Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A33146
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Xerxes, a tragedy as it is acted at the new theatre in Little Lincoln's-Inn Fields / written by C. Cibber ...
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Cibber, Colley, 1671-1757.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing C4285; ESTC R18221
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38,508
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58
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run or'e the Stage and Xerxes in Disorder Omn. Fly Fly they are Entring they are upon us Fly Exeunt Xer. Confusion How the Slaves forsake me They 've caught me in the Snare Nor can I 'scape 'em now Let 'em go all I 'll stand the shock alone The fearful Stag at Bay will Fight Will dye reveng'd upon his Hunters And the fierce Lyon's wilder in the Toil Shall Danger shake a Monarch's Soul Now by my Crown 's Right Royal Majesty I will not fall What Hoa my Beaver Slaves I 'll put the Godhead on and Destiny Shall tear her Idle Scrolls of Fate decreed For she has written false of me I will not dye Nor shall my Foes have power to Face me Thus with this Awful Front I 'll look the Raging God within And Frown 'em into Fear Thou Pale fac'd Slave Shout Clashing Enter a Soldier Sol. My Lord Your Guards are half destroy'd The rest Revolted all to Artabanus Who like a Deluge with his Force comes Rowling in Xer. Let him Rowl on He meets a Rock will stand unmov'd his Roar And dash him into Dew Shout again Enter Artabanus Pressing back his Followers Art On pain of Death let no Man follow me Xer. How darest thou Slave With that Rebellious Face Confront-thy King Or Tempt the Vengeance of a waking Deity Art When Kings are Cast in Molds Divine We find their Actions Great and Pitiful Pity 's the Noblest Composition of a God But thou hast none No soft Compassion ever toucht thee Tygers and Wolves to thee are tame See here The Handkerchief The ruful Flag proclaims thee worse than Tyrant Or if a nearer Name can reach thee Devil Xer. Traytor Art From any Mouth but thine wou'd shock my Soul Or if I am a Traytor Ev'n those just Powers that gave me Vertue When they behold the Wrongs that rais'd my Arm Will sure allow I was not prompt to Ill Not easily disloyal My Vertue did its part If held it struggled stoutly to be tame But here 's a Force would break the strongest Hold And turn ev'n Pity to Revenge and Rage If yet the Horrour of the Deed Has left thee Temper speak What had the poor Tamira done to merit such a Death Why hast thou kill'd The tendrest Mother and the softest Wife Xer. But that I know to say will gall thy Heart I 'd spurn thee Traytor for this bold Demand Daring to ask a Reason of thy Monarch's Will But as a God to Thunder-strike thy Soul I tell thee Slave I Whor'd her to a Dis-liking And then she was unfit for Life Nor cou'd I brook to let her live for thee After the Stamp of Royal Love was on her Art O savage bloody Tyrant The Horrour of his Words Has numm'd my Senses and drowns my weak Revenge in Tears Xer. Now By my Glorious Brother in the Skies My Words have more than Power of common Kings They 're something near 'T is Second Fate To strike this hardy Soldier pale with Fear He weeps he dies I 've look'd him to a Ghost Art And art thou dead Our Infant-Love for ever parted No more of Woman now Farewell Nor need I this to dry my Tears The Thirst of Vengeance rages in my Blood And drinks 'em faster than they flow Hear hear me Gods Revenge your Heads prophan'd Kneels And as the Cause the woeful Cause is yours So from this Arm your not unwilling Instrument Hurl swift Destruction to the Tyrant's Heart Rising Xer. I laugh at all that Fate can do Come on rash Fool And if thy Life 's a Pain as sure a Rebel 's ought Thus Hand to Hand oppos'd Death never took A Nobler Form to face thee Art Now By the Sun 's Refulgent Ray I meet thee worthy of my Rage Oh! I cou'd thank thee that thy Blood 's so high