And rely wholly on the King for mercy Arm. And are you reall Org. As the Powers we serve Arm. I thank you from my Soul my dearest Lord You have by this kind grant made me your vassall Org. Armena A long life to the fair Queen May she enjoy her former happiness And be as bless'd as thou wilt presently When I 've reveal'd our story to the King For sure 't will over-joy thee Orgillus drinks Arm. With more pleasure I wish her life then Heirs their Fathers Deaths Armena drinks out of the Poyson'd Bowle But O make hast lest his wild Jealousy Shou'd hurry him to do the fatall deed Which ne're can be recall'd Org. It shall not be recall'd nor sha't thou hinder it Arm. What means my Love Org. Dull thing I 'le tell thee I did as now I finde I had some cause Suspect thy mind too wav'ring for a Secret Of such great Consequence as ours was Therefore thou frail one with that bowl of poyson I 've Seal'd thy lips for ever Arm. Can it be Is this then the requitall of my love But Oh 't is now too late for to upbraid thee Yet Orgillus tho' you to me are Cruell Be mercifull to 'th Queen She 's Innocent O Save her save her e're it be too late Upon my knees with my last breath I beg you Do not persist in that will bring destruction Even to your long eternity and blot Your spotted Soul from the fair Book of Life Org. A fit of Conscience Pious fool but Conscience Is all our common frailty when we 're dying But to be kinder to you at our parting Then let you spend your last short breath in vain Imploy the little time thou hast to live Some other way and not on talk to me I have got by thee all the good I can If thou hadst had a farther Power to serve me Thou shoud'st have liv'd but I have gain'd my End And now 't is for my Int'rest thou shou'dst die Arm. You have your wish I find your words are true For Deaths Cold hand has seiz'd upon my heart Farewell thou Chief of thy false perjur'd Sex And O take heed for bloud will sure have bloud Tho' Cruell as you are I can forgive you And wish that Heav'n wou'd deal so mildly by you My death is only what I have deserv'd But O beware let not Semanthe Die For hers will surely be reveng'd at full The fatall Drug works strongly in my breast I feel I feel my life decay apace You powers forgive me for my Sinfull Crime Take me O take me to your bless'd abode Preserve the Queen let not this black designe Reach her dear life tho' it has lost â—e mine Die Org. She 's gone now Brother thou' rt secure from fear The Secret now 's alone between us two And if we are not Traytors to our selves We must be safe where shall I now dispose her Stay let me see under my window runs A River very proper for my purpose From thence Immediately I 'le cast her in And if she 's found ev'ry one will suppose She met her Death by accident or else My Brother shall Insinuate to the King She was Complotter with the Queen Semanthe And Guilt had caus'd her act a desperate deed It shall be so I 'le instantly dispatch And tell my Brother how I have Succeeded Farewell thou loving fool I pitty thee But 't was not for my safety thou shou'dst live For when we once are Conscientious grown We cannot keep a Secret tho' our own Exit Carrying off Armena The Scene Drawn discovers Semanthe in Prison In her Night-Gown Reading A Lamp burning by her Sem. All 's hush'd and quiet as the peacefull Grave The Labourer tyr'd with his dayly toil Now takes a sweet repose but I must wake For ever wake and never know content Plac'd in a dismall dark and Loathsome Jail And cannot guess what Crime I have Committed Nor why the Cruell King is Angry Were I but sensible of any fault I shou'd then think it Justice I were here But cou'd I search my life from the beginning I cannot think a Guilt deserving this Enter to her the King Whose there at this late hour my Lord the King King Yes yes Adulteress Look on me Monster look on him thou 'st wrong'd Behold a King that would have dy'd for'thee And for his faithfull violent Constant love Cou'dst thou not make him a more kind return Sem. O Sir as you wou'd gain Immortall honour On Earth and everlasting Joys in Heav'n As you wou'd have your Glorious actions fill The Book of fame and like ascending Incense Perfume the Skies and treat th' immortall Gods Be kind and let me know how I 've offended For by the Sacred lights that shine above These eyes yet never saw the rising Sun But that my Vows and Prayers were sent to Heav'n For the dear safety of my Royall Lord Therefore I cannot guess what wond'rous fauit I have Committed to deserve a Dungeon King O thou bewitching Syren dar'st thou plead An Ignorance to all thy horrid Guilt Nay then thou are a Monster damn'd indeed To Plunge in Sin and pretend Innocence I thought t' have found thee mourning for thy Crime For Sinfull as thou art it was my wish Thou might'st before thy Death make peace with Heav'n