Exit Guard. Now is the time to put a period to This languishing Distemper flattering Fever This merry Madness this Apulian Sting That makes men rage in measures now I 'le shake off This rude Companion Love that blinds Men first Then gives them blows in jest that smart in earnest Enter Guard with Zeylan disguis'd Zey Am I betray'd or no Here stands the Prince But where 's my Guide I know not 'T is no matter I 'll make a bold Attack and lose my Life in 't Tam. Let all withdraw and leave me with this Stranger Come Friend draw nearer view me more exactly And tell me if your Partner in Affliction Has kept his Word Am I forsworn or no Am not I Tamerlane Zey Death 't is the same Shining in all his Glory What means this Riddle Tam. Nay fear not to come near me Zey 'T is not Fear but Wonder Tam. Here take this Dagger strike this open Brest But yet before you do this welcom Act Here is the Door you must escape at to The River's side where lies a Boat prepar'd To take in the next Comer which will strait Row you to Zeylan's Citadel before The Deed be known and here 's a Cabinet Not very weighty but worth many Millions The Spoils of Turky Persia Aegypt China Muscovy Syria Afric Indostan If thou get'st clear from hence thou hast enough To purchase thee a Kingdom Zey Sure Fame has Not â—latter'd him he 's a Man of wond'rous Virtue But Thrones are not exempt from fatal Sorrows Can I consent to kill my Benefactor Tam. There 's nothing thou canst do that can deserve So great Rewards but this Alass I 'm weary Of Life my Empire is too great a Burden Without the over-weight of private Griefs I never yet refus'd the thing was ask'd me Nor ever sent a sad Man from my presence And shall I be deny'd so small so just a Favor Zey My Vengeance fails me Most Heroiâ— Prince I cannot guide this Dagger to your Brest I beg but one Request in satisfaction Of all the Wrongs the World or you have done me Tam. Refuse not this to me and I 'll refuse thee Nothing that my unbounded Empire yields Zey Here on my knees I 'll try your Virtue first I beg Sir a young Beardless Captain 's Life That is condemn'd to dye for letting Zeylan Escape that was his Prisoner Tam. I grant it freely Zey Why then as freely here I give you Zeylan pulls off his disguise With all my Forces all my Reputation Acquir'd in Arms and lye still at your Mercy But know the weighty Reason she 's my Mistress In that disguise No smothering Revenge Nor over-looking Envy nor vile Treason Mov'd me to this but her dear Life endanger'd Urg'd me to undertake your Death my own The ruin of the World that my fair Saint Might fly out in the merciful Confusion Tam. But art thou Zeylan Welcom noble Prince Embraces him Prop to thy falling Country China's Redeemer Can there be so much Virtue in the World And Love the Cause dire Love that monstrous Passion 'T is I that am thy Prisoner here I yield thee My Sword with all its Conquests all its Glories With more serene and unconcern'd a Freedom Than Virgins do their Beauties Saints their Souls To Heaven or Hymen but besure thou give No Qâ—â—rter take my Life for if thou spare it Perhaps I 〈◊〉 resume the rest Thou art The â—ittest man to execute this Sacred Act Oh now 't is Justice that before was Fury Zey Pray Sir be pleased to call first to your Guards Her precious Life 's at stake Tam. Guards make hast Carry my Pardon to the sentenc'd Captain That let Prince Zeylan scape Now Sir To my Request be speedy and begone With all your Treasure lest the Soldiers Fury O'rwhelm you Come ease me quickly Zey I have not Sir been bred in Foreign Courts Nor can I talk of high-flown Rules of Honor Those nice distinctionss fram'd in Virtues School But I have some rude Sparks of Nature show me By their dim light How great a Monster is Ingratitude Tam. Thou art ungrateful then if thou deny me this So just Request since I have answer'd thine Death is to me a greater Gift than Life Is to thy Mistress Is there a greater good Than to be lull'd