the honest Joys Of Loyal Wives But why do I reflect upon thy Beauties that after this sad hour must never see thee more Ero. What will you banish me your sight and all Kill me then I cannot bear it kill me or I shall fall By my own hand and miss the last of pleasures left for me The dying in your arms Cor. Oh! Eromena didst thou know thy Fate thou wou'd'st Not wish my hand shou'd come so near thee Ero. Come tell me then t' excuse thy perjury I would Be glad I ow'd this strange indifference to any thing But to thy want of Love Cor. Wilt thou be patient then and bear thy Fate Ero. I think I can I have been used to misery Cor. Oh! I can't tell it yet I will Let me but lean my head upon thy Bosom thus and not see thy Confusion Nor shew my own Ero. Oh Heavens I do begin to fear but what I know not Enter Beringaria mad Ber. Who 's there Ha! together Let me separate you You two incestuous Monsters 'T is not they This is my Husband do not chide me Sir for what I did Was for the love of you 't was Love that did occasion My mischance Can you forgive it I 'll weep thus at Your feet a thousand thousand years to beg your pardon Cor. Oh! Heaven and Earth see Eromena see Thy only Mother sure as she was mine Thou never hadst another nor another Father Than thy wretched Husband It was the work of Fate And thou art now my Daughter Sister Oh Heavens and my Wife Fly reason fly why dost thou stay to curse me Hadst thou been kind thou had not staid so long Ero. I hope my Lord I do not understand you Cor. Too well thou dost this is thy Fate and mine Ero. Oh! Heavens What have I done Ber. See there she is in that false Husbands arms Does she engross my Husband and my Son Nay then 't is time a quick dispatch Stabs Ero. Take that thou only ruin of my Life and Fame Ber. Oh! Mother Mother do not kill your Child Oh! cruel Woman what is' t you have done Ber. Sent her to Heaven to know if ever I shall arrive there for if I may I must take care I have a great deal of business to do before I can Provide for such a journey but if not I shall have No trouble for all 's pack'd up for t'other place already Runs off Cor. Oh! Eromena may I call you Wife Is this the happiness I have designed What have I done Good Heaven what have I done To be more curs'd than all mankind besides Oh! Eromena those pale looks now tell me All thy wretched life is past Ero. I thank the blow upon my knees I do And do with joy receive this first of blessings From my most noble Mother Life had been a Curse I could not bear Sir how to look on you I do not know But let my ignorance excuse me both to the World and you Oh I am in pain but you will call it a pleasure Because it brings me now a sure release Oh! Father Father give me your blessing too A Pass-port for me to the other World And let me hide my face within your Bosom And give you back that life you did bestow Dies Cor. If she be dead what have I then to do Oh! Eromena dead vanished like a deluding dream Of happiness for sure this was a dream I find I wake to curse the World and all Mankind My self and all If I should live I should turn Monster sure Hence with a thought of life Weep Eyes And burst your strings that hold you in that I may 'scape The shame of seeing the face of mankind more Enter Segerdo Seg. What are they so close I like not that But 't is no matter since I know that they must part Rise Cornaâ—o rise behold a Friend that 's truly sorry For thy misfortune tho' 't is the only thing Cou'd make him happy Cor. What barbarous wretch art thou that buildst Thy happiness on anothers ruin Oh Eromena Seg. I do forgive thee thy mistaken anger And own the disapointment is too great Easily to be born Speak fairest Eromena speak May I now hope a reward for all my sorrows past Since all your wishes for Cornaro now Are turn'd to duty for a kind Relation Cor. Hence wretch com'st thou to Triumph over misery Base and Unworthy have I not Grief enough Not yet enough must thou add more do I not bear enough Have I not caused this dear poor wretches death Is not that load enough Seg. Ha! is Eromena dead What cold pale dead The object of my Soul my only wish Are these my promis'd hopes Inhuman wretch And didst thou murder her Oh Eromena Unfortunate Fair Creature I shall not stay Behind thee long Oh! let me leave my Soul Here on thy Lips and if Heaven have pitty Make me now like thee Cor. Hence how darst thou touch my Wife before my face Seg. Thy Wife take care Cornaro brand not thy self With