boy as brave as Greece e'r hatcht or Rome or Troy Enter Isaack Here 's Isaack Bassa hee 's already mine he courts my father but intends for mee and furthers all my counsells Noble friend how stand our hopes Isaack Great Sir most happily the Bassaes murmure at Achmetes wrong seize on their wavering love their breasts are ope to him that first will enter ther 's free scope drop dowre thy franke affection in their hands to bribe is lawfull and 't is strongly prov'd by good examples Otho ne'r was lov'd till he had bought the souldiers that once done Galba grew out of fashion so must wee addict them to us by a gaine-full fee Give freely and speak fairely I 'le be gone stay here the Bassaes will be here anon Exit Enter Mesithes Sely. I shall observe thy precepts Mesithes welcome How fare you in these dayes of discontent my dutie bids me aske and wish you well I have beene long a barren debtor to you At length I may prove thankfull weare my love 't is yours without refusal a sleight gift gives him a ring aside Yet your lookes tel me 't will helpe out my drift Mesi This courtesie exceeds my weake deserts sweet Prince but when occasion calls me forth to helpe you I 'me devoted to your worth Sely. Your kind acceptance of that recompence Binds me more strictly to you Mesith Sir farewell Exit and enter Mustapha Sely. So one hath tooke see where another comes all health to Mustapha Musta Thankes gracious Prince your gentle pardon for my boldnesse Sir Sely. Command my pardon and commend my love to thy bright daughter tell her I admire her vertuous perfection let that chaine gives him a chaine make me remembred often in her mind Must When my weak strength or wealth shall stretch so far as to continue Sely. No Cynicke complement good Mustapha Musta Then I returne you thankes Exit Sely. Health follow you and Honour me Here is a third at hand Enter Asmehemides Selym. Continuance to your health Sir Asme Thanks gentle Prince Please you to use my service Sely. Yes thus farre Spend me that purse of gold gives him a purse Asme What means your Highness Selym. But to deserve your kindness and avoid the hated censure of ingratitude Asme This is your liberal vertue not my deeds but you shall find me thankfull Exit Selym. So I hope three steps are trod already to a Throne and I am rich in friends these proffer'd gifts conjure observance from their servile brests Oh powerfull gold whose influence doth win men with desire for to engender sin Isaak Bassa Isaak Even the man you wisht What did the golden lure work good effect and make the Bassaes stoop unto your mind Sely. Words are but empty shadows but if deeds answer their words we cannot doubt their faith they stoop beneath my feet I seem to be as true as Jove but slye as Mercurie Enter Mesithes Here comes Mesithes muttering back again but step aside and we shall know his mind Mesith But he is cruel bloody and his pride unsufferable great Selymus Ha! Mesithes Proud Bajazet Thou hast usurp'd a title thy descent could never reach unto thou wrongst the world since thou detain'st the Crown which heavens decree due to a better brow thou art defam'd with Tyranny and wrong but Selymus is void of blemishes as truth of lyes bad stocks must be cut down the good must rise Sely. He daunted me at first but now I find the golds bright lustre made his judgment blind Mustapha comes Enter Mustapha Musta. Fortune hath wheel'd me up above the stars under a Monarch I 'le not sell my hopes Bold Selymus I 'le second thy designs and thou shalt Queen my daughter that being done with mine own splendor I 'le eclipse the Sunne Sely. Is' t so a while I 'le feed thy airy hopes then dash thee into nothing Here 's a third Enter Asmehemides Asm A purse of gold I can untie the knot the close aenigma sayes I would be King Brave Selymus I like thy mounting thoughts work out thy projects thou canst never need or ask my help but thou art sure to speed Exit Sely. What we resolv'd stands firm but the event be scan'd when leisure serves wee 'l now prevent my brothers hopes and by a sudden fate unto their lives and dayes give equal date to compass a blest end now we begin Jove hath offended if it be a sin to throw a father down Saturn did dwell once in the heavens Jove threw him down to hell Enter Bajazet and Achmetes hand in hand Cherseogles Mesithes Mustapha Mahometes Achomates Trizham Mahomet Asmehemides Sely But stay Achmetes and our fathers friends Bajaz. Achmetes I have injur'd thy deserts subborn'd accusers wrong'd my credulous ears and my rash censure undervalued much thy noble spirits when it first condemn'd them of intended treason rense thy soul in the dull river of oblivion we halt beneath the burthen of thy hate thinke my mov'd anger made me hot and wild I cannot sleepe till we be reconcil'd Achm. The gods neglect my welfare here on earth and when I shall put off this mortall load let me be out-law'd from the Court of heaven if in this bosome there lye hid one thought that doth not honour Bajazet Baia. Wee know thy vertues make us happy valiant Sir thy feete once more must tread a warlike march under our fearefull banner thou shalt pace even to the walles of Rome there dwels our foe where our halfe Moone rear'd in the middle camp like a distempred Meteor in the ayre shall strike amazement in the cloistred monkes and shake the Prelates Miter from his head till he yeeld Zemes up alive or dead When we have mov'd thee from thy Janizaries thou shalt not travell farre aside Isaack A subtile tricke and well pretended I admire thy wit aside Achm. Let me march hence and Bajazet shall know how little I befriend my Princes foe I le cast a ring of souldiers round about The walles of Rome if Zemes scape thence out cut of my breath he that 's deepe in blame Must hazard boldly to regaine his fame Triz. What meanes our father noble Bajazet to worke untimely horrors through the world desolate ruine publike discontent have printed deepe impressions in our path danger and feare scarce emptied from our towne the shaken members of our common wealth yet stagger with their wounds when discord shall make but a second breach they faint and fall Mah. Short peace hath charm'd your subjects all asleepe and throwne a quiet slumber ore their eyes whilest with a sweete restorative she heales their Martyr'd joynts and wipeth out their scarres writ on their bosomes by the hand of warres Zemes is safely cloystred up at Rome the Prelate dares not ayde him all the gods smile on the entrance of triumphant peace war lies fast bound nor can she worke our paines unlesse we loose the fury from her chaines Baja. Our sonnes instruct us must your pregnant
