lies Errour and Shadows are our choice and we Owe our perdition to our own decree If we search Truth we make it more obscure And when it shines cannot the light endure For most men now who plod and eat and drink Have nothing less their bus'ness then to think And those few that enquire how small a share Of Truth they find how dark their Notions are That serious Evenness that calms the Breast And in a Tempest can bestow a Rest We either not attempt or else decline By ev'ry trifle snatch'd from our design Others he must in his deceits involve Who is not true unto his own Resolve We govern not our selves but loose the Reins Counting our Bondage to a thousand chains And with as many Slaveries content As there are Tyrants ready to torment We live upon a Rack extended still To one Extreme or both but always ill For since our Fortune is not understood We suffer less from bad then from the good The Sting is better drest and longer lasts As Surfeits are more dangerous then Fasts And to complete the misery to us We see Extremes are still contiguous And as we run so fast from what we hate Like Squibs on Ropes to know no middle state So outward storms strengthned by us we find Our Fortune as disordered as our Mind But that 's excus'd by this it doth its part A trech'rous World befits a trech'rous Heart All ill 's our own the outward storms we loath Receive from us their Birth their Sting or both And that our Vanity be past a doubt 'T is one new Vanity to find it out Happy are they to whom God gives a Grave And from themselves as from his wrath doth save 'T is good not to be born but if we must The next good is soon to return to dust When th' uncag'd Soul fled to Eternity Shall rest and live and sing and love and see Here we but crawl and grovel play and cry Are first our own then others enemy But there shall be defac'd both stain and score For Time and Death and Sin shall be no more The Soul 1. HOw vain a thing is Man whose noblest part That Soul which through the World doth rome Traverses Heav'n finds out the depth of Art Yet is so ignorant at home 2. In every Brook or Mirrour we can find Reflections of our face to be But a true Optick to present our Mind We hardly get and darkly see 3. Yet in the search after our selves we run Actions and Causes we survey And when the weary Chase is almost done Then from our Quest we slip away 4. 'T is strange and sad that since we do believe We have a Soul must never die There are so few that can a Reason give How it obtains that Life or why 5. I wonder not to find those that know most Profess so much their Ignorance Since in their own Souls greatest Wits are lost And of themselves have scarce a glance 6. But somewhat sure doth here obscurely lie That above Dross would fain advance And â—ants and catches at Eternity As 't were its own Inheritance 7. A Soul self-mov'd which can dilate contract Pierces and judges things unseen But this gross heap of Matter cannot act Unless impulsed from within 8. Distance and Quantity to Bodies due The state of Souls cannot admit And all the Contraries which Nature knew Meet there nor hurt themselves nor it 9. God never Body made so bright and clean Which Good and Evil could discern What these words Honesty and Honour mean The Soul alone knows how to learn 10. And though 't is true she is imprison'd here Yet hath she Notions of her own Which Sense doth only jog awake and clear But cannot at the first make known 11. The Soul her own felicity hath laid And independent on the Sense Sees the weak terrours which the World invade With pity or with negligence 12. So unconcern'd she lives so much above The Rubbish of a sordid Jail That nothing doth her Energy improve So much as when those structures fail 13. She 's then a substance subtile strong and pure So immaterial and refin'd As speaks her from the Body's fate secure And wholly of a diff'rent kind 14. Religion for reward in vain would look Vertue were doom'd to misery All actions were like bubbles in a brook Were 't not for Immortality 15. But as that Conquerour who Millions spent Thought it too mean to give a Mite So the World's Judge can never be content To bestow less then Infinite 16. Treason against Eternal Majesty Must have eternal Justice too And since unbounded Love did satisfie He will unbounded Mercy shew 17. It is our narrow thoughts shorten these things By their companion Flesh inclin'd Which feeling its own weakness gladly brings The same opinion to the Mind 18. We stifle our own Sun and live in Shade But where its beams do once appear They make that person of himself afraid And to his own acts most severe 19. For ways to sin close and our breasts disguise From outward search we soon may find But who can his own Soul bribe or surprise Or sin without a sting behind 20. He that commands himself is more a Prince Then he who Nations keeps in awe Who yield to all that does their Souls convince Shall never need another Law Happiness NAture courts Happiness although it be Unknown as the Athenian Deity It dwells not in Man's Sense yet he supplies That want by growing fond of its disguise The false appearances of Joy deceive And seeking her unto her like we cleave For sinking Man hath scarce sense left to know Whether the Plank he grasps will hold or no. While all the business of the World is this To seek that Good which by mistake they miss And all the several Passions men express Are but for Pleasure in a diff'rent dress They hope for Happiness in being Great Or Rich or Lov'd then hug their own conceit But the Good man can find this treasure out For which in vain others do dig and doubt And hath such secret full Content within Though all abroad be storms yet he can sing His peace is made all 's quiet in that place Where Nature 's cur'd and exercis'd by Grace This inward Calm prevents his Enemies For he can neither envy nor despise But in the beauty of his ordered Mind Doth still a new rich satisfaction find Innocent Epicure whose single breast Can furnish him with a continual feast A Prince at home and Scepters can refuse Valuing only what he cannot lose He studies to do good a man may be Harmless for want of Opportunity But he 's industrious kindness to dispence And therein onely covets eminence Others do court applause and fame but he Thinks all that giddy noise but Vanity He takes no pains to be observ'd or seen While all his acts are echoed from within He 's still himself when Company are gone Too well employ'd ever to be alone For studying God
in all his volumes he Begins the business of Eternity And unconcern'd without retains a power To such like Bees a sweet from ev'ry flower And as the Manna of the Israelites Had several tastes to please all Appetites So his Contentment is that catholick food That makes all states seem fit as well as good He dares not wish nor his own fate propound But if God sends reads Love in every wound And would not lose for all the joys of Sense The glorious pleasures of Obedience His better part can neither change nor lose And all God's will can bear can do can chuse Death 1. HOw weak a Star doth rule Mankind Which owes its ruine to the same Causes which Nature had design'd To cherish and preserve the frame 2. As Commonwealths may be secure And no remote Invasion dread Yet may a sadder fall endure From Traitors in their bosom bred 3. So while we feel no violence And on our active Health do trust A secret hand doth snatch us hence And tumbles us into the dust 4. Yet carelesly we run our race As if we could Death's summons wave And think not on the narrow space Between a Table and a Grave 5. But since we cannot Death reprieve Our Souls and Fame we ought to mind For they our Bodies will survive That goes beyond this stays behind 6. If I be sure my Soul is safe And that my Actions will provide My Tomb a nobler Epitaph Then that I onely liv'd and dy'd 7. So that in various accidents I Conscience may and Honour keep I with that ease and innocence Shall die as Infants go to sleep To the Queen's Majesty on her late Sickness and Recovery THe publick Gladness that 's to us restor'd For your escape from what we so deplor'd