may his sorrows vanish They drink 'T is down My congeled blood late frozen to my heart Dissolves and with a quick agility Leaps in my new-fill'd veins My thoughts have pleasant â—uell And every sense is ravish't with an unknown happiness Con. I am strangely alter'd I have forgot The principal end of my creation to be miserable Come sit down I have a great mind To imitate the dying Swans upon Caiisters Banks And sing my funerall Elegie She sings Swell swell my thoughts and let my Breast Receive with joy eternall Rest Swell higher yet faint not to see The end of all thy misery Death 's but a sleep Then do not weep But with desire Embrace the fire So shall thy soul so shall thy soul aspire Unto a place where it shall see Eternâ—ll Crowns of Majesty Attending on its pompous train Uncompel'd without disdain Then let not fire Make thee retire Nor yet deny This obsequie Lest in dispair lest in dispair thou die Then let not fire Make thee retire Nor yet deny This obsequie Lest in dispair lest in dis pair she sleeps Fla. Thus ceast the dying Nightingale enamor'd sleep Delighted with thy Harmony stole the last accent From our ears Thesbia what has her voyce Husht thee into a slumber too and left me here The sole resister of its power Sleep on sweet souls And when ye wake think it no pain If ye be forc't too soon to sleep again Exeunt Act. 5. Sce. 2. An Altar discover'd Loud Musick Enter Bermudo Arentas Spadatus Halis dus Virtusas and Fidelio Ber. What means this silence Shepherd me thinks you look As if you were at some most solemn â—unerall Where the câ—rps of an endeared friend is to be interr'd These visages become that place but when you go To â—aluâ—e the heavenly Deities with your fâ—ee oblations You must put on a far more pleasing countenance That the Gods may pleasure in your offerings And delight in your burnt sacrifice Fid. My divining soul great King foretels An universall ruine in this sacrifice A generall numness prompts my heart unto a sad And deadly melancholy Surely I have offended Ber. Yes in thy drooping zeal Come let not â—ear Hinder that devotion which thou beganst With such a noble resolution to thy immortall glory Fid. I do conjure you Sir by that hate which you Conceive gainst women By your Crown by your Scepter By all the Gods I do conjure you To spare this humane sacrifice If you needs must offer to their Deities Surfeâ— their Altars with the richest gums Fetch forth the Phaenix nest for an oblation Orâ—er the world lament the loss of all their cattle Prophane not thus their Altars with a womans blood Ber. Thou hast won so much on me by thy former service That to deny thee now were a most vild ingratitude Did not the Gods require it my vow to Heavens is past And cannot be recall'd to promise them The malefactors for an offering and then Cheat 'um with a sheep or some such triâ—le Is not to sacrifice but defraud Fid. The Gods nere feast on humane entrails Their Nectar is not mortalls blood Think you their stomacks have so base an appetite To hunger after that which men do loath Repentance is their banquet the steam of fervent sighes Their food and tears not blood 's the potion they delight in Ber. Be not ingratefull Shepherd Strive not for my love to make me impious Justice and fidelity commands them for a sacrifice Fid. Sacrifices must be pure not spotted The fairest beaâ—â—s are destin'd to the Altar Ber. The sinner gets his pardon sooner By his own sufferings than if h 'ad suffer'd by a Proxee Fid. I did belye her Innocence believe me Sir She is innocent as innocent as the new-begotten child Ber. To purge a sin oft-times a Lamb must dye And so shall she our zeal will be the greater Fid. Rather your impiety Who offers up one Godhead to anothers honour Be not so irreligious to destroy that gem Which I adore as a resplendant Deity Sent from Heaven to beautifie the earth Ber. Take heed Be not so fondly superstitious Thus to contract a Deity to a Beast Fid. A Beast can Heavens heare this And no thunderbolt tell the proud King he lyes A beast wert thou arm'd with thunder Or were it but to see thee ten thousand deaths Nor piety nor Religion should withhold me But I would tear thaâ— venemous tongue out And hang it like a lying Meteor in the Ayr. Ber. He grows frantick Alas poor man He deserves my pity more than anger Fid. Where sleeps your Justice now Rouze up your drousie headed Lawes To take revenge on him that dares their utmost Solemn Musick Ber. Whence this sad Musick Enter Sperazus Flavanda and others bringing in Constantina and Thesbia veild All in a solemn manner Fla. Cease your petitions it lies not in the power Of your prayers nor his mercy to recall 'um Fate has deceiv'd the Altar Sir The Lambs That should have been the sacrifice are dead Ber. Dead Fla. Yes Your threats great King has prov'd Their executioner Imagination that unnaturall flame Has not consum'd but broke their tender Hearts Here you may see the ruines of those well-built Temples She