bring Dare 'sdeath old Sir I dare do any thing Tiss That word then all my former doubts secures Be only res'lute and Timandra's yours My stratagems so subtly I will lay That to your arms your Mistress I 'l betray Thus then as the first step to our design Your guards I 'l with adulterated wine Secure so they Charm'd in a Lethargy I 'l from your bonds and prison set you free Then when some happy moment shall present Timandra left ungarded in her tent Both of us thither in disguise will move To end your rival and compleat your love For when your â—ill of bliss you have enjoy'd And your full pleasures with themselves are cloy'd I thither will alar'm our enemy Where by both Swords he shall be sure to dye And the next night the watch-word given by me You may scape through the Guards to liberty The. Revenge my love enjoy'd and freedom too Then in the name of Pluto be it so What stupid ignorance the World possest That only fury plac't i' th' youthful breast No 't is in age alone great Spirits are young The Soul 's but infant when the Body's strong These hoary heads like grisly Comets are Which always threaten ruin death and war Tiss Alas such â—ame Souls know but half a growth I 'l make my age a step to a new youth Such murders and such cruelties maintain I 'l from the blood I shed grow young again The. Let 's in the name of horrour then go on Methinks I long to have the bus'ness done Something like Conscience else may all defeat You know Sir I 'm but a raw villain yet Tiss Conscience a trick of State found out by those That wanted power to support their Laws A bug-bear name to startle fools but we That know the weakness of the fallacie Know better how to use what nature gave That Soul 's no Soul which to it self 's a slave Who any thing for Conscience sake deny Do nothing else but give themselves the lye Exeunt SCENE the Camp Enter Patroclus and Draxilla Patr. Why Madam do you fly a lovers pray'r Is cruelty the priviledge o' th fair Drax. You cannot Sir i' th' Camp be beauties slave Where honour 's th' only Mistress of the brave Patr. But 't is a rugged honour got in Arms When not made soft by beauties sweeter charms That melts our rage into a kind desire Whâ—lst love reâ—ines it in his purer fire Drax. Lovers whose flights so sublime pitches choose Oft soar too high and so their quarry loose But you Sir know to moderate your height Missing your game can eas'ly slack the flight Patr. Such faint essays may fit a common flame But my desires have a far nobler Aime Religious honour and a zeal that 's true Rais'd by that Deity to which I sue Drax. Those who to deities their offerings pay Make their addresses in an humbler way Not in a confidence of what they give But modest hopes of what they shall receive Patr. I in my offerings no assurance have Though an ambition to become your slave Drax. Yes but when once admitted to that place You 'l still be looking for some acts of grace Patr. Some little favours pitty can't deny You are too noble to use cruelty Drax. See Sir the Queen I beg you Sir forbear Exeunt Patr. Madam this way Enter Queen and Ardella Qu. Did he then suffer no surprize 〈◊〉 shew Of alteration let 's the progress know Ard. In order Madam t' your command I went And met him coming from the Royal Tent Where after th' usual Ceremonies past E're I would feast I gave him first a taste Told him how much his courage you approv'd That he in no mean path of glory mov'd Who in his Arms had so successful been T' engage a Monarch and oblige a Queen Then nearer came and whisper'd something more Began to intimate loves mighty pow'r He briskly took the hint and readily Began to urge some pretty things to me By which encourag'd I to th' bus'ness drew Told him in fine it only was his due To be admir'd by all and lov'd by you Qu. And did not then his alter'd looks betray Some extasie some marks of lively joy Ard. No Madam he knew better policy Talk't of your honour and his loyalty Fine smoothing terms to cloak a passion in But if your Majesty Qu. What Ard. Had but seen How much his carriage did his words deceive When with a gentle sigh he took his leave As if he languish'd till the minute came Qu. Dost thou then think he entertains my flame Le ts to my Tent and wait his coming there Such swarms of love within my Breast there