The Maid's Tragedy/Act 1 Sc 2
Enter Calianax, with Diagoras.
Cal.Diagoras, look to the Doors better for shame, you let in all the World, and anon the King will rail at me; why very well said, by Jove the King will have the Show i' th' Court.
Diag.Why do you swear so, my Lord?
You know, he'll have it here.
Cal.By this Light if he be wise he will not.
Diag.And if he will not be wise, you are forsworn.
Cal.One may wear out his heart with swearing, and get thanks on no side. I'll be gone—look to't who will.
Diag.My Lord, I shall never keep them out.
Pray, stay; your Looks will terrifie them.
Cal.My looks terrifie them, you Coxcombly Ass, you! I'll be judged by all the Company whether thou hast not a worse Face than I———
Diag.I mean, because they know you and your Office.
Cal.Office! I would I could put it off, I am sure I sweat quite through my Office. I might have made room at my Daughter's Wedding, they had near kill'd her among them. And now I must do service for him that hath forsaken her; serve that will. [Exit Calianax.
Diag.He's so humorous since his Daughter was forsaken: hark, hark, there, there, so, so, codes, codes. [Knock within.]
What now?
Mel.Open the door.
Diag.Who's there?
Mel.Melantius.
Diag.I hope your Lordship brings no Troop with you, for if you do, I must return them.
Enter Melantius and a Lady.
Mel.None but this Lady, Sir.
Diag.The Ladies are all plac'd above, save those that come in the King's Troop, the best of Rhodes sit there, and there's room.
Mel.I thank you, Sir. When I have seen you plac'd, Madam, I must attend the King; but, the Mask done, I'll wait on you again.
Diag.Stand back there, room for my Lord Melantius, pray, bear back; this is no place for such Youths and their Trulls; let the Doors be shut again; ay, do your Heads itch? I'll scratch them for you: so now thrust and hang: again, who is't now? I cannot blame my Lord Calianax for going away; would he were here, he would run raging among them, and break a dozen wiser Heads than his own in the twinkling of an Eye: what's the news now?
Within.]I pray you, can you help me to the speech of the master-cook?
Diag.If I open the Door I'll cook some of your Calves-heads. Peace Rogues———again,———who is't?
Mel.Melantius. [Within.
Enter Calianax to Melantius.
Cal.Let him not in.
Diag.O, my Lord, I must; make room there for my Lord.
Is your Lady plac'd? [To Mel.
Mel.Yes, Sir, I thank you. My Lord Calianax, well met, your causeless Hate to me I hope is buried.
Cal.Yes, I do service for your Sister here,
That brings my own poor Child to timeless Death;
She loves your Friend Amintor, such another false-hearted
Lord as you.
Mel.You do me wrong,
A most unmanly one, and I am slow
In taking vengeance; but be well advis'd.
Cal.It may be so: Who plac'd the Lady there so near the presence of the King?
Mel.I did.
Cal.My Lord, she must not sit there.
Mel.Why?
Cal.The place is kept for Women of more Worth.
Mel.More Worth than she? It mis-becomes your Age
And Place to be thus womanish; forbear;
What you have spoke, I am content to think
The Palsey shook your Tongue to.
Cal.Why, 'tis well if I stand here to place Mens Wenches.
Mel.I shall forget this Place, thy Age, my Safety, and thorough all, cut that poor sickly week, thou hast to live, away from thee.
Cal.Nay, I know you can fight for your Whore.
Mel.Bate the King, and be he Flesh and Blood,
He lyes that says it; thy Mother at fifteen
Was black and sinful to her.
Diag.Good my Lord!
Mel.Some God pluck threescore Years from that fond Man,
That I may kill him, and not stain mine Honour;
It is the curse of Soldiers, that in Peace
They shall be brain'd by such ignoble Men,
As (if the Land were troubled) would with Tears
And Knees beg Succour from 'em. Would that Blood
(That Sea of Blood) that I have lost in fight,
Were running in thy Veins, that it might make thee
Apt to say less, or able to maintain.
Should'st thou say more.This Rhodes I see is nought
But a Place priviledg'd to do Men wrong.
Cal.Ay, you may say your pleasure.
Enter Amintor.
Amin.What vile Injury
Has stirr'd my worthy Friend, who is as slow
To fight with Words, as he is quick of Hand?
Mel.That heap of Age, which I should reverence
If it were temperate; but testy Years
Are most contemptible.