asleep from endless griefs And wake no more to find ' em Thou art unjust too to thy Native Country Nor canst thou answer this to Heav'n or Earth Nor will the Ghost of all thy slaughter'd Friends Let thee sleep quiet till they are Reveng'd They 'l haunt thee tear thee in ten Thousand pieces And send a Sampler of thee to each Corner Of the wide Mischief-studying Earth to teach The World the Fate of Traytors to their Country Zey I never heard Great Tamerlane abus'd Heav'ns favors to excess but his kind Sword Still carv'd out work for his diffusive Mercy The petty Wranglers of the Universe Chose rather to submit to his Just Sceptre Than to subdue each other Shall I deprive the World of all its Lustre The Ornament of Story Task of Fame Extinguish the great Light graces and guides it And by your Glory raise my Infamy Urge me not to a Crime your self would fly from Tam. Is there such Honour in the World besides How many Climates have I pass'd and now At last have found it in this Savage Corner Sure 't is Instill'd by Nature not by Precept 'T is time to dye now for a weighty Reason Thou hast out-done me in my own Pretensions And rais'd the price of Honor to that rate ' Twou'd ruine me and all my Conquer'd Earth To rise to that vast purchase Oh the Mark 's too high For me to reach I 'll quit the Field In Virtue and return to Tyranny Kill me or else thy Mistress dyes Zey kneeling The Gods forbid Oh look upon her first and she will melt you You cannot hurt so sweet an Innocence I know you cannot Nature will not bear it She 'l smile away your Anger or she 'l thaw Your frozen heart t' a Torrent with her Tears She is the Joy of Nature Pride of Heav'n The Idol of all Eyes that e'r beheld her Tygers wou'd lose their Fierceness at her sight And can Mankind hold Weapons to destroy her Oh save her save her save her Virtuous Prince And let my Life redeem her Tam. Rise brave Friend No both shall live together and live happy I take delight in the content of all men Less dear than thee tho I have none my Self Well I 'll not press thee 'gainst the sense of Honor And Nature too I know too well the weight They bear in well-born Souls A thousand ways There are to the great Joy that thou deny'st me I 'll wait a little longer spread my Sails To the next Wind to wast me to my Port Where I will Anchor and Lanch out no more But to return th' Heroic Resignation I make thee King of China Zey Vice-Roy rather When
THE SACRIFICE A TRAGEDY By the Honorable Sir FRANCIS FANE Knight of the BATH The Second Edition Quae poterunt unquam satis expurgare cicutae Ni melius dormire putem quam scribere Versus Hor. LONDON Printed by I. R. for Iohn Weld at the Crown between the Temple Gates in Fleetstreet MDCLXXXVII Licensed May 4. 1686. Ro. L'Estrange To the Right Honorable CHARLES EARL of Dorset and Middlesex c. Lord Lieutenant of the County of Sussex My Lord HAving long since devoted my self to a Country Life and wanting Patience to attend the leisure of the Stage I have adventur'd to exposed this Tragedy without Action but I shall never be much asham'd of it since it has had the Honor of your Lordships Approbation whose admirable Genius in Poetry has long since given you a just Title to preside over all Causes of that kind and whose Judgement never Errs but when 't is seduc'd by your Extraordinory Candor Yet to have a share in your Lordship's Mercy rather than all the Clamorous Applauses of the Vulgar shall ever be esteemed a greater Honor to My Lord Your Lordships most Obliged and Humble Servant FRANCIS FANE TO THE AUTHOR WHen o'r the World the mild Augustus Reign'd Wit 's Empire too the Roman Poets gain'd So when the first auspicious James possest Our Brittish World and in Possessing blest Our Poets wore the Lawrels of the Age While Shakespear Fletcher Johnson Crown'd the Stage And tho our Caesars since have rais'd the State Our Poetry sustains the Roman Fate In less Essays successful we have been But lost the Nobler Province of