of this great state a most Contagious Feaver Queene Pray no Metaphor Decast. You have invited warre to interrupt With its rude noise the musique of our peace A forraigne enemie gathers the fruite The sweate and labour of your subjects planted In the coole shadow of the Vine we pruin'd He wantonly lyes downe and roughly bids The owner presse the grape that with the juyce His blood may swell up to lascivious heates Queene My Lord I answere not th' effects of war But I must pay Castile all thankefull service For his faire charitie Decast. Doe you then Madam Reckon on mischiefe as a charitie Queene Yes such a mischiefe as is mercifull And I a Queene opprest But how dares he Whose duty ought with reverence obey And not dispute the councells of his Princesse Question my actions Whence my Lord springs this Ill tutor'd priviledge Decast. From the zeale I owe The honour of our Nation Over which Kings rule but at the Courtesie of Time Queen You are too bold And I must tell your pride It swells to insolence For were your nature Not hoodwink'd by your interest you would praise The vertue of his courage who tooke Armes To an injured Ladies rescue Decast. T was ambition Greedy to make advantage of that breach Betweene you and your people arm'd Castile Unpittyed else you might have wept away The houres of your restraint Queen Poore erring man Could thy Arts raise a tempest blacker yet Such as would fright thy selfe It could not for One moment cloud the splendor of my soule Misfortune may benight the wicked she Who knowes no guilt can sinke beneath no feare Decast. Your Majestie mistakes the humble aime Of my addresse I come not to disturbe Th' harmonious calme your soule enjoyes May pleasure Live there enthron'd till you your selfe shall wooe Death to enlarge it May felicities Great as th' Idaeas of Philosophie Waite still on your delight May fate conspire To make you rich and envied Queen Pray my Lord Explaine the riddle By the cadence of Your language I could guesse you have intents Farre gentler than your actions Decast. If your eare Great Madam would convey into your heart The story of my love My love a flame Queen Leave off this history of love and flame And honestly confesse your feares my Lord Least Castile should correct you Decast. Correct me No Madam I have forc't them t' a retreate And given my fine young Generall cause to wish He had not left his amorous attempts On Ladies to assault our Citie Queen But he is not wounded Decast. Not to death perhaps But certainely w' have open'd him a veine Will cure the Feaver of his blood Queene O stay Decast. Torment And doth she weepe I might have falne Downe from some murdering precipice to dust And mist the mercie of one teare though it Would have redeem'd me backe to life agen Accurst be that felicitie that must Depend on womans passion Queene Florentio If in my quarrell thou too suddenly Art lost i th' shades of death ô let me finde The holy vault where thy pale earth must lye There I will grow and wither Decast. This is strange My heart swells much too bigge to be kept in Queen But if that Providence which rules the world Hath to preserve the stocke of vertue kept Thee yet alive Decast. And what if yet alive Pray recollect your reason and consider My long and faithfull service to your crowne The fame of my progenitors and that Devotion the whole Kingdome beares me How Hath nature punisht me that bringing all The strength of argument to force your judgement I cannot move your love Queen My Lord you plead With so much arrogance and tell a story So gallant for your selfe as if I were Exposed a prize toth ' cunningst Orator Decast. No Madam humbler far than the tand slave kneeles Tyed to the Oare I heere throw downe my selfe And all my victories Dispose of me To death for what hath life merits esteeme What tye Alas can I have to the World Since you disdaine my love Floria. Will you permit The Generall kneele so long Queen Feare not Floriana My Lord knowes how to rise though I should strive To hinder it Decast. Here statue-like I le fix For ever till your pity for your love I must despaire enforce a life within me Alarum and Enter Ossuna Ossuna O my Lord To arme to arme The enemie encouraged By a strange leader wheel'd about the towne And desperately surpris'd the carelesse guard One gate 's already theirs Decast. Have I your licence Queen To augment your owne command and keepe me still An humble captive Decast. Madam your disdaine Distracts me more than all th' assaults of fortune Exeunt all but the Queene Floriana and Cleantha Queen My fate O whether dost thou leade me Why Is my youth destin'd to the stormes of warre What is my crime you heavenly powers that it Must challenge blood for expiation Clean. Madam Queen Fortune O cruell For which side soe're Is lost I suffer either in my people Or slaughter of my friends No victory Can now come welcome the best chance of warre Makes me how ere a mourner Cleant. Madam you Have lost your vertue which so