EDGAR OR THE English Monarch AN HEROICK TRAGEDY By Mr. THOMAS RYMER Servant to Their Majesties The Second Edition LONDON Printed for Iames Knapton at the Crown in St. Pauls-Church-yard 1693. TO THE KING GReat Sir whose Throne amidst the Waters set O're all design'd by God and Nature Great Here in that fam'd long-wisht unheard-of Spot Stedfast on which planting Your Royall Foot You turn the Other World You give it Law You Arbitrate and all its Motions awe This Honour was to England early pay'd And thus Your great Fore-runner Edgar sway'd Yet were his Ships a weak though Numerous Train Silent they pass'd meer Infants of the Main Grown up Yours speak in not a Mortall Strain Threaten and loud above the Billows beat Your dread Commands which trembling Rocks repeat Whilst Edgar joyfull from his farthest Skies Looks down and listens to the God-like Voice When Hercules with Jason left the Shoar Pale Greece despair'd to see her Worthies more Charybdis gap'd and Scylla's Dogs did howl Who this could bear was then a daring Soul All Monsters seem'd in those Heroick days Your Pleasure-boat with ruder Danger plays If launcht in that bold Age of Poetry Each Ship of Yours had bin a God o' th' Sea Or Jove his Form in this Disguise that shrowds Who having left the Air and easie Clouds Below a rougher Element controlls And Thunder o're more solid Water rouls This made Divining Priests of old preferr The Oak as sacred to the Thunderer The Oak of old that in Dodona reign'd Now Oracles Your onely Forrests send Which promise Seas and Empire without End Grafted on these the fairest Lawrells grow And Wreaths that best adorn an English Brow This Navall Power made Edgar's chiefest Pride Four thousand Sail spred o're the Ocean wide Whence Terrour on remotest Shoars was thrown When Halcyon-days and Plenty blest his own Thus whilst Your Flags wav'd high for Homage call And angry Nations let their Topsails fall With Peace Your larger Empire happy made Rests undisturb'd rejoycing in the Shade High on His Throne and fill'd with Royall Care Thus You alone great Edgar's Person bear Vnking'd in Love we represent him here Advertisement THIS I call an Heroick Tragedy having in it chiefly sought occasions to extoll the English Monarchy and having writ it in that Verse which with Cowley Denham and Waller I take to be most proper for Epic Poetry The Tragedy ends Prosperously a sort of Tragedy that rarely succeeds man being apter to pity the Distressed then to rejoyce with the Prosperous Yet this sort seems principally to have pleased Euripides and is necessary here for the Design first above mentioned I doubted indeed whether Rhyme was proper for Tragedy Not that I thought it unnaturall for questionless 't is more naturall to speak in Rhyme then to speak English this we owe to the Nurse the former to the Poet. Nor can that be said unnaturall where Nature is help'd and improv'd But Rhyme is rather sweet then grave unless temper'd with so must Thought and with such Pomp of words as suits not with that Sorrow and Lamentation which Tragedy ordinarily requires And therefore of the two Rhyme is the more proper for this sort of Tragedy which ends happily The Histories examined nothing in the Fable can seem Romantick or affected But I must appeal from the late Epitomizers who make Edgar point-blank guilty of Ethelwold's Death without any sufficient ground from Antiquity Persons Represented Edgar King of England Lewis the IV. King of France incognito Kenneth King of Scotland Ethelwold Edgar's Favourite Editha Sister to Edgar Gunilda Sister to the King of Denmark Alfrid The Duke of Cornwall's Daughter Ethelgede Ethelwold's Daughter Dunstan Arch-Bishop of Canterbury A Secretary of State Embassadours Two French Statesmen Guards Attendants The time of the Representation from Twelve at Noon to Ten at Night EDGAR A TRAGEDY ACT I. SCENE I. Landschap of a River Trees Palace c. Editha Edith PRincess a Title boading miserie Curst in the Sex more curst in the Degree Our every Look makes an Affair of State And every Sigh provokes a grave Debate No popular Insurrections with such Care Inspected as our rising Passions are Love like our breath the Will 's vain power defies Sooner the heart then its emotions dies Yet we Dissembling with a faithless Frown Meanly severe our secret Care disown Though still the Darling which our Looks detest Onely retir'd lies panting in our breast Unhappy Women equally a prey If sway'd or if our Inclinations sway Either with Nature we down th' easie stream By Flow'rie banks to sure Destruction swim Or 'gainst Wind and Tide Honour doth us draw To barren Rocks there on lean Hopes to gnaw These anxious thoughts ah whither shall I trace I now too near the tender Secret press I love the Stranger this too well I know Because I Jealous of Gunilda grow But here she haunts me still SCENE II. Enter Gunilda Gun However slow Your tongue howe're unwilling to reveal Yet some new Care your eyes more kindly tell That heart that firm and very Rock before Shakes by some gust