University of Virginia Library

Actus primus.

Octauia.
Camilla. Iulia.
Camilla , now me thinkes this golden time,
Inuites our mindes to bathe in streames of ioy:
See how the earth doth flourish in his prime,
Whose liuery shewes the absence of annoye.
These woods, how they bedeckt with natures pride,
Shew inwarde touche of new conceiued myrthe.
The pretty byrdes, that in their couerts hide,
(Free Cittizens, euen happy from their birthe)
How they reioyce! and euery sencelesse thing,
Euen smiles with ioy: the earth perfumes the ayre,
The ayre, sweete Nectar to the earth doth bring,
And both with ioye, beget these children fayre.
How richly nature dooth her wealth enrobe:
Giuing each thing his beautie, forme and grace.
Eye-pleasing greene, circle of this our globe,
Great-myrrour of Apollos youthfull face.
Coulor of life, youthes liuerie, how delight
Dwels still with thee, whiles we, whom reason named
(But falsly namde and if I iudge aright)
Princes of all the rest that nature framed:
Still subiect are to sorrowes tyranny;
Slaues to mischance, vassals of fortunes power;
Bearing the yoake of endlesse miserie:
Faire baites of time which dooth vs all deuoure.
Now raisde aloft in honors highest seate,
Yet in that height farre short of sweete content,
Now, throwne downe headlong, be we nere so great,
In gulfe of greefe, which we may not preuent.
Our pleasures, (posting guests,) make but small stay,
And neuer once looke backe when they are gone:
Where greefes bide long, and leaue such scores to pay;
As make vs banckerout ere we thinke thereon.
Yet this same earth with new-borne beauties grac'd,
Doth say me thinkes in his dumbe eloquence:
Thus shall you spring, mongst heauenly angels plac'd,
Whē deaths cold winter once hath snatcht you hence.
These flowers, do bid vs in their language, read
In beauties bookes, how beautie is most fraile:
Whose youthfull pride, th'vntimely steps doth tread,
To deaths black kingdome, darke obliuions vaile.
These natures quiristers, do plainely say,
Waste thus your time, in setting forth his praise:
Who feedes, who clothes, who fils our harts with ioye:
And from this dead earth, dooth our bodies raise
Thus all their mirthe, are accents of our moane:
Their blisfull state, of our vnhappinesse,
A perfect map, where onely we alone,
May see our good, but neuer it possesse.

Cam.
Madam, as nature more then perfect is,
And farre more faire, then that we fairest call:
So you as heyre apparant to hir blisse,
Chiefe treasurer of hir perfections all;
Will shew your selfe most wise, and most diuine,
In curious search of her most hidden will;
And following but hir footesteps, yet refine:
The vniuersall secrets of hir skill.
Yet I admire, your Eagle-sighted eye,
Which hath truthes sun-bright cyrcle so well knowne:
In others worthe, discernes each Attomie,
Forgetfull most, of what is most your owne.
These other creatures, haue their properties,
Which shew, their Syre no niggard of his store,
But such great guiftes our mindes immortalize,
As proude ambitious selfe, can wish no more.
And you, great Ladie, whose high honor flyes,
With vertues winges, in admirations ayre:
Towring, an Eagles pyche, aboue the skies,
Where vulgar thoughts, are setled in despaire;
You, whose designes, haue put out enuies eyes,
Whose lampe of vertue giues the purest light;
You, that enforce weake fame to royallize,
Such high reuolues, as farre surpasse her might,
You, whose large praise, makes naked vertue lowre,
And tyres report, in painting out your storie;
You, in whose lappe doth streame the golden shower,
Of all good fortune, gracing highest glorie.
O how can you, once entertaine a thought,
That these high ioyes should stoupe to sorrowes lure?
Or how can true felicitie be brought,
The smallest touche of passion to endure?
Let those complaine, which suck misfortunes paps:
Who know nought els of vertue but the name,
Who seeming wise, are snar'd in follyes traps,
Whose rash attempts, breed swift ensuing shame.
But you heauens day-starre, piller of our blisse,
O want you euer, cloudes of discontent:
You are our ioy, we all ioyes, all should misse,
Did not your sunne-beames guild our firmament.

Oct.
Did not thy true loue seale this president,
I should suspect a serpent mongst the flowers:
And hardly iudge faire wordes from false intent,
Pore niggard truth, rich flattry, powres down showrs.
But loyall Ladies, doo you thinke in faith,
That highest honor, ioyes most sweet content?

Cam.
It doth no doubt, for high, and heauenly saith
The prouerbe olde, to which I giue consent.

