Depends on you Think first and then Command Cassand Know then that his last Thrid is on the Distaff And I can cut it now Cleanth And are resolv'd Cassand I only said I can and I can Save Disarm and hurt him not Cleanth Once more your Sword Cleom. Send off those Villains Tho' I fear 'em not Yet Cowards are offensive to my sight Nor shall they see me do an Act that looks Below the Courage of a Spartan King Cassand Cleanthes May I trust your Faith Cleanth You may Cassand Begone and wait my Call Ex. Guards Cleom. Cleanthes Stil my Friend for such I hold thee Tho' this bad Woman says thou art my Spy I cannot give a greater proof than this That I believe her not Gives him his Sword If thou art false 'T is in thy power to show it safely now And compass that by Treason which in Arms Nor Thou nor any Man alive can force Remember still I gave it to a Friend For Life and Death are equal in themselves That which would cast the Ballance is thy falshood To make my Death more wretched Cleanth Then you may think me that which you call False But Duty to my Father Cleom. Say no more I would not curse thee for thou wer 't my Friend I think thee still as honest as thou couldst Impenetrably good but like Achilles Thou hadst a soft Aegyptian Heel undipt And that has made thee Mortal Cassand Cleanthes Thou hast well approv'd thy Faith And as this Palace is thy Government On utmost peril of thy Life secure him One farther word Whispers Ex Cleanth looking concernedly on Cleomenes Cleom. So guilty as thou art and canst thou look On him thou hast betraid Go take thy hire Which thou hast dearly purchas'd and be great Cassand For you brave Sir as you have given my hopes But Air to feed on Air shall be your Food No Bread shall enter these forbidden Doors Thin hungry Diet I confess but still The liker Spartan Fare Keen Appetites And quick Digestion wait on you and yours Cleom. O mix not Innocence and Guilt together What Love have they refus'd or how offended Be Just tho' you are Cruel or be Kind And punish me alone Cassand There Nature works Then there I 'll stab thee in thy tender part Shreeks of Women within Cleom. What dismal Cries are those Cassand Nothing a trifling sum of Misery New added to the foot of thy Account Thy Wife is seiz'd by Force and born away Farewel I dare not trust thy Vengeance further Running to the Door he is stopt by Guards with drawn Swords Cleom. Cleora There stands Death but no Cleora I would find both together Enter Cratisiclea Cleonidas and Pantheus bloody on his hand Cratis Oh King of Sparta Cleom. Peace Mother Peace I have had news from Hell before you Cleora's gone to Death Is there a Door A Casement or a Rift within these Walls That can let loose my Body to her rescue Panth. All clos'd nothing but Heaven above is open Cleom. Nay that 's clos'd too The Gods are deaf to Pray'rs Hush then th' irrevocable Doom's gone forth And Pray'rs lagg after but can ne'r o'er-take Let us talk forward of our woes to come Cratis Cleanthes Oh could you suspect his Faith 'T was he that headed those who forc'd her hence Cleom. Pantheus bleeds Panth. A scratch a feeble Dart At distance thrown by an Aegyptian hand Cratis You heard me not Cleanthes is Cleom. He was no more good Mother He tore a piece of me away and still The void place akes within me O my Boy I have bad news to tell thee Cleonid None so bad As that I am a Boy Cleanthes scorn'd me And when I drove a Thrust home as I could To reach his Traytor Heart He put it by And cryed as in derision Spare the Stripling Oh that insulting word I wou'd have swopp'd Youth for old Age and all my Life behind To have been then a momentary Man Cleom. Alas Thy Manhood like a forward Spring Before it comes to bear the promis'd Fruit Is blighted in the Bud Never my Boy Canst thou fetch Manhood up with thy short steps While with long strides the Giant stalks before thee Cleonid Am I to dye before I am a Man Cleom. Yes thou must dye with me and I with her Who gave me life and our poor Infant too within Must dye before it knows what dying means Three different Dates of Nature one would think But Fate has cramm'd us all into one Lease And that even now expiring Panth. Yet we live Cleom. No even now we dye Death is within us And keeps out Life for nourishent is Life And we have fed our last Hunger feeds Death Cratis A lingring Doom but four days hence the same And we can shorten those turn Days to Hours And Hours to Moments Death