for all Records They tire Narrations baffle formal Words Ax. Right Sir but own the Cause This Vanity Sticks close like Ivy to the noblest Plants Tam. True my Axalla but shou'd I speak less I shou'd detract from Heav'n that threw these Favors Upon my worthless Person Enter Despina Ax. Here she comes Now be your self and His that made you great Tam. Ha! What flash of Lightning's this that strikes my Brest Then Fame has once spoke true a Glorious Form But I must be my self nay more appear Churlish and Cruel to keep off vain hopes Desp. Great Sir to whom wise Heav'n the World design'd kneeling As a just Tribute to your greater Mind Long may you Reign if Bajazet may live A Grant which Heav'n alone and You can give We cancel all the Rights that Fortune gave And Life alone the gift of Nature crave Show the same mercy you had wish'd to find If Fortune had to Him not You been kind Tam. Do as you wou'd be done to Rules no State Nor yet is Nature's Law for in close competitions Where Life 's at Stake if you do not destroy Your Rival's Life your own you can't enjoy Yet none wou'd grant to let himself be slain Tho by his death another life did gain My Case is clearer just in all mens Sence To kill your Husband in my own defence Which is no more than he wou'd do by me Or ought to do if he secure wou'd be Desp. High Confidence o're Policy prevails When great Souls meet low-founded Reason fails Brave Sympathy does Interest disdain Or 't is an Int'rest of a nobler Strain To please themselves by pleasings all their gain Tam. You talk of Friends or Lovers lukewarm Mortals That have not heat enough t' inflame themselves With high-flown Thoughts and Self determin'd Actions Give me Ambiâ—ion that is ne'r extinguish'd Yet feeds upon it self burns like the Sun In its own Centre unconsum'd And Warms or Scorches whom it please at distance Souls that are inaccessible and high Are strictest followers of the Deity Humble Mankind copies the Low Creation And makes the tamest Animals their Guides Out â—done still by the Strong and wise ones Desp. Shou'd Gods destroy all Men that them provoke They must Create to make their Altars Smoke If all were kill'd that do affect your Throne King without Subjects you wou'd Reign alone A Monarch wrapt in Contemplation To a hast'ning Son or nature-urging Wife To some brave Brutes or King-contemning Flies And Death will come by Siege if not Surprize Was all the World for your vain Self design'd Or if it be the Int'rest of Mankind To have you dye why do you wish to live When Social Joys you neither take nor give Tam. How bold her Reason how Divine her Face What do I feel some strange but Cordial heat Some Passion shakes my Reason from her Seat. Desp. The Road to Fame 's to try unpractic'd ways From common Methods rises common Praise Blood has to Glory ever been a Cheat Let Mercy make you Famous Safe and Great When Fortune shares so much in each event Distraining Mortals goods for Heav'nly Rent Prudence in vain a Monarchs Life protects Counsels inspir'd produce the best effects Tam. 'T is time to fly Madam you argue well Let time digest My thoughts and ripen them for your request Ex. severally Rag. If I remember well my former frailties This discomposure in the Prince is Love If it be so there is enough to work on Other attempts are Dangerous Rash Uncertain This flattering distemper works as sure Destruction he shall be his own Tormentor His Life and Fame shall languish e're he dyes I 'll strait to Bajazet who loves this Wife More than his Empire tell him She 's already In Tamerlane's embraces That in him Will work some fatal Passion and in her Revenge as desperate Exit Re-enter Tamerlane Tam. To Arms to Arms my Soul and stop the passage To this weak Enemy Love thou poor trifle of Unactive Minds drowsie Divinity Music for Maids or Madmen Thou pinching Play-fellow tickling Tormentor Thou fawning Cut-throat Beggar hence begone My Brest affords no settlement for Vagrants Go to some Silken Persian soft Italian To limber Courtiers callow beardless Boys Go â—ind some lazie Epiâ—ure whose Soul Lives in his Dish and thence by Transmigration Lives in his Wench and when that short-liv'd pleasure Expires is boâ—n a new to Wine and Surfeits How darest thou seek for room in my full Mind In which the Uâ—iverse lies cram'd with all its cares Where every Vertue harbors for protection And every Vice waits for a Reformation And yet methinks I see the blind ragg'd Boy Laughing the tott'ring Globe out of my hand It must not shall not be He comes he comes Again and warms my Brest with his false Fires Captains let loose the World that I may once more Conquer't Strike off the Chains from all my fetter'd Princes Let 'em Rebel and find out Manly troubles To shake off these Let Bus'ness out-do Reason Go build more Ships seaâ—ch out some Savage Corner That Nature hides or evil Spiriâ—s guard From Manners or Religion there I 'll go Subdue Reform Let