Where are the keyes that lockt the vpper loft Ph. Fast vnderneath the pillow where you sleepe Se. Go fetch them hether le ts see them straight Goe call vp my neighbors Fayries haunt my house Exit Phillida Ser. This ring was yesterday night vpon this thumbe Yet hath two deuils gotten it abroad And gotten passage through my castell gates And here a worse then Lucifer him selfe Doth bring it backe to haunt me with suspect Enter Annetta Lucida and Gnatto An. Hie thee good Gnatto bring vs to the house If yet my brothers bide with Seruio I le to the Duke and moue Fortunio For what they did was in my honors right See where old Seruio sits Gnat. T is such a wold fraud foole I am loth to speake Enter Phillida with the keies Phil Father heere are the keies Fetch forth the prisoners let me see their lookes Exit Phillyda â—n God speed you Sir in the way of honistie My mistresse would know whether her brethren bee prisoners in your house or no. Seruio I tell her and I hope ere noone to see them hanged Gnat. I told you what would come out He spake as though hee would spit his stomp in my mouth Enter Phillida Phil. Alas alas father we are all vndone Orphinio and Zepherius are fled Ser. Tell me that my soule hathe left my flesh How when where whether howe should they bee gone Gna. Fine and braue mistresse your brethren are gone Ser. Villaine why did they passe you minkes you Minion you haue let them loose Phil. Good father do not censure me amisse Ser. Hence callet harlot worse then nought For thou hast lost me and my prisoners I am vndon my credit 's crackt my honor 's lost gone I am a reprobate and cast away I le to the Duke Packe thou to hell thou wretch come not in my sight But get thee gone Exit Seruio and Phillida An How glad am I my brethren are escapt Come sirra vex the silly wretch no more Exit omnis Enter Orphinio Zepherius and Lelio Zeph. Good fortune to our brother Lelio Le. O happie relickes of a worthy man Young Zepherius and kinde Orphinio How wends the word in Venice with our frends How fares Annetta how liues Lucida Or. The worse doth still preuaile Marchetto hath attempted thy faire wife Fortunio sought to rauish Lucida And we rescuing them haue hardely scapt with lyfe Le. Like as the Palme vnto the Egyptian sagges That in three hundred daies and sixtie fiue Is seemliest and fully brought to passe Euen so your tydings to sad Lelio Importeth my excreding yeare of griefe That hath three hundred woes and sixtie fiue And sixtie fiue three hundred sorrowes more Zep. To greeue thy sorrowes without mending them is vanitie Lelio behold occasion fauoures thee Le. Why are your swords vnsheathd you noble frinds Doth pittie moue you by a blessed death to ende my wooes O welcome is that sword that slyts this hart Orp. Tho u seest our Father in declyning age Is banisht quite for sauing of thy life And we his sonnes vnlesse he doth returne Are neuer like to visit Venice more Resolue you then to hye you backe againe And by thy head reuoke our exiled Sire Or by our swords prepare thy selfe to dye Le. Is this the cause that makes you so vnkinde Will Lelios head or heart or any part Be comforters to Brishio and his sonnes Put vp your swords wee will not square for this That I may see my father ere I go And thank him for his many curtesies Enter Brishio Zep. See where he comes occasion fauours thee Bri. God blesse my sonnes ryse ryse speake to me Haue you not some Venetian frinds vnkinde Or. Their friendship with thy fortunes tooke an end Bri. I thought on lesse but why is Lelio so discontent Tut giue ouer man the streame wil run with vs at last Le. I come to thanke my father for his loue And pray him by those armes he honors most To daigne my dutiful and kind adew Le. Why whether goes my sonne so suddenly Bri. To Venice father to redeeme your banishment Bri. I am not banisht you wrong my fames Liuing for him I liue at libertie Zep. But Lelio must not liue vnlesse he be resolu'd To hie to Venice that thou maiest returne Le. These are thy children Brishio these exceede In kindnesse towards thee and towards mee Oh honors to your father and to mee Let me imbrace you for your curtesie Brishio fare well accept a thousand thankes Bri. Why who willes thee hence