thy wither'd face Stre. You would faine cog your selfe into my favour again but till you bee converted from this Clitophon you shall not kisse the worst part about me Saph. O say not so Thou art more sweet than Yewe or Miscletoe Alex. O Clitophon Aminta every voyce Be fill'd with admiration sing rejoyce Till th' earth dance like our young Lambs till trees Grow active at the musick all degrees Of greefe are banish'd all our flocks shall play For joy Parthenia O Parthenia Clito. What of Parthenia Alex. Is return'd her right Beauty new shining like the Queen of night Appearing fresher after she did shroud Her gawdy forehead in a pitchy cloud Loves triumphs in her eyes audacious I That durst name love and faire Alexis by Be dumb for ever Sapho Stay Alexis She shall now revoke that loving tyranny Since our Parthenia 's return'd I 'le turne My Elegiack strains away and burn in high love raptures Alex. She must strait be wed to Lord Argalus The bridall bed is in preparing Sapho At a verse of mine Hymen shall light his Nuptiall flaming pine I will enchant them to embraces free With a devoted Epithalamy Till I sing day from Tothis armes and fire With ayry raptures the whole morning quire Till the small birds their Silvan notes display And sing with us joy to Parthenia Dance Exeunt The end of the third Act Actus 4. Scena 1. Argalus Parthenia Kalander Philarchus Kalan. SIt my most honor'd Cosen you are Lord Both of this house and feast the honest Shepheards Were taken too much o' th soddaine to provide A fitting entertainment but they 've striv'd With their most early haste t' expresse their duty Sapho inspir'd with her Poetique fury Will speake your Epithalamy They do intend to dance too I see This Musicke declares their purpose Musick Enter Shepheards and Shepheardesses Sap. The joyes of health and what the spring Of youth strength happinesse can bring Wait upon this noble paire Lady may you still be faire As earliest light may you enjoy Beauty which age cannot destroy May you be fruitfull as the day Never sigh but when you pray Know no griefe but what may be To temper your felicity And you my Lord may truest fame Still attend on your great name Live both of you espous'd to peace And with your yeares let love increase Goe late to Heaven but comming thither Shine there two glorious stars together Song and Dance Kalen. Does these presentments please you our dull wits Are not so fortunate in rich conceits As your quick Cyprian intellects Exeunt Sheepherds Arga. You vouchsafe Too much to grace them but Parthenia The King as conscious of my meane desert To make me seeme more worthy of thy love Has by imposing a command confer'd An honor greater on my sprightly hopes Then the addition of estate or bloud Before enrich'd me with possession of Part. Let me participate your happinesse My dearest Lord what is it Argal. An honor which like the Eldest child of Fame treads on the neck of glory Kalan. Come my Lord let 's leave these happy lovers to themselves Part. What may it portend tell me and I le rejoyce As much to heare it as when I recover'd my poyson'd beauty Arga. Thou shalt know 't And with lowd acclamations sound my fate For most compleatly happy by the King I am elected instantly to meet In single opposition honors type The brav'st of Soldiers and the best of men The noble Lord Amphialus Par. Blesse me divinity can you conceive my Lord That act an honor upon which the losse Of the unvalued treasure of your life Has strict dependence sure my Lord the King Cannot be such a Tyrant to employ You in your infant age of peacefull love To sutch a cruell warfare Arga. Now I see Parthenia loves not Argalus if she wish him Turne recreant to his valour what account Unlesse of Coward shall I give the King Should I refuse this honorable taske Which but to meet I 'de scale star-neighboring rocks Travell through desarts scarcely known to beasts And combat all that durst oppose my passage To this brave enterprise Par. My dearest Lord This resolution does oppresse my soule With torments worse than death there 's not a word Which you have utter'd but like mandraks grones Or howles of wolves affrights me Can there be Such a contempt of my regardlesse love Be got so soon Can you forsake my bed Before I scarce conceive my selfe a wife Or you a husband Oh Argalus I thought We should have liv'd and taught the erring world Affections primitive purenesse grown like Palmes That do with amorous mixture twine their boughes Into a