if he stood upon his head then his feet must be uppermost how could he tread the King then under foot when he stood upon his head Vrsula Why that may very well be too Flora. I just as you took shipping to go for Turkie so I lent you my horse and you went to Rome Agatha Vile Baggage she 's alwaies crossing her Sister and chopping of Logick with her I 'l chop you Strikes her Take that for your labour Exeunt Mar. Agatha Vrsula manet Flora. Flora. How shall I do to let my Mother in law and my Sister know I have no such ambition as they think in me and have themselves I would I could as well clear their bosoms from those suspicions as well as I can my own from such vain hopes they are all fir'd with that which warms not me My Grandmother is high-minded my Father higher my Mother highest my Sister highest of all And since there 's no degree in height for me I 'l stick unto my old humilitie Exit Flora. Enter Major Aldermen c. at one dore Mass at another Gen. and others Major An 't please your Excellence here is a Catalogue of the Delinquents names Mass Have you taken examinations duly and truly for I will do nothing but justice all those let me see your pen before whose name you find this mark He makes a dumb sign with his finger sawing his throat You understand me the words out and see that there be Commissioners appointed to take an Inventory of their goods and be accomprable to us therfore Enter a Messenger and speaks softly and hastily to Genuino Gen. Sir The Bandits are come faithfully and according unto promise Peroon their Chieftain and Don Peppe di Caraffa Brother to the Duke of Mattal desire audience Mass Bring them in they 're welcom Exit Gen. These are Blades indeed that if occasion serve will shew my Gallants School-play Enter Gen. with Peroon Don Peppe and Bandits Peroon To the thrice worthy Tomaso Amello di Malfa Generall of the Neopolitans are we come to offer our service Don. Pep And our lives to be sacrificed in the defence of the most worthy Tomaso and the Popolo Mass We accept your offer and appoint your guard to our own person Peroon and Peppe make sour faces upon Massenello Trumpets sound What noyse is that Go know the cause Exit Gen. I am not yet well acquainted with the language of Trumpers Enter Gen. Gen. The Duke of Mattaloon desires audience and admittance to your Excellence Mass Let him have his will and wee 'l have ours Aside Enter Duke di Mattaloon with Attendants Mat. Peace to this people and happinesse to Tomaso their Generall as in the body naturall so in the politique there are causes which turn the best bloud into corruption and against tumescency there are medicines to be used to keep the swelling down and to hinder the corrupt humours from gathering to a head if the effects may cease by taking away their causes I have brought you cure behold all your desires are granted here 's what you ask He gives Massenello the pretended priviledges Mass Peruse them Gen they did well to send your grace with them for as nothing could have satisfied the people but that which you have brought so nothing could have been more satisfactory then that they should be brought by you a man whom the people alwaies had a good opinion of Gen. Sir hold I pray your commendations are too soon bestowed these Writings are all counterseit and not the priviledges of Carolo quinto upon my life they are Mass Hah Counterseit My Lord you have forseited your honour and your honesty together and what is more our good opinion of you and are indeed no better then a Traitor to your Country The people shoulder the Duke up and down and begin to be outragious the Duke all the while applyes himself to speaks Peroon Mat. Sir Sir Sir Peroo Peppe can ye endure this insolence to be done to my person Peroon gives fire at Mass and his Carbine would not off Mass If that will not off this will He kils Pero with Sword Don. Pep Guard the Duke give the sign to the Castle for sallying out speedily Ex. Don. Pep with Mat. and Banditte Mass And I 'l regard ye ye fine politick neat facetious traitors give the word there bid them all make ready on my soul Mat. they shall carry thee marching over this full body of resolves but I will intercept thy passage which shall be as difficult for thee or them to do as to march over Vesuvias head Drums beat aloud and call our men together if we stand we stand if we fal we fall Exit A battail without Drums and Trumpets sound the charge Cannon and Musket go off as in hard fight Bandits passe over the stage by ones and by couples bleeding and led Two Bandits drop down dead upon the Stage one after another the first crying out Ploudy Traitor could I but die tearing thy flesh with my teeth I should die contentedly but now I 'm fain to die only with my mouth full of wishes He dies The second A Kingdom for