Will want as well resemblance as belief Unless our Joy be measur'd by our Grief When in your Fever we with terrour saw At once our Hopes and Happiness withdraw And every crisis did with jealous fear Enquire the News we scarce durst stay to hear Some dying Princes have their Servants slain That after death they might not want a Train Such cruelty were here a needless sin For had our fatal Fears prophetick been Sorrow alone that service would have done And you by Nations had been waited on Your danger was in ev'ry visage seen And onely yours was quiet and serene But all our zealous Grief had been in vain Had not Great Charles's call'd you back again Who did your suff'rings with such pain discern He lost three Kingdoms once with less concern Lab'ring your safety he neglected his Nor fear'd he Death many shape but this His Genius did the bold Distemper tame And his rich Tears quench'd the rebellious Flame At once the Thracian Hero lov'd and griev'd Till he his lost Felicity retriev'd And with the moving accents of his wo His Spouse recover'd from the shades below So the King's grief your threatned loss withstood Who mourn'd with the same fortune that he woo'd And to his happy Passion we have been Now twice oblig'd for so ador'd a Queen But how severe a Choice had you to make When you must Heav'n delay or Him forsake Yet since those joys you made such haste to find Had scarce been full if he were left behind How well did Fate decide your inward strife By making him a Present of your Life Which rescu'd Blessing he must long enjoy Since our Offences could it not destroy For none but Death durst rival him in you And Death himself was baffled in it too Vpon Mr. Abraham Cowley 's Retirement ODE 1. NO no unfaithful World thou hast Too long my easie Heart betray'd And me too long thy Foot-ball made But I am wiser grown at last And will improve by all that I have past I know 't was just I should be practis'd on For I was told before And told in sober and instructive lore How little all that trusted thee have won And yet I would make haste to be undone Now by my suff'ring I am better taught And shall no more commit that stupid fault Go get some other Fool Whom thou mayst next cajole On me thy frowns thou dost in vain bestow For I know how To be as coy and as reserv'd as thou 2. In my remote and humble seat Now I 'm again possest Of that late fugitive my Breast From all thy tumults and from all thy heat I 'le find a quiet and a cool retreat And on the Fetters I have worn Look with experienc'd and revengeful scorn In this my sov'raign Privacy 'T is true I cannot govern thee But yet my self I may subdue And that 's the nobler Empire of the two If ev'ry Passion had got leave Its satisfaction to receive Yet I would it a higher pleasure call To conquer one then to indulge them all 3. For thy inconstant Sea no more I 'le leave that safe and solid Shore No though to prosper in the cheat Thou shouldst my Destiny defeat And make me be Belov'd or Rich or Great Nor from my self shouldst me reclaim With all the noise and all the pomp of Fame Judiciously I 'le these despise Too small the Bargain and too great the Price For them to cozen twice At length this secret I have learn'd Who will be happy must be unconcern'd Must all their Comfort in their Bosom wear And seek their treasure and their power there 4. No other Wealth will I aspire But that of Nature to admire Nor envy on a Laurel will bestow Whil'st I have any in my Garden grow And when I would be Great 'T is but ascending to a Seat Which Nature in a lofty Rock hath built A Throne as free from trouble as from guilt Where when my Soul her wings does raise Above what Worldlings fear or praise With innocent and quiet pride I 'le sit And see the humble waves pay tribute to my feet O Life Divine when free from joys diseas'd Not always merry but 't is always pleas'd 5. A Heart which is too great a thing To be a Present for a Persian King Which God himself would have to be his Court Where Angels would officiously resort From its own height should much decline If this Converse it should resign Ill-natur'd World for thine Thy unwise rigour hath thy Empire lost It hath not onely set me free But it hath made me see They onely can of thy possession boast Who do enjoy thee least and understand thee most For lo the Man whom all Mankind admir'd By ev'ry Grace adorn'd and ev'ry Muse inspir'd Is now triumphantly retir'd The mighty Cowley this hath done And over thee a Parthian Conquest won Which future Ages shall adore And which in this subdues thee more Then either Greek or Roman ever could before The Irish Grey-hound BEhold this Creature 's Form and state Which Nature therefore did create That to the World might be exprest What meen there can be in a Beast And that we in this shape may find A Lion of another
and for its Opulence But all great things must be from us remov'd To be with higher reverence belov'd So Landskips which in Prospects distant lye With greater wonder draw the pleased Eye Is not great Troy to one dark ruine hurl'd Once the fam'd Scene of all the fighting world Where 's Athens now to whom Rome Learning owes And the safe Lawrels that adorn'd her brows A strange reverse of Fate she did endure Never once greater than she 's now obscure E'ne Rome herself can but some footsteps show Of Scipio's times or those of Cicero And as the Roman and the Grecian State The British fell the spoil of Time and Fate But though the Language hath the beauty lost Yet she has still some great Remains to boast For 't was in that the sacred Bards of old In deathless Numbers did their thoughts unfold In Groves by Rivers and on fertile Plains They civiliz'd and taught the list'ning Swains Whilst with high raptures and as great success Virtue they cloath'd in Musick 's charming dress This Merlin spoke who in his gloomy Cave Ev'n Destiny her self seem'd to enslave For to his sight the future time was known Much better than to others is their own And with such state Predictions from him fell As if he did Decree and not Foretel This spoke King Arthur who if Fame be true Could have compell'd Mankind to speak it too In this once Boadicca valour taught And spoke more nobly than her Souldiers fought Tell me what Hero could do more than she Who fell at once for Fame and Liberty Nor could a greater Sacrifice belong Or to her Childrens or her Countries wrong This spoke Caractacus who was so brave That to the Roman Fortune check he gave And when their Yoke he could decline no more He it so decently and nobly wore That Rome her self with blushes did believe A Britain would the Law of Honour give And hastily his chains away she threw Lest her own Captive else should her subdue To the Countess of Thanet upon her marriage SInce you who Credit to all wonders bring That Lovers can believe or Poets sing Whose only shape and fashion does express Your Vertue is your nature not your dress In whom the most admir'd extreams appear Humble and Fair Prudent and yet sincere Whose matchless worth transmits such splendid raies As those that envy it are forc'd to praise Since you have found such an illustrious sphere And are resolv'd to fix your glories there A heart whose bravery to his Sex secures As much Renown as you have done to yours And whose perfections in obtaining you Are both discover'd and rewarded too 'T were almost equal boldness to invent How to increase your Merit or Content Yet sure the Muses somewhat have to say But they will send it you a better way The Court which so much to your lustre owes Must also pay you its officious vows But whilst this shews respect and those their art Let me too speak the language of my heart Whose ruder Off'rings dare approach your shrine For you who merit theirs can pardon mine Fortune and Virtue with such heat contend As once for Rome now to make you their friend And you so well can this prefer to that As you can neither fear nor mend your Fate Yet since the votes of joy from all are due A love like mine must find some wishes too May you in this bright Constellation set Still shew how much the Good outshine the Great May you be