AUBREY

Is this a time to be spent thus by such As are the principal ministers of the State? When they that are the h adds, have filled the Court With factions, a weak woman only left To S ay their bloody hands? can her weak arms Alone divert the dangers ready now oh fallen upon the Commonwealth, and bury The honours of it, leaving not the name Of what it was. O Gisbert, the fair trials And frequent proofs which our late master made, Both of your love and faith, gave him assurance, To choose you at his death a Guardian; nay, A father to his sons; and that great trust How ill do you discharge? I must be plain, That, at the best, you are a sad looker on Of those bade practices you should prevent And where's the use of your Philosophy In this so needful a time? be not secure; For, Baldwin, be assured, since that the Princes When they were young, and apt for any form, Were given to your instruction, and grave ordering; It'll be expected that they should be good, Or their bade manners will be imputed yours. Do these answers sort, Or with your place, or persons, or your years; Can Gi bert being the pillar of the Laws, See them trod under foot, or forced to serve The Princes unjust ends; and with a frown Be silenced from exclaiming on abuse; Or Baldwin only weep the desperate madness Of his seduced pupils? see their minds, Which with good arts he laboured to built up Examples of succeeding Times, o'returnd By undermining parasites; no one precept Leading to any Art, or great, or good, But is forced from their memory, in whose room Black counsels are received, and their retirements, And secret conference producing only Devilish designs, a man would shame to father; But I talk when I should do, and chide others For that I now offend in: See't confirmed, Now do, or never speak more. Sir. Peace you tinder-boxes, That only carry matter to make a flame Which will consume you. Nor should you so receive it. Nor your Misery's begin in murder, Duty, allegiance, and all respects of what you are, forsake me: Do you stare on? is this a Theater? Or shall these kill themselves, Like to mad fencers, To make you sport? keep them asunder, or By heaven I'll charge on all. Live I to see this? Will you do that your enemies dare not wish, And cherish in your selves those furies, which Hell would cast out? Do, I am ready kill me, And these, that would fallen willing sacrifices To any power that would re tore your reason, And make you men again, which now you are not End not thus Madam, but perfect what's so well begun. May never woman's tongue Hereafter be accused, for this ones Goodness. Spoke Like Rollo. O! woman's goodness never to be equaled, May rhe most sinful creatures of thy sex But kneeling at thy monument, rise saints. Long may it last, and from a heart filled with it, Full as my cup: I give it round, my lords. I do beseech your grace, take to your thoughts More certain counsellors than doubts or fears, They strangle nature, and disperse themselves (If once believed) into such fogs and errors That the bright truth her self can never see er: Your brother is a royal gentleman Full of himself, honour, and honesty, And take heed sir, how nature bent to goodness, (So straight a Cedar to himself) uprightness Be wrested from his true use, prove not dangerous Away thou firebrand. Go too, no more, by heaven Yowl find y'have played the fool else, not a word more. Shall we wait on your grace? That is still in our powers, But how to make it so that we may Like it. Hell look to him, For if there may be a devil above all, yet that rogue will make him; keep you up this night, And so will I, for much I fear a danger. Author of prodigies, what sights are these? For heavens sake no more. See and grieve. Your Scholars, Baldwin. Burst it then With his full swing given, where it brooks no bound, Complaints of it are vain; and all that rests To be our refuge (since our powers are strengthless) Is to conform our wills to suffer freely, What with our murmurs we can never master; Ladies, be pleased with what heavens pleasure suffers, Erect your princely countenances and spirits, And to redress the mischiefs now resistless, Sooth it in show, rather than curse or cross it; Which all amends, and vow to it your best, But till you may perform it, let it rest. Are you mad, to offer at more blood, and make your self More horrid to your people? I'll proclaim, It is not as your instrument will publish. Well sir, not for your threats, but for your good, Since more hurt to you would more hurt your country, And that you must make virtue of the need That now compels you, I'll consent as far As silence argues to your will proclaimed: And since no more sons of your Princely father Survives to rule but you, and that I wish You should rule Like your father, with the love And zeal of all your Subject's; this foul slaughter That now you have committed made ashamed With