 | The Amorovs Warre |  |
1
Act. I.
Scen. I.
After a Warlike sound of Drummes and Trumpets within; Enter Callias, Neander, Artops.Call.
Here's a sweet change of Times; I, who had wont
To have my boy sing me asleep between
My Mistresse Armes, and charme mee every Night
Ino a soft Elysium with his voyce.
Have beene this weeke kept waking with this Musick:
If this hold foure dayes more, I shall be fit,
Like Blackbirds, to be whistled to, and taught,
Out of meere tamenesse, to learne Tunes.
Neand:
I doe
Observe a certaine kind of Copulation
Twixt sound and sound. This noyse hath sexes in it.
The Drummers, and the Trumpetters, and Fifes,
Make the Male noyse o'th Streets; The Womens cries,
Loud shriekes, & howlings, make the Female. Between them
A strange, ambiguous, confus'd roare's begot,
Much like the fall of Nilus, where the waters
Make All that dwell neare deafe.
Art.
My lodging stands
I'th' Middle Region, Gentlemen; I lye
Every Night in a Storme, and every Morning
Do rise in perfect Thunder; Then my sleeps
Are but my dayes feares; which do walke; and then
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Joyne Battle in my Dreames; where I behold
Thine, His, My Braines knockt out. And when I wake,
Wonder to find my selfe with all my Limbs;
Feele for my other Legge; suspect my eyes
When they informe me I have both my Armes.
Neand:
I've slept but twice e're since the newes came that
Eurymedon was landed; And then I had
The strangest Dreames too. My Man found mee scaling
My Curtaines for a Fort; Killing my Pillow;
And entring Duel with my Breeches. Last night
Me thought wee Three (pray Heaven avert the Omen)
Were shut up here ith' City, and besieg'd
By th'Hangings of my Chamber.
Call:
How?
Neand:
Me thought
The Trojan faces were all turn'd to Thracians.
And in this Siege, I dream't, that You, and Hee,
Forc'd by the Famine, were resolv'd to be
My Cannibals and eat mee.
Art:
I doe feele
One of my Surloynes going.
Call:
Well, what followed?
Neand:
At last you cast Dice on my Body, which
Part should be eaten first; And after all
Concluded on my Head, and Purtenance.
Call:
These are the fruites of Theevery; Thus 'tis Gentlemen,
When Kings can't Love the common way, but must
Needs couple without Friends consent, and draw
A Hue and Crye of fourty thousand after 'em.
Neand:
True, Callias; I doe maintaine, that Armies
Plundering of Townes, and ravishing of Virgins,
As naturally follow a good Face
Stolne, as this was, as Aches doe your Wenching.
Or as your Taylor, Artops, followes you
With an old Bill unclear'd.
Art:
There surely is
An unknowne pleasure in all Matrimony
Which carries danger with it. Else, why should Men
So itch to steale their Wives? Our Neighbour Troy
Is, Gentlemen, a sad example. If
This prove a Smocke-Warre of some ten yeares long;
Or if Roxane be the Comet, and
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Which shee drawes after her, wee cannot helpe it.
How stand you two affected to the Warre?
Call:
Troth, I should like the Campe well, if the Fields
Did bring forth Featherbeds. Or if the Streames,
Like those oth' Golden age, did run pure Wine.
Or if Court Meales would every twelve, and seven,
Observe due howres. But, Gentlemen, to lye
Halfe starv'd, with cold, ith' Aire on scarce fresh Greensword;
Just so match earth to earth; And then to live
The Life of Nature; or, as some doe call it,
The life oth' Hardy; Quench my thirst at the
Next Spring, or Fountaine; Coffin up my selfe
Each night in Turfe; and thence come forth like one
Of Cadmus Souldiers, sowne of Serpents Teeth,
And start forth armed from a furrow, is
A course, I feare, I shall leave to the valiant.
Nean:
And then the dangers.
Art:
True.
Nean:
Here comes a troope on,
And you in honour can't but loose an eye.
An Engine there goes off, and you will show
Your selfe a Coward unlesse you loose an Arme.
Here y'are surrounded, and then 'twere base to bring
More then one shoulder off. Gentlemen, Consider
What a Discredit 'tis to have a Nose
After a Battle; Or to walke the Streets
On your owne legs.
Art:
I feele my selfe, already,
Partly compos'd of Flesh, partly of Wood.
