me for this horrid crime It is so like thy own In this I 'm sure Although in nothing else I am thy Son But when 't is done I leave him yet that remedy I take my self Revenge but I as well Will rob him of his anger as his joy And having sent her to the shades I 'le follow her But to return again and dwell In his dire thoughts for there 's the blacker hell Enter Messenger Mess. Sir your wife the Princess is come to visit you Prince Conduct her in now to my disguise again Enter Princess Princess Is this my Lord the Prince Prince That 's Erythaea Or some Angel voyc't like her 'T is she my strugling soul Would fain go out to meet and welcome her Erythaea No answer but in sighs dear Erythaea Thou cam'st to comfort to support my sufferings Not to oppress me with a greater weight To see that my Unhappiness Involves thee too Princess My Lord in all your triumphs and your glories You call'd me into all your joys and gave me An equal share and in this depth of misery Can I be unconcern'd you needs must know You needs must hope I cannot or which is worse You must suspect my love for what is love But sympathy And this I make my happiness Since both cannot be happy That we can both be miserable Prince I prithee do not say thou lov'st me For love or finds out equals or makes 'em so But I am so cast down and fal'n so low I cannot rise to thee and dare not wish Thou should'st descend to me but call it pity And I will own it then that Kings may give To beggars and not lessen their own greatness Princess Till now I thought virtue had stood above The reach of fortune but if virtue be not Yet love's a greater Deity whatever fortune Can give or take love wants not or despises Or by his own omnipotence supplies Then like a God with joy beholds The beauty of his own Creations Thus what we form and image to our fancies We really possess Prince But can thy imagination Delude it self to fix upon an object So lost in miseries so old in sorrows Paleness and death hang on my cheek and darkness Dwells in my eyes more chang'd from what I was In person than in fortune Princess Yet still the same to me Alas my Lord these outward beauties are but the props and scaffolds On which we built our love which now made perfect Stands without those supports nor is my flame So earthy as to need the dull material fuel Of eyes or lips or cheeks still to be kindled And blown by appetite or else t' expire My fires are purer and like those of Heaven Fed only and contented with themselves Need nothing from without Prince But the disgrace that waites upon misfortune The meer reproach the shame of being miserable Exposes men to scorn and base contempt Even from their nearest friends Princess Love is so far from scorning misery That he delights in 't and is so kindly cruel Sometimes to wish it that he may be alone In stead of all of fortunes honours friends which are But meer diversions from loves proper object Which only it is self Prince Thou hast almost Taught me to love my miseries and forgive All my misfortunes I 'le at least forget 'em We will revive those times and in our memories Preserve and still keep fresh like flowers in water Those happier days when at our eyes our souls Kindled their mutual fires their equal beams Shot and returned till linkt and twin'd in one They chain'd our hearts together Princess And was it just that fortune should begin Her tyranny where we began our loves No if it had why was not I blind too I 'm sure if weeping could have don 't I had been Prince Think not that I am blind but think it night A season for our loves and which to lovers Ne're seems too long and think of all our miseries But as some melancholy dream which has awak't us To the renewing of our joys Princess My Lord this is a temper Worthy the old Philosophers Prince I but repeat that lesson Which I have learnt from thee All this morality Thy love hath taught me Princess My Lord you wrong your virtue T' ascribe the effect of that to any cause Less noble than it self Prince And you your love To think it is less noble or less powerful Than any the best virtue and I fear thy love Will wrong it self so long a stay will make The jealous King suspect we have been plotting How do the pledges of our former love Our Children Princess Both happy in their Grandsires love especially The pretty Fatyma yet she According to her apprehension feels A sence of your misfortunes Prince But let her not too much express it Lest she provoke his fury Princess She only can allay it When 't is provok't she Plays with his rage and gets above his anger As you have seen a little boat To mount and dance upon the wave that threatens To overwhelm it Prince To threaten is to save but his anger Strikes us like thunder where the blow out-flies The loud report and even prevents mens fears Princess But then like thunder It rends a Cedar or an Oak or finds Some strong resisting matter women and children Are not Subjects worthy a Princes anger Prince Whatsoever Is worthy of their love is worth their anger Princess Love 's a more natural motion they are angry As Princes but love as men Prince Once more I beg Make not thy love thy danger Princess My Lord I see with what unwillingness You lay upon me this command and through your fears Discern your love and therefore must obey you Exit Prince Farewell my dearest Erythaea There 's a strange musick in her voice the story Of Orpheus which appears so bold a fiction Was prophecy'd of thee thy voyce has tam'd The Tygers and the Lions of my soul. Enter Messenger Mess. Sir your daughter Fatyma Prince Conduct her in how strangely am I tempted With opportunity which like a sudden gust Hath swell'd my calmer thoughts into a tempest Accursed opportunity The Midwife and the Bawd to all our vices That work'st our thoughts into desires desires To resolutions those being ripe and quickned Thou giv'st 'em birth and bring'st 'em forth to action Enter Fat. and Messenger Prince Leave us O opportunity That when my dire and bloudy resolutions Like sick and froward children Were rockt asleep by reason or religion Thou like a violent noise cam'st rushing in And mak'st 'em wake and start to new unquietness Come hither pretty Fatyma Thy Grandsires darling sit upon my knee He loves thee dearly Fat I Father for your sake Prince And for his sake I shall requite it O virtue virtue Where art thou fled thou wert my Reasons friend But that like a deposed Prince has yielded His Scepter to his base usurping vassals And like a traytor to himself takes pleasure In
