make thee wings and flye away And death withdraw thy hastie hand againe Whiles with aduantage I their debts repay How now Octauia whither wilt thou flye Not what thou maist but do thou what is iust Shall these same hands attempt impietie I may I can I will I ought I must Reuenge this high disgrace this Caesar will Byrthe nature reason all require the same Yet vertue will not haue me to do ill Yeeld all things yeeld to vertues sacred name Howthen euen thus with patience make thee strong The heauens are iust let them reuenge thy wrong Cruell to me selfe-wronging Antony Thy follie shall not make Octauia sinne I le be as true in vertuous constancie As thou art false and infamous therein I le be as famous for a vertuous wife As thou notorious for so leawd a life Caesar. As is a sweet pearle dropping siluer showre Which some milde cloud down from the shadie skies Vpon the parched flowrie fields dooth power Such is Octauiaes sight to Caesars eyes Hath â—…asons trauaile gaind the goulden fleece Or hath Octauia faild of hir entent Is Antony within the bounds of Greece Or dooth he stay at Blanckbourg malecontent Oct. O Caesar how my now distracted minde Vnites it selfe to render worthy thanks But woe is me no way no meanes I finde No hope to hide Antonius lustful prankes I him besought by all that words might say By this same ring that knit the Gord aâ—… knot By all the rights past on our wedding day But all in vaine for all is now forgot Looke how some proude hard harted mighty rocke Which makes the sea a mirrour for his face Repell's the waters with a churlish stroake Which mildely striue his body to imbrace So his indurate minde reiects my words And rudely makes me and my hopes forlorne His flinty heart naught but repulse affoords And my deserts returne me naught but scorne Caesar. Were not Octauia precious in my sight Whose will withstood what I did most desire The bloudy lynes had not been now to wrighte Of such reuenge as his leawd deeds require But worthy branch of braue Octauius lyne In Caesars thoughts liue and predominate Yours is my kingdome and what els is mine My selfe my scepter and my royal state Then sith I euer graunted your request And let you prooue al meanes his loue to winne Since you and we in vaine haue done our best To stay his foote out of the sincke of sinne Now for my sake if I may ought preuaile For dead Octauius neuer stained worth For deare Anchariaes loue and your auaile Excuse no more his faithlesnesse hencefoorth Yeeld but to this liue heere and banish care Forget his name that traytor-like is fled Liue like a Queene remember who you are And let me rouse him from his Lemmans bed Leaue you this house of his and what is his Stand of your selfe since he entends your fall Dishonor not your name with others misse If loue cannot recall him terror shall Oct. Dishonor not my name O Caesar no My miserie is not of that degree Wrought by my follie or forc'd by my foe Which mought attribute that disgrace to me T is paine and greefe to beare and suffer wrong But shame and sinne to him that dooth the same True patience can mildly suffer long Where rage and furie do our liues defame T is fortitude which scornes the force of wrong And temperance not to be moou'd withall T is constancie makes vs continue strong And wisdoms worke to free our selues from thrall But I am wrong'd you say and t is base feare Without reuenge to suffer iniurie Its cowardize vnworthy wrongs to beare And madnesse to giue way to trecherie Well then reuenge but what Octauiaes wrong Of whom of Antony And who is he Ah my deere Lord that will returne ere long And hate his fall and be most true to me If not I le then reuenge but how with death He is my selfe his greefe procures my paine With spoile and losse O no that were not good By certaine losse to hope for doubtfull gaine How then 〈◊〉 be false as he is most vntrue One wound doth not an others balme procure Flame is not quencht with flame but both renue A double force not easie to endure Whence springs reuenge from malice and disdaine Then speake not of it for it is in vaine Earth'open first thine vndeuided Iawes And swallow me in thine infernall wombe Eare willingly I swarue from vertues lawes Truthe my loues childbed was truthe be his tombe Caef. Were Antony as loyall in his loue As he is false forsworne and fondly bent Then would I thinke it reason to approoue And highly praise your vertuous entent But sith he willingly doth you forsake And wilfully persistes to do vs wrong High honor dooth require our swords to take Most iust reuenge which we may not prolong Oct. His falshood dooth not malice raise in me But rather shewes how fraile mans nature is An argument which bids me carefull be Least I my selfe should like wise do amisse Caes. Can my perswasions then no whâ—…t preuaile Can my request no thought of yeelding finde Can you esteeme of him whose truth dooth faile There are few women of Octauiaes minde Octa. Too few I grant and therefore am I such And though alone yet will perseuer still We imitate the multitude too much Most do as do the most and most do ill The number of the vertuous is so small That few delight to tread that loanely way But wisdomes heires are iealious of their fall And thinke it shamefull all should goe astray A vertuous act seemes strange in some mens sight Because they seldome saw the like before But noble mindes are carefull of the right And others errors make them feare the more How sencelesly we sleepe in follies bedde How few there are indeed how all would seeme Wife honest iust how fondly are we led To vse that least which we do most esteeme Then ought a prince to feare much more then any Least his fault be a president to many Caes. And is it vertue then to be misused Octa. To giue no cause why we should be abused Caes. Do but consent I le act and beare the blame Octa. To giue consent to sinne is sinne shame Caes. And is it sinne to punish leawdnesse then Octa. Sinne to exulte vpon repentant men Caes. But he persists in hatefull trecherie Oct. True loue may spring from pardoned iniurie Cae. How may they loue whoÌ„ worlds of distance part Octa. He is not far that 's lodg'd within the heart Cae. But time and absence will consume all loue Oct. Soner the hart which doth those passions proue Caes. Not so no mortall darte neare loue is found Oct. But we are mortall which endure the wound Caes. Yet leaue this house if not his loue deny Oct. First let this soule out of his lodging flye Caes. Can nature then no priuiledge obtaine Are his deserts in such aboundant store Must all I do be
reason reason be Yet must it condiscend And yeeld to that against whose force It cannot vs defend And neuer me so sharply blame As actor of this ill T is not Antonius but the heauens Which do withstand thy will And what the heauens do force vs to We may not disobay When their decrees are once enrould O who may then say nay These mouing stars which we behould Our mindes do rule and guide And looke what course they set vs in Therein must we abide This sparke of reason is not ours But lent vs from aboue The Gods do giue and take the same They make vs loathe and loue Then deare why shouldst thou so vpbraid And sharply reprehend Thy Antony for such a fault As he may not amend If in my heart I did thee hate Then were I worthy blame But I haue euer lou'd thee well Who well deseruedst the same And though I cannot thee afford The dearest of my heart Yet needst thou not thus to complaine Who hast so large a part No day no night their posting course So speedily could frame But they beheld my thoughts returne Due homage to thy name When bloudy terror danger death Vpon me did lay houlde Thy memory reuiu'd my minde And made my courage bolde No not a thousand fierce assaults And perils many moe Could euer force my louing heart Octauia to forgoe But tyrant loue me from my selfe And from my Queene doth steale And pardon me though I perhaps Too great a fault reueale And pardon needs I must obtaine If this so much offend For heere my loue did first begin And heere my liâ—…e must end Heere will I shew I neither am Vnconstant nor vnkinde For Cleopatra whiles I liue Shall me most constant finde Why am I call'd an Emperour If I should subiect be And be compeld to leaue the thing VVhich most delighteth me No deare Octauia thy request Can neuer be fulfild Let Gods be Gods and Kings be Kings For none but cowards yeeld VVere she as Baucis when she lodg'd Hir vnknowne greatest guest VVere she a Lyon Lybert VVolfe Or some worse sauadge beast VVere she a furie or what else VVhose presence glads my heart And to my rauisht captiue soule Such sweetnesse doth impart I would exceede Ioues simple guiftes And giue the machine round And all the treasures wealth and store Which therein may be found I would from parents children friends My dearest thoughts remoue Surrender scepter kingdome crowne For to enioy my loue And by my bounty truth and zeale The erring world should see No base or seruile scorned thought Had euer place in me I would disdaine a monark should But equall my desire My constant faith should farre exceed The height of all aspire They do but blow the coales of hate Which my designes improue If euer fault may pardon get O pardon faulty loue I grant I were a monster vile Vnworthy of my life If I should hate or thee disdaine Who wast my spouse and wife But Cleopatraes dearest loue In me doth beare such sway That I enuy or mallice none So I may her enioy And say not t is a shamefull thing To loue a stranger so For loue I must and loue I will Though all the world