Methinkes I swing betweene two Crutches, like
One hang'd in Chaines, and tost by th'Winde; I looke
Within this weeke, to bee but halfe the Thing
You see me Now; The rest lopt off; And I
Slic'd into Reputation.
Call:
I doe perceive
Your discreet Disaffection to the Warre.
Neand:
'Tis but a wise care of our safety; Nature
Bids us preserve our selves.
Art:
But how, Neander,
How, without losse of fame, can we avoid
To accompany the King?
Neand:
Why, breifly thus.
The King intends to send the Princesses
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And will assigne a thousand for their Guard.
Let's get our selves enroll'd ith' Number; so,
Besides security, wee shall enjoy
The Company o'th Ladies.
Art:
Right; And in
The absence of their Lords.
Call:
Peace, here they come.
SCÆNA II.
To them Archidamus, Roxane, Barsene, Orithya, Thalæstris, Polydamas, Lyncestes, Theagines, Meleager.Arch:
You see your Nuptials, Bright Roxane, and
What choyce y'have made. I thought to have brought you to
A Court and Palace, where your entertainement
Would have beene only Songs of Virgins; Posts
Crown'd and adorn'd with Gyrlands; Sacrifices
Striving to make our Streets but one perfume;
And taking from our sight our Temples, with
The numerous Clouds of Incense which they scatter.
And send forth from their breathing Altars; And
No other sounds heard but my peoples shouts,
And acclamations for your wisht arrivall.
But you perceive y'are landed in a Campe;
And your first step upon the shore proves to you
A most unnaturall Seige. If for a Brother
Thus to pursue a Sister be unnaturall.
Roxan:
Had you had his Consent, Sir, and no storme
Follow'd your transportation of me from
His Court to yours, but had you, undisturbed,
Untroubled, in the progresse of your Love,
Proceeded to the Temple, There joyn'd hands,
And matcht the common way of Princes where
All that's requir'd to make the wedding Day
Solemne, are Tapers, Banquets, Revels, Musicke,
'T had beene a Dreame, no Marriage; our soft Ioyes
Would have lost both their edge and appetite.
That which you call unnaturall in my Brother,
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The Argument he lends mee to expresse
How much more Deare your Dangers make you to mee.
Beleeve mee, Great Archydamus, the fire
You kindled in my heart, when in those still,
Quiet, silent nights you first did wooe mee, was
But a weake Sparke, compar'd to the large Flame
Which this Warre kindles in mee. I behold
Now a new amiablenesse in You; And
Looke on you through this Tempest, which is rays'd
For my sake, as one made more Lovely to mee.
And with the same content doe take delight
To mingle Sufferings, as Nuptials with you.
Nor should I thinke my selfe your Queene, unlesse
With the same equall Minde, I could goe halfe
In perils, as in Kingdomes with you.
Arch:
Still
You doe speake like your selfe, Roxane, Still
Breath words, which sweeten Dangers, and provoke mee
To court them in their worst and dreadfull'st shape;
As things, without which, I should want fit Matter
To merit by, or some way make my selfe
Worthy of her for whom I undertake them.
Nor will I doubt of victory, where I
Have such a brave Inspirer. Had I beene
Borne cold, or sent into the World a Coward,
Such a faire second, such a beauteous Cause,
Would strike a valiant Heat into me; And
Were my Sea cover'd with as many Shippes,
As anchor'd before Troy; or should an Army,
As vast, and numerous as his, who dranke
Up Rivers in his passage, and join'd Europe
To Asia with his fleet invade mee, I
Assisted with your Vertues, should not doubt
Enter Eurim. Clit. Hipp.
But to return with Conquest. Who are these?
Lyncest.
Th'Embassadours sent from the Prince of Thrace,
To demand restitution of their Princesse.
Ar:
Admit 'em to our presence.
Pol:
The King expects you.
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SCÆNA III.
To them Eurymedon, disguis'd like an Embassadour, Clytus, Hyppocles.Archid:
We are now prepar'd to heare your Embassy;
Your Prince's pleasure?
