the pleasure Claris. No thou too hardend Brow didst thou but know What t is to be Cel. The Mrs. of a King Yes very well Clar. The Mrs. of a King no fair Perdition Change that gay name and call thy self a Prodigy Celest A Prodigy Right all made up of Wonders The very Thing I would be Claris Barbarous Creature Is thy Lethargick Sleep of Death so deaf To all th' Alarms of Infamy and Vengeance That not one frighting Dream nor waking Horror Tells thee what hideous Loads of Woe thou hast heap'd On Wayling Innocence the wrong'd Herminia Snatch'd a lov'd Lord from her embracing Arms And left her mourning Days and widow'd Nights Rob'd all her Dearest Joys Celest 'T is true I have so And I confess the Loss is something hard But to repair that Loss tell the fair Mourner Her Charms are not so lost but thousand Cupids With thousand Darts and every Shaft a Heart Attend the dayly Triumphs of her Eyes Claris. Oh my Chast Ears aside Cel. What though th' ungratefull King Has play'd the Wanderer can that fair Shrine Want Homagers The world is not so poor Claris. Hold profane Insolent stop that sulphurous Breath Rooted with horrour I have heard thee out And a chill Damp about my trembling Heart Has but just left me blood enough to blush That thou wert born of Woman Quick Let me fly that cloven footed Treason Least yawning Earth and swallowing Graves receive me Exit Cel. Poor angry thing farewell such chattring Daws Dismount my Eagle Flight That bugbear Conscience No I 've Loves whole Feast before me And let those Dull puny squeamish Fools that dare not carve Hug their Lean Virtue pine Despair and starve Exit Scene Changes Enter Herminia and Amorin Herm. Art sure this is the Kings Retiring Hour And this the place to meet him Amor. Ev'ry Minute His Presence is expected But dear Madam I have one humble pray'r that this small service Of your Obedient slave be kept a Secret This is forbidden Ground and 't will be more Then half the price of my poor Life to serve you Her Fear not sweet Youth I 'le guard thee from that Danger Ex. Amo. Forbidden Ground Is Love a Crime so mortall And am I grown that poyson to his Eyes Oh for the Spirit of the great Semiramis To meet my wrongs and stemm the storm that sinks me No I 've too much the Mothers Milk within me Weep like a Girle and bend beneath my sufferings Nature intended me some humble shepherdess A Creature born to breath her plaints to Woods And helpless Groves to mix her feeble Tears In murmuring Brooks too weak to weild the Thunder And rowze the sleeping Rage of injur'd Majesty Enter King King Herminia Ha! That Face and in these Walls Methinks I feel a chilling Damp within me A secret check from those accusing Eyes Let my retiring shame going back Herm. My Lord my King King Madam Herm. I have a Grace to beg Not that I 'd ask Ungratefull Favours from You. But methinks From all your long long Hours of happier Blisses Herminia sure may beg one borrow'd Minute King That painfull Minute aside Her There was once a day When underneath my Native Royall Roof Th' Imperiall Towrs of the proud Indian Court To my first Virgin Charms a gawdy Train Of suppliant Kings all Captives to my Eyes Knelt at my Feet unless their Sighs deceive'd me For they were men and 't is a flattering World I think if you have not quite forgot my Lord Was one of that fair Train and loved me too Or else my Virgin heart was poorly won I think you lov'd But if I am mistaken Correct my Fault and I will weep and mend it King This is too much thou murmuring Sweetness Dry up thy Tears and weep no more Herm. No more King No more for trust me It is a showr too rich to fall for me Herm. Ah King to dry these ever streaming Sorrows Is not my work but Thine To stop these Fountains Shut thou the springs that feed ' em Ah my Lord Remove the fatal cause of all these Tears And then I 'le cease to mourn King Alas Herminia Upbraid my Guilt no more but think me punisht Even in my very Sin for when I am false To so much Truth a Love like thine 't is with That conscious Shame and those accusing Horrours Herm. That pleasing Pride and those transporting Charms Thou woud'st say Poor