have on this occasion discours'd Conrrarie to my sentiment and perhaps I should be so farre from believing me Injur'd thereby that you would have oblig'd me In not obeying me Carlos I 'm rap'd in pleasant wonder if those words Astonish me they charme me more if I Must stay to please you nothing is more easie Then to content you fully in that point Seeing obedience is not pleasing to you I will stay Madame and will not obey Isabella It is too late begone my mind is chang'd Occasion is lost assoone as ' pass'd You would have too much pride and I should have Too little if after such a confession I should detaine you here Carlos This order is Severe and rigourous Isabella But it is just I love not alwaies to be disobey'd Follow Clarina goe and have a care You be not seen O Heaven I heare my Father Clarina Alas we are undone perhaps he doubted Of your intelligence enter forthwith Into this closet SCENA TERTIA. Alphonso Clarina Isabella ALPHONSO Oh Daughter daughter ISABELLA He appeareth furious a side I read my sad misfortune in his eyes ALPHONSO Can I live after such high injuries ISABELLA What is the Matter Sir ALPHONSO How demandest thou Dost thou not plainelie see in the excesse Of my quick griefes that I am burthered with The greatest of misfortunes ISABELLA What miffortune Oh! Father ALPHONSO Isabella Isabella I must no more be called by that name ISABELLA I feign'd in vaine t is best to confesse all ALPHONSO O fatall chang Heaven who could'er have thought it ISABELLA Sir I beseech you heare me ALPHONSO What would'st thou That I should heare I know now but to well What that love costeth me which taketh pleasure In blood and teares and hideth deadlie poisons When it shewes flowers Isabella I confesse Alphonso Oh how often Our expectations are deceiv'd in'wishing Children we wish troubles and punishments Isab If his death Alph. Yes his death is certaine Isabella Suffer That by my teares Alphonso Thou sheddest them in vaine Isabella Father revenge is easie Alphonso But alas What should I enterprise against the Duke Isabella The Duke What say you Alphonso Art thou ignorant That my sonne by his order receiv'd death Isabella I know it not oh miserable destinie Alphonso Valerio from him brought me the sad newes And would enforce me to agree with him That he in killing him did not unjustly Isabella What crueltie is this wa st not ynough Through an unjust and barbarous constraint To forbid you a just revenge but even To complaine of the injurie Alphonso True Daughter To punish yet my sonne after his death They will I understand it and not murmur It seemes they have a minde that I should goe To kisse the hand that murthets me as being Stained and smoaking yet writh my sonnes blood Isabella But Sir consider in this sad conjuncture That my deare Brothers body doth expect Interment Alphonso Yes I have tooke care for that By order from me it is to be brought To this apart ement SCENA QUINTA Licastes Alpbonso Isabella Clarma Licasles THe death Sir of your sonne is but to certaine W 'ave brought his body into the next chāber Some little distance from this place we found it Stript and so much disfigured with wounds That we should not have judg'd it to be his If seeking carefully we had not found His coate not farre of and a little further His hart The thing which troubleth me most In this misfortune is that having made A fruitles search all over for the rest Of his habillements I could not finde Any one of them and can not imagine Who should have tane them thence Alphonso Vnhappie Sonne Of an unfortunate Father Licastes Sir you may From hence see this sad object if you please To cause that curtaine to be drawn aside Alphonso Draw it Licastes let me see my sorrow We would be private everie one retire The curtaine is drawne and he sets upon a bed a murthered body I cannot in this Lamentable object Discerne one seature of my Sonne and scarce Will my confusion give me leave to know Him whom I have begotten lying thus In such a mangled condition Sonne if it may be lawfull in the sad Estate wherein our miseries have put us For me to use that name sometime so sweet I must then say unto thee that this spectacle Makes me to feel thy wounds more sensibly Then thou thy selfe didst when thou didst receive them Thy miserable destinie and mine Differs not much the blood which thou shed'st is The purest in my veines the arme whose rigour Hasted thy death gave not the fatall stroak Through thy heart but it entered in my bowells And if we differ any thing in such A miserable fortune t is in this