now abhor thy person love can lend thee The shape of him she loves were she averse From all mankind if she like any thing Shee may at length be brought to dote on thee But may I not be tax'd of too much sloth Neglecting active industry t' expect To be assisted by such miracles I yet have only trod the beaten path Of vowed service friends good will and Ioynture The elder Brothers formall evidence I am so farr from practising the art Of spells and philters I have quite omitted Corruption of her confidents and servants I am too cheape a lover and too tame And hither to have taught her to deny By easie asking I must let her know What I dare doe my Father is incens'd At my repulse his old suppressed hate Renewes it selfe hee 'l rather condiscend To match me with a fury then with her It will be wisdom to decline th' alliance Of him thy Father counts his enemy It would be wretchednesse to make thy love Depend upon th' affections of another He never lov'd that can for any cause Suspend his love set then before thine eyes Valiant Achilles who acquir'd more honor By constancie even to his enemies Daughter In spite of th' opposition of his friends Then ere he did by Hectors overthrowe Redeeme the time Francisco though 't be short And let this one day satisfie the losse Of weekes and monthes her father keeps a slave A cunning Affrican whose very soule For mony and hope of liberty I 'le buy Him will I strait imploy love nere refuses The basest instruments if they be usefull A drudge may finde more corners in the house Than ere the master knew and may discover A secret inlet to betray a City There will I now begin he shall advise Where I shall plant my golden batteries Actus Secundus Scena Secunda Imperiale Molosso Imp. I Am with wonder strucken not with feare At thy relation of this barbarous plot Contriv'd against my life after faith given Of firme attonement but the Leopards spots Or staines of virgin honor may as soone Be wip't away as hatred that hath seizd A cankred brest this machination Is so inhumane that to lend it credit Is a degree to inhumanity Mol. To give slow faith to such a horrid plot Becomes a heart so full of piety But in this black designe many presumptions Vnite themselves to fortifie beliefe Nor is it to be thought the wretch durst feine it Giving so short a time to be disproov'd The heavens forbid your virtuous diffidence Should lead you to the hazard I must count This blest discovery a large recompence Of former ills fortune hath throwne on me For I am bold to hope it will by you Be gratiously accepted though I finde Some late unhappy errors have infore't Your patience to inflict just punishment On him that is your slave and might expect The restles misery of the painfull oare With all the wants that ever were susteyin'd In a remorsles Galley but your goodnes In spite of fate that meant all this is pleas'd To give me shelter under your owne roofe And to the emulation of my fellowes To grant the favour of your houshold service A bondage which I truely may prefer Above the common peoples liberty These are the benifites that invite my soule To meditate your preservation Which ere I cease to doe Tyber and Poe Shall quite abandon fruitefull Italy And wash th' Arabian sands though I am rude I must abhor churlish ingratitude Imp. Fortune and thy integrity have found A weighty occasion to confirme and fixe thee With rootes of adamant in my good opinion Nor doth it happen often to a servant T' injoy the happy meanes t' account himselfe The Saviour of his master Kings are borne More frequently then such examples found But if to this unvalu'd benifit Thy pregnant industry can adde a second The mischiefe to divert upon himselfe Thou having sav'd me now shall crowne me then Mol. Great sir you owe the thanks of what 's yet don To chance alone I am ambitious Of somthing that might merit if at least The diligence and industrie of one Of my condition may deserue that title Imp. It may it may great merit is in story Ascrib'd somtimes to bondmen all our soules Are free and equall thence our merits flow Why should the person vilifie the worke And not the worke rather ennoble him It is the benefit we looke upon And not the givers meane condition Mol. I have a ripe designe that shall both give Assurance of the truth of what I brought And powre the vengeance on your enemy Nor can it ever be discovered To hurt your fame it shall amaze the actor And shall be speedy too things of long time Are ever doubtfull lost in expectation Propounded usuallie for private ends Gain'd by degrees an acceptable deede Hath double welcome when t' is don with speede Imp. Noble Molosso such thy virtues make thee Proceed with Courage in thy enterprize Which I 'le not presse to know till the event But by implicit trust freelie declare What confidence I meane to place in thee And