why art thou sent To cast a horror on me If thy soul Walks unreveng'd and the grim Ferriman Deny thy passage I 'l perform thy rights the Ghost points to his wounds O do not wound me with such piteous signs Lest I dissolve to air and like thy self Affright fool mortals If that thou desir'st Aphelia's death t' appease thy troubled soul Make some consenting sign and so depart Thy sight afflicts my soul Enter Queen Qu. How fares our Son He bends and so goes off then at the other door enter Eunuch Clos. It was my brothers spirit nothing but Aphelia Qu. She must die you see it 's requisite Clot. Would he had askt my life first Qu. Why should you be so fond upon a woman Clot. Woman 's the least part of her shee 's all Goddesse Qu. 'T was your offer Remember there 's no jesting with the Gods Eu. What might this mean ha where are my brains Clot. I had forgot my self your pardon Mother Bear her from me this Jewel I esteem Equall with life it was my brothers picture And with it this that she prepare to die Pray her to take it and in death but kisse This sad remembrance for the senders sake Although for his whose form it represents And I shall take it for the greatest grace That she can give or I ought to desire Tell her and if you can be mov'd to sorrow Express it in you tears it is not I Pronounce this fatall sentence ' gainst her life Which needs must ruine mine but the hid will And providence of heaven ' gainst which to rage It were as impious as not obey My brothers funerall is her dying day Tell her though reason and my will do jarr My soul'speaks peace although my sentence war Say I love and pray her to forgive me Exit Queen Go all attend my Mother my estate Delights not in Court Ceremony stay Castrato stay Eut. all but the Eunuch Clota And with thy Counsell cure thy dying Prince Thou art my bosome Eunuch and to thee I dare unclasp my soul what 's to be done This is a damned spirit I have seen And comes to work my ruine Eu. What spirit Clot. My Brothers spirit in Arms I swear it came forth here Out of my Mothers Chamber as I knockt Eu. Was it in Armor said you Clot. Yes in that Armor he was us'd to wear When we have run at Tilt till our cleft Spaeres Have with their splinters scar'd the Element Eu. That Armor as I well remember I did leave In the Queens Bed-chamber as yesterday After the Trlumphs and the Tournaments Having unbrac'd the Prince 't is even so Ha ha ha Clot. Why this ridiculous passion My state requires thy tears and not thy mirth Eu. The Devill came from your Mothers Chamber sir ' She has a circle that can raise a Spirit A Mars in armor too she is a Venus And through your licence Landrey is no Eunuch Clot. What killing sense thou utter'st There 's someting in it I would understand And yet I dare not Landrey How know'st thou this Eu. Since I have gone so far I 'l tell you I looked in at th'Key-hole and I saw Him in your Mothers arms upon the bed As sportingly as e'r I saw your Father Clot. Thou ly'st take that suspition double sees strikes him offers to go out Jealous informers no'r meet better fees Eu. King thou hadst better far have strook thy Father Dig'd up his bones and plaid at logats with them Stroken the King returns calmly Clot. I know not My Mother alwaies had a seanted fame His thoughts too have been mine I was to blame Prethee forgive me my passions but like lightning Flash and away dead e'r we say it is I am not alwaies angry let that assure My Mother may befalse she is a woman gives him his Purse Prethee deliver come I will believe thee Even to the utmost syllable Eu. Then she is false Clot. And didst thou see him mount my Mother bed Eu. Else pull these out Clot. Thou hast shot poyson through me False with Landrey her sometime Page Eu. Even with the same Clot. But wherefore would they have Aphelia die There lies the mystery Eu. They fear you will accept her as the Queen Of whom you may beget a hopeful issue And frustrate their intents who but expect Your hop'd-for death and perhaps plotted too That so they might become what now you crosse Lawfully man and wife and govern in your seat Clot. This carries shew of truth or is' t a lie Well sahdowed by the slave I cannot tell My mother certainly is not so bad It is a sin to think it hence and avoid my sight Thou sower of debate thy seeds are strow'd On steril groun and therefore ill bestow'd Exit Eu. Is' t even so work and about my brain