to me Is twenty deaths I will haue liberty Now as you are a father be more kind You did not find me in so sterne a mind And you forgetfull of the life I sav'd Shall a Dukes Sonne by treason thus be slau'd If you suspect my loue grant me the fight I dare in single combate any knight Any adventurer any pandorus hinde To proue my faith of an unfained mind Duke Away with him Fred. I see my death 's set downe And some adulterous heire must weare that Crowne To intreate a Rodophe I had rather dye Then haue my life lodg'd in such infamy If all my fortunes on her words depend Let her say kill me and so make an end Duke Why stay you Vander. Good my Lord. Fred. Peace untaught Groome My heart 's so great that I de forerun my doome There 's no release meant you haue vowed I see To dam your soules by wilfull periury Yet that I am my selfe let these words shew To die is naturall 't is a death I owe And I will pay it with a minde as free As I enioyed in my best libertie But this assure your selfe when all is done They 'l kill the father that will kill the sonne Exit Duke What 's to be done now Mon. Seale unto his death Your warrant nere the sooner takes effect 'T will be a meanes to make him penitent And pardon 's meet for such as doe repent Seeing his fault hee 'l taste your mercie best When now he proudly thinkes he is opprest Duke A Warrant shall be sign'd and unto thee I doe commend it deale not partially If he be sorry and in true remorse Cancell the Writ else let it haue full force Had I ten sonnes as I haue onely this They should all die ere thou depriv'd of blisse So great is my affection my faire wife That to saue thine Ide frankly giue my life Come wee le about it strait all time seemes long Where thou hast found flight cause to feare my wrong Valen. That writ I le take and a conclusion trie If he can loue he liues if hate me die For howsoere I seeme to scorne the man Hee 's somewhat deare in my affection Here comes your brothers Enter Alfred and Hatto Alfred May it please your grace By chance entring into Saint Maries Church This morne by breake of day I espied That that I know will vexe your Excellence Your daughter Euphrata is married To the ambitious beggar Constantine Duk. My daughter married my Chamber-squire Mon. Your Excellence did banish me the land Because I did suspect her with that fellow Duke He shall be tortur'd with th' extreamest plague For his presumption Haue you brought them That I may kill them with a killing looke Hat Without direction we haue ventured to lay upon them Your strict command and they attend Duke Bring the presumptuous Enter Constantine and Euphrata Otho following in disguise Euphr. Forward Constantine our Rites are done Thou art my husband doe not feare his eye The worst it can import is but to die Duke Base and degenerate Euphr. He is a Gentleman 'T was base in you to wed a Curtizan Mon. Her brothers spirit right bold and audacious Euph. Then I am no bastard wherefore should I feare The knot is sacred and I hold it deare I am wedded unto vertue not to will Such blessed unions never bring forth ill If I offend in disobedience Iudge of the power of loue by your offence Father you haue no reason for this ire Frowne whilst you kill us desire is desire Duke A Curtezan hath that ambitious boy Taught you such Rethoricke you shall taste like joy I will not reason with you words are vaine The fault is best discerned in the paine Your hastie marriage hath writ downe his death And thy proud words shall seale it with thy breath By what is dearest to mee here I sweare Both of your heads shall grace a fatall beere Take them to prison I le not heare a word This is the mercie that we will afford Since they are growne so proud next morne begun Let them be both beheaded with my sonne Con. Short and sweet Euphrata the doome is faire We shall be soone in heaven there ends my care I scorne entreatie and my deare I know All such slavery thou hatest so 'T will be a famous deed for this good man To kill all 's children for a Curtezan Euph. Wilt thou die with me Const Would I liue in heaven Thou art now too high for me death makes us even Eup. Looke to your dukedome those that hast our fall Haue by their avarice almost hurried all There 's a whole Register of the poores crie Whilst they are reading them imbrace and die Flings downe her lap full of Petitions Exeunt Euph. and Constant Duke Beare them away And now let 's reade these Writes What 's here complaints against my worthy brothers For corne transported Copper money stampt Our subjects goods ceaz'd and I know not what A plague upon this busie-headed rabble We will haue tortures made to awe the slaues Peace makes them ever proud and malapert They 'l be an Overseer of the State Valen. And plead reformation to depose you Duk. True my faire Dutchesse but I le cut them short Rule still deare brothers take these to the fire Let me reade somewhat that