make hast to muster up our forces strike up our drums let them proclaim destruction through the world Clear up your dusty armour let it cast such an amazing lustre on the Foe as if Belbona danc'd on every crest The bright sun of my glory is eclipsed till Zemes be extinct he must not shine to dull my beams since the whole heaven is mine Call forth Achmetes his unconquered arm shall keep us safe from this intended harm Isaac My Liege you have forgot Achmetes oath in which he vow'd never to draw his sword in your defence Baja. I had forgot it but now I remember such was the vain heat of my youth but I recall again what ever I protested tell him so Rash words must be dispens'd with Isa Then I le go Exit Baja. My Father once in ordering of a Camp prefer'd me to be Captain of a wing so when the battails joyned and life and death where strugling who should win power of our breath our Armies prov'd the stronger only my guide fail'd and a base repulse fell on my side at which my Father storm'd and in my place seated Achmetes for which black disgrace I vow'd a swift revenge even by his shame that wore mine honour to redeem my fame which when Achmetes heard he deeply swore never with wit and strength to guide me more But now he must see where he comes and arm'd Enter Achmetes What strange device is plotting in his brain Honoured Achmetes Achme. Royal Emperour gives him a sword Baja. Thine arm must then uphold my Royalty VVhy lies thy valour prostrate at our feet when like firce lightnings it should run and meet my harms and like a rock unmov'd oppose the course and headlong torrent of my foes Achm. I am a man of peace mistake me not I made a vow nor can it be forgot till you revoke your oath Baja. VVhich here I do great Mahomet be witnesse that I mean sincerely what I speak Achmetes now we 're friends and thus I nullifie my vow gives him his sword again heavens on this concord lend a gracious smile Achmetes I have plac'd thee in my bosom gave thee an honour'd title in my love and of as lasting constancy as is the sun which looks so chearfully on us Go fit the Janizaries to the warrs kindle new fire of valour in their brests Thou art their Genius even the breath they draw Raise then thy plumes and keep thy foes in awe Achm. Sood there a Pluto at thy city walls and with a band of furies had besieg'd thy people I would conjure them away and send them back to hell so thou shalt stand as fast as in the skyes under mine hand Baja. I am Crown'd in thee nor can I fall whilest such a valour breaths within our wall Zemes depose me he must be more strong then Mars that can do Bajazet that wrong Exeunt Actus 1. Scena 7. Enter Zemes and the King of Armenia Arme. We hate thy brother therefore lend thee aide 't is not our duty to expostulate thy right unto the Crown on to your warrs thrive in your projects I shall joy to see a quarrel fought twixt Bajazet and me I le second thy encounters and we two like the two Roman thunder-bolts of war will with the flashes of our fiery swords keep their composed ranks that they shall stand agast to see two Scipioes in one band Zemes. Thanks great Armenian King and when I am wheel'd to that height which now my brother holds I shall requite these benefits and vow that kindnesse which I can but promise now Arm. Come let 's away our armies are well set ready to march now tremble Bajazet Exeunt Actus 1. Scena 8. Enter Achmetes in his Generals coate and Caigubus his Sonne Ach. Caigubus publick dangers call me forth and I must leave thee now unto thy self My son thou seest unto what height of fame we are ascended yet the sun shines clear and not one dusky cloud of discontent dimms the unspotted brightnesse of our joyes Not Bajazet is more belov'd than I. Such strict observance is there shew'd to me by all that know my worth and hear me nam'd as if I grasp't Joves thunder in mine hands By all my hopes I fear some tragick scene will trouble our calm fortune Son beware The top of honour is a narrow plot of ground whither we have already got 'T is brittle and uncertain if thou tread one carelesse step aside thou fall'st down dead the shute from thence is deep and underneath ruine gapes wide thy body to receive Stand firm Caigubus though thou start'st not away yet blasts of envie often force aside the weariest footstep these where e'r they shall blow strong will make them stagger if not fall Caigu. I shall forget to sleep to breath to live sooner than these thy precepts they are fixt and printed in my thoughts Ach. Enough no more That Isaack Bassa trust him not too much I have divorc'd his daughter from my bed for her adulterate looseness hence he hides a masse of fretting rancor in his brest which he hath varnish't yet guilded o're with coloured shews of love but he is false and subtil as a Serpent that will wind into thy brest stinging thee ere thou find or once suspect his hatred I must away Trumpets sound Exit Exit hasty alarms call me hence thus farwel envie grows greater as our states excel Caig. Father adieu Actus 2. Scena 1. A dumb shew Enter Zemes and the Armenian King Trumpets and Ensignes Souldiers pass over the stage and in a solemn march Exeunt Actus 2. Scena 2. Enter Bajazet and Trizham and Mahomet his two sons Baja. Already marcht so near Zemes makes hast to death as if he long'd our wrath to tast Trizham Mahomet it concerns you now to fly hence nimbly to your Provinces Zemes is come too neere us to escape he cannot flye the ground whereon he treads but through your countries hast then if the wars crack not his thred of life his flight will be when you may intercept it if we presume only one bold Achmetes and our selves in beds of down supinely sleep at home Zemes may scape the tempest of our wrath Then we hope best when each event we see thwarted with their preventing policie Trizh. Doubt not our hast and truth he shall as soon break through the fiery fabrick of the skies as through my Provinces Exit Maho. Through hell as soon as mine Exit Baja. Go I have done my part Mars and my fate give faire successe to my designed plot and Zemes is intrapt already dead that hand secures me that strikes off his head Actus 2. Scena 3. Enter Achmetes Cherseogles Mustapha Mesithes Drums and Trumpets Achm. The battel will prove great and dangerous but were their number double more then ours the justice of our cause bids us go on and like a chearful drum strikes painting fear from every brest Father lead you the vangard the
