But now this picture has convinc'd me Qu. Ha! Let me see it Snatches it from her Candiope Prince Lysimantes sister Ast. Your favour Madam may encourage him And yet he loves in a high place for him A Princess of the Blood and what is more Beyond comparison the fairest Lady Our Isle can boast Qu. How she the fairest Beyond comparison 't is false you flatter her She is not fair Ast. I humbly beg forgiveness on my knees If I offended you But next yours Madam Which all must yield to Qu. I pretend to none Ast. She passes for a beauty Qu. I She may pass But why do I speak of her Dear Asteria lead me I am not well o' th sudden She faints Ast. Who 's near there help the Queen The Guards are coming Qu. Bid 'em away 't was but a qualm And 't is already going Ast. Dear Madam what 's the matter y' are You are of late so alter'd I scarce know you You were gay humour'd and you now are pensive Once calm and now unquiet Pardon my boldness that I press thus far Into your secret thoughts I have at least A subjects share in you Qu. Thou hast a greater That of a friend but am I forward saist thou Ast. It ill becomes me Madam to say that Qu. I know I am prithee forgive me for it I cannot help it but thou hast Not long to suffer it Ast. Alas Qu. I feel my strength insensibly consume Like Lillies wasting in a Lymbecks heat Yet a few dayes And thou shalt see me lie all damp and cold Shrowded within some hollow Vault among My silent Ancestors Ast. O dearest Madam Speak not of death or think not if you die That I will stay behind Qu. Thy love has mov'd me I for once will have The pleasure to be pitied I le unfold A thing so strange so horrid of my self Ast. Bless me sweet Heaven So horrid said you Madam Qu. That Sun who with one look surveys the Globe Sees not a wretch like me and could the world Take a right measure of my state within Mankind must either pity me or scorn me Ast. Sure none could do the last Qu. Thou long'st to know it And I to tell thee but shame stops my mouth First promise me thou wilt excuse my folly And next be secret Ast. Can you doubt it Madam Qu. Yet you might spare my labour Can you not guess Ast. Madam please you I 'le try Qu. Hold Asteria I would not have you guess for should you find it I should imagine that some other might And then I were most wretched Therefore though you should know it flatter me And say you could not guess it Ast. Madam I need not flatter you I cannot and yet Might not Ambition trouble your repose Qu. My Sicily I thank the Gods contents me But since I must reveal it know 't is love I who pretended so to glory am Become the slave of love Ast. I thought your Majesty had fram'd designes To subvert all your Laws become a Tyrant Or vex your neighbours with injurious wars Is this all Madam Qu. Is not this enough Then know I love below my self a Subject Love one who loves another and who knows not That I love him Ast. He must be told it Madam Qu. Not for the world Asteria When ere he knows it I shall die for shame Ast. What is it then that would content you Qu. Nothing but that I had not lov'd Ast. May I not ask without offence who ' t is Qu. Ev'n that confirms me I have lov'd amiss Since thou canst know I love and not imagine It must be Philocles Ast. My Cousin is indeed a most deserving person Valiant and wise and handsome and well born Qu. But not of Royal bloud I know his fate unfit to be a King To be his wife I could forsake my Crown but not my glory Yet would he did not love Candiope Would he lov'd me but knew not of my love Or ere durst tell me his Ast. In all this Labyrinth I find one path conducing to your quiet Qu. O tell me quickly then Ast. Candiope as Princess of the Bloud Without your approbation cannot marry First break his match with her by vertue of Your Sovereign Authority Qu. I fear That were to make him hate me Or what 's as bad to let him know I love him Could you not do it of your self Ast. I le not be wanting to my pow'r But if your Majesty appears not in it The love of Philocles will soon surmount All other difficulties Qu. Then as we walk we 'l think what means are best Effect but this and thou shar'st halfe my breast Exeunt ACT II. SCENE I. The Queens appartments Asteria NOthing thrives that I have plotted Sola For I have sounded Philocles and find He is too constant to Candiope Her too I have assaulted but in vain Objecting want of quality in Philocles I 'le to the Queen and plainly tell her She must make use of her Authority To break the match SCENE II. Enter Celadon looking about him Brother what make you here About the Queens appartments Which of the Ladies are you watching for Cel Any of 'em that will do me the good turn to make me soundly in love Ast. Then I 'le bespeak you one you will be desp'rately in love with Florimel so soon as the Queen heard you were return'd she gave you her for Mistriss Cel. Thank her Majesty but to confess the truth my fancy lies partly another way Ast. That 's strange Florimel vows you are already in love with her Cel. She wrongs me horribly if ever I saw or spoke with this Florimel Ast. Well take your fortune I must leave you Exit Asteria SCENE III. Enter Florimel sees him and is running back Cel. Nay 'faith I am got betwixt you and home you are my pris'ner Lady bright till you resolve me one question She signs She is dumb Pox I think she 's dumb what a vengeance dost thou at Court with such a rare face without a tongue to answer to a kind question Art thou dumb indeed then thou canst tell no tales goes to kiss her Flor. Hold hold you are not mad Cel. Oh my miss in a Masque have you found your tongue Flor. 