strange we hear not of the Prince he has I 'm confidâ—â—t receiv'd advice both of Valerio's Death and my approach to Naples 1 Off. But what 's more wonderful your Messenger Returns not Duke That doth distract me too Me thinks he should With some Advices re-dispatch him back We all are in a mist and our designe For want of prosecution must needs give Advantage to the Enemy for soon As Hortensio hath notice of our March He 'll rally up his forces and pursue us From the Kings fury no less danger waits On our March forward Ruine will hem us in And pale Destruction like a hungry Grave Devour our Lives and Fortunes 1 Off. Our case is hard indeed to forsake hopes Of safety for a certain ruine 2 Off. Nay certain safety the resolution Was too promptly made and too soon executed Duke You judge by the event howe'er 't succeed The stratagem was high and the designe Through-laid We are not Gods to mold our fate Or to foresee futurity of chance We but propose 't is they dispose of things They mold the Fortunes of the mightiest Kings What means that shout A shout within 1 Off. It speaks the return Sir of your Messenger Enter Messenger Duke You are most welcome because long expected Where are the Prince's Letters 'T is more then time We knew his minde Mess The Prince Alas Duke Why dost thou stop and wear upon thy looks Distractions Livery Mess Could you but read the Tragedy within You 'd leave amazement and transported be To such a highth of wonder 't would change you To a Statue or like weeping Niobe From a Fountain-top force you to distil A Sea of blood for tears Duke For what most dire and fatal accident Dost thou prepare our ears Is the Prince Discovered and in hold Mess In hold indeed he 's Prisoner to Death Duke To Death Curst be the tongue which gave that language voice Curst be the ears that did receive the sound And doubly curst that guilty hand which durst Commit so vile a Regicide 1 Off. Cease good my Lord to be so far enrag'd Let us revenge before we grieve his death In his just Quarrel we 'll all spend our breath Duke Noble Lieutenant thy advice doth adde New vigour to my soul My curses now Shall change into revenge The Gods knew well How sweet that power was therefore reserv'd It wholly to themselves yet daring men By petty passions mov'd do often try To rob the Gods of that felicity With how much justice may I then revenge The Prince his Murther on that damned Slave Who durst in him give Vertue 's self a Grave Mess To set a sharper edge upon your swords Know that his Murtherer is high infavour With the King and that it is reported The Princess marriage must reward the act With whom he is to raign th' old King being dead A Monarch here in Naples Duke A King in Hell amongst the Purple flames He shall be rewarded Phalaris Bull Or some more horrid Instrument of death Which may with lingring yet excessive pain Drink by degrees his life and force him curse His soul to Hell for ease shall be his recompence 2 Off. But all this while his Name 's to us unknown Duke Let it be Murtherer or what it may My high revenge is levell'd at his soul Mess They call him Calisto but neither know From whence nor what he is Duke But I know where to send him This Caliste Must certainly be Terraefilius That Slave still wore a murthering heart beneath A smiling face But come let 's haste to Court If Blood be pastime there I 'll make them sport Exeunt Scoena Quinta Juliana Clariana Livia Jul. THy grief to mine compar'd is of so mean A price it looseth all account Clar. I 've lost my Heart my Lover and my Prince Jul. And I my Love Heart Prince and Brother too My dear Valerio's poyson'd yet I live Clar. Amintor murther'd and I onely grieve Livia sings My Love is dead and my Heart is gone And yet I live And yet I grieve But Frangypane will return anon From yonder cloud Jul. What a medley of sorrow 's here Livia continues the Song He 'll rip his shrowd And visit me again But I 'll no longer be Guilty of cruelty By which he once was slain If that you spy An Arrow fly And wound his Noble Heart Oh do not cry Oh do not start 'T is but a glance Of this bright eye That doth advance To visit his poor Heart Clar. Poor innocent Maid with what distracted Yet passionate Notes she vents her griefs Were I distracted too I might as she Perhaps in Songs vent all my misery Jul. That wish would but our miseries augment For it would render us uncapable To revenge the deaths of those we grieve for Clar. I know 't is ignoble but where there is A want of strength to bear a misery To Nature sure it is a charity To wish our selves less sensible of grief I could afford to melt my soul in tears Distil my eyes like Marble in a sweat If 't would renew my dear Amintor's life But such my mis'ry is the more I grieve I 've greater cause to grieve Like damned fouls That suffer'd flames a hundred