As worldly mén doo, by profite measuring amitie: Which I perceaving, to the lyke myselfe I framed, Wherein, I know, of the wise I shall not be blamed: If you ask me, Quare? I answer, Quia pradentis est multum dissimulare. To speake more playner, as the proverb doth go, I doo not dissemble, now I say I wyll not speake for thee to the king: Therfore sinke in thy sorrow, I doo not deceave thee, A false knave I found thee, a false knave I leave thee. [Exit. Caris. He is gone! is this friendship to leave his friend in the plaine fielde? Well, I see now I myselfe have beguylde, Loe this is the perfect friendship among men now a dayes: Which kinde of friendship toward him I used secretly; And he with the like hath requited me craf tily. It is the gods judgment, I see it playnely, For all the worlde may know, Incidi in foveam quam feci. Well, I must content myselfe, none other helpe I know, Until a merier gale of winde may happe to blowe. Enter EUBULUS. [Exit. Eub. Who deales with kinges in matters of great waight, When froward wyll doth beare the chefest sway, This thinge I prove in Pithias' woful case, sower, [Yet for thy faith enrold shall be thy name, Alas, what happe hast thou, poore Pithïas, now to die; Wo worth the man which for his death hath ge ven us cause to crie. Eub. Methinke I heare, with yelowo rented heares, The Muses frame their notes, thy state to mone : Eub. With yelow rented heares, come on you Fyll now my breast with heavy tunes, tó me your plaints resigne: For Pithias I bewayle, which presently must die, Wo worth the man which for his death, &c. Muses. Wo worth the man, &c. Eub. Was ever such a man, that would die for his friend? I thinke even from the heavens above, the gods did him downe sende, To shew true friendship's power, which forst thee now to die. Wo worth the man which for thy death, &c. Eub. What tigar's whelp was he, that Damon dyd' accuse? What faith hast thou, which for thy friend thy death dost not refuse? O heavy happe hadst thou to play this tragidie! Wo worth the man, &c. Muses. Worth the man, &c. Eub. Thou young and worthie Greeke, that showest such perfect love, The gods receave thy simple ghost into the heavens above: Thy death we shall lament with many a weepinge $6 Paynted-vaunted, 2d edit. $3 Wyll I, or nil I--Whether I will or not, 87 Streames, 2d edit. Enter GRONNO. Gronno, I came hether now to understande, The kinge himselfe will se it done here in this Gron. Sir, all thinges are ready; here is the place, bere is the hand, here is the sword, Here lacketh non but Pithias, whose head at a worde, If he were present, I could finely strike of. wofull Pithias! Full neare now is thy misery. [Exit. Gron. I marvell very much, under what constilation All hangmen are borne, for they are hated of all, beloved of none: Which hatred is showed by this poynt evidently, of the citie: But harke, the prisoner cometh, and the kinge also; Here entreth DIONISIUS and EUBULUS. panion, Which tooke mee at my worde, and became pledge for Damon. It pricketh89 fast upon noone, I doo him no injurie, If now he lose his head, for so he requested me, If Damon returne not, which now in Greece is full mery: Therefore shall Pithias pay his death, and that by and by. He thought belike, if Damon were out of the citie, I would not put him to death, for some foolishe pitie: But seeing it was his request, I wyll not be mockt, he shall die; Bring him forth. Here entreth SNAP. That he might not returne, of all the gods I did Which now to my joy doo graunt my desire, May suffise, O king, to pacifie thy wrath? Let not thy hand tremble, for I tremble not to die. When I am dead, in my name; for thy trustie Hath well deserved a gift farre better than this. Oh my Damon, farewell now for ever, a true friend to me most deare; Whyles lyfe doth laste, my mouth shall styll talke of thee, Saap, Geve place, let the prisoner come by, give And when I am dead, my simple ghost, true wit place. 