gon Each night thy bed I 'l haunt and challenge there Those joys of which thou hast bereft me here Anxious shall be each day disturb'd each night A restless shade I 'l still be in thy sight And thee i' th' height of all thy pleasures fright Heav'n what do I feel Qu. Oh does the draught succeed Ard. Madam great Alcibiades is freed And just is entring Qu. Strait with straitest care Convey her in and wait my pleasure there The Murderers lead in Timandra Sweet Murder oh no Physick is so good For th' hopeless lover as a bath of blood But here he comes Enter Alcibiades Now to my greifs again veils Alci It makes we wonder how I freedom gain All things confus'd and in disorder are How 's this in mourning weeds unveil my fair Hah not Timandra Queen unveils Qu. No Sir though 't is one That loves as nobly as Timandra can Or could did she yet live but she is dead Alci How dead Qu. Yes Tissaphernes that black deed did do Prompted by his ignoble hate to you But you will wonder more when I shall tell That by his hand the mighty Agis fell The King is slain both I and Sparta now Have no hopes left but what remain in you Alci In me alas I am a wretch too poor Timandra dead â—urst ever be the hour Wherein so fair an innocence was lost Heav'n justly now may of its glories boast For the most bright and precious Saint that e're The World enjoy'd is fled and seated there Qu. Why do you let your greifs distract your Soul Call up your reason and let passion cool See here a Queen that courâ—s you with the charms Of Love a Crown and Empire to her Arms No longer for Timandra sorrow wear I will supply all you have lost in her I 'l love you as she did Alci Oh Madam no To love like her 's a tas'k too hard for you Love me as she did why each thought she had Of me was such might make an Angel glad For Crowns though Emp'rour of the World I were I 'd turn a begger to recover her Oh Madam tempt no further all 's but vain I ne're can have a thought of love again Qu. Never Alci No never Qu Can you then so soon Forget your promise or will you disown That ere if you Timandra should survive You vow'd you only for my sake would live You see how Heaven has decreed Alci Alas I then the blessing knew but not the loss Besides I now must dye Qu How Sir is 't thus my profer'd love you prize Alci I do not hate you may not that suffice Qu. Ungrateful no but I 'l reward thy pride Draw back The Scene drawn 〈◊〉 Timandra on a Couch in the midst of her pains Go dotard in enjoy thy bride And know by me thy lov'd Timandra dy'd Yes cruel man by me Tim. No Queen she lives And still to all thy rage desâ—ance give 's spyes Alcibiades Do I behold my dearest Lord so nigh Shall I agen see him before I dye Alci Best hopes and comfort of my life I 'm here How fares my love Tim. Oh come not come not near My blood 's all fire infection's in each vein And tyrant death in ev'ry part does reign But I for you could suffer much more pain Alci Kind heav'n let all her pangs upon me fall And add ten thousand more I 'l bear 'em all Do but restore her back Oh cursed Queen What Devil arm'd thee to so damn'd a sin Cou'dst thou be guilty of so foul a deed Qu. Yes I did do 't by me the King too bled Unworthy wretch and all for love of you But had I pow'r I now would kill thee too Alci Oh do 't I 'l blot out all th' ast done before And never call thee base nor cruel more Here is my breast soon the kind work begin Advance thy Poniard send it boldly in Qu. No thou shalt live for harder destiny But first shalt see thy dear Timandra dye Alci Oh misery beyond the damn'd beneath Must I not happy be in life nor death Tim. Alas cease your unnecessary moan I find my torments quickly will be gon Though I could wish they might to years renew So I might still be blest with feeâ—ng you Now the black storms of fate are all blown o're And we shall meet and ne're be parted more But oh farewell dyes Alci My dear Timandra stay Ah pretious Soul fly not so soon away But one look more will death have no remorse See 't is thy Alcibiades implores But oh she 's gon seize there that Murd'ress Qu. No Seize me 't is more then all your Camp can do Who e're comes here 's my guard Alas mean fool Presents her Dagger