could make a bloudy feast Of his owne sonne and call the gods his guests Her 's that could kill her aged Sire and cast Her brothers scatter'd limbs to Wolves and Vultures Or his that slew his father to enjoy His mothers bed and greater then all those My fathers Devill Come mischiefe I embrace thee fill my soule And thou revenge ascend and beare the Scepter O're all my other passions banish thence All that are coole and tame Know old Tyrant My heart 's to big to breake I know thy feares Exceed my sufferings and my revenge Though but in hope is much a greater pleasure Then thou canst take in punishing Then my anger Sinke to the Center of my heart and there Lye close in ambush till my seeming patience Hath made the cruell Tyrant as secure Though with as little cause as now hee 's jealous Whos 's there Enter two or three I finde my nature would returne To her old course I feele an inclination To some repose welcome thou pleasing slumber A while embrace me in thy leaden armes And charme my carefull thoughts Conduct me to my bed Exit Enter King Haly and Caliph King How doe's the Prince how beares he his restraint Ha. Why Sir as all great spirits Beare great and sudden changes with such impatience As a Numidian Lyon when first caught Endures the toyle that holds him He would thinke of nothing But present death and sought all violent meanes To compasse it But time hath mitigated Those furious heats he now returnes to food And sleepe admits the conversation Of those that are about him King I would I had not So easily beleev'd my feares I was too sudden I would it were undone Cal. If you lament it That which now lookes like Justice will be thought An inconsiderate rashnesse King But there are in nature Such strong returnes that I punish't him I doe not grieve but that he was my sonne Ha. But it concernes you to beare up your passion And make it good for if the people know That you have cause to grieve for what is done They 'le thinke you had no cause at first to doe it King to the Ca. Go visit him from me and teach him patience Since neither all his furie nor my sorrow Can helpe what 's past tell him my severitie To him shall in some measure be requited By my indulgence to his children And if he desire it Let them have accesse to him endeavour to take off His thoughts from revenge by telling him of Paradise and I know not what pleasures In the other world Cal. I shall Sir Exit King and Ca. Man Ha. Enter Mirvan Ha. Mirvan the King relents and now there 's left No refuge but the last he must be poysoned And suddenly lest he survive his father Mir. But handsomely lest it appeare Ha. Appeare To whom you know there 's none about him But such as I have plac't and they shall say 'T was discontent or abstinence Mir. But at the best 'T will be suspected Ha. Why though 't be knowne Wee 'le say he poysoned himselfe Mir. But the curious will pry further Then bare report and the old Kings suspitions Have piercing eyes Ha. But those nature Will shortly close you see his old disease Growes strong upon him Mir. But if he should recover Ha. But I have cast his nativitie he cannot he must not I' th' meane time I have so besieg'd him So block't up all the passages and plac't So many Centinels and Guards upon him That no intelligence can be convey'd But by my instruments But this businesse will require More heads and hands then ours Goe you to the prison And bring the Keeper privately to me To give him his instructions Ex. severall wayes Enter Prince and Caliph Cal. Sir I am commanded by the King To visite you Prince What to give a period to my life And to his feares You 're welcome here 's a throat A heart or any other part ready to let In death and receive his commands Ca. My Lord I am no messenger nor minister of death 'T is not my function Prince I should know that voyce Ca. I am the Caliph and am come to tell you your father Is now returned to himselfe Nature ha's got The victory o're passion all his rigour Is turn'd to griefe and pitty Prince Alas good man I pitty him and his infirmities His doubts and feares and accidents of age Which first provok't his crueltie Ca. He bid me tell you His love to yours should amply recompence His cruelty to you And I dare say 't is reall For all his thoughts his pleasures and delights Are fixt on Fatyma when he is sad She comforts him when sicke shee 's his Physitian And were it not for the delight he takes In her I thinke hee 'de dye with sorrow Prince But how are his affections fixt so strangely On her alone sure 't is not in his nature For then he had lov'd me or hated her Because she came from me Ca. 'T is her desert Shee 's faire beyond comparison and witty Above her age and beares a manly spirit Above her sexe Prince But may not I admire her Is that too great a happinesse pray let her make it Her next suit to be permitted to visit me her selfe Ca. She shall Sir I joy to see your minde So well compos'd I fear'd I should have found A tempest in your soule and came to lay it I 'le to the King I know to him that newes will be Most acceptable Prince Pray doe and tell him I have cast off all my passions and am now A man againe fit for societie And conversation Ca. I will Sir Exit Prince I never knew my selfe till now how on the sudden I 'me growne an excellent dissembler to out-doe One at the first that ha's practiz'd it all his life So now I am my selfe againe what is 't I feele within me thinkes some vaste designe Now takes possession of my heart and swels My labouring thoughts above the common bounds Of humane actions something full of horror My soule hath now decreed my heart does beat As if 't were forging thunderbolts for Jove To strike the Tyrant dead so now I have it I have it 't is a gallant mischiefe Worthy my father or my fathers sonne All his delight 's in Fatyma poore innocent But not more innocent then I and yet My father loves thee and that 's crime enough By this act old Tyrant I shall be quit with thee while I was vertuous I was a stranger to thy bloud but now Sure thou wilt love me for this horrid crime It is so like thy owne In this I 'me sure Although in nothing else I am thy sonne But when 't is done I leave him yet that remedie I take my selfe Revenge but I aswell Will rob him of his anger as his joy And having sent her to the shades I 'le follow her But to returne againe and dwell In his dire thoughts for there 's
