fact?

Br. 'Twas not well done.

Cas. O censure not his acts;

Envied'st my glory to preserve thy life. Why fled his son and friend Statilius? So far I fly their hurt, that all my good

My lords and citizens of Utica,

His much renown of you, quit with your

most;

And by the sea, upon some eminent rock,

Cæs. Cursed monsters,

Wound not mine eyes with it, nor in my

camp

Let any dare to view it; far as noblesse The den of barbarism flies, and bliss,

advance

With all fit state his statue; whose right hand

Let hold his sword, where, may to all

times rest

His bones as honour'd as his soul is blest.

My wife is sister to mine enemy,
And, therefore, wisely to be dealt withal.
But why do I except in special,
When this position must be general,
That no man living must be credited
Further than tends unto thy proper good.
But to the purpose of my silent walk!
Within this chamber lies my secretary,
Lorenzo de Cyprus, in whose learned brain
Is all the compass of the world contain'd,
And as the ignorant and simple age

Of our forefathers, blinded in their zeal, Received dark answers from Apollo's shrine,

And honour'd him as patron of their bliss,
So I, not muffled in simplicity,
Zealous indeed of nothing but my good,
Haste to the augur of my happiness,
To lay the ground of my ensuing wars.
He learns his wisdom not by flight of birds,
By prying into sacrificed beasts,

By hares that cross the way, by howling wolves,

By gazing on the starry element,
Or vain imaginary calculations;
But from a settled wisdom in itself,
Which teacheth to be void of passion;
To be religious as the ravenous wolf,
Who loves the lamb for hunger and for
prey;

To threaten our inferiors with our looks;
To flatter our superiors at our need;
To be an outward saint, an inward devil;
These are the lectures that my master
reads.

This key commands all chambers in the

court.

Now on a sudden will I try his wit,
I know my coming is unlooked for.

[He opens the door and finds Lorenzo
asleep.

Nay, sleep, Lorenzo, I will walk awhile.
As Nature, in the framing of the world,
Ordain'd there should be nihil vacuum,
Even so, methinks, his wisdom should con-
trive

That all his study should be full of wit,
And every corner stuff'd with sentences.
What is this? Plato? Aristotle? Tush!
These are but ordinary; 't seems this is
A note but newly written.

[He reads a note which he finds among
Lorenzo's books.

"Unum arbustum non alit duos erithacos; which being granted, the Roman Empire will not suffice Alphonsus, King of Castile, and Richard, Earl of Cornwall, his competitor. Thy wisdom teacheth thee to cleave to the strongest; Alphonsus is in

possession and therefore the strongest, but he is in hatred with the Electors, and men rather honour the sun rising than the sun going down."

Ay marry, this is argued like himself;
And now, methinks, he wakes.

[Lorenzo rises and snatches at his sword, which hung by his bedside. Lo. What are there thieves within the Emperor's Court?

Villain, thou diest! What makest thou in my chamber?

Al. How now, Lorenzo! wilt thou slay thy lord?

Lo. I do beseech your sacred majesty To pardon me, I did not know your grace.

Alp. Lie down, Lorenzo, I will sit by thee.

The air is sharp and piercing; tremble not!

Had it been any other but ourself,

He must have been a villain and a thief.

Lo. Alas, my lord! What means you excellence

To walk by night in these so dangerous times?

Alp. Have I not reason now to walk and watch,

When I am compass'd with so many foes? They ward, they watch, they cast, and they

The lion strong, but scorneth policy.
I'll imitate Lysander in this point,

And where the lion's hide is thin and scant,

I'll firmly patch it with the fox's fell.
Let it suffice, I can be both in one.

Lo. 2. A prince above all things must seem devout; but there's nothing so dangerous to his state, as to regard his promise or his oath.

Alp. Tush; fear not me, my promises are sound,

But he that trusts them shall be sure to fail.

Lo. Nay, my good lord, but that I know your majesty

To be a ready, quick-witted scholar, I would bestow a comment on the text. 3. Trust not a reconciled friend, for good turns cannot blot out old grudges. Alp. Then must I watch the Palatine of the Rhein;

I caused his father to be put to death. Lo. Your highness hath as little cause to trust

The dangerous, mighty duke of Saxony; You know you sought to banish him the land;

And as for Collen, was not he the first
That sent for Richard into Germany?

Alp. What's thy opinion of the other four?

Lo. That Bohemia. neither cares for one nor other,

But hopes this deadly strife between you twain

Will cast the imperial crown upon his head.

For Trier and Brandenburg, I think of them

As simple men, that wish the common good;

And as for Mentz, I need not censure him,

Richard hath chain'd him in a golden bond,

And saved his life from ignominious death. Alp. Let it, suffice, Lorenzo, that I know, When Kurfurst Mentz was taken prisoner By young victorious Otho, Duke of Brunschweig,

That Richard, Earl of Cornwall, did disburse

The ransom of a king, a million,

To save his life, and rid him out of bands; That sum of gold did fill the Brunschweig bags,

But since, myself have rain'd a golden shower

His voice is mine, bought with ten tons of gold,

And at the meeting of the seven Electors
His princely double-dealing holiness
Will spoil the English emperor of hope.
But I refer these matters to the sequel;
Proceed, Lorenzo, forward to the next.
Lo. I'm glad your grace hath dealt so
cunningly

With that victorious fickle-minded prelate,
For in election his voice is first;
But to the next.

