the Fault he knew And that will be the end of me and you They know we into all their Actions prie And Treason through their closest Vizards see But Fate does th' Prospect of our dangers shew Not for prevention but to edge the blow All care is vain when Pow'r is once deny'd And Courage faints when all it's hands are ty'd Brizander Yet still the Prince with Rev'rence we must name His too good Nature not himself we blame He thinks it near unpossible that they Who owe him theirs should take His Life away They do with him to our Devotions come Droll and protest against the See of Rome And none like them Faith and Allegiance vow Nay seem to pers'cute their own Party too But did the Prince believe things as they are He 'ld soon these Vipers from his Bosom tear These Vipers which would Natures Laws betray And through their Mothers Bowels force their way Morinus True thus disguis'd they cheat him for they know He hates the Papist when he knows him so Nor can they hope t' engage him to forgoe That firm Religion he was born unto Whose Ancestors two Centuries or more Withstood Rome's secret Crafts and open Pow'r But these last Herds increast we know not how Grown up like Mushroms in a night or two Queen Ceteka was the first one of note Georgia produc'd curst Ceteka that Root That Womb of Fiends a sort of Africk Dung From whence so many Thousand Monsters sprung Yet she with all her Jesuitick Train Could not the Prince to her Perswasion gain He stood unshaken and continues so But oh the late ill Action he did do Th' Allowance of his Mothers Relique here I would not rail but yet can scarce forbear Was the severest Blow our Church e're felt But what could n't Polidore perswade him to Zolazer and the rest of that false Crew This is his greatest nay his only Guilt No other Blemish in his Vertue lies Though Envy searcht it with its thousand Eyes Brizander Unhappy State of those who Scepters sway None are so chain'd to faithless Friends as they That knowledg which does all their Actions guide Through th' Eyes and Ears of others is convey'd And does a Tincture from each Channel take Which either private Ends or Flattery make Nor is 't an easie Province to remove These spacious Objects of a Princes Love For th' Polititian like a well-grow'n Oak Fixes his Sturdy Root near some strong Rock Where firmly plac'd it ev'n the Thundrer dares And spreads whilst Tempests rattle round his Ears Exeunt Br. and Mor. Scene 3. Miletas solus For my long Absence this just Curse I see She 's either dead or fled to search for Me. But that none knew of her does me amaze Can Lamps depart and no one see the Blaze If Heav'n when Kings and Kingdoms do expire Emblems with blazing-Stars their Funeral Fire Ev'n for her private Fate what could suffice Less than the Tributes of a thousand Eyes Sure was she murthered we each Muse might see Weep on her Tomb th' Aonian Fountain drie And the griev'd Sun would a black Robe put on And such a Loss discover with a Groan Yet though my Trouble for her Loss is great I hardly can be angry with that Fate Which was the Cause and did perswade my Stay For thence I saw the Cheats of Popery I went and heard what Wonders Rome could tell Then came and weigh'd 'em in an English scale England to thee this happy cure I owe And by this means Georgia its safety too Thy purer Air my sickly Faith refin'd From Popish Superstitions and I find Those Characters of Treason disappear Which interwoven with my Education were Hence on the wings of Loyalty I fly For to prevent my Countries Destiny I 'll to the Prince and all their Treasons shew When they design and how to give the blow Enter Polidorus Polidorus may I trust my Eves A sudden extasie dazles my belief And my excess of Joy makes it self less They embrace Methinks our throbbing hearts meet and catch at each other As if they had an Instinct to incorporate Polidorus Did we longer dwell in each others arms Our Bodies perhaps might melt and as The amorous Nymph and her Hermaphroditus mix in one But nothing can make our hearts more congenial Than they are Miletas To me this happy interview Welcome as that of Blessed Angels is Who still come loaded with new Heav'ns of Happiness Low as dispair your absence made me lie Till your kind presence mounts me up as high So Flow'rs in Storms faint on their sickly Beds Till Heav'ns kind Beams prop up their drooping heads Polidor Sir If such Charms my welcome Presence