often vowed A cleere aspect what cloud soever darken'd Your present glory Queen I had thoughts Cleantha But they are vanisht what shall we invent To take off feare and trouble from this houre Poore Floriana Thou art trembling now With thought of wounds and death to which the courage Of thy feirce husband like a headstrong jade May runne away with him But cleere thy sorrowes If he fall in this quarrell thou shalt have Thy choise 'mong the Castilian Lords And give My judgement faith there be brave men emong them Flor. Madam I have vowed my life to a Cloyster Should I survive my Lord Queen And thou art fearefull Thou shalt be forc't to make thy promise good Alasse poore soule Inclosure and course dyet Much Disciple and early prayer will ill Agree with thy complection There 's Cleantha She hath a heart so wean'd from vanitie To her a Nunnery would be a Pallace Clean. Yes if your Majestie were Abbesse Madam But Cloyster up the fine young Lords with us And ring us up each midnight to a Masque In steed of Mattins And I stand prepar'd To be profest without probation Drum beats Flor. Harke What noyse is that Queen T is that of death and mischiefe My griefes but I le discemble them Yet why Cleantha being the sole beautious Idoll Of all the superstitious youth at Court Remainst thou yet unmarried Cleant. Madam I Have many servants but not one so valiant As dares attempt to marry me Queen There 's not a wit but under some feign'd name Implores thy beauty sleepe cannot close up Thy eyes but the sad world benighted is Or else their sonnets are Apocriphall And when thou wakest the Larke salutes the day Breaking from the bright East of thy faire eyes And if mong thy admirers
there be some Poore drossie braine who cannot rime thy praise He wooes in sorry Prose Enter Servant Ser. Halfe of the Citie Already is possest by th' enemie Our souldiers flye from the Assailants who With moderation use their victory So far from drawing blood th' abstaine from spoyle Queene My comforts now grow charitable This Is the first dawning of some happier fortune Flor. Where did you leave my Lord Ser. Retiring hither Queen And your good nature will in time Cleantha Beleeve all flattery for truth Clean. In time I shall not But for th' present Madam give Leave to my youth to thinke I may be prays'd And merit it Hereafter when I shall Owe Art my beauty I shall grow perhaps Suspicious there 's small faith in Poetrie Que. Canst thou thinke of hereafter Poore Cleantha Hereafter is that time th' art bound to pray Against Hereafter is that enemie That without mercie will destroy thy face And what 's a Lady then Clean. A wretched thing A very wretched thing So scorn'd ánd poore T will scarce deserve mans pittie And I me sure No Almes can ere releeve it Queen Floriana You yeeld too much to feare Misfortune brings Sorrow enough T is envie to our selves T' augment it by prediction Enter Sanmartino Cleant. See your Lord San. Fly Madam fly The Armie of Castile Conducted by an unknowne leader masters The Towne Decastro yeelding up his fate To the prevailing enemie is fled Cleant. And shall the Queene flye from her friends my Lord Sanmar. You have reason Madam I begin to finde Which way the Gale of favour now will blow I will addresse to the most fortunate Exit Sanmar Queene Some Musique there my thoughts grow full of trouble I le recollect them Clean. May it please you Madam To heare a song presented me this morning Queen Play any thing During the Song Enter Ascanio Lerma Sanmartino c. Ascanio Cease the uncivill murmur of the drum Nothing sound now but gentle such as may not Disturbe her quiet eare Are you sure Lerma Th' obedient Souldier hath put up his sword Lerma The Citizen and souldier gratulate Each other as divided friends new meeting Nor is there execution done but in pursute Of th' enemie without the walls Asca. T is very well My Lord is that your Queene San. It is the Queene sir Asca. Temper'd like the Orbs Which while we mortalls weary life in battell Move with perpetuall harmonie No feare Ecclipseth the bright lustre of her cheeke While we who infants were swath'd up in steele And in our cradle luld a sleepe by th' Cannon Grow pale at danger San. I le acquaint her sir That you attend here Ascanio Not for a diamond Bigge as our Apennine She 's heavenly faire And had not Nature plac't her in a throne Her beauty yet beares so much Majestie It would have forc't the World to throw it selfe A captive at her feete But see she moves I feele a flame within me which doth burne Too neere my heart And t is the first that ever Did scorch me there San. Madam here 's that brave Souldier Which reinforc't the Armie of Castile His name as yet unknowne Ascanio And must be so Nor did I merit name before this houre In which I serve your Majestie enjoy The fortune of my sword your liberty And since your Rebell subjects have denyed Obedience here receive it from us strangers Queen I know nor sir to whom I owe the debt But finde how much I stand obleig'd