not firme that rise by steps of blood exit Enter the Duke and Duchesse Duke Vrge me no more the white unspotted hand Of never trecherous justice shall not blush By our imbrewing it in bleeding innocence Nor shall posteritie in after times Seeking examples of black tyranny Finde our names registred in the Catalogue Of those whose deeds have given wide infamy Life to attend their memory and brand it With shame more durable than brasse or marble Duch. Yet good my Lord respect your falling State Let not that watchfull eye that never slept In carefull pursuit of your peoples good As now regardlesse of your houses Honor Be dazell'd with imaginary feare Of meere suppos'd injustice Shall foule mouth'd rumor Besprinkle our whole race with Iulia's blood And follow it into posteritie As a live witnesse of your loose neglect Methinkes those politick rules of government Which you have study'd should at last informe Your scrupulous conscience making it to know What oft doth seeme injustice is not so Duke Can there be more than shedding guiltlesse blood Duch. They highly offend that let their Countries good Duke They let no good that never did deny it Duch. 'T is guilt to live when as their deaths may buy it Duke But 't is not good that 's bought at such a rate Duch. No price is great that makes Kings fortunate Duke They be not fortunate that rise by vice Duch. Who stayes till Vertue lifts will never rise And therefore dearest Lord by those chaste vowes Which first I brought unto your nuptiall bed By that attractive beautie which mine eyes Once gave your youthfull thoughts to feed upon Preuent this mischiefe let the strumpet die Whose basenesse staines your ever princely blood By sitting sole Commandresse in the thoughts Of our degenerate sonne the onely hope Iust heaven and nature now has left your Throne Let not that god of fooles soft Conscience then That seldome findes a name 'mongst perfect Statesmen Sway your experienc'd wisedome but provide Your honour live when all your selfe have dy'd Duke Death to mine eyes I must see thee kneele Thy words have charm'd my soule benumm'd my thoughts Against the stinging touch of sharpe remorse I will resolve her death nor shall she live That stands 'twixt full content and thy desires But how shall swift wing'd fame my deare Adrasta Be held from loud proclaming our disgrace Policie will 's some seeming cause be had To make that good which justice knowes for bad Duch. Leave that to me I have procur'd from her A letter whose points but chang'd transferre the sense This in the publike Sessions being read And shee acknowledging the hand and seale Will be a most sufficient testimony Of traiterous attempts against your State And person which the grosse multitude Will never scanne but confidently hold Her condemnation just Duke Wee 'll then give order For her attachment and imprisonment Meane while your selfe may with perswasive words Prepare Lucilio's minde to meet her death So 's justice wrong'd and innocence must die aside When they withstand a womans tyrannie exeunt Actus 2. Scena 1. Enter Mistris Frailware and Mistris Abigail Mistris Frail. I Le ensure you 't is true Mistris Abigail my Husband was call'd from my side at midnight by the Dukes Pursivant at Armes commanded to bring his weapon ready with him because they would reprehend my Ladie Iulia's daughter in her bed nay I am serv'd so many times in the yeare and if it were not for a little honour wee have by being the Constables wife of the Parish or leave to build a new Pue in the Lecture house or meeting at the Quest-house sometimes wee had better never bee in authoritie than have so many hewings and cryings such pasportings that the whole yeare while our Husbands be Magistrates we be very widdowes for any feeling we have of thē and if we had not their company in the day sometimes we should eene forget wee were maried 't is too true Mistris Abigail but you have a happy turne Mistris Abig. Indeed Mistris Frailware our Husbands should not be troubled with common businesse and Master Damasippus does meditate and practise his Principles by my side till nine a Clock many times But I pray what did you heare was the cause of my Lady Iulia's daughters contamination Mistris Frail. O why shee was in love with my young Lord Lucilio and would have God blesse us stabb'd the Duke with a panado and then be marry'd where the Dutches would or no Mistris Abig. Now Iove forsend it How desperate be these princock Gentlewomen when they be in love they 'll venture upon any weapons I marvell themselves be not afraid of stabbing I warrant you shee 'll to the Rock for it Mistris Frail. I cannot tell that but a Friend I have in the Court was here before breake of day and told me all Mistris Abig. Lord Mistris Frailware have you any friends in the Court Mistris Frail. I these seven years Mistris Abigail have I had friends there and acquaintance too I thanke my beautie three yeares before I was marri'd I le tell you Mistris Abigail these Courtiers be the finest sweetest smelling Gentlemen that be they will have some friends in the City now and then for varieties sake but they 'll pick and chuse and for mine owne part I le ensure you that before I was marry'd of a browne-wench marke what I say to speake of a browne-wench I was as sweet a creature as liv'd There was a Nobleman here in Florence I there was a Knight too that would eate but little meate except how ever it was my hap to fell figges in the Citie I le ensure you that my flesh was so tender that if a fellow with a strong breath had kiss'd me all my lips would have blister'd I wore my silke Stockins then and my Bodkins of beaten Gold I thanke my own wit and had Velvet Cloakes and Velvet Coloches come to see mee Mistris Abig. Doubtlesse you were one of the happiest living to have such blessings I would to heavens my husband or I might have an Office under these Courtiers that I might have friends at Court too Mistris Frail. I le ensure you Mistris Abigail many of 'hem be able to doe a woman a good pleasure sometimes and yet there be some againe that promise more than all their strength can performe too when they be put to it for alas Courtiers doe for so many that they cannot doe for all for mine owne part I have try'd 'hem and try'd 'hem agen and some of 'hem have stood to mee very sufficiently and friendly when I have come to see the Masking and Beare-baiting there Mistris Abig. God's my pitty is there Beare-baiting at Court doe the Ladies love Beare-baiting Mistris Frail. O abomination they 'll so shift for corners and places to be at it that their waiting gentlewomen can seldome come to the pastime And how does your good husband Master Damasippus Mistris Abig. In good deed la not
Serv. Nay nothing but tells us onely that if wee will thrive by service we must be either close Panders palpable flatterers or cozening Villaines Alast. A good Servingmans Tutor was that Poët I warrant him Exeunt Enter the Duke at one doore with Antonio Page and other Attendants At the other doore Lucilio in Altheas apparell his face covered with a Scarfe brought in by a Pursivant at Armes Frailware and others with Holbeards as a Prisoner to the Barre Damasippus Attend. Give back there and let the prisoner stand forth Duke How did wee thinke that when the stormes of warre Were with our danger care and cost expell'd From out these confines and the warmth of peace Turn'd like a Spring to shine within your bounds We should have sate secure Or after all Those toiles that spent our strength dry'd up our blood Hasten'd the hand of time to seize our haires Before his date and onely in pursuit Of your lov'd people safty and content Our owne now fainting wearinesse of age Should taste that freedome which our labours bought In plenteous fulnesse for the poorest swaine And we have clos'd the Evening of our age Within a fearlesse slumber But how weake Are all the hopes that wretched Princes faine When in the calme of peace while wee suppose Our perils banish'd and our selves ingirt With such impenetrable love as we Embrace our people with then stand our lives Expos'd to thickest dangers which conceal'd Doe strike the deeper and are warded lesse Such is the miserie that followes State That when we want abroad we finde at home Foes to besiege our lives The discontent Of some aggrieved