the Scene Perverters not Reformers of the Stage Deprav'd to Farce or more fantastick Rage How therefore shall we Celebrate thy Name Whose Genius has so well retriev'd our Fame Whose happy Muse such Wonders can impart And temper Shakespear's Flame with Johnson's Art. Whose Characters set just Examples forth Mix Humane Frailties with Heroick Worth Shunning th' Extreams in Modern Heroes seen Than God's more perfect or more frail than Men. With Reason Nature Truth our Minds you treat Aâ—d shew a Prince irregularly Great A generous Soul storm'd by impetuous Love Which yet from Virtue 's Centre scorns to move Thus while the Hero does himself defeat Your Tamerlane is rendred truly GREAT When by his Troops whole Empires were o'rthrown 'T was Fortune's Work this Conquest was his own Your Monarch rages in Othello's Strain Iago in Ragalzan lives again Not Hecuba like your Despina Rag'd Like Her for Empire and a Monarchs Fate engag'd With Iphigene your Fair Irene vies And falls a more lamented Sacrifice Your Style tho just subservient to the Thought Your Numbers in Majestic Plainness wrought Methinks I see the Pyrat-Wits of France Already to this Noble Prize Advance An Artifice in which they most excel But still the Sense they steal they Husband well Thus Sir they 'l melt your Oar tho not Refine While each rich Thought of yours each massey Line Drawn to French Wire shall through whole Volumes shine Accept our Thanks tho you decline the Stage That yet you condescend the Press t' engage For while we thus possess the precious Store Our Benefit's the same your Glory more Thus for a Theatre the World you find And your Applauding Audience All Mankind N. TATE To Sir FRANCIS FANE on his Admirable Play the SACRIFICE WE have of late with heedless Scenes been fed With Plays fit only to be seen not read As tho with Rochester all Sence were dead But when that Prince of Wit did yield to death As his best Legacy he did bequeath To you his Friend his great Poetick Power And in it nam'd you for his Successour Strait Wit 's great Council sate that Critick Tribe Who did your Title to the Gift subscribe And by their Heralds did aloud declare To all the World you were his lawful Heir And now to satisfie pretending Men You have confirm'd your Title by your Pen. For by your charming measures you have taught You do inherit that dear thing call'd Thought Cease then ye Factious Wits and never dare Attempt the Laurel from his Head to tare For whilst he doth Wit 's Glorious Scepter sway Ye cannot happier be than to obey And if against his Laws ye ne'r rebel Both Italy and France We shall in Wit as well as Arms excel Then Sir how much is due t'you from the Age That you your Learned Thoughts should thus engage Once more to send a Pattern to the Stage A Play correct where Art and Nature 's shown That 's self Existent and depends on none Where Wit like Souls in Bodies by your Art Is all in all and all in ev'ry part Shou'd Traiterous Whiggs but view the lasting Dress That you 've put on Ragalzan's Wickedness Tho hatred to the best of Kings they wear Yet all designs against him they 'd forbear Lest you shou'd make them your next Character For well 't is known that whatsoe'r you write Will see the Sun till all things end in Night And tho these Villains Rope nor Ax do fear Yet everlasting Shame they cannot bear If happy Souls above can view the State Of things below Despina for her Fate Will thank the Gods now to her Virtuous Name Your well wrought Lines have given a happy Fame Irene too that Pious Beauteous Prize No more wou'd blame the Effects of her dear Eyes Since by it she 's become your Sacrifice IOHN ROBINS To the Honorable Sir FRANCIS FANE On his Excellent Play The Sacrifice LOng have our Priests condemn'd a Wicked Age And every Little Critick's senseless rage Damn'd a forsaken self-declining Stage Great 't is confess'd and many are our Crimes And no less profligate the Vicious Times But yet no wonder both prevail so Ill