augments desire Authors and golden Poems full of loue Such the Petitions are that I approue So I may liue in quiet with my wife Let fathers mothers children all lose life If thou haue issue in despight of fate They shall succeed in our Imperiall state Come sweet to dauncing then to sport and play Till we haue ruled all our life away Exeunt Manet Otho Otho O pittifull condition of a Realme Where the chiefe ruler is ore-rul'd by pleasure Seeing my friend surpriz'd in this disguise I followed him to meete the consequence And to my griefe I see his marriage rites Will cut him short of all this earths delights What 's that to mee when Constantine is dead I have some hope to attaine her Nuptiall bed But shee is doom'd as well as hee to die Can the Duke act his daughters Tragedie It is impossible he will relent And I le perswade her freely to repent Yet 't is most likelie that he will agree He is so farre spent in vild tyrannie The commons hate him for the wrong he hath done By his brothers meanes the Nobles for his sonne Famine spreads through the land the people die Yet he lives senselesse of their miserie Never were subiects more mislead by any Nor ever Soveraigne hated by so many But Constantine to thee I cast an eye Shall all our friendship end in enmitie Shall I that ever held thee as my life Hasten thy death that I may get thy wife Or love or friendship whether shall exceed I le explaine your vertue in this following deed Exit Enter Valentia Montano and Vandermas Va. Have you the instruments I gave in charge
Vand Wee have Val. And resolution fitting for the purpose Mon. All things are ready with our faithfull hearts Val. And she that undertakes so great an act As I intend had need of faithfull hearts This is the prison and the jaylor comes In happy time where 's trayterous Frederick Enter Iaylor Jaylor What is your highnesse pleasure with the Prince Val. Looke there if you can reade Iai O heavenly God what doe I read a warrant for his death Valen. Resigne your keyes goe weepe a diâ—ge or twaine But make no clamour with your lamentation Iay. I dare not prophesie what my souse feares Yet I le lament his tragedie in teares Exit Valen Oft have I seene a Nobleman arraign'd By mighty Lords the pillars of the land Some of which number his inclined friends Have wept yet past the verdict of his death So fares it with the Prince were I his jaylor And so affected unto Fredericks life The fearefull'st tyrant nor the cruelst plagues That ever lighted on tormented soules Should make me yeeld my prisoner to their hands Mon. Madam he knowes his dutie and performes it Valen Setting aside all dutie I would die Ere like a woman weepe a tragedie T is basenesse cowardize dutie ô slave Had I a friend I 'de dye in my friends grave But it sorts well for us Hindes will be Hindes And the Ambitious tread upon such mindes Waite whilest I call you in the jaylors house Mon. We will Exeunt Van and Mon. Valen. My Lord Prince Fredericke Enter Fred. Fred. Wofull Fredericke Were a beseeming Epitaph for me The other tastes of too much soveraigntie What is it you the glory of the stewes Valen. Thy mother Fredericke Fred. I detest that name My mother was a Dutches of true fame And now I think upon her when she died I was ordain'd to be indignified She never did incense my Princely Father To the destruction of his loving sonne Oh she was vertuous trulie naturall But this step-divell doth promise our fall Val. Why doest thou raile on me I am come To set thee free from all imprisonment Fred. By what true supersedeas but by death If it be so come strike me to the earth Thou needest no other weapon but thine eye T is full of poyson fixe it and I le die Val. Vncharitable youth I am no serpent venom'd No basiliske to kill thee with my sight Fre. Then thou speakst death I am sorry I mistooke They both are fatall there 's but little choice The first inthral'd my father the last me No deadlier swords ever vs'd enemie My lot's the best that I dye with the sound But he lives dying in a death profound I grow too bitter being so neere my end Speake quickly boldly what your thoughts intend Valen Behold this warrant you can reade it well Fred. But you the interpretation best can tell Speake beauteous ruine t were great iniurie That he should read the sentence that must dye Val. Then know in briefe 't is your fathers pleasure Fred. His pleasure what Val. That you must loose your life Fred. Fatall is his pleasure 't is to please his wife I prethee tell me didst thou ever know A Father pleas'd his sonne to murder so For what is' t else but murder at the best The guilt whereof will gnawe him in his brest Torment him living and when I am dead Curse thee by whose plot I was murdered I have seene the like example but ô base Why doe I talke with one of thy disgrace Where are the officers I have liv'd too long When he that gave me life does me this wrong Val. That is