wear Perhaps 't is 'cause some happy News sits there What Fortune bids me speak my Looks may shew Whil'st weighty Joys make the right Organ slow Miletas What! is our Fortune made by'ts bounty poor Yet grown recruited to oblige us more Has here the Pope any more work to do Does not all Georgia stoop to kiss his Toe He who procur'd it does expect to bear No small advantage from the Persian War Polidorus Tho' with our private aid they storm'd the Town They were repuls'd and Ceteba alone To Persia was a Trophie brought where she For her Religion did a Martyr die Milet. She was a Saint whose Soul was so sublime That Separation could not more refine Her death I fear has weaken'd our Design Polidor No like the Phoenix she resign'd her breath Her teeming Dust gave a more active Birth To new Designs which I was Midwife to Miletas With haste the meaning of this Riddle shew Polidor Four Jesuites by my advice a Stranger slew Whom not the King from his dead Mother knew Each knee this as her Relique does adore And most believe the very Touch a Cure The Prince its keeping to these Jesuites gave Who annual Stipends for their Craft receive This Miracle you 'll in our Temple see In Pomp above th' Athenian Deity Whose Rayes will soon as far as Phoebus shine And draw whole Nations to its painted Shrine Thousands already on this Wonder wait As an Asylum where they 'll fly from Fate Where to these Odours as a Saint they bow They 'll strive to tread those ways which made her so Miletas But how will this pretence the Touch endure Or can a meer Belief create a Cure Emp'ricks may sooth the Admiring Crowd to buy But time and practice will the Cheat discry Polydor. True but these Doctors for all cures excel They 'll to its Function the loth Soul compel Then into Natures strange Meanders prie And her declining frame re-edifie Yet all this Relique as their Doctress greet 'T is thought the Centre where all healing Virtues meet Miletas But some Diseases will all Art o'recome Pol. Such they pretend she with dark threatnings dooms To die and Cures long lingring in dispute They to their Patients hainous Sins impute Miletas Like Gods you make the servile World obey Frame new
the Tenth Year of our Papacy Zolazer Who would not think by this Sublimer Strain Ceast Oracles had found their Tongues again Polidorus As long toss'd Ships in Sight of Harbour come We want but one kind Gale to blow us Home And Fortune seems to beg this short Delay To reckon what vast Sums she is to pay We need no more poorly depend on Fate But Wealth and Honours as our Slaves shall wait This Office his Another's that and all The Church Revenues to your Shares will fall To the Jesuits Have you a Friend you would promote A Foe You would Revenge the only time is now Is there a Famous Beauty you would woe Let the glad Father or kind Husband know They 'll boast the Honour of procuring her for you Lucan We need not then in these strange Shapes appear Wear others Looks or speak in Character Nor need we then like patient Anglers wait 'Till th'Squeamish Conscience please to take the Bait. But to our Wears thousands at once we 'll force Cull out the Ripe And send the Fry to our own Pools to Nurse Polidorus But what great Things Zolazer have you done To Zol Since you 've Govern'd Georgia's Garrison It is the greatest Trust I could bestow And an Employment only fit for you It does at least Ten thousand Arms-contain Which I designe shall be our Magazine And do expect that ev'ry Souldier shall Honour their Prince less than their General Zolazer Of those two Thousand Souldiers I have there Eightscore already of our Party are No'ne shall the Offers I propose refuse I will such Crafts and Subtil Methods use Those Souldiers which most likely seem I 'll try Which if the least unwilling to Comply They soon shall by some private Torture dye Polidorus Were there in all one Thousand Faithful found Better than Millions we suspect unsound One Stragler's Wildeness all the Herd misleads One Houses Plague through a whole Kingdom spreads And one that 's False may like small Fire unknown Spread its destructive Flames through the whole Town Zolazer Let me desire this prove no more your Care But of th' Event a good Opinion bear I 've seen all Countries can all Humours guess And th'Saints ne'r yet deny'd my Plot 's Success What flatt'ring Language can't this Sword shall do Pointing to his Sword 'Tas cut down Thousands