THE COSTLIE WHORE A COMICALL HISTORIE Acted by the companie of the Revels LONDON Printed by Augustine Mathewes for WILLIAM SHEARES and are to be sold at his shoppe in Brittaines Burse 1633. The Actors names Duke of Saxonie Fredericke his sonne Hatto Brothers to the Duke Alrid Brothers to the Duke Montano kinsman to the Duke Euphrata daughter to the Duke Constantine a lover of Euphrata Otho a friend to Constantine Alberto two Lords Reynaldo two Lords Vandermas a Pander Valentia the Costly Whore Iulia a Gentlewoman to Euphrata Two Maides Petitioners Beggers Seruants THE COSTLY WHORE Enter Constantine and Otho Constantine HOw do'st thou like the lovely Euphrata Otho I did not marke her Const Then thou didst not marke The fairest Saxon Lady in mine eye That ever breath'd a maid Otho Your minde now knowne I le say shee is the fairest in the world Were she the foulest Con. Then thos canst dissemble Otho You know I cannot but deare Constantine I prethee tell me first what is that Ladie That wonder of her sexe cal'd Euphrata Whose daughter is she Const I cannot blame thee Otho Though thou be ignorant of her high worth Since here in Saxon we are strangers both But if thou cal'st to minde why we left Meath Reade the trice reason in that Ladies eye Daughter unto the Duke of Saxonie Shee unto whom so many worthy Lords Vail'd Bonnet when she past the Triangle Making the pavement Ivory where she trode Otho She that so lightly toucht the marble path That leadeth from the Temple to the presence Const The same Otho Why that was white before White Marble Constantine whiter by odds Then that which lovers terme the Ivory hand Nay then the Lillie whitenesse of her face Con. Come thou art a cavilling companion Because thou seest my heart is drown'd in loue Thou wilt drowne me too I say the Ladie 's faire I say I love her and in that more faire I say she loves me and in that most faire Love doth attribute in Hyperbolies Vnto his Mistris the creation of every excellence Because in her his eies do dreame of perfect excellence And here she comes Enter Euphrata Observe her gentle friend Euph. Welcome sweete Constantine Con. My Euphrata Euph. Thy Euphrata be thou my Constantine But what is he a stranger or thy friend Con. My second selfe my second Euphrata If thou beest mine salute her gentle Otho Otho An humble and a true devoted heart I tender to you in a mindes chast kisse Euph. Welcome to me since welcome to my friend Otho A beautifull an admirable Ladie I thinke 't is fatall unto every friend Never to love untill his friend first love And then his choice but sooner will I teare Out of this brest mine affection with my heart Eu. Hearing sweet Constantine thou wert so nere me I came as I were wing'd to gaze on thee Con. And would to heaven there were no barin time To hinder me from thy desired sight But thousand sutors eyes do watch my steps And harke I heare some trampling how now Iulia Enter Julia. Iuli. Madam the Lord Montano spying you To leave the presence and to enter here Hath ever since waited your comming foorth And will not be denied untill he see you Euph. Of all my sutors most importunate Con. What is he love Euph. Of very noble birth But my affection is not tyed to birth I must dispense with this kind conference For some small time untill I rid him hence Therefore within my closet hide thy selfe Your friend shall Iulia guide into the garden Where through a private doore but seldome vs'd He may at pleasure leave us and returne Deny me not I prethee Constantine Thou hast my heart and would thy birth were such I need not feare t' avouch thee for my Love Otho Madam I take my leave Exit Otho Con. Farewell deare friend Returne as soone as may be farewell Love Exit Eup. Now guide Montano hither Enter Montano Mon. Gracious Madam I have seene the noble Palsgrave The Prince of Milleine and the Palatine of the Rheine With divers other honorable sutors Mounted to ride unto their severall places Euph. Of me they tooke their farewell yesternight Mon. What meanes your grace to be so unkind to all You drive away good fortune by disdaine Euph. Why are you grieving too Mon. I am your subiect The meanest that did humbly seeke your love Yet not the meanest in affection And I am come to take my farewell too Eup. Why then farewell Mon. So short with them that love you Eup. Your journey may be great