Maximin struggles with him and gets the Dagger from him Max. Thus I return the strokes which they have giv'n Stabbing Placid Thus Traytor thus and thus I would to Heav'n Stabbing upward with his Dagger Placidius falls and the Emperour staggers after him and sits down upon him the Guards come in to help the Emperour Max. Stand off and let me e're my strength be gone Take my last pleasure of revenge alone Enter a Centurion Cen. Arm arm the Camp is in a mutiny For Rome and Liberty the Souldiers cry Porphyrius mov'd their pity as he went To rescue Berenice from punishment And now he heads their new-attempted crime Max. Now I am down the Gods have watch'd their time You think To save your credit feeble Deities But I will give my self the strength to rise He strives to get up and being up staggers It wonnot be My body has not strength my mind to bear I must return again and conquer here Sits down upon the Body My coward Body does my will controul Farewel thou base Deserter of my Soul I 'le shake this Carcass off and be obey'd Reign an Imperial Ghost without its aid Go Souldiers take my Ensigns with you fight And vanquish Rebels in your Soveraign's right Before I die Bring me Porphyrius and my Empress dead I would brave Heav'n in my each hand a head Placid Do not regard a dying Tyrants breath To the Souldiers He can but look revenge on you in death Max. Vanquish'd and dar'st thou yet a Rebel be Thus I can more than look revenge on thee Stabs him again Placid Oh I am gone Dyes Max. And after thee I go Revenging still and following ev'n to th' other world my blow Stabs him again And shoving back this Earth on which I sit I 'le mount and scatter all the Gods I hit Dyes Enter Porphyrius Berenice Albinus Souldiers Porphyrius tooks on the Bodies entring and speaks Por. 'T is done before this mighty work of Fate And I am glad our Swords are come too late He was my Prince and though a bloody one I should have conquer'd and have mercy shown Sheath all your Swords and cease your enmity They are not Foes but Romans whom you see Ber. He was my Tyrant but my Husband too And therefore duty will some tears allow Por. Placidius here And fair Valeria new depriv'd of breath Who can unriddle this dumb-show of death Cyd. When Sir her Father did your life deny She kill'd her self that she with you might dye Placidius made the Emp'rours death his crime Who dying did revenge his death on him Porphyrius kneels and takes Valeria's hand Por. For thy dear sake I vow each week I live One day to fasting and just grief I 'le give And what hard Fate did to thy life deny My gratitude shall pay thy memory Cen. Mean time to you belongs th' Imperial pow'r We with one voice salute your Emperour Souldiers Long live Porphyrius Emperour of the Romans Por. Too much my Country men your Love you show That you have thought me worthy to be so But to requite that Love I must take care Not to ingage you in a Civil War Two Emperours at Rome the Senate chose And whom they chose no Roman should oppose In Peace or War let Monarchs hope or fear All my ambition shall be bounded here Kissing Berenice's hand Ber. I have too lately been a Prince's Wife And fear th' unlucky Omen of the life Like a rich Vessel beat by storms to shore 'T were madness should I venture out once more Of glorious troubles I will take no part And in no Empire reign but of your heart Por. Let to the winds your golden Eagles flye To the Souldier Your Trumpets sound a bloodless Victory Our Arms no more let Aquileia fear But to her Gates Our peaceful Ensigns crown'd with Olives bear While I mix Cypress with my Myrtle Wreath Joy for your life and mourn Valeria's Death Exeunt omnes Epilogue Spoken by Mrs. Ellen when she was to be carried off dead by the Bearers To the Bearer HOld are you mad you damn'd confounded Dog I am to rise and speak the Epilogue To the Audience I come kind Gentlemen strange news to tell ye I am the Ghost of poor departed Nelly Sweet Ladies be not frighted I 'le be civil I 'm what I was a little harmless Devil For after death we Sprights have just such Natures We had for all the World when humane Creatures And therefore I that was an Actress here Play all my Tricks in Hell a Goblin there Gallants look to 't you say there are no Sprights But I 'le come dance about your Beds at nights And faith you 'l be in a sweet kind of taking When I surprise you between sleep and waking To tell you true I walk because I dye Out of my Calling in a Tragedy O Poet damn'd dull Poet who could prove So sensless to make Nelly dye for Love Nay what 's yet worse to kill me in the prime Of Easter-Term in Tart and Cheese-cake time I 'le fit the Fopp for I 'le not one word say T' excuse his godly out of fashion Play A Play which if you dare but twice sit out You 'l all be stander'd and be thought devout But farewel Gentlemen make haste to me I 'm sure e're long to have your company As for my Epitaph when I am gone I 'le trust no Poet but will write my own Here Nelly lies who though she liv'd a Slater'n Yet dy'd a Princess acting in S. Cathar'n
