Despair e're swallowd Herm. Oh generous Prince if all my blushing shame My aking heart and bleeding Soul for Thy Poor suff'ring pains can be prevailing Orators Recall thy banisht Peace Tygr. My Peace Herm. Thy Peace Let my imploring Pity beg it of thee Be thy great self and let surmounting Reason Put out this hopeless Fire Droop not but wait A fairer Fate The Guardian Gods of Virtue Bid thee look up and hope those great Rewarders Of ever cherisht Honour have no doubt Reserv'd some worthyer Beauty for thy Arms. Tygr. A second Wound where those bright Eyes have kill'd No fair Destroyer do not flatter Death Herm. Cruell Tygranes cease this fatal Language I sicken at the sound Commanding Honour Has seald my Ears and I dare hear no more Tygr. Commanding Honour then shall be obey'd And you shall hear no more Yes fair Commissioner of Fate thou dear All Angel Forme I will repine no more Since I was born to wear thee to my Grave I but perform the Work of my Creation And 't is my Glory to fulfill my Destiny Trumpets But hark the King Now Madam Love and Empire Come suppliant to your Feet Cyrus proud Heir And fair Herminia's prouder slave comes blest With all the Joys of a possessing Lover To circle that fair Brow with Persia's Diadem Enter King attended King Welcome fair Star descending Brightness welcome But oh Thus kneeling let me meet the mighty Bliss Kneel Is that all For every common Blessing We pay that Gratitude But when Heav'n gives Heav'n The blest Receiver with his bending Homage And prostrate Soul makes but too poor Acknowledgment Tygr. Oh King we Two divide the Stars thine All aside The smiling all the blasting Planets mine King But whilst my Ravisht Soul at these dear feet All buisy in the Count of thousand Vows My Souls long hoarded sum to Soverain Love Their mighty Tribute pay endebted Honor Demands some payment too My dear Tygranes Thou Champion of my Love thou ushering Phosphor To all my rising Bliss my more then Brother Friend All oh let these gratefull Arms receive thee Embraces But ha what do I see methinks I view A Cloud hang on thy Brow Tygr. A Cloud my King Would be a Blessing here Indeed I want one For I have stood too near too near that Sun From the bright Beams of whose too fatal Fires Oh for a Cloud dark as my Grave to shrowd me King How my Tygranes Have Herminia's Eyes Brought me a Rivall home Tygr. A Rivall No. Rivall's a Title for Aspiring Gazers Beauties bolder Homagers Where kindled Hope and warm Ambition burn A Name too towring for the lost Tygranes King In this surprizing Language Tygr. I have profan'd Your Royall Ear but the offending Criminall Pardon his First Last Fault shall Sin no more Here take this dazling Beauty to your Arms Take her adorn'd with all Loves thousand Charms Myriads of Blisses star your happy Nights Thick as the Galaxy and Angel Quires Salute your smiling Days Herm. Virtue like Thine aside Tygr. And now if my small Services deserve it And this young Arm may be that bold Petitioner Grant me the Glory in your Royall Cause Against your Honours and your Kingdoms Foes To wield a Sword Yes send me to the Wars The walks of Death and Scenes of Desolation Far far from Courts that I may live remov'd From those destroying Eyes For oh my King I would not stay within that dangerous Air Where the least Rebell Murmur may but rise To envy your fair Bliss King I am all Confusion Tygr. So dear so sacred your Divine Felicity I wou'd not blot my Soul but with a Thought My King can be too blest Herm. Oh Prince Thy generous Goodness loads me with that shame As fires my glowing Cheeks But if thy heart Thy poor lost Heart has play'd th' unhappy Fugitive Into that barren Starving Feild of Love By all my Hopes I 'le drop a tear to Heav'n To call the wanderer home Tygr. A Tear Herm. A Tear Tygranes Shed from that melting pity till the Gods Soften'd to Mercy a kind Ear encline And grant thee peace or else deny me mine King Thou Miracle of Truth and Life of