DUKE

Great Sir, let not your love and care of me Barfaire Clarinda the freedom of her choice, By threatening punishments unto her Father, If she choose not me: for, should she, offended, Which she might justly be, if I should seem To force Love from her, it were not within your power; Though that you would give all that you possess, To make me satisfaction for the wrong. Her Person Sir you might, but not her Mind; Which is indeed the object of my Love, That's free from your subjection: for it's free From Love, a greater power by far. I cannot pluck my heart out of my breast To show her (I wish I could) yet live to do her service: There she might see her worth truly engraved In lasting Characters, not to be razed out By the hand of Time; nor (which is more) her scorn. Sir, so that it be by no way of violence, I will obey you. Sir, if you threaten her, you ruin me; Her Sun-bright Eyes, by faithful service, May in time shine gently on me, and warm My frozen Hope's. But on the contrary, She knowing thar I'm the cause of these your threatenings, Will from her joust vexed soul throw curses on me. I would not see thee heaven of her fair face, Clouded with any raised by my power, to be a Monarch. Sir, she may torture me, and justly too, For my presumption: since I have dared To tell so much perfections that I love, Not being first made worthy by my suffering For her. My Lord, most willing, I would see fair Clarinda, But not upon such conditions; nothing But gentle entreaties must be used: for though the King Were pleased to say that my humility Would make her proud; I would not have a subject Say, not you that are her Father, that she can Do and act or think a thought that tends not To perfection. I thank your Majesty for this days licence: My Lord Vtrante, shall I then see Clarinda, And will you lend your best assistance To make me Master of a happiness, the world may envy. I must not hear you thus blaspheme. You might as well say Pallas wanted wisdom, Diana chastity, or Ʋ enus beauty, As say she wanted worth, for every several excellence That shined in them, and made them By men's admirations Goddesses, Flow mixed in her; indeed she hath Too much of Dians Ice about her heart, And none of Ʋ enus heat: but come my Lord, I loose my self in her vast praises, and so Defer the joy of seeing what I so commend. Exe. Noble Lysander, welcome; Excellent Lady, All the honours that my great and royal Master. Hath bestowed upon me, equals not this, That you have done, in gracing at my request This now most glorious house, since it contains within it The glory of the world. They must do so, or they'll fallen short Of your great worth. To give you a firm belief of the respect I bear you, is that I only aim at. You are so far from being and Infidel That you are a Saint, at whose blessed shrine I offer up my life, and Fortune's With a truer devotion then ever Lover did. If it be lawful for your devoted servant To contradict you in any thing, it is In the defence of his affection. You know that Rivers being stopped by any impediment, As rocks, or bridges, run the more fierce When they are from that which did encumber them; So might I say for my affection, If I should acknowledge, which yet I will not, That the consideration of my Greatness Was for a while and Impediment to the current Of my Love; but alas, those considerations Could never find harbour in that heart Where love and admiration had already Taken up their lodgng; nor do they in my opinion Deserve to be happy, who mix the consideration Of the good of fortune, with their affections. Madame I cannot deny what you affirm, Since you ground your argument upon my confessed Opinion; but know deer Lady, that as you manifest In this your cruel answer, your disdain of me, Which will incense my despair; yet on the Other side the excellence of your wit Will increase my desire; for even out of that Which I brought as and argument to move you The more to love, you conclude that you are To neglect, and with a seeming Justice, Which shows that your wit can bring -nigh thing To pass, that your will shall employ it in. Though your intention in this cruel answer May be charitable, as intending To allay my heat, by manifesting your boldness, Yet it hath wrought deadly Effects; for it Forceth me tell you, that I must disobey you: For rather then I and the rest of the world Will loose so great a blessing, there shall not Be a Temple left standing, that is sacred To Diana within this Kingdom, when this is done, To make your cruelty admired. I'll built And Altar to selfe-lone; it is that power you obey, And not Diana's, on which