That Manly Fury in thy Eyes transports me It sets the Noble Front of Honour in my View And heightens my Revenge with Glory They fight and after some Passes Xerxes speaks Xer. Confusion How he dallies with my Fury But thus I pour it all at once And certain send thee to the Shades Art And thus the Gods re-pay thee Both fall Xer. Furies and Hell They 've struck me now indeed But if there be Hereafter I 'll revenge it still Rebellion from the lowest Shades shall rise And give 'em fresh Alarms of War More dreadful than their puny Giants Rage The desperate Fiends by me to Freedom led Shall dash their Chains against their Crystal Tow'rs And shake their Heav'n to Horrour Oh! I am faint My gushing Blood flows inward to my Throat And drives out Life before it Ha! 't is false I am not dying No! I 'm weary of the World And now will sleep for ever Dies Art When I behold this Sight I wish to follow thee Death cannot be more terrible His Hand is on me and his Looks are mild To be no more is now to be most happy Oh for a Friendly Witness of my Glory Hark! A Trumpet My Fortune's kind I hear 'em coming Enter Mardonius and his Party Oh! welcome Friend My Fellow-Soldiers welcome See there the Wounds of Persia cur'd the Tyrant's dead By me he fell and poor Tamira is reveng'd Mar. Horrour on Horrour Thy Tamira lives And comes with eager Love to meet thy Arms Oh! rather had she died than thus to meet thee Art What means my Friend Tamira living Mar. Run Haste and tell her of this bloody Chance If she would see her Husband she must fly Exit a Soldier Alas my Friend That Gory Handkercher Was only by the Tyrant thrown to gall thee Thy poor Tamira lives This Moment dragg'd along By the rude Rabble I redeem'd her safe But hark Aranthes brings her on He faints A Trumpet at a distance O Cruel Gods can you not lend one Hour To a departing Lover Art Grieve not for me Give to my Wife thy Tears She 'll need a Friends Compassion Let not her Sorrows For I know she 'll mourn my Fall be desperate Her little Infant will require some Care I charge her live for that Commend me to her Heart and let her know My latest dying Words and Thoughts Confest her Loving more than Life belov'd Dies Mar. He 's gone O Freedom dearly bought Unwelcome Peace Without the Life that gave it But see his frighted Widow comes O mournful Thought O piteous Woman Enter Aranthes with Tamira She runs to the Body Tam. Where where 's my bleeding Lord Stand off O give him to my Arms Hah Speechless and pale Oh! Aranthes Help ho she sinks le ts raise her from him Tam. Oh! we must never part But with more Pain than Bodies lose their Souls Dear Sir for Pity 's sake oppose me not Ev'n in your Eyes I read a Friend 's Concern But mine 's a nearer Tye a Wife Alas I was his Wife his tender Wife belov'd Mar. Indeed I pity thee But yet call Reason to thy Aid Tam. Ah! Do I not my Lord Are not my Tears my Duty Have I not Cause to tear my Flesh to bleed And dash me on the Ground Oh! cou'd my Tears but fall like Showers from Heav'n This dismal Object sure wou'd drown the World Mar. Be comforted fair Creature Nothing is ours Nature but lends us Life Since Death's a Debt that all must pay Tam. Since he is dead is there a Comfort left me Oh! I cou'd out-weep the Southern Clouds Away And give my Sorrows Room Stand off And let me fill my Arms with Woe Embracing the Body Grudge me not this This Ease of Misery indulg'd Let me but talk a while and gaze and kiss His cold unfeeling Lips and you shall see me quiet Hush'd as the Cradle-Babe When chidden by its angry Parent to a Slumber Weeps over him Aran. Give her her Way my Lord Her Grief swells higher when oppos'd Mar. By Heav'n this stubborn Heart that has unmov'd Walk'd by a Heap of groaning Foes At this sad Sight is melted down to Woman Tam. Hush Who 's that weeps so loud You 'll wake my Lord He is not well he slumbers and a cold Damp Sweat is on his Brow O my poor Love Hark! hark He calls me in his Sleep He chides Says I am unkind and fear to follow