Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n
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A33146
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Xerxes, a tragedy as it is acted at the new theatre in Little Lincoln's-Inn Fields / written by C. Cibber ...
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Cibber, Colley, 1671-1757.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing C4285; ESTC R18221
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38,508
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58
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A Commander Mr. Scudamore Memnon Artabanus's Lieutenant Mr. Freeman Cleontes the King's Creature Mr. Thurmond Poet. An Impudent Fellow Mr. Boin Tamira Wife to Artabanus Mrs. Berry Maskers Magi Soldiers c. The Scene PERSIA XERXES ACT I. The Scene Near Xerxes Pallace Enter Mardonius and Aranthes Aran. HAVE Patience brave Mardonius Mar. Patience 'T is the Coward 's Virtue I 'm a Soldier brought up in Arms And when the noble End of Life is gone My Country's Honour lost my King with shame repuls'd Our Foes insulting we still hopeless of Revenge Where is there room for Patience Aran. I am a Soldier Sir Mar. Then talk like one Aran. I wou'd not talk the Tongue 's a Woman's weapon While there 's a Greek on Earth my Arm shall speak my Thoughts Mar. Why didst thou mention Patience then Aran. Because I knew ' twoud Anger you I bat oppos'd you like a rapid Stream To make you Foam and Rowl with double force Mar. Or'e whom Aran. Th' Athenians Think on Salamis In that deep Sea the Persian Honour sunk 'T was there our dazling Sun Great Xerxes Glory set for ever Mar. Confusion Aran. Does then the Name of Salamis offend you Mar. Furies and Hell Canst thou be pleas'd to hear it Aran. I am To hear it does offend you And now I 've rais'd you to my End propos'd Iv'e that shall keep your brave Resentment warm Read there the List of our surviving Troops Giving a Scrole Which I with utmost care have join'd If yet you think it not too late to Head 'em To Morrow's Sun shall see a General Muster Where every Face will speak an Heart resolv'd 'T is true they 're scarce an Handful To the Numbers we set out with yet still A brave Revenge Revenge for Glory lost Is such an animating Cause As must inspire our Arms with double Fury Mar. Ay now the Soldier speaks This Talk becomes thee Methinks the Voice of Fate informs me now That proud Themistocles shall dearly buy His boasted Spoils of Persia. My Heart 's on fire at the reviving Thought And bounds to be in Action No more remains but that we seek the Drooping King And Form him for the vast Exploit Aran. Brave Artabanus is in search of him 'T is said on Information that the Enemy Had a Design to hinder his Retreat He Posted privately to th' Hellespont But er'e he cou'd arrive a furious Storm Had quite dispers'd his Bridge of ships And that way stopt his Passage How he Escap'd I hear not See Sir Artabanus comes We probably may learn of him Enter Artabanus Dejected My Lord You 're Wellcome Doubly Wellcome now but say How have the Gods dispos'd our Master Xerxes Mar. If thou canst utter'ought That may advance our eager Hopes be bold And let thy Words come forth as if the Fate Of Greece were lodg'd upon thy Tongue For know Mardonius stands with you resolv'd On brave Revenge or Death Art Then Wellcome Death for brave Revenge is lost Mar. What! while our Lives are Ours Art Nothing is ours Xerxes is no more Himself Mar. I grant Thermopylae and Salamis Have Alter'd him But yet he lives and while he lives there 's hope Art Far less than ev'n his Death cou'd give us 'T is true his Body crawls and drags A Frantick Being his Soul is drown'd in lethe Insensible and deaf to Glory or Dishonour O! were it possible my Silence cou'd Conceal his shame By Heav'n This loyal Hand shou'd stop my Tongue for ever Mar. Amazement seizes me relate the Scene For my impatient Soul 's all Ear to know The Worst that Fate can Threaten Art Behold him then this fatal Monarch Xerxes Late Universal Master of the Earth and Seas First of so Formidable so vast an Army That as they mov'd whole Rivers still were drain'd To quench 'em on their thirsty March Th' or'e-bunden'd Earth grew weary of her Load And when they clos'd their Squadrons groan'd to bear ' em Mar. By Arms a glorious Host and wanting nothing but an Head Art And that Alas grown weak the noble Body dies Ev'n by an handful at the Fam'd Thermopylae Fam'd indeed to Graecian Glory 't was mangled All Most