 | The Rare Triumphes of Loue and Fortune |  |
The second Acte.
Enter Hermione and Fidelia.Hermione.
Why then my deere what is the greatest price in loue?
Fidelia.
Absence of others greefs, the gretest yt louing harts cā proue.
Hermione.
But absence can not minishe loue or make it lesse in ought:
Fidelia.
Yet neuerthelesse it leaues a doubt within ye others thought
Hermione.
And what is that?
Fidelia.
Least change of ayre should change the absent minde,
Hermione.
That fault is proper but to thē whom ielouzy makes blinde.
Fidelia.
O pardon it for that the cause from whence it springes is such,
Hermione.
From whence is that?
Fidelia.
My mother sayes from louing ouer much.
Hermione.
Your author I will not admit, that restes as it to proue,
Fidelia.
But sure is it that ielousie, proceedes of feruent loue.
Hermione.
Can that be feruent loue wherin suspition leads the minde,
Fidelia.
Most feruēt loue wher so much loue doth make ye fancy blind
Hermione.
But faithfull loue can neuer be wherin suspect doth dwell,
Fidelia.
The faithfull louers doo suspect because they loue so well.
Hermione.
My deere Fidelia, as I thinke thy loue is such to me,
Admit occasions fall out then, that I must parte from thee.
tell me wilt thou meane space suspect inconstancie in me.
Fidelia.
If so I doo impute it to the force of louers lawes,
that oftentimes are toucht with feare, wheras there is no cause.
Armenio listning.
Armenio.
What haue I heard? what doo mine eyes beholde:
Dishonour to the house from whence I came:
Unshamefast girle, forgetfull, all to bolde,
and thou false traitour author of the same.
Sufferest not for guerdon of thy due,
the King my Fathers gratious countenance:
But must thou clime vngratefull and vntrue,
these steps, at firste thine honour to aduance.
Hath Fortune promiste so much hope at firste,
to make thy conquest of a Princes childe:
And should I stand to question how thou durst,
to leaue to thinke she might be so beguilde.
But woords may not suffice to wreak this wrong,
Hid vnder cloake of ouer handy loue:
thou vpstart fondling and forborne too long,
to giue such cause thy Princes ire to moue.
Fidelia.
Nay nay good brother take it not so whot,
the fault is mine, and I will beare the blame:
And to returne you an answer well I wot,
How to defend the honour of my name.
But for my loue I am resolued in this,
How euer you account of his defaultes.
with vowed affection wholy to be his.
As one in whome I spye more speciall partes,
then fall in fondlings of the baser kindes:
to haue a woord not squaring with the place.
But measure men by their vnstained mindes.
For fortune when and where it likes her maiestie:
With cloudes can couer birth and highest degree.
Armenio.
What Dame, and are you shamelesse in your shame?
No Mistresse, no, it will not so be let past:
But wilfull Wench this new attempted game,
Eare it be wun will aske another cast.
And Lady, cloake his vertues as you will,
Hee'le be but as I saide, a fondling still.
Hermione.
Earst had I thought my Lord a man so wise as you,
Sonne to a Prince, Scholer to him that deepth of learning knewe.
Among many lessons, none this rule could wisely finde,
to haue the gouernement of wrath & rancor of your minde.
What hye offence is giuen vnto your fathers grace:
I take it nothing needfull heer to reason of the case.
But stand he lesse content, or pleased heere withall,
My Lord, that thus you should mislike the cause is very small.
The vnremoued loue I beare my Lady heere,
Whose countenance my comfort is: that holdes my loue as deare.
Commaunds me to disgest such hard and bitter woords,
as not with credit of your state, your honor heer affords.
Else Prince perswade thy selfe: my minde were not so base,
to pocket, but for such respectes so hard and foule disgrace.
And this Lady Hermione for ought that men doo know,
By birth may be as nobly borne, as prince Armenio.
Armenio.
Traitour thru shalt not ioy that proud comparison,
Fidelia.
My good Hermione, come hence let him alone.
Armenio.
Nay Dame it likes me not that you should goe,
Hermione.
Whether thou wilt Armenio she shall, though thou say no.
Armenio.
What shall she villaine?
Fidelia.
Helpe, helpe alas.
Enter Phizanties, a Lord, and Penulo.
Phyzan.
What sturre is heere? what meanes this broyle begun?
