ARATUS

Fit Lectures for such a Sholler. We may chance to find one out for Funerals. You are rude Comastes, and let me tell you— You are the Foxes that thrive by it. Phro. Aratus your anger is unseasonable, and the King marks it. Royal Sir I ask your pardon, he waked me something rudely, and God a froward answer. Not I Sir, nor of my Lord the Fool's there, Kings are more miserable than they seem Happy, flattered by themselves and others Into a Joy that is not, and what they Feel, they rather do believe, than find so. Yet I grant too, a King may be happy But never as a King. Felicity Is a purchase, and no inheritance, Nor hath the prerogative more than one Life in't neither, it die still with the buyer, Troubles are the good kings profession, In the wars the first dart is thrown at him, Where his happiness is in a glorious death, Or else his Godlike rays plucked from him By some accursed hand, and so falls less Happy, being but wished so by a poor Revenge he knows not. Sir, you see how this place and my freeness are injured. Your Lordship means none here? Great sir you highly honour me. Well, bravely well. 'Tis no matter, he cannot cross us now, None but the Gods can do't, nor they without a miracle, great as was their providence Which hitherto hath saved us, we have not Taken so many years to built a work up And then to have it ruined with a push: No, he that will shak't, must first overthrow A Kingdom, a Prince, a Law, so large The extents are, never did plot thrive Like it: It has infected with the holy soar The greatest partly o'th Realm, and catches daily Like some unheard of new opinions Streigthned at first, and prisoned in the breasts Of two or three, gains strength by time, and ears, And daily fed by curiosity, Thrusts out at last the old and most received, And grows the whole religion of the place. When we have called our party forth, the work Will seem done, the thin numbers which are left Not deserving the name of enemies. The Tyrant then will see himself no more A Klng, only the wretched cause of war His power being ravishd from him. We will not longer, only a little ceremony detains us, to crown our King, that passed, our actions, and our thoughts shall then contend in motion. Most happily, O had you seen with me there the deer cause Of this our danger, you would have thought it So no more, but stood contemning life, Thinking your blood ill stored within your veins, When that his service called it. Sure it some such Shape and sweetness, which first slaved men And gained a Rule before there was a kingdom. Oh 'tis true, our next partly is to delight our selves in do king something, pray bear me company, we may get thanks for it another day. Exeunt. In the name of wonder what art thou? Nay, I know not, not does any but and Antiquary or a Conjurer, certainly thou art no man, or if be'st, I am sure, none of the last Edition. I, that i'de feign know, heeres no hold open In the earth. From the bottom of it I think, theres nothing Like thee above water. Thou shouldst be hanged for thy very looks, if thou Wertenberg not, they are excusable in no calling else. I begin to admire this fellow. They search them. What's here; a roges Limbs, Beards: their two heads a piece. They were so, didst kill them both alone, Trust me, thou art a brave fellow, and I admire thy stoutness, thou lookest as if thou hadst been nursed in perils: darest thou withstand a bold one, but as honest as 'tis great? what sayest thou, canst thou Like of us? I believe thee, and dare promise thou wilt do wone dears, let me embrace thee, thou art welcome to our friendship; mine eyes did look on thee unworthily before, methinks thart comely now, thy scars are so many graces, not set by and effiminate but by a manly and warlike Skill Business calls us hence, thou shalt not partly one minute from me, thy wound needs help, Come, thou shalt heal before me. Exeunt. Om. S r . the King congratulates your safety and is glad of your arrival, though the cause were dangerous, you would have obliged him much, S r . if you had been bound for Creta. His Majesty expects yowl honour him with your presence this night at Court. Though your grace are here a Strangor, I may de manned of you where the King is? Sure he is not well, I hope he is not, with a safe loyalty I may wish he hath a dangerous cause rather than none, to take him from a Prince the first night of his arrival in Court. Believe me (my Lord) both your entertainment, and this necessity, that you are drove to use so mean a service as mine, does shame me much. 'Tis not the nature of this place to be thus uncivil, nor is tour custom, as it hath been this day, to coop our Ladies up as if the sighed were dangerous, their beau ties will endure the Test: and we will put them too't; it unkindly done, I know one look of theirs would have given a welcome to a young man above the greatest cost. We have two Princesses Sir, few Kingdoms can show such Jewels, but only one is oriental, the other's arti ficiall, but and excellent Jemme too; one of them, the true one, I doubt not but I have credit for to show you, but 'tis not to be purchased, that happy opportunity is already passed, and the now owner esteems it above his wealth, his life, I, and his honour too. aside. All but jealous men think so, and they count them selves robbed of all happiness in their wives another does re ceive, are as covetous of their beauty's as many husbands of their persons, think themselves cuckolded