Ascanio You owe it To your owne vertue Madam and that care Heaven had to keepe part of it selfe on earth Unruin'd When I saw the Souldier flye Sent hither from Castile to force your rescue Their Generall hurt almost to death I urg'd Them with the memory of their former deedes Deeds famed in War And so far had my voyce Speaking your name power to confirme their spirits That they return'd with a brave fury and Yeeld you up now your owne humbled Arragon Queen My ignorance doth still perplex me more And to owe thankes yet not to know to whom Nor how to expresse a gratitude will cloud The glory of your victory and make Me miserable however Ascanio I must pennance My blood with absence for it boyles too high aside When we have order'd your affaires my name Shall take an honour from your knowledge Madam Queen You have corrected me Sir we 'le expect The houre your selfe shall name when we may serve Ascanio I me conquer'd in my victory But I le try A new assault And overcome or dye Exeunt Actus Tertius Scena Prima Enter Velasco and Oniate Oniate MY Lord it shewes a happie Discipline Where the obedient souldier yeelds respect To such severe commands Now when victory Gives licence to disorder Velasco Sir our Generall The Lord Florentio is a glorious Master In th' art of war And though time makes him not Wise at th' expence of weakenesse or diseases yet I have beheld him by the easie motion But of his eye represse sedition When it contem'd the frowne of Majestie For never he who by his Princes smile Stood great at Court attain'd such love and awe With that fierce viper the repining people Onia. Our Kingdome owes its safety to that power For how dejected looked our Majestrate When conquest gave admittance to the Souldier But how their feares for sooke them when they saw You entrie with such silence Velasco Sir castile Aim'd not at spoile or ruine in this warre But to redresse that insolence your Queene Did suffer under in Decostros pride Oniate And yet Auxiliaries oft turne their swords To ruine whom they come to rescue Velasco The Barbarous keepe no faith in vowes But we We of Castile though flattering advantage Perswade to perjurie have still observ'd Friendship inviolate No Nation suffering To which we give our oath Oniate You speake my Lord Your glories Nobly And it is our joy Your Generalls wound but frighted us Velasco The Surgeons Affirme there is no danger and have licenced His visit to the Queene Oniate T is thought how-ere His Love had not obey'd such a restraint Though death had threatned him But in his health Consists the common safety since those Forces Decastro in the morning did expect Ere you the Towne assaulted are discover'd To which he fled expel'd the Citie Velasco Sir We shall contemne and with ease break that Armie Whose Generall we have vanquisht having wonne The Citie and your Queene into our power Enter Sanmartino San. Save you my Lord Sir your most obedient And how likes your good Lordship the great Acts Of the strange Cavaliere was not his conduct Most happie for you in the late assault Velasco He happily supplyed the Office of Our Generall Howere your Citie had Beene ours For though our Spanish Forces may At first seeme beaten and we to retreate A while to animate a giddie enemie Yet we recover by our Art and patience What fortune gives away This unknowne leader I know not how to
eare And doe not forfeite Your servant to perpetuall misery For want of a short patience Queene No my Lord I have the memory of your great deedes Ingrav'd so deepe no errour can have power To raze them from a due respect You beg'd To have a pardon speake th' offenders name Ascan. Th' offenders name is Love His crime high treason A plot how to surprize and wound your heart To this conspirator I have given harbour And vow'd to begge your mercy for him Queen How Asca. And if you breake your grant I will hereafter Scorne all your Sex since the most excellent Is cruell and inconstant Queen Pray my Lord Goe recollect your reason which your passion Hath too much scatter'd Make me not have cause To hate whom I would ever strive to honour Ascanio Madam you haply scorne the vulgar earth Of which I stand compacted And because I cannot adde a splendor to my name Reflective from a royall pedegree You interdict my Language But be pleas'd To know the ashes of my ancestors If intermingled in the Tombe with Kings Could hardly be distinguisht The Starres shoote An equall influence on the open cottage Where the poore sheepheards childe is rudely nurst And on the cradle where the Prince is rockt With care and whisper Queen And what hence inferre you Ascanio That no distinction is 'tweene man and man But as his vertues adde to him a glory Or vices cloud him Queen But yet heaven hath made Subordination and degrees of men And even religion doth authorize us To rule and tells the subject t is a crime And shall meete death if he disdaine obedience Ascan. Kinde heaven made us all equall till rude strength Or wicked