THE SOPHY As it was acted at the Private House in Black Friars by his Majesties Servants LONDON Printed by Richard Hearne for Thomas Walkley and are to be sold at his shop at the Signe of the Flying Horse betweene York-house and Britaines Burse 1642 The Prologue HIther yee come dislike and so undo The Players and disgrace the Poet too But he protests against your votes and sweares Hee 'll not be try'd by any but his Peeres He claimes his priviledge and sayes 't is fit Nothing should be the Iudge of wit but Wit Now you will all be Wits and be I pray And you that discommend it mend the Play 'T is the best satisfaction he knowes then His turne will come to laugh at you agen But Gentlemen if yee dislike the Play Pray make no words on 't till the second day Or third be past For we would have you know it The losse will fall on us not on the Poet For he writes not for money nor for praise Nor to be call'd a Wit nor to weare Bayes Cares not for frownes or smiles so now you 'll say Then why the Devill did he write a Play He sayes 't was then with him as now with you He did it when he had nothing else to doe The Epilogue 'T Is done and we alive agen and now There is no Tragedie but in your brow And yet our Author hopes you are pleas'd if not This having fail'd he has a second Plot 'T is this the next day send us in your frends Then laugh at them and make your selves amends Thus whether it be good or bad yet you May please your selves and you may please us too But look you please the Poet lest he vow A full revenge upon you all but how 'T is not to kill you all twentie a day Hee 'll do 't at once a more compendious way He meanes to write againe but so much worse That seeing that you 'll think it a just curse For censuring this 'faith give him your applause As you give Beggars money for no cause But that hee 's troublesome and he has swore As Beggars do hee 'll trouble you no more Actors Scena Persia ABBAS King of Persia MIRZA the Prince his Son ERYTHaeA the Princesse his wife HALY the Kings Favourite Enemies to the Prince MIRVAN Haly's Confident ABDALL Two Lords friends to the Prince MORAT CALIPH SOLYMAN a foolish Courtier SOFFY the Prince his son now King of Persia FATYMA his daughter 2 Turkish Bashawes 3 Captaines 2 Women Physician Tormentours THE SOPHY Actus Primus Enter Abdall and Moratt Mor. MY Lord you have good intelligence what newes From the Army any certainty Of their designe or strength Abd. We know not their designe But for their strength The disproportion is so great we cannot but Expect a fatall consequence Mor. How great my Lord Abd. The Turkes are fourescore thousand Foot And fiftie thousand Horse And we in the whole Excceed not forty thousand Mor. Mee-thinkes the Prince should know That Judgement 's more essentiall to a Generall Then Courage if he prove victorious 'T is but a happie rashnesse Abd. But if he lose the battaile 't is an error Beyond excuse or remedy considering That halfe the lesser Asia will follow The Victors fortune Mor. 'T is his single vertue And terror of his name that walls us in From danger were he lost the naked Empire Would be a prey expos'd to all Invaders Abd. But is 't not necessary The King should know his danger Mor. To tell him of so great a danger Were but to draw a greater on our selves For though his eye is open as the mornings Towards lusts and pleasures yet so fast a lethargie Has seiz'd his powers towards publike cares and dangers He sleepes like death Abd. Hee 's a man of that strange composition Made up of all the worst extremities Of youth and age Mor. And though He feeles the heats of youth and colds of age Yet neither tempers nor corrects the other As if there were an Ague in his nature That still inclines to one extreame Abd. But the Caliph or Haly or some that know His softer houres might best acquaint him with it Mor. Alas they shew him nothing But in the glasse of flatterie if any thing May beare a shew of glory fame or greatnesse 'T is multiplyed to an immense quantitie And stretch't even to Divinitie But if it tend to danger or dishonour They turne about the Perspective and shew it So little at such distance so like nothing That he can scarce discerne it Abd. 'T is the fate of Princes that no knowledge Comes pure to them but passing through the eyes And eares of other men it takes a tincture From every channell And still beares a rellish Of Flatterie or private ends Mor. But danger and necessitie Dare speake the truth Abd. But commonly They speake not till it is too late And for Haly He that shall tell him of the Princes danger But tells him that himselfe is safe Scaena Secunda Enter King Princesse and Solyman King Cleare up cleare up sweet Erythaea That cloud that hangs upon thy brow presages A greater storme then all the Turkish power Can throw upon us me-thinkes I see my fortune Setling her looks by thine and in thy smile Sits victory and in thy frowne our ruine Why should not hope As much erect our thoughts as feare deject them Why should we Anticipate our sorrowes 'T is like those That die for feare of death What is 't you doubt his courage or his fortune Princesse Envy it selfe could never doubt his courage King Then let not love doe worse by doubting that Which is but valours slave a wise well-temper'd valour For such is his those Gyants death and danger Are but his Ministers and serve a Master More to be fear'd then they and the blinde Goddesse Is led amongst the Captives in his triumph Princesse I had rather she had eyes for if she saw him Sure she would love him better but admit Shee were at once a Goddesse and his slave Yet fortune valour all is overborne By numbers as the long resisting Banke By the impetuous Torrent King That 's but rumour Ne're did the Turke invade our Territory But Fame and Terrour doubled still their files But when our troopes encountred then we found Scarce a sufficient matter for our fury But heark a Post Solyman conduct him in A Horne within 'T is surely from the Prince Enter Post and delivers a Letter King Give it our Secretaries I hope the Prince is well Post The Letter will informe you A Messenger Mess. Sir the Lords attend you Ex. Princesse Enter Lords King What newes from the Army Lords Please you to heare the Letter King Reade it Lords The Turke enraged with his last yeares overthrow Hath re-enforc't his Army with the choice of all his Janizars And the flowre of his whole Empire we Understand by some fugitives that he hath commanded The Generalls to returne with victory
or expect A shamefull death what I shall further do Their numbers five times exceeding ours I desire to receive directions from your Majesties command King Let twenty thousand men be raised Let fresh supplyes of victuals and of money Be sent with speed Lords Sir your Treasures Are quite exhausted the Exchequer 's empty King Talke not to me of Treasures or Exchequers Send for five hundred of the wealthiest Burgers Their shops and ships are my Exchequer Abd. 'T were better you you could say their hearts Abd. aside Sir upon your late demands They answered they were poore King Sure the Villaines hold a correspondence With the enemie and thus they would betray us First give us up to want then to contempt And then to ruine but tell those sonnes of earth I le have their money or their heads Winde a horne 'T is my command when such occasions are No Plea must serve 't is cruelty to spare Another Post Exit Lords King The Prince transported with his youthfull heat I feare hath gone too farre 'T is some disaster Or else he would not send so thicke well bring him in I am prepar'd to heare the worst of evils Enter Solyman and two Captaines Cap. kisses his hand King What is the Prince besieged in his Trenches And must have speedy ayd or die by famine Or hath he rashly try'd the chance of warre And lost his Army and his Liberty Tell me what Province they demand for ransome Or if the worst of all mishaps hath fallen Speake for he could not die unlike himselfe Speak freely and yet me-thinkes I reade Something of better fortune in thy lookes But dare not hope it Cap. Sir the Prince lives King And hath not lost his honour Cap. As safe in honour as in life King Nor liberty Cap. Free as the