Actus Primus. Scæna Prima.
Enter the Duke of Orleance, and the Earl of Amiens,
at several doors.
Amiens. Morrow, my Lord of Orleans.
Orl. You salute me like a stranger; brother Orleance
were to me a Title more belonging, whom you call the Husband
of your Sister.
Ami. Would the circumstances of your brotherhood had
never offer'd cause to make our conversation less familiar: I
meet you like a hindrance in your way: your great Lawsuit
is now upon the tongue, and ready for a judgement.
Orl. Came you from the Hall now?
Ami. Without stay; the Court is full, and such a press
of people does attend the issue, as if some great man were
brought to his arraignment.
Orl. Every mothers son of all that multitude of hearers,
went to be a witness of the misery your Sisters fortunes must
have come to, if my adversary who did love her first, had
been her Husband.
Ami. The success may draw a testimony from them, to
confirm the same opinion, but they went prepar'd with no
such hope or purpose.
Orl. And did you intreat the number of them, that are
come with no such hope or purpose.
Ami. Tush, your own experience of my heart can answer
ye.
Orl. This doubtful, makes me clearly understand your
disposition.
Ami. If your cause be just,
I wish you a conclusion like your cause.
Orl. I can have any common charity to such a Prayer
From a friend I would expect a love to prosper in;
Without exceptions such a love as might
Make all my undertakings thankful to't;
Precisely just is seldom faithful in our wishes
To another mans desires: Farewel. [Exit Orl.
Enter Montague having a Purse, Duboys, Longueville,
and Voramer the Page, with two Caskets.
Dub. Here comes your adversarie's brother-in-law.
Long. The Lord of Amiens.
Dub. From the Hall I think.
Ami. I did so: save your Lordship.
Mount. That's a wish my Lord, as courteous to my present state,
As ever honest mind was thankful for;
For now my safety must expose it self
To question: yet to look for any free
Or hearty salutation (Sir) from you
Would be unreasonable in me.
Ami. Why?
Mont. Your Sister is my adversarie's wife;
That nearness needs must consequently draw
Your inclination to him.
Ami. I will grant
Him all the nearness his alliance claims,
And yet be nothing less impartial,
My Lord of Montague.
Mont. Lord of Montague yet:
But (Sir) how long the dignity or state
Belonging to it will continue, stands
Upon [t]he dangerous passage of this hour.
Either for evermore to be confirm'd,
Or like the time wherein 'twas pleaded, gone:
Gone with it, never to be call'd again.
Ami. Justice direct your process to the end;
To both your persons my respect shall still
Be equal; but the righteous cause is that
Which bears my wishes to the side it holds,
Where, ever may it prosper. [Exit Amiens.
Mont. Then my thanks
Are proper to you, if a man may raise
A confidence upon a lawful ground
I have no reason to be once perplex'd
With any doubtful motion, Longue[v]ille,
That Lord of Amiens, (didst observe him?) has
A worthy nature in him.
Long. Either 'tis his nature or his cunning.
Mont. That's the vizard of most mens actions,
Whose dissembled lives
Do carry only the similitude
Of goodness on 'em: but for him
Honest [b]ehaviour makes a true report,
What disposition does inhabit him,
Essential virtue.
Long. Then 'tis pity that
Injurious Orleans is his brother.
Dub. He is but his brother-in-law.
Long. Law? that's as bad.
Dub. How is your Law as bad? I rather wish
The hangman thy Executor than that
Equivocation should be ominous.
Enter two Lawyers, and two Creditors.
Long. Some of your Lawyers—
1 Law. What is ominous?
2 Law. Let no distrust trouble your Lordships thought.
1 Law. The evidences of your question'd Land
Ha' not so much as any literal
Advantage in 'em to be made against
Your Title.
2 Law. And your Council understands
The business fully.
1 Law. Th'are industrious, just.
2 Law. And very confident.
1 Law. Your state endures
A voluntary trial; like a man
Whose honors are maliciously accus'd.