if she he loves deserves him more Por. aside Past hope and all in vain I would preserve My life not for my self but her I serve Val. I come great Sir your justice to demand To the Emp. Max. You cannot doubt it from a Fathers hand Por. Sir I confess before her Suit be known And by my self condemn'd my crime I own I have refus'd Val. Peace peace while I confess I have refus'd thee for unworthiness Por. I am amaz'd Max. What Riddles do you use Dare either of you my Commands refuse Val. Yes I dare owne how e're 't was wisely done T' adopt so mean a person for your Son So low you should not for your Daughter chuse And therefore Sir this Marriage I refuse Max. You lik'd the choice when first I thought it fit Val. I had not then enough consider'd it Max. And you have now consider'd it too much Secrets of Empire are not safe to touch Por. Let not your mighty anger rise too high 'T is not Valeria merits it but I. My own unworthiness so well I knew That from her Love I consciosly withdrew Val. Thus rather than endure the little shame To be refus'd you blast a Virgins name You to refuse and I to be deny'd Learn more discretion or be taught less pride Por. O Heav'n in what a Labyrinth am I led I could get out but she detains the thred Now I must wander on till I can see Whether her pity or revenge it be Aside Max. With what childs anger do you think you play I 'le punish both if either disobey Val. Since all the fault was mine I am content Perphyrius should not share the punishment Por. Blind that I was till now that could not see 'T was all th' effect of generosity She loves me ev'n to suffer for my sake And on her self would my refusal take Aside Max. Children to serve their Parents int'rest live To Val. Take heed what doom against your self you give Por. Since she must suffer if I do not speak 'T is time the Laws of Decency to break She told me Sir that she your choice approv'd And though I blush to owne it said she lov'd Lov'd me desertless who with shame confest Another flame had seiz'd upon my brest Which when too late the generous Princess knew And fear'd your justice would my crime pursue Upon her self she makes the Tempest fall And my refusal her contempt would call Val. He raves Sir and to cover my disdain Unhandsomly would his denial feign And all means failing him at last would try T' usurp the credit of a scorn and dye But let him live his punishment shall be The grief his pride will bring for losing me Max. You both obnoxious to my justice are And Daughter you have not deserv'd my care 'T is my Command you strictly guarded be Till your fantastick quarrel you agree Por. Sir Max. I 'le not hear you speak her crime is plain She owns her pride which you perhaps my feign She shall be Prisoner till she bend her mind To that which is for both of you design'd Val. You 'l find it hard my free-born will to bound Max. I 'le find that pow'r o're wills which Heav'n ne're found Free will 's a cheat in any one but me In all but Kings 't is willing slavery An unseen Fate which forces the desire The will of Puppets danc'd upon a wyre A Monarch is The Spirit of the World in every mind He may match Wolves to Lambs and make it kind Mine is the business of your little Fates And though you war like petty wrangling States You 're in my hand and when I bid you cease You shall be crush'd together into peace Val. aside Thus by the world my courage will be priz'd Seeming to scorn who am alas despis'd Dying for Love's fulfilling Honour's Laws A secret Martyr while I owne no cause Exeunt Porphyrius and Valeria severally To Maximin enter S. Catharine S. Cath. I come not now as Captive to your pow'r To beg but as high Heav'ns Embassadour The Laws of my Religion to fulfill Heav'n sends me to return you good for ill Your Empress to your Love I would restore And to your mind the peace it had before Max. While in anothers name you Peace declare Princess you in your own proclaim a War Your too great pow'r does your design oppose You make those breaches which you strive to close S. Cath. That little beauty which too much you prize Seeks not to move your heart or draw your eyes Your Love to Berenice is due alone Love like that pow'r which I adore is one When fixt to one it safe at Anchor rides And dares the fury of the winds and tides But losing once that hold to the wide Ocean born It drives away at will to every wave a scorn Max. If to new persons I my Love apply The Stars and Nature are in fault not I My Loves are like my old Praetorian Bands Whose Arbitrary pow'r their Prince commands I can no more make passion come or go Than you can bid your Nilus ebb or flow ` T is lawless and will love and where it list And that 's no sin which no man can resist Those who impute it to me as a crime Would make a God of me before my time S. Cath. A God indeed after the Roman style An Eagle mounting from a kindled Pile But you may make your self a God below For Kings who rule their own desires are so You roam about and never are at rest By new desires that is new torments still possest Qualmish and loathing all you had before Yet with a sickly appetite to more As in a fev'rish dream you still drink on And wonder why your thirst is never gone Love like a ghostly Vision haunts your mind 'T is still before you what you left behind Max. How can I help those faults which Nature made My appetite is sickly and decay'd And you forbid me change the sick mans ease Who cannot cure must humour his disease S. Cath. Your mind should first the remedy begin You seek without the Cure that is within The vain experiments you make each day To find content still finding it decay Without attempting more should let you see That you have sought it where it ne're could be But when you place your joys on things above You fix the wand'ring Planet of your Love Thence you may see Poor humane kind all daz'd in open day Erre after bliss and blindly miss their way The greatest happiness a Prince can know Is to love Heav'n above do good below To them Berenice and Attendants Ber. That happiness may Berenice find Leaving these empty joys of Earth behind And this frail Being where so short a while Th' unfortunate lament and prosp'rous smile Yet a few days and those which now appear In youth and beauty like the blooming year In life's swift Scene shall change and cares shall come And heavy age and death's relentless doom S. Cath.
