all but for the love of that poor Maid The Prince not ten months since took from a Cottage As he a hunting was and gave the fair Cleantha for a present Endym. Who Vrania Pyrrh Yes But stay I see him coming Enter King Let us retire It may be we shall hear Some of the thoughts that trouble him Endym. Husht King Ah! VVhere will this tyrant end Heav'n shall I still Be Priest and Sacrifice and Altar too Unto a passion I can satisfie But never conquer what poor things are Kings What poorer things are Nations to obey Him whom a petty Passion doth command Fate why was man made so ridiculous But I can quench my Flame And where my prayers Have not prevail'd my power can command Who in Arcadia dare resist my will But stay When this poor Maid sprung from a stock Low as the Cottage where she first saw light Shall call on Vertue and the Gods to keep Her body they too weakly have expos'd White as her soul which all the world cann't sully Shall I whom men call sacred and divine And look on as deriv'd from Ancestors VVho have not Tombs but Altars without shame And thousand blushes dare with ruder force To drive poor Vertue from her cleanest Temple And use that power the Gods have given me O'er others but t' offend them how I please By Heaven by Heaven I will not But I dy Oh I am mortal Men but flatter me Oh fate why were not Kings made more then Men Or why will people have us to be more Alas we govern others but our selves VVe cannot rule as our eyes that do see All other things but cannot see themselves I must submit I am a King but LOVE 'S a Deity I am resolv'd to trie Whether Urania will Love or die I 'll in and faithful Pyrrhus streight shall prove My fate Lords must be Pimps when Kings do love Exit King Pyrrhus and Endymion appeare again Pyrrh He 's gone Endym. But he first thought on your employment Pyrrh Truth I have had already but too much on 't Endym. Have you then been the Mercury between Him and the fair Urania Pyrrh Yes I have Already done what Language and Rewards Have power to do But she 's as deaf to this As blind to those She seemeth not to see Ought shine but Vertue Endym. But what can she say Poor Country Girl VVhere can she find words And resolution when you do assault her Pyrrh VVhy 'faith my Lord I 'll tell you VVhen I first Mention'd the business to her all alone Poor soul she blush'd as if already she Had done some harm by hearing of me speak VVhilst from her pretty eyes two Fountains run So true so native down her fairest Cheeks As if she thought her self oblig'd to cry ' Cause all the world was not so good as she Endym. aside Heaven how doth this carriage please me Pyrrh For my own part I know not what to say Her tears so innocently beg'd my pity That I was straight turn'd over to her side And had forgot the cause for which I strove 'Till rallying once again I once more gave A new assault and urg'd her to an answer All her reply was No then humbly pray'd me Not to be cruel to a poor weak maid VVho had not any thing in all the world To give her credit but her innocence VVith such success as this I often have Assail'd her vertue adding promises Of all things I could suppose might tempt her But all in vain This Ermyne will not be Perswaded from the whiteness she so loves Endym. And do you think the King will now use force Pyrrh You heard him what he said I cannot tell 'T is hard to say what men whom reason guides Intend to do much more whom passion rides But let 's away I would not have him know VVe were so neer the venting of his thoughts Endym. There comes my Lord Leander let 's away Exeunt severally Enter Neander Cleantha and Urania waiting on her Neand. How doth this hour transport my soul with Joy To have the blessed priviledge to be With fair Cleantha the best Princess Cleanth I 'm glad it makes some body happy Sir Neand. With her who hath my heart Cleanth Have it I Sir Pray my Lord then take it again for I would not be troubled with the keeping such a bauble for all the world Neand. She whom great Nature now grown wanton made To look upon and scorn her other works Cleanth My Lord I see you are resolv'd not to studie to no purpose You will have our your Complement let me say what I please But by the by I hope you will not be angry if I prove somewhat like my scornful Mother as you say and make you the first example of it Fare you well Neanth Nay Madam I beseech your Highness Cleand. Nay my Lord now I have put you out of your Complement I 'll tarry a little longer Neand. Madam You are cruel How do you kill Cleanth Kill Neander No sure for then you would be affraid to come neer me Neand. Great Princess You are cruel But I ne'er Could fear Death from so fair a hand as yours Cleanth Perchance you do your self the justice to think that such will not foul their fingers about you I beleeve indeed my Lord You fear Death least from the hands of a woman which is the reason you chuse to tarry here at Court among the Ladies rather then go to the War with the Prince Neand. Madam You Ladies have a Priviledge Cleanth Yes my Lord it 's sometimes a Priviledge to speak Truth Neand. 