I 'm lost for ever if not close again Exit SCEN. II. Enter Dumain Martells Bourbon Lanove Lano Are all your Troops well furnish'd ' gainst resistance Are your men bold and daring resolute To run your hazard indifferent rich not poor That onely fight for bread such oft betray The sinews of a well knit plot for gain When these as well fight to defend as win Dum. Noble Lanove Mine know nor fear no death souls of that fire They 'l catch the bullet flying scale a wall Battled with Enemy stand breaches laugh The thunder of a Canon call it musick Fitter a Ladies Chamber than the field When o'r their heads the Element is seel'd Darkned with Darts they 'l fight under the shade And ask no other roofs to hid their heads in They fear not Jove and had the Giants been But half so spirited they had disthron'd him Kill till they 'r kill'd with killing and oftner die Wearied than wounded being more opprest With giving wounds than taking when they fall They fall not vaquish'd but by fate betraid Such are the men I lead Mart. They 'r Souldiers fit to sack a Kingdom then And share the spoil between them Bourb Were it come to that sport once Dum. Bourbon it must or some of us must fall Mart. Where shall we first attempt Dum. The Citadel Lanove I say no it 's dangerous Dum. It is the safest course Mart. Believe it not it 's full of hazard Dum. So is the generall enterprise in hand Lano But this of certain ruine Mart. Give me a reason why you would invade The Palace first and I am satisfi'd Dum. Then understand Lamot lives still at Court Disguised like a formal Surgion To whom the Prince being delivered To be embalm'd and boweld finding life Yet in his Corps which way he 's very skilful H 'as balsomed all his wounds and cur'd him Lano And what of all this Dum. Have temperance and hear the rest For this the Prince h 'as promis'd him the place The grand Commander of the Citadel Whose aid can stead us infinitely Lano Is it certain Dum. I did but even now receive this Letter shews the Letter
THE Fatal Contract A French TRAGEDY As it was Acted vvith great Applause by her Majesties SERVANTS Written by William Hemings Master of Arts of Oxon. Printed by the Original Copy Printed at London for J. M. in the Year 1653. To the Right Honourable James Compton Earl of Northampton and Lord Compton c. and to Isabella his vertuous Countesse My Lord This Poem was composed by a worthy Gentleman at hours of his recess from happier employments In his life he was above the Sphere of common Writers and though at death he left greater Monuments of his worth and abilitie yet this piece had justly gain'd an esteem with men of excellent judgement and having suffered very much by private Transcripts where it past through many hands as a Curiosity of Wit and Language it is now emergent from darkness and appears in a publike dress having shaken off some dust and imperfections that too usually waits upon multipli'd Copies My Lord If we had not confidence that the merit of this Poem would excuse the boldnesse of this Dedication we would not have attempted so great a flight as to your name We humbly beseech your Honour to peruse it when you will descend to a recreation of this nature And let not our Names that attend it by our lowness and want of Ornament be thought a stain to what we have presented for though our sails are not filled with so much happy air and breath of the World yet our small and plain Vessels are fraught with as true faith humility to serve you as that which carries more fire and noise to proclaim their devotions And in the assurance that your mercy will vouchsafe us your protection we cast our selves at your feet My Lord The humblest of those that pray for your Honours happinesse A. T. A. P. The Persons of the Play CHilderick an old King of France Clotair the Young King Clovis the Monsieur Landrey Favorite to the Queen and raised by her favour to be Duke of France and Maior of the Palace Brissac an old Peer of France Brissac his Sonne Lords for Attendants Lamot two banished Lords Dumain two banished Lords Martell Noble men of France and friends of the banished Lords Bourbon Noble men of France and friends of the banished Lords Lanove Noble men of France and friends of the banished Lords Crotilda by the name of Castrato as an Eunuch Fredigond the Queen Aphelia Old Brissac's Daughter Isabella a Lady that waited on Aphelia Three Ladies for