University of Virginia Library

SCENA QVARTA.

Enter Definition, Division, Demonstration, Fallacy, Topicus, Proposition.
Defi.

Good Reduction charge Conclusion to keepe him
fast, and if he chance to breake from him, doe
you assist him. Come yong Lords, I would I could perswade
you altogether to desist from these troublesome contentions;
but if that may not be, this is a fitter place than your sicke
and distemper'd Fathers house; let us heare what you would
have, what you can plead for your selves.

Demon.
Then why doe not some dimme & purblind Stars,
Corrivals with the thrice most glorious Sunne,
Sue at the Throne of Heavens Majesty
To rule the Day? 'twere lesse presumption
Than this of these competitors of mine:
For were not I by my Nobility,
And most apparant births prerogative,
In all mens sight, to be preferr'd, before
This Topicus, and bastard Fallacy:
Yet were my worth, great worth, beyond compare,
To prove my claime just, all-sufficient.
I from the State long since have banished
Grosse ignorance, and that her cursed spawne,
Vild superstitious Admiration,
The Tyrant of the vulgar simple minds:
I the chiefe Shewer to my Lord Discourse,
All the most strange and wonderfull effects
Of closer working Nature have set forth,
The hidden cause lockt from common eyes
In deepe, scarce-searchable Obscurity,
I opened wide to his illustrious view.
I the renowned Champion of Truth,
Have her defended 'gainst her proudest foes,
And many combats for her honour fought,
Never returning conquerd from the field,
And therefore now to any scorne to yeeld.

Defi.
You may speake Topicus.

Top.
If any words of mine may find attention,
In your not yet fully possessed eares,
Nor shall it seeme presumption to you
Judicious Lords, which seemes so palpable
To prejudicious Demonstration,
That I my title dare maintaine with him;
Your reverent wisdomes are not ignorant
That though he hath beene honour'd more of late,
Yet was I borne before him; then if he
For birth-right claimeth ought, 'tis due to me:
Nor to his high priz'd worth inferiour,
Are my deserts not undervalued?
If he his foe in close and narrow lists
Have, as he bravely vaunts, encountered,
And that not often, for none-profiting
Onely, selfe-pleasing, Contemplation,
The single combats oftner fought by me
In just defence of your empaired rights,
Are no lesse famous, no lesse knowne to you:
Besides, I alwaies in the Champion field
Of Rhetoricke well leavied forces led,
Chiefe Muster-master to the Soveraigne Leige,
Our high Commander and chiefe Generall,
Under Truths colours many skirmishes
I have endur'd, won many Victories:
Then let me for the King, for truth, for you,
In all your causes never wont to faile,
For mine owne selfe in this mine owne prevaile.

Opp.
If you have done, let's heare yong Lord Fallacy.

Fall.
If that my vowes, or teares, my gracious Lords
Conjoin'd with yours, could move the angry Heavens,
This doubtfull question should not trouble you:
Thou should'st great King enjoy thy right, and we—

Opp.
(Oh admirable piety!)

Fall.
Would rest as happy still enjoying thee:
But since that fate, (O hard and cruell fate)
Denies him his right mind, denies us him,
Envies us all this great felicity,
Who may more hope his regency t'attaine,
Than he in whom his vertues most remaine
Nor let it any thing impeach my right,
That unadvised Demonstration
Objects to me, base birth, who doth not see
His Father he disgraceth, and not me;
If ought he from his Mothers right doth claime,
Let him enjoy it, ile him not deceive.
But if he at his Fathers rule doth aime,
He was my Father too, and by his leave,
Although I chanc't not to have with him one mother
On the best side, I am his elder brother.
Nor are my vertues meaner than my birth,
Witnesse those many difficult attempts,
Which quite impossible for any else
To hope t'achieve, with expedition,
And not without successe, I have perform'd.
Witnesse that most rare service to this Realme,
Which I with diligence have executed.
Discourse his chiefe controwler in the state,
Truths sole soliciter, common Atturney
In all the causes which concerne the Land:
And all this, though by farre exceeding all,
Which my Competitors can promise you,
If to my first deserts you give due meed,
With future industry I vow to exceed.
If they which most they can, (and who can lesse?
Shall scarce defend, scarce defence asking right,
I will your weakest causes fortefie,
And make appeare most strong in most mens sight.
Who hates us, shall not thinke us overthrowne;
Who favours us, shall sweare the right our owne.
Now all this that I might effect for you,
Let me receive at your hands what's my due.

Divi.
My Lord speake what you thinke.

Defin.

Did you as true Piety (which is a reverent and
gratefull respect of your Parents) commands you, strive
who should have the greatest part in lamenting this his Extasie,
(which is a Distraction of his braines, or a privation
of those gifts of understanding, which of late hee happily

enjoy'd) I should give you equall praise; (which is the deserved
testimony of a vertuous action) but seeing you carried
by Ambition, (that violent passion, which desireth nothing
but honour) into these Civill Divisions: (which are Dissentions,
disquieting your friends, and delightfull to your
enemies) To say no more, I can commend none of you.
But because Iustice (which is a perpetuall and constant will
to give to every man his due) doth warrant me to define
this present controversie, if you will stand to my
Judgement, (which is the censure I shall give) Demonstration,
the noblest sonne of Discourse, by the Lady Necessity,
(who concludes all things which he undertakes so truely,
so immediatly, so surely) shall succeede in his fathers dignity:
(which is his kingdome and place in this realme) what
thinkes Division?

