you cry for something So he claps my head betweene his legges and pulles off my shooe I hauing shifted no sockes in a sea night the Gentleman cryed foh and said my feete were base and cowardly feete they stuncke for feare Then hee knock'd my shooe about my pate and I cryed O once more In the meane time comes a shag hair'd dogge by and rubbes against his shinnes The Gentleman tooke the dog in shagge-haire to be some Watch-man in a rugge gowne and swore hee would hang mee vp at the next doore with my lanthorne in my hand that passengers might see their way as they went without rubbing against Gentlemens shinnes So for want of a Cord hee tooke his owne garters off and as he was going to make a nooze I watch'd my time and ranne away And as I ranne indeede I bid him hang himselfe in his owne gatters So hee in choler pursued mee hither as you see Bel. Why this sauours of distraction Leu. Of meere distraction Fres. How soeuer it sauours I am sure it smels like a lye Bel Thou maist goe forth at the backe doore honest fellow the way is priuate and safe Fres. So it had neede for your fore-doore here is both common and dangerous Exit Belforest Leu. Good night honest Fresco Fres. Good night Madame if you get mee kissing o'Ladies againe Exit Fresco Leu. This fals out handsomely But yet the matter does not well succeed Till I haue brought it to the very deede Exit Enter Charlemont in Armes a Musquetier and a Serieant Charl. Serieant what houre o' the night is 't Ser. About one Charl. I would you would relieue me for I am So heauie that I shall ha' much adoe To stand out my perdu Thunder and Lightning Ser. I le e'en but walke The round sir and then presently returne Soul For God's sake Serieant relieue me aboue fiue houres together in so foule a stormy night as this Ser. Why t' is a musique Souldier Heauen and earth are now in consort when the Thunder and the Canon play one to another Exit Serieant Charl. I know not why I should be thus inclin'd to sleepe I feele my disposition press'd with a necessitie of heauines Souldier if thou hast any better eyes I prithee wake mee when the Serieant comes Soul Sir t' is so darke and stormy that I shall scarce eyther see or heare him e'er he comes vpon mee Charl. I cannot force my selfe to wake Sleepes Enter the ghost of Montferrers Mont. Returne to France for thy old Father 's dead And thou by murther disinherited Attend with patience the successe of things But leaue reuenge vnto the King of kings Exit Charlemont arts and wakes Charl. O my affrighted soule what fearefull dreame Was this that wak'd mee Dreames are but the rais'd Impressions of premeditated things By serious apprehension left vpon Our mindes or else th' imaginary shapes Of obiects proper to th' complexion or The dispositions of our bodyes These Can neyther of them be the cause why I Should dreame thus for my mind has not been mou'd With any one conception of a thought To such a purpose nor my nature wont To trouble me with phantasies of terror It must be something that my Genius would Informe me of Now gratious heauen forbid O! let my Spirit be depriu'd of all Fore-sight and knowledge ere it vnderstand That vision acted or diuine that act To come Why should I thinke so Left I not My worthy Father i' the kind regard Of a most louing Vncle Souldier sawst No apparition of a man Soul You dreame Sir I saw nothing Charl. Tush These idle dreames Are fabulous Our boyling phantasies Like troubled waters falsifie the shapes Of things retain'd in them and make 'em seeme Confounded when they are distinguish'd So My actions daily conuersant with warre The argument of bloud and death had left Perhaps th' imaginary presence of Some bloudy accident vpon my minde Which mix'd confusedly with other thoughts Whereof th' remembrance of my Father might Be one presented all together seeme Incorporate as if his body were The owner of that bloud the subiect of That death when hee 's at Paris and that bloud Shed here It may be thus I would not leaue The warre for reputatio'ns sake vpon An idle apprehension a vaine dreame Enter the Ghost Soul Stand Stand I say No Why then haue at thee Sir if you will not stand I le make you fall Nor stand nor fall Nay then the Diuel's damme has broke her husbands head for sure it is a Spirit I shot it through