Salome.
MOre plotting yet? Why? now you haue the thing
For which so you spent your supliant breath:
And Mariam hopes to haue another King,
Her eyes doe sparkle ioy for Herods death.
Alex.
If she desir'd another King to haue,
She might before she came in Herods bed
Haue had her wish. More Kings then one did craue,
For leaue to set a Crowne vpon her head.
I thinke with more then reason she laments,
That she is freed from such a sad annoy:
Who ist will weepe to part from discontent,
And if she ioy, she did not causelesse ioy.
Sal.
You durst not thus haue giuen your tongue the raine,
If noble Herod still remaind in life:
Your daughters betters farre I dare maintaine,
Might haue reioyc'd to be my brothers wife.
Mar.
My betters farre, base woman vntrue,
You scarce haue euer my superiors seene:
For Mariams seruants were as good as you,
Before she came to be Iudeas Queene.
Sal.
Now stirs the tongue that is so quickly mou'd,
But more then once your collor haue I borne:
Your fumish words are sooner sayd then prou'd,
And Salomes reply is onely scorne.
Mar.
Scorne those that are for companions held,
Though I brothers face had neuer seene,
My birth, baser birth so farre exceld,
I had to both of you the Princesse bene.
party Iew, and party Edomite,
Mongrell: issu'd from reiected race,
Ancestors against the Heauens did fight,
And like them wilt heauenly birth disgrace.
Sal.
Still twit you me with nothing but my birth,
What ods betwixt your ancesters and mine?
Both borne of Adam, both were made of Earth,
And both did come from holy Abrahams line.
Mar.
I fauour when nothing else I say,
VVith blacke acts ile not pollute my breath:
Else to charge I might full iustly lay
A shamefull life, besides a husbands death.
Sal.
true indeed, I did the plots reueale,
That past betwixt your fauorites and you:
I ment not I, a traytor to conceale.
Thus Salome your Mynion Ioseph slue.
Mar.
Heauen, meane this Infamy to smother?
Let sl[…]ndred Mariam ope closed eare:
Selfe guilt euer bene suspitious mother,
And therefore I this speech with patience beare.
No, had not Salomes vnstedfast heart,
In Iosephus stead her Constabarus plast,
To free her selfe, she had not vsde the art,
To slander haplesse Mariam for vnchast.
Alex.
Come Mariam, let vs goe: it is no boote
To let the head contend against the foote.