betray'd Dum. There 's justice in our Cause Why not our Swords I 'le dye before I 'le yeild Lam. Than dye by me Yeild up your Sword or you shall fall by mine The Guards seize'em Dum. Must we be Prisoners then and Traytors too Lam. No. The first name's enough a name too haish For Souldiers Did not our King command it and the last Too horrid for Man-kind or ought but Devil The disobeying of a Kings so heinous That you deserved your death for your resistance His will is we are Prisoners but for Traytors Poysoners of Kings Know mighty Prince and You Whom Blood and Duty bids our King call Mother We 're injur'd baâ—ely wrong'd Madam from you Queen Yes 't is from Me you have receiv'd the name Of Murderers if you acquit your selves I shall be still the gracious Queen I was Till then expect Oh my much injur'd Lord What Vengeance hangs upon the blood of Kings But what more heavy burden on my heart A load that sinks me Go convey'em hence Let 'em be strictly guarded till to morrow Lam. Fetters or Death are things that we can bear Dum. 'T is not the Wrack that can our courage tame Our only Torture is a â—ullied Name The Queen well knows Queen Oh Sir command 'em hence I know too much to have so tame a sense Of my dear Lords lou'd blood Lam. But Sir Queen Away To Prison strait they kill me if they stay Who patiently can brook a Traytors sight But they who in a Traytors Crimes delight Exeunt Dumane and Lamot forced out by the Guards Enter Nigrello Clotair Madam dry up your tears Expect to hear that Justice done that 's due To a Murder'd Monarâ—hs Blood and Fathers too But to Aphelia first if kind Nigrello Be but successful in this Nights design This Night I 'le in her Arms my Passion Crown But stay My Father dyed but now his Fate calls down For thoughts of Vengeance and my tender breast Should be with dreams of piety possest With thoughts of Blood and Death of Funeral Beds Of Martyr'd Monarchs and of Traytors heads A Mothers Tears and walking Fathers Ghost Disturb'd i' th' other world for what in this was lost These should I think on but to night sleep sorrow For Love to night and for Revenge to morrow The world has much mistaken been to say That walking Spirits love the Night not Day Prisoners as well in Dungeons may delight They 're doom'd to shades and therefore pleas'd with Light It is not Ghosts but Lovers walk by Night Exit Manent onely Queen and Nigrello Queen Their Blood thou seest must for my Crimes be spilt Mine is the Innocence and theirs the Guilt But hold Nigrello say the Cloud we rais'd Should be transparent and my Arts that gave 'Em Fetters have not pow'r to work a Grave Suppose they clear themselves What though the King Has in a heat of fury built his Faith Upon my Tears and has decreed their death Yet when he comes to a more calm debate His senses may be cleared and we may find His Justice when more Tardy is less blind Nigr. Revenge that moves most slowly is most wise When it has fiercest hands has weakest eyes Queen But to dispel that fear be it your care To Poyson'em before their Tryal comes Which done I will give out and get it sworn They Poyson'd their own selves and chose that death T' avoid those fiercer torments that they knew Were to their guilt a Monarchs Murder due Do this and we are safe Perform this act And think what Debts you from your Queen contract Nigr. It shall be done and done without a pause Doubt not my Service in so great a Cause Exit Queen No Monster-Woman neither of 'em Bleeds My Vengeance aimes at more Heroick deeds My Rage shall at the Heads of Princes flye 'T is thou and thy Adulterate Race shall dye Exit Enter Lewis and Brisac Lew. Your Sister not return'd yet This late hour And her strange absense makes me all amazement Brisac My Father Sir is all Distraction for her In pious Rage one while he storms at Her Another at the Court So far i th' Night And his Aphelia â—absent he 's undone Courts are no Sanctuaries She no Vestal Then prays to Heav'n to mend the one and guard The other Lew. For her Virtue that I fear not I know whatever outward force may do Within She has no Traytor The Suns eye Views not a fairer outside nor can Heav'n Inspire a brighter Soul Brisac But Sir Nigrello Has just now sent me word that there 's a business Requires your Company and mine to Night In such a private Chamber for there 's something That 's near my Honour and your Heart in danger Lew. Then 't is no idle fear Shew me the place Ghosts keep your Beds you Centinels of Night Goblins and Specters do not walk your round A general Lethargy seize on this hour Whilst I alone the Watchman of the Night Will wake in spight of Fate Argus thy Eyes To find Aphelia and her Injuries Exeunt Enter Aphelia and Nigrello with a Light Aph. Into what Labyrinth do you lead me Sir Had you not used his Name which is to Me A strength 'gainst Terrour and himself so good Occasion cannot vary nor the night Youth nor his wilde desires otherwise A silent sorrow from my Eyes would steal And tell sad stories for me Nigr. You are too tender of your Honour Madam Leave your vain fears The Prince has no desires But what are just nor does he own that heat Which were you Snow would thaw a tear from you Aph. Is this the place appointed Nigr. Yes I 'le call him Here is a Book will bear you company Till my return Hither I send the King not that I mean To give him time to cool his burning Lust For Lewis shall present him in the fact And thus I shall indear my self to both Lewis enraged I 'm certain will conceive Such mortal hatred 'gainst his Lustful Brother For such an outrage offer'd to his Mistriss As will prepare his breast for the impressions I must make there My skill must faile me if I do not set Thy Crown upon thy Brothers head Clotair Thy Canker'd heart wants Lancing and thy Brother Shall by my Art administer that cure Which France will thank him for Thy Mother too With her Incarnate Devil Clarmount shall be The next whom my Revenge shall damne if Hell Be but as just as I for 't is their Right Hell then be kind and let 's joyn force to Night Exit Aph. Poor Ravisht Philoâ—el thy Lot was ill To meet that Violence from a Brother Enter Clotair in a Cloak Aphelia sits down and Reads Clot. She has Sworn Faith to Lewis and to woe her Into my Arms suppose 't were possible 'T is not a work of so few hours as I have To accompish it The flattery of to morrow Is a smooth Stile for a calm-blooded Lover But Seiges will not down
