pleas'd Resentment way Pau. Gods the Stupendious goodness of the King Kind as he 's great he calls his intrest Mine And with a hundred thousand Swords offers To make it good All my misfortunes all My former sufferings are now pleasures to me Since they have giv'n me favour with the King O! that I cou'd deserve such condescention Ay there 's the point good Artabazus how O! tell me how Amb. Sir you deserve it all you are his Friend Pau. O! now you flatter me Amb. My dearest Lord you know your Artabazus Better He bids me tell you Sir he has enuff In having you his Friend and hopes his actions Will well perswade the generous Pausanias Still to continue so Pau. He asks my Friendship desires to make me Great In both my growing happiness is sure But to be known his Friend is to be great He asks my friendship he shou'd have askt my life All that I am or have is his He he desires To make me great Xerxes that God on Earth I shoud desire it he can make me so Tell him I 'm Guardian to an Infant King An Infant too he 'll find himself in power When I no more am Regent a Servant to The Ephori a King in naught but name I wou'd be Lord of the Inheritance A King to all the purposes of Power A King indeed to every thing but Xerxes And unless I can make him absolute Supream of Greece I wonnot be at all Amb. Spoke like your self my Lord. Pau. But yet I know not what methinks I fear The crafty Ephori agen may find us out And prove too Powerful Amb. Pausanias fear the trembling Ephori will scarce Have time to fear if you will push in such A readiness things are so near the Goal You cannot miss the way or loose the Prize Dispatch your orders then and call the Persians in They 'l bring such tools with 'em will quickly free Th' imprison'd Crown clense every Jewel there And bnrnish the dim Gold made cheap and soild With sawey handling of the Populace Not the lest rust lest speek of liberty Shall scape the file till bright and glittering The Royal Circles set upon your worthy Head Paus. O you transport Me Amb. Millions of dazling streams from every side Shall shoot making the slavish Ephori first behold The King despotick darted in their eyes Paus. O! what a pleasure such a day would bring To humble Sparta with an enrag'd King Amb. But two Sweet words shall then make all the Law I will those charming Royal words I will With resty Laws volumnious Statutes Rights Charters and privileges dusty heaps Of those worm eaten Monuments of pow'r Vast bonfires shall be built Paus. Like Becons blaze To shew the coming wrath of Majesty These are fit victims to the Sovereignty Xerxes shall see my Triumph and shall be The Lord of humbled Greece and Lord of Me. O you immortal Powers Amb. Riches and Force will make you great abroad As you 'l be Idoliz'd and Fear'd at home You 'l be as Iove himself who reigns above Absolute Lord and not to be controul'd Dispatch your orders then and bring the Persians in Paus. I will be suddain stay I had forgot A hundred Thousand let me pause on them aside The Spartan Army being sent abroad To War with the Athenians The Friends my Interest can raise at home With the assistance of the Helots whom Upon their promist Freedom I have gain'd Are strength enough to execute the Deed. Amb. It works it cannot fail Paus. To morrow is the day appointed for The general insurrection then what need Of Persians they may hinder my more deep designs Dear Artebazus I will to Pandora 'T is very fit she know this mighty news She 'l bear a joyful part Amb. But now my Lord the wind sits fair from Rhodes Consider Sir what mischief may produce Delay in this conjuncture Greece waits to call you King of Sparta too Can you be great too soon Then Sir make hast and bring the Persians in Paus. She who has born a share in all my labours She who inspir'd Me first with love and zeal For the great Xerxes Royal interest Pandora who has left Luxurious Persia Contented with hard Spartan entertainment Advis'd in our most secret Councils Must have a share too in our hopes and joy To her I must this welcome news impart No time is lost where gratitude is paid You meet me there retires Ambassadour alone Amb. What does he mean 't is the first time I 've fail'd I have not study'd thee so long Pausanias To be taught cunning by thee at last My tool thou hast been and my tool shalt be So the good labouring Hound with eager chase Pursues the Game his sporting Master eats Encourag'd Prais'd his youth and strength he wasts Till growing old and having done his most The useless cur is hang'd His Mistress is a Persian and our Pensioner And which is well last night she had a Jewel From me worth a Province Cunning she is And knows our drift and now the last stake Is playing may prevent Us first because She loves Pausanias then which I think May be the stronger with her she well knows She parts with her dear profit if she looses