Herminia has no Charms Or if she e'er had any even their very Remembrance like a last nights Dream the thin And vanishing Shaddow gone they are all lost In Celestina's Arms that fatall Ravisher Of all my hopes my Joys my Life King Ah Madam Cease this too killing Theme consider me As a poor helpless Wretch driven headlong by An unaccountable resistless Power Alas I wou'd be faithfull if I cou'd All that I can command my bleeding heart My bending Neck my Head beneath thy Feet These I can grant but do not ask impossibles Herm. Impossibles nay then I read my Fate King If it be Fate 't is past our humane power To reverse Destiny and in submitting T' immutable Decree exalted Virtue Exerts her noblest Wisdom Patience Herm. Patience Enter Tygranes Yes Sir you take the nearest way to teach it me For when your strange unkindness gives me death I shall be husht all Patience in my Grave King Madam my Charity takes me from your sight The greatest Height of pity we express To shut our Ears from Greifs we can't redress Offring to go Herm. Oh stay upon my Knees I do conjure you Move not that way That killing passage leads To Celestina And in all your Cruelty Shew that poor Mercy to the lost Herminia To stay one little Minute from her Arms. Tygr. Oh King can so much Beauty plead in vain All those rich pearle those dear fair Streams of Life Drop from those Eyes and unreguarded fall King My Brother Tygr. My dread Lord coud'st thou but think What Glory waits on Majesty where Virtue Shines the bright Jem of Diadems that sweetness Need not have Knelt thus long King Tygranes Tygr. Thou dear all Soveraign Goodness turn but one Kind look and veiw that lovely Kneeling Mourner Charming in Tears and beauteous even in Ruines Herm. Kind Prince no more spend not thy prodigall Breath On a poor Outcast Wretch not worth his Thought Tygr. But one one Look Think but what charms invite thee Humanity Religion Nature the Whole pitying World intreats thee back to Love Oh Sir consider rayse your mounting Thoughts To the exalted charms of Godlike Vertue Think what soft Down in Loves rich Bed of Honour Fills the calm pillows of embracing Innocence King Oh my Tygranes Herm. Yes my dear lov'd Lord In these incircling Arms these chast Embraces No guilty Dreams the starts of frighted sin And pangs of aking guilt will wake your sleeps But fair all Heav'nly Forms seale your clos'd Eyes And Quires of Angells lull your Golden slumbers King Alas my
Tomb of the great Cyrus there There through thy humble naked yielding Throat Hew out my Vengeance carve thy bleeding Heart A Sacrifice to Clarismunda's wrongs My Guards my Slaves there Enter Attendants Guards 1 Attend. Madam Your Commands Clar. If your lost Honour and your bleeding Country An injur'd Monarch and a Kingdoms shame Can rouze your Swords Oront Strike strike 'em through this Breast Yes generous Persians behold before ye The black Orontes Scythias Tyrant Lord Stain'd in the Blood of Thousand Thousand Persians And the deplored Orsanes barbarous Murderer But bear me to the Tomb of your great Cyrus There hew your Vengeance carve my bleeding Heart A Sacrifice to Clarismundas Wrongs Clar. So pleas'd with Fate Then thou' rt in love with Death Oront So much in Love that on my Knees I 'll meet it I wear a Load of useless Life about me And thou' rt so kind to ease me of my Burthen Now Gentlemen perform your Royal Charge Bear me to Death to Death with the Vile Monster Loaded with Chains led forth a publick Spectacle To pointing Infamy and hissing Scorn For that fair Doom will have it so Clar. Will have it so Orant Quick quick ye tedious Slaves Can she speak Death and you want Wings to execute Let not Crown'd-Head nor King those titular Sounds Tye up your Hands those forfeit Names my Crimes And this wrong'd Fair But bear me to my Death to Scaffolds Gibbets Stript to a Naked Dungeon Malefactor Tread my crush'd Soul Clar. Stand off ye Impious Villains A Monarch's Blood and shed by Hangmens hands Oh whither was my Fleeting Glory going His bending Neck like a tame bleating Sacrifice A stroke beneath my Scorn But haste Arsaces Raise all my Persian Guards and