fair Mouth each must his Sentence wait One for the Sacrifice she must decree The Rites perform'd we set the other free Pyl. If Death does in so fair a form appear No Mortal sure can its approaches fear I thought that Death could only beauteous shew In active Battails in its Scarlet hue With eager toiles I oft have sought it there But find it glorious now to beg it here Iph. Sir can you die does not even Vertue dread To reach the doubtful Mansions of the Dead Pyl. Danger and Death in Camps I learn'd to court In Camps where Death's rough bus'ness is a sport Save my brave Friend me for the Victim take Whom growing worth does not so useful make Iph. But whil'st you plead for him I blush to say Your Vertue leads my choice another way With more success you for your self might sue Since my own Heart would joyn to plead for you Pyl. That trifle Life I stoop not to desire Th' ambition of my Pray'rs will mount up higher Iph Ask ask apace so fast I lavish all I shall have nothing to be liberal Cir. No no let them the first advances make Looking on Orest And give kind looks whom Love and Youth forsake If I speak first may I become the sport Of all and like stale Beauties of the Court Be forc'd unwilling Lovers to invite Woo all young handsome Men and buy delight Pyl. Madam I beg that I to Death may go But I would faine expire belov'd of you For Indian-like I to the Shades below Would with the richest of my Treasures go Iph. The Airy part of Bliss you humbly crave When all its richest substance you may have You may ask all my heart does give so fast I fear 't will give it self away at last Pyl. Ah speak agen and bless my ravish't Ears Iph. I blush to own That you are here so soon victorious grown But Heav'n methoughts bade me receive the Dart And told me 't was a Crime to guard my Heart When in the Temple you to day appear'd You saw how kindly I your safety fear'd And bade you flie but you shall never feel The sad effects of our tyrannick Zeal Against their rage I will your Life defend And grieve I cannot save your Noble Friend Pyl. Arm arm your Eyes with all that Lovers fear Let me see Fierceness Scorn and Hatred there Love and your Beauty make Life seem so sweet That I shall fear Death's horrid shape to meet You 'l make me fear him even in the Field Where he does lasting Fame and Lawrels yield Cir. Beauty did first teach Mankind to obey Whil'st he that soft Inchanter did survey Looking on Orestes The Nets of Pow'r surpris'd the wond'ring Prey Sir though by Custom I am cruel grown To Orestes For you I something soft and tender own Brave Stranger it would much my pity move Should all the hopes of you abortive prove And perish now whil'st yet they 'r in Fates Womb Before they can to their just ripeness come Ores Madam should I your pity need 't would be If for the Victim she refuses me Weary of Life Death's sleep I long to take And shall be froward whil'st I 'm kept awake Cir. You with the Sweets of Youth contend to die From which even Age would on its crutches flie Love only Love has Charmes enow to keep The Soul from coveting that tedious sleep Ores Love has been still a stranger to my Brest Glory and Arms have all my thoughts possest Fame I have courted as the only good And waded to her through vast Seas of Blood But of the World I now am weary grown And in Death's quiet Cell would lay me down Tho. The bloody Queen does in this Stranger find Observing Circe Something that troubles her imperious mind Of all its fierceness she disarms her Face She languishes and softens every Grace Cir. They may the Pow'r of all the World despise To Orest That bear about 'em such commanding Eyes All that have Hearts in your defence will move Under the conduct of victorious Love I speak too much and fear my Eyes declare Much more Heroick Youth you need not fear This tenderness I must with blushes own My very Heart is your Defender grown And you are safe unless the Scythians dare Assault a Life their Queen designs to spare Enter Ithacus Oh! I have talk'd and look'd away my Heart Aside His careless Graces vanquish more than Art Ith. Princes be just enough to think I grieve That I can only fruitless pity give Though to this Crown Heav'n has united me I 've no alliance with its cruelty Tho. Haste to the Temple where the people wait In greedy expectation of their Fate Death's solemn bus'ness they with pleasure see As if 't were but a Pageant Tragedie Cir. The fatal choice depends on the rough King Whom I with Art must to my Party bring Iph. 