pollice usurp'd a power And for Religion that exhorts t' obey Onely for its owne ease Queen I must not heare Such insolence 'gainst Majestie And yet This lesse offends than love Ascanio If reason bends You not to mercie let my passion plead And not meete death from her in whose faire quarrell I could each moment bring a life to th' hazard Philosophie hath taught me that content Lives under the course thatch of Labourers With much more quiet then where the fam'd hand Of Artists to the life have richly drawne Upon the roofes the fictions of the Gods How happie then might I lengthen my life With some faire Country Girle so ignorant She knew not her owne beauties Rather than Indanger death and scorne in your deniall And in your grant nothing but pompe and envie Quee. My Lord be wise and study that best content This bold presumptuous love hath cancell'd all The bonds I owed your valour henceforth hope Not for that usuall favour I shew strangers Since you have thus abused it would I might With safety have appear'd more gratefull Exit Asca. She 's gone as life from the delinquent when Justice sheathes up her sword I faine would have Conceal'd lov's treason but desire t' obtaine her Put me to th' torture till each Nerve did cracke And I confest then dy'd upon the racke Exeunt Actus Quartus Scena Prima Enter Cleantha and Floriana Floria. THy pride is such a flatterer of thy beautie That no man sighes by accident but thou Dost pitty as enamor'd Clean. Floriana Not so kind natured surely I have put The sighes of Courtiers in a scale and finde Some three score thousand may weigh downe a fether I' have tryed their teares which though of briny taste Can onely season th' hearts of fooles not women Their vowes are like their duells ever grounded Upon the idlest quarrell Floria. This experiences Perhaps instructs you to But yet your pride I feare is over easie to beleeve T is meerely to flye idlenesse that my Lord Hath troubled you with courtship If the Queene Would make a statesman she might cure a Lover Want of imployment made him dreame on beauty And yours came first t' his fancie Clean. I begin To thinke his making love but vanitie And a mistake in wit Floria. And you begin Perhaps to feare it Clean. True perhaps I doe For though we care not for the Lover yet We love the passion Though we scorne the offering We grieve to see it throwne away and envie If consecrated to another Woman Hath no revenge 'gainst th' injurie of custome Which gives man superioritie but thus To foole him to subjection Floria. Yet Cleantha I could have wisht your charitie had spared This triumph o're my Lord Clean. You see I take The next way to redeeme him This the houre And this the place Here he resolves to raise A trophe in my ruine And behold Enter Sanmartino winding up his watch The just man of his promise Not a minute He failes when sinne 's the payment Floria. I le indanger His vertue to a blush And happily Convert an Infidell Clean. This is my province Nor shall you envie me the honour of A worke of meritorious Let him walke A while and sinne with his owne fancie Then I le undertake him and if there be neede Be you prepared to assist me Floria. Thou dost build Such Forts on the opinion of thy wit Exeunt Floriana and Clean San. T is a full houre and halfe a minute over And yet she not appeares How we severe Strickt Creditors in love stand on the minute But yet the paiment never comes unwelcome Untill the gold through age grow soule and rustie We stand not on a graine or two too light Enter Dwarfe Now your discovery Dwarfe My Lord I have Made search in every Ally every Arbour Not left a bush wherein my littlenesse Could creepe without due scrutinie And yet No whispering of taffetie No dazeling Of your bright Mistresse forc't me to a wincke I saw no mortall beautie San. Sure shee 'le not Be so unworthy to delude me now Dwarfe But I had a more prosperous fate in love My Lord I met my mistresse San. You a mistresse Dwarfe A Mistresse to whose beauty I have payd My vowes most fervent vowes ere since I was Of stature fit to be an Amorist San. One of the Maides of honor to Queene Mab Dwar. Your Lordship guesses neere For she is one o th' Chamberers to her Fayrie Majestie A Ladie of most subtle wit who while She puts a handkerchiefe or gorget on Her little highnesse holds intelligence Abroad and orders payment for the Spies She raiseth factions and unites the angry She 's much upon designe San. Where found you her Dwarf Walking alone under the shadow of A Tulip and inveying 'gainst Court Arts 'Cause one of Oberons Groomes had got from her The Monopoly of transporting gnats A project she long aym'd at San. No more fooling I am growne angry with my patience Boy sing those verses were presented me This morning Dwarf I will creepe behind a bush And then for voyce vie with the Nightingale If seene I am so bashfull Sanmar. Take your way Song Without As the Song ends Enter Cleantha veil'd She breakes forth like the Morning in a Cloud