Fair Excellence what is 't Aph. My Death King Your Death Aph. Is the Request so wonderful My Lewis Is gone before And do you think that Patience In Heaven's a greater Virtue than on Earth When he was living hee 'd have been distracted With half so long an absence from Aphelia And do you think Heav'n where the Sun and Stars Have kept one course so many thousand years There where the Saints sing one Eternal song Where Bliss without decrease has held so long Can you think Heav'n harbours Inconstancy My Lewis when he took his last farewell Left all the world but me behind he bore My Image with him to the skyes and there Expects the sad Original should follow He is impaâ—ient languishes desires And thinks compar'd to Love the Staâ—s dimne Fires Think 's he 's but half in Heaven in his blest seat Wants Me to make his Paradise compleat I come I come Oh my most gracious King By your command let my freed Soul take wing He can't be blest without me And as you Gave him his Death give him his Glory too This Blessing you in Justice ought to grant You made the Martyr and now make the Saint King Madam is Love so barb'rous that it must Depend on Cruelty to make it constant Does it delight in blood that it requires A Mrs. Murder for a Lovers Monument No no He 'l be a Saint a milder way Your pity makes him blest without your Death My happy Brother happy in his Fall Who dyes deplored by fair Aphelia was Your Slave Conquerors may their Slaves out-live And though one of your Trophies is destroy'd Those eyes that made that shine as bright as ever And can make more of which see here the greatest France at thy feet tread on his Royalty Kneels Or if thy Nature knows not to forgive Which to believe were impious take this Sword T' appease the troubled Spirit of thy Love I find a speaking pity in thy eyes Which thence will drop upon thy gentle tongue And cry Live Clotair my unhappy Loves Repenting Murd'rer live Aph. The Penitence Of Kings would expiate a Nations sins Sure then their own may be forgiven His blood Heav'n pardon you for I do King Then I 'm pardon'd There cannot be an act you pass but Heav'n Will sign to But dear Madam in this state Of Innocence to which your Mercy has Restored me let me offer up a heart To fair Aphelia for a Sacrifice I am a full and perfect Convert now Both Murderer and Ravisher repents My heart grown Virtuous and unspotted now Approaches you with Adoration looks With piety on what it once profaned Accept a Love a Love so pure so true Nothing but You could raise nothing but You Reward Aph. Hold Sir You are my King but though Things are exempt from Laws their Crimes above Th'examining of Justice from a Judâ— Yet Kings may guilty stand at Loves Tribunal I can condemne you yet great Sir I do not But though I do not and his death I pardon Honour obey and reverence a King I can but Love I can't My heart his Right His Province I can never make a seat For any second Lord much less his Murd'rer They who forgive a Crime may not reward it King Oh my hard fate Oh more then cruel Woman Is this to honour reverence and obey A King to scorn him or can the requiting My Love be the rewaâ—ding of my Crime Oh Cruelty Concern'd so much for Blood I shed in my wild rage and moved so little At Ruines you design at deaths you give With a firm look fixt and resolved to kill Enter Lewis and Nigrello to the door Nigr. Stand here unseen and you are safe Lew. The Plot That thou hast layd to try her constancy Is excellent Nigr. He 's here expect th' event on 't Enter Burbon in hast Burbon Forgive my hasty rudeness for my Cause Requires it Sir the City 's up in Arms Your Subjects in Rebellion and their sury Seems by Revenge inspired Revenge they cry Their Rage is grounded on your Brothers Death And they 're resolved as the Incendiary Of his destruction t' have Aphelia's blood Lew. As I could wish Burbon Great Sir bethink your self King Aphelias blood The common Multitude advance their Arms Against her sacred Head Oh Hellish outrage The Gyants when they besieged Heaven attempted To Dethrone Iupiter with less impiety Her Blood Enter in hast a second Gentleman Second Gent. Great Sir your frighted Guards o're-pow'rd Your Pallace they have enter'd and resolve To lay it level with the ground if what Their loud and baâ—barous rage calls Justice this Fair Lady's Life do not appease their fury King Her Life t' appease â—em By that Life they ask Her precious Life the Sacred'st Oath That I can swear their Insolence has damn'd ' em Go instantly and tell the Rebels I Am her Protector and she shall not dye Aph. Hold gracious Sir revoke that harsh decree Tell 'em I am their Martyr and my Death King Be gon and say as I command you hast Aph. Oh no Sir say that I 'le submit and dye Consider but what dangers you will shun Think how much blood you 'l by my Sentence spare And can you be so cruel when the opening Of one poor Virgins veins that hates her Life And begs her Death repaires a Kingdoms health Lew. Oh my best Angel Oh my full-blown joys