once again could some new way invent To take upon my self your punishment I sent for you to let you know that still Though now I want the pow'r I have the will Placid Can all this Ocean of your kindness be Pour'd upon him and not one drop on me Val. 'T is pour'd but falls from this ungrateful man Like drops of water from a rising Swan Upon his breast no sign of wet remains He bears his Love more proudly than his Chains Por. This thankless man his death will soon remove And quickly end so undeserv'd a Love Val. Unthankful as you are I know not why But still I love too well to see you dye Placidius can you love and see my grief And for my sake not offer some relief Placid Not all the Gods his ruine shall prevent Your kindness does but urge his punishment Besides What is it I can for his safety do He has declar'd himself your Father's Foe Val. Give out he is escap'd and set him free And if you please lay all the fault on me Por. O do not on those terms my freedom name Freed by your danger I should dye with shame Placid I must not farther by your prayers be won To her All I could do I have already done Val. To bring Porphyrius only to my sight Was not to show your pity but your spight Would you but half oblige her you adore You should not have done this or should do more Placid Alas what hope can there be left for me When I must sink into the Mine I see My heart will fall before you if I stay Each word you speak saps part of it away Yet all my Fortune on his death is set And he may love her though he loves not yet He must and yet she says he must not dye O if I could but wink I could deny To them Albinus Alb. The Emperour expects your Pris'ner strait And with impatience for his death does wait Placid Nay then it is too late my Love to weigh Exit Alb. Your pardon Madam if I must obey Por. I am prepar'd he shall not long attend Val. Then hear my pray'rs and my submissions end Placidius know that hour in which he dyes My death so well I love shall wait on his Placid O Madam do not fright me with your death Val. My life depends alone upon his breath But if I live in him you do not know How far my gratitude to you may go I do not promise but it so may prove That gratitude in time may turn to Love Try me Placid Now I consider it I will Musing a little 'T is in your pow'r to save him or to kill I 'le run the hazard to preserve his life If after that you vow to be my Wife Val. Nay good Placidius now you are too hard Would you do nothing but for meer reward Like Usurers to men in want you prove When you would take Extortion for my Love Placid You have concluded then that he must dye Going with Porphy Val. O stay if no price else his life can buy My Love a ransom for his life I give Holding her Handkerchief before her face Let my Porphyrius for another live Por. You too much value the small merchandise My life's o're-rated when your Love 's the price Enter Albinus Alb. I long have list'ned to your generous strife As much concern'd for brave Porphyrius life For mine I to his favour ow'd this day Which with my future Service I will pay Placid Lest any your intended flight prevent I 'le lead you first the back-way to my Tent Thence in disguise you may the City gain While some excuse for your escape I feign Val. Farewel I must not see you when you part Turning her face away For that last look would break my tender heart Yet let it break I must have one look more Looking on him Nay now I 'm less contented than before For that last look draws on another too Which sure I need not to remember you For ever yet I must one glance repeat But quick and short as starving people eat So much humanity dwells in your brest Sometimes to think on her who loves you best Going he takes her hand and kisses it Por. My wandring steps where ever Fortune bear Your memory I in my breast will wear Which as a precious Amulet I still Will carry my defence and guard from ill Though to my former vows I must be true I 'le ever keep one Love entire for you That Love which Brothers with chaste Sisters make And by this Holy kiss which now I take From your fair hand This common Sun which absent both shall see Shall ne're behold a breach of Faith in me Val. Go go my death will your short vows restore You 've said enough and I can hear no more Exit Valeria one way and Porphy and Alb. another Placid Love and good Nature how do you betray Misleading those who see and know their way I whom deep Arts of State could ne're beguile Have sold my self to ruine for a smile Nay I am driv'n so low that I must take That smile as Alms giv'n for my Rivals sake He like a secret Worm has eat his way And lodg'd within does on the kernel prey I creep without and hopeless to remove Him thence wait only for the husk of Love Enter Maximin talking with Valerius Max. And why was I not told of this