 | The Araygnement of Paris |  |
ACT. IIII.
SCENA I.
Vulcan following one of Dianas Nymphes.Vul.
Why nymphe, what need ye run so fast? what though but black I be?
I haue more preetie knackes to please, then euerie eye doth see,
And though I goe not so vpright, and though I am a smythe,
To make me gratious you may haue some other thinge therewith.
SCENA II.
Bacchus, Uulcan, Nymphe.Bac.
Yee Vulcane, will yee so in deede may turne and tell him, trull,
He hath a mystresse of his owne to take his belly full.
Vulc.
Why sir, if Phœbes dainty nymphes please lustie Vulcans tooth,
Why may not Vulcan treade awry, aswell as Venus dooth?
Nym.
Ye shall not taynt your trothe for me: you wot it verie well,
All that be Dians maides are vowed to Iralter apples in hell.
Bac.
Ifaith Ifaith, my gentle mops, but I do know a cast,
Leade apes who list, that we would helpe t'unhaltar them as fast.
Nym.
Fy fy, your skill is wondrous great, had thought the god of wine,
Had tended but his tubbes and grapes, and not ben haulfe so fine.
Vul.
Gramercie for that quirke, my girle.
Bac.
Thats one of dainties frūpes.
Nym.
I pray sir take't with all amisse, our cunning comes by lumpes.
Vul.
Sh'ath capt his aunswere in the Q.
Nym.
how sayes, a, has shee so?
Aswel as shee that kapt your head to keepe you warme below.
Vul.
Yea then you will be curst I see.
Bac.
best let her euen alone.
Nym.
Yea gentle gods, and finde some other stringe to harpe vpon.
Bac.
Some other string, agreed I fayth, some other pretie thing,
Twere shame fayre maydes should idle be, how say you, wil ye sing.
Nym.
Some roundes or merry roundylaies, we sing no other songes,
Your melancholick noates not to our countrie myrth belonges.
Vul.
Here comes a crue will helpe vs trimme.
SCENA III.
Mercurie with the Cyclops.Mer.
Yea now our taske is done.
Bac.
Then merry Mercurie more then time, this rounde were well begone.
They sing Hey Downe, downe, downe, &c.
Vul.
A harletrie I warrant her.
Bac.
a peeuish eluish shroe.
Mer.
Haue seene as farre to come as neare, for all her raunging so.
But, Bacchus, time well spent I wot, our sacred father Ioue,
With Phœbus and the god of warre are met in Dians groue.
Vul.
Then we are here before them yet, but stay the earth doth swell,
God Neptune to, (this hap is good) doth meete the prince of hell.
Pluto ascēdeth from below in his chaire. Neptune entreth at an other way.
Plut.
What iarres are these, that call the gods of heauen and hell beloe.
Nep.
It is a worke of wit and toyle to rule a lustie shroe.
SCENA. IIII.
Enter Iupiter, Saturne, Apollo, Mars, Pluto, Neptune, Bacchus, Vulcan, Mer. Iuno, Pallas, Diana, Cyclops.Iupiter speaketh.
Iup.
Bring forth the man of Troie that he may heare,
Whereof he is to be araigned here.
Nep.
Lo where a comes prepared to pleade his case,
vnder conduct of louely Venus grace.
Mer.
I haue not seene a more alluring boy.
Apol.
So beautie hight the wracke of Priams Troy.
The gods being set in Dianaes bower: Inno, Pallas, Diana, Uenus and Paris stand on sides before them.
Ven.
Loe sacred Ioue, at Iunoes proude complaynte,
As erst I gaue my pledge to Mercurie,
I bring the man whom he did late attaint,
To aunswere his inditement orderlie:
And craue this grace of this immortall senate,
That yee allowe the man his aduocate.
Pal.
That may not be, the lawes of heauen denie,
A man to pleade or answere by atturney.
Ven.
Pallas, thy doome is all too peremptorie.
Apol.
