Theatre of wits ancient and modern attended with severall other ingenious pieces from the same pen [brace] viz. I. Faenestra in pectore, or, A century of familiar letters, II. Loves labyrinth: A tragi-comedy, III. Fragmenta poetica, or, Poetical diversions, IV. Virtus redivivi, a panegyrick on our late king Charles of ever blessed memory concluding with A panegyrick on His Sacred Majesties most happy return / by T.F.
About this Item
Title
Theatre of wits ancient and modern attended with severall other ingenious pieces from the same pen [brace] viz. I. Faenestra in pectore, or, A century of familiar letters, II. Loves labyrinth: A tragi-comedy, III. Fragmenta poetica, or, Poetical diversions, IV. Virtus redivivi, a panegyrick on our late king Charles of ever blessed memory concluding with A panegyrick on His Sacred Majesties most happy return / by T.F.
Author
Forde, Thomas.
Publication
London :: Printed by R. & W. Leybourn, for Thomas Basset,
1661.
Rights/Permissions
This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
Subject terms
Aphorisms and apothegms.
Cite this Item
"Theatre of wits ancient and modern attended with severall other ingenious pieces from the same pen [brace] viz. I. Faenestra in pectore, or, A century of familiar letters, II. Loves labyrinth: A tragi-comedy, III. Fragmenta poetica, or, Poetical diversions, IV. Virtus redivivi, a panegyrick on our late king Charles of ever blessed memory concluding with A panegyrick on His Sacred Majesties most happy return / by T.F." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/B09153.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 3, 2024.
Pages
Act. 1.
Scaene 1.
Enter King Damocles with two Lords, and Lamedon.
King.
CAn this be true?
1 Lo.
My Liege, as truth it self.
King.
And will neither the power of a King,Nor precepts of a father over-swayHer fond affections; but that thus she willRun head-long to her ruine? Let her go.
1 Lo.
Yet shot she not at rovers, but a PrinceHe is, young and deserving; therefore sinceSh'has hit the mark, it will now be in vainTo give her aym, or make her shoot again.
Kin.
Was she so hasty, that she could not stayTo take our Fatherly advice with her?No wonder if she wander in the Labyrinth
descriptionPage 2
Of love, without the clew of our counsel.
La.
Come brother, come, she's not the first hasAmiss; her own affections were the surest guideUnto her own content: she chose to pleaseHer self, not you; come, let this anger cease.
1 Lo.
'Tis now too late for to recal what's past,The match is made, and that so surely fast,'Tis past dissolving now; a GrandfatherYou are already: From their conjunction hathThis influence proceeded, a fair boyHath given them earnest of succeeding joy.
Kin.
How! a boy! and shall that base brat enjoyMy crown? no, no, I'll take a course for that.
La.
Why brother, 'tis a Prince by birth, & whyNot born to Reign?
Kin.
Ay, mischief's on my head,But I'll prevent the plot and storm, we'l sendThem far enough from troubling of our state:Distance and danger shall they first subdue,Before they gain our Crown; the slavish wavesShall be their subjects: let them go and and winThe trydent of great Neptune, waters King.I mean to set them forth.
1 Lo.
What means my Liege?
Kin.
Nay, I'm resolv'd, since that they do no moreRegard my favour, they shall feel my frowns.O ye Coelestial Deities! where areYour power and wonted justice now become?All things run head-long, and the feet forgetTheir duty to their Head, and traitors turn,Breaking the bonds of government; that nowA Princes power, or Fathers care's contemn'd,And only recompenc'd with slight and scorn.
Lam.
But Sir, though she her duty do forget
descriptionPage 3
To you, yet is she still your child, and mayBe easily reclaimed. Shall one misdeedForfeit all former loyalty? She us'dTo be more ready to give, than youCould be to ask. Come, let the weight of thatO're-poize your anger, and this light offence.
Kin.
I'll hear no more, all pity now is gone,And anger hath the castle of my breastSo strongly fortified, whole valleys ofRequests can never move; cease then your suit,To which my ears are deaf, and tongue is mute.
1 Lo.
Heaven is not so impregnable, but thatEntreaties may both siege and conquer it:If that your daughter hath run on the scoreOf one offence, will nothing cancel it?
Kin.
My resolution's writ in Adamant.
1 Lo.
Dread Sir, and may not tears then blot it out?