and yet it will not fall Exit The Ghost approaches Charlemont Hee fearefully auoids it Char. O pardon me my doubtfull heart was slow To credit that which I did feare to know Exeunt Actus tertii Scena prima Enter the Funerall of Montferrers D'amville SEt downe the Body Pay earth what shee lent But shee shall beare a liuing monument To let succeeding ages truely know That shee is satisfied what hee did owe Both principall and vse because his worth Was better at his death then at his birth A dead march Enter the Funerall of Charlemont as a Souldier D'am. And with his Body place that memorie Of noble Charlemont his worthie Sonne And giue their Graues the rites that doe belong To Souldiers They were Souldiers both The Father Held open warre with Sinne the Sonne with bloud This in a warre more gallant that more good The first volley D'am. There place their Armes and here their Epitaphes And may these Lines suruiue the last of graues The Epitaph of Montferrers HEre lye the Ashes of that earth and fire whose heat and fruit ded feede and warme the poore And they as if they would in sighes expire and into teares dissolue his death deplore Hee did that good freelie for goodnesse sake unforc'd for gen'rousnesse he held so deare That hee fear'd none but him that did him make and yet he seru'd him more for loue then feare So 's life prouided that though he did dye A death yet dyed not sodainely The Epitaph of Charlement HIs Body lies interr'd within this would Who dyed a young man yet departed old And in all strength of youth that Man can haue Was ready still to drop into his graue For ag'd in vertue with a youthfull eye He welcom'd it being still prepar'd to dye And liuing so though young depriu'd of breath He did not suffer an vntimely death But we may say of his braue bless'd decease He dyed in warre and yet hee dyed in peace The second volley D'am. O might that fire reuiue the ashes of This Phenix yet the wonder would not be So great as he was good and wondred at For that His liues example was so true A practique of Religion's Theorie That her Diuinitie seem'd rather the Description then th' instruction of his life And of his goodnesse was his vertuous Sonne A worthy imitatour So that on These two Herculean pillars where their armes Are plac'd there may be writ Non
Nephew Exit Charlemont Seest thou that same man Bora. Your meaning Sir D'am. That fellowes life Borachio Like a superfluous Letter in the Law Endangers our assurance Bora. Scrape him out D'am. Wut doe 't Bora. Giue me your purpose I will doe 't D'am. Sad melancholy has drawne Charlemont With meditation on his Fathers death Into the solitarie walke behind the Church Bora. The Churchyard This the fittest place for death Perhaps he 's praying Then he 's fit to die We 'l send him charitably to his graue D'am. No matter how thou tak'st him First take this Pistoll Thou knowest the place Obserue his passages And with the most aduantage make a stand That fauour'd by the darknesse of the night His brest may fall vpon thee at so neare A distance that he sha'not shunne the blow The deede once done thou mai'st retire with safety The place is vnfrequented and his death Will be imputed to th' attempt of theeues Bora. Be carelesse Let your mind be free and cleare This Pistoll shall discharge you of your feare Exit D'am. But let me call my proiects to accompt For what effect and end I haue engag'd My selfe in all this bloud To leaue a state To the succession of my proper bloud But how shall that succession be continued Not in my elder Sonne I feare Disease And weakenesse haue disabled him for issue For th' tother his loose humour will endure No bond of marriage And I doubt his life His spirit is so boldly dangerous O pittie that the profitable end Of such a prosp'rous murther should be lost Nature forbid I hope I haue a body That will not suffer me to loose my labour For want of issue yet But then 't must be A Bastard Tush they onely father bastards That father other mens begettings Daughter Be it mine owne let it come whence it will I am resolu'd Daughter Enter Seruant Seru. My Lord D'am. I prithee call my Daughter Enter Casta. Casta. Your pleasure Sir D'am. Is thy Husband i'bed Casta. Yes my Lord D'am. The euening 's faire I prithee walke a turne or two Casta. Come