strict order To render you no service Pol You mistake me I have no purpose to apply my self Unto you as a means for my escape But I desire that one of you three being Sufficient to guard me would oblige me To seek Severus and intreat him here This might be done with safety I presume If I could tell him an important secret He would injoy more happiness and I Should dye content Cle. Since it is for Severus I will dispence with all things Pol. He himself Will recompence thy pains if I should fail The sooner that thou go'st the better 't is Dispatch Cle I fly and you shall have me here In less time then a moment Exit Cleon. Scena Secunda Polyeuctes alone his Guards being retired to the corners of the Stage DElicious Spring of love yet fruitfull still In misery of me what is your will Yâ— flattering pleasures baâ—ts of flesh and blood Why fly you not since I esteem you mud Vanish vain honours worldly glory pass Which shines and is as brittle too as glass Hope not that I 'le sigh after you at all It is in vain your weak charms to estall Why shew you me Gods enemies in state And flourishing he doth reserve a fate That shall confound those great ones and the sword Suspended o're their heads at his least word Shall fall on them so much more heavily As that they dream't not of their misery Thou cruel Tiger Decius that dost thirst For blood thou shalt be glutted till thou burst That God which we adore hath for a while Permitted thee wild forrest Boar to spoil His lovely Vineyard but thy fearfull fate Draws near which will thy glory terminate The Scythian comes like an impetuous flood To revenge Christian and Persian blood A little yet and then thy hour is come When thou shalt sleep until the day of doom In body not in mind out of the name Of Christian that is fed still with a flame Which never dies Nothing can warrant thee The thunder 's ready in the cloud I see And will no longer hold in expectation Of thy repentance wretch in obstination In the mean time let Felix sacrifice Me to thy rage my Rivall blind his eyes And make himself his Son-in-Law I yield Unto my loss rather I win the field Vain baits I slight you and despise your art For in this Christian and Regenerate heart I feel a divine flame whose Ray will dim Paulina's beauty in her brightest trim I look upon her now but as a toy That would detain me from my heavenly joy Adoreable Idea's sweets above You fill a heart that 's capable to love The souls Possessed with your sacred fire Fix there and firmly settle their desire Never to change you promise and give more Your benefits do still increase your store The happy death which I expect to me Is a sweet passage to eternity 'T is you O divine flame which nothing can Extinguish that make me more then a man Look on Paulina's face and never fear Her assaults and temptations I can hear I see her but my heart inflamed now With holy zeal to her charms cannot how And my eyes cleared with celestiall light Hers appear clouded in a vail of night Scena Tertia Polyeuctes Paulina Guards Polyeuctes MAdam what 's the design that brings you hither Is it to fight me or to second me And the fair proffer of this perfect love Comes it to aid me or to overthrow me Bring you here with you hate or amity As enemy or as my dearest moyety Paul You have no enemy here Sir but yourself Every one loves you none but Polyeuctes Hateth your vertue it is he alone That executes my dream do not destroy Your self and you are safe how great soe'r Your crime be you are innocent if you grant A pardon to your self deign to consider The blood from whence y' are sprung your noble actions Your rare endowments think Sir that you are Belov'd by all the people favoured of The Prince and Son-in-law unto the Governour Of the whole Province the name of my Husband I reckon t' ee as nothing that 's a happiness Onely for me which is not great for you But after your exploits after your birth After your power look upon our hope And give not up unto the hangmans hand What to our just desires so fair a fortune Doth promise Pol. I consider more and know My advantages and the hope which on them Great courages do frame they aspire not But unto transitory good which cares Disurb which dangâ—â—s follow and which death Take from us fortune makes her sport with them To day i th' throne to morrow in the dirt Their greatest glory never is without Some discontent few of our Caesars have Injoy'd it long this greatness perisheth I have ambition too but mine 's more fair And noble for I seek immortall glory A happiness assur'd that hath no end Nor measure far above the reach of envy Oâ— destiny and is a sorry life Too deâ—r a purchase for it which immediatly May be tane from me which makes me injoy But even the flying instant end 's not able T' assure me that which follows Paul See the dotage And the ridiculous dreams of you fond