the work Therefore I give ' â—m up To thy Tuition till I shall return Victorious then we 'll determine of ' em Exeant Lewis and Briâ—ac Queen Did I for this ungrateful Traytor trust My honour in thy hands Clar. Did she for this Bestow her Princely smiles on thee prefer thee Rayse thee to honour and rewards above Nigr. No more I have no time for words or thoughts Of any thing but Justice take 'em hence And lodge 'em in that Dungeon which I told you Exeunt Fredigond and Clarmount forced out by Guards All goes as I could wish The King 's possest Aphelia has been Debaucht by Clarmount And this Nights work Strengthens that Faith for Clarmount being removed By his strange and sudden absence 't will be thought He lyes conceal'd and that concealment seem Th' effect of guilt by which I 'le work the King To a belief he thinks his crime discover'd And is retired t' avoyd the punishment What prospect of Revenge am I arriv'd to Their confidence in my Honesty destroys 'em What safer policy then seeming just The greatest prop of Treachery is Trust. Exeunt ACT the Fifth Scene the First The Scene a Prison Clarmount and Fredigond appear bound Enter Nigrello Clarm. ARt thou here Persidious Slave is this the gratitude Thou pay'st thy Royal Mistriss Queen Barbrous Villain Thou hast out-done even thy own Native soyle And made thy self a Monster more deform'd Then e're thy Africk bred Nigr. Go on Clarm. Oh Impudence Hear me ye sacred Pow'rs in punishment To such Ingratitude may you invent A Plague for yet your Vengeance never sent On all the sinners since the Worlds Creation One bad enough for him But if the Gods Are barren at Invention let 'em joyn All thâ—â—r old Plagues in one and if that prove Too light add my Gall to 't to make it weight Nigr. You 're not so good at Curses as I am At pardonâ—ng 'em Thus I reward your Rage Unbinds ' em Clarm. What means this Pageantry some fair disguise To palliate thy guilt Mock us with freedom To cut our throats more pleasantly Is 't not Enough to kill but you must have the vanity Of a Surprize in acting it Nigr. You wrong me Clarm. 'T is likely you 're so innocent the least Spot stains you First betray our privacy And thy Queens Honour then to have her seiz'd And drag'd by servile hands into a Dungeon Loaded with Chains and all to have th' occasion T' oblige her with the taking of 'em off agen How thin and how transparent are thy cheats Nigr. Sir t'undeceive you know that I am guiltless And though I was the man that seiz'd you sent you To Prison used all cruelty and rudeness I could invent 't was all design'd to serve you Queen He speaks like Oracles in Mysteries Nigr. And like them too speak truth Your Son betrayd you But by what information he surpriz'd you In so retired a place I know not but Finding you were betrayd and by the Prince Beset I at the Alarm strait joyn'd With the Confederates appeared their Friend Pursued the chace more eagerly then they And was the first and fiercest that aâ—â—acqued you I first proposed this Dungeon for you Lodging And as kind Fate would have it by that intrest My Service to the Prince in his recovery Had gain'd me in his breast It was thought honest And my design embraced Thus was I made Your Jaylour and thus your Deliverer Clarm. Can this be truth Queen He cant sure be so great A Villain as this makes him if 't be false We have found him honest this was not the first time That he has been the Guardian of our Honour In places too where had he then proved false Our Infancy had been more loud and our Disgrace more publick then by seizing us In so retired a place as this Why not A Villain then If he intended Treason Why mist he such much fairer opportunities To act it no he is he must be honest Clarm. Since your mistrust is gone mine too must vanish Nigr. But Madam Courtesies that cost us nothing Cannot be acts of Gratitude Fate I thank it To pay my Debts to you a glorious path has shown By saving your Lives I expose my own But danger's welcome in so great a cause Queen Nigrello kind Nigrello how I love thee Nigr. Your pious Son has such strict sense of Honour That though perhaps Nature may intercede for You For Clarmount he designs a death in Tortures But when he shall have heard I saved his Life What danger will my humble weakness run By the just anger of so great a Prince How easily am I crusht by such a hand Yet all this Madam I dare undertake When acted for my Royal Mrs. sake Queen My kind preserver I want words to thank thee Nigr. I ask no thanks all the requital I Desire is that you two would Love for ever Under the â—â—eltâ—r of so blest an Union I 'm certain to be safe whilst