Command Act what you said to me t' will easier prove T' indure your Sentence then indure your Love Try Mistake not what your Scorn forc'd me to say For to your Beauties such Respect I pay I 'd Kill my self sooner then threaten you But with Revenge Nicanor I 'l Pursue He to my Love when told him was unkind And then I fear'd th' Effects which now I find Stra. This Menace is beyond your first severe You Threaten now what only I can feare But Feare to Love was never yet the Way Try I must not Credit that which now you say For of Loves Theory so much you show Stratonice seems disordered As I believe the Practick too you know This is a Truth your blushes now have shown Nor could you scorne my Passion and my Throne Had not some other prepossest your Heart To find him out I 'l use my Pow'r and Art And Madam then it will perhaps appear You can for him as for Nicanor fear I am now certain you a Lover have Him and my hopes I 'l bury in one Grave For since you make me Wretched you shall know I have the Pow'r to make you Wretched too And though my Rival might escape my Hand Yet still your Father's Life 's at my Command Which he shall Lose if by to morrow night You value not that Love which now you slight Stra. Yes Tyrant thy Resentments more to move I will Confess to thee I am in Love But yet to thee the Man shall ne'r be known For whom I scorn thy Passion and thy Throne Act then thy Menaces that thou mayst see I too am more in Love with Death then thee To those who feel such Cruelties as these Dying is not a Punishment but ease Try Know that to Morrow Night 's the utmost date Given to Nicanor's Life or to thy Hate Stra. To Morrow Night In both it shall appear Who feares not Death does not a Tyrant fear Exeunt severallâ—… Enter Seleucus Alone The SCENE is the Garden of Tryphons Pallace Oh whether by my Passion am I Led My Love should die after my Hopes are dead She has her self declar'd to me that she Has given to him that which is sought by me Nor is Aretus guilty of the Crime He does to me what I 'd have done to him Because in Love I cannot reach my End Why should Revenge deprive me of my Friend Great Gods how can I grow so Cold and tame As on a Rivall to bestow that Name And while Aretus does my Joyes Ingross Talke my self into Patience for my loss Since Friendship thus does plead for my Disgrace Revenge do thou ascend and take the place Thou more like Virtue dost to me appear Then Friendship can in this Affront I bear Since to the Brave nothing should be above Revenge in Wrongs or Constancy in Love Therefore thy Death proud Rivall I le pursue If I must Loose her thou must Loose her too Tryphon comes in to him Try Seleucus now I feel a Matchless Paine My Perfect Love Meets with the like Disdaine 'Twixt what her Beautie and her Scorn does doe At once I Hate her and Adore her too Ah when Provok'd by what to me she said I Menac'd her to take Nicanor's Head So Bravely she the threatning did Despise Her Spirit I Admire above her Eyes Thus what I thought the speediest Way might be To Conquer her has the more Conquer'd me For to my Bondage Iam now Confin'd Both by the Lustre of her Eyes and Mind But that which does my Highest Torment prove Is She Confest to me she was in Love And proudly said t was past my Pow'r and Art To find him out to whom she gave her heart Sel. This and the scorn which you from her Indure Should make you to your Reason owe your Cure Try To one in Love do not of Reason speake For Love is never strong till Reason's weake My Passion is so Pow'rfull and so High As if I miss Enjoying her I Die But if by thy Assistance she be won Thou shalt with her devide my Heart and Crown Sel. Wealth is a thing I never did regard To have your Favour is the best Reward Which I 'l deserve since Sir to reach your Ends I will expose my Mistress and my Friends Yes Sir to me alone you now will know That both your Life and Mistress you shall owe Then summon all your Fortitude to hear That which at once will wound your Heart and Ear Our Fortunes Sir with the like Malice move You Love one Sister I the other Love You have a Rivall who her Heart has wonne To me my Rivall the like Wrong has done But that at which we both should most repine Your Friend 's your Rivall and my Friend is mine Try What Friend of mine can dare affront me thus Sel. That name you give but to Demetrius Try Oh Gods what Horrors does my Soul invade Scorn'd by my Mistress by my Friend betray'd This fatal Secret who disclos'd to thee Sel. 'T was he himself that open'd it to me Try From me conceale it and yet tell it you Should I believe Demetrius is untrue Oh do not take this way t' Usurp his Place Sel. He durst not tell you he your Rival was But had you mark'd those Horrors he was in When him you prest to court her for your Queen You would not have been doubtfull of his Crime Your Eyes had told you what I learn'd from him Try 'T is true his Troubles as it were above What any Passion could produce but Love My Erroâ—… and thy Faithfulness I see Ah since Demetrius proves so false to me Sure 't is he too that doth my Life pursue Sel. No Sir that Guilt is to Aretus due With â—…e he Cleopatra does Adore Who does so much your Leaving her Abhorr That she has made my Rivall promise her Charm'd by Loves Pow'r to be your Murtherer She â—…y'd my help in the Designe to win But Sir I did detest so base a Sin Try Thou art my Genius and I owe to thee All that I am and all I hope to be Though Cleopatra's Guilt be rais'd so high That as Aretus she deserves to Dye Yet if she 'll marry thee I 'le pardon her But I one hour will not his Death defer Sel. This favour tyes me while I live to you But Sir in your own case what will you doe Try In that Seleucus I am doubtfull yet For on each side the difficultie's great I look with Horror on Demetrius guilt Yet tremble to pluck down what I have built Friendship and Love so in my Bosome strive As I yet know not which shall there survive I now am under an unheard of Fate My Friend and Mistress I both Love and Hate â—…h would Aretus all my Blood had spilt That against either I might shun the Guilt In this sad streight I 'de be advis'd by thee Sel. The Resolution easy seems to me For to your Love if you can give an End You ought
to pardon and make blest your Friend But if your Being to your Love you tye Then there 's no doubt Demetrius Sir must Dye Try But if my Love while guiltless was deny'd I doubt when in her Lovers Blood t is dy'd That Cruelty may more her Hatred move Sel. Yet 't is a Crueâ—…y produc'd by Love When by your Pow'r you make her be your Wife And when your Mercy spares her Fathers Life Both those joyn'd with the Charming Name of Queen Over her Hate the Victory may win But if when she 's you Wife her Hate endures The Trouble Sir will be more hers then yours Try But since when but to fright her I did say That I Nicanor's Life would take away She told me to her Death she too would fly I feare if I should make her Lover Dye She in dispair to her own Death would run Sel. Killing one's self is sooner said then done But if to him that Proof of Love shee 'd give Think not shee 'l marry you while he does live Try Ha! what thou say'st admits of noe reply And does on Love bestow the Victory Those Words have torn Demetrius from my Mind And for his Death the Orders they have sign'd He and Aretus instantly shall Dye Prepare the Guards with speed and secrecy Thy Care of me has made me judge it fitt To thee this Execution to commit They goe out severall wayes The SCENE of Nicanor's Pallace opens Nicanor Aretus Demetrius Cleopatra and Stratonice both weeping Stra. Yes Sir I scorn'd his Love and Anger too Till he with speedy Death did threaten you My Constancy he then did more than fright Yet I conceal'd my Terrors from his fight But Sir my Eyes as soon as he was goue Wept as my Heart while he was here had done For if to morrow night I 'm not his Wife He has declar'd hee 'll take away your Life Nic. I 'l rather to his Rage submit my Head Than yield that you should such a Tyrant wed I 'l sooner Die then I 'l that Union see Such Hate I have for him such Love for thee Are. to Cleo. From your Fair eyes those Tears you ought to wipe This Crime for Heavens Revenge makes Tryphon ripe So ripe that through his Guards along I 'l goe To pay that Death which to his Guilt we owe The Danger does less then the Duty seem I 'l dry your Tears or strive to merit them Dem. to Stra. I thought by Loue he would your heart have won And therefore I did yield to be undone But since to this vile way he hath recourse 'T is just to end such Tyranny by Force I 'l now with much less Grâ—…f his Death pursue Then I resign'd to him my claim to you Ar. Since we to kill the Tyrant are agreed I see the Gods his Ruine have decreed Nic. Though that is just which is designed by you Yet Just things we should doe as Wise men doe Seleucus who th' Usurpers Guards commands When this new Tyranny he understands To join with us I hope may soon be won Cleo. I dare assure you 't is already done Nic. Already done by whom Cleo. t is done by me His Hate to Tryphon and his Tyranny Is such as I am sure in this Designe He will with you when you desire it joyn Are. Whoever does â—…o Virtue but pretend To what we have resolv'd must be a Friend Enter Irene hastily Ire I on your privacies would not intâ—…ude Did not my duty force me to be 〈◊〉 Some of the Servants from the Garden call To tell you many soldiers scale the Wall Aâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fight they every one appeare And all of them do Iryphon's Livery weare Hermione running in Herm. Seleucus is into your Pallace come And does wâ—… Tryphon's Guards fill every Room Nica. What may this Meane Her My Eyes are much mistooke If Rage and Horror dwels not in his Look Seleu Yeild up your Swords in vain you 'l fight or fly Aret. Betray'd then let us acting our Revenges die Seleucus forces open the doores he runs in with several of the guards Nâ—…canor Aretus and Demetrius draw their Swords but ere they â—…an make use of them are opprest by Number and are disarm'd Seleucus bâ—…kons to the Guards to retire while they are going out Seleucus sayes Secure the Pallace Guards if you Admit Any â—…escape your Lives shall pay for it These orders read will let you understand That what I doe is by my Kings command You are my Prisoners all Aretus you Must bear the Fate which to your Sin is due For you the Murther of the King did plot he gives the orders to Nicanor Aret. I Merit Death because I kill'd him not Seleu. Demetrius too the like hard Fate must prove He does not only Rival Tryphon's Love But knew Aretus did his Death intend And yet Conceal'd it to preserve his Friend Deme. Perfidious man the Tyrant could not be Told that he was