very Mars in warre And Captaine good unto the Greekes thy glory scales the skies To thee did thy red-headed wife cause Pirrhus rough to rise The Trojans utter overthrow but stay to Greekish host Be thou good Pirrhus unto us a favourable ghost Who here in grave intombed liest in Phoebus sacred ground Bow downe thy eare to th' holy hymnes that we to thee do sound And this our City suffer not in any feare to be Of thee and Thetis is our song Thetis all haile to thee The song ended enters Theagines Captaine of the Thessalians very richly apparelled followed by many gallants who guarding him as he went at last encompassed him round about the maides overcome with the beauty of Theagines could not moderate their passions but began to cast flowers and fruit upon him with that enters Cariclea most sumptuously adorned according to the manner her haire was neither all bound up nor all loose but the most part thereof that grew behind hanged over her shoulders that which grew from the crowne of her head downe to her forehead being of a yellow colour was crowned with a garland of young Laurell in her left hand shee bare a guilded Bow and a Quiver of arrowes hanged on her right shoulder and in her other hand she bare a taper burning after the young men had gone three times about Neoptolem is sepulture in their bravery the women cryed out pittiously the men made a strange noise with that Theagines speakes to Caricles Theag. Most sacred Priest of this high Deity We make request unto you to begin This sacrifice to Neoptolemus Caric. The sacrifice indeed belongs to me But you sir as the Captaine of this charge And sacred message ought to take the taper Of her there who of all those ceremonies Is presedent and burne the alter of This is the order and our Countrey fashion Theagnes takes the taper with a great deale of reverence from the hand of Cariclea and sets fire to the Alter but first he was in a maze at the exceeding beauty of Cariclea and she as much taken with his then they both smiled a little and blush'd and then became pale againe in conclusion he fell in love with her and she with him Theag. So burnes my heart as doth this Alter here The taper that did set my heart a fire Was faire Caricleas beauty aside Cariclea How my soule Could sacrifice to faire Theagines aside Caricles Great god of Delphos in whose sacred temple We celebrate these funerall obsequies Of great Achilles sonne vouchsafe to send A happy ômen which may crowne this worke Of our devotion offered at thy Altar The Oracle speakes touching Theagines and Cariclea Ye men of Delphos sing of her and her rare beauties praise Who now in grace begins to grow but fame shall end her daies Who leaving these my temples here and sailing surging streames Shall come at length to contries scorch'd with Phoebus burning beames Where they as recompences due that vertues rare doe gaine In time to come ere it be long White miters shall obtaine After this answer of the god Apollo the pompe is broken up and Exeunt Actus secundi Scena octava Enter the iudges and people of Athens then Aristippus And Demeneta with Cnemon bound 1 Iudg. Cnemon stand forth who doth accuse him here Aristippus steps forth and strewing ashes on his head saith Aristip. I brought not up my sonne ye men of Athens To see him come unto this end but rather To be a staffe to stay my age upon As soone as he was borne his education VVas good and civill when he did attaine To riper yeeres I set him to our schooles And Academies there to study arts And Mathematicke sciences besides According to the lawes of this our City Made him free denison yet notwithstanding He hath not onely cast behind his backe These favours of my love but diversely Both injur'd me and beaten this good woman Who by our lawes is now my second wife And not content herewith one night he came Unto us with a drawne sword in his hand When we in bed suspected no such thing In mind to kill us both and was no farther From being a paracide but that by chance His sword by sudden feare fell out his hand Which Demeneta my good wife tooke up Therefore I flee to you most learned Judges And though I might by law of this our Senate Slay him with my owne hands yet I appeale Unto your justice and commit my cause To your grave censures counting it more fit To punish this my sonne by publike lawe Then private bloodshed With that Aristippus weepes Demeneta faining teares also Demen. Cnemon i 'me sorry for thee pretty boy In an ill hower wert thou brought to the world Unhappy creature Cnem. Grave and learned senate Vouchsafe to heare me speake 2 Iudg. We will not heare thee But answer to this question we propound Came you unto your father with a sword Drawne in your hand or no Cnem. I not deny But I came with a drawne sword in my hand But I will tell you how please you to heare me 3 Iudg. He hath confess'd ynough he ought not speake more for himselfe 1 Iudg. Let us proceed to sentence 2 Iudg. I judge him worthy to be ston'd to death 3 Iudg. I to be hang'd 4 Iudg. This is my sentence fathers That he be cast headlong into the dungeon Cnem. O cruell stepmother and most unkind For thy curs'd sake am I so ill intreated Against all equity and justice too Thou kil'st me contrary to course of Law 