A FATAL MISTAKE OR The Plot Spoil'd A TRAGEDY As it was lately ACTED c. By JOS. HAYNS LONDON Printed by T. H. and sold by Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall 1692. TO THE READER AFter so many Years treading the Stage where both in my acting and capering Days to my Vanity be it spoken I made no inconsiderable Figure I come at last to visit the Publick in another of my no less known Capacities viz. Poetry and accordingly have turn'd this little Off-sping this natural Brat of mine out into the wide World I confess indeed my Talent this way never made any larger Appearance before than a Prologue a Lampoon a Sonnet or Madrigal or some such shorter Poetical Fragment and when I launch out into so Voluminous a Piece as a whole Play you may believe that my leisure for so tedious a scrible proceeds from no common Cause A dull Worlds want of Business and much Idleness with not overstockt a Pocket you see Gentlemen may do much But now after exposing to use Ben Johnson's Title my Works in Print what success I am like to meet now hang me as great a Fortune-Teiler as I have been all my Prognosticks can no more foretell than Lily with Reverence be it spoken could divine who shit at his Door My Fate lies in your Hands and so e'en much good may 't do the bold Adventurer the Bookseller If it finds your favourable Reception he has his Point and I my Wish But perhaps some over-curious Querists now may ask me with what Confidence in the Devil's Name I durst write a Play Confidence say they I suppose they don't know me that ask that Question However to satisfie any such inquisitive Gentlemen in troth I have Acted Mr. Bays so often and so feel ngly that I could not possibly for-bear copying after so fair an Original And now if my other Brothers of the Quill picque at me for it I do not much matter but if I incur your hard Censure trust me Gentlemen I set so high a Value upon your Favours that I protest if my Play displease you and you shall think fit to exclude me from the Muses as the Players have done from the Stage it will certainly put me to the charge of a new Recantation to recover your good Graces Well but if I must write a Play How comes it that I begin my Dramatick Writing no sooner And make my first Essay at these elderly Years upon my Back this Fumbling Age of Poetry as a Reverend elder Brother has it Why truly as old Dr. Jasper said of his Maiden-head I was very unwilling to die in Ignorance and therefore resolv'd to take one Touch before I left the VVorld And this Production therefore being my very Virgin Issue as such I recommend it to your kind Protection And now Gentlemen if you shall graciously please to oblige your Petitioner in your Vmbrage of this Irisle take my honest VVord upon the Honour of a Convert and Re-convert by my Veracity in both Churches nay in Church and out of Church a Saint a Traveller a Dancer Player Poet or whatever else in all and every Qualificatiton I am Gentlemen Your most Faithful Servant J. H. The Names of the Actors MEN. Duke Duke of Schawden ' s Ambassador Rodulphus Baldwin Eustace Lodovick Albert. Godfrey Arnulph Frederick Welpho Conradine Gozelo Lewis Ferdinando WOMEN Dutchess Gertruedo Libassa Clementia Idana Thierrie Maria. Lords and Ladies MASQUERS Soldiers A FATAL MISTAKE OR THE PLOT SPOIL'D Actus Primus Scoena Prima Enter Eustace and Gertrudo She is in Mourning Eust VVHat ' cause he kill'd Adolphus must he dye Shall Love be martyr'd by your cruelty Perhaps Adolphus gave him a just Cause His Life 's then forfeited by Honours Laws But why should you be thus concern'd to make Conradine wretched for Adolphus ' s sake Gertrudo I 'll tell you Brother we contracted were And though he 's dead he still is living here Shall I go to his Bed who took my Life I 'm made a murther'ess when I 'm made his Wife His Wife that were to load my Soul with guilt What! Crimson o're this black with what he spilt And dye my Soul more black than these She 'll approve Of the worst Treasons who can Traitors love By Heaven these Tears which offer'd unto you Divine dear Saint I count a sacred dew Nay by thy self I swear if e'er I see That Dog this Hand shall be his Tragedy Exit in a rage Eust There is no hopes nor is it just to move Her to wed him who has destroy'd her Love Exit Enter Libussa Lib. I can't endur 't he 's proud and saucy shall My Husband's Brother slight me No his fall Must be contriv'd or I shall burst with hate But it is wisdom to conceal his Fate I 'll give it Wings yet so that none shall dream I am the poysoner of a balmy Stream