my Rival but by thee Seleu. Madam the King in hope that you 'l receive His Love does yet Nicanor's Life reprieve Nica. Since these two generous Friends are doom'd to Die Sparing of me is but his Cruelty Stra. Who would the loss of so much Worâ—…h survive Or by A Tyrant's Mercy who would Live Death is then either Welcomer to me Seleu. to Cleo. Here Prostrate Madam at your Feet you see One who long since has paid to you his Heart And who by Love is forc'd to act this part For when I came to tell you of the Fire Which your Bright Eyes did in my Soul inspire And that it might more acceptable be Did offer to revenge your injury You e'r I could make you my great Request Told me Aretus Raign'd within your Breast Ah! When I found that he was Monarch there I did Compell'd by Love and by Dispair Discover all to Tryphon with Design Helping his Love to make him further mine This Madam you may Look on as my Sin But what you think my Guilt I Glory in For what more fully could my Passion prove Then sacrificing of my Friends to Love Aro Since Love makes no man Cruel or Unjust That which thou call'st thy Love is but thy Lust. Cleo. Seleucus I have Listned unto you At once with Horror and with Pitty too Horror that you this Falshood could Commit Pitty that Love seduc'd you into it Ah! to my Love what wrong could be so high As thinking 't would be woon by Treachery No No though my affection for you were Such as for me you would have yours appear Yet Honor which of all things most I rate Would by this Falshood turn that Love to Hare And could I be obtain'd by what you doe That Crime would soon worke the like Change in you Oh doe not think that Love can ere be built On such a false foundation as your Guilt Seleu. In my sad loss what could I else have done To me you 'r lost or this way must be wonne Cleo. This way be Won Oh
there is but one degree you know 'Twixt doubting I am false and thinking so Aliz. To you no clearer Proof Sir I can give I think you are not false then that I live For did I doubt you guilty of that wrong My death should tell it you and not my tongue King The pow'r of Kindness Madam you confound Making your Love the Sword with which you wound If from this day my Ruine you will date Then by some other Weapon act my fate Your Anger Misery enough does prove Without ascribing of it to your Love 'T were better far I fell by your Disdain Then have your Love my blessing turn to Pain Aliz. What I have said too warmly you pursue King How can you love him whom you think untrue Admire not what you said so much does move Since if you think me false I lose your love Against such groundless Fear there 's no defence Aliz. Love feels no greater Torment then Suspense Since she who truly Loves had rather know Her Lover false than always think him so For 't is an ill more sensible and high To Live tormented still then 't is to Die But you may end those Torments I deplore If you will never see my Rival more King This is a Remedy severe and new Rudeness to her must Kindness be to you And of my Love can you no proof admit But what will make me for your Love unfit Aliz. Ah were I Blest or Curst to such degree As that you thought some other lov'd by Me I would for ever from his sight be gone And would in your contentment find my own Were your Affections but for me as great Then you no more would see Plantagenet King She is the nearest Kinswoman I have Her Lord too in my Service found his Grave Nature and Honour these respects approve And make that Duty which you doubt is Love Aliz. Alas were you not chang'd you would not be Civil to her rather than kind to me King Will this your Fatal Jealousie remove I swear I never spake to her of Love Aliz. Love is not alwayes by Discourse made known It may be spoken in a Look or Groan Some in those wayes more Passion can dispense Then others by the Charms of Eloquence Your Oath I fear is dictated by Art Your Tongue is innocent but not your Heart King This Madam too much your unkindness shows You neither will believe my Love nor Vows Aliz. Do not admire my Doubts and Fears are high When you that easie cure of them deny I saw you gaze on her much more then you Did gaze on me when I did know you true Which to my Torment Sir does let me see You lov'd Me not or lov'd Her more then Me Man's Art to such a height could never rise As love from a true Lover to disguise Oh Sir it is high time I let you know Though Love is blind yet Lovers are not so King He never yet the height of Love has known Who onely found it in a Look or Groan When I to you that Passion did express Which Madam onely with my Life shall cease Though many Looks and Sighs to you I sent Yet by Discourse too I did give it vent If through all passages it does not press It soon will kill the heart it does possess Love is so vast a Passion as the breast Is much too small to hold so great a Guest Aliz. Great Love is like great Grief and all Sir hold That Grief is weak or small which can be told Enter Lord Latymer who whispers to the King King Madam A pressing business calls me now Be therefore satisfied with this strict Vow My carriage to Plantagenet shall be Such as shall make you grant you 've injur'd me Exeunt King and Lord Latymer Aliz. Now my Sevina think you not that I Had a sufficient ground for Jealousie Sev. Madam you had but give me leave to say You to suppress it took a hopeless way Aliz. To what way else could I have had recourse Sev. A Lover never was brought back by force But since he raises Jealousie in you Madam resolve to make him Jealous too You by a double Right must gain his Heart First own it to your Beauty then your Art Love is like Health which all men value most Not while it is possest but when 't is lost Aliz. I 'le rather bear Misfortunes worst Assault Then own my blessing to a seeming Fault If what you now propose I should approve Virtue would blush at my Success in Love Honour alone shall guide my Actions still Rather than I will do I 'le suffer Ill My Rival nor the King shall ever say To gain my Right I took a guilty way She has the Happier I the Nobler part She may Possess but I Deserve his Heart Exeunt The end of the first Act. The Curtain fals THE SECOND ACT. The First SCENE The Curtain being drawn up King Edward the Third King Iohn of France and the Prince of Wales appear seated on one side of the Theater waited on by the Count of Guesclin the Lord Latymer the Lord Delaware and other Lords with the King's Guards On the other side of the Theater are seated Plantagenet Alizia Cleorin Sevina and other Ladies The Scene opens two Scenes of Clouds appear the one within the other in the hollow of each Cloud are Women and men richly apparell'd who sing in Dialogue and Chorus as the Clouds descend to the Stage then the Women and Men enter upon the Theater and dance afterwards return into the Clouds which insensibly rise all of them singing until the Clouds are ascended to their full height then onely the Scene of the Kings magnificent Palace does appear all the Company arise King Ed. SInce you are Pris'ner by the fate of War I shall not onely make it Sir my Care Your Grief by such diversions to allay But quickly too to take their Cause away Two pow'rful Motives me to this perswade The Friendship Sir you with my Son have made And that rare Fortitude which you have shown In Poictiers Field and after it was won King Jo. Sir Of that Fatal place I 'le not complain Since 〈◊〉 in it his Friendship did obtain Which I so prize as I 'de the loss repeat Rather then miss a happiness so great Embracing the Prince Prince As much as Virtue Fortune does out-shine So much your Victory surpasses mine A treaty will my bonds on you untie But yours on me will last eternally King Ed. That Treaty we to morrow will begin And you shall find I 'le so proceed therein As you and all the world Sir shall confess Justice shall guide me in it not Success Doubt not but what I promise shall be done T is what I ow my Honour and my Son King Jo. Thus using your Success the world will see How justly you deserve your Victory Force in rough Fetters may the Body bind But onely Friendship Captivates the Mind King Ed. It is already Sir
are low Which first made Fate and then to Fate did bow Nor War nor Love Sir are Resistless Powers Both have their Happy as Unhappy Hours But he who does for one Mischance Dispair Can ne're be prosperous in Love or War As I have told you what has rais'd your Grief So now I will present you some Relief For my informer Sir to me has swore That though the Prince your Mistress does Adore He hath not yet his Love to her disclos'd She therefore Sir has hopefully propos'd That you this moment to the Prince would go And let him from your self this Passion know His Friendship for you and so great a Trust Will make him cease to Love or be Unjust If Sir he does the first your End you win And by the last make Rivalship no Sin This Sir which She Proposes I approve King No Friendship ever yet could conquer Love He to that Passion vainly does pretend Who can resign his Mistris to his Friend I scarce can relish what she does advise It seems to me nor Generous nor Wise For in vain hopes of what it ne're will do I clearer shall the lesser Friendship show My Friendship too were guilty of a Crime Should his do more for me then mine for him Guesc. But e're her Council Sir you Disapprove Consider if you can forsake your Love King Sooner then I my Passion will forgo I will forsake my Crown and Friendship too Guesc. Then pray Sir follow what she does Advise And you will find 't is Generous and wise If to the Prince you first your Passion own You first do that which he first should have done And lay that Blame on him while this you do Which justly else he might have charg'd on you Since you will Court the Mistress of your Friend This is the fairest way to reach your End King I will approve that which you last did say And to attempt it will not time delay Exeunt King Guesclin and Page Val. Bro. In which of both does he not Guilty prove In his Dissembling or his change of Love There is but one way left that I can see To Cure or Punish his Inconstancy Exit Enter Plantagenet and Cleorin Cleo. Guesclin did shew no little Discontent When I refus'd the Gifts his King had sent Who since this way he does Successless prove He will himself declare to you his Love And Madam I believe King Edward too Will suddenly disclose his Flame to you Plan. Oh Cleorin how cruel is my Fate That those should Love me most whom most I Hate And he whom most I love in spight of 's Fault I fear of me scarce does admit a Thought Enter to them Alizia and Sevina Aliz. Excuse me Madam if I take this time T' accuse your Beauty of a seeming Crime That Friendship which on me you did bestow