find a cruel Judg I fear they must by heightning thy guilt help to abate their own I 'l go to the Court my self and hear his sentence and share his sufferings if my interest cannot take him off I 'l try my power first then show my resolution Eur. Thou mak'st a generous and brave Resolve we both will go together I 'l there discover my self and help to justifie my Friend and if there be occasion against his guilty adversary It will be time to go Marcelia Marc. My dear Lotharicus thou now shalt find When most distrest Marcelia is most kind Exeunt Scene 8. Enter King Melynet and all the Lords Guards and Attendants King talks to Melinet King I am sorry having ever had so great an esteem of Lotharicus he should give me cause to condemn him for his Rashness but Reason is destroy'd in the wisest men when passion does command Bring in Lotharicus Enter Lotharicus with a Guard at one door and Euryalus and Marcelia at another King What makes me happy in thy presence now Marcelia Marc. Though 't is not fit Sir Women hither come Yet I most humbly beg to hear his doom King Nothing 's unfit Marcelia does desire Or of her King or Servant can require Loth. There stands my torture greater than I can aside Receive from the command or power of man She comes to feast her pride onely to see How much my Passion still does fetter me Inhumane Woman lost to all that sense Which thy soft Sex to suff'rers do dispense King What was the cause Lotharicus that arm'd your malice against the life of Melynet Loth. My injurius Sir King In your opinion Were every man a fitting and allow'd of Judg in 's own cause we need not then have Ministers of Justice Loth. I question not the prudence of consider'd and allow'd of Laws Sir though now I sought not their assistance But Sir in my own defence I humbly do present your Majesty this Paper which renders me incapable their benefit and made me strive by my own hand to take what I can never expect to have by any other means King How have you forfeited your right in that kind more than your other fellow-subjects Loth. You 'l in that Paper find Sir The King reads and changes countenance grows into fury turns to Melynet King Traytor what hast thou done is this thy hand is it I know it is wherewith th' hast set the feal of my dishonor charge me with the consent of Murther and mountain up my promises their recompence Here Read it publickly my brow wears not a guilt so dark to keep it in obscurity although I ow that intended kindness to brave Lotharicus's Loyalty Peregrine reads Per. Du-Prette be sure and speedy in the death of Lotharicus the King is impatient till he hears it he will double thy rewards I promised King There 's enough Turns to Melynet How durst thou assume the injuring thy Soveraign so Though I Marcelia lov'd I never did design to buy her favors at the price of all my Honors By noble ways I bid thee seek to gain me her affection but not by guilt and treacherous baseness Villain The share thy veins has in her blood gives thee thy life but never after this day see thy incensed Monarch's face again But how came you by this Letter Lotharicus Loth. Sir one Philampras which was hir'd amongst others by Du-prette Melynet's man to assasin me understanding by Du-prette's Discourse that he had moneys in his Portmantue watch'd his opportunity to take it aways and finding this Letter there thought he should make more advantage by that from my Reward that his promis'd recompence for my Murther so left the money to prevent Duprette's sudden missing of his Paper and coming with my man to discover it found me as they then supposed kill'd but after on my Recovery deliver'd it into my hands King Oh! how seriously ought Princes first to weigh the lives and souls of men before they draw them to their bosoms for Favorites that are vitious are the Cankers of Kings Courts and eat in their Soveraigns bosoms Mel. Sir King Hold say no more thy breath 's infectious grown And on my Fame has Killing poyson thrown Guard take him away Mel. Vain joys of mortal Life you fly so fast Man hardly knows you are before y' are past Yet we on you do our affections lay As if we here eternally should stay Honor thou now dost give my soul a view Of what I left when first I banish'd you O Virtue how have I bin led astray From thy fair paths into this Lab'rinth way I thought my Fortune on a Rock did stand But Guilts foundation still proves foolish sand When man