4. 'Tis more safety for a prince to be feared than loved.

Alp. Love is an humour pleaseth him that loves;

Let me be hated, so I please myself.
Love is an humour mild and changeable,
But fear engraves a reverence in the heart.

Lo. 5. To keep an usurped crown, a prince must swear, forswear, poison, murder, and commit all kind of villanies, provided it be cunningly kept from the eye of the world.

Alp. But, my Lorenzo, that's the hardest point;

It is not for a prince to execute,
Physicians and apothecaries must know,
And servile fear or counsel-breaking bribes
Will from a peasant in an hour extort
Enough to overthrow a monarchy.

Lo. Therefore, my lord, sit down this sixth and last article.

6. Be always jealous of him that knows your secrets.

And therefore it behoves you credit few,
And when you grow into the least suspect,
With silent cunning must you cut them
off.

As for example, Julius Lentulus,
A most renowned Neapolitan,
Gave me this box of poison; 'twas not long
But therewithal-I sent him to his grave.

Alp. And what's the special virtue of the same?

Lo. That it is twenty hours before it works.

Alp. But what is this?

Lo. This? an infection that kills suddenly;

This, but a toy to cast a man asleep.
Alp. How? being drunk?
Lo. No, being smelt unto.

Alp. Then smell, Lorenzo; I did break thy sleep,

And, for this time, this lecture shall suffice. Lo. What have you done, my lord? you've made me safe

For stirring hence these four-and-twenty hours.

Alp. I see, this charms his senses suddenly.

How now, Lorenzo! half asleep already?
Æneas' pilot, by the god of dreams,
Was never lull'd into a sounder trance.
And now Alphonsus, over-read thy notes!
[He reads.

These are already at my fingers' ends,
And lest the world should find this little
schedule,

Thus will I rend the text, and after this
On my behaviour set so fine a gloss
That men shall take me for a convertite.
But some may think I should forget my
part

And have been over-rash in rending it;
To put them out of doubt I'll study sure;
I'll make a backward repetition
In being jealous of my counsel-keepers.
This is the poison that kills suddenly:
So didst thou unto Julius Lentulus,
And blood with blood must be requited
thus.
[Poisons him.
Now am I safe, and no man knows my
counsels.

Kurfurst of Mentz, if now thou play thy part,

Earning thy gold with cunning workmanship

Upon the Bemish king's ambition,
Richard shall shamefully fail of his hope,
And I with triumph keep my Empery.
[Exit.

SCENE II.

Enter the King of Bohemia, the Bishops
of Mentz, Collen, Trier, the Palatine
of the Rhein, the Duke of Saxon, and
the Marquess of Brandenburg.
Bo. Kurfursts and princes of the election,
Since by the adverse fortune of our age
The sacred and imperial majesty
Hath been usurp'd by open tyranny,
We, the seven pillars of the German em-
pire,

To whom successively it doth belong
To make election of our emperors,
Are here assembled to unite anew
Unto her former strength and glorious
type

Our half-declining Roman monarchy,
And in that hope I, Henry, King of Bohem,

Kurfurst and Sewer to the Emperor
Do take my seat next to the sacred throne.
Me. Next seat belongs to Julius Florius,
Archbishop of Mentz, Chancellor of Ger-
n:any,

By birth the Duke of fruitful Pomerland.
Pa. The next place in election 'longs

to me,

George Casimirus, Palsgrave of the Rhein,
His highness' taster, and upon my knee
I vow a pure, sincere, innated zeal
Unto my country, and no wrested hate
Or private love shall blind mine intellect.
Co. Brave Duke of Saxon, Dutchland's
greatest hope,

Stir now or never, let the Spanish tyrant That hath dishonour'd us, murder'd our friends,

And stain'd this seat with blood of inno

cents,

At last be chastised with the Saxon sword, And may Albertus, Archbishop of Collen, Chancellor of Italy, and the fourth Elector, Be thought unworthy of his place and birth, But he assist thee to his utmost power.

Sa. Wisdom, not words, must be the sovereign salve

To search and heal these grievous fester'd wounds;

And in that hope Augustus, Duke of Saxon,

Arch-Marshal to the Emperor, take my place.

Tr. The like doth Frederick, Arch-
bishop of Trier,

Duke of Lorrain, Chancellor of Gallia.
Br. The seventh and last is Joachim
Carolus,

Marquess of Brandenburg, o'erworn with

age,

Whose office is to be the Treasurer;

chair;

But wars have made the coffers like the Peace bringeth plenty, wars bring poverty; Grant heavens this meeting may be to effect,

Establish peace and cut off tyranny. Enter the Empress Isabella, King John's daughter.

Em. Pardon my bold intrusion, mighty Kurfursts,

And let my words pierce deeply in your hearts.

O, I beseech you on my bended knees,
I, the poor miserable Empress,
A stranger in this land, unused to broils,
Wife to the one and sister to the other

That are competitors for sovereignty;