may'st thou live thy thousand years in peace And see thy AEry progeny increase So may'st thou still continue young and fair Fed by the blast of pure AEtherial Air. And thy full term expir'd without all pain Dissolve into thy Astral source again Dam. Name not my hated Rival Gemory And I 'le speak true whate're thy questions be Nig. Thy Rivals hated name I will refrain Speak shall the Emperour his love obtain Dam. Few hours shall pass before your Emperour shall be Possess'd of that he loves or from that love be free Placid Shall I enjoy that Beauty I adore Dam. She Suppliant-like e're long thy succour shall implore And thou with her thou lov'st in happiness may'st live If she not dies before who all thy joys can give Nig. Say what does the AEgyptian Princess now Dam. A gentle slumber sits upon her brow Nig. Go stand before her in a golden dream Set all the pleasures of the world to show And in vain joys let her loose spirit flow Dam. Twice fifty Tents remove her from your sight But I 'll cut through e'm all with rays of light And covering other objects to your eyes Show where intranc'd in silent sleep she lies Damilcar stamps and the Bed arises with S. Catharine in it Dam. singing You pleasing dreams of Love and sweet delight Appear before this slumbring Virgins sight Soft visions set her free From mournful piety Let her sad thoughts from Heav'n retire And let the Melancholy Love Of those remoter joys above Give place to your more sprightly fire Let purling streams be in her fancy seen And flowry Meads and Vales of chearful green And in the midst of deathless Groves Soft sighing wishes ly And smiling hopes fast by And just beyond e'm ever laughing Loves A Scene of a Paradise is discovered Placid Some pleasing objects do her mind employ For on her face I read a wandring Joy SONG Dam. Ah how sweet it is to love Ah how gay is young desire And what pleasing pains we prove When we first approach Loves fire Pains of Love be sweeter far Than all other pleasures are Sighs which are from Lovers blown Do but gently heave the Heart Ev'n the tears they shed alone Cure like trickling Balm their smart Lovers when they lose their breath Bleed away in easie death Love and Time with reverence use Treat 'em like a parting friend Nor the golden gifts refuse Which in youth sincere they send For each year their price is more And they less simple than before Love like Spring-tides full and high Swells in every youthful vein But each Tide does less supply Till they quite shrink in again If a flow in Age appear 'T is but rain and runs not clear At the end of the Song a Dance of Spirits After which Amariel the Guardian-Angel of S. Catharine descends to soft Musick with a flaming Sword The Spirits crawl off the Stage amazedly and Damilcar runs to a corner of it Amar. From the bright Empire of Eternal day Where waiting minds for Heav'ns Commission stay Amariel flies a darted Mandate came From that great will which moves this mighty Frame Bid me to thee my Royal charge repair To guard thee from the Daemons of the Air My flaming Sword above 'em to display All keen and ground upon the edge of day The flat to sweep the Visions from thy mind The edge to cut 'em through that stay behind Vain Spirits you that shunning Heav'ns high noon Swarm here beneath the concave of the Moon What folly or what rage your duty blinds To violate the sleep of holy minds Hence to the task assign'd you here below Upon the Ocean make loud Tempests blow Into the wombs of hollow Clouds repair And crush out Thunder from the bladder'd Air. From pointed Sun-beams take the Mists they drew And scatter 'em again in pearly dew And of the bigger drops they drain below Some mould in Hail and others stamp in Snow Dam. Mercy bright Spirit I already feel The piercing edge of thy immortal steel Thou Prince of day from Elements Art free And I all body when compar'd to thee Thou tread'st th' Abyss of light And where it streams with open eyes canst go We wander in the Fields of Air below Changlings and Fooles of Heav'n and thence shut out Wildly we roam in discontent about Gross-heavy-fed next man in ignorance and sin And spotted all without and dusky all within Without thy Sword I perish by thy sight I reel and stagger and am drunk with light Ama. If e're again thou on this place art found Full fifty years I 'le chain thee under ground The damps of Earth shall be thy daily food All swoln and bloated like a dungeon toad And when thou shalt be freed yet thou shalt ly Gasping upon the ground too faint to fly And lag below thy fellows in the sky Dam. O pardon pardon this accursed deed And I no more on Magick fumes will feed Which drew me hither by their pow'rful steams Ama. to S. Cath. Go expiate thy guilt in holy dreams Ex. Dam. But thou sweet Saint henceforth disturb'd no more With