Aside King You cruel Woman how can you request That which your eyes forbid Whilst I gaze there And feel that Love their Light inspires I 'de see My Empire set on float and France lye deeper In humane gore then e're the Deluge laid The sunk Foundations of the drowning World E're I 'de behold one drop of yours let out Aph. Oh you forget your self What Marriner Would not throw over-board a worthless Fraight T' avoyd a Shipwrack King But what Fool or Mad-man Would throw away his Wealth his Life his Soul His Heav'n t' avoid that storm his courage scornes Tell the bold Rebels I 'm in person here And as I know Rebellion shrinks at nothing I 'le satisfie their rage a nobler way That blow their Impious hands dare aim at hers I through my Breast will intercept their King Their Victim sure th' Impetuous tide will stop Go then and do as I command Aph. No stay Kings are not safe in raging Crowds their fury May Murder you King What then what if they do What can the Man you hate be worth the saying Aph. Sir though I cannot Love yet my Allegiance Will never let me see my Soveraign bleed The sacred Blood of Kings King The Blood of Kings A toy a trifle do you understandâ— Your pow'r so little to esteem his Life You scorn worthy your care You wrong your self To cast a thought on such an abject thing As a poor hated Lover though a King Dull Sir be gon Aph. No kind Sir stay Dread Lord Rebellion is a thing too terrible For a soft Virgins ears
burn the Temple where his Ashes sleep And raze his Tomb to be reveng'd on 's dust for 't But now I think on 't thou shalt live for tortures I know there must be greater heads then thine In this Conspiracy which I 'le wrack from thee Then my Revenge I 'le take when 't will be glorious Less then a Massacre would be too mean A Sacrifice t' Aphelias injur'd Honour Nigr. That trouble shall be saved I doubt not Sir But you 'l believe me e're l 've done King Believe thee Slave I 'de not believe an Angel Should a Messenger from Heav'n bring me this News I would turn Athest to affront him for 't Nigrello gives him Aphelias Letter What 's this a Letter to Clarmount Reads My Lord My transports of joy have been such as your Favours merited When I consider the furious Love of a Tempestuouâ— King I cannot but reflect on the danger of your kindness in wrestling with that Love and the glory of it in subduing it Pursue that generous friendship that has been so well begun and take into the number of your Admirers the humblest of your Servants Aphelia The danger of his kindness in wrestling with my Love and his glory in subduing it That Friendship which has been so well begun then it seems He 's a more pow'rful Rival then his King Somthing a loving stile stay here 's a Postcript When I am Married and a Queen our stolne pleasures will be more difficult but shall not be less desired nor less grateful to yours still Aphelia Reads What pretty sorgery is this Betray her Virgin-honour make stolne meetings Aphelia Clarmounts Whore Nigr. Oh no Sir The World has found a gentler name his Mrs. I see Sir you are startled cease your wonder Is she not fair and in this loving Age A little Gallantry's a Venial sin King Slave do you sport with me confess who forged This Blasphemy For'tis no more her writing Then thou' rt a Saint Nigr. 'T is hers I saw her write it And when she had done she gave 't me to deliver But Curiosity made me so rude To break it open which when I had read My Loyalty made me present it here To save your honour from a Syrens charms And guard my Prince from a loose Wantons arms King Thou ly'st there 's not one word on 't hers Has Lewis Corrupted thy fideliry I suspect It is his plot but I will force the secret From thy black soul or tear thy heart-strings out Nigr. I 'm not Subornd That Letter is Aphelias She wrote it and I 'le prove it I confess She 's Beautiful but what though she be fair Must that conclude she 's honest King Hold thy Athestick tongue Or speak and dye Nigr. Great Sir King Peace Slave thou that infect'st all Peace Nigr. Why are you thus distemper'd let not truth Make you so wild a Tempest Were it false Or that I sought the ruine of your Peace Your Youth or Honour then it were a time To swell to this extravagance of passion But being truth King Truth Dog avoyd my sight Fly where the ruder world ill verst in Kindred Promiscuously combines without distinction Where every Man is every Womans Husband These are a People that might bear with thee And fit for thee to dwell with Nigr. Yes Royal Sir I 'm gone but th' only way For me t' avoyd your sight must be to dye Nothing but death can separate your Slave Your loyal faithful Slave from his loved Lord His honour'd and adored Lord But if death 's My doom pray let your humble Vassal beg Kneels An honourable death Sir from your hand Let it in glory come that death which I Deserve when my great Master thinks me false But e're you give me honour right your own Rises Sir if I do not prove All I have said send my black soul to Hell Damnation for abusing Majesty Is a just due Hers and your wrongs demand King Leave off your Protestations can her Fame Be question'd or disputed Nigr. Not by one Who is all passion but by Reason King Then Let Reason be the judge I 'le show it her Nigr. Do Sir But hold She 's not so impudent in sin to own So foul a Paper If she should disown it As if you show it her no doubt she will You 've but my word for 't Then for better proof Let her be sent for and at her approach Do you retire unseen to over-hear us The first thing that I 'm certain she will ask me Will be about that Letter the discourse Between us will convince you that she sent it And make perhaps more large discoveries Of her false heart then this has