humane life forsake Where Love and Bus'ness keep the World awake Some quiet Mansion seek Where Fame's loud call shall not our slumbers break But happy Ignorance upon thy careless breast Methinks we take the gentlest rest Chorus Sleep sleep within a drousie Cave Dark dark and silent as the Grave Dance Phansy enters with the pleasant Dreams Phansy Dances the pleasant Dreames sing and dance an Entry to the Song to which Musick there is an Eccho in the Clouds Three Spirits reply to the Dancers below Song for the Dreames MAids in Wishes stretch and pant Wives the Nightly blessing want Chorus Careful Love their torment sees Sends e'm Dreams and they have ease Women can be chaste in spite Gallants must retire to Night Chor. Careful Love c. As Morpheus sings the Two first lines the Scene changes into a place of Horror Phobetor Sings BEgone fair Visions to the Court remove Whose bus'ness is to dream of Love And you black terrors of the Night appear You wilde Creations of our Wilder fear You dismal Visions that on guilt attend Furies and Fiends from Hell ascend Religion finds you better far than Law To rule Mankind and keep the World in awe Oh horror horror from Death's gloomy shade Arise arise the frighted World invade An Entry of the frightful Dreames Clytimnestra's Ghost ascends Gho. Awake awake thy Mother's Ghost is come From Death's abode her Urn and quiet Tomb To visit Nature holy things I shun And haunt the Dreames of my inhuman Son Thy Sword did send me to Eternal Night My angry Ghost shall still thy slumbers fright Now humane kind in sleep their cares forsake Even Guilt it self some little rest does take And none but the revengeful are awake A mighty Vengeance Circe does prepare In this deep silence her wing'd Charriots bear The dire Inchantress through th'unwholsome aire Brooding ill Fate she sits upon a Cloud Thrice the bad Genius of the World has bow'd And thrice has own'd her Pow'r the Charm is done And now the dismal bus'ness is begun It Thunders You flying Plagues seise seise this impious Son 1 Maid Her beauty scorn'd Circe resolves to prove Cruel as the first thoughts of injur'd Love Oh tremble tremble and resist no more Beauty 's a Tirant jealous of its Pow'r 2 Maid A black revenge her fury has design'd But sighing at her feet your pardon seek And the relenting Beauty will be kind As the last words which dying Lovers speak Orestes wakes the Scene vanishes the Dreams and Ghost sink down by degrees the Bowr vanishes Ores Descend to burning Lakes hot as thy Lust Ill boding Vision my Revenge was just Night through the World does solid darkness spread The gaping Monuments restore their dead Who range about 't is the last dreadful day The Earth and Heav'ns begin to melt away Darts of Lightning Thunder On Clouds of Fire destroying Angels fly Must this great Frame dissolve and Nature dye SCENE Seventh Enter Pylades and Iphigenia with the Grecian Train Thunder and Lightning here Pyl. Sure all the Elements our fall conspire Loud Storms at Sea at Land consuming Fire Pursues us still Iph. But why should Virtue fear When with their murdring shafts the Gods appear Guilt tremble thou when Heav'ns wing'd Vengeance flies Through frighted Cities or when Storms arise Ores From Earths deep hollow dreadful groans are sent Groans under the Earth And Nature labours with some great event Approach approach dire things shall be disclos'd Drawing Pyl. and Iph. near him My Mind is wilder now than Lust oppos'd Come we 'l out-think young Prophets and out-dream Religion let Ambition be our Theam Come the tumultuous World we 'l visit now There to successful Vice the virtuous bow The Pious quarrel Ignorance is loud All is amiss in Schools the Wise are proud At Court they patient Modesty despise Only the impudent are sure to rise I l sound a Trumpet and the dead shall wake The frighted Planets shall their Orbs forsake And all with me to better Worlds retire SCENE Eight Enter Thoas with the Scythians Tho. If Glory e're thy youthful blood did fire If thy great race has taught thee to aspire Follow where I and my revenge shall lead That undisturb'd we may together bleed Grecian this day thou art decreed to dye If thou dar'st fight and Heav'n stand neuter by Ores Ha! art not thou that hungry Monster Pow'r That feeds on all then does it self devour Tho. All things to Universal Ruin haste Afflicted Nature seems