think our Sacriledge would spare When such th' effects of our devotions are Parting from thence 'twixt anger shame fear Those for what 's past this for what 's too near My eye descending from the Hill surveys Where Thames amongst the wanton vallies strays Thames the most lov'd of all the Oceans sons By his old Sire to his embraces runs Hasting to pay his tribute to the Sea Like mortal life to meet Eternity Though with those streams he no resemblance hold Whose foam is Amber and their Gravel Gold His genuine and less guilty wealth t' explore Search not his bottom but survey his shore Ore which he kindly spreads his spacious wing And hatches plenty for th' ensuing Spring Nor then destroys it with too fond a stay Like Mothers which their Infants overlay Nor with a sudden and impetuous wave Like profuse Kings resumes the wealth he gave No unexpected inundations spoyl The mowers hopes nor mock the plowmans toyl But God-like his unwearied Bounty flows First loves to do then loves the Good he does Nor are his Blessings to his banks confin'd But free and common as the Sea or Wind When he to boast or to disperse his stores Full of the tributes of his grateful shores Visits the world and in his flying towers Brings home to us and makes both Indies ours Finds wealth where 't is bestows it where it wants Cities in deserts woods in Cities plants So that to us no thing no place is strange While his fair bosom is the worlds exchange O could I flow like thee and make thy stream My great example as it is my theme Though deep yet clear though gentle yet not dull Strong without rage without ore-flowing full Heaven her Eridanus no more shall boast Whose Fame in thine like lesser Currents lost Thy Nobler streams shall visit Iove's aboads To shine amongst the Stars and bath the Gods Here Nature whether more intent to please Us or her self with strange varieties For things of wonder give no less delight To the wise Maker's than beholders sight Though these delights from several causes move For so our children thus our friends we love Wisely she knew the harmony of things As well as that of sounds from discords springs Such was the discord which did first disperse Form order beauty through the Universe While driness moysture coldness heat resists All that we have and that we are subsists While the steep horrid roughness of the Wood Strives with the gentle calmness of the flood Such huge extreams when Nature doth unite Wonder from thence results from thence delight The stream is so transparent pure and clear That had the self-enamour'd youth gaz'd here So fatally deceiv'd he had not been While he the bottom not his face had seen But his proud head the aery Mountain hides Among the Clouds his shoulders and his sides A shady mantle cloaths his curled brows Frown on the gentle stream which calmly flows While winds and storms his lofty forehead beat The common fate of all that 's high or great Low at his foot a spacious plain is plac't Between the mountain and the stream embrac't Which shade and shelter from the Hill derives While the kind river wealth and beauty gives And in the mixture of all these appears Variety which all the rest indears This scene had some bold Greek or Brittish Bard Beheld of old what stories had we heard Of Fairies Satyrs and the Nymphs their Dames Their feasts their revels their amorous flames 'T is still the same although their aery shape All but a quick Poetick sight escape There Faunus and Sylvanus keep their Courts And thither all the horned hoast resorts To graze the ranker mead that noble heard On whose sublime and shady fronts is rear'd Natures great Master-piece to shew how soon Great things are made but sooner are undone Here have I seen the King when great affairs Give leave to slacken and unbend his cares Attended to the Chase by all the flower Of youth whose hopes a Nobler prey devour Pleasure with Praise danger they would buy And wish a foe that would not only fly The stagg now conscious of his fatal Growth At once indulgent to his fear and sloth To some dark covert his retreat had made Where nor mans eye nor heavens should invade His soft repose when th' unexpected sound Of dogs and men his wakeful ear doth wound Rouz'd with the noise he scarce believes his ear Willing to think th' illusions of his fear Had given this false Alarm but straight his view Confirme that more than all he fears is true Betray'd in all his strengths the wood beset All instruments all Arts of ruine met He calls to mind his strength and then his speed His winged heels and then his armed head With these t' avoid with that his Fate to meet But fear prevails and bids him trust his feet So fast he flyes that his reviewing eye Has lost the chasers and his ear the cry Exulting till he finds their Nobler sense Their disproportion'd speed does recompense Then curses his conspiring feet whose scent Betrays that safety which their swiftness lent Then tries his friends among the baser herd Where he so lately was obey'd and fear'd His safety seeks the herd unkindly wise Or chases him from thence or from him flies Like a declining States-man left forlorn To his friends pity and pursuers scorn With shame remembers while himself was one Of the same herd himself the same had done Thence to the coverts the conscious Groves The scenes of his past triumphs and his loves Sadly surveying where he rang'd alone Prince of the soyl and all the herd his own And like a bold Knight Errant did proclaim Combat to all and bore away the Dame And taught the woods to eccho to the stream His dreadful challenge and his clashing beam Yet faintly now declines the fatal strife So much his love was dearer than his life Now every leaf and every moving breath Presents a foe and every foe a death Wearied forsaken and pursu'd at last All safety in despair of safety plac'd Courage he thence resumes resolv'd to bear All their assaults since 't is in vain to fear And now too late he wishes for the fight That strength he wasted in Ignoble flight But when he sees the eager chase renew'd Himself by dogs the dogs by men pursu'd He straight revokes his bold resolve and more Repents his courage than his fear before Finds that uncertain waies unsafest are And Doubt a greater mischief than Despair Then to the stream when neither friends nor force Nor speed nor Art avail he shapes his course Thinks not their rage so desperate t' assay An Element more merciless than they But fearless they pursue nor can the floud Quench their dire thirst alas they thirst for bloud So towards a Ship the oarefin'd Gallies ply Which wanting Sea to ride or wind to fly Stands but to fall reveng'd on those that dare
