retired having left him the sole command of the Army he gain'd a memorable Victory terminating that War by the most glorious successes could be desired These marvellous beginnings fam'd the reputation of Alcamenes through all the neighbour Kingdoms they talked every where of Alcamenes as of a prodigie of valour and the noise overtaking all places arrived in Dacia possessing the irritated Queen with a mortal displeasure fearing this young Prince as a potent obstacle to her designs of one day possessing his fathers Territories and this rendred the name of Alcamenes both to the Mother and to the Daughter as odious as that of the King his father The Scythian Monarch who had a great and generous soul view'd with an incredible joy these transcendent actions of Alcamenes and beholding in him nothing but grand and elevated above the rest of man-kind treated him as an extraordinary Son a Son given by Heaven for the glory and consolation of his dayes and as a Prince who would bear the honour of Soythia to a higher degree than it ever yet arrived and moreover being acquainted with the Queen of Dacia's practices and the preparations she made against him who with those succours she hoped to draw by her Daughters beauty was not to be despised he believed himself furnished in the person of Alcamenes with a valiant desender and disdained more than formerly the evil designs of his adversaries He had often spoken of it to the Prince and perceived him burn with a generous resentment against those enemies of his Family and a vehement desire to measure his Sword with whomsoever the perswasions of Amalthea or the beauty of Menalippa had armed against his father desiring rather to carry the War into the enemies Countrey than expect it in their own The King who was as moderate as valiant and who now loved peace as well as formerly he had done the Wars reprov'd without condemning the noble heat of his Son alledging that he ought after the examples of his Predecessors contain himself within the justice of his cause and expect the enemies on-set before he endeavoured their ruine and besides he had compassion on a Queen whose resentments could not be condemned though they were not entirely reasonable and who transacted more through the love she bare her husband than out of any hope she could conceive to conquer Scythia Alcamenes in whom generous resentments found all manner of approbation troubled not himself to combate these reasons and easily excusing the revenge of Amalthea and Menalippa both through the respect he bore to their sex and by the report he heard of the beauty of the Daugther and vertue of the Mother so that turning his anger against those Princes who had embraced their interest he no more solicited the King his father to begin this War Besides this consideration which prevailed upon the spirits of these two Princes they understood that the irritated Queen instead of being in a condition to fight them was imbarked in another War against the Prince of the Sarmates and the Prince of the Nomades upon some dispute they had with Amalthea about the extent of their Frontiers The King Arontes might have taken this advantage against his Enemy and others possibly would have done it but he judged it unworthy his courage and the Prince his Son boyling as he was for occasions to get glory had not the least thought to lay hold on this advantage But although the King of Scythia tasted the greatest satisfaction in the company of a Son so brave and so lovely he was forced to part with him through the necessities of his affairs and ordered him a journey into some Provinces where the Father's or Son's presence were absolutely necessary Alcamenes departed from Palena where the King then made his abode and transported himself into those places whither he was sent by his presence he reduced all things into an entire tranquillity But having bravely acquitted himself of his Commission given by the King his Father instead of returning where he was expected he found himself prest with an ardent desire to travel and visit unknown some stranger Courts few persons 't is possible have known his true designs which came not to my knowledge and I have thought with the rest of the world that curiosity only and a youthful desire led him to that resolution which many have condemned But whatever was the cause he writ a Letter to the King wherein with many excuses he begg'd his pardon for this sally of youth professing that he left him only to render himself more worthy to serve him by the experience he hoped to reap by his Travels promising not to absent himself longer than a year and during that not so far from Scythia or Dacia but easily to observe the motions of his enemies in which case he would abandon all things to render his King that service to which his duty obliged him he accompanied these promises with words full of humility and submission to efface the resentment which the King might conceive for his fault and having given the Letter unto the principal of his servants with whom he returned all his retinue retaining only two Squires to accompany and serve him in his Voyage and on this manner maugre the resistance of all his attendants he leaves them and takes his way by the side of the Boristhenes to go towards Bizantium I 'le not entertain you with the return of his People to the King nor the Kings grief at this unhappy news you may believe it was excessive and Orontes had need of all his courage to resist this displeasure yet he had a firm confidence in the Princess promise and knew his courage too well to believe any thing could recall him save the War that threatned his Father he only feared those dangers to which he might be daily exposed in an equipage so little