SCENE I.

Enter Thierry, Brunhalt, Bawdber, and

Thi. γου

Lecure.

are here in a sanctuary; and that viper

(Who, since he hath forgot to be a son, I much disdain to think of as a brother) Had better, in despite of all the gods,

To have raz'd their temples, and spurn'd down their altars,

Than in his impious abuse of you,
To have call'd on my just anger.
Brun. Princely son,

And in this worthy of a nearer name,
I have, in the relation of my wrongs,
Been modest, and no word my tongue de-
liver'd

To express my insupportable injuries,

But gave my heart a wound: nor has my grief
Being from what I suffer13; but that he,
Degenerate as he is, should be the actor
Of my extremes, and force me to divide
The fires of brotherly affection14,
Which should make but one flame.
Thi. That part of his,

As it deserves, shall burn no more,
if or
The tears of orphans, widows, or all such
As dare acknowledge him to be their lord,
Join'd to your wrongs, with his heart-blood

have power

[vants,

To put it out: and you, and these your serWho in our favours shall find cause to know, In that they left not you, how dear we hold them,

Shall give Theodoret to understand

His ignorance of the prizeless jewel which
He did possess in you, mother, in you;
Of which I am more proud to be the owner's,
Than if th' absolute rule of all the world
Were offer'd to this hand. Once more, you're
welcome!

Which with all ceremony due to greatness
I would make known, but that our just re-
venge

Nor has my grief,

Admits not of delay. Your hand, lord-ge neral!

Enter Protaldye, with Soldiers. Brun. Your favour and his merit, I may say, Have made him such; but I am jealous how Your subjects will receive it.

Thi. How! my subjects?

What do you make of me? Oh, Heav'n! my subjects?

How base should I esteem the name of prince,
If that poor dust were any thing before
The whirlwind of my absolute command!
Let 'em be happy, and rest so contented,
They pay the tribute of their hearts and knees
To such a prince, that not alone has power
To keep his own, but to encrease it; that,
Altho' he hath a body may add to
The fam'd night-labour of strong Hercules,
Yet is the master of a continence
That so can temper it, that I forbear
Their daughters, and their wives; whose hands,
tho' strong,

As yet have never drawn by unjust mean
Their proper wealth into my treasury!—
But I grow glorious-and let them beware
That, in their least repining at my pleasures,
They change not a mild prince (for if provok'd,
I dare and will be so) into a tyrant!

Brun. You see there's hope that we shall rule again,

And your fall'n fortunes rise.

Baw. I hope your highness

[with you;

Is pleas'd that I should still hold my place For I have been so long us'd to provide you Fresh bits of flesh since mine grew stale, that

surely

If cashier'd now, I shall prove a bad caterer In the fish-market of cold Chastity.

Lec. For me, I am your own; nor, since I first [ber'd Knew what it was to serve you, have reniemI had a soul, but such an one whose essence Depended wholly on your highness' pleasure; And therefore, madam-

Seward.

Brun

To promise much; but if within ten days,
By precepts and examples, not drawn from
Worm-eaten precedents, of the Roman wars,
But from mine own, I make them not trans-
cend

All that e'er yet bore arms, let it be said
Protaldye brags, which would be unto me
As hateful as to be esteem'd a coward!
For, sir, few captains know the way to win
him,

And make the soldier valiant. You shall see me16

Lie with them in their trenches, talk, and drink,

And be together drunk; and, what seems stranger,

We'll sometimes wench together, which, once practised,

And with some other care and hidden arts17, They being all made mine, I'll breathe into them

Such fearless resolution and such fervor, That, tho' I brought them to besiege a fort Whose walls were steeple-high, and cannonproof,

Not to be undermin'd, they should fly up Like swallows; and, the parapet once won, For proof of their obedience, if I will'd them, They should leap down again; and what is more,

By some directions they should have from me, Not break their necks.

Thi. This is above belief. [spoke much, Brun. Sir, on my knowledge, tho' he hath He's able to do more.

Lec. She means on her.