in their Head Go bear him back back to his moving Armies Safe to his headed Legions There Orontes At the Proud Front of all thy Royal Squadrons With Groves of Spears and walling Shields around thee Rich in thy Crested Plumes and Glittering Steel Worthy the Persian Swords and Clarismundas Vengeance Strike then my Arm of Fate Oront Oh wondrous Honour Even in amazing Cruelty Clar. Yes Scythian Though all the Persian Bolts Are levell'd at that Heart thy Blood Orontes My whole rich Game of Death yet not to snare My hunted Lyon in Ignoble Toils No King Return return thy Crown thy Arms And Royal Standard want thy leading Sword Oront So brave a Foe Clar. Reserve thy Sword thy Answer Arm'd at the head of slaughter'd Fields there Scythian Fall thy great self Die warm my Royal Enemy To morrows hotter Veins my Vengeance pay Thy Blood Orontes is too cold to Day Exit Oront Die warm Yes Generous Foe thy envy'd Glory Shall light my Fire Despair to Fury turn In my last Flash my brightest Blaze shall burn Through Blood and Death move on ' gainst all thy odds Thy Wrongs the Arming World and battailing Gods For by those Eyes a Sacrifice decreed 'T is just I should a glorious Victim bleed Exit Scene Changes Enter Celestina and Rosalin Cel. The Bolt is shot and now a Crown stand fair aside Ros Madam I 'm all Amazement at the News Cel. Amaz'd at what To hear a mad young wife Has took a Midnight's Ramble Ros But the Queen Oh Madam Certainly some strange Despair Has caused this Secret Flight perhaps to seek Some solitary Grot to Sigh and Die Cel. To Sigh and Die Poor innocent Simplicity What if she 's stoln to some retiring Solitude To meet a private Lover Ros How a Lover Cel. Mark the Truth I tell thee That very thing a Lover Ros 'T is impossible Such Tears and so much Nuptial Faith Cel. Why All That 's nothing Womans Truth like Womans Beauty Is not a thing Immortal Ros But dear Madam Herminias rigid Principles of Honour And her fond Sighs even for her Faithless Lord Admit a Lawless Love Cel. Though it be Lawless Is it not Love still Fool Enter King King Dear Sovereign of my Soul Asia's fair Pride and Persia's more than Conqueror Thou all amazing Brightness to my Bosom Cel. Oh Prince Encircled in these Arms methinks The Transport of my Joys bears my wing'd soul so high Till I look down on Under-Worlds beneath me King Look down indeed thou dear Triumphant Fair Whilst those poor Under-Worlds all blushing own Their whole Creation cannot match these Eyes Cel. Nay now you flatter King By those sweets I cannot For thine are Charms above the reach of Flattery But Madam t' add one Trophy to your Eyes The poor Resenting Queen wouldst thou believe it Is this Night fled from Court Cel. Alas poor pittied Sweetness King Prithee be kind and Read this murmuring Scrole A Farewel Letter she has left behind her Celest Reads That I have Loved you to a Superstition planted my very Heaven in Love Your Vnkindness is the too Fatal Cause when I thus fly to the Arms of a kinder Heaven Herminia King That she is gone and th' angry Cause that drives her Her Letter speaks too plain But whither gone That she has wrap'd in Mystery I suppose I must be kept in Darkness from that Secret Gel. Darkness and Mystery Why is there any thing In this plain easie naked honest Letter Writ in that Cypher that it wants a Key to 't King Why Canst thou Read her meaning Cel. Fie my Lord Can you not Read it Why this idle Question You will not Read it Sir And 't is so generous I love you for this goodness King Will not Read it Cel. Ay will not must not And 't is Noble in you A little innocent Ignorance is sometimes A Manly Virtue worthy even a King King Madam This is all Riddle Cel. Riddle Nay Sir as if you did not know Where and to whose Embracing Arms she 's gone King Arms and Embraces Cel. Ah poor Lady We little guess the pains of slighted Love But her Despair has took the wisest remedy Her Griefs found a very gentle Cure Nay she 's so kind to make it her Confession And you 're more kind to wink at little Frailties King Still you talk in Clouds Has she made you the Confident of her Flight Or is there ought coucht