lord There liues an other lord to enioy your loue Victorious Cyrus he shall be your lord Pan. Victorious Cyrus though I be his thrall Shall know my honour is inuincible Ara. But they that once in state of bondage bee Must yeeld to hest of others that be free Pan. Lords dreame of me or Cyrus as you please Onely this outward person is his thrall My minde and honour free and euer shall Chris. For that agree with Cyrus as you may Till then Araspas take her to your tent Aras Come Ladie you must walke apart with me Pan. So fortune and my destinies agree Enter Gobrias and his page Go. Persians conduct me to your generall Chr. What art thou that thus armde with sword and speare Dares craue accesse vnto our generall Go. I come to yeeld bring me to Cyrus tent Hist. Thy habit showes thou art an enemie And we may suspect thou meanest but ill Therefore if thou wilt yeeld vnarme thy selfe And we will bring thee vnto Cyrus tent Go. The Assyrian king whom ye haue put to death Making me leader of a thousand horse Buckled the armour with his gracious hands Nor shall it be vnloosed but by asking Hist. How hautie minded is this conquered man Cyrus shall know vpon what tearmes he standes Assyrian captaine as thou louest thy life Stand not vpon thy guard but yeeld to vs Go. Smal guard haue I to shield me from your swords Most of my region is slaine in fight And of a thousand onely these are left Whose wounds yet bleeding proues thē faint weak Yet rather will we runne vpon your speares Then with dishonour yeeld our weapons These if ye iniure vs must be our friends And either make vs liue or die like men Enter Cyrus Cyr. Of whence art thou that craues accesse to vs Go. By birth great Cyru an Assyrian And of the noblest house in Babylon Sometime commander of a thousand horse But those thy men haue slaughtered and surprised And therefore I haue lost the ample shle yet I am mighty Gobrias rich in reuenues strong in fortresses That can command a campe of fighting men As resolute be it said without offence As those that had the glorie of the day All which with me the gouernor of all I yeeld vnto your mightie patronage Cyr. This stout Assyrian hath a liberall looke And of my soule is farre from trecherie Albeit Gobrias I mistrust thee not yet tell me being so wealthie and so strong Why rather yeeldst thou to thy enimie Then liue with freedome in Assyria Gob. O know my lord whilest the Assyrian king Which in this warre was slaine enioyed the crowne Being highly fauoured of his maiestie He sent vnto me for mine onely sonne Meaning to grace me with the nuptiall Of his faire daughter louely Carmela I glad to haue alyance with the king Sent him my sonne Who comming to the court Was faire entreated gently entertained And well was he that might he his copere For faire he was and full of sweete demeanour Pleasant sharpe wise and liberall And were he not my sonne I would say more Though his remembrance makes me weepe outright Cyr. Noble Assyrian either leaue to weepe Or speake no more Cyrus is full of ruth And when a man of thy estate laments He cannot chuse but weepe for companie Drie vp these teares and tell the rest Gob. Began to grow familiar with my sonne And with him rode a hunting in the woods where first the hounds put vp a russet beare At which the king floong soone his hunting dart And missed But mine threw and pearced his heart Then sodainly a Lion did arise At whom likewise he let his Iauelin flie And hit him not which when my sonne perceyude He ouerthrew the Lion as the beare which done said he twice haue I throwne and sped whereat the prince snatcht from his page a speare And in a rage murdered my guiltlesse sonne And that which greeues me more when he was dead Albeit the old king wept most bitterly He neither did repent nor shed a teare Nor would consent to giue him buriall but left him in the field vntill I came And tooke his bodie in these aged armes which eke for griefe made me to let him fall And then a fresh made him to bleed againe And me to weepe vpon his naked breast Oh iudge my lord if you haue had a sonne How heauily I brooke his timelesse death Oh iudge my lord whether that I haue cause To offer seruice to that murtherer On whom I cannot looke but in his face as in a glasse I see my slaughtered sonne Cyr. Gobrias thou hast iust cause to reuolt And we to trust thy welcome vnto vs And for the thousand horse which thou hast