My fate 's a thing too great for thee to rule There lyes your constancy pointing to Timandra Alcibiades flyes to the Queen and snatches the Dagger from her Alci Infernal hag Whos 's ev'ry breath infects each look's a plague Could not thy fury on my bosome rest But thou must wreak thy vengeance on this breast To murder her curse on me that I stand Thus Idle now thy heart presents the Dagger to her breast But oh 't would brand My Trophyes with eternal infamy If by my hand so base a thing should dye Her ills so many and so odious are They would disgrace an executioner Yet I 'd do something oh I hav 't I 'l tear ravingly Her peicemeal but Timandra's gone too far mildly Yonder she Mounts tryumphant Spirit stay See where the Angels bear her Soul away Now all the Gods will grow in love with her And I shall meet fresh troops of Rivals there But thus I' l haste and follow Stabs himself Devil there throws the Dagger to the Queen Dye if thou hast courage enough to dare But oh A heavy faintness does each sense surprize Yet e're I close up these unhappy eyes Here their last dutious sorrows they shall pay And at this object melt in tears away Blest center of my hopes in whom I plac't Too choice too pure a happiness to last I any lossless then thy death had greiv'd How well could I have dy'd so thou hadst liv'd Damn'd fiend â—o the Queen But oh why do I rave at her That have so little time to tarry here One parting kiss and then in peace I 'l dye kisses Tim. Now farewel world welcome eternity Enter Patroclus Lords and Guards Patr. Horrour of horrours this was a dismal chance Alas my freind Alci Thy useless greif refrain Farewell we shall hereafter meet again dyes Patr. Guards seize the Queen Qu. Seize me rude Slaves forbear Patr. You shall in short your accusation hear To kill the King my Father first you made Your property then basely him betray'd Your Woman all confes't and by the Guard Is now secur'd to a more just reward And though too late this black design I knew Yet all your stratagems are useless now Hence with the Murd'ress to Justice
Was it for this my stratagems I lay'd To ruin her to be by her betray'd Curse on my narrow fate but yet to shew That I love murder too as well as you Thus perjur'd Queen offers to stab the Queen but is hinder'd by the Lords Qu. See how he 'd still pursue His Treason hence to justice with him go Hourly let on the Rack his pains encrease Till he the horrour of his guilt confess Tiss That shall not need I 'l own the deed as mine But glory in 't it was a brave design The King kill'd and I ruin'd to compleat Thy lust all by 〈◊〉 stratagem was great So great that for its sake I can with satisfaction yâ—ild my breath Else I should take no pleaâ—â—re in my death But e're I go be pleas'd to eâ—â—ertain The last kind precepts of a dying man Be bloody false revengful lustâ—â— That can be found recorded on Hells 〈◊〉 Embrace where-e're you rising vertue see Down with it and set up impietie Make that your theam leave nothing ill undone So copy Tissaphernes when he 's gon Who leaves this counsel as a Legacy 'T is my Religion and I 'l in it dye Exit Tiss guarded Qu. Hence with the wretch Mean while to my dead Lord I 'l sorrows pay And after his sigh my own life away So now they are gon hah who comes there Enter Ardella Ard. 'T is I. Q. Ardella on that thing cast back an eye 'T was once a King but thank these hands now none Nay start not Tissaphernes too is gon Ardella starts His treasures all are thine as a reward Ard. You are too kind Qu. See strait a draught prepar'd And Murderers Timandra next must fall You know our will let it be done Ard. It shall Exeunt severally SCENE a darkn'd Tent. Timandra asleep upon a Couch a Spirit comes and Sings Merli Come my Salla come away Thy Merli calls Salla within Whither Merli Hither w 'ave no bus'ness to day And where innocence sleeps we securely may play Salla I come Enters Merli So welcome my dear But first let 's disperse the black Clouds that are here Both. Round about this place we range And it 's gloomy darkness change To a bright delightful Grove A proper Scene for happy love The SCENE changes to Elizium Merli Next to divert this fair one all