Vand Wee have Val. And resolution fitting for the purpose Mon. All things are ready with our faithfull hearts Val. And she that undertakes so great an act As I intend had need of faithfull hearts This is the prison and the jaylor comes In happy time where 's trayterous Frederick Enter Iaylor Jaylor What is your highnesse pleasure with the Prince Val. Looke there if you can reade Iai O heavenly God what doe I read a warrant for his death Valen. Resigne your keyes goe weepe a diâ—ge or twaine But make no clamour with your lamentation Iay. I dare not prophesie what my souse feares Yet I le lament his tragedie in teares Exit Valen Oft have I seene a Nobleman arraign'd By mighty Lords the pillars of the land Some of which number his inclined friends Have wept yet past the verdict of his death So fares it with the Prince were I his jaylor And so affected unto Fredericks life The fearefull'st tyrant nor the cruelst plagues That ever lighted on tormented soules Should make me yeeld my prisoner to their hands Mon. Madam he knowes his dutie and performes it Valen Setting aside all dutie I would die Ere like a woman weepe a tragedie T is basenesse cowardize dutie ô slave Had I a friend I 'de dye in my friends grave But it sorts well for us Hindes will be Hindes And the Ambitious tread upon such mindes Waite whilest I call you in the jaylors house Mon. We will Exeunt Van and Mon. Valen. My Lord Prince Fredericke Enter Fred. Fred. Wofull Fredericke Were a beseeming Epitaph for me The other tastes of too much soveraigntie What is it you the glory of the stewes Valen. Thy mother Fredericke Fred. I detest that name My mother was a Dutches of true fame And now I think upon her when she died I was ordain'd to be indignified She never did incense my Princely Father To the destruction of his loving sonne Oh she was vertuous trulie naturall But this step-divell doth promise our fall Val. Why doest thou raile on me I am come To set thee free from all imprisonment Fred. By what true supersedeas but by death If it be so come strike me to the earth Thou needest no other weapon but thine eye T is full of poyson fixe it and I le die Val. Vncharitable youth I am no serpent venom'd No basiliske to kill thee with my sight Fre. Then thou speakst death I am sorry I mistooke They both are fatall there 's but little choice The first inthral'd my father the last me No deadlier swords ever vs'd enemie My lot's the best that I dye with the sound But he lives dying in a death profound I grow too bitter being so neere my end Speake quickly boldly what your thoughts intend Valen Behold this warrant you can reade it well Fred. But you the interpretation best can tell Speake beauteous ruine t were great iniurie That he should read the sentence that must dye Val. Then know in briefe 't is your fathers pleasure Fred. His pleasure what Val. That you must loose your life Fred. Fatall is his pleasure 't is to please his wife I prethee tell me didst thou ever know A Father pleas'd his sonne to murder so For what is' t else but murder at the best The guilt whereof will gnawe him in his brest Torment him living and when I am dead Curse thee by whose plot I was murdered I have seene the like example but ô base Why doe I talke with one of thy disgrace Where are the officers I have liv'd too long When he that gave me life does me this wrong Val. That is thy fathers hand thou dost not doubt And if thou shouldst I have witnesse to approve it Yet tho it be his hand grant to my request Love me and live Fred. To live so I detest love thee Valen. I love me gentle Fredericke love me Fred. Incestuous strumpet cease Val Oh thou dealest ill To render so much spleene for my good will Fred. Torment farre worse then death Valen I le follow thee Deare Fredericke like thy face be thy words faire Fre. This monstrous dealing doubles my deaths care Valen. What shall I call thee to allay this ire Fred. Why call me son and blush at thy desire Valen. I never brought thee foorth Fred. Art thou not wife unto my father Val. Thinke upon thy life It lyes like mine onely in gentle breath Or that thy father's dead and after death 'T is in my choice to marry whom I will Fred. Any but me Valen O doe not thinke so ill Rather thinke thou art a stranger not his sonne Then 't is no incest tho the Act be done Nature unto her selfe is too unkind To buzze such scruples into