by Crimes does plots for greatness lay Heav'n justly frowns and takes his hopes away But though my Life bears characters of shame My Death shall leave behind a better Fame They that won't fall must not on danger stand We carry not our Fates in our own hand Exit King Though Love Lotharicus did make me be Thy Rival I was ne'er thy Enemy At lest to take thy life by ways obscure My soul such abject thoughts scorn to endure To witness it I this for thee will do Marcelia freely shall chuse me or you Loth. Marcelia Sir cannot disputethe choice Against my self your Goodness has my voice And she long since has learn'd to be so wise To leave Lotharicus for such a prize Pardon me Sir that I am sad that she Found not such motives for her love in me Mar. I never more desir'd than what in you I did enjoy when I believ'd you true But when by Melynet I was inform'd I and my love was for Arcasia scorn'd I then such Reason had to entertain So great a Monarch and so high a Flame That all I for his Passion since did do Can no condemning censure find for you Honor and Virtue still have bin my guid My Life has strictly to their Rules bin ty'd Loth. Since Melynet made me so false appear You need not more your actions for to clear But still as they justly more splendid grow My heart does more despairing sorrow know King Which of us two Madam shall happy be Mar. Heav'n leaves me not to an Election free Both so deserve Sir that If I should chuse I 'd be unjust to him I did refuse Oh Gods what punishment do you design Marcelia that neither must be mine Love will not let me my Lotharicus leave Nor Honor won't permit I him receive The King whispers to Peregrine Exit Pereg. King To shew that I will still be here within points to his brest What I am by my birth my passions King My Empire there by Reasons power maintain As well as to my Crown new Crowns to gain I out of Honor will this Justice do Against my Love Marcelia give to you Thou art already of her Heart possest And with her Person now I 'l make thee blest Loth. Sir King No more oppose thy bliss with gen'rous strife May you be happy in each others life My heart to my Calinda I 'l restore Whose due it was by faith and love before Marcelia and Lotharicus kneel Loth. May Fortune showr such Blessings on your head That over all the World your power be spread That every Monarch that enjoys a Throne May that possession from your bounty own Eur. Now take the Blessing which I Sir do give When you are call'd from hence to Heav'n to live And may my Friend prove joys so high refin'd he embraces Loth. To equal the vast compass of his mind Enter Calinda and Peregrine Cal. Sir I am come my Duty to express King To me Calinda can own nothing less In publick I my heart away did take And I 'l in publick Restitution make Cal. Your Will can strangely of your Heart dispose My Will as yet o'r mine no Empire knows King Yet it may yours perswade and command mine King You should not then Marceliaes Love decline King Madam you have all Reason to express As much as you can say in scorns excess But Heav'n the greatest faults that are forgive 'T is noble when we may kill to let live Cal. Had you bin still Sir to that Maxim true I had not then bin scorn'd nor left by you When you the life did take of all my joy You show'd not the left pity to destroy But you would have I find a Womans breast With more Compassion and more Love possest King I 'd have thy Heart again thy Love renew Since mine does burn with a fresh Flame to you Calinda with my Life I would redeem What I have done to call back thy esteem Cal. Your Majesty can strangely overcome Scarce wish a Victory before 't is won That price my Heart will never let you pay Love's Gen'ral there and yields you up the day King And if I e'er again that gift abuse May Heav'n all prayers that I make refuse I much admir'd thy Excellence heretofore But now Idolater shall turn and thee adore I did not think this would have bin the close Man may design but Heav'n will still dispose Exeunt Omnes EPILOGUE NOw I am sure all look that I should say Something like asking pardon for the Play With low submission and I can't tell what Excuse her Writing Language and her Plot As crafty Poets Guilty cry their Wit To make you less severe in lashing it But faith she scorns such undermining ways Of blowing up your pity into praise Nor will she do her spirit so much wrong To beg what does not to her brow belong She says they 're fools force Fate before they be Resolv'd to meet with any Destiny But this revenge she 's sure to have on those They 'l Cowards be esteem'd that give her blows Which strangely takes her knowing that ye must Be to your Honor or your Wit unjust Mark how maliciously her snares sh 'as laid Praise or Condemn you 're equally betray'd FINIS