Our wing'd Companions we 'l call And the Ayr for musick charm Whilst they their measures here perform Both. Come all you bright forms that inhabit the Ayr And ease with your pleasures the cares of the fair Here frolick 〈◊〉 oh no longer delay But let each clap his wings and away Several Spirits of the ayr descend and Dance Salla Now let us discover the mansions of rest Where lovers with eternal joyes are blest A glorious Temple appears in the Ayr where the Spirits of the happy are seated See fair one see not long e're you To those glorious seats shall go Another Spi. The lustful Queen thirsts for your blood And you are for the World too good Merli Nor shall you come alone your lovers too Must meet a Fate the same with you Salla But here your troubles all shall cease 'T is the Seat of endless bliss Cho. Here in endless pleasures they Keep eternal Holyday Here they Revel Sport and are Crown'd with joys still new and rare Their pleasures too can never dye But like themselves have Immortality Merli See the kind Spirits smile and now They 'l bless her with a nearer view The whole body of the Temple moves downward Cho. Descend oh ye gloryes descend Who with blessings eternal are crown'd To this Nymph your kind influence lend Whilst all the Sphears with harmony resound Merli She wakes let the apparition go By th' damp upon my wings I know Something ill is drawing near Come Salla come away Oh come away my dear They all vanish and the SCENE changes again to the Tent. Tim. I 've had a dream might make a lover blest Oh th' sweet delights of everlasting rest Queen appears at the entrance How this the Queen what can her coming mean Qu. Ardella with the Ruffians here remain I 'l in and with soft words her temper try If without him she 'l live she shall not dye Madam to Timandra Tim. Your pleasure Qu. Oft' I 've heard y' are brave But the best proof of gallantry you gave When of your noble Lord you were bereft And such a bliss with so rare patience left Tim. Madam our flames a nobler passion rules Then fondness th' idle guilt of wav'ring fools Our loves knew a far higher excellence Then the half pleasures of a minutes sense Qu. Then you may love since you can with him part He has made a conquest o're my tender heart Love governs here and since my Husband 's dead Fate and my choicest wishes have decreed He should both in his love and throne succeed Tim. Do you believe Empires or Crowns can make Him his Timandra and his faith forsake Or think you I an Attome will resign Of that heart which by holy vows is mine No I will keep him maugre cruelty Qu. But Madam do you know what 't is to dye Tim. Yes 't is to lay these clogs our bodys by And be remov'd to blest eternity By death relief from all our griefs we gain And by one put an end to years of pain By that we in one minute find out more Then all the busie gown men study for Who after in dull search th 'ave ages spent Learn nothing but to know th' are ignorant Death is a blessing and a thing so far Above that worst of all our frailties fear It claims our joy since by it we put on The top of happiness perfection Quit him no never whilst I here have breath He 's mine in spight of cruelty or death Qu. Then enter ye grim Ministers of fate Enter Murderers with Poison Does not your stubborn courage now abate Tim. No my resolves more fixt and firm are grown Bring dreadfull'st racks and tortures yet unknown Provide one for each sense and then do thou Tempt me my love and int'rest to forgo Midst of my pains I 'l smile and tell thee no. Qu. But minion soon your insolence shall cease Come since such resolution you express Take this demur not do 't Gives her a bowl of poison Tim. And is this all I thought t' ave had a more Heroick fall Expected to have noblest tortures met Not by dull poison to have found my fate But any way I can thy pow'r defie 'T is for my Alcibiades I dye offers to drink Qu. Yet yeild and live Tim. Live what have I to do With life when giv'n by one so base as you Thus I despise it Drinks Qu. What dismal tortures strait will on her seize after Timandra has drank the Poison So 't was a health to Alcibiades Tim. Now blush at what thy impious rage has done My Alcibiades is still my own And if thou him embrace when I am
