THE ROYAL Shepherdess A TRAGI-COMEDY ACTED By his Highness the Duke of York's Servants Non Quivis videt immodulata Poemata Iudex Hor. de arte Poet. LONDON Printed for Henry Herringman at the Sign of the Blew-Anchor in the Lower-walk of the New-Exchange 1669. I have added little to the Story onely have represented that in Action which was expressed by him in long Narrations For we find though the French do often relate the most considerable Actions in their Plays especially in their Tragedies the English will not be content without seeing such Actions done and this is one of those many things that make our English Plays so much exceed the French But this was long ago observed by Horace Segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem Quam quae sunt oculis subjecta sidelibus I have endeavour'd to carry on these few Humors which were but begun by him and to satisfie the Concupiscence as Mr. Iohnson calls it of Jigge and Song I designed as fit occasions for them as I could there being in the former Play but one short Song which is the last but one Where it is possible I have kept the Scenes unbroken and with as proper a connexion as I could What I have besides added I need not tell you being I fear so much worse that his that you will easily distinguish it I shall say little more of the Play but that the Rules of Morality and good Manners are strictly observed in it Vertue being exalted and Vice depressed and perhaps it might have been better received had neither been done in it for I find it pleases most to see Vice incouraged by bringing the Characters of debauch'd people upon the Stage and making them pass for fine Gentlemen who openly profess Swearing Drinking Whoring breaking Windows beating Constables c. and that is esteem'd among us a Genâ—ile gayety of Humour which is contrary to the Customs and Laws of all civilized Nations But it is said by some that this pleases the people and a Poets business is onely to endeavour that But he that debases himself to think of nothing but pleasing the Rabble loses the dignity of a Poet and becomes as little as a Jugler or a Rope-Dancer who please more then he can do but the office of a Poet is Simul jucunda idonea dicere vitae Which if the Poets of our age would observe it would render 'em as usefull to a Commonwealth as any profession whatsoever But I have too long troubled you with a Discourse of this Play which let me say what I will of it you will judge of as you please But if you consider aftâ—r such an Infinite number of Playes when Nil intentatum nostri liquère Poetae How difficult it is to write even an indifferent oneâ— as none but those that cannot write think it easie Methinks it were but an ordinary piece of Humanity Dramatis Personae BAsilius King Theander Prince Endymion A worthy Lord of small Fortune Pyrrhus A Creature of the Kings Neander A vain cowardly vicious effeminate Lord. Geron An old Jealous Fop that has married a young Wife Priest Queen Cleantha Niece to the King Evadne Servant to the Queen Urania One that was a Shepherdess and preferr'd by the Prince to wait on Cleantha Phronesia A vain foolish Woman Wife to Geron. Cleopatra Mother to Vrania conceal'd by the name of Parthenia Messengers Officers Shepherds and Shepherdesses Nymphs and Satyrs Priests of Mars c. SCENE ARCADIA THE ROYAL SHEPHERDESSE THE FIRST ACT. Enter Pyrrhus Endymion Neander Pyr. BEliev 't my Lords they say the Prince does Wonders Nean. They say he kills a world of men indeed But 'faith I think the wonder had been greater If he had made but half so many live Endy. Perchance my Lord you 'd have him turn Physitian Nean. Rather than Butcher 't is the Nobler Trade Endy. But they are his Enemies he kills Men that offend and do deserve to die Nean. O! then I think you 'l praise the Hangman next You give a definition of his Trade Pyrr If I do not mistake your humour Sir You were never taken with this dying It is a thing does marr a Courtier much Nean. ' Thank Heav'n I am not yet so mad to wish for 't Let Broken-Merchants and the busie Rout That durt the Streets when their designs miscarry Cry that there 's nothing Certain in this World I think there 's less in that which is to come Here I 'm sure of something I 'm a Lord And live with men But to be turn'd a grazing In the Elizian-Fields that men do talk of Among Philosophers n'ere could make a Legg Endy. Fie fie Neander this is too prophane And relisheth far more of Beast than Man Arcadia shall Command those Provinces Who lately thought our long and happy peace Had soften'd so our Minds that now we were Fit to be Loâ—ded over by their Wills But strange it is to see the King so little Joy'd with the news that still he bears a Face More troubled than Sicilian Seas in storms Pyrr 'T is for the Love of that poor Shepherdess The Prince not Ten months since took from