your Majesty have me forsake my honour And his memory so soon I have not payd oblations due to his ashes yet K. You complement away the worth we know you have Andromana What say you to the Prince An. I say he is the the Prince and great Ephorbas son He 's Plangus and if you think there yet remains A title that can be either better or greater I think him worthy of it K. But do'st think him worthy Andromana An. O heavens Is Iove worth heaven Or doth the Sun deserve to be a light To all the world can vertue deserve honour Or labour riches Can Gods merit Altars It might have been a puzling question To them whose ears have not been blest with Plangus worth But this 't is so below him K. But say he loves thee An. I dare not say so For when I think a Prince pretends to such poor things As I am I feel an Ice run through my veines And my blood curdles into flakes of snow And bids me fear him not with an awe or reverence But as a spotted sinful thing which is the worse For being great T is such a fear as I Should conceive against an armed ravisher K. These things may be expected Lady I confess From blood that boyls in flames hot as the Sun In scorching Libra or sturdy Hercules When he unmayden'd fifty in one night But from a man whose years have tam'd those vices Whose love is dotage and not lust Who doth adore a handsome vertue and payes His vowes to 't you should have other hopes Plangus is young a Souldier and by consequence Something which youth excuses But Ephorbas Hath left those toyes behinde him when he shook off his youth And. Sir Now my fears are out O virtue are there just powers which men adore And throw away their prayers upon That lend their eyes to humane actions or was the name Of heaven invented to still petty sinners Sir sure I am mistaken You are not great Ephorbas Sir whose virtue Is a Theam of wonder to all neighbour Nations Pray help me to him I would see that Angel The Kingdom's honour and good men's Sanctuary But if you are the man whom I have pray'd for Oftner then I have slept pray Sir belye not A vertue which I have hitherto admired K. I see you are a stranger Lady give me leave to say so To Ephorbas But if a Lady of thy melting years Can love this grayness I vow my Scepter Throne Kingdome and my self are thine Tha' rt fit to be a Queen She starts back An. A Queen Sir have your subjects anger'd you Have they rebell d or done some sin that wants a name He cleave to th' pavement till I have begg'd a vengeance Great as their crime but this you mention Is a punishment which your subjects must Study years to curse you for No sin deserves it You would blinde my eyes with throwing gold befor'um Or set me up so high on the steep pinacle Of honour's Temple that you would have me not be able To look down on my own simplicity You can create me great I know Sir but good you cannot You might compel entice me too perhaps to sin But can you allay a gnawing conscience Or binde up bleeding reputation I did never hear that physick could afford A remedy for a wounded honour Ep. Th' art a Fool Andromana You must be mine Consider on 't An. Sir you may command your vassail K That 's kindely said And. But I humbly take my leave Goodness protect you SCAENA 6. Enter to him Rinatus Eubulus and Aramedes Eph. Wait on that Lady forth Rin. Would there were not a woman in the world So we had our Prince again Sir are you mad or have forgot you are a father You have undone us all Eph. Why what 's the matter Rin. O Sir the Prince Eph. He is not dead Rinatus is he Rin. Sir If he be 't is you have murd'red him Was it for this you were so jealous tother day May my Inophilus never pretend to virtue I le teach him a more thriving art Come to the window a little Sir and hear How the good people curse you as cold weather As it is some are so hard at it they sweat again Eph. Prethee unriddle hast thou drunk Hemlock Since I saw thee last Rin. I would not be in my wits for any thing i' th world My grief would kill me if I were He 's mad that will speak sense or reason Now you have thrown away our Prince thus Whose innocence was clearer then his own eyes Can you think how you have murdred so much vertue And not blush your self to death Eph. I think indeed I sent him General against the Argives But 't was his own desire Rin. 