yet forbidden vanity Created sicke commanded to be sound What meaneth Nature by these diuers lawes Passion and Reason selfe-diuision cause It is the marke or maiesty of Power To make offences that it may forgiue Nature her selfe doth her owne selfe deflower To hate those errors she her-selfe doth giue For how should man thinke that he may not doe If Nature did not faile and punish too Tyrant to others to her selfe vniust Onely commands things difficult and hard Forbids vs all things which it knowes is lust Makes easie paines vnpossible reward If Nature did not take delight in blood She would haue made more easie waies to good We that are bound by vowes and by promotion With pompe of holy Sacrifice and rights To teach beleefe in good and still deuotion To preach of Heauens wonders and delights Yet when each of vs in his owne heart lookes He finds the God there farre vnlike his bookes ACTVS II. SCENA I. Camena alone They that from youth do sucke at Fortunes brest And nurse their empty heart with seeking higher Like dropsie fed their thirst do neuer rest For still begetting they beget desire And thoughts like wood while they maintaine the flame Of high desires grow ashes in the same But Vertue those that can behold thy beauties Those that sucke from their youth the milke of goodnes Their mindes grow strong against the stormes of fortune Like rockes in seas which in the goodly weather Giue rest to birds that in their courses wander And in the stormes stand fast themselues vnshaken Though ruines oft vnto desire mistaken O vertue whose thrall I thinke fortune Thou who despisest not the sexe of women Helpe and out of the riddles of any fortune Whereon me thinkes you with your selfe depose me Let Fate goe on sweet vertue doe not loose me My mother and my husband haue conspired For brothers good the ruine of my brother My father by my mother is inspired For one child to seeke the ruine of the other I that to helpe by nature am required While I do helpe must needes still hurt a brother While I see who conspires I seeme conspired Against a husband father and a mother Truth bids me runne by truth I am retired Shame leades me both the one way and the other With danger and dishonour I am hired To doe against a husband and a mother In what a labyrinth is honour cast Drawne diuers waies with Sexe with Time and State In all which errors course is infinite By hope by feare by spite by loue by hate And but one onely way vnto the right A thorny way where payne must be the guide Danger the light offence of power the praise Such are the golden hopes of Iron daies Yet honor I am thine forthy sake sorry Since base hearts for their base ill-plac'd desires In shame in danger death and torments glory That I cannot with more paynes write thy story And Fortune if thou scorn'st those that scorne thee Shame if thou doe hate those that force thy trumpet To sound aloud and yet despise thy sounding Lawes if you loue not those that be examples Of natures lawes whence you are fallen corrupted Conspire that I against you all conspired Ioyned with tyrant vertue as you call her That I by your reuenges may be named For vertue to be ruin'd and defamed My mother oft and diuersly I warned What fortunes were vpon such courses builded That Fortune still might be with child with mischiefe Which is both borne and nourisht out of mischiefe I told her that euen as the silly Doue Seeld vp with her owne lids to seeke the light Still coueteth vnto the heights aboue Till fallen she feeles the lacke was in her sight So man benighted with his owne selfe-loue Still creepeth to the rude imbracing night Of Princes grace a lease of glories let Which shining burnes breeds Syrens where it 's set And by this creature of my mothers making This messenger I Mustapha haue warned That Innocence is not enough to saue Where good and greatnesse feare and enuy haue Till now in reuerence I haue forborne To aske or to presume to gesse or know My fathers thoughts whereof he might thinke scorne For dreadful is that State which all may doe Yet they that alll men feare are fearefull too Loe where he comes Vertue worke thou in me That what thou seekest may accomplisht be ACTVS II. SCENA II. Solyman and Camena Soly. Vilde death is not thy selfe sufficient anguish But thou must borrow feare the threatning glasse Which while it goodnes hides and mischiefe showes It lightens wit to honors ouerthrow But husht me thinkes away Camena steales Murther belike in me her selfe reueales Camena whither now why haste you from me Is it so strange a thing to be a father Cam. My Lord me thought nay sure I saw you busie Your child vncald presumes that comes to you Solym. Who may presume with fathers but their owne Whome Natures law hath euer in