of armes the badge of honor won Through praise and vertue of thy auncestors We rent it from that traiterous backe of thine And as an honour stainde with villanie In deepe disdaine we stampe it vnder foote Arist. This sworde that once was girt vnto thy side To be employde in seruice of thy prince Now vowde to gore the bowels of his grace we breake it here vpon thy traiterous head Hir. These squares of knighthoode that present the pride and honour due to chiualrie and armes whose prickes should force the proud couragious steed with thundering race to breake the riders launce Thus doe we hew them from thy traiterous heeles Ant. Thou art no man of honour nor of armes Thou hast no title of Gentilitie Nor stile of honour left hereof to vaunt But art become inferiour of regarde Then is the basest bondman of Assyria Or vilest slaue that hauntes the Lidian dames Arist. Dishonoured traitor now prepare thy selfe To yeeld thy head vnto the hangmans axe Cte. Not fate but my demerits makes me die O now I finde Niltutum proditor Exeunt Enter Histaspis Araspas Ara. I feare the furie of the Persian prince Histaspis Cyrus furie I doe feare Hist. And wrath of princes what is it but death Araspas on my honour make a proofe And neuer shunne the presence of our Lord A prince he is most milde and mercifull Soone mollified with vowes and penitence And though with great impacience he endure Your threatned violence to the Susan Queene Yet your submission and desire of grace Will pearce him with compassion of your sute And purchase pardon at his royall handes Ara. O spitefull beautie that bewitcht my minde And led my fancie to such foule extreames I will assay the mercie of my Lorde And yeeld my life to hazzard of his grace Hist. And doubt not but of Cyrus you shall finde A pitifull and passing gracious prince Enter Cyrus Cy. Histaspis and the rest with draw your selues Onely Araspas stay behind with me Ara. My souereigne Lord in trembling feare I stay And prostrate fall before your highnesse feete The fraile affects and errours of my youth Enforsed through follies of a wanton will Hath cast my life in perill of your wrath Blinded with charmes of beautie I haue falne And made my iudgement subiect to desire And in pursute of loues vnbrideled rage I haue transgrest the bounds of honours lawes O gracious Lord impute my error past Vnto the power of proud commanding loue That led my minde and thought so farre astray Forgiue those frailties of my youth O king And take your seruant once againe to grace with feare of your displeasure almost slaine Cy. Force to a Queene and she a captiue too A Persian Lord so farre misled with lust Intend dishonour to a sillie dame Araspas they that would be conquerors Should chiefly learne to conquer their desire Least while they seeke dominion ouer others They proue but slaues and bondmen to themselues Now where are those your big and braue disputes Wherein you pleaded loue was voluntarie And fancie left and intertaind at will When you imbrace it in such raging heate That where intreaties faile of your desires You fall from vowes to violence with the dame Araspas for the excuse of this offence You find no president in Cyrus life Ara. I know and grant my Lord the prince abounds with pearelesse gifts and graces of the minde wherewith the gods haue fild his kingly breast There nought but vertuous motions taketh roote Nothing but honour harbours in that seate And holy thoughts direct his royall deedes That so his grace might euerie way be found worthie the glorie of so hie a charge Yet since these frailties that disgrace your thrall are humane faults and incident to minde Where strong desires hold reason vnder yoke The wonted mercie of my Lord the prince So prone in fauour to the penetent May mittigate the shame of this my fault With sweete compassion to his princes thrall Cyr. Araspas I remit thee this amisse although blame worthie in the hiest degree and for your tried deserts in martiall praise I am content this follie to forget Yet would I haue it seeme vnto the world That my displeasure made you flie from me And so reuolted to the Assyrian armes There this suppose shall make you intertainde and highly fauoured of that gracelesse king By meanes whereoff ull safely you may learne The garrison and strength of Babylon The vtmost force and puissance of our foes With euerie purpose of Antiochus The time and place where he intents to fight Then hauing learnde the full of euerie thing In secrete you may scape againe to me With iust relation of the Assyrian campe This seruice if you please to vndertake You shall effect a singuler good turne and reape mortall thanks at Cyrus hands Ara. No longer let Araspas liue and breath Then with the vtmost venture of his life He