Brun. And howsoever in his thankfulness, For some few favours done him by myself, He left Austracia; not Theodoret,

Tho' he was chiefly aim'd at, could have laid, With all his dukedom's power, that shame upon him,

Which in his barbarous malice to my honour, He swore with threats t' effect.

Thi. I cannot but

Believe you, madam.-Thou art one degree
Grown nearer to my heart, and I am proud
To have in thee so glorious a plant
Transported hither: in thy conduct, we
Go on assur'd of conquest; our remove
Shall be with the next sun.

Enter Theodoret, Memberge, Martell, and
De Vitry.

Lec. Amazement leave me! 'Tis he!

Baw. We are again undone!
Prot. Our guilt

Hath no assurance nor defence.
Baw. If now

Your ever-ready wit fail to protect us,
We shall be all discover'd.

Brun. Be not so

In your amazement and your foolish fears! I am prepar'd for't.

Theod. How! not one poor welcome, In answer of so long a journey made Only to see you, brother?

Thi. I have stood

Silent thus long, and am yet unresolv'd Whether to entertain thee on my sword, As fits a parricide of a mother's honour; Or whether, being a prince, I yet stand bound (Tho' thou art here condemn'd) to give thee hearing,

Before I execute. What foolish hope, (Nay, pray you forbear) or desperate madness rather,

(Unless thou com'st assur'd, I stand in debt As far to all impiety as thyself)

Since looking only here, it cannot but Draw fresh blood from thy sear'd up conscience,

Has made thee bring thy neck unto the axe? To make thee sensible of that horror, which They ever bear about them, that like NeroLike, said I? thou art worse; since thou dar'st strive

In her defame to murder thine alive. [ness to Theod. That she that long since had the boldSeward.

3L 2

Be

Theod. This moves not me; and yet had I Transported on my own integrity, I neither am so odious to my subjects, Nor yet so barren of defence, but that By force I could have justified my guilt, Had I been faulty: but since Innocence Is to itself an hundred thousand guards, And that there is no son, but tho' he owe That naine to an ill mother, but stands bound Rather to take away with his own danger From th' number of her faults, than for his Security, to add unto them: this, [own This hath made me to prevent th expence Of blood on both sides; the injuries, the rapes, (Pages, that ever wait upon the war) [cause, The account of all which, since you are the Believe it, would have been requir'd from you; Rather I say to offer up my daughter, Who living only could revenge my death, With my heart-blood a sacrifice to your [more curses

anger,

Than that you should draw on your head Than yet you have deserv'd.

Thi. I do begin

To feel an alteration in my nature,
And, in his full-sail'd confidence, a shower
Of gentle rain, that falling on the fire [would
Of
my hot rage, hath quench'd it. Ha! I
Once more speak roughly to him, and I will;
Yet there is something whispers to me, that
I have said too much: how is my heart divided
Between the duty of a son, and love
Due to a brother! Yet I am sway'd here,
And must ask of you, how 'tis possible
You can affect ine, that have learn'd to hate
Where you should pay all love?

Theod. Which, join'd with duty,
Upon my knees I should be proud to tender,
Had she not us'd herself so many swords
To cut those bonds that tied me to it.

Thi. Fy, No more of that!

18 Nay, texde it

Theod. Alas, it is a theme

I take no pleasure to discourse of: 'would
It could as soon be buried to the world,
As it should die to me! nay more, I wish
(Next to my part of Heav'n) that she would
spend

The last part of her life so here, that all
Indifferent judges might condemn me for
A most malicious slanderer, nay, text it
Upon my forehead's. If you hate me, mother,
Put me to such a shame; pray you do! Be-
lieve it,

There is no glory that may fall upon me,
Can equal the delight I should receive
In that disgrace; provided the repeal
Of your long-banish'd virtues, and good name,
Usher'd me to it.

Thi. See, she shews herself

An easy mother, which her tears confirm!
Theod. 'Tis a good sign; the comfortablest
I ever saw.
[rain
Thi. Embrace!-Why, this is well :
May never more but love in you, and duty
On your part, rise between you!

