University of Virginia Library

Actus Tertius.

Enter Duke, Fredericke Constantine, Reinaldo, Alberto, Alfrid, and amongst them Hatto shuffles in.
Alberto.
Princes and pillars of the Saxon State.

Duke.
You are the elected, speake for the Court,
Stay Lord Alberto, we usurpe your office,
Who had the charge to fetch Valentia.

Con.
I gracious Lord, and when I gave the charge,
A sudden feare by palenesse was displai'd
Vpon her rosie cheeke, the crimson blood,
That like a robe of state did beautifie
The goodly buildings with a two fold grace,
From either side shrunke downewards to her heart,
As if those summons were an adversarie,
And had some mighty crime to charge her with,
Millions of thoughts were crowded in her braines,
Her troubled minde, her abrupt words describ'd,
She did accuse her selfe without accusers,
And in the terrour of a soule perplext,
Cry'd out, the Duke intends to cease my goods,
Cause I am noted for a Concubine,
I did replie such comfort as beseemes,
But comfortlesse I brought her to the Court.

Duke.
Then she attends our pleasure?

Con.
Mightie Lord in the next Roome.

Duke.
You are carefull Constantine,
Conduct her in, and Lords give mee your thoughts,
What thinke ye wee intend to Ualentia?

Alf.
Her selfe hath read my sentence in the speech,
That Constantine delivered to your grace.

Fred.
What should my noble father thinke,
But that shee is a strumpet, and in that,
A blemish to the state wherein she lives.

Hat.
She is rich in iewells, and hath store of treasure,
Got by the slavery of that choice beautie,
Which otherwise admires her to the world.

Alb.
Confiscate all her goods unto the Crown,
Thereby disburdening many heavie taxes.
Impos'd upon the commons of the land.

Hat.
Publique example make her to all such
Offences in that kind are growne too common,
Lesse shamelesse now were the beautious dames
Of Meath and Saxony, when the sufferance
Hath at this instant made them good my Lord,
Enact some mighty penaltie for lust.

Duke.
How wide these Archers shoote from the faire aime
Of my affection: bring Valentia in.

Enter Valentia, usher'd by Constantine.
Valen.
The duetie that in generall I doe owe
Vnto your excellence and to this Court,
I pay at once upon my bended knee.

Duke.
Behold her Princes with impartiall eyes,
And tell me, looks she not exceeding faire?

Hat.
If that her mind coher'd with her faire face,
Shee were the worthy wonder of this age.

Alfred.
I never saw a beautie more divine,
Grossely deform'd by her notorious lust.

Fred.
Fairenesse and wantonnesse haue made a match
To dwell together, and the worst spoyles both.

Albert.
Shee is doubly excellent in sin and beauty.

Duke.
That they speake truth my conscience speaks,
But that I loue her that I speake my selfe:
Stand up divine deformitie of nature,
Beautious corruption, heavenly seeing evill,
What's excellent in good and bad stand up,
And in this Chaire prepared for a Duke,
Sit my bright Dutchesse, I command thee sit:
You looke I am sure for some apologie,
In this rash action; all that I can say
Is that I loue her, and wil marry her.

Fred.
How, loue a Lais, a base Rodophe,
Whose body is as common as the Sea
In the receipt of every lustfull spring?

Albert.
The elements of which these orbes consists
Fire, ayre, and water, with the good we tread
Are not more vulgar, common, popular
Then her imbracements.

Alberto.
To inchayne the thoughts
Vnto this dissemblance of lascivious loue
Were to be maried to the broad rode way,
Which doth receiue the impression of every kind.

Fred.
Speech doth want modesty to set her forth
In her true forme, base and contemptible,
The very hindes and peasants of the land
Will bee Corrivals with your excellence,
If you espouse such a notorious Trull.

Albert.
We shall haue lust a vertue in the Court:
The wayes of sinne be furthered by reward:
Panders and Parasites sit in the places
Of the wise Counsellors and hurry all.

Fred.
Father as you are princely in your birth,
Famous in your estate, belou'd of all
And (which ads greatest glory to your greatnesse)
Esteem'd wise: Shew not such open folly,
Such palpable, such grosse, such mountaine folly,
Be not the By-word of your neighbour Kings,
The scandall of your Subiects, and the triumph
Of Lenos mathrens and the hatefull stewes:
Why speake you not that are his brother friends,
You that doe weare the Liveries of time,
The silver cognizance of gravitie?
Shall none but young me schoole? the reverent old
Birds teach the Dam, stars fill the glorious spheares
Of the all lightning Sunne, speake whilst you may,
Or this rash deede will make a fatall day.

Duke.
You haue said too much, encourage none to speake
More then haue spoke; by my royall blood,
My mind's establisht not to be withstood,
Those that applaude my choyse giue us your hands,
And helpe to tye these sacred nuptiall bands.

Hat.
What likes your excellence, likes me well.

Alfred.
And I agree to what my Soveraigne please.

Fred.
These are no brothers, they are flatterers,
Contrary to themselues in their owne speech,
You that doe loue the honour of your Prince
The care and long life of my father,
The hereditary right deriv'd to me,
Your countries Welfare and your owne renowne,
Lend me your hands to plucke her from the throne.

Valen.
Princes forbeare, I doe not seeke the match,
It is his highnesse pleasure I sit here,
And if he loue me tis no fault of mine,
Behoues me to be thankefull to his Grace,
And striue in vertue to deserue this place.

