Cal. My looks terrifie them, you Coxcombly Ass you! I'le be judg'd by all the company whether thou hast not a worse face than I
Diag. I mean, because they know you and your Office.
Cal. Office! I would I could put it off, I am sure I sweat quite through my Office, I might have made room at my Daughters Wedding, they had near kill'd her among them. And now I must do service for him that hath forsaken her; serve that will. [Exit Calianax.
Diag. He's so humourous since his daughter was forsaken:
hark, hark, there, there, so, so, codes, codes.
What now?
[Within. knock within.
Mel. Open the door.
Diag. Who's there?
Mel. Melantius.
Diag. I hope your Lordship brings no troop with you,
for if you do, I must return them.
[Enter Melantius.
Mel. None but this Lady Sir. [And a Lady.
Diag. The Ladies are all plac'd above, save those that
come in the Kings Troop, the best of Rhodes sit there,
and there's room.
Mel. I thank you Sir: when I have seen you plac'd
Madam, I must attend the King; but the Mask done, I'le
wait on you again.
Diag. Stand back there, room for my Lord Melantius, pray bear back, this is no place for such youths and their Truls, let the doors shut agen; I, do your heads itch? I'le scratch them for you: so now thrust and hang: again, who is't now? I cannot blame my Lord Calianax for going away; would he were here, he would run raging among them, and break a dozen wiser heads than his own in the twinkling of an eye: what's the news now?
[Within.
I pray can you help me to the speech of the Master Cook?
Diag. If I open the door I'le cook some of your Calvesheads. Peace Rogues.again,who is't?
Mel. Melantius within. Enter Calianax to Melantius.
Cal. Let him not in.
Diag. O my Lord I must; make room there for my
Lord; is your Lady plac't?
Mel. Yes Sir, I thank you my Lord Calianax: well met,
Your causless hate to me I hope is buried.
Cal. Yes, I do service for your Sister here, That brings my own poor Child to timeless death; She loves your friend Amintor, such another false-hearted Lord as you.
Mel. You do me wrong, A most unmanly one, and I am slow In taking vengeance, but be well advis'd.
Cal. It may be so: who placed the Lady there so near the presence of the King?
Mel. I did.
Cal. My Lord she must not sit there.
Mel. Why?
Cal. The place is kept for women of more worth.
Mel. More worth than she? it mis-becomes your Age
And place to be thus womanish; forbear;
What you have spoke, I am content to think
The Palsey shook your tongue to.
Cal. Why 'tis well if I stand here to place mens wenches.
Mel. I shall forget this place, thy Age, my safety, and through all, cut that poor sickly week thou hast to live, away from thee.
Cal. Nay, I know you can fight for your Whore.
Mel. Bate the King, and be he flesh and blood, He lyes that saies it, thy mother at fifteen Was black and sinful to her.
Diag. Good my Lord!
Mel. Some god pluck threescore years from that fond man,
That I may kill him, and not stain mine honour;
It is the curse of Souldiers, that in peace
They shall be brain'd by such ignoble men,
As (if the Land were troubled) would with tears
And knees beg succour from 'em: would that blood
(That sea of blood) that I have lost in fight,
Were running in thy veins, that it might make thee
Apt to say less, or able to maintain,
Shouldst thou say more,This Rhodes I see is nought
But a place priviledg'd to do men wrong.
Cal. I, you may say your pleasure.
[Enter Amintor.
Amint. What vilde injury
Has stirr'd my worthy friend, who is as slow
To fight with words, as he is quick of hand?
Mel. That heap of age which I should reverence
If it were temperate: but testy years
Are most contemptible.
Amint. Good Sir forbear.
Cal. There is just such another as your self.
Amint. He will wrong you, or me, or any man,
And talk as if he had no life to lose
Since this our match: the King is coming in,
I would not for more wealth than I enjoy,
He should perceive you raging, he did hear
You were at difference now, which hastned him.
Cal. Make room there.
Hoboyes play within.
Enter King, Evadne, Aspatia, Lords and Ladies.
King. Melantius, thou art welcome, and my love Is with thee still; but this is not a place To brabble in; Calianax, joyn hands.
Cal. He shall not have my hand.
King. This is no time
To force you to't, I do love you both:
Calianax, you look well to your Office;
And you Melantius are welcome home; begin the Mask.
Mel. Sister, I joy to see you, and your choice,
You lookt with my eyes when you took that man;
Be happy in him.
[Recorders.
[Recorders.