dares be so to Love 3. How soft the delights and how charming the joy Where love and injoyment each other support Let the Cynical fool call pleasure a toy Who ne're fame i' th' Camp had nor love in the Court O so kindly the Combates each other succeed Where 't is Triumph to dye and a Pleasure to bleed Alci The Air is charming Qu. Retire Exit Ardella No lively Symptoms of a growing â—ire I 'l urge him further My Lord your 〈…〉 Y' are ill Cold drops upon your brows appear I 'l wipe 'em off come Sir your fears remove You need not blush to tell me 〈◊〉 you love I 'l do it for you nay I 〈◊〉 will do Blush for my self 〈…〉 for you Sure this will take 〈…〉 wonder mean Is love so strange Alci Oh name that agen Could you such wrong to royal 〈◊〉 do Think what 's to heav'n and to your vertue due Qu. Must I be hated then and Sir by you angerly Pish why d' you talk of heav'n and 〈◊〉 now mildly Alci Not new-made mothers to their infants bear A firmer passion or a tend'rer care Show me yours or your honours enemy See with what vigour t' your revenge I 'le fly For you with life I willingly could part But whilst that lasts Timandra has my heart Qu. The heavy pleasures of the marriage Bed Dull repetition soon will 〈◊〉 dead Taste fresher joys and when they 〈…〉 Then the old pleasures may seem 〈…〉 Alci Could I expect to have such language heard Where beauty and such innocence appear'd Qu. Can you my 〈…〉 And is 't so difficult a 〈…〉 Alci Love Madam only 〈…〉 As you are fair 〈…〉 I 'le love you as the 〈…〉 Qu. A Sister 〈…〉 So little we can hardly name what ' t is Where is the transport 〈…〉 〈…〉 to a sharp appetite Alci I know y' are 〈…〉 Your beams the lustre of a King adorn That King whose piety me happy made And can I in return profane his bed Though Madam I 've liv'd free and never seâ— Limits to any thing we call delight Yet raise not new rebellions in blood Beauty hath darts too keen to be withstood Qu. Yet all its power has no force o're you Your cruel heart's immoveable but know 'T will to your honour be but ill apply'd That for your love a Queen neglected dy'd Alci What is 't you majesty would have me do Qu. Are you so ignorant that you don't know Alci Death not to have some sense were to unman My self but I 'le be conqu'rour if I can Should I be made a captive to her charms Er'e I am warm in my Timandra's arms One stratagem I 'le for my freedom try Madam no longer I 'le your pow'r deny to the Queen For if these eyes had ne're Timandra known You only might have call'd my heart your own But whilst with her I enjoy love and life And you remain the mighty Agis wife Know this is all I can in justice do I 'm ready on your least commands to shew I live for her but yet could dye for you Qu. Must I then only border upon bliss Rest on the confines of my happiness As Souls that are excluded heav'n for sin See all its glories but can't enter in Alci No Madam free from the dull clogâ— of sense We 'l reap delights of nobler excellence Our entwin'd Souls each other shall enjoy Tread vertues paths and never loose their way But if one in his motion chance to err Strait regulate it by the other's sphear Till at the last When the short Zodiack of this life w 'ave past With new imp't Zeal beyond the Stars wee 'l fly There meet and mingle to a Deity Qu. Then to all hopes of happiness adieu Since my chief bliss I 've lost in loosing you Oh the Tyrannick cruelty of fate That lets us know our happiness too late Yet why shou'd I to fears and sorrows bend If only on their fate my hopes my depend A Rival and a King I may remove There 's nothing difficult to them that love Exit Queen Alci She 's gone Greatness thou gaudy torment of our Souls The wise mans fetter and the range of fools Who is 't wou'd court thee if he knew thy ills He who the greatest heap of Honour piles Does nothing else but build a dang'rous shelf Or â—rect Mountains to o'rewhelm himself Exit Scene a Grove adjoyning to the Camp Enter Tissaphernes and Theramnes disguis'd Tiss Now Sir y' are free and prosperously move To reap the long wisht harvest of your love One minute and y' are in Timandra's arms New fetter'd in the power of her