Pretending to be more he 's less a Man The worse for Reason by that Artful tool More hurtful than a Beast he kills by Rule But the true Soldier does Mankind create By forcing Reason on a brutal State. When Oaths are Wind and Laws but childish Rods The Soldier comes like Thunder from the Gods. Ex. SCENE A Room in the Palace Barzana sate melancholy attending to a Song Somtimes weeping Oronte waits Ba. Oh miserable me Or. Astonishment in everlasting Sighs Complaints and Tears This must not be it leads her from her Sense Madam She minds me not Madam I beg You will not always listen to your Griefs But to your Friends somtimes Ba. Trouble me not Or. Madam you are a trouble to your self Ba. Be gone I 'de be alone Or. I wou'd you were But you associate with a cruel Grief That does return your kindness very ill You grace a Melancholy that devours The Beauties whence it has its wondrous Grace Nay Madam it is dangerous to your life You neither eat nor drink nor take repose You go to Bed for liberty to weep And the Night leaves you as she found you in tears Day dries not up that Dew you only breath To sigh and not to live Your Reason wasts You see not hear not mind not any thing Somtimes your Fancy hunts a thousand things But e're they 'r found alas your Fancy's lost Be. Thou wilt be troublesome but thou mean'st well Therefore I pardon thee How tyr'd am I With sitting and till now I knew it not Come let us walk Or. Where will you please to walk Ba. I know not where Or. Abroad in the fresh Air Ba. No I shall be disturb'd with company Or. Then in the Gallery Ba. No it wants Air. Or. Then in the Grove Ba. I will not walk at all Fetch me a Book I 'le read let it alone Go call the Musique back again no stay It was too noisy a soft gentle Lute Wou'd please me better But another time How ill you dress me Sir Or. Dear Madam Why Ba. I 'm cumber'd with a thousand needless things Art need not study vanity for us We have too much from Nature Or. Will you please To change your dress Ba. Then you will be a toil Wou'd I cou'd change myself For any thing besides Or. She weeps again Ba. I 'le to my Closet no I will abroad Release me quickly from the slavery Of all this formal and superfluous dress The World 's in War I 'le be an Amazon Tye back my Hair but not with any Art Come a short Robe lay naked my right Arm. A Javelin there shou'd be the only grace My Horse my Horse Oh! I am prest to death Under your earthy sloth Oh! you good Gods That I were now among the Warriors Gaining Eternal Honors to myself Eternal Honors No Eternal Shame Shewing my Follies as I madly do Oh! I am curs'd curs'd by some angry Power That makes a foolish and vile thing o' me And then exposes that to shame for me Gods if you 'l take my Reason take my Life Leave me not Sense only to feel my Grief Or. Oh! Madam Madam in all reverence To your Command and Will I 've born your Griefs Till they have torn your Reason and my Heart I must assault 'em now And on my knees I humbly beg you will discover ' em Ba. Away away Or. No Madam pardon me I will pay all obedience to your self But oh no more to your distractions Ba. Be gone I say Or. I will not cannot go Ba. Thou dost not know how troublesome thou art And to what little purpose shou'd I tell My griefs to thee it wou'd increase 'em more Or. You know not that you have a noble Mind But at the present 't is not in your power My little Counsels now may aid you more Be not so faithful to your Misery Betray it to me Ba. 'T is impossible Oh! I cou'd easier rip my Bosom up And shew the Sun my naked Heart than thee Or. I do not think the dangers o' your Lord Ba. Ay there it is Or. No you are cold to him Oh! there is somthing moâ—e and I must know Ba. Well I will tell thee Or. Do. Ba. Another time Or. When t' is too late consider what you do I know y'have so much kindness for your Lord You wou'd be loth wholly to lose his Heart And there 's a beauteous Amazonian Queen By whom Lord Bessus has a Noble Son. Ba. Undone Undone Thou hast discover'd me Or. Discover'd what Ba. As if you did not find Or. Madam I swear I know not what you mean. Ba. You know too much Had I a Dagger here I 'de lock thy Bosom to Eternity Or. I wish you had and it were in my Breast If any ill has hapned to your Self Ba. She takes a pleasure to repeat my Shame Or. Your Shame Your Shame de' e say Ba. My Hell nay worse Shame is a torment which the damn'd know not The damn'd have darkness to conceal their Shame But mine will suddenly break out to light I cannot bear the torment of my Love. Or. Oh! now your Sorrows shew their mournful Face You love your Husband's Son. Ba. No more no more I tremble at the thought I 'm sick to death If the word Love but touch my Tongue or Ear. 