him That must be answer'd and made up to her Rich Petticoats Rich Jewels Furniture And Equipage don't always come from visible Estates I must exert my utmost cunning with her Before his business gives him time to see her For on this turn depends our whole design If I succeed I have serv'd my Master well The Spartan Army by this time may be Well beaten by the Athenians be it so Such numbers Landing will be quickly known But then We know the Spartan temper too Lazy in Preparation and they think To brave to need to be upon their guard Their Troops at home raw and undisciplin'd Ours season'd and long practis'd in their trade Hast Artabazus hast the means prepare And bring 'em in to make new Conquests here Exit Pausanias enters Pau. Now to Pandora I 'le stop the Persian Army What need of strangers when our Friends can do 't Pleas'd with my promises 't is true I 've had Some of their Persian Gold employd it too To serve my own and not their Interest Vain Xerxes think'st thou I'm to toyl for thee And only Conquer for a Spartan Crown No tho' ruine I design and rather than fail I wou'd call in and ev'n assist thy arms Yet first I 'le try to get the spoyl my self Greece I design shall fall and Crown With Sovereign Rule my pains alone When General of the Greecian force I drove Almost three hundred thousand Persians Mardonius slaine from fam'd Platea's fields Then I sought glory with my Countrys good Now with it's undoing still I seek for glory Honour that cheats the World is but a Name 'T is waste and ruin lead the way to Fame Exit The End of the First Act. ACT II. SCENE I. A Public Place
our Laws Laws quoth'a I thought he 'd ne're ha' done with his Laws he throated you out Laws Laws Laws for an hour together I stood up my Lord and what do mee I my Lord but but wisht the Devil had him and his Laws I never had so much of the Laws in my Head in all my life my head does so sing of his Laws that I don't know what to do my Lord I am quite and clean deaf with ' em Paus. Well Polaemon and what then Pol. My Lord Paus. How did our Friends take it Pol. A Plague of his Laws I can't hear a word my Lord. Paus. Eternal blockhead how shall I endure him aside Pol. Why truly my Lord you 'l find it a hard matter he is never to be gain'd over to us my Lord he is a bitter Enemy to Persia and to your Lordship Paus. No matter I fear him not Polaemon Pol. The Laws did your Lordship say any thing of the Laws Paus. I say I fear him not loud Pol. Oh ho you fear him not no hang him fear him but then my Lord don't think we had nothing to say to this grim Gentleman we told him he was of the Sect of Lycurgus and would set up a Democracy amongst us an Athenian in his heart and then rail'd at Democracy and said 't was a nasty slovenly Government and not fit for a Gentleman and then the most Tyranical Government of all he had need talk against Tyranny indeed pray what did your Lordship say Paus. Nothing Polaemon nothing Pol. Ay my Lord as you say their we were even with his Laws but then he began to reflect upon you with a side wind methought by Iuno's bedstaff I grew into choler then and said and said and said my Lord Paus. Ay you did so my Lord Polaemon I thank you kindly you have spent your self with Zeal I advize you to go home and refresh your self my dear Friend and be Crucifi'd aside Pol. And so I will my Lord for indeed I am in a very bad way but my Lord I did what I is going returns cou'd to serve you and so did some body else that you little think off for my Lord to tell you the whole thing as it happen'd Paus. Nay nay you are not well I must take care of you you shall go home goes with him towards the door Pau. Impertinence and busie Knaves encrease the weight Of all those deeper cares which load exalted State But there 's a rising Pleasure still in being great Argilius comes to him Argilius thou art always my retreat From Crowds and Fools I would retire awhile Thy Friendship be my guarde Some minutes hence I must confer with thee Exit Arg. I will attend A knocking Argilius goes to the door The Ambassadour of Persia by his knocking The door open'd the Ambassadour enters in hast Amb. Where 's the Regent The Lord Pausanias Arg. my Lord he has commanded Stops him None shall have admittance farther Amb. Prithee fond Youth I must and will go in Arg. my Lord you have forgot Thermopylae You may have heard Spartans can keep a pass Amb. What do you mean Arg. To act Leomidas To learn from him the lesson of my duty To Stand against a Persian Army and In such a cause Dye in my Post like him Amb. Noble Argilius I commend thy truth More then a thousand Tryals I have known Arg. Then this might have been spared Amb. Come we are Friends Here is a pledge you shall accept this triffle Offers him a Ring A kind forerunner of suceeding Love Arg. My Lord I serve the Regent out of Love And am a Spartan Sir of