Fredericks minde T was a device of man to avoid selfe love Else every pleasure in one stocke should move Beautie in grace part never from the kinne Fred. If thou persever as thou hast begun I shall forget I am my fathers sonne I shall forget thou art my fathers wife And where 't is I must die abridge thy life Valen. Why did'st not kill me being thy prisoner then But friendly didst deliver me a jemme Vnto thy father wert not thou didst love me Fred. Be yond all sufferance monster thou dost move me 'T was for my fathers sake not for thine owne That to thy lifes losse thou hadst throughly knowne But that relenting nature playde her part To save thy blood whose losse had slaine his heart And it repents me not hee doth survine But that his fortune was so ill to wive Come kill for for that you came shun delayes Lest living I le tell this to thy dispraise Make him to hate thee as he hath iust cause And like a strumpet turne thee to the lawes Valen. Good Fredericke Fred. T is resolu'd on I have said Valen. Then fatall Ministers I crave your ayde Enter Van and Mont. Come Vandermas Montano where 's your corde Quicklie dispatch strangle this hatefull Lord Or stay because I loue him he shall chuse The easiest of three deaths that we may vse The halter poyson or bloodshedding blade Fred. Any of them Valen This Aconite's well made a cup of poyson Stuft with dispatching simples give him this And he shall quickly leave all earthly blisse There take it Fredericke our last gift of grace Since thou must die I le have thee die apace Fred. O happie meanes given by a trecherous hand To be my true guide to the heavenly land Death steales upon me like a silken sleepe Through every vaine doe leaden rivers flowe The gentlest poyson that I ever knewe To worke so coldly yet to be so true Like to an infant patiently I goe Out of this vaine world from all worldly woe Thankes to the meanes tho they deserve no thankes My soule beginnes t'ore-flow these fleshly bankes My death I pardon unto her and you My sinnes God pardon so vaine world adiew Valen Ha ha ha he falls asleepe Mon. Hee 's dead why does
eaten with rats too he looks like a piece of cheese alreadie Hat You Rogues Alf. Good brother stay your selfe from wrath Thinke on the Bishop and his odious death Hat What odious death I pray Al. Eaten with Rats Whilest he was liuing for the wrong he did Vnto the poore the branches of our God Hat T is true and therefore call the poore againe Come hither friends I did forget my selfe Pray for me ther 's some silver for thy wants 2. Now the Lord blesse you and keep your good fate From being Mouse-eaten wee came thinking Wee should have some dole at the Bishops funerall But now this shall serve our turne wee will Pray for you night and day Hat Goe to the backe gate and you shall have dole Om. O the Lord save thee Exeunt Beggers Hat These Beggers pray and curse both in a breath Oh wherefore should we fawne upon such curres The mice of mankind and the scorne of earth Alf. So said our brother Hat And he was a Bishop Had read the Scripture and knew what he said Alf. But he hath brought that saying with his death With such a loathsome and notorious death As while the World 's a World 't will speake of Meath Hat The Lord Archbishop of Meath and die by Rats Alf. He did proclaime reliefe unto the poore Assembled them unto a private Barne And having lockt the doore set it on fire Saying hee 'de rid the countrie of such Mice And Mice and Rats have rid him from the World Hat Well I le not hurt the poore so publikely But privately I 'le grinde their very hearts Torture them living and yet have their prayers And by such meanes that few or none shall know it Al. In such a course Alfred would wind with you For though I counsail'd you to be more calme T was not in pittie of their povertie But to auoide their clamour to give nothing Will make them curse you but to threaten them Flie in your face and spit upon your beard No devill so fierce as a bread-wanting heart Especially being baited with ill tearmes But what course can you take to plague these dogges Hat Why buy up all the corne and make a dearth So thousands of them will die under stalles Alf. And send it unto forraine nations To bring in toies to make the wealthy poore Hat Or make our land beare wood instead of wheate Al. Inclose the commons and make white meates deare Hat Turne pasture into