University of Virginia Library

Act IV.

Scene 1.

Sineverus, Nefarius.
Sin.
This day, on the declining of the light;
The place, Nefarius, is the Holy Oake,
Here in the Forest. See it fully done.
Your former instruments perhaps may be
Your safest undertakers.

Ne.
They will! but how shall they distinguish them.

Sin.
That by their Persons, or their Habits will
Uncertain prove, because they come disguised,
Their purpose being to entrap my life:
But you in time preceding them may soon
Discover them, by their intention,
Which in their actions they would seem to hide
I'le tripple the reward to them, and thee.

Ne.
Your Honors pleasure is my recompence

Sin.
This finished:
Ex Ne.
My joys are perfect, and my Fortunes full,
This toyling spirit then safe Harbor takes,
Where she the breaches shall restore of time
And casualty: knowing no Action
But what is practis'd by the Gods, Repose.
While cherisht with the Flames of Beauty and
Of Love, an Essence I assume out-lasts
The Age of Her, whose ashes doth renew
Her kinde—Zizania.
Zizania Ent.
I sent for thee, thou might'st partake my joy.
I have shook off the tumults of the Court,
And with my Bride am to Placentia come,
To be thy guest, Zizania, Privacy
Adds, in our seeming stealth, to our delight,
What publick freedom doth in licence loose,

Zi.
My wishes should inlarge your happinesse,
Were they as ready to my will, as it
Is in obedience unto yours.

Sin.
Which onely is at present to seclude
You and your charge from our discovery.
And secretly to give direction
For this Nights entertainment.

Ziz.
To my best faculty I shall.

Sin.
My care shall next supply the like Office
To thee.
Ex. Sin.

Ziz.
Your tenderness guides my Fidelity;
Love is successefull to decrepid Age,
While youth and beauty lose their influence.
Where lyes the hidden vertue of force?
Not in the sense, this contradiction proves.
If in th'Intellect, their Equality
Of forms would mutually each other
Penetrate with like Impressions: But this
Alas! my sufferings also falsifie.

Eumena Ent.
Eu.
Zizania,
Why add'st thou to the burden of my Fears?
Leaving me onely to secure my Peace.

Ziz.
I thought your Highness was dispos'd to Rest.

Eu.
Such intermission seldome doth invest
A Soul besieged with so many doubts.

Ziz.
Your groundless apprehension doth suggest
Vain forms, but to afflict your self.

Eu.
Think'st thou it vain to doubt the certainty
Of my escape, the houre at hand, and yet
The way not form'd to my delivery

Ziz.
You rashly do precipitate your censure:
Our better Fortune doth present the means,
Which I already fully fashion'd have
In my Intention: Madam, this day
My Father married is to Orgula,
With whom, more fully to enjoy themselves,
He privately is hither come;

Eu.
What can from hence be gather'd? this rather
Doth oppose, than farther our designe,

Ziz.
Your Highness doth conclude too suddenly.
Their entertainment lyeth in my charge,
Which, not appearing, I must secretly
Direct; under which colour, on th'approach
Of Night, our Domestique Attendants I'le
Dispose unto some rustique sport, in which
Divested of their usuall Habits
To put on other Properties, we will
Assume their Figures to disguise our own.
Whil'st in the Action they are busied,
We undiscover'd safely may depart.

Eu.
Tis well contriv'd; I wish the Issue may
As happily ensue.

Ziz.
Distrust it not: Assurance fortifies
Our purposes.

Eu.
It is in heav'n decreed; succeed what may,
We must the Influence of their Lights obey.

Ex.

Scene 2.

Mundolo
Mu.
I have with pain this difficulty past,
But how I shall go thorough with the next,
Falls not as yet in my Conception.
Was ever Culli'on forced to the Arms
Of so much Beauty yet? 'Tis the last time
I'le be undertaker to Anothers
Pleasure A vestall far more easily
I might corrupted have, than him have mov'd
To the approach I was enforc'd to leave
My slights, pretending that his gold had won
Me to the Change; whilest under the colour
Of ayding his escape, I train'd him through
The thickest of the wood, where seeming to
Have lost my self, I lodg'd him here untill
To morrows light.

Orgula Enter.
Or.
Mundolo.

Mu.
Madam

Or.
How thrives our purposes?

Mu.
As you your self could wish.

Or.
Why? Hast thou won him hither?

Mu.
I have, and finde this passive coldness
Is but the bashfull softness of his youth,
Which vail'd with nights obscurity will prove
More hardy.

Or.
Where hast thou lodged him?

