and I suppose you do not intend to disgrace our Family by any other Design Alma By no means But Odoa Nay my Lord there can be no Objection but her want of Fortune 't is true our Family has prov'd more durable than our Estate for Fate has maliciously encreas'd the one and impair'd the other Alma She has made you amends by so beautiful a Daughter Odoa Handsom Daughters seldom prove Blessings to their Parents I am so us'd to Curses that I suspect every thing Fortune uses me as Rooks do their Cullies if ever she suffers me to be a seeming Winner 't is only by my credulity to make Ruin surer Alma Your Misfortunes are wholly owing to your Fancy as 't is to that I owe my Joys Scarce any thing has truly in it self Pain or Pleasure it only bears the Image our wild Fancy stamps upon it At least hope for better Fortune Odoa I can no more hope for future Good than fansie I now have any neither the Expectation of what 's to come nor the Reflection on what 's past can please me I 'm weary of the Drudgery and dull Repetitions of Life If e're to Morrow comes to Morrow will tediously be consumed just as to Day to Day will be as Yesterday and Yesterday has been as Ages past And were not you more oblig'd to your Youth and Wealth than to your Fancy you would think as I do But since you have so vigorous a Fancy you need not my Daughter to compleat your Happiness Alma The Hopes of having her mine gives me Pleasure but it cannot be compleat till she is so Odoa It must be then in the way I have mentioned In short my Lord Marry her or quit your Pretensions to her And the next time you Visit bring a Priest with you or you shall find colder Treatment from your Mistress and rougher from a suspicious Father than possibly you expect And so I leave you to reflect upon it Exit Alma This would discourage any Man who had such an aversion for a Wife as I have and did not know Woman so well as I do He thinks his Daughter by his Care secure I know no Woman will Restraint endure To shun Confinement they from Fathers flie And Cuckolds make themselves by Jealousie That others they 'll obey why should I fear Since sure to do what they themselves forswear Exit ACT II. SCENE continues Enter Almachild Alma WEll I shall see most of my Mistresses here to day they 'll all come to this Entertainment I am the most indifferent to Angellina because that is a dull Matrimonial Love yet I must marry her since she will be very rich and her Fortune will enable me to debauch other Women For Cleanthe my Court Mistress I think her pretty secure notwithstanding her affected Coyness But I must use dispatch with Flora or that Old Treacherous Father of hers will spoil my Design If I could but meet her singly now I have got that here will tempt her Shewing a Jewel Ha! yonder she comes Now Bribes and Dissimulation be my Friends Enter Flora. Flo. Ah my Lord I know not how you entertain'd my Father but he came home in a strange Humour he says you only design to ruine me and vows this shall be my last day of liberty Alma Then let us use it with the best advantage Gratifie me to day in my Pleasures and to morrow I will you with your Freedom You shall not owe your Support to your Father then why should you be confin'd by him For most Children obey their Parents as Most Statesmen do their Monarchs only out of Interest Flo. Oh I abhorr the very Name of Interest I wou'd no more pay Obedience than I would give my Love for so base a Reason Alma Yield to my Embraces I 'll not ask the reason and will neither suspect your Love nor Flo. Nor value it 't will soon be contemned therefore mention it no more I will not so much as hear of it Alma How Madam Flo. I confess I made some return to your Love while I thought you would have been my Husband but since you deny that I must all Favours Alma Then I am not to hope for Flo. Any thing but what I can lawfully grant Oh Heaven that ever I should hear an unlawful dishonourable Passion professed to me Alma Very fine And you are resolved to recall your Love tho' you have confessed it and will not yield tho' you promis'd it Flo. I know not what I have said I made those Promises inconsiderately and therefore they are not binding Alma 'T is very well Madam Your Servant I have no more to say I shall quickly find out a Mistress who will make me a more grateful Return to my Services and who will gladly accept this Jewel design'd for you Flo. How 's this Nay then I must alter my Carriage Aside Not the Riches of the Earth should procure a kind Look were all the Jewels of the East were an Empire proffer'd me I could contemn them all But alas who can be insensible to your Love You have won my Heart and I fear will make me grant too much Alma You cannot give too much to Love to Truth like mine Flo. I confess you have given me great