issue of 's brain Was seldom brought forth but with trouble and pain And All that were present there did agree A Laureat Muse should be easie and free Yet sure 't was not that but 't was thought that his Grace Consider'd he was well he had a Cup-bearers place Will. Davenant asham'd of a foolish mischance That he had got lately travelling in France Modestly hoped the handsomnesse of 's Muse Might any deformity about him excuse And Surely the Company would have been content If they could have found any President But in all their Records either in Verse or Prose There was not one Laureat without a nose To Will Bartlet sure all the wits meant well But first they would see how his snow would sell Will smil'd and swore in their judgements they went lesse That concluded of merit upon successe Suddenly taking his place agen He gave way to Selwin who streight stept in But alas he had been so lately a wit That Apollo hardly knew him yet Toby Mathews pox on him how came he there Was whispering nothing in some-bodies ear When he had the honour to be nam'd in Court But Sir you may thank my Lady Carleil for't For had not her care furnisht you out With something of handsome without all doubt You and your sorry Lady Muse had been In the number of those that were not let in In haste from the Court two or three came in And they brought letters forsooth from the Queen 'T was discreetly done too for if th 'had come Without them th 'had scarce been let into the room Suckling next was call'd but did not appear But strait one whisperd Apollo i' th ' ear That of all men living he cared not for 't He loved not the Muses so well as his sport And prized black eyes or a lucky hit At bowls above all the Trophies of wit But Apollo was angry and publiquely said 'T were fit that a fine were set upon 's head Wat Montague now stood forth to his tryal And did not so much as suspect a denial But witty Apollo asked him first of all If he understood his own Pastoral For if he could do it 't would plainly appear He understood more than any man there And did merit the Bayes above all the rest But the Mounsier was modest and silence confest During these troubles in the Court was hid One that Apollo soon mist little Cid And having spied him call'd him out of the throng And advis'd him in his ear not to write so strong Murrey was summon'd but 't was urg'd that he Was Chief already of another Company Hales set by himself most gravely did smile To see them about nothing keep such a coil Apollo had spied him but knowing his mind Past by and call'd Faulkland that sate just behind But He was of late so gone with Divinity That he had almost forgot his Poetry Though to say the truth and Apollo did know it He might have been both his Priest and his Poet. At length who but an Alderman did appear At which Will. Davenant began to swear But wiser Apollo bade him draw nigher And when he was mounted a little higher Openly declared that the best signe Of good store of wit 's to have good store of coyn And without a Syllable more or lesse said He put the Laurel on the Aldermans head At this all the wits were in such a maze That for a good while they did nothing but gaze One upon another not a man in the place But had discontent writ in great in his face Onely the small Poets clear'd up again Out of hope as 't was thought of borrowing But sure they were out for he forfeits his Crown When he lends any Poets about the Town Loves World IN each mans heart that doth begin To love there 's ever fram'd within A little world for so I found When first my passion reason drown'd Instead of Earth unto this frame I had a faith was still the same For to be right it doth behoove It be as that fixt and not move Yet as the Earth may sometime shake For winds shut up will cause a quake So often jealousie and fear Stolne into mine cause tremblings there My Flora was my Sun for as One Sun so but one Flora was All other faces borrowed hence Their light and grace as stars do thence My hopes I call my Moon for they Inconstant still were at no stay But as my Sun inclin'd to me Or more or lesse were sure to be Sometimes it would be full and then Oh! too too soon decrease agen Eclip'st sometimes that 't would so fall There would appear no hope at all My thoughts ' cause infinite they be Must be those many Stars we see Of which some wandred at their will But most on her were fixed still My burning flame and hot desire Must be the Element of fire Which hath as yet so secret been That it as that was never seen No Kitching fire nor eating flame But innocent hot but in name A fire that 's starv'd when fed and gone When too much fewel is laid on But as it plainly doth appear That fire subsists by being near The Moons bright Orbe so I beleeve Ours doth for hope keeps love alive My fancy was the Ayre most free And full of mutability Big with Chimera's vapours here Innumerable hatcht as there The Sea 's my mind which calm would be Were it from winds my passions free But out alas no Sea I find Is troubled like a Lovers mind Within it Rocks and Shallows be Despair and fond credulity But in this World it were good reason We did distinguish Time and Season Her presence then did make the Day And Night shall come when shee 's away Long absence in far distant place Creates the Winter and the space She tarryed with me well I might Call it my Summer of delight Diversity of weather came From what she did and thence had name Somtimes sh'would smile that made it fair And when she laught the Sun shin'd clear Sometimes sh'would frown and sometimes weep So Clouds and Rain their turns do keep Sometimes again sh'would be all ice Extreamly cold extreamly nice But soft my Muse the world is wide And all at once was not descride It may fall out some honest Lover The rest hereafter will discover Song WHy so pale and wan fond Lover prethee why so pale Will when looking wel can't move her looking ill prevail prethee why so pale Why so dull and mute young sinner prethee why so mute Will when speaking well can't win her saying nothing doe 't prethee why so mute Quit quit for shame this will not move this cannot take her If of her self she will not love nothing can make her the divel take her Sonnet I. 1. DO'st see how unregarded now that piece of beauty passes There was a time when I did vow to that alone but mark the fate of faces That red