such an Infamy I know she is thy Sister Cor. Why then you know the Truth I tell thee she is both Wife and Sister nay and Daughter too she 's all she can be In one Woman Seg. How dar'st thou be alive After this Action marrying thy Sister and robbing me Of all my Joys on Earth by murdering the poor wretch Oh! Eromena Let me die now at thy feet Cor. Judge me Just Heaven have I done a willful fault Yes I have indeed by Marrying against her Will that bore me Had I but been obedient half my misery I had escaped How can'st thou upbraid my lost Condition Wert thou of humane race thou cou'dst not do it Cou'd any Creature Triumph o're a wretch suffering the Law Just breaking on the Wheel Thou see'st me worse than that Rise Rise I say or I shall add yet to my cruel Actions And kill thee as thou liest Seg. It would be like thee I draw this Sword now in a Noble cause To Revenge poor Eromena's murder that Had no fault but being kind to thee Cor. Heaven grant thee Vengeance equal They Fight To thy Wish I thank thee now Segerdo Cor. Falls Thou hast prevented self-murder all my miseries end here Enter Gabinius Dandalo Conall Cleon. Maâ—gar Cleo. How fares my dearest Brother What was the cause of this unhappy Quarrel How Eromena dead Gab. My Lord how is it with you Cor. Like one who in a fright securing what he thought His own mistakes and takes anothers Treasure And for that innocent Theft 's Condemned So I by the All-seeing powers am cast For doing that which but to think of doing Wou'd make me wish I never had been born Arapsia knows the story of our misery And after I am dead may tell it you But let it not be told whilst I 'm alive My Lord Segerdo you have been unkind In thinking me consenting to Eromena's death She did receive it from my Mothers hand Gabinius I 've
overjoy to see you has wrought this strange effect she 'll soon recover Ber. Let me embrace him oh my Dear Dear Son Ber. runs to him he kneels again it is not sure a fault to Kiss him now nor to Embrace him is it speak all I wou'd not willingly commit a crime I never did a willfull one indeed and hope all I can do that 's kind and all I have done will not meet a Censure Cor. Madam I owe to you a double Duty my Fathers Death has plac'd it all in you and may I be as curs'd as hateful Disobedience e're can make me when I forget to pay to the most nice degree all that I owe you Dan. Sir I must now bid you wellcome and believe me Nephew I am truly glad to see you And so I 'm afraid is my Wife how she stares upon him Aside Cleo. Sir have you forgot you had a Sister which tho' she was but young when she parted from you has heard enough of your Perfections to love you tho' unknown accept her welcome too Cor. Dearest Sister pardon my ignorance I shou'd have flown into your tender Arms to shew my joy had I but known you first but don't think me a less loving Brother Cleo. Now do I know by my silly Uncles looks he 's afraid my Brother shou'd see his Wife but I 'll teaze him Brother here 's a relation as much a stranger to you as I was an Aunt of yours Cor. How this Lady my Aunt she does not look like my Mothers Sister Cleo. No nor your Uncles Wife but yet she is so Dan. Yes Nephew I have play'd the Fool in my old age and have married Cor. I give you joy Sir and you Fair Lady this Gentlewoman I know but cannot call to mind Cleo. My Mothers Woman Brother one that I am sure remembers you and is glad to see you Cor. I beg your Pardon Sister who 's that young Lady stands behind my Mother Is she a Relation too Cleo. Oh Brother have you found out her I 'll take a time to tell you who she is Cor. Madam I count my self most truly happy to see so many Friends about me But above all that I once more see you and my Dear Sister Let it not take from the respect I ever bore you my most kind Relations that I preferr them two Ber. My Son to shew thee and all the World The real joy I have to see you Notwithstanding many here have believ'd It unkind in me to keep you so long abroad I here declare I do esteem this happy Meeting the only wish I had remaining And to Celebrate this joyful Night I have provided something I hope will entertain You. Sit my most Worthy Friends Here follows the Masque Segerdo stands by Eromena Cornaro often looks back After the Masque's ended Seg. What not one look one last farewell Do not refuse to see me when I am Dead As I soon shall be and 't is my only wish When I 'm dead to have you once behold This wretched Body and wish I