FAVORINA

What makes Hamilcar so obesequiou ? Damsels depart. Hamilcar. When begins The prodigy you spoke of? Oh abrupt! Yes (my blunt youth) if torment may unbind Your costive silence, know, I will recover The whole narration; if deuulsiue racks Have not forsook the Kingdom; if the King Will Harken to my spacious complaint; Or yield with exoration of his Queen. When begins The prodigy you spoke of? Oh abrupt! Yes (my blunt youth) if torment may unbind Your silence, know, I will recover The whole narration; if worser uulsiue racks Have not forsook the Kingdom; if the King Will Harken to my spacious complaint; Or yield with exoration of his Queen. Must you then (Because not marry, to avoid the ox) Live Like a noted and eggregious Ass? Or Like a Camel, fierce with flaming lust? Would you seduce my weaker innocence? Seek to entrap my credulous conceit? You must not marry; would you then defile The modest thoughts of virgin-chastity? Would you take licence from a single life, To make each maid a whore, not being a wife? I blush to view such vild affinity, Betwixt a Goatish beard, and bearded men. You did infranchise my condemned life, You did return Lucilla's point of spleen Upon her wicked bosom; whence it came; You (sir) did manage my neglected cause, Took my confiscate beauty from the snare Of imminent subversion; you did this; You, you have been my target, you alone Worser ewe my forgotten safety from the teeth Of tugging singers; you alone did this; And did you this to amplify abuse? Did you reserve my innocence for this? For this did you protect my ignorance? You kept my carcase from a rampant Wolf, To feed your tame, but hungry, Lyons whelp: You did prevent a near captivity, To make my thraldom be notorious; You, from a guiltless danger, did redeem My maiden thoughts, to make the danger, gilded; Thou gavest new being (about too fail before) After which being, must I be thy whore? In-faith you have done a deed of charity, Took me by rescue, from death passed the chin, To rip my pregnant womb, and flay my skin. But know ( Hamilcar ) I am so resolved Upon the spotless love of chastity, As I with proper violence will rend My womb in pieces, tear my tempting face And go beyond a woman's forritude, Rather then (Like a Strumpet) prostitute. I much commend your zealous charity, Yet I believe Hamilcar cannot wrong The harmel sse meaning of our innocence: Suppose I do expect upon the rage And lustful fury of that impious man, Yet I presume the Gods will govern lust And give such valour to a virtuous maid As she may well encounter Canibals. Why should Hamilcar seem to conquer me? Or why assault my noble chastity? Secured hope, and heaven can witness too I have no biting bosom-snake which gnaws With greedy vulture-teeth and stinging jaws Upon the precious comfort of my soul; No second Inmate ready to control Our quiet actions; no loud fearful sin To stab me in the amid of honest mirth And overlook the music of my mind, To make me start and rob me of content No, no (good Gracchus ) I am innocent, And therefore not excluded from the help Of heavens tuition; know I dare affront Hamilcar in the fury of his flames, Rail at the stubborn youth, and make him melt Even Like a leaden statue, or indeed Like some obdurate image carved of Ice, Which through one blast of lightning do despair And from tall statues vanish into air: I feel within me such true noble signs Of earnest courage, as no female thought Can (except pure and pious) well compare: I am not valiant, Like a drunken whore, Ramping by virtue of abused wine; Not is my resolution desperate, I am not fearless, to see fear abound But innocence is resolutions ground. Indeed my fancy does suggest new fear, Seeming to tell me Gracchus is detained By his Lords rage, who did (I doubt) return Sooner then he expected; which despite If I could well conjecture to be true, With wings of lightning I'de again go back And bring my Eunuch from captivity. Oh save my Eunuch, and I will submit My whole revenue, life, and chastity To your disposal. Cut off his members; bind and broil the slave. Remove the Carcase of that slaughtered King. My father so rejected? Thy graven countenance Trussed up in such a formal cognisance, With front composed; so perpendicular Directing steady aim at open gaze, Your longing silence does detect; as if The business should concer e my audience: In-faith, in-faith, you are disconsolate. Give then a quick release; I am resolved: Tormênt me not with idle circumstance, Begin this tale of prodigy. Amplifications yet? begin, begin: And whither will your prolixê Lordship amble? To the world's end I think in preamble: That (after all) you may anew begin. Are you enraged jolly sir in faith? Oh be appeased, leave ambiguities; Finish thy tale (man.) (Cheap Lord) thy impudence shall smart for this. Thy dumb silence be enforced To witness, nay reiterate the depth Of your concealment. You