Ruine of Greatness in this The Ruine of my Name A Rape were a Glory To thy Affection and though it had Lost It would have Got me Fame the Honour of A Ravish'd Virgin Did'st thou Woe me with the Highest Services as thou com'st in my Fathers Blood I could Reward thee but could Never yeeld thee Love I was too long A Princess and lost the name too Late To entertain so low a thought Pall The World Of Causes that part me and Happyness Eud. Love is soft and full of Curtesie A greater Opposite to Lust than Hate The Flames thou feel'st are more preposterous Than those which burn the Brests of Satyrs or Of Beasts which kill the Young and in that blood Enjoy the Dam. Think'st thou that any is So bold in Lust to imbrance the Fears thy Love Brings with it Pall My Youth and Comliness how Are you obscur'd Eudo. My Miseries have put A new Nature in me chang'd that Calmness I had wont enjoy into the Looks and Language of a Fury How ill does Rage Become a Virgins brest I will suppress it And if it must break forth dissolve it into Tears An Age worn out in thought cannot present One Comfort to me I am so Wretched Oh! My soul 's more Earthy than my body This War that is within me I hope will Gain a Victory o'er my Life at last Pall Accursed that I was to be the Authour Of so much Miserie Is there no way to restore That Peace which you have lost If there be any Despair not of it though it be held within The jawes of Death I 'll snatch it for you Though it were lost in the Darkest Mass of things My Love would distinguish 't in a Chaos If it have no Being but what your Thought Gives Life to I 'll Wish it for you so strong My Phansie is to serve you Let it be Any thing to be done I 'll do it Can I The wretched Cause removed bring ease unto You Sufferings Here on my Knee I yeeld my Life Unto your taking or if you had rather I 'll offer 't up my self Eudo. No and yet There is a way and thou may'st do it Pall Is there a way O my joyes The Gods are Merciful Name it name it to me Eudo. If thou wilt vow to do it presently Pall Need I an Oath to confirm I would be Happy 'T is my own Happyness I thus Eagerly pursue in yours Ev'ry sigh You give doth make me breathless and ev'ry Tear which you let fall doth bow me nearer To the Earth than all the years and Wounds that I have suffer'd Yet I will swear By all things Holy all that I fear and reverence To refuse no Labours Death to gain your Ease And restore joy unto your Life again Eudo. Now thou can'st not thy last words have render'd Thee Unable The Ease was Death which yet I beg from thee Pall From what a Heaven of happyness Am I fallen Eud. Assist me all my strength Ye Gods this way ye have ordained I should Come to you pardon that Fate then which your selves Did give me She makes an offer to stab her self Rod O my Lady Pall Stay O stay that hand Let that Goodness in you which would spare Things Fair and Holy preserve the Fairest and The Holiest The Angells would be proud to take Such Shape upon them when they Visit Earth 'T is such as Your self ought to look with Reverence on Eudor Ther 's a Weapon hid within my Heart which None can take away it wounds deeply now Death thou art a Lover and dost Court me mildly Ladies O my Lady help help O my Lady She faints Rod Give her more air Pall She 's gone my time 's no longer Our Lives were woven on the same Web the Destinies condemn ' me to see her Death And then to follow He prepares to fall upon his Sword Rod She breaths stand off Eud. My Brother O my Father Rod How doe you Madam Eud. Too well my strength returnes to fast unto me Pall Were my Soul fled that Voyce would call it back Again it self would return and choose this Paradise on Earth I 'le not disturbe her With my Longer stay Fair One if your Lady Shall need any thing you may have it with A thought No lesse respect shall wait on her Than if her Father still Rul'd all The Guard Shall be at your Command and attend onely For your Quiet and your Safety Rod Souldier Th' art Noble The Gods reward thy goodnesse Exit Pallantus at one door and Eudora led off by the Ladies at the other CHORUS HE who Unjustly sway'd the State Lives no where now but in their Hate There 's Nothing left of him but Shame Which both Preserves and Clouds his Name When Civill-Beasts fall let it be Call'd Slaughter and not Victory When that He dyes that lived a Shade His Sleep's Continu'd then not Made Arise thou Starre of Honour here And in his Stead shine round our Sphear Grace thou the Throne and let us see Thy Father once more Raign in thee We 'l now in nought but Love Conspire And no brest burn but with True Fire While that such manners rule the Throne Live all by his he by his Own ACTUS 5. SCENA 1. Enter Eudora and Rodia Eud. THis Quiet we enjoy does strike Amazement In me Sure they have Slain the Body with