a Cottage As he was a hunting and gave the fair Cleantha for a Present Endy. aside Alas my poor Urania how doth Thy harder Fortune vindicate my Choice Who now dares say Endymion loves to low When he loves her that can make Princes die No more no more we must scorn Cottages Those are the Rocks from whence our Jewels come Gold breeds in barren Hills the brightest Stars Shine o're the poorer Regions of the North. Enter King Pyrr Here comes the King Endymion pray retire It is not fit you should be privy to his Thoughts Endy. I 'le try if I can hear what resolution The Kings enrag'd Passion makes him take He retires King Pyrrhus how thrives my Love I have Intrusted you with all I am and all I wish for Pyrr Sir I have already done What Language and Rewards have power to do King And what return am I to hope for then Pyrr There 's little hope This Ermin will not be Perswaded from the whiteness she so Loves King Poor Country Girl where can she find Words Or Resolution when you do assault her Pyrr When I first Mention'd the business to her all alone Poor soul she blush'd as if already she Had done some harm by hearing of me speak Whilst from her pretty Eyes two Fountains run So true so Native down her fairest Cheeks As if she thought her self oblig'd to weep That all the World was not as good as she Endym. Heaven how does this Carriage please me King This Modesty of hers inflames me more As springs are hottest in the coldest weather Pyrr Her Tears so innocently begg'd my pity That I was straight turn'd over to her side And had forgot the Cause for which I strove Till rallying agen I once more gave A new assault and urg'd her to answer All her reply was no then humbly
I any voice so loud And tho' her Words were gentler far than those That holy Priests do speak to dying Saints Clean. Heaven bless you Ex King when Ev'ry thing is green Must poor Cleantha onely wither and never Know a Spring Was I made onely high Like Rhodope and Haemus or the Alps To dwell with everlasting Winter to wear Snow When every Valley is adorn'd with Roses Well I must die then I may also be Happy as other Folks the Grave looks Wistly Like my Fortune there I shall not see Poor Villagers more blest in Love then I And there I shall be able to make appear Cleantha and Endymion Equall are Then possibly some of Cleantha's Earth May prove a little Flower and look fresher Then when it was a part of a great Princess Enter Urania Vran. Madam the Queen expects your Highness Clean. I 'le wait on her Ex. Cleantha Vran. Endymion is return'd what shall I do To be at once both Just and Civil too If I could satisfie Endymion's Love I shou'd unjust to great Theander prove That Prince who to so mean a thing as I Bred in a little Cottage did bestow His Noble Heart which is a Present fit For any Princess fruitful Greece can boast of From whom if I could give my Love I would not Why did I give my Promise then last night And yet the Generous Endymion Will sure forgive me when he knows the Cause He 's here Heaven forgive me what I 'm forc'd to Enter Endymion Endy. Madam I come upon my Knees to beg your pardon Vran. My Lord it is not well to mock me further You have deluded me enough already Thus we that are so easie to bestow Our Love the greatest Treasure we possess Are still neglected by ungrateful men But I had thought to have found more truth in you Endym. Madam 't was my allegiance forc'd me from you Vran. Those men who dare offer such injuries Never want bolduess to excuse their Crimes Endym. Had I refus'd t' obey my Kings Command You could not think me Worthy of your Love Vran. aside He speaks a Truth I ought but dare not own What a fond Fool was I to be so forward In trusting a Court Lord to believe You e're would marry one of my mean Fortune Endym. Dear Vrania I appeal to'th' Gods Who are honour'd when they 'r witnesses to truth Vran. Make no more Vows I am not to be deceiv'd agen I was too foolish to believe your last Farewell my Lord. Aside The Powers above forgive me Ex. Vran. Endym. How much unlike Vrania is this Passion Who us'd to be all Calm and gentle still And sure would be so did not my unlucky Stars that never meant me good incline Her to this Anger Ex. Neander Nean. Your servant my Lord Endym. ' Curse on this vain Fop. Ex. Endym. Nean. Are you so stout Farewell Well! I wonder whom the Devil intends I shall marry with I have been a servant as they call 't that is I have Ly'd and Sworn and spent Money upon every Lady about the Court and still am as far from having one of them as the very'st Evnuch is nay more for they say Evnuchs have a Trick now a-dayes to please the Ladies Exceedingly I was in most hopes of Evadne and love her best but the old Priest forbids her to see me or speak with me Here she comes I will force her to hear me Enter Evadne in haste Dear Apple of my Eye why this