But say Endymion say She should look sad or sigh when thou depart'st How dost thou think at the same time to quell Two insurrections that at Argos and This sadder one in thy own breast My Dear I must not see thee I must onely make Some little paper happier then my self And write thee why Endymion is unblest Exit Endym. Enter King and Pyrrhus King Well Pyrrhus now our business is done This night Urania after all her pretty blushes and loathness to say Yes is mine Pyr. She is an 't please your Majesty and I am very glad of it knowing your Majesty's passion for the truth is I did very much doubt so much innocence would never have been overcome King She was loath indeed But Pyrrhus prithee see Endymion loyter not She was very passionate in that particular and all her promise is void if he be in towne by six of the clock this Even and it is neere so much already I think Pyr. I shall hasten him if he be not already gone King And then you must see yond Grotto prepared Pyr. It shall be fitted for the Scene of Love King The all I have to do is to make some fair pretence to the Queen for my absence this night Look where she comes Enter Queen alone Pyrrh I shall make haste to wait on your commands Ex. Pyrrh King How doth my Queen what all alone Queen Not now When I have found my Lord who is to me All company King Ah! thou hast found him none Thou 'st found him now disorder'd I 'm not well Qu. Alas I doubt you 've taken cold King I have But hope that this nights rest will make me well Qu. Sure Sir you don't do well to tarry here King I do not Madam I 'll retire Good night Kisseth her Qu. Nay give me leave Sir to attend you King No I will not draw you from the entertainment This pleasant evening will afford you here Qu. Alas my Prince you injure now your Queen To think that evening which gives Pain to you Can give her Pleasure King My dear I am not sick I onely am a little indispos'd I 'll beg thy pardon to retire this night But pray sup you and take no farther care Till at your own appartment I wait on you To morrow morning Queen Your will is still my Law King Once more goodnight Ex. King Queen sol Poore Prince poore Prince How little dost thou think How soon we two shall meet again and she Thou so much fly'st shall prove the very thing For which thou fly'st her How ridiculous Just Heaven doth make the wayes of men when they Forsake the wayes of Vertue This brave Prince At whose victorious Armies Greece now trembles When he contrives inglorious actions shall At the same time be pitied by his servants And a poor Girle shall upbraid him in Contriving to preserve him vertuous How do men ravel back to childhood when They cease to be thy Children sacred Vertue And need the care of every little person That what they call for may not do them harm Poor Prince I pity thee And oh that Heaven Shee kneeles May do so too And though the setting Sun Bode nought but darkness to the world yet may Some charitable Star vouchsafe one beam To his benighted breast lest wicked men Upbraid your wisdome that give Crowns and Scepters To those poor spirits who can softly creep At cowardly midnight to their beds of sin She riseth How happy should I be this tedious night In yonder Grotto to expect in vain And by my penance there to expiate Th' intended crime of my repenting Prince But I must haste Blest Heaven have pity on The folly of my poor deluded Lord. Exit Queen Enter Cleantha She takes two or three turns in the Garden and then breaks into these words Unfortunate Cleantha She walks a turn or two more Too fortunate In that which Fools call Happinesse She walks a little Fate Fate VVhy dost thou thus abuse the world to make Some high some low yet every one alike Unhappy whate'er our stations be VVe meet in this sad Center Misery Yet lest by knowing this we should rebel And every Generous soul turn Destiny Unto it self scorning thy tyranny And rather chusing not to be at all Then be thy sport thou hast contriv'd things so That every person thinks others more happy And that no breast knowes Misery like theirs But those whom thou dost destine to such Plagues As would break forth through private windows thou Dost place in mighty Palaces and with External splendour hid'st their inward Griefs From common eyes and mak'st them silly souls Admire what did they understand they 'd pity How many that behold Cleantha walk Attended by the proudest sparks of Greece And richer clad then Tulips in the Spring Do think her every minute happier far Then Cowards condemn'd are when their pardon 's read And every Lady in Arcadia But wretched when compar'd to her bright Fortune VVhilst poor Cleantha at that very minute Envies some Village-Maid that Russet weares The Livery of those sheep she doth attend But freely favours the poor Swain she loves And sleeps at night Cleantha's oft admir'd And her great titles reckon'd up whilest she Doth in her closet weep she is not less Heaven Heaven where was thy Mercy then VVhen thou mad'st Life so great a pain and Death A Sin Didst thou create great souls but to Affront them with thy greater power But stay Prophane Cleantha stay and be not more Unfortunate by being wicked too Endymion is all vertue and he would Hate a prophane Cleantha Poor Endymion How little dar'st thou think my thoughts or I Dare say them to thee Ah wretched wretched Princess VVhom Fate hath made greater then Happiness VVhat can I hope for should Endymion speak I then should hate him for his confidence A Crime of which he never can be guilty VVhen once he bled for me and conquer'd too And I on purpose chid my woman that She was unhandy onely ' cause my hand Ambitious was to wipe his wounds and give Him Balsam for the better Balsam of His blood poor Lord me thought he seem'd to wish The earth had been created lower that He might have lower bow'd to give me thanks And was so far from daring to presume That he did seem to make the distance more Betwixt himself and me by placing me Yet higher for my so great charity Nay should he speak in speaking he would forfeit The very thing I love him for that rest He findes in th' Elysium of his thoughts And those true satisfactions which he takes In being all the world unto himself But since my Love is vertuous as its Object VVhy should I stick to tell it all the world Nay why should I not rather glory in it To blush to say I love Endymion were To be asham'd to love Religion ' cause Her Priests are poor If Fortune ' th set him low Fools that are blind like her may do
