COSIMO

What needs this from? we are not grown so proud As to disdain familiar conference With such as are to counsel, and direct us. This kind of adoration showed not well In the old Roman Emperor's, who forgetting That they were flesh & blood, would be styled gods, In us to suffer it were worse. Pray you rise. Still the old suit, with too much curiousness You have too often searched this wound, which yields Security and rest, not trouble to me. For here you grieve, that my firm resolution Continues me a Widower; and that My want of issue to succeed me in My government, when I am dead, may breed Distraction in the State, and make the name And family of the Medicis, now admired, Contemptible. You press us With solid arguments we grant, and though We stand not bound to yield account to any Why we do this or that (the full consent Of our Subject's being included in our Will) We out of our free bounties will deliver The motives that divert us. You well know That three years since to our much grief, we lost Our Duchess, such a Duchess, that the world In her whole course of life, yields not a Lady That can with imitation deserve To be her second: in her grave we buried All thoughts of woman: let this satisfy For any second marriage. Now whereas You name the heir of Urban, as a Princess Of great revenues, it's confessed she is so; But for some causes private to our self, We have disposed her otherwise. Yet despair not, For you ere long with joy shall understand, That in our Princely care we have provided One worthy to succeed us. My Sanazaro. Nay, Forbear all ceremony. You look sprightly friend, And promise in your clear aspect some novel That may delight us. Still my Nightingale, That with sweet accents dost assure me, that My Spring of happiness comes fast upon me. Embrace me boldly. I pronounce that wretch And enemy to brave and thriving Actium, That dares believe, but in a thought, we are Too prodigal in our favours to this man, Whose merits, though with him we should divide Our Dukedom, still continuous his debtor. Nay, blush not Sanazarro, we are proud Of what we built up in thee, nor can our Election be disparaged; since we have not Received into our bosom and our grace A glorious lazy Droane, grown fat with feeding On others toil, but and industrious Be That crops the sweet flowers of our enemies, And every happy evening returns Loaded with wax and honey to our Hive. Thou art too modest, But we will study how to give, and when, Before it be demanded. Giovanni! My Nephew; let me eye thee better Boy. In thee me thinks my Sister lives again: For her love I will be a Father to thee, For thou art my adopted Son. Thy hard travail Nephew Requires soft rest, and therefore we forbear For the present and account, how thou hast spent Thy absent hours. See Signiors, see, our care Without a second bed provides you of A hopeful Prince. Carry him to his Lodgings, And for his farther honour Sanazarro With the rest do you attend him. Contarino! What entertainment found you From Carolo de Charamonte? But did my Nephew Depart thence willingly? Who was it? Be not raped so. Take up. Take up. But did your observation Note any passage of affection Between her and my Nephew? Umh! Thou art My Secretary Contarino, and more skilled In politic designs of State, then in Thy judgement of a beauty; give me leave In this to doubt it. Here. Go to my Cabinet, You shall find there Letters newly received touching the state of Urban. Pray you with care peruse them, leave the search Of this to us. Lydia! A Diamond so long concealed, And never worn in Court! of such sweet feature? And he on whom I fix my Dukedoms Hope's, Made Captive to it! Umh! it's somewhat strange, Our eyes are every where, and we will make A strict enquiry, Sanazarro! Is my Nephew at his rest? It's well, and does the Princes Fiorinda (Nay, do not blush, she is rich Urbin's heir) Continue constant in her favours to you? Not a scruple. He whom I favour as I do my friend, May take all lawful graces that become him. But touching this hereafter; I have now (And though perhaps it may appear or trifle) Serious employment for thee. I know it friend, Have you never herd of Lidia the daughter Of Carolo Charamonte? She is delivered And feelingly to us by Contarino For a masterpiece in nature, I would have you Ride suddenly thither to behold this wonder: But not as sent by us, that's our first caution: The second is, and carefully observe it, That though you are a Bachelor, & endowed with All those perfections that may take a virgin, On forfeit of our favour do not tempt her. It may be her fair graces do concern us. Pretend what business you think fit, to gain Access into her Father's house, and there Make full discovery of her, and return me A true relation, I