Fragmenta Aurea A Collection of all THE Incomparable Peeces WRITTEN By Sir JOHN SVCKLING And published by a Friend to perpetuate his memory Printed by his owne Copies LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his shop at the Signe of the Princes Armes in St Pauls Churchyard MDCXLVI Obijt anno Aetatis suae 28. SUCKLIN whose numbers could invite Alike to wonder and delight And with new spirit did inspire The Thespian Scene and Delphick Lyre Is thus exprest in either part Above the humble reach of art Drawne by the Pencill here yow find His Forme by his owne Pen his mind W. Marshall fecit To the READER WHile Sucklins name is in the forehead of this Booke these Poems can want no preparation It had been a prejudice to Posterity they should have slept longer and an injury to his own ashes They that convers'd with him alive and truly under which notion I comprehend only knowing Gentlemen his soule being transcendent and incommunicable to others but by reflection will honour these posthume Idaea's of their friend And if any have liv'd in so much darknesse as not to have knowne so great an Ornament of our Age by looking upon these Remaines with Civility and Vnderstanding they may timely yet repent and be forgiven In this Age of Paper-prostitutions a man may buy the reputation of some Authors into the price of their Volume but know the Name that leadeth into this Elysium is sacred to Art and Honour and no man that is not excellent in both is qualified a Competent Judge For when Knowledg is allowed yet Education in the Censure of a Gentleman requires as many descents as goes to make one And he that is bold upon his unequall Stock to traduce this Name or Learning will deserve to be condemned againe into Ignorance his Originall sinne and dye in it But I keep backe the Ingenuous Reader by my unworthy Preface The gate is open and thy soulé invited to a Garden of ravishing variety admire his wit that created these for thy delight while I withdraw into a shade and contemplate who must follow POEMS c. Written by Sir JOHN SUCKLING Printed by his owne Copy The Lyrick Poems were set in Musick by Mr. Henry Lawes Gent. of the Kings Chappel and one of His Majesties Private Musick LONDON Printed by Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Princes Arms in S. Pauls Church-yard 1646. On New-years day 1640. To the KING 1. AWake great Sir the Sun shines heer Gives all Your Subjects a New-yeer Onely we stay till you appear For thus by us Your Power is understood He may make fair days You must make them good Awake awake and take Such Presents as poor men can make They can adde little unto blisse who cannot wish 2. May no ill vapour cloud the skie Bold storms invade the Soveraigntie But gales of joy so fresh so high That You may think Heav'n sent to try this year What sayl or burthen a Kings mind could bear Awake awake c. 3. May all the discords in Your State Like those in Musick we create Be govern'd at so wise a rate That what would of it self sound harsh or fright May be so temper'd that it may delight Awake awake c. 4. What Conquerors from battels find Or Lovers when their Doves are kind Take up henceforth our Masters mind Make such strange Rapes upon the place 't may be No longer joy there but an extasie Awake awake c. 5. May every pleasure and delight That has or does your sence invite Double this year save those o' th night For such a Marriage-bed must know no more Then repetition of what was before Awake awake and take Such Presents as poor men can make They can add little unto blisse who cannot wish Loving and Beloved 1. THere never yet was honest man That ever drove the trade of love It is impossible nor can Integrity our ends promove â—or Kings and Lovers are alike in this That their chief art in reigne dissembling is 2. Here we are lov'd and there we love Good nature now and passion strive Which of the two should be above And laws unto the other give o we false fire with art sometimes discover â—nd the true fire with the same art do cover 3. What Rack can Fancy find so high Here we must Court and here ingage Though in the other place we die Oh! 't is torture all and cozenage And which the harder is I cannot tell To hide true love or make false love look well 4. Since it is thus God of desire Give me my honesty again And take thy brands back and thy fire I 'me weary of the State I 'me in Since if the very best should now befal Loves Triumph must be Honours Funeral 1. IF when Don Cupids dart Doth wound a heart we hide our grief and shun relief The smart increaseth on that score For wounds unsearcht but ranckle more 2. Then if we whine look pale And tell our tale men are in pain for us again So neither speaking doth become The Lovers state nor being dumb 3. When this I do descry Then thus think I love is the fart of every heart It pains a man when 't is kept close And others doth offend when 't is let loose A Sessions of the Poets A Session was held the other day And Apollo himself was at it they say The Laurel that had been so long reserv'd Was now to be given to him best deserv'd And Therefore the wits of the Town came thither T was strange to see how they flocked together Each strongly confident of his own way Thought to gain the Laurel away that day There Selden and he sate hard by the chair Weniman not far off which was very fair Sands with Townsend for they kept no order Digby and Shillingsworth a little further And There was Lucans Translator too and he That makes God speak so bigge in 's Poetry Selwin and Walter and Bartlets both the brothers Jack Vaughan and Porter and divers others The first that broke silence was good old Ben Prepar'd before with Canary wine And he told them plainly he deserv'd the Bayes For his were calld Works where others were but Plaies And Bid them remember how he had purg'd the Stage Of errors that had lasted many an Age And he hopes they did not think the silent Woman The Fox and the Alchymist out done by no man Apollo stopt him there and bade him not go on 'T was merit he said and not presumption Must carry 't at which Ben turned about And in great choler offer'd to go out But Those that were there thought it not fit To discontent so ancient a wit And therefore Apollo call'd him back agen And made him mine host of his own new Inne Tom Carew was next but he had a fault That would not well stand with a Laureat His Muse was hard bound and th'
