THE Seven Champions of Christendome Acted at the Cocke-pit and at the Red-Bull in St. Johns Streete with a generall liking And never Printed till this Yeare 1638 Written by J. K. LONDON Printed by J. Okes and are to be sold by James Becket at his Shop in the Inner Temple Gate 1638 To his much respected and worthy Friend Master JOHN WAITE Sir THinking of amends to expres my gratefulnes for those many Favours You have shown me I could pitch on no other more fit than this my Genius prompted me it was well thought on if Yours give it the like acceptance I am happy for Workes of this Nature I dare affirme have beene acceptable to most men contemn'd by few unlesse it bee those of the more Stoicall disposition whose rigid Fronts cry downe all things but what themselves approve of For this Worke of it selfe I may say thus much without blushing it received the rights of a good Play when it was Acted which were Applauses Commendations whether it merited them or not I leave to your Judgement the Nature of the Worke being History it consists of many parts not walking in one direct path of Comedy or Tragedy but having a larger field to trace which me thinks should yeeld more pleasure to the Reader Novelty and Variety being the only Objects these our Times are taken with the Tragedy may be too dull and solid the Comedy too sharpe and bitter but a well mixt portion of either doubtlesse would make the sweetest harmony But this Worke as it is and my wishes that all defects in it to my desires and your content were supplide I commend to your perusall my selfe it and resting to bee commanded by you in all friendly Offices John Kirke The Actors Names The seven Champions St. George of England Iames of Spaine Anthony of Italy Andrew of Scotland Patrick of Ireland David of Wales Denis of France Tarpax the Divell The Emperour of Trebozand Three Lords Ancetes Almeno Lenon The King of Tartary Ormandine a Magician 2 Lords his friends Argalio an Inchanter Leonides his friend Brandron the Giant King of Macedon Suckabus the Clowne Violeta the Princesse Carintha her maid Three Daughters to Macedon Calib the Witch Three Spirits Three attendants on the Emperour Three Shepheards A priest of Pan Three messengers Two armed Knights Three Ghosts the Father Mother and Sister of Leonides The seven Champions of Christendome ACTUS PRIMUS Thunder and Lightning Enter Calib the Witch Calib Ha lowder a little so that burst was well Agen ha ha house house your heads you fear-stroke mortal fooles when Calibs consort plaies A Huntse-up to her how rarely doth it languell In mine eares these are mine Organs The Toad the Batte the Raven and the fell whisling bird Are all my anthum singing Quiresters Such saplesse rootes and livelesse witherd woods Are pleasanter to me than to behold the jocund Month of May in whose greene head of youth The amorous Flora strowes her various flowers And smiles to see how brave she has deckt her girle But passe we May as game for fangled fooles That dares not set a foote in Arts darke secret And bewitching path as Calib has Here is my mansion within the rugged bowels of this Cave This cragge his Cliffe this denne which to behold Would freeze to Ice the hissing tramels of Medusa Yet here inthron'd I sit more richer in my spels And potent charmes than is the stately mountaine Queene drest with the beauty of her sparkling jems To vie a lustre 'gainst the heavenly Lampes But we are sunke in these Antipades so choakt With darknesse in great Calibs Cave that it can Stifle day it can and shall for we doe loath The light and as our deedes are blacke we hug the night But where 's this boy my George my love my life Whom Calib lately doates on more than life I must not have him wander from my love further than Sommons of my eye or becke can call him back agen But 't is my fiend gotten deformed issue that misleads him For which I le rappe him in a storme of haile and dash him 'Gainst the pavement on the rocky den He must not lead my joy astray from me The Parents of that boy begetting him Begot and boare the issue of their deaths which done The childe I stole thinking alone to triumph in his death And bathe my body in his popular gore But Dove-like nature favoured so the child that Calibs killing Knife fell from her hand and stead of stabs I kist I kist there I lipt boy and since have brought him up Cope mate and fellow with my