the lustful King The bloody Tyrant had design'd that she The Victim to his dire revenge should be His boasting rage proclaim'd th' intended Rape Then I did fight to purchase her escape Cir. Afflicted Beauty you did bravely aid But by your vertue we are all betrayd That Traytor help'd his Enemies and you Turning to the Souldiers By your base Cowardise betray'd me too Which of you all Renown with danger sought Like gawdy Warriours of the Court you fought We all are ruin'd by your base retreat The death you fear'd you shall in torments meet And Rebel I will smile to see thee bleed May'st thou thenceforth only the Factious lead And may thy Councels ever be betray'd Give still good Orders and be ne're obey'd And in thy age May all the Laurels thou hast royl'd for long Be ravish'd from thee to adorn the young Ith. Death death has blasted all my Lawrels now And they begin to wither on my Brow Victorious Death seises on every part Weak Nature flies for refuge to the Heart The Spirits there a while maintain the Field Struggle a little but at last must yield Faints away Cir. Oh stay brave Youth See how my anger dies And Nature is triumphant in my Eyes Weeps Alas he 's gone He set out early and did nobly run Honour's great Race Oh! that the World were done My Magick prospers heark the Heav'ns perform Storm within Thunder c. A dreadful Justice Grecian dread this Storm Tremble to hear the angry Billows rore Revenge and Death attend thee on the Shore To one of the Nymphs Flie to Orestes mount the swiftest Wind With frenzy and wild rage infect his mind Torment him still afresh Thunder again Work on my charms let 's to my Cave retire And there against the World and Man conspire Exeunt Circe and the Maids SCENE Fourth Enter Osmida led in by two Women Osm Do we then all a fruitfuless homage pay Heav'n will not hear a harmless Virgin pray There was no Saint among the blest above Whom in thy cause I did not hourly move I hop'd the Idol of my heart to see And mov'd the Greeks by Tears to set me free From them and Death how gladly did I fly But I must here do something more than dye His Eyes are shut by Death's Eternal sleep Wake wake to see wretched Osmida weep Ah let thy Soul but one short moment stay I have a Thousand tender things to say Ithacus revives Ith. My Soul has been through many wonders lead Who is so envious to disturb the dead Who art thou Osm One long tost in storms of Love But to Death 's quiet home at last I move Ith. Osmida here she some good Angel seems Waiting about me with Celestial Dreams Such and so fair as you from Heav'n descend And on the thoughts of dying Saints attend Peace and Forgiveness in their looks they bring And round their dwellings Hymns of triumph sing Osm No no I come like a Religious Spie To dive into your thoughts before you die When Death approaches men begin to fear And will the preaching of Religion hear Come your vain Idol you must cast away To me and Truth your last devotion pay On faithless Iphigenia think no more Ith. With how unkind a haste she left the shore Flying unhappy Me she sigh'd indeed And wept a little when she saw me bleed Osm How ill is all my tenderness repaid Your dying thoughts court that ungrateful Maid Forgetting wretched me is nothing due To one who kindly comes to die with you Ith. Oh fair Osmida here I humbly own Your goodness is at last victorious grown If Nature could my lease of Breath renew I would imploy it all in sighs for you All my devotion has till now bin blind In you Love's true Divinity I find Osm Now you are kind nor have I vainly pray'd All my past miseries are more than payd And I am happy Lovers think they gain To have an hour of Joy for years of pain We have no need of life come let us go And seek the melancholy shades below Here cruel discord noise and bus'ness reign Poor Lovers have no leisure to complain No time to sigh wee 'le choose some silent Grove There tell sad Tales of unsuccessful Love But oh amongst those Stories there is none Will prove so full of sorrow as our own Ith. A long farewell oh may you freshly bloom When I shall lie and wither in the Tomb. I hope the blood in chace of Glory shed Will rest and never plead against the dead Dies Osm Who shall be mourners when such Virtue dyes I cannot weep for Love has drain'd my Eyes I need no Poyson nor no Sword for Grief To all my pains has brought a kind relief Death's leaden hand about my heart I feel From these pale Lips some kisses I will steal For Death is silent and the Theft will hide I courted Heav'n with Pray'rs to be thy Bride And so I am the Tomb's our Bridal Bed Our Nuptial Feast wee keep among the dead Osmida dies SCENE Fifth Enter the Four Maids 1 Ma. Sure now the World will be afraid of light And wish to mourn in everlasting Night Dire things are done the Graecian Fleet is lost Shipwrack't by Magick on the Scythian Coast 2 Ma. Revenge and Love the lustful Queen divide Her tender