Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A93170
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The doubtful heir. A tragi-comedie, as it was acted at the private house in Black-Friers written by James Shirley. Never printed before.
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Shirley, James, 1596-1666.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing S3466; ESTC R230285
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39,522
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90
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Lips breath Incense thus Wee 'l have ten thousand Cupids for our guard Whose Bows shall awe the destinies and we write The King and Queen of Fate Enter Ferdinand Leandro Rodriguez Ernesto Captain Guard Ferd. Will this deserve your faith Leand. We must believe Enter Violinda Viol. We are undone the King Que. False Keys Rosa. 'T was time to come Ferd. Had I not cause my Lords to appear sad When I suspected this so great affront My melancholy all this while was but A mourning for this shame Look but my Lords Into your selves and make this suffering yours Viol. Madam be rais'd again I have an art To fetch you off with honor and the youth too I will perswade him there can be no cure In this extream but to pretend himself A woman I will dress him in your Gown Before they can be ware on 't they all know This way he cannot flie mean time put on A confidence and let them know you are The Queen not to be shaken with their power This will gain time Que. Prosper in this Viol. I will Redeem my fault or never sleep again Exit with Rosania Ferd. She blushes not Were she nor Queen what names could we bestow Upon this want of modesty Leand. 'T is plain We came in time Ferd. Most happily to prevent Some further act of shame can she look on us Without a blush Que. I see no such attraction In your state faces that I should desire Much to look on 'em Who made you King I pray Ferd. Your power I dare not call it love presuming That I was fit to be your property Without a soul to see or have a sense Of these dishonors This rank heat of blood Madam what penitence can make this clear Admit your thoughts were wanton and your flame Too great to be supprest could you finde none For your adulterate embrace but one That was my servant my own hound devour me As if your lust had not enough of shame And mischief to me but your malice must Appear in 't too with what securitie Can I expect to live when she begins So soon to poyson me Leand. We heard her say They two would write themselves the King and Queen Rod. So we did all Ferd. You may consider these Leand. 'T is impious Madam with what grief do we Remember now that Law you made After your Corronation to preserve The name of your sex chast which gave our Hearts Hope of your blessed progress you made it death To stain the Marriage-bed where shall we expect The life of that good act when you begin A breach of chastitie by so black example If the King urge an Execution Of what our vote confirm'd by yours impos'd Upon the kingdom you should prove your self More innocent or give us cause to mourn This fall from virtue Er. Madam we grieve for you Que So so have your great wisdoms said all yet I laugh at you poor things and am so far From trembling at your thunder that I pitty you And first I 'l let you know you selves you are I take it all my subjects I will not Exempt you Sir since Marriage takes not off My Interest and Essence here all strength Flowing from me and your Derivative shine Extinct when I frown you to darkness by What power dare you take an accompt of me That am above your Laws which must obey Me as their Soul and Dye when I forsake 'em But I will reason coolely and admit They live in force 'gainst whom are you so shallow To think we that created and decreed 'em For vulgar reformation must be squard And Levell'd by 'em as we meant to lose Our Character and distinction and stoop Toth ' common file of subjects this were policy I speak not this with sense of any guilt So to decline it for I here defie you And bring an Innocence shall strike a blush Upon your Souls that sinn'd in my suspition Aside Ferd. Where is the Boy Ernesto take him to Your custodie and bid him not despair I have contriv'd the rest Enter Rosania like a Woman and Violinda Er. He 's here Viol. Take it upon you if it come to searching Wee 'l find a Jurie Capt. You are deceiv'd my Lord with your good pardon He is not here Er. Who is not here Capt. The he you do expect And your Officious Ladyship might well Have spar'd your pains to put on all this trim Ferd. What means the fellow Capt. 'T is no news to your Sir I could have told the Queen before and you My honourable Lords this was no Boy Though now he would but seem o' th' tother sex I knew her name Ros. My name Capt. Are not you call'd Rosania Ferd. Ha! betraid Capt. Yes indeed is she you were present Sir I' th' Garden when this fine Hermophrodite Declar'd what sex was hid behind the Breeches And this I certified the Prince before Que. Now 't is clear Capt. There are some tokens too I can remember As kisses and excuse for marrying with The Queen a Virgin still c. Omnes A Woman Viol. But are you a Woman indeed Capt. And now my Lords if you have Hearts that are Honest and daring come about agen For this is but a cunning piece of treason Against your Faith and the Queens honour Ferd. We are both lost Rosania Capt. 'T is truth or take my Head off Que. You do believe this transformation And know this Ladie my good Lord I did Suspect before the cause of your neglects And meeting with some dark Intelligence From the Prince to perfect this discovery Did in my Chamber wooe with aptest forms Of Love to trie how long the sex would be Conceal'd you heard a part and see us kiss And came in time with these wise Noblemen To prevent further acts of shame Rodri. I' st possible Rosa. It was an ill contrivement to make me Proof of the Queens dishonour Er. An apparent Plot Against the life and honour of the Queen Since he would urge that Law maliciously Against her knowing this to be a Woman And his close strumpet Rodri. The same Law must be Their tryall Leand. What a change is here already Que. You must not Lords deny me Justice Rodri. 'T is insufferable Against a common person Er. Let his first Treason if you think good Madam be urg'd In accusation Leand. So so Que. You did us service Captain Capt. I am bound too 't here 's more news for the Prince Que. Use your pleasures Exit Rod. What need we circūstance let him dye to morrow Que. Death will be mercie to so much ingratitude Command them both to severall custodies The morning shall behold 'em dead Ros. Now more lost then ever Exeunt Manent Ferd: Ros. Guard Ferd. Pray le ts take Short leave of one another 't is in vain To reason against providence or say We might ha' liv'd though I must dye and after Be hid in my obscurest name and shade I must declare whose blood