haste thou hast wounded me and then thou â—ly'st me Evad. There is a sufficient reason for 't Nean. Must then Neander die Cho. of 3. Here our own proper Flocks of Sheep We may in pleasant safety keep Here a perpetual Spring does cloath the Earth And makes it fruitful with each seasons birth In this fair Climate every day Is fresh and green as May And here no beauty can decay Cho. of 3. Thus thus live we As the Elements free Each day and each night Is Crown'd with delight Without either Envy or Strife This is the Iolly Shepherds life 2. Free from all Cares in pleasant Shades And fragrant Bowres we spend the day Bowers which no Heat nor Cold invades Which all the year are fresh and gay Each does his Loving Mate imbrace And in soft pleasures melts the Hours away So Innocently that no Face Of Nimph or Shepherd can a guilt betray And having Ease the Nurse of Poetry We sing the stories of our Loves As Chaste as Turtle-Doves Free from all Fear and Iealousie From every Envious Eye For every Man possesses but his own No Shepherd sighs nor Shepherdess does frown No Ambition here is found But to be Crown'd Lord or Lady of the May And on that solemn day For Singing to have praise Or fâ—r indâ—ting to deserve the Bayes Thus thus live we c. 3. In the Cool Evening on the Lawns we play And merrily pass our time away We dance and run and pipe and sing And Wrastle in a Ring For some gawdy Wreaths of Flowers Cropt from the fruitful Fields and Bowers By some pretty Nymps compos'd By their fair hands to be dispos'd To those ambitious Shepherds who With Vertuous Emulation strive to do What may deserve the Garlands and obtain'd Are prouder far than Princes that have gain'd In fight their Valours prize Or ever stubborn Nation 's Victories Whilst in the adjoyning Grove the Nightingale Does tell her mournful Tale And does our Pleasures greet With each Note So sweet so sweet so sweet From her pretâ—y jugging jugging throat It does each Breast inspire With loving heat and with Poetick Fire Thus thus live we c. 4. We live aloof from Destiny That onely quarrells with the Great And in this Calm Rretreat Content with Nature uncorrupted we From splendid miseries of Courts are free From pomp and noise from pride and fear From Factions from divisions Cleer Fâ—ee from brave beggery smiling strife This is indeed a Life Clean. O Gods banish Endymion desire Evadne to come To me Vran. I will Ex. Vrania Clean. Wretched Cleantha is thy Love a Crime A Crime to him thou lov'st must it be ruine To a person if thou but affect'st him Have I some Plague that I must thus destroy Whom I embrace or is my Destiny Gâ—own Paradoxical and proves my Love To be true Hatred O Death thou art not half so Cruel yet In thy destructions of the Prosp'rous As in not killing Wretches that would die Enter Endymion Endym. Vrania does not well to treat me thus I took no leave of her but I have told her The reasons why my Love forbad it me Yet she persists in Cruelty Clean. He 's here His Count'nance betokens grief Endym. To be thus angry and accuse me of Slighting a poor deluded Maid In spight of all my Vows of Love to her The Princess still is Gracious to me I had best intreat her to perswade my now Provok'd Vrania She 's here But she 's alone I dare not interrupt her
for the Victory of Theander Enter Endymion with a Guard Ger. What means this Nean. O Endymion's banish'd And this Guard is to convey him out of the Kings Dominions let him be hang'd and He will let us about our business Ex. Geron and Nean. Endym. May I not see the Princess for Whom I am banish'd before I go Officer No no along Sir 1. Sould. Pray Sir go a little faster 2. Sould. Prethee let the Gentleman alone soft And â—air goes far and the Gentleman Considers he has far to go Endym. Farewell than brave Cleantha may'st thou never Once think Endymion suffers for thy sake And farewell dear Vrania I will love thee On those hard Rocks I now must dwell upon Officer What 's this muttering Along Sir 2. Sould. Good Gentleman he 's loath to leave the Princess I warrant him Enter Cleantha 1. Sould. Here she comes Endym. The Princess Great Princess pardon My glorious sufferings forgive me that Kneels I ever saw the Light or liv'd a Minute That you are injur'd thus by him whose being Is not worth your meanest thought Clean. Ah my Lord affront me not Rise brave Endymion 'T is my misfortune Thou art too low already Endym. Fortune made me low to be advanc'd by a hand More Worthy than her own Rises Clean. My Noble Lord I have undone you what can I give you now In recompence of Liberty and all The pleasures you must loose In a sad banishment for her who onely Can be afflicted at your sufferings Endym. Madam you have Enough to give to pay So mean a debt if you will call it one A thousand times Clean. Name it and take it dear Endymion though it be my life Endy. Madam