'T was time I think what had become of me if I had not Cel. Methinks your lips had done as well Flor. I if my Masque had been over 'em as it was when you met me in the walks Cel. Well will you believe me another time did not I say you were infinitely handsome they may talk of Florimel if they will but i'faith she must come short of you Flor. Have you seen her then Cel. I look'd a little that way but I had soon enough of her she is not to be seen twice without a surfeit Flor. However you are beholding to her they say she loves you Cel. By fate she shan'not love me I have told her a piece of my mind already pox o 'these
I would think of him As of some God or Angel Lys. That God or Angel you and I may be to one another We have betwixt us An hundred men The Cittadel you govern What were it now to seize the Queen Phil. O impiety to seize the Queen To seize her said you Lys. The word might be too rough I meant secure her Phil. Was this your proposition And had you none to make it to but to me Lys. Pray hear me out e're you condemn me I would not the least violence were offer'd Her person two small grants is all I ask To make me happy in her self and you In your Candiope Cand. And will not you do this my Philocles Nay now my Brother speaks but reason Phil. Int'rest makes all seem reason that leads to it Int'rest that does the zeal of Sects create To purge a Church and to reform a State Lys. In short the Queen hath sent to part you two What more she means to her I know not Phil. To her alas why will not you protect her Lys. With you I can but where 's my power alone Cand. You know she loves me not you lately heard her How she insulted over me how she Despis'd that beauty which you say I have I see she purposes my death Phil. Why do you fright me with it 'T is in your Brothers pow'r to let us 'scape And then you run no danger Lys. True I may But then my head must pay the forfeit of it Phil. O wretched Philocles whither would love Hurry thee headlong Lys. Cease these exclamations Ther 's no danger on your side 't is but To live without my Sister resolve that And you have shot the gulf Phil. To live without her is that nothing think you The damn'd in Hell endure no greater pain Then seeing Heaven from far with hopeless eyes Cand. Candiope must die and die for you See it not unreveng'd at least Phil. Ha unreveng'd on whom should I revenge it But yet she dies and I may hinder it 'T is I then murder my Candiope And yet should I take armes against my Queen That favour'd me rais'd me to what I am Alas it must not be Lys. He cools again aside True she once favour'd you But now I am inform'd She is besotted on an upstart wretch So far that she intends to make him Master Both of her Crown and person Phil. Knows he that Then what I dreaded most is come to pass aside I am convinc'd of the necessity Let us make haste to raze That action from Annals of her Reign No motive but her glory could have wrought me I am a Traytor to her to preserve her From Treason to her self and yet Heav'n knows With what a heavy heart Philocles turns reformer but have care This fault of her strange passion take no air Let not the vulgar blow upon her fame Lys. I will be careful shall we go my Lord Phil. Time wasts apace Each first prepare his men Come my Candiope Exeunt Phil. Cand. Lys. This ruines him forever with the Queen The odium's half his the profit all my own Those who like me by others help would climb To make 'em sure must dip 'em in their crime Exit Lys. SCENE II. The Queens appartments Enter Queen and Asteria Qu. No more news yet from Philocles Ast. None Madam since Flavia's return Qu. O my Asteria if you lov'd me sure You would say something to me of my Philocles I could speak ever of him Ast. Madam you commanded me no more to name him to you Qu. Then I command you now to speak of nothing else I charge you here on your allegiance tell me What I should do with him Ast. When you gave orders that he should be taken You seem'd resolv'd how to dispose of him Qu. Dull Asteria not to know Mad people never think the same thing twice Alas I 'm hurried restless up and down I was in anger once and then I thought I had put into shore But now a gust of love blows hard against me And bears me off again Ast. Shall I sing the Song you made of Philocles And call'd it Secret-love Qu. Do for that 's all kindness and while thou sing'st it I can think nothing but what pleases me Song I Feed a flame within which so torments me That it both pains my heart