Christians Behold how their lies have seduced you You think that all your blood is not enough For a felicity so sweet but Sir This blood is not yours to dispose of it You have not life as an inheritance The day that gives it you at the same time Engageth it you owe it to the Prince Unto the Publick to the State Pol. I would Lose it for them in honourable fight I know what is the happiness thereof And what 's the glory you do boast the memory Of Decius Ancestors and this name yet precious Unto you Romans put into his hands At the end of six hundred years the Empire I owe my life unto the peoples good To the Prince and his crown but I do owe it Much more unto the God that gave it me If to dye for ones Prince be held to be A glorious fate when one dies for his God How shall his death be crown'd Paul What God Pol. Peace Paulina He hears your words for he is not a God Like your false gods insensible and deaf Weak made of wood of marble or of gold Even as you please he is the God o' th' Christians He is mine he is yours the heaven and earth Acknowledge him who made both them and us Paul Adore him then in mind and outwardly Express it not Pol. Oh no! I should be then Idolater and Christian both together Paul Dissemble for a moment till Severus Be gone and let my Fathers goodness work Pol. The goodness of my God is to be cherish'd Much more he doth remove me from the dangers I would have run into and without suffering Me to look back his Favour crowneth me Entring in the career with the first wind He brings me to the Port and comming
forth From baptism he doth send me unto death If you could comprehend the little worth Of this frail life and the eternal sweets That follow after death But to what end Is it to speak of those concealed treasures To souls whom God hath not inspired yet Paul Cruel for it is time my grief break forth And that a just reproach oppress a soul Ingratefull Is this that fair fire thou boasts of Are these thy oaths expressest thou for me The smallest sentiments I speak not to thee Of that deplorable estate wherein Thy death will leave thy poor disconsolate Wife I think that love should speak enough of that But that love so firm and so well deserv'd Which thou didst promise me and I bare thee When thou wilt leave me when thou mak'st me dye Can it not draw one sigh one tear from thee Ingratefull thou dost quit me yea with joy Thou hid'st it not but wilt that I should see it And thy hard heart insensible to my sad Attractions figureth unto it self A happiness that I shall never see Is it then the disgust that Marriage brings Am I grown odious after having given My self unto you Pol. Alas Paul How that alas came hardly forth Yet if it happily shew'd any sign Of a repentance Oh how charming were it Although inforc'd but courage he is mov'd I see he sheds tears Pol. True I weep Paulina And would to God that therewith this heard heart Might happily be pierc'd the sad estate Wherein I leave you doth deserve the plaints My love doth give me and if one can carry Griefs unto Heaven I carry them to see The excess of your misfortunes but if in This luminous abode of highest glory This God all just and good allow my Prayer If He vouchsafe to lend an ear unto Conjugall love He will display his light Upon your blindness Lord I do beseech thee Let me obtain this of thy goodness she Hath too much vertue not to be a Christian It pleased thee to give her too much merit Not to know Thee and to adhere unto Thee To live still an unfortunate Slave of hell And to die as she 's born under that yoak Paul What say'st thou miserable what dar'st thou wish Pol. That which with all my blood I fain would purchase Paul That rather Pol. T is in vain to make resistance This God toucheth the heart when least we think on 't That happy moment is not yet arriv'd It will come but the time 's not known unto me Paul Leave this Chymera come and love me still Pol. I love you much more then my self but pardon me Less then my God Paul In the name of that love Forsake me not Pol. In the name of that love Follow my steps Paul Dost thou not eare to quit me wilt thou then Seduce me Pol. Car'st thou not to go to Heaven I will conduct you there Paul Imaginations Pol. Coelestiall truths Paul Strange blindness Pol. Rather everlasting lights Paul Thou prefer'st death before Paulina's love Pol. You the base world before the divine goodness Paul Go cruell go and die thou never lov'dst me Pol. Live happy in the World and suffer me To die in peace Paul Yes I will leave thee trouble not thy self I go Scena Quarta Polyeuctes Paulina Severus Fabian Guards Paulina BUt what design Severus brings you here Is this done like a generous Cavaleer To come to brave here one in misery Pol. Paulina you treat ill so rare a merit At my sole prayer he renders me this visit I have committed incivility Noble Severus which I know