had not met So hard a Fate Ero. You have my eternal wishes for your safety And success in every thing but me Pray my Lord no more the place Is inconvenient Cor. My Lord tho' I am but a Stranger at present Yet I presume to bid you truly wellcome And shall wish a greater friendship with you I never saw I think so Fair a Creature Mar. Sure if I mistake not my new Cozen eyes Erâ—mena A little more than ordinary and methinks I am vext at it what can it mean I am sure I can have no design upon him my self But yet I 'll observe a little Ber. Cornaro this Gentleman my Lord Gabinius Is a Lover of your Sister and has my consent For his Marriage which was only deferr'd For your return your Sister will be glad Of your approbation Cor. Madam you are the only judge and my consent Must follow yours What says my Sister Is' t your own desire come do not blush 'T is no dishonour to you to wish to marry With the Man you like Ber. Let us remove out of this place I do believe your Supper waits you Ara. Madam it does Ber. Come Son your Journey may have discompos'd you We 'll make what hast we can to give You rest this is the way Cor. Madam I wait on you Exeunt all but Seg. and Eromena Ero. What sudden Passion 's this I feel A strange uneasiness has seiz'd upon me Something disquiets me but I know not what Segerdo here I am vext I am disturb'd For I would think a little but upon what I know not Seg. Madam you seem as if some unwelcome thought Had discompos'd the calmness of your mind I only stay'd to offer you my Service It may be you believe you shall not now Have from the Lady Beringaria that former Kindness which you did possess if you think so Accept from me the benefits you want I ask for nothing in return but your acceptance Ero. My Lord you do mistake my Looks I know of nothing of those fears you speak of And shou'd be most ungratefull to believe 'em But I must thank you for your offer'd favour Tho' that wou'd be a wretched Fate indeed Shou'd I be forc'd to accept them Seg. It is then such a misery to receive The favours of a Man asks no return The time will come pardon the Prophecy When you shall wish you had receiv'd my friendship And even then it shall not be deny'd But flung beneath your Feet to tread upon Sure that will Conquer your Obdurate Heart I take my leave and will no more disturb you But happy in the thought I once may serve you Shall now enjoy all satisfaction I can have without You let that time come good Heaven That to my Bosome she may â—ly for aid And I may help the mourning lovely Maid Exit Segerdo Ero. How wretâ—hed is my Fortune thus lost to my Self those unhappy Parents that brought me to the World had better have bestow'd a burying on me Tho' it had been alive than sent me here To be the object of all Peoples Charity This Man because he thinks I want it Dares to hope my Poverty may more prevail Than natural inclination for his Love Love What is Love I never felt it yet Why do I sigh to name it A sad and melancholy thought possesses me Oh! woeful State no Friend Father or Mother To ease my loaded heart in their dear Bosomes And sigh my Sorrows to their tender Councels Heav'n be my Guide which only can be so Lend me a Clue to pass this Forrest World And give me Virtue to escape those Briars Which cover'd o'er with Roses look so Fair Give me a Heart submitting to thy Will And Blest or Wretched to obey thee still Exit Ero. Enter Margaretta followed by Capt. Conall Mar. Nay nay for Heav'ns sake Captain do not follow me for my Husband will be after me in an instant
of such an error Arap. Alas I do repent I have told it you But 't is too true and see my Lady comes I cannot bear to see the grief 't will cost her But since you do resolve to know the truth Break not your Mothers heart in the discovery Exit Arap. Enter Beringaria Per. Cornaro have you thought of my proposals For all are Friends to my design but you I have but the care of well disposing thee And theâ— lie down in my cold grave in peace Cor. What shall I say I dread the discovery And yet must know it now Madam I beg If I must marry that you 'd give me leave To make my choice my self Ber. With all my heart If you make choice of one that suits your honour She 's yours and you shall have my free consent Cor. I thank you on my knees I love a Maid To that degree I cannot live without her I cannot think of loving any other Since you must know e'er your consent be had I will presume to tell you who it is 'T is Eromena