that Tye holdâ— That sacred tye of Love you'â— cast some thoughts On your poor humble Slave and guard him from An angry Princes rage But if that Chain Be ever broke my shaken fortune sinks And all I am expires and dyes if e're You cease to Love Queen If what we owe to thee Can by our Loves be paid doubt not your Debtors We are too Rich in Love e're to be Bankrupts Clarm. When we cease Loving we must cease to be Our Loves are Register'd in Heaven or if They be not yet they shall be Ye dull Destinies I 'le dictate while you write Our Love desires To last as long as Fate for I am serves 'T is as unchangeable To those fair Eyes I 'le dedicate my Life my Soul my Nigrello stamps and immediately a Company of Villains rush in with drawn Swords and massacre the Queen and Clarmount Nigr. Down down with them you Dogs one minutes Life May save their souls So you 've done well Lay their bodyes where I order'd And when I give the sign agen be ready Exeunt Villains carrying out Clarmount and Fredigond Revenge oh dear Revenge Name me the man In Story that e're prosecuted Vengeance So far as I have done Had I took their lives When they expected death they then might have Prepared for dying and death would have been all But now to raise 'em to the hopes of Life Nay and to work 'em up to vow the leading A profane Life in an unlawful Lust And whilst the impious Vow was sealing then To stop th' Adultrous breath just in that minute As damn'd their Souls is a revenge so charming But business now grows thick Here I have lodged Aphelia and expect the King Burn on Burn on my best loved Rage Ye infernal Furies Be kind and heighten my weak gall be but My Slaves to day and be my Saints to morrow Enter King and a Lord attending him Lord. The Castle is surrounded and their number Is twenty thousand and the greatest part Are Childricks Souldiers Souls of blood and fire A fiercer Troop and spirits more resolved Life never put in action King
LOVE AND REVENGE A Tragedy Acted at the DUKE'S THEATRE Written by Elkanah Settle Servant to his MAJESTY LONDON Printed for William Cademan and are to be sold at the Sign of the Popes-head in the New-Exchange in the Strand 1675. TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS and most RENOWNED PRINCE WILLIAM DUKE OF NEWCASTLE ONE OF HIS MAJESTIES most Honourable Privy Council and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter c. May it please your Grace THat so worthless a Present to so Eminent a Person is a piece of Arrogance I am as Conscious as I am that your Grace has Goodness to Pardon it for if sins of Presumption could not be forgiven the punishment of Offences would put a restraint on Virtue and make Mercy one of the noblest Ornaments of Greatness a Stranger to it and at that rate a Patron would be as confined as a Iudge who at the same time he is a Kings Representative and presides over Iustice is a Slave to it whilst his Sentence is but the voyce of Law his Favour or Cruelty not voluntary but prescribed Your Patronage is not so bounded your Favours are unlimited and your Grace can execute a more peculiar Kingly power You can give Pardons and by your Smiles create Merit where you do not find it But above that Title of a favourer of Poetry which single Attribute were enough to make the Muses your Votaries the World is sensible of your Conspicuous Eminence in more adorable Qualities In a Duke of Newcastle Wit has found a Pillar Valour a Pattern Loyalty a Standart and England a Patriot In which rank of Heroes so placed and so adorned your Grace has the advantage over both the ancient Worthyes and those of the present Age. For when Homer or Virgil Character'd Greatness with them the Walls of Cityes were built by the Hands of Gods their Heroes descended from Deities and their Divinities personally Interested in National Quarrels whilst the almost fabulous Gallantry they painted was set off by False Lights and so their Presidents of Glory were but things of Noyse and works of Art But your Grace lives in an Age where History and Poetry are the Representations of Nature and he that describes your Worth draws your true Self and Story must render you Illustrious by Glories that are your Own And when Fame which will preserve your Memory longer then Marble can your Ashes shall speak of a Newcastle its Authority will be undisputable as its Subject is unimitable Nor can this Age should it joyn the Noblest Blood and the most forward Courage in one Person raise your Equal For Loyalty now under a Flourishing King is but like Ripe Fruits in Summer The kindness of the Season the Blessing of the warm Sun take off their Rarity and