say no. The gods I hope wil not be moou'd Such sharp reuenge to take On those which erâ—…e but in such faults As they themselues did make Were it dishonor to be kinde To those we best esteeme Great Ioue himselfe could not be free From such disgrace I deeme That monster quelling Hercules Should haue been called base When his victorious conquering arme Did Omphale imbrace No I disdaine the brauest minde That drawes this vitall breath Should thinke me base who haue contemn'd The very face of death T is rather base to be compel'd To that we fancy least O why am I a Prince if not To doe as likes me best Suppose within my setled minde There could be such a thought That to consent to thy request I haply mought be brought Would not the Princesse of my soule My Cleopatra pay The largest tribute of her life Her Antony to stay Are not her words her sighes her teares Most precious to my heart Doth not her face her tongue her wit My soules delight impart How then can I vnhappy man My selfe so well dispose As mought content and please you both Who both your selues oppose No Hercules can this performe No Sphynx this doubt exclude Yet thus I fully am resolu'd And thus I doe conclude The knot which cannot be vndone In sunder thus I strike Heere will I liue heere will I bide And loue you both alike Let Caesar fight Octauia frowne Let children waile and weep Thus I resolue and thus I vow Which vow I le firmely keep And if your mallice and perhaps My fortune doe procure That all my words and deeds the worst Construction must endure My constant truth and minde resolu'd That worst must needs abide For why from this well grounded loue My heart shall neuer slide Thou all things truely seest indeed But neuer spyest the wound By which my sweet affecting thoughts Their endlesse thraldome found By which my prayer-scorning heart Is brought to condiscend To which that this my chiefe desire Mought not too much offend Aske take assume all that you list Performe your hearts desire So that you neither hâ—…r from me Nor me from her require While I my Cleâ—…patra may Betweene these armes ensold I enuy not great Cresus wealth Nor Midas store of gold But if vneuitable fate Her presence should deny Though all the world were mine besides With penury I dye Nor let it seeme so passing strange That I cannot be moued By thy entreaty to forgoe The thing so much beloued Through thine owne heart do but behold And see how small auaile Perswations reasons words and wit Affections force to quaile If none of those can take effect To winne thy loue from me Why shouldst thou think that frome this Queene I can diuorced be Sith wisedome then can neuer shew It selfe more wisely sure Then to forgoe that thing with 〈◊〉 Which paine cannot procure Ah striue not thus against the streame But dry thy teares againe For to perswade me booteles is To force me is more vaine Though al the world should me withstand I will not be withheld A Prince dislikes to be gaine-said But scornes to be compel'd And it may be for who can tel What abscence may procure That â—…aire Octauia neuer could So long time chaste endure Ah can I thinke in such excesse Of liberty and store Of Ceres Bacchus and what els May be desired more Amongst so many tedious daies And nights of great disport Amongst such braue heroicke Lords As to that Court resort That thy vnmoued minde can be So tyed to Vestaes rightes But that sometimes it will consent To Venus sweet delights Can that faire face which in all hearts Doth high affection moue Resist so many strong attempts As will assault thy loue No no they are not alwaies true Which doe most truely speake If it were so how then am I More then a woman weake And yet my conscience doth discent And plainely this deny And yet suspition doth maintaine It cannot be a lye O how can he be euer brought To thinke another true Who through the guilt of his owne minde The others life doth view And should I then returne to Roome Mine honor thus to foile No rather let me finde a tombe In any forraigne soyle And since thou knowest O too too well Antonius high disgrace He must prouide of all the world Not to beholde thy face Thy face the lecture of his misse The mirrour of his shame The euer wounding rod and spur Of my eclipsed fame The disproportion of our thoughts Could neuer well agree Thou still shouldst hate my faithlesnesse I blush thy truth to see A fault doth neuer with remorse Our mindes so deeply moue As when anothers guiltlesse life Our errour doth reproue But be it that from all those doubtes I could my minde set free Yet whiles ambitious Caesar liues I may not come to thee Let all the world perswations vse And their best counsell giue For me I neuer will be drawne In dangers mouth to liue I cannot brooke another should Be mightier then I An equall in th' imperiall seate My heart doth much enuy And who so simple that will looke For faith or truth in those Whose faithlesnes may hap to gaine Whose truth a crowne must loose There is no truth in such whose hearts An Empire doe affect Competitors may talke of truth But doe all truth neclect And be it that we could agree Which hath been seldome knowne Yet still in time from priuate grudge Such quarrels great haue growne Such bloudy deeds such strife debate Such outrage murther death That words and oathes and al haue prou'd But vaine dissembling breath No nature reason counsell wit Ambition can constraine To hold vnuiolable truth Or conscience to detaine Pale feare mistrust vnlook'd for chance And fortunes dyreful frownes Most deep suspect and swift reuenge Attendant are on crownes Not that I dread or stand in feare What Caesar can procure But that this absence better mought My safety assecure And it may hap for none can tel In time what may be wrought Since vn expected chauce my loue To Cleopatra brought So happy time so good an howeâ—… For thee may hap to fall Which may my loue and fancy backe From her againe recall In hope whereof 〈◊〉 must Her sighes and teares suppresse Vntill Antonius finde the meanes These errours to redresse FINIS Errata Act. 2. pag. 3. line 8. for highest read highnes Act. 2. pag. 22. line 8. for frowardnes â—…ead forwardnes Act. 5. pag. 4. line 1. for ascribe read assigne Epist. 1. pag. 1. line 16. for Tough read Though THE EPILOGVE OUr Play is done now what your censures aâ—…e If with or against Arts iâ—…dustrie the care Tooke by the Author and our paines to pease We know not yet 'till judgement give us ease Why should we doâ—…bt this Theater do's appeare The Musicke Rome of concord you being here Let no harsh jarring â—…ound of discord then Echo dislike claps crowne the Tragicke Pen. FINIS
Cleopatra sent A messenger Fonteius was his name Whose swiftnes did euen hast it selfe preuent More then we knew not but within short space Came Cleopatra royally attended And met directly at th' appointed place Which for their stay they had before pretended There did they sporte a time in great excesse Of all delights which any eye hath seene And there Antonius his great loue t' expresse Did frankely giue to this Aegyptian queene Phoenicia Cyprus and Cylicia Part of Arabia where those people dwell Cald Nabatheians part of Syria And finding that she could preuaile so well With Antony she further 〈◊〉 proceed And begd part of that land we Iewry call From whence mought be transported at hir neede True balme for to preserue hir grace withall This donâ—… my Lord to'ards Parthia tooke his way Which we with fier and sworde did waste and burne But in those confines did not long time stay But backe againe to Blanckbourge we returne From whence a poste was speedily addrest For to conduct this Cleopatra thither She kindly condiscends to his request Thus there they met and there they liue togither Octa. O what hart-piercing greefe doth theÌ„ tormeÌ„â—… That are thus countercheckt with riualles loue What worlds of horror do themselues present Vnto their mindes that do like passions proue O Ielousâ—…e when truthe once takes thy part What mercy-wanting tyrant so seuere What Sylâ—…a what Charibdiâ—… can impart But halfe those horrors which in thee appeare Poore Pluto why do we thy rigour dread All torments are containde within my brest Alecto doth whole troupes of furieâ—… leade Within my soule with endlesse greefe opprest O deserts now you deserts are indeed Your common-wealths are coucht within my hart Within my hart all rauening beasts do feede And with mad furie still encrease my smart O greefe I feele the worst that thou canst doe I taste the powerfull force of mischieses pride I proue the worst that chance can put me to The deepest wound of fortune I abide But staye Octauia if this be a lye If thy deare Lord do constant yet remaine Whom doost thou wrong is it not Antony O fault too great recall it back againe Canst thou be so vnkinde nay so vniust To censure iudge condemne without a cause Shall flying tales make thee so much mistrust Him bound to thee by Gods and natures lawes O traytor passion if thou couldst subdue Thy soueraigne reason what ill tragedies Wouldst thou soone acte but Ielousie adieu My Lord is constant and these are but lyes Did not he sweare on that our nuptiall day By all the sacred rights we holy deeme By those immortall powers which we obaye By all things els which dearly we esteeme By his right hand by this our wedding ring By all that mought a perfect truthe entend One time one day one houre should surely bring His life and loue vnto a finall end Did not he say the starres from heauen should fall The fishes should vpon the mountaines range And Tyber should