dig for your living A Second Western Wonder YOu heard of that wonder of the Lightning and Thunder Which made the lye so much the louder Now list to another that Miracles Brother Which was done with a Firkin of powder Oh what a damp struck through the Camp But as for honest Sir Ralph It blew him to the Vies without beard or eyes But at least three heads and a half When out came the book which the News-Monger took From the Preaching Ladies Letter Where in the first place stood the Conquerours face Which made it shew much the better But now without lying you may paint him flying At Bristol they say you may find him Great William the Con so fast he did run That he left half his name behind him And now came the Post saves all that was lost But alas we are past deceiving By a trick so stale or else such a tale Might mount for a new Thanksgiving This made Mr. Case with a pitiful face In the Pulpit to fall a weeping Though his mouth utter'd lyes truth fell from his eyes Which kept the Lord Maior from sleeping Now shut up shops and spend your last drops For the Laws of your Cause you that loath 'um Lest Essex should start and play the Second part Of Worshipful Sir Iohn Hotham News from Colchester Or A Proper new Ballad of certain Carnal passages betwixt a Quaker and a Colt at Horsly near Colchester in Essex To the Tune of Tom of Bedlam 1. ALL in the Land of Essex Near Colchester the Zealous On the side of a bank Was play'd such a Prank As would make a Stone-horse jealous 2. Help Woodcock Fox and Nailor For Brother Green 's a Stallion Now alas what hope Of converting the Pope When a Quaker turns Italian 3. Even to our whole profession A scandal 't will be counted When 't is talkt with disdain Amongst the Profane How brother Green was mounted 4. And in the Good time of Christmas Which though our Saints have damn'd all Yet when did they hear That a damn'd Cavalier Ere play'd such a Christmas gambal 5. Had thy flesh O Green been pamper'd With any Cates unhallow'd Hadst thou sweetned thy Gums With Pottage of Plums Or prophane minc'd Pie hadst swallow'd 6. Roll'd up in wanton Swine's-flesh The Fiend might have crept into thee Then fullness of gut Might have caus'd thee to rut And the Devil have so rid through thee 7. But alas he had been feasted With a Spiritual Collation By our frugal Mayor Who can dine on a Prayer And sup on an Exhortation 8. 'T was meer impulse of Spirit Though he us'd the weapon carnal Filly Foal quoth he My Bride thou shalt be And how this is lawful learn all 9. For if no respect of Persons Be due 'mongst the Sons of Adam In a large extent Thereby may be meant That a Mare 's as good as a Madam 10. Then without more Ceremony Not Bonnet vail'd nor kist her But took her by force For better for worse And us'd her like a Sister 11. Now when in such a Saddle A Saint will needs be riding Though we dare not say 'T is a falling away May there not be some back-sliding 12. No surely quoth Iames Naylor 'T was but an insurrection Of the Carnal part For a Quaker in heart Can never lose perfection 13. For as our Masters teach us The intent being well directed Though the Devil trepan The Adamical man The Saint stands un-infected 14. But alas a Pagan Jury Ne're judges what 's intended Then say what we can Brother Green's outward man I fear will be suspended 15. And our Adopted Sister Will find no better quarter But when him we inroul For a Saint Filly Foal Shall pass her self for a Martyr 16. Rome that Spiritual Sodom No longer is thy debter O Colchester now Who 's Sodom but thou Even according to the Letter A SONG SOmnus the humble God that dwells In cottages and smoaky cells Hates gilded roofs and beds of down And though he fears no Princes frown Flies from the circle of a Crown Come I say thou powerful God And thy Leaden charming Rod Dipt in the Lethaean Lake O're his wakeful temples shake Lest he should sleep and never wake Nature alas why art thou so Obliged to thy greatest Foe Sleep that is thy best repast Yet of death it bears a taste And both are the same thing at last On Mr John Fletchers Works SO shall we joy when all whom Beasts and Worms Had turn'd to their own substances and forms Whom Earth to Earth or Fire hath chang'd to Fire We shall behold more then at first entire As now we do to see all thine thy own In this thy Muses Resurrection Whose scatter'd parts from thy own race more wounds Hath suffer'd then Acteon from his Hounds Which first their Brains and then their Bellie fed And from their excrements new Poets bred But now thy Muse enraged from her Urn Like Ghosts of Murdered bodies does return T' accuse the Murderers to right the Stage And undeceive the long abused Age Which casts thy praise on them to whom thy wit Gives not more Gold then they give dross to it Who not content like Felons to Purloyn Adde treason to it and debase thy Coyn. But whither am I straid I need not raise Trophies to thee from other mens dispraise Nor is thy Fame on lesser ruines built Nor needs thy juster Title the soul guilt Of Eastern Kings who to secure their reign Must have their Brothers Sons and Kindred slain Then was wits Empire at the Fatal height When labouring and sinking with its weight From thence a Thousand lesser Poets sprung Like petty Princes from the fall of Rome When Iohnson Shakespear and thy self did sit And sway'd in the triumvirate of wit Yet what from Iohnson's oyl and sweat did flow Or what more easie Nature did bestow On Shakespear's gentler Muse in thee full grown Their graces both appear yet so that none Can say here Nature ends and Art begins But mixt like th' Elements and born like twins So interweav'd so like so much the same None this meer Nature that meer Art can name 'T was this the Antients mean't Nature and Skill Are the two tops of their Parnassus Hill To Sir Richard Fanshaw upon his Translation of Pastor Fido. SUch is our Pride our Folly or our Fate That few but such as cannot write Translate But what in them is want of Art or voice In thee is either Modesty or Choice Whiles this great piece restor'd by thee doth stand Free from the blemish of an Artless hand Secure of Fame thou justly dost esteem Less honour to create than to redeem Nor ought a Genius less than his that writ Attempt Translation for transplanted wit All the defects of air and soil doth share And colder brains like colder Climates are In vain they toil since nothing can beget A vital spirit but a vital heat That servile path thou nobly dost decline Of tracing
