University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

Enter King, Phillander, Orgulious, Alcippus, Alcander, Pisauro, Cleontious, Fallatius; And Officers.
King.
How shall I now divide my Gratitude;
Between a Son, and one that has obliged me,
Beyond the common duty of a subject?

Phi.
Believe me, Sir, he merits all your Bounty;
I only took Example by his Actions;
And all the part o'th' victory which I gain'd,
Was but deriv'd from him.

Kin.
Brave youth, whose Infant-years did bring us Conquests.
And as thou grew'st to man, thou grew'st in glory,
And had arriv'd to such a pitch of it;
As all the slothful youth that shall succeed thee,
Shall mete reproaches of thy early Actions;
When men shall say, thus did the brave Alcippus;
And that great Name shall every soul inspire,
With Emulation, to arrive at something,
That's worthy thy Example.

Alcip.
I must confess I had the Honour, Sir,
To lead on twenty thousand fighting men,
Whom Fortune gave the glory of the day to.
I only bade them fight, and they obey'd me;
But 'twas my Prince that taught them how to do so;

Kin.
I do believe Phillander wants no courage;
But what he did was to preserve his own.
But thine the pure effects of highest valour;
For which, if ought below my Crown can recompence;
Name it, and take it, as the price of it,

Alcip.
The Duty which we pay your Majesty
Ought to be such, as what we pay the Gods;
Which alwayes bears its recompence about it.

Kin.
Yet suffer me to make thee some return,
Though not for thee, yet to incourage Bravery.
I know thy soul is generous enough,
To think a glorious act rewards it self.
But those who understand not so much vertue,
Will call it my neglect and want of gratitude;
In this thy modesty will wrong thy King.

Alcip.
By this pause you seem to doubt
My Power or Will, in both you are too blame.

Alcip.
Your pardon Sir, I never had a thought
That could be guilty of so great a sin,
That I was capable to do you service,
Was the most gratefull bounty Heaven allowed me,
And I no juster way could own that blessing,
Then to imploy the guilt for your repose.

Kin.
I shall grow angry, and believe your pride
Would put the guilt off on your modesty,
Which would refuse what that believes below it.

Phil.
Your Majesty thinks too severely of him,
Permit me, Sir, to recompence his valour,
I saw the wonders on't, and thence may guess
In some degree, what may be worthy of it.

Kin.
I like it well, and till thou hast perform'd it,
I will divest my self of all my power,
And give it thee, till thou hast made him great.

Phi.
I humbly thank you Sir—
[Bows to the King, takes the Staffe from Orgul. and gives to Alcip. who looks amazedly.
And here I do create him General.
You seem to wonder, as if I dispossess't
The brave Orgulious, but be pleas'd to know,
Such Reverence and respect I owe that Lord,
As had himself not made it his Petition,
I sooner should have parted with my Right,
Then have discharg'd my debt, by injuring him.

Kin.
Orgulious, are you willing to resign it.

Org.
With your permission, Sir, most willingly;
His vigorous youth is fitter for't then age,
Which now has rendred me uncapable
Of what that can with more success perform;
My heart and wishes are the same they were,
But time has quite depriv'd me of that power
That should assist a happy Conqueror.

Kin.
Yet time has added little to your years
Since I restor'd you to this great Command,
And then you thought it not unfit for you.

Org.
Sir, was it fit I should refuse your Grace?
That was your act of mercy: and I took it
To clear my innocency, and reform the errors
Which those receiv'd who did believe me guilty,
Or that my Crimes were greater then that mercy;
I took it, Sir, in scorn of those that hated me;
And now resign it to the Man you love.

King.
We need not this proof to confirm thy Loyalty;
Nor am I yet so barren of rewards,
But I can finde a way, without depriving
Thy Noble Head of its victorious wreathes,
To crown anothers Temples.

Org.
I humbly beg your Majesty's consent to't;
If you believe Alcippus worthy of it;
The generous youth I have bred up to Battels;
Taught him to overcome, and use that Conquest;
As modestly as his submissive Captive,
His Melancholy, (but his easie fetters;
To meet Deaths horrors with undaunted looks.
How to despise the hardships of a Siege;
To suffer, cold and hunger, want of sleep;
Nor knew he other rest then on his Horse-back;
Where he would sit and take a hearty Nap;
And then too dream't of fighting:
I could continue on a day in telling
The wonders of this Warrior.

Kin.
I credit all, and do submit to you.
But yet Alcippus seems displeas'd with it.