Then grant me this request use every art To make your Hours as blest as I shall pray They may be many and never let a â—hought My impatience to be troublesome to others King You grieve for Endymion when all Arcadia Rejoyces at the Victory of Theander which this Evening we shall Celebrate With Sacrifices and with other Rites for whom We will prepare a publick Triumph Compose your self and let not others see Your shame Clean. My Shame they ne're Aside Shall see Call it â—y Glory so it is Enter Pyrrhus Pyrr Sir the Sacrifice is ready for the Altar and the Priests wait your Royal presence For the Execution King Niece think on what I 've said and follow us Ex. King and Pyrr Qu. Come dear Cleantha prithee be not sad The Prince of Macedon will be fitter for Your noble Blood which is deriv'd from Kings Clean. And some other will bâ— fitter for him Then I unless he likes a broken heart Besides the Prince is Contracted already to The Queen of Thrace's eldest Daughter Qu. She is long since dead Clean. Who can tell that Madam I am apt to believe If she had her Kingdom yet the Prince would find Her out Enter Phronesia Qu. What News with you Phro. News that does import your Majesty Whisper Enter Geron. Ger. Madam the Queen and your Highness are expected at the Temple this will be a night of Joy Clean That brings me nought but sorrow the name of joy Is odious to me since Endymion's gone Qu. Art thou sure of this Phronesia Phro. Yes Madam doubt it not Qu. The Gods amend all once more I 'le prevent it But first I 'le to the Temple Come Cleantha Ger. What have you told the Queen What I enjoyn'd you Phro. I hâ—ve and she is resolv'd to Circumvent him Come to the Temple haste Ex. Phron. Ger. Thus far it goes well I have with many Oaths and Pâ—otestations confirm'd the Priest in the belief that Neander in Womans Cloaths is this night to meet the Queen it takes admirably The Talents are my own and this wife of mine is dead already The Scene changes to the Temple After the Sacrifice there is a Consort of Martial Musick and two or three of the Salii or Priests of Mars sing as follows 1. ALL Praises to the God of War Who in our Battels gives Success By whom we now Victorious are Who does not onely us with Conquests bless But 't is his Pow'r that gives us Peace Arcadia now may safely that enjoy Thessalians cannot that destroy For brave Theander has our Foes opprest And by his Noble Toyls procur'd our Rest. 2. In vain they did their Heedless Force oppose Against such Courage and such Conduct too Such as requir'd more strong and numerous Foes Fit for his Noble fury to subdue Oh how he thunder'd in the Van Godlike he threaten'd and did more than manâ— Priest Heaven bless you Madam to her Exit Queen To himself And make you see your Crime In it's own horrid shape e're you attempt it And yet she bears it with so much assurance I could believe her Innocent yet why Should Geron dare to invoke all the Gods To testifie it if it be false what can Provoke him to this Villany If true She never will acknowledge it to me What ere it be 't is worth my venturing To be undeceiv'd Ex. The Third Scene Enter King Geron and Pyrrhus King Is 't possible my Queen an Adultress It cannot be Be sure Sir if you accuse her Falsly ye shall not onely die but Linger out a wretched life in Torments Ger. Sir if I lye let me have what death The witty'st Cruelty can invent Pyrr I am amaz'd the Queen and Priest In Womans Cloathes strange Circumstance To meet in Grotto this Night Sure 't is Impossible Ger. Sir I am content to dye for t if you see not your self all this to Night King In the mean time you 'l be content to be secur'd Ger. Sir with all my heart King Guard take Geron and secure him till further order Enter Guard and seizes him Pyrr Sir this dreadful news amazes me King Ah Pyrrhus in this very Grotto I met Urania and forgot the Queen Tho' then I thought her faithful And as free from any Carnal thoughts At 〈◊〉 departed Souls in th' other world Pyrr The Gods grant this meeting prove no worse Than that did King O Heav'n methinks I see 'em already in their Lust yet sure it cannot be if I find this Accusation false it had been better for this fellow he never had been born Pyrr Sir you may yet prevent it King I may for this time but I will not harbour That Devil Jealousie within my breast For all this World can give me I am resolv'd To see the certainty my self and if It prove untrue my Queen shall live with freedom As she has ever done in all my Thoughts And her Accuser fall her Sacrifice But if she can forget her former Vertue I can take as much pleasure to see her blood Drop from the fatal Sâ—ord as e're I did To see it blushing on her Cheek when first I thought her modest Look where they come Enter Queen and Priest Let us withdraw it may be we shall Discover something Priest And nothing is more