'T was not his own desire Sir to have but 13000 men Sir was it Was that Army fit to oppose great Argo There came a Messenger just now that saw the Prince Not sixteen miles from hence for thither is the Foe marcht Draw up his men to engage the enemy Eph. For heaven's sake Rinatus post him back again Bid him retreat command my son from me Not to go on till greater forces follovv him If it be possible redeem the error I 'de give my Kingdom life or any thing It vvere to do agen Rin. I 'me glad to see this novv heaven send it ben't too late Eph. Nay stand not prating A horn within Rin. T is from the Army Sir O heaven I fear Enter Mess. Eph. If from the Army prethee put on better looks Mess Your son nay more your dying son Commanded me to bring you word He dy'd true to his honour King and Country-men Nor let me stay to see the brightest lamp go out That ever grac't this orb The King faints Rin. O heaven the King vvhy this is worse Sir Then the other let not us lose you both Eph. Let me but hear how t was he made his Exit And then my glass is run I will not live One minute longer Mess Sir thus it was T is scarce three hours ago since the brave Plangus marcht from •axa with an Army Whose souls were richer then their cloaths by far Though their valour had put on all the bravery That Souldiers ever vvore The Prince vvhose presence Breath'd nevv fire into these flaming spirits Resolv'd to meet the enemy vvith his handful And vvith a vvinged speed fell dovvn to the Elean Straights Determining there to try it with him His Souldiers also true sons of War Conteming so great odds when victory and their Country Was to crown the Conquerors whetted Their eager valours with impatient expectation of the enemy who trusting to his multitude came on Wing'd both with scorn and anger to see that paucity Should dare dispute victory against their odds Plangus who though he saw yet could not fear Destruction and scorn'd to avoid it When the King commanded him to meet it Marshal'd his Army to the best advantage And having given Zopiro
a Mandrakes note Would ring a better peal of Musick In my ears then those two syllables pronounc't agen Ino. Pray Sir put off this humour This peevish Pet and reason tamely Sir you Have lost a Wench and will you therefore lose Your self too Hear me but patiently a word or two Pl. Prethee go teach the Gally-slaves that word Things that dare own no thought beyond their chains And stand in fear of whipping and wanting bread Bid them be tame and patient that fry in Sulphur 'T is a word I have forsworn to know the meaning of Or if I must 't is but to shun it and hate it more Oh! were thy wrongs as great as mine Inophilus Or didst thou love me half so well as thou dost Plangus Thou would'st instill into me the poyson of revenge And puff me up with thought of vengeance Till I did burst and like a breaking cloud Spread a contagion on those have injur'd me Ino. Why this were handsome in some Country-fellow Whose soul is dirty As the thing he 's mad for 'T were pretty in a Lady that had lost her Dog But Pl. I know what thou wouldst say But for Plangus Oh t is for none but him to be so Those that have injur'd me are persons I once held dearer then my eyes But how much Greater was my love so much the more is the offence Wounds from our friends are deepest Had any but my father And yet me thinks That name should have protected me Or was it made only to secure offenders My life was his he gave it me my honour too I could have parted with but 'las my love Was none of mine no more then vows made to a Deity And not performd And for that creature Who must be lost for ills through which I must make way to my revenge Had she betrayd my honour to any thing But him that gave me being She had made me half amends in that my way To vengeance had been open Now I am spurr'd Forward to revenge by fury and yet Held in by the rein of a foolish piety That doth no man good but them that use it not T is like the Misers Idoll it yeelded him no gold Till he had broke the head off Nay Inophilus one secret more And the horror of it blow thee from earth to heaven Where there are no such things as women T will turn thy soul the inside outside outward I cannot get it out Prethee what is' t Inophilus Ino. Alas I know not Sir Pl Do but imagine the worst of ills Earth ever groan'd under a sin nothing but woman Nay such a woman as Andromana durst think on And it is that Ino. How revenge transports you Princes have lost their Mistresses before Nay and to those have not such right to them As hath Ephorbas to what Plangus hath Who could command her if not Ephorbas Pl. But I have Oh Inophilus I burst Yet it will out dost thou not see it here Unbuttons his doubles Oh I have known Andromana as Ephorbas did last night Ino. Why Sir the sin done by your Father is not yours If you could not help it Pl. Why there it is T is that which gnaws me here But I swore By all the gods that she vvas as innocent From my unclean imbraces as is The new faln Snow or Ermines that will meet Ten deaths before one spot I made my father think The thoughts of Angels were less innocent then she No it was I betray'd him his vertue was too great Not to have suspected it How do I look Inophilus In. Like some blest man that griev'd for other sins And could out of a good nature part with half His own whiteness to purge the others stains Pl. Now thou sooth'st and like some flattering glass Presents me to advantage I am