That I still feel the pressing evills which thou Sufferest no more Sources of my afflictions Deepe wounds which appeare now but bloody mouths Whose silent accents seeme here to folissit My arme to a reveng know that a subject Houlds not his Soveraignes fate betwene his hāds In vaine ye aske reveng ' gainst such a blood Alas here I can offer you no other But what my heart makes to flow from mine eyes Isabella The crueltie o' th' Duke Sir should be punish'd Alphonso He is my Prince although in my concernement A tyrant subjects destinies depend Vpon their Soveraignes a crime becomes Iust in their hands and if at any time Those earthlie Gods ought to be punished ' It must be by a thunder bolt from Heaven In this case I should make but vaine attempts If the Duke dye shall my Sonne live againe But what chance brings Clarina here in such Distracted haste SCENA QUINTA Clarina Alphonso Isabella Clarina Oh Signeur oh Madame Alphonso VVhat ayles thee art thou mad Clarina Oh I have seene Alphonso What hast thou seene that troubleth thee so much Clarina I have seene I have seene Alphonso VVhat hast thou seene Speake I conjure thee Clarina Since then I must speake it I 've seene a dead man walke Alphonso Th' ast lost thy reason Clarina Nothing 's more true that fearefull Fantasme followes My steps I heare him he pursues me save me Isabella It is my Brother Alphonso Straung It is my Sonne SCENA SEXTA Alphonso Fabritio Isabella Alphonso Sonne is my soule sure or am I deceiv'd Is this but an illusion which I see But a vaine object formed by my fancy If so finish my life heere with my errour Mayst thou yet be i' th' number of the living Fabritio i st thy body that I see Or i st thy shadow comest thou to fill me With joy or with affright come satisfie me Let me embrace thee Fabritio I see the light Sir and I finde here charms Since you esteeme my life at such a rate As to lament it lost not but as injur'd By love and fortune they should not doe to me A favour to deprive me of the light But though they should oblige me very much In the condition
wherein my soule Is now to quench my feirce flame with my blood And though my blood thus shed would make my fortune More sweet I would conserve it since t is yours Alphonso How comes it that thou hast so strong a hatred For life thou canst not doubt Climenes love The passion of the Duke alarumes thee Too much if thou lou'st much thou art no lesse Belou'd Fabritio A faire appearance oftentimes Beareth false wittnes I assur'd my selfe Too much of her sidelitie and though I could doubt the report my senses made me I have too sure a testimonie of her Perfidiousnes since her owne mouth confirm'd it She entertain'd in amourous discourse My happie Rivall with so passionate An air that I forgate both my respect Vnto the Duke and the care of my life In uttering my despight the Duke possess'd Strongly with love and hate gave expresse order Vnto his Guards to kill me but I knowing That my defence then was unprofitable Vnder a dark porch sought my sanctuarie Whilst an unfortunate stranger walking that way They took to apprehend me in the darke Was suddenlie environ'd with the Guards And peirced through with halbards assoone as Those murtherers were gone to draw my life Out of such hazards and to make this errour More probable I took the bloodie cloaths Of that deplorable body and was readie To leave it mine having cast his into The current of the river when a noyse Of voices crossing my designe I was Constrain'd to leave that body naked and Without life to come speedilie to you And to advertise you of this event Alphonso I feare the issue of this blest succsse Know that the Duke boasts of thy death alreadie He thinkes it just which maketh me to judge That thy preserved life is still in danger If thou desirest to obey thy Father Stay not a minute here but seek thy safety In sudden absence Fabritio But What! must I leave Climene Alphonso She hath left thee her example Shewes thee the way to infidelitie If to betray a person that doth love us Be a base act to love one that betrayes us Is no lesse weaknes Fabritio I am stil a Lovet Though an abused Lover and she hath More beautie then injustice her crime puts No fearful object in her eyes and countenance Although she cease to love she ceaseth not To be belov'd and my heart charm'd by her Deceives it selfe if it thinks to be able To hate her though she hath betrayed it Alphonso I finde that absence is the onelie remedie For this disease t is fitt thy passion yeild To my desires fly through obedience Or