spirits that thinke we stand 'Twixt their desires and them and which is worse The idle passions of unbridl'd youth Rather than misse those hopes enflamed lust Has fir'd within their thoughts will overturne Whole States and climbe up to their aymed ends By our heap'd slaughters Yet I least had thought Such Tragick Acts had knowne a womans breast Nor if I could Althea would your life Strong to retort suspition once permit Our least mistrust to staine your vertuous name And had we not by heavens appointment found Vnder your hand and seale the firmest proofes Of tempting our owne blood to paricide Suspitions strongest proofes had ne'r induc'd Our never lightly credulous beliefe To harbour your dislike But should we now Neglect our safety and our Countries good When all the Providence of Fate conspires To bring those treacherous practises to light Which Heaven abhorres wee should contemne the Heavens Abuse that forme of justice we sustaine And stand as guilty of those wastefull ruines Our cruell mildnesse gives your actions scope To call upon your Countrey and our selves We therefore by the Lawes denounce you guilty Of Treason 'gainst our person and the State Lucil. Were it for life my Lord I stood to speake I scarce would give the breath that I must spend To save that life But since your Grace does know A womans prejudice has doom'd our death For my names life I le speake and not for mine If infamy might die when we doe die I would be silent for know my gracious Lord I scorne to beg a life but come all arm'd In such a compleate innocence as dares Meet angry injustice in the jawes of death And without trembling stand his violence But that these Acts of blood these horrid crimes Of paricide of lust and hellish sinne Which will out-live our Tombes and make our names Come hatefull to posterities Records Should have a birth within a Virgins breast That never yet was conscious of a wish 'Gainst your desired safety I must take leave To tell your Grace that it was meerly feign'd By the bloody hand of Envy to cut off That sacred band of love the Heavens have knit 'Twixt your sonnes heart and my chaste innocence Nor doe I taxe your justice for my death But doe impute it most to his fond love That by protests of vertue and desire Drew my beleeving soule to his affects For when my feares urg'd these ensuing ils His uncontain'd affection breaking forth In signes of extreme passion so consum'd My powers that had my thoughts beene cold as Snow His zeale pour'd out in such inflaming vowes Would melt them Duke We must check your impudence That swels beyond the bounds we did expect Your modesty should have observ'd you wrong Our sonne and in our sonne our selves know you This hand and seale Lucil. I doe my honour'd Lord Yet were that Hand and Seale never found guilty Of conceiv'd wrong 'gainst or your Sonne or you Duke 'T will speake it selfe call it to witnesse then One reades the Letter MY Lord the attempt is dangerous and foule therefore desist not to enjoy the sweets our present Nuptials would being could I endure your hand stain'd with such an Action More when wee meet feare not but Heaven and Fate will second vertue Be still your selfe and I will rest Yours more than mine ALTHEA Duke Had you a priviledge to shrowd the blush Your conscious guilt casts 'gainst the eyes of Heaven As from our sight you doe conceale the Die That writes your Acts in shame upon your Cheekes You might deny these proofes and sweare them fain'd But that all-seeing power that notes the wild And secretst passages of mans conceit Detesting those foule crimes of lust and blood Reveales your Acts Stand therefore and from the Seate Of Iustice heare your doom since your ambitious hopes Soar'd up and by our Blood did meane to climbe Into that Seat which Nature and our right Had given to us be therfore from the Rock Throwne with your hopes that your example teach How low they fall that climbe above their reach And you Antonio we charge to see The execution speedily perform'd Exit cumsuis Manent Lucilio Antonio Page Damasippus Lucil. As sweet as cooling dew comes to the brest Of scorched Autumne so Deaths slumber fals On oppress'd innocence And good Antonio Since 't is your charge to see us dead let mee Entreat this favour that my body be Speedily interr'd and pray you tell the Duke That I request his Grace not grieve too much Hereafter for what I willingly now sought And he against his will made me to finde Then that I may have a litttle space in private To bid the world farewell and this is all A dying Virgin begs and for your friend Lucilio's sake you must not now deny it Anto. Wonder of womē could my attemps but yeeld Halfe what my heart conceives these limbs should die As many severall deaths as they containe Conduits of life to make your innocence live For your Lucilios sake whose woes will swell Poore Lord like to a winde-driven Ocean When he shall heare you dead and beare him downe To some disastrous end Lucil. You are deceiv'd Deare friend Lucilio's woes end with my life Nor will a thought of griefe a teare or sigh Trouble his peacefull sleeps when I am dead But I shall straine
your patience too farre and give The Duke a cause to blame your too much favour Exeunt The Page puls Damasippus back to speake with him Dam. My little least of any thing thou parcell of man what 's the newes with thee Page Newes from the Fortunate Ilands Master Damasippus The very Elizium of your delight and delicious Nectar of pleasure Mistris Ambrosia Frailware commands halfe her selfe to your learned conceipts and the rest to the heate of your inferiour Moralities Dam. O the odoriferous flowre of Florence How does shee Page In able strength and strong appetite and earnestly entreates this evening your presence at Supper her Husband will bee forc'd by Oath businesse to be absent and therefore you must feed her with the fruits of your company and you shall bee fed with the strength of confirming meates that edifie Dam. Thy reward shall overtake thee I will first accompany this Lady to her death and prepare and strengthen her according to moralitie and then I will be ready to give all moral comfort to the sweet desires of our deare Paramour Exit Page I le meet your moral comfort with such a Physicall counter-buffe that I le spoile your tilting for that night i'faith Exit Actus 3. Scena 1. Enter Antonio Lucilio following and by him Damasippus at going to the Rocke the executioner Frailware and others with Holbeards Damasippus ANd as I told you sweet Lady make your reconcilement with the world that you bee not hindred from your death if you owe any thing you must forgive and forget it that you may dye according to moralitie Lucil. I thanke your labour Master Damasippus I hope my peace with heaven and earth 's confirm'd And you shall need trouble your selfe no farther But you Antonio whose deserving trust Must be a witnesse of the latest gaspe Our fainting soule shall draw tell to the world How undivided was the tender love Betwixt Althea and Lucilio's life And let me vow 't into thy full beliefe That the soft Ayre faun'd with the cooling breath Of a milde Sommers Evening from the West Was not lesse murderous than Althea's wish Nay weepe not man we cannot weepe our selves We doe intreat this death to end our woes Not to encrease them Farewell Antonio And if in after times you heare our friends Sigh for our haplesse death bid them desist We did but quench the thirst envy had chas'd us into Come honest friend Discharge your Office for sorrow 'gins to fit Heavy upon our heart that faine would rest The Executioner with one more leads him up to the Rocke where he begins to binde his hands first asking him forgivenesse Execut. Madam forgive me your death Lucil. Which here I doe As freely as I wish my weari'd Ghost May finde a fearelesse passage through the strange And uncouth shades that leades our soules to Rest Enter the Lady Iulia running with her haire dishevell'd Iulia Where shall I runne to meet that which beheld Kils with a deadlyer wound then doe the eyes Or coldest poyson of a Basiliske She sees them on the Rock Althea stay and let thy wretched Parent Take the last farewell of her dying childe Shee runnes up to them Ah why did Nature make my unhappy wombe Fruitfull by thee and yet reserve mine age To out-live the extremities