has call'd me back but speak again If 't is as I suspect I 'm lost for ever Aside Speak did you say my Wife Cata. I did my Lord I am your loving true obedient Wife This night the Holy Priest did joyn our hands And Anto. Curst us both eternally Cata. My Lord Anto. Call him not holy Vilain Atheist Epicure Are terms too full of Sanctity to give him For he that joyn'd our hands is damn'd for ever Cata. I 'm sorry then that I shou'd name him to you But you my Lord must know Anto. Not I by Heav'n 't is all a dream to me Or less I have no certain Image of it My Comfort is my will was not consenting Cata. If what I tell you's false Anto. Thou art an Angel If otherwise a Fiend that took my hand To lead me to Damnation Cata. The Heav'nly Powers forbid Anto. No they Command it The just Reward of Violated Faith And foul Intemperance O Beast O Sot Dare we assume the awful Name of Men And drench our selves beyond all Moderation Never considering as the Liquor flows Our Reason ebbs and we are turn'd to Bruits Cata. Alas my Lord what wou'd not you have done T o've made the Woman you ador'd your own Blame not a Fault occasion'd by my Love Which Fate too by permitting seems t' approve Thunder Anto. Approve it Yes your Eyes and Ears are Witness Can you with all this Light not see your Crime Nor hear Heav'ns Vengeance bursting o'er our Heads In these prodigious Peals Did my Flesh prompt me to th' unholy Deed This Night wou'd lop away all loose Desires And make me cold as if I 'd fed on Camphire The Ravisher himself wou'd now turn pale And rather than attempt to act new Sins Fall on his Knees for Mercy for the old Cata. Vex not your self my Lord the Sin be mine Thunder Why do you tremble See it moves not me To Bed to Bed I 'll take thee in my Arms Drive thy pale Fears away and let you see You but resist your own Felicity Anto. Tho' there is Impudence in every Sin Lust is the most audacious of 'em all No wretched Creature no how close so e're Others are brought by Marriage between us It puts a distance wider than the Poles I 'll ne're think on thee but with Detestation Ne're speak of thee but as a mortal Foe Ne're see thee but I 'll shun thee as the Plague Nor know thee as as a Wife So help me Heav'n And so farewel for ever Is going Cata. Hold O hold Kneels As you 'd be thought to be of human Race As you 'd have her that you adore be happy As you wou'd save my Soul from Desperation And at your latest Gasp rely on Mercy O hear me hear me hear me Anto. What can'st thou say to win regard or do To make me Reparation Cata. Expose me not to the reproachful World Let me not be the Grin of Vulgar Women For you I scorn'd Mankind and broke thro' all Impediments all Ties to reach your Bosom The Fruit is blushing ripe and waits your pull Ah! throw it not before you 've tasted from you Anto. I 've sworn I 've sworn Away audacious Woman Cata. No you 're my own and 't is a Sin to leave you I 'll follow like your Shadow round the World Till you encline to Mercy Anto. Never never If to unswear my Oath be to have Mercy I shall be more than cruel Cata. Nay drag me dash my Body on the Floor I 'll hold the faster Since w 're join'd for Life 'T is only Death shall part us Anto. Let him come His mortal Frown wou'd now Charm my Soul more than all the Smiles of Mercy Away Cata. O cruel monstrous and unchristian Was ever any Bride before us'd thus Upon the Marriage Night when all her Hopes Were full and every Wish was ripe for Joy O yet relent and save me Anto. Save your self By a well-tim'd Repentance but from me Expect no Pity but my mortal Curses Let go Witch Woman Fury or by Heav'n I 'll cut away thy Hold. Cata. O all ye Pow'rs I am your Wife my Lord It is your Wife that kneels your Wife your Wife Will nothing nothing charm him Anto. That the least Of all that thou canst say A Wife Damnation She rises Cata. O I can bear no more If you 're a Man and hope for Heav'n support me Sinking down Catching her Anto. Ha! In charity I 'll save thee from the Fall Enter Diego hastily Could not thy Diligence prevent this ruine Dieg. O! no my Lord I heard of it too late Anto. Here Diego Hold her and when the Fit is over follow I 'll take this opportunity to go Yet something bids me stay