 | Claracilla |  |
Actus Quartus.
A noise within.Enter Philemon, and presently after him Tullius.
Phi.
What noyse is this that thus circles us,
Tul.
This noyse is every where and begirts us round,
Ile goe wake Manlius 'twill be worth our care
To search the cause.
Phi.
Stand, who goes there?
I Tullius, have you wak'd the Captaine?
Phi.
No.
Tul.
'Tis time he were.
He offers to goe, Phil. holds him.
Phi.
Hold.
Tul.
How now!
Phi.
'Twas his command that no man without exception
Should come to him till he had notice, nor
Be cald unlesse some danger threatend.
Tul.
Did you not heare the noyse!
Phi.
Yes, but noyse is none, nor will I call him.
Tul.
You will not call him, who am I, that thou
Darst tempt me thus, call him, and call him quickly,
Or thou shalt call thy last.
Phi.
I serve but one master, and him I will not call,
Nor shall you breake his rest whilst I can hinder it
Tul.
Doe not play with my anger, by all our gods
With a wound Ile make my way, and it shall lye
Over thy belly slave if thou provok'st me.
Phi.
Wounds are easily given to naked men
And thou wilt sooner bring them, then I feare them.
Tullius drawes his Sword.
Tul.
Death brav'd by my slave, thus villaine, and then
Ile tread under my feet, thy scorn'd earth.
Phi.
Helpe Manlius helpe.
Tul.
Vnloose thy hold, or by my vext soule I'le print
Tullius on the ground, Philemon on him.
Deathes cold seale on thy heart.
Phi.
I will not loose, Oh my vow to what strict lawes,
Thou bind'st me, else here I would throw my bonds
And with thy owne knife cut thy hated throate;
Dog thou art more a slave then my chaines can make me.
Enter Manlius.
Man.
What suddaine cry was that that cald for helpe
Ha! the Rhodian grabled, hows this and Tullius under
For a slave?
Phi.
No, If I would have beene a slave
I had beene safe, and you it may be might
Have felt these hurts.
Man.
Tullius what meane these wounds.
Phi.
Wounds are the food of slaves, else I deserve not these
For my faith, but loyaltie I see is against kinde in me
And therefore I am punish'd for obaying your command
Which was that no man without exception should
Passe this way till I had given notice
Which he would have done, and because I refus'd
Thus my faith's rewarded.
Man.
Is this true?
Tul.
In part 'tis, the wood this night was full of noyse
And I wak'd with alarum would have given
You notice, and he refus'd to let me passe
And therefore—
Man.
You would have kil'd him, 'twas not
Well, such a pietie as faithfulnesse amongst slaves
Is so rare, it ought have beene cherish'd, not punish'd;
Every day by one act or other this fellow
Begets my wonder, honour and courage still striving
In him, come hither once againe
I command thee tell me who thou art, and
By my life Ile set thee free.
Phi.
I see you have honour, and therefore presume
When you shall know I am bound by vow, never
To disclose my selfe whilst I am in bonds, you'le call it
Religion not disobedience, when I refuse to tell.
Man.
Wilt thou be faithfull when thou art free.
Phi.
I will be faithfull tho not free.
Man.
Vow, that and I will immediatly knocke off thy Chaines.
Arme but my hand, and set me free, and then
Ile take a vow, and having sworne faith, all
The earth shall not make me false.
He calls in one that takes off his Chaines, he gives him a Dagger.
Man.
Here by this I manumize thee, and if thou prov'st
A gentleman, from henceforth th'art my freind,
How ever free.
Phi.
And sir, your pitty hath thus made my joyes
Put off my feares, that I should forgotten fall
And returne to my mother earth, like her Common
Issue. Thus in returne with eyes to heaven
Bent, and a soule full of gratitude, I vow a
Constant faith to vertue and—
Enter Melintus pursuing a Souldier, who cryes helpe Arme, and kills him as he enters.
Mel.
To what strange fate am I reserv'd, or by
What sinne have I pul'd downe this curse of a
Generall hate, that all pathes I treade are arm'd
Against me! ha! more enemies? Nay then Melintus,
Yeeld, for tis visible thou warr'st with heaven.
Man.
What art thou, that with such paines
Hast to this place hunted thy ruine, and thus with
Injurious wounds in the dead of night,
Awaked our anger.
Mel.
Prethee goe forward with thy injurie
Such another charme will call backe my anger
And then I shall be safe, for it hath ever
Yet beene prosperous, tho that successe
Made me unfortunate.
Man.
Leave thus vaine gloriously to urge you?
Former successe, for twill be no ground now
To build a future conquest on, and therefore
Yeeld thy sword, and quickely, before I command it
And thy head, know my power here rules thy fate.
Mel.
Yeeld my sword? by what other priviledge
Prethee looke upon me, and if thou canst
Reade these Characters theyle tell thee, I was
Not borne to yeeld, tho thou art the glorious Master
Of the sport, and I unfortunate by a crosse fate
Am hunted into the toyle, where dangers on
All sides begirt my innocence, yet with the Lyon
I dare be angry with my bonds, and altho I may
Become thy prey, yet I will not be thy scorne.
Man.
Ile dispute no longer, seize him, if he resist
In his heart seale the stroke of thy freedome.
Philemon goes towards him, and knowes him.
Phil.
Ha Melintus!