another life to lose in ventring at Tomasoes head but I must give out I 've lost all He dies Then enters a brave Italian banditted Captain having lost his arm and speaks these dying words Though I was right and nobly born yet I must die the death of the Bastard Sea-Eagle cal'd Halietus who seizing sometimes on so big a Fish that not being able to heave it out of the water is by it drowned under the waves I seiz'd not on the Fish but on the Fisherman himself I had once hold of him but he was too heavy for me I lost that arm and now this life He dies Then enters a poor Spaniard Bandit with a half pike in his hand he reels and staggers up and down at last he drops and speaks I was born well I liv'd honourably but I fell scurvily I will see if I can rise up that I may fall better it may be some saw me fall not commendably He rises and charges his pike and saies This pike I won from a Neopolitan and fall thus with my own Trophie in my hand He dies Then marches Matteloon hastily over the Stage bids Call off my Brother sound the retreat all 's well Don Peppe marches after him but is shot through the back as he was bringing up the rear fals his men keep on and Peppe riseth up upon Massenello's approach Enter Mass Mass Where 's this Villain Don Pep Hold dog I am Don Peppe Mass Thou art the man I look'd for runs him through Don Pep Dogstar where under I was born What Did the fates ordain me to be no better then a Sprat or Whiting to be thus taken by a Fisherman Yet high and mighty Prince Tomaso you must cast your net into the Sea once more the Fish you look'd for is not caught And though I die
the fight this comfort gives That by my bloud and death my Brother lives he dies Mass To give thee thy due Peppo thou wer 't a brave Fellow and 't is pity but that thou hadst been an honest man In all my life I never heard of a braver piece of service And to deal plainly I was ashamed of the odds seeing they have done their work They fought like Devils or like men weary of living they reach'd him into the Castle as if it had been with a hand stretch'd through a Cloud and they did it with so much ease as if so many Sun-beams had made their way through a contrary wind When they made a stand they stood like a stretch'd out Rock against an Ocean bidding defiance to all its Waves And when they made their way through us they pass'd like a fierce wind over the heads of corn then wheel'd about like a Whirlwind which rais'd not dust but a smoke so big bellied wiâ—h fire and thunder as with the blind thereof they conveyed this Mattaloon safe into the Castle whil'st some few and inconsiderable O had we known it made good the rear with a stand of fifteen naked breasts against the power of NAPLES untill cal'd off by order then made their retreat as orderly leaving a Barricado between them and us only of the smoke of pouder which with much difficulty my fellow Cits and Chits got over but too late to gain any thing save only the sight of these brave men who did this act Only here Don Peppe lies who rather fell into then by my hands and cursed be the rage and madnesse mingled with my shame that coloured my sword with any of his bloud But I think I rather put him out of pain then rid of his life Yes 't was so mortally shot through the back He views him Well Peppe though thou wert mine Enemy yet I will erect thee a Monument Death discharges all enmity and hadst thou liv'd I had doubted the successe But As for the rest I make but even a scoff The body 's soon dissected when the head is off Exeunt ACT. III. SCEN. I. Enter Vice-Roy Card Mat Capt of the Castle with Attendants Card HAc non successit alia aggrediemur via we must tack about again and take another compasse before we can arrive at our wished point Mat. Wished point do ye call it The Devil himself would never wish for such a point as I was like to find the Devil a point was I likely to arrive at but the point of death if you have not better points then these I will not give three pence a dozen for all the Poynts in your shop V. Roy. My Lord it doth not become Nobility to seem frighted into so much choler we admir'd your valour took notice of your service and were about to give you thanks had you not anticipated those thoughts which we were about to give breath unto Mat. When a man hath escap'd hanging I hope your Majestie will give a man leave to be merry after it I made but a little bold with the Cardinal's language but I am sure the Cardinall a pox on his Rhetorick had like to have been very bold with me neither do I repent it since your Majestie doth command me to be serious V. Roy. If it be so my Lord I am willingly mistaken Card. If it were not so I should willingly have given way to any passion my Lord should please to have been in for loosers should have leave to speak and I 'm