Does make it just I should yet call it so Plan. Madam I am Surpriz'd at what you say For that great Friendship which to you I pay Does make me confident I ne're could do What may be call'd a seeming Crime by you Let me but know my Charge and you will see You are more Faulty in Suspecting me Aliz. From the first hour in which you did descend To bless me with the Title of your Friend I so much valu'd it as Heaven does know I strove to Merit what you did bestow Which makes what e're I did in serving you To be at once my Joy and Duty too And though your Goodness often would confess I serv'd you above all you could express Yet I was higher Griev'd I did no more Then I was Pleas'd with all I did before Plan. Madam to prove my Debt you need not strive I 'le own my self the ungratefull'st Soul alive If since our Friendship I did e're admit A thought which might but seem unfit for it Aliz. Ah Madam can you say what now you do And have your Face exempt from blushes too Or do you think it is a Friendly thing To rob me of my Lover and my King One who till now preserv'd so pure a Flame As made hime greater for his Love then Fame If this be held a Friendly Act by you Pursue such friendly Acts and Kill me too To me a much less Cruelty 't would prove To rob me of my Life than of my Love For our past Friendships sake you shouâ—…d noâ—… give Wounds worse than Death and after let me live Your Cruelty grants half of my Request Then let your Pity Madam grant the rest Accept this Weapon and no longer shun To let your Hand cure what your Eyes have done Presenting her a Dagger Plan. I am amaz'd at what you say and do I 'le sooner wound my self with it than you Aliz Ah 't is your kindness to the King I see Hinders your granting what is beg'd by me His Image Madam you but love too well You fear to strike the Shrine where it does dwell But for that Reason what I ask dispence Since onely Death can banish it from thence Else to you Conquest 't will some trouble give To know he in your Rivals heart does live Plan. Can you believe I 'll share that Monarcks Bed By whose Command my Father lost his Head My Father who was Unkle too to him And who in Virtue to such height did climb As a whole day he on the Scaffold stood E're they could find out one would shed his Blood King Edwards double Guilt my soul does fright First he usurp'd on his own Fathers right Then stain'd a Scaffold with his Unkles gore For striving his wrong'd Brother to restore Aliz. You should not charge your Fathers death on him Since 't was his Pow'r not he which did that Crime His Chancellours while he was under age Cloath'd with his name th' injustice of their rage For which when he had reach'd his Fourteenth year He put to death the Guilty Mortimer And to appease you for that Murtherers Sin He now does Court you to become his Queen Plan. I thought from Nature you had understood There 's no Atonement for a Fathers Blood Then do not think I 'le ever Condescend At once to injure Nature and my Friend Aliz Have you forgot how you were almost won Madam to wed your Father's Murth'rers Son If onely Love prevail'd so far with you What cannot Love and thirst of Empire do Plan. Into a high Injustice I had run Had I ascrib'd the Kings guilt to his Son Aliz. You with a worse Injustice can dispence You charge the King with Mortimers Offence A Fathers Guilt a Son may undergo But Kings partake not Sins which Subjects do Plan. If on the Prince his Birth a Guilt did lay He with his Tears did wash that Guilt away Aliz. The Princes Grief was Weak the Kings was Strong The Prince Deplor'd the King Reveng'd your Wrong The King did more if rightly understood The Son gave you but Tears the Father Blood Plan. 'T will easier to a Cruel Prince appear To spill a Subjects
still a Conquest most prefer Plan. They Tyrants are who to usurp delight King Who has most Bâ—…y has 〈◊〉 Love most right Plan. You wrong your Mistris while my Love you seek And I my Friend in hearing what you speak King To Love another after you are seen A greater wrong Madam in me had been I fully know the great debt which is due To your fair Eyes and to your Vâ—…tues too And it had been below them to have gain'd A Heart in which no Beauty e're has reign'd But mine before had yielded to the Pow'rs Of conquering Charmes which none excel but yours What greater merit can my Passion shew Then thus to leave Alizia to love you This of its vastness is a proof sublime Plan. Ah what you call your Merit is your Crime Since perfect Love in Justice must excel Falshood and her together cannot dwell King That perfect Love is just I grant is true And I prove mine is Just in Loving you Your Eyes which act the Change you so abhor Are my security I 'le change no more Since to the highest Beauty I pretend Blame not if by Degrees I reach that end And as my Love that blessing does pursue So now I find it onely shines in you Enter Alizia and Sevina Aliz. This Duty daily must be paid by me And though 't is late She starts back amaz'd seeing the King Oh Heaven what is 't I see Ah! would these Eyes rather than see this Sight Had been clos'd up by an eternal night King What is it Madam which you thus bâ—…oan Aliz. Can you ask that since you two are alone And at an hour so Guilty as it showes The Falseness of her Friendship and your Vows To me this Sight so vast a Grief does give As makes me wish rather to Die than Live King And Madam 't is some cause of Grief in me To find in you so strange a Jealousie Aliz. If you who do the Wrong Sir can admit Of Grief What then must I that Suffer it But Sir your cause of Grief shall be remov'd My Death shall shew you soon how well I lov'd To Plan. Go treacherous Woman False as thou art Fair Those Hopes you rais'd on your wrong'd Friends Despair Shall soon be blasted for my injur'd Ghost Shall still pursue you for those Joyes I lost Where e're you go revenge it shall invoke And shew you still that Heart your Falshood broke You still shall see it or shall hear it groan And it shall haunt you in his Bed and Throne She offers to go out Plan. Oh go not yet away Sev. At â—…east be pleas'd to hear what she can say Aliz. Whatever she can tell I do dispise I 'le not believe her Words above mine Eyes And I have seen so much as I â—…ow fly To seek out Death my onely Remedy Exeunt Alizia and Sevina Plan. So well her height'ned Spirit Sir I know As what she Threatens she too soon will do If by your instant Kindness or my Care We do not stop th' Effects of her Dispair Forgive me if I leave you to attend The Debts I owe to a Dispairing Friend The King stays her King Oh leave not your Adorer to pursue One who does hate you and usurp'd your due If to receive my Passion you decline Even her Dispair will be less great then mine Plan. Detaâ—…n me not She 'll die through our delay King And I shal die should you thus go away Plan. She needs my help King But does not it implore Plan. Her Case deserves it King Mine deserves it more Plan. Her Grief does wound me King So my Love should do Plan. Your Love 's her debt King 'T is onely due to you A great skreik within Plan. That Fatal Skreik must cut off our debate For my best speed I fear will come too late She breaks from the King and goes out hastily King She 's gone and left me in a deeper Grief Then her's to whom she flies to give Relief She does her Hatred to my Love prefer To me she 's Cruel but she 's Kind to her 'T is Fortune onely or resistless Fate Which governs all the World in Love and Hate The King stands musing a while Valeria's Brother thinking him gone comes from behind the Bed The King lifts up his eyes sees him and starts back Valeria's Brother runs into the Bed again King A Man and here and at this time of night How quickly did He vanish from my sight Does she a Visitant like this admit Though my bad Angel 't were I 'le speak to it The King draws his Sword and goes towards the Bed Who art thou and what is it brought thee here The King plucks Valeria's Brother out of the Bed who trembles but answers not His Tongue is ty'd by Guiltiness or Fear Prepare for Death or else resolve my Doubt He 's silent still what Ho who waiâ—…s without Enter two Courtiers running Since my Commands thy silence cannot break I 'le find ouâ—… Tortures which shall make thee speak Seize on this Mute and with him follow me They seize on Valeria's Brother Why should the Thrones of Kings so envy'd be When such strange Griefs assault me in one hour As make my Sorrows greater than my Pow'r Exeunt The End of the Fourth Act. THE FIFTH ACT. Enter King Edward and Lord Latymer King I Have in short told you my cause of Grief Which is as Just as 't is above Relief Ah! to forsake one in whose heart I Reign'd To Court another who my Flames disdain'd And such a Lovely Youth thus hid by her Are loads too heavy for my Soul to bear Lat. Though Sir the Fair Plantagenet may be Too justly blam'd for one Inconstancy Yet in all else her Vertue such hath been As to suspect it Sir would turn a Sin King Oh she who could for Kent my Son forgo What is it after which she might not do She must have given that Love for which she prest Were not her Heart by other Fires possest I 'le not defame her since she bears my name But she for ever has supprest my Flame Enter Sevina hastily Sev. If with your Love Sir for Alizia You have not thrown your Pity too away Be pleas'd to see where She Despairing lies And with your Hand vouchsafe to close her Eyes King Madam what is 't which her Dispair does move Sev. Oh ask not that when she has lost your Love She did a while that Misery suspect But when the certainty she did detect She had but that our strength was her Relief By one dire blow ended her Life and Grief When from her Hand the Weapon we did wrest Suâ—…h storms of Sighs did crow'd out of her Brest And from her Eyes such streams of Tears did flow As we repented that we stop'd the blow For sure the loss of Life is a less Ill Then that Despair which does possess her still But though we did one sort of Death prevent Yet she on dying Sir is so intent