though bought with sweat and bloud And long expected Princess Pardon Sir 'T is with our souls As with our eyes that after a long darkness Are dazled at the approach of sudden light When i' th' midst of fears we are surpriz'd With unexpected happiness the first Degrees of joy are meer astonishment And 't was so lately in a dreadful dream I saw my Lord so near destruction Deprived of his eyes a wretched Captive Then shrickt my self awake then slept again And dream't the same my ill presaging fancy Suggesting still 't was true Prince Then I forgive thy sadness since love caus'd it For love is full of fears and fear the shadow Of danger like the shadow of our bodies Is greater then when that which is the cause Is farthest off Princess But still there 's something That checks my joys Nor can I yet distinguish Which is an apparition this or that Prince An apparition At night I shall resolve that doubt and make Thy dreams more pleasing Exeunt Enter Haly and Mirvan Mir. The time has been my Lord When I was no such stranger to your thoughts You were not wont to wear upon your brow A frown or smile but still have thought me worthy At least to know the cause Ha. 'T is true Thy breast hath ever been the Cabinet Where I have lockt my secrets Mir. And did you ever find That any art could pick the lock or power Could force it open Ha. No I have ever found thee Trusty and secret But is 't observ'd i' th' Court That I am sad Mir. Observ'd 't is all mens wonder and discourse That in a Joy so great so universal You should not bear a part Ha. Discour'st of too Mir. Nothing but treason More commonly more boldly spoken So singular a sadness Must have a cause as strange as the effect And grief conceal'd like hidden fire consumes Which flaming out would call in help to quench it Ha. But since thou canst not mend it To let thee know it will but make thee worse Silence and time shall cure it Mir. But in diseases when the cause is known 'T is more than half the cure you have my Lord My heart to counsel and my hands to act And my advice and actions both have met Success in things unlikely Ha. But this Is such a secret I dare hardly trust it To my own soul. And though it be a crime In friendship to betray a trusted Counsel Yet to conceal this were a greater crime And of a higher nature Mir. Now I know it And your endeavour to conceal it Speaks it more plainly 'T is some plot upon the Prince Ha. Oh thou hast touch't my Sore and having searcht it Now heal it if thou canst The Prince hates me Or loves me not or loves another better Which is all one This being known in Court Has rendred me despis'd and scorn'd of all For I that in his absence Blaz'd like a star of the first magnitude Now in his brighter sun-shine am not seen No applications now no troops of suitors No power no not so much as to do mischief Mir. My Lord I am asham'd of you So ill a master in an art so long Profest and practiz'd by you to be angry And angry with a Prince And yet to shew it In a sad look or womanish complaint How can you hope to compass your designs And not dissemble ' em Go flatter adore him Stand first among the crowd of his admirers Ha. Oh I have often spread those nets but he Hath ever been too wise to think them real Mir. However Dissemble still thank him for all his injuries Take 'em for favours if at last You cannot gain him some pretty nimble poyson May do the feat Or if he will abroad Find him some brave and honourable danger Ha. Have I not found him out as many dangers As Iuno did for Hercules yet he returns Like Hercules doubled in strength and honour Mir. If danger cannot do it then try pleasure Which when no other enemy survives Still conquers all the Conquerers Endeavour To soften his ambition into lust Contrive fit opportunities and lay Baits for temptation Ha. I le leave nothing unattempted But sure this will not take for all his Passions Affections and Faculties are slaves Only to his ambition Mir. Then let him fall by his own greatness And puffe him up with glory till it swell And break him First betray him to himself Then to his ruine From his virtues suck a poyson As Spiders do from flowers praise him to his Father You know his nature Let the Princes glory Seem to eclipse and cast a cloud on his And let fall something that may raise his jealousie But lest he should suspect it draw it from him As Fishers do the bait to make him follow it Ha. But the old King is so suspitious Mir. But withall Most fearful He that views a Fort to take it Plants his Artillery 'gainst the weakest part Work on his fears till fear hath made him cruel And cruelty shall make him fear again Methinks my Lord you that so oft have sounded And fathom'd all his thoughts that know the deeps And shallows of his heart should need no instruments To advance your ends his passions and his fears Lie Liegers for you in his brest and there Negotiate your affairs Enter King Solyman and Lords to them King Solyman Be it your care to entertain the Captains And the Prisoners use them kindly Sol. Sir I am not for entertainments now I am melancholy King What griev'd for your good fortune Sol. No Sir but now the wars are done we have no pretences To put off Creditors I am haunted Sir King Not with Ghosts Sol. No Sir Material and Substantial Devils King I know the cause what is 't thou ow'st them Sol. Not much Sir but so much as spoils me for a good fellow 'T is but 2000 Dollars A small sum to you Sir King Well it shall be paid Sol. Then if the Devil come for drinking let me alone with him Well Drink I love thee but too well already But I shall love thee better hereafter I have often Drunk my self into debt but never out of debt till now Exeunt Finis Actus primi Actus Secundus Scena Prima Enter Prince Haly Captains and Prisoners Bashawes Prince Pray let these strangers find such entertainment As you would have desir'd Had but the chance of war determin'd it For them as now for us And you brave enemies Forget your Nation and ungrateful Master And know that I can set so high a price On valour though in foes as to reward it With trust and honour 1. Bashaw Sir your twice conquered Vassals First by your courage then your clemency Here humbly vow to sacrifice their lives The gift of this your unexampled mercy To your commands and service Prince to Haly. I pray my Lord second my suit I have already mov'd the King in private That in our next years expedition they