by a woman's commendation. But, my Lord, I'll leave you, I was going to the Princess before I met your grace. I know few words will gain so easy a request, to morrow and daily I'll wait upon your Lordship. Madam, a little of your company I beseech you. A good salutation for a fair Lady whose beauty's so destructive. What do you look at? do you want a servant? Why pray? because he's black; the sitter for a Lady. He's white within, all snow and milk. What, would you have one that spends more milk about his face than he sucked in his childhood, that dresses him self in gloves as if one partly were too good to do service for the other, and dares not show his hands for shaming of his Mi stris, nor commend hers because his own are whiter, and when he is a bed, none can distinguish whither he be the hus band, nor hardly she herself. This is one neglects his outside beyond a common cleanness, and bestows that care upon his mind, there wasts his four hours of dressing, and what the other does exceed in sprucenes he'll make good in service, pay respects unto his Ladies person, and not unto her muff, and if at any time danger do approach her, fearless he dares Beatrice it back, or make it welcome by his noble fallen, himself in presence guards her, and his memory in his absence. Come, pray spoil not his Hope's among the Ladies he's a young Courtier and wants a Mistress. I thought 'twould come to this, you make the furthest way about, the nighest to your ends, love by discommending, pray let him salute you then. Well, I warrant you; my friend? Pray draw near, heeres a fair Lady gladly would sa lute you, now you are at Court you must lay by your warlike thoughts, and plot how you shall overcome in compliment and conquer in civility. What think you? Well, to leave you in that rapture, May I speak with the Princess? May I adventure to go in? You are a longing again, but not a bit, 'tis sweet meat, not a bit. Exeunt omnes. And Madam, I doubt not but shortly I shall bring you news of greater joys, and see you in that height you were born, a Queen, not to be approachd but by ceremony, and the humblest services. Madam, leave that to me, none but my self, and this Gentlemen (which I beseech your Grace to know) shall be ac quainted with it, and we will wait upon him. We are both your humble creatures. My Lord, Cupid put his hoodwink on you that he used to aim with, and than you could not miss the mark, I fear the second view will not be so delightful, the most ex cellent things scarce please twice. These habits then my Lord will bring you thither, me thinks your Grace becomes them really well, now you are a Person most Sacrosanct, twice holy, made so by your Majesty and order. 'Tis time that you were going, the guide is ready to attend you to the place from whence you must seem to come, I with a private guard will wait you at the Princess lodgings for fear of any sudden danger. When this is passed, then for the great work, this is but a flourish to recreate the Senses inrespect of that, it now grows towards and end, and heavier Like many things at first light in themselves, and hardly to be caught for every air, being condensed and thickened to a bottom, do press the shoulders and make the veins groan under. How now friends, me thinks your looks are lively, how succeeds your undertakings? Why this is the life of every Actium, and makes it plea sant, when fortune is no enemy to industry, nor turns her wis dome into folly, makes not that a ruin which was a well or dered safety, when they both consent the burden's light, and labour but a serious sport. You must look to that. The time now grows pre tious, we must weigh each dram, and till this be over, count all lost we spend in sleep or eating: come, every man to his charge. I doubt not on the day, to have a Prince help us to set the Crown upon our King. Exeunt omnes. To enjoy it hourly, and to the end, or I shall curse my self else. Only with your prayers, the men will overcome, and the Gods, who must with piety be conquered, we'll leave to your goodness, but madam you must yet conceal your joys, and not speak them with a look. There are but a few days now, as I may truly say, to crown our labours, our greatest care is how we shall provide for your grace before the time, your stay here may be dangerous. Madam the Prince. If I would set a spectacle to the World, it should be such a close, where beauty Adored beauty and greatness bowed to greatness, Me thinks the heavens do open, and the clouds Are spun into a thread, to let down some God unto this contract. Let us withdraw, The Power is now descended, and all Within is sacred and mysterious, And if we do pry into these secrets, Our curiosity will be punished. I may stand amazed at the nobleness in you both, but not at this agreement in you, I know virtues are still a kin though the persons are strangers they are in. While this old Puppy thus does sleep And does in vice, as age grow deep Benumbing all these Plants are nigh Into a drowsy Let bargie, Behold a nobler Branch appears, As far from's manners as his years, Your grace is welcome, but it may seem to a Strange place and person; what think you my Lord, are not you fall len into the company of so many traitorous and lost men. My Lord, you understand it right, there is a Religion towards, and I may truly say that this our private meeting and close counsel is more just, and glow rious then the loudest deed in Court, that all our pub Like