The Head which makes this Generall Calm Rod Madam 'T is much more Innocent And though that part Of it we find by particular Command Be Order'd so yet 't is but an Image Of the Universall Peace that Blesses All the Isle No Noise of Armes Rapine of Souldiers Tumults Slaughters are seen in any Place but Securitie and Joy doe reign As in a long and Setl'd Peace The Conspirators Having brought about their Great Design Desire to have it seen to all the World They Sought a Change but not a Desolation Eud. Their Moderation is too Late nor will It satisfie the Gods when they have spilt So much Bloud that they will Spill no more Rod O Madam how farre you wander and are lost In Error and to all your other Miseries Is added this your Mistaking of the Ground On which you Suffer and whether with my Duty It will stand to inform you of the Right I know not Yet while there is a Charitie In the Rudenesse I shall be bold to tell you This Last Alteration the State has suffer d This wresting of the Scepter from your Name Together with your Fathers Life has not Befallen through the Impious and black Contrivance of a few bloudie and ambitious Lords greedie to assume the Royall Ensignes To themselves but in the Name of Justice And the Owner they have made this Seizure And there stands up a King to Countenance And Justifie the Fact a King not known Unto the Latter Age a Son of Him From whom with the like violence but more Injustice pardon what I say your Father Formerlie did tear the Diadem O Madam Your
nere Committed Clean Whither does this Sad beginning tend Pal. To this Sir As we have slain with all Religion A bloudy Tyrant and Usurper one That was Greater in his Sins than in the Kingdome he purchas't by them So too we have Unjustly slain the Father of a Lady That knew not so much Guilt as to satisfie her Why she lost him And for want of his Life She now Contemns her Own a Jewell Of Jnestimable Valew to all the World But to her self Sir you cannot call Her An Enemy though her Goodnesse stood against You So Many Years and preserv'd her Father In despite of all his Sinns It became her To withstand the greatest Piety what ere If it were an Enemy to her Owne Hian. Her Cause of Grief is Mighty and if Care Be not taken as their Faults have done the Rest Her Goodnesse will destroy her We that beheld The past Deformities can bear Witnesse Of her Vertues She was the onely Mine Of Honour and when we had been wearied In seeking one Grain else where in Her We could find a Treasure Nor was this a Beauty In her set off onely with the Blemishes Of Others And Foyl'd by Generall Vices But t was a Reall and a Native Excellence Which as it could not be obscur'd by Thickest Darknesse so neither could it be out-shined By the most Radiant Brightnesse King Her Grief Concerns us all and ought to be provided for Before our Feasts and Triumphs Returne In our Name to Her and tell Her be the Advantages Nere so Eminent we have receiv'd by 'em We truly Mourn for whatever Losses may be Called Hers Say too in Person we had come to Comfort her But that we thought a Visit in the Freshnesse Of her Sufferings too much Violence VVhat ever there remaines that can bring a Joy To Her shall carefully be sought out And offered to her Her Brother with many Of her Friends are fled into the Fort And are there shut up VVould I could give 'em Life VVhat say you my Lord May I do this VVill not Mercy in this place be Madnesse Ara. Sir t' will be so in no place You may do this Or any thing you have a mind too Even in your Suddain'st Uncousidered Thoughts There is a Secret Counsell and Depth of VVisdome And seeing all your Actions Nay all your Pleasures Are in some Exercise of Vertue we VVill not crosse you in 'em but make 't Our greater Care to see you no time Suffer By your Goodnesse or that your Mercy prove A Cruelty to Your self Clean You have given me Resolution Haste then in the first place Unto the Fort 'T was their desire this Morning To have Conference with one of Note And if you finde 'em fit for Mercy Or to be made fit offer 't to 'em Exeunt Omnes Enter at one doore Polyander Menetius Comastes and the Captain of the Guard Timeus to them at the other Time No Answer yet return'd Poly. Not yet Sir Time One look out again Polyander I remember Exit Captain I heard thee once say when I condemnd thee For thy smiles That if there were a Cause thou Couldst Frown VVhy look'st thou Sadly at this Time then Our Fortunes ought rather to stir our Indignation Than our Grief Poly. Sir were they my Own Misfortunes I were under and not yours the Heaviest Pressures should not move a Passion in me Unlesse it were some Glory but when I look On you a Fellow-Sufferer with me Remember the State from which y' are fallen Though in my Own Miseries I had a Heart Of Flint and Rock In yours