DUKE

It's for thy Honour, which I know Is to thy self a precious found—that Building I late erected, then shall be thy Palace. That name Is too unworthy of it, my Eugenia, Nor will it seem restraint to my loved daughter, Since free to all delights, thy mind shall be It's own Commander, every day shall strive To bring thee in fresh rarities, Time shall be. Delighted with thy pleasures, and stay with thee. Thou shalt give To him feathers when thou pleasest. Mantua Shall pour her raptur on thee—why have I A Crown, but to command what thou canst wish for, My deer Eugenia. I am thy Father, Who by example of the wisest Kings, But built a place to lay my Treasure in, Safe from the Robber, where I'll place a Guard— To keep off violence, and soliciting Which may disturb thy pleasures, until we Shall find out one to match thy Birth and Virtues, My Dukedom is too poor that way, maintain Thy Father's Soul: thou hast no blood to mix With any beneath Prince—forget as I shall Thy Love was ever falling from thy Greatness, Into the Arms of one carries but style of Honour. Th'ast deserve worser my blessing, and thy obedience In this, new Crowns thy Father: I see I needs not Urge what I am to move thee, and lay force, Thy understanding does appear convinced, And loving duty teaches thee to more, Then the Command— Perenotto — All the Graces Speak in my Girl—Each syllable does carry A Volume of thy Goodness: all my Cares So well rewarded do convert to sweetness I thank thy filial piety: know my Girl That place wherein I look so rich a Jewel, I do pronounce again, shall be thy Paradise: Thy Paradise my Eugenia, saving that In this man only finds no being—other Delights shall stream themselves into thy Bosom, And those that pass, shall flow again t'invite Thy sense to tasting— Perenotto. Admit those Ladies that attend— We will not limit thy companions, Elect what Mantuan Beauties thou canst best Delight in, they shall serve thee: or if some Of your own Train, whom we have thought most proper To be your personal Guard, affect you, they Enter Donella Katherina, Mardona & Fidelia. Attend our pleasures: see, they are ignorant Yet of our purpose, if to any, thy Affection be not free, thy Breath discharge them, And point thy own Attendants. No man argue—it's our pleasure. Perenott —Are all things prepared? For once theu let us usher you. So my fears are over, in her restraint I b ry all my Jealousy's:—How now? What fellows this? What would he have? You have your Senses? You'll except somewhat. A wild fellow. No, his humour is good mirth to us; whence art? How? When? Thy Name. And how long hast thou been mad thus? You shall. What say you to a Lady? Would?—A Lady without guard would try your wit, and money to get her Love. Through a Credulity, you may too much Traduce the Sex, and merit such a Justice No Money will buy off:—admit some Branches Grow not so straight and beautiful, as Nature Intended them, will you disgrace the stem Or for some woman's Le city, accuse That fair Creation? Money buy their Love Promise a Salary of that sacred flame Themselves cannot direct, as guided by Divine intelligence. Admit there be a Lady, whom a Prince Might Court for her Affection; Of a Beauty, Great as her Virtue, add unto them Birth, Equal to both, and all three but in her Not to be matched—Suppose this Miracle (Too precious for men Eye) were shut up, where A Guard more watch ull then the Dragons; did F rbid access to mankind:—Men picked out Betwee e whose Souls and Money were Antipathy that which we know; and you assoon M ght bribe to be a Saint:—what would you do With your enough of money, were your life Engaged to win her Love? The fellow's impudent: Sirrah, thou hast landed thy self upon a Rock, you shall have sense of what you would contemn, a Life: put on a most fortified resolution, you shall needs it; we have a daughter thus locked up— A Virgin. Shalt not engage thee on a work so much Impossible as procurement of her Love, Make it appear with all the Art thou canst Get but access to her; a Month we limit But take heed Boaster, if you fail; your Life Shall only satisfy our charge, and teach All other Mountibanks to be at distance, With such bold undertakings: you shall expect A severe Justice: By this, I shall try the Fidelity of those are trusted. You shall. What d'yee call enough, yet it shall be under 20. thousand Crowns: I will not leave the Pawn here, for twice so much. Our royal word secure thee. We would studied that, It's but the lose of some superfluous Crowns, Let the end carry what success Fate please, All the expense will not be lost, to try The faith of those we shall employ in this; Our City's strong, the River that environs On three parts, shall be carefully attended, A wall makes safe