to heauen and earth The sin is more to hacke and hew poore men Then to embrace in an vnlawfull bed The register of all rarieties Since Letherne Adam till this youngest howre Enter Countesse King Goe Lodwike put thy hand into thy purse Play spend giue ryot wast do what thou wilt So thou wilt hence awhile and leaue me heere Now my soules plaiefellow art thou come To speake the more then heauenly word of yea To my obiection in thy beautious loue Count My father on his blessing hath commanded King That thou shalt yeeld to me Coun: I deare my liege your due King And that my dearest loue can be no lesse Then right for right and render loue for loue Count Then wrong for wrong and endles hate for hate But sith I see your maiestie so bent That my vnwillingnes my husbands loue Your high estate nor no respect respected Can be my helpe but that your mightines Will ouerbeare and awe these deare regards I bynd my discontent to my content And what I would not I le compell I will Prouided that your selfe remoue those lets That stand betweene your highnes loue and mine King Name then faire Countesse and by heauen I will Co: It is their liues that stand betweene our loue That I would haue chokt vp my soueraigne Ki. Whose liues my Lady Co. My thrice loving liege Your Queene and Salisbury my wedded husband Who liuing haue that tytle in our loue That we cannot bestow but by their death Ki Thy opposition is beyond our Law Co. So is your desire if the law Can hinder you to execute the one Let it forbid you to attempt the other I Cannot thinke you loue me as you say Vnlesse you do make good what you haue sworne No more thy husband and the Queene shall dye Fairer thou art by farre then Hero was Beardles Leander not so strong as I He swome an easie curraunt for his loue But I will throng a hellie spout of bloud To arryue at Cestus where my Hero lyes Co: Nay you le do more you le make the Ryuer to With their hart bloods that keepe our loue asunder Of which my husband and your wife are twayne Ki. Thy beauty makes them guilty of their death And giues in euidence that they shall dye Vpon which verdict I their Iudge condemne them Co: O periurde beautie more corrupted Iudge When to the great Starre-chamber ore our heads The vniuersell Sessions cals to count This packing euill we both shall tremble for it Ki. VVhat saies my faire loue is she resolute Co. Resolute to be dissolude and therefore this Keepe but thy word great king and I am thine Stand where thou dost I le part a little from thee And see how I will yeeld me to thy hands Here by my side doth hang my wedding knifes Take thou the one and with it kill thy Queene And learne by me to finde her where she lies And with this other I le dispatch my loue Which now lies fast a sleepe within my hart When they are gone then I le consent to loue Stir not lasciuious king to hinder me My resolution is more nimbler far Then thy preuention can be in my rescue And if thou stir I strike therefore stand still And heare the choyce that I will put thee to Either sweare to leaue thy most vnholie sute And neuer hence forth to solicit me Or else by heauen this sharpe poynted knyfe Shall staine thy earth with that which thou would staine My poore chast blood sweare Edward sweare Or I will strike and die before thee heere King Euen by that power I sweare that giues me now The power to be ashamed of my selfe I neuer meane to part my lips againe In any words that tends to such a sute Arise true English Ladie whom our I le May better boast of then euer Romaine might Of her whose ransackt treasurie hath taskt The vaine indeuor of so many pens Arise and be my fault thy honors fame Which after ages shall enrich thee with I am awaked from this idle dreame Warwike my Sonne Darby Artoys and Audley Braue warriours all where are you all this while Enter all Warwike I make thee Warden of the North Thou Prince of Wales and Audley straight to Sea Scoure to New-hauen some there staie for me My selfe Artoys and Darby will through Flaunders To greete our friends there and to craue their aide This night will scarce suffice me to discouer My follies seege against a faithfull louer For ere the Sunne shal guide the esteme skie We le wake him with our Marshall harmonie Exeunt Enter King Iohn of Fraunce his two sonnes Charles of Normandie and Phillip and the Duke of Lorraine King Iohn Heere till our Nauie of a thousand and saile Haue made a breakfast to our foe by Sea Let vs incampe to wait their happie speede Lorraine what readines is Edward in How hast thou heard that he prouided is Of marshiall furniture for this exployt Lo: To lay aside vnnecessary soothing And not to spend the time in circumstaunce T is bruted for a certenty my Lord That hee s exceeding strongly fortified His subiects flocke as willingly to warre As if vnto a tryumph they were led Ch: England was wont to harbour malcontents Blood