to answer Your Innocent meaning with an Equall Innocence That downright Truth your Bounty merits from me How can I love the Court who hate the World Cel. Thou hate it What have Thy young Years to quarrell at That thou should'st hate the World Mirv. I had a Father in 't And for his sake I hate it Cel. For his sake Mirv. A poor meanspirited Slave that got me Man And for a wretched Bribe of the Court Gold Unmade the Thing he got me For which I owe him My honest hearty Curses in his Grave And for his sake hate the whole loath'd Creation Cel. How Mirvan if thou hate'st the whole Creation Thou must hate me and 't is not safe to talk with thee Mirv. Nay Madam and beleive I Scorn to flatter Of all the hated World I love you best Because I fancy all those Charms were given you To do a little Mischeif in the World That darling Mistress of Eyes dear Mischief Cel. Hate the whole world beside and I alone The favourite Nay this is kind indeed But may I trust that Kindness Mir. Trust me Madam Now by those Eyes I swear those brigâ—t Incendiaryes What is 't I dare not do to serve that fair Destruction Play the proud Juno and command me Labours Like a young Hercules and if I shrink or tire Say I 've a Soul as abject and as base As the poor frame the Imp of man that holds it Cel. This is so generous Mirv. Trust me say you Nay I will trust you First and with a secret Of that prodigious weight Cel. The rarest Tool Mirv. Know then the Queen the more then Widow'd Queen Too sad a Mourner at your fatall Triumph In pure Despair for her deserting Lord Resolves this very night Cel. Oh my big Hopes aside Mir. In a disguise to leave the Court and Kingdom And bury all her Sorrows in a Cloyster Cel. To my best wish aside Mir. For this Religious Voyage Who should she choose her Pilot but my self Her singular Trust of my confiding Truth Has pickt out Me her only leading Guide T' her Melancholy Cell Peruse this Letter Committed to my Care to leave behind her As her last farewell to her unkind Lord. Cel. Reads Letter That I have lov'd you even to a Superstition planted my very Heav'n in Love the Transports of my Despair too plainly testify But when my feeble fraylty can bear my Wrongs no longer pardon the Effects of what Your Vnkindness is but the too fatal Cause when I thus fly from so much Inhumanity to the Arms of a kinder Heaven Herminia Mir. Now Madam as you like it make your best on 't Cel. Oh Mirvan now I must beleive thou lovest me This is so kind a Trust Thou toldst me too That thou lov'dst Mischief Mir. Faith won'd You durst try How much I love it Cel. Sayst thou so my Boy Nay then darst thou be kind and let me in A Party to this Plot a kind Assistant To hand this Mourning Wanderer to her Cell Say darst thou let me choose her Cloyster for her Mir. With all my Soul If any Noble Spight Glow warm within your Breast set it a blazing At that sweet Game form your own dearest Wish And mould Your slave to serve you Cel. To my Arms Thou kindest little Engine serve me but As the Rewards I 'le pay thee shall deserve And melt me into Gold Mir. Alas dear Madam There needs not a Reward to buy my Faith Be but your Great Designs what I can wish 'em Without the needless Bribe of Gold or Treasure I wou'd give Wealth to purchase such a pleasure Exeunt Scene Changes Enter Orontes disguis'd Oron. From Scythia's Throne and my proud Armies Head From softer Majesty and rougher Wars All glittering Plumes all my once bright Regalia Stript to this narrow Shrowd to wrap my Woes And bring my Death to Clarismunda's Feet Oh Love How unaccountable's thy Power Enter Clarismunda attended Clar. From that loath'd Name Oront From that loath'd Name Orontes To that lov'd Heaven his cruel Clarismunda He has commanded these Commission'd Knees To beg one listning Minute Clar. Your Petition Is an Ungrateful Theme Yet I am not So deaf to my worst Foe but my kind Patience Shall lend the Ear thou ask'st Oront Thus then by me That Sentenc'd Criminal speaks If by that fairest Hand Death shakes his Glass and waves his Brandish'd Shaft If executing Destiny 's gone forth And meager Graves with all their hungry Yawn Wait their last Gorge of poor Orontes Blood To his ador'd destroying Angels Ear Thus breath his Dying Accents Oh Bright Madam If Tears that would melt Rocks if Groans enough To wake the Sleep of Tombs if tortur'd