Venus, that fauour is denyed him flatlie,
He is a man and therefore by our lawes,
Ven.
Then bashe not, sheepeherde, in so good a case,
And friendes thou hast as well as foes in place.
Iun.
Why, Mercurie, why doe yee not indite him.
Ven.
Softe gentle, Iuno, I pray you do not bite him.
Iun.
Nay, gods, I troe you are like to haue great silence,
Vnles this parrot be commaunded hence.
Iou.
Venus, forbeare, be still: speake, Mercurie.
Ven.
If Iuno iangle, Venus will replie.
Mer.
Paris, king Priams sonne, thou art araygned of parciallitie,
Of sentence partiall and vniust, for that without indifferencie,
Beyonde desert or merit far, as thine accusers say,
From them, to Lady Venus here, thou gauest the pryze away.
What is thine answere?
Paris
oration to the Councell of the gods.
Sacred and iust, thou great and dreadfull Ioue,
And you thrise reuerende powers, whom loue nor hate,
May wrest awry, if this to me a man,
This fortune fatall bee, that I must pleade,
For safe excusall of my giltles thought,
The honour more makes my mishap the lesse,
That I a man must pleade before the gods,
Gratious forbearers of the worldes amisse,
For her, whose beautie how it hath enticet,
This heauenly senate may with me auer.
But sith nor that, nor this may doe me boote,
And for my selfe, my selfe must speaker bee,
A mortall man, amidst this heauenlie presence.
Let me not shape a longe defence, to them,
That ben beholders of my giltles thoughtes.
Then for the deede, that I may not denie,
Wherein consists the full of myne offence,
I did vpon commaunde: if then I erde,
I did no more then to a man belong'd.
And if in verdit of their formes deuine,
My dazled eye did swarue or surfet more
It was no partiall fault, but fault of his
Belike, whose eysight not so perfect was,
As might decerne the brightnes of the rest.
And if it were permitted vnto men
(Ye gods) to parle with your secret thoughtes,
There ben that sit vpon that sacred seate,
That woulde with Paris erre in Venus prayse.
But let me cease to speake of errour here:
Sith what my hande, the organ of my harte,
Did giue with good agreement of myne eye,
My tongue is voyde with processe to maintaine.
Plut.
A iolly sheepeherde, wise and eloquent.
Par.
First then arraign'de of parciallitie.
Paris replyes vnguiltie of the fact
His reason is, because he knewe no more
Faire Uenus Ceston, then dame Iunoes mace,
Nor neuer sawe wise Pallas cristall shielde.
Then as I looked I loued and likte attonce,
And as it was referd from them to me,
To giue the pryze to her, whose beautie best
My fancie did commend, so did I prayse
And iudge as might my dazled eye decerne.
Nep.
A peece of art, that, cunninglie pardie,
Refers the blame to weakenes of his eye.
Par.
Now (for I must adde reason for my deede)
Why Uenus rather pleased me of the three:
First, in the intrayles of my mortall eares,
The question standing vpon beauties blaze,
The name of her that height the queene of loue,
My thought in beautie should not be exceld.
Had it bene destyned to maiestie,
(Yet will I not rob Uenus of her grace.)
Then stately Iuno might haue borne the ball.
Had it to wisedome bine entituled,
My humaine wit had giuen it Pallas then.
But sith vnto the fayrest of the three,
That power, that threw it for my farther ill,
My sheepeherdes skill aduenture, as I thought,
To iudge of forme and beautie, rather then
Of Iunos state, or Pallas worthynes,
That learnd token the fayrest of the flocke,
And praysed beautie but by natures ayme:
Behold to Venus Paris gaue this fruite,
A dayesman chosen there by full consent,
And heauenly powers should not repent their deedes.
Where it is sayde, beyonde desert of hers,
I honoured Uenus with this golden prize:
(Yee gods) alas what can a mortall man
Decerne, betwixt the sacred guiftes of heauen.