and yet contents me 'T is such a pleasing smart and I so love it That I had rather die then once remove it Yet he for whom I grieve shall never know it My tongue does not betray nor my eyes show it Not a sigh nor a tear my pain discloses But they fall silently like dew on Roses Thus to prevent my love from being cruel My heart 's the sacrifice as 't is the fuel And while I suffer this to give him quiet My faith rewards my love though he deny it On his eyes will I gaze and there delight me While I conceal my love no frown can fright me To be more happy I dare not aspire Nor can I fall more low mounting no higher Qu. Peace Me thinks I hear the noise Of clashing Swords and clatt'ring Armes below Enter Flavia. Now what news that you press in so rudely Flav. Madam the worst that can be Your Guards upon the sudden are surpris'd Disarm'd some slain all scatter'd Qu. By whom Flav. Prince Lysimantes and Lord Philocles Qu. It cannot be Philocles is a Prisoner Flav. What my eyes saw Qu. Pull 'em out they are false Spectacles Ast. O vertue impotent and blind as Fortune Who would be good or pious if this Queen Thy great Example suffers Qu. Peace Asteria accuse not vertue She has but given me a great occasion Of showing what I am when Fortune leaves me Ast. Philocles to do this Qu. I Philocles I must confess 't was hard But there 's a fate in kindness Still to be least return'd where most 't is given Where 's Candiope Flav. Philocles was whispering to her Qu. Hence Screech-owl call my Guards quickly there Put 'em apart in several Prisons Alas I had forgot I have no Guards But those which are my Jaylors Never till now unhappy Queen The use of pow'r till lost is seldom known Now I would strike I find my Thunder gone Exit Queen and Flavia. Philocles enters and meets Asteria going out Phil. Asteria Where 's the Queen Ast. Ah my Lord what have you done I came to seek you Phil. Is it from her you come Ast. No but on her behalf her heart 's too great In this low ebb of Fortune to intreat Phil. 'T is but a short Ecclipse Which past a glorious day will soon ensue But I would ask a favour too from you Ast. When Conquerors petition they command Those that can Captive Queens who can withstand Phil. She with her happiness might mine create ' Yet seems indulgent to her own ill fate But she in secret hates me fure for why If not should she Candiope deny Ast. If you dare trust my knowledg
coming women they set a man to dinner before he has an appetite Flavia at the door Florimel you are call'd within Exit Cel. I hope in the Lord you are not Florimel Flor. Ev'n she at your service the same kind and coming Florimel you have describ'd Cel. Why then we are agreed already I am as kind and coming as you for the heart of you I knew at first we two were good for nothing but one another Flor. But without raillery are you in Love Cel. So horribly much that contrary to my own Maxims I think in my conscience I could marry you Flor. No no 't is not come to that yet but if you are really in love you have done me the greatest pleasure in the world Cel. That pleasure and a better too I have in store for you Flor. This Animal call'd a Lover I have long'd to see these two years Cel. Sure you walk'd with your mask on all the while for if you had been seen you could not have been without your wish Flor I warrant you mean an ordinary whining Lover but I must have other proofs of love ere I believe it Cel. You shall have the best that I can give you Flor. I would have a Lover that if need be should hang himself drown himself break his neck or poyson himself for very despair he that will scruple this is an impudent fellow if he sayes he is in love Cel. Pray Madam which of these four things would you have your Lover do for a man 's but a man he cannot hang and drown and break his neck and poyson himself altogether Flor Well then because you are but a beginner and I would not discourage you any one of these shall serve your turn in a fair way Cel. I am much deceiv'd in those eyes of yours if a Treat a Song and the Fiddles be not a more acceptable proof of love to you then any of those Tragical ones you have mentioned Flor. However you will grant it is but decent you should be pale and lean and melancholick to shew you are in love and that I shall require of you when I see you next Cel. When you see me next why you do not make a Rabbet of me to be lean at 24 hours warning in the mean while we burn day-light loose time and love Flor. Would you marry me without consideration Cel. To choose by heaven for they that think on 't twenty to one would never do it hang forecast to make sure of one good night is as much in reason as a man should expect from this ill world Flor. Methinks a few more years and discretion would do well I do not like this going to bed so early it makes one so weary before morning Cel. That 's much as your pillow is laid before you go to sleep Flor. Shall I make a proposition to you I will give you a whole year of probation to love me in to grow reserv'd discreet sober and faithful