I 'll use such Words shall only friendship sound Yet give his Credit such a secret wound ' Shall gangrene so insensibly that he Shall plung'd be 'fore he thinks of Misery For she 's a Fool who arm'd with love or spight Will not enflame the World t' encrease her light Did he not say my Parentage was base Though not base born yet of an obscure Race And that his Brother rais'd me by his Love To what I could not hope will not this move Me to Revenge Yes Fool yes thou shalt find Though meanly born I have an high flown Mind Which resents affronts I that Nettle-plant Will make the Cedar stoop to servile want Yet guild it all with Love no shew of strife I 'll weeping wound and smiling take thy Life His Life that 's murther But it must be done And then his Place goes to my Brother's Son Thus will I raise my own Relations and Give Check-mate to his Honours and his Lands This neither Men nor Gods shall Countermand Enter Baldwin with Attendants Good morning to your Grace Bald. And you my Dear Go to my Brother say I want him here Exit Servant Libuss How does brave Eustace Sir He is unkind I have not seen him here to day my mind Prompts me to fear some Mischief this last night Methought I saw him environ'd with Light In his right and left Hand two Commets stood Which in a Moment did convert to Blood The Light was clouded his Vilage grew pale His Tongue did faulter and his Feet did fail And sinking thus into my Arms he cry'd Farewel base World farewel and smiling dy'd Pray Heaven this my Dream does not fatal prove Bald. Oh no 'T is but the extremity of your Love The end of which is trembling careful Fears Just as excess of Joy distills in Tears Libuss Such Tears my Fate ne'er gave me Cause to shed Unless by being honoured with your Bed And sure if any thing can cause it now 'T will be the good success of those I know You love of which I 'm sure he has great part He 's so
any that Elme courted by the too-fond Vine Will not declare you see they twine And tacitly upbraid our cold Neglect Will you live to be old And lose your dear delights faith try You rob your self when you deny Your Blushes shall not speak I 'll fan Them into paleness and that wan Ness shall not accuse that Death Look I 'll make ruddy with my Breath Let 's then by now fufilling Love Anticipate those Joys above Clement What have I done to fan yoor beastly Flame That it dares be so sawcy as to name Its rude Desires Has my Deportment been So light you think it must be pois'd with Sin Rodulp Dare be so saucy had you been Diviner than the Paphian Queen Or had the fondness of great Jove Adopted you to be his Love And I a dirty Scullion born You could not then have us'd more scorn You might have giv'n an Answer free From Pride or Incivillity You could but chide your Foot-boy so Clement He 's better bred and honester I know Tell me not of the greatness of your Blood 'T is he alone is great who dares be good You Exercise your Power to do ill In thus controuling you your greatness kill Can he be Noble who does basely stoop To pamper'd Sence and make his Honour droop Can he be Gallant who does quit the Field To vaunting Lust Is 't Valour thus to yield No no that Prince who has a Peasants Mind Is but a gaudy Bladder cram'd with Wind. Honour is poiz'd with Vertue 't is not light Some men were born others made Lords in spight For Nature angry with the Father gave A Son should prove an honourable Knave This may plead fashion and so pardon get But when men shall be Beasts I 'll not repeat Those many ways they make them so then 't is Nature does plague Birth with an Emphasis She is ingenious in her Vengeance when She makes the best by Birth the worst of Men. Titles of Honour I know the Duke can Give you must make your self a Noble man Rodulph Love firmly rooted never finds remorse It must enjoy by favour or by force Clem. Do not delude your self there are those nigh Will soon divert your black intent Rodulph I 'll try Goes to force her Clement Idana Idana Enter Idana He unhands her Clement Fredrick shant know you would abuse his Wife For that would cost or him or you a Life But come no more unto my House Exeunt Clementia and Idania Rodulph So fool'd it must not die without repair I hav 't The VVorld will think her foul ' cause fair I 'll say she is my VVhore nay swear 't thus I VVill be reveng'd to see her Honour die Exit Enter Frederick and Eustace Fre. You throw away dear Sir your generous Passion I cannot make a just Retalliation You are so far abov't yet you shall fee I 'll Honour you as much as you Love me Eust Your Love do's