life maintain'd Before that time death is a welcōme guest To my liues lodging and O sisters deare If euer pitty dwelt in dyrefull brest Draw not my threed till that newes peirce mine eare How oft when sleep inuites my drowsie eye With natures curtaine to repell the light And hide my minde from sorrows tyranny Vnder the darknes of the silent night Shal thy pale ghost defil'd with deaths foule hand Stand in my sight as in the cleerest day And fury-like arm'd with blacke fiery brand Affright my minde and chase dead sleep away Which being gone fierce sorrows cruell clawes Seaze on my waking thoughts like tygers fell And gripe my heart with sharpe tormenting pawes That thousand times deaths rygour doth excell Caes. O perfect vertue gracing woman kinde Inuincible Octauia cease to plaine O had Antonius halfe so good a minde No discord could betwixt vs two remaine My Lords what thinke you how may we proceed High honor cries reuenge vpon our foes And yet Octauia crossing this our deed Cannot resolue which of vs she would loose Agr. I thinke it is a braue and Princely thing With fire and sword to ruinate our foes But greater glory is it for a King To saue his subiects from wars common woes T is wisedome noble Caesar must aduance Our state beyond the reach of fortunes arme Not fierce reuenge which workes effectes by chance And glories most when most it worketh harme And valour such as doth contemne all feare And guild our actes with honor and renowne With gentle clemencie our deeds endeare And mount with vertue where chance throwes vs downe Mecoe. The rarest thing a Princes fame to raise Is to excell those that are excellent All other to surmount in vertues praise And be his kingdomes chiefest ornament Make quiet peace within his coastes remaine And succour those that liue in great distresse From bloudy slaughter euer to refraine With time and wisedome passions rage suppresse These are the wings directing vertues flight This is the fuell feeding honors flame This is the path that leades to heauen aright and sun-bright beames that guild braue Caesars name Caes. Pitty my Lords is often like a maske That hides our eyes from seeing what is iust Inuiting any t' vndertake the taske To worke our woes and execute their lust For to neclect the course we haue begun Were to betray our selues vnto our foes Where keeping stronge though no exploite be done Yet gaining nothing nothing shall we loose Why you' are ill inform'd of Antony And his attempts exceed your knowledge farre I feare me when you know as much as I You 'll pleade as fast to prosecute the warre But see a stranger hasts into our sight With further newes and if I iudge a right Byl. Thrice noble Caesar hither am I sent Hauing in charge from great Mark Antony Th'ambassage of his pleasure to present Before Octauia and thy maiesty First he commaunds Octauia to depart Out of his house and leaue all that is his The reason why he list not to impart It must suffice that such his pleasure is He likewise will thy highnesse knowledge take How much he scornes thou shouldst his wil withstā◅ And thereof meanes with fire and sword to make A perfect demonstration out of hand Caes. Will Antony our confines then inuade With Ciuill warres contriuer of our woe Great reason preparation should be made For to withstand so puisant a foe Byl. Fiue hundreth saile of warlike ships he brings Wherewith the froathing Ocean he scoures And in his army are eight forraigne Kings Eight Kings in person with their mighty powers A hundred thousand well arm'd foote are led Vnder Canidius their chiefe generall Twelue thousand horse most strongly furnished All these are knowne and knowne these are not all Caes. How now my Lords is this thinke you a time To talke of clemencie or of delay Is not this mischiefe in his chiefest prime Before we could the speedie spring bewray What saith Octauia to these tidings strange Are our coniectures vpon falshood grounded Can this suffice your setled thoughts to change Are not our liues with mischiefes Ocean bounded Octa. Had I so many tongues to paint my woes As euer silent night had shining eyes Yet could not all their eloquence disclose The throwes of greefe which do my minde surprize But would to God this world of misery Mought presently be trebled vnto me So that from imminent calamitie My deerest brother Caesar mought be free For me long since I wel discern'd the storme And sought by all meanes how I mought preuent it But sith no wit can Antony reforme O 't is not I but he that wil repent it I fear'd the stroke before I felt the wound But now resolu'd the worst of chance to bide True fortitude doth in my soule abound My honor scornes the height of fortunes pride The worst that can befall me is but death And O how sweete is his liues sacrifize On vertues altar that expires his breath And in the armes of innocencie dyes They onely feare and onely wretched are From whose bad liues staind with impietie Their dying fame doth to the world declare Most shamefull stories of foule infamie But those that know not let them learne in me That vertuous minds can neuer wretched