acquaintance Pam. With all my heart Lyd. What means Amarinthe Am. Come nearer nearer yet now nymphs look on him I pray and mark him well Pam. This goes well hitherto I must prepare my self to court um now Am. And now be 't known unto you all he 's one whom y' are to bless your selves from as from some ghost or goblin Pam. How 's this Am. For he 'l haunt you haunt you worse then they and stick t' ye faster then burrs or rather pitch that defiles all it touches there is no purifying your selvs a month after h 'as once been in your company Mel. Bless us from him Pam. The devil 's in her in what a fair way of courtship was I and how sh 'as put me out of it Am. Yet wo'd ye think it he imagins all the nymphs are in love with him nay will swear it if they look but on him once and then talk so lewdly as shews him all groom and foot-boy within however without he appears a Gentleman Pam. She 'l make me all groom and foot-boy presently she 'as half transformed me already Am. Nay hold up your head sir and ben't asham'd of your commendations Pam. Commendations d'ye call it I wonder what are your reproaches if these be your commendations Aside Lyd. Sure Amaranthe you wrong him Pam. I indeed does she sweet heart Lyd. Forbear and know your distance Sir Am. Nay he 's like a Spannel hold him at arms end or he 'l be in your bosom presently Mel. Nay now y' are too cruel Am. If he wo'd either spare his own or others modesty I wo'd be content to spare him yet Pam. I must suffer I see Am. But see Theotimus coming cultivating our youth and sowing in their tender mindes the seeds of all our future happiness for 't is not the culter o' th' Land but of the minde makes people happy and as that 's done well or ill so they are happy or unhappy still Enter Theotimus Chorus of Musicians and young Virgins Diophantes Evander c. The. Now tender Virgins all draw near And Loves diviner doctrine hear First Nymphs be modest as you go For just as by the pulse we know The bodies state so we as well By th' eyes the state o' th' minde may tell And rowling eyes do but betray A heart that rowls as well as they Chor. sings O fly then far Glances that are But outward signs by which we finde The inward temper of the minde And rowling eyes do but betray A heart that rowls as well as they Pam. Hei day now will these wenches wear their eyes like spectacles on their noses and look as demurely as Cows in bon-graces The. Then for your kisses oh be sure No Virgins ever those endure For you are flowers and blooming Trees And men are such deflowring Bees Let once their kisses light upon ye They soon will suck all sweetness from ye And womens lips with kissing us'd Will look but just like Cherries bruis'd Chor. sings O fly then far Kisses that are Like Bees that suck all sweetness from ye Let 'um once but light upon you And womens lips with kissing us'd Will look but just like Cherries bruis'd Pam. Now will these wenches lips grow as cold as dogs noses if they leave off kissing once The. But above all take heed agen You fly and shun the touch of men For there 's no canker more devours Nor mildew more blasts tender flowers Then men will you whose lightest touch Will soon your fresher beauties smutch And once but tainted in your hue You well may bid the world adieu Chor. sings O fly then far Touches that are So blasting as the lightest touch Will soon your fresher beauties smutch And once but tainted in your hue You well may bid the world adieu Pam. 'T is time to bid the world adieu indeed if there be no touching ' um Th. Now that we ben't expected there 't is time to th' Temple to repair set forwards there before Exeunt Manent Diophantes Evander Pamphilus Amaranthe Cloria Lydia Melissa Ev. Oh! Pamphilus well met and how d' ye finde the nymphs here ha Pam. As I co'd wish the kindest lovingst souls as e're I met withal Am. How 's this let 's stand close and over hear him Pam. You need not multiply the Phenix to sum up the number of all the maidenheads I shall leave in Cyprus here before I 've done with 'um Am. D' ye hear Ev. Is 't possible Pam. No no I knew not the humor and disposition of the nymps here I. Em. Troth and so I think still Aside Pam. I hope now you 'l believe me another time Ev. It may be so but now I swear I do not Aside Dio. Yet let us sooth and humour him to have some sport with him you know all the Nimphs here then Pam. O most intimately Diop Amaranthe Cloria Lydia Melissa Pam. All all and have had favours from every one of them this Ring from one this Ribband from a second this Jewel from a third Mel. What a lying fellow 's this Dio. And what think you of Cloria Pam. She kisses well I 've gone no farther with her yet but there is hope I may in time Clo. Shall I indure this Am. Nay prethee Dio. And Lydia Pam. With her I must confess I 've had a little more samiliarity Lyd. There 's no induring this Am. Yet this was he you thought I wrong'd Lyd. Hang him none can but onely by reporting too well of him Pam. For Amarinthe she 's the coyest of 'um all Am. I thank you Pam. And was so angry with me for a kiss I stole from her but I soon pacified her Dio. As how Pam. Why I told her that rather then that shud make a war betwixt us which was wont to be the signe of peace with others I 'd make her double satisfaction and for one kiss I took from her wo'd give her two Ev. So then as you imagin'd 'um you finde all the Nymphs here as supple and plyant as kids leather Gloves a gentle pluck or two will easily draw 'um om Pam. Draw 'um on wou'd some body wou'd draw 'um off for me I fear I shall be ravisht by ' um Am. Out upon him I 'le hear no more let 's go and as we pass shew him all the neglect and scorn we can possible They pass by him frowningly and Exeunt Dio. D' ye mark how they frown upon him Pam. Favours meer favours believe it Gentlemen and onely invitations to follow 'um you see how I am courted and must pardon me Exit Dio. The man 's as impudent as vain I see and though this hitherto be but in jest you whom he counts his friend may tell him best If he imagines with injurious lyes To get him honour by their injuries Our Nymphs are all of such unquestion'd Fame He 'l sooner punishment then credit gain Exeunt Enter Palemon Pal. This way the fair Bellinda is to pass Unto the Temple and although she