courted with all joies of sense Yet place the highest in your innocence Whose praise may you enjoy but not regard Finding within both motive and reward May Fortune still to your commands be just Yet still beneath your kindness or your trust May you no trouble either feel or fear But from your pity for what others wear And may the happy owner of your breast Still find his passion with his joys encreas'd Whilst every moment your concern makes known And gives him too fresh reason for his own And from their Parents may your Off-spring have All that is wise and lovely soft and brave Or if all wishes we in one would give For him and for the world Long may you live EPITAPH On her Son H. P. at St. Syth 's Church where her body also lies Interred WHat on Earth deserves our trust Youth and Beauty both are dust Long we gathering are with pain What one moment calls again Seven years childless marriage past A Son a son is born at last So exactly lim'd and fair Full of good Spirits Meen and Air As a long life promised Yet in less than six weeks dead Too promising too great a mind In so small room to be confin'd Therefore as fit in Heav'n to dwell He quickly broke the Prison shell So the subtle Alchimist Can't with Hermes Seal resist The powerful spirit 's subtler flight But t' will bid him long good night And so the Sun if it arise Half so glorious as his Eyes Like this Infant takes a shrowd Buried in a morning Cloud On the death of my Lord Rich only Son to the Earl of Warwick who dyed of the small Pox 1664. HAve not so many lives of late Suffis'd to quench the greedy thirst of Fate Though to encrease the mournful purple Flood As well as Noble she drank Royal Blood That not content against us to engage Our own wild fury and Usurpers rage By sickness now when all that storm is past She strives to hew our Heros down as fast And by the Prey she chuses shews her Aim Is to extinguish all the English Fame Else had this generous Youth we now have lost Been still his Friends delight and Country's boast And higher rais'd the Illustrious Name he bore Than all our Chronicles had done before Had Death consider'd e're he struck this blow How many noble hopes 't would overthrow The Genius of his House who did complain That all her Worthies now dy'd o're again His flourishing and yet untainted years His Fathers anguish and his Mothers tears Sure he had been perswaded to relent Nor had for so much early sweetness sent That fierce Disease which knows not how to spare The Young the Great the Knowing or the Fair. But we as well might flatter every wind And court the Tempests to be less unkind As hope from churlish Death to snatch his Prey Who is as furious and as deaf as they And who hath cruelly surpriz'd in him His Parents joy and all the World's esteem Say treacherous hopes that whisper in our ear Still to expect some steady comfort here And though we oft discover all your Arts Would still betray our disappointed Hearts What new delusion can you now prepare Since this pale object shews how false you are 'T will fully answer all you have to plead If we reply Great Warwick's Heir is dead Blush humane Hopes and Joies and then be all In solemn mourning at this Funeral For since such expectations brittle prove What can we
to purge its Crime Were built into one Pyramid o're him Pompey would lie less stately in that Herse Than he doth now Orinda in thy Verse This makes Cornelia for her Pompey vow Her hand shall plant his Laurel on thy brow So equal in their merits were both found That the same Wreath Poets and Princes Crown'd And what on that great Captains Brow was dead She Joies to see re-flourish'd on thy head In the French Rock Cornelia first did shine But shin'd not like her self till she was thine Poems like Gems translated from the place Where they first grew receive another grace Drest by thy hand and polish'd by thy Pen She glitters now a Star but Jewel then No flaw remains no cloud all now is light Transparent as the day bright parts more bright Corneille now made English so doth thrive As Trees transplanted do much lustier live Thus Oar digg'd forth and by such hands as thine Refin'd and stamp'd is richer than the Mine Liquors from Vessel into Vessel pour'd Must lose some Spirits which are scarce restor'd But the French Wines in their own Vessel rare Pour'd into ours by thy hand Spirits are So high in taste and so delicious Before his own Corneille thine would chuse He finds himself inlightned here where shade Of dark expression his own words had made There what he would have said he sees so writ As generously to just decorum fit When in more words than his you please to flow Like a spread Floud inriching all below To the advantage of his well meant sence He gains by you another excellence To render word for word at the old rate Is only but to Construe not Translate In your own fancy free to his sence true We read Corneille and Orinda too And yet ye both are so the very same As when two Tapers join'd make one bright flame And sure the Copier's honour is not small When Artists doubt which is Original But if your fetter'd Muse thus praised be What great things do you write when it is free When it is free to chuse both sence and words Or any subject the vast World affords A gliding Sea of Chrystal doth best show How smooth clear full and rich your Verse doth flow Your words are chosen cull'd not by chance writ To make the sence as Anagrams do hit Your rich becoming words on the sence wait As Maids of Honour on a Queen of State 'T is not White Satin makes a Verse more white Or soft Iron is both write you on it Your Poems come forth cast no File you need At one brave Heat both shap'd and polished But why all these Encomiums of you Who either doubts or will not take as due Renown how little you regard or need Who like the Bee on your own sweets doth feed There are who like weak Fowl with shouts fall down Doz'd with an Army's Acclamation Not able to indure applause they fall Giddy with praise their praises Funeral But you Orinda are so unconcern'd As if when you another we commend Thus as the Sun you in your Course shine on Vnmov'd with all our admiration Flying above the praise you shun we see Wit is still higher by humility Philo-Philippa To the memory of the Excellent Orinda 1. FOrgive bright Saint a Vot'ry who No missive Orders has to show Nor does a call to inspiration owe Yet rudely dares intrude among This sacred and inspir'd throng Where looking round me ev'ry one I see Is a sworn Priest of Phoebus or of thee Forgive this forward zeal for things divine If I strange fire do offer at thy Shrine Since the pure Incense and the Gum We send up to the Pow'rs above If with devotion giv'n and love Smells sweet and does alike accepted prove As if from golden Censors it did come Though we the pious tribute pay In some rude vessel made of common clay 2. What by Pindaricks can be done Since the great Pindar's greater * Mr. A. Cowley Son By ev'ry Grace adorn'd and ev'ry Muse inspir'd Fromth ' ungrateful World to kinder Heaven 's retir'd He and Orinda from us gone What Name like theirs shall we now call upon Whether her Vertue or her Wit We chuse for our eternal Theme What hand can draw the perfect Scheme None but her self could such high subjects fit We yield with shame we yield To Death and Her the field For were not Nature partial to us Men The World 's great Order had inverted been Had she such Souls plac'd in all Woman-kind Giv'n 'um like wit not with like goodness join'd Our vassal Sex to hers had homage pay'd Woman had rul'd the World and weaker Man obey'd 3. To thee O Fame we now commit Her and these last remains of gen'rous wit I charge thee deeply to enroll This glorious Name in thy immortal Scroll Write ev'ry letter in large Text And then to make the lustre hold Let it be done with purest Gold To dazle this Age and outshine the next Since not a Name more bright than Hers In this or thy large Book appears And thou impartial powerful Grave These Reliques like her deathless Poems save Ev'n from devouring Time secure May they still rest from other mixture pure Vnless some dying Monarch