wilt crop and wast the seed This. In time I may at night expect me sister Ars. I le waite you home This. If this my plot doe hit Nere was the like devis'd by womans wit Exeunt Enter Demeneta and Thisbe againe with a candle Thisbe Come mistris let me make you unreadie instantlie all that I promised you is done I will goe fetch young Cnemon unto you who is making merrie here by and returne suddenlie lye downe take your pleasure and say nothing Exit Thisbe Enter Thisbe followed by Aristippus This. Bind the adulterer fast master With that she ran to the doore and made it give so great a crash as she could crying out in this manner O wonderfull thing the villaine is fled take heed sir that you be not againe deceived Arist. Peace be of good cheere I have this wicked and mischievous woman which I most desired O thou much hated of the gods I have thee And all thy shame about thee come thou shalt With me unto the City to receive What punishment the lawes allot to such As live unchast and wrong their husbands bed Which is no lesse then death Aristippus dragges her along but she pulling herselfe out of the old mans hands fell suddenlie of purpose into a pit made in the stage and so ended her life Aristip. See Thisbe is she dead This. Oh yes her necke Is broaken sir Aristip. Then hath thy punishment Prevented what the law should have inflicted I le to the people and declare this matter And with my friends consult what meanes to use For to call home my sonne from banishment Whose truth and innocence doth open lie By this unheard of strange discovery Exeunt Actus tertii Scena sexta Enter Cariclea she lieth downe upon the bed indispos'd her kinsfolks weeping about her then enter Caricles and Calasiris Caric. My child my daughter deare tell me thy father The cause of thy disease have a good heart This wise man Calasiris is requested By me to finde some remedy to cure thee And he can well performe it as a man Of heavenly knowledge and a sacred priest My most endeered friend you shall doe well To suffer him to exercise his art And holy spels for your recovery For I perceive thou art ore-look'd my child Caric. Sir t is my duty to obey your will In all things you command me Calas. Then depart Deare Caricles and all the rest avoyd The roome we must be private here together Fetch me a little Laurell and a stoole Having three feet some fire and frankincense And let no man disturbe us till I call It shall be done forthwith heavens crowne your worke Exeunt all but Cariclea and Calasiris Calasiris begins to burne frankincense to mumble with his lips to lay lawrell upon her from top to toe to gape make strange gestures while Cariclea wagged her head oft and smiled Caric. Father you are deceived in my griefe You cannot ghesse at it for all your art Calas. Nay daughter say not so but cheere your selfe For what doth vex you is a malady Common and easie to be cur'd by me Thou wert o're-look'd not onely at the pompe Of Pirrhus funerall rites but at the race In armour too when you were overseer And gave the prize unto the conquerour Theagenes was he that overlook'd you Whose want on eye was alwaies fixt upon Your splendant beauty object of his sight Caric. Whether he daign'd to looke on me or no Apollo have him in his custody But whence is he and what 's his pedegree Calas. He 's a Thessalian borne and as you hear'd Descended from Achilles who although He have bewitch'd you with an envious eye He suffers more than you by the reflex Of your Sun-burning eyes upon his heart Caric. Why do you wrongfully accuse the man Of witchcraft who hath done no harme at all There 's no such matter t is some other sicknesse Calas. Then tell me daughter and conceale it not If you desire to find a remedy I am no stranger to you but your friend and old acquaintance of your loving father I am of your profession too a priest I 'le keepe your counsell and be bound by oath To helpe you what I can all griefes are cur'd In the beginning but if left alone At length they grow incurable declare Your minde at full Caric. I love Theagines Calasiris I knew so much before he loves you too I 'le be your faithfull friend and true assistant Enter Caricles with Acestinus a skilfull physitian Caric. Deere friend what have you done what newes have You to tell me that is good Calasir. All shall be well Cariclea shall be heal'd to morrow morne Of her infirmitie I now will leave you To prosecute my busines for her health Caric. Adiew deere friend the gods reward thy paine Heere Acestinus lies the sicklie patient Exit Calasiris You are well read in physicke feele her pulse And give your wise opinion Acestin. fairest maid Where doth your paine lie most She turn'd her face from him and repeated with a loud voice this verse of Homer Achilles is the bravest man of all the Greekish rout Acest. Her state of heart I finde Priest Caricles My labour is in vaine no physicke can Restore her