protection And guides in good beliefe of deare affection To make it greater and the better known Cam. Nay reuerence childrens worthes do closest hide As of the Father it is least espied Solym. I thinke who euer know their children least Haue greatest reason for to loue them best Cam. How so my Lord since loue doth knowledge shew And Babes their parents by their kindnes know Solym. The life we gaue them they do soone forget While they thinke our liues do their fortunes let Cam. The Father sees his image in the sonne Soly. But streames backe to their springs do neuer runne Cam. Pardon my Lord doubt is successions shrow Let not her spight poore children ouerthrow Though streames from springs do seeme to runne away Ti 's Nature leades them to their mother Sea Sol. Doth nature teach vs by the Fathers death To seeke his throne by whome we haue our breath Cam. Things easie to desire do seeme impossible Why should feare make impossibles seeme easie Solym. Monsters yet be and being are beleeued Cam. Monsters not seene are monstrously beleeued Pardon me Sir if duty doe seeme angry I am your child these common blots of children Doe reach indeed I do not know how neere me Solym. Neere thee indeed for you had both one Father Cam. My gracious Lord if you were not my Father Nature would much repine at such a staine But Sir by that you owe me as a father Thinke well of them wherein your selfe remaine Borrow not iealousie of Princes state To warrant you that you may children hate Solym. Mustapha is euen he that thus hath stained Nature with bloud and loue with bloody malice He thought it long that I thus long haue raigned He that at once deuis'd that all at once should die Rosten and Rossa Zanger thou and I Cam. Far be it off that this should be found true Can hope of all the world be thus deceiued Sweet Mustapha doth Nature lie in you Sir these be Greatnes mists be not deceiued For Kings hate in their fearefull
HONI SOIT Q MAL Y PENSE THE TRAGEDY OF MVSTAPHA I.W. LONDON Printed for Nathaniel Butter 1609 THE TRAGEDY OF MVSTAPHA Solyman Rossa Soly. ROssa the Eternall Wisedome doth not couet Of man his strength or reason but his Loue And not in vayne for loue of all the powers Is it which gouernes all things which are ours I speake by Mustapha for as a father How often thought I those light iudging praises Of multitudes whom my loue taught to flatter Trueths oracles and Mustaphaes true stories So deare are Ecchoes of our owne thoughts voices So dearely nature bids her owne beloued So ill a Iudge is Loue of her beloued But let vs see if loue should not be blind Forgetting selfe-respects to foster kind The praised Phoenix neuer more then one Burneth t' is true that she her like may breed But neuer till she feele all life is gone Except the life that life hath in her seed Then death which kindnesse is by estimation In her is but delight of Procreation But be it loue man hath another guide The Orbe of his affection Reason is But his loue Center 's in his priuate brest And louing his himselfe still loueth best Since Mustapha will therefore die or kill I gaue him life and giue him death I will Rossa Solyman my Lo knowledge who was father To Mustapha made me poore silly woman Thinke Nature could not her owne nest defile But now I see Imposture passion may The gold of Natures betray And pardon Lo if you were out of danger And all these stormes blowne vp to blow me ouer Feare first should fall threates strike life perish Fortune about her wheele should turne my fortune Ere I would doubt the child and know the father But you Sir now that you are brought in question You vpon whome the worlds wel-being resteth Much better were it I were in the Center A Ghost among the dead Aire neuer bodied Then my selfe-pitty womanish compassion My loue vnto the children for the father Should giue the children leaue to kill their father His fame vntimely borne strength strangely gathered Honour wonne with honouring Greatnesse with humblenesse Fault-lessnesse with bearing faults and want rewarding Liberty seeking Loue and danger praise A Monarkes Heire in courses popular Make me diuine some strange aspiring mind Yet doubtfull for it may be Art or kind But iudge him with himselfe and that by fact Persia our old imbrued enemy Treates mariage with the sonne without the father A course in all Estates to Princes doubtfull But here much more where he that Monarke is Must like the Sunne haue no light shine but his The dowry what kingdomes and hope of kingdomes What sudaine knot hath bound vp these designes Made them that onely fear'd our greater growing Study deuises for our greater growing A giddy thought may change a priuate heart But States whose loues and hearts by counsell grow Whose wisedomes are Occasion