the fourth, which shall be guarded Our Vigils shall be so exact, he shall Deserve his liberty, if he escape us, We are constant Sir. Maintain your humour still—attend us. This is the piece made up of all performance The man of any thing without exception, Give him but Gold, Kings daughters and their heirs Though locked in towers of Brass, are not safe from him. Nay though I play the chemist with my trust And from a Million of sure confidences I draw the spirit of honesty into a few, He can corrupt they. I never knew man bear his scorn so high, too him some other. A pleasant fellow too. And whom do I make merry? There's salt in's mirth:— I'll would this fellow wait ith' Court. Why so? A conoeyted Thing, We lack the Humourist Rollyardo here. This humour would habin a gadfly to him And stung him to the quick. I do affect this Fellows prate. And what was this? How, our pardon? This man is good at all. No, that were to quench The fire in all Deservers— Fulvio. Pay the cost double, I'll send it to my daughter. I know it is a present, the sweet soul Will raise much joy in:—Signior Perenotto — If Florence now keep touch, we shortly shall, Conclude all fear, with a glad Nuptial. How now, what day is't? How? Do you come Like one prepared for death? I wonnot— Perenotto — Away, and let not him stir I charge you. This does entrench too much upon her person, Have my endeavours to preserve Eugenia Of whom I thought so many men unworthy Ruined themselves? Humane invention Could not instruct me to dispose her where She could be more defenced from all men's eyes And Anchorite lives not prisoned in a wall With more security. It's not possible Why am I troubled thus? My fear abuses me, In such a cause I would check and Oracle. And shall his dexterous forgery, unsettle My confidence, I wonot show a gilded, Of so much weakness in me, Fulvio — And Gentlemen—we'll speak to you anon. I see it is in vain To interrupt our fate, what is decreed Above, becomes not mortals to dispute Fit there,—nay be not modest, you were born to't And therefore take your place, nay nay, be covered Imagine that a Crown, and these your Subjects As when I die, you know it'll come to that. In right of my sole daughter—so, does he not Look Like a Prince indeed, appears he not A pretty lump of Majesty. Against his Coronation, to thank all His loving Subjects, that as low as earth Draw their Swords: Eugenia enters and Perenotto. Thus offer him their duties. Would? Kill not thy Father with one word Eugenia, Thy Husband? Beg thou mayest be forgotten, it's sin Above my forgiveness, this a match for thee? What man can bring me a certificate He had a father, or was christened? He? We all are in a dream, awake me thunder. Some tortures to enforce confession from him How he procured access. We? Away with they to death. Philenzo? were not you banished Sir. In pain of death not to return, blessed Fate Thou hast relieved me, hadst thou died before By our command, it would have been thought Tyranny Though none durst tell us so, now we have argument Of justice, and our every breath is Law To speak thee dead at once, we shannot need To study a di orce, thy second exile Shall be Eternal, Death. Be it your punishment, as you preferred him By Art to her, now by another Art For ever to divide they, be's Executioner, And after make him higher by the head, To cure's ambition, see't advanced. Follow him, and with that Nimbleness thou wouldst Leap from thy Chamber when the Roof's a fire Proclaim aloud our pardon to Philenzo. And bring him back to us. Poisoned, how— Where is Philenzo? This fool reports him poisoned, what circumstance? All this talk is such, and through My ear I take it in, with as much danger, I feel it active in my Brain already. Call our Physicians I will hang em all Unless they can recover him, it shall be Death to save any man hereafter, if They suffer him to perish. Eugenia 'shat not marry Florence now, Nor any other since Philenzoes dead, But thou wilt not believe me, had he lived He had been thine, that minute took him hence, Wherein I first resolved to would given thee to him. May Heaven forgive me never then, but what Avails too late compunction? Noble Gentleman Thou shalt have Princely Funeral, and carry On thy cold marble the Inscription of Our son in death, and my Eugenias Husband. Who now Shall marry my Eugeniae, I have undone The hope of our posterity. Where? Dost not mock me Blessings fallen doubly on thee. You must believe it, In sign how we are pleased proclaim this day Through Mantua a pardon to all offenders As amply as when we took our Crown. We'll take him to our Service. And you into our bosom, this day shall Be consecrate to triumph, and may time When it's decreed, the world shall have and end By