Acts, edicts, and forms of Law, are dark and impious compared to it; nay, that this time and place made holy by our purposes hath the gods more manifest and present, then the Sacrifice and Temples, long since made void and empty of a Deity, by those which sue for favours and request for him, who justly hear deserves their horridest vengeance, we are not met here to plot a general ruin for a private injury, we know and teach the greatest Done by the King unto the Subject, can not give him cause to throw off his faith. Kings are petty gods and may tempt us, nor is it want or desire of Innovation that thus Stirs us, we are in the best ill State already, nor ambition to Strike at that Law rell which the Thunder spares, no we reverence it, and know that as men are the works of nature, so Kings of Jove. But it's our oath the Sacrament we took, which still holds us though our Lord be dead, until his successor do quit us from it, by taking of a new one, we are not Subject's, but slaves to him we now obey, and therefore as slaves we ought to hate our Master; he was born less then we, and hides the private man under the public gown; the purple which he wears was dipped deep in the blood of Innocents to collour't so. But I vainly wast my self in words, here are no minds to be persuaded, nor ears to be instructed; the sins we are to punish, we all know, and the gods remem ber, our Strength then is all we are to speak of, which is the greatest half of the Jsle 16. years undisturbed pro vision, so carelessly was that provided for which was God by blood, there is but one Lordship, small in respect of others, the Tyrants own possession that will stand strong for him, but they are so besotted with their Fortune's that their greatest aid will be but in their will to do him service. They may offer up their lives, Like so many Sacrifices for his sake, but not Like Soldiers, they are unworthy of that name: They may die but never conquer, war is never talked of but in their banquets, nor dare they fight beyond a Brawl. You see, my Lord, how each can bring his forces in and prompt the other, those which have none on earth can bring them down from heaven; in stead of men bring manly spirits, words and looks confirming more than Armies. My Lord, it shall not need, all that we desire is to have you not our enemy. Yes, pray call him in. Though we needs Exit. Phro. nothing to strengthen our resolutions, yet we'll take and oath, 'tis good to have the Gods along with us, a Sacrament is the tie no less of loyalty than of treason. Here let us all before the sacred witness of faith and perjury, make a holy vow of loyalty to our selves and cause, and as we draw near to so divine and Essence, consider 'tis not gold or marble that we touch, but a modle of a sensible and living Power, which has vouchsafed to be embraced by one hand, when the vastness of our thoughts could not comprehend it. Now we are ready for the Prince, Eurilochus prithee do thou conduct him in. Exit. Eurilochus Your grace shall see a stronger persuasion than any you have yet herd, the lively image of her you so much serve, he knows not yet his Fortune's, but I dare warrant he'll bear them bravely, he has read the lives of kings though he never acted any, and you shall perceive he's princely born, though not bred in Court. Royal Sir you are welcome. Start not at the name, it is your endue, you were born to that title, and I doubt not, though you never herd it thus applied before, 'tis not altoge there a Stranger to you, there was a spark which in the first womb after a special manner was insufd into you, and is as another soul within you, as the one informs your body, so this informs that soul, we may call it the difference of a King, that will tell you we are all here your Subject's, and this no strange Philosophy I teach, and though this rich per fume hath hitherto been wrapped in this disguise of learning, and defended from the air oath court, 'tis not decayde, but grown stronger by such keeping, which when it shall be opened will cast a fragrant smell over all the Kingdom, and cure the infections of the former age; to open it we are met, it is a me dicine we too long have languishd for. And Sir, though it be a short warning to so great a matter, you must presently pre parè to be a King; we have no time now to instruct you in your right, and how you lost it, it was years a doing, and will require years for to relate it. In the mean time, let what you see persuade you, our serious looks, respects, and the presence of these holy rights. You have been heavenly taught, and shall be ever instructed in such Lectures. But the treason which is come mitted is committed against your self, your spirit is usurped, and he that holds it is your servant as I am, or at least should be so, please you to aslend. Sir yond place is provided for you. Submit now, and command ever. My Lord', will you honour us with your help. We have now performed the one half of our duty, which was to seat you thus, the other is with our lives to keep you at this height. Pallantus ! My dearest friend proved my dearest kinsman? could I be so dull as to imagine such valours could be in a shape so low as thy outside promised, or so come mon as to be met by chance. That I could love thee so, and yet have no interest in thee? where hast thou been thus long dead? S r . look upon this man that turns our joys thus from you, your party is made strong by his discovery, he has brought such unexpected