from a Remoter shore Edi. From France you cannot apprehend the storm There an Usurper does the Throne deform From Germany no Emp'rour can appear Since Otho fell my younger Sister's share Otho who now of late is call'd the Great The others I descend not to repeat No such new care did my free thoughts enflame Onely the last night's Ball diverted them Gun The Stranger there I could with a particular eye have seen Were but his bloud as noble as his meen Sweetness did not the Majesty betray Nor Majesty his Sweetness fright away That wheresoe're he would a Heart invade His Looks at once seem by kind Nature made Able to force or ready to perswade Together there such state and mildness met He seem'd at once agreeable and great Edi. How with his praise my Jealous heart she wounds Aside And now how harsh the ill-tim'd musick founds Methinks I something in his face did see To Gun Something that speaks him of no Low degree Gun He Monarch-like did in the Crowd prevail And on himself drew the Regards of all Another Edgar some began to cry Others that he might ev'n with Edgar vie Till Edgar's presence clear'd the growing Doubt Whose beams like a strong Torrent breaking out Instantly bore the young Usurper down And in all minds confirm'd his shaken Throne But see he comes SCENE III. Enter Lewis The Ladies since the Turnament was past On some cross winds your late arrival cast To Lew. Else who your softer Gallantries have seen Had witness of your Manly vertues been Edi. Our English there by rougher shocks maintain That honour they in mild encounters gain Lew. They small success must to their arms presage Who 'gainst the English in the Lists engage And they however whom the Brave might spare Must fall a certain conquest to the Fair. What Knights did fortune to that glory raise As from so fair a
Check'd by a Parent 's unresolved Frown Which flowing Smiles did overtake and drown I thought my self to rigorous Duty ty'd Er'e I this Marriage-discipline had try'd From the first Ship thus was the Dove sent out When onely Death and Deluge rag'd about Here Envy me there Jealousies infest There I 'm by Love the greatest Danger prest Too far that Siren do's m' Attention move But who is deaf when Kings profess their Love The Storm still thickens yet no Port I find Death at the worst is to the Wretched kind Death from all other Dangers will secure She mingles poison Death is the least of Ills I can endure And Death is ready Wom. What is here design'd To what extremes flies her distracted Mind I will call help Exit Wo. Alfr. I 'll not be so unprovidently chast Severe like Lucrece when the Crime is past Better with timely care the Stain prevent Then halt after with tardy Punishment Not that like ' her I think a Tarquin near I rather Force from m' Inclinations fear And lest I might be my own Ravisher But 'gainst this Madness and irregular Heat I have a Cure and ready a Receipt Love's Julep sovereign Antidote of Shame Looks on the glass of poison Wine of the Soul thou the Ethereal Flame Quenching an Earthly kindlest Hence I soar Above Drink this I 'm mortal then no more That Tie which causes Ethelwold such Pain This will dissolve and set him Free again The Queen no more my Innocence shall tax Or Vertue by her rude Suspicions vex The King no more When on the King I think Ah now 't is truly Poison that I drink This Life if any Charm or Filter bind That Charm and Filter in the King I find My Soul to him some secret Magick ties My Soul when from him parted truly dies For him alone I prize the Sun and Light Closing my Eyes Death shuts him from my sight Often how often have I heard it told Which made vain heads in their Presages bold And if the Honour were not singular All will allow the Circumstances rare When he yet young the thirteenth year scarce gain'd Did Surety for me at my Baptism stand The Bishop did no sooner Alfrid name But Edgar's Eyes and Cheeks were shot with flame Till falling Drops of Bloud took off the Heat Then pale he turn'd and sigh'd and Alfrid did repeat My Innocence the early Tincture knew And secret Love with my Religion grew Dear Pledge Weeps looking on a Iewel On how unsure and slippery ground I rest To speedy Flight by Guardian Vertue prest Vertue thy sacred Summons I obey Edgar behind her Thy Voice Divine do's all my Doubts allay Thy Musick strikes my Soul a Power less strong Draws Savages and Woods and Rocks along Edgar farewell it cannot must not be Takes to drink sets down re-takes it I come I come SCENE IV. Edgar Edg. Heav'ns otherwise decree As she goes to drink Edgar snatches the Glass O're humane Life what Fate what Furies reign What Plagues what Seas did that small Glass contain All Troubles from her by that Potion wash't She swounds On me the Death and Bitterness had dash't No Deluge could have Nature more annoy'd The World to me were by her Death destroy'd But what untimely Fate has clos'd her Sight Unlock those Eyes two living Globes of Light Now am I equal to the Blest above She opens her eyes Now in their Orbs the rolling