Monument is fit But what 's beyond our love and wit On the little Regina Collier on the same Tomb-stone VErtue 's Blossom Beauty's Bud The Pride of all that 's fair and good By Death's fierce hand was snatched hence In her state of Innocence Who by it this advantage gains Her wages got without her pains Friendship LEt the dull brutish World that know not Love Continue Hereticks and disapprove That noble Flame but the refined know 'T is all the Heaven we have here below Nature subsists by Love and they do tie Things to their Causes but by Sympathy Love chains the different Elements in one Great Harmony link'd to the Heav'nly Throne And as on Earth so the blest Quire above Of Saints and Angels are maintain'd by Love That is their Business and Felicity And will be so to all Eternity That is the Ocean our Affections here Are but streams borrow'd from the Fountain there And 't is the noblest Argument to prove A Beauteous mind that it knows how to Love Those kind Impressions which Fate can't controul Are Heaven's mintage on a worthy Soul For Love is all the Arts Epitome And is the Sum of all Divinity He 's worse than Beast that cannot Love and yet It is not bought for Money Pains or Wit For no chance or design can Spirits move But the Eternal destiny of Love And when two Souls are chang'd and mixed so It is what they and none but they can do This this is Friendship that abstracted flame Which groveling Mortals know not how to name All Love is sacred and the Marriage-tie Hath much of Honour and Divinity But Lust Design or some unworthy ends May mingle there which are despis'd by Friends Passion hath violent extreams and thus All oppositions are contiguous So when the end is serv'd their Love will bate If Friendship make it not more fortunate Friendship that Love's Elixir that pure fire Which burns the clearer ' cause it burns the higher For Love like earthly fires which will decay If the material fuel be away Is with offensive smoke accompanied And by resistance only is supplied But Friendship like the fiery Element With its own Heat and Nourishment content Where neither hurt nor smoke nor noise is made Scorns the assistance of a foreign aid Friendship like Heraldry is hereby known Richest when plainest bravest when alone Calm as a Virgin and more Innocent Than sleeping Doves are and as much content As Saints in Visions quiet as the Night But clear and open as the Summer's light United more than Spirits Faculties Higher in thoughts than are the Eagle's eyes What shall I say when we true friends are grown W' are like Alas w' are like our selves alone The Enquiry 1. IF we no old Historian's name Authentick will admit But think all said of Friendship 's fame But Poetry or Wit Yet what 's rever'd by Minds so pure Must be a bright Idea sure 2. But as our Immortality By inward sense we find Judging that if it could not be It would not be design'd So here how could such Copies fall If there were no Original 3. But if Truth be in ancient Song Or Story we believe If the inspir'd and graver Throng Have scorned to deceive There have been Hearts whose Friendship gave Them thoughts at once both soft and brave 4. Among that consecrated Few Some more Seraphick shade Lend me a favourable Clew Now mists my eyes invade Why having fill'd the World with Fame Left you so little of your flame 5. Why is' t so difficult to see Two Bodies and one Mind And why are those who else agree So differently kind Hath Nature such fantastick art That she can vary every Heart 6. Why are the bands of Friendship tied With so remiss a knot That by the most it is defied And by the rest forgot Why do we step with so light sense From Friendship to Indifference 7. If Friendship Sympathy impart Why this ill-shuffled game That Heart can never meet with Heart Or Flame encounter Flame What does this Cruelty create Is' t the Intrigue of Love or Fate 8. Had Friendship ne're been known to Men The Ghost at last confest The World had been a stranger then To all that Heaven possest But could it all be here acquir'd Not Heaven it self would be desir'd To my Lucasia in defence of declared Friendship 1. O My Lucasia let us speak our Love And think not that impertinent can be Which to us both doth such assurance prove And whence we find how justly we agree 2. Before we knew the treasures of our Love Our noble aims our joys did entertain And shall enjoyment nothing then improve 'T were best for us then to begin again 3. Now we have gain'd we must not stop and sleep Out all the rest of our mysterious reign It is as hard and glorious to keep A victory as it is to obtain 4. Nay to what end did we once barter Minds Only to know and to neglect the claim Or like some Wantons our Pride pleasure finds To throw away the thing at which we aim 5. If this be all our Friendship does design We covet not enjoyment then but power To our Opinion we our Bliss confine And love to have but not to smell the flower 6. Ah! then let Misers bury thus their Gold Who though they starve no farthing will produce But we lov'd to enjoy and to behold And sure we cannot spend our stock by use 7. Think not 't is needless to repeat desires The fervent Turtles alwaies court and bill And yet their spotless passion never tires But does encrease by repetition still 8. Although we know we love yet while our Soul Is thus imprison'd by the Flesh we wear There 's no way left that bondage to controul But to convey transactions through the Ear. 9. Nay though we read our passions in the Eye It will oblige and please to tell them too Such joys as these by motion multiply Were 't but to find that our Souls told us true 10. Believe not then that being now secure Of either's heart we have no more to do The Spheres themselves by motion do endure And they move on by Circulation too 11. And as a River when it once hath paid The tribute which it to the Ocean owes Stops not but turns and having curl'd and play'd On its own waves the shore it overflows 12. So the Soul's motion does not end in b'iss But on her self she scatters and dilates And on the Object doubles till by this She finds new joys which that reflux creates 13. But then because it cannot all contain It seeks a vent by telling the glad news First to the Heart which did its joys obtain Then to the Heart which did those joys produce 14. When my Soul then doth such excursions make Unless thy Soul delight to meet it too What satisfaction can it give or take Thou being absent at the interview 15. 'T is not Distrust for were that plea allow'd Letters