lessen their Price But you my Lord are the truest and noblest Miracle of Honour whose Arms whose Policy and whose Fortunes were Vigorously engaged and as Gloriously signaliz'd under a great but drooping Cause whose Fidelity was ripend by the Influence of a declining Sun Thus the faithful Newcastle laid a foundation for Immortality and to compleat so fair a Structure Fate conspired with his just and sacred Ambition For when Rebellion durst strike at Majesty and the Quarrel of a threatned King had made Newcastle an Assertour of his Countreys Freedom Victory waited on his Arms and added Gems to his Coronet when it deserted a Crown wherever he led in Person Conquest attended him and his Royal Cause had never sunk had Newcastle admitted of Rivals had all its Champions been as great Favourites of Fortune as He. But Providence as it had more particularly obliged your Grace with extraordinary Parts and Ornaments of Nature so it adjusted the Laurels which it gave you to the Merit of the Brow that wore them Nor did your Honours spring only from the Trophies of the Field the Harvest of War Your Glory began its Ascension before it had those steps Conquest and Triumph to mount upon His late Majesty of ever blessed Memory out of the Deserving Nobility of England singled out your Grace for the Care of a Nations Hopes the Tuition of a Prince of Wales So visible were your Sacred principles of Honour that they were thought fit to be precepts for an Heir to a Crown and by that pow'rful inspirer Education to be imprinted in the Bosom of a growing Majesty In which high Trust your Grace reacht that height which Seneca could not arrive to He though in his Learning and Integrity he resembled You met not your Success in the stubborn Nero. Providence has justly lengthen'd out your happy Life to see the prosperous Raign of a Great a Pious and Gracious Monarch in your Royal Charge Thus whilst your Matchless Gallantry has rendred your Character so great in the Records of Fame and your Worth an Object for a Kingdoms Veneration in the vast numbers of those whom the Admiration of your Virtues has made your Creatures I in presenting you an ill Play have made the meanest Offering to your Grace yet I humbly beg you would not condemn an Effect that has a Cause so powerful Every one cannot be deserving in Crowds not to have your Admirers numerous is as impossible as 't is for your Grace to bid your Fame spread thus far and no farther whilst That knows no bounds They must be Infinite which is the only justification of Your Graces Most Devoted most Humble and most Obedient Servant Elkanah Settle PROLOGUE PLays without Scâ—ne Machin or Dance to hiâ— Must make up the defect of shew with Wit As sometimes course Girle takes in homely Gown Whose Beauty though 't is little is her own Before a gaudy Fluâ—terer of the Town So 't is with Plays and though a Gaudy sight Song Dance and shew more briskly move delight And there th' advantage get o're plain drest sense Yet Wit and Object have this difference As poor raw Girls express in their Loves Arms With untaught Kindness their unpractis'd Charms Whilst a Town-Mistriss with a much more gay And lively aire does th' amourous Wanton play Yet they in this perfection get the start Their Excellence is Nature hers but Art Yet still 't is Object has a pow'r most strong Nature 't is true delights you but not long 'T is fine Plays draw an everlasting throng So with plain Girls one Night or two you 'l sleep But a gay Mistris for whole years you 'l keep Yet though you kindness lyes another way Our modest Authour humbly begs he may Crowd in this Entertainment for one Night Divert though not content your Appetite EPILOGUE Spoken by Nigrello in a Mans Habit but in a white Wig and her Face discover'd LAdies this Play our Author stole from you Here he your Anger there your Influence drew And whilst such Love and such Revenge he made He both your Honour and your Charms survey'd From you then let this Play Protection take Whilst Beauties judge the Characters they make But such a
