The Dramatic Works of Massinger and Ford

Eud. May they fall

Eternally upon me, and increase,

When that which we call Time hath lost its name!
May lightning cleave the centre of the earth,
And I sink quick, before you have absolved me,
Into the bottomless abyss, if ever,
In one unchaste desire, nay, in a thought,
I wrong'd the honour of the emperor's bed!
I do deserve, I grant, more than I suffer,
In that my fervour and desire to please him,
In my holy meditations press'd upon me,
And would not be kept out; now to dissemble,
When I shall suddenly be insensible

Of what the world speaks of me, were mere mad

We have observed the falling out and in
Between the husband and the wife shews rarely;
Their jars and reconcilements strangely take us.
Flac. Anger and jealousy that conclude in kisses,
Is a sweet war, in sooth.

Arcad. We therefore, brother,

Most humbly beg you would provide us husbands,
That we may taste the pleasure of't.
Flac. And with speed, sir;

For so your favour's doubled.

Theo. Take my word,

I will with all convenience; and not blush
Hereafter to be guided by your counsels :

I will deserve your pardon. Philanax

Shall be remember'd, and magnificent bounties
Fall on Chrysapius; my grace on all.

Let Cleon be deliver'd, and rewarded.
My grace on all, which as I lend to you,
Return your vows to heaven, that it may please,
As it is gracious, to quench in me
All future sparks of burning jealousy.

[Exeunt.

EPILOGUE.

We have reason to be doubtful, whether he, On whom (forced to it from necessity) The maker did confer his emperor's part, Hath given you satisfaction, in his art Of action and delivery; 'tis sure truth, The burthen was too heavy for his youth To undergo :-but, in his will, we know, He was not wanting, and shall ever owe, With his, our service, if your favours deign To give him strength, hereafter to sustain A greater weight. It is your grace that can In your allowance of this, write him man Before his time; which, if you please to do You make the player and the poet too.

SCENE I.-A Street before the Court of Justice.
Enter CHARALOIS with a paper, ROMONT, and CHARMI..
Char. Sir, I may move the court to serve your
will ;

But therein shall both wrong you and myself.
Rom. Why think you so, sir?

Char. 'Cause I am familiar

With what will be their answer: they will say, 'Tis against law; and argue me of ignorance, For offering them the motion.

Rom. You know not, sir,

How, in this cause, they may dispense with law;
And therefore frame not you their answer for them,
But do your parts.

Char. I love the cause so well,

As I could run the hazard of a check for't.
Rom. From whom?

Char. Some of the bench, that watch to give it,
More than to do the office that they sit for:

But give me, sir, my fee.

Rom. Now you are noble.

[Gives him his purse.

Char. I shall deserve this better yet, in giving

My lord some counsel, if he please to hear it,

Than I shall do with pleading.

Rom. What may it be, sir?

In giving up the place you hold in court,
Will prove, I fear, a trouble in the state,
And that no slight one.

Roch. Pray you, sir, no more.

[looks,

Rom. Now, sir, lose not this offer'd means; their
Fix'd on you with a pitying earnestness,
Invite you to demand their furtherance
To your good purpose :-this such a dullness,
So foolish and untimely, as-

Du Croy. You know him?

Roch. I do; and much lament the sudden fall
Of his brave house. It is young Charalois,
Son to the marshal, from whom he inherits
His fame and virtues only.

Rom. Ha! they name you.

Du Croy. His father died in prison two days since.

Roch. Yes, to the shame of this ungrateful state;

Char. That it would please his lordship, as the That such a master in the art of war,

presidents

And counsellors of court come by, to stand
Here, and but shew himself, and to some one
Or two, make his request :-there is a minute,
When a man's presence speaks in his own cause,
More than the tongues of twenty advocates.
Rom. I have urged that.

So noble, and so highly meriting

From this forgetful country, should, for want
Of means to satisfy his creditors

The sums he took up for the general good,
Meet with an end so infamous.

Rom. Dare you ever
Hope for like opportunity?