him As if the Terrour were not in Life behind him Ha! What means this Friendly Weapon at my Breast It looks not sure as if the Hand of Chance But Love had laid it to relieve my Woes 'T is so 'T was Love and Love applies it here She stabs her self with her Husband's Sword Aran. O fatal Deed Mar. O rash Despair Tam. Call it not rash when there 's such Ease in Death But Death alas is never wholly kind For tho' I 'm pleas'd to think I had not Power T' out live my Lord yet Oh! it grieves my Heart That I have robb'd an Infant of its Mother Oh! be a Friend to that and teach him Sir To keep the Middle-Paths of Active Life When wild Ambition or too powerful Love With eager Heat would drive him blindly on Be kind and warn him with his Parents Ruin Dies Mar. There broke The tend'rest Heart that ever sigh'd in Love But Love was her Undoing for once In wild Revenge to right her Love betray'd She struck a Ponyard to the Villain Memnon's Heart The Gods have frown'd but Men must pity her Nay Heav'n but half resents her Fault gives her A kind a not untimely Death 'T was then Too late to live when all she lov'd was gone Remove the Bodies never more to part Living one chaste Bed now one Grave shall hold ' em But here the Gods with Terrour strike Mankind Turning to Xerxes Let Kings and jarring Subjects hence be warn'd Not to oppress or drive Revenge too far Kings are but Men and Men by Nature err Subjects are Men and cannot always bear Much shou'd be born before Revenge is sought Ever Revenge on Kings is dearly bought Yet to our Woes the Gods this Comfort give From those that die the Living learn to live The END
forth Imagine now the eager Arms of Victory Extending to embrace us sound as if The Glorious Scene were here in real Action Sound and wake the Ghost of this departed Hero Art O Glorious Harmony They Sound a Charge Aran. O Powerful Charm Mar. By Arms it sets my glowing Veins on fire I burn my Spirits rave with fury for the War Away to Horse to Arms why stand you Sir unmov'd As if a low born Fear had fix'd you here Inanimate Can you be deaf when great Revenge and Honour call Are there such Charms in a detested Sloth and Ease God's where have you Tameness lest to stand thus long Suspected not to dare Sound a fresh Allarm And let the Martial Din ungrave the Dead To rouze him Xer. On Forfeit of your Lives forbear your Insolence Audacious Traitor thus to Brand My Hallow'd Pleasures with the Name Of Slothful Ease and Fear I 'll have thee think Unknowing Slave That nothing in it self Is Good or Ill but as it pleases me Mar. I say no! There will be shame in Cowardice Tho' Xerxes were a Soldier Xer. Ha! Aran. Forbear my Lord consider 't is your King that hears you Mar. I ha' no King 't is Merit not a Crown That makes a King when Pride and Sloth debase The Soul of Majesty The Crown 's a Toy No more in Worth than what it weighs in Gold I scorn a King whose Robes can only speak him Royal. Xer. Witness ye Gods How loth I am to wake And crush this Slave who like a Crawling Insect dares Disturb the sleeping Lyon Mar. A Lyon By Heav'n I 've seen a Hare a Womans Courage Dare beyond thee the Martial Artemisia Whose Aiding Arm in Fight supported and disgrac'd thee The Warlike Woman shew'd a Manly Rage The Courtly King a Womans Trembling Fear Ever wer't thou last in Battle formost In the Flight humble in Danger and when Thy Danger 's past Insulting Xer. Seize the Traitor hence and bear him to a Dungeon There let the surly Lyon Growle and Champ His Galling Chains in vain I 'll try him in the Den Hard Fare perhaps Darkness and Gives may tame him Mar. A Dungeon Now by the Power of Arms thou 'st found The only place an honest Man can bear in Persia Thou poor Inverted King whose Favour is Disgrace Whose Frowns are Honour now Thou canst not raise My Glory more than thus proclaiming to the World Thou hatest me But when This Lyon grumbles or'e his Chains alone Beware Thou send no Persian Fools to gaze at me Lest in my round of thought I should believe 