Sem. My death Good Heav'n what means my Royall Lord I hope that time is not yet near at hand King Most sure why cou'dst thou think I 'de be so tame After I 'de found thee false to let thee live Sem. How false my Lord in what King False to my bed I need not tell thee for thou know'st too well By Heav'n thou art as light as fleeting ayr Sem. Who 's my accuser King My own eyes beheld thee Clasp'd arm in arm with Ithocles Sem. Nay then I find I am Betray'd and you Abus'd King Betray'd Good Heav'n what does the strumpet mean Nay then 't is time to give the fatall blow For shou'd I listen longer to her words Aside She wou'd persuade me spight of all I saw To take her to my Arms and pardon her Come thou fair Devil in thy Prayers reckon to her The perfect sum of all thy horrid sins There amongst others pour forth streams of bloud For one above the rest Adul'try Adul'try Semanthe Such a guilt as were the Sluces of thy eyes let up Tears cou'd not wash it off Now turn thy eyes into thy hov'ring Soul And do not hope for life wou'd Angells sing A Requiem at my Herse but to dispense With my Revenge on thee 't wou'd be in vain Prepare to dye Sem. I will most willingly But wou'd fain make my Innocence appear Dear Sir upon my knees I do entreat you To hear me speak before my Execution If I were that strange Monster you wou'd make me It were but Justice you shou'd take my life But here I swear by the Eternal Powers By all my hopes in Heav'n I am not false Believe my tears King
is decreed Semanthe thou shalt sleep though but in ashes Leave me Bassanes and Lattinius leave me Lat. Sir I cannot leave you Ex. Bass. Mele. What saist thou boy Lat. Indeed I dare not leave you Your Clouded brow foretells some storm at hand And I much fear 't is on your self 't will fall Your Sisters Death is strongly working in you And makes me dread the fatal Consequence Mele. Thou art mistaken boy my Sisters death I meet with all serenity and calmness For if she 's guilty 't would be most unfit A thing so Leprous shou'd infect the Earth If innocent those Pow'rs that take her hence For all her wrongs her Thorny Coronets Her bleeding Veins and her more bleeding fame Have those bright Jemms in an immortal Crown What vast reserve of Glories to adorn her In the bright Realm of everlasting day As more then all her Losses shall repay Lat. What then disturbs you Mele. My dispairing love Lat. It may not long be so Mele. I fear for ever Then why should'st thou expect that I will live When by my violent Pains too sure I find Slaves at an Oar have greater ease then I Hard'ned to Labours they their Pains defie Dispair in Love 's the only misery We with fresh Agonies our Souls torment View the bright Tracks where th' adored Beauty went And with fresh Pains our endless Plagues deplore To think our setting Sun will rise no more Exeunt Omnes SCENE III. A Wood. Enter Orgillus Org. Where e're I go my Conscience still persues And the pale Figure of the dead Armena Is ever in my view 't was not well done So ill to gratifie the woman lov'd me Besides I only fear'd she might discover What I my self am now inclin'd to do The Queen this day must dye a publick death 'T is not too late I yet may save her from it Horns and Huntsmen at a distance What noise is that the ecchoing cries of Huntsmen Alas the hunted Stagg himself that flies From all those open Mouths of death behind him Is not alarm'd with my pursuing horrors He has but a Life but I a Soul in danger Enter Menaphon behind Men. Thus far Iâ—ve watch'd my Brother whose sad thoughts I fear bodes Ruin to our great design I find his foolish Conscience does perplex him And dare not trust my ' Life in the weak hold Of Consciencious hands although a Brothers He that would manage Glorious mischief safe Shou'd guide his rouling Chariot like the Sun And singly hold the mighty Reins alone Into his Seat no aiding Partner call Lest the misguideing Phaeton hazard all Org. Shou'd I discover it and save her Life And the King's Mercy too shou'd grant me mine Where then is Menaphon What must he dye What an ungrateful wretch shou'd I be counted To leave my Brother tangled in the snare When I my self have pow'r to keep him out But yet the violent love that the King bears To beautiful Semanthe is so great That shou'd I tell him all our Villany I might with ease make Covenants of safety And sign my own and pardon'd Brother's Life Menaphon comes forward Men. Brother with Joy I 've heard your troubled Conscience And am well pleas'd your thoughts keep pace with mine O Brother Brother with such dreams of horrour Since poor Armena's death my fancy 's plagu'd That had not your Remorse of Conscience found you I shou'd alone have told it to the King Org. How My dear generous Brother Men. Yes my Orgillus An Orient Beam of Penitence dawns within me The Shadows of my once