Noble Blood We Spartans ne're take gifts from Forreigners If there be found such honest Men that do At least I know my duty to my Country Amb. Well then I must find out some other way To prove my just Esteem My int'rest with the Regent shall be us'd To raise his kindness equal to your merit Arg. My Lord the Regent now comes forth himself Enter Pausanias Pau. My Lord Ambassadour You have been here some time Amb. I did not think it long I was delighted with the company Of sweet Argilius his Spartan honesty And wondrous faithful love he bears to you Trust me deserve the friendship you have for him Pau. His Spartan honesty I like it not Pretended Liberty and sawey Pride There 's nothing good that 's Spartan But kind advice like gently falling showers Will wash a stain out of the hardest marble I hope it will Argilius By the bright Sun I love thee as I ought and can no more Thou One Example of a faithful Friend Amb. Emportant business and my zeal to serve you Brought me thus early Pau. Retire Argilius We must be private Keep off the buzzing crowd of fawning Rascalls Those teazing Candidates for Places and Preferment Filling the restless Courts of great Ones With lies and feathers falshood and perfume Arg. Wou'd to the Gods I cou'd prevent your ruine As sure as that Ambassadour designs it Exit Pau. So now no more Ambassadour but Friend Dear Artabazus tell me hast thou ought Receav'd from Persia Amb. Long live my Master the great King and you The backward fruit which you dispair'd to taste Behold this moment to perfection brought And here 's the Sun that ripens it gives him a Letter Pau. I know well the policy of Xerxes Deep Universal hid in time to come With such dexterity perform'd that all The lazy Counsels of the World are stunn'd Nor can they fend the blow Amb. His Letter will inform you Pausanias reads Thus saith King Xerxes to Pausanias As for all thy kindness and sufferings on my account the benefit is laid up in our house indelibly registred for ever my Daughter also is thine as thou desirest let neither night nor day make thee remiss in what thou hast promis'd Me neither be thou hindred by the expense of Gold or Silver I have a hundred thousand Men lye ready at Rhodes who wait thy orders to Set sail for Greece with Artabazus do boldly Mine and thine own business as shall be most fit for the dignity of Vs both Amb. What think you now my Lord Pau. As One whom Nature made imperfect Whose Mother gave him blind into the World Hearing of day or light or the bright Sun Cannot conceive but thinks 't is mockery Or that he is in Natures Work house still Conversing with unfinisht beings like himself His faculties like false Lotteries most Blanks Few his Ideas dark and unstampt the rest They tell him it indeed but all his Sense Just gives him pow'r to feel himself a Man If in a moment the dark curtain drawn Darkness is coucht and light springs all around Like him I stand aghast like him admire Husht with enlightned joy my other senses lye And I forget to speak Amb. Blest be the glorious Ruler of the day Blest the great Xerxes and my Lord Pausanias O! be not silent Sir but give your
PAUSANIAS THE BETRAYER OF HIS COUNTRY A TRAGEDY Acted at the Theatre Royal By his MAJESTIES SERVANTS Written by a Person of Quality LONDON Printed for Abel Roper E. Wilkinson and Roger Clavell in Fleetstreet 1696. TO Anto. Henly Esq Of the Grange in Hampshire SIR I 'M sorry for 't and beg your Pardon like a Hangman in the Complement of his Office but you were doom'd to fall under the Fate of your Favours to Me and a Dedication was to light upon you one time or other since the sentence was past I thought I cou'd not execute it with a greater justice to the trust I am engag'd in or with more favour to you than by bringing You upon the Stage in the defence of a Cause which you may so Honourably maintain besides the present Obligation of your very good Epilogue if I had been inclining to be merciful made it impossible to Reprieve You any longer This Play was put into my hands by a Man of Quality Sink or Swim his Fortune was not imbarkt in this bottom secure in the Reputation of very good Sense he built for the Experiment upon the Model of the Antients and according to the reformation of the French Stage Here is their singleness of Action which does not so well agree with our dispositions to variety An Action too that seems intended to Instruct rather than to Please which the greatest part of an Audience wou'd never be in the humour to thank him for neither What he design'd he has Masterly perform'd And if Love which begets all the success of the Stage had faln into his subject he wou'd have recommended that Passion as engagingly to the Ladies and drawn it as near their Wishes as any thing in Picture cou'd do The Author had his reasons for the choice of this Story and I have many to convince Me that