 | Landgartha |  |
The first Act.
Enter Fredericke and Wermond.Fred.
It's a noble, noble act!
Wer.
And cannot.
But vex the bloudy usurper, let him put
Ever so good a face on't, though they were
But women only, that conspire against him.
Fred.
It stirs him not: for since his conquest made
On us, and murdring of our lawfull Prince,
Things have succeeded so to all his wishes,
That he's grow'n carelesse: nay blindly besotted
By security, and selfe-perswasion,
Lock'd by the tempest of his lust; so as
He feares no force of man; much lesse weake women,
As he is pleasd to tearme 'em; he minds nothing
But whom to kill, or foulely ravish: and
The conversation of his Bawds, and Spintries.
Wer.
Is't possible, he sho'd be so secure,
And passe away in such a dying slumber?
Fred.
He thinkes the gods doe slumber too, or winke
Or that there are no gods, and what's spoke of 'em
Is but a meere foolish fable; He'll beleeve
No mans intelligence, not his owne spyes,
That this fleet of Denmarke, now lanch'd forth, sho'd move
Against him hither.
Wer.
It's not all the power,
He for the present can command that will
Resist it, if it doe; joyn'd to the valiant
Landgartha, with her faire lock'd troope of Ladies:
Musicke of Recorders.
But, let's be silent; here the wretch himselfe comes.
Enter Frollo leading a weeping Lady, Hasmond and Gotar.
Fr.
Come my pretty sweet-heart, dry up those pleasing
Eyes; this liquor's too precious to be spilt
In such a cause, for a lost Maydenhead,
And to a King that will become thy slave for't,
And for more of that sport: who to please thee
In that, and whatsoever else thou canst conceive,
To rayse content to thee, and varri'd to thought,
Will ransacke Kingdomes.
Lady,
Leave me yet blacke Devill,
Breakes from him
Thy words found farre worse than the voyce of Hell.
Fr.
Some kicke the Spyder out at the Court gates;
An angry scratching Cat. We wo'd not be
Exeunt Fred. and Wer, with the Lady.
So vex'd another night with such a foole.
Got.
She'll soone repent Sir, and turne backe, to offer
Her dainty body to your mylder usage.
Hasm.
I rather thinke, she'll to the mad Langartha;
And there make one among her furious troope
Of Furies, that will yet endure no horsing,
Though they manage bravely.
Fr.
There's a Wench indeed,
What lucke had I, never to lay my hands
On her? They say she's very faire and handsome.
Hasm.
The clappers of mens tongues proclayme that; and
Fr.
We shall finde'em (the best
Is of it) altogether, to make a royall
Choyce. We meane to single forty at least,
Of the most buxome (of which she shall be
Chiefe generall, as now she is) for our
Owne private pallat.
Hasm.
I may hope (Sir) you'll grant
Me halfe the number, with her wise and modest
Aunt Elsionar, to precede: Or her fine
Valorous sister Scania, for I must
Imitate your manly vertue, Sir, as neere
As I can.
Fr.
Marke we'l what I say now: for thy
Good service as my honest smocke Atturney
(Though sometime, yet thou did'st begin to us, thou'lt say
For feare they'd beene diseas'd:) thou shalt not have
One woman (wert thou e'er so willing) more
Or lesse than thirty.
Hasm.
O Prodigious!
Ieeringly.
I doe beseech you, Sir, to heare me speake,
Like so many Basilisks (with angry shots
From their sharpe venom'd eyes) they'd strike me dead:
Or (as the Porcupyne) send fether'd arrowes
At me, for my slacknesse.
Fr.
You must have thirty,
Or none.
Hasm.
Nay, If I must, I shall: and that's
As bad.
Got.
You will not (Sir) be altogether
Solemnely.
Unmindefull of my good endeavours.
Fr.
By no meanes, good Sir, thou shalt possesse for thy
Share, twenty five; with the pretty smugge Fatyma,
To leade'em.
Gotar.
I humbly thanke your grace, though I
Sho'd not covet so many desperate femals:
Yet, with the assistance of my kindest friends,
I shall be strongly back'd.
Enter Wermond.
May it please you, Sir,
Here are arriv'd two posts at once, all full
Of sweat and durt; and bring bad newes, it's fear'd.
Fr.
Curse on thy feares, Goe, send 'em hither to us;
Exit.
It's but these women that affright fooles thus.
Enter first post.
What newes? be briefe.
Gotar.
He's full of durt, indeed!
1. Post.
Landgartha with a mighty troope of women,
Gatherd to her from all the parts of Norway,
Make havocke of your souldiers, sir; and killing
All the Sweds they light vpon, they likewise threaten,
They will grant you (ere long) no better quarter.
Fr.
