The Laws of Candy | Page 2

They are Both famous Laws indeed.
[Enter a Messenger]
Messenger:
Master Secretary, The Senate is about to sit, and crave Your presence.
Gaspero:
What, so suddenly?
Messenger:
These Letters Will shew the causes why.
Gaspero:
Heaven, thou art great, And worthy to be thanked!

Melitus:
Your countenance, Sir, Doth promise some good tidings.
Gaspero:
O the best And happiest for this land that e'r was told! All the Venetian
Forces are defeated.
Melitus:
How, Sir?
Gaspero:
And what doth add some delight more, There is amongst the Souldiers
a contention Who shall be the triumpher, and it stands Doubtful
between a Father and his Son, Old Cassilanes, and young Antinous.
Melitus:
Why may not both demand it?
Gaspero:
The Law denies it, But where the Souldiers do not all consent, The
Parties in contention, are refer'd To plead before the Senate; and from
them Upon an open audience to be judg'd The Chief, and then to make
demands.
Melitus:
You ravish me With wonder and delight.
Gaspero:
Come; as we walk, I shall more fully inform you.
[Exeunt.

240] SCENE II
[Enter Cassilanes, Arcanes, Antinous, and Decius.]
Cassilanes:
Admit no Souldier near us till the Senate Have took their places.
Arcanes:
You are obey'd, my Lord.
Antinous:
Decius, fall off.
Decius:
I shall.
Cassilanes:
Give leave Arcanes: Young man, come nearer to me: who am I?
Antinous:
It were a sin against the piety Of filial duty, if I should forget The debt
I owe my Father on my knee: Your pleasure?
Cassilanes:
What, so low? canst thou find joints, Yet be an Elephant? Antinous, rise;
Thou wilt belye opinion, and rebate The ambition of thy gallantry, that
they Whose confidence thou hast bewitch'd, should see Their little God
of War, kneel to his Father, Though in my hand I did grasp Thunder.
Antinous:

Sir, For proof that I acknowledge you the Author Of giving me my
Birth, I have discharg'd A part of my Obedience. But if now You
should (as cruel fathers do) proclaim Your right, and Tyrant-like usurp
the glory Of my peculiar honours, not deriv'd From successary, but
purchas'd with my bloud, Then I must stand first Champion for my self
Against all interposers.
Cassilanes:
Boldly urg'd, And proudly, I could love thee, did not anger Consult
with just disdain, in open language To call thee most ungrateful. Say
freely, Wilt thou resign the flatteries whereon The reeling pillars of a
popular breath Have rais'd thy Giant-like conceit, to add A suffrage to
thy Fathers merit? speak. 241]
Antinous:
Sir, hear me: were there not a Chronicle Well pen'd by all their tongues,
who can report What they have seen you do; or had you not Best in
your own performance writ your self, And been your own text, I would
undertake Alone, without the help of Art, or Character, But only to
recount your deeds in Arms, And you should ever then be fam'd a
President Of living victory: But as you are Great, and well worthy to be
stiled Great, It would betray a poverty of Spirit In me to obstruct my
fortunes, or descent, If I should coward-like surrender up The interest
which the inheritance of your vertue And mine own thrifty fate can
claim in honour: My Lord, of all the mass of Fame, which any That
wears a Sword, and hath but seen me fight, Gives me, I will not share,
nor yield one jot, One tittle.
Cassilanes:
Not to me?
Antinous:
You are my Father, Yet not to you.

Cassilanes:
Ambitious Boy, how dar'st thou To tell me, that thou wilt contend?
Antinous:
Had I Been slothful, and not follow'd you in all The streights of death,
you might have justly then Reputed me a Bastard: 'tis a cruelty More
than to murther Innocents, to take The life of my yet infant-honour
from me.
Cassilanes:
Antinous, look upon this badge of age, Thy Father's grey-hair'd beard:
full fifty years, (And more than half of this, ere thou wert born) I have
been known a Souldier, in which time I found no difference 'twixt War
and Peace, For War was Peace to me, and Peace was War. Antinous,
mark me well; there hath not liv'd These fifty years a man whom Crete
prefer'd Before thy Father; let me boldly boast, Thy Father, both for
Discipline a[n]d Action 242] Hath so long been the first of all his
Nation; Now, canst thou think it honest, charitable, Nay humane, being
so young, my Son, my Child, Begot, bred, taught by me, by me thy
Father, For one days service, and that on thy first, To rob me of a glory
which I fought for A half of hundred years?
Antinous:
My case observes Both equity and presidents; for Sir, That very day
whereon you got your Fame,