The Tragedy of Mariam Act 4 Scene 4 by Elizabeth Cary Lyrics
scene 4
[Enter BUTLER.]
HEROD
What hast thou here?
BUTLER
A drink procuring love,
The queen desired me to deliver it.
MARIAM
Did I? Some hateful practice this will prove,
Yet can it be no worse than Heavens permit.
HEROD [To the BUTLER.]
Confess the truth, thou wicked
instrument
To her outrageous will, ’tis poison sure:
Tell true, and thou shalt scape the punishment,
Which, if thou do conceal, thou shalt endure.
BUTLER
I know not, but I doubt it be no less,
Long since the hate of you her heart did seize.
HEROD
Know’st thou the cause thereof?
BUTLER
My lord, I guess
Sohemus told the tale that did displease.
HEROD
Oh Heaven! Sohemus false! Go, let him die,
Stay not to suffer him to speak a word: [Exit BUTLER.]
Oh damnèd villain, did he falsify
The oath he swore ev’n of his own accord?
Now do I know thy falsehood, painted devil,
Thou white enchantress. Oh, thou art so foul,
That hyssop cannot cleanse thee, worst of evil.
A beauteous body hides a loathsome soul.
Your love Sohemus, moved by his affection,
Though he have ever heretofore been true,
Did blab forsooth, that I did give direction,
If we were put to death to slaughter you.
And you in black revenge attended now
To add a murder to your breach of vow.
MARIAM
Is this a dream?
HEROD
Oh Heaven, that ’twere no more,
I’ll give my realm to who can prove it so:
I would I were like any beggar poor,
So I for false my Mariam did not know—
Foul pith containèd in the fairest rind
That ever graded a cedar. Oh, thine eye
Is pure as Heaven, but impure thy mind,
And for impurity shall Mariam die.
Why didst thou love Sohemus?
MARIAM
They can tell
That say I loved him, Mariam says not so.
HEROD
Oh, cannot impudence the coals expel,
That for thy love in Herod’s bosom glow?
It is as plain as water, and denial
Makes of thy falsehood but a greater trial.
Hast thou beheld thyself, and could’st thou stain
So rare perfection? Even for love of thee
I do profoundly hate thee. Wert thou plain,
Thou should’st the wonder of Judea be.
But oh, thou art not. Hell itself lies hid
Beneath thy heavenly show. Yet never wert thou chaste:
Thou might’st exalt, pull down, command, forbid,
And be above the wheel of fortune placed.
Hadst thou complotted Herod’s massacre,
That so thy son a monarch might be styled,
Not half so grievous such an action were,
As once to think, that Mariam is defiled.
Bright workmanship of nature sullied o’er,
With pitchèd darkness now thine end shall be:
Thou shalt not live, fair fiend, to cozen more,
With heavenly semblance, as thou cozen’dst me.
Yet must I love thee in despite of death,
And thou shalt die in the despite of love:
For neither shall my love prolong thy breath,
Nor shall thy loss of breath my love remove.
I might have seen thy falsehood in thy face;
Where could’st thou get thy stars that served for eyes
Except by theft, and theft is foul disgrace?
This had appeared before, were Herod wise,
But I’m a sot, a very sot, no better:
My wisdom long ago a-wand’ring fell,
Thy face, encount’ring it, my wit did fetter,
And made me for delight my freedom sell.
Give me my heart, false creature, ’tis a wrong,
My guiltless heart should now with thine be slain:
Thou hadst no right to lock it up so long,
And with usurper’s name I Mariam stain.
[Enter BUTLER.]
HEROD
Have you designed Sohemus to his end?
BUTLER
I have, my lord.
HEROD
Then call our royal guard
To do as much for Mariam. [Exit BUTLER.] They offend
Leave ill unblamed, or good without reward.
[Enter SOLDIERS.]
Here, take her to her death. Come back, come back,
What meant I to deprive the world of light:
To muffle Jewry in the foulest black,
That ever was an opposite to white?
Why, whither would you carry her?
SOLDIER
You bade
We should conduct her to her death, my lord.
HEROD
Why, sure I did not, Herod was not mad.
Why should she feel the fury of the sword?
Oh, now the grief returns into my heart,
And pulls me piecemeal: love and hate do fight:
And now hath love acquired the greater part,
Yet now hath hate affection conquered quite.
And therefore bear her hence: and, Hebrew, why
Seize you with lion’s paws the fairest lamb
Of all the flock? She must not, shall not, die.
Without her I most miserable am,
And with her more than most. Away, away,
But bear her but to prison, not to death:
And is she gone indeed? Stay, villains, stay,
Her looks alone preserved your sovereign’s breath.
Well, let her go, but yet she shall not die;
I cannot think she meant to poison me:
But certain ’tis she lived too wantonly,
And therefore shall she never more be free. [Exeunt.]