through resentment oh assure thy safety By thy remove t is that which Idesire Fabritio And which I feare Alphonso That matters not Fabritio But Sir Alphonso But I command it thee for feare to be Perceiv'd goe forth without attendance and Without noyse unto Carlos house and there Passe the rest of the night to morrow earlie Before the day break take the way to Florence VVhere I have many FrieÌ„ds that will defend thee In the meane time I 'le send thee by a friend A horse and money for thy journey haste Fabritio My Sister Alphonso Add not to my miserie By sad regretts be gone be gone adiew Let me embrace thee I deprive my selfe Of my most deare support but though I lose thee T is with intent to save thee Exit Fabritio SCENA SEPTIMA ALPHONSO ISABELLA Isabella By what crueltie Banish you my deare Brother Alphonso Isabella Thou speakest like a Sister and I act As Father it is farre more pleasing to me To have an absent Sonne then none at all I will deceive the Duke by taking of His unjust pursuit gainst his life when he Shall fully understand his death I will To morrow that my house be all in mourning That this corps be interred for my Sonne And to the end that all Ferrara be Deceived with the Duke I 'le honour it VVith funerall pompe this is a debt we owe. Vnto a blood whose losse hath conserv'd ours Although we had no further use of it Lastly SCENA OCTAVO Fabritio Alphonso Isabella Fabritio S Ir Alphonso VVhat is it that troubles thee Fabritio I met the Duke Sir at our dore he follow'd A torch which might perhaps discover me I heare noise he pursues me oh receive him Alphonso O duty too unjust cruel constraint Goe quicklie with thy Sister Isabella Intothat closet Isabella He goes to Carlos house what shall I doe Fabritio Come along with me what should hinder you Isabella I feare you should be seene and there fore would That the light might be put out in this place Fabritio I contradict not les us enter then SCENA NONA Carlos comming out of the closet Carlos They are both entered I must quickly forth Fortune no longer seemeth to be contrarie To my designes the way is free but what I heare the Fathers voice oh how unhappie Am I SCENA DECIMA The Duke Valerio Alphonso Carlos Guards Duke ALphonso I am not deceiv'd Your sone is Living I have seene him having Vnderstood that Climene in a soowne Fainted being carefull of so faire a life And guided by my love I went unto Her house where happilie I saw your sonne I know that she adores him and dare say That her disease wil Vanish if he Lives Lastly I wish it and am come of purpose To be informed cleerelie of this truth Alphonso shewing the Duke the body which is upon the bed Alphonso SIr you may easilie be cleerd herin Behould my sonne judge if his losse be certaine You fear'd him living doe not feare him dead See his congealed blood fmoaks at your presenâ—â— Duke It is too much I 'm fullie satisfied That he is dead but what did Carlos heere Without light Carlos To secure my Friend I must Feign hand somlie aside Duke He seemes to be astonish'd Carlos Sir t is not without cause that I am so For comming here to understand the newes of my deare Friend Fabritios destinie Assoone as I entered that open chamber His Ghost appear'd before me in a posture So dreadfull that I tremble to thinke on 't He had the figure of a fearefull Fantasme His bosom was opened with a large wound His colour pale and all his bod bloodie He came towards me with a staggering pace And darted forth a look though languishing Yet feirce a bleak and black blood issued Out of his mouth and in his eyes grim death Walked the round Duke I also saw just now Fabritios shape but much lesse horrible Mc thought he was allve Carlos I dare engage My credit that your Highnesse saw his shadow Aswell as I. Duke T is that which doth confound me I still held for a fable what the vulgar Report of vaine ghostes and could not imagine That a spirit once departed from a body Should leave the dead to come among the living Cease to be simple and be visible Having no more a body Notwithstanding This success stattles