Wonders move Without which Stars I by dire Tempest tost In Death and everlasting Night am lost Alfr. Sweet Vision still detain'd in earthly Clime I 'm blest and seem in Heav'n before my time The King himself Pardon great Sir a sick disorder'd Mind Edg. I can account your Sickness onely kind My Happiness from this Confusion grows As Heav'ns fair Frame from ancient Chaos rose Alfr. You what by dying Wretches is confest Unhumane to encrease their Torture wrest Edg. I am that Wretch by your sole Breath who live And from your Mouth have waited a Reprieve Yet you retract what in my favour past Alfr. In me alas a Pow'r's unduely plac't A Pow'r of Life unfortunately shown That fails even in disposing of mine own Who fail in this are damn'd before their time Edg. I cannot hear this Sorrow 's dismall Chime Before that Face the blackest Tempests fly The scattered Clouds leave a serener Skie Glad Nature smiles where you her Pride and Care Once breathe her richest Odours fill the Air. She strows her fragrant Treasures in your way And there do's all her Sweets and all her Pomps display Alfr. Nature to me nor Fortune e're was kind For still my Steps more Thorns then Roses find And sharpest Grief still ranckles in my Mind Edg. If any Monster-grief or Harpy gnaw Try what an English King and Love can doe I Nature's secret Chambers will explore The deepest Sea and the remotest Shore Make stubborn Rocks to your free Wishes yield Till your Desires with shining Spoils are fill'd Till Gems and Pearls on heaps around you lie With all that 's rare and precious to the Eye Sweet to the Tast or to the Touch is fine Your every Sense shall have its Magazine Alfr. To no Intemperance my Desires fly out Yet in my Soul ranck Sorrows firmly root And there for other Bounties leave no room But onely those through Death's cold hands that come Edg. Betwixt your Thoughts and Death let Ages stand And Happiness take from a better hand Alfr. Death Death I want Edg. Thus in Diana's Train Some Nymph would fly the shadow of a Man And bear the fight of Savages alone On which her Darts and dextrous Rage was thrown You from the Woods howe're retriv'd appear To Man as strange and wilfully severe And from a flaming Heart as wildly fly Not yielding your's should know Humanity This milder Air should softer Thoughts inspire And a new Sense more kind to my Desire Musick howe're may this Aversion break And tame her Spirit come fair Nymph partake The Masque is ready Leads her away SCENE V. Enter at the same Door her Woman Editha meeting her after them Lewis at a distance Wom. The Danger 's past that gave us this Alarm The King himself securing her from Harm Lew. In what obscure and dangerous Paths I tread By a blind Guide in endless Errours led Like him who Pain by a false Cure escapes My Ease is short but mortall the Relaps I must proceed A tame and poorest Slave The Plague and dire Extremity make brave If rudely I mistake in place or time Offers a Picture With favour judge a forward Dutie 's Crime I to suspend your Expectation fear'd And all Delay as Negligence abhorr'd Edg. With my Concerns had your just Duty squar'd You this unwelcome Diligence had spar'd The Picture do's my Thoughts so little press That onely the Originall could less Lew. The Object of your Rigour yet unknown This fierce Contempt is but at randome thrown But when I name the Prince and when I say 'T is
Courage reigns He their glad Veins with generous Fire distends And to each Heart the brave Infection sends From Edgar 't is that England's Glory grows Prot. More then one Edgar Fate to England owes These retiring Tritons dance They retiring 3 Sirens arise out of the Sea and sing THE SONG 1. Siren. LOve the Ambrosia of the Blest 'T is Love in Heav'n that makes the Feast O Mortalls Mortalls come and tast 2. Sir Whilst jingling Honour strives for place And Vertue sets her ugly Face The Moments the sweet Moments pass 3. Sir It cools alas how fast it cools Fall to ye men ye men with Souls And Ceremony leave to Fools All. When Nature invites And keen Appetites Care tearing your Hearts and tormenting Is some Devil in the way That creates your Delay Or a Bug of some Bigott's inventing Three Celestiall Sirens approach skymming on the surface of the waters The former Sirens dive hastily and disappear These looking after them say 1. Sir Fly Monsters fly with your deceitfull Breath That warbling strikes and pleases unto Death Each tender ear ev'n yet the Accents wound And th' Air yet trembles with the impious Sound 2. Sir A Heav'nly Voice and Beauty they prophane With the unblest abominable Train Which their false boasted Pleasures do's detect Sweet to the Sense but Poison in effect 3. Sir Great Edgar from those Charms is safe To all but those of Glory deaf Glory whose Chariot drives an height 'Bove the rude Jolt of sensuall Delight And hurry of low Passions Victory On silver Wings and Triumph with them fly These 3 dance and after they retiring the Sea seems troubled Andromeda appears ty'd to a Rock a great Sea-monster making