Attendance A Cardinall for state when Aphelia is to be beheaded Six Young men to bear the Herse Six of the Guard A Headsman Musicians A Page to Brissac Jun. A Lackey The Fatall Contract A TRAGEDY Actus Primus Scena prima Enter Lamot and Dumaine like Souldiers Dum. WE are not safe Lamot this bawdie peace Begets a war within me our swords worn For Ornament not use the Drum Trumpet Sing drunken Carrols and the Canon speaks Health not confusion Helmets turn'd to Cups Our bruised Armes administer discourse For Tables and for Taverns where the Souldier Oft finds a pitty not reliefe I 'l tell thee Wee 'r walking images the signes of men And bear about us nothing but the forme Of man that 's manly Lam. Wee 'r cold indeed Dum Yes and th' ungratefull time As coldly doth rewards us all our actions Attempts of valour look'd into with eyes Fil'd with contempt when ye Gods ye know It is our gifts they see yet oh I am mad The very bread that lends them life to scorn us Our blood ha's paid for yet demand a bit Or ask of this old satten belli'd sir Or Madam toothless with her velvet sconce And you shall hear their rotten lungs pronounce The Whip and Whip-stock Lam. Prethee containe thy selfe Dum. Thou knowest I can With what an equall temper did I breath Under the frozen climate of the North Where in mine armes the sheets of war I slept My bed being feather'd with the down of heaven I have lain down a man and rise a snow-ball There these have been my pastimes which i 've born As willingly as I received them nobly The Queenes black envy which doth still remaine And peeps through every limb she bears about her Fated to ruine us does not swell my Gall No nor this willing beggery I weare To cloud me from her malice by the Gods This bastard-betting peace unspirits me A greater corrasive to my active soul Than all past ills what ever Lam. As you are valiant be wise too this is no time To vent your passions like a woman in Your sword not tongue should speak Dum. You are an expert Tutor and I thank you Our wrongs would add a spirit to the dead And make them sight our quarrels but look here Enter Landrey and two or three insinuating Lords busie in conference and three or foure Petitioners The minion of our Queen oh what a traine The painted Peacock bears death were I Jove But onely for this Giant Peti Good your honor our wives and Children Good your honour hear us Lan. Where are our slaves keep off these dregs of men The scum and out-cast of the world bring round my charict To the postern Gate these bell-mouth'd Rascals Split mine cares with noise make hast before Lest my great Mistress wait my comming Exit Peti Good your honour Exeunt 1 Peti The devill take your worship we must follow Dum. These are the fruits of base upstarts and flatterers Tell me Lamot can this same Merchpane man Think or commit a sin though ne'r so horrid But it is candied o'r and from his vice Excessive praise and plaudites arise Were I the King but he is wilful blind And by the hornes she rocks him fast asleep Before the wanton and hot-blooded Queene Should have the licence but to be suspected With such a Knight of Ginger-bread as this A gilded flesh-flie I would lock her up Yea chain the evill Angel in a Box And house her like a silk-worme Lam. Pardon me sir the good old King 's unable Dum. And therefore must admit an upstart Page Now rais'd to honours by her lawless lust Maior of the Palace and the Duke of France The next stept is the Crown now by my life 'T were good the King would execute them both Lam. Alas he dares not for the no chast Queene Is as her birth as great in faction Followed and sainted by the multitude Whose judgement she hath linck'd unto her Purse And rather bought a love than found it She ha's a working spirit an active braine Apt to conceive and wary in her wiles Besides her Sons the pillowes of the State Support her like an Atlas where she sits And like the heavens commands our fates beneath her She is the greater light the King a star That onely glares but through her influence A florish within Dum. Hark the thunder of the world now out of tune This peace corrupting all things makes them speak What means this most adulterate