Love's Kingdom A Pastoral Trage-Comedy Not as it was Acted at the Theatre near Lincolns-Inn but as it was written and since corrected BY Richard Flecknoe With a short Treatise of the English Stage c by the same Author LONDON Printed by R. Wood for the Author 1664. Licensed April 22 1664. Roger L' Estrange To his Excellence William Lord Marquess of Newcastle My Noble Lord THe People who as one sayes well are Iudges without Iudgement and Authors without Authority had condemn'd this Play on the Stage for want of being rightly represented unto them at which many noble Persons were so much offended as I could not in any one Act do it more right or give them more satisfaction then by Printing it to shew its Innocence As it is it has had the honour to have been approv'd by most of the better and wiser Sort and if your Excellence but adde unto it your Approbation I desire no more It wants much of the Ornament of the Stage but thât by a lively imagination may easily be supplyed For my part unless it may be presented as I writ it and as I intended it I had rather it shu'd be read then acted and have the World for Theatre rather then the Stage Having said thus much by way of Prologue I leave you to the Play remaining alwayes Your Excellencies Most humble and most devoted Servant Richard Flecknoe To the noble Readers TO think to write without faults is to think to peel a Bulbus Root to the last Rinde or sweep an earthen Floor to the last grain of dust and 't is hêre as in the Mint where if the Dross exceed not the pure Or it passes for currant Coin The greatest fault in this kinde of writing is to erre agâinst Art and Decorum of which I hope this Play is free who findes fault with the mirth in it never consider how here with us mirth in Playes of this kinde is like Alloy in Coin which though it abases it yet makes it more passible For the Rhyme 't is more excusable in Pastorals then in other Playes and where I leave the Rhyme or numbers I imagin'd that as a good Actor was like a good Singer so a good Play was like a good Song where 't is not necessary all notes shu'd be of an equal length For the Plot 't is neat and handsome and the Language soft and gentle suitable to the persons who speak neither on the Ground nor in the Clouds but just like the Stage somewhat elevated above the common In neither no stifness and I hope no impertinence nor extravagance into which your young writers are apt to run who whilst they know not well what to do and are anxious to do enough most commonly overdo Those who think it so easie now to make a good Play will tell me some twenty years hence how hard it is when they will finde that 't is not a good Humor or two in a Comedy will do it which are good supports 't is true but to think they will make a Play is to think a Pillar or two sufficient to make a House nor the writing a fine Copy of Verses or two sufficient to make a Tragedy or Trage-Comedy but there must go a Genius as well as Ingenium to 't with long exercise and experience But to leave their Playes and return to ours if you like it for whom I writ it I have my end which was onely in an innocent and harmless way to divert my self and you The Persons represented THe Prologue spoken by Venus from the Clouds Theotimus Loves Arch-Flamin and Governour of Cyprus Polydor Loves Inquisitor Diophantes one of the Advocates of Loves Court Palemon A noble Cypriot in Love with Bellinda and lov'd by Filena Evander A stranger come to Loves Kingdom on devotion Pamphilus A vicious young fellow stranger to Love's Kingdom and imagining all as vicious as himself Philander a noble Cretian Bellinda's betroth'd Bellinda a noble Cretian Nymph stranger in Love's Kingdom Filena a noble Cyprian Nymph Amaranthe Governess of the Nymphs Cloria Mellissa Lydia with others Nymphs of Cyprus Chorus of Musicians and young Virgins 2 Aruspices Love's Sacrificators The Popa or sacred Executioner Guards c. The Scene Cyprus with all the Rules of Time and Place so exactly observ'd as whilst for Time 't is all compriz'd in as few hours as there are Acts for Place it never goes out of the view or prospect of Loves Temple The Prologue Spoken by Venus from the Clouds IF ever you have heard of Venus name Goddess of Beauty I that Venus am Who have to day descended from my sphere To welcome you unto Love's Kingdom here Or rather to my Sphere am come since I Am present no where more nor in the Sky Nor any Island in the world then this That wholly from the world divided is For Cupid you behold him here in me For there where Beauty is Love needs must be Or you may yet more easily descry Him 'mong the Ladies in each beauteous eye And 'mongst the Gallants may as easily trace Him to their bosoms from each beauteous face May then fair Ladies you Finde all your Servants true And Gallants may you finde The Ladies all as kinde As by your noble favours you declare How much you friends unto Love's Kingdom are Of which your selves compose so great a part In your fair Eyes and in your loving heart Love's Kingdom Actus primus Enter Evander and Pamphilus The Scene a delightful Landskip or Paisage Evander IS 't not a pleasant place Pamph. As e're I saw but I can see no Wenches yet and that I long for Ev. Why Pam. What a question 's that why do the hungry long for meat I pray Ev. Then I perceive you are an Epicure in Love and onely wo'd feed your body Pam. I am no Platonick Philosopher who while they feed their mindes do starve themselves give me a Love that ha's some substance in it Ev. Well this is no time for to convert you behold some coming here Enter a Troop of Nymphs and Shepherds singing and dancing hand in hand The Song Come and in this pleasant Grove Sacred to the Queen of Love Let our Voices and our Feet In harmonious number meet Thus we sing the year throughout And merrily merrily dance about â—xeunt Ev. O happy Land of all the sun surveys where thus perpetually they pass their dayes and if onely a living death it be or dying life to live in misery seeing their joyful lives we well may say in all the world there are none live but they Pa. They 're dainty wenches I le say that for them and I must needs follow them Ev. Nay prethee Pam. Never talk of it I can hold no more then a good Greyhound when he sees the Hare or Hawk the Quarry it is all my sport and inclination and by their mirth and jollity I know they 're right and of the Game Ev. There 's your errour and ignorance now
