Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 03 of 10: The Loyal Subject — John Shaqi
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 03 of 10: The Loyal SubjectFletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 03 of 10: The Loyal Subject
Fletcher, John
English drama -- 18th century; Tragicomedy
_Al._ Pray fear not:
For vertues sake deliver me from doubts, Lady:
'Tis not the name of King, nor all his promises,
His glories, and his greatness stuck about me,
Can make me prove a Traitor to your service:
You are my Mistris, and my noble Master,
Your vertues my ambition, and your favour
The end of all my love, and all my fortune:
And when I fail in that faith--
_Ol._ I believe thee,
Come wipe your eyes; I do: take you example--
_Pets._ I would her eyes were out.
_1 Wom._ If the wind stand in this door,
We shall have but cold custome: some trick or other,
And speedily.
_Pet._ Let me alone to think on't.
_Ol._ Come, be you near me still.
_Al._ With all my duty. [_Exeunt._
SCENA III.
_Enter_ Archas, Theodor, Putskie, _Ancient, and Souldiers,
carrying his armour piece-meale, his Colours wound up,
and his Drums in Cases_.
_Theod._ This is the heaviest march we e're trod Captain.
_Puts._ This was not wont to be: these honour'd pieces
The fierie god of war himself would smile at,
Buckl'd upon that body, were not wont thus,
Like Reliques to be offer'd to long rust,
And heavy-ey'd oblivion brood upon 'em.
_Arch._ There set 'em down: and glorious war farewel;
Thou child of honour and ambitious thoughts,
Begot in bloud, and nurs'd with Kingdomes ruines;
Thou golden danger, courted by thy followers
Through fires and famins, for one title from thee--
Prodigal man-kind spending all his fortunes;
A long farewel I give thee: Noble Arms,
You ribs for mighty minds, you Iron houses,
Made to defie the thunder-claps of Fortune,
Rust and consuming time must now dwell with ye:
And thou good Sword that knewst the way to conquest,
Upon whose fatal edge despair and death dwelt,
That when I shook thee thus, fore-shew'd destruction,
Sleep now from bloud, and grace my Monument:
Farewel my Eagle; when thou flew'st, whole Armies
Have stoopt below thee: At Passage I have seen thee,
Ruffle the _Tartars_, as they fled thy furie;
And bang 'em up together, as a Tassel,
Upon the streach, a flock of fearfull Pigeons.
I yet remember when the _Volga_ curl'd,
The aged _Volga_, when he heav'd his head up,
And rais'd his waters high, to see the ruins;
The ruines our Swords made, the bloudy ruins,
Then flew this Bird of honour bravely, Gentlemen;
But these must be forgotten: so must these too,
And all that tend to Arms, by me for ever.
Take 'em you holy men; my Vow take with 'em,
Never to wear 'em more: Trophies I give 'em,
And sacred Rites of war to adorn the Temple:
There let 'em hang, to tell the world their master
Is now Devotions Souldier, fit for prayer.
Why do ye hang your heads? why look you sad friends?
I am not dying yet.
_Theod._ Ye are indeed to us Sir.
_Puts._ Dead to our fortunes, General.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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