clause to beggar some rich meu Exit Actus Tertius Enter Duke Fredericke Constantine Reinaldo Alberto Alfrid and amongst them Hatto shuffles in Alberto Princes and pillars of the Saxon State Duke You are the elected speake for the Court Stay Lord Alberto we usurpe your office Who had the charge to fetch Valentia Con. I gracious Lord and when I gave the charge A sudden scare by palenesse was displar'd Vpon her rosie cheeke the crimson blood That like a robe of state did beautifie The goodly buildings with a two fold grace From either side shrunke downewards to her heart As if those summons were an adversarie And had some mighty crime to charge her with Millions of thoughts were crowded in her braines Her troubled minde her abrupt words describ'd She did accuse her selfe without accusers And in the terrour of a soule perplext Cry'd out the Duke intends to cease my goods Cause I am noted for a Concubine I did replie such comfort as beseemes But comfortlesse I brought her to the Court. Duke Then she attends our pleasure Con. Mightie Lord in the next Roome Duke You are carefull Constantiue Conduct her in and Lords give mee your thoughts What thinke ye wee intend to Valentia Alf. Her selfe hath read my sentence in the speech That Constantine delivered to your grace Fred. What should my noble father thinke But that shee is a strumpet and in that A blemish to the state wherein she lives Hat She is rich in iewells and hath store of treasure Got by the slavery of that choice beautie Which otherwise admires her to the world Alb. Confiscate all her goods unto the Crown Thereby disburdening many heavie taxes Impos'd upon the commons of the land Hat Publique example make her to all such Offences in that kind are growne too common Lesse shamelesse now were the beautious dames Of Meath and Saxony when the sufferance Hath at this instant made them good my Lord Enact some mighty penaltie for lust Duke How wide these Archers shoote from the faire aime Of my affection bring Valentia in Enter Valentia usher'd by Constantine Valen. The duetie that in generall I doe owe Vnto your excellence and to this Court I pay at once upon my bended knee Duke Behold her Princes with impartiall eyes And tell me looks she not exceeding faire Hat If that her mind coher'd with her faire face Shee were the worthy wonder of this age Alfred I never saw a beautie more divine Grossely deform'd by her notorious lust Fred. Fairenesse and wantonnesse haue made a match To dwell together and the worst spoyles both Albert. Shee is doubly excellent in sin and beauty Duke That they speake truth my conscience speaks But that I loue her that I speake my selfe Stand up divine deformitie of nature Beautious corruption heavenly seeing evill What 's excellent in good and bad stand up And in this Chaire prepared for a Duke Sit my bright Dutchesse I command thee sit You looke I am sure for some apologie In this rash action all that I can say Is that I loue her and wil marry her Fred. How loue a Lais a base Rodophe Whose body is as common as the Sea In the receipt of every lustfull spring Albert. The elements of which these orbes consists Fire ayre and water with the good we tread Are not more vulgar common popular Then her imbracements Alberto To inchâ—yne the thoughts Vnto this dissemblance of lascivious loue Were to be maried to the broad rode way Which doth receiue the impression of every kind Fred. Speech doth want modesty to set her forth In her true forme base and contemptible The very hindes and peasants of the land Will bee Corrivals with your excellence If you espouse such a notorious Trull Albert. We shall haue lust a vertue in the Court The wayes of sinne be furthered by reward Panders and Parasites sit in the places Of the wise Counsellors and hurry all Fred. Father as you are princely in your birth Famous in your estate belou'd of all And which ads greatest glory to your greatnesse Esteem'd wise Shew not such open folly Such palpable such grosse such mountaine folly Be not the By-word of your neighbour Kings The scandall of your Subiects and the triumph Of Lenos mathrens and the hatefull stewes Why speake you not that are his brother friends You that doe weare the Liveries of time The silver cognizance of gravitie Shall none but young me schoole the reverent old Birds teach the Dam stars fill the glorious spheares Of the all lightning Sunne speake whilst you may Or this rash deede will make a fatall day Duke You haue said too much encourage none to speake More then haue spoke by my royall blood My mind 's establisht not to be withstood Those that applaude my choyse giue us your hands And helpe to tye these sacred nuptiall bands Hat What likes your excellence likes me well Alfred And I agree to what my Soveraigne please Fred. These are no brothers they are flatterers Contrary to themselues in their owne speech You that doe loue the honour of your Prince The care and long life of my father The hereditary right deriv'd to me Your countries Welfare and your owne renowne Lend me your hands to plucke her from the throne Valen. Princes forbeare I doe not seeke the match It is his highnesse pleasure I fit here And if he loue me t is no fault of mine Behoues me to be thankefull to his Grace And striue in vertue to deserue this place Duke Thou speak'st too mildly to these hare braind youthes He that presumes to plucke her from the chaire Dyes in the attempt this sword shall end all care Fred. Why shee 's notorious Duke But she will amend Fred. 