and inanimate things agen and what a monster shu'd Bellinda prove if onely she of all things did not love Bel. Of all the Nymphs that ever spoke with tongue this Nymph has Magick I must bless me from Fi. Where is the friendship y've so long profest to make me such a stranger to your breast Bel. Trust me dear friend if what you say be true I am more stranger to my breast then you Fi. See how you blush now when you tell me so Bel. Ay me mine own blushes betray me too What is it can be secret in a Lover when even their blushes do their Loves discover Fi. What and sigh too nay then you love 't is clear for but for Love none ever sighed here Bel. my sighs betray me too how many traytors have Lovers about them Aside Fi. But why shu'd yôu sigh you live happily and sighs are for the miserable such as I Palemon loves yôu and so loves you too as he even pines away for Love of you consumes with grief languishes with despair melts into tears and sighs himself to air faith give him some comfort e're you go unto the Temple sweet Bellinda do poor Youth he 's in so desperate estate I fear lest after it may come too late Bel. What greater comfort can he expect of me then that if any i' th' Isle I love 't is he Fi. Poor comfort that it shall be him alone if any i' th' Isle you love if you love none this is to mock his hopes and they deny rather then grant who promise doubtfully Bell. More Filena I neither will nor can give him until I go to th' Temple anon and there consult the Gods what I shu'd do Fi. Consult your own thoughts rather and your minde Bell. 'T is not easie as you think to finde the source and origin of our thoughts and minde of which t'one is so deep t'other so high as there are Opticks made to pierce the sky plummets to sound the bottom o' th' ocean but for to pierce and sound a heart there 's none Within Bellinda Bellinda Enter Polydor. Bell. Here who calls Pol. 'T is I. Fi. Gentle Polydor what news from th' Temple w' ye Pol. Nothing but onely all 's prepared there for th' grand solemnity and onely fair Bellinda's presence expected Bell. If 't be so let us away Pol. Soft 't is not time to go this hour yet Bell. And that a day will seem to be a moneth a year a very age to me Exit joyfully Pol. D' ye think she knows Fi. I know not let 's divine and joyn your observations to mine D' ye mark with how great joy away she went none goes so chearfully to banishment Pol. But if her body 's here and mind elsewhere 't is she does banish us and not we her Fi. Well if she love I wonder at her art can carry fire so smother'd in her heart as none nor by the flame nor smoak can know whether sh'ave any in her breast or no. Pol. And if she do not love agen then she of all the Nymphs I yet did ever see the most my admiration does move t' have so much beauty and so little love Fi. I 'le follow and observe her better Pol. Do and I 'le but stay awhile and follow you Exit Filena Enter Pamphilus Pam. That Wench that wench wo'd I give a limb for now though I halted to an Hospital for it and there are many have ventur'd as far for wenches as that comes to I must needs have her and hê here shall be my Agent in the business D' ye hear d' ye hear Sir a word with you I pray Pol. With me your pleasure Sir Pam. D' ye know that Nymph there Pol. Very well what then Pam. Why then I shu'd desire your better acquaintance for look ye suppose a man shu'd have a minde unto her Pol. A minde what minde Pam. Why a moneths minde or so Pol. Why then after a moneth you may be rid of 't Pam. I hope Sir you do not mock me Pol. Indeed Sir but I do you must pardon me Pam. 'T is well you confess it and ask my pardon I shu'd be very angry else I can tell you Pol. This is some simple stranger ignorant of our manners and customs rather meriting pitty then anger Aside aside Pam. He understands nothing but plain down-right language I see that calls every thing by its right name Well Sir since I perceive you are a little dull in plainer terms I 'de fain you understood me Whispers Pol. How Sir Pam. Even so Sir Pol. D' ye know where you are Pam. Why in Love's Kingdom where shu'd I be Pol. But not in Lusts remember that Pam. Pox a these nice distinctions that onely serve to break Dunces heads and keep Maidenheads so long till they are quite marr'd Come come I know no other love but what I 've told you Pol. Then you must be taught and learn other language too or else this Isle I can tell you will prove too hot for you Pam. Wo'd the Nymphs were not so cold and let the Isle be what it will Aside Pol. And now to instruct you a little better know that for all lewd and lascivious speeches we have a gentle punishment here called whipping Pam. Gentle d'ye call it Pol. And for fowl libidinousness an other excellent remedy call'd castrating that takes it clear away Pam. Clear with a witness bless me and all mine from it why this is cruel sir have you no regard then to peoples infirmities Pol. O yes a special one for your wild and unruly heats of youth w 'ave an admirable way of cooling 'um by marrying 'um unto old women of fourscore there 's a cooler for you Pam. A cooler with a vengeance ah ha it makes my teeth chatter in my head to think of it but sure sir y' are not in earnest all this while Pol. It seems sir you love to jest but look to 't and say y 'ad fair warning and so farewel Exit Pa◠Farewel quoth ye marry 't is time to bid farewel indeed if this be so whipping castrating and marrying to old women of fourscore a great consolation for a man that loves a wench but he said all this sure onely to fright me yet let him say what he will woo'd I had that wench say I. Enter Amaranthe Cloria Lydia Melissa c. Whow here comes a whole ocean of them now am I in my element and I shall wallow like a Porposs amongst them Am. What my Platonick Philosopher and Anteplatonick Lover agen Pam. 