universal pow'r does rule Far as the Light equal in Cell and Court Love the Worlds business and the Stages sport Enter Nigrello Queen And Sir to shew how apt a Scholar I 'le be At Night make me a visit and instruct me The Courts disorder for these late mischances By kind Nigrelloes help and your Disguise Renders your Visits easie and unsuspected Then all our Cares a quiet rest shall take All other Passions sleep when Love's awake Exeunt Clarmount and Fredigond Nigr. There you shall sleep your last I 'le to the King And he shall take you in the very act And that I may not seem the unkind discoverer Of his Dishonour and his Mothers Guilt I 'le set on fire the Queens Apartment That so I may disturb 'em more securely And yet the Plot not mine I 'le tell the King Unless there 's present help his Mother burns Waked by the Alarme Of such a bold intruder as the Fire I 'le scorch the sweating Satyr from his den Till the rowz'd Monster to escape that Fate Shall rush into th' Kings very Armes a toyle That 's strong enough to hold him if there 's Gall Or Honour in a Tyrants breast to punish So infamous and publick a disgrace T'extract a Letcher from a Flaming Bed A rare Alembick excellent Chymistry All my misfortune is I must my self Be an assistant to this amourous meeting A kind Procurer to a Royal Strumpet But let that pass for an exployt so rare There is no dress But what Revenge dares wear Exit The end of the Second Act. ACT the Third After Fire cryed Enter Clotair Nigrello Lords and Guards Nigr. LOok how it flames I fear some Trechery Beat at her Chamber door cry it aloud And let your voyce be Thunder to this Lightning Guards Fire Fire Clot. Mother awake left you do sleep for ever Force open the door Guards Fire Fire Nigr. It 's fortified against strength you must call louder Clot. Madam awake awake Your sleep was never so like Death as now Enter Frâ—digond above in her Night Gown Queen What Impudence is this dares be so rude He had better rowz'd a sleeping Lyoness Then thus have broke my slumbers What art thou Clot. Look The fire will give you light 't is I your Son Fly from that Chamber or you 're lost The Court Is all on Fire Queen Let it burn I 've lost my Credit everlastingly Aside Enter Clarmount above in a Night-Gown behind her Clarm. What shall we do in this Necessity We shall be taken and you shamed for ever Let us bethink our selves what shall we do To the Queen Queen I know not what Curse on this blazing light No Art no Magick no Devil of our side Kind Fates I have it Clarmount in my Closet Lyes th' Habit that my Husband wore last Night When he was Poyson'd put on that and with Part of the same Disguise you enter'd in Make up the form of the dead King which sight With the surprize that I 'le put on shall so Amaze him till you have past by him safely Do not appear to me I did not wrong thee To Clar. Seek out the Beds of those that caus'd thy Death And howl to them thy pittiful Complaints Clot. Whom do you hold discourse with with the Ayre Queen Oh Son Such horrid Apparitions Have I beheld have quite unwitted me Your Fathers Ghost most terribly frightful Has thrice this dismal Night appear'd to me In his right hand he bore a shining Cup Which to his mouth he rais'd with looks so gay As if he drank a health to some young Bride The aiery Potion drank strait in a sume He threw the seeming Goblet to the ground And with an alter'd look assumed a paleness More death like then the frost his Age and Cares Made him in Life-time wear To Heav'n he pointed Thrice did he cry Revenge and at that word Sprung through the Roof which now stands bare to Heav'n Where he did rain down Fire which here you see Clot. Behold it comes Queen Oh fear it not my Son Descends Enter Clarmount disguised in the habit of Childrick his face discâ—lour'd white Clot. My Fathers form exactly who could think The Devil were so good at Picture-drawingâ— Pray Heav'n he be not Ceremonious for I find my self but ill provided forâ— A Complement If it be Injuries Break open Monuments and disturb the Dead I 'le â—ee thy rights perform'd If thou desirest To be appeas'd with Blood Blood thou shalt have Or if that 's not enough I 'le build thee Temples Thou shalt have Altars humane Sacrificeâ— Do but depart thy presence does not please me Thou art not Company for Flesh and Blood Exit Clarm. Enter Queen below Queen How fares our Son Clot. Fares Mother as a Man Would fare that never saw the Devil before He was a Stranger to me and surpriz'd me Nigr. The Villain has outhwitted me Aside Clot. If Revenge Maneâ—t only King Queen Nigrel Will do the work Nigrello bring the Prisoners Nigr. Dumane Sir and Lamot Clot. Yes them Nigr. Oh Sir Your Princely care for your great Mothers danger Diverted me from interrupting your More pious thoughts or else I had inform'd you That but just now their Jaylour brought