PULCHERIA

No you have done your parts: Pray you rise. And as you rise receive Thy comfort from me. Beauty set off with such sweet language never Can want and Advocate, and you must bring More then a guilty cause if you pr vail not. Some business long since thought upon dispatched You shall have hearing, and as far as justice Will warrant me, my best aids. Are these the men? Spare your Character, You are here deciphered; stand by with your compeer. What is the third? a creature I never herd of; The master of the manners, and the habit, You have a double office. Pray you discover This hidden mystery. Does this rule hold without exception sir h a For Cou iers in general? Show us your method, I am strangely taken with it. How I abuse This precious time! Proiector, I treat first Of you and your disciples; you roar out, All is the Kings, his will above his laws: And that fit tributes are too gentle yokes For his poor subjects; whispering in his ear, If he would have them fear, no man should dare To bring a salad from his country garden, Without the paying gubell; kill a hen, Without excise: and that if he desire To have his children, or his servants wear Their heads upon their shoulders, you affirm, In policy, 'tis fit the owner should Pay for they by the pole; or if the Prince want A present sum, he may command a city Impossibilities, and for non-performance Compel it to submit to any fine His Officers shall impose: is this the way To make our Emperor happy? can the groans Of his subjects yield him music? must his thresholds Be washed with widows and wronged orphans tears, Or his power grow contemptible? But you are The Squire of Dams, devoted to the service Of gamesome Ladies, the hidden mystery Discovered, their close bawd; thy slavish breath Fanning the fires of lust, the Goe-between This female, and that wanton Sir, your art Can blind a jealous husband, and disguised Like a Milliner or Shoemaker, convey A letter in a pantophle or glove Without suspicion, nay at his table In a case of picketoothes; you instruct'em how To parley with their eyes, and make the temple A Mars of looseness: to discover all The subtle brokages, were to teach in public, Those private practises which are, in justice, Severely to be punished. These removed, to you I clear my brow, speak without care sweet maid, Since with a mild aspect and ready ear, I fit prepared to hear you. Did they detain your legacy? Weep not. Thou art welcome. What is thy name? The sweetness of thy innocence strangely takes me Forget thy brother's wrongs, for I will be In my care a mother, in my love a sister to thee; And were it possible thou couldst be wooned To be of our belief. 'Tis a work, My Lord, will well become you; break up the Court, May your endeavours prosper. How? A strange alteration! But I will not contend. Be, as you wish, Sir, Your own disposer, uncompelled I cancel All bonds of my authority. Kneels. At both, And not alone the present, but the future Tranquillity of your mind: since in the choice Of her, you are to heat with holy fires, And make the consort of your royal bed, The certain means of glorious succession, With the true happiness of our humane being, Are wholly comprehended. Bring in the pictures: 2. Pictures brought in. I applaud This fit acknowledgement, since Princes then Grow less then common men, when they contend With him, by whom they are so. She is no statue Sir. Pray you be not raped so, Nor borrow from imaginary fiction Impossible aids; she's flesh and blood, I assure you, And if you please to ho or her in the trial, And be your own security, as yowl find I fable not, she comes in a noble way To be at your devotion. You must forbear Sir, She is not yet baptized. u may hereafter Please to remember to whose furtherance You owe this height of h ppinesse. Now you find Your dying father's prophecy that foretold Your present greatness, to the full accomplished. For the poor aides, and furtherance I lent you, I willingly forget: Your alacrity To give hath made a beggar; yet before My suit is by your sacred hand and see le Confirmed, it's necessary you peruse The sum of my request. It's the better; See the doors strongly guarded, and deny Access to all, but with our special licence. Why dost thou stay? show your obedience, Your wisdom now is useless. Exeunt Servants. It will deceive you. Thou shalt not str from hence, thus as mine own I seize upon thee. It's in vain: She was and Empress once, but, by my gift, Which, being abused, I do recall my grant. You are read in story; call to remembrance, What the great Hector's mother Hecuba Was to Ulysses, Ilium sacked To me thou art so: It is resolved: From me return this answer to Paulinus ; She shall not come; she's mine; the Emperor hath No interest in her. Exit Servant. Though my will is Sufficient to and to thy affliction, Know wretched thing, it's not thy fate, but folly Hath made thee what thou art: it's some delight To urge my merits to one so ungrateful; Therefore with horror hear it. When thou Wertenberg Thrust as a stranger from thy father's house, Exposed to all calamities that want Could throw upon thee, thine own brother's scorn, And in thy Hope's, as by the world forsaken, My pity, the last altar that was left thee, I herd thy Syren charms, with feeling herd them, And my compassion made mine eyes vy tears With thine, dissembling Crocodile; and when Queen Were emulous for thy imperial bed, The garments of thy sorrows east aside, I put thee in a shape as would have forced Envy from Cleopatra, had she seen thee; Then, when I knew my brother's blood was warmed With youthful fire , I brought thee