for ought I know And 't is an argument of little love To be the hinderer of a traveller Mon. My journey Madame is unto my house Scarce halfe a league hence there to pine and die Because I love such beauteous crueltie Euph. God speede you sir Mon. Nay then I will not leave you Madam 't is thought and that upon good ground You have shrin'd your affection in the heart Of some what ere he be noble or base And that 's the cause you lightlie censure all Euphr. Who thinkes it Mon. I doe Madame and your father Eu. It is upon my vowed chastitie Mon. What devill made you sweare to chastitie Or have you tane that oath onely for a terme Euphr. A terme what terme Mon. A terme of some seven yeeres Or peradventure halfe the number more Euphr. For terme of life Mon. You have sworne to be forsworne He was no well disposed friend of yours That gave you consaile to forsweare such beautie Why t is as if some traveiler had found A mine of gold and made no vse of it For terme of life why then die presently So shall your debt to nature be farre lesse Your tyranny over mans yeelding heart Be lesse condemned oh you were made for man And living without man to murder men If any creature be so fortunate That lives in grace of your all gracious selfe Though I am well perswaded 't is not I I vow by all the rites of vertuous love Be he ignoble of the basest sort To please you Madame I le renounce my suite And be a speciall meane unto your father To grant your hearts affection though I die Euph. Now Lord Montano you come neere my heart And were I sure that you would keepe your word As I am sure you love me by your deedes I might perchance deliver you my thoughts Mon. By heaven and by your beauteous selfe I will Euph. Then Constantine come forth behold thy friend Enter Constantine Con. Madame what meane you to reveale our love Mon. This is a very stubborne Gentleman A Gentleman a pesant Saxonie affords not one more base Con. He does me wrong that termes me meaner then a gentleman Mon. I tearme thee so Euph. Why how now Lord Montano you do forget your oath Mont. And you your selfe Your Princely father and the Dukedomes honour To chaine your liking to a groome so base Con. He lies that calles me
Here Madam what 's your will Euph. Call Constantine Tell him his deare friend Otho is return'd Iu. I will Otho Stay Iulia. Euph. Doe as I bid you goe Exit Iulia. Otho I had rather have a word or twaine with you Euph. I have heard him oft enquire for thee his friend I have heard him sigh I have seene him weepe for thee Imagining some mischiefe or distresse Had falne thee since the closets separation Otho And what a slave am I to wrong this friend Enter Constantine with Iulia. Con. Where is he Iu. Here. Con. The welcom'st man alive Vnkind how couldst thou stay from me so long Otho I have bin ill at ease pray pardon me But I reioyce to see my friend so well Euph. Some Ladies love hath made him melancholy Otho Shee hath read the letter that I lately sent her In a pomegranat by those words I hope Con. Why speak you not is' t love or melancholy Otho If upon love my griefe is melancholy Con. I le haue the best Phisitians here in Meath Assay by art to cure that malladie Eup. Gainst mellancholy minds your onely Phisick Our Saxon doctors hold that principle Now I remember you did lately send me A choice pomegranate fetch it Iulia Some of those graines well stir'd in Gascoine wine Is present remedie Otho Madam I le none Of all fruits that I hate Eu. And commended it so highly by the messenger that brought it Con. T was well remembred you shall take a graine Otho You will but vexe me Con. So his melancholly Doth make him froward with his dearest friend Enter Iulia with the pomegranate T is well done Iulia quickely cut it up And bring a cup of wine or let me doo 't Otho I see I shall be plagu'd with mine owne wit Being asham'd to speake I writ my minde Were you my friends you would not martyr me With needlesse phisicke fie upon this trasn The very sight is loathsome Con. Take it up But let me see what letter 's that that dropt Came it from you or from the Spanish fruit Iu. T is all the graines that the pomegranate had Con. Then ther 's some trechery within these grains I le breake it up And 't is directed to my Euphrata Eup. What may the tenure be I pray thee reade it He opens the letter reads Otho O fall upon me some wind-shaken turrer To hide me from the anger of my friend O from his frowne because he is my friend Were he an enemie I would be bold But kindnes makes this wound ô this horror The words of friends are stronger then their power Con. Withdraw good Iulia. Exit Iulia. Eup. 