league-union and so florish Old in each others armes when now if thou Proceed to triall in this bloudy taske My feares do with prophetike motion tell me We are undone eternally Arga. Have you so slight an estimation of my worth In managing bright armes that you can feare My persons suffrance O Parthenia Thou wouldst deprive me of that same which time Should he decline his restlesse course away Shall never equall from my youth-full head Thou wouldst detaine a chaplet of such bayes As not Penein Daphne first transform'd Could boast the like for freshnesse dry my love Those sacred eyes drowned in christall streames Or if thou wilt I 'le kisse away thy teares In stead of heavenly Nectar Part. This but ads to my misfortune Sir I am your wife And never yet requested any grant Unlesse your love deny me not my first And only suit leave my good Lord to tempt Your destiny Amphialus is so good In his kind love to women that I doubt not To find some meanes without your honors breach To put this fatall combat off Arga. No Parthenia 'T is but in vaine to tempt me with your prayers Could he spit thunder would afright the Gods Or wore at each lock of his haire a flash Of piercing lightning yet I should attempt To snatch the fery chaplet from his head And as a garland of victorious bayes Wreath it about these temples Par. Well my Lord since no perswasion will reclaime your will Goe and be happy in your disastrous task My maids and I will pay each houre to heaven A thousand vowes for your successe I give You my free licence O that deathfull word Comes from the Organs of my troubled soule As a constant does from a timorous maid To an inforcing ravisher Arga. Why now thou art my best Parthenia doubt not love But I will bring white victory to crown Thy glorious front give me but one kind look T will fill me with heroick force let 's in And fearelesse take a happy parting kisse Suspicion hinders loves immediat blisse Exeunt Clitophon Enter Clitophon Strephon Alexis Sapho Aminta Florida Clit. Sweet Sapho will you still persist and kill whom you might save Sapho 'T is your owne various will Inforces my contempt but heere 's no place T' afford our loves an answer the kinde grasse
yet divulg'd by fame whose valour Will be imploy'd i' th combat Phi. His knowledge Has not yet attain'd the notice of 't My Lord He does present his best respects to you Deplores your sorrows with a brothers griefe intreats you Have so much mercy on your glorious youth As not to spend its blooming pride in sighes Arg. My Lord I thank him and rejoyce his Fate Has sorted him so honourable a triall Of his undoubted valour for my griefes They doe increase on me like a disease Spreading through all my faculties which shakes My soule into an agony of death And will I hope ere long dissolve this flesh Into forgetfulnesse Kalan. Nay good my Lord Renounce this passionate temper wee 'l depart Hence to my Castle expell our cares with feasts Hunt the wild bore that will with masculine rage Resist the hunters till he foame to death View swift hounds running hotly in pursuit Of the chac'd game and from the neighb'ring hills Force Ecchoes to their shrilnesse Arg. Alas my Lord The sole conceit of faire Parthenia's losse Would from a heart of marble force salt teares Cold as the dew the stone distills invite An unremorsefull Crocodile to shed Drops as sincere as does the timorous Hart When he o'reheares the feath'red arrow sing His funerall Dirge Kala. See Alexis accompanied with a stranger Lady Enter Alexis and Parthenia Alex. Sir this Lady newly arriv'd from Corinth has Some businesse she will disclose to none but you Exit Parth. My vow 's absolv'd Arga. Angels or if there be a power has charge Of humane frailty shrowd me with their wings The sight of this divinity will strike More than my Eyes my Reason and inforce me Here to die gazing Phi. Blesse me 't is sure Parthenia Kala. My vertuous Neece recover'd Arg. 'T is her face I have examin'd with industrious eyes Each line each lovely circle that adornes This best perfect piece of nature and all speakes Parthenia's figure Parth. My honour'd Lords Arg. 