and doubts I had about me of your welfare to an unquietnesse within my self till I have deserv'd this Intelligence How pleasingly troublesome thought and remembrance have been to me since I left you I am no more able now to expresse then another to have them so You onely could make every place you came in worth the thinking of and I do think those places worthy my thought onely because you made them so But I am to leave them and I shall do 't the willinger because the Gamester still is so much in me as that I love not to be told too often of my losses Yet every place will be alike since every good object will do the same Variety of Beauty and of Faces quick underminers of Constancy to others to me will be but pillars to support it Since when they please me most I most shall think of you In spite of all Philosophy it will be hottest in my Climate when my Sun is farthest off and in spite of all reason I proclaim that I am not my self but when I am Yours wholy THough desire in those that love be still like too much sail in a storm and man cannot so easily strike or take all in when he pleases Yet Dearest Princesse be it never so hard when you shall think it dangerous I shall not make it difficult though Well Love is love and Aire is Aire and though you are a Miracle your self yet do not I believe that you can work any without it I am confident you can never make these two thus different in themselves one and the self same thing when you shall it will be some small furtherance towards it that you have Your humble servant J. S. Who so truly loves the fair Aglaura that he will never know desire at least not entertain it that brings not letters of recommendation from her or first a fair Pasport My Dear Dear THink I have kist your Letter to nothing and now know not what to answer Or that now I am answering I am kissing you to nothing and know not how to go on For you must pardon I must hate all I send you here because it expresses nothing in respect of what it leaves behind with me And oh Why should I write then Why should I not come my self Those Tyrants businesse honour and necessity what have they to do with you and I Why should we not do Loves commands before theirs whose Soveraignty is but usurped upon us Shall we not smell to Roses ' cause others do look on or gather them ' cause there are prickles and something that would hinder us Dear I fain would and know no hindrance but what must come from you and why should any come since 't is not I but you must be sensible how much time we lose It being long since I was not my self but Yours Dear Princesse FInding the date of your Letter so young and having an assurance from who at the same time heard from Mr. that all our Letters have been delivered at B I cannot but imagine some ill mistake and that you have not received any at all Faith I have none in Welch man and though Fear and Suspition look often so far that they oversee the right yet when Love holds the Candle they seldom do mistake so much My Dearest Princesse I shall long next hearing you are well to hear that they are safe for though I can never be ashamed to be found an Idolater to such a shrine as yours yet since the world is ful of profane eyes the best way sure is to keep all mysteries from them and to let privacy be what indeed it is the best part of devotion So thinks My D. D. P. Your humble Servant SInce the inferiour Orbes move but by the first without all question desires and hopes in me are to be govern'd still by you as they by it What mean these fears then Dear Princesse Though Planets wander yet is the Sphere that carries them the same still and though wishes in me may be extravagant yet he in whom they make their motion is you know my dear Princesse Yours and wholy to be disposed of by you And till we hear from you though according to the form of concluding a Letter we should now rest we cannot Fair Princesse IF parting be a sin as sure it is what then to part from you if to extenuate an ill be to increase it what then now to excuse it by a letter That which we would alledge to lessen it with you perchance has added to the guilt already which is our sodain leaving you Abruptnesse is an eloquence in parting when Spinning out of time is but the weaving of new sorrow And thus we thought yet not being able to distinguish of our owne Acts the fear we may have sinn'd farther then we think of has made us send to you to know whether it be Mortal or not For the Two Excellent Sisters THough I conceive you Ladies so much at leisure that you may read any thing yet since the stories of the Town are meerly amorous and sound nothing but Love I cannot without betraying my owne judgement make them news for Wales Nor can it be lesse improper to transport them to you then for the King to send my Lord of C. over Ambassador this winter into Green-land It would want faith in so cold a Countrey as Anglesey to say that your Cozen Dutchesse for the quenching of some foolish flames about her has endured quietly the losse of much of the Kings favour of many of her houses and of most of her friends Whether the disfigurement that Travel or sicknes has bestowed upon B W. be thought so great by the Lady of the Isle as 't is by others and whether the alteration of his face has bred a change in her mind it never troubles you Ladies What old Loves are decay'd or what new ones are sprung up in their room Whether this Lady be too discreet or that Cavalier not secret enough are things that concern the inhabitants of Anglesey not at all A fair day is better welcom and more news then all that can be said in this kind And for all that I know now the Divels Chimney is on fire or his pot seething over and all North-Wales not able to stay the fury of it Perchance while I write this a great black cloud is sayling from Mistris Thomasses bleak Mountains over to Baron-hill there to disgorge it self with what the Sea or worse places fed it with before It may be the honest banks about you turn bankrupt too and break and the Sea like an angry Creditor seizes upon all and hath no pitty because he has been put off so long from time to time For variety and it is not impossible some boysterous wind flings up the hangings and thinking to do as much to your cloths finds a resistance and so departs but first breaks all the windows about the house for it in revenge These
