your highnesse laugh Valen. Why Lord Montane that I love to see He that hath sav'd my life to die for me But there 's a riddle in this Princes death And I le explaine it on this floore of earth Come to his sisters execution goe We have varietie of ioyes in woe I am sure you have heard his Excellence did sweare Both of their heads should grace a Kingly beare Vpon a mourning hearse let him be layd He shal be intombed with a wived maid Exeunt Actus Quintus Enter Duke Hatto and Alfred Duke Bring forth the prisoners wher 's my beauteous Dutches That she may see the ruine of her foes She that upbraided her with slanderous wordes She that in scorne of due obedience Hath matcht the honour of the Saxons blood Vnto a beggar let them be brought foorth I will not rise from this cribunall seate Till I have seene their bodies from their heads Alfred Here comes the Dutches with proud Fredericks hearse Enter Valentia Montano Vandermas with others bearing the hearse with Fredericke on couered with a blacke robe Duke So set it downe why have you honored it With such a sable coverture a traytor Deserves no cloth of sorrow set it downe And let our other off-spring be brought foorth My beauteous lovely and admired love Come sit by us in an imperiall chayre And grace this state throne with a state more fayre Valen. My gracious Lord I hope your excellence Will not be so forgetfull of your honour Prove so unnaturall to your loving daughter As to bereave her of her life Because she hath wedded basely gainst your will Though Fredericke dyed deservedly yet she May by her loves death cleare her indignitie Duke She and her love we have sentenced to die Not for her marriage onely tho that deede Crownes the contempt with a deserved death But chiefly for she raild against thy worth Vpbraided thee with tearmes so monstrous base That nought but death can cleare the great disgrace How often shall I charge they be brought foorth Were my heart guiltie of a crime so vilde I 'de rend it forth then much more kill my childe Val O that this love may last 't is sprung so hie Like flowers at full growth that grow to die Enter Iulia with a vaile over her head Otho with another with Officers Duk. What means these sable vailes upon their faces Val. In signe they sorrow for your high displeasure For since the houre they were imprisoned They have liv'd like strangers hood-winkt together You may atchieve great fame victorious Lord To save the liues of two such innocents Duke T is pretty in thee my soule lov'd Dutchesse To make this Princely motion for thy foes Let it suffice the' are traitors to the state Confederators with those that sought my life A kinne to Fredericke that presumptuous boy That durst beare armes against his naturall father Are they more deare then he off with their vailes Mon. O yet be mercifull unto your daughter Duke You make me mad headsman dispatch I say They are doom'd to die and this the latest day Otho Then let him strike who ever traitors be Otho pult of his vaile I am sure no treason lives in her or me Duke How now what 's here Otho and Iulia. Am I deluded where is Euphrata And that audacious traitor Constantine Otho Why fled Duke To whom Otho To safetie here was none I can resolve you of the circumstance Betwixt the noble Constantine and I Noble I call him for his vertuous minde There was a league of love so strongly made That time wants houres and occasion cause To violate the contract of our hearts Yet on my part the breach did first appeare He brought me to behold his beauteous love The faire Euphrata her Angel sight Begate in me the fire of private love I that before did like her for my friend Now to deceive him sought her for my selfe But my deuice was knowne unto my friend And worthilie he banisht me his sight Duke What 's this to their destruction seeke them forth Otho They are far enough for suffering such a death I well considering my unfriendly part Bethought me how to reconcile my selfe Vnto my hearts endeared Constantine And seeing him carried to the prison we Followed and found meanes for their libertie Duk. Are they escapt then Otho Both in our disguise And we stand here to act their tragedies It they have done amisse on us Impose the Law Iulia. O let our suites prevaile I aske to dye for my deare Ladies sake Otho I for my friend Duke This friendly part doth make My heart to bleede within me and my mind Much perplext that