SILIUS

S Ola virtus veram nobilitas. Virtue is only true nobility, So speaks our times best Tutor Seneca, And it's divinely spoken, Like himself. True Philosopher, for what is't to man For to be born noble, and yet detain the ignoble mind of vice, licentious will, Such no way are alide to nobleness. Times hellbred, base, ignoble noble blood, Runs through his veins, than S only great not good Far better live a private life with thee, Thou sweet companion to Well-minded man. Here's no seducing Pomp, no clouds of vice, Nor fogs of vanity obscures men sighed From the direct to ways directly ill. This seal confirm the sequel of my life To imitate the good that thou presents. Prethe disist. Thats learning, and valour; or should be so At least; and not in outsides found delight, Whereon Times Puff-paste costly coxcomb, all His great little wit, and wealth, thinks best bestowed To please his Mistri's Eye; when all men mind Should bend his course to follow virtues steps. Th'are gallant sots, Silly and senseless; what's all the delight, That seems so pleasing to the itchy whorer? But Like the Itch, scratched raw, it's still the sorer It'll smart to purpose; make you to find out And obscure grave, cold as the snowy Alps, There, in a hollow circle of the night Lust breeds more cause of terror then delight. Alas you're blind my friends, and I am sorry. Oh were I sure that sworn you'd keep, & not Infringe your vows (though noble wisdom bids, To shun the glorious strumpets licorish snares,) You soon should find me sudden, dare to stand, The baits of whorish fortitude unmoved. Then on this book take Oath, Swear that by all the good therein contained, And all that's good the virtues of true Man, At my return free from adult Ate sin To live true friends to virtue ever after You shall prevail. 'Tis well, led on; And if I ever prove False to Syllana punish me great Jove. Exeunt. Most certain Into the devils vaulting school; where lust In triumph rides over shame and innocence, Am I not in Hell. What have you brought me to your Sempsters house. Is this your lusty kindred, sweet pleasure Which angles souls to hell, as men hook fish; I, this is she the bane of all devotion, She whose enticements turns weak men aside From the right way of virtue, throwing em down Into the gulf of all confusion; From whence me thinks those dreadful souls I hear Now at this instant cursing of your Sex; Your sin affected trimings to entice Which implicates the wretched mind of man Crying with horror against your impudence. Oh woman, woman, thy bewitching motion, Fools wisdom, reason, and blinds all devotion. Out thou devourer up of maiden heads Out on your beastly, your most senseless plea sures, That makes you reasonless, esteeming best Those things delight you most. Note but the end of all your lustful pleasures, All breed diseases, griefs, reproaches foul, Consumption of the body, and the soul, Engender sorrows and sotishnesse, Forgets all prudence, grows most insolent, Breeds the Ep leps e that falling evil Begets murder, makes a man a devil, Overthrows whole families, confounds the just, Foisteth in children illigitimate, Corrupts all humane sweet society. The various paths of lust are all uneven, Her pleasures dreadful plagues the scourge of heaven. O. Sil. falls on his knees. Fool that I am, thou hast undone thy self, Keep in my virtue or this fie y trial Flames thee to Cinders. Me above all. Glory of Queens Cease to enchant with words that can so charm. Delicate Nectar. Oh I am all Flame, A scorched enchanted flame and I shall burn To Cinders with delight, debarred to quench Fervour with fervour, violent flame with flames. How? Oh that delicious melting kiss prevails; Sucks dry the sweetness of a soul distressed, Poisons my blood and brain, and makes me apt To do and outrage I should loathe to name: Oh if I ere was gracious in your sighed, Sil. kneels. Desist fair beauty's abstract, I implore; Spur me not on to murders horrid act Which I shall ever rue; let it sum hse, I'm only yours, never Syllana's more; Sworn a perpetual exile from her bed, Vanished so soon, how wondrous strange seems this. Hold, be not so respectless Of him that loves you dearer then his life Dreadless of death I speak it, what is death? A bug to scar th'ignoble cowards mind The valiant never; did the Fates conspire And terrible death in the most horrid shape It ere put on threat, despair, and ruin, Yet it should never affright the soul of Silius ; Th'impatient sudden cause of discontent In your rare worth, only torments me more Then were I racked upon Ixion's wheel To perpetuity; be gracious then To him that does repent, confess his error, Seal't with this kiss. O be pleased. The attractive force Of those amazing eyes those glorious lights Fixed in the Firmament of your sweet f ce Shall make me undergo the worst of ill, Though with the forfeiture of life I azard A death more terrible then Alcides was. Ravished in thought panting amazed I stand At your Harmonious speech Emphatical. Ambitious blood, Like to the Banks of Nyle Over flows this Orb of men circumference, And points my actions thus their way to ill Aspiring Arms Lavolto when they kill. Exit