 | The Prisoners |  |
Actus Primus.
Enter King, Sortanes, Eumenes, and Cleon.King.
Are the Gallies come from Rhodes?
Em.
Yes Sir, they ariv'd this evening
King.
Then we're all in readinesse, and if the gods
Smile upon us, those proud sisters shall finde
They have puld downe fire by playing with my anger,
Pretend a vow to peace, and staine their bond by it,
Not to arme but in their owne defence,
Come, twas trecherous and since in our greatest danger
They could leave our friendship to that sudden ruine
That threatned us, they shall find now our vertues
Have wrought through, what enemies we can be
Whose friendship they have despised: and into their
Bosomes Ile throw all the miseries of warre,
Whose single name was such a terrour to em,
Wheres our sister?
Cle.
She went this evening in her galley
Ki.
When she returnes tell her I must speake with her
This night, and doe you heare Eumenes,
Let all things be in readinesse to put to sea,
With the morning tide, the winde stands faire still.
Eu.
Yes Sir, the windes faire.
Ki.
What said the Captaine of the Gally that you tooke,
Had they notice of our intent?
Eu.
Yes sir, he sayes they had intelligence,
But they are so unprepared for war, that the
Knowledge was no advantage, they received it
As men stabd in their sleepe, that wake onely
To finde their dangers certaine.
Ki.
Their falshoods have begot their feares, and now
Like cowards they fall upon their owne swords,
Eumenes, let the slaves be well fed to night.
Exit.
Scena Secunda.
Enter Cecillia, Philon, Eugene, and three Souldiers being chased a-shore by Pyrats.Phi.
Fly, Madam, save your selfe while we
With our faiths, make a stop, for know
Philon will lay his body a willing sacrifice
To intercept your danger.
Cecil.
Oh Philon, which way shall we take? I know
Not where we are, why did you land here?
He durst not have pursued us to the harbour,
My brothers fleete now in readinesse to depart
Would have protected us.
Eu.
This way the slave ran that went to call for aide.
A noise within,
Follow, follow,
Phi.
Harke Madam, we're pursude,
Tis now no time to talke, upon my life
The value of the prize he hunts.
Within,
Follow, follow,
Ceci.
They come, take some other way and try
If you can divert their chase, whilst we
Take Covert in this wood.
Exeunt
Enter Philon and his party, beaten in by Gillipus, Hiparcus, and Souldiers of their part.
Gil.
Follow mates, for we have in chace
The wealth of Kingdomes, one whose maiden Mine
The gods would digge it, nor has her Virgin earth
Beene wounded yet for that precious metall,
But keepes her, Indies still unconquer'd:
If we gaine her weele saile no more, nor steere
Vncertaine fates by a fix'd starre, nor pray
For faith, that we may hope a safety in the midst
Of the dangerous wonders of the deepe.
Hip.
Slip not this opportunity, we know not how long
Fortune will court us, which path tooke she?
Gil.
I know not, let us divide our selves. Ile take this
Exit. Gil.
Enter Pausanes and meetes Hiparcus.
Pau.
Hyparcus what glorious things were those
That fled us as if we durst hurt them?
Hy.
Hansome women, man.
Pau.
Were they but women?
Pau. stands with his eyes fixt upon the ground.
Hy.
But women, no but women, what aylst thou?
Pau.
I am sure they are more then man, for I never saw
Any of that sex that made me tremble, yet
Dwells in my brest still.
Hy.
Thunder-strucke by a woman; courage man
Blacke eyes tho they lighten, yet they doe not use
To shrinke our hearts in the scabberd.
Pau.
These doe not use to fight, doe they?
If they doe, by all our gods theyle conquer me.
Oh Hiparcus, doe not mocke my misery but tell me
Hast thou seene many such; such formes usuall
Amongst em? this has Medusa's power in that
Beautious forme, & I am changed to weeping Marble.
Hy.
By this good day hees in love, could I be so
How happy might I be, for I have beene,
Pretty lucky in the sex, and could I have lov'd
All that I have layne with, what a share of Heaven
Should I have had, looke how he stands now,
Pausanes what dost meane, let fall thy weapon
When thou pursuest a wench.
Pau.
A wench! whats that? I thought of none.
Hyp.
The greater part, and the hansomest, and that
They are not the better part of women, is yet
To be disputed.
Pau.
How canst thou distinguish em? How dost thou know a wench?
Hy.