dreams not thine thy thoughts to Heav'n restore The Angel ascends and the Scene shuts Nig. Some holy Being does invade this place And from their duty does my Spirits chase I dare no longer near it make abode No Charms prevail against the Christians God Exit Placid How doubtfully these Specters Fate foretell In double sense and twi-light truth they dwell Like sawning Courtiers for success they wait And then come smiling and declare for Fate Enter Maximin and Porphyrius attended by Valerius and Guards But see the Tyrant and my Rival come I like the Fiends will flatter in his doom None but a Fool distastful truth will tell So it be new and please 't is full as well Placid whispers with the Emperour who seems pleas'd Max. You charm me with your news which I 'le reward By hopes we are for coming joys prepar'd Possess her Love or from that Love be free Heav'n speaks me fair if she as kind can prove I shall possess but never quit my Love Go tell me when she wakes Exit Placidius Porphyrius seems to beg something of him Porphyrius no She has refus'd and I will keep my vow Por. For your own sake your cruel vow defer The time 's unsafe your Enemies are near And to displease your men when they should fight Max. My looks alone my Enemies will fright And o're my men I 'le set my careful Spies To watch Rebellion in their very eyes No more I cannot bear the least reply Por. Yet Tyrant thou shalt perish e're she dye Aside Enter Valeria Valeria here how Fortune treats me still With various harms magnificently ill Max. Valeria I was sending to your Tent To Valeria But my Commands your presence does prevent This is the hour wherein the Priest shall joyn Your holy Loves and make Porphyrius mine Val. aside Now hold my Heart and Venus I implore Be Judge
your Daughter Sir are here Por. What dangers in those charming Eyes appear Looking on the Empress How my old wounds are open'd at this view And in my murd'rers presence bleed anew Max. I did expect your coming to partake To the Ladies The general gladness which my Triumphs make You did Porphyrius as a Courtier know But as a Conquerour behold him now Ber. You know I read it in your blushing face To Por. To merit better than receive a grace And I know better silently to own Than with vain words to pay your service done Por. Princes like Gods reward e're we deserve Kneeling to kiss hâ—â—â— And pay us in permitting us to serve Oh might I still grow here and never move lower Ber. How dangerous are these extasies of Love He shows his passion to a thousand Eyes He cannot stir nor can I bid him rise That word my heart refuses to my tongue Aside Max. Madam you let the General kneel too long Por. Too long as if Eternity were so Aside Ber. Rise good Porphyrius since it must be so Aside Por. Like Hermits from a Vision I retire rising With Eyes too weak to see what I admire Aside Val. The Empress knows your worth but Sir there be To Porphyrius who kisses her hand Those who can value it as high as she And 't is but just since in my Fathers cause You fought your Valour should have my applause Placid O Jealousie how art thou Eagle-ey'd She loves and would her Love in praises hide How am I bound this Rival to pursue Who ravishes my Love and Fortune too Aside A Dead March within and Trumpets Max. Somewhat of mournful sure my Ears does wound Like the hoarse murmurs of a Trumpets sound And Drums unbrac'd with Souldiers broken cryes Enter Albinus Albinus Whence proceeds this dismal noise Alb. Too soon you 'l know what I want words to tell Max. How fares my Son Is my Charinus well Not answer me Oh my prophetique fear Alb. How can I speak or how Sir can you hear Imagine that which you would most deplore And that which I would speak is it or more Max. Thy mournful message in thy looks I read Is he oh that I live to ask it dead Alb. Sir Max. Stay if thou speak'st that word thou speak'st thy last Some God now if he dares relate what 's past Say but he 's dead that God shall mortal be Alb. Then what I dare not speak look back and see Charinus born in dead by Souldiers Max. See nothing Eyes henceforth but Death and wo You 've done me the worst office you can do Youv'e shown me Destinies prepost'rous crime An unripe fate disclos'd e're Nature's time Placid Asswage great Prince your passion lest you show There 's somewhat in your Soul which Fate can bow Por. Fortune should by your greatness be controul'd Arm your great mind and let her take no hold Max. To tame Philosophers teach constancy There is no farther use of it in me Gods but why name I you All that was worth a pray'r to you is gone I ask not back my Vertue but my Son Alb. His too great thirst of fame his ruine brought Though Sir beyond humanity he fought Placid This was my Vision of this fatal day Alb. With a fierce hast he led our Troops the way While fiery