University of Virginia Library

ACTVS QVINTVS.

SCENA PRIMA.

Carlos, Isabella.
In a hall of Carlos house.
Carlos.
Whom see I here? misfottune! oh unluckie
Encounter! but, perhaps, I am deceiv'd,
Is it you, Isabella?

Isabella.
Strang? what heare I?
Ist possible that Carlos should not know me?
Are all my features suddenlie defaced?
No, they remaine yet, onelie I have cause
To thinke that they are raz'd out of thy memorie

Carlos.
Oh, Madame, this suspition is unjust,
I will upon this point tell you the truth
With all sinceritie.

Isabella.
Pray, what sinceritie
Can one expect from you?

Carlos.
Condemne me not
Before you heare me: I had a designe
Which prospered not, my intent was to bring
Another woman here, and I confesse
That I am sorrie now to see you Madame,
In her place, your faire presence is indead
A trouble at this time. But—

Isabella.
It sufficeth,
Ingratefull, thy crime is acknowledged,
And more sincerely then I could have thought.

Carlos.
Suffer me to expresse my selfe.

Isabella.
It needs not,
What explication can be more cleer?

Carlos.
Heare what remaines.

Isabella.
No, I will heare no more,
All thy disguisements are superfluous.

Carlos.
But know—

Isabella.
What should I know more? hast thou not
Tould me that thy soule's fleeting, thou intende'st
To bring another Woman here, thou wilt
That I believe it, and I doe believe it.

Carlos.
I have not.—

Isabella.
True, thou hast not anything
For me but coldnes, and presumption;
To see me in her place, thou sayst, th'art sorrie,
And with an unjust passion thy salfe spirit
Carried away, goes from inconstancie
To incivilitie.

Carlos.
Give me leave to speake.

Isabella.
What canst thou say unto me?
That thou acknowledgest the Empire of
A Worthier object, that in vaine thy heart
Hath stood against her charmes, and that to gaine thee
I have too little beautie?

Carlos.
Oh deceive not
Your selfe with so much art, and I beseech you
Be lesse unjust to my poore heart that loves you.

Isabella.
In losing such a heart as thine, I shall
Lose little, it is faithles, base, and treacherous,
And I pretend not any thing unto it;
Adiew.

Carlos.
What without hearing me, oh stay,
I doe beseech you, stay.

Isabella.
My presence here
Doth trouble you.

Carlos.
It is a reall truth.

Isabella.
A reall truth,
Ingratefull?

Carlos.
You shall not goe forth before
Y'ave heard me, suffer me upon this point
T'expresse my thought.

Isabella.
I should againe be troubled
With thy discourse.

Carlos.
What I shall say unto you
Can easilie be verified.

Isabella.
No, no,
I forbid thee to justifie thy selfe.

Carlos.
For the last time yet give me leave to say,
That it is you alone whom I adore,
That I am wholy yours.

Isabella.
Well, let me see then,
If I have any power yet in thy soul.

Carlos.
Madame, commaund, you shall be satisfied.

Isabella.
Say nothing more then to excuse thy selfe,
And leave me to depart. this I command,
Obey me in this point.

Carlos.
For such a perfect Lover as I am,
It is a crime t'obey too readilie.

Isabella.
No, no, I have some power upon thy spirit,
Shew thy respect by thy obedience,

Carlos.
Love by respect is verie ill expressd,
Who can obey well, knowerh not ro love,
This favourable councell, cruell Beautie,
Was given to Carlos.

Isabella.
Yes to Carlos faithfull,
But this fatall advise, whereof thou dost
Presume so much, was never given vnto
Carlos inconstant,

Carlos.
Madame, what's my crime?

Isabella,
Ingratefull, I will tell it thee, tis true
I had for thee something about my heart
That savoured of tendernes and that
I know not what began to differ little
From the toy called Love; at last I was
Tainted with that disease, when for my punishmēt
I knew my love produced but thy hate;
True, thou feel'st it no more, now that thou seest
That I am touch'd; I become trouble some
To him that's deare to me; now that my flame
Appeares, thine is consumed, and beginning
To love, I cease to be belov'd. Belov'd?
what have I said'? I learne by the effects,
That thou feignest alwaies, and did'st never love me
What canst thou answeare to excuse thy selfe.
So just a reproach cannot but confound thee;
Thou striv'st not more to justifie thy selfe,
Thy silence speaks thee guilty and confounded.