owne sweete sonne And now the boy desires to know what Calib Hath so long conceal'd from him his parentage Which still I must as I have done put off And cast some pleasing game to file that question Out of his thoughts His heart soares high fame on his temple plaies And Calib feares her death by Autumes day For which my light wing'd spirit of the Aire Grand Tarpax prince of the gristy North What ho Tarpax obey my charmes And with the steele tipt pinions of thy wings Cut through the Clowds and flye unto thy Calib Thunder and Lightning Tarpax descends Tar. No more my Calib see thy Tarpax comes More swifter than the motive of an eye Mounted on wings swift as a thought I flye unto my Mistresse now what wouldst thou Calib Be full resolv'd of feare struck suddain doubts Age makes my spanne of dayes seeme but an inch And snowes like cold December on my heart See how I tremble Tarpax as doth the listning Hart When he heares the feather'd arrowes sing his funeral dirge Tar. Name what afflicts my love Calib But will my Tarpax tell me Tar. Both must and will Calib When must I dye then when must Calibs life Be backe surrenderd by the hands of death Age can no longer to me subsistance give My Taper hath watcht long when will it out Performe no flattering part for to delude me When ha when my Tarpax Tar. Fates keepe unknowne from spirits those last times Of dayes and houres yet can I riddle out a prophesie Which if my Calib well observe and keepe Thy time may farther runne death stay his sleepe Calib Say on sweet Tarpax Tar. Whilst Calib in her powerfull hand Holds fast her powerfull art So long may Calib by her power Command Death hold his Dart But when fond Love by dotage shall Blindfold wise Calibs eyes With that great power she did command The great Inchantresse dies Cal. Ha ha ha and when will that be Tarpax Vanish like smoake my feare come kisse me my Love Thou hast earn'd thy breakefast Chuck here suck thy fill Clowne within Clow. Illo ho ho Illo Tar. What mortall 's that disturbs us Shall I blast him Cal. Hold my Love 't is Suckabus our sonne fall off Tar. The foole nere saw his Father yet Make us acquainted Enter foole bloody Clow. So ho ho Mother Mother Cal. Defend me Tarpax what doth
The shock of all the Knights our parts hath seene Ere shrinke under the sinews of an Army Al. Why now just now we have Have we not still by daring challenges oppos'd our selves The round worlds opposites Have not our prowesses In stately lifts tost up the golden ball and wonne it Is not bright honour free in Princes Courts We have o'recome and now we are o'recome And shall we envie what we ever loved And were lov'd for so thinkes the Adder When his sting is gone his hissing has the power to venome too Cast off that coate it not becomes thee Lenon 'T will weare thy honour thread-bare to the bones And make death seize on thee with infamy Le. Let Death come how he will And doe you tamely suffer what you will This Brittish Knight shall never boast in Wales That ere he triumpht Victor over me Al. Another charge A charge and a shout cry Arbasto What over desperate and life-weary foole Dares meete the couched Lance of this brave Knight Seeing the foyle we tooke Le. The cry went in our Prince Arbasto's name Hearke another charge gives 'em a second meeting 'T is well he kept his saddle at the first A charge a cry Arbasto Looke to the Prince there some and take him For falne I 'me sure he is before this time Al. I now admire and love this venture in him Well done young twig of a most Royall bough Thou hast wonne our losses which we must allow Le. Heark the third charge is begun A charge a crye save the Prince Al. I doe not like that sound what ever accident Betides Arbasto hath not lost but wonne renowne Now what newes bringst thou Enter Messenger Mes. Set ope your eares to entertaine sad news I sing the latest Requiem of our Prince hee 's slaine Al. Falne I beleeve but yet I hope not slaine Le. This whet-stone makes revenges edge more keene Goe forward good mischance Mes. Twice met this brave young Prince the Brittish Knights And bore his body stiffe against his shock Vnmov'd of either stirrop or of saddle Their shiver'd Launces quarrell'd as they brake And as they upward flew clasht strong together And he unmov'd undanted twice appear'd As faire for Victor as his stout opponent And had he rested there he had equall shar'd The