aire he breathes King Returne with speed Tell him he shall have money victuals men With all the haste they can be levyed Farewell Offers to goe Cap. But Sir I have one word more King Then be briefe Cap. So now you are prepar'd and I may venture King What is 't Cap. Sir a Fathers love mixt with a Princes care This shewing dangers greater and that nearer Have rais'd your feares too high and those remov'd Too suddenly would let in such a deluge Of joy as might oppresse your aged spirits Which made me gently first remove your feares That so you might have roome to entertaine Your fill of joy Your sonn 's a Conquerour King Delude me not with fained hopes false joyes It cannot be And if he can but make A faire Retreat I shall account it more Then all his former conquests those huge numbers Arm'd with despaire the flower of all the Empire Cap. Sir I have not us'd to tell you tales or fables And why should you suspect your happinesse Being so constant On my life 't is true Sir King Well I le no more suspect My fortune nor thy faith Thou and thy newes most welcome Solyman Goe call the Princesse and the Lords they shall Participate our joyes as well as cares Enter Princesse and Lords King Faire daughter blow away those mists and clouds And let thy eyes shine forth in their full lustre Invest them with thy loveliest smiles put on Thy choycest lookes hee 's comming will deserve them Princesse What is the Prince return'd with safety 't is above Beleefe or hope King I sweet Erythaea Laden with spoyles and honour all thy feares Thy wakefull terrors and affrighting dreames Thy morning sighes and evening teares have now Their full rewards And you my Lords Prepare for Masques and Triumphs Let no circumstance Be wanting that becomes The greatnesse of our State or Joy Behold he comes Enter Prince with Captaines and two Captive Bashawes King Welcome brave sonne as welcome to thy father As Phoebus was to Iove when he had slaine Th' ambitious Gyants that assayl'd the skie And as my power resembles that of Ioves So shall thy glory like high Phoebus shine As bright and as immortall Prince Great Sir all acquisition Of Glory as of Empire here I lay before Your Royall feet happy to be the Instrument To advance either Sir I challenge nothing But am an humble suitor for these prisoners The late Commanders of the Turkish powers Whose valours have deserv'd a better fortune King Then what hath thine deserv'd th' are thine brave Mirzah Worthy of all thy Royall Ancestors And all those many Kindomes which their vertue Or got or kept though thou hadst not beene borne to 't But daughter still your lookes are sad No longer I le deferre your joyes goe take him Into thy chaste embrace and whisper to him That welcome which those blushes promise Exit King Prince My Erythaea why entertain'st thou with so sad a brow My long desir'd return thou wast wont With kisses and sweet smiles to welcome home My victories though bought with sweat and bloud And long expected Princesse Pardon Sir 'T is with our soules As with our eyes that after a long darknesse Are dazled at the approach of sudden light When i' th' midst of feares we are surpriz'd With unexpected happinesse the first Degrees of joy are meere astonishment And 't was so lately in a dreadfull dreame I saw my Lord so neare destruction Deprived of his eyes a wretched Captive Then shriekt my selfe awake then slept againe And dreamt the same my ill presaging fancy Suggesting still 't was true Prince Then I forgive thy sadnesse since love caus'd it For love is full of feares and feare the shadow Of danger like the shadow of our bodies Is greater then when that which is the cause Is farthest off Princesse But still there 's something That checks my joyes Nor can I yet distinguish Which is the apparition this or that Prince An apparition At night I shall resolve that doubt and make Thy dreames more pleasing Enter Haly and Mirvan Mir. The time has beene my Lord When I was no such stranger to your thoughts You were not wont to weare upon your brow A frowne or smile but still have thought me worthy At least to know the cause Ha. 'T is true Thy breast hath ever beene the Cabinet Where I have lockt my secrets Mir. And did you ever finde That any art could picke the locke or power Could force it open Ha. No I have ever found thee Trusty and secret But is 't observ'd i' th' Court That I am sad Mir. Observ'd 't is all mens wonder and discourse That in a Joy so great so universall You should not beare a part Ha. Discour'st of too Mir. Nothing but treason More commonly more boldly spoken So singular a sadnesse Must have a cause as strange as the effect And griefe conceal'd like hidden fire consumes Which flaming out would call in helpe to quench it Ha. But since thou canst not mend it To let thee know it will but make thee worse Silence and time shall cure it Mir. But in diseases when the cause is knowne 'T is more
Forfeit thy future safety I le be your reconciler call him hither Ha. Oh Sir I wish he were within my call or yours King Why where is he Ha. He has left the Court Sir King I like not these excursions why so suddenly Ha. 'T is but a sally of youth yet some say hee 's discontented King That grates my heart-strings What should discontent him Except he thinke I live too long Ha. Heaven forbid And yet I know no cause of his departure I 'me sure hee 's honoured and lov'd by all The Souldiers god the peoples Idoll King I Haly The Persians still worship the rising sunne But who went with him Ha. None but the Captaines King The Captaines I like not that Ha. Never feare it Sir 'T is true they love him but as their Generall not their Prince And though he be most forward and ambitious 'T is temper'd with so much humility King And so much the more dangerous There are some that use Humilitie to serve their pride and seeme Humble upon their way to be the prouder At their wisht journeys end Ha. Sir I know not What wayes or ends you meane 't is true In popular States or where the Princes Title Is weake and must be propt by the peoples power There by familiar wayes 't is necessary To winne on mens affections But none of these Can be his end King But there 's another end For if his glories rise upon the ruines Of mine why not his greatnesse too Ha. True Sir Ambition is like love impatient Both of delayes and rivalls But Nature King But Empire Ha. I had almost forgot Sir he has A suit to your Majestie King What is 't Ha. To give the Turkish prisoners some command In the next action King Nay then 't is too apparent He feares my Subjects loyaltie And now must call in strangers come deale plainly I know thou canst discover more Ha. I can discover Sir The depth of your great judgement in such dangers King What shall I doe Haly Ha. Your wisdome is so great it were presumption for me to advise King Well wee 'le consider more of that but for the present Let him with speed be sent for Mahomet I thanke thee I have one faithfull servant honest Haly Exit King Enter Mirvan Mir. How did he take it Ha. Swallow'd it as greedily As parched earth drinkes raine Now the first part of our designe is over His ruine but the second our securitie Must now be thought on Mir. My Lord you are too sudden though his furie Determine rashly yet his colder feare Before it executes consults