when our Sense is dispossest Our labouring Souls will heave and pant And gasp for one anothers breast Since their Conveyances they want 3. Nay we have felt the tedious smart Of absent Friendship and do know That when we die we can but part And who knows what we shall do now 4. Yet I must go we will submit And so our own Disposers be For while we nobly suffer it We triumph o're Necessity 5. By this we shall be truly great If having other things o'recome To make our victory compleat We can be Conquerors at home 6. Nay then to meet we may conclude And all Obstructions overthrow Since we our Passion have subdu'd Which is the strongest thing I know Against Pleasure Set by Dr. Coleman 1. THere 's no such thing as Pleasure here 'T is all a perfect Cheat Which does but shine and disappear Whose Charm is but Deceit The empty bribe of yielding Souls Which first betrays and then controuls 2. 'T is true it looks at distance fair But if we do approch The fruit of Sodom will impair And perish at a touch In Being than in Fancy less And we expect more than possess 3. For by our Pleasures we are cloy'd And so Desire is done Or else like Rivers they make wide The Channel where they run And either way true bliss destroys Making Us narrow or our Joys 4. We covet Pleasure easily But it not so possess For many things must make it be But one may make it less Nay were our state as we could chuse it 'T would be consum'd by fear to lose it 5. What art thou then thou winged Air More weak and swift than Fame Whos 's next successor is Despair And its attendant Shame Th' Experience-Prince then reason had Who said of Pleasure It is mad A Prayer ETernal Reason Glorious Majesty Compar'd to whom what can be said to be Whose Attributes are Thee who art alone Cause of all various things and yet but One Whose Essence can no more be search'd by Man Then Heav'n thy Throne be grasped with a Span. Yet if this great Creation was design'd To several ends fitted for every kind Sure Man the World's Epitome must be Form'd to the best that is to study thee And as our Dignity 't is Duty too Which is summ'd up in this to know and do These comely rows of Creatures spell thy Name Whereby we grope to find from whence they came By thy own Chain of Causes brought to think There must be one then find that highest Link Thus all created Excellence we see Is a resemblance faint and dark of thee Such shadows are produc'd by the Moon-beams Of Trees or Houses in the running streams Yet by Impressions born with us we find How good great just thou art how unconfin'd Here we are swallowed up and gladly dwell Safely adoring what we cannot tell All we know is thou art supremely good And dost delight to be so understood A spicy Mountain on the Universe On which thy richest Odours do disperse But as the Sea to fill a Vessel heaves More greedily than any Cask receives Besieging round to find some gap in it Which will a new Infusion admit So dost thou covet that thou mayst dispence Upon the empty World thy Influence Lov'st to disburse thy self in kindness Thus The King of Kings waits to be gracious On this account O God enlarge my heart To entertain what thou wouldst fain impart Nor let that Soul by several titles thine And most capacious form'd for things Divine So nobly meant that when it most doth miss 'T is in mistaken pantings after Bliss Degrade it self in sordid things delight Or by prophaner mixtures lose its right Oh! that with fixt unbroken thoughts it may Admire the light which does obscure the day And since 't is Angels work it hath to do May its composure be like Angels too When shall these clogs of Sense and Fancy break That I may hear the God within me speak When with a silent and retired art Shall I with all this empty hurry part To the Still Voice above my Soul advance My light and joy plac'd in his Countenance By whose dispence my Soul to such frame brought May tame each trech'rous fix each scat'ring thought With such distinctions all things here behold And so to separate each dross from gold That nothing my free Soul may satisfie But t' imitate enjoy and study thee To Mris. M. A. upon Absence 1. 'T Is now since I began to die Four Months yet still I gasping live Wrapp'd up in sorrow do I lie Hoping yet doubting a Reprieve Adam from Paradise expell'd Just such a wretched Being held 2. 