is wee le shew our selues Arb. Bessus I thought you had beene in Iberia by this bad you halfe Gobrias will want entertainment for me Bes. An 't please your Maiestie I haue a sute Arb. I st not lowsie Bessus what i st Bes. I am to carrie a Lady with me Arb. Then thou hast two sutes Bess. And if I can preferre her to the Ladie Panthan your Maiesties sister to learne fashions as her friends terme it it will be worth something to me Arb. So many nights lodgings as t is thither will not Bes. I know not that but gold I shall be sure of Arb. Why thou shalt bid her entertaine her from mee so thou wilt resolue me one thing Bess. Jf I can Arb. Faith t is a very disputable question yet I thinke thou canst decide it Bess. Your Maiestie has a good opinion of my vnderstanding Arb. I haue so good an opinion of it 't is whether thou be valiant Bess. Some bodie has tradust me to you doe you see this sword Sir Arb. Yes Bes. If I doe not make my back-biters eate it to a knife within this weeke say I am not valiant Enter Messenger Mess. Health to your Maiestie Arb. From Gobrias Mess. Yes Sir Arb. How does he is he well Mess. In perfect health Arb. Thanke thee for thy good newes A trustier seruant to his Prince there liues not Then is good Gobrias 1 Gent. The King starts backe Mar. His blood goes backe as fast 2 Gent. And now it comes againe Mar. He alters strangely Arb. The hand of Heauen is on me be it farre From me to struggle if my secret sinnes Haue pul'd this curse vpon me lend me teares Enough to wash me white that I may feele A childlike innocence within my brest Which once perform'd O giue me leaue to stand As fixt as constancie her selfe my eyes Set here vnmou'd regardlesse of the World Though thousand miseries incompasse me Mar. This is strange Sir how doe you Arb. Mardonius my mother Mar. Is shee dead Arb. Alas shee s not so happie thou dost know How shee hath labour'd since my Father died To take by treason hence this loathed life That would but be to serue her I haue pardon'd And pardon'd and by that haue made her fit To practise new sinnes not repent the olde Shee now has hir'd a slaue to come from thence And strike me here whom Gobrias sifting out Tooke and condemn'd and executed there The carefulst seruant Heauen let me but liue To pay that man Nature is poore to me That will not let me haue as many deathes As are the times that he hath sau'd my life That I might die vm ouer all for him Mar. Sir let her beare her sins on her owne head Vex not your selfe Arb. VVhat will the world Conceiue of me with what vnnaturall sinnes VVill they suppose me laden when my life Is sought by her that gaue it to the world But yet he writes me comfort here my sister He sayes is growne in beautie and in grace In all the innocent vertues that become A tender spotlesse maide shee staines her cheekes VVith mourning teares to purge her Mothers ill And mongst her sacred dew shee mingles prayers Her pure oblations for my safe returne If I haue lost the dutie of a sonne If any pompe or vanitie of state Made me forget my naturall offices Nay farther if I haue not euerie night Expostulated with my wandring thoughts If ought vnto my Parent they haue err'd And cald vm backe doe you direct her arme Vnto this foule dissembling heart of mine But if I haue beene iust to her send out Your power to compasse me and hold me safe From searching treason I will vse no meanes But prayers for rather suffer me to see From mine own veines issue a deadly floud Then wash my dangers off with Mothers bloud Mar. I nere saw such sudden extremities Enter Tigranes and Spaconia Tigr. Why wilt thou haue me die Spaconia What should I doe Spa. Nay let me stay alone And when you see Armenia againe You shall behold a Toombe more worth then I Some friend that either loues me or my cause VVill build me something to distinguish me From other women Many a weeping verse He will lay on and much lament those maides That place their loues vnfortunately too light As I haue done where they can neuer reach But why should you goe to Iberia Tigr. Alas that thou wilt aske me Aske the man That rages in a feauer why hee lies Distemper'd there when all the other youths Are coursing ore the Meadowes with their loues Can I resist it am I not a slaue To him that conquer'd me Spa. That conquer'd thee Tigranes he has won but halfe of Thy bodie but thy minde may be as free As his his will did neuer combate thine And take it prisoner Tigr. But if hee by force Conuey my bodie hence what helpes it me Or thee to be vnwilling Spa. O Tigranes I know you are to see a Ladie there To see and like I feare perhaps the hope Of her makes you forget me ere we part Be happier then you know to wish farewell Tigr. Spaconia stay and