University of Virginia Library

Actvs Tertivs.

Alexander, Metron, Ceballinus, Craterus, Perdiccas, Ephestion.
Alexander.
Come, Metron say, of whom hast thou receiued
Th'intelligence of this conspiracy,
Contriu'd against our person, as thou sayst,
By Dymnus and some other of the Campe?
Is't not some vaine report borne without cause,
That enuy or imagination drawes
From priuate ends, to breed a publike feare,
T'amuze the world with things that neuer were?

Met.
Here, may it please your Highnesse is the man,
One Ceballinus, that brought me the newes.

Ceb.
O, Alexander! I haue sau'd thy life;
I am the man that haue reueal'd their plot.

Alex.
And how cam'st thou to be inform'd thereof?

Ceb.
By mine owne brother, one Nichomacus,
Whom Dymnus, chiefe of the conspiratours,
Acquainted with the whole of their intents.

Alex.
How long since is it, this was told to thee?

Ceb.
About some three dayes, my souereigne Lord.

Alex.
What, three dayes since! and hast thou so long kept
The thing conceal'd from vs, being of that weight?
Guard, Take and lay him presently in hold.

Ceb.
O, may it please your Grace, I did not keep
The thing conceal'd one houre, but presently
Ran to acquaint Philotas there withall,
Supposing him a man, so neere in place,
Would best respect a case that toucht so neere;
And on him haue I waited these two dayes,
Expecting t'haue beene brought vnto your Grace;
And seeing him weigh it light, pretending that
Your Graces leasure seru'd not fit to heare,
I to the Master of your armoury
Addrest my selfe forthwith, to Metron here
Who, without making any more delay,
Prest in vnto your Grace being in your bath,
Locking me vp the while in th'armoury:
And all what I could shew reuealed hath.

Alex.
If this be so then, fellow, I confesse,
Thy loyall care of vs was more than theirs,
Who had more reason theirs should haue bin more.
Cause Dymnus to be presently brought forth.
And call Philotas streight, who, now I see,
Hath not deceiu'd me, in deceiuing me.
Who would haue thought one, whom I held so neere,
Would from my safety haue beene so farre off,
When most it should and ought import his care,
And wherein his allegeance might make proofe
Of those effects my fauours had deseru'd.
And ought t'haue claim'd more duty at his hands
Than any of the rest? But thus w'are seru'd,
When priuate grace out of proportion stands,
And that we call vp men from of below,
From th'element of baser property.
And set them where they may behold and know
The way of might, and worke of maiesty;
VVhere see'ng those rayes, which being sent far off,
Reflect a heate of wonder and respect,
To faile neere hand, and not to shew that proofe,
(The obiect only working that effect)
Thinke (seeing themselues, though by our fauour, set
VVithin the selfe same orbe of rule with vs)
Their light would shine alone, if ours were set;
And so presume t'obscure or shadow vs.
But he shall know, although his neerenesse hath
Not felt our heat, that we can burne him too;
And grace that shines, can kindle vnto wrath;
And Alexander and the King are two.
But here they bring vs Dymnus, in whose face
I see is guilt, despaire, horror, and death.

Guar.
Yea, death indeed, for ere he could b'attach'd
He stabb'd himselfe so deadly to the heart,
As tis impossible that he should liue.

Alex.
Say Dymnus, what haue I deserud of thee,
That thou shouldst thinke worthier to be thy King,
Philotas, than our selfe? hold, hold, he sinks;
Guard keepe him vp, get him to answer vs.

Guar.
He hath spoke his last, h'wil neuer answer more.

Alex.
Sorry I am for that, for now hath death
Shut vs cleane out from knowing him within,
And lockt vp in his brest all the others hearts,
But yet this deed argues the truth in grosse,
Though we be barr'd it in particular.
Philotas, are you come? Looke here, this man,
This Ceballinus should haue suffred death,
Could it but haue beene prou'd he had conceal'd
Th'intended treason from vs these two dayes;
Wherewith (he sayes) he streight acquainted thee.
Thinke, the more neere thou art about our selfe,
The greater is the shame of thine offence:
And which had beene lesse foule in him than thee.