Clyt:
By us, Archidamus,
With all the freedome which an injur'd Prince
Can use towards Him that wrong'd Him, He lets you know,
That 'tis no thirst, or covetous Ambition,
T'enlarge his Territories, or to seeke conquest there,
Where 'tis as easie for him to o'rcome
Almost as say so, which hath provok't him
Thus to invade your Kingdome; But a just sense,
And apprehension of the blot, and staine,
Which Annals and posterity (Besides
The scorne oth' present Age) must sticke upon
His sluggish memory, if He coldly should
Sleepe o're his Infamy; or let you breake
The Lawes of Hospitality; and abuse
His Court, in carrying away a prize
More deare to him then his Kingdome, unrevenged.
For though you may pretend Love for your boldnesse,
Or say the Princesse was an Actor in
Her Amorous stealth, (which yet Hee much suspects,
And she must blush t'acknwoledge) He saies, Herein
You doe but guild your Crime; For what you call
Affection Hee cals Rape; And saies, Hee hopes,
You'l pardon Him, if Hee doe looke upon You,
Not as a Guest, but Robber; One that came not
To fetch a Queene, but to transport a prey.
Archid:
Is this all?
Eurym:
He addes farther, that though Hee
Confesse Himselfe inferiour to the loud
Fame of your Sisters Beauty; To which nought
Can be a Match but her owne vertues; yet,
When Hee lookes on the Story of his Ancestours,
From which Hee thinkes Hee hath not yet degenerated;
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He's borne to a Kingdome, to which yours hath beene
(Be't spoke without contempt) a Tributary;
But chiefly, when he searcheth his owne mind,
And findes nought Hostile there; but a pure fire,
Kindled from the report of the admir'd,
Inflaming, rayes, diffus'd from her bright eyes,
He thinkes you trespasse against love, Sir, to
Obey an angry, conquer'd, old mans Will,
Made in the passion of his Overthrow,
Although your Father, and to refuse a suite
More noble, and open, then your owne; And whil'st
Y'are pious, shew your selfe revengefull too.
Hippoc:
Briefly Sir, therefore whither it were force,
Or Combination, (For which to call it
He saies he knowes not) unlesse you will restore
His Sister, or repaire him with your owne,
He saies, he is resolv'd, either to fall
A willing sacrifice to his wrong'd Honour,
Or build his unglad satisfaction on
The Ruines of your Country. And to this
He doth require your Answer.
Archid:
Were Roxane
A Hellen, (as she's not in ought I know
But her great Beauty) Or were I a Paris;
(Who finde my selfe none but ith' numerous fleet
Brought after me) Had I beene entertain'd
A Prince, by a Prince, Sir, at your Masters Court,
And, in his absence, had first loosely tempted
To my unlawfull bed, then stolne his Wife;
I do confesse 'twere just for him to cite
The breach of Hospitality, and t'invoke
The Gods of Weddings, and Marriages against me.
And I, till I restor'd th'unlawfull prey,
Should looke upon my selfe, not as a Guest,
But Ravisher. But if I came a Suitor,
And brought a flame as pure, as holy, as
That which burnes on his Altars; If the Princesse,
Her owne free Empresse did vouchsafe to meet
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If I have since preserv'd her honour; kept
Her white, and spotlesse as a Vestall; still
Approach't her presence with the same religion
As I would places consecrate, or Temples,
Whil'st thus Hee doe's pursue my harmelesse Love,
With Words farre more injurious then his Armies,
With the like freedome You may tell Him, I'me
The injur'd Prince. And though I grant his Father
Once conquer'd mine, and wee paid Tribute, (which
Hee does not nobly to upbrayd) It may be
My turne to conquer next. Nor is the Bay
Planted so firmely on his head, but that
A good cause may remove it, and mak't mine.
As for our close departure from his Court,
Which he brands with the stile of Rape and Theft,
You must assist me, Madam; was I your pyrate,
Or Servant? Did I lead you away Captive,
Or conspire with you?
Rox:
Sir, 'twere one wrong more
Offer'd to your Vertues, And I should transgresse
Against my cleare Affections, not to say,
The Plot was halfe mine, you did reveal your thoughts,
With so much generous heate, so worthy of mee,
That I had noe way left t'expresse my selfe
As generous too, but to mixflame with flam;
And to requite you with this poore returne,
To make your Country mine; And there to thinke
My selfe a Princesse onely, where I might
Call you my Prince.