heare me what I say In short destruction meete me that I may See it and not auoid it when I leaue To be thy faithfull Louer part with me Thou shalt not there are none that know our loue And I haue giuen gold to a Captaine That goes vnto Iberia from the King That he would place a Ladie of our Land With the Kings sister that is offer'd me Thither shall you and being once got in Perswade her by what subtile meanes you can To be as backward in her loue as I Spa. Can you imagine that a longing maide VVhen shee beholds you can be puld away VVith words from louing you Tigr. Dispraise my health My honestie and tell her I am iealous Spa. VVhy I had rather loose you Can my heart Consent to let my tongue throw out such words And I that euer yet spoke what I thought Shall find it such a thing at first to lie Tigr. Yet doe thy best Ent. Bessus Bes. VVhat is your Maiestie readie Tigr. There is the Ladie Captaine Bes. Sweet Ladie by your leaue I could wish my selfe more full of Courtship for your faire sake Spa. Sir I shall find no want of that Bess. Lady you must haste I haue receiued new letters from the King that requires more speed then I expected he will follow me suddenly himselfe and beginnes to call for your Maiestie alreadie Tigr. He shall not doe so long Bes. Sweet Ladie shall I call you my charge hereafter Spa. I will not take vpon me to gouerne your tongue Sir you shall call me what you please Finis Actus Primi Actus Secundus Scena Prima Enter Gobrias Bacurius Arane Panthaea and Mandane waiting women with attendance Gob. MY Lord Bacurius you must haue regard Vnto the Queene shee is your prisoner T is at your perill if shee make escape
Your Sister Sir Arb. Your Sister Sir Gob. Some one that has a wit answere where is shee Arb. Doe you not see her there Gob. Where Arb. There Gob. There where Mar. S'light there are you blind Arb. Which doe you meane that little one Gob. No Sir Arb. No Sir why doe you mocke me I can see No other here but that petitioning Ladie Gob. That 's shee Arb. Away Gob. Sir it is shee Arb. T is false Gob. Is it Arb. As hell by Heauen as false as hell My sister Is shee dead if it be so Speake boldly to me for I am a man And dare not quarrell with diuinity But doe not thinke to cosen me with this I see you all are mute and stand amas'd Fearefull to answere me it is too true A decreed instant cuts off euery life For which to mourne is to repine shee died A Virgin though more innocent then sleeps As cleere as her owne eyes and blessednesse Eternall waites vpon her where shee is I know shee could not make a wish to change Her state for new and you shall see me beare My crosses like a man we all must die And shee hath taught vs how Gob. Doe not mistake And vex your selfe for nothing for her death Is a long life of yet I hope T is shee And if my speech deserue not faith lay death Vpon me and my latest words shall force A credit from you Arb. Which good Gobrius That Ladie dost thou meane Gob. That Lady Sir Arb. It cannot be Tigr. Pish this is tedious I cannot hold I must present my selfe And yet the sight of my Spaconia Touches me as a sudden thunderclap Does one that is about to sinne Arb. Away No more of this here I pronounce him Traytor The direct plotter of my death that names Or thinkes her for my Sister T is a lie The most malicious of the World inuented To mad your King he that will say so next Let him draw out his Sword and sheath it here It is a sinne fully as pardonable Shee is no kinne to me nor shall shee be If shee were any I create her none And which of you can question this my power Is like the Sea that is to be obey'd And not disputed with I haue decreed her As farre from hauing part of bloud with me As the nak'd Indians Come and answer me He that is boldest now Is that my Sister Mar. O this is fine Bes. No marry is shee not an 't please your Maiestie I neuer thought shee was shee s nothing like you Arb. No t is true shee is not Mar. Thou shouldst be hang'd Pan. Sir I will speake but once By the same power You make my bloud a stranger vnto yours You may command me dead and so much loue A stranger may importune pray you doe If this request appeare too much to grant Adopt me of some other Family By your vnquestion'd word else I shall liue Like sinfull issues that are left in streetes By their regardlesse Mothers and no name Will be found for me Arb. I will heare no more Why should there be such musicke in a voice And sinne for me to heare it All the world May take delight in this and t is damnation For me to doe so you are faire and wise And vertuous I thinke and he is blest That is so neere you as your brother is But you are naught to me but a disease Continuall torment without hope of ease Such an vngodly