will performe what Cyrus shall command And sacred price for this extended grace Though in the compasse of this hard affaire I leaue th' Assyrian faction to maintaine yet vow to beare a trustie Persian heart Cy. Then go with fortune and returne with health and grant the gods this enterprice of thine May end and prosper with desirde effect Ara. And grant the gods that Cyrus still may liue happie in peace and in armes victorious Cy. To pacifie the angrie Pantbeas moode I will perswade her of Araspas flight That he is reuolted to the Assyrian king Enter Panthea Pan. Readie the humble handmaid of my Lord Cyr. To calme the heate of your offended mind Thus haue I lost as braue a warriour As euer trode vpon the Persian fields Pan. What warrior means my Lord and conqueror Cy. Araspas who in feare of my displeasure I fled from me vnto th' Assyrian campe And hath forsooke the Persians colours quite Thus madame for your sake hath Cyrus done Euen lost the worthiest souldier of his band Pan. Cyrus let not his losse perplex your minde If you will let me send a messenger Vnto my Lord and husband Abradates I know for these your princely fauours done To me his wife in this my captiues plight He will attend your fortune in the warres With more sincere affection loue and zeale Then euer that vngracious person did Againe my Lord my husband is a knight As forward treads and fortunate in armes As euer spred his colours in the field Cyr. Is it likely Abradatus will forsake His natiue prince to follow for raine armes Pan. The father of this king by Cyrus slaine was highly loued and honourde of my Lord This now that reignes affected Pantheas bed Sought to prucure a most vniust diuorce Betwixt my best beloued Lord and me who therefore beares him an immortall hate The starres of which incurable dispight Remaine so deepe inprinted in his thought That ten times blessed would he thinke himselfe To finde a fit occasion for reuenge Cy. Beleeue me Madam if your Lord be armde With such sore
for Eruditus with wringed hands her waiting maids keepe time Vpon their mournefull breasts as were we flint we could not chuse but melt to heare their songs wherefore my lord comfort this captiue dame And with your presence comfort her distresse Cyr. Araspas wouldest thou haue me visit her when by her beautie I may be enthralled Ara. Your Grace may looke on her and yet not loue Cyr. Dost thou not thinke that loue is violent Ara. Nay rather voluntarie my gracious lord you know that womans beautie is like fire And fire doth alwayes burne each thing alike Therefore if nature were of such great power Should euerie man by beautie be enflamed But beautious things are not in equall powers For some loue that which others do abstaine Either for feare or loue to proue this true The sister of the brother is not loued The daughter of the father not desired And yet some one loues any of them both Cyr. If loue be voluntarie as thou saiest why cannot louers leaue it when they will Ara. They may Cyr. Haue you not seene them weepe and waile for death Emptie their purse of coine their braine of wit Sending both gifts and letters to their loues Ara. They yeeld too much vnto affections T' is follie and not beautie makes them die Cyr. Men are in folly when they are in loue Vrge me no more I will not visite her For by the eie loue slips into the heart Making men idle negligent Nothing can more dishonour warriours Then to be conquered with a womans looke Araspas I resigne my part to thee Thou shalt be keeper of that Susan Queene Vse her as fits a woman of such birth Excuse me for not comming to her tent Bid her be merrie with her singing maides And say that Cyrus will entreate her faire Exeunt Musicke Finis Actus primi Enter Ctesifon and Nobles Nob. Antiochus king of Assiria So Lord of Euphrates and Babylon How long wilt thou lament thy fathers death Cast off those mourning weedes Anot. How long will I lament my fathers death Vntill proud Persia weepe for Cyrus death Ctes. Oh that will neuer be Cyrus is strong So strong my Lord that were not Babylon Fortifyed with vittailes for twentie yeeres Garded with souldiers that will neuer yeeld Sooner would he expell you from your seate Then you with open armes could anger him Ant. What is reuenge but open warres As were Antiochus a priuate man And one of you king of Assyria I would not faile to worke his ouerthrow But you that are not toucht with inward griefe will not in that attempt be resolute Ct s. Vouchsafe O Lord to tell me what it is If I attempt it not then let me die Ant. Why this it is feigne I haue iniurde thee And offer seruice to the Persian king Then being receiued as late Gobrias was How eassie maist thou slea him and escape For in the night he walkes about his campe Without