in short One born to make Iberia unhappy Had I as black a face as is my soul You 'd finde in respect of it Aegyptians were snow white Me thinks I hear heaven tell me I am slow And it is time I had begun revenge Ephorbas has done him wrong who lov'd him More then heaven or his happiness and would Have run out of the world to have left him free What ever he would lay claim to but Andromana Nay she also had been his so 't could have been without a sin But she knew the sin she acted and yet did it And lives free from the stroke of thunder Is there such such a thing as heaven or such a one As Justice dwells there and can I ask the question O the tameness of a conscience loaded with sin Which reasons and talks when it should do But I will be reveng'd and thus I begin Inophilus He draws Be sure when I am dead to meet my ghost And do as that instructs thee 't will tell all the particulars Of my revenge who must dye first who last and What way too I have my lesson perfect He leans the pummel on the ground to fall on it Inoph kicks it by with his foot Ino. Is this the revenge befits great Plangus Pl. Had this been done two dayes ago Thou durst as well have met the lightning Naked as have oppos'd my will thus Ino. Hear me He draws Ask me no questions nor answer me or if you do By heav'n I 'le never speak more It is revenge you 'd have and t is a great one a very noble one To kill your self Be confident your greatest foes wish nothing more When after ages come to hear your story What will they say Just as they did of Cato He durst not look great Caesar in the face So Plangus was afraid and dyed A very pretty story and much to a man's credit For shame dear Plangus let friendship use that title Shew your great soul the world beleeves you 're the Master of And I dare swear you are in this action Nay rally up your self and fight it stoutly Shake from your minde revenge and having lay'd That passion by put on that vertue The world admires in you 't is now the time to shew it The Sun broke from a cloud doubles his light And fire the more resisted flames more bright Andromana has injur'd you scorn her therefore And shew she had done nothing I 'de not do her the favour To have one thought for her or could be troubled At that she did As for your father Sir Besides the tye of nature he knows not he hath wrong'd you Or if he doth t is love that caus'd him a word that once Made an excuse with Plangus for what offence soever Pl. Thou hast wrought upon me And I am resolv'd to live a day or two more But if I like it not Well I will go to try to sleep a little perhaps that may I 'me strangely Melancholy prethee lye down by me Inophilus I 'me safe while in thy company Exeunt SCAENA 2. Enter Plangus as from sleep Pl. Lord how this spirit of revenge still haunts me And tempts me with
such promis'd opportunity And magnifies my injuries Sometimes it calls me Coward and tells me Conscience in Princes who are injur'd like my self Is but an excuse they finde for that is in truth Poorness of spirit or something baser It tells me t is a sin to be good when all the world is bad It makes me look upon my self whilst wearing This garb of vertue like some old Antiquary In cloaths that are out of fashion in Iberia But I will not yeeld to it I know it is a greater glory to a mans self and he that courts opinion Is of a vulgar spirit to disobey then satisfie An appetite which I know is sinful Good heaven guard me how am I tempted Enter Androm To put on my former temper but thus I fling it from me Throws away his sword SCAENA 3. And. Why how now Prince If you part with your darling so easily There is small hopes but you have thrown all love behind you Pl. Heaven how she 's alter'd I that once swore Iove from the well-tun'd sphere Ne're heard such harmony as I did when she spake Me thinks I can now in comparison of her voice Count Scritch-owls musick or the croaking Toad And. Who is' t you speak of Sir Pl. Tempt me not Madam with another word for by heav'n You know I 'me apt being incenst Wake not those wrongs that bellow louder in my soul Then wretches in the brazen Bull or Iove Who speaks in thunder those wrongs my goodness Had half lay'd aside Or if you do I have a soul dare what you dare tempt me to And. Sir I must speak though Iove forbad me With a flash of lightning You think perhaps Sir I have forgot my Plangus But Sir I have infinitly in ur'd you And could not satisfie my conscience If I should say my love too I should not lye Till I had ask't your pardon Pl. Madam the fault 's forgiven and forgotten Without you move me to remember•t with a worse Apology Live and enjoy your sins and the angry gods Nay the severest plague I wish you is That you may dye without one cross for afflictions commonly Teach vertues to them that know them not while prosperous Secure without one thought or sense of a repentance And. Me