Demonstrations of them Alma They are but Trifles to what I design you after Flo. Ay but shou'd you forsake me after and shou'd expose me to Infamy and Want We Women run mighty Hazards when our Reputation must depend on our Lovers Discretion and our Support on his Generosity Alma I have not opportunity now to make a Settlement however this shall be yours and but retire a moment into my Apartment here Flo. Nay not for that neither But why so hasty Alma I fear we may be interrupted again and there comes old Avaro I would not have him see you here Flo. Nor I for the World I have not promis'd that I will comply But to conceal my self I 'll thither fly She runs off Alma In vain you fly from me in vain you hide I may be sure to find since Love's my Guide He follows her Enter Avaro Angellina Clesi. Ava Well Daughter to please you I have brought you to Court and to secure you I am come along with you where you will meet a great many Admirers and I a great many Debtors But if they are no better Paymasters of Love than they are of Money the Devil may have their Custom for me Angel Yet you 'd have me marry a Courtier who is Ava No Debtor You shall not have one who only makes the Court his Sanctuary one who mortgages his Estate to every crediting Banker and his Heart to every handsom Women Angel Had Almachild as little Wealth as he has Truth you 'd dislike him as much as I. Ava If you get his Person and Estate in possession no matter for his Truth But I know for whom you dislike him 'T is true were Almachild's Dependance
my Heart tho' you wou'd take Pride to win it Desid The Pride of winning it wou'd not be so great as the Pleasure of preserving it to a grateful generous Mind Angel All Arguments are as weak where we dislike as our Defences are where we love I am unwilling to avow either an Indifference to you or a Regard for my self silences me Desid Either is Unkind I dare not say Unjust But since you do not declare a Hatred may I not hope Angel To bid you hope were to declare I love Yet something may be granted to so much seeming Truth I do not bid you hope nor wou'd you shou'd despair But see the Court begins to fill I am so much a Stranger I shall want a Guide to the Presence Chamber Desid May not I be honour'd with the Employment Angel Since my Father has not stay'd to be my Guardian I may be allow'd to chuse one Exeunt Enter Flora Almachild following her Flo. Oh I shall never have the Confidence to look my Friends in the Face again you have ruin'd me and all the World will see it in me Alma Fear not keep but your own Counsel and you are safe betray not your self by your Words and none will discover it in your Face Flo. I can never appear Innocent there while I have so much Guilt in my Breast Alma You 'll find no such great difficulty in dissembling Flo. I shall do it so awkerdly so faintly that the Cheat will be obvious to all Alma Rather have a Care of over acting for Women render their Virtue suspected as Men do their Courage when they pretend to it too much Flo. No 't is you alone have Power to preserve me from the Censure of the World and distracting Thoughts Alma Pho Pow she begins to grow troublesome now how shall I get rid of her Aside Flo. And will not Love prevail with you to do that for me when it has made me grant so much Alma What wou'd she be at now Aside Any thing my Dear to satisfie you Pish this is so nauseous Aside Flo. Then you may easily do that only by marrying me Alma O fye my Dear that you shou'd expect that after Possession when I refus'd it before Flo. But I am more sensible now that it is necessary to preserve my Reputation Alma A Husband indeed is a pretty necessary Instrument to botch up a Reputation and under that Disguise Women are allow'd to take many Liberties But never let that Man be a Repairer of your Honor who has rob'd you of it you 'll lose a fond Lover and only gain a jealous Husband Flo. But I must never expect one if you refuse it Alma Yes yes there are Fools enough designed by Nature for that Employment See the Queen moves this Way to the Presence-Chamber there is one follows her Clefi Avaro's Son who is as we cou'd wish he 's rich and I have an Ascendant over him what think you of him Flo. Can he be acceptable to my Arms after you or can I be to yours after him Alma Ay ay we shall relish each other the better Come retire awhile and leave him to my Management Flo. You know you can perswade me to any thing This is the Fate which over Women rules We yield to Men of Wit then catch at Fools Exit Alma If I can work him to it now I think I shall behave my self like a Man of Honor and Prudence to provide a rich foolish Husband for a cast Mistress Enter Rosamund follow'd by Cleanthe Clefi and Attendants Rosa. Go tell the King that I attend him here Why should dull