before Val. Sir she this evening landed on the shore For with her Daughter being Pris'ner made She in another Vessel was convey'd Max. Bring hither the AEgyptian Princess strait To Placid And you Valerius on her Mother wait Exit Valerius Placid The Mother of th' AEgyptian Princess here Max. Porphyrius death I will a while defer And this new opportunity improve To make my last effort upon her Love Exit Placidius Those who have youth may long endure to court But he must swiftly catch whose Race is short I in my Autumn do my Siege begin And must make haste e're Winter comes to win This hour no longer shall my pains endure Her Love shall ease me or her death shall cure Enter at one door Felicia and Valerius at the other S. Catharine and Placidius S. Cath. O my dear Mother Fel. With what joy I see My dearest Daughter from the Tempest free S. Cath. Dearer than all the joys vain Empire yields Or then to youthful Monarchs conquer'd fields Before you came my Soul All fill'd with Heav'n did earthly joys disdain But you pull back some part of me again Placid You see Sir she can owne a joy below Max. It much imports me that this truth I know Fel. How dreadful death does on the waves appear Where Seas we only see and Tempest hear Such frightful Images did then pursue My trembling Soul that scarce I thought of you Placid All Circumstances to your wish combine Her fear of death advances your design Fel. But to that only pow'r we serve I pray'd Till he who
your Daughter Sir are here Por. What dangers in those charming Eyes appear Looking on the Empress How my old wounds are open'd at this view And in my murd'rers presence bleed anew Max. I did expect your coming to partake To the Ladies The general gladness which my Triumphs make You did Porphyrius as a Courtier know But as a Conquerour behold him now Ber. You know I read it in your blushing face To Por. To merit better than receive a grace And I know better silently to own Than with vain words to pay your service done Por. Princes like Gods reward e're we deserve Kneeling to kiss hâ—â—â— And pay us in permitting us to serve Oh might I still grow here and never move lower Ber. How dangerous are these extasies of Love He shows his passion to a thousand Eyes He cannot stir nor can I bid him rise That word my heart refuses to my tongue Aside Max. Madam you let the General kneel too long Por. Too long as if Eternity were so Aside Ber. Rise good Porphyrius since it must be so Aside Por. Like Hermits from a Vision I retire rising With Eyes too weak to see what I admire Aside Val. The Empress knows your worth but Sir there be To Porphyrius who kisses her hand Those who can value it as high as she And 't is but just since in my Fathers cause You fought your Valour should have my applause Placid O Jealousie how art thou Eagle-ey'd She loves and would her Love in praises hide How am I bound this Rival to pursue Who ravishes my Love and Fortune too Aside A Dead March within and Trumpets Max. Somewhat of mournful sure my Ears does wound Like the hoarse murmurs of a Trumpets sound And Drums unbrac'd with Souldiers broken cryes Enter Albinus Albinus Whence proceeds this dismal noise Alb. Too soon you 'l know what I want words to tell Max. How fares my Son Is my Charinus well Not answer me Oh my prophetique fear Alb. How can I speak or how Sir can you hear Imagine that which you would most deplore And that which I would speak is it or more Max. Thy mournful message in thy looks I read Is he oh that I live to ask it dead Alb. Sir Max. Stay if thou speak'st that word thou speak'st thy last Some God now if he dares relate what 's past Say but he 's dead that God shall mortal be Alb. Then what I dare not speak look back and see Charinus born in dead by Souldiers Max. See nothing Eyes henceforth but Death and wo You 've done me the worst office you can do Youv'e shown me Destinies prepost'rous crime An unripe fate disclos'd e're Nature's time Placid Asswage great Prince your passion lest you show There 's somewhat in your Soul which Fate can bow Por. Fortune should by your greatness be controul'd Arm your great mind and let her take no hold Max. To tame Philosophers teach constancy There is no farther use of it in me Gods but why name I you All that was worth a pray'r to you is gone I ask not back my Vertue but my Son Alb. His too great thirst of fame his ruine brought Though Sir beyond humanity he fought Placid This was my Vision of this fatal day Alb. With a fierce hast he led our Troops the way While fiery showrs of Sulphur on him rain'd Nor left he till the Battlements he gain'd There with a Forest of their Darts he strove And stood like Capaneus defying Jove With his broad Sword the boldest beating down While Fate grew pale lest he should win the Town And turn'd the Iron leafs of its dark Book To make new dooms or mend what it mistook Till sought by many Deaths he sunk though late And by his fall asserted doubtful Fate Vale. Oh my Dear Brother whom Heav'n let us see And would not longer suffer him to be Max. And didst not thou a Death with Honour chuse To Alb. But impudently liv'st to bring this news After his loss how did'st thou dare to breath But thy base Ghost shall follow him in death A decimation I will strictly make Of all who my Charinus did forsake And of each Legion each Centurion Shall dye Placidius see my pleasure done Por. Sir you will lose by this severity Your Souldiers hearts