to breath her last My Throne must fall by your Eternal doom To sink with Empire Oh you Gods I come If I have ought deserv'd for ev'ry how'r In which I have groan'd beneath the weight of Pow'r Let me expire reveng'd Makes at Orestes who draws Ores I 'l not ingage Thy clamours shall not rouze my sleeping rage Pyl. draws Pyl. Awake awake the glorious Youth does stand With Wars swift Lightning useless in his hand Tho. Fall on revenge come quicken and inspire Be thou instead of all my youthful fire Fight Ores kills Tho. they drive off the Scythian Soldiers Ores Bold Wretch lie there my Courage now is warm Bloody as Womens Lust deaf as a Storm SCENE Ninth and last Enter Circe with her Maids Spirits Guards and Attendants Circe Unfit for Empire I must Rule no more Firmness I want that strong support of Pow'r 'T is Resolution makes Heav'ns Empire great Like a weak States-man in some turn of State Wild unresolv'd I stand eternal pains High fierce desires are boiling in my Veins I must enjoy him and the fire allay The raging flames that on my Vitals prey But witness Hell I would like Lightning blast Burn and consume whatever I embrac'd Ore Ha Beauty here thy wicked Arts I know What pains and discord doest thou breed below There Wisdom and there Pow'r thou lead'st astray I 'l from thy Poison flie Cir. Orestes stay Oh stay with thy inchanting presence keep These Hells and this tormenting Rage asleep Once you were kind on floury Beds you lay In Bow'rs like infant Nature fresh and gay Wreathing the Mirtle Garlands for your Brows Fixt on your looks and listning to your Vows All day I sate Ores Away bewitching fair Fatal expensive ruinous as War Shall I sit idle by my Senate aw'd While Neighbouring Princes get renown abroad No let me loose I should the World o'recome Did not ill Subjects keep me poor at home I would be one of those the Gods did make With restless Minds to keep the World awake A fam'd Destroyer Cir. Then come joyn with me I hate the World and would destructive be At our command Plagues through the Earth shall range Warr new Religion universal change Hot fighting zeal ambition all that can Bring swift destruction on Ungrateful Man Wing'd with our fury through the World shall flie The World even lov'd by misery but I Would see it lost Nature and Order die See all consume in Universal fire Injoy but him and then my self expire
CIRCE A TRAGEDY As it is Acted AT HIS Royal Highness the Duke of YORK's THEATRE By CHARLES D'AVENANT L.L.D. Hor. Velut Aegri somnia vana Licensed June 18 1677 Roger L'Estrange LONDON Printed for Richard Tonson at his Shop under Grays-Inn-gate next Grays-Inn-lane MDCLXXVII THE PROLOGUE Written by Mr. Dryden WEre you but half so wise as you 're severe Our youthful Poet shou'd not need to fear To his green years your Censures you wou'd suit Not blast the Blossom but expect the Fruit. The Sex that best does pleasure understand Will always chuse to err on t'other hand They check not him that 's Aukward in delight But clap the young Rogues Cheek and set him right Thus heartn'd well and flesh't upon his Prey The youth may prove a man another day For your own sakes instruct him when he 's out You 'l find him mend his work at every bout When some young lusty Thief is passing by How many of your tender Kind will cry A proper Fellow pity he shou'd dye He might be sav'd and thank us for our pains There 's such a stock of Love within his Veins These Arguments the Women may perswade But move not you the Brothers of the Trade Who scattering your Infection through the Pit With aking hearts and empty Purses sit To take your dear Five Shillings worth of Wit The praise you give him in your kindest mood Comes dribling from you just like drops of blood And then you clap so civilly for fear The loudness might offend your Neighbours ear That we suspect your Gloves are lin'd within For silence sake and Cotten'd next the skin From these Vsurpers we appeal to you The only knowing only judging few You who in private have this Play allow'd Ought to maintain your Suffrage to the Crowd The Captive once submitted to your Bands You shou'd protect from Death by Vulgar hands The Persons Thoas King of Scythia Ithacus Circe's Son by Ulysses Orestes A Prince of Argos Pylades His Friend Pluto Priests Spirits Circe Queen of Scythia Osmida Daughter to Thoas by a former Queen Iphigenia Priestess to