receive you If you please to seeke safety with us King Now my Lords Alas my feares are causelesse and ungrounded Fantastick dreames and melancholike fumes Of crazie stomacks and distempered braines Has this convinc't you Mor. Sir we see Some reason you should feare but whom we know not 'T is possible these Turkes may play the Villaines Knowing the Prince the life of all our hopes Staffe of your age and pillar of your Empire And having fail'd by force may use this Art To ruine him and by their treason here To make their peace at home Now should this prove a truth when he ha's suffred Death or disgrace which are to him the same 'T will be too late to say you were mistaken And then to cry him mercy Sir we beseech you A while suspend your doome till time produce Her wonted off-spring Truth King And so expecting The event of what you thinke shall prove the experiment Of what I feare but since he is my sonne I cannot have such violent thoughts towards him As his towards me he onely shall remaine A prisoner till his death or mine enlarge him Exit Lords Man Haly. Solyman peepes in King Away away wee 're serious Sol. But not so serious to neglect your safety King Art thou in earnest Sol. Nay Sir I can be serious aswell as my betters King What 's the matter Sol. No I am an inconsiderable fellow and know nothing King Let 's heare that nothing then Sol. The Turkes Sir King What of them Sol. When they could not overcome you by force they 'le Doe it by treacherie King As how Sol. Nay I can see as farre into a milstone as another man They have corrupted some ill-affected persons King What to doe Sol. To nourish Jealousies 'twixt you and your sonce King My sonne where is he Sol. They say hee 's posting hither King Haly we are betrayed prevented looke to the Ports and let The Guards be doubled how farre 's his Army hence Is the Citie in armes to joyne with him Sol. Armes and joyne with him I understand you not King Didst thou not say the Prince was comming Sol. I heard some foolish people say you had sent for Him as a Traytor which to my apprehension was on Purpose spoken to make you odious and him desperate And so divide the people into faction A Plot of Dangerous consequence as I take it Sir King And is this all thou sawcy trifling foole Away With him Haly. Sir this seeming foole is a concealed dangerous knave Under that safe disguise he thinks he may say or doe Any thing you 'le little thinke him the chiefe conspirator The onely spy t' informe the Prince of all is done in Court King Let him be rack't and tortur'd till he confesse The whole conspiracie Sol. Rack't and tortur'd I have told you all I know and more There 's nothing more in me Sir but may be squeezed Out without racking onely a stoope or two of Wine And if there had not beene too much of that you had Not had so much of the other King That 's your cunning sirrah Sol. Cunning Sir I am no Polititian and was ever thought to have Too little wit and too much honesty for a States-man Exit King Away with him Ha. But something must be done Sir to satisfie the people 'T is not enough to say he did designe Or plot or thinke but did attempt some violence And then some strange miraculous escape For which our Prophet must have publique thankes And this false colour shall delude the eyes Of the amazed vulgar King 'T is well advis'd Enter Mess. Mess. Sir His highnesse is return'd King And unconstrain'd But with what change of countenance Did he receive the message Mess. With some amazement But such as sprung from wonder not from feare It was so unexpected King Leave us Haly I ever found thee honest truer to me Then mine owne bloud and now 's the time to shew it For thou art he my love and trust hath chosen To put in action my designe surprise him As he shall passe the Galleries I 'le place A guard behind the Arras when thou hast him Since blinded with ambition he did soare Like a seel'd Dove his crime shall be his punishment To be depriv'd of sight which see perform'd With a hot steele Now as thou lov'st my safety Be resolute and suddaine Ha. 'T is severe But yet I dare not intercede it shall be done But is that word irrevocable King I as yeares or ages past relent not if thou do'st Exit King Enter Mirvan Mir. Why so melancholy is the designe discovered Ha. No but I am made the instrument That still endeavoured to disguise my plots With borrowed lookes and make 'em walke in darkenesse To act 'em now my selfe be made the marke For all the peoples hate the Princesse curses And his sonnes rage or the old Kings inconstancy For this to Tyranny belongs To forget service but remember wrongs Mir. But could not you contrive Some fine pretence to cast it on some other Ha. No he dares trust no other had I given But the least touch of any private quarrell My malice to his sonne not care of him Had then begot this service Mir. 