SCENE V.--_The Palace of_ RASNI.

_Enter_ JONAS, RASNI, ALVIDA, _the_ KING OF CILICIA, _and other_ Kings, _royally attended._

_Jonas._ Come, careful king, cast off thy mournful weeds, Exchange thy cloudy looks to smoothèd smiles; Thy tears have pierc'd the piteous throne of grace, Thy sighs, like incense pleasing to the Lord, Have been peace-offerings for thy former pride: Rejoice, and praise his name that gave thee peace. And you, fair nymphs, ye lovely Ninevites, Since you have wept and fasted 'fore the Lord, He graciously hath temper'd his revenge: Beware henceforth to tempt him any more: Let not the niceness of your beauteous looks Engraft in you a high-presuming mind; For those that climb he casteth to the ground, And they that humble be he lifts aloft.

_Rasni._ Lowly I bend with awful bent of eye, Before the dread Jehovah, God of hosts, Despising all profane device of man. Those lustful lures, that whilom led awry My wanton eyes, shall wound my heart no more; And she, whose youth in dalliance I abus'd, Shall now at last become my wedlock-mate.-- Fair Alvida, look not so wo-begone; If for thy sin thy sorrow do exceed, Blessèd be thou; come, with a holy band Let's knit a knot to salve our former shame.

_Alvi._ With blushing looks, betokening my remorse, I lowly yield, my king, to thy behest, So as this man of God shall think it good.

_Jonas._ Woman, amends may never come too late; A will to practise good is virtuous: The God of heaven, when sinners do repent, Doth more rejoice than in ten thousand just.

_Rasni._ Then witness, holy prophet, our accord.

_Alvi._ Plight in the presence of the Lord thy God.

_Jonas._ Blest may you be, like to the flowering sheaves That play with gentle winds in summer-tide; Like olive-branches let your children spread, And as the pines in lofty Lebanon, Or as the kids that feed on Sepher[130] plains, So be the seed and offspring of your loins!

_Enter the_ Usurer, THRASYBULUS, _and_ ALCON.

_Usurer._ Come forth, my friends, whom wittingly I wrong'd: Before this man of God receive your due; Before our king I mean to make my peace.-- Jonas, behold, in sign of my remorse, I here restore into these poor men's hands Their goods which I unjustly have detain'd; And may the heavens so pardon my misdeeds As I am penitent for my offence!

_Thras._ And what through want from others I purloin'd, Behold, O king, I proffer 'fore thy throne, To be restor'd to such as owe[131] the same.

_Jonas._ A virtuous deed, pleasing to God and man. Would God, all cities drownèd in like shame Would take example of these Ninevites.

_Rasni._ Such be the fruits of Nineveh's repent; And such for ever may our dealings be, That he that call'd us home in height of sin May smile to see our hearty penitence.-- Viceroys, proclaim a fast unto the Lord; Let Israel's God be honour'd in our land; Let all occasion of corruption die, For who shall fault therein shall suffer death Bear witness, God, of my unfeignèd zeal.-- Come, holy man, as thou shalt counsel me, My court and city shall reformèd be.

_Jonas._ Wend on in peace, and prosecute this course. [_Exeunt all except_ JONAS. You islanders, on whom the milder air Doth sweetly breathe the balm of kind increase, Whose lands are fatten'd with the dew of heaven, And made more fruitful than Actæan plains; You whom delicious pleasures dandle soft, Whose eyes are blinded with security, Unmask yourselves, cast error clean aside. O London, maiden of the mistress-isle, Wrapt in the folds and swathing-clouts of shame, In thee more sins than Nineveh contains! Contempt of God, despite of reverend age, Neglect of law, desire to wrong the poor, Corruption, whoredom, drunkenness, and pride. Swoll'n are thy brows with impudence and shame, O proud adulterous glory of the west! Thy neighbours burn, yet dost thou fear no fire; Thy preachers cry, yet dost thou stop thine ears; The 'larum rings, yet sleepest thou secure. London, awake, for fear the Lord do frown: I set a looking-glass before thine eyes. O, turn, O, turn, with weeping to the Lord, And think the prayers and virtues of thy queen Defer the plague which otherwise would fall! Repent, O London! lest for thine offence, Thy shepherd fail, whom mighty God preserve, That she may bide the pillar of his church Against the storms of Romish Anti-Christ! The hand of mercy overshade her head, And let all faithful subjects say, Amen! [_Exit._

ORLANDO FURIOSO

Two quartos of _Orlando Furioso_ are known. Of these, copies of the first, dated 1594, printed by John Danter for Cuthbert Burby, are to be found in the British Museum and in the Dyce Library at South Kensington; copies of the second, dated 1599, and printed by Simon Stafford for Cuthbert Burby, are to be found in the British Museum, the Dyce Library and the library of Mr Huth. On the _Stationers' Registers_ the play is entered, 7th December 1593, to John Danter, and notice of transfer to Cuthbert Burby is made under date of 28th May 1594. The play belonged first to the Queen's players and was probably performed at court, possibly on St. Stephen's Day, 26th December 1588, though this is conjecture (_See_ Cayley, _Rep. Eng. Com._, p 409). Upon the absence of the Queen's men from court, 26th December 1591 to April 1593, this play, among others, fell into the hands of the combined Admiral's and Strange's companies, and was by them performed, as Henslowe records, 21st February 1592. Greene's name does not appear on the title-page of the quartos. In _The Defence of Conny-Catching_ (1592), we find the following.--"Master R. G., would it not make you blush--if you sold _Orlando Furioso_ to the Queen's players for twenty nobles, and when they were in the country, sold the same play to Lord Admiral's men, for as much more? Was not this plain coney-catching, M. G.?" Among the actors in the Admiral and Strange companies was Edward Alleyn. It so occurs that there exists at Dulwich College a large portion of the MS. of this play, containing the part of Orlando, with cues regularly marked, and with omissions supplied in the handwriting of Alleyn. Though imperfect, this MS. indicates that the printed edition was composed from a curtailed and mutilated copy. Greene's play is based on a free use of Ariosto, and may be considered a parody on the "mad plays" popular at the time. Reflections of it are to be found in Peele's _Old Wives' Tale_, in the name Sacripant, and in the resemblance between ll. 66-69, _Orlando Furioso_, and ll. 885-888, _Old Wives' Tale_.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

MARSILIUS, Emperor of Africa.

SOLDAN OF EGYPT.

RODOMONT, King of Cuba.

MANDRICARD, King of Mexico.

BRANDIMART, King of the Isles.

SACRIPANT.

ORLANDO.

OGIER.

NAMUS.

OLIVER.

TURPIN.

DUKE OF AQUITAIN.

ROSSILION.

MEDOR.

ORGALIO, page to ORLANDO.

SACRIPANT'S man.

TOM.

RALPH.

Fiddler.

Several of the Twelve Peers of France, whose names are not given. Clowns, Attendants, etc.

ANGELICA, daughter to MARSILIUS.

MELISSA, an enchantress.

Satyrs.

_THE HISTORY OF ORLANDO FURIOSO_[132]

ACT THE FIRST