Mankind once more prove How much my Gloâ—y does oâ—â—-â—â—igh my Love. The Scene a Prison Bajazet in his Cage Ragalzan Iayloâ—â— Rag. It is too true The Emperor has deny'd her to come near you Baj. And did I live so long only to see her Rag. Nay more than that This night She is design'd For his Embraces Baj. Death Furies Hell Damnation Fires and Flames You Sacred Bugbears false invented names To fright Mankind into Religious Fits Where is the Justice of the Sacred Writs You Rascal Mahomet am I thus requited My Prayers my Services my Off rings slighted Is this your thanks I scorn thee thou' rt a Cheat I made thee Holy but to make me Great Thou brok'st the Contract first Where is thy Love Where is thy Int'rest with the Powers above If such there be what cross events they give That I who scorn to Reign am forc'd to live Rag. Majestic Blasphemy It works most bravely Iayl. What says the Prince Rag. He does Blaspheme and Rave Talks something that is Wicked and is Brave Like modern Heroes Baj. See see She comes all glorious to the Bed Of Barbarous Tamerlane design'd to breed A race of running Tartars Merciless Gods I cannot will not bear it Knocks his head against the Cage Rag. So I 'll be gone Jaylor go help him forwards I 'll prefer thee 'T is time his mouth were stopt the vile Blasphemer It is the Emperor wills it Iayl. Then 't is done Sir. Rag. 'T will make mad work i'faith Now She ' labhor Great Tamerlane and do some worthy Mischief And I shall be her Confident for if The Emperor Loves Axalla will decline The scandalous Office I shall guide th' Intrigue For still I sooth his proud o'reweening Spirit To his Destruction Fool to think such blows Can be forgot or salv'd with Balmy Flattery
THE SACRIFICE A TRAGEDY By the Honorable Sir FRANCIS FANE Knight of the BATH The Second Edition Quae poterunt unquam satis expurgare cicutae Ni melius dormire putem quam scribere Versus Hor. LONDON Printed by I. R. for Iohn Weld at the Crown between the Temple Gates in Fleetstreet MDCLXXXVII Licensed May 4. 1686. Ro. L'Estrange To the Right Honorable CHARLES EARL of Dorset and Middlesex c. Lord Lieutenant of the County of Sussex My Lord HAving long since devoted my self to a Country Life and wanting Patience to attend the leisure of the Stage I have adventur'd to exposed this Tragedy without Action but I shall never be much asham'd of it since it has had the Honor of your Lordships Approbation whose admirable Genius in Poetry has long since given you a just Title to preside over all Causes of that kind and whose Judgement never Errs but when 't is seduc'd by your Extraordinory Candor Yet to have a share in your Lordship's Mercy rather than all the Clamorous Applauses of the Vulgar shall ever be esteemed a greater Honor to My Lord Your Lordships most Obliged and Humble Servant FRANCIS FANE TO THE AUTHOR WHen o'r the World the mild Augustus Reign'd Wit 's Empire too the Roman Poets gain'd So when the first auspicious James possest Our Brittish World and in Possessing blest Our Poets wore the Lawrels of the Age While Shakespear Fletcher Johnson Crown'd the Stage And tho our Caesars since have rais'd the State Our Poetry sustains the Roman Fate In less Essays successful we have been But lost the Nobler Province of the Scene Perverters not Reformers of the Stage Deprav'd to Farce or more fantastick Rage How therefore shall we Celebrate thy Name Whose Genius has so well retriev'd our Fame Whose happy Muse such Wonders can impart And temper Shakespear's Flame with Johnson's Art. Whose Characters set just Examples forth Mix Humane Frailties with Heroick Worth Shunning th' Extreams in Modern Heroes seen Than God's more perfect or more frail than Men. With Reason Nature Truth our Minds you treat Aâ—d shew a Prince irregularly Great A generous Soul storm'd by impetuous Love Which yet from Virtue 's Centre scorns to move Thus while the Hero does himself defeat Your Tamerlane is rendred truly GREAT When by his Troops whole Empires were o'rthrown 'T was Fortune's Work this Conquest was his own Your Monarch rages in Othello's Strain Iago in Ragalzan lives again Not Hecuba like your Despina Rag'd Like Her for Empire and a Monarchs Fate engag'd With Iphigene your Fair Irene vies And falls a more lamented Sacrifice Your Style tho just subservient to the Thought Your Numbers in Majestic Plainness wrought Methinks I see the Pyrat-Wits of France Already to this Noble Prize Advance An Artifice in which they most excel But still the Sense they steal they Husband well Thus Sir they 'l melt your Oar tho not Refine While each rich Thought of yours each massey Line Drawn to French Wire shall through whole Volumes shine Accept our Thanks tho you decline the Stage That yet you condescend the Press t' engage For while we thus possess the precious Store Our Benefit's the same your Glory more Thus for a Theatre the World you find And your Applauding Audience All Mankind