invention Qu. Then I 'l commend thee to my elder Son Where thou shalt wind into his secret thoughts As for the younger Boy let me alone And when we have them on the hip they shall Follow their Fathers unto Hells-black-Hall Eu. Still better Qu. Will not this be brave ha how lik'st thou this Now by this light I 'm taken strangely with thee Come kiss me kiss me sirra tremble not Queene kisses him Fie what a January lip thou hast A paire of Iscicles sure thou hast bought A paire of cast lips of the chast Diana's Thy blood 's meere snow-broth kiss me again again Now see if you can find these gallants forth And bring them to our presence Exit Eunuch O sir y' are welcome Enter Landrey Your visits have been freer but I grow old And you command the beauties of the time Lan. What means my noble Mistress think you the blood Runnes so degenerate within these veins To stoop to an inferiour imbrace When I injoy the best Qu. We are betraid I 'l tell thee a good jest Landrey pray marke This morning dressing my head my husband came And with his switch for he was then to hunt A gentle stroke he gave me on the back My fancy busied then to make me fine Supposing it was you that sported so Not dreaming that the dotard was so neere Cri'd well my Landrey in story we still find The best Knights strike before and not behind The King who alwaies understood too fast Quits suddenly my Chambers what he intends I cannot guess unless it be our deaths Which if he speedily perform not then Know he shall never for this night concludes him His Sons I weigh like him they have rebell'd And taken spirit of late t' oppose my will And contradict my pleasures in thy love For which it is not safe that they should live The Kingdoms Heir shall be a boy of thine And Kings and Queens shall follow in thy Line Eu. Madam here are the Gentlemen Enter Dumaine Lamot very brave the Eunuck Qu. Y' are welcome to the Court and us brave spirits y' are welcome Take a Queenes word y' are welcome Ambo Your highnesse is as full of grace as mercy Qu. Rise and follow us wee 'l be your Guardian and Protectres Lan. What are these Aside Qu. Sheep for my shambles whom I have fatted up Onely for slaughter things are on foot decreed Shall make some smile to night and others bleed Exeunt omnes SCENA III. Enter Clovis at one door Aphelia and a Page at the other with a Torch Clo. My best Mistress What Angel brought you hither for I know Millions attend your goodness Aph. My Lord Clo. Why do you cast such stranger eyes upon me You were not wont to cloth your browes with scorn Nor dart such deadly looks can my mistress Be angry with her servant my offence If slowness in my visits I 'l hereafter Grow to your threshold why weep you now Trust me divinest fair thine eyes seed pearl Bracelets for Gods to wear about their armes Aph. I am too fond and yet he swears he loves me I have believ'd him too for I have found A Godlike nature in him and a truth Hitherto constant Clo. Sweetest fair the cause Aph. If this should be dissembled not your heart And having won my souls affection Should on a judgement more retir'd to state Smile at your perjuries and leave me in love What ill-bred tales the world would make of me Clo. That jealousie I 'l strangle take this Ring As I that Diamond dazel'd by thine eyes Whose beauty sickned ' cause ecclips'd by thine Be these the mutual pledges of our love Our Marriage before our Marriage And curs'd be he that separates our love Though France be one or what is greater Jove Are your fears over now Alp. My Lord I dare no ill and therefore doubt none Enter King Queen Clotaire Landrey Dumain Lamot Eunuch Lords Ladyes Guard King Approach our person nearer for methinks Y'have honest faces if your hearts keep touch T' your outward semblance y' are a pair Nothing but death shall force from me Qu. Good good this Physick works aside Eu. Madam is' t done Qu. I my black Genius such a fatal dram I have administred will wing his soul With expedition to the other world His part essential like a wearied Ghost This night forsakes her Inn when sled and gone Who knows where it shall lodge mark his looks See'st thou not death thron'd in his hollow eye Great tyrant over Nature Eu. With looks inquisite I have beheld him But see no alteration Qu. Thou art a fool and wantst the optique nerves To pry into my Arts where I lay trains Death comes before the grief the sulphurous match Destroyes the powder with a motion slow To what I work with as Antumn aged leaf In youth the prime and glory of the Grove Not to be graspt with hand falls with a puff And what we could not touch but now we tread on So Childrick King Lend me thine arm Dumain I now not what But on the sudden Dumain Lamot about the King Qu. How the Nats play and buz about the fire Must consume them Eu. 