is in our Call Panth. The sooner then the better Cleonid So say I. Panth. While we have spirits left to meet him boldly Cleonid I 'le hold my Breath And keep my Soul a pris'ner in my Body There let it creep and wander in the dark Till tir'd to find no out-let it Retreats Into my Spartan Heart and there lies pleas'd So we two are provided Sir your choice To Cleom. Cleom. Not this dispatch for we may dye at leisure This Famine has a sharp and meager Face 'T is Death in an undress of Skin and Bone Where Age and Youth their Land-mark tane away Look all one common furrow Cratis Yet you chuse it To please our Foes that when they view our Skeletons And find 'em all alike they may cry out Look how these dull obedient Spartans dy'd Just as we wish'd as we prescrib'd their Death And durst not take a nobler nearer way Cleom. Not so but that we durst not tempt the Gods To break their Images without their leave The moment e'r Cassandra came I had A Note without a Name the Hand unknown That bad me not despair but still hope well Then dye not yet For Heaven has means to free us if not me Yet these and you I am the hunted Stag Whose Life may may ransom yours Crat. No more of that I find your distant drift to die alone An unkind Accusation of us all As if we durst not die I 'll not survive you Panth. Nor I. Cleonid Nor I. Cleom. But hear my Reasons Enter Cleora in a black Veil Ha! What Shadow 's this This that can glide through Walls Or pass its subtle Limbs through Bolts and Bars Black too like what it represents our Fate Cleor. Too true a Shadow I and you the Substance Lifts up her Veil Omn. Cleora Cleom. Thus let me grow again to thee Too close for Fate to sever Or let Death find me in these dear dear Arms And looking on thee spare my better part And take me willing hence Crat. What! are you dreaming Son with Eyes cast upwards Like a mad Prophet in an Ecstasie Cleom. Musing on what we saw Just
There 's Justice for my self and for my Son Look up sweet Boy And tell me that thou liv'st Cleonid Fain I would live To Comfort you I bleed and am asham'd To say I faint and call my self your Son O Traytor Coenus What 's become of him Cleom. Look there he lies Cleonid I am glad on 't Forgive me Heaven I hope 't is no offence To say I am glad because he kill'd me basely Still I grow fainter Hold me hold me Father Cleom. Cheer up and thou shalt live Cleonid No I 'm just dying Cleom. What shall I lose Cleonid A Boy That 's all I might have liv'd to Manhood But once I must have dy'd Cleom. But not before thy Father Cleonid Nay then you envy me that I am first Happy I go and when you come pray find me out And own me for your Son Dies Cleom. There went his Soul Fate thou hast done thy worst And all thou canst henceforth is but mean Slaughter The gleanings of this Harvest Enter Pantheus Panth. Sir y 're well found our Enemies are fled I left our men pursuing and made haste To bring this joyfull News Cleom. Look there and if thou dar'st now give me joy Panth. Enough y' have stopp'd my mouth what Coenus kill'd I ask no Questions then of who kill'd who The Bodies tell their Story as they lie Haste and revenge Cleom. Where are our Enemies Panth. Sculking disperst in Garrets and in Cellars Enter Cleanthes Cleom. Not worth the seeking Are these fit t' atone For Cleomenes Mother Son and Wife But what the Gods have left us we must take Cleanth 'T is all in vain we have no further work The People will not be dragg'd out to Freedom They bar their Doors against it Nay the Prisoners Even guard their Chains as their inheritance And Man their very Dungeons for their Masters Lest Godlike Liberty the Comon Foe Should enter in and they be judg'd hereafter Accomplices of Freedom Panth. Then we may sheath our Swords Cleanth We may Pantheus But so as brave men should each in his Bosome That onely way is left us to die free Cleom. All 's lost for which I once desir'd to live Panth. Come to our business then Be speedy Sir And give the word I 'll be the first to charge The Grim Foe death Cleom. Fortune Thou hast reduc'd me very low To do the Drudgery of fate my self What! not one brave Egyptian not one worthy To do me manly Right in single Combat To fall beneath my fury For that 's Justice But then to drag me after For to die And yet in Death to Conquer is my Wish Cleanth Then have your Wish The Gods at last are kind And have provided you a Sword that 's worthy To match your own 'T is an Egyptians