My Sweds and I will make some, here in Norway,
Pay dearely for that vant. Come, doe thou croake too
Enter 2. post.
The worst tale thou canst.
2. Post.
You had neede, Sir, make quicke
Resistance, or shift for your selfe: for, the King
Of Denmarke, with a mighty fleete, has now
Put in at Mastrand; and begins to land
His forces, to joyne with Landgartha's: who
With maine speede, marches to meete him thither.
Fr.
Which he shall soone repent, and so shall that
Male-harted Traytresse, withall the curll'd knot
Of rebels that attend her; We are not
So unprovided, as they doe suppose yet,
Fly therefore Hasmomd, gather thou our troopes
Within and neere the Citie. Gotar, thou
Haste to the quarters further of; and with
All possible speed draw unto us. Away
When need compels, men must use no delay.
Exeunt omnes:
A march, then enter Landgartha, Scania, Elsinora, Fatyma, and one or two Ladies more, all attyr'd like Amazons, with Battle-axes in their hands, and Swords on.
Land.
We now (sweet Ladies and deare sisters) march not
Against th' intemperate Frollo: but ascend
The milkie way, that leads to immortall fame,
But stated in the high'st Empyreall heaven,
To side the gods, where Pallas and chast Phœbe
(Arm'd chiefely with the weapons of their vertues)
Keepe all the Masculin deities in awe.
This our designe may well exalt us thither,
As their good deeds did them: that in defence
Of that all sho'd hold dearest, our honours, Ladies,
Doe now expose our selves to death, and what
A cruell, vicious, revengefull Tyrant
May inflict on us, if vanquish'd. Yet, this act
Of ours we must not vainely boast of: for,
The little birds will (with their beaks and wings)
Offend the ravishers of their young issue.
What then should we performe thinke you, that farre
Passe these? yeild up your bodies basely to
Foule rape and lust, and so to infamie
For ever? No, no: farre be this from us
Honour'd virgins, that have such armes to wield
These cutting weapons, being (too) to fight authoriz'd,
By the examples of the noblest women,
Semiramis, Zenobia, faire Cinana
Sister unto great Macedon, stout Alvilda,
Cumilla, and the Amazonian Queenes,
Great Mithridates Queene, and severall others,
Are patterns now for us to imitate;
O most brave patterns! Yet this we may say,
That our chast glories shall passe theirs, as farre
As th' worth of our intentions doth exceed
The cause they undertooke: nor ought you doubt it.
Let then the King of Denmarke fight where he lift:
We will pursue no other than our worst
And strongest adversary in's owne squadron;
Where I, as first, will loose my life, or give
A suddaine end to his blacke purposes,
That sought a conquest on our chastities.
Elsinor.
Thy vertues and example, Neece: that are not
To be reach'd by any imitation
Excite our courages, then Hermes could,
Were he now here, to play the Orator:
Lead on then; you shall find us no bad seconds.
Scania.
I have more than a womans longing to begin.
Land.
I know Fatyma, though she be not great,
Has not the least desire to fight among us.
Fatyma.
Stay till you see me knocke some great ones downe;
Untill when, I shall well remit your prayses.
Land.
Then follow me; and as you see me wooe
The Swedish King, to his doe you so too.
Exeunt. A march.
Enter Reyner, Valdemar, Inguar, Hubba, and one or two or more Souldiers with Axes.
Reyner.
It's my chiefe comfort, noble Cymbrians,
Subjects and friends, to be your guide to day,
Against a valiant, wicked adversary;
And for our right, th' inheritance of this kingdome,
To shew that vertue and the cause, doe more
Prevayle than any humane fortitude,
Or setl'd Councels, when they're joyn'd to vice;
And by injustice leeke to advance their state:
Which wisely our forefathers mask'd beneath
The fables of the Titans 'gainst the gods.
But it sho'd seeme the vertue of our foes
(Wisedome and valour) has forsooke 'em, by
Their palliardise, by ease, and hourely ryot;
This kingdome being more fatall unto them,
Then Capua was to Hannibal: and therefore,
Not worth your meanest feares: I must not then
Inlarge my selfe in words too farre, because
You need 'em not; nor need you be beholding,
Unto the fames of your brave Ancestors,
Those valiant Cymbrians, that almost gave
An end to Rome, the Mistris of the world,
And not in her declyning dayes, when her
Owne vices had confounded her; as when
Did trample on her, being downe before.
She liv'd full man, when great King Beleus
Did (on the borders of rich Jtaly)
Vanquish three of her bravest Generals,
Sylanus, Cœpio, and Manilius.
