The dumbe Knight A historicall Comedy acted sundry times by the children of his Maiesties Reuels LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes for Iohn Bache and are to be sold at his shop in Popes-head Palace neere to the Royall Exchange 1608. To the vnderstanding Reader RVMOR that Hydra headed Monster with more tongues then eyes by help of his intelligencer enuy hath made strange misconstructions on this dumbe Knight which then could not answere for himselfe but now this publication doth vnty his tongue to answer the obiections of all sharp critticall censures which heretofore haue vndeseruedly past vpon him And for my part I protest the wrongs I haue receiued by some whose worths I will not traduce with a milde neglect I haue laught at their follies for I thinke my selfe happy because I haue beene enuyde since the best now in grace haue beene subiect to some slanderous tongues that want worth themselues and thinke it great praise to them to detract praise from other that deserue it yet hauing a partner in the wrong whose worth hath beene often approued I count the wrong but halfe a wrong because hee knowes best how to answer for himselfe But I now in his absence make this Apologie both for him and me Thus leauing you and the booke together I euer rest yours Lewes Machin Act. 1. Sce. 1. Musicke Enter the King of Cypres Phylocles Florio and attendants in armes Cypr. INnough these loud sounds deafes my passions How long shall loue make me a slaue to hope And mixe my calme desires with tyranny O Phylocles t' is heresie I hold Thought and affection cannot be controld Phy. Yet mai 't be bent and suppled with extreames Sith few dare see the end of violence What makes the skilfull Leech to vse the fire Or warre her engines or states policie But to recouer things most desperate Reuolt is recreant when pursuit is braue Neuer to faint doth purchase what we craue Cyp. True my Phylocles yet my recreant soule Slaued to her beauty would renounce all warre And yeeld her right to loue did not thy spirit Mixt with my longing fortifie these armes But I am now resolud and this sad houre Shall giue an end to my disemprature Summon a parley Enter a loft the Queene of Sicille the Duke of Epire Alphouso and attendants Queene What saies our tyrant sutor our disease in loue That makes our thoughts a slaue vnto his sword What saies my Lord Cyp. Madame attend me this is my latest summons The many sunnes my sorrowes haue beheld And my sad nights of longings all through hope T' enioy the ioy of earth your owne deare selfe Are growne so infinite in length and waight That like to wearied Atlas I inforce These warres as Hercules to beare my loade Briefly I must enioy you or else loose The breath of life which to preuent behold My sword must be my Cupid and with feathered steele Force pity from your breast your Cities walles Chidden with my Canons haue set ope a path And boldly bids me enter all your men of warre Feebled with famine and a weary siege Take danger from mine actions onely your selfe Strong in your will oppose euen destiny And like the giants warre offend the heauens Which to preuent do but discend and giue Peace to my loue-suit and as orecome thereby I 'le yeeld my selfe your prisoner and be drawne A thrall in your triumphant victory If otherwise behold these fatall swords Shall neuer be sheath'd till we be conquerours And not respecting innocence nor sexe The cries of infants nor the prayers of age All things shall perish till within my armes I fould your selfe my thrall and conquerour Qu. Thou maiest be maister of my bodies Tombe But for my soule and minde they are as free As their creation and with Angels wings Can soare beyond thy reach trust me king of Cypres Those coales the Roman Portia did deuour Are not burnt out nor haue th' Egiptian wormes Yet lost their stings steele holds his temper still And these are ransomes from captiuity But art thou noble hast thou one royall thought Cyp. Approue me by your question Qu. Then briefly thus To shun the great effusion of their bloods Who feele no touch in mine affections Dare you to single combate two to two Referre your right in loue Cyp. Who are your combatants we loue equality Qu. This is the first the Epyre duke a man Sprung from the line of famous Scanderbag The next Alphonso sprung from noble bloud Who laden with rich lusitanian prize Hath rod through Syracusa twice in pompe Cyp. Their likings to the motion Ep. They are like wrath Neuer vnarmd to beat weake iniury Alp. Nay more we are the sonnes of destiny Vertu 's our guide our ayme is dignity Phy. S'foot king shalt not forsake them this I see Loue fight and death are rul'd by destiny Cyp. My spirit speakes thy motion Madame although aduantage might euade And giue my loue more hope yet my bent will Bowd to your pleasure doth imbrace your lawe We do accept the combate and our selfe Will with that Duke try fortunes this my friend The more part of my selfe me deerest Philocles One of