'T is too farre growne to haue a happy end Duke The dangerous the disease greater's the cure Fred. Princes may seeke renowne by wayes more sure Shee is dishonest Duke Honestie 's vnseene Shee 's faire and therefore fit to be a Queene Fred. But vertue is to be preferd ere lust Duke Those that are once false shal we ne're trust Fred. Wise men approue their actions by the tryall Duke I say she is mine in spight of all deniall Bring me the Crowne Fred. To set upon her head Friends draw your swords first strike the strumpet dead Duke My guard my guard Alfred For shame put up your swords Fred. For shame great Rulers leaue your flattering words Albert. 'T is madnesse in the King and worse in you Hat Though you proue traytors we 'le not proue untrue Fred. Will you dismisse this Strumpet to the stewes Or our allegance in this act refuse Duke Doe what you dare the election still shall stand Fred. Woe and destruction then must rule the land Come Lord Rinaldo valiant Alberto come We haue friends enough to grace a warlike Drum A shout within Hearke how the Commons doe applaud our cause Lascivious Duke farewell father oh vilde Where Queanes are mothers Fredericke is no child Exeunt Duke
Vand Wee have Val. And resolution fitting for the purpose Mon. All things are ready with our faithfull hearts Val. And she that undertakes so great an act As I intend had need of faithfull hearts This is the prison and the jaylor comes In happy time where 's trayterous Frederick Enter Iaylor Jaylor What is your highnesse pleasure with the Prince Val. Looke there if you can reade Iai O heavenly God what doe I read a warrant for his death Valen. Resigne your keyes goe weepe a diâ—ge or twaine But make no clamour with your lamentation Iay. I dare not prophesie what my souse feares Yet I le lament his tragedie in teares Exit Valen Oft have I seene a Nobleman arraign'd By mighty Lords the pillars of the land Some of which number his inclined friends Have wept yet past the verdict of his death So fares it with the Prince were I his jaylor And so affected unto Fredericks life The fearefull'st tyrant nor the cruelst plagues That ever lighted on tormented soules Should make me yeeld my prisoner to their hands Mon. Madam he knowes his dutie and performes it Valen Setting aside all dutie I would die Ere like a woman weepe a tragedie T is basenesse cowardize dutie ô slave Had I a friend I 'de dye in my friends grave But it sorts well for us Hindes will be Hindes And the Ambitious tread upon such mindes Waite whilest I call you in the jaylors house Mon. We will Exeunt Van and Mon. Valen. My Lord Prince Fredericke Enter Fred. Fred. Wofull Fredericke Were a beseeming Epitaph for me The other tastes of too much soveraigntie What is it you the glory of the stewes Valen. Thy mother Fredericke Fred. I detest that name My mother was a Dutches of true fame And now I think upon her when she died I was ordain'd to be indignified She never did incense my Princely Father To the destruction of his loving sonne Oh she was vertuous trulie naturall But this step-divell doth promise our fall Val. Why doest thou raile on me I am come To set thee free from all imprisonment Fred. By what true supersedeas but by death If it be so come strike me to the earth Thou needest no other weapon but thine eye T is full of poyson fixe it and I le die Val. Vncharitable youth I am no serpent venom'd No basiliske to kill thee with my sight Fre. Then thou speakst death I am sorry I mistooke They both are fatall there 's but little choice The first inthral'd my father the last me No deadlier swords ever vs'd enemie My lot's the best that I dye with the sound But he lives dying in a death profound I grow too bitter being so neere my end Speake quickly boldly what your thoughts intend Valen Behold this warrant you can reade it well Fred. But you the interpretation best can tell Speake beauteous ruine t were great iniurie That he should read the sentence that must dye Val. Then know in briefe 't is your fathers pleasure Fred. His pleasure what Val. That you must loose your life Fred. Fatall is his pleasure 't is to please his wife I prethee tell me didst thou ever know A Father pleas'd his sonne to murder so For what is' t else but murder at the best The guilt whereof will gnawe him in his brest Torment him living and when I am dead Curse thee by whose plot I was murdered I have seene the like example but ô