the doing to performe her part And I haue known proud words and poore effects Of such indeed as do condemne this Arte But let them rest it euer hath beene knowne They others vertues skorn that doubt their owne And for the diuers disagreeing cordes Of interiangling ignorance that fill The dainty eares leaue no roome for words The worthier mindes neglect or pardon will Knowing the best he hath he frankly foords And skornes to be a niggard of his skill And that the rather since this short-liu'd race Being fatallie the sonnes but of one day That now with all their powre ply it apace To hold out with the greatest might they may Against confusion that hath all in chace To make of all a vniuersall pray For now great Nature hath laid down at last That mighty birth where with so long she went And ouerwent the times of ages past Here to lie in vpon our soft content Where fruitfull she hath multiplied so fast That all she hath on these times seem'd t' haue spent All that which might haue many ages grac'd Is borne in one to make one cloid with all Where plenty hath imprest a deepe distast Of best and worst and all ingenerall That goodness seems goodnes to haue defac't And virtue hath to virtue giuen the fall For emulation that proud nurse of wit Skorning to stay below or come behind Labors vpon that narrow top to sit Offole perfection in the highest kind Enuie and wonder looking after it Thrust likewise on the selfe same blisse to find And so long striuing till they can no more Do stuffe the place or others hopes shut out Who doubting to ouertake those gone before Giue vp their care and cast no more about And so in skorne leaue all as fore possest And will be none where they may not be best Euen like some empty Greek that long hath lain Left or neglected of the Riuer by Whose searching sides pleas'd with a wandring vaine Finding some little way that close did lie Steale in at first then other streames againe Second the first then more then all supplie Till all the mighty maine hath borne at last The glory of his chiefest powre that way Plying this new-found pleasant roome so fast Till all be full and all be at a staie And then about and backe againe doth cast Leauing that full to fall another way So feares this humorous world that euermore Rapt with the Current of a present course Runs into that which laie contemnd before Then glutted leaues the same and falst'a worse Now zeale holds all no life but to adore Then cold in spirit and faith is of no force Straight all that holie was vnhallowed lies The scattered carcasses of ruind vowes Then truth is false and now hath blindnes eies Then zeale trusts al now scarcely what it knows That euermore to foolish or to wise It fatall is to be seduc'd with showes Sacred Religion mother offorme and feare How gorgeously somtimes dost thou sit deckt What pompous vestures do we make thee weare What stately piles we prodigall erect How sweet perfum'd thou art how shining cleare How solemnly obseru'd with what respect Another time all plaine and quite threed bare Thou must haue all within and nought without Sit poorely without light disrob'd no care Of outward grace to amuze the poore deuout Powrelesse vnfollowed scarcely men can spare Thee necessary rites to set thee out Either truth goodnes vertue are not still The selfe same which they are and alwaies one But alter to the proiect of our will Or we our actions make them waite vpon Putting them in the liuery of our skill And cast them off againe when we haue done You mighty Lords that with respected grace Do at the sterne of faire example stand And all the body of this populace Guide with the onely turning of your hand Keepe a right course bear vp from al disgrace Obserue the point of glory to our land Hold vp disgraced knowledge from the ground Keepe vertue in request giue worth her due Let not neglect with barbarous means cōfound So faire a good to bring in night anew Be not ô be not accessary found Vnto her death that must giue life to you Where wil you haue your vertuous names safe laid In gorgeous tombes in sacred Cels secure Do you not see those prostrate heapes betraid Your fathers bones and could not keepe them sure And will you trust deceitfull stones faire laid And thinke they will be to your honor truer No no vnsparing time will proudly send A warrant vnto wrath that with one frown Wil al these mock'ries of vaine glory rend And make them as before vngrac'd vnknown Poore idle honors that can ill defend Your memories that cannot keepe their own And whereto serue that wondrous trophei now That on the godly plaine neare Wilton stands That huge domb heap that cannot tel vs how Nor what nor whence it is nor with whose hands Nor for whose glory it was set to shew How much our pride mockes that of other lands Where on when as the gazing passenger Hath greedy lookt with admiration And faine would know his birth and what he were How there erected and how long agone Enquires and askes his fellow trauailer What he hath heard