Iaspar D'am. No Weel ' walke but to the corner o' the Church And I haue something to speake priuately Casta. No matter Stay Exit Seruant D'am. This falles out happily Exeunt Enter Charlemont Borachio dogging him in the Churchyard The Clocke strikes twelve Charl. Twelue Bora. T' is a good houre t' will strike one anon Charl. How fit a place for contemplation is this dead of night among the dwellings of the dead This graue Perhappes th' inhabitant vvas in his life time the possessour of his owne desires Yet in the midd'st of all his greatnesse and his wealth he was lesse rich and lesse contented then in this poore piece of earth lower and lesser then a Cottage For heere he neither wants nor cares Now that his body fauours of corruption Hee enioyes a sweeter rest then e'er hee did amongst the sweetest pleasures of this life For heere there 's nothing troubles him And there In that graue lies another He perhaps was in his life as full of miserie as this of happinesse And here 's an end of both Now both their states are equall O that Man with so much labour should aspire to wordly height when in the humble earth the world's condition 's at the best Or scorne inferiour men since to be lower then a worme is to be higher then a King Bora. Then fall and rise Discharges Giues false fire Charl. What villaines hand was that saue thee or thou shalt perish They fight Bora. Zownes vnsau'd I thinke Fall Charl. What Haue I kill'd him whatsoe'er thou beest I would thy hand had prosper'd For I was vnfit to liue and well prepar'd to die What shall I doe accuse my selfe Submit me to the law and that will quickly end this violent encrease of miserie But t' is a murther to be accessarie to mine owne death I will not I will take this opportunitie to scape It may be Heau'n reserues me to some better end Exit Charlemont Enter Snuffe and Soquette into the Churchyard Soqu. Nay good Sir I dare not In good sooth I come of a generation both by Father and Mother that were all as fruitfull as Costard-mongers wiues Snu. Tush then a Timpanie is the greatest danger can be fear'd Their fruitfulnesse turnes but to a certaine kind of flegmatique windie disease Soqu. I must put my vnderstanding to your trust Sir I would be loath to be deceiu'd Snu. No conceiue thou sha't not Yet thou shalt profit by my instruction too My bodie is not euery day drawne dry wench Soqu. Yet mee thinkes Sir your want of vse should rather make your body like a Well the lesser t' is drawne the sooner it growes dry Snu. Thou shalt try that instantly Soqu. But we want place and opportunity Snu. We haue both This is the backe side of the House which the superstitious call Saint Winifrea' Church and is verily a conuenient vnfrequented place Where vnder the close Curtaines of the night Soqu. You purpose i' the darke to make me light Pulles out a sheete a haire and a beard But what ha' you there Snu. This disguise is for securitie sake wench There 's a talke thou know'st that the Ghoast of olde Mon ferrers walks In this Church he was buried Now if any stranger fall vpon vs before our businesse be ended in this disguise I shall be taken for that Ghoast and neuer be call'd to examination I warrant thee Thus wee shall scape both preuention and discouerie How doe I looke in this habite wench Saq. So like a Ghost that notwithstanding I haue som fore-knowledge of you you make my haire stand almost an end Snu. I will try how I can kisse in this beard O fie fie fie I will put it off and then kisse and then put it on I can doe the rest without kissing Enter Charlemont doubtfully with his sword drawne is vpon them before they are aware They runne out divers waies and leaue the disguise Charl. What ha' wee heere a Sheete a haire a beard What end was this disguise intended for No matter what I 'le not expostulate the purpose of a friendly accident Perhaps it may accommodate my scape I feare I am pursued For more assurance I 'le hide mee heere i' th Charnell house this conuocation-house of dead mens sculles To get into the Charnell house he takes holde of a Death's head it slips and staggers him Death's head deceiu'st my hold Such is the trust to all mortalitie Hides himselfe in the Charnell house Enter D'amville and Castabella Casta. My Lord The night growes late Your Lordship spake of something you desir'd to moue in priuate D'am. Yes Now I 'le speake it Th' argument is loue The smallest ornament of thy sweet forme that abstract of all pleasure can command the sences into passion and thy entire perfection is my obiect yet I loue thee with the freedome of my reason I can giue thee
