the match With freer and more noble eyes then we Pog. Why I saw that as well as he my Lord I knew t' was a foolish match betwixt you two did not you thinke so my Lord Vincentio Lord vncle did not I say at first of the Duke will his Antiquitie neuer leaue his Iniquitie Stro. Go to too much of this but aske this Lord If he did like it Pog. Who my Lord Medice Stro. Lord Stinkard Man his name is aske him Lord Stinkard did you like the match say Pog. My Lord Stinkard did you like the match betwixt the Duke and my Ladie Margaret Med. Presumptuous Sicophant I will haue thy life Alp. Vnworthie Lord put vp thirst'st thou more blood Thy life is fitt'st to be call'd in question For thy most murthrous cowardise on my sonne Thy forwardnesse to euery cruelty Calls thy pretended Noblesse in suspect Stro. Noblesse my Lord set by your princely fauour That gaue the lustre to his painted state Who euer view'd him but with deepe contempt As reading vilenesse in his very lookes And if he proue not sonne of some base drudge Trim'd vp by Fortune being dispos'd to ieast And dally with your state then that good Angell That by diuine relation spake in me Fore-telling these foule dangers to your sonne And without notice brought this reuerend man To rescue him from death now failes my tongue And I le confesse I doe him open wrong Med. And so thou doost and I returne all note Of infamy or basenesse on thy throte Damne me my Lord if I be not a Lord Stro. My Liege with all desert euen now you said His life was duely forfet for the death Which in these barbarous wounds he sought your sonne Vouchsafe me then his life in my friends right For many waies I know he merits death Which if you grant will instantly appeare And that I feele with some rare miracle Alp. His life is thine Lord Strozza Giue him death Med. What my Lord Will your grace cast away an innocent life Stro. Villaine thou liest thou guiltie art of death A hundred waies which now I le execute Med. Recall your word my Lord Alp. Not for the world Stro. O my deare Liege but that my spirit prophetike Hath inward feeling of such sinnes in him As aske the forfait of his life and soule I would before I tooke his life giue leaue To his confession and his penitence O he would tell you most notorious wonders Of his most impious state but life and soule Must suffer for it in him and my hand Forbidden is from heauen to let him liue Till by confession he may haue forgiuenesse Die therefore monster Vin. O be not so vncharitable sweete friend Let him confesse his sinnes and aske heauen pardon Stro. He must not Princely friend it is heauens iustice To plague his life and soule and heer 's heauens iustice Me. O saue my life my Lord Las. Hold good Lord Strozza Let him confesse the sinnes that heauen hath told you And aske forgiuenesse Med. Let me good my Lord And I le confesse what you accuse me of Wonders indeede and full of damn'd deserts Stro. I know it and I must not let thee liue To aske forgiuenesse Alp. But you shall my Lord Or I will take his life out of your hand Stro. A little then I am content my Liege Is thy name Medice Med. No my Noble Lord My true name is Mendice Stro. Mendice see At first a Mighty scandall done to Honour Of what countrie art thou Med. Of no Country I But borne vpon the Seas my mother passing Twixt Zant and Uenice Stro. Where wert thou christned Med. I was neuer christned But being brought vp with beggars call'd Mendice Alp. Strange and vnspeakeable Stro. How cam'st thou then To beare that port thou didst entring this Court Med. My lord when I was young being able limb'd A Captaine of the Gipsies entertain'd me And many yeares I liu'd a loose life with them At last I was so fauor'd that they made me The King of Gipsies and being told my fortune By an old Sorceresse that I should be great In some great Princes loue I tooke the treasure Which all our company of Gipsies had In many yeares by seuerall stealths collected And leauing them in warres I liu'd abroad With no lesse shew then now and my last wrong I did to Noblesse was in this high Court Alp. Neuer was heard so strange a counterfet Stro. Didst thou not cause me to be shot in hunting Med. I did my Lord for which for heauens loue pardon Stro. Now let him liue my Lord his bloods least drop Would staine your Court more then the Sea could cleanse His soule 's too foule to expiate with death Alp. Hence then be euer banish'd from my rule And liue a monster loath'd of all the world Pog. I le get boyes and baite him out a' th Court my Lord Alp. Doe so I pray thee rid me of his sight Pog. Come on my Lord Stinckerd I le play Fox Fox come out of thy hole with you ifaith Med. I le runne and hide me from the sight of heauen Pog. Fox Fox goe out of thy hole a two leg'd Fox A two leg'd Fox Exit with Pages beating Medice Beue. Neuer was such an accident disclosde Alp. Let vs forget it honourable friends And satisfie all wrongs with my sonnes right In solemne mariage of his loue and him Vin. I humbly thanke your Highnesse honor'd Doctor The Balsome you infusde into my wounds Hath easde me much and giuen me sodaine strength Enough t' assure all danger is exempt That any way may let the generall ioy My Princely Father speakes of in our nuptialls Alp. Which my deere Sonne shall with thy full recure Be celebrate in greater Maiesty Than euer grac'd our greatest Ancestrie Then take thy loue which heauen with all ioyes blesse And make yee both mirrors of happinesse FINIS