are The heat 's too furious for my Soul to bear What would I give but for a taste of bliss Oh the choice sweets of a stol'n happiness Act IV. Scene I. Alcibiades Solus Alci UNder what fatal Planet was I born Sure at my birth the Heavens themselves did mourn Disjoynted nature did her course forbear And held within her Womb a civil War I who but now did fame and Conquest bring And added to the glories of â— King Must see my Trophyes all thrown down agen By the base passions of a lustful Queen Why was I not born to a common fate Free from the glorious troubles of the great So in some humble Cell my years have spent Blest with a private peaceable content The vulgar mortal feels not fortunes harms The highest structures still are shook with storms See too she 's here what shall I do or speak Fate has beset me and I 've no way to take Enter Queen Qu. My Lord you something discompos'd appear Surely there 's nothing that can fright you here Alci Majesty Madam is a thing divine Qu. If that disturb you Sir I 'le lay by mine Methinks I apprehend a greater pride To view the man whose glories spread so wide Alci Madam you on 'em set too high a price Qu. Perhaps I see not Sir with common eyes They best of honour judge that honour have I find a secret in me says y' are brave You need not Sir unfold it you can guess Alci How craftily she would her lust express And set her ills off with a winning dress What 's to be done which way shall I conclude I must abuse my King or must be rude I cannot speak Qu. My Lord let 's sit a while Won't you vouchsafe your visitant a smile Alci Smiles Madam were too insolent a joy Qu. Fye put these formal complements away Ardella sing that Song I heard to day SONG The brightest Goddess of the Sky How did she panting sighing lye And languishing desire to dye For the Triumphant God of war Amidst his Trophies did appear As charming rough as she was fair 2. Their loves were blest they had a Son The little Cupid who has shown More conquest then his Sire e're won He grew the mightiest God above By which we him a Rebel prove To heav'n that
Field and meet th' insulting Enemy Where through the paths of death and blood we 'l go To meet your Rival and his Countrys Foe There the remembrance of Timandra's charms Shall add fresh courage to your Conq'ring Arms. But if Fate the success so order shall That by your Rivals Sword you chance to fall I then as honour justly will command Inspir'd by Friendship and Timandra's Name Will bravely stem him and with this bold hand Revenge or fall a Victim to your flame Th. Oh noble generous Youth whose tender years Such gallant courage and such honour wear How can my aymes but in my wishes end That have so worthy and so brave a Friend Embraces him Come my Polyndus Pol. On my Friend I 'le wait Through all the Labarinths of Love and Fate Exeunt SCENE â— The Tent of a Pavilion Royal the King and Queen of Sparta Alcibiades Tissaphernes Patroclus Guards Ladys c. K. Now must proud Athens lay her Tryumphs down And pay her Glorys Tribute to my Crown No more shall stupid Greece her Fetters wear Nor make disadvantagious peace for fear But she her self must in subjection come And humbly at my feet expect her doom Tiss Yes Sir all Glorys must when Yours break forth Go out and lose their Beauty and their Worth And like false Angels Vanish and be gone Dreading those shapes they durst before put on Pat. Athens the Worlds great Mistress will not be Courted with low and vulgar Gallantry Her Glory aymes at higher Characters Then heavy Gown-men clad in formal Furrs Who wins her deeds 'bove common Fate must do And so she 's only Mistress fit for you K. Yes and I only will enjoy her too But noble generous Youth thou has alone Things Worthy the Athenian honour done To Alcibiades Thou like a tow'ring Eagle soard'st above That lower Orb in which they faintly move A flight too high for their dull souls to use Which prompted 'em that honour to abuse Thinking their baseness they might palliate With the dark Cloud of Policy and State But let them that black mistery pursue By worth and honour Empires greatest grow Which when abus'd their glory does suppress As revers'd prospects make the object less Alcib Yours Sir like Heav'ns great soul is General Dispensing its kind influence on all This makes