pow'r to do King It is impossible her Character Gives this black scrowl the lye She cannot be That Monster which this Letter represents her Were she Unchast why then did she refuse A profferd Crown I offer'd Marriage to her And Marriage that 's the veile to Unchastity You see she shun'd Did she not choose her death Before my Love Were she in league with Clarmount Why would she for my Brothers Love have dyed Were all this truth where 's all her Vows to Lewis Her scorn of Life and her desire of Heav'n To meet him there Nigr. Where are they where they should be In the smooth tongue and oyley words of subtle Woman Where are they why Sir can't you guess Is the pretence of Constancy and Honour Such news in Woman kind Did not you love her And courted by a King could she do less Were she a Devil then appear an Angel She had promis'd Marriage to your Brother But Must you conclude her Chast for courting Death To follow him what a strange bold request Was it to beg her Death from him she knew Loved her too well to grant it her The favour She askt she ne're expected to obtain King How 's this Nigr. And for the conduct of her Love to Lewis Examine it and where 's her mighty Faith She 'd hate you as his Murderer and Love Her Murder'd Lovers memory She 'd choose To be his Sacrifice before your Queen 'T was a brave Character and she pursued it But search its depth 't was Interest an Artifice To heighten your esteem of her How common Is it to make a Conquest difficult To raise the value on 't For after all She 's not invincible nor he so pow'rful But she could yeild at last Did she not tell you That that high fate you had markt out for her Would be both welcome great and glorious And so in loving duty and kind Loyalty Her heart was at her Kings disposal King Hold I 'le hear no more Nigr. But Royal Sir you must Though the bold speaker dyes for 't When you 've Marry'd her She has her ends For then what with your Pride For your hard Conquest and your high assurance Both of her Love and Honour which her great And pious Character confirms she 's certain To raise your Passion to
amazement But what I want in words I 'le speak in deeds Offers to draw at which Nigrello stamps and the former villains rush in seize and disarm him You are too rash Kings may be Kings in Pallaces But not in Dungeons 'T is I am Monarch here Clotair it would be Charity to kill you For you 've outliv'd your pow'r This day your Brother By my Conspiracy converts that force You lent him to assist the Rebels cause And you shall live to see him crownd Release him The Villains let him go King Thou black Infernal Dog Thank Heav'n that gave thee A Face of such a dye as cannot blush Or rather thank the Devil that lent thee Impudence To be bejond the use or fear of blushing Nigr. But now I think on 't better Life 's a burthen And I will ease you on 't Have at your heart Aph. Hold hold Nigrello stay stay save the King Interposing And I 'le forgive thee all thy wrongs to Me. Nigr. Peace foolish Woman I that kill one King Have rais'd another one too that shall make Aphelia Queen But King before thou dyest I le shew thee my Experience in Murder A Curtain drawn Clarmount and Fredigond appear dead King My Mother dead Inhumane Villain though I scorne to fear my Death or ask my Life Of thee I 'le condescend t 'as mean an act As King was ever guilty of I 'le stoope To talk to thee and ask thee what strange cause Made thee this Traytor Nigr. Think upon the wrongs Of the abused Chlotilda King What 's her wrongs to thee Nigr. I 'le not capitulate my Injuries Within Long Live Lewis King of France Nigr. I hear my time is short King My Brother Crownd How can the Slave speak truth Nigr. Now for thy blood I cannot strike him Oh relenting heart What Awe hangs on the brow of Majesty Faint heart A Man so long and now turn Woman In the last action of my Life Here take This Sword But I conjure you by the wrongs That I have heap'd upon you by the loss Of fair Aphelia To guide the point directly at my heart Gives him his Sword King What means this turn But I 've no time for questions A Villain and a Traytor dye with thee Kills him Enter Lewis Brisac Burbon Lamot Dumane and Attendants Lewis Aphelia welcome to my Armes Clotair Thou art thy Brothers Prisoner King No Usurper This gives me freedom falls on his Sword Lew. Hold your hand King No Rebel Your Mercy comes too late after your Treason I cannot loose Aphelia and out-live That loss Nigrello tell me who thou art For by thy glorious Villany thy Wit Thy Courage and thy Conduct I am sure That blackness hides some noble blood What art Nigr. Chlotilda Lam. How my Sister All. Chlotilda Nigr. Ravisht by thee Clotair betrayd by Clarmounâ— And Fredigond for which they are no more 'T was they seduced me to that fatal place Where you my Honour stole 't was they that spilt My Guiltless Parents blood and in requital 'T was I betray'd them hither where at once I took Revenge both on their Lives and Souls But when I came to my last stroke of Vengeance After I had rob'd thee of a Crown and Mrs. To kill thee King there there my sury stopâ—â— Thou hadst injur'd me yet I would dye by Thee And though I had worne so long a masculine shape For all my other Scenes of Cruelty I put on my own Sex agen to dye Dumâ— Our Sister and our Patroness This Revenge Is an Estate to th'Family 't will make The Dumane race immortall Nigr. Now I dye To Lewis Grant me this favour for the Crown I gave you Though I have justly wrought your Brothers fall I must not blast his Fame after his Death He was no Murd'rer till I made him one Your Fathers Destiny was your Mothers Crime But oh I dye When elder time shall rip This story up be courteous to my Fame Call not these Ruines