Duke Fortunate Fabritio a side Fabritio O happie Rivall a side Climene Thou dost know my love FABRITIO I knew it ill a side CLIMENE What! answearest thou nothing Doubts thou my flame or fearst thou that another More pleasing object drives thee from my soul What ever happens rest thy selfe assur'd That my loue and my life shall have one course And that it is impossible for me No more to love thee DUKE How unhappie am I aside FABRITIO How miserable am I aside CLIMENE What obligeth thee To murmur still thus to thy selfe must I Confirme my love unto thee by some oathes If my flame for thee make not all my glorie If thou alone possessest not my heart And all my thoughts let FABRITIO Sweare not ingrate full and perfidious Woman It needeth ' not I doe believe thy words DUKE Thy death shall soone follow thy insolence My Guards Fabritio flying FABRITIO It is in vaine to make resistance Valerio and the Guards goe after Fabritio DUKE Pursue and kill him IACINTA Alas I 'm dead with feare CLIMENE I faint I faint Iacinta hould me up Duke Let him dye t is but just too great a merit Is often a great crime in ruining This Rivall I may gaine what I desire And if he perish not my hope must perish Let 's see if the successe answeareth my wish SCENA OCTAVA Valerio The Duke Iacinta Guards Valerio OH Sir t is done he 's dead in vaine he did Indeavour to defend himselfe he fell Peirc'd with a thousand mortall stroaks his soul Found overtures ynough to sallie forth His bloody body covered o'r with wounds Iacinta Oh! stay Sir Comming forth of Climenes house Duke Thy cares are superfluous I am reveng'd laciuta and Fabritio Is dead Iacinta Oh if you love Climene enter not Into the house she 's scarce recovered yet Of a great faintnes which seif d'on her spirits Duke The blood which I have shed will cost her teares I will not goe to add unto her griefes But retire me a while in the meane time Valerio let it be your charge to goe Vnto Fabritios Father to acquaint him With his sonnes death and further let him know That for his rash and sawcy insolence He hath receav'd but a just recompense The End of the first Act. AGTVS SECVNDVS SCENA PRIMA Isabella Clarina In a Chamber Isabella WHo enters there Clarina Madame it is Valerio Who from the Duke Discourseth with your Father Isabella What pressing busines might bring him here Clarina To tell you I should be a Prophetesse Isabella A message at this hower's not ordinarie Clarina It doth appeare as strang to me as you Isabella Let us expect the issue on 't and change Discourse Clarina You faine would have me speak of Carlos Madame confesse it Isabella I cannot deny But I am pleased when I heare him prays'd Clarina I should not be in my right sense if I Should speake ill of him he is a brave man And of a Liberall and obliging nature He merits much Isabella But in what manner did he enrertaine Th' intelligence thou gav'st him that my hâ—â— our Towards him was inclined to more sweetnes And that my heart at last disp of d it selfe To love him CLARINA With transports and extasies Which cannot be express'd ISABELLA Hast thou bene careful To tell him cunninglie according to Those rules I gave thee that to doe him service Thou didst betray thy Mistresse and gav'st him That notice without my consent CLARINA Yes Madame I tould him so and verie handsomlie But your strang love surpriseth me you feare that he should know it and yet tell it him If he lesse knew it would you be more pleas'd What humourous fancies are in Lovers spirits ISABELLA Though I love Carlos be it reason or Fancie that guides me I believe I doe My selfe wrong when I doe justice to him The hashfulnes which Heaven hath put into Our Sex for bids us to be free in what Concernes the point of love nor must we think any thing lawfull in relation to 't And by that power which I know not my selfe I cannot without blushing say I love It seemeth that our eyes made to tame hearts When those that were our captives doe become Our conquerours although they finde the dart Lovely and charming that subjected us Cannot without some shame behould this change The art to despise love my heart no longer Can practise but o Heaven whom see I Carlos So late here in my chamber SCENA SECUNDA CARLOS ISABELLA CLARINA CARLOS PArdon me This bold intrusion seeing the dore open I could not but lay hould of the occasion And following my love I thought I might With out offending you with disrespect Enter to cast my selfe at your faire feet ISABELLA How fancie you that I can be so little Respectfull of my honour as to suffer A vissit from you without being offended No Sir your hope deceives you and this libertie You take denoteth in you little love Or too much Vanitie can I believe You love me well in giving to your selfe A licence thus to make foule-mouth'd detraction Inveigh against me or can you imagine Without great follie in your selfe that I Can approve this designe so little modest And not b'offended at it CARLOS Though I can Produce some reason here for my defence I hould me criminall since