 | The Two Noble Ladies |  |
Sce. 2.
Enter Cyprian solus.Cyprian.
My charmes (mee thincks) worke slowly on this virgin,
as if they weare asham'd that I should need them:
But I in vayne haue vs'd all other helps.
The musicke of my words (wc h Orpheus harp
could not excell, when it made beasts draw neare)
is sung to the deafe adder in her [h] eares.
I am not old, nor runne my hot desires
in weake and frozen vessells. for my person,
It has been by the fairest valu'd so
As Nature has had thanckes for't: yet for her
I now am forc'd to be asham'd of Nature,
and make arte my procurer. Cantharides.
Enter Cantharides.
Cantharides.
Here.
Cyprian.
How fares my loue? does she yet talke of mee?
hast thou yet thaw'd her icie chastitie
into bloud warme desire?
Cantharides.
It is a taske
greater then euer Iuno did impose
on the vntir'd Alcides.
Cyprian.
How! Dull slaue;
ffetch vp thy fellow furies from the deep.
Call vp the Lust provokers from blacke hell
that reeking lie vpon their goat-hair'd beds.
present her fancie with lascivious visions
cast her into long sleeps, and let them bee
perpetuall dreames of lustfull actions.
Sing in her eares the scapes of Iupiter,
and in them sound the name of Cyprian.
Convey into the course meat she desires
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with pensells made of Priapus rough locks;
and blast her perfumes with such raging charmes
as may enflame her womb with hot desires:
That all her senses may at once enforce
a carnall eagernesse to be enioy'd.
Cantharides.
All this is done allready.
Cyprian.
Let me see
this Christian Saint which I (in spite of hell)
am forc'd to worship.
Iustina is discovered in a chaire asleep, in her hands a prayer book, divells about her.
O how heau'nly sweet
she looks in midst of hells enchantments, and
charmes the fierce feinds at once with rage and wonder.
O who would thincke such contrarieties
could lodge in peace and amitie together!
A tender Body with a tyrant Minde;
hard bitter Kernell in a soft sweet Skin;
proud fierce Disdaine in so milde humble lookes;
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and Ages winter in the spring of youth
resisting loues assaults.
Cantharides.
She's at thy mercie
dally not but enforce her.
Cyprian.
That abates of pleasures sweetnesse; if [I must be violent] such violence
must be the end yet the beginning shall
be milde, and I will steale into [its] my roughnesse
by soft gradations. let sweet musicke plead
with ravishing [tunes] notes to winne her maidenhead.
Musick. A song.
How fast shee's charm'd in sleep! But is it sleep?
haue yee not hell-hounds with too potent spells
giu'n her to death? She stirrs, and sleeps againe.
O no, she liues and moues.
How well that gentle motion did become her!
And yet how sweetly does this stillnesse shew!
If she did rise, and walke 'twould give a luster
to all her graces: but what need these shaddows
where substance is beyond expression.
To heare her speake were to mount heau'n and meet
the Sphæricke harmony, and yet this sylence
is womans vertue. If she did vnlidde
those yuory cases, 2. rich diamonds
would dazle humane eies, and tell the world
earth is too poore to [by] buy them. hide them still
Lest the bright starres seing them selues outshin'd
through envie make my loue disasterous.
Yet a while longer let thy senses sleep:
ffor if thou wake before the charme be done
Thou wilt not let mee touch thy lilly hand,
nor kisse thy [rosie lipp] rosy lipps; which now I can.
Hee offers to Kisse and she starts, wakes, and falls on her knees.
Iustina.
Forbid it heau'n.
Cyprian.
Is the enchantment spent,[?]
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She looks in her booke, and the Spirits fly from her.
why doe yee flie and quake?
has this weake woman pow'r to make hell shake?
Cantharides.
Her prayers haue prævaild against our spells.
Cyprian.
Can you not worcke vpon her then?
Cantharides.
O no.
Her faith beats downe our incantations.
Cyprian.
Her ffaith? O how haue I mispent my tyme
That in my studdys could not finde this faith!
I did beleeue that Arte could teach the vse
and rule of all the world. Was not this ffaith?
I did beleeue that Arte could reach to hell
and thence fetch secrets vp surpassing arte.
Was not this ffaith? I did beleeue that hell
could all desires accomplish: But I finde
Beleefe is but deluded in this kinde.
This is not ffaith. O my ambitious labours
that could not bee content with human skill,
how are yee lost, and sham'd with womans learning!