hand Achom. An honour'd Legate an Ambassadour as if that title like Medaeas charme could stay the untam'd spirit of my wrath Had he bin sent a messenger from heaven and spoke in thunder to the slavish world If he had roar'd one voice one syllable crosse to my humour I 'de a searcht the depth of his unhallowed bosome and turnd out his heart the prophane seate of sawcy pride Slaine an Ambassador no lesse 't is done and 't was a noble slaughter I conceive a joy ineffable to see my sword bath'd in a blood so rare so precious as an Ambassadours must we be told of times delayes and opportunities that the base souldier hath gaine-sayd our blisse Thought Bajazet his son so cold so dull so innocently blockish as to heare an Embassie most harsh and grossely bad the people to deny me We contemne with strange defiance Bajazet and them Actus 5. Scena 2. Enter Isaacke Mesithes Mustupha Mesith Mischiefe on mischiefe all our hopes are dead slaine in the haplesse fall of Selymus Must I thinke the divells fought for Bajazet and all the infernall haggs how could he else with a confused army and halfe slaine breake the well-ordered ranks of a strong foe Mesith And unexpected too Now Isaacke what Sadly repenting for thy last misdeeds Plots and conspiracies against thy Prince Faith we must hang together Isaack Good Mesithes 't is nothing so they say Achomates disdaining to be mockt out of his hopes and most desired possession of the Crowne ha's in contempt of Bajazet and all slaine the Ambassador and vowes revenge on every guilty agent in his wrong Mustaph I lookt for that and therefore first shranke back when Bajazet made choyce of one to send on such a thanklesse errand as that was Mes Grant the report be true what 's that to us Isa Fame in mine eare nere blab'd a sweeter tale this shall redeeme our low dejected hopes to their full height No more be it my charge to chose out the event What 's this comes here Musta Upon my life the body of the slain Ambassador Enter the Ambassadors followers with the dead body Mesi 'T is so Isa We greet you friends and your sad spectacle Followers T is sad enough to banish peace and patience from each brest that owes true loyalty to Bajazet Isa And so it shall lay down the injur'd corps Achomates ha's wrong'd his Fathers love too grosly in the murder even of him that bore his sacred person and should stand inviolably honor'd by the law of men and nations But here comes Bajazet Enter Bajazet and Cherseogl◠Baja. A tragick spectacle Whose trunk is this Follow The body of your slain Ambassador Baja. Slain by what cursed violence what 〈◊〉 durst touch the man that represented me Follow Achomates Baja. Achomates Follow The same Highly displeas'd with the unexpected newes of a denyal from the peoples mouth his reason slipt in fury and contempt hath thus abus'd your gracious Majesty Withall he threatned to maintain this sin with force of armes and so resolv'd to win your Crown without such tarriance Baja. Oh! no more I am unfortunate in all my blood Hath he thus guerdon'd my fair promises my daily sweat and care to further him and fix him in the Paradise of joy Nations cry out for vengeance of this fact I 'le scourge this black impiety to hell Muster our forces to the utmost man once more I 'le bury this my aged corps in steely armour and my coloured crest like a bright star shall sparkle out revenge before the rebels faint amazed eyes Lose not a minute Bassaes hence be gone muster our men stay not that from the tide of our fierce wrath no drop may ebb away by causelesse lingering Must Whom speak you General Baja. Whom but my self whom doth the cause concern more nearly then my self Isa My honoured Liege bear your best care about you 't is a time of double danger but remove the one the other straight call'd forward Selymus great in the favour of Tartaria's King is man'd afresh with souldiers his assault threatnes as much as fierce Achomates and must be born off with your ablest forces then if you leave the City to subdue one of these two expect e're you return tother possest and seated on your throne Baja. Distraction rends my soul what shall I do Isa Force out one nayl with tother of these two chuse him you most affect and best dare trust allure him farely home wink at his crimes and then create him your high General to lead against his brother since your self cannot at once oppresse two foes so stout trie if one heate can drive another out Baja. Isaack we like thy counsel but of these which can we pardon either so deboist so guilty of rebellion so divorc'd from pious loyalty that my soul even both with bitter hatred equally may loath Isa First weigh their faults the one a brain-sick youth endeavour'd to supplant your Majesty the other in defiance and contempt of God and man prophan'd the holy rites of an Ambassador Mesi For which dire fact should it slip up unpunished the name the feareful name of Bajazet would prove the subject of each libel and the scoffe of petty Princes Baja. Enough we have decreed Achomates shall quake beneath the stroke of our fierce anger Isaack speed away to Selymus he shall confront the slave the best of two so bad go stay yet go 't is hard when we beg succour of a foe Begg stay again first will I drop before the sword of proud Achomates goe tell him upon his low submission we will daigne to make him Champion to his Soveraigne Exit Isaack Enter Corcutus to his Father My deare Corcutus welcome Corcu. Royall Father Kneeles Baja. Arise thou onely solace of mine age it was a night of harmlesse innocence of peace and rest in which kinde nature laid thee in thy mothers womb Right vertuous boy how hast thou liv'd untainted with the breath of that infectious vice Rebellion Corcut. Right noble Father 't is a faithful rule in moral rites that who desires a good and most suspects his right to it is bold and turbulent and eager in pursuit whereas the man to whom this good is due rests happily contented till time fit Crown him in the possession of his wish Baja. Well moraliz'd I understand thee Boy my grant shall melt thy prayers in ful joy Exeunt Actus 5. Scena 3. Enter Selymus and Souldiers Sely. Once more in hope to gain and fear to lose a Crown and Kingdom we have march'd thus neare the seat of a dread Emperor to try the chance of war or resolutely die Feare no crosse blow for with this hand I move the wheele of Fate and each successe shall run even with our pleasures till our hopes are spun up to their ful perfection this dayes light that looks so chearfully shall see as bright as it my crown and glory Makes a stand As they march on enter Isaack Bassa