It must not be Why should I pity her that tortures me To love in vain we think a wretched state But what is Wedlock with a Wife we hate All human Woes in one compendious Ill Happy is he that can exchange for Hell Exit Anto. Cata. Oh! Unhand me Traytor Caytiff Villain Devil Exit Diego Cata. Horror Disgrace Confusion Death and Hell What gone Destruction trace him step by step And endless Torment be his slightest Pain Why this is yet more barbarous than the rest To leave me in the strug'lings of my Soul Undress'd and in th' Embraces of his Slave Brutal unmannerly unsinew'd Villain Vain Love adieu unworthy of the Rule Revenge a better Master holds the Reign And with relentless Fury Steels my Soul Ansilva O be quick Had not my Plot Been deeply laid how much had I been fool'd Enter Ansilva trembling Thunder Ansil. O Madam Cata. What 's the matter ha why shak'st thou And why thy Cheeks so pale Not answer me By Heaven then all 's not well Yet speak it out And ease my tortur'd Soul Ansil. Then take the worst at once your Sister 's gone Cata. The worst The best You shou'd have told me sooner I meant to see and triumph o'er her Death But as it is it true Revenge will be For now he neither shall have her nor me Ansil. O you mistake my meaning She is fled This Minute gone and our Design discover'd For on her Table lay her Parrot dead His Beak all stain'd with that Abortive Potion Which we design'd shou'd reach a nobler Fate Cata. Gone Impossible It must not be Swallow thy Lye or Hell will swallow thee Ansil. 'T is true 't is true And which is worst of all Antonio's the Companion of her flight I saw him hurrying her away e'er this They are beyond our reach Cata. O frontless Strumpet Lays hold on her Nothing 's more sure than that thou hast betray'd me How cou'd it else be known Tell how and when Or else by Heav'n I 'll nail thee to the Ground Shews a Dagger Ansil. O Madam I confess Diego Cata. Hold I 've better thought I 'll give you not that trouble Stabs her Ansil. Murder Oh! Dies Cata. Enough 's confest already So now disclose the Secret
Arabian Perfume blowing And Venus was not half so knowing But while the Nymph we thus adore We shou'd our Wretched Fate deplore For O Mirtillo have a Care Her sweetness is above compare But then she is more false than fair Her chief delight is in undoing And we run down so steep to Ruin There is no stopping when w' are going Gent. Vilander your disease Vilan Mine's not so bad Like you to marry or like him be mad Alon. I 'm cold I starve with cold My heart is turn'd to Ice with her Disdain Oh! it oppresses but I 'll tear it out Alas here are too many Stains of sin But look it thro' and thro' for 't is transparent You 'll find no Stains of Love Did you e'er see a Woman's Heart Sebast. No. Alon. I have a Receit how the first was made saw the Ingredients mixt that make up the Curs'd Composition Honey Balm and Cassia Hemlock Wormwood and Opium and ten thousand other such Inconsistent Drugs are confus'dly shuffl'd together So that your Sweets are dash'd with Gall your Smiles with Frowns and your Hopes with Despair Like the Camelion it varies all Colours like Proteus all shapes Like Madness all Humors and like Interest all Religions Vilan His dress is onely mad and not his Language Alon. Yet this light giddy vain fantastick thing I thought my own believ'd and was undone And now Despair see how he glares upon me With a long flaming Whip of twisted steel Does lash me naked round about the World That cou'd debase Humanity so low As to believe a Woman O give o'er Not yet nay then I shall submit no more Be gone fly from me swift as Nothern wind Ha! now 't is worse I have thee in my Mind Sebast. To pity him tho' 't is indeed in Vain To do it not were barbarous Alon. Ha! ha ha See there how that vain witless abject thing That Animal that calls himself a Man Cringes and bows and Deifies a Woman Now he implores her leave to kiss her Hand But see she thinks it is too great a favour Nay says 't was Impudence to make the Motion And flies like light'ning from him Yet for all this th' Industrious Fop pursues her But he may spare the pains for see for fear He shou'd not follow she her self does turn Smiles Blushes Sighs and vows