Divis.

These three that sue for Discourse his dignity, are
either true borne sonnes, or base borne: the true borne
plead either in right of birth, or of desert; their birth they
either commend from Priority, or Nobility; their deserts
either they set out from their greatnesse, or from their goodnesse.
Now because base borne sonnes never inherit, I think
Fallacy hath no right at all. Againe, because Primo-geniture
hath beene alwaies preferred before great birth, and often
good workes serving for use and action, are better than seldome
great effects, which tend to nothing but to Admiration
and Contemplation: I Judge Topicus, Discourse his
eldest sonne, by meaner Parentaged Probability, in that,
in all matters, at all times, wee shall have use of him to bee
chosen before Demonstration, second sonne, though begotten
on nobler descended Necessity, of whose vertue we have so
seldome experience.

Oppo.

If you have spoken, you may give me leave: I therefore
thinke neither Demonstration fit, nor Topicus worthy,
and therefore chuse Fallacy.

Defin.

Why so?

Opp.

Aske not my reason, I stand for him or none.

Fall.

He is base borne, and base birth, is a vile condition,
which to them that are unlawfully hegotten doth purchase
infamy, and bereaves them of all hope of succession.

Opp.

Now I thinke him as true borne as the best; for Demonstration,
I alwaies suspected him to be thy sonne, because
he was so like thee; but now I am perswaded so, seeing thee
to stand so mainely for him.

Divis.

Nay good Opposition, either speake more advisedly,
or hold your peace.

Opp.

What I have spoken I will stand to it; I will maintaine
it.

Defi.

We must beare with you, 'tis your nature to bee
crossing us perpetually.

Divis.

Then Proposition it is you must end this controversie,
pray speake quickly, 'tis your voice must doe it.

Prop.
If that three Dukedomes, all of equall worth,
To these three, all thrice-worthy, noble Lords
Should by our sentence be distributed,
I quickly would decide all doubt; but now
All having equall interest in my love,
All equally deserving in mine eies,
I sweare I know not whom I should preferre
Before the rest, lest I should doe the rest
More injury than right to him: therefore
Let me intreate you take some other course,
For the determining of this weighty strife.

Defi.

Wel then yong Lords, you must needs rest a while contented,
till we can find some other meanes to compose these
differences, wherein we will use the speediest meanes we
can invent.

Fallacy takes Opposition aside, and whispers him in the eare to send Contradiction.
Exeunt.
Fall.
You see deare Brothers how this subtile States,
Deferre this controversie to decide,
That keeping us from dignities, they may
Themselves be this Realmesonely Governours:
I therefore loving you, and this our State,
Hating such Machivillian Policy
Sit downe unto you, as you can agree,
Let either of you rule the State for me.

Exit.
Demon.
And 'twould no lesse befit you Topicus
To know your selfe, and learne of Fallacy
To yeeld unto your betters.

Topi.
You say true:
To know my selfe I well may learne of him,
For you are ignorant, and know me not;
Else I perswade my selfe, as he to both,
You would give place to me.

Demo.
I doe confesse
I know thee not, for Demonstration
Lookes not so low, with his inquiring eye,
In greater matters onely busied.

Topi.
Oh somewhat 'twas you ne're could know your selfe,
Your higher gazing thoughts could ne're descend
To so vild abject a basenesse.

Enter Contradiction.
Contra.
Now brave spirits,
Why suffer you our State unmanaged,
Your selves dishonoured? You are slouthfull Lords.

Demon.
Brave spirit, and can I endure
To be cald base and abject?

Topicus.
Thou mistak'st,
Those words were onely spoken unto me,
And Contradiction calls thee sloathfull Lord.

Contra.
Now let your noble courage shew it selfe
If you neglect this so faire-offerd place,
You worthy are to live in dishonour.

Demon.
Rather as the Lightning shall my courage pierce
Through any Clouds, that likely are to obscure
My brighter glory.

Topic.
May the foulest mouthes
Of the base vulgar spit upon the face
Of my unspotted credit, if for want
Of courage I abandon these my hopes.

Contra.
Should I through mine owne fault be hindered
In such attempts, oh I should kill my selfe,
And on my selfe I would take just revenge.

Demon.
And shall my brother seeke to thrust me downe,
And I endure it? Oh the name of a King
Is better than the common vulgar name
Of Brother. Topicus, looke to thy selfe,
He that my right and honour shall deny,
If I doe live and breath, shall surely dye.

Topic.
Fond Demonstration, rather than I'le yeeld,
Appoint the place, I'le meete thee in the field.

Cont.
What fitter place than this? where be the weapons?
Fie, fie, how dare you goe soe unprovided?

Dem.
Goe fetch thy weapons, I will not be long.

Top.
But I shall thinke so till I meete with thee.

Exeunt.