in that mystick Scrole My shallow Reason has not depth to fathom If so 't were kind you would instruct my weakness Cel. Nay if you 'll force me then to play th'Interpreter T' explain a Ladies blushing weakness Mark Sir She tells you first she lov'd t' a Superstition Planted her very Heav'n in your embraces And when that slighting unkind Heav'n forsakes her Tells you as honestly to supply your room She 'as chose the Arms of a much kinder Heav'n And pray what Heav'n what Arms but kind Tygranes King My Brother ha Cel. You know he 's gone to th' Camp And she 's as kindly gone to meet him there King God's 't is impossible Cel. Nay to convince you 'T is now stale news even Boys and Varlets talk it King Confusion Cel. The young Mirvan Sir's my Oracle
I have out-liv'd her Fall 'T is onely to outact her Vengeance She Poor Martyr dyed too soon Her closing Eyes Shut out that charming scene the rowzing Thunder Hung o're her punisht Ravishers head she dyed Before her dear Revenge But I would live For mine if thou darst let me live live Tyrant To wake the arming World for thy Destruction Oront Oh hold my fair Accuser think oh think When my mad Rage and all my brutall Fires Walk'd forth with that too hideous Arme of Death T was onely Love that struck the barbarous Blow Claris. Love Oront All commanding all resistless Love Alas I saw the cruell Clarismunda Deaf to my sighs and pray'rs my happy Rivall With all the Pride of an insulting Conquerour Even in his Chains my Tyrant the blest Lord Of Clarismunda's Heart Think how I saw The flaming Sword and my seal'd Gates of Paradice And if my burning Love and boyling Envy Swell'd my Despair too high impute th' Effects To a too powerfull Cause Alas I cut Th' excluding Barr betwixt my Heav'n and Me. Claris. Yet hold This Insolence outsins thy first black Guilt What tho th' Injustice of our partiall Destiny Threw the unhappy Champion of our Cause By Warrs rough Chance a Captive in thy Pow'r Dares thy Barbarity make Love great Love A Plea for Murther Could that noble Passion Transforme thee to a Ruffian Had'st thou been That Godlike thing a Lover thou d'st have seen Thy happy Rivall with more generous Envy And in thy glorious Indignation free'd him From his vile Chains bid him dispute his Title To Clarismunda's Heart with his drawn sword Had he so faln and his triumphant Conquerour Staind with his warm warm Blood thus hadst thou woed me But in cold Murder his poor naked Throat Given up to Butchers Hands thy Slaves and Hangmen Shame of a Throne thou eternall Brand of Empire Oront And is this all my Love must ever hope Claris. Hope wretched King why does thy tiresome Folly Force my repeated Scorne both of thy Crown and Thee Thus often to pronounce the fatall never Oront Never Claris. Shoud this degenerate Breast descend so low Buâ— to Dream Kindness to Orsanes Murderer I 'de tear my Traytour Heart up by the Roots But for so poor a Thought Love thee Yes King If to owe thee Curses more then Plagues can pay thee Thy dying Groans more Musick to my soul Then all the Quires of Heaven be Love I love thee Oront Well Madam you have sworn my seal'd Destruction And rather then a Doom from that fair Mouth Should want the Weight of Fate with my own Hand I 'le ayd my Labouring Destiny Go Briomar Draw out ten Thousand Horse and in their Head Bear that relentlâ—ss Beauty back to Persia A Presentt ' her avenging Brothers Arms. Claris. Ay King do This Oront Yes go dear charming Death Bring the whole summond Force of Heav'n and Earth To hunt down this Babarian Too cruell Vengeance at Thy Tyrant call All thy arm'd shafts on this doom'd Head must fall And Humble kneeling Love shall bear e'm all But dear remorsless Fair if all the pangs Of my poor bleeding Heart Claris. All the old Hatefull Theme No more no more Remember King I have Your sacred Promise To send me back to my avenging Brothers Oront True I have promised and the dread Command Of Clarismunda though at no less price Then my Souls Death shall be obey'd Go Briomar Performe your Charge conduct that fair Inexorable T' her Royall Brothers Arms But tell those Brothers Yes lay my blushes