his flowing streames recall Before his loue should euer thinke on change But what of this these are but onely words And so are those which do his faith impeache O poore Octauta how thy state affordes Nought but despaire to stand within thy reache The seate of truthe is in our secret harts Not in the tongue which falsehood oft imparts Hast back then Tyber to thy fountaines head Descend ye starres and this base earth adorne Let Neptunes people on these hilles be fed For Antony is fled false and forsworne But t is not so my Antony is true His honor will not let him basely fall Octauies name will faithfull loue renew His Inâ—…ate vertue will his minde recall As feare of torment houlds the wicked in So vertues loue makes good men loath their sinne Byl. Madam I cannot force you to beleeue That which I speake but that I speake is true I knew too well it would your highnesse greeue And would be lothe your sorrowes to tenew But would to God that all my words were lyes So my disgrace mought worke your sweete content Would this my soule mought be the sacrifice To reconcile his loue thus fondly bent O vertue thou that didst my good assure Arme now my soule against proude fortunes might Without thy succour I may not endure But this strong tempest will destroy me quite O sacred lampe pure vertues liuing flame That neuer failes sweet comfort to impart I feele thy power and glory in the same I heare thee say in closset of my heart Octauta liue and shew thy selfe a Queene Tread thou my path make constancy thy guide Let no base feare within thy minde be seene Let thine owne foote into no errour slide Make thine owne thoughts no witnes of thy misse Let thine owne conscience know no cause of blame A bulwarke stronge a brazen wall this is That will resist both sorrow griefe and shame Antonius fall his owne disgrace procures His is the fault and on his head shall fall The storme of mischiefes deep-reuenging showers When thine own worth in heauen shal thee enstall His is the fault but what mine is the wronge The errour his but I endure the smart O vertue if thou be so passing stronge Yet once againe remooue this from my heart Why vertue grieues but at his owne disgrace And mindes distrest with patience doth relieue With wisedomes light it stil directs his pace And cannot fall and therefore cannot grieue Well griefe I feele that thou art griefe indeed But patience is a prince and must not yeeld O sacred vertue help me at my need Repulse my foes with thy all mastering shield But what I must not heere stand and lament Thy deeds Octauta must approoue thy worth T is wisedome must these iniuries preuent I will no more excuse thy wrongs hencefoorth I le seeke by all meanes thee to reconcile And in my thoughts reuenge shall finde no place But if thou needes wilt worke a thing so vile To seeke my ruine and thine owne disgrace If nothing can preuaile I le make it seene Thou wrongst an Empresse and a Romaine queene Iulia. Camilla Syluia O deare Camilla what a wofull sight Ti 's to beholde the Empresse dolefull state Though others burthens in our eyes seeme light Death in my heart her griefe doth intimate O what exceeding pitty t' is to see Such noble vertues nurst in wisedomes brest Snar'd in the trap of humaine misery By others basenes thus to be distrest Cam. Madame the case is pittifull indeed And such as may relent a flinty heart A patient minde must stand her grace insteed Till time and wisedome may his loue conuert Iul. But who dares tell a Prince he goes aside Cam. His conscience best if wisdome were his guide Iul. But they are great and may do what they will Cam. Great if much good not great if they do ill Iul. But we must yeeld to what the Prince will haue Cam. He is no Prince that is affections slaue Iul. Be
disgrace And who so subiect to mischance As those whom fortune doth aduance These base earth-creeping mates Proud enuie neuer spyes When at the greatest states Hir poysoned quiuer flyes Each tempest doth turmoyle the seas When little lakes haue quiet ease Not those that are bedight With burnisht glistering gould Whose pompe doth steale our sight With wonder to behoulde Tast smallest sweet without much ga◅le Nor finde true ioyes within their call This did the heauens impose Not that they are vniust But for to punish those Who glory in their lust And our misdeeds procure vs still To seeke our good amongst much ill A monster honour is Whose eyes are vertues flame His face contempt of this Which we pale death do name His Lyon heart nought else dooth feare But crowing cock of shame to heare His wings are high desires His feete of Iustice frame Food dangerous aspires His seate immortall fame Onely the traine of Enuies plumes With others growthe it selfe consumes Actus Quintus Iulia. Geminus Camilla HAth Geminus beheld th' Aegyptian Queene The auctor of the troubled worlds distresse Hast thou hir guifts and rare perfections seene That makes Antonius scences thus digresse Tell vs is she so admirable faire That Italy hath none which may come nigh hir Doth she all beauties else so much impaire Or els indeed dooth partiall fame be lye hir Haue those hir eyes so rare an influence To houlde and captiuate mens sences so That foyling wit and reasons best defence They rauished must needs themselues forgoe Gem. I know not what may seem faire in your sight Because some like what others discommend But for my selfe and if I iudge aright Speaking of Cleopatra as a frend The fairest thing that in her may be seene Is that she is a Ladie and a Queene Madame that sun-burnt coast yeelds not a face Which with the Romain beauties may compare There mought be found a thousand in this place Whose naturall perfections are more rare Iul. How passing strange it seemes that Antony Should leaue the paragon of natures pride And follow hir whose shamefull luxurie Dooth make the world his folly to deride Whence should it spring that such a thing should be Is this his folly or the heauens decree Cam. His fault no doubt crosseth natures lawes Iul. And I thinke not for nature is the cause By nature we are moou'd nay forst to loue And being forst can we resist the same The powerfull hand of heauen we wretches prooue Who strike the stroke and poore we beare the blame Cam. Loue sure frō nature tooke his birth by right But loue of what Iul. Of beautie loues delight Cam. And what is beautie Iul. first say what is loue Cam. Loue 's a desire of what doth liking moue Iul. Desire doth spring frō what we wish and want Dooth loose himselfe in winning of his saint Enioying dooth that humor quite supplant And therefore cannot this loues nature paint If loue were a desire as you do guesse Sith none desires that which he doth enioy We could not loue the thing we do possesse For why enioying would our loue destroy But this is false and you haue iudg'd amisse Cam. Speak you the truth whose iudgment better is Iul. I thinke this loue a deepe affection sure Wrought by th' instinct of natures hidden might Which in our hearts an vnion doth procure With that which perfect seemes vnto our sight Such is that loue which in vs doth arise When such a beautie we do chaunce to see As with our nature best doth simpathize Which nature faultie is and not poore we Cam. Wel what is beauty Iu. that which liketh best Cam. Which liketh whō Iul. Some one aboue the rest Cam. Why some do like what others disalowe Some loue what others hate and few there are In whom a like affection doth growe Of any one thing though the same be rare Were beautie then such as you heere do name One thing should be and not be beautifull One thing should be and yet not be the same And that me thinkes were strange and wonderfull I rather thinke these outward beauties growe From iust proportion and right symmetrie Of these same guifts which nature doth bestow Vpon vs all in our natiuitie Iul. Indeed we see a mixture farre more fine In some then others wrought by natures frame To whom the praise of beautie we ascribe Yet do not all alike affect the same Now if this were the obiect of our loue We all should like some one that were most faire Who should alone most deepe affection mooue Whil's vulgar minds mought drown in deep despaire But as no woman easily can endure To be depriu'd of beauties louely praise So is there none so much deformed sure That in some minds affection doth not raise Ther 's none so faire whose beautie all respect Although we were enforst it should be so Some nothing faire whom we must needs affect Though reason wit and all the world say no. Cam. And what should be the cause of all this same Iul. I thinke because we lodge in natures frame Look how the Loadstone draws nought els but steele Though mettals far more pretious are about it Yet this as his fit subiect seemes to feele His power attractiue and mooues not without it Or as in diuerse instruments we see When any one doth strike a tuned string The rest which with the same in concord be Will shew a motion to that sencelesse thing VVhen all the other neither stirre nor playe Although perhaps more musicall then they So are our minds in spight of reasons nay Strain'd with the bent of natures sympathie VVhose powerfull force no wit no arte can stay And if you aske a farther reason why In these two things but shew the cause of both And then I le tell you why we loue and loathe Now if the power of nature be so strong That euen sencelesse things yeeld therevnto O why should we endure so great a wrong To beare the blame of that which others doe What liuing man can ceasse himselfe to be And yet as possible as to refraine From that whereto our nature dooth agree And spight of vs doth vs thereto constraine Who can be angry with the scencelesse steele For cleauing vnto this hard-harted thing Or blame that which can neither heare nor feele For moouing to the other sounding string If these may be excusd by natures lawes O how much more should we be free from blame Within whose tender hearts affection drawes Such deepe caractars leading to the same Cam. Is beautie then sole obiect of our loue Iul. That which seems so doth our affection moue Cam. I euer thought that vertue had been best Iul. We praise that most but yet esteeme it least Ca. Why disestemd whose worth is so wel knowne Iul. To shew that vice the world hath ouergrowne Ca. The name is often hard in each mans mouth Iul. The thing more rare then Eagles in the south Ca. The thing contemnd can