The Poets Fury and the Preachers Skill While to the World it is so plainly known They blame our Faults and never mind their own Let their Dull Pens flow with unlearned Spight And weakly Censure what the Skilful Write You Learned Sir a Nobler Pattern show Our best of Rules and best Example too Precepts and grave Instructions dully move The brave Performer better does Improve Thus in the truest Saryr you Excel And show how ill we Write by Writing well This Noble Piece which well deserves your Name I Read with Pleasure tho I Read with Shame The tender Lawrels which my Brows had drest Flag'd like young Flowers by too much Heat opprest The Generous Fire I felt in every Line Show'd me the cold the feeble Force of mine Henceforth I 'll you for Imitation chuse Your Nobler Flights will wing my Callow Muse. So the young Eagle is inform'd to fly Seeing the Monarch Bird ascend the Sky And tho with less Success her Strength she 'll try Spreads heâ— soft Wings and his vast Tract pursues Tho far above the Towring Prince she views Where the whole Work is so Divinely wrought The Rules so just and so sublime each Thought With such strict Art your Scenes in order
Injuries are Immortal kept alive By those that give no less than those that take 'em One justly hopes the other fears Revenge Purchasing Safety by a second blow Tame Christians court Affronts Let him not live And worship Mahomet that can forgive Exit Axalla Irene Ax. D' ye hear the news Iren. What of my Fathers Love Ax. Nay more than that The death of Bajazet Just now found dead in 's Cage wallowing in 's Blood. Iren. 'T is strange I 'm sure 't was not my Father's act Ax. I cannot tell this Love will change a man As much as a new Faith and Proselytes At their admission are injoin'd great Tasks Enter Despina weeping and Ragalzan Here comes the Mourner and the Mischief-maker I like not their acquaintance Iren. I wonder that he finds such Favor with the Emperor Ax. That his quick Eye sees not his bungling Flattery The Seam's so visible and gross Desp. O sad sad Story Rag. 'T was as I told you and your Dream confirms it Iren. Oh they come near How can I bear with patience The sight of her that gives so great Disquiet To my great Father blasts his glorious Name Rag. Madam did you observe Desp. What makes the Princess fly me Am I brought hither to be scorn'd as well as injur'd These are your Tartarian manners Rag. 'T is not her Education but Religion She 's bred a Christian and betroth'd to this Axalla 'T was they perswaded the Emperor to this Murder Desp. Did they a wondrous Act Oh my dear Sultan Just Heav'ns lend me the Power to vindicate his wrongs Send me the Furies I will turn 'em Saints By this my holy Justice Oh oh oh Weeps Rag. And since this peevish Girl has heard her Father's Passion She Vows she 'll never see you tho you shou'd stoop To be her Father's Wife Desp. A pretty Spark But I will see her tho I walk through Flames To meet her Enter Tamerlane Tam. Bless me 't is sad I was to blame to urge His patience to that height and yet he scorn'd All offers at my hands and had design'd For me the self-same Cage taken at Tauris 'T is true I order'd that Despina shou'd Not yet come near him but that was not well Ha! there she is and I begin to change In vain I struggle with Love's mighty Yoke And the contention 'twixt two powerful Passions Lays wast my Mind This Soultry heat of Love has scorch'd up quite The temperate Climes of Virtue I 'm become Like the Arabian Desart dry unfruitful Where nothing grows for Mankind's use 'T is all but horrid Rocks and Precipices And Tempest-beaten Sands to blind Men's Eyes And bury 'em alive How can I give Account of my great Charge Rag. He 's in his Passion now I 'll give him counsel Might I presume to guess your Royal troubles The beauteous Captive gives you some Disquiet Tam. Audacious Wretch how dar'st thou search into The Soveraign's Brest and rudely touch his Wounds Rag. You pity Sir her Husband 's dismal