thousand years Perceive their sufferings of as great a length When that time 's finisht as when first begun So will the Prince his death appear to me And every day augment my misery Jul. Dry up those liquid sorrows Joyn with me In a Revenge may justifie your love And set his bones at rest Then we 'll resolve Like Roman Dames to meet our Loves in shades Which neither jealousie nor fate invades Clar. My Womans strength will fail in the attempt 'T is easier far for me to die my self Then own the cruelty to destroy another Yet Death though gildedne'en so well is still Relisht by Nature as a bitter Pill Jul. Tho' Nature's weak our loves may well supply That poor defect and teach us how to die And our Revenge so great a Justice is Nor gods nor men can say we do amiss He 'll straight be here come come you must resolve Here take this Ponyard how you tremble at it Me thinks my Brothers death might fortifie Your Arm. Clar. That fatal word addes Courage Jul. Why bravely said Think who you do revenge Think how he lov'd how innocent he died Then strike Thou canst not miss the Traytors heart I 'll grave as many wounds upon his flesh As his vile murther made upon my heart And then the World and I may freely part Clar. I 'll endeavour to follow your example So brave a Leader may well guide my hand To all those Actions which my fears withstand But if my love I to your Precepts Joyn No Womans Courage ought to equal mine Jul. How well that speech becomes my Clariana But since our Courage hath attain'd this heighth We must devise the aptest means to perfect Our Revenge Perswade thou Livia bind him to this
darkest Policies Hell e'er contriv'd He well may term himself the scourge o' th' Gods For he 's his Fathers terrour his disquiet How can I be a King and fear Can Nature On my Prerogative so far prevail To make me live in bondage to a Son Ter. Aside He 's much incens'd Policy bids comply I see your Majesty 's much better read In the obscure Volume of the Princes heart Then I in which appears such gentle mildness So intermixt with duty to your self As might deceive a wiser man then I. King Aside This Fellow 's honest sure All 's but Hypocrisie and meer Deceit Rebellion still hath worn Religions Cloak Worst Acts are fac'd with Piety Believe 't Policy hath taught the Prince first what to seem Then what to be but I know all his haunts There 's not a corner of his heart lies hid From my discovery his secret Plots Appear as plain as the unclouded Sun In the Meridian Ter. How men may be abus'd I do protest The World believeth him a Miracle Of Vertue and thence erect a pity To his Person some are so bold to term You cruel others unjust unto his worth Which is by all admir'd I cannot blame Your Majesty to fear though much I grieve You should have cause of fear especially From him whereon your Kingdome doth erect Such hopes but your Majesty is wise King We will begin to be so now thou perceiv'st Our injuries Ter. With too much grief King Honest Calisto thou shalt share our bosome We intend this night for to secure the Prince Ter. Your Majesty 's a miracle of Wisdome King We have intelligence he is to sup With the Duke of Calabria to night A notable Favourer of his faction Ter. Heaven I hope favours your Majesty And then you need not fear King Fear Calisto shall henceforth loose her Name 'T is Action now that must secure us Ter. You are an Oracle unto your self And need no second counsel King It is not safe to stroke a Lyons Whelp Whence once he doth begin to finde his strength Much less to trust so popular a Prince Molded by War to every act of Blood With liberty and all the peoples hearts Those Princes by a Politick compass steer Who still secure what they have cause to fear Exit Ter. So I 'm a Favourite already sure The Air o' th' Court 's unwholsom and infects I could not else so soon become a Knave Nay worse a Traytor to my Princes trust And if that worse may be ungrateful too To a man that rais'd me from the dust from whence He snatcht me up to plant me in his breast And for this good must I now cut his throat The time requires it Pox on Machiavel I had been honest had I ne'er read thee But now the Devil chalks me out a way To be a King my Vertue can't resist So rich a bait Ambition whispers me How near were Terraefilius to a Throne Could he but make the Princess once his own Exit Scoena Quarta Clariana Prince Duke Clar. VVHat haste you make away Prince Business calls loud upon me Clar. Nay use your pleasure Sir since I am grown So great a burthen to your thoughts you seem Distasted with my company which us'd To be so pleasing at least you made me Think so Melancholy durst not approach Your heart whilst you possest it Prince 'T is still as grateful and Clariana More precious to my soul then ever I must ' confess some melancholy thoughts Perplex my minde and raise