ever happy be Or Ioys for ever loose In thy own Hand thy own Fate lyes If Bad blame not the Deities Such Favours may the Gods again refuse If I through Folly should their Gifts abuse I 'le willingly submit to any Fate When I have satisfy'd my Love and Hate Hesi Madam this Day you shall have your desire You shall Orontes and Statira see Below your Feet waiting their Destinie But whil'st you hold their Fates in your own Hand You on a nice and ticklish poynt do stand You have the power but how to use it there Lyes all the Danger and deserves your Care Roxa. The Gods assist the Bold whilst Cowards be The Framers of their own ill Destinie Hesi Your wisdom Madam mighty things has done That won you Alexander's Heart and Throne Roxa. But yet that wisdom never could remove Cruel Orontes from his fixed Love Hesi The Gods at last your pains will Recompence And put into your Hands that Cruel Prince Roxa. We must not leave all for the Gods to do To Princes they have giv'n some power too They shew the oportunity and way But we our selves must act as well as they Whilst Perdicas that watchful Dragon's gone And left my Rival and his Care alone Pave sent my Guards to seize her and when she Is in my Power then I shall happy be Enter Statira Parisatis and Cleone Guard Stat. It seems Roxana you will reigne alone In my great Fathers and my Husbands Throne Roxa. At your bad Fate and at the Gods repine That Throne indeed was theirs but now is mine Stat. Long since in secret you have me betray'd But now my Right you openly invade Roxa. My Power will make my Right be understood By that our Husband made his Title good Stat. But if your Right must by success be try'd The Gods as yet declare not on your side For our brave Friends who nobly take our part May yet our Right with their success assert Roxa. Let what will happen you may understand You 're Pris'ners and your Fate I now command Stat. I scorn Roxana for my Life to sue I 'de not accept it as a Guift from you Since I 'm your Rival in your Throne and Love There is some Reason you should me remove But let not my dear Sisters blood be spilt Her Innocence involve not with my Guilt Pari. Till now my Sister you were ne'r unkind Thinke not to fly and leave me here behind We both will dye if Death be her intent Roxa. Statira yet may both your deaths prevent If she 'll Orontes and his Love disown She shall not only live but share the Throne Stat. Orontes is all virtue And all you offer if compar'd to Him Below that generous Prince's worth does seem Than Life or Crown he is a greater prize And for his friendship I do both despise Roxa. With your own mouth you have pronounc'd your fate Go pray your lives have but a little date Secure them Guard you in my pow'r are now I have resolv'd your death and sworn it too Stat. You cann't Roxana fright them with that doom Who have before the fear of death o'recome Exeunt Statira Parisatis and Guard Enter Cassander wounded Souldiers with Orontes bound Cass. Madam your strict commands I have obey'd Love more than other int'rest can perswade By these my numerous wounds and loss of blood My faithful duty may be understood Can I more proof of my obedience give Than to permit my greatest Foe to live Roxa. I do Cassander this great kindness own Which makes the greatness of your passion known Retire and let your glorious wounds be drest This service shall be written in my breast Cass. My Pris'ner to your care I here resign Exit Cass Roxa. I am his Pris'ner more than he is mine aside Soldiers retire in the next Chamber stay Exeunt Soldiers You look on me Orontes as your Foe Yet 't is my kindness which does life bestow Oron. The life you gave me you may take away That debt to you I 'm ready still to pay Roxa. I did not give you life with that intent And scorn so soon my kindness to repent Oron. In giving life you have no kindness shown But you and all your kindness I disown Roxa. What greater proofs of kindness can I show Than still to keep my heart intire for you I love Let me not name that word again Gods that a Queen should blush at your disdain Oron. 