to her health Caric. The gods forbid Why say you so must my deare daughter die Without all hope of her recovery Acest. Peace make not such adoe but here me speake Our art sir doth extend no further then He drawes Caricles aside To cure distempered bodies if the mind Diseased be without the bodies sicknesse We have no helpe for that the maids disease Lies in the mind her bodie 's in good state No humours doe abound there no headach No fever burnes her all is free within Caric. What then should be the cause of these her fits Utter what you perceive doth trouble her I doe beseech you skilfull Acestinus Acestin. T is love doth trouble her which who knowes not Is an affection and griefe of the heart Doe you not see her eyes swolne in her head Rouling one every side her visage pale Her halfe distraction how she uttereth What ere comes in her minde and sleepes but little In briefe I doe perceive that she hath lost The moisture of her body and indeed Just amplitude thereof my counsell is You finde her out a man and that with speed Exit Acestinus Caric. A man heavens grant she be enclin'd that way Then Calasiris hath plaid well his part How fares my daughter now what sicknesse hast thou Shall I send for more Doctors yet Caric. T is needlesse Send none to me but Calasiris onely He hath the art to ease me and none else Caric. I le send him to thee sleepe Cariclea Untill he come if Alcamenes love Possesse her heart thanks to the gods above Exeunt Actus tertii Scena septima Enter at one doore Theagines at another Calasiris Theag. My worthy friend most opportunely met Calasi. What beautifull Theagines Theag. How can he Be
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
passe the lesser starres Caric. The people prais'd Theagines the young Thessalian captaine Attributing the second place to him Calasires Yea and the third too but they all acknowledge Your daughter carryed it away and was The verie eye of the solemnitie Caric. Come will you goe with me to visite her I doubt the concourse of so great a troope Hath preiudic'd her rest Calasir. though my affaires Call me another way yet I l'e dispence VVith them how great so ever and important To waite on you and her exeunt Actus secundi Scena decima Enter Cariclea love sicke she lyeth upon her bed Cariclea O cruell power of love why dost thou triumph In lovers restles paines what glorie can Be added to thy deitie in seeking The overthrow of my poore libertie Take here this tribute of my teares these sighes Sent from a gentle heart convaey them hence That they may meet Theagnies and flow With his as from one fountaine from one head To her enters Caricles and Calasiris Caricles embraceth her Caric. What ailes my sweet my deare Carcilea Tell me my daughter Cariclea Nothing but my head Doth ake a little and I faine would sleepe Cariclea faines her selfe asleepe Caric. What should this meane good Calasiris thinke you VVhat disease hath she tane Calasir. You need not marvell At this for I believe some enuious eye Hath over look'd her Caric. I must laugh at this Then you beleive as commonlie men doe That there is witch craft Calasiris Yes as I beleive That anything is true and for this cause The emptie aire that is about us round On everie side entring in by our eyes Our mouth our eares our nostrills all our pores Carrying such outward qualities with it As t is indew'd with doth ingraffe a like Infection in the man who hath receiv'd it As when a man hath enviously beheld Something that 's excellent forthwith the aire Is filled with that poisonous qualitie VVhich entreth into that is neere at hand This same aire being a slender subtle thing Pierceth even to the bones and very marrow And by that cause hath envie beene the meanes Or that disease which by a propper name VVe call bewitching Caric. Your wise reasons beare Some probility I must confesse Cala. Consider Caricles how many have Gotten the plague although they never touch'd Nor saw nor eate nor lay with the deseas'd But being with them in the selfesame aire Let love be argument and proofe of this VVho taketh its beginning from the object Or what it sees and so as if it were Some privy passage by the eyes hath entrance Into the heart and this is probable For seeing of all other pores and sences The sight is capable of most mutations And so the hottest it must needs receive Such like infections as are round about it And with a hot spirit entertaine loves changes As for examples sake I will produce Out of the holie bookes some reasons for it Gathered from natures sole consideration You know the bird Charadrius doth heale Those persons whose disease is the kings evill Which bird doth flie away assoone as any Diseased with this griefe hath spied her And turnes her taile to him and shuttes her eyes Not as some say because she would not help them But that by looking on them she by nature Drawes that disease unto her therefore