Honour There 's something in this moving Tale of pity Breaths with so sweet an Accent that if ought Less then resigning the Divine Herminia Cou'd bless thy soft Desires my bounding Soul Shou'd leap all Bars to crown thy tenderest Wishes Tygr. This is too kind King But since a Sword a Sword Is all the Boon thy modest Prayers can ask And Love can give no more Thou shalt have thy Desire Yes my Tygranes I have a Cause that wants an Arm like Thine For in thy Absence I have lost a Battle Persia's proud Foe th' insulting Scythian Tyrant Wears my lost Honour on his conquering Sword Nor is this all I have lost a Sister too Tygr. And with that Sister Sir the noblest Martyr Tyrannick Sword e're butcher'd poor Orsanes That Royall Syrian our unhappy Friend By Wars rough chance the barbarous Scythian's Prisoner By his inhumane Rivall Jaylors Rage In his cold bloud sent t' his untimely Grave My Dear wrong'd Sister thou too wretched Mourner The Lord of all thy Vows that bloudy sacrifice So loud thy Ruines and so deep thy Wounds That bleeding Persia groans for thy Revenge Thine Thine's a Cause King Reserv'd for brave Tygranes For Thee young Worthy thy Illustrious Arme Shâ—ll lead my fighting Legions to the Field Wash thou the Persian Stains and Scourge that Tyrant Whilst Clarismunda's Wrongs edge thy keen steel With mine and Heav'ns Commission'd Vengeance strike Tygr. Ye Gods I ask no more King Yes go my Souldier Go where Fame calls But thus far far from Courts Whilst to rough Wars a Rivall I remove Think how I send thee to a Lawrell Grove To plume in Honour whilst I blush in Love Exeunt SCENE changes to a Pavilion Enter Briomer meeting Celestina and Rosalin Briom Good morrow my Sweet enemy the Smiles Of a kind Morn gay as your Eyes Salute You. I come my pretty one t' inquire the Health Of that bright Excellence the fair Clarismunda Say is your Princess waking Celest Is she sleeping Had been a properer Question to her Miseries Briom Then Madam in my Royall Masters name Sycthia's proud Monarch but her humblest Suppliant Celest Her Tyrant thou woud'st say be honest fawning Parasite And give thy proud Barbarian Lord his Titles Briom Her Tyrant then if that hard Name befits Her humble Kneeling Slave Celest Hard name Can there Be names too hard for brave Orsanes Murderer What though that Royall Beauty and her dear Illustrious Lover by th' unhappy Fortune Of a lost Battle wore the Tyrants Chains Could his too Barbarous Rage descend to that Low-Spirited Murder to remove a Rivall By such a shamefull Blow unparalled Infamy Brim 'T is true I own wild Rage and wilder Love Have play'd the Savage But t' atone his Crime Has not the sense of his Detested shame Touch'd his Relenting
sacred Briom Can there be a Cause so sacred To draw you forth from your abandon'd Kingdoms And in this poor Disguise to quit your Throne Briomar Oront Quit Thrones quit Worlds quit Earth and Heav'n my Run mad despair and dye Briom Dye Sir Oront Yes dye To Deaths short pain from lingring Tortures fly Plunge the Vast Deep and launch to that blest shore Where Clarismunda's Scorn can kill no more Briom Death I confess is Woes last certain Remedy But when the Great seek Death they ought to meet him In the fair Paths of Glory Poorly dying Is worse then basely Living Sir consider You 're born to Empire hold the Charge of Kingdoms A Royall Cause and a protected people Besides behold a gathering Storm before you Arms at your Gates and Vengeance round your Walls Advanceing Enemies and pushing Fate That Death thou seek'st seek nobly King Crown'd Heads Should not fall crusht like poor despairing slaves But build their Monuments when they digg their Graves Oront Kind Briomar I thank thy honest Love 'T is true the Charge of Empire lyes upon us Yet Heav'ns Vicegerents are not so all Gods But we have a little of the Man about us Shackled with Soveraignty and tyed up to Honour We are not so fast to golden Fetters curst But Love one Link of the