thy fathers hand thou dost not doubt And if thou shouldst I have witnesse to approve it Yet tho it be his hand grant to my request Love me and live Fred. To live so I detest love thee Valen. I love me gentle Fredericke love me Fred. Incestuous strumpet cease Val Oh thou dealest ill To render so much spleene for my good will Fred. Torment farre worse then death Valen I le follow thee Deare Fredericke like thy face be thy words faire Fre. This monstrous dealing doubles my deaths care Valen. What shall I call thee to allay this ire Fred. Why call me son and blush at thy desire Valen. I never brought thee foorth Fred. Art thou not wife unto my father Val. Thinke upon thy life It lyes like mine onely in gentle breath Or that thy father's dead and after death 'T is in my choice to marry whom I will Fred. Any but me Valen O doe not thinke so ill Rather thinke thou art a stranger not his sonne Then 't is no incest tho the Act be done Nature unto her selfe is too unkind To buzze such scruples into Fredericks minde T was a device of man to avoid selfe love Else every pleasure in one stocke should move Beautie in grace part never from the kinne Fred. If thou persever as thou hast begun I shall forget I am my fathers sonne I shall forget thou art my fathers wife And where 't is I must die abridge thy life Valen. Why did'st not kill me being thy prisoner then But friendly didst deliver me a jemme Vnto thy father wert not thou didst love me Fred. Be yond all sufferance monster thou dost move me 'T was for my fathers sake not for thine owne That to thy lifes losse thou hadst throughly knowne But that relenting nature playde her part To save thy blood whose losse had slaine his heart And it repents me not hee doth survine But that his fortune was so ill to wive Come kill for for that you came shun delayes Lest living I le tell this to thy dispraise Make him to hate thee as he hath iust cause And like a strumpet turne thee to the lawes Valen. Good Fredericke Fred. T is resolu'd on I have said Valen. Then fatall Ministers I crave your ayde Enter Van and Mont. Come Vandermas Montano where 's your corde Quicklie dispatch strangle this hatefull Lord Or stay because I loue him he shall chuse The easiest of three deaths that we may vse The halter poyson or bloodshedding blade Fred. Any of them Valen This Aconite's well made a cup of poyson Stuft with dispatching simples give him this And he shall quickly leave all earthly blisse There take it Fredericke our last gift of grace Since thou must die I le have thee die apace Fred. O happie meanes given by a trecherous hand To be my true guide to the heavenly land Death steales upon me like a silken sleepe Through every vaine doe leaden rivers flowe The gentlest poyson that I ever knewe To worke so coldly yet to be so true Like to an infant patiently I goe Out of this vaine world from all worldly woe Thankes to the meanes tho they deserve no thankes My soule beginnes t'ore-flow these fleshly bankes My death I pardon unto her and you My sinnes God pardon so vaine world adiew Valen Ha ha ha he falls asleepe Mon. Hee 's dead why does
your highnesse laugh Valen. Why Lord Montane that I love to see He that hath sav'd my life to die for me But there 's a riddle in this Princes death And I le explaine it on this floore of earth Come to his sisters execution goe We have varietie of ioyes in woe I am sure you have heard his Excellence did sweare Both of their heads should grace a Kingly beare Vpon a mourning hearse let him be layd He shal be intombed with a wived maid Exeunt Actus Quintus Enter Duke Hatto and Alfred Duke Bring forth the prisoners wher 's my beauteous Dutches That she may see the ruine of her foes She that upbraided her with slanderous wordes She that in scorne of due obedience Hath matcht the honour of the Saxons blood Vnto a beggar let them be brought foorth I will not rise from this cribunall seate Till I have seene their bodies from their heads Alfred Here comes the Dutches with proud Fredericks hearse Enter Valentia Montano Vandermas with others bearing the hearse with Fredericke on couered with a blacke robe Duke So set it downe why have you honored it With such a sable coverture a traytor Deserves no cloth of sorrow set it downe And let our other off-spring be brought foorth My beauteous lovely and admired love Come sit by us in an imperiall chayre And grace this state throne with a state more fayre Valen. My gracious Lord I hope your excellence Will not be so forgetfull of your honour Prove so unnaturall to your loving daughter As to bereave her of her life Because she hath wedded basely gainst your will Though Fredericke dyed deservedly yet she May by her loves death cleare her indignitie Duke She and her love we have sentenced to die Not for her marriage onely tho that deede Crownes the contempt with a deserved death But chiefly for she raild against thy worth Vpbraided