'em Greeks That keep me there and bounding from my Couch Grasping with Fury the mistaken Prey With Flaming Eyes should stare their Souls away Exit Xer. To the Dungeon hence and load him down with Massy Fetters By Heav'n I 'll find a way to take An undisturb'd Repose I 'll have my Streams Of Christial Pleasure clear'd of all these Martial Weeds I 'll tear 'em by the Roots and throw 'em useless by Art My Lord Hower'e your Soldiers heat Xer. I 'll have no more to do with saucy War Were now Ten Thousand times the Millions I ha' lost in Arms Intreating Begging as for life One animating Word to bid 'em move I 'd not unsheath my Sword to be Enthron'd with Jove Exit Art Why why ye Pow'rs has such a tainted Soul The Care of th' Empire Or if the Gods have stampt Divinity on Kings fixing them far above The Reach of Common Men why then have we The Eyes of Reason to Inspect their Faults Why are we Born with Souls to loath Dishonour And yet by Honour bound to bear it Aran. How To bear it No! That Loyalty's Dishonorable That bids me bear Dishonour When Subjects Are no more the Care of Kings we then Have only left the Laws of Nature to Protect us And Nature tyes us all to Self Defence We must in time resent the Blows we 've taken Mardonius's Freedom must be sought and suddenly The Current of our Treasure ebbs too fast It must be stopt by Right and Priviledge The late Expences of our Gaudy Shame Exceeds th' Account of Necessary War And shall we sleep when from our Hands by Force The Gripe of Tyranny has wrung our Fortunes More I cou'd say If I believ'd that Words cou'd win you to An Honourable Action Art Aranthes I was never slow to such a Call Nor needs the Cause a Tongue But yet the Undertaking's difficult And will require our Friends best Counsel To Night at my own House I 'll Summon 'em There speak our Griefs at large And may the Blest Event to Ages prove No Crown sits safe without the Peoples Love Exeunt ACT III. The Scene The House of Artabanus Enter Memnon with a Paper Mem. HOnesty's a Notion and only Reigns Like Womens Chastity in cold Untempted Minds It must be so I ever thought that Villany Had an ugly Face but now I view it In the Flattering Glass of Interest it seems No Monster Of a fairer form than half starv'd Virtue Yet let me think a little Here I am trusted with the Names of several Men Who have combin'd to free th' Imprison'd General To seize the King and force him to renew The War with Greece Nay I 've subscrib'd my own T' assist 'em too and now am going to inform The General of it The Undertaking is but Just For Old Mardonius lov'd the King and lies In Chains because he offer'd proof on 't Xerxes Is unfit to hold the Reins of Empire He throws 'em loose and lets it run to shame And Luxury Why don 't I haste to stop him then And by the Execution of what I 've sworn to act Prevent my Countries Ruine But stay suppose I fail in my Design as sure 't is dangerous If I am taken can my Country save me Or if I succeed am I sure my Country Will be grateful They 'll say perhaps 't was Interest Led me on And let me starve while they partake the Blessing They may be base and probably they will Then 'T is not safe to trust 'em nor can I On th' other side be sure of Life if I delay This great Discovery Why then 'T is fixt I 'll take the surest way to find Reward from Xerxes And when my Pardon and Reward are sign'd Then let 'em call me Fool or tell the King I am a Villain Exit Enter Artabanus Aranthes c. Art Never was Cause my Friends more chearfully Embrac'd never were Hands more fit for Action Nor ever greater Glory waiting on success 'T is not the Thirst of others Wealth or Dignities Nor Envy of a favour'd Faction that inflames us No Mercenary end 'T is Bleeding Honour calls us To revenge her Wounds 't is Xerxes not the King That stands accus'd If Xerxes can relent Still let him wear the Crown if not the Crown By us remov'd can dignify Another Head for Empire Aran. 'T is not who Reigns but who Reigns well is King Art