Charms Methinks the thought ev'n my old blood Alarms The. His rage sure works him to an extasie How the old Monster hugs his villany Good Sir dispatch I cannot brook delay I wast in expectation of my joy But hearâ— did you not hear a murm'ring talk Tiss Perhaps 't is she come in this Grove to walk Stay here they are by heav'n the same 't is she They go to the door Retreat a while blest opportunity Enter Timandra with a Book in her hand and Draxilla Tim. Methinks Draxilla when Atlanta ran And slaughter was the only prize she wan Her power a too cruel rigour bore To kill those she had wounded so before Theramnes throws off his disguise The. Then Madam be not guilty of her ill Me the poor wretch y 'ave wounded do not kill Ah in your heart if such a sence there be Of the injustice of her cruelty How much more pitty from your breast is due To him who ev'ry minute dyes for you Tim. My Lord Theramnes by what lucky hap Have you from guards and prison made escape The. Who wears your sacred image in your breast Is of such pure Divinity possest And from ignoble bondage so secure That feeble chains fall off and loose their pow'r Tim. Then Sir in your intended flight make haste Least by some fatal chance y' are once more lost The. No I enjoy a nobler safety here No danger dares approach when you are near These Groves to lovers bliss are dedicate Free from th' uncivil outrages of fate Coâ—e let 's to something like delight draw nigh And loose our selves a while in extasie seizes roughly on her Tim. Guard me ye powers Draxilla help my Lord Tiss Good gentle Madam if you please one word Draxilla runs out crying help and Tissaphernes after her The. I cannot see my Rival blest alone Must he reap all the sweets and I have none Tim. This outrage on my knees I beg forbear See Sir it is Timandra sheds a tear Tiss returns Her whom you vowd you lov'd with noble flame Oh do'nt by savage lust prophane that name If 't is the envy of your Rivals joy Remove remove th' offence some other way Save but my honour and my life destroy The. Such tenderness might cool anothers blood But I am too unhappy to be good Let vertue to dull Anchorites repair
Should you betray me Qu. Nay now you are unkinder then before To my first Oath I 'l add a million more Tiss And you will still be mindful of the Crown Qu. Had he ten Thousand they were all your own Tiss This then 's his fate pitty a Crime were here He shan't have time enough to make a prayer draws a Dagger Qu. Be bold and prosper in thy brave design And when his death 's perform'd the next is thine aside Tiss This trap was dang'rously and subtly lay'd Exit But I am not so easily betrayd Her love to Alcibiades I know Her Woman for me did that kindness do And since she is so good at the design I 'l to oblige her give her one of mine My zealous urging of her Oath was done Not to prevent her plots but hide my own I 'l cherish her in all that she pretends So make her ayms but covers to my ends For when I 'm seated on the Spartan Throne Both her and all her Treasons I 'l disown Prove both her judge and her accuser too And on her my first act of justice do So all my doubts and fears will be o're-past And by her fall I fix my self more fast Exit Enter a Chair of State with a Table by it and upon that the Crown and Scepter Enter King and Lords K. My Lords no more w 'ave drank too deep I 'd now A while be private Lords Royal Sir we go K. Boy take thy Lute and with a pleasing ayr Appease my sorrows and delude my care Sits down SONG Princes that Rule and Empires Sway How tranâ—itory is their State Sorrowes thee gloryes do allay And richest Crowns have greatest weight 2 The mightiest Monarch treason fears Ambitious thoughts within him rave His life all discontent and cares And he at best is but a Slave 3. Vainly we think withâ— fond delight To ease the burden of our cares Lach grief a Second does invite And sorrows are each others heirs 4. For me my honour I 'l maintain Be gallant generous and brave And when I Quietude would gain At least I find it in the grave the King falls asleep Enter Queen and Tissaphernes with a Dagger Qu. He sleeps now let the fatal deed be done Hah what are these the Scepter and the