I offend you And should but little profit to persist In the opinion of my innocence When your faire mouth condemnes me ISABELLA I condemne you T is very true and for your punishment I bannish you you must goe forth Carlos I dare not Appeale upon your sentence but retire I obey with regreet but without murmur Isabella How Sir begone so soone what motives pray you Induce you thereunto Carlos Since you ordaine it I must depart t is fitt that I obey you Isabella I should think Carlos that you obey here Some what too quickly for a perfect Lover Believing that you lov'd me I appear'd Too proud and scornefull t' is an asstir'd maxime That one loves coldly what he quitteth easily Love is but il expressed by respects Who readilie obeyes knowes not to love Carlos I am astonished at this discourse Can you Complaine I quit you Isabella When I obey you gainst my sentiment When my love glittereth in my submission And when by a kinde heat which is not common My happines displeaseth me when it Offendeth you What would you then have said If seeking onelie my owne sarisfaction I had preferred my desires and wishes Before yours in what manner can I please you If in obeying you I anger you Isab You argue too well for a 〈…〉 love VVhere love is strong reason 〈◊〉 impotent The one can't be establish'd 〈◊〉 the other Subsists sometimes a mayd would be resisted And obstinatelie lov'd gainst her consent And as her close desires are verie seldome Express'd she often speaketh with intent To meet a contradiction and to be Enforced unto that which she desires According to this maxime possibly I
nothing And that bove all things it is daungerous To be competitor with his Prince and Rivall Vnto his Master But what◠heare I not Some person walke at if he would come to me SCENA QUINTA The Duke Fabritio The Duke alone Duke I 've passed through a streight way now I enter Into a greater yet am still in doubt My hope 's confounded and my spirits dark Which should light me in these obscurities Am I'mongst mortalls am I in some cave Am I upon the earth or in is center Murthered Fabritio offereth himselfe To my remembrance would Heaven punish me For his unjust death but I heare a noyse Who 's there Fabritio Fabritio Duke Fabritio Appeares his Fantasme heere then for my punishment And am I sunk downe into Hell alive To suffer for the evills I 've made him suffer Fabritio I heare the Dukes voice which I know full well Is it you then Sir Duke Duke Th' art not deceiv'd I am the authour of thy death I will not Say any thing unto thee for to save My life thou canst without crime take it frō him Who hath tane thine from thee all the feare which Resteth unto me in this sad misfortune Proceedeth from my crime not from my death And if now any griefe oppresseth me T is not to dye but to dye culpable Fabritio aside Fabritio He thinks me still dead I will profit by This errour aside Duke you have just cause to feare My furie your fate now is in my power Nothing can stop the course of my revenge I can now sacrifice your blood to mine But Sit you are my Prince and I le not doe it Injustice I abhorre and notwithstanding My anger I would rather suffer it Then execute it Duke The mote thy respect Appeares for me the more unjust's thy death And the more black my crime by this my fault Becomes doubly condemnable the lesse Sevete thou art in punishing me the more I 'm worthy punishment But if thy shadow Pretendeth to respect me what obligeth thee To persecute me thus in everie place How comes it that thou dost conferre upon me Imperfect favouts why dost thou pursue me What i st thou dost desire Fabritio Since you ordaine it I 'le speake it then know Sir that this your trouble Shall never see an end before you cease To love Climene Duke Cease to love Climene Oh! that 's too much presumption I may cease To live but not to love her to obtaine Thy wishes thou shouldst ask a possible thing But I should have abus'd thee if I had Flattered thy hope that I would cease to love That charming Beautie Fabritio To love in this manner Is to love like a tyrant Duke Well I know That I love like a tyrant but no matter Know also that Love who gives Law to me Is yet a blinder tyrant farre then I To force me to love this ingratefull Mistresse He hath to much strength and I soo much weaknes Onelie the hope that I can give thee is Never to see her more yet still to love her Fabritio He that can lose the object can lose also The flame the heart houlds not what the eye is Depriv'd of Love from our will hath his power To cease to love there needs but