with reason And that not satisfied with shewes or shadowes Will aske to be convinc't by something reall Now must we frame some plot and then discover it Ha. Or intercept some letter which our selves Had forg'd before Mir. And still admire the miracle And thanke the providence Ha. Then we must draw in some body To be the publique Agent that may stand 'Twixt us and danger and the peoples envy Mir. Who fitter then the grand Caliph And he shall set a grave religious face Upon the businesse Ha. But if we cannot worke him For hee 's so full of foolish scruples Or if he should prove false and then betray us Mir. Betray us sure my Lord your feare ha's blinded Your understanding for what serves the King Will not his threats worke more then our perswasions While we looke on and laugh and seeme as ignorant As unconcern'd and thus appearing friends To either side on both may worke our ends Enter Mess. Mess. My Lord the Turkish Bashawes Desire accesse Ha. Admit 'em I know their businesse Mir. They long to heare with what successe you mov'd The King in their behalfe Ha. But now they 're come I 'le make 'em doe my businesse Better then I did theirs Mir. Leave us a while Exit Mir. Enter two Bashawes Ha. My Lords my duty and affection to the Prince And the respects I owe to men of honour Extort a secret from me which yet I grieve to utter The Prince departing left to me the care Of your affaires which I as he commanded Have recommended to the King but with so unlookt for A successe 1. Bas. My Lord feare not to speake our doome while we Feare not to heare it we were lost before And can be ready now to meet that fate We then expected Ha. Though he that brings unwelcome newes Ha's but a losing Office yet he that shewes Your danger first and then your way to safety May heale that wound he made you know the King With jealous eyes hath ever look't awry On his sonnes actions but the fame and glory Of the last warre hath rais'd another spirit Envy and Jealousie are twin'd together Yet both lay hid in his dissembled smiles Like two concealed serpents till I unhappy I Moving this question trod upon them both And rouz'd their sleeping angers then casting from him His doubts and straight confirm'd in all his feares Decrees to you a speedy death to his owne sonne A close restraint but what will follow I dare not thinke you by a sudden flight may finde your safety 2. Bas. Sir Death and we are not such strangers That we should make dishonour or ingratitude The price of life it was the Princes gift And we but weare it for his sake and service Ha. Then for his sake and service Pray follow my advice though you have lost the favour Of your unworthy master yet in the Provinces You lately governed you have those dependances And interests that you may raise a power To serve the Prince I 'le give him timely notice To stand upon his guard 1. Bas. My Lord we thanke you But we must give the Prince intelligence Both when and how to imploy us Ha. If you will write Commit it to my care and secrecie To see it safe convey'd 2. Bas. We shall my Lord Exit Ha. These men were once the Princes foes and then Unwillingly they made him great but now Being his friends shall willingly undoe him And which is more be still his friends What little Arts governe the world we need not An armed enemy or corrupted friend When service but misplac't or love mistaken Performes the worke nor is this all the use I 'le make of them when once they are in armes Their Master shall be wrought to thinke these forces Rays'd against him and this shall so endeare me To him that though dull vertue and the gods O'recome my subtle mischiefe I may finde A safe retreat and may at least be sure If not more mighty to be more secure Exeunt Finis Act. Secundi Actus Tertius Scena Prima Enter King and Haly. King But Haly what confederates ha's the Prince In his conspiracie Ha. Sir I can yet suspect None but the Turkish prisoners and that onely From their late sudden flight King Are they fled for what Ha. That their owne feares best know their entertainment I 'me sure was such as could not
minister Suspition or dislike but sure they 're conscious Of some intended mischiefe and are fled To put it into act King This still confirmes me more But let 'em be pursu'd let all the passages Be well secur'd that no intelligence May passe betweene the Prince and them Ha. It shall be done Sir King Is the Caliph prepar'd Ha. Hee 's without Sir And waytes your pleasure King Call him Enter Haly and Caliph King I have a great designe to act in which The greatest part is thine In briefe 't is this I feare my sonnes high spirit and suspect Designes upon my life and Crowne Ca. Sure Sir your feares are causelesse Such thoughts are strangers to his noble soule King No 't is too true I must prevent my danger And make the first attempt there 's no such way To avoyde a blow as to strike first and sure Ca. But Sir I hope my function shall exempt me From bearing any part in such designes King Your function Laugh's do you thinke that Princes Will raise such men so neare themselves for nothing We but advance you to advance our purposes Nay even in all religions Their learnedst and their seeming holiest men but serve To worke their masters ends and varnish o're Their actions with some specious pious colour No scruples doo 't or by our holy Prophet The death my rage intends to him is thine Ca. Sir 't is your part to will mine to obey King Then be wise and suddaine Enter Lords as to Councell Ab. Mor. Ca. My Lords it grieves me to relate the cause Of this Assembly and 't will grieve you all The Prince you know stands high in all those graces Which Nature seconded by fortune gives Wisedome he ha's and to his wisedome courage Temper to that and unto all successe But Ambition the disease of Vertue bred Like surfets from an undigested fulnesse Meets death in that which is the meanes of life Great Mahomet to whom our Soveraigne life And Empire is most deare appearing thus Advis'd me in a vision Tell the King The Prince his sonne attempts his life and Crowne And though no creature lives that more admires His vertues nor affects his person more Then I yet zeale and duty to my Soveraigne Have cancel'd all respects nor must we slight The Prophets revelations Abd. Remember Sir he is your sonne Indeared to you by a double bond As to his King and father And the remembrance of that double bond Doubles my sorrowes 'T is true Nature and duty binde him to obedience But those being placed in a lower sphere His fierce ambition like the highest mover Ha's hurried with a strong impulsive motion Against their proper course But since he has forgot The duty of a sonne I can forget The affections of a father Abd. But Sir in the beginning of diseases None trye the extreamest remedies King But when they 're suddaine The cure must be as quicke when I 'me dead you 'le say My feares have beene too slow Treasons are acted Assoone as thought though they are ne're beleeved Untill they come to act Mor. But consider Sir The greatnesse of the attempt the people love him The lookers on and the enquiring vulgar Will talke themselves to action thus by avoyding A danger but suppos'd you tempt a reall one King Those Kings whom envy or the peoples murmure Deterres from their owne purposes deserve not