conformable to his dignity and turning all his thoughts this way he not only caused publick vows to be offered to the gods for his preservation but commanded some persons in whom he had most confidence to march after him with express order not to leave him what commands soever he gave to the contrary whilst this Prince Adventurer carried with a youthful desire to see the world visited a part of Thrace under the name of Alcimedon which he would take to disguise his own and seeking occasions to signalize himself in some Wars wherewith this Kingdom was troubled by divers actions of extraordinary valour he rendred the name of Alcimedon famous through all Thrace obliging the old King Adallas Father of this which now reigns to entreat him to come to his Court. Alcimedon went and by his good Mine added greater credit to the fame of his actions receiving all manner of Carresses from this good King he would not here make any long abode though they offered him charges as much as they thought above him as they were indeed below him the fear of being known in a Court
and if the latter does not rise from a root in our nature it often springs from the womb of an irregular ambition which usurping the throne of the will excites all thoughts that are the legitimate race of Reason and shuts the eyes of those that are possessed with this Devil upon every consideration that Piety Justice and Honour it self can represent to their intoxicated judgement the proofs of the truth are but too conspicuous in our Family and if I derive some glory from a birth that has few equals in the world I have received shame enough from the cruelties of him that gave it to convince me that he has left me no cause to boast my extraction The King Phraates my Father was born with qualities great enough and in the first bloomings of his youth and given such hopes of his future bravery as made him pass in the opinion of men for an equal to his generous brother the Prince Pacorus who fell in the flower of his age under the Roman arms after he had made them know by divers memorable advantages that they were not invincible The old King Orodes my Grandfather after the death of Pacorus ignorant of his destiny had transplanted his chief affection upon Phraates then the eldest of divers Brothers and with it resign'd the entire management of all State-affairs to his disposal he had been married some years before and I had already liv'd about six or seven when his greedy desire to Reign alone and remove that fear of a Rival in ambition transported him to that horrible piece of cruelty which report has told to the whole world you know it but too well Madam that the cruel Phraates to make the Crown sit fast which his bloody jealousie told him did but tremble upon his head while so many of his Brothers lived put them all to death only Tyridates the youngest then absent from court who being spared by the mistaken piety of him that was sent to be his assassin has since wandered from Court to court begging sanctuary against the inhumane persecutions of his Brother The Queen who had received this truth from the mouth of Tyridates was yet resolved not to trouble the stream of her relation by interposing what she knew and deeming it requisite to keep the news of her Unkle till the closure of her story and then impart or reserve it as discretion counselled she lent a silent attention to the sequel The cruelty of Phraates pursu'd Elisa could not so quench its thirst with the blood of his Brothers but the old King Orodes whose long life seem'd to tire the expectation of his heir compleated the Sacrifice to his jealous ambition and lost it by the horrid command of his own Son I confess I am willing to contract the relation of this unnatural act in as few words as will barely serve to tell it and indeed could be content to leave it intirely out if my design to draw you the perfect pourtraiture of my life could allow it Phraates having thus secur'd his Throne by hewing down the stock with all the royal branches that grew near it began to play the Prudent as well as the Paricide to preserve his acquest the terrour of his arms made a quick distribution of its self among his Neighbour Princes and the bad success of Anthony who with a part of the Roman puissance brought the War into our Country where he lost his whole Army and with much ado sav'd himself by a shameful retreat struck a general fear through all those that probably might nurse any thoughts of attempting the Crown of Parthia In the mean time I was trained up by the Queen my Mother whose inclinations were ever sweet and vertuous with a very discreet care and that good Princess perceiving docility enough in my Spirit forgot not to season my education with all other sage lessons that might frame me a disposition suitable to her intentions her affections told her that I had not played the truant in the School of Vertue and by the help of that blindness which is the usual disease of a Parents indulgence fancying some qualities within me which I dare not pretend to in me she stored up all her love all her delight After me that was the Eldest of all her Children she had divers others of both sexes but the Gods perhaps to punish Phraates by the misfortunes of his Fathers family cut them all off in the dawning of their infancy and of five or six Brothers that succeeded me at several births scarce one of them attain'd to a full years age before they were laid in their little Sepulchres This mishap of our house rendered me more considerable and a short time after the Queen though still in the flower of her age going over child-bearing I was regarded by the Parthians as the presumptive Inheritrix of that weighty Crown 'T is true the King had a Bastard Son that