But if he do you may speede I confesse Basse. Speede I confesse Mar. But let that passe I do not loue to discourage any bodie Bass. Discourage any bodie Mar. Do you or he â—icke out what you can so farewell Bass. And so fare well Is this all Mar. I and he may thanke your Syrens tongue that it is so much Bass. A proper Letter if you marke it Mar. Well sir though it be not so proper as the writer yet t is as proper as the inditer Euerie woman cannot be a gentleman Vsher they that cannot go before must come behind Bass. Well Ladie this I will carrie instantly I commend me tee Ladie Exit Mar. Pittifull Vsher what a prettie sleight Goes to the working vp of euerie thing What sweet varietie serues a womans wit We make men sue to vs for that we wish Poore men hold out a while and do not sue And spite of Custome we will sue to you Exit Finis Actus tertij ACTVS QVARTI SCAENA PRIMA Enter Pogio running in and knocking at Cynanches doore Pog. O God how wearie I am Aunt Madam Cynanche Aunt Cyn. How now Pog. O God Aunt O God Aunt O God Cyn. What bad newes brings this man where is my Lord Pog. O Aunt my Vnkle hee s shot Cyn. Shot ay me How is he shot Pog. Why with a forked shaft As he was hunting full in his left side Cyn. O me accurst where is hee bring me where Pog. Comming with Doctor Beniuemus I le leaue you and goe tell my Lord Vincentio Exit Enter Beniuemus with others bringing in Strozza with an arrow in his side Cyn. See the sad sight I dare not yeeld to griefe But force faind patience to recomfort him My Lord what chance is this how fares your lordship Stro. Wounded and faint with anguish let me rest Ben. A chaire Cyn. O Doctor i st a deadly hurt Ben. I hope not Madam though not free from danger Cyn. Why plucke you not the arrow from his side Ben. We cannot Lady the forckt head so fast Stickes in the bottome of his sollide ribbe Stro. No meane then Doctor rests there to educe it Ben. This onely my good Lord to giue your wound A greater orifice and in sunder break The pierced ribbe which being so neere the midriffe And opening to the region of the heart Will be exceeding dangerous to your life Stro. I will not see my bosome mangled so Nor sternely be anatomizde aliue I le rather perish with it sticking still Cyn. O no sweete doctor thinke vpon some help Ben. I tolde you all that can be thought in Arte Which since your Lordship will not yeelde to vse Our last hope rests in Natures secret aide Whose power at length may happily expell it Stro. Must we attend at deaths abhorred doore The torturing delaies of slauish Nature My life is in mine owne powers to dissolue And why not then the paines that plague my life Rise furies and this furie of my bane Assaile and conquer what men madnesse calle That hath no eye to sense but frees the foule Exempt of hope and feare with instant fate Is manliest reason manliest reason then Resolue and rid me of this brutish life Hasten the cowardly protracted cure Of all diseases King of Phisitians death I le dig thee from this Mine of miserie Cyn. O hold my Lord this is no christian part Nor yet skarce manly when your mankinde foe Imperious death shall make your grones his trumpets To summon resignation of lifes Fort To flie without resistance you must force A countermine of Fortitude more deepe Than this poore Mine of paines to blow him vp And spight of him liue victor though subdu'd Patience in torment is a valure more Than euer crownd Th' Alcmenean Conquerour Stro. Rage is the vent of torment let me rise Cyn. Men doe but crie that rage in miseries And scarcely beaten children become cries Paines are like womens clamors which the lesse They find mens patience stirred the more they cease Of this t is said afflictions bring to God Because they make vs like him drinking vp Ioyes that deforme vs with the lusts of sense And turne our generall being into soule Whose actions simply formed and applied Draw all our bodies frailties from respect Stro. Away with this vnmedcinable balme Of worded breath for beare friends let me rest I sweare I will be bands vnto my selfe Ben. That will become your lordship best indeed Stro. I le breake away and leape into the Sea Or from some Turret cast me hedlong downe To shiuer this fraile carkasse into dust Cyn. O my deare Lord what vnlike words are these To the late fruits of your religious Noblesse Stro. Leaue me fond woman Cyn. I le be hewne from hence Before I leaue you helpe me gentle Doctor Ben. Haue