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A53459
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Herod the Great a tragedy / written by the Right Honourable the Earl of Orrery.
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Orrery, Roger Boyle, Earl of, 1621-1679.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing O479; ESTC R21923
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39,203
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49
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HEROD THE GREAT A TRAGEDY Written by the Right Honourable the EARL of ORRERY LONDON Printed by T. Warren for F. Saunders at the Blue-Anchor in the New-Exchange T. Bennet at the Half-Moon and I. Knapton at the Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1694. PROLOGUE TO HEROD the GREAT HOW various are the Humours of this Age Sermons at first were follow'd then the Stage But that they neither are frequented now Is a variety we owe to you One would have thought Extreams which were so vast As pleas'd the Soul and Sense might longer last Your Fathers other methods did pursue Yet some Fops swear they were as wise as you They left not Stage nor Pulpit in the lurch Week-Days they went to Plays Sundays to Church And judged the Muses gratious did appear Presenting them one new Play every Year But without daily new ones you are cloy'd And slight Plays seem as Mistresses enjoy'd For we must say we 'll give the Devil his due In Wit as Love you daily gape for new Rare Scenes like Opera's nay She-Actors too Though they less often Act with us than you Whereby will none here blush when it is said Some with great Bellies Virgin 's parts have plaid Yet a good Play once acted you 're so nice You 'll go to Church as soon as see it twice s'Death Gentlemen this usage we 'll not bear You are not better than your Fathers were And if we are not as well us'd by you We 'll shut up House nay worse our Women too Then with Street Cruzors you must have to do 'Mongst which you 'll sometimes board a Fireship too When thus in your Chief Pleasures you are crost You 'll value us like Health most when 't is lost Dramatis Personae HErod The King Antipater His Son by a former Wife Pheroras Herod ' s Brother Sohemus Formerly in Love with Solome Phaltiel Friends to Antipater Samias Haziel Pollio Abner Confident to Herod Annanecles The High-Priest Asdrubal Captain of the Arabian Guards WOMEN Mariamna The Queen Solome Sister to Herod in Love with Sohemus but Married to Cossobanes Tamer and Women to the Queen Dina Mariana Confident to the Queen Merab Woman to Solome The Ghosts of Hircanus and Aristobulus Pages Priests Guards Gentlemen and Attendants Herod the Great The First ACT. The first Scene is an Obscure Grotta Phaltiel and Samias enter hastily Antipater comes out to meet them Phalt. THrough all Ierusalem they have spread the News Which is receiv'd in Raptured by the Jews That Faithless People in their looks display How much their hearts long'd for this fatal Day Sam. When Herod to the Isle of Rhodes did go We all foresaw 't would prove his Overthrow Caesar the Friend of Anthony must hate And make Revenge an Interest of State Phalt. How natural was it for a Prince to frown When but by doing it he gain'd a Crown Ant. But Honour should have made Octavius Just Seising my Father he deceiv'd his Trust. Sam. Caesar will judge that Imputation weak Since Herod his Safe-Conduct did not seek Ant. Yet all the World must this black deed upbraid The noblest trusts are without Bargain made The height of Honour Herod's Ruin was Trusting his Vertue he contemn'd his pass To them Hazael hastily Haz. The Sanhedrim are now resolv'd to meet To lay the Crown at Mariamne's Feet For she in highest Vertue first does shine And is the last of the Asmone Line Sir You should instantly our self declare Ere they beyond Retreat engage are To them Pollio hastily Poll. Ten of the Priests are from the Temple come Who told the People in the Hippodrome That as last night their Sacred Watch they kept They heard in Tombs where Kings and High-Priests slept Noises much like to dying Warriors Groans Then saw great drop spring from those polish'd Stones Which seem'd to weep that so much precious Dust Ere the last day was Ravish'd from their Trust. Phalt. O Heavens what may this Prodigy portend Poll. Restrain your Wonder till you hear the End The Grief which did those Tears from Marble draw So Powerful was it did the Marble thaw Then from the gaping Tombs there did appear