spirit of a dying Man A chearefull eye vpon the face of Death Is the true count'nance of a noble minde For honour's sake my Lord molest it not D'am. Y' are all vnciuill O! is 't not enough that hee vniustly hath conspir'd with Fate to cut off my posteritie for him to be the heire to my possessions but he must pursue me with his presence and in the ostentation of his ioy laugh in my face and glory in my griefe Charl. D'amville to shew thee with what light respect I value Death and thy insulting pride Thus like a warlike Nauie on the Sea Bound for the conquest of some wealthie land Pass'd through the stormie troubles of this life And now arriu'd vpon the armed coast In expectation of the victorie Whose honour lies beyond this exigent Through mortall danger with an actiue spirit Thus I aspire to vndergoe my death Leapes vp the Scaffold Castabella leapes after him Casta. And thus I second thy braue enterprise Be chearefull Charlemont Our liues cut off In our young prime of yeares are like greene hearbs Wherewith we strow the hearses of our friends For as their vertue gather'd when th' are greene Before they wither or corrupt is best So we in vertue are the best for Death While yet we haue not liu'd to such an age That the encreasing canker of our sinnes Hath spread too farre vpon vs D'am. A Boone my Lords I begge a Boone 1. Iud. What 's that my Lord D'am. His body when t' is dead for an Anatomie 2. Iud. For what my Lord D'am. Your vnderstanding still come short o' mine I would finde out by his Anatomie What thing there is in Nature more exact Then in the constitution of my selfe Me thinks my parts and my dimentions are As many as large as well compos'd as his And yet in me the resolution wants To die with that assurance as he does The cause of that in his Anatomie I would finde out 1. Iud. Be patient and you shall D'am. I haue bethought me of a better way Nephew we must conferre Sir I am growne a wondrous Studient now o'late My wit has reach'd beyond the scope of Nature yet for all my learning I am still to seeke from whence the peace of conscience should proceede Charl. The peace of conscience rises in it selfe D'am. Whether it be thy Art or Nature I admire thee Charlemont Why thou hast taught a woman to be valiant I will begge thy life My Lords I begge my Nephewes life I 'le make thee my Phisitian Thou shalt read Philosophie to me I will finde out th' efficient cause of a contented minde But if I cannot profit in 't then t' is no more being my Phisitian but infuse a little poyson in a potion when thou giu'st me Phisick vnawares to me So I shall steale into my graue without the vnderstanding or the feare of death And that 's the end I aime at For the thought of death is a most fearefull torment is 't not 2. Iudg. Your Lordship interrupts the course of law 1. Iudg. Prepare to die Charl. My resolution 's made But ere I die before this honour'd bench With the free voice of a departing soule I heere protest this Gentlewoman cleare Of all offence the law condemnes her for Casta. I haue accus'd my selfe The law wants power To cleare me My deare Charlemont with thee I will partake of all thy punishments Charl. Vncle for all the wealthie benefits My death aduances you graunt me but this Your mediation for the guiltlesse life Of Castabella whom your conscience knowes As iustly cleare as harmelesse innocence D'am. Freely My Mediation for her life and all my int'rest in the world to boote let her but in exchange possesse me of the resolution that she dies withall The price of things is best knowne in their want Had I her courage So I value it the Indies should not buy 't out o' my hands Charl. Giue me a glasse of water D'am. Mee of wine This argument of death congeales my bloud Colde feare with apprehension of thy end Hath frozen vp the riuers of my veines A glasse of wine I must drinke vvine to vvarme mee and dissolue the obstruction or an apoplexie will possesse mee Why thou vncharitable Knaue Do'st bring mee bloud