patience good my Lord Stro. Then leade me in Cut off the timber of this cursed Shaft And let the fork'd pile canker to my heart Cyn. Deare Lord resolue on humble sufferance Str. I will not heare thee woman be content Cyn. O neuer shall my counsailes cease to knocke At thy impatient eares till they flie in And salue with Christian patience Pagan sinne Exeunt Enter Vincentio with a letter in his hand Bassiolo Bass. This is her letter sir you now shall see How seely a thing t is in respect of mine And what a simple woman she haz prou'd To refuse mine for hers I pray looke heere Vin. Soft sir I know not I being her sworn seruant If I may put vp these disgracefull words Giuen of my Mistris without touch of honour Bas. Disgracefull words I protest I speake not To disgrace her but to grace my selfe Vin. Nay then sir if it be to grace your selfe I am content but otherwise you know I was to take exceptions to a King Bas. Nay y' are i th right for that but reade I pray if there be not more choice words in that letter than in any three of Gueuaras golden epistles I am a very asse How thinke you Vince Vin. By heauen no lesse sir it is the best thing he rends it Gods what a beast am I Bas. Is is no matter I can set it together againe Vin. Pardon me sir I protest I was rauisht but was it possible she should preferre hers before this Bass. O sir she cride fie vpon this Vin. Well I must say nothing loue is blind you know and can finde no fault in his beloued Bass. Nay that 's most certaine Vin. Gee 't me I le haue this letter Bass. No good Vince t is not worth it Vin. I le ha 't ifaith heere 's enough in it to serue for my letters as long as I liue I le keepe it to breede on as t were But I much wonder you could make her write Bass. Indeede there were some words belongd to that Vin. How strong an influence works in well plac'd words And yet there must be a prepared loue To giue those words so mighty a command Or
you be well I will be well though sicke Your selfe alone my compleat world shall be Euen from this houre to all eternity Vin. It is inough and binds as much as marriage Enter Bassiolo Bass. I le see in what plight my poore louer stands Gods me a beckons me to haue me gone It seemes hee s entred into some good vaine I le hence loue cureth when he vents his paine Exit Vin. Now my sweet life we both remember well What we haue vow'd shall all be kept entire Maugre our fathers wraths danger and death And to confirme this shall we spend our breath Be well aduisde for yet your choice shall be In all things as before as large and free Mar. What I haue vow'd I le keepe euen past my death Vin. And I and now in token I dissolue Your virgin state I take this snowie vaile From your much fairer face and claime the dues Of sacred nuptialls and now fairest heauen As thou art infinitely raisde from earth Diffrent and opposite so blesse this match As farre remou'd from Customes popular sects And as vnstaind with her abhorr'd respects Enter Bassiolo Bass. Mistris away Pogio runnes vp and downe Calling for Lord Vincentio come away For hitherward he bends his clamorous haste Mar. Remember loue Exit Mar. and Bassiolo Vin. Or else forget me heauen Why am I sought for by this Pogio The Asse is great with child of some ill newes His mouth is neuer fill'd with other sound Enter Pogio. Pog. Where is my Lord Vincentio where is my Lord Vin. Here he is Asse what an exclaiming keep'st thou Pog. Slood my Lord I haue followed you vp and downe like a Tantalus pig till I haue worne out my hose here abouts I le be sworne and yet you call me Asse still But I can tell you passing ill newes my Lord Uin. I know that well sir thou neuer bringst other what 's your newes now I pray Pog. O Lord my Lord vncle is shot in the side with an arrow Vin. Plagues take thy tongue is he in any danger Pog. O danger I he haz lien speechlesse this two houres And talkes so idlely Vin. Accursed newes where is he bring me to him Pog. Yes do you lead and I le guide you to him Exeunt Enter Strozza brought in a Chaire Cynanche Benenemus with others Cyn. How fares it now with my deare Lord and husband Stro. Come neere me wife I fare the better farre For the sweete foode of thy diuine aduice Let no man value at a little price A vertuous womans counsaile her wing'd spirit Is featherd herd oftentimes with heauenly words And like her beautie rauishing and pure The weaker bodie still the stronger soule When good endeuours do her powers applie Her loue drawes neerest mans felicitie O what a treasure is a vertuous wife Discreet and louing Not one gift on earth Makes a mans life so highly bound to heauen She giues him double forces to endure And to enioy by being one with him Feeling his Ioies and Griefes with equall sence And like the twins Hypocrates reports If he fetch sighes she drawes her breath as short If he lament she melts her selfe in teares If he be glad she triumphs if he stirre She moou's his way in all things