shall to trye Whether Orinda though her self could dye Can still give others immortality Think if but laid in her miraculous Tomb As from the Prophets touch new life from hers may come James Tyrrell To the Memory of the incomparable Orinda A Pindarick Ode 1. A Long Adieu to all that 's bright Noble or brave in Womankind To all the wonders of their Wit And Trophies of their mind The glowing Heat of th' Holy Fire is gone To th' Altar whence 't was kindled flown There 's nought on Earth but Ashes left behind E're since th' amazing sound was spred ORINDA's Dead Every soft and fragrant word All that language could afford Every high and lofty thing That 's wont to set the Soul on wing No longer with this worthless World would stay Thus when the Death of the great PAN was told A long the shore the dismal tidings roll'd The lesser Gods their Fanes forsook Confounded with the mighty stroke They could not over-live that Fatal day But sigh'd and groan'd their gasping Oracles away 2. How rigid are the Laws of Fate And how severe that black Decree No sublunary thing is free But all must enter th' Adamantine Gate Sooner or later shall we come To Natures dark Retiring room And yet 't is pity is it not The learned as the fool should dye One full as low as t'other lye Together Blended in the general lot Distinguish't only from the common croud By an hindg'd Coffin or an Holland shroud Though Fame and Honour speak them ne're so loud Alas ORINDA even thou Whose happy verse made others live And certain Immortality could give Blasted are all thy blooming glories now The Laurel wither's o're thy brow Methinks it should disturbe thee to conceive That when poor I
Monument is fit But what 's beyond our love and wit On the little Regina Collier on the same Tomb-stone VErtue 's Blossom Beauty's Bud The Pride of all that 's fair and good By Death's fierce hand was snatched hence In her state of Innocence Who by it this advantage gains Her wages got without her pains Friendship LEt the dull brutish World that know not Love Continue Hereticks and disapprove That noble Flame but the refined know 'T is all the Heaven we have here below Nature subsists by Love and they do tie Things to their Causes but by Sympathy Love chains the different Elements in one Great Harmony link'd to the Heav'nly Throne And as on Earth so the blest Quire above Of Saints and Angels are maintain'd by Love That is their Business and Felicity And will be so to all Eternity That is the Ocean our Affections here Are but streams borrow'd from the Fountain there And 't is the noblest Argument to prove A Beauteous mind that it knows how to Love Those kind Impressions which Fate can't controul Are Heaven's mintage on a worthy Soul For Love is all the Arts Epitome And is the Sum of all Divinity He 's worse than Beast that cannot Love and yet It is not bought for Money Pains or Wit For no chance or design can Spirits move But the Eternal destiny of Love And when two Souls are chang'd and mixed so It is what they and none but they can do This this is Friendship that abstracted flame Which groveling Mortals know not how to name All Love is sacred and the Marriage-tie Hath much of Honour and Divinity But Lust Design or some unworthy ends May mingle there which are despis'd by Friends Passion hath violent extreams and thus All oppositions are contiguous So when the end is serv'd their Love will bate If Friendship make it not more fortunate Friendship that Love's Elixir that pure fire Which burns the clearer ' cause it burns the higher For Love like earthly fires which will decay If the material fuel be away Is with offensive smoke accompanied And by resistance only is supplied But Friendship like the fiery Element With its own Heat and Nourishment content Where neither hurt nor smoke nor noise is made Scorns the assistance of a foreign aid Friendship like Heraldry is hereby known Richest when plainest bravest when alone Calm as a Virgin and more Innocent Than sleeping Doves are and as much content As Saints in Visions quiet as the Night But clear and open as the Summer's light United more than Spirits Faculties Higher in thoughts than are the Eagle's eyes What shall I say when we true friends are grown W' are like Alas w' are like our selves alone The Enquiry 1. IF we no old Historian's name Authentick will admit But think all said of Friendship 's fame But Poetry or Wit Yet what 's rever'd by Minds so pure Must be a bright Idea sure 2. But as our Immortality By inward sense we find Judging that if it could not be It would not be design'd So here how could such Copies fall If there were no Original 3. But if Truth be in ancient Song Or Story we believe If the inspir'd and graver Throng Have scorned to deceive There have been Hearts whose Friendship gave Them thoughts at once both soft and brave 4. Among that consecrated Few Some more Seraphick shade Lend me a favourable Clew Now mists my eyes invade Why having fill'd the World with Fame Left you so little of your flame 5. Why is' t so difficult to see Two Bodies and one Mind And why are those who else agree So differently kind Hath Nature such fantastick art That she can vary every Heart 6. Why are the bands of Friendship tied With so remiss a knot That by the most it is defied And by the rest forgot Why do we step with so light sense From Friendship to Indifference 7. If Friendship Sympathy impart Why this ill-shuffled game That Heart can never meet with Heart Or Flame encounter Flame What does this Cruelty create Is' t the Intrigue of Love or Fate 8. Had Friendship ne're been known to Men The Ghost at last confest The World had been a stranger then To all that Heaven possest But could it all be here acquir'd Not Heaven it self would be desir'd To my Lucasia in defence of declared Friendship 1. O My Lucasia let us speak our Love And think not that impertinent can be Which to us both doth such assurance prove And whence we find how justly we agree 2. Before we knew the treasures of our Love Our noble aims our joys did entertain And shall enjoyment nothing then improve 'T were best for us then to begin again 3. Now we have gain'd we must not stop and sleep Out all the rest of our mysterious reign It is as hard and glorious to keep A victory as it is to obtain 4. Nay to what end did we once barter Minds Only to know and to neglect the claim Or like some Wantons our Pride pleasure finds To throw away the thing at which we aim 5. If this be all our Friendship does design We covet not enjoyment then but power To our Opinion we our Bliss confine And love to have but not to smell the flower 6. Ah! then let Misers bury thus their Gold Who though they starve no farthing will produce But we lov'd to enjoy and to behold And sure we cannot spend our stock by use 7. Think not 't is needless to repeat desires The fervent Turtles alwaies court and bill And yet their spotless passion never tires But does encrease by repetition still 8. Although we know we love yet while our Soul Is thus imprison'd by the Flesh we wear There 's no way left that bondage to controul But to convey transactions through the Ear. 9. Nay though we read our passions in the Eye It will oblige and please to tell them too Such joys as these by motion multiply Were 't but to find that our Souls told us true 10. Believe not then that being now secure Of either's heart we have no more to do The Spheres themselves by motion do endure And they move on by Circulation too 11. And as a River when it once hath paid The tribute which it to the Ocean owes Stops not but turns and having curl'd and play'd On its own waves the shore it overflows 12. So the Soul's motion does not end in b'iss But on her self she scatters and dilates And on the Object doubles till by this She finds new joys which that reflux creates 13. But then because it cannot all contain It seeks a vent by telling the glad news First to the Heart which did its joys obtain Then to the Heart which did those joys produce 14. When my Soul then doth such excursions make Unless thy Soul delight to meet it too What satisfaction can it give or take Thou being absent at the interview 15. 'T is not Distrust for were that plea allow'd Letters