'T is not thy Love I fear to lose That will in spight of absence hold But 't is the benefit and use Is lost as in imprison'd Gold Which though the Sum be ne're so great Enriches nothing but conceit 3. What angry Star then governs me That I must feel a double smart Prisoner to fate as well as thee Kept from thy face link'd to thy heart Because my Love all love excells Must my Grief have no Parallels 4. Sapless and dead as Winter here I now remain and all I see Copies of my wild state appear But I am their Epitome Love me no more for I am grown Too dead and dull for thee to own To Mrs. Mary Awbrey SOul of my Soul my joy my crown my Friend A name which all the rest doth comprehend How happy are we now whose Souls are grown By an incomparable mixture one Whose well-acquainted Minds are now as near As Love or Vows or Friendship can endear I have no thought but what 's to thee reveal'd Nor thou desire that is from me conceal'd Thy Heart locks up my Secrets richly set And my Breast is thy private Cabinet Thou shed'st no tear but what my moisture lent And if I sigh it is thy breath is spent United thus what Horrour can appear Worthy our Sorrow Anger or our Fear Let the dull World alone to talk and fight And with their vast Ambitions Nature fright Let them despise so Innocent a flame While Envy Pride and Faction play their game But we by Love sublim'd so high shall rise To pity Kings and Conquerours despise Since we that Sacred Union have engrost Which they and all the factious World have lost In Memory of Mr. Cartwright STay Prince of Phancie stay we are not fit To welcome or admire thy Raptures yet Such horrid Ignorance benights the Times That Wit and Honour are become our Crimes But when those happy Pow'rs which guard thy dust To us and to thy Mem'ry shall be just And by a flame from thy blest Genius lent Rescue us from our dull Imprisonment Unsequester our Fancies and create A Worth that may upon thy Glories wait We then shall understand thee and descry The splendour of restored Poetry Till when let no bold hand profane thy shrine 'T is high Wit-Treason to debase thy coin Mr. Francis Finch the Excellent Palaemon
I 'le contented sit And think I have as good a Fate As Wealth and Pomp admit Let some in Courtship take delight And to th' Exchange resort Then Revel out a Winter's night Not making Love but Sport These never know a noble Flame 'T is Lust Scorn or Design While Vanity plays all their Game Let Peace and Honour mine When the inviting Spring appears To Hide-parke let them go And hasting thence be full of fears To lose Spring-Garden shew Let others nobler seek to gain In Knowledge happy Fate And others busie them in vain To study ways of State But I resolved from within Confirmed from without In Privacy intend to spin My future Minutes out And from this Hermitage of mine I banish all wild toyes And nothing that is not Divine Shall dare to tempt my Joyes There are below but two things good Friendship and Honesty And only those of all I would Ask for Felicity In this retir'd and humble seat Free from both War and Strife I am not forc'd to make retreat But chuse to spend my Life To Mrs. Wogan my Honoured Friend on the Death of her Husband DRy up your tears there 's enough shed by you And we must pay our share of Sorrows too It is no private loss when such men fall The VVorld's concern'd and Grief is general But though of our Misfortune we complain To him it is injurious and vain For since we know his rich Integrity His real Sweetness and full Harmony How free his heart and house were to his Friends VVhom he oblig'd without Design or Ends How universal was his courtesie How clear a Soul how even and how high How much he scorn'd disguise or meaner Arts But with a native Honour conquer'd Hearts We must conclude he was a Treasure lent Soon weary of this sordid Tenement The Age and World deserv'd him not and he Was kindly snatch'd from future Misery We can scarce say he 's Dead but gone to rest And left a Monument in ev'ry breast For you to grieve then in this sad excess Is not to speak your Love but make it less A noble Soul no Friendship will admit But what 's Eternal and Divine as it The Soul is hid in mortal flesh we know And all its weaknesses must undergo Till by degrees it does shine forth at length And gathers Beauty Purity and Strength But never yet doth this Immortal Ray Put on full splendour till it put off Clay So Infant Love is in the worthiest breast By Sense and Passion fetter'd and opprest But by degrees it grows still more refin'd And scorning clogs only concerns the mind Now as the Soul you lov'd is here set free From its material gross capacity Your Love should follow him now he is gone And quitting Passion put Perfection on Such Love as this will its own good deny If its dear Object have Felicity And since we cannot his great Loss Reprieve Let 's not lose you in whom he still doth Live For while you are by Grief secluded thus It doth appear your Funeral to us In memory of the most justly honoured Mrs. Owen of Orielton AS when the ancient World by Reason liv'd The Asian Monarchs deaths were never griev'd Their glorious Lives made all their Subjects call Their Rites a Triumph not a Funeral So still the Good are Princes and their Fate Invites us not to weep but imitate Nature intends a progress of each stage Whereby weak Man creeps to succeeding Age Ripens him for that Change for which he 's made Where th' active Soul is in her Centre staid And since none stript of Infancy complain ' Cause 't is both their necessity and gain So Age and Death by slow approches come And by that just inevitable doom By which the Soul her cloggy dross once gone Puts on Perfection and resumes her own Since then we mourn a happy Soul O why Disturb we her with erring Piety Who 's so enamour'd on the beauteous Ground When with rich Autumn's livery hung round As to deny a Sickle to his Grain And not undress the teeming Earth again Fruits grow for use Mankind is born to die And both Fates have the same necessity Then grieve no more sad Relatives but learn Sigh not but profit by your just concern Read over her Life's volume wise and good Not ' cause she must be so but ' cause she wou'd To chosen Vertue still a constant friend She saw the Times which chang'd