'T is but t'other plot my Lord you know The King by other wives had many sonnes Soffy is but a childe and you already Command the Emperours Guard procure for me The governement o' th' Citie when he dies Urge how unfortunate those States have beene Whose Princes are but children then set the Crowne Upon some others head that may acknowledge And owe the Empire to your gift Ha. It shall be done Abdall who commands The Citie is the Princes friend and therefore Must be displac't and thou shalt straight succeed him Thou art my better Genius honest Mirvan Greatnesse we owe to fortune or to fate But wisedome onely can secure that state Ex. Enter Prince at one doore and Princesse at another Princesse You 're double welcome now my Lord your comming Was so unlook't for Prince To me I 'me sure it was Know'st thou the cause for sure it was important That calls me backe so suddenly Princesse I am so ignorant I knew not you were sent for Waking I know no cause but in my sleepe My fancy still presents such dreames and terrors As did Andromache's the night before Her Hector fell but sure 't is more then fancie Either our guardian Angels or the Gods Inspire us or some naturall instinct Fore-tells approaching dangers Prince How does my father Princesse Still talkes and playes with Fatyma but his mirth Is forc't and strain'd In his looke appeares A wilde distracted fiercenesse I can reade Some dreadfull purpose in his face but where This dismall cloud will breake and spend his furie I dare not thinke pray heaven make false his feares Sometimes his anger breakes through all disguises And spares nor gods nor men and then he seemes Jealous of all the world suspects and starts And looks
the Fates but I Like wastfull Prodigals have cast away My happinesse and with it all mens pitie Thou seest how weak and wretched guilt can make Even Kings themselves when a weak womans anger Can master mine Princesse And your sorrow As much o o'recomes my anger and turns into melting pitie King Pitie not me nor yet deplore your husband But seek the safetie of your son his innocence Will be too weak a guard when nor my greatnesse Nor yet his fathers vertues could protect us Go on my boy the just revenge of all To Soffy Our wrongs I recommend to thee and Heaven I feele my weaknesse growing strong upon me Exeunt Death thou art he that wilt not flatter Princes That stoops not to authoritie nor gives A specious name to tyrannie but shewes Our actions in their owne deformed likenesse Now all those cruelties which I have acted To make me great or glorious or secure Look like the hated crimes of other men Enter Physician King O save save me who are those that stand And seeme to threaten me Phy. There 's no body 't is nothing But some fearfull dreame King Yes that 's my brothers ghost whose birth-right stood 'Twixt me and Empire like a spredding Cedar That growes to hinder some delightfull prospect Him I cut downe Next my old fathers ghost whom I impatient To have my hopes delay'd hastned by violence before his fatall day Then my enraged son who seemes to beckon And hale me to him I come I come yee Ghosts The greatest of you all but sure one hell 's Too little to containe me and too narrow For all my crimes Dies Enter Mirvan and Haly at severall doores Ha. Goe muster all the Citie-Bands pretend it To prevent sudden tumults But indeed to settle the succession Mir. My Lord you are too sudden you 'll take 'em unprepar'd Alas you know their consciences are tender Scandall and scruple must be first remov'd They must be pray'd and preach'd into a tumult But for the succession Let us agree on that there 's Calamah The eldest son by the Arabian Lady A gallant youth Ha. I too gallant his proud spirit will disdaine To owe his greatnesse to anothers gift Such gifts as Crownes transcending all requitall Turne injuries No Mirvan he must be dull and stupid lest he know Wherefore we made him King Mir. But he must be good natur'd tractable And one that will be govern'd Ha. And have so much wit to know whom hee 's beholding to Mir. But why my Lord should you look further than your selfe Ha. I have had some such thoughts but I consider The Persian State will not endure a King So meanly borne no I 'le rather be the same I am In place the second but the first in power Solyman the son of the Georgian Lady Shall be the man what noyse is that Enter Messenger Mess. My Lord the Princes late victorious Army Is marching towards the palace breathing nothing But furie and revenge to them are joyn'd All whom desire of change or discontent Excites to new attempts their Leaders Abdall and Morat Ha. Abdall and Morat Mirvan we are lost fallen from the top Of all our hopes and cast away like Saylers Who scaping seas and rocks and tempests perish I' th' verie port so are we lost i' th' sight And reach of all our wishes Mir. How has our intelligence fail'd us so strangely Ha. No no I knew they were in mutiny But they could ne're have hurt us Had they not come at this instant period This point of time had he liv'd two dayes longer A pardon to the Captaines and a largesse Among the Souldiers had appeas'd their furie Had he di'd two dayes sooner the succession Had as we pleas'd been setled and secur'd By Soffy's death Gods that the world should turne On minutes and on moments Mir. My Lord lose not your selfe In passion but take counsell from necessitie I 'le to 'em and will let them know The Prince is dead and that they come too late To give him libertie for love to him Has bred their discontents I 'le tell them boldly That they have lost their hopes Ha. And tell them too As they have lost their hopes