made the onely bar you have by imagining you have one I confesse though had vice so large an Empire in the Court as heretofore it has had or were the times so dangerous that to the living well there wise conduct were more necessary then vertue it self Your Lordship would have reason with AEsops countrey-mouse to undervalue all change of condition since a quiet-mediocrity is still to be preferred before a troubled superfluity but these things are now no more and if at any time they have threatned that Horizon like great clouds either they are fallen of themselves to the ground or else upon the appearing of the Sunne such a Prince as ours is they have vanished and left behind them clear and fair daies To descend to parts envie is so lessen'd that it is almost lost into vertuous emulation every man trusting the Kings judgement so far that he knows no better measure of his own merit then his reward The little word behind the back and undoing whisper which like pulling of a sheat-rope at Sea slackens the sail and makes the gallantest ship stand still that that heretofore made the faulty and the innocent alike guilty is a thing I beleeve now so forgot or at least so unpractiz'd that those that are the worst have leisure to grow good before any will take notice they have been otherwise or at least divulge it 'T is true Faction there is but 't is as true that it is as winds are to clear and keep places free from corruption the oppositions being as harmlesse as that of the meeting-tides under the bridge whose encounter makes it but more easie for him that is to passe To be a little pleasant in my instances The very women have suffered reformation and wear through the whole Court their faces as little disguised now as an honest mans actions should be and if there be any have suffer'd themselves to be gained by their servants their ignorance of what they granted may well excuse them from the shame of what they did So that it is more then possible to be great and good and we may safely conclude if there be some that are not so exact as much as they fall short of it just so much they have gone from the great Original God and from the best Copies of him on earth the King and the Queen To conclude If those accidents or disasters which make men grow lesse in the world as some such my Lord have happened to you were inevitable as death or when they were once entered upon us there were no cure for them examples of others would satisfie me for yours but since there have been that have delivered themselves from their ills either by their good Fortune or Vertue 't would trouble me that my friends should not be found in that number as much as if one should bring me a Catalogue of those that truly honoured my Lord of and I should not find among the first Your humble Servant To Mr. Henry German in the beginning of PARLIAMENT 1640. Sir THat it is fit for the King to do something extraordinary at this present is not onely the opinion of the wise but the expectation Men observe him more now then at other times for Majestie in an Eclipse like the Sun draws eyes that would not so much as have looked towards it if it had shined out and appeared like it self To lie still now would at the best shew but a calmnesse of mind not a magnanimity since in matter of government to think well at any time much lesse in a very active is little better then to dream well Nor must he stay to act till his people desire because 't is thought nothing relishes else for therefore hath nothing relisht with them because the King hath for the most part stayed till they have desired done nothing but what they have or were petitioning for But that the King should do will not be so much the question as what he should do And certainly for a King to have right counsel given him is at all times strange and at this present impossible His party for the most part I would that were modestly said and it were not all have so much to do for their own preservation that they cannot without breaking a law in nature intend anothers Those that have courage have not perchance innocence and so dare not shew themselves in the Kings busines and if they have innocence they want parts to make themselves considerable so consequently the things they undertake Then in Court they give much counsel as they beleeve the King inclin'd determine his good by his desires which is a kind of setting the Sun by the Dial Interest which cannot erâ—e by passions which may In going about to shew the King a Cure now a man should first plainly shew him the disease But to Kings as to some kind of Patients it is not alwaies proper to tell how ill they be and it is too like a Countrey clown not to shew the way unles he know from whence and discourse of things before Kings may be mistaken and Councellors corrupted but true interest alone saith Monsieur de Rohan cannot erre It were not amisse then to find out the Interest for setting down right principles before conclusions is weighing the scales before we deal out the commodity Certainly the great interest of the King is A union with his People and whosoever hath told him otherwise as the Scripture saith of the divel was a seducer from the first If there ever had been any one Prince in the whole world that made a felicity in this life and left fair Fame after death without the love of his Subjects there were some colour to despise it There was not among all our Princes a greater Courtier of the People then Richard the third not so much out of fear as out of wisedom And shall the worst of our Kings have striven for that and shall not the best it being an Angelical thing to gain love There are 2. things in which the people expect to be satisfied Religion and Justice nor can this be done by any little acts but by Royal and Kingly resolutions If any shall think that by dividing the factions a good rule at other times he shall master the rest now he will be strangely deceived for in the beginning of things That would do much but not when whole Kingdoms are resolv'd Of those now that lead these parties if you could take off the major number the lesser would govern and do the same things still nay if you could take off all they would set up one and follow him And of how great consequence it is for the King to resume this right and be the author himself let any body judge since as Cumneus said those that have the art to please the People have commonly the power to raise them To do things so that there shall remain no jealousie is very necessary and is no more
