Cinthia's reuenge: or Mænanders extasie

Act. 3. Scoen. 2.

MENANDER, PHEVDIPPE, HYARCHVS, HIPPONAX, EVPHO••BVS.

HY.

The popular inuectiue doth exclaime Vpon Pheudippe; sweare with open voyce Hee bred this famine.

PHE.

Am I then betraid? Will my sage Steward turne delinquent? ha?

MEN.

Can my Pheudippe proue disloyall? no, Doth hee intend subuersion of my state?

EV.

Wee may consult of war-like discipline Amidst our heigth of solace; (though secure) Although at league with euery Potentate

Who sits enthron'd vpon the spacious Orbe. So may wee well aduise your Maiesty To haue a watchfull ouer-looking spy Vpon your haughty Duke; (though innocent; Though in himsefe obsequiously bent) Learning aduanc'd may proue iudicious; But (if mis-ledde) extremely vitious.

ME.

Tell mee my proper Genius may proue false, My bloud become a traitor to my life; The issue of my loines degenerate; Say; this right hand conspires against my head; Tell mee; the Gods whom I adore, neglect Religion, doe forbid all sacrifice; And I beleeue you: but the villaines lye, Who dare imagine my Pheudippe false. In-faith I am affraid you do abuse My honest friends integrity, too much; Pheudippe false? my bosome-counsellour? The earth will shake at such a prodigy: Some Phaeton shall mount the Chariot Of our vp-rising Phoebus, and enflame The world againe; each widdow shall conceiue Without mans aide fiue dragons at a birth, All threatning this impossible euent, Ere I do entertaine a sillable Of your sug-gestion: though the Gods descend Though they admonish my credulity (In speciall) to beware of whom wee speake And call him traitor; ô I should reply Within the bounds (I feare) of blasphemy. See how hee walks perplex'd with agony; My anger shall im-proue his patience. Pheudippe.

PHE.

Doth my dread Soueraigne call?

MEN.

What doth my demi-selfe Pheudippe doe?

PHE.

Beshrew my melancholique dumps I doe; Which preter-mit Menanders Maiesty Without obeysance; whilst I walke secure

In a blind corner thus extrauagant.

ME.

His aro-maticke breath perfumes the aire: The spicy fields where gossa-moure doth grow Haue not one vapour halfe so redolent: I must for fashion chide him fatherly. Friend, friend, you are ambitous of rule, Report exclaimes vpon your dignity; All attribute the times calamity Of dearth, to you the Authour; who ingrosse Heapes of prouision without reall cause; I must not winke at fraudulent abuse Done to my Subiects; rather abuse mee: Thou mightst enioy full many blessed yeares, Liue in an aeqnall happinesse with mee, Rather then thus neglect my sincere loue, And loose the hope of our munificence▪ Do not (I pray) deserue that infamy VVith which our scandalizing age condemnes Thy whole endeuours; ô redeeme the losse Of Loyalty; a thing so pretious. Reiect those machinations infinite VVith which the people charge thee; I conceale The horrour of a rage so violent As some censorious Critticks haue adiug'd To dwell within thy bosome: prethee thinke Whether I do deserue thy impious hand To thrust me from a lineall descent Or (being downe) deserue thy helping hand, To rescue and vphold my primacy.

PHE.

Some better Angell be auspicious Vnto my naked answere; (mighty King) Your deepe discretion may with ease collect; (Though I were dumb and did through silence purge This weighty accusation) that per-force To publicke censure all authority Is often subiect: so ir-regular Be sudden apprehensions; as vpright