I could desolv't Into a Stream of Teares Cap. Sir ther 's now one arriv'd Enter Captain Has certainly brought an Answer Time Letus Seat our selves before he Enters that he They all sit down about a Table that has a Cup of poyson on it May see on what strength our Demands are made Every Man put on a Face of Mirth and Resolution and fancie to himself He 's at a Banquet that will refresh him After all his Toyle VVho 's this Do any Enter Paliantus Of you Know him Poly. Not I my Lord Men Nor I Time Sir Y' are VVelcome But we Invite you onely To look on The Liquor this Goblet holds Though it be Brisk and of a Luâ—ty Operation VVe cannot Commend so much for Purity Or help to Good Digestion The Gods Give not Life more Certain than this gives Death Do you think you can behold the Drinking Of it VVould Aratus himself were here That once he might be Glutted with A Spectacle of Death You look Pale on t is Already Fly Sir while you may for certainly Your Enemys have a Plot upon you And sent you hither to take your Death in By your Eyes Had they none to send us To behold our Resolutions but such a Trifle Pal. What Shape can I put on and thou not Injure Me in 't I never yet appeard to thee In any Form but Either I found thy Scorn Or Hatred in it At first I was thy Fear As all that were Innocent did Fright thee And because Thou wert Guilty I was Banisht Not to remove me neither but my Death VVhich standing firme 'gainst any Stroke of Law By Treachery thou would'st have reach't it Am when by Miracle I scapt thy Plotted Mischiefs by Chance thou would'st have slain me A Stranger and Unknown to thee My Disguise VVrongd thee not nor couldest thou pretend a Quarrel To it more than to him that in the remotest India drawes his breath Timeus starts from the Table and draws his Sword the rest doe the like Time I know thee now Thou need'st not further declare thy self And thou art Come past all my Wishes To Satisfie my Regenge Pallantus Knocks and a Guard rushes in Pall Hold I came To bring Peace and not Destruction Doe you Perceive yet how vain is all your Malice Time If thou art that man thou would'st seem to be And Equallie with Me do'st honour a Dead Father yet setting by these Seconds Let us Singlie trie our Hatred The Grant Of This will please me more then a Consession Of all the Articles proposed by me I had rather see thee Dead or by this Meanes Not see thee Live then again be Master Of the Fortunes I have Lost. I am unfit For Life And shall but curse the Givers of it Pall If I thought so I 'd grant to your Request And Kill you I could doe it I have Strength And Justice enough to make me Able But you are not so Bad as you suppose These are Despairing not Malitious Thoughts Yet ere I gooe rest assured one way or other I 'le give you Satisfaction I came For that Intent Shew me your Articles Here one gives him the Articles which he seems to run over with his Eye and reads the last aloud And last That thus attended we may depart The Isle How poor are these Conditions Without more Commission I dare grant you Better Why these are demands within
the Power of Faith THough Men by Nature born to fear and to avoid what may seem hurtful yet that fear by Grace and Faith may be converted into divine Valour of the highest kind as is evident by the Three Children in the fiery Furnace and by Daniel in the Lion's Den which with other the like Examples should invite such Men as trust in God not to fear what he only can prevent if he thinks fit and though a fearful Man cannot remove a Mole-hill for want of Faith much less Mountains how little Faith then have we when the noise only of Ill News does affright our unsetled Souls with dismal apprehensions of what may never happen more than the ill event brings with it if it do unto such pious men as live prepar'd to bear afflictions for few moments here with faithful joyful Thoughts of their eternal Happiness in Heaven So that we see the Power of Faith will remove the greatest terrour and work Miracles when Men dare trust in God Lord give me grace to live as I do write And as thy holy Spirit shall indite To manifest thy mighty Mercy shown To such a Reprobate as must own Christ's Doctrine to suffer CHrist's Doctrine is with patience to inure Our selves to suffer what he did endure On Earth from that malicious cursed Crew Who scorn'd his Miracles and boldly slew Their bless'd Messiah who did then submit To die because his Father did think fit That we redeemed by his precious Blood Might trust in him who dy'd to do us good And now may sighing sing and weeping pray Our death may prove our highest Holy-day When we with Christ in Paradise appear And shine amongst those blessed Angels there On the Power of Love to God TO love and fear God is what every good Christian doth own and what most Men