Classic Poem

A CTVS II. Scena I.

Alexander, Ephestion, Craterus.

Alexander.

E phestion , thou doest Alexander loue,
Craterus , thou the King: yet both you meet
In one selfe point of loyalty and loue,
And both I find like carefull, like discreet;
Therefore my faithfull'st Counsellers, to you
I must a weighty accident impart,
Which lies so heauy, as I tell you true
I finde the burthen much t'oppresse my hart,
Ingratitude and stubburne carriage,
In one of whom my loue deseru'd respect,
Is that which moues my passion into rage,
And is a thing I ought not to neglect.
You see how I Philotas raised haue
Aboue his ranke, his Peeres, beyond his terme;
You see the place, the offices I gaue,
As th'earnest of my loue to binde his firme:
But all, he deeming rather his desarts,
Than the effects of my grace any way,
Beginnes to play most peremptory parts,
As fitter to controule than to obay.
And I haue beene inform'd, he fosters too
The faction of that home-bent cowardize,
That would run backe from glory, and vndoo
All the whole wonder of our enterprize;
And one day to our selfe presumes to write,
(Seeming our stile and title to abraid,
Which th'oracles themselues held requisite,
And which not I, but men on me haue laid)
And sayd he pitied those who vnder him should liue,
Who held himselfe the sonne of Iupiter .
Alas good man, as though what breath could giue
Could make mine owne thoughts other than they are!
I that am Arbitrer betwixt my heart
And their opinion, know how it stands within,
And finde that my infirmities take part
Of that same frailty other men liue in.
And yet, what if I were dispos'd to winke
At th'entertain'd opinion spred so farre,
And rather was content the world should thinke
Vs other than we are, than what we are?
In doing which, I know I am not gone
Beyond example, seeing that maiesty
Needs all the props of admiration
That may be got, to beare it vp on hie;
And much more mine, which but eu'n now begun
By miracles of fortune, and our worth,
Needs all the complements to rest vpon
That reu'rence and opinion can bring forth;
Which this wise man conceiues not, and yet takes
Vpon him to instruct vs what to do.
But these are but the flourishes he makes
Of greater malice he is bent vnto:
For sure, me thinkes, I view within his face
The map of change and innouation:
I see his pride contented with no place,
Vnlesse it be the throne I fit vpon,
Ephest . Had I not heard this from your sacred tongue,
Deare Souereigne, I would neuer haue beleeued
Philotas folly would haue done that wrong
To his owne worth and th'honours he receiued:
And yet me thought, of late, his carriage
In such exceeding pompe and gallantry,
And such a world of followers, did presage
That he affected popularity,
Especially, since for his seruice done
He was adiudg'd to haue the second place
In honour with Antigonus : which wonne
To some th'opinion to be high in grace;
Then his last action, leading the right wing,
And th'ouerthrow he gaue, might hap inlarge
Th'opinion of himselfe, considering
Th'especiall grace and honour of his charge;
Whereby perhaps in rating his owne worth,
His pride might vnder-value that great grace
From whence it grew, and that which put him forth,
And made his fortune suting to the place.
But yet I thinke he is not fo vnwise
Although his fortune, youth, and iollity
Makes him thus mad, as he will enterprise
Ought against course, his faith, and loyalty:
And therefore, if your Grace did but withdraw
Those beames of sauour, which do daze his wits,
He would be soone reduc'd t'his ranke of aw,
And know himselfe, and beare him as befits.
Alex . Withdraw our grace? and how can that be done,
Without some sulliuation to ensue!
Can he be safe brought in, being so farre gone?
I hold it not. Say Craterus , What thinke you?
Cra . Souereigne, I know the man: I finde his spirit;
And malice shall not make me (I protest)
Speake other than I know his pride doth merit:
And what I speake, is for your interest,
Which long ere this I would haue vttered,
But that I fear'd your Maiesty would take,
That from some priuate grudge it rather bred,
Than out of care, for your deare sisters sake;
Or rather, that I sought to crosse your Grace,
Or, to confine your fauour within bounds:
And finding him to hold so high a place
In that diuine conceit which our confounds;
I thought the safest way to let it rest,
In hope, that time some passage open would,
To let in those cleere lookes into that brest
That doth but malice and confusion hold.
And now I see you haue discern'd the man
Whom (I protest) I hold most dangerous.
And that you ought, with all the speede you can,
Worke to represse a spirit so mutinous:
For eu'n already he is swoll'n so hie,
That his affections ouerflow the brim
Of his owne pow'rs, not able to deny
Passage vnto the thoughts that gouerne him:
For but eu'n now I heard a strange report,
Of speeches he should vse t'his Curtizan;
Vanting what he had done, and in what sort
He labour'd to aduance that proud yong man.
(So terming of your sacred Maiesty)
With other such extrauagant discourse,
Whereof we shall attaine more certeinty
(I doubt not) shortly, and discry his course
Meane while, about your person (I aduise)
Your Grace should call a more sufficient guard,
And on his actions set such wary eyes,
As may thereof take speciall good regard;
And note what persons chiefly he frequents,
And who to him haue the most free accesse;
How he bestowes his time; where he presents
The large reuenue of his bounteousnesse.
And for his wench that lies betwixt his armes,
And knowes his heart, I will about with her;
She shalbe wrought t'apply her vsuall charmes,
And I will make her my discouerer.
Alex . This counsell ( Craterus ) we do well allow,
And giue thee many thankes for thy great care:
But yet we must beare faire, left he should know
That we suspect what his affections are:
For that you see he holds a side of pow'r,
Which might perhaps call vp some mutiny:
His father, old Parmenio , at this howre
Rules Medeae with no lesser pow'rs than I;
Himselfe, you see, gallantly followed,
Holds next to vs a speciall gouernment;
Caenus , that with his sister married,
Hath vnder him againe commandement;
Amintas and Symanus , his deare friends,
With both their honourable offices;
And then the priuate traine that on them tends,
With all particular dependences,
Are motiues to aduise vs how to deale.
Crat . Your Grace saies true, but yet these clouds of smoke
Vanish before the sun of that respect
Whereon mens long-inur'd affections looke
With such a natiue zeale, and so affect,
As that the vaine and shallow pracises
Of no such giddy traytour (if the thing
Be tooke in time with due aduifednesse)
Shal the least shew of any fearing bring.
Alex . Well, then to thee (deare Craterus ) I refer
Th'especiall care of this great businesse.