Zep. Father they will him hence that will be actors In his Tragedie vnlesse he to Venice go speedily And quit thee from this exile with his head Bri. These are not Brishios sonnes bids Lelio hence These are not Brishios sonnes that draw their swords Thou art my sonne these two are fortunes slaues Avant vaine boyes come not in my sight By heauen and heauens adorning sunne These are no sonnes of mine that sinne so much Or. Ashamd we beg a pardon at thy hands Br. Ashamd I beg a pardon at thy handes In rendring nature that hath lost thy power To breed such manslayers in an honest stocke Le. O bend not those knees to which nature bends Zep. O Lelio sue our pardons plead for vs Our iudgements were disgraced by our loues Le. Ryse father of kinde sonnes sonnes kinde to father Brothers vnkinde in kindnesse to your brother I kind to churlish of my kinde Do yeeld kind death to saue your liues Br Sweare puytence lewd boyes Submit to Lelio humbly on your knee Else will I neuer blesse you gracelesse youthes Or. We humbly craue submission of our brother Br. And thou my sonne nay more then sonne my frind Here plight thy fayth to bide and stay with me Or I shall thinke my loue but spent in vaine Le I vow to be as sequest to my Father And with my heart I do forgiue my brothers Bri. Then will I now incorporate these Lads And hug them in my arme and hold them deare Now wil I hold a festiuall to day For Lelio Zepherius and Orphinio Le. And I with fauour of my noble Lord Will first giue order to my souldiers And then returne to Brishio in his tent Br. Be carefull of thy charge my noble sonne I will not hinder thee in vertuous things But let vs meete againe before we march For I haue many things for to impart to thee Le. My busines past I will reuisit thee Exit omnes manit Lelio Le. In what a world of troubles am I tost To Venice Lelio rid thy fathers cares I but Brishio will accuse thy breach of faith But while I heere remayne his griefes increase I am resolud father frinds farewell I will to Venice with a merry hart And in what eare disguise I can prouide Visit Annetta my distressed wife And so redeeme my fathers banishment Exit Lelio Enter the Duke of Venice with the Senator Seruio bound Duke Bring tortors forth bring me
foes Bri. O mysery of man you will not goe Then stay and see your father with his sword Zep. We goe my Lord O spare your reuerent age Bri. Nay spare your words and spend your feete with hast Exit the two sonnnes What are they gone ah cruel and vnkinde In seeking to saue my friend I loose my sonnes Stay stay my sonnes leaue me some comfort in my age Whether wilt thou transport my zealous minde Let me surfeit in the sinne of loue They shall not die if all must perish I must perish too I will to Venice and redeeme their liues Else father friends and sonnes will die togither Exit Bri. Enter the Duke Fortunio and the Senators Duke Vsher let those that seeke for audience Enter the Court and moue the Senators Enter Seruio and the Garde with Lelio bound and Sempronio Ser. Most mighty Duke most worthy Senators Walking abroad as is my vsuall wont I found Lelio clothed in a base disguise Him when I saw I seazd and seazing brought To be presented to your honors heere And in humble wise request the largis which the state alowes Which is a thousand Crowns to him that brings The head of Lelio to the Senators Duke The Treasorer shall pay thee strayght Scribe giue him a warrant let him be dispatched Lelio stand forth art thou the haples man that slew Sempronio Le. My Lord I confesse the fault and am willing with my death to recompence the deed Sem. I cry in all mens eares with egar words That many seeke their danger by dispayre That many die for murders yet vndone I speake to thee alas that men were wise To know their good as their infirmitie Duke Tell me Lelio what moueth thee free from Iustice hands To seeke out death with desperate intent Le. That which would moue the best and wisest man Had he but selfe same causes as I had For. Discourse and let these aged fathers know them all Le. What shall they know in knowing my mishappe That will not molifie their marble mindes Who first hauing slayne his dearest friend Next caused his fathers banishment And last his wife to