bring Dare 'sdeath old Sir I dare do any thing Tiss That word then all my former doubts secures Be only res'lute and Timandra's yours My stratagems so subtly I will lay That to your arms your Mistress I 'l betray Thus then as the first step to our design Your guards I 'l with adulterated wine Secure so they Charm'd in a Lethargy I 'l from your bonds and prison set you free Then when some happy moment shall present Timandra left ungarded in her tent Both of us thither in disguise will move To end your rival and compleat your love For when your â—ill of bliss you have enjoy'd And your full pleasures with themselves are cloy'd I thither will alar'm our enemy Where by both Swords he shall be sure to dye And the next night the watch-word given by me You may scape through the Guards to liberty The. Revenge my love enjoy'd and freedom too Then in the name of Pluto be it so What stupid ignorance the World possest That only fury plac't i' th' youthful breast No 't is in age alone great Spirits are young The Soul 's but infant when the Body's strong These hoary heads like grisly Comets are Which always threaten ruin death and war Tiss Alas such â—ame Souls know but half a growth I 'l make my age a step to a new youth Such murders and such cruelties maintain I 'l from the blood I shed grow young again The. Let 's in the name of horrour then go on Methinks I long to have the bus'ness done Something like Conscience else may all defeat You know Sir I 'm but a raw villain yet Tiss Conscience a trick of State found out by those That wanted power to support their Laws A bug-bear name to startle fools but we That know the weakness of the fallacie Know better how to use what nature gave That Soul 's no Soul which to it self 's a slave Who any thing for Conscience sake deny Do nothing else but give themselves the lye Exeunt SCENE the Camp Enter Patroclus and Draxilla Patr. Why Madam do you fly a lovers pray'r Is cruelty the priviledge o' th fair Drax. You cannot Sir i' th' Camp be beauties slave Where honour 's th' only Mistress of the brave Patr. But 't is a rugged honour got in Arms When not made soft by beauties sweeter charms That melts our rage into a kind desire Whâ—lst love reâ—ines it in his purer fire Drax. Lovers whose flights so sublime pitches choose Oft soar too high and so their quarry loose But you Sir know to moderate your height Missing your game can eas'ly slack the flight Patr. Such faint essays may fit a common flame But my desires have a far nobler Aime Religious honour and a zeal that 's true Rais'd by that Deity to which I sue Drax. Those who to deities their offerings pay Make their addresses in an humbler way Not in a confidence of what they give But modest hopes of what they shall receive Patr. I in my offerings no assurance have Though an ambition to become your slave Drax. Yes but when once admitted to that place You 'l still be looking for some acts of grace Patr. Some little favours pitty can't deny You are too noble to use cruelty Drax. See Sir the Queen I beg you Sir forbear Exeunt Patr. Madam this way Enter Queen and Ardella Qu. Did he then suffer no surprize 〈◊〉 shew Of alteration let 's the progress know Ard. In order Madam t' your command I went And met him coming from the Royal Tent Where after th' usual Ceremonies past E're I would feast I gave him first a taste Told him how much his courage you approv'd That he in no mean path of glory mov'd Who in his Arms had so successful been T' engage a Monarch and oblige a Queen Then nearer came and whisper'd something more Began to intimate loves mighty pow'r He briskly took the hint and readily Began to urge some pretty things to me By which encourag'd I to th' bus'ness drew Told him in fine it only was his due To be admir'd by all and lov'd by you Qu. And did not then his alter'd looks betray Some extasie some marks of lively joy Ard. No Madam he knew better policy Talk't of your honour and his loyalty Fine smoothing terms to cloak a passion in But if your Majesty Qu. What Ard. Had but seen How much his carriage did his words deceive When with a gentle sigh he took his leave As if he languish'd till the minute came Qu. Dost thou then think he entertains my flame Le ts to my Tent and wait his coming there Such swarms of love within my Breast there are The heat 's too furious for my Soul to bear What would I give but for a taste of bliss Oh the choice sweets of a stol'n happiness Act IV. Scene I. Alcibiades Solus Alci UNder what fatal Planet was I born Sure at my birth the Heavens themselves did mourn Disjoynted nature did her course forbear And held within her Womb a civil War I who but now did fame and Conquest bring And added to the glories of â— King Must see my Trophyes all thrown down