Conscience Above the very Pangs of lost Eternity And to all these a Penitence so true Enough to unlock Heaven If these all these Might beg his Life from Cruel Clarismunda Clar. Could all these beg his Life Oront And with that Life His Clarismunda's Love Clar. My Love Oront Thy Love Dear all Divine For without Love 't is Death still Oh could that dear forgiving Mercy take A pardon'd Penitent to those dear Arms Not Ransom'd Slavery not Life Reprieved Not Crown'd Ambition nor translated Martyr Half half so bless'd as he To those fair Eyes He 'd raise those Monuments of mighty Love Should out-live Worlds and finishing Time close up His last Recorded Volume with the Story How bless'd Orontes loved Clar. Mistaken Advocate To have tryed the Eloquence of those soft Sounds They should have spoke before Orsanes Death Oront And does that Louring Vision wake for ever The lost Orontes Crime so all impardonable Clar. So impardonable that To leave the World with my loud wrongs unrighted When I shall meet my great Forefathers Souls 'T would make me blush in Heaven Oront Too Cruel Fair Clar. Sir I must hear no more Go bear your Master This Answer as my fix'd Eternal Vow I will have my Revenge But tell him too So much I owe to his Repenting Tears That when my Arming Wrongs that hunted Blood Shall spill I 'll give the Executing Blow Calm as the Priestess at an Altar Kills Yet still must Kill Oront But can that Beauteous Priestess Accept no gentler Sacrifice no less Appeasing Victim than the poor Orontes All streaming Blood And is one Thought of Mercy That strange Impossible Clar. So much Impossible Perhaps beyond the Grave I may forgive him On this side Death I must not Oront Then dear Cruelty Discovers himself Take take my thirsted Blood Clar. Good Gods Orontes Oh King How poorly thou hast thy self undone Hast put thy wretched Life into my Power And I must tamely take it Hadst thou met My Nobler Vengeance in thy Armies head Thrust thy bold Breast against ten thousand Javelins Thou might'st have fall'n with Honour Honour King But now now I must take this poor Advantage Thou kill'st Orsanes poorly Forget thou art a King Uncrown'd Unthroned Led like a Vulgar Slave bound in Vile Chains And at the
into Discourse in the mean while in dumb show with the Queen and Tygr. Amor. Mirvan dost mark that Charming Stranger there Mir. Ay and that firing King too aside to Amorin King That Lady to Artaban Art My dread Lord King That fair one Celest Shoot home my Charms now my Prophetick Glory aside Mir. Shine out fair stranger aside to Celestina Celest Boy Mir. There 's Honour near ye Tygr. Dear Sister these Resenting Murmurs speak With such an Emphasis Clar. Do they speak Brother They must act too These wrongs that find a Tongue Must find an Arm Tygranes Tygr. Yes Royall sufferer Thou shalt have Vengeance Vengeance Clarismunda If Arming Man and ayding Heaven can give it thee Clar. Do this and all my work of Life is done And when thy Sword draws bloud drink deep my Brother Remember nothing but a pile of Death Can build the Tomb of Love Build thou that Tomb For Clarismunda then I dare dye pleas'd When I have seen my blazing monument rays'd King Succeed and Challenge that Reward my Artaban to Arta. Exeunt all but Celestina and Mirvan Celest 'T is don 't is done I read it in his Eyes The Golden Shaft and all the whole Blind God Now my kind Sybill thou hast fullfill'd thy Promise And I could kneel to thank thy Charming Oracle Oh Beauty Love and Triumph wait thy Throne Hold my kind Toyl but fast the Game 's my own Exit Mir. So a poor Slave has Charms to snare a King Yes fair unknown th' Imperiall Thunderer Hangs gathering o're thee in a glittering Shower And 't is but spreading of thy Smiles before him To catch the Golden God well There 's Love for you Death what was I born for Love 's not my Province The Sweets of Life are banish't from these Lips Kind Nature stampt me in Heavens Image Man Born with a Face perhaps t' have Captived Queens Till mercinary Infamous Barbarity An Evnuch Monster basely rob'd my Cradle And left me a dull Drone of the Creation Since then the Gall and Dreggs of Life are all My Portion to requite the spightfull worlds Unkindness let me this one pleasure find To doal round my own Draught to all Mankind Finis Actus Secundi ACT. III. SCENE I. Herminia discover'd