guilded showers quench our loves no golden Engineer shall undermine the Castles of our faith nor blow them up with blasts of hop'd preferment were thy walls but paper were they made of brittle glasse our faiths should make them marble and as firm as Adamant Not walls but subjects love do to a Prince the strongest Castle prove Behold great Prince alleageance mixt with love lock'd in our brests thou art the living key to shut and to unlock them at thy pleasure no golden pick-lock shall e're scrue it self into these faithful locks whose only springs can be no other then our own heart strings Our greedy swords which erst imbru'd in blood did seem to blush at their own Masters acts and us upbraid with our most bloody facts though peace hath now condemn'd to pleasing rust yet at thy beck we 'le sheath them in the brest of daring Christians thus in war we 'le fight for thee whil'st thou dost strive for victory Here to describe such Princely vertues which should more adorn thy Crown then Orient pearles were but to shew a glasse and to commend thy self unto thy self Be gracious magnificent couragious or mild or more compendiously be more thy self raigne then and Mahomet grant that thou may'st passe Nestor in years as much as now thou dost in wisdom and in valour Herauld proclaim to the world his title and let swift-winged Fame second thy trumpet Her Long live Solymon c. Solym. VVe thank you friendly Actors of our blisse our patience hath at length tired out the gods our Empire hath been rackt enough with treasons and black seditions as if no Christians were left to conquer we weeld our Turkish blades against our selves embowelling the State with bloody discord by our strength we fall a scorn to Christians with our hands we shed that blood which might have conquered Christendome thus while we hate our selves we love our enemies and heal them with our sores whil'st we lye weltring in bloody peace the dy of the publick safety hath been already cast by th' hand of war treasons have made a blot which may provoke the enemy to enter and bear our men to dark Avernus Envy might have blusht though alwayes pale at all our projects now this bloody deluge is quite past return sweet peace with th' Olive branch enough of wars 't is thou must poure oyl into our scarrs Fly hence Hereditary hate discords dead let not succeeding enmities and hatred live let none presume to cover private sores with publick ruines nor let black discord make an Anatomy of our too leane Empire let it wax fat again when peace hath knit herknots then shal the wanton sounds of bells give place to thundering Bombardes and blood wash out the smoothing oil of peace every Souldier I 'le ordaine a Priest to ring a fatal knell to Christians and every minute unto earths wide womb shall sacrifice a Christians Hecatomb Then shall we make a league with Aeolus the winds shall strive to further our proceedings then will we load the seas and fetter Neptune with chaines that hold our Anchors he shall quake lest he to Pan resigne his watry Empire and three fork'd-mace unto my awful Scepter The Whales and Dolphins shall amazed stand that they shall yeild their place to Bears and Lions Sylla shall howl for fear when she shall see the Sea become a Forrest and her self mountainy then let Syrens quake for fear of Satyres then let the Christians think not that our Navy but the Country it self is come to move them from the growing earth Comets fiery swords shall be my Heraulds threatning to th' world sudden combustion Let our armes be steely bowes our arrowes thunderbolts and in stead of warlike Drumms thunder shall proclaim black destruction Vulcan I 'le tax thee exercise thy Forge prepare to me for all the world a scourge the Fates to me their powers shall resigne which with this hand will rend the strongest twine of humane breath First for the Isle of Rhodes destruction there shall keep his mournful Stage Th' inhabitants shall act a bloody Tragedy and personate themselves Then for Nayos I le death there shall keep her Court then I will make Vienna all a Shambles yea gaping Famine ever devouring alwayes wanting food shall gnaw their bowels and shall leave them nothing besides themselves to feed on their dead corps shall be entombed in their neighbours bellies There every one shall be a living Sepulcher an unhallowed Church-yard famine shall feed it self Then shall they envy beasts and wish to be our Jades our Mules Matrons shall strive to bring into the hateful light abortive Brats the Infants shall return and the lean womb shall be unto the babes a suddain tomb Then shall they hoard up carcasses and strive only to be rich in Funerals I 'de rejoyce to see them stand like Screech-Owles gaping when their Parents should expire and bequeath to hell their wretched souls to them their death All. Long live great Solymon our noble Emperour Soly. All this and more then this I 'le doe when peace hath glutted our new greedy appetites when it hath fill'd the veines of the Empire full with vigour then lest too much blood should cause Armies of vices not of men to kill us and strength breed weaknesse in our too great Empire then then and only then we shall think good with war to let the body politick blood Meane time we 'le think on our Fathers Funeral Oh I could be an holy Epicure in teares and pleasing sighs Oh I could now refresh my self with sorrow I could embalm thy corps with holy groanes from putrefaction Oh I could powder up thy thirsty corps with brinish teares and wipe them off with kisses and that I might more freely speak my grief these eyes should be still silent Orators till blindnesse shuts them up were I a woman But I am Solymon Emperor the Turk blood shall be my teares I 'le think thee slain amongst the Christians and translate my grief to fury every member of my body shall execute the office of a weeping sonne Thus in my teares an Argus will I bee my head heart hands and all shall weepe for thee Oh that the cruell Fates were halfe so milde as to drive streames of teares from forth the springs great sorrowes have no leasure to complaine Least ills vent forth great griefes within remaine See Selymus sometimes a four-string'd instrument feeding his Souldiers with sweet Harmony doth now tune nought to us but Lacrymae Could n' Aeschulapiùs be found to tune his disagreeing elements treasons crackt the string which else an head-ach would untune Every disease is a ragged fort to weare these strings asunder treason did lend death which both age and sicknesse did intend What then remaines but that his Funeral rites with our Grand fathers Uncles be solemnized that so black discord may be with them buried But noble Selymus what Tombe shall I prepare for thy memoriall shall a heavy stone presse thy innocent ashes
