The Maides Tragedy AS IT HATH BEENE diuers times Acted at the Blacke-friers by the KINGS Maiesties Seruants LONDON Printed for Richard Higgenbotham and are to be sold at the Angell in PAVLS Church-yard 1619 SPEAKERS KING LYSIPPVS brother to the King AMINTOR EVADNE wife to AMINTOR MELANTIVS brothers to EVADNE DIPHILVS brothers to EVADNE ASPATIA troth-plight wife to AMINTOR CALLIANAX an old humorous Lord and father to ASPATIA CARON Gentlemen STRATO Gentlemen DIAGOR As a seruant ANTIPHILA waiting Gentlewomen to ASPATIA OLIMPIAS waiting Gentlewomen to ASPATIA DVLA a Lady NIGHT Maskers CINTHIA Maskers NEPTVNE Maskers EOLVS Maskers The Maydes Tragedy Actus I. Scaen. I. Enter CLEON STRATO LISIPPVS DIPHILVS CLEON. The rest are making ready sir LYS. So let them there 's time enough DIPH. You are brother to the King my Lord wee 'le take your word LIS. Strato thou hast some skill in poetrie What think'st thou of a maske will it be well STR. As well as masks can be LIS. As masks can be STRA. Yes they must commend and speake in praise of the assembly blesse the Bride and groome in person of some god there tied to rules of flatterie CLE. See good my Lord who is return'd LIS. Noble Melantius Enter Melantius the land by me welcomes thy vertues home thou that with blowes abroad bringst vs our peace at home the breath of Kings is like the breath of gods my brother wisht thee here and thou art here he will be kinde and wearie thee with often welcome but the time doth giue thee a welcome aboue his or all the world MEL. My Lord my thankes but these scratcht limbes of mine haue spoke my loue and truth vnto my friends more then my tongue ere could my mind 's the same it euer was to you where I finde worth I loue the keeper till he let it goe And then I follow it DIPH. Haile worthy brother He that reioyces not at your returne In safetie is mine enemy for euer MEL. I thanke thee Diphilus but thou art faultie I sent for thee to exercise thine armes With me at Patria thou camst not Diphilus T was ill DIPH. My noble brother my excuse Is my Kings straight command which you my Lord Can witnesse with me LIS. T is most true Melantius He might not come till the solemnities Of this great match were past DIPH. Haue you heard of it MEL. Yes and haue giuen cause to those that here Enuy my deedes abroad to call me gamesome I haue no other busines here at Rhodes LIS. We haue a maske to night And you must tread a souldiers measure MEL. These soft and silken warres are not for me The musicke must be shrill and all confus'd That stirs my blood and then I daunce But is Amintor wed DIPH. This day MEL. All ioyes vpon him for he is my friend Wonder not that I call a man so young His worth is great valiant he is And one that neuer thinkes his life his owne If his friend neede it when he was a boy As oft as I return'd as without boast I brought home conquest he would gaze vpon me And view me round to finde in what one limbe The vertue lay to doe those things he heard Then would he wish to see my sword and feele The quicknesse of the edge and in his hand Weighes it he oft would make me smile at this His youth did promise much and his ripe yeares Will see it all perform'd Enter Aspatia passing with attendance Haile Maide and Wife Thou faire Aspatia may the holy knot That thou hast tied to day last till the hand Of age vndoe 't mayst thou bring a race Vnto Amintor that may fill the world Successiuely with souldiers ASP. My hard fortunes Deserue not scorne for I was neuer proud When they were good Exit Aspatia MEL. Howe 's this LIS. You are mistaken sir she is not married MEL. You said Amintor was DIPH. T is true but MEL. Pardon me I did receiue Letters at Patria from my Amintor That he should marie her DIPH. And so it stood In all opinion long but your arriuall Made me imagine you had heard the change MEL. Who has he taken then LIS. A Ladie sir That beares the light aboue her and strikes dead With flashes of her eye the faire Euadne Your vertuous sister MEL. Peace of heart betwixt them But this is strange LIS. The King my brother did it To honour you and these solemnities Are at his charge MEL. T is royall like himselfe But I am sad my speech beares so infortunate a sound To beautifull Aspatia there is rage Hid