thirsty and seditious Catelynes Spend thrifts and such as gape for nothing else But changing and alteration of the state And is it possible That they are now so loyall in them selues Lo: All but the Scot who sollemnly protests As heere to fore I haue enformd his grace Neuer to sheath his Sword or take a truce Io: Ah that 's the anchredge of some better hope But on the other side to thinke what friends King Edward hath retaynd in Netherland Among those euer-bibbing Epicures Those frothy Dutch men puft with double beere That drinke and swill in euery place they come Doth not a little aggrauate mine ire Besides we heare the Emperor conioynes And stalls him in his owne authoritie But all the mightier that their number is The greater glory reapes the victory Some friends haue we beside drum stricke power The sterne Polonian and the warlike Dane The king of Bohemia and of Cycelie Are all become confederates with vs And as I thinke are marching hither apace But soft I heare the musicke of their drums By which I gesse that their approch is neare Enter the King of Bohemia with Danes and a Polonian Captaine with other soldiers another way King of Boheme King Iohn of Fraunce as league and neighborhood Requires when friends are any way distrest I come to aide thee with my countries force Pol. Cap. And from great Musco fearefull to the Turke And lofty Poland nurse of hardie men I bring these seruitors to fight for thee Who willingly will venture in thy cause K. Io: Welcome Bohemian king and welcome all This your great kindnesse I will not forget Besides your plentiful rewards in Crownes That from our Treasory ye shall receiue There comes a hare
infected poyson in my heart Beyond repulse of wit or cure of Art Now in the Sunne alone it doth not lye With light to take light from a mortall eye For here to day stars that myne eies would see More then the Sunne steales myne owne light from mee Contemplatiue desire desire to be In contemplation that may master thee Warwike Artoys to horse and le ts away Co: What might I speake to make my soueraigne stay King What needs a tongue to such a speaking eie That more perswads then winning Oratorie Co: Let not thy presence like the Aprill sunne Flatter our earth and sodenly be done More happie do not make our outward wall Then thou wilt grace our inner house withall Our house my liege is like a Country swaine Whose habitude and manners blunt and playne Presageth nought yet inly beautified With bounties riches and faire hidden pride For where the golden Ore doth buried lie The ground vndect with natures tapestrie Seemes barrayne sere vnfertill fructles dry And where the vpper turfe of earth doth boast His pride perfumes and party colloured cost Delue there and find this issue and their pride To spring from ordure and corruptions side But to make vp my all to long compare These ragged walles no testomie are What is within but like a cloake doth hide From weathers West the vnder garnisht pride More gratious then my tearmes can let thee be Intreat thy selfe to stay a while with mee Kin: As wise as faire what fond fit can be heard When wisedome keepes the gate as beuties gard Countesse albeit my busines vrgeth me Yt shall attend while I attend on thee Come on my Lords heere will I host to night Exeunt Lor: I might perceiue his eye in her eye lost His care to drinke her sweet tongues vtterance And changing passion like inconstant clouds That racke vpon the carriage of the windes Increase and die in his disturbed cheekes Loe when shee blusht euen then did he looke pale As if her cheekes by some inchaunted power Attracted had the cherie blood from his A none with reuerent feare when she grew pale His cheeke put on their scarlet ornaments But no more like her oryent all red Then Bricke to Corrall or liue things to dead Why did he then thus counterfeit her lookes If she did blush t was tender modest shame Being in the sacred present of a King If he did blush t was red immodest shame To waile his eyes amisse being a king If she lookt pale t was silly womans feare To beare her selfe in presence of a king If he lookt pale it was with guiltie feare To dote a misse being a mighty king Then Scottish warres farewell I feare t will prooue A lingring English seege of peeuish loue Here comes his highnes walking all alone Enter King Edward King Shee is growne more fairer far since I came thither Her voice more siluer euery word then other Her wit more fluent what a strange discourse Vnfolded she of Dauid and his Scots Euen thus quoth she he spake and then spoke broad With epithites and accents of the Scot But somewhat better then the Scot could speake And thus quoth she and answered then herselfe For who could speake like her but she herselfe Breathes from the wall an Angels note from Heauen Of sweete defiance to her barbarous foes When she would talke of peace me thinkes her