Sleeping on a couch attended by Mirvan and Amorin Song WHy do's the Idle World mistake And Love a Godhead make If Love were Heav'n like Heav'n t wou'd last And the Immortall Joys would never dye Ah no false man at ev'ry blast In broken Vows Loves fleeting Shadows fly Down then let all his Glorys fall His Templet Altars Empire all To dirt and Ashes trod For oh the Fools for oh the Fools that make blind Love a God So when fair Celia mournd to find Philander so unkind She saw the Tempest yoll too fast And all o'respread her rising Mornings dawn Her louring Fate was quite o'recast And her Ecclipsing Glorys all withdrawn But tho' there shine such fading Jemms In brittle Earthly Diadems Poor Celia ne're despair There 's Starrs above there 's starrs above to crown thee brighter there The Scene shuts and Mir. and Amo. advance upon the Stage Amor. OH Mirvan this fair Scythians Charms are sure Made up of Prodigy and the blind God Has stockt her with such Shafts her Eyes Disdain To play a lesser Game then Miracles Mir. Miracles indeed An unknown Stranger face Who or from whence Hell knows to catch a Monarch from a young Princely Bride the fair Herminia A Beauty scarce Enjoy'd The very Virgin Blushes on her Cheeks Still warme that lovelyest Rose gather'd but yesterday And all the fragrant Sweets thrown by to day Abandon'd Slighted ay and all this too By the strange Charms of such an Easy wanton That Scarce held out the Courtship of an hour But See the glittring Pageant moves this way With what Devouring ravenous Eyes he swallows The fair Destruction Amor. Put my dear Lost Mrs. The poor Herminia what a mournfull part Hast thou in this gay Scene Too unkind King Was it for this in thy first blooming Youth By thy Imperiall Fathers kind Commission A Visitant in the fair Court of India That Early Votary t' Herminia's Eyes Thou knelst at those dear Feet Sweet injur'd Goodness My heart bleeds for thee Mir. Troth so does not mine Amor. How Mirvan canst thou see our Royall Mrs. The poor neglected Queen thus Scorn'd thus Slighted Without one pitying Thought Mir. A pitying Thought Faith none at all Amor. Canst thou be Man and say this Mir. No Fool were I a man I should not say this But when the cursed Luxury of Greatness As the early brand of a Court Slave A dog a nobler Creature took Man from me It took Humanity too Spight darling Spight Amor. But See the Queen and Princess Mir. Well if this fair Scythian Wanton This white she-devil do not prove at last That firebrand that State-Firebrand as shall one day Set Persia in a Flame if this she-Phaeton Prove not at last the arrantest State-grievance E're ruin'd Monarch or Suck't Nation poor May my Propheticks be believed no more Enter Queen and Clarismunda Queen The Treasure of my soul my dear Lords Love The hoarded Mass of a whole Ages Bliss All by one midnight Thief for ever lost Clar. Indeed my Royall Sister thy sad Story Melts pity from my Eyes and trust me dear Herminia My own unhappy Load of Miseries Have drein'd these Streams so low their did not want Thy Sufferings to rayse a second Spring Queen This generous Sense of my hard Fate speaks thee So truly kind Claris. So truly just Herminia For in the deep Resentments of thy Wrongs Mine is no common Share 'T was Clarismunda Was their unfortunate Cause That infamous Creature That Scythian Devill my unhappy Favourite By my mistaken Charity to that Deluding Face the fatall Cockatrice Egg Hatcht by my warmth to all this brood of Mischiefe Queen Nay Clarismunda charge not Thy fair Virtue With so unjust a Stain Thy part was innocent When angry Providence resolves to kill It easily finds the Means Misery and Misfortune still like Weeds and poysons Shoot Alas they want a very little Root Clar. Sweet murmuring Turtle hush thy mournfull plaints And bear thy Soul above the Worlds poor spight Let thy dark shades make thy fair Truth more bright 'T is the True Diamond that shines by night And then the frowns of Fortune we out brave When Grief is not our Tyrant but our slave Exeunt Enter Orontes disguis'd attended onely by Briomar Oront Yonder she moves my louring planet moves But why do I not follow her run to her Run to my doom and catch her blasting fires Bid all her blazing Bolts of Thunder turn Court the Keen Lightning of her Eyes and burn Briom Oh Royall Sir think to what threatning Danger Will your Rash Love expose your Life and Glory Yes if bold Truth may speak to what unprincely Nay what unmanly Dangers Oront Preaching fool No more profane Reflections on a Cause So