Custom thus impose on us Slavish uneasie Duty to a Man He has a Mind to revel and rejoice That on this day he won some Victory That he has butcher'd Crowds of harmless Men Triumphs in Blood and Ruin and I must join Must listen to his Vanity and Boasts Seem pleas'd and flatter him How the Court thickens what Swarms of Gazers Are you my Lord too fond of Pageantry Seeing Almachild You who inhabit sure come not to look Monarchs grow cheap by being often seen Alma Monarchs for being so we must admire But when they are adorn'd with such a Form When so much Beauty 's join'd to Majesty We wou'd for ever gaze and still be pleas'd Rosa. Monarchs and Women are us'd to flatt'ry Nor can our Vanity distinguish Truth Nay tho' we know we 're flatter'd we are pleas'd Alma Your Crown not more exceeds a Peasant's State Than your Triumphant Beauty the whole Sex The most admir'd She when you 're in View Like Pebbles plac'd by shining Diamonds seem Enter Alboino Guards and Attendants Alb. What means that secret Conference with Him By Heav'n she smiles upon the worthless Wretch And now he bows and seems to give her Thanks That Starting and Confusion fit thee now Going up to her Well mayest thou blush to be so entertain'd Hast thou cull'd out the Man I most despise To grace him with thy Smiles and private Talk But I disdain to be disturb'd by him Jealousie wou'd but disgrace my self Shall I whose Actions have exceeded Faith And by my Deeds am rank'd in Honor's Form With Alexander or the first Caesar Shall I who oft have triumph'd over Kings And been the Theme of Envy and of Praise Shall I seem jealous of a reptile Slave Rosa. I started at your Frowns not at my Words I must confess I 'm pleas'd with his Discourse You were the Subject he was praising you Not Men nay not gods cou'd be more extoll'd What cou'd I else have list'ned too from Him What but your Praises cou'd oblige a Smile Alb. I want not Praises my Fame 's establish'd But yet if that were all excuse my Thoughts Now move we forward to our Room of State Where Wine and Musick Pleasures shall create There we 'll enjoy the soft Delights of Peace And all Domestick private Jars shall cease Exeunt Omnes Praeter Almachild Clefi Alma Clefi A word Have you persuaded your Father to let your Sister come here to day Cle. I have and came to find you out and acquaint you she is already here Alma I am oblig'd to you and you shall find me grateful Cle. Well I am a faithful Sollicitor I have said more sine moving things to her on your account than ever I could say to any Woman for my self and the truth on 't is I believe shou'd prevail sooner for you than for my self Alma That 's only because you think it not worth your while Women are Trifles beneath your Consideration Cle. Why that 's true too Ha ha ha I do contemn them indeed tho' If I could find one who had Wit enough to value me as I deserve I should not be ungrateful But I hate to speak witty things to a Fool. I reserve my self till I meet with a Person of equal Endowments Alma Then you should be always silent Cle. And that is the reason the Women
two are honest and my Friends And for numberless Villains may attone Else Heav'n may blush at Monsters it has form'd Disown creative Power and lay the work on Chance Aist. The infernal God of Malice and Revenge Contriv'd this horrid Act and watch'd his Time To rob us of you when your unhappy Your betray'd Kingdom did most require For tho no ills like this this is not all The Romans have by treachery got the Town Already they are masters of the Gates And now pour in unresisted Forces Alb. Oh for a moments strength that my weak Limbs Cou'd bear me only to my Armys Head That like a King and Soldier I might fall And some brave Foe might glory in my Death But I sink and have only strength to wish Aist. Oh tell us first e're you leave us ever Who was the Wretch who impiously durst strike The Man who represents his God on Earth But who wou'd kill his King difowns the Gods Alb. My Wound gapes wider with the racking Thought And my blood faster gushes out that I Who have so oft brav'd Death bred in Battles Inur'd to dangers and have still o'recome Shou'd by a Cowards stroke thus meanly fall For Almachild by Rosamunda urg'd Brib'd with the enjoyment of the Prostitute Seem'd my Friend to be the blacker Villain And while I took the Viper in my arms He basely plung'd his Dagger in my breast I wou'd not live so long to think this or'e Farewell Revenge my Death and wear my Crown Dies Aist. Ah! what 's thy Crown now its support is lost Or what thy Kingdom since its Soul is gone T is now an headless dull unactive Lump But to revenge is nobler than bewail 'T was thy Command and thou shall 't be obey'd Or may I have the Plagues of Regicides To live despairing and dye presumptuous Desid