Treason but Revenge A satisfaction due to an Injur'd Lady Call me and honourable Murderer And finish there as I do Dyes King Art thou gone Farewell thy Sexes Champion thou hast acted A cruel part so high so well that it Commands applause from those it has destroy'd And Rival Brother if you dare be just Build her a Pyramid for a Monument But whilst I'give her Cruelties pardon I forget To ask if for my own Injur'd Aphelia Forgive a sin greater then what thy Chains And this black Dungeon brands me with Forgive My Impious Faith that durst believe a wanton And unchast thought could harboâ—r in thy Breast A Seat Divinities would choose to dwell in Here I would gaze for ever but an envyous darkness Hangs on my Eyes farewell Must we part then Is King and Lover such a mortal name Where 's all my mighty Vows Where 's all My passionate Devotion to the fair Aphelia Shrunk to a poor faint Sigh a dying look A cold farewell to Love and then no more dyes Aph. Farewell great Soul when in thy glorious flight Thou hast reacht thy high Immortal Seat above Forget thy harsh and rigid Fate below And borrow so much Mercy from that Heav'n Of which thou makest a part to pardon faults Unkind Aphelia had not pow'r to shun Who to such kindness could so cruel prove Wanting a heart to pay so great a Love Lew. What strange intrigues has Fate wrought up to day Disguis'd Nigrello the abus'd Chlotilda And I by false suggestions blindly led Have aimd a Sword against a guiltless head Deposed a Brother to Revenge a Father Thy Rage was just but mine was too severe The sad resentments of my fatal errour And thy wrongs spread a darkness o're my Soul That mis-becomes this day But Tears are all we to the dead can pay And whilst I view such happiness so near My griefs at this bright Object disappear But injur'd Prince t' appease thy angry doom I'lle be a pious Mourner at thy Tomb When my great joys and my Aphelias charms Will give me time t' attend thy Sacred Dust And Love afford me leisure to be just Exeunt omnesâ— FINIS POST-SCRIPT THis Play is founded on a Tragedy call'd the Fatal Contract And in the two First Acts there is much of the Original Copy remaining But from Page 25th 't is entirely New to the End excepting the Last Scene in the 4th Act and a little Scene beween Dumane Lamot and Burbon For in the Fatal Contract after the supposed Death of Lewis in the 2d Act Aphelia in the very next Scene after at First Word asking much like the Ephesian Marton Marries the King her Lovers Murderer which quite varied the Intrigue to the End of the Play I could make Excuses for putting an ill Head upon Worse Shoulders Or tell you as some of our Impertinent Tribe do that 't was Written in three Weeks or a Months time if I thought any Reasonable Man would be more Favourable to the Defects of the Play for such an Apology But as I am Sensible that that Excuse to a Play would be much like that of a Builder that after the fall of a House shall tell you truly he Built slightly and chose in ill Foundation I will not urge that Plea for the Plays Defence which in the best Interpretation must render an Author Lazy if not Dull In the first of which he shews himself Impudent when he dares be so Disrespectful to an Audience as to obtrude such incorrect Stuff uponâ—em as he is or ought to be ashamed of Or else proves himself a Blockhead and makes that Excuse when really â—e wanted Abilities not Leisure to write better
's Princely Vow'd our Friend besides what ill Can we expect from her who might have sent Her murdering Ministers and slain us here Had She intended foul play No She 's Noble Dum. Noble Grant her so yet Lam. Yet what Dum. Her Murder'd Brothers memory Lam. When He fell We were too far off for Traytors Dum. But not for Torments had we been apprehended For in the high displeasure of that Queen All our Posterity was doom'd some felt the Wheel Some Wrackt some Hang'd others empaled on Stakes And had not we been then in Wittenburgh We had added to the number of the Dead And think you still we shall not Lam. By my Life 'T is Murder to suspect her We 'l to Court. Our Lives are all that we can lose our Fame Stands fair no power can reach a Souldiers Name Exeunt Enter Fredigond and Nigrello Queen What Conference did they maintain with thee Nigr. None further then the Language of their Eyes They lookt on me as if they meant me thanks Which their Amazement rob'd me of Queen Spake they not Nig. No not a word Queen Do you know ' em Nigr. No Royal Madam they appear'd to me But like the silent postures in the Arras Only the form of men with stranger faces Queen Come take 'em in They are our Enemies VVhich I have Angled with that golden bait Their Parents waded in my Brothers blood For which I 'le be reveng'd on all their Race Did they increase as fast as I could Kill I 'de ever Kill that they might still increase A bloody and a terrible mistake To right the Injuries of their Ravisht Sister They Murder'd Clâ—dymer for Clotairs fact My Brother Dyed for what my Son did act For which thus Fredigond's revenged The old Dumane the Father to this Maid VVith all his Kindred all his Race except Her wicked Brothers and that Ravisht VVhore I have already Sacrificed Is not Revenge a Pastime for the Gods Nigr. VVere but their Ravisht Sister and those Brothers VVith 'em it were a pastime for the Gods Queen VVe find thee fit Nigrello for employment I 've always found thee trusty and I love thee Nigr. I â—ay my Life at my great Mrs. feet But Madam how came this their Sister Ravisht Now for the greatest Rancour of her Soul Aside Was She such Ice or He so ill a Courtier That He your Eldest Son the Heir of France Could not subdue a Ladys heart nor steal A Pleasure but with so much Violence 'T was very hard he could not Queen Yes 't was hard 'T was my ill Fate he could not For that Lady I knew he Loved and I my dear Clarmount Glad of th ' occasion instantly used all Our Arts to make Her His. 