Phil.
Renowmed Prince, for that my heart is cleere,
Amazement cannot ouer cast my face,
And I must boldly with th'assured cheere
Of my vnguilty conscience tell your Grace,
That this offence (thus hapning) was not made
By any the least thought of ill in me;
And that the keeping of it vnbewrai'd,
Was, that I held the rumour vaine to be,
Considering some, who were accus'd, were knowne
Your ancient and most loyall seruitours,
And such, as rather would let out their owne
Heart blood, I know, than once indanger yours.
And for me then, vpon no certaine note,
But on the brabble of two wanton youthes,
T'haue tolde an idle tale, that would haue wrought
In you distrust, and wrong to others truths,
And to no end, but only to haue made
My selfe a scorne, and odious vnto all.
(For which I rather tooke the bait was layd,
Than els for any treachery at all.)
I must confesse, I thought the safest way
To smoother it a while, to th'end I might,
If such a thing could be, some proofes bewray,
That might yeeld probability of right;
Protesting that mine owne vnspotted thought
A like beloefe of others truth did breed,
Iudging no impious wretch could haue bin wrought
T'imagine such a detestable deed.
And therefore, O dread Souereigne, do not way
Philotas faith by this his ouersight,
But by his actions past, and only lay
Error t'his charge, not malice nor despight.

Alex.
Well, loe, thou hast a fauourable Iudge,
When, though thou hast nor pow'r to cleere thy blame,
Yet hath he pow'r to pardon thee the same;
Which take not as thy right, but as his grace,
Since here the person alters not the case.
And here, Philotas, I forgiue the offence,
And to confirme the same, loe here's my hand.

Phi.
O sacred hand, the witnesse of my life!
By thee I hold my fafety as secure
As is my conscience free from treachery,

Alex.
Well, go t'your charge, and looke to our affaires,
For we to morrow purpose to remoue.

Exit.
Alex.
In troth I know not what to iudge herein,
Me thinkes that man seemes surely cleere in this,
How euer otherwise his hopes haue beene
Transported by his vnaduisednesse:
It cannot be, a guilty conscience should
Put on so sure a brow; or els by art
His lookes stand newtrall, seeming not to hold
Respondency of int'rest with his heart.
Sure, for my part, he hath dissolu'd the knot
Of my suspition, with so cleere a hand,
As that I thinke in this (what euer plot
Of mischiefe it may be) he hath no hand.

Crat.

Perd.
And for my part, my liege, I hold this minde,
That sure, he would not haue so much supprest
The notice of a treason in that kinde,
Vnlesse he were a party with the rest.
Can it be thought that great Parmenios sonne,
The generall commander of the horse,
The minion of the campe, the only one
Of secret counsell, and of free recourse,
Should not in three dayes space haue found the King
At leasure t'heare three words of that import;
Whil'st he himselfe in idle lauishing
Did thousands spend t'aduance his owne report?

Crat.
And if he gaue no credit to the youth,
Why did he two dayes space delay him then?
As if he had beleeu'd it for a truth,
To hinder his addresse to other men.
If he had held it but a vaine conceit,
I pray why had he not dismist him streight?
Men in their priuate dangers may be stout,
But in th'occasions and the feares of Kings
We ought not to be credulous, but doubt
The intimation of the vainest things.

Alex.

Scena II.

Antigona
, Thais.
Oy'are a secret counsell-keeper, Thais:
In troth I little thought you such a one.

Tha.
And why, Antigona, what haue I done?

Ant.
You know ful-well, your conscience you bewraies.

Tha.

Ant.
I cannot tell: but you haue made me doo
That which must euermore afflict my heart.
And if this be my wofull part, t'vndoo
My dearest Loue, would I had had no part,
How haue I silly woman sifted been,
Examin'd, trid, flatt'red, terrifi'd,
By Craterus, the cunningest of men,
That neuer left me till I had descri'd
What euer of Philotas I had know'n!

Tha.
What, is that all? Perhaps I haue thereby
Done the more good than thou canst apprehend.

Ant.
Such good I rather you should get than I,
If that can be a good t'accuse my friend.

Tha.
Alas, thy accusation did but quote
The margin of some text of greater note.

Ant.
But that is more then thou or I can tell.

