through the eies And ears of other men it takes a tincture From every channel and still bears a relish Of Flattery or private ends Mor. But danger and necessity Dare speak the truth Abd. But commonly They speak not till it is too late And for Haly He that shall tell him of the Princes danger But tells him that himself is safe Scena Secunda Enter King Princess and Solyman King Clear up clear up sweet Erythaea That cloud that hangs upon thy brow presages A greater storm than all the Turkish power Can throw upon us me-thinks I see my fortune Setling her looks by thine and in thy smile Sits victory and in thy frown our ruine Why should not hope As much erect our thoughts as fear deject them Why should we Anticipate our sorrows 'T is like those That die for fear of death What is 't you doubt his courage or his fortune Princess Envy it self could never doubt his courage King Then let not love do worse by doubting that Which is but valours slave a wise well-temper'd valour For such is his those Giants death and danger Are but his Ministers and serve a Master More to be fear'd than they the blind Goddess Is led amongst the Captives in his triumph Princess I had rather she had eyes for if she saw him Sure she would love him better but admit She were at once a Goddess and his slave Yet fortune valour all is overborn By numbers as the long resisting Bank By the impetuous Torrent King That 's but rumour Ne're did the Turk invade our Territory But Fame and Terrour doubled still their files But when our Troops encountred then we found Scarce a sufficient matter for our fury One brings word of a Messenger Solyman conduct him in 'T is surely from the Prince Enter Post and delivers a Letter King Give it our Secretaries I hope the Prince is well Post. The Letter will inform you Enter a Mess. Mess. Sir the Lords attend you Ex. Princess Enter Lords King What news from the Army Lord. Please you to hear the Letter King Read it Lord. The Turk enraged with his last years overthrow Hath re-enforc't his Army with the choice of all his Janizars And the flow'r of his whole Empire we Understand by some fugitives that he hath commanded The Generals to return with victory or expect A shameful death what I shall further do Their numbers five times exceeding ours I desire to receive directions from your Majesties command King Send away all our Guards Let fresh supplies of victuals and of money Lord. Your Treasures Are quite exhausted the Exchequer 's empty King Send to the Bankers Ab. Sir upon your late demands They answered they were poor King Sure the Villains hold a correspondence With the enemy and thus they would betray us First give us up to want then to contempt And then to ruine but tell those sons of earth I 'le have their money or their heads Wind a horn 'T is my command when such occasions are No Plea must serve 't is cruelty to spare Another Messenger Exeunt Lords King The Prince transported with his youthful heat I fear hath gon too far 'T is some disaster Or else he would not send so thick well bring him in I am prepar'd to hear the worst of evils Enter Solyman and two Captains Cap. kisses his hand King What is the Prince besieged in his Trenches And must have speedy aid or die by famine Or hath he rashly tri'd the chance of War And lost his Army and his Liberty Tell me what Province they demand for ransom Or if the worst of all mishaps hath fallen Speak for he could not die unlike himself Speak freely and yet me-thinks I read Something of better fortune in thy looks But dare not hope it Capt. Sir the Prince lives King And hath not lost his honour Cap. As safe in honour as in life King Nor liberty Cap. Free as the air he breaths King Return with speed Tell him he shall have money victuals men With all the haste they can be levied Farewel Offers to go Cap. But Sir I have one word more King Then be brief Cap. So now you are prepar'd and I may venture King What is 't Cap. Sir a Fathers love mixt with a Fathers care This shewing dangers greater and that nearer Have rais'd your fears too high and those remov'd Too suddenly would let in such a deluge Of joy as might oppress your aged spirits Which made me gently first remove your fears That so you might have room to entertain Your fill of joy Your Son 's a Conquerour King Delude me not with fained hopes false joys It cannot be And if he can but make A fair Retreat I shall account it more Than all his former conquests those huge numbers Arm'd with despair the flow'r of all the Empire Cap. Sir I have not us'd to tell you tales or fables And why should you suspect your happiness Being so constant On my life 't is true Sir King Well I 'le no more suspect My fortune nor thy faith Thou and thy news most welcom Solyman Go call the Princess and the Lords they shall Participate our joyes as well as cares Enter Princess and Lords King Fair daughter blow away those mists clouds And let thy eyes shine forth in their full lustre Invest them with thy loveliest smiles put on Thy choycest looks his coming will deserve them Princess What is the Prince return'd with safety 'T is beyond belief or hope King I sweet Erythaea Laden with spoyls and honour all thy fears Thy wakeful