A Discourse of Life and Death, by Mornay; and Antonius by Garnier Part 5

_This makes my rack, my anguish, and my woe Equall vnto the h.e.l.lish pa.s.sions growe, When I to minde my happie puisance call Which erst I had by warlike conquest wonne, And that good fortune which me neuer left, Which hard disastre now hath me bereft.

With terror tremble all the world I made At my sole worde, as Rushes in the streames At waters will: I conquer'd Italie, I conquer'd _Rome_, that Nations so redoubt.

I bare (meane while besieging _Mutina_) Two Consuls armies for my ruine brought, Bath'd in their bloud, by their deaths witnessing My force and skill in matters Martiall.

To wreake thy vnkle, vnkinde _Caesar_, I With bloud of enemies the bankes embru'd Of stain'd _Enipeus_, hindering his course Stopped with heapes of piled carcases: When _Ca.s.sius_ and _Brutus_ ill betide Marcht against vs, by vs twise put to flight, But by my sole conduct: for all the time _Caesar_ heart-sicke with feare and feauer laie.

Who knowes it not? and how by euery one Fame of the fact was giu'n to me alone.

There sprang the loue, the neuer changing loue, Wherein my hart hath since to yours bene bound: There was it, my _Lucil_, you _Brutus_ sau'de, And for your _Brutus_ _Antonie_ you found.

Better my happ in gaining such a frende, Then in subduing such an enemie.

Now former vertue dead doth me forsake, Fortune engulfes me in extreame distresse: She turnes from me her smiling countenance, Casting on me mishapp vpon mishapp, Left and betraide of thousand thousand frends, Once of my sute, but you _Lucil_ are left, Remaining to me stedfast as a tower In holy loue, in spite of fortunes blastes.

But if of any G.o.d my voice be heard, And be not vainely scatt'red in the heau'ns, Such goodnes shall not glorilesse be loste, But comming ages still therof shall boste.

_Lu._ Men in their frendship euer should be one, And neuer ought with fickle Fortune shake, Which still remoues, nor will, nor knowes the way, Her rowling bowle in one sure state to staie.

Wherfore we ought as borrow'd things receiue The goods light she lends vs to pay againe: Not holde them sure, nor on them builde our hopes As one such goods as cannot faile, and fall: But thinke againe, nothing is dureable, Vertue except, our neuer failing hoste: So bearing saile when fauouring windes do blowe, As frowning Tempests may vs least dismaie When they on vs do fall: not ouer-glad With good estate, nor ouer-grieu'd with bad.

Resist mishap.

_Ant._ Alas! it is too stronge.

Mishappes oft times are by some comfort borne: But these, ay me! whose weights oppresse my hart, Too heauie lie, no hope can them relieue.

There rests no more, but that with cruell blade For lingring death a hastie waie be made.

_Lu._ _Caesar_, as heire vnto his Fathers state: So will his Fathers goodnes imitate, To you warde: whome he know's allied in bloud, Allied in mariage, ruling equallie Th' Empire with him, and with him making warre Haue purg'd the earth of _Caesars_ murtherers.

You into portions parted haue the world Euen like coheir's their heritages parte: And now with one accord so many yeares In quiet peace both haue your charges rul'd.

_Ant._ Bloud and alliance nothing do preuaile To coole the thirst of hote ambitious b.r.e.a.s.t.s: The sonne his Father hardly can endure, Brother his brother, in one common Realme.

So feruent this desier to commaund: Such iealousie it kindleth in our hearts._ Sooner will men permit another should Loue her they loue, then weare the Crowne they weare.

_All lawes it breakes, turns all things vpside downe: Amitie, kindred, nought so holie is But it defiles. A monarchie to gaine None cares which way, so he maie it obtaine.

_Lu._ Suppose he Monarch be and that this world No more acknowledg sundrie Emperours.

That _Rome_ him onelie feare, and that he ioyne The East with west, and both at once do rule: Why should he not permitt you peaceablie Discharg'd of charge and Empires dignitie, Priuate to liue reading _Philosophie_, In learned _Greece_, _Spaine_, _Asia_, anie lande?

_Ant._ Neuer will he his Empire thinke a.s.sur'de While in this world _Marke Antonie_ shall liue._ Sleeples Suspicion, Pale distrust, colde feare Alwaies to princes companie do beare Bred of Reports: reports which night and day Perpetuall guests from Court go not away.

_Lu._ He hath not slaine your brother _Lucius_, Nor shortned hath the age of _Lepidus_, Albeit both into his hands were falne, And he with wrath against them both enflam'd.

