BELLARIO

Sir, you did take me up when I was nothing, And I am only yet some thing, by being yours, You trusted me unknown: and that which you were apt to con ster: a simple innocence in me: perhaps might have been crafty: The cunning of a boy hardened in lies: and theft: yet ventured you to partly my Misery's and me: For which I never can expect to serve a Lady: that bears more honour in her breast then you. In that small time that I have seen the world, I never knew a man hasty to partly with a servant he thought trusty. I remember my father would prefer the boys he kept to grea ter men then he, but did it not till they were too saucy for him self. Sir, if I have made a fault ofignorance, Instruct my youth, I shall be willing: if not apt to learn, Age and experience will adorn my mind with larger Knowledge, and if I have done a wilful fault Think me not passed all hope: for once What master holds so strict a hand over his boy, That he will partly with him without one warning, Let me be corrected, to break my stubbornenesse, If it be so, rather then turn me off, And I shall mend. I am gone, but since I am to partly with you my Lord, and none knows whither I shall live to do more service for you, take this little prayer: Heaven bless your loves, your sighs, all your designs, may sick men if they have your wish, be well, and heavens hate those you curse, though I be one. Madame, I have not changed, I wait on you to do him sir vice. Bellario. If grief will give me leave Madame, I can. I know not Madame, what it is. If it be love to forget all respect to his own friends, with thinking of your face: if it be love to fit cross armed, and think away the day, with mingling starts, and crying your name as loud as men in streets do fire: if it be love to weep himself away, when he but hears of any woman dead or killed, because it might have been your chance: ifwhen he goes to rest, which will not be, betwixt every praierhe says, to name you once as others drop beads, be to be in love, then Madame I dare swear he loves ye. Health to you my Lord: The Princess does commend her love, her life, and this unto you. My Lord, she has attired me passed wish, Passed my desert, more fit for her attendant, But far unfit for me that do attend. Scarce Like her servant, but as if I were Something allied to her, or had preserved her life Three times by my fidelity: as mother's found, Do use their only sons, as I'de use one that's left unto my trust, For whom my life should pay, If he meet harm: so she dos use me. Why she dos tell me she will trust my youth with all her mai den store, and dos call me her pretty servant, bids me weep no more for leaving you, she'll see my service rewarded, & such words of that soft strain, that I am nearer weeping when she ends, then ere she speaks. Are you not well my Lord? Me thinks your words fallen out from your tongue, so uneven lie, nor is there in your looks that quickness that I was wont to see. Yes. She dos my Lord. How my Lord? Never my Lord, by heaven. No by my life. Yes, now I see why my discurled thoughts were so perplexed. When first I went to her my heart held augeries: you are abused, some villain has abused you, I do see where you tend. Fallen rocks upon his head, that put this to you, 'tis some subtle train to bring that noble friend of yours to nought. My Lord you did mistake the boy you sent, Had she the lust of sparrows and of goats, Had she a sin that weighed from the world, beyond the name oflust, I would not aid her base desires, But what I come to know as servant to her, I would not reveal, to make my life last ages. Why so you do: she is for ought I know, by all the gods, As chased as ice: but were she foul as hell, And I did know it thus, the breath of Kings, The points ofswords, tortures, nor bulls of brass, Should wrack it from me. Ifyou do hate me, you could not curse me worse, The gods have not a punishment in store, To me, then is your hate. By heaven I never did, and when I lie to save my life, May I live long and loathed, hew me asunder, And while I can think, i'll love those pieces you have cut away Better then those that grow, and kiss those limbs Because you made um so. O! what boy is he could be content to live To be a man, that sees the best of men thus passionate, Thus without reason. Yes, I do know my Lord 'tis less then to be born, A lasting sleep, a quiet resting from all jealousy, A thing we all pursue: I know beside, it is but giving over again, That must be lost. May they fallen all upon me, while I live, If I be perjured, or have ever thought of that you charge me with, If I be false, send me to suffer in those punishments you speak of Kill me. I will fly as far, As there is morning, ere I give distaste to that most honoured frame, but through these tears shed at my hapless parting, I can see a world of treason practised upon you, and her, and me, farewell for e uermore, if you shall hear that sorrows struck me dead, and after find me loyal, let there be a tear shed from you, in my memory, and I shall rest at peace. Oh what God angry with me, hath sent this strange disease Into the noblest minds, Madame this grief you add unto me, Is no more then drops to seas, for which they are not seen to swell, My Lord has struck his anger through my heart, And let out all the hope of future joys, You need not bid me fly, I came to partly, To take my latest leave, Farewell for ever. I durst not run away in honesty from such a Lady, Like a boy that stole, or made some greater fault, The power of gods assist you in your suffering: Hasty time reveal the truth to your abused Lord, and mine, That he may know your worth, while I go seek Out some forgotten place to die. O! wicked men, aninnocent may walk safe amongst beasts, Nothing assaults me