and my shame before e'm And tell the injur'd Majesty of Persia My soul unman'd and all my Reason drownd I did that shamefull Deed. But tell e'm too The Brute offended but the King repents Tell e'm instead of all their Arm'd Revenge Death Fire and Sword sack Towns and burning Citys Kind Hymens Torch presents a gentler Fire Claris. No more vain talking Frenzy Oront Yes beauteous Cruelty Tell e'm that Mighty Love Claris. That Mightier Vengeance Oront With all the Eloquence of immortall Truth Claris. With all the Horrours of Eternall shame Oront For Mercy Mercy call Claris. For Blood for Blood Oront For Blood than since no less then Blood must pay Go Briomar that Voice of Death obey Arme Arme the World against this hated Head And forge the Bolts to strike this Monster dead Go Fairy Treasure Vanishing Brightness go But Clarismunda If Thou must kill why the poor Persian swords Why arming Worlds and angry Heav'n against me No fairer Deity weil'd thy own bright Vengeance Thy Eyes the Gods Expence of Thunder save And lend me from their Darts a nobler Grave Exuent all but Celestina and Rosalin Celest Now Rosalin what thinkst thou of my Sybill My Scythian Prophetess Rosal Think Celest Dost not see We are moving to a fairer Feild of Fortune The Court of Persia Beauties bright Meridian How looks her kind prediction now Do's not My Royall Conquest wear a promising Face Rosal Fantom and Phrenzy Celest Spight and Envy No Thou snarling Infidell th' Oraculous Truth Had Heav'n in 't and I must and will beleive her Rosal Well if your Faith 's so strong beleive and prosper Celest Yes Rosalin and to confirme that Faith Sleeping this night I saw the sweetest Vision Methoughts a glittring Troop danced all around me Clapt their gay Wings and in one ecchoing Voice Stupendious Words that lightend as they spoke Saluted me with Hayle thou Beauteous Miracle Go on thou Royall Conquerour so conquer Till Poets make thee their Eternall Song And wanton Painters like the bold Prometheus When they 'd give Souls to shadows from thy Heav'ns Shall Steal th' immortall Fires Ros. By Love all Rapture Cel. No sooner was the gaudy Vision vanish't But straight I dreamt of that fair Grecian Dame That drew the Swords of the Contending Universe The glorious subject of a ten years War And the no less immortall Cleopatra Her bleeding Antony and persuing Caesar With burning Troys and Worlds for Beauty lost Ros Well Celestina if no less Originals Then Egypts Cleopatra or Greek Helens Are those fair Eyes your golden Dreams must copy In that blest day expect my duteous Homage Amongst your kneeling slaves Cel. Yes that blest Day Now to the Court that Lottery of Beauty Where all the Fair for the great Prize put in And boldly stake their All to lose or win And whilst one Hand at an unhappy Fling Draws but a Blank the other draws her King With the same Hope for the same Lot Iâ—le go And try if there 's a Monarch for my Throw Exeunt Scene changes to a Pallace Enter Tygranes Tygr. What art thou Love that thus out liv'st Despair Oh thou whose too strong vital Pulses beat When hope thy Life is dead Too fair Herminia Tho' lost for ever lost thy haunting Form Array'd with all thy Charms glides dazling by Whilst my devouring Soul leaps forth to meet thee And grasps at fleeting Ayr. Too dear Herminia Yes I will love
sacred Briom Can there be a Cause so sacred To draw you forth from your abandon'd Kingdoms And in this poor Disguise to quit your Throne Briomar Oront Quit Thrones quit Worlds quit Earth and Heav'n my Run mad despair and dye Briom Dye Sir Oront Yes dye To Deaths short pain from lingring Tortures fly Plunge the Vast Deep and launch to that blest shore Where Clarismunda's Scorn can kill no more Briom Death I confess is Woes last certain Remedy But when the Great seek Death they ought to meet him In the fair Paths of Glory Poorly dying Is worse then basely Living Sir consider You 're born to Empire hold the Charge of Kingdoms A Royall Cause and a protected people Besides behold a gathering Storm before you Arms at your Gates and Vengeance round your Walls Advanceing Enemies and pushing Fate That Death