 | The Rare Triumphes of Loue and Fortune |  |
The first Acte.
Enter Mercury, then riseth a Furie: then enter the assembly of the Gods, Iupiter with Iuno, Apollo with Minerua, Mars and Saturne, after Uulcan with Uenus, the Fury sets debate amongst them, and after Iupiter speakes as followeth.Iupiter.
Ye Gods and Goddesses, whence springes this strife of late?
who are the authors of this mutenye?
Or whence hath sprung this ciuill discorde here:
which on the sodaine strook vs in this feare.
If Gods that raigne in Skyes doo fall at warre,
No meruaile then though mortall men doo iarre.
But now I see the cause thou Fury fell,
Bred in the dungeon of the deepest hell,
Who causeth thee to shew thy selfe in light,
and what thy message is, I charge thee tell vpright.
Enter Tysiphone.
Tisiphone.
O Iupiter thou dreadfull king of Gods & men the father hie,
to whose commaund the heauens, the earth and lowest hell obey:
Tysiphone the daughter of eternall night,
Bred in the bottome of the deepest pit of hell:
Brought vp in blood and cherisht with scrauling Snakes,
tormenting therwithall the damned soules of them,
Heer vpon earth that carelesse liue of thy commaundement.
I am the same.
I am the same whom both my lothsome sisters hate,
whom hell it selfe complaines to keep within her race.
whom earth and Seas defie heauens lothing to beholde,
I am the same.
I am the same sent from thy brother Pluto now,
Thy brother Pluto King of hell and golden mynes,
Sent vnto thee and these thy fellow Gods I am,
From him to thee from him by me, to tell thee to thy face,
He hath been lately rubde and toucht perhaps too neere:
which he ne can or will put vp without reuenge.
If thou or any God the quarell dares defend.
And this it is.
Thy daughter Uenus thy proud daughter Uenus heere,
Blabs it abroad and beareth all the world in hand,
She must be thought the only Goddesse of the world:
Exalting and suppressing whom she likes best,
Defacing altogeather Lady Fortunes grace.
Breaking her anckers downe, dishonouring her name,
Whose gouernement thy selfe, thy selfe doost knowe.
How saist thou, doost thou not?
Her father therfore thy brother Pluto sendes,
By me the messenger of discorde and debate:
Commaunding or desiring, choose thou whether of both,
Her honour still impire, she may maintaine:
Els on thy daughter Uenus that lasciuious dame,
Him selfe will wreak his high dispite on her.
Iupiter.
Departe foule feend vnto thy lothsome sell,
where thou lamenting makes continuall mone:
Goe tell my brother were it not for him,
thou shouldst haue rude thy bolde presumption.
Say thou thy message hath been largely heard,
and bid him send his daughter Fortune now:
whilst we are heere the matter may haue ende.
Dispatch.
Tisiphone.
I goe.
Giue place thou aire, open thou earth, gape hollow hell belowe,
and vnto all that liue and breathe, I wishe a worlde of woe.
Exit Tysiphone.
Ye powers deuine be reconcilde againe,
Departe from discorde and extreme debate:
within your breasts let loue and peace remaine,
A perfect patterne of your heauenly state.
whilome a goe to hell condemning hate:
Thus when the hier power is in one,
Men vpon earth will flye contention.
Mercury.
Great God and father mine, your care and feare
Of vs and eke of all the world beside,
that restles rules in his continuall Sphere,
wherby all thinges in perfect course abide:
as one arayes an other forth to slide.
And this example may preuaile for all,
to woorke our willes according to your call:
And I dare say presuming on the rest,
the poyson of this rancour is supprest.
Vulcan.
How ye agree my maisters I cannot tell,
But were we a bed, we two could agree well.
Iupiter.
Gramercy Mercury I know thy will
Is euer prest to further my desire:
in signe wherof to quiet all thinges well,
and to surpresse betimes the secret fire,
that I perceiue would break and mount vp hier.
This to preuent content ye heere to staye,
to marke a while what for themselues they say.
And Uenus heere I charge thee on my grace,
Not that I found thee heertofore vntrue:
But for thine aduersarie is not yet in place,
thou tell vprightly whence your quarrell grew:
what woords betwixt you therof did ensue.
Say louely daughter tell vs flat thy minde,
they shalbe blamed on whom the fault we finde.
Venus.