'T is that unruly passion in your breast Has robb'd my soul of all its joy and rest Roxa. Can my kind love disquiet your repose Oron. You call that love which more like hatred shows Roxa. By that alone You may the greatness of my passion see Oron. By that I know you love your self not me For you would never seek your own delight If your fierce soul knew how to love aright Roxa. It is that passion which for you I have That makes of me a pow'rful Queen a Slave Repentance is beneath me I 'le go on And end the work I have so well begun And if at last you do my hopes destroy She whom you love you never shall enjoy Oron. Such vicious love I ever shall refuse Roxa. Your life and death within my pow'r does lye I 'le make you love me Prince or you shall die Oron. In vain you think t' affright me with my Fate Death is more welcome than the thing I hate Roxa. So much disdain can be no longer born It has rous'd up my anger and my scorn Orontes now the diff'rence shall be seen Betwixt the love and anger of a Queen Enter Guards Guards Secure this Pris'oner with your greatest care And on your lives let none to him repair Load him with chains Exeunt Guards and Orontes I soft and gentle means no more will try Orontes and Statira both shall dye The Gods have put them in my pow'r this day To let them 'scape would my own cause betray I 'le love no more His scorn has rais'd my hate Nor with my passâ—â—n will I more debate Lest foolish love should my Resolves oppose I 'le kill 'um while the Storm of anger blows Freedom to me his death can give alone And hers will fix me steadfast in my Throne From diff'rent causes both shall find one fate Love kills Orontes and Statira hate Exeunt ACT. I. The SCENE The Camp under the Walls of Babylon Enter Eumenes and Lysimachus leading Ptolomy wounded Lysi. GReat as your passion you have courage shown But Fortune has your mighty deeds o'rthrown And she into whose hands you would have lay'd The treasure of your love has you betray'd Yet I by virtue will my love advance And no advantage take of Arms or Chance Ptol. Bright Honour all your glorious actions sways And Crowns your Brows with Mirtle and with Bays Against your life this day I had design Yet you with hazard of your own sav'd mine Stopping the progress of your great success You ran to save a Rival in
run to scale these Walls Let 's thus for Honour and for Love contend Till Death or Conquest shall our Quarrel end Thus our great Cause may by the Sword be try'd And Fortune now our Rivalship decide Lysi. No Ptolomy to that I le ne'r agree Fortune shall never judge 'twixt you and me Blindly she does her Favours oft bestow Our Happiness shall from our Merits flow So Parisatis judgement best shall give Which of us two shall die and which shall live Pto. Lysimachus that way does worse appear All we can do can never merit her She like the Gods is mounted far above The reach of all our merits or our Love Then let not her that cruel judgement give One to condemn to make the other live She of that doom must certainly repent Make Fortune judge and keep her innocent Lysi. You cannot place her in your Thoughts too high And I fall down to her Divinity She like the Gods above can never err All must be just and good that comes from her Ptol. Think not I poorly prize my life above Or your high Friendship or my own just love Yet since but one of us can her obtain Let fortune judge which of us shall be slain Condemn'd by Fortune I shall die with joy But her Refusal doubly would destroy Lysi. Refus'd by her death will a pleasure grow But flatt'ring Hope makes Death more cruel show 'T were just for him whom she refus'd to die Pto. That Justice then adds to his misery Lysi. Whil'st Love does either with some hope inspire Deaths cold embrace unjustly we desire Pto. If now I die by yours or my own hand I die before I did my Love offend But once refus'd by her I guilty grow For her refusal only makes me so My Death will then to every one appear Not the effect of Love but of despair If she accept me I can know no Joy Since my good Fortune must my Love destroy Lysi. As great as yours I dare pronounce my Flame Tho yours so unruly seems and mine so tame The Gods with greater Love can none inspire Nor can your Breast feel a more scorching Fire Yet Love shall never make my Sword divide That knot of Friendship which we two have ty'd Ptol. Why should I in suspence one moment be When my own hand holds my own destiny This Sword can quickly finish all our strife By cutting off my own or your much dearer life Empire our Friendships bounds