'T is Sin to talk of Sin. Or. Your Love 's no Sin. It is your Glory now you vanquish it Ba. I do not do not cannot vanquish it I dare not trust myself with Love or Life I 'le seek out death by all the ways I can Or. Hold Madam hold Ba. Why Am I fit to live Or. If you be not you are less fit to dye Ba. Death ends my Sin. Or. Murther increases it Ba. It will be Justice on an impious wretch I 'le thrust all Hell into one painful hour And then good Heaven I hope will claim no more Exit ACT III. SCENE The Palace Enter Darius Artabazus Guards Ar. OH Sir the Men are good and penitent And brave as good and I shall see you yet As Happy Great and Glorious as ever Da. No Artabazus no my Queen is dead I never can be happy in this World. But I wou'd give my Kingdom happiness Go call 'em in Enter Bessus and Nabarzanes who prostrate themselvs before the King and wâ—ep Be. Oh! Great and Gracious King Oh! infinite is our conâ—usion We humbly beg you will regard our tears We can express our Grief no other way Da. Indeed I do not know what to regard Nor what you are you seem so strange to me I think you are my Subjects are you not Na. Yes Sir and faithful ones whate're we seem Da. A Subject without terror of his King Is an unnatural thing in Persia You are portentous Omens of my death Be. Oh! narrow World a Virtue that exceeds The common size appears portentous here The World is fallen on your Sacred Head And now we cannot stand on forms of State But we must get you
but yours is not with horror seiz'd Viewing the danger that approaches us Sir you deserve the Empire o' the World. And we 'l endeavour Sir to deserve you Great Sir go on and we will follow you You have prepar'd us all with Glorious Arms With hopes of Victory and scorn of Death Pa. Sir We are strangers owe our Birth to Greece So are free Troops and may march where we please But yet to shew we fight for Fame not Pay And did not serve your Money but your Self We are all ready to lay down our Lives And on our Sepulchres erect your Throne For what a Glory will it be to us To make the Persian King our Monument Da. I look'd brave Patron for no less from thee Now it will be a shame if Persian Lords Let a poor stranger in their King 's own Court Outshine 'em all in Love and Loyalty Me. The Gods forbid Lead on most Royal Sir I have some wounds require my present care But Sir they will not indispose me long Ex. Be. Now speak our Thoughts to him we are prepar'd Na. You shew a Courage Sir that shames your Fate Which gives your Crown from your Descent and Right But what has made Heaven blush shall make you bleed Fate plots your ruine by your Gallantry Alas we are not now as we have been A Sea of Men that delug'd the whole Earth Swallowed the Rivers devour'd Nature's Store Emptied the spacious vessel o' the World. More than the grasp o' Providence cou'd hold That down we fell in heaps now 't is not so We may be numbred now all we can do Is but to gain some pity for our selves And Honourably throw away our King. Brave Men scorn Death but yet they value Life Because their Lives are useful to the World. It is enough too much Danger and Death Follow us fast let us not follow them Sir I most humbly move Heaven knows my Soul In tenderness to you not to our selves Retreat with us to neighb'ring Bactria Sir there are endless Forests of brave Youth Whence in few days we will have rods enow To scourge the Macedonian pride to death But then we beg you 'l make one more retreat Da. Whither Na. Sir out of the Dominion Of your ill Planets Da. Ha! What dost thou mean Na. Sir we dare fight with Men but not with Heaven And all the Gods appear your Enemies What if you hid in privacy and ease It wou'd be pious reverence to Heaven And a brave conquest over your own Mind Let none subdue Darius but himself Fling up awhile to th' importuning storm Some of your Dignity to save the rest And make your Court to Heaven and all brave Men By honouring the favourite of both Lord Bessus with the Sovereign power Da. How now Na. Nay Sir but for a while till he has lur'd Gods and revolting Nations to your aid He is ador'd by Men obey'd by Gods. They all observe his Will they 'l not deny Your Crown to him and when 't is in his hand He 'l faithfully return it to your Self Da. Oh! Villain most amazing impudent And cowardly Villain hast thou watch'd thy time When Treason may be insolent and safe And to my Face abuse me unchastis'd No Traytor Da. Draws Bessus and his Men interpose and hold the King. Be. Hold Sir do not hurt your Self Da. Ha! I am seiz'd and threatned Are you all In this conspiracy Pa. No I am not Pa. and the Greeks draw Be. Hold Patron hold hold all that love the King. He will receive no hurt except from you Our Blood is his perhaps his vital Blood. In me you 'l cut whole Nations from his aid Na. Before we spoke we did consider well The strength both of our Reason and our Swords Ex. Be. Na. Da. Ha! Was this Bessus Pa. Sir Will you bear this By Heavens I wou'd rather endure the Swords Of these bold Villains than their impudence Da. It stunn'd me but I now recover Sense Brave Patron follow me follow me all Though my hard Fortune will not suffer me To conquer Kings I 'll be more like a God. I will defend all Kings even those unborn By the reward these Villains shall receive Their dire confusion shall be the defence Of Kings and Kingdoms forty Ages hence Ar. Oh! he is running to his certain death Oh! Sir. Ar. falls at the King's Feet Da. What dost thou mean Ar. Pity your Self Your Friends your Children you will ruin all Da. Will none stand by me then Pa. Yes Sir we will. Da. De' e see Oh! Shame More Love more Loyalty In this brave Stranger than in all my Friends Whom I have made more rich than all his Greece Come Patron bring thy Greeks they 'r strength enough Ar. Oh! If you 'l go to ruin pass through me My life has long been useless to myself I shall abhor it when 't is so to you And nor my Sword nor Counsel can prevail Da. Oh! How am I beset the Enemy Is at my Back my