unvails them Fid. Ha! Heavens vanish't unto Heaven Why did'st thou steal thy death divinest Why did thy flitting soul poast so away And give no warning to thy friends Hands off ye dogs do not deny the Gods their sacrifice He snatches at a Sword and the Guard hold him Me thinks the Genius of the world doth stagger The affrighted Earth turns round and sends forth Foggy trees in a continued lamentation for its loss The Heavens stand still to entertain her ex excellence And all the Planets turn to Constellations With amazement Copernicus thy opinion Now is verified Ber. Most reverend father though cruell destiny Has abrig'd part of our triumph by their deaths Yet to manifest our duty in all ceremonious order Let their corps be sacrific'd Spe. I dare not Sir pollute the Altars With a dead oblation High Heavens will be displeased With our offerings The very beasts abhor the dead Let but their bodies be inter'd then come And offer a few prayers and without doubt The Deities will be appeas'd Ber. Your will shall rule us Exeunt Manent Fidelio and Virtusus with Constantina and Thesbia Fid. Oh death thou grand Commissioner of Fate Seize these my vitall spirits since she is gon Whose warmer breath so oft has nourish'd them What! canst thou not hear now Death Art thou grown astonish't at thy late got prize Assume he quickly heavens Death wil forget His office else and let the populous world Surfet with multiplicity Vir. Did ever traveller so faint to see The end of all his travells Has all my wearied steps Tended to this Home and tremble I to beâ—hold it Where be those pleasing smiles those wheeling eyes And that harmonious voyce which once did call me Brother Are all gon Has
sepulcher my Bed thy winding-sheet Hymen shall write thy joyfull Epitaph And Virgins pure shall 〈◊〉 an Epithalamium for an Elegy We two like to two meeting channels will turn one One individed and united Body Cha. Oh Flavanda I blush to see thee I am a villain grown yet I still dearly love thee I am inconstant Dearest câ—n'st thou think it The ficklest fortune is more stedfast The wind oft-times is stable but my heart Wavers at every object Fla. Have I a Rivall then Charastus Is the stream of your Affection then divided And your Love grown less Cha. Not less Flavanâ—a Streams parted with a stop 〈◊〉 with a greater violence 〈◊〉 her side Than when they kâ—pt united in one channel Fla I 〈◊〉 â—onâ—â—ss my unwoâ—thiness I will resign Unto thy â—â—ether love could I but think her worthy Cha. Never oh never never shal't thou do it For sooner sure the Gods can separate the orbs Thâ—n our so long united Hearts Enter Constantina Were the separation but in Natures power here comes Those rayes that easily would make the dissolution Fla. Thou hast made a worthy choyce Charastus I glory in my Rivall more than Lovers in their Nuptialls This Act confirms your love to me and should I dye I make no question but my liveless trunck Would pleasure in your happiness no â—oâ—iembrace Could ye exchange but I should be partaker No kiss without a joyfull blush from my wan cheeks Should joyn your tender lips together Delay not then your joyes for me My Love is old and stale Heâ—'s fresher Than the mayden Rose whose pureâ—ess yeâ— No boysterous hand has touch't prophanely I 'le imitate those friends that take more pleasure For to see some feed than if they fed themselves Con. I 'le starve before I 'le taste such cares They will infect me with inconstancy They 're like devouring flames they still turn All they meet with to their own nature But I will fly them worse than stings of Scorpions Or that deadly root that pallateth the eye But poysons still the pallate Fla. Shun not approaching happiness for my sake I am grown old in his affection and Age You know must dye yet when I am dead Be not I 〈◊〉 jealous of my Ghost Con. If death can end this controversie 't is fittest I should yield when I am dead I happily may love him but never living Cha. Contend not so my hearts two parallels For what 's anothers due Death my desert is Here I live like to a needle 'twixt two Loadstones Paying a trembling reverence to both No full Allegiance unto either Oh ye individed moities of my soul Tear not my heart with your attractive virtues Thus by piece-meals divide it gently Ye both are victors of my better part already My body is not worth your quarrell Con. Nor your heart we night as well Quarrell for fortune she 's as constant Fla. But not so lovely Con. Constancy the only beauty is in eyes That true affection governs which till Charastus Gets again I shall abhor to see him Exit Fla. Would I could do so too But envious Fate â—wharts my desires and condemns my hate Exit Cha. Do I yet live remain my senses perfect Oh I could rave tear out my traiterous eyes Dissect my heart and rend affection from affection Surely I am mad because I am not mad Mad men enjoy their happiness but we In having reason know our misery Exit Act. 4. Sce. 2. Enter Constantina