his sweete Ape And is in alterations passing strange Himselfe diuinely varied without change Gold is right pretious but his price infects With pride and auarice Aucthority lifts Hats from mens heades and bowes the strongest knees Yet cannot bend in rule the weakest hearts Musicke delights but one sence Nor choice meats One quickly fades the other stirre to sinne But a true wife both sence and soule delights And mixeth not her good with any ill Her vertues ruling hearts all powres command All Store without her leaues a man but poore And with her Pouertie is exceeding Store No time is tedious with her her true woorth Makes a true husband thinke his armes enfold With her alone a compleate worlde of gold Cyn. I wish deare loue I coulde deserue as much As your most kinde conceipt hath well exprest But when my best is done I see you wounded And neither can recure nor ease your pains Stro. Cynanche thy aduise hath made me well My free submission to the hand of heauen Makes it redeeme me from the rage of paine For though I know the malice of my wound Shootes still the same distemper through my vaines Yet the Iudiciall patience I embrace In which my minde spreads her impassiue powres Through all my suffring parts expels their frailetie And rendering vp their whole life to my soule Leaues me nought else but soule and so like her Free from the passions of my fuming blood Cyn. Would God you were so and that too much payne Were not the reason you felt sence of none Stro. Thinkst thou me mad Cynanche for mad men By paynes vngouernd haue no sence of payne But I I tell you am quite contrary Easde with well gouerning my submitted payne Be cheerd then wife and looke not for in mee The manners of a common wounded man Humilitie hath raisde me to the starres In which as in a sort of Cristall Globes I sit and see things hidde from humane sight I euen the very accidents to come Are present with my knowledge the seuenth day The arrow head will fall out of my side The seauenth day wife the forked head will out Cyn. Would God it would my Lord and leaue you wel Stro. Yes the seuenth day I am assurd it will And I shall liue I know it I thanke heauen I knowe it well and I le teach my phisition To build his cares heereafter vpon heauen More then on earthly medcines for I knowe Many things showne me from the op'ned skies That passe all arts Now my phisition Is comming to me he makes friendly haste And I will well requite his care of mee Cyn. How knowe you he is comming Stro. Passing well and that my deare friend lord Vincentio Will presently come see me too I le stay My good phisition till my true friend come Cyn. Ay me his talke is idle and I feare Foretells his reasonable Soule now leaues him Stro. Bring my Physition in hee 's at the doore Cyn. Alas there 's no Physition Stro. But I know it See he is come Enter Benouemius Ben. How fares my worthy Lord Stro. Good Doctor I endure no paine at all And the seauenth day the arrowes head will out Ben. Why should it fall out the seuenth day my Lord Stro. I know it the seuenth day it will not faile Ben. I wish it may my Lord Sâ—ro. Yes t' will be so You come with purpose to take present leaue But you shall stay a while my Lord Vincentio Would see you faine and now is comming hither Ben. How knowes your Lordship haue you sent for him Stro. No but t' is very true hee 's now hard by And will not hinder your affaires a whit Ben. How want of rest distempers his light braine Brings my
my deare friends name Presents my thoughts with a most mortall danger To his right innocent life a monstrous fact Is now effected on him Cyn. Where or how Stro. I doe not well those circumstances know But am assur'd the substance is too true Come reuerend Doctor let vs harken out Where the young Prince remaines and beare with you Medcines t' allay his danger if by wounds Beare pretious Balsome or some soueraigne iuyce If by fell poison some choice Antidote If by blacke witchcraft our good spirits and prayers Shall exorcise the diuelish wrath of hell Out of his princely bosome Enter Pogio running Pog. Where where where where 's my Lord vncle my Lord my vncle Stro. Here 's the ill tydings-bringer what newes now with thy vnhappie presence Po. O my Lord my Lord Vincentio is almost kild by my Lord Medice Stro. See Doctor see if my presage be true And well I know if he haue hurt the Prince T' is trecherously done or with much helpe Pog. Nay sure he had no helpe but all the Dukes Guard and they set vpon him indeed and after he had defended himselfe d ee see he drew hauing as good as wounded the Lord Medice almost he strake at him and missd him d ee marke Stro. What tale is here where is this mischiefe done Pog. At Monks well my Lord I le guide you to him presently Str. I doubt it not fooles are best guides to ill And mischiefes readie way lies open still Lead sir I pray Exeunt Enter Corteza and Margaret aboue Cort. Quiet your selfe Nece though your loue be slaine You