lost we will requite them with a greater gift be thou lieutenant of the Archanians Gob. I humblie thanke your royall maiestie And here in presence of the Persian lords adopt you heire of all my prouinces My holdes and castels villages and townes Conditionally that I may be reuenged On this archtyrant murderer of my sonne Sauing one daughter I haue neuer a child And she endued with iewels plate and golde shall be bestowed as you my lord thinke best Cyr. Assirian I haue captaines worthie here She shall be matched as beseemes a princes borne And for reuenge vpon the Assirian king We will girt in Babylon with our high host Or either starue them with a lingring siege Or rip his bowels with our Persian swords But in the meane time frolicke in our tent Histaspis lead the Assyrian to our campe And entertaine him as beseemeth a prince Armuchus and Chrisantus follow him Araspas as I lately gaue in charge Is all the spoile diuided equally Ara. It is my Lord and euerie souldier pleased Where is enclosed a iewell of such worth As Asia hardly can affoord the like The Susian king stout Abradates Queene A woman so richly imbellished with beautie and perfection of the minde As neuer any mortall creature was Her haire as radiant as is Tagis sand And softer than the streame on which it runnes Her lillie cheekes all died with ruddie blush Castes such reflection to the standers by As doth the vnion of ten thousand sunnes Through her transparant necke the aire doth play And makes it fairer then a Christall glasse And from her eyes it seemes nature herselfe Bids euerie starre receiue his proper light For with her glaunce she casteth such a brightnesse As makes the night more brighter than the day And day more fairer than is Eliziur But when she talkes so pleasant is her voice As were she blacker then the pitchie night She would entise the hardest massagite Or wildest Scythian in your highnesse campe And when she lookes vpon you were she dumbe Her beautie were in stead of eloquence And had she neither louelinesse nor wit The harmonie she makes would rauish you She weepes and plaies while both her handmaids sing And sighes at euerie straine vsing that note Which Orpheus sings
Thy borrowed habite made me to mistake I knowe thee nowe thou art my sweet Libanio A vertuous boy and of a noble spirit To whose deserts and courage I ascribe The rescue of my daughters libertie O Cyrus this is he that to preserue My daughters freedome from the Assyrian king Chose to disguise himselfe in her aray In fearefull doubt and hazarde of his life To saue her honour from the tyrants wrath Cyr. My boy what ere thy birth and fortune be Great doth this mind and thoughts of honour taste Expressing markes of true Nobilitie And to excite thee to commended workes which are the pathes that to aduauncement ledes Receiue this chaine of golde from Cyrus necke And weare it in the face of all the worlde Not as a fauor to thy person giuen But as in honour to thy vertuous minde Lib. Great and surpassing is the kingly grace Yea farre beyond the compasse of my hope Gods grant me life and fortune to deserue This part of bountie at your royall hands Enter Alexandra Alex. Libanio then I haue not prayed in vaine Nor callde vpon the gods with frustrate vowes If thou once more be rendred to my sight The teares of whose supposed funerals Did houre by houre bedew my blubbered face Lib. Madame the blessing of my strange escape I attribute alone vnto the gods If past so farre the reach of humane sense Alex. And for thy sake their aultars I will smoake with sweete perfume of thankefull sacrifice Cy. But boy expres in brief what means thou madest To scape so safely from th' Assyrian campe Lib. This meane I found and please my Lord king vpon suppose of Alexandra selfe I was committed to a noble man Hight Dinon to be guarded in his tent The glorie of my counterfet attire And maners framed according therevnto Did so inflame Dinon that with my loue That waking sleeping or what euer else He felt a restlesse combate in his thoughts In fine more safely to commence his loue He led me quite beyonde th' Assyrian campe And brought me to the bankes of Euphrates There sate we downe and he with amorous plea Not onely fild but cloyde my wearie eares so farre that what with long continued talke And heate of sunne reflecting on the bankes Or happlie with the ratling harmonie which Euphrates his gliding