Yet one, as Lord in quiet rest doth beare The greatest sway in great _Iberia_.

The other with his gentle Prince retaines Of highest Priest the sacred dignitie.

_Ant._ He feares not them, their feeble force he knowes.

_Lu._ He feares no vanquisht ouerfill'd with woes.

_Ant._ Fortune may chaunge againe,

_L._ A down-cast foe Can hardlie rise, which once is brought so lowe.

_Ant._ All that I can, is done: for last a.s.say (When all means fail'd) I to entreatie fell, (Ah coward creature!) whence againe repulst Of combate I vnto him proffer made: Though he in prime, and I by feeble age Mightily weakned both in force and skill.

Yet could not he his coward heart aduaunce Baselie affraid to trie so praisefull chaunce.

This makes me plaine, makes me my selfe accuse, Fortune in this hir spitefull force doth vse 'Gainst my gray hayres: in this vnhappie I Repine at heau'ns in my happes pittiles.

A man, a woman both in might and minde, In _Ma.r.s.es_ schole who neuer lesson learn'd, Should me repulse, chase, ouerthrow, destroie, Me of such fame, bring to so lowe an ebbe?

_Alcides_ bloud, who from my infancie With happie prowesse crowned haue my praise.

Witnesse thou _Gaule_ vnus'd to seruile yoke, Thou valiant _Spaine_, you fields of _Thessalie_ With millions of mourning cries bewail'd, Twise watred now with bloude of _Italie_.

_Lu._ witnesse may _Afrique_, and of conquer'd world All fower quarters witnesses may be.

For in what part of earth inhabited, Hungrie of praise haue you not ensignes spredd?

_An._ Thou know'st rich _aegypt_ (_aegypt_ of my deeds Faire and foule subiect) _aegypt_ ah! thou know'st How I behau'd me fighting for thy kinge, When I regainde him his rebellious Realme.

Against his foes in battaile shewing force, And after fight in victorie remorse.

Yet if to bring my glorie to the ground, Fortune had made me ouerthrowne by one Of greater force, of better skill then I; One of those Captaines feared so of olde, _Camill_, _Marcellus_, worthy _Scipio_, This late great _Caesar_, honor of our state, Or that great _Pompei_ aged growne in armes; That after haruest of a world of men Made in a hundred battailes, fights, a.s.saults, My bodie thorow pearst with push of pike Had vomited my bloud, in bloud my life, In midd'st of millions felowes in my fall: The lesse hir wrong, the lesse should my woe: Nor she should paine, nor I complain me so.

No, no, wheras I should haue died in armes, And vanquisht oft new armies should haue arm'd, New battailes giuen, and rather lost with me All this whole world submitted vnto me: A man who neuer saw enlaced pikes With bristled pointes against his stomake bent, Who feares the field, and hides him cowardly Dead at the verie noise the souldiors make.

His vertue, fraude, deceit, malicious guile, His armes the arts that false _Vlisses_ vs'de, Knowne at Modena, wher the _Consuls_ both Death-wounded were, and wounded by his men To gett their armie, warre with it to make Against his faith, against his countrie soile.

Of _Lepidus_, which to his succours came, To honor whome he was by dutie bounde; The Empire he vsurpt: corrupting first With baites and bribes the most part of his men.

Yet me hath ouercome, and made his pray, And state of _Rome_, with me hath ouercome.

Strange! one disordred act at _Actium_ The earth subdu'de, my glorie hath obscur'd.

For since, as one whome heauens wrath attaints, With furie caught, and more then furious Vex'd with my euills, I neuer more had care My armies lost, or lost name to repaire: I did no more resist.

_Lu._ All warres affaires, But battailes most, daily haue their successe Now good, now ill: and though that fortune haue Great force and power in euery worldlie thing, Rule all, do all, haue all things fast enchaind Vnto the circle of hir turning wheele: Yet seemes it more then any practise else She doth frequent _Ballonas_ bloudie trade: And that hir fauour, wauering as the wind, Hir greatest power therin doth oftnest shewe.

Whence growes, we dailie see, who in their youth Gatt honor ther, do loose it in their age, Vanquisht by some lesse warlike then themselues: Whome yet a meaner man shall ouerthrowe.

Hir vse is not to lende vs still her hande, But sometimes headlong back a gaine to throwe, When by hir fauor she hath vs extolld Vnto the topp of highest happines.

_Ant._ well ought I curse within my grieued soule, Lamenting daie and night, this sencelesse loue, Whereby my faire entising foe entrap'd My hedelesse _Reason_, could no more escape.