Friends fly in my Face Ar. Oh! Sir I speak my Loyal Care of you The Enemy is near your Army small The Macedonian was too great a weight For us to bear when we had Millions Alas What shall this little Body do When you have maim'd it too and have cut off Its strongest limbs for so these Great Men are Da. They are cut off from all their love to me Ar. Indeed Sir I believe their meaning good They have stood bravely by you Sir till now Stood stronger than the Walls of Babylon For they are fallen in shame by base revolt If they meant well pardon their erring love Do not destroy 'em for some kind mistakes If they be bad Mercy may change their Hearts Da. Do what you will for all must Reign but I. Oh! My misfortunes Ar. Pray Sir do not grieve Da. Nay prithee if I may not be a King Yet let me be the Mourner of a King I am all the Mourners that my death shall have Ar. Then am I false Da. No pardon me good Man. Pa. Who can pretend to Honor or a Soul And not be touch'd with such a Princes wrong Ar. 'T is true then can the Men he has oblig'd Conspire to wrong him if they had the Thought I doubt not but they will abhor themselves And I shall fling 'em at his Feet in tears Pa. Or by the Gods I 'l fling 'em there in Blood. Da. Oh! how shall I reward thee noble Greek Well it is possible they may mean well Then on submission I will pardon 'em And take 'em to my Favour yet for I â—ear more to do injustice than to dye Ex. Pa. Come my brave Countrymen stand to your Arms And let us shew what a true Soldier is He 's no Mechanique Slave that sells his breath But a just generous Lord of life and death Not a wild Beast that knows no Law but Lust He destroys beastial Men or makes 'em just The Cut-throat does a Soldiers name prophane
way And tells me she and I must never part Ba. Where is the Chariot Or. At the Garden gate Ba. Come then away Oh! Heavens Memnon here Turn from him quickly Me. Hold dear Madam hold Ba. My Lord what mean you thirst you for my Blood Me. Oh! Madam do not entertain those fears Ba. Do not you entertain false dangerous hopes Your Father has this minute left the Field Me. But not his Love to me Ba. You 'l find him quit His Love to you and all Humanity If he shou'd catch you seeking Leagues with me I fear he 's at the Palace Window now Oh! if he be this minute is our last Me. These are vain terrours oh wou'd he were here This Minute were the last of all our Griefs But oh the first of our Immortal Joys And something in me says it will be so Methinks I have a sight of Paradise Ba. Oh! you speak Oracles methinks in you A voice from Heaven has Prophesied our death The Pangs of Death already seize my Heart I tremble swear and I 've scarce Breath to speak Know there is yet another stronger Cause Than any I have nam'd why we must part Me. Another Cause Ba. Oh! do not enquire what If you take any joy in loving me For when I 've told you you must love no more If you have any tenderness for me When I have told you I shall speak no more The secret will tear out my heart Oh! fly If you would love or live or have me live Me. Y 'ave stunn'd me so I have no strength to stir Ba. Oh! he will loyter till his Father comes The Gods will bate my Passion no disgrace Know I 'm a Wife nay more your Father's Wife He faints he faints Now shou'd his Father come And find him in my Arms. Me. faints Ba. runs to him and supports him Or. Madam he 's come Ba. Oh! horrour we are lost my Lord my Lord. Enter Bessus who seeing Me. in Barzana's Arms draws Me. recovers Barzana runs to hold Bessus Be. Oh! Villain Ba. Oh! my Lord Be. Oh! Impudent And foolish Whore wilt thou proclaim thy shame And murder him thou hast a mind to save Had he a thousand lives now he shou'd dye Ba. Oh! hear me first Be. Hear thee encrease thy sins By falsehood is not Incest Crime enough I saw you from the Palace meet Caress And is not this your second meeting ha I will provide for you a third meeting place In Death and Hell thou frightful Monster dye wounds Me. who falls Ba. Unnatural Parricide dire Regicide Be. The fitter match for an incestuous Wife Me. My Lord you wrong us we are innocent I lov'd but knew her not she banish'd me I was now going to obey her doom When Heaven contriv'd this Meeting for our Death We sought it not for ever to prevent All future Meetings she reveal'd her self Then did I sink to Death under surprize And horrour for my faulty unfortunate Love Which is more trouble to me than this Death Oh! I had rather have a thousand Deaths Got by misfortune than your ill-got Crown Dyes Ba. Oh! he has told thee truth thou Murderer He was too excellent for all the Gods Thought him a God and took him to themselves And I will follow him yes I will do 't And we will revel to Eternity And it shall be the chiefest of our Joyes To be the chief of thy Eternal Plagues Be. A damp goes to my Heart I am afraid I 've been too rash I wish this were undone Come take her to my Chariot Ba. Touch me not The Gods be prais'd I 've found my Dagger now I 'le go another way Be. Sh 'as stab'd her self Call help I 'le have her live if possible Ba. I have help here Be. Horrour she tears her wound Hold hold her hands Ba. Then I will hold my Breath Be. Is this thy Vertue thou who canst commit This most unnatural sin against thy self Wou'dst not refuse thy self a sweeter Crime Ba. Indeed I 'm sorry for this sinful Death I wou'd shun Hell if only to shun thee Hell purg'd by Fire has less Offence than thou Be. Oh! thou art most ungrateful to my Love I have more Love for thee than words can speak Ba. I am glad of it then 't will be thy Plague And to encrease it know I 'm innocent So was thy Noble Son he sought my Love But knew me not for I conceal'd my self Cause he had found my secret Love for him And then I cou'd not shew my blushing face Be. You lov'd him then it seems Ba. That I confess I lov'd him but it was e're I was thine Since that I did subdue my self for thee Reveal'd my self and banish'd him for ever And he was taking his Eternal leave When thou oh Murderer tookst his Innocent Life Be. If this be true Ba. 