Francis Beaumont

“ Your will's a poor one;
And though it be a King's Will, a despised one.
Weaker than Infants legs, your will's in swadling Clouts,
A thousand ways my will has found to check ye;
A thousand doors to 'scape ye, I dare dye, Sir;
As suddenly I dare dye, as you can offer:
Nay, say you had your Will, say you had ravish'd me,
Perform'd your lust, what had you purchas'd by it?
What Honour won? do you know who dwells above, Sir,
And what they have prepar'd for men turn'd Devils?
Did you never hear their thunder? start and tremble,
Death sitting on your bloud, when their fires visit us. ”

“ Ne'r blush Evanthe, 'tis a very sweet one,
Does he rain gold, and precious promises
Into thy lap? will he advance thy fortunes?
Shalt thou be mighty, Wench?
Evan. Never mock, Madam;
'Tis rather on your part to be lamented,
At least reveng'd, I can be mighty Lady,
And glorious too, glorious and great, as you are.
Que. He will Marry thee?
Evan. Who would not be a Queen, Madam?
Que. 'Tis true Evanthe, 'tis a brave ambition,
A golden dream, that may delude a good mind,
What shall become of me?
Evan. You must learn to pray,
Your age and honour will become a Nunnery. ”

“ In all which time, but twice she has honour'd me
With sight of her blest beauty: when you please Sir,
You may receive your charge, and tell your Lady;
A Gentleman whose life is only dedicated
To her commands, kisses her beauteous hands;
And Faire-one, now your help, you may remember
The honest courtesies, since you are mine,
I ever did your modestie: you shall be near her,
And if sometimes you name my service to her,
And tell her with what nobleness I love her,
'Twill be a gratitude I shall remember.
Zen. What in my poor power lyes, so it be honest.
Leo. I ask no more. ”

“ Till my most honourable friend redeem'd me,
Signior Pyniero, I bestow on you,
The rest of next command upon these Gentlemen,
Upon ye, all my love.
Arm. Oh brave Ruy Dias,
You have started now beyond me. I must thank ye,
And thank ye for my life, my wife and honor.
Ruy. I am glad I had her for you, Sir.
King. Come Princes,
Come Friends and Lovers all, come noble Gentlemen,
No more Guns now, nor hates, but joyes and triumphs,
An universal gladness fly about us:
And know however subtle men dare cast,
And promise wrack, the gods give peace at last. ”

“ In love with all men, are ye? one for shame
You will leave your honour'd mistris? why do ye stare so?
What is that ye see about me, tell me?
Lord what am I become? I am not wilde sure,
Heaven keep that from me: O Cleanthe help me,
Or I am sunk to death.
Cle. Ye have offended and mightily, love is incenst against ye,
And therefore take my Counsel, to the Temple,
For that's the speediest physick: before the Goddess
Give your repentant prayers: ask her will,
And from the Oracle attend your sentence,
She is milde and mercifull.
Calis. I will: O Venus
Even as thou lov'st thy self! ”

“ On forraign foes
We are our own revengers, but at home
On Princes that are eminent and ours,
'Tis fit the Gods should judge us: be not rash,
Nor let your angry steel cut those ye know not,
For by this fatal blow, if ye dare strike it,
As I see great aims in ye, those unborn yet,
And those to come of them, and these succeeding
Shall bleed the wrath of Maximus: for me
As ye now bear your self, I am your friend still,
If ye fall off I will not flatter ye,
And in my hands, were ye my soul, you perish'd:
Once more be careful, stand, and still be worthy,
I'le leave you for this hour. ”

“ Enter Melantius.
The Land by me welcomes thy vertues home to Rhodes, thou that with blood abroad buyest us our peace; the breath of King is like the breath of Gods; My brother wisht thee here, and thou art here; he will be too kind, and weary thee with often welcomes; but the time doth give thee a welcome above this or all the worlds.
Mel. My Lord, my thanks; but these scratcht limbs of mine have spoke my love and truth unto my friends, more than my tongue ere could: my mind's the same it ever was to you; where I find worth, I love the keeper, till he let it go, And then I follow it. ”