wiselie Declineth such a sight as present perill Caric. You have discuss'd this doubt right sagelie Sir I would my daughter once might feele and finde What love doth meane I would not then conceive That she were sick but in her perfect health But nothing lesse then this is to be thought Hath happened to her who contemnes all love But rather seemes to be bewitch'd indeed Deere Calasiris for our friendships sake Shew some point of your wisedome to dissolve This witchchraft and if possible to bring her Into a good opinion of my nephew Enter Nebulo with a bastinado in his hand Nebulo Sirs what d ee meane to make such tarriance Theagines hath made such a feast and all the good cheere will be eaten before you come for shame come away there are none of the ghestes wanting but you who are the principall if you will be such fooles to misse it you may but I 'le not follow your foolish example Calasiris This fellow cals us rather to a battle Then to a banket Caric. 'T is his rustieke manner O what a lofty fellow Bacchus is When he is well wash'd but come let us goe Least with his cudgell honest Nebulo Doe drive us forward Nebulo Well sirs you may jest But I meane earnest if I misse the feast Exeunt Finis actus secundi Actus tertii Scena prima Enter Aristippus solus in a melancholy humour Aristip. How have I plai'd the foole and rob'd my selfe In hastie passion of my onelie sonne Repentance when it comes too late doth argue An inconsiderate iudgment O my Cnemon Would thou hadst kill'd me ere I banish'd thee For death is better sure then banishment Nere shall I see my boy well for this fault I will do penance penance on my selfe Athens adiew and all the Citie pleasures Forsake me quite my solitarie manour Farre in the countrey where no people comes Shall be my habitation day and night Where I will eate my heart out Exit Aristippus Enter Demeneta and Thisbe Demen. Oh my Cnemon My prettie boy more deere then my owne life How I lament thy chance and my mishap This. Comfort your selfe deere mistris I beseech you Demen. Peace foole my griefe is more then can be cur'd By any words of comfort no man knowes What a sharpe corsive it was to my heart More fervent is my love now he is absent This. Fie fie forget him thinke upon his pride And high disdaine against you thinke he doth Deserve this punishment and greater too Demen. How readie thou art Thisbe to doe mischiefe Thou art the fire brand that hast kindled this Combustion in my heart thou hast not beene A helpe unto me but a hinderance In the fruition of my love by thee And by thy meanes I have lost my onely joy And yet for all this thou dost still incense me To run on in this way most wicked wretch This. Well I perceive your mind she thinkes to make me Support the fury of her franticke fits But I shall overreach you sure in wit And lay the saddle on the right horse backe aside Why do you thus accuse your trusty servant You know I did but what I was commanded Nor ere did any thing without your warrant If this thing happen'd not as you would have it Ascribe it not to any fault in me But rather as you justly may to fortune If you will have me yet devise some way To remedy your present griefe and sorrow You shall perceive how ready my good will Shall be at your commands Demen. What remedy Can possibly be found since he that can Ease me and none but he is separated At such a
it me I know it well For nothing from my wisedome can be hid And from the knowledge of the gods my son Calasiris casteth some account upon his finger as if he would prophesie Young man thou art in love nay start not backe Thou art in love with faire Cariclea Theagines embraceth him about the necke Theag. Thy prophesie is true I am in love With faire Cariclea save me learned man For without helpe I cannot live a day So much this mischiefe workes upon my heart I never till now knew the effects of love Nor ere saw woman that I thought deserv'd To be beloved before Caricleas beauty Made me a slave to Cupids cruelty Calas. Weepe not Theagines be of good cheere For since you have recourse to me for helpe My wisedome shall prevaile above her strength Although shee be perverse and easily Will not be drawne to love I 'le try all meanes For your sake whom I love and use all art I can to breake her nature be but bold And doe as I shall shew you Theag. With my soule And if you doe this I am yours and all I have at your command one knockes Calas. Who 's there be gone Theagines to morrow morne I 'le meet you In great Apollos Temple and talke more Exit Theagines Enter Nebulo O is it you Sir Nebulo what newes Bringst thou I prethee Neb. What d ee take me for a newes Carrier I would you should know it I am none such I have not to doe with other mens businesse nor their wives I would they had not to doe with mine but t is no mater for once there is promised a reformation I hope all will be amended let it passe but to the