This (if you please) you may consider; and
That our foes are more famous for their whoredomes,
Than conquering of Norway. Reflect also
How for this cause, we are assisted by
An Angel troope, of chast and noble Ladies:
Whom neyther losse of life, or other evils
Can fright, from seeking to revenge the wrongs
Done to their Sex, their parents, and their friends.
Then, let's not shame our selves now in their presence,
Or to posteritie: by being out-gone
By women in a battle. Lastly, consider
The everlasting honour due to vertue;
Of which we now shall make a glorious purchase.
Hub.
I am affraid you will consider (sir,)
So long of these women; untill you forget
What you applaud so feelingly, your vertue.
Rey.
Thou'rt alwayes merry, Hubba, honest withall;
And from my heart I wish, that each man here
Performe a Souldiers parts, no worse than thou;
We shall not then be beaten.
Vald.
Let's march on, sir:
And you shall quickly find the meanest of 'em,
Valiant and strong to purchase what's your birth-right.
Rey.
Then let us move; and prosper too, as we
Affect injustice, or impietie.
Exeunt. A march
Enter Frollo, Hasmond, Gotar, and two or three more with Axes.
Frollo.
We must not loose our confidence, brave Warriors,
Though we be taken somewhat tardy, by
A sort of raw fresh-water souldiers, weake
And some poore fugitive Norwegian rebels,
Conquer'd and beaten oft by us before.
What then although our numbers be the lesse?
Yet not by much: the glory of the adventure,
Would not be worth the paines we under tooke else.
Besides, if we consider what our Ancestors
Have (by their never-equall'd vallors) oft
Perform'd against the noblest nations of
The world, this our designe is nothing: nothing
To what they did: What we have done our selves,
And meane to doe hereafter. Notwithstanding,
Let me commend unto your memories,
After a generall fashion (for now
The time exacts deeds more than words) what some
Of their large conquests were, not onely in
Europe, Which was all theirs a'most: but in
Affricke, a third and richest part of th' world;
Which from the Ocean unto Nyle they won;
And from the Mid-land Sea, to the torrid Zone.
Great Rome her selfe (that wisedome boasted most,
And next her vallor) was by our fathers taken,
Pillag'd, and burnt foure times at least; and her
Large Empyre brought to nothing. She master'd all:
We master'd her;
And will not now degenerate first of ours.
What though men say, we are not religious?
Religion is but a toy, and first invented
By politicke States, to keepe fooles in awe;
And of all men observed least by themselves,
If she but thwart the least of their intendments.
They glorifie her much for their owne ends;
And that's even almost all: and so may we.
Yet, honour by warre, riches, and our pleasure,
Shall be the Altars, and the gods we'll bow to
In our free mindes; and what we gaine we'l keepe.
King Reyner therefore was not wise, in seeking
To dispossesse the bravest Nation breathing,
And shall (I hope) in snatching at our Crowne,
By your more pow'rfull armes, soone misse his own.
Ex. Allarums.
A good while after the allarums are begun, Enter Frolle and a gentleman.
Frol.
Furies and plagues: these wild, wild bloudy whores,
Fight like so many Tygers: without the least
Apprehension of feare, or any kind
Of mercy: the pursie Danes come nothing neere 'em.
Having cut off our vauntgard, and right wing,
They presse on our maine battle too; and force
It to give ground. Goe, fly thou: and charge Hasmond
To fetch the reare with speed up; that we may
Exit gentl.
(There being no other hope for safety left us)
Upon one desperat onslaught hazard all.
Enter Scania.
Scan.
I am glad I've met you, sir.
Frol.
A pretty fine peece,
aside.
I wo'd faine save this. I sho'd preferre
Thy beautie, unto ought that's ours; prove kind
And gentle unto thee, sweet-heart: if thou'lt
But yeeld—
Scania.
To thy imbraces, that must 'a' had
My sister, me and forty more. We now
Shall see what your can doe 'gainst one: Come quickly
Then, vnto your guard sir: or I shall soone send forth
Your too hot bloud, to coole your lustfull heart.
Frol.
Plague on you for a company of spitefull,
Venomous tong'd bitches. Ye had rather lye
With the worst Hynde of your owne, than the best of us.
Scan.
Villaine, I'll answer thee another way.
Offers to fight on which Land enters.
Land.
Hold sister. This must only be my mate:
Goe, seeke you out another somewhere else?
Exit Scania.
Frol.
Art thou Landgartha? or some supernall goddesse,
Descended in her fairer shape, to make
A conquest now on Frollo, that must yeeld
Himselfe thy captive?
Thou once call'dst me subject;
And I am come to tender my alleageance,
To your ungracious wickednesse, thus—
stricks at him.
Frol.
Hold, for heavens sake hold, and patiently
But take my faithfull vow. Doe thou withdraw
Thy troopes from our defeat: and by the Olympian
Gods, I shall no sooner
Have strucke King Reyner with his punic Danes,
But I'll make thee my Queene.
