University of Virginia Library

ACT I

Enter Gabriello and Pasquino.
Gab.
It cannot sincke into my head, a lady
So fresh, so fasting, plumpe and prurient
As our great widow Princes is, should leaue
All those quick-risinge comforts this world yeeldes,
Because she hath lost one husband. If some I know
Weare in her case, perhaps they'd mourne a while,
Or, if you will, deiect a verge's face
Till the next sunshine day, but then, the winde
Being still, the weather calme, and a new sutor
Fitted with complementes for their accostment,
The fault would be if expedition were not
Obuious to appetite. 'Tis a receau'd decree
Among the spirited ladies, a man that's slow
And lumpish often dreames out all the day,
While a braue sparke doth gett the prize away.

Pasq.
I graunt it. But there liues a noblenes
In chast Ghismonda's breast that scornes to heare
A motion of a second mariage-bed;
And as her birth doth far surpas those dames
Whose qualities you make relation of,
So doth her worth excell there dignity;
Her thoughtes and actions are all chastity.

Gab.
Herein I ioyne with you, and no disparagment
Comes neare herselfe or [her] reputation,
Though 'twere diuulg'd throughout all Italy
That she mourn'd for a husband—not a dead one,
But for a stirring prince whose agitation
Can rise high capers for her recreation.

Pasq.
This theme is most vnfitt for our discourse.
Nor can our duty giue vs priuiledge
To parse vpon her thus.

Gab.
Is she of flesh?

Pasq.
Yes.

Gab.
Then she's made of earth,
And vessels of this mettle are apt to cracke.
Now if that Nature haue dispos'd her soe
That she will make her weaknes weaker only,
Because her stronger part hath left ye world,
She wronges her sex and doth bely the custome
Ta'n vp among our female votaries.

Pasq.
Lett my aduice be thus far followed,
Rather to talke of what concernes ye meanest
And of what moues in our owne hemisphere
Then to assay to take the altitude
Of the empyreum, far aboue our reach.

Gab.
It hath bene sayd, the safest way's the lowest,
And from an high ascent a fall is dangerous.
I'le take thy counsell once and prayse the pathe
Where we may walke without a banke t'o'rethrow vs.
Yet if thou beest not false or too officious,
What need these wordes haue further life or memory?
That we relate or speake of onely should
Fitt the time that we speake it in, and not
Make all society odious, for feare
Of some false brother with a list'ning eare.

Pasq.
I am no statist.

Gab.
I dare sweare thou art not.

Pasq.
And yet I'd be loath to be a traytor too,
For he that should but ope his mouth and say—

Gab.
What?

Pasq.
Nothing.

Gab.
Nay, then thou'rt monstrous wittye.
Yet I'le make thee wiser, if thou'lt be rul'd by me;
Drowne danger in greate glasses; old Canary
Will make our braynes grow solid, our wites wary.
Let's therefore to the tauerne; he that drinks worst
With Bachus' execration is accurst;
He that is lofty and comes at the head
Shall haue the greatest part o'th'bisket bread.
If thou beest able but to pay the shott,
I'le drinke the sacke all vp when thou canst not,
And if thou then wilt talke of thinges aboue thee,
Farewell, fond foole, I neuer more will loue thee.
Come, your only catholique drink is sack.
[Exit Gab.

Enter Tancred, Guiscardo and Glausamond.
Tanc.
Whether so fast, Pasquino? Haue you giu'n order
I may haue notice, when the embassadour
From the good Duke of Capua is ariu'd?
Pray, haue a care of that.

Pasq.
Great King, I haue;
And as it is my charge, 't shall be my greatest care.

Tanc.
You may goe on then; you haue done discreetly.
[Exit Pasquino.
Had but our kingdome, or the streingth therof,
Ability to drye those salt teares vp
Which plough rough furrowes in my daughter's face,
Or weare the prime restoratiues, which are drawne
By curious extraction out of goold
Or pearle, as deare agayne, and the application
Of theese vnto the bottome of her feete
Of power enough to make her wrinkles smooth,
I would confine my selfe vnto one dish,
Make a vacuity in my diademe
Of any thing but holes and aire; that ruby,
Which by my father was so highly valued
Well-skill'd Vesheti offer'd for it to barter
A ship full-ballanc'd with refined goold,
If it might but recure and comfort her,
Should lie i'th'durt to be her stepping-ston.

Glaus.
Such stones will neuer cure her, may't please your Grace,
But to invite her to some recreation,
As playes or maskes, to take the aire abroad,
Se a deare kill'd with bow; and perhaps this
May in an emblem shew her how that Cupid,
When he hath will, can shoote as sharp an arrow
And make it smart as much (only he hath
None that are fork'd to shoote), or, if he will,
He can plucke forth an heauy-laden shaft
And make all those of whome it doth draw blood
Become both hateres of them selues and others.
And when this hierogliphick thus informes her,
Her nature being participate with yours,
I know shee wilbe like you pliable,
And both in mercy to her selfe and feare
Of being obnoxious to the blinde god's rage,
Shee'l kisse your aged councell and soone feele,
A panting hart surpasseth one of steele.

