University of Virginia Library

SCENE. II.

The Cave in the Wood.
Enter Cardinal, Fry'r, Guise to 'em.
Guise.
Now, Friend, art thou that Confident of Fate,
Who canst her deepest mysteries relate?

Fryer.
Son, I am one, who can as much impart
As any other, by the help of art.
By Art, I say, not by a horrid spell;
Like those, who bloody compacts make with Hell.
Poor gloomy Souls! O'r whom the Fiend presumes,
Fudling their brains with melancholick fumes,
Old Dotards, silly Hags! Whose wants, or hate
Contrive with him some feigned Scenes of fate.

Card.
May we presume, tho to enquire of you,
How you perform what Devils cannot do?

Fryer.
There is a Magick which has hapt to some,
And lawful as Traditions are to Rome.
What those Magicians found (tho known to few)
I'm by the second hand impow'r'd to do.
Whilst I still practise them, and thus proceed
By Nature's rules, must do as those men did.
When Passives are dispos'd that Actives may
Fitly conjoyn, we then have found the way.

Guise.
Believe it, Father, you may shew your skill
To Persons, that will not requite you ill.
These three Nativities have you yet cast,
And brought their figures?

Fryer.
Son, the thing's too vast,
And their Concern's too great, for me to frame,
Or circumscribe i'th' limits of a Scheme.
Far greater mysteries must that impart;
Their fates exceed the vulgar rules of art.
Those I have throughly try'd, but try'd in vain.
Unless the Planets selves I can obtain,
Your aim and my indeavour's lost.

Card.
How will
Our friends be satisfi'd?

Fryer.
I've one way still.
Thrice fifty years ago, one Gyles-de-Raiz.
(Marshal of France) my great Grand-father was.
'Twas he who first, with Necromantick art,
Taught Joan of Orleans to act her Part.
Whose pow'rful charms made th' English quit the Field;
No mortal force else could have made 'em yield.
'Twas he (as by my bloody Roll appears)
Who hir'd two Spirits for two Hundred years.
One is an Astral Spirit mild and fair,
Imbody'd in our shape with thicken'd air.
His vesture cut out of a morning Cloud,
When with the peeping Sun-beams first it glow'd.
He only good foretels, and prosp'rous things,
The fate of Heroes and renowned Kings.
The other Earthy, and resides below,
Deep in the Center; yet my call does know;
Then rises like a Damp, till th' Air it meet.
Which to a gloomy form condenses it.
This only blood foretels, and wicked things,
The fate of Rebels and unprosp'rous Kings.
But what I can do, You shall quickly try
—What ever you espy—
Stir not, nor speak, nor fear, whilst I am by.
He muses and mutters.
Last night I did my thoughts intentive keep
'Till midnight; when Heav'ns Eyes were all asleep.
The World was husht in slumbers: In deep Caves
No breath of Winds, nor murmur from the Waves.
Just then when Ghosts their dismal haunt pursue,
And Oberon invites his Fairy Crew,
(Like Cleopatra) to sip Pearls in Dew.
I at that time Musick aloft did hear,
Which made me know my Astral Spirit near.
It in few minutes at my Call appear'd;
And soon as my Commands were heard—
O'th' Errand swiftly flyes,—
—And sooner reacht the skyes,—
Then Prayers of Saints, or darts shot from the Eyes.
My earthy Spirit too (more giv'n to sloath)
—By Nature dull and heavy, both—
Rouz'd at my Call, and my Commands to keep—
Shot down to search the Caverns of the Deep.
And now—if Heav'n or Hell these secrets hide,
Within few minutes they shall be descry'd.
[Exit. Fryer.
A Table brought, a Censor of burning Coals, a Cabinet, &c. He returns, a Cap on, a Wand, and book in's hands; taking out of the Cabinet a piece of Chalk.
This Piece of Chalk a sacred Cave did own;
Long since digg'd in the Mountains of the Moon;
Where oft' she met her lov'd Endymion.
This Powder mixt well with a certain Flower,
Scrapes it, and mixes it.
That shaded both the Lovers in the Bower,
And crittically got i'th' happy hour.
With three thin shavings of her waxing horn—
[Shows 'em.
Steep'd in five dew drops of a Maydays morn,
Just then when April dy'd, and May was born.
Three leaves of Moonshade dry'd, and after put
[Shows 'em.
To a grain of Powder of a Dormouse Gut;
With three small pieces of a Mandrake root.
These seven Ingredients mixt make a Perfume
Burns and strews.
Whose vapours mount and Ashes strew the Room;
Each a fit Charm to make my Spirits come.
[Table taken in. He Circles 'em in with his Wand.
Within this Circle y'are secure,
As brazen Walls did you immure:
Security is not more sure.
Reads and waves his Wand.
Descend! Descend! Descend! Thou from the Skyes!
Thou from the Earth, Arise! Arise! Arise.
Come quickly from the Cloud, and say
How thou didst my Commands obey.

