my couetousnesse Where so I walke I le sigh and shunne my way Thus am I made a monster of the world Hell gapes for me heauen will not hold my soule You mountaines shroude me from the God of truth Mee-thinkes I sée him sit to iudge the earth Sée how he blots me out of the booke of life Oh burthen more then Atna that I beare Couer me hilles and shroude me from the Lord. Swallow me Licas shield me from the Lord. In life no peace each murmuring that I heare Mée-thinkes the sentence of damnation soundes Die reprobate and hie thée hence to hell The euill angell tempteth him offering the knife and rope What fiend is this that temptes me to the death What is my death the harbour of my rest Then let me die what second charge is this Mée-things I heare a voice amidst mine eares That bids me staie and tels me that the Lord Is mercifull to those that do repent May I repent oh thou my doubtfull soule Thou maist repent the Iudge is mercifull Hence tooles of wrath stales of temptation For I will pray and sigh vnto the Lord. In sackcloth will I sigh and fasting pray O Lord in rigor looke not on my sinnes He sits him downe in sack-cloathes his hands and eyes reared to heauen Enters Aluida with her Ladies with dispiearsed lookes Alui Come mournfull dames laie off your brodred locks And on your shoulders spred dispiearsed haires Let voice of musicke cease where sorrow dwels Cloathed in sackcloaths sigh your sinnes with me Bemone your pride bewaile your lawlesse lusts With fasting mortifie your pampered loines Oh thinke vpon the horrour of your sinnes Think think with me the burthen of your blames Woe to thy pompe fal e beautie fading floure Blasted by age by sicknesse and by death Woe to our painted chéekes our curious oyles Our rich array that fostered vs in sinne Woe to our idle thoughts that wound our soules Oh would to God all nations might receiue A good example by our gréeuous fall Ladies You that are planted there where pleasure dwels And thinkes your pompe as great as Niniuies May fall for sinne as Niniuie doth now Alui Mourne mourne let moane be all your melodie And pray with me and I will pray for all Lord. O Lord of heauen forgiue vs our misdéeds Ladies O Lord of heauen forgiue vs our misdéeds Vsurer O Lord of light forgiue me my misdéeds Enters Rasni the Kings of Assiria with his nobles in sackcloath K. Cilicia Be not so ouercome with griefe O King Least you endanger life by sorrowing so Rasni King of Cilicia should I cease my griefe Where as my swarming sinnes afflict my soule Uaine man know this my burthen greater is Then euery priuate subiect in my land My life hath bene a loadstarre vnto them To guide them in the laborinth of blame Thus I haue taught them for to do amisse Then must I wéepe my friend for their amisse The fall of Niniuie is wrought by me I haue maintaind this Citie in her shame I haue contemn'd the warnings from aboue I haue vpholden incest rape and spoyle T is I that wrought the sinne must wéepe the sinne Oh had I teares like to the siluer streames That from the Alpine Mountains swéetly streame Or had I sighes the treasures of remorse As plentifull as Aeolus hath blasts I then would tempt the heauens with my laments And pierce the throane of mercy by my sighes K. Cil. Heauens are prepitious vnto faithful praiers Rasni But after our repent we must lament Least that a worser mischiefe doth befall Oh pray perhaps the Lord will pitie vs. Oh God of truth both mercifull and iust Behold repentant men with pitious eyes We waile the life that we haue led before O pardon Lord O pitie Niniuie Omnes O pardon Lord O pitie Niniuie Rasni Let not the Infants dallying on the tent For fathers sinnes in iudgement be opprest K. Cil. Let not the painfull mothers big with childe The innocents be punisht for our sinne Rasni O pardon Lord O pitie Niniuie Omnes O pardon Lord O pitie Niniuie Rasni O Lord of heauen the virgins wéepe to thée The couetous man forie sorie for his sinne The Prince and poore all pray before thy throane And wilt thou then be wroth with Niniuie K. Cili Giue truce to praier O king and rest a space Rasni Giue truce to praiers when times require no truce No Princes no. Let all our subiects hie Unto our temples where on humbled knées I will exspect some mercy from aboue Enter the temple Omnes Enters Ionas solus Ionas This is the day wherein the Lord hath said That Niniuie shall quite be ouerthrowne This is the day of horror and mishap Fatall vnto the cursed Niniuites These stately Towers shall in thy watery bounds Swift flowing Licas find their burials These pallaces the pride of Assurs kings Shall be the bowers of desolation Where as the sollitary bird shall sing And Tygers traine their yoong ones to their nest O all ye nations bounded by the West Ye happie Iles where Prophets do abound Ye Cities famous in the westerne world Make Niniuie a president for you Leaue leaud desires leaue couetous delights Flie vsurie let whoredome be exilde