KING

True my Phylocles, yet my recreant soul, Slaved to her beauty, would renounce all war, And yield her right to love, did not thy spirit Mixed with my longing, fortify these arms. But I am now resolved and this sad hour, Shall give and end to my disemprature. Summon a parley. Madame attend me, this is my latest summons, The many suns my sorrows have beheld, And my sad nights of longings, all through hope, Enjoy the joy of earth, (your own deer self) Are grown so infinite in length and weight, That Like to wearied Atlas, I enforce These wars as Hercules, to bear my load: Briefly I must enjoy you, or else lose The breath of life, which to prevent, behold, My sword must be my Cupid, and with feathered steel, Force pity from your breast, your Cities walls, Chidden with my Canons, have set open a path And boldly bids me enter, all your men of war, Feebled with famine, and a weary siege, Take danger from mine actions, only your self, Strong in your will, oppose even destiny: And Like the giants war offend the heavens, Which to prevent, do but descend and give Peace to my love-suit, and as overcome thereby, I'll yield my self your prisoner, and be drawn, A thrall in your triumphant victory. If otherwise, behold these fatal swords, Shall never be sheathed, till we be conquerors: And not respecting innocence nor sex, The cries of infants, nor the prayers of age, All things shall perish, till within my arms I fouled your self my thrall and conqueror. Approve me by your question. Who are your combatants? we love equality. Their likings to the motion. My spirit speaks thy motion. Madame, although advantage might evade, And give my love more hope, yet my bent will, Bowed to your pleasure, does embrace your law, We do accept the combat, and our self Will with that Duke try Fortune's, this my friend, The more partly of my self, me dearest Philocles, One of and Angels temper, shall with that that Lord Try best and worst the place, the time, the sword. And we would loose that vantage, but since fame Makes virtue dulat, we embrace our rights: The place before these walls, the hour next sun, The pole-axe and the hand axe for the fight. And mine my hope, my faith and royalty. She's gone my Philocles: and as she goes even so, The sun forsakes the heavens to kiss the sea, Day in her beauty leaves us, and methinks, Her absence does exile all happiness. Tell me my Philocles, nay pray thee tell me true, Even from that love Which to us both should bend one sympathy: Discharge and open breast, dost thou not think, She is the mirror of her beauteous sex? Unparalleled, and uncompanioned. More then my Queen? Thine equal praises makes my facnies rich: And I am pleased with thy comparisons, Things of Like nature live in best consent, Beauty with subjects, majesty with Kings, Then let those two Idea's lively move, Spirit beyond all spirit, in our breasts, That in the end of our great victory, we may attain both love and majesty. True, and therein Consists the glorious garland of our praise, But we neglect affairs of preparation. Florio be it your charge To see erection of the squared lists, Fit ground for either army, and what else, Belongs unto such royal eminence. So as the dullest eye, May see the heedfulst passage in the fight. Threescore pace each way. Enough my Philocles, thine orisons are herd. Come lets away. I neither fear thy fortune nor my ruin; But hold them all beyond all prophesy. Thou hast my free consent, and on thy power Lies my lives date or my death's hour. My best of friends, my dearest Philocles, Thy griefs run in my spirit, make me sad, And duls my sense with thine affliction. My soul with thine does sympathise in woe, And passion governs him that should rule all. What say our Doctors is there no hope of help? Then I am king of grief, for in his words Found I more music then in quires of Angels, It was as silver as the chime of spheres. The breath of Lutes, or Jove's deliciousness: Next to my Queen, he is my joy on earth: Nor shall the world contain that happy good Which with my tears I will not woo for him. My Lord of Epyre, let it be straight proclaimed Thorough all the cities in our kingdoms verdge, That who so will avow to cure this prince, And bring his work to wished effectualness Shall have ten thousand crowns and our best love; But if he fail in his great enterprise, His daring is the lose of present life, Since no man hitherto could do him good, The next shall help him or else lose his blood. Your suits are bootless: for my vows have glewd And closed mine ears that they retain no found Of your entreaties, and even now the time Does run upon his latest minutes, and Save but by speech, theres no recovery. Content you madame, for my vow is passed, And is Like fate still unrevocable: Ascend poor model of calamity. Never did music found with better voice. Unbind the Lady. Endeavour her recovery. Receive her Philocles, for it pleases us. I have not seen a war breed better wit, Or passion draw on more delightfulness: Proceed in your contention, for we boast, That love is best, which is approved most. But now to revels, since our tragic scene Is turned to comic mirthful constancy; In stead of mourning we will dance and banquet And fill our empty veins with