showrs of Sulphur on him rain'd Nor left he till the Battlements he gain'd There with a Forest of their Darts he strove And stood like Capaneus defying Jove With his broad Sword the boldest beating down While Fate grew pale lest he should win the Town And turn'd the Iron leafs of its dark Book To make new dooms or mend what it mistook Till sought by many Deaths he sunk though late And by his fall asserted doubtful Fate Vale. Oh my Dear Brother whom Heav'n let us see And would not longer suffer him to be Max. And didst not thou a Death with Honour chuse To Alb. But impudently liv'st to bring this news After his loss how did'st thou dare to breath But thy base Ghost shall follow him in death A decimation I will strictly make Of all who my Charinus did forsake And of each Legion each Centurion Shall dye Placidius see my pleasure done Por. Sir you will lose by this severity Your Souldiers hearts Max. Why they take Pay to dye Por. Then spare Albinus only Max. I consent To leave his life to be his punishment Discharg'd from trust branded with infamy Let him live on till he ask leave to dye Ber. Let me petition for him Max. I have said And will not be intreated but obey'd But Empress whence does your compassion grow Ber. You need not ask it since my birth you know The Race of Antonin's was nam'd the Good I draw my pity from my Royal Blood Max. Still must I be upbraided with your Line I know you speak it in contempt of mine But your late Brother did not prize me less Because I could not boast of Images And the Gods own'd me more when they decreed A Thracian Shepherd should your Line succeed Ber. The Gods O do not name the pow'rs divine They never mingled their Decrees with thine My Brother gave me to thee for a Wife And for my Dowry thou didst take his life Max. The Gods by many Victories have shown That they my merits and his death did own Ber. Yes they have own'd it witness this just day When they begin thy mischiefs to repay See the reward of all thy wicked care Before thee thy succession ended there Yet but in part my Brothers Ghost is pleas'd Restless till all the groaning world be eas'd For me no other happiness I owne Than to have born no Issue to thy Throne Max. Provoke my rage no farther lest I be Reveng'd at once upon the Gods and thee Por. aside What horrid tortures seize my lab'ring mind O only excellent of all thy kind To hear thee threatned while I idle stand Heav'n was I born to fear a Tyrants hand Max. to Ber. Hence from my sight thy blood if thou dost stay Ber. Tyrant too well to that thou know'st the way going Por. Let baser Souls from falling Fortunes flye I 'le pay my duty to her though I dye Exit leading her Max. What made Porphyrius so officious be The action look'd as done in scorn of me Val. It did indeed some little freedom show But somewhat to his Services you owe. Max. Yet if I thought it his presumption were Placid Perhaps he did not your displeasure hear Max. My anger was too loud not to be heard Placid I 'm loth to think he did it not regard Max. How not regard Val. Placidius you foment On too light grounds my Father's discontent But when an action does two faces wear 'T is Justice to believe what is most fair I think that knowing what respect there rests For her late Brother in the Souldiers breasts He went to serve the Emp'rour and design'd Only to calm the tempest in her mind Lest some
a Christian Love Max. Thou ly'st there 's not a God inhabits there But for this Christian would all Heav'n forswear Ev'n Jove would try more shapes her Love to win And in new birds and unknown beasts would sin At least if Jove could love like Maximin Placid A Captive Sir who would a Martyr dye Max. She courts not death but shuns Captivity Great gifts and greater promises I 'le make And what Religion is 't but they can shake She shall live high Devotion in distress Is born but vanishes in happiness Exit Maximin Placid solus His Son forgot his Empress unappeas'd How soon the Tyrant with new Love is seiz'd Love various minds does variously inspire He stirs in gentle Natures gentle fire Like that of Incense on the Altars laid But raging flames tempestuous Souls invade A fire which every windy passion blows With pride it mounts and with revenge it glows But I accurs'd who servilely must move And sooth his passion for his Daughters Love Small hope 't is true attends my mighty care But of all passions Love does last despair Exit ACT III. SCENE I. The Royal Pavilion Maximin Placidius Guards and Attendants Max. THis Love that never could my youth engage Peeps out his coward head to dare my age Where hast thou been thus long thou sleeping form That wak'st like drowsie Sea-men in a storm A sullen hour thou chusest for thy birth My Love shoots up in tempests as the Earth Is stirr'd and loosen'd in a blust'ring wind