some friend shall lay My bleeding heart, which now in thought, And then in act, shall be a real Sacrifice: Smile not, nor think this jest; For by that Dian whom you seem to worship Being your self a greater Deity, When you do cruelly perform what You have rashly said, this heart Which now seals what my tongue hath spoke, Shall make the covenant perfect. In that consider the greatness of my love. If not for mine, yet for your Goddess sake, Give over your ill grounded resolution. Madame the King, to whom my person is a subject, Commands my presence, and I must obey him: But my heart which I have made you Sovereign of Shall stay to wait on you; my return must needs Be speedy, since I leave my heart at the mercy Of you my cruel enemy. You cannot give it deeper wounds Then you have done already, and in that Confidence I'll leave you. I hope she will Sir, she does hear me speak. Of love I mean Sir. Why Sir, do you not think him happy Whom she will vouchsafe to hear? Sir, You have always been a Father to me, And studied that which hath been for my good, Better then I could think. I know your Majesties Intent in this, is to persuade me from that Which you believe is prejudicial to me: But since without her love gained the fair way Of service, not by threatenings I can take joy, In nothing this world can afford me; Pardon me Sir, if I desire you to spare Your counsel, since I am capable of none, Except you persuade me to love more. The King is moved; Should he take from me all that he hath given me, Yet it were a happiness, if for her sake I lost it. Friend, what is your suit to me? If it be reasonable, it shall not be denied For your young Ladies sake. How! me; what is it? speak. Wait me without, now speak. Exeunt Servants. Why, is her vow of Chastity already passed? Why villain dost thou smile at that, Thinkest thou Diana's self is Chaster? Traitor to my best Hope's; Thou hast kindled in my breast a jealous fire That will consume me; fiends take thee for thy news; Would thou hadst been born dumb: betrothd; it cannot be: Who durst presume, knowing I loved her once, To think of Love, much less to name it to her? Speak quickly, give me that case. For I vow the earth shall not long bear us both. I will not tell you, unless you will promise To follow my advice, which if you will, I will show you a clear way to your desires. What, do you riddle me; is she contracted, And can I by your counsel attain my wishes? No, the House of Fate, though they should all Take counsel, cannot back restore the happiness Th'ast robbed me of in saying she's contracted. I was too rash, She is a Woman, and may dissemble, Lysander to Is noble courteous valiant, handsome, But yet compared with me his Fortune's nothing. Alas, that cannot bar love, out of a noble breast, Such as Clarinda's is: what ways my Birth Or greatness with the King, in her consideration? Lysander's equal Fortune's, and her own, In that their Father's suffer for one cause, His banished, hers a prisoner (till I released him) Hath I fear, begotten a mutual love betwixt them. Friend, prithee pardon me, I was too rash, I'll heal thy hurt with gold. I'll healechy reputation, and thy head With store of crowns; here: but prithee tell me, What moved thee to discover this to me? Or how camest thou thy self to know of it? I think her Father does not. If thou wilt make thy fortune, Bring me where unseen, I may overhear them. By mine honour I will not, perform Thy promise, and I will make thee happy. Fear not that. Exeunt. Gentle Lady, I crave your pardon for my stay, Which was drawn out beyond my expectation. Madame, I do confess it is a miracle Proceeding from your beauty, that I could live So long wanting a heart; but trust me, If my faithful service cannot procure me yours, But that you needs will send my own again, The Miracle will then be altered quite; For now the Miracle consisteth in that I live And yet you have my heart; and then it will Be a Miracle indeed if I do live after Your scorn shall give it back again. Rather if it please you, Let it be something, wherein I shall have no other tie Upon me but only your command, my honour Ties me to see this performed. Come fit fair Lady. My Lord, what says my Daughter? Will she yet yield to his own happiness. Now when the King sent for me, I had prevented Your Daughter in a command that she laid upon me Concerning your restoring to your Lands, But that the King was angry at something that I said. It's true, at other times he could not, But the Lords told me that his Sister Fair Cleonarda, had received a hurt, By rescuing of the hounds from the Stags fury, When he