I haue beene so unkind What second funerall march is that I heare Enter Rainaldo and Alberto like schollers grieving before the Beare others following them with the bodies of Euphrata and Constantine covered with blacke Alberto Health to this presence though the newes Impairing health I bring unto this presence The bodies of the drowned Constantine And the faire Euphrata behold them both Duke Of drowned Constantine and Euphrata Declare the manner and with killing words Temper thy words that it may wound my life Albert. Passing the Rhine bordering upon the tower From whence it seemes they lately had escapt By an unskilfull Guide their gundelet Encountred with an other and the shocke Drown'd both the vessayles and their haplesseliues Their bodies hardly were recover'd But knowne we brought them to your excellence As to a father that should mourne for them Duke Vnto a tyrant doe not call me father For I haue beene no father to their liues The barbarous Canniball that never knew The naturall touch of humane beauty Would haue beene farre more mercifull then I Oh tyrannie the overthrow of Crownes Kingdomes subversion and the deaths of Kings Loe here a piteous object so compleate With thy intestine and destroying fruite That it will strike thee dead oh Euphrata Oh princely Fredericke never deare to me Till now in you I see my misery My sonne my daughter vertuous Constantine Hat What meanes this griefe my Lord these are the traytors That you in iustice sentenced to dye Alfred A trecherous sonne and a rebellious daughter Valen. Those that did seeke to take away your life Mon. Bereaue you of your Crownes prerogatiue Duke Hence from my sight blood thirsty Counsellors They never sought my life but you haue sought it Vertuous Alberto and Rinaldo Had I given eare to them and to my sonne My ioyes had flourished that now are done Valen. Yet for my sake allay this discontent Duke T is for thy sake thou vilde notorious woman That I haue past the limits of a man The bonds of nature 'T was thy bewitching eye thy Syrens voice That throwes me upon millions of disgrace I le haue thee tortur'd on the Racke Plucke out those basiliske enchaunting eyes Teare thee to death with Pincers burning hot Except thou giue me the departed liues Of my deare children Valen. What am I
art that all blacke art excells Mon. I le walke into the farther gallery Enter Duke Valen. Sir you are welcome what so ere you be I guesse your birth great by your bounteous fee. Duke Your humble servant bound by a sweet kisse Valen. I give you freedome gentle Sir by this He whispers her Val I know your mind first censure of the sport Then you and I will enter Venus Court Du. More then immortall ô more then divine That such perfection should turne Concubine Mon. That voice is like unto the Saxon Dukes I feare he hath heard I liu'd here in this place And he is come to doe me more disgrace Montano hide thy selfe till he be gone His daughter thirsts for my destruction Exit Mont Val. Come sit by me the Maskers are at hand Enter Maske Where are my Maides to helpe to make the dance Enter 2. Maids They dance Valentia with them they whisper to to have her play at dice and stake on the drum Valen. VVhat shall we have a Mumming here 's my jewell Play on the drum head Duke Thou art a iewell most incomparable Malicious heaven why from so sweete a face Have you exempt the mind adorning grace they stake and play She wins the drum strikes up Val. More gold for this is mine I thanke yee dice Duke And so are all that doe behold thy beautie Were she as chaste as she is outward bright Earth would be heaven and heaven eternall night The more I drinke of her delicious eye The more I plunge into captivitie She wins strike up Valen. Have I wonne all then take that back agen What scorne my gift I see you are gentlemen No is' t not possible that I may know Vnto whose kindnesse this great debt I owe Well I le not be importunate farewell Some of your gold let the torch-bearers tell Duk. Beauteous Madona do you know these galants Valen. I guesse them of the Duke of Saxons Court. Duke My subiects and so many my corrivalls O every slave is grac't before his Prince Valen. Are you not well sir that your colour fades Duke If I be sicke 't is onely in the minde To see so faire so common to all kinde I am growne iealous now of all the world Lady how ere you prize me without pleasure More then a kisse I tender