base Why doe I talke with one of thy disgrace Where are the officers I have liv'd too long When he that gave me life does me this wrong Val. That is thy fathers hand thou dost not doubt And if thou shouldst I have witnesse to approve it Yet tho it be his hand grant to my request Love me and live Fred. To live so I detest love thee Valen. I love me gentle Fredericke love me Fred. Incestuous strumpet cease Val Oh thou dealest ill To render so much spleene for my good will Fred. Torment farre worse then death Valen I le follow thee Deare Fredericke like thy face be thy words faire Fre. This monstrous dealing doubles my deaths care Valen. What shall I call thee to allay this ire Fred. Why call me son and blush at thy desire Valen. I never brought thee foorth Fred. Art thou not wife unto my father Val. Thinke upon thy life It lyes like mine onely in gentle breath Or that thy father's dead and after death 'T is in my choice to marry whom I will Fred. Any but me Valen O doe not thinke so ill Rather thinke thou art a stranger not his sonne Then 't is no incest tho the Act be done Nature unto her selfe is too unkind To buzze such scruples into Fredericks minde T was a device of man to avoid selfe love Else every pleasure in one stocke should move Beautie in grace part never from the kinne Fred. If thou persever as thou hast begun I shall forget I am my fathers sonne I shall forget thou art my fathers wife And where 't is I must die abridge thy life Valen. Why did'st not kill me being thy prisoner then But friendly didst deliver me a jemme Vnto thy father wert not thou didst love me Fred. Be yond all sufferance monster thou dost move me 'T was for my fathers sake not for thine owne That to thy lifes losse thou hadst throughly knowne But that relenting nature playde her part To save thy blood whose losse had slaine his heart And it repents me not hee doth survine But that his fortune was so ill to wive Come kill for for that you came shun delayes Lest living I le tell this to thy dispraise Make him to hate thee as he hath iust cause And like a strumpet turne thee to the lawes Valen. Good Fredericke Fred. T is resolu'd on I have said Valen. Then fatall Ministers I crave your ayde Enter Van and Mont. Come Vandermas Montano where 's your corde Quicklie dispatch strangle this hatefull Lord Or stay because I loue him he shall chuse The easiest of three deaths that we may vse The halter poyson or bloodshedding blade Fred. Any of them Valen This Aconite's well made a cup of poyson Stuft with dispatching simples give him this And he shall quickly leave all earthly blisse There take it Fredericke our last gift of grace Since thou must die I le have thee die apace Fred. O happie meanes given by a trecherous hand To be my true guide to the heavenly land Death steales upon me like a silken sleepe Through every vaine doe leaden rivers flowe The gentlest poyson that I ever knewe To worke so coldly yet to be so true Like to an infant patiently I goe Out of this vaine world from all worldly woe Thankes to the meanes tho they deserve no thankes My soule beginnes t'ore-flow these fleshly bankes My death I pardon unto her and you My sinnes God pardon so vaine world adiew Valen Ha ha ha he falls asleepe Mon. Hee 's dead why does
My guard pursue them and aliue or dead Cut off the cause by which these cries are bred Come my faire Dutchesse first unto the Church There sollemnize our nuptials then unto our armes A little rough breath over beares these stormes Exeunt Manet Alfred Hatto Alfred The Duke 's besotted now we are secure This match makes well for us we may command And on them lay the abuses of the land Hat Excellent good we are like to haue warres indeed But in the meane the poore will starue for bread Wee must share proffits howsoere things goe Winner or looser neither is our foe For mutually we 'le beare our selues in all Or taking part leane to the strongest wall Exeunt Enter Constantine and Euphrata Eup. My father married to a Concubine Then hee will pardon though I marry thee And howsoe'r about it presently The rather for Montano is repealde Because of his alliance to Valentia Con. I am ready gentle loue and glad in mind That my faire Euphrata will proue so kind Euph. Come my deare Constantine performe this right And arme in arme thus will we sleepe to night Exeunt Enter Fredericke Rinaldo and Alberto with Drum Colours and Souldiers Fred. You that are carefull of your countries weale Fellow compere Supporter of the State Let us imbrace in steele our cause is good What mind so base that would not shed his blood To free his countrey from so great an ill As now raignes in it by lascivious will Our friends to warre and for my part Ere lust beare sway I le gladly yeeld my heart Alberto I heare the Duke is strong Fred. Suppose him so And be advis'd strongly to meete the foe I had rather you should think him ten thousand strong Then find it so to our destruction An enemy thought many