and his opinion And he knowes nothing Then he turnes againe And looks and sighs and then admires afr esh And in himselfe with sorrow doth complaine The misery of darke for getfuln esse Angrie with time that nothing should remain Our greatest wonders wonder to expresse Then ignorance with fabulous discourse Robbing faire arte and cunning of their right Tels how those stones were by the diuels force From Affricke brought to Ireland in a night And thence to Britannie by Magicke course From giants hand redeem'd by Merlins sleight And then neare Ambri plac'd in memorie Of all those noble Britons murthred there By Hengist and his Saxon trecherie Comming to parle in peace at vnaware With this old Legend then credulitie Holdes her content and closes vp her care But is antiquitie so great a liar Or do her yonger sonnes her age abuse Seeing after commers still so apt t' admire The graue authoritie that she doth vse That reuerence and respect dares not require Proofe of her deeds or once her words refuse Yet wrong they did vs to presume so far Vpon our easie credit and delight For once found false they straight became to mar Our faith and their owne reputation quite That now her truths hardly beleeued are And though sh'auouch ȳ right she scarce hath right And as for thee thou huge and mightie frame That stands corrupted so with times despight And giu'st false euidence against their fame That set thee there to testifie their right And art become a traitor to their name That trusted thee with all the best they might Thou shalt stand still belide and slandered The onely gazing stocke of ignorance And by the guile the wife admonished Shal neuer more desire
they want of all And wanting you they nothing theirs can call 30 Here haue you craggy rockes to take your part That neuer will betray their faith to you These trustie mountaines here will neuer start But stand t' obraid their shame that are vntrue Here maie you fence your safetie with small art Against the pride of that confused Crew If men will not these very cliffes will fight And be sufficient to defend your right 31 Then keepe you here and here shall you behold Within short space the sliding faith of those That cannot long their resolution hold Repent the course their idle rashnes chose For that same mercenarie faith they sold With least occasions discontented growes And insolent those voluntarie bands Presuming how by them he chieflie stands 32 And how can he those mightie troupes sustaine Long time where now he is or any where Besides what discipline can he retaine Where as he dares not keepe them vnder feare For feare to haue them to reuolt againe So that it selfe when greatnes cannot beare With her owne waight must needes confusdly fall Without the helpe of other force at all 33 And hither to approach h' will neuer dare Where deserts rockes and hils no succours giue Where desolation and no comforts are Where few can do no good manie not liue Besides we haue the Ocean to prepare Some other place if this should not relieue So shall you tire his force consume his strength And weary all his followers out at length 34 Doe but referre to time and to small time And infinite occasions you shall find To quaile the reble euen in the prime Of all his hopes beyond all thought of mind For manie with the curse what they design'd And bad sucesse obraiding their ill fact Drawes them that others draw from such an act 35 For if the least imagind ouerture But of conceiud reuolt men once espie Straight shrinke the weake the great wil not indure Th' impatient run the discontented flie The friend his friends example doth procure And altogither haste them presently Some to their home some hide others that stay To reconcile themselues the rest betray 36 What hope haue you that euer Bullingbrooke Will liue a subiect that hath tride his fate Or what good reconcilement can you looke Where he must alwaies feare and you must hate And neuer thinke that he this quarrell tooke To reobtaine thereby his priuate state T was greater hopes that hereto did him call And he will thrust for all or else loose all 37 Nor trust this suttle Agent nor his oth You know his faith you tride it before hand His fault is death and now to loose his troth To saue his life he will not greatly stand Nor trust your kinsmans proffer since you both Shew bloud in Princes is no stedfast band What though he hath no title he hath might That makes a title where there is no right 38 Thus he when that good Bishop thus replies Out of a mind that quiet did affect My Lord I must confesse as your case lies You haue great cause your subiects to suspect And counterplot against their subtelties You all good care and honestie neglect And feare the worst what insolence maie doe Or armed fury maie incense them to 39 But yet my Lord feare maie as well transport Your care beyond the truth of what is ment As other wife neglect maie fall too short In not examining of their intent But let vs weigh the thing which they exhort T is