'T is her voyce The same well-sounding musick did inchant With its melodious harmony my heart Let me adore the miracle Parth. My Lords Doe not distract with a deceiving joy Your noble soules I will not seeke to fold Your thoughts in doubtfull errour you mistake I 'm not Parthenia Arg. What delusion playes with our faculties Parth. My Lord afford me patient hearing my discourse Containes much consequence you never lov'd Parthenia dearlier than my selfe we wore The very figure of each others mind As well as body and I should transgresse Th' integrity of our inviolate truths Not to fullfill each scruple of her will With ceremonious duty she being dead Arga. Oh my just feares Phi. Deare Lady is she dead Par. Dead cold in her dark urne As was her Icy chastity she did arrive Some few dayes since at Corinth where resolv'd T' obscure her self to all but mee kind heaven Pitying her sad disaster by mild death Translated her to the immortall blisse Prepar'd for innocent lovers Arga. Sure I am insensible of misery or my brest Would burst with fulnesse of my griefes deare Lady Informe me where Parthenia is intomb'd That like some humble pilgrime I may visit The holy place with a religious zeale and bathe Her virgin ashes in my teares Weepe o're her grave till from my drops arise Parthenias monument Some crystall pyramid to tell the world Par. You interrupt what my sad heart as an unwelcome load Desires to be disburdend of before Her dying breath she did injoyne me by All our friendships rites when I had laid Her corps in earth straict to repaire with notice Of her expiring hither Phi. Deere my Lord be not so much distemper'd Parth. Tell quoth she my noble mother that I dy in peace Even with Demagoras commend me to my love My dearest Argalus informe him that His very name flies with my soule to heaven There to remaine for ever and ingage him T' accept of you as my last guift you are So like Parthenia that hee 'll love you for My memory So with a constant truth To my dead friend I 'm come my Lord to offer What she bequeath'd her legacy of my love To your acceptance Arga. Madam I must rest For your kind wish your servant but in me Parthenia only must have room to live While I have vitall motion Had she impos'd What charge but this soever I 'de endevour It's strict performance but I am resolv'd As she enjoy'd my first my latest love Shall on her memory waite till we do meet I' th happy shades together Part. Sure my Lord This is contempt of my desert I must not Be thus repuls'd to satisfie your feares I am your true Parthenia Argalus Parthenia Part. Yes and by the Queen of Corinth cur'd whose skill and care clens'd my fowle leprosie Arga. Parthenia 't was well your wisdom by degrees Diffus'd this comfort had you showr'd it all at once T' would like a torrent have o'reborne the banks Of my amaz'd mortality Kal. Come discourse Your story at your leisure Argalus Take your Parthenia treachery nor hate Cannot undo the firme decree of Fate Exeunt Sapho Aminta Strephon. Clitophon Strep. I le try your impudence have you the face To deny your libell Clitophon Clit. Good Strephon urge me not I shall not want Audacity to expresse them to recant My just opinion were injust and fit To staine my resolution and my wit Amin. Clitophon how dare You arm'd with boldnesse greater than dispaire Venture abuse to woman or defile That name with scandall to whose meanest smile You have done worship Sapho Prais'd looks with flat'tring art Each look each lineament as the best part Of Natur 's choysest workmanship but men Are more inconstant than light whirlewinds trust The sea with feathers or March winds with dust Rather and let their words oaths teares vowes passe As words in water writ or slipery glasse Clit. This is more jugling O! with these h 'as found A passage through my Eyes to give a wound To my poore Heart it is their looks beget This soddaine alteration which as yet Does but with infant feathers strive to fly To heaven tels Justice of the injury I have done sacred womanhood thence Thou scrowle detracting spotlesse innocence Aminta deare forgive me Sapho see How my teares distill Stre. If they were every one as big as a Turnip it should not serve to feed my anger well wenches if you doe pardon him may your maidenheads be a burden to you till you bee forescore at least then may you turne Witches and some Goblin get them or else perish in your Virginity and leade Apes in Hell for 't Nay if you do forgive him I will have you arraing'd of treason against Venus and Cupid shall be your blind Judge and condemne you for the fact to loose your heads your maidenheads I meane and have a man of fourescore and ten for your Executioner Sapho Deare Strephon do not frown it does disgrace The sallow color of