Least you with Niniuie be ouerthrowne Loe how the sunnes inflamed torch preuailes Scorching the parched furrowes of the earth Here will I sit me downe and fixe mine eye Upon the ruines of you wretched towne And lo a pleasant shade a spreading vine To shelter Ionas in this sunny heate What meanes my God the day is done and spent Lord shall my Prophecie be brought to nought When falles the fire when will the iudge be wroth I pray thée Lord remember what I said When I was yet within my country land Iehouah is too mercifull I feare O let me flie before a Prophet fault For thou art mercifull the Lord my God Full of compassion and of sufferance And doest repent in taking punishment Why staies thy hand O Lord first take my life Before my Prophesie be brought to noughts Ah he is wroth behold the gladsome vine That did defend me from the sunny heate Is withered quite and swallowed by a Serpent A Serpent deuoureth the vine Now furious Phlegon triumphs on my browes And heate preuailes and I am faint in heart Enters the Angell Angell Art thou so angry Ionas tell me why Ionas Iehouah I with burning heate am plungde And shadowed only by a silly vine Behold a Serpent hath deuoured it And lo the sunne incenst by Easterne winde Afflicts me with Cariculer aspect Would God that I might die for well I wot T were better I were dead then rest aliue Angell Ionas art thou so angry for the vine Ionas Yea I am angry to the death my God Angell Thou hast compassion Ionas on a vine On which thou neuer labour didst bestow Thou neuer gauest it life or power to grow But sodeinly it sprung and sodeinly dide And should not I haue great compassion On
iudgement of my God I should incite them more to follow sinne And publish to the world my countries blame It may not be my conscience tels me no. Ah Ionas wilt thou proue rebellious then Consider ere thou fall what errour is My minde misgiues to Ioppa will I flée And for a while to Tharsus shape my course Untill the Lord vnfret his angry browes Enter certaine Merchants of Tharsus a Maister and some Sailers M. Come one braue merchants now the wind doth serue And swéetly blowes a gale at West Southwest Our yardes a crosse our anchors on the pike What shall we hence and take this merry gale Mer. Sailers conuey our budgets strait aboord And we will recompence your paines at last If once in safetie we may Tharsus sée M. wée le feast these merry mates and thée M. Mean-while content your selues with silly cates Our beds are boordes our feasts are full of mirth We vse no pompe we are the Lords of sée When Princes swet in care we swincke of glée Orious shoulders and the pointers serue To be our load-stars in the lingering night The beauties of Arcturus we behold And though the Sailer is no booke-man held He knowes more Art then euer booke-men read Sailer By heauens well said in honour of our trade Le ts sée the proudest scholler stir his course Or shift his tides as silly sailers do Then wil we yéeld them praise else neuer none Mer. Well spoken fellow in thine owne behalfe But let vs hence wind tarries none you wot And tide and time let slip is hardly got M. March to the hauen merchants I follow you Ionas Now doth occasion further my desires I finde companions fit to aide my flight Staie sir I pray and heare a word or two M. Say on good friend but briefly if you please My passengers by this time are aboord Ionas Whether pretend you to imbarke your selues M. To Tharsus sir and here in Ioppa hauen Our ship is prest and readie to depart Ionas May I haue passage for my mony then M. What not for mony pay ten siluerlings You are a welcome guest if so you please Ionas Hold take thy hire I follow thée my friend M. Where is your budget let me beare it sir. Ionas To one in peace who saile as I do now Put trust in him who succoureth euery want Exeunt Ose. When Prophets new inspirde presume to force And tie the power of heauen to their conceits When feare promotion pride or simony Ambition subtill craft their thoughts disguise Woe to the flocke whereas the shepheards foule For lo the Lord at vnawares shall plague The carelesse guide because his flocks do stray The axe alreadie to the tree is set Beware to tempt the Lord ye men of art Enter Alcon Thrasibulus Samia Clesiphon a lad Clesi. Mother some meat or else I die for want Samia Ah litle boy how glad thy mother would Supply thy wants but naked néed denies Thy fathers slender portion in this world By vsury and false deceit is lost No charitie within this Citie bides All for themselues and none to helpe the poore Clesi. Father shall Clesiphon haue no reliefe Alcon Faith my boy I must be flat with thée we must féed vpon prouerbes now As necessitie hath no law a churles feast is better then none at all for other remedies haue we none except thy brother Radagon helpe vs. Samia Is this thy slender care to helpe our childe Hath nature armde thée to no more remorse Ah cruell man vnkind and pittilesse Come