an Angels temper shall with that that Lord Trie best and worst the place the time the sword Epy. They are your rights we claime as challengers Cyp. And we would lose that vantage but since fame Makes vertue dulat we embrace our rights The place before these walles the houre next sunne The pollax and the hand axe for the fight Qu. It is enough My hostage is my person and my loue Cyp. And mine my hope my faith and royalty Epy. They are of poysse sufficient and one light Shall at one instant giue vs day and night Exeunt Queene Mariano Alphonso Cyp. Shee 's gone my Philocles and as she goes euen so The sunne forsakes the heauens to kisse the sea Day in her beauty leaues vs and methinkes Her absence doth exile all happines Tell me my Philocles nay pray thee tell me true Euen from that loue Which to vs both should bend one sympathy Discharge an open breast dost thou not thinke She is the mirror of her beauteous sexe Vnparalleld and vncompanioned Phi. Enuy will say shee 's rare then truth must vow She is beyond compare sith in her lookes Each motion hath a speaking maiesty She is herselfe compared with her selfe For but her selfe she hath no companion But when I thinke of beauty wit and grace The elements of actiue delicacy Those all eie-pleasing harmonies of sight Which do inchant mens fancies and stir vp The life bloud of dull earth O then methinkes Faire Mariana hath an equall place And if not outshine it shewes more beautifull Cyp. More then my Queene Phi. More in the glosse of beauty lesse in worth Of wisedome and great thoughts the one I finde was made for wonder th' other for admire Cyp. Thine equall praises makes my facnies rich And I am pleas'd with thy comparisons Things of like
high ladder must goe vp not leape vp but be patient wench and thou shalt shortly see me gallant it with the best and for thy selfe my Lollia Not Lollia Paulina nor those blasing starres Which makes the world the Apes of Italy Shall match thy selfe in sun-bright splendency Lo. Nay verily for my selfe I care not t is you that are my pride if you would goe like your selfe I were appeasd Prate Beleeue it wench so I will but to the purpose for which I came the end of this great warre is now brought to a combate two to two the Duke of Epyre and Alphonso for our Queene against the King and Prince Philocles now wench if thou wilt goe see the fight I will send and prouide thee of a good standing Lo. Indeede for you haue nere a good one of your owne Prate What President I say Pre. Anon anon sir. Prate Why when I say the villains bellie is like a bottomlesse pit euer filling and yet emptie at your leasure sir. Enter President Prates man eating Pre. I can make no more haste then my teeth will giue mee leaue Prate Well sir get you without the towne to the place for the combate and prouide me for my wife some good standing to see the conflict Pre. How master how must I prouide a good standing for you for my mistresse truly Master I thinke a mary bone pye candi'd erringoes preseru'd dattes or marmaladd of cantharides were much better harbingers cock sparrowes stew'd doues braines or swannes pizels are very prouocatiue roasted potatoes or boild skerrets are your onely lofty dishes me thinks these should fit you better then I can doe Prate What 's this what 's this I say prouide mee a standing for my wife vpon a scaffold Pre. And truely Master I thinke a priuat chamber were better Prate I graunt you if there were a chamber conuenient Pre. Willing minds will make shift in a simple hole close windowes strong locks hard bed and sure posts are your onely ornaments Prate I thinke the knaue be madde sirra you chop logicke blockhead you that haue your braine panne made of dry leather your wit euer wetshod pack about your businesse or I le pack your pen and inckhorne about your cares Pre. Well sir I may go or so but would my mistresse take a standing of my preferment I would so mount her shee should loue strange things the better all her life after Prate Why when sir. Exit President And come sweete wife nay neighbour let vs haue your company too Exeunt Enter at one dore a Herald and Floria marshall for the King with officers bearing the lists at the other dore a herald and Caelio marshall for the Queene Cae. Holla what are you Flo. High marshall for the King your Character Cae. I likewise for the Queene where lies your equall ground Flo. Here vnderneath these walles and there and there ground for the battailes Cae. Place there the Queenes seate And there and there chaiers for the combatants Flo. Place here the lists fixe euery ioint as strong As 't were a wall for on this foote of earth This day shall stand two famous monuments The one a throne of glory bright as gold Burnisht with angels luster and with starres Pluckt from the crowne of conquest in which shall sit Men made halfe Gods through famous victory The other a rich tombe of memorable fame Built by the curious thoughts of noble mindes In which shall sleepe these valiant