was called Vonones but he did not behold him with an eye that designed his succession and though he fail'd not to endeavour the gaining of a faction that might prop his pretences he was generally known to be born within the Marriage of the King and could therefore hatch no apparent hope of being declared legitimate I will not trifle with your patience so much to give you the account of my Infancy but stepping over the Prologue of my life wherein there befel me nothing memorable I shall only tell you I had worn out fourteen years of it when my Father invaded Media the hatred had been long hereditary betwixt the Kings of that Country and those that wore the Crown of Parthia and though they had taken breath in some intervals of Peace since the fall of the unfortunate Anthony and the coming of Augustus to the Empire they were still ready to obey the beck of every trivial occasion to pick a new quarrel which they both embraced with their old animosity Phraates complained that at the Median Kings solicitation Cleopatra had murthered his Ally the King of Armenia and though he that did it was since dead and his Heir succeeded to the Throne he thought he might justly entail his revenge upon the Son since Fate would not suffer the Father to stand the shock of it and the new King of Media not less eager than he to revive the quarrel whereto his young courage was whetted by divers reasons on his side there broke out a cruel and bloody War betwixt them The beginnings were very doubtful much blood spilt on both sides in divers Encounters and some Battels wherein Fortune seemed to stand in a study on which side she should list her smiles At length after a years uncertainty wherein she had kept the ballance equal she apparently lean'd to the Parthian party and the King my Father swollen with some late successes began to advance towards the heart of Media carrying ruine and desolation to all places where he waved his Ensigns divers blows had been given
obtained when we were once on Ship-board and had lost the sight of so many persons that came no farther than the shoar and might propably carry back dangerous news of them that permitted it however the first day I thought it unfit to hazard a repulse till I had made my self better acquainted with the faces of those that had power to grant it but the next day after some endeavour to soften and flex the spirits of Polinices and Tigranes Embassadors with gentler words and smoother looks than I had formerly put on I begged their permission for a sight of Artaban upon the deck of his Vessel at first these barbarous Men made some scruple to consent and defended their disobedience with the Kings orders which they alledged were positively express and rigorous against it but at last I assaulted their obstinacy with so many powerful and prevalent reasons telling them that the sight of me could no way conduce to the safety of Artaban that at best they would but rob themselves of an opportunity to oblige me since I knew I could owe the same favour to Tigranes when ever I desired it and at last threatning to let my self dye with hunger and so bereave them of all the honour and reward they expected for their service in my conduct to the King of Media if they refused my demand as in fine whether the fear of a future revenge for the churlish refusal or the importunity of my prayer was the best advocate they gave me my desires then was Artaban's vessel brought near to mine and himself placed upon the Deck with all his Irons about his arms and feet this object struck a horrour through me of my Fathers inhumanity and if Cephisa had not supported me doubtless I had fallen upon the Deck and all the succour she could lend my feeble spirits had much ado to hold in my senses to their several properties Artaban took some ruddy shame into his looks that I saw him in that slave-like posture charged with Irons and I read in the very rays that his eyes darted downwards for I saw they fled my face that it was not the fear but the kind of death that troubled him and he could not patiently take the account of those thoughts that told him he was carried to be thrown at the feet of his mercy who had so lately been dispoiled and strip'd of his Purple by his own hands of a man that was Enemy and Rival conjoyned and such a Rival whom not only his anger but his amorous interest had composed him a resolution to kill him in the very centre of his guards these reflections swelled his great heart to a purpose of anticipating his death before he received it by the King of Media's doom and in pursuit of that design perceiving he was too strictly guarded to surprize any opportunity of throwing himself into the Sea he resolved to make hunger his Executioner and had therefore taken very little nourishment since we first imbarqued After I had a little recovered my spirits that at first were driven from their places by the assault of so sad a spectacle fastning my eyes upon his face and discovering all to his easie interpretation in the Dialect of my looks that the presence of so many Witnesses advised me to hide Artaban said I the condition you appear in is very unworthy of you and if I received not some comfort from a hope to release you of all the shame and danger you should quickly know how large a propriety I claim in your misfortunes Artaban fierce as a Libian Lyon to all besides only in my presence ever gentle and submissive raised his eyes to my visage and strugling with himself to keep some sighs from breaking prison Madam said he my condition is very glorious since it takes a pedigree from no other fountain but the love of you I shall imbrace my death and finish my Tragedy without the least reluctance if my sufferings for you may speak the