of griefe and see Thy dismall end by an untimely death Was I reserv'd for this Or were the crimes Of our black guilt so horrid in the eyes Of Heaven that nothing but the fatall scourge Of severe justice in the woefull'st forme Could expiate our sinne How were I blest If the first instant that imparted life To thy scarce featur'd selfe joy to my wombe Had beene the last in which we both had breath'd Lucil. Madam doe not afflict your selfe nor let your cares Live from our death Althea cannot dye But with her innocence does buy a life That shall extend her worth beyond the reach Of Time and Envy Therefore as you respect Your daughters peacefull happinesse take truce With sorrow but till we be dead and Heaven That still protects the innocent will show How just it is in plaguing those that strive By treacherous plots to oppresse innocent lives Iulia Canst thou perswade the Ocean in a storme To leave her swelling Or a Bullet shot To stop its passage No Althea no! The lightest Arrow is not more powerfull sent Vnto his Mark than we are throwne to death Therefore farewell I le haste to meet thee there Where no injustice nor oppressing tyrannie Shall sever our embraces and let this kisse Seale up that vow upon thy dying lips She offers to kisse Lucilio and putting by his Scarfe he is knowne What 's here has sorrow so transform'd thy shape Or dull'd the wonted vigour of my sight That it sees nothing right proportioned Lucil. Madam conceale me for Althea's love Who lives but banish'd onely for a while And let me die that she may freely live Iulia My Lord Lucilio doe you mocke my woes O where 's Althea have you murder'd her And come to upbraid the miseries we feele Is 't not enough that I must lose that stay On which my aged widdowhood rely'd But you must jest at anguish Is not our blood Enough to satisfie the thirst of Treason But you must swallow more I le not conceale Your murdering plotts but lay these Actions ope To the wide worlds eyes and leave the rest In hope that Heaven who doth your treacheries view As you have dealt so they may deale with you Shee throwes off his Scarfe Exit Iulia Lucilio offers to throw himselfe off the Rocke Serv. What meanes my Lord Lucil. To dye as I am doom'd Therefore let me goe Serv. Antonio lend your help To save the Prince whom you have brought to death Anto. My heart force him to live or by the Seat Of Iustice you shall die as many deaths As you have Arteries Lucil. Then we must live to see those griefes alive Which death would end and life will but revive Anto. Poste to the Duke before and let him know The strangenesse of the accident Exit Servant Frailware and Page Lucil. Antonio know that I ever held thy faith till now True to thy friend and thought thou wouldst assist His miserie which thou hadst richly done If I had dyed Anto. O honour'd Lord be these Your harmelesse attempts that you conceal'd With such a nice reserv'dnesse from your friend Come good my Lord let us repaire to Court That now stands wondring at this strange report Exeunt Enter Page and Frailware Page My Head 's in labour with a jest Master Constable and I have a warrant to your authoritie to see me well deliver'd on 't Frail. I can drinke Sack and talke bawdy for a need if it come within the compasse of my Office Page Why there be two ingredients then to the composition of a Midwife and if you 'll be rul'd in the Action wee shall laugh and lie downe and have an excellent banquet at the
against your selfe That he has vow'd your death doth intend A sharp revenge to all your family And but I know Lucilio yet does live Beleeve me Madam I should hate the fact And be the first should feed my thirsty eyes With their best blood that spilt least part of his Iul. Alas Antonio what would you have me doe When I beheld my daughter murdred thus 'Twixt love and hate and I no meanes of help To take revenge or comfort to my griefe Anto. Well Madam let 's not stand to expostulate The cause the act was foule and but the hand Of Heaven turn'd it from him 'gainst whō you meant it Hatefull and worthy of the deep'st revenge Your way is now to shun the furious wrath The Duke 's enflamed with and for a while Lie close in some disguise till the lost Prince Make his returne who doubtlesse will ere long Give notice to my selfe where he remaines And for your farther assurance Lady I le take Some strange attire with you and we will both Be present at the Execution Where you shall heare perhaps the latest words The murderer will speake against your selfe And in the presence of the Duke avouch Your guiltinesse Iul. Thankes good Antonio There the gift is free When 't is bestow'd on deepest miserie Exeunt Enter Althea in her Shepherdesses apparell over her owne which she putting off layes aside Alth. Lie there thou gentle weed that hast prolong'd A weary life thou whose dissembling shape Has help'd me reach the place which drew that life As an attractive Load-stone to it's end Some friendly Passinger will for this reward Bestow perhaps a buriall on my Coarse And be my death as freely exempt from sight As is my griefe that never innocent eyes May bee infected with those fumes of guilt My latest gaspe breathes forth reserv'd till now To bee unfortunate in all save this That I shall sacrifice my dearest blood Vpon that Altar where Lucilio dyed And let one aire receive our joyned spirits And sacrifices to Faiths Deitie She goes up the Rocke quickly and standing ready And witnesse now you zealous thoughts of love Witnesse the vowes my affection held so deare Enter Lucilio in his owne habit and walkes a turne My soule comes unconstrain'd to you deare Lord And parts as freely from a gladsome heart As ere it wish'd to enjoy the lively sight Of your desired presence She spies him as below Awake my fancy doe mine eyes conspire To aggravate my griefe or does the strong Imagination of my losse present the shape Of his dead person to my troubled sense Lucil. What strange confused passions 'gin to raise A stormy combate 'twixt my minde and death Though safely now arriv'd within the Port Where for exchange of breath I shall regaine The long desired presence of her soule That hovers in expectation of my comming Alth. Methinkes I sleep that thus illusive showes Doe mock my apprehension or is 't decreed That even in death I must indure affliction And die in height of woe How like his pace His gesture shape and countenance true constant spirit That wouldst not be unlesse thou mightst be true Did not my greedy sight distract my thoughts To feed upon thy shadow and make me forget My businesse next in hand I should have flowne To be a shadow and have walk'd with dead Lucilio As hearing somewhere the voyce of his name Lucil. Lucilio was it my fond conceit or else my selfe Standing betwixt the bounds of life and death Her ghost that lookes each minute for my approach Thinkes my stay long and cals upon my name I come Althea swift as breake the windes From out the Eolian Caves give mee but space To take my flight from off that He lookes up to the Rocke and seeing her stand a while amaz'd Bright Angell Goddesse whatsoe'r thou art That hast assum'd that shape to adorne thy state And give a better lustre to thy Deity Doe not delude my woes nor make my death More miserable then my selfe have done Alth, It does invite me speak and with his silent looks Seemes to intreat a word yet my faint heart Throbbing with feare denies to second speech Lucil. Be what thou wilt I know no spirit of night Durst to attempt that forme that ne'r was made But to invest a soule more faire and pure Then are the Spheres Ghost Angel Goddesse Nimph Speake daine a word to tell me what thou art That thus appearst in such a glorious shape To intercept my death Art thou an Angel That thus wouldst shew the world what they have lost By seeing her heavenly forme Or art thou else Some spirit of Diviner excellence That hast put on that shadow thine owne nature To beautifie Or does Althea's ghost Come thus to meet and chide my slothfulnesse Or has thy worth chaste Nymph deserv'd to scape The hand of death and made thy perfect selfe All soule immortall and an unmixt spirit That those rich vertues which great nature heapt In thy creation might by envious death Ne'r be dissolv'd nor the cold senslesse earth Embrace and taint thy pure delicious beauty For which