agen By the base passions of a lustful Queen Why was I not born to a common fate Free from the glorious troubles of the great So in some humble Cell my years have spent Blest with a private peaceable content The vulgar mortal feels not fortunes harms The highest structures still are shook with storms See too she 's here what shall I do or speak Fate has beset me and I 've no way to take Enter Queen Qu. My Lord you something discompos'd appear Surely there 's nothing that can fright you here Alci Majesty Madam is a thing divine Qu. If that disturb you Sir I 'le lay by mine Methinks I apprehend a greater pride To view the man whose glories spread so wide Alci Madam you on 'em set too high a price Qu. Perhaps I see not Sir with common eyes They best of honour judge that honour have I find a secret in me says y' are brave You need not Sir unfold it you can guess Alci How craftily she would her lust express And set her ills off with a winning dress What 's to be done which way shall I conclude I must abuse my King or must be rude I cannot speak Qu. My Lord let 's sit a while Won't you vouchsafe your visitant a smile Alci Smiles Madam were too insolent a joy Qu. Fye put these formal complements away Ardella sing that Song I heard to day SONG The brightest Goddess of the Sky How did she panting sighing lye And languishing desire to dye For the Triumphant God of war Amidst his Trophies did appear As charming rough as she was fair 2. Their loves were blest they had a Son The little Cupid who has shown More conquest then his Sire e're won He grew the mightiest God above By which we him a Rebel prove To heav'n that
Was it for this my stratagems I lay'd To ruin her to be by her betray'd Curse on my narrow fate but yet to shew That I love murder too as well as you Thus perjur'd Queen offers to stab the Queen but is hinder'd by the Lords Qu. See how he 'd still pursue His Treason hence to justice with him go Hourly let on the Rack his pains encrease Till he the horrour of his guilt confess Tiss That shall not need I 'l own the deed as mine But glory in 't it was a brave design The King kill'd and I ruin'd to compleat Thy lust all by 〈◊〉 stratagem was great So great that for its sake I can with satisfaction yâ—ild my breath Else I should take no pleaâ—â—re in my death But e're I go be pleas'd to eâ—â—ertain The last kind precepts of a dying man Be bloody false revengful lustâ—â— That can be found recorded on Hells 〈◊〉 Embrace where-e're you rising vertue see Down with it and set up impietie Make that your theam leave nothing ill undone So copy Tissaphernes when he 's gon Who leaves this counsel as a Legacy 'T is my Religion and I 'l in it dye Exit Tiss guarded Qu. Hence with the wretch Mean while to my dead Lord I 'l sorrows pay And after his sigh my own life away So now they are gon hah who comes there Enter Ardella Ard. 'T is I. Q. Ardella on that thing cast back an eye 'T was once a King but thank these hands now none Nay start not Tissaphernes too is gon Ardella starts His treasures all are thine as a reward Ard. You are too kind Qu. See strait a draught prepar'd And Murderers Timandra next must fall You know our will let it be done Ard. It shall Exeunt severally SCENE a darkn'd Tent. Timandra asleep upon a Couch a Spirit comes and Sings Merli Come my Salla come away Thy Merli calls Salla within Whither Merli Hither w 'ave no bus'ness to day And where innocence sleeps we securely may play Salla I come Enters Merli So welcome my dear But first let 's disperse the black Clouds that are here Both. Round about this place we range And it 's gloomy darkness change To a bright delightful Grove A proper Scene for happy love The SCENE changes to Elizium Merli Next to divert this fair one all Our wing'd Companions we 'l call And the Ayr for musick charm Whilst they their measures here perform Both. Come all you bright forms that inhabit the Ayr And ease with your pleasures the cares of the fair Here frolick 〈◊〉 oh no longer delay But let each clap his wings and away Several Spirits of the ayr descend and Dance Salla Now let us discover the mansions of rest Where lovers with eternal joyes are blest A glorious Temple appears in the Ayr where the Spirits of the happy are seated See fair one see not long e're you To those glorious seats shall go Another Spi. The lustful Queen thirsts for your blood And you are for the World too good Merli Nor shall you come alone your lovers too Must meet a Fate the same with you Salla But here your troubles all shall cease 'T is the Seat of endless bliss Cho. Here in endless pleasures they Keep eternal Holyday Here they Revel Sport and are Crown'd with joys still new and rare Their pleasures too can never dye But like themselves have Immortality