Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A55482
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The siege of Babylon as it is acted at the Dukes Theatre / written by Samuel Pordage of Lincolns-Inn, Esq. ...
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Pordage, Samuel, 1633-1691?
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1678
(1678)
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Wing P2977; ESTC R17800
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42,627
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76
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above Will easily Pardon because Crimes of Love To kill a Rival I account no sin And I would do 't were it to do ag'in It does with such delight my Mind possess The Pleasures of a Crown would please me less She would have giv'n more tortures to my Mind Liv'd she than I shall now in Dying find In Death alas no bitterness would be But that I find I still am scorn'd by thee Perd. The Gods did long their Vengeance keep in store And now on your Curs'd Head their Thunderbolts they pour Roxa. I scorn my Mouth should my great Heart belye I both Man-kind and th' unkind Gods defye And tho with Pâ—agues they still should me pursue They never shall my ' unconquer'd Heart subdue Thus not the Gods but my own Sacrifice Lifting up the Dagger I 'le fall I must take Courage from those Eyes Pausing and looking on Orontes I 'le take one farewel-Look before I dye One more and I 'le for ever from you sly Perd. Your Wound still bleeds Oron. 'T is slight I must a greater wound prepare The World shall see the Pow'r of Death too weak The Joys of my Immortal Love to break I to my Love have made a solemn Vow By all the Gods I will perform it now Draws forth a Dagger Lysi. Brave Prince we Rivals too have Vow'd the same Ptol. Our Souls possess the like immortal flame Roxa. Ah! will Orontes dye New Joys I feel I 'le stay and watch my Princes fatal blow Then in my Breast I 'le plunge my Dagger too And at one instant both our Souls shall start Together both from our dull Bodies part And if a Spirit can a Spirit hold I will his Soul within my Soul infold Perd. The dreadful face of Death I 'ave oft beheld In all her shapes I 'ave seen her in the field There 's none will think that now I shrink for fear Or that I 'de sly tho many Deaths appear A vain fantastick place Elysium seems But you believe The Tales of Priests and idle Poets dreams The Queen's Death I 'le revenge then Altars rear To her great Name make her a Goddess here Whilst you vain Blisses seek you know not where Oron. Statira gone I nothing here can find Which can give ease to my disturbed mind You gentle Ghosts look down from Heav'n above And see th' Effects of true and faithful Love Lysi. With you Dear Souls our Bliss and Joys are fled It is no Life to Live now you are dead Ptol. Our Souls and theirs through Love were so much one Ours cannot stay behind when theirs are gone Oron. After our Loves to that blest place wee 'l go Where Love's immortal and no change does know Where Rivals cannot our long bliss destroy And where we undisturb'd each other shall enjoy Enter the Mute Arax Ah! Sir does this black Mask disguise me so You can't your own faithful Araxis know Oron. Araxis I can't Araxis find in this disguise Let me embrace you e're I dye Embraces him Ah! this has been a sad and fatal Night Arax The Day appears with clear and chearful Light Oron. About my Heart a Night of sorrow lyes Arax You will find Day in your Statira's Eyes Enter Capt. with Statira Parisatis Cleone Oron. I with the weight of my own Joys am prest They cannot be contain'd within my Breast Do I but Dream or am I truly blest Roxa. O Gods I am betray'd my Rival's here Worse than a thousand Deaths she does appear Death which before I look'd on with content Will now my torture be and punishment What can my Torment and my pain express Orontes and my Crown she will possess Stat. I live my Prince by your Araxis care Arax And by th' Assistance of this Captain here presenting the Captain to Orontes they Embrace He me disguis'd feign'd me a Mute and Slave And me a present to Cassander gave Roxa. Gods was I thus betray'd Arax The Gods were kind And wrought by me more than I had design'd They first made known Roxana's vile intent And made me then an happy Instrument The Queens most horrid Murther to prevent Stat. We went to dye but 't was no small surprize To find Araxis in this black disguise By his contrivance we our Foes deceiv'd For what they much desir'd they soon believ'd We strangl'd dead and vail'd appear'd in view Till from the place our cruel Foes withdrew Thus the kind Gods their wickedness withstood And sav'd the Reliques of Darius Blood In the mean time Lysimachus and Ptolomy Court Parisatis in dumb shew Oron. Divine Statira you 're so great a prize For you the whole World's Empire I 'de despise The Persian Crown 's to me of small esteem Compar'd to this unvaluable Gemm kissing her Hand Upon your brow the Scythian Crown shall shine And at your feet I prostrate all that 's mine Roxa. 