Arch:
Then, for my Sister,
I am no Tyrant like your Master, Sir,
To claime a sway o're her Affections; Nor
Doe count her Will ith' number of my Subjects:
She has free Liberty to make her choice;
And can best answer you. Onely shee will,
I hope remember, if there be a reverence
Due to the words of dying Parents; Or if
The last, short, breath were sacred, which bequeath'd her
To th'Prince of Thessaly, she can't consent
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Her Fathers Shade, to call him from his Urne,
To be a greiv'd Spectatour of her Nuptials.
Barsen.
Besides Sir, as a stranger to a stranger,
Pray beare a Princesse message to your Prince.
Tell Him He comes not nobly, thus t'invade
Her whom he loves; or strive to make Her His
By a forc't Conquest. He's the first I've read of
Who Woo'd a Lady with an Army by;
Or put a ponyard to his Mistrisse breast,
And then desir'd t'appeare gratious.
Wee looke for softer Courtships; Humble prayers;
Sighes which confesse the Breather is our Captive.
I have no Beauty to entice him to
Lay downe his forces. But if he come unarm'd,
In Person, (For I doe not like State Love,
Or to be woo'd by an Embassadour,)
If He bring with Him noble purposes,
Such as my Brothers were, tell him, perhaps,
I shall as nobly heare him. Meane time, his Sister,
And I expect some penance from him, for
Thus Troubling of our Peace.
Eur:
Doe you enjoyne
The Chaine, or Fetters, 'twil be his glory Madam,
To weare them as your prisoner,
Exeunt Eurym. Clit. Hyp.
SCÆNA IV.
Archidamus, Roxane, Barsene, Polydamas, Lyncestes, Theagines, Meleager, Orithya, Thalæstris.Archid:
—Have you prepar'd
The Ships, Lyncestes, to convey the Ladies
Over to th'Island?
Lync:
They are ready Sir,
And only doe expect their beauteous fraught.
The Ladies Sir, will looke like Goddesses
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Archid.
And have you made, Polydamas,
The Castle fit to entertaine them?
Polyd:
Sir,
The Ladies lock't up in a Brasen Tower
Were not more safe? 'Tis now a place where pleasure
Dwels joyn'd with Strength. It onely wants their presence,
To be a Fort without, within a Pallace.
Arch:
You are turn'd young againe, My Lords; you speake
So amorously I do begin to doubt
Whether you may be trusted with a charge
So dangerously inflaming.
Polyd:
Sir, our sonnes
Can promise for us, we intend no sieges
Against their Beauties, in your absence; All
Our Batteries to good faces were long since
Spent on their mothers.
Arch:
Wee dare venture you.
Your sonnes, Theagines and Meleager,
Shall goe with us to th'Feild.
Rox:
And will you then,
Deprive mee of the Glory Sir, of being
A sharer in your dangers? I endur'd
The Sea with you; Why should you thinke I am
More timerous to endure the Land?
Arch:
Because
The Land's now more tempestuous then the Sea.
For that smiled on your passage; And the Waves,
As if they had teemed with a second Venus,
Or understood the sweetnesse of their burden,
Grew calme, serene, and Halcyon. But here
You will expose your selfe to Night Alarmes,
Day Battles; and runne hazards where the blinde
Sword can't distinguish 'twixt the faire and foule;
See men act Wolves parts, and behold a spectacle,
Not fit for your soft Sex, Men falne, and dying,
Striving to kill their killers and depart
With mutuall slaughter.
Rox:
What difference is there
Betwixt the eye, and fancy, but onely this
That dangers to the Absent still shew greater?
When I make these descriptions to my selfe,
And thinke you in the midst, though no Spectatour,
I shall as truely suffer. My owne Thoughts
Of you will passe for Battles; And my feares,
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You could not deale more cruelly, should you
Restore me to my Brother, then thus divorce
Me from your Company. Besides, It is
My Cause you fight for; I've an interest
Going in the Warre; And will you, Sir, deny mee
The poore content of binding up your Wounds
Received for mee?
Bars:
Madam, you'l give me leave,
Here to strive with you; I've a Cause going too.
Let me Sir, joyne in the request, that you
Will take us with you. If there be noe other
Use of us, We'l help to put on your Armes,
And take them off.
Meleag:
If our two Wives do joyne
In the Petition, with their Chambermaids,
They'l make a Female Regiment.
Theag:
I looke
My Wife within these three dayes shall be Knighted.