him I owe For hee 's my Tyrant and my Rivall too Yet with the last I merit to be curs'd Since I to kill him needed but the first Dem. In killing him your Country you 'le expose Are. Not killing him I Cleopatra loose And he unworthy of her will appeare Who above all things does not value her Dem. This Truth with greater lustre may be seen If you would not oppose her being Queen Are. I le not oppose by taking Tryphons life Her being Queen but being a Tyrants wife Dem. Since she would have him as her Choice or Fate Shee 'l take suâ—… proofs of Love as proofs of Hate Are. Her Virtue which has still appear'd so High Sâ—…ews 't is a â—…arriage of Necessity Which hath engag'd me by one generous blow To fâ—… my Mistress and my Countrey too Farewell I le goe and act what I intend And If I â—…ll say you have lost a Freind Embracing him Dem. â—…eel'e perish in th' attempt Aretus stay And is thâ—… 〈◊〉 your câ—…e no other way Are. In 〈◊〉 question you mispend your breath In 〈◊〉 Love what Cure is there but Death Dem. You'â—…e meet your owne attempting his I fear Are. T is twice a Death to be depriv'd of her Farewell wast this for which you call'd me backe Dem. Stay Friend for I 'me contriving for your sake That which may â—…ach your End a safer way Suspend â—…h ' Attempt the remnant of this day Since in your Love you are engag'd so farr To serve you in it ' I le imploy my care You know the Pow'r which I with Tryphon have Are. This is but spoke th' Usurpers Life to save Dem. How 's this your self as me you now offend Can you suspect me and yet call me Freind Are. What I have said in such a Storm of Fate Deseâ—…ves your pitty rather then your Hate Doe not the Pardon which I beg deny T was my Distraction wrong'd you and not I. Dem. Alas I see you are or'come with Greif Are. Yet to my Sorrows 't would be some Releif Would you then Swear if you in your Designe Should faile you would assist me then in mine Dem. But will you swear his Death you 'le not attempt If from his Rivallshipp I you exempt Are. In such a vow myself I cannot Trust T is less to be Unhappy then Unjust Which I should be if I to you should give A promise that I 'de let th' Usurper live Dem. The Vow which I desire that you would make Is not for Tryphon's but for Syrias sake Are. Poor Syria since Demetrius thinks it good To bind me not to shed thy Tyrants Blood What greater Curse could Heaven on thee have sent Then make thy safety be thy Punishment Dem. Since 't is the will of Heaven we must submit What will you doe Are I 'le doe what shall be fit Dem. But will you then too no more condescend To loose a Rivall and oblige a Freind Are. Would you have me doe more then what is fit Dem. But will you Vow to make me Judge of it If By my Power with Tryphon and my Skill I make him cease to Rival you Dre I will Oh Cleopatra never Lover yet Did of his Passion give a Proof so great With such Devotion to your Eyes I bend As I pay them what I deny'd my Freind Nay for their sake and what more could I doe I spare the Tyrant of my countrey too If I in this Act against Duties Laws Let Love forgive the Effect which Love did cause Ah Freind from me you have extorted now That which I feare may prove a Guilty Vow But you are judge of all which gives me Rest. Dem. Can you then doubt what 's trusted to my Breast Are. You see I doe it not since I decline Even to inquire what you for me designe Dem. Feare not I 'le ner'e betray a Trust so High Are. When you betray me 't is high time to Dye Embracing him they goe out Enter Nicanor Stratonice Irene The SCENE Nicanor's Pallace Stra. I thought my Sister your consent had got Nic. So farr from getting that she askd it not Hermione to me has been Unjust I left my Cleopatra to her Trust And know not well which most I should Suspect Or her Unfaithfulness or her Neglect Th' Ambition of your Sister I foresee Will make her Wretched and will Hazard me For if she marryes Tryphon Shee 's undone And me hee 'le ruine if his Love she shun Ire Hermione and I have but one Breast And she to me did solemnly protest She not till 't was too late the Business knew And Sir laments for it as much as you Nic. In such a Fault she 'd show herself Unwise If she from you did not herself disguise Stra. Hermione is Innocent therein Sir 't is my sisters Fate or else her Sin Nic. You both absolve Hermione from Guilt Shew me on what your Confidence is built Stra. The cause of mine to you Sir I le relate She Loves my sister and does Tryphon Hate And would not Sir I know deserve your Frown To gaine for her own self the Syrian Crown Iren. I know she does Aretus much esteem And thinks your Daughter only merits him And to Hermione he told this day The Love he does to Cleopatra pay Besides she vow'd to me 't is her Intent In that Address to be her Confident Nic. Does then Aretus Cleopatra love 〈◊〉 And in that height I fear his Death 't will prove For when he knowes shee 'l be th' Usurpers Wife He will attempt his own or Tryphon's Life Nic. That Happiness at which I most did aime Is now fall'n on me but is fall'n in vaine That Height'ned Worth Aretus still has shewn Makes me esteem him above Tryphon's Throne My Stratonice Irene you and I Must for this Ill find a quick Remedy All must assault her in a several way On Cleopatra my Commands I 'll lay And with Hermione you two must joyne To make your Sister break off her Designe Stra. You may be of our best Endeavour sure But Sir I fear this Ill is past our Cure Nic. Those who of Feare in their Attempts admit Doe take the surest way to faile in it Her Resolutions cannot be above Her Duty Friendship and Aretus Love But we lose Time while we together stay And this Affair admits of no Delay They goe out several wayes Enter Cleopatra Hermione The SCENE a Garden and a Grove of Trees Her Forgive me Madam that I thus have prest To know the Grief which does invade your Breast For though when you in publick doe appeare Your Speech is Chearfull and your Looks are Clear Yet they are clouded when you are alone And every Word is brought forth with a Groan Cleo. That which you have observ'd alas is true Those various Actings to my Fate are due I ought since Destin'd to a Tyrants Throne Joyfull to seem yet mourn when I 'm alone Nor know I which my Soul does most subdue Feigning
longer could deferr to come And beg he may from you Receive his Doom He would have free'd you from pronouncing it But that he did believe it was unfit Since against you he did commit the Crime That any but your self should Sentence him His Sorrow for his Sin must needs be High Since he himself makes it his Suit to Dye Cleo. Who e're Aretus has Offended me And then does Grieve for it to such degree As proves it was not his Design but Fate Deserves my Pardon rather than my Hate And since by me he is exempt from Blame You safely may acquaint me with his Name And in what 't is he did so guilty prove Ar. I am th' Offender and th' Offence is Love By my Respects to you I Guilty am 'T is they alas make me miscal my Flame For those blest Fires which on your Altar shine Are not more Sacred or more Pure than mine Judge Madam of your Beauties Influence Which makes me call such Love as this Offence A Love which does produce so bright a Flame As nothing can Displease you but the Name Cleo. Aretus I 'me Amaz'd at what you say Ar. But yet my Vows to you I durst not pay Till you to Tryphon gave that Fatal leave Which show'd you might a Lovers Vows Receive And since you did not his Address decline It made me Hope that you might Pardon mine For he ne're did what a Brave Man should do Unless it were in Daring to Love you I would not therefore make my Passion known While he by his might place you on a Throne And yet that Throne appear'd to you Unfit Since such a Tyrant once had sate in it But now that he your Service has Forsook I come to beg those Chains which he hath Broke I would have begg'd I might Revenge you too But he has done it by Forsaking you Heaven could on him no Greater Curse have sent For such a Sin than such a Punishment Cleo. Th' Affront's too Great which he has laid on me To think his Choice his Punishment should be But since you say your Love for me is Strong Prove what you say by Punishing this Wrong The Tyrants Guard will but in vain Withstand A rip'ned Vengeance from a Lovers Hand Ar. Of such a sharp Revenge you well might Boast Would you give me that Blessing he has Lost 'T will be much Worse for him than to be Dead To see me have what he has Forfeited Cleo. Aretus hold while I my self perswade Not to Resent what you so boldly said And to obtain me Love would have you do But what your Country's Wrongs do call you to You can against my just Commands contend Though Glory be your Way and Love your End 'T is onely I who a fit Judge can prove In what relates to my Revenge or Love 'T is just you knew since you my Love have sought The bravest Price at which it can be bought Cleop. and Herm. go out Ar. O Love O Friendship and O Fatal Vow To which shall I pay my Obedience now My Friend has done that which he promis'd me And I from Tryphon's Rivalship am free By which my Vow and Friendship ties my Hand From Acting what my Mistress does command In Love for ever I must miss my End Or must be false both to my Oath or Friend Fortune to me too Tyraâ—…nous does prove Opposing thus my Vertue to my Love And yet I Merit what I suffer now Since I could make so criminal a Vow Demetrius comes in Heaven my Demetrius does you hither send That you the Torments I am in may end What I more wish than Life or Fear than Death Does now entirely Hang upon your Breath For neither those nor ought that I can name Should come in Balance with my Love or Fame Dem. If I can ease your Pains you 'l do me Wrong If you Suspect they shall Afflict you long Tell me what Service I must pay you now Ar. You know you made me make a hasty Vow That I th' Usurpers Life would not Pursue Dem. Has he not Done that which I Promis'd you And from your Mistress does his Love recall Ar. 'T is therefore by my Hands that he must Fall Dem. Rage o're your Reason has the Empire got You 'll kill him when your Rival and when not Ar. From this Resolve nothing can me Remove His Life does Rival me as did his Love For Cleopatra will not mine Admit Till Tryphon's Death evince the Truth of it 'T is therefore by your Friendship that I now Beg you to free me from that Guilty Vow Dem. That Hate which she for Tryphon doth Express Ought sure to make your Hatred for him Cease Since Cleopatra Tryphon does abhor Onely because he Rivals you no more Ar. I find some Reason in what now you say But I find Greater her Command t' Obey Since I 'de have kill'd him while I did but Fear That from my Hopes he might have Ravish'd Her How can I now th' Usurpers Death delay Since to Obtain her 't is the certain Way Heaven which my Sacred Flame for her does know And that same chiefly made me take that Vow Pittying that on a Love so free from Guilt The Safety of a Tyrant should be Built Does to Repair that Sin it did contract Ingage me now by Love his Fate to Act 'T was fit as Love made me the Sin commit So it should free me from the Guilt of it Since too by Friendship I to it was won Let Friendship free me from 't as Love has done Dem. Sure such Discourse as this you 'de not approve Did you conferr your Reason with your Love Ar. Ah this Reproach you cast upon me now Would have been Iust when I did make the Vow A hated Name you for your self will win Making the killing of a Tyrant sin Can you then more for an Usurper do Than for your Friend and for your Country too Dem. To what you Ask I cannot Condescend In Kindness to my Country and my Friend Ar. Alas you 'l shew that you abhorr them Both If you will not absolve me from an Oath By which your Friend the happiest Man may be And Syria will from Tyranny be free Dem. To Grant what you Desire would be so farr From Ending Tyranny 't will Raise a War Ar. Though I consider War as no small Curse Yet to be Rul'd by an Usurper's worse Dem. All would were Tryphon kill'd fight for the Throne 'T is worse to have Many Tyrants than but One. Ar. If by our Hands they saw this Tyrant fall 'T would frighten Usurpation from them all Dem. The Pow'r so fully Tryphon's Friends engross As they on us would soon Revenge his Loss And Syria would such ill by War endure As the Disease seems easier than the Cure Ar. Such as to fight for his Revenge would dare Are people fit to be destroy'd by War Dem. But by the Pow'r they have so long enjoy'd They 're likelieâ—… to destroy then be destroy'd