'T was we seduced her By false pretences to that fatal place VVhere my hot Sons wild passion forced her Honour But for a different end we brought her thither For we design'd her for an easier prize In hopes She would have yeilded to his Arms That when he had once debaucht her to a Mistriss He might have been diverted by her Love And those more fweet stolne Pleasures from the thoughts Of the morose and duller Joys of Marriage And the more weighty cares of Heirs to Kingdoms And by that means we thought t' have softend him Into so loose a Life as might have render'd My Clarmounts passage easier to the Crown Nigr. Was ever such a Bawd or such a Mother Aside But She it seems more Chast then Wise refused The gracious offer of your Princely Son Queen Refused it Yes And Curse upon the Name Her Chastity that scorn'd his Love inflam'd it And drew that Rage from his unruly Passion That lost her Honour and my Brothers Life Her Enraged Kindred wanting power for open Revenge in a dark hour and silent Walk Mistook and Stab'd my Brother for my Son But see how my Revenge I have persued And what 's my Misery I am still forced To set new Plots on foot Nigr. As how Royal Madam Queen I 've laid the Platform of great Childricks death Nigr. Her Husbands death Aside Queen And they two Brothers must be thought his Murdrers Our Enemies and now new Courtiers Whom for this end I have reserv'd for Policy First that they take away the Guilt from Us Next being seiz'd to study Pains and Deaths The Heads of all our Engineers shall sit T' invent unheard of Torments for the Villains I long to see 'em greet their Kindreds Dust. Nigr. The Plot 's most admirable Queen Then I 'le commend thee to my Elder Son Where thou shalt wind into his secret thoughts As for the Younger Boy let me alone Did ever VVoman less delight in blood And shed so much as I must Oh Nigrello I once was a Kind VVife and Pious Mother But now my Husband and my Sons must dye And I must be the Traytor I can Weep To give 'em Deaths and yet I cannot save ' em Almighty Love this wondrous Change has made A Love that has my hopes of Heav'n betray'd And yet I can't resist it For my Clarmount My best-lov'd Clarmounts sake Husband and Sons Are Clouds betwixt my Love and Me and all The tyes of Blood and Nature are too small To check what Love resolves When Love bears sway All lesser powers all weaker tyes give way Enter Clarmount Sir you are welcome Your Visits have been freer but I grow old And you command the Beauties of the Time Clarm. What means my Noble Mistriss think you the blood Runs so degenerate within these Veins To stoop to any thing below the Charms Of this Divinity Queen But oh my dearest Clarmount we are betray'd Our Interview last Night was by the King Discover'd Clarm. How discover'd Queen Yes but by What Arts I cannot learn Nigr. Learn No 't is past your skill The Plots I lay I defie all the Arts of Man or Devil To countermine or what 's more subtle Then Man or Devil I defie thy pow'r The pow'r of Woman damn'd in Lust whose Breast Harbours more Hell then Zealots Fears or Poets Fables ever framed Aside Furies are Tame and burning Lakes are coolâ— To thy Insatiate Lust and monstrous Villanies Clarm. How has he dropt ambiguous words and what To Fredig His Language left imperfect spoke in Looks Queen Yes Sir but as he 's of a fearful Nature And consults safety e're his Rage speaks plain So is he of a cruel one when that rage Is ripe for action what he intends I cannot guess unless it be our deaths Which if he speedily performs not then Know he shall never for this night concludes him Nigr. Dye and to Night Aside Queen The Poyson 's drank already And wants but some few hours for operation My Sons I weigh not this They have Rebell'd And taken spirit to oppose my Will For which it is not safe that they should live The Kingdoms Heir shall bâ— a Child of thine And Kings and Queens shall follow in thy Line Enter Dumane and
universal pow'r does rule Far as the Light equal in Cell and Court Love the Worlds business and the Stages sport Enter Nigrello Queen And Sir to shew how apt a Scholar I 'le be At Night make me a visit and instruct me The Courts disorder for these late mischances By kind Nigrelloes help and your Disguise Renders your Visits easie and unsuspected Then all our Cares a quiet rest shall take All other Passions sleep when Love's awake Exeunt Clarmount and Fredigond Nigr. There you shall sleep your last I 'le to the King And he shall take you in the very act And that I may not seem the unkind discoverer Of his Dishonour and his Mothers Guilt I 'le set on fire the Queens Apartment That so I may disturb 'em more securely And yet the Plot not mine I 'le tell the King Unless there 's present help his Mother burns Waked by the Alarme Of such a bold intruder as the Fire I 'le scorch the sweating Satyr from his den Till the rowz'd Monster to escape that Fate Shall rush into th' Kings very Armes a toyle That 's strong enough to hold him if there 's Gall Or Honour in a Tyrants breast to punish So infamous and publick a disgrace T'extract a Letcher from a Flaming Bed A rare Alembick excellent Chymistry All my misfortune is I must my self Be an assistant to this amourous meeting A kind Procurer to a Royal Strumpet But let that pass for an exployt so rare There is no dress But what Revenge dares wear Exit The end of the Second Act. ACT the Third After Fire cryed Enter Clotair Nigrello Lords and Guards Nigr. LOok how it flames I fear some Trechery Beat