The stormy night now she her period knows Cruel and fierce like an old Tyrant grows Whilst all her Train before her Mistress dyes Revel about and ransack all the Skyes Matth. This Tempest comes from Heaven's dispensive hand These Divine Riddles who can understand What means that fiery Sword 's mysterious Ray Which o're our shaking Towers night and day In Heaven's bright Canopy does proudly shine As brandisht by the Majesty Divine Sag. Methinks Jerusalem at her solemn Feast Seems treated like the Tyrants trembling Guest In Purple clad her Table richly spread But death and horrour hanging o're her head Phin. Heaven's Arch ne're shone with such a light before It seems as if some Angel lictour bore The blazing Fasces at the passing by Of some Divine Procession in the Skye Matth. Alas we in Jerusalem daily see A greater and a living Prodigie A man-like Eccho pin'd into a Sound A walking Vault that does one tone rebound And night and day does in our Streets proclaim With restless Soul Woes to Jerusalem And nor for Prayers nor Racks concern'd will be But senseless as Dodona's vocal Tree But ha the wrestling winds are out of breath And all is silent now like sleep or death Phin. The tilting winds have stopt in full career And the fierce Lightning now has broke his Spear Sag. The appeas'd Clouds now mildly kiss the shore Of that bright Skye they did assault before Noise is heard like an Earthquake Matth. What frightful noise is that Sag. In the Earth's Womb The four imprison'd winds contend for room Matth. The shaking Earth is seiz'd with trembling pangs And on thin air the vaulting City hangs A small voice is heard Phin. Hark! a shrill voice beneath the Altar cries Sag. Some ominous Bird sure through the Temple flies The Prophet is discover'd asleep by the Altar But ha see where the restless Prophet's thrown That is the ominous Bird whose frightful tone Fills all Jerusalem with pannick fear What pow'rful Demon has convey'd him there Phin. The Spirit of Ob that in the Wizard cries From whence he has his lying Prophecies Seize on the shrieking Owl shall he alone Have rest that let 's Jerusalem have none Matth. Forbear This Creature like a Trumpet knows No sound he gives it is Heaven's breath that blows Prophet wakes and rises Proph. From the bright dwellings of the rising Sun And from his resting place when day is done From the four winds and the Earth's hollow womb A Voice a Voice a dreadful Voice is come A Voice against our Elders Priests and Scribes Our City Temple and our holy Tribes Against the Bridegroom and the joyful Bride And all that in Jerusalem reside Woe woe woe Phin. Stop stop the Witch Matth. Hold let him pass secure His raving Soul does pain enough endure And his unconquer'd flesh no torment lacks H 'as weary'd Torturers and torn the Racks As if unsoul'd and acted by some Power That sent him here as Fate 's Ambassador Phin. No Law of Nations shou'd be his defence He seems an Agent for some Pestilence Matth. Begone poor wretch and seek thy own repose And Heaven prepare us for these threaten'd Woes Proph. Woe woe woe Ex. Prophet Phin. He grates my Ears with this unpleasant sound But heark a Voice does from the Vault rebound A great Voice is heard from under the Stage like a Tube Matth. A Voice 't is Thunder or some Pagan God Groans here tormented chace't from his abode The Voice cryes Let us depart Let us depart the horrid Voice does cry What art that call'st and whither shou'd we fly Phin. The Temple lives it mov'd before and broke The bars that fetter'd it and now it spoke Matth. It rather dyes and these affrightful groans Are its departing Soul 's contending moans The Vale flies open and shews the Sanctum Sanctorum Matth. But oh retire the sacred Curtain tears And all the Temple 's bright third Heaven appears And to the prophanation of our Eyes Exposes all the Divine Mysteries Sag. It seems as if the starry Heaven were rent And Angels shone through the torn Firmament Matth. And see one of that bright and heavenly Quire Appears above all clad in Robes of fire And now does from the golden Roof descend Whilst the Vaults groan and yielding Arches bend Sag. Let 's fall upon our faces lest we dye Phin. Haste to the Incense Altar let us flye Matth. You may but I fix'd here will boldly stay And hear what this strange Messenger will say An Angel descends over the Altar and speaks Ang. Stay stay your flight fond men Heav'n does despise All your vain Incense Prayers and Sacrifice Now is arriv'd Jerusalem's fatal Hour When She and Sacrifice must be no more Long against Heaven hast thou Rebellious Town Thy publick Trumpets of Defiance blown Didst open Wars against thy Lord maintain And all his Messengers of Peace hast slain And now the Hour of his Revenge is come Thy Weeks are finish'd and thy slumbring doom Which long has laid in the Divine Decree Is now arous'd from his dull Lethargie His Army 's rais'd and his Commission seal'd His Order's given and cannot be repeal'd