stood at bay, and that made him it may be So apt for to be angry. I was the nearest, but ere I could come in She had cut off his head, the service That I could do her, was to carry to the King Her brother, that Trophy of her Victory, While she followed the hounds, and so fled From the hearing of her own joust praises, Which all with admiration did bestow upon her. Madame, once every week She comes to see the King, And the King every time he Hunt's, fails not To see her, when next she comes to the Court, I will wait upon you to her. In hope of that blessed hour I live. Oh my vexed soul! Must I then hear a villain speak thus to her I love, and not revenge it presently? I'll kill him instantly. The merit of the act being so joust, Will expiate the sin of perjury. What, shall I hear her whom I have adored Almost with as much zeal as I have offered up My prayers to the Gods, tempted to acts of Lust And not revenge it? This is a villain, and incarnate Devil: Yet will I follow some partly of his counsel: Led me the way back unseen. I'll stay no longer; For if I hear him speak again in that base Key, I shall do that which I hereafter may repent. No. I'll take the noblest way to my revengement. Exit. Shall I still love one that neglects my faithful service? Alack I cannot help it now, I yielded up My heart at the first summons, her fair eyes made, Me thought it was a kind of treason, once To doubt that she was not the sovereign of all hearts: Thus she that came to Court, to beg her Father's liberty, Had not that granted only, but that I who begged It for her, became my self her prisoner, And never man was prouder of his bondage Then I was: what though she love a villain Whose intemperate lust, and base dissembling, Kather deserves her hate; yet she is fair And virtuous still; it is my partly to let her See her error, though with the danger of my life, If I survive the combat, and that she know For what respect I fought, she cannot choose But love me, and if the heavens have so ordained, That I must fallen under Lysander's sword, Yet I have written that, which shall give a better Testimony that I did love her more then he. Who waits there? I mean to ride abroad this morning, And if I come not back at night, carry this letter To the King; Bernardo, carry this presently Unto the young Lord Lysander. Exeunt. No, Lysander, you are come before My expectation, though not before my wish: You cannot guess the cause that I sent for you. Lysander, I did not think Th'adst been so base to have denied thy Mistress; But I will further maintain, thou art thy self A Villain, a base dissembling lustful one. I cannot understand your Riddle; Yet fear it tends to base submission. I in her Father's Garden late last night, Overheard thee tempt that bright Angel Which my soul adores, to acts of lust; And with such moving reasons, that flesh and blood Could never have resisted, considering That she loved thee; but that there was a power That governs above reason, guarded her From thy strong temptation. If fear of death could make me Forget Clarinda, wear the Victor's prize Then I perchance might yield; but since it cannot, Make use of your advantage. I would it were; but as it is One of us must lie cold upon this grass, Before we partly. Fight. Duke falls. How happy are those men that led a Country life, And in the nature of each several creature, View the great God of Nature's power, who can find Nothing in the whole frame, but either for the composition Or the existence, is worth our admiration! Murder, help, help, Murder! It was a woman's voice sure. Exit. Tell me pretty Boy, why did the villain bind thee? I thought thou hadst been a woman, when I herd thee cry: How pale thou lookest of a sudden; be not afraid, He dare not come again to hurt thee. He had a hard heart indeed, that could hurt thee: It is the pretiest boy that yet I ere did see, And yet me thinks I have seen a face Like this before: Where Wertenberg thou born sweet child? Not in this Country, for I am here a stranger. Wouldst thou go thither? I think I do. Come then. I fear there is no other remedy, For Charities sake open the Door. He knocks. Mercy upon us, how are we mistaken! This is the old men house where I have been Still since I came into the Forest. Who were there? Look to the Boy, he swoons; speak Child, what dost thou ail? Come, and eat your meat, tyou shall Go to bed, I know you ate weary. I left him at the Count Ʋ trante's house: He told me he dwelled there. At on of the clock, fail not to be there, And get near the Scaffold. What gentle Lady? Why Lady, were you in such danger? Believe it Sir, he