'T is time to dye their bliss I cannot see Hell tortures and confusion follow me Harpies my Soul with cruel Tallons tear She can no longer the sad torment bear Thus I will set her free she cannot know Stabbs her self A greater Torment nor more pains below To a worse Hell than this she cannot go Stat. Rescue her life Let her repenting Live It is my Glory that I can forgive As she goes to repeat the blow the Soldiers seize her Roxa. Ye cruel Gods who thus my will oppose Who thus Enslave me to my mortal Foes And make my imperious Heart to stoop to them Whilst Life remains I 'le curse you and Blasphem But ah I hope my Soul 's from Prison free'd I feel Life gently sliding hence I bleed What thick dark fog is this before my Eyes So now my Soul to unknown Regions flyes Where is my Love see yonder where he rests Come use the softer Pillow of my Breasts Here thou mayst sleep secure from Rivals harmes Whilst I enclose thee gently in mine Armes Now undisturb'd wee 'l tast immortal blisses I 'le hush thee fast with sighes then wake thee with my kisses Stat. She raves she raves and from her sense is gon Roxa. Oh! my sick Heart I shall be well anon Where is Orontes set me on my Throne From Babylon I know I 'm wander'd far Yet I 'm a Queen my Kingdom is a Star Go fetch that Rebel bring him to my feet I 'le make at last his stubborn heart submit Let half my starry Kingdom down be hurl'd And overwhelm his little Earthly World Stat. Remove her hence Thus Gods their Judgment show That poor ambitious Mortals here may know They sit above and see and govern all below Roxana is carried off the Stage Raveing Perd. See here another Wretch that 's forc'd to sue For Justice to the Gods and greater you Madam I Love and grow distracted too Thus lowly Madam I fall down before Kneels The beauteous Image which I still adore Condemn me strait to dye and mercy shew Life will be worse than Death if I loose you Stat. No Perdicas you must not
we by Cassander are surpriz'd And all your Guards are by his Soldiers siez'd Some fled but most did in your service dye Fly Madam if it be not yet too late Whilst in your defence go meet my Fate Exit Clashing of Swords within Stat. 'T is vain to fly it will but argue fear Since we must dye let 's stay and meet Death here Enter Cassander with Mute with drawn Swords Cassander turns about speaking to the Soldiers who were about to Enter Cass. Soldiers retire Defend the passage let none enter here Turning to the Princesses the Women running about them shreeking In vain you 'l strive your destiny to shun From the long reach of Fate you cannot run And since you know there 's no avoyding it Be wise and to necessity submit Stat. I can submit to what the Gods decree But that Cassander's yet unknown to thee Cass. Fate 's Book is open and we now may read What the great Gods before time was decreed 'T is there I read your Fatal destiny The Gods have will'd your Death and you must dye Stat. Our death is by Roxana will'd and you And we must yield if the Gods will it too We can resign to them the life they lent Pari. But must you be the hateful Instrument Stat. When 's cruel Hand our Innocent Blood has spilt He 'll find a just reward for all his guilt Cass. I come not here with Women to dispute Oxas you know my pleasure The Mute kneels shewing them a Strangling string and making signes to them to submit Pari. Sister I beg it with my latest breath Let me first try th'untrodden pathes of Death I will descend before and â—â—rew the way With Flowers that leads to the Eternal day Stat. First from the close dark Prisons of the Womb I to the trouble of short life did come And first I in the pathes of Death will tread Which to the joys of our bright God do lead Raise not my tender passions with your Tears Pari. weeps Like a soft smiling Hebe Death appears I have no thoughts which do disturb me now But what proceed from my great care of you When through the straight