and to pay me all the services of a Lover Cel. And at the end of it you 'll marry me Flor. If neither of us alter our minds before Cel. By this light a necessary clause but if I pay in all the foresaid services before the day you shall be obliged to take me sooner into mercy Flor. Provided if you prove unfaithful then your time of a Twelve-month to be prolong'd so many services I will bate you so many dayes or weeks so many faults I will add more to your ' Prentiship so much more And of all this I onely to be Judg. SCENE IV. Enter Philocles and Lysimantes Lys. Is the Queen this way Madam Flor. I 'le see so please your Highness Follow me Captive Cel. March on Conquerour She pulls him Lys. You 're sure her Majesty will not oppose it Exeunt Cel. Flor. Phil. Leave that to me my Lord. Lys. Then though perhaps my Sisters birth might challenge An higher match I 'le weigh your merits on the other side To make the ballance even Phil. I go my Lord this minute Lys. My best wishes wait on you Exit Lysimantes SCENE V. Enter the Queen and Asteria Qu. Yonder he is have I no other way Ast. O Madam you must stand this brunt Deny him now and leave the rest to me I 'le to Candiope's Mother And under the pretence of friendship work On her Ambition to put off a match So mean as Philocles Qu. to Phil. You may approach Sir We two discourse no secrets Phil. I come Madam to weary out your royal bounty Qu. Some suit I warrant for your Cousin Celadon Leave his advancement to my care Phil. Your goodness still prevents my wishes yet I have one request Might it not pass almost for madness and Extream Ambition in me Qu. You know you have a favourable Judg It lies in you not to ask any thing I cannot grant Phil. Madam perhaps you think me now too faulty But Love alone inspires me with ambition Though but to look from fair Candiope were an excuse for both Qu. Keep your Ambition and let Love alone That I can cloy but this I cannot cure I have some reasons invincible to me which must forbid Your marriage with Candiope Phil. I knew I was not worthy Qu. Not for that Philocles you deserve all things And to show I think it my Admiral I hear is dead His vacant place the best in all my Kingdom I here confer on you Phil. Rather take back all you have giv'n before Then not give this For believe Madam nothing is so near My soul as the possession of Candiope Qu. Since that belief would be your disadvantage I will not entertain it Phil. Why Madam can you be thus cruel to me To give me all things which I did not ask And yet deny that onely thing I beg And to beg that I find I cannot live Without the hope of it Qu. Hope greater things But hope not this Haste to o'recome your love It is but putting a short liv'd passion to a violent death Phil. I cannot live without Candiope But I can die without a murmure Having my doom pronounced from your fair mouth Qu. If I am to pronounce it live my Philocles But live without I was about to say Without his love but that I cannot do Live Philocles without Candiope aside Phil. Ah Madam could you give my doom so quickly And knew it was irrevocable 'T is too apparent You who alone love glory and whose soul Is loosned from your senses cannot judg What torments mine of grosser mould endures Qu. I cannot suffer you To give me praises which are not my own I love like you and am yet much more wretched Then you can think your self Phil. Weak barrs they needs must be that fortune puts 'Twixt Soveraign Power and all it can desire When Princes love they call themselves unhappy Onely because the word sounds handsome in a Lovers mouth But you can cease to be so when you please By making Lysimantes
the first Paradise With levell'd eyes gaz'd each upon their kind There fix'd their love and ne're look'd up to view That glorious Creature man their soveraign Lord. Qu. Y' are too severe on little faults but he has crimes untold Which will I fear move you much more against him He fell this day into a passion with me And boldly contradicted all I sed Phil. And stands his head upon his Shoulders yet How long shall this most insolent Qu. Take heed you rail not You know you are but on your good behaviour Phil. Why then I will not call him Traytor But onely rude audacious and impertinent To use his Soveraign so I beg your leave To wish you have at least imprison'd him Qu. Some people may speak ill and yet mean well Remember you were not confin'd and yet Your fault was great In short I love him And that excuses all but be not jealous His rising shall not be your overthrow Nor wil I ever marry him Phil. That 's some comfort yet He shall not be a King Qu. He never shall But you are discompos'd Stay here a little I have somewhat for you Shall shew you still are in my favour Exeunt Queen and Asteria Enter to him Candiope weeping Phil. How now in tears my fair Candiope So through a watry Clowd The Sun at once seems both to weep and shine For what Forefathers sin do you afflict Those precious eyes for sure you have None of your own to weep Cand. My Crimes both great and many needs must