may have Some command Ha. I shall my Lord And glad of the occasion aside I wonder Sir you 'll leave the Court the sphere Where all your graces in full lustre shine Prince I Haly but the reputation Of virtuous actions past if not kept up With an access and fresh supply of new ones Is lost and soon forgotten and like Palaces For want of habitation and repair Dissolve to heaps of ruine Ha. But can you leave Sir Your old indulgent Father and forsake The embraces of so fair so chast a Wife And all the beauties of the Court besides Are mad in love and dote upon your person And is 't not better sleeping in their arms Than in a cold Pavilion in the Camp Where your short sleeps are broke and interrupted With noises and alarms Prince Haly Thou know'st not me how I despise These short and empty pleasures and how low They stand in my esteem which every Peasant The meanest Subject in my Fathers Empire Enjoys as fully in as high perfection As he or I and which are had in common By beasts as well as men wherein they equal If not exceed us pleasures to which we 're led Only by sence those creatures which have least Of reason most enjoy Ha. Is not The Empire you are born to a Scene large enough To exercise your virtues There are virtues Civil as well as military for the one You have given the world an ample proof already Now exercise the other 't is no less To govern justly make your Empire flourish With wholesom laws in riches peace plenty Than by the expence of wealth and bloud to make New acquisitions Prince That I was born so great I owe to Fortune And cannot pay that debt till vertue set me High in example as I am in title Till what the world calls fortune's gifts my actions May stile their own rewards and those too little Princes are then themselves when they arise More glorious in mens thoughts than in their eyes Ha. Sir your fame Already fills the world and what is infinite Cannot receive degrees but will swallow All that is added as our Caspian Sea Receives our Rivers and yet seems not fuller And if you tempt her more the wind of fortune May come about and take another point And blast your glories Prince No My glories are past danger they 're full blown Things that are blasted are but in their bud And as for fortune I nor love nor fear her I am resolv'd go Haly flatter still your aged Master Still sooth him in his pleasures and still grow Great by those arts Well farewell Court Where vice not only hath usurp't the place But the reward and even the name of vertue Ha. Still still Slighted and scorn'd yet this affront Hath stampt a noble title on my malice And married it to Justice The King is old And when the Prince succeeds I 'm lost past all recovery then I Must meet my danger and destroy him first But cunningly and closely or his son And wife like a fierce Tygress will devour me There 's danger every way and since 't is so 'T is brave and noble when the falling weight Of my own ruine crushes those I hate But how to do it that 's the work he stands So high in reputation with the people There 's but one way and that 's to make his father The instrument to give the name and envy To him but to my self the prize and glory He 's old and jealous apt for suspitions 'gainst which Tyrants ears Are never clos'd The Prince is young Fierce and ambitious I must bring together All these extreams and then remove all Mediums That each may be the others object Enter Mirvan Mir. My Lord Now if your plots be ripe you are befriended With opportunity the King is melancholy Apted for any ill impressions Make an advantage of the Princes absence Urge some suspected cause of his departure Use all your art he 's coming Exit Mir. Enter King Ha. Sir have you known an action of such glory Less swell'd with ostentation or a mind Less tainted with felicity 'T is a rare temper in the Prince King Is it so rare to see a son so like His Father Have not I performed actions As great and with as great a moderation Ha. I Sir but that 's forgotten Actions o' th' last Age are like Almanacks o' th' last Year King 'T is well but with all his conquests what I get in Empire I lose in fame I think my self no gainer But am I quite forgotten Ha. Sir you know Age breeds neglect in all and actions Remote in time like objects Remote in place are not beheld at half their greatness And what is new finds better acceptation Than what is good or great yet some old men Tell Stories of you in their chimney corners King No otherwise Ha. They 're all so full of him some magnifie His courage some his wit but all admire A greatness so familiar King Sure Haly Thou hast forgot thy self art thou a Courtier Or I a King my ears are unacquainted With such bold truths especially from thee Ha. Sir when I am call'd to 't I must speak Boldly and plainly King But with what eagerness what circumstance Unaskt thou tak'st such pains to tell me only My son 's the better man Ha. Sir where Subjects want the priviledge To speak there Kings may have the priviledge To live in ignorance King If 't were a secret that concern'd my life Or Empire then this boldness might become thee But such nnnecessary rudeness savours Of some design And this is such a false and squint-eyed praise Which seeming to look upwards on his glories Looks down uon my fears I know thou hat'st him And like infected persons fain wouldst rub The ulcer of thy malice upon me Ha. Sir I almost believe you speak your thoughts But that I want the guilt to make me fear it King What mean these guilty blushes then Ha. Sir if I blush it is because you do not To upbraid so try'd a servant that so often Have wak'd that you might sleep and been expos'd To dangers for your safety King And therefore think'st Thou art so wrapt so woven into all My trusts and counsels that I now must suffer All thy Ambition aims at Ha. Sir if your love grows weary And thinks you have worn me long enough I 'me willing To be left off but he 's a foolish Sea-man That when his Ship is sinking will not Unlade his hopes into another bottom King I understand no Allegories Ha. And he 's as ill a Courtier that when His Master 's old desires not to comply With him that must succeed King But if He will not be comply'd with Ha. Oh Sir There 's one sure way and I have known it practiz'd In other States King What 's that Ha. To make The Fathers life the price of the sons favour To walk upon the graves of our dead Masters To our own security King