Epilogue for you alone I abandoned Tigranes Interests for you chased him out of your Fathers Kingdom and despoiled him of his own for you incur'd the indignation of Phraates and in fine for you am now going to tender my naked throat to the sword of the incensed Tigranes 'T is I Madam must be made the sacrifice to propitiate your Hymen and Tigranes will possess his Heaven of happiness in you without a cloud when he shall once see his fears washed away with the blood of a man that had he lived would still have held him to a very close dispute of his title this is my Destiny and yours Madam is to be led in triumph into the arms of a young King that attends your approaches with a panting expectation to receive a flourishing Crown and pass away your dayes with all the varieties of content and delight that are worthy to entertain you the establishment of yours and the end of my life I believe will both arrive at one conjuncture of time since your consent has sealed to these I forbid my soul so much as a secret murmur but if my preceeding services have made me worthy to prefer a supplication I would fain conjure you to obtain of Tigranes that he would not let me survive this last Scene of my misfortune there is cause to supect if I come alive into his hands he will prevent the death he intends me by another matyrdom ten thousand times more cruel which I shall suffer every several moment in being made a spectator of his felicity but your goodness bids me hope you will take care to cut off this approaching disaster and represent to Tigranes that he ought to content himself with his Fortune and my single fate without trampling upon me by an ignoble triumph at my death that will sully the credit and tarnish all the glory of his life While Artaban expressed himself in this manner I was half drowned in my own tears which the sad contexture of his language and the deplorable estate wherein I beheld him drew away from my eies in great abundance and though his reproaches offered me some cause of exception I easily pardoned all to his grief and assured my self they were the off-spring of a belief that I had willingly dispos'd my self by the conquest of all my repugnance to espouse Tigranes If I could safely have trusted my justifications in that place as it was then peopled I had quickly cured him of his errour and indeed I that had been the source of all his misfortunes could not owe less to that gallant man whom I then saw ready to perish for my sole interest I durst not give him my thoughts at their full proportion and yet I was unwilling to keep all under hatches that my heart had for him supposing those that heard us would partly conjecture pity to be the parent of that which indeed was the child of affection encouraged by these thoughts and regarding him with more passion than
to keep in awe the violent effects of his grief when after he had smoothly acknowledged her obliging complacence to the Princess and handsomly complemented Alexanders freedom in parting thus with his secrets to a stranger he disposed himself to receive him The Princess modestly conceiving that some parts of the story were not fit for her presence left the Chamber to go walk in the Garden with her two women and Alexander making choice of a feat near Caesario's bed after he had called the Chirurgions and taken their assurance that neither the noise of his words nor the Princess attention were in any danger to controll the approaches of his health he began the history of his life in these words The History of Alexander and the Princess Artemisa THey have much truth on their side that say we have no stronger inclinations than those which first establish themselves in our spirits and 't is certain that they take much deeper root in a heart which never received any other impressions than in those who having been long acquainted with passions have found out the means of fortifying themselves against their powerful assaults you will see a sufficient evidence of this in the discourse I have to make you and you will find in this conjuncture of my life somewhat so various and possibly so extravagant that I should hardly find examples to authorize what it hath made me do if I should have need either of authorities or excuses after the success of my enterprize I was born in Alexandria upon the same day with the Princess Cleopatra my Sister and I came into the World at a time when possibly no Family whatsoever could boast of a Fortune which might equall that of ours I had scarcely faluted the light but I had a great train of Princes at my service and we could hardly go but the Queen our Mother being prepossessed with the excessive affection she bare us or that Pride which without doubt drew down the indignation of Heaven upon our House instead of making us to be educated like Princes she caused us to be reverenced in Alexandria like little Gods she made us take their very habits and oftentimes presenting my Sister and my self to the People under the form of Apollo and Diana she made us receive servile adorations from them Anthony being preoccupated with the extream love he had for her approved all her actions and by her solicitation in our very infancy we were declared publickly Soveraigns of the greatest Kingdoms of Asia and the Prince Caesario our Brother the Son of Caesar and Cleopatra was proclaimed King of Kings and brought up in those hopes which afterwards the event did cruelly frustrate I pass these things slightly over both because they are known to all the World and also because the memory of them is unpleasing and in some sort shameful to some who saw themselves afterwards and do still see themselves reduced to a far different fortune Nevertheless I am obliged to make some stay