And now thy People Temple Altars all Must in one total Desolation fall Heav'n will in sad Procession walk the round And level all thy Buildings with the ground And from the Soil enrich'd with humane blood Shall Grass spring up where Palaces have stood Where Beasts shall feed and a revenge obtain For all the thousands at thy Altars slain And this once blessed House where Angels came To bathe their aiery wings in holy flame Like a swift Vision or a flash of light All wrapt in Fire shall vanish in thy sight And thrown aside amongst the common store Sink down in Times Abyss and rise no more The Angel ascends Matth. Oh wondrous Vision Oh I faint with fear Was it a humane Voice that fill'd my Ear A real sight that entertain'd my Eye Or was I snatch'd into some Extasie Sag. Whether I dream't or dy'd I cannot tell For yet more life does in a Statue dwell Phin. I liv'd and wak'd and with these stedfast Eyes Saw the strange Vision both descend and rise And with a Voice that cou'd no Ears deceive Heard it speak wonders more than I 'le believe Matth. Did he not tell us in a threatning tone Jerusalem's fatal Hour was hast'ning on As if that ours and Truths eternal Sun Had but few Minutes of his Race to run And this bright Heaven shou'd then be taken down And among all Time's common Trophies thrown Phin. It did Matth. It must be some illusion then The Starry Heav'n shall not so long remain It s Basis cannot so much strength afford That stands on Nature this on Nature's Lord. Nay that depends on this For d' ye suppose Th' unweary'd Sun his daily progress goes And the Earth's Womb her various Off-spring bears Only as Vassals to Idolaters And yields her Gums and Spices to maintain Some Glutton's Table or
whilst both from Tow'rs and Walls To the Idumean Troops a Rabble calls Crying save us save Jerusalem and assist Your Brethren ' gainst a proud usurping Priest Phin. The Treason 's out now let 's the Traytors seize Matth. These are the Grand Seducers fall on these Phineas and the Guard chace John and the Pharisees off the Stage Matth. Now haste to th' Edomites without the Gate To Sagan And tell 'em they the impious pleasures wait Of Thieves who Rob what they pretend to Guard And would their Aid with Sacriledge reward If on fair Terms they to depart deny Defend the Gates and with your Darts reply Ex. Sagan And now I guarded by the sole defence Of these blest Robes and my own Innocence Will to these Favourites of Heav'n to know What new Credentials they have now to show For these proud Men their own Commissions Seal And place their sole Authority on Zeal Matthias goes out and the Temple Gates are clos'd and a Guard plac'd ACT II. SCENE I. After Clashing and Shouts without Enter Phineas and a Levite Scene a Street Phin. TRiumphant News Let us our voices raise And fill the Steets with Joyful sounds of Praise The Parthian King with the brave unknown Prince Men that seem dropt from Heav'n for our defence Have chas'd the Rebels to their Vaults and Towers As storms drive flying Billows to the Shores Lev. The Kings great Soul wants but the light Divine To make it every way with Glory shine But see the Train approach the Pallace Gate Whilst joyful Crowds on their Preserver wait Enter Phraartes Monobazus Matthias Queen Berenice Clarona Semandra Phedra Guards Two or Three Prisoners Phraar You lift your Swords against a King from whence Has your base Spirits all this Insolence To Prisoners You sordid Villains at the best are made For the low Earth on which a King should tread By the mean Victory my Sword has gain'd I have my self and Dignity profan'd And can my self no Expiation make Less on their Altars I revenge should take Which I forgive but Drag these Slaves away With speed out of your Monarchs sight and lay Their servile Necks beneath the High Priests Feet Let him dispose of 'em as he thinks meet Guard Carries them to Matthias whilst Phraartes turns to Clarona Phraar Fair injur'd Power what Offering shall I make These I disdain to give and you to take 'T were Sacriledge designing to appease Your Anger with whole Hecatombs of these So many Princes at your Feet should lye And at your Sentence either live or dye Howe're a Royal Sacrifice I bring The Flaming Soul of a Love-wounded King Claro Great Prince the Joy I in your Triumphs find Has more already than appeas'd my mind For though I know not love and any Flame But that of pure Devotion must disclaim Yet for the Gen'rous and truly brave Of all Religions I a Friendship have And as for others I my Pray'rs employ For your great Soul I 'd be content to dye And oh how rich an offering would it be To Heaven which you thus vainly make to me Phraar Oh! tell not me of Heav'n and Powers above There 's no Elizium but Clarona's Love Claro To a poor Shrine you offer your regard Where you must take Devotion for reward Monob. Madam you Crown with undeserved Praise A courage you did both inspire and raise Qu. Beren I but my sense of Gratitude would