Whose blasts to waiting flowers her womb unbind Placid Forgive me if I say your passions are So rough as if in Love you would make War But Love is soft And with soft beauty tenderly complies In lips it laughs and languishes in eyes Max. There let it laugh or like an Infant weep I cannot such a supple passion keep Mine stiff with age and stubborn as my arms Walks upright stoops not to but meets her charms Placid Yet fierceness suits not with her gentle kind They brave assaults but may be undermin'd Max. Till I in those mean Arts am better read Court thou and fawn and flatter in my stead Enter S. Catharine She comes and now methinks I could obey Her form glides through me and my heart gives way This Ironheart which no impression took From Wars melts down and runs if she but look Exit Maximin Placid Madam I from the Emperour am come T'applaude your Vertue and reverse your doom He thinks whatever your Religion be This Palm is owing to your constancy S. Cath. My constancy from him seeks no renown Heav'n that propos'd the course will give the Crown Placid But Monarchs are the Gods Vicegerents here Heav'n gives rewards but what it gives they bear From Heav'n to you th'AEgyptian Crown is sent Yet 't is a Prince who does the gift present S. Cath. The Deity I serve had he thought fit Could have preserv'd my Crown unconquer'd yet But when his secret Providence design'd To level that he levell'd too my mind Which by contracting its desires is taught The humble quiet of possessing nought Placid To Stoicks leave a happiness so mean Your Vertue does deserve a nobler Scene You are not for obscurity design'd But like the Sun must cheer all humane kind S. Cath. No happiness can be where is no rest Th' unknown untalk'd of man is only blest He as in some safe Cliff his Cell does keep From thence he views the labours of the Deep The Gold-fraught Vessel which mad tempests beat He sees now vainly make to his retreat And when from far the tenth wave does appear Shrinks up in silent joy that he 's not there Placid You have a Pilot who your Ship secures The Monarch both of Earth and Seas is yours He who so freely gives a Crown away Yet asks no tribute but what you may pay One smile on him a greater wealth bestows Than AEgypt yields when Nilus overflows S. Cath. I cannot wholly innocent appear Since I have liv'd such words as these to hear O Heav'n which dost of chastity take care Placid Why do you lose an unregarded pray'r If happiness as you believe be rest That quiet sure is by the Gods possest 'T is greatness to neglect or not to know The little business of the world below S. Cath. This doctrine well besitted him who thought A casual world was from wild Atoms wrought But such an order in each chance we see Chain'd to its cause as that to its decree That none can think a workmanship so rare Was built or kept without a Workman's care To them Maximin Attendants and Guards Max. Madam you from Placidius may have heard Some news which will your happiness regard Th' AEgyptian Crown I to your hands remit And with it take his heart who offers it She turns aside Do you my person and my gift contemn S. Cath. My hopes pursue a brighter Diadem Max. Can any brighter than the Roman be I find my proffer'd Love has cheapned me Since you neglect to answer my desires Know Princess you shall burn in other fires Why should you urge me to so black a deed Think all my anger did from Love proceed S. Cath. Nor threats nor promises my mind can move Your furious anger nor your impious Love Max. The Love of you can never impious be You are so pure That in the Act 't would change th' impiety Heav'n would unmake it sin S. Cath. I take my self from thy detested sight To my respect thou hast no longer right Such pow'r in bonds true piety can have That I command and thou art but a Slave Exit S. Cath. Max. To what a height of arrogance she swells Pride or ill nature still with Vertue dwells Her death shall set me free this very hour But is her death within a Lovers pow'r Wild with my rage more wild with my desire Like meeting tides but mine are tides of fire What petty promise was 't that caus'd this frown Placid You heard no less than the AEgyptian Crown Max. Throw AEgypt's by and offer in the stead Offer the Crown on Berenice's head I am resolv'd to double till I win About it straight and send Porphyrius in Exit Placid We look like Eagles tow'ring in the Sky While her high flight still raises mine more high To him Porphyrius Por. I come Sir to expect your great commands Max. My happiness lyes only in thy hands And since I have adopted thee my Son I 'le keep no secret from thy breast unknown Led by the int'rest of my rising Fate I did espouse this Empress whom I hate And therefore with less shame I may declare That I the Fetters of thy Captive wear Por. Sir you amaze me with so strange a Love Max. Pity my Son those flames you disapprove The cause of Love can never be assign'd 'T is in no face but in the Lover's mind Por. Yet there are Beauties which attract all hearts And all mankind lyes open to their darts Whose Soveraignty without dispute we