Time and Seate Haue other ends then chance in all they treat Yet be it all the world will vs obey And vnder ours all Empires Empire lay All great Estates surfet more oft then pine Because desires still multiply with might And parted power makes danger infinite No no vpon the pitch of high Attempt I see him stand playing with wrong and feare For Loue and Duty they be captiues there His hopes the hopes of all for all aspire And as Kings ruling must vse payne and law So those that rise must make the people see With present bondage future libertie Loue therefore stand aside and fare well Pitty Mustapha be cleare of fault for Kingdoms wrong Turnes all the powers of Nature into fury Mercy ioyes to be cruell Truth is a tyrant Loue hates Hate in reuenge doth glory The fall of Angels made not Heauen sorie Solyman feare is broke loose within my spirits What will or may be seemes already happens His power thus great well fixt occasion ready Shadowes of ruyne to my heart deliuer Confused noise within my eares doth thunder Of multitudes that with obeying threaten Solyman feare of thee makes me wish for death And feare againe to leaue thee feareth death Solym. Rossa I scorne there should because of feare In one mans rage for hard then were our State That reynes of all the worlds desire beare But thy disquiet shall increase my hate Thy wishes vaine to thee yet neuer were Exempt thou art from lawes of my Estate For Loue and Empyre both alike haue pleasure Part of themselues vpon desires to measure And but that all my ioyes beare sorrowes Image My hopes resemble feare my wit confusion Nature me thinks her-selfe becomes a Monster And that euen Mustapha makes all this Chaos I could say I tooke pride in thy affection For Power may be feared Empire obeyed Good fortune wooed and followed for ambition Reward makes knees to bow makes self-selfe-loue humble Honor whose throane is vnder Princes scepter May make aspiring thoughts delight in danger But Loue is onely that which Princes couet And for they haue it least they most doe loue it Care therefore for thy selfe I hold thee deare And as for me Though Fortune be of glasse and easily broken Yet doubt not my Armor is against their spite And such all-dating spirits are sildome borne That vpon Princes graues dare sow their corne Rossa Sir few in number are Times present children Where man ends there ends discontentments empire Nouelty hath alwayes had a fleshly dwelling Then tell me Lord what man would choose his roome That must expect in wickednes a meane Or else be sure to find a fatall doome Can that stay in the midst whose center 's lowest Old age is natures pouerty and scorne Desires riches liues in Princes children Their youths are Comets within whose corruption Men prophecy new hope of better fortune Baiazeth showes no man turnes from a Kingdome For humblenes to aske his fathers blessing Nature corrupted is and wit preferreth The wisedome that for selfe-aduantage erreth Solym. Wisedome is not vnto herselfe indebted That leaueth nothing but a God aboue her Rossa Sir wickednes is forc'd that modest is He flatters that allowes her not be cruell Solym. Is there returne from death vnto the liuing Rossa No Sir but much may hap before his death Who thinking nothing worse and nothing after Knowes thought of wrong is death if Princes liue Where dead all heires their owne guilt doe forgiue Solym. I sent he com's and come is in my power Rossa Before he comes who knowes your fatall houre The wicked wrastle both with power and slight While Princes liue each mans life gardeth theirs When they are dead mens loues goe with their feares Slaine by the way least grudge most safely were Solym. Wrong is not princely and much lesse is feare Ross. Those glorious hazards tempt and hasten fate They well become a man but not a State Solym. This feare in women showes a kindnes too And is for men to thanke but not to doe Rossa We call them great hearts
though he meane his ouerthrow Least men should thinke their fauour but a net VVhere easie in but hardly out they get Rossa Rosten let Mustapha be thy example That Tragedies are Gods and Princes plaies Kings know new hopes blot out the shame of bookes Desires eye on hope onely lookes While childrens blood the fathers forehead staine What priuiledge for Councellors remaine He that hath intent to ruine houses Plucks not the timber all at once away Least ruines ruine on himselfe he lay Fury will haue a time to breathe from killing Fury is a wheele with ease kept going Where it with many hands at first was moued Feares shield of proofe is trampt in others blood Good fortune seldome comes by doing good Rost. Fortune is often by presumption tempted To turne the backe Rossa Nay fortune harlot-sicke Who thinkes