Sir King To stand the kind Spectator of your Victory Oh the fair Hand of a soft melting Venus To buckle on the Sword of her proud Mars To plume his Crest and send him forth to Battle Tygr. Death and Confusion Queen Oh my blassed Ears Tygr. Oh thou amazing Voice of Royal Thunder Break forth from thy dark-Cloud thou louting Heav'n And say what mean these Mystick Sounds of Horror King Mean Is that a Question At this loud Hour of all thy Ecchoing Treason The crying Shame of that incestuous Devil Queen Good Gods Tygr. Oh King what false infernal Malice Dares blast the Fame of that all beauteous Truth Queen For the last Blow to all my bleeding Sufferings My Loyal Faith and all my Mourning Innocence Transform'd into this hideous Gorgon King Innocence But my tame Justice sleeps too long Sieze this brace of Monsters Tygr. Hold angry King Oh stop your headlong Fury Till the wrong'd Virtue of that brightest Saint Has wiped the spots from her fair Ermin Whiteness Stab'd the foul Falshood through the Canker'd Throat And Seer'd the Tongues of Blasphemy King No doubt on 't Run to a Camp to cool her burning Hell And in the height of the ingendring Crocadiles Whine Heav'n and Sanctity Queen How can I hear these dismal Sounds and Live Tygr. Plot rank Conspiracy The Camp That undesigning Chance the foolish Error Of an unlucky Boy But if so slight A shadow can assume a shape so dreadful Sir let the Boy be call'd the fatal Cause Of this accurst Mistake young Mirvan King How that young Bawd Dost thou call him thy Witness No thou Grand-Fiend thou know'st thy wiser Politicks Have husht that Traytor with a Dose of Poyson Tygr. Riddles and Death Still more mysterious Horror Poyson King Yes Poyson Your Midnight Purveyor your trusty Pandar In a return for all his faithful Services Your dark designs too great for that weak Counsel-keeper By a kind Drug sent Sleeping from the World But your thin Arts and all your Cobweb-Veils Tygr. Some most accursed Engine of Damnation King Dull canting Fool But hence I 'll hear no more Queen Yes Royal Sir Hear your poor wrong'd Herminia By yon fair Lamps and fairer Heav'n that lights 'em By all the hopes of my Eternal Peace King Whining Syren But Treason ne'r wants a Knee nor Guilt a Tongue Sighs Prayers and Tears are the false Tools they cheat with Take 'em away and house 'em in a Dungeon Tygr. Yet hold your mad blind Rage Till some kind God the guard of pittied Innocence In the dear Cause of that all Angel Goodness King Silence that poison'd Breath vain talking Slave Exit Tygr. Oh thou all-ruling Providence what an Ungovern'd World thy great first Mover turns If Truth has this Reward And Thou bright Virtue Thy most inhumane Wrongs hard-fated Fair Oh how can the Almighty Justice give Prevailing Hell this strange unbridl'd Pow'r Queen Yes Prince Hell has prevail'd and 't is a sad Sad Portion but if the Divine Dispenser Has so ordain'd 't is not our part to quarrel Omnipotence we may wail Misery But must not murmure at it Tygr. Miracle Of Goodness Queen No Tygranes if the Toil Of Fate is set and our pursuing Blood hounds Have caught our hunted Lives our Stars have dealt us The hardest-Lot on Earth only to purchase The fairest Crown in Heaven Enter a Messenger who speaks to the Officer that has the Custody of the Queen and Tygranes Mes 'T is the King's Pleasure That Execution be dispatch'd immediately The Queen and Prince are both those popular Darlings Delay may be unsafe and for that reason He calls this hastning blow Officer Curse on the Office Aside If forc'd Obedience to the King's Command Kneels to the Queen and Prince And the ungrateful Duty I must pay May hope a Pardon Queen If the King Commands Rise and Obey Thy Part poor Slave is innocent If he must Kill and guiltless Veins must bleed The Axe is blameless 't is the Judge that 's cruel Tygr. But cruel King thou merciless Arm of Fate Have all my Laurels And what 's more than Laurels Has that chaste Mourner deserv'd his hard hard Fate Queen What we have deserv'd Tygranes Is ours no more What we must suffer Prince Is all our Business now We must prepare For Death Death Is that all Witness ye Pow'rs