shew For what your Valour Sir did twice bestow Nor can the breath by your defence enjoy'd Be better sure then in your Praise employ'd Matth. Go and abuse the Liberty I give To the Prisoners ' Gainst him by whose indulgence now you live Not all the wrong I from your hate indure Shall one Revengeful deed from me procure As fellow Servants of one Lord above You shall enjoy my pity and my Love But yet I will empale my Masters ground And from the rotten Sheep protect the sound 1. Phar. We 'll do the same and Guard them from the Power Of wicked Shepherds who the Flock devour Matth. These men Heaven's Favourites themselves repute And then as such none must their Power dispute Prisoners are dismist and Matth. turns to Phraar and Monob. Now valiant Princes we must pay to you The publick Triumphs which to both are due And to the Mighty Parthian King who springs Of Jewish blood by a long Race of Kings Let the great Shades of all who wore this Crown For their sav'd Monuments his Valour own And now the Stars their twinckling Fires disclose And night approaching summons to repose Let Guards these Royal Persons wait with care Who both my Guests and my Protectors are They all go out attended with a Guard except Matthias and Phineas who stay and Enter the Sagan Matth. Now what from Edom will they stay or Fly And our Indulgence or our Valour try Sag. They are resolv'd to guard the Rebel Crue Till you free them or else the Romans you Matth. And do they know on whose designs they wait Sag. They Stile 'em Saints and Guardians of the State Till they are free'd they 'l not our Walls forsake But send for Wives and a Plantation make Set Javelins till they grow whose Martial shade Shall serve for Shelter and for Ambuscade Matth. Now it is plain these Idumeans came To adde fresh Brands to our domestick flame And on pretence our Tumults to appease To share with Thieves in publick Robberies But I 'le see well to all the Guards to night And if to morrow the bold Edemite In Thieves defence to face our walls shall dare Their Martial Plants unpleasant Fruit shall bear Ex. omnes SCENE II. The Pallace Enter Queen Berenice and Semandra Seman Come Madam please to rest this silent Night Kind sleep does to her Bowers our sense invite Q. Ber. Let the soft thing to dying Lovers go And on despairing Minds her Balm bestow The Joy the happy hour's approaching near When I must leave my dull Devotion here And on Loves wings to my Vespasian fly Transports my Soul to such an Extasie That with an Empires price should not be bought The single pleasure of one flying thought Tell me Semandra dost thou not espy A New delightful Spirit in my eye Does not my chearful blood its Revels take And often in my Cheeks fresh Sallies make Semand Ah Madam your triumphant Beauties wear Glories too bright for my weak eyes to bear Q. Beren Be gone thou Paint'st me in a Flattering Dress Semand Rather no Tongue your Beauties can express Queen Beren pulls out a Glass and looks in it Q. Beren Indeed my Glass will needs obliging be I fear th' unfaithful thing takes part with thee Semand By all that 's fair it does its trust betray Nor half the Beauties it receives repay Q. Ber. Nay I confess I 'm pleas'd for I must own I was half weary of Devotion grown What with the grief for my dear Brothers blood What with the Clamours of the foolish Crowd Who their own safety madly
Cause our Innocence and Prayer Nay we have Armies mustering in the Air And are to Arms invited from above The Winds are join'd to represent our Love Troops rendezvous'd in Clouds to shew from whence In our distress we may expect defence A fire shone round the Temple to declare Pure Reformation is enkindled there The Brazen Gates untouch'd were seen to move To let us know the Gates of Divine Love Were opening to us if we 'll enter in And now Jerusalem's glory does begin Eleaz. Oh! blessed hour and yet more blessed we Who in this work the Instruments shall be 1. Phar. We are too few the sweet rewards to share 2. Phar. They will be more than humane strength can bear Eleaz. Nay we to farther aid have no pretence But yet our Friends that come for our defence May of our mighty deeds Spectators be John They shall admittance have in Charity Not that in such a Cause their Swords we need A Cause that will reward each drop we bleed Sinners who dye in it may at the price Of a few Traytors heads buy Paradise Has any here Defil'd a Sister or a Father slain A Traytor 's blood will wash away the stain And if to Sinners such Rewards accrew What Joys what Pleasures will be showr'd on you Who are all Saints Omn. All all Eleaz. I am in pain My breast cannot my furious zeal contain John And now my Friends when Providence shall deal Rewards and Blessings to your faithful zeal And you shall make division as you please O' th' hoorded wealth of richest Palaces Oh do not cast a hot and lustful eye Upon the Temple if she naked lye And her bright Gold should on your fingers smile Take heed for that