Fate Tam. True wsth unfeigned Sorrow Rag. But Sir may I proceed a little farther And 't is my humble care for your contentment And the continuance of your spotless Fame Tho for my Duty I shou'd meet my death By my too forward Zeal yet I will speak My Conscience for the Public Tam. Speak thy Grievance Rag. The death of Friends is but a Skin-deep wound To tough Mankind The Earth is over-stock'd The Feeding's bare the less the Herd the fatter What then of Foes or Rivals Love 's a Passion No Hero ought to blush for 't is their own It is the noblest Error of great Minds Or a Perfection rather born of the Same Parent Valor is excess of Heat 'T is a Majestiâ— Madness Heav'nly Fury None ever scap'd it of the Gods or Heroes Tam. What then Speak out Rag. Why then 't is strongly rumor'd That you are touch'd with that Celestial frailty Tam. Is it divulg'd so soon Well then since thou Hast guess'd so well I 'll tell thee my Disease She is the first of all that trivial Sex That ever gain'd the out-works of my Heart A kind Esteem But more S' has fir'd the Fort And turn'd out all the vigorous Defendants The Manly Vertues that secur'd the Place I ne'r knew Love before but for State Int'rest Which paâ—ns the Prince's Body for the Public Rag. So much the worse The first Loves are most dangerous The rest are flashes Sparkles of the former Doubly reflected Rainbows dying Ecchoes Diseases of the Brain are seldom cur'd And their first Fits most fatal if delay'd What fills the World with Madmen Is 't not Love Tam. My Reasoning faculty that was my guide Is so bewildred in this Hellish Fog That I do often grope for 't seldom find it Is there no Cure for this Rag. One very natural Breathing of a Vein in Fevers Or giving Vent to Vessels that wou'd break Tam. Oh but Discourse and Time may Conquer Passion Rag. Stay till a tickling Cough turns a Consumption For want of taking such a Sugar'd Medicine Statesmen in Love begin their Alphabet 'T is a new World an undiscover'd Coast. I 've Lov'd Enjoy'd and Lov'd and lost There is No Rock nor Shelf in all the dangerous Road Of Woman but I am your Pilot for 't Take it from me tho Honor gets the better 'T is a most costly Victory puts you to Th' expence of many thoughtful hours and wasts A wise Man's Brain that 's fit for nobler uses Love lyes in Ambush when you think the least on 't Rallies again and routs th' unsetled Victor And tho 't is oft pluck'd up with endless labor The rank Weed still appears But think I you shou'd make a Life of Passion To whine and dally and to truck for hearts Some Months or Years like other common Mortals A Prince's Love 's to like and to enjoy And then at once away with Love and puling Passion Tam. Are there no limits then for Princes Passions Rag. There may be yet 't were better to be eas'd At any rate than leave the World neglected Millions of Souls draw vital breath from yours The Soldiers murmur that you stop your Progress Pausing upon such Toys yet take this Cordial Fortune has made her free without your guilt Attempt to gain her Love by fair persuasion And take her to your Wife Tam. 'T were not unlawful But oh 't is Rash 't is Base 't is out of Season Rag. Then will you still expose this worthy Passion To your deriding Foes and grieving Friends Carry the Baby Love about the Army And ask the Soldiers how it does become you Ta. Thy Reasons have som weight my Thoughts are wandred And blown about with every gust of Passion For want of Reason's Ballast Here she comâ—s Enter Despina And turns thy Problems all to Demonstrations Rag. I and she comes to court you pray make use on 't Desp. Down down proud Billows of my Stormy â—rest Be calm one moment till I