Since 't would my thanks but not the praise pursue 3. To praise your Art is then it self more hard Nor would it the Endeavour much regard Since it and Vertue are their own reward 4. A Pencil from an Angel newly caught And Colours in the Morning's bosom sought Would make no Picture if by you not wrought 5. But done by you it does no more admit Of an Encomium from the highest Wit Then that another hand should equal it 6. Yet whilst you with creating power vye Command the very spirit of the Eye And then reward it with Eternity 7. Whilst your each touch does Life and Air convey Fetch the Soul out like overcoming Day And I my friend repeated here Survey 8. I by a Passive way may do you right Wearing in that what none could ere endite Your Panegyrick and my own delight Parting with a Friend 1. WHoever thinks that Joyes below Can lasting be and great Let him behold this parting blow And cure his own deceit 2. Alas how soon are pleasures done Where Fortune has a Power How like to the declining Sun Or to the Withered Flower 3. A thousand unconcerned Eyes She 'l suffer us to see But of those we chiefly prize We must deprived be 4. But we may conquer if we will The wanton Tyrant teach That we have something left us still Which grows not in her reach 5. That unseen string which fastens Hearts Nor time nor chance e're ty'd Nor can it be in either's Arts Their unions to divide 6. Where sympathy does Love convey It braves all other Powers Lucasia and Rosania say Has it not formed ours 7. If forty Weeks converse has not Been able yet to tye Your Souls in that Mysterious Knot How Wretched then am I. 8. But if I read in eithers Mind As sure I hope I do That each to other is combin'd Absence will make it true 9. No accident will e're surprise Or make your kindness start Although you lose each others Eyes You 'l faster keep the Heart 10. Letters as kind as Turtle-Doves And undisguis'd as thought Will entertain those fervent Loves Which have each other bought 11. Till Fortune vexed with the sight Of Faith so free from stain Shall then grow weary of her spight And let you meet again 12. Wherein may you that Rapture find That sister Cherâ—ls have When I am in my Rocks confin'd Or seal'd up in my Grave To my dearest Friend upon her shunning Grandeur SHine out rich Soul to greatness be What it can never be to thee An ornament thou canst restore The lustre which it had before These ruines own it and 't will live Thy favour 's more than Kings can give Hast more above all titles then The bearers are above common men And so heroick art within Thou must descend to be a Queen Yet honour may convenient prove By giving thy Soul room to move Affording scene unto that mind Which is too great to be confin'd Wert thou with single vertue stor'd To be approv'd but not ador'd Thou mightst retire but who e're meant A Palace for a Tenement Heaven has so built thee that we find Thee buried when thou art confin'd If thou in privacy would'st live Yet lustre to thy vertues give To stifle them for want of air Injurious is to Heavens care If thou wilt be immur'd where Shall thy obliging soul appear Where shall thy generous prudence be And where thy magnanimity Nay thy own Darling thou dost hide Thy self-denial is deny'd For he that never greatness tries Can never safely it despife That Antoninus writ well when He held a Scepter and Pen Less credit Solomon does bring As a Philosopher than King So much advantage flows from hence To write by our Experience Diogenes I must suspect Of envy more than wise neglect When he his Prince so ill did treat And so much spurned at the great A censure is not clear from those Whom Fate subjects or does depose Nor can we greatness understand From an opprest or fallen hand But 't is some Prince must that define Or one that freely did resign A great Almanzor teaches thus Or else a Dionysius For to know Grandeur we must live In that and not in perspective Vouchsafe the tryal then that thou May'st safely wield yet disallow The World's temptations and be still Above whatever would thee fill Convince mankind there 's somewhat more Great than the titles they adore Stand neer them and 't will soon be known Thou hast more splendour of thy own Yield to the wanting Age and be Channel of true Nobility For from thy Womb such Heros need must rise Who Honours will deserve and can despise To Pastora being with her Friend 1. WHile you the double joy obtain Of what you give and what you gain Friendship who owes you so much Fame Commands my Tribute to your Name 2. Friendship that was almost forlorn Sunk under every Critick's scorn But that your genius her protects Had fled the World at least the Sex 3. You have restored them and us Whence both are happy Caesar thus Ow'd Rome the glories of his Reign And Rome ow'd him as much again 4. You in your friend those Joys have found Which all Relations can propound What Nature does 'mong them disperse You multiply in her Converse 5. You her Enjoyment have pursu'd In Company and Solitude And wheresoever she 'l retire There 's the Diversion you desire 6. Your Joys by this are more immense And heat contracted grows intense And friendship to be such to you Will make these Pleasures Honours too 7. Be to each other that Content As to your Sex y' are Ornament And may your hearts by mixture lost Be still each others Bliss and Boast 8. Impossible your Parting be As that you e're should disagree And then even Death your friend will prove And both at once though late remove 9. But that you may severely live You must th' offending World forgive And to employ your Charity You have an Object now in me 10. My Pen so much for you unfit Presents my Heart though not my Wit Which Heart admires what you express More than what Monarchs do possess 11. Fear not infection from my Fate Though I must be unfortunate For having paid my Vows due I Shall soon withdraw wither and die To my Lord and Lady Dungannon on their Marriage 11. May 1662. TO you who in your selves do comprehend All you can wish and all we can commend Whom worth does guide and destiny obey What Offerings can the useless Muses pay Each must at once suspend her charming Lyre Till she hath learnt from you what to inspire Well may they wonder to observe a Knot So curiously by Love and Fortune wrought To which propitious Heaven did decree All things on earth should tributary be By gentle sure but unperceiv'd degrees As the Sun's motion or the growth of Trees Does Providence our wills to hers incline And makes all accidents serve her design Her Pencil Sir within your
that is above a Queen Madam command all shall your Orders wait CORNELIA O Gods how many Virtues must I hate After the third Act to Cornelia asleep on a Couch Pompey 's Ghost sings this in Recitative Air. From lasting and unclouded Day From joys refin'd above allay And from a spring without decay I come by Cynthia's borrow'd â—eams To visit my Cornelia's Dreams And give them yet sublimer Theams Behold the Man thou lov'dst before Pure streams have wash'd away his Gore And Pompey now shall bleed no more By Death my Glory I resume For 't would have been a harsher doom To outlive the Liberty of Rome By me her doubtful fortune try'd Falling bequeaths my Fame this Pride I for it liv'd and with it Dy'd Nor shall my vengeance be withstood Or unattended with a Flood Of Roman and Egyytian Blood Caesar himself it shall pursue His daies shall troubled be and few And he shall fall by Treason too He by severity Divine Shall be an offering at my Shrine As I was his he must be mine Thy stormy Life regret no more For Fate shall waft thee soon a shore And to thy Pompey thee restore Where past the fears of sad removes We 'll entertain our spotless Loves In beauteous and immortal Groves There none a guilty Crown shall wear Nor Caesar be Dictator there Nor shall Cornelia shed a Tear After this a Military Dance as the continuance of her Dream and then Cornelia starts up as waken'd in amazement saying What have I seen and whither is it gone How great the Vision and how quickly done Yet if in