sure he hath lost a Brother whom we all shall misse as soon as he Mat. Could Heavens decree have been so satisfied mine should have paid the ransom for his life but let us fall to considerations how we may preserve the lives that are left more considerable Lord Cardinall 't is you must beat your brains that must be the anvil whereon all our safeties must be wrought Card. My Masters we cannot expect otherwise then speedily to be beseiged if so we must expect speedily to be brought to the severall exigents of famine and desperatenesse with their Attendants ruine and destruction A Castle without ammunition and provision is like a Carcasse that hath neither life nor soul nay like a Scheleton that hath neither flesh nor bloud therfore these must be had And for the effecting whereof this is my advice Let there be Letters devised to this purpose that the French are upon the Sea with a great Fleet and that their design is against NAPLES These Letters must be so ordered as that they may be intercepted by the way then if this take and we find them sensible of the danger you shall intreat Massenello to accept the office of Generall of all the Forces to be rais'd in the defence of the whole Kingdom And to make this offer appear the more reall we will call upon all our loving Citizens to arm themselves for the honour and safety of their Country with what arms and ammunition they have need of out of the Magazine which is no more but what we can neither injoy our selves nor hinder them of so shall we render our selves voyd of all suspicion then shall we call upon them as an act of the highest necessity to provision and ammunition the Castle Then send for Don John of Austria to come unto our rescue so shall we furnish our selves with what is wanting and by a fear of others lull them into such security of us that we may at leisure work all our ends both by Sea and Land and so gain time which is only able to restore us V. Roy. Your eminence speaks good advice Card. This is not all the Queen shall go on with her old instructions bear him in hand with the marriage of his Daughter assure them all excise to be taken off promise Mass that a stately Monument shall be erected in the Mercato containing all the articles of agreement between you and him and hereby add such fuell to his proud fire That this detestable and so accurst Toad swels and with his own poyson bursts V. Roy. Lord Card. Your advice is so good and seasonable that it needs no debate but execution let it be done speedily and use our authority therein as shall be requisite Come let us rise And reduce words to actions then we 're wise Exeunt omnes Enter Bonella erecting severall Chairs of State Bonell Where are you haw Enter Mariam Agath Flora Vrsula Come sit you down there and you there and you shall sit there by the faith of my body you must take state upon you now you must not think to do as you have done heretofore and is it not time you should Hath not your Son all Hath not your Husband all Hath not your and your Father all Doth not the King and the Lords and all the Evil Councellours hide themselves out of his sight And doth not he command and rule all the people Is not all at his disposing If he bids take
upon so faire a peece or that the Sun should fade any of its coulours or that bold and forward hands should sully any of its precious stones or that time it selfe should eate this with the rest of things Card. Most excellent Sir I have given directions for a safeguard of Iron whose bars shall be so high and sharpe that not any shal be able to behold it otherwise then at their due distance Mass But Card have you made any provision against Winde and Weather that time it selfe may never fill her paunch with such bits as are too great dainties for such a common feeder Card. What the most excellent Tomaso shall think further fit to the preservation of that which preserves so great fame wee shall bee glad admirers of but for my owne particular I have given no further directions concerning it Mass Then I shall where 's Sig. Burlameo V. Roy. It was nobly resolved on Enter Sig. Burlameo Mass Burlameo I will have thee post to Egypt hah doest thou stare upon me and there take patterne of the biggest Piramis that 's there and make me a shelter over this monument fifty cubits higher than the highest of all Egypts Piramides and that shall be a Penthouse to keep it from the rain so that that greedigut Time shal find it the hardest bone to picke that to feed upon it it shall loosen the old teeth of aged time that they shall drop out faster than these stones shall fall and at last finde it meate of so hard digestion that time it self shall take so great a surfeit that it shall cease to be And dying yeeld unto eternity Omnes Ah Massenello ah Massenello ah Massenello Card This