2 Law. The accusation serves to clear his cause.
1 Law. And to approve his truth more.
2 Law. So shall all
Your adversarie's pleadings strengthen your
Possession.
1 Law. And be set upon record
To witness the hereditary right
Of you and yours.
2 Law. Courage, you have the law.
Long. And you the profits.
Mont. If discouragement
Could work upon me, your assurances
Would put me strongly into heart again;
But I was never fearful: and let fate
Deceive my expectation, yet I am
Prepared against dejection.
1 Cre. So are we.
2 Cre. We have received a comfortable hope
That all will speed well.
Long. What is he Duboys?
Dub. A Creditor.
Long. I thought so, for he speaks
As if he were a partner in his state.
Mont. Sir, I am largely indebted to your loves.
Long. More to their purses.
M[o]nt. Which you shall not lose.
1 Cred. Your Lordship.
Dub. That's another creditor.
1 Cred. Has interest in me.
Long. You have more of him.
1 Cred. And I have had so many promises
From these, and all your learned Counsellors;
How certainly your cause will prosper: that—
Long. You brought no Serjeants with you?
Dub. To attend his ill success.
Mont. Good Sir, I will not be
Unthankful either to their industries
Or your affections.
1 Law. All your Land (my Lord)
Is at the barr now, give me but ten Crowns
I'll save you harmless.
Long. Take him at his word;
If he does lose, you're sav'd by miracle,
For I never knew a Lawyer yet undone.
1 Law. Then now you shall, Sir, if this prospers not.
Long. Sir, I beseech you do not force your voice
To such a loudness, but be thrifty now;
Preserve it till you come to plead at bar
It will be much more profitable in
The satisfaction than the promise.
1 Law. Is not this a satisfaction to engage
My self for this assurance, if he—
Mont. No Sir, my ruin never shall import
Anothers loss, if not by accident,
And that my purpose is not guilty of:
You [are] engag'd in nothing but your care. [Ex. Law.
Attend the Procurator to the Court,
Observe how things incline, and bring me word.
Long. I dare not, Sir, if I be taken there,
Mine ears will be in danger.
Mont. Why? hast thou
Committed something that deserves thine ears?
Long. No, but I fear the noise; my hearing will be
Perished by the noise; 'tis as good 't want
[A member, as to loose the use—]
Mont. The ornament is excepted.
Long. Well my Lord
I'll put 'em to the hazard. [Exit Long.
1 Cred. Your desires be prosperous to you.
2 Cred. Our best Prayers wait
Upon your fortune. [Exeunt Cred.
Dub. For your selves, not him.
Mont. Thou canst not blame 'em: I am in their debts.
Ver. But had your large expence (a part whereof
You owe 'em) for unprofitable Silks
And Laces, been bestowed among the poor,
That would have prayed the right way for you:
Not upon you.
Mont. For unprofitable Silks
And Laces? now believe me honest boy
Th'ast hit upon a reprehension that belongs
Unto me.
Ver. By —— my Lord,
I had not so unmannerly a thought,
To reprehend you.
Mont. Why I love thee for't.
Mine own acknowledgement confirms thy words:
For once I do remember, comming from
The Mercers, where my Purse had spent it self
On those unprofitable toys thou speak'st of,
A man half naked with his poverty
Did meet me, and requested my relief:
I wanted whence to give it, yet his eyes
Spoke for him, those I could have satisfied
With some unfruitful sorrow, (if my tears
Would not have added rather to his grief,
Than eas'd it) but the true compassion that
I should have given I had not: this began
To make me think how many such mens wants
The vain superfluous cost I wore upon
My outside would have clothed, and left my self
A habit as becomming: to increase
This new consideration there came one
Clad in a garment plain and thrifty, yet
As decent as these fair dear follies; made
As if it were of purpose to despise
The vanity of shew: his purse had still
The power to do a charitable deed,
And did it.