but did not mend And as some are so civil to the Sun They 'd fix his beams and make the Earth to run So she unmov'd beheld the angry Fate Which tore a Church and overthrew a State Still durst be Good and own the noble Truth To crown her Age which had adorn'd her Youth Great without Pride a Soul which still could be Humble and high full of calm Majesty She kept true state within and could not buy Her Satisfaction with her Charity Fortune or Birth ne're rais'd her Mind which stood Not on her being rich but doing good Oblig'd the World but yet would scorn to be Paid with Requitals Thanks or Vanity How oft did she what all the World adore Make the Poor happy with her useful store So general was her Bounty that she gave Equality to all before the Grave By several means she different persons ty'd Who by her Goodness onely were ally'd Her Vertue was her Temper not her Fit Fear'd nothing but the Crimes which some commit Scorn'd those dark Arts which pass for Wisdom now Nor to a mean ignoble thing could bow And her vast Prudence had no other end But to forgive a Foe endear a Friend To use but slight the World and fixt above Shine down in beams of Piety and Love Why should we then by poor unjust complaint Prove envious Sinners ' cause she is a Saint Close then the Monument let not a Tear That may prophane her Ashes now appear For her best Obsequies are that we be Prudent and Good Noble and Sweet as she A Friend 1. LOve Nature's Plot this great Creation's Soul The Being and the Harmony of things Doth still preserve and propagate the whole From whence Mans Happiness and Safety springs The earliest whitest blessedst Times did draw From her alone their universal Law 2. Friendship 's an Abstract of this noble Flame 'T is Love refin'd and purg'd from all its dross The next to Angels Love if not the same As strong as passion is though not so gross It antedates a glad Eternity And is an Heaven in Epitome 3. Nobler then Kindred or then Marriage-band Because more free Wedlock-felicity It self doth only by this Union stand And turns to Friendship or to Misery Force or Design Matches to pass may bring But Friendship doth from Love and Honour spring 4. If Souls no Sexes have for Men t' exclude Women from Friendship 's vast capacity Is a Design injurious or rude Onely maintain'd by partial tyranny Love is allow'd to us and Innocence And noblest Friendships do proceed
will declare Their voice perhaps may strike the Ear But it can never move the heart Th' obscure and naked Word they sow But thou dost open our dim Eye And the dead letter to supply The Living Spirit dost bestow Mysterious truth 's to us they brought But thou expound'st the Riddle too And thou alone canst make us do All the great things that they have taught They may indeed the way direct But thou inablest us to walk I' th ear alone sticks all they talk But thou dost even the Heart dessect They wash the surface of the mind But all her fruit thy Goodness claims All that e're enlightens or enflames Must be to that alone assign'd POMPEY A Tragedy LONDON Printed for H. Herringman and are to be sold at his Shop at the Blew-Anchor in the lower walk of the new Exchange 1667. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Countess of Cork Madam AS some untimely Flower whose bashful head Ready to drop into her humble Bed Is rescu'd by the Sun 's prevailing Ray To share that Light with which he guilds the Day So this Translation of strict Eyes afraid With conscious blushes would have sought a shade When your resistless Power did Orders give Thus to recall the timerous Fugitive Which to your breath must all her being own Thrive when you smile and wither if you frown Yet from submission this assurance grows That you 'll protect the Person you expose Who more delight from such a shelter draws Than to obtain or to desire applause And your indulgence would much rather chuse Than to be Favorite to every Muse For even they request to wait on you Who can best judge and best reward them too You who are more than Poets can invent Of most illustrious and most innocent Under your beams their faint Ideas sink And you more nobly live than they could think In you the humble and the brave are met To shew what 's truly and what 's only great And all the Cliffords Fame in you does shine The greatest Honour of the Noblest Line To whom your debt of splendour you have paid And that and more to after times convey'd In such a Race as must those wonders do That none could act but they inspire but you But as your Merit does all Praise excel So does your Mercy all injurious zeal And you in that ador'd advantage live That nothing else is left you to forgive But ev'n your goodness will its self outshine If it can pardon this Address of mine So Altars once did Fire from Heaven enjoy Sent but to kindle what it might destroy The Printer to the Reader I Hope you expect no Eloquence from a Printer nor Regularity in a Preface which hath nothing to say to you but that Pompey being a Translation out of the French of Monsieur Corneille the Hand that did it is responsible for nothing but the English and the Songs between the Acts which were added only to lengthen the Play and make it fitter for the Stage when those that could not be resisted were resolved to have it acted and that no abuses of Transcribers though they were numerous could have prevailed to send it to the Press if the Person most concern'd had not fear'd to disobey an excellent Lady who commanded this publication more than the severity of the Censorious World The Persons of the Play Julius Caesar Marcus Antonius Lepidus Ptolomy King of Aegypt Cleopatra His Sister Photinus His Governour Achillas His Lieutenant General Septimius