what he will his power is ouer-stronge Cam. Heauens will not suffer sin to florish long And sure who list but to beholde the end Shall see Antonius dearely buy his lust They neuer prosper long that leawdly spend Their granted time for God is not vniust Syl. Well let them talke of vertue those that list Of patience iustice and of constancie For me I thinke the Empresse sure hath mist The onely way to cure this maladie Buy liuing fame that list with pinching paine And starue themselues with feeding fond conceipt Were I Octauta I would entertaine His double dealing with as fine a sleight I would nor weep nor waile but soone returne Vpon his head the wrongs he doth pretend I would compel him spite of him to learne It were no iest a woman to offend He 〈◊〉 not now the grieâ—…e that makes her smart But I know what would touch him to the heart Iul. What force what wit can Antony compell Now to forgoe his late ill-placed loue Syl. One nayle you see another will expel When nothing els can force the same to mooue Should lie that swims in streames of sweet content Make his delight the agent of my paine No no â—…e rather were a president How to 〈◊〉 him with the like againe Had I bin toucht with 〈◊〉 of inward greefe When such like chances had be-fallen me Or at their leisure hoped for reliefe When I my selfe mought best my selfe set free I had bin dead for many yeares agoe Or must haue liued in endlesse misery But I take order not to perish so He shall câ—…re little that cares lesse then I. Cam. But doth not Syluia blush to disanull Hir owne good name hir faith and constancie Doth not she feare the wrath of heauen to pull Vpon hir head for such impietie Syl. The wrath of heauen why no the heauens are iust And Iustice yeeldes a man his due desert Then sithe I do no iniurie I trust Not I but he for both our faults shall smart And for my faithe and constancie no doubt I le deale for that as well as others shall But t is most strange to see you go about To praise the thing that workes all womens fall Why constancie is that which marreth all A weake conceipt which cannot wrongs resist A chaine it is which bindes our selues in tâ—…rall And giues men scope to vse vs as they list For when they know that you will constant bide Small is their care how often they do slide O if you would but marke the little mappe Of my poore world how in times swift careere I manage fortune and with wit entrap A thousand such as hould these courses deare Then would you say you want the arte of loue For I feare nothing lesse then such relaps The frowardnesse which I in men approoue Most troubles me for feare of after claps And Lord you cannot gouerne one alone When I haue many subiect to my beck I alwayes pleasant you still making mone You full of feare they dread my frowning check Nor do I maruaile for this vnion breedes A loathing sure by nature vnto things And constancie the minde with quiet feedes And setled quiet soone corruption brings Thus first we loathe and then we straight waies hate When to one obiect we entend our minde But I with choice do still renew the state Of fainting loue and still new pleasures finde Looke how a Bee amongst the verdant fields From diuers flowers extracts the pleasant thyme Which well compounded one sweet matter yeelds So do I spend my pleasure-tasting time I seeke not graines of gould in barraine ground Nor hope for fruite when haruest is once past I like not where affection is not found If any fall I flye from him as fast And surely who will taste the sweet of loue Must not be tyed vnto one poore conceipt One cannot worke or halfe his practise prooue Vpon one minde which will be dulled straight But there must be an emulation plac'd Mongst fauourites as spur of swift desire By letting one still see another grac'd As though the on 's deserts did so require Two at a time I seldome entertaine Nor one alone but alwaies if I might Whiles any one to court me I detaine Some other of the crew should be in sight Who mought behold how frankly I bestow Both smiles and fauours where it pleased me They thinking this from his deserts to grow Will striue for to deserue as well as he Thus I abound with store of proferred loue With vowed faith with presents and what not When in the end one fortune all must prooue And all these fauours must be cleane forgot Cam. But will not all thy seruants thee forsake To see a ryuall such high fauour gaine Syl. If any iealious foole a surfeâ—…te take Then thus with arte I bring him on amaine Some extraordinary fauour falles On him vnwares which may new fire his minde Or els some trusty agent him recalles In secret manner thereunto assign'd Who tels him as of friendship I admire His discontent and my vnkindnesse blame How I doe oftentimes of him enquire And still a sigh awaites vpon his name This way I seldon faile till at the last In follies lap affection hath him lull'd From whence with fresh desire he flyes as fast As if poore foole his wings had nere been pull'd Iul. But sith thy minde can neuer be so free But that affection will on thee lay holde That being partiall me thinkes should be A cause that others loue would soone waxe cold Syl. Affection no I know not such a thought That were a way to make my selfe a slaue I hate subiection and will neâ—…e be brought What now I giue at others hands to craue Iul But yet I know some one aboue the rest Is most belou'd but that you list to iest Syl. I loue one most I fauour loue and grace Most euery one whiles he in presence is But being gone looke who comes next in place He 's next my heart my course is alwaies this And if that any chance to fall away Shall losse of him thus vexe me at the heart No griefe I neuer meane to be thy pray My care and he together shall depart Cam. Of straying falling and I wot not what So many words hath Syluia spent in vaine That time and truth and purpose are forgot To Antony let vs returne againe We speake not of thy sutors we complaine Of his vntruth that second vnto none In faithlesnes of duety should remaine For euer constant vnto one alone Of his vntruth who hath his honor stain'd By base defiling of his mariage bed Who being vowed and by oath detain'd Is false for sworne seduc'd and fondly fled Syl. Why all is one no wedlocke can compell No law no feare no reason can constraine Our mindes whiles we in natures castels dwell The pleasing course of nature to refraine Nature it selfe dooth most delight in change The heauens by motion do their musicke make Their lights by
fruitlesse and in vaine Antonius be your guide I say no more Oct. If that my words so much offend your minde O silent death thou my best refuge art O breake my heart for Caesar is vnkinde In silent greefe O breake my wounded heart Caes. What in a traunce O sister sister deare Light of my life deare modell of my soule Hurt not your selfe O banish needlesse feare Woe woe to me that did you thus controule O deare Octauia I spake but to prooue How farre your thoughts were bent with iealousie To see if malice had exilde your loue To finde how you esteemed of Antony Oct. O Caesar more belou'd then these same eyes More then the light which glads my tired life Do not my truly louing minde despise Kill not my heart with this your factious strife Alasse t is not his house that I respect His wealth or trypartite high regiment I would the worlds great treasurie neglect Rather then hazard Caesars discontent T is not affection that enchaines my minde Or partiall loue that makes my faith so strong Too well alasse my selfe abusde I finde And this my hart too sensible of wrong And what is worse this wrong so full of scorne As mought incense the mildest minde aliue To see my Lord a gracelesse Queene suborne And my dishonour carelesly contriue Nay worse then that if worse then that may be No creature euer felt the like disgrace Each wronged wight may hope for remedie My shamefull storie nothing may deface For if my Lord would cure this wound againe Yet woe is me the scarre will still remaine In these respects perhaps I could be brought To strike reuenge as deepe as any could I want no meanes whereby it mought be wrought For many thousands wish it if I would And what is more my selfe can scarcely let But Caesars sworde for me would pay the debt But when I finde in closet of my heart How I haue paun'd my faith to Antony How I haue vow'd that nought but death should part From him my loue and my fidelitie When that I see the vulgar peoples eyes Make my designes the patterne of their deeds How with my thoughts they striue to simpathize And how my misse their certaine errour breedes When that I finde how my departure were The opening of a gate to cruill warres Then Atlas-like I am constrain'd to beare A hated hell though