in her fathers breast Calianax Bent long against me and 'a should not thinke Could I but call it backe that I would take Such base reuenges as to scorne the state Of his neglected daughter LIS. O t' were pittie for this Lady sir Sits discontented with her watrie eyes bent on the ear In vnfrequented woods are her delight Where when she sees a bancke stucke full of flowers Then she will sit and sigh and tell Her seruants what a prittie place it were To burie louers in and make her maides Pluck 'em and strow them ouer her like a corse She carries with her an infectious griefe That strikes all her beholders she will sing The Mournfulst things that euer eare hath heard And swound and sing againe and when the rest Of your young Ladyes in their wanton blood Tell mirthfull tales in course that fils the roome With laughter she will with so sad a looke Bring forth a storie of the silent death Of some forsaken virgin which her griefe Will put in such a phrase that ere she end Shee 'le send them weeping one by one away MEL. She has a brother vnder my command Like her a face as womanish as hers But with a spirit that hath much outgrowne The number of his yeares Enter Amintor CLE. My Lord the Bridegroome MEL. I might run fiercely not more hastily Vpon my foe I loue thee well Amintor My mouth is much too narrow for my heart I ioy to looke vpon those eyes of thine Thou art my friend but my disordred speech Cuts off my loue AMIN. Thou art Melantius All loue is spoke in that a sacrifice To thanke the gods Melantius is return'd In safty victory sits on his sword As she was wont may she build there and dwell And may thy armour be as it hath beene Onely thy valour and thine innocence What endlesse treasures would our enemies giue That I might hold thee still thus MEL. I am poore in words but credit me young man Thy mother could do no more but weep for ioy to see thee After long absence all the wounds I haue Fetcht not so much away nor all the cries Of widdowed mothers But this is peace And that was warre AMINT. Pardon thou holy god Of marriage bed and frowne not I am for'st In answere of such noble teares as these To weepe vpon my weding day MEL. I feare thou art growne too cruell for I
thou doest loue me Thou waighst not any thing compar'd to me Life honour ioyes eternall all delights The world can yeeld are light as aire To a true louer when his Lady frownes And bids him doe this wilt thou kill this man Sweare my Amintor and I le kisse the sun Of thy lips AMIN. I wonnot swear sweet loue till I know the cause EVAD. I wood thou wouldst Why it is thou that wrongst me I hate thee Thou should'st haue kild thy selfe AMIN. If I should know that I should quickly kill The man you hated EVAD. Know it and doo 't AMIN. Oh no what looke so ere thou should'st put on To trie my faith I cannot thinke thee false I cannot finde one blemish in thy face Where falsehood should abide leaue and to bed If you haue sworne to any of the virgins That were your olde companions to preserue Your maidenhead a night it may be done Without this meanes EVAD, A maidenhead Amintor at my yeares AMIN. Sure she raues this cannot be Her naturall temper shall I call thy maides Either thy healthfull sleepe hath left thee long Or else some feauer rages in thy blood EVAD. Neither of these what thinke you I am mad Because I speake the truth AMIN. Is this the truth wil you not lie with me to night EVAD. You talke as if you thought I would hereafter AMIN. Hereafter yes I doe EVD. You are deceiu'd put off amazement with patience mark What I shall vtter for the Oracle Knowes nothing truer t is not for a night Or two that I forbeare your bed but euer AMIN. I dreame awake Amintor EVAD. You heare right I sooner would finde out the beds of Snakes And with my youthfull blood warme their cold flesh Letting them curle themselues about my limbes then sleepe one night with thee this is not faind Nor sounds it like the kisses of a bride AMIN. Is flesh so earthly to endure all this Are these the ioyes of mariage Hymen keepe This story that will make succeeding youth Neglect thy ceremonies from all eares Let it not rise vp for thy shame and mine To after ages we will scorne thy lawes If thou no better blesse them touch the heart Of her whom