That I dare Die The only pain in Dying Will be to leave a blotted Name behind me The branding Blazon of Recorded Infamy Tygr. No thou fair Saint To Die's too much fear not a Second Murder Treason and Perjury may have pow'r to Kill The Innocent but not Innocence The Martyrdom Of Honour Slander'd Truth and traduced Virtue Are so Divine a Charge that care of Providence That if no earlier Justice wakes to right 'em The very Prodigies of Heav'n and all Their aiding Miracles rise up their Champions Thy Fame Herminia must not dye though thou must Queen Shall my Fame live Nay then to death lead on Lye white my Winding-Sheet and soft my Grave But Prince must thou bleed too Herminia's Ruines Pull down thy Fate with mine Thy Blood Tygranes This is too much ye Gods How shall I make My last great Audit at th' Eternal Throne For thy unhappy Death At my own Grave There I can smile but I must weep for thine Tygr. A tear that fair rich Pearl of Life for me My poorer Veins not worth the care of Heav'n When such neglected brighter Virtue bleeds But if the generous Fair must play the Prodigal Oh! let me teach thee how to give me Blessings Beyond the price of Lives When on thy Throne Thy radiant Throne of Stars those Eyes I meet T' obtain in Heaven what was on Earth too great Shall I have leave to kneel at those dear Feet Queen Yes Prince thou shalt kneel there And if there be One richer fairer Coronet above For wondrous Truth and more prodigious Love O're that dear Brow with the Jemm'd Wreath I 'll stand And Crown thee Martyr with my own kind Hand Tygr. Nay then to Death to Life to Glory all At one kind Blow Queen And oh to meet that Blow With all the pomp of Martyrdom we 'll go And Shine above to Light the World below Exeunt Scene Changes Enter Orontes and Clarismunda Oront To Heaven the dearest and on Earth the Fairest Thy Guardian Gods have done thee Justice now A Hundred thousand slaughter'd Scythian Ghosts In the fresh Blushes of their Crimson Gore Walk the black Strand to tell the trembling Shades The wondrous Tale of Clarismunda's Vengeance Clar. Yes King my Stars at last are just Oront So Just that all yon bright Eternals The Pow'rs that gild the Night and guide the Day Rank'd their embattell'd Fires for Clarismunda All the proud Champions in thy darling Cause So keen the Sword that arming Beauty draws Clar. If aiding Heav'n has battel'd on my side It has no more than plaid its own Revenger Mine are Heavens wrongs their own Divinest Image Stabb'd
Innocence Poor Herminia Dost not thou hang a blushing Ruby there Ros Gracious Heav'n Cel. Who talks of Heav'n Oh 't is a Golden Palace Where my kind Mirvan Jove's dear Darling Ganimede Fills the proud Thunderers Imperial Bowl To quaff the World's Confusion Ros Oh my Fears There 's something talks in these wild Dreams Cel. Fear Rosalin What canst thou fear my Wedding Robe won't please me Ah no! 't is dyed in that deep Royal Crimson Not all the Waters of the Sea can whiten Enter King Attendants and Guards King What 's this I see Why this disorder'd frame Is this a Dress Is this a Brow when Diadems Wait your receiving Hand The canker'd Sweets Of Lawless Joys no more Prepare to mount the bright Crown'd Queen of Persia Cel. The Queen of Persia Queen of Hell dull Fool Look Rosalin look Ros Look Madam Cel. Dost not see Yond' wrinkled wither'd Witch the sooty Proserpine She with that dowdy Face Great Pluto's Queen Enthron'd the Glorious Partner of Damnation And Celestina but a puny Devil No by yond' spightful Stars I cannot bear it I 'll dash the tumbling Hag from her proud Seat Snatch from her flaming Brow her blazing Diadem And mount her burning Throne King All raving Frenzy But tell me honest Rosalin how long Have these strange Phantoms all these waking Dreams Shook her soft peace Ros Since fair Herminia's Death Cel. Who names Herminia's Death I will not hear it There 's Treason in the sound But see Oh see She comes she comes she comes The Ghosts of Herminia and Tygranes descend in Glory Oh my sick Eye-balls How have I sin'd to wake these hideous Forms Have I done more than all my Sex beside Alas the poorest Lowborn Peasant Girl That never heard of Crowns above a Garland Yet but to Reign the Sovereign of the Plains And have the bending Knees of Swains and Bores Wou'd cut through Hearts and Lives to be a Queen And I have done