to his presence, And how my deep designs, for thy good plotted, Succeeded to my wishes, is apparent, And needs no repetition. I am serious Sir, And have done nothing but what you in honour, And as you are your self and Emperor, Stand bound to justify. For mine, see Sir. it's canceled, on my knees I redeliver what I now begged from you. Tears the deed: She is my second gift. I ask pardon too If in my personated passion I Appeared to harsh, and rough. Oh deer Madame, It was decorum in the Scane There was I am certain not long since, when you Kneeled a petitioner to me, then you were happy To be near my feet, and do you hold it now As a disparagement that I side you Lady. You are well returned Sir, From your Princely exercise. My vigilance, since it hath well succeeded. I am confident, you allow of, yet it is not Approved by all. One that too well knows, The strength of her abilities can better My weak endeavours. How's this? What mean you? Dear Sir, Take heed of rashness. STill in his sullen moo worser? no intermission Of his melancholy fit? Did he take No rest as you could guess? His better Angel, I hope will stay him from so foul a mischief, Nor shall my care be wanting. Though your sorrow Is not to be condemned, it takes not from The burden of his Misery's; we must practice With some fresh object to divert his thoughts From that they are wholly fixed on. I approve of Your good intention, and I hope it'll prosper. He now seems calm. Let us upon our knees Encompass him. Most royal Sir, Hope the best Sir. Exeunt. Does your conscience (I will begin with you) whisper unto you What here you st and accused of? are you nam The President of Projectors? Has he converted her? I am glad of it. Command my Dresser to adorn her with The robes that I gave order for. And let those precious Jewels I took la Out of my Cabinet, if't be possible, Give lustre to her beauty's, and that done, Command her to be near us. Oh my deer Sir You have forgotten your morning task, and therefore With a mother's love I come to reprehend you, But it shall be gently. I believe so. Pray you gium us leave: what now I must deliver Under the deepest seal of secrecy, Though it b for you good, will give assurance Of what is looked for, if you not alone Hear, but obey my counsels. 'Twere impertinence To dwell on circumstances, since the wound Requires a sudden cure, especially Since you that are the happy instrument Elected to it, though young in your judgement Write far above your years, and may instruct Such as are more experienced. 'Ti nobly answered, and I glory in The building I have raised; go on, sweet Lady, In this your v rtuous progress but to the point, You know, nor do I envy it, you have Acquired that power, which, not long since, was mine, In governing the Emperor, and must use The strength you hold in the heart of his affections, For his private, as the public preservation, To which there is no greater enemy, Then him exorbitant prodigality, How ere his sycophants, and flatterers call it Royal magnificence, and though you may Urge what's done for your honour, must not be Curbed, or be controlled by you, you cannot in Your wisdom but conceive, if that the torrent Of his violent bounties be not stopped, or lessened, It will prove most pernicious. Therefore, Madam, Since it's your duty, as you are his wife, To give him saving counsels, and in being Almost his idol, may command him to Take any shape you please, with a powerful hand, To stop him in his precipice to ruin. Heaven is most gracious to you, madam, In choosing you to be the instrument Of such a pious work. You see he signs What suit soever is pre erred, not once Inquiring what it is, yielding himself A prey to all; I would therefore have you, Lady, As I know you will to advise him, or command him, As he would reap the plenty of your favours, To use more moderation in his bounties, And that before he gives, he would consider, The what, to whom, and wherefore. On all hands Thu slighted? no way left am I grown stupid In my invention? can I make no use Of the Emperor's bounties? now it's thought: within there It shall be so; nearer; your ear Draw a petition to this end. How's this? are you grown, From a servant, my director? let me hear No more of this. Dispatch, I'll master him At his own weapon. Exit Servant. 'Ti well. You are certain she will come? No train with her? Reach that chair: Now sitting thus at distance, I'll vouchsafe To look upon her. True, my servant used Such language, but now as a mistress I Command your service. Yowl find I can dispose of what's mine own Without a guardian. Pride and forget ulnesse would not let thee see that, Against which now thou canst not close thine eyes. What injury could be equal to thy late Contempt of my good counsel, when I urged The Emperor's prodigal bounties, and entreated That you would use your power to give they limits, Or, at the least, a endue consideration Of such as sued, and for what, ere he signed it? In opposition you brought against m Th'obedience of a wife, that Ladies were not, Being well accommodated by their Lords, To question, but much less to cross their pleasures; Nor would you, though the Emperor were resolved To give away his Sceptre, hinder it, Since 'twas done for your honour, covering with False colours of humility your ambition. As wicked counsel Is still most hurtful unto those that give it; Such as deny to follow what is good, In reason, are the first that must repent it. When I please you shall hear more, in the mean time Thank your own wilful folly that hath changed you From and Empress to a bondwoman. Royal Sir, This was the mark I aimed at, and I glory At the length, you so conceive it. 