haue another that 's woorth two of him Mar. It is not possible it cannot be That heauen should suffer such impi tie Cort. T is true I sweare neece Ma. O most vniust truth I le cast my selfe downe headlong from this Tower And force an instant passage for my soule To seeke the wandring spirit of my Lord Cort. Will you do so Neece That I hope you will not And yet there was a Maid in Saint Marks streete For such a matter did so and her clothes Flew vp about her so as she had no harme And grace of God your clothes may flie vp too And saue you harmelesse for your cause and hers Are ene as like as can be Mar. I would not scape And certainly I thinke the death is easie Cort. O t' is the easiest death that euer was Looke Nece it is so farre hence to the ground You shoulde bee quite dead long before you felt it Yet do not leape Nece Mar. I will kill my selfe With running on some sworde or drinke strong poison Which death is easiest I would faine endure Cor. Sure Cleopatra was of the same minde And did so she was honord euer since Yet do not you so Neece Mar. Wretch that I am my heart is softe and faint And trembles at the verie thought of death Though thoughts ten-folde more greiuous do torment it I le feele death by degrees and first deforme This my accursed face with vglie wounds That was the first cause of my deare loues death Cor. That were a cruell deed yet Adelasia In Pettis Pallace of Petit pleasure For all the worlde with such a knife as this Cut off her cheeks and nose and was commended More then all Dames that kept their faces whole O do not cut it Mar. Fie on my faint heart It will not giue my hand the wished strength Beholde the iust plague of a sensuall life That to preserue it selfe in Reasons spight And shunne deaths horror feels it ten times more Vnworthy women why doe men adore Our fading Beauties when their worthiest liues Being lost for vs we dare not die for them Hence haplesse Ornaments that adorn'd this head Disorder euer these entring carles And leaue my beautie like a wildernesse That neuer mans eie more may dare t' inuade Cor. I le tell you Nece and yet I will not tell you A thing that I desire to haue you doe But I will tell you onely what you might doe Cause I would pleasure you in all I cud I haue an Ointment here which we Dames vse To take off haire when it does growe too lowe Vpon our foreheads and that for a neede If you should rub it hard vpon your face Would blister it and make it looke most vildely Mar. O Giue me that Aunt Cor. Giue it you virgin that were well indeede Shall I be thought to tempt you to such matters Mar. None of my faith shall know it gentle Aunt Bestow it on me and I le euer loue you Cor. Gods pitty but you shall not spoile your face Mar. I will not then indeede Cor. Why then Neece take it But you shall sweare you will not Mar. No I sweare Cor. What doe you force it from me Gods my deare Will you mis-vse your face so what all ouer Nay if you be so desp'rate I le be gone Exit Mar. Fade haplesse beautie turne the vgliest face Thâ— euer Aethiop or affrightfull fiend Shew'd in th' amaz'd eye of prophan'd light See pretious Loue if thou be it in ayre And canst breake darknesse and the strongest Towres With thy dissolued intellectuall powers See a worse torment suffered for thy death Then if it had extended his blacke force In seuen-fold horror to my hated life Smart pretious ointment smart and to my braine Sweate thy enuenom'd furie make my eyes Burne with thy sulphre like the lakes of hell That feare of me may shiuer him to dust That eate his owne childe with the jawes of lust Exit Enter Alphonso Lasso and others Alp. I wonder how farre they pursu'd my Sonne That no returne of him or them appears I feare some haplesse accident is chanc'd That makes the newes so loath to pierce mine eares Lass. High heauen vouchsafe no such effect succeede Those wretched causes that from my house flow But that in harmelesse loue all acts may end Enter Cortezza Cort. What shall I do Alas I cannot rule My desparate Neece all her sweete face is spoylde And I dare keepe her prisoner no more See see she comes frantike and all vndrest Enter Marg. Mar. Tyrant behold how thou hast vsde thy loue See theefe to Nature thou hast kil'd and rob'd Kil'd what my selfe kill'd rob'd what makes thee poore Beautie a Louers treasure thou hast lost Where none can find it all a poore Maides dowrie Thou hast forc'd from me all my ioy and hope No man will loue me more all Dames excell me This ougly thing is now no more a face Nor any vile forme in all Earth resembled But thy fowle tyrannie for which all the paines Two faithfull Louers feele that thus are parted All ioyes they might haue felt turne all to paines All a yong virgin thinks she does endure To loose her loue and beautie on thy heart Be heapt and prest downe till thy soule depart Enter Iulio Iul. Haste Liege your sonne is daungerously hurt Lord Medice contemning your commaund By me deliuered as