the Starres grew envious to the world What ere thou art if thou hast sense of griefe But correspondent to the shape thou bear'st Add not more torment to the depth of woe That does accompany my death and urge No more the sight and memory of her Whom I have wrong'd envy has left me nought But life to yeeld in satisfaction Which here I come to tender as thy due Or if thou doubtst the payment and didst come To take a view how willingly I dyed Then be my witnesse that the chased Stagge Flies not more swiftly to the cooling streames Then I to death He runnes up to the Rocke where both meeting shew passions of feare Alth. Stay Lucil. Speake Alth. O stay deare love Lucil. Speake speake thou heavenly spirit And tell me since thy selfe art made Divine What makes thee come in confines of the wretched And mixe thy selfe with us whose earthly loades Detaine us yet in life and misery Alth. Why I doe live Lucil. I know thou dost thou wert not fram'd to die Nor at thy birth when Heaven and Nature joyn'd To give thee those rich Dowries thou enjoy'st Did they intend to make such excellence Mortall and subject to the stroke of death But where deficient Nature could extend Her force no farther to preserve thy life Heaven would supply the want and turne thy state To immortality yet why shouldst thou When I have seene thy Funerals perform'd Come to afflict me and augment my griefe Alth. Sweet love if you doe live as feare and hope 'Twixt adverse passions make me doubtfull yet Know that I live as when we parted last Nor ere was yet interr'd Lucil. No no the earth grew feeling of her losse And grieving to be robb'd of such a jemme Refus'd to shut that treasure in her wombe Where foule corruption must have tainted it Or did my fortunes yet beyond
thy death Pursue thee farther and bereaving first Thy innocent life in some forsaken wood Leave thee unburyed and thy restlesse ghost Comes now to seeke a Sepulcher of me Alth. Great Lord recall your selfe and give me leave To speake what will resolve this doubtfull maze In which your senses wander and can finde No passage out Since I last left your Grace Travelling in that disguise I lost indeed Camilla poore Companion of my cares But hearing that your selfe in shape of me Was by your Fathers doome throwne off this Rock Knowing my sufferance guilty of your death I came to end my life where you had dyed And expiate the murder with my blood Where 't was committed on your guiltlesse self Reserv'd by Heavens mild hand to this blest houre Wherein our innocent loves might once more meet In spight of envie Lucil. Lives my Althea then Then live Althea still But speake no more Lest the vast Tyde of joy o'rwhelme my soule And kill as quick as griefe Or my sad heart Vnable to sustaine this burden of wonder Sinke and yeeld vanquish'd I have much to aske But let it rest yet tell me how thou far'dst In this long banishment stay who comes yonder Now the wind 's turn'd and fortunes lavish hand Powres downe content beyond expectation Enter Duke and Duchesse with Officers bringing Assassino to execution after them the L. Iulia and Antonio both disguised Duke Come thou inhumane murderer of my sonne Traytor unto thy Countries state and safety And now before the stroke of Iustice seize Thy hatefull life resolve the wondring world Why the slight motives of a womans words Should winne thee to so foule and horrid crimes Assas. What I have said your selfe are witnesse to Nor needs it be renew'd nor can I adde One word or syllable to make it more Duke Then let the Execution proceed That wee may doe this latest Exequie To his wrong'd ghost which is to see his blood Reveng'd with blood of those that murdred him As we have vow'd to doe and not to leave These weeds of sorrow till we have consum'd The race and name of them that did conspire In this abhorred Action And would it might Suffice the injuries we did his life Thus to revenge his too untimely death And from that height He sees them on the Rocke and stands amaz'd Am I awake or dreame I Is it my fancy Breeds this delusive show in my weak braine Or doe their soules come to condemne our guilt More cōscious of their death then whō we have brought To die for it See doe thy dazled eyes Perceive that object which my selfe beholds Or is 't some shadow that abuses mee And none but mee Duch. My sonne my Lord my sonne More knowne by 's ghost then if his living forme Had met mine eyes ô speake to him my Lord Duke If thou beest such as is thy semblance By all that duty that thy life did owe Vnto a Parent by the Bands once due Of Love and Nature that unites the soules Of children and their carefull nourishers I doe adjure thee tell why in this midd'st Of day you come thus to renew our griefe What has there wanted to your Funerals When we have wept us dry and spent our teares More thicke than winter showers upon your Hearse Done all the Rites and Exequies were due To your interring And have vow'd revenge To all that did conspire in that foule Act Of thy too guiltlesse murder Lucil. Know that wee are return'd From out those Seats of Blisse where we were plac'd By your unjust proceedings to make knowne That what you did was 'gainst the will of Fate For see what you deny'd upon the earth The power of Heaven does grant and has confirm'd Our long-borne loves with an Eternall peace Where our two soules in sweetest union knit Enjoy their Nuptials out of Envies reach Yet know there are some punishments reserv'd For the vile Treasons practis'd in pursuite Of our unmerited wrongs and that their sinne Is mark'd for plagues that seeke by force to breake The League that Love and Faith doe joyntly knit Duke Then let 'hem fall wee are prepar'd for woes Though shot as thick as Haile from out the Clouds Our guilt is greater than those punishments Or all our future plagues can expiate The Duke and Duchesse both kneele Yet on our bended knees thus low to earth As we did both conspire in that foule plott We here entreat your pardons and withall Wish the offended Heavens would bee appeas'd With Vowes and Orisons and would your ghosts Forget those injuries wee did your loves And rest in peace with us and with the world Lucil. Father we will but should we live againe You would not yet relent and yeeld our loves The sufferance you see the Heavens have done Duke By Heavens I would nor should the potent'st hand Of earth resist your present Nuptials Lucil. Then wee 'll be ghosts no more but ever sue For your mild sufferance of our happinesse Come downe both kneele Duke Wonder and amazement do not oppresse me Duch. O we are blest beyond desert Alth. Yet is my joy but small amidst your many Since you have burnt my innocent Mother And razd our Family Iul. No my deare daughter see I safely live Ne'r blest till now and now o'r-joyd with blisse Lucil. Then joyes would be compleate had I not lost By thy vile murderous hand so deare a friend Anton. Your friend still lives and never felt his life Sweet till this instant when I may behold These joyes combin'd Duke Why then there nothing wants But celebration of your Nuptials Which we will doe with greater signes of joy Then we had griefe in your supposed Funeralls But whose death is this murderer guilty of Ant. Onely Alastors a fellow as wicked as himself Duke We give him then his life but banish him From our Dominions and for this strange event We will expect a farther leisure To heare the whole discovery of the chance And leave the rest to mirth that shall command In all our Feasts and whom wee 'll Crowne as King To be chiefe Lord in all our Banquetting Exeunt omnes Omnia vincit amor nos cedamus amori * Ambubaiarum Collegii Alumni The Epilogue IVdging Spectators all for this wee know That either you are such or should be so Now to your censures lowly as his minde Our Authour all submits and hopes to finde In such a faire assembly no such eyes As scoute at Theaters and come like flies To taint the innocent'st labours with their tongues Raising their richest gaines from others wrongs If such an envious Canker hap to lurke Here and hath onely sate to taxe the worke With curious scanning let that envy know He scornes his censure onely and can show 'Gainst all such labour'd hisses Perseus Shield In such a fearlesse Pen as ne'r shall yeeld 'Till his cold merits doe his worth bewray Or make himselfe a mewing Statua Nor is he of those self-admiring Apes That thinke none's features faire whose birth escapes Their labouring braines hee heares and sees and knowes And yeelds all reverence to the worth of those VVhom solid Art extols and unto such Hee humbly vailes his Scene that for the touch Of unaffecting censures hither came Hee sought your mirth more than a Poets name FINIS