Con. Where is that boasted constancy which so oft Men use to glory in where is that Faith And that eternall Loyalty which once exalted men 'Bove Demi-Gods Is there not one left virtuous We might have been inconstant by Authority Custome wou'd have allow'd it but men Whose purer souls should harbor most divinity Are now become less constant far than we That clame no being but from them Why should we suffer then for what 's anothers fault My act shall work a reformation in the world And man not woman shall hereafter be The Proverb to express Iuconstancy Enter Fidelio Fid. Kneel you to me Lady Con. Wonder not Fidelio why thus low An unknown Virgin offers her obedience It is a reverence that we ought to pay When we behold such virtue and should I Be so uncivilly modest to deny an adoration When duty and affection bind me The world might justly stile me irreligious Fid. That modestie I must confess is incivilitie That smothers an affection But what worth in me Can stir affection in your chaster breast I know not And I must needs Lady either be a fool In extolling of my self or uncivill in condemning your Judgment Con. I look not on you sir with superstitious eyes I cannot make an Idol of perfection It is your souls Idaea I admire Whose excellence I have studied long Taught by your Constantina's prayses Fid. You have chose a most unprofitable Subject For your study Lady it is so sparing of reward That it forgets it self and must for ever you Con. It is a study like the Chimick The end I must confess is hard to gain but yet It shews most sweet conclusions to the industrious Many there are that study it with delight But none with such a fearfull fervency as I Yet though I tremble I dispair not since she That only had the power to obtain it Has resign'd it to me for a Legacie which I may Justly chalenge and you may not without impâ—ety deny Fid. A Legacie if she be dead that was Sole Mistress of the Art the Art mâ—st dye too Con. Mistake me not she is not dead sir She has usurpt another studie only call'd Obedience to a Husband for Constantinâ— your once betrothed Is now married to the Duke of Florence my only Brother Fid. She is worse then her constancie is dead And with it dies my love eternally Con. Oh say not so that was my Legacy given to me By her departing Constancy and if the Laws fulfill The wills of wicked men 't is fit that sacred Constancie 's Should be obei'd She told me here you liv'd In Lelybaeus a disguised Shepherd for her sake Which made me take this journey and this habit And surely had you not a fresher Love You nere could disobey your Constantina's will Especially to one so like her Fid. I must confess thou art so like her That I should believe what thou hast said is true Were I not so confident of her Loyalty Con. Shall I not be believ'd then Let her hand perswade you since my tongue cannot She gives him a Letter Fid. This is her seal and Character I know'um well The direction â—o her wrong'd Fidelio I begin to tremble my gelid blood Flies fast unto nâ—y heart aâ—d ca'ls for vengeance He reads Con. Read and repent false man Fid. Oh heavens VVhy of those numerous torments That attend our sinfull actions chose you a woman Yo torment me If that my crime so hainous was That all your malice joyn'd with fortunes Could not invent a
without Enter Guard Convey that Strumpet hence ere that the Night Sheds Poppeys on the Earth she dyes Con. Now I shall dye in charity with all Since thou art mercifull For this same curtesie Bermudo Whil'st I live I 'le pray thou may'st repent And when I am dead my obsequient Ghost Shall wait upon thee still to put thee in remembrance Ex. Guard with Constantina Ber. Shepherd this curtesie has fatred my revenge My raging fuâ—y feeds upon this fuell with a devouring appetite And if thou addâ—st not still unto the flame Vengeance will lack his prey and fâ—ast on me Proceed then in thy holy work and sooner shall each sense Forget this Organ than I my pious instrument Exit Enter Virtusus Vir. Whither so fast Fidelio How fares it friend Fid. Well Vir. That well sounds ill me thinks Is this the joy you give my liberty Hadst thou receiv'd thy freedom so The calmer Seas when Halcyons breed Should have appear'd more boysterous than I I 'de not have frown'd to see thee free But if some billows did by chance arise I would have turn'd 'um into dancing waves For joy of thy secuity Fid. Alas Virtusus I am glad to find thee safe but My afflicted soul cannot express the joy Oh seest not my heart sweld with revenge Extend my stretch't out sides and can'st thou hope For any thing but frowns Vir. Thy looks I muâ—t confess declare a Passion But of what nature I am ignorant Fid. If thou haâ—t lost thy penetrating eye Look upon my face and there my eyes Sparkling forth fire for anger will give light to read it by Can'st not conceive it yet See'st thou not woman there Imprinted in the wrinckles of my frowing forehead Oh woman woman woman Vir. Come forget this