think they do but very few I fear do understand what it is to love and fear Him as we ought with all our Heart Soul and Mind above all other Objects whatever which is a Lesson of great use to bring Men to Heaven who know that we are dying every moment that we live and cannot wish more pleasure here than we shall find by serving God thus For those who can love him with all their Heart and Mind will worship and adore him with the same Zeal and will obey praise thank pray and trust in him with the like fervent affection in all their divine addresses with their utmost endeavours to be with him in Heaven which God never will reject nor can eternal Bliss be purchased at a lower rate of Love Thus God exposes Heaven to entice Good Men to purchase at the Market-price When Love with all its Perquisites comply To six a blessed Immortality On such exalted Souls as take delight To mediate on his beatick sight When their enlightned Faith does bring them there Enrich'd with love they 'll bid adieu to fear And leave no arguments to justifie Such timorous Men as dare not think to die Though their eternal joy will then be such That none will have too little or too much And those who truly love will surely find Their happiness by God is predesign'd Who sees the heart and thoughts of every Man That loves and serves him to the best they can On Faith WHen Faith grows strong our Fancies will soar high To search the secrets of Eternity Which to our Souls are of so near concern That no man can a greater Lesson Learn Nor have a more serene celestial Bliss Than he 'll enjoy by practising of this Great step which by degrees will lead him on To the sacred Seat of his Adoption Where Faith 'bove all the Gifts of Grace will shine With Love in Bliss and Glory most divine On God's Mercy OUr God from us his Glory keeps conceal'd Because it would destroy us if reveal'd His Essence we can never understand 'T is well if we obey his just Command For God to mortal Man will never teach Such great Secrets because what we can reach By Nature cloys as soon as had or known He therefore lets us live by Faith alone Still subject to so many hopes and fears That our prime Joys are damp'd by frequent tears Which daily do our sorrows multiply Until death comes to tell us we must die The only remedy ordain'd to cure All sorts of evils that we here endure Yet God in mercy makes amends at last To free us from all miseries are past By raising them to bliss who do their best To gain a share in his eternal rest Which belt in God's esteem is to do all Was done by bless'd St. Stephen and St. Paul On true Valour HAppy are they who in these latter days Are fill'd with love with gratitude and praise To God whose joyful Souls do ever fly With highest thoughts of their Eternity And by the actions of their lives declare That Faith in Christ has conquer'd their despair For all past Crimes and now with Death has made Strict Friendship never more to be afraid Of his most sick alarms in disguise Nor of his quickest Summons by surprize And thus the greatest Cowards in the Land For Valour may in competition stand With any Hero's of the former age Or those who now in a just cause engage When Courage is a Vertue to be brave And sets a Crown on such a Soldier's grave On Relapsed Man in Paradise WHen Youth with strength wealth and beauty flourish Some short joys our wanton hearts may nourish But when old age is much decrepid grown We ought with sighs and tears great Sorrows own For idle hours that we have vainly spent Without the sense of shame or punishment And if we die in that unhappy state All hopes of mercy then will come too late So that if age revive and propagate Past sins till they do greater Crimes create 'T will turn old Age's Blessings into hate Then let no mortal man presume to think He cannot see when he is pleas'd to wink For no Man yet was ever such a Sot That Age his former Crimes had so forgot That on his Crutches thinks 't is boldly brave Loaden with Crimes to creep into the Grave Much worse than Youth when cross'd in his desire In a mad fit dares leap into the fire Which shows that all our Ages here ne'er can Retrieve the Curses of relapsed Man Till faith in Christ create a brighter flame Impow'ring men to have a surer claim To Heaven at our blessed Saviour's cost Than that which Adam's disobedience lost By which we the intrinsick Treasure find Of future joys in a Seraphick mind On the Power of Faith IF all Men did our Christian Graces understand That like good Heraulds we might rank them according to their antiquity and merit Faith may claim the highest dignity and place as of just right to be the most fixed foundation on the blessed Rock of our Salvation which will unmov'd withstand the greatest Storms when lofty Structures built on Sand are with Wind