Kin.
Nor all the liquid drop the sea containsShall quench my rage; for now I have forgotAll pitie of a father, and that wretchShall feel what 'tis to lose a fathers love.—Since she will needs slight and contemn our care,I'll have a Bark provided, without oar,Or sail, or pilot, but the wilful wind,And wayes, true emblemes of their giddy act,And therein with her brat, and matc imbarqu'd,Shall seek their fortunes: And see you it doneWithout delay, our Will admits no time,T'expostulate no more than alteration.
1 Lo.
O good my Lord command my service inSome nobler act than this and do not tryMy faith in that, for which I'de rather die,Than do't. What heir shall succeed your selfIn the Arcadian Diadem, if thus you drown
descriptionPage 4
The Sun of all our hopes, which mustSupply your place, when as your Sun shall setIn darkest clouds of death, must night ensue,And seize upon our Horizon? —O letSome pity of our drooping state prevail.
Kin.
All will not do. I'll have it done; then goOr stay and pull my vengeance on thy head.Will you turn traytor too, to our commands?As you tender our favour, or your safety,Go execute my will without delay.
1 Lo.
And must my safety prove their ruin? canThey not live, but I must die? I'll do't.Perhaps the tyrant-waves may prove more kindThan is their King My Liege I'l ease your mind.
Lam.
And must they, & they only prove (poor hearts)A sacrifice to fury for their love?I'll be companion of their fortune. WeWill leave this cursed land, which is nought elseBut a dry sea of miseries, in whichWe dayly float; the sea can never beMore merciless. O what a maze of woeDo lovers tread (dire fate) that for their love,Are recompenc'd with hatred. Farewel world,Thou ball of fortune banded to and fro,And never quiet; we will try what fateA waits us in the sea, it can't be worseThan here we suffer by our dearest friends.
Kin.
Well brother, since you are so weary ofThe world, pray take your share with them, and careOf her: I leave her unto you, and toThe mercies of the waves, and so adicu.
Exit.
Scaen. 2.
2 Lo.
Was ever man so resolute to undo,
descriptionPage 5
What an whole age can't recompence again?To cast away a Lady of that worth,That bankrupt nature cannot furnish forthHer Parallel: A beauty that would temptThe gods to lust: But guarded with an eyeSo modestly severe, it would strike deadAll lustful hopes of the hot ravisher.See where she comes, like Phoebus newly roseFrom Thetis bed: Little doth she supposeThe cruelty of her once happy Father,In having such a daughter, now not fitT'enjoy a blessing which he values not.
Seph.
What news my Lord? Is the ice of my fa∣thersAnger broken? Hath the sun of counselThaw'd his frozen breast?
1 Lo.
Ay, into a flood—
Seph.
What meanes this passion? Speak man, for I amPrepar'd; it can't be worse than I expect.
1 Lo.
Why then it is—Let me first drown my selfIn mine own tears, and vent my mind in sighs:Madam, you may guess sooner than I can tell.
Seph.
Prethee torment me not thus with delays,More tedious than the thing can be, what e'reIt is. Come, I am armed with the shieldOf patience, my breast is mischief-proof.
1 Lo
'Tis easier far to tell than execute:I wish my task were done with telling it.Madam, He hath made me the sad Over-seerOf that dire act, which he so fears to speak.Silence will not relieve, it may protractThe doing of that horrid fact, which whoShall hear, will loath the name of father, for
descriptionPage 6
Your fathers sake, who when perhaps y'are goneBy's want will prize your worth the more, and, loveYou better than he ever did before.Thus are we taught to value of the light,By the dull silence of the darker night.
Sep.
But to your story, and my doom, which sureMust needs be great, that it can find no vent.Come ease your shoulders of this burthen, layIt on mine, who have deserved it.
1 Lo.
Lady, wonder not at our unwillingnessTo tell what we had rather wish our tonguesOut, than to be th'unhappy messengersOf such sad news, the truth whereof must robArcadia of it's richest, choisest Gem,That doth adorn her Princely Diadem:By venturing all our hopes to the mercyOf the cruel waves, He hath prest to beYour only Pilot; being ship't alone,With your dear babe and husband, without sail,Or oar, to contradict the lawless seas,In their unbounded raging tyranny:Whose heedless rigour yet may hap to proveMore kind unto you than your fathers love.