you 'l pardon And impute to my want of liberty Being possessor of a Treasure which I was not worthy of before I die Suffer me to resign it unto you And to leave the rar'st vertue that a Woman Could e're receive from heaven unto the hands Of the most valiant and accomplish'd man The earth hath honour'd or Rome hath produc'd Y' are worthy of her she is worthy you Refuse her not Sir from a Husbands hand If he hath dis-united you his death Will make amends and joyn you both again Let not a fire which sometimes was so fair Become less now give her your heart and take Her faith to you live happily together And dye like me it is the glorious good Which Polyeuctes wisheth to you both Guards lead me to my death I 've nothing more To say come all is finish'd Scena Quinta Severus Paulina Fabian Severus I Am confounded In my astonishment to see his blindness His resolution 's so unparalel'd That scarce can I believe mine ears a heart That holds you dear but what heart is so low That could have known you and not cherish'd you A man belov'd by you assoon as lie Possesseth you without regret he leaves you Nay he doth more he doth resign you over And as if your fires were a fatall present He himself makes a gift on 't to his Rivall Surely the Christians either have strange whimsies Or their felicities must be infinite Since to pretend thereto they dare reject What one should purchase at an Empires price For my part if my destiny a little Sooner propitious had been pleas'd to honour me With your fair Nuptials I should have ador'd No glory but the lustre of your eyes I would have made of them my Kings and gods They should have first reduced me to dust Before that Paul Sir no more of this discourse I fear I 've heard too much and that this heat Should thrust forth some unseemly consequence Unworthy of us both Severus know My Polyeuctes wholy doth take up Paulina's thoughts he hath but a short moment To live you are the innocent cause thereof I know not if your soul might have presum'd To frame some hope to your desires upon His ruine but assure your self there is No death so cruel whereunto I would not With fearless steps address nor in Hell horrors So dreadfull which I would not rather suffer Then fully my fame to espouse a man After his sad fate who in any kind Might cause his death and if you should believe me Of so unsound a mind the Love I bear you Would turn all into hatred you are generous Be so unto the end My Father is In a condition to deny you nothing He fears you and I will be bold to adde This word that if he doth destroy my Husband It is to you he sacrificeth him Save this unfortunate use your interest for him Indeavour pray to serve him as a Prop I know t is much what I demand of you But how much greater the indeavour is So much more is the glory on 't preserve A Rivall that you 'r jealous of it is A tract of vertue which belongeth not But unto you if this be not sufficient Renown unto you t is much that a woman Sometimes belov'd and yet perhaps whose love May touch you should owe that to your great heart Which she esteems most dear Lastly remember You are Severus after
Paulina Stratonica Stratonica I Have bewail'd you both and cannot chuse But shed tears yet your spirit I do believe Is free of fear now for you plainly see Your dream is vain Severus commeth not With revenge in his hand Paul Leave me to breath At least if thou hast as thou sayst lamented me Thou call'st again my fear unto the Fort Of all my grief suffer my troubled spirits To take a little rest and lead me not By those redoubled evils Strat. What! fear you yet Paul Stratonica I tremble And though I am apaid with little justice This unjust fear continually produceth The Image of the sad misfortunes which I saw last night Strat. Severus is most generous Paul Notwithstanding His staydness Polyeuctes all in bloud Strikes still my sight Strat. You are your self a witness Of his devotions for him Paul I believe He would be his support upon occasion But whether this belief be false or true His abode in this place doth make me fear To whatsoe're his vertue may dispose him He 's strong he loves and comes here to espouse me Scena Quarta Polyeuctes Nearchus Paulina Stratonica Polyeuctes YOu shed too many tears 't is time to dry them Let your grief cease and your vain fears fly hence You see me living Madam in despight Of the false intimation of your gods Paul The day is long yet and what most affrights me Is that the half of the Advertisement Is found already true I did believe Severus dead but he was here just now Pol. I know it and am nothing troubled at it I am in Militene and let Severus Be what he will your Father doth command here And I 'm considerable Besides I 'm confident That from a heart so generous as his A Treason cannot spring I was inform'd He gave a visit to you and I 'm come To render him