has combated the pangs of death To give her children life stood all her time Like to a carefull Centinell for their youth And spent the nights in pensive watchfulnesse Forcing soft nature to forbeare her rest To plott their good must all be frustrated And by a childs proud will see all things crost Their Parents hopes and their owne fortunes lost How hath our love to thee our wishes toyl'd To build thy passage to a higher spheare And by some noble match to raise thy House And must thy base attempts looke downeward still Mongrell our blood and set a lasting scarre Vpon our progeny by fixing thus Thy stubborne passions on base Iulia's childe Luci. Madam not to yeeld what Nature makes us owe Were to bee made lesse reas'nable than beasts And nothing's more against a generous minde And freeborne spirit than foule Ingratitude Yet must your Grace remember that we take Nor all from Parents the hand of heaven and Fate Does by the last infusion of the soule Give the rich forme and by a secret tract And unavoyded path leads us to what Seemes good to it and though our mindes be free In this impulse wee love by Destinie I must confesse I love nor was the flame Of my affection when it kindled first Like to a paper fire that with a blaze Of lust begins and ends at once and leaves Nought but black infamie behinde nor can The least dishonour staine our Dukedomes title From her whose Blood stands firme by long descents Even in the heart of unbought noblenesse Whose Reputation 's sound Revenues faire Beauty able to inrich a Dukedome and deserts To be an Empresse Were then our fortunes rais'd By those high steps to which I should aspire To joyne with greatnesse I must joyne with vice For they are oft observ'd to joyne their hands And he not stoops that stayes where Vertue stands Duch. Has Athens taught you bee an Oratour Degenerous boy I le coole your vertuous flame And make thee rue the basenesse of thy choise Exit Lucil. How deepe a conflict doe my thoughts indure 'Twixt Love and Dutie Wert not a mothers tongue That wrong'd thy worth Althea I would have torne it From out th' injurious throat in thy revenge And held it to their eyes to let them see How it had wrong'd it selfe by wronging thee Exit Enter Mistris Frailware and the Page Mistris Frail. By my troth I am glad to see thee well my little Gallow-clapper how hast thou done this many a day ha Page Faith prettily well Mistris Fraileware as a man of my profession might I had all the chiefe trades in the City to help mee doe well Mistris Frail. What trades were they thou wert too young for any occupation yet Page Not above three yeares at most but I earn'd something with working and wayting on my Lord as Tankard-bearers Labourers and Servingmen doe I stole and cozen'd as Taylors Shopkeepers and Cutpurses doe I let out my Lords books and tooke money for the use of 'hem as the later ends of gouty Merchants doe and yet for all this I was forc'd as many of you Citizens are to goe many times to bed with a hungry conscience Mistris Frail. You 'll never leave your crackery but tell mee prethee sirrha is Athens a fine Towne What be these College like didst thou goe to schoole there Page O an excellent place for a woman that will use trading You shall have the Schollers lie at your sweet Frailes night and day they bee forc'd to sweeten their disputations with Grocers reasons and custome could not but make your husband one of the head men of the City presently Mistris Frail. Now by my troth I thinke it were a very good place for a stale shopkeepers wife of the City to set up in o' my conscience a woman of our occupation might thrive there Page I and she were down never so low the schollers would doe it and how does Master Damasippios the lecturing Stoick When was he here Mistris Frail. Dost remember him let me see o' my honesty I never saw him since his last morall Lecture against the sinnes of the flesh yes heaven forgive me to sweare now I remember me the same day my husband went a duck-hunting and then he came hither and brought mee many good things wilt thou goe to him againe sometimes for mee I le give thee some figges and Tobacco Page Yours to command I le smoake in your businesse then i'faith Mistris Frail. Prethee come to me when my husband is out of the shoppe exit Page Adieu the two desiring sinnes of the City Avarice and Lechery if I doe not meet with your morall venery would I might goe lowsie and have but three pence to play with this moneth Exit Page Enter Duchesse and Alastor Duch. Come good Alastor be but secret now And I shall live indear'd unto thy faith The matter much imports us and in case That my rewards should dye with me the State Will one day thanke thee for 't I have his seale His hand and stile exactly counterfeit Then heare thy charge Thou must this evening haste Covertly to the Lady Iulia's house But canst bee secret Alast. As your owne thoughts Madam I can stick as close to any peece of villany As a Punk to a Farmers sonne new gentiliz'd And when besides so many good angels tempt They are enough to make a woman keepe counsell Duch. Well then make meanes to speake there with Althea Tell her thou com'st from Lord Lucilio Who in important businesse has imployed thee I know shee 'll take thy message privately Deliver her this letter seeme that Lucilio Has none but thee on whom he can relie In this so dangerous an enterprise Shee upon this will- bee more free and open To the designe then marke her good Alastor Observe each word and gesture that shee uses If thou canst wring a looke that may discover But a consenting thought it will suffice For when offending lives withstand our will Wee must seeme good though we determine ill exit Alast. Here 's a villanous pitfall to stifle a poore wench in who can bee a beggar now that 's not afraid to bee damn'd well I can no more tell how to thrive without doing villany than greatnesse can without doing injury Pretty peece of man's flesh I my heart will leap when I see thee come off the Rock like a Mag-Pie and I shall wish for thy sake that nature had made women a litle lighter all of feathers that they might have taken hurt by no manner of falling but pitty is a thing clean out of fashion and the high way to irreparable Beggary I le none of it exit Enter Lucilio Antonio Page Anto. Nay good my Lord yeeld not your self so much To these unseason'd Passions that doe sit Like midnight on your thoughts me thinks the ayre Of Athens should have purg'd these humours quite In troth my Lord the world will condemne you Lucil. Of what Antonio Anto. Why of
well hee has beene ill at ease ever since t'other night Mistris Fra. Ah sweet man he does so labour and labour to fill us with moralitie that hee 's ee'n tyr'd out in the Citie amongst us Enter Master Frailware and his man with Holboards Master Frail. Fie upon 't how heavy this authoritie sits upon us ever since midnight in the Dukes businesse but it stands us upō it 't is for the credit of the City we must doe more than one bare Office or wee cannot bee good subjects Here take in my weapon Exit man Mistris Frail. I'faith 't is a fine time o'day to come home at Gods my precious doe you thinke to leave me so still from twelve a Clock till I rise I must he alone dreaming and dreaming sometimes that you are dead sometimes that I am with childe and a lust for a thing that I cannot have sometimes again that you have falne downe the Stayres and broke your back and such fearfull dreames that I cannot rest an houre because I can doe nothing but dreame Master Frail. O good wife we be for this yeare Magistrates Officers of place men of imployment the upholders of the Citie the eyes of the Common-wealth and therefore when matters of State call wee must come with wisedome and with severity answer our Vocation Mistris Frail. Focation me no Vocation for as true as I am marry'd if you put me in such frights by going away and leaving mee in the darke I le get me a bedfellow shall stick closer