starts and scratches his head Ha. aside 'T is this must take Does this plainness please you Sir King Haly thou know'st my nature too too apt To these suspitions but I hope the question Was never mov'd to thee Ha. In other Kindoms Sir King But has my Son no such design Ha. Alas You know I hate him and should I tell you He had you 'd say it was but malice King No more of that good Haly I know thou lov'st me But lest the care of future safety tempt thee To forfeit present loyalty or present loyalty Forfeit thy future safety I le be your reconciler call him hither Ha. Oh Sir I wish he were within my call or yours King Why where is he Ha. He has left the Court Sir King I like not these Excursions why so suddenly Ha. 'T is but a sally of youth yet some say he 's discontented King That grates my heart-strings What should discontent him Except the think I live too long Ha. Heaven forbid And yet I know no cause of his departure I 'me sure he 's honoured and lov'd by all The Souldiers god the Peoples Idol King I Haly The Persians still worship the rising sun But who went with him Ha. None but the Captains King The Captains I like not that Ha. Never fear it Sir 'T is true they love him but as their General not their Prince And though he be most forward and ambitious 'T is temper'd with so much humility King And so much the more dangerous There are some that use Humility to serve their pride and seem Humble upon their way to be the prouder At their wisht journeys end Ha. Sir I know not What ways or ends you mean 't is true In popular States or where the Princes Title Is weak must be propt by the peoples power There by familiar ways 't is necessary To win on mens affections But none of these Can be his end King But there 's another end For if his glories rise upon the ruines Of mine why not his greatness too Ha. True Sir Ambition is like love impatient Both of delays and rivals But Nature King But Empire Ha. I had almost forgot Sir he has A suit to your Majesty King What is 't Ha. To give the Turkish prisoners some command In the next action King Nay then 't is too apparent He fears my Subjects loyalty And now must call in strangers come deal plainly I know thou canst discover more Ha. I can discover Sir The depth of your great judgment in such dangers King What shall I do Haly Ha. Your wisdom is so great it were presumption for me to advise King Well we 'll consider more of that but for the present Let him with speed be sent for Mahomet I thank thee I have one faithful servant honest Haly. Exit King Enter Mirvan Mir. How did he take it Ha. Swallow'd it as greedily As parched earth drinks rain Now the first part of our design is over His ruine but the second our security Must now be thought on Mir. My Lord you are too sudden though his fury Determine rashly yet his colder fear Before it executes consults with reason And that not satisfied with shews or shadows Will ask to be convinc'd by something real Now must we frame some plot and then discover it Ha. Or intercept some Letter which our selves Had forg'd before Mir. And still admire the miracle And thank the providence Ha. Then we must draw in some body To be the publick Agent that may stand 'Twixt us and danger and the peoples envy Mir. Who fitter than the grand Caliph And he will set a grave religious face Upon the business Ha. But if we cannot work him For he 's so full of foolish scruples Or if he should prove false and then betray us Mir. Betray us sure my Lord your fear has blinded Your understanding for what serves the King Will not his threats work more than our perswasions While we look on and laugh and seem as ignorant As unconcern'd and thus appearing friends To either side on both may work our ends Enter Mess. Mess. My Lord the Turkish Bashaws Desire access Ha. Admit 'em I know their business Mir. They long to hear with what success The King in their behalf Ha. But now they 're come I 'le make 'em do you mov'd Better than I did theirs my business Mir. Leave us a while Ex. Mir. Enter two Bashaws Ha. My Lords my duty and affection to the Prince And the respects I owe to men of honour Extort a secret from me which yet I grieve to utter The Prince departing left to me the care Of your affairs which I as he commanded Have recommended to the King but with so unlookt for A success 1. Bas. My Lord fear not to speak our doom while we Fear not to hear it we were lost before And can be ready now to meet that fate We then expected Ha. Though he that brings unwelcom news Has but a losing Office yet he that shews Your danger first and then your way to safety May heal that wound he made You know the King With jealous eyes hath ever lookt awry On his Sons actions but the fame and glory Of the last war hath rais'd another spirit Envy and Jealousie are twin'd together Yet both lay hid in his dissembled smiles Like two concealed serpents till I unhappy I Moving this question trod upon them both And rouz'd their sleeping angers then casting from him His doubts and straight confirm'd in all his fears Decrees to you a speedy death to his own son A close restraint but what will follow I dare not think you by a sudden flight may find your safety 2 Bas. Sir Death and we are not such strangers That we should make dishonour or ingratitude The price of life it was the Princes gift And we but wear it for his sake and service Ha. Then for his sake and service Pray follow my advice though you have lost the favour Of your unworthy Master yet in the Provinces You lately governed you have those dependances And interests that you may raise a power To serve the Prince I le give him timely notice To stand upon his guard 1 Bas. My Lord we thank you But we must give the Prince intelligence Both when and how to imploy us Ha. If you will write Commit it to my care and secrecy To see it safe convey'd 2 Bas. We shall my Lord. Ex. Ha. These men were once the Princes foes and then Unwillingly they made him great but now Being his friends shall willingly undo him And which is more be still his friends What little Arts govern the world we need not An armed enemy or corrupted friend When service but misplac'd or love mistaken Performs the work nor is this all the use I 'le make of them when once they are in Arms Their Master shall be wrought to think these forces Rais'd against him and this shall so endear me To him that though dull