sh 'as lov'd him long And ev'n at first her Passion wou'd have own'd Did she not fear he wou'd have thought her fond But now ha ha O frail and faithless Beauty Sebast. Well what now Alon. Nay look your self and see it This Woman that but now did swear she lov'd him E're the Breath's cold with which she form'd her Vows Has to another sworn the same and left him But let her go for who can trace a Bubble And cast your Eye on the forsaken Wretch Who mad with Grief blasphemes his Fate and curses Those faithless looks that charm'd him to Destruction Till weary'd with his Sorrows and his wrongs He falls asleep and wishes 't were his last I too am heavy see the Leaden God Appears and charms me with his Drowsy Rod. Lies down as to sleep Vilan At once by Woman all Mankind was slain And one by one they kill us o'er again Enter Antonio Diego Sebast. O Wellcome Friend we miss't you in the Field But why so heavy Anto. Can you not Remember Since you last saw my Sister Sebast. Very well Why at this time that Question Anto. 'T is so long since I fancy you 'd not know her Sebast. O yes she left her Image in my Heart And there it still continues to inform me Enter Alphanta Clara. Anto. Then this is she and she is yours for ever Sebast. What shall I say the Gift's so great and thanks Is a Return so poor I 'll find a nobler way But fair one say for without your Consent My Joys will have no Rellish can y' approve Antonio's Choice and give me Love for Love Alphan It was my Brother's absolute command I hope I shall obey him Sebast. O charming Voice here let me breath my Raptures Embraces her Alonzo rises hastily and looks upwards Alon. stay I charge you stay and tell her so your self I have renounc't the curst Inconstant Sex O that I 'd done it sooner I had not then ran wandering up and down Reduc'd to the most abject state of Fortune The Pity of Women and the Scorn of Fools Did any of y' see it Sebast. What shou'd we see Alon. A soft sweet smiling Angel 't was From Heav'n I saw him cut the yielding Sky To me he did directly shape his flight And hov'ring o'er me with extended Wings Greeted me thus Mortal awake and the next Nymph you see Tell her this Truth this Sacred Truth from me Tho' she a while Successfully betray She 'll once Severely for that Error pay For if there is no Hell for Perjury Heav'n is unjust and that it cannot be Clara. Can you hear this and Alphan Hold and learn your Duty Aside Clara. My Duty 's Alphan To be silent when I bid you Alon. to Alph. But you are cast in a sublimer mould So chaste and pure y' are of a piece with Heav'n Therefore my Message can't be meant to you So much Divinity must needs be true Anto. What can this mean he does not know her sure Aside Alon. But an Inconstant Woman ha ha ha here take this Eel in this Hand and this Woman in this hand hold hard gripe close closer yet so now open ha ha ha the Eel remains the slipp'ry Woman 's gone Vilan Excellent They are not in their Senses that say thou' rt out of thine Sebast. Y' are thoughtful Love Alphan Those thoughts are then of you Sebast. How will enjoyment all my Pow'rs confound If thus she charm my Senses with her sound Alon. O dark dark dark a thick Egyptian Fog Has cover'd me all o'er But who can see That 's clouded with Despair Despair's a Whirlpool now I 'm swallow'd up I 'm gone I 'm sunk ten thousand Fathoms down The Globe's unhing'd the sun has lost his light Th' Eternal Chain is broke Chaos is come For Truth and Faith and Virtue are no more Exeunt Alon. Boy Sebast. Take care of him till we can know from whence And what he is Vilan That charge my Lord be mine Exit Vilan Sebast. Antonio Anto. Ha! Sebast. Still Melancholy not a word to spare us Sit down come we 'l endeavour to divert you They all Sit. An Antick by Forresters with other Dancing After which this Dialogue by a Shepherd and Shepherdess Shepherdess To me y 'ave made a thousand Vows A thousand tender things have said I gave you all that Love allows The naked Pleasure of the Bed Yet now my Eyes have lost their Charms Or you abate in your desire You dream y 'ave Caelia in your Arms And burn with an unhallow'd Fire Aloud you Name her in your sleep And if towards me y' are pleas'd to stir A Kindness that