All those who Israel's Sacred Crown did wear From Saul till fatal Zedechiah's days The bad Kings Crown'd with Flames the Good with Bayes Every one smote his Breast and shook his Head The trembling Priests with fear were almost dead Sam. Sure dismal Changes in this Place must fall Since Heaven out of their Graves theDead does Call Poll. But that which most of all increas'd their fears Were direful Noises which did wound their Ears Then Troops of Furies did the Priest surround And danc'd with Impious Feet on Sacred ground Each Fiend in Course the Dances leading takes And when they chang'd all crack'd their Whips of Snakes The Priests were then yielding to their despair When all the Furies did resolve to Air At which the Temples vast Foundation shook And three times Woe by all the Ghosts was spoke The Tombs did then with hast their Dead enclose When straight Aurora pale and trembling rose As if she seem'd concern'd and in a fright At the dire Visions of the vanish'd Night Nor has the Temple only haunted been Strange sights have too been in the Palace seen But yet the Queen her Courage has not lost Though her slain Brother and Hircanus's Ghost Have to th' Arabian Guards appear'd to Night Nor does it Mariamne seem to fright Though both the Ghosts did bid them tell their Queen In the black Hall this Night they should be seen For she to evidence she knows no fear Boldly declar'd she would expect them there Ant. These are strange things But th' event must tell If these Presages come from Heaven or Hell Lest in that Dread these Visions have begun The giddy People to extreams should run You to the Hippodrome again must go And let me hourly all that passes know Phaltiel and Samias here with me shall stay Haz. You must resolve and act without delay Poll. Good Fortune rarely visits him who mourns But when she does if slighted ne're returns Pollio and Hazael go out Phalt. Sir you must now your Father's Army lead And by their Swords the Crown fix on your Head Ant. O no my Phaltiel why should I pursue Gaining that Crown which to the Queen is due 'T were Sin if I her double Right withstood 'T is Hers by merit and 't is Hers by Blood Phalt. Since you Her Right above your own prefer First take the Crown and then present it Her Ant. Giving a Crown which I that way shall win To pay a Duty I must act a Sin But if the Crown I from her Love receive To the great Gift 't will double Lustre give Sam. O Sir that guilty hope you should suppress The Queen can never make your happiness Her Vertue should in you all thoughts remove Ere to possess her by Incestnous Love And 't would eclipse the Glories of your Life Should you attempt to wed your Father's
I my wrath subdue Judge how I 'd love you would you love me too Queen Love you Methinks at those two words alone I hear the Ghosts of all th' Asmoneans groan Should I once more that guilty motion hear Out of their bloody Urns they 'd all appear And could I grant that Love which now you crave They 'd fright me with their looks into my Grave Her As well your weakness as your hate I see Can you fear Ghosts and not fear angring me The dead nere to the living durst appear Ghosts are but shadows painted by our fear But were your House reviv'd did they all reign My looks would fright them into Ghosts again Looks which if you your Crimes do not redeem Shall act on you what I but talk'd of them Queen Your trembling Limbs could not your weight sustain If once you saw me head that Ghastly Train The sight would make the Crown upon your brow Totter as much as Usurpation now If you doubt this let me to them be sent Heavens how I long to try th' Experiment Her Imperious Woman by thy Pride and hate Thou hast at length hurl'd on thy self thy Fate Were I as timorous as thy weak Sex Me thy Contempt more than thy Ghost would vex Ho who waits there Enter Gentleman Go instantly and call Some of the Arabian Guards and Asdrubal Exit Gentleman Since thou so longst in hope to frighten me To be a Ghost that Ghost thou now shalt be In my Apartment thou thy Life shalt lose And I that place before all others chose That if thy Ghost to me it self dare show The trembling shape shall not have far to go Queen Though all the Asmoneans dy'd by your Command Yet let your Wife pray dy by your own hand You should in Justice some distinction place In murth'ring her and others of her Race I do not beg you would delay my Fate But that your self would shed the blood you hate Since I the Title of your Queen possest Do not deny my first and