Clesiphon my boy I le beg for thée Clesi. Oh how my mothers mourning moueth me Alcon Nay you shall paie mée interest for getting the boye wife before you carry him hence Ah-lasse woman what can Alcon do more I le plucke the belly out of my heart for thée fwéete Samia be not so waspish Samia Ah silly man I know thy want is great And foolish I to craue where nothing is Haste Alcon haste make haste vnto our sonne Who since he is in fauour of the King May helpe this haplesse Gentleman and vs. For to regaine our goods from tyrants hands Thra. Haue patience Samia waight your weale from heauen Tho Gods haue raisde your sonne I hope for this To succour innocents in their distresse Enters Radagon Solus Lo where he comes from the imperiall Court Go let vs prostrate vs before his féete Alcon Nay by my troth I le neuer aske my sonne blessing che trow cha taught him his lesson to know his father what sonne Radagon yfaith boy how doest thée Rada Uillaine disturbe me not I cannot stay Alcon Tut'sonne I le helpe you of that disease quickly for I can hold thée aske thy mother knaue what cunning I haue to ease a woman when a qualme of kindnesse come too neare her stomacke Let me but claspe mine armes about her bodie and saie my praiers in her bosome and she shall be healed presently Rada Traitor vnto my Princely Maiestie How dar'st thou laie thy hands vpon a King Samia No Traitor Radagon but true is he What hath promotion bleared thus thine eye To scorne thy father when he visits thee Ah-lasse my sonne behold with ruthfull eyes Thy parents robd of all their worldly weale By subtile meanes of Usurie and guile The Iudges eares are deaffe and shut vp close All mercie sléepes then be thou in these plundges A patron to thy mother in her paines Behold thy brother almost dead for foode Oh succour vs that first did succour thee Rada What succour me false callet hence auant Old dotard pack moue not my patience I know you not Kings neuer looke so low Samia You know vs not Oh Radagon you know That knowing vs you know your parents then Thou knowst this wombe first brought thée forth to light I know these paps did foster thée my sonne Alcon And I know he hath had many a péece of bread chéese at my hands as proud as he is that know I. Thracib I waight no hope of succours in this place Where children hold their fathers in disgrace Rada Dare you enforce the furrowes of reuenge Within the browes of royall Radagon Uillaine auant hence beggers with your brats Marshall why whip you not these rogues away That thus disturbe our royall Maiestie Clesiphon Mother I sée it is a wondrous thing From base estate for to become a King For why méethinke my brother in these fits Hath got a kingdome and hath lost his wits Rada Yet more contempt before my royaltie Slaues fetch out tortures worse then Titius plagues And teare their toongs from their blasphemous heads Thrasi. I le get me gone tho woe begon with griefe No hope remaines come Alcon let vs wend. Ra. T were best you did for feare you catch your bane Samia Nay Traitor I wil haunt thée to the death Ungratious sonne vntoward and peruerse I le fill the heauens with ecchoes of thy pride And ring in euery eare thy small regard That doest despise thy parents in
their wants And breathing forth my soule before thy féete My curses still shall haunt thy hatefull head And being dead my ghost shall thée pursue Enter Rasni King of Assiria attended on by his sooth-sayers and Kings Rasni How now what meane these outcries in our Court Where nought should sound but harmonies of heauen What maketh Radagon so passionate Samia Iustice O King iustice against my sonne Rasni Thy sonne what sonne Samia This cursed Radagon Rada Dread Monarch this is but a lunacie Which griefe and want hath brought the woman to What doth this passion hold you euerie Moone Samia Oh polliticke in sinne and wickednesse Too impudent for to delude thy Prince Oh Rasni this same wombe first brought him foorth This is his father worne with care and age This is his brother poore vnhaphie lad And I his mother though contemn'd by him With tedious toyle we got our litle good And brought him vp to schoole with mickle charge Lord how we ioy'd to sée his towardnesse And to our selues we oft in silence said This youth when we are old may succour vs. But now preferd and lifted vp by thée UUe quite destroyed by cursed vsurie He scorneth me his father and this childe Clesi. He plaies the Serpent right describ'd in Aesopes tale That sought the Fosters death that lately gaue him life Alcon Nay and please your Maiesti-ship for proofe he was my childe search the parish booke the Clarke wil sweare it his godfathers and godmothers can witnesse it it cost me fortie pence in ale and cakes on the wiues at his christning Hence proud King thou shalt neuer more haue my blessing He takes him apart Rasni Say sooth in secret Radagon Is this thy father Rada Mightie King he is I blushing tell it to your Maiestie