passion for a while Forget all women and their virtues too Fid. Alas there is not one left virtuous but are all As false and as disloyall as thy sister Vir. I hope you don't suspect her sir. Fid. Yes and your Mother too One man could not beget two contraries Thou art too good to be her Brother and she Too bad to be Brabanta's daughter Vir. My ears have suck't in poyson which works Like Stybium in my brains If this be true Which yet I cannot credit nor pietie nor sisters cries Shall hold my hand but I will sacrifice her blood For an atonement to thy anger Fid. Oh Virtusus 't is too true wouldst thou rip ope my heart There there thou nightst behold Disloyall Constantina writ in bloody notes There too as in a perspective thou shouldst see The Duke of Florences lustfull eyes Fixt fast on Constantina whilst the amorous Girl Playes with his wanton hair and in A thousand other wayes invites embraces Vir. Should Heavens in thunder speak it I durst to contradict ' um Fid. 'T will be a less impiety to contradict this paper He gives him a Letter Vir. It is her seal and Character I 'le read no more would 't were her body Thus I 'de rend it Thus would I tear her unchaste limbs And blow 'um like to Atomes in the ayr Thus in contempt I 'de spurn her lustful face Bowl with her rouling eyes and twist her hayr In â—opes for executions Did I but know What vein her blood inhabits I 'de make a sluce and draw that channel dry Though I lay drowned in its gore But I am too passionate who fury can allay Vengeance may sooner and securelier pay Enter Charastus Fid. Oh Charastus never till now unwelcome to Fidelio Thou art too happy now for my companion I have dissolv'd thy Loves ambiguous Riddle And given thy soul a free election By making a necessity of thy choyse Cha. False and disloyal man daâ—'st thou yet live And glory in thy wickedness Hast thou a Conscience Not to kill thy self when such a stain commands thee Oh thou prophaner of all Justice Ought he to live that cannot look upon perfection But with envious eyes Fid. My care has not deserv'd these words Charastus Cha. Call not that care Fidelio which thy spleen Too long has nourish'd 't is an inveterate Hate Sent from the fouler mansion of thy soul To blast perfection Is that Physitian carefull That instead of Physick gives deadly poyson To his patient Fid. No dire mistake was author of my charity But a Revenge which all their Sex must tremble under And 't was my fortune to practise first on her And her honor to precede whole thousands Cha. Thou art the worst of Mountebanks they kill Their poorest Patients for experiments But thou destroyst Patience it self the richest Gen That ever Art envied dame Nature for Fid. It is the nature of Revenge to punish first Those things from whence they took their poyson Cha. Poyson from her Herein thou shew'st thy venemous disposition Spiders suck poyson from the sweetest flowers When Bees draw Honey Her words Though arm'd to my destruction seem'd to me Adorn'd with more variety of sweetness Than ere enricht our Hybla more pleasant Than the jucie grape stole from the Vine Just at the entrance of maturity And can they then can these delicious words Dâ—still'd to the invitation of a happiness be a poyson â—Tis thy bad Nature only that converts to vaught What ere the Gods thought good Vir. Doat not Charastus so on one whose scorn Makes her condition poorer than her birth Which surely is ignoble The Kingly Eagle Stoops not unto flies Cha. But yet a Flye mounted on Eagles wings Deserves more commendations than your pairted Peacocks That boast but in the gross absurdity of Nature Vir. If for to reach a glove dropt from A neighbouring Queen be to degenerate From Majesty What will the world report when they shall hear Charastus stoopt to the meaness of a Shepherdess Cha. Art thou disloyall too Virtusus two such more Wou'd learn the Heavens impiety Adue false friends Know my revenge shall be Fully as ample as your Tyranny Exit Fid. I dare vie vengeance with thee at the highest My heart 's as great with rage and less confin'd Within the bounds of charity t is free Freer than Ayr it soars aloft hovering Like some prodigious Meteor ore all women All shall groan under its heavie weight all must sink Or all my ends will perish Vir. Not all Fidelio be not so severe Out of Those numberless thousands that do clog the Earth One may be found unspotted thy Sisters Virtue 〈◊〉 of sufficient value to redeem a destin'd Hecaâ—ombe Of unchaste women though doom'd by Tyranny it self Fid. I do suspect her too she is too much A woman to be good Women are all The fruits of drunkenness begot when men Like senseless beasts wallow in strange desires Then coveting to frame a Monster like themselves Nature complying with their avarice sends them A daughter How can that Sex then be divine That 's thus engendred betwixt Lust and Wine Vir. Be more charitable Fidelio in your opinion Blame not all for one Fid. Charity is cold 'T will breed a