University of Virginia Library

Scena Prima.

Enter Clotair, Solus,
Clot.
What vulture gripes me here, ha, what art thou?
If thou beest jealousie mount and be gone;
Fly to the vulgar bosome, whose cheap thoughts
Despair their own performance; in a Prince
Thou shew'st a nature retrograde to honour.
Suppose she gave the Jewels, must it follow
She therefore is disloyal? poor consequence,
A Bable for a boy to play withall;
I am resolv'd, hark, I hear her comming;
O Juno, what a look and gate is there!

Enter Aphelia as going to bed, two or three Ladyes with Lights.
Aphe.
Mock me not Ladyes with this Ceremony,
For I am fitter to attend on you;
I am become a servant and a slave
To every moodie passion of my Lord.
All that's behind I can perform my self,
Without this complement.

1 Lady.
Sweet Lady,
You must not weigh these things so deeply,
Your Lord is of a noble spirit;
And you shall see how calm he will return,
Blessing your Bridall bed with fruitfull issue.

Aphe.
No, no;
The Safforn-coated Hymen frowns upon us,
These Tapers here were lighted at a pile,
As sit Attendants on the Grave, not Bed;
Juno denyes her presence at this match,
And all the ill presaging birds of night
Sing fatall Requiems for a Bridall Song;
O Ladyes, is not this ominous?

Clot.
Yes my Aphelia, if that ragged fate
Lie in a kiss, then it is ominous.
Let me dwell here; I am ravisht,
Am I on earth? no, heaven is here,
And all th'unimitable joyes, that Poets feign,
Are better'd in thy goodnesse.

Aphe.
I hope your fears are satisfied now,
You bear a brow so sweetly pleasant.

Clot.
What pretty foolery is this Aphelia?
I am not jealous, for by all that good
I cannot think thee evill; kiss me sweet,
(kisses her.
There's no deceit lies here; again, agen:
(again kisses.
Her kisses melt upon my lip, if sin
Have so much heaven in't, i'l be a sinner;
Prethee forgive my folly that could be wrought
To such a senselesse passion, come let's in
And shake this off as it never been.

1 Lady.
We must a while my Lord intreat your absence,
We have some certain Notions to deliver,
Some pillow counsels; i'l assure your highness
It shall be no wayes prejudiciall to you.

2 Lady.
You see she's not prepar'd, till that's perform'd
She's ours; that done, we yeeld her up
To the dark night, and mercy of your Lordship.

Clot.
Go then unharnis your Lady for these wars,
For we are of the Camilli, and fight naked.
(Exe. Ladies & Aphe.
Ye powers that favour Lovers, infuse apt strength
Through every nerve and sinew of this frame;
Make me all pleasure; and unto the bride
Add every vein a Venus; guid me light,
Where in on bed lies all the worlds delight.

Offers to go out and meets the Eunuch.
Eu.
Not yet in bed! O happy, happy minute,
Untill this hour I ne'r was fortunate;
I have preserv'd my King, my Prince, my Patron,
From the loose ardor of a Strumphts bed.

Clot.
What's this?

Eu.
Be not this second time incredulous,
And scorn my honest heart; or grant you were,
I deal not now on doubts; your wife is false,
Dishonest as the Suburbs, I am loath
To nominate her whore though it be true.

Clot.
True? ha!

Eu.
Leave this Lethargiz'd passion which benumns
Your nobler nature; turn your eies on this;
(shews a Letter.
Whose Character is this?

Clot.
It is Aphelia's hand, the very same
Which I have often seen Clovis peruse
(The bed thrust forth with Aphe. asleep.
In his loves amorous pursute.

Eu.
Read the Contents.

Clot.
A Letter that she loves Landrey, with thanks
For his so freequent visits, which she repaies
With the rich Jewel sent her by the King,
Wishing a perpetuitie of imbracements.
Ten thousand Ravens crook in this black paper.
How came you by it.

Eu.
I saw it drop from Landrey, but ne'r thought
'Fore I perus'd it what it did contain;
Which finding, in my duty I was bound
To save my Prince from ruine.

Clot.
Hold my heart,
Oh what shall Clotair do?—it cannot be;
Do but behold her face, and thou shalt read
What we call vertue there, and modesty;
Here is a look would perswade cruelty
To sigh and shed a tear, bribe Nemesis
To knot her steely scourge with Plume of Down,
And Jove himself to call her vice a virtue.

Eu.
A book of Devils may have the Cover gilt;
Treason lyes Cabin'd in the smoothest brow;
The Devill can assume an Angels form;
Your wife is fair, but fair to do you harm.

Clot.
Oh say not so, she is the neatest cut
As e'r was printed by the hand of heaven;
Here is a volum of Divinity,
Compos'd so rarely, that to add to this,
Or take away from hence, were such a sin
Repentance could not expiate; i'l not touch
With hands unhallowrd such a puritie,
Could it change all my thoughts to peace and silence.

Eu.
My Lord—

Clot.
Peace slave,
Thou that infects all peace.