could not remove We parted stakes but cann't do so in Love Two Kings may friendly sit upon one Throne But in Loves Empire one must reign alone Since she whom we adore we cann't divide We with our swords our quarrel must decide Let this the greatness of my passion speak When for my love I must our friendship break Ly. No Ptolomy this Sword shall ne'r offend The man whom I so long have call'd my friend And so much honour in thy soul does dwell Thy unresisting friend thou dar'st not kill Ptol. Lay by that Name for in it lies a charm Which does my Soul of all its rage disarm My blood grows stiff and cold that sacred Name Strives to extinguish my unruly flame But that Charm by a greater I le remove My Friendship must and shall give way to Love My life I for my friend would sacrifice But for my Love that Friend I must despise Defend thy self Lysi. Since Friendship 's sacred name so weak does prove Here wound her Image whom we both do love That beauteous Image to us both so dear Will deeply graven in my heart appear Strike home and to our quarrel put an end Dispatch at once your Rival and your Friend Whilst Ptolomy stands in a fighting posture with his Swords point towards the breast of Lysimachus who spreads open his arms Enter Orontes and Araxis Oron. Is this a time for friends to disagree With joy our Souldiers for th' Assault prepare But wonder much where their brave Leaders are Me-thinks that Love which your two Souls inspires Should quicken and add wings to your desires 'T is just we first our Princesses redeem Before we offer to dispute for them Remember Sirs these Walls our Loves inclose Remember they are Pris'ners to our Foes Embrace embrace and let us hast away Our Souldiers in their arms do for us stay Each minute now seems a long age to me Till we have set the fair Statyra free Ptol. 'T is true Orontes to my self I seem Like those who sleeping walk and talking dream My â—unquiet passions now are grown so strong Against my will they hurry me along 〈◊〉 what sense nor reason can't approve And unprovok'd would kill the Friend I love 'Gainst my own heart I all my forces bend And e're I gain my Mistress lose my Friend Pity me then when forc'd by cruel Fate I do those things which tho I do I hate Ly. Come Ptolomy let 's set our Princess free Let us like Friends in that just Act agree And then the Combat for which you now sue I 'le force my friendship to require of you Ptol. I 'le yield to that 't is but a just delay Orontes now to danger lead the way Oron. What various shapes does mighty love put on How different to us seems his power to be Here dark as night there brighter than the Sun Here a Calm deep there a rough raging sea In every breast he hath a different sway Whilst the whole world does his great power obey Exeunt SCENE II. A Palace within Babylon Enter Queen Statira Parisatis and Cleone Sta. Ye Gods of Persia and thou chief the Sun What crimes have we or our Forefathers done That ye thus load with misery and disgrace The small remains of great Darius Race O happy Swains who innocently free The pains of greatness at a distance see Ye gaze at us and happy call our State And oft do envy what we most do hate Par. Sister since nothing can dark Fate withstand For Fate doth ev'n the Gods themselves command To its decree they do themselves submit Which shows their Godheads have less power than it If then our ruine be decreed why shou'd We mourn for that which cannot be withstood But since Man cannot in Fates black Book read And that we know not what is fore-decreed Hope like a glimmering Star in night does rise And gives some comfort in our miseries Our Friends without may yet successful prove Valour does wonders when inspir'd by love Stat. Ah Parisatis 't is not death I fear Honour than life to me is far more dear To you I may confess without offence I next to Honour prize the Scythian Prince Whose noble Acts my Heart long since did move E're I did yield to Alexander's love For his sake then I am oblig'd to live Since he from me does all his joys receive But when I think what dangers him surround A thousand fears my much griev'd soul do wound Such is his love such his respect for me I know he