be Caes. My Lords I wil yee presently proclaime Marke Antony a foe vnto our state That all his soueraignties yee straight reclaime And all his dignities annihillate We will not see the Romaine Empires shine By any seruile minde to be defamed To manage steele our nature dooth encline Of womens wanton toyes we are ashamed And therefore with such hast as may be-fit A matter that imports our dearest bloud Wee le meet Antonius if the heauens permit And what we say there will we make it good Adiew Octauia and your selfe prepare To runne what course of fortune I approue I◅ happie starres to vs alotted are I le neuer be forgetfull of your loue Oct. Honour attend thy steps and till I see The period of my worlds declining state I le neuer to my selfe a traytor bee But seeke the meanes to stay your mortall hate Chorus EArth-ruling heauenly powers Great Ioues immortall mates That from your Chrystall bowers Dyrect all mortall states And vs like Actors do dispose To play what parts you list t' impose Must we poore we consent To call you euer iust Though you our harts torment Euen after your owne lust And for each drop of hoped ioy Powre downe whole tempests of annoy And that which is much more Looke what we best do deeme Doth vex our mindes more sore Then that wee least esteeme And that which nature saith is best By tryall yeelds vs smallest rest Who dooth not wish to weare The terrour breeding crowne And direfull scepter beare As badge of high renoune Yet who more iustly do complaine That they the brunt of woes sustaine Stand who so list for me In highest slipperie place Though great their glorie be Yet greater their
diuers waies and courses raunge And some of them new formes doe alwaies take Their working power is neuer alwaies one And 〈◊〉 it selfe least constant is of all This earth we see and all that liues thereon Without new change into destruction fall Nay what is more the life of all these things Their essence and perfection doth consist In this same change which to all creatures brings That pleasure which in life may not be mist. Sith then all creatures are so highly blest To taste the sweet of life in often change If we which are the princes of the rest Should want the same me thinks t' were very strange For proofe heereof I need not to vnâ—…old Such farre fetcht secrets scence will make it plaine What pleasure hath the eye when you beholde One onely obiect is 't not rather paine What sweet delight doth charme the listning eare When onely one tune it doth apprehend In taste and smell like loathing doth appeare Whose euidence no wit can reprehend Since nature then hath framed for the eye Such sundrie coulors to delight the same And for the eare such strange variety Of sweetest tunes which doe our musicke frame Such diuers meates to please the dainty taste So many sauours to delight that sence Each other part with diuers pleasures grac'd Least want of change mought haply breed offence What shall the heart the master of the rest Be more restrain'd then any sauage beast Shall not the heart on whom all those depend Haue greater scope then any of them all To taste the pleasure of each pleasing friend Faith mine hath had and so it euer shall Cam. Peace wicked woman nay foule monster peace Whose very steps defile the guiltlesse earth Staine of thy sexe thy poisoned speech surcease That hath from sinne and wickednes his birth Is 't not too much to glory in thy sinne Leawd creature that hast ouer-liu'd all shame Imbouldning others to persist therein When thou thy selfe shouldst shun and fly the same But thou must make the heauens a president For thy misdeedes which on thy head will power Eternall vengeance vnlesse thou repent And stay the force of mischiefes dreadfull shower These moouing thinges are constant in their kinde Vnto the end for which they were ordain'd Not mutable like thy vngodly minde Whose very thoughts with wickednes are stain'd Our scences their peculiar obiects haue Whose store and number doth vnto vs shew How reuerently we should our selues behaue To'ards him whose bounty did the same bestow O Chastity bright vertues sacred flame Be neuer woman louely wanting thee Be neuer woman wrong'd adorn'd with thee Be all disgrac'd that merit not thy name Come Iulia we haue taried heere too long Syâ—…uia adiew in faith I wish thee well No honest minde I thinke will doe thee wrong T' is punishment enough to hang in hell Chorus GReat guide of this same golden flame Which daies and times deutdeth Whose beauty euer is the same And alwaies one abideth Why hast thou such a monster made which alwaies thus rebelleth And with new torments doth inuade The heart wherein it dwelleth Affection is the sauage beast Which alwaies vs annoyeth And neuer lets vs liue in rest But still our good destroyeth Affections power who can suppresse And master when it sinneth Of worthy praise deserues no lesse Then he that kingdomes winneth Were Antony a Prince indeede That base affection scorned Him to bemone we should not need With vitious life deformed But this seducing vertues foe In whom all pleasure shineth Doth all our scences