is there and almost all The Royal Blood but what is in his veins His Mother Brother Daughters little Son Nay more his beauteous Queen are slaves to those To whom they once scorn'd to be Sovereigns Two Royal Virgins in their early Spring Lye like fallen Blossoms at their Mother's feet At her fair Bosom hangs her Infant Son A withering branch torn from his once great hopes He who was lately Heir of half the World Is now not Lord of his poor little Self His greatest happiness is Ignorance He does not know the Glory he has lost But hugs the Enemy that ruins him The Conqueror cannot see this without Tears And cursing his unfortunate success And then oh Can it be endur'd by us But I may spare all this to Men so brave So tryed as you have to your Glory been Lord Bessus Nabarzanes and your Troops Na. We may one day be tryed upon your selves aside Be. Silence Lord Nabarzanes have a care aside Ar. Fortune Lord Bessus seems afraid of you She 's Alexander's Mistress but you Slave She gives him Favours but you ravish ' em At our great blow at the Cilician Streights All came off safe as priviledg'd from Fate That kept within the precincts of your Sword. Be. Indeed my Lord my Bactrians did well Ar. And you Lord Patron and your valiant Greeks Must give me leave to give you your due praise These gallant Men are to our Fortune tyed By indispensable Allegiance But you are strangers loose from any bonds Pa. My Lord we are for ever bound to you By Gratitude and Honour Greece indeed Gave us our birth but you our happiest hours That our best Blood is yours Ar. Most Noble Lord Well If we fail to morrow 't will be strange We have the strength of this vast Monarchy The justice of our Cause Necessity Ay and th' inconstancy of Fortune too That mutability which ruin'd us In the last Field may be our Friend the next Now to your Tents and take a brief repose That so prepar'd you may not be surpriz'd The King suspects these Macedonian Thieves Will act like Thieves and steal on us by night They will not dare to look on us by day And therefore he has wisely given Command Great part o' th' Army be in Arms all night And all be ready at the Trumpets sound Be. 'T is wisely order'd Ar. Now my Lords Good Night Be. My Lord we wish your Excellence Good night Heaven give us all to Morrow a Good Day Ex. Ar. Pa. I 'le to my Charge my Lords Good night to you Ex. Pa. Be. Good Night Lord Patron this is a brave Greek Na. And our old General a brave Persian Be. He 's like the Sun a Largesse to the World And not to be consum'd by age or toil Na. The King and he are th' only gallant Men In this whole Nation Be. Memnon to your Tent. Mem. Good Night my Lord. Ex. Mem. Be. He 's honest but he 's young Our talk has too much weight for his green youth Na. And our Affairs I think have so much weight We shall not sleep beneath 'em much to night Be. 'T is true my Lord come let us to my Tent Come with us Dataphernes Da. Ay my Lord. Ex. All go out and re-enter immediately SCENE Bessus's Tent. Be. Our Fortune places us in a strange Post For we are bound to fight against our selves Let who will conquer we shall be subdued For say the Persian Army gets the day We know they cannot do it without us The noble fruits of our own Gallantry Will all be set in this luxurious Soil Our Swords will be as barren as our Lands These Cowards must rule the Brave by whom they rule Dat. They Govern us they ha' not power to rule Men Wine or Women or their own Silk-worms The Men are all devour'd by Luxury And Alexander only has the Orts. Na. Therefore they 'r nauseous both to Heaven and Earth And it is insolence in mortal Man To force upon the Gods what they disgust Cram Nations down the throat of Providence Which it throws up again in every field Dat. I do declare I 'd no more fight to guard The King's Dominions over heartless Cowards Than I wou'd fight for Eagles to defend Their Principality over the Birds Be. Nay I have ever thought a Persian King Was at the most but Master of a Mint Persia has Gold and Jewels but no Men It has been long depopulated all By Slavery and Vice by Women too Women shou'd fill and they unman their Towns War lays 'em not so wast War mars and makes This War has made more Men than it has kill'd The slaughter'd heaps were only loads of Clay Where there was the Image of a Man. Na. My Lord they are all Images of Whores They march into the field rather equipp'd Like Ladies for a Ball than Troops for War. like Women too with weapons weaponless They dye unwounded by the sight of Wounds And serve the Ravens up in massy Plate The Persian Crows are fed in greater pomp Than Kings of Macedon Dat. Oh! never cowards Were at more cost nobly to hide themselves The Men cannot be seen for Plumes and Gold. Nor can the Gold for Diamonds be seen The Royal Metle is opprest by Jewels Their modest Swords which abhor nakedness Though Heaven knows in State of Innocence Sleep in their Scabbards as in Velvet Beds Under rich Coverlids of cluster'd Pearl Na. And to what end is this they only prove Fine Sumpter Hoâ—ses to the Enemy To carry Baggage for 'em to the field Be. Yet they must Lord it o're brave Nations Who can subdue both Men and Elements How does our naked flesh vanquish the cold How oft is Snow our only Winter Shirt Na. Yet does our Gallantry far exceed theirs We have no Ladies Favours on our Swords But Victories the Favours of the Gods Are always there Be. No thanks to Persians Who do not only quit us in the field And so most cowardly expose our lives But stint our Troops that they may starve our Fame I have five thousand Horse and only fight To be a slave to Cowards Na. Nay to Brutes Europeans are Men for they enjoy Their Reason wisely gather'd into Laws Here they are Brutes for only strength commands Our only Law is that there is no Law. All things are lawful here to Power but Laws The only rule of Justice here is Might The strong devour the weak and no wrong done The Wolf is not unjust that eats the Lamb. The Lamb is in the wrong to be a Lamb. Be. In short the Nature of the King is mild But cruel is the Nature of his Crown Then to whose lot soever it befals If I survive they shall not keep it long Not that I mean to fix it on my Head But to Crown Nature Freedom and Sense In which all Men have equal shares with me Na. My Lord you 'l have a Crown in those great Thoughts Not what 's without but what