'T is true they 're my last words All my past Life is evidence enough And so is that of thy most excellent Son. For had he any other fault but thee And I had less my Birth was Glorious Yet has my Life honour'd my Royal Birth And now I hope my Death will crown my Life It has some sin which you good Gods forgive Your Justice has had Honour by my fall Oh! honour now the Vertuous part o' me My Soul you know I never sin'd in will Only in Blood and that foul Blood I spill Dyes Be. Oh! horrour horrour Enter Nabarzanes Na. How now why this rage Be. Look there Na. Your belov'd Son and Wife in blood Amazing how came this Be. No matter how They 're dead and I am curs'd nay I am forc'd To curse the Vertues of my Son and Wife The Worlds great Blessings were my Miseries Na. I 'm glad o'th is they did divide your Soul And cut the Stream into small Rivulets It cou'd not bear the Burdens o' the State. Now 't will be all united in the Crown Enter Dataphernes Dat. My Lord the Enemy the Enemy Be. What Enemy Dat. The Macedonians And Alexander Be. Alexander ha Na. How do you know Dat. We had it from our Scouts But go upon the Mountains you may see The Spirit of that Monarch in his March. He wings along the Air in Clouds of Dust And does not march but fly Be. Bring out the King. Na. Ha! what to do Be. What else but take his Life I will not dye in Complement to him Spare him a Guard when we want men our selves I 've bath'd my Sinews in my Son 's hot Blood Now they are strong enough for any thing Na. Hold hold you are too hot let him alone If we shou'd barbarously Butcher him The Crime will have such a grim Gastly face The basest Persian Cowards will be scar'd Out of their Natures into something Brave Cowards oft by flying into Valour fly Our Friends will leave us and our Enemies Fly in our Faces Be. True what shall we do Na. Tempt him to yield Be. I know he scorns to do 't Na. We will
out what way we can And Sir indeed we thought this was the best But now because 't was bold it appears bad Da. What cou'd befal me worse that what you â—ought Tamely to yield my Crown at your demand And serve my Slaves nothing can throw me down So low as that but my own cowardize I will not yield the Conqueror my Crown I 'le rather singly fight with all his Troops For by 'em aâ—l I can be kill'd but once But yield my Crown I suffer many deaths In my own Shame and my dear Childrens Tears Who then no more are Children of a King. And wou'd you wish me cowardly infamous And cruel to my Children Oh! Is this Your kindness to me You ingrateful Men. Oh! Who wou'd not ha' thought you were my Friends Who wou'd ha' thought you cou'd be otherwise For I beset you with my Favours so No Hearts but yours cou'd scape from loving me And now for you to hurt your King and Friend And at this time when I am prest to death Under a fallen Throne a ruin'd House My Mother Brother little only Son Both my sweet Daughters in captivity And my Queen dead Na. Oh! Sir No more no more Be. Yes Sir Go on go on and break our Hearts For we desire to dye since we grieve you Da. You deserve it for your cruelty Had you by private Treasons stollen my life You had shewn more Humanity than now For then I had not felt the barb'rous blow That had shewn Reverence call'd me a Dread King This calls me Fool and Coward to my Face I shew'd no fear o' the brave enemy Why shou'd you think I wou'd be seiz'd by you Na. We did not hope to work upon your Fear We know you have no Fear but on your Love. We know you have a truly Royal Soul That love your People with paternal Love And we petition'd Sir for all our Lives Which hourly perish by your destiny Be. Yes Sir 't is plain while you are in the Field We fall in heaps you are no sooner gone But as your Chariot wheels turn'd Heaven round Success is ours and the whole day is chang'd And we wou'd six our Fortune to your Crown Your dangers to our Heads in off'ring this We have discharg'd our Duties and can dye Na. Nay wish to dye to ease you of your fears Better we dye than you shou'd want repose We pray not for our Lives Sir but your Love. Da. Oh! now you vanquish me come to my Arms Be. Oh! excellent King. Na. Too Good too Gracious Da. I will not sacrifice great things to vile Men good and gallant to revenge and fear No do your Duty Sirs and I 'le do mine Leave the dispose of Crowns to Kings and Gods. Preserve your Honours that 's enough for you Conquer a Conqueror not a fallen King. And your own King you want no Enemies Oh! make not any for your selves by crimes The Macedonian King pursues us fast And I perhaps shall perish by his Sword That you may spare the guilt of murd'ring me Be. Oh! Horror Do you think we have the