an honour he deserves Paul He is gone very sad and much confounded But I 've prevailed with him that he will See me no more Pol. How Madam d' ee suspect me Of jealousie already Paul I should do Unto all three too sensible an injury I assure my repose which his looks trouble The firmest vertue still avoideth hazards Wo doth expose himself to danger would Meet with his ruine and to speak to you With open soul of him since a true merit Could have inflamed us his presence alwaies Hath right to charm us Besides that one must Be out of countenance to leave ones self To be surpris'd one suffers to resist One suffers to defend and although vertue Triumpheth o're these fires the victory Is painfull and the fight dishonourable Pol. Oh Vertue if 't were possible too perfect And duty too sincere what sad regrets ' Cost you Severus how at the expence Of a fair fire you render me most happy And to my Amorous heart how sweet are you The more I see mine own defects and do Contemplate your perfections the more I do admire Polyeuctes Paulina Nearchus Stratonica Cleon. Cle. My Lord and Master Felix Hath sent me to desire you to make hast Unto the Temple for the Victime's chosen And all the People on their knees there wants But you Sir to begin the Sacrifice Pol. Go we will follow thee will you along Madam Paul Severus fears my sight it stirs his flame I 'le keep my word with him and will not see him Adiew you 'l find him there think of his power And the great favour that he hath Pol. I fear not His credit nor his power and as I know His generosity we shall encounter Each other onely in civility Polyeuctes Nearchus Nearc Where do you think to go Pol. Unto the Temple Where I am called Nearc What to joyn your self To the Devotions of a company Of Infidels have you forgot already That you are Christian Pol. You by whom I am so Do you remember it Nearc I hate false Gods Pol. And I detest them Nearc I do hold their worship Most impious Pol. And I take it for abominable Nearc Fly then their Altars Pol. I will overthrow them And in their Temple die or drive them thence My dear Nearchus come le ts brave Idolatry Before the eys of men and shew us Christians Heaven doth expect it and we must perform it For my part I do promise and am going T' accomplish it I thank God that hath given me This opportunity to express my zeal Wherein his goodness ready even to crown me Deigns to approve the faith that he will give me Nearc This zeal Sir is too ardent moderate it Pol. We cannot have too much on 't for the God Which we adore Nearc It will procure your death Pol. I seek it for him Nearc If this heart should shake Pol. He will be my support Nearc T is not his pleasure We should precipitate our selves therein Pol. If we die willingly the more 's our merit Nearc To wait and suffer is sufficient We need not seek out danger Pol. We suffer with regret when we dare not Offer our selves Nearc But in this Temple Death Is most assured Pol. But in Heaven the Palme Already is prepar'd Nearc A holy life Must merit it Pol. Living perhaps my crimes May take it from me wherefore should we hazzard What death assures us When she opens heaven Can she seem hard I am a Christian Nearchus and I am so altogether The pure faith which I have receiv'd aspires To its effect who flies believeth faintly And hath but a dead faith Nearc Know that your life Importeth God himself live to protect The Christians in this place Pol. Th' example of my death will better fortifie them Nearc You will die then Pol. And you desire to live Nearc To tell you truly I 've no mind to follow you I fear to fall under the horrour of The Torments which they will inflict upon us Pol. Who goes on boldly needs not fear to sall God doth impart at need his infinite force Who thinks he shall denie him in his soul He doth deny him he believs to do 't And doubteth of his faith Nearc Who feareth nothing Presumes too much upon himself Pol. I expect all things from his grace and mercy And nothing from my weakness but in stead Of pressing me t' is fit that I press you Whence doth proceed this coldness Nearc God himself Hath feared death Pol. He offered himself Let 's follow this divine instinct and raise Altars unto him on the heaps of Idols We must not I do remember yet your words Neglect to please him wife and wealth and rank We must not stick t' expose our selves to dangers Yea even to death to pour our blood forth for him Alas where is that perfect love which you Wished to me and which I now wish you If it remains yet with you are you not Jealous that I scarce Christian yet should shew it Stronger then you Nearc You come immediatly From baptism and the thing that animates you It is his grace which yet no crime in you Hath