Severall wayes, but the best is by feeling em.
Pau.
But that I know from rocking in the Cradle
It still has beene so, how should we two come to be friends?
Theres such contrarieties even in our nature,
That both looking on one heavenly forme
We should from the same subject draw such
Different thoughts; whil'st I was Philosophying
Vpon her diviner part, and preparing how to worship;
Thou wert casting to pollute her. But prethee tell me
In thy serious thoughts, were it not better to finde
Those beauties that adorne her, the cloathing
Hy.
Faith in serious thoughts, which hansome women
Ought not to be mingled with, worships God,
But to be worshipt better: but prethee
Put off this serious discourse now, this is no time to talke
When we have the prey in chase.
Exit
Pau.
Fare thee well, but that I know thee stout,
Faithfull to thy friend, and one that speakes
Worse of himselfe then any other dares,
Ide teare thee from my bosome, But when I know
This; and how strictly thou wilt pay thy vowes
To honour, thou shalt dwell for ever here.
Exit
Scena Quarta.
Enter Gallippus, and Cecillia.Gal.
Y'are very faire, let that remove your wonder,
Gallippus has surprizd her, and leads her in.
How we dare againe gaze upon that excellence,
She frownes.
Why doe you frowne? is it your Innocence,
Or your beauty, that you mistrust,
That thus you arme your selfe with anger to
Defend you, pray leave to be an enemy, you see
That could not protect you.
Cecil.
No monster, tis not to see thee play thy part
That troubles me, but to thinke that heaven
Failes in hers, thus to leave vertue without a guard,
Whilst lust and rapine grow strong in mischiefe,
As if the Innocent were created white
Onely to be fit to take the murtherers purple.
Gal.
As ye have mercy, remoove that threatened danger,
That ruine in your curld brovv, and injustice
And crosse fate together, then call to minde
How severely I was punisht for a single fault,
A fault that my love pleaded for but did not excuse:
And when you have found that blot in my story,
If you are equall, you must confesse all my life
To that houre paid you an humble and a faithfull
Service, and had I not found your scorne
Would leave me to my Dispaires, I had
Waited my fortunes, and not by force
Attempted to have gain'd my wishes, had you
Not bowed me that way, but tryed what
I could have suffer'd for you, not from you,
'Twould have started your soft soule to have
Seene me suffer, that would through a thousand
Hazzards have courted your favour till I
Had falne your Martyr.
Cecil.
Away, thy oylie tongue, nor bloody hand cannot prevaile,
Thy flattery and thy force, I am above both,
For love and his soft fire thou never feltst it,
Nor knowst that God, but by the name,
Thy false stoopings conclude thou canst not worship,
That thus durst againe by force attempt me,
That heart that truely loves, nobly suffers: and
Knowes that God of passions is to the longing soule,
Both the hunger and the food, and if his heaven
Be not reach'd with knees, their hands are not,
Nay cannot, yet maist thou live to love, and me,
I wish it not to glory in, but to punish thee.
Gil.
Are you so resolv'd, then Ile kneele no more,
But frowning gather all thy sweetes, begging
Lovers teach women a way to deny, which else
They durst not know: A slave there—
Take to your charge, this faire folly, and
As your eyes looke to her, let not her face
Bindes her
Betray your faith; convey her to the Gally,
There my Empire will begin.
Cer.
Think'st thou thy threates can fright, no I cannot
So much doubt the care of heaven, to think that power
Whose providence considers the fall of every little bird,
Will sleepe now, and o'resee the ruine of a Kingdome:
No monster I defie thee.
Gil.
Away to the Gally, there
When we have got the bootie Ile meete you.
Exit.
Hip.
Tis a lovely forme, with what a scorne
She beares her fortune.!
Cecil.
Sir I am but a stranger to you, yet if you
Durst disobey this bad man and give me freedome
I will not say I can reward such a benefit,
But I am certaine I can be gratefull:
Can you doe it?
Hip.
If I durst be dishonest Madam I think I could.
Cecil.
Dishonest? if it were not mine owne cause
I would dispute the act; but since 'tis,
Ile urge no more, for know I can with lesse
Paine be a prisoner then twice beg my freedome:
Obey him Sir.
They meet Pausanes.
Hip.
With paine and blushes, Madam I shall.
Pau.
Ha! tis she, and bound.
Hiparcus whether dost thou hale that innocence.
Hip.
