Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A33540
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Agnes de Castro a tragedy, as it is acted at the Theatre Royal by His Majesty's servants / written by a young lady.
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Trotter, Catharine, 1679-1749.; Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689. Agnes de Castro.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing C4801; ESTC R13402
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38,803
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54
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her Fate K. In that I 'll joyn with thee and will assist thee If half my Revenue can bring her Cure Mean while we 'll meditate a just Revenge Go you to see Elvira whilst I order Our Forces to unite in case my Son Shou'd make Attempt to save his wicked Friends My Daughter and your Sister call for Justice And they shall soon have ample Satisfaction For Agnes and Lorenzo both shall die We 'll show our Pious Grief in Tears and Bloud Exit King Alv. You have made a quick dispatch Diego But where 's Lorenzo Dieg. My Lord I know not where After conferring a long time with Agnes He rid in haste not saying where he went Alv. I hope to plot for Agnes with the Prince 'T is kindly done to save their Friends the labour They throw themselves into the mouth of 〈◊〉 And she that 's cause of all shall have her share My Love has giv'n her but a short reprive When I have reap'd what to my passion 's due She dies Elvira she shall bleed for you Exit The end of the Fourth Act. ACT V. SCENE I. The Scene opens Elvira asleep on a Couch Bianca weeping by her Alvaro advances The King enters to him and the Scene shuts K. WHat hopes have the Physitians of your Sister If Heav'n be propitious to their care Alv. Sir they can give no certain judgment yet She 'as ta'ne a dose to make her sleep an hour Which may produce a change to fix their thoughts K. So may our good endeavours prove successful As she 's the just Detectour of a Crime Which cries aloud to Heav'n and if conceal'd Had pull'd 〈◊〉 Plagues on all our heads Your quick return gives hopes you 've news of Agnes Enter a Messenger Mess. May 't please your Majesty she 's coming hither Conducted by the Prince and Don Lorenzo Alv. What say you Agnes coming hither Mess. She is my Lord we had not travelled 〈◊〉 E're we perceiv'd her Chariot at a distance We strove to reach her but before we cou'd We saw a body of Soldiers had approach'd her Which seem'd of a considerable strength Her Guards affrighted quickly left their charge As we suppose thinking them Enemies Sent by your Majesty to apprehend 'em And when we found it was the Prince had met her I rid before to tell your Majesty K. Dares he so openly protect the Murtheress By this base act he has renounc'd my Bloud And I renounce him he 's no more my Son Alv. Coming attended in this hostile manner Shows he 'll defend her with his utmost power K. He 's too far in to stop at any guilt Enter the Prince leading Agnes Lorenzo Pedro and Guards K. A decent Sight is this your Nuptial-day 'T is well she who has robb'd you of a Wife Has giv'n you in return a 〈◊〉 for you And we 'll affist to solemnize your 〈◊〉 Guards 〈◊〉 ' em Guards look on one another without 〈◊〉 Prin. You cannot be my Friends if you are Rebels Seize me your King commands you Agn. They know there needs no 〈◊〉 We came not Sir to fly or to resist But to declare my innocence and beg Your justice for the Murther of the Princess Who at her Death accus'd Elvira of it Alv Brand not with shame a poor unhappy Maid Whose misery you have already caus'd Alas she was so far from killing her The grief of it has brought her to 〈◊〉 Agn. Heav'n thou art just Lor. Madam our Prayers are heard K. What Prayer cou'd you make or have accepted From such polluted hands Oh hardned Wretch How calmly she can talk of Heav'n's Justice As if she had not in a thought provok'd it Are Murder and Adultery petty Crimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not tremble shameless Prostitute Prin. Ah Sir for bear you wrong the purest 〈◊〉 She never gave I never ask'd the finallest Favour of her K. Perhaps her hot Desires prevented you She kindly gave at first the greatest Favours Yet you have ask'd let this convince you both 〈◊〉 This shews the Correspondence you maintain'd This this Discov'ry cost your Wife so dear Blush if thou 'st e're a spark of Vertue left Blush at this 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Murder Prin. reads Dear