ouerthrow and reason vndermineth Who doth not ioy when from his necke The yoake of bondage slideth And wish to liue without the check Of him that others guideth Yet what more hard then to obserue In such licentious pleasure The golden meane which doth not swarue From sacred vertues measure Who know and see the way of sinne Beset with dangers many Yet still persist and walke therein As negligent as any The minde with deepest wisedome fraught That mischiefes hand escheweth And enuies craft doth bring to naught Affections force subdueth The haughty heart with courage bolde That deaths pale face despiseth The Prince which scornes to be contrould Affections power surprizeth And hauing made it selfe a king Our minde with errour feedeth Till we our selues effect the thing Which our destruction breedeth The path of errour is so grac'd With sweetest seeming pleasures As if delight had therein plac'd The store house of her treasures But who to prooue the same are bent In sinfull maze encluded In vaine at last will sure repent with shamefull end deluded Where vertues little beaten wayes with diuers troubles cumbred Direct our steps vnto true â—…oyes Amongst the Angeâ—…s numbâ—…ed Actus tertius Octauia Caesar. OFearce desire the spring of sighes and teares Relieu'd with want impouerisht with store Nurst with vaine hopes and sed with doubtful feares Whose force withstood encreaseth more and more How doth thy pride thus torture my poore heart Whiles I for bodies shadowes entertaine And in the haruest of most high desert Do reape no fruite but scorne and deep disdaine No fearce Hyrcanian forrest doth possesse So wilde a Tyger nor no Libian coaste Hath euer knowne a greedy Lyonesse Rob'd of the pray which she affected most So beyond measure full of furious Ire As is the minde rob'd of his chiefe desire O destinies that draw the golden twine Which doth conduct the neuer-tyred poste Why haue you lest vnclos'd these eyes of mine To see the field of all mine honor lost In vaine I sought a whyle to cure the wound With balme of hope drawne from a constant minde But now the truth is manyfestly found I heare I see I know I feele I finde The shamefull wronge the scorne and high disdaine Which faithlesse he most falsly dooth pretend To power on me whiles from dispaire in vaine With constant hope my weaknesse I defend O torment worse then deaths most bitter gall Worse then is found in that infernall place To see another glory in my fall To see another proud with my disgrace Why doost thou stay distrest Octauâ—…a dye Dead to all ioyes let death thy torments end Who gaue thee life the same doth now deny And to another his affection bend Another dooth thy interest enioy And yet thou liuest and yet thou doost delay To calme with death the tempest of annoye When to disgrace 〈◊〉 dooth thee betray Dye dead Octauia What and basely dye Shall I sit downe and yeâ—…ld my selfe to shame Shall I content my selfe with wronges notâ—… Reuenge Octauia or thou art too blame Dye neuer vnreueng'd of such a wrong My power is such that I may well preuaile And rather then I will endure it long With fier and sword I will you both assaile My nature doth abhorre to be thus vsed My heart doth scorne such monstrous iniurie My birth my state disdaine to be abused And I will deeply score thy periurie Then greefe giue place a 〈◊〉 vnto disdaine Mylde pittie
fruitlesse and in vaine Antonius be your guide I say no more Oct. If that my words so much offend your minde O silent death thou my best refuge art O breake my heart for Caesar is vnkinde In silent greefe O breake my wounded heart Caes. What in a traunce O sister sister deare Light of my life deare modell of my soule Hurt not your selfe O banish needlesse feare Woe woe to me that did you thus controule O deare Octauia I spake but to prooue How farre your thoughts were bent with iealousie To see if malice had exilde your loue To finde how you esteemed of Antony Oct. O Caesar more belou'd then these same eyes More then the light which glads my tired life Do not my truly louing minde despise Kill not my heart with this your factious strife Alasse t is not his house that I respect His wealth or trypartite high regiment I would the worlds great treasurie neglect Rather then hazard Caesars discontent T is not affection that enchaines my minde Or partiall loue that makes my faith so strong Too well alasse my selfe abusde I finde And this my hart too sensible of wrong And what is worse this wrong so full of scorne As mought incense the mildest minde aliue To see my Lord a gracelesse Queene suborne And my dishonour carelesly contriue Nay worse then that if worse then that may be No creature euer felt the like disgrace Each wronged wight may hope for remedie My shamefull storie nothing may deface For if my Lord would cure this wound againe Yet woe is me the scarre will still remaine In these respects perhaps I could be brought To strike reuenge as deepe as any could I want no meanes whereby it mought be wrought For many thousands wish it if I would And what is more my selfe can scarcely let But Caesars sworde for me