you this treasure O what 's a mint spent in such desire But like a sparke that makes a greater fire She must be made my Dutches there it goes And marrying her I marry thousand woes Adiew kind Mistresse the next nevves you heare Is to sit crown'd in an Imperiall crowne Exit Valen. Either the man dislikes me or his braine Is not his owne to give such gifts in vaine But 't is the custome in this age to cast Gold upon gold to encourage men to waste Lightly it comes and it shall lightly flie Whilst colours hold such presents cannot die Exit Enter Reinaldo Alfred and Albert. Alb. But this is strange that I should have her honour So farre from Court pray whither were you riding Alf. Vnto your mannor heard you not the newes Alb. What newes Alf. This morning by the breake of day His excellence sent to me by a post Letters by which the pillars of the state Should be assembled to a Parliament Which he intends my Lords to hold in Meath Alb. When if it please your honor Alf. Instantly withall the hast that winged time can make Albert. Sooner the better T is like the realmes affaires are of some weight Alb. I will bee there to night And so I take my leave Reinal We take our leaves Exit Albert and Reinaldo Alf. Farewell my honor'd friend There is within my braine a thousand wiles How I may heape up riches ô the sight Of a gold shining Mountaine doth exceede Silver is good but in respect of gold Thus I esteeme it Exit Enter Hatto with three petitioners Hat How now my friends what are you 1. Poore petitioners Hat Stand farther then the poore is as unpleasing Vnto me as the plague 2. An 't please your good Lordship I am a Merchant and gladly would convay a thousand quarters of wheate and other graine over the sea and here 's a hundred pounds for a commission Hat Thou art no beggar thou shalt ha't my friend Give me thy money 3. I an 't please your honour have a commoditie of good broad cloth not past two hundred may I shippe them over and there 's a hundred poundes Hat Thou shalt have leave 1. Although I seeme a poore petitioner My Lord I crave a warrant to transport A hundred Cannons fiftie Culverings VVith some slight armours halberts and halfe pikes And there 's as much as any of the rest Hat Away Cannibal wouldst thou ship ordnance What though we send unto the foes our corne To fatten them and cloth to keepe them warme Le ts not be so forgetfull of our selves As to provide them knives to cut our throates So I should arme a thiefe to take my purse Hast thou no other course of Merchandize Thou shouldst get gold t will yeeld thee ten in the hundred On bare exchange and raise the price with vs Make us for want coyn brasse and passe it currant Vntill we find profit to call it in There are a thousand waies to make thee thrive And I le allow of all bee it nere so bad Excepting guns to batter downe our houses 1. Letters of Mart I humblie then intreate To cease on Rovers that doe scoure the seas Hat And on our friends too if thou canst do 't cleanlie Spare none but passe it very closely VVe will be loath to sift thy Piracie But open care to heare what they complaine Hast thou a Letter 1. Ready drawne my Lord And here 's a brace of hundred pounds for you Hat 'T is very well I thinke I shall be rich If dayly tenants pay me rent thus fast Giue me your licenses they shall bee seal'd About an houre hence here attend our pleasure Omnes VVe thanke your Lordship Exeunt petiti Hat O vild catterpillers And yet how necessarie for my turne I have the Dukes seale for the Citie Meath VVith which I le signe their warrants This corne and twentie times as much Alreadie covertly convai'd to France And other bordering Kingdomes neere the sea Cannot but make a famine in this land And then the poore like dogs will die apace I le seeme to pittie them and give them almes To blind the world 't is excellent policie To rid the land of such by such denice A famine to the poore is like a frost Vnto the earth which kills the paltry wormes That would destroy the harvest of the spring As for the which I count them painefull men VVorthy to enioy what they can get Beggars are trash and I esteeme them so Starve hang or drowne themselves I am alive Loose all the world so I have wit to thrive But I must to the Parliament and then I le have a
