Classic Poem

A CTVS I. Philotas. Chalisthenes .

Philotas reading his fathers Letter.

" Make thy selfe lesse Philotas then thou art. "
What meanes my father thus to write to me?
Lesse than I am? In what? How can that be?
Must I be then fet vnderneath my hart?
Shall I let goe the hold I haue of grace,
Gain'd with so hard aduenture of my blood,
And suffer others mount into my place,
And from below, looke vp to where I stood?
Shall I degrade th'opinion of my worth?
By putting off imployment; as vndone
In spirit or grace: whilst other men set forth
To get that start of action I haue wonne?
As if such men as I, had any place,
To stay betwixt their ruine and their grace.
Can any goe beyond me, but they will
Goe ouer me, and trample on my state,
And make their fortunes good vpon my ill,
Whilst feare hath powre to wound me worse then hate?

Chal. Philotas , you deceiue your selfe in this,
Your father meanes not you should yeeld in place,
But in your popular dependences,
Your entertainements, gifts and publike grace;
That doth in iealous Kings, distaste the Peeres,
And makes you not the greater but in feares.
Phi. Alas, what popular dependences
Doe I retaine? Can I shake off the zeale
Of such as doe out of their kindnesses,
Follow my fortunes in the Common-weale?
Cha. Indeed Philotas therein you say true:
They follow doe your fortunes, and not you.
Phi. Yea, but I find their loue to me sincere.
Cha. Euen such as to the Woolfe the Fox doth beare,
That visits him but to partake his pray,
And seeing his hopes deceiu'd, turnes to betray.
Phi. I know they would, if I in danger stood,
Runne vnto me with hazzard of their blood.
Cha. Yes, like as men to burning houses run,
Not to lend aide, but to be lookers on
Phi. But I with bountie and with gifts haue tide
Their hearts so sure, I know they will not slide.
Cha. Bountie and gifts lose more than they doe finde,
Where many looke for good, few haue their minde ;
Each thinkes he merits more then that he hath ;
And so gifts laide for loue, doe catch men wrath.
Phi. But many meerely out of loue attend.
Cha. Yea, those that loue and haue no other end!
Thinke you that men can loue you when they know
You haue them not for friendship, but for show?
And as you are ingag'd in your affaires,
And haue your ends, thinke likewise they haue theirs.
Phi. But I doe truly from my heart affect
Vertue and worth where I doe find it set:
Besides, my foes doe force me in effect
To make my party of opinion great,
And I must arme me thus against their scornes :
Men must be shod that goe amongst the thornes.
Cha. Ah, good Philotas , you your selfe beguile,
Tis not the way to quench the fire with Oile :
The meeke and humble Lambe with small adoo
Suckes his own damme, we see, and others too.
In Courts men longest liue, and keepe their rankes,
By taking iniuries, and giuing thankes.
Phi. And is it so? Then neuer are these haires
Like to attaine that sober hew of gray;
I cannot plaster and disguise m'affaires
In other colours then my heart doth lay.
Nor can I patiently endure this fond
And strange proceeding of authoritie,
That hath ingrost vp all into their hand
By idol-liuing feeble Maiestie,
And impiously doe labour all they can
To make the King forget he is a man ;
Whilst they diuide the spoyles, and pray for powre,
And none at all respect the publike good :
Those hands that guard and get vs what is our,
The Sold[i]erie ingag'd to vent their blood,
In worse case seeme then Pallas old-grow'n Moile
Th' Athenians fostred at their publike cost ;
For these poore soules consum'd with tedious toile,
Remaine neglected, hauing done their most,
And nothing shall bring home of all these warres,
But empty age, and bodies charg'd with scarres.
Cha. Philotas , all this publike care, I feare,
Is but some priuate touch of your dislike,