Nor know not their owne greatnesse The peoples murmure 't is a sulphurous vapour Breath'd from the bowels of the basest earth And it may soyle and blast things neare it selfe But ere it reach the region we are plac't in It vanishes to ayre we are above The sence or danger of such stormes Cap. True Sir they are but stormes while Royaltie Stands like a Rocke and the tumultuous vulgar Like billowes rais'd with winde that 's with opinion May roare and make a noyse and threaten But if they rowle too neare they 're dash't in pieces While they stand firme Abd. Yet Sir Crownes are not plac't so high But vulgar hands may reach 'em King Then 't is when they are plac't on vulgar heads Abd. But Sir Looke backe upon your selfe why should your sonne Anticipate a hope so neare so certaine we may wish and pray For your long life But neither prayers nor power Can alter Fates decree or Natures Law Why should he ravish then that Diadem From your gray temples which the hand of time Must shortly plant on his King My Lords I see you looke upon me as a sunne Now in his West halfe buryed in a cloud Whose rayes the vapours of approaching night Have rendred weake and faint But you shall finde That I can yet shoot beames whose heat can melt The waxen wings of this ambitious boy Nor runnes my bloud so cold nor is my arme So feeble yet but he that dares defend him Shall feele my vengeance and shall usher me Into my grave Ab. Sir we defend him not Onely desire to know his crime 'T is possible It may be some mistake or mis-report Some false suggestion or malicious scandall Or if ambition be his fault 't was yours He had it from you when he had his beeing Nor was 't his fault nor yours for 't is in Princes A crime to want it from a noble spirit Ambition can no more be separated Then heat from fire Or if you feare the vision Will you suspect the noble Prince because This holy man is troubled in his sleepe Because his crazie stomack wants concoction And breedes ill fumes or his melancholy spleene Sends up fantastick vapours to his braine Dreames are but dreames these causelesse feares become not Your noble soule King Who speakes another word Hath spoke his last Great Mahomet we thanke thee Protector of this Empire and this life Thy cares have met my feares this on presumptions Strong and apparent I have long presag'd And though a Prince may punish what he feares Without account to any but the Gods Wise States as often cuts off ills that may be As those that are and prevent purposes Before they come to practise and foule practises Before they grow to Act you cannot but observe How he dislikes the Court his rude departure His honour from the people and the souldiers His seeking to oblige the Turkes his prisoners Their sudden and suspected flight And above all his restlesse towring thoughts A Horne winded without King If the businesse be important Admit him Enter Post with a Letter Post Sir upon your late command To guard the passages and search all packets This to the Prince was intercepted King opens it and reades it to himselfe King Here Abdall reade it Abdall reades The Letter Ab. reades Sir we are assured how unnaturally your fathers intentions Are towards you and how cruell towards us we have Made an escape not so much to seeke our owne As to be instruments of your safety We will be In armes upon the borders upon your command Either to seeke danger with you or to
receive you If you please to seeke safety with us King Now my Lords Alas my feares are causelesse and ungrounded Fantastick dreames and melancholike fumes Of crazie stomacks and distempered braines Has this convinc't you Mor. Sir we see Some reason you should feare but whom we know not 'T is possible these Turkes may play the Villaines Knowing the Prince the life of all our hopes Staffe of your age and pillar of your Empire And having fail'd by force may use this Art To ruine him and by their treason here To make their peace at home Now should this prove a truth when he ha's suffred Death or disgrace which are to him the same 'T will be too late to say you were mistaken And then to cry him mercy Sir we beseech you A while suspend your doome till time produce Her wonted off-spring Truth King And so expecting The event of what you thinke shall prove the experiment Of what I feare but since he is my sonne I cannot have such violent thoughts towards him As his towards me he onely shall remaine A prisoner till his death or mine enlarge him Exit Lords Man Haly. Solyman peepes in King Away away wee 're serious Sol. But not so serious to neglect your safety King Art thou in earnest Sol. Nay Sir I can be serious aswell as my betters King What 's the matter Sol. No I am an inconsiderable fellow and know nothing King Let 's heare that nothing then Sol. The Turkes Sir King What of them Sol. When they could not overcome you by force they 'le Doe it by treacherie King As how Sol. Nay I can see as farre into a milstone as another man They have corrupted some ill-affected persons King What to doe Sol. To nourish Jealousies 'twixt you and your sonce King My sonne where is he Sol. They say hee 's posting hither King Haly we are betrayed prevented looke to the Ports and let The Guards be doubled how farre 's his Army hence Is the Citie in armes to joyne with him Sol. Armes and joyne with him I understand you not King Didst thou not say the Prince was comming Sol. I heard some foolish people say you had sent for Him as a Traytor which to my apprehension was on Purpose spoken to make you odious and him desperate And so divide the people into faction A Plot of Dangerous consequence as I take it Sir King And is this all thou sawcy trifling foole Away With him Haly. Sir this seeming foole is a concealed dangerous knave Under that safe disguise he thinks he may say or doe Any thing you 'le little thinke him the chiefe conspirator The onely spy t' informe the Prince of all is done in Court King Let him be rack't and tortur'd till he confesse The whole conspiracie Sol. Rack't and tortur'd I have told you all I know and more There 's nothing more in me Sir but may be squeezed Out without racking onely a stoope or two of Wine And if there had not beene too much of that you had Not had so much of the other King That 's your cunning sirrah Sol. Cunning Sir I am no Polititian and was ever thought to have Too little wit and too much honesty for a States-man Exit King Away with him Ha. But something must be done Sir to satisfie the people 'T is not enough to say he did designe Or plot or thinke but did attempt some violence And then some strange miraculous escape For which our Prophet must have publique thankes And this false colour shall delude the eyes Of the amazed vulgar King 'T is well advis'd Enter Mess. Mess. Sir His highnesse is return'd King And unconstrain'd But with what change of countenance Did he receive the message Mess. With some amazement But such as sprung from wonder not from feare It was so unexpected King Leave us Haly I ever found thee honest truer to me Then mine owne bloud and now 's the time to shew it For thou art he my love and trust hath chosen To put in action my designe surprise him As he shall passe the Galleries I 'le place A guard behind the Arras when thou hast him Since blinded with ambition he did soare Like a seel'd Dove his crime shall be his punishment To be depriv'd of sight which see perform'd With a hot steele Now as thou lov'st my safety Be resolute and suddaine Ha. 