last request Here let your Sword your own Revenge pursue Opening her Arms. And pierce that Heart your feign'd Love could not do Her Feign'd Love Witness ye Sacred Powers above What she calls feign'd till now was Real Love A Love which here did with such Empire Reign As nothing could have quench'd but her disdain Ah what to prove it could I more have done Enter Asdr. and the Arabian Guards hastily Than for thy sake to kill my only Son Seize on the Queen and let her then be led To my Apartment there to lose her Head Asdr. The Queen Sir Her Yes the Queen Didst thou not hear Or is that Question ask'd me by thy fear Asdr. How should I touch the Partner of your Bed Her Her Death delay'd shall forfeit thy own Head Asdr. Madam Thus at your Feet my self I lay To beg your Pardon that I dare obey Queen You have it Sir why should you troubled be At once obeying him You pleasure me Asdrubal takes the Queen by the Hand to lead her out Her Now let her to her Death be sed away Queen 'T is your first Order I with Joy obey Asdrubal leading her out but still looks back toward Herod Her Heavens with what Tortures is my Bosom torn I neither can Revenge nor bear her scorn My Soul was rack'd till I her Death decreed And now the Doom is given my Heart doth bleed When Asdrubal has almost led the Queen off the Theatre Herod goes hastily and taking her from him says How dar'st thou on my Queen thus lay thy hands Asdr. The Sin I do is Sir by your Commands Her To wait on Kings thy Judgment is too weak Thou knowst not when Justice or Rage does speak If Passion hurls us out of Reasons way 'T is the best Duty then to Disobey Queen If you Reprieve me from the wish'd for Blow You 'll grieve at it e're long as I shall now Her Your Hate and your Disdain I will outbrave Love has reverst the Doom which Anger gave You with the Guards have leave now to retire Asdrubal and the Guards go out Queen Death is deny'd because I Death desire Her Madam retire and do not by your stay Augment that Storm which Love strives to allay Queen Heaven knows I go from hence with greater grief Condemn'd to Live than now to lose my Life The Queen goes out Her How great a Soul does this Asmonean show Her generous Heart will rather break than bow While I who have Battles and Kingdoms won Yield to her Pride and blush for it when done Herod walks in deep melancholy about the Stage Enter Solome who having consider'd a while Herod's disorders says Solo. What fitter time to tell it him than now When Grief and Rage sit mingl'd on his Brow All Passions must in him at once combine To make him act those mischiefs I design I met the Queen as she from hence did go To Herod She scarce would look on me Her It may be so Solo. Your Sister with respect should treated be Her Respect for you Why she hath none for me Solo. How can one Woman's Pride keep you in awe Whose word alone gives to two Kingdoms Law Her Ah 't is by much an easier task to guide Two mighty Kingdoms than one Womans Pride Solo. Your Fame is lost if aw'd thus by your Wife You ought to take away her Pride or Life Her To one who begs I death to her would give 'T is the worst Punishment to let her live Solo. If Death she does desire why should she strive For that from you she to her self can give Her Perhaps she would have me her-Murth'rer prove Solo. Life Sir is sweet to one that is in Love Her In Love Solo. Yes Sir in Love I say Her With who Hold I would think your malice speaks not You. Solo. No 't is my Love and Duty makes me tell A Truth which 't were a Sin should I conceal Nor could they both more generously appear Than now in telling what you dare not hear Her No more Why should I let into my Breast What would for ever rob me of my Rest Aside A thousand horrors in that narrow Room Have found their Cradle and may find their Tomb. This fatal Subject do not then pursue To Solo. But pity both your King and Brother too Who to the other Torments of his Life Knows he should hate but cannot hate his Wife They both go out ACT III. The Scene opens Herod appears asleep under a Magnificent Pavilion Hircanus and Aristobulus's Ghosts enter attended by several other Ghosts in white having great stains of blood over all their Garments They dance Antick Dances with black Iavelins in their hands The Dances ended they fall all in into one Rank and march up to Herod brandishing the Points of their Weapons towards him Herod wakes of a sudden starts up and draws his Sword at which all the Ghosts vanish He stares about him a while and then sayes Her