It was not fortunes euer chaunging face, It was not Dest'nies chaungles violence Forg'd my mishap. Alas! who doth not know They make, nor marre, nor any thing can doe.

Fortune, which men so feare, adore, detest, Is but a chaunce whose cause vnknow'n doth rest.

Although oft times the cause is well perceiu'd, But not th'effect the fame that was conceiu'd.

_Pleasure_, nought else, the plague of this our life, Our life which still a thousand plagues pursue, Alone hath me this strange disastre spunne, Falne from a souldior to a Chamberer, Careles of vertue, careles of all praise.

Nay, as the fatted swine in filthy mire With glutted heart I wallow'd in delights, All thoughts of honor troden vnder foote.

So I me lost: for finding this swete cupp Pleasing my tast, vnwise I drunke my fill, And through the swetenes of that poisons power By stepps I draue my former witts astraie.

I made my frends, offended me forsake, I holpe my foes against my selfe to rise.

I robd my subiects, and for followers I saw my selfe besett with flatterers.

Mine idle armes faire wrought with spiders worke, My scattred men without their ensignes strai'd: _Caesar_ meane while who neuer would haue dar'de To cope with me, me sodainlie despis'de, Tooke hart to fight, and hop'de for victorie On one so gone, who glorie had forgone.

_Lu._ Enchaunting pleasure; _Venus_ swete delights Weaken our bodies, ouer-cloud our sprights, Trouble our reason, from our harts out chase All holie vertues lodging in their place.

Like as the cunning fisher takes the fishe By traitor baite wherby the hooke is hidde: So _Pleasure_ serues to vice in steede of foode To baite our soules theron too licourishe.

This poison deadlie is alike to all, But on great kings doth greatest outrage worke, Taking the Roiall scepters from their hands, Thenceforward to be by some straunger borne: While that their people charg'd with heauy loades Their flatt'rers pill, and suck their mary drie, Not ru'lde but left to great men as a pray, While this fonde Prince himselfe in pleasur's drowns: Who heares nought, sees nought, doth nought of a king, Seming himselfe against himselfe conspirde.

Then equall Iustice wandreth banished, And in hir seat sitts greedie Tyrannie.

Confus'd disorder troubleth all estates, Crimes without feare and outrages are done.

Then mutinous _Rebellion_ shewes hir face, Now hid with this, and now with that pretence, Prouoking enimies, which on each side Enter at ease, and make them Lords of all.

The hurtfull workes of pleasure here behold.

_An._ The wolfe is not so hurtfull to the folde, Frost to the grapes, to ripened fruits the raine: As pleasure is to Princes full of paine.

_Lu._ Ther nedes no proofe, but by th' _a.s.sirian_ kinge, On whome that Monster woefull wrack did bring.

_An._ Ther nedes no proofe, but by vnhappie I, Who lost my empire, honor, life therby.

_Lu._ Yet hath this ill so much the greater force, As scarcelie anie do against it stand: No, not the Demy-G.o.ds the olde world knew, Who all subdu'de, could _Pleasures_ power subdue.

Great _Hercules_, _Hercules_ once that was Wonder of earth and heau'n, matchles in might, Who _Anteus_, _Lycus_, _Geryon_ ouercame, Who drew from h.e.l.l the triple-headed dogg, Who _Hydra_ kill'd, vanquishd _Achelous_, Who heauens weight on his strong shoulders bare: Did he not vnder _Pleasures_ burthen bow?

Did he not Captiue to this pa.s.sion yelde, When by his Captiue, so he was enflam'de, As now your selfe in _Cleopatra_ burne?

Slept in hir lapp, hir bosome kist and kiste, With base vnsemelie seruice bought her loue, Spinning at distaffe, and with sinewy hand Winding on spindles threde, in maides attire?

His conqu'ring clubbe at rest on wal did hang: His bow vnstringd he bent not as he vs'de: Vpon his shafts the weauing spiders spunne: And his hard cloake the freating mothes did pierce.

The monsters free and fearles all the time Throughout the world the people did torment, And more and more encreasing daie by day Scorn'd his weake heart become a mistresse plaie.

_An._ In onelie this like _Hercules_ am I, In this I proue me of his lignage right: In this himselfe, his deedes I shew in this, In this, nought else, my ancestor he is.

But go we: die I must, and with braue ende Conclusion make of all foregoing harmes: Die, die I must: I must a n.o.ble death, A glorious death vnto my succor call: I must deface the shame of time abus'd, I must adorne the wanton loues I vs'de With some couragiouse act: that my last daie By mine owne hand my spotts may wash away.