'Pray what is it love Con. T is love indeed to thee but to my heart Every loose sentence is a killing dart I brought this Gorges to my hearts delight And he hath drown'd his senses with the sight Except thy selfe all things to him were free Otho thou hast done me more then iniurie Well maist thou fixe thy eye vpon the earth This action fith breedes a prodigious birth It is so monstrous and against all kinde That the lights splendor would confound thy minde Otho I have offended prethee pardon me Con. What cause did move thee Otho Her all-conquering sight Con. Couldst thou usurpe upon my well known right Otho Thinke I am flesh and blood and she is faire Con. Thinke how I love thee Otho There proceeds my care Con. Our amitie hath bin of ancient dayes During which time wrong'd I thee any wayes Otho Never Con. But rather I have done thee good Otho I grant you have ô rather shed my blood Then number the kind deedes betweene us past For this unkindnesse here I love my last Euph. He doth repent and will renounce his suite Otho I doe renounce it Con. O thou canst not do 't Otho Suffer me stay a while in her faire sight 'T will heale my wound and all love banish quite Con. The sight of the belov'd makes the desire That burnt but slowly flame like sparkling fire As thou dost love me take thee to some place Where thou maist nere see her nor I thy face Otho By what is deere betwixt us by our selves I vow hencefoorth ten thousand deaths to prove Then be a hinderance to such vertuous love Con. Breake heart t is for thy sake Otho When I am dead O then forget that I haue iniured Con. O hell of love Otho Or rather hell of friends Con. Firmely till they love Otho Then thus all friendship ends Exeunt Actus Secundus Enter Duke Fredericke Hatto and Alfred Hat Good brother heare some Musicke t will delight you Al. I le call the Actors will you see a play Fre. Or gracious father see me runne the race On a light footed horse swifter then winde Duke I pray forbeare Al. This moode will make you mad For melancholy Vshers franticke thoughts Hat It makes hot wreaking blood turne cold and drie And drithe and coldnesse are the signes of death Duke You doe torment me Fred. Is it any thing That I have done offends your grace Hat Or comes this hidden anger from my fault Alf. Here 's none but gladly would resigne his life To doe you pleasure so please you to command Duke Ifaith you are too blame to vexe me thus Hat Then grounds this sorrow on your brothers death Fred. Or rather on the glove I lately found Duke A plague vpon the glove what 's that to me Your prating makes me almost lunatike As you respect my welfare leave me leave me The sooner you depart the sooner I Shall finde some meanes to cure my maladie Fred. Our best course is to be obedient Exeunt all but the Duke Duke Farewell Was ever slave besotted like to me That Kings have lou'd those that they never saw Is nothing strange since they have heard their praise Birds that by painted grapes have bin deceiu'd Had yet some shadow to excuse their error Pigmalion that did love an Ivory Nimph Had an Idea to delight his sence The youth that doted on Minerva's picture Had some contentment for his eye soft Musique But love or rather an infernall hagge Envying Saxons greatnes and his ioyes Hath given me nothing but a trifling glove As if by the proportion of the case Art had the power to know the jewels nature Or Nimph or goddesse woman or faire devill If any thing thou art within my braine Draw thine owne picture let me see thy face To doate thus grossely is a grosse disgrace Musique within I heare some Musique ô ye Deities Send you this heavenly consort from the spheares To recreate a love-perplexed heart The more it founds the more it refresheth I see no instruments nor hands that play And my deare brothers durst not be so bold 'T is some celestiall rapture of the minde No earthlie harmonie is of this kinde Now it doth cease speake who comes there Enter Fredericke Alfred and Hatto Fred. Father Duke From whence proceeds the Musicke that I heard Fred.