Tha.
Yes, yes, Antigona, I know it well.
For be thou sure, that alwayes those who seeke
T'attacke the Lyon, so prouide, that still
Their toyles be such, as that he shall not scape
To turne his rage on those that wrought his ill
Philotas neither was so strong nor hie,
But malice ouerlookt him, and discride
Where he lay weake, where was his vanity;
And bui't her countermounts vpon that side,
In such sort, as they would be sure to race
His fortunes with the engins of disgrace.
And now mayst thou, perhaps, come great hereby,
And gracious with his greatest enemy:
For such men thinke, they haue no full succes,
Vnlesse they likewise gaine the mistresses
Of those they master, and succeed the place
And fortunes of their loues with equall grace.

Ant.
Loues! Out alas! Loue such a one as he,
That seekes t'vndoo my Loue, and in him me?

Tha.
Tush, loue his fortunes, loue his state, his place,
What euer greatnesse doth, it must haue grace.

Ant.
I weigh not greatnesse, I must please mine eye.

Tha.
Th'eye nothing fairer sees than dignity.

Ant.
But what is dignity without our loue?

Tha.
If we haue that, we cannot want our loue.

Ant.
Why, that giues but the out-side of delight:
The day time ioy, what comfort hath the night?

Tha.
If pow'r procure not that, what can it do?

Ant.
I know not how that can b'attain'd vnto.

Tha.
Nor will I teach thee, if thou know'st it not:
Tis vaine, I see, to learne an Asian wit.

Exit.
Ant.
If this be that great wit, that learned skill,
You Greeks professe, let me be foolish still,
So I be faithfull. And now, being here alone,
Let me record the heauy notes of mone.

Scena III.

Craterus, Ephestion, Clitus, &c.
Craterus.
My Lords, you see the flexible conceit
Of our indangered souereigne: and you know
How much his perill, and Philotas pride,
Imports the State and vs; and therefore now
We either must oppose against deceit,
Or be vndone: for now hath time discride
An open passage to his farthest ends;
From whence, if negligence now put vs backe,
Returne we neuer can without our wracke.

And, good my Lords, since you conceiue as much,
And that we stand alike, make not me prosecute
The cause alone, as if it did but touch
Only my selfe; and that I did both breed
And vrge these doubts out of a priuate griefe.
Indeed, I know, I might with much more ease
Sit still like others; and if dangers come,
Might thinke to shift for one, as well as they:
But yet the faith, the duty, and respect
We owe both to our souereigne and the State,
My Lords, I hold, requires another care.

Eph.
My Lord, assure you we will take a time
To vrge a stricter count of Dymnus death.

Crat.
My Lords, I say, vnlesse this be the time,
You will apply your physicke after death.
You see the King inuited hath this night
Philotas with the rest, and entertaines
Him with as kinde an vsage (to our sight)
As euer: and you see the cunning straines
Of sweet insinuation, that are vs'd
T'assuce the eare of grace with false reports:
So that all this will come to be excus'd
With one remoue; one action quite transports
The Kings affections ouer to his hopes,
And sets him so beyond the due regard
Of his owne safety, as one enterprize,
May serue their turne, and may vs all surprize.

Clit.
But now, since things thus of themselues breake out,
We haue aduantage to preuent the worst,
And eu'ry day will yeeld vs more, no doubt;
For they are sau'd, that thus are warned first.

Crat.
So, my Lord Clitus, are they likewise warn'd
T'accelerate their plot, being thus bewrai'd.

Cli.
But that they cannot now, it is too late:
For treason taken ere the birth, doth come
Abortiue, and her wombe is made her tombe.

Crat.
You do not know how farre it hath put forth
The force of malice, nor how farre is spred
Already the contagion of this ill.

Clit.
Why then there may some one be tortured
Of those whom Ceballinus hath reueal'd,
Whereby the rest may be discouered.

Crat.
That one must be Philotas, from whose head
All this corruption flowes; take him, take all.

Clit.
Philotas is not nam'd, and therefore may
Perhaps not be acquainted with this plot.

Crat.
That, his concealing of the plot bewraies:
And if we do not cast to find him first,
His wit (be sure) hath layd so good a ground,
As he will be the last that will be found.

Clit.
But if he be not found, then is this case
We do him more, by iniuring his grace.

Crat.
If that he be not found t'haue dealt in this,
Yet this will force out some such thoughts of his,
As will vndoo him: for you seldome see
Such men arraign'd, that euer quitted be.

Eph.
Well, my Lord Craterus, we will moue his Grace
(Though it be late) before he take his rest,
That some course may be taken in this case:
And God ordaine, it may be for the best.

Exeunt.
CHORVS.