accuser fall her sacrifice But if she can forget her former Vertue I can forget my former Love and be As just as she is wicked I can take As true a pleasure then to see her blood Drop from the fatal sword as ere I did To see it blushing on her cheek when erst I thought her modest And for the Priest whom I Have ever Father call'd and have rever'd More in my thoughts then language if he can Un-priest himself by wickedness I can Be glad to see those hands in iron which So oft have blest me to behold him burn VVho hath burnt holy incense and perfum'd All my Devotions with it I can glory To let him feel this Truth That 't is Heaven's guise Not to have beasts for Priests but Sacrifice Enter Queen and Priest Look where they come Let us withdraw it may be VVe shall hear something Pyrrh Sure they see you Priest And nothing is more common Then this which is not thought a sin because It seemeth rather an impulse of Nature King Hear'st thou Pyrrhus Queen The King Priest All happiness attend your Majestie King I must contain How doth my Queen Queen Always happy whilst your Majesty Is so King And what are you discoursing Queen Nothing but good with this good person sure King VVhat 's that you talk of that which is not sin ' Cause an impulse of Nature Queen Smiles What means your Majesty Priest I know not how we came by chance to speak How little wantonness is thought a sin Because it seemeth an impulse of Nature VVhereas the Vertuous still do fix their eye On the Command not the Temptation And think 't enough if what Heaven gives as Law Be possible although not natural King aside 'T is well put off I shall never hold To hear this hypocrite Well I must leave you Queen I shall wait upon your Majesty If 't may not be a trouble King To you it may be Queen Smiles That as your Majesty's pleasure is to make it Exeunt King and Queen Priest How happy 't is to see a King and Queen Thus blestly live together Pyrrh Heaven keep them so Priest Pray Heaven Amen My Lord adieu Exit Priest Pyrrhus solus Did I but dare to disobey my Prince In any thing or call my self to counsel VVhether I should reveal a secret he'th Vouchsaf'd to tell me I would certainly Prevent this Tragedy My Queen and Priest Should still be white and holy But what Kings Please to command requires obedience not Examination when they once have judg'd 'T is want of judgment if we dare judge too Enter King hastily King Pyrrhus I had forgot one thing Thou knowst the Prince is expected here to morrow and I doubt he will be somewhat early too It will be necessary his coming be retarded untill this business be over that I may know with what face to receive him after all the glorious actions he hath done I would not for a world his arrival should happen 'till the whole examination be over Pyrrh It will be an unhappy entertainment for his Grace Would your Majestie please to have me go my self King If thou canst handsomely do it and be early back in the morning It is but riding all night In the morning I shall want thee Pyrrh I shall do it with much ease if it be your Majesties pleasure King I shall leave thee to frame the excuse Pyrrh I shall be gone immediately Heaven grant I meet good newes to morrow morning Exit Pyrrhus King I doubt that Thus we with them in plotting do consent But they plot sin and we plot punishment And little think they in how small a time Poor souls my justice shall o'ertake their crime Too happy were men if they understood There is no safety but in being good Exit King Finis Act. 4. ACTUS 5. Enter the King He walks a while then seateth himself in a Chayre King UNfortunate Basilius How just Are all thy punishments proportion'd Heaven To unjust men Yet should I dare to judge Those happy Essences that dwell in Light And cannot erre I should be apt to say My punishment exceeds my crime my sin Went never farther then th' intention and My sufferance is real But was 't not Solely your goodness that it rested there And must you not be just now ' cause you then Were merciful Enter Pyrrh Pyrrhus undone My eyes are witnesses I saw them both Enter the Grotto Pyrrh The Priest in womans habit King All 's true The Queen hath been already Examin'd by the Councel All she saith Is that she 's innocent but will not say The cause which mov'd her to an action so Suspected though she die for 't But such Fyrrhus Are never innocent who are asham'd To vindicate their deeds when once their lives Do lie at stake for 't Pyrrh Your Majesty was not present King No I leave them totally to justice I Shall make the Law their judge Pyrrh But pray VVhat saith the Priest King I now expect to hear Th' examination It hath been very long Two houres at least It 's bad enough for certain But here it comes My Lord you have been long Enter Lord of the Councel But I expect no good and therefore care not If you had longer been Lord. An 't please your Majesty Before I can give satisfaction to Your expectations I must humbly pray You will pleas'd to pardon the intreating Your answer to a question on which all That we have done depends Pyrrhus withdraws a little King VVhat is it Lord. 