University of Virginia Library

Scene I.

Enter Maria, and the Confessor following her.
Maria.
Is this Divinity? Defend me heaven!

Conf.
Sweet Lady hear me.

Maria.
Go preach thy heresies, to toads and serpents,
Or to the Sun-burnt-Indians, whose Devotion,
Is paid to that which thou woudst have me be
A Devil.

Conf.
Pray Madam be not so Loud, you may be heard.

Maria.
Wou'd my Soules stormes, cou'd raise my voice
Loud as the Oceans Raving; that the fool'd world
May know what dangerous Couzenage may lie hid
Under such holy shapes.

Conf.
Is this my Recompence?

Maria!
Oh Monstrous!
Thou Exquisite Exceeder of Impieties,
That dost Expect a Recompence from Sin,
Perhaps 'tis all your Trades with Cheating Zeale,
To teare your Jawes, and stretch your throates, to hoarsness,
To Raise poor People to a fond beliefe,
The easier to o'rethrow their new built faith;
When such as you but Laugh at what you taught;
Such a Destroyer now of all mankinde
Art thou black homicide.

Conf.
Homicide?
Who whispers to a Storme, may be o'rewhelm'd
But never heard; I wish'd you to the King,
And something with it, of a holier name
Then what you Rave at, but farewell.

Mar.
—Stay Father—
What this? A holier name?—
You or I Rave indeed.

Conf.
Yes, and perhaps may warm your coldness,
The name of Queen, Will that yet take Impression?

Mar.
No—I am as chast to that as to the other,
Ambition has its Lust, as well as Love.

Con.
You give too course a name to great Attempts,
And blast our honours, with the care of yours,
You may be Rais'd, unto your Princes bed,
And clime by your obedience to his throne,
Led by your Love, and not Ambition.

Mar.
These are large thoughts—but the Queen.—

Conf.
Forget her, she is in her wayne.

Mar.
Ha! there is no safety while she is alive.

Conf.
Nothings unsafe to thee but unbelief,
Thy Father got thy honour, and thy life,
And will not murder either: take my advise,
And for the Rest—see—your Father.

Enter Lerma
Ler.
Tell me holy Father, is it Idolatry
To pay Devotion to those Glorious Eyes,
And call them Lights Divine? they are my Stars,
Since their Bright Influence must direct my fate,
My growth of Life, and Fortune must depend
Upon their warmth, whose power must fetter pow'r,
And Majesty it self Learn to obey.

Mar.
What meanes my honour'd Father?

Ler.
Call me not Father, I must take life from thee
And from thy Suns, like growing fruit be Ripen'd.

Mar.
This is strange, to me Sir.

Ler.
Ha! Have you not wrought her?

Conf.
I have us'd my utmost art; and tempted her
With the name of Queen—but—

Ler.
You are dull: I thought your profession
Had been more subtile in these practises;
Leave us a Little—
(Exit Confessor.
Has not your Confessor, my best Maria,
Acquainted you with my designes?

Mar.
He told me something Sir had an ill sound,
But may be 'twas his piety to try me,
It was not his Religion sure to tempt me?

Ler.
Tempt you? to what? to a Kings Love,
Perhaps his Throne; Call your own niceness folly,
And not his Love, and Care Impiety.

Mar.
My Mother, Sir, upon her Deathbed, charg'd me
(when her Acquaintance grew so great with Heaven,)
That I shou'd still be chast; chast to all Appetites,
Call'd pride, the Dropsie of Infected soules,
That swell'd 'em first, then burst 'em.

Ler.
Your Mother was for t'other World
When she preacht thus, but I am yet for this;
And I must leave it in a hurry, unless thy power
Stops the fierce whirlwinde that is just now ready
To wrap me into nothing—

Mar.
Heaven defend my Father.

Ler.
Amen, but you must help; it was
On purpose that Heaven made thee faire,
To save thy Father.

Mar.
I hope there is no danger near you?

Ler.
Nothing but Death, or Banishment;
Come Maria, my Best, my Dear Maria,
Come shine upon the King, the flames thou giv'st
Will Returne warmth to thee, like the bright Sun
That gives the World his heate, and yet so justly
Paid back again, he lends at no expence,
But preserves all, and shines, as thou maist doe.
If a declining Father be thy all, if not,
Let it be night, and it shall be a dark one
To more than me.

Mar.
Oh heavens! What do you mean?

Ler.
Peace, see the King.
This opportunity is lost.

Mar.
Good Sir let me go.

Ler.
You must not.

Enter King, Duke D' Alva, the Marquess of Alcara, and Count Bruchero.
D' Alva.
Your Fathers blessing
Lerma observes.
Seal'd it with that condition.

Alca.
You forfiet all the strength of his advice,
If at the first you break his strict commands.

Bruc.
The King commanded Lermas Banishment.
As if some Oracle had said, till that be done,
The Plague, shall Reign, or Famine, or the Sword.

Ler.
Marke that Maria.

King.
I am unwilling to begin my Reigne,
With a severity to any one—but—

D' Alva.
Look, Sir, where he is, no fitter time
Then now, to through him to his Banishment.

King.
What Lady's that?—

Alca.
How he Gazes on her?—
'Tis his Daughter Sir.—

D' Alva.
Sir, Remember now, your Fathers Last Commands:
What do you look at Sir?

Ler.
Now my prophetick Soul!

(Aside.
King.
Look at?—that fair Lady:
Is she not wondrous faire?

Bruc.
But she is Lerma's Daughter Sir.

King.
No matter—Madam—
(goes to her.
I ought sooner to have Saluted you,
But tis not less Respect, to so much beauty
To loose Civility in Admiration.

(She lookes down.
Ler.
Speak.

King.
Be not displeas'd, fair wonder of your Sex,
That I admire so suddenly; a flower conquest
Is fit for lesser beauties.