take from me this iust incouragement To rest assur'd thy service hath not met With an ungratefull master I shall never Forgive my late credulitie that meant T' have added to his former punishment Actus Secundus Scena Tertia Molosso Sango Francisco Mol. HE 's now made sure I must with speed find out Yong Spinola and speake with Sango too Behold 'um both together t' will succed San. See where Molosso comes sir Fran. O t' is hee How is 't Moloss thy face hath busines in 't I would thou wert at leasure Mol. My toil'd body Will not admit a cheerefull countenance But I can throw of care if you command Fra. Wouldst thou embrace redemption Mol. Aske me whether I would not wish some shade if I were broil'd Vpon the Libian Sands where Cancer raignes But Sir if I mistake not you sustaine A greater servitude yet seeke not freedome Fra. Thou wouldst perswade me to shake off Loves fetters Mol. Rather to change them into chaines of gold To wealth and ornament it may be done Without your Chimicall projection Fra. Thou shouldst not stand in need of that t' inrich thee Could this b' effected Mol. Sir I have no art Nor leisure to discourse but I have heard There is by fare an opportunity Allotted every man to make him rich And happy too provided he take hold And I am confident that 's offer'd you Fra. What to enjoy divine Angelica No treasure else can make me rich or happy Mol. When she is brought into your own possession You can but blame your selfe if she depart Fra. I shall destroy my selfe if then she scape But how prithy convey thy joyfull newes Into me by a reverend secrecie That I may be all eare while thou art whispering They whisper San. What plot should this be now I long to know Molosso doubts some accident may happen Vpon his Masters death
or fredome Mol. They shall finde at length Patience opprest will into fury turne Nature in spite of fortune gave us minds That cannot like our bodies be enthral'd But soft I doubt our earlie privacie May render vs suspected leave to me The mannage of th' affaire only let thy Vertue be now the dumbe mans secrecy Actus Primus Scena Secunda Spinola Iustiniano Spin. THe hatefull sound of Imperiale's name Would strike me deafe my deare Iustinian Were it not temper'd by thy gentle tongue That had the art to make m' embrace and trust A reconciled foe who hath rejected With scorne my hopefull sonne as if his birth Fortune and parts had not deserv'd that flirt His gilded daughter but I taxe not thee Whose friendship is a gem without a foile And hardly can be valu'd never matcht I know thy milder studies chiefly bent To weed out Rancor from the minds of men Smoothing rough nature with morality And this becomes Philosophers but I That doe professe the art of killing men Encourag'd by all States impos'd by some Must follow other precepts he is sure Of many wrongs that will but one endure Iust. Thy Character of me lov'd Spinola Thus farre I may without vaine glory owne Truely to love my friend yet hate no man And since mine own experience finds how well Thou do'st the one I would perswade the other Nor would I now convert thee to a Stoicke To make thee thinke there are no injuries Or if there be that wise men cannot feele 'm These I confesse are not compatible With thy condition on th' other side I can encourage none much lesse my friend To take a scandall when there is none given To call that injury which is in truth A liberty that every man may challenge Or if Imperial ought t' have wav'd the same Yet since the will is free thou could'st expect But Fatherly perswasion to incline Th' affections of his daughter all the rest Is ravishment or tyranny at best Spin. I know not how the rigid schooles define A fathers power in their beg'd principles As if the freedome of the will extended To silly wenches to restraine the power Of them that gave them first and second being No it was onely his inveterate malice That closely lurk't under a new fein'd freindship That stuck on me and mine this contumely Which ought to be resented farre above An injury by any generous spirit Iust. Let it be what thy fancy apprehends Which scarce appeares in the least circumstance Yet generous spirits at poore contumelies As seldome stoope as Eagles doe to Flyes Spin. What is there that should wound an active spirit Like base contempt Iust. The guilt of one base act Spin. Should we not then be jealous of our fame Iust. If we within finde cause of jealousie Spi. Reports may brand although they be untrue Iust. Yes those that take their honour upon trust Spi. Our honour by opinion must subsist Iust. Then every puffe of winde will scatter it How can we call that ours which must depend On the rash will and vainer voyce of others But herein thou most slightst thy selfe to doubt Thou canst be undervalued by any Much more contemn'd by him that dares not thinke