Dreams we future things can see There 's still some joy laid up in Fate for me Exit ACT IV. SCEN. I. Ptolomy Achillas Photinus PTOLOMY WHat with that Hand and with that Sword which had A Victim of th' unhappy Pompey made Saw you Septimius fled from Caesar's hate Give such a bloody period to his Fate ACHILLAS He 's dead Sir and by that you may collect What shame foreseen by him you must expect Caesar you may by this slow anger know The violent does quickly come and go But the consider'd indignation grows Stronger by age and gives the fiercer blows In vain you hope his fury to asswage Who now secure does politickly rage He safely for his Fame concern'd appears Pompey alive abhor'd he dead reveres And of his Slaughter by this Art doth chuse To act the vengeance and yet make the use PTOLOMY Had I believ'd thee I had never known A Master here nor been without a Throne But still with this imprudence Kings are curst To hear too much Advice and chuse the worst At the Pits brink Fate does their Reason blind Or if some hint they of their danger find Yet that false light amiss their Judgment steers Plunges them in and then it disappears PHOTINUS I must confess I Caesar did mistake Since such a Service he a Crime does make But yet his side hath streams and those alone Can expiate your fault and fix your Throne I no more say you silently should bear And your Revenge till he be gone defer No I a better Remedy esteem To justifie his Rivals death on him When you the first Act by the last make good And Caesar's shed as well as Pompey's Blood Rome will no difference in her Tyrants know But will to you from both her Freedom owe. PTOLOMY Yes yes to this all Reasons do perswade Let 's fear no more the greatness we have made Caesar shall still from Us receive his Doom And twice in one day we 'll dispose of Rome As Bondage first let 's Freedom next bestow Let not thy Actions Caesar swell thee so But call to mind what thou hast seen me do Pompey was mortal and so thou art too Thou envy'dst him for his exceeding thee And I think thou hast no more lives than he Thy own compassion for his Fate does shew That thy heart may be penetrable too Then let thy Justice threaten as it please 'T is I must with thy Ruine Rome appease And of that cruel mercy vengeance take Which spares a King but for his Sisters sake My Life and Power shall not exposed be To her Resentment or thy Levity Lest thou to morrow should'st at such a rate Reward her Love or else revenge her Hate More noble Maximes shall my fears expel Thou bad'st me once to chuse my Victims well And my Obedience thou in this shalt see Who know no Victim worthier than thee Nor th' Immolation of whose Blood will draw Better acceptance from thy Son in law But vainly friends we thus foment our Rage Unless we knew what strength we could engage All this may be unprofitable heat The Tyrants Forces being here so great But of our Power let us be first agreed And in what time and method to proceed ACHILLAS We may do much Sir in our present State Two miles from hence six thousand Souldiers wait Which I foreseeing some new Discontents Have kept in readiness for all Events Caesar with all his Arts could not foresee That underneath this Town a Vault should be By which this night we to the Palace may Our Men with Ease and without noise convey T' assault his life by open force alone Would be the only way to lose your own We must surprize him and act our design When he is Drunk with Pleasure Love and Wine The People are all ours for when he made His entry horrour did their Souls invade When with a Pomp so arrogantly grave His Fasces did our Royal Ensigns brave I mark'd what Rage at that injurious view From their incensed Eyes like sparkles flew And they so much did with their fury strive That your least Countenance may it revive Septimius Souldiers fill'd with greater hate Struck with the terrour of their Leader's Fate Seek nothing but revenge on him who them Did in their Captains Person so contemn PTOLOMY But what way to approach him can be found If at the Feast his Guards do him surround PHOTINUS Cornelia's Men who have already known Among your Romans Kindred of their own Seem to perswade us they would help afford To Sacrifice their Tyrant to their Lord Nay have assur'd it and much better may Than we to Caesar the first stabs convey His Clemency not only false but vain Which courts Cornelia that he Rome may gain Will to his Person give them such access As may assure our Plot of a success But Cleopatra comes to her appear Only possess'd with weakness and with fear Let us withdraw Sir for you know that we Are Objects she will much abhor to see PTOLOMY Go wait me SCEN. II. Ptolomy Cleopatra CLEOPATRA Brother I have Caesar seen And have to him your intercessour been PTOLOMY I never could expect an act less kind From you who bear so generous a Mind But your great Lover quickly from you went CLEOPATRA 'T was to the Town t' appease some discontent Which he was told had newly raised been Betwixt the Souldier and the
desert Dip not in Blood the bounties you impart Great Sir forgive those that have guilty been Or else by that let me appear a Queen Achillas and Photinus blood disdain For they endure enough to see me reign And their Offense CAESAR Ah! by some other way Assure your self how much my Will you sway As you rule me if I might you request You better should employ your interest Govern your Caesar as a lawful Queen And make him not partaker of their Sin For your sake only I the King durst spare 'T was love alone that SCEN. IV. To them Cornelia CORNELIA Caesar have a care For Traytors have against thy life combin'd And sworn thy Head shall be to Pompey's join'd If to prevent them thou should'st be remiss Thy blood will speedily be mixt with his If thou my Slaves examine thou may'st know The Author Order and the Actors too I yield them thee CAESAR O truly Roman heart And worthy him of whom you were a part His Soul which sees from its exalted State How I endeavour to revenge his fate Forgets his hate and is become so kind To save my life by what he left behind Whatever Treason could to Pompey do Yet he does still subsist and act in you And prompts you to a thing so brave that he May vanquish me in generosity CORNELIA Caesar thou art deceiv'd in my intent If thou think'st Hate yields to acknowledgment No Pompey's blood must all commerce deny Betwixt his Widow and his Enemy And I thy offer'd Freedom would enjoy That to thy ruine I might it employ Nay I shall make new business for thy Sword If thou dar'st be so just to keep thy Word But though so much on thy destruction bent Yet I thy Murther would as much prevent I have thy death with too much justice sought That it should now be with a Treason bought Who knows and suffers does partake the guilt Nor should thy blood be infamously spilt But when my Husband's Sons and Kindred do Attempt thy death then I shall wish it too And that some brave Arm which I shall excite May in the Field and in thy Armies sight Offer thee nobly to that Hero's Ghost In whose revenge thou so much zeal bestowest My restless thirst for such a day as this By thy untimely fall its end would miss But whatsoe're hopes from abroad I may Receive yet I am rack'd by their delay For distant satisfaction is half lost And long expected joies too dearly cost I shall not wander on the Affrick Strands To seek the vengeance ready in thy hands Which does the head it threatens best befit For I could thine have had instead of it But that my hatred saw the difference great Betwixt my Husbands murther and defeat And I an earlier Punishment would see On their presumption than thy Victory This is Romes wish Whose venerable brow To this affront too just a blush would owe If her two Noblest heads should after all Her Triumphs with so much dishonour fall She upon whom thou never could'st impose Would sooner punish Criminals than Foes Her Liberty would a misfortune grow If upon Tiber Nile should it bestow None but a Roman could her Master be And but a Roman none should set her free Here thou would'st fall to her unsacrific'd And would'st be murther'd so but not