too Cleom. Is there that hidden Treasure in thy Countrey The Gods be prais'd for such a Foe I want Cleanth Not such a Foe but such a Friend am I. I would fall first for fear I should survive you And pull you after to make sure in Death To be your undivided Friend for ever Cleom. Then enter We into each others Breasts 'T is a sharp passage yet a kind one too But to prevent the blind mistake of Swords Lest one drop first and leave his Friend behind Both thrust at once and home and at our Hearts Let neither stand on Guard but let our Bosomes Lie open to each other in our Death As in our Life they were Cleanth I Seal it thus Kiss and embrace Panth. And where 's my part You shut me out like Churls While you devour the Feast of Death betwixt you Cleom. Cheer up thy Soul and thou shalt die Pantheus But in thy turn There 's Death enough for all But as I am thy Master wait my leisure And honestly Compose my Limbs to Rest Then serve thy self Now are you ready Friend Cleanth I am Cleom. Then this to our next happy meeting They both push together then stagger backwards and fall together in each others Arms. Cleanth Speak have I serv'd you to your Wish my Friend Cleom. Yes Friend thou hast I have thee in my heart Say art Thou sped Cleanth I am 't is my last Breath Cleom. And mine Then both are Happy both Die Panth. So this was well perform'd and soon dispatch'd Both sound asleep already And farewell both for one short moment Trumpets sound Victory within Those are the Foes our little band is lost For want of these Defenders I must hasten Lest I be forc'd to live and led in Triumph Defrauded of my Fate I 've earn'd it well And finish'd all my Task This is my place Just at my Masters feet Guard him yee Gods And save his sacred Corps from publick shame He falls on his Sword and lies at the feet of Cleom. Dies Enter Sosybius Cassandra and Aegyptians Sosyb. 'T is what my Heart foreboded There he lies Extended by the Man whom best he lov'd A better Friend than Son Cassand What 's he or Thou or Ptolomy or Aegypt Or all the world to Cleomenes lost Sosyb. Then I suspected right If my revenge Can ease my sorrow This the King shall know That thou mayst reap the due reward of Treason And violated Love Cassand Thy worst old Dotard I wish to die but if my mind should Change So well I know my Power that Thou art lost Sosyb. The King's arrival shall decide our Fate Mean time to show how much I honour Virtue Take up that Hero's Body bear it high Like the Procession of a Deity Let his arm'd Figure on his Tomb be set And We like Slaves lie grovling at his feet Whose Glories growing till his latest Breath Excell'd all others And his own in Death Ex. omnes FINIS
desir'd run through by one of the young Men and then each of them readily and resolutely fell upon his own Sword except Panteus that Panteus that first surpriz'd Megalopolis This Man being a very handsom Person and a better Companion than any of the Youth the King lov'd and bade him when he had seen him and the rest fall'n dye by their Example Panteus walk'd over them as they lay and prick'd every one with his Dagger to try whether any was alive when he prick'd Cleomenes in the Leg and saw him turn upon his Back he kiss'd him sate down by him and when he was quite dead cover'd his Carkass and then kill'd himself upon his Body Thus fell Cleomenes that great brave Man after he had been king of Sparta sixteen Years The news of their Fall being nois'd through the City Cratesilaea though a Woman of a great Spirit could not bear up against the insupportable weight of this Affliction but embracing Cleomenes's Children made grievous Lamentations but the eldest Boy none suspecting such a Spirit in a Child threw himself headlong from the top of the House he was bruis'd very much but not kill'd by the Fall and was taken up crying and expressing his Resentments for not being permitted to destroy himself Ptolomy as soon as an account of the Action was brought him gave order that Cleomenes's Body should be Flea'd and hung up that his Children Mother and the Women that were with her should be kill'd Amongst those was Panteus's Wife a very fair Woman and of a stately Carriage who had been but newly Married and suffer'd these disasters in the height of her Love Her Parents would not let her embark with Panteus presently after they were Married though she eagerly desir'd it but shut her up and kept her by violence at home yet a few