that fair blessing, that in place of plagues, Heaven ies our me king disposition, which Take here your sword, which now use Like a Prince, And no more Like a Tyrant. Far fly such rigour your amendfull hand. If this game end thus, heavens will rule the see . What we have yielded to, we could not let. What? speak out. Is this to me? I, is't so? at your stateward, sir? Why do you? or have you, would? I everthought thee Knave of the chamber, art thou the spy too? Baud of the state; No less than of thy Master's lustest. I now See nothing can redeem thee; dost thou mention Affection, or a heart that never hadst any? Knowest not to love or hate, but by the state, As thy prince does`to before thee? that dost never Wear thy own face, but puttest on his, and gatherest Baits for his ears: livest wholly at his beck, And ever thou darest utter a thought's thine own, Must expect his; creepest forth and wadest into him As if thou Wertenberg to pass a ford, there proving Yet if thy tongue may stop on safely, or no: Then bringest his virtue asleep, and stayst the wheel Both of his reason, and judgement, that they move no . Whitest over all his vices; and at last Dost draw a cloud of words before his eyes, Till he can neither see thee, nor himself? Wretch; I dare give him honest counsels, I; And love him while I tell him truth: old Aubrey Dares go the straightest way, which still`S the shortest, Walk on the thorns thou scatterest, Parasite, And tread they into nothing: and if thou Then lettest a look fallen, of the least dislike, I'll rip thy crown up with my sword at height, And pluck thy skin over thy face: in sighed Of him thou flatterest; unto thee I speak it, Slave, against whom all laws, should now conspire, And every creature that hath sense, be armed, As against the common enemy of mankind; That sleepest within thy Master's ear, and whisp'erst 'Tis better for him to be feared, than loved: Bidst him trust no men friendship, spare no blood, That may secure him; 'tis no cruelty That hath a spacious end; for sovereignty Break all the laws of kind; if it succeed And honest, noble, and praiseworthy deed; While he that takes thy poisons in, shall feel Their virulent workings in a point of time, When no repentance can bring aid, but all His spirits shall melt, with what his conscience burned And dying in flatterers arms, shall fallen unmourned. Theres matter for you now. Loving? no. They hate ill Princes most that make them so. Whats his offence? My lord (stay soldiers) I do beseech your highness, do not lose Such men for so slight causes. This is one Has still been faithful to you, a tried soul In all your father's battles; I have seen him Bestride a friend, against a score of foes, And look, he looks as he would kill his hundred For you, sir, were you in some danger. Peace, brave fool; Thou valiant ass, here is his brother too, sir, A captain of your guard, hath served you long, With the most noble witness of his truth Marked in his face, and every partly about him, That turns not from and enemy. But view him, O do not grieve him sir, if you do mean That he shall hold his place: it is not safe To tempt such spirits, and let them wear their swords, You'll make your guards your terrors by these Acts And throw more hearts of from you then you hold: And I must tell you sir, (with my old freedom And my old faith to boot) you have not lived so But that your state will needs such men, such hands Of which heres one, shall in and hour of trial Do you more certain service with a stroke, Than the whole bundle of your flatterers With all the unsavoury unction of their tongues My Lord I hope I have not uttered ought should urge that question. My Lord, I'm sorry then; theres no small despair, sir, of their safety, whose ears are blocked up against truth; come Captain. For what? for seeing thy brother die a man, and honest? Live thou so Captain, I will I assure thee, Although I die for't too: come— Exeunt all but Rollo & Lator I have learned So much sir of the Courtier, as to say Your person do's become your habit; But being called unto it by a noble war, Would grace and armour better. I'll not argue How you may rank the dangers, but will die in't, The ends which they arrive at, are as distant In every circumstance, as far as honour Is from shame and repentance. I will sir. Captain, your love Is ever welcome; I entreat your patience While I peruse these. How's this, a plot on me? To be wrought on by Rogues, and have my head Brought to the axe by knaves that cheat for bred? The Creatures of a parasite, a slave; I find you hear Latorch, not wonder at it; But that this honest Captain should be made His instrument, afflicts me; I'll make trial Whither his will or weakness made him do it. Captain you saw the Duke when he commanded I should do what these letters did direct me, And I presume you think I'll not neglect For fear or favour, to remove