disturbances Within my soul I know no reason for 't I never yet to my remembrance Surprized was with such a suddain fear My whole frame shakes as if my innocent Soul Were guilty of some crime she durst not think on Clar. I fear'd somewhat relating to my self Had rais'd that stormy weather in your looks I would not willingly through ignorance Offend a Person to whom knowingly Love hath not left me power to wish ill Prince It is not in thy power to offend But you are too indulgent to your fears Would I could dress my face in such a look As might still give assurance of my love And so kill suspicion Clariana It is the misery of Lovers still To fancie or too little or too much They conster frowns and misinterpret smiles For fears or hopes as love their fancy guides Clar. Love knows no reason therefore is govern'd By appearances besides the face is term'd The Index of the minde wherein 's discern'd Each passion of the Soul Gladness and Joy Are there enthron'd and circled in with smiles Distaste appears in Frowns Anger and Rage Still shooteth from the eye and so doth scorn But Melancholy is too bold a Guest Engrossing all these Lodgings to himself Prince This were an Art worth studying had men So fair a Book as your face to read it They would out-stare Astronomers and be More wakeful then a Nurse-keeper that had Newly learnt to watch with her eyes open The News Enter Messenger Mess This Letter to your Highness Exit He reads it Prince What is he gone Oh my Prophetick fear Clar. How fares my Lord the Prince Prince Read Clariana read and tell me then If I have cause to grieve Terraefilius Says there the King intends to secure us Immediately to coop and cage me up What then his Parasites may work him to Let all men judge that have a grain of sence Experience doth make me justly fear A Princes Prison and his Grave are near Alas poor Clariana Why dost spend She weeps Those precious Tears in vain Preserve them To embalm my Hearse for they are useless now Could they dissolve a Rock of Adamant For the Kings heart 's a much more harden'd substance Enter Duke Here comes thy aged Father weeping too As if his Tears held counsel with my fate Duke Flee flee my Lord and by escape prevent The fury of the King whose Officers Are making down the Street to apprehend you Prince Why let them come my innocence is so Secure a Guard I cannot fear Clar. Vertue may be by Violence opprest Oh good my Lord seek to preserve your self You do not know the ruine threatens you Duke It is no idle fear there are strange whispers And how far the Kings jealousie may work Upon him none but the Gods can tell We'ave All cause to doubt since from his love and counsels All worthy Souls are banisht You he hath Banisht too you whom he ought to esteem The chiefest Pillar to support his State But we have no time for Arguments my Lord I hear the Officers Clar. Oh hear me on my knees Listen to her You oft have stil'd Commandress of your heart She begs you would be kinde unto your self If not unto your self unto the State Whose welfare on your safety doth depend If all this cannot move yet pity me Nay I 'll not rise until you grant my boon Prince I can deny thee nothing Rise Clar. Oh give me then your safety by your flight Duke
doth flow From me wheth'r I will or no Therefore if you 'll hear the story In my Language I am for ye Liv. So you 'll be brief my Lord I am content Fran. Apollo risen as I said before In his right-hand a Cypress Garland bore In 's left a Lash by which he did presage That with my Satyres I should scourge the Age. Liv. Then you are much Satyrical Fran. I am all the parts of Poesie and love Pray hear me out I 'll clear all doubt Your Criticisms can object or move Liv. 'T is pity so brave a Fellow should be fool'd by fancie And Valour wedded to such indiscretion Fran. Silence Madam in a Woman Is a Vertue but not common Liv. Proceed I am most attentive Fran. Then Phoebus put the Garland on my head And straight by him my Destiny was read That I should languish much for my first Love But if to me she too unkind did prove Each Lady that did hear a Verse of mine At first should love but if refus'd should pine 'T is you I first affect Liv. Indeed my Lord Fran. Yeeld love for love Liv. Oh excellent Poetical Courtship Fran. Lest your whole Sex do these disasters prove Liv. Most dire and terrible Fran. Now if you can affect me I pray shew it To him Apollo stil'd the Cypress Poet. Liv. My Lord you are all affected Fran. By all affected and refus'd by you Were in my Cypress Wreath to mingle Rue Enter Juliana Terraefilius Jul. How now my Lord You spend your time in Courtship Liv. A Poet Madam always is in love Jul. But is' t true I heard that Miracle and wanted faith Liv. Most true he can both seign and rime Jul. I thought his Lordship had scarce wit to be guilty of such a folly