a guard euen as a common man Ctes. Yet he that killes him suer is to die Ant. I thought the feare of death woulde daunt him quite A thousand talents would I freely giue To him that vndertakes this enterprise Ctes. My Lord I am resolude giue me the gold And I will venture life in this exploit Ant. My treasurer at armes shall giue it thee And Ctisifon when I receiue his head Beside this summe thou shalt haue annuall pay As much as thy reuenues mount vnto And where thou art by calling but a knight I le make thee Lord of many prouinces Ctes. As for the gold keepe it till I returne and if I die deliuer it to my friend Ant. Well Ctesiphon manage this glorious act Let me embrace him ere I take my leaue Ctes. Fare well my lord Now you Assyrian gods To whom we sacrifice our fo-mens blood Giue fauour to my lookes faith to my speach That being gracious with the Persian Lord By me Assyria may be free from bands And both the king and subiects death reuengde Nob, Fare well braue minded Ctesiphon Ant. While this is doing we will march from hence Vnto the countrey where Gobrias dwelt He hath a castell well replenished with vittailes men and furniture And as our spies giues vs to vnderstand His onely daughter stayes within the hold Not knowing of her fathers late reuolt Therefore will we surprise her vnawares and thou shalt be lieutenant in his stead when we haue made his souldiers yeeld the fort Enter Araspas solus Ara. Must I confesse that loue is violent By doting on my captiue Panthea I will not loue I le bridle those affects It cannot be resisted I must yeeld Oh what a tyrant is this cruel loue That drinkes my blood and makes me pale and wan That sucks my spirits and makes me weake and faint That teares my heart and makes me almost dead That reuels in my braines and makes me mad I am a souldier and will conquer loue I le mount me straight giue me a hors-mans staffe Proud loue sit fast for now Araspas runnes Runne and scarcely stand O Panthea Thou sets my idle fantasie thus a worke and makes me speake and thinke I know not what I would I might forget faire Panthea I cannot name her but I must say faire And that word faire makes me remember her Panthea is vglie blacke ill fauoured fowle And who is so beautifull as she And I must weepe for this misterming her Why should I weepe aske I the reason whie I haue abusde my loue weepe not but die Die not but liue and enioy thy loue What contrarietie consisteth in my words O reconcile them louely Panthea Thy lookes hath made me lunatike Enter Panthea and Nicasia Pan. I haue intelligence that our Lord is sicke we come to comfort him as captiues may Aras Oh welcome Panthea shall I tell my griefe Pan. Sit still my Lord why change you colour thus what troubles you Aras Something stands by and whispers in my eare A kisse of Panthea will recouer me Pan. O leaue these idle words they make you worse Ara. Nay they recouer me I am halfe well Pan. So say they that are going from the world Ara. Panthea sit downe but sit so Panthea As I may view thy face or else I die Pan. Nicasia commaund the musicke play It may be musicke will alay the fit Ara. Nicasia cause the musicke cease Musick plaies For it is harsh and mars the harmonie Come Panthea sit downe by me and let vs talke Pan. Talke is naught turne ye about and sleepe Aras Oh loue Pan. How now my Lord a souldier and loue-sicke Aras I cannot keepe it in it bursts my heart For thee sweete Panthea is Araspas sicke Pan. For me my Lord Aras Fling not away celestiall Panthea Though I were halfe dead I should follow thee Pan. The aire will hurt thee whither wilt thou go Ara. Where Panthea goes oh frowne not my faire loue Pan. Then loue me not else I will more then frowne Ara. What will a
And for his sake make lauish of his blood Alex. And when they know how he deluded them I feare they le rate his raunsome at his head Cy. Then blood and death Bellonas waiting maid shall ghastly marchin Babylons waste streetes And neuer was a bondmans death reuengde as Cyrus meanes for this Libanio Exit omnes Enter Araspas and a Magitian to Panthea asleepe Ara. Giue me the charme for now doth Panthea sleep If it preuaile this iewell shall be thine Mag. Doubt not the operation of this charme For I haue tride it on Dianas nymph And made her wanton and lasciuious If Panthea be a Goddesse she must yeeld Ara. But tell me first how must it be applied And in what time will it begin to worke Mag. Lay it vnder the pillow of her bed and in an houre it will make her wake and yeeld Ara. I will Now fauour me infernall Joue Mag. So wake her not till she begins to smile Now loue begins to seate him in her braine Pan. A way I will not you are impudent Ara. Tell me Magitian what importes this speech Mag, Why now she thinkes some solicites