89 Pricketh-i. e. it rideth fast upon Boon. writen, 9° Let him--i. e. hinder him. nes of amitie, The word is used by Spenser, and many of our ancient 91 Do-doth. Both 4tos. Shall hoover about the place wheresoever thou bee. Dion. Eubulus, this geare is straunge, and yet because Damon hath falst his faith, Pithias shall have the lawe. Gronno, dispoyle hym, and eke dispatch him quickly. Gron. It shal be done. Since you came into this place, I might have stroken off seven heades in this space. By'r lady, here are good garments, these are myne by the roode, It is an evyll winde that bloweth no man good. Now Pithias kneele downe, aske me blessyng, like a pretie boy, And with a trise, thy head from thy shoulders I wyll convay. agree to this, let me perfourme the promise I made for thee, Here entreth DAMON running, and stayes the Let mee die for thee; doo mee not that injurie, Both to breake my promise, and to suffer mee too see thee die, sword. Dam. Stay, stay, stay! for the kinge's advan Ah! wo is me; for Damon's sake, how neare were thou to thy ende. Geve place to me, this rowme is myne, on this stage must I play. Damon is the man, none ought but he to Dionisius his blood to pay. Gron. Are you come, sir! you might have taried, if you had bene wyse, For your hastie comming you are lyke to know the prise. Pith. O thou cruel minister, why didst not thou thine office? Did not I bidde thee make hast in any wyse? Hast thou spared to kill me once, that I may die twyse? Not to die for my friend is present death to me; and alas! Shall I see my sweet Damon slaine before my face? What double death is this? But, O mightie Dionisius, Doo true justice now, way this aright, thou noble Let mee have no wronge as now standes the case, Because he came not at his just tyme, ought justly to die. Whome so dearly I love: this small request graunt Yet fame shall never touch me with such a villanie, To reporte that Damon did suffer his friend Pithias, for him, giltles to die; Therefore content thyselfe, the gods requite thy constant faith, None but Damon's bloud can appease Dionisius' wrath. And now, O mightie kinge, to you my talke I convay, Because you gave me leave my worldly things to stay, To requite that good tourne ere I die, for your behalfe this I say, Although your regall state dame Fortune decketh so, That like a kinge in worldly wealth abondantly ye floe, Yet fickle is the grounde whereon all tirants treade, A thousand sundrie cares and feares doo haunt their restlesse head; No trustic band, no faithfull friendes doo garde thy hatefull state, And why? whom men obey for deadly feare, sure them they deadly hate. That you may safely raigue, by love get friends, whose constant faith Wyll never fayle, this counsell geves poore Damon at his death: Friendes are the surest garde for kinges, gold in time doos92 ware away, And other precious thinges doo fade, friendship wyll never decay. Have friendes in store therefore, so shall you safely sleape; Have friendes at home, of forraine foes so neede you take no keepe. Abandon flatring tongues, whose clackes truth never tels; Abase the yll, advance the good, in whome dame Vertue dwels; Let them your playfelowes be: but, O you earthly kinges, Your sure defence and strongest garde stands chiefly in faithfull friendes; Then get you friends by liberall deedes; and here I make an ende. Accept this counsell, mightie king, of Damon, Pithias' friende. Oh! my Pithias, now farewell for ever; let me kisse thee or93 I die, My soule shall honour thee, thy constant faith above the heavens shall flie. Come, Gronno, doo thine office now; why is thy colour so dead? My neck is so short, that thou wilt never have honestie in striking of this head.94 Dion. Eubulus, my spirites are sodenly appauled, my limes waxe weake, This straunge friendship amaseth me so, that I can scarse speake. Pith. Omightie kinge, let some pittie your noble harte meeve! You require but one man's death, take Pithias, let Damon live.. Eub. O unspeakable friendship! Dam. Not so, he hath not offended, there is no cause why My constant friend Pithias for Damon's sake should die. Alas, he is but young, he may doo good to many. Thou cowarde minister, why doest thou not let mee die ? Gron. My hand with soden feare quivereth. Pith. O noble kinge, shewe mercy upon Damon, let Pithias die. Dion. Stay, Gronno, my flesh trembleth. Eubulus, what shall I doo? Were there ever such friendes on earth as were these two? What harte is so cruell that would devide them asunder? O noble friendship, I must yield, at thy force I wonder. My hart this rare friendship hath pearst to the roote, And quenched all my fury, this sight hath brought this about, Which thy grave counsell, Eubulus, and learned perswasion could never doo. O noble gentlemen, the immortal gods above Hath made you play this tragedie, I think, for my behove: Before this day, I never knew what perfect friend, ship ment; My cruell mind to bloudy deedes was full and wholy bente; My fearefull life I thought with terrour to defende; But now I see there is no garde unto a faithfull friend, Which wyll not spare his lyfe at time of present neede; O happie kinges, who in your courtes have two such friends indeed! I honour friendship now, which that you may playnly see, Damon, have thou