Max. Why they take Pay to dye Por. Then spare Albinus only Max. I consent To leave his life to be his punishment Discharg'd from trust branded with infamy Let him live on till he ask leave to dye Ber. Let me petition for him Max. I have said And will not be intreated but obey'd But Empress whence does your compassion grow Ber. You need not ask it since my birth you know The Race of Antonin's was nam'd the Good I draw my pity from my Royal Blood Max. Still must I be upbraided with your Line I know you speak it in contempt of mine But your late Brother did not prize me less Because I could not boast of Images And the Gods own'd me more when they decreed A Thracian Shepherd should your Line succeed Ber. The Gods O do not name the pow'rs divine They never mingled their Decrees with thine My Brother gave me to thee for a Wife And for my Dowry thou didst take his life Max. The Gods by many Victories have shown That they my merits and his death did own Ber. Yes they have own'd it witness this just day When they begin thy mischiefs to repay See the reward of all thy wicked care Before thee thy succession ended there Yet but in part my Brothers Ghost is pleas'd Restless till all the groaning world be eas'd For me no other happiness I owne Than to have born no Issue to thy Throne Max. Provoke my rage no farther lest I be Reveng'd at once upon the Gods and thee Por. aside What horrid tortures seize my lab'ring mind O only excellent of all thy kind To hear thee threatned while I idle stand Heav'n was I born to fear a Tyrants hand Max. to Ber. Hence from my sight thy blood if thou dost stay Ber. Tyrant too well to that thou know'st the way going Por. Let baser Souls from falling Fortunes flye I 'le pay my duty to her though I dye Exit leading her Max. What made Porphyrius so officious be The action look'd as done in scorn of me Val. It did indeed some little freedom show But somewhat to his Services you owe. Max. Yet if I thought it his presumption were Placid Perhaps he did not your displeasure hear Max. My anger was too loud not to be heard Placid I 'm loth to think he did it not regard Max. How not regard Val. Placidius you foment On too light grounds my Father's discontent But when an action does two faces wear 'T is Justice to believe what is most fair I think that knowing what respect there rests For her late Brother in the Souldiers breasts He went to serve the Emp'rour and design'd Only to calm the tempest in her mind Lest some
but this will keep you true Por. Unbind thy brows and look abroad to see O mighty Love thy mightiest Victory Ber. And yet is there no other way to try 'T is hard to say I love and let you dye Por. Yes there remains some help which you may 〈◊〉 If you as I would dye for Love would live Ber. If death for Love be sweet sure life is more Teach me the means your safety to restore Por. Your Tyrant the AEgyptian Princess loves And to that height his swelling passion moves That fearing in your death the Souldiers force He from your bed does study a Divorce Ber. Th' AEgyptian Princess I disputing hard And as a Miracle her mind regard But yet I wish that this Divorce be true Gives her hand Por. 'T is Madam but it must be sought by you By this he will all Mutinies prevent And this as well secures your own content Ber. I hate this Tyrant and his bed I loath But once submitting I am ty'd to both Ty'd to that Honour which all Women owe Though not their Husbands person yet their vow Something so sacred in that bond there is That none should think there could be ought amiss And if there be we should in silence hide Those faults which blame our choice when they are spy'd Por. But since to all the world his crimes are known And by himself the Civil War 's begun Would you th' advantage of the fight delay If striking first you were to win the day Ber. I would like Jews upon their Sabbath fall And rather than strike first not strike at all Por. Against your self you sadly prophesie You either this Divorce must seek or dye Ber. Then death from all my griefs shall set me free Por. And would you rather chuse your death than me Ber. My earthy part Which is my Tyrants right death will remove I 'le come all Soul and Spirit to your Love With silent steps I 'le follow you all day Or else before you in the Sun-beams play I 'le lead you thence to melancholy Groves And there repeat the Scenes of our past Loves At night I will within your Curtains peep With empty arms embrace you while you sleep In gentle dreams I often will be by And sweep along before your closing eye All dangers from your bed I will remove But guard it most from any future Love And when at last in pity you will dye I 'le watch your Birth of Immortality Then Turtle-like I 'le to my Mate repair And teach you your first flight in open Air. Exit Berenice cum Erotio Por. She has but done what Honour did require Nor can I blame that Love which I admire But then her death I 'le stand betwixt it first shall pierce my heart We will be stuck together on his dart But yet the danger not so high does grow I 'le charge death first perhaps repulse him too But if o'repow'r'd I must be overcome Fore'dback I 'le fight each inch into my Tomb. Exit ACT IV. SCENE I. Indian Cave Placidius Nigrinus Nigrinus with two drawn Swords held upward in his hands Placid ALL other means have fail'd to move her heart Our last recourse is therefore to your Art Nig. Of Wars and Bloodshed