Meleag:
And I that mine be made a Collonel.
Arch:
Alas you know not what you aske; pray tell me,
How would a Speare shew in your hand Roxane?
Or Sister, How d'you thinke it would become you
To weild a Pike? or weare a sword? Or how
Could I looke on my selfe but as a guilty
Betrayer of you, if the chance of Warre
Should snatch you from mee? Or you two be made
Part of the Conquerours Triumph? Come; I have
Provided gentler entertainments for you.
Your wishes will supply your presence; and
Put Wings unto my Victory.
Rox:
'Tis part:
Of my love Sir, to be obedient.
Exeunt.
SCÆNA V.
Theagines, Meleager, Orithya, Thalæstris.Theag:
What? You expect we should be solemne now,
And take a ceremonious farewell of you?
Oryth.
We should not else thinke we have civill husbands;
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Their Mistrisses; who scarce doe aske consent
But fall to th'businesse.
Mel:
Well, looke you show your selves
Our true Wives in our abscence. If you should,
To ease retirement, and divert the Melancholy
Of Solitude, weave us a fine Court Lawrell
To Crowne our Victories at our returne—
You understand Thalæstris?
Thal:
Sir, we hope
You are not jealous; you will place no Spies,
To register who visits vs.
Theag:
No Lady;
But Stories speake of certaine strange things done,
By Ladies in th'absence of their Lords.
Thal:
They speake Sir, of as strange things done by Lords
In th'absence of their Ladies.
Mel:
If wee should
Slip from the Campe sometimes, and steale a night,
I hope you would not shut your Castle gates
Against us, would you?
Orith:
'Tis as wee heare report
Whither y'are valiant. I disdaine a Coward
Though't be my Husband.
Thal:
And I.
Theag:
And in these
Stout, generous thoughts we leave you.
Orith:
Looke I doe
Winne reputation by you.
Mel:
Farewell Thalæstris.
Thal:
Remember, Sir, You doe things worthy of mee.
Exeunt Theag: Meleag:
SCÆNA VI.
To them Callias, Neander, Artops.Call:
Ladies, we have a small suite to you, which
Concernes your selves.
Orith:
'Twill the more easily
Be granted, Sir, what is't?
Neand:
'Tis, that you'l speake
To th'King, we may stay, and be listed Guards
Unto your persons, in these times of Danger.
Art:
'Tis no plot Ladies, to decline the War;
But to doe service to you here at home;
And to defend you 'gainst Assaults.
Thal:
That, Sir,
The Fortwill doe, and the strong Wals oth' Castle.
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Troth, Madam, we begge this in pitty to you.
How will you spend your Dayes, Ladies with Ladies,
And but two reverend old Males among you?
Neand:
Either you must betake your selves to your needles,
And worke the Seige of Troy o're; or the Tragœdy
Of Hero and Leander, in sad Stitches;
Or else betake your selves to your spindle, like
Penelope, and sing the adventures of
Your absent Husbands to a distaffe, and
Beguile the Houres in flax.
Call.
Or else you must
Hire some old, frosty, cold Philosopher,
To read on flowers t'you, every time you walke
Into the Garden, and convert their Colours
Into Your Lectures. Show You why the Primrose
Is pale, and why the Marygold is red.
Art:
Then for your Nights—
Call.
True, Ladies, Doe but consider,
How you will spend your Nights?
Art:
Watch how your lone,
Forsaken, Taper wastes it selfe, and pines
Away, out oth' meere sense it hath to burne
So fruitlesly, till it consume it selfe
Into its owne Darknesse?
Neand:
Or shall your Women, keep you:
Awake with amorous Tales? Troth, Ladies, Story
Is a dead Thing, if not reduc'd to practise.
Say, to delude the tediousnesse oth' Night,
You should share ith' same bed. Two oth' same Sex,
Make but one in th'affaires of Love.
Thal.
We see
Y'have studied our case for us. Truth is, Gentlemen,
The lists are full already.
Orith.
Besides, 'twoud breed
Suspicions in our Husbands. So we leave you.
Exeunt.
Call.
We are defeated, Gentlemen;
Neand:
what remedy?
Art:
By that time they've layne fallow but three Nights
They will send after, and petition us.
Call:
Come let's prepare to goe with th'King.
Neand.
Lead on;
Necessity breed's resolution.
| The Amorovs Warre | |