long Chain may burst Oh Briomar I have that last Account yet to make up To that Fair Tyrants Ear before I dye That as thou valuest my Eternall Peace By all thy Loyalty I must conjure thee Under the shelter of this kind Disguise To gain me an Access But one blest Minute At Clarismunda's Feet Briom But in this kind Disguise can you so rule Your master'd Passion as to keep your shrow'd No frantick start to burst your guardian Cloud Sir dare you promise me Oront Yes I dare promise Shall I performe my Briomar Briom How Sir Oront No more I 'le be obey'd Briom Then Sir my Duty shall dispute no more Th' Access shall be obtain'd Though I much fear Effects too dismall Oront Leave Effects to Fate Love spurs the Leap and Danger Checks too late Exeunt Scene a Room of State Enter Celestina Rosalin and Women Ros Madam five hundred Talents from the King Cel. Have Kist my Hand this Morning Ros From Great Love A fair presented Sum. Cel. To buy me pins A small Oblation But my Royall Vassall Remembers his Allegiance knows his Duty And pays my Eyes their Tribute Now my Rosalin How dost thou like the Port our Greatness bears Say is a Monarchs Heare a Toy worth wearing Rosal Your Conquest is a perfect Raign of Wonders Cel. Nay I have conquer'd now And such a Conquest That surfeited Delight and gorged Ambition Have drunk so deep that they can thirst no more Ros Madam the Princess Cel. Ha! What brings her here perhaps The Consciencious Fool comes to Preach Honour Herminia's Wrongs and Celestina's Fraylty If so I am resolv'd I will receive her Like my great self the Mistress of a Pow'r The World 's too weak to shake Enter Clarismunda Claris. I stoop beneath My self when I descend To talk with Sin and Shame But sweet Herminia A Champion in Thy Cause commanding Justice Forgive the Faults offending Honour makes No the proud Theif the Syren has undon thee Shall not move off with Her Rich prize so tamely I 'le talk with the gay Sin and glittring Infamy Cel These happy Walls and their more happy Mistress Thus honour'd and thus grace'd Beleive me Madam You 've so surprized me with this wondrous Goodness Took me so unprepared for a Reception Worthy of such a Guest Claris. Hold there 's no need Of so much courtly Ceremony All I came to meet I 've found thy self and wish The Visitant I bring thee may receive But half this promis'd welcome Cel. If I am All You came to seek I am proud that you have found me And prouder to receive whate're Commands Honour can give or Honour can obey As such no doubt you bring me speak Your pleasure Clar. Honour Oh thou hast named the richest Jem That e're adorn'd the Fair True Honour Beauties Inestimable wealth whilst we wear Thee We have inexhausted Mines of endless Treasure Enough t' enrich the world Where Honour Shines Our Eyes are Sparks of Heaven 'T is that kind Sun That lights 'em into Stars The Great just Powers Made us the fairest work of their Creation Till our own faults our own defacing Shame Unmakes the work of Gods Celest Ay now you charm my Ear with ravishing Musick Honour our Sexes warmest Pride Our whole Devotion Saint Heaven All we kneel and pray to And Madam if those Powers you name have made Beauty the Master-stroak of their Creation I thank their Generous Moulding Hands These Eyes Are not their poorest stamp And to do Justice To Heavens unfinisht Peice I shall take care In the bright sphear to which my charms have rais'd me Not to unmake but mend the work of Gods Claris The Sphear thy Charms have rais'd thee to No thou Gay gilded Vanity call 'em thy Sorceryes The ' infatuating false deluding Fires Of Sin plumed up with Power thou vile Usurper Celest Usurper That diminitive Imp of Majesty That puny poor Prerogative no Madam Your kinder Justice sure can find my Glories A fairer name Claris. A fairer name Celest perhaps The little Murmures Envy and Ignorance Have been too buisy with your Royall Ear And breath'd my Name with their unhallow'd Lips But to correct