'T may seem too insolent but the whole truth Of all th' examination wholly doth Depend upon it Whether your Majesty For reasons known best to your royal self Did not one night command a little Lady VVho waits upon the Princess one Urania To attend you in that Grotto where The Queen and Priest were seis'd on King I did Lord. And she was there King She was Lord. And was your Majesty Assur'd that it was she or might it be The Queen King Her whispers were the Queens Pyrrhus Knows what I told him riseth Lord. Be happy then great Prince Your Queen is Innocent your Priest is holy And Geron and Neader only are The Criminals King Relieve my wonder Lord. Hear Great Prince in short a plot that seems contriv'd In Hell by Heaven to add more whiteness to The Vertuous Here is the Priests confession Unrols a paper and reads it The confession of the Priest and his examination With the confession of Phronesia Geron and Neander That Geron came yesterday in the afternoon unto the Priest and after much seeming troubled told him that he had some houres before over-heard a contrivance between the Queen and the Lord Neander to meet at eleven of the clock that night at the Grotto in the Garden and that Neader was to be habited like a woman and the Queen to be dressed like a young lass named Vrania who waits on the Princess the better to prevent suspition in case they should
his fame Is this poor childe for whom I beg your mercy Not to extinguish with one stroke all that The strokes of Fate have left among the ruines Of a late glorious Family King Her language Bespeaks her something else then her mean habit 'T is strange But how do you make good What you affirm How came you to Arcadia Parth. Will you Majesty be pleas'd in short To hear my story I shall be brief King Say on But if you speak not truth you shall partake Your daughters Fate Parth. Let heaven by my witness And if I lye my Executioner I shall not now repeat the long misfortunes Of my unhappy Prince by that dire War His Rebel-Subjects rais'd against him through His too great goodness These reports enough Already have afflicted all good ears And all good hearts I now shall only tell you When he had acted out his Tragedy And wicked hands had made him glorious By patient suffering all that Malice could Inflict upon his person They next come To his Relations How they did betray And butcher divers of them all have heard And I have felt I having now remaining Of all my Treasure this poor Jewel only Some few Months old and knowing how soon Kingdoms Seem to grow weary of th' unfortunate Resolv'd when all look'd strange upon me to Retire to some small place such as my fortune Could make my own and there to buy my Peace With my obscurity and learn to be Contented with a little since Heaven thought Much too much for me Hither then I came Invited by the Peace of this blest Region And purchas'd the small Cottage where I dwell And learn'd to change my Scepter for a sheep-hook And thus I bred this childe and never told her Ought of her Father's or of my Misfortunes Not willing to disturb those sweet contents She took in being all she hop'd to be And all she understood she felt no care And with more pleasure govern'd her small flock Then her unhappy Father his great Kingdom And this was my content and Heaven can witness How oft I 've blest those Powers it doth contain For this condition and how little I Have envi'd any one But Heaven that oft Affronts the highest Probabilities And gratifies by ways were never thought of T' incourage men to pray but not prescribe When all my greatness now was set when I Had lost the Twi-light too of hope and was Gone far from all my Losses to forget them When my great Palace where I once commanded Was shrunk into a Cottage to obey in When I despair'd to see Urania great The only spark that still kept in my Life And only pray'd she might be innocent In this low Ebb when all my hopes were grown More prostrate then my fortune Heaven begins To dawn upon me and instruct me those Are neerer it who kneel in humble Cells Then such as stand on tip toe on high Towrs For now Theander makes Vrania more A Princess then a Kingdom could by courting Her as a shepherdess and shews the world That more then Chance conduced to her greatness Immerit persons may be born thus but By wise folks they will ne'er be chosen to it And such Theander's known to all the world I could have told Theander the whole truth When he would needs aske my consent to wed My erst neglected childe but that I would not Lessen those great contents he seem'd to take In his Arcadia that a Cottage had Brought forth a person fit to be a Princess But chiefly I reflected on the dark Meandrous paths of fate and gratifi'd My former sufferance by being now admitted Into its Councels and the Prospect of Its hidden steps 'Till now it thinks not fit I longer should enjoy the priviledge It hath deny'd the more deserving world For witness of all this I do invoke Those powers who never testifie untruths And here produce those small remains of Greatness She shews several very rich Jewels Misfortune yet hath left me See here great Prince That so fam'd Jewel which so many Kings Of Thrace have worn and with such veneration Have still preser'd on an old Prophecie This should preserve the Thracian Family King I need no Testimony but those words All Queens might blush to hear from