My guard pursue them and aliue or dead Cut off the cause by which these cries are bred Come my faire Dutchesse first unto the Church There sollemnize our nuptials then unto our armes A little rough breath over beares these stormes Exeunt Manet Alfred Hatto Alfred The Duke 's besotted now we are secure This match makes well for us we may command And on them lay the abuses of the land Hat Excellent good we are like to haue warres indeed But in the meane the poore will starue for bread Wee must share proffits howsoere things goe Winner or looser neither is our foe For mutually we 'le beare our selues in all Or taking part leane to the strongest wall Exeunt Enter Constantine and Euphrata Eup. My father married to a Concubine Then hee will pardon though I marry thee And howsoe'r about it presently The rather for Montano is repealde Because of his alliance to Valentia Con. I am ready gentle loue and glad in mind That my faire Euphrata will proue so kind Euph. Come my deare Constantine performe this right And arme in arme thus will we sleepe to night Exeunt Enter Fredericke Rinaldo and Alberto with Drum Colours and Souldiers Fred. You that are carefull of your countries weale Fellow compere Supporter of the State Let us imbrace in steele our cause is good What mind so base that would not shed his blood To free his countrey from so great an ill As now raignes in it by lascivious will Our friends to warre and for my part Ere lust beare sway I le gladly yeeld my heart Alberto I heare the Duke is strong Fred. Suppose him so And be advis'd strongly to meete the foe I had rather you should think him ten thousand strong Then find it so to our destruction An enemy thought many and found few When our first courage failes giues us a new Alarum Albert. That 's the Dukes Drum Fred. They are welcome to their death The ground they tread on covers them with earth Exeunt Enter Fredericke and Duke severall Fred. The enemy sends forth a Champion To encounter me I heard him use my name The honour of the combate shall be mine Duke Come boy retreate not only I intend With thy lifes losse this bloody warre to end Fred. My naturall father in my blood I feele Passion more powerfull then that conquering steele Duke Why dost thou pause base boy thy Soveraigne's come To inter the life I gaue thee in this tombe Fred. My father oh my father nature be still That I may haue my fame or he his will Duk. What dost thou feare thy cause is' t now so evill Fred. I am possest with a relenting devill Legions of kinde thoughts haue surpriz'd my sense And I am too weake to be mine owne defence Duke Thou art a coward Fred. And you make me so For you come charm'd like a dishonour'd foe You haue conferr'd with spirits and tane their aydes To make me weake by them I am betraid My strength drawne from me by a slight What other meanes could hold me from the fight Duke I haue no spells about me Fred. T is vntrue For naturall Magique you haue brought with you And such an exorcisme in your name That I forbeare the combate to my shame But that I am no coward from your host Elect two of the valiantst that dare most Double that number treble it or more I haue heart at will t' encounter with a score Or had your selfe come in a strange attire One of us twaine had lost his living fire Duke I le trie your valour see audacious boy Thou art incompast with a world of foes Montano Alfred Vandermas and all My Dutchesse comes too to behold thy fall If thou hast spirit enough now craue her ayd Never was poore ventrous souldier worse apayd Exit Duke Fred. My desire now from the skie of starres Dart all your Deitie since I am beset In honourable wise payes all Natures debt They fight Fredericke beats them off and courses the Dutchesse over the stage Actus quartus Enter Duke Montano Valentia Hatto and Alfred Drumme Colours and Souldiers Duke Our anger long agoe renowned Lords Is satisfied in faire Valentias loue Behold our proud sonne and these traiterous crew That dares confront us in the field of Mars Valen. You haue been too patient my beloved Lord In calming these tumultuous jarring spirits Scourge them with steele and make the proudest know T is more then death to haue their Prince their foe Mon. Bloody constraints beseemes where dutie failes And Oratory ceasing force prevailes Hat Peace would doe better so it pleas'd your sonne Fred. In her allurements first begun