the King THis Sir to them but unto Majestie All hee has said before hee does denie Yet not to Majestie that were to bring His feares to be but for the Queen and King Not for your selves and that hee dares not say Y' are his Soveraignes another way Your soules are Princes and you have as good A title that way as yee have by blood To governe and here your power 's more great And absolute than in the royall Seat There men dispute and but by Law obey Here is no Law at all but what yee say Scena Persia King In love with Aglaura Thersames Prince in love with Aglaura Orbella Queen at first Mistresse to Ziriff in love with Ariaspes Ariaspes Brother to the King Ziriff Otherwayes Sorannez disguised Captaine of the Guard in love with Orbella brother to Aglaura Iolas A Lord of the Councell seeming friend to the Prince but a Traytour in love with Semanthe Aglaura In love with the Prince but nam'd Mistresse to the King Orsames A young Lord antiplatonique friend to the Prince Philan The same Semanthe In love with Ziriff platonique Orithie In love with Thersames Pasithas A faithfull servant Jolinas Aglaura's waiting-woman Courtiers Huntsmen Priest Guard AGLAURA ACTUS I. SCENA I. Enter IOLAS IOLINA Jolas MArried and in Diana's Grove Jolin So was th'appointment or my Sense deceiv'd me Jolas Married Now by those Powers that tye those pretty knots 'T is very fine good faith 't is wondrous fine Jolin What is Brother Jolas Why to marrie Sister T' injoy 'twixt lawfull and unlawfull thus A happinesse steale as 't were ones owne Diana's Grove sayest thou Scratcheth his head Jolin That 's the place the hunt once up and all Ingag'd in the sport they meane to leave The company and steale unto those thickets Where there 's a Priest attends them Jolas And will they lye together think'st thou Jolin Is there distinction of sex thinke you Or flesh and bloud Jolas True but the King Sister Jolin But love Brother Jolas Thou sayest well 'T is fine 't is wondrous fine Diana's Grove Jolin Yes Diana's grove But Brother if you should speake of this now so fast Jol. Why thou know'st a drowning man holds not a thing Semanthe she shuns me too Enter Semanthe she sees Jolin The wound festred sure Iolas and goes in agen The hurt the boy gave her when first Shee look'd abroad into the world is not yet cur'd Iolas What hurt Iolin Why know you not Shee was in love long since with young Zorannes Aglaura's brother and the now Queens betroth'd Iolas Some such slight Tale I 'ave heard Iolin Slight she yet does weep when she but hears him nam'd And tels the prettiest and the saddest stories Of all those civill wars and those Amours That trust me both my Lady and my selfe Turne weeping Statues still Iolas Pish 't is not that 'T is Ziriff and his fresh glories herâ— Have rob'd me of her Since he thus appear'd in Court My love has languish'd worse than Plants in drought But time 's a good Physician come le ts in The King Queen by this time are come forth Exeunt Enter Serving-men to Ziriff 1 Serv. Yonder 's a crowd without as if some strange Sight were to be seen to day here 2 Serv. Two or three with Carbonadoes afore in stead of faces mistook the doore for a breach at the opening of it are striving still which should enter first 3 Serv. Is my Lord busie Knocks Enter Ziriff as in his Studie 1 Serv. My Lord there are some Souldiers without Zir. Well I will dispatch them presently 2 Serv. Th'Embassadours from the Cadusians too Zir. Shew them the Gallerie 3 Serv. One from the King Zir. Again I come I come Exeunt Serving-men Ziriff solus Greatnesse thou vainer shadow of the Princes beames Begot by meere reflection nourish'd in extreames First taught to creepe and live upon the glance Poorely to fare till thine owne proper strength Bring thee to surfet of thy selfe at last How dull a Pageant would this States-play seeme To mee now were not my love and my revenge Mixt with it Three tedious Winters have I waited here Like patient Chymists blowing still the coales And still expecting when the blessed houre Would com should make me master of The Court Elixar Power for that turnes all 'T is in projection now downe sorrow downe And swell my heart no more and thou wrong'd ghost Of my dead father to thy bed agen And sleep securely It cannot now be long for sure Fate must As 't has been cruell so a while be just Exit Enter King and Lords the Lords intreating for Prisoners King I say they shall not live our mercie Would turne sinne should we but use it er'e Pittie and Love the bosses onely be Of government meerly for show and ornament Feare is the bit that mans proud will restraines And makes its vice its vertue See it done Enter to them Queen Aglaura Ladies the King addresses himselfe to Aglaura So early and so curious in your dresse faire Mistresse These prettie ambushes and traps for hearts Set with such care to day looke like designe Speake Lady is 't a massacre resolv'd Is conquering one by one growne tedious sport Or is the number of the taken such That for your safetie you must kill out-right Agl. Did none doe greater mischiefe Sir than I Heav'n would not much be troubled with sad storie Nor would the quarrell man has to the Starres Be kept alive so strongly King When hee does leave 't Woman must take it up and justly too For robbing of the sex and giving all to you Agl. Their weakenesses you meane and I confesse Sir King The greatest subjects of their power or glorie Such gentle rape thou act'st upon my soule And with such pleasing violence dost force it still That when it should resist it tamely yeilds Making a kinde of haste to be undone As if the way to victorie were losse And conquest came by overthrow Enter an Expresse delivering a Packet upon his knee The King reads Qu. Prettie The Queen looking upon a flower in one of the Ladies heads Is it the child of nature or of some faire hand La. 'T is as the beauty Madam of some faces Arts issue onely King Thersames This concernes you most brought you her picture Exp. Somthing made up for her in hast I have Presents King If she does owe no part of this faire dower the Picture Vnto the Painter she is rich enough Agl. A kinde of merry sadnesse in this face Becomes it much King There is indeed Aglaura A prettie sullenesse drest up in smiles That sayes this beauty can both kill and save How like you her Thersames Ther. As well as any man can doe a house By seeing of the portall here 's but a face And faces Sir are things I have not studied I have my dutie and may boldly sweare What you like best will ever please me most King Spoke like Thersames and my