'twas a weakness To measure by your own integrity The purposes of others. I have shown you In a true mirror what frui e grows upon The tree of hoodwinked bounty, and what dangers Precipitation in the managing Your great affairs produceth. Does the means, I practised to give good, and saving counsel's To the Emperor, and your new stamped majesty Still stick in your stomach? I'll not bandy Words with your mightiness, prowed one, only this, You Can rye to much sail for your small bark, And that when you least think vpon't may sink you. Exit Pulch. True, for as she is The consort of your bed, it's fit she sh re in Your cares, and absolute power. Though I should sad Lady In policy rejoice, you as a rival Of my greatness are removed, compassion, Since I believe you innocent, commands me To mourn your fortune, credit me I will urge All arguments I can allege that may Appease the Emperors fury. Stand close, And give way to his passion, it's not safe To stop them in their violent course, before They have spent themselves. If I might Without offence, deliver my opinion, That on my soul the Empress I innocent. But how you can make satisfaction to The poor Paulinus, he being dead, in reason You must conclude impossible. Your patience Sir. Let those corrupted ministers of the court, Which you complain of, our devotions ended, Be cited to appear. For the Ambassadors Who are importunate to have audience, From me you may assure them, that to morrow They shall in public kiss the Emperors robe, And we in private with our soonest leisure Will give they hearing. Have you especial care too That free access be granted unto all Petitioners. The morning wears, Pray you on Sir; Time lost is never recovered. When you please, You may intend those royal exercises Suiting your birth, and greatness: I will bear The burden of your cares, and having purged The body of your empire of ill humours, Upon my knees surrender it. Read over the Papers I left upon my cabinet, two hours hence I will examine you. What hath he To do in Constantinople? You are master of the manners, and the habit, Rather the corn of such as would live men, And not Like Apes with servile imitation, Study prodigiou fashions. You keep Intelligence abroad that may instruct, Our giddy youth at home what new found fashion Is now in use, swearing he's most comp to That first turns monster. Know villains, I can thrust This arm into your hearts, strip off the flesh That covers your deformities, and show you In your own nakedness. Now though the law Call not your follies death, you are for ever Banished my brother's court. Away with they. I will hear no reply. It's fit Sir, yet in this You may please to consider, absolute Princes Have, or should have, in Policy, less free, will Then such as are their vassals. For, you must, As you are and Emperor, in this high business Weigh with endue providence, with whom alliance May be most useful for the preservation Or your increase of Empire. Do not surfeit In overgreedy devouring that Which may without satiety feast you often. From the moderation in receiving them, The choicest viands do continue pleasing To the most curious palate; if you think her Worth your embraces, and the sovereign title Of the Grecian Empress, Thou shall know Too soon, no doubt. Who's that with such rudeness Beats at the door? Building on, That certain base, I fear not what can follow, Exit Pulch. She is yet a woman Sir You are curious in your choice, Sir, And hard to please, yet if that your consent May give authority to it, I'll present you With one, that if her birth, and Fortune's answer The rarities of her body, and her mind', Detraction durst not tax her. Yet before It be too late, consider her condition, Her father was a Pagan, she her self A new converted Christian. Is't even so? I have power over these yet, and command and heir stay, To Harken nearer oh me. Do not you Sir, Deny your own act; as you are a man, And stand on your own bottoms, it'll appear A childish weakness to make void a grant, Signed by your sacred hand, and seal, and strengthened With a religious oath, but with my licence, Never to be recalled. For some few minutes, Let reason rule your passion, and in this, delivers the deed. Be pleased to read my interest; you will find there What you in me call violence, is justice, And that I may make use of what's mine own, According to my will. it's your own gift Sir, And what and Emperor gives, should stand as firm As the celestial poles upon the shoulders Of Atlas, or his successor in that office The great Alcides. If you were A subject of the Empire, which your habit In every partly denies. Go to the Empress, And tell her on the sudden, I am sick, And do desire, the comfort of a visit, If she please to vouchsafe it. From me use Your humblest language: But when once I have her In my possession, I will rise, and speak In higher strain, say it raise storms, no matter. Fools judge by the event, my ends are honest. Exeunt. SIR by your own rules of Philosophy You know thing violent last not, royal bounty Are great, and gracious while they are dispensed With moderation, but when their excess In giving giant-bulks to others, take from The Princes joust proportion, they lose The names of virtues, and, their nature's changed Grow the most dangerous vices Not to hold you in suspense, Behold the virgin Rich in her natural beauty's, no way borrowing Th'adulterate aids of art. Peruse her better, She is worth your serious view. I do conceive the rest. What is the second? Heaven grant You know it not too soon.