Himselfe to be the worthier but that thou Suggests it for him in thy vaine suspition They that beleeve themselves despis'd confesse An inward doubt of their owne worthinesse Spi. I am not for my part ambitious Of the dull fame of stupid patience To be admir'd for wanting common sense Like Cato that could let one spit in 's face And when he should have wip'd off the disgrace With his sharpe Sword he did it with a Iest And his soft handcarcheife This was that spirit Thou lift'st above great Alexanders merit Iust. I and above the glory of Hercules Or what bold Greece hath left in histories Of her great Captaines to their endles fame They Monsters Kingdomes and their Iusts orecame Cato fought not with Beasts nor did live when T' was thought that Heaven might be borne up by men But in an age when barbarisme being fled All industry and learning flourished And in that time did bravely set upon That Monster in many shapes Ambition With all the crimes of Rome and when the State Was ready ev'n to sinke with its owne weight He it supported with his onlie hand And did as much as one man could withstand Romes instant fate till forc't to let her goe He became partner in her overthrowe And soe one ruine did them both oppresse Whom to have severd had bin wickednesse For was it fit that liberty should dye And Cato live that had bin contumely Not the purgation of a mouth that might As well have don the Sun or Moone dispight But I will leave thee to thy thoughts a while For wholsome counsell like safe Physick is Vnpleasant in the taste and must have time To worke upon the humor thou that art master Of so much worth wilt master in the end Those passions that with reason now contend Actus Primus Scena Tertia Spinola Spi. I Must needs make a strong pretence to worth That dare pretend Iustinian to thy love But when I find how much I violate The sacred Iawes of friendship that refuse T' anatomize my very Soule to thee I am compeld t a'cknowledge myne owne shame Or to suspect thy knowne fidelitie The plot wherewith I labour can admit No Councell but a necessarie faith In the bold Actor whose subsistence binds him To resolution and to secrecie All friendly trust is folly every man H 'as one to whome hee will commit as much As is to him committed our designes When once they creepe from our owne private breasts Doe in a moment through the Citie flie Who tells his secret sells his libertie But shall I suffer this black treachery To boile within my doubtfull brest mischeife Though it be safe can never be secure Or shall I ease my thoughts and giue it vent Yes prick a full swolne bladder to relax it Or bore a hole 'i th bottome of the ship To coole a Calenture dull foole thy life Is with thy fame concern'd besides the base Rejection of thy Sonne lodg'd deepely here He wrought the Senate to confer the charge Of our late ayde lent Savoy against France On rash Marinò so to blast thy merit Be confident he that durst often venter T affront thee meant to prosecute thy ruine And t' is no greater hazard to attempt Death than disgrace that makes his life contemptible On then be bold and secret Spinola So shalt thou reape the double benefit Of safety and revenge all wickednesse Is counted vertue when 't is prosperous Be not by any reconcilement led To trust thy soe th' art safe when he is dead Actus Primus Scena Quarta Imperiale Honoria Angelica Nugella attending Impe. HOw comes it deare that the clear sky thy looks Is suddenly o're-cast what misty vapour Hath rais'd those stormy clouds can bright Aurora Rise
cheerfully from shrivel'd Tythons bed And thou so discontentedly from mine But I 'le not doubt the cause to spring from me Rather from feare of yong Prince Doria's safety Whose great affaires perhaps have made him stretch His promise to the utmost not to breake it Though he could not prevent our expectation He 'l not deceive 't but like th' approaching Sunne Will soone expell these mists and cheere our hearts Hon. I am solicitous I must confesse Of his returne whom we have long expected To whom we have design'd our onely daughter And with her both our fortunes and our loves But the true cause of all these perturbations Which you discover in my countenance Is a strange dreame heaven make it but a dreame And I perhaps should but have thought it so Had not my daughter ev'n this very night And the same houre as neere as we can guesse With the like vision been disquieted Me thought we harbour'd in our house a Wolfe Bred up so tame that all did handle him Which like a dogge would fawne on them that beat him Til on a time accompanied with another Of his owne race he rush't into the chamber Where I together with my Daughter sate There they resum'd their native crueltie The one assaulted her the other me And tearing first our Iewells from our necks They made us both at length their farall