aid within himself. How it grieves me to see thy beauty's thus blasted in thy youth, war hath been too rough a Mistress to thee, and set thy glories in too eminent a place: had Venus been i'th Camp she would have covered thee with Marses Shield, all though the God himself had wanted it, I can remember when the loveliest face compared with thine, could not have taken from thee, when in the brightest ring of beauty thou ap pierced but well set, and hadst thou been attired Like one of them thou mighst have won the Prize of Fairness from a Court of Ladies. They shall, and we will help to both thee. It's time that we broke up, our longer stay my prove dangerous, Phronimus and Euril. you must post this night to your come manned, your Majesty must bear them company, and now without more delay show your selves, we will be ready here upon the first news, my Lord, your Navy will require a Strict watch and guard on the first motion that will be at tempted. Pray do so my Lord, all we have to do is to mingle our selves in the Court again, when these troubles are once oh for a perpetual ease will follow. Is your Grace hurt? Sir, it was drawn in your defence, and if you are jea lous, you wrong it, and a ready hand to do you service. Oh my Lord, consider a little more before you lay a scandal on the Kingdom, which future ages cannot wipe off, no story can parallel such a fact; your grace moved him much and gave him cause of choler. Sir, you are happy if you can find a Tutor, when you thus much needs one, and for your other language, if I under stood it I'de give you and answer, in the mean time it must return upon you. To me Sir? he wrongs me that thinks so, I main taine none that dare commit such insolence. Who? pray make me know the man. I fear I understand you now, there is such a one does follow me, but I never discovered any disloyal spirit in him; his outside, 'tis true, was as you describe, not moulded after the common frame of men, but threatened more than any I have seen; yet it but his outside that threatened so, within he was gentle, all a Courtier, to be wound and turned by the small lest courtesy. I must confess, if he were injured, then he was proud, and Lordly storms rose within his looks, and thunder was in his voice. Then the Gods send their aid or all is lost, yet Sir hear me speak, the jealousies you have on me, I shall not be able to clear, but will leave them to the trial of my innocence and your favour: Yet Sir, to show you in this last accident how much I am guiltless, I will relate unto you how first I met the actor of it. It on that day I was employed on and honourable message from your Majesty, to the Stranger Prince, on the shore I found him having lately escaped a Ship wrack, and as great a danger on the Land, for he was as saulted by two Villains that were in the same voyage with him, but the cause of their hate himself he could not tell, he had no acquaintance with them but in the Ship, but as he had before the waves, so in this Tempest too (as I may call it) he boar himself above and left them both as calm as death upon the shore, In the instant when he was yet hight in his anger and, their blood we came upon him — Now, Sir, I must kneel to you, you have the mercy of a Prince; he shall submit for his offence, or suffer for it, and if you find not that noble spirit in him, I have told you of in the most dangerous business you shall implory him. Let him be punished for this his ill placed valour. But my ord, though I can answer, I cannot give credit to your smooth tongue, this last accident had Like to have broke all, and had there not been help above, there had been none beneath. I must be no more so venturous, our Con spiracy begins to be discovered, and that we are suspected is the least fear, we must not longer defer our breaking out; there is no safety now but in a public danger. Exit. OUr message you say, is returned again upon us. We expected no other, yet it was fit to neglect no partly that belongs to the justice of our cause, though it were but merely formal, we ought to claim the right we had, before we use the means to conquer it; the same circumstance is to be observed aswell in the Court of war, as in the Courts of Law, no trial till the demand be passed. Alas poor man, yet he fell nobly, his sword might have purchased him a higher name in war, but not in honour. In our days of triumph he shall not be forgotten, nor his glory though he perceive it not, be defend behind those that live. No, my Lord, what is't? Bless us, my Lord, how? There cannot be such and evil, it is a sin to give credit dit to it. Pray, my Lord, relate some particulars of the report, was there any made mention of the kings age? Oh 'tis most likely. My Lord, I thank you, and will take your advice; Pardon me that I was stupified at the greatest amazement that could befall, and appeared dead when that the life of all my Actium was taken from me; yet it not a slumber I was lost in, but a confusion of various thoughts, not knowing which to choose, until you pointed me one out, we will do some thing presently, and not give them leave to put their black in tents in practice. hark. Demophilus, what news? Such as is not to be named without a Sacrifice. Oh see, my Lord, though we have lost, we are not yet undone; theres a Relapse, but not a total ruin of our Fortune's; the King, Phronimus, and Eurilochus are all safe, and never were in dan her, this night they will be here with their