dayes bright honour with him Le. Well the disaster Mes. Bowing his plumed head unto his Syre Who sent him smiles of joyes incouragement Addrest him for the third and last Careere The Christian Knight likewise 'gan couch his Lance But as he graspt it in his manly fist An angry fire circled about his eyes And from the furrows of his browes Revenge Leapt forth and seizes on the Prince They charg'd he fell and in the fall his neck He broke so ends my heavy Nuntius Both The Prince Al. So Honour sprung a bud and blasted it Before it grew to his maturity Noble Prince I pitty thy misfortune more the Knights And I for this condemne nimble mischance But not the Knight at all Le. Murderous villain if my braines can invent torture Sufficient sufficient here begins thy hell And I thy first devill Al. And I will second be how to prevent yee Enter the King of Tartary two Knights in armour the body of the Prince Arbasto in a Herse King Set downe the broken columne of mine age The golden Anchor Hope once shewed to me Hath split and sunke the vessell held my wealth Oh my Arbasto Alm. Take comfort Royall sir Fame stories few are living more the dead Death hath but rockt him then on honours bed Then let him sleepe King Hee 's a good Physitian that can quite kill griefe That hath but newly made his patient of me Teares must give vent first to the oppressed heart And Time lay drawing plaisters to the sore Before he can find ease but yet I thanke yee Le. Most Noble Sir Teares shews effeminate in noble spirits Those aged sluces want that Raine that falls Bewaile him not with teares but with revenge If drops must needs be spilt let 'em be blood His blood that wilfully sheds blood The Law of Nations wisely did allow All Iusts and Turnaments in Princes Courts For honours cause to breake a friendly staffe But not to make a butchery or shambles in Court lists Therefore if I might of his jury be My Verdict should be given up he must dye Alm. Lord Lenon 't is most certaine he must dye I love my Soveraigne well I lov'd his sonne But dare not say that he deserves to dye This stranger here came here in honours cause Stak't honour downe and bravely bore it hence Your selfe silence but envies tongue can witnesse with me I have spoke but truth where lives the Noblenesse But in the minde wild beasts have strength irrationall And rude but want the sence of reasons government Let rage hot raines bite upon temperance The Iron handed Fates warres hard at game And threw a cast at brave Arbastoes life But let your sentence passe my Lord ha' done Len. Spoke like no lover of his Soveraignes sonne Alm. Reply'd not like a lover unto either Your valours 's horse-like and it must be tam'd Len. T will breake the Riders necke dares but to back him King Forbeare I say on your allegeance Had my Arbasto dyed in our defence Against the pride of the hot Persian Host That seekes to pale his Temple with our wreath And name Tartary new Persia Our cares had beene but slight but in a friendly Breathing exercise when honor goes a feasting but for shew A jesting practice in the Schoole of Armes There for to lose him Len. An ill intent arm'd Executions hand King I know not that why should he ruine him Shewing more kind innated friendship to him Than brother shewes to brother Len. Remus and Romulus my Lord one suckt more Harder on the Wolfe than tother Thinke what a game Hope lost Alm. Upon my soule my Lord the Knight is cleare Of any foule intent against your sonne Len. Why Almaine Almaine dare you stand to this Alm. Lenon I dare and in thy venome blood write He 's not guilty King No more I say upon your lives no more Too hard it is for me to give a true descidence to the cause The Knight was ever courteous faire and free And 'gainst the Persian in my just defence Ransom'd my sonne from multitudes of losse And brought home conquest to our very gate I cannot then in honour take his life Our neighbour Kings would say I dealt not faire And quite disclaime in us all brother-hood To banish him were but the more to enlarge his fame All kingdomes are but Knight errands native home Len. In private be it spoke my Liege I like not Almonas love to this same Knight It little shewes love to the deceased Prince What was he but a young strait tender plant The sturdy Oke might well have spar'd him then His toward hopes were ruin'd and cut downe Had he done this in any other Court