at her Chamber door cry it aloud And let your voyce be Thunder to this Lightning Guards Fire Fire Clot. Mother awake left you do sleep for ever Force open the door Guards Fire Fire Nigr. It 's fortified against strength you must call louder Clot. Madam awake awake Your sleep was never so like Death as now Enter Frâ—digond above in her Night Gown Queen What Impudence is this dares be so rude He had better rowz'd a sleeping Lyoness Then thus have broke my slumbers What art thou Clot. Look The fire will give you light 't is I your Son Fly from that Chamber or you 're lost The Court Is all on Fire Queen Let it burn I 've lost my Credit everlastingly Aside Enter Clarmount above in a Night-Gown behind her Clarm. What shall we do in this Necessity We shall be taken and you shamed for ever Let us bethink our selves what shall we do To the Queen Queen I know not what Curse on this blazing light No Art no Magick no Devil of our side Kind Fates I have it Clarmount in my Closet Lyes th' Habit that my Husband wore last Night When he was Poyson'd put on that and with Part of the same Disguise you enter'd in Make up the form of the dead King which sight With the surprize that I 'le put on shall so Amaze him till you have past by him safely Do not appear to me I did not wrong thee To Clar. Seek out the Beds of those that caus'd thy Death And howl to them thy pittiful Complaints Clot. Whom do you hold discourse with with the Ayre Queen Oh Son Such horrid Apparitions Have I beheld have quite unwitted me Your Fathers Ghost most terribly frightful Has thrice this dismal Night appear'd to me In his right hand he bore a shining Cup Which to his mouth he rais'd with looks so gay As if he drank a health to some young Bride The aiery Potion drank strait in a sume He threw the seeming Goblet to the ground And with an alter'd look assumed a paleness More death like then the frost his Age and Cares Made him in Life-time wear To Heav'n he pointed Thrice did he cry Revenge and at that word Sprung through the Roof which now stands bare to Heav'n Where he did rain down Fire which here you see Clot. Behold it comes Queen Oh fear it not my Son Descends Enter Clarmount disguised in the habit of Childrick his face discâ—lour'd white Clot. My Fathers form exactly who could think The Devil were so good at Picture-drawingâ— Pray Heav'n he be not Ceremonious for I find my self but ill provided forâ— A Complement If it be Injuries Break open Monuments and disturb the Dead I 'le â—ee thy rights perform'd If thou desirest To be appeas'd with Blood Blood thou shalt have Or if that 's not enough I 'le build thee Temples Thou shalt have Altars humane Sacrificeâ— Do but depart thy presence does not please me Thou art not Company for Flesh and Blood Exit Clarm. Enter Queen below Queen How fares our Son Clot. Fares Mother as a Man Would fare that never saw the Devil before He was a Stranger to me and surpriz'd me Nigr. The Villain has outhwitted me Aside Clot. If Revenge Maneâ—t only King Queen Nigrel Will do the work Nigrello bring the Prisoners Nigr. Dumane Sir and Lamot Clot. Yes them Nigr. Oh Sir Your Princely care for your great Mothers danger Diverted me from interrupting your More pious thoughts or else I had inform'd you That but just now their Jaylour brought me word That they have took a draught of Poyson but How got he knows not to escape those tortures It is imagin'd that their guilty Conscience Expected would attend so damn'd a Crime They have prevented Justice and are dead Clot. Poyson'd and dead Nigr. Poyson'd and Damn'd for sure Heav'n that ordains The Murderers of Kings such easie Deaths Designs the greater torments for their Souls Queen Poyson'd By Poyson my great Lord expired Is Providence so barren to Decree Martyr and Murderers one Destiny Heaven that fore sees the Falls Seals the Tombs Of Monarchs had decreed severer Dooms For Traytors had it felt my sufferings My griefs my pains my sense of Murder'd Kings Exit Clot. His Poysoners Dead and yet his Ghost disturb'd Or are there more of the Conspiracy Whose Deaths his troubled shade comes to demand Nigr. What shade Clot. My Fathers Spirit in his very habit Here from my Mothers Chamber it came forth Nigr. His habit had it on his very habit Clot. His habit so I say the very dress He wore last night when the accursed Poyson Impoverisht France to enâ—ich Heaven Nigr. That habit As I remeraber was last night put off In the Queens Bed chamberâ— the King was in Her Lodging seiz'd with the first pains of that Qutragious Poyson in the mid'st of whose Tormâ—nting heat in pious Duty T' administer some ease by th' help of Ayre His Garments from his Body we tore off Stript from which burden to my certain knowledg That habit never stir'd from thence till now And the Disguise his Ghostly Visage wore I 'm confident was more Pleasant to the Queen When 't enter'd thither though so terrible When it departed thence Ha ha ha Clot. Why this ridiculous Mirth Nigr. The Devil