a Goddesse That I should fetch their flying soules from heaven And breath them once more in their clay cold bodies Duke Thou art a witch a damn'd forceresse No goddesse but the goddesse of blacke hell And all those devils thy followers What makes thou on the earth to murder men Will not my sonnes and daughters timelesse liues Taken away in prime of their fresh youth Serue to suffice thee Valen. O you are mad my Lord Duke How can I choose And such a foule Erynnis gase on me Such furious legions circle mee about And my slaine Sonne and Daughters fire brands Lying so neere me to torment my soule Extremitie of all extremities Take pitty on the wandring sense of mine Or it will breake the prison of my soule And like to wild fire fly about the world Till they haue no abioing in the world I faint I dye my sorrowes are so great Oh mortalitie renounce thy seate He fals down Valen. The Duke I feare is slaine with extreame griefe I that had power to kill him will assay hence forth My utmost industry to saue his life Looke up my Lord 't is not Valentias voice That Courtezan that hath betray'd thy honour Murder'd thy children and almost slaine thee I am thy sonne I am Prince Fredericke If thou hast any liking of that name Looke on my face I come to comfort thee Duke The name of Fredericke is like Hermes wande Able to charme and uncharme sorrowfull men Who nam'd Fredericke Valen. I pronounc't his name That haue the power to giue thee thy lost Sonne Had I like vertue to restore the other Behold my Lord behold thy headlesse Sonne Blest with a head the late deceased living As yet not fully waken'd from the sleepe My drowfie potion kindled in his braine But much about this houre the power should cease And see he wakes Duke O happinesse 't is hee Valen. Imbrace him then but ne're more imbrace me Fred. Where am I in what dungeon where 's my graue Was I not dead or dreamt I I was dead This am I sure that I was prisoned Duke Thou art deceiv'd my Sonne but this deceit Is worth commendations thanke my Dutchesse Her discretion reedified thy life But she hath pron'd her selfe a gracious wife Fred. She tempt me to lust wait in my grave Valen 'T was but to try thy faith unto thy father Let it suffice his hand was at thy death But t was my mercie that proclaim'd thy breath Fred. To heaven and you I render worthy thankes Duke O liv'd my Euphrata and Constantine How gladly would I all my griefe resigne Albert. On that condition and with this besides That you are pleas'd to pardon us and them We doe referre our persons to your mercie Duke My daughter my deare sonne in law Vertuous Alberto then my friend My ioyes are at the highest make this plaine How these sav'd drownd as Fredericke has bin slaine Albert. Presuming on the example of these friends And know we are all actors in this plot Boldly presented your presence with this minde If pardoning them your grace would pardon us If otherwise this was the ioy of either That death 's lesse painefull when friends die together Duke We doe receive you all into our fauour And my faire Dutchesse my unkind divorce Shall be confounded with a second marriage I here receive thee once more as my wife Val. You have your children I have paid that debt You have divore'd me therefore I am free And henceforth I will be at libertie Duke There 's no divorce can part thee from thy Lord. Valen. Like to unkindnesse ther is no divorce I will no more be won unto your bed But take some course to lament my life mislead Duk. Canst thou live better then in sacred wedlock Valen. Wedlocke to me is unpleasing since my Lord Hath broke the band of marriage with unkindnesse Duke Intreate her children Fredericke Euphrata Let me not loose the essence of my soule Fred. Divine Valentia mirrour of thy sexe The pride of true reclaim'd incontinence Honour of the dishonoring yeeld I pray And be mercifull pitty my fathers smart Since thy last thraldome hath neare cleft his heart Eup. 