liue in misery And would not seeke ease for their disgrace First pay his slaughtered friend with dearest blood Next call his father home from banishment And seeing his wife and daughter once opprest To get indowment and reliefe for both But all my hope is lost I die in vaine VVhich yeelds a double torment to my payne Giue sentence Prince delay not by my death To rid me from a world of miseries Du. Law must haue course though pittie plead for thee Scribe read the sentence Cla. VVhereas by sufficient testimonie publicke confessiō Lord Lelio is founde guilty for the murder of Sempronio It is adiudged and ratified by the noble Duke of Venice And the most worthy Senators his assistantes That for his offence in publicke place of Iustice Lord Lelio shall loose his head Se. Seruio take the briefe see execution doone Enter Annetta and Lucyda An. Stay cruell man traynd vp in cruelty Annetta wofull wife with earnest teares Publish some sorrow for her zealous minde Great Iudges of the state heare me but speake Pyttie for Lelio grant my husband life Du. It may not be Iustice will haue no pause Lu. Yet mercy Prince should moderate the Lawes Le. VVho spares the guyltie anymates the bad Lu. VVho spareth none doth hate to Iustice adde Se. Pittie with Iustice neuer wel agrees Lu. Yes when it moderates seuere decrees Du. VVhat cause of plea hath this audacious mayde Lu. Such cause as vertuous men may wonder at I clayme the pension of a thousand crownes For I my Lords present my fathers head An. I clayme a reuocation noble Lords For Brishio for he doth merit it By sending Lelio home to you aliue And tendring him to Iustice by our meanes So then vnlesse you ratifie your lawes And call my father home from banishment And pay the thousand Crownes to Lucida Ad this to your Iustice cruell Lords That both the wife and daughter may be lead To die with him that doth vniustly die Se. Seruio presented Lelio vnto vs And hee deserues the pension of the state Lu. Lelio discouered vnto vs And we deserue the pension of the state Lu. Lelio first discouered vnto vs And we deserue the pension of the state He to indow me sought his danger forth An. Hee to redeeme his father did returne Lu. The issue of his forwardnes was zeale And Seruioes seruice was but treachery Your lawes command that on the first surpryse VVho met with Lelio should disclose him strayght But Seruio three daies space did keepe him close An. And therefore Seruio merits not the gold Du. This was the certayne hope of my desire For. And didst thou Seruio keepe him three daies close Ser. I did my lord vpon Annettas humble sute Se. I so the Foxe was taken in the net And nygardnes was caught by sutteltie Du Then do the Senate presently decree That Lucida shall haue the promist coine And Seruio for breaking of the law Shall be imprisoned for a twelue-month space This pretty accident doth make me laugh Now Seruio you haue good time to cast account What interest and profit you haue raysd By yong Sempronios plate and coine Ser. I hope your grace will pardon this misdeed Duke A way with him I will not heare him speak Ex. Ser. Enter Orphinio and Zepherius Or. Shall innocenth great Lords kill guilty men Zep. Lead me to death and if my brother dye Or. No man shall lead my Lelio to his death Except by selfe same sword we perish too Le. O life thou feedst me with continuall death When wilt thou end and ease my heinous harmes For. What men are these that hinder Iustice so Zep. The men that had thy life and sought thy death Se. These are old Brishios sonnes I know them well Duke Lay hands on them and bynd the fugitiues Or. Bynd breake our bones spare neither life nor lims We come to die and merit not to liue We bend no knees for mercy mighty Duke Only our sute is for our brothers life Whose danger we vnhappie men haue wrought Se. How wrought you Lelios danger tell vs true Or. When from the Citie speedily we fled Werey to see our fathers hard distresse We hied vs to the Duke of Florentines campe And sought out Lelio and with naked swords Forst him to hie to Venice and redeeme our sier Hereon through feare of vs he came And in his rescue both of vs wil die Zep. Take two for one great Duke it is enough Bloud shall haue bloud then be thou satisfied Lel You wrong me brothers Voluntarie intent Brought me to Venice not your wordes Orp Thou art too pitious to ingratefull men We forst thee hether we must ransome thee If Lelio die our father will not liue He priseth Lelio more than both his sonnes Duke Go since you long to die dispach them two Lelio for murther