Mu.
Close to your withdrawing room, wherein
Are Chambers onely to my use assign'd.

Or.
Tis well, but hast thou to Sinevero's cup
Infused thy Ingredient?

Mu.
Tis done.

Or.
I fear the failing of its force.

Mu.
My life shall be the Forfeiture.

Or.
I finde in him no alteration yet.

Mu.
It must have time to operate.

Ver.
Hah! hah! hah! Vergona, Amasia.

Or.
So full of myrth, Vergona.

Ver.
Your Honours Pardon,
Who from th'expression could restrain themselves,
Must have a temper more discreete than mine.

Or.
What is the matter? speak Amasia, speak.

Am.
My Lord the Bridegroom fain would be in Bed.

Or.
With which of you? I pray ye are so pleasant grown.

Am.
The fervour of his Inclination
Affecteth no Society

Or.
No, what moves his Passion then?

Am.
Upon my life no Action, Madam.
You need not fear he should disquiet you
To night.

Or.
Thou art distracted sure.

Am.
I should be so, held I your honours place,
T'would move the suff'rance of a longing Bride,
To lose her expectation fully rais'd.

Or.
This but confirms me more in my belief.
Unvaile the mystery.

To Vergano.
Ver.
Madam, without more circumstance, my Lord
Travel'd in fancy with too high delight,
Ere he to the Fruition came, makes
His Relaxes in a pleasant slumber.

Am.
So Dull,
The image scarce can be distinguished.
From what it represents.

Ver.
No violence can move a sense of life,
More than he breaths.

Or.
Tis strange, perhaps some lassitude of spirit.
See, yee disturb him not.

Am.
A Trumpet or a Cannon will not do't.

Or.
It works, Mundolo, vanisht are my fears.

Mu.
Your honour will have firmer confidence
In my Proceedings.

To Mun. privately to whisper.
Or.
I shall, and truly value them:

The waiting women one to the other
Ver.
We shall not need, Amasia to steal
Away the Bride to Night.

Am.
Nor she, Vergona, to protract the loss
Of her Virginity with pretended Vows.

Ver.
Twill save her Artificiall modesty
From such constraint.

Am.
Fy upon flegm and age, which have not heat
Enough to reach to the Encounter.

Ver.
This interlude were rare to introduce
Another to her Bed.

Am.
When he awaking should believe he had
What he found wanting, in a pleasant dream.

Ver.
The slight would please beyond what follows it.

Or.
It shall be so; Amasia, get things
To Mu.
In readiness, I will to bed.

Am.
Your Honour will not frustrate the designe
Your Servants for your entertainment have
Already form'd, and now without attend
You with a Banquet and a Masque;

Or.
Go let them know their Lord being indispos'd,
Their sports shall till to morrow be deferr'd,
Their Banquet place in my withdrawing room.

Am.
We shall.

Ex. Am. Ver.
Or.
Mundolo, now
My joys have freedome to declare themselves,
And yeeld to thee their due acknowledgement.
A double vigour animates my sense:
The flames of Love I finde more active prove,
When they approach their sphear, onely to thee
Lays her hand on Mun.
Their union must their mediation owe.
How fortunes malice labours to suppresse
The light of Nature; her beauties casting
In obscurity: had they but agreed
In thy Production, thy wit had rais'd
A glorious title to thy memory.

Mu.
Yet to your Honours Testimony far
Inferiour.

Or.
I shall finde means to lend it Action
Worthy thy capacity: I'th' interim,
Proceed to perfect my intention,
Occasions ripe, and time doth speedy grow,
Yet in his flight, to answer Love, too slow.

Mu.
My diligence with like alacrity
Shall meet them both.
Exit Mun.

Or.
Contract thy dullest vapour gloomy night,
Thou fully may'st thy right anticipate:
Vaile every gaudy spangle of thy Robe,
Thy Beautie lies in thy obscurity.
With thy deep Lethargie charm ev'ry sense,
No Spye may intercept Loves Privacie.
Throughout thy silent Region, no breath move,
May once divert the Fancie of our Love.
And when thou must withdraw, least us thou should'st
Betray; precipitate not thy Course; but slide
By degrees away.

Scene 3.

Zizania.
in a Foresters disguise.
What Law, so tyrranous, doth us enjoyn
With the first Rites of Nature to dispence?
Our common preservation should prevaile,
Ballanc'd against all other consequence.
Yet I unhappy must such ties inflict
Upon my self, as no Law would impose,
To save another, I my self must lose
This goodly light, whereof we so much boast,
Serves but to us our thraldome to install:
No sooner we do Reasons use attain,
But what, who want her, do with liberty;
Her strict prescriptions do to us deny.
Madam, where is your Highnesse?