'Faith Madam You may say what you please Cleanth Pardon me my Lord it would please me much better if I could say you were in the war in Thessalia Neand. Why truly Madam I could give your Highness very good reasons why I went not to the war with the Prince Cleanth I believe you can my Lord and so can every body else that knows your Lordship It was because you were affraid Neand. Do not disgrace me so Madam I beseechy you It was for very different reasons Cleanth Truely my Lord You will give very much satisfaction to the world if you say what they are and very much undeceive them Neand. Why then Madam to tell you truly I am somewhat troubled with Corns so that I cannot without pain wear a riding Boot And then I am strangely subject to the Tooth-ake which makes me very unfit to lie in the Field Which indeed were the two main reasons made me to refuse the war Cleanth What pity it is so brave a minde should be thus unluckily hindred from shewing it self Neand. Madam I perceive you jeer me Cleanth What a quick apprehension you have my Lord And do not you perceive you merit it But the Queen will expect me and possibly Sir you are by this time somewhat satisfied with my company adieu Exeunt Cleanth and Urania Neand. Pox take her for me for all she is so great
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
noble natures a more pleasing taske To give rewards to Vertue then punishments To wicked folks I 'll in the first place shew How lovely justice looks when we are good And only sin makes her seem terrible Urania approach us Gentlem. Ah great King Vrania's place I doubt will nearer be The Bar then Throne King What mean'st thou Gent. See O see Those cheeks that lately beauty wore now pale With guilt Urania weeps King Her crime Gent. She'th lately had a childe King How know you this Gent. By a strange piece of chance For being sent in haste by my Lord Pyrrhus To bring herto you Majesty by chance I learnt of one o' th' servants of the Princess Near to what place he thought she was and when I made enquiry there at a small house I was acquinted at the woman told me She thought her I enquir'd for was i' th' house And asking of me many circumstances She told me surely it must be the same Only she did in private add she took her Not for a Virgin And as we thus discours'd Urania chanc'd to pass before the door A Virgin said I It may be she is married What hath she had a childe she told me Yes Though much in private but 't was very much Before her time and she affirms she 's married As did her mother who this morning left her At this I went in where I saw her enter And after some examinations she Confest she 'd had a childe but said withall She had a husband too and one who would Dare own her for his wife but would not tell me His name or dwelling and was very loath To move a foot with me but meerly by Constraint as ' t were King And is this truth Urania Lord. Speak to the King Urania It 's true King And who 's your Husband 2. Lord. Be not asham'd to name your Husband Madam 'T will be your shame if you name none Urania I 'm not Asham'd to name him but affraid King What is it Speak Vrania I dare not disobey and by my Lord I am authorized to name him when My Honour shall be question'd who 's more tender Of that then of his own Lord. Name him Urania It is The great Theander Queen The Prince King What are you marri'd Unto the Prince Theander Kneels Urania O pardon me great King That I refus'd not to be taken from A Cottage to the bosom of a Prince On such conditions as we dar'd to call The Gods to witness King Whether she be his wife Or only dare's affirm it though she were More to me then my hands or eyes she should Die ere I sleep The Prince in some few houres Will be in Town If what she says be false This news shall be his welcone But if true 'T is fit his coming be too late to save her Vran. Ah great Prince Pity the distress'd who hath No friend to plead her cause All I affirm Is truth Theander is my witness See Takes a letter out of her bosom That noble name This I receiv'd from him Not three days since King reads it and gives it the Queen King 'T is so But know Urania My Crown will prove too heavie for your off-spring Nor may I mingle blood with those small folks Who dwell in Cottages Heaven it seems Would not permit so foul a stain upon My Family but hath condemn'd to death What men in justice could not that poor infant VVhose only guilt was that it must be born No know Unania 't is enough you have been VVife to a Prince some months you 've liv'd enough In that small time Now 't will behove you to Prepare for death this day within three houres You are to loose your head ' cause 't is not fit To wear a Crown Marshal take her hence Let all things be prepar'd I 'll see her dead By two this afternoon Vran. Is there no mercy then Heaven help the friendless Such must never cry To men for help whose crime is poverty Exeunt Marshal and Vrania King My Lords had not this accident befallen me I 'd been too