have some ends in it With which we will acquaint you. Yet one that must exact Your secrecy, and diligence. Let not Your stay be long. Farewell, And be, as you would keep our favour, careful. Nay, blush not; we smile on your privacy, And come not to disturb you. You are equals, And without prejudice to either's Honours. May make a mutual change of love and Courtship, Till you are made one, and with holy rites, And we give suffrage to it. To our self in this. But now break off. Too much Taken at once of the most curious viands Dulls the sharp edge of appetite. We are now For other sports, in which our pleasure is That you shall keep us company. They are comely coursers, And promise swiftness. You are Nephew, As I hear, and excellent horseman, and we Like it. It's a fair grace in a Prince. Pray you make trial Of their strength and speed, and if you think them fit For your employment, with a liberal hand Reward the Gentleman, that did present they From the Viceroy of Naples. Wait on my Nephew. Nay stay you Contarino, be within call, It may be we shall use you. You have road hard Sir, And we thank you for it. Every minute seems Irksome, and tedious to us; till you have Made your discovery. Say friend, have you seen This Phoenix of our age? This is strange. Contarino Reports her otherwise. How is her behaviour? How her wit, Discourse, and entertainment? Where was thy judgement man To extol a virgin, Sanazarro tells me Is nearer to deformity. Thought? Didst thou not affirm it? You are right Courtiers, And know it is your duty to cry up All actions of a Prince. What's your opinion Nephew Of the horses? So, come nearer; This exercise hath put you into a sweat, Take this and dry it: and now I command you To tell me truly what's your censure of Charomontes daughter Lidia. I believe you I never yet found you false. Pray you make choice of The richest of our furniture for those horses, And take my Nephew with you, we in this Will follow his directions. My fair charge, you are welcome to us. All things go well in Urbino. The next Summer In our own person, we will bring you thither, And seat you in your own. Name it Madame, With confidence to obtain it. Would. Your reason? Did my Nephew Seriously deliver this? Pray you have patience. This was strangely carried. Would! are we tristed with? Dare they do this? is Cozimos fury, that Of late was terrible, grown contemptible? Well; we will clear our brows, and undermine Their secret works, (though they have dug Like Moles,) And crush'em with the tempest of my wrath When I appear most calm. He is unfit To command others, that knows not to use it, And with all rigour, yet my stern looks shall not Discover my intents, for I will strike When I begin to frown. You are the Mistress Of that you did demand. You shall possess it sooner then you expect, Only be pleased to be ready when my Secretary Waits upon you, to take the fresh air. My Nephew! And my bosom friend so to cheat me, it's not fair! Have you furnished Those Coursers, as we willed you? It's well. To your rest. Soft sleeps wait on you Madame. Tomorrow with the rising of the Sun Be ready to ride with us. They with more safety Had trod on fork-tongu'd Adders, the ̄ provoked me. No, no, I am fresh and lusty. Dry them up Charomonte, And all forbear the room, while we exchange Some private words together. It's more. Thou hast Abused our trust, and in a high degree Committed treason. Sir, do not flatter Your self with hope, these great & glorious words Which every guilty wretch, as well as you That's armed with impudence, can with ease deliver, And with as full a mouth, can work on us? Nor shall gay flourishes of language clear What is in fact apparent. This then Sir: we gave up (On our assurance of your faith and care,) Our Nephew Giovanni, nay, our heir In expectation, to be trained up by you As did become a Prince. Take us with you Sir. And in respect we knew his Youth was prove To women, and that living in our Court He might make some unworthy choice, before His weaker judgement was confirmed, we did Remove him from it; constantly presuming You with your best endeavours, rather would Have quenched those heats in him, then light a Torch, As you have done to his looseness. No? Why then With your allowance did you give free way To all familiar privacy, between My Nephew and your daughter? Or why did you (Had you no other ends in't but our service) Read to they, and together (as they had been Scholars of one form) Grammar, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Story, and interpret to they The close temptations of lascivious Poets? Or wherefore (for we still had spies upon you) Was she still present, when by your advice He was taught the use of his weapon, horsemanship, Wrestling, nay swimming, but