Or, if I may with reuerence reason thus:
Suppose I gaue, and iudgd corruptly then,
For hope of that, that best did please my thought,
This apple not for beauties prayse alone:
I might offende, sithe I was pardoned,
And tempted, more then euer creature was,
With wealth, with beautie and with chiualrie:
And so preferred beautie before them all,
The thing that hath enchaunted heauen it selfe.
And for the one, contentment is my wealth:
A shell of salte will serue a sheepeherde swayne,
A slender banquet in a homely skrip,
And water running from the siluer spring.
For armes, they dreade no foes that sit so lowe,
A thorne can keepe the wind from off my backe,
A sheepe-coate thatcht, a sheepherdes pallace hight.
Of tragicke Muses sheepeherdes con no skill,
Enough is them, if Cupid ben displeased,
To sing his prayse on slender oten pipe.
And thus, thryse reuerend, haue I tolde my tale,
And craue the torment of my guiltles soule
To be measured by my faultles thought.
If warlicke Pallas, or the queene of heauen
Sue to reuerse my sentence by appeale,
Be it as please your maiesties deuine,
But hers whose beautie claymed the prize of me.
Paris hauing ended, Iupiter speaketh.
Iup.
Venus, withdrawe your sheepeherde for aspace,
Till he againe be called for into place.
Exeunt Venus & Paris.
Iuno, what will ye after this reply
But doome with sentence of indifferencie.
And if you will but iustice in the cause,
The man must quited be by heauens lawes.
Iun.
Yea gentle Ioue, when Iunoes sutes are mooued,
Then heauen may see how well shee is beloued.
Apol.
But, Madam, fits it maiestie deuine,
In anie sorte from iustice to decline?
Pal.
Whether the man be guiltie yea or noe,
That doth not hinder our appeale, I troe?
Iun.
Phœbus, I wot, amid this heauenly crue,
There be that haue to say as well as you
Apol.
And Iuno, I with them, and they with me,
In lawe and right, must needefully agree:
Pal.
I graunt ye may agree, but be content
To doubt vpon regarde of your agrement.
Plu.
And if yee markt, the man in his defence.
Saide thereof as a might with reuerence.
Vul.
And did yee verie well I promise yee.
Inn.
No doubt, sir, you could note it cunninglie.
Sat.
Well, Iuno, if ye will appeale yee may,
But first dispatch the sheepeherde hence away.
Mar.
Then Vulcans dame is like to haue the wronge.
Iun.
And that in passion doth to Mars belonge.
Iup.
Call Uenus and the sheepeherde in againe.
Bac.
And rid the man that he may knowe his payne.
Apol.
His payne, his payne, his neuer dying payne,
A cause to make a many moe complaine.
Mercurie bringeth in Uenus and Paris.
Iup.
Sheepeherd, thou hast ben harde with equitie and law,
And for thy stars do thee to other calling drawe,
We here dismisse thee hence, by order of our senate:
Ven.
Sweete shepherde, with such luck in loue while thow dost liue,
As may the Queene of Loue to any Louer giue.
Par.
My lucke is losse howe ere my loue do speede,
I feare me Paris shall but rue his deede.
Paris exit.
Apo.
From Ida woods now wends the shepherds boye,
That in his bosome caries fire to Troy.
Iup.
Venus, these Ladies do appeale yow see,
And that they may appeale the gods agree,
It resteth then that yow be well content
To stande in this vnto our finall iudgment:
And if king Priams sonne did well in this,
The Lawe of heauen will not leade amysse.
Ven.
But, sacred Iupiter, might thy daughter chuse,
Shee might with reason this appeale refuse:
Yet, if they bee vnmoued in their shames,
Bee it a staine and blemysh to their names:
A deede to far vnworthy of the place,
Vnworthy Pallas Launce, or Iunoes mace:
And, if to beauty it bequeathed be,
I doubte not but it will returne to me.
She layeth Down the ball.
Pall.
Venus, there is no more adoe then soe,
It restethe where the gods doe it bestowe.
Nep.