to mee so I will cannot you have a Deputy as well as an Alderman I hope you are in authority too Mistris Abig. O patience deare Mistris Frailware patience with your Spouse my husband told me that patience was one of the ten morall vertues Mistris Frail. I Mistris Abigail if a woman had such a husband as you have that were able to put patience into a woman she might easily be content and have mortall vertues enough too Master Frail. Nay prethee Duck be quiet when the Sessions are past wee shall have more leisure meane while le ts in and drinke this fury over in a cup of Canary Come Mistris Abigail Exeunt Enter Lucilio with a bagge as if apparell were in it Antonio Lucil. Let it suffice Antonio that thy friend Entreats thy silence nor let thy curious love Question our farther projects leave to enquire Till time and rumour shall disclose the Plot Of my intentions whose unexpected end Shall stand beyond preventions murdering sight And turne the edge of spleene upon it selfe Thus much I will impart unto thy faith What fits thee not to know leave to desire Anto. My Lord impute it not to curiousnesse That I have urg'd your patience to unfold What you intend for by the hallowed name Of zealous friendship which my heart retaines Engrav'd by your deserts 't is only love That makes me thus seeme jealous of your good However would your Grace but try my faith By making it a partner in your ils Till having pass'd these stormes and beene approv'd Inviolably firme it may deserve The name of friend to which't has long aspir'd Lucil. Nay now thou complement'st and dost afflict The tender love thy faith hath bred in me I tell thee friend I must not trust the ayre 'Twixt thee and mee the nights concealing shades Shall never hear 't disclos'd not that I feare Thy friendly silence but the barren plot Of my invention will admit but me Into the doubtfull scene I must alone Finish the Act my hopelesse love began O my Antonio could my sorrowes poure Into thy breast but halfe what I conceive What could the spleene of potent envy adde To the vast heapes of mischiefe that doe lie Vpon my groveling fortunes now cast downe Beneath the base of miserie and griefe When I must stand like to a senselesse marble Frozen into a stone with strong respect Of filiall duty and see Althea dye Throwne downe by my ambitious love that aym'd At her transcendent vertues This wounds my heart And puts a fire to the cold melancholy That hath so long possess'd my chillied spirits And bids them seeke revenge that when fraud thinks To seize upon the neck of innocence The repercussive flame that will result From their abhorred deeds shall singe their wings And make them fall as low as were their actions Where they shall lye and view the ugly shapes Of all those mischiefes that attend oppression But now conceale me friend and be no more Inquisitive of the particulars Report will soone divulge the scope of all If absence cause inquiry after mee Let fall some speeches that I am withdrawne To a retired privatenesse awhile Vntill Althea's Tragedy be o'r Not able to affront my ruin'd hopes Nor stand Spectator at her guiltlesse death So fare thee well and if we never meete Remember that I liv'd and dy'd thy friend Anto. Doe not torment my soule but let me share Those passages of danger that oppose Their hideous jawes against your innocent hopes For at no greater rate man sels his breath Then with a friend to buy a faithfull death Luci. Thy words Antonio cannot adde an Atome To the full love that 's harbour'd in my breast Of thy true reall worth then be content And leave me for 't is impossible that more Than my unhappy selfe can bee contain'd Or have an Action within the narrow limits Of my designes Anto. Then thus I take my leave With as much feeling paine as if my foule Were by some violence shot from out my bowels Farewell my Lord my vowes and wishes guard you From awkward Fate whil'st I 'twixt hope and feare Attend the issue of these strange attempts Exit Antonio Lucil. So now Lucillo arme thy selfe for death That from thy blood she may regaine a life And freedome whom thy weake affection sold To undeserved slaughter and black infamy Immoved powers we must not aske you why And yet methinkes I could expostulate The reason of this mixture in the frame Of all our Vniverse why every perfect good Is girt with such a multitude of ils Not the most sacred and puissant Throne Of divine Iustice whose Majestick forme Beares a resemblance of that Power Supreme That equals Kings and Slaves by giving each Deserved vengeance for their actions Can stand secure but all the brood of hell Bribes Respects Envy and what e'r perverts The strictest line of vertuous equity Will presse up to the Iudgement Seat and there Transforme the beauteous picture of the Godhead Into the hatefull shapes of tyrannie Of blood and murder But I forget my self And like en angry woman chide the Heavens When I should doe Fortune and stealth assist My just adventures and a friendly sleepe Seise all the eyes and eares that would pursue Our harmlesse Stratagems This is the window If my directions faile not that does imprison her Whom Vertue Nature and the mild aspect Of all the Constellations sweat to make A free-borne Empresse He throwes a stone up to
the window Althea lookes out Alth. Whos 's that Lucil. Lucilio Alth. O my deare Lord Lucil. How fares my Althea Alth. As one that lives but in the armes of death And like a frost-kill'd worme is halfe reviv'd By your faire presence whose desired sight Makes a warme blood post through my trembling veins To tell my heart this newes that ere I die I once shall speake to you But I must chide your Grace my Lord that would so staine your love With foulest spots of blood Lucil. Blood to their soules that thought it for by The ne'r appaled heart of innocence The new-borne babes first smiles were ne'r more chaste Then was my breast frō thoughts of murder O Althea What will a woman loath that 's all possest With wrath and has the killing voyce of Iustice Tun'd to pronounce her mercilesse revenge The sword by her steel'd conscience edg'd to slaughter And undefended lives to worke upon Alth. It was your seale and hand that did perswade Me to the murder but my selfe return'd Disswasive arguments to beate you from 't Lucil. It was my seale which by my mothers charge 'T is thought the Page stole out without suspect As I conceive of mischiefe all the rest Was meerly counterfeit But bee advis'd And I will choake the hungry throat of Treason That gapes for blood with such a working pill As it shall loath to swallow and vomit up Their bloody plots in sick repentance Alth. No my dearest Lord let me in contentment die Since you are innocent and in my Tombe Bury your danger that have thus long sate A heavy burden to your happinesse Lucil. Long maist thou live untill the gods Althea Shall summon thee from hence to make a starre And grant Commission to the winged Post Of heaven to steale away thy soule in sleepe That Divine mould was not ordain'd to suffer A painfull shipwrack in thy lifes departure Alth. 'T will sweeten much the bitterst throes of death When I shall thinke my labouring soule does worke For my Lucilio's rest then let my guiltlesse Ghost Securely passe up to the fields of peace For I am weary and would gladly die Lucil. Vrge it no more the very sound of death Wish'd to thy innocence comes like a clappe Of armed thunder to mine eares and thou Shalt live though I should search the utmost tortures Tyrannie did ere invent to find a death Might ransome thee and therefore if thy love Does yet respect Lucîlios constancy Resolve and second mee Dispute no more But make some meanes to let me downe a line That I may fasten this disguise unto it She lets downe a line to which he fastens the disguise There draw it up and put it on with speed Suspitions eye dogs every step I tread She drawes up the bagge and while she is cloathing How strong is sad affliction on my State When I must steale a death and thinke me blest if none Doe interrupt my passage to destruction Oh that the paths of Fate so strange and invious Should lead us into life and through a Maze Of chances bring us to such unpassable periods That we must leape the bankes and give our breath To shunne the ills that doe incounter us Come have you yet dispatch'd Alth. I have my