streames did keepe Which seeing I imagined that the gods Had offred this occasion to my hands For sweete recouerie of my freedome Short tale to make with dreadfull hand I drew The sworde that hangde loose dangling by his side And with the full of my extended force I sheathd it home amidst the owners ribbes He wounded fet an inwarde grone or two Then turning on his face breathes forth his life The deed dispatcht I hied me thence a maine And scaping cleane without impeach or stay Now stand before the Persian king this day Cyr. President of manly fortitude Exceeding farre the opinion of thy yeares Gobrias haue an honourable care Alex. Libanio now leaue Alexandras weedes That part is plaid and be your selfe againe That part poore boy with danger thou hast plaid Lib. Madame no daunger can be so great That I le refuse for Alexandras sake Cy. Gobrias say is Alexandra she For whom your page these hazards hath sustainde Gob. It is my Lord Cy Then let vs to your wished for place Gob. That place O Cyrus I desire to see Cy. This is the place the men that follow me Gob. Then wample both my eyes that with this turfe I may be sure to hit a vertuous man Cy. Shall she be his on whom this turfe shall light Gob. So that the man be good and vertuous Cy. Then throw at random when you please Gobrias You cannot misse a good and vertuous man Gob. Then Alexandra at thy husbands head Cy. Histaspis you are hit Hist I am my Lord Go. Then Alexandra if you please is yours Hist. Happie were I if Alexandra please Alex. My Lord the fortune of my fathers hand Becommeth not his daughter to withstand To please my Lord and father I am yours Gob. Your father 's pleasde Histaspis she is yours Cy. Histaspis take your loue at Cyrus hand this is our guise and this the Persians do they wooe and wed within a worde or two Exeunt Actus tertius Enter Antiochus Hircanus Aristobulus and Ctesiphon Ant. No Ctesiphon vnsheath thy bloodie sworde And shew it staind and cankred with the gore that issued from that vaunting Persians heart What draw man and shew thy iust conceale thy pay is prest in readie numbred golde Cte. My Lord and king I beare no bloodie sworde Nor staind with gore of Persians Cyrus heart A prince he is farre from delite in blood Milde louely vertuous wise and bountifull Able to reconcile his greatest foes And make great princes of his meanest friends Ant. Thy going was to compasse Cyrus death How haps thy purpose ends without effect Cte. The Persian prince inclines to tearmes of truce and craues the friendship of Antiochus So please my Lord the king to firme a peace For briefe whereof his letters I present Signed and deliuered with his royall hand Sincerely tending to the same effect Whereto if once your highnesse condiscend He will withdraw his armies from Assyria And on the couenants sealde dissolue his campe Ant. In case the Persian prince be so inclinde thy answere shall lesse offend my mind Cyrus to Antiochus health This bearer cōming to my camp armd with resolution to kill me and intreated more honorably then either his trecherie or thine could deserue Apprehend Ctesiphon Cte. What reades my Lord aright or doth he faine Hir. That you shall know before you start againe Vpon the instant purpose of his interprice it pleased God to confound him with such horror of conscience that vncōstraind he cōfest the treason intreated pardon vowing himselfe so far forth friend to Cyrus that for his sake he would kill Antiochus I was content to sooth the man in his villanie because I would haue thee know the difference twixt an open so a dissembling friend I giue thee this notice not because I loue thee or regard thy life but because a villain shall not triumph in the murder of him whom I account an honorable conquest of my self Reward him according to his merits prepare to fight with me for thy own honor Farewell C e. Theis thanklesse Persian whom I spared from death Requites me with the betraying of my life Ant. What answere maketh traiterous Ctesiphon Cte. O prince my guilt is plaine before my face And witnesde with a princes seale To slande vpon deniall were but vaine where open proofe conuicts me of offence I say no more but prostrate at your feete Submit my selfe to mercie of my Lord Ant. Such mercie as to traitors doth belong Such and no better Ctesiphon shall finde Disarme him of his martiall abiliment Disgrade him of all titles of regarde And then referre his attachment to your prince Hir. This cote