will thereby become stronger Sev. 'T is not an evil I intend to cure I only will but see her sigh and dye Fab. You will break forth without doubt in her presence A Lover that doth lose all hath no more Complacence but in such despaire he follows His passion which doth thrust him on to injury And imprecation Sev. Judge otherwise Of me my respect doth continue yet My despair violent as 't is adores her What reason have I to reproach this Lady Wherewith can I accuse her who hath promised Me nothing she 's not perjur'd she 's not light Her duty hath betrayd me her Father And my misfortune but her duty was Just and her Fathers reason guided him I impute all the treason unto my Misfortune somewhat less of prosperous hap And arriv'd sooner would have gained one By th' other and conserved me too happy But too late I could not have gain'd her I Leave me to see her then to sigh and dye Fab. Yes I will go t' assure her that you are In this extream misfortune strong enough To overcome your selfe she fears like me Those first provoked motions which a sudden And unexpected loss raiseth in Lovers The violence whereof excites much trouble Without the presence of the object to Redouble it Sev. I see her Fabian Fab. Remember Sir Sev. Another is her Husband Alas my sad fate she doth love another It is impossible my grief to smother Scena Secunda Severus Paulina Stratonica Fabian Paulina T Is true Severus I do love another And plead not here for 't every one Except my self do flatter and abuse you Paulina hath a noble soul and speaks With open heart the report of your death Is not that which destroys you if just heaven Had put my marriage to my choice I should To your sole vertues Sir have given my self And all the rigour of our former fate Against your merit had made vain attempts I saw in you Illustrious marks enough To give you worthy preferrence even before The happiest Monarchs but since other Laws My duty did impose what ever Lover My Father had assign'd me though your valour Had added to this greatness which it gave you The splendor of a Crown though I lov'd you And hated him I should have sighed at it But yet I should obey and o're my passions My reason being Soveraign should have blam'd My sighs and dissipated all my hatred Sev. How happie are you that a sigh or two Can easily acquit you of your troubles So always absolute Queen of your desires The greatest changes find you still resolv'd Your spirit is carried in the strongest love Unto indifference and perhaps to scorn And your stout firmness without trouble makes Favour succeed contempt and love disdain Oh how a little of your humour or Rather your vertue would comfort the evils Of this dejected heart a sigh a tear Shed with regret would have already cur'd me Of losing you my reason would prevail Upon enfeebled love and from indifference Would go even to oblivion and my fire Henceforth commanding over yours I should Esteem me happy in anothers arms O too too lovely object that hast charm'd me Must we thus love is' t so that you have lov'd me Paul I loved thee Severus and if I Could smother in my soul the flame remains there What rigorous torments Gods should I avoid 'T is true my reason tames my passions But whatsoe're Authority she hath taken Upon them she raigns not but tyrannizeth And though the outside be without commotion The inside is but trouble and sedition A certain charm I know not what inclines me Towards you yet your merit sure is great Although my reason 's strong I see it still Such as it lights my fires so much more strongly To work on my affections as it is Environed with puissance and glory I see that in all places after you It draws triumphant victory that I Best know the price on 't and that it hath not Deceiv'd the generous hope I conceiv'd of it But that same duty which in Rome subdu'd it And makes me subject to the Law of Man here Repulseth still so strongly the assault Of so many allurements that it tears My soul but doth not shake it 't is that vertue Even cruel to our own desires which you Should praise when you blaspheam it if you please You may complain on 't but yet praise its rigour That triumpheth o're you and or'e my heart At one time lower thoughts could not have merited That perfect love which you have born unto me Sev. O sweet Paulina pardon a blind grief Which knoweth nothing but excess of misery I named it inconstancy and took For crimes th'indeavours of a vertuous duty I do beseech you shew less to my senses The greatness of my Loss and of your worth And so through pitty hiding this rare vertue That feeds my fires even when she separates us Make some defects appear that may successively Weaken my grief together with my love Paul Alas this vertue though invincible still Makes but appear a soul too sensible These tears are witnesses thereof and these Effeminate sighs which stir up the remembrance Of our first fires too rigorous effects Of a beloved presence against which My duty hath too little of defence But if you