Carlos.
This trouble which appeareth in my countenance
Proceeds from your injustice, not my crime.

Isabella.
What have I said here which thou canst deny?
Defend thy selfe.

Carlos.
You have forbidden me
To justifie my selfe, I feare you would be
Offended still with my discourse.

Isabella.
No, no
Speak, Carlos, now my anger's vanished;
Although thou shouldst be false, and prove inconstant
In such a high degree as to betray me,
I might cōplaine thereof, but could not hate thee
And whatsoever change thy heart should make.
I should excuse thee if thou didst desire it.

Carlos.
Vpon your faire hands for this sweet expression,
Let me imprint my joy, and my resentment.

He kisseth her hand.

SCENA SECUNDA.

Alphonso, Isabella, Carloo.
Alphonso.
What doe I see?

Carlos.
But Madame, your suspitions
Injute my love extremelie.

Isabella.
My suspitions
Give Carlos intimation that I love him.

Alphonso.
You love him?

Isabella.
Heaven! what heare I?

Carlos.
O hard Fortune!

Isabella.
I must dispose my selfe to dye, he'll kill me
—aside
Father.

Alphonso.
Vnworthy object of my anger.
Iustly provoked, I'm thy enemie,
Call me no more thy Father: how! presum'st thou
T'offend me in fo high degree as thus
Against the rules of reason and of honour
To come to Carlos at his house by night,
And in despising the Religious Cloyster
Whereto I've destin'd thee, to give thy selfe
Over to base amours?

Isabella.
I doe beseech you,
Heare me, graunt me that favour, will you, Sir
Refuse me?

Alphonso.
Yes, everie thing except death.

Carlos.
Heare equitie oppressed by my mouth,
If her flame be a crime, I m guilty onelie;
Yes if it be a fault, daigne to remember,
That I am the cause on't, and whom you ought
Onelie to punish, be more just without
Being more gentle, save the innocent.
And destroy the offender.

Isabella.
No, against me
Bend all your furie, if it be a crime
To love, it is a vertue ro be loved:
The tendernes which I resent for Carlos
Denotes his merit, and setts forth my weaknes:
And if my passion be worthy death,
Carlos is free, and I alone am guilty.

Alphonso.
Perfidious, thou shalt dye then.

Carlos.
Oh, abandon
That thought.

Alphonso.
Then Carlos with my honour take
Away my life, that is the onely way
To make her crime safe; nothing but my death
Can stop her punishment.

Carlos.
Feare nothing from me,
I have respect for you, and since I could not
Appease your anger, I oppose no further
But rather presse you now that Isabella
May perish

Isabella.
How? doe you presse my destruction?
Oh now's the fatall moment, wherein I
Have just cause to complaine of destinie
My heart is peirc'd with griefe to see you here
With such injustice to become my judge,
And not my complice. I was well resolv'd,
Carlos, to dye, and quarrell'd not with fate,
So long as I thought to expire for thee;
But I believed not in this adventure
That Love aswell as Nature would betray me,
And that I should at last goe to the grave
Thus by a Fathers stroak, and Lovers sentence.

Carlos.
Madame, I've sayd but what I should have sayd:
Once more I doe repeate it, since your daughter
Must dye, Sir, and I cannot hinder it,
Content your selfe to strike, but pray mistake not
The bosome, heere direct your stroaks, tis heere
That Isabella's lodg'd, heere she is Mistresse,
Heere she is criminall, heere you must assault her
To punish her, and in peircing my heart,
You cannot misse her.

Isabella.
Oh, believe him not;
Turne your armes here.