show Since Heav'n will punish them with loosing you Phil. Afflictions sent from Heav'n without a cause Make bold Mankind enquire into its Laws But Heav'n which moulding beauty takes such care Makes gentle fates on purpose for the fair And destiny that sees them so divine Spinn's all their fortunes in a silken twine No mortal hand so ignorant is found To weave course work upon a precious ground Cand. Go preach this doctrine in my Mother's ears Phil. Has her severity produc'd these tears Cand. She has recall'd those hopes she gave before And strictly bids me ne're to see you more Phil. Changes in froward age are Natural Who hopes for constant weather in the fall 'T is in your pow'r your duty to transfer And place that right in me which was in her Cand. Reason like foreign foes would ne're o'recome But that I find I am betray'd at home You have a friend that fights for you within Phil. Let Reason ever lose so love may win Enter Queen and Asteria Queen with a Picture in her hand Qu. See there Asteria All we have done succeeds still to the worse We hindred him from seeing her at home Where I but onely heard they lov'd and now She comes to Court and mads me with the sight on 't Ast. Dear Madam overcome your self a little Or they 'l perceive how much you are concern'd Qu. I struggle with my heart but it will have some vent To Cand. Cousin you are a stranger at the Court. Cand. It was my duty I confess To attend oftner on your Majesty Qu. Asteria Mend my Cousins Handkerchief It sits too narrow there and shows too much The broadness of her Shoulders Nay fie Asteria Now you put it too much backward and discover The bigness of her breasts Cand. I beseech your Majesty Give not your self this trouble Qu. Sweet Cousin you shall pardon me A beauty such as yours Deserves a more then ordinary care To set it out Come hither Philocles do but observe She has but one gross fault in all her shape That is she bears up here too much And the malicious Workman has left it open to your eye Phil. Where and ' please your Majesty methinks 't is very well Qu. Do not you see it Oh how blind is love Cand. And how quick-sighted malice Aside Qu. But yet methinks those knots of sky do not So well with the dead colour of her face Ast. Your Majesty mistakes she wants no red The Queen here plucks out her Glass and looks sometimes on her self sometimes on her Rival Qu. How do I look to day Asteria Methinks not well Ast. Pardon me Madam most victoriously Qu. What think you Philocles come do not flatter Phil. Paris was a bold man who presum'd To judg the beauty of a Goddess Cand. Your Majesty has given the reason why He cannot judge his Love has blinded him Qu. Methinks a long patch here beneath her eye Might hide that dismal hallowness what think you Philocles Cand. Beseech you Madam aske not his opinion What my faults are it is no matter He loves me with them all Qu. I he may love but when he marries you Your Bridal shall be kept in some dark Dungeon Farwel and think of that too easie Maid I blush thou shar'st my bloud Exeunt Queen Asteria Cand. In humane Queen Thou canst not be more willing to resign Thy part in me then I to give up mine Phil. Love how few Subjects do thy Laws fulfil And yet those few like us thou usest ill Cand. The greatest slaves in Monarchies are they Whom Birth sets nearest to Imperial sway While jealous pow'r does sullenly o're spy We play like Deer within the Lions eye Would I for you some Shepherdess had been And but each May ne're heard the name of Queen Phil. If you were so might I some Monarch be Then you should gain what now you loose by me Then you in all my glories should have part And rule my Empire as you rule my heart Cand. How much our golden wishes are in vain When they are past we are our selves again Enter Queen and Asteria above Qu. Look look Asteria yet they are not gone Hence we may hear what they discourse alone Phil. My Love inspires me with a gen'rous thought Which you unknowing in those wishes taught Since happiness may out of Courts be found Why stay we here on this enchanted ground And choose not rather with content to dwell If Love and we can find it in a Cell Cand. Those who like you have once in Courts been great May think they wish but wish not to retreat They seldom go but when they cannot stay As loosing Gamesters throw the Dice away Ev'n in that Cell where you repose would find Visions of Court will haunt your restless mind And glorious dreams stand ready to restore The pleasing shapes of all you had before Phil. He who with your possession once is blest On easie terms may part with all the rest All my Ambition will in you be crown'd And those white Arms shall all my wishes bound Our life shall be but one long Nuptial day And like chaf't Odours melt in Sweats away Soft as the Night our Minutes shall be worn And chearful as the Birds that wake the Morn Cand. Thus hope misleads it self in pleasant way And takes mores joyes on trust then Love can pay But Love with long possession once decayd That face which now you Court you will