her Pan. You are deceiude I am not beautifull Ara. O giue me leaue to court her in her sleepe It may be when she wakes she will not loue Mag. Softly Araspas if you talke she wakes Ara. O let her wake I long to talke with her Mag. Now ginnes her eyes to open and she stirres Ara. Stand thou aside vntill I call for thee Pan. What dreames and fond illusions haue I had How comes this word Loue in Pantheas minde I loue nay rather will I die then loue and yet against my will I thinke on loue O Panthea thinke vpon thy funerall For thou art withered with excessiue griefe Loue and deformitie cannot agree Ara. If Panthea be faire and beautifull Then loue and Panthea doe well agree Pan. Araspas Panthea and her selfe will iarre when she shall yeeld to loue Or what is loue But gall and aloes to my martyred soule Now Abradates is not in my sight Aras Here is Araspas louelie Panthea For thee I le leaue the field then leaue thou him For thee I le leaue the world then loue thou me Let Cyrus ioy in pompe and emperie Sufficeth me to conquer faire Panthea Let others glorie in their ground and golde Panthea to me is twentie thousand worlds And without Panthea all the world is trash Pan. For thee Araspas will I curse my starres That suffers thee so to solicite me For thee I will count the world as hell Except thou leaue thus to solicite me Ara. How figuratiue is Panthea in her speach Resembling cunning Rethoritians who in the person of some one deceasde Perswades their auditors to what they please I cannot thinke that these be Pantheas words She is so faire to giue so sharpe replie But if these be the wordes of Panthea Then must she change her face and seem less faire For know that beautie is loues harbinger Then being beautious Panthea needes must loue Pan. Would I were changde into some other shape That I might fright thee with my hideous lookes I in the person of my selfe deceasde Protest this heart shall neuer harbour loue But if my lookes be this preparatiue I le beate my face against the haplesse earth Or deeply harrow it with these my trembling hands which I hold vp to heauen to chaunge thy minde Or hasten death to rid me from this sute Aras Nay then if amorous courting will not serue Know whether thou wilt or no I le make thee yeeld Pan. Though fortune make me captiue yet know thou That Pantheas will can neuer be constrainde Ara. But torments can enforce a womans will Pan. Then should thy importunitie enforce The sight of thee Araspas should constraine For I protest before the gods of heauen No torment can be greater in my thought Ara. I say so till ye feele them Panthea Pan. I feele more torments then thou canst inuent who adde the more shall ease that I sustaine All torments be they neuer so exquisite Are but ascending steps vnto my ende And death tu Panthea is a benefite what are thy threates but sugred promises Ara. Then shalt thou liue and I le importune thee Pan. I now is Panthea menaced to the proofe Yet euery word thou speakes shall wound my heart And in despite of thee I le die at last The earnester thou art the sooner too But to preuent it thus I will flie from thee Cyrus shall know Araspus villanie Exit Panthra Ara. Thus therefore shall I pine abandon loue O t' is inherent to Araspas soule And thereby claimes an immortalitie So it shall nere begin nor neuer end A cursed Magitian are these thy wicked spels Ma. O pardon me my honourable Lord For Pantheas vertues frustrated all my art Ara. Must Magicke yeeld to vertue wherfore then Didst thou assure me she should be in loue Ma. So was she being a sleepe as did appeare Ara. And why not being wake speake villain speake Mag. Reason my Lord was the predominant Her intellectuall part striued against loue and Magicke cannot commaund the soule while appetite and common sense remained You saw I made her smile embrace the aire and shew the affects of amorous conceits Few women vse to skirmish with such thoughts and had this Panthea beene at libertie she would haue yeelded to your honours sute But in captiuitie is nought but greefe and loue with greefe will keepe no residence Ara. Smooth are thy wordes but rough and harsh thy sense For they import Panthea cannot be forced Canst thou with inchauntations make her die That she being gone my loue may follow her Mag. Life is adiunct vnto our humane forme Exempt from Magicke and Magitians And that 's the cause we sooner hurt brute beasts Then such as haue the semblance of our selues Ara. Deceitfull Artisan thy words are sleights Thy wordes deceitfull and full of guile Wit is a witch sweete words must conquer her Out of my sight yet conceale this attempt If thou bewray it maugre all thy skill This sworde shall send thee to eternall hell Exeunt Enter Dinon and Libanio Dinon Now are