banishment No man would be unprofitably false Nor I for any profit speake your selfe If I have left you when your Fortune did Nay then my love was greatest when you least I was your subject when you were no Prince Sf. Sanseverin thy feare is too too fond And like the people the Authoritie Who make an impious confusion Of an high birth and of an higher crime Who in a sawcy thwarting to their Prince Count him still worst whom he has made the best As if we gave him with his honors crimes And made him vicious when fortunate No let them spend their breath in idle talke Count thee or trecherous or cowardly Whilst to thy Sforza thou art still the same Most valiant and with thy valour wise That by thy abstinence a while from warre Hast sav'd us forces for a victory Sans. The Subjects life lies in the Princes voice Now you have cleer'd me I dare hasten warre And wish more enemies then cowards feare That you may see by my neglect of blood Which I shall onely love when shed for you How slaunder was my most fear'd enemy Sf. No more my dearest frend we lose all time Which we do save from fight still there does flocke New forces to our Army and the French Are now as much amaz'd as proud before We lately tooke the Swizzers into pay Those that dare sell their lives to any cause Whom Gold hath arm'd for me if they proceed In their first heat we winne but if they faile We cannot be more wretched then we were The vilest chance of lucke can make us know But an Addition to an Overthrow Scena secunda The Captaine of the Swizzers with a Souldier as a fugitive from the French Soul NOw w' are alone I dare reveale my selfe I am not what I seeme a Fugitive But one that from Triulcio doe bring Letters that much concerne you Capt. What to me Letters unto his enemy let 's see Ex. Soul Expect an answer in my Tent. What 's here Letter THou Man of Action whom th' Italians Feele their Achilles both to wound heale Triulcio salutes thee what is past As past recall he will not mention But for the future this you ayd a man From whom you cannot any way expect Reward or Honour such his poverty Both in desert and meanes but against whom I will not urge they are your Countrymen Partakers of the same sweet soyle with you Who onely differ in their better choice Yet so farre doe I prize your worth to thinke You have not put off Nature nor have chang'd With your home-ayre your home-affections That you are still a Swizzer thinke of this And that at other times t were shame to flye Now onely flight shewes Magnanimity Triulcio What shall I doe O I am lost in doubt Nor know what to refuse or what to grant Shall then the Swizzers to their valour adde A tainture of disloyaltie to whom Who can accuse us for our trechery One that has patroniz'd it by his act That hath betraied his Nephew shall a man Be counted trecherous that betrayes vice It was a crime to aide him can it be A crime to leave him too O paradox Resolve me Goodnesse what t is best to doe And that does whisper a dislike for what What goodnesse can there be in civill warre When we shall kill them that were borne with us When we shall make the Father dye his sword In the sonnes bloud and strangely give a death To him to whom he kindly gave a life When the mixt bloud of the same Family Shall make a cruell incest this we doe If we are honest I le learne treason first And the most accurate sinne Triulcio Our Country calls us and not thou To be Dishonest then is the best honesty Ex. Scena tertia Picinino in his study with a Deaths head a Watch. Pic. THis is the summe I can but be like this After the prouder threatning of the French After the sure impression of Diseases I can but be like this then let me thinke What losse I have when I am made like this This feares no French a peece of ordinance Can breake but not astonish this no force Can draw a teare no not a sigh from hence And can it be a losse to be like this O Death why art thou fear'd why doe we thinke T is such a horrid terror Not to Be Why not to be is not to be a wretch Why not to be is to be like the heav'ns Not to be subject to the pow'r of Fate O there 's no happines but not to be to the Watch. But thou discloser of the stealth of Time Let me inquire how much is worne away Of this sad houre the halfe O speedy time That makst us feele ere we can thinke of Age Ere we can take an order for the Grave Ent. Iul. Iul. What deepe in meditation noble friend So studious of your Watch alas good man Thou needst not this faint helpe to guesse at Fate These silver haires are watch enough for thee Pic. I onely looke how many minutes hence Millan expires Iul. O swift Arithmeticke To summe by minutes our sad Duchies age Pic. This Watch doth teach reall Philosophy There is no tutor to this active brasse What is a Kingdome but a larger watch Wound up by Fate unto some scores of yeares And then it falls good Iuliano list Harke how it beats how strongly and how fast Beyond the motion of a nimble pulse Who would not thinke this were a lasting noise And yet it endes after some date of houres The watch will be as silent as the head O t is our folly folly my deare friend Because we see th' activity of States To flatter them with false Eternity Why longer then the dweller lasts the house Why should the world be alwayes and not man Sure Kingdomes are as mortall as their Kings And stay but longer for their period Iul. I feare our Climactericall is now When all professions turne to souldier To that curst Art that thrives by Destiny The sithes are straighted into swords and th' Earth Being not wounded is undone where once Stood buildings which an humble Poetry VVithout too bold a swelling might give Kings VVhole Mines undone to beautifie one roofe Now onely Desolation dwels weake griefe To say Corne growes where once a City stood That sustenance is there where no men are This is a trifling and halfe misery Our Lands now onely furnish us with Graves Can hide us but not feed us we would thinke Our Cities standing though the buildings fell If we had no griefe but Fertility Pic. But on what strength does Sforza still subsist Against so powerfull foes Iul. The Emperor Has sold him some few Almaines but his hopes Chiefly depend upon the valiant Swizze VVho were the chiefe in his depression Pic. Has his grosse braine not learnt the danger yet Of bringing strangers into Italy He call'd the French to Naples who have now Found Millan too O what