'T was for his children that his spleene did rise Anger a torture haunting the most wise Valen. O no I am a murderesse an Erinnis A fury sent from Limbo to affright Legions of people with my horrid sight Hat What doe you meane be won by their intreaties Alfred 'T is madnesse in you to be thus perverse Val Who ever speaks base wretches be you dumb You are the catter pillers of the state By your bad dealings he is unfortunate Thou honourable true beloved Lord Hearken to me and by thy antient love I charge thee banish these realme-sucking slaues That build their pallace upon poore mens graves O those are they that have wrong'd both you and me Made this blest land a land of miserie And since by too much loving your grace hath falne Into a generall hatred of your subiects Redeeme your lost estate with better dayes So shall you merit never dying praise So shall you gaine lives quietnesse on earth And after death a new celestiall birth Duke Vnto thy wisedome I referre their doomes My selfe my Dukedome and my crowne Oh were there any thing of higher rate That unto hee I 'de wholly consecrate Val. This kind surrender shewes you are a Prince Worthy to be an Angell in the world Of immortalitie Which these cursed creatures never can attaine But that this world may know how much I hate This cruell base oppression of the poore First I enioyne you for the wrongs you haue done Make restitution and because your goods Are not sufficient so to satisfie I doe condemne your bodies to the Mynes Where liue like golden drudges all your liues In digging of the mettall you best loue Death is your due but for your noble race This gentle sentence I impose on you The Duke succeeding shall behold it done Duke Who 's that my loue Valen. Kind Freaericke your sonne The interest that your grace hath given to me I freely doe impart Duke We doe agree to what my Dutchesse please Valen. The state is thine Thy Vncles sentence Fredericke shall be mine Fred. Beare them away what you haue said shall stand Whilst I haue interest in this new given land Hat We doe receiue our iudgements with a curse Valen Learne to pray better or it shall be worse Lords see these wormes of kingdomes be destroyed And now to giue a period to my speech I doe intreate your grace if that your loue Be not growne cold but that your heart desires The true societie of a chaste wife Be pleas'd to undergoe a further doome Wee haue liv'd too lightly we haue spent our dayes Which should be dedicated to our God In soule destroying pleasure and our sloth Hath drawne upon the Realme a world of playes Therefore hereafter let us liue together In some removed cell or hermitage Vnto the which poore travellers mislead May haue direction and reliefe of wants Duke A hermetary life is better then a kingdome So my Valentia beare me company Valen. If my dread Lord will for my sake endure So strickt a calling my bewitching haires Shall be made napkins to dry up the teares That true repentance wringeth from our hearts Our sinnes we 'l number with a thousand sighes Fasting shall be the Steward of our Feast Continuall prayer in stead of costly cates And the Remainder of our life a schoole To learne new lessons for the land of heaven The will where power is wanting is good payment Grace doth reiect no thoughr tho' nere so small So it be good our God is kind to all Come my deare Lord this is a course more kind No life like us that haue a heavenly mind Mon. O let me be a servant in that life Valen. With all my heart a Partner let him be There 's small ambition in humility Duke Fredericke farewell deare Euphrata adue Remember us in prayer as we will you Exeunt D. D. Fred. A happy change would all that step awry Would take like course in seeking pietie Otho Two humble suites I craue of my best friend First pardon for my rashnesse in your loue Next this most loyall Virgin for my wife Con. With all my heart if Iulia be pleas'd Iulia. I haue no power to disobey your grant Con. Then she is yours Fred. Alberto The offices belonging to our Vncles We doe deriue to you for your good service In our late warres and in our sisters loue And now set forwards Lords let us be gone To solemnize two mariages in one The Epilogue ENcouragement unto the valiant Is like a golden spurre upon the heele Of a young Knight like to a wreath of Bay To a good Poet like a sparkeling Crowne Vnto a Kings Son Honour and renowne Is the efficient and persevering cause Of every well deserved action Take away some recorde encouragement And the World 's like a Chaos all delight Buried unborne in everlasting night Even so it fares with us and with the rest Of the same facultie all meerely nothing Without your favour every labour dyes Saue such whose second springs comes from your eyes Extend your beames of loue to us at full As the Sunne does unto the Easterne clime And England may bring forth like India As costly spice as orientall Iems The earth 's all one the heare refines the moulde And favour makes the poorest ground yielde gold FINIS