and of dire Events Of Fates and fighting Kings their Instruments I could with greater certainty foretell Love only does in doubts and darkness dwell For like a wind it in no quarter stays But points and veers each hour a thousand ways On Women Love depends and they on Will Chance turns their Orb while Destiny sits still Placid Leave nothing unattempted in your pow'r Remember you oblige an Emperour Nig. An earthy Fiend by compact me obeys But him to light intents I must not raise Some Astral forms I must invoke by prayer Fram'd all of purest Atoms of the Air Not in their Natures simply good or ill But most subservient to bad Spirits will Nakar of these does lead the mighty Band For eighty Legions move at his Command Gentle to all but far above the rest Mild Nakar loves his soft Damilcar best In AEry Chariots they together ride And sip the dew as through the Clouds they glide These are the Spirits which in Love have pow'r Placid Haste and invoke 'em in a happy hour Nig. And so it proves for counting sev'n from Noon 'T is Venus hour and in the wexing Moon With Chalk I first describe a Circle here Where these AEtherial Spirits must appear Come in come in for here they will be strait Around around the place I fumigate My fumigation is to Venus just The Souls of Roses and red Corals dust A lump of Sperma Ceti and to these The stalks and chips of Lignum Alöes And last to make my fumigation good 'T is mixt with Sparrows brains and Pigeons blood Nigrinus takes up the Swords They come they come they come I hear 'em now Placid A death-like damp sits cold upon my brow And misty vapours swim before my sight Nig. They come not in a shape to cause your fright Nakar and Damilcar descend in Clouds and sing Nakar Hark my Damilcar we are call'd below Dam. Let us go let us go Go to relieve the care Of longing Lovers in despair Nakar Merry merry merry we sail from the East Half tippled at a Rain-bow Feast Dam. In the bright Moon-shine while winds whistle loud Tivy tivy tivy we mount and we fly All racking along in a downy white Cloud And lest our leap from the Skie should prove too far We slide on the back of a new-falling Star Nakar And drop from above In a Gelly of Love Dam. But now the Sun 's down and the Element's red The Spirits of Fire against us make head Nakar They muster they muster like Gnats in the Air Alas I must leave thee my Fair And to my light Horse-men repair Dam. O stay for you need not to fear 'em to night The wind is for us and blows full in their sight And o're the wide Ocean we fight Like leaves in the Autumn our Foes will fall down And hiss in the Water Both. And hiss in the Water and drown Nakar But their men lye securely intrench'd in a Cloud And a Trumpeter-Hornet to battel sounds loud Dam. Now Mortals that spie How we tilt in the Skie With wonder will gaze And fear such events as will ne're come to pass Nakar Stay you to perform what the man will have done Dam. Then call me again when the Battel is won Both. So ready and quick is a Spirit of Air To pity the Lover and succour the sair That silent and swift the little soft God Is here with a wish and is gone with a nod The Clouds part Nakar flies up and Damilcar down Nig. I charge thee Spirit stay and by the pow'r To Damilcar Of Nakar's Love and of this holy Wand On the North quarter of my Circle stand Sev'n foot around for my defence I take To all my questions faithful answers make So
may'st thou live thy thousand years in peace And see thy AEry progeny increase So may'st thou still continue young and fair Fed by the blast of pure AEtherial Air. And thy full term expir'd without all pain Dissolve into thy Astral source again Dam. Name not my hated Rival Gemory And I 'le speak true whate're thy questions be Nig. Thy Rivals hated name I will refrain Speak shall the Emperour his love obtain Dam. Few hours shall pass before your Emperour shall be Possess'd of that he loves or from that love be free Placid Shall I enjoy that Beauty I adore Dam. She Suppliant-like e're long thy succour shall implore And thou with her thou lov'st in happiness may'st live If she not dies before who all thy joys can give Nig. Say what does the AEgyptian Princess now Dam. A gentle slumber sits upon her brow Nig. Go stand before her in a golden dream Set all the pleasures of the world to show And in vain joys let her loose spirit flow Dam. Twice fifty Tents remove her from your sight But I 'll cut through e'm all with rays of light And covering other objects to your eyes Show where intranc'd in silent sleep she lies Damilcar stamps and the Bed arises with S. Catharine in it Dam. singing You pleasing dreams of Love and sweet delight Appear before this slumbring Virgins sight Soft visions set her free From mournful piety Let her sad thoughts from Heav'n retire And let the Melancholy Love Of those remoter joys above Give place to your more sprightly fire Let purling streams be in her fancy seen And flowry Meads and Vales of chearful green And in the midst of deathless Groves Soft sighing wishes ly And smiling hopes fast by And just beyond e'm ever laughing Loves A Scene of a Paradise is discovered Placid Some pleasing objects do her mind employ For on her face I read a wandring Joy SONG Dam. Ah how sweet it is to love Ah how gay is young desire And what pleasing pains we prove When we first approach Loves fire Pains of Love be sweeter far Than all other pleasures are Sighs which