Eu.
Why are you thus distemper'd? let not truth
Make you so wild a tempest; were it false,
Or that I sought the ruine of your house,
Your youth and honour, then it were a time
To swell beyond all charming down, but being truth—

Clot.
Truth! hence and avoid my sight, fly where the world
Promiscuously combines without distinction;
Where every man is every womans husband,
Or where it's thought a curtesie to have
A fellow labourer in the marriage bed.
These were a people that might bear with thee,
And fit for thee to dwell with; hence away,
And if thou lov'st thy life, acquaint thy feet
With such by paths that we may never meet.

Exit.
Eu.
This Prince is of a nature mild and gentle,
His mothers milk's too fluent in his eies,
And much I fear his resolution:
Yet I will work him forward; she awakes
Aphelia stirs in the bed.
I'l after him and fetch him back; if then
She scape his hate, Hell has no power with men.
Ex. Eu.

Aphe.
Oh, oh, oh, help, help my Lord and husband;
O my Father, my Lord and husband; help, help.
Bless me Divinity, is it but a Dream! ha the light
Gone; who waits there? Isabel, Julia.

Isa.
It was my Ladies voice, do's she call for help?
(Ent. Isabel with a light.
I cannot blame her; were I in her place I should
Do so too, the Prince looks like a bungler.

Aphe.
Who's there? Isabel?

Isab.
Did you call Maddam?

Aphe.
Saw'st thou nothing? where is my Lord?

Isab.
Is he absent? I cannot blame her then to cry for help,
I should do it my self; a Prince, a Puppit would have
Been more manly: how do you Maddam?

Aphe.
All stands not well.

Isab.
I believe that faithfully.

Aph.
O Girl I've past the dismal'st part of night,
As ever tortur'd fancy with extremes.

Isab.
If all Brides should be so tortur'd, i'd forswear
Marriage.

Aphe.
Methoughts I saw my Father in a Vault,
His silver hair made crimson with his blood;
My brother at his Herse upon his knees,
Taking a solemn oath for his revenge;
Yet all this while fancy so fool'd my sense,
Metought that I was here; where on the instant,
My Lord in preparation for my bed,
Was by an uglyfiend ravisht from hencc
And hurried to destruction; here I awak'd,
And trust me Isabel I scarce believe
But what I saw was reall; heard'st thou nothing?

Isab.
I heard discourse of people in your Chamber
Some half an hour since, but they went forth,
And to my seeming full of discontent,
But know not who they were.

Aphe.
Oh it is too true;
I'l to my Fathers, my Prophetique soul
Sits like a Mine of lead within me; come
Help me to mourn my Girl, for this sad sight
Besits a funerall, not a Bridall night.

(Exeunt ambo.
Clot.
I am resolv'd Castrato, i'l be cruel,
(Ent. Clotair and the Eunuch.
Since she's defil'd; and like a Christal well
Has her spring poyson'd by the enemie,
For which it's death for the besieg'd to tast,
Such are adulterate waters; say Eunuch,
What read'st thou in our brow? speak truly man.

Eu.
A foolish grudging of the Mother still.

Clot.
A settled resolution my black Saint,
Not to be altred by the brackish tears
Which flow in pregnant eies of easie women.
Slack pietie,
And rise black vengeance from the depth of hell,
And fate me her destruction; lock up in me
The Organs of remorse, all faculties
That write me man, or mankind; create
A spirit of horror in me, apt me to look
Upon such deeds nature would tremble at,
And the discreet composure of the world
Melt and dissolve to nothing, whilst I unmov'd
Smile at the alteration; infuse such soul,
And I shall then behold all crueltie
Human invention e'r was guiltie off,
And whilst I groan under extremitie,
Stand and applaud the Executioner;
My honour calls for vengeance, and i'l do: ha,
(draws his Dagger & goes to the bed.
How? she gone, and I have lost mine anger too.

Eu.
But whether is she gone, to some new Groom,
Who being fool'd her expectation,
Will make thee Cuckold on thy wedding nighe.

Clot
Thou hast awak'd me, i'l know where she is,
Hell, nor her darker deeds shall hide her from me.
Who waits, Lackey?

Ent. Lackey.
Lack.
My Lord.

Clot.
Where is thy Lady? where's Aphelia?

Lack.
She's even now gone forth.

Clot
Gone forth, with whom?

Lack.
There was one with her, but whether man or
Woman I am uncrrtain; but sure 'twas a man,
She would not dare to venture out so late else.

Clot.
Get to thy rest.
(Exit Lackey.
I'l take thy word Eunuch for the Kingdoms wealth.

Eu.
Oh do you begin to credit now,
Now when perhaps it is to late, this comes of patience;

Clot.
Turn patience into fury, love to hate,
My softer temper to a heart of steel;
Respect of wedlock and the sacred vow
Made 'fore the holy Altar to the Priest,
Thus I do fling ye off; revenge shall move
About our bridall bed instead of love.

Exeunt.