thought Na. Oh! you suspect us that is worse than death Da. No no I only counsel you in love For you possess my Heart though I 've lost yours Be. Oh! say not so Da. I hope 't is otherwise Na. But you believe it not Da. Well I ha' done Be what you seem and all shall be forgot And what we do le ts do like gallant Men. Who bravely fall have this one happiness Above the Conqueror they share his Fame And have more Love and an unenvied Name Ex. Da Ar. Guards Na. This was the only way to vanquish him I found we cou'd not gain the Perâ—â—â—s I often talked to 'em of Liberty Alas they understood not what I meant For in the Persian Tongue is no such word they answer'd nothing but the King the King His Sacred Majesty long live the King That mighty comprehensive word the King Had all the Sense a Persian Thought cou'd hold So I thought this our only secure way We cou'd not fight the Greeks and Persians Be. Now I cou'd easier have fought 'em both Than stoop'd to all this base Hypocrisie I think 't is harder to subdue him now Than if he had his Millions at his heels For Sovereign Power springs out o' the Sword. If I had conquer'd him in a fair Fight I had both gain'd his Kingdom and his Right Now on our Selves and our brave Friends we fall And turn 'em into Fools and Villains all Glory I court and I wou'd have my Love Fair and complete as She 's enjoy'd by Jove Na. And so you will Jove did for Empire frame A World of Fools and Knaves we do the same Were there no Knaves what use of Sovereign sway And if there were no Fools Who wou'd obey Ex. SCENE Another Apartment in the Palace Enter Bar. and Or. Ba. Now I have told the secrets of my Heart I have much eas'd my Heart it is more cool My Reason does begin to come in play Though I find great misfortune in Love I have this comfort there is no great guilt I lov'd the Son e're I the Father saw It pleas'd the Gods I know not for what sin In the great Field at the Cilician Streights First to begin the dreadful day on me Darted into my Eyes into my Soul The shining the confounding killing charms Of the most Noble Youth they ever form'd At the first sight of him my Soul dissolv'd It was some time e're I had breath to speak At length I hid my Face and whisp'ring you Bid you enquire who that Commander was Or. You did I thought 't was Curiosity And gave you information Ba. To my Joy. He quickly rode away oâ—â— o' my sight But left such strong impressions on my Soul. Though many thousands fell before my Face The day was lost nay my own liberty I saw it not Memnon was in my Eye But oh my misery soon waken'd me And then I shriek'd more out of fear For Memnon than my Self for I despair'd To see him more except amongst the dead As we were led over our slaughter'd Friends Envying their gory mangled Carkasses The same brave Youth whom I had in my Heart Came shining once again into my Eye With new and brighter splendors than before For he brought Honour Conquest Liberty Dispers'd the Enemy as Winds do Sand And quickly made free passage for my flight You must remember it for you were there In the same Chariot with me Or. Yes I was And so was he I think Ba. What do you mean Or. I 'm sure his Eye was and I think his Heart Ba. Away but if it was so much the worse For then his misery wou'd be like mine Or. Wou'd it afflict you to be lov'd by him Ba. Yes to his grief else 't wou'd extremely please Or. I know not if he loves this I am sure He was your Guard your Beauty was his Guide For all the way
Blood our Country and our Friends There is no Bactria no Greece for us Your Royal Self is now our sole retreat We humbly beg for all our Services No greater Honour than to be your Guard. Ar. Sir he desires an Honour he deserves And what may be of mighty use to you His Greeks will be a Bulwark to your self And all your Men give 'em new Courage Sir grant him his request Da. Not for the World A Glorious King shou'd ever more regard The Honourable Counsels than the safe In my own Camp be a poor Fugitive To my own Nation a Forreigner To Forreigners a little Pensioner Have no Authority but what they give And so descend from being a Persian King To be a petty Lord of a few Greeks The Traytors then will say they fight a Greek And I shall give 'em Colour for their Crimes No I 'le not fall by any fault of mine I 'le not forsake my Friends if they quit me The fault 's not mine and I had rather fall By Royal Charity to my own Slaves Than Reign by Stranger 's Charity to me Patron a thousand thanks I will accept The Service of thy Sword but not this way Go to thy Noble Greeks and serve me there And Heaven reward thy Love and Gallantry Pa. Heaven be your Guard I fear y 'ave little else Besides what you shall ever find in me Da. Thou Honour of thy Nation shame to mine Ex. Pa. Now put my men in readiness to fight And then command the Traytors to my Feet If they dare disobey fall on An Alarm How now Ar. What shou'd this mean Da. They make the first assault Ex. Ar. My Chariot speedily the news the news Enter Artabazus Ar. Sir the Vantguard of Alexander's Troops Is in your Camp. Da. Two Enemies at once Thou fight the Rebells and I 'le fight the King Ex. Da. Ar. a great cry Alarm and disorder within and Enter Darius stopping the flying Persians Da. For shame for shame you Cowards quit your King And fly from sound this is a false Alarm The Traytors made by Alexander's