Who seeing your owne designes not stand to square
With your desires, no others courses like.
The griefe you take things are not ordered well,
Is, that you feele your selfe, I feare, not well ;
But when your fortunes shall stand paralell
With those you enuie now, all will be well :
For you Great-men, I see, are neuer more,
Your end attain'd, the same you were before.
You with a finger can point out the staines
Of others errours now, and now condem
The traine of state, whil'st your desire remaines
Without. But once got in, you iumpe with them,
And interleague yee with iniquitie,
And with a like neglect doe temporize
And onely serue your owne commoditie:
Your fortune then viewes things with other eyes.
For either greatnesse doth transforme the hart
In t'other shapes of thoughts, or certainely
This vulgar honestie doth dwell apart
From pow'r, and is some priuate quality.
Or rather those faire parts which we esteeme
In such as you, are not the same they seeme :
You double with your selues or els with vs.
And therefore now, Philotas , euen as good
T'imbrace the times, as swell and doe no good.
Phi. Alas, Chalisthenes , you haue not laid
True leuell to my nature, but are wide
From what I am within : all you haue said
Shall neuer make me of another side
Then that I am, and I doe scorne to clime
By shaking hands with this vnworthy time.
Cha. The time, Philotas , then will breake thy necke.
Phi. They dare not, friend, my father will keepe my necke:
My seruice to the State hath causioned
So surely for mine honor, as it shall
Make good the place my deedes haue purchased,
With danger, in the loue and hearts of all.
Cha. Those seruices will serue as weights to charge
And presse you vnto death, if your foot faile
Neuer so little vnderneath your charge,
And will be deem'd, done for your owne auaile.
And who haue spirits to doe the greatest good,
May doe most hurt, if they remaine not good.
Phi. Tush, they cannot want my seruice in the State.
Cha. These times want not men to supply the State.
Phi. I feare not whilst Parmenios forces stand.
Cha. Water farre off quenches not fire neere hand.
You may be faire dispatcht, ere he can heare,
Or if he heard, before he could be here.
And therefore doe not build vpon such sand,
It will deceiue your hopes when all is done ;
For though you were the Minion of the Land,
If you breake out, be sure you are vndone.
When running with the current of the State,
Were you the weakest man of men aliue,
And in Conuentions and in Counsell sate,
And did but sleepe or nod, yet shall you thriue ;
These motiue spirits are neuer fit to rise,
And tis a danger to be held so wise.
Phi. What call you running with the State? Shall I
Combine with those that doe abuse the State ?
Whose want of iudgement, wit and honesty,
I am asham'd to see, and seeing hate.
Cha. Tush, tush, my Lord, thinke not of what were fit :
The world is gouern'd more by forme, then wit.
He that will fret at Lords, and at the raine,
Is but a foole, and grieues himselfe in vaine.
Cannot you Great-men suffer others to
Haue part in rule, but must haue all to do ?
Now good my Lord conforme you to the rest,
Let not your wings be greater then your nest.
Phi. Solus. See how these vaine discoursiue Book-men talke,
Out of those shadowes of their ayrie powers,
And doe not see how much they must defalke
Of their accounts, to make them gree with ours.
They little know to what necessities
Our courses stand allied, or how we are
Ingag'd in reputation otherwise,
To be our selues in our particular.
They thinke we can command our harts to lie
Out of their place ; and still they preach to vs
Pack-bearing Patience ; that base propertie,
And silly gift of th'all enduring Asse.
But let them talke their fill, it is but winde,
I must sayle by the Compasse of my minde.