Agnes now you may reward my 〈◊〉 The Rebels favour us be you as kind 〈◊〉 Constantia's leave to go from Court She knows I love you use that fair 〈◊〉 Say you wou'd fly a Prince who does Adore you And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speaks The 〈◊〉 as palpable as day Constantia heard not till this fatal morning Of my unhappy Love I hid it both from her and from its Object Till Chance discover'd the tormenting Secret Since which I did not leave my gen'rous Princess Till you commanded me and all the Court Know well I in that moment left Coimbra In which I parted from your Majesty How then had I time to frame this Letter K. How found you time to frame your 〈◊〉 Plot 'T was neither with the Princess nor with me You cou'd contrive the Murder of your Wife Hell never fails t' assist on such Occasions Prin. Oh horrid is your Son no better known So black an Accusation quite confounds me K. Till now indeed my Son was little known And oh by much too soon he is discover'd Grief of my 〈◊〉 and Shame of our great Race Thy publick Actions plainly speak the private What mov'd thy sudden coming to Coimbra How cou'd thy Mistress know of it to meet thee Or wou'dst thou have reliev'd the Murtheress Unless thou hadst consented to her Crime Agn. If 't is by that you judge release your Son And let Alvaro bear the Punishment 'T was he Sir snatch'd me from the Hands of Justice All stain'd in Bloud and Guilty as he thought me The Prince returns me back tho Innocent Here to be Try'd Condemn'd or Free'd by You. Alv. Your Malice is too obvious to be heeded You found you cou'd not fix it on my Sister And now wou'd hedge me in ungrateful Maid Prin. Ah had your cruel Sister no more Malice Or were her Soul but half so true so just She had not been arraign'd or I suspected Do not disown what thousands can attest Tho I alone am Evidence sufficient Sir by your gen'rous Bloud which fills my Veins By all those noble Thoughts you have inspir'd By Honour which is sacred to a Prince And on a Christian's Faith I scorn to lie Lorenzo brought me this most doleful News Who left the injur'd Agnes Pris'ner here And 't was with great Surprize we met her free For so we thought her till her Cries declar'd She had but chang'd for worse Captivity Worse she esteem'd it when she learn'd from Pedro She then was in Alvaro's hated Pow'r The same he own'd to stop the Soldiers Fury Who threatned him with Death if he conceal'd What he intended with his mournful Prize Speak Pedro let not fear of this Great Man Prevail o're stronger Truth Ped. I can't deny what I before confess'd I stole her hence by
Agnes de Castro A TRAGEDY As it is Acted at the THEATRE ROYAL By His Majesty's Servants Written by a Young Lady LONDON Printed for H. Rhodes in Fleetstreet R. Parker at the Royal-Exchange S. Briscoe at the Corner of Charles-street in Russel-street Covent-Garden 1696. * Advertisement The Fatal Mistake Or the Plot Spoil'd A New Play Written by Joseph Haines CHARLES Earl of DORSET and MIDDLESEX Lord Chamberlain of His Majesty's Houshold And Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter c. MY LORD THIS little Off-spring of my early Muse was first Submitted to Your Lordship's Judgment Whether it shou'd be Stifled in the Birth or Preserv'd to try its Fortune in the World And since 't is from Your Sentence it has ventur'd thus far it now Claims a sort of Title to Your Lordships Protection which it cou'd not have the least pretence to from its own Merit But 't is Your Lordships Character to Encourage all great Attempts though Unsuccessful This was indeed a Bold one for a Woman at my Years but I wou'd not offer my little Experience as a reason to be Pardon'd for not acquitting my self well for I think the Incapacity of producing any thing better a very ill Excuse for exposing a Foolish Thing if the same inconsidering Youth might not excuse the rashness of the Undertaking And I shall be much less Pardonable if the next I bring upon the Stage has not a better Title to the Favour of the Town This seems to promise another attempt which shou'd not be expected from one who Conceals her Name to shun that of Poctress I wish I cou'd separate them here for then I shou'd be proud to own my self to the World with all Respect My Lord Your Lordship 's most Obliged and most humble Servant TO THE AUTHOR OF Agnes de Castro ORinda and the Fair Astrea gone Not one was found to fill the Vacant Throne Aspiring Man had quite regain'd the Sway Again had Taught us humbly to Obey Till you Natures third start in favour of our Kind With stronger