Philaster; Or, Love Lies a Bleeding
[Ex. Are. Pha. Di. Cle. Thra. and 1 Woodman.
Coun. I pray you friend let me see the King.2 Wood.That you shall, and receive thanks.[Exeunt.
Coun. If I get clear with this, I'le go see no more gay sights.Enter Bellario.
Bell. A heaviness near death sits on my brow, And I must sleep: Bear me thou gentle bank, For ever if thou wilt: you sweet ones all, Let me unworthy press you: I could wish I rather were a Coarse strewed o're with you, Than quick above you. Dulness shuts mine eyes, And I am giddy; Oh that I could take So sound a sleep, that I might never wake.Enter Philaster.
Phi. I have done ill, my conscience calls me false, To strike at her, that would not strike at me: When I did fight, me thought I heard her pray The gods to guard me. She may be abus'd, And I a loathed villain: if she be, She will conceal who hurt her; He has wounds, And cannot follow, neither knows he me. Who's this; Bellario sleeping? If thou beest Guilty, there is no justice that thy sleep[Cry within.
Should be so sound, and mine, whom thou hast wrong'd, So broken: Hark I am pursued: you gods I'le take this offer'd means of my escape: They have no mark to know me, but my wounds, If she be true; if false, let mischief light On all the world at once. Sword, print my wounds Upon this sleeping boy: I ha' none I think Are mortal, nor would I lay greater on thee.[Wounds him.
Bell. Oh death I hope is come, blest be that hand, It meant me well; again, for pities sake.
Phi. I have caught my self,[Phi. falls.
The loss of bloud hath stayed my flight. Here, here, Is he that stroke thee: take thy full revenge, Use me, as I did mean thee, worse than death: I'le teach thee to revenge this luckless hand Wounded the Princess, tell my followers Thou didst receive these hurts in staying me, And I will second thee: Get a reward.Bell. Fly, fly my Lord and save your self.Phi. How's this? Wouldst thou I should be safe?Bell. Else it were vain For me to live. These little wounds I have, Ha' not bled much, reach me that noble hand, I'le help to cover you.Phi. Art thou true to me?Bell. Or let me perish loath'd. Come my good Lord, Creep in amongst those bushes: who does know But that the gods may save your (much lov'd) breath?
Phi. Then I shall die for grief, if not for this, That I have wounded thee: what wilt thou do?
Bell. Shift for my self well: peace, I hear 'em come.Within. Follow, follow, follow; that way they went.Bell. With my own wounds I'le bloudy my own sword. I need not counterfeit to fall; Heaven knows, That I can stand no longer.
Enter Pha. Dion, Cle. and Thra.
Pha. To this place we have tract him by his bloud.Cle. Yonder, my Lord, creeps one away.Di. Stay Sir, what are you?Bell. A wretched creature wounded in these Woods By Beasts; relieve me, if your names be men, Or I shall perish.Di. This is he my Lord, Upon my soul that hurt her; 'tis the boy, That wicked boy that serv'd her.Pha. O thou damn'd in thy creation! What cause could'st thou shape to hurt the Princess?Bell. Then I am betrayed.Di. Betrayed! no, apprehended.Bell. I confess; Urge it no more, that big with evil thoughts I set upon her, and did take my aim Her death. For charity let fall at once The punishment you mean, and do not load This weary flesh with tortures.Pha. I will know who hir'd thee to this deed?Bell. Mine own revenge.Pha. Revenge, for what?Bell. It pleas'd her to receive Me as her Page, and when my fortunes ebb'd, That men strid o're them carelesly, she did showr Her welcome graces on me, and did swell My fortunes, till they overflow'd their banks, Threatning the men that crost 'em; when as swift As storms arise at sea, she turn'd her eyes To burning Suns upon me, and did dry The streams she had bestowed, leaving me worse And more contemn'd than other little brooks, Because I had been great: In short, I knew I could not live, and therefore did desire To die reveng'd.Pha. If tortures can be found, Long as thy natural life, resolve to feel The utmost rigour.[Philaster creeps out of a bush.
Cle. Help to lead him hence.Phi. Turn back you ravishers of Innocence, Know ye the price of that you bear away so rudely?
Pha. Who's that?Di. 'Tis the Lord Philaster.Phi. 'Tis not the treasure of all Kings in one, The wealth of Tagus, nor the Rocks of Pearl, That pave the Court of Neptune, can weigh down That vertue. It was I that hurt the Princess. Place me, some god, upon a Piramis, Higher than hills of earth, and lend a voice Loud as your Thunder to me, that from thence, I may discourse to all the under-world, The worth that dwells in him.Pha. How's this?Bell. My Lord, some man Weary of life, that would be glad to die.