point now Calas. I to the point Nebulo by all meanes Neb. And then to the businesse afterward Caricles Why didst thou not meane the businesse when thou mention'dst the point is it not all one in the sense I conceive it so else thou art more learned than I am Neb. No t is not all one the point is one thing and the busines another we must first handle the point before we come to the businesse for your better understanding I will make it plainer Calas. Thou art a very learned Doctor sure in matters of this nature Neb. I hope so yet my wife hath gone beyond me I 'le be sworne by many degrees Calas. But Nebulo prethee what wouldst thou have with me how doth thy Master and my good friend Caricles Neb. In health but doggedly out of tune hee will be with you presently so much he bid me tell you and something else but I have forgotten it so much businesse I have to thinke of Enter Caricles Calas. My dearest friend and brother welcome to me Why doe you looke with such a sullen cheere Methinks you 're very sad and melancholy Caricles I am indeed and I have reason for it I come to crave your counsell what to doe But first depart and leave us Nebulo Neb. Wherefore I pray well there will be a sweet counsell now I am excluded I should be loth to change heads with either of them for all my hornes Exit Nebulo Caricles My daughter Sir since yesterday the race Was run in armour tweene Theagenes And stout Ormenes hath beene wondrous sicke And the last night did never sleepe one winke Calasiris Who won the garland Sir Caric. Theagines Cariclea as the custome is did hold The prize and he receiv'd it at her hand She still growes worse and worse deere Calasiris Imploy your skill and wisedome to restore her I know t is easie for you if you please To heale her who you say is but bewitch'd For I believe t is not impossible For holie Priestes to bring to passe strange things Calas. Let 's goe then if you please unto the maid And by recommendation strive to make Me more familiarlie acquainted with her That she the bolder may sustaine my cure Caric. Content Apollo graunt a good successe Unto thy worke and Aesculapius Exeunt Actus tertii Scena quarta Enter Aristippus and Thisbe This. Master I doubt not but my sudden comming Appeareth strange as being unexpected The cause whereof I will relate unto you Without more circumstance or vaine preambles I come here to accuse my selfe unto you And to receive such punishment as your Discretion shall thinke fit for my offence By me sir you have partly lost your sonne I doe confesse I was an accessary Though much against my will when I perceiv'd My mistris liv'd not well but wrong'd your bed Not onely provident to shun the danger Might light upon my selfe for keeping counsell If it should come to light by any other But chiefly sorrowfull for your mis-hap Who should in recompence of all your kindnesse Vnto your wife reape such disgrace from her I came one night to my yong master Cnemon My selfe not daring to acquaint you with it And told him there was one who us'd to play The lecher with my mistris he enrag'd Thinking that then they were in bed together Tooke suddenly his sword into his hand And notwithstanding that I told them then They were not at their sport he would not heare me But thinking that I had repented of Bewraying it ran like a mad man forth Unto your bed-side with intent to kill Th' adulterer what followed sir you know Now to confirme that this I say is true If so you please this night I le shew your wife My mistris Demeneta with her friend A bed together in a neighbours house Without the City Aristip. If thou canst doe this I le make thee free and pardon all thy faults For I suppose I should revive againe So I reveng'd were on my enemy I had such a suspition in my head That she was false but kept it to my selfe Because I wanted cleere proofes to convince her But what must I doe Thisbe tell me wench This. You know the garden where the monument Of Epicures doth stand there come a little Before the night and stay for me adiew Exeunt Actus tertii Scena quinta Enter Arsinoe and Thisbe Ars. My old acquaintance welcome welcome Thisbe This. Thanks good Arsinoe will you teach me now A lesson on the Virginals Ars. You jeere me I faine would learne of you but prethee tell me What businesse brought thee hither This. I will tell thee You know Feledemus the dauncer Ars. Yes This. We too must daunce la volta here to night Let 's have a chamber and a bed made ready Sweet sister for I 've promis'd him this night He shall come first and I will follow after Assoone as I to bed have brought my mistris Ars. All things shall be according to thy wish My better halfe This. But when he comes I pray you Be out the way for he is very shame-fac'd As being a novice in this art Ars. Is he Not entred yet This. Not yet I can assure yee His flower is yet to spend and strength of youth Ars. That flower thou soone