too All men Condemn that which he now hath Done More then they doe his Usurpation Since it in Reason cannot be deny'd But that Inconstancy is worse then Pride Pride oft in Heighthned Souls does it self show Inconstancy Rules only in the Low And since your Sex does your own Hand Confine From Acting your Revenge accept of mine Cleo. That Generous Sence you of my Wrongs doe show And the Brave Offer which you make me now Joyn'd with that Friendship which I alwayes see You have both for Nicanor and for me Makes me believe I should Unjustly doe If I in ought could hide my Greif from you Know then my Wrongs to me so Weighty seem As I am Rack'd till I 'm Reveng'd on him And know that no Revenge can Grateful be But one as Vast as is the Injury Sel. Will you not judge that our Deposing him Is a Revenge proportion'd to his Crime Cleo. Aâ—…talk not of deposing him you know That 's less then what you to your Country owe For Syria's Wrongs and mine will you pursue A less Revenge then is to either due And for those Sins which he has Done before Will you Restraine him but from Doing more Sel. Tryphon will find since he in Crimes was bred That such Restraint is worse then to be Dead To one Depos'd what Sentence can you give So Cruel as Condemning him to Live Some Generous men who did that Fate endure To shun the shame in Death have Sought the Cure Cleo. A Generous man Seleucus I will owne Finds Death an Ease when he has lost his Throne But he whose Soul is Low and Crimes are High Thinks it the Greatest Punishment to Dye And that Revenge has still the Sharpest bin Which is held such by him who did the Sin Ah for my Wrongs there 's no Revenge seems Good That is not written in th' Offenders Blood In all else you Propose you Lose your Breath And to Obliege me you must aske his Death Sel. If nothing else your Anger can atone Madam depend upon 't it shall be Done But 't is a Deed so Daring and Sublime That to Perform it will require some time Though I his Guards command I dare not yet Trust them with things so Dangerous and Great Cleo. To Dangerous Acts the Brave should alwayes run Those must not be Consulted of but Done A Tyrants Pow'r still on his Life depends Who cuts it off cuts off with it his Friends But that you may this Deed the boldlier doe My Secrets I will now Disclose to you Aretus who your Friendship does Possess And who is Gallant ev'n to an Excess Coâ—…ts my Affection to a High Degree And I must â—…ing say is Own'd by me In my Revenge him I engag'd of late He shall joyn with you to Act Tryphons Fate Which by th' Usurper cannot be declin'd When two such Men his Ruine have design'd But some â—…ders in your Looks I see Sel. Why have you Trusted any one but Me I am perplex'd that you Revenge Design And yet make use of any Arm but Mine Cleo. Into new Griefs me my Revenge had Thrown If I had ow'd so Great a Dâ—… to one I therefore chuse to share it betwixt two Love does in him what Friendship does in you Sel. Yes to Aretus Madam I 'l be â—…ust He does Deserve this Honour and this Trust Wee 'l both Consult which is the surest Way In this Great Work your Orders to Obey Cleo. This Favour no Addition can admit But by Celerity in Doing it Since while my best Revenge you both defer I feel those Pains which Tryphon ought to bear Cleopatra goes 〈◊〉 Seleucus alone O Prodigy of Fate I hither came T' Acquaint Fair Cleopatra with my Flame And scarce could doubt but I should Happy prove Since I through her Revenge diâ—… Court her Love But e'r my Heart I at her Feet could lay She tels me she has giv'n her Own away Nay more in her Revenge shee 'd have me Joyn With him who most of all does Merit Mine Never was any Lovers Fate so hard The Danger I must Share not the Reward Was it her Ignorance or else her Art Thus to accept my Hand but not my Heart Aretus hitherto has been my Friend But Love now to that Name does give an End And to Obtain her he shall quickly see He must not only Tryphon Kill but Me. THE FIFTH ACT. The SCENE is Nicanors Pallace The Scene opens Tryphon Demetrius Stratonice and Irene Demetrius from behind Tryphon fixes his Eyes on Stratonice folds his Armes the one Within the other Sighs and goes out still gâ—…ing on her Try NIcanor and Demetrius having been Imploy'd by me to Court you for my Queen And having found by both that my Address Has not obtain'd the much desir'd Success I now am Come Madam to wait on you To pay that Love which to your Beautie 's due A Love which 't were Injustice to despise Since 't is the pow'rful Influence of your Eyes Stra. That Love which now is offer'd me by you Is Sir to Cleopatra only due Th' Injustice then much Greater would appear Should I usurp that which belongs to her Then doe not Sir Sollicit me to do A Wrong to Nature and to Justice too T' were Sin if such Desires were not deny'd Try Nature and Justice both are on my side Where Nature does most Liberally bestow The Charmes of Beauty there our Loves we Owe And I the Rules of Justice but pursue Paying a Debt where Na ure showes 't is due Stra. Since your first Love you did to her afford Justice oblieges you to keep your Word And to my Sister Sir I am Confin'd By Natures Law to be both Just and kind Thus Sir the Right is on my side you see Fancy does Govern you but Reason me Try Such Cruel Words ought not from you to fall What you term Fancy I must Duty Call If you I first had seen then her Ador'd By you most Justly I had been abhor'd But you being seen I should my self abhor If after I Your Sister could Adore Your Justice into question will be brought If my Misfortune should be call'd my Fault Madam it must be sure some other thing Which makes you at this rate to use your King And from his Proffer'd Throne thus to Retire A Glory to which all but you Aspire Stra. She does not Merit to a Throne to Clime Who does acquire that Glory by a Crime To be a Quen I would not wound my Name Try Your only Crime is that you slight my Flame A Flame which if by you Contemn'd it be Shall Ruine others as 't will Ruine me Madam take heed of being thus unkind Least you your Iudge should in your Lover find Stra. Nothing can me to Unjust Actions move Not will I Sir be threatned into Love Ah if true Love e'r in your Heart had Raign'd You would have known it could not be Constrain'd Under Heav'ns Care Love above Life does stand Tyrants may Love but cannot Love
draws a Ponyard and viewing it saith My Hand is yet of this Bright Scepter sure Which for my Sufferings is a Certain Cure Thus arm'd I will my Enemies outbrave And spight of Fate deserve a Glorious Grave Ah Stratonice if thou my Heart couldst see thou 'dst find I only grieve at leaving thee Such Charmes are in thine Eyes Arcas cryes within Arcas They come they come Tryphon rises lifting up his Hand with the Ponyard in it Try Then I no longer will deferr my Doom Nicanor Demetrius Arâ—…tus Seleucus rush in with their Swords drawn followed by the Guards All make a stand seeing Tryphon in that Posture Though of my Death your Treacheries may boast The Triumph yet of your Revenge is lost Since Heaven designs this my last hour shall be Thus I my self act what the Gods decree Stabs himself Pleas'd that my Fate within my own Pow'r lyes And that in Death I can my foes despise I dye content since my last breath can boast That I your Plot of Murth'ring me have crost Tryphon dyes Nic. The Tyrant with himself has been at strife To make his Death as Guilty as his Life Dem. 'T was â—…ust this Execution he should doe That as he wrong'd us he may right us too Are. Yet I must Grieve at that which all Rejoyce Death should have been his Punishment not Choice Sel. His thirst of Humane Blood so great was growne As he rather then spare it spilt his owne One of the Guard leads in Arcas bound Guard Arcas confesses 't was he cry'd they come Arc. I do expect but doe not Fear your Doom Dem. Let him in safety to his Country goe Are. For our Revenge this Object is too low Sel. See how he shakes Guard let him be unbound Nic. We should prize Faithfulness where e'r 't is found The Guard unbind Arcas Are. To show I merit what I now enjoy The Freedome you bestow I thus imploy Arcas runs to Tryphon takes the Bloody Poniard which lay by him and with it stabs himself That Death you thought I fear'd I run to meet And dye content since at-my-Masters feet He fals dead at Tryphons feet Nic. Arcas deserv'd who could so bravely Doe A better Fate and better Master too Are. Tryphon deserved his Gratitude to have Him he did free and all the rest enslave Sel. Arcas I wrong'd thinking he shook for Feare Enter Cleopatra Stratonice Hermione and Irene Cleo. The news of Tryphon's Death hath brought us here We heard that he by his own Hand did Dye Sel. See where he now Pale as his Guilt does lye They all goe towards the dead Body Cleo. This sight at once my Joy and Grief does raise Sâ—…ra 'T is an ignoble Triumph thus to gaze Sir let his Body be from hence convey'd He by his Death for all his Crimes has paid Sel. Since by the Justice done by Tryphons Hand The Throne of Syria does now empty stand And since the Tyrant to confirm his sway The Royall Line at once did make away Princes 't were 〈◊〉 we instantly agreed Who is the Worthiest Person to succeed And since his Merit only can pretend I judge Nicaâ—… should the Throne ascend Dem. Seleucus you my motion but prevent Are. I to whatboth propose with Joy consent To you alone the Syriâ—… Crown is due Nic. Excuse me Sir it does belong to you Nicanor kneels to Aretus Admire not that my self I prostrate thus Since now I kneel before Antiochus They all start and seem amaâ—…ed Preserv'd by Heaven from Tryphons bloody Pow'r To all the blessings of this glorious Hour Your Father Sir who found he did designe Are. takes Nica. up T' Usurp the Crown and kill the Royall Line Sent you that night by a safe hand to me Hoping that I shut up in privacy For when the King revoak'd the Generals place I in Retirement mourn'd out my Disgrace Might best protect you from the Tyrants Rage This noble Trust did all my Griefs asswage Dem. 