Eumena Ent. disguis'd in a Foresters habit.
Eu.
Here, Zizania, here.

Ziz.
I fearfull am to lose you; this distance
Will too much endanger our division.
You seem not forward in your own desires;
What makes you slack your preintended speed?
If fear; Love hath his resolution lost:
If lassitude; repose your self on me.

Eu.
Neither: Zizania.
I stay'd to gather somewhat I let fall.

Ziz.
By your long silence, Madam, I should judge,
Your thoughts do suffer some distraction.
This your escape would else be some degree
Unto your satisfaction.

Eu.
Which is not figur'd soly in discourse,
Such entertainments now would onely serve
But to diclose what our disguize conceals.

Ziz.
Here are no witnesses, believe, but such,
Whose simple Nature can distinguish nought
We utter: or, if they did, the freedome which
They happily enjoy, would not betray
Our Liberty.

Eu.
Are we yet far remote from whence we came,
Or whether we intend?

Ziz.
From both past all distinguishing.

Eu.
Thou hast so many winding turnings trod,
I fear our unknown course should backward lead.

Ziz.
This path doth guide us to a little Plain,
Would perfectly to either us direct.

Eu.
From which I gather what I have to shun,
to her self
Zizania, hark, I hear some noise at hand;
Step thou before and make discovery.

Ziz.
Twas but your Highness apprehension.

Eu.
Think'st thou my fears so vain to agitate
Beyond the true direction of my sense.

Ziz.
Your satisfaction moves my diligence.

Eu.
I have at length attempted with success,
Who by one Party twice betray'd will be,
The Author is of his own mysery,
Had but my thoughts reflected at the first
On the extraction of this infamous
Betrayer of my trust; I had not now
Been forced to expose my wandring steps
To the uncertain chance of Night; nor yet
The fury of each savage Beast. Nature
In the firm Rule of her Productions would
Have taught me, she, according to each kinde,
Doth seldome fail in figuring of the minde.
The Fathers high Ambition I have found,
Which travels indirectly to supplant
Me of my Right: whose Pow'r to oresway,
Both Love and Wisdome traceth out one way
Ex. Eu.

Ziz.
Twas but the Image of your jealousie.
Ziz re-ent.
Madam! Madam! I am not surely come
Unto the Place I left her in. Heav'n guide
My course aright, night may not us divide.
Ex. Ziza.

Scene 4.

Voracho, Spuratro.
Encounter.
Spu.
Voracho!

Vo.
Spuratro!

Spu.
What booties are abroad?

Vo.
I rounded have the Forest; but can finde
Naught worth the undertaking.

Spu.
Hast thou seen any? I am honest grown
For want of practice; Thieves, like misers, should
Seek for great gains, but not neglect the small.

Vo.
Two Forresters I oft accosted have,
Who by their course seem but to lodge some Dear.

Spu.
No matter what: Are their cloths good they wear:

Vo.
Give ear a while; I hear some one draw nigh.

Spu.
A certain prize, close to our Ambush ply.

They hide themselves.
Eumena ent.
Eu.
I have outstript the accents of her voice,
And should by her expressions have escap'd
The hazard of encounter or pursuit.
But whether my Intention should direct,
If my sense could distinguish where I am,
Is not yet form'd in Resolution:
Fear hath till now usurpt that faculty,
And happily conducted nature so,
As the next means to preservation.
Difficulty is sooner overcome,
Than treachery: Thus this evasion past,
I should proceed to free me from the next:
But in this obscure Labyrinth I finde
The more to disingage me I insist,
The more in errour I my self involve.
These unfrequented shades, approaching night,
My senses seise with horrour, captivate
My fight: benum'd with lassitude my limbs
Forget their use: yet when to me the cause
Presents it self, Love sweetens ev'ry clause.
Oh! cruell Villain!

shout, Eu. falls.
Spu.
Twas well directed, sirrah! he is fall'n.

Uo.
Quickly advance, and finish him, Ile wait
The Coast.

Eu.
What seek you of me? if my life,
It is already to your hand betray'd;
A thing so vain, they would not it defend,
Had tryed the evils hath attended mine.

Spu.
So willing to depart? had we but known
Your minde, you longer might have liv'd, we seek
Anothers life, but to secure our own.
Spu. goes about to rifle him: whistles.
Tis money is our End.

