GODFREY

I wonder, brother's, why my father hath sent for us thus early: that, all business set ap rt, we must meet toga there this morning. Bound must obey: Since I have undertook To serve my Master truly for seven years, My duty shall both answer that desire, And my old Masters profit every way. I praise that City which made Princes Tradesmen: Where that man, noble or ignoble born, That would not practice some mechanic skill. Which might support his state in penury, Should die the death; not suffered Like a drone, To suck the honey from the public Hive. I hold it no disparage to my birth, Though I be born and Earl, to have the skill And the full knowledge of the Mercers Trade. And were I now to be create a new, It should not grieve me to have spent my time The secrets of so rich a Trade to know, By which advantage and much profits grow. With much ado, do I contain my spirit. Within these bands, that have enclosed me round. Though now this cafe the noble Sun does shroud; Time shall behold that Sun break through this cloud. Even to the place you travail, there to ascend With those devout prayers you to heaven commend. Brother's, since we are now as strangers here, Yet by our father's provident care so placed, That we may live secure from penury: So let us please our Masters by our care, That we our ruined Fortune's may repair. Well, leave this jesting: we forget our selves. Sister, weel have you to our father's house, Enjoy the small possessions left you there: Return we to our Masters and our charge, Left seeking this our l tering to excuse, With forged inventions we their ears abuse. I hear a drum. I have as much power to fit, Sort out my wares, and scribble on a Shopboard, When I but hear the music of a drum, As to abstain from meat when I am hungry. I'll know what news before I stir a foot. Nay then have with you brother's; for my spirit With as much vigour hath burst forth as thine, And can as hardly be restrained as yours. Give me your hands I will consort you too: Let's try what London Prentices can do. So of us all: then let us in one ship Launch all together: and as we are brother's, So let us enter zealous amity, And still prevail by our united strength. I know our hearts are one; sister Farewell. Trust me in vain you should persuade our stay: For we are bent, consort us with your prayers. God! Make us happy men, To win. What art thou with thy brow confrontest me? Thou know me not to set my name so light. Thou hast struck fire upon a flinty spirit. Thinkest thou, because thou leadest the French Kings troops, And art Commander of a few bold French, That we will yield the upper hand to thee? I let thee know thou hast dishonoured me. Now by my Knighthood I'll revenge this wrong; And for that word, thy heart shall curse thy tongue. He shall not march before me. Zounds but thou shalt not, by this blessed day, I'll pitch thee Like a bar out of my way. No, can they not? by heaven I'll try a throw. Robert of Normandy, by all the honour Thou hopest achieve thee in these holy wars, Stand from betwixt us, let's but try one fallen I'll cast his cork-like trunkè by wondrous skill, As Hercules threw Lyca's from and Hill. Well let him march before, I will resign: Ro ert prevails; Frenchman the right is thine. Had not young Eustace in the seas be drowned, I should have said, he treads upon this ground. And but none scaped the dangerous seas save I, This Frenchman I should think my brother Guy. March back again? O scandal to our names Have we deserved to be so censured on, Though not one man upon my partly would stand, Alone I'll pierce the bowels of his Land. Basely retire when we have marched thus far? rst we'll unpeople this thy Land by war. Nor I. That which next comes. Give me this Partizan: now strike up drums. Princes stand off, my warlike arm this day For all your Troops shall win a prosperous way. Yet will I through. O but behold! I have this to hew my way. And heavenly mixture, now beshrew my heart, But Godfrey with the rest could cry half partly. Beauteous love. Why should not I enjoy her? If valour may achieve her, I'mongst many Will bid more warlike blows for her then any. Stand we to prate, when others draw their sword I'll keep mine sharp for the brave Sultans crest. That tongue brings war, thy motions we commend. Pagan, no: Wars friend speak thou, I am to Peace a foe. I had not thought such spirits had remained Within the warlike breasts of Infidels. What have you done? injustice stains our crests If for this act ye have not loft their lives. It shall be so. Attend me, Pagan Lords; We come not with gray gowns, and Pilgrimss staves, Beads at our sides, and sandals on our feet, Fear in our hearts, entreaty in our tongues, To beg a passage to our Prophets graven. But our soft Beaver Fell we have turned to iron, Our gowns to armour, and our shells to plumes, Our walking staves we have changed to Cemytars, And so with pilgrimss hearts, not Pilgrim's habits, We come to hew way through your main Armies, And offer at the Tomb our contrite hearts Made purple with as many Pagans bloods, As we have in our breasts religious thoughts. And so be gone, no words in trifling wast, Death follows after you with wings of hast. Why do you look so sad upon their griefs? A leaden weight of grief lies at my heart, And I could wish my self were anisht too, To bear them in their sorrows company. Tancred! Godfr y never dreamed to have met with Tancred her The Lady that hath fled from our chaste love, (Whom Tancred I do more affectionate, Because she much resembles my fair sister) Hath caused me so much to forget my self, And play the wanderer in these unknown woods. soft march. But soft, that drum should speak the Pagans tongue: I fear we are betrayed, I, I, it's so: Tancred, we are round compassed by the foe. This way, this sacred path our Saviour trodden, When he came riding to Jerusalem, While the religious people spread his way With flowers, and garments, and Hosanna cried. Yonder did stand the great