the desire To put out all your flames quench all your hope And yeild Climene to my constancie Duke But if I should doe so what 's thy designe Fabritio To marrie her Duke To marrie her what art thou Not dead then Fabritio What have I said Duke Thou shouldst be O' th' number of the living for this works Who cherisheth a body must not be A shadow Speak and believe that thy death Hath cost me teares Fabritio He feigneth for to knowe me And to destroy me afterward aside Duke He answeareth not a word Le ts seek about But least he should goe forth 't is requisite To keepe this porte to know too where I am T is best to make a noyse hola who 's there Some one come to me Fabritio Heaven whereto am I Reduc'd but let me ere they bring a light Advaunce to wards the wall and hide my selfe Behind it Duke I 'le be cleered in this doubt Heere comes a light SCENA SEXTA The Duke Carlos Alphonso Valerio Climene Isabella Guards Climene DOe we not see the Duke Duke See I againe my Mistresse Valerio Oh! we sought Your Highnesse everie where Duke Is this enchantment Where am I Carlos In my house Duke But where is he Alphonso Who Sir Duke Your Sonne Alphonso My Sonne Your Highnes is abus'd Duke I 've speaken with him Vse no deceit towards me Alphonso Those are visions Duke They are truths but he can't come forth seek carefully On everie side Alphonso speaking to Carlos Oh Carlos how I feare Carlos addressing himselfe to Alphonso Carlos I say be not afraid Valerio Sir I 've seene nothing Duke Heaven what new prodegie is this Iudge all If I have reason to believe my selfe Enchanted I went forth the garden thinking To see before mine eyes Fabritios Ghost When suddenlie I fell into a precipice And passing through places which I know not Arriv'd heere where to encrease the horrour Of my sad soule his shadow once againe Appear'd before me spake long time unto me And us'd persuasions to make me cease To love Climene and to yeild her to him This discourse gave me much incertaintie Of his condition I doubted if He was dead but surprised and amaz'd By this successe I need no more to doubt it Would that it plased Heaven he were alive I should be free then of that sad remorse Which wounds my conscience I would doe him justice And banishing my fires would satisfie My selfe in rendering him happy Alphonso Sir It is an easie generosity To lament an oppressed enemie That is no longer to be fear'd you think My sonne dead and on that accompt bewaile him But if he were alive indead you would Be lesse humane Duke I would not break my word By Heaven by faire Climene by all nature I sweare to you Alphonso that if now Fabritio yet alive should by a miracle Appeare before mine eyes so farre would I Be from opposing still his just desires That I would willing lie resigne unto him That Beautie so belou'd and Cherished SCENA SEPTIMA Fabritio The Duke Alphonso Carlos Climeno Isabella Valorio Guards Fabritio comming forth from behind the false wall Fabritio Behould me living then most generous Prince Feep your word and your oath and make me happie Duke Is this a Fantasme Heaven Alphonso Shake of your feare It is Fabritio living and his death Is but a feigned thing Fabritio Sir at your feete I humbly doe expect the blest effect Of what you promised Duke I 'le keepe my word Climene's yours Alphonso Sir favour my poore familie In everie point givs Carlos too in marriage Vnto my daughter and approve with me Their innocent desires Carlos I humble crave That favour from your Highnesse Duke I consent to 't Carlos enjoy your wish although I am Deceived by your artifice but losing My Mistresse I lose my injustice too In not betraying me you did betray My glorie who commands ill should be ill Obey'd ' unjust designes may justly be Destroy'd Come follow me and whilst your joyes Are making readie rell me by what Art The Amourous Fantasme plaid his subtle part The End of the fifth and last Act. EPILOGUE to the Court. LEt me Star gaze a while and calculate Those Heavens to know our fortune or our fate Before I dare to speak I cannot see One cloud appeare that should discourage me T is a good omen Faire Queen of this night Not Cynthia but a Goddesse far more bright To you I kneel From him whose glory is To offer you a pleasing Sacrifice I meane th' ambitious Poet I am come Humbly to begg a favourable doome Vpon his Fantasme who although he be At the full point of his felicity A perfect body now yet if you frowne Vpon his action and so cry him downe No more a feigned Fantasme to be made He dyes indead and flyes into a shade FINIS