I therefore beg you to accept It is true commâ—n Dedicators have brought this sort of Addresses into as much contempt as common Evidences have done Swearing The true and first intent of 'em was Sacred A Dedication ought to be a little Chappel Consecrated to the Memory of some Friend of Worth and a Repository of Holy Reliques Now 't is become like the Temple Church a place where Knights of the Post ply that are ready to say any thing for any one But I have kept a better Reputation in the World you will come amongst good company There are few Names fixt before my Writings but may serve like the Phenix's on the Front of our new Buildings for marks of Insurance and might insure 'em were it possible But I come to you with no such foolish design For how ridiculous and unreasonable is it to desire another to defend my impertinence An office no wise Man will undertake and the greatest Man that is cannot perform My Writings when they are out of my hand are no longer mine the World pays for 'em and will manage 'em as they please All care of 'em is vain therefore I take none My Honesty no Man shall dispose of but myself 'T is to preserve that and not my Writings I beg your leave for this Address and I wou'd not accept your leave if it wou'd cost me any flattery You have liv'd in the last Court and this with great Reputation Have approv'd yourself to be a Man of Honour Loyalty Courage Generosity good Sense good Nature and good Morals which ought to be celebrated for the publick Good which too much wants such examples I know how ill the sick and corrupt World digests the least praise of any but themselves How tyr'd even good Men are if you lead 'em far into the commendation of any Man and the bad will not go along with you but on some ill design Therefore I shall keep where I am safe where every Man will be o' my side No Man that knows you but confesses you to be one of the worthiest Gentlemen they know I shou'd therefore shew very little worth of myself if I shou'd slight both your Favour and Desert And SIR I hope you who have forgiven Writings of mine that shew my Follies will not be displeas'd with this Dedication where I shew the few Virtues I have my Justice and Integrity which are the best claims I have to the Title of SIR Your most Humble and Obliged Servant JOHN CROWN Dramatis Personae DArius King of Persia Artabasus A Nobleman of great Quality Loyalty Years General of all the King's Armies Bessus Viceroy of Bactria Nabarzanes Viceroy of Hircania Memnon A beautiful valiant Loyal young Man Son of Bessus by an Amazon Queen Patron A valiant faithful Greek General of the Greek Auxiliaries that serve in the Persian Army Dataphernes A Bactrian Officer that serves under Bessus Barzana A beautiful Princess o' the Royal Blood Married to Bessus Oronte Her Confident SCENE The Plains and Town of Arbela in Persia THE PROLOGUE WHen a young Writer Poetry first wooes Oh! how he 's charm'd with a fond flatt'ring Muse Scorns Physick Law Divinity he climbs To Heaven by Ladders made o' Ropes o' Rhimes Finds Heaven and Gold in Verse and while he pores He pities Judges Bishops Chancellors They ne'r attain his Joys they 'r Rich and Great But he 's above 'em all for he 's a Wit A Prince in Verse and Princes Titles give His Pen at will makes Honour dye or live He dubbs this Man a Knave a Coxcomb that Gives any Brow a horny Coronet Orders some famous Beauty every hour His Letters Patents to be call'd a Whore Deserv'd or not he does it all by Power Thus like a Beau and Bully o' the Town He by debauching Beauties gets Renown That is their Names for he enjoys not one Thus was our Poet by his Muse drawn in 'T is true she always innocent has been Kept Shop like a good creditable Cit But traded in damn'd never thriving Wit. Lawyers have Fees howe'r their Causes go And Parsons with lean Sermons fat can grow Of Lawyers your undoing you must buy And Doctors will not cheaply let you dye The vilest Quack by ignorance can get More than the best of Poets by his Wit. Then you may ask Why will the Poet Write He says his Genius bids and Hours invite No lumbring business in his way is laid His Life 's a private and a vacant Shade And with design both to instruct and please He plants the Walks with various Images And humbly prays you if with Art he writes You 'l not take pains to damn your own Delights Nay do not damn him much if he writes ill For then he writes like you that is Gentile DARIUS King of PERSIA ACT I. SCENE The Field Trumpets Sound Enter Artabasus Bessus Nabarzanes Memnon Patron Dataphernes Persians Bactrians Greeks Ar. SO now my Lords the dreadful day is near That will for ever ruin or confirm The greatest Throne that ever the Sun saw To Morrow oh to Morrow thou art big With vast events time never produc'd the like At Granicus we had not half our strength But in this Army is all Persia Be. I think my Lord we are effective Men Seven hundred thousand Ar. Ay and more my Lord. Na. Yet of all these my Lord you and I lead Scarce Fifteen thousand Aside to Be. Be. Silence Ar. We have left Our Cities Towns and Fields all desolate That one wou'd think the Conqueror had been there The Valleys bend beneath us the Hills groan The Fields nay all the Heavens seem to stretch And give us room and we have room to Fight We are not here at the Cilician Streights Where we were pris'ners e're the Fight begun Penn'd in with Mountains that clipp'd both our wings And squeez'd our Bodies close till it became As weak and slender as the Enemy The King has done his Duty furnish'd all This multitude with Arms and Ground to fight And his own Glorious example too Let us do ours but dare be Conquerors We shall be so we must be so or Ghosts Or worse poor wretched Slaves our Liberties Our Fortunes Wives and Children are all here Lord Bessus is not your fair Princess here The King 's late beauteous Gift Be. She is my Lord. Ar. Wou'd you not rather see that Beauty dead Than given up to Macedonian Lust Be. She shall be rather by my Sword enioy'd Ar. And here I see your Son a Noble Youth Me. Oh! my good Lord. Ar. Lord Memnon give me leave I think Lord Bessus I have heard you say An Amazonian Queens warlike Embrace Presented you this Gift Be. 'T is true my Lord. Ar. Believe it 'T was a bounty to the World. Me. Nay now my Lord. Ar. Nay pray let me be just Who wou'd not grieve to see this worth in chains And yet now I reflect more worth than his Ay or than half our Kingdom is in chains Even half our King