O thou that gouernest euery thing that Gods & men attempt,
and with thy fearful thunderbolte their doings doost preuēt.
what hath thy daughter so deserued? what doth she silly dāe:
Before ye thus to be abused with vndeserued blame?
For such a trifling cause this way, my wrath I would not wreak.
But she no meruaile though she seeke my seat thus to staine
When otherwaies she connot tell, aduantage how to gain.
But hence this hot dispight, Hinc illæ lacrimæ:
Because I say she could not proue, her self of power with me
For all you Godheads know, she paines but such as plesure knewe:
She neuer greeues the groning minde, wher gladnes neuer grewe.
She neuer ouerthrowes but at the top of ioy:
For they that neuer tasted blisse, mislike not their anoye.
But I torment the minde that neuer felt releefe,
I plague the wretch that neuer thought on comfort in his greefe.
That neuer had the hope of any happy chaunce:
that neuer once so much as deem'd I would his state aduāce.
Thinke then which of vs both are of the greater power,
Once in his life or not at all to graunt a lightning hower.
I neede not stand to make rehearsall here of all,
For Gods and ghosts, yea, men & beasts vnto my power are thrall.
I dare appeale to you if I should looke awry:
Say father with your leaue, in heauen who dares my woord deny,
And if I please to smile who will not laugh out right:
Wherby my great omnipotence is knowne to euery wight.
I make the noble loue the bastarde in degree:
I tame and temper all the tunges, that raile & scoffe at me.
What bird, what beast, what worme, but feeleth my delight
what liues or draweth breth, but I can plesure or despight.
Yet diuers thinges there be that Fortune cannot tame,
As are the riches of the minde, or else an honest name.
Or a contented hart, still free from Fortunes power,
But such as clime before they crale, must drink ye sweet with sower.
Thy self O Iupiter didst graunt sometimes to me:
Of all things heer beneath the Moone, I should the ruler be.
Thou saist I did deserue the honor of that praise,
thy selfe didst once deuise wherby my glory first to raise.
Is this becomming thy renown, to quit thy daughter thus?
Iupiter.
Feare not faire Uenus, neither be dismaide,
Repose thee on the warrant of my woord:
What I haue promist doubt not to be perfourmed,
the sparelesse destinies my will affoorde.
Let this defend thee like a trusty Swoord.
But Lady Fortune commeth now we see,
Welcome faire dame, what is thy will with me?
Fortune.
Ye sacred powers deuine how should I now begin,
Or which way should I couch my words your fauors for to win.
I may poure out my plaint, but thou maist it redresse,
My Father humbly praieth you to giue me leaue to speak,
And pardon him yt in his wrath he did your quietnes break.
I cannot but confesse dread Gods I am not she,
that seekes with Uenus to compare in her supremecie.
I am not of that power, yet am I of some might,
which she vsurping chalengeth to keep me from my right.
I graunt she may doo much with her aluring smiles,
But soon your Godheads can perceiue her woords be full of wiles.
What be ye tragedies, the terors that she makes?
Lets see the mighty Monarcks the kingdomes yt she shakes.
Poore soule she soundly liues with wanton sugred ioyes,
triumphing in her own delight vpon her foolishe toyes.
Sometime she flattereth it in pleasure mixt with paine,
Like to a faire sunshine day ouercast with Clowds of raine
But should I reckon vp what thinges I can confound,
what is it then, or what hath been, or shall for aye be found.
Is not the wonder of the World a woork that soon decayes:
therfore ye see all earthly thinges, are wearing out alwaies
As brittle as the glasse, vnconstant like the minde:
as fickle as the whirling wheele, as wauering as the winde.
Loe such am I that ouerthrowes the hiest reared tower:
that changeth and supporteth Realmes in twinkling of an hower.
And send thē hasty smart whom I deuise to spoyle:
Not threatning or forewarning them but at a sodain smile.
and them I cheefely persecute that pleasure did embrace.
what greater greefe can fall to man in all his life,
then after sweet to taste the sower, in peace to be at strife.
It is a biting thought that fretteth on the hart,
to say the time was when I ioy'd, though now opprest with smart,
If euer mightye King did scape vntoucht of me:
if euery yeere, or moneth, or day, or if an hower might be.
UUherin I haue not vs'd to practise some exchange,
Perhaps for this authoritie I might he thought to range.