grant Such Graces sure your Empress does not want Max. Beauty has bounds And can no more to every heart be so Than any Coin through every Land can go Some secret Grace which is but so to me Though not so great may yet more pow'rful be All guard themselves when stronger Foes invade Yet by the weak surprizes may be made But you my Son are not to judge but aid Por. What is it Sir you can require of me Max. I would from Berenice's bonds be free This yoke of Marriage from us both remove Where two are bound to draw though neither love Por. Neither the Gods nor man will give consent To put in practice your unjust intent Max. Both must consent to that which I decree Por. The Souldiers love her Brother's memory And for her sake some Mutiny will stir Max. Our parting therefore shall be sought by her Go bid her sue for a Divorce or dye I 'le cut the knot if she will not untye Haste to prepare her and thy self return Thy Hymen's Torch this day with mine shall burn Exit Por. Rather my Funeral-torch for though I know Valeria's fair and that she loves me too Gainst her my Soul is arm'd on every part Yet there are secret Rivets to my heart Where Berenice's Charms have found the way Subtile as Lightnings but more fierce than they How shall I this avoid or gain that Love So near the Rock I to the Port must move To him Valeria attended Val. Porphyrius now my joy I may express Nor longer hide the Love I must possess Should I have stay'd till Marriage made us one You might have thought it was by duty done But of my heart I now a present make And give it you e're it be yours to take Accept it as when early fruit we send And let the rareness the small gift commend Por. Great Monarchs like your Father often give What is above a Subject to receive But faithful Officers should countermand And stop the gift that passes through their hand And to their Prince that mass of wealth restore Which lavish'd thus would make whole Nations poor Val. But to this gift a double right you have My Father gives but what before I gave Por. In vain you such unequal presents make Which I still want capacity to take Such fatal bounty once the Gaules did show They threw their Rings but threw their Targets too Bounty so plac'd does more like ruine look You pour the Ocean on a narrow Brook Val. Yet if your Love before prepares a Boat The stream so pour'd drowns not but makes it float Por. But when the Vessel is on Quick-sands cast The flowing tide does more the sinking hast Val. And on what Quick-sands can your heart be thrown Can you a Love besides Valeria's own Por. If he who at your feet his heart would lay Be met with first and robb'd upon the way You may indeed the Robbers strength accuse But pardon him who did the Present lose Val. Who is this Thief that does my right possess Name her and then we of her strength may guess From whence does your unwonted silence come Por. She bound and gag'd me and has left me dumb Val. But of my wrongs I will aloud complain False man thou would'st excuse thy self in vain For thee I did a Maidens blush forsake And own'd a Love thou hast refus'd to take Por. Refus'd it like a Miser midst his store Who grasps and grasps till he can hold no more And when his strength is wanting to his mind Looks back and sighs on what he left behind Val. No I resume that heart thou didst possess My Father shall my injuries redress With me thou losest his Imperial Crown And speedy death attends upon his frown Por. You may revenge your wrongs a nobler way Command my death and I will soon obey Val. No live for on thy life my cure depends In Debters deaths all obligation ends 'T will be some ease Ungrateful thee to call And Bankrupt-like say trusting him lost all Por. Upbraided thus what gen'rous man would live But Fortune will revenge what you forgive When I refuse as in few hours I must This offer'd grace your Father will be just Val. Be just say rather he will cruel prove To kill that only person I can love Yet so it is Your int'rest in the Army is so high That he must make you his or you must dye It is resolv'd who e're my Rival be Aside after a pause I 'le show that I deserve him more than she And if at last he does ingrateful prove My constancy it self rewards my Love Exit Por. She 's gone and gazing round about I see Nothing but death or glorious misery Here Empire stands if I could Love displace There hopeless Love with more Imperial Grace Thus as a sinking Hero compass'd round Beckens his bravest Foe for his last wound And him into his part of Fame does call