Parke grounds and starve cattle Or twentie other honest thriving courses The meanest of these will beggar halfe a Kingdome Al. I have a commission drawne for making glasse Now if the Duke come as I thinke he will T will be an excellent meanes to lavish wood And then the cold will kill them had they bread Hat The yron Mills are excellent for that I have a pattent drawne to that effect If they goe up downe goes the goodly trees I le make them search the earth to find new fire Alf. We two are brothers and the Duke 's our brother Shall we be brothers in Commission And I le perswade him to authorize thee His substitute in Meath when he enioyes it Hat Death I le get thee Regent under him In Saxonie to oppresse as well as I And we will share the profits live like Kings And yet seeme liberall in common things Al. Content what though the Rats devour'd our brother Was not a Prophet murdered by a Lyon King Herod died of Lice wormes doe eate us all The Rats are wormes then let the Rats eate me Is the dead course prepar'd Hat Embalm'd and coffin'd The Citie keyes delivered to my hands We stay but onely for his Excellence Enter Constantine Con. The Duke is comming if it please your honors Al. And he is welcome let the trumpets found second FLorish Enter Duke of Saxon Euphrata and Iulia. Hat Welcome thrice welcome our renowned brother Loe at thy feete the Citizens of Meath By us their Agents do lay downe the keyes And by this crownet and sword resign'd The state Maiestique to your Princely hands Discended to you by our brothers death Duke Then with your loves and persons we receive it Is then our brother the Archbishop dead Hat Too true my Lord. Euph. I am sorry for my Vncle. Hat And of a death so publike by reporte Al. Devour'd by Rats in strange and wonderous sort Duke Could not this palace seated in the Rheine In midst of the great River to the which No bridge nor convay other then by boats Was to be had ree him from vermine Rats Alf. Against their kind the land Rats took the water And swomme in little armies to the house And though we drownd and kild innumerable Their numbers were like Hydra's heads increasing Ruine bred more untill our brother died Duke The house is execrable I le not enter Hat You need not feare my Lord the house is free From all resort of Rats for at his death As if a trumpet founded a retreat They made a kind of murmure and departed Du. Sure 't was the hand of heaven for his contempt Of his poore creatures but what writs are those Hat Commissions if it please your grace for glasse For yron Mines and other needfull things Duke Our selfe invested in the government The Cities care shall lie upon your care Hat Alfred our brother may awaite your grace seven in Saxony so please you to command Duke We are now but three that lately have bin We have cause to love each other for my part Betweene you both we give a brothers heart Here or at Saxonis command at pleasure I weare the corronet be yours the treasure Al. We thanke our brother Duke Where 's my sonne Fredericks Enter Fredericke with a gloue Fre. Father the state of Meath desire your grace To take the paines to passe unto the Senate Duke What glove is that son Fred. in your hand Fre. I found it if it please your Excellence Neere to the state-house the imbroiderie Is very excellent and the fashion rare Duke I have not seene a prettier forme of hand Daughter let 's see is' t not too bigge for you Eup. Sure 't is some admirable worke of nature If it fit any hand that owes this glove If all the rest doe parallel the hand Duke Will it not on Euph. Not for a diadem I le trie no longer lest I shame my selfe Duke Try Iulia. Iu. My hand 's bigger then my Ladies Duke I cannot tell but in my minde I feele A wondrous passion of I know not what Fre. The imbroidered glove may be some childs no womans Duke I should mistrust as much but that this place Beares greater compasse then a childish hand I must command it Fre. Willingly my Lord. Du. Then to the state-house brothers lead the way First our instalement then a funerall day Exeunt Duke and brothers and Fred. Enter Otho Otho Yonder she goes the mirrour of her sexe Stay beauteous Euphrata Euph. Otho what Iulia Ju.