bring thee where he is But since thou' rt in A killing mood thou shalt kill me not that I love him dearer than I do my self But 't is more Charity to kill a man prepar'd To ease a Wretch opprest And groaning under Loads of weighty Sorrows Zey Why shou'd I kill an Innocent that ne'r provok'd me Tam. Alass I 'm not so harmless I have done many vile and barbarous Murders Committed Sacrilege unpeopled Cities Here stands the Man that has destroy'd more of Mankind than ever Mortal did since the Creation Zey Alass poor Frantic Wretch Tam. Mistake me not I 've been a General And am guilty of all Crimes committed By my Command Then if a man deserves To dye for single Murders can the greater Number excuse him Men Duel for Revenge A hasty piece of Justice and do freely Exchange each others Lives which each man has a right to We murder Thousands that did ne'r provoke us With wrongful Deed or Sharper Contumelies Zey In that thou hast some Reason Tam. Nay lately I have done the most abhorr'dâ— And Hellish Act that History e'r spoke of I have condemn'd a guiltless Person twice Has sav'd my Life only to please my Lust. Don't I deserve Damnation May not I Obtain from thy kind Hand that longs to do Some great Heroic mischief The lovely Death-stroke Zey Alass I pity thee And have no cognizance of these thy Crimes Half wash'd away by Penitence Tam. Well then Suppose that I was Tamerlane wou'dst thou not kill me Zey I that I wou'd with much more eager hast Than quench my Thirst with Nectar or my Love With Venus or with Helen or with her Whom above all my longing Soul holds dearest Lov'd at first sight and never after chang'd Tam. I see 't is Love that makes us Madmen all Then I am Tamerlane the Terror of the World. Zey Rather it's Scorn or Pity Alass poor Madman Wrought up by idle Fumes t' affect to dye For such a Mighty Monarch Tam. I tell thee I Am he the Wrath of Heav'n the Scourge of Mortals 'T is I that have enslav'd thy Native Soil My Sword has Widow'd half the Universe Turn'd the World wrongside outwards in the toss Broke all the brittle Laws that e'r Mankind Compos'd their paltry Earthen wares of Justice And all for Glory damn'd eternal Fame Take thy Revenge Zey Vain Madman hold thy Peace Tam. VVhy then by Mahomet I am Zey Falsly Thou swear'st by thy false Prophet who can take No Vengeance for thy Perjury nor hears it Nor will I e'r believe thee Tam. aside Double Infidel It is impossible here to convince him VVell well I long to dye 'cause Life 's a burthen But if I show thee Tamerlane in all His glory compass'd in with Guards and circled VVith prostrate Princes in his bright Pavilion And like the Mid-day Sun with all his Rayes about him And after find out means to have him single And then a way for thee t' escape when thou Hast kill'd him VVill that merit Thanks or Friendship Zey VVhy now thou speak'st and cou'dst thou make it good VVere I the greatest Man that trod on Earth And with my hand cou'd reach the spangled Spheres And distribute mens Fortunes with their Stars I wou'd Depose my self to be thy Slave And lick the Dust before thee Tam If I betray thee Heav'n revenge the Falshood Zey Come then my perjur'd Madman I will trust thee And thou shalt Steer me in this unknown Coast For what have I to save Philarmia lost Exeunt Enter Ragalzan Despina Rag. This was a rare request a Master-piece of Malice There 's nothing but a Woman cou'd have thought on 't How cou'd you work him to this height Desp. With ease Lovers will wind themselves by Words to Passion Their Airy Talk turns Fire by Agitation Thus sometimes yielding sometimes aggravating 'Twixt Hope and Fear like Ships betray'd by Calms To greater Storms I then extorted from him Such monstrous Oaths such wild and Impious Offers The Gods might be asham'd to be so Hector'd Rag. Oh good good good But did not he deny What he affirm'd as soon as he had heard Your Admirable Suit Desp. Oh yes most fiercely But cou'd I think such mean things of a Hero A double Caesar Triple Alexander And you had told me all the Truth before Rag. It was too true How cou'd he be secure Had Bajazet escap'd The Turkish Garrisons Had all revolted But I 've found a way To make him constant to his Vow and swallow 't glibly The Mufti 's here and the Dervises too