Diana Taurica Clytemnestra's Ghost Four Nymphs used by Circe in her Charms SCENE Taurica Chersonesus CIRCE ACT I. Scene Circe's Cave Thoas Iphigenia Guards and Attendants Iph. THIS sure is the sad region of dispair Where after Death the guilty Souls repair Here is no promise of a blooming Spring No chearful light awakes the Birds to Sing The blasted Trees no leaves or blossoms yield On their bare tops Owles pearch and Ravens build Tho. Those Spirits gladly in these shades obey Who sicken at the view of brighter day In this dark place shut up from mortal sight My Queen converses with the God of Night Prepares her Poysons mutters holy Words Herbs for her Charms th' unwholsome soile affords Here she has promised from their dark abodes By her strong Art to raise th' infernal Gods And to inquire our fate Iph. Can Heaven decree That any lucky Star should smile on me How long a Captive must I here remain How long my hands with horrid murders stain A Goddess who in humane blood delights Ordains me to perform her impious rights Ye Pow'rs that rule the World shall I no more My Country see nor houshold Gods adore Tho. Oh Iphigenia when those Prayers you make When you beg leave this Region to forsake So softly speak that none but Heaven may hear With the harsh Words wound not a Lovers ear For freedom cruel Maid in vain you sue The Pow'rs above will be as deaf as you Alas what pity can you hope to meet Who let poor Lovers languish at your feet Who can behold with unrelenting Eyes A wretched King who for your Beauty dies Iph. Where are your Oaths how often have you sworn Your guilty passion should in secret burn Angerly Must I by death your persecutions fly I am not so confin'd but I can die Scene Second Enter Ithacus Ith. E're we invoke the Gods I hither come From Iphigenia's mouth to know my doom From you my life or death I humbly wait 'T is you and not the Gods that rule my fate The chase of Glory I no more pursue Forgetting Armes I languish here for you Love may incite the Young to hunt for fame But Beauty then must the reward prolame I ask but Hope it is a slender fare But the Camelion-Love can live on Air. Iph. Like some mistaken Zealot you apply True Worship to the wrong Divinity Adore the fair Osmida far more bright And beautiful than first created light More Innocent than Beauty was before It studied Wit or costly Dresses wore Her Mind is Noble and her Greatness free Her Soul like Heaven full of blest Harmony Unless unquiet Love some discord moves Which you must pardon since 't is you she loves Of all those Graces prodigal to you For which in vain the rest of Mankind sue Tho. If we by Policy could govern Love My Daughter's Sighs this Noble Prince might move Since he for suddain exile must prepare Or marrying her be made the Empires Heir Loudly the People for this Union call And their Rebellious fury threatens all But I the Magick of your Beauty know Too well to blame what Love compel's him to Ith. Before I saw your Daughter I had paid My Loves first Tribute to this charming Maid And then the Empire vainly did enjoine That I should give a Heart which was not mine Iph. I 'le hear no more it is too great a fault But to endure your Criminals assault In Vertu 's Combats they that keep the Field Almost as guilty are as they that yield Vertue by flight secures it self Is going Ith. O stay To my dark Hopes will you afford no day Promise at least you will bestow your Love As you 'r directed by the Pow'rs above Iph. What they command I never shall decline To Heav'n my will and person I resign Scene Third To them Osmida Osm I have my Sexes Passions want their Art For by my Eyes still I betray my Heart Thither to gaze on him my Soul does haste And in kind looks I all my Spirits waste Iph. Behold the fair Osmida now appears Her beauteous Eyes are full of Love and Tears Tho. Poor Virgin my commands at first did make To Osm Those Wounds thou didst but in obedience take Osm You bade me all those modest fears remove Which guard at first a Virgins Heart from Love Admire not if I yielded to his Charmes When you had taken from me all my Arms But Ithacus since you my Love despise I with a just disdain will arm my Eyes And in my Breast I shall retain no fire But what my Anger and Revenge inspire Ith. Madam oppress not thus my sinking Fate I bear already a too heavy weight Ah rather an unhappy wretch deplore Who dies because he cannot love you more My Heart 's a Prisoner if it Freedom gains It shall but be to wear Osmida's Chains Osm That Iphigenia's Empire would but be