Cottagers But is it possible so mean a place So long should hold great Cleopatra How could she lift her eyes to Heaven beneath So low a roofe When they look'd up for mercy How were they minded of it's Cruelty Unheard of Patience Cleopat Know great Prince and know it From one who hath experimented greatness too When I had satisfi'd my self in my Endeavours of regaining my lost Rights And saw it all unprosperous as if Heaven long enough had giv'n one Family The priviledge to govern other folks I was as well content to be the first Must learn to act again with common people As he who first was call'd from them to rule And did endeavour by my Vertue to Deserve again what possibly my sin Had made me loose And thus I found in patience As much content in suffering as I did In Moderation in prosperity And pay'd to Heaven as true as real thanks For this as e'er I did for that King Great Queen The Prophecy is now fulfill'd That Jewel Will serve to satisfie the world as much Of all you say as your own words have me And thus preserve the Thracian Family Embraceth and kisseth Vrania Dear Daughter Still be happy And forgive Our ignorance I cannot love thee better Then at that very time I did condemn thee I could as well have sentenc'd my two eyes Salutes Cleopatra And pardon us dear sister if we first Ask'd pardon where we did most need it Call Our Queen immediatley and tell Cleantha Urania is alive Pyrrh I shall be proud To be the Messenger Exit Pyrrh Trumpets without King What 's that The Prince is come Lord. The Prince is come King What will Theander say to see his dear Urania thus attir'd at his return Vran. He 'll say you 're merciful Enter Queen and Cleantha King My Queen See here great Cleopatra And call her Sister Take Cleantha take Her thou hast wept for Pyrrhus hath told you All Heavens goodness The Queen Salutes Cleopatra then runs and embraceth Urania Enter Theander King See here the Prince My Son Never more welcome Never did more joy Spring from more sorrow He sixeth his eyes on Uran. Theand. Bless me dread Sir What scene doth entertain me Are your joys Express'd by sacrifice King Theander take Take thy Urania and wonder not At any thing but her Theand. My Triumphs more Affright me then my conquests Queen My Son be happy In thy best choyce Let not thy wonder make Us longer languish Theand. Madam I will believe Salutes the Queen And hope in time to understand Dear Cozen. Goes to salute Cleantha who steps back Cleanth Sir when you first have done Your merited respects unto the Queen Of Thrace your Mother then to
so too But let Cleantha's pleasure be to see Vertue affronting the Fools Deity Direct me my good Starrs and let me do Honour to him who so much honours you And if I needs so hard a Fate must prove As fall at last a Sacrifice to Love 'T will be my Glory when it shall be said Cleantha for the brave Endymion dy'd Exit Cleantha Finis Act. 2. ACTUS 3. Enter King He takes a turn or two and then to him Pyrrhus King GOod morrow to you my Lord. Pyrrh A good day to your Majesty A day as pleasant as your night hath been King Ah! I wish it indeed Pyrrh I hope your Majesty hath been well enough diverted this night King Yes my Lord though not as you suppose I 've been diverted from those wild desires That made me first unking my self and then Unlord my Confident But I 've ask'd pardon Of Heaven and my own Majesty and now I beg it too from thee my loyall Pyrrhus Forgive me that I have profan'd thy Faith By such Commands that thou art bound to ask Blest Heaven forgivenesse for thy Loyalty Pyrrh Your Majesty I hope will give me leave To wonder at this change and understand it When you shall please to think me fit to do so King Pyrrhus I 'le tell thee all VVhen now the night Grew black enough to hide a skulking action And Heaven had never an eye unshut to fee Her Representative on earth creep ' mongst Those poor defensless worms whom Nature ' th left An humble prey to every thing and no Asylum but the Dark I softly stole To yonder Grotto through the upper walks And there found my Urania But I found her I found her Pyrrhus not a Mistress but A Goddess rather which made me now to be No more her Lover but Idolater She onely whispered to me as she promis'd Yet never heard I any voice so loud And though her words were gentler far then those That holy Priests do speak to dying Saints Yet never Thunder signified so much And what did more impress what e'er she said Methought her whispers were my injur'd Queens Her manner just like hers And when she urg'd Among a thousand things the injury I did the faithfull'st Princess in the world Who now suppos'd me sick and was perchance Upon her knees offering up holy vowes For him who mockt both heaven and her and was Now breaking of that vow he made her when With sacrifice he call'd the Gods to witness When she urg'd this and wept and spake so like My poor deluded Queen Pyrrhus I trembl'd Almost perswaded that it was her Angel Spake through Urania's lips who for her sake Took care of me as something she much lov'd It would be long to tell thee all she said How oft she figh'd how bitterly she wept But the effect Urania still is chast And with her chaster lips hath promis'd to Invoke blest Heaven for my intended sin Pyrrh A happy night Indeed I ne'r took pleasure T o've serv'd your Majesty in this employment Untill this instant King But how dost think my Pyrrhus I shall reward Urania for this action Pyrrh Ten thousand wayes King No no I am unhappy I must undo the fair the chast Vrania Pyrrh And me with wonder too King Thou know'st she told me Endymion was her servant an high Fortune For one so mean and a rare one too VVho