not the happie starres I le rather dye then witnesse with these eyes In mortall wounds and bloudie lines enrowled The argument of my calamities Whom proud mischance vniustly thus controwled Shall neuer two such noble Emperours Their dearest liues aduenture for my sake Shall neuer for my sake such mightie powers The doubtfull chaunce of battle vndertake Shall neuer tongue recount Octauiaes errour An instance of his faithlesse periurie I le rather dye the world vnspotted myrrour And with my faith surmount his iniurie Caes. Well sister then I see that constancie Is sometimes seated in a womans brest Your strange designes euen from your infancie Can neuer without wonder be exprest Oct. I know not what you thinke of woman kinde That they are faithlesse and vnconstant euer For me I thinke all women striue to finde The perfect good and therein to perseuer Euen as a Torche or Sulphure poudered light Whiles any nourishment maintaines his flame Fayles not to burne and burning shineth bright Till aâ—…te obscure or force put out the same Such is the minde in womans brest contained With the true zeale of vertues loue enflam'd We may be dead but liuing neuer stained We may be wrongd but neuer rightly blam'd Caes. Wel for your selfe proceed as you thinke best Time and the heauens must see these wrongs redrest Caesar. Titius Plancus Great peeres that striue with wisdoms sacred fame To ouer liue all humaine memory Shew me for what entent you hither came What causde you to reuoult from Antony Tit. By our accesse we nothing else entend But humbly to beseech your maiestie Vnder your gracious fauour to defend Our wronged selues from hatefull iniurie Proud Cleopatrae Aegypts craftie Queene Rules Antony and wrongs she cares not where So insolent hir late attempts haue been As no pride-scorning Romaine heart can beare She is become our Queene and gouernour And we whose courage feares the force of no man By seruile basenesse of our Emperour Must be content to stoope vnto a woman Caes. What Angel Queen rules those Nyleian coasts Whose beautie can so ouer-rule mens mindes What goddesse can command the man that boasts To equall Iuâ—…ius in his high designes Plan. If in those guifts by nature we enioy Vnto Octauiaes sacred maiestie Shee be but comparable any way Be neuer Romaines so disgrac'd as we But for hir artificiall ornaments For pompe for pride for superfluitie For all excesse that folly represents She doth exceed the height of vanitie Hir sunne-burnt beautie cannot please his sight That hath a minde with any reason fraught But t is hir Syren tongue that dooth delight Hir craftie Cyrces wit which hath him caught As when from Athens Niger made returne And did relate the Emperesse entent Which he of purpose had in charge to learne And did hir princely guifts to him present And further did with truth discouering words Octauiaes well deserued praises frame An argument which to that Queene affords A furious blast to raise a Iealious flame Then did she nothing vnattempted leaue That art mought frame or wit mought well deuizâ—… Which mought his minde of reason quite bereaue And thus she straight began to Syrenize Shee pines hir body with the want of food That she mought seeme to languish for his sake And by hir gestures would be vnderstood How from his absence she hir death should take Hir deepe lamenting lookes fixt in his face In silent termes present an earnest sute As who should say O pitty my hard case Whom violence of passion maketh mute Then would she stand of purpose in his way In any place where he should passage make And there as though vnwilling to bewray What bitter griefe she inwardly did take Downe from her eyes distils a Christall tyde Which at his comming she would dry againe And sodainly would turne her head a side As though vnwilling to reueale her paine Thus in his presence rauished with ioy She smiles and shewes what mirth she can deuize But in his absence drowned with annoy She seemes to take her life from those his eyes Then Meeremaid-like his scences she inuades With sweetest nectar of a sugered tongue Vnto her will she euer him perswades The force of her words witch-craft is so strong Then came the kenell of her flattering crew Who largely paint the story of her death Like feede Atturneys they her sute renue And hunt Antonius spirits out of breath Wherewith assayl'd he like a man enchaunted To make her know she need not to misdoubt him Or like to one with some mad fury haunted Assembleth all the people round about him In that fayre Citty
beside Make me the obiect of their wondring eyes Thus I that was more happy then the rest And did excell in glory and renoune With more then most disgrace shall be supprest No fall like his that falleth from a crowne And that which nature grantes the meanest wight They cannot loose which haue the conquest wonne Yet with this strange Dylemma workes my spight Who s'euer winne Octauia is vndone Great Empresse this bright sunne can witnes well So can these heauens before whose powers I stand That gainst our mindes Caesar doth vs compell This enterprize you see to take in hand But for my selfe and if the case be such That but report is auctor of this iarre If Caesars honor may be free from touch Of any staine relinquishing the warre I le doe my best and what I may perswade To lay downe armes wherein if I preuaile A perfect league of friendship shall be made That may the fury of this tempest quaile And pardon me deare soueraigne though my speech Include exceptions in this doubtfull wise I may not Caesar mooue nor him beseech What may his maiestie disroyallize This said behold my hand my sword my soule Heere humbly prostrate at your princely feete What you commaund let none dare to controule This Caesar will and this we thinke most meete Arg. Madam your speech I thinke doth not extend To the disparagement of your owne bloud And sooner shall my life haue finall end Then I refuse to doe your highnes good Though last my speech yet second vnto none Is my desire t'effectuate your will But loe where Caesar comes himselfe alone Arme we our tongues with words our words with skil Caes. Fayer issue of renoun'd Octauius race My second selfe Roomes glorious Empresse Behold vs all assembled heere in place To worke your safety and your wrongs redresse Your Lord Antonius as we heare doth threate To power sharpe stormes of deep reuenging Ire Vpon our heads and make th' imperiall seate His sole possession ere he hence retyre But let him know though finely he pretend To guilde iniustice with a Princes name Though he triumph in words yet ere I end What he begins he may repent the same Oct My gracious Lord high words doe but encrease The flame of vallour in incensed mindes Leaue armes my Lord and let vs treate of peace Who best doth speed in war smal safety findes Ful wel the world your noble worth hath knowne Let not new dangers needlesse tropheies raise Let not th' effect of hateful deeds be showne Against my Lord who may deserue your praise Caes. Shal he be prais'd that is become our foe Staine of our name foile of the Romaine state A seruile man contriuer of our woe And from all honor doth degenerate Nay what is more t is said he doth pretend To worke our ruine and our fatal end Octa. Can foule suspition then and false report In wisedomes confines holde so large a place That it can foyle our reason in such sort To fly the good and worke his owne disgrace The auncient Romaines wont to draw their swordes To purchase honor of their stoutest foes But you whose groundes are vaine surmized words By seeking honor shall your honors loose Fame hath two wings the one of false report The other hath some plumes of veritie Why then should doubtful rumour raise a forte Of mortall hate against my Lord and me Suppose he rais'd as you haue done a power He to defend not to offend his friend The heauens forbid that any fatall hower Should your proceedings turne t'vnhappy end Vnhappy no he neuer falles amisse That foiles his foe before his final ende High honor not long life the treasure is Which noble mindes without respect defend Oct. The prize of honor is not alwaies bloud Cae. T is honor all whose end imports our good Oct. O wretched state where men make haste to dye Cae. True valour feeles nor griefe nor misery Oct. He is your brother be not then vnkinde Cae. Iustice not pitty fits a Princes minde Oct. He hath done nothing spare an innocent Cae. He doth too much that beares a false entent Oct. You both are stronge and both will buy it deare Cae. I arm'd with iustice know not how to feare Oct. O Caesar shall my heart be made a stage For you to play a bloudie tragedie Shall fearce misfortune breathing spitefull rage Make me vicegerent of all misery If both of you misled in â—…rrours maze Doe seeke reuenge of misconceiued wrongs For your owne sakes out of your fancies raze The spots of mallice grafted with your tongues But if mischance haue offered disgrace To eyther party O let me entreate That for my sake kinde pardon may deface A fault so small with breath of words made great Caes Bright lamp of vertue honors liuing flame Whosoeuer winne you can no losse sustaine Whom partiall fortune list to crowne with fame His be the day the triumph and the gaine The victor must be eyther your owne Lord Or els your brother who will both consent To trie their fortunes with the dinte of sword But shield you as the worlds chiefe ornament If both we fall which hap the heauens forbid All that suruiue are subiect to your will Your birth your state your vertues are not hid But knowne and loâ—…'d