Duke.
Thou speak'st too mildly to these hare braind youthes:
He that presumes to plucke her from the chaire
Dyes in the attempt, this sword shall end all care.

Fred.
Why, shee's notorious.

Duke.
But she will amend.

Fred.
'Tis too farre growne to haue a happy end.

Duke.
The dangerous the disease greater's the cure.

Fred.
Princes may seeke renowne by wayes more sure,
Shee is dishonest.

Duke.
Honestie's vnseene,
Shee's faire, and therefore fit to be a Queene.

Fred.
But vertue is to be preferd ere lust.

Duke.
Those that are once false shal we ne're trust?

Fred.
Wise men approue their actions by the tryall.

Duke.
I say she is mine in spight of all deniall.
Bring me the Crowne.

Fred.
To set upon her head?
Friends draw your swords first strike the strumpet dead.

Duke.
My guard, my guard.

Alfred.
For shame put up your swords.

Fred.
For shame great Rulers leaue your flattering words.

Albert.
'Tis madnesse in the King, and worse in you.

Hat.
Though you proue traytors we'le not proue untrue.

Fred.
Will you dismisse this Strumpet to the stewes,
Or our allegance in this act refuse.

Duke.
Doe what you dare, the election still shall stand.

Fred.
Woe and destruction then must rule the land.
Come Lord Rinaldo, valiant Alberto come,
We haue friends enough to grace a warlike Drum.
A shout within.
Hearke how the Commons doe applaud our cause,
Lascivious Duke, farewell father, oh vilde,
Where Queanes are mothers, Fredericke is no child.

Exeunt.
Duke.
My guard pursue them, and aliue or dead,
Cut off the cause by which these cries are bred,
Come my faire Dutchesse first unto the Church,
There sollemnize our nuptials, then unto our armes,
A little rough breath over beares these stormes.

Exeunt Manet Alfred & Hatto.
Alfred.
The Duke's besotted now we are secure,
This match makes well for us, we may command,
And on them lay the abuses of the land.

Hat.
Excellent good, we are like to haue warres indeed,
But in the meane the poore will starue for bread,
Wee must share proffits howsoere things goe
Winner, or looser, neither is our foe,
For mutually we'le beare our selues in all,
Or taking part leane to the strongest wall.

Exeunt.
Enter Constantine and Euphrata.
Eup.
My father married to a Concubine,
Then hee will pardon though I marry thee,
And howsoe'r, about it presently,
The rather for Montano is repealde
Because of his alliance to Ualentia.

Con.
I am ready gentle loue and glad in mind
That my faire Euphrata will proue so kind.

Euph.
Come my deare Constantine performe this right,
And arme in arme thus will we sleepe to night.

Exeunt.
Enter Fredericke, Rinaldo, and Alberto with Drum, Colours, and Souldiers.
Fred.
You that are carefull of your countries weale,
Fellow compere, Supporter of the State,
Let us imbrace in steele, our cause is good,
What mind so base that would not shed his blood
To free his countrey from so great an ill,
As now raignes in it by lascivious will,
Our friends to warre, and for my part,
Ere lust beare sway Ile gladly yeeld my heart.

Alberto.
I heare the Duke is strong.

Fred.
Suppose him so,
And be advis'd strongly to meete the foe:
I had rather you should think him ten thousand strong,
Then find it so to our destruction,
An enemy thought many and found few,
When our first courage failes giues us a new.

Alarum.
Albert.
That's the Dukes Drum.

Fred.
They are welcome to their death,
The ground they tread on covers them with earth.

Exeunt.
Enter Fredericke and Duke sever all.
Fred.
The enemy sends forth a Champion,
To encounter me, I heard him use my name,
The honour of the combate shall be mine.

Duke.
Come boy retreate not, only I intend,
With thy lifes losse this bloody warre to end.

Fred.
My naturall father in my blood I feele,
Passion more powerfull then that conquering steele.

Duke.
Why dost thou pause base boy thy Soveraigne's come,
To inter the life I gaue thee, in this tombe.

Fred.
My father, oh my father: nature be still,
That I may haue my fame, or he his will.

Duk.
What dost thou feare thy cause, is't now so evill?

Fred.
I am possest with a relenting devill;
Legions of kinde thoughts haue surpriz'd my sense,
And I am too weake to be mine owne defence.

Duke.
Thou art a coward.

Fred.
And you make me so:
For you come charm'd like a dishonour'd foe,
You haue conferr'd with spirits, and tane their aydes
To make me weake, by them I am betraid,
My strength drawne from me by a slight,
What other meanes could hold me from the fight?

Duke.
I haue no spells about me.

Fred.
Tis vntrue,
For naturall Magique you haue brought with you,
And such an exorcisme in your name,
That I forbeare the combate to my shame:
But that I am no coward, from your host
Elect two of the valiantst that dare most,
Double that number, treble it, or more,
I haue heart at will t'encounter with a score.
Or had your selfe come in a strange attire,
One of us twaine had lost his living fire.

Duke.
Ile trie your valour: see audacious boy,
Thou art incompast with a world of foes,
Montano, Alfred, Vandermas and all,
My Dutchesse comes too to, behold thy fall.
If thou hast spirit enough, now craue her ayd,
Never was poore ventrous souldier worse apayd.
Exit Duke.

Fred.
My desire now from the skie of starres,
Dart all your Deitie, since I am beset,
In honourable wise payes all Natures debt.

They fight, Fredericke beats them off, and courses the Dutchesse over the stage.