'Slid is she there I 'd best be gon then I 'm as feard of her as a dog is of a whip Am. What is he going I must needs have some sport with him before he goes Hark ye hark ye sir pray stay a little Pam. Now will she trappan me into a whipping I 'm sure yet I am such a fool I must needs tarry Am. These nymphs here wo'd be glad of your better
and I must part And where I must resign my latest breath Then farewel life and welcome sweetest death To prisoners freedom to the weary rest Comfort to th' sad and ease to the opprest who 'd then indure such worlds of miseries When life 's but pain and death no more but this Now now I dye yet Love lives in me still Falls As if what Love does wound Death durst not kill Who doubt then whether thou immortal art O mighty Love could they but see my heart And bosom here where thou canst never dye It would assert thy immortality Enter Pamphilus Pam. Bless me amongst what a generation of Nymphs am I fallen here who are all so precise and pure as when they come but where men are they take the wind of 'um for fear of being got with child as Spanish Ginnets are and when they go away brush themselves carefully from the dust for fear of a spice of fornication ever since they understood that man 's but made of dust Ha! what have we here a Nymph a sleep ah pretty rogue have I caught you napping she sleeps as snug and soundly as a young sucking pig you can scarce perceive her breath what a great blessing is a sleeping woman for they 'l lie quietly yet methinks I shud know her Enter Lydia Lyd. No news of her yet 't is strange but who is here my goblin agen what 's that he looks so wistly at I wonder a Nymph asleep for modesties sake I 'le wake her out alas 't is she and dead help help the glory of Our Hamlets here the pride of all our plains Grace of the Nymphs delight of all the Swains Our Isles chief ornament Filena's dead The gentlest Nymph as Cyprus ever bread Exit Pam. How is she dead what a beast was I then to let her go for I 'me sure she was alive Enter Lydia agen with Polydor and Guards Pol. A Nymph dead in our wood it cannot be here are no Savage Beasts and much less men so barbarous and savage to kill and murther 'um where is she Lyd. There Pol. Alas 't is she indeed how came she dead d' ye know Lyd. Not I onely in this posture I found her and that stranger by her there Pol. Oh I know him and have cause to suspect considering his former misdemeanors here that he 's the likeliest man to have murther'd her seize on him and let him be examined Pam. So now am I finely serv'd for hunting after wenches to be catcht my self instead of catching them and like to be hang'd for it for ought I see well if I be my comfort is I 'm not the first man that wenching has brought unto the Gallows nor am like to be the last Enter Amaranthe with the other Nymphs Am Where is she where is she stand from about her there Pam. So wou'd I with all my heart if I cu'd get away Am. She is not dead but onely intranc't Pam. Marry and I 'm but little better Am. You 'l see with this cool water she 'l strait revive again Pam. And hot water will scarce bring me to my self again Mel. Take my tears too if water can only do 't Lyd. And mine Clo. And mine Mel. And all of ours to boot Enter Palemon Pol. O Palemon welcome I sent for you by order of Theotimus to let you know strange news of Bellinda Pal. I fear I am but too familiar with it already they whisper Am. See she begins to stir And opens her eyes I told you their fair light Was but ecclipst and not extinguisht quite Pol. Then you may let him go Pam. Marry and I 'le be gone then as fast as I can and flye the land too before I 'le be put in such a fright again Exit Fil. Where am I in what Region of the dead not in hell sure for there are far more horrid visions then are here nor yet in heaven for there agen are far more glorious ones where am I then An. She thinks she 's dead still Fil. Ha Palemon here nay then I see Love takes delight still in tormenting me And there 's some middle place 'twixt Heaven and Hell Where wretched Lovers such as I do dwell Where sh'ud I go to flye the sight of men And where to flye Loves fires and arrows when Where e're I go just like the wounded Dear I flye in vain that which I carry here Exit Am. Go follow her and look carefully unto her Her wandring minde you 'l see will come anon unto its self when her amazement 's gone Pal. Whate're it be methinks there 's somewhat here Whispers remorse and chides me as it were For my unkindness and stern cruelty Unto this Nymph who thus wo'd dye for me But as loud windes won't let us hear the soft And gentle voice of others so the thought Of dying for Bellinda will not let Me hear its voice nor hearken to it yet Enter Diophantes Dio. O noble youth whose famous memory Shall never be forgot or ever be remembred without praise Pal. What news brings Diophantes he 's so transported with it Dio. Thât which had I a thousand tongues to tell Or you a thousand ears to hear wou'd well Deserve them all Soon as 't was rumored Bellinda must dye for having falsified The sacred Oath but this stranger instantly Offered himself with such alacrity to dye for her as Love ne're gain'd so glorious a victory nor ever so triumpht over death before Pal. Oh me if this be so I shall become th' derision and the scorn of every one and was his offer accepted Dio. That you know by th' Laws here co'd not be refus'd him Pal. How Ha's