are from Lovers blown Do but gently heave the Heart Ev'n the tears they shed alone Cure like trickling Balm their smart Lovers when they lose their breath Bleed away in easie death Love and Time with reverence use Treat 'em like a parting friend Nor the golden gifts refuse Which in youth sincere they send For each year their price is more And they less simple than before Love like Spring-tides full and high Swells in every youthful vein But each Tide does less supply Till they quite shrink in again If a flow in Age appear 'T is but rain and runs not clear At the end of the Song a Dance of Spirits After which Amariel the Guardian-Angel of S. Catharine descends to soft Musick with a flaming Sword The Spirits crawl off the Stage amazedly and Damilcar runs to a corner of it Amar. From the bright Empire of Eternal day Where waiting minds for Heav'ns Commission stay Amariel flies a darted Mandate came From that great will which moves this mighty Frame Bid me to thee my Royal charge repair To guard thee from the Daemons of the Air My flaming Sword above 'em to display All keen and ground upon the edge of day The flat to sweep the Visions from thy mind The edge to cut 'em through that stay behind Vain Spirits you that shunning Heav'ns high noon Swarm here beneath the concave of the Moon What folly or what rage your duty blinds To violate the sleep of holy minds Hence to the task assign'd you here below Upon the Ocean make loud Tempests blow Into the wombs of hollow Clouds repair And crush out Thunder from the bladder'd Air. From pointed Sun-beams take the Mists they drew And scatter 'em again in pearly dew And of the bigger drops they drain below Some mould in Hail and others stamp in Snow Dam. Mercy bright Spirit I already feel The piercing edge of thy immortal steel Thou Prince of day from Elements Art free And I all body when compar'd to thee Thou tread'st th' Abyss of light And where it streams with open eyes canst go We wander in the Fields of Air below Changlings and Fooles of Heav'n and thence shut out Wildly we roam in discontent about Gross-heavy-fed next man in ignorance and sin And spotted all without and dusky all within Without thy Sword I perish by thy sight I reel and stagger and am drunk with light Ama. If e're again thou on this place art found Full fifty years I 'le chain thee under ground The damps of Earth shall be thy daily food All swoln and bloated like a dungeon toad And when thou shalt be freed yet thou shalt ly Gasping upon the ground too faint to fly And lag below thy fellows in the sky Dam. O pardon pardon this accursed deed And I no more on Magick fumes will feed Which drew me hither by their pow'rful steams Ama. to S. Cath. Go expiate thy guilt in holy dreams Ex. Dam. But thou sweet Saint henceforth disturb'd no more With dreams not thine thy thoughts to Heav'n restore The Angel ascends and the Scene shuts Nig. Some holy Being does invade this place And from their duty does my Spirits chase I dare no longer near it make abode No Charms prevail against the Christians God Exit Placid How doubtfully these Specters Fate foretell In double sense and twi-light truth they dwell Like sawning Courtiers for success they wait And then come smiling and declare for Fate Enter Maximin and Porphyrius attended by Valerius and Guards But see the Tyrant and my Rival come I like the Fiends will flatter in his doom None but a Fool distastful truth will tell So it be new and please 't is full as well Placid whispers with the Emperour who seems pleas'd Max. You charm me with your news which I 'le reward By hopes we are for coming joys prepar'd Possess her Love or from that Love be free Heav'n speaks me fair if she as kind can prove I shall possess but never quit my Love Go tell me when she wakes Exit Placidius Porphyrius seems to beg something of him Porphyrius no She has refus'd and I will keep my vow Por. For your own sake your cruel vow defer The time 's unsafe your Enemies are near And to displease your men when they should fight Max. My looks alone my Enemies will fright And o're my men I 'le set my careful Spies To watch Rebellion in their very eyes No more I cannot bear the least reply Por. Yet Tyrant thou shalt perish e're she dye Aside Enter Valeria Valeria here how Fortune treats me still With various harms magnificently ill Max. Valeria I was sending to your Tent To Valeria But my Commands your presence does prevent This is the hour wherein the Priest shall joyn Your holy Loves and make Porphyrius mine Val. aside Now hold my Heart and Venus I implore Be Judge
bid it rise the Tempest laid Max. You are a Christian then To Felicia For death this very hour you must prepare I have decreed no Christians life to spare Fel. For death I hope you but my courage try Whatever I believe I dare not dye Heav'n does not sure that Seal of Faith require Or if it did would firmer thoughts inspire A Womans witness can no credit give To Truths Divine and therefore I would live Max. I cannot give the life which you demand But that and mine are in your Daughter's hand Ask her if she will yet her Love deny And bid a Monarch and her Mother dye Fel. Now mighty Prince you cancel all my fear My life is safe when it depends on her How can you let me languish thus in pain To S. Cath. Make haste to cure those doubts which yet remain Speak quickly speak and ease me of my fear S. Cath. Alas I doubt it is not you I hear Some wicked