Ber. Ha! what was 't you said Oh! never let me hear that word again 'T is fatal both to yours and my Repose Is this the Match you would prefer before A thousand others Cor. Madam I love her that has made the beauty And for a fortune you know well I want none Ber. Name it no more take the whole World before you Make choice of the most abject Creature living I will receive and own her for my Daughter But do not think on her unless that minute You do resolve to see me mad indeed O Heaven I beg you 'd stop this coming mischief And in exchange let me have thousand plagues Were never heard of yet Cor. O Mother Mother I am lost indeed This has almost confirm'd me Answer me One Question more and I have done for ever Is Eromena then my Daughter and born of you Why do you Change or Colour She swoons Help help within there Enter Arapsia Look to my Mother her silence has undone me Oh Heaven can it be true My Daughter Sister and my Wife and all My marry'd bedded Wife Why oh Heaven Did you permit nature to make this stumble Where was the Sacred power of Instinct now That foolish boast of undiscerning nature Cou'd it permit so gross an Act to master all its policy What my Sister Daughter Wife all in one Woman Oh Heav'n Compleat thy Vengeance and strike me to the Center Falls Arap. Help help within there Enter Cleonista Margareâ—ta and all the Gentlemen The Men go to Cornaro Women to Beringaria Ber. Who told the secret did you mention it Raving Cornaro where art thou now Dead then I am safe A stab to either will prevent my shame Who are you here that croud about me so Stand off I say I am Cornaro's Wife Let me run to him how does my dearest Son What Wife and Mother that was a mistake Give me a draught of poison presently Will you not fetch it has my Infamy Made me despis'd and not to be obey'd Even by my Children nor my Servants neither Gab. How fares my Lord Cor. A little at a loss A fatal Love has ruin'd poor Cornaro Let me intreat you Ladies to take care Of my unhappy Mother and Gentlemen You will oblige me much if you 'll retire And leave me for some time A little to recall my wandring reason Ber. Let me not see him ever whilst I live Iâ—ll have a veil shall cover me with night D' ye think the dead know what we do when living They say they do My Husband then knows of this accident And calls me Strumpet Yes I hear him speak it But I 'll wipe out this stain in nature and then Go to my dead Husband Chaste and Entire O quickly quickly shew shew me the way Exit Cor. O sad state 'till now unkown to all the World but me What had I done just Heaven to be so curst as to be made A sad example to the babbling World To follow the advice of Resolution I should not live But here 's a sight must now for ever Curse me O does she know my shame Enter Eromena Ero. Alas my Love why in that Mournful posture Why are you sad Oh! cheer your looks with mine Youâ—â—e often said my Lord you lov'd me dearly And can you have a grief now I am yours Alas I fear our Marriage is revealed I see a sad distraction in the House O speak to me my Lord is it not so Cor. Oh! Eromena Eromena Ero. Why do you sigh my Love You were prepar'd for this before and had resolved to go To Rome with me and there to pass our days If that you found your cruel Mother would not forgive The Violent effects of our stoln Loves Cor. Fly fly Eromena from a wretch that has undone thee Destroy'd that lovely form pluck'd up by the roots That beautious Flower and planted it with nought but stinking Weeds With Shame with Infamy and sure Dishonour Ero. What means my Life thou could'st not be so cruel O do not turn away my only dear If I 've offended let me know my fault And if 't is not too great to be forgiven Look on my true submission and receive me Cor. Some pittying power reveal to her her Fate I cannot do it prithee leave me here For I have something which disturbs me so That even thy Company is irksome now Ero. I will my Lord obey you whilst I live Nay I will be your Slave if you Command it I think it does become me to be so Cou'd Wives but see how very odiously Authority becomes 'em how much more like The Courtezan than Wife it does appear They sure wou'd blush that by their proud behaviour They rank themselves with the most vicious Women Cor. Can I hear this and know the loss I 've had Yet keep within my Temper Farewell farewell all thoughts of patience now Thus on the Earth I 'll throw my cursed body Sure it shou'd open to receive a weight Too