'T is rare observant Cocks comes Clota What Star's unshe'rd and walks upon the Earth Making our night a noon methinks her sight Does cure blindnesse and lend darknesse light Castrato Clotair pulls the Eunuch aside Eu. No more we are observ'd my Lord. Clot. What Ladyes that Eu. That French India with a mine upon her back With whom your Brother holds discourse Clot. The same Eu. The chast and beautifull Aphelia Clot. Indeed shee 's wondrous fair nature hath much Befriended her art sure shee 's honest Eu. Snow's not purer No vestal Virgin at the Aultar bears A soul so incorrupt so void of flame That 's loosly active Clot. Castrato be as our self get but that Lady for me Thou understand'st me Eu. Shee dotes upon your Brother by which means I 'l think upon some plot Clot. The Masque ended wee will talk further on 't King Defer our pastimes till another night I am not well at case Duma Lights lights for his Majesty Clot. Clovis How is it with your grace our Royal Father Eu. Dumain Lamot Your feet are in the snare Fredigond hunts and when she hunts beware The Eunuch talks with Aphelia aside Lam. What sayes the slave Dum. No matter what mind we his Majesty King There is an Aetna in me The air I draw returnes illuminate Philosophy thy Element of fire 's here Qu. His Grace grows worse and worse support him Gently friends O my dear Husband O my gentle Lord. Eneunt omnes Aphe I credit your report will obey Manent Eunuch and Aphelia His mind is honourable like his parentage His single name has arm'd me pray lead on Exe. Alp. Eu. Enter Lamot Enter Clotaire Lam. O woe woe woe Clot. Horror and death Clo. O dismall fatal hour Enter Clovis Fredigond the Queen Landry
If I miscarry in it story shall tell I did attempt it bravely though I fell Enter Lamot and Clovis Clov Disswade me not Castrato I have sought thee Through every angle of this spatious Court I 've businesse to impart Eu. And so have I. Clo. Mine is of honourable consequence And doth require thine aid Eu. So doth mine yours Clo. Aphelia is Eu. Your Brother Wife and you Would fain injoy her too why sir you may But time must work her Clo. Eunuch thou art wide Those vaneties of love are quite extinct Revenge doth swell the Monsiure and his thought Which burn within him must be quencht with blood I have incenst the King with yellowness With doubtfull phrases on Aphelia's fame See'st thou this Letter 't is a script I feign'd shew a Paper For I can counterfeit Aphelia's hand The King ha's banish'd Landrey from the Court Because he wore the Jewel which he sent To his Aphelia light suspitions But this shall aggravte find thou the King Shew him his Note it doth expresse great love To Landrey from Aphelia and withall It mentioneth the Jewel as a Gift To gratifie her servant this to the rest Of poyson he ha's suck'd already in Will so inflame him that the Court shall burn Too hot for his Aphelia Eu. Think it done But now your aid since that your mind is bent On honourable ends here 's one will trie you Clo. thou 'dst have me joyn my self unto the Rebels And with my person grace their cause perhaps That is not now to plot Eu. I find you high Worthy the name of Monsieure yet your thoughts Hit not my purpose it is such that made Your Brother quake to hear Clo. What is it Eunuch If that if bear an honourable sound Though death stood gaping wide to swallow me I would not shrink nor fear Eu. Noble hear it then Your Mother's loose and this night renders up Her body unto lust if not prevented I can direct you where and when with whom Clo. My soul finds the man is' t not Landrey Eu. The same Clov I 'l tear him all to pieces then Whore my Mother Eunuch lead the way In what thou shalt prescribe we will obey Exeunt omnes Actus Quartus Scena Prima Enter Clotair Solus Clot. WHat vulture gripes me here ha what art thou If thou beest jealousie mount and be gone Fly to the vulgar bosome whose cheap thoughts Despair their own performance in a Prince Thou shew'st a nature retrograde to honour Suppose she gave the Jewels must it follow She therefore is disloyal poor consequence A Bable for a boy to play withall I am resolv'd hark I hear her comming O Juno what a look and gate is there Enter Aphelia as going to bed two or three