upon my infancy since in that age it was that I received though imperfectly the characters which I carry at this day and shall eternally carry in my heart You may possibly have heard the relation how Anthony at his return from the War which he made against the Parthians wherein though he gained many victories he received very considerable losses whereby he was obliged to return into Egypt without any fruit of his expedition made high complaints against the King of Armenia accusing him for being the cause of the loss of his Army by not sending those assistances and supplies which be was obliged to furnish him with according to their league and agreement and for favouring the Parthians in all things out of envy to his glory and in fine after he had published the reasons which he had or believed he had to accuse him he surprised him and took him Prisoner with part of his Family and brought him as it were in Triumph to Alexandria where he presented him to the Queen laden with chains of Gold and detained him in an hard captivity I have heard something of that said Caesario who knew all those things more perfectly than Alexander and yet seeing him pass them succinctly over would not interrupt him and there are few persons who have not heard of the puissance of Anthony at the time of your birth as also of his expedition against the Parthians and the unfortunate imprisonment of Artibasus King of Armenia This knowledge of yours replyed Alexander will spare me many things which I must have declared to a person less acquainted with the affairs of our Family and I shall only tell you that there were taken with Artibasus three of his children a Son of ten years old and two Daughters of the age of seven or eight years these three young persons were three miracles in beauty wit and all the qualities which can be remarkable in children the little Ariobarzanes for this was the name of the young Prince had a mind so excellent and sublime and did already shew so much vivacity and greatness of courage in the meanest of his actions that there were wonderful hopes conceived of him and the two Princesses at that age gave all that saw them cause to judge of their beauty that it would one day rank them amongst the most soveraign beauties of the Universe I was about their age and yet notwithstanding my tender youth I remember very well all things which came to my knowledge I was near the Queen when Artibasus was brought into her presence And I too said Caesario within himself I saw continued Alexander how he threw himself at her feet being followed by his three children and how the Queen after she had received him with disdain enough and given him some reproaches for his want of friendship to Anthony sent him back to the place appointed for his securement and commanded him to place all his hopes in Anthony's goodness and to support his fortune with patience This great and powerful King but much inferior in all things to Anthony's who possessed with an absolute authority the moity of the world'd Empire continued prisoner at Alexandria and endured his misfortune with a remarkable constancy his confinement being of great importance he was guarded with a great deal of care and his Son likewise was very straightly looked to though he were but the youngest and the eldest Artaxus heir to the Crown continued in Armenia Anthony failing of getting him into his power as he did the rest of the Family but the Daughters enjoyed as much liberty as they could wish and they were brought up at Court not as Prisoners but as the Companions of the Princess Cleopatra my sister There was little difference in their beauty and yet some there were which gave the Princess Arsinoe some advantage over her sister Artemisa nevertheless though I were acquainted with the admirable qualities of Arsinoe my inclinations without knowing any reason for it directed
her Mean time by her counsel and for the interest of my own repose I sought for all the remedies that could be imagined to cure me of my passion I endeavoured by the sight of other objects to free my memory from this persecuting thought which was continually fixed there and I did not only frequent those Companies where I formerly found divertisements but I Courted all occasions to give birth to a new affection which might extude that which tormented me and laid such cruel constraints upon my happiness 'T was no easie matter to expel the Idea of Cipassis out of my Soul and it had made such an impression upon me that certainly whatsoever inclination I might have had to change I should have loved that sair stranger as long as I had lived if I had not met with obstacles in that Design which could not be removed and against which I could preserve no hope But yet 't is very true that by the continual endeavours I used and the firm resolution I had taken I conquered the greatest violences of my disease and hoped in time for an absolute cure of it It fell out sooner than I believed and proceeded from a place whence I expected it not and this is that which you desire of me and whereof I am going to make you an ingennous Relation The desire I had absolutely to rid my Soul of this importunate passion made me more assiduous than before at the appartment of the Princess Julia and the multitude of different persons which I saw there every day was no small help to the cure which I sought for I was there one Night with a great many other persons and Cipassis was there too the Princess entertained her a while in private and a little after walking through the Chamber she came near to the place where I was and having obliged by her Action those with whom I discoursed to leave me alone with her Ovid said the I am jealous of the Amity that Cipassis hath for