my jealousie It was th' excess and frenzy of my Love. Now you great Gods Protectors of my Throne I first implore your Favour to my Right Restore the Throne to me the lawful Lord. But if your powerful mysterious Wills For ever have excluded me and mine Oh! give this Great and Glorious Monarchy To this so Brave so Just and Glorious Prince I humbly beg it for my Peoples sake How happy will they be under a Prince Whose Virtues make Captivity a Joy Now call the General to me and the rest Enter Ar. Be. Na. Me. Pa. Dat. I like not the beginning o'th is day 'T is a dark Morning for my Light 's eclips'd Gone down and I shall never see her more I wou'd redeem my Children save their right And give Renown and Victory to my Friends To all my People Peace and Happiness I care not then how soon I 'm with my Queen Ar. The King is sad and pensive Pa. Yes I see 't With no small trouble for it bodes no good Da. Come to our work the Enemy draws on And 't is a shame so few shou'd challenge us Be. Nay he is rash and puts great confidence In light uncertain Fortune who is soon Tir'd with her Favourites soonest of all With Prodigals like him She has no fund Of bottomless successes to maintain A mad eternity of rash attempts Da. Forbeare and do not rudely touch his Name Who with such gentleness treats all my Friends Revile him not subdue him if you can Let 's fight him well for that he 'l give us thanks Now by our Persian Tutelary Gods By the Eternal Fire before us born By the Sun's splendor rising in My Realms And even a Sacred Glorious Native here By Cyrus's immortal memory By your own Honours I conjure you all Transmit the Persian Glory you receiv'd From your brave Ancestors to your own Race Do as you see me do I 'l ask no more If I be mounted on a Chariot Above you all 't is to be seen of all By my example to instruct you all Seek not one danger you see me decline Nor let one Bosome have more wounds than mine Exit All go off A noise of a Battle Enter Bessus and Dataphernes Be. Pursue pursue improve our good success The day 's our own the great Parmâ—nio Greatest of Macedonians gives ground Pursue and we are Masters of their Camp And then their Baggage and their Souls are ours For in their Baggage lies the greedy Souls Of these poor Thieves they only fight for Gold. â—ut we for Glory and Dominion Dat. My Lord when we are Masters of their Camp We 'l free our pris'ners we have thousands there Who Free and Arm'd will fall on th' Enemy With fury whetted on their iron Chains Sharp for Revenge Be. 'T is well advis'd fall on Exit A noise of Fighting Pris'ners run over the Stage shaking of their Chains and shouting Enter Bessus and Nabarzanes at several doors Be. The news the news my Lord Na. Undone undone Be. What say you Undone Na. By the King's Gallantry Be. His Gallanty's no news we know him brave Where did you leave him Na. Fighting hand to hand With Alexander Be. Ha! a Glory indeed And to be coveted above a Crown Oh! Gods shou'd Alexander fall by him Na. I fear'd it and drew off upon pretence To Wheel and Charge the Enemy i th' rear Indeed to leave him to his Persian Cowards A howl A great Howl and Cry is heard Enter Artabasus Ar. All 's lost my Lords the King is kill'd Na Ha! the King killâ—d my Lord Be. Nay then all 's won aside The Kingdom 's ours Ha! I forget my self The Gods forbid How do you know my Lord Ar. I was inform'd by those that saw him fall Did you not hear an universal howl Na. We did and thought it came from dying Men. Ar. Nay I believe by this time they are dead For with the King the Hearts of thousands sunk And our despairing Men no longer fought For Victory but death and had their wish For thousands dye and by a thousand ways Na. Then by survivorship the World 's our own aside Ar. Away and carry off if possible The Royal Body for our Honours sake For our dear fallen King and Countries sake 'T is all the service we can do 'em now Na. Here 's brave Lord Patron Enter Patron Ar. We will beg his aid My Lord my Lord our gallant King is kill'd Pa. 'T is false Be. How false Na I 'm sorry to hear that aside Pa. 'T was nothing but his Charioteer that fell Ar. Oh! then that fatal error ruin'd us Pa. No your Mens cowardize has ruin'd you Ar. Methinks I have some hopes if the King lives Pa. Of what For though the gallant King 's alive He 's almost the sole Persian that has life Or has had any since the day begun Before a stroke was struck the Cowards died Stabb'd by the glittering of th' Enemies Steel The Macedonians had no more to do But to inter the Dead throw dirt to dirt I mean heap Carcasses on Carcasses A very pious work And for my part I think 't is Sacriledge to hinder ' em So I am going for I find we come Not to a Battle but a Funeral Ar. You 'l not desert the King whilst he 's i th' Field Pa. He 's fled I forc'd him to 't I was inform'd He rush'd with too much bravery into th' Heart Of the Enemies to tear away the life I mean the valiant Macedonian King I fearing much his danger not alone From his brave Enemies but his base Friends March'd to his aid And found him as I fear'd Left by his Men and fighting not alone With Alexander but all Macedon All the King's Fire warm'd not his heartless Men But scar'd 'em for they fled like Ghosts from Day The Enemies Trumpets blew 'em all away No doubt they wou'd have fled had the Cocks crowed As they say guilty timorous Spirits do I interpos'd between the two brave Kings And made the Macedonian retreat Then shew'd the King his frightful Solitude How all his Persian Guards lay in himself And his sole safety in a quick retreat Else he wou'd fall into the Enemies hands Then in despair and rage he bent his Sword Against his own brave life I held his hand And with kind violence forc'd him to fly And I am told he 's towards Arbela gone I 'll follow him I will not kill brave Men To defend Cowards who deserve not life Exit Ar. Persia thy Glory 's lost Exit Na. But ours begins Be. It does and Patron lyed the King 's not fleâ— Darius is indeed but the King 's dead Here fallen lye his Empire and our Chains Now a fresh stronger hand shall take the Reins Exit ACT II. SCENE A Room in the Palace at Arbela Enter Artabasus Dataphernes Ar. LOrd Bessus with his Bactrian Horse in Town Dat. Just come my Lord. Lord Nabarzanes too With his bold Scythiads are not far behind Ar.