1. Iudg. Your sentence is too hard and too severe Let him not die but be for ever banish'd 2 Iudg. Let him be ston'd 3. Iudg. Nay hang'd 4. Iudg. nay cast into The dungeon 1. Iudg. since we differ conscript fathers In our opinions I doe thinke it fit It be referr'd unto the peoples voyces 2. Iudg. I doe assent unto it 3 Iudg. So do I 4. Iudg. And I 1. Iudg. Then people give your voices shall young Cnemon Die or be banish'd The people banish'd banish'd banish'd 1. Iudg. Then Cnemon this must be thy punishment Perpetuall exile from thy native land Never to be revok'd which if infring'd By thy presumption then expect to have No mercie from the senate but a grave Breake up the Court Exeunt Actus secundi Scena nona Enter Caricles and Calasiris Caric. Saw you my onely joy and the sole honour Of Delphos faire Cariclea my daughter Calas. This was not sir the first time that I saw her As often as the people made resort Unto the temple I was present with her And more we have done sacrifice together And when she doubted any point depending On divine matters or on humane learning She would have me instruct her in the truth Caric. How did you like her at the sacrifice Did she set forth that brave sight any thing Calasiris You aske me a strang question Caricles As if you doubted whether the bright moone Did
yet I would have my selfe excused to thee if thou happen to live and to him that shall finde thee if the gods procure any and therefore I declare the cause of thy exposition after king Hydaspes had beene married to me ten yeeres and we had never a child we happened one time to rest us after dinner in a gallerie where hung rare pictures and images amongst which were those of Perseus and Andromeda portrayed as when he first redeem'd her from the rocke at this time your father lay with me swearing that by a dreame he was commanded so to doe and I by and by perceived my selfe to be with child but thou wert borne white which colour is strange among the Aethiopians I knewe the reason because I looked sted fastlie upon the picture of Andromeda naked and by that meanes conceived a thing like to her yet I determined to rid my selfe of shamefull death counting it certaine that thy colour would procure me to be accused of adulterie and that none would believe me when I told them the cause and to commit thee to the unstablenes of fortune which is a great deale rather to be wished for then present death or to be called a bastard and telling my husband that thou wert straight dead I have privilie layd thee forth with the greatest riches that I had for a reward to him that shall find thee and take thee up above all thinges remember that thou seeke among thy jewels for a certaine ring which thy father gave me when we were first made sure in the hoope whereof is a princelie posie the stone is a Pantarbe of secret vertue consecrated in the place where it is set The gods preserve thee my deerest daughter and grant us a happy meeting Theag. A strange but blest discoverie hast thou made Of faire Caricleas royall pedegree Right reverend father which before lay buried Deepe in the obscure vault of ignorance Now princelie virgin raise thy glorious head Above the clouds and give thy conquering beautie Command to pull the thunderer from his seate To serve thee here on earth or in Olympus Where thou shalt please to dwell and rest not here Let Mars be fetter'd Mercurie a slave And bright Apollo dazled with the sight Of beames more splendant then his owne fall downe And worship thy appearance offering thee His throne to sit upon Calas. Theagenes Fie be not such a vaine Idolater The gods may plague you for it Theagines plague me for Adoring queene Caricles deity They are unjust then for themselves commit The same Idolatry aswell as I Calas. That 's but your superstitious jealousie Thinke you the gods will rivall you or love A mortall Virgin fie 't is blasphemy Theag. They have done so or else the Poets lie Witnesse Europas bull and Laedas swans Faire Danaes shower and Daphnes transformation If their poore beauties had that operation To worke such strange effects in heavenly powers How much more force nay violence thinke you Hath hers to whose compard theirs are like glasse To sparkling diamonds Caric. My dearest friend Forbeare these candid raptures of your wit Not my desert and enter into thought Of what concernes us most Theag. Agreed my goddesse Calas. No more dispute then but forthwith to sea Delphos adiew the fates call us away Exeunt Actus quarti Scena secunda Enter Arsace and her old baud Cibile Arsa. So sweet a man as thy description makes him Cib. Nothing inferiour Madame but beyond it His body is a Temple stately built Where Venus comes and offers turtle doves To gaine his liking Arsa. Such a majesty Accompanying that sweetnesse too Cib. As if They wedded were together hand in hand Walking in so delectable a mansion Arsa. So active and broad shoulder'd as thou saist So tall and portly Cib. Every way provided To satisfie your pleasure Arsa. Thou hast kindled A fire within me but what Countrey ownes This wonder of a man when landed he At Memphis shore who brought him canst thou tell Cib. He came with Calasiris from some parts Of Greece as I am given to understand And landed