Ras. Thy dost thou then contemne him his friends Rada Because he is a base and abiect swaine My mother and her brat both beggarly Unméete to be allied vnto a King Should I that looke on Rasnes countenance And march amidst his royall equipage Embase my selfe to speake to such as they T were impious so to impaire the loue That mightie Rasni beares to Radagon I would your grace would quit them from your sight That dare presume to looke on Ioues compare Rasni I like thy pride I praise thy pollicie Such should they be that wait vpon my Court. Let me alone to answere Radagon Uillaines seditious traitors as you be That scandalize the honour of a King Depart my Court you stales of impudence Unlesse you would be parted from your limmes So base for to intitle father-hood To Rasnes friend to Rasnes fauourite Rada Hence begging scold hence caitiue clogd with yeares On paine of death reuisit not the Court. UUas I conceiu'd by such a scuruie trull Or brought to light by such a lump of dirt Go Lossell trot it to the cart and spade Thou art vnméete to looke vpon a King Much lesse to be the father of a King Alcon You may sée wife what a goodly péece of worke you haue made haue I tought you Arsmetry as additiori multiplicarum the rule of thrée and all for the begetting of a boy and to be banished for my labour O pittifull hearing Come Clesiphon follow me Clesi. Brother beware I oft haue heard it told That sonnes who do their fathers scorne shall beg when they be old Exet Alcon Clesiphon Radagon Hence bastard boy for feare you taste the whip Samia Oh all you heauens and you eternall powers That sway the sword of iustice in your hands If mothers curses for her sonnes contempt May fill the ballance of your furie full Powre downe the tempest of your direfull plagues Upon the head of cursed Radagon Vpon this praier she departeth and a flame of fire appeareth from beneath and Radagon is swallowed So you are iust now triumph Samia Exet Samia Rasni What exorcising charme or hatefull hag Hath rauished the pride of my delight What tortuous planets or maleuolent Conspiring power repining destenie Hath made the concaue of the earth vnclose And shut in ruptures louely Radagon If I be Lord-commander of the cloudes King of the earth and Soueraigne of the seas What daring Saturne from his fierie denne Doth dart these furious flames amidst my Court I am not chiefe there is more great then I What greater then Th'assirian Satrapos It may not be and yet I feare there is That hath bereft me of my Radagon Soothsaier Monarch and Potentate of all our Prouinces Muse not so much vpon this accident Which is indeed nothing miraculous The hill of Scicely dread Soueraigne Sometime on sodaine doth euacuate Whole flakes of fire and spues out from below The smoakie brands that Vulueus bellowes driue Whether by windes inclosed in the earth Or fracture of the earth by riuers force Such chances as was this are often séene Whole Cities suncke whole Countries drowned quite Then muse not at the losse of Radagon But frolicke with the dalliance of your loue Let cloathes of purple set with studdes of gold Embellished with all the pride of earth Be spred for Aluida to sit vpon Then thou like Mars courting the quéene of loue Maist driue away this melancholy fit Rasni The proofe is good and philosophicall And more thy counsaile plausible and swéete Come Lords though Rasni wants his Radagon Earth will repaie him many Radagons And Aluida with pleasant lookes reuiue The heart that droupes for want of Radagon Exeunt Oseas When disobedience raigneth in the childe And Princes eares by flattery be beguilde When lawes do passe by fauour not by truth When falshood swarmeth both in old and youth When gold is made a god to wrong the poore And charitie exilde from rich mens doore When men by wit do labour to disproue The plagues for sinne sent downe by God aboue Where great mens eares are stop to good aduice And apt to heare those tales that feed their vice Woe to the land for from the East shall rise A lambe of peace the scourge of vanities The iudge of truth the patron of the iust Who soone will laie presumption in the dust And giue the humble poore their hearts desire And doome the worldlings to eternall fire Repent all you that heare for feare of plagues O London this and more doth swarme in thee Repent repent for why the Lord doth see With trembling pray and mend what is amisse The swoord of iustice drawne alreadie is Enter the Clowne and the Smiths wife Clowne UUhy but heare you mistresse you know a womans eies are like a paire of pattens fit to saue shooleather in sommer and to kéepe away the cold in winter so you may like your husband with the one eye because you are married and me with the other because I am your man Alasse alasse think mistresse what a thing loue is why it is like to an ostry fagot that once set on fire is as hardly quenched as the bird Crocodill driuen out of her neast Wife Thy Adam cannot a