That decks the plaines will smile when we do fit On its greene tapistry and aptly fit Our wilde affections Shepherdesses let Our woolly charge within our folds be set Lest the hoarse Wolfe to sate his ravenous thirst With blood of Lambes doe through our weak flocks burst After let 's meet upon the neighbouring plaine And there determine of our loves I 'le straine A little on your patience to rehearse On the late Nuptials this ensuing verse Amint. Doe my deare Sapho Flor. Shepherds attend her Layes Amint. They get us credit and our Sapho Bayes Sapho The holy Priest had joy'd their hands and now Night grew propitious to their Bridall vow Majestick Iuno and young Hymen flies To light their Pines at faire Parthenia's eyes The little Graces amourously did skip With the small Cupids from each lip to lip Venus her selfe was present and untide Her virgine Love when loe on either side Stood as her handmaids Chastity and Truth With that immaculate guider of her youth Rose-colour'd Modesty These did undresse The beauteous maid who now in readinesse The Nuptiall tapers waving 'bout her head Made poore her garments and enrich'd her bed While the fresh Bridegroome like the lusty Spring Did to the holy bride-bed with him bring Attending masculine vertues down he lay'd His snowy limbs by a far whiter mayd Their kisses linke their minds as they embrace A quire of Angels flew about the place Singing all blisse unto this paire for ever May they in love and union still persever Amin. 'T is almost sung for the nuptialls Why was 't not sung with musick Saph Castalia's voyce would have been tir'd with it Come let 's depart Love though obscur'd still flames about the heart Exeunt Enter Amphialus Argalus Philarchus Amph. I could have wish'd the King Had destin'd any to this fatall task But noble Argalus in him there rests Such a commanding fulnesse of true worth That as 't will be a glory to o'recome 'T will be a griefe equall to think 'gainst whom The present fury of my arme must be Unwillingly directed Arg. Famous Amphialus 'T is so much honour to be held your friend 'T were indiscretion in me to admit A thought of being your enemy we two Should meet my Lord to revell not to fight But since th' injustice of our Fates does force This sad contention deare Amphialus Think that two brothers may with hot resolve Strive to atchieve one crowne yet still be friends The lawrell destin'd for my head will wither If it be snatch'd from thine Amph. More famous Argalus Under whose hand the great Demais fell These attributes of curtesie doe speake Your noble natures freenesse you and I Should rather exercise our able armes In one anothers quarrell than imploy them Upon our selves Deare Argalus our fates Are too in just t' ingage our swords against Our bodies for in harming thee I offer Wounds to my selfe we two retaine so much Affinity by friendship we must needs be One individuall substance Phi. Good my Lords Since there 's that sympathie of love and nature 'Twixt your two soules dissolve it not the blow That shall divide your hearts will be more impious In sep'rating that union than in cutting Your twists of life asunder Arga. Philarchus you are so noble Our wills desir'd you an indifferent Judge In our unwilling difference since you are An equall friend to both Amph. Philarchus We two are fortunes scorne that we should be Such friends in soule yet by our deeds be thought Severest enemies Deare Argalus Let not thy lenity regard my life Which is so worth lesse 't is a weight I wish Rather to lose than keepe but guard thy owne Preserve that precious bloud which I shall grieve To see diffus'd on earth nay rather weepe Than shed a drop of it Arg. How much my Lord you vanquish him with curtesie Whom your arme means to conquer But Amphialus Since we are mutuall friends and yet must seeme Mutually enemies to testifie 'T is by our fate not malice we are foes I 'le make thee my full Executour bestow A gift upon thee of that pricelesse worth Posterity shall never boast its parallell When I am ashes if there be a wretch For some there are that dare blaspheme the Gods Does injure my Parthenia prithee friend Let be thy Care to punish that contempt 'Gainst vertuous purity and as the last And most supreme inducement of my love If by thy hand I perish let my heart Be sent to my Parthenia Amph. The same justice I beg of thee my Argalus to have mine Convay'd to my Philoclea and if fame As it may chance traduce me after death Noblest Argalus justifie thy friend Thy poore Amphialus and defend the deare Authour of my misfortune sweet Philoclea otherwise