Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36602
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Aureng-Zebe, a tragedy acted at the Royal Theatre / written by John Dryden.
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Dryden, John, 1631-1700.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing D2245; ESTC R19798
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57,186
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101
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AURENG-ZEBE A TRAGEDY Acted at the Royal Theatre Written by JOHN DRYDEN Servant to his Majesty Sed cum fregit subsellia versu Esurit intactam Paridi nisi vendat Agaven Juv. Licensed ROGER L'ESTRANGE LONDON Printed by T. N. for Henry Herringman at the Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange 1676. To the Right Honourable JOHN Earl of MULGRAVE Gentleman of his Majesty's Bed-Chamber and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter My Lord 'T Is a severe Reflection which Montaign has made on Princes That we ought not in reason to have any expectations of Favour from them and that 't is kindness enough if they leave us in possession of our own The boldness of the Censure shows the free Spirit of the Author And the Subjects of England may justly congratulate to themselues that both the Nature of our Government and the Clemency of our King secure us from any such Complaint I in particular who subsist wholely by his Bounty am oblig'd to give postcrity a far other account of my Royal Master than what Montaign has left of his Those Accusations had been more reasonable if they had been plac'd on inferiour Persons For in all Courts there are too many who make it their business to ruine Wit And Montaign in other places tells us what effects he found of their good Natures He describes them such whose Ambition Lust or private Interest seem to be the onely end of their Creation If good accrue to any from them 't is onely in order to their own designs conferr'd most commonly on the base and infamous and never given but onely hapning sometimes on well deservers Dulness has brought them to what they are and Malice secures them in their Fortunes But somewhat of Specious they must have to recommend themselves to Princes for Folly will not easily go down in its own natural form with discerning Iudges And diligence in waiting is their gilding of the Pill for that looks like Love though 't is onely Interest 'T is that which gains 'em their advantage over witty Men whose love of Liberty and Ease makes them willing too often to discharge their burden of Attendance on these officious Gentlemen 'T is true that the nauseousness of such Company is enough to disgust a reasonable Man when he sees he can hardly approach Greatness but as a Moated Castle he must first pass through the Mud and Filth with which it is encompass'd These are they who wanting Wit affect Gravity and go by the name of Solid men and a solid man is in plain English a solid solemn Fool. Another disguise they have for Fools as well as Knaves take other names and pass by an Alias and that is the Title of honest Fellows But this honesty of theirs ought to have many Grains for its Allowance for certainly they are no farther honest than they are silly They are naturally mischievous to their power and if they speak not maliciously or sharply of witty men 't is onely because God has not bestow'd on them the gift of utterance They fawn and crouch to men of parts whom they cannot ruine quote their Wit when they are present and when they are absent steal their Iests But to those who are under 'em and whom they can crush with ease they show themselves in their natural Antipathy there they treat Wit like the common Enemy and give it no more quarter than a Dutch-man would to an English Vessel in the Indies they strike Sail where they know they shall be master'd and murder where they can with safety This my Lord is the Character of a Courtier without Wit and therefore that which is a Satyre to other men must be a Panegyrick to your Lordship who are a Master of it If the least of these Reflections could have reach'd your Person no necessity of mine could have made me to have sought so earnestly and so long to have cultivated your kindness As a Poet I cannot but have made some observations on Mankind The lowness of my Fortune has not yet brought me to flatter Vice and 't is my duty to give testimony to Virtue 'T is true your Lordship is not of that nature which either seeks a Commendation or want it Your mind has always been above the wretched affectation of Popularity A popular man is in truth no better than a Prostitute to common Fame and to the People He lies down to every one he meets for the hire of praise and his Humility is onely a disguis'd Ambition Even Cicero himself whose Eloquence deserv'd the admiration of Mankind yet by his insatiable thirst of Fame he has lessen'd his Character with succeeding Ages His Action against Catiline may be said to have ruin'd the Consul when it sav'd the City for it so swell'd his Soul which was not truly great that ever afterwards it was apt to be over-set with vanity And this made his Virtue so suspected by his Friends that Brutus whom of all men he ador'd refus'd him a place in his Conspiracy A Modern Wit has made this Observation on him That coveting to recommend himself to Posterity he begg'd it as an Alms of all his Friends the Historians to remember his Consulship And observe if you please the odness of the event all their Histories are lost and the vanity of his request stands yet recorded in his own Writings How much more great and manly in your Lordship is your contempt of popular applause and your retir'd Virtue which shines onely to a few with whom you live so easily and freely that you make it evident you have a Soul which is capable of all the tenderness of Friendship and that you onely retire your self from those who are not capable of returning it Your kindness where you have once plac'd it is inviolable And 't is to that onely I attribute my happiness in your love This makes me more easily forsake an Argument on which I could otherwise delight to dwell I mean your Iudgment in your choice of Friends because I have the honour to be one After which I am sure you will more easily permit me to be silent in the care you have taken of my Fortune which you have rescu'd not onely from the power of others but from my worst of Enemies my own modesty and Laziness Which favour had it been employ'd on a more deserving Subject had been an effect of Iustice in your Nature but as plac'd on me is onely Charity Yet withal 't is conferr'd on such a man as prefers your kindness it self before any of its Consequences and who values as the greatest of your Favours those of your Love and of your Conversation From this constancy to your Friends I might reasonably assume that your Resentments would be as strong and lasting if they were not restrain'd by a nobler Principle of good Nature and Generosity For certainly 't is the same composition of Mind the same Resolution and Courage which makes the greatest Frienships and
