IMPERIALE

It is no wonder that your dreams concurred, Since there is that relation in your blood: I must believe, you had the day before Communicated some sad thoughts together, Which in the night your wakeful fantasies From a Like temperature of brain reduced Into Like forms, suggesting that for truth Which is at best but found imagination; What can be vainer then a woman's dream? T'is less to be regarded then her tears, Which are prepared to flow at her command. And well they might, had Troy been provident. But more lament their rash credulity. So did old wizards doubtful things unfold By flights of birds, such witchcrafts now are seized, And we from those dark errors are released: To talk of visions is and indiscretion, Practised by Children, and distempered persons: Go then; prepare your selves for solid joys, On this day the Republic yearly pays A retribution to our Family, And as I hear (the time being Carnivall) Some mirth shall season our solemnity; If Doriam come to day, as we expect, To morrow nothing shall be herd of us But songs of Hymen and Thalassius. I Am with wonder strucken, not with fear, At thy relation of this barbarous plot, Contrived against my life, after faith given, Of firm atonement: but the Leopards spots Or stains of virgin honour may as soon Be wiped away, as hatred that hath seized A cankered breast; this machination Is so inhumane, that to lend it credit Is a degree to inhumanity. Fortune and thy integrity have found A weighty occasion to confirm and fix thee With roots of adamant, in my good opinion: Nor does it happen often to a servant Enjoy the happy means account himself The Saviour of his master: Kings are born More frequently, then such examples found: But if to this unavlu'd benefit Thy pregnant industry can add a second, The mischief to divert upon himself Thou having saved me now, shall crown me then. It may, it may; great merit is in story Ascribed sometime to bondmen; all our souls Are free and equal, thence our merits flow: Why should the person vilify the work, And not the work rather ennoble him? It is the benefit we look upon, And not the givers mean condition. Noble Molosso, such thy virtues make thee, Proceed with Courage in thy enterprise, Which i'll not press to know till the event, But by implicit trust freely declare What confidence I mean to place in thee; And take from me this joust encouragement To rest assured, thy service hath not met With and ungrateful master: I shall never Forgive my late credulity, that meant To-have added to his former punishment. The Sun at noon is not more clearly seen; But may it not breed a suspicion That he was clad Like me? But I much wonder how he was persuaded To put himself so soon into my habit. I intended The Father should be punished, not the son. True, true, death is the end of misery: To die is not wretched, but to live wretchedly, Vengeance is mere compassion when we kill, I feel a joy beyond expression; There is no pleasure Like to sweet revenge; But I desire things should be carried so That I be still reputed innocent. Thou shalt do well to harken a loof off, I'll take no notice but in general, And will proceed in our intended mirth. We must at this time shun Unusual privacy; keep thou thy distance, But know, that both my life and Fortune's are Most willingly committed to thy care. ARe all things ready. Noble friends, Your presence gives addition to the honour Which some young Gentlemen are pleased to do me In the free presentation of their mirth Most seasonable in time of Carnivall, And fit to celebrate this joyful feast Which we may challenge as our holiday. This common wealth that makes them truly happy That share the blessings of her government Disdains not, Like a tyranny, to owe A benefit to subjects; nor rewards With banishment, in stead of Baize, their merit: But hark, music proclaims the maskers coming, Be pleased to take your places, there are seats. 'Twere incivility in her, or us, If you request it, not to be uncivil, Fit down Angelica. Though custom challengeth a liberty To take our wives and daughters forth to tread A measure without scandal, yet embrace, And whisper too, requires a better warrant Then carnivall permission, it implies Domestic privilege, or and affornt. That voice was frequent at a public rape, But sacred hospitality forbids All jealousy of any ill intent. My doubt is in the better sense resolved: You may perceive you're welcome by the joy Expressed both by my daughter, and my wife, In no dry compliment, but in a moist And silent Oratory. So soon at strife? if you will needs contend Who will love best, I'll put you both together. Troth my occasions have the Like request, And therefore if this noble company Will honour us to morrow with their presence, We shall endeavour to requite their loves. You have some business too must be dispatched, Go, lose no time; Molosso come thou hither, I leave thee in my absence to take care, That supper be prepared, and tell the Steward That great revenue, parsimony, now Must be by us neglected: thriving men