Beer Which I trust thou dost in a true sorrow for him and an harty prayer to the Almighty that he would raise up another to perfect who thus farre hath advanc't this royall instument in his cause Thus thou art advised by R. GOMERSALL AN ELEGY VPON the untimely yet Heroicall death of Gustavus Adophus the Victorious King of Sweden c. ARe all our hopes but this did we expect that thou our falling Fortunes shoulst erect And must thou fall thy selfe a little dust Remaine of him who we did surely trust Should into dust have brought Romes prouder walls And hastned the great whores just Funeralls Is this the noble Conquerour this he Who was the Favourite of victory Who whatsoever he attempted wrought Event still gladly lackying his wise thought Who wrought no other thing then what he should His power being still confin'd to what was good How could he choose then but be happyest Who had his will who will'd that which was best Alas how pale he lookes sure t is not He This is the count'nance of the Enemy When Sweden prest him thus did Tilly looke When in the field of Leipsich that sad booke He read his following miseries which did reach As farre as Elve is distant from the Leach Where he receiv'd his Death at his proud knee Because before he would not bow to thee This was Bavaria's colour when he saw His Arts could not diswade nor forces draw Thee from thy high designes this was his hew When after all his projects he not drew A sword in his defence and threw away His lands without the hazard of a day As if hee 'd see how nobly thou wouldst use them Or he had had his countryes but to lose them Or thus look'd Fridland when he saw the field Strew'd with his slaughter'd souldiers who doe yeeld Riches â—o those grounds wheÌ„ce they took the spoile And their dead bodies doe manure the soile Which living they had wasted in that howre When Sweden foyld the Emperours Emperour If these looke pale 't is fit a pretty art That their owne cheekes should represent the heart Of their dead forces should want blood as well And by their Faces shew us how They fell Let 's looke againe Alas t is He t is He This was Gustavus was ô misery Was it and i st not ô that face those eyes Where Spaine and Austria read their destinies Are they the dainties for the worme that hand Lift up to Prayer alway or Command Must that lye still for Ever must it bee So still as it would make the â—nemy Was it for this thou leftst thy native soile Thy Queene thine Heire was it for this to toile For others benefit and after have For all thy travells but a German grave Could not thy Sweden bury thee nor give Rest to thy bones which whilst that thou didst live Bestow'd a Crowne upon thy head was 't more To give a Grave then a whole Realme before Yet this is thy reward that thou doest lye In the by thee twice reskew'd Saxony Yet what reward is this for thee they have From thee their Right froÌ„ them thou but thy Grave Farre be all blessing from that man who first Found out that Fatall instrument who durst Thunder on Earth and teach mankind a way How they might send mankind unto their clay Not knowing who 't was sent them by whose skill The Coward is instructed how to kill And the brave man must at a distance dye By him whom neerer his owne livelyer eye Would look to Death how could he have the braine To teach the world by what a world is slaine Or since he knew the mischiefe of his Art If he could have the Braine yet how the Heart Is this the Cloysterd study cannot they Deny the world unlesse the world they slay Is this I 'de know their owne selfes to deny To cause besides themselves all else should dye Are they coop'd up for this but I admire In vaine how from the Devill and the Frier Commeth ought that is not Hellish how those two Should thinke what 't was not a lowd crime to doe Wert not for them 't would be no wondred thing To see at once one Aged and a King Since we doe learne in Sage experience Schoole Crownes would be sacred wert not for the Cowle Nor are we longer ign'rant now who gave Birth to our sorrow to our joy a grave What ever mist to blind our eyes they spread The Hand we doe not know we doe the Head Which that we may curse home to pay his due Let us their triumph and our losse review Many have beene victorious ev'ry Age Hath once produc'd some Worthies on the Stage Sacred to glory Rome doth Caesar praise Carthage her Hannibal to Heav'n doth raise Thy Bruce ô Scotland is farre fam'd by thee Their Henry France doth boast our Edward we All these were Conqu'rours but upon what right May we inquire did some of them first fight Some were but Royall robbers and the best Made man so cheape for their owne Interest Revenge or Profit drove them unto Fame And thus they injur'd whilst they gain'd their name Whilst all Thy power is spent in doing good And thou gain'st nothing but the losse of blood Whilst all thy power is spent the wrong'd to right And thus thy acts are Iudgement and not Fight Thus whilst their actions in this currant ran To make th' Oppressour greater the Man Had there beene none opprest thou hadst lien still That thou might Save thou wert inforc't to Kill Whilst all thy power is spent in Gods owne Cause To plant or to establish his pure Lawes To make Professours fearelesse that it might No longer be a crime to be i' th' Right Nor a sufficient cause to make one Dye That he would seeke a true