here last night Arsa. Where doth he lodge Cib. In Calasiris house without the Temple Arsa. Thou must devise some way to bring him to me And lodge him in our palace for I have An itching humour to enjoy the man Cib. Let me alone I am your Ingineer To worke your pleasure Arsa. But who is the maid Thou saist did beare him company and was So neere his bosome Cib. I suppose she is His sister or his wife Arsa. Is she faire as he Cib. I never saw one fairer such a beauty As would have made Iove stoope and shaken off His Eagles borrowed shape to force a kisse From her Nectorious hand Arsa. Thou mak'st me jealous With praises of my rivall Cib. Let not that Trouble your thoughts he cannot be so foolish That when so great a happinesse shall be Offer'd unto him as the love and liking Of faire Arsace Oromdates wife Egypts great Deputy but reverently Kneele downe and worship such a change in love Arsa. If thou canst bring deare nurse this thing to passe Thou shalt at once cure two diseases in me Fell love and jealousie Cib. I doubt it not What mad man but will be content to change His Brasse for Gold his Copper for rich pearle Both which he shall enjoy enjoying you Arsa. O what a sugred time have I to use My sweet disports now that the Deputy My husband is imployed in the warre Against Hydaspes King of Aethiopia About the Smaragd mines pray heaven they end not Before my pleasures period Cib. Never feare it You shall have time ynough to bathe in blisse Arsa. See Cibile who knocks there one knocks Cib. Calasiris And the faire parties Arsa. Heavens conduct them in Enter Calasiris Theagines and Cariclea Calas. All haile unto the Palace of my Prince Madame it may seem strange unto your Highnesse That I presume to bring these strangers with me To kisse you Princely hands I make no doubt But when you shall be well informed of Their birth and breeding it wil plead my pardon Arsa. What need this complement you 'r welcome sir So are your friends when did you ever know me Unkind to strangers or inhospitable To such as these whose outward lookes declare Their inward minds and speake their noble parts So elegant a grace and stately beauty As shineth in their countenances cannot Proceed but from some Princely pedegree Pray â—r speake whence you are Theag. Most beautious Lady Please you to understand we are of Greece Descended of a Noble family Which ne're produced yet unworthy branches Let it suffice I doe beseech your Grace We open it no further we have beene Rob'd on the sea by pyrates but redeem'd By Noble Calasiris and brought here To Memphis stately City Arsa. Is this Lady Your sister or your wife Theag. My sister Madame Tost equally with me by fortunes blasts Arsa. but now those stormes are past and
At her so flowring age O had my daughter I bare unto you liv'd she would have beene Almost as old as she I doe beseech you Spare her and let her serve me at my table For I am prompted strangely by my Genius Unto commiseration Hydas. So am I Beyond imagination but you know The Law requires the first fruits of the warre Should be the gods oblation to the Sunne Therefore we 'll offer him she to the Moone The gods must be obey'd the lawes fulfil'd They all offer to rise Cariclea fals at the feet of Sysimethres Caric. Wise grave and learned sir be pleas'd to stay A little longer for I have a cause Of consequence to plead before the King And Queene Persina which concernes them too Aswell as me this matter doth require A speedy judgment and I heare that you Give sentence on such noble personage Therefore judge you this plea of life and death And know it is not just to offer me Unto the gods Sysim. Vouchsafe to heare most gracious Soveraigne This strange appeale and what this maid requireth Hydasp. What judgement may this be or what have I To doe with her by what meanes should I come Into her danger Sysim. Please you to attend She will declare it Hydas. But take heed that this You doe be no true judgment but plaine wrong If I that am a King must stand to plead My cause with any prisoner whatsoever Sysim. Justice and equity ner'e lookes into The person but the cause and he speeds best That brings best reasons Hydasp. But the Law permits You onely to determine controversies Betweene the King and subjects not with strangers Sysim. Wise and discreet men doe not measure things By the appearance but by equity Hydasp. Well let her speake since good Sysimethres Will have it so but it is manifest She will say nothing to the purpose but Some forg'd devise to shun the stroke of death Caric. O Sunne thou founder of my ancestres High pedegree and all ye other gods Ye noble men that here are met together Assist me in this place and be a witnesse That what I say is true and by firme proofes It shall appeare doe you command O King Strangers or your owne subjects to be offer'd Hydasp. Strangers Caric. Then it is fit and necessary You seeke out such I am no stranger borne But of this countrey and your subject too Hydasp. Thou liest Caric. You seeme to wonder at small things But there are greater undiscover'd yet I am not onely of this Country borne But of the royall blood Hydasp. This woman's mad Away I 'le heare no more such lunacie Hydaspes turnes from her in anger Caric. My royall