he prevented me but do I stand Senseless and stupid as I were dead here and Had not a life to lose as well as he No generous stranger whosoe're thou be Since thou wert born my Rival thou shalt prove I 'le rival thee in Death as well as Love Exit Pol. I fear the event of this Am. And so do I But wherefore is Bellinda doom'd to dye Pol. For perjury and falshood whilst she swore She lov'd one here being betroath'd before unto that stranger there Am. All thât may be Without forswearing yet and perjury For what if he she swore she lov'd be he she was betroath'd unto Pol. That cannot be For she was in the sacred Cell 't is clear Long time before he e're arrived here In Sequestration separated from Society of all mean time her tongue Charm'd silent and eyes blinded as they were How co'd she see or know that he was here Dio. Are you convinced yet Am. No not alwayes they Convinced are who know not what to say For my part until farther proof shall shew Her guilty I shall ne're believe her so For just as Images in Tapestry Do all appear distorted and awry Until they 're fully explicate and then We see they appear all right and streight agen So shê we now think guilty we may finde Innocent
perhaps when she explains her minde Pol. Pray heaven she may mean time let us go see This stranger who shall ever honour'd be Alive and dead and be all Lovers boast and honour to Love's Kingdom Am. And that most deservedly for never any yet For truly loving did more honour get Nor ever any whilst the world lasts or There 's Lovers in the world shall e're get more Exeunt Enter Theotimus Chorus of Musicians Philander led to Sacrifice crown'd Victim-wise Youths and Virgins with baskets of flowers strewing the way c. Evander The. Go noble youth who does in dying prove Death who has power o're all has none o're Love And shews to th' world that who refuse to give Their lives for honour ne're deserv'd to live Go take with thee this consolation You lose a life that easily wo'd be gone But gain one by 't when thousand years are past And thousand other lives shall alwayes last And though you might have longer liv'd yet know You ne're could dye more gloriously then now To have all our Youths and Virgins strew With flowers all the way you go With Roses and with Mirtle Boughs Adorning your victorious browes And singing with triumphant Song Your praises as you go along Chorus sings Thus shall he ever honour'd be Who dyes for Love and Constancy And thus be ever prais'd who dyes Love's Martyr and his Sacrifice The. And if alive you thus are honoured Much more you shall be after you are dead If such as you can e're be said to dye By whose noble example and memory A thousand Lovers when y' are dead and gone Shall spring up in the world instead of one Who every year on pilgrimage shall come To honour your dead ashes in their tomb Seeing whose votive gifts and offerings The greatest and the mightiest of Kings In envying you and wishing them their own Shall for your tomb gladly exchange their throne Chorus sings Thus shall he ever honour'd be Who dyes for Love and Constancy And thus be ever prais'd who dyes Love's Martyr and his Sacrifice Enter Palemon Diophantes Polydor Amaranthe c. following Pal. Justice Justice Sir The. For what or against whom Pal. Against that stranger there who 'd rob me of the honour and happiness of dying for Bellinda Phi. He 's more unjust then I who ' as rob'd me of the honour and happiness of living for her and now won't let me dye Pal. As if no rocks nor seas nor flames there were Nor other wayes of dying but for her Chuse any of them you please your choice is free Onely dying for her belongs to me Phi. You may live for her what wo'd you more were I So happy as you who 's list for me shu'd dye Pal. You talk as if there were no life to come No blessed Shades nor no Elizium Where those who have been Lovers here possess Eternity of joyes and happiness Phi. Heaven is my witness I ne're think upon The joyes and pleasures of Elizium Nor any joyes or pleasures whatsoe're But that of dying and suffering for her Ev. How like two towering Hawks they mount and soar Love never flew so high a flight before Dio. There'l be no end of this Pol. Peace let them alone Greater example of Love was never shown The. Then let Bellinda come and sentence give Whether of them shu'd dye and whether live Are you content Pal. I am Phi. And so am I ready for her either to live or dye The. Bring her forth thên with all the ceremonies requisite in so dire a Sacrifice All the Nymphs in mourning accompaning her The fatal Axe and Executioner Before her and the whilst they go along The Chorus singing of her Funeral Song The Song sung whilst the Nymphs put on their mourning Veils Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Never was there greater woe Let us all the habits borrow And the face of grief and sorrow who 'd not spare a sigh nor tear From all mishaps to spend it here Enter Bellinda veil'd brought in by Polydor the Popa or sacred Executioner before her all the Nymphs weeping c. Ev. Wherefore this ceremony since she 's not to dye Di. Onely for terrour and formality Th. Come thus I unveil thy eyes that thou mayest see Unto what misery and calamity T' hast brought thy self and us and thus uncharm Thy tongue the fatal cause of all this harm Bel. What means these sable weeds and mourning chear Whilst not a face but wears death's Livery here Th. 