will all the rest defile 1. Phar. Oh doubt us not John Still barring all Constraint For nothing is so sacred as a Saint And in our own defence we may make bold Serving our Master with our Master's Gold One Enter But see the Spye we at the Palace plac'd To watch the Sanhedrim returns in haste Mess O Sirs to Arms a Voice from Heaven calls From foggy Clouds a sleepy Unguent falls And some good Angel round the Palace flyes And with it has annointed all their Eyes But to the Priests does double Portions give That nothing in the Palace seems to live But a few pining Lamps that burn so dim They seem as drousie as the Sanhedrim John 'T is plain Heav'n aids our holy Cause and sends A Spirit to bind their hands and help his Friends 2. Phar. If we with speed these Traytors not destroy Angels will do 't and rob us of the joy 3. Phar. Haste haste let us go fire the Palace straight John No first assist our Friends without the Gate Both shelter and revenge will now be good Eleaz. Yes let them warm themselves with Travtors blood 3. Phar. But will not the strong Gate despise our pains 'T is clad in Iron and girded round with Chains John Fear not I can the sacred Tools produce Kept in the Tower for the Temple's use And they can force it open in a trice With as much ease as Prayer does Paradise Eleaz. Haste haste the Cocks have thrice alarm'd the dawn And Night's black Chariot as by Whirle-winds drawn Drives on to its last Stage in solemn state Whilst raging Storms on her Retinue wait Now whilst the Tempest rocks the drowsie Town Oh! let the heavenly work with speed be done 2. Phar. Now is the time their Souls like Flocks of Sheep Are kept for Sacrifice in Folds of sleep 1. Phar. The talking Ecchoes can conveigh no noise The busie Tempest all the air employs Enter one with Iron Bars and Tools John See! see the blessed Instruments are come Now Sinners hastens your eternal doom Hell will be crowded with the numerous flight Of unclean Birds we shall unpearch to night To Arms All. To Arms to Arms John But first let 's swear That each shall equally the danger share By Jerusalem All lift up their hands All. By Jerusalem John By the Temple All. By the Temple John By the Altar All. By the Altar John By the most binding Oath which we can swear By Corban the Divine Oblation there All. By Corban John Now let each draw his consecrated Sword Corban's the Oath and Liberty the Word So if I now succeed in this design Aside One more Religious Lye the Mitre's mine Exeunt A noise of breaking Locks and forcing Gates The Scene is drawn and Matthias Sagan Phineas and the whole Sanhedrim are represented sitting asleep Lamps burning and the Guards asleep at the Gate The Ghost of Herod arises Ghost Cries shrieks and groans from a lamenting Crowd Th' air fill'd with wandring Souls the Streets with blood In Seas of Fire the falling Buildings drown'd In Chains of sleep the Priests for slaughter bound Fit pleasure for a Tyrant's Ghost like me Worthy my Pilgrimage from Hell to see Sleep on you damn'd Tormentors of Mankind That humane Souls in aiery Fetters bind And all their little pleasures dearly sell And will not let 'em go in peace to Hell And thou proud Town who stil'st thy self Divine Queen of the world Heav'ns earthly Concubine Who all his favour to thy self hast gain'd Art at th' expence of Miracles maintain'd And fill'st the gazing world with pannick fears Tremble for see within thy Walls appears The brightest Vision of this threatning Night The Ghost of Herod the great Edomite Greatest of all abandon'd Esau's Line Who in thy Throne once Royally did shine Ravish thy Beauty and thy Lord disgrace And took his Mistress to my own embrace And not contented to defile his Bed His Altars rob'd and on his Victims fed Revell'd in blood and did his power despise And in contempt of all his Prophesies Plac'd Esau's Chains of slavery on Thee And soundly scourg'd old Jacob's Treachery Then with mock penitence for all my guilt To my own glory I thy Temple built Now all the Ills in life I could not do La malicious tortur'd Ghost pursue Lash me ye Furies blow th' infernal fire Fill me with rage that I may now inspire My Nation with the Spirit on 't refin'd And pour it scalding into every mind And you gull'd Priests invoke no more Heav'ns aid He has you all into my power betray'd And He go whet the Idumean Swords And nobly banquet the infernal Birds They flock about and heaps of Carrion smell I 'le make to night a Jubilee in Hell Exit The Ghost goes out and noise of clashing of Swords shricking and knocking at the Gate is heard at which they all awake Matth. In what dark Cave has all our Souls been bound Phin. Or in what drousie Labyrinth wandring round Sag. Rather to what infernal Dungeon lead Guarded with Fiends and haunted with the Dead For I have been with droves of Souls pursu'd Chac'd hot and reeking from warm Flesh and Blood Phin. I nothing dream'd but was securely laid As void of sense as e're my Soul was made