Peace submission and a parlament Which how expedient t is for either part T were good we iudged with an vnpartiall hart 40 And first for you my Lord in griefe we see The miserable case wherein you stand Void here of succour helpe or maiestie On this poore promontory of your land And where how long a time your grace may be Expecting what may fall into your hand We know not sinceth ' euent of things do lie Clos'd vp in darknes far from mortall eie 41 And how vnsit it were you should protract Long time in this so dangerous disgrace As though that you good spirit and courage lackt To issue out of this opprobrious place When euen the face of kings do oft exact Feare and remorse in faulty subiects base And longer stay a great presumption drawes That you were guilty or did doubt your cause 42 What subiects euer so inragd would dare To violate a Prince t' offend the bloud Of that renowmed race by which they are Exalted to the glorie of this good What if some things by chance misguided were Which they haue now rebelliously withstood They neuer will proceed with that despight To wracke the state and to confound the right 43 Nor doe I thinke that Bulling brooke can do So blind ambitious to affect the crowne Hauing himselfe no title and doth see Others if you should faile must keepe him downe Besides the Realme though mad will neuer gree To haue a right succession ouerthrowne To raise confusion vpon them and theirs By preiudicing true and lawfull beires 44 And now it may be fearing the successe Of his attempts or with remorse of mind Or else distrusting secret practises He would be glad his quarrell were resignd So that there were some orderly redresse In those disorders which the Realme did find And this I thinke he now fees were his best Since farther actions farther but vnrest 45 And for the impossibility of peace And reconcilement which my Lords obiects I thinke when doying iniury shall cease The cause pretended then surcease th' effects Time and some other Actions may increase As may diuert the thought of these respects Others law of forgetting iniuries Maie serue our turne in like calamities 46 And for his oath my Lord I thinke in conscience True honour would not so be found vntrue Nor spot his bloud with such a fowle offence Against his soule against his God and you Our Lord for bid that euer with th' expence Of heauen and heauenly ioies that shall insue Mortality should buy this litle breath T' indure the horror of eternall death 47 And therefore as I thinke you safely maie Accept this proffer that determine shall All doubtfull courses by a quiet waie Needfull for you fit for them good for all And here my sou'raigne to make longer stay T' attend for what you are vnsure will fall May slippe th' occasion and incense their will For feare that 's wiser then the truth doth ill 48 Thus he perswades euen of a zealous mind Supposing men had spoken as they ment And vnto this the king likewise inclinde As wholy vnto peace and quiet bent And yeelds himselfe to th' earle goes leaues behind Safety Scepter honor gouernment For gone all 's gone he is no more his owne And they rid quite offeare he of the crowne 49 A place there is where proudly raisd there stands A huge aspiring rocke neighbou'ring the skies Whose surly brow imperiously commands The sea his bounds that
Yet credit wrath and spight that are awake 50 Preuent great spirit the tempests that begin If lust and thy ambition haue lest waie But to looke out and haue not shut all in To stop thy iudgement from a true suruay Of thy estate and let thy hart within Consider in what danger thou doost lay Thy life and mine to leaue the good thou hast To follow hopes with shadowes ouercast 51 Come come away from wrong from craft frō toile Possesse thine owne with right with truth with peace Breake from these snares thy iudgement vnbeguile Free thine owne torment and my griefe release But whither am I caried all this while Beyond my scope and know not when to cease Words still with my increasing sorrowes grow I know t' haue said too much but not ynow Wherefore no more but only I commend To thee the hart that 's thine and so I end FINIS THE TRAGEDIE OF CLEOPATRA Aetas prima canat ueneres postrema tumultus SAM DANYELL AT LONDON Printed by P. S. for Symon Waterson 1599. To the Right Honourable the Lady Mary Countesse of PEMBROOKE Loe heere the worke the which she did impose Who only doth predominate my Muse The starre of wonder which my labors chose To guide their way in all the course I vse She whose cleere brightnesse doth alone infuse Strength to my thoughts and makes me what I am Call'd vp my spirits from out their low repose To sing of state and tragick notes to frame I who contented with an humble song Made musique to my selfe that pleas'd me best And onely told of DELIA and her wrong And prais'd her eies and plaind mine own vnrest A text from whence my Muse had not degrest Madam had not thy well grac'd Anthony who all alone hauing remained long Requir'd his Cleopatras