would pay the debt But when I finde in closet of my heart How I haue paun'd my faith to Antony How I haue vow'd that nought but death should part From him my loue and my fidelitie When that I see the vulgar peoples eyes Make my designes the patterne of their deeds How with my thoughts they striue to simpathize And how my misse their certaine errour breedes When that I finde how my departure were The opening of a gate to cruill warres Then Atlas-like I am constrain'd to beare A hated hell though not the happie starres I le rather dye then witnesse with these eyes In mortall wounds and bloudie lines enrowled The argument of my calamities Whom proud mischance vniustly thus controwled Shall neuer two such noble Emperours Their dearest liues aduenture for my sake Shall neuer for my sake such mightie powers The doubtfull chaunce of battle vndertake Shall neuer tongue recount Octauiaes errour An instance of his faithlesse periurie I le rather dye the world vnspotted myrrour And with my faith surmount his iniurie Caes. Well sister then I see that constancie Is sometimes seated in a womans brest Your strange designes euen from your infancie Can neuer without wonder be exprest Oct. I know not what you thinke of woman kinde That they are faithlesse and vnconstant euer For me I thinke all women striue to finde The perfect good and therein to perseuer Euen as a Torche or Sulphure poudered light Whiles any nourishment maintaines his flame Fayles not to burne and burning shineth bright Till aâ—…te obscure or force put out the same Such is the minde in womans brest contained With the true zeale of vertues loue enflam'd We may be dead but liuing neuer stained We may be wrongd but neuer rightly blam'd Caes. Wel for your selfe proceed as you thinke best Time and the heauens must see these wrongs redrest Caesar. Titius Plancus Great peeres that striue with wisdoms sacred fame To ouer liue all humaine memory Shew me for what entent you hither came What causde you to reuoult from Antony Tit. By our accesse we nothing else entend But humbly to beseech your maiestie Vnder your gracious fauour to defend Our wronged selues from hatefull iniurie Proud Cleopatrae Aegypts craftie Queene Rules Antony and wrongs she cares not where So insolent hir late attempts haue been As no pride-scorning Romaine heart can beare She is become our Queene and gouernour And we whose courage feares the force of no man By seruile basenesse of our Emperour Must be content to stoope vnto a woman Caes. What Angel Queen rules those Nyleian coasts Whose beautie can so ouer-rule mens mindes What goddesse can command the man that boasts To equall Iuâ—…ius in his high designes Plan. If in those guifts by nature we enioy Vnto Octauiaes sacred maiestie Shee be but comparable any way Be neuer Romaines so disgrac'd as we But for hir artificiall ornaments For pompe for pride for superfluitie For all excesse that folly represents She doth exceed the height of vanitie Hir sunne-burnt beautie cannot please his sight That hath a minde with any reason fraught But t is hir Syren tongue that dooth delight Hir craftie Cyrces wit which hath him caught As when from Athens Niger made returne And did relate the Emperesse entent Which he of purpose had in charge to learne And did hir princely guifts to him present And further did with truth discouering words Octauiaes well deserued praises frame An argument which to that Queene affords A furious blast to raise a Iealious flame Then did she nothing vnattempted leaue That art mought frame or wit mought well deuizâ—… Which mought his minde of reason quite bereaue And thus she straight began to Syrenize Shee pines hir body with the want of food That she mought seeme to languish for his sake And by hir gestures would be vnderstood How from his absence she hir death should take Hir deepe lamenting lookes fixt in his face In silent termes present an earnest sute As who should say O pitty my hard case Whom violence of passion maketh mute Then would she stand of purpose in his way In any place where he should passage make And there as though vnwilling to bewray What bitter griefe she inwardly did take Downe from her eyes distils a Christall tyde Which at his comming she would dry againe And sodainly would turne her head a side As though vnwilling to reueale her paine Thus in his presence rauished with ioy She smiles and shewes what mirth she can deuize But in his absence drowned with annoy She seemes to take her life from those his eyes Then Meeremaid-like his scences she inuades With sweetest nectar of a sugered tongue Vnto her will she euer him perswades The force of her words witch-craft is so strong Then came the kenell of her flattering crew Who largely paint the story of her death Like feede Atturneys they her sute renue And hunt Antonius spirits out of breath Wherewith assayl'd he like a man enchaunted To make her know she need not to misdoubt him Or like to one with some mad fury haunted Assembleth all the people round about him In that fayre Citty