me Whilst my Orontes was in safety I With less Concern and more Content could dye But now my soul opprest with busie eare Is ruffl'd and for Him disturb'd with fear Pari. But Sister why are you disturb'd so much You know Roxana's Love for him is such You may assure your self and well believe He no ill treatment will from her receive What is it then should so uncalm your mind Unless you 're jealous she should be too kind But his great love and constancy you know Not all her Charms and Arts can overthrow This great attempt and valiant Act does prove That he still wears a true and constant Love Stat. That constancy you think should me secure From Fear does cause the Fear I now endure For what will not that wicked Woman dare To do when Love is turn'd into Dispair Whilst she has hopes her Love will make her kind When they are lost she 'l shew her cruel mind Rob'd of her Whelps a Tygress will not be So Cruel and so full of Rage as she Her Love 's no pure unmixt and gentle Fire But is an impure Flame an hot untam'd Desire Pari. Are you content he should inconstant prove To shun the Fate which threatens his true Love Stat. Should I consent should I request it too That is a thing I know he could not do Pari. In things that no ways remedy'd can be We must submit to hard Necessitie By Death our Troubles will to peace be chang'd And though we dye we shan't dye unreveng'd We have two Friends who with their armed powers Will soon revenge Orontes Death and Ours Enter Cleone Cleo. The Captain of Roxana's Guard does wait Without and asks to be admitted strait His business Madam I can no ways learn But 's looks betray some great and sad concern Stat. Go Cleone and bring him in Exit Cleone The unexpected news of Death might fright But expectation now does make it light They who for it beforehand do prepare When it approaches don't like others fear Enter Captain with the Guard and Cleone Capt. By me the Queen does let you understand Madam I must obey her strict command It is her pleasure that you strait must dye Stat 'T is what I expected from her Cruelty She told me her self what now I hear from you I then believ'd her Threats she would pursue Therefore to dye I have my self prepar'd But has the Tyrant Sir my sister spar'd Capt. I know not Madam what sh' intends to do My Orders now concern not her but you Pari. In vain she spares my Life if she must die Nature and Friendship us together tie And they have knit a knot cann't be unti'd Nor shall her Tyranny us two divide For the kind Gods to us a pow'r do give That at our pleasure we may cease to live Stat. Sister you ought to Death no more to run Than you for fear should its approaches shun On the Gods wills with patience you must wait And neither run to seek nor shun your Fate When I am dead I 'le hover in the Air And there I will unseen of you take Care Adeu dear sister Embrace I 'm assur'd my Friend Will both Revenge me and your Life defend Pari Cruel Roxana thus to make us part Is from my Breast to tare my living Heart Adue dear sister Embrace Tho w' are parted thus Death shall again restore our Joys to us You but few moments shall before me go E're I 'le o'retake you in the shades below Stat. To what place is it I must go to dye Capt. 'T is to Orontes Prison Stat. What! Will Roxana be so good to me Will she once more let me Orontes see For this great kindness I 'le her wrongs forgive Tho after that I but one moment live Capt. If kindness she designs I do not know But Madam thither 't is that you must go Stat. Let 's go then Death it self seems pleasant there This unexpected Joy has banished fear Exeunt Capt. Stat. and Cleone with Guards Pari. How fast the Dream of Greatness slides away How soon is worldly Pomp and Glory lost Fortune with Princes still delights to play And in their Ruines does her great pow'r boast The great stand high on slippery Rocks of Ice They cannot move but they must move in Fear Like seeming stars that shoot down from the Skies They tumble headlong from their lofty Sphear Happy are they who in poor Cabbins dwell And there content rest on their humble Beds Great Joys nor Griefs enter their homely Cell Nor Cares Distrusts nor Fears disturb their Heads Their pleasures small but natural and true Happy if their own happiness they knew Exit The SCENE The Prison of Orontes He is discovered lying bound as before Oron. The Gods are deaf to them I cry in vain Unmov'd they see and pitty not our pain But since for all our ills one Cure