D' Alva.
Sir, Do you remember?

King.
I do, concerning Lerma,
Know, my Lord, I will not waite for a Petition
That this faire Beauty might present;
'Tis Juster to her power to tell you,
I can pronounce no Banishment, nor death
To him that gave her Life.

Ler.
You poure Mercies on me.

Bruc.
What change is this?

King.
In Return my Lord, I do expect this gratitude,
That I and all the Court may be made happy
By this faire Object—I do expect your promise.

Ler.
You have it Sir.

King.
I will no more punish her modesty.

D' Alva.
Sir, VVill you forget?

King.
No more.

Exit. looking on Maria, the Lords on Lerma.
Ler.
Now, my Maria, Should I not fall down
And worship the Divinity that saves me?

Mar.
Are there Divinities below?

Ler.
There are; every wise thing is a Divinity,
That can dispose, and check the fate of things:
I ask no other help but thine,
To make Spain know I am their Deity.
Come, you must to Court, my word's engag'd.

Mar.
VVhat to do Sir?
To be a Prostitute, or to be thought so:
I shall show there Sir, not like a Sun,
But like a Meteor, risen on a sudden,
VVhose false light quickly slides into a vapour.

Ler.
Ha!
Dost thou in Disobedience shew thy vertue,
And with those guilty Eyes, that may preserve me,
Gaze unconcern'd on my approaching ruine.

Mar.
Heaven will defend you Sir.

Ler.
I will not trouble heaven, when you may do't;
Did you not hear my Banishment and Death
Charg'd on the young King, as his Fathers Legacy
Of safety to his Crown? VVas he not going
Just to pronounce it too? when thy bright Eyes
Arrested all his Anger at Loves Sute.

Mar.
VVhat should I do?

Ler.
Keep still his heat alive, or I am sent
To an eternal Coldness; and like a a Crocodile,
Thou may'st then weep, o're him thou hast destroy'd.

Mar.
VVere there no way Sir, by my death
To make your life secure? I wou'd resign
It willingly, and pay you back,
The life I borrow'd of you.

Ler.
No, 'tis the death of others then must save me.
Since I must fall, excuse me curs'd necessity;
For I will sow Murders so thick, and sudden,
That Death shall have a fruitful harvest.

Mar.
VVhat d'ee talke of Sir?

Ler.
Of Death.

Mar.
Of VVhose?

Ler.
Of those that have the power of mine.

Mar.
Not of the King's, Sir?

Ler.
Yes of the King's, VVhy d'ee start?
Nature has no exceptions, though Lawes have.

Mar.
Direct me Heaven!

Ler.
Come, I trifle,
And play with my own dangers, farewell:
I'le leave a Fathers curse behinde me,
And only stay to please my eyes with ruine
Before mine comes.

(Offers to go.
Mar.
Stay Sir—I know not what to say;
I will do any thing; I should have said
That had been honest; but that is disobedience.
I beg Sir but one minutes time to think.

Ler.
Doe, while I call the Confessor:
Be sudden in your thoughts for death depends
Upon your Meditations.

Exit.
Mar.
VVhat storms are risen, in my shaken breast?
Thoughts succeed thoughts, like restless troubled waves,
Dashing out one another: if I deny,
My Father, to avoid his destiny,
May reach that sacred life, which I may save
If I discover this my Father dies.
Vertue, thou shalt protect me before heaven,
Though not from this bad world. Ah me!
The only way now left me to preserve
A King, and Father, is t'expose my Fame:
Hard fate, when Vertue is the guide to shame.

Enter Lerma with the Confessor.
Ler.
Come, are you resolv'd?

Mar.
I am Sir.

Ler.
To what?

Mar.
Obedience, Sir.

Ler.
Oh Maria, thou breath'st new life into me
And I could waste it in embracing thee;
But time will not allow me choice in happiness:
Heer Father, carry her, where I appointed:
Remember only this my dear Maria;
Be not too easie, nor too nice; she's wise
That rules as much by Craft, as by her Eyes.
Ex. Maria and Confessor.
So now I may rise
To be a Pyramid,
For I have laid a large foundation,
The Queen must be remember'd and forgotten
Or she may shake my pollitick structures.
Enter Caldroon.
How now Caldroon; what has transported thee?
There is a kind of wantonness that plays
On thy pleas'd Countenace, what is the matter?

Cald.
Nothing but your good fortune cou'd
Have caus'd it.

Ler.
Why, didst thou meet the Confessor
That told thee?

Cald.
No.

Ler.
How didst thou hear it then?

Cald.
The quick-ey'd Rascals spy'd it.

Ler.
Who?

Cald.
Poor suffring fellows, whose business
Is to watch, on every change of power:
They have heard of the Kings smiles.
And are now in full cry, hunting after you.

Ler.
Good, Excellent.

Cald.
They were running on a wrong track
But I hollow'd 'em in—see my Lord—
They have found you; walk by
Leave 'em to my managing.

Enter two or three Suitors, they follow Caldroon fawningly and how to Lerma. He walks smiling.
Ler.
Good, very good.

Cald.
Well, My Lord is now a little busie.

Suit.
We ever pray'd for your Grace.

(Exeunt.
Ler.
Kind Rogues.
Her's an alteration, strange as Winters Thunder,
Not two days since neglected as the Grave,
That holds dead Inmates; now I grow warm,
The Flies begin to buzze and swarm about me;
What an attractive force has a Kings favour?
The Dogs now fawn upon me, that before
Started away, and barkt like little Curs
At some unusual Traveller; I was grown
Useless, like a dull piece of Iron of no vertue,
Till by a Loadstone toucht, and then it gathers.
Such a Magnettick power's in a King,
Where he but kindly touches, others Cling.

Exeunt.