for Eruditus with wringed hands her waiting maids keepe time Vpon their mournefull breasts as were we flint we could not chuse but melt to heare their songs wherefore my lord comfort this captiue dame And with your presence comfort her distresse Cyr. Araspas wouldest thou haue me visit her when by her beautie I may be enthralled Ara. Your Grace may looke on her and yet not loue Cyr. Dost thou not thinke that loue is violent Ara. Nay rather voluntarie my gracious lord you know that womans beautie is like fire And fire doth alwayes burne each thing alike Therefore if nature were of such great power Should euerie man by beautie be enflamed But beautious things are not in equall powers For some loue that which others do abstaine Either for feare or loue to proue this true The sister of the brother is not loued The daughter of the father not desired And yet some one loues any of them both Cyr. If loue be voluntarie as thou saiest why cannot louers leaue it when they will Ara. They may Cyr. Haue you not seene them weepe and waile for death Emptie their purse of coine their braine of wit Sending both gifts and letters to their loues Ara. They yeeld too much vnto affections T' is follie and not beautie makes them die Cyr. Men are in folly when they are in loue Vrge me no more I will not visite her For by the eie loue slips into the heart Making men idle negligent Nothing can more dishonour warriours Then to be conquered with a womans looke Araspas I resigne my part to thee Thou shalt be keeper of that Susan Queene Vse her as fits a woman of such birth Excuse me for not comming to her tent Bid her be merrie with her singing maides And say that Cyrus will entreate her faire Exeunt Musicke Finis Actus primi Enter Ctesifon and Nobles Nob. Antiochus king of Assiria So Lord of Euphrates and Babylon How long wilt thou lament thy fathers death Cast off those mourning weedes Anot. How long will I lament my fathers death Vntill proud Persia weepe for Cyrus death Ctes. Oh that will neuer be Cyrus is strong So strong my Lord that were not Babylon Fortifyed with vittailes for twentie yeeres Garded with souldiers that will neuer yeeld Sooner would he expell you from your seate Then you with open armes could anger him Ant. What is reuenge but open warres As were Antiochus a priuate man And one of you king of Assyria I would not faile to worke his ouerthrow But you that are not toucht with inward griefe will not in that attempt be resolute Ct s. Vouchsafe O Lord to tell me what it is If I attempt it not then let me die Ant. Why this it is feigne I haue iniurde thee And offer seruice to the Persian king Then being receiued as late Gobrias was How eassie maist thou slea him and escape For in the night he walkes about his campe Without a guard euen as a common man Ctes. Yet he that killes him suer is to die Ant. I thought the feare of death woulde daunt him quite A thousand talents would I freely giue To him that vndertakes this enterprise Ctes. My Lord I am resolude giue me the gold And I will venture life in this exploit Ant. My treasurer at armes shall giue it thee And Ctisifon when I receiue his head Beside this summe thou shalt haue annuall pay As much as thy reuenues mount vnto And where thou art by calling but a knight I le make thee Lord of many prouinces Ctes. As for the gold keepe it till I returne and if I die deliuer it to my friend Ant. Well Ctesiphon manage this glorious act Let me embrace him ere I take my leaue Ctes. Fare well my lord Now you Assyrian gods To whom we sacrifice our fo-mens blood Giue fauour to my lookes faith to my speach That being gracious with the Persian Lord By me Assyria may be free from bands And both the king and subiects death reuengde Nob, Fare well braue minded Ctesiphon Ant. While this is doing we will march from hence Vnto the countrey where Gobrias dwelt He hath a castell well replenished with vittailes men and furniture And as our spies giues vs to vnderstand His onely daughter stayes within the hold Not knowing of her fathers late reuolt Therefore will we surprise her vnawares and thou shalt be lieutenant in his stead when we haue made his souldiers yeeld the fort Enter Araspas solus Ara. Must I confesse that loue is violent By doting on my captiue Panthea I will not loue I le bridle those affects It cannot be resisted I must yeeld