Revolution of the year make this The day that shall conclude all memories. I will expect your duties Lords in silence, Orpiano, you shall to Ferrara, with Our daughters picture, your Commissions sealed— Now fair Ladies, I hope you're fixed to wait upon Eugenia. If your restraint be a Burden, it shall be In her power to enlarge you, and elect New Friends into your places. Stay we command you, and bethink again, What to except in your bold undertaking. Be this the Prologue to the mirth, my Lord Attends to entertain you; set on, we'll leave him. Would, would, would. What is't? Let us see him, and his present It will reward my Daughters patience Love and Obedience:—All the Rarities Ten Kingdoms yield, shall not be thought too weighty, That she may shift each solitary hour With a fresh Object. Is't not Sirs? Where's the Master of this Work? By the urkes sayest thou? He droops indeed. My soul is in asweat. I feel my blood Heave in my Veins—he looks as he had seen her. More my Prophetic thoughts do whisper to me— Destroy me not? Be dumb, I dare not hear you. Search for the Traitor Bonamico presently He has betrayed me, they shall suffer both Before the noise be spread to our dishonour. I hear too much, thou haft forgotten thy birth, Thy Fortune's, and thy Father, were my cares So wondered at abroad, censured at home Worthy of nothing but contempt from thee For whom they were begotten? thou hast ploughed Upon my Face, can to thou undo a wrinkle Or change but the complexion of one Hair. Yet thou hast grayed a thousand, taken from me, Not added to my comforts, more then what Like and indulgent Parent I have flattered My self into. It needs not, thou art dead already Girl, And in thy shame. I and the Dukedom suffer, Thou mayest remember (false to thy own vow) Philenze whom I banished, for thy sake. The title of my Subject, and thy Love To him, pulled our displeasure on him, since We studying to add more height to thee, Thou hast made thy self less, and for ought we know, Clasped with the son of Earth to cool the Fever Of hight sin in thy veins, ingrateful to Philenzo, cold already in thy memory. Arrived at her? Fame will soon spread it Fulvio, About the world, and we shall be their mockery. He's dead they tell me Girl, poisoned they say, too. By my Love to goodness It is a Masterpiece, it'll feed the Eye With plenty of delight. Injust do you remember what sums you owe for, do not jest away your life. How? Done? what is done. What means this boasting? Thou hast prophaind a name will strike thee dead, Thou hast undone. Thy self i'th repetition, and in this Wherein thou cunningly wouldst beg our pity Thou hast destroyed it, and not left a thought To plead against our anger, where before Thy life should have been gently invited forth Now with a horrid circumstance death shall Make thy soul tremble, and forsaking all The noble parts, it shall retire into Some angle of thy body, and be afraid To inform thy eyes, least they let in a horror They would not look on. Would? it's not so, I'll not believe my eyes Come hither Fulvio, Perenotto read But not too loud, does she not write to me It is injust you let Rolliardo die Unless Eugenia bear him company. Give me the Paper. It's granted. Not the least whisper of Philenzo, as you valve our regard—Oh my good Lord welcome. They re grateful as my comfort— Perenotto, let them withdraw; Her vain will be discovered— Full vio follow and partly they, give order for his execution, off with his head instantly—I can read no more for joy, Pe renotto use your b st oratory on my daughter to forget that Traitor, and prepare to marry Florence, it's concluded to be solemnized by proxy. Now to the rest, Your last letters were acceptable; and our son before had intention to finish the marriage in his person, but lately receluing intelligence, that one of Noble birth, now in exile, though without your consent, had long since interest in your daughters affection, we thought meet ra there to advise for his repeal then to our disho nou_r_; where the hearts meet, there only marriages are sacred, and Princes should be exemplary in all Justice, all though we disclaim in this design, on our parts, we will continue all other Princely correspondence. I am justly punished and have run my self Into a labyrinth, from whence no art Can bring me of with safety—my Lord you may Please to retire your self, a thousand wheels Do move preposterous in my brain, what c re? I lose my self, run with a hast thou wod' Preserve my life, and stay the execution. I will not have a drop of blood f ll from Philenzo for my Dukedom, fly I say Thou shouldst be there already. How now, has Philenzo still a head on? I'll see the execution. Not found till now, take her a gift from me And call me father.