“ The Liberty we hold as dear as life,
The gods we worship, and next those, our Honors,
And with those swords that know no end of Battel:
Those men beside themselves allow no neighbor;
Those minds that where the day is, claim inheritance,
And where the Sun makes ripe the fruits, their harvest,
And where they march, but measure out more ground
To add to Rome, and here i'th' bowels on us;
It must not be; no, as they are our foes,
And those that must be so until we tire 'em,
Let's use the peace of Honor, that's fair dealing,
But in our ends, our swords. ”

“ Appear'd your Mistress; took into your eyes
The common-strumpet love of hated lucre,
Courted with covetous heart, the slave of nature,
Gave all your thoughts to gold, that men of glory,
And minds adorn'd with noble love, would kick at:
Souldiers of royal mark, scorn such base purchase:
Beauty and honour are the marks they shoot at;
I spake to ye then; I courted ye, and woo'd ye:
Call'd ye dear Cæsar, hung about ye tenderly:
Was proud to appear your friend.
Cæsar. You have mistaken me.
Cleo. But neither Eye, nor Favour, not a Smile
Was I blessed back with ”

“ Enter Clorin, in her Cabin, Alexis, with her.
Clor. Now your thoughts are almost pure,
And your wound begins to cure:
Strive to banish all that's vain,
Lest it should break out again.
Alex. Eternal thanks to thee, thou holy maid:
I find my former wandring thoughts well staid
Through thy wise precepts, and my outward pain
By thy choice herbs is almost gone again:
Thy sexes vice and vertue are reveal'd
At once, for what one hurt, another heal'd.
Clor. May thy grief more appease,
Relapses are the worst disease.
Take heed how you in thought offend,
So mind and body both will mend. ”

“ Can this be so Antinous?
Antinous
'Tis all true,
Nor hath my much wrong'd father limn'd my faults
In colours half so black, as in themselves,
My guilt hath dy'd them: were there mercy left,
Yet mine own shame would be my Executioner:
Lords, I am guilty.
Erota
Thou beliest, Antinous,
Thine innocence: alas, my Lords, he's desperate,
And talks he knows not what: you must not credit
His lunacy; I can my self disprove
This accusation: Cassilane, be yet
More mercifull; I beg it.
Cassilanes
Time, not fate,
The world, or what is in it, shall not alter
My resolution: he shall dye. ”

“ Puts. Good Colonel.
Theod. My heart will break else: Royal Sir, I know not
What you esteem mens lives, whose hourly labours,
And loss of Blood, consumptions in your service,
Whose Bodies are acquainted with more miseries,
And all to keep you safe, than Dogs or Slaves are.
His Sword the least share gain'd?
Du. You will not fight with me?
Theod. No Sir, I dare not,
You are my Prince, but I dare speak to ye,
And dare speak truth, which none of their ambitions
That be informers to you, dare once think of;
Yet truth will now but anger ye; I am sorry for't,
And so I take my leave. ”

“ Mel.Force my swoll'n Heart no further; I would save thee.
Your great Maintainers are not here, they dare not,
Would they were all, and arm'd, I would speak loud;
Here's one should thunder to 'em: will you tell me?
Thou hast no hope to scape; He that dares most,
And damns away his Soul to do thee Service,
Will sooner fetch meat from a hungry Lion,
Than come to rescue thee; thou hast Death about thee:
He has undone thine Honour, poyson'd thy Virtue,
And, of a lovely Rose, left thee a canker? ”

“ This sword shall be thy lover: tell, or I'le kill thee:
And when thou hast told all, thou wilt deserve it.
Evad. You will not murder me!
Mel. No, 'tis a justice, and a noble one, To put the light out of such base offenders.
Evad. Help!
Mel. By thy foul self, no humane help shall help thee,
If thou criest: when I have kill'd thee, as I have
Vow'd to do, if thou confess not, naked as thou hast
left
Thine honour, will I leave thee,
That on thy branded flesh the world may read
Thy black shame, and my justice; wilt thou bend yet? ”