I 'le turn my face to Love and there I 'le fall To him Berenice Erotion Ber. I come Porphyrius to congratulate This happy change of your exalted Fate You to the Empire are I hear design'd And fair Valeria must th' Alliance bind Por. Would Heav'n had my succession so decreed That I in all might Maximin succeed He offers me th' Imperial Crown 't is true I would succeed him but it is in you Ber. In me I never did accept your Love But you I see would handsomly remove And I can give you leave without a frown I always thought you merited a Crown Por. I never sought that Crown but on your brow But you with such indifference would allow My change that you have kill'd me with that breath I feel your scorn cold as the hand of death Ber. You 'l come to life in your Valeria's arms 'T is true I cannot boast of equal Charms Or if I could I never did admit Your Love to me but only suffer'd it I am a Wife and can make no return And 't were but vain in hopeless fires to burn Por. Unkind can you whom only I adore Set open to your Slave the Prison-door You use my heart just as you would afford A fatal freedom to some harmless bird Whom breeding you ne're taught to seek its food And now let flye to perish in the Wood. Ber. Then if you will love on and disobey And lose an Empire for my sake you may Will a kind look from me pay all this score For you well know you must expect no more Por. All I deserve it will not all I wish But I will brave the Tyrants rage for this If I refuse my death must needs ensue But you shall see that I dare dye for you Ber. Would you for me A Beauty and an Empire too deny I love you now so well that you shall dye Dye mine 't is all I can with honour give Nor should you dye if after I would live But when your Marriage and your Death I view That makes you false
but this will keep you true Por. Unbind thy brows and look abroad to see O mighty Love thy mightiest Victory Ber. And yet is there no other way to try 'T is hard to say I love and let you dye Por. Yes there remains some help which you may 〈◊〉 If you as I would dye for Love would live Ber. If death for Love be sweet sure life is more Teach me the means your safety to restore Por. Your Tyrant the AEgyptian Princess loves And to that height his swelling passion moves That fearing in your death the Souldiers force He from your bed does study a Divorce Ber. Th' AEgyptian Princess I disputing hard And as a Miracle her mind regard But yet I wish that this Divorce be true Gives her hand Por. 'T is Madam but it must be sought by you By this he will all Mutinies prevent And this as well secures your own content Ber. I hate this Tyrant and his bed I loath But once submitting I am ty'd to both Ty'd to that Honour which all Women owe Though not their Husbands person yet their vow Something so sacred in that bond there is That none should think there could be ought amiss And if there be we should in silence hide Those faults which blame our choice when they are spy'd Por. But since to all the world his crimes are known And by himself the Civil War 's begun Would you th' advantage of the fight delay If striking first you were to win the day Ber. I would like Jews upon their Sabbath fall And rather than strike first not strike at all Por. Against your self you sadly prophesie You either this Divorce must seek or dye Ber. Then death from all my griefs shall set me free Por. And would you rather chuse your death than me Ber. My earthy part Which is my Tyrants right death will remove I 'le come all Soul and Spirit to your Love With silent steps I 'le follow you all day Or else before you in the Sun-beams play I 'le lead you thence to melancholy Groves And there repeat the Scenes of our past Loves At night I will within your Curtains peep With empty arms embrace you while you sleep In gentle dreams I often will be by And sweep along before your closing eye All dangers from your bed I will remove But guard it most from any future Love And when at last in pity you will dye I 'le watch your Birth of Immortality Then Turtle-like I 'le to my Mate repair And teach you your first flight in open Air. Exit Berenice cum Erotio Por. She has but done what Honour did require Nor can I blame that Love which I admire But then her death I 'le stand betwixt it first shall pierce my heart We will be stuck together on his dart But yet the danger not so high does grow I 'le charge death first perhaps repulse him too But if o'repow'r'd I must be overcome Fore'dback I 'le fight each inch into my Tomb. Exit ACT IV. SCENE I. Indian Cave Placidius Nigrinus Nigrinus with two drawn Swords held upward in his hands Placid ALL other means have fail'd to move her heart Our last recourse is therefore to your Art Nig. Of Wars and Bloodshed and of dire Events Of Fates and fighting Kings their Instruments