do esteem this vertuous duty keep me the glory on 't and cease to see me Spare me those tears that trickle to my shame Spare me those tears that with grief I or'ecome Lastly spare me those sad discourses which Do but stir up your torments and mine own Sev. So shall I rob my self of the sole good That remains to me Paul Save you from a sight Fatall unto us both Sev. What recompense Of all my love what fruit of my devotions Paul That 's the sole remedy that can cure our evils Sev. I 'le die of mine Oh love my memory Paul I 'le cure mine they would sully my fair glory Sev. Oh! since your glory doth pronounce the sentence My griefe must yield unto its interest From such a heart as mine what is' t that it Cannot obtain you do awake the cares Which I owe to my glory farewell Madam I go to seek in honourable combats That immortality which a fair death Doth give if I after this mortall stroak Of fate have life enough to seek a death Paul And I whose punishment your sight increases Intend to avoid it even in Sacrifice And alone in my Chamber shutting up My sorrows I will make my secret Orisons Unto the Gods for you Sev. May righteous Heaven Contented with my ruine heap up happiness On Polyeuctes and Paulina's heads Paul May brave Severus find after so much Disaster a felicity that may be Worthy his valour Sev. In you he could find it Paul I depend of a Father and a Husband Sev. Oh duty that destroys and makes me desperate Adiew too vertuous and too charming object Paul Adiew adiew thou too unfortunate And faithfull lover Scena Tertia
weakened yet it acteth fully in you And to its vehement fire all things seem possible But this same grace in me diminished And by a thousand sins continually Extenuated acteth with such faintness In hazardous attempts that all things seem Impossible unto its little vigour This base effeminacy and cowardly Evasions are the punishments which my Offences do draw on me but our God Whom we must ne'r distrust gives your Example To fortifie me Come dear Polyeuctes Let us go 'fore the eyes of men to brave Idolatry and to shew who we are May I to suffer give you the Example As you have given me that of offering you Pol. By this most happy transport which Heaven sends you Again I know Nearchus and I weep For joy on 't come let us not lose more time The Sacrifice is ready let 's uphold Th' interest of the true God le ts tread Under our feet this feigned Thunderbolt With which th' abused and too credulous people Arm a corrupted piece of wood let 's go To make this fatall blindness manifest Those gods of stone and mettall let us break In pieces and le ts dedicate our days To this coelestiall heat and so let 's offer A triumph unto God let him dispose The rest Nearc Come let us make his glory to break forth Unto the eyes of all and for him dye Who for us suffer'd death and infamy The End of the second Act. Actus Tertius Scena Prima Paulina alone WHat floating cares what confused clouds Present inconstant images to mine eyes Sweet rest which I dare not so much as hope Send thy divine Ray speedily to clear them A thousand diverse thoughts which my sad troubles Produce in my uncertain heart are lost In wishes no hope flatters me not where I dare persist no fear affrights me not Where I dare fix my self my spirit imbracing All what it doth imagine would sometimes My happiness and sometimes my destruction Both one and tother strike it with so little Effect that it can neither hope nor fear Continually Severus troubleth My fantasie my hope is in his vertue I fear his jealousie and I cannot think That Polyeuctes with an equal eye Can see his Rivall heer as between such The hate is natural the interview Soon endeth in a quarrel the one sees In the hands of the other what he thinks He meriteth the other sees a desperate Would take it from him whatsoe'r high reason Raignsin their courage th' one conceiveth envy The other jealousie the shame of an Affront which each of them feareth to see Either receiv'd of old or at this present Destroying all their patience from the first Forms choler and distrust and seising on The Husband and the Lover both together Whether they will or no delivers them Over to their resentment and their passion But what a strange Chymera do I fancy Unto my self and what an injury Do I to Polyeuctes and Severus As if the vertue of these famous Rivals Could not triumph over those common evils The minds of both Mistresses to themselves Are of too high an order for such baseness They shall see one another in the Temple Like generous men but alas still I fear What is th' advantage that my Husband hath To be in Militene if Severus arm The Roman Eagle 'gainst him if my Father Command here and doth fear this Favorite And doth repent already of his choice The little hope I have is with constraint And born it is abortive and gives place To fear what