[ ScAEna Quarta.

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A Room in the Governor's Castle at Cambrai.]

Enter Clermont, Maillard close following him.

Clermont. My Scotch horse to their armie—

Maillard. Please you, sir?

Cler. Sdeath! you're passing diligent.

Mail. Of my soule,

Tis onely in my love to honour you

With what would grace the King: but since I see

You still sustaine a jealous eye on mee,5

Ile goe before.

Cler. Tis well; Ile come; my hand.

Mail. Your hand, sir! Come, your word; your choise be us'd. Exit.

Clermont solus.

Cler. I had an aversation to this voyage,

When first my brother mov'd it, and have found

That native power in me was never vaine;10

Yet now neglected it. I wonder much

At my inconstancie in these decrees

I every houre set downe to guide my life.

When Homer made Achilles passionate,

Wrathfull, revengefull, and insatiate15

In his affections, what man will denie

He did compose it all of industrie

To let men see that men of most renowne,

Strong'st, noblest, fairest, if they set not downe

Decrees within them, for disposing these,20

Of judgement, resolution, uprightnesse,

And certaine knowledge of their use and ends,

Mishap and miserie no lesse extends

To their destruction, with all that they pris'd,

Then to the poorest and the most despis'd?25

Enter Renel.

Renel. Why, how now, friend, retir'd! take heede you prove not

Dismaid with this strange fortune. All observe you:

Your government's as much markt as the Kings.

What said a friend to Pompey?

Cler. What?

Ren. The people

Will never know, unlesse in death thou trie,30

That thou know'st how to beare adversitie.

Cler. I shall approve how vile I value feare

Of death at all times; but to be too rash,

Without both will and care to shunne the worst,

(It being in power to doe well and with cheere)35

Is stupid negligence and worse then feare.

Ren. Suppose this true now.

Cler. No, I cannot doo't.

My sister truely said, there hung a taile

Of circumstance so blacke on that supposure,

That to sustaine it thus abhorr'd our mettall.40

And I can shunne it too, in spight of all,

Not going to field; and there to, being so mounted

As I will, since I goe.

Ren. You will then goe?

Cler. I am engag'd both in my word and hand.

But this is it that makes me thus retir'd,45

To call my selfe t'account, how this affaire

Is to be manag'd, if the worst should chance:

With which I note, how dangerous it is

For any man to prease beyond the place

To which his birth, or meanes, or knowledge ties him.50

For my part, though of noble birth, my birthright

Had little left it, and I know tis better

To live with little, and to keepe within

A mans owne strength still, and in mans true end,

Then runne a mixt course. Good and bad hold never55

Any thing common; you can never finde

Things outward care, but you neglect your minde.

God hath the whole world perfect made and free;

His parts to th'use of th'All. Men, then, that are

Parts of that All, must, as the generall sway60

Of that importeth, willingly obay

In every thing without their power to change.

Hee that, unpleas'd to hold his place, will range,

Can in no other be contain'd that's fit,

And so resisting th'All is crusht with it:65

But he that knowing how divine a frame

The whole world is, and of it all can name

(Without selfe-flatterie) no part so divine

As hee himselfe; and therefore will confine

Freely his whole powers in his proper part,70

Goes on most God-like. Hee that strives t'invert

The Universals course with his poore way,

Not onely dust-like shivers with the sway,

But crossing God in his great worke, all earth

Beares not so cursed and so damn'd a birth.75

Ren. Goe on; Ile take no care what comes of you;

Heaven will not see it ill, how ere it show.

But the pretext to see these battailes rang'd

Is much your honour.

Cler. As the world esteemes it.

But to decide that, you make me remember80

An accident of high and noble note,

And fits the subject of my late discourse

Of holding on our free and proper way.

I over-tooke, comming from Italie,

In Germanie a great and famous Earle85

Of England, the most goodly fashion'd man

I ever saw; from head to foote in forme

Rare and most absolute; hee had a face

Like one of the most ancient honour'd Romanes

From whence his noblest familie was deriv'd;90

He was beside of spirit passing great,

Valiant, and learn'd, and liberall as the sunne,

Spoke and writ sweetly, or of learned subjects,

Or of the discipline of publike weales;

And t'was the Earle of Oxford: and being offer'd95

At that time, by Duke Cassimere, the view

Of his right royall armie then in field,

Refus'd it, and no foote was mov'd to stirre

Out of his owne free fore-determin'd course.

I, wondring at it, askt for it his reason,100

It being an offer so much for his honour.

Hee, all acknowledging, said t'was not fit

To take those honours that one cannot quit.

Ren. Twas answer'd like the man you have describ'd.

Cler. And yet he cast it onely in the way,105

To stay and serve the world. Nor did it fit

His owne true estimate how much it waigh'd;

For hee despis'd it, and esteem'd it freer

To keepe his owne way straight, and swore that hee

Had rather make away his whole estate110

In things that crost the vulgar then he would

Be frozen up stiffe (like a Sir John Smith,

His countrey-man) in common Nobles fashions;

Affecting, as't the end of noblesse were,

Those servile observations.

Ren. It was strange. 115

Cler. O tis a vexing sight to see a man,

Out of his way, stalke proud as hee were in;

Out of his way, to be officious,

Observant, wary, serious, and grave,

Fearefull, and passionate, insulting, raging,120

Labour with iron flailes to thresh downe feathers

Flitting in ayre.

Ren. What one considers this,

Of all that are thus out? or once endevours,

Erring, to enter on mans right-hand path?

Cler. These are too grave for brave wits; give them toyes;125

Labour bestow'd on these is harsh and thriftlesse.

If you would Consull be (sayes one) of Rome,

You must be watching, starting out of sleepes;

Every way whisking; gloryfying Plebeians;

Kissing Patricians hands, rot at their dores;130

Speake and doe basely; every day bestow

Gifts and observance upon one or other:

And what's th'event of all? Twelve rods before thee;

Three or foure times sit for the whole tribunall;

Exhibite Circean games; make publike feasts;135

And for these idle outward things (sayes he)

Would'st thou lay on such cost, toile, spend thy spirits?

And to be voide of perturbation,

For constancie, sleepe when thou would'st have sleepe,

Wake when thou would'st wake, feare nought, vexe for nought,140

No paines wilt thou bestow? no cost? no thought?

Ren. What should I say? As good consort with you

As with an angell; I could heare you ever.

Cler. Well, in, my lord, and spend time with my sister,

And keepe her from the field with all endeavour.145

The souldiers love her so, and shee so madly

Would take my apprehension, if it chance,

That bloud would flow in rivers.

Ren. Heaven forbid!

And all with honour your arrivall speede! Exit.

Enter Messenger with two Souldiers like Lackies.

Messenger. Here are two lackies, sir, have message to you.150

Cler. What is your message? and from whom, my friends?

1[st Soldier.] From the Lieutenant, Colonell, and the Captaines,

Who sent us to informe you that the battailes

Stand ready rang'd, expecting but your presence

To be their honor'd signall when to joyne,155

And we are charg'd to runne by, and attend you.

Cler. I come. I pray you see my running horse

Brought to the backe-gate to mee.

Mess. Instantly. Exit Mess[enger].

Cler. Chance what can chance mee, well or ill is equall

In my acceptance, since I joy in neyther,160

But goe with sway of all the world together.

In all successes Fortune and the day

To mee alike are; I am fixt, be shee

Never so fickle; and will there repose,

Farre past the reach of any dye she throwes. Ex[it] cum Pediss[equis]. 165

Finis Actus tertii.


LINENOTES:

114 as't. Emended by ed.; Q, as.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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