all delights: For oft we find that storms and sorrows prove The best forerunners of a happy love. My Queen is out of time, though she keep measure. Sin follows sin, and change on change does wait, Thy change does change my love to cruel hate. Rivals in crowns and beds of kings must bleed, Can that fair house contain so foul a guest. As lust, or cloak inordinate and base desires, Under so fair a coverture; Oh yes, Women can blind our sense when we see best, And set fair landscapes on inconstancy, Making us blind with seeing the dance ends, Your sins are blackest, breach of love and friends. My Queen will speak as much for lust as she for pride, if the toy take her. My Lord go forth, return in your own shape, say I am come ming. I'll note their countenance when they hear of me. Kings often see that which they would not see. she will command you sir to play with her. Darkness is thy delight lascivious Queen, And thou wouldst have thy sun penned up in cloud: If I be he, Oh falseness did I for this, In single opposition hand to hand, Hazard my royal blood for thee to be My greatest shame, the scandal of my blood, Whilst rumour crowns me king of infamy? But I will be revenged: watch gentle Lord, When next I see them, they shall taste of death, Such power hath baseness over great defame That monarchs cannot cover their own shame. For thine adulterate and monstrous lust, Shameful and gross and most unsufferable. Our self, and our own soul that have beheld Your vile and most lascivious passages. The tenure of the law you do demand. I looked for this objection and allow it, Nor am I unprovided for your best And strongest hope in any victory; Lords attend in my Champion. And you shall have it in the amplest manner. Found cornets. Give him his oath according to the laws. Then give the warlike signal to the fight. My Philocles, my Queen, Oh double pardon me, My jealousy, his envy, and your virtues: Are sprung from such impatient contraries, I cannot reconcile them; yet Oh pardon me: My faith in life shall make you recompense: For thee rare Mariana; thou hast wrought A work of noble constant magnitude. As for this monster, this my tempting devil, Whose forfeit life is witness to his shame: I give his life and Fortune's to the Queen, She whom his malice would have brought to death, Shall now be judge and Jurer of his breath. How now, what tamult have we there? Alphonso, in the name of madness how comes this Metamorphosis? Nay stand forth, discourse, if thou dost lie, thou art mine enemy. I cannot blame him, you having God so much within his in ward garment. And you have amply done, yet this jest, So perfect does deserve more memory. Florio, go bid the Orator attend us presently. And now to you Drap and Velous, I did Refer you long since to the Orator. Yet I note your attention: come there is Some too close fisted hardness in your hearts, You gripe too hard, your bribes will not disburse, Come tell me truly, as you look for heaven, What must you pay for your dispatches? And will your suit avail with such disbursement? Will you bestow the money on our self, We will see the business perfited. You shall have your dispatches. See here comes the Orator, Prat come hither. These Gentlemen whom long since I referred To Your dispatches, are yet unsatisfied. I know implores you, yet theres many minute May give your best cares leisure; come there is Some odd disburse, some bribe, some gratulance, Which makes you lock up leisure, come tell true, What bribe must they give, what is your v ost price Tut it is nothing, hold here is the coin, And let them have their pattens presently: Or look to lose both place and sovereignty. Fie, I would not have a man of your high place, Or for respect of wealth or base observance In smallest things thus to neglect your credit. Why look you my Lords, this Orator is not Like others of his rank, Who from their ganish and fantastic humours, Go thorough the streets, spotted in peacocks plumes. Wearing all colours, laces, broderies, Satans and silks, so antic garnished, That when their gowns are off, you cannot find In Italy a master shaped more nice. But this fellow Prate, here's of another sort, Clothed Like himself, demure and soberly: Nay you shall see him for a president. Passion of mine eyesight, who have we here? This is Alphonso, ther's the Orator. Not for thy life, not for my love I charge thee: Thy wife is honest, chased and virtuous: Only this wanton Lord, with lust and come Hath much attempted, but prevailed in nought, For proof see here the crowns he would have given To-have purchased her beds honour but she would not, Which I bestow on you for recompense. Therefore as thou dost hope my grace to find, So to thy wife, be loving, gentle kind. I thank you and will quittance it. Now Meshant, we restore to you your lands, Your honours and near places, next our self, To all that feel distaste in any soar, We give to cure them, all our grace and favour, Thus storms bring gentle sunshine, and our hands, May after shipwreck bring us to safe lands. I am the King of Cypress, who led on By the divine instinct of heavenly love, Come with my sword to beg that royal maid, And to approve by gift of heaven and fate She is a one to me appropriate: Which