and will be honored still no ear so deaf which hath not heard your name Whose eares haue heard their mindes your worth admire Whose minds admire their harts loue doth enflame And winnes them subiect to your owne desire No perils threaten you you need not feare Octa. But many you and I their burthen beare Caes. T is reason I none els my griefes sustaine Octa. Where nature forceth reason is but vaine And therefore Caesar heere I thee beseech By these same scepter-bearing hands of mine By these same teares true witnes of my speech By that same princely port and grace of thine By all the loue thou bearest to Acciaes ghost By all the rightes that louing mindes hold deare Lay armes aside dismisse this puisant hoast Let friendly truce release my minde of feare If not I le drowne my life in these same teares And tyre with plaints the Pandionian birdes Tyre th' Halciones with griefe that beares To high a straine for highest clyming words I le make the sunne for pitty cloath his steedes In sorrows liuery and disdaine your sight Force niggard Pluto with my wofull deeds To entertaine my soules disgraced flight Else will I flie and shrowde my face from shame Where Pyndus hides his head amongst the starres Or where ambitious Othris wanting flame Of heauenly lamps the cloudes swift motion barres Ought will I doe before these eies behold Death's vissage painted in that princelie face Before I le see captiuitie lay holde On those faire lims which merit highest grace Before I le see their bloudie weapons drinke The nectar of thy life or Iuorie stain'd With vgly gore O let me neuer thinke Or hope till then to haue this
life maintain'd Before that time death is a welcōme guest To my liues lodging and O sisters deare If euer pitty dwelt in dyrefull brest Draw not my threed till that newes peirce mine eare How oft when sleep inuites my drowsie eye With natures curtaine to repell the light And hide my minde from sorrows tyranny Vnder the darknes of the silent night Shal thy pale ghost defil'd with deaths foule hand Stand in my sight as in the cleerest day And fury-like arm'd with blacke fiery brand Affright my minde and chase dead sleep away Which being gone fierce sorrows cruell clawes Seaze on my waking thoughts like tygers fell And gripe my heart with sharpe tormenting pawes That thousand times deaths rygour doth excell Caes. O perfect vertue gracing woman kinde Inuincible Octauia cease to plaine O had Antonius halfe so good a minde No discord could betwixt vs two remaine My Lords what thinke you how may we proceed High honor cries reuenge vpon our foes And yet Octauia crossing this our deed Cannot resolue which of vs she would loose Agr. I thinke it is a braue and Princely thing With fire and sword to ruinate our foes But greater glory is it for a King To saue his subiects from wars common woes T is wisedome noble Caesar must aduance Our state beyond the reach of fortunes arme Not fierce reuenge which workes effectes by chance And glories most when most it worketh harme And valour such as doth contemne all feare And guild our actes with honor and renowne With gentle clemencie our deeds endeare And mount with vertue where chance throwes vs downe Mecoe. The rarest thing a Princes fame to raise Is to excell those that are excellent All other to surmount in vertues praise And be his kingdomes chiefest ornament Make quiet peace within his coastes remaine And succour those that liue in great distresse From bloudy slaughter euer to refraine With time and wisedome passions rage suppresse These are the wings directing vertues flight This is the fuell feeding honors flame This is the path that leades to heauen aright and sun-bright beames that guild braue Caesars name Caes. Pitty my Lords is often like a maske That hides our eyes from seeing what is iust Inuiting any t' vndertake the taske To worke our woes and execute their lust For to neclect the course we haue begun Were to betray our selues vnto our foes Where keeping stronge though no exploite be done Yet gaining nothing nothing shall we loose Why you' are ill inform'd of Antony And his attempts exceed your knowledge farre I feare me when you know as much as I You 'll pleade as fast to prosecute the warre But see a stranger hasts into our sight With further newes and if I iudge a right Byl. Thrice noble Caesar hither am I sent Hauing in charge from great Mark Antony Th'ambassage of his pleasure to present Before Octauia and thy maiesty First he commaunds Octauia to depart Out of his house and leaue all that is his The reason why he list not to impart It must suffice that such his pleasure is He likewise will thy highnesse knowledge take How much he scornes thou shouldst his wil withstā◅ And thereof meanes with fire and sword to make A perfect demonstration out of hand Caes. Will Antony our confines then inuade With Ciuill warres contriuer of our woe Great reason preparation should be made For to withstand so puisant a foe Byl. Fiue hundreth saile of warlike ships he brings Wherewith the froathing Ocean he scoures And in his army are eight forraigne Kings Eight Kings in person with their mighty powers A hundred thousand well arm'd foote are led Vnder Canidius their chiefe generall Twelue thousand horse most strongly furnished All these are knowne and knowne these are not all Caes. How now my Lords is this thinke you a time To talke of clemencie or of delay Is not this mischiefe in his chiefest prime Before we could the speedie spring bewray What saith Octauia to these tidings strange Are our coniectures vpon falshood grounded Can this suffice your setled thoughts to change Are not our liues with mischiefes Ocean bounded Octa. Had I so many tongues to paint my woes As euer silent night had shining eyes Yet could not all their eloquence disclose The throwes of greefe which do my minde surprize But would to God this world of misery Mought presently be trebled vnto me So that from imminent calamitie My deerest brother Caesar mought be free For me long since I wel discern'd the storme And sought by all meanes how I mought preuent it But sith no wit can Antony reforme O 't is not I but he that wil repent it I fear'd the stroke before I felt the wound But now resolu'd the worst of chance to bide True fortitude doth in my soule abound My honor scornes the height of fortunes pride The worst that can befall me is but death And O how sweete is his liues sacrifize On vertues altar that expires his breath And in the armes of innocencie dyes They onely feare and onely wretched are From whose bad liues staind with impietie Their dying fame doth to the world declare Most shamefull stories of foule infamie But those that know not let them learne in me That vertuous minds can neuer wretched be Caes. My Lords I wil yee presently proclaime Marke Antony a foe vnto our state That all his soueraignties yee straight reclaime And all his dignities annihillate We will not see the Romaine Empires shine By any seruile minde to be defamed To manage steele our nature dooth encline Of womens wanton toyes we are ashamed And therefore with such hast as may be-fit A matter that imports our dearest bloud Wee le meet Antonius if the heauens permit And what we say there will we make it good Adiew Octauia and your selfe prepare To runne what course of fortune I approue I◅ happie starres to vs alotted are I le neuer be forgetfull of your loue Oct. Honour attend thy steps and till I see The period of my worlds declining state I le neuer to my selfe a traytor bee But seeke the meanes to stay your mortall hate Chorus EArth-ruling heauenly powers Great Ioues immortall mates That from your Chrystall bowers Dyrect all mortall states And vs like Actors do dispose To play what parts you list t' impose Must we poore we consent To call you euer iust Though you our harts torment Euen after your owne lust And for each drop of hoped ioy Powre downe whole tempests of annoy And that which is much more Looke what we best do deeme Doth vex our mindes more sore Then that wee least esteeme And that which nature saith is best By tryall yeelds vs smallest rest Who dooth not wish to weare The terrour breeding crowne And direfull scepter beare As badge of high renoune Yet who more iustly do complaine That they the brunt of woes sustaine Stand who so list for me In highest slipperie place Though great their glorie be Yet greater their