a Goddesse That I should fetch their flying soules from heaven And breath them once more in their clay cold bodies Duke Thou art a witch a damn'd forceresse No goddesse but the goddesse of blacke hell And all those devils thy followers What makes thou on the earth to murder men Will not my sonnes and daughters timelesse liues Taken away in prime of their fresh youth Serue to suffice thee Valen. O you are mad my Lord Duke How can I choose And such a foule Erynnis gase on me Such furious legions circle mee about And my slaine Sonne and Daughters fire brands Lying so neere me to torment my soule Extremitie of all extremities Take pitty on the wandring sense of mine Or it will breake the prison of my soule And like to wild fire fly about the world Till they haue no abioing in the world I faint I dye my sorrowes are so great Oh mortalitie renounce thy seate He fals down Valen. The Duke I feare is slaine with extreame griefe I that had power to kill him will assay hence forth My utmost industry to saue his life Looke up my Lord 't is not Valentias voice That Courtezan that hath betray'd thy honour Murder'd thy children and almost slaine thee I am thy sonne I am Prince Fredericke If thou hast any liking of that name Looke on my face I come to comfort thee Duke The name of Fredericke is like Hermes wande Able to charme and uncharme sorrowfull men Who nam'd Fredericke Valen. I pronounc't his name That haue the power to giue thee thy lost Sonne Had I like vertue to restore the other Behold my Lord behold thy headlesse Sonne Blest with a head the late deceased living As yet not fully waken'd from the sleepe My drowfie potion kindled in his braine But much about this houre the power should cease And see he wakes Duke O happinesse 't is hee Valen. Imbrace him then but ne're more imbrace me Fred. Where am I in what dungeon where 's my graue Was I not dead or dreamt I I was dead This am I sure that I was prisoned Duke Thou art deceiv'd my Sonne but this deceit Is worth commendations thanke my Dutchesse Her discretion reedified thy life But she hath pron'd her selfe a gracious wife Fred. She tempt me to lust wait in my grave Valen 'T was but to try thy faith unto thy father Let it suffice his hand was at thy death But t was my mercie that proclaim'd thy breath Fred. To heaven and you I render worthy thankes Duke O liv'd my Euphrata and Constantine How gladly would I all my griefe resigne Albert. On that condition and with this besides That you are pleas'd to pardon us and them We doe referre our persons to your mercie Duke My daughter my deare sonne in law Vertuous Alberto then my friend My ioyes are at the highest make this plaine How these sav'd drownd as Fredericke has bin slaine Albert. Presuming on the example of these friends And know we are all actors in this plot Boldly presented your presence with this minde If pardoning them your grace would pardon us If otherwise this was the ioy of either That death 's lesse painefull when friends die together Duke We doe receive you all into our fauour And my faire Dutchesse my unkind divorce Shall be confounded with a second marriage I here receive thee once more as my wife Val. You have your children I have paid that debt You have divore'd me therefore I am free And henceforth I will be at libertie Duke There 's no divorce can part thee from thy Lord. Valen. Like to unkindnesse ther is no divorce I will no more be won unto your bed But take some course to lament my life mislead Duk. Canst thou live better then in sacred wedlock Valen. Wedlocke to me is unpleasing since my Lord Hath broke the band of marriage with unkindnesse Duke Intreate her children Fredericke Euphrata Let me not loose the essence of my soule Fred. Divine Valentia mirrour of thy sexe The pride of true reclaim'd incontinence Honour of the dishonoring yeeld I pray And be mercifull pitty my fathers smart Since thy last thraldome hath neare cleft his heart Eup. 