Sil Presenting his naked Poniard. Go the influence of whose power stars, Mounts thy imperial lot to set aloft On the high Orb of our affection, Like the bright rising oriental Sun, When it salutes Aurora ; above the choice Of five and twenty Jove -Like Ganimends, Who charmed, and wrapped in wanton dalliance, Live fired with admiration; Oh pleasing, More pleasing sweet to my insate desire, Then was to Synon Illions lofty fire. Oh what a fiery combat feels my soul, The Genius good and bade that weights on man, Shakes nature's frame, trembles this Microcosm, There virtue pleads for sleeping innocence, For love, true love, chased thoughts, and virtuous acts Which entertained within a constant breast Makes man triumphant crowned immortal blessed. But Oh the ponderous plummets of black vice, Suppress those pure imaginations, Which break Like lightning only for a flash, Wanting the true material to impel, And to continue this false clock of life From its exorbitant course; such Like are Majestic title, and the Empress, That unpeered excellence, bewitching dalliance Soul of temptation sweet, so charms all sense, Virtue I loath, Like politic states whose good Depends on ill, work their attempts in blood. To sleep thy last. Briefly this; I'll be your dreams expositor thou must die; Die by this hand, this fatal instrument Nor must I seem to yield a slave to pity. Sure, sure I dream, dream still, if not tell, Oh Tell me my better self, whose killing words, Wounds crueler then death; what cause, what offen What ill desert in me, that wronged you never, The Gods me witness bear. 'Tis for no fault sustained on thy behalf, N ; 'tis the Empress Doom. It's thee; that model of creation, Must through thy death participate alone All that is man in me; And to that end With sweetest concord of discording parts, Out sings the Sire's, fierce this mansion With haut, Ambition, Rome's imperial crown, And therefore I must kill; or else forgo All those bright shining glories, which what fool Would be so nice. Bravely resolved, and I'll perform thy will As bravely thus, Pretending a violent stab he flings away the Poniard. Not to be Emperor of the spacious earth, Live, live Syllana free. Cease admiration And be sure of this, though I must confess I hither came Armed with a full intent To take thy life, yet Silius never shall add To his libidinous life, a murderers name. Of ill , it's ever best, the worst to sh nne, By murders murderers souls are oft undone; I wish I were far better then I am. Neque Sillus fiagitii aut per culi nescius erat; said certo fi abnueret exitio, & nonnulla fallendi spe, fimul magnis pramiis, opperiri futuram, & praesentibus frui pro S latio habebat, Tarit. But since without my most assured ruin It cannot be; being so far engaged Into the Empress favour, I must on Make use of some devise cloaked with deceit, That far beyond persuasion may enforce Thy death's b eefe. Pish, I will so work You shall not need to fear, therefore as I, At court with my continuance must make way To clear suspect; use you the matter so Among your noble Family whereby Argos eyed Envy descry me not; I Shall securely live dreadless of danger. Th'art the true Emblem of a perfect wife, For whose rare virtue, from my soul I wish All husbands were the same, in that right way A perfect husband truly ought to be. Which since in me (ordained by powerful Fate) Never to be avoided backward runs, Let my recursion from thy mind expel, That Serpent foe to life; sad griefs extreme. As grossly vain in being remediless, and Therefore shun it, patient conjuence Is the calm of trouble, best cure gainst care, Gives greatness best content in mean estate. Why do I then (Like Godless villains) tell, The way heaven, yet led the path to hell. Minds that will mount into superior state, Climb mischiefs Ladder; virtuous actions hate. Yet is't not so with Silius ; I do love Those virtues in another, though I want The Like performance; nor shall my high aim, Raised on advancements top do me more good, Then enjoining free from the act of blood. But I protract delay, ther's danger in't; Video meliora, proboque, deteriora Sequor. Never was man so infinitely Bewitched; charmed, and enchanted as is Caium Silius, to leave a constant wife; farewell, We must partly. We must; nay prithee weep not sweet, Tears want their remedy, There is no striving, gainst our destiny YOur Excellence that too, too gloriously Resembles your rare Sex; succeeding times Shall to the end of time, gaze and admire, Wonder at your high prudence, which to the Combination of our Nuptials, hath charmed Nihil compositum miraculi causam. Tacit. Dull Casar to a free consent, behold; There you whose loves do ever bind me yours May view my Fortune's Like a valley rise Above those hills that will admit no clouds, Ther's a full grant wherein you may discern My glories in this admirable lemme. Noble Roman, deer country men and friends These solid certainties you here pronounce In my behalf, which argues your firm friendship, The vengeful Gods must in their justice grant. Make me the Minister of Fate, dig up The dignities of Caesars Raze, and in The stead, plant monumental ruin, make The