thy lyfe, from death I pardon thee; For which good tourne, I crave this honour doe me lend, Oh friendly hart, let me linke with you, to you95 make me the third friende. My courte is yours, dwell here with mee, by my commission large, Myself, my realme, my welth, my health, I commit to your charge: Make me a thirde friend, more shall I joye in that thing, Then to be called, as I am, Dionisius, the mightie kinge. Dam. O mightie king, first for my lyfe most 94 My neck is so short, that thou wilt never have honestie in striking of this head-i. e. thou wilt derive no credit from striking off a head so disadvantageously placed from the purpose of decollation. Honnetete, Fr. anciently signified fame, or reputation, in the dexterous execution of any undertaking, whether hoDourable, or the contrary. Honesty seems here to be used with the French meaning. S. In this instance, the author appears to have had before him the speech which Sir Thomas More made at his execution. Hall, in his Chronicle, tempore Henry VIII. p. 226. says, “ Also the hangman kneled doun to him, askyng him forgevenes of his death, (as the manner is); to whom he sayed, I forgeve thee, but I promise thee, that thou shalt never have honestie of the strykyng of my head, my necke is so short.” 95 To you two to, 2d edit. And next, I prayse the immortall gods that did | Poore Stephano now shall live in continuall joy: your harte so meve, That you would have respect to friendship's heavenly lore, Forseing wel he need not feare which hath true friends in store. For my part, most noble king, as a third friend, welcom to our friendly societie; But you must forget you are a king, for friendship standes in true equalitie. Dion. Unequall though I be in great possessions, Yet full equall shall you finde me in my changed conditions. Tirrannie, flatterie, oppression, loe hear I cast away; Justice, truth, love, friendship, shall be my joy: True friendship wyl I honour unto my live's end, My greatest glorie shal be to be counted a perfect friende. Pith. For this your deede, most noble king, the gods advance your name; And since to friendship's lore you list your princely harte to frame, With joyful hart, O kinge, most wellcome now to me, With you wyll I knit the perfect knot of amitie: Wherein I shall enstruct you so, and Damon here your friend, That you may know of amitie the mightie force, and eke the joyful end. And how that kinges doo stand uppon a fickle ground, Within whose realme at time of need no faithfull friends are founde. Dion. Your instruction wyll I folow, to you myself I doo commite. Eubulus, make haste to set new apparell fitte Eub. I go with joyful hart; O happie day! It is no reason the hangman should lose his fees: These are mine, I am gone with a trise. [Exit. Here entreth EUBULUS with new garmentes. Dion. Put on these garmentes now, goe in with me, the jewelles of my court, Dam. and Pith. We go with joyfull harts. Steph. Oh Damon, my deare master, in all this joy remember me. Dion. My friend Damon, he asketh reason. Dam. Stephano, for thy good service, be thou free. [Exeunt all but STEPHANO. Steph. O most happie, pleasant, joyfull, and triumphant day! Vive le roy, with Damon and Pithias, in perfect amitie. Vive tu Stephano, in thy pleasant liberalitie: Wherein I joy as much as he that hath a conquest wonne; I am a free man, none so mery as I now under the sonne. Farewel, my lords, nowe the gods graunt you al the som of perfect amitie, And me longe to enjoy my longe-desired libertie. [Exit. Heare entreth EUBULUS beatyng CARISOPHUS. Eub. Away, villaine, away; you flatringe parasite, Away, the plague of this courte: thy filed tongue, that forged lies, No more here shall doo hurt; away, false sicophant, wilt thou not? Caris. I am gone, sir, secing it is the kinges pleasure. Why whyp ye me alone? a plague take Damon and Pithias, since they came hither I am driven to seke releefe abrod, alas! I know not whither. Eubulus, though I be gone, hereafter time shall trie, Yet, There shall be found, even in this courte, as great flatterers as I. Well, for a while I wyll forgo the courte, though to my great payne; I doubt not but to spie a time when I may creepe in againe. [Erit. Eub. The serpent that eates men alive, flattery, with all her broode, Is whipte away in princes courtes, whiche yet did never good. What force, what mighty power, true friendship may possesse, To all the worlde, Dionisius' courte now playnely doth expresse, Who since to faithfull friendes he gave his willyng eare, Most safely sitteth in his seate, and sleepes de void of feare. 96 No reason-not reason, 1st edit. |