royalliz'd by fame By that great Macedonian monarke builded Of whom it tooke beginning birth and name Where on a high Tribunall seate which yeelded A large prospect were plac'd too chayres of golde One for himselfe another for her grace And humbler seates which mought her childrē hold Of such like mettall in the selfe same place There he establisht Cleopatra Queene Of Aegipt Cyprus and of Lidia And that his bounty mought the more beseene He ioyn'd thereto the lower Syria Caesarion heyre apparant to her grace Was constituted King of those same lands His owne two sonnes by her were there in place Attended with great troopes of martiall bands These two the mighty Kings of Kings he called And to the eldest gaue Armenia The country Media and forthwith enstalled Him regent of the Kingdome Parthia To Ptol◅my he gaue Phoenicia And all the terrytories there adioyning The vpper Syria and Cilicia Vnto them both peculiar guards assigning A Median gowne the elder of them ware And all th' Armenian souldiers so instructed Accomplishing the charge they had before About him came and thence they him conducted In Macedonian robes the other stands In distance from his brother little space About him came the Macedonian bands And guarded safe his person from the place These things proclaim'd the trumpets lowdest voice Vnto all peoples eares foorthwith imparted Whereat some frowne some murmure some reioyce Whiles he with his immortall queene departed Caes. Immortall why you said she was not such Pla. Not she but her attyre did claime thus much Cae. Was her attyre so admirable then Pla. Scorning the basenes of vs mortall men Clad like the Goddesse Isis she did goe Then what hard heart wold not haue thought her so Caes. When that Appollodorus on his backe A flockbed did to Iulius Caesar bring With thongs of leather trust vp like a sacke As though there had been need of such a thing Where was the Goddesse when this came to passe Pla. Shee noble she was ryding on her Asse Caes. When Antony about the streetes doth runne Listning at each mans window in the night To heare what in the house is said or done And with strainge noyses passengers affright Where is this Goddesse then so highly blest Pla. She ambles after to laugh at the iest Cae And shal our state maintaine their hateful pride Shall bleeding Roome procure their wanton peace T is time we stould a remedy prouide And their ambition speedily suppresse Chorus WHat guilded baites of sinne Doe still procure our misse And seeke our soules to winne From theyr entended blisse Euen natures selfe doth draw And force vs still to slide And violate the law Which reason makes our guide Of pleasures we alowe Which doe our thraldom bring When starueling vertue now Is scarcely iudg'd a thing The one a poore conceipt the other proou'd a King If that it be so sweete To tread the path of sinne And so exceeding meete We should not walke therein O nature most vnkinde That prooues weake reasons foe O reason too too blinde That crosseth nature so Three mal-seducing foes Conduct false errours traine Misleading most of those Which vertues praise would gaine Whose force vnlesse we foyle we labour all in vaine Th'examples of the most Which most doe take least care To anchore on the coaste Where sacred vertues are Sweete Syrenyzing tongues In flattery most expert Whose ill perswading songes Our scences doe peruert And mens iniurious deeds Doe cause vs to digresse Our errour fury breedes When wronges our mindes oppresse These treason working mates still worke our great distresse Examples make vs bolde To tread the doubtfull way Which we before were tolde Would lead vs quite a stray Perswations kindly mooue And winne vs to dpe ill Whose poyson when we prooue We poysoned loue it still But iniury more strong Doth fiercely vs incite By suffring to doe wronge Forgetfull of the right All these thrice vertuous Queene assaile thee with their might Who can vile deedes despise And flattering tongues neclect With malice temporize As wisedome doth direct Giue him the lawrell crowne Triumphant victors weare The tytles of renowne Which vertues monarkes beare And thou most glorious queene These traytor foes repell That vertue may be seene In that your sexe to dwell And brauely vaunt thy worth where he most basely fel. Actus quartus Octauia Mecoenas Agrippa Caesar. YOu haughty Lords that bury death and fate In liuing monuments of lo◅ty fame Whose worthy praise doth claime the boundles date wherewith eternity doth blaze her name Gainst whom raise y◅u these forces in such haste Gainst whom lead you this danger threatning power Doth hatefull Hanniball your confines waste Or Brennus sword your liues seeke to deuoure No no my Lords this your concea'ld designe Resounding Echoes of most strange debate With tragike tydinges fill'd these ears of mine That powr'd on me the storme of all your hate Neuer since princelie hande of Syluias sonne Laide the foundations of these stately towers Did sharpe mischaunce so much eclyps the sunne Of our good fortune with such fatall lowers But if that wisedome euer found a place Within your soules which beautifies your praise Now shew the same and saue from high disgrace