yet no'ne heard the Blow I 'll Kill with Poyson yet the Cause conceal And 's Death by which I merit Heav'n bewail These forty Years unseen as Night I 've gone Through snaky Ways and more strange Shapes put on Than Proteus could with all his Witchcraft guess Or Ovid gave his Metamorphosis And when our Plot is to a Ripeness grown Rome must confess She never yet has known So Rich a Conquest and so Cheap a One. Tyrone Th' first Year I did to Artaxissa come Where I a grave Physicians Garb put on At least Five hund'red Proselytes I gain'd And done what Poets hardly could have feign'd A Pestilential Feaver raging there Which only I did then pretend to Cure Those who would turn and to our Pictures fall I Rais'd again as by a Miracle But Poyson was the Physick I did use To purge away their Souls which did my Charms refuse So Hereticks did in such number Dye That Death grew weary of the Slavery And Charon's Self sate sweating at his Oar Needing a Fleet to waft my Patients o're Lumbus My Conquests in Vasada are well known Both Armastic ' and Lybium are grown More supple far I 've taught 'em by Degrees To touch our Beads and look on Images Dubois What need I boast But should I strive to shew Those Deeds twice sixteen Winters saw me do You would grow Old with hearing me and Death E're I 'd half told you would demand my Breath The Furies were my Slaves who surely strook Thousands of Rebels when my Looks but spoke And should I when I Dye For each I Kill'd a Marble-Pillar have You might walk up to Heaven on my Grave Witchcraft I study'd and all Poysons too Whose Use as well as Nature's self I know Augures who ' f Lives and Deaths could less Divine May come and harden their soft Hearts by mine Did n't the late King three Brothers and one Son Fall by my Art Lucan But Teimurazez is Immortal grown Those Poysons which did do their Business are To him Familiar as his other Fare A thousand Snares I for his Life have lay'd But some Ev'l Spirit ev'n my Thoughts betray'd Let Mirabilians keep no more adoe His Life 's the only Miracle I know Dubois Georgia did know no Catholick before I with the Queen Converted thousands more Her Love for You my Praises did Inspire I first did Kindle and then Blow'd the Fire By me you Hopes are almost certain grown For one un-King'd lies dying in your Throne Polidorus The Gods came short of each of you when they Were Candidates for Immortality And on your Merits such high Price I lay That only those Impartial Pow'rs can pay There is heard from Without the Sound of Trumpets and Beating of Drums Enter Souldier Souldier To Arms To Arms The Persins are To Arms Polidorus What makes this Fool fright us with false Alarms Enter Brizander Brizander Hell is broke loose and all its Dev'ls appear In Persian Shapes to bring their Torments here They to our Walls on Wings of Light'ning flye Whil'st th'wounded Air toucht with a Sympathy In Groans of Thunder bode our Destiny Enter another Souldier Souldier To Arms To Arms They the South-Gate Attack But th' Prince in Person bravely beats 'em back Polidorus Curse on their Haâ—t 'T is such a quick Surprize I have no time to put on a Disguise But since I must appear in Fight I 'll stand Beyond the reach of Dangers Bloody Hand Brizander Ye Gods give Fortune now her Eyes that she May see to lead us on to Victory Let 's not â—â—ise Fears to fight with too but shew What Courage armed by Despair can do SCENE II. Enter Ceteba and Maacla Queen BRave Nero may thy Soul my Breast inspire Whose sacred Harp sang Praises to Rome's Fire Whil'st Buildings in the Sky like Meteors throng And danc't Levoltoes to thy Charming Song That Childish thing we Human Nature call Pity Compassion things we fool withall Are giv'n us as our Rayment or our Food To use or lay aside as we think good That must be Lawful which does Profit bring Cruelty's but a Name there 's no such thing What Tho I see my Country over-thrown And its curst Her'tick Prince no more my Son Sinck in its Ruin Tho each Persians Hand Were a Death's-Head t'un-people this Curst Land And I the Cause tho Georgia should prove Dear Polidore a Victim to our Love Must I be thought Unnatural or Severe Because I only of my Self and Thee take care No even Nature justifies me here Self-Int'rest and Self-Preservation Is th' only Law of Nature I can own That only Just un-alterable One. I care not