This is reviving news the King has now Considerable strength see my Lord 's here Enter Bessus Barzana Oronte Oh! my Lord Bessus welcome from the Grave For the devouring Fields you left behind Are but one Grave of many miles extent Be. 'T is true where half the Kingdom lies interr'd Where is the King my Lord Ar. I do not know I mean the Glorious King you saw to day March to the Field with pomp that made the day It had more light from him than from the Sun. Here 's a despairing and deserted Prince That came to Town a private Charioteer And has not only lost Dominion Over great Nations but his Royal Self His Passions rule which they ne'r did before And rule so ill the gallant Enemy Wou'd I 'm sure treat him with more gentleness Be. No wonder he has had a heavy blow Ar. What Lady have you there Be. My Wife my Lord. Ar. Oh! Madam I 'm in doubt if I may say I 'm glad your life is safe for I believe 'T is better to be dead than as we are Be. Not so my Lord we may recover all I find great numbers of brave Men in Town The King has yet great Provinces entire And chiefly Bactria where I command There are a thousand Towns well fortified Where the proud Conquerors Fortune may be lost As in a Labyrinth with a thousand doors And the King scape and re-ascend his Throne Therefore he need not much submit to grief Ar. Alas He grieves not only for himself But all his suffering Friends for you and me The griefs and losses of his faithful Slaves Are all of ours that he wou'd ever share Other Proprieties he 'd never touch Though he be Lord of all but wou'd neglect All Right but what he has in his Friends tears Those he too carefully collects himself Now in the midst of his great Monarchy He 's all alone as in a Wilderness I 'le go to him and when I can have leave To speak to him I 'le tell him you are come 'T will greatly comfort him he loves you much Be. The Gods preserve him Ar. Madam your sweet Youth Ex. May live to better days Heaven grant you may Be. Madam your Beauty may make better days At least with me let Fortune do her worst Wou'd it please you But Sorrow pleases you More than my Love and ever has done so Since first you saw my Face How Saw my Face I do not know you ever look'd on me Your Eyes are turn'd away or veil'd in tears Madam this cannot easily be born I am less safe with you than among all The Macedonian Swords I 've scap'd from them Yet dye with torments in Barzana's Arms. I am resolv'd I will find out the cause Ba. Alas I fear he will discover me aside One whispers Dat. Dat. My Lord my Lord I 've joyful news for you Your belov'd Son Lord Memnon is come safe Barzana starts Ba. Lord Memnon ha aside My Lord I beg your leave I may retire I 'm weary and not well Be. Madam I wish you may have more repose Than you can find in me Ba. Nay Why my Lord Will you be cruel to your Self and Me I pray forbear if you desire my life Be. More than my own I 've done all health to you Ex. Ba. Oron. at one Door At another Enter Mem. Well I will trace her Sorrows to their Spring So Here 's another joy Welcome young Man Come to my Arms for you deserve my Love. Y 'ave done me in the Field no little Grace It wou'd be strange if thou should'st not be brave Thy Mother had more Manhood than our Men. Well thou art come into a ruin'd World Where thy great Virtue will have no reward Me. My Lord I am rewarded in your Love. Our Honour and our Friends is wealth enough Be. 'T is true indeed there is great wealth in Love. Oh! Son I 've Married so much Excellence Me. So I am told my Lord. Be. Do not admire I never â—rought thee yet into her sight I durst not do it for to produce thee Had been too bold a boast of my past Love To thy fair Mother to affront my Wife And I wou'd not offend her for the World. Me. My Lord You need not make excuse for this You but observe the custom o' the place 'T is thought a horrid profanation To Persian Beauties to be visible They are conceal'd like Divine Mysteries A Sister does not see a Brother here Be. True and I prithee come not in her sight I brought her from the Battle She 's in Town Me. How shall I shun her For I know her not Be. Do not approach this Palace here She 's lodg'd With other Beauties that escap'd the Fight Me. I shall observe your pleasure carefully Be. Now go thy ways here is another Friend Exit Me. And Enter Nabarzanes Na. Lord Bessus I am glad to see you safe Be. I doubt we are not safe the King is strong Na. In what Be. In Persians Na. Strong in Persians They can be strong in nothing but Perfumes They have no Spirits but from Essences Be. They 'r above thirty thousand Na. Say they be Be. Danger breeds Valour They who poorly fell Were Embrio's and miscarriages of War. But Danger has gone out her time with these Then he has Patron and four thousand Greeks Na. They I confess give the King's Sword an edge Be. And I have scarce four thousand Bactrian Horse Na. True and my Scythian Archers are no more Be. And then he has a Guard which all Slaves fear Religious awe of Kingly Majesty Na. When other Forces fly that never stays That Kings have the Militia on Earth Is fit shou'd they have that of Heaven too Vain Panique fears and Superstitions I 'l suffer none to List among my Troops Be. He has one Guard I fear that 's Misery It somthing touches me but that 's not all I 've an insatiable and burning Love For Glory and to fall on a fallen King Will much deface the Beauty of my Fame Na. We 'l serve the King save him from misery Fortune declares her Self his Enemy And we will lay him safe out of her way He shall enjoy the ease and pomp of Power And we 'l endure the danger and the toil Be. Ha! 't is well thought The King will yield to this Na. We 'l make it our request Be. Do I agree Na. Where is he now Be. He is shut in with Grief And Artahasus the Old General Na. Let us prepare our Friends and watch our time Be. Do 't is a brave design to save one King And beat another save a ruin'd King And beat his Conqueror then save the World From both by Liberty it will be great It will be Glorious we shall be ador'd Na. There will be cause while Glorious Murderers Destroy mankind to form a Tyranny We 'l destroy Tyranny to form Mankind Be. 'T is true how Cruel is it and unjust Whole Nations shou'd in Sorrow Live