me word That they have took a draught of Poyson but How got he knows not to escape those tortures It is imagin'd that their guilty Conscience Expected would attend so damn'd a Crime They have prevented Justice and are dead Clot. Poyson'd and dead Nigr. Poyson'd and Damn'd for sure Heav'n that ordains The Murderers of Kings such easie Deaths Designs the greater torments for their Souls Queen Poyson'd By Poyson my great Lord expired Is Providence so barren to Decree Martyr and Murderers one Destiny Heaven that fore sees the Falls Seals the Tombs Of Monarchs had decreed severer Dooms For Traytors had it felt my sufferings My griefs my pains my sense of Murder'd Kings Exit Clot. His Poysoners Dead and yet his Ghost disturb'd Or are there more of the Conspiracy Whose Deaths his troubled shade comes to demand Nigr. What shade Clot. My Fathers Spirit in his very habit Here from my Mothers Chamber it came forth Nigr. His habit had it on his very habit Clot. His habit so I say the very dress He wore last night when the accursed Poyson Impoverisht France to enâ—ich Heaven Nigr. That habit As I remeraber was last night put off In the Queens Bed chamberâ— the King was in Her Lodging seiz'd with the first pains of that Qutragious Poyson in the mid'st of whose Tormâ—nting heat in pious Duty T' administer some ease by th' help of Ayre His Garments from his Body we tore off Stript from which burden to my certain knowledg That habit never stir'd from thence till now And the Disguise his Ghostly Visage wore I 'm confident was more Pleasant to the Queen When 't enter'd thither though so terrible When it departed thence Ha ha ha Clot. Why this ridiculous Mirth Nigr. The Devil
Fair Excellence what is 't Aph. My Death King Your Death Aph. Is the Request so wonderful My Lewis Is gone before And do you think that Patience In Heaven's a greater Virtue than on Earth When he was living hee 'd have been distracted With half so long an absence from Aphelia And do you think Heav'n where the Sun and Stars Have kept one course so many thousand years There where the Saints sing one Eternal song Where Bliss without decrease has held so long Can you think Heav'n harbours Inconstancy My Lewis when he took his last farewell Left all the world but me behind he bore My Image with him to the skyes and there Expects the sad Original should follow He is impaâ—ient languishes desires And thinks compar'd to Love the Staâ—s dimne Fires Think 's he 's but half in Heaven in his blest seat Wants Me to make his Paradise compleat I come I come Oh my most gracious King By your command let my freed Soul take wing He can't be blest without me And as you Gave him his Death give him his Glory too This Blessing you in Justice ought to grant You made the Martyr and now make the Saint King Madam is Love so barb'rous that it must Depend on Cruelty to make it constant Does it delight in blood that it requires A Mrs. Murder for a Lovers Monument No no He 'l be a Saint a milder way Your pity makes him blest without your Death My happy Brother happy in his Fall Who dyes deplored by fair Aphelia was Your Slave Conquerors may their Slaves out-live And though one of your Trophies is destroy'd Those eyes that made that shine as bright as ever And can make more of which see here the greatest France at thy feet tread on his Royalty Kneels Or if thy Nature knows not to forgive Which to believe were impious take this Sword T' appease the troubled Spirit of thy Love I find a speaking pity in thy eyes Which thence will drop upon thy gentle tongue And cry Live Clotair my unhappy Loves Repenting Murd'rer live Aph. The Penitence Of Kings would expiate a Nations sins Sure then their own may be forgiven His blood Heav'n pardon you for I do King Then I 'm pardon'd There cannot be an act you pass but Heav'n Will sign to But dear Madam in this state Of Innocence to which your Mercy has Restored me let me offer up a heart To fair Aphelia for a Sacrifice I am a full and perfect Convert now Both Murderer and Ravisher repents My heart grown Virtuous and unspotted now Approaches you with Adoration looks With piety on what it once profaned Accept a Love a Love so pure so true Nothing but You could raise nothing but You Reward Aph. Hold Sir You are my King but though Things are exempt from Laws their Crimes above Th'examining of Justice from a Judâ— Yet Kings may guilty stand at Loves Tribunal I can condemne you yet great Sir I do not But though I do not and his death I pardon Honour obey and reverence a King I can but Love I can't My heart his Right His Province I can never make a seat For any second Lord much less his Murd'rer They who forgive a Crime may not reward it King Oh my hard fate Oh more then cruel Woman Is this to honour reverence and obey A King to scorn him or can the requiting My Love be the rewaâ—ding of my Crime