'T were better Scythia did no Godhead know Than by its ignorance profane it so Me thinks Religion's Sacred Mysteries Should never be expos'd but to the Wise Ex. all but Circe and Thoas Scene Fourth Circe Thoas Cir. Some great Design is labouring in my mind Which is not to proportion yet refin'd One of these Strangers the blest means shall be To make my Son regain his Liberty Tho. Effect that happy Cure that Scythia may To your great Art eternal homage pay Circ You shall know all when that to form is brought Which yet is indigested in my thought Observ'd you him who with a thoughtful brow Appear'd beneath some heavy Fate to bow His Eyes seem'd Sorrows high-Majestick Seat Where it appears both terrible and great Tho. How she describes him with a warm delight Aside And in her thoughts enjoyes him in my sight Cir. Your strict commands to Iphigenia give That she should let that Noble Stranger live His Life will much to my Designs conduce She for the Sacrifice his Friend must chuse Tho. Methinks a secret sympathy I find By which I 'm rather to that Friend inclin'd His open mind is apter to receive Any impression your Designs would give Save him an unsuspecting mind he bears Th' other untractable and rough appears Cir. We like experienc'd States-men disagree And each has Reason for his Policie I many great and pow'rful Reasons have To chuse that Stranger I would have you save Tho. You act by odd and secret means like Heav'n To which a blind obedience must be given I will resign our Fortunes to your care And Iphigenia for the choice prepare Cir. It will a height'ning to my pleasures be That my own Husband should procure for me Now let me hasten to prepare the place Where I my beauteous Stranger must embrace I hope he 's innocent unpractic'd yet In all the wicked and false Arts of Wit Bashfull and kind I love to tame the Strong Mock the Experienc'd and instruct the Young Exit Thoas alone Tho. Yes lustful Queen my Pow'r shall rescue him By Heav'n I 'm made the Pander to her
the lustful King The bloody Tyrant had design'd that she The Victim to his dire revenge should be His boasting rage proclaim'd th' intended Rape Then I did fight to purchase her escape Cir. Afflicted Beauty you did bravely aid But by your vertue we are all betrayd That Traytor help'd his Enemies and you Turning to the Souldiers By your base Cowardise betray'd me too Which of you all Renown with danger sought Like gawdy Warriours of the Court you fought We all are ruin'd by your base retreat The death you fear'd you shall in torments meet And Rebel I will smile to see thee bleed May'st thou thenceforth only the Factious lead And may thy Councels ever be betray'd Give still good Orders and be ne're obey'd And in thy age May all the Laurels thou hast royl'd for long Be ravish'd from thee to adorn the young Ith. Death death has blasted all my Lawrels now And they begin to wither on my Brow Victorious Death seises on every part Weak Nature flies for refuge to the Heart The Spirits there a while maintain the Field Struggle a little but at last must yield Faints away Cir. Oh stay brave Youth See how my anger dies And Nature is triumphant in my Eyes Weeps Alas he 's gone He set out early and did nobly run Honour's great Race Oh! that the World were done My Magick prospers heark the Heav'ns perform Storm within Thunder c. A dreadful Justice Grecian dread this Storm Tremble to hear the angry Billows rore Revenge and Death attend thee on the Shore To one of the Nymphs Flie to Orestes mount the swiftest Wind With frenzy and wild rage infect his mind Torment him still afresh Thunder again Work on my charms let 's to my Cave retire And there against the World and Man conspire Exeunt Circe and the Maids SCENE Fourth Enter Osmida led in by two Women Osm Do we then all a fruitfuless homage pay Heav'n will not hear a harmless Virgin pray There was no Saint among the blest above Whom in thy cause I did not hourly move I hop'd the Idol of my heart to see And mov'd the Greeks by Tears to set me free From them and Death how gladly did I fly But I must here do something more than dye His Eyes are shut by Death's Eternal sleep Wake wake to see wretched