Shall I confine thy wandring ghost in some high marble prison Or shall I hither fetch the flying Tombe of proud Mausolus the rich Carian King No Religion shall cloake no such injurie no hired Rhethorick shall adorne thy coarse no pratling stone shall trumpet forth thy praise the world 's thy tombe thy Epitaph I 'le carve in Funerals destruction is the booke in which we 'le write thy annalls blood 's the Inke our sword the Pen. A Tragedy I intend Which with a Plangity no Plaudity shall end FINIS THE COURAGEOUS TURK OR AMURATH THE FIRST A Tragedie Written by THOMAS GOFF Master of Arts and student of Christ-Church in OXFORD and Acted by the Studens of the same house The second Edition LONDON Printed for G. BEDELL and T. COLLINS at the middle Temple Gate Fleet-street 1656. TO THE No lesse honored then deserving Sir WALTER TICHBORNE Knight SIR THis with another Tragedy intituled The raging Turk the issue of one mans braine are now come forth together from the Presse neerer allyed even as Twins in this their second birth They are full of Glory Strength and indeed full of what not that beautifies The more apt to be soyled opposed and disgraced the rather because the Auther ha's made his Exit hence The intent and use of Dedication as I have observed is to no other end then that ignorance and spite sworne Enemies to ingenuity should know upon their dull or envious dislikes whether to repayre and recieve reformation The Fatherlesse fellow-Orphan to this work resteth safe under the protection of your most noble Brother my much honoured Friend Sir Richard Tichborne Knight and Baronet Now for these reasons and that I might not make them strangers by remote fosterings but especially standing to you most worthy SIR equally engaged I this to you Present and Dedicate Together tendring the Love and unfained acknowledgements of Your most embounden Servant RICHARD MEIGHEN TO THE AUTHOR In that Transcribing his Book without his knowledge I was bound by promise to stand to his pleasure to keepe it or burne it I Will not praise this Worke 't were lost Rich Pearles best praise themselves nor will I boast To be possest of more than India's wealth That were the way to lose 't since I my selfe Distrust my selfe in keeping it and stand In feare of robbing by some envious hand Rob'd of it said I Alas that fate were just Since I am found first thiefe to you who durst Unbidden thus ransacke your pretious store This magazine of wit so choyce nay more Steale from the chariot of the glorious Sunne This heavenly fire What shall I say 't is done I doe confesse the enditement pity then Must be my surest Advocate ' mongst men None can abate the rigor of the Law But the Law-giver but me thoughts I saw Or hop'd I saw some watry beames of Mercy Breake glimpsing forth of your imperious eye O let me beg reprive your pardon may By due observance come another day Here loe I tender 't backe to bide the doom By promise bound to him to him with whom I would not breake for all rich Tagus sands Now he the Prisoner at your mercy stands Ergo ibit in ignes Hoc opus aeternum ruet tot bella tot Enses In Cineres dabit hora nocens THE PROLOGUE VVEre not our present subject mixt with feare 'T would much affright us to see all you here One would suffice us or no Auditor Each to himselfe an ample Theater Let rude Plebeians thinke so but we know All judgements here from the same Spring doe flow All here have but one censure all one brest All sonnes of the same Mother but the rest We preoccupate their Censure and fore-tell What after may be said not to be well As in most decent Garments you may see Some gracious Ornaments inweaved bee Which serve for little use but on some day Destin'd to please himselfe the wearer may Without a blush put on when his best friends Intend to visit him So our hope intends The sacred Muses Progeny to greet Which under our Roofe now the third time meet We will not ope the booke to you and show A story word by word as it doth goe But give invention leave to undertake Of it's owne straines some benefit to make For though a Tragicke Pen may be confin'd W thin a studies private Walles the mind Must be unbounded and with inventions steele Strike fire from the alient Flints So free we are from setting any price On these our studied Vanities that advice Almost disdain'd the whispers of those tongues Which private first though vented publike wrongs To the Patient Patient oft We 'il here begin To be a litle peremptory Oh that sinne Of willfull indiscretion 't is no bayes To make us Garlands of our owne mouthes praise Which who affect may they so Lawrell lacke That slanders Thunders may behind their backe Blast them with Calumny for we vow they deare Pay for their paines that give attention here And since it 's suffered with kind indulgence We hope that Kingly Parent 's our defence Who would not have his dandling love be knowne But unto those had off-spring of their owne And for we are assured that here be No braines so curst with blacke sterilitie But of some nature they can frely call Births more mature and Caelestiall Their studies issue they like kindest Mothers With tender hands will swath the limbes of others THE ARGUMENT A Suppo'd Victory by AMURETH Obtain'd in Greece where many captives tane One among the rest IRENE conquers him For taken with her love he sounds retreat Eternally from Warre but after mov'd With murmur of his Nobles in her bed Before his Councils face strikes off her head Then ruminating former bloudy broyles He straight o'recomes all Christian Provinces Invades the Confines of his Sonne in Law Fires Caramania and makes Aladin With 's Wife and Children suppliant for their lives At length appointed his great'st Field to fight Upon Cassanae's Plaines where having got A wondrous Conquest ' gainst the Christians Comes the next morne to overview the dead ' Mongst whom a Christian Captaine Cobelitz Lying wounded there at sight of Amurath Rising and staggering towards him desperately With a short dagger wounds him to the heart And then immediately the Christian dyes The Turke expiring Bajazet his Heyre Strangles his younger brother Thus still springs The Tragick sport which Fortune makes with Kings THE ACTORS Amurath Lala Schahin Tutor to Amurath two Turkish Captaines Eurenoses Chase Illibegge Cobelitz a Christian Captaine Lazarus the Despot or Governour of Servia Sasmenos Governour of Bulgaria Aladin Sonne in Law to Amurath and King of Caramania Two Lords with Aladin Two Embassadors Bajazet Eldest Sonne to Amurath Jacyl Youngest Sonne to Amurath Carradin Bassa A Governour under the Turke For the Maske Jupiter Juno Mars Veâ—us Hector Achil Apollo Pallas Alexander Philoxenus Neptune Cupid Women Actors Eumorphe Concubine to Amurath Menthe An attendant on Eumorphe