How falles it out? Armenio my Sonne
Hath wound receiu'd by stroke of naked knife,
Say to me straight: what one hath doone this deed:
His blowes are big that makes a Prince to bleed.
Fidelia.
My soueraigne father, pardon his offence,
whose greefe of minde is greater then his wound:
My rightfull quarrell yeeldes me safe defence,
and heere they stand that giltie must be found.
Armenio,
Traytor (O King) vnto your Maiesty,
Whose proud attempt dooth touch your grace so neere:
as what may be the greatest villanye,
Upon recitall shall be opened heere.
My sister and your farre vnwoorthy childe,
Forgetting loue and feare of Gods and thee:
and honor of her name is thus beguilde.
To loue this Gentleman whom heere you see.
Hermione whom for a Iewell of some price,
Olde Hermet giue your highnesse long agoe:
and for I gaue rebuke to your deuise,
In gallant thought he would not take it so.
But as it seemes to doo my body good,
I thanke him dainde him self to let me blood.
Phyzan.
Hermione? and hast thou doone this deed?
and couldst thou shrine such treason in thy thought?
Armenio iest not with thy hurt take heed,
and thou fond girle whose stained blood hath wrought,
How hath mine age and honor been abusde?
My princely care Hermione of thee?
the fault so great it cannot be excusde.
and you inforst the shame therof to see.
But farre we feare some farther ill may fall:
through loue and hate of one and of the other:
Her foolishe loue I meane, and therwithall.
The hot disdaine and stomacke of her brother,
Hermione, way what our pleasure is.
Now seeing thou hast doon so farre a misse,
to reach aboue thy reach vnorderly.
In milder woordes because we loue thee well,
Loe, we discharge thee of our princely Court:
thou maist no longer with Fidelia dwell,
Forbidden to her presence to resorte.
Holde my rewarde, that am no bitter Iudge,
and wend thy way where ere thou likest to goe?
this only way I take to ende the grudge,
and stop the loue that eache to other owe.
Among such haps as might my minde content,
UUherof the gratious Gods haue giuen me store:
I count this one if thus I might preuent,
the furthest outrage of this swelling sore.
Hermione.
Alas, now haue I liued too long I see,
Confounded so to yeeld to fortunes will:
My soueraigne Prince offended thus with me,
and I adiudg'd to death though liuing still.
Ah my good Lord whom I haue honoured long,
long may your highnesse ioy this highest place:
thy selfe the roote and cause of mine owne wrong,
But must I leaue to viewe my Ladies face?
And banisht from my Princes royall Court,
to wander as earst the vnhappy Oedipus:
Whose paine my foes will make their cheefest sporte,
My most vnhappy chaunce will haue it thus.
Armenio.
No force forsooth, vnpitied might he dye,
that to his soueraigne meanes such villanye.
Hermione.
Such villany? who euer ment more good?
Armenio.
The venome of thy villany withstood.
Hermione.
Armenio, I forbeare thee heere for reuerence,
Yet by my Princes leaue in my defence.
I may alleadge I lou'd thy sister heere,
which loue though I am like to buye full deere.
Yet is her loue more precious then the price:
Long liue my Lord, long liue my Ladies grace,
God send them freends as loyall in my place.
And trust me then their fortune shalbe such,
as not thy loue shall euer proue so much.
Phyzan.
Hermione, giue me thy hand, adewe,
thinke this is doon to auoide a further ill,
and double mischeife that might else insue,
For my sake cease to loue Fidelia still.
Unequall loue is enemie to rest,
She is too yong to loue thee as she should:
and thou Hermione canst conceiue the rest,
My meaning is she loues not as we would.
time may affoord to bothe your hartes desires:
New choice to coole these newly kindled fiers.
Fidelia.
Neuer alas, neuer will be the day,
that I shall leaue to loue Hermione:
Sooner shall natures course quite altered be,
then I shall leaue deere Knight to honor thee.
Good Father let him stay, who if he parte,
Gainst law is like to steale away my hart.
Armenio.
May it please your grace to keepe the body heere,
It's like enough the hart will honor neere.
Hermione.
My Lord, laugh not oppressed soules to scorne,
Loosers they say may easily be forborne.
Phyzan.
Forbeare these woordes and thou Fidelia,
these misbeseeming foolishe passions stay.
Let it suffise that thou shalt liue in Courte,
Where if among the iolly braue resorte.