to fan in her A hight desire of him? and then forsooth His exercises ended, covered with A fair pretence of recreation for him, When Lidia was instructed in those graces That add to beauty. He brought to admire her, Must hear her sing, while to her voice, her hand Made ravishing Music; and this applauded, dance A light Levalto with her. Nor stopped you there, But they must unattended walk into The silent Groves, and hear the amorous birds Warbling their wanton notes, here a sure shade Of barren Sicamours: (which the all-seeing Sun Could not pierce through) near that and arbour hung With spreading Eglantine, there a bubbling spring Watering a bank of Hyacinths, and Lilies, With all allurements, that could move to lust. And could this, Charomonte, (should I grant They had been equals both in birth and fortune) Become your gravity? Nay, it's clear as air That your ambitious Hope's to match your daughter Into our family, gave connivance to it; And this, though not in act, in the intent I call high treason. This is from the purpose. Let not passion Carry you beyond your reason. It may be, But I must have stronger assurance of it Then passionate words. And not to trifle time, As we came unexpected to your house, We will prevent all means that may prepare her How to answer that, with which we come to charge her. And how soever it may be received As a foul breach to hospitable rites, On thy allegiance, and boasted faith, Nay forfeit of thy head, we do consine thee Close prisoner to thy Chamber, till all doubts Are cleared that do concern us. If this man Be false, disguised treachery never put on A shape so near to truth. Within there. Bring Lidia forth. Would. This personage Cannot invite affection. The manners of her mind Must be transcendent, if they can defend Her rougher outside; may we with your liking Salute you Lady? Can this be possible? Pray you pause a little, If I hold your Cards, I shall pull down the side, I am not good at the game. Nay, pray you stay. I'll find you out a pledge That shall supply my place, what think you of This complete Signior? You are a Juno, and in such state Must feast this Jupiter, what think you of him? And you will undertake this service for me? You are good at the sport. Nay, you shall fit inthroned, and eat, & drink As you were a Duke. Take your place then, We are amazed. Prithee let us have it, For we grow dull. We pity Charomonte's wretched fortune. In a daughter, nay, a monster. Good old man! The place grows tedious. Our remove shall be With speed. We'll only in a word or two Take leave and comfort him. Who signed you A Patent to direct us? Wait our coming In the Garden. Pray you tell us, And truly we command you, Did you never Observe she was given to drink? Yes. Nay more, to be drunk. Look you do, and fail not, On the peril of your head. Such contrarieties were never read of. Charomonte is no fool, nor can I think His confidence built on sand. We are abused, It's too apparent. Is this your only daughter. It shall yield No sport to the contrivers, it's too plain now Her presence does confirm what Contorino Delivered of her, nor can sickness dim The splendour of her beauty's, being her self then She must exceed his praise. Here are accents, Whose every syllable is musical! Pray you let me raise you, and a while rest here! False Sanazarro, treacherous Giovanni; But stand we talking? Then by that oath we charge thee Without excuse, denial, or delay To apprehend, and suddenly, Sanazarro, And our Ingrateful Nephew. We have said it. Do it without reply, or we pronounce thee, Like them, a traitor to us. See them guarded In several lodgings, and forbid access To all, but when we warrant, Is our will Herd, sooner then obeyed? Be severe in't. Oh my abused lenity I from what height Is my power fallen? Pray you rise, and then speak to me. Here's that form Of language I expected; pray you speak, What is your suit? With what fervour She pleads against her self! Had you thus argued As you were your self, and brought as advocates Your health and beauty, to make way for you. No crime of his could put on such a shape, But I should look with the eyes of mercy on it. What would I give to see this diamond In her perfect lustre, as she was before The clouds of sickness dimmed it! yet take comfort, And as you would obtain remission for His treachery to me, cheer your drooping spirits, And call the blood again into your cheeks, And then plead for him. And in such a habit As in your highest Hope's you would put on, If we were to receive you for our Bride. And that best will be A crown of all felicity to me. What we purpose Shall know no change, and therefore move me not, We were made as properties, and what we shall Determine of'em, cannot be called rigour, But noble