Phi. Leave these untimely courtesies Bellario.Bell. Alas he's mad, come will you lead me on?Phi. By all the Oaths that men ought most to keep: And Gods do punish most, when men do break, He toucht her not. Take heed Bellario, How thou dost drown the vertues thou hast shown With perjury. By all that's good 'twas I: You know she stood betwixt me and my right.Pha. Thy own tongue be thy judge.Cle. It was Philaster.Di. Is't not a brave boy? Well Sirs, I fear we were all deceived.
Phi. Have I no friend here?Di. Yes.Phi. Then shew it; Some good body lend a hand to draw us nearer. Would you have tears shed for you when you die? Then lay me gentle on his neck that there I may weep flouds, and breath out my spirit: 'Tis not the wealth of Plutus, nor the gold Lockt in the heart of earth, can buy away This arm-full from me, this had been a ransom To have redeem'd the great Augustus Caesar, Had he been taken: you hard-hearted men, More stony than these Mountains, can you see Such clear pure bloud drop, and not cut your flesh To stop his life? To bind whose better wounds, Queens ought to tear their hair, and with their tears, Bath 'em. Forgive me, thou that art the wealth of poor Philaster.[Enter King, Arethusa and a Guard.
King. Is the villain ta'ne?Pha. Sir, here be two confess the deed; but say it was Philaster.
Phi. Question it no more, it was.King. The fellow that did fight with him will tell us.Are. Ay me, I know he will.King. Did not you know him?Are. Sir, if it was he, he was disguised.Phi. I was so. Oh my stars! that I should live still.King. Thou ambitious fool; Thou that hast laid a train for thy own life; Now I do mean to do, I'le leave to talk, bear him to prison.
Are. Sir, they did plot together to take hence This harmless life; should it pass unreveng'd, I should to earth go weeping: grant me then (By all the love a Father bears his Child) Their custodies, and that I may appoint Their tortures and their death.Di. Death? soft, our Law will not reach that, for this fault.King. 'Tis granted, take 'em to you, with a Guard. Come Princely Pharamond, this business past, We may with more security go on to your intended match.
Cle. I pray that this action lose not Philaster the hearts of the people.
Di. Fear it not, their overwise heads will think it but a trick.[Exeunt OmnesActus Quintus. Scena Prima
Enter Dion, Cleremont, and Thrasiline.
Thra. Has the King sent for him to death?Di. Yes, but the King must know, 'tis not in his power to war with Heaven.Cle. We linger time; the King sent for Philaster and the Headsman an hour ago.Thra. Are all his wounds well?Di. All they were but scratches; but the loss of bloud made him faint.
Cle. We dally Gentlemen.Thra. Away.Di. We'l scuffle hard before he perish.[Exeunt.
Enter Philaster, Arethusa, and Bellario.
Are. Nay dear Philaster grieve not, we are well.Bell. Nay good my Lord forbear, we are wondrous well.Phi. Oh Arethusa! O Bellario! leave to be kind: I shall be shot from Heaven, as now from Earth, If you continue so; I am a man, False to a pair of the most trusty ones That ever earth bore, can it bear us all? Forgive and leave me, but the King hath sent To call me to my death, Oh shew it me, And then forget me: And for thee my boy, I shall deliver words will mollifie The hearts of beasts, to spare thy innocence.Bell. Alas my Lord, my life is not a thing Worthy your noble thoughts; 'tis not a life, 'Tis but a piece of child-hood thrown away: Should I out-live, I shall then out-live Vertue and honour. And when that day comes, If ever I should close these eyes but once, May I live spotted for my perjury, And waste my limbs to nothing.Are. And I (the woful'st maid as ever was, Forc'd with my hands to bring my Lord to death) Do by the honour of a Virgin swear, To tell no hours beyond it.Phi. Make me not hated so.Are. Come from this prison, all joyful to our deaths.Phi. People will tear me when they find you true To such a wretch as I; I shall die loath'd. Injoy your Kingdoms peaceably, whil'st I For ever sleep forgotten with my faults, Every just servant, every maid in love Will have a piece of me if you be true.Are. My dear Lord say not so.Bell. A piece of you? He was not born of women that can cut it and look on.Phi. Take me in tears betwixt you, For my heart will break with shame and sorrow.Are. Why 'tis well.Bell. Lament no more.Phi. What would you have done If you had wrong'd me basely, and had found My life no price, compar'd to yours? For love Sirs, Deal with me truly.Bell. 'Twas mistaken, Sir.Phi. Why if it were?Bell. Then Sir we would have ask'd you pardon.Phi. And have hope to enjoy it?Are. Injoy it? I.Phi. Would you indeed? be plain.Bell. We would my Lord.Phi. Forgive me then.Are. So, so.Bell. 'Tis as it should be now.Phi. Lead to my death.[Exeunt.
Enter King, Dion, Cleremont, and Thrasiline.