and Die That one great Lyon may his Lust enjoy Exeunt SCENE is drawn Darius is set Musing and Sad Artabasus attending Da. Oh! Why was Alexander born for me To make my Crown a Misery to me Which I have made a Happiness to all Tyrants who spar'd not Heaven and Earth were spar'd How can Man find what way is to walk If Fortune will thus blindly plough up all Ar. Come Sir I pray do not afflict your self You gave your pleasure bounds limit your grief And you who ne'er broke Law nor injur'd Man Do not break reasons law in your own wrong Da. I 'd know my Crimes that have deserv'd all this Ar. I know of none Da. Nay prithee flatter not Ar. Oh! Sir was ever I a Flatterer Da. Never till now Ar. And this is an ill time In your Calamity and my great Age. For what can you bestow or I receive I 've reach'd a Hundred years now wanting Five My Love to Honour Conscience and my King Are all the Appetites I have to please Da. Oh! Why have I all sorts of Miseries Ar. Those happen to you as you are a Man. For what is a Man A Congregation Of disagreeing things His place of Birth A confus'd crowd of fighting Elements To nothing fixt but to Eternal change They wou'd all lose their Natures shou'd they fix Da. Why say they did were they not better lost Than kept at such Expence what does poor Man Pay for vain Life Ar. What 's matter what he pays Gods did not make this World only for Man. He 's but a parcel o' the Universe A fellow Servant with the meanest thing To carry on the Service o' the whole And pleasure o' the Gods the Lords of all Da. Can human Sorrows be delights to Gods Ar. Our Sorrows are not but our Troubles may A Great Man vanquishing his destiny Is a great Spectacle worthy of Gods. Da. Give me thy Hand years have not gone by thee Like empty idle Vagrants but like Kings And given thee Riches to relieve a King. Enter an Eunuch Eu. Lord Bessus Nabarzanes Da. Are they here Eu. They have been waiting for access some time Lord Memnon Patron too Da. Bring 'em all in Enter Bessus Nabarzanes Memnon Patron Dataphernes several Bactrians Da. Oh! Welcome my brave Friends come to my Arms I 'm joy'd to see your safety and your Love Follow me now You are true Friends indeed I will complain of Misery no more For I perceive it is the great Art of Heaven To give us better taste of what we have A Friend was ne'r so sweet to me before 'T is hard in prosp'rous Fortune to know Friends Now I am certain you attend on me This is to me my first apparent Court. Though I 've not fought I 've lov'd with great success There is no State in which the bounteous Gods Have not plac'd Joy if Men wou'd seek it out Well Sirs What news How many have we lost Be. Above four hundred thousand Sir 't is said Da. Oh! my amazing merciless destiny Be. 'T was not a Battle but a Massacre Na. Oh! Sir I wish your Sorrows might end here But though they 'r heavy as the heart of Man Has strength to bear I must enlarge 'em yet Your great Lievtenants Sir and Governors Have flung up all their Towns and Provinces Mithrenes has resign'd Armenia False Mazeus the once Glorious Babylon The Governor of Damas with the Town Betray'd the Kingdom For Sir in that Town You had lodg'd Wealth enough to regain all Da. Two hundred thousand Talents in coin'd Gold. In Silver twice the sum with Diamonds And Jewels of inestimable price Be. Alas This was not all the Riches Sir. Your Princes and great Lords had as they thought There secur'd all the Beauty o' the East I mean their lovely Wives and Daughters Sir. And this inhuman Coward betraid 'em all That Wives of Princes serv'd the Lusts of Slaves And poorest wretches shone in Robes of Kings Such Scorn did Fortune throw on this World's Pride Da. Oh! my immense boundless Calamities Though Iv'e so many thousands lost in Fight I must lament that I have lost no more Better my Cities mount to Heaven in Fire Thank sink by Cowardly villany to Hell. And they 'r preferr'd who meet with Noble Death Above the Villains who by Treason Reign Me. A little Joy were seasonable now And I've a little for you Sir. Da. Ha! Joy Me. The Coward of Damas fled to Babylon And with his Brother Villain Mazeus went To meet the Enemy with triumphant pomp As if the conquest of their Honesties Had been most Honourable Victories I heard it wou'd be so took some brave friends And slew 'em both before the Conqueror's Face Then brought their Heads away and there they are Da. Oh! brave young Man Now I 'm subdued by thee I 've nothing to reward thy Gallantry So thou hast made a Vassal of thy King. I 'm overcome by Enemies and Friends Good Gods for all my Losses Suff'rings Wrongs Favour my gallant Friends I 'll ask no more Ar. Oh! exc'llent Prince Will the Gods leave a Prince To whom they give such pledges of their Love I mean such God-like Virtue 's and brave Friends Da. 'T is true can I despair and have such Friends By you I 'm still a Great and Glorious King Able to fight with Alexander yet And by the Gods I 'le do 't I thought on slight The vile Decree with horror I revoke Shall I fear any thing while I have you And I am sure there is not in the World A danger you wou'd shun like shameful flight And shall I lead you on to Infamy No I will shew I deserve Men so brave I will march back and fight the Enemy One blow may scatter all his Victories They 'r lumber pil'd disorderly in haste Pa. Oh! Fortune in this Monarch see thy faults aside And frailties he 'l be great in spite o' thee Da. What means this silence in you all my Lords If you have fear I 'm sure it is for me Be. Ay so it is Great Sir. Da. So I believe But is there any thing to fear like Shame And shall I shamefully desert my Self In my own Empire be a banish'd Man Or like my Traitors to the Conqueror creep To be a petty Lord of some poor Town And there in safty lock my little Heart I charge you kill me when I e're devise Such infamous destruction for your King. No I will be a King or not at all My Life and Reign shall have one period But if your Resolutions be like mine We will yet give our Sorrows a brave end Justice is for us so may Fortune be I 'm a bright proof of her inconstancy But if no God will lend us any aid Let us be Gods and Fortune to our Selves And signalize our Selves by such a Fight May shew at least we deserve better fates All silent still Ar. Sir you exceed us all As much in Spirit as in Dignity What Soul