soules in peace Whom Fortunes hand shall only ouerthrow Heauen in thy Palme this day the ballance hings Which makes Kings Gods or men more great then Kings Cae. So now let the heralds giue the champions signe Of ready preparations Exeunt Herralds The cornets sound and enter at one end of the stage a Herald two pages one with pollaxes the other with hand axes the Duke of Epyre and Alphonso like combatants the Queene and Mariana and Prate Lollia Coloquintida and President aloft Flo. What are you that appeare and what deuoyre Drawes you within these lists Epy. I am the Duke of Epyre and the mine Which doth attract my spirit to run this marshall course Is the faire guard of a distressed Queene Would wedde to hate and in equality and brutish force Which to withstand I boldly enter thus And will defaile or else proue recreant Flo. And what are you or your intendiments Alp. I am Alphonso marshall of this realme Who of like tempered thoughts and like desires Haue grounded this my sanctimonious zeale And will approue the Dukes assertions Or in this field lie slaine and recreant Flo. Enter and prosper as your cause deserues The cornets sound and enter at the other end of the stage a Herald two Pages with axes and pollaxes then the king of Cypres and Philocles like combatants and their Army Cae. What are you that appeare and what deuoyre Drawes you within these lists Cy. I am the King of Cypres who led on By the diuine instinct of heauenly loue Come with my sword to beg that royall maid And to approue by gift of heauen and fate She is a one to me appropriate Which to maintaine I challenge entrance here Where I will liue a King or recreant Cae. And what are you or your intendiments Phi. I am lesse then my thoughts more then my selfe Yet nothing but the creature of my fate By name my nature onely is obscur'd And yet the world baptis'd me Philocles My entrance here is proofe of holy zeale And to maintaine that no seuere disdaine False shape of chastitie nor womans will Neglectiue petulāce or vncertaine hope Foule vizard coynes nor seducing fame Should rob the royall temper of true loue From the desired aime of his desires Which my best bloud shall witnesse or this field Intombe my body made a recreant Cae. Enter and pro sper as your cause deserues Drawes 2 swords Flo. Princes lay your hands on these swords points Here you shall sweare by hope by heauen by loue And by the right you challenge in true fame That here you stand not arm'd with any guile Malignant hate or vsurpation Of philters charmes of nightspels characters Or other blacke infernall vantages But euen with thoughts as pure As your pure vallures or the sunnes pure beames T' approue the right of pure affection And howsoe're your fortunes rise or fall To breake no faith in your conditions So help you Ioue Al. We sweare Qu. How often doth my maiden thoughts correct And chide my froward will for this extreame Pursuit of bloud beleeue me faine I would Recall mine oathes vow did not my shame Hold fast my cruelty by which is taught Those gems are prized best are deerest bought Sleep my loues softnes then waken my flame Which guards a vestall sanctity Princes behold Vpon those weapons sits my God of loue And in their powers my loues seuerity If them you conquere we are all your slaues If they triumph wee le mourne vpon your graues Ma. Now by my
maiden modesty I wish Good fortune to that Philocles my minde Presages vertue in his eaglets eies S'foot he lookes like a sparrow hauke or a wanton fire A flash of lightning or a glimpse of day His eie steales to my heart and lets it see More then it would peace blab no secresie He must haue blowes Flo. Sound cornets Princes respect your guards Heere they fight and Philocles ouerthrowes Alphonso and Epyre ouerthrowes Cypres Phi. I craue the Queenes conditions or this blow Sends this afflicted soule to heauen or hell Speake madame will you yeeld or shall he die Epy. Neither bould Prince if thou but touch a haire The kings breath shall redeeme it madame your loue Is safe in angels guarding let no feare Shake hands with doubtfulnesse you are as safe As in a tower of Diamonds Phi. O t' is but glasse And cannot beare this axes massinesse Duke thy braue words that second thy braue deedes Fils me with emulation onely we two Stand equall victors then if thou hast that tie And bond of well knit valure which vnites Vertue and same together let vs restore Our captiues vnto freedome and we two In single combate trie out the mastery Where whoso falles each other shall subscribe To euery clause in each condition Epy. Thou art the index of mine ample thought And I am pleas'd with thine election Speake madame if euer I deserued grace Grace me with your consent Qu. T' is all my will Thy noble hand erect and perfit me Phi. What saies his maiesty My starres are writ in heauen nor death nor fate Are slaues to feare to hope or human state Cyp. I neither feare thy fortune nor my ruine But hold them all beyond all prophesie