Fiend assumes your voice and face To make frail Nature triumph over Grace It cannot be That she who taught my Childhood Piety Should bid my riper age my Faith deny That she who bid my hopes this Crown pursue Should snatch it from me when 't is just in view Fel. Peace peace too much my age's shame you show How easie 't is to teach how hard to do Mylab'ring thoughts are with themselves at strife I dare not dye nor bid you save my life Max. You must do one and that without delay Too long already for your death I stay I cannot with your small concerns dispence For deaths of more importance call me hence Prepare to execute your office strait To his Guards Fel. O stay and let 'em but one minute wait Such quick Commands for death you would not give Ah if you knew how sweet it were to live Max. Then bid her love Fel. Is duty grown so weak To S. Cath. That Love 's a harder word than Death to speak S. Cath. Oh! Fel. Mistake me not I never can approve privately to S. Cath. A thing so wicked as the Tyrants Love I ask you would but some false promise give Only to gain me so much time to live S. Cath. That promise is a step to greater sin The hold once lost we seldom take agen Each bound to Heav'n we fainter Essays make Still losing somewhat till we quite go back Max. Away I grant no longer a reprieve Fel. O do but beg my life and I may live To S. Cath. Have you not so much pity in your brest He stays to have you make it your request S. Cath. To beg your life Is not to ask a grace of Maximin It is a silent bargain for a sin Could we live always life were worth our cost But now we keep with care what must be lost Here we stand shiv'ring on the Bank and cry When we should plunge into Eternity One moment ends our pain And yet the shock of death we dare not stand By thought scarce measur'd and too swift for sand 'T is but because the Living death ne're knew They fear to prove it as a thing that 's new Let me th'Experiment before you try I 'le show you first how easie 't is to dye Max. Draw then that Curtain and let death appear And let both see how easie 't will be there The Scene opens and shews the Wheel Fel. Alas what torments I already feel Max. Go bind her hand and foot beneath that Wheel Four of you turn the dreadful Engine round Four others hold her fast'ned to the ground That by degrees her tender breasts may feel First the rough razings of the pointed steel Her Paps then let the bearded Tenters stake And on each hook a gory Gobbet take Till th' upper flesh by piece-meal torn away Her beating heart shall to the Sun display Fel. My dearest Daughter at your feet I fall Kneeling Hear Oh yet hear your wretched Mothers call Think at your Birth ah think what pains I bore And can your eyes behold me suffer more You were the Child which from your infancy I still lov'd best and then you best lov'd me About my neck your little arms you spred Nor could you sleep without me in the bed But sought my bosom when you went to rest And all night long would lye across my brest Nor without cause did you that fondness show You may remember when our Nile did flow While on the Bank you innocently stood And with a Wand made Circles in the flood That rose and just was hurrying you to death When I from far all pale and out of breath Ran and rusht in And from the waves my floating pledge did bear So much my Love was stronger than my fear But you Max. Woman for these long tales your life 's too short Go bind her quickly and begin the sport Fel. No in her arms my Sanctuary's plac'd Running to her Daughter Thus I will cling for ever to her waste Max. What must my will by women be controll'd Haste draw your Weapons and cut off her hold S. Cath. Thus my last duty to you let me pay Kissing her Mother Yet Tyrant I to thee will never pray Though hers to save I my own life would give Yet by my sin my Mother shall not live To thy foul lust I never can confent Why dost thou then defer my punishment I scorn those Gods thou vainly dost adore Contemn thy Empire but thy Bed abhor If thou would'st yet a bloodier Tyrant be I will instruct thy rage begin with me Max. I thank thee that thou dost my anger move It is a Tempest that will wreck my Love I 'le pull thee hence close hidden as thou art Claps his hand to his breast And stand with my drawn Sword before my heart Yes you shall be obey'd though I am loth Go and while I can bid you bind 'em both Go bind 'em e're my fit of Love return Fire shall quench fire and anger Love shall burn Thus I prevent those follies I should do And 't is the nobler Fever of the two Fel. Torn piece by piece alas what horrid pains S. Cath. Heav'n is all mercy who that death ordains And that which Heav'n thinks best is surely so But bare and naked shame to undergo 'T is somewhat more than death Expos'd to lawless eyes I dare not be My modesty is sacred Heav'n to thee Let not my body be the Tyrant's spoil Nor hands nor eyes thy purity defile Amariel descends swiftly with a flaming Sword and strikes at the Wheel which breaks in pieces then he ascends again Max. Is this th' effect of all your boasted skill These brittle toys to execute my will A Puppet-show of death I only find Where I a strong and sinewy pain design'd By what weak infant was this Engine wrought Val. From Bilbilis the temper'd steel was brought Metall more tough the Anvil ne're did beat Nor from the Forge did hissing waters heat Placid I saw a Youth descend all Heav'nly