Alphonso aside.
Alphonso.
Readie to shed my blood,
I feel my teares flow, and my choler's cold:
I onelie by a sudden strange effect
Am vanquish'd in the fight, let us feigne yet,
Carlos, your cunning for a little time
Retards her Punishment, but satisfy me
Vpon a thing that brought me heere, and wick
Doth trouble me extreemely tell me truelie,
Is my Sonne here, or no; if he be here,
His death is but too certaine.

Carlos.
I assure you,
Me is not here, Sir.

Alphonso.
Since you doe assure me,
I will not doubt it.

SCENA TERTIA.

Fabritio, Alphonso, Climene, Carlos, Isabella.
Fabritio.
We are free at last
From the Dukes hands.

Alphonso.
O Heaven! ist possible?
Fabritio yet present him to mine eyes?
I gave, Sir, too much credit to your words.

—to Carlos.
Carlos.
He was not here, Sir, when I said them to you,

Alphonso.
Thou blinded Sonne, through what ingratitude
Build'st thou thy pleasures upon my disquiet?
VVhat hath made thee despise a Fathers Will,
whom thou know'st cherisheth thy life so much
And why inviolating all the rights
Of nature, dost thou make so small accompt
Of the light which thou owest me? Ingratefull!

Fabritio.
The care, Sir, of my safetie troubleeh you
Too much, I doe not hate the light, but love is
Lesse then Climene.

Alphonso.
I commanded thee
To quit this residence.

Fabritio.
But I receiv'd
Another order.

Alphouso.
How! from whom?

Fabritio.
From Love.

Alphonso.
Love makes no lawes but for those that will take 'em;
And reason now forbiddeth thee to embrace it

Fabritio.
Oh reason, Sir, had left me, and I was
Too much enchained, to depart.

Alphonso.
Canst thou
Stay without shame, after an infidelitie?

Fabritio.
Climene is as constant as she's faire:
My spirit was struck with an injust suspition,
I'm disabused, and she's readie heere
To follow me.

Alphonso.
To follow thee?

Climene.
Yes Sir,
To follow him, I have engag'd my selfe;
Though his condition be chang'd, I am not.

Alphonso.
I alwaies doubted till this very moment.
Whether a woman could love constantly;
But if your love hath any reason with it,
Haste you to goe out of his fatall cuntry.

Fabritio.
There's nothing that shall stop my stepps to morrow
Sir, I sweare to you.—

Carlos.
Friend, thou shalt not sweare.

Fabritio.
If you believe it not, I doe assure you,
You are in an extreme errour; who can stay us?

Carlos.
Pehaps, It may be I.

Fabritio.
You?

Carlos.
Yes, I will
Tell you a sad adventure, which should be
Equallie grievous ro us both; Ciimene
Is by a fatall chaunce committed to
My guard, and I'm responsible for her.
I've the Dukes ordsr for it, and to add
To the misfortune, I thought to have taken
Climene, and I took your sister for her.

Isabella.
What! this was then the cause which troubled you
So much but now?

Carlos.
You have but little reason
To doubt of it; but understand my trouble
In this extremitie, if Climene flyes,
I shall be forc'd to expose Isabella
Instead of her to the Dukes passions:
I love her, and tis now no longer time
To disguise my thoughts to you, Iudge, I pray you,
If in this daunger I ought to expose her.

Fabritio.
How great is our misfortune?

Alphonso.
Not so great
As it appeares unto you; to be free
Of all feare, get ye gone all foure togeither.
The Duke will be reduced afterward
To be appeas'd.

Carlos.
This is a most sure way;
But whence proceeds this noise?

SCENA QUARTA.

Celin, Alphonso, Carlos, Fabritio, Climeno, Isabella, Celin to Carlos.
Colin.
Sir, diverse men
Armed with halberds desire speech with you.

Carlos.
Tis the Duke and his Guards, sure, their designe
Surpriseth me.

Alphonso.
I have lost all my hope.
Carlos, assuredly my sonne's discover'd.

Carlos.
We will be presently cleer'd on that point.
Without light let Fabritio stay heere,
And if he doubts that they are come to seek him
Behind this false wall he may hide himselfe:
He shewes them a wall which is turn'd upon a pivot of Iron.
See, how it turnes; before his death my Father
Fearing the malice of his enemies,
Caused it to be made in secret for him,
And I know that there is no wit so subtle,
That can finde our Fabritio in this place.