Osmida weep Ah let thy Soul but one short moment stay I have a Thousand tender things to say Ithacus revives Ith. My Soul has been through many wonders lead Who is so envious to disturb the dead Who art thou Osm One long tost in storms of Love But to Death 's quiet home at last I move Ith. Osmida here she some good Angel seems Waiting about me with Celestial Dreams Such and so fair as you from Heav'n descend And on the thoughts of dying Saints attend Peace and Forgiveness in their looks they bring And round their dwellings Hymns of triumph sing Osm No no I come like a Religious Spie To dive into your thoughts before you die When Death approaches men begin to fear And will the preaching of Religion hear Come your vain Idol you must cast away To me and Truth your last devotion pay On faithless Iphigenia think no more Ith. With how unkind a haste she left the shore Flying unhappy Me she sigh'd indeed And wept a little when she saw me bleed Osm How ill is all my tenderness repaid Your dying thoughts court that ungrateful Maid Forgetting wretched me is nothing due To one who kindly comes to die with you Ith. Oh fair Osmida here I humbly own Your goodness is at last victorious grown If Nature could my lease of Breath renew I would imploy it all in sighs for you All my devotion has till now bin blind In you Love's true Divinity I find Osm Now you are kind nor have I vainly pray'd All my past miseries are more than payd And I am happy Lovers think they gain To have an hour of Joy for years of pain We have no need of life come let us go And seek the melancholy shades below Here cruel discord noise and bus'ness reign Poor Lovers have no leisure to complain No time to sigh wee 'le choose some silent Grove There tell sad Tales of unsuccessful Love But oh amongst those Stories there is none Will prove so full of sorrow as our own Ith. A long farewell oh may you freshly bloom When I shall lie and wither in the Tomb. I hope the blood in chace of Glory shed Will rest and never plead against the dead Dies Osm Who shall be mourners when such Virtue dyes I cannot weep for Love has drain'd my Eyes I need no Poyson nor no Sword for Grief To all my pains has brought a kind relief Death's leaden hand about my heart I feel From these pale Lips some kisses I will steal For Death is silent and the Theft will hide I courted Heav'n with Pray'rs to be thy Bride And so I am the Tomb's our Bridal Bed Our Nuptial Feast wee keep among the dead Osmida dies SCENE Fifth Enter the Four Maids 1 Ma. Sure now the World will be afraid of light And wish to mourn in everlasting Night Dire things are done the Graecian Fleet is lost Shipwrack't by Magick on the Scythian Coast 2 Ma. Revenge and Love the lustful Queen divide Her tender thoughts she strives in vain to hide Amid'st her rage revenge and melting tears In all his Spoiles triumphant Love appears 3 Ma. Yet her great Mind does for revenge prepare Here we must wait her charms have seiz'd the aire Their force Orestes does already find Hither he moves mad as the Northern Wind. SCENE Sixth Enter Orestes mad Storm here Ores By Heav'n my Prayers shall ne're this storm appease Fight fight ye Clouds against the foaming Seas Storm and Lightning Blow on blow on why should the senseless Wind Or the Wilde Ocean be to Vertue kind The Cave of the God of sleep arises with him Phobetor and Morpheus Whom many rougher Storms at Land pursue Where she alas is without shelter too Be loud thou Tempest and disturb the deep Loud storm I will be calm as Infants when they sleep Sits down 1 Ma. Begin the deadly charm so Planets move They walk round Orestes 2 Ma. And thus the ill events conspire above 3 Ma. Prayr's and odd Numbers words of Mystick found 4 Ma. Devoutly we pronounce and walk around All. Ascend ascend ascend thou God of sleep 1 Ma. Thy leaden Wand in juice of Poppy steep 2 Ma. Bring slumber from those little quiet Cells Where lazy Vertue in retirement dwells Shunning the cares of Courts 4 Ma. And in thy Train 1 Ma. Bring the Phantastick off-springs of the Brain 2 Ma. Dreams of all sorts 1 Ma. Some in a pleasing Dress 3 Ma. Such as glad Lovers full of hope possess The pleasant Dreams rises 4 Ma. Some dreadful such as to the guilty come And tell sad Stories of their future doome God of Sleep Sings THe Noise of