Banish her from the land and I le resigne Duk. Learne thine owne dutie traitor I know mine Albert. Then there 's no banishment Duk. None but by death Thy head is forfeit for that daring breath Alfred Submit degenerate and presumptuous Lord. Albert. When we are ignorant to weild a sword Fred. Never shall noble knee bend to this ground As long as that vile strumpet liveth crownd Duk. I cannot stay to heare my loue deprau'd In few words is it peace or shall we fight Till our deepe wounds shall dampe the heavenly light Make the ayre purple with the reaking gore Fre. Fight whilst life serues you we will nere giue ore The grasse greene pauement shall be drownd in blood And yet I le wade to kill her in the flood Duke Alarum Drum madnesse is on their side All vertuous counsell is by them defied Vpon our part strike Drums Trumpets proclaime Death most assur'd to those that haue their shame Alarum fight lustily and driue away the Duke Fredericke pursues Valentia over the stage and takes her a Retreate sounded Enter at one doore the Duke Mon Hatto and Alfred with Drum and Colours Enter at the other doore Fredericke leading Valentia prisoner Rinaldo and Alberto with Drum and Colours Duke Why doe traitors sound retreat so soone Fred. Behold the cause Duke Valentia prisoner Fred. The firebrand of this tumultuous warre The originall from whence your subjects bloud Flowes in abundance of this spatious play Valen. And what of all this Fred. That thy life 's too meane To satisfie the unworthiest of the Campe For the effusion of a loyall drop Duk. Meanes Fredericke then to kill his fathers heart In faire Valentia's death Fred. Not touch your hand other Then humble as becomes a sonne But shee shall suffer for enchanting you Valen. I am a Dutchesse set my ransome downe Fred. A dutchesse whence proceeds that borowed name Of what continuance scarcely hath the Sunne Beheld thy pride a day but doth decline Shaming to view a crowned Concubine Duke In mine owne honour Fredericke I command thou set a ransome on Valentia Fred. What honor 's that your Dukedomes interest Your princely birth your honourable fame All these are blemisht with a strumpets name Mon. Be not so cruell to bereaue her life 'T will draw upon thee a perpetuall scar Thy fathers
to me Is twenty deaths I will haue liberty Now as you are a father be more kind You did not find me in so sterne a mind And you forgetfull of the life I sav'd Shall a Dukes Sonne by treason thus be slau'd If you suspect my loue grant me the fight I dare in single combate any knight Any adventurer any pandorus hinde To proue my faith of an unfained mind Duke Away with him Fred. I see my death 's set downe And some adulterous heire must weare that Crowne To intreate a Rodophe I had rather dye Then haue my life lodg'd in such infamy If all my fortunes on her words depend Let her say kill me and so make an end Duke Why stay you Vander. Good my Lord. Fred. Peace untaught Groome My heart 's so great that I de forerun my doome There 's no release meant you haue vowed I see To dam your soules by wilfull periury Yet that I am my selfe let these words shew To die is naturall 't is a death I owe And I will pay it with a minde as free As I enioyed in my best libertie But this assure your selfe when all is done They 'l kill the father that will kill the sonne Exit Duke What 's to be done now Mon. Seale unto his death Your warrant nere the sooner takes effect 'T will be a meanes to make him penitent And pardon 's meet for such as doe repent Seeing his fault hee 'l taste your mercie best When now he proudly thinkes he is opprest Duke A Warrant shall be sign'd and unto thee I doe commend it deale not partially If he be sorry and in true remorse Cancell the Writ else let it haue full force Had I ten sonnes as I haue onely this They should all die ere thou depriv'd of blisse So great is my affection my faire wife That to saue thine Ide frankly giue my life Come wee le about it strait all time seemes long Where thou hast found flight cause to feare my wrong Valen. That writ I le take and a conclusion trie If he can loue he liues if hate me die For howsoere I seeme to scorne the man Hee 's somewhat deare in my affection Here comes your brothers Enter Alfred and Hatto Alfred May it please your grace By chance entring into Saint Maries Church This morne by breake of day