Alphonso.
To save thy life, doe this, Sonne, I conjure thee:

Climene.
And I Climene pray thee.

Fabritio.
I obey
As sonne, and I obey no lesse as Lover.

Carlos.
Let's cease discourse, and goe forth presently.

Exeunt all but Fabritio.
Fabritio alone.
Fabritio.
Heaven! must I alwaies be distracted thus
Twixt feare and hope, and must so just a love
Have such a rigid fortune? the Duke loves,
Or abhorres her, and I know that there's reason
To feare all things from him that hopeth nothing;
And that' bove all things it is daungerous
To be competitor with his Prince, and Rivall
Vnto his Master. But what! heare I not
Some person walke, at if he would come to me?

SCENA QUINTA.

The Duke, Fabritio.
The Duke alone.
Duke.
I've passed through a streight way, now I enter
Into a greater, yet am still in doubt,
My hope's confounded, and my spirits dark,
Which should light me in these obscurities?
Am I'mongst mortalls? am I in some cave?
Am I upon the earth, or in is center?
Murthered Fabritio offereth himselfe
To my remembrance, would Heaven punish me
For his unjust death? but I heare a noyse,
Who's there?

Fabritio.
Fabritio.

Duke.
Fabritio!
Appeares his Fantasme heere then for my punishment,
And am I sunk downe into Hell alive
To suffer for the evills I've made him suffer?

Fabritio.
I heare the Dukes voice, which I know full well.
Is it you then, Sir Duke?

Duke.
Th'art not deceiv'd.
I am the authour of thy death, I will not
Say any thing unto thee for to save
My life, thou canst without crime take it frō him
Who hath tane thine from thee all feare which
Resteth unto me in this sad misfortune,
Proceedeth from my crime, not from my death;
And if now any griefe oppresseth me,
Tis not to dye, but to dye culpable.

Fabritio aside.
Fabritio.
He thinks me still dead, I will profit by
This errour.—
aside.
Duke, you have just cause to feare
My furie, your fate now is in my power,
Nothing can stop the course of my revenge;
I can now sacrifice your blood to mine;
But, Sit, you are my Prince, and I'le not doe it;
Injustice I abhorre, and notwithstanding
My anger, I would rather suffer it
Then execute it.

Duke.
The mote thy respect
Appeares for me, the more unjust's thy death
And the more black my crime; by this, my fault
Becomes doubly condemnable, the lesse
Severe thou art in punishing me, the more
I'm worthy punishment. But if thy shadow
Pretendeth to respect me, what obligeth thee
To persecute me thus in everie place?
How comes it that thou dost conferre upon me
Imperfect favours? why dost thou pursue me?
What ist thou dost desire?

Fabritio.
Since you ordaine it
I'le speake it then; know, Sir, that this your trouble
Shall never see an end before you cease,
To love Climene.

Duke.
Cease to love Climene?
Oh! that's too much presumption, I may cease
To live, but not to love her, to obtaine
Thy wishes, thou shouldst ask a possible thing;
But I should have abus'd thee if I had
Flattered thy hope that I would cease to love
That charming Beautie.

Fabritio.
To love in this manner
Is to love like a tyrant.

Duke.
Well, I know
That I love like a tyrant, but no matter:
Know also that. Love who gives Law to me,
Is yet a blinder tyrant farre then I:
To force me to love this ingratefull Mistresse,
He hath to much strength, and I soo much weaknes
Onelie the hope that I can give thee is,
Never to see her more, yet still to love her.

Fabritio.
He that can lose the object, can lose also
The flame, the heart houlds not what the eye is
Depriv'd of, Love from our will hath his power;
To cease to love, there needs but the desire:
To put out all your flames, quench all your hope,
And yeild Climene to my constancie.

Duke.
But if I should doe so, what's rhy designe?

Fabritio.
To marrie her.

Duke.
To marrie her? what! art thou
Not dead then?

Fabritio.
What have I said?

