LYSANDER

From thee my dearest Sister I have not hid my nearest touching secrets: Thou knowest how truly I did love, And how at last I gained my deer Clarinda. Most miserable of men. Clarinda yet is mine. Nothing can take her from me deer Mariana, But I must give her. She's so much dearer to me then my heart, That I must kill my heart if I do give her. The Duke who is too near a kin in love And blood to our dread Sovereign to be denied, Dies for Clarinda. She false! O no: It is I must play the traitor to my self Virtue does undermine my happiness, And blows it up. I must release my interest In Clarinda, that she may marry this lovesick Duke, And save his Life. Gratitude compels it; For to the Duke I owe my life and Fortune's, My Fortune's when my wicked Uncle would have Wrested from me by false witness that state Which I am now possessed of; which the Duke finding, He employed his power, and so I had my right: My life I then received: when I was rescued By his valour from the dreadful boar, Which I (too young) thrust on by honour, venterd to assail, Yet all these obligations touch me not so near, As does the danger of the Count Ʋ trante, ( Clarinda's Father) who hath been long a prisoner, For the same cause for which my Father fled. It is true he hath his liberty, and greater honours Are proposed if he can win his Daughter To marry with the Duke, then he hath lost: But on the other side, if she deny. And it does wholly lie in me to make her grant, Her Father's head is in danger, the King So passionately does love the Duke. Sister, you know I often visited The Count Ʋ trante in the prison, beside The wished occasions which I ever took To wait upon his Daughter thither; This he so gratefully accepted, That now that he hath liberty, He still sends for me, where I chanced to be last night, And as a friend herd when he did propound it to Clarinda. Her Father not believing that she would deny So great a blessing, came with joy to tell her, That which once told, forced tears from her fair eyes, At which, he being amazed, desired to know The cause, why she received his and her happiness With somuch sorrow: she answered him with broken sighs, Offering to tear her hair; which when I would not, Give her leave to do, she cursed her beauty, As the cause of all this mischief: at last Considering who it was that spoke, A Father, that deserved and answer: Her judgement shut her passion in a less room; For having calmed the tempest of her griefs, She mildly answered that she was happy In his liberty, though now she saw It was but given him to procure her bondage; For such she did account all ties of marriage Made by the parents without the child's consent, Though never so rich or honourable. It is true, she did so; there is no tongue That can express the hearts of those that love Like their own eyes: but Sister, it will be late Before you reach the Forest, the Princess too May wonder at your stay. You know the strict command, That none but those appointed should come near the Lodge. Sister, I fear these sad occasions will hinder me; But I will write. Sister, I know you love, nor will I be a debtor; You are both my Friend and Sister. Exeunt. Good morrow honest Giacomo, is my young Lady ready? And where's her Father? Tell your Lady I would speak with her. The Count Ʋ trante is happy in this honest servant: Let me before I do persuade Clarinda, consider well; Surely that hour in which I see her led to the Temple, And there made fast with Hymeneal rights unto another, Will be my utmost limit, and death is terrible; Not where there is so glorious a reward proposed, As is her happiness: she shall be happy, And in her happiness consisteth mine, Have I not often sworn I loved her better Then my self? and this is only left to make it good. It is a title that I am blessed in, Nor can there be a nearer betwixt us two, Our souls may embrace, but not our bodies. I fear there is no remedy, but we must partly. First let me hear it. No, deer Clarinda, Though most men hold deceit in love for lawful, Lysander does not; Ere you for me shall spot Your yet pure self with such a stain, as to be A deceiver, this sword shall pierce my heart: The debt I owe you is too great already, And till I clear some partly, I shall unto my self Appear a most ungrateful man. When first I saw you, The height of all my aims was only to have leave To love you, so excellent I then esteemed you: But you in time, out of your bounty, Not for my desert; for no desert can reach Your height of merit, gave love for love, For which I owe my life saved by that mercy From despair, and lent me for to serve you. Were this granted, yet how ever I shall be able To free my self from that great burden of debt Which your intended flight for my sake Will lay upon me, as yet I cannot see; For did at all valve your own happiness, You could not thus fly the means That can best make you so. My meaning, deer Clarinda, is to make you happy, And I conjure you by your affection, And all that's deer to you, to lay by That little portion of wilfulness