now in mention of your Lordship To beare him company Mont. I like not that He knowes he may command my services Rivi. He will deserve your love pray my Lord tell me And let us be plaine breasted you injoy The King as I but with lesse stocke of merit The favour of his excellence how affect you The present state of things wil t be a match There is loud expectation in the world And after all my Master 's fond to have it Proceede to these I am of opinion There 's no retreating now without dishonour Yet as I am Philiberto I much pittie He should through any wound to your affection Perfect his love Mont. He has told you then the secret And not to waste more language I collect From what you have exprest he does resolve To destroy me Montalto must be trod on Rivi. Not so my Lord Mont. Yes and my heart the ascent To his Hymeneall altar which must be Made crimson with the blood of a true lover His will be obey'd Theodosia shall see To advance her Montalto will goe smiling To his sacrifice and after many prayers That shee may live the darling of his heart I le change my acquaintance of this world to be At peace in my owne ashes Rivi. You will not Commit a violence upon your selfe Mont. I sha' not neede the thought of her will kill me With as much silence as I goe to sleepe I onely shall bleed inward and my life Remove it selfe like a faire apparition That vanishes to th' eye and with lesse noise Then a calme Summers evening but when I Am dead t is not impossible some may Report Theodosia was but ravish'd from me Feare of a brothers anger and the tricke Of polliticke states that marry to knit power Not hearts did force her to Herares armes Whilst I torne from the branch where I once grew Travell I know not whether in the aire Rivi. I begin To thinke him worth some pitty Mont. Into what Vaine thing would the severe apprehension Of greefe transforme us coward let the Duke Move with all amorous haste to his delight And glory in the hope of his faire bride Mine by the gift of heaven and hearts but all My flowers grow dully on their stalkes and wither Let her gay Paranimphs with rosie Chaplets Which will take all their colour from her blush Attend on Theodosia to the Temple While as they goe no rude winde shall be heard But so much breath of heaven as gently may Lifting their loose haire up whisper my wrong To every Virgins care let them be married Knit hands and plight a ceremonious faith Let all the triumphs waste let them be wasted And night it selfe brib'd with a thousand formes Of mirth and Revells till the night grow faint And pale with watching Invite to bed yet there he shall enjoy But Theodosiaes body and not that As his faire thoughts expect perhaps the conquest Of one whom he loved better Exit Montal. Enter Duke Rivi. How was that Duke Now shall I trust him if my sense mistake not Theodosia may not be a Virgin Rivi. T was His bold conclusion Duke Where is now the honour You talke of durst Montalto charge her with This staine without his conscience to assure it Rivi. Yes and to me this tenders him the more To be suspected and I am so farre From thinking shee affects Montalto that I am convinc'd he loves her not can he Have any noble thought of Theodosia That dares traduce her honour thinke o' that And can revenge in any lover be A reason to wound a Ladies fame it tasts Of ranke injustice and some other end Time will discover and yet your grace is bound To have his accusation confirm'd Or hant this spotted panther to his ruine Whose breath is onely sweete to poyson vertue Duke What I resolve inquire not Exit Duke Rivi. I see through Montaltoes soule and have beene so long tame In my owne sufferings but this will make Him ripe for punishment Andrugio and My sonne Enter Andrugio Octavio Octav. I cannot with the wings of duty Fly swift enough to prostrate my obedience And welcome from a long supposed death My honourd father Rivi. Then I must appeare so Andr. And let me give a sonne up to your blessing Worthy your best prayers and embrace t was time To bring you acquainted he had else this night Contriv'd Montaltoes tragedie at a Banquet For your revenge his active thoughts I could not Counsell no longer patience Rivi. Thou hast but Prevented me Octavio I was Weary of my concealement Octav. But my joyes are wilde And will I feare transport me Rivi. My best friend And my owne spirited boy feare not Montalto Hee 's now upon a precipice his fate Stoopes with the glorious burden of his pride Things may be worth our counsell we shall see This prodigie that would be held a Starre And did so fright us with his streaming haire Drop like a Comet and be lost i' th aire Exeunt Montalto Theodosia Mont. I st possible the day should be so old And not a visite from the Duke Theo. While he Injoyes health I shall easily forgive A little ceremony Mont. And a lover Your grace must chide him other men may have Excuse for their neglect of time but he That loves deserves no pardon Theod. Iudge with charity My Lord the case may be your owne you would Thinke her a cruell mistresse that should doome Your life to exile for not payment of One ceremonious visite Mont. Not where such Perfection were to ingage my service Madam Pardon the bold comparison death were not Enough to punish that rude thought that could Start from your bright Idea or converse With praters that did not first concerne your excellence I would not be ambitious of a blessing But from reflex of yours Theo. You would expresse A most officious servant to that Lady Were honourd in your thought but the Duke of Florence And I shall make no such severe conditions Mon. If he doe love you Madam that will teach him Above what ceremony prescribes to honour you Theo. If he doe love Mont. Your graces pardon I Speake from an honest freedome taken from The assurance of your goodnesse that know better How to distinguish truth I am not judge Of his breast Madam Theo. I suppose you are not Mont. And yet being a man another way Conclude his passions are but such as have Beene read in humane nature Theo. What inferre you From hence my Lord Mont. Nothing but that a Prince May be no Saint in love Theo. Howe 's that Mont. T was in my feare I should displease Theo. Your will Mont. Not for the Empire of the world I shall Repent I live with your suspition Vpon my humbl'd soule Theo. Pray Sir be free Touching the Duke I must know all what i st Makes him no Saint Mont. Madam he is not dead And in his life I see no miracles Theo. You talk'd of love Mont. No miracles