thinks you have a steely temper on to that Which the other day you wore when you were More soft then down of Bees But Sir if you but knew the reason why I have done The action which you perhaps call treason to our loves You would forbear such language Pl. Reason no doubt the man that robs a Church Or prophanes Altars hath reason for what he doth To satisfie your lust you have that reason Madam And. That I have loved you once I call heav•n my own heart and you to witness Now by that love by all those vows have pass't Betwixt us hear me Pl. O heaven is that a conjuration things you have broke With as much ease as Politicians do Maxims of Religion But I will hear to know you and to hate you more Speak on And. You know whilst Leon liv'd whose due they were I out of love resign'd my love and honour unto you Pl. Lust Madam And. I knovv not Sir Your eloquence gave it that title then How many dangers walkt I fearless through To falsifie your pleasures your very will Nay more your word nay if I thought by sympathy A thought of yours that I imagin'd you Might blush to speak I made it straight my own And waked and studied as much to put it into act As doth a Gamester upon loss to compass mony At last we vvere betray'd Sir to your Father's spies Who deny'd us aftervvards those opportunities We stole before be friended by my husband's ignorance Novv vvas I brought to that vvhich is the vvorst of ills A seeing but not en•oying of that vvhich I held dearest To see you daily and to live vvithout you Was a death many degrees beyond my ovvn I knevv the love vvas great so great I durst not ovvn it Nay more I knevv t vvas noble too so noble I knevv my husband being dead you vvould not stick To ask your fathers leave for publick Marriage Pl. Heaven and the gods can vvitness I intended it And. Nay farther yet I knevv your fathers love which vvould not have denyd you any thing Would also have granted that Pl. Madam you riddle strangely And. When I had forecast these easie possibilities lyet foresavv one thing that crost our designs That vvas a sense of honour I had in me Me thoughts in honour I could not condescend you Should debase your self so low It pleas'd me better to be your Mistress then your Queen And stoln imbraces without the scandal Of a publick eye were sweeter then those Which might bring upon me for rising greatness Is still envy'd the rancour of the people and Consequently distasts against their Prince Sir now we may act safely what might have been Less secure Your fathers name gives a protection Or if that startle you wee 'l call him husband Pl. Are you in earnest And. As serious as love can be Pl. Then I want words to tell you how I hate you I would sooner meet Megaera 'tween a pair of sheets And can you think I should have so small piety As to be false unto my fathers bed That I lov'd you once I confess with shame and that I should Have done so still had you preserv'd those flames I think with horror but for those sins and Whatsoever else I must repent I shall no doubt Have great occasion when I shall see the Kingdome Enveloped in those swarms of plagues your sins call down And feel a share of them my self For heaven's sake Madam for my father's sake Nay for my own too if that have any interest Learn now at last a vertue that may make us As happy as much as hitherto unfortunate And render your story to posterity so burnisht With your shining goodness that their eyes may not Perceive the errour of your former years Perhaps I then shall have a reverence for you As great as any son hath for a fathers wife You wonder Lady to see me talk thus different From what you saw me half an hour ago I look't upon my self as one that had lost a blessing But heaven hath been happier to me for I am now So far from thinking you one that I look upon you As a pla••e no sin of good Ephorbas could deserve But love to you And. Sir Pl. Answer me not in words but deeds I know you alwayes talkt unhappily And if your heart dare do what 's ill I know it can well teach your tongue excuses Exit Plangus SCAENA 4. Manet Andromana And. And is my love then scornd The Chaos of that eternal night possess my breast That it may not see to startle at any Undertakings though they would make Medusa's Snakes curle into rings for fear If greatness have inspird me with thoughts Of a more