Our Captaine deliverd her to me with command
To carry her to the Gally.
Pau.
Hold Hiparchus;
Vnbecomming office? tis not like thy selfe:
The brave hunter doates not upon the quarrie,
Nor had Hiparcus wont to fight for spoile.
Hip.
Nor does he now, nor ever shall
So faultie a conquest hang upon my name,
As to make me blush the victorie.
She was deliverd me by our Captaine,
And she can witnesse that to my faith he left
The securing her to the Gally. And
Pausanes knowes Hiparcus dares not breake
A trust.
Pau.
Thou mistakest this service, for to doe
This act is breaking trust with heaven.
Thou break'st with the gods, thou breakst with him
That gave thee credit for thy courage, and
Thine honour, and sent thee forth their souldier
To fight for them, and this the day of battaile,
Here the vertue on whose side thou ought'st
To bleede, the innocent in whose cause they
Command thee die to live a Conqueror.
Now thou flyest, thou runnest away,
Hiparcus flies meanly unvanquish'd,
As if by a pannick feare terrour-strucke,
For he is beaten by a mistake and conquers
His enemy while he loses his fame at home.
Hip.
Hold, what meanes Pausanes thus
With injurious words to wound his friend?
Pau.
I injure thee? I wound Hiparcus? I
Throw a scandall upon my friend? yee gods
Strangely punish Pausanes when he does so.
Hip.
What doe you lesse when you upbraid me for
My faith, and with art of words labour
To make me appeare faultie, as if you
Did not know the law by which we are bound
Is not alike with free men:
Have beene rewarded with these priviledges
Above our fellowes, woul'st have me kill
The cause of his bountie and in justice
For my treachery become a slave, and
Make this which was my fate my punishment,
I tell thee Pausanes I could not
Be free here should I doe this act.
He layes his hand upon his breast.
Cecil.
Defend me yee powers from this youth, his honour
Brings greater dangers then the Traytors bonds:
Sir, pray plead no more for me.
Hipar. offers to goe.
Pau.
Hiparchus thou see'st now tamely I have pleaded,
And in calmenesse urg'd my reasons: Once againe
By our wounds and blood so oft together shed
That their mixtures, have in their fall begot
A kinde of kindred, by all our miseries
Which still have beene allied, by our friendship
I conjure thee give me her freedome.
Hip.
I see thou hat'st me, else my reasons would
Prevaile, and thou would'st leave to preferre
A prisoner before thy friend, and his faith given:
And therefore know though your friendship doe plead
When tis against mine honour I can be deafe.
Pau.
Thou canst be anything, and I can weepe
To finde it, yee gods, would I have us'd
Hiparcus thus, Oh heavens that ever I
Should call thee friend: Hiparcus stay, I have
Hip. offers to goe agen.
One argument left still; unbinde her
Or guard you.
Hip.
Pausanes.
Pau.
Your Sword.
Heare me speake.
Pau.
No words, her freedome or your sword.
Hip.
Pausanes knowes I will not be beaten
Into an opinion, and since thou hast drawne
Thy sword last I will not yeeld her: My honour
Forbids me, thou art injurious to thinke
Thy force can prevaile beyond thy reason,
I tell thee Pausanes thy anger should not start me
If I could make thee an enemy.
Pau.
Defend your selfe.
They fight and are both wounded.
Hip.
Will you yet give me leave—to be faithfull.
Pau.
No, Hiparcus hunts his will not his faith.
Here Hiparcus gets Pausanes downe.
Cecil.
As you have honour hold, and let a virgins
Teares that shall fall to Seas divide your anger
But till my prayers can confirme your friendship.
They struggle.
Pau.
Looke upon her teares and these wounds whose
Anguish thy friendship not thy Sword brings and
Then weigh the act, I would thou hadst beene
Ten enemies rather then one friend
To have disputed this cause.
Hiparchus disarmes him.
Scena Quinta.
Enter Gillippus, Zenon and Souldiers.Gill.
Make all possible speede aboard with the bootie,
They pursue us close. Command Hiparcus
And Pausanes ashore to guard us. Hah!
What meanes this, what makes she ashore?
Pau.
That which thou canst not make aboard; she has made
An honest man, and if thou darst make another,
Gill.
Hiparcus resolve this riddle.
Hip.
This woman whom you gave to my trust
Pausanes would have releas'd, and when
His arguments as friends could not prevaile,
Meanly he threw off his Faith, and by force
Attempted to take her from me.