'T is all for thee unhappy Nymph put on That thou shud'st dye so untimely and so young Bel. I understand you not nor can I fear Death whilst my dearest life Philander's here Pal. How 's this She goes to embrace Philander and he turns away Ev. This is more strange then t'other Bel. Ha! Philander prove unkinde nay then away With the fatal Axe and Executioner And all these deadly preparations here They need not now one unkinde look or two Of his can kill me sooner then they can do The. It is thy falshood and perfidity Unfortunate Nymph that kills thee and not he Whilst falsly and perfidiously you swore You lov'd one here being betroath'd before unto another Bel. How I ne're did swear That I lov'd any but Philander here Pal. Oh killing declaration The. That cant't be For as for him all Cyprus knows that he Arriv'd not here till after you were inclos'd i th' facred Cell and separated from All conversation i th' mean time your tongue Charm'd silent and Eyes blinded as they were How could you see or know that he was here Bel. Love is a fire and there needs no eye But onely heat to tell when fire is nigh And Lovers by their glowing bosoms know When those are near they love but lest this now Might seem too mystical to make 't more clear As in the Temple I came forth to swear I heard his voice and swounding instantly For joy to hear it whilst officiously They lifted up my Veil to give me air I glanc'd my eyes aside and saw him there The. Can any thing be more clear Pol. Or any more Deceiv'd in judgement then we were before Am. Did I not tell you she was innocent I Bel. Yet can you doubt my faith and constancy Phi. No but I doubt whet'r yet I wake or dream My extasie and joy is so extream They embrace Ev. See how they stand so ravisht with delight And so transported each in t'others sight 'T can scarcely be conceiv'd by humane breast Much less by humane tongue can be exprest Th. Disturb them not now a word with you Palemon Fi. Now Love grant my hopes be true Bel. Co'd you be jealous of me Phi. Dearest know I shu'd not love so dearly as I do Were I not jealous for jealousie 'S but scorching of Loves fire and he shu'd be But a cold Lover who sometimes at least Felt not a little of it in his breast The. Come come I here command you to restore That heart unto
her you took from her before For all the Isle knows 't was Filena who Enkindled the first sparks of Love in you Till haplesly for both Bellinda came And after rais'd those sparks unto a flame And holy Vestals ne're with greater care Preserve their fires then we Loves fire's air Enkindling one straight in anothers room Pal. In tepid hearths fires kindle not so soon The. Call not that tepid where late such a fire Did burn ne're any in Cyprus flamed higher Pal. But Loves fires once extinguisht leave hearts more Tepid and cold then e're they were before The. Come don't dispute for I 'm to be obey'd And now but look upon this gentle maid And tell me truly did you ever see A fairer or a sweeter Nymph then she One for whose love there 's not a gentle Swain In all the Land but sighs and sighs in vain And she to love you and to love you so She willingly would dye for love of you What cleansing water or what purging flame Can expiate your not loving her again Fi. Fall all the fault on this devoted head Rather then blame him for 't wou'd I were dead 'T is my unworthiness and no fault of his He does not love if any fault there is The. Yet obstinate as you are are you not mov'd To love again where y' are so dearly lov'd Pal. These vaults and walls built for eternity Love's Temple shall be sooner mov'd then I The. Nay then 't is needful we apply I see Our utmost and extreamest remedy Lest the contagion o' th' example shu'd Nourish bad humors and corrupt the good Let him to th' desart Island straight be led Whither all Loves Rebels are banished Pal. Unto what place so e're I am confin'd I may change place but cannot change my mind But stay what sudden earthquakes this I feel Makes the walls totter and foundations reel o' th' Temple here The. 'T is well 't is a good sign Love who moves stones will move that heart of thine More hard then they and see O wondrous sight The Temples fill'd with unaccustom'd light And love with flaming brand amidst it flyes Illuminating with it all the skies Now rebel as thou art thou soon shalt know Whether Love's God have any power or no. Pal. Just as some gentle gale does fan the fire There 's somewhat here within that does inspire My breast and now't increases more and more Till that which onely was a spark before Does by degrees so mighty a flame become As I am all but one incendium O Love to whom all bosoms must submit I feel thy mighty hand and reverence it The. Just so Phaebus the Delphick God inspires The Pythonesses breast with sacred fires Onely the God of Love more mildly burns And ' stead of raging unto sweetness turns Chorus sings So gentle Love does all command In fire and water air and land And all with his commands inspire In Land and water aire and fire Pal. And can you pardon me Fi. I can pardon any thing in my Palemon but onely his doubting whether I can or no. And for the rest Account my self by Love most highly blest Who payes debts best the longer he forbears T' have all my morning sighs and evening tears My daily griefs and nightly sorrows past Rewarded thus abundantly at last They embrace Pal. My dear Filena Fi. My dearest dearest Palemon The. Enough enough leave your embraces till At fitter season you may take your fill Of such delicious pleasures and contents Such sweet delights such joyes and ravishments No heart can e're conceive no tongue express The thousandth part of their deliciousness To Phi. and Bel. Now see and wonder these are Lovers too This is the least of miracles Love can do Phi. Noble Palemon I congratulate Your and the fair Filena's happy fate Pal. And I noble Philander rejoyce no less At your and fair Bellinda's happiness The. Never was more abundant joy and now To th' paradice of happy Lovers go Where with redoubled flames Love's God does prove Whose hearts are most capacious of love And then with all becoming rites and state When once your marriages are celebrate Philander you and fair Bellinda may At your best pleasure either go or stay Exeunt Manet Evander to whom Pamphilus enters Pam. And what shall we do Evan. I for my part since there 's so much joy and happiness in marriage resolve first to go home and dispose of all I have and after come and marry here Pam. Promise you so won't I if there be no wenches nor wenching businesses