Not Peer Reviewed
The Whore of Babylon (Quarto, 1607)
1222
The Empres, Cardinals &c.
1224
Omn.
Peace.
1225
1. King.
Peace there.
1229Goe out of order, tis as if yon Regiment,
1230Weare all in vp-roare: heauen
should then be vext,
1232Dreadfull eclypses, that portend dire plagues
1233To nations, fall to Empires, death to Kings,
1234To Citties deua
station, to the world,
1235That vniuersall hot calamitie
1236Of the la
st horror. But our royall bloud,
1238
Aetna, burns in vs: bearded Comets
shoote
1239Their vengeance through our eyes: our breath is lightning;
1240Thunder our voyce; yet, as the idle Cannon,
1241Strikes at the Aires Invulnerable bre
st)
1242Our darts are phillip'd backe in mockery,
1243Wanting the poynts to wound.
1244
1. King.
Too neere the heart,
1252To an vnusde defiance: giue your reuenge,
1254You tooke, in veyling to her: you haue beene
1256And like a mother (cause her yeares are greene)
1257Haue winck't at Errors, hoping time, or councell,
1260
Empe.
What followes?
1262And be the
steptdame; wanton her no more
1263On your Indulgent knee,
signe no more pardons
1265But let it be a meritorious Act:
1266Make it a ladder for the soule to climbe,
1267Lift from the hindges all the gates of heauen;
1268To make way for him that
shall kill her.
1269
Omnes.
Good.
1271Or els a Saints place and Canonize him;
1273That sylly soules may go on pilgrimage,
1275As a mo
st reuerent relique.
1278
Empe.
Her fayrie Lordes
1279(That play the Pilots nowe, and
steere her kingdome
1280In fowle
st weather) as white bearded corne
1281Bowes his proud head before th'imperiall windes,
1282Shall soly groueling (heere) when that day comes.
1285
1. King.
Is not the good and politique Satyran
1289They haue
strange workings (down-wards) into hel.
1290
Emp.
That Satiran is this hand: his braines a forge
1291Still working for ys he's the trew set clocke
1292By which we goe, and of our houres doth keepe
1295Vnder your holy cullors and forsake
1297Whose heartes are Babylonized: all the Mutiners
1298All the damb'd Crew, that would for gold teare off
1299The deuills beard: All schollers that doe eate
1302Their backes like Innocent Lambes, their minds like (woues,
1304Again
st their owne annointed; their owne Country,
1305Their very parent. And thus
shippes 'em hither.
1306To make em yours.
1308
1. Card.
Only to imploy them
1310With hony, hiue them, when they are droanes, de
stroy them.
1312Are three fit engines for vs.
1313
Empr.
Are they wrought?
1315Out of your Cup made wee them drunke with wines,
1318From lippe to lippe, in mid'
st of taking healths,
1319They tooke their owne damnation, if their bloud
1324A while for pleasure, and then hang them by,
1325Who Princes can vpbrayd, tis good they die.
1326For as in building sumptuous pallaces,
1328Till wee haue raized the Frame: and that being done,
1329(To grace the worke) we take the Scaffolds downe,
1336Looke Cheerefully; backs turn'd, no more thought vpon.
1340They scarce are worth the killing: with the Larke
1341(The morning's fawlkner) so they may mount hie,
1343What are they but leane hungry Crowes that tyre
1344Vpon the mangled quarters of a Realme?
1345And on the house-tops of Nobilitie
1346(If there they can but
sit) like fatall Rauens,
1347Or Skrich-Owles croake their fals and hoarsely bode,
1350
Emp.
True: like corrupted Churchmē they are doues,
1351That haue eate carrion: home weele therefore send
1353Of their owne countrey, when their venemous bags
1355Are full and vpon bur
sting: let them there
1356Weaue in their politicke loomes nets to catch flies;
1357To vs they are but Pothecary drugs,
1358Which we will take as Phy
sicall pils, not food:
1359Vse them as lancets to let others bloud,
1360That haue foule bodies, care not whom you wound,
1362
Omn.
Here come they.
1365In honours and our fauour: you haue thru
st
1366Your armes into our cofers, haue you not?
1368
Camp.