no more King What says my Fairest Cel. Say King I say thou smelst too rank of Blood Blood easie cheated Fool King Death and Confusion There 's something in this dark mysterious Horror That strikes my aking Soul Pray Heav'n the poor Tygranes and Herminia Cel. Are a blest pair of ever Royal Martyrs Innocence Innocence Innocence Betray'd by me And by thee Murder'd King Murder'd Oh Cel. But look all Heavenly Fair cloath'd and enrob'd With the rich Beams of pure immortal Day Myriads of Angels and Eternal Quires All waiting for their Coronation Glory Yes mount fair Stars ye radiant Twins of Light Whilst I must set in Everlasting Night Dies King Dead Thou fair Curse and Painted Sin farewel Oh that my shame and Guilt were with thee Dead Ah no! a thousand Racking Tortures live To tear my sinking Soul Oh Blood Blood Blood Herminia Poor wrong'd sweetness could the price Of Crowns or Worlds restore thee to my Arms No Lovely Truth too late we find thy Charms Exeunt omnes FINIS EPILOGUE Spoken by Mrs. Rogers WELL Gentlemen our Author bids me say He Treats you with an Out-of-fashion Play His fair Court Miss perkt in her Raigning Glory In the late Age had been a modish Story But now the old dull Tale will never do And yet I 'll Swear the Play has something new New did I say Yes if it has no more Here 's Two new Legs you never saw before Nay and what 's more they come to Court you too Ay Sirs You see what Wonders you can do Bring a young Suppliant to those Sweet Faces To beg to our poor Play your kind good Graces Faith Sirs for once lay by your Critick Thunder Not for the Sensless Poet Hang him Blunder But for Our sakes Your angry Vengeance stay Consider Sirs this is the Womens Play And when we wooe your Favour sure you are Not so hard-hearted to deny our Prayer Besides let me intreat baulk not a poor Petitioner that never begg'd before Grant me but this First Suit a Boon so easie And in Return I 'll one day hope to please ye Encouraged by your Smiles a Beam so fair Here 's Two Good Works at once for I Declare You will both save a Play and make a Player
poor Herminia Herm. Oh my Stars I see a dawning pity in his Eyes Break forth my rising Sun and make it all Immortall Day and ever shining Joys Take Take your kneeling Mourner to your Arms Take me to love be kind and bid me live And stab my bleeding breaking Heart no more King Thou talk'st sweet Murmurer Tygr. Oh Sir embrace the blessed Minute Return to her dear Arms return to all The Joys of Earth and the Rewards of Heav'n Think but what shining Host of Supliant Saints Expand their Arms t' embrace thy blest Repentance King My dear Tygranes My Fame my Crown and my Imperiall Cause Call thee to Arms to Arms My muster'd Legions And marching Armies wait thee in their head Go forth my Son of War the great To morrow Leads to the Field Tygra Doubt not that great To morrow Be you but Just to day Run to her Bosom Oh run and take her to your pitying Mercy Myriads of Joys and thousand thousand Blisses King Battles and Arms Hark the Shrill Trump Tygranes The Alarm of Honour calls Tygra The Trump of Virtue King 'T is that that sounds to call thy wandring Heart To these abandon'd Arms. King The Scythian Tyrant And Clarismunda's Wrongs Tygr. The Scythian Sorceress Exit King forcing himself from them And lost Herminia's Wounds Queen Too cruell King Sure I am not the first unhappy Woman That wept for Broken Vows and faithless Man Yet sure the first that ever wept so soon So Young so early lost i th' very Morn Of Love for ever sett Put generous Prince So much I owe thee for this wondrous Goodness What kind Return can this vast Debt defray What I am too Poor I must beg Heav'n to pay Exit Tygr. Such charms and this unkind Return Ah King Had those dear Eyes but smiled on blest Tygranes How had I lov'd Oh Beauty in thy whole Divinity How narrow is thy Attribute of Mercy Thy Soveraign power of Life and Death so shackled That in a thousand Bleeding hearts before thee Thy kind repreiving smile can save but one Nay and that very single Mercy too Is often dealt with that unlucky Hand Made some ungratefull tastless Infidells prize Whilst perishing Truth stands by and starving dyes Exit Finis Actus Terâ—ij ACT. IV. SCENE I. Celestina and Rosalin Cel. TH' Embraces of a King Poor Satisfaction A Monarchs Darling but a Kingdoms Loathing All a