MARCELIA OR THE Treacherous Friend A Tragicomedy As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal by His Majesties Servants Written by Mrs. F. Boothby Licenc'd October 9. 1669. Roger L'Estrange London Printed for Will. Cademan at the Popes-Head in the lower Walk of the New-Exchange and Giles Widdowes at the Maidenhead in Aldersgate-street,1670 To the Honourable and most Accomplished Lady YATE of Harvington in Worcestershire MADAM SInce the most weak ought to endeavour the most powerful Defenders I could no where elect a person whose Accomplishments renders them so capable to that requisite as your Ladyship Which Motive I onely have to hope and plead my Pardon by for my Presumption in imploring your Protection Madam This earthy effect of my ignorant Brain you will find an Engin which will give all your Perfections and Virtues employment in the most eminent degree since it not only requires your unequal'd Eloquence and Wisdom to appose the Censuring world upon this uncommon action in my Sex but your Goodness to pardon the many and high defects which you will there find to condemn Sinners look not upon their own weak merits but Heavens Bounty when they implore Benefits For if they should turn their Eyes to their inward View and regulate their Petitions by their Deservings they would blush and grow dumb to all Requests This Line Madam I must draw to my own Center who must wholly ow all your transcending Favours to your generous aud noble Humour which makes the World your Admirers and fixes unalterably to the power of your Commands Your most humble Servant and Kinswoman F. Boothby PROLOGUE TO Marcelia I 'M hither come but what d' ye think to say A Womans Pen presents you with a Play Who smiling told me I 'd be sure to see That once confirm'd the House wou'd empty be Not one yet gone Well I 'l go tell her you are all so just You 'l laugh at her on Knowledg not on Trust I know she 'l send me back but what to do He goes off When I have learn'd of her I 'l tell it you Comes agen Guess now the Message she prays ye to be gone You 'l croud her Wit to death in such a Throng Of Wits she says which no Consumptions have And hers is weak e'en going to the grave She wonders much that ye should all desire To stay and witness when it does expire One comes to him Mess Hark ye the Poetess does angry grow Prol. I cannot make 'em whether they will or no. 'T is better be a Dog than Womans slave That knows not what she would or would not have With Ballading I think she mad is grown And by her Prologue fain would make it known She need not be so hasty faith her Play Will witness that her Reason's gone astray For when that it is done I 'm almost sure You 'l give her Bedlam for Reward or Cure Another comes to him and whispers What more nay then I never shall have done Now I 've command to court ye one by one When I return to send her word by me Who will her Judges who her Lawyers be If that the Wits will plead her cause she 'l stay If not she fairly means to run away For if her Judges they resolve to sit She neither Pardon nor Reprieve shall get But still she hopes the Ladies out of Pride And Honor will not quit their sexes side Though they in private do her faults reprove They 'l neither publick scorn nor laughter move But should they all in censuring be severe 'T is still the Critick Men she most does fear For if that Solomon now liv'd and writ They'd cry Pish hang 't there 's nothing in 't of Wit The ACTORS Names Sigismund King Melinet his Favourite Lotharicus A noble man in love with Marcelia Euryalus A noble man Sister to Marcelia Almeric an Eminent Lord. Valasco an Eminent Lord. Lucidore a wild Lord. Peregrine a Traveller Moriphanus a proud silly rich fellow Graculus his Man Du-prette Servant to Melinet Meraspas Servant to Lotharicus Philampras a Villain Three Villains more Marcelia a noble Lady Consin to Melinet Desha her Woman Calinda the Kings Mistress Ericinia her Friend Arcasia a Lady Perilla a rich Widdow Pages Foot-Boys Maskers Guards and Attendants The Scene FRANCE MARCELIA OR the Treacherous