Wealth Honour Bliss comprehend Has he not all who has so brave a Friend Fre. You are an Artist Sir I quit the Field My Language must my Love shall never yield Yet I 'm afraid that too will too weak prove Your Merits bind me you love ' cause you love I love for Gain you can no Reason give For yours to me So do the Gods who live Only to love poor Mortals so do you And that Love which is Heavenly must be True Eust In striving to persue this Copious Theam I cut against the Grain swim ' gainst the Stream You do out-do me I 'll my Top-sail lower Your Language and your Love have the sole Power Fred. I 'll say no more but keep that in my Breast Which though can't would seem Flattery if exprest Exit Eust If he were not her Husband she might prove Mild to my Suit and gratifie my Love Or were he not my Friend to have my will Perhaps commanding Love might make me kill Him the only Thwart to my Desires and try By Fraud or Force to spot her Purity But that 's ' gainst both Divine and Humane Law Love makes it lawful though to break all Law Honour will not deceive any who trust To her and honesty bids me be just To all in all things 't is strict Vertues will We bear Fates Tortures not committing ill I 'll love her then but with that sacred Flame Shan't Honour blot nor deface Friendships Name Exit Enter Duke Dutchefs Thierrie c. Duke I 'Ve promis'd it unto Eustace his Friend If you command I know he 'll not contend But willingly and with great Joy submit To lay his Int'rest at your Nephews Feet Dutch Far be that Sir You know all kindness shewn To him I ever reckon'd as my own Duk. The next opportunity I have of conferring any thing Worthy of Thierrie I 'll not forget him Dutch Let him enjoy 't it is not worth my strife Aside He shall surrender't shortly with his life Exeunt Actus Secundus Scena Prima Enter Dutchess and Godfry Dutch THe Duke do's love him therefore we must be Subtlely friendly in our Treachery He thinks my Flames are Loyal but they are Only to melt him into woful care I 'll laugh to see him plunge without relief In sweaty Anger and in briny Grief Let him like Niobe weep into Stone Useless to all regarded to by none Then tickled with that Pleasure I shall die In Raptures as I loft Virginity Godf. Since 't is your Pleasure I 'll obey your Grace Dutch 'T is for your Profit your Son gets his Place Exit Godf. I am his Bosom can I break my Trust To one so Faithful so exactly Just Hence Treachery what shall a Womans Hate Triumph o're Goodness I 'll divert that Fate But she proposes Wealth and Honour too VVhat will not any for those Beauties do They captivate all with their golden Hair Evaporate then Friendship into Air. Exit Enter Lodovick Arnulph VVelpho and Rodulphus Lod. Besides all this he 's Honours Advocate A God to Vertue but to Vice a Fate Arn. He takes not Honour in the new-mode's Sence But weighs it in the Scale of Conscience Welph He 's Natures Darling and the Muses Dear And yet can teach even Mars to break a Spear Rodul Rob the VVorlds Cabbinet and ransack Fame You cannot equal then brave Eustace's Name He is in one word that we mayn't time spena The greatest Soldier Courtier truest Friend Exeunt manet Rodulphus Rodul VVith what regret do I found forth his Praise How do I curse when I trim up his Bays My tow'ring Thoughts disdain to be out-flown Envy all Encomium's that are not their own My Soul 's as lofty as the best I hate So mean a thing as second in a State Nature made all Men naked Beggars and Kings 'T is Fortune only turns the Scale of things If she should make my Sovereign's Scepters mine I 'd think my self as Sovereign and Divine As he and on him from that Wheel look down With an upbraiding
Faults o'er For fear they 'd not be Registred by Fame They write them down themselves to 'em let their Name Cause they 're deprav'd and can do nothing well They strive to be famous for doing ill Of that unhallowed Brood art thou profane Abuser of Good to Honour a Stain And thinkst me of that Sect else wouldst not dare To urge thy Passion with so little fear Can I think he can tell how to be Just VVho to his Friend so basely breaks his Trust Can I hope thou wilt e'er be true to me VVho 's false to the Laws of Hospitality My Brother lodg'd thee here to be an Actor For Otho but thou' rt turn'd thine own Factor Thinkst thou thy Flatteries can me intice VVhy to Love thee is to be in Love with Vice Exit Ferd. Yes 't was a Dream Mad Ferdinando couldst not see Such Happiness was ne'er design'd for thee Read thy Lifes Story in every Line thou 'lt find Th' wert born but to