with your favour though she be no Court Lady Shee wants no confidence Alex. What if the Duke be taken with her Guid. Let him be taken a bed with her t is my opinion My Lord Montalto wonnot die for greefe on t Alo. They are here Duke Montalto Mont. Your grace is sad excuse My dilligence to waite on you I could wish If it made no intrusion on your thoughts I had opportunity to expresse What might not be unworthy of your patience Duke To me Enter King leads Domitilla Mont. The King This way Ladies to the Garden let me have The honour to attend you Exit Duke Montalto King Where 's the Duke Guid. He tooke that way to the Garden Sir with The Lord Montalto King You may remove a little Exit You have no feare to trust your selfe with me Dom. I cannot Sir forget you are the King And in a Wildernesse could have no thought With the least prejudice upon your vertue King You have the greater innocence at home My intents are faire enough and you may stand The danger of a question pray how old are you Dom. Although it be not held a welcome complement To our Sex my duty bids me not dispute I am fifteene my mother saies King And are You not in love Domit. I must not charge my selfe With so much ignorance to answer that I understand not what it meanes I know The word but never could apply the sence Or finde it in a passion more then ordinary King Cupid hath lost his quiver then he could not Be armde and let you scape whose sole captivite Would be more glory then the conquest made As Poets faine upon the gods Dom. T is language With which you are pleas'd to mocke your humble handmaid King But this assures him blinde Dom. He would deserve To lose his eyes indeede if he should aime A shaft at me King Madam you have a heart Dom. To which no other Flame can approach then what shall light it to Obedience of your will and my good mothers King Obedience to my will what if it were My will that you should love Dom. Sir I doe love King Love with the warme affection of a mistresse One I le present a servant why that blush The words are not immodest there did want No blood upon your cheeke to make it lovely Or does it slow in silence to expresse That which your virgin Language would not be So soone held guilty of consent Dom. To what King To love by my direction a man Whose worth considered shall deserve thee too And in the noblest way invite thy freedome Vntill the holy Priests declare your hearts Are knit into one blessing there 's no harme In this Dom. Most royall Sir I know not with What words to say you honour me how can One so unworthy as poore Domitilla Be entertaind within your thoughts and care In this high nature King Though your mother have Made both her person and your selfe a stranger To Court I have had eyes upon your vertues Which waited on by a most ample fortune I have studied to advance if you 'le accept A husband of a my choise what say you Madam Dom. I have a mother Sir King Shee shall thinke it fortunate Bove expectation you have not vowed your selfe To a cold Nunnery Dom. Not I Sir King When I shall declare how pretious he is To my owne bosome Dom. Royall Sir this language Must needes prepare a welcome I should thinke My heart unlike another womans not To obey a charme so powerfull as your praise But when you are considered as my King Duty takes off the merit of my will And humbles every thought beneath obedience King His name is Dom. Pardon I beseech you Sir Conceale it yet what gentle spirit walkes Vpon my blood I dare not looke upon him My hopes my feares it is enough great Sir That you leave one within your thought you would Commend to Domitilla one your love And pretious to your bosome sure you blest him With such a Character King It was too short Dom. My heart is a false Prophet t is a fate Too good and great for Domitilla King Well his name shall be reserv'd but when it opens It selfe to your knowledge you will honour it And thanke me Domitilla i th meane time Let the opinion you have of me Live in your trust and make roome in your heart To meete the husband I shall bring Exit Dom. Why may not this be meant by his owne person More wonders have beene read in story I Finde thicke but amorous tremblings in my heart Hee 's King why not love has done stranger things And can lead captive the proud heart of Kings Exit Enter Duke Montalto Duke Here none can reach our voyce be free and cleare Mon. First let me kisse your hand on which I sweare To speake all truth t is justice to your person Your merrit and my faith next though the secret May both concerne and benefit your knowledge I shall desire your pardon Duke You prepare me For wonder if it be an act of Friendship To me it will become me to reward it Not thankes nor pardon Mon. But all truthes meet not With charitable eares there is a descant That pleases not sometimes though the best art Present it if our sense be indispos'd To patience and calme hearing Duke Doe not doubt me Mont. T will not become me so much as in thought To enquire how long or with what firme