Monsters 't is they then have betray'd the Town Oh fatal proof of Anger and Revenge Passion works strongest still in weakest minds What 's to be done to satiate our Revenge The Queen has many Friends Gain'd by affected low humility For proudest Minds are the most abject too And backt by Rome she may maintain a War Which will protract perhaps evade our just intent Aist. We 'll try t' effect it then by other means Trumpets are heard Hark they come triumphant in their baseness Longinus has a noble generous Soul Which must abhor this black tho gainful deed By honourable peaceful Terms I 'll work my end For force should always be attempted last And if I can revenge my Masters Death T will please me more than to possess his Crown But let us have his body first remov'd Dead Kings should not be seen by vulgar Eyes For Monarchs we ought never to despise But the dull Rabble ignorant and bold Think him no King who was born of common Mold Exeunt the Guards bearing off Alboino Trumpets Enter Longinus Rosamund Almachild Odoacre Guards Rosa. When I contriv'd barbarous Alboino's Death T was not Revenge alone that mov'd me to 't I knew the World of right belong'd to Rome Justice prevail'd with me to kill the King And lay my Crown at brave Longinus Feet Long. The generous Gift does more secure your Crown Then vain Alboino's best Resistance cou'd Tho by our Arms it had been forc'd from him Your conqu'ring eyes had won his Kingdom back For Heav'n design'd you Mistress of the Earth And made you Queen of beauty and the World Such wond'rous beauty gilds o're all her faults None can see that and yet reflect on them aside Rosa. But by me alone the War 's not ended He too deserves a share in the applause pointing to Alma Who boldly from a Tyrant set me free And Rome from an invet'rate Enemy Nor cou'd I less than bestow my Person As some Reward for services so great Long. 'T is a reward as far above desert As your Heavenly Form's above description No Tongue can give to that sufficient Praise No Service can presume to merit you 'T is reward so vast that shou'd Justinus Lay the whole Roman Empire at his Feet He might contemn the mean the worthless Gift Alma Words have not Force to say how well I love And Gratitude's as hard to be exprest My future Acts will best discover both But their remains some yet to be dispatch'd To make us more securely blest and great Old Aistolfus and Desiderio Rosa. He counsels well my Lord were they remvo'd Their Army then would moulder and disperse Long. They both are worthy and experienc'd men 'T were well that we cou'd win them to our side Howe're they may be still within the Town Let us then haste and issue orders out To have each Gate secur'd and stop their flight Exeunt omnes praeter Odoacre Odoa And is my hop'd Reward then come to this Am I thus slighted after what I 've done No thanks paid no notice taken of me Death and Hell have I betray'd my Country Lost my Honour and Peace of Mind for this God nothing but a distracted Conscience And stript of all my hopes by Almachild Because he has acted a greater ill Int'rest made me plot before now Revenge I 'll either work his Ruin or my own And by Longinus am'rous looks I guess And Praises of Rosamunda's Beauty He 'll joyn with me in my design Soft Love will urge as far as fierce Revenge As he is going out Enter Flora. My Daughter here Flora what business brings you to Court Flo. I came to find you out and on my Knees to ask you forgiveness Odoa You cou'd not have taken a worse time I was Meditating on Revenge and am but in an ill humour To forgive But what is your offence Flo. Tho you might have consented had I acquainted You with it yet concealment is a Crime Odoa Well what is it Flo. For nothing can excuse my disposal of my self without Your knowledge Odoa Disposal what is 't you mean I say Flo. I am privately marry'd Odoa Marry'd promis'd I suppose you mean For Almachild is otherwise engag'd Flo. 'T is not to him tho 't was by his advice I marry'd Clefi Alvaro's Son Odoa Ay his advice why shou'd he advise her he has Enjoy'd her first himself then thrown her on that Fool. I 'll know the bottom aside Base and unworthy you ask forgiveness not that you repent your Crimes an unfeign'd sorrow wou'd acknowledge all but you Confess a fault you know you can't conceal Flo. Acknowledge all I won't invent to try your Goodness 'T is well if I am pardon'd this Odoa To try your Hypocrisie I have thus long pretended Ignorance but I can bear no more and your denyal Will be vain after Almachild has openly told all Flo Told it oh ungrateful perfidious Man What Has he told Odoa So now 't is plain but I 'll smother my resentment of her baseness to be the surer reveng'd on him and now I have a double cause aside Yes he tells it publickly and triumphs iu your