can love Vertue where he sees her poor And I shall be constrained to banish him To some remoter Isle unlesse he 'll be VVhich I much doubt content to marry her VVithin few dayes Pyr. This is all news King It is But Pyrrhus thou art worthy of my secrets And therefore know I 've lately learnt Cleantha Loves nothing but Endymion Though she have Thou know'n a Prince that courts her high in Birth And Fortune too one worthy our alliance Yet she slights all addresses and last night I was inform'd ' was onely for the sake Of this mean Lord which should the Prince but know He sure would scorn her for his Rivals sake The certainty I hope to know this day From our good Priest whom I 've employ'd to sound her And learn her resolutions whence I shall Discern Endymions fate Pyr. An 't please your Majesty But doth Endymion know Cleantha loves him King I 'm told he doth not All that can be gather'd Is but from some few words she was by chance O'er-heard to say unto her self too big For her own breasts confinement and too secret It seems for any others ear But heark what 's yonder Trumpets without Pyr. I doe believe Endymion is return'd King It 's likely Let us in and have his answer Ex. King Pyrrhus Enter Cleantha sol into the Garden She walks a while often fetching very deep sighs at last saith When every thing is green Must poor Cleantha onely wither and never Know a Spring Was I made onely high Like Rhodope and Haemus or the Alpes To dwell with everlasting winter to wear Snow When every valley Roses wears Cleantha Thou must die Then thou maist also be Happy as other folks The Grave looks wistly Like thy Fortune Then every bodies face Is pale as thine There there thou wilt not see Poor Villagers more blest in love then thee And there thou wilt be able make appear Cleantha and Endymion equall are Then possibly some of Cleantha's earth May prove a little flower and look fresher Then when it part of a great Princess was And shew the erring world Enter the Priest Heaven what shall I say To this good man now Pri. Good morrow to your Highness Heaven send you a good day Cleantha I shall not doubt it After so good a Prayer Good morrow Sir Priest Your Highness all alone 'T were too great boldness To aske what little pensiveness invited You to so much retirement whilst the day Is yet so young and you as young as it Clean. I cannot wonder Sir at what you ask When I consider in what vanities I usually have spent my mornings more Examining my Face then Self But late She sighs Repentance is a little commendable Pri. But yours Madam is not so Your morning yet Is younger then this dayes and you can still Pay First-fruits unto Vertue But fair Princess Pardon the freedom of your Priest we often Mistake our Melancholy for Repentance And think that sadness our souls health which is Indeed but the disease of our weak bodies Queen It 's likely Sir and likely that weak sort That I am of may thus oft be deluded But Heaven I hope hath pity for that weakness It made not stronger Priest Madam be pleas'd to know The onely reason why I urge this is The onely reason why I 've thus intruded Into your Highnesses Retirements now This is not Madam the first time I 've seen Your Highness walk alone and shun those places Which company did seem to make unhappy And often have I too observ'd you 've been Alone i' th' middle of a multitude
embrace Or is my destiny Grown paradoxicall and proves my Love To be true hatred Or doth Heaven revenge Other folk Pride and my Humility Oh Death Death Death thou art not half so cruel In thy destructions of the prosperous As in not killing wretches that would die She weeps 'T is thou canst make Cleantha happy and Preserve Endymion so 'T is onely thy Long night and thy dark bed that can give rest And sleep to sad Cleantha Enter Endymion Endym. Vrania Hath not done well to treat me thus Alas Could I divine the Kings command or durst I not obey him or refuse employment In which was Honour and Obedience too Unto my Prince and Service to my Countrey I took no leave of her but I have told her The reasons why my Love forbad it me Surely Urania's cruel She ought not sure To be thus angry and accuse me of Slighting a poor deluded Shepherdess When I have vow'd so oft to her my love Clean. Here comes my poor Endymion Endym. The Princess She is still gracious to me and I were Best to intreat her to perswade my now Provok'd Urania But she 's alone She steps aside a little Clean. Good morrow my Lord. Endym. Your pardon Madam if unthought of I Have rusht on your Retirement Cleanth Your presence Sir Will better it Pray what 's the news from Argos Endym. Madam the report was last night brought to Court Had nothing in 't of truth I found all quiet But onely for th' disturbance that we made Our selves by our arrival in the night Clean. I 'm glad my Lord your danger was no more Endym. You do oblige me Madam to undergo Much greater danger for your Highness then This could have prov'd Clean. My Lord you have already Purchas'd the name of my preserver with Your blood Endym. 