Sep.
Heavens will be done: But had another handInflicted this, it would have lighter seem'd:—Yet is there comfort in his cruelty,That hath not parted me from him, for whomAll this will be but light; his companyWill sweeten all my sorrows, and convertMy mourning into mirth: Can I be sad,Enjoying him will only make me glad?
Enter Lamedon.
Lam.
I cannot win my brother to reverseHis cruel sentence, but it must be done.—
descriptionPage 7
Dear Neece, I'm thy companion; miseryShall never make my friendship to turn edge,But at the lowest ebb of fortune shallMy love still flow: the sea shall never quenchThat flame which virtue once hath kindled inMy breast, nor shall it meet, or be put outWith any cold extinguisher but death.If many shoulders make griefs burthen light,Then so shall ours: and may mine cease to be,When they shall cease to bear their equal part,And sympathize with thee, as doth my heart.
Seph.
Uncle, my thanks. How rare it is to findA friend in misery! Men run from such,Like Deer from him is hunted with the dogs,As if that misery infectious were.Men fly with Eagles wings away,But creep like snails, when they should succour lend.I cannot therefore chuse but prize your love,Who dare be true unto your friend; a nameNearer than that of kindred, or of blood:This is th'effect of noblest virtue, whichTies firmer knots than age can e're undo:Such is the knot my Maximus and IHave tied, spight of my fathers anger, itShall hold, when envy's tired to inventMischiefs, in vain, to cut the knot in two,Which heaven hath knit too fast to loose again.Alas fond man! who thinks to unravel whatThe gods have wove together. — 'Tis in vain.
Scaen. 3.
1 Lo.
Lady, time cals upon you not to stay,Lest by a fond delay you call uponHis fury to convert into some worse,
descriptionPage 8
And sudden punishment, which may denyAll hopes of future safety; of all illsThe least is always wisely to be chosen.
Seph.
Go and prepare that floting grave, which mustDevour's alive, I will attend you here.Before when will my dearest find his grief,In finding me thus lost without relief.
Exeunt.
Manet Sephestia.
Why doth my Love thus tarry? surely heForgotten hath the place, or time, or elseHe would not stay thus long; but can I blameHim, to be slow to meet his ruine? ICould wish he would not come at all, that soHe yet might live, although I perish; butHow fondly do I wish to be withoutHim, without whom alas! I cannot live.'Twere as impossible as without air:He 'tis for whom I suffer, and with him,All places are alike to me. — See whereHe comes, who is sole keeper of my heart.
Enter Maximus.
Max.
My dear!
Seph.
Ah, dear indeed, for whom thy lifeMust pay the shot of cruelty enrag'd.—
Max.
What meanes my love? is't she, or do I dream?Sure this cannot be she, whose words were wontTo be more sweet than honey, soft as oil:These words, more sharp than daggers points, ne're cameFrom her I know—What sayst thou my sweet?
Seph.
The same—truth will not suffer me to speak
descriptionPage 9
Other, lest I should injure her.— O that'Twere possible so to dispense with truth,Not to betray our selves—I know not what to say.—
Max.
Heavens bless us, what a sudden change is here!Love, who hath wrong'd thee? tell me, that I mayThrid their lives upon my sword, & make theirDead trunks float in their own blood, till they blushAt their own shame: Tell me my heart, who is't?
Seph.
Alas poor soul! thou little dreamst what sadNews do's await thine ears; my tongue doth fail,Not daring once to name the thing must beOur loves sad end, and dire Catastrophe.My fathers fury—Oh that that nameI once delighted in, should odious beTo mine affrighted senses!—But for theeAlone, it is I grieve, not for my self.—
Max.
Be't what it will, so that it be but inRelation to thy love, I will embrace,And hug, and thank that malice too, that soInvented hath a means whereby I mayBut testifie my loyalty to thee:For whose sweet sake I would encounter withLegions of armed furies; sacrificeMy dearest blood unto thy service, whichI more esteem, than all the wealth the worldCan boast of: 'Tis thee alone I value,Above whatever mens ambitious thoughtsCan fathom with their boundless appetites.
Seph.