that will do such villainies, Will never dare to fight, Sir send him to the Galleys, If he will nor fight, it shows his gilded. Hold villain. Sir, if you execute this Lord, you are a Tyrant. It is a cruel Law that does condemn the innocent. Let me die for't if I do not prove He did not kill the Duke. I call the heavens to witness, it was I That was the cause he bled that day, And well he did deserve it, for thinking So unjustly to rob thee of Clarinda, Who only dost deserve her. Call me not fellow, I am as good A Gentleman, as was the Duke your Cozen, And were he now alive he would acknowledge it. Ghosts do not use to pay their duty to The living, Sir, feel my hand, I am your Servant. Sir, I will make all plain: but first I must Relieve the worthiest of men, noble Lysander, Send for Clarinda, and tell her this glad news: Madame, let me kiss your fair hands, I ever honoured you, but now I do adore That high raised mind of yours, that fears not To profess your love to virtue, though in distress. This reverend man that did the pious act, Can best resolve it you. I lived with him still in a little Cottage, And he did fom the City fetch me disguises: Divine Clarinda, pardon me, I was your bedfellow, And did not know my own happiness then; If I had known you, I would have done Just as I did; I see you are amazed, it was I That in disguise rescued you, and saved your honour, When that villain would have ravished you; In which I was most happy; for I shall now present You, so much the richer gift to your Lysander. Here brave Lysander, let me deliver up Into thine arms the Jewel of thy life; And in that make some partly of satisfaction, For the wrong I did he, in compelling thee To fight for that which was thine own before In justice. I would this task were passed, Virtue I see thou art a cruel Mistress. Can you prove it unlawful? You saved my Life, but I shall value that no benefit, Compared with this, if you can prove Lysander and Clarinda cannot marry; I'll make you more then you can wish to be. Love thou hast herd my prayer, though I were Ignorant, and knew not what to ask. Sir, I beseech you prove this to be true. Sir, I must beg a pardon for the savour of my life. Sir, I'll not bid you welcome, Till you make it plain, it can be no Marriage. Good Sir, proceed. The Child then was not dead. I do confess the wrong I did thee Though ignorant, and for to make thee satisfaction, I will be a suitor to the King in thy behalf: Sir, now upon my knowledge I dare affirm That Lysander is son unto the Count Ʋ trante. Divine Clarinda, I cannot claim your promise till a month be passed, There is some partly of it to come, but I hope You will not strictly stand upon the time. Dear Clarinda, give me not a surfeit. But good Sir, What made you desire me to beg your pardon. Or what made you conceal your self so long? Sir, you know the greatness of her Spirit; If you will have her to live, you must Consent. Oh be not cruel to your only Sister; What's all the out ward glory, if you rob The mind of that which it delights in? I know that your intention is to make Her happy, do not mistake the way; Her mind is not taken with the glorious title Of a King; for if it had, she might have made Her choice, since all the neighbouring Kings Admire her: No Sir, she aims at that Which made men Kings at first, Wisdom, And Valour, and should she search the world She cannot find a man where they Do meet so fully, as in brave Lysander: Oh Sir, then be not cruel, thinking to be Careful of your Sister. The knowledge of her own worth and my unworthiness, Which defect I hope in time my faithful service Shall make good, and she will love me. First let me know which of the Gods it is, That in a mortal shape hath gained her love, That thou suspectest she is contracted, Or else some King, that in disguise hath left His Kingdom, to obtain her Love Who is worth many Kingdoms. Name not a meaner Rival, if thou dost Expect I should believe. Cursed be my hand then for that unkind office, Against my heart; name him. Take that ignorant fool, Lysander! Strikes him. Slave that I was to trust that villain Giacomo, That told me she loved Lysander. Dear Lady You have in this comfortable answer Revived a dying man, this mercy at the block, Shows you to be divine, and so and object Fit for my affection, which hath been still Above my reason: but would you in the mean time Command me something, where my faithful service Might appear, more then in words, I then should be Most happy. I hope she will at last make me a fitter mark For Envy, in that I am beloved of her, Then for my present greatness. My Lord, she