As short as thou wilt find my hate of thee Like a kind Parent I forgive and take Any submission he is pleas'd to make Scene Fourth Enter Circe with four Women Circ Reproach to thy Great Father and to me To Ithacus The wise Vlysses does not live in thee Would he to Love have sacrific'd a Throne Ah Son this weakness or thy Race disown Ith. Blame not my Passion Madam Love and hate Are less at Mans disposal than his Fate Cir. But let this Monarch your Example prove Pointing to Tho. He knows by int'rest how to govern Love To me he gave his Hand with treacherous art When Iphigenia did possess his Heart Ungrateful King Love on but know I bear The Thunder that can punish you and her Iph. His Passion I with grief and trouble see You cannot suffer more by Jealousie Cir. Curs'd be her Eyes curs'd be that fatal day When she at Aulis on the Altar lay To Iph. Why did the cruel Gods prevent thy fall Those Gods which for thy death before did call No Victim great Diana could appease The Warriour's languish'd in ignoble ease No Ship could spread her Sails for every wind Offended Heaven did in deep Caverns bind Troy's Genius smil'd to see the Fates oppose The Sea and Wind against her pow'rful Foes Then Calcas cry'd here we must ever lie Unless the Princess Iphigenia die The Gods require her blood Calchas is sent To fetch the Virgin from in the Royal Tent. From her sad Moth'rs bosome she is caught And by her Father to the Altar brought Calchas prepar'd to give the fatal wound When from above was heard a heavenly sound It was Diana's voice who from a Cloud Pronounc'd this Sentence to the wondring crowd Your Princess shall not on my Altar bleed She is for Holy Mysteries decreed To Taurica I will the Virgin bear Through the unbeaten Region of the Air. Now thou art come our Empires peace is lost My vast designs for greatness all are cross'd Iph. Calchas how dull and lazy was thy zeal Would I had perish't by the Sacred Steel Would I had dy'd at Aulis in this place I pass a Life unworthy of my Race My hands are ever stain'd in humane blood And arm'd against the innocent and good Circ Your hands do far less mischief than your eyes For which that poor ignoble Rebel dies Pointing to Itha. You Ithacus have by this Passion stain'd All the Renown which you in Arms had gain'd Give a great Victim to your Countries good And save vast Torrent of the Scythian blood Osm Urge him no more since 't is his happiness I wish he ev'n my Rival may possess And may she love the Prince as well as I. I know my remedy must be to die With thee no Rebel will dispute the Throne None will constrain thy heart when I am gone Ith. My Constancy a barren Heart has till'd Which to my labouring Hopes no fruit will yield And I refuse a passion kinder far Than that which Deities to Mortals bear Not Iphigenia can more charming be Tho' partial Love makes her seem so to me Looking on Osmid I 'le look my self into your softer pow'r And now methinks I only you adore Rebel my injur'd Heart and nobly rise Against those Tyrants Iphigenia's Eyes Each thought does represent her now less â—air And all conspires I should your Fetters wear Osm Oh weak Resolves that angry Lovers make Which they are led insensibly to break Safe in thy Hearts strong Fortress Love remains And smiles to see thee struggle with thy Chains One look your Resolutions will defeat And make you sigh for pardon at her feet Ith. Your every Grace my fainting senses arms Against the Force of all her powerful Charms I can look on and yet her Charms despise Looks on Iphigenia And thus provoke the Magick of her Eyes Now to regain my freedom I begin Osm How fast he sucks the subtle poyson in Ith. Thus I her Image from my Bosome tear And hate her now yet she is wond'rous fair Osm Too well this language of the Eyes I know Each look an extasie of Love does show Ith. By Heav'ns when this brave Onset I would make My Heart grows faint and all my sinews shake Revenge and anger which should succour me Like Cowards fly when I her Beauty see And now I melt into more tenderness Than Artless Maids in their first Loves express Osm Poor Prince I will not blame but pity thee Thou art irreparably lost like me With some soft pleasure we 'll delude