blest VVise Heaven doth see 't as fit In all our joys to give us some allays As in our sorrow comforts when our Sails Are fill'd with happiest winds then we most need Some heaviness to ballast us These are The ways of Heaven and we who are but earth Must all submit I am afflicted for The poor Vrania But the Gods have sure In death rewards for those who sometimes fall Nor for their crimes but through a kind of sad Necessity I 'm to proceed now to A far more willing task the sentencing Of those most wicked persons at the Bar. Neander I condemn to loose his head Tomorrow morning which I will have plac'd Over his Lodgings to shew those heads who dare Contrive their Princes harm do only meet VVith such advancement Geron I adjudge To die in Chayns that bunger may devour That little body malice yet hath left him A proper Lent for such a sinner And ' Cause what Phronesia did she did not know She ly'd but did not know the consequence Her I condemn only to banishment And thus I hope to expiate the thoughts I 've had of my chaste Queen and holy Priest Through those mens wickedness and teach the world That such who dare be traytors to their King Do on themselves the certain'st ruine bring Omnes Heaven bless the King and may our eyes still see Such Justice done on all that traytors be Exeunt Omnes Enter Cleantha and her Nource Cleantha Alas Vrania Now thou hast unriddl'd How thou couldst understand and yet accept not Endymions Love Poor Heart I pity thee Endymion now will be more banish'd when He hears Vraaia's dead Ah Urania VVould thou hadst a crime to die for that My just Endymion might less bewail thee VVhere can he now relieve himself If Vertue Be not security who can be safe Nource VVhy Madam here was now a marriage made According to your Highness principles Purely for Love without consideration Of Portion or equality or friends And here you see the end on 't Cleanth Silly woman Talk not so Idly Had they understood The force of Love who thus condemn'd Urania They ne'er had done it And shall we disesteem Religion ' cause folks often suffer for 't And think it is not true because 't hath Martyrs Wert thou not old thou mightst be brought to know There is a Gust in death when 't is for love That 's more then all that 's taste in all the world For the true measure of true love is death And what falls short of this was never love And therefore when those Tides do meet and strive And both swell high but love is highest still This is the truest satisfaction of The perfectst love For here it sees it self Indure the highest Test and then it feels The sum of delectation since it now Attains its perfect end and shews its object By one intense Act all
your Vrania I shall be thankful for the honour you Too early do vouchsafe me Theand. I must obey What Heaven knows when I shall understand Salutes Cleopatra This is an earlier tribute then I thought Embraceth Urania who cries on him To pay yourlips My dear Urania why Dost thou conspire to my distraction Why This Black And why these tears King Heaven bless you both And may your Loves encrease still with your days May you be fresh as spring as Autumn fruitful And know no Winter of adversity And Heaven that hath done wonders in your Loves May it do wonders in th' effects of it They both bow to the King and then step a little aside and talk together Enter Priest Priest A day full of wonders King Aday All miracle How merciful is Heaven To those it loves Who would be ever Bad When Vertuous folks are thus rewarded in The midst of their distress The Prince returns to the company again Theand. Cozen Salutes the Princess Your pardon Happy is this meeting I am oblig'd for all the joy I see Bows to the company Start out of sorrow now at my return Cleant. Heaven give you joy of your Urania Theand. You have oblig'd me Madam that you have Dealt still so gently with your servant Cleant. She ne'er Had been esteemed so had you esteem'd Me worthy of your Councel Sir but now I shall indeavour to repay her all Those services I have receiv'd from her Theand. She 's still your servant Cozen. Cleant. Aside How can there be such mirth when brave Lives sadly in an unjust banishment Endymion Theand. I long to ease my wonder and to know The story of great Cleopatra how She'th been so long obscur'd to all the world But to her self King We 'll find a scene for that Less like the face of sorrow 'T is enough Urania is a Princess and had Fortune In ought but in her blindness been like justice Had worn the Crown of Thrace Only my Daughter My dear Urania ask me on this place I so have injur'd thee what I shall do To expiate my ignorance of thy worth Ask what thou wilt I shall not find a tongue To give thee a denyal Vran. Great Prince I do not Want a request had I but merit to Deserve it first then confidence to ask it King Ask it or you chuse the perfect'st way To disoblige me What is it Uran. It is Endymions Liberty 'T was by his goodness I liv'd to see this day whose only Cloud Is his confinement Pardon the boldness Sir You 're pleas'd