for ever Zir. For ever I there 's it For in those Groves thou talk'st of There are so many by-wayes and odd rurnings Leading unto such wild and dismall places That should we goe without a guide or stir Before Heav'n calls 't is strongly to be feared We there should wander up and downe for ever And be benighted to eternitie Agl. Benighted to eternitie What 's that Zir. Why 't is to be benighted to eternitie To sit i' th' darke and doe I know not what Unriddle at our owne sad cost and charge The doubts the learned here doe onely move Agl. What place have murtherers brother there for sure The murtherer of the Prince must have A punishment that Heaven is yet to make Zir. How is religion fool'd betwixt our loves And feares poore Girle for ought that thou hast done Thy Chaplets may be faire and flourishing As his in the Elysium Agl. Doe you thinke so Zir. Yes I doe thinke so The juster Judges of our Actions Would they have been severe upon Our weaknesses Would sure have made us stronger Fie those teares A Bride upon the marriage day as properly Might shed as thou here widowes doo 't And marrie next day after To such a funerall as this there should be nothing common Wee 'll mourne him so that those that are alive Shall thinke themselves more buried far than hee And wish to have his grave to find his Obsequies But stay the Body Brings up the body she swounâ— and dies Agen Sister Aglaura O speake once more once more looke out faire Soule Shee 's gone Irrevocably gone And winging now the Aire Like a glad bird broken from some cage Poore Bankrupt heart when ' thad not wherewithall To pay to sad disaster all that was its due It broke would mine would doe so too My soule is now within mee Like a well metled Hauke on a blind Faulk'ners fist Me thinkes I feele it baiting to be gone And yet I have a little foolish businesse here On earth I will dispatch Exit Enter Pasithas with the body of Ariaspes Pas Let me be like my burthen here if I had not as lieve kill two of the Bloud-royall for him as carrie one of them These Gentlemen of high actions are three times as heavie after death as your private retir'd ones looke if he be not reduc'd to the state of a Courtier of the second forme now and cannot stand upon his owne legs nor doe any thing without helpe Hum. And what 's become of the great Prince in prison as they call it now the toy within us that makes us talke and laugh and fight I why there 's it well let him be what he will and where he will I 'le make bold with the old Tenement here Come Sir come along Exit Enter Ziriff Zir. All 's fast too here They sleepe to night I' their winding sheets I thinke there 's such A generall quiet Oh! here 's light I warrant For lust does take as little rest as care or age Courting her glasse I sweare fie that 's a flatterer Madam In me you shal see trulier what you are Knocks Ent. the Queen Orb. What make you up at this strange houre my Lord Zir. My businesse is my boldnesse warrant Madam And I could well afford t' have been without it now Had Heav'n so pleas'd Orb. 'T is a sad Prologue What followes in the name of vertue Zir. The King Orb. I what of him is well is he not Zir. Yes If to be free from the great load Wee sweat and labour under here on earth Be to be well he is Orb. Why hee 's not dead is hee Zir. Yes Madam slaine and the Prince too Orb. How where Zir. I know not but dead they are Orb. Dead Zir. Yes Madam Orb. Did'st see them dead Zir. As I see you alive Orb. Dead Zir. Yes dead Orb. Well we must all die The Sisters spin no cables for us mortalls Th' are thred and Time and chance Trust me I could weepe now But watrie distillations doe but ill on graves They make the lodging colder She knocks Zir. What would you Madam Orb. Why my friends my Lord I would consult and know what 's to be done Zir. Madam 't is not so safe to raise the Court Things thus unsetled if you please to have Orb. Where 's Ariaspes Zir. In 's dead sleepe by this time I 'm sure Orb. I know he is not find him instantly Zir. I 'm gone Turnes back againe But Madam why make you choyce of him from whom If the succession meet disturbance All must come of danger Orb. My Lord I am not yet so wise as to be jealous Pray dispute no further Zir. Pardon me Madam if before I goe I must unlock a secret unto you such a one As while the King did breathe durst know no aire Zorannes lives Orb. Ha! Zir. And in the hope of such a day as this Has lingred out a life snatching to feed His almost famish'd eyes Sights now and then of you in a disguise Orb. Strange this night is big with miracle Zir. If you did love him as they say you did And doe so still 't is now within your power Orb. I would it were my Lord but I am now No private woman If I did love him once And 't is so long agoe I have forgot My youth and ignorance may well excus't Zir. Excuse it Orb. Yes excuse it Sir Zir. Though I confesse I lov'd his father much And pitie him yet having offer'd it Unto your thoughts I have discharg'd a trust And zeale shall stray no further Your pardon Madam Exit Queen studies Orb. May be 't is a plot to keep off Ariaspes Greatnesse which hee must feare because he knowes He hates him for these great States-men That when time has made bold with the King Subject Throwing down all fence that stood betwixt their power And others right are on a change Like wanton Salmons comming in with flouds That leap o're wyres and nets and make their way To be at the returne to every one a prey Enter Ziriff and Pasithas throwing down the dead body of Ariaspes Orb. Ha! murthered too Treason treason Zir. But such another word and halfe so loud And th' art Orb. Why thou wilt not murther me too Wilt thou villaine Zir. I do not know my temper Discovers himselfe Looke here vaine thing and see thy sins full blowne There 's scarce a part in all this face thou hast Not been forsworn by and Heav'n forgive thee for 't For thee I lost a Father Countrey friends My selfe almost for I lay buried Long And when there was no use thy love could pay Too great thou mad'st the principle away Had I but staid and not began revenge Till thou had'st made an end of changing I had had the Kingdome to have kill'd As wantons entring a Garden take The first faire flower they meet and Treasure't in their laps Then seeing more do make fresh choyce agen Throwing in one and one till
