University of Virginia Library

Scæna. 2.

Tancred commeth out of his Pallace with Guiszard the Countie Palurine, Iulio the Lord Chamberlaine, Renuchio captaine of his Guard, already to hunt.
Tancred.
Vncouple all our hounds: Lords to the chase:
Faire sister Lucre, what's the newes with you?

Luc.
Sir, as I alwaies haue imployd my power,
And faithfull seruice, such as lay in me,
In my best wise, to honour you and yours:
So now, my bounden dutie moueth me,
Your maiestie most humblie to intreat,
With patient eares, to vnderstand the state,
Of my pore neece, your daughter.

Tanc.
what of her?
Is she not well? Inioyes she not her health?
Say sister, ease me of this iealous feare?

Lucr.
She liues my Lord, & hath her outward helth,
But all the danger of her sicknes lies
In the disquiet of her princelie mind:

Tan.
Resolue me? what afflicts my daughter so,

Lucr.
Since when the Princes hath intoumb'd her Lord
Her late disseased husband of renowne:
Brother, I see, and verie well perceiue,
She hath not clos'de together in his graue,
All sparkes of nature, kindnes, nor of loue:
But as she liues, so liuing may she feele,
Such passions as our tender hearts oppresse,
Subiect vnto th'impressions of desire:
For well I wot, my neece was neuer wrought,
Of steele, nor carued from the stonie rocke,
Such stearne hardnes, we ought not to expect,
In her, whose princelie heart, and springing yeares,
Yet flowring in the chiefest heat of youth,
Is lead of force, to feed on such conceits,
As easilie befalles that age, which asketh ruth
Of them, whome nature bindeth by foresight
Of their graue yeares, and carefull loue to reach,
The things that are aboue their feeble force:
And for that cause, dread Lord although.

Tanc.
Sister I say.
If you esteeme, or ought respect my life,
Her honor, and the welfare of our house,
Forbeare, and wade no further in this speech.
Your words, are wounds, I verie well perceiue,
The purpose of this smooth oration:
This I suspected, when you first began,
This faire discourse with vs: Is this the end
Of all our hopes, that we haue promised
Vnto ourselfe, by this her widdowhood?
Would our deare daughter, would our onely ioy,
Would she fersake vs? would she leaue vs now?
Before she hath closde vp, our dying eies,
And with her teares, bewaild our funerall?
No other solace, doth her father craue,
But whilst the fates, maintaine his dying life,
Her healthfull presence, gladsome to his soule,
Which rather then he willing would for-goe,
His heart desires, the bitter tast of death:
Her late marriage, hath taught vs to our griefe,
That in the fruits, of her perpetuall sight
Consists the onely comfort and reliefe,
Of our vnweldy age: for what delight
What ioy? what comfort? haue we in this world,
Now growen in yeares, and ouer-worne with cares,
Subiect vnto the sodain stroke of death,
Already falling like the mellowed fruite,
And dropping by degrees into our graue.
But what reuiues vs? what maintaines our soule
Within the prison of our withered brest?
But our Gismunda and her chearefull sight.
O daughter, daughter, what desert of mine,
Wherein haue I beene so vnkind to thee?
Thou shouldst desire to make my naked house
Yet once againe stand desolate by thee?
O let such fansies vanish with their thoughts,
Tell her I am her father, whose estate,
Wealth, honor, life, and all that we possesse,
Whollie relies vpon her presence here.
Tell her I must account her all my ioy,
Worke as she will: But yet she were vniust,
To haste his death that liueth by her fight

Lucr.
Her gentle hart abhors such ruthles thoughts.

Tan.
Then let her not geue place to these desires.

Lucr.
She craues the right that nature chalengeth.

Tan.
Tell her the king commaundeth otherwise.

Lucr.
The kings cōmandment alwais should be iust.

Tan.
What ere it be the kings commaund is iust.

Lucr.
Iust to commaund: but iustlie must he charge.

Tanc.
He chargeth iustlie that commands as king.

Lucr.
The kings command concerns the body best.

Tan.
The king commands obedience of the minde.

Luc.
That is exempted by the law of kinde,

Tan.
That law of kind to children doth belong.

Luc,
In due obedience to their open wrong.

Tan.
I then, as king and father, will commaund.

Luc.
No more then may with right of reason stand.

Tan.
Thou knowest our minde, resolue her, depart,
Returne the chase, we haue beene chac'd enough.

Tancred returneth into his pallace, & leaueth the hunt.
Luc.
He cannot heare, anger hath stopt his eares,
And ouer-loue his iudgement hath decaide.
Ah my poore Neece, I shrewdly feare thy cause.
Thy iust complaint shall neuer be relieu'd.