you and she hath acquainted you with things which I thought she would not have trusted any with but my self Madam answered I I will make no ill use of the secret which Cipassis hath committed to me and if I were able to serve her in her Affairs I am assured that she would never repent her of the considence she hath reposed in me We are sufficiently acquainted with you replied the Princess to have that opinion of you but I would have you know too continued she smiling that you are obliged to me and ought to thank me for the interest I took in the bad success of your last affections I was not so happy in my former said I as to hope that Fortune would be more favourable to me in the rest but howsoever it be I am not absolutely miserable in my misfortunes if I have been so happy as to deserve the pitty of our great Princess I did really pity you replied Julia though in some sort you merited your distiny by bestowing that to no purpose upon a stranger which with more success and satisfaction to your self you might offer to the fairest and the most sublime amongst the Roman Ladies I received the Princesses Discourse with a prosound respect and humbling my self as my Duty was I am not so blind said I as to be jested out of the knowledge I ought to have of my self and that which is most fair and most sublime in Rome cannot condescend so low as Ovid Remember added Julia with precipitation the Heroical Epistle of Cephalus to Aurora which you shewed me a few dayes since and judge by that that extraordinary men may elevate their thoughts as high as the goddesses themselvs Finishing these words with that Air and admirable grace which she hath in all her Actions she left me at liberty to examine the words she had spoken to me and went to the other side of the Chamber to entertain the young Drusus who began at that time to give her secret Testimonies of that passion which a while after publickly declared it self When I was retired to my own private lodging I made a long reflection upon Julia's words and the inclinations we naturally have to flatter our selves made them seem very obliging to me and perswaded me that they were not spoken without some Design Could it be possible said I in my self that Julia the greatest Princess in the World designed for the Empire of the Universe and as highly elevated by her beauty and the Charms of her person as by the advantages of her birth should desire amongst the great Number of her daily Conquests to reckon the Conquest of poor Ovid Or rather that amongst so many Kings and Princes of the most eminent rank in the World which are upon their knees in continual Adoration of her she should turn her eyes from the lustre of their Diadems to let them fall so low as Ovid Remember said he that extraordinary men may raise their thoughts as high as the goddesses themselves I have not so much presumption as to believe that I am a man extraordinary neither have I so bad an opinion of my self as to think my self a vulgar person but in fine whatever I am I am certain that the words were addressed to me and that the Princess spake them to me in the conclusion of a Discourse which doth not a little confirm me in the opinion which I might conceive thereupon I added to this consideration the memory of divers other Actions by which Julia had alwayes expressed a particular esteem to me and at last I reflected upon the knowledge I had of her humor which was an Enemy to cruelty and to constraint I was not ignorant that though she was engaged to Marcellus by an ancient inclination grounded upon the merits of that Prince who was very worthy of her affections and upon the Emperors will who designed Julia and the Empire for him yet she had not observed an exact fidelity to that Prince but had often given him cause to fall into Jealousie and I observed at last that if she did not really engage her self to divers amiable persons who made love to her yet she was well pleased tobe beloved by them and did not punish the Declarations of their love with any rigorous usage which might drive a lover to Despair 'T was in the Number of these that I thought I might list my self after I had mustred up all that might perswade me to my advantage to confirm my self in that opinion I believed then after I had sufficiently flattered my self not that Julia loved me but that she would not be offended to see me amongst the great Number of her Adorers and knowing that I was well acquainted with love and had a particular Talent to manage it better than vulgar persons she was willing that all that I could think or conceive of that passion which ordinarily produces the most refined and delicate thoughts should have the divine beauties of Julia
tears on a Prince who having given me his whole life excepting some unfortunate Months came to imploy the rest and to pour forth the last drop of his blood for my sake The fair Princess sensible at this remembrance could not overpass it in her spirit without sighs and sobs as so many marks of her interior agitation and had Artemisa been in a condition less deplorable she had easily observed by these exterior signs the cruel inquietudes of her Soul Artemisa was more grieved but Cleopatra more disturbed and if the Soul of Artemisa was less capable of comfort that of Cleopatra had less repose and tranquillity They continued together without expressing their thoughts by words till at the defailance of day they brought lights into the Chamber By the means of this light they seemed to awake from their profound reveries and recommenced their tender imbraces Though Artemisa appeared the more weak and unable to support her affliction yet she spake first and accompanying her words with a torrent of tears My dear Sister said she to