'T was at too cheap a rate Clean. Indeed You ne'er can be in greater danger Endym. Madam The cause I fought for made the danger nothing They might have kill'd me but I could not die Clean. Your Nature 's to oblige my Lord. I shall Be happy when I find it in my power To let your Lordship know the great respect I have for that great Vertue which you own Endym. Madam 't hath been your Highness pleasure still To honour with too great respect the little Merits of your mean servant who 's advanc'd When numbred in the lowest rank of those That have been fortunate to do you service Clean. You adde still to my debts my Lord yet are No wise injurious since you make me rich In having such a noble Creditor But pray my Lord tell me as one concern'd Mach in your Fortunes who have so oblig'd me If it be fit for me to know and you Conceive that by my wishes or endeavours I any wise may stead you what 's the cause Your Lordship hath not worn of late that rest Upon your looks which heretofore appear'd A happy witness to the world you were A world unto your self still and with wise Content blest all your fortunes Endym. Ah! great Princess It is for you to wear that Rest who are Plac'd in that upper Region where there is No wind But for a little Bark i' th' midst Of a great Sea subject to every wave And all the winds she never must pretend To this blest state And for my troubles Midam Alas their objects will appear so small To your great Eye you 'd think I did affront you Should I dare say them to you Should the Lion in His midnight walks for prey hear some poor worms Complain for want of little drops of dew What pity could that generous creature have who never wanted small things for those poor Ambitions yet these are their concernments And but for want of these they pine and die There must be some proportion still to pity Between our selves and what we moan 't is hard For men to be ought sensible how Moats Press Flies to death Your Highness oft in jest Hath play'd away more then some poor men have Wrought all their life for Cleanth My Lord I cannot tell Whether possibly what is your trouble may Not be augmented by my knowing it Else shall I never think ought small that can So much affect you nor beneath my care To seek to remedy that gives you pain Endym. Great Princess you undo me with your Honours My blood turns all to blushes as a sham'd It had not all been shed for your sake when I had the honour to pour forth a little A sacrifice to your great merits Madam I must obey your Highnesses Command And thank you for it too since in your knowledge Of what afflicts me is my remedy Cleanth What will he tell me Heaven he knows I love him Aside Endym. Madam I long have lov'd Clean. Whom Sir Endym. The faire Urania who attends your Highness Clean. Forgive Aside Forgive me poor Endymion Endym. And have us'd A thousand arts to get her love and had Won her consent last night to be my wife Not doubting Madam but your Highness would Have favoured me in this adventure but My sudden being sent to Argos did Unhappily absolve this promise and I am accus'd by her for slighting of An innocent Shepherdess who was too forward In trusting me and in believing that I e'er would match to one of her mean fortune Clean. Indeed my Lord I never could have guess'd Your melancholy had so mean a cause I could not think you would so far dishonour Your Family and Name as to have courted So low a person Endym. Madam I well do know Urania was a Shepherdess and born In some low Cottage ' mongst those little folks Whom Honour seldome visits and are blest With nothing but their own content but she Like to a Star mistaken of his sphere Grew so conspucious ' mongst those dimmer lights That brave Theander had no sooner spy'd her But he became all wonder and would needs Dismiss all but my self to talk with her I do remember yet when first the Prince Ask'd her some little questions how poor soul She blusht and look'd upon her Lambs as if She 'd have them take her part Her answers were So innocent as if she 'd been begot By Prayer upon some Vestal This sweet carriage From this sweet person caus'd the Prince almost For one whole Summer ever when he hunted About those parts to spend his pleasant'st hours With this fair Shepherdess untill at last He had perswaded her for she was loath To leave what she well knew for what she knew not To leave her little flock and go with him At what time he esteem'd her fit to be A Pâ—esent for your Highness an Advancement Few Families can boast of since when I know not VVhether through your reflections on her Madam VVho was celestiall though obscure before She did become a Star or whether she Became a greater Imitator of Your Highnesses perfections then all others She hath so added unto Nature Art That she 's grown
bright to every eye and Lords And greatest persons of the Court are proud To say Urania favours them to wear The Title of her Servant as a Gem Too rich to be examin'd whence she came For her low Birth Madam this morning sprung First to our eyes from yonder barren hill And so will thousand Stars at night though this And they and she are lights from Heaven all Their rise is mean or noble only from Our situation so is hers You cast Your eyes upon her from the hight of Birth And fortune too and see her low whilst that Some other Princess Born as high but not Beneath so happy Stars beholds her through The thicker Medium of her Tears and thinks Her Birth more noble ' cause more free and less Subject to Fate that doth like Thunder oft O'erturn vast Oaks whilst Rue and Vervin stands Her Loves are free without which we may wear Fetters of gold but they are Fetters still And fit as hard as Iron though more rich Whilst many great folks are constrain'd to wed By Law and Policie and marry those Old Men in Council shall think fit who have So many years for gotten love and hate Now all but wealth and Empire ' cause themselves Have nothing else to boast of left Cleantha being not able longer to contain her self at this goes abruptly from Endym. to a Sun-Dial which stood not far from the walk where she lets fall some tears her back being towards Endymion and says with a low voice Cleantha Now thou art not fond Endymion saith Thou art unhappy And wilt thou say so And leave me