Friend Act I. Scene I. Enter Valasco and Almeric Alm. HAve you seen Melinet of late Val. No not since he miss'd the place he thought himself so sure of at the Court his aspiring soul will not easily let him digest the cross events of Fate Alm. It seems a marvel to me he had it not for the King does reflect upon him more than common rays of favour such as in my mind may reasonably give his hopes large compass Val. Ho does so but this was a grant of our deceased King which his Majesty promised to ratifie or else doubtless he had carried it but men of his temper and nobly born without Estates think Fortune is a cripple if she does not with winged hast answer their deserts Alm. Hold here he is coming with a musing and unsatisfied countenance Enter Melynet Val. How now Melynet what dull and melancholy Mel. My looks my Lord wear my fortunes livery But I was just now thinking how many considerable Places I have been likely to possess And my stars my unlucky stars They still prevent me with their baser influences Oh I could curse them had they made me a fool Or without Spirit or Ambition I should have thankd 'em but they 've furnish'd me With all the requisites to a rising Fortune And yet deny success Val. I' faith the truth of 't is they have afforded thee Wit subtilty policie and what else is necessary Enough to have discharg'd any office in the Kingdom To thy own advantage and that 's now the onely end To which most of the greatest Statesmen tend Alm. I for they are wiser than in the old time When Honour and Honesty were so much ador'd They of that age were altogether in love with Fame And having their lives read with admiration in a chronicle But the Politicians now are of another stamp What 's present's only theirs they cry and had rather Purchase one life here in a good estate Than the inheritance of that talk'd of That is to come hereafter 'T is true Expectation is a hungry Diet. Mel. You would think so if your Lordship were to live Upon it as many do Alm. I should so but not in thy condition Who art already look'd upon by eveâ—y man of judgment As in all likelihood to be the Court Blazing-star Mel. That expression will bear a various inâ—e pretation Or great or mischievous or both perhaps By divination he gives it for my Motto Well I beg your Lordships pardon for I must leave you Val. Why pry ' thee what hast of business Calls you away Mel. I am engag'd to meet six or seven Friends Val. No friends as you love me a Friend is a thing More rare
away Lotharicus draws to defend himself Loth. I would willingly die but not by the hands of Villains He fights bravely kills one of the Villains they wound him in many places and he falls 3 Vill. He 's gone to Heaven or Hell and has took one of us with him for his Attendance Du-Pr. Are you sure he 's dead 3. Vill. I sure enough unless he has more lives then one Du-Pr. For fear he should not I 'le give him my last blessing 1 Vill. Hold he 's dead I 'le warrant Pulls out a Pistol you and the noise of that going off will bring in company and betray us If you are not satisfied we 'll open two or three Casements more to let his Soul pass out by but 't is unnecessary Hark I hear a noise let 's fly we shall be taken They go back to wound him again and hear a noise 3 Vill. What shall we do with our dead companion 1 Vill. Leave him he is not known here Exeunt omnes Enter Meraspas and Philampras and two other men with Torches Phil. Pray let us make all the hast we can I have bin all this Evening to find you or your Lord out Meras Had not your business bin of such high importance to my Lord as you say I would have borrow'd an hours time longer to have drank with my friends here 1 Man Another time will do as well we will go with you as far as the house and there take our leaves to morrow we 'll meet again Meras I wonder what it is a clock Phil. Between eleven and twelve 2 Man What 's that lies yonder 1 Man steps forth 1 Man Ha! a Gentleman kill'd Meras Heaven bless my Lord. Goes to him and looks O it is my Lord It is my Lord that 's murthered Oh cursed Villains that have done this and cursed I that was not with him to have hope to defend his life or lost my own in endeavouring of it What shall I do 2 Man There is no remedy now poor Gentleman Meras Pray help me take up his Body and carry it home Exeunt with Body of Lotharicus Scene changes to a Garden Scene 5. Enter Calinda and Ericina Eric Are you