usual then for those folks Who have by sinister means reach't to the top o th' mountain of their hopes but they throw down And forget the power that rais'd them Indeed necessity enforceth them lest others climb By the same steps they did and ruine them I must not therefore trust her woman-ship Who though I know she cannot stand without me now Yet when she 's Queen alone Fortune may alter her and make her look upon me As one whose life whispers unto her own guilt It is not safe to be the object of a Princes fear Then she will finde others will be as apt To keep her up as I to raise her I will prevent her first Time is not ripe yet but when it is For I must walk on with her a little farther I will unravel all this Labyinth E'ne to the King himself Then let her accuse me Though she should damn her self to hell I know shee 'l be beleev'd no more then Plangus hath been hitherto Thus shall I still grow great though all the world Be to a dreadful ruine madly hurld Exit SCAENA 2. Plangus Solus Pl. I can no longer hold t is not i th' power Of fate to make me less bid me out-stare The Sun out-run a falling star Feed upon flames or pocket up the clouds And so burn up a land with plagues the son Of flaming heat for want of rain To cool the yawning chaps of the dry earth Or if there be a task mad Iuno's hate Could not invent to plague poor Hercules Impose it upon me I 'le do 't without a grudge Condemn me to a Gally load me with chains Whose weight may so keep me down I can scarce swell Under my burden to let out a sigh I would o'recome all Were there a Deity that men adore And throw their prayers upon that would lend Just ears to humane wishes I would grow great by being punished and be A plague my self so that when people curst Beyond invention to their prodigious Rhetorick This Epiphonema should be added Become as miserable as wretched Plangus I have been jaded basely jaded by those tame fools Honour and piety and now am wake't into revenge Breathing forth ruine to those first spread This drowsiness upon my soul A woman O heaven had I been gull'd By any thing had born the name of man But this will look so sordidly in story I shall be grown discourse for Grooms and Foot-boyes Be ballated and sung to filthy tunes But do I talk still well I must leave This patience And now Ephorbas Since thou hast wrought me to this temper I le be reveng'd with as much skill as thou Hast injur'd me I•e to these presently For my hour-glass shall not return ten minutes longer And having kill'd my self before thee I le pluck my heart out tell thee all My innocence and leave thee hem'd in with A despair thicker then Aegyptian darkness I know thou canst not choose but dye for grief But here he is SCAENA 3. Ephorbas Solus Eph. Riddle upon riddle I have dreamt this night Plangus was cloathd like innocence all white And Andromana then methoughts was grown So black nothing but all one guilt was shewn What shall I do Shall I beleeve a dream Which is a vapour born along the stream Of fancy and sprung up from the gross sumes Of a full stomach sent to the upper rooms o th' brain by our ill Genius to spoyl our sight And cloud our judgements like a misty night Why do I doubt t is ominous to stay Demurring when the way is plain Is day Or night best to judge colours shall I stand Trying the waters soundness when the land Pre••nts firm footing Truth by day appears And 〈…〉 •apers hope to find my fears 〈…〉 And yet •e thinks 't is very strange 〈…〉 should suddenly thus change 〈…〉 his nature off I did not so 〈…〉 young I am res•lvd to know 〈…〉 •ear this mist from fore my eyes I• 〈…〉 be done by care by gold or spies Exit SCAENA 4. Andromana Sola Andr. So Badgers dig the holes And Foxes live in them Of all Factors State-factors are the worst and yet least to themselves Of a•l their labour This Libacer is wading To the throat in blood to do me service And I le reward him with a halter Tame fool can he imagine I remove A husband and a son to suffer him To live still and upbraid my ills Lib. It is resolv'd Enter Libacer But here she is I must speak fairly for a while An. How doth it succeed now my darling Shall we be great great alone Lib. As great as pride and fulness of revenge Can swell us Hark in your ear Madam I le tell you all our plot but softly For perhaps the jealous walls may eccho Back the treason They whisper SCAENA 5. Enter Plangus with his Sword drawn Pl. I bore whilst I could but no t is grown Too great to be contain'd in humane breast And it shall out though hoopt with walls of brass Are they at it I stood once a listning at their intreaty This time at my own I 'le stand and hearken Steps aside An. It is impossible Lib. I tell you no I le aggravate the injuries And tell him how basely poorly it was For a father to betray his son so An. His piety will never Lib. But his fury shall I le stab the King my self and bring Those witnesses shall swear 't was Plangus Pl. Nay then t is time to strike There carry thy intents to hell He stabs Libacer An. Help Murder Murder a Rape a Rape Ep. What dismal note was that An. Sir there you see your Martyr Whose force being too vveak to save my honour His fidelity vvas greater and dy'd a loyal sacrifice Offerd by the impious hand of that vile man Eph. O heaven doth not the earth yet gape and svvallovv thee Thy life shall be my crime no longer I gave it thee And thus resume it vvith a thousand curses He