chastis'd Nor would succeeding Tyrants frighted be For the Example too would die with thee Revenge her thou on Egypts wrong and I Will her revenge upon Pharsalia try Adieu no time in this should wasted be Go then and boast I once made vows for thee SCEN. V Caesar Cleopatra Antonius Lepidus Achoreus Charmion CAESAR Her Vertue and their Crime alike amaze Queen you perceive for whom your goodness prays CLEOPATRA That now no more against your justice fights Go Sir revenge all violated rights My ruine they much more than yours desire The Traytors do against my Right conspire As my support against you they design And by your death would make their way to mine But though all this be to my anger known Yet 't is my Brother still that leads them on Do you know that Sir and may I obtain It your deserved furie may restrain CAESAR Yes I 'le remember your heart is so great That for his Births sake you his Crime forget Adieu fear nothing for these are not foes That can the fortune of my Arms oppose Them and their Party I shall quickly rout When I to them but Whips and Racks bring out They shall not Souldiers but Tormentors see And now my Axes shall my Ensigns be Exit Caesar CLEOPATRA Dear Achoreus after Caesar go With him prevent my threatned overthrow And when he punishes our worthless Foes Make him remember what his promise owes Observe the King when he in fight appears And spare his blood that you may spare my tears ACHOREUS Madam his fortune shall no sorrow need If all my care and service can succeed After the fourth Act Cleopatra sits hearkening to this SONG PRoud Monuments of Royal Dust Do not your old Foundations shake And labour to resign their trust For sure your mighty Guests should wake Now their own Memphis lies at stake Alas in vain our dangers call They care not for our Destiny Nor will they be concern'd at all If Egypt now enslav'd or free A Kingdom or a Province be What is become of all they did And what of all they had design'd Now death the busie Scene hath hid Where but in story shall we find Those great disturbers of Mankind When Men their quiet Minutes spent Where Mirtles grew and Fountains purl'd As safe as they were Innocent What angry God among them hurl'd Ambition to undoe the World What is the charm of being Great Which oft is gain'd and lost with Sin Or if w' attain a Royal seat With Guiltless steps what do we win If Love and Honour fight within Honour the Brightness of the Mind And Love her noblest extasie That does our selves this others bind When you great Pair shall disagree What Casuist can the Vmpire be Though Love does all the heart subdue With gentle but resistless sway Yet Honour must that govern too And when thus Honour wins the Day Love overcomes the bravest way Act. V. SCEN. I. Cornelia with a little Urne in her hand and Philip. CORNELIA MAy I believe my Eyes or does this sight Delude me with Chimera's of the Night Do I behold Thee Philip and didst Thou Funeral rites to my lov'd Lord allow His Ashes does this Urne contain O view At once so terrible and tender too Eternal Food of Sorrow and of Hate All of Great Pompey that is spar'd by fate Expect not I a Tear to you should pay For Great Souls ease their Griess another way Shallow Afflictions by Complaints are fed And who laments would fain be Comforted But I have sworn by all that we Adore And by your self sad Object which is more For my griev'd Heart does more to you submit Then to those Gods who
with it much of pain For your fam'd courage to that pitch is flown That Alba's fall already I bemoan Her loss is certain now and naming you Ev'n Destiny her self hath sworn it too In this Election I read Alba's doom And count my self a Subject now of Rome HORACE 'T is Rome not Alba your compassion claims Viewing whom she rejects and whom she names Her partial favour may her Fortune lose Who having so much choice so ill does chuse A thousand braver Sons she had then we Who might with more success her Champions be But though my ruine in this choice I find With noble Pride it elevates my Mind My Heart's assurance gathers mighty scope And from my little courage much I hope Which howsoever fate intends to treat I cannot think my self your subject yet Rome hopes too well of me and therefore I Will answer that great trust or for it dye He yet will dye or vanquish seldom fails That brave despair most commonly prevails How e're it be she never shall obey Till my last gasp says I have lost the Day CURTIUS Alas my Fortune only calls for Tears Since what my Countrey hopes my friendship fears Cruel extreams Alba must be subdu'd Or else her Triumph with your blood embrew'd And all the Glory for which she has fought Can onely with so dear a Life be bought What can I wish or what event desire Since either so much sorrow will require And every way I see my hopes deny'd HORACE Would you regret me if for Rome I dy'd A Death so noble lovely does appear And is too Glorious to endure a Tear Nay I should court it and my ruine bless If Rome by my defeat would suffer less CURTIUS But yet you may allow your friends to fear What will to them at least be so severe They suffer in your glory and one fate Makes you Immortal them unfortunate He loses all who such a Friend must lose But hither Flavius comes and brings us news Hath Alba's Councel yet her Champions chose SCEN. II. Horace Curtius Flavius FLAVIUS I come to tell you CURTIUS Well and who are those FLAVIUS You and your Brothers CURTIUS Who FLAVIUS Ev'n they and you But why so stern and so unpleas'd a Brow Does this offend you CURTIUS No but does surprize The honour much above my Merit flies FLAVIUS Must the Dictator who me hither sent Be told you hear it with this discontent This cold reception me too does surprize CURTIUS Tell him in spight of Loves and Friendships ties Yet Curtius and his Brothers mean to fight Against the Horaces for Alba's Right FLAVIUS Against them 't is too much but tell me how CURTIUS Carry my answer back and leave me now Exit Flavius SCEN. III. Harace and Curtius CURTIUS Let Heav'n and Earth and Hell now all engage To act against us their united rage Let Gods and Men and Fate and Devils too Prepare against us all that they can do Yet to reduce us to a worse Estate I dare defie Heav'n Earth and Hell and Fate Horrour it self hath somewhat less severe Then this our dismal Honour does appear HORACE Fortune hath careful of our Glory been And gives a noble Scene to shew it in Laboriously she forms us a distress Somewhat proportion'd to our Courages No vulgar thought she does in us survey And therefore treats us in no common way For publick safety to attaque a Foe And singly fight a man we do not know Is what a vulgar vertue may beget Thousands have done it and may do it yet Who would not for their Country lose their breath Nay would not factious grow for such a death But to resign her all that can be dear And from our bosoms half our hearts to tear With a destructive fury to pursue A Sister's Lover a Wife's Brother too And breaking all these knots to fight with him Whose life we would with our own blood redeem This is a vertue only fit for us And for which few will be sollicitous Few men have hearts of that exalted frame That dare at such a rate pretend to Fame CURTIUS 'T is true time never shall our names deface And we the brave occasion must embrace Of a rare Vertue we shall mirrours be But yours seems somewhat barbarous to me There are not many Heros would grow vain By this harsh way Eternity to gain How much soe're you prize that empty noise Obscurity were now the better choice I dare avow it and you might have seen I have not doubtful in my duty been Nor could my friendship nor my love prevail To hold my Mind in an uncertain Scale But since my Country by her Vote does shew She values me as much as yours does you I hope to do what you or dare or can My Heart 's as great but I am still a man I see my death alone your Fame secures And that my honour lies in acting yours I must shed blood with which I would combine So cross are all my Country's Stars to mine Though no weak terrour can my heart disswade Yet dismal horrour does it now