Oct.
Thē heare me speake, what I shal say by proofe,
And what experience printed in my hart?
Perhaps a story for your owne behoofe,
Where I my selfe, haue played an actors part.
In youthe, I thought (though falsly thought) that best
Which fairest seemde, and my aspyring minde
Disdaind (though not with pride) that there should rest
A mean-borne thought, within my thoughts confin'd.
Treading this path, I was at last desired,
By Lord Marcellus, for his spouse, and wife.
Marcellus, he whose worthie fame aspyred,
To th'highest toppe of honor, during life.
If wealth, (nurse of delight) mought breed content:
I had no want of store to make me glad:
My greatnesse did ambitious thoughts preuent:
Such high successe Marcellus honours had.
Proude Carthage knowes, his youthfull sword did pay
Large tribute of their soules to stygian lake:
His middle age, the stoutest Gaules did fraye,
Marcellus name made their huge armies quake.
His ancient yeares, made craftie Hanniball
Admire the proues, and vallour of his foe:
Thrice bitter name, that cursed Canniball,
By bloudie treason, made him life forgoe.
Fiue times this cittie grac'd my worthy Lord,
Or rather he them grac'd, with Consuls name.
What they to others suites would scarce afforde,
They ioyde to see my Lord accept the same.
Now Ladies to forget my present state,
Did ioy thinke you this while orecharge my minde?
I ioyde I must confesse, to see how fate
With boundes of honor, had my life confin'de.
But when I found, how monster enuie, feedes
On highest honor, as his daintiest pray:
How brightest fier, great store of fuell needes,
To keepe his light, and beautie from decay.
When that I found the musicke of my minde,
Tunde to the concorde, of Marcellus blisse:
And sawe, true vallour had his life assignde,
To haughtie Mars, whose course most dangerous is.
I liu'd in him, he spent his royall dayes,
In bloudie bosome of life-scorning warres.
Safetie may breede delight, not nourish praise;
Harde is the way, from th'earth vnto the starres.
Whiles thus our state, depended on his sworde,
And thousand thousands sought his finall end:
Could my true loue, in all this time, afforde
One quiet thought in perfect mirthe to spend?
So many perils as on earth are found,
So many dangers as on raging seas,
So many terrours all my ioyes confound,
For true loue passions are no weake disease.
But is this all? no, more if more may be,
Tis greater care, to keepe, then get, a crowne.
Vertue dooth raise by small degrees we see:
Where in a moment Fortune casts vs downe.
And surely those that liue in greatest place,
Must take great care, to be such as they seeme:
They are not princes, whom sole tytles grace,
Our princelie vertues, we should most esteeme.
The sandes on Neptunes shores, and beamy starres,
Do not exceede the number of those cares
Which in our mindes, do stirre vp ciuill warres,
And crosse delights accountes, at vnawares.
Let this suffice, the tempest soonest teares
The highest towers, and who will mount alofte,
The more he climes, the more his footing feares:
Often he slides, but sildome falleth softe.
What words, can paint the infinite of woes?
What tongue, can halfe those miseries relate?
Which thundring fortune, threatned to impose
Vpon my head, at Tarent, but of late.
When as mine eyes mought see (though loth to see)
The sunnes, with whose eclipse, my fortune changed:
Mine owne deare Lord, and brother, both to be
In mortall armes, against each other ranged.
Which tempest calm'd, the storme begins againe,
On mischiefes maine, full sayles mishap doth beare:
I know not now what doth my Lord detaine,
But for I know not, I know cause to feare.
To visit him, at last I was contented,
And in those forraine coastes to make appeale:
But my accesse, at Athens he preuented,
Which makes me thinke, more then I will reueale.
And can I then with sorrowes waight oppressed,
Thinke to enamell my conceit with ioy?
Can I, that am with fortunes wracke distressed,
Hope to escape the Ocean of annoy?
Why, this is ioye, to taste no scence of death,
Till dying hower, haue stopt our vitall breath.

Iulia.
Ti's true delight, to know no cause of greefe,
Although the outward signes of ioye be small:
Who most reioycing, feeles that inward theefe,
A stayned conscience findes no ioy at all.

Cam.
Indeede I thinke, true ioy, a thing seuere,
Springing from fountaine of a vertuous minde:
From spotlesse faith, and conscience pure and cleare,
The chiefest good, the heauens haue vs assignde.
For as some weepe, that are not passing sad:
So many laugh that are not rightly glad.