Name To frighten you from me Fly from his Name How will you meet his Sword but by my Life You shall encounter with his Sword or mine Enter Artabazus Ar. Oh! Sir a Cheat a Cheat Da. I know it well How many of our Men may be disperst Ar. Sir almost all y 'ave not a hundred left And now the Traytors have surrounded you Have interpos'd between the Greeks and you And are in a great body drawing down Da. Then it is time The King offers to kill himself but is held by Ar. Ar. Hold Sir. Da. Now I reflect This Crime belongs only â—o Regicides Why shou'd I take their Guilt upon my self I ne're yet stain'd my Sword with Innocent Blood Why shou'd I do it in my dying hour Ar. Oh! mournful hour oh wou'd you had receiv'd The Gallant Offer of the Noble Greek You had been safe as in a Tower of Steel Da. Not from my self it wou'd ha' stab'd my heart To beg poor Life from a few wandring Greeks Alas from them I cou'd ha' had no more Ar. No doubt the Persians wou'd have followed you Da. I 'm better follow'd now and more secure I 'm safe from the Dishonour and the Crime Of quitting them or doing any thing That may deserve my miserable fall The thought brings many comforts to my Soul. Ar. A dreadful fall indeed how have I seen A hundred Nations follow you to Wars Follow Adore you Now your only Guards Are a few Eunuchs and a weak old man. And you who oft have rode on Golden Gods Are trod on now by every little Slave Da. Oh! these are many Darts and they 're all keen Yet did they only light upon my self My pain wou'd be no more than if they fell On a dead part for in my Queen I 'm dead But in my Children and my Friends I live Oh! there my Sence is quick my Torments sharp Prithee dear Artabazus when I 'm dead Go to my Mother Children all my Friends And tell 'em how I fought and how I mourn'd My Courage Honour and my Love to them Stuck to me the last but nothing else I give 'em cause to Mourn but not to Blush Ar. Oh! Sir you rather give 'em cause of pride Men are admir'd not prais'd for Happiness Vertue 's the Lustre Pomp is but a shew That pleases Gods This Women Fools and Boys You conquer'd Power where Alexander falls And now in Misery y' are Glorious still But Sir wou'd you wou'd try if you cou'd scape Da. Ah! whither can I scape to scornful Life I wou'd not have it were it in my Power Then sure I wou'd not steal so poor a thing And if I wou'd now the Attempt is vain I shall be catch'd in the disgraceful Theft No here I will attend my Destiny And now good Artabazus take thy leave Ar. How leave you Sir in all this great distress Da. Alas thy stay can do me little good 'T will rather hurt me much encrease my Grief If thou hast any pleasure in my sighs Continue with me I have none in thine No we afflict each other prithee go I love to have my Friends share in my joyes But wou'd have all my sorrows to my self And I can best contend with 'em alone For Sorrow I perceive's love 's solitude I prithee take not from me solitude Ar. I am not us'd Sir to dispute your will. But I shall never never see you more Or at least never till we meet in Heaven There is a Heaven or there are no Gods. Gods wou'd not suffer so much Misery In their poor Creatures but for some great End And all this world can never recompence The sorrows of the least poor honest man. What shall be done then for a Martyr'd King Da. Nay I confess I look and long for Death Come Artabazus take my last Embrace 'T is all I have to give thee for thy love Ar. My King my King Da. My ever faithful friend Oh! thou art rooting deeper in my heart Tear thy self from me or we cannot part Ar. I have not strength to do 't Da. I cannot part Or see thee go first let me Veil my Face And then betake to my last Friend the Earth In whose cold Bosome I shall rest secure No Traytors will have Plots upon me there Now go The King flings his Robe over his Face then falls on the ground Ar. Farewell for ever Sir. Ex. Da. Farewell Go all and as you go plunder my Tents To the Eunuchs Let not my bloody Murderers be my Heirs Better my Gold pay your Fidelity Than their base Villany Go 't is enough Your Faith and Love have liv'd as long as I. As the Eunuchs go off they set up a mournful cry At which Bessus Nabarzanes and Dataphernes and their Guards rush in upon the King with drawn Swords Be. What means this cry Na. Has the King kill'd himself Darius rises Da. No Villains I
Traytress has inform'd my Husband all And he in rage has flung me off to Hell. Did he consent you shou'd address to me Me. No Madam not to your fair self by name I do not know your name Ba. Not know my Name Me. No Madam when I met you in the Field Love and Amazement took up all my Sence Had I been told your Name I had not known The Enemy and Night then parted us And a long Night it was I saw no day 'Till here this happy Morning I saw you I found my Father told him what befell He gave me a full grant to make you mine Be what you wou'd Or. Now Madam was I false Aside to Barzana Ba. I am more wretched than I was before I have found Treasure which I cannot keep The Love of him I love is now my grief For I am forc'd to cast it all away I must discover to him who I am Alas my Lord this Love is but a Dream Your Heart receiv'd my Image as it past Remove the face the shadow vanishes Leave me your Love is gone Be 't as it will All Heaven and Earth is plac'd between us two For to be plain with you I am a Wife Me. Madam I will acknowledge a bold Truth I sought you much but Guide I cou'd have none For you are far above description Chance brought me hither when the wanton winds Open'd the folding doors and shew'd me you My Soul retir'd in a Religious awe But your inchanting words soon brought her back I heard you own inspiring Love for me Madam wou'd you do that were you a Wife Ba. Oh! I shall blush to Death Aside to Or. Or. Good Madam why He knows not who you are you did not say You are his Father's wife Aside Ba. 