burn the Temple where his Ashes sleep And raze his Tomb to be reveng'd on 's dust for 't But now I think on 't thou shalt live for tortures I know there must be greater heads then thine In this Conspiracy which I 'le wrack from thee Then my Revenge I 'le take when 't will be glorious Less then a Massacre would be too mean A Sacrifice t' Aphelias injur'd Honour Nigr. That trouble shall be saved I doubt not Sir But you 'l believe me e're l 've done King Believe thee Slave I 'de not believe an Angel Should a Messenger from Heav'n bring me this News I would turn Athest to affront him for 't Nigrello gives him Aphelias Letter What 's this a Letter to Clarmount Reads My Lord My transports of joy have been such as your Favours merited When I consider the furious Love of a Tempestuouâ— King I cannot but reflect on the danger of your kindness in wrestling with that Love and the glory of it in subduing it Pursue that generous friendship that has been so well begun and take into the number of your Admirers the humblest of your Servants Aphelia The danger of his kindness in wrestling with my Love and his glory in subduing it That Friendship which has been so well begun then it seems He 's a more pow'rful Rival then his King Somthing a loving stile stay here 's a Postcript When I am Married and a Queen our stolne pleasures will be more difficult but shall not be less desired nor less grateful to yours still Aphelia Reads What pretty sorgery is this Betray her Virgin-honour make stolne meetings Aphelia Clarmounts Whore Nigr. Oh no Sir The World has found a gentler name his Mrs. I see Sir you are startled cease your wonder Is she not fair and in this loving Age A little Gallantry's a Venial sin King Slave do you sport with me confess who forged This Blasphemy For'tis no more her writing Then thou' rt a Saint Nigr. 'T is hers I saw her write it And when she had done she gave 't me to deliver But Curiosity made me so rude To break it open which when I had read My Loyalty made me present it here To save your honour from a Syrens charms And guard my Prince from a loose Wantons arms King Thou ly'st there 's not one word on 't hers Has Lewis Corrupted thy fideliry I suspect It is his plot but I will force the secret From thy black soul or tear thy heart-strings out Nigr. I 'm not Subornd That Letter is Aphelias She wrote it and I 'le prove it I confess She 's Beautiful but what though she be fair Must that conclude she 's honest King Hold thy Athestick tongue Or speak and dye Nigr. Great Sir King Peace Slave thou that infect'st all Peace Nigr. Why are you thus distemper'd let not truth Make you so wild a Tempest Were it false Or that I sought the ruine of your Peace Your Youth or Honour then it were a time To swell to this extravagance of passion But being truth King Truth Dog avoyd my sight Fly where the ruder world ill verst in Kindred Promiscuously combines without distinction Where every Man is every Womans Husband These are a People that might bear with thee And fit for thee to dwell with Nigr. Yes Royal Sir I 'm gone but th' only way For me t' avoyd your sight must be to dye Nothing but death can separate your Slave Your loyal faithful Slave from his loved Lord His honour'd and adored Lord But if death 's My doom pray let your humble Vassal beg Kneels An honourable death Sir from your hand Let it in glory come that death which I Deserve when my great Master thinks me false But e're you give me honour right your own Rises Sir if I do not prove All I have said send my black soul to Hell Damnation for abusing Majesty Is a just due Hers and your wrongs demand King Leave off your Protestations can her Fame Be question'd or disputed Nigr. Not by one Who is all passion but by Reason King Then Let Reason be the judge I 'le show it her Nigr. Do Sir But hold She 's not so impudent in sin to own So foul a Paper If she should disown it As if you show it her no doubt she will You 've but my word for 't Then for better proof Let her be sent for and at her approach Do you retire unseen to over-hear us The first thing that I 'm certain she will ask me Will be about that Letter the discourse Between us will convince you that she sent it And make perhaps more large discoveries Of her false heart then this has pow'r to do King It is impossible her Character Gives this black scrowl the lye She cannot be That Monster which this Letter represents her Were she Unchast why then did she refuse A profferd Crown I offer'd Marriage to her And Marriage that 's the veile to Unchastity You see she shun'd Did she not choose her death Before my Love Were she in league with Clarmount Why would she for my Brothers Love have dyed Were all this truth where 's all her Vows to Lewis Her scorn of Life and her desire of Heav'n To meet him there Nigr. Where are they where they should be In the smooth tongue and oyley words of subtle Woman Where are they why Sir can't you guess Is the pretence of Constancy and Honour Such news in Woman kind Did not you love her And courted by a King could she do less Were she a Devil then appear an Angel She had promis'd Marriage to your Brother But Must you conclude her Chast for courting Death To follow him what a strange bold request Was