Which being a woman you are forced to have, And hear me with your best attention, And with the same affection, as if I were Your Brother, which if the heavens had pleased To make me, I had been most happy, With your best reason look upon your present fortune; Look first upon the man from whence you had your being, And see in reason what pity it will challenge from you; A noble ancient Gentleman, deprived of Lands And honours, by injustice, that as a stranger Might exact your pity; but as a Child, It being within your power, it forceth your consent To give a remedy: If pity of your Father's fortune Cannot move you, pity your own I beseech you, Consider not of me as a tormented Lover, That hath lost his Mistress, but as a fortunate Brother, Fortunate in seeing of his Sister, whom he dearly loves Married to one so worthy, whose merits Compels fortune to wait upon him, for such the Duke is, Whom you must not refuse, for such a poor Unworthy man as I am. Would you but look with and impartial eye, On our deservings; you soon would find me The less worthy; for even in that, wherein You think me not to be equaled, he goes Far beyond me, (I mean in true affection) For being but a private man as I am, Who would not think him blessed to love, and be beloved By you that are esteemed the wouder of this Age: But for the Duke, within whose power it lies To choose the most transplendent Beauty of this Kingdom, Set off with Fortune's best endowments; for him, I say, To choose out you amongst a world of Ladies, To make the sole Commandress of him self, Deserves (if you would give your reason leave to rule) The nearest place in your affection. These tears in her stagger my resolution; For sure he must be worthiest for whom she weeps: Clarinda, dry your eyes. Can I love Clarinda, yet go about To hinder her of being Mistress of all this riches; Each room we pass through is a Paradise, The Music Like the Music of the Spheres, Ravishing the hearers with content and admiration; But that which adds unto all the rest, Is the Dukes true affection; I am ashamed When I consider of my indiscretion That would have brought her to the counterpoint Of this great happiness. Me thinks my Lord looks sour upon me. My Lord, there is no cause of Envy for either, The greatness of your hnors being but the Just Reward of your unequaled merit: and for Clarinda, Though her worth be great as you can wish it; Yet you do well deserve her, both for your worthy Love, And for the many favors you have done her Father. I thought it had been Impossible, He could have been offended with your Grace. Why did they suffer her so to endanger her self? This act to me my Lord, is a sufficient testimony That she does not fear; for by the laws of hunting It is not to any man thought a disparagement, To give way to a Stag, his head being hard. My Lord, it's strange a woman should do this. Had you not sent me word, I had not come to night, It is so dark. Why deer Clarinda, are you not resolved To marry with the Duke? Will you still for the ayery name of Constant, Rob your self of a substantial happiness, Beside, think what duty bids you, do it In respect of your Father; if he should marry He must needs fallen into the Kings displeasure, He being his Kinsman, so what happiness Could you enjoy? Will you be ruled by me, And I'll show you a direct way to happiness; Do you love me as you profess? Yet you would never give consent to marry me Though it were still my Suit, alleging That our Fortune's were too mean, and had we Without Marriage enjoyed the sweets of love, It had been dangerous unto your honour, Should you have proved with child; but will be now Secure in that respect, if you marry with the Duke; And for our difficulty in meeting, It'll add to our delights; now every time That we shall meet in secret, will far pass A wedding-night in joy, stolen pleasures give And appetite, secure delights but cloy. You would seem to think me mad, when indeed Your self are so, you would not else thus weep When I advise you to that which will be most to our content. Why do you think that I dissembled in what I said. I do confess if I were that Lysander Which I have seemed to be; it were impossible For me to think what I have spoke; but know Clarinda, Though hitherto I have seemed To carry in my breast a flame so pure, That never yet a spark of Lust appeared, It hath been a dissembled show of modesty, Only to cozen you; and if Clarinda, The requital of my affection be that which Hinders you from these great honours, be not deceived, For you shall have more power then to requite it, When you are greater: we are now equal; But when you are a Duchess, then enjoy you Will be a double pleasure, then you shall have Occasion to express your love in my advancement Clarinda, you have long been silent, What is it you consider of? if it be my words, You must needs find them full of reason. It is true the Duke is so noble, and does withal So truly love you, that it will quite banish All base distrust, so that we might with all security Enjoy our