Amin.Good Sir forbear.
Cal.There is just such another as your self.
Amin.He will wrong you, or me, or any Man,
And talk as if he had no Life to lose,
Since this our Match: The King is coming in,
I would not for more wealth than I enjoy,
He should perceive you raging; he did hear
You were at difference now, which hastned him.
Cal.Make room there.
Hautboys play within.
Enter King, Evadne, Aspatia, Lords, and Ladies.
King.Melantius, thou art welcome, and my Love
Is with thee still; but this is not a Place
To babble in; Calianax, join hands.
Cal.He shall not have my hand.
King.This is no time
To force you to't. I do love you both:
Calianax, you look well to your Office;
And you Melantius are welcome home. Begin the Mask.
Mel.Sister, I joy to see you, and your Choice.
You lookt with my Eyes when you took that Man;
Be happy in him. [Recorders play.
Evad.O my dearest brother!
Your Presence is more joyful than this Day can be unto me.
THE MASK.
Night rises in Mists.
Night.Our Reign is come; for in the raging Sea
The Sun is drown'd, and with him fell the Day:
Bright Cinthia hear my voice, I am the Night
For whom thou bear'st about thy borrow'd Light;
Appear, no longer thy pale Visage shrowd,
But strike thy Silver Horn thorough a Cloud,
And send a Beam upon my swarthy Face,
By which I may discover all the Place
And Persons, and how many longing Eyes
Are come to wait on our Solemnities. [Enter Cinthia.
How dull and black am I? I could not find
This Beauty without thee, I am so blind;
Methinks they shew like to those Eastern Streaks
That warn us hence, before the Morning breaks;
Back, my pale Servant, for these Eyes know how
To shoot far more and quicker Rays than thou.
Cinth.Great Queen, they be a Troop for whom alone
One of my clearest Moons I have put on;
A Troop that looks as if thy self and I
Had pluckt our Reins in, and our Whips laid by,
To gaze upon these Mortals, that appear
Brighter than we.
Night.Then let us keep 'em here,
And never more our Chariots drive away,
But hold our Places, and out-shine the Day.
Cinth.Great Queen of Shadows, you are pleas'd to speak
Of more than may be done; we may not break
The Gods decrees, but when our time is come,
Must drive away, and give the Day our room.
Yet, while our Reign lasts, let us stretch our Pow'r
To give our Servants one contented hour,
With such unwonted solemn Grace and State,
As may for ever after force them hate
Our Brother's glorious Beams, and wish the Night
Crown'd with a thousand Stars, and our cold Light:
For almost all the World their service bend
To Phœbus, and in vain my light I lend;
Gaz'd on unto my setting from my rise
Almost of none, but of unquiet Eyes.
Night.Then shine at full, fair Queen, and by thy pow'r
Produce a Birth to crown this happy hour;
Of Nymphs and Shepherds let their Songs discover,
Easie and sweet, who is a happy Lover;
Or if thou woot, then call thine own Endymion,
From the sweet Flowry Bed he lies upon,
On Latmus top, thy pale Beams drawn away,
And of this long Night let him make a Day.
Cinth.Thou dream'st, dark Queen; that fair Boy was not mine,
Nor went I down to kiss him; Ease and Wine
Have bred these bold Tales: Poets, when they rage,
Turn Gods to Men, and make an Hour an Age;
But I will give a greater State and Glory,
And raise to time a noble Memory
Of what these Lovers are: Rise, rise, I say,
Thou Pow'r of Deeps, thy Surges laid away,
Neptune, great King of Waters, and by me
Be proud to be commanded. [Neptune rises.
Nept.Cinthia, see,
Thy word hath fetcht me hither, Let me know
Why I ascend.
Cinth.
Doth this Majestick Show
Give thee no knowledge yet?
Nept.Yes, now I see
Something intended (Cinthia) worthy thee;
Go on, I'll be a Helper.
Cinth.Hie thee then,
And charge the Wind flie from his Rocky Den.
Let loose thy Subjects, only Boreas,
Too foul for our Intention as he was;
Still keep him fast chain'd; we must have none here
But vernal Blasts, and gentle Winds appear,
Such as blow Flow'rs, and through the glad Boughs sing
Many soft welcomes to the lusty Spring.
These are our Musick: Next, thy watry Race
Bring on in Couples; we are pleas'd to grace
This noble Night, each in their richest things
Your own Deeps or the broken Vessel, brings,
Be prodigal, and I shall be as kind,
And shine at full upon you.