we at the bankes of Euphrates Farre from the campe where souldiers haunt and here may we vnder this poplar shade Discourse vpon the sweetnesse of our loue Lib. You know my Lord I am too yong to loue Dinon Faire Alexandra if thou loue not me Thou art compact of adamant and yron Thy yeares are fit for loue so are thy lookes Lib. How fit so ere my yeares be and my lookes I Alexandra am vnfit to loue Is not my father with the Persian king And I Alexendra as captiue in his stead And giue me leaue to waile my hard estate and make a riuer with my flowing teares That mingled with the streame of Euphrates May swiftly runne vnto my fathers seate And make him hast to great Antiochus Dinon Nay rather sit vpon this ledgie bankes That I seeing thy shadowe in
captiue woman threat her loue Pan. Oh giue poore Panthea leaue to thret her selfe I meane my Tragedie shall end the loue Ara. No louely Queene I le rather end my loue Then anger Panthea much lesse lether die And yet God knowes my loue can neuer end Being infinite in measure and in time Pan. What wordes bee these that cut my eares with griefe Oh Abradates little dost thou know What miserie poore Panthea doth sustaine wicked Araspas perish in thy loue Exit Panthea Aras Cannot I winne her O vnhappie man Araspas thou wantst eloquence to wooe Against chastitie no eloquence preuailes It was because I offered her no gift She is a Queene what gifts can compasse her I should haue courted her with better words But here doth loue and threatning disagree Nothing but Magicke can obtaine her loue If Magicke will then Panthea shall be mine Actus secundus Enter Histaspis and Chrisantas Hist. Chrisantas when I looke into the life The maners deeds and qualities of minde The grauenesse power and imperiall parts wherewith yong Cyrus is so full adornde My thoughts foresee that he is ordained of God To enlarge the limits of the Persian raigne Chr. Histaspis rare it is to see those yeeres So furnished with such rare experience As is not common in the grayest haires Besides his bodie hath of these rare gifts Vsed to labour hunger thirst and colde Giues true foretokens that the prince will proue A famous warriour and a conquerour Hist. And of the sundry vertues that abounds Dayly increasing in her princely breast Religion to the gods exceedes them all Chr. And reason good for of all humane workes The care of them should chieflie be preferred Enter Cyrus Cy. Is this Assyrian friend or fo to vs That dares approch so neare the Persian campe Cte. In bending of my speare to Babylon And breaking it against the Assyrian ground I came a friend not foe to Cyrus campe Hist. What reason moues thee an Assyrian borne To beare such rancour to thy countrey soyle Cte. That secret I reserue for Cyrus eares Vnto whose secret fauour I submit My person honour fortune fame and life Hist. Informe the king certainly I will O Persians truely fortunate are you Vnder subiection of so sweete a prince That measures all the actions of his life By mercie iustice and respect of right Hist. It seemes th' Assyrian prince hath iniured this man with some notorious great indignitie Cy. Man of Assyria what wouldest thou with me Cte. O gracious Lord great and inuincible Receiue into protection of your grace A wretched man vndone by tyrannie And lawlesse rigour of a cruell prince Cy. What prince is he that thou accusest thus Cte. The new Assyrian king a man distainde With endlesse markes of villanie and blood Cy. Discend vnto the purpose of thy tale And make thy state and fortune plaine at once Cte. I am I am said I I was a man Earst noble now banisht reprobate Highlie in fauour with the Assyrian prince Till sensuall rage of his vnbrideled lust Did lay my state and honour in the dust And thus great Lord begun my Tragedie One onely virgin daughter had your thrall Of yeares inclining now to mariage state Her face and beautie if I seeme not vaine were equall to the best Assyrian dames And she supposde the flower of Babylon The bruite of which her rare perfections ran Swifter than Fame through all th' Assyrian land And lastly rested in the princes eares Who wounded with report of beauties pride Vnable to restraine his derne desire A trended by a band of armed men Inuades my castell when I was at rest And bare my daughter thence with violate hands Vnto his pallace where she doth remaine As concubine allotted to his bed Striuing her desperate honour to preserue I came in frantike sort to Babylon Exclaiming on this villainous despite Banding the prince with many a bitter view My iust complaints when once he vnderstood He sortes me out a damned bloudie crew Of rustians swearers murderers and theeues Professed men for gaine and lucre sake To make no conscience whom they slay and kill Those