Dub. Yet your inclination, Sir,
Deserv'd no less to be commended, than his action.
Mont. Prethee do not flatter me;
He that intends well, yet deprives himself
Of means, to put his good thoughts into deed,
Deceives his purpose of the due reward
That goodness merits: oh antiquity
Thy great examples of Nobility
Are out of imitation, or at least
So lamely follow'd, that thou art as much
Before this age in virtue, as in time.
Dub. Sir, it must needs be lamely followed, when
The chiefest men love to follow it
Are for the most part cripples.
Mont. Who are they?
Dub. Soldiers, my Lord, soldiers.
Mont. 'Tis true Duboys: but if the law disables me no more
For Noble actions, than good purposes,
I'll practice how to exercise the worth
Commended to us by our ancestors;
The poor neglected soldier shall command
Me from a Ladies Courtship, and the form
I'll study shall no more be taught me by
The Taylor, but the Scholar; that expence
Which hitherto has been to entertain
Th' intemperate pride and pleasure of the taste
Shall fill my Table more to satisfie,
And less to surfeit.
What an honest work it would be; when we find
A Virgin in her poverty, and youth
Inclining to be tempted, to imploy
As much perswasion, and as much expence
To keep her upright, as men use to do upon her falling.
Dub. 'Tis charity that many Maids will be unthankful for,
And some will rather take it for a wrong,
To buy 'em out of their inheritance,
The thing that they were born to.
Enter Longueville.
Mont. Longueville, thou bringst a chearful promise in thy face.
There stands no pale report upon thy cheek,
To give me fear or knowledge of my loss, 'tis red and lively.
How proceeds my suit?
Long. That's with leave, Sir, a labour that to those of Hercules,
May add another; or (at least) be call'd
An imitation of his burning shirt:
For 'twas a pain of that [un]merciful
Perplexity, to shoulder through the throng
Of people that attended your success:
My sweaty linnen fixt upon my skin,
Still as they pull'd me, took that with it; 'twas
A fear I should have left my flesh among 'em:
Yet I was patient, for (methought) the toil
Might be an emblem of the difficult
And weary passage to get out of Law.
And to make up the dear similitude,
When I was forth seeking my handkerchief
To wipe my sweat off, I did find a cause
To make me sweat more, for my Purse was lost
Among their fingers.
Dub. There 'twas rather found.
Long. By them.
Dub. I mean so.
Mont. Well, I will restore
Thy damage to thee: how proceeds my suit?
L[o]ng. Like one at Brokers; I think forfeited.
Your promising Counsel at the first
Put strongly forward with a labour'd speed,
And such a violence of pleading, that
His Fee in Sugar-candy scarce will make
His throat a satisfaction for the hurt
He did it, and he carried the whole cause
Before him, with so clear a passage, that
The people in the favour of your side
Cried Montague, Montague: in the spight of him
That cryed out silence, and began to laugh
Your adversaries advocate to scorn:
Who like a cunning Footman set me forth
With such a temperate easie kind of course
To put him into exercise of strength,
And follow'd his advantages so close,
That when your hot mouth'd pleader thought h' had won,
Before he reacht it, he was out of breath,
And then the other stript him.
Mont. So all is lost.
Long. But how I know not; for, (methought) I stood
Confounded with the clamour of the Court,
Like one embark'd upon a storm at Sea,
Where the tempestuous noise of Thunder mixt
With roaring of the billows, and the thick,
Imperfect language of the Sea-men, takes
His understanding and his safety both
Together from him.
Mont. Thou dost bring ill news.
Long. Of what I was unwilling to have been
The first reporter.
Mont. Didst observe no more?
Long. At least no better.
Mont. Then th'art not inform'd
So well as I am; I can tell thee that
Will please thee, for when all else left my cause,
My very adversaries took my part.
Long. —Whosoever told you that, abused you.
Mont. Credit me, he took my part
When all forsook me.
Long. Took it from you.