stabs Plangus Pl. Sir I at length am happy To the height of all my vvishes I am a going suddenly from all Faints My troubles all your fears But I vvill tell my story first Hovv you have vvrong'd and been vvrong'd your self This vvoman to be short Hath tvvin'd like Ivy vvith my naked limbs Before she marryd you And vvould Oh in spight of death I vvill go on have tempted me to bed her since Upon refusal she turnd her love to hate And plots my ruine And Next your death I can no more I kill'd the instrument farevvel Forgive me Dyes Ep. Can this be true Andromana An. Do you beleeve it Ep. I vvish I had not cause An. Sir every syllable vvas true he told you Whose vvords I thus confirm She takes Plang Dagger flings it at Ephorbas and kills him Ep. I me slain mercy heaven An. You should have come a little sooner Enter Inoph In. Do I see vvell or is the Prince here slain An. He is and cause you love him Carry that token of Stabs Ino. My love to him I knovv hee 'l take it kindly that you take So long a journey only to see him In. It vvas the Devil strook sure A vvoman could not do it Plangus Oh Dyes SCAENA 6. Enter to them Rinatus Eubulus Anamedes Rin. Heaven defend us vvhat a sight is here The King the Prince both slain vvhat and my son too Only this vvoman living speak out Scritch-ovvl Witch hovv came they by their deaths An. By me hovv else Rin. Le ts torture her An. I can prevent you I vvould not live a minute longer Unless to act my ills again for all Iberia She stabs herself I have lived long enough to boast an act After vvhich no mischief shall be nevv Dyes Rin. Le ts in and vveep our vveary lives avvay When this is told let after ages say But Andromana none could have begun it And none but Andromana could have done it Exeunt FINIS
Andromana OR THE MERCHANT'S WIFE THE SCAENE IBERIA By J. S. LONDON Printed for Iohn Bellinger and are to be sold at his shop in Cliffords-Inn-lane in Fleetstreet 1660. Names of the Actors EPhorbas King of Iberia Plangus his Son Eubulus Three Lords and Counsellors to the King Anamedes Three Lords and Counsellors to the King Rinatus Three Lords and Counsellors to the King Inophilus Son to Rinatus and friend to the Prince Zopiro Captains Nicetes Captains Aramnes Captains Artesio an informing Courtier Andromana a Merchant's wife Libacer her servant Messenger Captains and Souldiers THE TRAGEDY OF ANDROMANA Or The fatal and deserved End of Disloyalty and Ambition Actus I. Scaena I. Enter Nicetes Aramnes Nic. I Have observed it too but the cause is As unknown to me as actions done in Countries Not found out yet Ara. Some Wench my life to a brasse Farthing Nic. As like as may be We Souldiers are all given that way especially When our blood boils high and pulses beat Alarums to Cupid's Battels We 'r apter To sally on a young flaming Girl Then on an Enemy that braves it before our Trenches Ara. I ask it not to know his privacies For if his freedom doth not acquaint me with them Let them be secret still yet I could wish An opportunity to tell him a little circumspection Would be handsom and set a gloss upon all Times might be chosen of less publick notice It looks so poorly in a Prince to be thus careless Of his own affairs men do so talk on 't Here comes Inophilus if any body knows It must be he Enter Inophilus Ino. Your servant Captains saw you the Prince to day Nic. Not we we hop't to hear of him from you Ino. 'T is strange a man adorn'd with so much Wisdom should on the sudden fall off from the Care of his own fame I am his Friend and so I know are you but to speak plainly to you He 's grown my wonder now as much as other mens I that have found a sweetness in his company Beyond what ever Lovers dream of in a Mistris That as he spoke methought have smelt the air perfum'd nor could have wish't a joy greater then living with him next those of Heav'n and those prefer'd the more because I knew Plangus would be there I say even I of late am grown out of love with any thing that 's Mortal since I have found Plangus so far beneath I will not say my expectations but the assurances all good men had of future gallantry Hee 's melancholly now and hath thrown off the spirit which so well became him and all that sweetness which bewitcht men's hearts is grown so rugged so incompos'd to all commerce men fear hee 'l shortly quarrel with himself Nay more he doth not answer the fondness of his Father's love with half that Joy he us'd to do Ara. 