 | The Tragedy of Tancred and Gismund |  |
Actus. 3.
Scæna. 1.
Cupid.So, now they feel what lordly loue can do
that proudly practise to deface his name
of little sparkes arise a blazing flame.
“By small occasions loue can kindle heate,
“and wast the Oken brest to cinder dust:
Gismund I haue entised to forget
her widdowes weedes, and burne in raging lust:
Twas I enforst her father to denie
her second marriage to any peere:
Twas I allur'd her once againe to trie
the sower sweetes that Louers buy too deere.
The Countie Palurin, a man right wise,
a man of exquisite perfections:
I haue like wounded with her pearsing eyes,
and burnt her heart with his reflections.
These two shall ioy in tasting of my sweete,
to make them proue more feelingly the greefe
That bitter brings: for when their ioyes shall fleete,
their dole shalbe increast without releefe.
Thus loue shall make worldlings to know his might,
thus loue shall force great princes to obey.
Thus loue shall daunt each proud rebelling spirite,
thus loue shall wreake his wrath on their decay.
Their ghostes shall doe black hell to vnderstand,
how great and wonderfull a God is Loue:
And this shall learne the Ladies of this lande,
with patient mindes his mighty power to proue.
From whence I did descend now will I mount,
to Ioue, and all the Gods in their delights:
In throne of triumph there will I recount,
how I by sharpe reuenge on mortall wights,
Haue taught the earth, and learned hellish spirites
to yeeld with feare their stubburn hearts to loue:
Cupid remounteth into the heauens.
Scæna. 2.
Lucrece commeth out of Gismunds Chamber solitary.Luc.
Pitie, that moueth euery gentle heart,
To rue their griefs, that be distrest in pain,
Inforceth me, to waile my neeces smart,
Whose tender brest, no long time may sustaine,
The restlesse toyle, that her vnquiet mind,
Hath causd her feeble bodie to indure,
But why it is, (alacke) I must not find,
Nor know the man, by whome I might procure
Her remedie, as I of dutie ought,
As to the law of kindship, doth belong,
With carefull heart, the secret meanes I sought,
Though small effect, is of my trauell sprong:
Full often as I durst, I haue assaid,
With humble words, the princes to require,
To name the man, which she hath so denaid,
That it abasht me, further to desire,
Or aske from whence, those cloudie thoughts proceed,
Whose stonie force: that smokie sighs forth send.
Is liuelie witnes, how that carefull dread,
And hot desire, within her doe contend.
Yet she denies, what she confest of yore,
And then conioynd me, to conceale the same:
She loued once, (she saith) but neuer more,
Nor euer will, her fancie thereto frame:
Though daily, I obserued in my brest,
What sharpe conflicts, disquiet her so sore,
But fearefull dreames present her euermore
Most hideous sights her quiet to molest.
That starting oft therwith she doth awake,
To muse vpon those fancies which torment
Her thoughtfull heart with horror, that doth make
Her cold chil sweat break foorth incontinent
From her weake lims: and while the quiet night
Geues others rest, she turning to and fro
Doth wish for day. But when the day brings light,
She keepes her bed, there to record her woe.
As soon as when she riseth flowing teares
Stream down her chekes, immixt with dedly grones
Whereby her inward sorow so appeares,
That as salt teares the cruell cause bemones.
In case she be constrained to abide
In preace of company, she scarcely may
Her trembling voice restraine it be not spied
From careful plaints her sorrowes to bewray.
By which restraint the force doth so increase,
When time and place geue liberty to plaine.
That as small streames from running neuer cease,
Til they returne into the seas againe:
So her laments we feare wil not amend,
Before they bring her Princely life to end.
To others talke when as she should attend,
Her heaped cares her sences so oppresse,
That what they speak, or wherto their words tende
She knowes not, as her answeres do expresse.
Her chiefe delight is stil to be alone,
Her pensiue thoughts within themselues debate,
But whereupon this restlesse life is growen,
I can no more but wish it as I may,
That he which knowes it would the same allay,
For which the Muses with my song shal pray.
After the song, which was by report very sweetely repeated of the Chorus, Lucrece departeth into Gismunds chamber, and Guiszhard commeth out of the Pallace with Iulio & Renuchio, gentlemen, to whom he turneth, and saith.
Scæna. 3.
Guis.Leaue me my frends, this solitarie walke
Intiseth me to breake your companie.
Leaue me my frends, I can endure no talk.
Let me intreat this common curtesie.
The Gentlemen depart.
WHat greeuous pain they dure which neither may
Forget their Loues, ne yet enioy their loue.
I know by proofe, and daily make assay,
Though Loue hath brought my Ladies hart to loue
My faithfull loue with like loue to requite:
This doeth not quench, but rather cause to flame
The creeping fire, which spreading in my brest
With raging heat, graunts me no time of rest.
If they bewaile their cruell destenie,
Which spend their loue wher they no loue can find
Wel may I plaine, since Fortune haleth me
To this torment of far more greeuous kind.
Wherein I feele as much extremitie,
As may be felt in body or in minde.
For by that sight which should recure my paine,
My sorowes are redoubled all in vaine.
Now I perceiue that only I alone
Am her belou'd, her lookes assure me so:
Her heauy plight that greeueth at my woe.
This entercourse of our affections:
I her to serue, she thus to honor me,
Bewraies the trueth of our elections,
Delighting in this mutual sympathie.
Thus loue for loue intreates the Queen of loue,
That with her help Loues solace we may proue.
