DAVID

How shall I style this Tartar? I cannot say he's noble, nor yet base: has given me life, But with that strange adventure, That he himself is confident I perish: My Knighly Oath assures him I will on, and setting on, Am sure enough to fallen: unhappy David in that Princes death, Whom Fates, no will of mine, gave so unkind a meeting; For which the sable plume and Corslet I do wear, As a true Emblem of my inward sorrow: Rest Princely ashes in a golden Urn, While wretched David in a work is sent, To his own sad Requiems bitterment, And be mine own destroyer: take courage yet, Let not base fear steal from thy heart the name of man away, Death cannot dress himself in such a shape, But I dare meet him; on then in pursuit of a Knightly vow, If it chance Dice run so, that we must fallen, Fame shall wear black at David's Funeral. Yonder's the place, mine eye hath reached it: Now Ormandine, our bloody game begins, Heads are our stakes, and there's but one can win. Protect me Heaven, what sudden strange Eclipse do I behold The golden Sun that now smiled in my face, Draws in his beams, and robes himself in black: In what a dark veil is the clear azured sky! You do begin to entertain me Ormandy, But we'll have better welcome ever we partly: I, let your thunder come, we dread it not; What send ye Fire-drakes too to meet with us? Your worst of horror is best welcome to me: Your ministers rather invite me on, than Like to bugbears Fright me back again: more visitants of hellbred sorcery? I must needs through, or sink. Art not thou Ormandine? That head I come for, and must have't. Runs at him with his sword, he puts it by with his wand. What alteration's here! your pardon mighty Sir; O let me never, never partly from hence. Is the Enchantment passed? where is this fiend, this devil? Ormandine, your charms no longer shall prevail on me. Brother of England, farre-renowned George, Am I a second time enlarged by thee? I shall pay Time a death indebted to thy valour. Brother, where's Ormand? O I am lost, for ever lost and gone, For ever bearing Knightly Arms again: o, o— Say on my Oracle, I will attend. There is no hope of entrance till he comes. Obscure, no brother Andrew, here's not a man of us But singly dares both meet and cope with him: But soft, I hear the gates unlock, Each stand upon his guard, the Giant comes. Brother not any. We all arrived at one Court, the Macedonian Kings, And coming hither in his wrongs behalf, Met with your Hellborn Suckabus, Who was before by Brandron entertained; No sooner we approached the Castle here, And made a gentle walk about the walls, But running to us with great signs of joy, that slave Came to us, told us your self was here, And how the mighty Brandron by your hand was slain. Further he told us 'twas your fair request, Having sweet Music and fair Ladies with you, We should come in unarmed and weaponless: We being joyful, thinking truth he spoke, Were all betrayed, and so to Brandron led, And so our lives were granted, on condition, His wrong or right to guard against the world. For Brandron, and his right. Each hath the best done to defend your state, Then yield thee to the mercy of our brother. That will we do; follow me Anthony. Nay come away good Suckabus. Which we acknowledge with a general thanks. Brave maiden Knight, raise me another hill Upon his mount, a Beacon upon that, Which kindled, all the world may see the flame, And Fame cry out, I'm wearied with thy Fame. And David will the Britons name defend. Welcome my Fate. King of Tartary, hear sad David speak. Those honours I have brought you home, It seems this accident hath canceled, And stifles all my merits in your love: Yet let they hang Like pendants on my hearse, That I did love the unfortunate deceased, These drops of tears, true sorrows, testify; And what hath happened to that life's deer lose, Was not by will, but fatal accident: I hold my hand up at the hand of heaven, not guilty: King, think not I speak to have thee spare my life, For half my life lies dead there with thy Son, And here the other half is ready too, to testify, How well I loved the Prince, though now I die. Give me the danger, I can meet but death. It is the oath of Knighthood I have taken, and here Again before you I will take, from hence being parted, never to make stay more than a nights Repose till I am there, and being there, By all the honours of a Knight I vow Black Ormandines head, and lay it at your feet: This, by the honour of a Knight, I'll do, or die in the attempt. You're welcome to our castle: I'm your first man brother What I have lost, then call it Brandrons blood.