ARIASPES

How odd a thing a crowd is unto me! sure nature intended I should be alone, had not that old doting man-mid-wife Time slept, when he should have brought me forth, I had been so too— To be born near, and only near a crown— Prithee what is't? If it succeed? I wear thee here my Iolas — Right, and I will urge how dangerous it's unto the present state, To have the creatures, and the followers of the next Prince (whom all now strive to please) too near about him: By no means; for 'twere in vain to give him discontent (which too must needs be done) if they within him gave't not nourishment. I have so fraught this Bark with hope, that it dares venture now in any storm, or weather; and if he sink or splits, all's one to me. "Ambition seems all things, and yet is none, "but in disguise stalks to opinion "and fools it into faith, for every thing: It's not with th'ascending to a Throne, As it's with stairs, and steps, that are the same; For to a Crown, each humor's a degree; and as men change, and differ, so must we. The name of virtue does the people please, not for their love to virtue, but their case, and Parrat Rumour I that tale have taught. By making love I hold the woman's grace, it's the Court double key, and entrance gets to all the little plots; the fiery spirits my love to Arms hath drawn into my faction; , but the minion of the Time, is mine, and he shall be, or shall not be at all. He that beholds a wing in pieces torn, and knows not that to heaven it once did bear the high-flown and self-lessening bird, will think and call them idle Subject's of the wind: when he that has the skill to imp and bind these in right places, will thus truth discover; That borrowed Instruments do oft convey the Soul to her proposed Intents, and where our Stars deny, Art may supply— Alone, (Madam) and overcast with thought, uncloud—uncloud—for if we may believe the smiles of Fortune, love shall no longer pine in prison thus, nor undelivered travel with throes of fear, and of desire about it. The Prince, (Like to a valiant beast in nets) striving to force a freedom suddenly, has made himself at length, the surer prey: the King stands only now betwixt, and is, just Like a single tree, that hinders all the prospect: it's but the cutting down of him, and we— Think you, you are not Madam? as well and justly may you doubt the truths, tortured, or dying men do leave behind them: but then my fortune turns my misery, when my addition shall but make you less; shall I endure that head that wore a crown, for my sake should wear none? First let me loose th'exchequer of my wealth, your love; nay, may all that rich Treasury you have about you, be rifled by the man I hated, and I look on; though youth be full of sin, and heaven be juft, so sad a doom I hope they keep not from me; Remember what a quick Apostasy he made, when all his vows were up to heaven and you. How, ere the Bridal torches were burned out, his flames grew weak, and sicklier; think on that, think how unsafe you are, if she should now, not fell her honour at a lower rate, than your place in his bed. By this—and this—loves breakfast: by his feasts too yet to come, by all the beauty in this face, divinity too great to be profaned— Our souls by that time (Madam) will by long custom so acquainted be, they will not needs that duller truchman Flesh, but freely, and without those poorer helps, converse and mingle; mean time wee'll teach our loves to speak, not thus to live by signs, and Actium is his native language, Madam, this box but opened to the Sense will doe't. Thine own safety (Dearest) let it be this night, if thou dost; love thy self or me. Not if we be so, and we must now be wise, For when their Sun sets, ours begins to rise.— 'Twere fit your Justice did consider, (Sir) what way it took; if you should apprehend the Prince for Treason (which he never did) and which, unacted, is unborn; (at least will be believed so) lookers on, and the loud talking crowd, will think it all but water colours laid on for a time, and which wiped off, each common eye would see, Strange ends, through stranger ways: Follow! Follow! Is the Prince there? Upon my life they swam the river; some straight to horse, and follow over the bridge; you, and I my Lord, will search this place a little better. O! fear not, your Mistress shall know you're valiant. Thou art a Tyrant, Ziriff: I shall die with joy. 'Twas wisely done. And him I would have nam. He is as lights in Scenes at Masques, what glorious show so ere he makes without, I that set him there, know why, and how; but here he is.— Come Jol S. and since the Heavens decreed, the man whom thou shouldst envy, should be such, That all men else must doo't; be not ashamed thou once we guilty of it; but bless them, that they give thee now a means, to make a friendship with him, and vouchsafe to find thee out a way to love, where well thou couldst not hate. Here, here he stands that has preserved us all! that sacrifi ed unto a u lique good, (the dearest private good we mortals have) Frien hip: gave into ourarmes the Prince, when nothing but the sword (perchance a ruin) was left to do it. Stay—the hour and place. Honest, and careful Ziriff: how now Planet struck?— Shallow man! short sightedder than Travellers in mists, or women that outlive themselves; dost thou not see, that whilst he does prepare a Tomb with one hand for his friend, he digs a Grave with th'other for himself? Dost think he shall not feel the weight of this, as well as poor Thersames? And say, the Prince made and unlucky thrust. Dull, dull, he must not die so uselessly. As when we wipe of filth from any place, we throw away the thing that made it clea e, so this once done, he's gone. Thou knowest the People love the Prince, to their rage something the State must offer up; who fitter than thy rival and my enemy? Pish! let me alone. The Giants that made mountains ladders, and thought to take great Iov by force, were fools: not hill on hill, but plot on plot, does make us fit above, and laugh at all below us.— Pray Heaven it prove so. Are we not there yet? How now! what region are we God into? Inheritance of night; Are we not mistaken a turning Ziriff, and stepped into some melancholy Devils Territory? Sure it's a partly of the first Chaos, that would endure no change. This place does put odd thoughts into thee, then thou art in thine own nature too, as jealous as either Love, or Honour: Come, wear thy sword in readiness, and think how near we are a crown. What hast thou done? What dost thou pause? hast thou remorse already murderer? Extremely good! Nature took pains I swear, the villain and the brave are mingled handsomely. Some Devil sure has borrowed this shape. my sword never stayed thus long to find and entrance. Whither, whither, thou fleeting Coward life? Bubble of Time, Nature's shame, stay; a little, stay! till I have looked my self into revenge, and stared this Traitor to a carcase first. —It will not be:— the Crown, the Crown, too now is lost, for ever lost—o!— Ambition's, but and Ignis fatuus, I see misleading found mortality, That hurries us about, and sets us down Just—where—we—first—begun— Pray Heaven it prove so. Are we not there yet? How now! what region are we God into? the inheritance of night; have we not mistaken a turning Zirisf, and stepped into the confines of some melancholy Devils Territory? This place does put odd thoughts into thee, then thou art in thine own nature too as jealous, as Love, or Honour; wear thy sword in readiness, and think how near we are a Crown. The King. What does this mean? sure he does intend the Crown to me. Thy offer is so noble, in gratitude I cannot but propound gentler conditions, we will divide the Empire. Extremely good; Nature took pains swear, the villain and the brave are mingled handsomely:— Some Devil sure has borrowed this shape, my sword never stayed thus long to find and entrance. Dog, thou hast it. Why Sir, I did corrupt, while we were his prisoners, one of his own to raise the Court; shallow souls, that thought we could not countermine; come Sir, you're in good posture to dispatch them. Hell and Furies.—