'T was for his children that his spleene did rise Anger a torture haunting the most wise Valen. O no I am a murderesse an Erinnis A fury sent from Limbo to affright Legions of people with my horrid sight Hat What doe you meane be won by their intreaties Alfred 'T is madnesse in you to be thus perverse Val Who ever speaks base wretches be you dumb You are the catter pillers of the state By your bad dealings he is unfortunate Thou honourable true beloved Lord Hearken to me and by thy antient love I charge thee banish these realme-sucking slaues That build their pallace upon poore mens graves O those are they that have wrong'd both you and me Made this blest land a land of miserie And since by too much loving your grace hath falne Into a generall hatred of your subiects Redeeme your lost estate with better dayes So shall you merit never dying praise So shall you gaine lives quietnesse on earth And after death a new celestiall birth Duke Vnto thy wisedome I referre their doomes My selfe my Dukedome and my crowne Oh were there any thing of higher rate That unto hee I 'de wholly consecrate Val. This kind surrender shewes you are a Prince Worthy to be an Angell in the world Of immortalitie Which these cursed creatures never can attaine But that this world may know how much I hate This cruell base oppression of the poore First I enioyne you for the wrongs you haue done Make restitution and because your goods Are not sufficient so to satisfie I doe condemne your bodies to the Mynes Where liue like golden drudges all your liues In digging of the mettall you best loue Death is your due but for your noble race This gentle sentence I impose on you The Duke succeeding shall behold it done Duke Who 's that my loue Valen. Kind Freaericke your sonne The interest that your grace hath given to me I freely doe impart Duke We doe agree to what my Dutchesse please Valen. The state is thine Thy Vncles sentence Fredericke shall be mine Fred. Beare them away what you haue said shall stand Whilst I haue interest in this new given land Hat We doe receiue our iudgements with a curse Valen Learne to pray better or it shall be worse Lords see these wormes of kingdomes be destroyed And now to giue a period to my speech I doe intreate your grace if that your loue Be not growne cold but that your heart desires The true societie of a chaste wife Be pleas'd to undergoe a further doome Wee haue liv'd too lightly we haue spent our dayes Which should be dedicated to our God In soule destroying pleasure and our sloth Hath drawne upon the Realme a world of playes Therefore hereafter let us liue together In some removed cell or hermitage Vnto the which poore travellers mislead May haue direction and reliefe of wants Duke A hermetary life is better then a kingdome So my Valentia beare me company Valen. If my dread Lord will for my sake endure So strickt a calling my bewitching haires Shall be made napkins to dry up the teares That true repentance wringeth from our hearts Our sinnes we 'l number with a thousand sighes Fasting shall be the Steward of our Feast Continuall prayer in stead of costly cates And the Remainder of our life a schoole To learne new lessons for the land of heaven The will where power is wanting is good payment Grace doth reiect no thoughr tho' nere so small So it be good our God is kind to all Come my deare Lord this is a course more kind No life like us that haue a heavenly mind Mon. O let me be a servant in that life Valen. With all my heart a Partner let him be There 's small ambition in humility Duke Fredericke farewell deare Euphrata adue Remember us in prayer as we will you Exeunt D. D. Fred. A happy change would all that step awry Would take like course in seeking pietie Otho Two humble suites I craue of my best friend First pardon for my rashnesse in your loue Next this most loyall Virgin for my wife Con. With all my heart if Iulia be pleas'd Iulia. I haue no power to disobey your grant Con. Then she is yours Fred. Alberto The offices belonging to our Vncles We doe deriue to you for your good service In our late warres and in our sisters loue And now set forwards Lords let us be gone To solemnize two mariages in one The Epilogue ENcouragement unto the valiant Is like a golden spurre upon the heele Of a young Knight like to a wreath of Bay To a good Poet like a sparkeling Crowne Vnto a Kings Son Honour and renowne Is the efficient and persevering cause Of every well deserved action Take away some recorde encouragement And the World 's like a Chaos all delight Buried unborne in everlasting night Even so it fares with us and with the rest Of the same facultie all meerely nothing Without your favour every labour dyes Saue such whose second springs comes from your eyes Extend your beames of loue to us at full As the Sunne does unto the Easterne clime And England may bring forth like India As costly spice as orientall Iems The earth 's all one the heare refines the moulde And favour makes the poorest ground yielde gold FINIS