'T was a high Proof that he your Virtue knew Since whil'st he Wrong'd you he did trust you too Nic. Out of my House but still within my Care You by the Gods till now protected were Under the name of Leâ—…'s son you went The Prince by whom you first to me were sent Who when your Father and the King was kill'd O'recome by Greif his Life to Death did yeild In reading this short Letter Sir you 'll know Why what you are till now I durst not show He gives Aretus a Letter Aretus reads Antiochus to Nicanor SInce Heaven this Ruine throwes on us I trust you with Antiochus Let him by you with Care be bred But till you see the Tyrant dead Oh I conjure you grant me this Let not himself know who he is Th' Affront my Father cast on you forgive And let me still in your Remembrance live ANTIOCHUS Aretus gives the Letter to Demetrius and Seleucus Sel. If 't is the Prince's hand the hand I know It is his writing Dem. His subscription too Nic. My Testimony were enough alone Since I thereby doe gain the Syrian Throne To which by all your Votes you would me bring Sel. We all acknowledge that you are our King Are. Though a lost Crown the Gods to me restore Two things there are which yet I value more Oh would to Heaven Seleucus that I knew How to be just both to my Love and you Sel. Under such loads of Guilt my self I find That I though forc'd by Love your Death design'd As I the Greatest Sufferings ought to bear And therefore yield t' indure the loss of Her A hopeless Love to the best End I bring Pleasing by it my Mistress and my King Bless'd if the Sin caus'd by my Love and Fate By this Atonement I can expiate Are. This Generous Act which now you for me doe Does most obliege me and Amaze me too Embracing him To Cleo. Now Madam I dare humbly beg of you To take that Heart which to your Eyes is due They make me know that 't is a greater thing To be their Captive then to be their King A King who does as his chief Glory own The Power of laying at your feet a Crown In taking it you 'l Raise his Joys above All things except your Beauty and his Love Nicanor who to me does Empire give I hope will yield that you should let me Live Which I shall not till I your Pleasure know Nic. The Duty Sir she to her King does owe. Cleo. That Love for which so Generously you sue I give not to your Title but to you Are. Though from your Father I receive a Throne Yet now you give me more then he has done Amidst these Joys which Heaven on me does send I dare not be Unmindful of my Friend Demetrius Sir Adores Fair Stratonice Nic. Sir I with Joy consent that she be his Dem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Madam so Guilty I have been to you That I scarce dare for your Forgiveness Sue Mercy it self but rarely does bestow At
yields to one by whom he was Betray'd Pr. I glory more my Love that Wrong o'recame Then I can Grieve that I so Injur'd am What to my Flame a Remedy can grant When her Inconstancy that Power does want I find do what she will in me she 'll Reign Her Eyes give deeper Wounds then her Disdain Dela What her Disdain did want the Power to do Let Honours Dictates now perswade you to And Sir to arm you for this just Assault Know she has said her Mariage was your Fault Ah 't was enough the Injury to do Without attributing the Guilt to You. Malice it self at nothing worse could aim She kills your Love and then would kill your Fame And Sir to shew her Fault all Faults surpass She of the First makes use to act the Last Pr. Ah do not think this can my Love subdue Since what she charg'd me with I wish were True I at my Miseries would scarce repine Had I the Pow'r to make her Failings mine My Love for her would make me be content To have her Guilt and my own Punishment Yet I have nam'd but half the Weight I bear My Father is in Love with her I hear And I am much mistaken if last Night She the French King Subdu'd not at first Sight By which I find I must the Field maintain Against my King my Friend and her Disdain But though worse Crosses should my Hopes befall My pow'rfull Love would Overcome them all Disswade me not but try for me to win The Friendship of thy Sister Cleorin She most of all my Conquerours mind does sway Reply not if thou Lov'st Me but Obey Exit Prince Delaware alone Dela Some Fatal Planet at my Birth did Reign Since all things which should Cure Augment my pain My Sister who at last for me did get To be the Favorite to Plantagenet Which from Despair till now my Soul did free My Prince makes use of now to ruine me My Love he aims not onely to destroy But to obtain that End does Me employ Not doing it I Disobedience show And if I do it I my Love o'rethrow That Secret dying Kent reveal'd to me Which rais'd my Hopes now makes my Misery My Mistress I betray while 't is conceal'd And should betray my Love were it reveal'd What ever happens I must Wretched prove For I must Lose or not Deserve her Love Thus from Wars Dangers Crown'd with Bayes I rise Onely to fall the greater Sacrifice Yet of a Remedy I will not doubt Love which has Led me in may Lead me out Exeunt The End of the Second Act. THE THIRD ACT. The SCENE is King John's Apartment Enter King John and a Page Page THe fair Valeria has her Brother sent T' attend you Sir in your imprisonment His Sister from the Duke of Lancaster Obtain'd a Pass which brought him safely here He is but newly lighted at your Gate And begs your leave that he on you may walt King Valeria's Brother sure it cannot be Page Sir I but say the words he said to me King Which of her Brothers os't Page That Brother Sir Who e're his face was hurt resembled het King Call him Exit Page How can I on the Brother look Whose Sister is by me so soon forsook But who the Bright Plantagenet shall see Must be unjust or else must pardon me Enter the Page with Valeria's Brother whom the King embraces King You are so like your Sister I should know You were her Brother though none told me so She may increase my Debt as she thinks â—…t But nothing can the Sence I have of it The Battel I have lost I hope that She Ascribes to my Ill Fate and not to Me Fortune alas too Tyrannous would prove If what has lost my Crown should lose her Love Val. Bro. Since for your Mistress you of her made Choice She at the loss Sir does almost rejoyce For it presents her with a proof that shows Her Love is past the reach of Fortunes Blows She 'll grieve at nothing your ill Fate can do Unless at that which fevers her from you King Never Affection to this height did rise It proves her Love is matchless as her Eyes And makes me scarce repine at what I bear Since it does shew how I am lov'd by her Val. Bro. She of her Love a higher Proof does show In what she has commanded me to do For Sir She knows that England still affords Beauties which are Resistless as her Swords And has enjoyn'd me if you here should be In Love with any one more Fair then She I should assist you Sir in your Amours And Sink her Happiness to Heighten yours King She does at once in what she bid you do Declare her Love and run no hazard too For he who once is made Valeria's prize Is arm'd against all Wounds from others Eyes Enter Guesclin The King goes hastily to meet him to the other side of the Valeria's Brother list'ning to them 'T is with impatience Guesclin I have staid To learn from you the Progress you have made Guesc. In vain I try by Presents Sir to win The Assistance of the Beauteous Clâ—…in She as I 'me told was preingag'd before King Whoever told you that could tell you more Guesc. By Gifts I won a Lady who of late The Honour on your Mistress had to wait Who told me and assur'd me it was true The Prince of Wales does love your Mistress too King In this my Cruel Fate on me does send The greatest curse which I could apprehend Must I the Prince or else my Fortune blame Who thus does rival me in Love and Fame Guesc. How can you justly Sir this News deplore Since I but tell you what you thought before 'T is the least Wonder does in Love befall To think a Mistress is Ador'd by all I as a Lover to that Thought was bound But now that Thought a Certainty is found Which justly in my Soul does grief infuse Guesc. She has acquainted me with stranger News She told me Sir this is the second time The Bright Plantagenet was lov'd by him He by Despair to the French Wars was sent She leaving him to wed the Earl of Kent But she the cause of it could not relate King How strange and intricate a Pow'r is Fate The Prince of Wales finds in a slighted Flame The Noblest of all wayes to raise his Fame Glory does heal what Love made him endure And his Dispair presents him with his Cure He mist her Love a while that he might be More worthy of it by his Conquering Me A happy Planet at his Birth did Reign A seeming Loss brings him a double Gain While Fate with me so cruelly does act As by one Loss a greater I contract Successless Love his way to Fame does prove And loss of Fame does make my way to Love Guesc. You wrong your Vertue by this strange Debate The Brave are still the makers of their Fate 'T is onely Sir those men whose Souls