King. Gentlemen, who saw the Prince?Cle. So please you Sir, he's gone to see the City, And the new Platform, with some Gentlemen Attending on him.
King. Is the Princess ready To bring her prisoner out?
Thra. She waits your Grace.King. Tell her we stay.Di. King, you may be deceiv'd yet: The head you aim at cost more setting on Than to be lost so slightly: If it must off Like a wild overflow, that soops before him A golden Stack, and with it shakes down Bridges, Cracks the strong hearts of Pines, whose Cable roots Held out a thousand Storms, a thousand Thunders, And so made mightier, takes whole Villages Upon his back, and in that heat of pride, Charges strong Towns, Towers, Castles, Palaces, And layes them desolate: so shall thy head, Thy noble head, bury the lives of thousands That must bleed with thee like a sacrifice, In thy red ruines.Enter Phil. Are. and Bell, in a Robe and Garland.
King. How now, what Mask is this?Bell. Right Royal Sir, I should Sing you an Epithalamium of these lovers, But having lost my best ayres with my fortunes, And wanting a celestial Harp to strike This blessed union on; thus in glad story I give you all. These two fair Cedar-branches, The noblest of the Mountain, where they grew Straightest and tallest, under whose still shades The worthier beasts have made their layers, and slept Free from the Syrian Star, and the fell Thunder-stroke, Free from the Clouds, when they were big with humour, And delivered in thousand spouts, their issues to the earth: O there was none but silent quiet there! Till never pleas'd fortune shot up shrubs, Base under brambles to divorce these branches; And for a while they did so, and did raign Over the Mountain, and choakt up his beauty With Brakes, rude Thornes and Thistles, till thy Sun Scorcht them even to the roots, and dried them there: And now a gentle gale hath blown again That made these branches meet, and twine together, Never to be divided: The god that sings His holy numbers over marriage beds, Hath knit their noble hearts, and here they stand Your Children mighty King, and I have done.King. How, how?Are. Sir, if you love it in plain truth, For there is no Masking in't; This Gentleman The prisoner that you gave me is become My keeper, and through all the bitter throws Your jealousies and his ill fate have wrought him, Thus nobly hath he strangled, and at length Arriv'd here my dear Husband.King. Your dear Husband! call in The Captain of the Cittadel; There you shall keep Your Wedding. I'le provide a Mask shall make Your Hymen turn his Saffron into a sullen Coat, And sing sad Requiems to your departing souls: Bloud shall put out your Torches, and instead Of gaudy flowers about your wanton necks, An Ax shall hang like a prodigious Meteor Ready to crop your loves sweets. Hear you gods: From this time do I shake all title off, Of Father to this woman, this base woman, And what there is of vengeance, in a Lion Cast amongst Dogs, or rob'd of his dear young, The same inforc't more terrible, more mighty, Expect from me.Are. Sir, By that little life I have left to swear by, There's nothing that can stir me from my self. What I have done, I have done without repentance, For death can be no Bug-bear unto me, So long as Pharamond is not my headsman.Di. Sweet peace upon thy soul, thou worthy maid When ere thou dyest; for this time I'le excuse thee, Or be thy Prologue.Phi. Sir, let me speak next, And let my dying words be better with you Than my dull living actions; if you aime At the dear life of this sweet Innocent, Y'are a Tyrant and a savage Monster; Your memory shall be as foul behind you As you are living, all your better deeds Shall be in water writ, but this in Marble: No Chronicle shall speak you, though your own, But for the shame of men. No Monument (Though high and big as Pelion) shall be able To cover this base murther; make it rich With Brass, with purest Gold, and shining Jasper, Like the Pyramids, lay on Epitaphs, Such as make great men gods; my little marble (That only cloaths my ashes, not my faults) Shall far out shine it: And for after issues Think not so madly of the heavenly wisdoms, That they will give you more, for your mad rage To cut off, unless it be some Snake, or something Like your self, that in his birth shall strangle you. Remember, my Father King; there was a fault, But I forgive it: let that sin perswade you To love this Lady. If you have a soul, Think, save her, and be saved, for my self, I have so long expected this glad hour, So languisht under you, and daily withered, That heaven knows it is my joy to dye, I find a recreation in't.Enter a Messenger.
Mess. Where's the King?King. Here.Mess. Get you to your strength, And rescue the Prince Pharamond from danger, He's taken prisoner by the Citizens, Fearing the Lord Philaster.Di. Oh brave followers; Mutiny, my fine dear Country-men, mutiny, Now my brave valiant foremen, shew your weapons In honour of your Mistresses.[Enter another Messenger.
Mess. Arm, arm, arm.King. A thousand devils take 'em.Di. A thousand blessings on 'em.Mess. Arm O King, the City is in mutiny, Led by an old Gray Ruffin, who comes on In rescue of the Lord Philaster.