I espied That that I know will vexe your Excellence Your daughter Euphrata is married To the ambitious beggar Constantine Duk. My daughter married my Chamber-squire Mon. Your Excellence did banish me the land Because I did suspect her with that fellow Duke He shall be tortur'd with th' extreamest plague For his presumption Haue you brought them That I may kill them with a killing looke Hat Without direction we haue ventured to lay upon them Your strict command and they attend Duke Bring the presumptuous Enter Constantine and Euphrata Otho following in disguise Euphr. Forward Constantine our Rites are done Thou art my husband doe not feare his eye The worst it can import is but to die Duke Base and degenerate Euphr. He is a Gentleman 'T was base in you to wed a Curtizan Mon. Her brothers spirit right bold and audacious Euph. Then I am no bastard wherefore should I feare The knot is sacred and I hold it deare I am wedded unto vertue not to will Such blessed unions never bring forth ill If I offend in disobedience Iudge of the power of loue by your offence Father you haue no reason for this ire Frowne whilst you kill us desire is desire Duke A Curtezan hath that ambitious boy Taught you such Rethoricke you shall taste like joy I will not reason with you words are vaine The fault is best discerned in the paine Your hastie marriage hath writ downe his death And thy proud words shall seale it with thy breath By what is dearest to mee here I sweare Both of your heads shall grace a fatall beere Take them to prison I le not heare a word This is the mercie that we will afford Since they are growne so proud next morne begun Let them be both beheaded with my sonne Con. Short and sweet Euphrata the doome is faire We shall be soone in heaven there ends my care I scorne entreatie and my deare I know All such slavery thou hatest so 'T will be a famous deed for this good man To kill all 's children for a Curtezan Euph. Wilt thou die with me Const Would I liue in heaven Thou art now too high for me death makes us even Eup. Looke to your dukedome those that hast our fall Haue by their avarice almost hurried all There 's a whole Register of the poores crie Whilst they are reading them imbrace and die Flings downe her lap full of Petitions Exeunt Euph. and Constant Duke Beare them away And now let 's reade these Writes What 's here complaints against my worthy brothers For corne transported Copper money stampt Our subjects goods ceaz'd and I know not what A plague upon this busie-headed rabble We will haue tortures made to awe the slaues Peace makes them ever proud and malapert They 'l be an Overseer of the State Valen. And plead reformation to depose you Duk. True my faire Dutchesse but I le cut them short Rule still deare brothers take these to the fire Let me reade somewhat that augments desire Authors and golden Poems full of loue Such the Petitions are that I approue So I may liue in quiet with my wife Let fathers mothers children all lose life If thou haue issue in despight of fate They shall succeed in our Imperiall state Come sweet to dauncing then to sport and play Till we haue ruled all our life away Exeunt Manet Otho Otho O pittifull condition of a Realme Where the chiefe ruler is ore-rul'd by pleasure Seeing my friend surpriz'd in this disguise I followed him to meete the consequence And to my griefe I see his marriage rites Will cut him short of all this earths delights What 's that to mee when Constantine is dead I have some hope to attaine her Nuptiall bed But shee is doom'd as well as hee to die Can the Duke act his daughters Tragedie It is impossible he will relent And I le perswade her freely to repent Yet 't is most likelie that he will agree He is so farre spent in vild tyrannie The commons hate him for the wrong he hath done By his brothers meanes the Nobles for his sonne Famine spreads through the land the people die Yet he lives senselesse of their miserie Never were subiects more mislead by any Nor ever Soveraigne hated by so many But Constantine to thee I cast an eye Shall all our friendship end in enmitie Shall I that ever held thee as my life Hasten thy death that I may get thy wife Or love or friendship whether shall exceed I le explaine your vertue in this following deed Exit Enter Valentia Montano and Vandermas Va. Have you the instruments I gave in charge