N. TATE To Sir FRANCIS FANE on his Admirable Play the SACRIFICE WE have of late with heedless Scenes been fed With Plays fit only to be seen not read As tho with Rochester all Sence were dead But when that Prince of Wit did yield to death As his best Legacy he did bequeath To you his Friend his great Poetick Power And in it nam'd you for his Successour Strait Wit 's great Council sate that Critick Tribe Who did your Title to the Gift subscribe And by their Heralds did aloud declare To all the World you were his lawful Heir And now to satisfie pretending Men You have confirm'd your Title by your Pen. For by your charming measures you have taught You do inherit that dear thing call'd Thought Cease then ye Factious Wits and never dare Attempt the Laurel from his Head to tare For whilst he doth Wit 's Glorious Scepter sway Ye cannot happier be than to obey And if against his Laws ye ne'r rebel Both Italy and France We shall in Wit as well as Arms excel Then Sir how much is due t'you from the Age That you your Learned Thoughts should thus engage Once more to send a Pattern to the Stage A Play correct where Art and Nature 's shown That 's self Existent and depends on none Where Wit like Souls in Bodies by your Art Is all in all and all in ev'ry part Shou'd Traiterous Whiggs but view the lasting Dress That you 've put on Ragalzan's Wickedness Tho hatred to the best of Kings they wear Yet all designs against him they 'd forbear Lest you shou'd make them your next Character For well 't is known that whatsoe'r you write Will see the Sun till all things end in Night And tho these Villains Rope nor Ax do fear Yet everlasting Shame they cannot bear If happy Souls above can view the State Of things below Despina for her Fate Will thank the Gods now to her Virtuous Name Your well wrought Lines have given a happy Fame Irene too that Pious Beauteous Prize No more wou'd blame the Effects of her dear Eyes Since by it she 's become your Sacrifice IOHN ROBINS To the Honorable Sir FRANCIS FANE On his Excellent Play The Sacrifice LOng have our Priests condemn'd a Wicked Age And every Little Critick's senseless rage Damn'd a forsaken self-declining Stage Great 't is confess'd and many are our Crimes And no less profligate the Vicious Times But yet no wonder both prevail so Ill The Poets Fury and the Preachers Skill While to the World it is so plainly known They blame our Faults and never mind their own Let their Dull Pens flow with unlearned Spight And weakly Censure what the Skilful Write You Learned Sir a Nobler Pattern show Our best of Rules and best Example too Precepts and grave Instructions dully move The brave Performer better does Improve Thus in the truest Saryr you Excel And show how ill we Write by Writing well This Noble Piece which well deserves your Name I Read with Pleasure tho I Read with Shame The tender Lawrels which my Brows had drest Flag'd like young Flowers by too much Heat opprest The Generous Fire I felt in every Line Show'd me the cold the feeble Force of mine Henceforth I 'll you for Imitation chuse Your Nobler Flights will wing my Callow Muse. So the young Eagle is inform'd to fly Seeing the Monarch Bird ascend the Sky And tho with less Success her Strength she 'll try Spreads heâ— soft Wings and his vast Tract pursues Tho far above the Towring Prince she views Where the whole Work is so Divinely wrought The Rules so just and so sublime each Thought With such strict Art your Scenes in order
Exit Guard. Now is the time to put a period to This languishing Distemper flattering Fever This merry Madness this Apulian Sting That makes men rage in measures now I 'le shake off This rude Companion Love that blinds Men first Then gives them blows in jest that smart in earnest Enter Guard with Zeylan disguis'd Zey Am I betray'd or no Here stands the Prince But where 's my Guide I know not 'T is no matter I 'll make a bold Attack and lose my Life in 't Tam. Let all withdraw and leave me with this Stranger Come Friend draw nearer view me more exactly And tell me if your Partner in Affliction Has kept his Word Am I forsworn or no Am not I Tamerlane Zey Death 't is the same Shining in all his Glory What means this Riddle Tam. Nay fear not to come near me Zey 'T is not Fear but Wonder Tam. Here take this Dagger strike this open Brest But yet before you do this welcom Act Here is the Door you must escape at to The River's side where lies a Boat prepar'd To take in the next Comer which will strait Row you to Zeylan's Citadel before The Deed be known and here 's a Cabinet Not very weighty but worth many Millions The Spoils of Turky Persia Aegypt China Muscovy Syria Afric Indostan If thou get'st clear from hence thou hast enough To purchase thee a Kingdom Zey Sure Fame has Not â—latter'd him he 's a Man of wond'rous Virtue But Thrones are not exempt from fatal Sorrows Can I consent to kill my Benefactor Tam. There 's nothing thou canst do that