Gill.
Slave, did I for this preferre thee,
When at the sacke of Tunis thou becam'st
My slave, and by thy owne confession wert
A thing without a name, and could'st neither
From men nor country clayme a being? now
Thy treachery shall make thee as darke an exit
As thy base soule had entrance.
Pau.
I scorne thy threates from this death I shall
Begin to live, till now I lay wrapt in rust,
And the Canker fed upon my fame from this act
I shall adopt a name which till this minute
I despair'd of: since that fatall day
In which old Perseus fell, in whom onely liv'd
That knowledge we so hunt for; And Hiparcus
If thou continuest thou'lt be asham'd to finde.
For the bounties thou urgest what were they
But making us a better kinde of slaves, commanded
Commanders impaling our free soules
So that we could employ but one vertue,
Our courage since we serv'd thee; and that
Has throwne us into dangers, honour would be
Asham'd to owne, and brought wounds that leave
Blushing scarres, this when Hiparcus has
Let fall his passion, will make him tremble
To finde he could not feare but bleede
For a Traytor,
And strucke against a virgins honour. And
Pau. turnes to Cecillia.
In his rage sould his friend to buy his will:
Will hang upon thee with more dishonor
Then thy Chaines, For me I smile at this chance,
For though I have mist my first freedome, et
I have found my last wounds.
Hip.
Ha!
Gil.
Villaine, hast thou not yet enough layd up
Thy treacherous soule, art not satisfied
To be false thyselfe that thus thou labour'st
To shake his try'd faith: Hiparcus kill him
Kill ee'n his memory that the ingratefull slave
May fall like a dogge and leave no name behind him
The slaves offer to kill him.
Yet hold, he shall not die so nobly, nor finde
Such mercy in his fall. Hiparcus strip the slave
And upon a tree stretch the Traytors body,
There let him hang alive, like the condemn'd
Fruit to the fruitlesse tree, damn'd thither
To live a death; and would count that murder
That threw 'em their mercy if it would come.
And breake the snare.
Cecill.
Bloody villaine!
Darst thou command this with a beleefe
Thou shouldst be obeyd, what is he that has
So much hell about him that dares execute
What thy bloody rage imposes.
Pau.
Gentle soule plead not for Pausanes, nor
Grudge him this glorious end, for now I fall
What I could not have liv'd with him;
Honors servant.
Gill.
Away with him and see it done, or by
The gods he pulls his fate downe that disputes it.
The slaves seize him.
Hip.
He that trembles at death, let him dye
Tis just, hold Sir, witnesse my wounds I dare
Through the streights of friendship sworne to serve you,
Yet tho I did this because my faith
Was given, and honor told me I was in
The right, yet doe not thinke I will be
So faultie to my friend as to start at
Thy frowne more then his Sword, or be frighted
To the murder of my brother.
Gil.
Ha! whats this?
Hip.
No Gallippus I have no such Aguie courage,
Nor comes mine honour so by fits; know though
I durst not breake a trust, yet I dare disobey
Your impious commands, nor can you call
It treachery when to your face I disavow
It, frowne not, for while I have mine old guide
Honor, there is no act brings so darke a hazard
But Hiparchus will strike a fire from it
Shall light him through.
Gal.
My rage, whither wilt thou hurle me? Draw mates.
Gall. Zenon and the Slaves draw.
Villaines though my anger hath lost her tongue
Yet her hands are left still: And those in wounds
Shall print on you wretched bodies my revenge.
Hip.
There, defend thy selfe. Feare not Madam,
Hip. returnes Paus. sword and they two defend themselves.
These are our enemies.
Paus.
Now I have my wish.
Gall.
At this rate take it.
Here Paus. steps to Cecil. and unbinds her, Gall. in the interim wounds him, but he releases her before he defend himselfe.
Think'st thou I would not buy her freedome when my blood
Could purchase it, have I lived as if I fear'd wounds?
Thou canst scarce be mine enemy after this favour,
O that I could kisse it! thou should'st kill me
E're I would take my lippes from it.
Cecil.
To what fate am I reserv'd, Helpe, Rape,
Murder, Murder.
Exit.
Enter the King and Souldiers; they beate off Gillippus and Zenon, and tooke Hip. and Paus.
Binde those and pursue the rest. Sister well met,
Along with me.
Exit.
| The Prisoners | |