sicknesse I haue got That he that vndertakes my cure must first Orethrow Diuinity all morall Lawes And leaue mankinde as vnconfinde as beasts Allowing them to doe all actions As freely as they drinke when they desire Let me not heare you speake againe yet so I shall but languish for the want of that The hauing which would kill me No man here Offer to speake for her for I consider As much as you can say I will not toyle My body and my mind too rest thou there Here 's one within will labour for you both Pan. I would I were past speaking Gob. Feare not Madam The King will alter t is some sudden change And you shall see it end some other way Pan. Pray God it doe Tigr. Though shee to whom I swore be here I cannot Stifle my passion longer If my Father Should rise againe disquieted with this And charge me to forbeare yet it would out Madam a stranger and a prisoner begs To be bid welcome Pan. You are welcome Sir I thinke but if you be not t is past me To make you so for I am here a stranger Greater then you we know from whence you come But I appeare a lost thing and by whom Is yet vncertaine found here in the Court And onely sufferd to walke vp and downe As one not worth the owning Spa. O I feare Tigranes will be caught he lookes me thinkes As he would change his eyes with her some helpe There is aboue for me I hope Tigr. VVhy doe you turne away and weepe so fast And vtter things that misbecome your lookes Can you want owning Spa O t is certaine so Tigr. Acknowledge your selfe mine Arb. How now Tigr. And then see if you want an owner Arb. They are talking Tigr. Nations shall owne you for their Queene Arb. Tigranes art not thou my prisoner Tigr. I am Arb. And who is this Tigr. Shee is your Sister Arb. Shee is so Mar. Is shee so againe that 's well Arb. And how dare you then offer to change words with her Tigr. Dare doe it why you brought me hither Sir To that intent Arb. Perhaps I told you so If I had sworne it had you so much follie To credit it The least word that shee speakes Is worth a life rule your disorderd tongue Or I will temper it Spa. Blest be that breath Tigr. Temper my tongue such inciuilities As these no barbarous people euer knew You breake the law of Nature and of Nations You talke to me as if I were a prisoner For theft my tongue be temperd I must speake If thunder checke me and I will Arb. You will Spa. Alas my Fortune Tigr. Doe not feare his frowne deare Madam heare me Arb. Feare not my frowne but that 't were base in me To fight with one I know I can orecome Againe thou shouldst be conquerd by me Mar. He has one ransome with him already me thinkes t were good to fight double or quit Arb. Away with him to prison Now Sir see If my frowne be regardlesse why delay you Seize him Bacurius you shall know my word Sweepes like a wind and all it grapples with Are as the chaffe before it Tigr. Touch me not Arb. Helpe there Tigr. Away 1 Gent. It is in vaine to struggle 2 Gent. You must be forc't Bac. Sir you must pardon vs we must obey Arb. Why doe you dally there Drag him away By any thing Bac. Come Sir Tigr. Iustice thou oughtst to giue me strength enough To shake all these off This is tyrannie
Bac. My Lord I know 't shee is my prisoner From you committed yet shee is a woman And so I keepe her safe you will not vrge me To keepe her close I shall not shame to say I sorrow for her Gob. So doe I my Lord I sorrow for her that so little grace Doth gouerne her that shee should stretch her arme Against her King so little womanhood And naturall goodnesse as to thinke the death Of her owne Sonne Ara. Thou know'st the reason why Dissembling as thou art and wilt not speake Gob. There is a Ladie takes not after you Her Father is within her that good man Whose teares paid downe his sinnes marke how shee weeps How well it does become her and if you Can find no disposition in your selfe To sorrow yet by gracefulnesse in her Find out the way and by your reason weepe All this shee does for you and more shee needes When for your selfe you will not lose a teare Thinke how this want of griefe discredits you And you will weepe because you cannot weepe Ara. You talke to me as hauing got a time Fit for your purpose but you know I know You speake not what you thinke Pan. I would my heart Were stone before my softnesse should be vrg'd Against my Mother a more troubled thought No Virgin beares about her should I excuse My Mothers fault I should let light a life In loosing which a brother and a King Were taken from me If I seeke to saue That life so lou'd I loose another life That gaue me being I shall loose a Mother A word of such a sound in a childes eare That it strikes reuerence through it May the will Of Heauen be done and if one needes must