A Romane Tribune in the Aegyptian Kings Army Achoreus Cleopatra's Gentleman Usher Charmion Cleopatra's Maid of Honour Cornelia Pompey's Widdow Philip Pompey's Freedman Romans and Aegyptians The Scene Ptolomy's Pallace in Alexandria PROLOGUE For the Theatre at Dublin written by the Earl of Roscomon THe mighty Rivals whose destructive Rage Did the whole World in Civil Arms engage Are now agreed and make it both their Choice To have their Fates determin'd by your Voice Caesar from none but You will hear his Doom He hates th' obsequious Flatteries of Rome He scorns where once he rul'd now to be try'd And he hath rul'd in all the World beside When he the Thames the Danube and the Nile Had stain'd with Blood Peace flourish'd in this Isle And you alone may Boast you never saw Caesar 'till now and now can give him Law Great Pompey too comes as a suppliant here But sayes He cannot now begin to fear He knows your equal Justice and to tell A Roman Truth He knows himself too well Success t is true waited on Caesar's side But Pompey thinks he conquer'd when he dy'd His Fortune when she prov'd the most unkind Chang'd his Condition but not Cato's Mind Then of what Doubt can Pompey's Cause admit Since here so many Cato's Judging sit But you bright Nymphs give Caesar leave to woo To the Ladies The greatest Wonder of the World but you And hear a Muse who has that Hero taught To speak as gen'rously as e're he fought Whose Eloquence from such a Theme deters All Tongues but English and all Pens but Hers. By the just Fates your Sex is doubly blest You Conquer'd Caesar and you praise him best And You Illustrious Sir receive as due A present Destiny reserv'd for You. To the Lord Lieutenant Rome France and England join their Forces here To make a Poem worthy of your Ear. Accept it then and on that Pompey's Brow Who gave so many Crowns bestow one now POMPEY ACT I. SCENE I. Ptolomy Achillas Photinus Septimius PTOLOMY FAte hath declar'd her self and we may see Th' Intrigue of the great Rivals Destiny That quarrel which did all the Gods divide Pharsalia hath the Honour to decide Whose Rivers swelling with new bloody Tides Sent thither from so many Parricides The Horrour of torn Ensigns Chariots Shields Spread in Confusion o're th' infected Fields Those slaughter'd heaps whose shades no rest obtain'd By Nature to their own revenge constrain'd Their Putrefactions seeming to revive The War with those that do remain alive Are dreadful rules by which the Sword thinks fit Pompey to cast and Caesar to acquit That distress'd Leader of the Juster Side Whose wearied Fortune hath all Help deny'd A terrible Example will create To future times of the Extreams of Fate He flies whose happy Courage had till now Confin'd the Bay to his Victorious Brow He in our Ports chuses his last Retreat And wanting Refuge from a Foe so great His bold Misfortune seeks it in abodes Which from the Titans once preserv'd the Gods And from so fam'd a Climate doth expect That it should Earth as well as Heav'n protect And lending his Despair a kind Effort It should the staggering Universe support Yes the World's Fortune Pompey with him brings And hopes a Land whose Fame such Wonder sings A Prop or Tomb might to her Freedom give And Pompey's Fall attend if not relieve This Friends the Subject is of our debate Our Triumphs he or Ruine will create He hazards me who did my
Citizen Whilst I with joyful haste come to assure You that your life and Kingdom were secure Th' illustrious Caesar on the course you took Does with less anger than compassion look He pities you who such vile States-men heard As make their Kings not to be lov'd but fear'd Whose Souls the baseness of their birth confess And who in vain great Dignities possess For Slavish Spirits cannot guide the Helm Those too much Power would quickly overwhelm That hand whose Crimes alone do purchase Fear Will soon let fall a Weight it cannot bear PTOLOMY Those Truths and my ill Fate do me perswade How bad a choice of Counsellours I made For had I acted Honourable things I had as Glorious been as other Kings And better merited the Love you bear A Brother so unworthy of your Care Caesar and Pompey had been here agreed And the Worlds Peace in Egypt been decreed Who her own Prince a friend to both had seen Nay he perhaps an Arbiter had been But since to call this back is past our Art Let me discharge to you my Troubled heart You that for all the Wrongs that I have done Could yet Preserve me both my Life and Crown Be truly great and vanquish all your Hate By changing Photin's and Achilla's Fate For their offending you their Death is due But that my Glory suffers in it too If for their Kings Crimes they should punish'd be The Infamy would wholly light on me Caesar through them wounds me theirs is my Pain For my sake therefore your Just Hate constrain Your heart is Noble and what pleasure then Is th' abject Blood of two unhappy Men Let me owe all to you who Caesar charm And with a Look his Anger can disarm CLEOPATRA Were but their Life and Death in me to give My scorn is great enough to let them live But I with Caesar little can prevail When Pompey's Blood lyes in the other scale I boast no Power to Dispose his will For I have spoke and he hath shun'd it still And turning quickly to some new Affair He neither does refuse nor grant my Prayer Yet I 'le once more on that harsh Theam proceed In hope a New attempt may better speed And I 'le believe PTOLOMY He comes let me be gone Lest I should chance to draw his anger on My presence may enflame what t' would make less And you alone may act with more success SCEN. III. Caesar Cleopatra Antonius Lepidus Charmion Achoreus and Romans CAESAR The City now is quiet