we the name esteeme Iul. Yes all that are not such as all would seeme But sith this is the beautie of the minde And nothing fits our naturall discourse Let vs excuses for Antonius finde And to our former purpose haue recourse Cam. No Iulta no your haruest is too long For such a simple croppe as you receiue You may not thus persist the truth to wrong And with your wit the world seeke to deceiue But Lord how willing are we to inuent And finde out couerts to obscure our sinne As though to hide the same and not repent Could vs preserue from being drownd therein T is true that nature did these buildings frame And true that they to natures power are thrall And true that imperfections foyle the same And true that we by natures weaknesse fall And this is true that God vnnatured all And gaue vs wisdome to suppresse our will He gaue vs perfect reason to recall Affections scoutes from following what is ill Why we are men and this same sparke diuine Our trouping thoughts should marshall in such wise That no affect from reason should decline Nor rebell passion in our hearts arise Th' instinct of nature which doth all things moue Bids loue whereas you like without regarde But pietie saith where t is lawfull loue Or els hell torments shall be your rewarde Octauia Antonyes children And is it true is Antony vnkinde Hath this new loue of faith and troath bereft him Can fonde affection so obscure his minde That not one sparke of honor should be left him Can he so far forget his owne good name As to dishonor all that are about him Ah can he not without a further blame Permit them dye that cannot liue without him Come poore companions of my misery The issue of the faithlest man aliue Support the burthen of his trecherie Whose base reuoult our ruine doth contriue Come poore beholders of your mothers fall Whose innocence mought greater pittie moue Your impious father doth despise vs all Forsaken we must other fortunes proue Come poore attendants of a falling state Whose silent sadnesse doth my greefe renue Yet be you all much more vnfortunate Ere any seedes of leawdnesse rest in you Come let vs goe and leaue this loanly place Your fathers dying loue bequeaths you hence O 〈◊〉 this house as from your owne disgrace T is his commaund you should be banishtt hence Dead Fuluia how can thy imperious ghoast Endure to see thine Orphants thus oppressed Yet of mine honor though his loue be lost Whiles I suruiue they shall not be distressed O Antony borne of no gentle Syre Some cruell Caucasus did thee beget Euen scencelesse things thy scencelesnesse admire And seeme to feele what thou seemst to forget Oft haue I seene these stones with pitty moued Shee l dropping teares lamenting my disgrace When in thy heart where most it most behoued No kinde remorse could euer finde a place More milde then thee I finde each cruell beast For they but giue a smale-time lasting death With endlesse greefe my soule thou dost molest Which euer killing neuer steps my breath O failing piller of my falling state O fading flower of vertues fairest field O why shouldst thou so much degenerate And honors byrth-right to dishonor yeeld Yeeld to dishonour all that deare bought wealth Which earthly kings doth in heauens kingdom place Let thy mindes treasure fall away by stealth By stealth contriue and worke thine owne disgrace O Erecina that my Lord did know As thy fonde boye shootes shaftes of swist desire So mightie Ioue sharpe thunder-boults doth throwe Confounding such as from his lawes retyre He nurst in sinne sees not his owne disgrace Augmenting still our sorrow and his shame That greatnesse hides the danger from his face But yet my care is doubled with the same The greedie Wolfe and cruell rauening beare Toucht with th'extremitie of hungrie paine The guiltlesse cattle furiously do teare And being fed from crueltie resraine But tyranizing greefe prayes on the heart And cloyed with sighes and teares doth stil perseuer His raging furie nothing may diuert But still still fed is satisfied neuer O happie he a thousand times and more Whose quiet thoughts so milde a calme do gaine That neither hope can force from safeties shore Nor deepe despaire can sincke on mischiefes mainâ—… But maiestie and honour for these too Shal be the onely obiects of mine eye What vertue faith is iust that will I doe Thus I resolue to liue thus will I dye Geminus 〈◊〉 Octauia And are you sure that Antony is slaine May we beleeue that this report is true Byl. Why should you wish me to recount againe The story that doth double greefe renue O had you but discouered with your eyes The face of woe in all that preâ—…ent were Or heard their dolefull noyâ—…e and shriking cryes You would haue cause to greeue and not to feare Oct. What tragick tidings bring these woâ—…ull wights That ring such peales of horror in mine eares What vnknowne cause your martiall hearts 〈◊〉 What silent greefe in your sadde lookes appeares Byl. Did but our words import the sound of woe To wound your eares withall were double sinne But sithe your highnesse will it should be so And that your safetie is contain'd therein We will not from your grace conceale the same And though we should yet time will open all From Aegipts common woes I lately came And did bewaile Antonius wilfull fall Oct. Is Antony ore'throwne Byl. Yes all is lost His power and forces wholy are decayed He is deceiued by hir he loued most By Cleopatra shamefully betrayed And she that taught him first to swim in sinne Was euen the first that drown'd his life therein Oct. Ah by what meanes did she my Lord abuse Byl. By such a meanes as leawd offenders vse For when the warres at first pretended were And that Antonius with him would not take hir Shee fearing least hir selfe not being there He haply mought be moued to forsake hir Shee â—…ees Canidius our cheefe Generall Him to perswade that she mought present be He sues obtaines and we embarked all Make ioyfull hast our wofull end to see For whiles our powers of equall â—…orces were And neither side could disaduantage spye Like one that knew a secret cause of feare Out of the armie she began to flye Loe how no greatnesse can our conscience free From inward horror of our wicked deeds For that same better part of vs doth see A greater power whose Iustice terrour breeds But he whose thoughts were to hir lookes enchained Although the armie did not losse sustaine As though for hir he had the world disdayned Forsakes them all and after flyes amaine Whose causelesse feare so much dismaid the hoast Who scorn'd to fight for him which runne away That with small hurt the battle there was lost And Caesar had the honor of the day The Legions thus depriued of a guide Themselues to Caesars clemencie submit Antonius basenesse they do all deride And
in vaine and finding her selfe frustrate of all hope to attaine her desire writeth vnto him as it may be supposed to this effect Octauia to Antonius NOw when these lines mine owne deare Lord Shall first approach thy sight These lines which sorrow feare and loue Compel'd my hand to write First but behold the writers name Which doth thine eyes awaite Her name as full of constant truth As thou of false deceipt And see if any memory Of her doe yet remaine If not reiect it from thine eyes To read it were but vaine From thence if shame will thee permit Proceed vnto the rest It is not much to view my deed Tough thou doe me detest When true relation woe is me That I must call it true Of thy most odious faithlesnesse First came vnto my view Euen as a man with sodaine stroke Of thunders mighty force Which for a time both life and scence From body doth diuorce Bereft of motion stands amaz'd With terror of the blow And though aliue yet cannot tell Where he doe liue or no So stood I sencelesly appal'd With horror of the thing Which now alasse too well I finde Doth my destruction bring How faine I would not haue beleeu'd That thou shouldst faithlesse be How faine I would haue made my selfe A lyar false for thee But thou art gone fled and forsworne And naught may thee recall Thou liuest secure and tak'st no care What may poore me befall O deep dissembling faithlesse man That dost me thus beguile S'daine not of her thou louedst once To heare the truth a while Was it for this thou shedst those teares O Crocodile vn kinde When lastly thou didst part from me With shew of constant minde Did not those showring eyes assure A neuer-changing loue Did not that periur'd lying tongue Their euidence approoue Did not those foulded armes embrace This body now despis'd And that dissembling heart relent With too much loue surpriz'd O deare Octauta didst thou say Though we must parted be But for a time yet that small time Seemes thousand yeere to me When I from thee shal be remou'd From all ioyes I shall part Yet farthest when I am remou'd With thee shall rest my heart Then sweet take thou no care for me But sighes and teares neclect And shortly if the heauen permit My safe returne expect Heere would I haue replyed faine When griefe me tongue did stay And al my words disolu'd to teares Whiles thou didst part away Shall I expect him that entends To see me neuer then O deep deceipt ô fraude ô guile O vaine dissembling men What honor worth or honesty In him what pitty were That being mine without remorse Could these abuses heare But thou thy selfe my Lord to be The agent of my paine O how can words but make thee know The griefe that I sustaine The golden pyllers of thy youth Did promise vnto me The building of ensuing age Should better furnisht be How mought I but conceiue what cause Mought thee heereto compell Vnlesse my selfe haue been the same In louing thee too well What beauty pleasure wealth or wit So rare doth Nilus breed But Tyber may therewith compare If not the same exceed Some fond affection hath bewitcht Thy Princely minde I feare O that I could my doubtful thoughts From such suspition cleare What is there no more power or force In vertues sacred shield But noble mindes must basely fall And to affection yeeld Or was this sweet eare-pleasing word But placed on thy tongue And neuer planted in tâ—…y heart Still nurst with poison stronge No such inordinate affectes In vertuous mindes haue place True noble hearts can not indure So mighty a disgrace He is no prince that subiect is And subiect vnto sinne But slaue-borne witches they are call'd Which do delight therein Vaine foolish blinde vnpure Dishonest idle mindes Vnlawfull loue to vile desires With fonde affection bindes This is the hand which doth the raynes Of modesty vndoe And nothing is so base or vile Which it perswades not to The mortall foe of reasons good Th'inuenter of deceipt The plague infecter of the minde The deadly poysoned bayte The furious-tempsst-breathing breath To euery quiet minde