shamefully subdu'd and lost Mar. Nothing but a Xerxes cou'd ha' lost ' em Art Behold him yet a second time The Master of his Fate A Fleet so numerous Their vast Provision left a raging Famine on The Neighbouring Coasts The spacious Earth Was stript of Men and Women till'd the Ground Ev'n the wide Element of Air cou'd scarce Afford 'em Breath to fill their swelling Sails By Arms a glorious Body too Invincible To Mortal Thought But conscious Heav'n Foreseeing while it thus bestrid the Seas It must in Time have led the Earth in Chains Decreed it Xerxes for the fatal Head And that way Totter'd it to Ruin And now behold the amazing Change of Greatness By Heav'n it strikes my Soul to think This awful Man that Muster'd half the World In Arms at Salamis shou'd be Reduc'd So low that ev'n a common Fisher-Boat Without one Slave to wait his Nod was All He cou'd Command to save his Person in a shameful Flight Mar. Wer 't not for shame my Eyes wou'd melt to hear The moving Tale But Tears are too Effeminate No! Let Girls and Lovers weep A Soldier shou'd Resent his Fate Why doest thou fold thy Arms And sighing shake thy Head Is there beyond This shameful Flight yet more of shame For that 's the only pain that galls a Soldier Art There is alas and a severe one too His Vain His Proud and what the History of Man Cou'd never Parallel his Monstrous Resolution After Flight He says he made th' Athenians Fly He lost no Battle Greece still Trembles at his Name In Arms more Fam'd than ever And that the Envious World should know And when amaz'd I urg'd the contrary He turn'd away and talk'd to Sycophants Who as I spoke still sooth'd his lethargy To summ the Tale in spight of all Opposing sense He has resolv'd to enter Persia In a splendid Triumph I saw him move Amidst his shameful Pageantry in all The Haughty Pride and State of an Insutling Conqueror Poor Slaves and Vagabonds are Hir'd To Personate the seeming Captives of A Real Victory vast Empty Coffers Suppos'd of Treasure taken from the Enemy High Castled Elephants Rich Gilded Trophies Spoils and Armour Trumpets and Songs prepare his way The People stare upon the Gawdy show And Rend the Skies with Ecchoed Wellcomes While he in solemn Pace stalks Proudly on And ev'n out swells the Hero of a Theatre Aran. O Vile Disgrace of Arms A Triumph Hell Mar. Impossible Art Then it can't be true Would it were not Mar. Gods No more I 'll hast and stop this Vile Procession Charge his Folly home my Honest Tongue Ev'n from this Precipice of Towring Pride Shall break his Fall and catch him back to Glory Exiturus Art Yet stay my Lord this Rashness may be Fatal 'T is Madness to oppose
Gods She kneels Kings are their Images Such Thanks as Heav'n Accepts the humble All that Man can pay Receive O sacred Prince from me who like a God Have giv'n me Life restor'd and more than Life my Husband Nor wou'd I have you think that any Power on Earth But a resistless Love cou'd e'er have forc'd My honest Heart to brave my Prince's Anger Xer. Ay! there indeed thou 'st nam'd a Motive That might excuse the foulest Crime And wash it fair as Innocence Unconquerable Love Oh who can brave his Power A Power that braves the eldest Law of Nature Ev'n Self-defence is lost where he exerts his Sway For who 'd not rather die in Proof of Love Than suffer Life untasting of his Joys When Iove created Love He made a greater God than Iove Hadst thou design'd the Ruine of my Empire At Love's Command 't were Treason not t' obey 〈◊〉 him alone our Hells or Heav'n we prove He bids the Damn'd despair the Happy love Tam. Defend me Heav'n Whither wou'd he drive Aside Xer. Riches Ambition Glory Pride may boast Their several Charms to raise our Souls aloft Yet from the Height of all their towring Thoughts When on the eager Stretch to kiss the Skies Thus do we see 'em lur'd to Earth like me And rest their weary'd Wings upon the Hand of Love takes her Hand Why dost thou turn away Is it such Pain To be belov'd to be ador'd Kneels Can Penitence and humble Tears offend thee The Gods are not averse to those We kneel To Heav'n and taste of Mercy O why why didst thou take an Angel's Form Without the Softness of an Angel's Mind Canst thou not pity me Tam. Alas it is not in my power Still as my Thoughts grow soft my Husband steals 'em from me And he 's so greedy of the Joy he strips my Soul And leaves me cruel to the World beside Xer. Be cruel still yet will I still love on I have Consider'd all the vain Impossibles of Despair Yet have resolv'd to use no other Help but Love