here, I see my grieved Lord, sits as His soul were searching out a way to leave his body. Pardon me that brake thy last commandment, for I must speak: You that are grieved can pity; hear my Lord. Oh my noble Lord, view my strange Fortune's, And bestow on me according to your bounty, If my service can merit nothing, so much as may serve to keep That little piece I hold of life, from cold and hunger. Any will serve, but I will choose to have That path in chase, that leads unto my graven. Yonder my Lady is, gods knows, I want nothing, because I do not wish to live, yet I will try her charity. Oh hear you, that have plenty from that flowing store, drop some on dry grounds, see the lively read is gone to guard her heart: I fear she faints, Ma dame, look up: she breathes not; open once those rosy twines, and send unto my Lord your latest farewell: Oh she stirs; How i'st Madame? speak comfort. My Lord, help, help the Princess. Kill you, O heavens! heavy death sits on my brow, And I must sleep, bear me thou gentle bank, For ever if thou wilt, you sweet on all, Let me unworthy press you, I could wish, I rather were a Corpse strewed over with you, Then quick above you, dulness shuts my eyes, and I am giddy, That I could take so found a sleep, That I might never wake. Oh! death I hope is come, blessed be that hand, it wished me well again for pity. Hide, hide my Lord, and save your self. Else it were vain for me to live. These wounds I have, has not bled much, Reach me that noble hand, I'll help to cover you. Or let me perish loathed: Come my Lord, Creep in amongst these bushes, who dos know But that the gods may save your breeth in't, Shromd, Shift for my self: Well, peace, I hear um come. With my own wounds I'll bloody my own sword, I need not counterfeit to fallen, heaven knows, I can stand no longer. A wretched creature, wounded in these woods by beasts, Relieve me, if your names be men, Or I shall perish. Then I am betrayed, I confess, urge it no more, that big with evil thoughts, I set upon her, and did make my aim her death: For charity let fallen at once, the punishment you mean. And do not load this weary flesh with tortour, My own revenge. It pleased her to receive me as her Page, And when my Fortune's ebbed, that men strid over them careless. She did shower her welcome graces on me, And did swell my Fortune's: till they ouer-flowde Their banks, threatening the men that crossed them, When as swift as storms arise at sea, she turned Her eyes to burning Sines upon me, and did dry the streams She had bestowed, leaving me worse, and more contemned Then other little brooks, Because I had been great, In short, I knew I could not live: And therefore did desire to die revenged. My Lord, some man weary oflife that would be glad to die. Alas, he's mad, come, will you bear me hence? Have I no friend here? Then show it some good body, lend a hand to draw us nee rer: Would you have tears shed for you, when you die? then lay me gently on his neck, that there I may weep floods, and breath forth my spirit. Not all the wealth of Pluto, nor the gold locked in the heart of earth, can buy away this from me; this had been a ransom to have redeemed the , had he been taken; you hardhearted men, more stony then these Mountains, can you see such a clear pure blood drop, and not cut your flesh to stop his life, to bind whose bitter wounds, Queens ought to tear their hairs, and with their tears bath them: for give me thou that art the wealth of poor Phylaster, Nay, good my Lord forbear, we are wondrous well. Alas, my Lord: My life is not a thing worthy Your noble thoughts, 'tis not a life, 'tis but a piece Of childhood thrown away: should I out live you, I should out live virtue and honour: And when that day come, if ever I shall close These eyes but once; may I live spotted for my perjury, And waste by time to nothing. A piece of you, he was not born of woman, that can cut it, and look on. Lament no more. 'Twas mistaken Sir. Then sir we would have asked you pardon. 'Tis as it should be now. Right royal Sir, I shall sing you and Epethelamon, but having lost my best airs with my Fortune's, and wanting a celestial harp to strike this blessed union; thus in glad story I give you all these two fair Caedor branches. The noblest of the mountains where they grew, straightest and tal lest, under whose still shades, the worthier beasts have made their layers, and slept free from the firuer of the Serian star, and the fell thunderstroke, free from the Clouds, when they were big with hu mour, and deliver in thousand spouts, that issues to the earth: Oh there was none but silent quiet there, till neuer-pleased fortune shot up shrubs base under branches, to devour these branches, and for a while they did so, and did reign over the Mountain, and did choke up his beauty with brakes, rud, thorns and thistles, till the Sun scorched them to the root, and dried um there, and now a gentle gail has blown again, that made these branches meet and twine together, never to be unarmed: The God that sings his Number over marriage beds, has knit their noble hearts, and here they stand, your children, worthy king, and I have done. If to me you speak Lady, I must tell you, youhaue lost your self In your too much forwardness, and hath forgotten Both modesty and truth, with what impudence You have thrown most damnable aspersions On that noble Princess and my self: witness the world; Behold me sir. The same sir. Madame, the cause induced me to transform my self, Proceeded from a respective modest Affection I bore to my my Lord, The Prince Phylaster, to do him service, As far from any lascivious thought, As that Lady is far from go odnesse, And ifmy true intents may be believed, And from your Highness Madame, pardon find, You have the truth.