[Exit with Are. Phi. Bell.
King. Away to the Cittadel, I'le see them safe, And then cope with these Burgers: Let the Guard And all the Gentlemen give strong attendance.
[Ex. King.
[Manent Dion, Cleremont, Thrasiline.
Cle. The City up! this was above our wishes.Di. I and the Marriage too; by my life, This noble Lady has deceiv'd us all, a plague upon my self; a thousand plagues, for having such unworthy thoughts of her dear honour: O I could beat my self, or do you beat me and I'le beat you, for we had all one thought.
Cle. No, no, 'twill but lose time.Di. You say true, are your swords sharp? Well my dear Country-men, what ye lack, if you continue and fall not back upon the first broken shin, I'le have you chronicled, and chronicled, and cut and chronicled and all to be prais'd, and sung in Sonnets, and bath'd in new brave Ballads, that all tongues shall troule you in Saecula Saeculorum my kind Can-carriers.
Thra. What if a toy take 'em i'th' heels now, and they run all away, and cry the Devil take the hindmost?
Di. Then the same Devil take the foremost too, and sowce him for his breakfast; if they all prove Cowards, my curses fly amongst them and be speeding. May they have Murreins raign to keep the Gentlemen at home unbound in easie freeze: May the Moths branch their Velvets, and their Silks only be worn before sore eyes. May their false lights undo 'em, and discover presses, holes, stains, and oldness in their Stuffs, and make them shop-rid: May they keep Whores and Horses, and break; and live mued up with necks of Beef and Turnips: May they have many children, and none like the Father: May they know no language but that gibberish they prattle to their Parcels, unless it be the goarish Latine they write in their bonds, and may they write that false, and lose their debts.
Enter the King.
King. Now the vengeance of all the gods confound them; how they swarm together! what a hum they raise; Devils choak your wilde throats; If a man had need to use their valours, he must pay a Brokage for it, and then bring 'em on, they will fight like sheep. 'Tis Philaster, none but Philaster must allay this heat: They will not hear me speak, but fling dirt at me, and call me Tyrant. Oh run dear friend, and bring the Lord Philaster: speak him fair, call him Prince, do him all the courtesie you can, commend me to him. Oh my wits, my wits!
[Exit Cle.
Di. Oh my brave Countrymen! as I live, I will not buy a pin out of your walls for this; Nay, you shall cozen me, and I'le thank you; and send you Brawn and Bacon, and soil you every long vacation a brace of foremen, that at Michaelmas shall come up fat and kicking.
King. What they will do with this poor Prince, the gods know, and I fear.
Di. Why Sir: they'l flea him, and make Church Buckets on's skin to squench rebellion, then clap a rivet in's sconce, and hang him up for a sign.
Enter Cleremont with Philaster.
King. O worthy Sir forgive me, do not make Your miseries and my faults meet together, To bring a greater danger. Be your self, Still sound amongst Diseases, I have wrong'd you, And though I find it last, and beaten to it, Let first your goodness know it. Calm the people, And be what you were born to: take your love, And with her my repentance, and my wishes, And all my prayers, by the gods my heart speaks this: And if the least fall from me not perform'd, May I be struck with Thunder.Phi. Mighty Sir, I will not do your greatness so much wrong, As not to make your word truth; free the Princess, And the poor boy, and let me stand the shock Of this mad Sea breach, which I'le either turn Or perish with it.King. Let your own word free them.Phi. Then thus I take my leave kissing your hand, And hanging on your Royal word: be Kingly, And be not moved Sir, I shall bring your peace, Or never bring my self back.King. All the gods go with thee.[Exeunt Omnes.
Enter an old Captain and Citizens with Pharamond.
Cap. Come my brave Mirmidons let's fall on, let our caps Swarm my boys, and you nimble tongues forget your mothers Gibberish, of what do you lack, and set your mouths Up Children, till your Pallats fall frighted half a Fathom, past the cure of Bay-salt and gross Pepper. And then cry Philaster, brave Philaster, Let Philaster be deeper in request, my ding-dongs, My pairs of dear Indentures, King of Clubs, Than your cold water Chamblets or your paintings Spitted with Copper; let not your hasty Silks, Or your branch'd Cloth of Bodkin, or your Tishues, Dearly belov'd of spiced Cake and Custard, Your Robin-hoods scarlets and Johns, tie your affections In darkness to your shops; no, dainty Duckers, Up with your three pil'd spirits, your wrought valours. And let your un-cut Coller make the King feel The measure of your mightiness Philaster. Cry my Rose nobles, cry.All. Philaster, Philaster.Cap. How do you like this my Lord Prince, these are mad boys, I tell you, these are things that will not strike their top-sayles to a Foist. And let a man of war, an Argosie hull and cry Cockles.