benighted Soul All vanish'd and bright day breaks forth in Glory Org. And is kind Heav'n this dear Conversion true Is my kind Brother Men. Yes see here a Profilite Kneels To Heaven Religion Honor Piety Semanthe the Innocent Semanthe dye No I will snatch her from the yawning Precipice And fix her righted Fame and rescu'd Innocence On that Immortal Pyramide of Glory That the admiring World with up lift Eyes And low bent Knees shall pay their joyful tribute At her bless'd Restauration with my own Repenting Hand I 'll twine twine a rich Chaplet Of Flowers and Roses and Eternal Sweets T' adorn her Sacred Brow Org. O my Just Brother Now thou' rt all white again most lovely fair O there 's that Rapture in Divine Repentance No wonder it unlocks the Gates of Heav'n When Oh there blows a Gale a fragrant Gale Of Persumes from the very Air it flies in That sure 't is all a breath of Parradise And shall Semanthe live come to my Arms O nearer to Breast Men. Yes to thy Heart Stabs him Org. Villain perfidious Villain thou hast kill'd me Org. falls Men. Yes lie there Pitty my great Plot was found'ring And I have stop'd the leak Org. Kis'd and Betray'd Embrac'd and Murther'd Men. Yes Religious Fool. Thou wert too good for Earth and I in pitty Have kindly giv'n thee Heav'n so sleep Conscience And now wake wake Revenge agen Org. Oh Groans Horns and Huntsmen agen Men. Ha! Company Curse on this Interruption No matter I am sure I have dispatch'd him And his short breath 's too weak to hurt me now But let me prudently retire unseen My Face has danger in 't now dear dear Vengeance Ex. hastily drawing off Orgillus SCENE IV. The Scene Changes Enter Guards making way for the Queen Guar. Room there bear back room for the Queen Enter Semanthe in white attended with six Ladies in Mourning Bassanes Guards and Attendants Quee. Kind Gentlemen there needs not this formality I am past all State Ceremony now Alas there 's no distinction in the Grave The proudest Sovereign Head when laid in Dust Sleeps on as Course a Pillow as a Pesant's And Oh! there opes that narrow Gate to Heav'n That Majesty it self must stoop as humbly For ent'rance there as the poor crawling Cottager Well Gentlemen you come to see me die To see the scatter'd ashes of your Queen Blown round the spreading Globe but oh my friends Cou'd but my spotless Soul be seen as plainly Oh! to the utmost corners of the Earth The sounding Trump of my immortal innocence Wou'd fill Fame's swelling vollume with a story So full of woe and that unequal fate As tender drowning eyes wou'd melt to read And the hard cause of poor Semanthe dead Even distant worlds and pittying ages plead Exit Omn. SCENE V. The Scene drawn discovers a great many Spikes fix'd in the Ground and a high Battlement above it Enter King Menaphon Meleander Guards and Attendants King Brother I sent for you to see a justice Done on the Monster that has wrong'd us both Haste Amyclas and bring the viper forth Ex. Amyclas Re-enter Amyclas with Ithocles chain'd in 's Shirt and Drawers a night Gown over'em Guarded Itho. My death you have decreed and Heaven permitted But know mistaken King I wear a Soul So free from that black charge for which I dye That at my Launch into Eternity I shall soare lighter then a mounting Angel
saw O that I couâ—d forget the sight Just in that Bower mark what I say Semanthe I saw thee sit and in a short time after Lord Ithocles came with a lovers speed Imbrac'd Carress'd thee you requited him With Amorous looks soft kisses twining arms With these kind words O my dear Ithocles Let us be still thus Secret in our Loves And keep it close from the deluded King Seizes Semanthe roughly by the Hands But by the Honour of Anoynted heads Were both of you hid in a Rock of fire Guarded by flaming Ministers of Hell By Heav'n I have a sword shou'd make my way Through fire and darkness furies Death to hew Each Gangreen'd Limb of thee Infernal Sorceress Sem. Mercy Protect me will you murder me Alas I cannot guess the cause of this King O Pardon me Semanthe do not blame me For such another dream wou'd quite distract me But tell me love was 't not a dreadfull vision Sem. It was indeed my Lord a wond'rous one Yet but a dream for shou'd so great a guilt Hang on my Honour 't were but Justice in you If you shou'd tear my false disloyall heart out King Thy heart nay Strumpet even thy very Soul Seizes her again Tear it with fury from thy Cursed Carkass And damn it ever in Immortall Death Sem. Alas what mean you Sir King O I am mad Forgive me dear Semanthe for methinks I dream anew and it distracts me so That I take Idle visions to be reall Leave me Semanthe when these dreadfull thoughts Have left my troubl'd breast I 'le visit thee Sem. The Heav'ns preserve you from those frightfull dreams That thus disturb the quiet of my Lord Ex. Sem. Manet King King Can