of Death my way I 've made And my just debt to Mother Nature paid When my freed Soul shall find a larger Room And I all Light and Spirit shall become On Flowry Banks where happy shaddows stray For thy dear Soul I will expecting stay Remember Sir the blood from whence we spring To Cass. That I was Wife to the Worlds greatest King Your Master too Now condescend to crave That I may dye untouch'd by any slave Let my own Women your commands obey That 's all Cassander I have now to say Cass. Be speedy then Oxas go in stand a Spectator by Touch not their Persons only see them dye Stat. Give me that String Takes the strangling string from the Mute This Sister is the Friend That soon will give to all our troubles End Come banish fear 't is but a little breath We loose 'T is guilt that Terror gives to Death Exeunt with Women weeping and Mute following Cass. She 's gone and strait will be for ever gone Alas what Beauty Love has overthrown Tyrannic Love which forces me to do A thing 'gainst Virtue and my conscience too I feel a soft and tender passion rise And from my Breast to flow into my Eyes Assist me Love I fear I shall relent Pity would make me cowardly Repent If her bright Image I so much adore Did not by force attract my Passions more Exit Enter Roxana Hesione Roxa. Their words and actions must Mysterious be Who think to gain a Crown by Pollicy Who can't dissemble well can never rule And a plain dealer is esteem'd a Fool. Let not Cassander blame me He deceives And cheats himself when he my words believes Love has put out his mindes discerning Eyes Yet the same passion makes me quick and wise He vainly Hopes to gain a Crown and me With an Eternal blot of Infamie But he will only that and danger gain Whilst I the profit and the fruit obtain I shall stand safe and shelter'd from all harm Whilst he endures the fury of the storm Close at his Heels the Tempest will pursue And soon o'retake I hope o'rewhelm him too Thus Princes do of ills themselves acquit And favourites dye for Crimes their Kings commit Enter Cassander Cassander here I must dissemble now And a new face will to my Lover show Cass. Roxana here she does my steps pursue aside She doubts I can't be cruel or not true A Rival dead sh'accounts an happy sight And comes to glut her bloody Appetite To th' other World your Rival now is gone And you great Queen Command this World alone The furious Perdicas I 've Pris'ner made By Gold and his corrupted Guards betray'd Sometimes in Fury the whole World he threats Anon more mild as humbly he intreats Now deep Revenge by all the Gods he swears Then courts his Guards then curses and dispa'res And calling on the Queen bursts into Tears Roxa. What! have you then the great Statira slain Cass. Yes she is dead that you alone might Reign Roxa. O Gods It cannot be Cass. Not be when you Did pray desire intreat command it too I am amaz'd Roxa. Ah! I did soon Repent Those harsh commands from my strong passion sent You saw the flames of the then raging fire And should have quencht my Exorbitant desire You those Commands might very well distrust Which bid you to be cruel and unjust Cass. Madam your vain Repentance comes too late No Humane pow'r can now recall their Fate Enter Mute What! is Statira and her Sister dead Mute makes signes they are Dead By this the greatness of my Love you see And what Commanding pow'r you 'ave over me Great Queen you shall the whole Worlds Scepter sway Whilst at your feet its Kings their Crowns shall lay And your Cassander kneel more great than they Roxa. O cruel Man whom some fell Tygress bore Could not that move you which the Gods adore Beauty so Sacred and Divine a good Which safe ' midst bloody Arms unguarded stood Could that no fear nor reverence move in thee Had'st thou no awe of its Divinity Tyrants who durst Priests Altars Gods invade Have still to Beauty awful Reverence paid Could not her Sex her Blood her Dignity Give some stop to thy Monstrous cruelty Cass. 'T is well dissembled but your heart I see You may deceive the World but cannot me Roxa. Dissemble Oh my Heart swells in my Breast And with such loads of sorrow is deprest I never shall again with joys be blest weeps Shew me this dismal sight Cass. False Woman you shall see that welcome sight Won't move your sorrow but your Eyes delight They go towards the further part of the Stage the Scene opens and discovers Statira and Parisatis lying as dead on two Couches their faces Veil'd Cleone and other Women sitting by them on the Ground weeping