o' th' one they have lost Their feares o' th' other tell their Leaders we desire Their counsell in the next succession Which if it meet disturbance Then we shall crave assistance from their power Which Fate could not have sent in a more happie hower Exit Mirvan Enter Lords Caliph Cal. My Lord Yee heare the newes the Princes Army is at the gate Ha. I I heare it and feele it here Aside But the succession that 's the point That first requires your counsell Cal. Who should succeed but Soffy Ha. What in such times as these when such an Army Lies at our gates to choose a child our King You my Lord Caliph are better read in storie And can discourse the fatall consequences When children raigne Cal. My Lords if you 'll be guided By reason and example Enter Abdall and Morat Ha. My Lords you come most opportunely we were entring Into dispute about the next succession Ab. Who dares dispute it we have a powerfull argument Of fortie thousand strong that shall confute him Cal. A powerfull argument indeed Ab. I such a one as will puzzle all your Logick And distinctions to answer it And since we came too late for the performance Of our intended service to the Prince The wronged Prince we cannot more expresse Our loyaltie to him than in the right Of his most hopefull son Ha. But is he not too young Mor. Sure you think us so too but he and we Are old enough to look through your disguise And under that to see his fathers enemies A Guard there Enter Guard Mor. Seize him and you that could shew reason or example Ha. Seize me for what Ab. Canst thou remember such a name as Mirza And ask for what Ha. That name I must remember and with horrour But few have died for doing What they had di'd for if they had not done It was the Kings command and I was onely Th' unhappie minister Ab. I such a minister as wind to fire That adds an accidentall fiercenesse to Its naturall furie Mor. If 't were the Kings command 't was first thy malice Commanded that command and then obey'd it Ha. Nay if you have resolv'd it truth and reason Are weak and idle arguments But let me pitie the unhappie instruments Of Princes wils whose anger is our fate And yet their love's more fatall than their hate Ab. And how well that love hath been requited Mirvan your Confident By torture has confest Mor. The storie of the King and of the Bashawes Ha. Mirvan poore-spirited wretch thou hast deceiv'd me Nay then farewell my hopes and next my feares Enter Soffy So. What horrid noyse was that of drums and Trumpets that struck my eare What meane these bonds could not my Grandsires jealousie Be satisfied upon his son but now
THE SOPHY As it was acted at the Private House in Black Friars by his Majesties Servants LONDON Printed by Richard Hearne for Thomas Walkley and are to be sold at his shop at the Signe of the Flying Horse betweene York-house and Britaines Burse 1642 The Prologue HIther yee come dislike and so undo The Players and disgrace the Poet too But he protests against your votes and sweares Hee 'll not be try'd by any but his Peeres He claimes his priviledge and sayes 't is fit Nothing should be the Iudge of wit but Wit Now you will all be Wits and be I pray And you that discommend it mend the Play 'T is the best satisfaction he knowes then His turne will come to laugh at you agen But Gentlemen if yee dislike the Play Pray make no words on 't till the second day Or third be past For we would have you know it The losse will fall on us not on the Poet For he writes not for money nor for praise Nor to be call'd a Wit nor to weare Bayes Cares not for frownes or smiles so now you 'll say Then why the Devill did he write a Play He sayes 't was then with him as now with you He did it when he had nothing else to doe The Epilogue 'T Is done and we alive agen and now There is no Tragedie but in your brow And yet our Author hopes you are pleas'd if not This having fail'd he has a second Plot 'T is this the next day send us in your frends Then laugh at them and make your selves amends Thus whether it be good or bad yet you May please your selves and you may please us too But look you please the Poet lest he vow A full revenge upon you all but how 'T is not to kill you all twentie a day Hee 'll do 't at once a more compendious way He meanes to write againe but so much worse That seeing that you 'll think it a just curse For censuring this 'faith give him your applause As you give Beggars money for no cause But that hee 's troublesome and he has swore As Beggars do hee 'll trouble you no more Actors Scena Persia ABBAS King of Persia MIRZA the Prince his Son ERYTHaeA the Princesse his wife HALY the Kings Favourite Enemies to the Prince MIRVAN Haly's Confident ABDALL Two Lords friends to the Prince MORAT CALIPH SOLYMAN a foolish Courtier SOFFY the Prince his son now King of Persia FATYMA his daughter 2 Turkish Bashawes 3 Captaines 2 Women Physician Tormentours THE SOPHY Actus Primus Enter Abdall and Moratt Mor. MY Lord you have good intelligence what newes From the Army any certainty Of their designe or strength Abd. We know not their designe But for their strength The disproportion is so great we cannot but Expect a fatall consequence Mor. How great my Lord Abd. The Turkes are fourescore thousand Foot And fiftie thousand Horse And we in the whole Excceed not forty thousand Mor. Mee-thinkes the Prince should know That Judgement 's more essentiall to a Generall Then Courage if he prove victorious 'T is but a happie rashnesse Abd. But if he lose the battaile 't is an error Beyond excuse or remedy considering That halfe the lesser Asia will follow The Victors fortune Mor. 