prey Ang. Oh how the terrour of that dreadfull vision Affrights my Soule I tremble when I thinke on 't Me thought the heartstrings of Prince Doria crack't At the dire newes it prov'd the overthrowe Of our whole Family we differ but in this The Savadge executioners to me Seem'd to be Beares creatures as bloody as wolves Imp. It is no wonder that your dreames concurr'd Since there is that relation in your blood I must beleeve you had the day before Communicated some sad thoughts together Which in the night your wakefull fantasies From a like temperature of braine reduc't Into like formes suggesting that for truth Which is at best but fond imagination What can be vainer then a womans dreame T' is lesse to be regarded then her teares Which are prepar'd to flow at her command Hon. Cassandra's true predictions were dispis'd Imp. And well they might had Troy bin provident Hon. Many at length deplore their unbeleife Imp. But more lament their rash credulitie Hon. Future events by dreames have bin reveal'd Imp. So did old wisards doubtfull things vnfould By flights of birds such witchcrafts now are seas'd And we from those darke errours are releas'd To talke of visions is an indiscretion Practis'd by Children and distemperd persons Go then prepare your selves for solid joyes On this day the Republick yearly paies A retribution to our Familie And as I heare the time being Carnivall Some mirth shall season our solemnitie If Doria come to day as we expect To morow nothing shall be heard of us But songs of Hymen and Thalassius Hon. Never could any wretches be more glad To be deceiv'd Ang. My heart continues sad Actus primus Scena quinta Imperiale O Wretched state of man to whom the time By nature made for ease is found unquiet Sleepe properly cald rest who can expresse How restles it becomes through various dreames Which are so strongly formed by the fancy That though they be most false and when we wake Should wholly vanish yet even then they leave A deepe Impression in the troubled mind Nor doth this onely happen to weake women But unto men of speciall eminence Working vpon their hopes aswell as feares Who many times to their confusion Have by such drowsie errors bin seduc'd Hence did Amilcar venture to assault Strong Syracuse deluded by a dreame But though it be a folly beyond pardon To venture life or fortune in pursuit Of such a vanitie yet in all things Abundant warines can never hurt My slaue may not unfitlie be compar'd To a tame Wolfe or Beare who may perchance Resent his late sharpe castigation Him will I send to my owne Galley where He shal be chain'd from mischeife and to me Not prove unusefull when the smallest boult May eas'ly be remov'd who would omit it Let others lose themselves in laborinthes Of hidden superstition and beleeve The ayre to be replenished with spirits Who by a naturall and inherent virtue Foreseeing things to come and taking pity Vpon improvident man reveale by visions The dangers that approach to th' end he may By timely care prevent his misery I 'le not depend on such intelligence T' informe me whether Spinola hath buried Or only hid his long continued malice I 'le fetch my preservation neerer hence That shall conserve this individuall No man can suffer ill but from himselfe Fate only awes the slothfull wisdom barres The powerfull operation of the starres Chorus of two 1 THose men that mischiefe do devise Had need to borrow Argus eyes To looke about a poore slave may By chance lie hid and then betray 2 Within the house they may suspect That walles and bedds may them detect And in the feild they must provide That not a bush a spie may hide 1 And albeit they shut the doore Having well searcht the house before Yet they may be betray'd for proofe Iove in a shower did peirce the roofe 2 Though in the feild no tree nor bush Nor bird be neere nor winde doth rush Yet undiscern'd a fairy drab Their whole discourse may heare and blab 1 Then since that neither house nor field To our black crumes can safety yield Let us be virtious and not feare What all the world can see or heare 2 Our dreames are often found to bee Fruits of a wandring phantasie Yet many times they likewise are Sure pledges of Caelestiall care 1 Some men beleeve too much and some Conceive no truths by dreames can come It is a knowledge given to fewe To finde if they be false or true 2 Then as it is a rash misprision To count each idle dreame a vision So it 's an error at the least To thinke all visions are quite ceast Actus Secundus Scena prima Francisco CAn no advice of friends nor mine owne reason Hold me from strong pursuite of what I finde Can never be obtaind am I so stupid After so many scornes not to desist An arrow shot sooner may be recal'd Then her affection th' Apenine the Alpes Will eas'lier be removed then her Father Feed not thy selfe fond foole with desperate hopes But shall I arm'd with powerfull love consult With timerous discretion the weake Child Of feeble age the towring Eagle may More eas'ly be confin'd within high walls Then that wing'd boy that hover'd over Chaos Be ty'd to humane possibilities What transformations did the Antique Poets Affirme to have bin wrought on men and Gods By his sole deity which Iove himselfe His frequent sport had found what guards what spies He hath deceiv'd and fore't the fiery Bull The wakefull dragon and gaz'd Argus witnes Though shee that 's truly nam'd Angelica Should