father I beseech you know Your onelie daughter and despise her not Hydasp. Sysimethres and grave Gymnosophists How long shall she abuse my patience This mayd 's distracted and the feare of death Makes her speake any thing how false soever How bould and impudent I know I had Sometimes a daughter but she dy'd assoone As she was borne this is a false impostor Wherefore away with her and let 's delay The sacrifice no longer Caric. none shall dare To take me hence unlesse the judges please So to command for you are not to judge In your owne cause although a King but must Be subject to the law aswell as others Which priviledgeth you perchance to kill Strangers but neither this law nor the law Of nature doth allow you to destroy Your naturall children for the gods to day Shall by a strange discoverie make you know I am your daughter though you now disclaime me All controversies in the law depend One these two pointes especiallie that is Firme proofe by writings and sure confirmation By witnesses both which I can produce To prove I am your child my witnesse shall not Be common neither but the judge himselfe And heer 's a writing shall declare both mine And your estate She gives the Fascia to the Queene she knowes it and is amazed Hydasp. What meaneth this Persina that thy blood Thus comes and goes and that thy countenance Weares such an alteration is there ought Contayned in this writing troubleth thee Pers. O King my Lord and husband I have nothing To say unto it but take heed and read it Your selfe the same shall teach you well and truelie Hydaspes reads it to the end then gives it to Sysimet and the rest Hydasp. Persina doe you owne this character As your owne hand and know the birth to be Legitimate and true Pers. By Sunne and Moone I sweare it Hydasp. Although you tould me that my daughter dy'd I yet believe she was exposed forth As heere is mention'd but who was the man That tooke her up and carryed her to Aegypt How shall I know that he was taken with her Or this is she or whether the exposed Be dead or no besides whether some man When he hap'd to finde this might his good luck Abuse and make her play this famed part Mocking the great desire we have of issue By the suborning of some changelinge and Colouring the truth with this devised Fascia All these doubts must be cleer'd ere I believe Sysim. I can resolve you in the first for I Was he that tooke her up and carried her With me to Aegypt when you sent me thither Embassadour you know we may not lye Who are Gymnosophists I know this Fascia Written with Aethiopias royall letters Therefore you need not doubt that it is forg'd Besides t is signed with Persinas hand But there are other tokens that I gave To him that did receive you at my hands Can you produce them Caric. Yes loe heere they are She shewes Sisimet and the queene her jewels Hydasp. What are they doe you know them Pers. Yes with wonder Caric. These jewells were my mothers but this ringe Was yours I thinke you know the Pantarbe well Hydasp. I doe and all the rest but whether you Came by them as my daughter that I know not You might have got them by some other meanes For to omit all other needles questions Your colour 's strange and the like never seene In Aethiopia Sysim. She was also white That I brought up and with this virgins age Doth correspond the terme of yeeres when she Was forth exposed being seuenteene yeeres So old seemes this faire mayd Hydasp. Sysimethres In my opinion you have show'd your selfe An advocate in this cause not a judge Beware least while you strive to cleere this doubt I may suspect Persina hath beene false For how i st possible that such a thing Sould be in nature we two being black To have an issue white this is against All humane sence and reason naturall Sysim. The Fascia tells you how this came to passe Persina in the act of generation Contemplatively eying the faire picture Of beautifull Andromeda and firing A strong imagination thereupon Conceived in her wombe the very figure Of Perseus Mistris when she was bound fast Unto the rocke and he
Aristippus Cnem. I can scarce believe it This. To confirme my report if you please I will deliver the adulterer unto you in the very act Cnem. You shall doe me a courtesie then This. VVith all my heart not onely for your sake who have been injured by her before but for mine owne also who for that she hath me in jealousie am used of her very extreamely wherefore if thou be a man apprehend him Cnem. Else let me die in scorne and infamie I le kill them both for ne're shall it be said That Cnemon knew his fathers bed defil'd And durst not be reveng'd assist my hand Infernall furies Thisbe lead the way That I may doe the deed ere see the day Exeunt Actus Secundi Scena quinta Enter Aristippus and Demeneta Demen. 