KING

IN amid of storms, and these tumultuous times Of war and blood, in amid of troubled seas Of foreign states, how safety do we sail And steer our course, Alecto, in a calm: No dusky cloud lowres on our ship of state, No winds of adverse fortune shake our peace, But smile and gently breathe a quiet gale: Blessed stars that reigned at our nativity, Kind Planet, under whose sweet influence We were brought forth, deer fortune that conferred This happiness upon the Arabian King. She is my chiefest joy I must confess, And the sole staff of my declining age. I undervalue far my Crown beneath her, My gold, my jewels, yea although I were Possessed of the world's vast treasury, It were but dross unto my darsing deer, My deer Phaenicia, all my care and study Is how to see her married as comes The daughter of a King, and the great dower Dame nature and her fortune both will leave her Yes, and have Showed her the portraitures of diverse Princes, Of Persia, of Tartariam, of Austria, Of Egypt, Babylonia, and the rest, To make her choice, but yet she likes not any. That she's Not yet disposed to marriage, pleading youth And ignorance in what does suit a Bride. Yet I will not Force her affection; she desires to have Two years yet added to her age, before She would determine marriage; but you left The clause imperfect, when you did digress From what we first discoursed, and fell upon The praises of my daughter, now no more Of this, but enter on the first again; What was it nephew? A bar, what is't? it shall be then removed, And the way cleared. This takes away much from my true content, ( I must confess ) and troubles me the more, Because I know not which way to redress it. You know we have left no way unattempted, To drive them thence, yet failed in our desire, Because of their retreat into the , Which for our army is inaccessible. Many complaints are preferred unto us, Not only by our Subject's, but by others Against these rebels or their goods extorted, Who do demand from us all restitution, As if those thieves were under our command: Yea, many Kings our neighbours have dispatch Ambassadors about it to our Courts Whose Caravans and treasures have been robbed, Passing the deserts by these mountaineers, Demanding for their lose, full satisfaction, Who have departed hence much discontented: This in the end I doubt will raise a war Between us, and disturb our settled peace. What news with you? Tell Perseus we do not doubt his power, But dare his utmost malice, and because We would not have him live in ignorance, Give him to understand that we know nothing Of what befell the Princess, and this is The first time that we herd it; for the wrong He does us in invading of our land, Without just cause, he shall be answerable: So much inform thy master. This is strange news, Alecto is it no ? The Souldan's daughter raped, and we not know it Till now, and yet done in our kingdom too? How should it be? let us consider of it; I now have found it, and it's probable, How think you? may it not be by the thieves That live among the deserts? so it is Upon my life, for that way she must pass To travel into Persia, and we know Their strength too well: these villains in this war Will more annoy us then the Persian army: Heaven look upon us, for we stand in danger, Between a forra gne and domestic so: We sail between the rocks, the shelves, the shores Of Scylla and Charibdis, yet we may Escape those dangers, if the immortal Gods Commit the balance to Astraea's hands, To weigh our causes; let our fortune be According to our right, and we agree. Then our army Is half defeated, for Alecto does Command as great a partly as Prince Amandus: But let me not despair, until we hear Thanks to the gods for this our victory, Next, to their instrument Damascus Prince, Three times a day we'll smoke your sacred altars With sweet perfumes, and come with adoration To offer to your shrines, three times a night. The Priest shall sprinkle over with blood of beasts Your sacred places, and with zeal perform The ceremony of your sacrifices. Pray them from us They would be pleased to enter. Victorious Princ , sen to us from the gods, (Whom we may term the of our Country) Thy same reward thee fully, for we cannot, Let the shrill trum et of thy virtues blaze thee Throughout the world, be raised And trophies built to speak they living praise. Let every piece and picture Be gazed upon by eyes, And this thy conquest crowned Laurel boughs. Prince Perseus welcome, we receive you now I know a most unwilling guest, you shall not Be entertain your royal state, Although our Please you salute these Ladies, one of them I doubt not but you know. My royal guests I fear We keep you from your rests, whose wearied bodies Would feign enjoy the benefit of sleep, Toiled with the sweating labour of the day: Please you to walk, we'll show you to your lodgings. How sweet my daughter sleeps and how her breath Perfumes the chamber over Like Arabs gums, I'll wake my darling with a father's kiss, She sleeps too long; ow's this? her lips are cold, Her cheeks are pale, aye me, I fear she's sick, I cannot feel her pulse, nor yet perceive The passage of her breath; Oh heavens, she's dead. A Doctor there with speed, my daughter deer, Speak to thy aged father: Oh she's gone. What say you master Doctor? is there hope To call back life again? Oh then I am The wretchedest man alive, why was I born To see this woeful hour? but what is this? My daughters will and tes ament may be It'll give me