Religions and each conscience sway Pol. Did Jove the ancient world but thus command His Scepter had not trembled in his hand All Nations had not known one Common Grave Nor proud Mount I de been rival'd by a Wave These Parts where stiff-neck'd Zealots only grew We gently soften'd and then thought to bow A Cross or Image lately so abhor'd Is now as much as Persia's God ador'd The Tolling of a Bell is heard Miletas Hark Sir Deaths harsher Trumpet wounds my Ear An Engine made to strike the Soul with Fear By these Death-Calls I 've ' nto such Fits been thrown That others Passing-Bells I 've thought my own They to my Heart such wounds of Conscience bear As if not written but engraven there Polidor I too did in these Errors run astray Till the Pope taught me a more soothing way Ensuing Pains all sensual Pleasures bring But this has Charmes will blunt the sharpest sting He takes his Pardon out of his Pocket and shews it Enter Messenger Messenger I bring ill News Salvirus Sir is dead Polidor Salvirus dead it is impossible I saw him yesternight all Life and Spirit As if there were no Empire there for Death But for prevention he design'd this Morning To take a Potion Messenger Ev'n that Prevention did include his Death And Tobias the Apothecary Is apprehended for his Poys'ner And Sir I 'm sent to let you know His Corps require a speedy Burial And wait only on your Coming Polidorus Looking upon the Messenger Farewell Salvirus since it must be so Sure none can guess how much I feel thy Blow But for thy Murtherer I 'll soon prepare Revenge which shall my Constancy declare Exit Messenger Zolazer gives what we ask Heaven for Sure he with Sylla's vengeful Ghost confers Which might contemplate high'r in Policy But none delights in humane Blood like he He 'll climb up Times Abode and 's Sythe command What Ears to crop and what are fit to stand Scen. 4. Enter Polidorus Miletas Zolazer Dubois Tyrone Lumbus and Lucan Polidorus Since we are now in a full Synod met Let each relate what News he brings from Fate Why the Revengeful Furies are so slow Or if the Prince is ripe for Death or no. Whether the fatal Sisters cease their Strife And all agree to cut his thread of Life Dubois Let this suffice we do his Death decree And Thursday night shall be the Massacre I 've hir'd two Ruffians arm'd with Cruelty As well by Nature as Religious Tie Sworn then to give the fatal Stab or die Nor need we fear he can the Blow escape Whil'st fetter'd in the drousie Arms of Sleep Zolaz To all our Party we 've this notice sent Then to be arm'd to expect the Event And if the Murder on the Prince succeed All Georgia in the same hour shall bleed We do expect ten thousand Persians aid Which Montaxerxes does design to head They 'll come with armed Resolutions o're Now ro regain their Credit lost before Their Magazine you know we have engrost Nor was my pains amongst the Souldiers lost So that we need no opposition fear Besides the Citt's made valiant by Despair But them whilst flaming Houses do surprize We will knock down like Candle-dazled Flies Legions of Angels will our Armies lead And every Saint by Intercession aid Nay very Pictures will our Cause maintain Nor sleeping Heroes wear their Swords in vain Lucan Our Emissaries scatter'd up and down Assure our work is to perfection grown that several thousands are oblig'd by Vow Both to be secret and assistant too And those mean few we thought unfit to trust We hope to find as forward as the first Lumbus We did the various Seed of Faction sow And chose such Soil in which it best might grow Whisp'ring Rebellion to each list'ning Ear Rub'd their old Sores and taught 'em what to fear Some Discontents and Terrors of the Law And some fair Prospects of Preferment draw Whilst other tost on Billows of Despair Meet serene Thoughts and quiet Harbour here Then we have artful Engines fram'd to squeeze Large Stipends from their tender Consciences And Surgeon-like corroding Salves apply T' enhance the value of our Remedy Hence came our Wealth and our proud Colleges Owe both their Splendor and their Birth to these Dubois To our late wants above their pow'rs they bring Each one his meritorious Offering Misers unlock their Darling Coffers now And to our Banks their mighty Treasures flow Women with Jewels golden Wedges buy Or with their Houshold Plate our Mints supply Tankards Salts Candlesticks and all 's our own To Baby's little Cawdle-dish and Spoon Thus furnish'd does our vast Exchequer shine Inlay'd