shall rehearse, nay shall expound, this tale Of prodigies. Wisdom does urge me to entreat him fair Least he indeed dissemble, or conceal Business of high importance, that may touch My most particular advantage: (sir So-well-accomplish'd, meritorious count. ) I must importune your dexterity, To recollect the now-forgotten tale Of prodigies indeed; withal confess My peevish error. We will engage our female Majesty Thy strictest of injunctions to prefer Above all temporary baits, which may Allure smooth falsehood to infringe the same: Swear by this image of Paladium, (Reckoned amongst our Sacramental oaths) Neither by subtle tokens nor by voice By second causes, by secure complaint, Upon malicious, or well meaning terms, To manifest, divulge, communicate, Nor any way disclose the future plot Whereof you shall anon participate By process of relation. I do swear And will submit my life to thy advise. Subtle whore? So young, and yet so full of impudence? So full of indignation, causeless wrath? Envy how feeble are thy foaming jaws? With undefined rancour they attempt, But seldom are obnoxious to any, Who have acquaintance with integrity; For envy (upon spite) assails the hinge Of our success: but wrong enflames revenge: And therefore did high Jove's omnipotence, Envy; unto the female sex impart: Woman's a witch by Malice, man by Art. How, how ( Hamilcar ) may we recompense The new disease of her indignity Which would entice, and so corrupt thy youth By fraudulent commotions. Amplifications yet? begin, begin: And whither will your prolix Lordship amble? To the world's end I think in preamble: That (after all) you may anew begin. Are you enraged jolly sir i'saith? Oh be appeased, leave ambiguities; Finish thy tale (man.) (Cheap Lord) thy impudence shall smart for this. Thy dumb silence be enforced To witness, nay reiterate the depth Of your concealment. You shall rehearse, nay shall expound, this tale Of prodigies. Wisdom does urge me to entreat him fair Least he indeed dissemble, or conceal Business of high importance, that may touch My most particular advantage: (sir So-well-accomplish'd, meritorious Count ) I must importune your dexterity, To recollect the now-forgotten tale Of prodigies indeed; withal confess My peevish error. We will engage our female Majesty Thy strictest of injunctions to prefer Above all temporary baits, which may Allure smooth falsehood to infringe the same: Swear by this image of Paladium, (Reckoned amongst our Sacramental oaths) Neither by subtle tokens nor by voice By second causes, by secure complaint, Upon malicious, or well meaning terms, To manifest, divulge, communicate, Nor any way disclose the future plot Whereof you shall anon participate By process of relation. I do swear And will submit my life to thy advise. Subtle whore So young, and yet so full of impudence? So full of indignation, causeless wrath? Envy how feeble are thy foaming jaws? With undefined rancour they attempt, But seldom are obnoxious to any, Who have acquaintance with integrity; For envy (upon spite) assails the hinge Of our success: but wrong enflames revenge: And therefore did high Io es omnipotence, En y; unto the female sex impart: Woman's a witch by Malice, man by Art. How, how ( A ilcar ) may we recompense The new disease of her indignity Which would entice, and so corrupt thy youth By fraudulent commotions. The manner I allow; speak for event. So he may hazard life being innocent. The plot provokes me to esteem revenge Above all earthly blessing; and embrace The subtle virtue of a painted face. So then resolve what news. Most welcome tidings speak, I pray, and stuff Your happy speech with circumstance enough. Menander dead? Pheudippe King? Oppressed with sorrow, I lament his death: But am appeased by proud Lucilla's breath. Did you for this (most lying impious man) Pull me from refuge and protection safe? Give me advice, in hope of endue revenge, To follow thee, forsake the Title Queen Of Sparia, to become a Queen of Lust? For this did you solicit (beastly Lord?) And labour by this talking Eunuch-bawd, To conquer chastity through faithless fraud? For this did you obtest high oaths above My poor conceit, to show dissembling love? If you intend a true religious love, Profess it sir, without offence to Jove, And so remember blessed nuptials; For he enjoys his fate and funerals, Who sometime was Maenander, and my spouse; Your self did seal his death by constant vows. Speak then, and let thy answer be direct, Or I shall think, religion you neglect. Who replies? What makes Hamilcar dumb with my request? What makes thy trembling blood so pale and won, Most Like the colour of a dying man? Have you decreed some ravisher's attempt? Will you determine to be violent? A dead pale horror does possess thy cheek With repetition of the simple found; Thou violate a virgins chastity? Canst thou commit and odious rape, a sin Of such high