loves. Or if he should find out our craft, How soon might we dispatch him by poison? There have been such things done. I see my heart lies open to you, You have spoken my very thoughts, indeed This was my end. Clarinda, you have overcome by this rash oath My resolution: for I perceive the fates Had foreordained we should enjoy each other, After such real testimonies, to make our love the firmer. I do with joy embrace what you compel Me to by your rash oath; and if your Father Wilfully will stay, and not fly with us, Rather then I will ever draw tears From those bright eyes. I so dearly love, we'll leave him to the danger. Exeunt. Where is the Duke Sir? Your Letter Sir, do's not require and answer, It will not be long before I see his Grace my self. Good morrow Sir, I'll read them once more over, Few words, but I believe a Prologue to much mischief. I fear that my affection and Clarinda's Is to the Duke discovered; and now disdain And anger to be out-rivaled, boil within his breast, If it be so, he takes the noblest way, To use no other force but his own arm: But how shall I employ my Sword to take His life that gave me mine, my conscience tells me Though it be not apparent to the world, That I am even with him; for that since I to him Would have given up my interest in Clarinda, Would she have given consent. It may be I am deceived in this my apprehension, And rhat it is in love he sends for me; If it be so, I shall be glad; if not, however I will meet him according to his desire; But first I'll write a Letter to Clarinda, It may be I shall never see her more: If I come not home to night, carry a Letter You shall find within upon the Table to Clarinda: Honour thou tiest us men to strange conditions; For rather then weel loose the smallest partly of thee, We on and even lay venture Souls and Bodies, For so they do that enter single Combats. Exeunt. I hope your Grace hath not long stayed for me. My Lord, I cannot, Unless fortune be so favourable to give me A fair and joust occasion by being your Second, To hazard that life for you, which by your valour Was preserved; but why to hope so great a blessing I cannot see; since who within this Kingdom Dare injure you; yet you commanded That I should come armed. With whom? With you my Lord, upon what quarrel. My Lord. I do confess it, And so this cannot be a cause of quarrel; She is your Mistress and deserves to be so, There being no other worthy of your Service: But for my partly I have no interest in her More then a friend. Why should your grace think I love her then so well, to make my love To her, the quarrel? Had these words, (Which wound you deeper far then they do me, Since they are scandalous) come from another, My sword should first have answered, not my tongue; But since you are one to whom I owe my life, I'll keep another method: First, I'll let you see The wrong you do me, which if you shall not Straight acknowledge, our swords shall then decide Whither this title be my endue or no, And lest you may condemn me for and enemy, As thinking me your debtor, I'll let you see That you my Lord, are as much bound to me, As I to you, though you did save my life. Though you should amplify, as you diminish What you did form; yet 'twould never equal The pulling of my heart out of my breast, For to give you content. Duke, be not deceived for after the discovery Of that secret which I will tell you, I'll give you and assurance with my sword, I do not fear. I did but now deny that I did love Clarinda, But now I call the heavens to witness Who must assist me in so joust a quarrel, That I do love her equal with my life; And now I will maintain that I deserve To be better beloved by her then you. First let me show you, How I acquit the obligation, I ought you, Clarinda loves me more then I can her, yet though She thus love me, I out of my gratefulness to you, Used the best partly of my eloquence, To persuade her to marry you; and is not this A secret, and a discharging of the debt I owed you. My lust the vestal Virgins that keep in the holy fire, Have not more cold desires then I have. My Lord, that curiosity hath undone you, For I do call the heavens to witness, That what I then spoke when I seemed vicious, Was all dissembled; intending you the fruit Of that dissimulation; for when I once Have made my self a peer unworthy, I thought that she would then have turned The stream of her affection upon you. My Lord, the injustice of your cause, Not Fortune hath difarm'd you, and therefore yield. I scorn to gain a victory so poorly, But to this man that saved my life. We loose time; for since we cannot both Enjoy Clarinda, both must not live. Lys. falls. I owe you for my life; we were but quit before; I would our quarrel were of another nature. Ah poor Clarinda, this is too sad a witness Of thy perfections; would thou were here yet, That I might take my last farewell. Oh my best love Clarinda, Receive from my dying lips, a dying kiss. Dear Sister, What blessed Angel hath brought you hither? Fair and courteous Lady, pardon me, My sighed did