Aeternity These are thy Acts to make the Enemy yeeld By force to make him quit the blood-died field To take in townes with as much ease as though Their walls were like to those of Iericho Would fall to give thee entrance to or'e come Whole countryes with more speedinesse then some Could view them all these are thy acts t is knowne But these with others thine those thine alone I challenge thee proud Greece and prouder Rome From their first birth unto their latest tombe Peruse your Heroes read their actions or'e Make what was somewhat by your Fabling more Add lye and all to boot then if you dare Bring them if with Gustavus you compare They shall as much that competition shunne As a weake Taper yeelds to the bright Sunne Which of them ever fought for others gaines That theirs might be the Profit his the Paines I could be infinite thee to commend But thou thy selfe doest not despise an end I therefore hasten having done thus much Thou now wouldst see whether another such Would after thy departure rise or why May I not say that thou wouldst therefore dye That man should grudge no longer at his Death Nor strive to keep wheÌ„ heav'n would take his breath Must we all Dye proud death then doe thy worst What ere thou canst Sweden hath sufferd first And he being dead who now would live mine ere 's Begin to flow a fresh new fountaines rise Which threaten inundations but I stay When I consider thou hast found one way Not to doe all for others Princely shade This is thy Art of warre at length t' invade Heav'n for Thy selfe there all the gaines are Thine Thou wert not Kill'd for the Prince Palatine When I thinke this then doe I spare mine eye For others thou dost Fight for thy selfe Dye The Epitaph in Latin SVecia me genuit Borealis gloria plagae Lipsia bis palmam dat mihi fata semel Erexi oppressos incurvavique prementes Sceptra alijs mortem comparo at ipse mihi Nescio quae balista meum jaculata Sepulchrum est Sic cecidi incerto vulnere fixus humo Occubui per quem non certó novimus Author Non licuit cuiquam dicere caedis Ego Lachrymulam funde unam lector funde vel unam Qui vivus plures fundere te vetui In English thus ME Sweden bred there I receiv'd my breath Leipsich twice gave me honour once my Death I free'd th' opprest brought down th' oppressors pride Won crowns that other men might weare theÌ„ dy'ed A bullet out of what piece none can tell Brought me that dismall message thus I fell Death at adventure my last blood hath spill'd No man must boast that he hath Sweden kill'd Reader shed one teare for my death but one Whose life took order that thou shouldst shed none FINIS
And cut a thread which they had thought to spun Forty yeares longer thy wise mysteries Thy constant never failing stratagems Which cause a death without a feare of death Vit. Here are some drugs but of these some not one But can command a life where ere it is And ruinate the strongest workemanship That Heav'n ere brag'd to have compos'd of earth Powders of speedy Fate but above all The instruments which make me neere to death Of such indear'd familiarity This glasse has nimblest operation Whose liquor cast upon the face of man Straight dulls him to an everlasting sleepe Sf Is this the liquor of Aeternitie Vitellio fals as dead Ent. Ma. Then take thy Lethe goe sleep for ever Mal. I am deceiv'd or else this is the place Which Sforza chooseth when he is alone Yes this is it Sf. What Malatesta come What Devill brought him hither O crosse stars Be sudden Sforza now or thou art lost He must beleeve our guilt was accideÌ„t He fals upoÌ„ Vitellio Speake my Vitellio O tune thy lips But to one syllable but to one groane And I am satisfi'd Mal. What sight is here Vitellio dead Sforza turn'd a Mourner Sf. Should thou die thus how would thy name be soyld For though I am as guiltlesse of thy death As Innocence or if there be a name That hath lesse being yet the envious world Will quit curst Fortune of so great a crime And give it me yet speake Mal. I 'me bold my Lord To aske your Honor when this dismall chance First frighted Heav'n Sf. Now Malatesta now When could unhappinesse raigne so but now As if he meant to be before his Lord He had no sooner told the Prince must die Bul he straight dy'd Mal. Then courage my good Lord Since it is thus make the best use of it For now you need not feare to be reveal'd When one mouth 's stopt th' other is your owne But since your last retyrement we have beene Instructed by the speed of frequent Poasts Of the arrivall of the King of France Sf. With thanks a while my Malatesta leave us Ex. Why should we longer thinke of other pow'rs And not bring offerings now to our owne braine VVhich gives us Agents of all kinds of men And Kings aswell as poys'ners this wise King Must trouble Naples who would trouble us Divert invasions which are yet not made And thus our ends are cheapely brought about VVe onely at the charge of plott they fight And Galeazzo dyes whom either King VVere they not thus intangled would preserve VVe shall be conquerors without fighting thus And their poore swords shal cut a way for us Surg. Vitellio I 'me for you France Vit. And I am for you Sforza Not poyson'd yet unlesse t' were by thy teares The other liquor had an Antidote Happy suspect had I beene credulous And thought his love as free as it would seeme I had not beene distrust has ransom'd me But Malatesta is intrapp'd I know Sforza for nothing did not aske the skill My equall villaine perishes and I Thus being accessary to his death May sinne to Innocence by poasting off The Princes fate to him whilst a disguise Shall keepe alive the fame that I am dead And thus halfe truth shall come to light and I Be wisely cleer'd by double villany Scena quinta Caiazzo Sanseverin Malvezzo Sans. AS I am noble 't was a glorious sight To see two Princes in their State at once As if two Sunnes had harmlesly conspir'd To beautifie and not