he cou'd not have fail'd in any other You will find it written to be Envy'd rather than Excell'd and in some places with an Elevation above the pitch of the Stage Some things will need your Patronage but many will deserve it so the pleasure will recompense the pains of defending them Sir I am satisfi'd I shou'd not pretend to guid you who have so many Lights of your Own who have not only a thorow insight to Poetry in general and can try it by its own Laws but examin it by the rules of other Arts too for you can discover thro' the Perspective of Painting whether the Parts are in Proportion or no. With these qualifications and inspir'd with the Soul of Musick too you must be allow'd a Judge of these performances as such in justice to this cause you are appeal'd to by Sir Your very Humble Servant Tho. Southerne PROLOGUE Written by an Unknown Hand Spoken by Mr. Horden NEW Plays have been so frequent all this Season We must believe You 'r tir'd and you have Reason Some like Rich Timons Feasts have pleas'd your pallates Others have prov'd damn'd Apemantus Sallates What e're has hapned or how e're disgract We hope this night to put Your Mouths in taste The Season of the Year our Rival grows The Country and the Park are constant Foes Which to our thoughts like Blazing Stars appear Foretelling our worst Fate an Empty Theatre Empty not only of our Noble Friends Whom Love of Wit or Beauty hither sends But ev'n our Gests o' th' Gallery will leave Vs The Emperour of the Moon will now deceave Vs. Nay which is stranger yet We han't forgot The very Masques will tell you they 're too hot The Poets now Spurring their jaded Brains Write not for Summer Lawrels but Winter gains Winter is their Campaign as well as Ours Give us the Profit be the Pleasure yours While thus We sigh while thus your Absense mourn Double our joys with Hastning your Return Since we must soon Wee 'll strive to Leave you easy Wee 'r in no other Plot but how to Please you EPILOGUE Spoken by Mrs. Verbruggen 'T Is sign the Poets young is this an Age To teach you rigid Virtue on the Stage In good Queen Besses days 't was well enuff But now 't is more Ridiculous than a Ruff. Knav'ry is grown the Nations Darling Sin And tho' a Thousand Foreign Modes comes in Yet like a Shirt that 's still worn next your Skin T was said the French wou'd fain Invade the Nation And here and there made Mighty Preparation 'T is ev'n so Bad 't is hardly Worth their having At least the Beauxs wont think it Worth their Saving And We shou'd treat him as an Innovator Who wasts his brains in Hopes to make it Better Ladys confess the truth you 'd all be Loath To change your several Teas for Spartan Broath And shou'd your Lovers be oblig'd to expose Themselves abroad against their Countrys Foes The Nation were Vndone there must be some To make the Money Circulate at home Shou'd Spartan Laws prevail I 'm very certain Twou'd runie many an Honest Gentlemans Fortune The Sharpers wou'd be Damnably unwilling To have an Act to Incourage General stealing No no that wou'd their Property Invade Ioynt-Stocks are best to Manage such a Trade Let Vs be what we are since 't is our Curse Ne're to have Chang'd but once but for the worse And ev'n then Nature so much prevails For Leeks and Slavery we wou'd truck Our Quails Or else what mean Non-Swearing Pulpit-Praters Protestant Popish Plots and Non-Associators Our honest Spartans shou'd not show their Faces Where none are Patriots but for want of Places Persons Represented PAusanias Regent of Sparta Mr. Verbruggen Argilius a Noble Youth bred up by Pausanias Mr. Powell Artabazus Embassadour from Persia. Mr. Cibber Polaemon one of the Ephori Mr. Pinkeman Lysander Friend to Argilius Mr. Horden Ephori and Servants Anchilthea Mother to Pausanias Mrs. Rogers Pandora a Persian Lady Mistriss to Pausanius Mrs. Knight Demetria a Rich Spartan Widdow Mrs. Verbruggen Mawkine her Daughter Mrs. Lucas SCENE Lacedaemon Pausanius THE Betrayer of his Country ACT I. SCENE I. PAUSANIAS's Apartment Enter Pausanias Argilius Arg. WHat shall I say to him Paus. He must come in Argilius goes to the door The Officious Fool brings me news from the Ephori To which Honour I got him this year Elected He is my Creature such tools must be had He has just sence to find he is of Use And therefore knows he may be troublesome I must have patience Enter Polaemon Pol. I beg your Graces pardon for disturbing your retirement Paus. Oh you are ever welcome dear Polaemon Pol. But my Lord I was with Child till I had given you an account of what has past in our Senate just now we have had huge doings you know who my Lord I need not tell you my Lord his name begins with a C. he gets me up and with his wonted gravity with a pox to him makes a most tearing Speech against the Persianites no better titles he gave us than Traitors to our Liberty our Country and