CAMBISES

MY Counsel graven & sapient with lords of legal train: Attentive ears towards bend & mark what shall be sain. So you likewise my valia ̄ to knight whose ma ̄ lie acts does fly By bruit of fame y e sounding trump doth pierce y e azure sky. My sapient words I say perpend and so your skill delate: You know that Mors vanquished hath Cirus that king of state And I by endue inheritance possess that Princely crown: Ruling by sword of mighty force in place of great renown. You know and often have herd tell my father's worthy facts. A manly Marsis heart he bore appearing by his acts. And what? shall I to ground let fallen my father's golden praise? No, no, I mean for to attempt, this fame more large to raise, In that that I his son succeed his kingly seat as endue: Extend your council unto me in that I ask of you. I am the king of Persia, a large and fertile soil: The Egyptians against us repunge, as varlets slave and vile. Therefore I mean w to Marsis heart, with wars the ̄ to frequent Them to subdue as captives mine this is my hearts intent. So shall I win honours delight, and praise of me shall go: My Council speak, and Lordings eke, is it not best do so? My Council graven a thousand thanks, with heart I do you ren der That you my case so prosperous, entirely do tender. I will not swerve from ̄ those your steps, whereto you would me trau ̄ But now my Lord & valia ̄ to knight, w to woordꝭ give answer plain Are you content with me to go, the Marsis games to try? O willing hearts, a thousand thanks I render unto you: Strike up your drums w to courage great, we will march forth even now. Speak on my Council what it be, you shall have savour mine My grace doth yield to this your talk, tobe thus now it shall: My Knight therefore prepare your self, Sisamnes for to call. A Judge he is of prudent skill, even he shall bear the sway: In absence mine, when from the land I do depart my way. Of that he shall a warning have, my hests for to obey: Great punishment for his offence against him will I lay. Sisamnes, this the whole effect, the which for you I sent: Our mind it is to elevate, you to great preferment My grace and gracious cou ̄ cel eke hath chosen you for this cause: In judgement you do office bear, which have the skill in laws, We think that you accordingly, by Justice rule will deal: that for offence none shall have cause (of wro ̄ g) you to appeal. Then according to your words, if you therein offend: I assure you even from my breast, correction shall extend, From Persra I mean to go into the Egypt land: Them to convince by force of arms, and win the upper hand. While I therefore absent shall be, I do you full permit: As governor in this my right, in that estate to fit. For to detect and eke correct, those that abuse my grace: This is the total of my will, give answer in this case. By council, then let us depart, a final stay to make: To Egit land now forth with speed, my voyage I will take. Strike up your dru ̄ mes us to rejoice, to hear the warlike found Stay you here Sisamnes Judge, and look well to your bound. Commons continued ̄ plaint keep nothing back, foar not thy tale to tell What ere he be within this land, that hath not used thee well. As Princes mouth shall sentence give, he shall receive y e same Unfold the secrets of thy breast, for I extinguish blame. Untrustful traitor & corrupt Judge, how likest y u this continued ̄ plaint Forewarning I to Thee did give, of this to make restraint. And hast thou done this devilish dée, mine ire for to augment? I sentence give, thou Judas judge, thou shalt thy deed repent. Accursed Judge couldst thou consent, to do this cursed ill? According unto thy dentaund, thou shalt for this thy gilded: Receive thy death before mine eyes, thy blood it shall be spilled. Dispatch w c sword this Judges life, extinguish fear and cares: So done, draw thou his cursed skin, strait over both his ears. I will see the office done, and that before mine eyes. In this wise, he shall not yet be left. Pull his skin over his ears, to make his death more vile: A wretch he was, a cruel thief my commons to beguile. Otian, thou seest thy father dead, and thou art in his room: if thou be'st proud as be hath been, even thereto shalt thou come. My Lord now that my grace hath seen, that finished is this deed, To question mine give tentive ear, & answer make w c speed. Have not I done a gracious deed, to redress my commons woe? Peace my Lord, what needeth this? of this I will not hear, To Palace now I will return, and there to make good cheer. God Baccus he bestows his giftꝭ, we have good store of wine: And also that the Ladies be, both passing brave and fine. But stay, I see a Lord now come, and eke a valiant knight: What news my Lord? to see you here my heart it doth delight I thank you my Lord & loouing knight, I pray you with me trace My Lords and Knight I pray you tell, I will not be offended: Am I worthy of any crime once to be reprehended? No more ado, go fetch me him, it shall be as I say: And if that I do speak the word, how dare you once say nay? Give it me to drink it of, and see no wine be waste. Once again in large this Cup, for I must taste it still: By the Gods I think of pleasant