Mont. Yes I mean so, and I think he had just cause
To take it, when the verdict gave it him.
Dub. His Spirit would ha' sunk him, e'r he could
Have carried an ill fortune of this weight so lightly.
Mont. Nothing is a misery, unless our weakness apprehend it so;
We cannot be more faithful to our selves
In any thing that's manly, than to make
Ill fortune as contemptible to us
As it makes us to others.
Enter Lawyers.
Long. Here come they
Whose very countenances will tell you how
Contemptible it is to others.
Mont. Sir?
Long. The Sir of Knighthood may be given him, e'r
They hear you now?
Mont. Good Sir but a word.
Dub. How soon the loss of wealth makes any man
Grow out of knowledge.
Long. Let me see, I pray, Sir,
Never stood you upon the Pillory?
1 Law. The Pillory?
Long. Oh now I know you did not.
Y'ave ears, I thought ye had lost 'em; pray observe,
Here's one that once was gracious in your eyes.
1 Law. Oh my Lord, have an eye upon him.
Long. But ha' you ne'er a Counsel to redeem
His Land yet from the judgement?
2 Law. None but this, a Writ of error to remove the
cause.
Long. No more of error, we have been in that too much
already.
2 Law. If you will reverse the judgement, you must
trust to that delay.
Long. Delay? indeed he's like to trust to that,
With you has any dealing.
2 Law. E'r the Law proceeds to an Habere facias possessionem.
Dub. That's a language Sir, I understand not.
Long. Th'art a very strange unthankful fellow to have
taken Fees of such a liberal measure, and then give a man
hard words for's money.
1 Law. If men will hazard their salvations,
What should I say? I've other business.
Mont. Y'are i'th' right;
That's it you should say, now prosperity has left me.
Enter two Creditors.
1 Cred. Have an eye upon him; if
We lose him now, he's gone for ever; stay
And dog him: I'll go fetch the Officers.
Long. Dog him you Bloud-hound: by this point thou
shalt more safely dog an angry Lion, than attempt him.
Mont. What's the matter?
Long. Do but stir to fetch a Serjeant; and besides your loss
Of labour, I'll have you beaten, till
Those casement in your faces be false lights.
Dub. Falser than those you sell by.
Mont. Who gave you Commission to abuse my friends
thus?
Lon. Sir, are those your friends that would betray you?
Mont. 'Tis to save themselves rather than betray me.
1 Cred. Your Lordship makes a just construction of it.
2 Cred. All our desire is but to get our own.
Long. Your wives desires and yours do differ then.
Mont. So far as my ability will go
You shall have satisfaction Longeville.
Long. And leave your self neglected; every man
Is first a debtor to his own demands, being honest.
Mont. As I take it, Sir, I did
Not entertain you for my Counselor.
Long. Counsel's the office of a servant,
When the master falls upon a danger; as
Defence is; never threaten with your eyes,
They are no cockatrices; do you hear?
Talk with [a] Girdler, or [a] Mill'ner,
He can inform you of a kind of men
That first undid the profit of those trades
By bringing up the form of carrying
Their Morglays in their hands: with some of those
A man may make himself a priviledge
To ask a question at the prison gates
Without your good permission.
2 Cred. By your leave.
Mont. Stay Sir, what one example since the time
That first you put your hat off to me, have
You noted in me to encourage you
To this presumption? by the justice now
Of thine own rule, I should begin with thee,
I should turn thee away ungratified
For all thy former kindness, forget
Thou ever didst me any service: 'tis not fear
Of being arrested, makes me thus incline
To satisfy you; for you see by him,
I lost not all defences with my state;
The curses of a man to whom I am
Beholding terrify me more, than all
The violence he can pursue me with.