it to beg her Death from him she knew Loved her too well to grant it her The favour She askt she ne're expected to obtain King How 's this Nigr. And for the conduct of her Love to Lewis Examine it and where 's her mighty Faith She 'd hate you as his Murderer and Love Her Murder'd Lovers memory She 'd choose To be his Sacrifice before your Queen 'T was a brave Character and she pursued it But search its depth 't was Interest an Artifice To heighten your esteem of her How common Is it to make a Conquest difficult To raise the value on 't For after all She 's not invincible nor he so pow'rful But she could yeild at last Did she not tell you That that high fate you had markt out for her Would be both welcome great and glorious And so in loving duty and kind Loyalty Her heart was at her Kings disposal King Hold I 'le hear no more Nigr. But Royal Sir you must Though the bold speaker dyes for 't When you 've Marry'd her She has her ends For then what with your Pride For your hard Conquest and your high assurance Both of her Love and Honour which her great And pious Character confirms she 's certain To raise your Passion to
Fair Excellence what is 't Aph. My Death King Your Death Aph. Is the Request so wonderful My Lewis Is gone before And do you think that Patience In Heaven's a greater Virtue than on Earth When he was living hee 'd have been distracted With half so long an absence from Aphelia And do you think Heav'n where the Sun and Stars Have kept one course so many thousand years There where the Saints sing one Eternal song Where Bliss without decrease has held so long Can you think Heav'n harbours Inconstancy My Lewis when he took his last farewell Left all the world but me behind he bore My Image with him to the skyes and there Expects the sad Original should follow He is impaâ—ient languishes desires And thinks compar'd to Love the Staâ—s dimne Fires Think 's he 's but half in Heaven in his blest seat Wants Me to make his Paradise compleat I come I come Oh my most gracious King By your command let my freed Soul take wing He can't be blest without me And as you Gave him his Death give him his Glory too This Blessing you in Justice ought to grant You made the Martyr and now make the Saint King Madam is Love so barb'rous that it must Depend on Cruelty to make it constant Does it delight in blood that it requires A Mrs. Murder for a Lovers Monument No no He 'l be a Saint a milder way Your pity makes him blest without your Death My happy Brother happy in his Fall Who dyes deplored by fair Aphelia was Your Slave Conquerors may their Slaves out-live And though one of your Trophies is destroy'd Those eyes that made that shine as bright as ever And can make more of which see here the greatest France at thy feet tread on his Royalty Kneels Or if thy Nature knows not to forgive Which to believe were impious take this Sword T' appease the troubled Spirit of thy Love I find a speaking pity in thy eyes Which thence will drop upon thy gentle tongue And cry Live Clotair my unhappy Loves Repenting Murd'rer live Aph. The Penitence Of Kings would expiate a Nations sins Sure then their own may be forgiven His blood Heav'n pardon you for I do King Then I 'm pardon'd There cannot be an act you pass but Heav'n Will sign to But dear Madam in this state Of Innocence to which your Mercy has Restored me let me offer up a heart To fair Aphelia for a Sacrifice I am a full and perfect Convert now Both Murderer and Ravisher repents My heart grown Virtuous and unspotted now Approaches you with Adoration looks With piety on what it once profaned Accept a Love a Love so pure so true Nothing but You could raise nothing but You Reward Aph. Hold Sir You are my King but though Things are exempt from Laws their Crimes above Th'examining of Justice from a Judâ— Yet Kings may guilty stand at Loves Tribunal I can condemne you yet great Sir I do not But though I do not and his death I pardon Honour obey and reverence a King I can but Love I can't My heart his Right His Province I can never make a seat For any second Lord much less his Murd'rer They who forgive a Crime may not reward it King Oh my hard fate Oh more then cruel Woman Is this to honour reverence and obey A King to scorn him or can the requiting My Love be the rewaâ—ding of my Crime Oh Cruelty Concern'd so much for Blood I shed in my wild rage and moved so little At Ruines you design at deaths you give With a firm look fixt and resolved to kill Enter Lewis and Nigrello to the door Nigr. Stand here unseen and you are safe Lew. The Plot That thou hast layd to try her constancy Is excellent Nigr. He 's here expect th' event