Hatun Daughter to the Lord of Phrygia married to Bajazet Aldines Wife Two little Boyes with her Mutes Men Christians taken given to Amurath for Janizaries Sixe Christian Maidens presented to Hatun supposed to be Kings Daughters THE COURAGEOUS TURK OR AMURATH THE FIRST Actus 1. Scena 1. Enter as from Warre Lala-Schahin at one doore with warlike Musicke Souldiers a March Enter to him at the other doore Amurath in State with Eumorphe his Concubine attendants Lords and Ladies AMURATH BE dumb those now harsh notes our softer cares shall never be acquainted with such sounds Peace our grand Captain see here Amurath that would have once confronted Mars himselfe Acknowledg'd for a better Deity Puts off ambitious burdens and doth hate through bloudy Rivers to make passages whereby his Soule might flote to Acheron Wrinckle your browes no more sterne fates for we scorne to be made the servile Ministers to cut those threads at which your selves have trembled esteeming us the fiercer Destiny Yet must great Amurath thanke those sacred powers they have enricht our soules with such a price as had those Heroes whose revengefull Armes serv'd Mars a ten yeares Prentiship at Troy ere dream'd succeeding times should be possest with such an unparallell'd unprized beauty as my Saint they would not have prevented so their blisse but beene most humble Sutors to the Gods to have protracted their then fond spent life but to behold this object which out-shines their Helena as much as doth the eye of all the World dazle the lesser fires Jove I le outbrave thee melt thy selfe in Lust embrace at once all starre-made Concubines I le not envie thee know I have to spare beauty enough to make another Venus And for fond Gods that have no reward in store to make me happier here I le place my Heaven And for thy sake this shall my Motto be I conquered Greece one Grecian conquered me Eum. But gracious Lord those streames we see soon ebb which with outragious swelling flow too fast forbid Lucina this soone kindled fire should ere burne out it self T is a true Theame That nere lasts long that seemeth most extreame Amur. Can this rich price of nature precious jem give entertainment to suspecting guests Come come these armes are curious chaines of love with which thou link'st my heart aeternally thy cheeks the royall Paper interlined with Natures Rhetorique and loves perswasion stands there attracting still my gazing eye This then I le read and here I now will faine that those all antique fables of the Gods are writ in flowing numbers first thy lip was faire Europaes which they say made Jove turne a wild Heyfer next this sparkling eye was the Aemonian Io's then this hand Laedaes faire Mother to those Star-made Twins Thus thus I le Comment on this golden Booke Nature nor Art have taught me how to faine Fairest 't was you first brought me to this vaine In loving Combats now I valiant prove let othets warre great Amurath shall love Scha. Brave resolution O the fond thoughts of man awake Euno I le find stratagems There shall be Physick to purge this disease light sores are gently us'd but such a part must be cut off left it infect the heart Amar. Schahin Our Tutor we command this night be solemniz'd with all delightfull sports thy learn'd invention best can thinke upon Prepare a Maske which lively represents how once the Gods did love that shall not teach us by examples but we 'll smile to thinke how poore and weake their idle faining was to our affection Schahin be free in wit and suddaine now come my Kingdomes Bride Hymen would wed himselfe to such a Bride Exeunt all but Schahin Actus 1. Scena 2. Schah. Nature and all those universall powers which shew'd such admirable Godlike skill in framing this true modell of our selves this Man this thing cal'd man why doe you thus make him a spectacle of such laughter for you when in each man we see a Monarchy For as in states all fortunes still attend So with a Kingdome with a compleat state will govern'd and well manag'd in him selfe both each man beares when that best part of man Reason doth sway and rule each Passion Affections are good Servants but if Will makes them once Master they 'l prove Tyrants still No more King now poore Subject AMURATH whom I have seen breake through a Troope of Men like lightning from a Cloud and done those Acts which ' ene the Furies would have trembled at Treading downe Armies as if by them he meant of dead mens backes to build up staires to Heaven And now ly'th lurking in a womans armes drencht in the Lethe of Ignoble lust appoints me for the wanton Engineer to keepe his so loose thoughts in smoothing tune Woman enticing woman golden hooke to catch our thoughts and when we once are caught to drag 's into the publike view of shame And there we lye bath'd in incestuous pleasure for all good men to laugh and scorne at once Bane to my senses I could eyther wish our birth were like those Creatures which we say Are bred from putrid and corrupted matter Then that we should acknowledge our deare being with grasse and flowers for what else is our state up to the top But then the waight shall fall upon their head that caus'd it Worke my braine tush bloud noâ— water must wash off this staine Exit Scena 3. Actus 1. Enter Amurath in state with Nobles Eumorphe with attendant Ladies while Amurath ascends his Throne and placeth Eumorphe by him Am. Shine here my beauty and expell the night more than a thousand starres that grace the Heavens Me thinkes I see the Gods inventing shapes in which they meane to court thee Jove he frownes and is more jealous more suspitious of thee then all the painted Truls whose eyes bedeck the all ennamel'd Firmament Eum. Beauty my Lord 't is the worst part of woman a weake poore thing assaulted every hour by creeping minutes of defacing time A superficies which each breath of care blasts off and every humerous streame of griefe which flowes from forth these Fountaines of our eyes washeth away as raine doth Winters snow But those blest guiders of all Nuptiall rites have wrought a better cement to make fast the hearts of Lovers the true name of Wife guilds o're our thrones with a more constant shape than can be subject or to time or care And in our selves yea in our owne true brests we have obedience duty carefull Love And last and best of all we may have Children Children are Hymens pledges these shall be perpetuall chaines to linke my Lord and me Amur. Art thou a Woman Goddesse we adore and Idolize what we but loved before What Divels have men beene whose furious braines have oft abus'd that Deity cald Woman dipping their Ravens quil in Stygian Inke to blast such heavenly paper as your faces Were all the enticing lusts damn'd policies prodigious fascinations unsearcht thoughts dissembled