should recover that lost Sister here Heav'n has pronounc'd that she must be your Bride Fate has the sacred Knot already ty'd Py. No no my heart is from my Bosom flown And I am false to you and friendship grown Our Eyes at last to perfect my defeat With trembling pleasure and confusion meet Her lovely paleness hasty blushes dy'd And she with haste those blushes strove to hide But suddain grief benighted soon her Eyes I trembled to behold the Tempest rise She wept and pointed to the Temple Door She shew'd her hands all stain'd with humane Gore As if she meant I should that Temple flie At whose sad Altar wretched Strangers die Orest I that last action saw and did advance To wake your senses from so deep a Trance I saw the Priestess and her fatal view Did Clytemnestra to my mind renew I did with wonder in her lovely Face The well known features of my Mother trace I then reflected on my former guilt And on the Blood my impious rage had spilt Py. In peace your Mother in her Urn does rest A horrid Musick in the Air. Let not her memory disturb your Breast Sung by Furies I. THis impious Breast you Furies fill With all that Hell of horror does contain Gnaw Gnaw his Heart you Scorpions still But from himself he feels the sharpest pain But from himself he feels the sharpest pain II. For any other humane Crime Tears and Repentance may Oblations be But nothing shall atone for him The damn'd may sooner pardon find than he The damn'd may sooner pardon find than he Orest Hark Pylades me every Fiend of Hell With my black Paricide reproaches still See the Adulterer Aegisthus there And my unhappy Mother's forms appear Pyl. I fear his mind inflam'd by active Thought Is to its former Rage and Fever wrought Orest Oh can there be no expiation made What have I offer'd to appease thy shade Mother and piteous Heaven forget my crime Or you 'le more cruel than Orestes seem Tie up your Scorpions you Eumenides Whom I 'le with bloud of pregnant Ewes appease Pyl. You entertain your self with shapeless Air Nor have you any guilt but this Despair Ores Bankrupt is man unless kind Heav'n will take Repentance all the payment we can make The Heav'ns open Iris appears on the Rainbow and sings SONG I. CEase valiant Hero cease to grieve The Gods thy Pray'rs and Penitence receive You cannot sin so fast as they forgive II. All the attempts of Hell are vain O're that and grief you shall the conquest gain A Pardon your unwilling Crimes obtain III. You Spirits made of Air refin'd With pleasing objects cheer his clouded mind No footsteps leave of former guilt behind A Dance of the Winds Ores My thoughts are become calm and quiet now As first they were e're I to guilt did bow Pyl. Try by soft slumbers to delude your care What pleasant sounds are these which bless the air A pleasant Symphony They sweeter to my ravish't Sense appear Than yielding Whispers to a Lovers ear Orestes and Pylades seat themselves on a Rock Syrens rise out of the Sea and sing SONG I. AH how happy are we Who from bus'ness that graver folly are free Let us Love though the sober should blame us A curse on the Wise They need not advise Age makes too much haste to reclaim us II. Let us carelesly move In the riots of Wit and follies of Love Our age does to pleasure invite us But when we are old And our Blood growes cold Not Art nor Fifteen can incite us Syrens descend and leave them asleep as inchanted Scene Second Enter Circe Spirits appear Cir. You have outdone my wish but to your care One thing remains then you are free as Air. The King grows wicked and does now begin But faintly to resist th' invading sin Assist his tottering Vertue to o'rethrow He must with greater haste be wicked now Bait your temptations with all cunning Arts Which Lust insinuates when it poysons Hearts Our Priestess he must ravish that black crime Serves my designs to ruine her and him One stain'd with Lust my Son must needs despise Then he may yield to fair Osmida's Eyes Spir. Such poyson to his Vertue shall be given That it shall ev'n be past the Cure of Heaven Cir. Diana We have now thy Victim here Looking on the Strangers How goodly and Majestick they appear Two Godheads in that Face their Revels keep The God of Love and peaceful God of Sleep Both in their gayest Robes He 's manly as the Worlds first Hero's were E're Nature was debauch'd by vice or care His Eyes shut up a kindly Spring appear