to fright the Heav'ns Why should the formall nicety of State Debarre these often enterviewes I thinke They would be medicine against Tyranny For when a Prince sees all things under him Heads of eternall nakednesse and men That make their glory of their servitude He thinkes hee 's uncontroulable that none Without a saucy imputation Dares warne him to his duty but suppofe An equall Majesty should once become His usuall object one whose uncheck't blood Runnes full as high as his then he does learne That ther 's a Common wealth of Princes too Not one sole Monarch Cai. Yet Sanseverin If you observ'd some clouds obscur'd both Sunnes For when they smil'd most freely and exprest Their neerest friendship by a strict embrace They lookt so jealously as if they fear'd A closer stab and then the King tooke leave With that excesse of hast that one would thinke After this eager preparation He did intend his journey to leave us Not to winne Naples Mal. 'T is a dangerous time And yet I seeme to crosse the truth I speake When I not feare to call 't a dangerous time Sforza is over-wise and so attempts Vpon the confidence of his owne braine A braine though wise yet I may safely say Within the possibilitie of error Things that can onely hap by miracle To any good Sans. Why what can happen ill Feare you a warre and what 's to be fear'd there Least that a mortall dy least that the life Due to a knotty gout or grating stone Have a more easie period by the sword Let them feare warre who feare to see their gold Lest that the Sunne should have a sight with them Holding so much of Earth th' are turn'd to it Who have no more life then their durty acres Men I may say in the worst part of men And why like these runne we an idle race Of threescore yeares and then sneake to a Death Whilst souldiers master their mortality And dye by men if that at all they dye Malvezzo know when all things fifted are Peace onely pleaseth them that ne'r knew warre Actus secundi Scena prima Iuliano Picinino Iul. HEard you the generall whisp'ring Pic. No what i st Iul. The Duke is ill Pic. And doe they whisper that Iul Yes and they say he has strange fits Pic. How strange Is poyson strange in Italy why know As Princes live above the vulgar so Their death has a Prerogative meane men May dreame away their time to fourescore yeares And when their rotten joynts drop to their dust Onely some triviall infirmity A Palsie or an Ague beares the blame But'tis not State for Princes to be old And yet they must not be suppos'd to dye By the respectlesse treason of disease But by some strange unheard of accident That Fate did never dreame of but no more You know Vitellio and the hight of grace Sforza has shew'd him 't is suspitious VVhen wisedome flatters villany then come Let us be private and discourse some treason Enter after solemne Musick Sforza Sanseverin Cajazzo and Souldiers â—hen after some private whisp'ring they depart severall waies Iul. But stay my Picinino who are here Pic. O the grand favorite Sanseverine A most full bubble valiant vanity That in high termes can sweare downe fortresses Blow away Armies with a pow'rfull breath And spoyle the enemy before he sees him But when he comes to action lye as still As in the tale that lumpish King of Frogs Which Iove did give
have decreed our ruine with our rising Yet such wee le have it voyde of all base feares Our foes shall grieve our ruine was not theirs Scena quarta Cajazzo Belgiosa Malvezzo Mal. MY Lords since we are met so happily If you esteeme me not too bold to aske The story of your high-fam'd actions Blesse me with the Relation Caj I much feare Mine are not worthy your attention Yet if it please you noble Belgiosa Because my story will depend on that To shew the reason why the giddy French So strangely left their conquest such your pow'r Such a full conquest have you of your friend I 'le shame my selfe for your content Bel. Then thus From us France hurry'd thorow Lumbardy And fled to conquer who had seene that hast Would easily suppos'd it to have beene Rather a flight then an invasion The Pope quakes at the progresse and admits Yong Ferd'nand into Rome that if the French Should dare a fight they might find Naples there France slights that fainter opposition And speakes his scorne in thunder Naples flyes And all his army hath no other use Then to become unwilling harbingers To shew their lodgings to the conqu'ring French Who like fierce winds that sweep away their lets Or like incroaching tydes take swiftly in The offer'd Countries not defended now Saint German yeelds and sawcy Capua That dar'd a competition once with Rome Aversa takes the president and now The King of Naples finds home foes and such As durst be valiant against their Prince And use their fond armes in a mutiny Which were not safe enough for a defence He taking the advantage of their crime Vnconquer'd by the French to these he yeelds And chuseth rather to become no Prince The keep the Crown which they would take away Mal. What was the issue Bel. Strangely pittifull He that had Navies yesterday has now Scarce a barke left him scarce a planke or two To trust him to the mercy of the Seas The Seas more courteous then the multitude In which he makes for Ischia and leaves His enemy his successor Cai. And he As I have seene some wav'ring amorist Neglects his conquest for the easinesse For when t was certaine Ferdinand was fled Whilst they might justly yet feare his returne The French returne as if they meant to try Which would be soonest weary of the hast Who had the swifter pace to runne away Bel. That is no new act of new governors Such stories are as ancient as the world Till they doe try what they can doe they thinke They may doe all things their first act is warre As if they meant rather to kill then raigne It matters not upon what ground there is Pretence enough to quit a conqueror From the least shew