company Who if she heere doe so appeare in act That for his Queen and Loue he scarce will know her Finding how much she of her selfe hath lackt And mist that glory wherein I should shew her In maiestie debas'd in courage lower Yet lightning thou by thy sweet fauoring eies My darke defects which from her spirit detract He yet may gesse it 's she which will suffise And I hereafter in another kinde More fitting to the nature of my vaine May peraduenture better please thy minde And higher notes in sweeter musique straine Seeing that thou so graciously doost daine To countenance my song and cherish mee I must so worke posterity may finde How much I did contend to honor thee Now when so many pens like Speares are charg'd To chase away this tyrant of the North Grosse Barbarism whose powre grown far inlarg'd Was lately by thy valiant brothers worth First found encountred and prouoked forth Whose onset made the rest audacious Whereby they like wise haue so well discharg'd Vpon that hideous beast incroching thus And now must I with that poore strength I haue Resist so foule a foe in what I may And arme against obliuion and the graue That else in darknesse carries all away And makes of all our honours but a pray So that if by my pen procure I shall But to defend me and my name to saue Then though I die I cannot yet die all But still the better part of me will liue Deckt and adorned with thy sacred name Although thy selfe dost farre more glorie giue Vnto thy selfe then I can by the same Who dost with thine own hand a Bulwark frame Against these monsters enemies of honour Which euer-more shall so defend thy Fame That Time nor they shall neuer pray vpon her Those Hymnes that thou doost consecrate to heauen Which Israels Singer to his God did frame Vnto thy voyce eternitie hath giuen And makes thee decre to him from whence they came In them must rest thy euer reuerent name So long as Syons God remaineth-honoured And till confusion hath all zeale be-reauen And murthered Faith and Temples ruined By this great Ladie thou must then be knowne When Wilton lies low leuell'd with the ground And this is that which thou maist call thine owne Which sacrilegious time can not confound Heere thou suruiu'st thy selfe here thou art found Of late succeeding ages fresh in fame This monument cannot be ouer-throwne Where in eternall Brasse remaines thy Name O that the Ocean did not bound our stile VVithin these strict and narrow limits so But that the melodie of our sweete He Might now be heard to Tyber Arne and Po That they might know how far Thames doth out-go The Musique of declined Italie And listning to our songs another while Might learne of thee their notes to purifie O why may not some after-comming hand Vnlocke these limits open our confines And breake asunder this imprisoning band T inlarge our spirits and publish our deseignes Planting our roses on the Apenines And teach to Rhene to Loyre and Rhodanus Our accents and the wonders of our Land That they might all admire and honour vs. Whereby great Sydney and our Spencer might With those Po-singers being equalled Enchaunt the world with such a sweet delight That their eternall songs for euer read May shew what great Elizas raigne hath bred VVhat Musique in the kingdome of her peace Hath now beene made to her and by her might VVhereby her glorious fame shall neuer cease But if that fortune doth denie vs this Then Neptune locke vp with thy Ocean key This treasure to our selues and let them misse Of so sweet ritches as vnworthie they To taste the great delights that we inioy And let our harmonie so pleasing growne Content our selues whose errour euer is Strange notes to like and disesteeme our owne But whither do my vowes transport me now VVithout the compasse of my course inioind Alas what honour can a voyce so low As this of mine expect hereby to find But Madam this doth animate my mind That fauoured by the worthies of our Land My lines are lik'd the which may make me grow In time to take a greater taske in hand THE ARGVMENT AFter the death of Antonius Cleopatra liuing still in the Monument she had caused to bee built coulde not by anie meanes bee drawne foorth although Octauius Caesar verie earnestlie laboured it and sent Proculcius to vse all diligence to bring her vnto him For that he thought it woulde bee a great Ornament to his tryumphes to get her aliue to Rome But neuer woulde shee put her selfe into the handes of Proculeius although on a time hee founde the meanes by a window that was at the toppe of the Monument to come downe vnto her where hee perswaded her all hee might to yeelde her selfe to Caesars mercie Which shee to bee ridde of him cunninglie seemed to graunt vnto After that Octauius in person went to visite her to whome shee excused her offence laying all the fault vpon the greatnesse and feare shee had of Antonius and withall seemed verie tractable and willing to be disposed of by him VVhereupon Octauius thinking himselfe sure resolu'd presentlie to sende