I could with greater certainty foretell Love only does in doubts and darkness dwell For like a wind it in no quarter stays But points and veers each hour a thousand ways On Women Love depends and they on Will Chance turns their Orb while Destiny sits still Placid Leave nothing unattempted in your pow'r Remember you oblige an Emperour Nig. An earthy Fiend by compact me obeys But him to light intents I must not raise Some Astral forms I must invoke by prayer Fram'd all of purest Atoms of the Air Not in their Natures simply good or ill But most subservient to bad Spirits will Nakar of these does lead the mighty Band For eighty Legions move at his Command Gentle to all but far above the rest Mild Nakar loves his soft Damilcar best In AEry Chariots they together ride And sip the dew as through the Clouds they glide These are the Spirits which in Love have pow'r Placid Haste and invoke 'em in a happy hour Nig. And so it proves for counting sev'n from Noon 'T is Venus hour and in the wexing Moon With Chalk I first describe a Circle here Where these AEtherial Spirits must appear Come in come in for here they will be strait Around around the place I fumigate My fumigation is to Venus just The Souls of Roses and red Corals dust A lump of Sperma Ceti and to these The stalks and chips of Lignum Alöes And last to make my fumigation good 'T is mixt with Sparrows brains and Pigeons blood Nigrinus takes up the Swords They come they come they come I hear 'em now Placid A death-like damp sits cold upon my brow And misty vapours swim before my sight Nig. They come not in a shape to cause your fright Nakar and Damilcar descend in Clouds and sing Nakar Hark my Damilcar we are call'd below Dam. Let us go let us go Go to relieve the care Of longing Lovers in despair Nakar Merry merry merry we sail from the East Half tippled at a Rain-bow Feast Dam. In the bright Moon-shine while winds whistle loud Tivy tivy tivy we mount and we fly All racking along in a downy white Cloud And lest our leap from the Skie should prove too far We slide on the back of a new-falling Star Nakar And drop from above In a Gelly of Love Dam. But now the Sun 's down and the Element's red The Spirits of Fire against us make head Nakar They muster they muster like Gnats in the Air Alas I must leave thee my Fair And to my light Horse-men repair Dam. O stay for you need not to fear 'em to night The wind is for us and blows full in their sight And o're the wide Ocean we fight Like leaves in the Autumn our Foes will fall down And hiss in the Water Both. And hiss in the Water and drown Nakar But their men lye securely intrench'd in a Cloud And a Trumpeter-Hornet to battel sounds loud Dam. Now Mortals that spie How we tilt in the Skie With wonder will gaze And fear such events as will ne're come to pass Nakar Stay you to perform what the man will have done Dam. Then call me again when the Battel is won Both. So ready and quick is a Spirit of Air To pity the Lover and succour the sair That silent and swift the little soft God Is here with a wish and is gone with a nod The Clouds part Nakar flies up and Damilcar down Nig. I charge thee Spirit stay and by the pow'r To Damilcar Of Nakar's Love and of this holy Wand On the North quarter of my Circle stand Sev'n foot around for my defence I take To all my questions faithful answers make So
bid it rise the Tempest laid Max. You are a Christian then To Felicia For death this very hour you must prepare I have decreed no Christians life to spare Fel. For death I hope you but my courage try Whatever I believe I dare not dye Heav'n does not sure that Seal of Faith require Or if it did would firmer thoughts inspire A Womans witness can no credit give To Truths Divine and therefore I would live Max. I cannot give the life which you demand But that and mine are in your Daughter's hand Ask her if she will yet her Love deny And bid a Monarch and her Mother dye Fel. Now mighty Prince you cancel all my fear My life is safe when it depends on her How can you let me languish thus in pain To S. Cath. Make haste to cure those doubts which yet remain Speak quickly speak and ease me of my fear S. Cath. Alas I doubt it is not you I hear Some wicked Fiend assumes your voice and face To make frail Nature triumph over Grace It cannot be That she who taught my Childhood Piety Should bid my riper age my Faith deny That she who bid my hopes this Crown pursue Should snatch it from me when 't is just in view Fel. Peace peace too much my age's shame you show How easie 't is to teach how hard to do Mylab'ring thoughts are with themselves at strife I dare not dye nor bid you save my life Max. You must do one and that without delay Too long already for your death I stay I cannot with your small concerns dispence For deaths of more importance call me hence