Scena S ECVNDA . Philotas, Ceballinus, Seruus .

Ceballinus.

M Y Lord, I here haue long attendance made,
Expecting to be call'd t'auouch my newes,
Phi . In troth (my friend) I haue not found the King
At any leasure yet to heare the same
Ceb . No, not at leasure to preuent his death?
And is the matter of no more import?
I'l try another. Yet me thinkes such men
As are the eyes and eares of Princes, should
Not weigh so light such an intelligence
Ser . My Lord, the summe you willed me to giue
The captaine that did visit you to day;
To tell you plaine, your coffers yeeld it not
Phi . How if they yeeld it not? Haue I not then
Apparell, plate, iewels ? Why sell them,
And go your way, dispatch, and giue it him.

Philotas alone.

Me thinkes I find the King much chang'd of late,
And vnto me his graces not so great :
Although they seeme in shew all of one rate,
Yet by the touch, I find them counterfet :
For when I speake, although I haue his eare,
Yet do I see his mind is other where :
And when he speakes to me, I see he striues
To giue a colour vnto what is not :
For he must think, that we, whose states, whose liues
Depend vpon his Grace, learne not by rote
T'obserue his actions, and to know his trym.
And though indeed Princes be manifold,
Yet haue they still such eyes to wait on them,
As are too piercing, that they can behold
And penetrate the inwards of the heart,
That no deuice can set so close a doore
Betwixt their shew and thoughts, but that their art
Of shadowing it, makes it appeare the more.
But many, malicing my state of grace,
I know no worke, with all the power they haue
Vpon that easie nature, to displace
My fortunes, and my actions to depraue
And though I know they seeke t'inclose him in,
And faine would locke him vp and chamber him,
Yet will I neuer stoppe, and seeke to win
My way by them that came not in by them ;
And scorne to stand on any other feet
Than these of mine owne worth ; and what my plaine
And open actions cannot fairely get,
Basenesse and smoothing them, shall neuer gaine.
And yet, I know, my presence and accesse
Cleeres all these mists which they haue rais'd before,
Though, with my backe, straight turnes that happinesse,
And they againe blow vp as much or more.
Thus do we roule the stone of our owne toyle,
And men suppose our hell, a heauen the while.

Sena III. Craterus, Antigona .

Craterus.

