ALBERTUS

In brief, I love fair Isabella, so as honour, Not the vicious heat of youth, Commands me to affect, I love her virtue, And have in that as noble, rich a dowry, As the addition of estate and blood, Which you have acquired in your late happy match With young Emilia. Why, good brother, Though she transcends her in her birth and Fortune's, Yet in the rare endowments of her mind, She is her equal, virtue has a soul as precious Look on my face, and read my business there. Alas my Lord, your looks Are discomposed with rage, your fiery eyes Roll with the accustomed motion, they had wont To dart upon your enemies, I am Assured my innocence can no way merit Your all-consuming anger. This was the killing fever I still feared; Sir I should be a stranger to your blood, As well as noble worth, should I commit Actions I shamed to justify: I confess I love fair Isabella, and beseech you, The meanenesse of her fortune and her birth Omitted. she may be conferred upon me In lawful marriage. I should Sir be degenerate From your great spirit, should I fear to utter What I do wish effected, were you a God, As being my Father, you're but a degree To me beneath one, in a cause so righteous, I should not only boldly crave your license, But hope to have it granted. Great Sir, Can virtue be a blemish, or true worth Disgrace Nobility; 'twas that at first, When Nature made all equal, did distinguish betwixt man and man, and gave a just precedence To the most worthy: Honour is Virtues offspring, Since then the Angel, my affection's fixed on, Is fair and virtuous, all the good that ever Durst with frail flesh commix, or earth be proud of: How to our Families honour can she bring A diminution? Can sir the chaste ice, Kissed by the Sun, into its native substance, Pollute a crystal River, surely rather It adds fresh moisture to its stream. My Lord, I am your son, and have been still obedient To your commands; Oh by your love, your virtue, Your never daunted virtue, I beseech you, Grant me this one request, were't for my life, I should not be so abject, as to spend This breath for its redemption. All the blessings, Prayers can obtain from heaven, shower down upon you For your superlative mercy. Heavens protect me! Strange cruelty! so tyrants used to grant offenders life, After their condemnation: to reserve them To combat wild beasts in the spacious Cirque, Or bloody Amphitheater: My Lord. Stay sir, I do beseech you hear me. Then Sir I will speak, Since you forget to be a father to me, I will put off my duty; I'm resolved, Since it's impossible that we should live, To die together: nor do not slave presume, To touch this mine of purity, it's a treasure While I'm alive Hell cannot ravish from me, (For fiends would fear to touch it) if you murder This spotless innocent Virgin, you are such, So merciless a tyrant, as do love To feed on your own bowels, one whom nature Created for a curse, and to get curses, Such prodigies as I am, one whom all Lovers Shall tremble at, if mentioned; one. Saucy devil, carry that touch of her to hell, it'll serve To mitigate thy tortures. Is run through. Kills one of the Guard. 'Twas a most friendly hand, and I could kiss it, For the most welcome benefit; Isabella, In death thou givest me life, thy innocence, Will Like my guardian Angel, safely convey me To yonder heavenly Mansion: pray forgive me, Dear Sir, if in my overhasty zeal In this poor innocents quarrel, my wild fury, Transgressed my natural duty, and as the last Request your dying son can ask, take pity On this most innocent Maid: thy hand, my fair one, And now as willingly I do expire, As a blessed Martyr, who does court the fire. Oh Isabella die. Good Colonel, No more of this. No more, you'll anger me. Speed your endeavours, brother. Ex. Newm. Alber To be in love, nay to be so in love, To put off all our reason and discourse, Which does distinguish us from savage beasts, To dote upon a face (which Like a mirror, Sullied by any breath) by the least sickness, Grows pale and ghastly: Is not this mere madness, Why should't inhabit here then: sure the soul, As it's a spirit of a subtle essence, A form as thin and pure, as is and Angels, Can never be author of these wild desires, So opposite to its nature, they're all fleshly, Sordid, as is the clay this frame's composed of. Shall the soul, The noble soul, be slave to these wild passion, And bow beneath their weight: would Isabella, Int. Isab. All reason, sense and soul are in her looks, There's no discourse beyond them: cruel fair one, Are you still resolute to persist in your Strange tyranny and scorn my constant love. This is coyness, A cunning coyness, to make me esteem At a high rate, that jewel which you seem To partly from so unwillingly (Merchant's use it To put bade wares away:) deer Isabella, Think what excessive honour thou shalt reap, In the exchange of one poor trivial gem, And that but merely imaginary, a voice, And unsubstantial essence, yet for that Thou shalt have real pleasures, such as Queens, Prove to delicious luxury, would covet To sat their appetites: Think Isabella, That hardest Marble, though not cut by force, By oft diffusion of salt drops, is brought Into what ever form the Carvers fancy Before had destined it: your heart's that substance, And will by frequent oratory of tears, Be brought to wear the perfect stamp, the figure Of my affection on it. You're too humble, Impose too mean a valve on a gem, Kings would be proud to wear, deer Isabella, Let not thy modest sweetness interpose A new impediment betwixt my lawful flames, And thy own Vestal chastity, let not fear, (To thy sex incident) of my father's wrath Stagger thy resolution; thou shalt be To me, my father, mother, brother, friend, My all of happiness; if we cannot here In peace enjoy our wishes, we will love Like Turtles in a Desert, only blessed In one another's company. Enter Fred Newm. Surprised, and by my brother, prithee sweet Withdraw, I would not have thy timorous ears, Frighted with his loud anger. Gentle brother, you speak a language I nor understand, Nor valve much the meaning. In your love I meddled not, an't had been manners in you, Not to have intruded upon mine, your presence Being unrequired. Pray, good brother use Your threats upon your Corporals, or stamp At your tame Lancepresados, when they do not Perform your charge; your rage upon your boys, Were more becoming, then upon your brother: If you will fit, and with attentive patience, Mark what I shall deliver, I will give you Reasons for my intentions, but if not, You may depart unsatisfied. Why, cruel fair one, should you shun his sighed, Whose very soul moves in your eyes, or why Should your blessed voice, speak health to all the world, Yet threaten death to me: look on my youth, My hopeful youth, which in the active war, Has taught old Soldiers discipline: behold it Nipped by the cold frost of your icy beauty, As in a fever languishing to nothing, Forgetful of the noble pride and strength, It has so lately boasted, it's injust To see me still over my foes victorious, Made by my self your captive, to insult Over your suppliant vassal, would those eyes, Which can contract lights orb into a glance, Become impoverished by a smile, those cheeks Sully their native tincture, should they blush At your minds cruelty, 'twould rather add To the illustrious excellence. Stay, you must not speak yet, There's not and accent issuing from your lips, But has the power, should thunder speak, to charm, To peaceful quiet the affrighted, the world, And would strike dumb my passion: best of Virgins There is not that disparity betwixt our births, As there's inequal difference betwixt our hearts; Mine all on fire, dare combat with the Sun For heats priority, yours Mountain snow, Cold as the north, and cruel as my Fortune's: Yet you may make them equal as your eyes are, By yielding up that fort, which will, when time Has given it ceremonious privilege, be perhaps By some unworthy groom, without resistance Surprised and entered. I do dream sure. Sure some Angel inhabits here, This cannot be a Mansion For mortal frailty: sweet farewell, good night, I would not have my over-saucy love, Commit a rude intrusion on thy peace, Though parting with thee be more torment to me, Then to forgo mine eyes; may all the joys Of healthful slumbers crown thy bed, thy dreams Be free from paraphrasing on my memory Lest it affright you; once more, Dear, good night, While you with pleasing happy sleeps are blessed, I'll seek some way to my eternal rest. The Colonel Tells you, your own, good brother.