Duboys, I did prepare me for the worst;
These two small Cabinets do comprehend
The sum of all the wealth that it hath pleased
Adversity to leave me, one as rich
As th'other, both in Jewels; take thou this,
And as the Order put within it shall
Direct thee, distribute it half between
Those Creditors, and th' other half among
My servants: for (Sir) they are my Creditors
As well as you are, they have trusted me
With their advancement: if the value fail,
To please you all, my first increase of means
Shall offer you a fuller payment; be content
To leave me something, and imagine that
You put a new beginner into credit.
Cred. So prosper our own blessings, as we wish you to
your merit.
Mont. Are you[r] silences of discontent, or of sorrow?
Dub. Sir, we would not leave you.
Long. Do but suffer us to follow you, and what our present
means, or industries hereafter can provide, shall serve you.
Mont. Oh desire me not to live
To such a baseness, as to be maintained
By those that serve me; pray begone, I will
Defend your honesties to any man
That shall report you have forsaken me;
I pray begone. [Exeunt Servants and Creditors.
Why, dost thou weep my boy,
Because I do not bid thee go to[o]?
Ver. No, I weep (my Lord) because I would not go;
I fear you will command me.
Mont. No my child,
I will not; that would discommend th' intent
Of all my other actions: thou art yet
Unable to advise thy self a course,
Should I put thee to seek it; after that
I must excuse, or at the least forgive
Any [un]charitable deed that can be done against my self.
Ver. Every day (my Lord) I tarry with you, I'll account
A day of blessing to me; for I shall
Have so much less time left me of my life
When I am from you: and if misery
Befall you (which I hope so good a man
Was never born to) I will take my part,
And make my willingness increase my strength
To bear it. In the Winter I will spare
Mine own cloth[e]s from my self to cover you;
And in the Summer, carry some of yours
To ease you: I'll doe any thing I can.
Mont. Why, thou art able to make misery
Ashamed of hurting, when thy weakness can
Both bear it, and despise it: Come my boy
I will provide some better way for thee
Than this thou speakst of: 'tis the comfort that
[Ill] fortune has undone me into the fashion:
For now in this age most men do begin,
To keep but one boy, that kept many men. [Exeunt.
Enter Orleans, a Servant, his Lady following.
Orl. Where is she? call her.
Lady. I attend you Sir.
Orl. Your friend sweet Madam.
Lady. What friend, good my Lord?
Orl. Your Montague, Madam, he will shortly want
Those Courtly graces that you love him for;
The means wherewith he purchased this, and this;
And all his own provisions to the least
Proportion of his feeding, or his clothes,
Came out of that inheritance of land
Which he unjustly lived on: but the law
Has given me right in't, and possession; now
Thou shalt perceive his bravery vanish, as
This Jewell does from thee now, and these Pearls
To him that owes 'em.
Lady. Ye are the owner Sir of every thing that does
belong to me.
Orl. No, not of him, sweet Lady.
Lady. O good [God]!
Orl. But in a while your mind will change, and be
As ready to disclaim him; when his wants
And miseries have perish'd his good face,
And taken off the sweetness that has made
Him pleasing in a womans understanding.
La. O Heaven, how gratious had Creation been
To women, who are born without defence,
If to our hearts there had been doors through which
Our husbands might have lookt into our thoughts,
And made themselves undoubtfull.
Orl. Made 'em mad.
La. With honest women.
Orl. Thou dost still pretend
A title to that virtue: prethee let
Thy honesty speak freelie to me now.
Thou know'st that Montague, of whose Land
I [a]m the master, did affect thee first,
And should have had thee, if the strength of friends
Had not prevail'd above thine own consent.
I have undone him; tell me how thou dost
Consider his ill fortune and my good.
La. I'll tell you justly his undoing is
An argument for pity and for tears
In all their dispositions that have known
The honor and the goodness of his life:
Yet that addition of prosperity,
Which you have got by't, no indifferent man
Will malice or repine at, if the Law
Be not abused in't; howsoever since
You have the upper fortune of him, 'twill
Be some dishonor to you to bear your self
With any pride or glory over him.