Too farre beyond my right but euen the very starres,
the Heauens, the Planets, and the Seas heare witnesse of my scarres.
Venus.
No more of that good dame you run too farre at rome,
I'le take the paines to keep you short & call you nerer home.
I pray you whats your might when all are well belou'd?
Fortune.
The sweetest louers in distres ye sharper storms haue prou'd
Venus.
Perhaps for want of wealth but if their riches slack,
Fortune.
They are the very instrument wherby I woorke their woe,
Venus.
What if their freends abound, then can they neuer lacke?
Fortune.
The deerest freends are scattered when Fortune turns her toe.
Venus.
If they be noble borne or of a Princely blood:
Fortune.
UUhen Fortune frownes, that may procure more harme then doo them good.
Venus.
But wise men euermore vpon a Rocke are set:
Fortune.
Yet can they not escape a scourge for Fortune hath a net.
Iupiter.
I will not in till thinges be well discernde,
Affection shall not marre a lawfull cause:
By examples this may best be learnde,
In elder ages led within your lawes.
therfore a while heerof I meane to pause.
And bring in Mercury in open view,
the Ghosts of them that Loue and Fortune slue.
Mercury.
Thy woord my will.
thou triple headed Cerberus giue place,
And I commaund thee Caron with thy Ferry boate,
Fortune and Loue and not in open sorte.
Let them appeere to vs in silent showe,
to manifest a trueth that we must knowe.
Strike with his Rod three times
Vulcan.
Are ye mad my Maisters, what a sturre haue we heere?
Lord haue mercy vpon vs must the deuill appeare.
Come away wife, when I pray thee come away,
Downe on your knees my Maisters and pray.
Musicke.
Enter the show of Troylus and Cressida.
Mercury.
Beholde how Troylus and Cresseda,
Cryes out on Loue that framed their decay.
Vulcan.
That was like the olde wife when her Ale would not come,
thrust a fire brand in the groute and scratcht her bum.
Musicke.
Enter the shew of Alexander.
Mercury.
Alexander the great that all the world subdude,
Curseth fell Fortune that did him delude.
Vulcan.
Tis an honest grim sire at his first comming out beleeue me,
And ye had stood in the winde ye might haue smelt me.
Musicke.
Enter the show of Queene Dydo.
Mercury.
Queene Dydo that Aeneas could not moue,
Stabbed her selfe and yeelded vnto loue.
Vulcan.
The more foole she and she were my owne brother,
If my wife would not loue me must not I loue an other?
Musicke.
Mercury.
Pompey and Cæsar, the wonders of their time,
By froward Fortune spoyled in their prime.
Vulcan.
They were serued well enough, why could not they be content,
with a Roche and a red Herring in the holy time of Lent.
Musicke.
Enter the showe of Leander and Hero.
Mercury.
Leander presentes them very lothe:
that felte the force of loue and fortune both.
Fortune.
Upon him I my soueraintie did showe,
Venus.
And thinke you dame my power she did not knowe.
Fortune.
But it was I that dashed their delight,
Venus.
After that I had proued my open might.
Vulcan.
UUhat a scolding is heere shall it euen thus be?
You looke like an honest man in the Parrishe, I pray you make them agree.
Iupiter.
Content ye both I'le heare no more of this,
and Mercury surcease call out no more:
I haue bethought me how to woorke their wishe,
as you haue often proou'd it heertofore.
Heere in this land within that Princely bower,
there is a Prince beloued of his loue?
On whom I meane your souerainties to proue.
Uenus, for that thy loue thy sweet delight,
thou shalt endure to encrease their ioy:
and Fortune thou to manifest thy might,
their pleasures and their pastimes thou shalt destroye.
Ouerthwarting them with newes of freshe anoye.
And she that most can please them or dispight,
I will confirme to be of greatest might.
Venus.
Your Godhead hath deuisde as I desire,
and I am gladly therwithall content:
Fortune.
And I am prest to doo as you require.
Take vp your places heere to woorke your will,
When you haue doon the rest I shall fulfill.
Vulcan.
They are set a sunning like a Crow in a gutter, what are they gone?
And you will be quiet sirs, they will make ye good sport with their scolding anon.
Are not these a sorte of good mannerly Gods to get them thus away:
I must take the paines to ouertake them for I see they will not stay.
Exit omnes.
The ende of the firste Acte.
| The Rare Triumphes of Loue and Fortune | |