tong Commanded war to prison when of war It wakened Caesar from his Romane graue To heare warre beautified by her discourse Wisedome is foolishnes but in her tongue Beauty a slander but in her faire face There is no summer but in her cheerefull lookes Nor frosty winter but in her disdayne I cannot blame the Scots that did besiege her For she is all the Treasure of our land But call them cowards that they ran away Hauing so rich and faire a cause to stay Art thou there Lodwicke giue me incke and paper Lo: I will my liege K And bid the Lords hold on their play at Chesse For wee will walke and meditate aloue Lo: I will my soueraigne Ki This fellow is well read in poetrie And hath a lustie and perswasiue spirite I will acquaint him with my passion Which he shall shadow with a vaile of lawne Through which the Queene of beauties Queene shall see Herselfe the ground of my infirmitie Enter Lodwike Ki Hast thou pen inke and paper ready Lodowike Lo: Ready my liege Ki Then in the sommer arber sit by me Make it our counsel house or cabynet Since greene our thoughts greene be the conuenticle Where we will case vs by disburdning them Now Lodwike inuocate some golden Muse To bring thee hither an inchanted pen That may for sighes set downe true sighes indeed Talking of griefe to make thee ready grone And when thou writest of teares encouch the word Before and after with such sweete laments That it may rayse drops in a Torters eye And make a flynt heart Sythian pytifull For so much moouing hath a Poets pen Then if thou be a Poet moue thou so And be enriched by thy soueraigne loue For if the touch of sweet concordant strings Could force attendance in the eares of hel How much more shall the straines of poets wit Beguild and rauish soft and humane myndes Lor: To whome my Lord shal I direct my stile King To one that shames the faire and sots the wise Whose bodie is an abstract or a breefe Containes ech generall vertue in the worlde Better then bewtifull thou must begin Deuise for faire a fairer word then faire And euery ornament that thou wouldest praise Fly it a pitch aboue the soare of praise For flattery feare thou not to be conuicted For were thy admiration ten tymes more Ten tymes ten thousand more thy worth exceeds Of that thou art to praise their praises worth Beginne I will to contemplat the while Forget not to set downe how passionat How hart sicke and how full of languishment Her beautie makes mee Lor: Writ I to a woman King What bewtie els could triumph on me Or who but women doe our loue layes greet What thinkest thou I did bid thee praise a horse Lor, Of what condicion or estate she is T were requisit that I should know my Lord King Of such estate that hers is as a throane And my estate the footstoole where shee treads Then maist thou iudge what her condition is By the proportion of her mightines Write on while I peruse her in my thoughts Her voice to musicke or the nightingale To musicke euery sommer leaping swaine Compares his sunburnt louer when shee speakes And why should I speake of the nightingale The nightingale singes of adulterate wrong And that compared is to satyrical For sinne though synne would not be so esteemd But rather vertue sin synne vertue deemd Her hair far softer then the silke wormes twist Like to a flattering glas doth make more faire The yellow Amber like a flattering glas Comes in to soone for writing
of her eies I le say that like a glas they catch the sunne And thence the hot reflection doth rebounde Against my brest and burnes my hart within Ah what a world of descant makes my soule Vpon this voluntarie ground of loue Come Lodwick hast thou turnd thy inke to golde If not write but in letters Capitall my mistres name And it wil guild thy paper read Lorde reade Fill thou the emptie hollowes of mine eares With the sweete hearing of thy poetrie Lo: I haue not to a period brought her praise King Her praise is as my loue both infinit Which apprehend such violent extremes That they disdaine an ending period Her bewtie hath no match but my affection Hers more then most myne most and more then more Hers more to praise then tell the sea by drops Nay more then drop the massie earth by sands And said by said print them in memorie Then wherefore talkest thou of a period To that which craues vnended admiration Read let vs heare Lo: More faire and chast then is the queen of shades King That loue hath two falts grosse and palpable Comparest thou her to the pale queene of night Who being set in darke seemes therefore light What is she when the sunne lifts vp his head But like a fading taper dym and dead My loue shall braue the ey of heauen at noon And being vnmaskt outshine the golden sun Lo: What is the other faulte my soueraigne Lord King Reade ore the line againe Lo: More faire and chast King I did not bid thee talke of chastitie To ransack so the treason of her minde For I