imperious looks should grace so base a stroke with sad aspect thus will I muffle up and choke my grones lest a griev'd teare should quite put out the name of lasting courage in Carmanias fame Am. What still stiffe necked Is this the truce you beg Sprinkled before thy face those Rebel Brats shall have their braines and their dissected limbes hurld for a prey to Kites for Lords 't is fit no spark of such a mountain threatning fire be left as unextinct least it devoure and prove more hot unto the Turkish Empier then the Promethean blaze did trouble Jove first sacrifice those Brats All. Wife Deare father let thy fury rush on me within these entrailes sheath thine unsatiate sword and let this ominous and too fruitful womb be torn insunder for from thence those Babes took all their crimes error made them guilty 't was Natures fault not theirs O if affection can work then now shew a true fathers love if not appease those murdering thoughts with me For as Jocasta pleaded with her sons for their deare Father so to a Father I for my dear babes and husband husband father Which shall I first embrace Victoriors father be blunt those now sharp thoughts lay down those threats unclasp that impious Helmet fix to earth that monumental Speare look on thy child with pardoning looks not with a warriers eye Else shall my brest cover my husbands brest and serve as buckler to receive thy wounds Why dost thou doubt Fearest thou thy daughters faith Amu. I feare for after Daughters perjury all Lawes of Nature shall distasteful be nor will I trust thy children or thy self Wife No Father 't is I fear you him he you I both but for you both for both you war so that 't is best with him that 's overcome O let me kisse kind father first the earth on which you tread then kisse mine husbands cheek Great King embrace these babes you are the stock on which these Grafts were planted Amu. True and when sprouts do rob the tree of sap they must be prun'd Wife Dear Father leave such harsh similitudes By my deceased Mother to whose womb I was a ten moneths burden By your self to whom I was a pleasing Infant once pitty my husband and these tender Infants Amu. Yes to have them collect a manly strength and their first lesson that their Dad shall teach them shall be to read my misery All. Stern Conqueror but that thy daughter shews there once dwelt good in that obdurate brest I would not spend a teare to soften thee Thou seest my Countries turn'd into a grave my Cities scare the Sun with fiercer flames which turn them into ashes and my self so flickt and carved that my amazed blood knows not through which wound first to take it's way if not on me have mercy on my babes which with thy mercy thou mayst turn to Love Amu. No sir we must root out malicious seed nothing sprouts faster than an envious weed We see a little Bullock ' mongst an Herd whose horns are yet scarce crept from out his front grows on a suddain tall and in the Field frolicks so much he makes his Father yield A little Twig left budding on an Elm ungratefully bars his Mother sight from Heaven I love not future Aladins Alad. Threat all a Conquerour can canst threat but death and I can die but if thou wouldst have mercy Wife Let 's see your feet we 're proud with this hands kiss The higher those great powers have rais'd you press that which lyes below with gentler weight to pardon miseries is Fortunes height alas these infants these weak sinewed hands can be no terror to these Hectors arms Beg Infants beg and teach these tender joynts to ask for mercy learn your lisping tongues to give due accent to each syllable nothing that Fortune urgeth to is base put from your thoughts all memory of descent forget the Princely Titles of your Fathers if your own misery you cannot feel learn thus of me to weep of me to kneel Al. Do boys and imitate your Parents tears which I like Priam shed when he beheld Hector thrice dragg'd about the Trojan Walls He that burst ope the Gates of Erebus and rouz'd the yelling Monster from his Den was conquer'd with a tear Great Monarch learn To know how dear a King doth weeping earn 1. Ch. Good Grandsire see see how my Father cries 2. Ch. Good Mother take my napkin for your eyes Wife Good father hear hear how thy daughter prays Thou that know'st how to use stern Warriers arms learn how to use mild VVarriers pity too Alas Can ere these ungrown strengths repair their Fathers battered Cities Or can these these orethrown Turrets Iconium what small hopes hast thou to lean upon If these be all Not half so mild hath our misfortune been that any can ere fear us Be pleased Am. Rise my dear Child as Marble against rain so I at these obedient showers melt thus I do raise thy Husband thus thy Babes freely admitting you to former State But Aladin wake not our wrath again Patience grows fury that is often stirred when Conquerours wax calm and cease to hate the conquer'd should not dare to reiterate Be thou our Son and Friend Alad. By all the Rites of Mahomet I vow it Am. Then for to seal unto you this our love your self shall lead a wing in Servia in our immediate VVars we are to meet the Christians in Cassanoe's Plains with speed Great Amurath nere had time to breath himself so much as to have warring with new Foes no day securely to his Scepter shone but one VVars end still brought another on Exeunt Actus 5. Scena 2. Enter Lazarus Cobelitz Souldiers all armed Cob. Let now victorious wreathes ingirt our brows let Angels ' stead of Souldiers wield our arms ' gainst him who that our Cities might be his strives to depopulate and make them none But look look in the air me thinks I see an Host of Souldiers brandishing their Swords each corner of the Heaven shoots thunderbolts to nail these impious forces to the Earth Laz. Souldiers stand to 't though fortune bandy at 's let 's stand her shocks like sturdy Rocks i th' Sea on which the angry foaming Billows beat with frivolous rush and break themselves not them stand like the undaunted countenance o th' sky or like the Sun which when the foolish King thought to obscure with a cloud of darts out lookt them all our lives are all inchanted and more invulnerate than Thetis Son We shall have hands and weapons if the stone of Fortune glide from under our weak feet and we must fall yet let all Christians say 'T is She and not the Cause that wins the day We must believe Heaven hath a greater care of them whom Fortune doth so oft out dare Cob. Gentlemen Brothers Friends Souldiers Christians we have no reason to command of Heaven a thing denied to all mortality Nor should we be so impudently proud as