all dangers How near soever that man can be to me From whom they should have birth. Nor would you Captain, I believe, refuse, Or for respect of thankfulness, or Hope's, To use your sword with fullest confidence Where he shall bid you strike. Nor will I think. The means to have it so, is now proposed you Draw, so, it's well, and next cut off my head. It's sir the Dukes pleasure: My innocence hath made me dangerous, And I must be removed, and you the man Must act his will. It must be done, And that you may not doubt it, there's your warran But as you read, remember Hamond, that I never wronged one of your brave profession; And, though it be not manly, I must grieve That man of whose love I was most ambitious Could find no object of his hate but me? I am both ways ruined, both ways marked for slaughter On every side, about, behind, before me, My certain fate is fixed: were I a knave now, I could avoid this: had my actions But mere relations to their own ends, I could S ape now: O honesty! thou elder child of virtue, Thou seed of heaven, why to acquire thy goodness Should malice and distrust stick thorns before us, And make us swim unto thee, hung with hazards? But heaven is God by suffering, not disputing Say he knew this before hand, where am I then? Or say he do's not know it, where's my Loyalty? I know his nature, troubled as the Sea, And as the Sea devouring when he's vexed, And I know Princes are their own expounders. Am I afraid of death? of dying nobly? Of worser king in mine innocence uprightly? Have I met death in all his forms, and fears, Now on the points of swords, now pitched on lances? In fires, and storms of arrows, battles, breaches, And shall I now shrink from ̄ him, when he courts me Smiling and full of Sanctity? I'll meet him; My loyal hand and heart shall give this to him, And though it bear beyond what Poets feign A punishment, duty shall meet that pain; And my most constant heart to do him good, Shall check at neither pale affright, nor blood. I charge you let us pass. within. I'll make way then. Had you spoke sooner This might have been prevented; Take the Duchess, And lead her off, this is no sighed for her eyes Who did this deed? How? Justice is ever equal, Had it not been on him, th'adst died too honest. Did you know of his death? I'm sorry for your youth then; though the strictness Of Law shall not fallen on you, that of life Must presently, go to a Cloister, carry her, And there for ever led your life in penitence. Whose there? Seize his body. And you within this half hour; Prepare your self good devil, you must to it, Millions of gold shall not redeem thy mischief, Behold the Justice of thy practice, villain; The mass of murders thou hast drawn upon us: Behold thy doctrine; you look now for reward, sir, To be advanced, I'em sure, for all your labours? And you shall have it, make his gallows higher By ten foot at the least, and then advance him. It's too late fool, Such as you meant for me, away with him. He is led out. What gaping knaves are these, bring'em in fellows, Now, what are you? And you drew a figure? For the Duke, I mean; sir Latorches knaves you are. What did he promise you? But I will see you better paid, go whip them. I know you were, and you shall have your hire; Whip'em extremely, whip that Doctor there, Till he record himself a Rogue. Whip him for being one, and when th'are whipped, Lead'em to the gallows to see their patron hanged; Away with them. They are led out. Now to mine own right, Gentlemen. I apprehend you, and so the fair Matilda dare a cept Me her ever constant servant. Then this is our first tie, now to our business. These sad rights must be done first, take up the bodies, This, as he was a Prince, so Princely funeral Shall wait upon him: on this honest Captain, The decency of arms; a tear for him too. So, sadly on, and as we view his blood, May his Example in our Rule raise good. One that loves you yet, my lord. And would not see you pull on your own ruins Mercy becomes a Prince, and guards him best, Awe and affrights are never ties of Love; And when men begin to fear the Prince, they hate him. I would speak my free thoughts, yet not appear so; Nor am I so ambitious of the title Of one that dares talk any thing that was Against the torrent of his own opinion, That I affect to speak ought may offend you: And therefore gracious Sir, e pleased to think My manners or discretion have informed me That I was born, in all good ends, to serve you; And not to check at what concerns me not: I look not with soar eyes on your rich outside, Nor wrack my thoughts to find out to what purpose It's now employed; I wish it may be good, And that, I hope, offends not for a subject Towards his Prince in things indifferent; To use the austereness of a Censuring Cato Is arrogance, not freedom. I come; and Aubrey now resolve to keep Thy honour living, though thy body sleep. Exit.