Ladyes with Light Aphe Mock me not Ladyes with this Ceremony For I am fitter to attend on you I am become a servant and a slave To every moodle passion of my Lord. All that 's behind I can perform my self Without this complement 1 Lady Sweet Lady You must not weigh these things so deeply Your Lord is of a noble spirit And you shall see how calm he will return Blessing your Bridall bed with fruitfull issue Aphe No no The Safforn-coated Hymen frowns upon us These Tapers here wre lighted at a pile As sit Attendance on the Grave not Bed Juno denyes her presence at this match And all the ill presaging birds of night Sing fatall Requiems for a Bridall Song O Ladyes is not this ominous Clot. Yes my Aphelia if that ragged fate Lie in a kiss then it is ominous Let me dwell here I am ravisht Am I on earth no heaven is here And all th'unimitable joyes that Poets feign Are better'd in thy goodnesse Aphe I hope your fears are satisfied now You bear a brow so sweetly pleasant Clot. What pretty foolery is this Aphelia I am not jealous for by all that good I cannot think thee evill kiss me sweet kisses her There 's no deceit lies here again agen again kisses Her kisses melt upon my lip if sin Have so much heaven in 't I 'l be a sinner Prethee forgive my folly that could be wrought To such a senselesse passion come let 's in And shake this off as it never been 1 Lady We must a while my Lord intreat your absence We have some certain Notions to deliver Some pillow counsels I 'l assure your highness It shall be no wayes prejudiciall to you 2 Lady You see she 's not prepar'd till that 's perform'd She 's ours that done we yeeld her up To the dark night and mercy of your Lordship Clot. Go then unharnis your Lady for these wars For we are of the Camilli and fight naked Exe. Ladies Aphe Ye powers that favour Lovers infuse apt strength Through every nerve and sinew of this frame Make me all pleasure and unto the bride Add every vein a Venus guid me light Wherein on bed lies all the worlds delight Offers to go out and meets the Eunuch Eu. Not yet in bed O happy happy minute Untill this hour I ne'r was fortunate I have preserv'd my King my Prince my Patron From the loose ardor of a Strumphts bed Clot. What 's this Eu. Be not this second time incredulous And scorn my honest heart or grant you were Dishonests as the Suburbs I am loath To nominate her whore though it betrue Clot. True ha Eu. Leave this Lethargiz'd passion which benumns Your nobler nature turn your eies on this shews a Letter Whose Character is this Clot. It is Aphelia's hand the very same Which I have often seen Clovis peruse The bed thrust forth with Aphe asleep In his loves amorous pursute Eu. Read the Contents Clot. A Letter that shee loves Landrey with thanks For his so freequent visits which she repaies With the rich Jewel sent her by the King Wishing a perpetuitie of imbracements Ten thousand Ravens crook is this black paper How came you by it Eu. I saw it drop from Landrey but ne'r thought 'Fore I perus'd it what it did contain Which finding in my duty I was bound To save my Prince from ruine Clot. Hold my heart Oh what shall Clotair do it cannot be Do but behold her face and thou shalt read What we call vertue there and modesty Here is a look would perswade cruelty To sigh and shed a tear bride Nemesis To knot her steely scourge with Plume of Down And Jove himself to call her vice a virtue Eu. A book of Devils may have the Cover gilt Treason lyes Cabin'd in the smoothest brow The Devil can assume an Angles form Your wife is fair but fair to do you harm Clot. Oh say not so she is the neatest cut As e'r was printed by the hand of heaven Here is a volum of Divinity Compos'd so rarely that to add to this Or take away from hence were such a sin Repentance could not expiate I 'l not touch With hands unhallowrd such a puritie Could it change all