“ Enter Leopold, and Zenocia.
Leo. Fling off these sullen clouds, you are enter'd now Into a house of joy and happiness, I have prepar'd a blessing for ye.
Zen. Thank ye, my state would rather ask a curse.
Leo. You are peevish
And know not when ye are friended, I have us'd those means,
The Lady of this house, the noble Lady,
Will take ye as her own, and use ye graciously:
Make much of what you are, Mistris of that beautie,
And expose it not to such betraying sorrows,
When ye are old, and all those sweets hang wither'd,
Enter Servant. ”

“ Nay, put thy life in too, 'twill be too light still:
What hast thou done?
Gov. Goe for him presently,
And once more we'll try if we can win him fairly:
If not, let nothing she says hinder ye, or stir ye;
She speaks distractedly—Do that the gods command ye,
Do you know what ye say Lady?
Quisar. I could curse thee too,
Religion and severity has steel'd thee,
Has turn'd thy heart to stone; thou hast made the gods hard too,
Against their sweet and patient natures, cruel:
None of ye feel what bravery ye tread on?
What innocence? what beauty?
King. Pray be patient. ”

“ Manent Valerio, and Evanthe.
Evan. Is our fair love, our honest, our entire,
Come to this hazard?
Val. 'Tis a noble one, and I am much in love with malice for it,
Envy could not have studied me a way,
Nor fortune pointed out a path to Honour,
Straighter and nobler, if she had her eyes;
When I have once enjoy'd my sweet Evanthe,
And blest my Youth with her most dear embraces,
I have done my journey here, my day is out,
All that the World has else is foolery,
Labour, and loss of time; what should I live for?
Think but mans life a Month, and we are happy. ”

“ Thou hast been kept from bloud too long, I'le kiss thee,
For thou art more then friend now, my preserver,
Shew me the way to happiness, I seek it:
And all you great ones, that have faln as I do,
To keep your memories, and honours living,
Be present in your vertues, and assist me,
That like strong Cato, I may put away
All promises, but what shall crown my ashes;
Rome, fare thee well: stand long, and know to conquer
Whilst there is people, and ambition:
Now for a stroak shall turn me to a Star:
I come ye blessed spirits, make me room
To live for ever in Elyzium:
Do men fear this? ”

“ Devil, thou with him,
Thou penny Bawd to his Lust, will not that stir thee?
Do you work by tokens now? Be sure I live not,
For your own safeties knaves. I will sit patiently:
But as ye are true villains, the Devils own servants,
And those he loves and trusts, make it as bloody
An Act, of such true horror, Heaven would shake at,
'Twill shew the braver: goodness hold my hope fast,
And in thy mercies look upon my ruines,
And then I am right: my eyes grow dead and heavy:
Enter six disguis'd, singing and dancing to a horrid Musick, and sprinkling water on her face. ”

“ Mount. I am glad ye have swallow'd it,
I must confess I pity ye; and 'tis a justice,
A great one too, you should revenge these injuries:
I know it, and I know ye fit and bold to do it,
And man, as much as man may: but Miranda,
Why do ye kneel?
Mir. By —— I'll grow to the ground here,
And with my sword dig up my grave, and fall in't
Unless thou grant me: dear Mountferrat, friend,
Is any thing in my power, to my life, Sir?
The honor shall be yours.
Mount. I love ye dearly,
Yet so much I should tender. ”

“ Enter Arcite.
Arcite. Banish'd the Kingdom? 'tis a benefit,
A mercy I must thank 'em for, but banish'd
The free enjoying of that face I die for,
Oh 'twas a studdied punishment, a death
Beyond Imagination: Such a vengeance
That were I old and wicked, all my sins
Could never pluck upon me, Palamon;
Thou hast the Start now, thou shalt stay and see
Her bright eyes break each morning 'gainst thy window,
And let in life into thee; Thou shalt feed
Upon the sweetness of a noble beauty,
That nature never exceeded, nor never shall:
Good gods! what happiness has Palamon! ”