they gave Why should we ask what we already have 〈◊〉 to all Troubles gives a gentle end 〈…〉 the Worlds and Natures faults amend The way to Life 's but one not easily found To Death the ways are plain and do abound The Gods put nothing in our power more sure To shew it was for humane ills the Cure To thee blest Cure I now resolve to fly The last but most assured Remedy Enter Statira and Cleone Stat. Ah Prince what barbarous Heart has bound those hands And fetter'd them with such unworthy Bands Those hands which have such glorious Actions done Which have so many Laurels nobly won Those hands which were by Heav'n design'd to beaâ— A Scepter and not slavish Chains to wear Can Love do this Can Love in fetters bind Can Love thus cruel be and thus unkind Oron. Since for your sake I do these fetters ware Than Crowns or Laurels they more glorious are They 're full of glory and of pleasure too Câ—owns I prize less than suffering for you 〈◊〉 noble Bond which binds my Heart I prize And tho your Slave Roxana's Chains dispise Stâ—t Thoâ—e Chains Orontes are more justly mine Râ—xana meant them for my hands not thine She could no other way with all her Art 〈…〉 me subdue your Heart She knew that I could my own sufferings bear And understood that yours touch'd me more near This visit then not from her kindness springs Her Cruelty now us together brings That by your suff'rings I might Torment find And by my Torment she might move your mind Oron. These suff'rings Madam I should count but light Did they not keep me from your beauteous sight Whilst I enjoy that happiness I find No Grief can touch the quiet of my Mind Your sight my Sorrows and my Griefs destroys And hides all other Passions in my Joys So the admir'd Elixir does enfold Such Virtue which base Mettals turns to Gold Enter Perdicas Roxana Hesione with 〈…〉 four Blacks with Crooked Scymiters by their 〈◊〉 and strangling Cords in their hands Roxa. Too long too long Statira you have liv'd And me of
THE SIEGE OF BABYLON As it is Acted at the Dukes Theatre Written by SAMVEL PORDAGE of Lincolns-Inn Esq Author of the Tragedy of Herod and Mariamne Non tibi plus placeas quia multis forté placebis Id specta potius qualibus ipse places Manci de Quat Virt. Licensed Nov. 2. 1677. Roger L'Estrange LONDON Printed for Richard Tonson at his Shop under Grays-Inn Gate next Grays-Inn-Lane MDCLXXVIII TO HER Royal Highness THE DUTCHES Madam IT is not without Fear that I approach your Throne esteeming it a more difficult task to write an Epistle Dedicatory than to make a Play lest on the one hand I should fall into the Crime of Presumption or on the other slip into that of Flattery Confidence if not Impudence seems to be intail'd on Poets and Ambition or rather greediness of vain Applause by which they would mount above others carries them often beyond the Limits of all Modesty and makes them rudely press into the presence of Greatness and Majesty On this Rock I may now seem to run and to have left my self no excuse for daring to set your Great Name before my Poem But Madam 't is to your Goodness I must fly and that favourable protection which you afford those who want it must shield me from the envenom'd Darts of envious Detractors They will have Veneration for your Name and stand in awe when they shall know you have seen and approv'd this Play that you have taken it into your Protection and that it is not without your permission I offer it to your Highness which I do with all the Humility I ought to have and with all the submission and respect I can express There is some necessity for me to gain so powerful a Patroness considering the smalness of my Merits and the niceness of this Critical Age in which the greatest Wits pass not without Censure nor the most perfect pieces of humane Invention without being carp'd at What would have been currant Coyn in the Ages past will now be look'd on as debas'd Metal and that Wit which is esteem'd but mean and ordinary now would have been then accounted great and miraculous Wit is refined and Ingenuity made bright not only by the Industry of Poets and endeavours of the Learned but by the example of the Court and encouragement of Princes who diffuse it like Light to all that know them among whom your Royal Highness as a Star of the first Magnitude shines with the splendor of your Mind