shew Heaven can be unkind Exit Enter Leopaldus The Devil 's sooner rais'd than laid my thought Is still aspiring though 't was mock'd with nought A Thousand Duckets a Reward for me Who thought the world mine own well Dutchess see Th' Event the time will come when you may want My Service and your Treachery recant Exit Enter Gertrudo How mad am I It is but Three days since I would have courted him such influence Had Love on me But now he sues I fly I who fear Death am th' only Cause I dye Fool that I was so sharply to reprove His Flames first Offrings Come take Vengeance Love Study new Torments to afflict me till My Humour 's Complasent made to my VVill. Curs'd bashfulness But why would I believe Her Dictates she was made but to deceive Our Sex of Pleasure and her Blushings are Not Types of Innocence but Crimes infer Yet on this Text do all old Mothers preach Shun Man be coy These against Nature teach For when they 've had all the Pleasure they can They say fly that deceitful Creature man It is Apocrypha no Divine Truth Hatchd but to blast the Pleasures of our Youth Exit Enter Frederick as going home late Rodulphus feigns to come out of his House buttening his Dublet and seems to endeavour that he should not see him Exit Fred. Rodulphus here so late how do my Fears Prompt me to think my Horns out vie my Ears I 'll sift my VVife if she trips in the least I 'll Cook her defil'd Limbs for the VVorms Feast Exit Actus Quintus Scena Prima Enter Fredrick and Clementia in his Garden OUt Crocadile Thy words are steep'd in Tears thy Actions kill Did I not see him came out of my Doors At One this morning Curse on all such Whores Was not his Doublet all unbrac'd and he E'en tir'd with Pleasure this I did not see No I was drunk yes or perhaps mine Eyes Were Traitors to my sight Clem. May I ne'er rise she kneels From these chast Knees nor in that General Day If I have seen him here these Two Months Fred. Pray Yet I 'll not give thee time Throws her into the Well preach in that Well I 'd sink thee lower if I could than Hell What have I done murther'd my Wife my dear He stoops and calls her Ha! dead what have I done ha Stoops and calls again Clementia Here Here my Clementia does thy Fredrick stand O'rewhelm'd with Guilt and Tears Give me thy hand I 'll snatch thee from that watry Tyrant's Arm. But I 'm the Tyrant I have done the harm Blind Jealousie My Life I 'll sacrifice draws out a Pristol And with my own Blood write thy Elegies The Pistol flashes in the Pan and wont off Ha! cheated what means this Reprieve her Soul Bids me live to revenge Rodulphus foul Slanders and Treacheries Tnat done I 'll fall T' appease thy Ghost wait on thy Funeral Enter Eustace and Albert booted as return'd Fred. Heavens Eust What means your fright how is Clementia well Speaks not my Friend how does Clementia Fred. We ll Eust You 're strangely discompos'd pray let me know The Cause I hope you count me not your Foe Fred. Re-volving all your Wrongs Anger 's just Flame Kindled my Thoughts into Revenge You came And rais'd my Joys unto extreams for who Can escape Raptures when he does see you These Two contrary Passions meeting strove And Anger would have overcame my Love And I not able to endure their Heat Lost my Senses in a shivering Sweat This was the Cause Sir of my Extasie Eust I 'm glad my fright Is past At first I thought eternal Night Had sabled-o're Clementia's Beams Fred. No she Is gone to Church to pray for you and me Eust She 's good her early Soul seeks Heaven betime 'T is a steep way who thinks to reach 't must climb Exeunt Enter Duke and Rodulpho Rod. The other Regiment of Foot shall march to morrow And on Thursday the Horse I never saw men more Chearful nor march with a greater Resolution indeed Confidence Duke 'T is a good Omen But what of Eustace no murmuring I hope Rod. Not a whisper Duke They 'll forget him Rod. I wish they may but now He 's return'd I advise your Grace to secure him He may beget Mischief Duke Let 's in and consult Exeunt Enter Eustace Albert. Eust Not come to Court that 's worse than all the rest Condemn'd unheard how happy then how blest Is Treason and all Traitors if they can So easily puff down the Loyal Man Enter Welpho Here comes my Friend How do's the Duke what News Welpho Welp I 'm busie Sir pray excuse Me I can't answer all such Trifles Exit Eust How 'T is he sure Alb. Yes but you 're not General now Enter Arnulph Eust Oh my Friend Arnulph Arn. Good Sir don't trouble me I 'm in great hast Exit Eust This is the highest degree Of sin base Raskals Enter Lodovick with another busily discoursing Here comes one I 'm sure Is honest Alb. 