'T is his single vertue And terror of his name that walls us in From danger were he lost the naked Empire Would be a prey expos'd to all Invaders Abd. But is 't not necessary The King should know his danger Mor. To tell him of so great a danger Were but to draw a greater on our selves For though his eye is open as the mornings Towards lusts and pleasures yet so fast a lethargie Has seiz'd his powers towards publike cares and dangers He sleepes like death Abd. Hee 's a man of that strange composition Made up of all the worst extremities Of youth and age Mor. And though He feeles the heats of youth and colds of age Yet neither tempers nor corrects the other As if there were an Ague in his nature That still inclines to one extreame Abd. But the Caliph or Haly or some that know His softer houres might best acquaint him with it Mor. Alas they shew him nothing But in the glasse of flatterie if any thing May beare a shew of glory fame or greatnesse 'T is multiplyed to an immense quantitie And stretch't even to Divinitie But if it tend to danger or dishonour They turne about the Perspective and shew it So little at such distance so like nothing That he can scarce discerne it Abd. 'T is the fate of Princes that no knowledge Comes pure to them but passing through the eyes And eares of other men it takes a tincture From every channell And still beares a rellish Of Flatterie or private ends Mor. But danger and necessitie Dare speake the truth Abd. But commonly They speake not till it is too late And for Haly He that shall tell him of the Princes danger But tells him that himselfe is safe Scaena Secunda Enter King Princesse and Solyman King Cleare up cleare up sweet Erythaea That cloud that hangs upon thy brow presages A greater storme then all the Turkish power Can throw upon us me-thinkes I see my fortune Setling her looks by thine and in thy smile Sits victory and in thy frowne our ruine Why should not hope As much erect our thoughts as feare deject them Why should we Anticipate our sorrowes 'T is like those That die for feare of death What is 't you doubt his courage or his fortune Princesse Envy it selfe could never doubt his courage King Then let not love doe worse by doubting that Which is but valours slave a wise well-temper'd valour For such is his those Gyants death and danger Are but his Ministers and serve a Master More to be fear'd then they and the blinde Goddesse Is led amongst the Captives in his triumph Princesse I had rather she had eyes for if she saw him Sure she would love him better but admit Shee were at once a Goddesse and his slave Yet fortune valour all is overborne By numbers as the long resisting Banke By the impetuous Torrent King That 's but rumour Ne're did the Turke invade our Territory But Fame and Terrour doubled still their files But when our troopes encountred then we found Scarce a sufficient matter for our fury But heark a Post Solyman conduct him in A Horne within 'T is surely from the Prince Enter Post and delivers a Letter King Give it our Secretaries I hope the Prince is well Post The Letter will informe you A Messenger Mess. Sir the Lords attend you Ex. Princesse Enter Lords King What newes from the Army Lords Please you to heare the Letter King Reade it Lords The Turke enraged with his last yeares overthrow Hath re-enforc't his Army with the choice of all his Janizars And the flowre of his whole Empire we Understand by some fugitives that he hath commanded The Generalls to returne with victory
or expect A shamefull death what I shall further do Their numbers five times exceeding ours I desire to receive directions from your Majesties command King Let twenty thousand men be raised Let fresh supplyes of victuals and of money Be sent with speed Lords Sir your Treasures Are quite exhausted the Exchequer 's empty King Talke not to me of Treasures or Exchequers Send for five hundred of the wealthiest Burgers Their shops and ships are my Exchequer Abd. 'T were better you you could say their hearts Abd. aside Sir upon your late demands They answered they were poore King Sure the Villaines hold a correspondence With the enemie and thus they would betray us First give us up to want then to contempt And then to ruine but tell those sonnes of earth I le have their money or their heads Winde a horne 'T is my command when such occasions are No Plea must serve 't is cruelty to spare Another Post Exit Lords King The Prince transported with his youthfull heat I feare hath gone too farre 'T is some disaster Or else he would not send so thicke well bring him in I am prepar'd to heare the worst of evils Enter Solyman and two Captaines Cap. kisses his hand King What is the Prince besieged in his Trenches And must have speedy ayd or die by famine Or hath he rashly try'd the chance of warre And lost his Army and his Liberty Tell me what Province they demand