King pardons me Sure you may do 't Me. Oh! is the King so good And after that can you forgive your self Be. Ha done Me. I shall but let me do you first What Services I can and set you free From all Temptations you may have from me Perhaps you think a Crown may delight me Oh! I wou'd rather have my Head be cleft In my King's Service than by Treason Crown'd Let but my Sword command the spots of Earth On which I fight to Guard his Crown and Life And Nobler Fortune I will ne're desire The Gods be prais'd there I have Lordships yet And let us all preserve our Loyalty Then our true Glory lives though our Pomp dies For that is Vanity now I have done I 'le make but one Request then take my leave Be. What 's that Me. To chuse the place of my Exile Be. Where 's that Me. In the Fair Arms of one I Love. Be. And who is she Me. I know not wou'd I did It was my Fate at the Cilician Streights To give her Liberty and lose my own Be. Didst thou make no enquiry of her Name Me. I found her grac'd with all perfections And these I think are Names enow for one They took up all my thoughts and all my time Which was not much for soon we were pursu'd I was compell'd to face the Enemy I had the honour of the Victory But lost the best Reward the sight of her For she was fled away and from that hour I saw her not till now Be. Where saw you her Me. Here in this Palace Be. Here my Wife lives here Aside When did you see her Me. Not a minute past Be. Oh! how I tremble this must be my wife Aside Was no one with her Me. Yes your self my Lord. Be. Infernal horrours Me. Ha! he is disturb'd Aside Be. Oh! he has stab'd me sleeping in my Bed And waken'd me in Hell. Past all dispute Her secret sorrow is a Love for him I 've been solliciting for my own shame 'T is so t is so my Son has whor'd my Wife H 'as whor'd her in her Soul and that 's enough I 'le rip him up and carry her his Heart Hold he is Innocent and she may be Shall I skin o're my Wound with that may be And probe no farther no 't will fester then Oh! better see her once in the foul Act And so conclude my Torment and her Sin Than see her hourly sinning in my thoughts Me. My Lord I fear I love not as I shou'd For I perceive it discomposes you Though you in tenderness conceal my fault Pray let me know it I will freely part With all the Joys I have to pleasure you Be. Oh! noble Youth sure I am safe from him Aside But not from my own thoughts I cannot bear Thorns in my Bed if I have torment there Where shall I rest no I must search it well No Son I only doubt your good success Had you any Encouragement Me. I thought I had Be. 'T is done th' Adultery's finish'd o' her part Aside So is her Life Memnon you have my leave To make this Beauty yours be who she will. Me. My Lord I never can requite this Love Because you fight against your self for me For I see great contention in your thoughts Be. 'T is over now go in you 'l find her there Ex. Me. Oh! Memnon now I wish thy Vertue strong For if you mingle Smiles you mingle Blood. As Bessus is stealing after Memnon Nabarzanes enters Na. My Lord my Lord Be. Whos 's that I 'm employ'd Na. I 've Business for you that concerns your Life Be. I 'm busied in concerns above my Life Na. Well let 'em be of more Concern than Heaven You shall abandon'em and go with me Patron the Greek has been among our Troops Discover'd our designs and told the King. Be. Wou'd Patron were in Hell. Na. He shall be worse For head you Troops he shall be in our Power Be. I 'le come immediately Na. Immediately What Business have you here but with your Wife Do you prefer a Kiss above a Crown And all the Lives and Fortunes of your Freinds Then I believe Patron had this from you And you have sold us all Be. Who I Na. Yes you Your Wife and You the Cause and the World Sink I 'le save my self Farewel Be. Hold hold I go Oh! you have wrong'd me Na. Shew it in the Field Be. I will but I shall perish go or stay Stay and the Hangman's Sword falls on my head Go my Wife 's Whor'd aside oh cursed troubled World Where nothing without Sorrow can be had And 't is not easy to be Good or Bad. For Horrour attends Evil Sorrow Good Vice Plagues the Mind and Vertue Flesh and Blood. Ex. ACT IV. SCENE The Field Enter Darius Artabasus Patron Guards Ar. OH have I sav'd Villains to kill my King Da. No more no more I know thy honest thoughts Oh! my dear Children now a long farewell To all my Glory now a long farewel Nay oh my Fate I must for ruine fight Cyrus and Alexander did not shew More Courage to be Lords o' the whole World Than I must do to have no share in it For if these Villains Perish by my Sword I cut off all the Army that I have And I the once Great Monarch of the World Shall want a Cave where I may hide my head But Justice will be best for all Mankind I 'le shew that I deserve the World I lose Pa. I must entreat your leave for one word more Alas I sooner shall have leave from you Than from my self for every word I speak That grieves your heart stabs mine yet I must speak There 's scarce a faithful man in all your Camp. Da. What dost thou say are all the Persians false Pa. They are as true to you as to themselves But as in danger they have always done So they do now forsake you and themselves Da. Ha! do they joyn the Traytors Pa. Oh! Sir no. They joyn with nothing but confounding fear And that they meet with wherefoe're they go Terrours beset ' em Alexander comes And here the Traytors boldly threaten ' em They who had any Life in 'em are fled And they that stay are held by Cowardise They have not Soul enough even for flight Ar. He has told Truth which I was loath to speak We may as well force men into a Camp From Sick and Dying as from wanton Beds From Plagues as Luxury a flattering Pest Da. Oh! Alexander where wou'd be thy Fame Hadst thou my Army well may'st thou subdue Kingdoms by Men who merit to be Kings For mine do not deserve the name of men Pa. Sir one word more and then I shall have done Not far from hence I have four thousand Greeks We march'd to Persia fifty thousand men Did ever Greek forsake you but by Death Alas Sir now we cannot if we wou'd For in your Service we have fought our selves Out of our
