Classic Poem

ACT IV. SCENE I .

Adraste, Lucasia, Malthora, Florina, Eumela, Cosmeta, Pandena, Rhodia, Machessa , sate as at Parliament. Adr .

My Lady Martiall, and the rest Mercuriall,
Woman's the Gem of Heaven, in which Nature
Hath carv'd the Universe in less Characters;
A Peece of such Invention, and such Art,
That, where as in one common lazy Mold
Made for dispatch, she casts, and thrusts out Men,
As some things done in haste, she may be said
To build, and send forth us; yet (howsoever
It comes about) in all foretimes and Ages
Councels and Senats have excluded us,
Thinking us like those finer Wits, which spin
Themselves into such subt'le Fancies, that
They are too Curious to be employ'd,
Being as far from Service, as from Grossness:
But this hath been from Errour, not from Tryall:
Grant me their Composition stronger, grant me
Their Bodie's ruder, and more fit for Wars,
Which some yet here do happily contradict,
I cannot yet conceive, why this should bind us
To be their Slaves; our Souls are Male, as theirs.
That we have hitherto forborn t'assume
And manage Thrones, that hitherto we have not
Challeng'd a Soverainty in Arts, and Arms,
And writ our selves Imperiall, hath been
Mens Tyranny, and our Modesty. Being then
Nature did mean us Soveraigns, but cross Fate
(Envious of her, willing that nothing should
Be perfect upon Earth) still kept us under;
Let us, i'th' name of Honour, rise unto
The pitch of our Creation. Now's the time;
The best and ablest men are absent, those
That are left here behind are either Fooles,
Or Wise men overgrown, which is all one.
Assert your selves into your Liberty then,
Stand firm, and high, put these good Resolutions
Forth into Action: then, in spight of Fate,
A Female Hand shall turn the Wheel of State. Om .
Inspir'd Adraste ! Om .
Most divine Adraste ! Adr .
If that you relish this let Mistris Speaker
On to the rest. Om .
On, on, on, on, on, on! Eum .
Most Willing, most Agreeing, most Potent,
And most free Ladies, & c . — —
'Tis fit all things should be reduc'd unto
Their Primeve Institution, and first Head;
Woman was then as much as Man, those Stones
Which Pyrrha cast, made as fair Creatures as
Deucalion 's did: that his should be set up
Carv'd, and Ador'd, but hers kept down, and trampled,
Came from an ancient Injury; what Oracle, and
What voice from Heaven commanded that? Cos .
Most true!
Observe that Ladies. Pan .
Sibyl 's Leaf by Juno ! Eum .
He that saies Woman is not fit for Policy,
Doth give the Lie to Art; for what man hath
More sorts of Looks? more Faces? who puts on
More severall Colours? Men, compar'd in this,
Are only Dough-bak'd Women; not as once
Maliciously one call'd us Dough-bak'd Men. Cos .
'Tis no single
Voice; the whole Sex speaks in her. Eum .
Some few yet
Do speak against our Passions; but with greater;
Rail at our Lightness, but'tis out of Humour;
Rather Disease than Reason; they being such
As wipe off what they spit. For Heav'n forbid
That any should vouchsafe to speak against us
But rough Philosophers, and rude Divines,
And such like dull Professions. But wee'l now
Shew them our Passions are our Reasons Edge,
And that, which they call Lightness, only is
An Art to turn our selves to severall Points.
Time, Place, Minds, People, all things now concur
To re-estate us there where Nature plac'd us:
Not a Male more must enter Cyprus now. Cos .
No, nor an Eunuch, nothing that hath been
Male heretofore. Pan .
No, nor Hermophrodite;
Nothing that is half Male. A little Spark
Hath often kindled a whole Town; we must
Be cautelous in the least. Eum .
That then they may not
Regain the Island, all the Havens must
Be stor'd, and guarded. Cos .
Very fit they should. Eum .
