.
[Exit. Mentz
Brand.
If Heav'n that guides the hearts of mighty men,
Do calm the Winds of these great Potentates,
And make them like of this Arbitrament,
Sweet Peace will tryumph thorough Christendom,
And Germany shall bless this happy day.
Enter Alexander de Toledo the Page.
Alexand.
O me most miserable O my dear Father!
Bohem.
What means this passionate accent? what art thou
That sounds these acclamations in our ears?
Alex.
Pardon me Princes, I have lost a Father,
O me, the name of Father kils my heart.
O! I shall never see my Father more,
H'as tane his leave of me for age and age.
Collen.
What was thy Father?
Alex.
Ah me! what was a not?
13
The glory and the wisdom of his age,
Chief Secretary to the Emperour.
Collen.
Lorenzo de Toledo, is he dead?
Alex.
Dead, ay me dead, ay me my life is dead,
Strangely this night bereft of breath and sense,
And I, poor I, am comforted in nothing,
But that the Emperour laments with me,
As I exclame, so he, he rings his hands,
And makes me mad to see his Majesty
Excruciate himself with endless sorrow.
Collen.
The happiest news that ever I did hear;
Thy Father was a villain murderer,
Witty, not wise, lov'd like a Scorpion,
Grown rich by the impoverishing of others,
The chiefest cause of all these mutinies,
And Cæsar's tutor to all villanie.
Alex.
None but an open lyar terms him so.
Col.
What Boy, so malepert?
Bohem.
Good Collen bear with him, it was his Father,
Dutch-land is blessed in Lorenzo's Death.
Brand.
Did never live a viler minded man.
Exeunt. Manet Alex.
Alex.
Nor King, nor Churfurst should be privileg'd
To call me Boy, and rayl upon my Father,
Were I wehrsafflig; but in Germany,
A man must be a Boy at 40. years,
And dares not draw his weapon at a Dog,
Till being soundly box'd about the ears,
His Lord and Master gird him with a sword;
The time will come I shall be made a man,
Till then I'l pine with thought of dire revenge,
And live in Hell untill I take revenge.
| The Tragedy of Alphonsus Emperour of Germany | |