full power, the oc casion of the mistake is now plain. Two that stood strongly for our party, more be sides their names here, and that they were virtuous I am not to instruct you, you may perceive they which have no such cause of joy as we have, do lament them much: we shall have a time too to mourn their death's, then, when we have leave to laugh at theirs which slew them, in the mean time fare'em well; such a leave, were I in their misfortune, I would have expected, they have only outstripped us in the payment of a debt we all owe unto our Master, ours is endue, though not yet called for. And how fares the young King ? And weel make use of it while it is yet hight, after this nights rest they shall give battle to the enemy, hark the Mutiny increases let us away, least we lose all here, Never did Justice appear so eminent this was a deed, as if her own hand had wrought it, who can complain the want of providence, or say the guilty, and the innocent make one heap, when this is told. A Tyrant in the height of all his glory guarded with friends, and crewelty what either power or violence could make him safe with, by a mortal hand Strengthened with Justice, was snatched from the amid of all, the lightning melts not the enclosed gold with half that wonder: leaving that's more combustible, nor does the plague in a multitude of men make a choice so curious. Again departed to perform greater things, If be pos sible, I did prophesy, though not the nature of them, that he could act us wonders, weel strive to second his first blow, and now the gods and he have done, play our parts. I could almost give him divine honours, and say when he is in the Camp, there is no need of any other power, Soldiers are but charge, and troubles only. 'Tis true you shall presently away, Phronimus is already gone with his Forces to stop the passage between the enemy, and the City, we in front will stand against them, so that in the morning when they rise it shall appear to them as if they were inhabited with foes, not being able to turn away they shall not lose their sighed in our large number. Such evils increase by delay, we'll let they grow un till the morning, and then our sighed will gain the conquest; if it be possible we'll order't so, that we may rather show they war than bring it on them, though they are given into our hands we ought not to show our mercy, and not our power. Sir, give us leave too, to ease our selves of that joy that does oppress us, how hath these your virtues rewarded all our travel, made our deed honourable, and to our faith have joined discretion, in showing your self thus worthy of the place you are chosen too, you have made it plain, as none ought, so none but your self can rule: what praises will after ages give us for this our loyalty? Had you been brought in with fire, with blood, with desolation, as you, with wonder, are given a gift of peace in the height of war, yet your endow ments would have made all innocent, and Like a year of good things made the bade forgotten. Sir I hope you do not think I flatter. These men wrought hard too for, you. See Sir, what joys approach you, your royal Sister. Hah, I must confess I am so. These Princes play their parts so rarely, that there is nothing left for us, but wonder. Me thinks the times had such a vizor on, and till this day showed not a true face, S r , you shall see him each day make new discoveries of virtues. Thou lookest sadly after all thy Honours. Sir, it's so at no time; you may do this or any thing you have a mind too, even in your fantasiy there is a see cret council, and seeing that all your actions, nay all your pleasures, are in some exercise of virtue, we will not cross you, but make it our greater care to preserve you in them, and have a more diligent eye least your pity may prove cruel to your self My Lord Comastes? Would, would, would, wouldst thou be fool again. Would, would, would, why I tell thee the King's too serious, he ne for laughs nor smiles, but very seldom, and then it's still at something excellent, he hates a jest, look, twice he hath cast his eye upon thee, and yet keeps his countenance, despair of ever pleasing him, ther's no mirth that thou canst make, worthy to be compared with this thy misery. Stay my Lord, you have doomed him as if you had been witness of his folly's, and if there were not Hope's, that he might redeem hereafter what he has so ill spent, he does deserve a greater punishment; I beseech you Sir, let me entreat for him, he is yet young, and if he have leave, may be virtuous, continue as you have begun, to change the men, and not destroy they: he thrust him self with confidence on your mercy, let it not be said that was a Snare to any, beside you have made this place a Sanctuary to all those who can claim and interest in that ex cellent Lady. Thy words go high as Thunder. Sir, you are the envy of our neighbour Princes, you so far exceed them in a brave command. I never was happy in the Like sighed before, and my Lord, they that can boast the strangest, have not seen one so common and so rare; your Navy looks as if she wore the spoils of a whole Land, or came to buy them. One S r , that was master of the dead King's mirth, he never laughed without his allowance. It in his power to have jested any head off in the whole Kingdom, but I think he was never guilty of any other sin, but Lux ury. To hold the same place under you. Are all things ready for the ceremony; the Crown, and robes?