Agl. Oh sad mistake 't is hee Ther. Hast thou no voyce Agl. I would I had not nor a being neither Ther. Aglaura it cannot be Agl. Oh still beleeve so Sir For 't was not I Indeed but fatall Love Ther. Loves wounds us'd to be gentler than these were The paines they give us have some pleasure In them and that these have not Enter Ziriff with a taper Oh doe not say 't was you for that does wound agen Guard me my better Angell Doe I wake my eyes since I was man Ne're met with any object gave them so much trouble I dare not aske neither to be satisfied Shee lookes so guiltily Agl. Why doe you stare and wonder at a thing That you your selfe have made thus mizerable Zir. Good gods and I o' the partie too Agl. Did you not tell me that the King this night Meant to attempt my honour that our condition Would not admit of middle wayes and that we must Send them to graves or lye our selves in dust Zir. Unfortunate mistake Ziriff knocks I never did intend our safety by thy hands Enter Pasithas Pasithas goe instantly and fetch Andrages From his bed how is it with you Sir Ther. As with the besieg'd My soule is so beset it does not know Whether 't had best to make a desperate Sally out by this port or not Agl. Sure I shall turne statue here Ther. If thou do'st love me weepe not Aglaura All those are drops of bloud and flow from me Zir. Now all the gods defend this way of expiation Think'st thou thy crime Aglaura would be lesse By adding to it or canst thou hope To satisfie those powers whom great sins Doe displease by doing greater Agl. Discourteous courtesie I had no other meanes left mee than this To let Thersames know I would doe nothing To him I would not doe unto my selfe And that thou takest away Ther. Friend bring me a little neerer I find a kind of willingnesse to stay And find that willingnesse something obey'd My bloud now it perswades it selfe You did not call in earnest Makes not such hast Agl. Oh my dearest Lord This kindnesse is so full of crueltie Puts such an uglinesse on what I have done That when I looke upon it needs must fright Me from my selfe and which is more insufferable I feare from you Ther. Why should that fright thee which most comforts mee I glorie in it and shall smile i' th' grave To thinke our love was such that nothing But it selfe could e're destroy it Agl. Destroy it can it have ever end Will you not be thus courteous then in the other world Shall we not be together there as here Ther. I cannot tell whether I may or not Agl. Not tell Ther. No The Gods thought me unworthy of thee here And when thou art more pure Why should I not more doubt it Agl. Because if I shall be more pure I shall be then more fit for you Our Priests assure us an Elysium And can that be Elysium where true Lovers Must not meet Those Powers that made our loves Did they intend them mortall Would sure have made them of a courser stuffe Would they not my Lord Ther. Prethee speake still This musique gives my soule such pleasing businesse Takes it so wholly up it findes not leisure to Attend unto the summons death does make Yet they are loud and peremptorie now And I can onely Faints Agl. Some pitying Power inspire me with A waâ— to follow him heart wilt thou not Breake it of thy selfe Zir. My grieâ—es besot me His souâ—e will saiâ—e out with this purple tide And I shall here be found staring After't like a man that 's come too short o' th' ship And 's left behind upon the land Shee swounes Enter Andrages Oh welcome we come here lyes Andrages Alas too great a trâ—all for thy art And. There 's life in him from whence these wounds Zir. Oh 't is no time for storie And. 'T is not mortall my Lord bow him gently And help me to infuse this into him The sou e is but asleepe and not gone forth Ther. Oh ho Zir. Hearke the Prince does live Ther. What e're thou art hast given me now a life And with it all my cares and miseries Expect not a reward no not a thanks If thou would'st merit from me Yet wh would be guilty of so lost an action Restore me to my quietnesse agen For life and that are most incompatible Zir. Still in despaires I did not thinke till now 't was in the power Of Fortune to have robb'd Thersames of himselfe For pitie Sir and reason live If you will die die not Aglaura's murther'd That 's not so handsome at least die not Her murthered and her murtherer too For that will surely follow Looke up Sir This violence of Fortune cannot last ever Who knowes but all these clouds are shadowes To set off your fairer dayes if it growes blacker And the stormes doe rise this harbour's alwayes open Ther. What say'st thou Aglaura Agl. What sayes Andrages And. Madam would Heaven his mind would admit As eafie cure as his body will 'T was onely want of bloud And two houres rest restores him to himselfe Zir. And by that time it may be Heaven Will give our miseries some ease Come Sir repose upon a bed There 's time enough to day Ther. Well I will still obey Though I must feare it will be with me But as 't is with tortured men Whom States preserve onely to wrack agen Exeunt Take off table Enter Ziriff with a taper Zir. All fast too here They sleepe to night I' their winding sheets I thinke there 's such A generall quiet Oh! here 's light I warrant you For lust does take as little rest as care or age Courting her glasse I swear fie that 's a flatterer Madam In me you shall see trulier what you are He knocks Enter Queen Orb. What make you up at this strange houre my Lord Zir. My businesse is my boldnesse warrant Madam And I could well afford t' have been without it now Had Heav'n so pleas'd Orb. 'T is a sad Prologue What followes in the name of vertue Zir. The King Orb. I what of him is well is he not Zir. Yes If to be on 's journey to the other world Be to be well hee is Orb. Why he 's not dead is he Zir. Yes Madam dead Orb. How where Zir. I doe not know particulars Orb. Dead Zir. Yes Madam Orb. Art sure hee 's dead Zir. Madam I know him as certainly dead As I know you too must die hereafter Orb. Dead Zir. Yes dead Orb. We must all die The Sisters spin no cables for us mortalls Th' are threds and Time and chance Trust me I could weep now But watrie distillations doe but ill on graves They make the lodging colder Shee knocks Zir. What would you Madam Orb. Why my friends my Lord I would consult and know what 's to be done Zir. Madam 't is not so safe to raise