with our new counterfeited Coin Good as the best it will our bus'ness do And buy what deaths we please for Kings and Kingdoms too Miletas Now have I seen the bottom of the Plot. Aside And Georgia falls if I secure it not So certain are they so full blown their hope They think Heav'n can't their Hellish Projects stop Yet the Scene must be chang'd and they betray'd To feel those Racks they for their Country made Morinus and Brizander I have sent To give the Prince notice of my Intent Tyrone The Temple Door immediately will be open And thousands of Diseas'd Persons by this time throng From all parts o' th' World to adore our Relick We have annointed its Face and set behind it A Chaffin-dish of Coals to make it seem To sweat and weep by melting of the Liquor Our Springs our Wheels and such like Engines Are of great Use to make it move and speak We must likewise pretend that ev'ry night The Relique by a Miracle provides More Wax than all the Lights and Flame consume So that the Tapers in the Morning weigh'd Prove oft times heavier than before Miletas Aside That real faith by which we Heav'n may gain Seems plac't afar and Doubts are strew'd between Whil'st things most false soon our Belief create And deprav'd Nature carries on the Cheat. Scen. 5. Enter Teimurazez Miletas Morimus and Brizander Morinus To Teimurazez If Truth has any Pow'r or if there be A Certainty in Demonstration Your Reason will not let you doubt that now Which your belief so long fainted under Teimurazez Doubt it no 'T is Truth enough to make an Atheist worship it A thousand Circumstances though 't wants not any Offer themselves to guard your Evidence To Miletas But th'horridness of it so frights my Patience That I can't hear the rest without turning Fury Ye Gods Have I been led so long so willingly Unto the Brinks of Ruin Loyalty whither art thou fled or was there Ever any more than what lives in you Since Adam lost his Innocence Frail man what art thou of what Use thy Reason Dote not on that for 't is thy only Misery 'T was that made envious Belzebub a Rival To our first Parent who searching his ambitious Soul Sow'd Treason there not to be rooted out Whil'st yet there lives one
Seed of him If Polidore is false whom may I trust Miletas Ev'n me Great Sir and sev'ral thousands more Who for our Prince and Churche's safety Will gladly sacrifice our Lives and Fortunes I 'm now new fram'd and moulded to another Thing And I hope my Loyalty may not seem the cheaper For springing out of Penitence Brisander It should be dearer rather and he that but reflects On th' Cause and Nature of your Discovery Must needs confess You are so far from meriting the least Blame That you seem particularly sent by Providence To be your Countrey 's Guardian Angel Teimurazez You 've made a full and clear discovery And unlock't all their Stygian Secrets But how your Lordship came conscious of their Practices I have not yet had cognisance Miletas My Father some three years since as Polidore is now In Georgia was the Pope's chief Agent And trusted me with all he did of Moment But on his Death-bed Reflecting on the horrour of his past Crimes In his Conscience felt such Racks and Tortures The wages of his Murthers Treasons and Perjury That he began to question that Religion Whose Essence do's consist in such black Principles And to prevent my being farther int'rested In th' carry'ng on of this Conspiracy On 's Blessing charg'd me to repair unto Some Kingdome where the Reform'd Religion flourishes Soon after his death I perform'd my Promise And having slightly view'd some Countries on the way I came to England Where a years conversation with the Doctors there Made me become a Proselyte to that Church There all the Cheats of Rome I saw display'd And th' Popish Plots which fill their Chronicles Made me begin to pity this poor Kingdome And use what haste I could to stop its ruine At my Return I thought it necessary To wear my former Face and mix again With those lost Villains and run all their Mazes with 'em In order to find out their subtile Roads And windings into Woods of Night and Darkness And I suppose I 've don 't effectually For the Truth of those black Treasons I have told you Not my self alone but two other Conspirators Who desire as yet to have their Names conceal'd On the assurance of their Pard'ns will justifie Teimurazez On a Princes word they shall be given ' em But as for you My