Our bleeding honor and death breathing ioyes You know how bloud maintaines the life of warres As doubtfull as deare bought the victory Mans destiny is chain'd by vnknowne starres To happy ioyes or mournfull misery If you triumph you conquer not your foes But neighbors kinsefolkes and your dearest friendes Whose wounds bleed shame and deep hart-peircing woes Insteed of conquest this is your amendes But if my Lord obtaine the lawrell wreath And fortune smile on him with like successe What fatall tempests furious rage will breath From his hearts caue your selues may easily guesse You know when touch of honor wings his minde What lyon thoughts tyre on his haughty soule Where wronged valour raignes t is hard to finde Such pitty as may honors pride coutroule Then sith your course to loose your selues is bent To loose your liues or purchase liuing shame Let wisedomes eyes blinde errours faults preuent With ease a sparke with paine is quencht a flame Be aduocates for me to Caesars grace And stop in time the current of his hate Let gentle pittie in your mindes finde place When swords haue pleaded words wil come too late You know my fortune euer hath been such As dazeled Enuies eies with honors shine But since Antonius hath augmented much This soueraignty and great estate of mine Since nature fortune birth and maiesty In fields of glory stirre vp ciuill warres Which of them most should raise my dignity And lift mine honor neerest to the starres Since these two Emperours whose princely hands Doe sway the scepter of the Romaine state The one my brother linkt in natures bands The other is my spouse and louing mate Since heauens themselues did in my life prouide To shew the map of their felicityes This Roome my Lords and all the world
beside Make me the obiect of their wondring eyes Thus I that was more happy then the rest And did excell in glory and renoune With more then most disgrace shall be supprest No fall like his that falleth from a crowne And that which nature grantes the meanest wight They cannot loose which haue the conquest wonne Yet with this strange Dylemma workes my spight Who s'euer winne Octauia is vndone Great Empresse this bright sunne can witnes well So can these heauens before whose powers I stand That gainst our mindes Caesar doth vs compell This enterprize you see to take in hand But for my selfe and if the case be such That but report is auctor of this iarre If Caesars honor may be free from touch Of any staine relinquishing the warre I le doe my best and what I may perswade To lay downe armes wherein if I preuaile A perfect league of friendship shall be made That may the fury of this tempest quaile And pardon me deare soueraigne though my speech Include exceptions in this doubtfull wise I may not Caesar mooue nor him beseech What may his maiestie disroyallize This said behold my hand my sword my soule Heere humbly prostrate at your princely feete What you commaund let none dare to controule This Caesar will and this we thinke most meete Arg. Madam your speech I thinke doth not extend To the disparagement of your owne bloud And sooner shall my life haue finall end Then I refuse to doe your highnes good Though last my speech yet second vnto none Is my desire t'effectuate your will But loe where Caesar comes himselfe alone Arme we our tongues with words our words with skil Caes. Fayer issue of renoun'd Octauius race My second selfe Roomes glorious Empresse Behold vs all assembled heere in place To worke your safety and your wrongs redresse Your Lord Antonius as we heare doth threate To power sharpe stormes of deep reuenging Ire Vpon our heads and make th' imperiall seate His sole possession ere he hence retyre But let him know though finely he pretend To guilde iniustice with a Princes name Though he triumph in words yet ere I end What he begins he may repent the same Oct My gracious Lord high words doe but encrease The flame of vallour in incensed mindes Leaue armes my Lord and let vs treate of peace Who best doth speed in war smal safety findes Ful wel the world your noble worth hath knowne Let not new dangers needlesse tropheies raise Let not th' effect of hateful deeds be showne Against my Lord who may deserue your praise Caes. Shal he be prais'd that is become our foe Staine of our name foile of the Romaine state A seruile man contriuer of our woe And from all honor doth degenerate Nay what is more t is said he doth pretend To worke our ruine and our fatal end Octa. Can foule suspition then and false report In wisedomes confines holde so large a place That it can foyle our reason in such sort To fly the good and worke his owne disgrace The auncient Romaines wont to draw their swordes To purchase honor of their stoutest foes But you whose groundes are vaine surmized words By seeking honor shall your honors loose Fame hath two wings the one of false report The other hath some plumes of veritie Why then should doubtful rumour raise a forte Of mortall hate against my Lord and me Suppose he rais'd as you haue done a power He to defend not to offend his friend The heauens forbid that any