of injury but then When they have felt the least of warres extremes They rave they faint they crosse what they first did And are e'en weary of a victory Cai. France made this certain truth who in his brags Had sworne the fall of Mahomet but now When he might heare the groanes of Graecia Deliver'd by the ecchoes of their sea To make them more he thinkes on a retreate And chuseth home before a victory It was a vally where our Taro laves The root of Apennine and a large plaine Spheard with a row of swelling Earth makes warre A spatious Amphitheater where we Stayd for their comming when mature advice That crownes most actions strangely injur'd us For rashnesse would have stole a victory Which tedious consultation gave away Successe had smil'd on our temerity Had we assaulted them upon the hills And added to the mountaines with the French But I am tedious onely our vanne fought And t was the Frenchmens victory to resist Both were o'recome both conquerors for they Still kept the field and we still kept the prey Bel. O what is valour joyn'd with Modesty This conquers both our Fortune and your skill Should you but write a story and professe That purenesse from al passion which y 'aue shown You would be credited though t were your owne But what reward is 't to be but beleev'd You shall be ever prays'd what you have done Feares neither envy nor oblivion And for this act succession shall see Cajazzo as long-liv'd as Italy Scena quinta Vitellio disguised I Wonder Malatesta still survives Sure Sforza has forgot himselfe my death Does but halfe cleare him and if the other live He cannot looke for a full innocence It is not mercy certainly ô no Mercy with him is folly but t' may be He feares that had he kild us both at once Rumor would be too busie and all mouths Would cry that Chance had too much project in 't This is the place of Destiny 't is here Sforza does actuate his bloody arts Mistaking privacy for innocence And thinkes hee 's good because he is not seene Here must I wayte for a discovery Enter Sforza Sf. I must once more be cruell yet not I This is the murther of Necessity But what has he deserv'd who has done nought But what we charg'd so perform'd our thought Is Death due to Obedience can this hand Yeeld to his Fate that seal'd to his command Yet he or I must perish shall I see My life my honor my Aeternity Lye at his mercy and be safe so long As he is pleas'd to temper his rude tongue Till he be drunke or treacherous I le first Study amongst all actions which is worst And over-act it though our former deed Was from ambition this is yet from need Death is too good reward for such a slave Enter Mal. And sure there is no blabbing in the grave But here he comes why are thy looks so grim Why Malatesta in thy furrow'd face See I the signes of Anger or of Griefe Command thy face to a more smiling forme That I may think thee pleas'd when thou dost tell What does displease thee Mal. 'T was a foolish dreame That stole my colour from my paler cheekes Last night I saw Vitellio Sf. And what Canst thou feare shadowes Mal. Yes if shadowes speake If that their threatnings be substantiall From such a paper as your Highnesse holds He forc't me breath in Death Sf. This Paper holds A strange perfume of such a cunning vertue That at a distance it scarce smels at all And at the nose it gives the best of sents Make the experiment Mal. O! I am slaine Sf. Heavens what a stilnesse here is what a death Of the whole man at once the wandring eye Now findes a station and the busie pulse Is now for ever idle where 's the tongue That but ev'n now could say as much as this When that the soule could prompt it but e'en now Here was a thing could speake and poyson too That knew more wayes to kill then ever Heav'n Did to make man and could his subtlety That could give death not know to keep out death Fye what a bulke it is what a great lumpe Of nothing that shall
is not Fortunes but your crime Which shall I first beginne to blame your fault Or pardon if I call it Foolishnesse I faint to thinke that you are past excuse Both with the honest and the Politicke Sf. Come neerer my deare Cardinall and tell In easier termes what t is that troubles you Is Galeazzo's death divulg'd Asc. It is The time the manner and the murtherer Nor am I free from th' imputation Sf. You speake what you suspect not what is true Dos speech come frō the dead can their dry'd nerves Borrow a tongue for accusation This is no other then the voice of Guilt The speech of our home-executioner And yet I feare and yet what should I feare Bloud hath strange organs to discourse withall It is a clamorous Oratour and then Enter Sanseverin Halberdeers Vit. Even nature wil exceed her self to tell A crime so thwarting Nature Sans. My good Lord Pardon the zeale of my intrusion I bring hid danger with me 't was my chance As I was passing to the bedchamber Iust at the doore to finde this muffled man Waiting some trecherous opportunity Each circumstance swell'd with suspition The place the time the person all did seeme To beare a danger worthy of your feare At least your wiser disquisition Sf. Thou art all goodnesse and deserv'st of us Beyond the niggardly reward of thankes But what are you that thus becloud your face Who not unlike that over-bashfull fowle He discovers himselfe Delight in darknesse Ha! Vitellio The wonder is resolv'd by a new wonder Ex. San. Vit. Sforza I live doe ye stare I live these words Are not the fond delusions of the Ayre As you officiously would gull your selfe But from a solid substance had not we Ent. Sans. with 2 Negroes Bin by your diligēt spy too soon surpriz'd Before our projects full maturity Thy death more fully should have prov'd my life Sf. Foole that I was who thought to take thy life By that which nourisht it there 's none so mad Would poyson Serpents I le worke surely now Once more Iletry your immortality Strangle the Monster Vit. 