Enters a Messenger.

My Lord, the King call's for you, come my Lord away.
Phi. Well then I know ther's some new stratagem
In hand, to be consulted on to day,
That I am sent for, with such speede, to him,
Whose youth and fortune cannot brooke delay.
But here's a suter stands t'impeach my haste :
I would I had gone vp the priuie way,
Whereby we escape th'attending multitude ;
Though, I confesse, that in humanity
Tis better to denie, then to delude.

Enters Cebalinus.

My Lord Philotas , I am come with newes
Of great importance, that concernes vs all ;
And well hath my good fortune met with you,
Who best can heare, and best discharge my care.
Phi. Say what it is, and pray-thee friend be briefe.
Ceb. The case requires your patience, good my Lord
And therefore I must craue your eare a while.
Phi. I cannot now be long from Alexander .
Ceb. Nor Alexander will be long with vs,
Vnlesse you heare : and therefore know, the newes
I bring, concernes his life ; and this it is :
There is one Dymnus here within the Campe,
Whose low estate, and high affections,
Seeme to haue thrust him int'outragious wayes.
This man, affecting one Nichomachus ,
A youth, my brother : whom one day h'allures
Int'a Temple ; where being both alone,
He breakes out in this sort : Nichomacus ,
Sweet louely youth ; ah, should I not impart
To thee the deepest secrets of my heart!
My heart that hath no locke shut against thee,
Would let it out sometimes vnwares of me ;
But as it issues from my faithfull loue,
So close it vp in thine, and keepe it fast.
Sweare to be secret, deare Nichomacus ,
Sweare by the sacred God-head of this place,
To keepe my counsell, and I will reueale
A matter of the greatest consequence
That euer man imparted to his friend.
Youth and desire, drawne with a loue to know,
Swore to be secret, and to keepe it close.
Then Dymnus tels him, That within three dayes
There should b'effected a conspiracy
On Alexanders person, by his meanes
And diuers more of the Nobility,
To free their labours, and redeeme them home.
Which when Nichomacus my brother heard :
Is this your tale ? sayth he, O God forbid
Mine oath should tie my tongue to keepe in this !
This ougly sinne of treason, which to tell
Mine oath compels me ; faith against my faith
Must not be kept. My falshood here is truth,
And I must tell. Friend or friend not, I'l tell.
Dymnus amaz'd, hearing beyond conceit
The selfe-will'd youth vow to reueale their plot,
Stands staring on him, drawing backe his breath,
Or els his breath confounded with his thoughts
Busied with death and horror, could not worke :
Not hauing leasure now to thinke what was,
But what would be, his feares were runne before,
And at misfortune ere she came to him
At length yet, when his reason had reduc'd
His flying thoughts backe to some certaine stand,
Perceiuing yet some distance was betwixt
Death and his feares, which gaue him time to worke,
With his returning spirits he drew his sword,
Puts it t'his owne then to my brothers throat,
Then laies it downe, then wrings his hands, then kneeles,
Then stedfast lookes, then takes him in his armes,
Weeps on his necke, no word, but, O wilt thou ?
VVilt thou, be the destruction of vs all?
And finding no relenting in the youth,
His miseries grew furious, and againe
He takes his sword, and sweares to sacrifice
To silence and their cause, his dearest bloud
The boy amaz'd, seeing no other way,
VVas faine to vow, and promise secrecy ;
And as if woon t'allow and take that part,
Prayes him tell, who were his complices.
Which, though perplext with griefe for what was done,
Yet thinking now t'haue gain'd him to his side,
Dymnus replies: No worse than Loceus ,
Demetrius of the priuy Chamber, and
Nicanor, Amyntas , and Archelopis ,
Drocenus, Aphebetus, Leuculaus,
Shall be th'associats of Nichomacus .
This when my brother once had vnderstood,
And after much adoe had got away,
He comes, and tells me all the whole discourse,
Which here I haue related vnto you ;
And here will I attend t'auouch the same,
Or bring my brother to confirme as much,
Whom now I left behinde, lest the conspirators
Seeing him here vnusing to this place,
Suspecting t'b'appeach'd, might shift away.
Phil. Well fellow, I haue heard thy strange report,
And will find time t'acquaint the King therewith.

Scena S ECVNDA

Antigona , and Thais.