About Petitions from their several Churches The Mufti 's supler than a new oyl'd Tumbler When you have greas'd his Fist give him a colour To make things doubtful then throw Dice for Justice They all shall find it Lawful and require him To offer up his Daughter Desp. That 's enough Let me alone to give the fatal Period But how does he digest this Compound Passion Rag. I come not near him but he raves Divinely Love and Ambition fiercely sight within him When Nature steps to part them both fall on her Love pities her at last and takes her part Then both go to 't again and fight for ever Those Mastiffs are too keen to loose their hold Desp. Oh thou refreshest me with chearful Sounds With all the Musiâ— of sublime Revenge Oh thou hast given me Spirit of Joy to drink Rag. Nay then take t' other Dram. His pretty Daughter Came to him since and with her innocent Prate Has so betwich'd him that he went out strait And told his passion to the gaping Army And wou'd have kill'd himself if not prevented Desp. I wou'd have hindred him I wou'd not have him dye So unprepar'd His Life and Fame shall perish both together Rag. But yet some easier way might have been found Desp. This is the nobler method I 'll wound him in his Fame his tender'st part To which his Life has ever been a Drudge And run of errands over all the World I 'll make the angry Lyon scourge himself With his own Tail and then give him his Fate As certain as unlook'd for When he has offer'd up his bloody Victim To my great Shrine his dear and dutiful Irene The Saviour of his Life Age's Supporter Abhorr'd by all his Friends by 's Foes contemn'd Deserted by Mankind by Heav'n rejected Then let him dye with all his Shames about him Petty Revenges are for Petty Crimes And pardon me great Soul of Bajazet If th' Earth afford no greater an Atonement For thy dear Blood. Pray give me an account of all proceedings That we may feast our selves on his Afflictions Rag. I will not lose my share of the least morsel Exeunt Tamerlane in his Pavilion Princes and Servants about him Tam. giving a Ring to one of his Guards Go tell the Countryman that sits without At the Pavilion Gate that by this Token The man that left him there desires him to Come in not a word more upon your duty
beg the Friendship of the fair Irene Tam. Now you revive me Madam all my Sorrows Vanish like Dreams or like the gloomy Shades They steal away insensibly from Day-light And unperceiv'd like well-bred Courtiers slide Out of their Prince's Presence Oh how my Heart 's Enlarg'd the spacious Room left open For Airy lightsome thoughts there 's nothing lest That can disturb my Peace Strike off her Chains And bring her to the Empress Ax. The Gods Forbid What give her Sacred Life Into the Hands of one that Vows her Death â—â—ust not to cover'd Flames nor Furies reconcil'd Tam. Ha! hold a little To the Guards Desp. Am I suspected Then my Faith 's discharg'd And my Revenge chain'd up by unjust Pity Breaks loose again my darling dear Revenge And rages for its Prey Perform your Vow Great Sir. Ax. Oh hear a little May you not accept A meaner Offering for this mighty Princess As Deities of old took worthless Brutes To save Heroic Lives and give the Emperor A full discharge of his rash Vow Desp. If either of you dye Heav'n be my Witness I freely clear the Emperor of his Vow The other dyes of Grief by course Aside Ax. One Life to save a better 't is no Crime But an exchange to the advantage of All the surviving World Then thus Sir I absolve you Stabs himself Guard her dear Life or let just Vengeance shake Your Guilty Throne Tam. Oh desperate Fondness Ire Oh Heav'ns Irene swoons Tam. and Ragal run to her Tam. What ails Irene Ire Nothing but Dying Rag. Sure'tis not Grief alone I fear she 's Poyson'd By some corrupted Servant and I've heard Some mutt'ring on 't Tam. Hast thou indeed Rag. But here I have a Cordial-Antidote will expel Both Grief and Poyson too Tam. Give it her quickly Ragal gives it her