'T was a doubtfull chance within this houre who first should own those words But Tyrant weary thy invention To finde variety of punishment Yet all that thou canst doe exceeds not this A pinne could doe as much weake silly Sforza All thou canst doe to me exceeds not that Which I did on the person of thy Prince Disease would prove a better murtherer Sf. Stop that malignant throat O my Ascanio Thus must they toyle which work an hight by bloud How I could wish an innocent descent To new subjection how I hate that wish How scorne all thoughts that have not danger in them Get us more Remora's sweet Cardinall Or rather then to droope to Idlenesse Wee 'll worke to be no Prince our selfe re-calling In rising most some wit there is in falling Scena tertia Cajazzo ASsist me Hell for I intend an Act Which should your puny fiends but think upon Would make their blacker cheeks receive a blush Would give a rednesse which your weaker Fire Had ne're that heating pow'r to worke in them An act the Heav'ns did onely then declare They would permit to be perform'd by man When they created Night for were all Day Could such a Crime be as well seene as done Their Immortality might justly feare Lest all the guilt should be remov'd on them As Idle or as Cruell lookers on Whilst heav'n on Earth did suffer this blacke night Must Isabella dye dye by this hand This Chappell is her ordinary walke Discover'd to me by her Iulia Where when she comes to see her husbands tombe This hand shall make her fit for such a roome Enter Isabella and Julia with two torches she places them at either end of the Tombe Exit Isabella drawes towards the Tombe and speakes Is. PRince of shades for unto me Still thou keep'st thy Majesty If thou art not wholly lost And there 's something in a Ghost Heare thy Isabella's vow If hereafter I allow Of a second match or know Any man but for a foe Saving him that shall ingage His revenge unto my rage Heare just heav'ns may I then be Made another Ghost like thee May I dye and never have What I visit now a Grave Caj O doe not heare her Heav'n kill me straight If I dare touch her he that sees those eyes And dares attempt to make those eyes not see Has a blinde soule burne clearer you kind lights O doe not envy me the sight of her But what 's there in a sight I must be briefe If not for love yet for ambition Her Mariage makes me greater then her Death And she has taught me the condition Pardon bright Angell and returne the sword Which Sforza made me sweare to sheath in you Into my bosome Is. No obey your Prince If you have goodnesse in you keepe your oath Murther is nothing unto perjury Caj By this faire hand you injure me and more Then ever Sforza did can you suppose Though you had heard the vowes he forc't me to I meant what I protested that this hand Which ever yet has us'd a sword for you Would use it now for your destruction Revoke that thought deare Lady that harsh thought And let not so much sweeter innocence Make it selfe guilty by suspition Suspition of impossibilities Rather command and you shall quickly see That he who would have arm'd me against you Shall finde in his owne entrailes the just steele Is. aside What traps are these to catch the Innocent Sforza I smell your project 't is too ranke My Lord no more your speech is dangerous I must not heare it Caj You shall see it then Doe not beleeve me Madam till I 've done Till I doe bring my credit in my armes The Traitors head and when you see that time Confesse you owe your life unto my crime Scena quarta Picinino Iuliano Iul. WHat will become of this declining State Can we beleeve that the yet patient heav'n Will any longer suffer and not give Destruction as notorious as our crimes Awake sterne Iustice and unsheath thy sword The Scabberd will not heale us but the edge Nor is 't enough to brandish but to strike Let then thy terrour give us innocence That mildnesse may no longer injure man Pic. Why thou perpetuall Murmurer thou sea Tost with eternall tempest thou darke sky VVith everlasting clouds thou any thing VVhom being angry I can call no more Thinke better of those acts thou canst not mend VVill Sforza be lesse bad because thou whin'st Or dost thou thinke thy pittifull complaints Can beg a goodnesse of Ascanio I never knew that mighty use of teares That they could wash away anothers fault VVhen thou shalt want a teare for a fit griefe Sanseverin will be a Coward still And when thy groanes are turn'd to thy last gaspe Cajazzo will not be lesse trecherous Enter Sanseverin with divers suitors following him some of whose
soule confesseth he offends And yet doubles his guilt when he not ends Great crimes find greater patrons impudence Followes each fault to make us thinke that sense Hath fled us with our Vertue and that men By such an hardnesse were turn'd stones agen So wifes of Entertainment who doe know More then one Husband in the publicke shew As vertuous as the best whilst undescry'd Whilst they have this good left that they will hide And veile o're their offences but if once Either their husbands just suspicions Or their security betray their fact No more doe blush to answere then to act As if 't were meritorious and so did Appeare no sinne no longer then 't was hid Why should the bad be bold why should there be Audaciousnesse joyn'd to impiety Whence is this daring Sinne was child to Night How dares he then approach and blast the light How dares he stand th' examining and try If men can find out his deformity I have the reason we are flatterers all And to our selves the most if any fall Into grosse errors still he thinkes hee 's free And Pride supplies the place of honesty He thinkes t is good to have a vertuous name And cares not for the goodnesse but the fame Which makes the Benjamites reply we admire To say no more at your so strange desire And at the craft on't most that you pretend Love