fatall hower Should your proceedings turne t'vnhappy end Vnhappy no he neuer falles amisse That foiles his foe before his final ende High honor not long life the treasure is Which noble mindes without respect defend Oct. The prize of honor is not alwaies bloud Cae. T is honor all whose end imports our good Oct. O wretched state where men make haste to dye Cae. True valour feeles nor griefe nor misery Oct. He is your brother be not then vnkinde Cae. Iustice not pitty fits a Princes minde Oct. He hath done nothing spare an innocent Cae. He doth too much that beares a false entent Oct. You both are stronge and both will buy it deare Cae. I arm'd with iustice know not how to feare Oct. O Caesar shall my heart be made a stage For you to play a bloudie tragedie Shall fearce misfortune breathing spitefull rage Make me vicegerent of all misery If both of you misled in â—…rrours maze Doe seeke reuenge of misconceiued wrongs For your owne sakes out of your fancies raze The spots of mallice grafted with your tongues But if mischance haue offered disgrace To eyther party O let me entreate That for my sake kinde pardon may deface A fault so small with breath of words made great Caes Bright lamp of vertue honors liuing flame Whosoeuer winne you can no losse sustaine Whom partiall fortune list to crowne with fame His be the day the triumph and the gaine The victor must be eyther your owne Lord Or els your brother who will both consent To trie their fortunes with the dinte of sword But shield you as the worlds chiefe ornament If both we fall which hap the heauens forbid All that suruiue are subiect to your will Your birth your state your vertues are not hid But knowne and loâ—…'d and will be honored still no ear so deaf which hath not heard your name Whose eares haue heard their mindes your worth admire Whose minds admire their harts loue doth enflame And winnes them subiect to your owne desire No perils threaten you you need not feare Octa. But many you and I their burthen beare Caes. T is reason I none els my griefes sustaine Octa. Where nature forceth reason is but vaine And therefore Caesar heere I thee beseech By these same scepter-bearing hands of mine By these same teares true witnes of my speech By that same princely port and grace of thine By all the loue thou bearest to Acciaes ghost By all the rightes that louing mindes hold deare Lay armes aside dismisse this puisant hoast Let friendly truce release my minde of feare If not I le drowne my life in these same teares And tyre with plaints the Pandionian birdes Tyre th' Halciones with griefe that beares To high a straine for highest clyming words I le make the sunne for pitty cloath his steedes In sorrows liuery and disdaine your sight Force niggard Pluto with my wofull deeds To entertaine my soules disgraced flight Else will I flie and shrowde my face from shame Where Pyndus hides his head amongst the starres Or where ambitious Othris wanting flame Of heauenly lamps the cloudes swift motion barres Ought will I doe before these eies behold Death's vissage painted in that princelie face Before I le see captiuitie lay holde On those faire lims which merit highest grace Before I le see their bloudie weapons drinke The nectar of thy life or Iuorie stain'd With vgly gore O let me neuer thinke Or hope till then to haue this
thinke a chamber were for him more fit But Lyon harted Caesar still proceeds His strength is doubled weakened is his foe Vnto Pelusium hastely he speedes These fugitiues may not escape him so There lay Antonius nauie in the rode Who yeelded when Augustus fleet was seene And likewise shewed how Antony abode At Alexandria with this fearfull Queene Who seeing thus himselfe depriued of ayde Cryes out that Cleopatra hath betrayed him She whether guiltie or perhaps affraid That froÌ„ hir slaughter nothing could haue staid him Flies from his sight and falsely sends him word That she drownd in despaire hir selfe had slaine Wherwith enrag'd he takes a bloudie sword And breathing out these speeches all in vaine O Cleopatra princesse of my heart And art thou dead lo dying I adore thee This more then death doth now procure my smart That wanting courage I went not before thee With that yet warme death-couloured instrument In his faire brest he did the gate set ope Which to the earth his bloudlesse lims hath sent His dying soule vp to the heauens I hope And is he dead Byl. His better part yet liueth But to his corps a tombe sweet quiâ—…t giueth Octa. O poore 〈◊〉 now I feele thy paines Greefes greedie vulture feedes vpon my heart Vpon my head a shower of mischiefe raines And all the heauens conclude to worke my smart O my Antonius O my Lord my Lord O that Octauia had been slaine for thee O that the heauens would vnto me afford That this my bloud mought thy liues ransome be Mine was the wound thou gauest that noble brest That purple streame extracted from my heart In my deepe passions is thy death exprest Thou feltst the stroke but I endure the smart And O that greefe did not thus stop my breath And all my words dissolue in showers of teares That I mought worthily