Musick far off. Spirit descending leasurely. Sings this, viz.
SPIRIT
SINGS.
After I had your Orders last night,
I met with a path all paved with light,
And yet with my passing I made it more bright.
Then through the lowest Region I flew,
Sousing through falling Bogs of Dew,
By the Moon's Orb then swiftly I past,
No lightening nor thought made ever such haste;
Nor did I stay, till Venus I found
All cover'd with Roses, and with Mirtles Crown'd.
Each Rose did in native Scarlet appear;
Yet every Rose was outblush'd by her,
Because I found Mars in the midst of her Sphear.
Your Summons he read, and obey'd with a Nod,
I had ne'r gain'd else that stubborn God.
Then I flew to an Orb, that was much more than bright;
With Diamonds studded and roof'd o'r with light.
I knew't could be none
But Jupiter's Throne;
My Summons he read, and obey'd with a frown.
And now all the three are there coming down.
No fate ne'r so dark escape can their sense,
Since each of 'em is an intelligence.
Look, Sir, they hover, all three hover there,
[Spirit descends.
Wave but your Wand, and all three will appear.
[Waves his Wand.

Fryer.
That Voice which strikes the World with awful fear,
Loudly proclaims the Thunderer is near.
[It Thunders.
As may be known by that shril Trumpets sound,
[A Trumpet.
The God of War approaches mortal ground.
Those charming strains that sweetly strike the Ear,
Perswade the Goddess of delight is there

[Soft Musick.
The Planets descend with Musick, th' Astral Spirit crosses the Stage, follow'd by th' Apparitions of Henry the Third crown'd, holding a Cypress branch: Navar Crown'd holding a Lawrel one. Guise a Ducal Crown, a Sword drawn. Soon as they have past the Stage, the Sphears ascend with Musick.
Astral Spirit.
Let me my Furlo now obtain
All's done, an Astral Spirit can.

Fryer.
Thou hast thy liberty; be gone

Spirit.
I fly—
Who'd stay on Earth, when he may mount the Shy?

[Ascends.
Fryer.
This from above is all we know,
Let us now try our power below.

The Fry'r Waves his Wand. Reads, then Loud Musick, th' Earthy Spirit ascends with this
SONG.
I come from the Deeps below,
Where Coral branches bud.
From where the Rubies grow
From the Rocks richest blood.
Altho in the Deeps, little darkness we know;
The Diamond's our Sun,
The Pearl is our Moon,
And the rest of our Jewels are stars there below.

The Earthy Spirit then clear rises, with Rebellion and Murder on each side, three Spirits on one side of the stage, and three on the other. They dance. Then the Earthy Spirit beckens, and there cross the stage these apparitions, 1. Henry the Third pale, a bloody Dagger in's hand. 2. Navar Crown'd with Lawrels, a bloody Dagger in's hands. 3. Guise holding a Sword drawn, when half o'r the stage, he returns—the Spirits dance again and descend, as th'Earthy Spirit is descending—(stops at the Fryar's words) and Murder and Rebel.
Fryer.
Stay Spirit stay—
[He stays.
—What's he who does behind remain?

Spir.
One of the Princes of Lorrain.

Guise.
Say, Spirit, must he wear the Crown?

Spirit.
That unknown Voice has knockt us down.

[The three Spirits, Rebel and Murder descend.
Guise.
This Gold I give thee, Fryar.

Card.
And this give I.
Now for Lorrain!

Guise.
Lorrain and Liberty.

[Exeunt.