Du Croy. My good lord!

[They salute him as they pass by. Roch. My wish bring comfort to you! Du Croy. The time calls us. Roch. Good morrow, colonel!

[Exeunt RоCHFORT and DU CROY.

Rom. This obstinate spleen, You think, becomes your sorrow, and sorts well With your black suits; but, grant me wit or judgment,

And, by the freedom of an honest man,

And a true friend to boot, I swear 'tis shameful. And therefore flatter not yourself with hope, Your sable habit, with the hat and cloak,

No, though the ribands help, have power to work them

To what you would: for those that had no eyes
To see the great acts of your father, will not,
From any fashion sorrow can put on,
Be taught to know their duties.

Charal. If they will not,

They are too old to learn, and I too young
To give them counsel; since, if they partake
The understanding and the hearts of men,
They will prevent my words and tears: if not,
What can persuasion, though made eloquent
With grief, work upon such as have changed

natures

With the most savage beast? Blest, blest be ever
The memory of that happy age, when justice
Had no guards to keep off wrong'd innocence
From flying to her succours, and, in that,
Assurance of redress! where now, Romont,
The damn'd with more ease may ascend from hell,
Than we arrive at her. One Cerberus there
Forbids the passage, in our courts a thousand,
As loud and fertile-headed; and the client
That wants the sops to fill their ravenous throats,
Must hope for no access: why should I, then,
Attempt impossibilities; you, friend, being
Too well acquainted with my dearth of means
To make my entrance that way?

Rom. Would I were not!

But, sir, you have a cause, a cause so just,
Of such necessity, not to be deferr'd,
As would compel a maid, whose foot was never
Set o'er her father's threshold, nor within
The house where she was born, ever spake word
Which was not usher'd with pure virgin blushes,
To drown the tempest of a pleader's tongue,
And force corruption to give back the hire
It took against her. Let examples move you.
You see men great in birth, esteem, and fortune,
Rather than lose a scruple of their right,
Fawn basely upon such, whose gowns put off,
They would disdain for servants.

Charal. And be again contemn'd! Nov. sen. I know what's to be done. 1 Cred. And, that your lordship

Will please to do your knowledge, we offer first Our thankful hearts here, as a bounteous earnest To what we will add.

Nov. sen. One word more of this, I am your enemy. Am I a man Your bribes can work on? ha?

Lilad. Friends, you mistake

[Aside to Cred.

The way to win my lord; he must not hear this,
But I, as one in favour, in his sight

May hearken to you for my profit.-Sir!
Pray hear them.

Nov. sen. It is well.

Lilad. Observe him now.

Nov. sen. Your cause being good, and your proceedings so,

Without corruption I am your friend;
Speak your desires.

2 Cred. Oh, they are charitable;
The marshal stood engaged unto us three

Two hundred thousand crowns, which, by his death,
We are defeated of: for which great loss
We aim at nothing but his rotten flesh;
Nor is that cruelty.

1 Cred. I have a son

That talks of nothing but of guns and armour,
And swears he'll be a soldier; 'tis an humour
I would divert him from; and I am told,
That if I minister to him, in his drink,
Powder made of this bankrupt marshal's bones,
Provided that the carcass rot above ground,
"Twill cure his foolish frenzy.

Nov. sen. You shew in it

A father's care. I have a son myself,
A fashionable gentleman, and a peaceful;
And, but I am assured he's not so given,
He should take of it too.

Nov. sen. So are many that rake dunghills. you have any suit, move it in court:

I take no papers in corners.
Rom. Yes,

[Exit.

As the matter may be carried-and whereby-
To manage the conveyance- -Follow him.
Lilad. You are rude: I say he shall not pass.
[Exeunt CHARALOIS and Advocates.
Rom. You say so!
On what assurance?

For the well cutting of his lordship's corns,
Picking his toes, or any office else
Nearer to baseness!

Lilad. Look upon me better;

Are these the ensigns of so coarse a fellow?
Be well advised.