to any Prince So toward as your Sonne he had ere this beene attomes Your sonne has suffer'd let him suffer too Who ever wilfully committed murther And was without excuse but can that save No more should this my Liege I have but said King And wisely Lenon goe bring forth the Knight We are determin'd that he shall not live Exit for him Nor shall he suffer here within our Courts Wee 'le kill him in a nobler gentile way O here he comes Enter Knight bound Alm. You 'r gone false Lenon hath betraid yee to your death David Welcome my Fate King Sir Knight you have not fairely dealt with us Though 'gainst my foes you brought me honour home My deare sonnes life you have tooke for your reward But you shall finde 't is treasure stole not bounty given And for that theft your life must satisfie David King of Tartary heare sad David speake Len. Now the excuse my Lord David Those honours I have brought you home It seemes this accident hath cancel'd And stifles all my merits in your love Yet let 'em hang like pendants on my herse That I did love the unfortunate deceas'd These drops of teares true sorrowes testifie And what hath happend to that lifes deare losse Was not by will but fatall accident I hold my hand up at the hand of heaven not guilty King thinke not I speake to have thee spare my life For halfe my life lies dead there with thy Sonne And here the other halfe is ready too to testifie How well I lov'd the Prince though now I dye Lenon A Heads man and an Axe there King For him that calls him Alm. I that was well said King Spannell no more King Thy hand once more brave English Knight We are at peace and will not what we may But let me now one thing enjoyne you to Not as a pennance for my deare sonnes losse But as a further safety of my Kingdome And larger interest of your love to me David Give me the danger I can meet but death King My hopes are better of thee noble Knight Heare then thy taske thou shalt then hence In Knightly order ride 'gainst him not onely Aided Persia 'gainst our power but shakes our Kingdome with the power of hell blake Ormandine The inchanted Garden-keeper if that thou dar'st Attempt and bring his head I will not onely Quittance this mischance which makes me wretched But halfe my part of this large Crowne Is thine and when I dye David of Wales reignes King of Tartary Speake comfortable words of the attempt David It is the oath of Knight-hood I have tane and here Againe before you I will take from hence being parted ne're to make stay more than a nights Repose till I am there and being there By all the honours of a Knight I vow Blacke Ormandines head and lay it at your feete This by the honour of a Knight I le do or dye in the attempt King 'T is enough rise noble David So now shall I be reveng'd for my sonnes life Without the clamour of the world for it Thou bring his head poore Knight thou maist as well Rob love of lightning or claspe a hand Garnado Being fir'd to morrow morning you shall forward set On with the Herse till you returne We sorrowes path shall tread And bury griefe when thou bringst Armands head A dead March within Exeunt Chorus Our Brittaine Knight we leave in his hard journey But more hard attempt yet all the other have not idle beene For since their parting at the brazen Piller Each hath shar'd strange and perillous adventures Which here in severall acts to personate would in the Meanest fill a larger Scene than on this Stage An Action would containe But to the shortnesse of the time wee 'le sort Each Champion in 't shall beare a little part Of their more larger History Then let your fancies deeme upon a stage One man a thousand and one houre an age And now with patience beare your kind attents to the Red Crosse bearer English George your high renowned Knight who since the hand of Christendome parted her Seven faire Knights the dangers he hath seene and past Would make the brightest day looke pale and tremble Nay death himselfe that ends mortality To thinke of death and that himselfe must dye After renowned George from the fell Dragons jawes Redeem'd Sabrina Pomils onely heire with slaughter Of the Hell-produced fiend his wife he wonne Had Pomil promise kept but in a large requitall Of her life incens'd by the Moroco King our Champions rivall Cast George in prison in a hatefull Dungeon He that deserv'd his Crowne and daughters bed He ingratefully with branne and water