terrors and affrighting dreams Thy morning sighs and evening tears have now Their full rewards And you my Lords Prepare for Masques Triumphs Let no circumstance Be wanting that becomes The greatness of our State or Joy Behold he comes Enter Prince with Captains and two Captive Bashawes King Welcom brave son as welcom to thy father As Phoebus was to Iove when he had slain Th' ambitious Giants that assail'd the sky And as my power resembles that of Ioves So shall thy glory like high Phoebus shine As bright and as immortal Prince Great Sir all acquisition Of Glory as of Empire here I lay before Your Royal feet happy to be the Instrument To advance either Sir I challenge nothing But am an humble suitor for these prisoners The late Commanders of the Turkish powers Whose valours have deserv'd a better fortune King Then what hath thine deserv'd th' are thine brave Mirzah Worthy of all thy Royal Ancestors And all those many Kingdoms which their vertue Or got or kept though thou hadst not been born to 't But daughter still your looks are sad No longer I 'le defer your joys go take him Into thy chast embrace and whisper to him That welcom which those blushes promise Exit King Prince My Erythaea why entertain'st thou with so sad a brow My long desir'd return thou wast wont With kisses and sweet smiles to welcom home My victories
Prince How does my Father Princess Still talks and plays with Fatyma but his mirth Is forc'd and strain'd In his look appears A wild distracted fierceness I can read Some dreadful purpose in his face but where This dismal cloud will break and spend his fury I dare not think pray heaven make false his fears Sometimes his anger breaks through all disguises And spares not gods nor men and then he seems Jealous of all the world suspects and starts And looks behind him Enter Morat as in haste Mor. Sir with hazard of my life I 've ventur'd To tell you you are lost betray'd undone Rouze up your courage call up all your counsels And think on all those stratagems which nature Keeps ready to encounter sudden dangers Prince But pray my Lord by whom for what offence Mor. Is it a time for story when each minute Begets a thousand dangers the gods protect you Ex. Prince This man was ever honest and my friend And I can see in his amazed look Something of danger but in act or thought I never did that thing should make me fear it Princess Nay good Sir let not so secure a confidence Betray you to your ruine Prince Prethee woman Keep to thy self thy fears I cannot know That there is such a thing I stand so strong Inclosed with a double guard of Vertue And Innocence that I can look on dangers As he that stands upon a Rock Can look on storms and tempests Fear guilt Are the same thing when our actions are not Our fears are crimes And he deserves it less that guilty bears A punishment than he that guiltless fears Ex. Enter Haly and Torturers Ha. This is the place appointed assist me courage This hour ends all my fears but pause a while Suppose I should discover to the Prince The whole conspiracy and so retort it Upon the King it were an handsom plot But full of difficulties and uncertain And he 's so fool'd with down-right honesty He 'l ne're believe it and now 't is too late The guards are set and now I hear him coming Enter Prince stumbles at the entrance Prince 'T is ominous but I will on destruction O'retakes as often those that fly as those that boldly meet it Ha. By your leave Prince your father greets you Prince Unhand me traytors Haly casts a scarf over his face Ha. That title is your own and we are sent to let you know it Prince Is not that the voice of Haly that thunders in my ears Ha. I vertuous Prince I come to make you exercise One vertue more your patience Heat the Irons quickly Prince Insolent villain for what cause Ha. Only to gaze upon a while until your eyes are out Prince O villain shall I not see my Father To ask him what 's my crime who my accusers Let me but rry if I can wake his pity From his Lethargick sleep Ha. It must not be Sir Prince Shall I not see my wife nor bid farewell To my dear Children Ha. Your pray'rs are all in vain Prince Thou shalt have half my Empire Haly let me but See the Tyrant that before my eyes are lost They may dart poys'nous flashes like the Basilisk And look him dead These eyes that still were open Or to fore-see or to prevent his dangers Must they be closed in eternal night Cannot his thirst of bloud be satisfied With any but his own And can his tyranny Find out no other object but his Son I seek not mercy tell him I desire To die at once not to consume an age In lingring deaths Ha. Our ears are charm'd Away with him Prince Can ye behold ye Gods a wronged Innocent Or sleeps your Justice like my Fathers Mercy Or are you blind as I must be Finis Actus Tertii Actus Quartus Enter Abd. and Morat Ab. I ever fear'd the Princes too much greatness Would make him less the greatest heights are near The greatest precipice Mor. 