days after she got a Horse and a little Money and escaping by Night made speed to Taenarus where she embark'd for Aegypt came to her Husband and with him cheerfully endur'd to live in a Foreign Country She led Cratesiclaea as she was going with the Soldiers to Execution help up her Train and begg'd her to be courageous who of her self was not in the least afraid of Death and desir'd nothing else but only to be kill'd before the Children When they were come to the place of Execution the Children were first kill'd before Cratesiclaea's Eyes and afterward she her self with only these words in her Mouth O Children whither 〈◊〉 you gone But Pantaeus's Wife girding her Garments close to her and being a strong Woman without any Noise or Lamentation lookt after every one that was slain and wound them up as well as her present Circumstances would permit and after all were kill'd dressing her self bound her Cloaths close about her and suffering none to come near or be an Eye-witness of her Fall beside the Executioner she courageously submitted to the stroak and wanted no body to look after her or wind her up after she was dead Thus in her Death the Modesty of her Mind appear'd and set the Guard upon her Body which she always kept when alive And she in the declining Age of the Spartans shew'd That Women were no unequal Rivals of the Men and was an Instance of such a Courage as would not sneak to the Affronts of Fortune A few days after those that watch'd the hanging Body of Cleomenes saw a very great Snake winding about his Head and covering his Face so that no Bird of Prey should fly at it This made the King superstitiously afraid and set the Women upon several Lustrations as if he had been an extraordinary Man and one belov'd by the Gods that had been slain And the Alexandrians made Processions to the Place and gave Cleomenes the Title of Heroe and Son of the Gods till the Philosophers satisfied them by saying That as Oxen breed Bees putrifying Horses breed Hornets and Beetles rise from the Carkasses of dead Asses so the Humours and Iuices of the Marrow of a Man's Body coagulating produce Serpents And this the Ancients observing appropriated a Serpent rather than any other Creature to Heroe's PROLOGUE Spoke by Mr. MOUNTFORT I Think or hope at least the Coast is clear That none but Men of Wit and Sence are here That our Bear-Garden Friends are all away Who bounce with Hands and Feet and cry Play Play Who to save Coach-hire trudge along the Street Then print our Matted Seats with dirty Feet Who while we speak make Love to Orange-Wenches And between Acts stand strutting on the Benches Where got a Cock-horse making vile Grimaces They to the Boxes show their Booby Faces A Merry-Andrew such a Mob will serve And treat 'em with such Wit as they deserve Let 'em go People Ireland where there 's need Of such new Planters to repair the Breed Or to Virginia or Jamaica Steer But have a care of some French Privateer For if they should become the Prize of Battle They 'll take 'em Black and White for Irish Cattle Arise true Iudges in your own Defence Controul those Foplings and declare for Sence For should the Fools prevail they stop not there But make their next Descent upon the Fair. Then rise ye Fair for it concerns you most That Fools no longer should your Favours boast 'T is time you should renounce 'em for we find They plead a senseless Claim to Woman kind Such Squires are only fit for Country Towns To stink of Aâ—e and dust a Stand with Clownes Who to be chosen for the Lands Protectors Tope and get Drunk before their Wise Electors Let not Farce Lovers your weak Choice upbraid But turn 'em over to the Chamber-maid Or if they come to see our Tragick Scenes Instruct them what a Spartan Hero means Teach 'em how manly Passions ought to move For such as cannot Think can never Love And since they needs will judge the Poets Art Point 'em with Fescu's to each shining Part. Our Author hopes in you but still in pain He fears your Charms will be employ'd in vain You can make Fools of Wits we find each Hour But to make Wits of Fools is past your Power EPILOGUE Spoke by Mrs. BRACEGIRDLE THis Day the Poet bloodily inclin'd Has made me die full sore against my Mind Some of you naughty Men I fear will cry Poor Rogue would I might teach thee how to die Thanks for your Love but I sincerely say I never mean to die your wicked way Well since it is Decreed all Flesh must go And I am Flesh at least for ought you know I first declare I die with pious Mind In perfect Charity with all Mankind Next for my Will I have in my dispose Some certain Moveables would please you Beaux As first my Youth for as I have been told Some of you modish Sparks are dev'lish old My Chastity I need not leave among yee For to suspect old Fops were much to wrong ye You swear y' are Sinners but for all your haste Your