and courage in distress Are more than Armies to procure success Exit ACT III. Arimant with a Letter in his hand Indamora Arim. ANd I the Messenger to him from you Your Empire you to Tyranny pursue You lay commands both cruel and unjust To serve my Rival and betray my trust Ind. You first betray'd your trust in loving me And should not I my own advantage see Serving my Love you may my Friendship gain You know the rest of your pretences vain You must my Arimant you must be kind 'T is in your Nature and your Noble Mind Arim. I 'll to the King and streight my trust resign Ind. His trust you may but you shall never mine Heav'n made you love me for no other end But to become my Confident and Friend As such I keep no Secret from your sight And therefore make you judge how ill I write Read it and tell me freely then your mind If 't is indited as I meant it kind Arim. reading I ask not Heav'n my freedom to restore But onely for your sake I 'll read no more And yet I must Reading Less for my own than for your sorrow sad Another line like this would make me mad As reading Heav'n she goes on yet more and yet more kind Each Sentence is a Dagger to my mind Reading See me this night Thank Fortune who did such a Friend provide For faithful Arimant shall be your Guide Not onely to be made an Instrument But preingag'd without my own consent Ind. Unknown t' ingage you still augments my score And gives you scope of meriting the more Arim. The best of men Some int'rest in their actions must confess None merit but in hope they may possess The fatal Paper rather let me tear Than like Bellerophon my own Sentence bear Ind. You may but 't will not be your best advice 'T will onely give me pains of writing twice You know you must obey me soon or late Why should you vainly struggle with your Fate Arim. I thank thee Heav'n thou hast been wondrous kind Why am I thus to slavery design'd And yet am cheated with a free-born mind Or make thy Orders with my reason sute Or let me live by Sense a glorious Brute She frowns You frown and I obey with speed before That dreadful Sentence comes See me no more See me no more that sound methinks I hear Like the last Trumpet thund'ring in my ear Enter Solyman Solym. The Princess Melesinda bath'd in tears And toss'd alternately with hopes and fears If your affairs such leisure can afford Would learn from you the fortunes of her Lord. Arim. Tell her that I some certainty may bring I go this minute to attend the King Ind. This lonely Turtle I desire to see Grief though not cur'd is eas'd by Company Arim. to Solym. Say if she please she hither may repair And breathe the freshness of the open Air. Exit Solym. Ind. Poor Princess how I pity her estate Wrapt in the ruines of her Husbands Fate She mourn'd Morat should in Rebellion rise Yet he offends and she 's the Sacrifice Arim. Not knowing his design at Court she staid Till by command close pris'ner she was made Since when Her Chains with Roman Constancy she bore But that perhaps an Indian Wife's is more Ind. Go bring her comfort leave me here alone Arim. My love must still be in obedience shown Exit Arim. Enter Melesinda led by Solyman who retires afterwards Ind. When graceful sorrow in her pomp appears Sure she is dress'd in Melesinda's tears Your head reclin'd as hiding grief from view Droops like a Rose surcharg'd with morning Dew Mel. Can Flow'rs but droop in absence of the Sun Which wak'd their sweets and mine alas is gone But you the noblest Charity express For they who shine in Courts still shun distress Ind. Distress'd my self like you confin'd I live And therefore can compassion take and give We 're both Love's Captives but with Fate so cross One must be happy by the others loss Morat or Aureng-Zebe must fall this day Mel. Too truly Tamerlain's Successors they Each thinks a World too little for his sway Could you and I the same pretences bring Mankind should with more ease receive a King I would to you the narrow World resign And want no Empire while Morat was mine Ind. Wish'd freedom I presage you soon will find If Heav'n be just and be to Virtue kind Mel. Quite otherwise my mind foretels my Fate Short is my life and that unfortunate Yet should I not complain would Heav'n afford Some little time ere death to see my Lord. Ind. These thoughts are but your melancholy's food Rais'd from a lonely life and dark abode But whatsoe'r our jarring fortunes prove Though our Lords hate me-thinks we two may love Mel. Such be our Loves as may not yield to Fate I bring a heart more true than fortunate Giving their hands To them Arimant Arim. I come with haste suprising news to bring In two hours time since last I saw the King Th' affairs of Court have wholely chang'd their face Unhappy Aureng-Zebe is in disgrace And your Morat proclaim'd the Successor Is call'd to awe the City with his power Those Trumpets his triumphant Entry tell And now the Shouts waft near the Cittadel Ind. See Madam see th' event by me foreshown I envy not your chance but grieve my own Mel. A change so unexpected must surprise And more because I am unus'd to joys Ind. May all your wishes ever prosp'rous be But I 'm too much concern'd th' event to see My eyes too tender are To view my Lord become the publick scorn I came to comfort and I go to mourn Taking her leave Mel. Stay I 'll not see my Lord Before I give your sorrow some relief And pay the charity you lent my grief Here he shall see me first with you confin'd And if your virtue fail to move his mind I 'll use my int'rest that he may be kind Fear not I never mov'd him yet in vain Ind. So fair a Pleader any Cause may gain Mel. I have no taste me-thinks of coming joy For black presages all my hopes destroy Die something whispers Melesinda die Fulfil fulfil thy mournful Destiny Mine is a gleam of bliss too hot to last Watry it shines and will be soon o'r-cast Indamora and Melesinda re-enter as into the Chamber Arim. Fortune seems weary grown of Aureng-Zebe While to her new-made Favourite Morat Her lavish hand is wastefully profuse With Fame and flowing Honours tided in Born on a swelling Current smooth beneath him The King and haughty Empress to our wonder If not atton'd yet seemingly at peace As Fate for him that Miracle reserv'd Enter in Triumph Emperor Morat and Train Emp. I have confess'd I love As I interpret fairly your design So look not with severer eyes on mine Your Fate has call'd you to th' Imperial Seat In duty be as you in Arms are great For Aureng-Zebe a hated name is grown And