Provinces your Sword has Won Ask me to share with you the English Crown And that true Kindness with does me dispose Still to deny you Her would grant you Those Prin. The Empire of the world I should Disdain Unless Plantagenet with me did Reign No Charms would in that Throne to me appear Without I had your leave to place Her there But if you grant me what I now implore I cannot Ask nor can you Give me more King When first her Beauties in your Heart did Reign I had design'd to Marry you in Spain And the consent I of Don Pedro won By which you had Succeeded to his Crown But by affection for you I was led To give you leave Plantagenet to Wed. What Act of greater Kindness could be shown Then yield your Love should lose so fair a Throne You have lost Spain by your first Fatal Flame And by your second you will lose your Fame Those Wreaths which Conquer'd France for you have made By such a Guilty Fire will quickly fade Prin. I doubt not Sir but by my Sword to gain As large a Monarchy as that of Spain Fortune the Valiant may to Thrones prefer But 't is by Sufferings I must Conquer her King Ah Prince since nor your Reason nor your Fame Can cure you of so Criminal a Flame I 'le try if my Commands can make you do What Fame and Reason cannot lead you to I here enjoy you Son by every thing Which binds you to your Father and your King This sinful Love without delay decline Which should your Horror cause as well as mine For if this Passion longer you pursue You 'll lose your Fame your King and Father too Exeunt King and Lord Latymer Prin. Two Ills he offers one he bids me choose I must my Mistress or my Father Loose Why should he strive by Nature to remove The highest bond of Nature that of Love Though Nat'ral 't is t' Obey a Fathers call Yet to love her is much more Natural Since he would have me yield to Natures sway Where she most Rules there I should most Obey Dela Since She your King your Father and your Friend Oppose your Love give to your Love an End Any of them the Conquest ought to Win Then to Oppose all Four will prove a Sin Prin. Ah Delaware the Sin were much more Great Should I now cease to love Plantagenet Then I to kill my self I must needs consent My Love and Life being of like extent Dela Your Passion is Unjust while 't is so Great You pay Loves Score with what is Natures debt If in your Love so prodigal you are With what Sir will you pay your Fathers Care Prin. Ah 't is his Love for her noâ—… care for me Which makes him treat me with such Cruelty Against all Rules of Justice he does go Making himself both Judge and Party too If to Love her who wrong'd me be a Crime The self-same cause makes Love a Fault in him Dela More by a King and Father may be done Then may be by a Subject and a Son Let calmer Thoughts you to your Duty bring Pronounce the names of Father and of King With that Respect which is to either due And yield to those Effects 't will work in you Those Pow'rful Names will then Victorious be Prin. I find in either dwells Divinity For nothing less of Force enough could prove To hinder me to speak to her I Love This is the very utmost I can do And this Heav'n knows will prove my Torment too Dela Silence Sir is but half of what you owe You should suppress your Inclination too Prin. My Inclinations must be let alone For though 't is Mine yet it is not my own Dela Onely to Lovers this Distinction's known How can it Sir be yours and not your own Prin. Subjects who from their King the Pow'r have gâ—… Are still his Subjects though he Rules them not Oh Friend in my Condition there appears Two Motions like to those which Rule the Sphears My Love the Rapid Motion I may call My Duty to my King the Natural Which while it does it's Regular Course obey Loves Rapid Motion hurries it away Exeunt The End of the Third Act. THE FOURTH ACT. The Scene opening King Edward and Lord Latymer appear in a Garden discoursing Lat. SIr 't is past doubt the' Intelligence is true King What the French King the Princes Rival too Lat. And to so great a Height as I believe A period to their Friendship it will give For never any yet could soar above The fierce Resentments of a Rivalls Love King Friendship between them two can hardly be Of so much Strength as Nature is in me Since Love in me does Nature's Force subdue Doubt not in them 't will Conquer Friendship too 'T is the Prerogative of her Bright Eyes For Love of them to breake all other Ties Lat. Is it then just you on the Prince should lay Commands above his Pow'r Sir to obey King Oh Latymer I grant I am to Blame But 't is not Love alone does me Inflame Glory in that I act does bear a part Glory does fire my Mind as Love my Heart Nothing for me seems Worthy to Pursue But what my Son Attempting Fail'd to do Since he to such an Envied Fame does rise Mine will Burn dimme if it Outshine not his Lat. Oh Sir can you who have such Glory won Grow Jealous of the Glory of your Son King He never Glory Lov'd who could Admit Of any thing which might Outrival it From this Resolve nothing can me remove Nature must yield to Glory and to Love Enter King John and the Prince who lock the Chamber-door Lat. Sir I perceive the Prince and the French King Something Important does them hither bring For they are come alone and lock the gate If Sir conceal'd a while you here will wait Perhaps you 'll learn what in their Loves they 'll Do. King That 's a discourse deserves my list'ning to King Edward and Lord Latymer conceal themselves behind the Scene King Io. 'T is such a Secret as shall clearly show The perfect Friendship which to you I owe Since what to tell my self is scarcely fit I to your Secresie shall now commit Prin. Though nothing can to me more Pleasure give Then Proofs Sir of your Frienship to receive Yet among Friends there may such Secrets be As to disclose them were an Injury But you too well the Laws of Friendship know And are too Generous to use me so King Io. That Friend must to himself appear Unjust Who takes as Injuries the Marks of Trust Yet tell me Sir what can that Secret be Which to Reveal would be an Injury Prin. Shoul'd you have brib'd your Guards to set you free 'T would be an Injury to tell it me For I should be what ever I should do False to my King and Father or to you King Io. Could I corrupt or else his Guards deceive I 'de not return to France without his
leave That Generous Usage he to me does show Secures me here more then his Guards can do And though this Bond do Strong enough appear Yet a far stronger does Confine me here By your great Friendship Sir I here am ty'dâ—… But tell me freely is there ought beside Which by a Friend a Secret may be thought Which told a Friend his Friend may think a Fault Prin. Yes Sir yet I will mention but one more Looking fixedly on the King Suppose two Friends one Beauty did Adore If he whose Heart her eyes the last o're came Should to his Rival Friend disclose his Flame He well might think the Injury was Great King I hope you do not love Plantagenet Prin. Yes Sir I do and with a Love so High As it can never Cease until I Die King Ah Since you Love her and to that Degree Why was your Passion not Reveal'd to me Telling you first she does my Conquerour prove You make your Friendship Guiltier then my Love Prin. Why should I tell you what you needs must know For whosoeuer sees must love her too King Since such high Pow'r does to her Eyes belong Think not in loving her I do you Wrong Prin. To love such Charming Eyes no wrong can be But 't is a Wrong to tell your Love to me King Since all who Look on her she must Subdue Is it a wrong to tell you what you knew Because you thought your Love was known to me You judg'd your Silence was no Injury But I as soon as I her Lover grew Judg'd it a Duty Sir to Tell it you Consider which of us has done the worst Prin. I who first saw her must have lov'd her First Therefore my Passion must be known to you King I hear'd you Lov'd Her and she Lov'd You too But afterwards she did Inconstant prove And I believ'd that Wrong had Cur'd your Love Prin. Her Beauties were unworthy my Esteem If any thing more Powerful were then Them King Knowing their Pow'rs admire not if you see That Love more strong then Friendship is in me Prin. Yet since I to her Beauties first did bow Your Love 's a Wrong to me not mine to you King Io. Affronts the Ties of Friendship may undo Yet you still love her though she injur'd you You clearly have Declar'd in what you Did That her Fair Eyes does Friendships strength exceed And she who spight of Wrongs triumphs o're you Triumphs o're me in spight of Friendship too Since she o're you the greatest Pow'r has shewn Blaming my Passion you more blame your own Our Love in both or neither is amiss Yours above wrongs mine above Friendship is But the Success of mine I may dispair Since now I know that you my Rival are I with Disgrace am cloath'd but you with Fame Which makes me merit Pity more then Blame Prin How can I Sir that Pity give to you Which o my own Case is more justly due Besides her change for which my Soul does mourn Besides my Friend who does my Rival turn As high an I â—…as both of these I feel King May you that Secret Sir to me Reveal To me who though as Rival you may blame Yet I your Friend more than your Rival am For at this Name I Grieve at that Rejoyce This is th' Effect of Force but that of Choice Embracing him Prin. Oh I did err and in a high degree Repining that you Rival were to me Since 't is more fit that pain I should abide Then that her Eyes this Triumph were deny'd As both in Love and Friendship I exceed So both Disdain in common paths to tread Unjust to Her and Love I should appear Would I without a Rival conquer her King This Declaration I unmov'd receive Since you to be your Rival give me leave But to Plantagenet should prove unkind Yet in my Friendship I some ease shall find For should the worst of Fortunes be my share Your Trophies I should raise in Love as War Thus I by Friendships Pow'r shall be supply'd With what to me my Fate and Love deny'd My Friendship for you nothing can impair Since it stands firm though you my Rival are For I who best her Beauties pow'r do know Find your excuse from thence for being so And to confirm this Truth I now will show That Secret to you which you ask'd to know Prin. Those conquering Beauties which did us subdue Have made my Father turn my Rival too King I thought he Lov'd the Fair Alizia Prin. And Sir I thought you Lov'd Valeria King Our Conquerours Eyes must every Heart reduce In my own Fate I find the Kings Excuse Prince 'T is She alone with the high Pow'r is blest Of Captiavating Freedoms prepossess'd King She does in the same Fare such is her Pow'r Involve the Conquer'd and the Conquerour Prin. But 't is not Sir at this that I repine I know where e're her Beauties please to slime They ought to Conquer as their Native Right Me by his Rivalship he does not Fright For 't is Her choice alone which can improve The highest Lover to deserve her Love And Sir my Flame which brightest shall appear Would make it Sin should I a Rival fear But that which does my Soul with Grief subdue Is his forbidding me to Love her too Oh why should the Paternal Right oppose The nobler Right which Love on her bestows King Oh Prince your Case is difficult I see He should have treated you as you treat me But in the Fatal strait which you are in You must against your Love and Nature sin What Resolution think you to pursue Prin. Ah 't is much easier to Resolve than Do For once I thought I could so far Obey As silently to Mourn my Life away But Love the Monarch Passion of the Soul That Resolution quickly did controul Making me find that her Triumphant Eyes Are much more pow'rful then all Natures ties Yet that no odds of you I may receive But what my greater Love to me does give I let you know on her this night ' I le wait And from her Sentence I 'le receive my Fate Sir if you please you may there go with me And both together learn our Destiny I hope if mine does prove a happy Doom My Father by Submission to o'recome But if a Fatal Doom she does dispence That will Revenge my Disobedience King Since you allow me I on you will wait Of that bright Beauty to receive my Fate Though I already cannot but foresee The certain Ruine that must fall on me For she must be Unjust as she is Fair If of her Love she makes me not Dispair Or if she should me with her Favour bless Your Grief for it will Kill my Happiness Fate neither way to me nor hope allow Prin. The value of her Love you injure now Since whosoe're her Favour does possess In part the relish of unhappiness King If of her Love such Thoughts I do admit My height'ned Friendship is the cause of