'T is severe But yet I dare not intercede it shall be done But is that word irrevocable King I as yeares or ages past relent not if thou do'st Exit King Enter Mirvan Mir. Why so melancholy is the designe discovered Ha. No but I am made the instrument That still endeavoured to disguise my plots With borrowed lookes and make 'em walke in darkenesse To act 'em now my selfe be made the marke For all the peoples hate the Princesse curses And his sonnes rage or the old Kings inconstancy For this to Tyranny belongs To forget service but remember wrongs Mir. But could not you contrive Some fine pretence to cast it on some other Ha. No he dares trust no other had I given But the least touch of any private quarrell My malice to his sonne not care of him Had then begot this service Mir. 'T is but t'other plot my Lord you know The King by other wives had many sonnes Soffy is but a childe and you already Command the Emperours Guard procure for me The governement o' th' Citie when he dies Urge how unfortunate those States have beene Whose Princes are but children then set the Crowne Upon some others head that may acknowledge And owe the Empire to your gift Ha. It shall be done Abdall who commands The Citie is the Princes friend and therefore Must be displac't and thou shalt straight succeed him Thou art my better Genius honest Mirvan Greatnesse we owe to fortune or to fate But wisedome onely can secure that state Ex. Enter Prince at one doore and Princesse at another Princesse You 're double welcome now my Lord your comming Was so unlook't for Prince To me I 'me sure it was Know'st thou the cause for sure it was important That calls me backe so suddenly Princesse I am so ignorant I knew not you were sent for Waking I know no cause but in my sleepe My fancy still presents such dreames and terrors As did Andromache's the night before Her Hector fell but sure 't is more then fancie Either our guardian Angels or the Gods Inspire us or some naturall instinct Fore-tells approaching dangers Prince How does my father Princesse Still talkes and playes with Fatyma but his mirth Is forc't and strain'd In his looke appeares A wilde distracted fiercenesse I can reade Some dreadfull purpose in his face but where This dismall cloud will breake and spend his furie I dare not thinke pray heaven make false his feares Sometimes his anger breakes through all disguises And spares nor gods nor men and then he seemes Jealous of all the world suspects and starts And looks
Will follow us Mor. Nobly resolv'd and either wee 'le restore The Prince or perish in the brave attempt Yee Gods since what we meane to execute Is your high office to avenge the innocent Assist us with a fortune equall to The justice of our action lest the world Should thinke it selfe deluded and mistrust That you want will or power to be just Ex. Enter Haly. Ha. 'T is done and 't was my master-piece to worke My safety 'twixt two dangerous extreames Now like a skilfull sayler have I past Scylla and Charybdis I have scap't the rocke Of steepe Ambition and the gulfe of Jealousie A danger lesse avoyded 'cause lesse fear'd Enter Mirvan Mir. What 's done my Lord Ha. Enough I warrant you imprison'd and depriv'd of sight Mir. No more this but provokes him can you thinke Your selfe secure and he alive Ha. The rest o' th' businesse will doe it selfe He can aswell endure a prison as a wilde Bull the net There let him struggle and toyle himselfe to death And save us so much envy Mir. But if his father should relent such injuries Can receive no excuse or colour but to be Transfer'd upon his Counsellors and then The forfeiture of them redeemes his errour Ha. We must set a marke upon his passion And as we finde it running low What ebbes from his into our rage shall flow Why should we be more wicked Then we must needes Mir. Nay if you sticke at conscience More gallant actions have beene lost for want of being Compleatly wicked then have beene perform'd By being exactly vertuous 'T is hard to be Exact in good or excellent in ill Our will wants power or else our power wants skill Exit Enter Solyman and Tormentors Sol. But Gentlemen was the King in earnest I can scarce beleeve it Tor. You will when you feele it Sol. I pray have any of you felt it to tell me what it is Tor. No Sir but Some of your fellow Courtiers can tell you That use something like it to mend their shapes 'T will make you so straight and slender Sol. Slender because I was slender in my wits must I be drawne Slender in my waste I 'de rather grow wise And corpulent Tor. Come Sir 't is but a little stretching Sol. No no more 's hanging and sure this will be the death of me I remember my Grandmother died of Convulsion fits Tor. Come Sir prepare prepare Sol. I for another world I must repent first Tor. Quickly then Sol. Then first I repent that sinne of being a Courtier And secondly the greatest sinne one can commit in that place the speaking of truth Tor. Have you no more sinnes Sol. Some few trifles more not worth the remembring Drinking and whoring and swearing and such like But for those let 'em passe Tor. Have you done now Sol. Onely some good counsell to the standers by Tor. We thanke you for that Sir Sol. Nay Gentlemen mistake me not 'T is not that I love you but because 't is a thing of course For dying men Tor. Let 's have it then Sol. First then if any of you are fooles as I thinke that But a needlesse question be fooles still and labour still In that vocation then the worst will be but whipping Where but for seeming wise the best is racking But if you have the luck to be Court fooles those that have Either wit or honesty you may foole withall and spare not But for those that want either You 'le finde it rather dangerous then otherwise I could give you a moderne Instance or two but let that passe but if you happen to be State fooles then 't is But fooling on the right side and all 's well then you shall at least be Wise mens fellowes if not wise mens masters But of all things take heed of giving any man good counsell You see what I have got by it and yet like a foole must I be doing on 't againe Tor. Is this all Sol. All but a little in my owne behalfe Remember Gentlemen I am at my full growth and my joynts are knit and yet My sinewes are not Cables Tor. Well wee 'le remember 't Sol. But stay Gentlemen what thinke you of a bottle now Tor. I hope you are more serious Sol. If you but knew how dry a thing this sorrow is Especially meeting with my constitution which is As thirsty as any serving-mans Tor. Let him have it it may be 't will make him confesse Sol. Yes I shall I shall lay before you all that 's within me And with most fluent utterance Here 's to you all Gentlemen and let him that 's good Natur'd in his drinke pledge me Drinkes So me-thinkes I feele it in my joynts already It makes 'em supple Drinkes againe Now I feele it in my braines it makes 'em swimme As if the racke would be a shipwracke Tor. You are witty Sir Sol. This is nothing but a poore clinch I have A thousand of 'em a trick I learn't amongst the Statesmen Drinks again Tor. Hold Sir you have no measure of your selfe