success and Victory repair To move with you as in their proper Sphear As fragrant dews leave the corrupter earth Exhail'd by th' Sun from whom they had their Birth K. The truth of that we by your Lawrels know Conquest your Arms Triumph still waits your brow By your success th' Athenian greatness rose Your courage scatter'd their insulting Foes And from that height to which by you th' are grown 'T is your success alone must throw 'em down Thus have we made you Gen'ral of ouâ— Force And all those honours you were rob'd off there We 'll make our study to redouble here Tiss And I if that my Malice tell me true As diligently shall his Plagues pursue Aside Alcib Of all my Courage or my Sword shall do I the success must to your Vertue owe The honour and the justice of your cause So glorious are Fate must from them take Laws So You o're Athens this advantage have You Fortune rule to whom she 's but a Slave K. Enjoy my Tissaphernes now thy ease And plant â—resh Lawrels in the shades of Peace The glorys thou hast won so num'rous are They seem as many as thy age can bear But if thy spacious soul thou canst confine Within this narrow Mansion of mine Be this the utmost of thy wishes bound Possess his grateful heart whose head th' ast Crown'd Tiss Heav'n knows my Age does feel no sharper sting Then to want pow'r to serve so good a King But since time tells me that my glass is run Setting me backward where I first begun Since no way else they can their duty show I 'le only employ my hands to Heav'n for you And what my Sword can't may devotion do K. How truly he a glorious Monarch is That 's Crown'd with blessings so sublime as these How can I but in all things happy be Propt by such Courage and such Piety To me with Gods similitude is giv'n 'T is pow'r and vertue that supports their Heav'n Our Royal Standard to the City bear T'Alarm it to Obedience or to War To Morrow must decide th' Athenian Fate This day to joy and ease we 'l Consecrate Exeunt Om. praet Tiss Tiss Ungrateful King thy shallow aymes pursue But my brisk Up-start Fav'rite have at you Was it for this my active Youth I spent In War and knew no dwelling but a Tent Have I for this through Invious Mountains pass't Demolish't Cities and lay'd Kingdoms wast Still in his Cause unwearied courage shown And almost hid his head in Crowns I won Upon my Breast receiv'd so many Scarrs They seem a War describ'd in Characters And must the harvest of my toyle and blood Upon a fawning Rebel be bestow'd Who having false to his own Country been Comes here to play his Treasons o're agen Must he at last tumble my Trophies down And Revel in the Glorys I have won Whilst from my Honours they me disengage With a dull Complement to feeble Age. What ayles this hardy hand that yet it shou'd Tremble at death or start at reeking blood Me thinks this Dagger I as firmly hold Draws a Dagger And with a strength as resolute and bold As he who kindly would its point impart A present to an envy'd Fav'rites heart And I fond Youth will try to work thy fall Though with my own I Crown thy Funeral Envy and Malice from your Mansions flie Resign your horrour and your Snakes to me For I 'le act mischiefs yet to you unknown Nay you shall all be Saints when I come down Finis Actus Primi ACT Second Scene First A Grove adjoyning to the Spartan Camp Timandra and Draxilla Tim. WHat uncouth Roads Afflicted Lovers pass How strange prepost'rous steps their Sorrows trace Oh Alcibiades if thou art just Forgive th' excess of Love that bred distrust Driven by that disguis'd I hither came Yet here and ev'ry where my grief 's the same But kind Draxilla's Friendship can dispel The thickest Clouds that on sad Bosoms dwell That does alleviate my griefs and give My wearied soul a soft and kâ—nd Reprieve Which ever to forget would be as hard And as impossible as to Reward Drax. The serving you my happiness secures I 'm only somthing by my being yours Since equally with yours my hopes were crost When in your Lover I a Brother lost Then like an Orphan destitute and bare Of all but Misery and sad despair Your Kindness gave my yeelding spirits rest And rais'd me to a dwelling in your breast Then ought I not in all my soul resign To ease her griefs that kindly pitty'd mine Tim. In that I did what honour urg'd me to Drax. And honour tells me Gratitude is due Tim. But