Ha! She revives Rag. to Desp. But she 'l as soon relapse I 've poyson'd her without that State and Pomp Which I knew wou'd not take Desp. What needed that rash hast Rag. Ha! She relents and longs to be our Soveraign But I 'll secure her For fear of squeamish penitential Tales Then say 't was Justice for my murder'd Friend Goes to Ax. embraces him Ah my poor dying Friend dear fellow Soldier Have we out-liv'd all dangers from our Foes To dy thus tamely Sir can you bear these wrongs Just Heav'ns I cannot False Murdress Stabs Despina Desp. What thou Ragalzan Oh thou double Traytorâ— Didst not thou blow the Coals of my revenge Accuse them all of Bajazets Destruction Tam. Guards seize the Villain Rag. Can you believe her Sir She spits her Venom now she 's trod upon Tam. Hold me up Crantor I am faint with Sorrow Desp. I and with Poyson too Here was the Dagger kept To Vindicate my wrongs upon thy Daughter Whom now Ragalzan poyson'd Thou hast not many minutes left to live Nor I to tell thee how Dyes Tam. Blest be the hand that did it hadst thou spar'd One Life more precious than my own thou might'st Have bustled with the briskest Female Saints For place in Glory Ire Oh generous Soul Oh my belov'd Axalla Kneeling by him Oh tell thy poor Irene why thou wast So kindly cruel to thy self and me Ax. Live Princess Live live to thy Father's Joy The Empire 's quiet and the Ages Glory Oh live to teach the World more Innocence And let this Wretch expire who might have stay'd T' have lov'd you longer not have serv'd you better Dyes Ire What wou'dst thou have me live an Age of Sorrows When the first Moment of thy Fate has kill'd me I â—aint a pace Kind Heav'n has hear'd my Prayers Oh I come after thee nothing on Earth shall stop me Two Angels are my Bridemen Saints my Singers The Clouds my Chariot and the Skies my Shrine Where I for ever will join hands with thine Oh! 't is too much to have both Heav'n and Thee Dyes Tam. She 's gone the sweetest Saint Heav'n ever shin'd with Guards bear the guilty Wretch to Death and Torture Rag. Bear me in Triumph Guards I 've won the day And dye a greater Conqueror than thy self Most mighty Tamerlane thou and my lesser Foes About my Feet Tam. Away with the vile Traytor Ex. with Rag. He urg'd my Patience now I 'll dye in Peace Oh now I 'm safe Now the kind Poyson comes To end the Quarrel betwixt Love and Honor To satisfie my Friends secure my Fame You Gods that make unchangeable Decrees And lead Mankind in strong but unseen Lines If you assume us hence to nobler Seats Receive me quickly with a generous Freedom For no man's Works deserve so great Rewards The powers we have come from you And what Thanks Can they deserve who only pay what 's lent And have no power to Cheat Perhaps you scorn The beggarly return of Benefits Like Trafficking Mankind If these be your Resolves My hopes I Anchor on his generous Doctrine Whose Sepulcher in Iewry I paid Vows to Who gives Rewards yet Suffer'd to obtain'em And now I find voluptuous death steal on me And I begin to dream before I sleep Green Meadows Silver Streams and warbling Winds All the whole Sky a Rainbow Lovely Sight Who wou'd not dye for this Now I 'm i' th' Dark And there I leave thee World just as I ever found thee Dyeâ— FINIS Books Printed for John Weld c. THe Lives of Illustrious Men written in Latine by Cornelius Nepos and done into English by several Hands The Second Edition in 8â— 2. A Discourse of Wit shewing what 's meant by that which Men usually call so with its Causes different sorts and great abuses thereof also a Character of a Pretender to Wit with Choice Instructions for the attaining the Ingenious Art of Translating By D. A. M. D. in 12â— 3 There 's lately publish'd by Dr. Horneck a seasonable Discourse shewing the great necessity of applying our selves betimes to the serious practice of Religion very useful especially at this time to re-call both young and old from the Errors of their ways in 12â— price I s.