and found few When our first courage failes giues us a new Alarum Albert. That 's the Dukes Drum Fred. They are welcome to their death The ground they tread on covers them with earth Exeunt Enter Fredericke and Duke severall Fred. The enemy sends forth a Champion To encounter me I heard him use my name The honour of the combate shall be mine Duke Come boy retreate not only I intend With thy lifes losse this bloody warre to end Fred. My naturall father in my blood I feele Passion more powerfull then that conquering steele Duke Why dost thou pause base boy thy Soveraigne's come To inter the life I gaue thee in this tombe Fred. My father oh my father nature be still That I may haue my fame or he his will Duk. What dost thou feare thy cause is' t now so evill Fred. I am possest with a relenting devill Legions of kinde thoughts haue surpriz'd my sense And I am too weake to be mine owne defence Duke Thou art a coward Fred. And you make me so For you come charm'd like a dishonour'd foe You haue conferr'd with spirits and tane their aydes To make me weake by them I am betraid My strength drawne from me by a slight What other meanes could hold me from the fight Duke I haue no spells about me Fred. T is vntrue For naturall Magique you haue brought with you And such an exorcisme in your name That I forbeare the combate to my shame But that I am no coward from your host Elect two of the valiantst that dare most Double that number treble it or more I haue heart at will t' encounter with a score Or had your selfe come in a strange attire One of us twaine had lost his living fire Duke I le trie your valour see audacious boy Thou art incompast with a world of foes Montano Alfred Vandermas and all My Dutchesse comes too to behold thy fall If thou hast spirit enough now craue her ayd Never was poore ventrous souldier worse apayd Exit Duke Fred. My desire now from the skie of starres Dart all your Deitie since I am beset In honourable wise payes all Natures debt They fight Fredericke beats them off and courses the Dutchesse over the stage Actus quartus Enter Duke Montano Valentia Hatto and Alfred Drumme Colours and Souldiers Duke Our anger long agoe renowned Lords Is satisfied in faire Valentias loue Behold our proud sonne and these traiterous crew That dares confront us in the field of Mars Valen. You haue been too patient my beloved Lord In calming these tumultuous jarring spirits Scourge them with steele and make the proudest know T is more then death to haue their Prince their foe Mon. Bloody constraints beseemes where dutie failes And Oratory ceasing force prevailes Hat Peace would doe better so it pleas'd your sonne Fred. In her allurements first begun Banish her from the land and I le resigne Duk. Learne thine owne dutie traitor I know mine Albert. Then there 's no banishment Duk. None but by death Thy head is forfeit for that daring breath Alfred Submit degenerate and presumptuous Lord. Albert. When we are ignorant to weild a sword Fred. Never shall noble knee bend to this ground As long as that vile strumpet liveth crownd Duk. I cannot stay to heare my loue deprau'd In few words is it peace or shall we fight Till our deepe wounds shall dampe the heavenly light Make the ayre purple with the reaking gore Fre. Fight whilst life serues you we will nere giue ore The grasse greene pauement shall be drownd in blood And yet I le wade to kill her in the flood Duke Alarum Drum madnesse is on their side All vertuous counsell is by them defied Vpon our part strike Drums Trumpets proclaime Death most assur'd to those that haue their shame Alarum fight lustily and driue away the Duke Fredericke pursues Valentia over the stage and takes her a Retreate sounded Enter at one doore the Duke Mon Hatto and Alfred with Drum and Colours Enter at the other doore Fredericke leading Valentia prisoner Rinaldo and Alberto with Drum and Colours Duke Why doe traitors sound retreat so soone Fred. Behold the cause Duke Valentia prisoner Fred. The firebrand of this tumultuous warre The originall from whence your subjects bloud Flowes in abundance of this spatious play Valen. And what of all this Fred. That thy life 's too meane To satisfie the unworthiest of the Campe For the effusion of a loyall drop Duk. Meanes Fredericke then to kill his fathers heart In faire Valentia's death Fred. Not touch your hand other Then humble as becomes a sonne But shee shall suffer for enchanting you Valen. I am a Dutchesse set my ransome downe Fred. A dutchesse whence proceeds that borowed name Of what continuance scarcely hath the Sunne Beheld thy pride a day but doth decline Shaming to view a crowned Concubine Duke In mine owne honour Fredericke I command thou set a ransome on Valentia Fred. What honor 's that your Dukedomes interest Your princely birth your honourable fame All these are blemisht with a strumpets name Mon. Be not so cruell to bereaue her life 'T will draw upon thee a perpetuall scar Thy fathers