men by solemne othe had vowed my life A sacrifice vnto their cursed swordes And houre by houre they sought to reaue my soule Liuing in hazard of continuall death I knew no home for me at Babylon Other then my graue and dumlesse sepulchre And so for refuge to my wretched life I haue abandoned countrey friends and all And prostrate my estate at Cyrus feete O puissant Lord whose great and conquering sworde was forgde by Mars and made for victorie Protect the life of thy vnhappie thrall And make him follower of the Persian armes That in the fortune of thy mightie hand The fall of Ctesiphon may be reuengde Gob. O Ctesiphon this tale of thine reuiues The wofull memorie of my dearest sonne Slaughtered by that most barbarous tyrant hand Cyr. Gobrias ye haue heard the Assyrian tale What great complaints he makes against the prince And those not causelesse if his wordes be true Now Cyrus is not rashly credulous Nor bindes his faith on euerie strangers vowes Tell me Gobrias dost thou simplie thinke That this discourse is naught but naked truth Or else some forged or dissembled glose To sound our secrets and bewray our drifts Go. Cyrus the disposition of this prince Solde vp and sworne to endlesse villanies May proue the griefes of Ctesiphon vnfained Vpon my conscience Cyrus trust the man No doubt his sorrow and complaints are true Cte. O Cyrus so it pleasde the immortall Gods How happie were thy seruant if his words proceeded from a vaine dissembling tongue So were my daughters honor vndefiled And Ctesiphon her father not exiled Cyr. Be valiant Ctesiphon and follow me Follow the fortune of a happie campe Not doubt thou but thou shalt see the ende Shall rue the ininries of his barbarous life Among the damned soules in darkest hell Cte. Then should my ghost with seaselesse wordes opprest Passe and discend into the graue in rest Exeunt omnes To the audience We gentle gentlemen deuise of late To shunne the vulgar and the vertuous Present to you worthie to iudge of vs Our workes of woorth and valiantnes at once What wants in vs imagin in the workes What in the workes condemne the writer of But if the worke and writing please you both That Zenophon from whence we borrow write Being both a souldier and philosopher Warrants what we record of Panthea It is writ in sad and tragicke tearmes May moue you teares then you content our muse That seemes to trouble you againe with toies Or needlesse antickes imitations Or shewes or new deuises sprung a late we haue exilde them from our Tragicke stage As trash of their tradition that can bring nor instance nor excuse For what they do In stead of mournefull plaints our Chorus sings Although it be against the vp start guise Yet warranted by graue antiquitie we will reuiue the which hath long beene
grounded malice to the prince His helpe may greatly further my affaires And therefore if you can procure the man To stand assistant to the Persian armes You shall deserue great thankes at Cyrus hand Pan. Cyrus I will presume to make my Lord A trustie follower of the Persian armes And him your highnesse shall not faile to finde A noble friend and valiant gentleman Cy. And Madam he shall want at Cyrus hands No praise nor honour due to good deserts Exeunt Actus quartus Enter Antiochus Araspas and Nobles Ant. r Aaspas though thy birth and parentage Seeme deadly to the Assyrian eares Being discended of our chiefest foes who purchaste gentrie by our ouerthrow And in their insignes beare the Assyrian armes Yet seeing thou commest as confederate In token that I loue and honour thee Receiue this sworde and fight couragiously Ara. Antiochus I le weare it for thy sake And for the wrong that Cyrus offered me Vnlesse my destnie preuent my drift I le quicklie hansell it with Cyrus blood Nob. Wherein hath Cyrus wrongd thee Persian say Ard. In barring me of her whom I esteeme Aboue the value of his Diademe Panthea my Lord Ant. What Panthea Abradates wife Ara. I louely Panthea Abradates wife Ant. Speake not of Panthea if thou louest me For her remembrance wounds my heart afresh Nob. His grace is alwayes passionate and sad If she be mentioned therefore name her not Ara, Not that alone but manie iniuries Insenst me to attempt his ouerthrow For in the field wherein your father fell I got rich armour golde and sumptuous tents all which he tooke vnto his proper vse and gaue vnto his speciall fauourites Nor had I where withall at Cyrus hands To heale those wounds which I receiued in fight Ant. Then see thou make as deepe wounds in his flesh And so crie quittance with the couetous king I giue thee to this sword armour and horse a horse as fierce as proude Bucephalus armour of trustier proofe then Thetis found Therefore Araspas fight couragiouslie Ara. Albeit I haue not