last that feeles the stroke of death so so It shoots a vapour that will poyson it And choke each passage of the vitall spirits And now I feele it beat against my breast As if it gave th' allarum unto all The organs of my life O how it strugles Disdaining to submit proud rebell downe Thy lygaments are shrunke and I approach The place where Lovers after death reside Where I a ghost will yet enjoy my Bride Wilt thou not yeeld dost thou expect reliefe Time that releaseth sorrow shall not joyne With refresht nature to repaire thy ruine I to a broken heart will adde this doome No substance within these lips shall come Mol. Thy daughter Imperiale is canoniz'd With contrite heart devout Prince Doria Hath vow'd a fast to his Saint Angelica Imp. I feele so great a weight of misery That I can scarce be sensible of more Although it be what 's harder to be borne Than my calamity a villains scorne spi. Thus shall my silence breake into remorse Not into rage that feaver of the soule Is quite converted to an Apathie Let me cry out to fate as Hanniball At Canne to his bloody Souldiers spare Imperial know'st thou the voyce of Spinola By the most faithfull head of my Iustinian Than which there cannot be a holier found I truly am mov'd with pity thy sad story Would melt a flinty heart into compassion Procrustes or the wilde Inhabitants Of horrid Caucasus are milde to these Imp. I know not gentle Spinola how thou Canst accept thanks from me that have from thee deserv'd so ill It may not be suppos'd â—â—an dissemble now that Villaine there Contriv'd thy deare sons death without my knowledge Though I am guiltie of as great a crime For I was willing to my too late greife Vpon discovery made by thine owne Slave Of thy intent to have the same retorted Vpon thy selfe the rest that wretch did plot In whom I plac'd a wicked confidence And did at length too much applaud the fact From whence our mutuall miseries result Spi. Thy crime was but diversion of an evill Whereof I hate the memory and wish I could drinke deep of Lethe to forget That impious designe and for these villains I 'le study a new punishment that shall Transcend Perillus Bull and all the torments Invented by the fierce Sicilian tyrants Mol. 'T is wretchednesse to feare where ther 's no hope Could'st thou beleeve vaine Spinola that we Would undertake to act so bold a mischiefe And not resolve upon as brave an end We that have gained such a full revenge Meane not to lose it by a poore submission To hopelesse mercy or your new found torments Though fortune made us wretched slaves to you We both retaine some sparks of th' active fire Which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Did sometimes flame in our Numidean breasts Not yet so quench thy servitude but we Have will and power to free our selves behold Our liberty these shall restore us now To that equality that nature gave In which blinde chance hath put a difference One blow from these deliverers can make An abject begger equall to a King Sango keepe time San. I 'm ready The slaves 〈◊〉 each other Mol. By consent We thus avoyd mock your punishment Spi. The Harpies are flown suddenly to hell And hang already on that hideous rocke Where dreadfull fiends lye gaping to receive 'm But let me sir become your faithfull guide To leade you to my house where you shall live And want no comfort love or cost can give Imp. The onely comfort of a wretched soule Is to despaire of comfort I see not The mansion guilty of such wickednesse But I am seene a wretch in Genua Where all my ancestors stand wreath'd with honour I 'le wander to a desart or else clime Some remote mountaine where dark clouds that hung About his high erected head shall hide me From all the eyes of men there I 'le lament My miseries in willing banishment Iust. What need we care how powerfull our foes be When slaves can bring us to such misery Whose innate cruelties at length appeare Though they the same may cunningly forbeare For their owne ends it is not wisedome then To place our trust in such condition'd men Whom punishments and wants and feares prepare To hatred to deceit and to despaire Yet these are but poore instruments the cause That on our heads heavens indignation drawes Springs from our selves gainst which ther 's no defence