Next to the Havens, Castles out of hand
Must be repair'd, Bulwarks, and Forts, and Sconces
Be forthwith rear'd. Cos .
'Tis time we were about them. Eum .
Arms then must be bought up, and Forces rais'd;
Much, much is to be done — — Pan .
Why let Machessa
About it straight. Eum .
I see agreeing Minds,
Your Hearts and Courage very ready, but
Where is the Nerve and Sinew of this Action?
Where shall we have the Mony to do this? Cos .
Wee'l give our hair for Cordage, and our finest
Linnen for Sails, rather than this Design
Shall be once dash'd for want. Pan .
There's much already
Come in — — Cos .
And more doth dayly. Pan .
Hearts and Purses
Concur unto the Action. Cos .
We have Notes
Of the particular Contributions. Eum .
Her Majesty would have you read 'em, that
She may know what to trust to. Cos .
From the Temple
We do expect ten dozen of Chalices,
But they are hid, or else already gone — — Eum .
This is not what you have, but what y'have not. Cos .
We tell you this, that you mayn't take it ill.
That we ha'n't borrow'd some o'th' Holy Plate.
Well then, to what we have — First from the Court
Ten Vessels of Corinthian Brass, with divers
Peeces of Polyclet , and Phydias ,
Parrbasius, Zeuxes , and Protogenes .
Apelles , and such like great Master-hands. Eum .
Statues, and Pictures do but little good
Against the Enemy. Cos .
Pray y' hear it our:
Rich Cabinets then, which, though they do contain
Treasure immense and large, have nothing yet
Within them richer than themselves. Eum .
What hold they? Cos .
Pearls, Rubies, Emralds, Amethysts, and Saphirs,
Crysolits, Jaspers, Diamonds, two whereof
Do double the twelfth Caract: besides Sparks
Enough to stick the Roof o'th' Banquetting House,
And make it seem an Heav'n. Eum .
Well, on Cosmeta . Cos .
Twelve standing Goblets, two more rich and massy,
The one bears Bacchus sitting on a Vine,
Squeezing out Purple liquor, Th' other hath
Silenus riding on his patient Beast,
And Satyrs dancing after him. More yet,
Twelve other less engraven with less Stories,
As Loves, and Months, and Quarters of the year,
Nymphs, Shepheards, and such like — This from the Court. Eum .
What from the City? Pan .
Purple Robes, and Furs
In great abundance — Basons and large Ewers,
Flagons, and Dishes, Plates, and Voyders, all
Rich and unwieldy. And besides all this,
Gold Chains, and Caudle-Cups innumerable. Eum .
The Contribution's much — — Pan .
But yet not ended — —
Twelve City Ladies send us word, they have
Twelve Iron Chests, and rib'd with Iron too,
Wherein they do suspect there lies a Mine,
That hath not seen the Sun for six Olympiads . Eum .
Let 'em be got in suddenly; we must
Be hot and eager in our undertakings.
The Wealth's enough; the East was overrun
By the bold Macedonian Boy with less.
Was't not Machessa ? But I pray you nothing
From the poor Country Villagers? Pan .
Very little;
Hoop-rings, and Childrens Whistles, and some forty
Or fifty dozen of gilt-Spoons, that's all. Eum .
Let it be hastily deliver'd all
Into her Majesties Treasury. Cos .
Under favour,
We think Machessa would be very fit
Both to take in, and to disburse. Eum .
It is not
For any private Interest that She asks it,
But for the Publike good. Pan .
Perhaps. But yet
The People will think better, if it be
Entrusted in a Subject's hand, and Hers
Especially who never had a Husband — Cos .
No, nor a Child as yet. Adr .
Why be it so;
You shall dispose't Machessa . Mach .
I consider
The trust you give me; see the weight, and Nature,
The Price and Moment of the Cause; Know next
My Order binds me not to be endow'd
With any Wealth or Utensill, besides
My Steed, my Habit, Arms, and Page; To which
When I prove false, let him that weaves my Story
(Whether he be a Courtier, or perhaps
A Scholar that writes worse) bring me no higher
Than to scratch'd Faces, and such Suburb brangles.
