BORACHIO

The same. For birth, growth, state, decay and death: Only, a Man's beholding to his Nature For better composition o'the two. That shows there's nothing in a Man, above His nature; if there were, considering t'is His beings excellency, would not yield To Nature's weakness. That revolution is too short me thinks. If this life comprehends our happiness, How foolish to desire to die so soon? And if our time runs home unto the length Of Nature, how improvident it were To spend our substance on a minutes pleasure, And after live and age in misery? Wealth is Lord Of all felicity. Both miserable and contemptible. Sir enough, I understand the mark whereat you aim. The substance of our former argument Was wealth. Young Charlemont is going to the war. Mark me then. Me thinks, the pregnant wit of Man, might make The happy absence of this Charlemont, A subject for commodious providence. He has a wealthy Father; ready even To drop into his graven. And no men power When Charlemont is gone, can interpose betwixt you and him. My resolution has already bound Me to your service. His own profession would report him pure. He is the man whom Castabella loves. Has left the passage of our practice free. I bespeak Employment in't. I'll be and instrument To grace performance with dexterity. As I vowed; Your instrument shall make your project proud. Yes. The enemy, defeated of a fair Advantage by a flattering stratagem; Plants all the Artillery against the Town. Whose thunder and lightning made our bulwarks shake; And threatened in that terrible report, The storm wherewith they meant to second it. Th'assault was general. But for the place That promised most advantage to beforced; The pride of all their Army was drawn forth, And equally divided into Front, And Rear. They marched. And coming to a stand, Ready to pass our Channel at and ebb, W advised it for our safest course, to draw Our vices up and mak't unpassable. Our Governor opposed; and suffered'em To charge us home even to the Ramp ers foot. But when their front was forcing up our breach, At push o'pike, then did his policy Let go the sluices, and triped up the heals Of the whole body of their troop, that stood Within the violent current of the stream. Their front beleaguered betwixt the water and The Town; seeing the flood was grown too deep, To promise them a safe retreat; exposed The force of all their spirits, (Like the last Expiring gasp of a strong hearted man) Upon the hazard of one charge; but were Oppressed and fell. The rest that could not swim, Were only drowned; but those that thought to escape By swimming, were by murderers that flankerd, The level of the flood both drow'nd and slain. Walking next day upon the fatal shore, Among the slaughtered bodies of their men, Which the full-stomack'd Sea had cast upon The sands, it was m'vnhappy chance to light Upon a face, whose favour when it lived My astonished mind informed me I had seen. He lay in's Armour; as if that had been His Coffin, and the weeping Sea (Like one; Whose milder temper does lament the death Of him whom in his rage he slew) runs up The Shore; embraces him; kisses his cheek, Goes back again and forces up the Sands To bury him; and every time it parts, Sheds tears upon him; till at last (as if It could no longer endure to see the man Whom it had slain, yet loath to leave him;) with A kind of unresolved unwilling pace, Winding her waves one in another, Like A man that folds his arms, or wrings his hands For grief; ebbed from the body and descends: As if it would sink down into the earth, And hide it self for shame of such a deed. Your fear hath told you that whereof my grief Was loath to be the messenger. His forward spirit pressed into the front; And being engaged within the enemy, When they retreated through the rising stream; I'the violent confusion of the throng Was overborn and perished in the flood. And here's the sad remembrance of his life,— The Scarf. Which for his sake I will for ever wear. Sir was my love. Was't not well counterfeited? Why then farewell. I will not trouble you. Yes my Lord. I am prepared for execution, sir. Let them drink healths, & drown their brains i'the flood; I'll promise them they shall be pledged in blood. Such stones men use to raise a house upon; But with these stones I go to ruin one. Would, would, he. Put him out on's pain. I lay so fitly underneath the bank from whence he fell; that ever his faltering tongue could utter double Oo; I knocked out's brains with this fai e Ruby. And had another stone joust of this form and bigness ready: that I laid i'the broken skull vpo'the ground for's pil low; against the which they thought he fell and perished. Has crowned the most judicious murder, that The brain of man was ever delivered of. First, my report that Charlemont was dead, Though false; yet covered with a masque of truth. Then the Precisian to be ready, when Your brother spoke of death, to move his Will. Then your healths. Though seeming but the ordinary rites, And ceremonies endue to fist vals:— Then darkness did Protect the execution of the work, Both from prevention and discovery. And those that saw the passage of it, made The Instruments yet knew not what they did. T'is a fearful noise. You have confirmed me. For it follows well; That Nature (since her self decay does hate) Should favour those that strengthen their estate. Faith Sir, even let his own inheritance, whereof y'aue dispossessed him, countenance the act. Spare so much out of that, to give him a solemnity of funeral. Will quit the cost; and make your apprehension of his death appear more confi dent and true. T'is very true my Lord. Your meaning Sir? Scrape him out. Give me your purpose I will doe't. The Churchyard? This the fittest place for death, Perhaps he's praying. Then he's fit to die. We'll send him charitably to his graven. Be careless. Let your mind be free and clear. This Pistol shall discharge you of your fear. T'is a good hour, will strike one anon. Then fallen and rise. Zownes unsaved I think.