thou seek'st seek nobly King Crown'd Heads Should not fall crusht like poor despairing slaves But build their Monuments when they digg their Graves Oront Kind Briomar I thank thy honest Love 'T is true the Charge of Empire lyes upon us Yet Heav'ns Vicegerents are not so all Gods But we have a little of the Man about us Shackled with Soveraignty and tyed up to Honour We are not so fast to golden Fetters curst But Love one Link of the long Chain may burst Oh Briomar I have that last Account yet to make up To that Fair Tyrants Ear before I dye That as thou valuest my Eternall Peace By all thy Loyalty I must conjure thee Under the shelter of this kind Disguise To gain me an Access But one blest Minute At Clarismunda's Feet Briom But in this kind Disguise can you so rule Your master'd Passion as to keep your shrow'd No frantick start to burst your guardian Cloud Sir dare you promise me Oront Yes I dare promise Shall I performe my Briomar Briom How Sir Oront No more I 'le be obey'd Briom Then Sir my Duty shall dispute no more Th' Access shall be obtain'd Though I much fear Effects too dismall Oront Leave Effects to Fate Love spurs the Leap and Danger Checks too late Exeunt Scene a Room of State Enter Celestina Rosalin and Women Ros Madam five hundred Talents from the King Cel. Have Kist my Hand this Morning Ros From Great Love A fair presented Sum. Cel. To buy me pins A small Oblation But my Royall Vassall Remembers his Allegiance knows his Duty And pays my Eyes their Tribute Now my Rosalin How dost thou like the Port our Greatness bears Say is a Monarchs Heare a Toy worth wearing Rosal Your Conquest is a perfect Raign of Wonders Cel. Nay I have conquer'd now And such a Conquest That surfeited Delight and gorged Ambition Have drunk so deep that they can thirst no more Ros Madam the Princess Cel. Ha! What brings her here perhaps The Consciencious Fool comes to Preach Honour Herminia's Wrongs and Celestina's Fraylty If so I am resolv'd I will receive her Like my great self the Mistress of a Pow'r The World 's too weak to shake Enter Clarismunda Claris. I stoop beneath My self when I descend To talk with Sin and Shame But sweet Herminia A Champion in Thy Cause commanding Justice Forgive the Faults offending Honour makes No the proud Theif the Syren has undon thee Shall not move off with Her Rich prize so tamely I 'le talk with the gay Sin and glittring Infamy Cel These happy Walls and their more happy Mistress Thus honour'd and thus grace'd Beleive me Madam You 've so surprized me with this wondrous Goodness Took me so unprepared for a Reception Worthy of such a Guest Claris. Hold there 's no need Of so much courtly Ceremony All I came to meet I 've found thy self and wish The Visitant I bring thee may receive But half this promis'd welcome Cel. If I am All You came to seek I am proud that you have found me And prouder to receive whate're Commands Honour can give or Honour can obey As such no doubt you bring me speak Your pleasure Clar. Honour Oh thou hast named the richest Jem That e're adorn'd the Fair True Honour Beauties Inestimable wealth whilst we wear Thee We have inexhausted Mines of endless Treasure Enough t' enrich the world Where Honour Shines Our Eyes are Sparks of Heaven 'T is that kind Sun That lights 'em into Stars The Great just Powers Made us the fairest work of their Creation Till our own faults our own defacing Shame Unmakes the work of Gods Celest Ay now you charm my Ear with ravishing Musick Honour our Sexes warmest Pride Our whole Devotion Saint Heaven All we kneel and pray to And Madam if those Powers you name have made Beauty the Master-stroak of their Creation I thank their Generous Moulding Hands These Eyes Are not their poorest stamp And to do Justice To Heavens unfinisht Peice I shall take care In the bright sphear to which my charms have rais'd me Not to unmake but mend the work of Gods Claris The Sphear thy Charms have rais'd thee to No thou Gay gilded Vanity call 'em thy Sorceryes The ' infatuating false deluding Fires Of Sin plumed up with Power thou vile Usurper Celest Usurper That diminitive Imp of Majesty That puny poor