fail through my excessive bleeding, Which made me to mistake. Oh Madame, led me no further then; For you will curse your charity if you preserve me. Because I have by this unlucky hand, Robbed you of such a Kinsman, as our Sovereign And your self were justly proud of. The Duke, who lies there as you see. Madame, it is too true. Madame I would not have you go about To preserve me with your own danger, I mean the Kings displeasure, beside, I fear Your labour will be fruitless; for if the Lodge Be not hard by, sure I shall bleed to death, Before we can come thither. Then I may live to do you service, Rather let me perish before I trouble you. But Sister, can you think it possible, The Princess should thus love me. Believe me Mariana, it does grieve me much So great a Princess should be so unhappy To love a man whose heart is not his own; For he that had a heart at his disposing Could not deny to give it her. What would you have me to do? Shall I not back return those courteous looks, That she the savour of my life bestows upon me? One knocks without. Madame, I have no pain But that I fear I never shall be able to requite This undeserved favour. What shall I say, each virtuous deed Rewards it self, and that's the coin with which You must be paid, or else you will be a loser. I dare not lie Madame. I have one that loves me equally. Madame, I cannot tell you without discovering That which I would gladly keep concealed; Yet why I should deny you the knowledge of any Secret my heart holds. I cannot see, except I should Be most ungrateful, you being the only cause That I have now a heart to keep a secret in. The Duke and I were rivals, Clarinda was the mark at which both aimed. Madame, she loved me best. We being brought up together, Which was her great misfortune; For had she known the Duke before me, Her judgement would have taught her To love the worthier, And one indeed that loved her better, At least, with greater passion. Having once removed me, he hoped she Would accept of him, who would have made A worthier servant far, since he had power To raise her to that glorious height of fortune, Which well would have become her merits: But on the other side, he knew the means Of my Fortune, must needs obscure and darken Her perfections, so that he out of love To her rather then to himself, desired To make her his. Madame, there was some unlucky mistaking Betwixt us, or else we had not fought. I hope your Grace does not mock me. I cannot think you are in earnest, yet I will Answer you, as if you were: should you love me Think you, or would you wish that I should break My forepast vows unto Clarinda. If I be constant, What fruit can you receive from your affection? A barren Love will ill become So great a Princess. Madame, I know In that you say you love me, you do it only For to make a trial how strongly I am armed By my Clarinda's merits against inconstancy; And I confess, if it were possible To undermine my faith, and blow my former Promises into the air, your pleasing speech, And those, yet majestic glances Of your eyes, were the only Instruments that yet I ever saw to do it. Else may I perish; but mistake me not; For though I could believe your beauty And merit to be above Clarinda's; Which is unpossible, either that it should be, Or that I should believe it; yet where my word Is once passed, though all the tortures men wit Can invent should at one instant environ me To torture the mind and body, yet I would not break my faith. Madam, a braver man by far then he Under whose sword he fell: Fortune that did envy His worth, because his mind was fortified Above her reach, applied her self that day, Unto the ruin of his body; and then though Never before nor since fought on my side. Most willingly, for I by that Relation, Shall make apparent the difference betwixt His worth and mine. Exeunt. Sister, it is my intent; but I without The Princess leave, who hath preserved my life, Will certainly resolve of nothing. And is so still, For may I perish when I prove false To my Clarinda; yet should I say I do not Love the Princess, and with some passion too, I should but lie. See where she comes And with the splendour of her heavenly eyes Amazes my weak senses; not Diana's self Looked half so lovely when she wooed The pale-fac'd Boy Endymion; Nor Pallas when she stood Competitor With the two Goddesses to gain the golden apple, Appeared with half that Majesty That she does thus attired: hold faith, Thou never Wertenberg in such a danger. Madame, I am so well, That I desire your license to depart, There's danger surely in my being here Both to your self and me. Madam, it's best we partly, should I stay here And daily look upon those Sun-bright eyes, And hear your charming tongue, my faith I fear Would prove Like wax, and melt, Clarinda's picture Would be soon defaced, and I should then deserve The hate of all the world. Did your Grace see her then? Madame, its true, She hath indeed the most deserving man That then did live, the Duke, given to her For a servant: but when the heavens saw