Baw. Do you hear, lord-general? [sudden Does not your new-stamp'd honour on the Begin to grow sick?

Prot. Yes; I find it fit,

That, putting off my armour, I should think of Some honest hospital to retire to.

Baw. Sure,

19 Scrabs.] See note 49 on Elder Brother.

Ordella,

Ordella, daughter of wise Datarick,
The king of Arragon, is on our confines:
Then, to arrive at such a time, when you
Are happily here to honour with your pre-

sence

Our long-deferr'd, but much-wish'd nuptial, Falls out above expression! Heav'n be pleas'd That I may use these blessings pour'd on me With moderation!

Brun. Hell and furies aid me,

That I may have power to avert the plagues That press upon me!

Thi. Two days' journey, say'st thou?

We will set forth to meet her. In the mean time,

See all things be prepar'd to entertain her: Nay, let me have your companies! there's a forest

In the midway shall yield us hunting sport, To ease our travel! I'll not have a brow But shall wear mirth upon it; therefore clear them!

We'll wash away all sorrow in glad feasts; And th' war we meant to men, we'll make on beasts.

[Exeunt omnes præter Brun. Baw. Prot. Lec. Brun. Oh, that I had the magick to transform you

Into the shape of such, that your own hounds
Might tear you piece-meal! Are you so stu-
pid?
[mouths20

No word of comfort? Have I fed your
From my excess of moisture, with such cost,
And can you yield no other retribution,
But to devour your maker? pandar, spunge,
Impoisoner, all grown barren?

Prot. You yourself,

That are our mover, and for whom alone We live, have fail'd yourself, in giving way To th' reconcilement of your sons.

Lec. Which if

You had prevented, or would teach us how
They might again be sever'd, we could easily
Remove all other hind'rances that stop
The passage of your pleasures.

Baw. And for me,

If I fail in my office to provide you
Fresh delicates, hang me!

Brun. Oh, you are dull, and find not
The cause of my vexation; their reconcilement
Is a mock castle built upon the sand

By children, which, when I ain pleas'd to I can with ease spurn down. [o'erthrow, Lec. If so, from whence

Grows your affliction?

Brun. My grief comes along [power With the new queen, in whose grace all my Must suffer shipwreck: for me now, That hitherto have kept the first, to know A second place, or yield the least precedence To any other, 's death! to have my sleeps Less enquir'd after, or my rising up

Not to be wrought upon; and therefore, maFor me, tho' I have pleas'd you, to attempt Were to no purpose.

[her,

Brun. Tush, some other way! Baw. Faith, I know none else; all my bringing-up

Aim'd at no other learning.

Lec. Give me leave!

If my art fail me not, I have thought on
A speeding project.

Brun. What is't? but effect it,
And thou shalt be my Esculapius;
Thy image shall be set up in pure gold,
To which I will fall down, and worship it.
Lec. The lady is fair?
Brun. Exceeding fair.
Lec. And young?

Brun. Some fifteen at the most.

Lec. And loves the king with equal ardour?
Brun. More; she dotes on him.

Lec. Well then; what think you if I make a drink,

Which, given unto him on the bridal-night,
Shall for five days so rob his faculties
Of all ability to pay that duty

Which new-made wives expect, that she shall

swear

She is not match'd to a man?

Prot. 'Twere rare!

Lec. And then,

If she have any part of woman in her,
She'll or fly out, or at least give occasion

Of such a breach which ne'er can be made

up;

Since he that to all else did never fail
Of as much as could be perform'd by man,
Proves only ice to her.

Brun. 'Tis excellent! Baw. The physician

Helps ever at a dead lift: a fine calling, That can both raise and take down: out upon thee!

Brun. For this one service, I am ever thine! Prepare't; I'll give it to him myself. For you, Protaldye,

By this kiss, and our promis'd sport at night,
I do conjure you to bear up, not minding
The opposition of Theodoret,

Or any of his followers: whatsoe'er
You are, yet appear valiant, and make good
Th' opinion that is bad of you! For myself,
In the new queen's remove being made secure,
Fear not, I'll make the future building
[Exeunt.

sure.