and advice when you subjection send Are we so stupid and so senslesse growne As to be thought not fit to rule our owne Benjamin was the youngest we confesse Of Iacobs sonnes and yet a sonne no lesse Then Levi or proud Iudah he that gave Life to each Tribe intended none a slave Nor shall you make us But you le say that you Out of a generall love to goodnesse sue For justice 'gainst her Enemies T is poore If what we would we cannot cover o're With specious pretences t is an ill Physitians part so to betray his pill That children may perceive its want of dresse And chuse disease before seene bitternesse But let me tell you who so ere do's deale In the affaires of a strange common-weale Is tyrannous or mad he would be knowne Either anothers Lord or 's not his owne Yet what is 't your grave Masters doe advise Our sleepy Councell of whose duller Eyes See onely open vices we have heard The Levite and his Concubine we feard You 'd have us punish him then you relate That comming unto Gibeah some thing late And willing to depart the earlier thence He found his Chast one dead O dire offence She had the punishment she deserv'd and just It was that who had liv'd should dye by Lust. And yet for feare Levits in time to come Might want such easie favourites and some Would leaue their courteous trade if there be found No cure no remedy for such a wound We are content to be severe but then We doe expect you name those guilty men Our's the more hard and thanklesse taske I trow For we will punish those whom you but show These mockes doe whet the Isra'elites so farre Nothing remaines now but a civill warre When all the Tribes have unto Mispah ran With such consent you 'd thinke they were one man If warre had ever reason or if men Had ere authority to kill others then Certainely these in so divine a cause T was not the peoples quarrell but the Lawes Here no ambition no untam'd desire Of Principality of growing higher Put on these Armes nor was it fault enough That Benjamin was rich to raise these rough Spirits of Mars nor is 't a true surmise That private wrongs did cause these Enemies These fight the battel of the Lord herein Iustice on the one side fights on th' other Sinne So that in height of blood heat of the warres They rather Iudges are then Souldiers The Israelites if they now spare are shent The more they kill the more they 're innocent Our Age makes us againe these actions see An Age of warre though not of victory For 't is not victory to winne the Field Vnlesse we make our Enemies to yeeld More to our Iustice then our Force and so As well instruct as overcome our Foe Call you that Conquest or a Theft of State When in a Stranger region of late The Eagle built his nest having expell'd Vpon a meere pretence that he rebell'd The former Ayry for no other cause But that his bill was strong and sharpe his clawes To see the malice and the power of hate That made ev'n the Elector Reprobate When Caesar did not sticke nor blush to doe What they detested who advis'd him too When that all lawes their ancient force might loose He made a Choyce of him that was to Choose Now all occasions can perswade to fight When Power is misinterpreted for Right There is a Lust of killing men so great Rivers of blood can scarce asswage the heat Our lives are cheaper then the lives of beasts Then those whose very being is for feasts Who have no use but for the throat hard plight Anger not kills them but our appetite If we have eaten once we spare and then If we are full are kind but to kill men We have a lasting appetite shedding blood Our famine is increas'd ev'n by our food Such Erisichthons are we they that have Vnlimited desires Death and the Grave But shadow this affection and to it Compar'd the Horse-leach wants an Appetite It may be weighing mans high faculties Which make him claime a kinred with the skies Wee seeme to doubt of his mortality And onely strive to know if he can die Nor doe we care on what pretence lest ought Should make our crime the lesse no reason 's fought To mitigate our fault and we are thus So farre from good we scarce are cautelous But 't is a sore will fester if you touch Away my Muse sometimes a truth 's too much For Honour or for safety he alone Prospers who flatters But if any one Shall aske a colour a pretence for this How such a multitude such a swarme is Assembled of the Israelites for then There met at once foure hundred thousand men Against their brother Benjamin whilst yet They had not dispossest the Canaanite There was a mixture not a Conquest made How durst they then so foolishly invade Their brethrens Countrey when they left their owne Subject to imminent destruction Or when was this invasion made To me The Number hath a more Facility For credit then the Time doe we not finde That Israel wanting Iudges was assignde To bondage as to Anarchy they groane Vnder a forraigne yoake wanting their owne Carries it any likelyhood or can It sincke into the fancy of a man That when they were opprest they should oppresse As full of folly as of savagenesse This were to perfect Eglons victory And act what Iabin but desir'd should be And yet it might be Ioshua being dead Then was the time the people lack'd an head Who taking