th' ill manner'd Grin of Fools Let the Kings Heart and these victorious Eyes Tell the vain babling world I raign by Conquest Claris. What do I hear Oh thou amazing Front Of blushless Guilt Thou sit'st enthron'd in Sin then Hold'st thy black seate of shame by Claim and Title And stampst a Royall Soverainty on Damnation Cel. Madam this Language But no more You are too blame mistaken angry Princess For when I shall enform that Peevish Snarler For whom thou playst the Champion what good Offices I 've done her with the King She 'le have but small Occasion of Complaint For I must tell you As my peculiar Grace I have given him Leave T' allow her a fair Court Guards and Attendants And all the Decency that suits her Quality Nay and to shew you I 'm more generous still I have permitted him to pay her the Civilityes of a Wife Claris. Civilityes Celest And let me tell you 'T is not A Common Condescension in a Mrs. To give a Wife that Liberty Claris. Great Gods This is beyond all mortall Patience She gives her Husband Leave 't is she allows her Her Favours all Oh poor Herminia whither art thou fall'n aside Brought thy rich Royall Veins from thy fair India To be a Pensioner to a vile Wanton Raign the Precarious Partner of a Throne But thou rank Weed thou poysonous plant of Death Oh that thou'dst give thy Soul but so much Leisure As even to think Cel. Think I have Thought For Thinking's half
thy Clouds bear thy fair Head above The frowning World and mount a smiling Star In all thy Loads too low disdain to stoop 'T is brave to suffer when 't is poor to droop Queen Herm. Oh Prince thou hast read me so Divine a Lesson And painted Ruine in a Face so lovely That thou hast tuned my Soul to all the Musick Of a whole Quire of Angels Yes Tygranes To my too cruel Lord I will return Return to all the Pangs to all the Miseries Of ever mourning Love Life 's bitter Draught Lift to my Lips with that unshaking Hand For oh thou hast taught me to be greatly wretched To be Divinely Blest Tygr. Do this Herminia Queen No more my wandring Pilgrimage no Prince I 'll build my House of Sorrow in a Palace Under my Roof of Gold a Hermit dwell A Court my Cloyster and a Throne my Cell Exeunt all but Mirv. Mirv. So now the Toil is set and dear Destruction Comes rolling on apace What a vast Pile Of Ruine shall I build 'T is hard Herminia And I could pity thee Why should I pity My bloody Cradle and my barbarous Parents And shall I feel remorse when ev'n my Father To his own Blood ne'r felt it No vain pity Seek softer Breasts mine has no room to lodge thee Besides I move by that commanding Influence I know not Celestina by what Charm But thou hast bound my Soul and Nerv'd my Arm Joyn'd in thy Cause we that bright Comet Reign Thou the Fair Star and I the Blazing Train Exit ACT V. Enter Celestina Mirvan and Rosalin Cel. REturning home Victorious Mir. If to leave A hundred thousand Foes in Battle slain If Conquer'd Scythia and the great Orontes Led home in Persian Chains can write Victorious Tygranes wears that Title Cel. And to grace His Victory he brings the beauteous Fugitive A fair Attendant t' his Triumphant Chariot To court the Kind forgiving King's Reception Of the returning Wanderer Mir. If her Religious Ramble as I 've manag'd it Has not a little pav'd her Path too rough Some such good natur'd Office he intends her Cel. And thou my little Harbinger kindly com'st Before 'em to prepare me for their Welcome Mir. Yes Madam That 's my Errand For to give My self and dear sweet Villany their due Mischief and I have both rid Post to serve you Cel. My dearest little Devil how I love thee But Mirvan after this first lucky hit Darest thou be generous and play out thy Game Mir. Dare Can you doubt my Courage or my Constancy Is glorious Treason a design too great Or this Young Arm too dastard Have I launch'd Thus far and stood thus firm to stagger now By my fair Truth this poor Suspicion wrongs me Cel. It does indeed sweet Youth