good maner to be want of spirit Is dearest vnto those that vse her rudely Onely with humble bashfulnesse is tempted Rost. What argument against him Rossa Vse of killing Suspition the fauourite of Princes Delight of change fauours past and feare of greatnesse Sharpned by Acmats harsh and open dealing With noble Princes libertie would draw Into the narrow scope of common awe Power of mischance yeelds honour to aduenture Mustapha is dead Rost. Not dead while Acmat liueth Small sparkes from fire quencht to danger growes From him that feares to strike feare neuer parteth Let Acmat die and danger is departed For Zanger I his brothers charge haue gotten Yet least his death not lookt for might amase him For youth and kindnesse oft doe thinke it glory At things done for their profit to repine I will make haste and giue him from his father Mustaphaes estate his fortune and succession When reason failes one passion rules another Hope and good fortune doe forget a brother Rossa Come Rosten let vs doe and then consider CHORVS VVHen will this life this sparke put in our spright To giue light to this lumpe of flesh and blood Leaue to denie strong destinie her right VVhich it feeles daily cannot be withstood Man looke not downe looke vp into the skie There liue thou must and mai'st be glad to die ACTVS V. SCENA I. Achmatt alone In what Dilemma of mischance stand I Vs'd by the subtile Art of wicked gouernement To serue a tyrants turne with faith and honestie Plac'd ouer men whome vniust rage doth iustly moue I am either in heate of heady mutinie To die or scaping by respect that saftie may Suspition to my selfe and honour lay Destinie hath shot the shaft and it must light To stirre or paine against the streame of fate Which mooues from ill deserts it is too late Innocence and faith from safe estates ouerthrow For floods of error from authoritie The multitude hath easily ouerthrowen For when Kings states must and must fall Iustice diuides not there but ruines all But looke where Rossa comes like Aprill waters Both gusts and cleaues in stormie forhead carrying Like power that with itselfe doth feare miscarying ACTVS V. SCENA II. Rossa Chorus Acmat Acm. Who euer thinkes by vertue to aspire And goodnesse deemes to be good fortunes starre Or who by mischiefe will seeke his desire And thinkes no Conscience wayes to honour are Mustapha here seeing thee and me Sees no man good or ill rules destinie And would exchange the course of fates by wit Which Gods doe make to bring their workes to end And with it selfe euen oft doth ruine it A Tyrant fate to them that doe amisse For nothing left me but my error is Chor. VVhat glory is this that with it selfe is sad Good lucke makes all men but the guiltie glad Ross. Zanger for whome Mustapha was slaine Zanger for whome Camanaes blood was shed Zanger for whome all the world on me complain'd Hath done that which no truth or law could doe Remorce and feares in my distresse hath bred Murthered himselfe and ouerthrowne me too In euery creatures heart there liues desire VVhich men doe follow as appearing good And Greatnes men doe thinke it to aspire Although it weaknes be well vnderstood This vnbound raging infinite thoughts fire I tooke nay it tooke me and plac'd my heart On hopes to alter Empires and Successions And as the sea when his ambitious power Hath ouer-run his neighbour element His pride his rage his glorie to deuoure Nor can with any greatnes be content Till all the Countrie that lay still before Rise vp and force him back vnto the shore So when as I had wonne the marriage bed And Soliman with himselfe ouercome To breake and lay a sleepe his Prophets law By being only of desire in awe Error of selfe harme euer brought a bed Made me this wheele of misfortune drawe Daunger was sport mischiefe desires art Nothing seemd hard but to leaue this impression I Mustapha his fall did vndertake And like the stormes that doe blow VVhen all things but themselues they ouerthrow Hatefull I did him to his father make But as desires on diuers things are plac'd So diuers works For foules like senses haue a diuers taste There be birds of the day and of the night No laws can make one will to be embrac't The daughters heart will make the mother spight Camenas thoughts were soft her good was forth She but with others loue though nothing worth To Mustapha she opens mine intent For she had tried but could not turne my heart Yet she no hurt to me in telling ment Yet hurt she did me to disclose my art I sought reuenge reuenge it could not be For I confesse she neuer wronged me But as the Christian when she sees her child Puld by the great-Lords-men from mothers breast Though she do know it will him honor yeeld Yet for her fathers sake her soule cannot rest So