Blood our Country and our Friends There is no Bactria no Greece for us Your Royal Self is now our sole retreat We humbly beg for all our Services No greater Honour than to be your Guard. Ar. Sir he desires an Honour he deserves And what may be of mighty use to you His Greeks will be a Bulwark to your self And all your Men give 'em new Courage Sir grant him his request Da. Not for the World A Glorious King shou'd ever more regard The Honourable Counsels than the safe In my own Camp be a poor Fugitive To my own Nation a Forreigner To Forreigners a little Pensioner Have no Authority but what they give And so descend from being a Persian King To be a petty Lord of a few Greeks The Traytors then will say they fight a Greek And I shall give 'em Colour for their Crimes No I 'le not fall by any fault of mine I 'le not forsake my Friends if they quit me The fault 's not mine and I had rather fall By Royal Charity to my own Slaves Than Reign by Stranger 's Charity to me Patron a thousand thanks I will accept The Service of thy Sword but not this way Go to thy Noble Greeks and serve me there And Heaven reward thy Love and Gallantry Pa. Heaven be your Guard I fear y 'ave little else Besides what you shall ever find in me Da. Thou Honour of thy Nation shame to mine Ex. Pa. Now put my men in readiness to fight And then command the Traytors to my Feet If they dare disobey fall on An Alarm How now Ar. What shou'd this mean Da. They make the first assault Ex. Ar. My Chariot speedily the news the news Enter Artabazus Ar. Sir the Vantguard of Alexander's Troops Is in your Camp. Da. Two Enemies at once Thou fight the Rebells and I 'le fight the King Ex. Da. Ar. a great cry Alarm and disorder within and Enter Darius stopping the flying Persians Da. For shame for shame you Cowards quit your King And fly from sound this is a false Alarm The Traytors made by Alexander's Name To frighten you from me Fly from his Name How will you meet his Sword but by my Life You shall encounter with his Sword or mine Enter Artabazus Ar. Oh! Sir a Cheat a Cheat Da. I know it well How many of our Men may be disperst Ar. Sir almost all y 'ave not a hundred left And now the Traytors have surrounded you Have interpos'd between the Greeks and you And are in a great body drawing down Da. Then it is time The King offers to kill himself but is held by Ar. Ar. Hold Sir. Da. Now I reflect This Crime belongs only â—o Regicides Why shou'd I take their Guilt upon my self I ne're yet stain'd my Sword with Innocent Blood Why shou'd I do it in my dying hour Ar. Oh! mournful hour oh wou'd you had receiv'd The Gallant Offer of the Noble Greek You had been safe as in a Tower of Steel Da. Not from my self it wou'd ha' stab'd my heart To beg poor Life from a few wandring Greeks Alas from them I cou'd ha' had no more Ar. No doubt the Persians wou'd have followed you Da. I 'm better follow'd now and more secure I 'm safe from the Dishonour and the Crime Of quitting them or doing any thing That may deserve my miserable fall The thought brings many comforts to my Soul. Ar. A dreadful fall indeed how have I seen A hundred Nations follow you to Wars Follow Adore you Now your only Guards Are a few Eunuchs and a weak old man. And you who oft have rode on Golden Gods Are trod on now by every little Slave Da. Oh! these are many Darts and they 're all keen Yet did they only light upon my self My pain wou'd be no more than if they fell On a dead part for in my Queen I 'm dead But in my Children and my Friends I live Oh! there my Sence is quick my Torments sharp Prithee dear Artabazus when I 'm dead Go to my Mother Children all my Friends And tell 'em how I fought and how I mourn'd My Courage Honour and my Love to them Stuck to me the last but nothing else I give 'em cause to Mourn but not to Blush Ar. Oh! Sir you rather give 'em cause of pride Men are admir'd not prais'd for Happiness Vertue 's the Lustre Pomp is but a shew That pleases Gods This Women Fools and Boys You conquer'd Power where Alexander falls And now in Misery y' are Glorious still But Sir wou'd you wou'd try if you cou'd scape Da. Ah! whither can I scape to scornful Life I wou'd not have it were it in my Power Then sure I wou'd not steal so poor a thing And if I wou'd now the Attempt is vain I shall be catch'd in the disgraceful Theft No here I will attend my Destiny And now good Artabazus take thy leave Ar. How leave you Sir in all this great distress Da. Alas thy stay can do me little good 'T will rather hurt me much encrease my Grief If thou hast any pleasure in my sighs Continue with me I have none in thine No we afflict each other prithee go I love to have my Friends share in my joyes But wou'd have all my sorrows to my self And I can best contend with 'em alone For Sorrow I perceive's love 's solitude I prithee take not from me solitude Ar. I am not us'd Sir to dispute your will. But I shall never never see you more Or at least never till we meet in Heaven There is a Heaven or there are no Gods. Gods wou'd not suffer so much Misery In their poor Creatures but for some great End And all this world can never recompence The sorrows of the least poor honest man. What shall be done then for a Martyr'd King Da. Nay I confess I look and long for Death Come Artabazus take my last Embrace 'T is all I have to give thee for thy love Ar. My King my King Da. My ever faithful friend Oh! thou art rooting deeper in my heart Tear thy self from me or we cannot part Ar. I have not strength to do 't Da. I cannot part Or see thee go first let me Veil my Face And then betake to my last Friend the Earth In whose cold Bosome I shall rest secure No Traytors will have Plots upon me there Now go The King flings his Robe over his Face then falls on the ground Ar. Farewell for ever Sir. Ex. Da. Farewell Go all and as you go plunder my Tents To the Eunuchs Let not my bloody Murderers be my Heirs Better my Gold pay your Fidelity Than their base Villany Go 't is enough Your Faith and Love have liv'd as long as I. As the Eunuchs go off they set up a mournful cry At which Bessus Nabarzanes and Dataphernes and their Guards rush in upon the King with drawn Swords Be. What means this cry Na. Has the King kill'd himself Darius rises Da. No Villains I