farewell Berin I will not long be from you Anton. Nay now thou dost disturb me ev'n in Death When the grim Tirant just had seiz'd my Heart I made him break his hold and gain'd a Moment Live live till Heav'n sees fit to call thee hence And crown thy Vertue with immortal Glory But lay no violent Hands upon thy self This is my last Request and pray observe it And O my Friend for thou wilt love my Mem'ry When I 'm gone for my sake who ne'r wrong'd you Be kind to this unfortunate Maid thy Sister For she deserves thy Care I can no more A Stranger here I now am summon'd home My Spirits faint and the long Sleep is come Dies Berin He 's gone he 's gone the noble Soul is fled And nothing now below is worth my Care Why shou'd not I die too Look there Barbarian See what thy Hand has done and cry for Mercy For Vengeance will pursue this horrid Deed. What shall I do O I shall lose my Senses See! here I fix to be remov'd no more This wretched Leave you cannot but afford To breathe my last upon my murder'd Lord Enter Vilarezo Attendants Vilar O Heav'n what do I see Thy fatal Rashness has undone us all To Sebasti Sebast. Ha! what Turn is this Aside Vilar Prepare Sebastian And thou my mourning Daughter both prepare To hear a Story of transcendent Horror This Morning Just as the wakeful Cock with his shrill Notes Had given the warning of approaching Day Your Sister the unhappy Catalina Was with a stroke of Thunder quite depriv'd Of all the Faculties of Sense and Motion Only by some faint Breathings 't was perceiv'd Her tortur'd Soul had yet not left its Cage Strait I was call'd and was no sooner come But she reviv'd and in a hollow Voice Oft interrupted with Sighs and Groans Such as proclaim the Pangs of Death are near Pour'd forth these dreadful Words O Father Father Berinthia's innocent and I 'm to blame Inspir'd by Jealousie and black Revenge These trembling Hands prepar'd a fatal Draught To end her Life that did obstruct my Love But e'er I cou'd accomplish my Design My Maid discover'd it for which I stabb'd her Then laid her Murder to Antonio's charge To be reveng'd of him for setting free Berinthia and for slighting of my bed Haste therefore and if possible prevent The mischiefs that mistaken rage may work Then penitent and conscious of her crimes At once desiring Pardon and our Prayers She with her Death confirm'd the horrid Truth I came but Oh! too late Sebast. Too late indeed What will my Stars do with me O Berinthia Can you be so extravagantly good As to forgive me thus grov'ling on the Earth And speech decaying here I groan for pardon Berin You have it and may Heav'n forgive you too Since it appears Berinthia's Innocent And worthy of the blood of Vilarezo But here alas here all my Joy lies cancell'd With him Affliction wou'd have had more charms Than Life can have without him Life what 's Life A glim ring spark which thus I quench for ever takes out a Viol and Drinks Vilar What has she done Berin Drank a health to my Love This is the Poison that my Sister sent me I kept it to convince you of her hatred And you shall find 't was mortal ha 't is here I find 't was needless to have took it all A drop had done my business O Antonio Look down and witness I forgive my Sister Alas w' are both oblig'd to her 'T is she That sets my Soul from hateful Bondage free And mounts it up at once to Heav'n and thee Dies Vilar Ha! gone so soon I ought indeed to blame thee But Nature is too pow'rful Oh Berinthia Oh! my unhappy Daughter Mourns over her Sebast. None beside None none to Murder but a Friend and Sister The world will point and cry that that 's the Monster Aside But Oh! the Thought is more than I can bear And this shall set me free Wounds himself Vilar Hold hold his hand Sebast. Yes you may hold me But tho m'accurs d Sword has miss'd my aim I yet shall find a way Vilar I orbear rash Boy to add to my afflictions When I already bend beneath their weight And be a comfort to me in my Age. For what is past 't is fruiâ—â—ess to bemoan Since nothing but Repentance can attone And O! hereafter may all Parents see This Story and Example take by me That to each Child they may alike be kind Nor rashly part what Heav'n and Love has joyn'd Exeunt Omnes FINIS