here it is no place for me wherefore my word is Come here no more Ev. And mine is Come agen Pam. I 'm sure I shall have the greatest part of my opinion Ev. And I all the nobler and the better And now let 's see which number is the greater FINIS Filena's Song of the commutation of Love's and Death's Darts In the narrative Style LOve and Death o' th' way once meeting Having past a friendly greeting Sleep their weary Eye-lids closing Lay them down themselves reposing Love whom divers cares molested Could not sleep but while Death rested All in haste away he postes him But his haste full dearly costs him For it chanc't that going to sleeping Both did give their darts in keeping Unto Night who Errors mother Blindly knowing not one from t'other Gave Love Death 's and ne're perceiv'd it Whilst as blindely Love receiv'd it Since which time their Darts confounding Love now kills instead of wounding Death our hearts with sweetness filling Gently wounds instead of killing Another Song CElia weeps and those fair eyes Which sparkling Diamonds were before Whose precious brightness none could prize Dissolves into a pearly showre Celia smiles and straight does render Her fair Eyes Diamonds again Which after shine with greater splendor As the Sun does after rain Now if the reason you would know Why Pearls and Diamonds fall and rise Their prices just go high or low As they are worn in Celia's Eyes FINIS A Short DISCOURSE OF THE English Stage A SHORT DISCOURSE OF THE English Stage To his Excellency the Lord Marquess of NEW CASTLE My Noble Lord I Send your Excellency here a short Discourse of the English Stage which if you pleas'd you could far better treat of then my self but before I begin it I will speak a word or two of thôse of other Countreys About the midst of the last Century Playes after a long discontinuance and civil death in a manner began to be reviv'd again first in Italy by Guarino Tasso de Porta and others and afterwards in Spain by Lopes de Vega the French beginning later by reason of their Civil Wars Cardinal Richlieu being the first that brought them into that Vouge and Esteem as now they are well knowing how much the Acting noble and heroick Playes conferr'd to the instilling a noble and heroick Spirit into the Nation For ûs we began before them and if since they seem to have
out-stript us 't is because our Stage ha's stood at a stand this many years nor may we doubt but now we shall soon out-strip them again if we hold on but as we begin Of the Dutch I speak nothing because they are but slow and follow other Nations onely afar off But to return unto our present subject Playes which so flourisht amongst the Greeks and afterwards amongst the Romans were almost wholly abolished when their Empire was first converted to Christianity and their Theaters together with their Temples for the most part demolished as Reliques of Paganisme some few onely reserved and dedicate to the service of the True God as they had been to their false gods before from which time to the last Age they Acted nothing here but Playes of the holy Scripture or Saints Lives and that without any certain Theaters or set Companies till about the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign they began here to assemble into Companies and set up Theaters first in the City as in the Innyards of the Cross-Keyes and Bull in Grace and Bishops-Gate Street at this day is to be seen till that Fanatick Spirit which then began with the Stage and after ended with the Throne banisht them thence into the Suburbs as after they did the Kingdom in the beginning of our Civil Wars In which time Playes were so little incompatible with Religion and the Theater with the Church as on Week-dayes after Vespers both the Children of the Chappel and St. Pauls Acted Playes the one in White-Friers the other behinde the Convocation-house in Pauls till people growing more precise and Playes more licentious the Theatre of Pauls was quite supprest and that of the Children of the Chappel converted to the use of the Children of the Revels In this time were Poets and Actors in their greatest flourish Iohnson Shakespear with Beaumont and Fletcher their Poets and Field and Burbidge their Actors For Playes Shakespear was one of the first who inverted the Dramatick Stile from dull History to quick Comedy upon whom Iohnson refin'd as Beaumont and Fletcher first writ in the Heroick way upon whom Suckling and others endeavoured to refine agen one saying wittily of his Aglaura that 't was full of fine flowers but they seem'd rather stuck then growing there as another of Shakespear's writings that 't was a fine Garden but it wanted weeding There are few of our English Playes excepting onely some few of Iohnsons without some faults or other and if the French have fewer then our English 't is because they confine themselves to narrower limits and consequently have less liberty to erre The chief faults of ours are our huddling too much matter together and making them too long and intricate we imagining we never have intrigue enough till we lose our selves and Auditors who shu'd be led in a Maze but not a Mist and through turning and winding wayes but sô still as they may finde their way at last A good Play shu'd be like a good stuff closely and evenly wrought without any breakes thrums or loose ends in 'um or like a good Picture well painted and designed the Plot or Contrivement the Design the Writing the Coloris and Counterplot the Shaddowings with other Embellishments or finally it shu'd be like a well contriv'd Garden cast into its Walks and Counterwalks betwixt an Alley and a Wilderness neither too plain nor too confus'd Of all Arts that of the Dramatick Poet is the most difficult and most subject to censure for in all others they write onely of some particular subject as the Mathematician of Mathematicks or Philosopher of Philosophy but in that the Poet must write of every thing and every one undertakes to judge of it A Dramatick Poet is