to maintain I challenge entrance here, Where I will live a King or recreant. Thus comes a calm unto a Sea-wract soul, Ease to the pained, food unto the starved, As you to me my best creation. Trust me my Queen, my loves large chronicle Thou never shalt over read, because each day It shall beget new matter of amaze: And live to do thee grace eternally, Next whom my Philocles my bounteous friend, Author of life, and sovereign of my love, My heart shall be thy throne, thy breast the shrine, Where I will fit to study gratefulness To you and you my Lords, my best of thoughts, Whose loves have showed a duteous carefulness, To all free thanks and graces, this unity Of love and kingdoms, is a glorious sighed. Mount up the royal Champion, music & cornets found. Let shouts and cries make heaven and earth rebound. Madam I would not have you with the bark Play your self into day net, this great cure, I fear is far beyond your Physics help. Mariana attend, glory & ruin compass thee a bout This hand shall raise thee to a golden throne, And grace thee with all stile of dignity; This cast thee down. Lower then lives misfortune and orewhelme Thy beauty's with thy graven, perform be great, Fail and be worse then worst calamity. Proceed fair virgin. How now, what virtue from thy charms? What, wilt not be? Found maid thou hast drawn affliction on thy head, And thralled thy self to worst calamity: Till morrow sun thy incantations use, But then effectless, all Hope's desperate, Wertenberg thou my bosom love thou diest the death, Best ease for madness is the lose of breath. Here comes the King, my Lord we must be private, Remove your hearings from our conference, Now speak my Lord, speak freely as to heaven. You have it, arise, discharge and open breast. Then speak, and do not rack me with delay. Nay good Lord leave this Allegoric speech, And give me knowledge from a plainer phrase. Duke thou art valiant, and with a valiant mind, Slander is worse then theft or sacrilidge, Nay more then murder, or the height of treason, A step beyond the utmost plagues in hell. Then thou which in that nature wrongest a Queen, Deservest a scourge beyond their punishments, Virtue should kill thee now. Speak a word more, a King shall be thy death. Thou hast awaked me, and thy piercing words Have split my sense in sunder: yet what ground would? Remains whereon to ground suspicion? a cuckold, cuckold Oh I have drunk in poison at mine ears, which makes my blood boil with unquem ̄ ched flames, But speak who is it that dishonours me? Nay if thou cease to speak, thou hatst my life, Takest thou delight to kill me, then forbear, Sfoot I am mortal man kill me, do do do. Is't possible? can I give faith to this? To be a cuckold does exceed all grief. To taste the fruit forbidden from my tree. The slave will make base songs in my disgrace. This injury sads all my joys on earth. Watch their close meetings, & the ̄ give us notice, Mean space my love shall in thy bosom rest, My grief is Like my birth great, great and High: Give close intelligence, till then farewell, Lust is the broadest path which leads to hell. How now my waking dragon, thou whose eyes Do never fallen or close through Lethean sleep, What is there a Hercules that dare to touch, Or enter the Hesperian Rosaries? True, I know she holds me as her varlet, And that I am imperfit in her game, But my revenge shall give me better place, Beyond the hate of her foul impudence. But others which they think depend on me. Oh then thou didst not love me, nor thy faith Took hold upon my scandals, fie I am mad, Shamed and disgraced, all wit-stung, wisdomlesse. Within there ho? Go instantly, (nay do not look sad or pale, Neither dispute with me nor with thy thoughts: But as thou lovest thy life, effect my will) Call all my guard, ascend the Queens privy chamber, And in my name arrest her and Prince Philocles of treason: Make no delay but in thy diligence Show how thou dost respect me, arrested once, Convey them unto straitest prison: away. For you my Lord, go instantly prepare, And summon all the Princes of our land Unto and instant Parliament, where we Will have them both condemned imediately, Without their answers plaints or pitiousnes. Since women's tears do blunt revenges sword, I will not see nor hear the ̄ speak one word. Is our commission, as we gave in charge, Delivered over to the Corigidors? 'Tis well: for till their shameless lives have end, There can no comfort creep into my thoughts, Or ought save mifchief keep me company. Why was I born to this malignity And lowness of base fortune: yet my place Above the level of the vulgars sighed, Oh it is but to let me know thus much, That those which lie within the richest graves Were at the best but Fortune's glorious slaves. But see, here comes my shame. Pass and respect me not lascivious woman, Thy tears are of the spears of Crocodiles, See how I stop mine ears against thy plaints, And glue mine understandings from thy charms, Nay call on him thou hast offended most, Mercy from me were worse then cruelty. I Nnough, these loud sounds deafs my passion How long shall love make me a slave to hope, And mix my calm desires with tyranny? Oh Phylocles t'is heresy I hold, Thought and affection cannot be controlled.