so Endymion No my passion Is now Authoriz'd and I 'll speak She wipes her eyes My Lord Would you think it were so late already Endym Indeed Endym. Comes to the Dial. I cou'd not think it had been night so late But every part of Heaven hasts to see What it so loves and favours your bright self Cleant. Well my Lord I do not wonder much So great a Wit should thus maintain so great A Paradox since that in nothing less It can find its true exercise But say And tell me truly should I make 't my care To chuse a Mistress for you fair as Urania If thousands may be judges and as Vertuous Because she truely honours Vertue but Extracted from a Family would give Luster to yours although it were as mean As hers you court now say would you not leave Urania for her who doth seem to me To undervaule your respects Tell me my Lord. Endym. pauseth a while Madam should your highness condescend to chuse A Torment for me it were impudence In me to chuse ought else But that 's all blest Which is so like Urania Cleant. So like to her Vrania's body's fair but what 's that mind Which cannot apprehend the true contents Of being bound with sacred chaynes to him Who in her Closet and alone can be The whole world to her unto whom she may Bring all her doubts and tell her sorrows and Repeat her joyes and have his censure on them What is that minde which cannot value such True satisfactions more perchance then Crowns And Sceptres which is more then e'er Vrania Doth ever hope for sure Endym. Great Princess could I own Half those perfections I might happy be Without Vrania But Urania knows She may find thousands of more merit then The poor Endymion who durst never measure Himself but by the passion he had for her Cleant. Sure 't was his modesty He might have thriven Much better possibly had his ambition Been greater much They oft-times take more payns Who look for Pins then those who finde out Stars Endym. They do and are unfortunate But know Know highest Princess those may search for such Small things you 're pleas'd to name who only have A little candle of as small a value But those who seek out Stars must be provided VVith Arts and Glasses and such costly things As humble folkes must be content to want Cleant. Those coyer Stars indeed which so retire Their little eyes in Heavens vast Bosom do They say require those things you mention but For others of more magnitude you need Only to fix your eyes and they 'll appear By their own light and all you have to do Is to receive those Beams they cast upon you Endym. You cannot erre great Princess But 't is hard To fix our eyes aright upon that part Of Heaven where those Stars inhabit if VVe have not some directions first Cleant. Indeed Those who look downwards ought to be directed To look above them to the highest sphere For there the Stars are then I 'm apt to think Their task will not prove hard She blusheth My Lord I blush Thus to instruct you in Astronomy Endym. No wonder Madam if I 'm proud of what You blush at and esteem this my best knowledge VVhich your unbounded wit perhaps to morrow Will with much greater reason quite deny Clean. My Lord you think no woman's ever constant To what she saith a day but your Urania But till you 've try'd pray have more charity You 'll after have more Faith 'T is late my Lord You have oblig'd me with your company Exit Clean. Endym. sol VVhat meant this last discourse Heaven blest Heaven VVas 't not enough to lose my dear Urania Unless I also did adore the hand VVhich snatch'd her from me Cleantha love Endymion The great the pure Cleantha All my hopes In rich and holy Incense stifled are The worlds best light hath burnt my Phenix with A thousand Spices but Fool â— it cannot be Can brave Cleantha love the poor Endymion Cleantha pardon this wild thought forgive The proud Endymion Never may he know Thy noble breast harbour a thought so low Exit Endym Finis Act. 3. ACTUS 4. Enter Neander sol in a fury Neand. I Wonder who the Devil intends I shall marry with for marry I will by Heaven though the Match be made in Hell I have been a servant as they call it that is I have sworn and ly'd and spent money upon every Lady of Quality in the whole Court yet I am still so far from having a Wife among them all as the veryest Eunuch in the Great Turks Seraglio is from having a Child among all those wenches Indeed I never was in any probability unless in my own conceit of winning any one but the sweet Evadne and now that the Queen and her ugly Father should cross me should forbid her to speak to me to see me it is what I cannot I will not bear though Fate it selfe say I shall do it No I have been told that most old folks when the Wine of Love is worn our in them live some years by its Vinegar Spight and I will do the same I am resolved and that old gray Priest and his Mistress the Queen shall be my subjects And yet I am not ambitious to shew my valour so far as to be hang'd for it neither This if I