Sol. What doe you talke of measure you 'le take Measure of me with a vengeance Well racke I defie thee doe thy worst I would thou wert Man Gyant or Monster Gentlemen now if I happen to fall asleepe Upon this Engine pray wake me not too suddenly You see here 's good store of wine and if it be Over-rackt 't will come up with lees and all There I was with you againe and now I am for you Exeunt Enter Prince being blinde solus Prince Nature How didst thou mocke mankinde to make him free And yet to make him feare or when he lost That freedome why did he not lose his feare That feare of feares the feare of what we know not While yet we know it is in vaine to feare it Death and what followes death 't was that that stamp't A terrour on the brow of Kings that gave Fortune her deity and Jove his thunder Banish but feare of death those Gyant names Of Majestie Power Empire finding nothing To be their object will be nothing too Then he dares yet be free that dares to die May laugh at the grim face of law and scorne The cruell wrinkle of a Tyrants brow But yet to die so tamely O'recome by passion and misfortune And still unconquer'd by my foes sounds ill Below the temper of my spirit Yet to embrace a life so poore so wretched So full of deaths argues a greater dulnesse But I am dead already nor can suffer More in the other world For what is Hell But a long sleeplesse night and what 's their torment But to compare past joyes with present sorrowes And what can death deprive me of the sight Of day of children friends and hope of Empire And whatsoever others lose in death In life I am depriv'd of then I will live Onely to die reveng'd nor will I goe Downe to the shades alone Prompt me some wittie some revengefull Devill His Devill that
A Guard there Enter Mirvan and others King Seize him Ha. Seize them now Though 't is too late to learne yet know 'Gainst you are King again what 't is to let your Subjects Dispose all offices of trust and power The beast obeyes his keeper and looks up Not to his masters but his feeders hand And when you gave me power to dispense And make your favours mine in the same houre You made your selfe my shadow and 't was my curtesie To let you live and reigne so long King Without there Enter two or three and joyne with the others What none but Traytours Has this villaine Breath'd treason into all and with that breath Like a contagious vapour blasted loyaltie Sure hell it selfe has sent forth all her Furies T' inhabit and possesse this place Ha. Sir passions without power Like seas against a rock but lose their furie Mirvan Take these villaines and see 'em strangled 1 Bash. Farewell Sir commend us to your son let him know That since we cannot dye his servants Wee 'll dye his Martyrs King Farewell unhappie friends A long farewell and may you find rewards Great as your innocence or which is more Great as your wrongs 2 Bash. Come thou art troubled Thou dost not feare to dye 1 Bash. No but to lose my death To sell my life so cheap while this proud villaine That takes it must survive 2 Bash. We shall not lose our deaths If Heaven can heare the cries of guiltlesse bloud Which sure it must for I have heard th' are loud ones Vengeance shall overtake thee Ha. Away with 'em King Stay Haly they are innocent yet life when 't is thy gift Is worse than death I disdaine to ask it 1 Bash. And we to take it Ha. Do not ask it Sir For them to whom you owe your ruine they have undone you Had not they told you this you had liv'd secure And happie in your ignorance but this injurie Since 't is not in your nature to forgive it I must not leave it in your power to punish it King Heaven though from thee I have deserv'd this plague Be thou my Judge and witnesse from this villaine 'T is vndeserv'd Had I but felt your vengeance from some hand That first had suffer'd mine it had been justice But have you sent this sad returne of all My love my trust my favours Ha. Sir there 's a great resemblance Between your favours and my injuries Those are too great to be requited these Too great to be forgiven and therefore 'T is but in vaine to mention either King Mirza Mirza How art thou lost by my deceiv'd credulitie I 'le beg thy pardon Ha. Stay Sir not without my leave Go some of you and let the people know The King keeps state and will not come in publike If any great affaires or State addresses Bring 'em to me King How have I taught the villaine To act my part But oh my son my son Shall I not see thee Ha. For once you shall Sir But you must grant me one thing King Traytour dost thou mock my miseries What can I give but this unhappie life Ha. Alas Sir it is but that I ask and 't is my modestie To ask it it being in my power to take it When you shall see him sir to dye for pitie 'T were such a thing 't would so deceive the world And make the people think you were good natur'd 'T will look so well in storie and become The stage so handsomely King I ne're deny'd thee any thing and shall not now Deny thee this though I could stand upright Under the tyranny of age and fortune Yet the sad weight of such ingratitude Will crush me into earth Ha. Lose not your teares but keep Your lamentations for your son or sins For both deserve 'em but you must make haste sir Or hee 'll not stay your comming He looks upon a watch 'T is now about the houre the poyson Must take effect King Poyson'd oh Heaven Ha. Nay sir lose no time in wonder both of us Have much to doe if you will see your son Here 's one shall bring you to him Exit King Some unskilfull Pylot had shipwrackt here But I not only against sure And likely ills have made my selfe secure But so confirm'd and fortifi'd my state To set it safe above the reach of Fate Exit Haly. Enter Prince led servants at the other doore Princesse and Soffy Serv. Sir the Princesse and your son Prince Soffy thou comst to wonder at Thy wretched father why dost thou interrupt Thy happinesse by looking on an object So miserable Princesse My Lord me thinks there is not in your voyce The vigour that was wont nor in your look The wonted cheerfulnesse Are you well my Lord Prince No but I shall be I feele my health a comming Princesse What 's your disease my Lord Prince Nothing but I have ta'ne a Cordiall Sent by the King or Haly in requitall Of all my miseries to make me happie The pillars of this frame grow weak As if the weight of many yeares oppresse 'em My sinewes slacken and an icie stifnesse Benums my bloud Princesse Alas I feare hee 's poysoned Call all the help that Art or Herbs or Minerals Can minister Prince No 't is too late And they that gave me this are too well practiz'd In such an Art to attempt and not performe Prin. Yet trie my Lord revive your thoughts the Empire Expects you your father's dying Prince So when the ship is sinking The winds that wrackt it cease Princesse Will you be the scorne of fortune To come neere a Crowne and only neere it Prince I am not fortunes scorne but she is mine More blind than I Princesse O tyranny of Fate to bring Death in one hand and Empire in the other Only to shew us happinesse and then To snatch us from it Prince They snatch me to it My soule is on her journey do not now Divert or lead her back to lose her selfe I' th' maze and winding labyrinths o'th' world I prethee do not weep thy love is that I part with most unwillingly or otherwise I had not staid till rude necessitie Had forc'd me hence Soffy be not a man too soone And when thou art take heed of too much vertue It was thy fathers and his only crime 'T will make the King suspitious yet ere time By natures course has ripened thee to man 'T will mellow him to dust till then forget I was thy father yet forget it not My great example shall excite thy thoughts To noble actions And you deare Erythaea Give not your passions vent nor let blind furie Precipitate your thoughts nor set 'em working Till time shall lend 'em better meanes and instruments Than lost complaints Where 's prettie Fatyma She must forgive my rash ungentle passion Princesse What do you meane sir Prince I am asham'd to tell you I prethee call her Princesse I will sir I pray try If sleep will ease your