towards her Perseus is seen in the Air on Pegasus with his Scimitar and Gorgon Shield When Edgar abruptly starting up turns from the Masque and with Face towards the Pit speaks Edg. Glory had once th' Ascendant Glorie's Dart Did from all other Flames my Breast assert Which raging now torment m' enfeebled Heart A Dream of Majesty a King no more These Shows are now less Shadows then my Power They represent Love's utmost Malice try'd Has me dethron'd degraded and destroy'd If ought survive if ought of me remain 'T is but the sense of an immortall Pain Love I obey and Captive follow thee To Solitude a fitter Scene for me Exit Edgar gone all in a consternation goe of and the Scene changes to a Garden SCENE I. Enter Lewis solus Lewis Unhappy Princes who a just War make And onely Arms when necessary take For me yet cruell Heav'ns determine worse Against my own to head a forrein Force By those that no Allegeance owe obey'd Born to protect the Nation I invade They have the Blows yet I partake the Pain A Subject lost in every Foe that 's slain My Mind 's distress'd whilst my bold War succeeds My Heart at every Wound they suffer bleeds The English must my juster Cause decide Whilst them I in new paths of Glory guide How can the Continent their Shock sustain Whose Arms ev'n force an Empire on the Main But I shall teach them thus perhaps a way That France may wish untaught another day In France again their fatall Banners spread This Heav'n avert I love their Vertue but their Valour dread Ambition blunted by these soft Regrets My Love provokes and to fierce Action whets 'T is not my Crown alone that I forgoe But with my Crown I lose Editha too Let Kingdoms my Despair in Ashes mourn A meaner Flame the Universe will burn SCENE II. Enter two old French Statesmen They on their Knees say Both. Long live King Lewis 1. Statesm The Usurper gone France with one Voice recalls you to your Throne Your Absence they lament Lew. Is Rodulph dead 2. Statesm And to the just Reproach of Heav'n in Bed Yet his black Soul did th' Air and Heav'n deform And dying Breath did bluster to a Storm As if the Troubles since he ceas'd to live Which to the Earth he could no longer give He still would through the Aiery Regions drive 1. Statesm The Day which did his last black Night precede The bloudy Tyrant had your Death decreed And hearing that to th' English Court you fled Sent two Embassadours to demand your Head 2. Statesm But these things may in vacant hours be said Our Bark my Liege waits ready to convey You safe e're Fame the Secret shall betray Kings caught on forrein Ground are lawfull Prize And for a King what Ransom can suffice Lew. I my Condition may some time conceal But cannot from this Court so rudely steal Nor can I fear the Danger you foretell Knowing the King and English Hearts so well 1. Statesm Their generous Minds as nobly you report But who can find an English-man at Court No private Mind can any Courts controll All mov'd by Interest their common Soul 2. Statesm Hot Places those where Vertue cannot look But withers dies and vanishes in Smoak 1. Statesm The private Love is ended that he bore Since you are now the Private man no more To ruine all your Cause he might advance And loving you declar'd his Hate to France 2. Statesm Your Kingdome he may without Wrong invade Till Articles and formall Leagues are made Friendship with Kings requires a certain Date Engross'd and seal'd on Instruments of State Nor this 'gainst crafty Counsels a Defence Who weaker Words suborn against the Sense To sacred Interest their bald Heads they nod That they adore and know no other God 1. Statesm Possess your Kingdom first and then send back Embassadours your Complements to make Lew. Is that the Court Your Message do's invite Me thither and from thence your Maximes fright Maximes within the English Verge not known Nor shall in France whilst I possess the Throne Pardon me King to Friendship if unjust I yield unwilling to a Friend's Distrust Aside I on my Throne shall mourn with the Disgrace If in your Breast I forfeited my place Attend me there till I in such Disguise Points to a distant place Return as shall deceive observing Eyes Exeunt Statesmen SCENE III. Lewis solus For my Ambition Fortune could no more Yet am I after all this Fortune poor Ambition is not all I will not move One Step from hence till prosperous in my Love No Power no Scepters shall allure me hence Love too shall feast though at my Pride's expence Blest Omen see her Image strikes mine Eyes Heav'n guides her hither SCENE IV. Enter Editha Madam To Editha Edi. That false Tongue No more I 'll hear Lew. Alas I Triumph sung Aside Too hasty cheated by an empty Dream Yet free from Guilt I may the Tempest stemme To Editha Edi. An Innocence presume not to perswade These Eyes beheld the Conference which you had The strict new League and Interchanges made Lew. She saw me with Gunilda late embroil'd When Kenneth was in the same Errour toil'd Aside What League what Conference Edi. New Allies to make With Strangers