English

Chorus of Countreymen, Craesus, Atis, Adrastus, Caelia.

Cho. Lend (sir) a willing eare to humble words,
Let not our basenesse barre us from your grace,
Which still it selfe alike to all affords,
Who blesse their sight with that majesticke face;
" For simple subjects monarchs must take care,
" Though this our state be thought but abject now,
" You are our head, and we your members are,
" And you must care for us, we care for you;
" Our poverty to us is no reproach,

Craesus. Adrastus.

Crae. What fancies strange with terrour strike my soule,
The tortur'd captive of distrustfull feares?
Huge cares (suggesting harme) my joyes controul,
Whose minde some comming crosse charactred beares;
And credulous suspition (too too wise)
To fortifie my feares doth meanes invent;
Whil'st sudden trouble doth my sprite surprise,
A presage sad which boasts some bad event;
" I thinke the soule (since an immortall brood)
" Hath by inheritance an heavenly power,

Solon. Æsope.

Sol. This king hath put his trust in trustlesse toyes,
Whil'st courting onely temporary things,
And like a hooded hawk, gorg'd with vaine joye,
At randon flyes, born forth on follys wings:
O how this makes my griefe exceeding great,
To see ones care, who lives for dead things such,
Whil'st shew-transported mindes admire his state:
Which I not envy, no, but pitty much.
" Thus wormes of th' earth (whil'st low-plac'd thoughts prevaile)
" Love melting things, whose shew the body fits,

Craesus, Æsope, Solon.

Crae. What prince hath been so favour'd by the fates,
As could like me of full contentment boast?
Lov'd of mine own, and fear'd of forrain states,
My foes have faln, my friends were never crost;
For having that (which thousands seek, at will)
My happinesse in all things hath been such,
Heavens favorite, and fortunes minion still,
I know not what to wish, I have so much;
Mine eyes no way did ever grieve my heart
With any object that their sight did draw;

Solon.

Loe, how the stormy world doth worldlings tosse,
'Twixt sandy pleasures, and a rocky will,
Whil'st them that court it most, it most doth crosse,
To vice indulgent, vertues stepdame still:
This masse of thoughts, this animated slime,
This dying substance, and this living shadow,
The sport of Fortune, and the prey of Time,
Soon rais'd, soon raz'd, as flowers are in a meadow.
He toyles to get (such is his foolish nature),
A constant good in this inconstant ill:
" Unreasonable reasonable creature,

TO HIS SACRED MAJESTIE .

Disdaine not mighty Prince, those humble lines,
Though too meane musicke for so dainty eares,
Since with thy greatnesse, learnings glory shines,
So that thy brow a two-fold lawrell beares;
To thee the Muses, Phaebus now resignes,
And vertues hight eternall trophees reares;
As Orpheus harpe, heavens may enstall thy pen,
A liberall light to guide the mindes of men.

Although my wit be weake, my vowes are strong,

ACT V. SCENE I.

A Part of the Country.

INFORTUNIO lying on the ground, attended by SELINA habited like Antonio, FELICE , and Shepherds.

Infor. I do not know this place, nor who you are,
Nor know I yet myself.
Sel. Infortunio.
Infor. That name I once did answer to, but then
I was not banish'd to a wilderness,
Nor slept on such a bed.
Oh, — —
If I be he, whom you call Infortunio,
Tell me how I came hither. Dost thou weep?
I prithee tell me, boy, why do those tears

ACT IV. SCENE I.

A Room in Rufaldo's House .

Enter ANTONIO , drest in Selina's apparel, with HILARIA .

Ant. Have I not done my part, wench, with confidence to proceed thus far with thy father? Either I am infinitely like my sister, or they are all mad with credulity: but our good fathers are blinded with their passions, and that helps me much. Well, I do but think upon the night's work; there lies my masterpiece; I have it, it is for thy sake, Hilaria, I have assumed this habit, the end will speak it.
Hil. But what will you do? Antonio is lost now.

ACT III. SCENE I.

A Room in Rufaldo's House .

Enter RUFALDO .

ACT II. SCENE I

A Room in Rufaldo's House .

Enter BUBULCUS .

Bub. If I were a woman, now could I fall in love with myself: every body tells me I am the properest gentleman in the town, and I put it up; for the truth is, I dare not give any one the lie. A pox o' fighting! I can look as big as another, but shall I be such an ass, to venture myself with beasts? for they say your swords most commonly are foxes, and have notable metal in them. — Let me see, I am now at Rufaldo's, my father-in-law that must be; here he is —