Mel
He nam'd me, what art thou that cal'st my name;
Ye gods, is misery so neere a kin that by instinct
The wretch'd know me.
Man.
How now? what doe you muse on? had you
Daring onely while you were unarm'd.
Phi.
Not was a consideration of the basenes of the act
And not feare, made me stop, and the remembrance
That I am free held me from stayning the
Mayden livery that the gods have sent me,
With so base an act, as to strike where ther's
Three to one, besides his posture and his habit
Speakes him a Gentleman, and his misfortunes
Rather to be pittied than encreast.
Mel.
A helpe from heaven if this he Reall.
Man.
Slave, and ungratefull, thou shalt finde thou hast
Too soone mention'd thy freedome, foole, onely free
In hope, and this act hath but increast thy load
Of chaines, curse thy selfe, for thy increase
Of miseries shall make thee finde th'art more
A slave then ever.
Phi.
Doe not deceive thy selfe, looke there, and here,
He points to his chaines and shewes his dagger.
And ere thou art toss'd in thy anger, here this truth
Become a slave, must be a coward too.
And now I am arm'd I scorne to owe my freedome
To any but the gods.
Man.
Death, dogge, dost thou brave me with my curtesie?
Draw Tullius my thirstie rage will be quench'd
They both draw and runne at Phil.
With nothing but the slaves blood.
Mel.
Heaven for ought I know
We are by thy direction thus cast two to two,
If not Ime sure by honour we are,
He runs in betweene them, and gives Phi. a sword.
Here take this sword.
Phi.
Now Tullius thou shalt see how mortall thy
Power is, which so like a god thou wearst amongst thy
Slaves, revenge and freedome guides me to thy ruine.
And you sir, strike to prevent the losse of such
An opportunitie, a vow forbids me
To tell you who I am: now the wound that thou
Basely gavest me, when I was bound and naked.
They fight, Tullius falls.
Tul.
I have but few words
Man.
I am your choyce then.
Mel.
As it happens.
Tul.
I am slaine, and by my slave bound for ever.
Phi.
Lye there and curse.
Phi. leaves Tullius and runs to Mel and parts them
Man.
Nay then ile smiling fal, now I have my revenge
For I see thou wert borne to be a slave, and all
Thy parts of honour, were but distempers in thee
And now thy nature is strong, thou appearst thy selfe,
A slave in thy soule, come what stayes thee, I have
A brest so cleere, it defies thy poniard, traytor.
Phi.
No, I was borne free, and Manlius his rage
Once over, he will say he hath injur'd me,
And sir, as I drew my sword against my master
To make me faulty I am your enemie,
And therefore attempt no farther this mans
Danger, it is not safe.
Man.
My wonder waites upon all this fellowes acts.
Mel.
What art thou that thus in lesse than a man
Hides more than a god.
Phil.
What am I? a soule with her old cloathes on.
A slave with wounds and crosses stor'd, and yet in better
Fortunes I have knowne your face.
Mel.
If thou hast mercy in thee, tel me whom thou art.
Phi.
Marke me well, dost thou not see thy selfe here.
Not yet—now I am sure thou dost in these
Christall drops: friendship will guide Melintus
To know Philemon.
Mel.
Philemon! O ye gods new waightes to sinke me.
Phil.
Oh tis a powerfull rod that Melintus
Friendship strikes with, a thousand miseries
Have smote upon this rocke, but never any
That made water issue through till now.
Mel.
Oh Philemon, Philemon, what cannot friendship do
Tis from her living springs this dew fall.
Man.
Melintus and Philemon, good heaven what change
Hath begot this misery, oh noble Princes
Vpon my knee I beg when your sad joyes
Are over, youle shower a pardon upon
Vnfortunate Manlius.
Mel.
Manlius? is this Manlius, he was Claracillas friend.
Phi.
Tis Manlius, and I hope a faire day will
Breake from a bloody evening.
Mel.
Your pardon sir, or here upon my brest
Returne the wounds my rage directed against yours.
Man.
Repeate it not sir, you make me but call to
Minde my shame, which I must ever blushing weare
When I remember a slave could looke further
Into honour than I.
Oh Melintus I have a story for thee
That we shall weepe out together.
Mel.
When I looke upon thee I am distracted
To thinke the gods would consent thus to let
Their Temples be ruin'd and vertue alwayes walke
Noked, like truthes Emblem, whilst better fates
Cloath the wicked.
Phi.
Deere Melintus let not the sense of my
Misfortunes urge a consideration from thee
At the rate of sinne, and dare those powers
Which I know thou fearst.
Mel.
I have done noble youth, yet when I looke
Vpon thee, joy and amazement will seize
Vpon me, I have strange things to tell thee:
But this nor time nor place, who is this
That thus unfortunately met thy anger.
Man.
A stout and gratefull fellow, twas the Captaine
That sav'd me, when I was doom'd by Silvander
Mel.
A stirres, heaven I hope
Will not let the guilt of one accidentall fault,
Hange upon this evening to crosse our joyes.
Phi.
I am sorry since there dwelt such honour in him
That he prov'd my enemy; this was the Pirat
Tooke me at Rhodes.
Man.
Pray helpe him aboard my gally, where we may
All repose, and till to morrow resolve
What is to be done, in the new change of Sicilie.
Phi.
Lay thy Arme here Melintus for these bonds
Can onely set Philemon free.
Exeunt.
| Claracilla | |