I see my mistres seekes as well as I
To stay the strife of her perplexed mind:
Full faine she would our secrete companie,
If she the wished way therof might finde.
Heauens haue ye seen, or hath the age of man
Recorded such a myracle as this?
In equall loue two noble harts to frame,
That neuer spake one with anothers blisse,
I am assured that she doth assent,
To my reliefe that I should reape the same,
If she could frame the meanes of my content,
Keeping her selfe from danger of defame.
In happy houre right now I did receiue
This cane from her: which gift though it be small,
Receiuing it what ioyes I did conceiue,
Within my fainting spirits therewithall.
Who knoweth loue aright may wel conceaue,
By like aduentures that to them befall.
“For needs the Louer must esteeme that well,
“Which comes from her with whom his hart doth dwel.
Assuredly it is not without cause
She gaue me this: something she meant thereby:
For therewithall I might perceiue her pause
Awhile, as though some waightie thing did lie
The standers by should not our loues descrie,
This clift bewraies that it hath been disclosde.
Perhaps herein she hath something inclosde.
He breakes it.
O thou great thunderer! who would not serue,
Where wit with beautie chosen haue their place,
Who could deuise more wisely to conserue
Things from suspect? O Venus, for this grace
That daines me, all vnworthy, to deserue
So rare a loue, in heauen I should thee place.
This sweet letter some ioyfull newes conteines.
I hope it brings recure to both our paines.
He reades it.
Mine owne, as I am yours, whose heart (I know)
No lesse then mine, for lingering help of woe
Doth long too long: Loue tendering your case
And mine, hath taught recure of both our pain.
My chamber floure doth hide a caue, where was
An olde vautes mouth: the other in the plaine
Doeth rise Southward, a furlong from the wall,
Descend you there. This shall suffice. And so
I yeeld my selfe, mine honor, life and all,
To you. Vse you the same as there may grow
Your blisse and mine (mine Earle) and that the same
Free may abide from danger of defame.
Farewell, and fare so well as that your ioy
Which onely can, may comfort mine annoy.
Yours more then his owne, Gismund.
O blisful chance my sorowes to asswage.
Wonder of nature, maruell of our age,
Comes this from Gismund? did she thus infold
This letter in the cane? may it be so?
Why shall I doubt, did she not giue it me?
Therewith she smilde, she ioyde, she raught the cane
And with her owne sweet hand she gaue it me:
And as we danst, she dallied with the cane,
And sweetly whispered I should be her king,
And with this cane the scepter of our rule,
Command the sweets of her surprised heart.
Therewith she raught from her alluring lockes,
This golden tresse, the fauour of her grace,
And with her owne sweet hand she gaue it me.
O peereles Queene, my ioy, my hearts decree;
And thou faire Letter, how shall I welcome thee:
Both hand and pen wherewith thou written wert,
Blest may ye be, such solace that impart,
And blessed be this cane, and he that taught
Thee to descrie the hidden entrie thus:
Not onely through a darke and dreadfull vaut,
But fire and sword, and through what euer be,
Mistres of my desires, I come to thee.
Guiszard departeth in hast vnto the pallace.
Chorus. 1.
Right mightie is thy power, O cruell Loue,
High Ioue himselfe cannot resist thy bow,
Thou sent'st him down, euen frō the heauens aboue,
In sundrie shapes here to the earth below,
Then how shall mortall men escape thy dart?
The feruent flame, and burning of thy fire?
Since that thy might is such, and since thou art,
Both of the seas and land the Lord and sire.
Chor. 2.
But why doth he that sprung from Ioues high head?
And Phœbus sister shene, despise thy power?
A maiden life, and kept vntoucht the flowre?
Why doth Ægistus loue? and to obteine
His wicked wil, conspires his vncles death,
Or why doth Phædra burne? for whom is slaine
Theseus chast sonne? or Helen false of faith?
“For Loue assauts not but the idle heart,
“And such as liue in pleasure and delight,
“He turne th oft their gladsome ioyes to smart,
“Their play to plaint, their sport into despite,
Tis true that Dian chaseth with her bow,
Chor. 3.
The flying Hart, the Goat and fomie Bore,
By hil, by dale, in heat, in frost, in snow,
She recketh not, but laboureth euermore.
Loue seeks not her, ne knoweth where her to finde,
Whil'st Paris kept his heard on Ida downe
Cupid nere sought him out, for he is blinde.
But when he left the field to liue in towne,
He fel into his snare, and brought that brand
From Greece to Troy, which after set on fire
Strong Ilium, and al the Phryges land:
“Such are the fruites of loue, such is his hire.
Who yeeldeth vnto him his captiue heart,
Chor. 4.
Ere he resist, and holds his open breast
Withouten war to take his bloudy dart,
Let him not thinke to shake off when him list
His heauy yoke. “Resist his first assault,
“Weake is his bow, his quenched brand is cold,
“Cupid is but a child, and cannot daunt
“The minde that beares him, or his vertues bold.
But he geues poyson so to drinke in golde.
And hideth vnder pleasant baites his hooke,
Your greedy minds, but if ye wisely looke
What slie snake lurkes vnder those flowers gay,
But ye mistrust some clowdie smokes, and feare
A stormy shower after so faire a day.
Ye may repent, and buy your pleasure deare,
For seldome times is Cupid wont to send
“Vnto an idle a ioyful end.
G. Al.
Finis Actus 3.
| The Tragedy of Tancred and Gismund | |