thee with tearmes so monstrous base That nought but death can cleare the great disgrace How often shall I charge they be brought foorth Were my heart guiltie of a crime so vilde I 'de rend it forth then much more kill my childe Val O that this love may last 't is sprung so hie Like flowers at full growth that grow to die Enter Iulia with a vaile over her head Otho with another with Officers Duk. What means these sable vailes upon their faces Val. In signe they sorrow for your high displeasure For since the houre they were imprisoned They have liv'd like strangers hood-winkt together You may atchieve great fame victorious Lord To save the liues of two such innocents Duke T is pretty in thee my soule lov'd Dutchesse To make this Princely motion for thy foes Let it suffice the' are traitors to the state Confederators with those that sought my life A kinne to Fredericke that presumptuous boy That durst beare armes against his naturall father Are they more deare then he off with their vailes Mon. O yet be mercifull unto your daughter Duke You make me mad headsman dispatch I say They are doom'd to die and this the latest day Otho Then let him strike who ever traitors be Otho pult of his vaile I am sure no treason lives in her or me Duke How now what 's here Otho and Iulia. Am I deluded where is Euphrata And that audacious traitor Constantine Otho Why fled Duke To whom Otho To safetie here was none I can resolve you of the circumstance Betwixt the noble Constantine and I Noble I call him for his vertuous minde There was a league of love so strongly made That time wants houres and occasion cause To violate the contract of our hearts Yet on my part the breach did first appeare He brought me to behold his beauteous love The faire Euphrata her Angel sight Begate in me the fire of private love I that before did like her for my friend Now to deceive him sought her for my selfe But my deuice was knowne unto my friend And worthilie he banisht me his sight Duke What 's this to their destruction seeke them forth Otho They are far enough for suffering such a death I well considering my unfriendly part Bethought me how to reconcile my selfe Vnto my hearts endeared Constantine And seeing him carried to the prison we Followed and found meanes for their libertie Duk. Are they escapt then Otho Both in our disguise And we stand here to act their tragedies It they have done amisse on us Impose the Law Iulia. O let our suites prevaile I aske to dye for my deare Ladies sake Otho I for my friend Duke This friendly part doth make My heart to bleede within me and my mind Much perplext that I haue beene so unkind What second funerall march is that I heare Enter Rainaldo and Alberto like schollers grieving before the Beare others following them with the bodies of Euphrata and Constantine covered with blacke Alberto Health to this presence though the newes Impairing health I bring unto this presence The bodies of the drowned Constantine And the faire Euphrata behold them both Duke Of drowned Constantine and Euphrata Declare the manner and with killing words Temper thy words that it may wound my life Albert. Passing the Rhine bordering upon the tower From whence it seemes they lately had escapt By an unskilfull Guide their gundelet Encountred with an other and the shocke Drown'd both the vessayles and their haplesseliues Their bodies hardly were recover'd But knowne we brought them to your excellence As to a father that should mourne for them Duke Vnto a tyrant doe not call me father For I haue beene no father to their liues The barbarous Canniball that never knew The naturall touch of humane beauty Would haue beene farre more mercifull then I Oh tyrannie the overthrow of Crownes Kingdomes subversion and the deaths of Kings Loe here a piteous object so compleate With thy intestine and destroying fruite That it will strike thee dead oh Euphrata Oh princely Fredericke never deare to me Till now in you I see my misery My sonne my daughter vertuous Constantine Hat What meanes this griefe my Lord these are the traytors That you in iustice sentenced to dye Alfred A trecherous sonne and a rebellious daughter Valen. Those that did seeke to take away your life Mon. Bereaue you of your Crownes prerogatiue Duke Hence from my sight blood thirsty Counsellors They never sought my life but you haue sought it Vertuous Alberto and Rinaldo Had I given eare to them and to my sonne My ioyes had flourished that now are done Valen. Yet for my sake allay this discontent Duke T is for thy sake thou vilde notorious woman That I haue past the limits of a man The bonds of nature 'T was thy bewitching eye thy Syrens voice That throwes me upon millions of disgrace I le haue thee tortur'd on the Racke Plucke out those basiliske enchaunting eyes Teare thee to death with Pincers burning hot Except thou giue me the departed liues Of my deare children Valen. What am I