'T is in worldly accidents As in the world it self where things most distant Meet one another Thus the East and West Upon the Globe a Mathematick point Only divides Thus happiness and misery And all extreams are still contiguous Ab. Or if 'twixt happiness and misery there be A distance 't is an Aery Vacuum Nothing to moderate or break the fall Mor. But oh this Saint-like Devil This damned Caliph to make the King believe To kill his son 's religion Ab. Poor Princes how are they mis-led While they whose sacred Office 't is to bring Kings to obey their God and men their King By these mysterious links to fix and tie Them to the foot-stool of the Deity Even by these men Religion that should be The curb is made the spur to tyranny They with their double key of conscience bind The Subjects souls and leave Kings unconfin'd While their poor Vassals sacrifice their blouds T' Ambition and to Avarice their goods Blind with Devotion They themselves esteem Made for themselves and all the world for them While heavens great Law given for their guide appears Just or unjust but as it waits on theirs Us'd but to give the eccho to their words Power to their wills and edges to their swords To varnish all their errors and secure The ills they act and all the world endure Thus by their arts Kings aw the world while they Religion as their Mistress seem t' obey Yet as their slave command her while they seem To rise to heaven they make heaven stoop to them Mor. Nor is this all where feign'd devotion bends The highest things to serve the lowest ends For if the many-headed beast hath broke Or shaken from his neck the royal yoke With popular rage Religion doth conspire Flows into that and swells the torrent higher Then powers first pedigree from force derives And calls to mind the old prerogatives Of free-born man and with a saucy eye Searches the heart and soul of Majesty Then to a strict account and censure brings The actions errors and the end of Kings Treads on authority and sacred Laws Yet all for God and his pretended cause Acting such things for him which he in them And which themselves in others will condemn And thus engag'd nor safely can retire Nor safely stand but blindly bold aspire Forcing their hopes even through despair to climb To new attempts disdain the present time Grow from disdain to threats from threats to arms While they though sons of peace still sound th' alarms Thus whether Kings or people seek extreams Still conscience and religion are their Theams And whatsoever change the State invades The pulpit either forces or perswades Others may give the fewel or the fire But they the breath that makes the flame inspire Ab. This and much more is true but let not us Add to our ills and aggravate misfortunes By passionate complaints nor lose our selves Because we have lost him for if the Tyrant Were to a son so noble so unnatural What will he be to us who
neither Men nor Walls His force sustain the torn Port-cullis falls Then from the hinge their strokes the Gates divorce And where the way they cannot find they force Not with such rage a Swelling Torrent flows Above his banks th' opposing Dams orethrows Depopulates the Fields the Cattel Sheep Shepherds and folds the foaming Surges sweep And now between two sad extreams I stood Here Pyrrhus and th' Atridae drunk with blood There th' hapless Queen amongst an hundred Dames And Priam quenching from his wounds those flames Which his own hands had on the Altar laid Then they the secret Cabinets invade Where stood the Fifty Nuptial Beds the hopes Of that great Race the Golden Posts whose tops Old hostile spoils adorn'd demolisht lay Or to the foe or to the fire a Prey Now Priams fate perhaps you may enquire Seeing his Empire lost his Troy on fire And his own Palace by the Greeks possest Arms long disus'd his trembling limbs invest Thus on his foes he throws himself alone Not for their Fate but to provoke his own There stood an Altar open to the view Of Heaven near which an aged Lawrel grew Whose shady arms the houshold Gods embrac'd Before whose feet the Queen her self had cast With all her daughters and the Trojan wives As Doves whom an approaching tempest drives And frights into one flock But having spy'd Old Priam clad in youthful Arms she cry'd Alas my wretched husband what pretence To bear those Arms and in them what defence Such aid such times require not when again If Hector were alive he liv'd in vain Or here We shall a Sanctuary find Or as in life we shall in death be joyn'd Then weeping with kind force held embrac'd And on the sacred seat the King she plac'd Mean while Polites one of Priams sons Flying the rage of bloudy Pyrrhus runs Through foes swords ranges all the Court And empty Galleries amaz'd and hurt Pyrrhus pursues him now oretakes now kills And his last blood in Priams presence spills The King though him so many deaths inclose Nor fear nor grief but Indignation shows The Gods requite thee if within the care Of those alone th' affairs of mortals are Whose fury on the son but lost had been Had not his Parents Eyes his murder seen Not That Achilles whom thou feign'st to be Thy Father so inhumane was to me He blusht when I the rights of Arms implor'd To me my Hector me to Troy restor'd This said his feeble Arm a Javelin flung Which on the sounding shield scarce entring rung Then Pyrrhus go a messenger to Hell Of my black deeds and to my Father tell The Acts of his degenerate