outrage; yet look pale and de worser Upon recital of the sin it self? Oh what damned terror to a wicked ma Be guilty thoughts, considering offence (Fitly compared to prodigal expense:) Nor may the valiantest sinful youth alive With resolution so in-wal'd appear But his high heart will be below his fear. Can you commit lewd rape ( Hamilcar? ) no: Ma S, and chaste women needs no more defence For hight invasion except innocence, Earnest resistance, by but one true maid, Will make the fierest ravisher afraid: For if a virgin violate you see She did in partly deny, in partly agree: resolution of a maidens hand, Tall Giant-lechers, cannot half withstand. (Gracchus) I once again commend your zeal Thank, and admit your love, which labours well To win the heighth of our capacity: But ( Gracchus ) tell me now, suppose I stay, Suppose Hamilcar do continue still, Like a wild Satire, most libidinous; Admit he shall extend so far as rape And by the ruin of our modest grace Erect a shameful Priapus in place? Tell me (good Gracchus ) what rich victory Can the fool boast of? what egregious act Can he ascribe to conquest of our sex? We are alas Like walls unfortified, Or Like a Castle made of Marchpane walls Easily subdued, without fierce ravishment. Women were made to make rash men repent. Shame to my Fortune's, I did seek revenge And sure the Gods will turn revenge on me; Lucilla's death, the Kings Catastrophe Might have be both avoided, if revenge And malice had not be so forceable To banish pity from our spiteful breast, The want of which procured a funeral chest To keep the cinders of a sleeping pair; Which lose, no time can prove, no age repair: Lucilla's death had my malicious doom As Epitaph to dead Mananders Tomb; The plaintiffs lie which proved Lucilla's death Did likewise rob Manander of his breath. Maenander live? and does Lucilla live? Speak it again, proclaim the news aloud Let heaven and earth be witness to thy tale: Speak it again (good Gracchus ) give the Gods Notice again of my certificate Which makes me in a glorious estate: Dance my dejected soul, sing merrily Leap all my organs, I am innocent, Gracchus will witness, I am innocent, I did not kill Maenander, not accuse My rival young Lucilla, no (good heaven) Gracchus will witness I am innocent: Lucilla lives, my best MENANDER lives, Speak it again (good Gracchus. ) Bear witness now; hark heaven, he said they live Take special notice of his name and words For he is prompt enough to justify Our depositions, neither will he lie: No, he's and honest, very honest man Is called Gracchus so inscribe his name; And set his certain testimonial Upon record: Lucilla does survive And my Maenander he is yet alive: So says good Gracchus, so inscribe the same. Joy hath no passage through my ravished soul: I did before put on a painted face Forging false colour to my innocence But now indeed am truly innocent: Thou Gracchus be my judge, and heaven be judge I am not now defiled with bloody thoughts And fearful agues; thou be likewise judge That false Hamilcar is a menstruous rag, A youth rank-rotten, before mellow-ripe: Flyblown already as a carcase hight Which hath no shelter from the dog-day Sun: Beyond all virtues cunning to reclaim: Goodness and reformation be to him Monsters in nature; and detested more, Then of a Hermit is the common-whore. Vices, Like Maggots, creep on him so thick, As who destroys the one, he must not stick To follow the subversion of them both: Of lewd Am ar and his lustful growth. What's thy friend' My new redemption is a doubtful task, You both do promise more then I will ask: And though my squint-ei'd fortune look ascaunce Yet heaven will succour my deliverance: Which being once purchased, proud Hamilcars lust Shall vanish into Salamanders dust. Such delay is long, And my deer Eunuch may be dead alas With tortures and extremity of pain, Ere such late rescue does advantage give, To qualify his torment; he, good man, (Little affected with ensuing harm) Bestowed upon me a deliverance, Which is repaid (I fear), with bloody stripes: Stay not my purpose; but give charity A gentle freedom to deliver one Who is my comfort; (friend) I will return: And (let no living soul participate Of what I say, except my self and air) I will, through colour of a pious end, Enjoy Hamilcar, whom I did refuse: For, to set free my Eunuch, will afford A fine pretext, though I do prostitute; Which I did even desire, expecting still Upon each little sign of violence, (The modest shadow of a secret whore) So will I win what was half lost before. Leave me, I will return. A needless caution, be content I pray To take no care, save what I shall command; Be not so dutiful above thy hire, Bring me no water when I call for fire. Oh help. My wound's not mortal; stay Release that Eunuch. Convey him as and Idiot, or Drudge; My Wrong may be accuser, Clerk, and Judge. dead? My King and Husband dead? Delluer it.