Beauteous Queen Which had alarm'd with little reason been Nor need they fear the troublesome event Of Souldiers Pride or Peoples Discontent But O great Gods when absent from your Eyes A greater Tumult did within me rise When these unwelcom Cares snatcht me from you My heart ev'n with my Grandeur angry grew And I my own Renown began to hate Since it my parting did necessitate But I forgave all to the single Thought How much advantage to my Love it brought For 't is to that I owe the noble Hope Which to my Flame does give so fair a scope And perswades Caesar that his Heart may prove Not utterly unworthy of your Love And that he may pretend to that since he Nothing above him but the Gods can see Yes Queen if in the World a Man there were That with more glory could your fetters bear Or if there were a Throne wherein you might By Conquering its King appear more bright Less for his Throne would I the Man pursue Than to dispute the Right of serving you 'T was to acquire that valuable Right That my Ambitious Arm did alwayes fight And in Pharsalia rather my Sword drew To preserve that than Pompey to subdue I Conquer'd and the God of Battles less Then your bright Eyes afforded me success They rais'd my Courage and my hand did sway And I owe them that memorable day As the effect of heat by them inspir'd For when your beauties had my passion fir'd That a return might your great Soul become They made me Master of the World and Rome I would ennoble that high stile I wear By the Addition of your Prisoner And shall most happy be if you think fit That Title to esteem and this permit CLEOPATRA I know how much I to my fortune owe Which this excess of Honour does bestow Nor will from you my in ward thoughts conceal Since I know both you and my self so well Your Love did in my earliest Youth appear And I my Scepter as your Present wear I twice receiv'd my Kingdom from your Hand And after that can I your Love withstand No Sir my Heart cannot resist your siege Who so much merit and so much oblige But yet my Birth my Rank and the Command Which I have now regain'd in Egypts Land The Scepter by your Hand restor'd to mine Do all against my innocent Hopes combine To my desires iniurious they have been And lessen me by making me a Queen For if Rome still be as she was before T' ascend a Throne will but debase me more These Marks of Honour will be but my Shame And ruine my Pretences to your Flame But yet methinks the Power you enjoy Might all my Fears with ease enough destroy And I would hope that such a Man as you May justly Romes Capriciousness subdue And her unjust aversion for a Throne She might see cause for your sake to disown I know that you can harder things effect And from your Promise Wonders I expect You in Pharsalia did much greater do And I invoke no other Gods but You. CAESAR There 's nothing humane can my Love withstand 'T is but the over-running Affricks Land To shew my Standards to the rest of those Who did me with so ill a Fate oppose And when Rome can no more of them Advance She will be forc'd to study Complaisance And you shall see her with a solemn State At your Feet sacrifice her Pride and Hate Nay I must have her at your Royal Seat In my behalf your Favour to entreat And with so much Respect these Beauties view That she young Caesars shall request from you This is the only Fortune I desire And all to which my Lawrels do aspire How blest were my Condition if I might Obtain those Wreaths and still enjoy your sight But yet my Passion it s own harm procures For I must quit you if I will be yours While there are flying Foes I must pursue That I may them defeat and merit you To bear that absence therefore suffer me To take such Courage from the Charmes I see That frighted Nations may at Caesars name Say He but came and saw and overcame CLEOPATRA This is too much but if I this abuse The fault which you create you must excuse You did my Crown and perhaps life restore And yet your love I trust will grant me more And I conjure you by its strongest Charms By that great Fortune which attends your Arms By all my hopes and all your high
so ill-guarded it By you I swear it then Mournful remain My only Deity now he is slain That no extinction or decay shall be In that revenge which must enoble me To Caesar Ptolomy by base surprize Rome of thy Pompey made a Sacrifice And I thy injur'd walls will never see Till Priest and God to him shall offer'd be Put me in mind and my just hate sustain O Ashes now my hope as well as Pain And to assist me in that great design Shed in all Hearts what now is felt by mine But Thou who on so infamous a shore Gavist him a flame so Pions though so Poor Tell me what God thy Fortune made so great To pay to such a Hero such a Debt PHILIP Cover'd with Blood and much more dead then he When I had curs'd the Royal Treachery My wandring Feet were by my grief convey'd Where yet the wind upon the Water plaid After long search I on a Rock did stand And saw the Headless Trunk approach the Sand Where th' angry Wave a pleasure seem'd to take To cast it off and then to snatch it back I to it leap'd and thrust it to the banks Then gathering a heap of Shipwrack'd Planks An hasty artless Pile I to him rais'd Such as I could and such as Fortune pleas'd 'T was hardly kindled when Heaven grew so kind To send me help in what I had design'd Codrus an Ancient Roman who lives here Returning from the City spy'd me there And when he did a headless Carcass view By that sad mark alone he Pompey knew Then weeping said O thou who e're thou art To whom the Gods such honours do impart Thy fortune's greater then thou dost believe Thou shalt rewards not Punishments receive Caesar's in Egypt and Revenge declares For