Cas. Thine ear Lisimachus.
Arc. Gentlemen I owe
Unto your loves, as large acknowledgment
As to my birth, for this great honor, and
My study shall be equal to be thought
Worthy of both.
Cas. Thou art turn'd Marble.
Lisi. There will be the less charge for my Monument.
Cas. This must not be, sit fast young King. [Exit.
Lisi. Your sister, Sir, is gone.
Arc. My sister should have been my Bride, that name
Puts me in mind of Polidora, ha?
Lisander, Philocles, Gentlemen,
If you will have me think your hearts allow me
Theodosius son, oh quickly snatch some wings,
Express it in your haste to Polidora,
Tell her what title is new dropt from heaven
To make her rich; onely created for me:
Give her the ceremony of my Queen,
With all the state that may become our Bride,
Attend her to this throne; Are you not there?
Yet stay, 'tis too much pride to send for her,
Wee'll go our self, no honor is enough
For Polidora, to redeem our fault,
Salute her gently from me, and, upon
Your knee, present her with this Diadem,
'Tis our first gift, tell her Demetrius follows
To be her guest, and give himself a servant
To her chast bosome, bid her stretch her heart
To meet me, I am lost in joy and wonder. [Exeunt Omnes.
Actus Quartus. [Scæna Prima.]
Enter Cassander, Eubulus, Soldier.
Cas. Where's the Captain of the Castle?
Sol. Hee'll attend your honors presently.
Cas. Give him knowledge we expect him.
Sol. I shall, my Lord. [Exit.
Cas. He is my creature, fear not,
And shall run any course that we propound.
Eub. My Lord, I like the substance of your plot,
'Tis promising, but matters of this consequence
Are not so easily perfect, and it does
Concern our heads to build upon secure
Principles, though Seleucus, I confess,
Carry a high, and daring spirit in him,
'Tis hard to thrust upon the state new setled
Any impostor, and we know not yet
Whether hee'll undertake to play the Prince;
Or if he should accept it, with what cunning
He can behave himself.
Cas. My Lord, affairs
Of such a glorious nature, are half finish'd,
When they begin with confidence.
Eub. Admit
He want no art, [n]or] courage, it must rest
Upon the people to receive his title,
And with what danger their uncertain breath
May flatter ours, Demetrius scarcely warm
In the Kings seat, I may suspect.
Cas. That reason
Makes for our part, for if it be so probable,
That young Demetrius should be living, Why
May not we work them to believe, Leonatus,
The eldest son was, by some trick, preserv'd,
And now would claim his own: there were two sons,
Who in their Fathers life we supposed dead,
May not we find a circumstance to make
This seem as clear as t'other, let the vulgar
Be once possest, wee'll carry Epire from
Demetrius, and the World.
Eub. I could be pleas'd
To see my Son a King.
Enter Poleanus.
The Captain's here.
Pol. I waite your Lordships pleasure.
Cas. We come to visit your late prisoner:
I will not doubt, but you intreat him fairly,
He will deserve it for himself, and you
Be fortunate in any occasion,
To have exprest your service.
Pol. Sir, the knowledge
Of my honorable Lord his Father, will
Instruct me to behave my self with all
Respects becoming me, to such a son.
Cas. These things will least
Oblige you, but how bears he his restraint?
Pol. As one whose soul's above it.
Eub. Patiently?
Pol. With contempt rather of the great command
Which made him prisoner, he will talke sometimes
So strangely to himself.
Eub. Hee's here.
Enter Seleucus.
Sel. Why was I born to be a subject? 'tis
Soon answer'd, sure my Father was no Prince,
That's all: the same ingredients use to make
A Man, as active, though not royal blood
Went to my composition, and I
Was gotten with as good a will perhaps,
And my birth cost my Mother as much sorrow,
As I had been born an Emperor.
Cas. While I look
Upon him, something in his face presents
A King indeed.
Eub. He does resemble much
Theodosius too.
Cas. Whose son we would pretend him,
This will advance our plot.
Sel. 'Tis but a name,
And mere opinion, that prefers one man
Above another, I'll imagine then
I am a Prince, or some brave thing on Earth,
And see what follows: but it must not be,
My single voice will carry it, the name
Of King must be attended with a troop
Of acclamations, on whose ayrie wings
He mounts, and once exalted, threatens Heaven,
And all the stars: how to acquire this noise,
And be the thing I talke of, men have [rise[n]
From a more cheap nobility to Empires,
From dark originals, and sordid blood,
Nay some that had no fathers, sons of the earth,
And flying people, have aspir'd to Kingdoms,
Made nations tremble, and have practis'd frowns
To awe the world, their memory is glorious,
And I would hug them in their shades, but what's
All this to me, that am I know not what,
And less in expectation?
Pol. Are you serious?
Cas. Will you assist, and run a fate with us.
Pol. Command my life, I owe it to your favor.
Sel. Arcadius was once as far from being
As I, and had we not so cunningly
Been reconcil'd, or one, or both had gone
To seek our fortunes in another world;
What's the device now? If my death be next,
The summons shall not make me once look pale.
Cas. Chide your too vain suspitions, we bring
A life, and liberty, with what else can make
Thy ambition happy, th'ast a glorious flame,
We come to advance it.
Sel. How?
Cas. Have but a will,
And be what thy own thoughts dare prompt thee to,
A King.
Sel. You do not mock me Gentlemen?
You are my Father, Sir.
Eub. This minute shall
Declare it, my Seleucus, our hearts swell'd
With joy, with duty rather, oh my boy!
Sel. What's the mistery?
Pol. You must be a King.
Cas. Seleucus, stay, thou art too incredulous,
Let not our faith, and study to exalt thee,
Be so rewarded.