vertue and the gods O'recome my subtle mischief I may find A safe retreat and may at least be sure If not more mighty to be more secure Exeunt Finis Actus Secundi Actus Tertius Scena Prima Enter King and Haly. King But Haly what confederates ha's the Prince In his conspiracy Ha. Sir I can yet suspect None but the Turkish prisoners and that only From their late sudden flight King Are they fled For what Ha. That their own fears best know their entertainment I 'me sure was such as could not minister Suspition or dislike but sure they 're conscious Of some intended mischief and are fled To put it into act King This still confirms me more But let 'em be pursu'd let all the passages Be well secur'd that no intelligence May pass between the Prince and them Ha. It shall be done Sir King Is the Caliph prepar'd Ha. He 's without Sir And waits your pleasure King Call him Enter Haly and Caliph King I have a great design to act in which The greatest part is thine In brief 't is this I fear my Sons high spirit and suspect Designs upon my Life and Crown Ca. Sure Sir your fears are causeless Such thoughts are strangers to his noble soul. King No 't is too true I must prevent my danger And make the first attempt there 's no such way To avoid a blow as to strike first and sure Ca. But Sir I hope my function shall exempt me From bearing any part in such designs King Your function Laughs Do you think that Princes Will raise such men so near themselves for nothing We but advance you to advance our purposes Nay even in all Religions Their Learned'st and their seeming holiest men but serve To work their Masters ends and varnish o're Their actions with some specious pious colour No scruples do 't or by our holy Prophet The death my rage intends to him is thine Ca. Sir 't is your part to will mine to obey King Then be wise and sudden Enter Lords as to Council Ab. Mor. Ca. My Lords it grieves me to relate the cause Of this Assembly and 't will grieve you all The prince you know stands high in all those graces Which Nature seconded by fortune gives Wisdom he ha's and to his Wisdom Courage Temper to that and unto all Success But Ambition the disease of Virtue bred Like surfets from an undigested fulness Meets death in that which is the means of life Great Mahomet to whom our Soveraigns life And Empire is most dear appearing thus Advis'd me in a Vision Tell the King The Prince his Son attempts his Life Crown And though no creature lives that more admires His vertues nor affects his person more Than I yet zeal and duty to my Soveraign Have cancell'd all respects nor must we slight The Prophets Revelations Abd. Remember Sir he is your Son Indeared to you by a double bond As to his King and Father King And the remembrance of that double bond Doubles my sorrows 'T is true Nature and duty bind him to Obedience But those being placed in a lower sphere His fierce ambition like the highest mover Has hurried with a strong impulsive motion Against their proper course But since he has forgot The duty of a son I can forget The affections of a Father Abd. But Sir in the beginning of diseases None try the extreamest remedies King But when they 're sudden The cure must be as quick when I 'me dead you 'll say My fears have been too slow Treasons are acted Assoon as thought though they are ne're believed Until they come to act Mor. But consider Sir The greatness of the attempt the people love him The lookers on and the enquiring vulgar Will talk themselves to action thus by avoyding A danger but suppos'd you tempt a real one King Those Kings whom envy or the peoples murmur Deters from their own purposes deserve not Nor know not their own greatness The peoples murmur 't is a sulphurous vapour Breath'd from the bowels of the basest earth And it may soyl and blast things near it self But ere it reach the region we are plac'd in It vanishes to ayr we are above The sence or danger of such storms Cap. True Sir they are but storms while Royalty Stands like a Rock and the tumultuous vulgar Like billows rais'd with wind that 's with opinion May roar and make a noise and threaten But if they rowl too near they 're dash't in pieces While they stand firm Abd. Yet Sir Crowns are not plac'd so high But vulgar hands may reach 'em King Then 't is when they are plac'd on vulgar heads Abd. But Sir Look back upon your self why should your son Anticipate a hope so near so certain we may wish and pray For your long life but neither prayers nor power Can alter Fates decree or Natures Law Why should he ravish then that Diadem From your gray temples which the hand of time Must shortly plant on his King My Lords I see you look upon me as a Sun Now in his West half buryed in a cloud Whose rays the vapours of approaching night Have rendred weak and faint But you shall find That I can yet shoot beams whose heat can melt The waxen wings of this ambitious Boy Nor runs my bloud so cold nor is my arm So feeble yet but he that dares defend him Shall feel my vengeance and shall usher me Into my grave Ab. Sir we defend him not Only desire to know his crime 'T is possible It may be some mistake or mis-report Some false suggestion or malicious scandal Or if ambition be his fault 't was yours He had it from you when he had his being Nor was 't his fault nor yours for 't is in Princes A crime to want it from a noble spirit Ambition can no more be separated Than heat from fire Or if you fear the Vision Will you suspect the noble Prince because This holy man is troubled in his sleep Because his crazy stomach wants concoction And breeds ill sumes or his melancholy spleen Sends up phantastick vapours to his brain Dreams are but dreams these causeless fears become not Your noble soul. King Who speaks another word Hath spoke his last Great Mahomet we thank thee Protector of this Empire and this life Thy cares have met my fears this on presumptions Strong and apparent I have long presag'd And though a Prince may punish what he fears Without account to any but the Gods Wise States as often cut off ills that may be As those that are and prevent purposes Before they come to practise aud foul practises Before they grow to act You cannot but observe How he dislikes the Court his rude departure His honour from the people and the souldiers His seeking to oblige the Turks his prisoners Their sudden and suspected flight And above all his restless towring thoughts A Horn winded without King If the business be important Admit him Enter Post with a