Evad. O my dearest brother! Your presence is more joyful than this day can be unto me.
The Mask.
Night rises in mists.
Nigh. Our raign is come; for in the raging Sea
The Sun is drown'd, and with him fell the day:
Bright Cinthia hear my voice, I am the Night
For whom thou bear'st about thy borrowed light;
Appear, no longer thy pale visage shrowd,
But strike thy silver horn through a cloud,
And send a beam upon my swarthy face,
By which I may discover all the place
And persons, and how many longing eyes
Are come to wait on our solemnities.
[Enter Cinthia.
How dull and black am I! I could not find
This beauty without thee, I am so blind;
Methinks they shew like to those Eastern streaks
That warn us hence before the morning breaks;
Back my pale servant, for these eyes know how
To shoot far more and quicker rayes than thou.
Cinth. Great Queen, they be a Troop for whom alone
One of my clearest moons I have put on;
A Troop that looks as if thy self and I
Had pluckt our rains in, and our whips laid by
To gaze upon these Mortals, that appear
Brighter than we.
Night. Then let us keep 'em here,
And never more our Chariots drive away,
But hold our places, and out-shine the day.
Cinth. Great Queen of shadows, you are
pleas'd to speak
Of more than may be done; we may not break
The gods decrees, but when our time is come,
Must drive away and give the day our room.
Yet whil'st our raign lasts, let us stretch our power
To give our servants one contented hour,
With such unwonted solemn grace and state,
As may for ever after force them hate
Our brothers glorious beams, and wish the night
Crown'd with a thousand stars, and our cold light:
For almost all the world their service bend
To Phoebus and in vain my light I lend,
Gaz'd on unto my setting from my rise
Almost of none, but of unquiet eyes.
Nigh. Then shine at full, fair Queen, and by thy power
Produce a birth to crown this happy hour;
Of Nymphs and Shepherds let their songs discover,
Easie and sweet, who is a happy Lover;
Or if thou woot, then call thine own Endymion
From the sweet flowry bed he lies upon,
On Latmus top, thy pale beams drawn away,
And of this long night let him make a day.
Cinth. Thou dream'st dark Queen, that fair boy was not mine,
Nor went I down to kiss him; ease and wine
Have bred these bold tales; Poets when they rage,
Turn gods to men, and make an hour an age;
But I will give a greater state and glory,
And raise to time a noble memory
Of what these Lovers are; rise, rise, I say,
Thou power of deeps, thy surges laid away,
Neptune great King of waters, and by me
Be proud to be commanded.
[Neptune rises.
Nep. Cinthia, see, Thy word hath fetcht me hither, let me know why I ascend.
Cinth. Doth this majestick show
Give thee no knowledge yet?
Nep. Yes, now I see.
Something intended (Cinthia) worthy thee;
Go on, I'le be a helper.
Cinth. Hie thee then,
And charge the wind flie from his Rockie Den.
Let loose thy subjects, only Boreas
Too foul for our intention as he was;
Still keep him fast chain'd; we must have none here
But vernal blasts, and gentle winds appear,
Such as blow flowers, and through the glad Boughs sing
Many soft welcomes to the lusty spring.
These are our musick: next, thy watry race
Bring on in couples; we are pleas'd to grace
This noble night, each in their richest things
Your own deeps or the broken vessel brings;
Be prodigal, and I shall be as kind,
And shine at full upon you.
Nep. Ho the wind
Commanding Eolus!
[Enter Eolus out of a Rock.
Eol. Great Neptune!
Nep. He.
Eol. What is thy will?
Nep. We do command thee free Favonius and thy milder winds to wait Upon our Cinthia, but tye Boreas straight; He's too rebellious.
Eol. I shall do it.
Nep. Do, great master of the flood, and all below,
Thy full command has taken.
Eol. Ho! the main;
Neptune.
Nep. Here.
Eol. Boreas has broke his chain,
And struggling with the rest, has got away.
Nep. Let him alone, I'le take him up at sea;
He will not long be thence; go once again
And call out of the bottoms of the Main,
Blew Proteus, and the rest; charge them put on
Their greatest pearls, and the most sparkling stone
The bearing Rock breeds, till this night is done
By me a solemn honour to the Moon;
Flie like a full sail.
Eol. I am gone.
Cin. Dark night,
Strike a full silence, do a thorow right
To this great Chorus, that our Musick may
Touch high as heaven, and make the East break day
At mid-[n]ight.
[Musick.