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in aw of mee, am now of arte disarm'd
by a weake womans ffaith. ffaire Christian
Hee kneels to her.
teach mee the sense and vse of this strong spell
call'd ffaith, that conquers all the pow'rs of hell;
and I will serve you: for without this knowledge
there is no liuing for mee
Iustina.
Thou sayst true,
without true ffaith there is no life indeed.
Cantharides.
What mean'st thou Cyprian, wilt turne Christian?
Cyprian.
Yes, if the Christian learning haue a power
greater then magicke. My deep searching soule
cannot be satisfied, but with that skill
that diues into the deepest misteries.
Iustina.
And there's no depth to true divinitie.
Cantharides.
Thou shalt haue greater pow'r conferr'd on thee
then ere thou hadst.
Cyprian.
Then giue mee pow'r to make
this beauty myne.
Cantharides.
Aske any thing but that:
Cyprian.
If ouer this weake peece hell haue no pow'r,
then there's a skill can make the weakest man
more potent then the strongest feind of hell;
and that shall be my studdy.
Iustina.
O bee firme
in that resolue, and thou shalt finde thy paynes
rightly bestow'd, and richly recompenc'd.
Cantharides.
Thou art[e] our slaue, and if thou leaue vs thus
wee'l teare thee into Atoms.
Iustina.
Doe not feare.
take here this booke; call on that pow'rfull name
those pray'rs so oft repeat, and I'l asist you.
The feinds roare and fly back.
See how they hurt you now, these are true charmes.
Cantharides.
Throw from thee that accursed witchery,
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then mans hart can imagine. Throw't away
[Cyprian.]
and thou shalt yet be pardon'd thy rebellion
against our kingdom.
Iustina.
Keep it Cyprian,
read in it still.
Cyprian.
I will.
Cantharides.
wee are confounded.
[Soft musicke.][Recorders.] Enter the patriarch-like Angell with his crossier staffe in one hand, and a book in [st] the other.
Hide vs yee mountaines, couer vs yee rockes;
Our com̄on torments now are trebled on vs.
O—O—O.
The Devills sinck roaring; a flame of fier riseth after them.
Angell.
Loe Cyprian, to keep my promise, here
againe I meet thee. at my sight with feare
the feinds are vanish'd, and shall nere come backe
to hurt thee; if thy faith thou dost not wracke.
And here's the cleare light which I promis'd thee;
this shews the blindenesse of philosophie.
gives him the Booke.
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Thy happy soule where [happy] blessed angells sing.
with this touch, let thy carnall lust convert
Toucheth his breast with his crosse.
to loue of heau'n, let that delight thy harte.
And thou Iustina happie Christian maide,
Bee not hereafter of this man affrayde.
his hart is changed now, thy company
shall strengthen him in Christianitie.
Haste both of yee to meet with Clitophon
who with the Roman hoste comes marching on.
Tell him your story; 'twill his heart vnlocke;
Then with Lysander high to Antioch:
There shall you both (ere long) in Martyrdome
Mayntayne your faith, and meet the ioys to come.
Exit Angelus.
Iustina.
Thanckesto that only pow'r that hath so oft
preserv'd this clay from ruine, and restrayn'd
the malice of my Soules fierce enimie.
Cyprian.
What subsidies of thanckes am I to send
to highest heau'n for my redemption
that am deliuer'd from that burning pit;
to finde whose bottom, o what paynes I tooke!
Men without grace that wander[,] suffer much
only to finde out greater sufferings.
O take my sighs and groanes (thou gracious pow'r)
as part of gratitude till more acquaintance
make mee to serve thee with a knowing soule.
And blessed be Iustina, and the day
I first did see thee: yea my very lust
deserv's a blessed memorie, since that
was the first, though a foule step to this blisse.
And now in [witnesse] token of my [than] loue to heau'n,
This Arte wc h heretofore I so esteem'd
Thus I abandon,
Throws his charmed rod, and his books [into a] [under] the stage. a flame riseth.
and these curious bookes
thus sacrifice.
This sacred [th] trueth alone—
The Angells booke.
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I expiate with pænitentiall teares.
Iustina.
I ioy at your conversion. heau'n thus brings
sweet out of bitter, best from worst of things.
But wee must now fullfill the will of heau'n,
in meeting Clitophon, and the Roman bands.
Cyprian.
Lets haste with ioy to what high heau'n com̄ands.
Exeunt.
| The Two Noble Ladies | |