thankefulnes and be Made sweetly pregnant by my memory Father sayes Isaac I have often heard That we doe tell with Ioy what we have Feard And what in suffering terrifies our sense Does in relating please what violence Of blisse possesseth me when I compare My dangers past with joyes that present are Me thinkes I yet carry that fatall wood A burden which I hardly understood Should carry me me thinkes I still enquire Where is the sacrifice and where the fire How little did I thinke or feare till then That God commanded sacrifice of men How little could I guesse in any part That God in such sort did desire the Heart Yet pardon Father if you now must know Your silence seem'd more cruell then your blow Could I oppose my mind against your will Or wish him spar'd whom you decreed to kill Wherefore was as all this circumstance what need But first to tell and then to act the deed I never knew what disobedience meant And your distrust was my worst punishment I must confesse I was amaz'd my blood Congeal'd within me and my faint haires stood Yet not for feare of death Death was my profit But for the manner and the Author of it Was this the heav'nly promise and must I So strangely borne somewhat more strangely die What should I say now or what should I doe That frustrate by my death Gods promise too Should I invoke Heav'ns ayde alas from thence Came the injunction for this violence Should I implore my fathers helpe why he Would sooner hearken unto heav'n then me And so he did for when the trembling sword As if he knew the temper of his Lord Theatned a death most fortunately then He that did arme you did disarme agen Shewing your will was all he did require Commanding you to that you most desire To be againe a Father O the power And mercy of our God! who in an houre Who in a minute can make all things well Can bring and then deliver out of Hell These were their Accents when that Moses sayes It is an holy businesse to praise To magnifie our Lord so to goe on In the intent of our Creation To this all times all reasons doe obey And we may praise as often as we pray But now let 's change these tones let us be mute In all discourses now but in a suite Let us at once conjoyne our prayers and see If our one God will hearken unto three Your issue and my charge whom I have led Thorow those paths that never man did tread As if they fear'd a scarcity of foes Doe their owne selves against themselves oppose And their destruction unlesse we repaire Sooner to ayde them will prevent our pray'r It was a place above the Ayre the Sky Whither Man cannot reach not with his Eye Nay if th'exactnesse of the height be sought Whither Man cannot reach not with his thought Beyond the place where haile and raine doe growe Above the chill-white treasures of the snow To which compar'd the starry heav'n is fell Vnto a neerer neighbourhood with Hell And when I shall of Gods abode intreat It does become his prospect not his seat To which compar'd the Chrystall heav'n does meet With Earth to be a stoole unto his feet This was the Place yet pardon 't was not so Places are things which onely bodies know Our bounds of Ayre from which the heav'ns are free As from Corruption and Mortality But here it was His sacred throne did stand Who with a word created Sea and Land Who with a word was Maker of his Throne Who till he made it never wanted one Bring me the richest goldsmiths treasuries Those baites that doe allure our hearts and eyes The dusky Sapphire the Pearle richly white The sparkling Diamond yellow Chrysolite Or if there be a gemme Nature hath fram'd Of so high price that Art hath never nam'd Ransacke the Inga's tombes where there doth lie With their corrupted dust their treasury Who to that pretty bounty doe attaine That they bestow their gold on earth againe Search me their graves or if you fearfull be Of treasure guarded by Mortality Rob all the mines fenc't with so many barres Where Nature in the Earth hath fancy'd starres Whose luster lest our weaknesse cannot beare Her kinder wisedome made her store up there Bring these unto the view to an exact Figure which Phidias durst call his act Yet to this throne compar'd it will appeare So farre from shining it will scarce looke cleare Here does the Ancient of dayes disclose The glory of his Majesty to those To whom he daignes his presence who enjoy At full what would a weaker eye destroy Whose blisse shall never have a period Who therefore live because they see their God How could I ever linger ever dwell In this so blest Relation O how well Should I esteeme my selfe entranc'd if I By staying here should lose my History Here thousand thousands wait upon his call Of humane servants and Angelicall And such a multitude invest his throne Millions of Spirits waiting upon One That it may be we should not say amisse Their Number stranger then their Nature is Here sound the Hallelujahs here the Quire Of Heav'n is high and full as their desire No voice is here untun'd they doe not find A jarre more in the sound then in the mind Their power of singing growes on with their song And they can longer sing because thus long Thus here them selves they fully strengthned see To a melodious eternitie Here Abraham presents himselfe and sayes O thou above the injury of Dayes Who making Times art subject unto none Who giv'st all knowledge and art never knowne Who in my dayes of flesh didst gladly lend An eare unto my suite and wouldst not bend Thy plagues against thine enemies untill I knew th' intent and thou hadst askt my will The will of me poore mortall nay farre worse Of me a sinner then the ancient curse Stucke deeply in me that I might have feard My faults and not my pray'r should have been heard Could I speake then and am I silent now Did Sodom move and cannot Israel bow O pardon me if I bewaile their state If I their Father prove their Advocate Didst not thou promise when I had giv'n ore All hope of Father when I wisht no more Then a contented Grave that then from me Should come so numerous a progeny That all the cleerer army of the sky And the thicke sands which still unnumbred lye Should come within account before my feed Which not my Sara but thy truth should breed How oft I thought that promise did include Their lasting too as well as multitude That their continuance should be as sure As long as either sands or starres indure If they have sinn'd thou know'st they may repent And be the better by a punishment Never by Ruine O then use thy rod Thinke that they are thy People thou their God And if they are so O then let not be Any more