for ransome Or if the worst of all mishaps hath fallen Speake for he could not die unlike himselfe Speak freely and yet me-thinkes I reade Something of better fortune in thy lookes But dare not hope it Cap. Sir the Prince lives King And hath not lost his honour Cap. As safe in honour as in life King Nor liberty Cap. Free as the aire he breathes King Returne with speed Tell him he shall have money victuals men With all the haste they can be levyed Farewell Offers to goe Cap. But Sir I have one word more King Then be briefe Cap. So now you are prepar'd and I may venture King What is 't Cap. Sir a Fathers love mixt with a Princes care This shewing dangers greater and that nearer Have rais'd your feares too high and those remov'd Too suddenly would let in such a deluge Of joy as might oppresse your aged spirits Which made me gently first remove your feares That so you might have roome to entertaine Your fill of joy Your sonn 's a Conquerour King Delude me not with fained hopes false joyes It cannot be And if he can but make A faire Retreat I shall account it more Then all his former conquests those huge numbers Arm'd with despaire the flower of all the Empire Cap. Sir I have not us'd to tell you tales or fables And why should you suspect your happinesse Being so constant On my life 't is true Sir King Well I le no more suspect My fortune nor thy faith Thou and thy newes most welcome Solyman Goe call the Princesse and the Lords they shall Participate our joyes as well as cares Enter Princesse and Lords King Faire daughter blow away those mists and clouds And let thy eyes shine forth in their full lustre Invest them with thy loveliest smiles put on Thy choycest lookes hee 's comming will deserve them Princesse What is the Prince return'd with safety 't is above Beleefe or hope King I sweet Erythaea Laden with spoyles and honour all thy feares Thy wakefull terrors and affrighting dreames Thy morning sighes and evening teares have now Their full rewards And you my Lords Prepare for Masques and Triumphs Let no circumstance Be wanting that becomes The greatnesse of our State or Joy Behold he comes Enter Prince with Captaines and two Captive Bashawes King Welcome brave sonne as welcome to thy father As Phoebus was to Iove when he had slaine Th' ambitious Gyants that assayl'd the skie And as my power resembles that of Ioves So shall thy glory like high Phoebus shine As bright and as immortall Prince Great Sir all acquisition Of Glory as of Empire here I lay before Your Royall feet happy to be the Instrument To advance either Sir I challenge nothing But am an humble suitor for these prisoners The late Commanders of the Turkish powers Whose valours have deserv'd a better fortune King Then what hath thine deserv'd th' are thine brave Mirzah Worthy of all thy Royall Ancestors And all those many Kindomes which their vertue Or got or kept though thou hadst not beene borne to 't But daughter still your lookes are sad No longer I le deferre your joyes goe take him Into thy chaste embrace and whisper to him That welcome which those blushes promise Exit King Prince My Erythaea why entertain'st thou with so sad a brow My long desir'd return thou wast wont With kisses and sweet smiles to welcome home My victories though bought with sweat and bloud And long expected Princesse Pardon Sir 'T is with our soules As with our eyes that after a long darknesse Are dazled at the approach of sudden light When i' th' midst of feares we are surpriz'd With unexpected happinesse the first Degrees of joy are meere astonishment And 't was so lately in a dreadfull dreame I saw my Lord so neare destruction Deprived of his eyes a wretched Captive Then shriekt my selfe awake then slept againe And dreamt the same my ill presaging fancy Suggesting still 't was true Prince Then I forgive thy sadnesse since love caus'd it For love is full of feares and feare the shadow Of danger like the shadow of our bodies Is greater then when that which is the cause Is farthest off Princesse But still there 's something That checks my joyes Nor can I yet distinguish Which is the apparition this or that Prince An apparition At night I shall resolve that doubt and make Thy dreames more pleasing Enter Haly and Mirvan Mir. The time has beene my Lord When I was no such stranger to your thoughts You were not wont to weare upon your brow A frowne or smile but still have thought me worthy At least to know the cause Ha. 'T is true Thy breast hath ever beene the Cabinet Where I have lockt my secrets Mir. And did you ever finde That any art could picke the locke or power Could force it open Ha. No I have ever found thee Trusty and secret But is 't observ'd i' th' Court That I am sad Mir. Observ'd 't is all mens wonder and discourse That in a Joy so great so universall You should not beare a part Ha. Discour'st of too Mir. Nothing but treason More commonly more boldly spoken So singular a sadnesse Must have a cause as strange as the effect And griefe conceal'd like hidden fire consumes Which flaming out would call in helpe to quench it Ha. But since thou canst not mend it To let thee know it will but make thee worse Silence and time shall cure it Mir. But in diseases when the cause is knowne 'T is more