invade I mourn my fate and envy theirs that are Already swallow'd by this greedy War I would not call this sad fierce honour back Which can't o'rethrow the heart it does attaque What I gain thence I like mourn what I miss And if Rome calls for firmer thoughts than this I thank the Gods that I no Roman am Lest all things humane I should then disclaim HORACE Though you 're no Roman yet deserve to be And better shew how much you equal me That solid Virtue which I make my boast By any weaker tincture would be lost His race of Honour is but ill design'd Who at first start begins to look behind Our suffering to the highest pitch is brought I can see through it but I tremble not Where e're my Country will my arm employ I must accept it with implicite joy The glory of receiving such Commands Every reflection but it self withstands He who room then for other thoughts can find Does what he ought with too remiss a mind That sacred tie must others uncreate Rome arming me I nothing must debate Nor did I wed thy Sister with more joy Than now I 'le seek her Brother to destroy And this superfluous language to give o're Y' are Alba's choice nor must I know you more CURTIUS Yet to my torment I must still know you But this rough Virtue yet I never knew And in this sad extremity of Fate Let me admire it but not imitate HORACE No no embrace not Virtue by constraint And since you find such pleasure in complaint Freely enjoy it and for your content My Sister comes to help you to lament I 'le visit yours and hope to make her know What generous things becomes my Wife to do That if I full she may to you be kind And bear her sorrows with a Roman mind SCEN. IV. Horace Curtius Camilla Horace to Camilla Know you how glorious Curtius is to
be CAMILLA Alas how treacherous is my Destiny HORACE Now by your constancy your birth confess And if my death allows him the success Let him not be your Brother's Murtherer thought But a brave man that does but what be ought Who serves his Country nobly and does shew By that great way how much be merits you Conclude your match as if I were alive But if this Sword shall him of life deprive My conquest then with equal candour use Nor of your Lover's death my hand accuse I see your grief by your approaching tears Exhale with him your sorrows and your fears Quarrel with Heaven and Earth of Fate complain But the fight done no more regret the slain You but a minute must with her bestow To Curtius And then where Honour calls us let us go SCEN. V. Camilla Curtius CAMILLA But wilt thou go and this sad Fame possess At the expence of all our happiness CURTIUS Alas what'ere I do I find that I Must by my grief if not by Horace die But as my Torture I this Honour see And curse the favour Alba does to me I hate that courage which she so esteems Nay my despairing passion impious seems And dares accuse the gods for all this woe I mourn our Fortune but yet I must go CAMILLA No thou would'st have me all my interest use And thee to Alba by my power excuse Thy former Acts have thee so famous made That to thy Country all thy debts are paid None better hath than thou the War upheld Nor with more deaths cover'd the guilty field Thy Name can be no greater than it is Suffer some other now t ' ennoble his CURTIUS What shall my Eies anothers Temples see bound with those Lawrels Fame prepares for me Or by Posterity shall it be thought Alba had conquer'd if I would have fought No since to me she dares entrust her doom She shall by me or fall or overcome A good account I 'le of her Fortune give And die with honour or with conquest live CAMILLA But to betray me then thy love endures CURTIUS I was my Country's e're I could be yours CAMILLA Wilt thou thy Sisters misery create And widow her CURTIUS Such is my cruel Fate Brother and Sister names so sweet before By Alba's choice and Rome's are so no more CAMILLA Wilt thou present me with my Brother's head And on that step mount to the Bridal bed CURTIUS All I dare think so dear my fame will cost Is still to love though all my hope be lost You weep my Dear CAMILLA How can I tears avoid Who by my cruel Lover am destroy'd When Hymen would his kindled Torch have lent He puts out that to dig my Monument This savage heart my ruine can decree And says he loves when yet he murthers me CURTIUS How eloquent are tears from eyes we love How strong does Beauty with that succour prove My heart dissolves at such a mournful sight Nor against that can all my vertue fight Strike not my Fame in this subduing shape But let my honour from your tears escape I feel it shake and scarce defend the place For Curtius to the Lover yields apace With Friendship it hath had enough to do And must it strive with Love and Pity too Go love me not nor one tear more expose For him that dares offend such charms as those I better with your anger should have fought And to deserve it all I love you not Punish this treacherous this ingrateful heart At such an injury do you not start I do not love you can you me endure Needs there more yet my Faith I here abjure O! rigid Virtue at whose shrine I fall Must thou a Crime to thy assistance call CAMILLA Commit no more and I the gods attest My love shall not be lessen'd but encreas'd My kindness shall ev'n in thy falshood live All but a Brother's death I can forgive Why am I Roman or why art thou none That I my self might put thy Lawrels on I should thy valour heighten not forbid And treat thee just as I my Brother did But ah how blind I now those vows esteem Since against thee were all I made for him But he returns O! may Sabina be More prevalent with him than I 'm with thee SCEN. VI. Curtius Camilla Horace Sabina CURTIUS Sabina too my heart to undermine And with Camilla must you Sister join Leaving her tears her Brother to attaque Hope you by yours to call my purpose back SABINA No Brother no I only visit you To give you my embrace and last adieu Your blood 's too good nor need you apprehend From me what can your great resolves offend If either were by this brave shock o'rethrown He that first yielded I should first disown But may not I one favour beg of you Worthy this Brother and this Husband too I wish your quarrel might less impious grow And would refine the glory of the blow That free from guilt it might no splendour miss I would fain make you lawful Enemies I the sole link am of your sacred knot Which will unty assoon as I am not Break then the chain whence that alliance grows And since your Honour now will have you Foes Buy by my death right to each others hate And Rome's and Alba's Vote legitimate Your hand destroying his revenging me Your Combat will appear no Prodigy And one at least will justly stake his life That he may right his Sister or his Wife But what you think your Fame would be less bright If for another quarrel you should fight Your Country's cause will no new heats admit Did you love less you would act less for it A Brother you must kill a lov'd one too Well then defer not what you ought to do But by his Sister him begin to kill Or by his Wife his blood begin to spill And by Sabina's blood if her you prize Make your own lives the braver sacrifice You are a Foe to Rome to Alba you And my aversion to them both is due What must I live to such a Victory Whose highest triumph will but let me see A Brother or a Husband Lawrels wear Reaking with blood that is to me so dear How shall I then decide my inward strife Or well express the Sister and the Wife The Conqueror embrace the conquer'd grieve No no Sabina's death shall her relieve From whomsoe're my grief that blow procures And my hands must bestow it if not yours Go then what does your savage hearts restrain Against your will I my desire shall gain For you no sooner shall begin your blows But you shall see this bosom interpose Nor shall your impious Swords your rage pursue Unless through me they make their way to you HORACE O Wife CURTIUS O Sister CAMILLA Courage they dissolve SABINA What can you sigh paleness your cheek involve What makes you shrink are these the hearts so brave Who in their hands the fates of Empire have HORACE Tell me Sabina what thy quarrel is