censurd by himselfe These for assalting my Fortunio For Fit we to censure wrongs done to our selues I le be their aduocate they must not die Whom hath they wrongd not law for none is slayne They did but punish me If anie wrong were done t was done to these If anie death be due t is due to me Duke By breach of prison they haue forfeted For No my Lord for they were vniustly punished An I pardon thee Fortunio for all thy wrongs For pleading zealously for innocents Lu But if thou keepe my father from the sword I le paie thee further kindnes than I owe. Enter Brishio Bri Preuent not zealous faith you angrie heauens Let raging rigor stay till Brishio come What liue they yet liues Lelio liue my sonnes bound censured prest to die the heads-man heere Come let me make the fourth thou minister Leade me to death with these if these must die Duke How dares thy child Brishio visit vs Fearest thou not law Brish Yes prince I honor law And for the loue I beare to iustice now I come to paie my ransome of contempt And leaue my life in Venice for my crime 2. Sen Thy fault deserues not death The law requires a hundred crowns for penalty froÌ„ thee Bri I haue no crownes my head must be my coine I had one friend and you will rob me of him I haue two sonnes and they are bound to die Thus all my wealth is in your hands my Lords Giue these to me giue me these liuing ioyes For whom I haue aduentured breach of law Then take this hand cut it off for one And take this other cut it off for him But take for this my bodie hart and all Ah Lelio Lelio couldst thou serue me so Sen We looke for monie Brishio not for plaints Lu You shall haue monie heere receiue my dowrie I le paie my grandsires penaltie my selfe Bri No no redeeme the yonger sort let me die Lel Mightie magnificent and gracious lord Why staie you silly soules with dalliance Command these murdering hands to cut my throate And if that iustice florish in this state Pittie my father friend my ioy and weale Bri Call not for death my sonne he cals not thee For pittie Corrodino censure me For if I loose these I must loose my lyfe And if I loose him I loose my soule Then let vs all haue lyfe or lets all die Taxing this state with inhumanitie Du Drawe all these souldiers presently apart The Senators will counsell of these euents Enter Sempronio Sem Let vertue liue let villanie be slaine let Lelio liue for vertue liues in him O pittie thy campe is pitched heere But griefe and sorrow that remaineth here But faith and honestie that remaineth here Come Charitie and lend to me a tong Else Penitent Experience is quite vndone Bri Thou hast a tongue then raue not so Sem I haue no tongue because I cannot shew Nor tell to thee the secrets of my thoughts I haue no speech but such as helpe me not But such as sings thy vertue thy deserts Thy bountie thy true heart thy honestie O were there one could find Sempronio out How might we make a famous comedie Du Shall this conclusion stand you noble peeres Sen Wee ratifie the same by our consent Du Bring forth the prisoners Brishio march thou forth Waying the wondrous working of the heauens We thus conclude That Brishio shall be free from his supposd exile and inioy the goods and fortune he inioyd before We likewise doo release his forward sonnes and pardon their defaults what ere they be We grant the pension of a thousand crownes To Lucida as we haue promised Onely in this our iustice stands in force That Lelio must for murther suffer death Bri Nay my lorde spare all or none wee craue no further grace Sem Let Fortune spite or hate do what she can Here is a knacke to know an honest man Not age not life not sonnes not wealth nor friend Can drawe thee from affecting thy deare friend O let me make the third if Lelio die Hie thee kind charitie lend me a tongue Duke Beare hence the prisoner we dissolue the court Sem Stay suffer Penitent Experience inioy one boone For Dispatch