'T is late 'i th night sweet husband let 's to bed I cannot have too much of your imbraces The envious day will interrupt our sport Me thinks we married were but yesterday Aristip. Conceiv'st thou so that doth proceed from love But I am old and thou a sprightly lasse Demen. You wrong your selfe you are a lusty man For were you old the dull effects of age Would then appeare but I have had experience Of your performance Cnemon I believe Your sonne is not so active in his trade Aristip. If it be so then sure the youthfull heat Of thy faire body hath infused life Into my withered vaines more powerfull then Medeas charmes when she stir'd up fresh blood In the decayed body of old Aeson Enter Cnemon with his sword drawne followed by Thisbe a candle carried before he comes hastily to the bed Cnem. Where is the villaine the most worthy lover Of this chaste dame his father leapes out of the bed and falls on his knees before him Aristip. My sonne have pitty on thy fathers age Spaire his white haires take not away his life That gave thee thine and brought thee up with care We doe confesse we wrong'd thee yet the fault Was not so great that it should merit death Asswage thy fury and put up thy sword Imbrue not in thy fathers blood thy hands Cnemon in amaze lookes round about him for Thisby who had conveyed her selfe away and being thus astonished his sword fell out of his hand which Demeneta straightwaies tooke up Dem. Did I not tell you this before sweet heart To looke unto this princoks pride and hate Who would no doubt if time had serv'd his turne Attempt some mischiefe to destroy us both Aristip. You told me so indeed but I believ'd not Now I do finde it true which to prevent I 'le raise my house and bind him fast to morrow I 'le carry him before the people to Be judg'd for his offence let nature goe In parents when sonnes prove unnaturall so Exeunt Actus secundi Scena sexta Enter Nebulo and Nebulona Nebulo Nebulona my pretty chickin how faires thy body didst thou not thinke me lost long agoe Nebulona I gave you for dead in good faith and was in the humour once to marry another man Nebulo Why sure thou wert not thou dost but jest I know Nebulona Truely I was nor could you blame me for it if I had is it not a torture thinke you for a woman to stay seven yeeres without her husbands company Nebulo Methinkes my browes begin Acteon-like to bud already they are very knotty I pray God thou hast not graft something there I begin to suspect it shrewdly by diverse signes and tokens how comes your belly so high wife Nebulona 'T is nothing but a timpany I am sometimes troubled with Nebulo I do believe thee how long is it since you perceiv'd it to grow upon you Nebulona About two moneths since the Doctor tells me I shal be free of it very speedily Nebulo He is a foole I am a better Doctor then he thou shalt goe with it this foureteene weekes yet or thereabouts come you are a whore and have abus'd my honest bed I le have you before the Justices to be punish'd for thy offence Nebulona Spare me prethee gentle Nebulo and hearken to my counsell a little since thou art a cuckold as I doe not deny it choose whether thou wilt weare the hornes in thy forehead and so all men see them or put them into thy pocket and no man see them I leave it to thy owne discretion Nebulo Why then I am a cuckold it seemes Nebulona I cannot say against it truely and speake the truth if I should this marke of thy fortune here deepely stamped would bewray me be not so foolish now as Vulcan was to make a proclamation of thy forked order Nebulo Did Vulcan do so Nebulo Yes but afterwards he repented it for he forg'd an artificiall net with which he caught his wife Venus and Mars a bed together in carnall copulation then called all the gods and goddesses to be spectators of his owne shame Nebul. But what said they when they saw it Nebulona They commended Mars but condemned Vulcan for being the publisher of his owne disgrace Nebul. But t was a shame for Mars to be caught so Nebulona The gods wish'd every one of them if that were a shame to be shamed in the same manner Nebulo but how did Venus take this Nebulona In scorne of the smith and in revenge of this trick hath made his head as hard as his anvile Nebulo Thou hast devis'd a pretty story in thy owne defence i' st best to follow thy counsell and say nothing or stirre this bad thing and make it stinke the more Nebulona You may do what you please but I have told you the best course Nebulo Let it be so then I have travelled well I trow and to good purpose at may returne home to father a child of which I did not beget so much as the least finger or the least toe if this be the fruits of travelling God keepe me from it hence forward and all good folkes besides come Nebulona we are friends do so no more and all is forgotten Nebulon. Not if you stay at home and warme my bed But if you leave me then have at your head Exeunt Actus secundi Scena septima Enter the sacrifice to the tombe of Pirrhus in the manner of a Hecatombe led in by the Thessalians who had each of them a white garment knit about them these were entertayned by so many virgins of Thessalia standing in a ring with their haire loose about their eares the maydes were divided into two companies those who were in the first carryed flowers and fruite the other carried in backets other fine knackes and perfumes at the sound of musicke and a song made fit and agreeable to the musicke they danced the song was made in praise of Thetis The Song O Nereus god in surging seas we praise thy daughter deare Whom Peleus at commandement of Jove did make his pheere Thou art the goddesse we adore in Sea a glimpsing starre Who stout Achilles didst bring forth a