Rom. Out, rogue! do not I know

These glorious weeds spring from the sordid dung. hill

Of thy officious baseness? wert thou worthy
Of any thing from me, but my contempt,

I would do more than this,-[Beats him.]—more,

you court-spider!

Du Croy. Which is

Lilad. But that this man is lawless, he should That I am valiant.

[find

| Cred. If your ears are fast,

'Tis nothing. What's a blow or two? as much.

2 Cred. These chastisements as useful are as

To such as would grow rich.

[frequent,

Rom. Are they so, rascals?

[Kicks them.

I will befriend you, then.

1 Cred. Bear witness, sirs!

With honour to dispose the place and power
Of premier president, which this reverend man,
Grave Rochfort, whom for honour's sake I name,
Is purposed to resign; a place, my lords,
In which he hath with such integrity
Perform'd the first and best parts of a judge,
That, as his life transcends all fair examples
Of such as were before him in Dijon,

Lilad. Truth, I have borne my part already, So it remains to those that shall succeed him,

friends:

In the court you shall have more.

Rom. I know you for

[Exit.

The worst of spirits, that strive to rob the tombs
Of what is their inheritance, the dead :
For usurers, bred by a riotous peace,

That hold the charter of your wealth and freedom
By being knaves and cuckolds; that ne'er pray,
But when you fear the rich heirs will grow wise,
To keep their lands out of your parchment toils;
And then, the devil your father's call'd upon,
To invent some ways of luxury ne'er thought on.
Be gone, and quickly, or I'll leave no room
Upon your foreheads for your horns to sprout on-
Without a murmur, or I will undo you;
For I will beat you honest.

1 Cred. Thrift forbid !

We will bear this, rather than hazard that.

Re-enter CHARALOIS.

[Exeunt Creditors.

Rom. I am somewhat eased in this yet.

Char. Only friend,

To what vain purpose do I make my sorrow
Wait on the triumph of their cruelty?

Or teach their pride, from my humility,

To think it has o'ercome? They are determined

What they will do; and it may well become me,
To rob them of the glory they expect
From my submiss entreaties.

Rom. Think not so, sir:

The difficulties that you encounter with

Will crown the undertaking—heaven! you weep:
And I could do so too, but that I know
There's more expected from the son and friend
Of him whose fatal loss now shakes our natures,
Than sighs or tears, in which a village nurse,
Or cunning strumpet, when her knave is hang'd,
May overcome us. We are men, young lord,
Let us not do like women. To the court,
And there speak like your birth: wake sleeping
Or dare the axe. This is a way will sort [justice,
With what you are: I call you not to that
I will shrink from myself; I will deserve
Your thanks, or suffer with you-O how bravely
That sudden fire of anger shews in you!
Give fuel to it. Since you are on a shelf
Of extreme danger, suffer like yourself.

For this great favour shall prevent your trouble.
The honourable trust that was imposed
Upon my weakness, since you witness for me
It was not ill discharged, I will not mention;
Nor now,
if age had not deprived me of
The little strength I had to govern well
The province that I undertook, forsake it.

Nov. sen. That we could lend you of our years!
Du Croy. Or strength!

Nov. sen. Or, as you are, persuade you to continue

The noble exercise of your knowing judgment ! Roch. That may not be ; nor can your lordships' goodness,

Since your employments have conferr'd upon me
Sufficient wealth, deny the use of it:

And, though old age, when one foot's in the grave,
In many, when all humours else are spent,
Feeds no affection in them, but desire

To add height to the mountain of their riches,
In me it is not so. I rest content
With the honours and estate I now possess:
And, that I may have liberty to use
What heaven, still blessing my poor industry,
Hath made me master of, I pray the court
To ease me of my burthen, that I
may
Employ the small remainder of my life

In living well, and learning how to die so.

Enter ROMONT and CHARALOIS.

Rom. See, sir, our advocate.

Du Croy. The court entreats

Your lordship will be pleased to name the man, Which you would have your successor, and, in me, All promise to confirm it.

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