fed 7 years together Which time expir'd the miserable Knight found once That opportunity shewed him a little favour For by the breaking of the Iailers neck He gaind the keyes which gave him liberty When being freed and out of dangers port You his kind Countrymen shall see For Englands honour Georges Chivaldry Enter Clowne like a poore shepheard Clow. Oh most astonishable hunger thou that dost pinch worse than any Fairies or the gummes of old women thou that dost freeze the mortall gouts of a man more than the Rozom'd stick of a Base Violl what shall be said what shall be done to thee Oh my glorious Mother what a time of eating had I in thy dayes nay my magnanimous Master whom I lost in the devils arse of Peake what a plentifull progresse had I with thee when we did nothing but kill Gyants and wild beasts then the golden gobbets of Beefe and Bacon whose shining fat would cry clash in spight of my teeth now I may compare with Ploydens law the case is alter'd A shepheard a sheep-biter nay I were happy then I would wish no better bitings than Mutton the Cobs of Herring and parings of Cheese is now a Sundayes dyet and yet they cry out of my abhominable feeding my unsatisfied gut with a Wolfe at the end on 't I have eate up my Tarrebox for hunger already what will be next troe Soft who comes here my fellow Swaine with some pittifull provant for my dinner Enter Shepheard Shep. Suckabus where art thou Clow. Heere where the bare bones of him will be very shortly what hast thou brought me there Shep. A feast a feast here 's princely cheere for thee here 's two Carrots and a Turnip and a little morsell of Beanebread that I stole to hearten thee up withall Clow. Sweet fellow Coridon give me 't I shal grow a Phiosopher shortly if I fare o'th is fashion O the very steame of the three fat Oxen that my Master found boyling for the Gyants dinner which we kill'd would have fill'd both our bellies for a Fortnight Shep. Ha three Oxen for one Gyants dinner Thou art mistaken sure thou art not old enough to see a Giant And could thy Master and thee kill him Clow. Why there 's the wit of a Bell-weather one we kill'd a hundred but talke I
Ormandine with some selected friends that live with him in his Magick Arts with his spirits Canopy borne over his head Orm. This is the state of Princely Ormandine Tho once dejected and low trodden downe Vnder the feet of Fortunes petty Kings Above her envy re-advanc'd agen and you my friends And partners in her frowns shal now deride her petty Deity Laugh at those Kings which like to guilded moats Dance in the Sun-beame of her various smile And when we have laught our fills my fury then Shall rise and like a Torrent in the Ocean rais'd By swelling spring-tides driven from their bounds So shall the rage of Oxmandines swift vengeance At once o'reflow the cruell Tartar and Arabian Kings Lord Great Ormandine has given us satisfaction We were your subjects first so are we now Yet never liv'd in that tranquillity When we did bow under your Scepter as now we doe Then cares of Countries safety and your person Care of our wives our substance and our selves expell'd Our stomacks tooke our sleepes away and made our eyes Feares watchmen here art thou crown'd with Arts Rich potent and commanding power There sate a golden hoope temper'd with feare That tattor'd on thy head here with a wand thou call'st And art obey'd there by the Tartars cruelty dismay'd Thy pleasures mixt with store of misery Vndor the pride of Tartars tyranny Then let me speake but farre from contradiction Your hand hath laid her actions waite on well Orm. Rest you contended with content our will admits No counsell but our owne here lives no pitty of our Enemy We have bought vengeance at a mightier rate Than you or can or must be privy to Learning by time and industry are bought But he that barters for revengefull Arts Must with his best pri'zd jewell from depart I have yet shewed tricks to make 'em laugh But long it shall not be ere I smite home To make us pastimes by their generall ruines And now my friends and subjects shall behold The indented time and riddle of our safety Ho Tarpax The chiefest which attends upon our acts Tar. What would my Master Tarpax must obey Orm. Set forth my brazen pillar Tar. 