Foretelling pleasures in the opening year Oh how I burn he must have conquering eyes Who in neglectful sleep can thus surprize Ye Gods If in this warlike shape I find A daring courage and an active mind One that had rather Mighty be than Just He may supply my Anger and my Lust I 'm of my Pageant Monarch weary grown He fils my Bed as idly as the Throne Scene Third Enter Thoas Iphigenia Guards who bind and disarm the Strangers My dearest Lord behold the Strangers here Seeing the King Inchanted lie and we no more shall fear It seems that they unseen amongst the crowd This day with us to great Diana bow'd Since from the Temple they are hither brought And in the Fetters of my Magick caught Iph. As I this day the holy Rites perform'd A Youth with strange success my bosom storm'd His Image busie in my Heart I feel Guard him you Angels from their cruel zeal Tho. These Strangers like dark clouds hang o're our Fate Which to be safe we now must dissipate Circe we must resolve that one of these Shall by his fall the angry Gods appease Iph. I 'll see no more let Death benight my Eye Seeing Pyl. bound There there the Noble Youth inchanted lies Why would he in this fatal Country stay My tears and sighs did bid him haste away Wake wake unhappy Strangers who are lost On this unhospitable cruel Coast You must no more your freedom hope to have Than they who are Deaths prisoners in the Grave Still one of those who touch our barbarous shore We offer to the Goddess we adore Ores Surpris'd and bound come to the Altar lead You do but what Heavens justice has decreed Tho. I 'm forc'd by Custom that unwritten Law By which the People keep even Kings in awe To give this doom for which you calmly wait To dy's the easiest action of the Great Pyl. Thy Scepter Prince extends not to this place The shore is common to all humane Race We 're Princes too above all Laws but those Which Heav'n and Nature's silent Pow'rs impose Tho. 'T is by her Laws you are my Captives now For Natures Laws do all to force allow Cir. Kings must not argue what is right or wrong Such little Scruples to the Gown belong Tho. This beauteous Maid is Mistress of your Fate From her
shall dye Cir. His Eyes must be eclips'd his charming Eyes Yes my faint heart thy Sacred Idol dyes Love thou can'st make all Nature bold but me What did the great Medea doe for thee She lost her Father young Absyrtus slew And with bold Jason from her Country flew I love as strongly as Medea cou'd And am as skilful in the trade of blood If any kindness of the Mother rest It shall be quickly banisht from my breast Let lust and rage humanity succeed Rather than thee all humane kind shall bleed Inspirers and performers of each ill Infernal Pow'rs be ready to my will I will the life of my Orestes save Or bury him and Nature in one Grave Exit Circe Orestes goes up the Altar with Pylades There is an entry of Priests SONG By the Priests I. OH Heav'nly Virgin from thy Starry Throne Look down on Scythia thy most holy Seat Our Arms with Victory and Trophies crown 'T is easie to be Good when we are Great II. 'T is just Mankind should at thy Altar bleed Who thy small Empire Chastity invade Whatever happy Lover does succeed From chaste Diana's Province steals a Maid Song again O cheated Mortals what has Life of sweet Who is contented with the present day Our present joy is a vain hope we may From the next hour some ease and pleasure meet That Courtier Life does feed Poor Mortals with a hope they shall succeed We will be wise and dye prepare the sacred Knife Farewel farewel thou valued trifle Life Chorus of Priests Wound wound the Victim pierce his Sacred Breast A Dance of Combatants And give his lab'ring Soul eternal rest Wound wound c. It Thunders As they go to kill Orestes two Dragons rise out of the Earth and bear him away Circe appears in a Chariot drawn by Dragons Tho. This is the Queen oh let me reach her heart E're She delude our Anger by her art How feeble is thy rage I am above All hurts but those which I receive from Love Tho. I 'le find thee Sorceress though thou fly'st to Hell Though you should both with death and darkness dwell Cir. No Kings do ever at bold ills connive And what they dare not punish they forgive I 'le fly to my inchanted Palace where I 'le lose no bliss for any thought of fear Flyes away Tho. You Gods revenge me Clouds