Crown So did the drousie Dragon sleep when he Lost the rich fruits of the Hesperian Tree First we 'l secure his Crown and then he dyes Takes up the Crown Thus I 'm discharg'd of all my promises puts it on his head Take this and if I claim your promise too Y' are King and justice is your duty now Come by his fall This your first step to glory solemnize I make you King make him my Sacrifice Tiss I 'l do 't but stay advances towards the King Qu. Nay quickly to him go Sir he expects no Ceremony now Tiss Thus then I hah how alter'd am I grown I stand amaz'd and dare not venture on There is in Majesty a secret charm That puts a fetter on a Traytors arm I cannot do 't Qu. Then look on her that dares How despicable is the man that fears Give me the fatal Instrument of death My self will in his heart that dagger sheath takes his dagger from him Then blush to think if e're the World should know That a frail Woman durst do more then you Courage he smiles advances towards the King Some pleasing dreams his fancy entertain Oh it were pitty he should wake again Thus King thy life and Empire I command Accept this from thy Deidamia's hand Stabs him K. Hah murder'd Deidamia and by you What is 't that faithless Woman will not do Henceforth all Loyalty and love farewell When after ages shall this story tell 'T will be a truth too sad to be receiv'd Nor shall the World be by it self believ'd Did I for this ev'n Crown and Empire quit To lay all my Ambition at your feet When at the Altars strictest vows I paid Nor were they with less zeal perform'd then made I lov'd you far above that life y 'ave spilt Till ev'n my passion was become my guilt I for your sake depriv'd heav'n of its due Took adoration thence to pay it you And must this be th' reward for all I 've done Yet I shall have this comfort when I 'm gone That I no longer shall with thee remain But dye in hopes we ne're shall meet again dyes Qu. He 's gon and now my Lord Tiss Oh what is 't you have done A while lay your unruly passions down View but the sweet Composure of that face Where grandeur sat attended by each grace Now there grim death his gashly Revels keeps And pallid horrour o're each feature creeps Weep Madam weep to think your rage has giv'n That blow which robs the World to enrich heav'n Oh my dear Lord that er'e I liv'd to know This day Madam I can't conceal it Qu. Say you so But Sir I Scorn to be betray'd by you At the noise of People entring throws away the Dagger then falls upon her knees and layes hold of Tissaphernes then speaks Treason Treason Treason c. Is 't not enough y 'ave shed my Husbands blood Tiss The Devil Qu. And rob'd the World of all that 's great and good But you must seek my life On pitty take If not for mine at least for vertues sake Tiss Hell and Plagues Qu. But why do I name that for all that e're The World had left of it lyes murder'd there Tiss Very fine Qu. Yet though you 've rob'd him of his life save mine I 'l live to ask heav'n pardon for your sin Tiss So now I 'l stop your mouth Breaks from her and takes up the Dagger Qu. Help murder Treason help Enter Lords 1 Lord. How Tissaphernes arm'd against the Queen What means this posture Sir Qu. Oh noble Lord If e're your pitty could a tear afford Weep down an Ocean there behold the spring Of Sparta's hopes lyes murder'd in her King And had not I the traytors rage withstood He with my Husbands too had mixt my blood See where he guilty stands Lord. Great Agis slain By Tissaphernes too Qu. Yes he to gain The Spartan Crown this bloody deed haâ— done See he already has usurpt the Crown His hot Ambition could not bear delâ—ys But on the Royal spoyles thus 〈◊〉 preys Insults in 's treason Tiss I am now run 〈◊〉 So far that all hopes 〈…〉 But Madam can you dare to lay this guilt On me was 't not by you his blood was spilt Qu. By me base wretch would thy impiety Lay this inhumane regicide on me I wound this breast ah dearest Saint too well I knew thy worth weeps Tiss Death she 'l be Queen of Hell Pluto will grow in love with her for this 1 Lord. My Lord treason 's above all pardon Tiss ' t is Lord. Then Sir to justice Tiss No thus I deny presents his Dagger I liv'd not by it nor will by it dye