The map of mischiefe where the world Naught els but greefe can finde The noble 〈◊〉 whom the world So highly doth adore Could not be conquered by this foe And honored was therefore T is greater shame to him that should Correct anothers misse To merite well deserued blame Then to him that subiect is T is greater glory to defend Or selues from errours great Then by supplanting other men To gaine a Princely seate Then suffer not thy selfe aliue To be entomb'd in shame Remember how thy former deeds Deserue immortall fame Procure not to thy golden day Of life an euening darke Within the hauen of repose Drowne not thy conquering barke Though this licentious life of thine Sweet pleasures seeme to bring A bitter sweet thou shalt it finde Which flowes from such a spring But Aegyptes fertle soile perhaps Thy greedy thoughts doth holde Allured with th'aboundant store Of minde-bewitching gold If vertue honor and renowne Be of a smaller prize Then misers foode which thou esteem'st Thou maist vs well despise But if more worth remaine in them Then thou couldst euer see Then Antony thou art not him I tooke thee for to be O basest minde that euer liued And bare so braue a name To fly the siluer streames of worth And base in filthy shame O that thou couldst so leaue thy selfe A while that thou mought'st finde How hatefully the world doth scorne The basenes of thy minde How faine I would not now beleeue That thou so obiect art To sell thy selfe for store of earth Which can no worth impart The basest thought that any minde Vpon the earth may haue Is seruilly to make it selfe To any thing a slaue And by how much the thing more vile Which doth our liking mooue By so much more more obiect he Which there with is in loue Then base earth creeping minde adue Since this is thy delight I blame thee not though thou do blush At noble honors sight Had Iulius Caesar loued gold More then a noble nameâ—… He neuer had been royalliz'd By such immortall fame The Macedonian monarke whom Aeternity shall praise Disdain d that any golden steps His glorious name should raise But Mydas purchast endlesse shame By being as thou art And Cressus for his store of gold Had store of bitter smart The gods for this doe plague vs men We men each other hate From hence as from a fountaine spring Strife murthers and debate O scencelesse minde of foolish man Which sees not what it hath But wanting in excessiue store Continues errours path Thou shalt not need such store of wealth Thy waftage for to pay When thy offending soule to hell Olde Charon shall conuay O seeke thy wealth in vertues mines If thou true ioyes wilt finde All other things vuconstant are And lighter then the winde But wanton
goulden day could euerscape The darke ensuing night Proude time will burie beauties youth In furrowes of decaye Wert thou ten thousand times a prince Thou canst not force it stay All these fond pleasures if fond things Deserue so good a name Should not seduce a noble minde To staine it selfe with shame The time shall come when all these same Which seeme so riche with ioy Like tyrants shall torment thy minde And vex thee with annoy When all those honye-tongued mates Can but weepe and lament That they by force must part from thee Whose vitall course is spent When all thy greatnesse must be left To such as shall succeed When sweetest pleasures memory Most dreadfull thoughts shall breede When this so much desired Sunne Shall but displease thy sight And all things else shall seeme to want The taste of sweete delight When all the creatures of the earth Cannot procurâ—… thine ease And friends with showres of vaine-shed teares Cannot thy greefe appease When tyranizing paine shall stop The passage of thy breath And thee compell to sweare thy selfe True seruant vnto death Then shall one vertuous deed impart More pleasure to thy minde Then all the treasures that on earth Ambitious thoughts can finde The well-spent time of one short day One hower one moment then Shall be more sweet then all the ioyes Amongst vs mortall men Then shalt thou finde but one refuge Which comfort can retaine A guiltlesse conscience pure and cleare From touch of sinfull staine Then shall thine inward eyes behoulde The loathsome path of sinne And thy proud heart repine in vaine That thou hast walkt therein Then shall Octauiaes wrongs appeare Like monsters to thine eyes And thou shalt curse the time and day That thou didst me despise Then shall my sighes and teares enflame A bonefire in thy minde And thou thy selfe thy selfe shalt loathe For being thus vnkinde At thy right hand my wronged ghoast Shall iust complaints renue And on thy left that queene shall shew What hath been wrought by you Aboue thy head thine eyes shall see The heauens to iustice bent Below thy â—…eete the pit of hell Ordain'd for punishment Ah poore Antonius how wilt thou Abhorre thy wretched state And most entirely then repent But then t' will be too late But thou great Empâ—…rour dost disdaine Such sharpe rebukes to finde For pietie and pittie both Are strangers to thy minde Thy braue heroick thoughts do scorne To stoope to these conceipts To humble for such high 〈◊〉 As honors praise awaightâ—… Then great 〈◊〉 worthy prince What Trophyes may we râ—…ise To equall these thy 〈◊〉 designes And manifest thy 〈◊〉 Who may inough augment thy â—…ame To answere thy desert Who doost attempt with 〈◊〉 To breake a womans 〈◊〉 A glory great a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For such as faithlesse be Form thy deeds the world may view The worthe that is in theâ—… More then a man thou wouldst be thought And shouldst indeed be so But let thy deeds more manly bee Or els that name forgoe That man which seemes a man in shew And is not such a one Deserues another name by right For he by right is none O do not thinke a womans death Can much endeare thy name But thinke how this vnmanly deed Will worke thine endlesse shame What man that were a man indeed Much lesse a Prince would see His wife and Queene a spectacle Of greefe and miserie Would to the pittie of the world And to all wondring eyes My constant louing minde reiect And guiltlesse me despise Would such vncessant streames of teares Draw from these restlesse springs And loade my â—…eart with endlesse greefe Which vtter ruine brings But hide thy head and all is well Thy faults cannot be spied No thou must know the â—…eauens are iust And must their sentence bide When all those powers which thou hast wrongd Shall punishment require How 〈◊〉 wretch be halfe inough To satisfie their ire How canst thou euer hope to pay The forfait of thy misse VVhen powerfull Iustice shall impose The iust reuenge oâ—… this VVhich makes me pittie more thy state Then greeue at mine owne wrong To thinke how he whom I haue lou'd Shall plagued be 〈◊〉 long Yet know though I detest thy fault I beare thee no ill will For if Antonius will returne He shall be loued still To which shee receiued this answere following Antonius to Octauia AMongst the monstrous stormes of woe Which do my soule surprize Thy direfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were Presented to mine 〈◊〉 O heauens how erosly haue you set Your still repugnant starres Which crosly crosse my tyred life With mortall ciuill warres I see and know that to be true Which thou dost heere obiect I see thou rightly callest that wrong Which I may not correct I finde my selfe engulft in greefe Entrapt in mischiefes power Yet cannot I auoide the storme Though it my life deuoure Of force my heart must condiscend To what thou dost require Yet cannot I performe the thing Which is thy chiefe desire I know the safe and perfect way Which reason saith is best Yet willingly I follow that Which wisdom liketh least What reason will that same would I And wisdom would so too But some thing greater then vs all Will not consent thereto That time that day those lookes those words Are yet fresh in my minde When my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greefe Vnto vs both assign'd Those teares I yet remember well Whiles I did thee imbrâ—…ce Those setled silent 〈◊〉 lookes Plac'd in each others face My words which true loue did endite And faith confirme the same For constant truth did at that time Secure my thoughts from blame My heart was free from thought of 〈◊〉 My minde from false entent I scornd a false dissembling worde And nought but truthe I meant But since mine eyes enricht their sight With Cleopatraes face My thoughts another obiect found My heart another place Which obiect so allur'd my minde With rauishing delight That wanting hir I thought each day An endlesse tedious night My very thoughts fram'd all my wordes To Cleopatraes name Yea when most great affaires withdrew My fancie from the same Mine eyes were blinde mine eares were deaffe My minde did scencelesse proue But when they saw heard or perceiu'd Hir face hir name hir loue No pleasures could my fancie please No mirth it selfe endeare Wherein th' Idea of hir face Did not to me appeare What reasons left I vnapprou'd What counsailes force to breake The sweete captiuing band of loue But all I found too weake He is deceiued that thinks to finde A countermine in loue And woe is me that speaking this I speake but what I proue Thus I my selfe the agent mâ—…de And traytor of my 〈◊〉 Can neuer hope to contradict Or to encounter this But though my yeelding heart as then Thy true loue did detaine That deed of 〈◊〉 a greater power By force reuokes againe And those truth-telling sages teach That euery motion small Is by a greater ouercome Or hindred therewithall O then though