lament thy death And Catadupa-like dull all mens eares Vnhappy world the pilgrimage of paine The stage where mischiefe actes a dyreful part What hast thou had what dost thou now containe Which but a thought of pleasures mought impart Not one care-wanting houre my life hath tasted But from the very instant of my birth Vncessant woes my tyred heart haue wasted And my poore thoughts are ignorant of mirth Looke how one waue another still pursueth When some great tempest holds their troups in chase Or as one houre an others losse reneweth Or posting day supplyes anothers place So do the billows of affliction beate me And hand in hand the stormes of mischiefe goe Successiue cares with vtter ruine threate me Griefe is enchain'd with griefe and woe with woe Yet must I beare it with a patient minde For why the heauens haue this to me assign'd Chorus IN exorable fates That on both high and low Your equall rigour shew Correcting all estates and stately mindes suppressing Your fauour none 〈◊〉 winne No cloake or faults can hide But needs we must abide The punishment of sinne And hope for no releasing No greatnes may withstand No words can pitty mooue But we must all approoue The vigour of your hand Great Ioues decrees expressing Great Ioues decrees which some Fate fortune chance doe name Are not indeed the same But heauens eternall doome Our witlesse steps directing Their speech exceedes our skill Their words pierce not our eares But in our life appeares The legent of their will Our errours misse correcting Then let the greatest know Dole on their ruine feedes Whiles they obscure vile deedes Vnder a glorious shew The vulgar sort infecting Octauia still distrest Doth not to vs declare How they most wretched are Who are with griese opprest But shewes what heauen requireth How through affliction great Great troubles and annoy We finde the doubtfull way That leades to vertues seate Which wisedomes selfe desireth In fairest christall stone Let men her tropheys shew That all the world may know Heere liueth such a one As vertues height asspireth Sharpe griefe and sweet delight Are Gyants to approoue If ought may vs remoue And turne vs from the right Thence double errour springeth The weakest wrought his fall Whiles that Octauia true The other did subdue And purchast therewithall That fame her honor singeth A monument most rare Of pure Arabian gold The highest worth t' vnfold Let arte for her prepare Who time in tryumph bringeth Time shall endeare thy name With honors breath make sweet The garland is most meete For such as winne the same Thy vertue best deserued Whiles any sparke of worth Doth lodge in womans brest Thy praise among the rest Be euermore hencefoorth In noblest mindes preserued Of Diamonds most pure A tombe let Angels frame And there engraue her name For euermore t' endure T'eternity reserued L'aqua non temo del'eterno oblio FINIS To the honorable vertuous and excellent Mistresse Mary Thinne WOrthy of all the titles of honor that nature vertue wisedome and worth may bestow on their worthyest most fauoured possessors hauing lately extracted the memory of Octauia out of the ashes of obliuion my thoughts continuing perhaps longer then was fitte the current of that streame haue made some idle houres conuert themselues into the missiue Epistles betweene the vertuous Octauia and the licentious Antony wherein although my slender skill hath no way bin answerable to the height of your noble conceipt that the sight of them mought breed you the least content yet since they are done presuming vpon your accustomed Clemency I humbly submit them to your fauourable censure If you therefore who are the mother or vnder your correction to say better the murtherer if concealing may bee called a murther of such excellent vertuous knowledges and perfections as are able to register a vulgar minde in the famous roules of neuer-ending eternity will alow the meane and humble conceiptes of others your honor shal be aduanced to the highest pitch of their possibility If you will esteeme the small portion of iudgement in other men the excellency whereof you will not acknowledge in your selfe theyr industry shall neuer cease to wing your fame till it haue towred beyond the reach of death and obliuion Accept therefore I beseech you the memorials of this vertuous Empresse that your worthines may indeare these worthlesse lynes these lynes record her memory her memory aduance your glory your glory purchase all wished felicitie and your high felicities euer encrease till time giue place vnto eternity Humbly yours S. B. The Argument OCtauia seeing the long stay of her husband Marke Antony with Cleopatra the Aegiptian queene And finding by often tryall that nothing mought preuaile to recall his obstinate minde from her vnlawfull loue Intended a voyage to visite him her selfe in person But in in the way she receiued letters from him requiring her not to approach or come neere him but to make her stay at Athens where she was at that time for that he meant without longer delay there to come vnto her She expecting his promise as at all other times