Prerogative no Madam Your kinder Justice sure can find my Glories A fairer name Claris. A fairer name Celest perhaps The little Murmures Envy and Ignorance Have been too buisy with your Royall Ear And breath'd my Name with their unhallow'd Lips But to correct th' ill manner'd Grin of Fools Let the Kings Heart and these victorious Eyes Tell the vain babling world I raign by Conquest Claris. What do I hear Oh thou amazing Front Of blushless Guilt Thou sit'st enthron'd in Sin then Hold'st thy black seate of shame by Claim and Title And stampst a Royall Soverainty on Damnation Cel. Madam this Language But no more You are too blame mistaken angry Princess For when I shall enform that Peevish Snarler For whom thou playst the Champion what good Offices I 've done her with the King She 'le have but small Occasion of Complaint For I must tell you As my peculiar Grace I have given him Leave T' allow her a fair Court Guards and Attendants And all the Decency that suits her Quality Nay and to shew you I 'm more generous still I have permitted him to pay her the Civilityes of a Wife Claris. Civilityes Celest And let me tell you 'T is not A Common Condescension in a Mrs. To give a Wife that Liberty Claris. Great Gods This is beyond all mortall Patience She gives her Husband Leave 't is she allows her Her Favours all Oh poor Herminia whither art thou fall'n aside Brought thy rich Royall Veins from thy fair India To be a Pensioner to a vile Wanton Raign the Precarious Partner of a Throne But thou rank Weed thou poysonous plant of Death Oh that thou'dst give thy Soul but so much Leisure As even to think Cel. Think I have Thought For Thinking's half
poor Herminia Herm. Oh my Stars I see a dawning pity in his Eyes Break forth my rising Sun and make it all Immortall Day and ever shining Joys Take Take your kneeling Mourner to your Arms Take me to love be kind and bid me live And stab my bleeding breaking Heart no more King Thou talk'st sweet Murmurer Tygr. Oh Sir embrace the blessed Minute Return to her dear Arms return to all The Joys of Earth and the Rewards of Heav'n Think but what shining Host of Supliant Saints Expand their Arms t' embrace thy blest Repentance King My dear Tygranes My Fame my Crown and my Imperiall Cause Call thee to Arms to Arms My muster'd Legions And marching Armies wait thee in their head Go forth my Son of War the great To morrow Leads to the Field Tygra Doubt not that great To morrow Be you but Just to day Run to her Bosom Oh run and take her to your pitying Mercy Myriads of Joys and thousand thousand Blisses King Battles and Arms Hark the Shrill Trump Tygranes The Alarm of Honour calls Tygra The Trump of Virtue King 'T is that that sounds to call thy wandring Heart To these abandon'd Arms. King The Scythian Tyrant And Clarismunda's Wrongs Tygr. The Scythian Sorceress Exit King forcing himself from them And lost Herminia's Wounds Queen Too cruell King Sure I am not the first unhappy Woman That wept for Broken Vows and faithless Man Yet sure the first that ever wept so soon So Young so early lost i th' very Morn Of Love for ever sett Put generous Prince So much I owe thee for this wondrous Goodness What kind Return can this vast Debt defray What I am too Poor I must beg Heav'n to pay Exit Tygr. Such charms and this unkind Return Ah King Had those dear Eyes but smiled on blest Tygranes How had I lov'd Oh Beauty in thy whole Divinity How narrow is thy Attribute of Mercy Thy Soveraign power of Life and Death so shackled That in a thousand Bleeding hearts before thee Thy kind repreiving smile can save but one Nay and that very single Mercy too Is often dealt with that unlucky Hand Made some ungratefull tastless Infidells prize Whilst perishing Truth stands by and starving dyes Exit Finis Actus Terâ—ij ACT. IV. SCENE I. Celestina and Rosalin Cel. TH' Embraces of a King Poor Satisfaction A Monarchs Darling but a Kingdoms Loathing All a dishonourd Blot the Worlds cheap Theme And common Tale of every grinning slave The Queen Ay she ev'n in her lowest sufferings Outshines my tallest Pride The peoples Love And th' universall pity of mankind Like