But such a Love fed with so soft a Flame So fond of Misery so impotent of Hope It must be inoffensive to the chastest Ears Tam. Why do you hold me like a frighted Dove That trembles in your Hand and murmurs for its Mate 'T is most Inhumane to be cruel 'cause you may 'T is true I am your Slave and in your Power Xer. Behold I throw it off Be free I scorn All Power but humble Passion Which thus disrobes the Purple King And strips him to the starving Lover But shall I must I starve before so fair a Banquet Tam. I have no Room To entertain another Guest You may Disturb my Love but never can be welcome to 't Xer. I 'll bring with me a tender sighing Heart A Lover's Heart that bleeds that languishes And dies to make me welcome Tam. Give it to those that starve on me 't is lost I in a faithful Husband have Eternal Plenty Xer. Husband 's the grossest Food of Love The Ignorant and Vulgar have their Share of him The poor contented Drudge of idle Nature Cheated of Bliss to be the Tool of Propagation But didst thou know the Joys a Lover brings Thus wouldst thou clasp me in thy willing Arms. Embracing her And mad with wild Desire confess Thou hast been fed but never knew'st to taste before Tam. Strike strike me deaf ye Gods O Violence To the Ears of Vertue Xer. Vertue 's the Bane of Bliss and while it checks The Husband's Love Love leaves the Lover free The Miser Husband starves a generous Flame He thinks you lavish when you most are kind And even fears to ask What with a Loose the happy Lover takes He 's still impatient of unknown Delight Begs with unfated Longings to improve the Bliss And adds by asking to the Store of Love By Heav'n she must be mine my Soul 's on fire And while I grasp her thus she must dissolve or burn She melts she pants her Conscious Eyes confess the Joy And sparkle from her Flames within The God of Love lays prostrate all her Charms And thus I seize her yielding to my Arms. Eagerly embracing her Tam. Tyrant 't is false I either melt or burn Exerting thus the Strength of Innocence I dash thee from thy Lustful Hopes for ever Breaking from him Stand off approach me not for if thou dost By all the Wrongs of my undaunted Love These Hands resolv'd with horrid Force Shall tear my guilty Eyes away and pash The reeking Balls upon the Ground before thee Xer. Why then the Spirit ly'd That said I was deceiv'd in Woman-kind I knew my Hopes to conquer thee were vain I now despair and that secures my Pleasure Women that yield to Love or vile Reward Are Things below the Passion of a Monarch's Soul But she that can like thee be deaft to Power To conquering Love yet bear the Rack for Love She is indeed a Banquet for the Gods I 'll be their Taster now And serve up in Ravishment to them Hadst thou submitted to my eager Love Perhaps in Heat of Blood I had enjoy'd thee And after left thee like a common Thing Despis'd and hated for thy easie giving Tam. O happy Thought he teaches me to 'scape him Forgive me Love if now I seem the Thing That Love should most abhor Aside Xer. Now where 's that Hand will hurt those Beauteous Eyes Srive not nor think thy Cries can move yet do Seizing her Hands Resist me still still Curse my hated Flame 'T wil burn the fiercer when oppos'd Methinks thou art not cold as I could wish By Heav'n I 'll grind thy sullen Hate to Love And glut my Vengeance with abhorr'd Possession Tam. And why Abhorr'd Smiling Can there be Horror in so sweet a Pleasure Can Force be needful to the yielding Fair I find you think me what I seem'd all Ice Ah! little little do you know of Womankind Our Lives Our Thoughts Our very Souls are Love Our Tears are Softness and our Coyness Fear Our Frowns Affected and our Smiles decoying Our Hearts are Tender and our Tongues belye 'em Our Wishes secret and our Eyes betray 'em We must be Cruel e're we can be kind And use Resistance to be more Desir'd But when our Cruelty has done its Part And kindly prov'd how Ill the Wretch can bear Then Then Our Joy's secure A look can cure Dispair Looks wantonly on him Xer. Amazement Tam. You thought perhaps because I bore the Rack That I could only bear an Husbands Love Alas I suffer'd that in spite to you Not love to him For you were then my Foe My Interest Brib'd me there to suffer My stollen Pleasures now are all secure The Rack has fix'd my Reputation fair It now shines out with such a glaring Light It blinds the Eyes of Jealousy By Heav'n I know were you unkind or base And should divulge the Joys I now resolve to give So fair my Honour stands it wou'd not be