swell big and break Why does not Heav'n in i'ts loud Thunder speak Meet her you Light'nings in her Magick flight But Heav'n denies to do the injur'd right My swelling rage in privacy I 'le shrowd And not un-King my felf before the Crowd Exeunt omnes ACT IV. Scene Circe's Inchanted Palace with a beautiful Garden in the middle is seen the Hill Parnassus on which Orpheus is discovered playing on his Lute while Orestes is sleeping on a Bed of Flowers with Circe's Women singing about him SONG Sung by Circe's Women I. SIgh Lovers sigh The God of Love inspires Kind gentle thoughts and warm desires See! the Winds blow the Flowers move 'T is Nature that does sigh for Love II. Hark! hark the Birds Alas they do not sing To welcome in the beauteous Spring But in their untaught Notes complain Of Love our Vniversal pain Ores The dreams of Trophies and victorious Armes Of future Fame have not such pleasing charmes Waking Why did you Sacred Quire the happy wake This gentle sleep let me for ever take How was I from the fatal Altar caught And by what Magick was I hither brought This is the Region of the Spring and here It forms the beauties of a kindly year Sure I am dead and these delicious things Are the divine rewards which Virtue brings In the cool shades of this eternal Grove The Hero rests from all the paines of Love Scene Second Enter Circe Cir. This sweets of youth and ever blooming Spring The joys of Plenty Peace and Health I bring For Love and all his soft delights prepare Be kind as unexperienc'd Virgins are Orest Sure I have seen before that lovely Face Bright fair are you the Goddess of this place Or some dead Lover doom'd to wander here For Deaths calm Mansion these fresh shades appear Cir. I am a Mortal by the Pow'rs above Plac'd here to teach the gentle arts of Love Orest That Tyrant needs to chuse no other Eyes When he would triumph o're the brave and wise She 's killing fair Cir. Hero I come to blame Thy wild ambition and thy thirst of fame Nature did Youth for softer things design For love and pleasures and in Courts to shine Your Warlike Trumpets still so loud have blown The gentle voice of Love was heard by none Fold up your Ensigns rest from toiles of War Come slumber in the bosome of the fair Ores But must not Youth aspire to that renown With which the War does daring Valour crown Cir. Young Souldier go o're-run the World with War Seek ev'ry place where Death and dangers are A brave Destroyer you at last return Whose fatal courage makes whole Empires mourn Ores What Sacred Pow'rs this tenderness inspire Kind amorous thoughts damp all my Warlike fire Cir. Beauty ador'nd with all it's arts to please Little complaints and tender jealousies Prepares Heroick Youth delights for thee Sweeter than Triumph after Victorie Ores In what vain Mists all the Ambitious move There is not any Solid good but Love Cir Can all the Laurels of a bloody Field Such pleasures as a snowy bosome yield Behold a Melting faire with dying Eyes Who sighs and pants whose Breasts doe gently rise With open armes that Spoyler Love does meet And bids him boldly rifle every sweet Embracing Orestes SONG By Circe's Women I. YOung Phaon strove the bliss to taste But Sappho still deny'd He struggled long the Youth at last Lay panting by her side II. Vseless he lay Love would not wait Till they could both agree They idly languish't in debate When they should active be III. At last come ruin me she cry'de And then there fell a Tear I 'le in thy Breast my blushes hide Doe all that Virgins fear IV. Oh! that Age could Lov'es rites perform We make old men obey They court us long Youth does but storm And Plunder and away Ores How fast I languish and how soon I love More swiftly than Youths common pace I move Armies when they begin to disobey And fearful grow melt not so fast away Before the Foe that pushes on the day Cir. We should improve what does so little last We flow alas but late and ebb too fast Orpheus sings GIve me my Lute in thee some ease I find Euridice is dead And to that dismal Country fled Where allis sad and gloomy as my mind II. The world has nothing worth a Lovers care None now by Rivers weep Verse and the Lute are both asleep All women now are false and few are faire III. Thy Scepter Love shall ore ' the Aged be Lay by the useless Darts For all our Youth will guard their