such is Death With a black Veil covering a beauteous Face Fear'd afar off By erring Nature a mistaken Phantom A harmless lambent Fire She kisses Cold But kind and soft and sweet as my Cleora Oh could we know What Joys she brings at least what rest from Grief How should we press into her Friendly Arms And be pleas'd not to be or to be happy Crat. Look What we have forgot The Joy to see Cleora here has kept us from enquiring By what strange means she enter'd Cleom. Small Joy Heaven knows to be adopted here Into the meager Family of Famine The House of Hunger therefore ask'd I not So am I pleased to have her Company And so displeas'd to have it but in Death Cleor. I know not how or why my surly Gaoler Hard as his Irons and insolent as Pow'r When put in vulgar Hands Cleanthes gone Put off the Brute and with a gloomy Smile That show'd a sullen loathness to be kind Skreen'd me within this Veil then led me forth And using to the Guards Cassandra's Name Made that my Pass-port Every Door slew ope T' admit my Entrance and then clapt behind me To barr my going back Cleom. Some new Resolve Cassandra plots and then refines on Malice Plays with Revenge with Rage she snatch'd you hence And renders you with Scorn I thought to show you How easie 't was to die by my Example And hansel Fate before you But thy presence Has chang'd my Mind to drag this lingring life To share thy Sorrows and assist thy Weakness Come in my Friends and let us practise Death Stroke the grim Lyon till he grow familiar Cleora Thou and I as Lovers should Will hand in hand to the dark Mansions go Where Life no more can cheat us into Woe That sucking in each others latest Breath We may transfuse our Souls and put the change on Death Exeunt omnes The End of the Fourth ACT. ACT V. Enter Cassandra and Sosybius Sos. ANd what Have you determin'd Cass. He shall die Sos. A wholsome Resolution Have you fix'd The Time Cass. He daily dies by Hours and Moments All vital Nourishment but Air is wanting Three rising Days and two descending Nights Have chang'd the Face of Heav'n and Earth by turns But brought no kind Vicissitude to him His State is still the same With hunger pinch'd Waiting the slow approaches of his Death Which halting on-wards as his life goes back Still gains upon his Ground Sos. But e'er Fate reach him The Mercy of the King may interpose You have the Signet Cass. Yes In your Despite Sos. Be not displeas'd suppose he shou'd escape Cass. Suppose he shou'd have Wings Impossible Sos. Yet Keepers have been brib'd To whom can Ptolomy Impute that Crime but you Cass. He may But let him if he dares Come Statesman Do not shuffle in your pace You wou'd expose me to the People's Hatred By hurrying on this Act of Violence You know a little thing provokes the Crowd Against a Mistress She 's the Publick Mark Therefore content your self I will be safe Nor shall the Prisoner die a speedier Death Than what my Doom decreed Unless the King Reverse his Orders by my Messenger Sos. May I presume to ask you whom you sent Cass. Thy Son unknown to thee for so I charg'd him And this the promis'd hour of his Return Nay wonder not I chose him with design That whatsoe'er The King ordains you both shou'd share th' Event And stand or fall with me Ponder on that and leave me Sos. aside What can she mean She neither kills nor saves Exit Sosybius Cass. Now tell me Heart Now answer for thy self What wilt thou do and what dost thou desire His Life No he 's ungrateful Or his Death I tremble at that Word What then His Love His Love my Heart What! by Restraint and Famine Are these the means to compass thy Design Revenge My Hands so soft his Heart so hard The blow recoils and hurts me while I strike Like the mad Viper scourg'd into a Rage I shoot into my self my fatal Sting Enter Mariner Marin The Ship is ready when you please to sail And waits but your Command The Wind stands fair Cass. Be secret and attend my farther pleasure Gives him a Purse and exit Mariner So this was time well manag'd In three Days To hire a Vessel