11Actus primus, Scaena prima. 22Enter William the Conqueror: Marques Lubeck, with a picture: 33Mountney: Manuile: Valingford: and Duke Dirot. 44Marques. WHat meanes faire Britaines mighty Conqueror
55So
suddenly to ca
st away his
sta
ffe?
66And all in pa
ssion to for
sake the tilt.
77D. Dirot. My Lord, this triumph we
solemni
se here,
88Is of meere loue to your increa
sing ioyes:
99Only expe
cting cheerefull lookes for all.
1010What
sudden pangs then moues your maie
sty,
1111To dim the brightne
sse of the day with frownes?
1212W.Conqueror. Ah, good my Lords, mi
scon
ster not the cau
se:
1313At lea
st,
su
spe
ct not my di
splea
sed browes
1414I amorou
sly do beare to your intent:
1515For thanks and all that you can wi
sh I yeeld.
1616But that which makes me blu
sh and
shame to tell,
1717Is cau
se why thus I turne my conquering eyes
1818To cowards lookes and beaten fanta
sies.
1919Mountney. Since we are guiltle
sse, we the le
sse di
smay
2020To
see this
sudden change po
sse
sse your cheere:
2121For if it i
ssue from your owne conceits,
2222Bred by
sugge
stion of
some enuious thoughts:
2323Your highne
sse wi
sdome may
suppre
sse it
straight.
2424Yet tell vs (good my Lord) what thought it is,
2525That thus bereaues you of your late content,
2626That in adui
se we may a
ssist your Grace.
2727Or bend our forces to reuiue your
spirits.
2828W. Con. Ah
Marques Lubeck, in thy power it lyes
2929To rid my bo
some of the
se thraled dumps:
3030And therefore, good my Lords forbeare a while,
3131That we may parley of the
se priuate cares,
3232Who
se
strength
subdues me more than all the world.
3333Valingford. We goe and wi
sh thee priuate conference,
3434Publicke a
ffe
cts in this accu
stomed peace.
3535Exit all but William and the Marques. 3636William. Now
Marques mu
st a Conqueror at armes
3737Di
sclo
se him
selfe thrald to vnarmed thoughts,
3838And threatned of a
shaddow, yeeld to lu
st:
3939No
sooner had my
sparkeling eyes beheld
4040The
flames of beautie bla
sing on this peece,
4141But
suddenly a
sence of myracle
4242Imagined on thy louely Mai
stres face,
4343Made mee abandon bodily regard,
4444And ca
st all plea
sures on my wounded
soule:
4545Then gentle
Marques tell me what
she is,
4646That thus thou honoure
st on thy warlike
shield:
4747And if thy loue and intere
st be
such,
4848As iu
stly may giue place to mine,
4949That if it be: my
soule with honors wings
5050May
fly into the bo
some of my deare.
5151If not, clo
se them and
stoope into my graue.
5252Marques. If this be all renowned Conquero:
5353Aduance your drooping
spirits, and reuiue
5454The wonted courage of your Conquering minde,
5555For this faire pi
cture painted on my
shield
5656Is the true counterfeit of louelie
Blanch 5757Princes and daughter to the King of
Danes: 5858Who
se beautie and exce
sse of ornaments
5959De
serues another manner of defence
6060Pompe and high per
son to attend her
state
6161Than
Marques Lubeck any way pre
sents:
6262Therefore her vertues I re
signe ro thee,
6363Alreadie
shrind in thy religious bre
st,
6464To be aduanced and honoured to the full.
6565Nor beare I this an argument of loue:
6666But to renowne faire
Blanch my Soueraignes Childe,
6767In euerie place where I by armes may doe it.
6868William. Ah
Marques, thy words bring heauen vnto my
soule,
6969And had I heauen to giue for thy reward,
7070Thou
should
st be thronde in no vnworthy place.
7171But let my vttermo
st wealth
su
ffice thy worth,
7272Which here I vowe, and to a
spire the bli
sse
7373That hangs on quicke atchiuement of my loue,
7474Thy
selfe and I will trauell in di
sgui
se,
7575To bring this Ladie to our Brittaine Court
7676Marques. Let
William but bethinke what may auayle,
7777And let mee die if I denie my ayde.
7878William. Then thus: The
Duke Dirot and th'Earle
Dimach 7979Will I leaue
sub
stitutes to rule my Realme,
8080While mightie loue forbids my being here,
8181And in the name of Sir
Robert of
Windsor 8282Will goe with thee vnto the Dani
sh Court.
8383Keepe
Williams secrets
Marques if thou loue him.
8484Bright
Blaunch I come, sweet fortune fauour me,
8585And I will laud thy name eternally.