'T is done Orm. Now wonder at the Tablet I shall read Which while it comes to passe live in more pleasures And voluptuous state than doth the Roman Potentates He Reads Ormand be bold seeare and free Revell thou in Arts potency Till from the cold and Northerne Clime A Knight post on the wings of time Being lighted on Tartaries ground Of Fame spoke loud by honour crown'd From Brute descended and his brest Is with a sanguine Crosse be blest Then shall this Sword thy Art here clos'd By him be drawne thy Art oppos'd Thy life thy Arts thy potent power Expire dissolve that instant houre Orm. This bug-beare frights us not and yet my fall must come From Brute descended and on his breast The Embleme of our hate a sanguine Crosse Must Ormandines great power be shaken downe By a chill Northerne Ague-shaken Knight A lumpe of snow a frosty I sickle this saying damps me And the thinne pure blood which but even now Flowed through the azure branches of my veines Is runne to cherish my feare-trembling heart Who there affrighted at its horrid ruine Mixt with cold comfort is congeal'd to clods And I a blood lesse substance doe remaine Lord Why is our King and governour dismay'd Orm. Walke in I pray I 'me very much disturb'd Exeunt Lords A swarthy passion harrows up my sence Ho Tarpax Tar. Your call must be obey'd I 'me here Orm. Fetch me my Characters my calculation my glasse Tar. They are here Orm. My ever-ready servant fly to the first Aëriall degree Snatch thee a cloud and wrap thy selfe intoo 't Fly to Tartaria looke within his Court confines Country If any Christian Knight there be arriv'd I feare me Tarpax bring me answer swift Whilst I survy my Booke and magick glasse Tar. I 'me gone ten minutes hence expect me back Orm. Ha what 's here The Tartars sonne slaine by a Brittish Knight Who as a pennance for this hainous fact Sent here to fetch my head by Oath enjoyn'd too 't A Brittish Knight the same my Tablet speaks of Now Ormandine must fall Ho Tarpax What sees my Tarpax Enter Tarpax Tar. Great Ormand haste unto thy powerfull charmes We will assist thee in what Hell can doe With strength with horrour and detested shapes To daunt the courage of this Northerne Knight That comes to fetch the head of Ormandine Orm. I read the same here too be swift my Tarpax Summon up Hells hoast to be my Guardians 'Gainst this Northerne Knight put out the golden Candle Of the day with horrid darknesse from the night below Vnchain the windes send out our fiery raines Breake Atlas backe with Thunder through the clouds And dart your quick-past lightning at his face Raise Earthquakes shaking round about his steps To bandy him from one place to another Let horrour empty all her store-house If Ormandine can vanquish but this Knight Secure and firme still stand our power and might Exit Enter David arm'd Cap-a-pe Dav. How shall I style this Tartar I cannot say hee 's noble nor yet base h 'as given me life But with that strange adventure That he himselfe is confident I perish My Knighly Oath assures him I will on and setting on Am sure enough to fall unhappy David in that Princes death Whom Fates no will of mine gave so unkind a meeting For which the sable plume and Corslet I doe weare As a true Embleme of my inward sorrow Rest Princely ashes in a golden Vrne Whilst wretched David in a worke is sent To his owne sad Requiems bitterment And be mine owne destroyer take courage yet Let not base feare steal from thy heart the name of man away Death cannot dresse himselfe in such a shape But I dare meete him on then in pursuit of a Knightly vow If 't chance Dice run so that we must fall Fame shall weare black at Davids Funerall Enter above Ormandine his friends Tarpax spirits Orm. Hee 's now within a Mile and lesse of us Spirits away each fall unto his taske Enter David Whilst I raise stormes which may dismay the Knight Dav. Yonder 's the place mine eye hath reacht it Now Ormandine our bloody game begins Heads are our stakes and there 's but one can winne Protect me Heaven what sudden strange Eclipse do I behold Thunder lightning The golden Sun that now smil'd in my face Drawes in his beames and robes himselfe in black In what a darke vaile is the cleare azur'd sky You do begin to entertaine me Ormandy But wee 'le have better welcome e're we part I let your thunder come we dread it not What send yee Fire-drakes too to meet with us Your worst of horrour is best welcome to me Your ministers rather invite me on than like to bug-beares Fright me back agen more visitants of