'T is now about a Week I have observ'd this alteration it shakes him like an Ague once in two dayes but holds him longer then a fit o th' Gout They whisper about the Court as if the King had chid him for it and now at length found his thaunts Ino. A poor discovery Who might not find 'em out that would be so uncivil I was about to follow him but thought it an ignoble way beneath the Name of Friendship and so desisted About four dayes ago meeting him i th' long Gallery I ask't him how he did taking me by the hand he wrung it and after a sigh or two told me Not very well But he had business and so we parted I saw him not agen in twenty hours after and then I askt him where he had been so long He told me as if he was ashamed to deny me such a poor request I must not know and when I told him his often absence was observ'd Is it saith he I cannot help it but it shall no more be so and at the last he stole away Since when I saw him not Nic. O this wicked Peace Inophilus Is there no hopes of Warre To lye at home to see our Armours rust We could keep the Prince sober and merry too If he would but exchange his Court for a Camp Ino. The King is old and dotes upon his Son Is loth to venter him to danger Yet at this time there is occasion The Argives have refus'd to pay their tribute and are for certain preparing for Invasion Some say they have got into Iberia already Ara Nay then there 's hopes If we could but find the Prince with a buff Coat again I should be once more merry Exeunt SCAEN. II. Enter Ephorbas the King Rinatus Eubulus Anamedes three LORDS Eph. See the Embassadors entertain'd With such an evenness as should be us'd to men We neither fear nor love let neither Too much obsequiousness teach them insolency Nor any ill usage brand us with incivility Stay you Rinatus he sighs Exeunt Eub. Anam Open thy bosom and receive torrents of sorrow That lie like rocks of lead upon my soul Honest Rinatus experience bids me trust thee With a mighty secret Thou canst not choose But know my son of late is much retired I do not like that youth should be thus melancholy Let them enjoy themselves for age will come Whose impotency will deny all pleasures I do believe he loves me Hah Rin. Yes doubtless better then sickmen health Or those who are pen'd up in darkness Love the Sun Eph. I speak not as if I thought he did not For thou know'st I humour him afford him Liberty enough I never chide him nor express The least dislike of any action Am not I a gentle father Me thinks were I a son again to such a father I should not think he liv'd too long Shouldst thou Rinatus Rin. No more doth he upon my soul One command of yours would make him venter upon Lightning nay almost make him act a sin A thing he fears to name Eph. I do believe thee But yet me thinks should he be grown so impious There might be found excuses A Crown is a temptation especially so near one 'T is not with Princes as with other Sons and I am old too Hath not my hand the palsie Doth a Crown become gray hairs To be a King might make some men forswear all conscience But I know Plangus hath far nobler thoughts And yet an Empire might excuse a Parricide Rin Sir sure you are a stranger to your son For give me leave to say your fears are vain So great a virtue as the Princes Cannot anticipate his hopes by any sin Honour and duty have been acquainted with him now too long To be divorct Some Sycophants there are Such creatures still will haunt the Court I know Love not the Prince because he loves not them Sir shut your ears to them they will betray you to your ruine Jealousy 's a disease should be below a King As that which seizeth on the basest spirits Oh shut it from your soul One may read in
ago 〈…〉 the Sun hath forgot what light is 〈…〉 of thy presen•• makes me wish this absence 〈…〉 himself must suffer an Eclips 〈…〉 are still •oyles to the brightest splendor Some short departure will like a river stopt Make the current of our pleasures run The higher at our next Meeting Pl. Alas my Dearest Tell those so that know not what it is to part from Blessing Bid not him surfeit to taste health's sweetness That knows what 't is to groan under a Disease An. Then let us stand and out-face danger 〈◊〉 you will have it so despise report And contemn scandals into nothing Which vanish with the breath that utters 'um Love is above these vanities Should the innocent thing my Husband take thee here He could not spight me but by growing jealous And Jealousies black effect would be a cloyster Perhaps to kill me too But that 's impossible I cannot dye so long as Plangus loves me Yet say this piece of Earth should play the Coward And fall at some unlucky stroake Love would transport my better half To its Center Plangus heart and I should live in him But Sir you have a Fame to loose which should be A Princes onely care and darling Which should have an eternity beyond his life If he should take that from you I should be kill'd indeed Pl. Why dost thou use these Arguments to bid me go Yet chain me to thy tongue while the Angel-like Musick of thy voice entring my thirsty ears Charms up my fears to immobility T is more impossible for me to leave thee Then for this carkass to quait away its grave-stone When it lyes destitute of a soul to informe it Marriners might with farre greater ease Hear