Merli See the kind Spirits smile and now They 'l bless her with a nearer view The whole body of the Temple moves downward Cho. Descend oh ye gloryes descend Who with blessings eternal are crown'd To this Nymph your kind influence lend Whilst all the Sphears with harmony resound Merli She wakes let the apparition go By th' damp upon my wings I know Something ill is drawing near Come Salla come away Oh come away my dear They all vanish and the SCENE changes again to the Tent. Tim. I 've had a dream might make a lover blest Oh th' sweet delights of everlasting rest Queen appears at the entrance How this the Queen what can her coming mean Qu. Ardella with the Ruffians here remain I 'l in and with soft words her temper try If without him she 'l live she shall not dye Madam to Timandra Tim. Your pleasure Qu. Oft' I 've heard y' are brave But the best proof of gallantry you gave When of your noble Lord you were bereft And such a bliss with so rare patience left Tim. Madam our flames a nobler passion rules Then fondness th' idle guilt of wav'ring fools Our loves knew a far higher excellence Then the half pleasures of a minutes sense Qu. Then you may love since you can with him part He has made a conquest o're my tender heart Love governs here and since my Husband 's dead Fate and my choicest wishes have decreed He should both in his love and throne succeed Tim. Do you believe Empires or Crowns can make Him his Timandra and his faith forsake Or think you I an Attome will resign Of that heart which by holy vows is mine No I will keep him maugre cruelty Qu. But Madam do you know what 't is to dye Tim. Yes 't is to lay these clogs our bodys by And be remov'd to blest eternity By death relief from all our griefs we gain And by one put an end to years of pain By that we in one minute find out more Then all the busie gown men study for Who after in dull search th 'ave ages spent Learn nothing but to know th' are ignorant Death is a blessing and a thing so far Above that worst of all our frailties fear It claims our joy since by it we put on The top of happiness perfection Quit him no never whilst I here have breath He 's mine in spight of cruelty or death Qu. Then enter ye grim Ministers of fate Enter Murderers with Poison Does not your stubborn courage now abate Tim. No my resolves more fixt and firm are grown Bring dreadfull'st racks and tortures yet unknown Provide one for each sense and then do thou Tempt me my love and int'rest to forgo Midst of my pains I 'l smile and tell thee no. Qu. But minion soon your insolence shall cease Come since such resolution you express Take this demur not do 't Gives her a bowl of poison Tim. And is this all I thought t' ave had a more Heroick fall Expected to have noblest tortures met Not by dull poison to have found my fate But any way I can thy pow'r defie 'T is for my Alcibiades I dye offers to drink Qu. Yet yeild and live Tim. Live what have I to do With life when giv'n by one so base as you Thus I despise it Drinks Qu. What dismal tortures strait will on her seize after Timandra has drank the Poison So 't was a health to Alcibiades Tim. Now blush at what thy impious rage has done My Alcibiades is still my own And if thou him embrace when I am
gon Each night thy bed I 'l haunt and challenge there Those joys of which thou hast bereft me here Anxious shall be each day disturb'd each night A restless shade I 'l still be in thy sight And thee i' th' height of all thy pleasures fright Heav'n what do I feel Qu. Oh does the draught succeed Ard. Madam great Alcibiades is freed And just is entring Qu. Strait with straitest care Convey her in and wait my pleasure there The Murderers lead in Timandra Sweet Murder oh no Physick is so good For th' hopeless lover as a bath of blood But here he comes Enter Alcibiades Now to my greifs again veils Alci It makes we wonder how I freedom gain All things confus'd and in disorder are How 's this in mourning weeds unveil my fair Hah not Timandra Queen unveils Qu. No Sir though 't is one That loves as nobly as Timandra can Or could did she yet live but she is dead Alci How dead Qu. Yes Tissaphernes that black deed did do Prompted by his ignoble hate to you But you will wonder more when I shall tell That by his hand the mighty Agis fell The King is slain both I and Sparta now Have no hopes left but what remain in you Alci In me alas I am a wretch too poor Timandra dead â—urst ever be the hour Wherein so fair an innocence was lost Heav'n justly now may of its glories boast For the most bright and precious Saint that e're The World enjoy'd is fled and seated there Qu. Why do you let your greifs distract your Soul Call up your reason and let passion cool See here a Queen that courâ—s you with the