justice. When they proved disloyal, They were cruel to themselves. The Prince that pardons The first affront offered to majesty, Invites a second, rendering that power Subject's should tremble at, contemptible. Ingratitude is a monster, Carolo, To be strangled in the birth, not to be cherished. Madame, you are happily met with. To this minute We have confirmed it, what's your boon? You say well, You are ignorant in the nature of his fault, Which when you understand (as we'll instruct you) Your pity will appear a charity (It being conferred on and unthankful man) To be repented. He's a traitor Madame To you, to us, to gratitude, and in that All crimes are comprehended. This compassion in you Must make the colour of his gilded more ugly: The honours we have hourly heaped upon him, The titles, the rewards, to the envy of The old Nobility, as the common people, We now forbear to touch at, and will only Insist on his gross wrongs to you. You were pleased Forgetting both your self and proper Greatness, To favour him, nay, to court him to embrace A happiness, which on his knees with joy He should have sued for. Who repined not at The grace you did him? yet in recompense Of your large bounties, the disloyal wretch Makes you a stale; and what he might be by you Scorned, and derided, gives himself up wholly To the service of another. If you can Bear this with patience, we must say you have not The bitterness of spleen, or ireful passion Familiar to women. Pause upon it, And when you seriously have weighed his carriage, Move us again, if your reason will allow it, His treachery known: and then if you continue His advocate for him, we perhaps, because We would deny you nothing, may awake Our sleeping mercy. Carolo! Does our Nephew Bear his restraint so constantly, as you Deliver it to us? No more, this Gloss Defends not the corruption of the text, Urge it no more. You will overcome, There's no contending with you. Pray you enjoy What you desire. And tell him, he shall have A speedy trial. In which we'll forbear To fit a Judge, because our purpose is To rise up his accuser. Would; what sue you for? Shall we be ever troubled? do not tempt That anger may consume you. Did not we vow, till sickness had forsook Thy daughter Lidia, and she appeared In her perfect health and beauty to plead for him, We were deaf to all persuasion? To enjoy Such happiness, what would we not dispense with? But art thou certain I shall behold her at the best? Rise, thou art but dead If this prove otherwise. Lidia appear, And feast and appetite almost pined to death With longing expectation to behold Thy excellencies; thou as beauty's Queen Shalt censure the detractors. Let my Nephew Be led in triumph under her command, We'll have it so; and Sanazarro tremble To think whom he hath slandered; we'll retire Our selves a little, and prepare to meet A blessing, which imagination tells us We are not worthy of; and then come forth But with such reverence, as if I were (My self the Priest, the sacrifice my heart) To offer at the Altar of that goodness That must or kill or save me. A while Silence your musical tongue, and let me feast My eyes with the most ravishing object that They ever gazed on. There's no miniature In her fair face, but is a copious theme Which would (discoursed at large of) make a volume. What clear arched brows? what sparkling eyes? the Lilies Contending with the Roses in her cheeks, Who shall most set them off? what ruby lips? Or unto what can I compare her neck, But to a rock of crystal? every limb Proportioned to loves wish, and in their neatness Add lustre to the riches of her habit, Not borrow from it. How unworthy? By all the vows which Lovers offer at The Cyprian Goddess Altars, eloquence It self presuming, as you are, to speak you, Would be struck dumb. And what have you deserved then? (Wretches you kneel too late) that have endeavoured To spout the poison of your black detraction On this immaculate whiteness? was it malice To her perfections? or — We will not, Yet since their accusation must be urged, And strongly, ere their weak defence have hearing, We seat you here as Judges to determine Of your gross wrongs and ours. And now remembering Whose Deputies you are, be neither swayed, Or with particular spleen, or foolish pity, For neither can become you. Rise, and stand forth then, And hear with horror to your guilty souls What we will prove against you. Could this Princess (Thou enemy to thy self) stoop her high flight Of towering greatness to invite thy lowness To look up to it, and with nimble wings Of gratitude, couldst thou forbear to meet it? Were her favours boundless in a noble way, And warranted by our allowance, yet In thy acceptation there appeared no sign Of a modest thankfulness? We will then