Eub. I pronounce thee King,
Unless thy spirit be turn'd coward, and
Thou faint to accept it.
Sel. King of what?
Cas. Of Epire.
Sel. Although the Queen, since she sent me hither,
Were gone to Heaven I know not how,
That title could devolve to me.
Cas. We have
No Queen, since he that should have married her,
Is prov'd her youngest brother, and now King
In his own title.
Sel. Thank you Gentlemen,
There's hope for me.
Cas. Why, you dare fight with him
And need be, for the Kingdom.
Sel. With Arcadius?
If you'll make stakes, my life against his crown,
I'll fight with him, and you, and your fine Son,
And all the Courtiers one after another.
Cas. 'Two'not come to that.
Sel. I am of your Lordships mind, so fare you well.
Cas. Yet stay and hear—
Sel. What? that you have betray'd me:
Do, tell your King, my life is grown a burden,
And I'll confess, and make your souls look pale,
To see how nimble mine shall leap this battlement
Of flesh, and dying, laugh at your poor malice.
Omnes. No more, long live Leonatus King of Epire.
Sel. Leonatus, Who's that?
Cas. Be bold, and be a King, our brains have been
Working to raise you to this height, here are
None but friends, dare you but call your self
Leonatus, and but justifie with confidence
What we'll proclaime you, if we do not bring
The Crown to your head, we [w]ill] forfeit ours.
Eub. The state is in distraction, Arcadius
Is prov'd a King, there was an elder brother,
If you dare but pronounce, you are the same,
Forget you are my son.
Pol. These are no trifles, Sir, all is plotted,
To assure your greatness; if you will be wise,
And take the faire occasion that's presented.
Sel. Arcadius, you say, is lawful King,
And now to depose him, you would make me
An elder brother, is't not so?
Cas. Most right.
Sel. Nay, right or wrong, if this be your true meaning.
Omnes. Upon our lives.
Sel. I'll venture mine, but with your pardon,
Whose brain was this? from whom took this plot life?
Eub. My Lord Cassander.
Sel. And you are of his mind? and you? and think
This may be done?
Eub. The destinies shall not cross us, if you have
Spirit to undertake it.
Sel. Undertake it?
I am not us'd to compliment, I'll owe
My life to you, my fortunes to your Lordship,
Compose me as you please, and when y'ave made
Me what you promise, you shall both divide
Me equally: one word, my Lord, I had rather
Live in the prison still, than be a propency
To advance his politick ends.
Eub. Have no suspition.
Cas. So, so, I see Demetrius heels already
Trip'd up, and I'll dispatch him out oth' way,
Which gone, I can depose this at my leasure,
Being an Impostor, then my Son stands fair,
And may piece with the Princess, we lose time,
What think you, if we first surprize the Court?
While you command the Castle, we shall curbe
All opposition.
Eub. Let's proclaim him first,
I have some faction, the people love me,
They gain'd to us, wee'll fall upon the Court.
Cas. Unless Demetrius yield himself, he bleeds.
Sel. Who dares call treason sin, when it succeeds? [Exeunt Omnes.
Enter Sophia, and Charilla.
Cha. Madam, you are too passionate, and lose
The greatness of your soul, with the expence
Of too much grief, for that which providence
Hath eas'd you of, the burden of a state
Above your tender bearing.
Sop. Thour't a fool,
And canst not reach the spirit of a Lady,
Born great as I was, and made onely less
By a too cruel destiny, above
Our tender bearing: What goes richer to
The composition of Man, than ours?
Our soul as free, and spatious; our heart's
As great, our will as large, each thought as active,
And in this onely Man more proud than we,
That would have us less capable of Empire,
But search the stories, and the name of Queen
Shines bright with glory, and some precedents
Above Mans imitation.
Cha. I grant it
For the honor of our sex, nor have you, Madam,
By any weakness, forfeited command,
He that succeeds, in justice, was before you,
And you have gain'd more, in a royal brother,
Than you could lose by your resign of Epire.
Sop. This I allow Charilla, I ha done;
'Tis not the thought I am depos'd afflicts me,
At the same time I feel a joy to know
My Brother living: no, there is another
Wound in me above cure.
Cha. Virtue forbid.
Sop. Canst find me out a Surgeon for that?
Cha. For what?
Sop. My bleeding fame.
Cha. Oh do not injure
Your own clear innocence.
Sop. Do not flatter me,
I have been guilty of an act, will make
All love in women question'd, is not that
A blot upon a Virgins name? my birth
Cannot extenuate my shame, I am
Become the stain of Epire.
Cha. 'Tis but
Your own opinion, Madam, which presents
Something to fright your self, which cannot
Be in the same shape so horrid to our sense.
Sop. Thou wod'st, but canst not appear ignorant:
Did not the Court, nay, the whole Kingdom, take
Notice, I lov'd Lisimachus?
Cha. True, Madam.
Sop. No, I was false,
Though counsel'd by my Father to affect him,
I had my politick ends upon Cassander,
To be absolute Queen, flattering his son with hopes
Of love and marriage, when that very day
I blush to think I wrong'd Lisimachus,
That noble Gentleman, but heaven punish'd me;
For though to know Demetrius was a blessing,
Yet who will not impute it my dishonor.
Cha. Madam, you yet may recompence Lisimachus,
If you affect him now, you were not false
To him, whom then you lov'd not, if you can
Find any gentle passion in your soul
To entertain his thought, no doubt his heart,
Though sad retains a noble will to meet it,
His love was firm to you, and cannot be
Unrooted with one storme.
Sop. He will not sure
Trust any language from her tongue that mock'd him,
Although my soul doth weep for't, and is punish'd
To love him above the world.