is enough to make him starke mad le ts follow hâ—s humour Burla Sâ— I heare you and having taken measure of your mind Ilâ— fâ—â— iâ— to a haire Card. When the dâ—vill's blinde your resolutions are like your selfe great and glorious V. Roy. This age is happy that hath produc'd a man fit for so high and mighty undertakings Mass Now nothing's left undone but that which must be done the marriage V. Roy. That shall be don to morrow is the day That Hymeneus askes us leave to play Exeunt SCENA V. Enter Vrsula and Bonella Vrsula Is the Pothecary comming prethee go and fetch him to me and stay you without Bon I 'le fetch him presently Madam Ex Bonella Vrs My Mothers death I will revenge on her who was the cause of it bâ—sides ten thousand hazards I will run before I le suffer her to prince it over me that face which age could neither blemish nor years decay shall looke as pale as death can make it I 'd rather dye my selfe then she should live to be so much above me and thought worthy of so high estate whilst I neglected stand like a forelorne hope perishing for want of seconds and why because I am blacke and shee 's faire marry muff I thinke my penny as good as her's Pepper is blaeke and hath a good smacke And every man will it buy When Snow it is white and lies in the dike And every man let 's it lye Enter Pothecary Honest Pothecary I sent for thee to doe me a pleasure I am so troubled with Rats in my chamber that I cannot be quiet for them I pray thee teach me a way how I may destroy them Pot. Madam I will fetch you some Rats-baine immediately Vrsu No no That 's but a scurvy weak poyson they 'l take it and live so long after it that they 'le creep hehind the Wainscot and get into holes and there lye and stinke able to poison any living soule I would have a quick dispatching poyson that shall worke presently upon them that they shall not stir from the place Pot. Mad I warrant you I le fetch you such a poyson as shall do the feate Vrsula Why well said honest fellow here 's for thy paines Pot. I thanke you Maddam I never was so rewarded for killing of Rats I pray God shee puts it to no worse use but why should I suspect any thing shee payes mee liberally Enter Prince with Flora in his hand Flora My Lord though I am not worthy to indent with you or ingage you to the least promise yet I may be in capacity of begging a favour at your hands Prince What is it and command what lyes within my power Flo. Here is my only sister please you to take notice of her and let her bee within your thoughts to make her happy Prince As happy shall shee bee as industry it selfe can find out wayes to make her so Vrsula I thanke you Sir I pray Sister keepe your happinesse to your selfe I doe not desire to be made happy by you Enter Pothecary She flings out of the roome and takes the Pot. with her remains in occulto Prince What an unmannerly sister is this of thine Flora. Sir It may be she cannot brook this happinesse wherewith you 'r pleas'd to crowne me and the more I seek to please her the worse she is Prince She 's angry that she 's so blacke and thou so faire Flora. Not so my Lord but it may be she is angry that a Prince of so great judgement should be so much deceived in his choice as is able to verefie the proverb how that love is blinde Prince That love is blinde indeed that doth not see Causes sufficient for loving thee Love is not blinde because he hath no eyes But cause he 's guided by loves sympathâ—es Love sees and seeing loves but yet in part But he loves throughly that doth love by heart But I 'le tell thee my dearest dear thy sister is mad that I am not a Sutor unto her and I had as live be a Sutor unto the shades of night and imbrace a moon-calfe as to be lâ—nckt to such deformity Flora. Not so an 't please your highnesse shades ofttinies are sought for when the brightest Sun-beames are eschewed and though a black one please not you she may be pleasing in anothers eye Prince Come come I know and see her conditions to be as foule as is her visage which is the index of her minde 't is thy goodnesse to say otherwise Flora. Well Sir I that am so happy in your affections have the lesse reason to be troubled at your dis-affection to any else but indeed I must intreat you to love my sister though Prince Well then to morrow when she is my sister I 'le begin to love her because she is my sister though there be as much difference between thee and her as between night and day Flora. Now your highnesse is pleas'd to speake of nights and dayes when I thinke how that there is no day to come onely one night to passe before you make me beleeve I shall be your wife my joyes begin to be orewhelm'd with feares and sadnesse takes possession of my heart and outs those wonted lively apprehensions of the happinesse I heretofore conceived of being