CAIN

What is the cause that makes you thus accuse The world of faults, your self of inward fear? Do not forsake your self: For they that do, Offend, and teach the world to leave them too. Mortal our God shall be; the truth shall lie; Darkness shall see her self; fame loose her voice; Ere I will leave my love, or my love you: Afflictions wounds affection do renew. You know I love: speak plain, and do not fear, That reason other is than kindness there. Oh hell! and is thy seat in fleshly hearts? Be men ill thoughts his own ill spirits become? I well can think that Mahomet aspires; For love of greatness may with goodness go: But cannot think that he our death conspires. Perchance he seeks to do your brother Right, Which makes our own desires to do us spite. Let care as fast then add unto her eyes. Hasty attempts make chance precipitate. What shall I do? My love of him, and truth, do make me loath To think them wronged: And shall I wrong them both? With shaking thoughts no hands can draw a right: True hearts, to do unnobly, have no spirit. More easy motions gentle hearts receive: His fault was great; yet you may have redress In State, and honour, without such excess. If leave, or left the fate of kindness be, By his example, what becomes of me? Great hearts thus given away, in prison are; Their strength, their bans; and good belief, their smart: Love never severs reason from the heart. Distract I am: my reason (Like a cloud, Before a winter's storm) rides here, and there: Like redes, my thoughts are straight and crooked too; With diverse breathes, which diverse passion blow. Against the stream of truth must love still go? Resolved I am that Mahomet shall die. It is not I that live in me, but you; Whose will hath fashioned all my thoughts anew. Far be it off, our Hope's should be so vain. Our secret love already tempts God, To war him more with infidelity, Would hasten vengeance, and make sharp his rod. We God and man will first try with the death Of Mahomet: If that do pass for good, Hope easily makes occasion understood. By sword. By poison then; whereof though doubts may grow, What one alone may do, is hard to know. By these two hands, that will not fail their heart, It shall be wrought. If poison miss, the sword shall compass it: When chances often escape, at last they hit. What I have vowed, both God, and Nature hate; My heart misgives; my soul does prophecy, That evil thoughts procure and evil fate. But ah! my love I gave, and it gave me. The choice is passed: Thoughts now must think to do Not what I freely am, but forced unto. In care they live that must for many care; And such the best, and greatest ever are. I live but to obey the Princes will. As sweetest vapours covet to the sky: So faith, and duty after Princes run; Ill nature never canindure a Sun. Harsh spirit hates them, that do not hate with it, Miscensures all the world to seem severe; Binds honesty and truth to have no wit; These ill-faced virtues not of nature be, But peevishness, true honours enemy. Is fame to censure us that live above, And must fell justice, if we purchase love? What do I, that the world can well reprove? Suffer I do; for infamy is there, Where either malice, envy is, or fear. Love I confess I do; And what is it, But nature's tax, laid upon good intent, For right, and honour unto excellent? Let this bear witness: No false prophets know, The time, or manner of their overthrow. What ugly music inward discords make? Thoughts laid asleep of long do now appear; Even half my power conjures me for his sake. What's this? Me hinks I feel my shame grow deer. Hate of my self, and desolation breed, Where joy, and pleasure I was wont to feed. What can I hope? My fruit of better wit Is but to know I sailed for lack of it. Shame is in that I leave, and that I do: The fault is only mine; and only I, A sacrifice unto you all, will die. That is destroy my self; and I consent: For all any thoughts to thee were evil bent. " Mischief overflows my thoughts; & Like a sea, " Devours the dews, the rain, the snow, the springs, " And all their sweetness to his saltness brings. How should I ground a faith, that faithless know My self to be? Or why should he mistrust, On whom the worst that can befall is joust? Mahomet! Thou hast overcome: I yield, by thee To hold my life, as sentence of my fallen; Thy worths example, no life natural. Yet grant me thus-much more; to keep thee close, Till I thy death to Alaham impart; Conceit it self does ease a broken heart. Behold my state! bound to my enemies; Of friends in doubt. To me even good, and ill, The one despair, the other cowardice. Hala I love: Oh word beyond the right, On which is built that false thought, Liberty, Which makes great hearts in greatest ills delight. I sought her love through all the arts of lust; Where will, is faith; and honour, Tyranny; Mischief, affections proof; and shame, her trust. Hard, back from ill, the way to goodness is, By scorn, remorse, patience, and broken heart, Impossible to them that do amiss. Then on: walk in this path of death, or shame; Alaham is false, or Mahomet, or I; Resolved I am, that one of us shall die. By fate I think: for Justice fatal is, As Gods bequest to them that do amiss. By these hands that owe service to the State, And by his blood have made it fortunate. In falling down, these only words he spoke: " Help people! help: My death your bondage brings: " Behold! these wounds receive I for your sake; " Reward of them that friend you under Kings. " Vile Cain! that (Like the Axe) dost go about, " To cut thy self and helve to wear thee out. Is thy desire grown wanton in her joy? Or dost thou seem to say thy wishes nay, More kindly in the end with them to play? Unto the world although I guilty be; I did thy will: let me be clear to thee. The State of Kings is large; yet lacks in this, That easy each thing, but not lawful is. Beside, you then a second brother were; Nor knew I, when this plot we did devise, You should see clearer by your father's eyes. " Ah fearful friendships with superior powers! " Whose two parts, they themselves, and their Estates, " Divide, or join Like nets; and be the snare, " Where love, and fear to power entrapped are. Alaham! avow thy deed. To constant wickedness men honour bear, Where truth it self hath injury by fear. Stay Sir! I say that he still living is, And my confession of my self untrue. Princess of me! I find care in your face, Woe smothered up; I came to know your will; Nothing which you command me can be ill. Placed in a Throne? Guarded? Adored? and Crowned? What means this change? These signs of Ma iestie? Goodness gets not so soon a great Estate: Mischief's foul way to Sovereignty: This secret haste is sure: all is imbound. What shall I do? Hold on the course I meant? Why not? The death of Mahomet will still content. Thy will is done; and Mahomet is slain.