[Enter BUTLER.]
HEROD
What hast thou here?
BUTLER
A drink procuring love,
The queen desired me to deliver it.
MARIAM
Did I? Some hateful practice this will prove,
Yet can it be no worse than Heavens permit.
HEROD [To the BUTLER.]
Confess the truth, thou wicked
instrument
To her outrageous will, ’tis poison sure:
Tell true, and thou shalt scape the punishment,
Which, if thou do conceal, thou shalt endure.
BUTLER
I know not, but I doubt it be no less,
Long since the hate of you her heart did seize.
HEROD
Know’st thou the cause thereof?
BUTLER
My lord, I guess
Sohemus told the tale that did displease.
HEROD
Oh Heaven! Sohemus false! Go, let him die,
Stay not to suffer him to speak a word: [Exit BUTLER.]
Oh damnèd villain, did he falsify
The oath he swore ev’n of his own accord?
Now do I know thy falsehood, painted devil,
Thou white enchantress. Oh, thou art so foul,
That hyssop cannot cleanse thee, worst of evil.
A beauteous body hides a loathsome soul.
Your love Sohemus, moved by his affection,
Though he have ever heretofore been true,
Did blab forsooth, that I did give direction,
If we were put to death to slaughter you.
And you in black revenge attended now
To add a murder to your breach of vow.
MARIAM
Is this a dream?
HEROD
Oh Heaven, that ’twere no more,
I’ll give my realm to who can prove it so:
I would I were like any beggar poor,
So I for false my Mariam did not know—
Foul pith containèd in the fairest rind
That ever graded a cedar. Oh, thine eye
Is pure as Heaven, but impure thy mind,
And for impurity shall Mariam die.
Why didst thou love Sohemus?
MARIAM
They can tell
That say I loved him, Mariam says not so.
HEROD
Oh, cannot impudence the coals expel,
That for thy love in Herod’s bosom glow?
It is as plain as water, and denial
Makes of thy falsehood but a greater trial.
Hast thou beheld thyself, and could’st thou stain
So rare perfection? Even for love of thee
I do profoundly hate thee. Wert thou plain,
Thou should’st the wonder of Judea be.
But oh, thou art not. Hell itself lies hid
Beneath thy heavenly show. Yet never wert thou chaste:
Thou might’st exalt, pull down, command, forbid,
And be above the wheel of fortune placed.
Hadst thou complotted Herod’s massacre,
That so thy son a monarch might be styled,
Not half so grievous such an action were,
As once to think, that Mariam is defiled.
Bright workmanship of nature sullied o’er,
With pitchèd darkness now thine end shall be:
Thou shalt not live, fair fiend, to cozen more,
With heavenly semblance, as thou cozen’dst me.
Yet must I love thee in despite of death,
And thou shalt die in the despite of love:
For neither shall my love prolong thy breath,
Nor shall thy loss of breath my love remove.
I might have seen thy falsehood in thy face;
Where could’st thou get thy stars that served for eyes
Except by theft, and theft is foul disgrace?
This had appeared before, were Herod wise,
But I’m a sot, a very sot, no better:
My wisdom long ago a-wand’ring fell,
Thy face, encount’ring it, my wit did fetter,
And made me for delight my freedom sell.
Give me my heart, false creature, ’tis a wrong,
My guiltless heart should now with thine be slain:
Thou hadst no right to lock it up so long,
And with usurper’s name I Mariam stain.
[Enter BUTLER.]
HEROD
Have you designed Sohemus to his end?
BUTLER
I have, my lord.
HEROD
Then call our royal guard
To do as much for Mariam. [Exit BUTLER.] They offend
Leave ill unblamed, or good without reward.
[Enter SOLDIERS.]
Here, take her to her death. Come back, come back,
What meant I to deprive the world of light:
To muffle Jewry in the foulest black,
That ever was an opposite to white?
Why, whither would you carry her?
SOLDIER
You bade
We should conduct her to her death, my lord.
HEROD
Why, sure I did not, Herod was not mad.
Why should she feel the fury of the sword?
Oh, now the grief returns into my heart,
And pulls me piecemeal: love and hate do fight:
And now hath love acquired the greater part,
Yet now hath hate affection conquered quite.
And therefore bear her hence: and, Hebrew, why
Seize you with lion’s paws the fairest lamb
Of all the flock? She must not, shall not, die.
Without her I most miserable am,
And with her more than most. Away, away,
But bear her but to prison, not to death:
And is she gone indeed? Stay, villains, stay,
Her looks alone preserved your sovereign’s breath.
Well, let her go, but yet she shall not die;
I cannot think she meant to poison me:
But certain ’tis she lived too wantonly,
And therefore shall she never more be free. [Exeunt.]