In charges that come seldom, are profuse. WHat, no for warder? w'are Like to sup to night At a fine hour? How? knock again, yet, this is very strange, Where should Molosso be; perhaps my wife And daughter with their maids may all be busy, For I suppose they were to take a both; He certainly would not neglect my service: I know not what to think, my jealousy Suggests a thousand fears, go presently, Desire the Engineer to lend m' and Engine, That I may force the door. What's thy intent? Thou knowest how far I trust thee deer Molosso. Iowe my life to thee and ever shall Make that acknowledgement, then do not thou Destroy thine own great merit. Oh my deer wife and daughter, where are they? What is the woe that these strange signs import? Speak my Honoria, my Angelica. Mine ears may hear what such soft hearts can bear I have a breast prepared for misery. Was there none near to aid? where was Nugella? What haste a wretched creature makes to hear His own dire wretchedness? but now Molosso, Since thou hast cloyed thy furious appetite, Unbind their tender hands, and send them down, That we may all condole their heavy Fortune's. Oh spare their lives, and all shall be forgiven! Alas poor souls, what crime have they committed? Villain, I will not, thus I snatch away That partly of thy revengeful insolence, puls out his eyes. So shall the Sun and Moon, heavens rolling eyes, Drop from their spheres at the world's general ruin, to avoid the spectacle, it's fit my light Should be extinguished with my dearest objects. There can be none but young Prince Doriam left, So apprehensive of my misery. What thou beholdest, is the least partly of mine, And thine own woe. She and her mother both are visely murdered; And that's not all, they both were ravished first By those two savage beasts. I feel so great a weight of misery, That I can scarce be sensible of more, Although it be (what's harder to be born Than my calamity) a villains scorn. know not, gentle Spinola how thou Can to accept thanks from me, that have from thee eserv'd so ill, It may not be supposed and dissemble now, that Villain there Contrived thy deer sons death without my knowledge, Though I am guilty of as great a crime, For I was willing, to my too late grief Upon discovery made by thine own Slave Of thy intent, to have the same retorted Upon thy self, the rest that wretch did plot, In whom I placed a wicked confidence; And did at length too much applaud the fact, From whence our mutual Misery's result. The only comfort of a wretched soul Is to despair of comfort. I see not The mansion guilty of such wickedness, But I am seen, a wretch, in Genua, Where all my ancestors stand wreathed with honour: I'll wander to a desert, or else climb Some remote mountain, where dark clouds that hung About his high erected head, shall hide me From all the eyes of men, there I'll lament My Misery's in willing banishment. Oh Wretched state of man, to whom the time: By nature made for ease, is found unquiet; Sleep, properly called rest, who can express How restless it becomes through various dreams? 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 deep Impression in the troubled mind; Nor does this only happen to weak women, But unto men of special eminence, Working upon their Hope's aswell as fears, Who many times to their confusion Have by such drowsy errors been seduced; Hence did Hamilcar venture to assault Strong racuse deluded by a dream; But though it be a folly beyond pardon To venture life or fortune in pursuit Of such a vanity, yet in all things Abundant wariness can never hurt: My slave may not unfitly be compared To a tame Wolf, or Bear, who may perchance Resent his late sharp castigation; Him will I send to my own Galley, where He shall be chained from mischief, and to me Not prove unuseful, when the smallest boudt May easily be removed, who would omit it? Let others loose themselves in laborinthes Of hidden superstition, and believe The air to be replenished with spirits, Who by a natural and inherent virtue Foreseeing things to come, and taking pity Upon improvident man, reveal by visions The dangers that approach, to th'end he may By timely care prevent his misery; I'll not depend on such intelligence T'informe me whither Spinola hath buried Or only hid, his long continued malice, I'll fetch my preservation nearer; hence, That shall conserve this individual; No man can suffer ill but from himself, Fate only awes the slothful; wisdom bars The powerful operation of the stars. HOw comes it, deer, that the clear sky, thy looks, Is suddenly overcast? what misty vapour Hath raised those stormy clouds? can bright Aurora Rise cheerfully from shriveled Tythons bed? And thou so discontentedly from mine? But I'll not doubt the cause to spring from me, Rather from fear of young Prince Doria's safety, Whose great affairs perhaps have made him stretch His promise to the utmost, not to break it, Though he could not prevent our expectation, He'l not deceive't, but Like th'approaching Sun, Will soon expel these mists, and cheer our hearts.