Race So through His Sons warm bloud the trembling King he drew To th' Altar in his hair one hand he wreaths His sword the other in his bosom sheaths Thus fell the King who yet surviv'd the State With such a signal and peculiar Fate Under so vast a ruine not a Grave Nor in such flames a funeral fire to have He whom such Titles swell'd such Power made proud To whom the Scepters of all Asia bow'd On the cold earth lies th' unregarded King A headless Carkass and a nameless Thing FINIS On the Earl of Strafford's Tryal and Death GReat Strafford worthy of that Name though all Of thee could be forgotten but thy fall Crusht by Imaginary Treasons weight Which too much Merit did accumulate As Chymists Gold from Brass by fire would draw Pretexts are into Treason forg'd by Law His Wisdom such at once it did appear Three Kingdoms wonder and three Kingdoms fear Whilst single he stood forth and seem'd although Each had an Army as an equal Foe Such was his force of Eloquence to make The Hearers more concern'd than he that spake Each seem'd to act that part he came to see And none was more a looker on than he So did he move our passion some were known To wish for the defence the Crime their own Now private pity strove with publick hate Reason with Rage and Eloquence with Fate Now they could him if he could them forgive He 's not too guilty but too wise to live Less seem those Facts which Treasons Nick-name bore Than such a fear'd ability for more They after death their fears of him express His Innocence and their own guilt confess Their Legislative Frenzy they repent Enacting it should make no President This Fate he could have scap'd but would not lose Honour for Life but rather nobly chose Death from their fears then safety from his own That his last Action all the rest might crown On my Lord Croft's and my Iourney into Poland from whence we brought 10000 l. for his Majesty by the Decimation of his Scottish Subjects there 1. TOle tole Gentle Bell for the Soul Of the pure ones in Pole Which are damned in our Scroul 2. Who having felt a touch Of Cockram's greedy Clutch Which though it was not much Yet their stubbornness was such 3. That when we did arrive 'Gainst the stream we did strive They would neither lead nor drive 4. Nor lend An Ear to a Friend Nor an answer would send To our Letter so well penn'd 5. Nor assist our affairs With their Monies nor their Wares As their answer now declares But only with their Prayers 6. Thus they did persist Did and said what they list Till the Dyet was dismist But then our Breech they kist 7. For when It was mov'd there and then They should pay one in ten The Dyet said Amen 8. And because they are loth To discover the troth They must give word and Oath Though they will forfeit both 9. Thus the Constitution Condemns them every one From the Father to the Son 10. But Iohn Our Friend Mollesson Thought us to have out-gone With a quaint Invention 11. Like the Prophets of yore He complain'd long before Of the Mischiefs in store I and thrice as much more 12. And with that wicked Lye A Letter they came by From our Kings Majesty 13. But Fate Brought the Letter too late 'T was of too old a date To relieve their damned State 14. The Letter 's to be seen With seal of Wax so green At Dantzige where t' as been Turn'd into good Latin 15. But he that gave the hint This Letter for to Print Must also pay his stint 16. That trick Had it come in the Nick Had touch'd us to the quick But the Messenger fell sick 17 Had it later been wrought And sooner been brought They had got what they sought But now it serves for nought 18. On Sandys they ran aground And our return was crown'd With full ten thousand pound On Mr. Tho. Killigrew's Return from his Embassie from Venice and Mr. William Murry's from Scotland 1. OUr Resident Tom From Venice is come And hath left the Statesman behind him Talks at the same pitch Is as wise is as rich And just where you left him you find him 2. But who says he was not A man
Letter Post. Sir upon your late command To guard the passages and search all packets This to the Prince was intercepted King opens it and reads it to him self King Here Abdal read it Abdal reads The Letter Ab. reads Sir we are assured how unnaturally your fathers intentions Are towards you and how cruel towards us we have Made an escape not so much to seek our own As to be instruments of your safety We will be In arms upon the borders upon your command Either to seek danger with you or to receive you If you please to seek safety with us King Now my Lords Alas my fears are causless and ungrounded Fantastick dreams and melancholick fumes Of crazy stomacks and distempered brains Has this convinc'd you Mor. Sir we see Some reason you should fear but whom we know not 'T is possible these Turks may play the Villains Knowing the Prince the life of all our hopes Staff of our Age and pillar of our Empire And having fail'd by force may use this Art To ruine him and by their treason here To make their peace at home Now should this prove a truth when he ha's suffered Death or disgrace which are to him the same 'T will be too late to say you were mistaken And then to cry him mercy Sir we beseech you A while suspend