Oh what a tyrant is this cruel loue That drinkes my blood and makes me pale and wan That sucks my spirits and makes me weake and faint That teares my heart and makes me almost dead That reuels in my braines and makes me mad I am a souldier and will conquer loue I le mount me straight giue me a hors-mans staffe Proud loue sit fast for now Araspas runnes Runne and scarcely stand O Panthea Thou sets my idle fantasie thus a worke and makes me speake and thinke I know not what I would I might forget faire Panthea I cannot name her but I must say faire And that word faire makes me remember her Panthea is vglie blacke ill fauoured fowle And who is so beautifull as she And I must weepe for this misterming her Why should I weepe aske I the reason whie I haue abusde my loue weepe not but die Die not but liue and enioy thy loue What contrarietie consisteth in my words O reconcile them louely Panthea Thy lookes hath made me lunatike Enter Panthea and Nicasia Pan. I haue intelligence that our Lord is sicke we come to comfort him as captiues may Aras Oh welcome Panthea shall I tell my griefe Pan. Sit still my Lord why change you colour thus what troubles you Aras Something stands by and whispers in my eare A kisse of Panthea will recouer me Pan. O leaue these idle words they make you worse Ara. Nay they recouer me I am halfe well Pan. So say they that are going from the world Ara. Panthea sit downe but sit so Panthea As I may view thy face or else I die Pan. Nicasia commaund the musicke play It may be musicke will alay the fit Ara. Nicasia cause the musicke cease Musick plaies For it is harsh and mars the harmonie Come Panthea sit downe by me and let vs talke Pan. Talke is naught turne ye about and sleepe Aras Oh loue Pan. How now my Lord a souldier and loue-sicke Aras I cannot keepe it in it bursts my heart For thee sweete Panthea is Araspas sicke Pan. For me my Lord Aras Fling not away celestiall Panthea Though I were halfe dead I should follow thee Pan. The aire will hurt thee whither wilt thou go Ara. Where Panthea goes oh frowne not my faire loue Pan. Then loue me not else I will more then frowne Ara. What will a
done Exit Enter Alexandra like a page Libanio in Alexandras apparell Lib. Madame you see your page doth vndertake A costly peece of seruice for your sake For well that seruice costly may be called The ende whereof of force must cost my life For when th' Assyrian king shall vnderstand My forged habit and dissembling sex And in these female weedes shall find Libanio And Alexandra freely scapt his handes What hope but certaine death remaines for me And that with torments rare and exquisite Yet madame for the reuerence to my Lord And dutie that doth bind me to your selfe I will be Alexandra for this once and die to saue your honour and your life Alex. O trustie seruant seruant of surmounting faith Worthie to attend the person of a god Rather then daughter of poore Gobrias This sacred seruice to a sillie dame Shall be ingrauen in tables of my heart with letters and charecters so perfourmde That when this bodie is bestowde in graue No time nor yet corruption shall deface The print thereof from Alexandras breast Lab. Thankes Ladie And for your further meede Sufficeth me the honour of the deede Me thinkes I see the Assyrian stout at hand Now madame carie a couragious heart And trust your page for Alexandras part Alex. A Tragicall part I feare Libanio Enter Antiochus Seleueus Critobulus with others Ant. Bird of a traitor I presumde at last Your lot would be to light into my handes Although of cankred heart you would not yeeld Vntill your castell shaked about your eares Lib. O souereigne Lord stand gracious to this dame That neuer trespast in offence to you Ant. Thy fathers treason in reuolting backe From due alleageance to th Assyrian crowne I will reuenge vpon his daughters life Lib. What honour in a sillie virgins death That nere had power or will to harme your grace Ant. Because the plants of such corrupted stockes wil fructifie according to the roote And for Gobrias treason to his prince I will preuent like mischifes in his rase Lib. Admit Gobrias might be reclaimed Vnto his first allegiance to my Lord Would you remit the offence of his reuolt And take him to your former grace againe Ant. So let the gods stand gracious to my soule If he forsake those hatefull Persian armes And firme his faith and loyaltie to me