Alexanders skill To manage him nor yet Achilles armes to charge as brauely yet as good a heart as Alexander or Achilles euer had And when I shrinke for feare out of the field Let me be torne in peeces with that horse Or hewed to death with this bright cortelaux Ant. Thy wordes Araspas tise me to the field and makes me thinke I shall be conquerour Come let vs march from wealthie Babylon and then towards Cyrus with our royall campe Exeunt Enter Panthea and Cyrus Pan. My husband mightie Lord from Bactria Where he lay legar for th' Assyrian king Is come to serue vnder your highnesse flagges and in your aide hath brought two thousand horse Backt by his friends Assyrian Gentlemen all which will die at conquering Cyrus feete Cy. Is Abradates come from Bactria Then will I leaue to mone Araspas losse and thinke on conquest and sweete victorie Gobrias go with louely Panthea and bring him presently vnto our tent With those braue horsemen of Assyria You warlike and victorious men Marshall your seuerall bands in equipage That Abradates king of Susia May wonder at the hugenesse of our campe and be the willinger to league with vs Enter Abradates with other Here he comes and if by his aspect I may coniecture of his qualities He is valiant wise trustie and liberall Ab. I need not aske which is the Persian king The vertues shining in his glorious lookes Say this is Cyrus and in signe of loue will Abradates thus salute his grace Cy. Sweete Abradates thou imbrasing me Hath stolne my heart I loue and honour thee Ab. Faire Lord was neuer captiue gentler vsde Then Panthea of this gracious conquerour For Panthea Cyrus I and this my traine Of which the meanest Soulder may take charge and be commander of a campe of men So able wise and venterous they are Doth rest for euer at your highnesse becke Our horses which are grasing on the plaine In winter gallops and in Isie seas and in the sommer swimmes the deepest streames Swifter are they in pace then lightfoot Hart Surer they are then Cammels plodding on the wayes Fiercer then Tygres and as Olephants with Castles on their backes And if they were compast with arming pikes They knew which way to make their passage forth And when their sides is painted eke with blood they pull their reines and lookes downe to the ground As if they vaunted of their seruice done The rider being dismounted they stand still And kneele vpon the ground to take him vp But if he chaunce to die they pine to death These are Cyrus and the riders too Souldiers as good as euer sunne behelde Cyr. These horses thou speakest of makes me glorie more Then Lydian Cressus in his heapes of gold And of them all doth Cyrus make account As of the strengthes and sinewes of the warre We haue intelligence the Assyrian king Is come from Babylon to meete vs straight Therefore if Abradates fauour vs Mount and away for we 'le assaile them first Abra. For that comes Abradates le ts away Pan. But Abradates I will arme thee first Seest thou these pouldrons they are golde These vanbraces and currets massie golde The gorget and thy helmet beaten golde The belt imbrodered golde yet all to base For Abradate louelier then the golde May neuer speare be broken on this breast But that the point thereof may soone returne And strike him dead that durst to giue that charge This helmet shunne thee from the sling sand darts This kisse make thee turne with victorie As for this garland made of loftie palme Panthea reserues it for her conquering Lord Vpon whose head will Panthea fasten it And hanging on hit necke like Hectors wife Inquire the maner of the battell past Abr. Faire be my fortune for my Panthea Hist. My Lord Araspas in th' Assyrian armes Doth craue successe vnto your Maiestie Cy. Araspas let him come he is our friend And brings vs tidings from our enimies Enter Araspas Ara. Health vnto the person of my gracious lord Cyr. Welcome Araspas brings thou chearful newes Is Antiochus resolued to fight Ara. This day he meanes to encounter with your host Cy. What is the number of his fighting men Ara. In all two hundred thousand at the least And thus in order lies his noble campe The forefront is ten chariots Of purpose to disranke the approching so Next them are fiftie thousand horsmen placde To breake in where the chariots breake the way Next them fiue thousand staues being lightly laden with speares helmet naked swordes To go along to serue the horsmens vse Then twentie thousand Scythians runagates with venomde darts whose heades are tipt with steele And last the battell of th' Assyrians Being hedgde with launces as a wood with Briers On whose heades the crosse bowes and the slings will shoote and throw bullets of massie yron Whose verie fall would strike Aclipos downe In middest whereof Antiochus will