Cinthia's reuenge: or Mænanders extasie

Act. 2. Scoen. 6.

AMILCAR, MANTESIO, GRACCHVS.

What melancholique caitife yonder walkes?

MAN.

Gracchus (my Lord) the gallant Eunuch.

AMI.

So, What malecontented humor doth oppresse The image of vnspotted honesty, With him so frequenr? I adore and loue The ciuill carriage that I do obserue In his Imployment: if a Courtier hath (Courtiers of common out-side-silkes) if they Haue deere acquaintance with dame Honesty (Famish'd in exile to the frozen pole) Gracchus I dare avow may paralell The best of their acquaintance: (Gracchus) hoe?

GRA.

My gracious Lord?

AMI.

What perill imminent, Doth so oppose thy noble splendor? which (without meere base descention to col-logue) I must informe thee is re••ulgent.

GRA.

ô, My good and gracious Lord; but pouerty, Is able to oppresse maturity Of diligence, of iudgement, of designes, Each liberall Art and Science doth submit Their ends and occupations to obtaine The true terrestriall Saint, the sacred glosse, Of all-effecting riches; euery man Will hazard his damnation to adore A thing so blessed, so licentious: The weake-brain'd gallant in extremity, Will change Religion, will aequivocate With mentall reseruation, racke the ioynts Of his benummed conscience, will provoke A lethargy of sharpe distinction: will out-puffe The Cardinall foure winds, when they oppose Each other all at once (and procrea••e A whirle-winde) these will hee out-puffe alone, With some insuffe'rable oath, which farre exceeds The three dimensions, dares ploclaime himselfe A periur'd villaine, to appropriate Six-pence, vpon triuiall mistake. Arts-maisters will transgresse the rule of Art; Nay our precisest schoole-men will forsake The principles which they haue authoris'd, In cases that concerne selfe-avarice, And greedy lucre: knowledge is inforc'd To follow by constraint, abuse of time, Wit mis-imploy'd gapes at improper ends: Strong men are impotent without rich friends.

AMI.

What cloudy passion, wrapt in ample phrase May such a railing vehemence portend? What meanes thy sharpe invecti••e? what's involu'd?

MAN.

Hee doth (my Lord) inveigh at poverty,

And shewes how force-able a Saint Wealth is, How potent the command of money is, The dreadfull awe of dame 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

GRA.

And whilst I do re-volue the misery Which happens by constraint of beggery, Then I remember what my plague must bee.

AMIL.

Vn-shell thy riddle: most miraculous!

GRA.

Your gaming foole is most ridiculous: O Fortune, Fortune hath infring'd the web Which I with painfull diligence did weaue, Whereto the pillar of my state was pinn'd: Some little store I had (not looking higher) A houshold smoake our-warmes my neighbours fire.

AMI.

Haue you lost all?

GR.

Some fifty hundred crownes.

AMI.

O the vncertaine lot of idle game! I long haue knowne thee.

GR.

And haue known me honest.

AMI.

Honest is now a metamorphis'd name: He that can sweare, blaspheme, be riotous, Roare till the mid-night eccho, or beginne' Some vn-appeased fray, who dares commence A drunken skirmish in a bawdy-house, Fight for his hackney whore, and hazard all, In honour of his damn'd associates: Dares combate with a publicke officer, Be (out of gun-shot) most irregular, Drunke in good earnest, be••te fiue Constables, Couzen a flocke of geese compendiously: Yet after all put a smooth visage on, Seeme sober, be indulgent of his same, Though a most practis'd knaue, remembring still, To make the mid-nights all participate Of such enormous acts: ô ••ees the man Reputed sociable in our age: ò hee Is reckon'd for the honest gentleman: Who playes the spend-thrift, the voluptuous foole, Exceeds the Turke in sensualty, Is a true mid-night Epic••••e, can hide

His leud impostures from discouery, Hee shall be most vn-touch'd with 〈◊〉〈◊〉; Hee (amongst youthful bloods) shall win 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wreath Purchase the name of Loyall honest friend; But (as our adage sayes) obserue his end. But (Gracchus) I am rather confident Then scrupulous of thy square honesty, Gracchus, I loue thee, therefore will bestow An annuall pension of fixe hundred pounds, And must withall imploy thee.