A ntigona , there is no remedy,
You needs must iustifie the speech you held
With Thais , who will your confrence verifie,
And therefore now it can not be conceal'd.
Ant. O, my good Lord, I pray you vrge me not :
Thais only of a cunning enuious wit,
Scorning a stranger should haue such a lot,
Hath out of her inuention forged it.
Crat. Why then, shall racks and tortures force thee show
Both this and other matters which we know ?
Thinke therefore, if't were not a wiser part
T'accept of rest, rewards, preferment, grace,
And being perhaps, so beautious as thou art,
Of faire election for a neerer place ;
To tell the truth, than to be obstinate,
And fall with the misfortune of a man,
Who, in his dangerous and concussed state,
No goode to thee, but ruine render can.
Resolue thee of this choice, and let me know
Thy minde at full, at my returning backe.
Ant. What shall I do, shall I betray my Loue,
Or die disgrac'd ? What, do I make a doubt !
Betray my Loue ? O heauenly pow'rs aboue
Forbid that such a thought should issue out
Of this confused brest : Nay rather first
Let tortures, death and horror do their worst.
But out alas, this inconsiderate tongue,
Without my hearts consent and priuity,
Hath done already this vnwilling wrong,
And now it is no wisdome to deny.
No wisdome to deny ? Yes, yes, that tongue
That thus hath beene the traytour to my heart,
Shall either pow'rfully redeeme that wrong,
Or neuer more shall words of breath impart
Yet, what can my deniall profit him,
Whom they perhaps, whether I tell or not,
Are purpos'd, vpon matters knowne to them,
To ruinate on some discouered plot ?
Let them do what they will. Let not thy heart
Seeme to be accessary in a thought,
To giue the least aduantage of thy part,
To haue a part of shame in what is wrought.
O this were well, if that my dangers could
Redeeme his perill, and his grace restore ;
For which, I vow, my life I render would,
If this poore life could satisfie therefore
But tis not for thy honour to forsake
Thy Loue for death, that lou'd thee in this sort.
Alas, what notice will the world take
Of such respects in women of my sort ?
This act may yet put on so faire [a] coate
Vpon my foule profession, as it may
Not blush t'appeare with those of cleanest note,
And haue as hie a place with fame as they.
What do I talke of fame ? Do I not see
This faction of my flesh, my feares, my youth
Already entred ; and haue bent at me,
The ioyes of life, to batter downe my truth?
O my subdued thoughts! what haue you done?
To let in feare, falshood to my heart.
Whom though they haue surpriz'd, they haue not won ;
For still my loue shall hold the dearest part.
Crat. Antigona , What, are you yet resolu'd ?
Ant. Resolu'd, my Lord, t'endure all misery ?
Crat. And so be sure you shall, if that b'your choice.
Ant. What will you haue me do, my Lord, I am
Content to say what you will haue me say.
Crat. Then come, go with me to Alexander .

CHORVS.

How dost thou weare, and weary out thy dayes,
Restlesse ambition, neuer at an end!
Whose trauels no Herculean pillar stayes,
But still beyond thy rest thy labours tend :
Aboue good fortune thou thy hopes dost raise,
Still climing, and yet neuer canst ascend :
For when thou hast attaind vnto the top
Of thy desires, thou hast not yet got vp.
That height of fortune either is controld
By some more pow'rfull ouerlooking eye,
(That doth the fulnesse of thy grace withhold)
Or counter-checkt with some concurrency,
That it doth cost farre more ado to hold
The height attain'd, than was to get so hie ;
Where stand thou canst not, but with carefull toile,
Nor loose thy hold without thy vtter spoile.
There dost thou struggle with thine owne distrust,
And others iealousies, their counterplot,
Against some vnder-working pride, that must
Supplanted be, or els thou standest not.
There wrong is playd with wrong, and he that thrust
Downe others, comes himselfe to haue that lot.
The same concurssion doth afflict his brest
That others shooke : oppression is opprest,
That either happinesse dwells not so hie,
Or els aboue, whereto pride cannot rise :
And that the highst of mans felicity,
But in the region of affliction lies :
And that we climbe but vp to misery :
High fortunes are but high calamities.
It is not in that Sphere, where peace doth moue;
Rest dwell's below it, happinesse aboue.
For in this height of fortune are imbred
Those thundring fragors that affright the earth:
From thence haue all distemp'ratures their head,
That brings forth desolation, famine, dearth :
There certaine order is disordered:
And there it is confusion hath her birth.
It is that height of fortune doth vndoo
Both her owne quietnesse and others too.