Gratianus Ent.
Spu. withdraws.
Gra.
The cry I heard upon the shot, was here,
If my sense err not: hah! a handsome youth
Lyes weltring in his blood: what art thou? speak.

Eu.
I shall not be, while I can let you know,
Without the help of charitable hands.

Gra. raises Eu.
Gra.
To your first succour, Sir, accept of mine.
So, so, gently rest hardly on me.
Why gaze you still with terrour round about?

Eu.
Least my unhappy suffrings should betray
Your charity to the hands, by which I fell.

Gra.
What were the Villains?

Eu.
By their intension, I should judg them thieves

Gra.
Take courage sir, I have at hand more ayd,
If need require, which wait but on my Call.
Your wound, I do perceive, not mortall is,
Yet least your travell, and th'ensuing cold
Of Night should farther hazard it, I will
Conduct you to a holy man, resides
Not far from hence, whose Piety and skill
Shall to your succour certain safety bring.

Eu.
Your goodness sir, hath taught me to believe
The gods, as yet, have not abandon'd me.
Nor shall my gratitude be wanting to
Their Providence, or your humanity.

Gra.
Mine, if successfull, hath his recompence.
Strain not your self, but rest upon my arm.

Eu.
Heav'n many times to good doth turn our Harm.

Ex.

Scene 5.

Ludaster.
Man in himself should a new Nature form
To entertain himself without dislike,
Or lassitude: so many breaches hath
Our frailty to repair, no sooner we
Step to supply the one, but suddenly
Another calls us to their succour, leaving
The vain industry of man both fruitlesse
And unsatisfied: such is the burden
Of my anxious thoughts, which on their own
Reflection vainly toyle to raise their own
Perfection, whose incapacity
Resists the Pow'r ev'n of Divinity:
And by conversion, in the passive sense,
Doth seem to limmit that omnipotence.

Gratianus, Eumena Ent.
Gra.
Whilst there is change in things, though from the world
She hide her self, vertue will be found out
To make her being usefull unto others,
And in despite of her repugnant malice,
Fortune at length is forced to become
Her Minister: See here the Exemplar
Presents it self to yours.

Lu.
How? wounded?
Your Stars good, sir, too meanly have, I fear,
Directed you, those tender years, I judge,
Will prove unapt to meet th'inconvenience
Of this sterrile place: But if such defects
May be supplyed by my Industry;
Expect an issue equall to your Hopes.

Eu.
Goodness hath surely quite abandoned
The sources of Civility. And now,
Retracting back to the Original
Of her first Reformation, hath forsook
The affluence of society, in this
Wilde Desart to take up her being.
Next under Heav'n, to your Humanities
I owe my second being: may the Gods
Afford success to lend me gratitude.

Lu.
Exchange of words will but exasperate
Your grief, which rest perhaps may mitigate,
Conduct him gently in

They lead him in.
Lu. Gra. return after a little intermission.
Lu.
So, Gratianus, the Remedy applyed
Twill not be now impertinent to ask,
What this youth is? or by what accident
Thus wounded?

Gra.
More than the unaffected grace appears
In his demeanour, language and Aspect,
As certain marks of his Nobility,
I nothing farther can instructed be;
As through the Forest hither I was bent,
I from the hands of theeves delivered him.

Lu.
An action becoming well your vertue.

Gra.
Yet seeks to be, made good in yours.

Lu.
The gods propitious prove to both our works.
But what new change abroad? Gratianus.

Gra.
Nuptials, sir, which must solemniz'd be
In Funerals; the Fox this night is wed
To Orgula the Proud, and harbour takes
Where he, of late, hath made the Rape of all
Our Hopes, in our fair Soveraign. This I
Learnt of some scatter'd out-laws lately joyn'd
To our suspended troups, who therein were
Unwittingly his Ministers: if we
May certain evidence collect both from
The Time and Persons.

Lu.
Admit this true, which lies but in suspect;
What thereon would you next conclude?

Gra.
This night with some selected troops to search.

Lu.
The ground uncertain must be shaddowed
With some other pretence, that if this fail,
Yet your retrait may be thereby secur'd.

Gra.
Tis well advis'd; our last Arriers shall be
The substitute: twill meet the Souldiers
Liking, and not unaptly fit the time.

Lu.
The issue with each circumstance make hast
To let me know, we thereto fashion may
Lu. embraces Gra.
Our following purposes: Night hastens on.
Farewell, the staff of all my trust; farewell.

Gra.
May my endeavours meet your Interests.

Ex.
severall wayes.