Calisto what think you doth not his face betray him for a Lord Ter. More then a Poet Madam for me thinks he wants much of their crabbedness in his countenance he looks not as if he had lately contracted his brows in a Purse-net for a Conceit besides his Hair grows thick upon the Temples which Poets still tug off with pumping for inventions Liv. But his are free his Verse all unconstrain'd For he hath quite forgot his Mother-tongue And Metre flows more plentifully from His lips then Claret from a Conduit-pipe At a Coronation Jul. Sure he 's inspir'd Livia he was wont To be content with Prose altho' it came A little short of sense Liv. Indeed he us'd a Martial bluntness Madam But give him still his due he was a Souldier Jul. Sure the Wench loves him Liv. Your Highness is deceiv'd 't is he loves me And yet I pity him that for my sake He should incur so great a Lunacy Jul. As love is that a madness Liv. Oft-times it self but in a Martial Scull And joyn'd with Poetry a double Lunacy Ter. See how his Muse labours he stands as if he were Casting Figures or conjuring for Verses Fran. Hieroglyphick love that with Geometrical are Takes the dimension of each Triangle heart Ter. Those words lay hard upon his Stomack Jul. They were bad of digestion towards bed-time Ha ha ha he turns his eyes are fixt on Livia Ter. He 'd make a gallant Setter Jul. A pretty Puppy for a Ladies Lap. Fran. Frangypane sings Is it your Nature Lady or your Will That makes you cruell still Liv. My Will Ter. He varies too much his humour to be madâ— Fran. Frangypane sings Will you be then ' gainst Reason still unkind And count my Passion Wind Liv. Winde Jul. Well sung eccho Fran. Frangypane sings Wind is but Air and with a puff is paid Will you still live a Maid Liv. A Maid Fran. Then by this puff of scorn you have betray'd Your Sex to ruine had you my love cherisht You had been safe and none of them had perisht Exit Ter. He can vail out of Tune Jul. But not in Prose This Fellow's humour might become the Stage Exceeding well but that it would be thought Too much extravagant To what a heighth Of madness may fancy bear a man Liv. Madam you mist the best I had the whole Relation of his Instalment Jul. Come in and tell the story such harmless mirth Best pleases I shall be mindful of my Brother's Business he gives you a noble character Exeunt Jul. Liv. Ter. Ever a Slave unto your Vertues Madam I would I were your Master Rebellious Thoughts how dare ye assume a voice to give Your selves a sound articulate Die die And with you perish all my fonder hopes Grounded upon ambitious Policy My honest thoughts keep guard upon my heart For love doth seek to undermine the fort And so betray me to ingratitude Still the infection seizes on my heart Love like a Poison spreads its Leprosie Which will too soon I fear corrupt my soul For it already doth my thoughts controul Exit Scoena Tertia King Lussurio Malcigno Terraefilius King THat was Calisto sure that parted hence Lus It was an' like your Majesty King Send him to us and be you diligent In keeping watch the while for our safety Lus We shall Sir I like not this familiarity Brother we must rid us of this fear Mal. We 'll finde occasions to disgrace him fear not But to our task Exeunt King My safety bids me try him ere I trust For I perceive him of a subtler mold Then all my other Servitors He 's fit If I sind him honest to be trusted In the full management of those affairs Nearest concern us our proper safety And next the peace and welfare of the State Both which are threatned by the Prince a Son In Title in Duty a meer stranger Where I should love there I have cause to fear But what I want in Son I have in Heir Yet he shall stay his time maugre his spirit 'T is just his Father die 'fore he inherit Calisto Enter Terraefilius Ter. My Liege King You promis'd us when last we did discourse To give us your opinion of our Son We have given you time to recollect your knowledge Therefore speak Ter. Sir your request is of so deep concern And I so little in his nature verst I never durst have undertook the task which to dispute Had not your dread Commands Were impudence in me constrain'd me to 't King We like your honest caution speak your Thoughts freely Ter. You give a Noble freedome which I 'll use As best becomes a subject that speaks truth You have a Son so full of Piety So enrich'd with Wisdome Valour indeed all Those Vertues which adorn a Noble Prince Or Kings may hope for in their Successours To make their Kingdome happy Aside King Is this through ignorance or love I 'll sound him Calisto thou dost flatter him basely Belye his Vices believe it he 's more proud Then Lucifer in Ambition greater Then the Giants that threatned Heaven For Cruelty no Tygres equal him He wears a bloody mantle o'er his thoughts And underneath obscurely lie involv'd The