thoughts she strives in vain to hide Amid'st her rage revenge and melting tears In all his Spoiles triumphant Love appears 3 Ma. Yet her great Mind does for revenge prepare Here we must wait her charms have seiz'd the aire Their force Orestes does already find Hither he moves mad as the Northern Wind. SCENE Sixth Enter Orestes mad Storm here Ores By Heav'n my Prayers shall ne're this storm appease Fight fight ye Clouds against the foaming Seas Storm and Lightning Blow on blow on why should the senseless Wind Or the Wilde Ocean be to Vertue kind The Cave of the God of sleep arises with him Phobetor and Morpheus Whom many rougher Storms at Land pursue Where she alas is without shelter too Be loud thou Tempest and disturb the deep Loud storm I will be calm as Infants when they sleep Sits down 1 Ma. Begin the deadly charm so Planets move They walk round Orestes 2 Ma. And thus the ill events conspire above 3 Ma. Prayr's and odd Numbers words of Mystick found 4 Ma. Devoutly we pronounce and walk around All. Ascend ascend ascend thou God of sleep 1 Ma. Thy leaden Wand in juice of Poppy steep 2 Ma. Bring slumber from those little quiet Cells Where lazy Vertue in retirement dwells Shunning the cares of Courts 4 Ma. And in thy Train 1 Ma. Bring the Phantastick off-springs of the Brain 2 Ma. Dreams of all sorts 1 Ma. Some in a pleasing Dress 3 Ma. Such as glad Lovers full of hope possess The pleasant Dreams rises 4 Ma. Some dreadful such as to the guilty come And tell sad Stories of their future doome God of Sleep Sings THe Noise of
hearts And Scorne thy fading Empire taught by me IV. Beauty the Thracian Youth no more shall move Now they shall sigh no more But all my noble Verse adore It has more graces than the Queen of Love A soft Symphony The Heavens open Cupid descends upon Pernassus and sings Cup. HOw dull is all the world that none should move In the cause of injur'd Love The bad are safe Hervn's idle Thunder teares Mountains but the guilty spares Mortal our holy Altars then shall be Ever thus profan'd by thee If Poets beauties faithful Traine rebel Vows and incense all farwell How can thy noble Art ungratefull prove Fed by beauty and by Love Hark hark these Bells and Berecinthian Pipes declare That Thrace a Feast to Bacchus does prepare The raging Bacchanals his rites fulfil They shall revenge me and the Rebel kill Enter Bacchanals Song by the Bacchanals FIll all the Bowls with Sprightly Wine And let the women drink Men visit now are very fine Talk much and never think Sure these follies our sex might claime as their due Since mankind incroaches On our small Debauches New manly delights let the women pursue This comfort poor cuckolded Ladies did find To drown in full Bowles The cares of their Souls When the husband is false and the Gallant unkind Chorus In empty Beds we absent Lovers mourn There sits the man that does our Empire scorn He makes the Thracian Youth despise Warm swelling Breasts and dyeing Eyes Make ready your Darts and valiantly fling Let him dye to his groans w'el dance and w'el sing They fling their darts at Orpheus who falls dead they dance then the Mountain disappears Ores Armes and all warlike toile forgotten be Thou soft inchanter Love I 'le follow thee Let my luxurious Eyes survay each Grace Devour the luscious beauties of this face Looking on her eagerly Which warm my blood more than the Trumpets sound And deeper far than Warrs fierce Engins wound Cir. Officious Love shall strew us Beds of Flowers On which w'el sport away our golden hours There let us still with fresh desire pursue Whatever Youth performs and Age would do And when we panting ly new breath to take Musick Love's Trumpet shall our Courage wake Ores Behold the Birds vanquish'd with fierce desire To unfrequented shades in pairs retire See how they melt whilst Youth renews with haste The Banquet greedy Love devoures so fast Shall we less eagerly to pleasures run Ah! pity me Our Eyes enough have done Cir. But will you still be true and cast away Those other Idols you did once obey Ores You shall my heart without a Rival hold And I will be more constant than the old Cir. To some dark Grotto let us then repair Love and my blushes fear the open Air. Scene Third It Thunders Enter a Spirit Spir. Guard you the ever gentle God of Love The King assisted by the pow'rs above Aided by Vesta has dissolv'd your charms And comes to force you from your Lovers arms Fiercer than Thunder is his jealous rage Your life alone his fury can asswage Fled are those Phantoms which by your command In dreadful shapes did at the Entrance stand Fly Circe fly nor is your Palace now By Mists and Clouds conceal'd from humane view They all are vanish't a disorder'd pace Will bring him soon to this unguarded place Cir. In vain the Tyrant does my life persue He cannot wound my bosome but in you Ores From your Sweet breast all sence of fear remove Let naught inhabit there but joy and Love This Sword I but for your protection wear Draws How weak whole Armies of the jealous are Compar'd to Lovers when they beauty guard Cir. This tenderness alas excuse in me I dare not let you fight for victorie My Dear within this secret Covert stay Goes to put him in an Arbor Till I have talk'd the Tyrants rage away Ores Love be no more the passion of great minds Beauty does counsel Valour to retreat Should all the Universe my fall conspire I might be vanquisht but could n'ere retire Cir. Useless alas will all your courage prove Flie I conjure you by the charms of Love The King approaches can you disobey Spirits ascend and force him then away Spirits appear who force Orestes into the Arbor From banefull Weeds gather the falling Dew To the Spirits My charmes are finisht which I must renew Circe this day for mighty ills prepare Be bold as man cruel as Women are Scene Fourth Enter Thoas his Sword drawn Guards Tho. Where have you plac'd this Lover by your charms Or is he quite dissolv'd within your Arms Tremble your fate is written in my brow And Hell refuses to protect you now Prepare a Thousand torments to receive More Hells than jealousy or conscience give Cir Kill me if you grow weary of the Throne Or like a deity can rule alone Who but the mighty Circe can oppose A rapid torrent of invading Foes Your Coward States-men do all danger shun And from the Empir'es Helm in tempests run Their councels Senates too so long protract The young and valiant have no time to act Steady in Councels I alone can be Am quick to act but quicker to foresee Kill the Protect'ress of your Life and State I fear not and perhaps deserve my Fate Tho. I must this Victim to my honour make Though I my Throne and all the Empire shake Cir. But will the Senate your revenge allow To those advising Tyrants you must bow They like the crowd are manag'd by the wise Back'd with their Factions I thy rage despise Tho. I have no rage your Eyes about 'em bear Such pow'rfull Guards you need no danger fear Your Crimes Would weary a forgiving God but you Can all my anger with a look subdue Now you my weakness and your Empire know Brave all my rage and still more guilty grow Injure your King but not what we adore Orestes to the Sacrifice restore Cir. Those servile Flatterers who to Thrones resort To catch at empty bounties of a Court Are less the Slaves to interest and Gain Fawn and dissemble less than you who reign Leave to your guilty Ministers of State That servile cunning to dissemble hate As boldly as a God revenge pursue In that revenge be as impartial too Tho. No no false Queen I own your Eyes have charms That soften all my rage and blunt its Arms Though than the Wind you more unconstant are Though you 'r unkind and false you still are fair Cir. How weak your passion is how rash your fears My Lord I am not false believe these Tears I can though you are Criminal appear Spotless as first created Angels were I saw you did to Iphigenia give The Tribute which my Beauty should receive And then would punish you by Jealousie For all the Tempests you had rais'd in me And did preserve the Grecian Prince by Charms Not to have Him but You within my Arms. Tho. We think it merit blindly to believe Those pious
falshoods we from Priest receive Faith is Religions happy Lethargy The doubting Wiâ—e we brand with Heresie Husbands should more than the Religious strive Blindly to trust and blindly to believe Be false till you have weary'd Humane kind I 'le think you true and still be safely blind Cir. If you an humble sufferer are grown I all my Love and Innocence disown The impotent and jealous I prefer To the insipid Husband that can bear That blood injurious to your honour spill If you believe her false your Circe kill But witness chaster Pow'rs I am not so I could not bad by your example grow Tho. How blindly we believe when Beauty pleads Which to its snares the rough and cautious leads To his just Fate the Grecian Prince restore You shall be true for I 'le suspect no more Cir. My Lord I will and the next rising Sun Shall see that Sacrifice of horror done Oh Sacred Bow'r unfold thy leafie Arms And be no more protected by my Charms The Bower opens Orestes comes out who is seiz'd by the Guards Tho. Go lead the guilty Traytor to his Fate To the Guards But e're you give the blow my signal wait Orest is led out Empire has taught me many Arts but you Have polish't what the Throne but roughly drew Falser than Cowards when for life they sue I 'm false as Beauties snares as false as you Where is your boasted Art whom smiles deceive The wise and guilty never should believe From Love at least you might have learn't the art To have preserv'd that Idol of your Heart Under the Wings of Love he safely lay Revel'd all night and sported all the day But now lyes naked to each stormy Wind Of which Ten Thousand wrack the jealous mind Cir. This noble jealousie for ever show It stirrs Love's dying Embers till they glow Love would without it dull and lazy grow As Churches whom no Hereticks oppose Rust into ignorance for want of Foes The Region of your Bosome pleases me Though rough and stormy like the North it be Tho. Damn your false smiles I 'le from their poison flye Under those Flow'rs Adders and Scorpions lie What kindness in my Bosome can there be For such an open Prostitute as Thee Cir. Alas you men are artful to deceive And our week sex is easie to believe The instruments of your tyrannick Pow'r Possess him now what would your fury more Tho. His blood his blood triumph my Fury now Exalt with joy thy bold victorious brow And by the Gods he shall not fall alone You shall for all your mighty ills atone Death does not deal with more of humane kind You kiss ' and breath no more thrn evr'y Wind. Your Charms and Persons lay whole Kingdoms waste New Autumn Plagues do not destroy so fast Come every Ghost whose bloods for vengeance call My murder'd Honour see thy Victim fall Cir. Nay then 't is time to throw off all disguise Thy pointless Rage weak Monarch I despise Know that I yet have Magick spells which you With all the force of Heav'n shall ne're undo I saw thy arts and did the Prince restore To mock thy anger and torment thee more Tho. Oh Insolence my Guards where are you flie Bring back the Stranger she shall see him dye Exeunt Guards Cir. How like the Love of thy declining age How boasting but how feeble is thy rage Prince without Pow'r go languish in despair Ridden by all Thy Favourites and impos'd on by the fair Brav'd by the guilty all my Crimes I owne He shall succeed thee in my Bed and Throne Enter Guards with Orestes Thou shalt by Treasons fall Tho. Furies ascend And to my rage your flames and Scorpions lend Cir. Appear all my infernal Guards appear And let no mortal Pow'r invade us here It Thunders her Spirits appear Tho. Die die Adulterer to torments go See if these Treasons you can act below Offers to kill Orestes SCENE Fifth Enter Ithacus who thrusts himself before the King just as he has reach'd Orestes Thunder and Spirits Ith. Hold Thoas hold let not your Sword destroy All that the World should covet to enjoy Mankind and Heav'n this Bosome must defend Your Daughter's Life does on his Fate depend Divine Osmida is a Captive made To the fierce Greeks and their revenge betray'd They trac'd her to that solitude where she Sought peaceful hou'rs from noise and greatness free Her Guards were few and those but slightly arm'd They yielded soon and soon the Town alarm'd With all the Wings of gratitude I flew And from the Cittadel your Forces drew But Oh too late e're I could reach the shore The Royal Virgin to their Fleet they bore SCENE Sixth To them Iphigenia and Pylades Iph. Heav'n does Force and Tyranny declare Against poor Virtue making open War Die Princess Or Osmida's death prevent Brother Your Grecians have a Herald sent To Ores Who from his Bark to the expecting Crowd These words of horror did pronounce aloud Know cruel Scythians if our Prince must bleed A black Revenge the Grecians have decreed To our sad Country we at least will boast To have appeas'd her murder'd Hero's Ghost This said he hastily forsook the shore The Princess all with silent grief deplore Ores Have I not taught that Love is our reward And that all Warriours are but Beauties Guard Go chide their impious rage and bid 'em be Careful of their renown and not of me Bid 'em the Princess to this place convey But at her feet first weep their crime away SCENE Seventh To them a Priest Priest Thoas your Daughter will not fall alone The rapid Storm threatens your Life and Throne Haste haste the Grecian Captives to restore Their Warlike Troops cover our frighted shore The Crowd to whom long Pow'r does hateful grow Fly your soft Yoak revolting to the Foe Shouts of Soldiers Ah save your self hither the torrent flowes O'rethrowing all and gathering as it goes The King stands fixt in a Melancholy Posture Cir. Hah motionless as Death as silent too Rouze thy faint Spirits th' Enemie's in view See! a cold fear sits trembling in his Eyes You 'r brave in peace and after danger wise Stout against Innocence Your anger show In its most dreadful shape before the Foe Dead dead with fear come humbly creep to me I must the Guardian of your Empire be Tho. Let me be wafted to that happy Shore Where cares for Empire vex the mind no more Noiseless as Planets there we move in peace The pains of wounded Honour there shall cease In storms of Jealousie we are not tost No Empire there no Daughter can be lost Ith. He needs must sink beneath this mighty weight Pity a King at the last Ebb of Fate To Circe Swiftly my Tears as his Misfortunes flow Some grief to Tyrants in distress we owe Weeps Apply soft cures to his afflicted mind Gentler than Heav'ns let him your anger find Priest Unless the Gods a Kingdom do unite In vain the wise consult and