now attend us I would not be a desperate thing One made up wholly of despaire Sab. You that so freely gave me Samorats life Which was in danger Most justly justly may be suffer'd to attempt Upon my love which is in none Pr. What sayes my noble Rivall Sab. Sir y' are kind in this and wisely doe Provide I should not surfeit For here is happines enough besides to last the Sun's returne N. You and I are but savers with all this Pellegrin But by the Lord 't is well we came off As we did all was at stake Pr. Come no more whispers here Let 's in and there unriddle to each other For I have much to aske Or. A Life a Friend a Brother and a Mistres Oh! what a day was here Gently my Joyes distill Least you should breake the Vessell you should fill FINIS EPILOGUE ANd how and how in faith a pretty plot And smartly carried through too was it not And the Devils how well and the fighting Well too a foole and 't had bin just old writing O what a monster wit must that man have That could please all which now their twelve pence gave High characters cries one and he would see Things that ne're were nor are nor ne're will be Romances cries easie-soules and then they sweare The Playe's well wrâ—t though scarce a good line 's there The Women Oh if Stephen shoulâ— be kil'd Or misse the Lady how the plot is spil'd And into how many pieces a poore Play Is taken still before the second day Like a strange Beauty newly come to Court And to say truth good faith 't is all the sport One will like all the ill things in a Play Another some o' th' good but the wrong way So from one poore Play there comes t' arise At severall Tables severall Comedies The ill is only here that 't may fall out In Plaies as Faces and who goes about To take asunder oft destroyes we know What altogether made a pretty shew FINIS BRENNORALT A Tragedy Presented at the Private House in Black-Fryers by His Majesties servants WRITTEN By Sir JOHN SUCKLING LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his shop at the Signe of the Princes Armes in St Pauls Churchyard MDCXLVI The Scaene Poland The Actors SIgismond King of Poland Miefla Melidor A Lord. Councellors to the King Brennoralt a Discontent Doran His Friend Villanor Grainevert Marinell Cavaliers and Officers under Brennoralt Stratheman Fresolin Brother to Francelia Iphigene young Pallatine of Florence Pallatine of Mensecke Governour one of the chiefe Rebels Pallatine of Tork a Rebell Almerin a gallant Rebell Morat his Lievtenant Coronell Francelia the Governours daughter Orilla a waiting woman to Francelia Reguelin A servant in the Governors house but Spie to Brennoralt Iaylor Guard Souldiers Brennoralt ACT I. SCENE I. Enter Brennoralt Doran Brennoralt I Say the Court is but a narrow circuit Though somthing elevate above the common A kind of Ants nest in the great wilde field O're charg'd with multitudes of quick Inhabitants Who still are miserably busied to get in What the loose foot of prodigality As fast do's throw abroad Dor. Good A most eternall place of low affronts And then as low submissions Bren. Right High cowards in revenges ' mongst themselves And only valiant when they mischiefe others Dor. Stars that would have no names But for the ills they threaten in conjunction Bren. A race of shallow and unskilfull Pilots Which doe misguide the Ship even in the calme And in great stormes serve but as weight to sinke it More prethee more Alarum within 'T is musique to my melancholy Enter Souldier Sold. My Lord a cloud of dust and men The Sentinels from th' East gate discover And as they guesse the storme bends this way Bren. Let it be Sold. My Lord Bren. Let it be I will not fight to day Bid Stratheman draw to the trenches On prethee on Dor. The King imployes a company of formall beards Men who have no other proofes of their Long life but that they are old Bren. Right and if th' are wise 'T is for themselves not others Alarum As old men ever are Enter second Soldier 2 Sold. Coronell Coronell Th' enemies at hand kils all the Centries Young Almerin leads them on agen Bren. Let him lead them off agen 2 Sold. Coronell Bren. Be gone If th' art afraid goe hide thy selfe 2 Sold. What a Divell ayles he Exit Bren. This Almerin's the ague of the Camp He shakes it once a day Dor. Hee 's the ill conscience rather He never lets it rest would I were at home agen 'Sfoot we lie here i' th' trenches as if it were For a winde to carry us into th' other World every houre we expect I 'le no more on 't Bre. Prethee Dor. Not I by heaven Bre. What man the worst is but faire death Dor. And what will that amount to A faire Epitaph A fine account I 'le home I sweare Enter Stratheman Stra. Arme arme my Lord And shew your selfe all 's lost else Dor. Why so Stra. The Rebels like an unruly floud Rowle o're the trenches and throw downe All before them Bre. Ha Stra. We cannot make a stand Bre. He would out-rivall me in honour too As well as love but that he must not doe Help me Strathman Puts on Armour The danger now growes worthy of our swords And oh Doran I would to heaven there were No other stormes then the worst tempest here Exeunt Enter Marinell throwing downe one he carries Mari. There The Sun 's the nearest Surgeon I know And the honestest if thou recoverest why so If not the cure 's paid they have mauld us Enter Grainevert with another upon his backe Grain A curse light on this powder It stayes valour ere iâ—'s halfe way on it's journey What a disadvantage fight we upon in this age He that did well heretofore Had the broad faire day to shew it in Witnesses enough we must beleeve one another 'T is night when we begin Eternall smoake and sulpher Smalke by this hand I can beare with thee No longer how now dead as I live Stolne away just as he us'd to wench Well goe thy wayes for a quiet drinker and dier I shall never know thy fellow searches his pockets These trifles too about thee There was never an honester poore wretch Borne I thinke look i' th' tother pocket too hum Marinell Mar. Who 's that Grani. 'T is I how goes matters Mar. Scurvily enough Yet since our Colonell came th' ave got no ground Of us A weake Sculler against Winde and Tide Would have done as much harke This way the torrent beares Exeunt Enter Fresolin Almerin Rebels Fres The Villaines all have left us Alm. Would they had left their feares Behind them But come since we must Enter Brennoralt Souldiers Bren. Hoe Stratheman Skirt on the left hand with the horse And get betwixt these and that Body They 'r new rallied up forrescue Dor. Th ' are ours