Of sundry knightes of noble personage,
Woorthy thy loue for giftes and parentage.
thou shalt espye some such as we doo like,
Our fauours shall not be to farre to seeke.
Fidelia.
Ah my Hermione.
Hermione.
Sweet Lady mine farwell.
Farwell the curteoust Dame that on the earth doth dwell.
Exit.
Sir now you are packing let me know your walke:
For I haue that may not be past without some talke.
Nor stands it with mine honour to let thee beare it cleere:
But I will make thee know Armenios blood is deare.
Hermione.
My Lord, I make no chalenge with offence,
But first I will prepare for my defence.
Armenio.
So sir, you are aforehand, keepe you so:
and recken of Armenio for thy vowed foe.
Goe wend thy wayes, obscurer then the night:
and Fortune for reuenge plague thee with spite.
Exit.
Hermione.
Farwell my cruell foe, not thou, nor Fortune may,
ad more vnto the miseries that I haue felt to day.
Nor but by safe restorde vnto this happy place,
Can Gods or Fortune make amends in this distressed case.
Then cease Hermione to vtter speach of this,
Woords not suffise this endlesse woe, but death I wisse.
and part thou from the place a dead and liuelesse man,
Robd of thy sences and thy ioy, since first this stur began.
Penulo.
Ah my good Lord, my good Lord Hermione.
Hermione.
I am indeed as thou doost say Hermione.
For that I am Hermione, I am
the vnhappiest wight that euer hether came.
Penulo.
Ah my good Lord, would Gods poore Penulo,
Might any way but mitigate this woe.
and pleaseth it your honour to commaund,
My seruice or the helpe of head or hand.
Penulo my woorthy Lord would proue as iust,
as he whom best your honour likes to trust.
Say what it is wherin my secresie,
May ayde your Lordship in this extremetie.
Hermione.
Penulo, since thou so freendly heere doost proffer me,
the vttermost of ayde that lyes in thee.
I doo remember that which brought to passe,
Would make me halfe so happie as I was.
Say it my Lord, and constantly I vow it:
It shall goe hard but Penulo will doo it.
Hermione.
Gramercy gentle freend: then thus it is,
The Lady of my life Fidelia is.
Of whome I am, I knowe belou'd no lesse,
then she of me my gratious mistresse.
Seuerde by Fortune and our cruell foe,
My Lord her brother Prince Armenio.
Now couldst thou Penulo thy selfe behaue,
On trust to bring my Lady to the caue.
Where whilome louers we were wont to meete,
in secret sorte eche other for to greete.
She wots it well and euery corner knowes,
and euery vncouth step that thether goes.
For what is not sharpe sighted louers see,
this is the summe of my desire to thee.
Accomplishe this, and this in silence doon,
My happinesse wilbe againe begun.
Penulo.
My Lord I see wherunto this talke dooth tend,
I haue this lesson at my fingers end.
No more a doo: betake you to your flight,
wee'le make a plaister for the sore eare night.
But such a one as if it be applied,
Shall doo more greefe then ease when it is tried.
Hermione.
Penulo I yeeld my life into thy handes,
Penulo.
Ye, doo sir, as now the matter standes,
Hermione.
Holde Penulo and I will looke for thee,
Penulo.
You will not looke for them that come with me.
Hermione.
I will be gone and liue to see my deere.
Exit.
Penulo.
Doo so sir and perchaunce be neuer the neere.
This is a step that firste we vse to clime,
We that forsooth take holde on euery time:
Men of all howers, whose credit such as spites,
in heate forsooth hath calde vs Parasites.
But Penulo thou spendest woordes in waste.
A foole Hermione, that for hurting thee,
One slender trust will giue a knaue his fee.
Exit.
Strike vp Fortunes triumphes with Drummes and Trumpets.
Fortune.
Beholde what Fortune if she list can doo,
High mastris of the rowling wheele of chaunce:
to ouerturne and who can doo therto,
Or gratiously when please her to aduance.
Loe Lordinges this is Fortunes Imperie,
as in her pleasure to be changing still:
Heerin consisteth Fortunes soueraintie,
that Fortune can on earth doo what she will.
When men haue builded on the surest grounds,
their strong deuises Fortunes power confoundes.
Venus.
Not all in haste you doo not so intend,
You haue begun but I must make an end.
| The Rare Triumphes of Loue and Fortune | |