VVhat can a free estate affoord me more.
Than my incaptiu'd fortune doth allow ?
Was I belou'd, inrich'd, and grac'd before?
Am I not lou'd, inrich'd, and graced now ?
Tha. Yea, but before thou wert a Kings delight.
Ant. I might be his, although he was not mine.
Tha. His greatnes made thee greater in mens sight
Ant. More great perhaps without, but not within :
My loue was then aboue me: I am now
Aboue my loue. Darius then had thousands more :
Philotas hath but me as I do know,
Nor none els will he haue, and so he swore.
Tha. Nay, then you may beleeue him, if he swore.
[ Aside ] Alas, poore soule, she neuer came to know
Nor liberty, nor louers periuries.
Ant. Stand I not better with a meaner loue,
That is alone to me, than with these powres,
Who out of all proportion must b'aboue
And haue vs theirs, but they will not be ours.
And Thais , although thou be a Grecian,
And I a Persian, do not enuy me,
That I embrace the onely gallant man
Persia , or Greece , or all the world can see
Thou, who art entertein'd and grac'd by all
The flowre of honour els, do not despise,
That vnto me, poore captiue, should befall
So great a grace in such a worthies eyes.
Tha. Antigona , I enuy not thy loue,
But thinke thee blest t'enioy him in that sort
But tell me truly, Didst thou euer proue
Whether he lou'd in earnest or in sport ?
Ant. Thais , let m'a little glory in my grace,
Out of the passion of the ioy I feele,
And tell the'a secret ; but in any case,
As y'are a woman, do not it reueale.
One day, as I was sitting all alone,
In comes Philotas from a victory,
All blood and dust, yet iolly, hauing wonne
The glory of the day most gallantly :
And warm'd with honour of his good successe,
Relates to me the dangers he was in :
Whereat I wondring, blam'd his forwardnesse.
Faith wench, sayes he, thus must we fight, toyle, win,
To make that young-man proud: thus is he borne
Vpon the wings of our deserts; our blood
Sets him aboue himselfe, and makes him scorne
His owne, his country, and the authors of his good.
My father was the first that out from Greece
Shew'd him the way of Asia , set him on,
And by his proiect rais'd the greatest peece
Of this proud worke which now he treads vpon.
Parmenio without Alexander much hath wrought,
Without Parmenio, Alexander hath done nought.
But let him vse his fortune whilst he may,
Times haue their change, we must not still be led.
And sweet Antigona thou mayst one day
Yet, blesse the houre t'haue knowne Philotas bed;
Wherewith he sweetly kist me. And now deeme,
If that so great, so wise, so rare a man
Would, if he held me not in deare esteeme,
Haue vttred this t'a captiue Persian.
But Thais I may no longer stay, for feare
My Lord returne, and find me not within;
Whose eyes yet neuer saw me any where
But in his chamber, where I should haue been:
And therefore Thais farewell.
Tha . Farewell Antigona .
Now haue I that, which I desired long,
Layd in my lap by this fond woman heere,
And meanes t'auenge me of a secret wrong
That doth concerne my reputation neere.
This gallant man, whom this foole in this wise
Vants to be hers, I must confesse t'haue lou'd,
And vi'd all th'engins of these conquering eyes,
Affections in his hie-built heart t'haue mou'd,
Yet neuer could: for what my labour seekes
I see is lost vpon vaine ignorance,
Whil'st he that is the glory of the Greekes,
Virtues vpholder, honours countenance,
Out of this garnish of his worthy parts
Is fall'n vpon this foolish Perfian,
To whom his secrets grauely he imparts;
Which she as wisely keepe and gouerne can.
Tis strange to see the humour of these men,
These great aspiring spirits, that should be wise;
We women shall know all: for now and then,
Out of the humour of their iollities,
The smoake of their ambition must haue vent,
And out it comes what racks should not reueale:
For this her humour hath so much of winde,
That it will burst it selfe if too close pent;
And none more fit than vs their wisdomes finde,
Who will for loue or want of wit conceale.
For being the nature of great spirits, to loue
To be where they may be most eminent;
And rating of themselues so farre aboue
Vs in conceit, with whom they do frequent,
Imagine how we wonder and esteeme
All that they do or say; which makes them striue
To make our admiration more extreme:
Which they suppose they cannot, 'lesse they giue
Notice of their extreme and highest thoughts:
And then the opinion, that we loue them too,
Begets a confidence of secrecy;
Whereby what euer they intend to doo,
We shall be sure to know it presently.
But faith, I scorne that such a one as she,
A silly wittied wench, should haue this grace
To be preferr'd and honor'd before me,
Hauing but only beauty, and a face.
I that was euer courted by the great
And gallant'st Peeres and Princes of the East,
Whom Alexander in the greatest state
The earth did euer see him, made his guest.
There where this tongue obtained for her merit
Eternity of Fame: there where these hands
Did write in fire the glory of my spirit,
And set a trophey that for euer stands:
Thais action with the Grecian acts shall be
Inregistred alike. Thais , she that fir'd
The stateliest palace th' earth did euer see;
Darius house, that to the clouds aspir'd:
She is put backe behinde Antigona .
But soone Philotas shall his error see,
Who thinkes that beauty best, mens passions fits
For that they vse our bodies, not our wits:
And vnto Craterus will I presently,
And him acquaint with all this whole discourse,
Who, I am sure, will take it well of vs:
For these great Minions, who with enuious eie
Looke on each others greatnesse, will be glad,
In such a case of this importancy,
To haue th'aduantage that may here be had.

CHORVS

W E as the Chorus of the vulgar, stand
Spectators heere, to see these great men play
Their parts both of obedience and command,
And censure all they do, and all they say.
For though we be esteem'd but ignorant,
Yet are we capable of truth, and know
Where they do well, and where their actions want
The grace that makes them proue the best in show.
And though we know not what they do within,
Where they attire, their mysteries of State,
Yet know we by th'euents, what plots haue beene,
And how they all without do personate,
We see who well a meaner part became,
Faile in a greater, and disgrace the same.
We see some worthy of aduancement deem'd,
Saue when they haue it: some againe haue got
Good reputation, and beene well esteem'd
In place of greatnesse, which before were not.
We see affliction act a better scaene
Than prosperous fortune which hath marr'd it cleane.
We see that all which we haue praisd in some,
Haue only beene their fortune, not desart:
Some warre haue grac'd, whom peace doth ill become,
And lustfull ease hath blemisht all their part.
We see Philotas acts his goodnesse ill ,
And makes his passions to report of him
Worse than he is: and we do feare he will
Bring his free nature to b'intrapt by them.
For sure there is some engin closely laid
Against his grace and greatnesse with the King:
And that unlesse his humors proue more staid,
We soone shall see his vtter ruining:
And his affliction our compassion drawes,
Which still lookes on mens fortunes, not the cause.