satisfaction of her death: It's her own hand and seal, these the contents. My royal father, please you understand, Despair and sorrow for Amandus death, (Whom heavens ordained the owner of my heart) Made me loath life, and seek this way to die In perfume Like the Phoenix, none is guilty Unto my death but I my self: deer Sir, I humbly crave you would be pleased to lay My ashes in Amandus urn with his, That so my spirit may rest in quietness. Thy will shall be performed, lie there grey hairs And aged head, think now no more to wear A regal Crown, nor feeble hands to wield A sceptre, think of nothing but a grave: I him coming daughter, and I will surprise thee Before thou art aware, beloved corpse! Help, bring it hence unto our bed chamber, That I may break my heart, while I embrace The body between my arms. Admit him straight, we'll hear the business. We understand you're late returned from travel, From what parts came you now? What have you to deliver? But where did you Partly from the Persian Army? How strong are they? Who does command As General? This makes me not a little To wonder at the strangeness of the thing; Who ever herd of any Prince that was Invaded by his foe, before he knew What his pretence was, and the cause that moved him To enter into war; I cannot guess The reason why the Persi n should receive Distaste, and therefore am incredulous Almost of your report. Urge it no more, we do believe what you Have told us is a truth, and will provide Against the enemies approaching force; Sure 'tis some wrongs hath caused this by the thieves, And the mad hare brained Prince hath not the patience (It seems) for to acquaint me but by war, And violent eruption into Arms; It must be so, else can I not imagine The least occasion why, well we will stand Upon our strongest guard to keep our land. WEheare ill news, Alecto, Perseus Hath passed his Army over Euphrates And marches through our Country, all the spoil That can be used in war his Soldiers practice, All the hostility that can be thought off, As burning houses, robbing Villages, Committing Sacrilege, deflowering Maids, Ravishing Women, murdering the Men, And diverse other outrages beside: Come let us march, I make you General Of one partly of my Army, tother partly I will command my self, our Subject's cries Are come already home unto our Court; Beatrice Drums, found Trumpets. He shall e herd, Admit him to the presence. Speak your business. Now while the trumpets found, drums Beatrice alarm The cannons roar, the armies join and charge, (Which sometime were the music we delighted) Must old Arabia lay his arms aside, And fit at home with Ladies by command Of nature's law although his life and crown, Lie at the doubtful hazard of the day: Heaven bless ou we that cannot fight Will send our prayers up to the Gods for aid, And wake there sleeping justice with our cries: Great Princess you are sad to see us so And of your silken disposition seem To have a fellow feeling of our sorrow, Cheer up, we do bes each you, and deer daughter Be joyful too, we shall have good success My better Genius tells me. The valiant Prince Amandus, whom at length We did persuade to take that charge upon him. Here comes a Lord with news, what tidings bring you? To weather side does victory incline, And bend her flight? We must attend more new S Another Lord intelligence comes. How speeds the battle? Nephew we understand how intimate And deer you are unto the Persian Prince, How much he honoureth your society Above all oath rs, you can well inform us What entertainment he does give his fortune, And how a prisoner suits his lofty mind. This thing is motioned to us; how think you Can I bestow her better, or ind out A marriage greater or more honourable? Not yet but now we do intend to do it: Go bid Phaenicia hither to repair Unto our presence, we must speak with her. How will she entertain the motion think you? She cannot sure dislike or disapprove it, What's your opinion Nephew? I did Phaenicia, And thi's the business, daughter you perceive My care and study of your future good, And Fatherly affection: I am old And cannot live long by the course of nature, If I might see thee married as becomes Thy state and fortune ere I left the world, And settled well my Crown for y possession, I then should welcome death, come when it would, And these grey hairs descend into my grave Without disturbance, there is off ed now A marriage, shall advance thy regal state Above the clouds, and make thee overtop The greatest Queens and Empresses that are. Come, c me, you are a foolish girl to make These vain excuses to put off your good, You oh presume oo much up n our love And tender nature, we have been oo and And given you too much of your will; unless You do conform your self to our command, We shall be are over you a severer hand: Get out my sighed, and think upon your duty. Is this not strange Alecto, that my daughter Is so averse unto her good? you told me Just as she entered that there was a bar Lay in the way might chance to stop the match, What is it prithee that we may remove it? This makes me wonder much that her ambition Bears such and humble wing, we must not suffer This business to run on, what though we are Bound to Amandus in a high degree, Yet not so much his benefits oblige us As to confer our Daughter and our Crown Upon his merits, whose poor state is such As he can give her nothing for a Dower: This must nor shall not be, our full ind vour Shall be employed this love to break and sever.