she be false no 't is impossible The vision I have now related to her Was only what Menaphon sayd he saw If she were Guilty there must needs appear Something of a mistrust she was discover'd But she looks sweet as Roses and appears Like virgin Lillies in unsully'd Infancy If she be Chast then Menaphon beware For I will have a dire revenge on thee The torments us'd in Bloudy Massacres And more if any more can be invented Shall surely fall upon thee but if not If she be false Destruction Ruine Horrour Bloud bloud and Death fair Infidell's thy doom And if for Injur'd love's Consummating vengeance Beyond the Grave one Hotter place there be In all the hideous sphear of wrath divine The very Center of damnation's thine Ex. King The End of the Third Act. The Fourth ACT. SCENE I. Enter Menaphon Orgillus Meeting Armena Org. WElcome Armena what is the deed done Arm. Speak softly ' t is Org. How Long Arm. Full half an hour Have you perform'd the same by Ithocles Men. At least an hour ago The King too is Conceal'd at my Apartment And those few Nobles that Attended him He has disper'd on severall Occasions I 'le to him straight mean while be it your care To fix 'em both ' th' posture that I order'd The darkness of the Night so well befriends us That you with ease may secretly Convey him To the Queens Lodgings which when you 've perform'd I 'le bring the King to see the Dreadfull sight That Gorgon like will turn him into stone Ex. Men. Arm. O Orgillus where do you mean to lead me My heart fore-bodes this ruinous design Will by the means of the Almighty powers Those Sacred Guardians of the Innocent Fall on our heads Org. An Idle fear Armenia For 't is not in the Power of fate it self To hinder the design we 've so well lay'd It is impossible it shou'd be discover'd Unless to one another we are false Arm. I hope my Orgillus does not doubt me I who for love of thee cou'd thus betray A Queen so kind so Innocent and Good Wou'd not at last discover the dear man Whom I have forfieted my faith to serve Org. No my best life thou dearest kindest Creature To doubt thee were a Sin unpardonable As much as 't is impossible to make A Return kind enough for thy deserts But see my Brother and the King approach Let us retire and fix the dreadfull Scene Ex. Omn. SCENE II. Enter King and Menaphon King O Menaphon thou 'st set me on the wrack What! an Appointment O my tortur'd Soul If that the Center now this very moment Labour'd to bring forth Earthquakes and Hell open'd Her wide stretch'd Jaws and let out all her furies I 'de rather stand the shock the brunt of all Then but to think 't is true that thou hast told me Men. My Leige shou'd I not be a desperate mad man To tell you this were I not Certain on 't By Heav'n I heard the dark Appointment made Nay more this very hour saw him go To 'th Queens Apartment King O Perfidious Monster But hast away shew me the Scene of Lust Let me behold her dallying in his Arms That I may shoot with swifter fate upon 'em Then the Keen'st Bolt in all the Forge of Heav'n Men. My Leige I will but yet 't were requisite Her Brother were a witness of her shame And for the greatest Plague to Ithocles Let his Marcelia too be a Spectator King It shall be so send speedily away And bid 'em meet me in the Queens Apartment Men. Who waits Nearchus Enter Nearchus Near. My Lord. Men. Away Hast to Marcelia and to Meleander And bid 'em instantly attend the King He 'le be i' th' Queens Apartment King Nearchus Here take my signet and release Marcelia And bid 'em not to make a moments stay Ex. Near. Men. Come Sir now you shall find how true I love you Now you shall see the care of your poor Servant With how much pains h 'as watcht these brooding Monsters And how at last h 'as ta'ne 'em in the toil King Light'ning and Earthquakes Horrour and despair O the high Billows of my Stormy Soul If it be so Mark mark me Menaphon No Lybian Lyons rob'd of her young Rowzes her self more fiercely from her Den Then I will do to crush this pair of Vipers O thou sha't see with what a brave Revenge I 'le tear the heart from the Adulteress And make the blood of the false Scorpion cure me Men. 'T will be but Justice for to wrong a King O Heav'n defend me it is so damn'd a Crime That Hell it self before ne're bred a Feind Cou'd entertain a thought so infamous But Sir the time draws near will you away King Yes I will go With Light'ning in my eyes in my heart Vengeance Exeunt Omnes SCENE III. The Scene drawn discovers Ithocles and Semanthe A-sleep on a Couch Arm in Arm. Enter Menaphon with a Light followed by the King Meleander and Marcelia King Patience you Gods hold hold my boyling blood O 't were a rare and Exquisite revenge To join their Hearts on my Swords point as close As their Ingend'ring lips Mele. What do I see Vengeance and Horrour do I wake or dream What Arm in Arm O I