Thou hast my free consent and on thy power Lies my liues date or my deaths hower Epy. Then rise and liue with safety Phi. Alphonso here my hand Thy fortune lends thy peace no infamy And now thou glorious issue of Ioues braine That burnt the Telamonian Rauisher Looke from thy spheare and if my heart containe An impure thought of lust send thy monsters forth And make me more then earthly miserable Here the cornets sound they fight and Philocles ouercomes the Duke the Queene defends Phi. Yeld recant or dye Epy. Thine axe hath not the power to wound my thought And yeelds a word my tongue could neuer sound I say th' art worthy valiant for my death Let the Queene speake it t is an easie breath Qu. Not for the worlds large circuite hold gentle Prince Thus I doe pay his ransome lowe as the ground I tender mine vnspotted virgin loue To thy great willes commandement let not my care My woman tyrannie or too strict guard In bloudy purchase take away those sweetes Till now haue gouernd your amazd desires For trust me king I will redeeme my blame With as much loue as Philocles hath fame Cy. Thus comes a calme vnto a Sea-wract soule Ease to the pained foode vnto the staru'd As you to me my best creation Trust me my Queene my loues large chronicle Thou neuer shalt ore read because each day It shall beget new matter of amaze And liue to doe thee grace eternally Next whom my Philocles my bounteous friend Author of life and soueraigne of my loue My heart shall be thy throne thy breast the shrine Where I will sit to study gratefulnes To you and you my Lords my best of thoughts Whose loues haue shewd a dutious carefulnes To all free thankes and graces this vnity Of loue and kingdomes is a glorious sight Mount vp the royal Champion musicke cornets sound Let shouts and cries make heauen and earth rebound Exeunt Epy. How like the sunnes great bastard ore the world Rides this man mounted engine this proud prince And with his breath sindges our continents Sit fast proud Phaeton for by heauen I le kicke And plunge thee in the sea if thou 'lt needes ride Thou shouldst haue made thy seat vpon a slaue And not vpon mine honours firmament Thou hast not heard the God of wisedomes tale Nor can thine youth curbe greatnes till my hate Confound thy life with villaine policy I am resolu'd since vertue hath disdaind To cloath me in her riches henceforth to proue A villaine fatall blacke and ominous Thy vertue is the ground of my dislike And my disgrace the edge of enuies sword Which like a rasor shall vnplumbe thy crest And rob thee of thy natiue excellence When great thoughts giue their homage to disgrace Thers 's no respect of deedes time thoughts or place Act. 2. Sce. 1. Musicke Enter Prat Lollia Colloquintida and President Prat. COme wife me thought our partie stood stifly to it Pres. Indeed they were stiffe whilest they stood but when they were downe they were like men of a low world a man might haue wound their worst anger about his finger Lol. Goe to sirra you must haue your fooles bolt in euery bodies quiuer Pre. Indeed mistresse if my master should breake his arrow with foule shooting or so I would bee glad if mine might supply the whole Prat. I find you kinde sir. Pre. True sir according to my kinde and to pleasure my kinde Mistresse Prat. Go to sirra I will not haue your kindnes to intermeddle with her kinde she is meate for your master Pre. And your man sir may licke your foule trencher Col. I but not eate of his mutton Pre. Yet I may deep my bread in the woole Mistresse Colloquintida Prat. Goe to sirra you will bee obscene and then I shall knocke you but to the combate me thought our side were the more proper men Lol. True and therefore thoy had the worse fortune but see heere is the Lord Florio Enter Florio Flo. Master Orator it is the King and Queenes maiesties pleasure that you presently repaire vnto the Court touching the drawing out of certaine Articles for the benefite of both the kingdomes Prat. My Lord I will instantly attend their maiesties Flo. Doe for they expect you seriously Exit Florio Prat. Wife you can haue my seruice no longer Sirra President attend you vpon your mistresse home and wife I would haue you to hold your iourney directly homeward and not to imitate princes in their progresse step not out of your way to visit a new gossip to see a new garden-house to smell the perfumes of Court ierkins or to handle other tooles then may fit for your modestie I would not haue you to step into the Suburbs and acquaint your selfe either with monsters or motions but holding your way directly homeward shew your selfe still to bee a rare houswife Lol. I'faith I'faith your blacke out-side will haue a yellowe lining Prat. Content thee wife it is but my loue that giues thee good counsaile But here comes one of my clients Enter Drap a country Gentleman Drap Sir master Orator I am bold to trouble you about my suit Prat. Si Mr. country gentleman I am now for present busines of the kings Dra. You may the