Posterity inform'd by bad report May black her precious memory and say A worthlesse man fell by thy sword Let us embrace my Argalus and take A true though sad farewell and once Let us employ our hands against our hearts Arg. Kill our selves mutually for who first does fall Leads but the way toth ' others funerall Fight Enter Parthenia Parth. Eternall darknesse seaze me O my Lord You are reported to be thrall to love for her sake you affect most doe not make A breach in ebbing nature More This bloud Clothing the grasse in purple does convert My heart to Alablaster O Argalus Arg. O Parthenia Never till now unwelcome have I liv'd To such an abject lownesse that my life Must like a malefactors be by prayers Redeem'd from death Let us renew the fight Ha Me thinks I tread on slippery glasse my unsupporting feet Dance measures on light waves and I am sinking Into the watery bosomes there to rest for all eternity Amph. I have seene So dying tapers as it were to light Their owne sad funerall expiring dart Being but stirr'd their most illustrious beames And so extinguish Parth. Angels if ye have charity afford Some Surgery from heaven Now I see the cause Why my sad heart fill'd with propheticke feare Sought to have stopt your journey and why I Compell'd by power of overruling Fate Follow'd you hither Oh Argalus Arga. Parthenia I doe feele A marble sweat about my heart which does Congeale the remnant of my bloud to Ice My Lord I doe forgive you friend farewell Parthenia showre on my pale lips a kisse 'T will waft my soule to its eternall blisse Parthenia O Parthenia Dies Phi. So cracks the cordage of his heart as Cables That guide the heavie Anchors cut by blasts Of some big tempest My Lord your wounds are many And dangerous 't is fit you doe withdraw And have 'm cur'd Amph. I am carelesse growne my life Is now more odious to me than the light Of day to Furies Madam I am past The thought of griefe for this sad fact and am Griefes individuall substance pray forgive me Heaven knowes it was not malice that betray'd Your Lords lov'd life but a necessitous force To save my owne Joy comfort
thy selfe or else resolve to shew Thy selfe no more but like an Owle by night Or keep thy ill-favourd countenance to affright Wolves from our sheep Come lovers now 't is time To celebrate our joyes which then renew When proofe has seal'd our fancies pure and true Exeunt Stre. Now doe I perceive my selfe an errant asse and could hang my selfe in earnest were I sure but to dy in jest for 't these wenches are shee-furies and I hope in time to see them grow so abominably ugly that they may hate them for to say truth These women are mere Weather-cocks And change their minds more than their smocks Have hearts as hard as stony rocks And toungs that lie worse than false clocks By which they catch men like Jacks in a box And so with my curses I leave them Exit Enter Philarchus Amphialus Phil. 'T would be the safest way my Lord and which Would best suit with your honour be a means To gaine faire Philoclea Amphi. That blest name Charmes me to adoration O my Lord Philoclea's love is like a mine of wealth Guarded by watchfull Dragons there attend Legions of feares and unrelenting thoughts On the unvalued treasure Phi. I could wish you would expresse a more indulgent care Towards yourselfe you see the angry King Griev'd for his daughters and Zelmanes losse Attempts what ever may invade your life I shall endevour your reconcilement with him but my Lord Farewell I know you wait some opposite I wish Your actions crown'd with a deserv'd successe Exit Phi. Amphialus Thus honest Lord engages my observance how my fate Plays the sly tyrant with me and involves My thoughts in killing passions flames meet flames With equall resolution and contend Like Cadmus earth-borne brothers to destroy Each other by their fury feare kils hope But a new rising from the former urne Takes vengeance on the murd'rer wretched I Live as to live were every houre to die Enter Sapho Aminta Florida in mourning Parthenia after A most sad apparition suiting well The inward horror of my mind this Knight Sure should not be my enemy he fights Under my very colours Noble youth If what your outward figure speake does chalenge Relation to your mind I see no cause We should indanger our mortalities In this infortunate quarrell there appeares So great an outward sympathy it tels My soule wee should not combat Parth. Teach your feares This fruitlesse hope I come not hither arm'd