Geminus.
Titius.
Say worthie Titius, what rare accident,
In so short time, did bring to happie end,
The cruell warres; which Cæsars discontent,
Gainst Lord Antonius, lately did intend;
How could so many weapons thirsting bloud,
Be satisfied with vnexpected peace?
What powerfull starres importun'd vs such good?
And did their angers tyrranny suppresse?

Titi.
That will I doo, my good friend Geminus.
And much the sooner, for that you may know,
No force, or weapons, hath procured vs,
The happy truce, wherein we glory now.
It was the time, when the declining sunne
Made greatest shew of least performed light:
And by his swift departure had begun,
To yeelde his interest, to th'encroching night.
When as the seas, euen burthened with our waight,
Deliuered vs vnto the perfect view
Of dreadfull Tarent: where for vs did waight,
Antonius fleete, with all their martiall crew.
There did our drowned anchors make vs stay,
Within the iawes of dangers tyrranny:
There, we discouered by the flying daye,
The agents of our threatned misery.
Who can expresse the horror of that night,
When darkenesse lent hir robes to monster feare?
And heauens black mantle banishing the light,
Made euery thing in ougly forme appeare.
Vntill Aurora, with faire purple flowres,
Like louing spouse, had strawed Tytans waye:
Whose glorious beames, began to guilde the towres,
As ioyfull post, of pleasure-bringing day.
Then did loude Martiall musicke charme a sleepe,
Each languishing conceipt, in doubtfull brest:
And new borne comfort, now began to creepe,
In euery minde, with causelesse feare opprest.
Then, pride of honor, made vs scorne our foes:
And courage added winges to our desire.
To present fight, we all our selues dispose:
With bloudie showers, to quenche incensed ire.
But ere our armies, had their charge fulfild,
Ere weapons, had our inward rage exprest:
Loe where Octauia, comes into the field,
Twixt both our armies, she hir selfe addrest.
Where with the Nectar of hir eloquence,
With words that mought relent indurate frost:
With maiestie, and beauties influence,
She stayes our Captaines, and affronts each hoast.
O how I see that wonder-breeding face!
O how I heare those hart-enchaining wordes!
O face! o wordes! that merite highest grace!
Immortall sure, base earth none such affords,
No womans weapon blindes her princely eye;
No womans weakenesse, hir tongues passage stayes:
Like one, that did both death, and fate defie,
Minerua-like she stands, and thus she sayes.
Heere will I bide, and this same brest oppose
To all your weapons, and whose wicked hand,
Shall first beginne t'assaile or strike his foes,
Shall strike this hart, and breake this vitall band.
No bloudie deed, Octauiaes eyes shall gaine,
A witnesse of your loathed crueltie:
But through this body shall the first be slaine,
That in this battle, is compell'd to dye.
If honor, vertue, worthe, or pietie,
Liue in your mindes, which beare such loftie names:
Returne your weapons, and heere quietly,
With reason, quench the force, of angry flames.
Els, let some bloudie executioner,
First robbe this iealious tombe, of loathed life:
And then, no longer neede you to deferre,
The issue, of your more then mortall strife.
Much more she said, which none but she can say,
And with her sugered speech, so much preuaild,
That like Medusaes marbled creatures, they
Amazed stood, so was their furie quaild.
Looke how that trydent scepter bearing king,
His ofte rebelling subiects, dooth suppresse,
And with a sodaine becke in order bring,
Their disproportion, with a quiet peace;
When that the pride, of some truce-wanting storme,
Doth summon vp their treason-working power;
Now gracing terror, with huge mountaines forme,
Now with steepe whirlepoole, seeking to deuoure:
So stood the Emperors, with hir wordes amazed,
Hir words, which seemde the myrrour of hir deede.
As men inchanted so on hir they gazed,
And in hir face, new lectures ganne to reede.
But when she saw, hir words did take effect,
Then powrde she forth the quintessence of witte:
And neuer did hir enterprice neglect,
Till both the Emperours bewitcht with it;
Not onely, did forget all former hate,
But euen there, before Octauiaes face,
A league of friendship they did consumate,
And louingly each other did imbrace.
O what a ioyfull sight, 'twas to behoulde
A dangerous fight, turn'd to a daintie feast.
To see how friends salute each other could,
That but euen now, each other did detest.
There did both armies sport in great delight,
And enterchangeably their loues expresse:
As captiues, foild without bloud, wound or fight,
They praise the conquest, and the victor blesse.
Then did Antonius, for Octauiaes sake,
Giue vnto Cæsar twentie Brygantines:
Which Cæsar did in courteous manner take,
And in requitall of his kinde designes,
Did twice fiue hundred armed soldiers, giue
To Anthony: and quickly one mought finde,
The sparkes of emulation made them striue,
Who mought doe most, to please Octauiaes minde.