But, Ladies, vnder fauour of your rage,
How ere it be, yow play vppon the vauntage.
Iup.
Then dames, that wee more freely may debate,
And heere th'indifferent sentence of this senate,
Withdrawe yow from this presence for a space,
Till wee haue throughly questioned of the cace:
Dian shalbe your guyde, not shall yow neede
Your selues t'enquire how things do heere succeede,
Wee will, as wee resolue giue yow to knowe,
By generall doome, how euery thinge doth goe.
Dia.
Thy will, my wish, faire Ladies, will yee wende?
Iuno
Beshrewe her whome this sentence doth offende.
Ven.
Now Ioue be iust, and gods you that bee Venus freindes,
Yf yow haue ever donne her wronge, then may yow make amends.
Manent Dij. Exeunt Diana, Pallas, Iuno, Venus.
Venus is faire, Pallas and Iuno toe.
Vulc
But tell me now without some more adoe,
Who is the fairest shee, and do not flatter.
Plu.
Vulcan, vppon comparison hanges all the matter:
That donne the quarrell and the stryfe were ended.
Mar.
Because tis knowne, the quarrell is pretended.
Vul.
Mars, you haue reason for your speeche perdie:
My dame (I troe) is fairest in your eye.
Mar.
Or (Vulcan) I shold do her doble wronge.
Sat.
About a toy wee tary heere so longe.
Gyue it by voices, voices giue the odds:
A trifle so to troble all the gods.
Nep.
Beleue me, Saturne, be it so for me.
Bac.
For me.
Pluto.
for me
Mars.
for me, yf Ioue agre.
Mer.
And gentle gods, I am indifferent:
But then I knowe whoose lykely to be shent.
Ap.
Thryse reuerend gods, and thow immortall Ioue.
Yf Phœbus may, as him doth much behoue,
Be licensed, accordinge to our Lawes,
To speake vprightly in this doubted cause,
(Sythe womens witts woorke mens vnceasinge woes)
To make them freindes, that now bin frendles foes,
And peace to keepe with them, with vs, and all
That make their title to this golden ball:
(Nor thincke yee gods my speeche doth derogate
From sacred powre of this immortall senate,)
Refer this sentence where it doth belonge,
In this say I fayre Phœbe hathe the wronge.
Not that (I meane) her beautye beares the prize:
But that the holly Lawe of heauen denies,
One god to medle in an others powre.
And this befell so neere Dianas bowre,
As for thappeazinge this vnplesant grudge,
(In my conceyte) shee hight the fittest iudge.
Yf Ioue comptroll not Plutoes hell with charmes,
Yf Mars haue souraigne powre to manage armes:
Yf Bacchus beare no rule in Neptune sea
Not Vulcans fire dothe Saturnes sythe obay:
Dianas power in her owne territorie:
Whose regiment, amid her sacred bowers,
As proper height as anie rule of yours.
Well may we so wipe all the speeche awaie,
That Pallas, Iuno, Venus hath to say,
And aunswere that by iustice of our lawes,
We were not suffred to conclude the cause.
And this to me most egall doome appeares,
A woman to be iudge amonge her pheeres.
Mer.
Apollo hath founde out the onely meane,
To rid the blame from vs and trouble cleane.
Vul.
We are beholding to his sacred wit.
Iup.
I can commend and well allow of it.
And so deriue the matter from vs all,
That Dian haue the giuing of the ball.
Vul.
So Ioue may clearly excuse him in the case,
Where Iuno else woulde chide and braule apace.
All they rise and goe foorth.
Mer.
And now, it were some cunning to deuine,
To whom Diana will this pryze resigne.
Vul.
Suffizeth me, it shall be none of mine.
Bac.
Uulcan, though thou be blacke, thart nothing fine.
Vul.
Goe bathe thee, Bacchus, in a tub of wine,
The balls as likely to be mine as thine.
Exeunt omnes: explicit. Act. 4.
| The Araygnement of Paris | |