on 't Enter Burbon in hast Burbon Forgive my hasty rudeness for my Cause Requires it Sir the City 's up in Arms Your Subjects in Rebellion and their sury Seems by Revenge inspired Revenge they cry Their Rage is grounded on your Brothers Death And they 're resolved as the Incendiary Of his destruction t' have Aphelia's blood Lew. As I could wish Burbon Great Sir bethink your self King Aphelias blood The common Multitude advance their Arms Against her sacred Head Oh Hellish outrage The Gyants when they besieged Heaven attempted To Dethrone Iupiter with less impiety Her Blood Enter in hast a second Gentleman Second Gent. Great Sir your frighted Guards o're-pow'rd Your Pallace they have enter'd and resolve To lay it level with the ground if what Their loud and baâ—barous rage calls Justice this Fair Lady's Life do not appease their fury King Her Life t' appease â—em By that Life they ask Her precious Life the Sacred'st Oath That I can swear their Insolence has damn'd ' em Go instantly and tell the Rebels I Am her Protector and she shall not dye Aph. Hold gracious Sir revoke that harsh decree Tell 'em I am their Martyr and my Death King Be gon and say as I command you hast Aph. Oh no Sir say that I 'le submit and dye Consider but what dangers you will shun Think how much blood you 'l by my Sentence spare And can you be so cruel when the opening Of one poor Virgins veins that hates her Life And begs her Death repaires a Kingdoms health Lew. Oh my best Angel Oh my full-blown joys Aside King You cruel Woman how can you request That which your eyes forbid Whilst I gaze there And feel that Love their Light inspires I 'de see My Empire set on float and France lye deeper In humane gore then e're the Deluge laid The sunk Foundations of the drowning World E're I 'de behold one drop of yours let out Aph. Oh you forget your self What Marriner Would not throw over-board a worthless Fraight T' avoyd a Shipwrack King But what Fool or Mad-man Would throw away his Wealth his Life his Soul His Heav'n t' avoid that storm his courage scornes Tell the bold Rebels I 'm in person here And as I know Rebellion shrinks at nothing I 'le satisfie their rage a nobler way That blow their Impious hands dare aim at hers I through my Breast will intercept their King Their Victim sure th' Impetuous tide will stop Go then and do as I command Aph. No stay Kings are not safe in raging Crowds their fury May Murder you King What then what if they do What can the Man you hate be worth the saying Aph. Sir though I cannot Love yet my Allegiance Will never let me see my Soveraign bleed The sacred Blood of Kings King The Blood of Kings A toy a trifle do you understandâ— Your pow'r so little to esteem his Life You scorn worthy your care You wrong your self To cast a thought on such an abject thing As a poor hated Lover though a King Dull Sir be gon Aph. No kind Sir stay Dread Lord Rebellion is a thing too terrible For a soft Virgins ears
especially When she is the occasion Great Sir say What is 't I would not do to save your Life And to divert my threatn'd Countreys danger I am all Duty when those are at stake And all Obedience King And do I command Lew. Oh my wrackt Patience Oh my blasted hopes Curse on my Plot Is this her Constancy Aside King Oh my large hopes How high me-thinks I rise How big me-thinks I grow What Empires nay What Worlds has this Commission made me Lord of Fair Creature must I then assume that part The Gods should only act inspire your will And teach you how t' obey Aph. Your humblest Slave Submits her Fate should wait upon your pleasure Lew. I am all torture King In my Name command Our Marshal and our other Officers Of State to give this Answer to the Rebels Aphelia I have made my Queen and an Affront don to her Sacred Person drew That rage from me that took my Brothers Life Yet 't was no more than what our Laws for his Offence would have required howe're I 'm sorry They 've lost a Favourite and I a Brother Bid 'em lay down their Arms and with their pardon Pronounce 'em free from all the Impositions Duties and Taxes due to th' Crown of France For three whole years Lew. Curst instrument of Hell Aside King Which Act of Grace say was their Queens request Exeunt Burbon and the other Gentleman Now to the Temple to confirm my Bliss Madam Aph. Sir I attend you King Then lead on Aph. Now in one act I 'le serve my King my Countrey and my Love Mistaken Prince I to the Temple go Not to be made thy Queen but Sacrifice Forgive me Heav'n for 't is a just disguise Which does from Love and from Allegiance spring It is my Loyalty that Cheats my King Aside Lewis undiscovers and comes