the care And torment which we suffer by dispair I will with Tears deplore your misery And you with gentle sighs shall pity me Ith. I have one torment Madam more than you I must dispair and be ungrateful too Circ By Force and Art I had a Scepter won Of which these Rebels will deprive my Son They all refuse that he a Crown should wear Which with Osmida he denies to share Thus Love does humane Policy despise And laughs at all the Councels of the Wise Ith. To pardon Criminals and bless them too Only belongs to Deities and you To Circe You must do both from you we hope a Cure For all those Ills which we from Love endure The Gods some secret Remedy may find To cure the Wounds of each afflicted mind Raise the infernal Pow'rs by your strong Charms Cir. To your Requests I will indulgent prove But Heav'n it self has little pow'r o're Love Osm I from the Gods only to death pretend 'T is in that point my Miseries must end Cir. You must retire these Sacred Mysteries With Reverence we conceale from common Eyes Tho. My Soul is with some mighty Fate opprest My Heart does pant and strugle in my Breast I feel I know not what that sayes I am For one that Loves and is a King too tame How weakly Reason too resists desire And like small Show'rs does but augment the Fire Ex. all but Circe and her Women The Scene opens to the inward part of the Cave The Infernal Priests Enter Sung by Circe's Women at the Infernal Sacrifice Priests joyn in the Chorus WE must assemble by a Sacrifice Those Demons who do range about the Skies Their necessary aid you use Those poysonous Herbs and Roots to chuse Which mingled and prepar'd by your strong Art Do to your Charms their chiefest Force impart Your Censors to the Altar take And with Arabian Gums sweet Odours make The Air with Musick gently wound Sweet smells they love and every pleasing sound Cir. The stragling Demons Harmony can fix Calls home the Sences of the Lunaticks And which is most in Temples does prepare And can assemble Man's wild thoughts to Prayer They all walk up to the Altar Priests Sing I. COme every Demon who o'resees The Fates of mighty Monarchies And orders how they rise and set All you who Love and Lust inspire And kindle wild Ambition's Fire The dang'rous Sickness of the Great Chor. Circe the Daughter of the Sun obey Or in
not the misfortunes of our race In Death's cold armes our Royal parents lye Iph. Of this confus'd reports did hither flye And to their sacred shades a Tomb I made Where the Oblations to the dead I pay'd We must defraud past miseries to pay The tribute which we owe the present day For my dead Parents I can weep no more Brother I must my present loss deplore Ores Do not the dying with such sorrow treat For fear the World believe that Life is sweet Iph. Cities are form'd for Peace and civil Rule Nature in Deserts keeps a gentler School No impious Beast preys there on his own kind Tygers the Tygers spare my rage is blind All things but I her sacred Laws obey On my own blood my hungry rage does prey My hand will soon be arm'd against your life Th' officious Priests prepare the fatal Knife Ores Let them come on but e're to death I go The Will of dying Agamemnon know Behold that Prince Pointing to Pylades Iph. Still be those Eyes acurst 'T was there alas my Virtu's shipwrack't first My better Genius never ceas'd to sue A thousand other things did plead for you But from those Eyes Love shot a poyson'd Dart All that was good fled my infected heart Nature did plead no more or Love was there So loud I could no other Suppliant hear I lov'd your Friend Ores Blest be the Pow'rs above Blest be your choice and ever blest be Love Blind as he is he did most wisely guide Give me your hand receive your gentle Bride First to Iph. then to Pyla These Nuptials Agamemnon still design'd And that last bus'ness to my care injoyn'd Iph. Ay me you Gods Ores For ever happy be My Empire Pylades I leave to thee Blest be thy Councels at thy Palace Gate May Victory with all her Trophies wait Cir. Think not of Death all Nature first shall die And in her primitive confusion lie Scene Sixth Enter Thoas and Ithacus Tho. You must not Iphigenia weep alone I from the Priests have your sad story known Let us unite our grief unhappy Maid By me and Heav'n to a black crime betray'd Cir. You cheaply to these Strangers pity give Whom you by solid bounties should relieve