Orl. This may be truely spoken, but in thee
It is not honest.
La. Yes, so honest, that I care not if the chast Penelope
Were now alive to hear me.
Enter Amiens.
Orl. Who comes there?
La. My brother.
Am. Save ye.
Orl. Now Sir, you have heard of prosperous Montague.
Am. No Sir, I have heard of Montague,
But of your prosperity.
Orl. Is he distracted.
Am. He does bear his loss with such a noble strength
Of patience that,
Had fortune eyes to see him, she would weep
For having hurt him, and pretending that
Shee did it but for triall of his worth:
Hereafter ever love him.
Orl. I perceive you love him, and because (I must confess)
He does deserve that though for some respects,
I have not given him that acknowledgement,
Yet in mine honor I did still conclude to use him nobly.
Am. Sir, that will become your reputation and make me
grow proud of your alliance.
Orl. I did reserve the doing of this friendship till I had
His fortunes at my mercy, that the world
May tell him 'tis a willing courtesie.
La. This change will make me happy.
Orl. 'Tis a change; thou shalt behold it: then observe me when
That Montague had possession of my Land,
I was his rivall, and at last obtain'd
This Lady who, by promise of her own
Affection to him, should ha' bin his wife;
I had her, and withheld her like a pawn,
Till now my Land is rend'red to me again,
And since it is so, you shall see I have
The conscience not to keep her—give him her— [draws.
For by the faithfull temper of my sword, she shall not tarry
with me.
Am. Give me way— [draws.
Thou most unworthy man—give me way;
Or by the wrong he does the Innocent,
I'll end thy misery and his wickedness, together.
Lady. Stay and let me justifie
My husband in that, I have wrong'd his bed. [Exeunt Am. Orl.
Enter Orleans in amazement, the servants following him.
Never—all shames that can afflict me fall
Upon me if I ever wrong'd you;
Orl. Didst thou not confess it;
La. 'Twas to save your blood from shedding, that has
Turn'd my brothers edge;
He that beholds our thoughts as plainely as
Our faces, knowes it, I did never hurt
My honesty but by accusing it.
Orl. Womens consents are sooner credited
Than their denials: and I'll never trust
Her body that prefers any defence
Before the safety of her honor—here
Enter Servant.
Show forth that stranger—give me not a word.
Thou seest a danger readie to be tempted.
La. Cast that upon me rather than my shame,
And as I am now dying I will vow
That I am honest.
Orl. Put her out of dores; but that I fear my land
May go again to Montague, I would kill thee, I am loth,
To make a beggar of him that way; or else—
Go now you have the liberty of flesh,
And you may put it to a double use,
One for your pleasure, th'other to maintain
Your wellbeloved, he will want. [Exit Lady.
In such a charitable exercise
The virtue will excuse you for the vice. [Exit Orleans.
Enter Amiens drawn, Montague, Veramor meeting.
Mont. What means your Lordship?
Ver. For the love of [God].
Am. Thou hast advantage of me, cast away this buckler.
Mont. So he is Sir, for he lives
With one that is undone—avoyd us boy.
Ver. I'll first avoid my safety,
Your Rapier shall be button'd with my head, before it touch
my Master.
Am. Montague?
Mont. Sir.
Am. You know my sister?
Mont. Yes Sir.
Am. For a whore?
Mont. You lye, and shall lie lower if you dare abuse her honor.
Enter Lady.
La. I am honest.
Am. Honest!
La. Upon my faith I am.
Am. What did then p[e]rsuade thee to condemn thy self?
La. Your safety.
Am. I had rather be expos'd
To danger, than dishonor; th'ast betray'd
The reputation of my familie
More basely by the falseness of that word,
Than if thou hadst delivered me asleep
Into the hands of base enemies.
Relief will never make thee sensible
Of thy disgraces; let thy wants compell thee to it. [Exit.
La. O I am a miserable woman.
Mont. Why Madam? are you utterly without means to relieve you?