whole sholes of Syrens singing And not leap out to their destruction Then I forsake so dangerous a sweetnesse Andr. I will be dumb then Pla. I will be deaf first I 've thought a way now I 'le run from hence and leave my soul behinde me It shall be so and yet it shall not neither What shall a husband banish a Prince his house for fear A husband 't is but an aery title I will command there shall be no such thing And then Andromana is mine or his or any man's Shee will her self These Ceremonies Fetter the world and I was born to free it Shall man that noble creature be afraid of words Things himself made Shall sounds a thing of seven small letters give Check to a Princes will An. Did you not promise me dear Sir Have you not sworn too you would not stay beyond the time Have Oaths no more validity with Princes Let me not think so Pla. Come I will goe thou shall not ask in vain But let us kisse at parting it may be our last perhaps I cannot now move one foot though all the Furies Should whip me forward with their snakes Woman thou stol'st my heart just now thou stol'st it A cannon bullet might have kiss't my lips And left me as much life The King having listned comes in softly Are we betrayd What art Speak or resolve to dye K. A well-wisher of the Prince Pl. The King It cannot be He starts K. Though thou hast thrown all nature off I cannot what 's my duty Ungratious boy had'st been the off-spring of a sinfull-bed Thou might'st have claym'd Adultery as inheritance Lust would have been thy kinsman and what enormity Thy looser life could have been guilty of Had found excuse in an unnatural conception Prethee hereafter seek another father Ephorbas cannot call him son that makes lust his diety Had I but knowne but we are hoodwink't still To all mischances I should have had a son That would make it his study to embrace corruption And take delight in unlawfull sheetes I would have hugg'd a Monster in mine arms Before thy mother good O heavens What will this world come to at last When Princes that should be the patterns of all virtue Lead up the dance to vice What shall we call our owne when our owne wives Banish their faith and prove false to us Have I with so much care promis'd my self So pleasing a Spring of comfort and are all Those blossoms impt and buds burnt up by the fire Of lust and sin Have I thus long labored against The billowes that did oppose my growing hopes And must I perish in the havens mouth No gulfe but this to bedevour'd in Could not you th's inclination find out Another rock to split it selfe upon Had'st thou hugg'd drunkennesse the wit or mirth Of company might have evcus'd it Prodigality had beene a sin A Prince might have beene proud in compar'd to this Or had thy greener yeares incited the to treason And atteempt a doubting father's crown It had beene a noble vece Ambition runs through the veines of princes It brings forth acts great as themselves and it Spurs on to honour and resolves great things But this this Leachery is such a thing Sin is to brave a name for'• A prince I might say my son But let that passe and dare to show Himself to nought but darknesse black chambers Whose motions like some planet Are all excentrick not two houres together In his owne sphere the court But I am tame to talke thus Be gone with as much speed As a coward would auoyd his death And never more presume to looke upon this woman this whore Thou losest both thy eyes and me else Plangus is going out but comes again Pl. Sir the reverence that I ow my father And the injury I have done this Gentlewoman Had charmed me up to silence but I must Speak something for her honour When I have done command me to the Altar Whilst I confesse you tainted me with sin I did applaud you and condemn my selfe It look't like a fathers care But when You us'd that tearm of whore to her that stands there I would have given ten thousand Kingdomes You had had no more relation to me Then hath the Northerne to the Southerne pole I should have flown to my revenge swifter then lightning But I forbeare and pray imagine not what I had done K. Upon my life shee is very handsome aside Pl. To be a whore is more unknowne to her Then what is done in the Antipodes She is so pure she cannot think a sin Nor ever heard the Name to understand it K. No doubt these private meetings Were to read her moral lectures and teach her Chastity Pl. Nay give me leave Sir I Do not say my addresses have been all so virtuous For whatsoever base desires a flaming beauty Could kindle in a heart were all alive in me And prompted me to seek some case by quenching Burnings hotter then Aetna Imagine but a man that had drunk Mercury And had a fire within his Bones Whose blood was hotter then the melted Ore If he should wish for drink nay steal it too Could you condemn him Ep. Marry'd do they say aside Pl. I Did endure a heat S• as could not