[SCENE 2.]

Enter Montano, with two or three souldiers; Vandarmas leading Fredericke bound.

Fred. Base cowards, traytors! how am I surprizde, [Bound] with these bonds? I am a Prince by birth, And princely spirits disdaine such clogs of earth. Let goe, you slaves.

Mon. First know your fathers pleasure.

Fred. You are too bold.

Mon. But you shall keepe a measure.

Fred. Thou blood of common Concubines, must I Be bound by thee, and heir of Saxony?

Enter Duke and Valen.

Duke. It is our pleasure.

Valen. Have you caught him so? Now shall you waite the mercy we will shew: I was too base to be your father's wife.

Duke. But he shall sue to thee to save his life.

Fred. Perjurde, ungratefull, unnaturall, Is this the pardon given in generall?

Duke. Wee'l talke of that hereafter; make him fast.

Valen. Helpe, Vandermas, our self will ayding be To keepe in awe such sencelesse trechery.

Duke. My helpe and all to prison, there till death Remaine in duresse.

Fred. Rather stop my breath, Strangle me with these cords; prison to me Is twenty deaths, I will have liberty. Now as you are a father, be more kind; You did not find me in so sterne a mind. Are[209] you forgetful of the life I sav'd? Shall a Duke's Sonne by treason thus be slav'd? If you suspect my love, grant me the fight; I dare in single combate any knight, Any adventurer, any pandorus hinde, To proue my faith of an unfained mind.

Duke. Away with him.

Fred. I see my death's set downe, And some adulterous heire must weare that Crowne. To intreate a Rodophe, I had rather dye Then have my life lodg'd in such infamy: If all my fortunes on her words depend, Let her say kill me, and so make an end.

Duke. Why stay you?

Vander. Good my Lord.

Fred. Peace, untaught Groome, My heart's so great that Ide forerun my doome. There's no release meant, you have vowed I see To dam your soules by wilfull periury. Yet that I am my self, let these words shew: To die is naturall, tis a death I owe, And I will pay it, with a mind as free As I enjoyed in my best libertie. But this assure your self, when all is done, They'l kill the father that will kill the sonne. [Exit.

Duke. What's to be done now?

Mon. Seale unto his death, Your warrant nere the sooner takes effect: 'Twill be a meanes to make him penitent. Seeing his fault, hee'l taste your mercie best, When now he proudly thinkes he is opprest.

Duke. A Warrant shall be sign'd, and unto thee I doe commend it; deale not partially; If he be sorry and in true remorse, Cancell the Writ, else let it have full force. Had I ten sonnes, as I have onely this, They should all die, ere thou depriv'd of blisse. So great is my affection, my faire wife, That to save thine Ide frankly give my life. Come, weele about it strait, all time seemes long, Where thou hast found slight cause to feare my wrong.

Valen. That writ Ile take, and a conclusion trie: If he can love he lives, if hate me die. For howsoere, I seeme to scorne the man, Hee's somewhat deare in my affection.— Here comes your brothers.

Enter Alfred, and Hatto.

Alfred. May it please your grace, By chance entring into Saint Maries Church, This morn by breake of day, I espied That that I know will vexe your Excellence: Your daughter Euphrata is married To the ambitious beggar Constantine.

Duke. My daughter married to my Chamber-squire?

Mon. Your Excellence did banish me the land Because I did suspect her with that fellow.

Duke. He shall be tortur'd with th'extreamest plague For his presumption.—Have you brought them, That I may kill them with a killing looke?

Hat. Without direction we have ventured To lay upon them your strict command, And they attend.

Duke. Bring the presumptuous.

Enter Constantine, and Euphrata, Otho following in disguise.

Euph. Forward, Constantine, our Rites are done, Thou art my husband, doe not feare his eye, The worst it can import is but to die.

Duke. Base and degenerate.

Euph. He is a Gentleman, 'Twas base of you to wed a Curtizan.

Mon. Her brothers spirit right, bold and audacious.

Euph. When[210] I am no bastard, wherefore should I feare? The knot is sacred, and I hold it deare; I am wedded unto virtue, not to will, Such blessed unions never bring forth ill. If I offend, in disobedience, Judge of the power of love by your offence. Father, you have no reason for this ire; Frowne whilst you kill us, desire is desire.

Duke. A Curtezan? hath that ambitious boy Taught you such Rethoricke? you shall taste like joy. I will not reason with you, words are vaine, The fault is best discerned in the paine. Your hastie marriage hath writ downe his death, And thy proud words shall scale it with thy breath. By what is dearest to mee, here I sweare, Both of your heads, shall grace a fatall beere. Take them to prison, Ile not heare a word, This is the mercie that we will afford. Since they are growne so proud, next morn begun, Let them be both beheaded with my sonne.

Con. Short and sweet: Euphrata, the doome is faire, We shall be soone in heaven, there ends my care. I scorne entreatie, and, my deare, I know, All such slavery thou hatest so, 'Twill be a famous deed for this good man To kill all's children for a Curtezan.

Euph. Wilt thou die with me?

Const. Would I live in heaven? Thou art now too high for me, death makes us even.

Euph. Looke to your dukedome: those that hast our fall Have by their avarice almost hurried all. There's a whole Register of the poores crie: Whilst they are reading them, imbrace and die.

[Flings downe her lap full of Petitions.

[Exeunt Euph. and Constant.

Duke. Beare them away.—And now let's reade these Writes. What's here? complaints against my worthy brothers For corne transported, Copper money stampt,[211] Our subjects goods ceaz'd, and I know not what. A plague upon this busie-headed rabble! We will have tortures made to awe the slaves; Peace makes them ever proud and malapert, They'l be an Overseer of the State.

Valen. And plead reformation to depose you.

Duk. True, my faire Dutchesse, but Ile cut them short. Rule still, deare brothers: take these to the fire, Let me reade somewhat that augments desire, Authors and golden Poems full of love; Such the Petitions are that I approve. So I may live in quiet with my wife, Let fathers, mothers, children, all lose life. If thou have issue, in despight of fate They shall succeed in our Imperiall state. Come, sweet, to dauncing, then to sport and play, Till we have ruled all our life away.

[Exeunt.

Manet, Otho.

Otho. O pittifull condition of a Realme, Where the chiefe ruler is ore-rul'd by pleasure! Seeing my friend supriz'd, in this disguise I followed him to meete the consequence. And to my griefe I see his marriage rites Will cut him short of all this earths delights. What's that to me? When Constantine is dead, I have some hope to attaine her Nuptiall bed. But she is doom'd as well as hee to die: Can the Duke act his daughters Tragedie? It is impossible; he will relent, And Ile perswade her freely to repent. Yet 'tis most likelie that he will agree: He is so farre spent in vild tyrannie. The commons hate him for the wrong he hath done (By his brothers meanes), the Nobles for his sonne. Famine spreads through the land, the people die; Yet he lives senselesse of their miserie. Never were subjects more mislead by any, Nor ever Soveraigne hated by so many. But, Constantine, to thee I cast an eye; Shall all our friendship end in enmitie? Shall I, that ever held thee as my life, Hasten thy death that I may get thy wife? Or love or friendship, whether shall exceed, Ile explaine your vertue in this following deed.

[Exit.