heavy for 't to bear Oh! Eromena Lost Eromena quite undone by me Thou had'st been happy had'st thou never seen me Fly Eromena Fly I do Conjurâ— thee Oh! last night last night never to be possess'd again Yet to my Arms I 'll snatch thee And print a thousand kisses on thy Lips But from a Father now and not a Husband Ero. Let it be so I 'll love you as a Daughter And since you please to banish me your bed Thus on my knees I give this humble kiss And do receive your dear Paternal Love So you will love me in what name you please My Soul I 'm sure is Chaste and ne'er was Touch'd With any loose desires Cor. Oh Eromena canst thou be so Chaste as thou Hast said Can that dear Heaven of Beauty consent to be The idle part of the Creation Can that Charming Body Fit to bring forth an Angel like it self Be by my means deprived of all
but little time to talk with you Besides I am in pain which hinders me Come Sister Take her Sir and with her all the Fortune I shall leave behind me and let not the misfortunes Of her Family be ever mention'd to her when she 's yours For you will hear a story of that horrour Will turn your Eyes to Water when 't is told Enter Arapsia Arap. Oh! Heavens Where 's my Lord Gornaro Cor. Here here Arapsia com'st thou to add a drop More of affliction to my whole Sea of sorrow Arap. Alas my Lord you 'll find this is a Sea Your wretched Mother madder than hunted Lyons Flies about to every Room has cut her body With a hundred slashes her Arms her Face Are all to pieces cut I wonder in that Tide of Blood That life can stay so long and not Ebb out Oh here she comes stand between me and her I fear she 'll kill me Enter Beringaria Bloody Cor. Oh happy I that cannot longer live This sight without a wound had struck me dead Ber. Ha! dost thou fly from me thou she deceiver That knows so well to guide Wives to Destruction Had I been patient this had been prevented What my Son art thou a dying too Why what should we live for to be the jest Of every fool that had a mind to laugh Wou'd it not make the cruel laugh to see this bloody Floor This blood shed but for one nights mischance Oh! 't was a Glorious night Say was it not Speak can you repent of it I am sure I do Oh! Cornaro Life is wasted now But must thou dye this is hard indeed Poor youth thou suffer'st for thy Mothers faults Gab. Remove this woefull object to her Bed Cleo. Dear Mother let me wait you to your Bed Ber. No no no more of Beds May I not hug him now Dear dear Cornaro Let me dye in thy Arms Ha! see see there 's my Husband come To blast my Eyes and curse me for the Birth of Eromena What is she dead Why what need we dye then The cause is now removed Why what are you That dare to contradict me and say I must not live Nor poor Cornaro ha Husband again Why do you force me to you had you been kind alive This had not been Why do you tear me thus you torturing Spirits I come I come Off all to make my body bare for suffering So now 't is well Pull pull Give me Thy hand Cornaro and we will go together Nothing now shall part us Open thy Sulph'rous And Eternal Mansion receive us both we sink together now Lost in a hopeless state behold we come Thou must receive us for Heaven has no room Dieâ— Cor. Gone she 's gone and my Descent draws near Prithee Gabinius bury us all together in one Grave And set forth to the World our Innocence Which poor Arapsia can inform you in The only secret left is That yesterday Eromena Was made my Wife Last night received us both Into one Bed Oh! that happy but most horrid night Has lost us all our Lives Come Eromena Daughter Sister Wife it is no sin that I embrace thee now Life struggles hard but it must yield at last Death's hand is come and all my Torments past dieâ— Seg. What have I seen Grief stifles all my words From this sad place I will in haste remove â—â—â—â—ller'd shall be this body after this In a close Cell I 'll waste my Life away And never wish to see the open day Exit Gab. Comfort your self my dearest Cleonista Within we 'll know this most unhappy story It may be when that 's known you will not be so grieved But think them much more happy in their Deaths Sir My honoured Uncle now After the decent burial of these three We 'll then begin to think upon our Nuptials And may it prove a happier marriage than this last Let no one censure poor Cornaro's Fate But think it hard he was Vnfortunate Tho' Virtuâ— here han't met its due Regard There is a place where it must have Reward Exeunt Omnes FINIS