Land.
Thy Concubyne.
Frol.
All miseries light on me then for ever;
Or if I ever mixe with woman but
Thy selfe: for thou art worthy of a Mars,
A Hercules, or Iupiter.
Land.
And have
Fully resolv'd never to kisse any man,
But him that shall first master me in fight:
You are best therefore looke well to your selfe, sir;
Or I shall quickly marry your hearts bloud
To this weapon.
They fight & he's hurt.
Frol.
I bleed you see: let which
Serve as an offering, to appease thy wrath
Conceiv'd against a wretch, that now repents
Here Rey. Vald. Inguar & Hubb. are discovered.
(Unfainedly) his former evill life.
May the gods chiefe attribute then (mercy)
Find roome for me (a Convertite) in thy
Noble and vertuous soule: and I shall still
Become thy pious imitator: be
Govern'd by thee in all things, and thy husband,
By heaven and all, I will
Land.
But I hope you shall not:
For I must try your manhood once againe.
They fight, and she strikes him downe.
Reyn.
O brave mayde!
Frol.
Faire Furie, thou hast kill'd me,
Hell take thee for 't: my love is now cool'd indeed.
But I will be reveng'd. I cannot, cannot rise:
The losse of bloud, and paine, strike faint my pow'rs:
That I were now on high transform'd Atlas:
Might cut the axle-tree of heaven in two:
And tumble downe the gods, and breake their necks,
Proud gods, if such there be. Then, like Enceladus
(Loaden with flaming Etna) I sho'd turne,
And shake out all the starres: The sunne, and with
That fire, burne all to cinders. Thus I 'd turne:
O divels, I cannot: but doe feele a pitchy
Cloud (darker than night) hang o'r my drowsie temples:
And must (there is no remedy) descend, to stalke
Along th' infernall waves, or wasted over,
Grapple with the damned Furies, receive my soule
You beastly Hags, then: that shall torment you more,
Than you can any.
Dyes.
Land.
The gods are now reveng'd
On thee, by me, libidinous Woolfe, foule Tyrant.
Rey.
And rid me (worthy Lady,) of a dangerous
Adversary.
Land.
I doe beseech, sir:
Kneels on one knee.
As my duty onely to receive that,
Vnto them and your grace, though a woman.
Rey.
This to me (Madame) is too great an honour.
Pray stand up. I should rather kneele to you,
Whose beauty and incomparable vertues,
Exact no slender adoration,
From all those that love goodnesse; or the image
Of heaven in your face. We must acknowledge,
Notwithstanding our right to the crowne of Norway,
What pow'r soe'r we have in't, gain'd and confirm'd
Chiefly by you, that are our strongest friend.
Land.
Your poore and humble vassall, that desires
No other recompence for her small service,
Than your Kingly licence, to remaine
(When your foes are wholly vanquish'd) from all
Imployment sever'd: to leade a solitary
Quiet life, being compell'd (in the defence
Of what I ever most esteemed) to match
Thus amongst men; which I did not covet, but
Rey.
You will not wrong the world
(The race of man, sweet Lady,) so to robb it
Of such lustre: nay of all light, by
Dedicating of what is onely good in't,
Your selfe, to solitude.
Land.
I must not be
Compell'd to any state of life, sir.
Rey.
You cannot
Madame, I see that; and (by your force my foes
Now put to flight) I shall continue alwayes,
Not onely a meere servant, but for ever
Your bondman; not to offend you i'th' least thought.
Enter Scania, Elsinora, & Fat.
Vald.
Here be other noble friends (sir) to whom you
Stand bound in no small summes.
Elsinor.
Of Princely favour
Onely.
Rey.
Rise faire Ladies, you shall command
Vs, being your creature.
Hub.
they're delicate fine wenches, pretty youths.
Land.
You are now, sir
To consider, how to use your victory.
Scania.
For us, we shall hereafter (we doubt not)
Partake the fruits of your most Royall bounty,
Which we shall begge more, for the generall
Good, than our particular interests, sir.
Rey.
You shall be the Law-makers, to your selves:
For those, by whom we raigne, shall be our guides:
In the meane time, thou Valdemar and Inguar,
Pursue the flying foe, but most with mercie,
Not of circumspection, yet, least th' Van
Turne by some accident, by us not thought on;
Save all that yeeld, whom we doe meane to send
Home ransomelesse; to see if that benefit
May worke a peace betwixt us, If it doe not,
We shall the next time be the more excus'd,
In our extending of severitie
Come Ladies, we'll to counsell to conclude
Concerning what we have (by you) subdu'd.
| Landgartha | |