fall Take a poore Virgins life to answere all Ara. But Gobrias let vs talke you know this fault Is not in me as in another woman Gob. I know it is not Ara. Yet you make it so Gob. Why is not all that 's past beyond your helpe Ara. I know it is Gob. Nay should you publish it Before the world thinke you t will be belieu'd Ara. I know it would not Gob. Nay should I ioine with you Should we not both be torne and yet both die Vncredited Ara. I thinke we should Gob. Why then Take you such violent courses as for me I doe but right in sauing of the King From all your plots Ara. The King Gob. I bad you rest with patience and a time VVould come for me To reconcile all to your owne content But by this way you take away my power And what was done vnknowne was not by me But you your vrging being done I must preserue mine owne but time may bring All this to light and happily for all Ara. Accursed be this ouercurious braine That gaue that plot a birth accurst this wombe That after did conceiue to my disgrace Bac. My Lord Protector they say there are diuers Letters come from Armenia that Bessus has done good seruice and brought againe a day by his particular valour receiu'd you any to that effect Gob. Yes t is most certaine Bac. I me sorrie for t not that the day was wonne but that t was wonne by him wee held him here a coward hee did me wrong once at which I laught and so did all the world for nor I nor any other held time worth my Sword Enter Bessus and Spaconia Bes. Health to my Lord Protector from the King these Letters and to your grace Madam these Go. How does his Maiestie Bes. As well as conquest by his owne meanes and his valiant commanders can make him your letters will tel you all Pan. I will not open mine till I doe know My brothers health good Captaine is he well Bes. As the rest of vs that fought are Pan. But howe 's that is he hurt Bes. Hee s a strange Souldier that gets not a knock Pan. I doe not aske how strange that Souldier is That gets no hurt but whether he haue one Bes. He had diuers Pan. And is he well againe Bes. VVell againe an t please your grace why I was run twice through the bodie and shot i th head with a crosse arrow and yet am well againe Pan. I doe not care how thou dost is he well Bes. Not care how I doe let a man out of the mightinesse of his spirit fructifie forraigne Countries with his bloud for the good of his owne and thus he shall be answered why I may liue to relieue with speare and shield such a Ladie distressed Pan. Why I will care I am glad that thou art well I prethee is he so Gob. The King is well and will be here to morrow Pan. My prayers are heard now I will open mine Gob. Bacurius I must ease you of your charge Madam the wonted mercie of the King That ouertakes your faults has met with this And strucke it out he has forgiuen you freelie Your owne will is your Law be where you please Ara. I thanke him Gob. You will be readie To waite vpon his Maiestie to morrow Ara. I will Bac. Madam be wise hereafter I am glad I haue lost this Office Exit Gob. Good Captaine Bessus tell vs the discourse Betweene Tigranes and our King and how We got the victorie Pan. I prethee doe And if my brother were in any danger Let not thy tale make him abide there long Before thou bring him off for all that while My heart will beate Bes. Madam let what will beate I must tell truth and thus it was They fought single in lists but one to one as for my own part I was dangerouslie hurt but three dayes before else perhaps wee had beene two to two I cannot tell some thought wee had and the occasion of my hurt was this the enemie had made trenches Gob. Captaine without the manner of your hurt be much materiall to this businesse wee le heare it some other time Pan. I I prethee leaue it and goe on with my brother Bes. I will but 't would be worth your hearing To the lists they came and single sword and gauntlet was their fight Pan. Alas Bes. Without the lists there stood some dozen Captaines of either side mingled all which were sworne and one of those was I and t was my chance to stand neere a Captaine of the Enemies side called Tiribasus valiant they said he was whilst these two Kings were stretching themselues this Tiribasus cast something a scornefull looke on mee and askt mee whom I thought would ouercome I smilde and told him if hee would fight with me he should perceiue by the euent of that whose King would winne something hee answered and a scuffle was like to grow when one Zipetus offerd to helpe him I Pan. All this is of thy selfe I prethee Bessus Tell something of my brother did he nothing Bes. Why yes I le tell your Grace they were not to fight till the word giuen which for my owne part by my troth I was not to giue Pan. See