though I know Camenas heart was good Yet I did earne to haue my will withstood Remorce which hath affection in each heart Since whose reason is but what they see Womanish loue and shame with feare tooke part They all conspir'd to haue commanded me Humble patience voide of feare and art Camenas onely strength and weapons be I kild her yet confesse I did her loue Furies of choice what arguments can moue I kild her for a thought her death would proue That truth not hate made Mustapha suspected The more it seem'd against a mothers loue The more it shewd I Solyman affected Thus vnderneath seuere and vpright dealing A mischieuous step-mothers malice stealing It tooke effect for few meane ill in vaine He died infamous though he guilties were High power hath truth tied vnder lawes of feare I liue selfe-guilty and who durst complaine So little care the Gods for me below So little men feare God they do not know This Mustapha whose death I made my glory Hath spoiled all my power but power to be sorry For Zanger when he saw his brother dead Confusedly with diuers shapes distract He silent stood horrors darke cloudes possest him Madnes was mixt with woe kindnes with Racke reuerence reuenge both representing shame Stood equally against and with a mothers name But as these shadowes from his heart withdrew That light became restored to his mind The globes of his enraged cares he threw On me like nature iustly made vnkind Vertue bare secret witnes he was true Remorce did then make me my error find Finde Lo. this hatefull loue did make From pittie woe he spake Mother is this heart Is there nor Law your desire Can neither power nor goodnesse scape your art Be these the Counsels by which you aspire Doth mischiefe onely feare no ouerthwart Is there no Hell nor doe the Deuils loue fire If neither God Heauen Hell nor Deuill bee 'T is plague enough that I am borne of thee Mother O monstrous name shall it be said That thou hast done this fact for Zangers sake Honour and life shall they to me vpbraid That from thy mischiefe they their glory take O wretched men that vnder shame are laid For sinnes that we and sinnes our parents make Yet Rossa to be thine in this I glorie That being thine giues power to make thee sorie He wounds his heart and downe with death he fals On Mustapha who there for his sake died Fame with his breath he wils on him to call Forgetfulnesse he would should me betide For the dead and mercie for vs all And with these words for mercie died Thy goodnesse I mis-vnderstood Shunning ill did worse to shed my blood He dies VVoe is me when in my looke Horror I see all their lost but My loue I ioy become booke Eternitie of shame is printed there Thinke of God Alas that so I might Madnesse onely natures peace VVith thy selfe though all else thou displease Made to giue light spirits ease VVhat shall I doe Desuntpauca FINIS
which God hartens so That feare shall not fore-see their ouerthrow Solym. Those are weake hearts that while their feares they see Would ruine all men lest they ruinde be I do suspect yet there is nothing done I loose my fame if so I kill my sonne Rossa The Gods when they leaue men to beasts a pray His reason with his pride they do betray Solym. Gods medle not where power and will agree But when at once men good and euill be Though I yet know not he hath done amisse I doubt and heauy Princes doubting is Though I resolue I will not kill him there It mortall is when Kings do say they feare ACTVS II. SCENA II. Belyarby Nuntius Solyman Rossa Beliar. Fond man distraught with diuers thoughts on foot That rack'st thy selfe and Natures peace do'st breake Iudge not the Gods aboue It doth not boote Nor do thou see that which thou dar'st not speake Power hath great scope not in the priuate waies Of truth she walkes vertues of common men Are not the same which shine in Kings aboue And do make feare bring forth the fruites of loue Admit that Mustapha not guilty be Who by his Prince will rise his Prince must please And they that please iudge with humility Knowledge a burden is obedience case Who loues good name is free to follow it Who seekes Kings loues he must their humors fit When owners doe resolue to ouerthrow The stately oke for gaine or clearer sight Who loues the shadow with the fall seekes wo When others gather wood and go vpright Like wheeles of wood or rather like dead loggs With other sinnowes drawne and lead about Admit Kings be yet all men see not all Who rockes with chaines will moue from whence they sit Must spend their force to draw themselues to it Yonder they are whose charge must be discharged In Rossaes face me thinkes desire speaketh He keepes the lawes that all lawes forme breaketh Solym. Rossa you now shall know feare is a coward Sworne to