Arms their Empire have disjoyn'd And snatcht a Lawrel which they thought their Prize Thus Conqu'ror with your Wit as with your Eyes Fired by the bold Example I would try To turn our Sexes weaker Destiny O! How I long in the Poetick Race To loose the Reins and give their Glory Chase For thus Encourag'd and thus led by you Methinks we might more Crowns than theirs Subdue Dela Manley Wycherly at the Authors request Design'd to be Spoke LAdies and Gallants you we hope to find To her who brings you now together kind That you will to your pleasing her consent Not out of your own Nicety prevent But to spight her your own divertisement And will not your Displeasure to her show Who your scorn Ventures but to pleasure you Nay her own pleasure does for yours forego And like the Pregnant of her Sex to gain But for your pleasure more 〈◊〉 and Pain Who but because she 'd do you a good Turn Unask'd unsu'd to may become your scorn But you the Men of Honour or of Wit To set yours to a Woman can't think fit And Ladies as necessitous of Fame Ne'er raise your Credit by another's shame Censuring others to 'scape others blame And Gallants as y' are Men of Honour you Will ne'er speak ill of her you do not know The more she strives to give you Pleasure too Which is most often as we Women find The sole cause you prove to us but less kind As well-bred Beaux's with Noise too ne'er thinks fit To silence on the Stage as in the Pit Another's Sense to hide your want of Wit But Beaux's and Wits I pray be silent now And hear without Noise nay with Patience too Our Female Wit if you 'd have her hear you Especially since your own talking does Your Pleasure interupt your Sense Expose Whilst Silence good Sense and good Breeding shows And each Man's manners Honour Wit appear More as he 's less a Woman's Censurer Then Censures which wou'd spoil your sport forbear Think not the Ladies Wit or Honour less Because she seeks those who have less to please Let not her aim to please the Publick now Design'd her Credit but your Scandal grow Make not her proffer'd favour her Disgrace Nay though it shou'd not please th' Intention praise 'T is merit only to desire to please Then be not as Poor Women often sind Less kind to her but as she 's more inclin'd At venture of her Fame to please Mankind PROLOGUE Spoken by Mr. Powell HOW strangely times are Chang'd I' th' latter Age Prologues were fresh Complaints of Critick Rage But now if one Play hitts you straight Decree To prop a Rival Muses Halting Poetry Cou'd it but gain the Crutches of your Favour This Tragedy might walk six days together To day t'incite your Charity the more A Female Author does your Smiles implore Not but I fear 't is now a thing uncommon For Men of Wit to raise a falling Woman Why should vain Man the Gift of Sense engross Since Woman's Wit was never at a loss Husbands to Wives their Whoring must Reveal For Unfed Passions will expect their Meal But Womens Wits with Ease their Roving Love conceal And Faith in spight of all the Hen-Peckt Fools can do They 've oft the Breeches worn why not the Lawrel too Therefore to those of undisputed Sense Our Poetess resigns her Plays Defence Conscious of her Faults she flies to you To save her from the Thoughtless Damning Crew She 's Dead if Try'd by strict Poetick Laws But Men of Honour can't refuse a Womans Cause Do you the props of Wit but seem t' approve She cannot fear their Thunder from above The Top must stir if the Foundation move EPILOGUE Spoke by Mrs. Verbruggen in Mens Cloaths KKnowing that Knaves and Fools are grown so plenty twenty That Wise or Just are scarce found for Rhime sake I 'll allow 'em one in That few the Merits of a Cause can weigh And those who judge aright By hate or favour Praise or Damn a Play That much depends upon a Poets fame Ours a New Author and without a Name It came into my Charitable mind To try if thus accouter'd I could find The way to make you right or wrong be kind A white curl'd Wig with all the dressing Arts Must needs engage the Ladies tender Hearts And for the Men Petticoats seem the properest bait no doubt Yet you must own you like us best without But if that Jest 's too weak to catch your Grace With a cock'd Hat and a stern blustring Face I 'll try to Bully you into good Nature And bid 〈◊〉 to your Coward Satyr That 〈◊〉 wou'd a Womans strength oppose Wou'd I 'ad put on your Courage with your Cloaths I fear these Breeches Sword and Manly shew Ev'ry way promise more than I can do I find my Female Heart begins to fail And now cou'd condescend if 't wou'd 〈◊〉 To beg your Votes