torments and repaire Your wasted spirits Prince Sleep to these emptie lids Is growne a stranger and the day and night As undistinguisht by my sleep as sight O happinesse of povertie that rests Securely on a bed of living turfe VVhile we with waking cares and restlesse thoughts Lye tumbling on our downe courting the blessing Of a short minutes slumber which the Plough-man Shakes from him as a ransom'd slave his fetters Call in some musike I have heard soft aires Can charme our sences and expell our cares Is Erythaea gone Serv. Yes sir Prince 'T is well I would not have her present at my death Enter Musike SOmnus the humble God that dwells In cottages and smoakie cells Hates gilded roofs and beds of downe And though he feares no Princes frowne Flies from the circle of a Crowne Come I say thou powerfull God And thy Leaden charming Rod Dipt in the Lethaean Lake O're his wakefall temples shake Lest he should sleep and never wake Nature alas why art thou so Obliged to thy greatest foe Sleep that is thy best repast Yet of death it beares a taste And both are the same thing at last Serv. So now he sleeps let 's leave him To his repose Enter King King The horrour of this place presents The horrour of my crimes I faine would ask What I am loth to heare but I am well prepar'd They that are past all hope of good are past All feare of ill and yet if he be dead Speak softly or uncertainly Phy. Sir he sleeps King O that 's too plaine I know thou mean'st his last His long his endlesse sleep Phy. No Sir he lives but yet I feare the sleep you speak of will be his next For nature like a weak and wearie traveller Tir'd with a tedious and a rugged way Not by desire provokt but even betray'd By wearinesse and want of spirits Gives up her selfe to this unwilling slumber King Thou hast it Haly 't is indeed a sad And sober truth though the first And only truth thou ever told'st me And 't is a fatall signe when Kings heare truth Especially when flatterers dare speake it Prince I thought I heard my father does he think the poyson Too slow and comes to see the operation Prince awakes Or does he think his engine dull or honest Lesse apt to execute than he to bid him He needs not 't is enough it will succeed To his expectation King 'T is indeed thy father Thy wretched father but so far from acting New cruelties that if those already past Acknowledg'd and repented of can yet Receive a pardon by those mutuall bonds Nature has seal'd between us which though I Have cancell'd thou hast still preserv'd inviolate I beg thy pardon Prince Death in it selfe appeares Lovely and sweet not only to be pardoned But wisht for had it come from any other hand But from a father a father A name so full of life of love of pitie Death from a fathers hand from whom I first Receiv'd a being 't is a preposterous gift An act at which inverted Nature starts And blushes to behold her selfe so cruell Kin. Take thou that comfort with thee and be not deafe to truth By all that 's holy by the dying accents Of thine and my last breath I never meant I never wisht it sorrow has so over-fraught This sinking bark I shall not live to shew How I abhor or how I would repent My first rash crime but he that now Has poyson'd thee first poyson'd me with jealousie A foolish causelesse jealousie Prince Since you beleeve my innocence I cannot but beleeve your sorrow But does the villaine live A just revenge Would more become the sorrowes of a King Than womanish complaints King O Mirza Mirza I have no more the power to doe it Than thou to see it done My Empire Mirza My Empire 's lost Thy vertue was the rock On which it firmly stood that being undermin'd It sunk with its owne weight the villaine whom my breath created Now braves it in my Throne Prince O for an houre of life but 't will not be Revenge and justice we must leave to heaven I would say more but death has taken in the out-works And now assailes the fort I feele I feele him Gnawing my heart-strings farewell and yet I would Dies King O stay stay but a while and take me with thee Come Death let me embrace thee thou that wert The worst of all my feares art now the best Of all my hopes But Fate why hast thou added This curse to all the rest the love of life We love it and yet hate it death we loath And still desire flye to it and yet feare it Enter Princesse and Soffy Princesse Hee 's gone hee 's gone for ever O that the poyson had mistaken his And met this hated life but cruell Fate Envied so great a happinesse Fate that still Flies from the wretched and pursues the blest Yee Heavens But why should I complaine to them That heare me not or bow to those that hate me Why should your curses so out-weigh your blessings They come but single and long expectation Takes from their value but these fall upon us Double and sudden Sees the King Yet more of horrour then farewell my teares And my just anger be no more confin'd To vaine complaints or selfe-devouring silence But break break forth upon him like a deluge And the great spirit of my injur'd Lord Possesse me and inspire me with a rage Great as thy wrongs and let me call together All my soules powers to throw a curse upon him Black as his crimes King O spare your anger 't is lost For he whom thou accused has already Condemn'd himselfe and is as miserable As thou canst think or wish him spit upon me Cast all reproaches on me womans wit Or malice can invent I 'le thank thee for them What e're can give me a more lively sence Of my owne crimes that so I may repent 'em Princesse O cruell Tyrant couldst thou be so barbarous To a son as noble as thy selfe art vile That knew no other crime but too much vertue Nor could deserve so great a punishment For any fault but that he was thy son Now not content to exceed all other Tyrants Exceed'st thy selfe first robbing him of sight Then seeming by a fain'd and forc'd repentance To expiate that crime didst win him to A false securitie and now by poyson Hast robb'd him of his life King Were but my soule as pure From other guilts as that Heaven did not hold One more immaculate Yet what I have done He dying did forgive me and hadst thou been present Thou wouldst have done the same for thou art happie Compar'd to me I am not only miserable But wicked too thy miseries may find Pitie and help from others but mine make me The scorne and the reproach of all the world Thou like unhappie Merchants whose adventures Are dasht on rocks or swallowed up in stormes Ow'st all thy losses to