Nept.Ho the Wind!
Enter Eolus out of a Rock.
Eol. Great Neptune!
Nept. He.
Eol. What is thy will?
Nept. We do command thee free
Favonius, and thy milder Winds, to wait
Upon our CInthia; but tie Boreas straight;
He's too rebellious.
Eol.I shall do it.
Nept.Do, great Master of the Flood, and all below,
Thy full command has taken.
Eol.Ho! the Main! Neptune!
Nept.Here.
Eol.Boreas has broke his Chain,
And struggling with the rest, has got way.
Nept.Let him alone, I'll take him up at Sea;
He will not long be thence; go once again,
And call out of the bottoms of the Main,
Blue Proteus, and the rest; charge them put on
Their greatest Pearls, and the most sparkling Stone
The beaten Rock breeds, 'till this Night is done
By me a solemn honour to the Moon;
Fly, like a full sail.
Eol.I am gone.
Cinth.Dark Night,
Strike a full Silence, do a thorough right
To this great Chorus, that our MusicK may
Touch high as Heav'n, and make the East break Day
At Mid-night. [Musick.
SONG.
Cynthia to thy power and thee,
We obey.
Joy to this great company,
And no Day
Come to steal this Night away,
'Till the Rites of Love are ended,
And the lusty Bridegroom say,
Welcome Light, of all befriended.
Pace out, you watry powers below,
Let your feet,
Like the Gallies when they row,
Even beat.
Let your unknown Measures set
To the still Winds, tell to all
That Gods are come immortal great
To honour this great Nuptial.
The Measure. Second Song.
The Day will come too soon;
Young Maids will curse thee if thou steal'st away,
And leav'st their Blushes open to the Day.
Stay, stay, and hide
The Blushes of the Bride!
Stay, gentle Night, and with thy Darkness cover
The Kisses of her lover.
Stay, and confound her Tears, and her shrill Cryings,
Her weak Denials, Vows, and often Dyings;
Stay, and hide all,
But help not, though she call.
Nept.Great Queen of us and Heav'n,
Hear what I bring to make this hour a full one,
If not her measure.
Cinth.Speak, Seas king.
Nept.The tunes my Amphitrite joys to have,
When they will dance upon the rising Wave,
And court me as the Sails, my Trytons play
Musick to lead a Storm, I'll lead the way.
Song.Measure.
And lay her by her husband's Side:
Bring in the Virgins every one,
That grieve to lie alone:
That they may kiss while they may say, a Maid,
To morrow 'twill be other, kist and said:
Hesperus be long a shining,
Whilst these Lovers are a twining.
Eol.Ho! Neptune!
Nept.Eolus!
Eol.The Seas goes high,
Boreas hath rais'd a Storm; go and apply
Thy Trident; else I Prophesie, e'er Day
Many a tall Ship will be cast away:
Descend with all the Gods, and all their power, to strike a Call.
Cinth.A thanks to every one, and to gratulate
So great Service done at my desire,
Ye shall have many Floods, fuller and higher
Than you have wished for; no Ebb shall dare
To let the Day see where your dwellings are:
Now back unto your Government in haste,
Lest your proud Charge should swell above the Waste,
And win upon the Island.
Nept.We obey.[Neptune descends, and the Sea-gods.
Cinth.Hold up thy head, dead Night; see'st thou not Day?
The cast begins to lighten: I must down,
And give my brother place.
Night.Oh, I could frown
To see the Day, the Day that flings his light
Upon my kingdom, and contemns old Night!
Let him go on and flame! I hope to see
Another wild-fire in his axletree;
And all fall drench'd. But I forgot; speak, queen,
The day grows on; I must no more be seen.
Cinth.Heave up thy drowsy head again, and see
A greater light, a greater majesty,
Between our set and us! Whip up thy team!
The day-break's here, and yon sun-flaring beam
Shot from the south. Say, which way wilt thou go?
Night.I'll vanish into Mists. [Exit.
Cinth.I into day. [Exit. Finis Mask.
King.Take lights there, Ladies, get the bride to bed;
We will not see you laid. Good-night, Amintor,
We'll ease you of that tedious Ceremony;
Were it my Case, I should think time run slow.
If thou be'st noble, youth, get me a boy,
That may defend my Kingdom from my Foes.
Amin.All happiness to you.
King.Good night, Melantius. [Exeunt.