forgive my Fears I know thy honest Truth too well to trust it aside But my kind Boy I am afraid I have kept thee Awake too long I know this Nights hard Travel Has tired thy tender Limbs and thou want'st Rest To Bed my Boy and when thou hast repos'd awhile I 'll send my pretty Engineer and call thee Retire sweet Boy and Sleep Exit Mirvan Thy last young Fool. Thy Bed thy Grave Yes my kind honest Traytor Thy hand has done me too much faithful Service To leave thee a dangerous Tongue alive to spoil it Besides my little Tool my ripining Plot Has business for thy Death And bet thy Glory As thou hast liv'd so thou shalt serve me Dead And therefore sleep thy last Now my designs Are all in my own Breast Treason 's a Jewel When the rich Cabinet has but one Key They 're only truly Great who are safely so Ros Well Madam Your Propheticks are all Oracles And the mad roving Queens amazing Ramble Has fill'd the World with wonder Cel. Fame indeed Talks something loud Ros 'T is true the Prince has sent a soft Express And smoothly laid it all upon Religion Cel Religion in a Camp Ah Girl if the Soft King has easie Faith enough about him To think no warmer a Devotion hatch'd This gentle Pilgrimage than Zeal and Prayer-Books No Rosalin he 's not that blind believer I fear thou 'lt find that rougher Faith about him A gathering that black Storm as will rain Blood Ros Herminia's Blood and Celestina's Glory Her Scaffold and your Coronation Cel. Right That fullen Hour that wraps her head in Dust Wreaths mine in Diadems Herminia's Grave The Basis of my Pyramide 'T is true It is a little hard thou poor Herminia To cut so keen as I must But Ambition Ambition gives the blow and when that strikes Remorse nor Pity no faint check controuls That two-edg'd Fate tho' bar'd with Lives and Souls Exeunt Enter Tygranes Herminia and Orontes Prisoner Guards and Attendants 1 Atten. A nobler Game of Glory ne'er was play'd Fortune set high a Kingdom on a Battle And one bold Throw has swept the mighty stake 2 Atten. By this dear Light that Sun that smil'd to see The richest Crimson that the Earth e'er dy'd Not the proud Jove from the defeated Gyants Return'd with fairer Laurels than Tygranes Tygr. Enough my generous sharers of my Fame Your lavish Goodness plays too much the Prodigal My Victory dares not challenge half this Triumph 'T is true the Fortunate Tygranes fought But 't was the Justice of his Quarrel Conquer'd Courage is only ours Success is Heav'ns And for thy Fate Orontes Oront Mine Tygranes Is to curse Life and Thee my Life alone Too much to bear but Life and Shame together That double load of Misery Oh Prince When thy keen Sword cut through my Conquer'd Kingdom Had it been kind and carv'd my Heart too dying I could have loved thee but must hate thee Living Tygr. If thou repinest at thy ill Chance of War Blame thy bad Cause If overtaking Destiny Has dealt thee that hard Lot that does not please thee Remember King thy Ruine is no more Than thy Desert thy Punishment Orontes And sufferers are not choosers of their pain But to perform my last just Rites of Victory Thou Orimon go Visit our wrong'd Sister And in a Brothers Name bear her that Trophy A present from her own Triumphant Vengeance Oront To Clarismunda My too generous Conqueror This is so kind I 'll thank thee for this Goodness Even in my Grave For Oh! a Grace so high Thou givest me leave at those dear Feet to die Exit Guarded Tygr. But hark the King approaches My Beauteous Charge I am thy Champion now A prouder Cause than all my Scythian Conquests Enter King attended My Royal Lord low at your Sacred Feet With the fair Harvest of your own rich Field Thus prostrate kneels the proudest of your Vassals By your great Cause that fair inspiring Genius Led forth to Victory King Mine Tygranes my Inspiring Genius No a little sure Of that fair Cause that soft Inspirer Tygr. How my dread Liege King That Beauty those fair Eyes They were so kind to See you Conquer Tygr.