Queen if it be treason to Have been a stranger thus long from my Country Bred up with silence of my name and birth And not till now mature to own my self Before a Sun-beam if it be treason After so long a banishment to weep A tear of joy upon my Countries bosom And call her mine my just inheritance Unless you stain my blood with bastardy If it be treason still to love this Earth That knew so many of my race her Kings Though late unkindly arm'd to kill her Sovereign As if the effusion of my blood were left To make her fertile if to love Olivia My nearest pledge of blood although her power Hath chain'd her Prince and made her Lord her prisoner Who sits with expectation to hear That sentence that must make the golden Wreath Secure upon her Brow by blasting mine If this be treason I am guilty Ferdinand Your King 's become a traitor and must die A black and most inglorious death Ernest. You offer At some defence but come not home by what Engine were you translated hence or whether Convei'd There was some trust deceiv'd when you Were carried forth to be preserv'd and much Care taken since in bringing of you up And giving secret Fire to this Ambition Ferd. There wants no testimony here of what Concerns the story of my Birth and Infancy If one dare speak and be an honest Lord Leand. How 's that Ferd. Whose love and art secur'd me from all tyranny Though here my funeral was believ'd while I Sent to an honorable Friend his Kinsman Grew safely to the knowledge of my self At last till fortune of the War betray'd me To this captivity Leand. I blush at thee Yong-man whose fate hath made thee desperate And car'st not what mans blood thou draw'st along In thy black stream or what mans faith thou mak'st As hateful as thy crimes Ernest. That confederate Sure has some name declare him that he may Thank you for his reward and lose his head for 't Quee. We always see that men in such high nature Deform'd and guilty want not specious shapes To gain their practice friendship and compassion But he shall feel the punishment d' you smile Ferd. A womans anger is but worth it Madam And if I may have freedom I must say Not in contempt of what you seem nor help'd By overcharge of passion which but makes A fruitless noise I have a sense of what I am to lose a life but I am so fortified With valiant thoughts and innocence I shall When my last breath is giving up to lose Its self i' th' air be so remote from fear That I will cast my face into one smile Which shall when I am dead acquit all trembling And be a story to the world how free From paleness Ferdinand took leave of earth Rosa. Alas my Lord you forget me that can Part with such courage Ferd. I forget indeed I thought of death with honor but my love Hath found a way to chide me O my Boy I can weep now Leon. A sudden change he weeps Quee. What Boy is that Ferd. I prethee take thy self away Quee. Your Spirit Does melt it seems and you begin to think A life is worth preserving though with Infamy Ferd. Goodness thy aid again and tell this great Proud woman I have a Spirit scorns her pity Come hither Boy and let me kiss thee thus At parting with a good and pretty servant I can without my honor stain'd shed tears I took thee from thy Friends to make thee mine Is it not truth Boy Rosa. Yes my Lord Ferd. And mean't when I was King to make thee great And shall I not when I can live no longer To cherish thee at farewel drop a tear That I could weep my soul upon thee But You are to slow me thinks I am so far From dread I think your forms too tedious I expect my sentence Quee. Let it stay a while What secret flame is this Honor protect me Your Graces fair excuse for you I shall Return again Exit Ferd. And I with better guard After my silence in the Grave to meet And plead this cause Ernest. He is distracted sure His person I could pity but his insolence Wants an example what if we proceed To sentence Leon. I suppose the Queen will clear Your duties in 't Leand. But I 'l acquaint her Exit Rod. My Lord Leandro 's gone Ernest. His censure will Be one with ours Ferd. Yet shall I publish who Thou art I shall not die with a calm soul And leave thee in this cloud Enter the Queen and Leandro Rosa. By no means Sir The Queen Quee. Whose service is so forward to our State That when Our pleasure 's known not to proceed They dare be officious in his Sentence Are We Queen or do we move by your Protection Ernest. Madam the Prince Quee. My Lord you have a Queen I not suspect his wisdom Sir but he Hath no Commission here to be a Judge You were best circumscribe our Regal power And by your selves condemn or pardon all And we sign to your will The offence which you Call treason strikes at us and we release it Let me but see one curl in any Brow Attend the prisoner hither Kiss our hand Are you so merciless to think this man Fit for a Scaffold You shall Sir be near us And if in this confusion of your Fortunes You can finde gratitude and love despair not These men that now oppose may finde your title Clear to the Kingdom too Be Sir collected And let us use your arm Exit Supported by Ferdinand Rosa. What change is here Leand. What think you of this Lords Rodri. I dare not think Leon. Affronted thus O my vext heart Exit Rosa. I le follow still and if this be no dream We have scap'd a Brook to meet a greater stream Exeunt ACT. III Enter Rodriguez Ernesto Ernest. THough I believ'd her passionate and like A Sea tempestuous in her anger I Never thought she would marry him Rodri. She 's the Queen But with what honor she could quit the Prince Who without treason did deserve her too Comes not within my reach Ernest. If you consider He has been valiant for her to great purpose And brought a prisoner home to mount his Gennet It was a pretty service Rod. How does he bear it Ernest. He 's here you may enquire it Enter Leonario with Letters and a Servant Leon. Be swift and faithful Arragon bleeds here Nothing but War can right my cause and honor Serv. Expect an army great as your own thoughts To cut the way to your revenge Exit Leon. My Lords Rodriguez and Ernesto Ambo Your Graces servants Leon. A man may take the benefit of this Garden Without a Court offence you have had the day Of triumph and the Queen already teeming To bless the Kingdom with an Heir and yet You see I walk like a poor Neighbor Prince And have my heart still Rod. I am glad you bear