mistrust her selfe to worship power Tyrant to man that should rule and obeyeth And tyrant-like betrayed or betrayeth Is Mustapha in health and comming Belyar. My Lord already come for what can stay Where loue and duty both teach to obey Solym. Go rest hereafter you shall know our pleasure Rossa our Patriarke saw the heauens open And in their throne this wisedome there appear'd A virgin by Eternities hand sitting In beauties of the earth and heauen clothed Containing in her shape all shapes and fauours And in her life the life of liuing creatures Still one and neuer one mortall and yet immortall A Chaos both of Reason Sence and Passion Working in plants onely to grow and fade To pleasure others both with fruit and shade In beasts both life and sence created she And but desire to no law bound they be When man she made and this same sparke diuine Reason infus'd in him that onely he In time might diuers from the Angels be Then least this spright free-denizend on earth Should of the world take pride and so forget That vnto vs it but in lease is let She doth within the body where it liues Place life and senses drawn from beasts and plants To warre with Reason and shew what it wants And if beliefe the life of true Religion Could not giue credite to this Reuelation Euen feeling which giues life to good beliefe Within my selfe makes my selfe an example Mustapha is come and by his comming Hath glutted my desire and of his comming Hath made me doubt my doubts suspect my malice Nature against my ielousie ariseth Feare of ill doing threatens feare of suffering Worth assures greatnes greatnes brings worth in question Truth is me thinkes both with him and against him And as for Reason that should rule these passions I finde her so effeminate a power As she bids kill to saue bids saue and doubt not Keeping my loue and feare in equall ballance That I with Reason may thinke Reason is A glasse to shew not helpe what Reason is Thus like the corne vpon the weake stalke growing I bow my head with euery breath of wether And Mustapha that now I would haue slaine I now resolue to giue him life againe Rossa Sir nature doth not disclaime her right in monsters Which are but errors in her expectation Nature with loue doth steale the hearts of fathers Her end is to make all her makings perfect But Steele hath rust Time change and Nature error No maruel then though Mustapha in Nature Be found as well as Lucifer in Heauen Let not these childrens sticks gilt to the show Make you forget that wormes in them may grow Remember what true grounds of his Ambition Made you resolue his greatnes was your danger And shall selfe-fondnesse put out iust suspition Conceit must not be guide of Loue or Anger For mischiefe while her head shewes in the clouds In Plutoes Kingdome she her body shrowds Lay hands on him your feare may worke your woe From wrong there is no other way to goe Solym. How should I thinke my Sonne doth seek my blood Rossa By being safe doubt onely is withstood Soly. Can Kings be safe from wrongs that wrongs shal doe And wrong it is in things not knowne or done For any Father to destroy his Sonne Kings loose their Crownes that oft doe loue or feare More then the Crownes that they themselues doe weare VVhat Kings doe thinke another man may doe An other man may thinke and doe it too Solym. Power headlong is Kings wrath like thunder blasts Doth feare the world and that it hits it wasts It cannot touch but it must ouerthrow Where Kings doe let their power rule their wit Better vnmade then doe a misse with it Rossa But he that with his wit can rule his wit Doth iudge and measure where his power shall light Thunder because it ruin's if it hit The Gods themselues haue power ouer it Solym. So for that Kings haue power of all below Their wrath must not before their knowledge goe Rossa Heauen may be slow where all at once is knowne In Man where till they fall Faults may be found VVhile doubt is curious Helpe is ouerthrowne Solym. They doe against themselues that doubt and doe Rossa Who doubt against themselues doe danger wooe Solym. Arguments of doubt accused him to mee And Arguments of loue doe set him free Ross. My Lord your doubt from arguments did rise Of wanton Greatnesse Ambitious-seeking loue Good Nature is not natured to be wise If doubt with cause without cause it remoue Solym. Suspition is but onely tryals ground Fame is like breath breath'd from the inward part Rossa Where it is death to thinke or to conspire There Kings may kill before they doe enquire Where Kings but onely for themselues doe feare Both strength and honor is it to forbeare I am no more vntill more I doe heare Chorus Sacerdotum O wearisome condition of humanity Borne vnder one law to an other bound Vainely be got and