apprehends not danger, Which you'll confess your self, when you have herd Me tell, what I have seen her do. She is a Lady of that noble Spirit, That she wants nothing but the person of a Man To be one, her heart being equal To the most valiant, with these eyes I saw her, (The King her brother being in the Forest) Break from the company, and pursue a wolf, Which the hounds following of a Stag, Did bring out of a thicket, and being well horst, She plied him with so many wounding shafts, That he at length was forced to stay his course, And sing there was no way to escape by flight, He turnd', for to revenge the wounds he had Received, in which he showed himself a beast indeed And led by brutish fury; for had he been Endued with reason, hee'd have taken the wounds She gave for favors, and kissed the instrument, That honoured him with death from her fair hand. It's certain no Brother loves a Sister better, For there's no Brother hath a Sister so worthy, You having never a Brother. Though there were found one envious woman foolish And wicked to report it; (for both these she must be) There could not sure be found another Fiend Of the same stamp, that would believe it; I dare not though I wish it bid you stay longer: I will wait upon you to your Coach. For being my Second, banish that thought, And yet I mean to fight to day, and for and injury That is done to me; and you Lysander shall fight to, Not as a Second, but a Principal. These ears indeed can witness thou didst persuade her To marry me, but it was to satisfy Thy own base ends thy lust and thy ambition, Not out of thy gratitude to me as thou pretendest. Can this be true? Sure fear makes him invent this; no sure, He cannot be a Coward. Lysander, Thou hast told me that, if it be true, Does render thee a perfect man; but not A perfect lover: and trust me if there were A possibility that I could live without Clarinda, I should be friends with thee; but since she Is the mark at which we both aim, the one must By the blood of the other, purchase that happiness: And therefore guard your self. They fight. You are a noble enemy, and have so wone Upon me by my courtesy, that could you Quit your interest in Clarinda, I should with joy Share Fortune's with you. Fortune, I thank thee, Now I am even with you, rise. If thou wilt stay with me here in the Forest, At a little house where I do lie, to morrow I will bring thee to the City. I thought no boy could have so sweet a face, Indeed Sir, 'tis most true, I found this Lady bound, And that same villain as I think; for I had but A glimpse of him in the bushes, his fear making Him fly as soon as ever he saw me. Oh what a happy men Lysander at this instant Compared with what he was half and hour since! Imagination cannot reach it; but on the other side How far am I fallen from that happiness That I possessed when fair Clarinda said That she would marry me within a month. Good my Lord proceed unto your discovery. Madame, I honour her as the beloved Sister Of my Sovereign; but adore you as my Goddess, At whose blessed shrine, I offer up my life, and Fortune's. With me Lysander. I will maintain that I do love Clarinda Better then you, and better do deserve To be beloved by her. Lysander, do not think, You owe me any thing for saving of your life, The thanks if any was endue to Fortune, Who brought me thither; for what I did A peasant might have done, you being your self Almost a Conqueror before I came, Though sure enough for want of blood to perish, Had I not brought you home, which yet indeed, Was but my duty to help a wounded man: But how Lysander, I should stand engaged to you For greater obligations, (though this, I grant, Be small) I cannot see. What secret is this? Come then, may the truest Lover Prove the Victor. Sure I have seen a face Like thine, Why dost thou blush? I'll bring thee thither if I can. It grieves my heart that I have brought thee wrong, Good Father, if you have any meat Fetch me some for this sweet youth, I met him In the Forest, and would have showed him The way to Gerards Lodge, but lost my self, And wandered up and down till now. When I began to be passed danger of my Wounds, I framed that tale about the thiefs, Intending to conceal my self, and so to make Trial of your love to me, and of Clarinda's Love unto Lysander, both which I find Not to be equaled. I make no doubt, If't be within thy power, thou God of Love, But thou wilt grant to me thy truest Subject The wishes of my heart; but I do fear a greater Power then thine, does overrule the destinies. I dare not speak for thee thou art so great A Villain. Exe. Guard with Giacomo.