Oh Cruelty Concern'd so much for Blood I shed in my wild rage and moved so little At Ruines you design at deaths you give With a firm look fixt and resolved to kill Enter Lewis and Nigrello to the door Nigr. Stand here unseen and you are safe Lew. The Plot That thou hast layd to try her constancy Is excellent Nigr. He 's here expect th' event on 't Enter Burbon in hast Burbon Forgive my hasty rudeness for my Cause Requires it Sir the City 's up in Arms Your Subjects in Rebellion and their sury Seems by Revenge inspired Revenge they cry Their Rage is grounded on your Brothers Death And they 're resolved as the Incendiary Of his destruction t' have Aphelia's blood Lew. As I could wish Burbon Great Sir bethink your self King Aphelias blood The common Multitude advance their Arms Against her sacred Head Oh Hellish outrage The Gyants when they besieged Heaven attempted To Dethrone Iupiter with less impiety Her Blood Enter in hast a second Gentleman Second Gent. Great Sir your frighted Guards o're-pow'rd Your Pallace they have enter'd and resolve To lay it level with the ground if what Their loud and baâ—barous rage calls Justice this Fair Lady's Life do not appease their fury King Her Life t' appease â—em By that Life they ask Her precious Life the Sacred'st Oath That I can swear their Insolence has damn'd ' em Go instantly and tell the Rebels I Am her Protector and she shall not dye Aph. Hold gracious Sir revoke that harsh decree Tell 'em I am their Martyr and my Death King Be gon and say as I command you hast Aph. Oh no Sir say that I 'le submit and dye Consider but what dangers you will shun Think how much blood you 'l by my Sentence spare And can you be so cruel when the opening Of one poor Virgins veins that hates her Life And begs her Death repaires a Kingdoms health Lew. Oh my best Angel Oh my full-blown joys Aside King You cruel Woman how can you request That which your eyes forbid Whilst I gaze there And feel that Love their Light inspires I 'de see My Empire set on float and France lye deeper In humane gore then e're the Deluge laid The sunk Foundations of the drowning World E're I 'de behold one drop of yours let out Aph. Oh you forget your self What Marriner Would not throw over-board a worthless Fraight T' avoyd a Shipwrack King But what Fool or Mad-man Would throw away his Wealth his Life his Soul His Heav'n t' avoid that storm his courage scornes Tell the bold Rebels I 'm in person here And as I know Rebellion shrinks at nothing I 'le satisfie their rage a nobler way That blow their Impious hands dare aim at hers I through my Breast will intercept their King Their Victim sure th' Impetuous tide will stop Go then and do as I command Aph. No stay Kings are not safe in raging Crowds their fury May Murder you King What then what if they do What can the Man you hate be worth the saying Aph. Sir though I cannot Love yet my Allegiance Will never let me see my Soveraign bleed The sacred Blood of Kings King The Blood of Kings A toy a trifle do you understandâ— Your pow'r so little to esteem his Life You scorn worthy your care You wrong your self To cast a thought on such an abject thing As a poor hated Lover though a King Dull Sir be gon Aph. No kind Sir stay Dread Lord Rebellion is a thing too terrible For a soft Virgins ears
glory of it in subduing it Pursue the generous Friendship that has been so well begâ—n and take into the number of your Admirers the humblest of yor Servants Aphelia 'T is well his worth too high you cannot raise The first reward of all good deeds is praise She fits down and Seals the Letter Nigr. Those lines with some addition of my own Shall make all my design secure I 'le drive The cheat on with such Impudence and courage That all his furious rage shall not deter me Nor all his arts disprove me Gives him the Letter Aph. Here Nigrellâ— Nigr. I 'le flye to serve you but before I go I ought to tell you that the King intends To visit you and though he comes to take His last farewell to Love yet you must think Lovers quit Ladies just as Garrisons Surrender in their fall their Pride 's so great They willingly would have their yeilding look As little as it can like a defeat The King no doubt though in his vanquisht passion Will make some Love say some kind amorous things And if you 'l take my Councel let your Answers Be mild and gentle Exit Nigrello Bris. The advice is good And you 'l oblige your self if you pursue it 'T is a vain glory that attends a Lover Never to say he quits and when Hope dyes The Gallantry of Love still lives is charm'd With kindness but in shadow takes delight Even in its being deceiv'd Love 's th' only passion Takes pleasure to be flatter'd in dispair Aph. Can a feign'd look or a dissembled smile Oblige so good so generous a King Such Treachery I scorn no he deserves A nobler usage His resigning me To