Truth is the Essence of our Order, we
Who are Errants cannot deceive and Be. Adr .
Let us away: though the Male-Gods may frown,
The Female part of Heaven is sure our own. Eum .
Noble Machessa all your deeds I see
Tend to the Scope of Honour. Mach .
Were she seated
Upon the top of some high craggy Rock,
Whose Head were in the Country of the Thunder,
Guarded with watchfull Dragons, I will climb,
And ravish her from thence, to have my Name
Turn'd o'r from Age to Age, as something that
Ought to outlive the Phaenix, and dye only
With Men and Time. Eum .
Though you Court Danger thus,
I hope you will not scorn bright Glory, if
She come an easier way. Mach .
I look to her,
Not to her Cloaths, and Habit. Eum .
Will you be
Famous in History then? fill swelling Volumes
With your sole Name? be read aloud, and high
I'th' Cyprian Annals? and live fresh upon
The Tongue of Fame for ever? will you stand
High on your Steed in Brass, and be at once
The stop of Strangers, and the Natives Worship,
By one fair Peacefull Action? Mach .
Brave Eumela ,
To say I'l do't is lazy; it is done. Eum .
'Tis the Queen's sute besides,
And She shall thank you. Mach .
Honour is my Queen,
And my Deeds thank themselves. But say, Eumela ,
Quickly, what is't? Eum .
Why only send this Wealth,
That's put into your hands, unto the Army,
And so defeat this folly that they here
So eagerly pursue. Mach .
By Heav'n I'll first
Scatter the Ashes of my Ancesters,
Burn and demolish Temples, or pull down
The Statue of our Goddess, whiles her self
Stood with the proudest thunder to defend it;
You ought to thank me, that you have propos'd it,
And yet still live. Eum .
But pray you reason it. Mach .
Follies of idle Creatures! who e'r heard
Of Ladies Errant yet that stood to Reason?
But you that brag of Books, and Reading, and
I know not what unnecessary Learning,
Tell me, did brawny Hercules , who wand'red
I'th' Lion's skin, and Club, or well-set Theseus
That trod his steps, e'r do the like? Eum .
No. Women
Ne'r came to such a pitch of danger yet
As to be banish'd all: then who e'r trusted
Theseus , or Hercules with ten Drachmas? who
Could know their Minds that way? This single deed
Will make Machessa go beyond his Pillars ,
And th' other's Fame. They quell'd but single Robbers,
You will defeat thousands of Rebels. They
Help'd some poor Village, or some Town perhaps,
You will redeem a Nation. Mach .
Thou say'st something;
But I shall break my faith. Eum .
To whom? to those
That have before broke theirs unto their Prince? Mach .
They'l curse me too. Eum .
As bold Machessa hunts not
The Praise of People, so she can contemn
Their Curse, when she doth well. Consider too
Nations will curse you more if you assist 'em. Mach .
But 'tis against my Order to deceive. Eum .
'Tis more against your Order to assist
Rebellious Persons 'gainst their King. Besides,
Doth not your Oath enjoyn you to relieve
Distressed men? who more distressed now
Than is the King, and th' Army? fear not words;
You are not Treacherous unto them, but faithfull
Unto your self. Why stands this Helmet here?
Why do you wear this Fauchion? to what use
Carry this Javelin? Mach .
Not to help women; no,
Men are my Oath. All shall be sent Eumela ,
The King must have it: wee'l be famous — — Eum .
But
You must be secret 'till it all come in. Mach .
And you'l assist me in the sending of't? Eum .
Take you no care for that, 'tis done. Mach .
But will
The Queen not take it ill? Eum .
'Tis her great fear,
You'l scarce be brought to yeeld it up. Away,
Go, and delude 'em on, y'are safe, and may
Deceive in Conscience now. Mach .
Bellona bless thee! Eum .
But how shall we now conveigh it to 'em?