Put my Wealth on board Send off th' observing Son and Fool the Father See him I will to sound his last Resolves If Love can soften him or Fear can bow If both shou'd fail th' ungrateful Wretch shall find Rage has no Bounds in slighted Woman-kind Exit Cassandra SCENE A Prison Enter Cleomenes Cleom. NO Food And this the third arising Sun But what have I to do with telling Suns And measuring Time That runs no more for me Yet sure the Gods are good I wou'd think so If they wou'd give me leave But Virtue in Distress and Vice in Triumph Make Atheists of Mankind Enter Cratisiclaea What Comfort Mother Crat. A Soul not conscious to it self of Ill Undaunted Courage and a Master-mind No Comfort else but Death Who like a lazie Master stands aloof And leaves his Work to the slow hands of Famine Cleom. All I wou'd ask of Heav'n Is but to die alone a single Ruine But to die o'er and o'er in each of you With my own hunger pinch'd but pierc'd with yours Crat. Grieve not for me Cleom. What! not for you my Mother I am strangely tempted to blaspheme the Gods For giving me so good so kind a Parent And this is my return to cause her Death Crat. Peace Your Misfortunes cause it not your Fault Enter Cleora Cleom. What! my Cleora I stretch'd my bounds as far as I could go To shun the sight of what I cannot help A Flow'r withering on the Stalk for want Of nourishment from Earth and showers from Heaven All I can give thee is but Rain of Eyes Wiping his Eyes Cleor. Alas I have not wherewithal to weep My eyes grow dim and stiffen'd up with drought Can hardly rowl and walk their feeble round Indeed I am faint Crat. And so am I. Heaven knows However aside In pity of 'em both I keep it secret Nor shall he see me fall Exit Cratisiclaea Cleom. How does our helpless Infant Cleor. It wants the Breast its kindly nourishment And I have none to give From these dry Cesterns Which unsupply'd themselves can yield no more It pull'd and pull'd but now but nothing came At last it drew so hard that the blood follow'd And that Red Milk I found upon its Lips Which made me swoon with fear Cleom. Go in and rest thee And hush the Child asleep Exit Cleora Look down ye Gods Look Hercules thou Author of my Race And Jog thy Father Iove that he may look On his neglected Work of Humane-kind Tell him I do not Curse him But Devotion Will cool in after times if none but good Men suffer What! another increase of Grief Enter Cleonidas
Sovereign Drops whose Pow'r Will soon recal his wander'd sense He instills somewhat out of a Vial into his Mouth He stirs And stretches now and seems t' essay his Limbs Cleom. Where am I Standing a while they support him Cleanth In his Arms who dy'd with you And now you live revives Cleom. Art thou Panthaeus Panth. Believe your Eyes I am Cleom. Speak then and truly for I trust not him Who brought me back to Life Panth. Who but he who was left single with you Who caught you falling in his faithful Arms And not alone sufficient to restore you Call'd loud for my Assistance I found him propping you with trembling Hands His Eyes so haggard I could scarce distinguish Who was the living Friend and who the dead Cleom. All this Cleanthes This What this Cleanthes Panth. Yes your Cleanthes Cleanth Your suspected Friend Much wrong'd but ever faithful Cleom. Art thou sure I live Or am I in the Regions of the dead And hear the Fables there my self a Fable Panth. Go in and see your chearful Family Eating his Bread brought in their last Distress And with a good mistaking Piety First blessing him then Heaven Cleom. When I hear this I have no need of Food I am restor'd without it Cleanth Then now hear me How I was forc'd into this seeming Falshood To save my self the only means remaining To save the Man I lov'd beyond my self And gain a needful Credit with Cassandra And yet even then deceiv'd and sent far off For three long Days unknowing of your wants Not thinking she who lov'd could use you thus By Famishment to Cleom. O no more no more For now I understand e'er thou can'st speak it half To thee I ow'd the seizing of my Sword Lest I should fall by odds My Wife's return All all to thee And thou art more than all Can'st thou forgive me Can'st thou my Cleanthes Can I deserve thus to grow here once more Embracing him Let me embrace my self quite into thee Cleanth Come come as fiercely as thou wilt I meet thee Embraces Cleomenes I close within thee and am thou again Panth. Why this is as it