Cleopatra for by this name of Sister Prince Alexander had intreated them to prevent the hopes of their future Alliance ought not I to fear you will cease to love me when you consider that I am Sister to that cruel person who persecutes you Nay rather answered Cleopatra interrupting her do not you regard me as Daughter to those persons who have given to your house so just a Subject of resentment against ours Ah! replied Artemisa that remembrance which hath been able to do nothing against the affection which I have always born my beloved Alexander is too weak to overthrow the respect I bear the Divine Cleopatra and that amity which amidst the most violent Subjects of hate you have permitted to form it self in you hath received so great an increase on my part by the admirable qualities of your person and by the interest of my Alexander that all the resentment you can have against me as Sister to Artaxes is uncapable of bringing any diminution thereto Believe me my dear Sister replied the fair Daughter of Antony I know my self more worthy of your resentments than you can be of mine and particularly in respect of my misfortune of having been the cause of your surprize since you cannot be ignorant that they sought me only and that unhappily you are invelloped in my misfortune I can accuse my self of the same thing more justly replied Artemisa since I have been the only cause of my Brothers Voyage and consequently of all the displeasures you resent But alas without accusing our selves further since our intentions are most innocent must I not receive a sensible displeasure to see that the quality of Sister which I possess with your Enemy gives me no advantagious opportunity of serving you And instead of being able to demand our liberty and of all the Services which through my means you might hope from him if he were more reasonable I am constrained to flie to the Empire which your Beauty hath over him to obtain some moderation of those rigors which his cruelty prepares for me These words filled Cleopatra with pity and locking Artemisa in her Arms My dear Sister said she there is more appearance that I shall need your intercession than that mine can be necessary to you for were the Soul of Artaxes yet more cruel than it hath appeared by so many bloody testimonies the Charms of Artemisa are capable of sweetning it but if it succeed not thus and that it prove true that I have any power over the spirit of the King your Brother you may rest assured that the whole adantage of my life shall be imployed in your Service and that I will willingly overcome some part of those just resentments which I have against him if you suppose that by this means I may sweeten him towards you This is an effect added the fair Artemisa which I have not merited from your bounty and doubt not but I had been possest by fears far greater than these you see were I not much confident of your protection to which I hope Artaxes will have a reverend regard but if through your means I may in some measure shade my self from the cruelty of my Brother and that our common misfortune designs our Journey into Armenia doubt not but I will essay many things for your liberty and possibly find the means to flie with you as fortunately as I formerly fled with Alexander This Name of Alexander so lively renewed her griefs that it was impossible to divert the current of her tears and Cleopatra who could not condemn them and who scarce could restrain her own twisting her mournful remembrances with those of this sad Princess they sank again into that silence from whence they had been drawn and preserved it until Supper was served in Difficult it was to perswade them to take this repast and scarce by the perswasion of Cleopatra's Servants who threw themselves upon their knees before their Mistriss conjuring her with tears and the most pressing importunities could they oblige them to receive any nourishment They would not be undressed but continued upon the Bed where they were passing the Night in a most deplorable condition The remembrance of their misfortunes permitted not the access of sleep and their Conversation interrupted by sighs and sobs had nothing of reasonable or compacted in it when at the return of day for it was the season of the thortest Nights their griefs began to abate something of its former violence Artemisa perceiving that the Princess Cleopatra who was turned to the other side of the Bed what essayes soever she made to retain some part of the testimonies of her grief and to arrest the course of sighs and sobs which uncessantly proceeded from her breast gave her reason to believe that the interior miseries of her heart were far greater than they outwardly appeared pressed one of her fair hands between hers obliging her by this action to turn towards her My dear Sister said she you sensibly augment my displeasures by signifying so sadly that yours are not inferior to them as I thought they must needs be This liberty whose loss you deplore is a good sufficient to merit some part of our tears but this loss which is common to us both joined with my fear of Artaxes cruelty which casts me into mortal apprehensions and the distancing and possibly eternal separation of my dear Alexander is a misfortune incomparably above all those whereof you are a partaker with me had you the like addition to your affliction I would believe you as unfortunate as Artemisa but your Soul being free or at least little touched on this side you will pardon me if I profess that I have not believed your grief equal to mine The charming Cleopatra smoothed the way of her answer to Artemisa by a sigh and beholding her with eyes drowned as they were whose splendor she could scarce indure How my Sister said she do