Alcip.
Ah Sir! too late I find my confidence
Has overcome m' unhappy bashfulness;
I had an humbler suit t' approach you with;
But this unlook't for Honour,
Has so confounded all my lesser Aims;
As were they not essential to my Being,
I durst not name them after what y' have done.

King.
It is not well to think my kindness limited;
This, from the Prince you hold, the next from me;
Be what it will, I here declare it thine.
—Upon my life, designes upon a Lady;
I guess it from thy blushing.
—Name her, and here thy King engages for her.

Phi.
Oh Gods!—What have I done?—

[aside.
Alcip.
Erminia, Sir.—

[Bows.
Phi.
I'm ruin'd.—

[aside.
Kin.
Alcippus, with her fathers leave, she's thine.

Org.
Sir, 'Tis my Aim and Honour.

Phi.
Alcippus, is't a time to think of Weddings;
When the disorder'd Troops require your presence:
You must to th' Camp tomorrow.

Alcip.
You need not urge that Duty to me, Sir.

Kin.
A day or two will finish that Affair,
And then we'll consummate the happy day,
When all the Court shall celebrate your joy.

[They all go out but Alcan. Pisa. and Fal.
Pis.
Falatio, you are a swift Horseman.
I beleeve you have a Mystress at Court,
You made such haste this Morning.

Fal.
By Jove, Pisaro, I was enough weary of the
Campaigne; and till I had lost sight of it,
I clapt on all my spurs—
But what ails Alcander?

Pis.
What, displeas'd?

Alcand.
It may be so, what then?

Pis.
Then thou mayst be pleas'd again.

Alcan.
Why the devil should I rejoyce?
Because I see another rais'd above me;
Let him be great, and damn'd with all his greatness.

Pis.
Thou mean'st Alcippus, whom I think merits it.

Alcan.
What is't that thou call'st merit;
He fought, 'tis true, and so did you, and I,
And gain'd as much as he o'th' victory.
But he in the Triumphal Chariot rod,
Whilst we ador'd him like a Demi-god.
He with the Prince an equal welcom found,
Was with like Garlands, tho' less merit, crown'd.

Fa.
He's in the right for that, by Jove.

Pis.
Nay, now you wrong him.

Alcan.
What's he; I should not speak my sense of him?

Pis.
He is our General.

Alcan.
What then?
What is't that he can do, which I'le decline;
Has he more youth, more strength, or arms then I?
Can he preserve himself i'th' heat of battail?
Or can he singly fight a whole Brigade?
Can he receive a thousand wounds and live?

Fal.
Can you or he do so?

Alcan,
I do not say I can, but tell me then,
Where be the vertues of this mighty man,
That he should brave it over all the rest?

Pis.
Faith he has many vertues, and much courage;
And merits it as well as you or I,
Orgulious was grown old.

Alcan.
What then?

Pis.
What then, he was unfit for't,
But that he had a Daughter who was young.

Alcan.
Yes, he might have lain by like
Rusty Armour else,
Had she not brought him into play again;
The Devil take her for't.

Fal.
By Jove, he's dissatisfied with every thing.

Alcan.
She has undone my Prince,
And he has most unluckily disarm'd himself,
And put the Sword into his Rivalls hand,
Who will return it to his gratefull bosom.

Pis.
Why you believe Alcippus honest—

Alcan.
Yes, in your sence Pisaro,
But do not like the last demand he made,
'Twas but an ill return upon his Prince
To beg his Mistress, rather challeng'd her.

Pis.
His Ignorance that she was so, may excuse him.

Alcan.
The Devil 'twill, dost think he knew it not.

Pis.
Orgulious still design'd him for Erminia,
And if the Prince be disoblig'd from this,
He only ought to take it ill from him.

Alcan.
Too much Pisaro you excuse his pride,
But 'tis the office of a friend to do so.

Pis.
'Tis true I am not ignorant of this,
That he despises other recompence
For all his services, but fair Erminia,
I know 'tis long since he resign'd his heart,
Without so much as telling her she conquer'd;
And yet she knew he lov'd; whilst she, ingrate,
Repay'd his passion only with her scorn.

Alcan.
In loving him she'd more ingrateful prove
To her first vows, to reason and to love.

Pis.
For that Alcander you know more then I.

Fal.
Why sure Aminta will instruct her better,
Shee's as inconstant as the Seas and Winds,
Which ne're are calm but to betray Adventurers.

Alcan.
How came you by that knowledge Sir?

Fal.
What a pox makes him ask me that question now.