Letter Post. Sir upon your late command To guard the passages and search all packets This to the Prince was intercepted King opens it and reads it to him self King Here Abdal read it Abdal reads The Letter Ab. reads Sir we are assured how unnaturally your fathers intentions Are towards you and how cruel towards us we have Made an escape not so much to seek our own As to be instruments of your safety We will be In arms upon the borders upon your command Either to seek danger with you or to receive you If you please to seek safety with us King Now my Lords Alas my fears are causless and ungrounded Fantastick dreams and melancholick fumes Of crazy stomacks and distempered brains Has this convinc'd you Mor. Sir we see Some reason you should fear but whom we know not 'T is possible these Turks may play the Villains Knowing the Prince the life of all our hopes Staff of our Age and pillar of our Empire And having fail'd by force may use this Art To ruine him and by their treason here To make their peace at home Now should this prove a truth when he ha's suffered Death or disgrace which are to him the same 'T will be too late to say you were mistaken And then to cry him mercy Sir we beseech you A while suspend your doom till time produce Her wonted off-spring Truth King And so expecting The event of what you think shall prove the experiment Of what I fear but since he is my son I cannot have such violent thoughts toward him As his towards me he only shall remain A prisoner till his death or mine enlarge him Ex. Lords Man Haly. Solyman peeps in King Away away we 're serious Sol. But not so serious to neglect your safety King Art thou in earnest Sol. Nay Sir I can be serious as well as my betters King What 's the matter Sol. No I am an inconsiderable fellow and know nothing King Let 's hear that nothing then Sol. The Turks Sir King What of them Sol. When they could not overcome you by force they 'll Do it by treachery King As how Sol. Nay I can see as far into a milstone as another man They have corrupted some ill-affected persons King What to do Sol. To nourish Jealousies 'twixt you and your Son King My son Where is he Sol. They say he 's posting hither King Haly we are betrayed prevented look to the Ports and let The Guards be doubled how far 's his Army hence Is the City in arms to joyn with him Sol. Arms and joyn with him I understand you not King Didst thou not say the Prince was coming Sol. I heard some foolish people say you had sent for Him as a Traytor which to my apprehension was on Purpose spoken to make you odious and him desperate And so divide the people into faction A Plot of Dangerous consequence as I take it Sir King And is this all thou sawcy trifling fool Haly. Sir this seeming fool is a concealed dangerous knave Under that safe disguise he thinks he may say or do Any thing you 'll little think him the chief conspirator The only spy t' inform the Prince of all is done in Court King Let him be rack't till he confess The whole conspiracy Sol. Rackt I have told you all I know and more There 's nothing more in me Sir but may be squeezed Out without racking only a stoop or two of Wine And if there had not been too much of that you had Not had so much of the other King That 's your cunning sirrah Sol. Cunning Sir I am no Polititian and was ever thought to have Too little wit and too much plain dealing for a States-man Exit King Away with him Ha. But somthing must be done Sir to satisfie the people 'T is not enough to say he did design Or plot or think but did attempt some violence And then some strange miraculous escape For which our Prophet must have publick thanks And this false colour shall delude the eyes Of the amazed vulgar King 'T is well advis'd Enter Mess. Mess. Sir His Highness is return'd King And unconstrain'd But with what change of countenance Did he receive the message Mess. With some amazement But such as sprung from wonder not from fear It was so unexpected King Leave us Haly I ever found thee honest truer to me Than mine own bloud and now 's the time to shew it For thou art he my love and trust hath chosen To put in action my design surprize him As he shall pass the Galleries I 'le place A guard behind the Arras when thou hast him Since blinded with ambition he did soar Like a seel'd Dove his crime shall be his punishment To be depriv'd of sight which see perform'd With a hot steel Now as thou lov'st my safety Be resolute and sudden Ha. 'T is severe But yet I dare not intercede it shall be done But is that word irrevocable King I as years or ages past relent not if thou do'st Exit King Enter Mirvan Mir. Why so melancholy is the design discovered Ha. No but I am made the instrument That still endeavoured to disguise my plots With borrowed looks and make 'em walk in darkness To act 'em now my self be made the mark For all the peoples hate the Princess curses And his sons rage or the old Kings inconstancy For this to Tyranny belongs To forget service but remember wrongs Mir. But could not you contrive Some fine pretence to cast it on some other Ha. No he dare trust no other had I given But the least touch of any private quarrel My malice to his son not care of him Had then begot this service Mir. 'T is but t'other plot my Lord you know The King by other wives had many sons Soffy is but a Child and you already Command the Emperours Guard procure for me The Government o' th' City when he dies Urge how unfortunate those States have been Whose Princes are but children then set the Crown Upon some others head that may acknowledge And owe the Empire to your gift Ha. It shall be done Abdal who commands The City is the Princes friend and therefore Must be displac'd and thou shalt straight succeed him Thou art my better Genius honest Mirvan Greatness we owe to Fortune or to Fate But wisdom only can secure that state Ex. Enter Prince at one door and Princess at another Princess You 're double welcom now my Lord your coming Was so unlookt for Prince To me I 'me sure it was Know'st thou the cause for sure it was important That calls me back so suddenly Princess I am so ignorant I knew not you were sent for Waking I know no cause but in my sleep My fancy still presents such dreams and terrors As did Andromache's the night before Her Hector fell but sure 't is more than fancy Either our Guardian Angels or the Gods Inspire us or some natural instinct Fore-tells approaching dangers