Lord I know not what to offer you Ask what Georgia can bestow 't is yours She cannot be too bountiful to him that sav'd her Miletas It was but natural to save a Life so near And necessary to us as our Countreys She is our Common Mother and commands Protection from us But let 's not lose our time in words the Enemy Is active and next Thursday night's the time Destin'd for slaughter Let Polidore immediately be seiz'd Zolazer and the rest whose Pow'r and Greatness Render 'em more dangerous Teimurazez My Lord You 've spoken my resolution A I refer it to your management Not only Polydor's Commission But after he 's condemn'd that vast Estate His Treasons bought shall help to pay your Loyalty Miletas Your Bounty Sir surprizes me it is So great and unexpected Teimuraz Your Merits do exceed all Bounty and this Is but a glimps of what your Countrey owes you Morinus Miletas Let me kiss thy hand thou Saviour of Georgia What Honour hast thou purchas'd what Voices Titles And Applause through every Street will follow you The Citizens will have your Statue rais'd Although thy very name is one which will be fixt In th' Memory of all succeeding Ages And last whilst Monuments of Brass and Marble Decay and crumble to their first Principles Finis Actus Quarti Act. V. Scene I. Enter Dubois Tyrone Lumbus and Lucan Tyrone WHAT soft Ingredients make up Mortality Which thus we 've Pow'r to melt and mould into any thing Nay does not Custom teach us to impose Ev'n on our own belief and adore Chimera ' s Methinks 't is hard to force my self not to acknowledge A kind of Divinity to that false Relique Which owes to our Art its painted Being Dubois You need not fear to call this Relique as Authentick As any in Italy Spain or Germany can boast of What think you of the Hair Kerchief and Comb Nay the very Shift of the blessed Virgin The paring of her Nails Girdle Shoes and Slippers And all as fresh as if but new come out o' th' Shop Lucan But the several places they are in Dubois Why There 's the Wonder As her Shift in two and so her Kerchief But for her Hair no body knows in how many And of her milk there remains such an Ocean That had her Breasts been bigger than a Cowe's And plaid the Nurse all the dayes of her Life She could never have afforded so much Lumbus Are not Paul's and Peter's Bodies shew'd entire at Rome One Moiety at St. Peter's the other at St. Paul's Yet all other Churches dedicated to 'em Pretend to have some or other of their Reliques Tyrone But of John the Baptist they make a very Cerberus For less than three Heads shan't serve his Turn Lumbus Though th' Scriptures say they were single hearted There 's Care taken they should not be so body'd Lucan Then for the Platter in which the Pascal Lamb was eaten What lasting Metall was it made of 'T is strange it being conceal'd so many hundred years It should thus pop up its head on a suddain And know as well whose goods it was As if the Goldsmith had aver'd to whom he sould it But what is stranger yet they shew it At Rome at Genoa and at Orleanss too Dubois I 've hear'd of a Monk who pretended H' ad brought from th' East some o' the Sound of the Bells Which hung in the Temple of Solomon And that they shew at Jerusalem a three corner'd Stone Assuring 'm 't is the same of which King David said The stone which the Builders refus'd is become The head of the Corner Scene II. Is a Temple discovering the pretended Relique of Queen Ceteba with several other Reliques with Polidorus Zolazer Dubois Tyrone Lumbus Lucan and several diseas'd persons c. Tyrone Hail glorious Mirrour in whose sacred Rays Declining Nature basks her sickly Days Where Aesculap'e unties Fates strong Decree And Doses gives of Immortality Dubois Hail happy Fair in whose ennobled Breast Kind Heaven was pleas'd his glorious Shrine should rest Where other Saints the bended Clouds convey Whose lofty Spire is made a milky way The Skilful'st Angels come Physitians here And call this their retiring Hemisphere Lucan 'T is here Apollo rests his weary Car Load'n with what Juice all healing Plants do bear Physitians vainly into Nature prie Since all its Vertues to this Centre flie Lumbus So let each Suppliant straight approach this Shrine And drossie Nature with a touch refine Whilst your Devotion willingly does flow Either 't will find or else will make it so All the Assembly kneel before the Relique and touch it all which while there is heard