[aside
Pis.
Prythee Alcander now we talk of her,
How go the Amours 'twixt you and my wilde sister;
Can you speak yet, or do you tell your tale,
With eyes and sighs, as you were wont to do.

Alcan,
Faith much at that old rate, Pisaro,
I yet have no incouragement from her
To make my Court in any other language.

Pis.
You'l bring her to't, she must be over come,
And you'r the fittest for her fickle humour.

Alcan.
Pox on't, this change will spoil our making Love,
We must be sad and follow the Court Mode;
My life on't you'l see desperate doings here;
The Eagle will not part so with his prey;
Erminia was not gain'd so easily
To be resign'd so tamely: but come my Lord,
This will not satisfie our appetites,
Let's in to dinner, and when warm with wine
We shall be fitter for a new design.

[They go out Fal. stays.
Fal.
Now am I in a very fine condition,
A comfortable one as I take it;
I have ventur'd my life to some purpose now;
What confounded luck was this, that he of all men
Living, should happen to be my Rivall.
Well, I'le go visit Aminta, and see how
She receives me.—
Why where a duce hast thou dispos'd of
[Enter Labre.
Thy self all this day, I will be bound to be
Hang'd, if thou hast not a hankering after
Some young wench; thou couldst never loyter
Thus else; but I'le forgive thee now, and prithee go to
My Lady Aminta's Lodgings: Kiss her hand
From me: and tell her I am just returned from
The Campaigne: mark that word, Sirrah.

Labre.
I shall Sir; 'tis truth.

Fal.
Well, thats all one; but if she should
Demand any thing concerning me; (for
Love's inquisitive) dost hear: as to my valour, or so,
Thou understand'st me; tell her
I acted as became a man that pretend to the glory of
Serving her.

Lab.
I warrant you, Sir, for a speech.

Fa.
Nay, thou mayst speak as well too much
As too little, have a care of that, dost hear?
And if she ask what wounds I have: dost mind me?
Tell her I have many, very many.

La.
But whereabouts, Sir?

Fa.
Let me see—let me see: I know not where
To place them—I think in my face.

La.
By no means, Sir, you had much better
Have them in your Posteriors: for then the Ladies
Can never disprove you: they'll not look there.

Fa.
The sooner, you fool, for the rarity on't.

La.
Sir, the Novelty is not so great, I assure you.

Fa.
Go to, y' are wicked: but I will have them in my face.

La.
With all my heart, Sir, but how?

Fa.
Ile wear a patch or two there, and I'le
Warrant you for pretences as much as any man,
And who, you fool, shall know the fallacie.

La.
That, Sir, will all that know you, both in the
Court and Camp.

Fa.
Mark me, Labree, once for all, if thou takest
Delight continually thus to put me in mind of
My want of Courage, I shall undoubtedly
Fall foul on thee, and give thee most fatal proofs
Of more then thou expectest.

La.
Nay Sir, I have done, and do believe 'tis only
I; dare say you are a man of prowess.

Fa.
Leave thy simple fancies, and go about
Thy business.

La.
I am gone, but heark my Lord,
If I should say your face were wounded,
The Ladies would fear you had lost your
Beauty.

Fa.
O never trouble your head for that, Aminta
Is a wit, and your Wits care not how ill-favour'd
Their men be, the more ugly the better.

La.
An't be so, you'll fit them to a hair.

Fa.
Thou art a Coxcomb, to think a man of my
Quality needs the advantage of handsomness:
A trifle, as insignificant as wit or valour: poor
Nothings, which Men of fortune ought to despise.

La.
Why do you then keep such a stir to gain
The reputation of this thing you so despise.

Fa.
To please the peevish humour of a woman.
Who in that point only is a fool.

La.
You had a Mystress once, if you have not
Forgotten her, who would have taken you with
All these faults.

Fa.
There was so: but she was poor, that's the
Divel, I could have lov'd her else:
—But go thy ways;—what dost thou muse on?

La.
Faith Sir, I am only fearful yon will never
Pass with those patches you speak of.

La.
Thou never to be reclaim'd Ass; shall I never
Bring thee to apprehend as thou ought'st; I tell thee
I will pass and repass, where and how I please;
Know'st thou not the difference yet, between a
Man of money and Titles, and a man of only Parts,
As they call them; poor Divels, of no mean nor
Garb: Well, 'tis a fine and a frugal thing,
This honour, it covers a multitude of faults;
Very redicule in one of us is A-la-mode,
But I detain thee; go hast to Aminta.

[Exeunt severally.