Tanc.
She doth allege that she hath strongly vowed
Neuer with kind amplexure to embrace
Any man in those armes where that braue lord,
Her husband, once was vs'd to be infoulded.

Glaus.
Venus forbid soe firme a resolucion:
Did she not, by your Grace's fauor, say
“I will not—vnlesse”, or “I will, if I
Finde another to my mynd”, or “as my heart
Now standes”? But peremptorily to say “No”,
Except it be a double negatiue,
Which I doe loue to heare a woman say,
It is a pittifull case for the present
And worthy memory for the future,
For, vpon my life, noe woman liueing
Will take a pride to be her successor.

Tanc.
Doest thou thinke they'r soe fickle?

Glaus.
All but shee.
And if your Maiestie will say my boldnes
Is but the freenes of my duty to you,
I cannot be perswaded but that shee,
Who knowes the whole world is so at her dispose
That she may choose whome she please out of it,
Canot so vnderprize her selfe as keepe
That ring within a close-lock't cabinett
Which may beseeme the greatest monarches wearing.
With the permission of your soueraigne power,
Did she conclude without a limitation?

Tanc.
To my remembranc, she did; Guiscardo, you
Sometimes attending in her presence might
Heare her let fall her mynd in ampler termes.
Her good concernes vs all, and if you can
Giue any light by that which you haue seene
Or heard, vnfould it.

Guisc.
Your greatnes being pleas'd
Thus far to grace the weaknes of your servant,
With a submissiue heart and bow'd obedience
I doe present you this advertismente.
After it pleas'd your gracious Maiesty
To appoynt me in that place of happines,
Where 'twas my duty howrely to lay downe
At her feete prostrate what my service was,
Or the best power I had, had strength to make it,
With a sigh, yet I hope not such a one
As each time makes a drop of blood to follow,
She bad me giue this doubt a resolucion—
Whether I did thinke that the violacion
Of a vow firmly made was not a sinn,
And if it weare, whether it weare pardonable.

Tanc.
What might she meane by this?

Glaus.
I warrant you
That followes, sir. There's ne're a lady in Europe,
That vseth to aske young men questions,
But knowes why she doth it and what she meanes
By't too.

Tanc.
And what was thy answere, prythee?

Glaus.
Oh, sir, he's not yet come to the state of the question.

Guisc.
You'r i'th'right.

Tanc.
On, then.

Guisc.
My leige, I tould her she must iudg of that,
Being shee knew the nature of the offence,
If't weare one, better then I could, vnles
I vnderstood the reasons why she vowed
And how circumstances did one succeed another.

Tanc.
'Twas well, Guiscard; and how did she reply?

Guisc.
A little while aposiopesically
She stopt, and, as it weare a saynt that thought
The aire was too corrupt to entertayne
The breath her voice expel'd, forthwith she sayd:
“Heauen shall resolue this scruple, and repentance
Make this spott white by dayly excercise”;
And silenc gaue her leaue to say noe more.
Then, feareing least my presence had diseas'd her,
Knowing my selfe vnworthy to partake
Of any meditation she conceau'd,
I made thus bold to say: “Doth't please you, Madam,
I shall avoyd the roome or call your woman”?
She answered “No”, and then she sayd agayne:
“Thy readines doth manifest thy care;
Therefore I'le aske my question out”; and then
With as great state as if Apollo's preist
Had gone t'interrogate the oracle
About some high designe, she ask'd her selfe,
Not me, for then the simile could not
Hould; yet I stood by, and by her leaue
And fayre command sometimes sayd “I” or “No”.

Tanc.
What did she aske?

Guisc.
The asking was soe gracefull,
I had almost let that passe; but thus she askt—
Whether 't were not a capital offence
T'infringe a vow which did strictly tie her
Neuer agayne to know another husband.
I answer'd: “Madam, 'tis far aboue me to iudge,
Yet without question 'tis an offending crime
To breake a vow which in effect's an oath.
But peraduenture you made it conditionall,
And if the condicion be perform'd fully,
Then th'obligacion is voyd certaynly;
Therefore your Ladyship shall not doe amisse
To thinke of that.” At which that she smil'd
And sayd: “Can't be”? I answer'd: “Greater iudgmentes
Are able to decide it, and, of theese
None better then your owne”; for should I hazard
This moment of my life, which is mayntayn'd
But by the aire that passeth to and fro
Through these ventiges vpon humane discretion,
I'd chose her for my iudge, yea, my director,
In what mortality is able to dispose of,
Rather then all the senators of Roome,
Liu'd they agayne; for she's a greater stay
To vs then they were to the seauen-hil'd citty;
And, being so wise, and able to consider
What good is wanting to the comonwealth,
And what felicity likely to ensue
By her sterility or her frutefulnes,
She'l turne the best side out, which is her mynd,
And shew her thoughtes which yet lye hid in stillnes.