'T is unsafe to be secure How do's Lodovick Lod. Good Sir what d' ee mean It is uncivil thus to intervene You see we are in discourse Exeunt Eust But that they are Below my Passion or my meanest Care I 'd kick them into Atoms But here 's one Enter Rodulphus Will reconcile me his Soul is too high-flown To stoop to that vile thing Ingratitude Aside My Friend what news how do's the Duke Rod. You 're rude 'T is not fit Traitors should Court-Secrets know Kicks him Eust How Tell the Duke I kick'd you Sirrah go Exit Rod. Curs'd Cows have but short Horns thy Glass is run For thou shalt set before to morrow's Sun Exit Alb. What Flies are these they play in the Sun-shine Of Great Men's Fortunes but the Frost decline Now to be Great is a great Infamy Birth is become a Cloak to Villany He that for gain do's scorn to sell his Love And in
misfortunes bitter North-winds proves As constant as the Loadstone's to that Pole He is the truly gallant noble Soul Exit Enter Ferdinando It can't be worse I am now desperate Boldness perhaps may contradict my Fate Fortune is Valours Friend I 'm sure to have If not her Love the kindness of a Grave Enter Gertrudo Now will I know my Happiness or Doom Those who are plung'd in Misery do find Pity from all there is a secret kind Of Sympathy in Man to Wretches none Did e'er weep on the Gallows yet alone As many wait on him as on the Throne All striving to excuse the Fact thus he That 's legally condemn'd by them 's set free And has as many Plaudits as the Chair Of Justice Curses which did bring him there Blest Criminal Lovers are wrackd with care Pity'd by none all laugh at their despair Yet as some Murtherers have scap'd a while The Devil lulls the hopes but to beguile With greater Hell and been condemn'd for what They thought not of much less committed not So 't is with me Love's Treason but you wave That and condemn me for a perjur'd Slave For being false to Otho O Heaven Your Justice equal is the Cause uneven I do Gertrudo love 't is just I die Is it not just too that the World knows why Can ye not punish sin without a Lye To be Gertrudo's Martyr is to go To Heaven clad with more Glories than ye know But to dye branded with such Crimes as these How could ye think my injur'd Soul t' appease For if from thence I should chance to look down And smell that Name stink which was once my own Gods I should be transported with that Flame I 'd leave ye to descend and own my Name For let me be Hells Mark if I don't prove I have not injur'd Honour by my Love Gertrud If that were clear though I will not profess To love you more yet I will hate you less Ferd. 'T is all I beg to mitigate your Hate Who thinks to gain your Love must Banckru ptFate Then see Otho's Surrender Madam see Gives her a Letter she reads Has he not given you away to me Gertrud H' has quitted me my Brother cannot now Praise his own Choise nor can he disallow With Justice mine neither with Justice can I deny him who is so brave a Man For since he has his Honour justifi'd I wrong my Love should his suit be deny'd Yet Modesty would mince it and I fear To speak as much as he 's afraid to hear Aside My hatred's vanishd and we are now Friends Exit Ferd. Love will begin I hope where Hatred ends Enter Eustrace as overhearing their Discourse Eust Heavens how deform'd his Vice methinks his Face Is monstrous he 's of some prodigious Race Sure Pluto with a Succubus did joyn Get him ill Nature with ill Shape did twine On purpose that he might of all be known To be his eldest nay his only Son Yet how dull Fooll did Friendship blind my Eyes How easily can Hell its shapes disguise Aside Ferd. What means your melancholy Friend Eust Dar'st call Me Friend Thy Friendships Diabolical They draw and pass at one another Eustace's Sword falls out of his Hand Ferdinando takes it up and restores it I see thou hast not lost thine Honour yet Ferd. I may my Life but that I 'll never quit Eust How darst thou then my Sister Court and prove False to Otho Ferd. Can any resist Love Eust That 's no Excuse none must ' gainst Honour Sin You might have lov'd her and not injur'd him Silenc'd your Flames sown your Tears in the Sands Ferd. Honour too weak is when Love Countermands Eust Love 's but an humorous Itch Honour 's Divine Ferd. The Gods Love is so too and so is mine Eust They break not Friendships Vows to purchase Love Thine is but Persidy disguis'd in Love Ferd. Where Love does Rule all must obey his Laws Or Traitors be blame not th' Effect but Cause