had rather haue her chased then chast Out with the moone line I wil none of it And let me haue hir likened to the sun Say shee hath thrice more splendour then the sun That her perfections emulats the sunne That shee breeds sweets as plenteous as the sunne That shee doth thaw cold winter like the sunne That she doth cheere fresh sommer like the sunne That shee doth dazle gazers like the sunne And in this application to the sunne Bid her be free and generall as the sunne Who smiles vpon the basest weed that growes As louinglie as on the fragrant rose Le ts see what followes that same moonelight line Lo: More faire and chast then is the louer of shades More bould in constancie King In constancie then who Lo: Then Iudith was King O monstrous line put in the next a sword And I shall woo her to cut of my head Blot blot good Lodwicke let vs heare the next Lo: There 's all that yet is donne King I thancke thee then thou hast don litle ill But what is don is passing passing ill No let the Captaine talke of boystrous warr The prisoner of emured darke constraint The sick man best sets downe the pangs of death The man that starues the sweetnes of a feast The frozen soule the benefite of fire And euery griefe his happie opposite Loue cannot sound well but in louers toungs Giue me the pen and paper I will write Enter Countes But soft here comes the treasurer of my spirit Lodwick thou knowst not how to drawe a battell These wings these flankars and these squadrons Argue in thee defectiue discipline Thou shouldest haue placed this here this other here Co. Pardon my boldnes my thrice gracious Lords Let my intrusion here be cald my duetie That comes to see my soueraigne how he fares Kin: Go draw the same I tell thee in what forme Lor: I go Con Sorry I am to see my liege so sad What may thy subiect do to driue from thee Thy gloomy consort sullome melancholie King Ah Lady I am blunt and cannot strawe The flowers of solace in a ground of shame Since I came hither Countes I am wronged Cont Now God forbid that anie in my howse Should thinck my soueraigne wrong thrice gentle King King Acquant me with theyr cause of discontent How neere then shall I be to remedie Cont As nere my Liege as all my womans power Can pawne it selfe to buy thy remedy King Yf thou speakst true then haue I my redresse Ingage thy power to redeeme my Ioyes And I am ioyfull Countes els I die Coun: I will my Liege King Sweare Counties that thou wilt Coun: By heauen I will King Then take thy selfe a litel waie a side And tell thy self a King doth dote on thee Say that within thy power doth lie To make him happy and that thou hast sworne To giue him all the Ioy within thy power Do this and tell me when I shall be happie Coun: All this is done my thrice dread souereigne That power of loue that I haue power to giue Thou hast with all deuout obedience Inploy me how thou wilt in profe therof King Thou hearst me saye that I do dote on thee Coun: Yf on my beauty take yt if thou canst Though litle I do prise it ten tymes lesse If on my vertue take it if thou canst For vertues store by giuing doth augment Be it on what it will that I can giue And thou canst take awaie inherit it King It is thy beautie that I woulde enioy Count O were it painted I would wipe it of And disposse my selfe to giue it thee But souereigne it is souldered to my life Take one and both for like an humble shaddow Yt hauntes the sunshine of my summers life But thou maist leue it me to sport with all Count As easie may my intellectual soule Be lent awaie and yet my bodie liue As lend my bodie pallace to my soule Awaie from her and yet retaine my soule My bodie is her bower her Court her abey And shee an Angell pure deuine vnspotted If I should leaue her house my Lord to thee I kill my poore soule and my poore soule me King Didst thou not swere to giue me what I would Count I did my liege so what you would I could King I wish no more of thee then thou maist giue Nor beg I do not but I rather buie That is thy loue and for that loue of thine In rich exchaunge I tender to thee myne Count But that your lippes were sacred my Lord You would prophane the holie name of loue That loue you offer me you cannot giue For Caesar owes that tribut to his Queene That loue you beg of me I cannot giue For Sara owes that duetie to her Lord He that doth clip or counterfeit your stamp Shall die my Lord and will your sacred selfe Comit high treason against the King of heauen To stamp his Image in forbidden mettel For getting your alleageance and your othe In violating mariage secred law You breake a greater honor then your selfe To be a King is of a yonger house Then to be maried your progenitour Sole ragning Adam on the vniuerse By God was honored for a married man But not by him annointed for a king It is a pennalty to breake your statutes Though not enacted with your highnes hand How much more