pass over it, & briefly touch at that Which does concern our self. In which both being Equal offenders, what we shall speak, points Indifferently at either. How we raised thee (Forgetful Sanazarro of our Grace) To a full possession of power, and honours, It being too well known, we'll not remember. And what thou Wertenberg (rash youth) in expectation (And from which headlong thou hast thrown thy self) Not Florence, but all Tuskany can witness With admiration. To assure thy Hope's, We did keep constant to a widowed bed, And did deny our self those lawful pleasures, Our absolute power and height of blood allowed us. Made both, the keys that opened our hearts secrets, And what you spoke believed as Oracles. But you in recompense of this to him That gave you all, to whom you owed your being With treacherous lies endeavoured to conceal This jewel from our knowledge, which our self Could only lay just claim too. Look on her, Is this a beauty fit to be embraced By any Subject's arms? Can any Tyre Become that forehead, but a Diadem? Or should we grant your being false to us Could be excused, your treachery to her In seeking to deprive her of that greatness (Her matchless form considered) she was born too, Must never find pardon? we have spoken Ladies Like a rough Orator, that brings more truth Then rhetoric to make good his accusation, And now expect your sentence. You know our temper, And therefore with more boldness venture on it. And would not our consent to your demands Deprive us of a happiness hereafter Ever to be despaired of, we perhaps Might Harken nearer to you, and could wish With some qualification or excuse You might make less the mountains of your crimes, And so invite our clemency to feast with you. But you that knew with what impatiency Of grief we parted from the fair Clarinda Our Duchess, (let her memory still be sacred) And with what imprecations on our self We vowed, not hoping ever to see her equal, Never to make trial of a second choice, If Nature framed not one that did excel her, (As this Maids beauty prompts us that she does) And yet with oaths then mixed with tears, upon Her monument we swore our eye should never Again be tempted, it's true, and those vows Are registered above, something here tells me. Carolo thou heardst us swear. It's strong truth Carolo, And yet what was necessity in us Cannot free them from treason. You all conspire To force our mercy from us. Though we know All this is practice, and that both are false, Such reverence we will pay to dead Clarinda, And to our serious oaths, that we are pleased With our own hand to blind our eyes, and not Know what we understand. Here Giovanni We pardon thee, and take from us in this, More then our Dukedom, love her. As I partly With her, all thoughts of women fly fast from us. Sanazarro, we forgive you. In your service To this Princess merit it. Yet let not others That are in trust and grace, as you have been, By the example of our lenity, Presume upon their Sovereigns clemency. What is't? How? We are pleased in it, And will pay her portion. May the passage prove Of what's presented, worthy of your love, And favour, as was aimed, and we have all That can in compass of our wishes fallen. You are curious Sir, I know not what to think on't. Contarino! We will be private, leave us. All my studies And serious meditations aim no further Then this young men good. He was my sisters son, And she was such a sister when she lived I could not prize too much, nor can I better Make known how deer I hold her memory, Then in my cherishing the only issue Which she hath left behind her Who's that? As I live stark drunk. Away with her. We'll reward you. When you have cooled your selves in the Cellar. As thou art our Subject, Charomonte, swear To act what we command. These are strange Chimeras to us! what to judge of't Is passed our apprehension! One command Charomonte to attend us. Can it be That Contarino could be so besotted As to admire this prodigy! or her Father To dote upon it! or does she personate For some ends unknown to us, this rude behaviour Within the Scene presented, would appear Ridiculous and impossible. Oh you are welcome. We now acknowledge the much wrong we did you In our unjust suspicion. We have seen The wonder Sir, your daughter. We know not what to think of this, yet would not Determine rashly of it. How do you Like My Nephews horsemanship? Simple, it's worse. Do you drink this often Lady? What a sighed is this? we could be angry with you, How much you did belie her when you told us She was only simple, this is barbarous rudeness, Beyond belief. Dare you trust your own eyes, if you find her now More then distempered? Begin then. There's more in this Then yet I have discovered. Some Oedipus Resolve this riddle.