 | The Two Noble Ladies |  |
Sce. 4.
Enter [Eumenia] Iustina supporting Doron deadly wounded.Iustina.
Rest Doron, rest, and let mee binde thy wounds.
Th'assailants all are fled.
Doron.
ffled for supplys
to charge vs fiercer, not for feare of mee.
Iustina.
Alas what barbrous crueltie is this
to iniure strangers that for succour come!
Doron.
Your beauty is the sinne we both smart for,
your honour is the prey they hunt for; I
for rescuing that, am thus oppos'd with odds
vnanswerable: nerthelesse I vow
by my spents spirits and these crimson streames,
which hauing left theyr[e] ould veyns in my flesh
now seeke new channells in the thirsty earth.
while I haue life I will defend your honour.
Iustina.
O faithfull man! what hazards haste thou runne
for me, a great mans daughter, yet so poore
as cannot recompence thy loyaltie
with more then thanckfull loue. [Then] O Noble Doron,
come hide thee in this wood, where I will make
a bed of mosse to rest thy mangled [wounds] limbs
Ile seeke out plantain and hypericon
to heale thy hurts. Then faint not faithfull man.
why doest thou change and quake?
He falls to the ground.
Doron.
My masse of bloud
is banqu[e]rupt grown; this building is decay'[e]d.
My Soule the tenant is turn'd out of dore
because he now can pay his [rest] rent no more.
Crie within follow, follow this way.
O harcke our fierce pursuers are [at] at hand;
My sword falls from the weake gripe of myne arme[s],
Iustina fly and hide thee in the wood,
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thy body proue a prey that that's worse.
Iustina.
I cannot leaue thee in this wretched plight, Ile take thy sword [and] and with my weake arme fight.
Enter 3. Souldiers.
1. Souldier.
[I] This way they went, I tracke him by his bloud.
2. Souldier.
This bloudy path shews he cannot flie farre.
3. Souldier.
See where he lies, vpon him all at once.
Iustina.
Hold cruell cowards, spoyle not a dying man.
1. Souldier.
what will you fight? wring from her tender fist
that vnfit engine.
Doron.
O I die, farewell.
heau'n send thee help.
Dies.
Iustina.
haue you dispatch'd his life?
[[illeg.]]let your relentlesse [del] swords enter this brest
and giue my life like happie libertie.
2. Souldier.
No pretty one, the weapon thou shalt feele
shall be of milder temper then rough steele.
Iustina.
Help ye chaste pow'rs, help heau'n, help Angells, help.
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Miranda.
what mischeife moues this outcrie? barbarous slaues,
iniure a lady! quickely set her free;
or you shall dearely answer it to mee.
1. Souldier.
Answer to you? by what authoritie?
Miranda.
By vertue of this warrant; this iust sword
pow'rfull to plague iniustice.
2. Souldier.
That weele trie.
They fight, while Iustina kneels by Doron and looks on him.
Enter Clitophon, hee parts them.
Clitophon.
with what advantage (villains) doe you fight?
you souldiers, and distayne your honour thus!
sease, and discourse the cause of this contention.
Iustina.
They need not tell thee. see 'tis grauen here
in bloody wounds: here lies true honour dead.
Clitophon.
But from that honours ashes in myne eie
rises a Phænix full of maiesty.
who slew this happlesse stranger?
1. Souldier.
Wee my lord.
As wee weare standing at the castle gate
this lady, and that gentleman came by.
wee seing such a faire and courtly maid
sought to surprize her: but by him repuls'd
we fought till he slew three, and wounded five
of our warders, but scaping not himselfe
there lies hee dead to satisfie their deaths.
Clitophon.
what brought you to this battaile, noble sir.
Miranda.
Pitty and honour; pitty drew myne eare
by her loud shreeks, and honour mou'd my hart
to draw my sword, and take the weake ones part.
Clitophon.
Iust was your cause and noble your attempt.
But of what countrey are you louely dame?
Iustina.
Of Antioch, whose desolation
made vs redeeme our liues by flying hither
but where wee [look'd] sought for succour, we found death,
and cruell [iniurie] violence.
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hard was your happ.
Though my rough handed souldiers [iniurie] crueltie
haue frighted change of hew into [your] thy cheeks
dreyn'd from thyne eies those precious pearly drops;
Ore-swelld the pretty rubbys of thy lips,
and made the tender turrets of thy brests
expresse thy poore harts panting. yet let mee
be held a stranger to this iniurie
Thy greife and beauty both my hart doe moue:
the first to pitty, and the last to loue.
Let him that shews thee grace, thy fauour finde,
I am not cruell, bee not thou vnkinde.
Iustina.
what are you? or what loue do you professe
if from ignoble birth your selfe or loue
first tooke beginning, [then] I will sooner die
then [yeild to] to such [foule] motions yeild my virgin eare.
Clitophon.
[faire Maide] I am the Califfs sonne of Babilon,
royall my birth, loyall my loue to thee
and breeds no[t] thought to iniure chastitie.
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But prince, I am a Christian; in that name
I know you cannot loue mee faithfully.
Clitophon.
Bee what thou wilt, such sweets sit in thy brow
that for thy sake I could turne Christian too.
Iustina.
To winne a soule to heau'n by yeilding loue
may moue [the chastest] a virgin hart that has not vow'd
secluded chastitie. therefore [I yeild to you I yeild] my life
Into your hands I yeild, and for my loue,
let me intreat (till time your faith haue try'd)
that may be yet deferr'd that's not deny'd.
Clitophon.
spoke fairely like thy selfe, and I accept it.
Miranda.
(asside.)
These warrs are like to end with wedding now.
Iustina.
But princely sir from these [reflex] full beames of grace
let mee intreat a kinde reflexion
on this dead man, he was of worthy birth
[int] burie him nobly then, [and] sir, for my sake.
Clitophon.
Thyne eies shall witnesse how that pow'rfull word,
for thy sake, can com̄aund with Clitophon.
Bring forth our royall ensigne from the castle,
in it fold vp the body of this knight;
and with the honours due vnto a prince
to Babilon conduct him to his graue.
whither for thy sake, faire one, we our selfe
will follow, as cheife mourner. worthy sir,
will you assist vs in these funeralls?
Miranda.
I shall attend you[, to]
Iustina.
To your noble valour
I'm much indebted sir.
Miranda.
I am your servant.
Clitophon.
Set on.
Iustina.
Thus when w'are most beset with feare
heau'n seems farre of, but is indeed moste neare.
Exeunt. man Miranda.
Miranda.
In this disguise Miranda hast thou scap'd
the worlds acquaintance, and thy fathers knowledge;
That lustfull knowledge, which his too foule heat
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(I being manlike) chang'd mee thus to man,
my name [my] Miranda turn'd to Armidan.
And yet I blush to see my selfe thus chang'd:
But from Lysanders sight to be estrang'd
afflicts mee more. good Gods my fate so guide
that I this manhood soone may lay asside.
Exit.
| The Two Noble Ladies | |