And into our owne,
1369Haue rayned downe
showers of gold.
1372Be you but duteous tributarie
streames:
1373But is your temper right? are not the edges
1375Doe not your hearts
sinke downe yet? will you on?
1376
All 3. Stood death ith' way.
1377
Lup.
Stood hell.
1383Grow
stormie, houer, keepe aloofe: if feares,
1384Shipwracks, and death lie tumbling on the waues,
1385And will not off, then ombe venturous,
1388Her narrow eyes, turne your selues then to Moles,
1389Worke vnder ground, and vndermine your countrey,
1390Tho you ca
st earth vp but a handfull high,
1391To make her
stumble: if that bloud-hound hunt you,
1392(That long-ear'd Inqui
sition) take the thickets,
1393Climbe vp to Hay-mowes, liue like birds, and eate
1394The vndeflowred corne: in hollow trees
1396Flie with the Batt vnder the eeues of night,
1399Or if you walke abroad, be wrapt in clouds,
1400Haue change of haires, of cie-brows, halt with soldiers,
1402To escape taking: But if they ayre be cleere,
1403Flie to the Court, and vnderneath the wings
1404Of the Eagle, Faulcon, or some great bird houer,
1405Oakes and large Beech-trees many, bea
sts doe couer.
1407Of that my onely foe the Fairie Queene,
1408Shalbe my loue, and (clad in purple) ride
1410Seuen Kingdomes on seuen heads.
1411
Camp.
If all the Spels
1412That wit, or eloquence, or arts can set:
1416(But as I merit
shall) vp in your eye.
1420
Emp.
Fare you well:
1421Our benediction goe along with you----
1424And wedge you into earth low as the deepe
1425Where are the damned, if our world you fire,
1428Onely to emptie quiuers, and to
shoot
1429Whole
sheafes of forked arrowes at the Sunne,
1430Yet neuer hit him?
1436Should all breake in at once, and in a deluge
1437Of Innouation, rough rebellion, factions,
1439Swallow the kingdome vp, and that the bloud
1442Is yours? what land
shall you recouer?
1443
1. King.
All.
1444
Com.
All!
1445
1. King.
I, all:
1448In what degree we are, and of what height
1450Being vnderneath that Tropicke: as those jewels
1451Of night and day are by alternate course
1452Worne in Heauens fore-head,
1453So when Deaths Winter comes,
1455Which in this oblique and Zodiacall Sphere
1458Shall Fairie land get warmth? meerely from hence.
1459Let but the taper of her life burne out,
1460We haue such torches ready in her land
1462Shall make the frighted people thinke earth burnes,
1463And being dazled with our Copes of Starres,
1467Nor scarce the colour: by your charmes I gather
1468You haue seene Fairie land---but in a Map:
1469Can tell how't
stands: but if you giue't a fall,
1471This to your eare; though you bait hookes with gold,
1472Ten thousand may be nibbling, when none bites,
1474Say that Titania were now drawing
short breath,
1475(As that's the Cone and Button that together
1478Of
stronger talent, of more dreadfull beake,
1479Who swooping through the ayre, may with his beating
1480So well commaund the winds, that all those trees
1482Will tremble, & (through feare
strucke dead) to earth,
1484Driue them from thence, yea and perhaps his talent
1486That it may
shake all Babilon.
1487
Emp.
All Babylon!
1489
Emp.
How the preuention?
1491Our axe mu
st cleaue the kingdome, that's the Oake.
1492
Emp.
The manner.
1494Are anuiling abroad, call Satyran home,
1495He in his fadome metes va
st Argozies,
1497As by enchantment of the waters moue:
1498To his, marry yours and ours; and of them all
1500That may breake Neptunes backe to carry it:
1501Such for varietie, number, pui
s
s
ance,
1502As may fetch all the Fairie Land in turfes,
1503To make a greene for you to walke vpon
1504In Babilon.
1505
1. King.
Inuincible! goe on.
1509So that the very Aluerado giuen,
1511Your warlike Pageants dancing on the waues,
1512Yours is the Land, the Nation are your
slaues.
1515Braue voyage! Rig out
ships, and fetch a Realme.
1516
Exeunt.