University of Virginia Library

Scena. I.

Achmatt alone.
Achmat.
Who standing in the shade of humble valley,
Lookes vp and wonders at the height of hils,
When he with toyle of weary lims ascends,
And feeles his spirits melt with Phæbus glaies,
Or sinewes starke with Æolus bitter breathing.
Or thunder blasts, which comming from the skie,
Do fall most heauy on the places high:
Then knowes (though further scene, and further seeing,)
They multiply in woes that adde in glories.
Who weary is of natures quiet vallyes,
A meane estate with chast and poore desires,
Whose vertue longs for knees (blisse for opinion)
Who iudgeth pleasure, paradise in purple,
Let him seeme no gouernor of Castle,
No, pitty princes choise, whose weake dominions,
Make weake vnnoble councels to be currant;
But Basha vnto Solyman, whose scepter,
Nay seruants haue dominion ouer Princes,
Vnder whose feet the foure forgotten Monarches,
The foote-stooles lie of his eternall glory
Euen I thus raised: this Solymans beloued,
Thus caried vp by fortune to be tempted,
Must for my Princes sake destroy succession,
Or suffer ruine to preserue succession.
O wretched state of ours wherein we liue,
Where doubt giues loues, which nature can forgiue.
Where rage of Kings, not onely ruine be,
But where their very loue brings miserie.
Most happie men that know not, or else feare
The slipperie second place of honours steppe,
Which we with enuie get, and danger keepe:
But Kings, whome strength of heart did first aduance,
Be sure what rais'd you first, keepes you aboue;
Man subiect made himselfe, it was not chance,
Loue treateth trueth, and Ll. rule the world with feare & loue,
Iustice not kindnesse reuerence doth inhaunce,
For subiects to your selues when you descend,
To doate on Subiects Maiestie hath end.
Here as in weaknesse, flatterie prints her hart,
And priuate spight dare vse a Princes hand,
He error enters, trueth and right depart,
And Princes scorne the newes from hand to hand.
As Rossa prints her selfe in our Lords loue,
And with her mischiefe doeth his malice moue:
First of her selfe shee durst send Rosten forth
To murther Solyman his dearest sonne,
He found him onely garded with his worth,
Suspecting nothing and yet nothing done.
Rosten is now return'd; for wicked feare
Did euen make him wickednesse forbeare.
A Beliarby dispatcht, is sent to call him hither,
With colour of a warre against the Persian,
Indeede to suffer force of tyrannie,
From his inforced Fathers iealousie.
Who vtters this is to his Prince a traitour,
Who keepes this guiltie is, his life is ruth,
And dying liues, euer denying truth.
Thus hath the fancy-law of Kings ordained,
That who betrayes them most, is most esteemed,
Who saith they are betrayed is traytor deemed.
I sworne am to my king, and to his humor,
His humor? No; which they that follow most
Wade in the sea wherein themselues are lost.
But Acmat, stay; who wrests his princes mind
Presents his faith vpon the stage of chance,
Where vertue to the world, fortune vnknowne
Is oft misiudg'd, because she is ouerthrowne.
Nay Acmat stay not; who truth enuirons
With circumstance of mans failing wit,
For feare, for loue, for hope, for malice erreth,
Nature to Natures bankrupts he engageth.
And while none dare shew kings they go amisse,
Euen base obedience their corruption is:
Then feare, dwell with the Ill, Truth is assured;
Opinion be, and raigne with Princes Fortunes;
Pollicy go peere the faults of mortall kingdomes:
Death, threaten them that doubt to dye for euer.
I first am natures subiect, then my Princes,
I will not serue to innocencies ruine.
Whose heauen is earth, let them beleeue in princes,
My God is not the God of subtile murther,
Solyman shall know the worst; I looke no further.