name wretched draw dishonoured breath, All the dire torments Furies can invent, Were all too little for my Father's lose, That memorable he that hath stood The fiery fervour of so many fights, Come bravely off, and saved this Empire. Gave unto Caesar Room and servile senate Gave all their strength and being, and for all (Grown too too great examples for the times,) Plots were devised in recompense to kill, And that their machiavellian darkness, he No sooner scented, but in open senate Scorning Tiberius, and death's base censure Exposed his life a sacrifice to valour. And for that fact, upon the blood and name, That caused so brave and famous and example For all free spirits, I'll be revenged after No common sort. The thanks among Princes of ignoble brain That shines Like rotten wood, serves petty use, The mind of Silius much much more then scorns, The grave V rg l a os, during the Life of Silius shall never speak but with the Voice of Counterfeit sull ; he, Calphurnianus Vectius Valens, Proculus, Menester, And Saus llus Trogus, to all renown Command and wealth of Provinces shall flow, Express the gratitude of Sil S, and Though last named, yet your bright excellence (the Which for gratitude ever remembered) Best in esteem and first; not unlike, to That rare Jem reserved last to view for Worth and glory, to you all the delight This world of man affords I freely give. The Rites of Hymen, with next morrows Sun Shall apt my blood unto the perfect height Of pleasure, love and eminence, led on. Pompey nor Caesar, could endure a Mate, Nor Silius Claudius in superior state. Abstract of rare perfection my Juno, Glorious Emp'resse all admiration. Amazing rarity, beauty's treasure. Let me suck Nectar, kiss, kiss, Oh kiss me. Leap heart. Thus relish all my bliss. Descend my Venus all composed of love. Down, down we come Like glistering Phaebus mounted in his Car, When in the height of the celestial signs He sails along the Circuit of the Sky. Here's a full bole, a health to the height of pleasure. Kiss. See, what dost see? Oh likelihood, and Army from Claudius. Scoff of glory. What to out live my Fate, no, you of The Senate fly, fly all, stand not amazed, my mighty Mistress, endanger not your self, Excellent Empress, Sulpitius be your guard. But why you sad copartners in my fallen, Why stand you thus plunged in the panting depth Of deep amaze, collect your spirits and Pursue your safety. Our death's shall be more glorious, far less ill; Yet will we die, armed with a world of valour. Not Like those desperate fools, which by their Own swords fallen; we are too deep in lust to Suck such back damnation, that were horrid. The soul, the all that is the best in man, Tells of two opposites, life and death in death. True sorrow for life's death misselead in life, That's perfect valour, makes men bravely die That lived not so, when the self violent death Is but a bastard volour. Claudius, let it suffice, she is not here, Spit all thy venom; be it a Sea of Poison let it fallen, here's none will shrink; ou Bloods are all too much ennobled, into The eminent temper of true Monarchs, To dread respectless death. Of you our quick dispatch tart life's ex change For a delicious death; which if I thought Should feed upon delay by all thats sacred Thus weaponless, we all would force And cut our way to death through some of you. Oh ravishing content. Why Like a worm crawling betwixt life & death Am I thus forced; I must, I will not die So Like a beast, the lofty Cedar and the aged Oak, Cuft with incessant storms shall represent The fallen of Silius ; what? wil't not do? no? Shall my death then prevail above my mind Oh sad condition, misery of life. Expense of blood faints me, and yet I stand, Stagger in spite of death; life's threads uncur, What means this Riddle? are the Fates asleep? So drunk at sighed of this sad spectacle, I must awake their waking; I'm abused, Where art thou, thou invisible threefe; lean Rogue I dare thee to this comb to, why slave, Dog, coward, dastard Death, no no; why then Oh kind best loving death; if valiant, if Thou be that sole conqueror of Kings time Speaks thee for? prithee, but for one bout, I'll not resist, scarce able to stand; open Breasted, take all advantage, disjoint the Chain of inauspicious stars, fettering My over wearied flesh with life, one thrust Put home will end me. Thrust home and sure, Why so; desire now follows my blood, Farewell world picture of painted folly, Frame of woe; paltry life, I gladly shake thee off. It is too late. Too late Syllana my most virtuous wife. Like a spent Taper only for a flash, I do recover to embrace thee sweet: Forgive me injured excellence; constant wife. Take from my lips (deer heart) a parting kiss Cold as the dead men Skull; nay weep not sweet There is div nity in that weeping eye, Prayer on thy lip, and holiness in thy heart. The Devils cannot say I flatter thee, Nor this abusive, scornful, dull dark Age, Tax me to say it never, never can Not out of all the Catalogue of women, Pick such a Phoenix Saint forth as thy self. In thee, bright heavens majestic eminence, Lives my supporting prop against all ill To take me up to mercy. Die. Farewell.