Lewis has so charm'd me that I cannot Pay him too much My Friendship Kindness all The faculties of my Soul but what my Vows To Heav'n and Lewis do except are his Come glorious Lover storm an easie Breast Take all my heart has liberty to part with This brave refigning me has gain'd such pow'â— Lewis had ne're a Rival till this hour Bris. Madam I see him coming take no notice Either of our discourse or his conversion 'T is more than I dare answer it anticipates The Gallantry and the surprize of great Designs to have â—em told e're they are acted Enter King King What Vulture gripes me here Ha what art thou If thou be'st so Jealousy mount and be gone Fly to the vulgar bosom whose cheap thoughts Despair their own performance in a King Thou show'st a Nature retrograde to Honour Suppose She Loves and has vow'd constancy To Lewis must it follow that her heart Cannot be moved 'T is but my fears that say so I 'le boldly on and tire her till she yeild Is She not fair Beauty 's a spark of Heav'n And all that 's Heavenly may be moved 't is only Th' Infernal pow'rs that are inexorable What brow wears our fair Tyrant Is a Brother To Bris. More pow'rful then a King Does â—he unmoved Admit thy Mediation in my Cause Or am I still that unshaped thing whose name Has terror in 't Does still each sound that breaths My hated name strike horrour through her veins And shake that Seat where my proud Brother raigns Bris. I found her not so cruel as I wisht her The Conquest was so easie that my pains In serving you were less then I desired King The Conquest How what say you Bris. Sir the Cloud That hinder'd her the prospect of her bliss Is gone the pow'r of Majesty and Love Has the long mist dispelâ—d She is restored To sense and reason King Is Aphelia kind Bris. Yes to her self She understands the Love Of Kings and why she understood no sooner She does confess her senses have been more Dazled then darken'd King My kind Advocate Oh that I had a Sister for thy sake As Cruel and if possible as fair That I might pay thee back this kindness They Madam who Divinitys approach To her Seek out for prosperous hours to breath their Vows in Which attribute of Heav'n Divine Aphelia Mercy or Justice is the mighty work Of this days fate Have you markt out this hour For lending ear to your Adorers Prayers Or forming Thunder for Offenders crimes Aph. If there is any thing Divine or Sacred Lodged in this Breast 't is Royal Sir your Creature For this poor humble roof cannot be built For such a Guest unless you 're pleased to raise it And if you 'd have me Sainted you of all men Should have lest cause to ask how I 'm inclin'd Who makes the Saint may well expect it kind King I am transported If this sudden kindness Be truth 't is Miracle Bris. If it be false Punish her Treason on her Brothers heart By my Allegiance and my hopes of Bliss She entertains no wish nor thought t' abuse you King This Language speaks thee â—air Aphelias Brother Thy Breath else could not be so near allied To hers to carry so much charm such Heav'n in 't They Madam who would mighty Structures rayse To her Search the Foundation first on which they build The highest flight of my Ambition is To know my pow'r in fair Aphelâ—as heart Enter Nigrello Aph. Your pow'r in that you shall distrust no more 'T is all that Loyalty and Gratitude Can make it my Prophetick thoughts have told me You will be kind and as my Soveraign ought To have disposal of your Vassals Fates And that high Fate you have markt out for me I doubt not will be welcome great and glorious And as I 'm satisfied 't will be all these Great Sir t' obey you shall not only be My duty but my hopes Bris. How prettily They drive on the mistake Nigr. The plot works rarely Bris. But stop 'em e're it goes too far Nigr. Great Sir I 've somthing for your Ear. King Another time Nigr. None but this minute will suffice Your safety And honour are cocern'd King And what of them Be quick I 'm too full of thought to talk Nigr. My story is so fiery that it must Move slow for if it should break out too fiercely It will do Violence to your Ear disturb If not displease you King But it shall not I 've but Just now receiv'd the promise of her heart And do you think it lyes in Fortunes pow'r To shake my quiet at so blest an hour Out with it speak the worst thou hast to say My Joy's too great t' admit of an allay Bris. Let us withdraw perhaps they would be private Exeunt Briâ—ac and Aphelia Nigr. But shall I have yor pardon King Yes dispatch then Nigr. Your Mistrerss is not King What Nigr. Not Chast. King Not Chast Had'st thou ten thosand lives not one of them Should scape my Justice for so damn'd a lye Nigr. You promis'd me my pardon King How thy pardon I would not give 't my Father no not his Ghost Should but his shadow from his Grave rise up To speak but one such word for the Impiety I 'de