and enlightens the Souls of others I need not fear to be accus'd of Flattery since you are a Theme too high all we can say is still below you and there can be no such Figure as Hyperbole in your description When I consider all your excellencies I approach you with admiration and am swallow'd up in the Sea of your perfections Your Beauty your Extraction your Wit Ingenuity and acquired parts your Goodness Piety Wisdom and Generosity with all your other Virtues and Accomplishments deserve each a particular Panegyric and are large Themes on which the greatest Wits may exercise their Pens But Madam these are things too great for my undertakings and it is now my business only to crave your acceptance of this Poem which may serve for a diversion when wearied with more serious Thoughts I have sav'd the Persian Princesses from the Cruelty of Roxana but 't is you only Madam that can protect them from the greater Tyranny of Criticks such as make it their business to find fault with what they cannot mend who turn the greatest sence into Ridicule and Burlesque even the Vertues and the Graces themselves Statira flings her self at the feet of your Royal Highness and hopes you will give her a favourable Reception since you have extended your Favour to Mariamne and shew'd a more than ordinary kindness to that Tragedy which has hitherto pass'd under the Name of another whilst I was out of the Land but Madam since there is so much Glory in it to have pleas'd your Highness and to have given satisfaction to many Persons in the Royal Circle I cannot forbear to own it that your Royal Highness may be the more easily induc'd to smile on this which with my self I prostrate at your Feet begging your pardon for the presumption of assuming the Title of MADAM Your Royal Highnesses Most humble most obedient And most devouted Servant Samuel Pordage THE PROLOGUE Spoken by Mr. Smith PRologues of old as learned Authors say Us'd to have some Coherence with the Play Were not so much for Ornament as use Like necessary Porches to a House They to the Inner Rooms did introduce But now such is the custom of the Age A rough hewn Satyr enters first the Stage Who barks bites pushes and at all does hit Pelts Men and manners with his wicked witt Grinns at the Court the Country and the Citt And sometimes snaps you Criticks in the Pitt Such is the Rage that one Poetick Brother Falls foul with and downright rails at another And tho the play be moving soft and sweet And Verses run on smooth and even feet And tho it does of Love and Honour treat And shews a body soft fair gay and neat The Prologue still has a rough Satyr's face Which does the moving sweet soft thing disgrace What e're the Play be Custom does prevail It must be Satyr in its Head and Tail But Gentlemen our Author bid me say Heâ—d have no Satyrs face before his Play Nor should it have tho it be much in Vogue A swinging Tail a lashing Epilogue Ladys to you he does himself address From you he would receive his happiness If your fair hands shall his endeavours bless He will not fear the Criticks of the Pit Those Cursing Damning Mugletons of Wit The Actors Names Orantes Prince of Scythia Mr. Betterton Lysimachus a Prince of Macedon Mr. Medburn Eumenes a Prince of Cappadocia Mr. Ievone Ptolomy Captain of Alexander the great Mr. Crosby Perdicas Captain of Alexander the great Mr. Smith Cassander Captain of Alexander the great Mr. Harris Araxis Servant to Orontes Mr. Norris Statira Widow of Alexander the Great Mrs. Betterton Roxana Widow of Alexander the Great Mrs. Lee Parisatis Sister to Statira Mrs. Seymour Thalestris Queen of the Amazons Mrs. Gwin Cleone Confident of Statira Mrs. Gillo Hesione Confident of Roxana Mrs. Le-Grand Souldiers Attendants c. The SCENE BABYLON and the Fields adjacent Lately Printed The Tragedies of the last Age Considered and Examined by the Practice of the Ancients and by the Common Sense of all Ages in a Letter to Fleetwood Shepheard Esq By Tho. Rymer of Grays-Inn Esq Price bound 1 s. 6 d. Edgar or the English Monarch an Heroick Tragedy written by Tho. Rymer Esq Price 1 s. Both sold by Richard Tonson at Grays-Inn Gate next Grays-Inn-Lane THE SIEGE OF BABYLON ACT I. SCENE I. Babylon Besieged Enter Lysimachus and Ptolomy with drawn Swords Ptol. NOw my brave Friend both Love and Honour calls Let us together