devotion You affect the Princesse Theodosia But Naples is more conscious then to doubt You bring a welcome treaty in your person And every voice and heart is busie with The expectation of your marriage Whilst every eye bright with your flame is able To light a Torch to Hymen Virgins have No other care then with what flowers sweet As your owne name to adorne the smiling altars Duke You promis'd Sir a secret Mon. It will come To fast upon your knowledge have you never Look'd from the prospect of your Pallace window When some faire sky courted your eye to reade The beauties of a day the glorious Sunne Enriching so the bosome of the earth That trees and flowers appear'd but like so much Enamell upon gold the wanton birds And every creature but the drudging Ante Despising providence and at play and all That world you measure with your eye so gay And proud as winter were no more to shake His Icy Lockes upon 'em but the breath Of gentle Zephire to perfume their growth And walke eternally upon the Springs When from a coast you see not comes a cloud Creeping as overladen with a storme Darke as the wombe of night and with her wings Surprising all the glories you beheld Leaves not your frighted eyes a light to see The ruines of that flattering day Duke This Language Carries both mystery and horror pray My Lord convey your meaning to my knowledge Mon. I shall I had in vaine prepard you thus else Pardon againe the
my captivity Though modesty would not allow me strength To tell you so but you have Sir by what My fond thoughts never did expect reliev'd me to make me know my selfe and now preserving That duty which I owe you as my King I call love backe agen and can looke on Your lusts with a becomming scorne King You can Dom. Yes and were Naples Rome and all the wealth Of Italy laid downe the great temptation Thus I would spurne their glories King Come this is but the tricke of all your sex We know you can dissemble appetite As if you were not flesh and blood Dom. Sir give Me leave to goe while I have power to pray for you Where was I lost is there no friend to goodnesse Have I contracted such a leprous forme That I have lost all mens defence and charity Octav. Madam your innocence doth raise in me Though young a willing champion and with My safe obedience to the King I dare Armde with the witnesse of her cause defie The greatest souldier in the world King How 's this Octav. Sir in a noble cause if you to whom In the first place truth flies as to an Altar Wave her religious defence I dare dye for her King You so brave to prison with him We will correct your saucinesse Octav. You will grace My first act Sir and get me same by suffering For so much sweetnesse Dom. Let not your displeasure Great Sir fall upon him revenge what you Call disobedience here King You owe much to His confidence nor is there any punishment Beyond your love and liking of his boldnesse You two should make a marriage with your follies Octav. Let Domitilla make Octavio So blest Dom. My Lord you now deserve I should Be yours whom with the hazard of the Kings Anger and your owne life you have defended There is a spring of honour here and too it i th presence of the King his Court and Heaven I dare now give my heart nor is 't without My duty to a promise Octav. Now you make Octavio happy King T is to my desires and I dare wish you joyes forgive this practise Nay preety Domitilla I did this But to divert more happily thy thoughts of me who have not paide yet the full tribute To my Cesarias dust agen let me Congratulate thy choise in young Octavio Whose birth and forward vertue will deserve thee Brother and sister love and wish them happinesse Theo May all joyes spring within their hearts Duke I must present this gentleman to be more knowne to you Octav I hope you are no enemy to this blessing Sim I adde what doth become a most glad mother blessing to your loves King Noble Riviero Rivi. I live agen by your acknowledgment Duke Sir you may trust my testimony Alvarez Letter is now an argument of his safety Who is yet living to increase the guilt Of false Montalto King Welcome t is thy life That hath revers'd Montaltoes doome whose sentence Now shall bee onely banishment our hearts Are full and sprightly nothing wants but to Perfect with holy ceremony what Your hearts have seal'd mirth in each bosome flowes Distraction never had so sweet a close FINIS THE EPILOGVE Ovr Poet doth forget his Play There is something he would pay Due to your greatnesse and the day Which by a revolution of the spheare Is proud to open the New yeare And having look'd on you hath hid his face And Chang'd his robe with Starres to grace And light you going to bed so waite With trembling Lustre on your state Shine brighter yet y' are not the same Cleare Lampes you were shine like the name Of him I bow too while aflame Active and burning here with pure desires Shall equall the best borrowed fires May health the bosomes friend streame through your blood And know no ebbe of the chast flood And though time shift and yeares renew May yet the Spring be still in you May She whom heaven hath sweetly grac'd And in your noble bosome plac'd Whose heart by onely yours embrac'd Hath made one true and holy Gordian prove Fruitfull in Children as in love And may this faire Top-branch whose early bloome Doth promise all the fruit can come To vertue and your name be blest And live a story to the rest All Honour with your fame in crease In your bosome dwell soft peace And Iustice the true roote of these Wealth be the worst and out side of your fate And may not heaven your life translate Till for your Royall Master and this I le Your deeds have fild a Chronicle In all that 's great and good be bold And every yeare be coppie of the old FINIS