to give me and the gratitude I hope the Gods will never take from me King You have my word do with it what you please Endymion shall have his liberty I shall give order for it Theand. Your pardon Sir If your commands already are obey'd Endymion is return'd I met him ere He was imbarq'd and having been inform'd From my Urania all his cares for her I stay'd him hoping from your goodness to Obtain his pardon For the love Cleantha So truly bears him I have no more to say Against it then against my own I bare To my Urania when I thought her less And since the Gods have made her great for me 'T will be but gratitude in me to do Some of their business for them and reward So brave a Vertue as Endymion owns And make him great for his Cleantha too Especially since by their goodness I Have power to do it The war in Thessaly Hath found a happy end And there I 've left Those hands which made that Scepter stoop who now Want but a scoene to do new wonders in And this may prove rebellious Thrace if you Dread Sir approve it fit I wear that Crown Vrania gives me In this expedition And in this conquest too the brave Endymion Shall be my second What shall I not expect from Such Vertue and such Valour when they meet King I have of late receiv'd such mercies that I cannot think of any thing which looks Like cruelty And in my condemnations Heaven hath done miracles to keep me from Horrid injustice Therefore wonder not All that you ask is so soon granted you Cleantha take then thy Endymion be More blest in him then greatness e'er could make thee Cleantha bows Queen And now you 're doing works of mercy Sir Hear one intreaty more not for their sakes For whom I ask but for this days sake which Hath been a day of mercy to us all Let not Neander nor old Geron die A banishment for life will more prepare Them for their deaths and thus your mercy shall Best fit them for the mercy of the Gods King What you propose hath much of piety And mercy too the works of this day and Mayn't be deni'd And now I 've one request To you my honour'd Priest because I 'd give Joy to all honest hearts this day your leave That Pyrrhus my best confident may serve The fair Evadne Priest Great Prince I am oblig'd My poor Evadne is so much your care It shall be mine she still shall think that best Your majesty is pleas'd to chuse for her Enter Endymion Theand. Endymion Why so slowly to thy joys Reap here the fruits of gratitude and mercy And see those Stars again thou dost adore Takes him by the hand and leads him to Cleantha who kneels down and kisseth her hand Cleant. VVelcome my Lord. Queen My Lord you 're welcome from your banishment King You 've only now this Ladies leave to ask For any thing you 'd have Endym. I 'm happy in Your royal mercy Sir and hope in time To be so too in hers King You need not fear Your sentence when Cleantha is your judge But let us all away and satisfie Our selves with what we 've so long travell'd with And let the world learn from this story though Heaven may a while correct the Vertuous Yet will it wipe their eyes again and make Their Faces whiter with their tears Innocence Conceal'd is the stolen-pleasure of the Gods VVhich never ends in shame as that of men Doth oft-times do but like the Sun breaks forth VVhen it hath gratifi'd another world And to our unexpecting eyes appears More Glorious through it's late obscurity Priest Unvertuous folks a while may find some Rest But in the end the good are only blest Exeunt Omn. FINIS
chance to be seen by any in their passage thither This he asserted with much violence and at last after much discourse the Priest was perswaded by him to attend the Queen there in the habit of a woman instead of Neander whose enterance he had promised to hinder by shutting the door he was to pass at to get into the garden and thus when the Queen should begin to speak to him as her Lover he should then make know himself unto her and do his duty in justly blaming her for so unvertuous an action King Where ends this Lordreads on This the Priest did And he was not sooner entred into the grotto but he found the Queen there before him But the Queen seeming to expect his speaking first and he not allowing his lips to be provided on this subject told her plainly that she was mistaken of her Lover that he was her Priest and then producing a little light he had concealed in a dark Lanthorn he manifested himself and perfectly discerned the Queen although in a disguise The Queen thinking her self bound to give an account of her being there and yet very loath to speak the cause of it at last told him that as her Confessor she would reveal unto him that the King had of late somewhat an immoderate respect for a young lass named Urania belonging to the Princess and that having forced a promise from the poor maid she did by the Lord Endymions means easily perswade her self for the securing of the Kings honour to supply the place of the said Vrania they having agree'd to have no lights and to speak very low which she accordingly had done for some nights