in to them Lew. I can hold no longer King Lewis alive Nigr. The Queen She faints Aph. faints Lew. Still let her sleep sleep on For if she wakes she will appear too monstrous An object for frayle eyes to see keep their senses Oh that in Nature there were left an arâ— Could teach me to forget I ever loved This her great Master-piece Oh well built Frame VVhy doest thou harbour such unhallow'd Guests If that our Vows are Register'd in Heaven Why are they broke on Earth unkind Aphelia Oh I run mad King Rule your disorder'd Tongue Lewis what 's past I am content to think It was our Brother spoke and not our Subject Lew. I had forgot my self yet well remember That Gorgon has transformed me into Stone And since that time my Language has been harsh My words too heavy for my tongue too Earthly I was not Born so Sir When She was just My thoughts and language bore a fairer stamp But now she 's a Disease that turns my Blood And makes my veins run poyson that each sense Groans at the alteration King You 've done ill And must be taught so You capitulate Not with your Equal She 's your Queen Lew. My Queen Aph. My Lewis living Lew. Yes he lives to see You Perjur'd King Perjur'd By the Gods for such A Blasphemy thy forfeit life and soul But 't is our Wedding-day and you 've our Pardon Recover'd by your care To Nigr. Nigr. The wound you gave him proved not mortal but I 'm sorry that I brought him hither so Unluckily to interrupt you King No. You have done well I 'm glad of his Recovery For my murmuring Kingdoms sake and for my own I 'm glad to see him here to envy at My Bliss and see his Mrs. share my Crown Come my fair Innocence Aph. Stay Royal Sir Kneels And grant your pardon here 't is I that want it King How Madam Aph. I have wrong'd you King Wrong'd me Aph. Yes I promis'd to attend you to the Temple But my design of going thither was Not to be Clotairs Queen but Lewis's Martyr King Go on Lew. Go on Aph. But I 'm a Loyal Cous'ner I feared the Tumults that demanded mine Might in blind Rage assault your sacred Life And since no otherwise you 'd calm their fury My kind submission was but a design T' appease a Kingdom and preserve a King Which when I had perform'd their Arms laid down And all your danger gone I was resolved Before the Priest the Altar and that bright High Presence they attend on to refuse A Crown and beg a death and with that death Your Princely pardon that I durst not cancel Recor'ds in Heav'n my Love and Vows to Lewis Lew. Oh my Blest Saint King Saint Devil Woman-Devil Oh I 'm distracted I 'm thy own Aphelia Thou hast inspired me and I by thy example Can be as great a fury as thou art And to begin that Cruelty thou hast taught me Here. Calls in his Gâ—ards Seize her and convey her where the light May be as great a stranger to her Eyes As is my Passion to her Soul that Sun To the Capt. of the Guards who seizes her Which She once sees again thou seest no more Away Lew. Hold barbarous King can your wild rage Be so inhumane King Hold What man art thou That darest with impious hands seize on that Beauty To the Capt. of the Guards Forbear was ever Violence so profane To touch a thing so much Divine Capt. of the Guards Great Sir King Cut off his hold He lets her go Ha! 't is the fair Aphelia The fair Aphelia No the false Aphelia The falsest of her Sex the Cruellest That e're had Eyes to Charm and Scorn to kill Seize her again I did forget my self Her Treachery and Cruelty have banisht All that was Sacred in her She 's no Saint now All her Divinity 's expired she 's turn'd A Monster as deform'd as chang'd and black As Angels when they fell Away with her Lew. Hold your rude hands take my Life before she goes Offers to draw upon the Guards who disarm him Aph. Lewis farewell To Love and Life farewell The worst that I can suffer is but death Which if I do Know at that hour when I my Life resign My Blood 's his Sacrifice but my Heart thine Exit Guarded Lew. Stay bloody Dogs King Thou' rt a rash Fool to struggle for a Beauty Must be a Queen or nothing Twixt extreams In common things there is a Mean as Light And Darkness there 's a Dawn 'twixt Day and Night But such bright forms no middle course can have She rises to a Throne or sinks t' a Grave Exit Lew. I 'le follow him and brave the Tyrants rage Nigr. Stay for her Safety I 'le my Life engage Be calm and you 're secure Lew. You saved my Life And I 'le entrust you with defending hers Thus far I 'm blest I 've heard with how much Zeal In constancy to Me She scorn'd a King And when my Hirelings made that false Alarme How freely her demanded head she offer'd And chose the Temple for the place to publish