him to whom thou pay'st these Pious Cares These Ashes to his Widow thou mayst bear In Alexandria for now she is there By Pompey's Conquerour so entertain'd As by a God it would not be disdain'd Go on till I return this said he went And quickly brought me this small Monument Then we betwixt us into it convey'd That Hero's Ashes which the fire had made CORNELIA With what great Praises should this act be crown'd PHILIP Entring the Town I great disorders found A numerous People to the Port did flye Which they believ'd the King would fortifie The eager Romans fiercely these pursu'd Rage in their eyes their hands with blood imbrew'd When Caesar with brave Justice did Command Photin to perish by a Hangmans hand On me appearing he vouchsaf'd to look And with these words my Masters Ashes took Remainders of a Demi-god whose Name I scarce can equal Conquerour as I am Behold guilt punish'd and till Altars call For other Victims let these Traytors fall Greater shall follow To the Court go thou On Pompey's Widow this from me bestow And whilst with it she makes with grief some truce Tell her how Caesar her Revenge pursues That great Man sighing then from me did turn And humbly kissing did restore the Urne CORNELIA O Formal Grief how easie is that Tear That 's shed for Foes whom we no longer fear How soon revenge for others fills that brest Which to it is by its own danger prest And when the Care we take to right the dead Secures our Life and does our glory spread Caesar is generous 't is true but he By the King wrong'd and from his Rival free Might in an envious mind a doubt revive What he would do were Pompey yet alive His courage his own safety does provide Which does the Beauty of his actions hide Love is concern'd in 't too and he does fight In Pompey's Cause for Cleopatra's Right So many Int'rests with my Husband 's met Might to his Virtue take away my debt But as Great Hearts judge by themselves alone I chuse to guess his honour by my own And think we only make his fury such Since in his Fortune I should do as much SCEN. II. Cleopatra Charmion Cornelia Philip. CLEOPATRA I come not to disturb a grief so due To that affliction which hath wounded you But those remains t' adore which from the wave A faithful freed-man did so lately save To mourn your fortune Madam and to swear You 'd still enjoy'd a man so justly dear If Heaven which did persecute you still Had made my power equal to my will Yet if to what that Heaven sends you now Your grief can any room for joy allow If any sweetness in revenge there be Receive the certainty of yours from me The false Photinus But you may have heard CORNELIA Yes Princess that he hath his just reward CLEOPATRA Have you no comfort in that news discern'd CORNELIA If there be any you are most concern'd CLEOPATRA All hearts with joy receive a wish'd event CORNELIA Our thoughts are as our int'rests different Though Caesar add Achillas death 't will be To you a satisfaction not to me For nobler Rites to Pompey's Ghost belong These are too mean to expiate his wrong No reparation by such blood is made Either to my grief or his injur'd shade And the revenge which does my Soul enflame Till it hath Caesar Ptolomy doth claim Who though so much unfit to reign or live Caefar I know will for his safety strive But though his love hath dar'd to promise it Yet juster Heaven dares it not permit And if the Gods an Ear to me afford They shall both perish by each others Sword Such an event would my hearts grief destroy Which now is such a Stranger grown to joy But if ye gods think this too great a thing And but one fall O let it be the King CLEOPATRA Heaven does not govern as our Wills direct CORNELIA But gods what causes promise will effect And do the guilty with revenge pursue CLEOPATRA As they have justice they have mercy too CORNELIA But we may judge as here events have past They now the first will act and not the last CLEOPATRA Their Mercie oft does through their Justice break CORNELIA Queen you as Sister I as Widow speak Each hath her cause of kindness and of hate And both concern'd are in this Princes Fate But by the blood which hath to day been shed We shall perceive whose vows have better sped Behold your Achoreus SCEN. III. To them Achoreus CLEOPATRA But alas I read no good presages in his Face Speak Achoreus let us freely hear What yet deserves my sorrow or my fear ACHOREUS Assoon as Caesar did the Treason know CLEOPATRA 'T is not his Conduct I enquire of now I know he cut and stopt that secret vault Which to him should the Murtherers have brought That to secure the Streets his men he sent Where Photin did receive his Punishment Whose sudden fall Achillas so amaz'd That on th' abandon'd Port he quickly seiz'd Whom the King follow'd and that to the land Antonius all his Souldiers did command Where Caesar join'd him and I thence do guess Achillas punishment and his success ACHOREUS His