wine, I cannot take my fill. Now drink is in give me my bow, and arrows from ̄ sir Knight At heart of Child I mean to shoot, hoping to cleve it right. Oh Lording déer and brother mine, I joy your state to see: Surmising much what is the cause, you absent thus from Me. Farewell Lord and Brother mine, farewell with all my heart. My Lord, my brother Smirdis is, of youth and manly might: And in his sweet and pleasant face, my heart doth take delight. As you have said my Lord, he is chief heir next my grace: And if I die to morrow next he shall succeed my place. Did he speak thus of my grace, in such dispightful wise? Or else dost thou presume to fill my princely ears with lies? How sayest thou? speak the truth, was it soor no? Thou plaist with both hands, now I perceive well: But for to put all doubts aside, and to make him lose his hope: He shall die by dent of Sword, or else by choking Rope. Shall he succeed when I am gone, to have more praise then I? Were he Father as brother mine, I swear that he shall die. To palace mine I will therefore, his death for to pursue. Come on my Lord and knight abroad, our mirth let us employ Since he is dead this heart of mine, in corpse I feel it joy. Should brother mine have reigned King, when I had yielded breath A thousand brother's I rather had, to put them all to death. But o, behold where I do see, a Lord and Lady fair: For beauty she most worthy is, to fit in Princes chair. Of truth my Lord in eye of mine, all Ladies she doth excel: Can none report what dame she is, and to my grace it tell? My Lord & knight of truth I speak, my heart it cannot choose. But with my Lady I must speak and so express my mind: My Lord and Ladies walking there, if you will favour find. Present your selves unto my grace, & by my side come stand: Lady déer intelligence, my grace hath God of late: You issued out of mother's stock, and kin unto my state. According to rule of birth you are, Cousin iarmin mine: Yet do I wish that farther of, this kindred I could find. For Cupid he that eyeless boy, my heart hath so inflamed: With beauty you me to content, the Like cannot be nam. For since I entered in this place and on you fixed mine eyes: Most burning fits about my heart in ample wise did rise. The heat of the ̄ such force doth yield, my corpse they scorch alas: And burns y e same with wasting heat, as Titan doth the grass And sith this heat is kindled so, and fresh in heart of me: There is no way but of the same, the quencher you must be. My meaning is y to beauty yours, my heart with Love doth wou ̄ worser: To give me Love, mind to content my heart hath you out found. And you are she must be my wife, else shall I end my days: Consent to this and be my Queen, to were y e crown with praise. May I not? nay then I will by all the Gods I vow: And I will marry Thee as wife, this is mine answer now: Who dare say nay what I prete ̄ worser, who dare the same w to stand? Shall loose his head and have report, as traitor through my la ̄ worser. There is no nay I will you have, and you my Queen shall be: No, no, what I have said to you. I mean to have it so: For counsel theirs I mean not I, in this respect to go. But to my Palace let us go, the marriage to prepare: For to avoid my will in this, I can it not forbear. Come on my Lords with gladsome hearts, let us rejoice w to glee: Your Music show to joy this deed, at the request of me. My Queen and Lords to take repast, let us attempt the same Here is the place delay no time, but to our purpose frame. By Queen parpend what I pronounce I will not violate: But one thing which my heart makes glad. I mind to explicate You know in Court by trained is, a Lion very yung: Of on litter two whelps beside, as yet not very strong. I did request one whelp to see, and this yung Lion fight: But Lion did the whelp convince, by strength of force a might. His brother welp perceiving that the Lion was to good: And he by force was Like to see, the other whelp his blood. With force to Lion he did run, his brother for to help: A wonder great it was to see that friendship in a whelp. So then the the whelps between them both y e Lion did continued ̄ vince Which thing to see before mine eyes, did glad y to heart of Prince. You villains twain, with raging force, you set my heart on fire. If I consent that she shall die, how dare you crave her life? You two to ask this at my hand, doth much enlarge my strife. Were it not for shame you two should die, that for her life do sue But favour mine from you is gone, my Lords Itel you true. I sent for Cruelty of late, if he would come away: I would commit her to his hands, his cruel part to play. Even now I see where he doth come, it doth my heart delight: Then come my Lords let us depart away. Out alas what shall I do? my life is finished. Wounded I am by sudain chance, my blood is m nished. Gogs heart what means might I make, my life to preserve? Is there nought to be my help: nor is their nought to serve? Out upon the Court, and Lords that there remain: To help my grief in this my case, will none of them take pain? Who but I in such a wise his death's wound could have God: As I on horse back up did leap, my sword from scabbard shot. And