ought to fix it doth but serve To dissipate it Gods grant that my fear Be false and my sad fancy a Chimere Scena Secunda Paulina Stratonica Paulina BUt let us understand the Issue on 't Now my Stratonica what 's the conclusion Of this great Sacrifice Strat. Alas Paulina Paul Have my Prayers and Devotions been frustrate I see an ill sign of it in thy face Have they unfortunately quarrelled Strat. Nearchus Polyeuctes and the Christians Paul Speak then the Christians Strat. I cannot speak Paul Thou dost prepare my soul for strange afflictions Strat. You ne'r could have a juster cause of grief Paul What have they murthered him Strat. That had been nothing Your dream is all true Polyeuctes is No more Paul What is he dead Strat. No he lives but O fate to be lamented this great courage This divine soul is no more worthy of The light nor of Paulina he is no more That Spouse so charming to your eyes he is The common enemy of the gods and State An infamous a Rebel a perfidious A Traytor Villain a base Particide An execrable plague to all good men An impious and a sacrilegious Wretch In a word Madam he 's a Christian. Paul This word would have suffic'd without that torrent Of Injuries Strat. Can there be any titles bad enough For Christians Paul He is what thou sayst if he Imbrace their faith but he 's my Husband and Thou speak'st to me Strat. Consider him no more Then the God he adoreth Paul I have lov'd him With duty and this duty still continues Strat. At present he doth give you cause to hate him Who doth betray the gods would make no scruple To betray you Paul Although he should betray me Yet I should love him And if thou Stratonica Dost wonder at this love know that my duty Dependeth not of his let him fall in it If he be so dispos'd I will do mine What if he lov'd elsewhere should his example Perswade me to imbrace unlawfull heats Let him be Christian I 'm not troubled at it I love his Person and I hate his errour But what resentment hath my Father of it Strat. A secret rage and an excess of choler Possesseth him though yet for Polyeuctes He shews some he 'll not let his justice Fall upon him before the punishment Of false Nearchus be presented to him To see how that will work upon his spirits Paul What is Nearchus Christian too Strat. 'T was he Seduced him see the unworthy fruit Of their old amity this perfidious Taking him lately from us 'gainst his will Drew him to baptism now you have the secret That seemed so mysterious which your love Could not draw from him Paul Thou didst blame me then For being too unfortunate Strat. I foresaw not Such a misfortune Paul Ere I will give up My soul unto my griefs I 'le try the force Of my laments in quality of Wife And Daughter I hope to perswade a huâ—band And pacifie a Father if I fail With both of them I 'le take no other Counsel But what despair shall give me tell me now What did they in the Temple Strat. The impiety They acted there was such as 't is without Example I can't think on 't without trembling And fear I should commit a crime but in Relating it in few words understand Their beastly insolence Scarce had the Priest Obtained silence and towards the East Setled his countenance but their small respect Appeared plainly both of them
beg In the name of that blind and quick obedience Which I have always rendred to my duty Since you had all power on me and my love That I at my turn now may prevail with you By this just power too much now to be fear'd By those fair sentiments which I must smother Take not your presents from me they are dear Unto mine eyes and have cost me too much Not to be precious to me Fel. You are troublesome Paul Good gods what do I hear Fel. I love not pitty But at the rate I would receive thereof To touch me with 't whether I will or no By so many vain trials is to lose Time and your tears only to anger me You gave it me but you must understand I disavow it when you snatch it from me Prepare to see this miserable Christian And use your best endeavour to perswade him When I have used mine go and no more Provoke a Father that doth love you tenderly See if you can by your perswasionâ— gain Your Husband to himself presently I 'le cause hâ—m to come hither in the mean time Leave us I 'le try what my discourse can do Paul Suffer I do beseech you Fel. Once again Leave me alone your grief offendeth me Asmuch as it afflicts me all your industry Must be apply'd to gain you Polyeuctes The less you do importune me the more You shall advance Scena Quinta Felix Albin Felix ALbin how died he Alb. Like a Beast like an impious desperate wretcâ— In braving torments in despising death Without regret astonishment or murmur In obstination and insensibility Lastly he dyed like a Christian With blasphemy in 's mouth Fel. What did the other Alb. I have told you already nothing touch'd him So far was he from being dejected