resolv'd still to give up your self to so much sadness Is it so great a wonder to find men false that you no better are prepar'd from reasonable expectation to meet this change and common trouble Cal. It is true Ericina our afflictions do usually receive abatement from not being single Sufferers but love admits not of allays like other ills nor is that humor in my mind so generally to be boasted of Besides Love when it first takes Possession of our hearts deprives us of our Reason and that 's the chief resisting strength by which we opposition make against all other accidents of Fortunes malice Eric I cannot think a Passion by Gods and Men so Deified can carry in it so much destructive danger for if it robs our Souls of Reason it makes us like to Beasts And certainly Heaven ne're design'd that Metamorphosis from whence we have receiv'd the highest proof of that All-conquering Passion Besides some with their Reason make their Choice and what it does approve it may subsist with or banish it if it too far intrude That Reason is very weak and sluggish that suffers and Passion to grow so strong as to supplant it Cal. I do not wish thee so much ill as 't is unhappily to Love or else I should be glad to see how you would rule your inclinations which I confess you mannage well in supposition Would mine were governed by fancy too I Player-like could raign as well as you We can unmov'd hear others sufferings tell Which if our own we should not bear it well Eric You can no trouble have but what is mine My love does make my share as great as thine Unkind Calinda what is 't you intend To punish your false Lover in your Friend Can his inconstancy make you despise That friendship which you once so much did prize If you so great injustice will allow Ne're censure him he did not break his Vow And who the self-same Errors will commit In prudence ought in others pardon it Cal. You of injustice talk whilst only I Find from you both so much you fain would die Friendship and Love to me are cruel grown I wish to Heav'n that I had neither known Were yours true you would not mine suspect Our doubt grows strongest from our own defect You on my Love a blemish fain would throw That in your change you might less guilty show Those that are wise do setting Suns forsake And with the rising ones their friendships make You know who 't is has set his heart on fire Improve your int'rest e're the flame expire Love that plays Truant once without a cause Will still an Out-law be to Honor's Laws And days whose mornings do appear most bright Are often over-cast before 't is night If she his seeming passion entertain His half-made vows will cost his eyes some rain Eric She cannot greater show'rs for Love let fall Then I shall do for friendships Funeral Calinda by my death you soon will know Whither to that I have bin true or no Then I am sure that you will grow more just And shed some tears for your unkind mistrust Cal. If that can cure thy griefs my doubts have bred I 'le make my eyes another Deluge shed Dear Ericina can y' a pardon give To an offence makes me unfit to live Eric I can forgive much more then you can do Love in that kind ne're yet a limit knew Cal. I grieve to think I should a debt contract Of which I cannot pay the Int'rest back Eric And I am sad to see your heart possest Still with that Love which gives your thoughts no rest Cal. Thy charming voice would make them calmer grow Eric I 'd sing and ne're give off if I thought so Cal. Sing then that Song my humor suits and mind I 'le sit down here if thou wilt be so kind She sits down and leans melancholly upon her arm SONG Eric 1. Oh you powerful Gods if I must be An injur'd Off'ring to Love's Deity Grant my revenge this Plague on men That Women ne're may love agen Then I 'le with joy submit unto my Fate Which by your Justice gives their Empire date 2 Depose that proud insulting Boy Who most is pleas'd when he can most destroy O! let the World no longer govern'd be By such a Blind and Childish Deity For if you Gods be in your Power severe We shall adore you not from love but fear 3 But if you 'l his Divinity maintain O're men false men confine his â—oâ—â—'ring raign And when their Hearts Love's greatest torments prove Let that not pity but our laughter move Thus scorn'd and lost to all their wishes aim Let Rage Despair and Death then end their flame 'T is very late my dear Calinda and we had best be gone Cal. It