it's Verity VVhich by a thousand and ten thousand words It would have took a poor diluted pleasure To have imperfectly exprest Aside Nource Heaven bless me I do not wonder Lovers oft run Maz'd That think at this strange rate 'T will crack my skull To hear it longer Madam will you not see The execution Cleant. Not for ten thousand VVorlds Nource It is at hand Cleant. Poor Urania I Can find no friends on earth to help thee now I will address my self to Heaven for thee VVho only can reprieve what Great-folks have Condemn'd to Ruine and 's the sole defence Through all the world unto weak-innocence Exeunt Cleantha and Nource There appears a Scaffold covered with black with many Spectators about it The King is present himself to see the Execution done before the Prince his arrival which was at hand Enter Urania in Black weeping led by two of the Princess's Servants in Black King Poor heart did I not fear the Prince's coming I would not see so sad a spectacle But I 'll retire a little I 'd have her live As long 's she may Urania casts her eyes on the Executioner Sheriff Retire 'till you are call'd to do your office Exit Executioner The Two Gentlemen who attend her conduct her to the Rayls of the Scaffold where having wip'd her eyes she speaks thus to the People Vran. Did any thing but my own innocence Lie now at stake which now is all I 've left To comfort me I should not dare to speak Before so many Persons But though I Must quire despair of Mercy in this world I hope I may find Charity and that Good folks will credit a poor dying Person Although she bring no witness but her vows All I am now condemn'd for is my Birth That I was meanly born which seems indeed A Punishment but not a Crime or if It were I could not help it sure for this I 'm doom'd to suffer and my poverty Must be reliev'd with death But though I can Find no forgiveness in the world I 'm glad I find it in my self I freely can Forgive who e'er have injurâ—d me if any Have done so for I cannot tell and this Is some ease to me though perchance the living Do little heed the pardons of the dead I do not know I ever hurted any But if I have I hope they will forgive me Only my Lord Endymion I did once Delude to save my life would Heaven I had not But he is merciful to others though He'th met with little for himself I do Confess I 'm marri'd to the Prince But he He sure will witness for me 't was the Effect Of his own choyce I never did presume To think it ere he told me 't should be so Since when how faithful I have been unto him VVitness O'Heaven and those powers who know The thoughts of every one and only dare To quit whom Kings condemn And though I must For this now suffer death I cannot wish It never had been so because it was The Prince his pleasure whom to contradict VVere more then death to me And yet I feel That death is bitter 'T is an enemy Looks cruelly on those who have no friends To speak a little comfort to them 'T is hard To undergo the greatest Task alone But 't is my Fate and Heaven must be obey'd VVhose ways although they seem obscure to men Are known unto it self whole eyes increase VVith it's own dark ness still And 't were not hard Now men have jud'd me thus unfit to live VVould Heaven assure me I am fit to die 'T is a long Hazard that folks run in death And a short warning rather doth disturb Then fit those for it whose poor judgments ne'er Judge well but when they doubt themselves Wer 't not For this I could be well content though young To find that Quiet in a Grave I 've mist Among the living and close up those eyes That have of late beheld so little pleasure And that must see the brave Theander blam'd For his unworthy choyce his judgment question'd VVhich were a living death not to be bought VVith all this world can give But I too long Detain you with complaints whose business is To see me die Live happy brave Theander May all thy sorrows die with thy Vrania And all those joys live with thee which she took In thy contents May'st thou be Happy in A princess Great as thy own Merits Bright As thy own eyes and Vertuous as Are all thy Thoughts and may she honour thee As truly as thy poor Vrania did Enter Executioner She weeps Execut. Are you ready Madam Uran. VVho is this Sir Gent. Madam Vran. VVho is it Sir Gent. Madam It is your destiny Uran. Is this he Sir can you instruct me what I am to do I never yet saw any body die Gent. You must kneel down Vran. How will he strike Gent. VVith all the mercy that he can Execut. Madam when You 've ended all you have to say be pleas'd To kneel Your face that way And give some sign When I shall strike Vran. Pray Sirs be near me VVhen I do fall I cannot tell what postures Death may allow of Gent. You have our promise Madam Vran. And when I 'm dead pray Sirs pray Sirs permit None but my Mother fit me for my Grave She will be careful of me she will pay Holy Devotions for me and bedew With pious tears that Face she still hath lov'd And may blest Heaven give comfort in her sorrows And all those Stars which have been hard to me Be merciful to her May my Misfortune VVork on her only a more true content In the low Sphere she so securely moves in Blest Heaven assist me Sirs farewell Present My humble Service to my noble Princess With thanks for all her favours in my Life And charity in death The gods reward Your mercy Gentlemen Blest Heaven assist me She kneels and the Executioner bares her neck Uran. Pray expect the sign Execut. I shall Enter in haste Parthenia Urania's Mother Parth. Stay stay the fatal blow The King hearing the noyse comes forth King VVhat 's this Parth. A miserable Mother come to save Her only Childe King Executioner do your office Quick Parth. Great King Dread Soveraign hear Hear a distressed Mother Hear for their sakes That at your death must hear you King What will you say Parth. My Childe is innocent King Do your office Executioner Parth. O! stay stay Great King Vrania is A Princess born Her father was a King King What say you Parth. Vrania's father was a King Great but unfortunate The King of Thrace King It is not possible The King of Thrace And what are you Parth. Great King I 'm now your Subject My name Parthenia and my habitation A little Cottage But I once was known By th' name of Cleopatra great in Brith But greater in misfortune and was wife To Pyrocles the Vertuous Prince of Thrace Of whom all that remains besides