SCENE II. The same. A public Way, or Platform, leading to the Lists. A Pavilion by the side of it, for the reception of the King, Princess, Lords, &c. Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, and Attendants. Sim. Are the knights ready to begin the triumph? 1 Lord. They are, my liege; And stay your coming to present themselves. Sim. Return them, we are ready; and our daughter, In honor of whose birth these triumphs are, Sits here, like beauty's child, whom nature gat For men to see, and seeing wonder at. [Exit a Lord. Thai. Which, to preserve mine honor, I'll perform. Enter a Knight: he passes over the stage, and his Squire presents his shield to the Princess. Sim. Who is the first that doth prefer himself? Thai. A knight of Sparta, my renowned father; And the device he bears upon his shield Is a black Æthiop, reaching at the sun; The word,3 Lux tua vita mihi. Sim. He loves you well, that holds his life of you. [The second Knight passes. Who is the second that presents himself? 1 i. e. return them notice that we are ready, &c. 2 The sense would be clearer were we to substitute both in this and in the following instance office for honor. Honor may, however, mean her situation as queen of the feast, as she is afterwards called. 3 i. e. the mot or motto. See Hamlet, Act i. Sc. 5: "Now to my word." Thai. A prince of Macedon, my royal father; And the device he bears upon his shield Is an armed knight, that's conquered by a lady; The motto thus, in Spanish, Piu per dulçura que per [The third Knight passes. fuerça.1 Sim. And what's the third? The third, of Antioch; Thai. Sim. What is the fourth? [The fourth Knight passes. Thai. A burning torch, that's turned upside down; The word, Quod me alit, me extinguit. Sim. Which shows that beauty hath his power and will, Which can as well inflame, as it can kill. [The fifth Knight passes. Thai. The fifth, an hand environed with clouds; Holding out gold, that's by the touchstone tried; The motto thus, Sic spectanda fides. [The sixth Knight passes. Sim. And what's the sixth and last, which the knight himself With such a graceful courtesy delivered? Thai. He seems to be a stranger; but his present is A withered branch, that's only green at top; The motto, In hac spe vivo.3 Sim. A pretty moral; From the dejected state wherein he is, He hopes by you his fortunes yet may flourish. 1 Lord. He had need mean better than his outward show 1 i. e. more by sweetness than by force. dulçura," &c. Piu is Italian, not Spanish. It should be "Mas per 2 The work which appears to have furnished the author of the play with this and the two subsequent devices of the knights, has the following title: "The heroical Devices of M. Claudius Paradin, canon of Beaugen; whereunto are added the Lord Gabriel Symeon's, and others. Translated out of Latin into English, by P. S." 1591, 24mo. Mr. Douce has given copies of some of them in his Illustrations, vol. ii. p. 126. This device and motto may have been taken from Daniel's translation of Paulus Jovius, 1585; in which it will be found at sig. H. 7. b. Can any way speak in his just commend? For, by his rusty outside, he appears To have practised more the whipstock,' than the lance. 2 Lord. He well may be a stranger, for he comes To an honored triumph, strangely furnished. 3 Lord. And on set purpose let his armor rust Until this day, to scour it in the dust. Sim. Opinion's but a fool, that makes us scan But stay, the knights are coming; we'll withdraw [Exeunt. [Great shouts, and all cry, The mean knight. SCENE III. The same. A Hall of State. A Banquet prepared. Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, Knights, and At Sim. Knights, tendants. To say you are welcome, were superfluous. To place upon the volume of your deeds, As in a title-page, your worth in arms, Were more than you expect, or more than's fit, Thai. But you, my knight and guest; To whom this wreath of victory I give, And crown you king of this day's happiness. And here, I hope, is none that envies it. In framing artists, art hath thus decreed, To make some good, but others to exceed; And you're her labored scholar. Come, queen o' the feast, 1 i. e. the carter's whip. 2 i. e. "that makes us scan the inward man by the outward habit." Such inversions are not uncommon in old writers. (For, daughter, so you are,) here take your place; Marshal the rest, as they deserve their grace. Knights. We are honored much by good Simonides. Sim. Your presence glads our days; honor we love, For who hates honor, hates the gods above. Marsh. Sir, yond's your place. Per. Some other is more fit. 1 Knight. Contend not, sir; for we are gentlemen, That neither in our hearts, nor outward eyes, Envy the great, nor do the low despise. Per. You are right courteous knights. Sim. Sit, sit, sir; sit. Per. By Jove, I wonder, that is king of thoughts, These cates resist me,1 be not thought upon. Thai. By Juno, that is queen Of marriage, all the viands that I eat Do seem unsavory, wishing him my meat; Sure he's a gallant gentleman. Sim. A country gentleman. He's but He has done no more than other knights have done; Broken a staff, or so; so let it pass. Thai. To me he seems like diamond to glass. Per. Yon king's to me, like to my father's picture, Which tells me, in that glory once he was; Had princes sit, like stars, about his throne, And he the sun, for them to reverence. None that beheld him, but like lesser lights, Did vail their crowns to his supremacy; 3 Where now his son's a glowworm in the night, 1 Knight. Who can be other, in this royal presence? 1 i. e. "these delicacies go against my stomach."-The old copy gives this speech to Simonides, and reads, "he not thought upon." 2 Lower. 3 Where is here again used for whereas. Sim. Here, with a cup that's stored unto the brim, (As you do love, fill to your mistress' lips,) We drink this health to you. Knights. Sim. Yet pause awhile; We thank your grace. Yon knight, methinks, doth sit too melancholy, Had not a show might countervail his worth. Note it not you, Thaisa? To me, my father? What is it Sim. Therefore to make his entrance 2 more sweet, Here say, we drink this standing-bowl of wine to him. Unto a stranger knight to be so bold; Do as I bid you, or you'll move me else. Thai. Now, by the gods, he could not please me better. [Aside. Sim. And further tell him, we desire to know, Of whence he is, his name, and parentage. Thai. The king, my father, sir, has drunk to you. Per. I thank him. Thai. Wishing it so much blood unto your life. Per. I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely. 1 The worthless monarch, and the idle gnat, have only lived to make an empty bluster; and when both alike are dead, we wonder how it happened that they made so much, or that we permitted them to make it. 2 By his entrance appears to be meant his present trance, the reverie in which he is sitting. |