Church, where he taught, Confuting all the Scribes and Pharisees. This place did witness all his miracles: Within this place did stand the judgement seat, Where Pontius Pilate with the Elders sat, Where they condemned him to be whipped and crowned, To be derided, mocked, and crucified, His hands bored through with nails, his side with Spears. O, who can see this place, and keep his tears? Soldan and Sophy, you damned hellhounds both, So quakes the Eagle to behold a gnat, The Lion to behold a Marmosat. I'll beard and brave you in your own belief, As when the heathen God, whom you call Jove, Uva red with the Giant, great Encel dus, And flung him from Olympus two-topt Mount The swains stood trembling to behold his fallen, That with his weight did make the earth to groan. So, Sold n, look, when I have scaled these walls, And wone the place where now thou standest secure, To be hurled headlong from the proudest Tower, In scorn of thee, thy false gods, and their power. This shield you see, includes two mysteries; A Virgin crowned it is the M rcers Arms, Withal the picture of my love that's fled. Both these I'll grace, and add to them thy head. Why shrinks the warm blood from my troubled heart? Say father, are not you the Bullen Earl? Peace forged Bastard whatsoever though be: My reverend father, call none son but me, For in this sword does rest thy liberty. But father, I am Godfrey; That by my valour have regained your right: Have God your Dukedom from th'insulting French, And am my self invested Bullens Duke. Brother Charles! The confident assurance of thy death, Made me to give the lie to my own thoughts. Ah, but the resolution of thy death Made me to lose such thought. Prince Robert, did the time afford us leave, We would discourse the sum of our escapes: But to our father's rescue. Be that our quarrel. For CHRIST, my father, conquest, & two Crow es: What puissant arm snatched hence the Sophies Stan dard? 'Twas he released us; honoured stranger thank , But they are idle offerings from true hearts. Prince Tancred and my self, owe thee our lives. Whose shield is that? Then by thee we live, Thou didst our desperate lives and freedom give. What ere your quarrel be, contend no more He draws his sword'gainst me that fights again: For I am foe to all descension. And you did bear that shield. Brother Charles. I'll question with them, for may it not be The might escape the seas as well as we? I had a brother, sir, resembled you. My brother's name was E stance. My brother Eustace! O let me urse that head that envied thee. When I was cast upon the Bullen Strand, I thought none had escaped the seas but I. Witness my shield the Trade I have pro est. If thou hast more to say concerning war, Omit thy braves and trifling circumstance: We'll meet you sooner then you can desire. Be gone, be gone, our hearts are all on fire. Your Grace is Captain General of the Army. My brother Guy chief General of the Horse To serve him his Lieutenant Colonel Captains and Skout-maisters. We shall not needs to block the breach with Forts, Victuals and forage are at pleasure ours. Stoccadoes, Palisades, stop their waters. Bulwarks and Curtains all are battered down And we are safe entrenched by Pioneers. Our Case-mates, Cavaliers, and Counterscarp, Are well surveyed by all our Engineers. Fortifications, Ramparts, Parapets; That we at pleasure may assault the way, Which leads unto the gate Antiochia. Christians at home abroad our conquests fame; Thou God of Hosts this day make known thy name. For every man we lead, the foe hath ten, Their weapons tops appear above their heads, In as thick number as the spikes of grain Upon a well-tiled land: they have more lives, Then all our tired arms could send to death, If they should y eld their bore breasts to our swords. Gone to scale a Tower In which our father lies: O I did see them Cut down a wood of men upon the sudden. Their swords cut lances, as a sith cuts grass: Their valour seems to me miraculous. Thou Saviour of the world, whose Cross we bear, Infuse our hearts with courage, theirs with fear. Thou that dost muster Angels in the sky, That in thy self hast power of victory: Make thy name shine, bright as the noontide Sun, Since Zion and Jerusalem are wone. With tears I speak it, lagging in the train Of the di ressed Soldan he was . Robert of Normandy. Princes, you press me down with too mu h ho ors, And load a soul that cannot bear them up. Dissuade me not, no counsel I will hear. Behold a Crown which Godfrey means to wear! A Crown of Thorns. This made the blood run from our Saviour's Brow No Crown but this ean Godfrey's heart allow. Prayers are my pride, devotion draws my sword, No pomp but this can Bullens soul afford. My vow's irrevocable, state I refuse; No other Crown but this will Godsrey choose. In honour of my first profession That shield in all these wars by Godfrey born, I crown this Maids head with a wreathe of Thorn. Madame! Thy honoured love with honour I return, What thou wouldst give me, I resign thee back; This kind reply to me stands Like a charm, Then royally let's march on arm in arm. I see the swords were sharpt against Infidels, Must be employed to lavish Christian blood. Upon his soul lie all the heinous gilded, Who being a Christian Prince, forbids and bars Our quiet passage to these Pagan wars. Stay brave Prince Tancred, stay great Norman Duke. Out of my zeal to God and Christendom, To anch the blood which should be broached this day, Unto the grief of all that honour CHRIST, And joy to such as love Idolatry: I make this challenge general through the Host Of him that interrupts us on our way. If any proud Italian dare take up The honoured gage which I have here thrown down, And fight a single combat for our passage; These shall be made our strict conditions. If him I conquer, all our Host shall march Without all let and contradiction: If I be vanquished by thy Champions hand, Our Army shall march ba ke out of thy land. Dare? sends thy Lord in that ambitious key