'T is very true Aside What held my tongue But oh he knows too much He knows my Love more he shall never know I 'd rather burn in any fire than shame I will get free then like a Vision I 'le vanish hence and never be heard of more Me. Oh! Madam I perceive you are disturb'd Ba. Indeed My Lord y 'ave give me great Offence Me. Alas I fear my self am the Offence Why shou'd you be asham'd of innocent Love Unless you be asham'd of him you Love. Oh! is it so with me Ba. Y 'ave made it now Indecent to consider what you are And if you have not your ill Father has Your wicked Father has destroy'd your hopes Me. Oh! must I suffer for my Father's faults Ba. And must I suffer for your Father's faults I am a Princess o' the Royal Blood And if I League with you I cast away My Fortune Conscience Honour nay my Life Nay both shall die and by your Father's hand Me. Oh! Madam I am sure that fear is vain Pray send for him I know he 'll give consent Ba. Oh! horrour horrour Me. Madam do not fear Run for my Father Ba. Will you murder me All of the Royal Race will seek my Life If I be known to love your Father's Son. Me. Madam we 'll fly to the Brave Enemy Ba. I fly away in secret with a man And with the Son of the King's Enemy Shou'd my Friends pardon me yet I shou'd dye With Shame and Horrour And I 'm much displeas'd You shou'd embrace such shameful thoughts o' me And I even scorn you for your loving me Since you believe I have no more desert Me. Madam your merit seems so great to me As gives a Grace to every thing you do You can do nothing will appear a fault Madam I 'le do such things to serve the King As will conceal the faults of my ill Birth Ba. You can do nothing Nature binds your hands Will you destroy your Father horrid thought Yet if you do not he destroys the King. That Hell surrounds you 't is impossible To come at you but through all Misery And why shou'd you desire such ill to me Then go if you 'd preserve my Love or Life Your stay will but incurr my Mortal hate Nay perhaps bring my Blood upon your head Me. The Gods forbid I 'le rather sink to Hell. Ba. Then go whilst I have one kind thought of you And my kind thoughts are all you shall enjoy Me. All this I fear'd expected almost wish'd So much I tender you above my self For my ill Father's Son must look for Plagues They are my Birthright and Inheritance And I shou'd be most cruel and unjust If I shou'd seek to fix 'em upon you No Madam fly our cursed House and me Your generous Loyalty I praise and love Though 't is the Sword of Heaven to cut me off Well Madam I will take my self away Nay more I beg you 'l throw me from your thoughts That I may ne're be trouble to you more Ba. Now he goes nearer to my heart than ever Aside 'T is dangerous to see or hear him more And cruelty to send him bleeding hence Without some Balm My Lord I were unjust To love you least when you deserve it most No no you ever shall possess my thoughts And Heaven that made me has no more of me Me. Oh! Madam many thousand thousand thanks For this Compassion though 't will be no more Than a fair Monument o're a dead Wretch Ba. Oh! I have held my violent Grief till now To make our parting easie as I cou'd But now I 've lost all power o're my self And if you longer stay I shall fall dead Go if y 'ave pity for your self or me Me. I go I go and now can easier go Your kind Tears comfort me oh wretched me The grief of her I love is all my joy And now a long farewel my Love was born In a most fatal Field in Deaths dark shades And it will ne're have Health till it repair To Death again its Mournful Native Air. Exit Ba. He 's gone and I shall never see him more I must not will not dare not see him more I 'le fly if possible all thoughts of him All knowledge of my self Poor Womankind Heaven for our ruin gifts on us bestows Charms to allure no Power to opppose In Passion we are strong in Reason weak Constant alone to errour and mistake In Vertue feign'd in Vanity sincere Witty in Sin and for Damnation fair Exeunt Omnes ACT V. SCENE A Garden Enter Memnon Me. OH I am blasted in my Bloom of Youth I am more miserable for my Youth For the more Years and Life I have to come The larger Fields of Misery and Shame Have my unhappy Father sowed for me Well I will trouble nothing but my self I 'le wander from my Friends my Fortunes Hopes Then like a Plummet parted from the Line I will sink down in deep obscurity Where never more shall trace be found o' me Ha! oh my Heart the Princess comes this way Enter Barzana and Oronte Comes like a sudden spring on my dead hopes And forces 'em methinks into new Life Something methinks from Heaven stops my