how grows Gratitude to that degree To be afflicted thus and weep for me Drax. Alas that is the least that I could do To our worst Enemies our Tears we owe. Friendship to such a noble height should rise As their devotion does in Sacrifice Who think they shew a zeal remiss and small Except themselves as nobler Victims fall With as great courage could I for you dye And my Triumphant Soul to Heav'n should fly There I again my Friendship would renew And lay up chiefest joyes in store for you Tim. What vast and boundless flights does Friendship take Beyond what search can see or fancy track 'T is the improvement of the part divine When souls in their Seraphick transports joyn In souls united so we friendship see As many glorys make a Diety Enter Alcibiades from the back part of the Scenes Drax. Madam yonder he comes who must retrieve Your drooping hopes and your faint joyes revive Tim. My Alcibiades how I begin To think my misplac't jealousy did sin Go meet him seem all troubled and in tears And with the tale I taught thee wound his ears Mean while I will with-draw my self this way Nor would my swelling passion let me stay Goes to the Door Alcib What ayrie Visions o're my eyes there move Like the good genius of an absent Love Where e're I turn me I me-thinks espy Timandra's Image softly gliding by Such fond Ambition Love his Slaves does teach To make 'em fancy what they cannot reach For oh Divine One How sickly joyes honour and greatness grant When thee the glory of my soul I want Drax. My Lord Alcib Guard me ye pow'rs Draxilla here And weeping too Oh my Prophetick fear What is 't your coming here would seem to tell Relate oh quickly is my Princess well Drax. Oh Sir In that unhappy fatal Night When to the Spartan Camp you took your flight When by the cruel Senaâ—e you were drove Both to forsake your Country and your Love Timandra and my self and we were sate In her Apartment grieving for your fate No sooner with sad Jealousies opprest Her wearied soul in sleep sought after rest But grief new Scenes of misery brought in And plaid in Dreams its horrours o're agen Sometimes her tender Arms she 'd forward stretch Then fiercely at the empty ayr would catch Wearied with grief she then would milder be And in a hallow sigh send out Ah Me At last she rose and 'bout the Chamber walkt Sometimes she started then stood still and talkt Anon repeat some short and pithy pray'r Agen grow wild and tear her pretious hair Till having so wrought sorrow to that height That her soul grew too tender for the weight E're I my courage could collect to go And give a hindrance to the fatall blow She with her Dagger stab'd her self and said Thus dy'd Timandra that unhappy Maid Alcib Ye Gods Is 't thus your Justice you dispence To lay th'reward of Guilt on Innocence What though these Sacriledgious hands have thrown Your Images those Pageant Glorys down Must you revenge on her I lov'd transfer You might have plagu'd me so y 'ad pitty'd her But thus I 'le send my soul where it may tell She lov'd too rashly but not lov'd too well Oh Sister do not hinder me my death Sighs are the only use I 've left of breath Offers to fall on his Sword but is hindred by Draxilla One blow will put an end to grief and Me. Enter Timandra Tim. That Sir you must not do nor must I see Al. starâ—s Why fly you back nay if you shun me now I shall grow apt to think my fears too true Alcib Oh Heavens does then my dear Timandra live The Joy's too mighty for me to receive This was the greatest bliss Heav'n had to give How rashly did my impious rage prophane Your Goodness oh but wash away that stain Then I with Victims will your Altars load And have a Sacrifice for ev'ry God Till by those holy fires this black offence Be purg'd and purify'd to Innocence But dearest how could you so cruel be To let such bliss be drest in misery To tell me you were dead How could you think but th' horror of that breath Must damp my Soul and chill me into death Tim. Alas my fears could find out no relief But thus t' assault you in the garb of grief This tryal of your Faith my Joy secures As Thunders usher in refreshing show'rs Alcib Let us no longer then to doubts give way But hast to th'Consummation of our Joy So with our bright united flames dispell Those