With resolution big as Fate to part O'recome with aeyry treaties sooner thinke To charme the Genius of the world to peace When earthquakes have affrighted it than with Well-worded eloquence to decline the height Of my wak'd wrath Amph. Sir you promise An Early conquest o're me but there rests In mee a manly pitty would not staine My conquering hands in your too innocent bloud I would not have your vertue gentle youth Be like a toward Cedar overwhelm'd By an outragious tempest blasted ere It come to full growth if for honors Cause And to atcheive fame you attempt my life Let me desire you to employ your force On some lesse fortunate Warrier I am loath To triumph in the guiltlesse spoiles of your Yet blooming honor Par. Read thy friends this dialect of cowardise Know to incense thee more I 'me one that hate Thy deare Philoclea with so dire a spight That I pronounce her one who lives upon The spoile of innocent vertue that has caus'd Guiltlesse effusion of more Noble bloud Than ever fill'd hers or your baser veines Amph. Then I see you come to raile and must chastise the wrong You do inflict on her whose spotlesse soule Is so much ignorant of the least guilt It understands it not recant this wrong Opinion of her purity and leave off To wake an anger that had rather sleepe Than rise to hurt you Part. I see then I must adde New truths to affright your cowardise Your mistris Is the decay of more fame-worthy soules Than she has hayrs or vaine bewitching looks T' inthrall your wanton passion on your heart My sword shall write this for a serious truth And underneath it that unworthy lie You have pronounc'd in justifying her free From my just affirmation Amp. Feinds could never have so incens'd me Fight Her Helmet fals off Blesse me sure some Angel's entred Into armes against my unworthy selfe Those golden locks surely are Pallas head-tyre or the Queen Of Love has masqued her selfe in Mars his shape So to betray my lucklesse arme to slaughter Of the worlds exquisite beauty Par. Now my joy Exceeds the greatest trophees Argalus Me thinks I see him riding in a chariot drawn by Doves Cut the bright firmament and there attend My wish'd ascention Amph. Some mountaine that Has stood the longest rage of time unloose Its stony roots fall on me that I never May be on earth remembred deerest Lady Looke up and let me showre a floud of teares Into your wounds distraction seaze me may I Like some black prodigy contemn'd by light Never be more distinguish'd Part. Nay my Lord Do not let passion discompose your thoughts You 've done an office for me that blots out All my conceit of hatred pray forgive me I injur'd your Philoclea arm'd for death I came to have it from that hand which slue My Argalus weepe not girles I do not need your moyst religious teares To usher me to Heaven Looke how an host Of Sainted lovers on their turtles wings Conducted by my Argalus approach To waft me to Elisium take my breath That flies to thee on the pale wings of death Argalus O Argalus Dies Amph. Can I retaine mortality and behold This impious act of my dire fate this piece Of new demolish'd Nature were it plac'd For its own Ivory figure on a Tombe Of purest Alabaster would be thought One with the stones white substance Maids convay Your Ladies body hence while I depart To find a grief out that may breake my heart Exit Amin. Haplesse Lady Let us resolve not to out-live her but Like constant servants waite upon in death Our murd'red Mistris Sapho Our poore lives cannot Redeeme her losse not pacify her ghost For her late slaughter I have compos'd An Elegy on her death and beauty heare it Happy Arabians when your Phoenix dies In a sweet pile of fragrant spiceries Out of the ashes of the Myrrhe-burn'd mother That you may still have one springs up another Vnhappy we since 't is your Phoenix nature Why could not ours our only matchlesse Creature Injoy that right why from Parthenia's urne Should not Parthenia gloriously returne O there 's a reason 't is 'cause Natures store All spent on her is now become too poore To frame her equall so that on her Herse My trembling hand shall hang this funerall verse True love and beauty none can boast to have They both are buried in Parthenia's grave Who was loves glories beauties vertues pride With her love glory vertue beauty dyde Now girles Strow flowers upon the body while our teares Imbalme her memory and what ever eares Shall heare this story may with Justice say None lov'd like Argalus and Parthenia FINIS