at it That his heart grew more lofty they enforc'd him To quit the Scaffold he is now in Prison Where I saw him conducted are you ready To entertain discourse with him a littâ—e Fel. Oh! how unfortunate am I Alb. You are Lamented every where Fel. None know the evils Wherewith my heart 's oppress'd thoughts upon thoughts Trouble my soul cares upon cares disturb it I find that love and hate that fear and hope That joy and grief by turns presse and provoke it I enter into sentiments that pass Belief I have some that are violent And others that are pitifull some generous Which dare not act and likewise some ignoble Which make me blush I love that wretched man Whom I chose for my Son-in-Law I hate The blind and dangerous error he is in I do deplore his loss and being willing To save him I must look too on the gods Whose injur'd glory I must vindicate I fear their thunderbolts and Decius wrath It is my charge my life depends upon it Thus sometimes for him I expose my self To death and other times I expose him To save my self Alb. Sure Decius will excuse A Fathers amity besides Polyeuctes Is of a bloood that should be reverenc'd Fel. His order for the punishment o' th' Christians Is very rigorous and the more th' example Is great the more 't is dangerous and dreadfull There 's no distinction when th' offence is publick When we connive at a domestick crime By what authority by what Law can we Punish that in another which we suffer Amongst our selves Alb. If you dare not to have Regard unto his person write to Decius That he ordain his pardon Fel. Should I do so Severus would destroy me t is his hate And power that make my greatest care if I Should but defer to punish such a crime Though he be generous though he be magnanimous He is a man and sensible and I Disdain'd him formerly his spirit offended With those receiv'd contempts and desperate Through th' unexpected marriage of Paulina Will from the anger of the Emperour Obtain my ruine Every thing seems lawfull To revenge an affront and opportunity Tempteth the most remiss perhaps and this Suspition is not without some apparence He in his heart conceives again some hope And thinking to see Polyeuctes punish'd Recals a love with much pain banished Judge if his anger in this case implacable Would hould me innocent to save a Criminal And if he 'd spare me seeing his designes Twice made abortive by me Shall I tell hee A base unworthy and low spirited thought I smother it it springs up again it flatters And angers me ambition still presents it Unto me and all that I can do is But to detest it Polyeuctes here Is the prop of my Family but if The other by his death espouse my daughter I should acquire greater advantages Which would raise me a thousand times more high Then now I am My heart thereat by force Takes a malignant joy but rather let Heaven strike me with a Thunder-bolt then that I should consent unto so base a thought Which hitherto my glory hath bely'd Alb. Your heart is too good and your soul too high But d' ee resolve to punish this offence Fel. I 'le use all my endeavour to subdue His errour by the fear of death but if I can't prevail then I will afterward Imploy Paulina's power Alb. What wâ—ll you do At last if he continue obstinate Fel. Press me not on that point in such displeasure I can't resolve and know not what to chuse Alb. Sir like a faithfull servant I am bound T' advertise you that the Town murmureth In his behalfe already and is even Upon the point to mutiny if you Proceed against him further I perceive Th' Inhabitants are all resolv'd t' oppose you And will not see their last hope and the blood Of their Kings pass the rigour o the Laws Besides his prâ—son is not very safe I left about it but a pittifull troop I fear they will be forc'd Fel. Then take him thence And bring him here where we 'l be sure of him Alb. Then take him thence your self and with a hope Of pardon pacifie the fury of The multitude Fel Come let us go and if He still persist to remain Christian We will dispose of him and carry 't so That what 's resolv'd upon they shall not know The End of the third Act. Actus Quartus Scena Prima Polyeuctes Cleon three other Guards Polyeuctes WHat would you with me Guards Cle. Paulina Sir Would speak with you Pol. Oh how I dread her presence This combat will be hard Felix oâ—'e thee I triumphed in Prison and despis'd Thy threatning I beheld thee without fear I see that to revenge thy self thou tak'st Stronger a mes then thine own her tears do terrifie Moâ—e then thy Executionâ—rs O Lord Thou seest here the danger that I run In this my pressing need double thy force And thou my dear Nearchus comming forth Lately from a Triumphant victory Look on my travel from thy glorious residence Lend me thy hand from Heaven to overcome So strong an Enemy Guards daâ—e you doo me One civil office Cle. Sir we have