That she did refuse him whom they knew Was only worthy of her, they left her then To her unhappy choice, in me, in which She cannot fail to be miserable, And that they might torment her with The knowledge of her error, they took from The earth unto themselves whom she refused, Making him equal unto one of them. It may be she does wisely fear that there Are some that watch each step she makes, Hoping by that to find me out; for now It is no news that she does love me, When I am at Florence I'll send her word, For so I promised her in a Letter when I went To fight, if that I escaped with life. Why Madame, Did he write a Letter to the King, In which he begged my pardon? He in this Letter does express himself To be so near the composition of the Gods, So filled with all perfections, me thinks it's strange They should not built him altars: yet my infortunate Hand did rob the world of this precious Jewel; For which offence my heart shall drop in justice As many bloody tears, as now my womanish tears Do drops of brinish water. It were impossible that you should love A perjured man. Dear Princess, Gerard, to whom I am much bound, Hath horses ready for me, so that there is Nothing wanting but your leave to make My journey happy. Go Gerard, get the horses ready. Ex. Her. Madame, most willingly, And think it for the greatest honour that ere Was done me. Dear Madame, hide your self, What will the King your Brother say, If he do find you here? Sir, hears a bloody-handed, though not a bloody Minded man, that does not yet deserve the title Of a Traitor. I know it's me you look for. Keep off, and hear me speak first, And then I will deliver up my sword. I see poor Gerard bound, whom I Compelled to conceal me. Royal Sir, with patience hear me: When I by the assistance of Fortune, not my valour; (Yet I did nothing basely) had killed that noble Duke I was my self soar wounded, so that I could not Fly out of your territories, and well I knew Into what house so ere I came, though they At first might pity me, not knowing What I had done; yet when they once should know That I had killed the Duke, they then I knew Would straight discover me, rather to gain reward, Or else to save themselves from future danger, Which to prevent. I thought my safest course was For to compel Gerard, whom well I knew Lived far remote from company, to swear Not to discover I was in his house, Or else I threatened straight to kill him, Hoping that rather then he would forswear Himself, he would conceal me, wherein I was No whit deceived. I then began to fright him with strange Examples of the cruel punishments that perjured Men had felt, and awed his conscience that way. Weep not Clarinda, you may live happily You and the Princess may together make A kind of Marriage, each one strongly Flattering themselves, the other is Lysander; For each of you's Lysander's better partly: Pardon Clarinda that I borrow from That stream of love a partly to pay the Princess, Which ever yet ran constantly to the Ocean Of thy perfection only, for now a gratefulness To her, makes some of it run in another current; For which I know thou being wise, canst never Love me less, knowing that I have love enough For both, since I can marry neither. Only to take A parting kiss; then when you please, I am prepared. Sir, I do confess it and am ready to receive Your doom. All the encouragement that I will desire Shall be a kiss of your fair hand. This kiss Clarinda is thy endue, thou art The nearest to my heart in Justice. Clarin. swoons. Friend, do thine office; I forgive thee. I do beseech your Majesty, Let not this frantic man, (for so he seems to be) Out of his love to me, ruin himself: I do confess again it was this unlucky hand, And no other, that killed the Duke. My Lord, the service of my life hereafter Shall make manifest how much I honour you, And with what joy I do receive your gift. How sad the Princess looks? I wonder She does not speak to me. Her noble heart will burst with grief, Would I had died, or rather that I had two hearts, By death I had been free, this way I am A debtor to the Princess, and that ingratitude Torments me worse then death. Reverend Sir, why? It is true, he did so, but I Was so distracted betwixt joy and grief, That I had quite forgotten it. How! my Sister! My Father! your blessing Sir. It was nature in me, that made me so much Love the Count Ʋ trante: you blessing Sir. And for my partly, I cannot add To my own happiness, if I might have my wishes, Now that you are my Sister; for I did ever love you As a Sister rather then as a Mistress. I fear the King will here consent. whisper. No Madame, Let me show you the way, and when I feel The pain, I'll tell you if it be too great For you to suffer. By this kiss, which I believe shall be The last that I ever shall be blessed with, Did not my faith oblige me otherways, I should love you equal with Clarinda, Nay had I known you first, I should Have loved you better; but as it is I know you are so noble in you self, That you would hate me if I should prove inconstant