should be Cleom. I could not thus have taken to the Death Anothers Falshood but thine only thine For infinitely infinitely loving 'T was a wide gap thou mad'st within my Bosom And as my Soul rent from me Cleanth But thy Hunger This violent Transport of my Reconcilement Makes me forget thy Wants When I embrac'd thee Thy spungy Body dwindled in my Arms And like a Ghost fled from me Cleom. I could eat Going in Now my first Appetite of Love is serv'd And that was much the keenest Let us in For Life looks lovely now and worth preserving Cleanth Not that way Friend It leads you to the Women and the Boy Cleom. And why must I avoid those tender Blessings Cleanth Even such because they are you must avoid them For I must tell you Friend you have but time To snatch a hasty Morsel and away Nothing of Manhood must be clogg'd or soften'd With Womanish Sighs and Tears and kind Adieu's And those ill-tim'd Remorses of good Nature When your whole Soul is needful Panth. You tell us Wonders Cleanth At the King's Return Which daily we expect your Death 's resolv'd This hour 's your own Take it and tempt your Fortune Some few brave Friends I hope to add If not all Aegypt's number'd in my self Cleom. I am all on Fire now for a lucky pull At Fate 's last Lottery I long to see the Colour white or black That 's the God's Work And if I fall their shame Let 'em ne'er think of making Heroes more If Cowards must prevail Panth. The fewer Hands The fewer Partners in the share of Honour Cleom. Come my Pantheus Lead my best Cleanthes We three to all the World Cleanth Magas and Liberty let be the Word Magas is lov'd and Liberty desir'd A short Refection waits at the Lieutenant's That honest Friend who sent you back your Wife We 'll drink a Bowl of Wine and pour the rest Not to the Dog Anubis but to Iove The Freer and Avenger Exeunt Enter Cratisiclaea Cleora Cleonidas Cleora Gone and without taking leave Crat. The better He bated me the Forms and you the Fondness Cleon. Pantheus too and he who brought the Food The brave Aegyptian vanish'd all together Cleora Oh my fore-boding Soul he 's gone to Death And that Cleanthes whom thou call'st the Brave Has basely train'd him out to his Destruction Crat. Suspect him not When Fate was in his power And by a Method so secure as Famine To save us then shows he had little need To trick my Son to Death I have a better prospect of th' Event Cleor. Dear Mother Comfort me and tell your Thoughts For I see nothing but a gathering Tempest Horror on Horror to the end of Heaven Crat. No no you are not of a Soul to bear The mighty Good and Ill that meet mid-way As from two Goals and which comes first upon us Fate only knows Cleon. Then speak to me for I can stand the Shock Like a young Plant that fastens in a Storm And deeper drives the Root Crat. Thy Soul 's too strong thy Body yet too weak To bear the Crush Be still and wait thy Doom A Cry within Liberty Liberty Magas Magas To Arms for Magas and for Liberty Cleon. What noble sound was that So smart and vigorous A Soul in every Word Crat. Why that was it I thought was doing but I durst not tell Till now it shows it self The Works begun my Boy the Works begun There was thy Father in that Warlike Shout Stemming the Tide of Aegypt Cleor. O comfort me my Husband's Mother say My Lord may live and conquer Crat. Possibly But still make sure of Death Trust we to that As to our last Reserve Cleor. Alas I dare not die Crat. Come come you dare Do not belie your Courage Cleor. Heaven help me I have none Crat. Then dare you be a Slave to base Aegyptians For that must be if you outlive your Husband Cleor. I think I durst to save my self from Death Crat. Then as a Slave you durst be ravish'd too Cleor. The Gods forbid Crat. The Gods cannot forbid it By any way but Death Cleor. Then I dare die Crat. I told you so You did not know your Vertue Poor trembling thing I 'll warm thee in my Bosom And make thee take Death kindly Another Shout within Liberty and Magas Cleon. What must become of me Crat. More Trouble yet about this paltry Being For shame no more such Qualms Cleon. No more such vile Mistakes I would die warm And not in Women's Company but Men's Whether some God inspires me to this Act Or Fate inevitably calls me on I will not cannot stay But as a generous unflesh'd Hound that hears From far the Hunter's Horn and chearful Cry So will I haste and by the Musick led Come up with Death or Honour Exit Cleor. Stop him