My Lord what led you to this dire mistake Is this alas the choice I bade you make Tho. His sentence now is past and he must dye That other Strangers may your use supply Pointing to Pyl. Cir. Alas he cannot Tho. Gods dare you proclaim To me and all the World your guilty flame Thou lov'st him Queen This beauteous stranger must Serve the important bus'ness of thy lust Cir. Old men who no strong proofs of Love can show Fly to their last reserve and jealous grow As lazy Monarchs who the main neglect Think they are wise enough if they suspect We from young Lovers Jealousie may bear Those are but April storms 't will soon be clear But can we bear a tempest from the old Whose kindest season is too rough and cold Recall thy Youth and then presume to be Jealous of so Divine a Good as me Iph. Ah my dread Lord though you deny relief Do not refuse this priviledge to grief Goes to kneel Thoas strives to take her up Tho. 'T is Love's and my prerogative to sue Iph. Here I must weep till I have melted you But oh methinks those Eyes do fiercely move Not with the soft humility of Love Stern Majesty sits like a Tyrant there And threatens murder ruin and despair Cir. She needs must vanquish Love her Standard bears And Beauty's wondrous eloquent in tears Iph. You in revenge my Brother's fall decree 'T is guilt enough to be ally'd to me My fatal pride and my unjust disdain Which has beheld you sigh so long in vain Deserves a thousand tortures let 'em come I 'le humbly on my knees receive my doom Yes let me to those cruel Racks be led Where dying Wretches envy all the dead Where bloody Tyrants feast their Tyrant death Amongst those torments let me yield my breath And if those pains too mild and gentle prove Bring in the torment of despairing Love Call Jealousie and all that Mortals fear Invent a thousand more and fix 'em here But spare my Brother Tho. Ah that pow'r I want This is the only thing I cannot grant Iph. Nothing ah nothing his fierce heart can move How false is the Idolatry of Love What adoration have you pay'd these Eyes You calld 'em Heav'ns and yet their tears despise I doe conjure you by these tears by all That we can tender brave or virtuous call By your dead Mothers Ghost some mercy shew Tho. I must be cruel Heavn's unerring voice Bade us this day be careful in our choice Pronouncing a most dismal fate to all Unless that Victim at their Altar fall Ith. Let 's scorn what e're the Oracle did say We should no Diety but Love obey Cir. If he be sav'd the Gods have all decreed Aside That with the rest my dearest Son must bleed But has a Rebel merited that name Who dares betray his glory and my fame My Son by Heav'n I will disown my blood He does degenerate by being good My high designes his vertue does defeat The vertuous Coward never dares be great But can a Mothers Eyes behold him dead He is my Son and in my bosome bred Bold Love against thy Life a Mother arms And bids her save that Grecian by her charms Tho. Double the Guards about the Temple Gate And bring the noble Stranger to his fate Cir. Compassion what have I to do with thee Aside Trouble the foolish and the good not me Why do the Gods by halves let us be ill Leaving some goodness to afflict us still Iph. Here I invoke all that the world adores Kneels Ye Gods of Heav'n and you Infernal Powers Thee Sacred Image and my Father's shade Come and behold a poor afflicted Maid Opprest with crimes she here devoutly bows But scorn her Prayers be deaf to all her vows If she ask ought but death Ores Ah! Sister live Do not the World of all that 's good deprive Be Virtu's Martyr should the good like thee All covet Death who would Examples be Iph. The actions of the living never plead We envy them but still respect the Dead I 'le dye and will a great Example show Of what the erring World to Nature owe Yes I will leave this World where Innocence Cannot be safe much less be a defence But what 's that lasting home we strive to reach Which our Religious Guides so darkly preach To Pyl. Pyl. Heav'n is a place where all are fair like you All sigh for Love the Lovers all are true Tho. Go seek a shade dark as the Grave and there Weep while this Tragick Pomp is acting here Guards force away Iph. Ores Renown and Arms farewel come Priests draw near Prepare the Sacred Knife and fix it here Cir. Have you no mercy Sir Tho. My anger fly Dare but weep and both of you