way And tells me she and I must never part Ba. Where is the Chariot Or. At the Garden gate Ba. Come then away Oh! Heavens Memnon here Turn from him quickly Me. Hold dear Madam hold Ba. My Lord what mean you thirst you for my Blood Me. Oh! Madam do not entertain those fears Ba. Do not you entertain false dangerous hopes Your Father has this minute left the Field Me. But not his Love to me Ba. You 'l find him quit His Love to you and all Humanity If he shou'd catch you seeking Leagues with me I fear he 's at the Palace Window now Oh! if he be this minute is our last Me. These are vain terrours oh wou'd he were here This Minute were the last of all our Griefs But oh the first of our Immortal Joys And something in me says it will be so Methinks I have a sight of Paradise Ba. Oh! you speak Oracles methinks in you A voice from Heaven has Prophesied our death The Pangs of Death already seize my Heart I tremble swear and I 've scarce Breath to speak Know there is yet another stronger Cause Than any I have nam'd why we must part Me. Another Cause Ba. Oh! do not enquire what If you take any joy in loving me For when I 've told you you must love no more If you have any tenderness for me When I have told you I shall speak no more The secret will tear out my heart Oh! fly If you would love or live or have me live Me. Y 'ave stunn'd me so I have no strength to stir Ba. Oh! he will loyter till his Father comes The Gods will bate my Passion no disgrace Know I 'm a Wife nay more your Father's Wife He faints he faints Now shou'd his Father come And find him in my Arms. Me. faints Ba. runs to him and supports him Or. Madam he 's come Ba. Oh! horrour we are lost my Lord my Lord. Enter Bessus who seeing Me. in Barzana's Arms draws Me. recovers Barzana runs to hold Bessus Be. Oh! Villain Ba. Oh! my Lord Be. Oh! Impudent And foolish Whore wilt thou proclaim thy shame And murder him thou hast a mind to save Had he a thousand lives now he shou'd dye Ba. Oh! hear me first Be. Hear thee encrease thy sins By falsehood is not Incest Crime enough I saw you from the Palace meet Caress And is not this your second meeting ha I will provide for you a third meeting place In Death and Hell thou frightful Monster dye wounds Me. who falls Ba. Unnatural Parricide dire Regicide Be. The fitter match for an incestuous Wife Me. My Lord you wrong us we are innocent I lov'd but knew her not she banish'd me I was now going to obey her doom When Heaven contriv'd this Meeting for our Death We sought it not for ever to prevent All future Meetings she reveal'd her self Then did I sink to Death under surprize And horrour for my faulty unfortunate Love Which is more trouble to me than this Death Oh! I had rather have a thousand Deaths Got by misfortune than your ill-got Crown Dyes Ba. Oh! he has told thee truth thou Murderer He was too excellent for all the Gods Thought him a God and took him to themselves And I will follow him yes I will do 't And we will revel to Eternity And it shall be the chiefest of our Joyes To be the chief of thy Eternal Plagues Be. A damp goes to my Heart I am afraid I 've been too rash I wish this were undone Come take her to my Chariot Ba. Touch me not The Gods be prais'd I 've found my Dagger now I 'le go another way Be. Sh 'as stab'd her self Call help I 'le have her live if possible Ba. I have help here Be. Horrour she tears her wound Hold hold her hands Ba. Then I will hold my Breath Be. Is this thy Vertue thou who canst commit This most unnatural sin against thy self Wou'dst not refuse thy self a sweeter Crime Ba. Indeed I 'm sorry for this sinful Death I wou'd shun Hell if only to shun thee Hell purg'd by Fire has less Offence than thou Be. Oh! thou art most ungrateful to my Love I have more Love for thee than words can speak Ba. I am glad of it then 't will be thy Plague And to encrease it know I 'm innocent So was thy Noble Son he sought my Love But knew me not for I conceal'd my self Cause he had found my secret Love for him And then I cou'd not shew my blushing face Be. You lov'd him then it seems Ba. That I confess I lov'd him but it was e're I was thine Since that I did subdue my self for thee Reveal'd my self and banish'd him for ever And he was taking his Eternal leave When thou oh Murderer tookst his Innocent Life Be. If this be true Ba. 'T is true they 're my last words All my past Life is evidence enough And so is that of thy most excellent Son. For had he any other fault but thee And I had less my Birth was Glorious Yet has my Life honour'd my Royal Birth And now I hope my Death will crown my Life It has some sin which you good Gods forgive Your Justice has had Honour by my fall Oh! honour now the Vertuous part o' me My Soul you know I never sin'd in will Only in Blood and that foul Blood I spill Dyes Be. Oh! horrour horrour Enter Nabarzanes Na. How now why this rage Be. Look there Na. Your belov'd Son and Wife in blood Amazing how came this Be. No matter how They 're dead and I am curs'd nay I am forc'd To curse the Vertues of my Son and Wife The Worlds great Blessings were my Miseries Na. I 'm glad o'th is they did divide your Soul And cut the Stream into small Rivulets It cou'd not bear the Burdens o' the State. Now 't will be all united in the Crown Enter Dataphernes Dat. My Lord the Enemy the Enemy Be. What Enemy Dat. The Macedonians And Alexander Be. Alexander ha Na. How do you know Dat. We had it from our Scouts But go upon the Mountains you may see The Spirit of that Monarch in his March. He wings along the Air in Clouds of Dust And does not march but fly Be. Bring out the King. Na. Ha! what to do Be. What else but take his Life I will not dye in Complement to him Spare him a Guard when we want men our selves I 've bath'd my Sinews in my Son 's hot Blood Now they are strong enough for any thing Na. Hold hold you are too hot let him alone If we shou'd barbarously Butcher him The Crime will have such a grim Gastly face The basest Persian Cowards will be scar'd Out of their Natures into something Brave Cowards oft by flying into Valour fly Our Friends will leave us and our Enemies Fly in our Faces Be. True what shall we do Na. Tempt him to yield Be. I know he scorns to do 't Na. We will