Monarch o' the Universe And for the common Cause of all Crown'd Heads I challenge the Revenge due to my Blood. Pol. Sir it will be reveng'd your Murderers Are in the hands of your most Faithful Slaves Da. I 'm glad on 't for the sake of all Mankind Pity the Sea has bounds if Sin has none Better men sunk in Sea than Villany I 'm faint and thirsty I but lately saw Some drinking at a Spring not far from hence A little Water wou'd refresh me much Pol. Sir it was I you shall have some with speed Pol. fetches the King water in his Helmet the King drinks Da. How vainly do we pity Poverty The Gods sit at the Table o' the Poor And turn their Water to delicious Wine Never had I in pompous Luxury Such Pleasure as this draught o'water yields But Fortune does pursue me to the last I 'm forc'd to beg even Water for my Thirst And though a King I cannot pay for it But Alexander will give me thy hand Prethee for me touch Alexander's hand The â—ole remaining Pledge I have to give For all my grateful Love to that brave Prince Dyes Pol. He 's gone he 's gone and it is well he 's so Oh! wretched Prince whose Happiness is Death Let 's bear the Sacred Body to our King For he will give it Royal Funerals Ex. Poly. and Persians with the Body Enter another way Artabazus Patron Persians Greeks with Bessus and Nabarzanes chain'd and wounded Per. Here is the Spring the King 's not far from hence Ar. Oh! no for see the ground all stain'd with Blood. And no doubt Royal Blood let us pursue The dreadful track 't will bring us to the King. Pa. 'T will bring these Villains to Damnation Enter a Persian 2 Per. My Lord I met the Macedonians With the King's Body and the King is dead Ar. Oh! Prince the best and yet most wrong'd of men What Joy and Glory did he not deserve And yet what Misery did he not endure And now deny'd the comfort of Revenge Pa. Perhaps he may enjoy it after Death Oh Royal Shade if yet thou be'st not fled To blest Abodes bear this detested place But while we entertain thee with Revenge Drink sweet Revenge till thy great sorrows Sleep Then thou and all good things fly hence for ever Here take these Monsters torture 'em to Death Ha! pleasing Harmony hear you it not Soft Musick Ar. Yes with great Admiration for methinks This is no time or place for such delight Pa. A Sence of the Kings Murder seems imprest On Beasts and Plants and every thing but those Who threw at once their King and Nature off Lyons come roaring from their Caves then dy'd The Cedars groan'd then fell Th' Earth deeply tore Her Bowels and then wept a bloody Spring Streight all the Plants and Flowers droop'd and dy'd They must be most unnatural Villains then That now find Pleasure but none such are near Enter a Persian Per. My Lord the Traytours are in Torments Dead The Scene is drawn and the Carcasses of Bessus and Nabarzanes are seen hung in Chains and stuck with Darts a Guard attending At another part o' the Stage is seen the Ghost of Darius brightly habited Pa. Oh! now I see the Cause of these Divine Miraculous Sounds I see the King the King More Lively than he ever was in 's Life More Pompous than in all his Royal Pomp. Ar. I see him and my Spirit rais'd with joy Ascends to meet him happy Vision Vertue triumphing over Villany Pa. The Royal Shadow smiles and points to 'em Ar. This is the difference 'tween the good and bad Death shews it truly Life is a false light But the true Diamond appears by Night Ex. The EPILOGUE spoke by her that acts Barzana OVR Poet fears he too much Blood has shed So I am come to shew I am not dead My Part will all the wanton Masks displease That 's half the Pit and all the Galleries Rather than take into my Breast a Fair And brave young Lover thrust a Dagger there You put your Bosomes to another use 'T is a vile Pagan Custome I produce Pagans may rather dye than be debauch'd Good Christians Sin to be well Kept and Coach'd Besides to kill my self for Love I fear Will to you Sparks improbable appear Who in side Boxes daily crowd and there Plant all your murdering shot against the Fair Four Teer of Beaus o're one another plac'd And each one hopes to kill a Box at least And yet with all this terrible design Sink not one Heart only the Playhouse Coyn. How you look down with scorn on a Pit Beau The Wretch into his Grave does living go The Lord may have some Mercy on his Ghost Bus as for his poor Body that 's quite lost Now our side Boxes are a Smithfield grown Where Town and Country Nags for Sale are shown Where any Lady may her humour fit With a tall Palfry or a little Tit. And yet I do not hear the Ladies buy Nay Sirs they towards you hardly cast an Eye The Ladies nobly pay the House their due Why shou'd they give four Shillings to see you Not all your Faces are worth half the Sum Get Flags and Trumpets and try who will come The Images of Virtue we have shewn We know will please you Hero's o' the Town And Heroines because they are your own In Gallant faithful Patron and my dear Lov'd Memnon you brave men of Arms appear The Ladies in Barzana see your Face Of their fair minds but in no flattering Glass All love to see themselves the foul will stare In Glasses though they meet with Goblings there But all the little hopping fluttering Sparks You catch with Glasses as you do the Larks Place a fair Glass directly in the eye Of a young Beau he never can pass by Young Souldiers discipline their Graces there Face to the right the left then as you were She combs first o're the right Shoulder then o're the left then sets her Cravat Strings We pray all daily to this Glass repair FINIS