This flame of love must now be quench∣ed inThe foaming sea; we are design'd a prey
descriptionPage 10
Unto the fury of winds and waves.—The deadly Barque's providing, which must beOur moving habitation; the seaMust be our Kingdom, and the scaly frieOur subjects:— This, this, the portion isOf fortunes frowns, and fathers fiercer hate.Fly, fly, my dearest Maximus, and saveMy life in thine; oh stay no longer here.
weeps
Max.
Why dost thou torment thy self beforeThy time? wilt thou anticipate the sea?And drown thy self in tears? Deny me notTo share with thee in suffering, as wellAs I have done in pleasure; 'tis for meThis storm is rais'd, were I once cast away,His rage would cease. I, I have wrong'd thee,And I'll be just to thee, and to my word.
draws
I'll ope the sluces of my fullest veins,And set them running, till they make a flood,Wherein I'll drown my self—
He offers to kill himself. She stays his hand.
Seph.
Thine heart lies here;'Tis here, lock't up securely in my brest:First open that, and take it out; for deathShall ne're divorce me from thy company:I will attend thee through those shady vaultsOf death, or thou shalt live with me.—Dost thinkThis body possible to live withoutA soul? or without thee? Have pitie onThy tender babe, whose life depends on thine,And make not me widow, and him orphan,With unadvised rashness. — Sheath thy sword.
Max.
Mine eyes will ne're endure it, to behold.Thee miserable, no, no, death first shall drawA sable veil of darkness over them.—
descriptionPage 11
Pardon my rashuess, I will live with thee,And tire thy fathers rage with suffering,So he'l but suffer thee to live in mirth,The greatest sorrow shall not make me sad.
Seph.
Here comes my father, cerainly his rageWill know no bounds: I fear it willBreak forth into some desperate act on me.
Max.
Although he be a King, which sacred nameI reverence, and as a mortal godAdore; he shall not dare to injure youBefore my face: first shall he wear my lifeUpon his sword, if he but dare to touchThy sacred self.—
Scaen. 4. Enter Damocles.
Kin.
How now light-skirts? have you got your ChampionTo shield you from our anger? know I haveNot yet forgot the name of father, thoughYou thus have slighted it; but as a King,We must be just to punish your contempt.Did you so well know your beauty to beProud of it, and yet so little value it,As thus to throw it all away at once?Well, get you gone.—Since that you have e∣steem'dA strangers love before your lovaltyTo me, or my care to you, a stranger shallInherit what you were born to, had notYour fond affections forc'd this vile exchange.
Max.
Sir—for your fury will not suffer meTo call you father; think not your daughterUndervalued by her love to me:Her love ran not so low, as to be stoop'dTo meet with crime, who am a Prince no less
descriptionPage 12
Than is your self: Cyprus my Kingdome is.
Kin.
What drew you hither then? you must needs knowIt is no less than treason for to stealAn heir to our crown: what drew you hither?
Max.
Hither I came, drawn by that forcibleAttractive, for to offer up my selfA sacrifice at th'altar of her love.Tost with a sea of miseries, I cameTo anchor in the haven of her heart:And if this be treason, I shall not blushTo be esteem'd a traytor. But if not,Then pardon me, if bolder innocenceDoth force me tell you, 'tis not just in youThus to oppose what Heavens have decreed.Believe me, Sir, it's neither safe nor just,For you to violate the lawes of fate.
Kin.
Let not your pride so far transport you, thatYou tax our justice. I shall scourge your hasteInto a leisurely repentance, whenThe sea shall teach you that your teares, and th' windThat sighs become your headlong rash attempts.
Max.
Great Sir, lay what you will on me, I scornTo crave your favour for my self; but yetLet Nature prompt you to be mercifulTo her who is a chief part of your self.
Kin.
No, as ye have joyn'd your selves in mirth, soWill I joyn ye too in mourning; and becauseTwo no good consort make, my brother shallBear a third part in your grave harmonie.
Seph.
Father, let me the heavy burthen bearOf this sad song alone: let all your fierceJustice center in my breast.—
descriptionPage 13
Kin.
No more,Our sentence is irrevocable, noughtShall satisfie me else: I'll have it done.
1 Lo.
My Liege, the barque is ready, and attendsYour pleasure; the commands of Kings are notTo be gain-said, or broken; for the willOf heaven is obey'd in doing them.
Seph.