GRA.

In a taske That may require my soule then I beseech thee; May stretch sincerity with tenters: ô Impose an ample burthen; ô some taske That will suruey the depth of loue indeed: Favour beyond mans merit, doth exact A most vn-quenched seruor; not his vow, But sinewes actiue, and a sweating brow. My life lyes prostrate to praedominance, Of your commanding voyce: I will bestow My reeking blood in recompence of loue Ready, without all first or second cause: I wish some Doctor in extremity Of vn-knowne sicknesse, which may seize vpon Your most respectiue honour; would prescribe The marrow of a man, medicinall; You should not be indebted to the bones Of a forsaken caitife, new condemn'd, Whose pocky pith might be infectiue: No, My supple fingers should vnloose a ioynt From off this flexile carkasse. I would bruise A luculent and lushious mari-bone, (The best I can stile proper) to appease The sharpe divulsions of such new disease.

AMI.

Gracchus, who giues not credence to a zeale Of thy profession, wee account him base: Be chiefe among my chiefest followers, They shall receiue directions from thy selfe.

Withdraw, and punish th••s•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Which my famêlie 〈…〉〈…〉 with; And which abusiue ages do afford•• A zeale sincere the Gods cannot reproue And we ere-long will manifest out loues Let vs inculcate now my fathers charge, Remember what with vehemence was-vrgd, Nay was enioyned you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 By our most watchfull father.

MAN.

I exspect Vpon deliue•••• of his closet keyes.

AMIL.

Take them, and prosper; pray be vigilant; Reuolue I pray on how large consequence, The bare euent and ••••quell of our hopes Ioyntly consist; who iointly haue embark'd The doubtfull hazard of our deerest liues Vpon a small miscarriage: onely fiue Participate of our designes; my selfe, But first my father, then my step-d••me next You (Steward) and the Captaine of the Guard Whose happy full consent is scarce obtain'd: Wee seuerally haue instructions learn't Of each particular function; haue agreed How each conspirator shall be employed. Time cals for speedy action; the square plot Doth now transcend a shapelesse Embrio And will expect vpon deliuery: You haue engag'd a wise dexterity, And trauaile; to procure the famishment, To puruey, to collect aestiuall corne, Which Haruest will enrich the Rusticks with: My taske intends surprisall of the Queene: Be carefull, take the keyes, expend the weal•••• Which long hath bene vp-hoorded: traitors all Like cunning Statuaries, must auoide Blemish and eye-sores; you conceiue me sir: Successiue businesse needs no roweld spur: Treason like some insculpture spacious

On a smooth touch-stone will demand men wise A diligent perusall, most precise; With an elaborate artificer Who may direct; for 'tis infallible That errors in a beauteous frame (though small And at another time though veniall) Yet if committed in a curious peece Where blemish might (by sufferance) ensue The totall is condemn'd and caru'd a new: Be white, or blacke; not (party-coulour'd) gray; So follow your commission, poast away. Now my contentious braine re-uolue the taxe Impos'd (vpon thy blessing) to surprise, And spoyle the ruddy blossome of our age; Faire Fauourina that Angel-like dame A Equall for beauty, for vnmatched fame; With Saint-like Venus (by Appelles drawne) This Queenes espousals haue I vndertooke To dis-vniite, by a most impious act Of murther; but alas I am enthral'd With true libidinous feruor; am enforc'd By lustfull hot inuasions to decline; Which punctually tempt me to a-uoide The colourable death of whom I loue, Our sweete Cycnaean Goddesse; the faire Queene; Whose body I'le enioy with priuiledge, (I will enioy with hazard of my death) Whilst euery man imagine shee is dead. Gracchus the Eunuch did I entertaine Commodiously fore-casting an exploit Where-with to muffle vp the serpent-eyes Of probable suspicion: Like the Fuller Who cannot liue by cloth must liue by colour. But see, obserue the beautifull approach Of my commanding obiect: blesse mee fate.