dishonourd Blot the Worlds cheap Theme And common Tale of every grinning slave The Queen Ay she ev'n in her lowest sufferings Outshines my tallest Pride The peoples Love And th' universall pity of mankind Like perfum'd Sweets embalm her fragrant Fame But me their Hate and Scorn my very Sex Stand at a Bay all frighted at my Name And drive me like a hunted Fugitive From out the Herd of Life I cannot bear it Ros Dear Madam Cel. Oh thou lying Oracle where 's My promist Mountains all your Boasted Miracles No Flattring falshood tell thy Lord of Darkness There is no Faith in Hell Did'st thou not Promise False Prophetess that I should raign in Pleasure Ros If Soveraignty Dominion if to hold A King in Chains and Crowns in Vassalage be To raign in Pleasure she has perform'd that Promise Cel. A King my Slave poor narrow-bounded Throne Thin empty Bliss for in Possessing His I have lost the Hearts of all the World beside Nay what has all my mighty Conquest made me That little despicable Wretch a Harlot Oh the foul Blister Cankers and Diseases Is there that humblest of my cringing Flatterers That waits th' uprising of my morning Smile And pays me his All Hayl for the snatch'd blessing Even with those Lips that kiss the Earth I move on No sooner is his fawning Face turn'd from me But with a low reviling Eye puts forth His forked Tongue and hisses at my Shame Ros Why all this foolish Murmur Thus concern'd For that Course Vulgar Blast the Popular Breath Does your exalted Greatness want Their Love It is enough they fear you Fear the noblest Prerogative 't was Fear that first made Gods Cel. No Girle this Shallow Sophistry Ros Nay Madam Your Witches and your Propheycing Devils I 'm sure have done their Part. And if you have still A giddy roving uncontented Thought E'ne blame your own unsatisfyed desires If Womans vain Ambition covets more Then all Hell has to give 't is not Hells Fault but Womans Cel. But oh my Rosalin I cannot bear This publick Odium of the World and live Only the Mistress of his loose Desires His burning Kisses all but Sooty Fires That little Outly of his Love his Mistress Ros His Mistress Why wou'd you be his Queen Cel. His Queen Ay that 's A name indeed that Sacred Post of Honour Myriads of pleasures wait the hallow'd Brightness A Solid Heaven of Constellated Blisses Substantiall Power untainted Glory Then I should have Hearts as well as Knees to serve me Ros His Queen Why truly Madam since your Wishes Must soar so high I know no wondrous Stops That hold their Flight considering your Ascendant The Eyes you wear and the fond Heart you govern Cel. Ha Ros Were the Gordian Bar remov'd between you The golden Fruit would meet your reaching Hand And fairly bid you carve your own Desires Cel. The Gordian Bar remov'd and fairly carve My own Desires What Bar but poor Herminia That feeble Thred Thou dear inspiring Devil Oh what a mountain Thought of vast Ambition Comes pouring ore me like a rolling Deluge Ros Madam Young Mirvan the Queens favourite Evnuch Waits for Access as your petitioner Cel. Mirvan Admit him Enter Mirvan Mir. Madam amongst the universall Knees All bending to salute the rising Sun Might poor I dare t'implore one smiling Beam Cel. Push thy fair suit and try thy generous Fortune Mirv. Then Madam I 've a Brother and a Brother Not born like me to curse his riffled Cradle A Brother that writes Man and would write Man In Characters of Blood A Youth that dares As much as Courage can or Honour ought And tho' his praise suits not my Mouth to give Fair Truth her due he wears a Sword he thinks Too brave to rust a Boy that wou'd lead Men And therefore begs by me your gracious Interest For a Commission for him Cel. If thy Brother Sweet Boy but fights with half the Grace thou suest He might lead Armys Well kind Advocate He shall have a Commission and a Noble one Mirv. Thus low my Kneeling Gratitude Cel. Rise Mirvin This Boy well manag'd aside Rise my pretty Suppliant Thou look'st and talk'st so winningly there 's nothing I can deny to that petitioning Face Mirv. My Face 'T is well I have a Face to beg a Ladys favour aside Cel. Well gentle Boy such early Wit as Thine Tells me thou know'st the World How dost thou like The pleasures of a Court Mirv. How shou'd I like What I want pow'r to taste Cel. Nay fye my Boy Thou wrongst my Innocent meaning Mirv. Then