And politicke proceedings are condemn'd; The Prudent ••am'd for ignominious M••d Authors, of sicke innovation; (Though not resolued how this language meanes:) I do in ample, and with open tearmes Confesse the crime suppos'd, not culpable, Though burthen'd with ambition) I confesse A dutious loue vnto the Common-weale, Hath bred my damage; O••er-diligence May summon actiue zeale to a defence, Which doth appeare in my ill-tun'd event, As you perceiue, or call me insolent. The famous Art of Mathe-maticke Rules, (Wherein my ignorance will never boast A singularity of knowledge, or conceit) Did by infallible demonstrations Fore-signifie this famine: ô resolue Whe••her then by the law of Nations I be accomp••able vnto the Gods For this pretended accusation; Seeing to the safety of our Common-weale, A prouidence coniecturall hath vrg'd, My whole indevour? If vnto the Gods I am excus'd; what impudence will dare With false-hood to accuse my innocence? For those designes which Gods allow, ne're can Be in themselues offensiue vnto man. Know therefore (vpon hopefull prae-science) I did ingage a new dexterity▪ To counteruaile the famishment fore-knowne, I did ingrosse provision, did expend Twelue-months revenew to accomplish corne: Ill be my paines acquited, worse my loue; Which, labours in the common cause may proue. Thus imputations are too vsuall, And bad constructions are authenticall. Some Kings, (to manifest praedominance)

Accumulate on subiects, heavy wealth, Honour aboue de-merit, offices, Popular Cities, and in-franchif'd Townes; Nay whole dominions, Dukedomes they'le bestow, And raise a simple Mushrom to the height Of any monarch's due magnificence; Till by excesse of labour, sweate of braines, Hee hath enrich'd his beggerly estate; Then (like a full-ripe Orenge; or indeed, Like a deceitfull spunge, whose empty pores The owner doth replenish) hee must looke To ••eele a sudden crush, a nip will squease Him; who pretends hee may be rich and please: If then my Title (ô iuditious King) My now desertlesse wealth, or eminence, Which (by especiall fauour I enioy, Which freely were bestow'd long since), if these Shall be accounted error and offence, Or be imputed to my sawcinesse, I doe submit, and will my crime con••esse; If your vn-reprehended sapience Thinke it a pollicy expedient, Il'e runne to exile, dye in banishment, Liue like a scritch-owle in some secret caue, Turne errant caitife, and so dye a slaue: If you suppose it bee availe-able Or to diminish, or annihilate To dis-anull, or to abbreviate My large allowance; if you doe account The base degrading of a loyall peere Will giue aduantage and security To your successiue regiment; (may which Continue to the worlds aeternity:) If thus you doe imagine (dreaded Liege) Loe, I will prostrate fall, and aske a boone, Begge that the heads-mans Axe may ouer-take, May with a bloody sentence, mee salute,

With willing voyce, and a more willing arme, Would I the messenger of death re-greet; Till then, most lowly kisse your graces feet:

ME.

Arise my faithfull honourer, arise: Good honest soule, thy language would enforce The Cannibals to turne compassionate: I will trans-mit thee into Scythia, To Pontus, to the fierce vn-tamed Getes, Till with a fluent phrase, thou doe compell Their savage superstition to submit, And mee acknowledge, as their lawfull King: Thus thou like Orpheus couldst (I'me sure) enthrall The rude Arabian, or the rugged Ga••le, And captivate their longing audience With an aeternity of eloquence. Thus couldst thou re-inlarge my soueraigne awe, Thus multiply each prouince, thus augment The bounds of our dominion, or de-duce Appointed troopes of Colony; with voyce: But (my alone beloued) never thinke I will exchange thy noble company For temporall possession: though the Gods Would all resigne Olympus, and elect Mee as co-heire in-dub••ta••e to Ioue, Vpon Proviso to forsake this friend, I rather would refuse deuinity, Liue like a drudge in darke obscurity, Then leaue so loyall, so compleat a friend: And yet this man deserues a watchfull eye; Speake you censorious ranke of Magistrates, Doth hee deserue suspition? who replyes?

EVPH.

Reports and rumour did deserue aduise.

ME.

Who guided by report so farre doth blame Another, as to argue his ill-name, Insisting much on some particular, Detects himselfe, an Asse auricular.

PHEV.

This vn-expected fume to pacifie

Let your good grace vouchsa••e to dignifie A Summer banquet, and I shall intreate You the Patricians to accept my loue. R••her then bounty; whom I will invite And ••east with my beloued Liege to night.

M••

With temptiue cups wee'le was•• away conceit, And so ••enew each health in sober height.