We do obey it then, and willingly,Father, for yet I can't forget that name,Although these injuries would raze it outMy memorie; I will not now dispute,But readily obey your will: and knowThe pleasures of your Court should not enticeMe shun this comming terrour, which will be,More welcome to me by my companie.And thus I take my leave. Here may you find
She kneels.
That happiness you wish, and we shall wantWhilest that we prove our selves loves Confes∣sors,If not his Martyrs.—
Kin.
I will hear no more.Away with them, my Lord, you know the place,Our sentence and the time, I long to seeMe, and my Kingdom from these monsters free.
Max.
Arcadia adieu! Thou hast beforeBeen famous for the happiness of loves:Now mischief hath usurp't the seat, and mayIt be the object of the gods hatred.Since Love's the subject of their crueltie.Come dearest, let us winde our selves so close,That envie may admire, and so despairTo enter here, where love possession keeps.
Exe int.
descriptionPage 14
Scaen. 5.
Kin.
Now shall I live secure, for now there isNone left, whose nearness to our blood might edgeTheir hopes, by killing us to gain our Crown.Kings lives are never safe from those that wishTheir ends, which must initiate them intoTh'enjoyment of a Kingdom; this same crownIs such a bait unto ambitious spirits,'Tis never safe upon the wearers head.
Enter Artaxia weeping.
Why weeps my dear?
Art.
Ask why I do not weep.(Poor Artaxia) are my tears denied me!Ask why I do not rave, tear my hair thus,Why such a weight of sorrow doth not robSo much of woman from me, as complaints!Or rather, why do I not cloud the skieWith sighs; till at the last with one bold stabMy own hand take from insulting fortune,This miserable object of her sport.Ask why I do not this, not why I weep!
Kin.
Or stint thy teares, or mingle mine with them,By a relation of their cause; these eyesTrust me Artaxia, are not yet drawn dry,Nor hath strong sorrow e're exhausted them,To make them bankrupt of a friendly tear,But not a fond one. Why Artaxia!Why dost thou hasten those that come too fast,Sorrow and age, clear up thy clouded brow.
Art.
Ah Damocles! how hast thou lost thy self!And art become a monster, not a man,Thus to deprive me of my onely joy,The onely stay and comfort of mine age,
descriptionPage 15
Which now must fall. Break heart, and giveMy sorrows vent. Ah! my Sephestia's gone,For ever lost unto the world and me.
Kin.
Content thy self, not I, but justice hathDepriv'd us of her: Justice, that is blindTo all relations, and deaf to intreatsOf fond nature, or fonder affection.
Art.
Ah cruel justice! Justice! no tyranny,This is: Death, be my friend, & joyn once moreMy dear Sephestia and me—I come
Stabs her self.
Sephestia I come; curs'd world farewel.
Kin.
Help, help, Artaxia, my dear, help, help,Sephestia doth live, she is not dead.
Art.
Oh, 'tis too late—oh-oh-oh—
She dies.
Enter 2 Lords.
2 Lor.
Heavens! what a sight is here?The Queen, she's dead, stark dead, what shal we do?This wretched land is fruitful grown of late,Of nothing else but miseries and woes.Jove sends his darts like hail-shot, no place free:
Kin.
Ah miserable man I am, a wretch,Who thus have lost two jewels that the worldCan't recompence: I know not what to do.—Now could I tear my self in pieces, that I haveThus parted friends, & left my self alone.
Offers to kill himself
I am resolv'd, I will no longer live.
2 Lo.
Stay, good my Liege, live, & repent of whatY'have done, you have killd enough already.
Kin.
If I should kill my self, and lose my crown.I were better live.— Call us a Council quickly.But my wife, my dearest Artaxia!That I could breath life into thee again,Or else were with thee!
2 Lo.
He's not yet so mad.
Kin.
O ye powers above! what mean ye thus
descriptionPage 16
To wrack us mortals with such blacker deedsThan hell it self! or remove them, or takeAll senses from us. Bear the bodie in,And summon all our Lords with speed t'attendUpon us, that we may find out from whenceIt is we suffer this sad influence.
Exit.
2 Lo.
Unhappy King! he hath undone himself,And all the Land. His sublimated rageHath sowne a crop of mischiefs, which no ageCan parallel; great-belly'd time is bigWith sorrows; and our next succeeding times,Must reap the harvest of his bloody crimes.
Exit.
Finis Actus primi.
email
Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem?
Please contact us.