to the Stage as a Pilot to the Ship and to the Actors as an Architect to the Builders or Master to his Schollars he is to be a good moral Philosopher but yet more learned in Men then Books He is to be a wise as well as a witty Man and a good man as well as a good Poet and I 'de allow him to be so far a good fellow too to take a chearful cup to whet his wits so he take not so much to dull 'um and whet 'um quite away To compare our English Dramatick Poets together without taxing them Shakespear excelled in a natural Vein Fletcher in Wit and Iohnson in Gravity and ponderousness of Style whose onely fault was he was too elaborate and had he mixt less erudition with his Playes they had been more pleasant and delightful then they are Comparing him with Shakespear you shall see the difference betwixt Nature and Art and with Fletcher the difference betwixt Wit and Judgement Wit being an exuberant thing like Nilus never more commendable then when it overflowes but Judgement a stayed and reposed thing alwayes containing it self within its bounds and limits Beaumont and Fletcher were excellent in their kinde but they often err'd against Decorum seldom representing a valiant man without somewhat of the Braggadoccio nor an honourable woman without somewhat of Dol Common in her to say nothing of their irreverent representing Kings persons on the Stage who shu'd never be represented but with Revêrence Besides Fletcher was the first who introduc't that witty obscenity in his Playes which like poison infused in pleasant liquor is alwayes the more dangerous the more delightful And here to speak a word or two of Wit it is the spirit and quintessence of speech extracted out of the substance of the thing we speak of having nothing of the superfice or dross of words as clenches quibbles gingles and such like trifles have it is that in pleasant and facetious discourse as Eloquence is in grave and serious not learnt by Art and Precept but Nature and Company 'T is in vain to say any more of it for if I could tell you what it were it would not be what it is being somewhat above expression and such a volatil thing as 't is altogether as volatil to describe It was the happiness of the Actors of those Times to have such Poets as these to instruct them and write for them and no less of those Poets to have such docile and excellent Actors to Act their Playes as a Field and Burbidge of whom we may say that he was a delightful Proteus so wholly transforming himself into his Part and putting off himself with his Cloathes as he never not so much as in the Tyring-house assum'd himself again until the Play was done there being as much difference betwixt him and one of our common Actors as between a Ballad-singer who onely mouths it and an excellent singer who knows all his Graces and can artfully vary and modulate his Voice even to know how much breath he is to give to every syllable He had all the parts of an excellent Orator animating his words with speaking and Speech with Action his Auditors being never more delighted then when he spake nor more sorry then when he held his peace yet even thên he was an excellent Actor still never falling in his Part when he had done speaking but with his looks and gesture maintaining it still unto the heighth he imagining Age quod agis onely spoke to him so as those who call him a Player do him wrong no man being less idle then he whose whole life is nothing else but action with only this difference from other mens that as what is but a Play to them is his Business so their business is but a play to him Now for the difference betwixt our Theaters and those of former times they were but plain and simple with no other Scenes nor Decorations of the Stage but onely old Tapestry and the Stage strew'd with Rushes with their Habits accordingly whereas ours now for cost and ornament are arriv'd to the heighth of Magnificence but that which makes our Stage the better makes our Playes the worse perhaps they striving now to make them more for sight then hearing whence that solid joy of the interior is lost and that benefit which men formerly receiv'd from Playes from which they seldom or never went away but far better and wiser then they came The Stage being a harmless and innocent Recreation where the minde is recreated and delighted and that Ludus Literarum or School of good Language and Behaviour that makes Youth soonest Man and man soonest good and vertuous by joyning example to precept and the pleasure of seeing to that of hearing It s chiefest end is to render Folly ridiculous Vice odious and Vertue and Noblenesse so amiable and lovely as every one shu'd be delighted and enamoured with it from which when it deflects as corruptio optimi pessima of the best it becomes the worst of Recreations And this his Majesty well understood when after his happy Restauration he took such care to purge it from all vice and obscenity and would to God he had found all bodies and humours as apt and easie to be purg'd and reform'd as thât For Scenes and Machines they are no new invention our Masks and some of our Playes in former times though not so ordinary having had as good or rather better then any we have now They are excellent helps of imagination most grateful deceptions of the sight and graceful and becoming Ornaments of the Stage transporting you easily without lassitude from one place to another or rather by a kinde of delightful Magick whilst you sit still does bring the place to you Of this curious Art the Italians this latter age are the greatest masters the French good proficients and we in England onely Schollars and Learners yet having proceeded no further then to bare painting and not arriv'd to the stupendious wonders of your great Ingeniers especially not knowing yet how to place our Lights for the more advantage and illuminating of the Scenes And thus much suffices it briefly to have said of all that concerns our Modern Stage onely to give others occasion to say more FINIS