Prepare to execute your office strait To his Guards Fel. O stay and let 'em but one minute wait Such quick Commands for death you would not give Ah if you knew how sweet it were to live Max. Then bid her love Fel. Is duty grown so weak To S. Cath. That Love 's a harder word than Death to speak S. Cath. Oh! Fel. Mistake me not I never can approve privately to S. Cath. A thing so wicked as the Tyrants Love I ask you would but some false promise give Only to gain me so much time to live S. Cath. That promise is a step to greater sin The hold once lost we seldom take agen Each bound to Heav'n we fainter Essays make Still losing somewhat till we quite go back Max. Away I grant no longer a reprieve Fel. O do but beg my life and I may live To S. Cath. Have you not so much pity in your brest He stays to have you make it your request S. Cath. To beg your life Is not to ask a grace of Maximin It is a silent bargain for a sin Could we live always life were worth our cost But now we keep with care what must be lost Here we stand shiv'ring on the Bank and cry When we should plunge into Eternity One moment ends our pain And yet the shock of death we dare not stand By thought scarce measur'd and too swift for sand 'T is but because the Living death ne're knew They fear to prove it as a thing that 's new Let me th'Experiment before you try I 'le show you first how easie 't is to dye Max. Draw then that Curtain and let death appear And let both see how easie 't will be there The Scene opens and shews the Wheel Fel. Alas what torments I already feel Max. Go bind her hand and foot beneath that Wheel Four of you turn the dreadful Engine round Four others hold her fast'ned to the ground That by degrees her tender breasts may feel First the rough razings of the pointed steel Her Paps then let the bearded Tenters stake And on each hook a gory Gobbet take Till th' upper flesh by piece-meal torn away Her beating heart shall to the Sun display Fel. My dearest Daughter at your feet I fall Kneeling Hear Oh yet hear your wretched Mothers call Think at your Birth ah think what pains I bore And can your eyes behold me suffer more You were the Child which from your infancy I still lov'd best and then you best lov'd me About my neck your little arms you spred Nor could you sleep without me in the bed But sought my bosom when you went to rest And all night long would lye across my brest Nor without cause did you that fondness show You may remember when our Nile did flow While on the Bank you innocently stood And with a Wand made Circles in the flood That rose and just was hurrying you to death When I from far all pale and out of breath Ran and rusht in And from the waves my floating pledge did bear So much my Love was stronger than my fear But you Max. Woman for these long tales your life 's too short Go bind her quickly and begin the sport Fel. No in her arms my Sanctuary's plac'd Running to her Daughter Thus I will cling for ever to her waste Max. What must my will by women be controll'd Haste draw your Weapons and cut off her hold S. Cath. Thus my last duty to you let me pay Kissing her Mother Yet Tyrant I to thee will never pray Though hers to save I my own life would give Yet by my sin my Mother shall not live To thy foul lust I never can confent Why dost thou then defer my punishment I scorn those Gods thou vainly dost adore Contemn thy Empire but thy Bed abhor If thou would'st yet a bloodier Tyrant be I will instruct thy rage begin with me Max. I thank thee that thou dost my anger move It is a Tempest that will wreck my Love I 'le pull thee hence close hidden as thou art Claps his hand to his breast And stand with my drawn Sword before my heart Yes you shall be obey'd though I am loth Go and while I can bid you bind 'em both Go bind 'em e're my fit of Love return Fire shall quench fire and anger Love shall burn Thus I prevent those follies I should do And 't is the nobler Fever of the two Fel. Torn piece by piece alas what horrid pains S. Cath. Heav'n is all mercy who that death ordains And that which Heav'n thinks best is surely so But bare and naked shame to undergo 'T is somewhat more than death Expos'd to lawless eyes I dare not be My modesty is sacred Heav'n to thee Let not my body be the Tyrant's spoil Nor hands nor eyes thy purity defile Amariel descends swiftly with a flaming Sword and strikes at the Wheel which breaks in pieces then he ascends again Max. Is this th' effect of all your boasted skill These brittle toys to execute my will A Puppet-show of death I only find Where I a strong and sinewy pain design'd By what weak infant was this Engine wrought Val. From Bilbilis the temper'd steel was brought Metall more tough the Anvil ne're did beat Nor from the Forge did hissing waters heat Placid I saw a Youth descend all Heav'nly