Duke.
Thou shouldst be
O'th' number of the living for this worke;
Who cherisheth a body, must not be
A shadow. Speak, and believe that thy death
Hath cost me teares.

Fabritio.
He feigneth for to knowe me,
And to destroy me afterward.—

aside.
Duke.
He answeareth not a word; Lets seek about.
But least he should goe forth, tis requisite
To keepe this porte: to know too where I am,
Tis best to make a noyse; hola! who's there?
Some one come to me.

Fabritio.
Heaven! whereto am I
Reduc'd? but let me, ere they bring a light
Advaunce to wards the wall, and hide my selfe
Behind it.

Duke.
I'le be cleered in this doubt,
Heere comes a light.

SCENA SEXTA.

The Duke, Carlos, Alphonso, Valerio, Climene, Isabella, Guards.
Climene.
Doe we not see the Duke?

Duke.
See I againe my Mistresse?

Valerio.
Oh! we sought
Your Highnesse everie where.

Duke.
Is this enchantment?
Where am I?

Carlos.
In my house.

Duke.
But where is he?

Alphonso.
Who, Sir?

Duke.
Your Sonne.

Alphonso.
My Sonne.
Your Highnes is abus'd.

Duke.
I've speaken with him;
Vse no deceit towards me.

Alphonso.
Those are visions.

Duke.
They are truths, but he can't come forth, seek carefully
On everie side.

Alphonso
speaking to Carlos.
Oh Carlos how I feare!

Carlos addressing himselfe to Alphonso.
Carlos.
I say, be not afraid.

Valerio.
Sir, I've seene nothing.

Duke.
Heaven! what new prodegie is this? Iudge all
If I have reason to believe my selfe
Enchanted: I went forth the garden, thinking
To see before mine eyes Fabritios Ghost,
When suddenlie I fell into a precipice;
And passing through places which I know not,
Arriv'd heere, where to encrease the horrour
Of my sad soule, his shadow once againe
Appear'd before me, spake long time unto me,
And us'd persuasions to make me cease
To love Climene, and to yeild her to him.
This discourse gave me much incertaintie
Of his condition; I doubted if
He was dead; but surprised and amaz'd
By this successe, I need no more to doubt it.
Would that it plased Heaven he were alive,
I should be free then of that sad remorse
Which wounds my conscience, I would doe him justice,
And banishing my fires, would satisfie
My selfe in rendering him happy.

Alphonso.
Sir,
It is an easie generosity
To lament, an oppressed enemie
That is no longer to be fear'd, you think
My sonne dead, and on that accompt, bewaile him,
But if he were alive indead, you would
Be lesse humane.

Duke.
I would not break my word.
By Heaven, by faire Climene, by all nature,
I sweare to you Alphonso, that if now
Fabritio yet alive should by a miracle.
Appeare before mine eyes, so farre would I
Be from opposing still his iust desires
That I would willinglie resigne unto him.
That Beautie so belou'd and Cherished.

SCENA SEPTIMA.

Fabritio, The Duke, Alphonso, Carlos, Climeno, Isabella, Valorio, Guards.
Fabritio comming forth from behind the false wall.
Fabritio.
Behould me living then, most generous Prince,
Keep your word and your oath, and make me happie.

Duke.
Is this a Fantasme? Heaven!

Alphonso.
Shake of your feare.
It is Fabritio living, and his death
Is but a feigned thing.

Fabritio.
Sir, at your feete
I humbly doe expect the blest effect
Of what you promised.

Duke.
I'le keepe my word,
Climene's yours.

Alphonso.
Sir, favour my poore familie
In everie point, givs Carlos too in marriage
Vnto my daughter, and approve with me
Their innocent desires,

Carlos.
I humble crave
That favour from your Highnesse

Duke.
I consent to't;
Carlos, enioy your wish, although I am
Deceived by your artifice; but losing
My Mistresse, I lose my injustice too:
In not betraying me, you did betray
My glorie, who commands ill, should be ill
Obey'd', unjust designes may justly be
Destroy'd: Come follow me, and whilst your joyes
Are making readie, rell me by what Art
The Amourous Fantasme plaid his subtle part.