anxious mists that on our bosoms dwell Being of no other Jealousie possess But which shall kindest prove and love the best Tim. And when our faithful happy hearts shall be Firmier united by that sacred tye How in an endless Road of bliss weâ—l move Steering our motions by our perfect Love There we with pleasure will recount each woe Which we have pass't and others undergoe There we 'll reflect o' th' various hopes and fears The mournfulâ—sighs and the impatient tears Of distrest Lovers whilst we 'll kindly thence Through a strange mystical Intelligence Give 'em Redresses by our influence Till so by ours Their full-grown Joyes receive a happy birth As Planets in their kind Conjunctions bless the Earth Alcib Then my Timandra to our Bliss let 's fly There 's but one minute more to Extasy Exeunt Enter Queen and Ardella Queen Oh my Ardella whither shall I turn I 'm all o're â—lame in ev'ry part I burn Ar. Your Majesty Queen Fool Majesty what 's that Th' Ill-natur'd pageant mockery of fate When her ungrateful sportive pow'r she 'd show Raising us high To barr us of the benefits below But I 'le her servile Policy despise And make her stoop to Loves great Victories Th' Almighty Pow'r of Heav'n came down from thence To tast the sweets of Am'rous Excellence Why then should Princes that are Gods below Think that a sin which Heav'n is proud to do Ard. But Madam is it not a cruel thing T' abuse a Loving Husband and kind King Qu. Dull Girle thou knowst noâ— what a Husband is Alas they never reach the height of bliss But ignorantly with Loves Magick play Till they raise Spirits they want pow'r to lay In that brave Alcibiades there swarm So many graces he 's all over charm Such killing Ayres in each part of him move His Brow darts Majesty and his Eye Love Oh my Ardella I am lost in thought I fain wou'd have thee yet 't is false I 'd not Ard. Madam your Royal pleasure but relate I 'le be as faithful and as firm as Fate Qu. Art thou then skilful in Loves subtle arts Cunningly to lay Ambuscades for hearts Canst thou express a melting kind desire And give a feeling draught of Loves soft fire Ard. Madam so subt'ly I 'le his heart betray As one who by some great Magicians pow'r Is hurry'd through the Regions in an hour And for return again can
Who ne're had Soul enough to know despair I 'le banish the encroacher from my breast And shake him off e're he take hold too fast Come let 's retire within this covert by I am impatient and my blood boyls high Tim. I will not go I 'le dye a Martyr here The. Then I must drag you Tim. Barb'rous Ravisher Oh! Oh! Enter Alcibiades Alci Did I not hear a tender cry Oh Heavens turn base hell-hound turn and dye drawâ— The. That Sir will thus be better understood draws Tiss Y 'ave undertook Sir more then you 'l make good draws They both make at him Enter Patroclus Patr. How 's this assaulted and by such base odds Courage my freind After a fierce fight between Alcibiades and Theramnes Patroclus and Tissaphernes Patroclus drives his Father off the Stage and Alcibiades runs Theramnes through Alci To the accurst abodes Of tortur'd Souls that in dark horrour dwell Thus fly and to thy fellow Devils tell It was my Sword that sent thy soul to hell The. Hold Sir enough I must your victim fall Though an atonement for my sin too small My hasty Soul can make no longer stay Death touls his leaden Bell and calls away And now like some sad trav'ler taking view Of the long Journey that I have to go Whilst I my thoughts to heav'ns sweet mansions bend Without your mercy no admittance find Oh but one word of pardon e're I dye Secure of that my Souls dares boldly fly Absolv'd by you it must have welcome there As incense that is offer'd up with pray'r Tim. My pardon and my prayers too receive More then your guilt could ask me I could give Be happy as your penitence is true And may kind heav'n forgive you as I do weeps The. Ah! can your piety vouchsafe a tear Of pitty on an impious Ravisher My Soul will leave me in an extasie And I shall want the sense to know I dye Thus pure Divinity at your feet I bow Here 't is my Soul would make her latest stay Nor can she Beginning hence her journey miss the way But I 'd forgot beware of Dyes Alci Who can fear That is secur'd by charms so pow'rful here Within these sphears my Guardian