charms Of Love a Crown and Empire to her Arms No longer for Timandra sorrow wear I will supply all you have lost in her I 'l love you as she did Alci Oh Madam no To love like her 's a tas'k too hard for you Love me as she did why each thought she had Of me was such might make an Angel glad For Crowns though Emp'rour of the World I were I 'd turn a begger to recover her Oh Madam tempt no further all 's but vain I ne're can have a thought of love again Qu. Never Alci No never Qu Can you then so soon Forget your promise or will you disown That ere if you Timandra should survive You vow'd you only for my sake would live You see how Heaven has decreed Alci Alas I then the blessing knew but not the loss Besides I now must dye Qu How Sir is 't thus my profer'd love you prize Alci I do not hate you may not that suffice Qu. Ungrateful no but I 'l reward thy pride Draw back The Scene drawn 〈◊〉 Timandra on a Couch in the midst of her pains Go dotard in enjoy thy bride And know by me thy lov'd Timandra dy'd Yes cruel man by me Tim. No Queen she lives And still to all thy rage desâ—ance give 's spyes Alcibiades Do I behold my dearest Lord so nigh Shall I agen see him before I dye Alci Best hopes and comfort of my life I 'm here How fares my love Tim. Oh come not come not near My blood 's all fire infection's in each vein And tyrant death in ev'ry part does reign But I for you could suffer much more pain Alci Kind heav'n let all her pangs upon me fall And add ten thousand more I 'l bear 'em all Do but restore her back Oh cursed Queen What Devil arm'd thee to so damn'd a sin Cou'dst thou be guilty of so foul a deed Qu. Yes I did do 't by me the King too bled Unworthy wretch and all for love of you But had I pow'r I now would kill thee too Alci Oh do 't I 'l blot out all th' ast done before And never call thee base nor cruel more Here is my breast soon the kind work begin Advance thy Poniard send it boldly in Qu. No thou shalt live for harder destiny But first shalt see thy dear Timandra dye Alci Oh misery beyond the damn'd beneath Must I not happy be in life nor death Tim. Alas cease your unnecessary moan I find my torments quickly will be gon Though I could wish they might to years renew So I might still be blest with feeâ—ng you Now the black storms of fate are all blown o're And we shall meet and ne're be parted more But oh farewell dyes Alci My dear Timandra stay Ah pretious Soul fly not so soon away But one look more will death have no remorse See 't is thy Alcibiades implores But oh she 's gon seize there that Murd'ress Qu. No Seize me 't is more then all your Camp can do Who e're comes here 's my guard Alas mean fool Presents her Dagger My fate 's a thing too great for thee to rule There lyes your constancy pointing to Timandra Alcibiades flyes to the Queen and snatches the Dagger from her Alci Infernal hag Whos 's ev'ry breath infects each look's a plague Could not thy fury on my bosome rest But thou must wreak thy vengeance on this breast To murder her curse on me that I stand Thus Idle now thy heart presents the Dagger to her breast But oh 't would brand My Trophyes with eternal infamy If by my hand so base a thing should dye Her ills so many and so odious are They would disgrace an executioner Yet I 'd do something oh I hav 't I 'l tear ravingly Her peicemeal but Timandra's gone too far mildly Yonder she Mounts tryumphant Spirit stay See where the Angels bear her Soul away Now all the Gods will grow in love with her And I shall meet fresh troops of Rivals there But thus I' l haste and follow Stabs himself Devil there throws the Dagger to the Queen Dye if thou hast courage enough to dare But oh A heavy faintness does each sense surprize Yet e're I close up these unhappy eyes Here their last dutious sorrows they shall pay And at this object melt in tears away Blest center of my hopes in whom I plac't Too choice too pure a happiness to last I any lossless then thy death had greiv'd How well could I have dy'd so thou hadst liv'd Damn'd fiend â—o the Queen But oh why do I rave at her That have so little time to tarry here One parting kiss and then in peace I 'l dye kisses Tim. Now farewel world welcome eternity Enter Patroclus Lords and Guards Patr. Horrour of horrours this was a dismal chance Alas my freind Alci Thy useless greif refrain Farewell we shall hereafter meet again dyes Patr. Guards seize the Queen Qu. Seize me rude Slaves forbear Patr. You shall in short your accusation hear To kill the King my Father first you made Your property then basely him betray'd Your Woman all confes't and by the Guard Is now secur'd to a more just reward And though too late this black design I knew Yet all your stratagems are useless now Hence with the Murd'ress to Justice