Lord but what of this Lucil. Then once more lend your line Having againe let downe the Line she drawes up a Ladder of Cords Fasten those Hookes to your window and come downe Shee fastens the Hookes above he below And then coming downe he receives her A more troublesome descent then from the Rock But your fall gentler So Now flie Althea And live as happy as my unhappy love Had made thee miserable time may bee More friendly to thee and beget some meanes That thou maist one day sit amidst thy friends Nay doe not weep Althea thou shalt see This will worke both our freedomes and if I die My silent Ghost shall in the pleasingst formes At mid-noon dayes come oft to visit thee Farewell They kisse and he offers to goe up Alth. What meanes your Grace Lucil. To out-runne trechery and winne a Goale That shall enrich my name make envy swell And drowne her selfe in overflowing Gall Alth. I le meet the ugliest shapes that ever Death Appear'd to Nature in before I le leave Your Grace expos'd to danger for my life Lucil. No more for I have vow'd what I intend And if thou dost withstand it to make this houre The last of breathing to mee therefore be gone I le lie at Stake my selfe that you may steere No interrupted course and since the law Gives Virgins leave to pleade and die conceal'd I with this Scarfe here will bee your Attorney Hasten your flight least mischiefe finde you slow Wee shall both fare the better At the Parks end By a Fount that riseth from the Chaulky Banke Camilla stayes with your Viaticum Shee 'll be thy partner in thy banishment Once more farewell and if I die for ever Alth. And if you die I shall not long out-live you He goes up into the window In what a sad dilemma stands my soule In this divulsion betweene love and danger Yet blesse mine eyes once more with sight of you Lucil. Farewell Althea Alth. Dearest Lord farewell Lucil. Againe farewell Althea all the favours Of Guardian Angels and mild'st influences Propitious Heaven retaines waite on thy sufferings Exeunt Enter Alastor and another Servant setting the Barre and laying Cushions Alast. Come dispatch the Duke 's at hand Serv. I wonder he sits himselfe in judgement to day Alast. The matter in question is great Serv. Many thinke the poore Gentlewoman is innocent Alast. They be fooles to say so Serv. Why is 't a folly to speake what they thinke Alast. I as very a folly as to be vertuous indeed Do'st imagin t will gaine any thing but hate Serv. Yet many dare pawne their lives that shee is guiltlesse Alast. None but such as were predestin'd never to bee great they bee tender conscienc'd dunces they never learn'd Esops Fables Serv. Why for that Alast. Do'st not remember the tale of the Lion that banish'd all horn'd beasts from Court Serv. That was a madd Lion i'faith Alast. That then the Foxe went away as banish'd too because if the Lion should say his prickt eares were Hornes what then Serv. But she was thought ever vertuous and modest Alast. Shee would not have beene guilty so soone else shall a swaggering wench that will take Tobacco eight and forty times in foure and twenty houres talke bawdy as familiar as an Oyster wife retaine seven servants with good backes and a weake husband to keep Doggs from doore have no priviledge above suspected vertue Serv. Faith I remember when I went to Schoole my Master vs'd to tell us a Verse or two out of a Poet hic damnatus inani Iudicio I ha' forgot the Poëts name but I remembred the Verse by another where he instructs creatures of our faculty Alast. Why what does he teach us
signes Of that true valour your spirit seemes to beare For 't is not courage when the darts of chance Are throwne against our State to turne our backs And basely runne to death as if the hand Of Heaven and Nature had lent nothing else To oppose against mishap but losse of life Which is to flie and not to conquer it For know it were true valours part my Lord That when the hand of chance had crush'd our States Ruin'd all that our fairest hopes had built And thrown 't in heaps of desolation Then by those ruines for our thoughts to climbe Vp till they dar'd blinde fortune to the face And urg'd her anger to increase those heaps That we might rise with them and make her know Wee were above and all her power below Why this my Lord would prove us men indeed But when affliction thunders o'r our Roofe To hide our heads and runne into our graves Shewes us no men but makes us fortunes slaves Lucil. Antonio thou wouldst turne Philosopher To doe thy friend a kindnesse but 't is not wordes Our businesse askes we must have action now Thou seest my fathers anger for this freeing Althea from her death swels like a tide Halfe flowne that labours 'gainst an adverse winde And does command us leave the Court awhile And passe for Greece as if our travaile could Be Bawd unto the chastity of faith That 's vow'd to vertue when my long weary'd minde Already 's toyling in a pilgrimage Vp to the shrine of Natures rich perfections Therefore Antonio thou must take the shape Of all save misery that I containe And for I know my fathers jealousie Will entertaine all rumours that are left Where ere my name passe thou must bee Lucilio And so my name travaile alone with thee It will suffice for fame doth sometimes gull The best intelligence Then shape thy course Farthest from Athens to those parts of Greece Where I am least knowne Anton. Pardon me my Lord If I consent not for should your safety call To leap the Tyrrhene Cliffs into the maine Stand in the face of a fir'd Canon Or hale a sleeping Lyon from the way Where you must passe my love would force me runne Against the edge of danger for your life But this is onely a pretended shew To win our absence that none may interrupt Your torrent of impatience that posts Like melted Snow from off the Apenine Downe to destruction Luci. Thou art curious still With our intentions and mistak'st me much Beleev 't Antonio if I might have dyed When the vast flood of spleene was at the full And thought to overflow whole worlds of love When Envy stood a tip-toe to catch hold And pull downe innocence to trample on 't And sweet Revenge was at her on to speake From my bruis'd bones then death had been a heaven But now my head 's turn'd brasse speakes times past And harden'd is against the worst of ils Though every frowne my angry mother gives Should come like hammers 'gainst my forehead Anton. May I beleev 't my Lord Lucil. By Heaven I will And so resolve yet for thy farther trust I will bee open to thee my meaning is To put off name and habit for a while Till I have found Althea and knit that knot Which hell it selfe shall never violate And therefore carry rumour still with thee That it may have no leasure to descry What I embrace Farewell Antonio And prethee let this evening bee the last Of thy delay Heaven will be my friend And send content or give my woes an end Exit Lucilio Anton. Soft I le not leave you to goe seek that end your name shall travaile but I le not carry it Though you have vow'd not to procure your death you are in love manet Enter Alastor and Assassino quarrelling Alast. D'sfoote Sir your speeches be peremptory Assas. Why Sir I said it and I say it agen that the Dukes Sonne was a foole and a mad-man to venture his life for ere a womans love in Italy Alast. I yeeld Sir 't was a mad part to venture a painful death for a woman when a woman will venture nothing but she 'll have pleasure at one end of it for the life of a man yet the Dukes Sonne was not a madman for it Assas. I say he was Alast. I say you lie Assassino gives him a blow D'foote Sir you will not strike me Assass. Yes and whip thee with Birch i' the Nose Exit stalking Anton. Bravely perform'd Alastor 't is politiquely done bee noble and doe not strike Alast. Why sir this is not mine owne sword Anton. And therefore thou hadst no authority to use it Come I have other businesse for thee that shall gaine thee gold Alast. I thanke you sir for indeed I had a suit to you before Anton. It is the better trade of the two by halfe I know thou canst begg valiantly but to the businesse Thou knowst my Lord Lucilio goes away in disgrace 'twixt banishment and travaile he is not well and therefore would stay behinde a while unknowne onely thou must goe before and put on his name that the world may take notice of his passage and hold