before and with such success that the King returned rather satisfied in his reason then his Love King All truth Lord reads on But having re-assumed his desires she had again this night a summons to the same taske from a woman of hers nam'd Phronesia which was the occasion of her being in that place But all this she did very passionately desire the Priest to be secret in in that it concerned so neerly the Kings honour King And what then Lord. On this we immediately sent for Geron who after many threats confess'd as followeth That the Lord Neander being crossed in his love to Evadne Daughter to the Priest by the Queen and Priest her Father was resolved on a revenge for them both and by removing them out of the way to accomplish his design of marrying Evadne To this end he promiseth to Geron great rewards for the contrivance of the business wo accidentally by his sculking up and down in every corner to watch his wife Phronesia of whom he is very jealous over-heard the agreement between Urania and Endymion concerning the Queens supplying her place in the Grotto On this foundation he founds the whole fabrick of his hellish plot For sending his wife Phronesia who having been horribly abused by him was willing notwithstanding to purchase his respect at any rate whatever unto the Queen as from Urania only with these words in her mouth That she humbly desired her Majesty to think of her royal promise at eleven of the clock that night and of the King as she had been pleased to do some few nights before the Queen he knew would on this resolve to be at that time in the Grotto After which he goes himself to the Priest and counts to him what is before repeated in the Priests confession And in the last place he had the impudence to come to your Majesty and tell you what your Majesty was pleased to inform us of And all this Neander and he were resolved to outface with oaths in case it should ever come to be examined for they supposed it probable that your Majesty would in fury have killed both the Queen and Priest on the place which was the reason for which Geron perswaded your Majesty to have Pistols or a Stilletto with you King Wicked Villains Lord. After this we sent for Neander who amaz'd at his condition confessed the whole business in the same manner As also Phronesia what Geron affirmed concerning her King Blest Heaven how are thy wayes just like thy orbs Involv'd within each other yet still we finde Thy judgments are like Comets that do blaze Affright but dye withall whilst that thy mercies Are like the Stars who oft-times are obscured But still remain the same behinde the clouds Pyrrh May all your doubts and fears thus terminate Lord. Thus are you shaken to be more confirm'd King Pyrrhus send for Urania she shall wear This day the just rewards of Vertue I Will visit my brave Queen who rather chose To die unjustly as a Criminal Then that her Lord should justly so be term'd For which I will proclaim my fault since she Will have the glory of concealing it Exit Pyrrhus Lord. Heaven bless your Majesty King My Lord. I 'd have the Councel with all speed remove Into the Hall where before all the Court I 'll bring my Queen in triumph there to hear Her base accusers sentenc'd Lord. It shall be done Exeunt King and Lord. Enter Evadne weeping Evad. Alas Evadne miserable Maid Why didst thou ever begg to leave thy cell Where thou didst never injure any one To see this place and here in some few weeks To do more mischief then whole Generations Can parallel Unfortunate Evadne It had been better thou hadst ever dwelt In those retirements where small sins seem great And great Devotions small where folks make conscience To taste of any thing that ever bled Then to be found there where the blood of Queens And Priests are sacrifices to the Malice Of wicked Men. It this to be at Court Ah poor poor Girl How hath thy Ignorance Deluded thee And 't was but just that she Who did begin to disobey her father Until he gave her new commands should be Punish'd by that which tempted her It is Enough she 's innocent although she prove Unfortunate Whatever Neander did Heaven knows I never knew Yet I much doubt I 'm somewhat guilty ' cause 't was for my sake Exit Evadne Enter the Lords of the Councel and seat themselves Enter a guard of Souldier with Neander Geron and Phronesia who are placed at the Bar as Prisoners to receive sentence Enter Musick then the King leading his Queen crown'd and in royal apparel after them the Priest They place themselves on high in the middle of the Councel and the Priest somewhat lower next the King Then this Song is sung Thus from the Prison to the Throne Vertue comes to claime her own And now appears Upon that Throne a Star Who lately at the Bar Stood only Jewel'd with her Tears 1. Great Queen 2. Great Queen Chorus Whoever was so well content To suffer and be innocent To suffer and be innocent Exit Musick Enter Gentleman leading Urania King The fair Vrania Madam I must this day Turns to the Queen Do honour to this Virgin And since it 's To