Gem.
O noble deed, deseruing highest praise,
Well worthye to out-liue all memorye:
Life-sauing Empresse, how thy wisdome staies,
Euen swarmes of soules, from Plutoes tyranny.
But why did not Antonius, in like sorte
Returne to Roome, to pay delight her due.

Tit.
He presently to'ards Parthia did resort,
Against their King the warres for to renue.
And recommending all his owne affaires,
His wife, his children, and what els was deare,
To Cæsars best disposing: he repayres,
To Syria, and entends to winter there.

Gem.
Roome thou that keepst, the pearle that doth enclude,
Heauens dearest treasure, in earths finest frame:
Be neuer so vngratefull, to obtrude
Night-blacke obliuion, to her noble name.

Camilla. Geminus.
[Cam.]
Come Geminus, and vnto me relate,
What made the Empresse, alter her entent:
What did your voyage thus abbreuiate,
And all your expectations preuent.
Fame (bad concealer of our close entents)
Said, that the Empresse would to Syria goe:
To see Antonius, who himselfe abscentes,
But your returne, doth shew it was not so.

Gem.
Madame, when Æolus had once conuai'd
Our moouing houses, vnto that same place,
Where noble Cecrops, the foundations lay'd,
Which are the Grecian confines chiefest grace:
There, long before we could approach the gates
Of that faire Citty, we encounter'd were,
With people of all ages, and estates,
Who in their handes, did boughes of Lawrell beare.
Some on their knees, with ioy, and wonder fil'd,
Salute the Empresse: some rich giftes present.
Some straw'd the way with flowers, and some distil'd
Their sweet perfumes, along the fields we went.
Thus to the Citty were we guarded straight,
Where for our comming, all the states awaite.
There were our eyes, inuited to beholde
Most sumptuous shewes, with many pleasing sights:
There did we heare, their learned tongues vnfolde.
The muses skill, with rauishing delightes,
Their lowd applause, which peirc'd the very skies,
Extolde Octauia past the reach of fame:
And silent Eccho, wakened with their cries,
Taught all the neighbour hylles, to blesse her name.
Thus frankly did two daies themselues bestow,
To gratifie our entertainement there:
Whiles Antonie, who as it seem'd did know
Of our approach, and thereof stood in feare:
Sent Niger, vnto Athens, with all speed,
Who to Octauia letters did conuay:
Requiring her no further to proceede,
But for his comming in that place to stay.
For thither meant he shortly to repayre,
And therefore would not, she should vndertake
So long a iorney, which mought much impayre
Her health, and quiet, bootlesse for his sake.
She, halfe suspecting (as there was good cause)
That this was but a practise of delay:
Although vnwilling, yet she made a pause,
As one that knew not how to disobay.
But finding all his words to want effect,
And seeing nothing mought his minde recall:
Such things, she doth vnto him straight direct,
As she had brought, to pleasure him withall.
Which was, two thousand chosen men at armes:
Great store of horses, wonte to winne their price;
Much armour, to defend themselues from harmes,
As richely wrought, as cunning could deuize;
Guiftes, to reward his best-deseruing friends;
A summe of money for his souldiers paye;
And briefly all hir care, and studie bends,
To saue his wayning honor, from decaye.
But whē she saw, nought mought his thoughts recline
Vnkinde, saith she, sencelesse of thine owne shame,
Ile be my selfe, since thou wilt not be mine:
Thus she concluded, and away we came.

Cam.
O peerelesse paragon! O natures pride!
Faire Cabinet, where wisdomes treasure lies,
Earths glory, and the heauens beloued bride,
Rich seate of honor, vertues paradize.
Most noble Empresse, praise of women kinde,
Whose faith endures the rage of fortunes flame:
Whose constant truthe, and truly vertuous minde,
Scornes smallest touche of iust-deserued blame.
How naturall, and vndeuided, are
The sparkes of honor, in a noble harte:
How industrie, and wit, may not compare,
With that true touche, our birthright doth imparte.
Liue vertuous Empresse, myrrour of our age,
Though chance discharge whole vollyes of reproach;
With fortitude withstand proud fortunes rage,
Let not despaire, neare thy sweete thoughts encroache.
Time must needs turne thy mourning vnto ioye,
For true delight from hence his spring doth take:
When we with patience suffer sharpe annoye,
Not for our merits, but for vertues sake.

Chorus.