Eust He who does Sin himself 's the very Cause And must be punish'd for 't by Human Laws And by Divine the Devil does entice But he must pay for 't who commits the Vice 'T is thou hast Honour broke and Friendship too If Love did cause it I 'll kill the Cause in you Offers at him Ferd. Hold one word more How rash is Jealousie Unjust and Barbarons Eust To save their Lives what will not Cowards say Did I not hear thy Perfidy away Impostor thou hast Honour slain I come To Sacrifice thee on her mournful Tomb. Offers at him Enter Officer and a Guard Pardon Sir this rude Office I protest I do the Dukes Commands with great regret 'T is his Pleasure that you and that Noble Stranger be secur'd Ferd. How saucy Rascal Let 's turn our Points Sir and these Sheep will fly Eust Hold 't is my Soveraign's Will we must obey Exeunt Enter Duke and Dutchess Duke He has writ to be heard I can't deny That Justice 't is the greatest Tyranny Dutch No Sir 't is Mercy if he Pleads he 'll prove Himself a Traitor is it not then Love Not only to forgive but to conceal Faults Duke The vulgar will say h' has none to reveal Thus my Kindness to him will hate create In them to me they 'll say I 've edg'd his Fate Dutch Is 't fit that Kings should fear their Subjects Frown The pamper'd Jade tumbles his Rider down Will you to gratifie the Vulgar shew The World your own Blood is Corrupted No Let them surmize Kings should move in a Sphere Will blind those Subjects Eyes dare come too near Duke Were he our Son and should a Traitor prove Justice should quite blot out Paternal Love On Thursday we will hear him Exit Dutch No no I Will that prevent to morrow he shall dye Exit Enter Eustace solus in Prison Where art thou gone my dear Clementia where Hast thou so soon forgot thy Eustace here Art thou in Prison thence wing a Sigh send It to thy now twice fetter'd Friend I 'll Echo all thy Sighs and Pearl thy Tears Poize thou thy Griefs I 'll Counterpoize my Cares And see which does o'er-ballance Can there be A difference 'twixt thine and my Misery Art thou dead my Clementia Then am I Hence Sacrilegious Thoughts she cannot dye She 's only slipt in t ' Immortality Yet thence descend and tell what Transports were In Heaven amongst the Gods when thou cam'st there Tell how the ravish'd Angel Quire did sing When thou appeard'st to Glorifie their King Enter Ghost Ha! pale aad wet my dear Clementia how Exit Ghost How wert thou thus abus'd Come tell me now What gone didst come but to delude my Sence To shew me Heaven then leave me in suspence He kneels If it will not defile thine Eyes and Ear To see thy Slave and his Petitions hear Look down and tell what Miscreant snatch'd thee hence That I may Vengeance take for his Offence Let
me Revenge I say trust not to Jove He 'll gratifie that Traitor with his Love For had not the Villain don't thou hadst been here And he still languishing till thou cam'st there Let me revenge Clementia I will try To find out Tortures beyond Cruelty Exit Enter Dutchess and Leopaldus Dutch I know you silently do murmur that Your Services have been neglected what Yo 've lost by Time I pay with Interest now I did delay't on purpose but to know Your Temper to see how you 'd bear 't but you I find even to th' unjust can be true Leop. Where Duty binds there no Rewards are due I 'm largely gratifi'd in serving you Who serves his Prince only for Gain serves Gain And not his Prince Madam the Loyal Vein Holds not one drop which it does not impart With all obsequiousness to chear the Heart Kings are the Heart We the Veins must them feed If the Veins are Corrupt 't is fit they bleed Dutch Your Principles are honest but yet they Should cherish those which do good Blood conveigh Go with this Letter to Rodulphus he Has Orders to Reward thy Loyalty Exeunt Enter Leopaldus at the other Door By your leave Dutchess 'fore I farther go The Business and my Reward both I 'll know Opens the Letter Perhaps it is to hang me that I may Not unvail her Clouded Deeds to the day He reads The Duke on Thursday will his Nephew hear How sooty we how snowy he 'll appear To morrow murther him the next night I Will give the Duke a Posset he shall dye Then will our Loves mount by their fall all hate Cease Let the Messenger have the same Fate Indeed 't is well I 'll do 't If it does hit They both shall dye and I 'll be Treasurer yet Exit Enter Eustace Frederick Ferdinando and Three Officers of the Army 1 My Regiment is yours 2 My Troop 3 I do Acknowledge Sir no General but you 1 The Army is all yours except those few Peacock