Tanc.
You did no fuller vnderstand them, then?

Guisc.
Not I, dread sir, and yet me thought her smile
Came from a tree, whose frute was worth ye plucking,
And did meane somethinge.

Glaus.
Sir, when there is stirring,
There's hope of life, and she can hardly
Smile but her lips will moue; and I hope
The noble Princes is not so far gone as to
Giue one smile and dye, as swans singe
Once and last. No, no! Doe your best to gett her
A braue cob; great I meane not—her owne
Greatnes is bigg enough allready—but one
That is sinowie and able, who may be wholly at
Her service and soly at her will. This the way
To cure her; and tak't o' my word, shee'l bringe
You euery yeare a land-bird and yet haue a
Nest-egg for a come-agayne.

Tanc.
I would I could once heare her in thy vayne!

Glaus.
You heare, she smiles, and that's no signe of death.
I would you would giue me leaue to singe
But one song to her! I warrant you, I'le make
Her heart goe pant, pant, and shee'l pricke vp her
Eares like a hare at a muset. You canot
Wrong her more then giue a weake medicine
To a strong disease; she wantes heate, and you
Giue her almond-milke.

Tanc.
Let it be so. But se your tune be civill
And your ditty modest; els you'l beknaue
Your selfe and displease your master.

Guisc.
She aprehendes
So sodaynly and doth discerne so clearely
That you disgrace your selfe with her for euer,
If you but vent one word of ribaldrye.

Glaus.
Sha! that is as 'tis tempered and as the season
Fits. Sing “Willow” to a conquerer, or crowne
A bridegroome with cipres, and misapplication
Will make them both seeme as vnseasonable
As a slasht dublet at Christmas. But they
That will deale with ladies must goe to't,
First, sembreefe time; then, if this hould out
Well and you can hang vpon the pricke, three
To one is a good cord; and soe you may rise
From prick minum to prick crochet, from
Prick crochet to prick quauer, and so on
From prick to pricke, till you come to
Double, treble, quadruple, or as many as
You will semiquauers. This is strange
Now to the non-intelligent; yet I'le lay
My head on't, I'le make the solemst lady
In Christendome, soe she be willing, vnderstand
all this in a mounth without much
Compultion and laugh at those that cannot,
When she hath done. The wordes of art
Are very harsh to the vncapable.

Tanc.
Is thy song compos'd?

Glaus.
It cannot, sir.
Yet 'twill not be long in makeing; 'tis but
Putting in her for her by him instead
Of him, and 'twill be well.

Tanc.
So then. Say, Guiscardo, cannott
You beare a part?

Guisc.
I should be sory, if in her deare service
I could not shew as strong a breast as any.

Tanc.
All this is good; so far 'tis well gone on.
The castle's strong which you doe set vpon;
Breake downe the walles, but with a pleasing touch,
You glad the King and all his subiectes much,
For in her sweet-dispos'd alacritie
Restes this great kingdom's cheefe felicity.

Glaus.
I warrant you, sir, I'le make her sing.

Tanc.
On that condicion
Either of you shall haue a liuery
Prepared of my cost—suit, cloke and all—
And the worst trimming shalbe pearles inbroydrede.
The very tagges o'th'poyntes shalbe the colletes
That shal containe thousand pound diamondes in them,
And yet be payd for too.

Glaus.
Wee'l deserue them,
If such a seruice merit so high a prize.

Enter Pasquino.
Pasq.
According to your powerfull commaund
I come to giue you notice, euen now
The Duke of Capua's embassadour is ariu'd.

Tanc.
Glausamond and Guiscardo, to your charge,
And as the affaire is great, perform't discreetly.
Rayse but her spirites so vp that she may grace
Our presence, when the embasadour hath audience,
And 'tis enough. Come, follow me, Pasquino.

[Exeunt Tancred and Pasquino.
Guisc.
All that our endeauors can bring forth
Is but the doeing of the Kinges command.
Shee'l be no more mou'd with this triuiall course
Then a strong tower, when a key-gun goes of.

Glaus.
That matters not; if we but please the King,
It is enough; nor is it worth inquirye
Whether the successe be good or ill. The way
For vs and all courtiers to thriue by
Is to please the King and neuer more thinke
What will next follow. He whose heart relentes
For doeing the wrong way, when the Kinges potentes
Say “Thus 't shall be”, in simple honesty
Meanes well, but his precise modesty
Will keepe him bare enough and in disgrace;
None can thriue now without a brazen face.

[Exeunt Guiscardo and Glausamond.