Two deare friends Orestes soon to Agam. Pylades soon to Stroph. Electra Daughter to Agamemnon Aegystheus Adulterer with Clytemnestra Mysander A Favorite and Parasite Ajoung Childe of Aegystheus Nurse Two Lords Chamberlaine A Boy Attendants THE TRAGEDIE OF ORESTES Actus 1. Scena 1. Enter as from warre Agamemnon Clytemnestra Orestes Pylades Aegysteus cum caeteris Agam. NOw a faire blessing blesse my dearest earth and like a Bride adorne thy royall brow with fruits rich Garland a new married Bride Unto thy King and Husband who too long Hath left thee widdowed O me thinks I see Turnes to the spectators how all my Grecians with unsatiate lookes and greedy eyes doe bid mee welcome home Each eare that heares the clamour seemes to grieve it cannot speake and give a welcome King Come Clytemnestra let not anger make his wrinkled seat upon my loves faire brow I have too long beene absent from thy bed Chide me for that anon when arme in arme I shall relate those projects in love termes which when they first were acted made Mars feare to see each man turn'd to a God of warre Clyt. O my deare Lord absence of things wee love thus intermixt makes them the sweeter prove That your departure pierc'd my tender soule witnesse those Christall floods which in my eyes did make a sea when you should goe to sea those streames which then flow'd from the veines of greife at your returne doe overflow the banks But 't is with joy Agam. Now these eares indeed have chang'd their place they which were wont to heare no musique but the summoning of warre blowne thorow discords brazen instrument are blessed now with accents that doe fill my age-dry'd veynes with youthfull blood againe These eyes which had no other object once but Hector twixt the armes of Greece and Troy hewing downe men and making every field Flow with a sea of blood now see 's blood flow In my Orestes cheekes heaven blesse this plant Orestes kneeles sprung from the sap of this juicelesse oake Now be thy branches greene under whose shade I may be shadowed from the heat of warre Rise young Orestes Oh how it glads my soule to see my Queene and Sonne my Sonne and Queene Clyt. But come my Lord true love still hates delayes let no eares first be blessed with your breath till on my brest resting your wearied head You tell your warre where that the field 's your bed Aga. My Queen shal have her wil see how times change I that last night thought all the world a sea As if our common mother earth had now shot her selfe wholly into Neptunes armes and the strong hindges of the world had crackt letting the moone fall into th' swelling waves such watry mountaines oft did seeme to rise and quite o'rwhelme us all the winds at warre banded the sea on to the others coasts Jove thinking Neptune gan to strive for heaven sent a new sea from thence and with his thunder bad silence to the waves they uncontrold kept on their noyse and let their fury swell turning heaven earth sea clouds and all to hell Each Trojan that was saved then 'gan cry happy were they that did with Priam die It glads mee now to thinke that that night was no starre no not Orion there appear'd But this night 's turnd to day and here doth shine for a good Omen my embraced Queene With whom her Agamemnon still will stay till age and death shall beare him quite away Exeunt Agamemnon Clytemnestra cum caeteris Scena 2. Manet Egysteus Aegyst And that shal be ere long Tush shall be'sslow my vengefull thoughts tell mee thou now art dead Fie faint Apollo weakling infant-God why wouldst thou let lame Vulcan's hammers beat downe those brave Turrets which thou help'dst to build Venus I see thou art a woman now which here are like to take a double foyle for we that whilome revel'd in thy campe in the sweet pleasures of incestuous sheets must leave our lov'd unsatiate desires But now begin thou blacke Eumenides You hand-mayds of great Dis let such a flame of anger burne mee as doth Etnas forge on fury on our hate shall not die thus I 'll draw my poysonous arrow to the length that it may hit the mark and fly with strength Exit SCEN. 3. Enter Orestes Pylades Orest Come now my dearest friend my other self my empty soul is now fild to the top brimful with gladnesse and it must run o'r into my deare friends heart those silver haires which time hath crown'd my Fathers brow withal do shine within mine eyes and like the Sun extract all drossie vapors from my soul Like as the earth whom frost hast long benumb'd and brought an Icie drinesse on her face her veines so open at a sudden thaw that all plants fruits flowers and tender grafts kept as close prisoners in their mothers womb start out their heads and on a sudden doth the sad earth count'nance with a summer look So in this brest here in this brest deare friend whiles Annus ten times circled in the world ten clumzie winters and ten lagging springs hath with my fathers absence frozen beene all thoughts of joy which now shall make a spring in my refreshed soul Things that we daily see th' affections cloy hopes long desired bring the greatest joy Pyl. Nay but dear Cousin give not the reines too much to new received joyes lest that they run with so much speed that they out-breath themselves your Father is come home but being come should now some woful afterclap of fate which Omen Jove forbid should come to passe but take him hence again and crosse your joy each spark of gladness which you now conceive would turn a flame for grief still one extreame altering his course turns to the diverse theame Orest Tush Pylades talk not of what may be we may indeed i' th' clearest afternoone expect a storm Pyl. Yes and such stormes oft come and wet shrewd too before we get at home Orest O but I 'll be above all fatal power I that have such a Father new come home I that have such a friend such too rare gifts who gave me these gifts thought no scowling frown of angry fortune e'r should throw me down Pyl. Call them not gifts Orestes th' are but lent meere lendings friend and lendings we must pay when e'r the owner shall appoint his day Orest True Pylades but owners use to warn their debtors when they must bring in their summs but heavens tell me with favouring aspects I still must keep their lendings and possess with frolick joy all their lent happiness Pyl. Trust not the heavens too much although they smile good looks do mortal hearts too oft beguile the heavens are usurers and as oft 't is seen a full poucht churle give a most faire good e'en to his poor Creditor who trusting that hath slackt this payment on the morrow next he hath been rooted out by th' tuskey boare which gave the faire good e'en