ran me thus into the side, as you right well may see: A meruels chance unfortunate, that in this wise should been. I feel my self a dying now, of life bereft am I: And death hath caught me with his dart, for want of blood I spy. Thus gasping here on ground I lie, for nothing I do care: A joust rewad for my misdeeds, my death doth plain declare. Well then of this authority, I give you you full possession: My Judge since my departure hence, have you used Iudgeme ̄ to right? If faithful steward I you find, the same I will requite. Cresus said well in saying so, but Praxaspes tell me why: That to my mouth in such a sort, thou should avouch a lie. Of drunkenness me thus to charge, but thou with speed shalt see Whither that I a sober King, or else a drunkard been. I know thou haste a blissful babe, wherein thou dost delight: Me to revenge of these thy words, I will go wreke this spite. When I the most have tasted wine, my Bow it shall be bent At heart of him even then to shoot, is now my whole intent. And if that I his heart can hit, the King no drunkard is: It heart of his I do not kill, I yield to Thee in this. Therefore Praxaspes fetch to me, thy yungest son with speed: There is no way I tell thee plain, but I will do this deed. Before me as mark now let him stand, I will shoot at him my mind to fulfil What doleful cries be these my lord, y to found do in mine ear? Intelligence if you can glut, unto your king declare. To me it seemeth my Commons all, they do lament & cry: Out of Sisamnes Judge most chief, even now standing us by. How likest y e this, thou caitiff vile, canst thou the same deny? Complaints and Proof, redress will I, all this your misery: Depart w to speed from whence you came, & straight continued ̄ mau ̄ worser by me The Executio ̄ man to come, before my grace with haste. My Lord, before my grace go call, Otian this Judges Son: And he shall hear and also see: what his father hath done. The Father he shall suffer death, the Son his room succeed And if that he no better prove, so likewise shall he speed. Otian this is my mind, therefore to me come near. Thy father her for Iudgme ̄ to wrong procured hath his death: And thou his son shalt him succeed, when ̄ he hath lost his breath And if that thou dost once offend, as thou seest thy father have: In likewise thou shalt suffer death, no mercy shall Thee save. Do not entreat my grace no more, for he shall die the death, Where is the Execution man, him to bercaue of breath. Dispatch even now thou man of death, no longer seem to stay: For fear of my displeasure great, go fetch him unto me. Is he gone? now by the Gods I will do as I say: My Lord therefore fill me some wine, I heartily you pray. For I must drink to make my brain somewhat intoxicate: When that the wine is in my head, o trimly I can prate. Set him up my mark to be, I will shoot at his heart: Behold Praxaspes thy Sons own heart, O how well y e same was hit After this wine to do this deed, I thought it very fit. Esteem thou mayest right well thereby, no dru ̄ kard is the king: That in the amid of all his cups, could do this valiant thing. My Lord and knight on me attend, to Palace we will go: And leave him here to take his son, when ̄ we are gone him from. And I the Like to you again do here avouch the same: My Lord and brother Smirdis now, this is my mind and will: That you to Court of mine return, and there to tarry still. Till my return within short space, your honour for to greet: What dost thou mean my spouse to weep, for lose of any prize Oh cursed caitiff vicious vile, I hate Thee in this place. This banquet it is and end, take all these things away: Before my face thou shalt repent, the words that thou dost say Oh wretch most vile, didst y u the cause of brother mine so to ̄ der: The lose of him should grieve thy heart, he being none offender It did me good his death to have, so will it to have thine: What friendship he had at my hands, y e same even y to shalt find I give consent and make a vow, that thou shalt die the death: By Cruels sword & Murder fell, even thou shalt die the breath. Ambidexter, see with speed, to Cruelty you go: Cause him hither to approach, Murder with him also. Then nought oblight my message given, absent thy self away: Thou cursed Iil, by all the Gods, I take and oath and sweet: that flesh of thine these would ̄ ds of mine, in pieces small could tere. But thou shalt die by dent of sword, there is no Friend ne f ee: Shall find remorse at Princes hand, to save the life of thee. A caitiff vile to pity Thee, my heart it is not bent: Ne yet to pardon your offence, it is not mine intent. Murder and Cruelty, for both of you I sent: With all festination, your offices to frequent. Lay hold on the Queen, take her to your power: And make her away with in this hour. Spare for no fear I do you full permit: So I from this place, do mean for to flit. I have dispatched him, down he doth fallen, As right as a line his heart I have hit: Nay thou shalt see Praxaspes, stranger news yet. My Knight with speed his heart cut out, and give it unto me. Me think mine ears doth wish the sou ̄ worser, of music's hermony: Here for to play before my grace, in place I would them spy: