Awake what ho Ismenes haste a light Haste hither Father Archelaus haste My heart bodes ruine we are all undone Enter Archelaus and Ismenes with a Light Oh Father either I am Charm'd or here Semandra lies slain by this dreadful hand Arch. Our guardian-Guardian-spirits shield us 't is my Daughter Ziph. Curs'd Fate malicious Stars you now have drain'd Your selves of all your poys'nous influence Ev'n the last baleful drop is shed upon me Sem. Give me thy hand most matchless of thy kind O joyn us Father joyn us thus in death Now thou art mine and we 'll be wedded too In th' other World our Souls shall there be mixt Who knows but there our joys may be compleat A happy Father thou and I perhaps The smiling Mother of some little Gods Ziph. Oh Archelaus if thou lov'st her memory Fly to the King and let him understand The truth of all if he be pleas'd to hear her Intreat him haste the pangs of death are on her Arch. I will if tears will let me find the way And by your leave these Weapons shall be mine Ziph. That I expected Ha! she faints Ismenes Run to my Closet haste where thou wilt find A Golden Vial of rich Juice to bring the Spirits Back to their Seat go pour it in a Bole With speed to save her Exit Ismenes Hast thou not a word A syllable fair Soul Speak speak Semandra I feel a trembling warmth about thy heart It pants Sem. As Cowards do before a Battel Oh the Great March is sounded Ziph. Stay thee one moment Ismenes re-enters with a Bole. And I will lead thee on Away Ismenes Watch thou the King's approach and bring me word Exit Ism. Here seest thou this my Love look up Semandra Thou dying Spark glimmer a little while Behold this Cordial this sure warmth at heart This faithful Off'ring of Eternal Love Sem. VVhither oh where Death's Myst comes fast upon me What is 't you drink Ziph. A Draught which makes me thine The pow'rful Cordial which my Father gave me A Noble Compound of his fatal skill He charg'd me when I cou'd not live with Honour To taste it and be free Sem. Methinks your Voice is faint As distant Ecchoes and I am now far off Alas I know not where Dies Ziph. I 'll fold thee thus And Mithridates shall not part us now Fan thus the dying flame with my last breath She 's out the damp of Death has quench'd her quite These spicy-doors her lips are shut close lock'd Which never gale of life shall open more I come Oh Father Oh thou true Physitian Thou work'st me Nobly now and oh 't is welcom Thy Drugs are quick once more O Love I come Thou most of Life in Death Ambition Fame 'T is empty all and nothing but a Name Dies Archelaus Mithridates supported bleeding Pharnaces Pelopidas Andravar bound Arch. Behold behold my Lord how I 'm rewarded For faithful service for the numerous scars Which in your Cause have mark'd my aged body My Daughter 's slain Ha! let me never rise If that the brave Ziphares be not kill'd Was this the Cordial wicked Boy thou brought'st him Mith. Blame not the guiltless for by me he 's poyson'd By this inhumane Tyrant Monster Parricide By me the Drugs were mixt and dol'd about To my unhappy Children left surpriz'd They shou'd be born to Rome for Royal Slaves Arch. Dead art thou dead O lovely Royal Plant Blown down by gusty Heav'n in all thy bloom My hour is come and thus I follow thee Mith. Hold him What means the frantick General Disarm and bring him hither Kneel O kneel Before these Bodies Arch. What wou'd you sacred Sir Mith. Swear swear to live I have a Royal Race of Little Ones Live I Conjure thee to defend those Infants From Roman Rage intreat Victorious Pompey And he 'll be gentle to 'em Swear to live Arch. I swear but after that Mith. Rise and no more My blood leaks fast and the great heavy lading My Soul will quickly sink therefore revenge Yes you pale figures you most precious forms Who where you walk for sure you tread the Stars Shame brightest Gods and add new light to Heav'n First in most dreadful manner will I give Those Traytors lives who drew me to your ruine Hence burn the Slaves the curs'd Pelopidas And Villain Andravar away with ' em For thee but sure I shall disdain to name thee The Palace yet is ours Arch. But cannot long Be so Pompey the Great is entred And those who took your part are all revolted Mith. Away then bear him to the middle Turret Whose Brazen-head rises above the rest In sight of Pompey throw him from the top And give his most aspiring life an end Phar. I know thou canst not long out-live me Tyrant Accurs'd be Fortune which too forward bore me To be thy Prey and rot the hand that seiz'd me Yet when my Ghost is from this body dash'd If such a Goblin as a Ghost there be I 'll rise and wing the mid-way Air to wait thee Hurl'd shalt thou be as Saturn was by Jove And flag beneath me while I reign above Mith. O General behold and wonder with me How swiftly Fate can make or unmake Kings How empty is Death's Pomp compar'd with Life Where now are all the busie Officers The supple Courtiers and big Men of War That bustled here and made a little World Revolted all Support me for I go My Soul is on the Beach and strait must lanch Into th' Abyss of the black Sea of death Where Furies stand upon the smoaky Rocks Prepar'd to meet one greater than themselves Here lay me bleeding by these murder'd Lovers And oh when I am dead let Sorrow stalk In sacred silence to my gaping Tomb. Forget that ever Mithridates was No tongue relate the deeds this Hand has done Let thought be still or work beneath the ground But oh he 's come cold Tyrant I obey And hug thy Dart that bears my Life away Dies FINIS Epilogue by Mr. Dryden YO 've seen a Pair of faithful Lovers die And much you care for most of you will cry 'T was a just Judgment on their Constancy For Heav'n be thank'd we live in such an Age When no man dies for Love but on the Stage And ev'n those Martyrs are but rare in Plays A cursed sign how much true Faith decays Love is no more a violent desire 'T is a meer Metaphor a painted Fire In all our Sex the name examin'd well Is Pride to gain and Vanity to tell In Woman 't is of subtil int'rest made Curse on the Punk that made it first a Trade She first did Wits Prerogative remove And made a Fool presume to prate of Love Let Honour and Preferment go for Gold But glorious Beauty is not to be sold Or if it be 't is at a rate so high That nothing but adoring it shou'd buy Yet the rich Cullies may their boasting spare They purchase but sophisticated Ware 'T is Prodigality that buys deceit Where both the Giver and the Taker cheat Men but refine on the old Half-Crown way And Women fight like Swizzers for their Pay Prologue by Mr. Lee. NOt careful Leaders when the Trumpets call Their Martial Squadrons on to stand or fall Toss'd with more doubts than careful Poets are When vent'rous Wit for Sally does prepare When Humming Voices bid the Play begin And the last flourish calls the Prologue in Here you like dreadful Warriours judging sit And in full Councel try all Writers Wit To some for Sense Renown'd our Authors bow And what you Doom for a just Fate allow But sure far less such Judges Poets dread Than those Raw Blades who will not let 'em Plead But e're they can be heard cry shoot 'em dead These Pyrats they both Arms and Wits debase Who Fields and Poems with their Spleen disgrace Poets and Warriours both shou'd have in Chase These Libellers who noblest Fights despise Yet when a Pan but flashes shut their Eyes They who write Lampoons vilely get a Name By others Infamy and live in shame Fifes Whiflers and the silly'st Sense not fit To be the Powder-Monkeys of true Wit Mimies like Apes what 's ill for head they cover And live upon the Vermin of a Lover Nauseous to all like Pills by Fortune hurl'd And coated o're with Gold to Purge the World Neglecting these and rusting to your aid To Beauty our last Vows like yours are made Beauty which still adorns the op'ning List Which Caesar's Heart vouchsafes not to resist To that alone devoted is this day For by the Poet I was bid to say In the first draught 't was meant the Ladies Play Persons Represented By Mithridates King of Pontus Mr. Mohun Ziphares Pharnaces his Sons M. Hart. M. Goodman Archelaus General under Ziphares M. Griffin Pelopidas Andravar two Courtiers M. Wintershul M Powell Aquilius a Roman Captive M. Clark Another Roman Officer M. Wiltshire Ismenes Page to Ziphares  Monima Contracted to Mithridates Mrs. Corbett Semandra Daughter to Archelaus Mrs. Boutel Priests and Attendants Mutes  Scene Synope
the VVinds And think that VVomen talk'd observe the Rain And think that VVomen wept or in the Clouds Behold Semandra's Form still fleeting from me But speak I lose my Senses with my Woes Arch. He has sav'd thy life come make a handsom lye In recompence Sem. I will be short as true When you were gone to Wars the King relaps'd How prompted Heav'n best knows and when with Conquest You came from Battel he with dreadful threats Compell'd me to receive you in that manner Ziph. Ah cruel Creature what what Menaces What fear of death cou'd so have made Ziphares Receive Semandra Sem. Not Racks nor all the Tortures Which Hell combin'd cou'd put into the hearts Of bloodiest Tyrant shou'd have forc'd me to 't But oh your life which he with deepest Oaths Had sworn to take unless I seem'd to scorn you That dash'd my Spirits bafled all the daring Of my defenceless heart there I confess The Woman work'd I trembled and agreed To see you so rather than lose you ever Arch. Now by my Arms she has come off with wonder Sem. And think my Lord reflect upon your self I dare believe so dearly once you lov'd me That were you certain I shou'd lose my life Unless you us'd me in that very manner I know you wou'd constrain your flame awhile And seem as cold and as reserv'd as I. Ziph. Oh heart oh bleeding Love but speak Semandra For there is wondrous Reason mighty Sense In what you say and I cou'd hear you ever Sem. When you were gone the cruel King came in And without stop propos'd the fatal Marriage Which being deny'd he forc'd me to the Temple Yet at the Altar I deni'd my hand Invok'd the Gods with the most violent sorrow Tears sighs and swoonings curst the frighted Priests Struck down the Censors and like one distracted I mangled my own flesh but all in vain I was suppos'd his Queen and so enjoy'd Ziph. Then still thy heart thy heart was mine Semandra Sem. It was it is for ever shall be yours Ziph. Oh at thy feet let me for ever lye Thus hang upon thy knees with dying grasps Thou most wrong'd Innocence abus'd Semandra Sem. Oh my dear Lord you shall not kneel without me Ziph. Thou art not false then Sem. Cou'd you think me so False to my Life my Soul my All I have Ziph. I did I thought thee false and I deserve To die for wronging thy most matchless Faith For thou art true constant as pining Turtles Constant as Courage to the Brave in Battel Constant as Martyrs burning for the Gods Arch. What Changes drive bus'ness of the World Come no more weeping rise Think on the King if he shou'd take you thus Ziph. Oh rise Semandra what what are we doing Why Archelaus why did'st thou cut me off The moments pleasure which my thoughts were forming Thy cruel breath quite broke the brittle Glass Of my short life and stopt the running Sand. What shall we do Semandra Sem. Part and die Ziph. Die 't is resolv'd but how that that must be My future care and with that thought I leave thee Go then thou Setting-star take from these eyes These eyes that if they see thee will be wishing O take those languishing pale fires away And leave me to the wide dark Den of Death Sem. Something within me sobs to my boding heart Semandra ne're shall see Ziphares more Ziph. Away then part for ever part Semandra Let me alone sustain those rav'nous Fates Which like two famish'd Tygers are gone out And have us in the Wind. Death come upon me Night and the bloodi'st deed of darkness end me But oh for thee for thee if thou must die I beg of Heav'n this last this only favour To give thy life a painless dissolution Oh may those ravish'd Beauties fall to Earth Gently as wither'd Roses leave their Stalks May Death be mild to thee as Love was cruel Calm as the Spirits in a Trance decay And soft as those who sleep their Souls away Exeunt ACT V. SCENE I. Pelopidas Andravar Priest incompass'd with Romans Pelop. ROmans who send your Laws far as the Sun His Beams and whom the Universe beholds With joy yet dreads your anger as the Gods Why move you to the ruine of this Tyrant To the sure death of bloody Mithridates As if you fear'd or car'd not he shou'd die Can you suspect an Ambush or that we Shou'd dare betray you yielding thus our persons Our Lives our Prince himself into your hands Andr. This man to whom the servile Priests bow down Who wears a Crown in honour of his place And sacred worth abandons all his glories T' attest the truth of what we have declar'd Enter Pharnaces But see the fierce the brave the Great Pharnaces Comes on to meet you waves his Royalties Therefore O mighty Romans give him Audience Phar. That I am rough and of an untaught Spirit All the East knows I ever scorn'd those Slaves VVith whom I have been bred and when my Father Order'd Barbarian Princes for my Masters In Arts and Arms I spurn'd 'em from my presence And rather chose since Rome might not instruct me Nature in all my Actions for my Guide Hence cou'd I brook more hardly the fierce mind Of our Inhumane Parent Mithridates My Eldest Brother's Fate did kindle first My fiery Soul to a most swift revenge For when the State of Bosphorus demanded That Prince for King he bound the gallant Youth In Golden Chains and doom'd him to be slain Two more were by his boundless fury strangled And ev'n the last but me the brave Ziphares Last night was murder'd in the Tyrants Palace In whose sad cause the Squadrons which he led Of late so valiantly against you Romans Attend some furlongs hence to joyn your Banners If this be true not to recount the Slaughters Of all his Queens and poyson'd Concubines I think the World Rome I shou'd first have nam'd Will little censure this so just revolt If you suspect me false behold Pharnaces Ne're yet detain'd but free as roving Lyons That swept at will like Winds in Deserts wild Behold him with these Noble Hostages Your Pris'ner to be bound the Slave of Rome Rom. Capt. Lead us on to Victory Omnes To Victory Phar. On them you Race of Heav'n you Seed of Gods And to Immortalize Pharnaces Name Plant me like Thunder breaking from this Cloud Foremost while all the ratling Engines follow Monima whom this Tyrant ravish'd from me I hear is fled to Pompey her I ask For my reward with half his spreading Empire But I waste words let 's act and then make claim And O remember when we storm the Town Remember that most horrid Massacre Of Asia whet on that your blunted Spirits Till with the motion Lightning edge your Souls To mow off hoary Heads hurl Infants puling From the lug'd breast kill in the very Womb To Beauties cries be deaf make all Synope But one vast Grave to hold the infinite bodies Which we
must shovel in and when you see The Head of Mithridates in this hand Then think who ever dar'd for Rome like me Or bought an Empire at a price so dreadful Then yield the Beauty I so much desire And all those Crowns to which my thoughts aspire Exeunt SCENE II. Enter Ziphares Archelaus Ziph. 'T Is late the gath'ring Clouds like meeting Armies Come on apace and Mortals now must die Till the bright Ruler of the rising Day Creates 'em new the wakeful Bird of Night Claps her dark wings to th' Windows of the dying General Good-night Arch. Sir I 'll not leave you yet I do not like the dusky boding Eve Well I remember Sir how you and I Have often on the Watch in Winter walk'd Clad in cold Armor round the sleeping Camp Till cover'd o're from head to foot with Snow The Centinels have started at our march And thought us Ghosts stalking in Winding-sheets And do you think I cannot watch you now Thus cover'd and beneath this bounteous Roof Sleep Sir I 'll guard you from suspected danger Ziph. Danger there 's none no shadow of a harm Dear General you 'l oblige me to retire We 'll meet to morrow with the earliest dawn I 'm troubled now and heavy in the morning Soon as you please you shall have entrance here And then I trust the bounteous Gods you 'll find A wondrous alteration Sleep may Charm My talking griefs and hush 'em fast for ever Arch. 'T is that I fear I tell you there are Deaths Brooding this night abroad A Recluse Priest Surpriz'd with mortal sickness was this Evening As he himself desir'd ta'n from his Bed And carry'd to the Closet of the King Where after some close conference he expir'd Immediately your Father Orders gave For doubling all his Guards and went in fury To Monima's Apartment where 't was said Pharnaces had been gone a while before Ziph. I ever thought that Brother most ambitious But what is this to me Arch. What follow'd does Concern both you and me and all the East For streight when the sick Priest had breath'd his last The sacred Oyl which for a hundred years Supply'd the Sun behind the Golden Vail Went out and all the mystick lights were quench'd Strange doleful Voices shrilly eccho'd through The darkned Fane the Monuments did open And all the Marble Tombs like Spunges squeez'd Spouted big Sweat the Curtain was consum'd With wondrous flame and every shining Altar Dissolv'd to yellow puddle which anon A flash of thirsty Lightning quite lick'd up While through the Streets your murder'd Brothers rode Arcathias Mithridates and Machares And madded all the schreaming multitude Is not this strange Ziph. The Gods reproach my slackness Aside 'T is strange most wondrous strange Once more I pray thee By all our Friendship leave me to my self Arch. Ah Prince you cannot hide Your purpose from your narrow-searching Friend I find it by the sinking of your Spirits Your hollow speech deep musings eager looks Whose fatal longings quite devour their objects You have decreed by all the Gods you have This night to end your Noble Life Ziph Away I never thought thee troublesome till now Arch. I care not spite of all that you can do I 'll stay and weep you into gentleness Your faithful Souldier this old doting Fool Shall be more troublesom than one that 's wiser By Heav'n you shall not hurt your precious life I 'll stay and wait you wake here till I die Follow you as a fond and fearful Father Wou'd watch a desperate Child Ziph. I 'll tell thee then Since thou wilt tear the Secret from my breast And dive into the bottom of my Soul This night must end me make not a reply 'T is fix'd as fast and sure as are my woes Did'st thou but know what 't is to love like me And to be so belov'd O Archelaus Yet to be past all hope of happiness Of ever tasting those desir'd Beauties Of any dawn least glimpse or spark of comfort Did'st thou not hate me much even thou wou'dst kill me Arch. If that my death for that indeed 's but little Cannot once move you from this dreadful deed Yet Prince your Country which must fall without you Your bleeding Country must obtain at least That you wou'd live to free her from her Foes Your Glory calls your sinking Father begs That you wou'd save your Country from the Romans Ziph. Much I indeed have got by Conquering Rome And to much purpose lost my dearest blood Much have my wounds deserv'd and Heav'n can tell How Nobly I have been rewarded for ' em I tell thee Archelaus I have sworn Were I to live I wou'd not fight again The World shou'd neither better be nor worse For me But I waste time and to convince thee Since thou wilt have the trouble to behold My death I bid thee now farewel for ever Arch. Hold Sir Ziph. I will and talk as calmly to thee As any dying Roman of 'em all I have consider'd well of what I do And I will perish with as little noise As Fate cou'd wish that wou'd not be accus'd Arch. I 'll follow you Ziph. I wou'd intreat thee not Thou hast no sorrows that are past the sufferance And sure my flying Soul will hang her wing When she shall feel thy weighty death upon her O Archelaus leave me to my Fate If thou must see me fall I charge thee live At least so long to tell Semandra of me Bear her some Token of my ill-star'd Love Which Empire cou'd not win to live without her Dip in the blood which trickles from my heart Thy Handkerchief and bid her keep it for me As a Remembrance now and then to mourn me Swear to do this Arch. This I will do and mark me cruel Prince If thus thou violate that Royal Frame Tearing the gallant Spirit from his Mansion I swear by what I tremble at thy death I 'll double all thy wounds upon Semandra Ziph. Ha! Arch. I 'll tear her piece-meal and so hack her limbs Thou shalt not know her in the other World Ziph. Oh torture dear good Archelaus hold I know thou canst not mean such cruelty Why dost thou rack me thus with thoughts in death That are much heavier ev'n than death it self Why dost thou make my eyes thus swim in tears I charge thee do not hurt her for the sake Of all the Gods be gentle to my Love I beg for mercy to the soft Semandra Alas if she deserv'd as she is faultless She cou'd not bear the wounds which we can bear Arch. Give me your promise then that you will live Live but this night or I have sworn her death Ziph. Thou hast found the means to Charm me into life And keep me on the Rack but no more threats Against Semandra 't was unkindly done And I grow angry at my Fates delay Arch. Why will you be thus froward Live to night Be careful of your self but till the Morn Methinks there may