Angels move These are my seats of safety as of love Tim. They weakly others guard that can't defend Themselves I fear more mischief may depend On this disaster Enter Patroclus Alci So when a storm 's blown o're And a calm Breeze has smooth'd the rugged deep The joyful Mariners can fear no more But thus imbrace and full their cares asleep Embrâ—ces 〈◊〉 Welcome my lifes Protectour and only freind Hah what does that sad look and sigh intend Are you Sir wounded Patr. Yes too deep I fear Aloi. Forbid it Heav'n where is 't Patr. Oh here Sir here My Soul is pierc't I 'm tortur'd ev'ry where Your freind ah let that Title be no more Behold me as a wretch forlorn and poor Imagine ev'ry form of misery And when y 'ave sum'd up all then look on me Alci Now some blest Angel to my Soul reveal This doubt can he be wrong'd and I not feel Ah kind Patroclus this sad silence break Patr. Oh Sir you must not hear nor must I speak Paint out black horrour in its deepest dread And troops of Murders hov'ring o're your head And when that hideous Masque of Hell you see Think if you can that they came all from me Alci Confusion how my thoughts begin to start A new unwonted heat has seiz'd my heart Something unruly that would fain get place But I 'le subdu't be free kind friend alas Force me not wrong our freindship and your worth Patr. That charm's resistless and I feel 't will forth But oh it must not duty does forbid Yet what 's my duty if my honour bleed Know then now that this stubborn heart would break My cruel Father oh I dare not speak Alci Hah Patr. Led by some blind mistaking jealousie Heaps treasons upon you and shame on me It was by him Theramnes made escape And 't was he back't him in this impious rape But oh no more shame does my words suppress Yet think what he will do that durst do this I 'l go and try if I his rage can stay I may divert the stream another way Exit Patro. Alci Kind youth I cannot fear thy Fathers hate He sells his honour at too cheap a rate What have I done that could be call'd a wrong No I've a guard of innocence too strong Whilst I unspotted that and friendship bear No danger is so great that I need fear Tim. Yet be not Sir regardless of my fears Some pity have of these sad sighs and tears Whither oh whither would your rashness lead To urge a ruine level'd at your head Let us To some recess that 's safe and humble go Timandra can bear any thing with you Let int'rest the unfix'd and wav'ring sway With us Love shall supply what fortune takes away Alci Sure 't is not my Timandra's voice I hear She ne're had cause to think that I could fear Have I so many dangers over-past Poorly to shrink from villany at last No with my innocence â—'le brave his hate And meet it in a free undaunted state See all with smiles as fearless and as gay As Infants unconcern'd at dangers play Tim. Then I 'le perform what to my love is due Unsteady doubts be gone blind fears adeiu I were unworthy of the heart you gave Were I then you less faithful or less brave And of my courage too this proof I 'le give When you dare meet a death I 'le scorn to live Nor longer be a vassal to my fear Wee 'l in each others chance a portion bear So fate has thus at least some kindness shown Neither can wretches be nor blest alone Exeunt Scene the Camp Enter Tissaphernes and four Villains Tiss Is 't done 1 Vil. Sir to a point your will 's fulfil'd Theramne's guards as they lay drunk we kil'd Draxilla too by th' ambush you had lay'd For your retreat was on her flight betray'd Tiss Next as from me be there a message sem To bid my Son attend me in my Tent In 's passage thither you may seize him so Convey him to the Cave 1 Vil. My Lord we go Tiss Ye are the best of Rogues but disappear Ex. 3. Vill. You know your bus'ness So the King is here Enter King and Queen Attended K. Lead to the Grove Tiss Oh Sir there 's Treason in the Camp retreat But now the Guards I in confusion met Who led me where Theramnes I beheld The late Athenian Captive General kill'd That little breath he had left h'employ'd to shew His honour and his Gallantry to you Treasons so strange and horrid did relate As would seem almost Treason to repeat But Sir you have no longer safety here Secure yourself and leave all to my care K. No more you know not what you urge me to Secure my self