perfum'd Sweets embalm her fragrant Fame But me their Hate and Scorn my very Sex Stand at a Bay all frighted at my Name And drive me like a hunted Fugitive From out the Herd of Life I cannot bear it Ros Dear Madam Cel. Oh thou lying Oracle where 's My promist Mountains all your Boasted Miracles No Flattring falshood tell thy Lord of Darkness There is no Faith in Hell Did'st thou not Promise False Prophetess that I should raign in Pleasure Ros If Soveraignty Dominion if to hold A King in Chains and Crowns in Vassalage be To raign in Pleasure she has perform'd that Promise Cel. A King my Slave poor narrow-bounded Throne Thin empty Bliss for in Possessing His I have lost the Hearts of all the World beside Nay what has all my mighty Conquest made me That little despicable Wretch a Harlot Oh the foul Blister Cankers and Diseases Is there that humblest of my cringing Flatterers That waits th' uprising of my morning Smile And pays me his All Hayl for the snatch'd blessing Even with those Lips that kiss the Earth I move on No sooner is his fawning Face turn'd from me But with a low reviling Eye puts forth His forked Tongue and hisses at my Shame Ros Why all this foolish Murmur Thus concern'd For that Course Vulgar Blast the Popular Breath Does your exalted Greatness want Their Love It is enough they fear you Fear the noblest Prerogative 't was Fear that first made Gods Cel. No Girle this Shallow Sophistry Ros Nay Madam Your Witches and your Propheycing Devils I 'm sure have done their Part. And if you have still A giddy roving uncontented Thought E'ne blame your own unsatisfyed desires If Womans vain Ambition covets more Then all Hell has to give 't is not Hells Fault but Womans Cel. But oh my Rosalin I cannot bear This publick Odium of the World and live Only the Mistress of his loose Desires His burning Kisses all but Sooty Fires That little Outly of his Love his Mistress Ros His Mistress Why wou'd you be his Queen Cel. His Queen Ay that 's A name indeed that Sacred Post of Honour Myriads of pleasures wait the hallow'd Brightness A Solid Heaven of Constellated Blisses Substantiall Power untainted Glory Then I should have Hearts as well as Knees to serve me Ros His Queen Why truly Madam since your Wishes Must soar so high I know no wondrous Stops That hold their Flight considering your Ascendant The Eyes you wear and the fond Heart you govern Cel. Ha Ros Were the Gordian Bar remov'd between you The golden Fruit would meet your reaching Hand And fairly bid you carve your own Desires Cel. The Gordian Bar remov'd and fairly carve My own Desires What Bar but poor Herminia That feeble Thred Thou dear inspiring Devil Oh what a mountain Thought of vast Ambition Comes pouring ore me like a rolling Deluge Ros Madam Young Mirvan the Queens favourite Evnuch Waits for Access as your petitioner Cel. Mirvan Admit him Enter Mirvan Mir. Madam amongst the universall Knees All bending to salute the rising Sun Might poor I dare t'implore one smiling Beam Cel. Push thy fair suit and try thy generous Fortune Mirv. Then Madam I 've a Brother and a Brother Not born like me to curse his riffled Cradle A Brother that writes Man and would write Man In Characters of Blood A Youth that dares As much as Courage can or Honour ought And tho' his praise suits not my Mouth to give Fair Truth her due he wears a Sword he thinks Too brave to rust a Boy that wou'd lead Men And therefore begs by me your gracious Interest For a Commission for him Cel. If thy Brother Sweet Boy but fights with half the Grace thou suest He might lead Armys Well kind Advocate He shall have a Commission and a Noble one Mirv. Thus low my Kneeling Gratitude Cel. Rise Mirvin This Boy well manag'd aside Rise my pretty Suppliant Thou look'st and talk'st so winningly there 's nothing I can deny to that petitioning Face Mirv. My Face 'T is well I have a Face to beg a Ladys favour aside Cel. Well gentle Boy such early Wit as Thine Tells me thou know'st the World How dost thou like The pleasures of a Court Mirv. How shou'd I like What I want pow'r to taste Cel. Nay fye my Boy Thou wrongst my Innocent meaning Mirv. Then