made it known He us'd no more words but these were commands They snatch the Arms from the six Champions hands And that blind thirst of Fame they so intend Sence of Religion does a while suspend Bysome new scruple or a great respect Our Princes Counsel they resolve t' effect Which in both Camps so great a Reverence found As if both Nations had our Tullus Crown'd The Victims death will give us farther light SABINA The Gods will never own that Guilty Fight From this delay some new hopes may be drawn And sure my happiness begins to dawn SCEN. III. Camilla Sabina Julia. SABINA I have news Sister that will please you much CAMILLA I think I know it if you call it such My Father heard it now and so did I But nothing thence my hopes can fortify This delay'd mischief threatens sorer blows And does but lengthen our too certain woes And by the hinderance of this new Contest Our tears are but suspended not supprest SABINA This Tumult was not vainly sure inspir'd CAMILLA But vainly they have of the Gods enquir'd For the same Gods guided our Princes choice Nor speak they often in the Peoples Voice Their counsel shines not in a Vulgar Brest But Kings that represent them know it best In whose Supream Authority we see A secret Ray of their Divinity JULIA You will contribute to your own distress To seek their will but in their Oracles And that which yesterday reliev'd your Care May serve to day to banish your despair CAMILLA An Oracle is so wrapt up in doubt The more we guess the less we find it out There 's nothing certain in 't but this remarque Who thinks all clear must know that all is dark SABINA Let 's give our confidence a larger scope And entertain a reasonable hope When Heaven begins to grant what we have sought They that distrust its smiles deserve them not We hinder often what we so suspect And send back comfort by that rude neglect CAMILLA Heaven governs us without our own consents And we are passive in these great events JULIA Hope then with me that when we meet again A gentler Theam our thoughts shall entertain And that this evening with a welcome care We for your marriage only shall prepare SABINA I hope as much CAMILLA 'T is more than I dare do JULIA Th' event will shew us whose presage is true SCEN. IV. Sabina Camilla SABINA Sister your sorrows I must needs condemn Unless their causes did more warrant them What would you do and at what rate lament Had you my reason for your discontent And if from what these fatal Arms design Your losses could be thought as great as mine CAMILLA Let both our sorrows equally be known For we are all too partial to our own But when compar'd to my distress'd extreams Your griefs will seem but melancholy dreams A Husband's danger is your only care With whom your Brothers never can compare When to another Family ally'd From our own kinred we are quite unty'd Parents with Husbands no dispute admit To follow these we those can gladly quit But love when by a Father's will made good Is less than marriage yet not less than blood And so betwixt them our concern is tost Our choice suspended and our wishes lost But you may find a way amidst your fears To raise your wishes and restrain your tears When if Heav'n still its cruelty intend I can wish nothing but all apprehend SABINA Against each other when such foes are bent There 's small conviction in your argument For blood as well as marriage is a Knot We quit our Kinred but forget them not Never does Hymen Nature undermine Who loves her Husband does not hate her Line Since neither tye will their pretensions lose When life 's concern'd one knows not what to chuse On this side and on that by turns we fall Extremity of sorrow equals all Whereas a Lover most esteem'd is still But a dependent on your sovereign will And a capricious or a jealous hour May make your rigour equal to your power What fancie can your reason may perswade So love no more will Nature's rights invade For 't is a crime to pay no more respect To tyes born with us than those we elect Thus if Heav'ns angry cloud will farther spread I nothing have to hope but all to dread But duty offers to dry up your Tears Aim for your wishes Limits for your fears CAMILLA Ah! Sister I perceive your setled Heart Never knew Love nor felt his venom'd Dart At first indeed we may the Boy resist Who once receiv'd can never be dismiss'd When Duty to his flame does fuel bring He grows a Tyrant from a Lawful King He enters gently but by force he reigns And when a heart once wears his golden chains To cast them off our wills too weak are grown Because that will no longer is our own The fetters glitter but are fetters still SCEN. V. Old Horace Sabina Camilla Old HOR. Daughters I bring you news that 's very ill But it would be in vain now to forbear Since you the fatal story soon must hear Your Brothers fight for so the Gods ordain SAB. I must confess it horrour does contain And the Divinity had once my trust To be more kind at least if not more just Comfort us not for reason tedious grows When such a tide of sorrow 't would oppose In our own hands our remedy we have For who dares dye may all misfortunes brave Perhaps we our despair might seem to scorn And with false constancy our selves adorn But when without a blush we may admit Of grief 't were weakness to dissemble it We to your sex can such a cunning spare And will pretend only to what we are Nor expect we a courage of your strain Should stoop by our example to complain Receive this cruel news without a groan Behold our tears and never mix your own And in a Fortune that is so Forlorn Be still unmov'd but suffer us to mourn OLD HORACE I think your tears so due to your distress That all my Courage scarce can mine suppress And ev'n that Virtue might surrender too Were I as much concern'd in it as you Not that the Albâ—n choice makes me so stern To Sab. To rob your Brothers of my first concern But friendship would in vain pretend to sway When Love and Nature will dispute the Day And my heart no such renderness receives By which a Sister or a Mistress grieves I can look on them as the publick Foes And give my Sons my undivided Vows I thank the Gods their Countrey without shame May assert them as they have done their Fame I saw what Glory all their Brows adorn'd When the compassion of both Camps they scorn'd If any weakness had that pity sought Nay had they not abhorr'd so poor a thought My arm for such a wrong to Vengeance bent Had punish'd that degenerate content But when the Field would needs the choice renew I must confess