to drinke The very glasse lookes pale and trembles at it Seru. T' is your hand my Lord D'am. Canst blame mee to be fearefull bearing still the presence of a murderer about me Charl. Is this water Serua. Water Sir A glasse of water Charl. Come thou cleare embleme of coole temperance Be thou my witnesse that I vse no art To force my courage nor haue neede of helpes To raise my Spirits like those weaker men Who mixe their bloud with wine and out of that Adulterate coniunction doe beget A bastard valour Natiue courage thankes Thou lead'st me soberly to vndertake This great hard worke of magnanimitie D'am Braue Charlemont at the reflexion of thy courage my cold fearefull bloud takes fire and I begin to emulate thy death Is that thy executioner My Lords you wrong the honour of so high a bloud to let him suffer by so base a hand Iudges He suffers by the forme of law my Lord D'am. I will reforme it Downe you shagge-hair'd Curre The instrument that strikes my Nephew's bloud shall be as noble as his bloud I 'le be thy executioner my selfe 1. Iud. Restraine his fury Good my Lord forbeare D'am. I 'le butcher out the passage of his soule That dares attempt to interrupt the blow 2. Iud. My Lord the office will impresse a marke Of scandall and dishonour on your name Charl. The office fits him hinder not his hand But let him crowne my resolution with An vnexampled dignitie of death Strike home Thus I submit me Readie for execution Costa. So doe I In scorne of Death thus hand in hand we die D'am. I ha' the trick on 't Nephew You shall see how eas'ly I can put you out of paine Ooh As he raises vp the Axe strikes out his owne braines Staggers off the Scaffold Execu. In lifting vp the Axe I thinke has knock'd his braines out D'am. What murderer was hee that lifted vp my hand against my head Iudge None but your selfe my Lord D'am. I thought he was a murderer that did it Iudge God forbid D'am. Forbid You lie Iudge He commanded it To tell thee that mans wisedome is a foole I came to thee for Iudgement and thou think'st thy selfe a wise man I outreach'd thy wit and made thy Iustice Murders instrument in Castabella's death and Charlemonts To crowne my Murder of Montferrers with a safe possession of his wealthie state Charl. I claime the iust aduantage of his words Iudge Descend the Scaffold and attend the rest D'am. There was the strength of naturall vnderstanding But Nature is a foole There is a power aboue her that hath ouerthrowne the pride of all my proiects and posteritie for whose suruiuing bloud I had erected a proud monument and strucke 'em dead before me For whose deathes I call'd to thee for Iudgement Thou didst want discretion for the sentence But yond' power that strucke me knew the Iudgement I deseru'd and gaue it O! the lust of Death commits a Rape vpon me as I would ha' done on Castabella Dies Iudge Strange is his death and iudgement With the hands Of Ioy and Iustice I thus set you free The power of that eternall prouidence Which ouerthrew his proiects in their pride Hath made your griefes the instruments to raise Your blessings to a greater height then euer Charl. Onely to Heau'n I attribute the worke Whose gracious motiues made me still forbeare To be mine owne Reuenger Now I see That Patience is the honest mans reuenge Iudge In stead of Charlemont that but e'en now Stood readie to be dispossess'd of all I now salute you with more titles both Of wealth and dignitie then you were borne too And you sweet Madame Lady of Belforest You haue that title by your Fathers death Casta. With all the titles due to me encrease The wealth and honour of my Charlemont Lord of Montferrers Lord D'amuille Belforest And for a cloze to make vp all the rest Embrace The Lord of Castabella Now at last Enioy the full possession of my loue As cleare and pure as my first chastitie Charl. The crowne of all my blessings I will tempt My Starres no longer nor protract my time Of marriage When those Nuptiall rites are done I will performe my kinsmens funeralles Iudg. The Drums and Trumpets Interchange the sounds Of Death and Triumph for these honour'd liues Succeeding their deserued Tragedies Charl. Thus by the worke of Heau'n the men that thought To follow our dead bodies without teares Are dead themselues and now we follow theirs Exeunt FINIS