the work Therefore I give ' â—m up To thy Tuition till I shall return Victorious then we 'll determine of ' em Exeant Lewis and Briâ—ac Queen Did I for this ungrateful Traytor trust My honour in thy hands Clar. Did she for this Bestow her Princely smiles on thee prefer thee Rayse thee to honour and rewards above Nigr. No more I have no time for words or thoughts Of any thing but Justice take 'em hence And lodge 'em in that Dungeon which I told you Exeunt Fredigond and Clarmount forced out by Guards All goes as I could wish The King 's possest Aphelia has been Debaucht by Clarmount And this Nights work Strengthens that Faith for Clarmount being removed By his strange and sudden absence 't will be thought He lyes conceal'd and that concealment seem Th' effect of guilt by which I 'le work the King To a belief he thinks his crime discover'd And is retired t' avoyd the punishment What prospect of Revenge am I arriv'd to Their confidence in my Honesty destroys 'em What safer policy then seeming just The greatest prop of Treachery is Trust. Exeunt ACT the Fifth Scene the First The Scene a Prison Clarmount and Fredigond appear bound Enter Nigrello Clarm. ARt thou here Persidious Slave is this the gratitude Thou pay'st thy Royal Mistriss Queen Barbrous Villain Thou hast out-done even thy own Native soyle And made thy self a Monster more deform'd Then e're thy Africk bred Nigr. Go on Clarm. Oh Impudence Hear me ye sacred Pow'rs in punishment To such Ingratitude may you invent A Plague for yet your Vengeance never sent On all the sinners since the Worlds Creation One bad enough for him But if the Gods Are barren at Invention let 'em joyn All thâ—â—r old Plagues in one and if that prove Too light add my Gall to 't to make it weight Nigr. You 're not so good at Curses as I am At pardonâ—ng 'em Thus I reward your Rage Unbinds ' em Clarm. What means this Pageantry some fair disguise To palliate thy guilt Mock us with freedom To cut our throats more pleasantly Is 't not Enough to kill but you must have the vanity Of a Surprize in acting it Nigr. You wrong me Clarm. 'T is likely you 're so innocent the least Spot stains you First betray our privacy And thy Queens Honour then to have her seiz'd And drag'd by servile hands into a Dungeon Loaded with Chains and all to have th' occasion T' oblige her with the taking of 'em off agen How thin and how transparent are thy cheats Nigr. Sir t'undeceive you know that I am guiltless And though I was the man that seiz'd you sent you To Prison used all cruelty and rudeness I could invent 't was all design'd to serve you Queen He speaks like Oracles in Mysteries Nigr. And like them too speak truth Your Son betrayd you But by what information he surpriz'd you In so retired a place I know not but Finding you were betrayd and by the Prince Beset I at the Alarm strait joyn'd With the Confederates appeared their Friend Pursued the chace more eagerly then they And was the first and fiercest that aâ—â—acqued you I first proposed this Dungeon for you Lodging And as kind Fate would have it by that intrest My Service to the Prince in his recovery Had gain'd me in his breast It was thought honest And my design embraced Thus was I made Your Jaylour and thus your Deliverer Clarm. Can this be truth Queen He cant sure be so great A Villain as this makes him if 't be false We have found him honest this was not the first time That he has been the Guardian of our Honour In places too where had he then proved false Our Infancy had been more loud and our Disgrace more publick then by seizing us In so retired a place as this Why not A Villain then If he intended Treason Why mist he such much fairer opportunities To act it no he is he must be honest Clarm. Since your mistrust is gone mine too must vanish Nigr. But Madam Courtesies that cost us nothing Cannot be acts of Gratitude Fate I thank it To pay my Debts to you a glorious path has shown By saving your Lives I expose my own But danger's welcome in so great a cause Queen Nigrello kind Nigrello how I love thee Nigr. Your pious Son has such strict sense of Honour That though perhaps Nature may intercede for You For Clarmount he designs a death in Tortures But when he shall have heard I saved his Life What danger will my humble weakness run By the just anger of so great a Prince How easily am I crusht by such a hand Yet all this Madam I dare undertake When acted for my Royal Mrs. sake Queen My kind preserver I want words to thank thee Nigr. I ask no thanks all the requital I Desire is that you two would Love for ever Under the â—â—eltâ—r of so blest an Union I 'm certain to be safe whilst that Tye holdâ— That sacred tye of Love you'â— cast some thoughts On your poor humble Slave and guard him from An angry Princes rage But if that Chain Be ever broke my shaken fortune sinks And all I am expires and dyes if e're You cease to Love Queen If what we owe to thee Can by our Loves be paid doubt not your Debtors We are too Rich in Love e're to be Bankrupts Clarm. When we cease Loving we must cease to be Our Loves are Register'd in Heaven or if They be not yet they shall be Ye dull Destinies I 'le dictate while you write Our Love desires To last as long as Fate for I am serves 'T is as unchangeable To those fair Eyes I 'le dedicate my Life my Soul my Nigrello stamps and immediately a Company of Villains rush in with drawn Swords and massacre the Queen and Clarmount Nigr. Down down with them you Dogs one minutes Life May save their souls So you 've done well Lay their bodyes where I order'd And when I give the sign agen be ready Exeunt Villains carrying out Clarmount and Fredigond Revenge oh dear Revenge Name me the man In Story that e're prosecuted Vengeance So far as I have done Had I took their lives When they expected death they then might have Prepared for dying and death would have been all But now to raise 'em to the hopes of Life Nay and to work 'em up to vow the leading A profane Life in an unlawful Lust And whilst the impious Vow was sealing then To stop th' Adultrous breath just in that minute As damn'd their Souls is a revenge so charming But business now grows thick Here I have lodged Aphelia and expect the King Burn on Burn on my best loved Rage Ye infernal Furies Be kind and heighten my weak gall be but My Slaves to day and be my Saints to morrow Enter King and a Lord attending him Lord. The Castle is surrounded and their number Is twenty thousand and the greatest