Force ope the door seiz on his Royal person now Clotair Thou are the Monsieur 's pris'ner Tyrant say Where is Aphelia your Adulteres stands amaz'd Clot. It makes no matter where Bris O my dear Sister O my dearest life Dum. See Noble Lords Here lies that Hel-hound Eunuch villain up And tell us who ha's done these fatall deeds Eu. They 'r ne'r ali'd to thee that did these Acts Chrotilda and a woman Dum. Villain thou li'st my sister 's gone a weary pilgrimage And for this many years with grief I speak it Been travel'd none knows where Clot. What am I What strange and uncouth thing Eu. A ravisher And better to instruct thee in thy self Had not Chrotilda been incestuous Omnes Hold hold your Royal hand what will you do Clot. What else but follow her shall Clotair live A Captive to his Brother slav'd to sin Inthral's in wedlock that 's incestuous O ravisher and murtherer of his friend There 's no way left to rid me but my sword Of all these ills at once Oh wrong'd Chrotilda Dum. My sister Clot I Dumain no Eunuch she No sun-burnt vagabond of Aethiope Though entertain'd for such by Fredigond I say here lies thy ravisht sister slain By me the ravisher Dum. Hold hold my heart Eu. Lend me thy hand Clotair have I thy hand Clot. Thou most abus'd of womenkind thou hast Eu. I should have kill'd thee King and had put on A masculine spirit to perform the deed Alas how frail our resolutions are A womans weakness conquer'd my revenge I 'd spirit enough to quit my Fathers wrongs And they which should have seen me act that part Would not believe I should so soon prove haggard But there is something dwels upon thy brow Which did perfwade me to humanitie Thou injur'dst me and yet I spar'd thy life Thou injurd'st me yet I would fall by thee And like to my soft sex I fall and perish Clot. Speak for ever speak Chrotilda Chrotilda Dum. My Sister 's in mine eies this brave revenge Should have been mine and not thy act Chrotilda Away salt rhume Chrotilda laughs at thee Her spirit is more manly Aphe I must weep too Mine injuries and hers are so near kin That they must bear each other company In tears of blood and death For my griev'd heart too long with earth Would gladly seek a way to find out rest Clot. Art thou joyn'd with her too against thy self Will my Aphelia leave me pardon sweet My love is fatall and too well thou know'st The deadly proof in fair Chrotilda death Yet leave me not though I refrain thy bed And must abandon all those thoughts of love Which married couples use yet we may sit And gaze upon each other tell sad tales Of ruin'd Princes wrong'd Virginitie And when our utterance is tyr'd by speech Wee 'l sit and sigh a sad parenthesis And then proceed again then sigh again A silent Chorus to our History Our tears shall keep our sorrows ever green Still springing never ripe shall we do thus To lengthen out our grief Aphe For ever King The hand of heaven lies on me for I feel My in ward and externall injuries Wrestle with life in which condition My soul is woried by that Tyrant death I must forsake thee Clotair Clot. Stay awhile it is unkindly done to leave me thus O she is gone for ever ever gone And I stand prating here between them both The fatall cause of death unto them both Wilt thou not break proud heart I prethee break Prove not a Rebell to thy Prince like these It 's well there is some loyaltie in thee yet Thou art commanded by me the King faints Bris Gracious my Liege Clot. Charles I have injur'd thee and thee Dumain Can ye forgive me Bris Good your Grace Call back your spirits think what 's to be done Clot. I consider well and the now King The quondam Mounsieur shall not denie me this Half of the honours of the deal Landrey We do confer on thee the other half Be thine Dumain Charles shall be Duke of France Thou of the Palace Major this is our will Dum. Great King you are not yet so neer your end Forsend it heaven Bris Look up my Gracious Lord. Monsi My Royall Brother Clot. I begin to faint A darknesse like to death hangs on mine eies Lend me thine hand Brissac and thine Dumain. Good gentle souls when ye shal mention me And elder time shall rip these stories up Diffected and Anatomiz'd by you Touch sparingly this story do not read Too harsh a comment on this loathed deed Left you inforce posterity to blast My name and Memory with endlesse curses Call me an honouralbe murtherer And finish there as I do He dyes Dum. O Noble Lord Whose fame was very essence to his souls That gone the other fled choosing to die Rather then live a King in infamy Monsi A heavie spectacle of grief and woe Have beheld since our arivall here Take up the body of the King and these That for his love on either hand lie slain They shall lie buried in one Monument And take up these this was Royall Queen When virtue steer'd her thoughts but we may see When we turn foes to good to vice a friend We fall like these and like these thus we end A dead March within FINIS