can deserve So great Rewards but this Alass I 'm weary Of Life my Empire is too great a Burden Without the over-weight of private Griefs I never yet refus'd the thing was ask'd me Nor ever sent a sad Man from my presence And shall I be deny'd so small so just a Favor Zey My Vengeance fails me Most Heroiâ— Prince I cannot guide this Dagger to your Brest I beg but one Request in satisfaction Of all the Wrongs the World or you have done me Tam. Refuse not this to me and I 'll refuse thee Nothing that my unbounded Empire yields Zey Here on my knees I 'll try your Virtue first I beg Sir a young Beardless Captain 's Life That is condemn'd to dye for letting Zeylan Escape that was his Prisoner Tam. I grant it freely Zey Why then as freely here I give you Zeylan pulls off his disguise With all my Forces all my Reputation Acquir'd in Arms and lye still at your Mercy But know the weighty Reason she 's my Mistress In that disguise No smothering Revenge Nor over-looking Envy nor vile Treason Mov'd me to this but her dear Life endanger'd Urg'd me to undertake your Death my own The ruin of the World that my fair Saint Might fly out in the merciful Confusion Tam. But art thou Zeylan Welcom noble Prince Embraces him Prop to thy falling Country China's Redeemer Can there be so much Virtue in the World And Love the Cause dire Love that monstrous Passion 'T is I that am thy Prisoner here I yield thee My Sword with all its Conquests all its Glories With more serene and unconcern'd a Freedom Than Virgins do their Beauties Saints their Souls To Heaven or Hymen but besure thou give No Qâ—â—rter take my Life for if thou spare it Perhaps I 〈◊〉 resume the rest Thou art The â—ittest man to execute this Sacred Act Oh now 't is Justice that before was Fury Zey Pray Sir be pleased to call first to your Guards Her precious Life 's at stake Tam. Guards make hast Carry my Pardon to the sentenc'd Captain That let Prince Zeylan scape Now Sir To my Request be speedy and begone With all your Treasure lest the Soldiers Fury O'rwhelm you Come ease me quickly Zey I have not Sir been bred in Foreign Courts Nor can I talk of high-flown Rules of Honor Those nice distinctionss fram'd in Virtues School But I have some rude Sparks of Nature show me By their dim light How great a Monster is Ingratitude Tam. Thou art ungrateful then if thou deny me this So just Request since I have answer'd thine Death is to me a greater Gift than Life Is to thy Mistress Is there a greater good Than to be lull'd asleep from endless griefs And wake no more to find ' em Thou art unjust too to thy Native Country Nor canst thou answer this to Heav'n or Earth Nor will the Ghost of all thy slaughter'd Friends Let thee sleep quiet till they are Reveng'd They 'l haunt thee tear thee in ten Thousand pieces And send a Sampler of thee to each Corner Of the wide Mischief-studying Earth to teach The World the Fate of Traytors to their Country Zey I never heard Great Tamerlane abus'd Heav'ns favors to excess but his kind Sword Still carv'd out work for his diffusive Mercy The petty Wranglers of the Universe Chose rather to submit to his Just Sceptre Than to subdue each other Shall I deprive the World of all its Lustre The Ornament of Story Task of Fame Extinguish the great Light graces and guides it And by your Glory raise my Infamy Urge me not to a Crime your self would fly from Tam. Is there such Honour in the World besides How many Climates have I pass'd and now At last have found it in this Savage Corner Sure 't is Instill'd by Nature not by Precept 'T is time to dye now for a weighty Reason Thou hast out-done me in my own Pretensions And rais'd the price of Honor to that rate ' Twou'd ruine me and all my Conquer'd Earth To rise to that vast purchase Oh the Mark 's too high For me to reach I 'll quit the Field In Virtue and return to Tyranny Kill me or else thy Mistress dyes Zey kneeling The Gods forbid Oh look upon her first and she will melt you You cannot hurt so sweet an Innocence I know you cannot Nature will not bear it She 'l smile away your Anger or she 'l thaw Your frozen heart t' a Torrent with her Tears She is the Joy of Nature Pride of Heav'n The Idol of all Eyes that e'r beheld her Tygers wou'd lose their Fierceness at her sight And can Mankind hold Weapons to destroy her Oh save her save her save her Virtuous Prince And let my Life redeem her Tam. Rise brave Friend No both shall live together and live happy I take delight in the content of all men Less dear than thee tho I have none my Self Well I 'll not press thee 'gainst the sense of Honor And Nature too I know too well the weight They bear in well-born Souls A thousand ways There are to the great Joy that thou deny'st me I 'll wait a little longer spread my Sails To the next Wind to wast me to my Port Where I will Anchor and Lanch out no more But to return th' Heroic Resignation I make thee King of China Zey Vice-Roy rather When