rumour busie till hee comes privately and overtakes thee But come to my lodging where I le dispose of farther particulars and furnish thee with apparell and crownes for thy journey Alast. I attend you sir exeunt A Table set forth covered with a cloth Enter Mistris Frailware Mistris Frail. Why Debora I say why Debora Debor. Anon forsooth within Mistris Frail. Come bring away the Napkins quickly and make ready here these heavy Ars'd wenches are so slow and doe you heare bid one of the Boyes fetch me a Pinte of Oligant Buls Blood and a quart of Canary and look that the white Broth with Eringoes and Marrow be not over-boyl'd I know M. Damasippus loves it well Enter Damasippus Damas. Ioy and peace of minde be to my deare Pupill let mee give thee a morall kisse Mistris Frai. In pure moralitie M. Damasippus you are most heartily welcome Would this wench would come away that wee had Supper once Damas. That word hath eterniz'd thee my sweet Ambrosia and thy name is written in Elizium among Ioves paramours Wherefore let the beloved of Iove feast and banquet according to moralitie Enter Debora with Supper Mistris Frail. You are so full of learned sayings still I have studyed too a great while would I could reade once Dam. Soule of the world thou shalt bee illuminated without reading for I will infuse knowledge into thee and thou shalt bee repleate Mistris Fra. Can you doe so M. Damasippus Dam. I can my Summum bonum and thou shalt have the Mandragoras for thy fecundity and I will free thee from the vicious note of sterility Mistris Fra. O the blessings of these Philosophers Come sweet M. Damasippus sit and le ts sup quickly Dam. Content Enter Debora running Debor. O Mistris my Master and Mistris Abigail are comming up
most mortall because most against nature and brings many of us to lead Apes in Hell To lose the sweets of youth the very Nectar of Nature and frustrate the end of our Creation can this be lesse than a mortall sinne Alth. 'T is a worke of merit and they be Saints worthy to have their names written upon the Altar of Chastity 'T is belov'd of Heaven and sometimes fortunately rewarded here Cam. As for example Alth. My selfe you meane Camill. I am no Divine spight of the time I must speake my thoughts Alth. Why then 't is I Althea Why then 't is you would any woman breathing that had her 5 senses and no red head no blew lips nor raw Nose no desperate fortunes nor crackt reputatiō but walk'd upright in the face of the world and in the Aprill of her age so devote her selfe to one that she must undergoe these miseries when by renouncing him shee may underlie so many commodities To turne Savage here and hold conference with none but hils and sheepe when she might have variety of fashions wits and breathes to Court her at home I protest I would love over a whole Play-house of Gallants first Alth, I could be angry with thee Camilla for I le first be treacherous to my owne soule ere buy content or kingdomes with perfidiousnesse Cam. God reward you for man will never Alth. Vertue is rich and rewards it selfe and if my wrongs merit Lucilios safetie Heaven redouble 'hem Enter Micale like a Shepherdesse with a Bottle and a Bagg Mic. Now Micale thou hast the sight of them And art already 'spy'd cast out the baite Alth. What is shee Sure some voluntary occasion has driven her this way Cam. 'T is some Camelion perhaps that lives upon the breath of newes and comes to intelligence us here Mic. What no salute methinkes the furious heate Should make 'hem soone inquisitive to know What I came laden with into these Mountaines Which yeeld no other juice but Christall Springs I have a Liquor here to quench their thirst Physick to purge them from their loving humours And that aspiring minde that does invest Altheas hopes within a Duchesse stile She sits downe and plucks out her Viands Cam. Faith Mistris my stomack takes this for an invitation I have a great appetite to be acquainted with the honest Shepherdesse for I am dry at heart though my teeth water Alth. Yet be not impudent invite not thy selfe Cam. Why no I shall doe as custome and fashion forces us in wooing forbeare and be coy look to be invited and pray'd when we be ready to starve I le to her dine that 's past resolving Come will you goe Alth. Not I Cam. Your reason Alth. Because I have none to goe Cam. Nor I to stay Shepherdesse proface I thinke your feast be neither gluttonous nor miserable that thus you make it in the sight of heaven Mic. 'T is the Countries priviledge faire Shepherdesse to shun both will 't please you sit and eate Cam. Your kindnesse makes mee presume yet I feare to be over bold Mic. Command and try these Hill-Inhabitants dissemble not Cam. I have a melancholy friend here by whom discontent makes scarce sociable yet perhaps company your Bottle would infuse a little spirit and make a Sunshine on her thoughts Mic. You are too blame if you left her then solenesse feeds melancholy please you we goe and sit with her Cam. That were to trouble your kindnesse Mic. Nay you mistake me then methinks Shepheards should not know these Court complements more then that does the Countries honesty They rise and goe to Althea Cam. Come rouze your selfe and meet a banquet that comes freely to you Alth. I cannot eate Mic. Why then you cannot live Alth. And therefore I cannot eate because I cannot live Mic. Yet strengthen Nature and out-live sorrow Alth. 'T were Tytius plague to renew strength for griefe to feed on Mic. And to let sorrow keepe you fasting were to starve with Tantalus Alth. A hard choise for me the while Cam. Vertuous constancy thou art belov'd of Heaven and fortunately rewarded Alth. Peace good Eccho Mic. Come Nymph you must bee joviall these love griefes availe you nothing men perhaps laugh at 'hem Cam. Why true here 's a health and wisedome to you Alth. Both to your selfe I am not sick Mic. Pledge her faire Nymph Cam. See what a company of religious fooles wee maides bee to sigh and hang the head for ere a rough-hewne-stubble cheeke on 'hem all when a Crab-fac'd Cynick that has neither land nor hansomnesse will scoffe at affection and say hee knowes foure Wenches who if they were stampt and strain'd so that he might draw out the vertue of one the beauty of another the witty good nature of a third and the Portion of a fourth he could make a reasonable good Wife for ere a yonger brother in the land Mic. By Pan but such a wife would right well fit a Worshipfull Heire Cam. Nay that were pity faith then fooles should trouble two houses Come will you take your Liquor Alth good Spirit leave thy tempting my heart growes cold and pants as if it did presage some fatall ill stood nigh me Mic. These be the dreames of love here take a draught and waken imagination fancy is strong with you Alth. I thinke so too pray heaven it be no more Mic. Great Brimo shall our labour be frustrate I le frame a lye shall make her hang her selfe For griefe since poyson failes yet taste a little The Citie yeelds no better Cordiall to banish feares Alth. I cannot drinke were you in the City late Mic. I was and saw a heavy spectacle The Dukes sole Heire who taking the disguise Of a condemned Lady that stood tainted Of Treason was throwne downe from off the Rock And by the priviledge of Law that gives Our Virgins leave to pleade and dye conceal'd Vntill his Funerall was still unknowne Since when the Duke to satisfie the wrath His ignorance had bred by such a losse Vnto the State has burnt the guiltlesse mother Of that young Lady persecutes her Kinne Raced their ancient House and vowes the death Of her who yet is fled and none knowes where Alth. Oh She sownes Mic. Are you poyson'd with a lie What ailes you Lasse What fainting Alth. I am not well good Shepheardesse Leave us a while I thanke thee for her meate But the Sawce comes worse than poyson to my breast Mic. Then fare you well I am sorry to have bin the Messinger of that afflicts you and kils not presently aside Although I hope this lie proves to thy heart Poyson more ranke then ere was us'd by Art exit Micale Alth. O we have liv'd too long Camilla and Out-slept the houre in which wee should have dyed Plagues guilt and mischiefe have o'rtaken us Because we slack'd and would not quit the world To rest in pure white Tombs of innocence Cam. I feare some of us shall recompence our sloth too