your doom till time produce Her wonted off-spring Truth King And so expecting The event of what you think shall prove the experiment Of what I fear but since he is my son I cannot have such violent thoughts toward him As his towards me he only shall remain A prisoner till his death or mine enlarge him Ex. Lords Man Haly. Solyman peeps in King Away away we 're serious Sol. But not so serious to neglect your safety King Art thou in earnest Sol. Nay Sir I can be serious as well as my betters King What 's the matter Sol. No I am an inconsiderable fellow and know nothing King Let 's hear that nothing then Sol. The Turks Sir King What of them Sol. When they could not overcome you by force they 'll Do it by treachery King As how Sol. Nay I can see as far into a milstone as another man They have corrupted some ill-affected persons King What to do Sol. To nourish Jealousies 'twixt you and your Son King My son Where is he Sol. They say he 's posting hither King Haly we are betrayed prevented look to the Ports and let The Guards be doubled how far 's his Army hence Is the City in arms to joyn with him Sol. Arms and joyn with him I understand you not King Didst thou not say the Prince was coming Sol. I heard some foolish people say you had sent for Him as a Traytor which to my apprehension was on Purpose spoken to make you odious and him desperate And so divide the people into faction A Plot of Dangerous consequence as I take it Sir King And is this all thou sawcy trifling fool Haly. Sir this seeming fool is a concealed dangerous knave Under that safe disguise he thinks he may say or do Any thing you 'll little think him the chief conspirator The only spy t' inform the Prince of all is done in Court King Let him be rack't till he confess The whole conspiracy Sol. Rackt I have told you all I know and more There 's nothing more in me Sir but may be squeezed Out without racking only a stoop or two of Wine And if there had not been too much of that you had Not had so much of the other King That 's your cunning sirrah Sol. Cunning Sir I am no Polititian and was ever thought to have Too little wit and too much plain dealing for a States-man Exit King Away with him Ha. But somthing must be done Sir to satisfie the people 'T is not enough to say he did design Or plot or think but did attempt some violence And then some strange miraculous escape For which our Prophet must have publick thanks And this false colour shall delude the eyes Of the amazed vulgar King 'T is well advis'd Enter Mess. Mess. Sir His Highness is return'd King And unconstrain'd But with what change of countenance Did he receive the message Mess. With some amazement But such as sprung from wonder not from fear It was so unexpected King Leave us Haly I ever found thee honest truer to me Than mine own bloud and now 's the time to shew it For thou art he my love and trust hath chosen To put in action my design surprize him As he shall pass the Galleries I 'le place A guard behind the Arras when thou hast him Since blinded with ambition he did soar Like a seel'd Dove his crime shall be his punishment To be depriv'd of sight which see perform'd With a hot steel Now as thou lov'st my safety Be resolute and sudden Ha. 'T is severe But yet I dare not intercede it shall be done But is that word irrevocable King I as years or ages past relent not if thou do'st Exit King Enter Mirvan Mir. Why so melancholy is the design discovered Ha. No but I am made the instrument That still endeavoured to disguise my plots With borrowed looks and make 'em walk in darkness To act 'em now my self be made the mark For all the peoples hate the Princess curses And his sons rage or the old Kings inconstancy For this to Tyranny belongs To forget service but remember wrongs Mir. But could not you contrive Some fine pretence to cast it on some other Ha. No he dare trust no other had I given But the least touch of any private quarrel My malice to his son not care of him Had then begot this service Mir. 'T is but t'other plot my Lord you know The King by other wives had many sons Soffy is but a Child and you already Command the Emperours Guard procure for me The Government o' th' City when he dies Urge how unfortunate those States have been Whose Princes are but children then set the Crown Upon some others head that may acknowledge And owe the Empire to your gift Ha. It shall be done Abdal who commands The City is the Princes friend and therefore Must be displac'd and thou shalt straight succeed him Thou art my better Genius honest Mirvan Greatness we owe to Fortune or to Fate But wisdom only can secure that state Ex. Enter Prince at one door and Princess at another Princess You 're double welcom now my Lord your coming Was so unlookt for Prince To me I 'me sure it was Know'st thou the cause for sure it was important That calls me back so suddenly Princess I am so ignorant I knew not you were sent for Waking I know no cause but in my sleep My fancy still presents such dreams and terrors As did Andromache's the night before Her Hector fell but sure 't is more than fancy Either our Guardian Angels or the Gods Inspire us or some natural instinct Fore-tells approaching dangers