Lib. Then prince before you wreake reuenge on me Grand passeport and safe conduite to my page That he may goe and signifie to him The desperate state wherein his daughter standes When once my father shall perceiue my plight And that my life must pay for his reuolt I know that instant houre he will returne And yeeld himselfe to mercie of my Lord Ant. Scribe giue her page safe conduct through my campe And boy when you ariue before Gobrias Tell if he returne I pardon him If other wise off goes his daughters head Alex. I will dread Lord O madam grant the gods These eyes once more may see your libertie Exit Alexander Lib. As pleaseth their dieties Libanio Ant. Dinon take you this damsell to your charge And vse her noblie though she be a thrall Dinon To vse her worse the honour were but small Exeunt omnes Enter Ctesiphon Cte. I murther Cyrus farre be such a thought Much more the execution of the deed Like as the Sunne beames to the gazers eye So is his view to daunted Ctesiphon During the rancor of my wicked minde And melting all in thoughts of sweet remorce How wise and gracious is this Persian king Who by his wisdome winnes his followers hearts Letting them march in armour wrought with gold And he girt in a coate of complete steele O Cyrus politique and liberall How honourable and magnanimious Rewarding vertue and reuenging wrongs How full of temperance and fortitude Daring to menace Fortune with his sworde Yet mercifull in all his victories Enter Cyrus See where he comes I le falle vpon the ground And aske for pardon at his highnesse feet Cyr. Rise vp Assyrian Cyrus is no God Cte. O Cyrus know Antiochus my Lord My Lord said I no I will renounce him quite Subornd me wretch with his persuasions wordes To doe a deed of such impietie As I God knowes suborne to thinke vpon It was thy death victorious Cyrus But mightie Lord your vertues conquered me And or an enemie false and trecherous Am I become a vowed friend to Cyrus health And in that resolution prest to die Cyr. Liue long to waile for thy pretended ill As free from punishment as for reward The liues of kings are garded by the gods Nor are they in the hands of mortall men Assyrian though thy sword were at my breast The gealous angell that attends on vs Would snatch it from thy hands and fling it downe And therefore muse not at this accident Cte. Seeing knightly Cyrus is thus mercifull Vouchsafe this seruice at thy vassals hands Giue me but letters from your Maiestie To signifie how faine you would haue peace And draw your legions from Assyria And bearing them vnto Antiochus In the deliuerie I will murther him So highly do I honour Cyrus name So vildlie thinke on base Antiochus Enter Gobrias with Alexandra Cyr. Thou shalt haue letters to th' Assyrian king Free libertie to passe from this our campe And conduit monie from our Treasurie Attend our leysure I will send thee straight What virgin is it that Gobrias leades Go. My daughter mightie Cyrus and your child For I commit her to your patronage Cyr. Then princely virgin welcom to our campe But why sigh you why hang you downe the head And in your pale lookes burie beauties pride T' is pitie these lookes should be stainde with teares Alex, Euen as a doue late rifeled by the Eagle Whose breast is tainted with his forked talents So stands poore Alexandra terrified And almost dead to think of her escape If thou be Cyrus of whom Asia rings Rescue O rescue poore Libanio Cyr. From whom faire madame should I rescue him Alex. O from Antiochus that bloodie king Who when he heard my father serude your grace Besiegde his fortresse with his men at armes Where onely I and that Libanio staide By whom I liue For when the hold was lost He being bondman and of a baser birth would needes constraine me to put on his weedes And he disguisde as I was woont to go would be Gobrias daughter in my stead And so was thought of king Antiochus and all the nobles of his warlike campe But I a bondman and at his request whose care was onely to preserue my life Sent hither as a messenger from him To will my father whom they thought my Lord To leaue your campe and come to Babylon Or else Libanio his beloued childe should die for his so traitorlike reuolt And die he must least Gyrus giue him life Cyr, The deed was full of honor and deceit If gold will pay his raunsome he shall liue And therefore Alexandra be not sad Gob. So shall Gobrias beat Cyrus becke