then and tell vs what it is Se Let none but I be executioner to cut off Lelios head Duke We grant thy sute Sem Then giue me this keene sword Since none but Experience Hath power to cut off vertues noble head Thou shalt not die For Do not delude our trust Sem Nor do you condemne a guiltles man O Charitie is come I see him now Enter olde Phillip Du Heads-man dispatch except Sempronio liue Lelio must die Phil Sempronio liues my Lord see where he stands Du Hermit why dalliest thou Sempronio was yong but this is olde Sempronio was dead but he doth liue Her Old Sempronio now is young againe And dead Sempronio now doth liue Beholde him Lelio dost thou know him now Lel Sempronio Sem Ah deare Lelio Her This Lord left dead by shepheards in the field Was found againe and healed thus by me And by my art hauing his haire disguisde He past a solemne oath to hide his name And doo good deeds where he had liued loose Since when cald Penitent Experience He hath remaind and liu'd a pensiue life Speake my Sempronio for I discharge thy vow Tell thou the rest for why my vision Foretolde and promist such an accident As neuer Venice had or sawe the like Sem Sempronio liues and Lelio now must liue Greeu'd for my breach of faith greeu'd for my crime Heere are the tokens of my fatall wounds Which when I eyed Annetta I haue wept To thinke vpon my loose vnbrideled loue Let vs not ioy in words but ioy in hearts And let our armes our tongues discourse imbrace Where our three liues are heard of agen Call them three knackes to finde out honest men Du God wrought these things we do applaud his works See how by mute imbrace these friends imbrace Marke how they whisper in each others eares Their troublous fortunes cares discontents And now loue workes see how Lelio hand in hand Ioynes Sempronio with his Lucida The holy hermit knitteth vp the knot And all applaud this vnitie of peace How now what seekes this maide Enter Phillidae Phil. Pardon for my father Du Comst thou to plead for Seruio Phillida Go fetch him forth ioy shall haue fulnes now Sempronio stand aside we le make some sport Exit Phillida Enter Phillida with her father Seruio Duke Now Seruio for thy forfeit to the state What fine wilt thou affoord for libertie Ser Dread Lord those lands and profits fell to me By deare Sempronios death my neere a kin I frankly giue in lieu of my contempt Du What wilt thou make bequeath of others lands Why man he liues againe Ser First tell me I am dead my Lord. Du Thou must restore to him his goods againe Sâ—r O misery Is he restord to life to take away my goods Command me death nay prisonment and what ye wil So he reuiue not so I meet him not Sem See here the picture of true auarice Where men preferre their goods before their friends How fare you vnkle Ser Iesus blesse me a spirit What cosin Sem I vnkle the same and grieue not to yeeld your kinsman his right Du Nay force perforce he shall restore thy owne Phillida behold thy vnkle liues See my Lords no care of kindred holdeth her She runs to meet Orphinio loue conducteth her Phil Are you returnd my Lord what safe returnd Orp Returnd to keepe my faith with Phillida Du Knit vp that knot within with iollitie And Register record this commoditie Sem Nay stay my Lord before this comicke end Let measure knackes to finde out honest men For all these listning eares would finde them out Who list to know a perfect honest man Shall see his purse still open to the poore His tongue detesting lewd detractions He scornes to grieue the needfull heart with griefe But liues as borne to euerie mans releefe A knaue will gaine by all vnlawfull meanes But good men still their goods by vertue gleanes A knaue makes shift his thrift forsweares and lies An honest man on loue and faith relyes A knaue makes lust his loue respects no friend An honest man for friendship life will spend Oh how I should tire both tong thought and pen To scan out knaues from perfect honest men Point where I list if so my finger light On honestie I sweare I point aright Du Thankes good Sempronio for this worthie skill To register the memorie of this Henceforth where ere this historie is heard The worlde shall praise thee in whose life began The perfect knacke to knowe an honest man Finis