thou hast sent me or the world Shall know this not an altar then will smoake In praise of thee we will adopt vs sonnes Then vertue shall inherit and not blood If we doe lust we 'le take the next we meet Seruing our selues as other creatures doe And neuer take note of the female more Nor of her issue I doe rage in vaine She cannot iest Oh pardon me my loue So deare the thoughts are which I hold of thee That I must breake forth satisfie my feare It is a paine beyond the paine of death To be in doubt confirme it with an oath If this be true EVAD. Doe you inuent the forme Let there be in it all the binding wordes Diuels and coniurers can put together And I will take it I haue sworne before And here by all things holy doe againe Neuer to be acquainted with thy bed Is your doubt ouer now AMIN. I know too much would I had doubted still Was euer such a mariage night as this You powers aboue if you did euer meane Man should be vs'd thus you haue thought a way How he may beare himselfe and saue his honour Instant me with it for to my dull eyes There is no meane no moderate course to runne I must liue scorn'd or be a murderer Is there a third why is this night so calme Why does not heauen speake in thunder to vs And drowne their voyce EVAD. This rage will doe no good AMIN. Euadne heare me thou hast tane an oath But such a rash one that to keepe it were Worse then to sweare it call it backe to thee Such vowes as that neuer ascend the heauen A teare or two will wash it quite away Haue mercy on my youth my hopefull youth If thou be pittifull for without boast This land was proud of me what Lady was there That men cald faire and vertuous in this Isle That would haue shund my loue it is in thee To make me hold this worth Oh we vaine men That trust all our reputation To rest vpon the weake and yeelding hand Of feeble woman but thou art not stone Thy flesh is soft and in thine eyes doe dwell The spirit of loue thy heart cannot be hard Come leade me from the bottome of dispaire To all the ioyes thou hast I know thou wilt And make me carefull least the sudden change Ore-come my spirits EVAD. When I call back this oath the paines of hell inuiron me AMIN. I sleepe and am to temporate come to bed Or by those haires which if thou hast a soule like to thy locks Were threads for Kings to weare About their armes EVAD. Why so perhaps they are AMIN. I le dragge thee to my bed and make thy tongue Vndoe this wicked oath or on thy flesh I le print a thousand wounds to let out life EVAD. I feare thee not doe what thou darst to me Euery ill sounding word or threatning looke Thou shewest to me will be reueng'd at full AMIN. It will not sure Euadne EVAD. Doe not you hazard that AMIN. Ha ye your Champions EVAD. Alas Amintor thinkst thou I forbeare To sleepe with thee because I haue put on A maidens strictnesse looke vpon these cheekes And thou shalt finde the hot and rising blood Vnapt for such a vow no in this heart There dwels as much desire and as much will To put that wished act as euer yet Was knowne to woman and they haue been showne Both but it was the folly of thy youth To thinke this beauty to what land soe're It shall be cald shall stoope to any second I doe enioy the best and in that height Haue sworne to stand or die you guesse the man AMIN. No let me know the man that wrongs me so That I may cut his body into motes And scatter it before the Northen winde EVAD. You dare not strike him AMIN. Doe not wrong me so Yes if his body were a poysonous plant That it were death to touch I haue a soule Will throw me on him EVAD. Why t is the King AMIN. The King EVAD. What will you doe now AMIN. It is not the King EVAD. What did he make this match for dull Amintor AMIN. Oh thou hast nam'd a word that wipes away All thoughts reuengefull in that sacred word The King there lies a terror what fraile man Dares lift his hand against it let the Gods Speake to him when they please till when let vs Suffer and waite EVAD. Why should you fill your selfe so full of heate And haste so to my bed I am no virgin AMIN. What Diuell hath put it in thy fancy then To mary mee EVAD. Alas I must haue one To father children and to beare the name Of husband to me that my sinne may be More honorable AMIN. What strange thing