plumb'd-upstart-Officers whom you Can frown to Dust 3 Why will your Honour Cloud Your self 2 We 'll cry for Justice cry aloud Not with a Female Tone but with a Voice Shall make Rodulphus tremble at the noise Fred. If you will give the word we 'll make the World Look pale it shall be to a Chaos hurl'd And even then your Word can all revive And make it in due method once more live Why will you be contemn'd when with a Breath Of Wrath you rival may nay conquer Death Eust O how exactly wicked's the World grown They 'd court even Angels to Rebellion These Tempters I 'll discard Treason will find Too many ways alone t' attack the Mind Aside My Friends I thank your Valour and your Love But yet I 'll find a milder way to prove My Honour was ne'er stain'd who 'd purchase Fame With the sweet Treasure of a loyal Name Go home and check your Giant Thoughts I will As I have always think ye my Friends still Exeunt Soldiers discontented Those are rough Men I thought Fred'rick had been More honest or more wise than to be seen A Champion for Disloyalty I fear Your Smiles on me are Counterfeits not cleaâ— For this I know whate'er he may pretend He who 'd destroy his King would kill his Friend Fred. Eustace is too severe I did not mean T' include the good Duke in this Bloody Scene My thirsty Passion at Rodulphus drove If whilst my just Revenge with m' Anger strove I drop'd some Words might Treason Countenance Pardon't Religion was lost in a Trance And whilst my Heart strove to be just my Tongue Grief stifling Reason did my just Thoughts wrong Yet hadst thou Eustace the same Cause I think 'T would force thy Well-built Loyalty to sink Hear then my Griefs are keen they 'll pierce thy Heart Friends do in Joys or Woes bear equal part Summon Religion to endure this Blow Thou who hat'st Treason wilt prove Traitor now Rodulphus my Clementia did abuse Eust Ha! sdeath Fred. I thought you 'd startle at the News That Traitor told the Duke that she and you Had exchang'd Hearts she all your Treasons knew And now she 's lost have I not cause to fear That Dog has trapp'd her and they 'r wracking her Eust Hence Coward Loyalty O Heaven O Hell I you invoke Justice and Plagues pour down On her Black Murtherers on Lorain's Crown Or bless us shew us here Clementia's well They 'r dull O Anger O Revenge O Spite More Gods than they blind with eternal night That puppet Prince that earthen God who shews No Symptom's of a King but only those The Prince of Torment 's known by 't is fit he Who is so like him should Hell's Vice-Roy be Call the Officers sound a Charge sound it home Being in a Frensie he fancies the Officers enter when they do not O here they are thanks noble Friends come come Come follow me follow your Leader Boys Wee 'll drown the Thunder with our Cannons noise He is mad They hold him But he 's my Prince Love and Revenge must rest Satisfy'd our Lives are in our Kings Breasts If they will be unjust we must submit Heaven sees and that alone can punish it Then pardon Loyalty this Crime who can Be silent now is less or more than Man Rodulphus though by this Right hand shall die Though for that Act I lost Eternity Enter Leopaldus Leop. I know my Lord you that think I have been An Actor in this Tragedy of Sin But when great-bellyed Time is brought a-bed Bald truth will take that Scandal off my head Eust O impudenee Leop. If I can't be believ'd Let that I hope you are now undeceiv'd He gives him the Letter the Dutchess sent to Rodulphus Eust I never loath'd my Bonds till now were I But at liberty to scourge that wretch Rodulphus I 'd smile on Death Offi. My Lord you are at liberty I so much hate Rodulphus's Treachery I 'll wing his Fate Appoint your time I 'll wait on you and let You forth the private way Eust Thanks good Sebastion But what 's to be done Leop. I will a Letter frame For I can counterfeit the Dutchess Name Unto Rodulpus wherein he shall be Commanded to wait on her at Seven this night In the Garden and bring Godfry and Thierrie With him there you may punish them all they 'll Have only their walking Swords with them Thus will you vindicate your self and prove Them greatest Traitors who 've profess'd most Love Eust. Yet let them bring their fighting Swords I hate To trepan even Traitors to their Fate We Three alone will meet them there 's no odds But this they fight against we with the Gods The greatest sign of an heroick mind Is to die nobly when our death 's design'd Exeunt Leop. Thus do I bring them all unto their Graves They who 'd be great in this World must be Knaves Exit Enter Eustace and Albert.