As from Plantagenet I now am come Who dares not Sir one moment leave the room To tell you that th' Assurance of your Love Can onely these resolves of Death remove Despair alas so pow'rful is in her 'T will be too late should you the Cure defer King Ah lead me then where my Alizia lies For in her Sorrow I so Sympathize As I alas without disguise may swear Her grief wounds Me much more than it does Her Exeunt Enter Delaware and Cleorin Cleo. 'T is a strange Secret which you have reveal'd But why alas was it so long conceal'd Repair that Fatal Sin you did commit And fly to tell your Prince and Mistress it Dela As all those Sins which for a Crown are done Heaven does absolve when Heaven does put it on So all those Crimes which are perform'd in Love Do lose that name when we successless prove Cleo. But since of yours you cannot hope Relief Do not delay to cure your Prince's Grief Dela Ah my dear Sister if my hopes were fled You soon should see your wretched Brother dead But who in Love does as a Lover strive Lives while he Hopes and Hopes while he does Live Cleo. Ah! to such empty Hopes impose an end By making Blest your Mistress Prince and Friend So losing of your Hopes you soon will see A greater blessing then your Hopes can be Has Love the Pow'r to sink the Soul so low As to deny what Vertue bids you do What Nobler Fate can Love give to your pain Then to deserve that Love you cannot gain Dela Should I this Secret to them both confess 'T will rather raise then make their Troubles less While under their Delusion they remain Their just resentment robs them of their Pain But were that happy Fallacy remov'd She with such Passion by the King is lov'd As they can ne're possess what I shall lose And 't will in them a lesser Grief infuse Never a hope of Union to admit Then be so near and after miss of it Besides the Kingdom may be plung'd in War When such a Son and Father Rivals aâ—…e Cleo. Ah! you should blush to talk at such a rate Make not your Crime an interest of State Better that War you dream'd of should ensue Then you should shun what Honour bids you do Oh 't is in you too Guilty a Distrust When you fear ought more then to be Unjust Consider should the Prince or she e're know That Secret you to me discover now Dela I fear not that 't is onely known to you Cleo. Yes but it is Dela to whom Cleo. You know it too Ah! little Honour in your Soul does shine Should not your Knowledge fright you more then mine To what low State Love does a Lover bring Is your own witness then so slight a thing Let Vertue and not Fear make you repent Guilt is a greater Ill than Punishment Have you not found what I have said is true Studies a while Dela My Passion strives my Vertue to subdue Pity your Brother whom Love Masters so As he does fear what Honour bids him do Pity your self for it is you alone This hopeless guilty Passion must Dethrone Cleo. To conquer Love there needs but little skill Since none can want the Pow'r who has the Will Dela There 's none does want the Pow'r his Hopes to kill But to Destroy them who can have the Will Cleo. Your Care were finish'd were it but begun Dela Ah this is easier said then it is done Yet I from you this double good have got To know my Debt and grieve I pay it not Cleo. Who grieves he does not what he can and ought Is guilty of his Torment as his Fault Dela Ah! you did never yet the Torment prove Which springs from Honour that disputes with Love Cleo The Torment lies in the Dispute alone Let Honour Conquer and the Torment 's gone Dela But Love assumes o're me so strange a right As 't is at once my Torment and Delight Cleo. You 'll find if Vertues Dictates you pursue Greater Delights exempt from Torments too For though successless Love be no small pain Yet Guilt in Love wounds deeper than Disdain Dela Oh Cleorin that which you have now said Has in my Soul such an Impression made As I perceive Love made me too long stay And Honour now would lead me in the way To that bright Guide I am inclin'd to Trust I 'le rather be Unhappy then Unjust Cleo. Such Charms in following Vertue you will find Dela Ah! should you press me more you 'd be unkind Do not all Honour of my change ingross Leave me part of it to support my Loss Cleo. 'T is not to Vertue that you now resort If it wants strength its own self to support 'T is onely Sin not suffering that it fears It grows the stronger the more weight it bears Dela I know in all it 's own support 't will prove Unless in quitting such a Charming Love Then think it is my Wisdom not my Fault If I seek every help in this Assault Sister Farewell I will retire a while That I may Love and Vertue reconcile Consider well what such a Love must be As with your Vertue dares to disagree Exeunt several wayes The Scene opens Alizia appears lying on a Couch King Edward Plantagenet Latymer Sevina and Women Attendants standing about the Couch Aliz. Ah 't is enough to Die Sir by your Hate Too much your Triumph thus to Celebrate Yet I repine not since you come to see That your Contentment is so dear to me As when I found my Life oppos'd your Love I chose by Death that trouble to remove And I implore your Pardon since the debt Is onely paying and not pay'd you yet But Sir my Rival can declare for me 'T is not my Fau't though it my Trouble be For she her Cruelty is grown so high Makes Death my wish yet hinders me to die King Oh I am come to wait upon you now That I may be both Just to her and you I must contess that her Inchanting Eye Did for a while my Guilty Heart Surprise But what I now shall tell you is as true Madam 't was I not she was false to you Her Friendship for you did the Conquest get I did Assault but could not vanquish it Do not believe that what is spoke by me Is onely to suppress your Jealousie That I thereby the safer Pow'r may win To persevere in and repeat my Sin Oh no that Love and Grief which you have shown Has all the Magick of her Eyes o'rethrown On Fancies Wings I my past flight did take But 't is on Tryals Wings that I fly back Aliz. Alas if Words could cure a broken Heart Those you 've now spoke would have that Pow'r or Art They come too late they should have come before Life you can take away but not restore But Sir the loss of mine my joy shall be If in my Death my matchless Love you see For Sir to
you I me more concern'd to give Proofs of such Love then I 'me concern'd to Live Which justly you might doubt if after I Did know I lost your Love I should not die King Ah the best Proof you of your Love can give Is that you 'l Pardon me and that you 'l Live Has my first Crime made me so black in Sin As my Repentance no Relief can win Do not believe I did the Sin commit Or else believe my Penitence for it Let not one Fault which is already past Have greater force then Love which still shall last Ah! sure you could not thus your Death pursue If you believ'd what I have Vow'd is true But all those Doubts intirely to o'rethrow My Lord I charge you instantly to go Speaking to Latymer And let at once King Iohn and my Son free Who were the Pris'ners of my Jealousie Lat. 'T is a Command I joyfully obey King I Charge you do it and without delay Exit Latymer That King Madam may safely court you now To Plantagenet For I before you and Alizia vow My flame for you shall ne're revive againe And my Alizia onely here shall Reign Plan. In what Sir you have said and vow'd I find To me you 'r Iust and to Alizia Kind Nor can your Solemn sacred Vow Sir be More pleasing to my Friend then 't is to me I hope that name Madam I may resume And safely keep it for the time to come Aliz. Heaven knows my Sorrows never were more high Then when I thought that you had layd it by And yet my Ioy that you forgive my Sin Is no was vast as e're my Griefs have been Twice now your Friendship you to me restore May you refuse it if I need it more Plan. No fear of loseing yours I can admit Since I will ne're do that may forfeit it Madam 't is fit I leave you with the King That he your Cure may to perfection bring Exit Plantagenet King Ah Madam why in her should Friendship be Of greater pow'r then Love or Grief for me Since Friendship her Resentments does subdue Let Love for me as Pow'rful be with you Madam to you my Heart this Suit prefers Which needs your Pardon more then you did hers To this sad State your King alas is brought Aliz. Sir I forgave you when you saw your Fault And I repine not at my Lingring Death Which lets me Seale it with my Dying Breath No Proof of Love could ever be more high Then to forgive th' offence which makes one Dye King If you forgive me yet your Death pursue You will at once Forgive and Kill me too Loves Pow'r you wrong while at this rate you grieve For Love should heal worse Wounds then it can give Aliz. I can alas Sir but too truely say T is only Love which makes me disobey For I should not deserve the Love you give If after you recall'd it I could Live King And I of Life should too unworthy be If I could Live after you Dy'd for me Your Love for me by Living must be shown For you to save my Life must keep your own And if my Words you give no credit to What I have Vow'd my Grief will make me Doe Aliz. Ah then all thoughts of Dying I 'll decline Since you have vow'd your Life depends on mine But if again to her your Love you give My just Despair will be above Repreive King Oh Madam you will wound my Soule again If such a fatal Doubt you entertain My Grief for the great Crime I did commit Will still preserve me from repeating it By all those Vows which bind me most I swear I 'l still love you and never more love her The Scene closes The SCENE is Plantagenets Chamber Plantagenet the Prince Cleorin and Delaware Plan. OH what has been reveal'd by Delaware His Freindship showes but heightens my Despair It makes me Guilty Sir to such Degree As you 'd be Guilty shou'd you pardon me The Knowledg of my Fault so wounds my Mind As only I in Death my Ease can find Prince Alas your Grief more cruel is to me Then Madam your suppos'd Inconstancy For to such Height my Ardent love is grown As your Greif wounds me more then does my owne You 'le punish by a Sorrow so Sublime My Innocence more then you did my Crime But though the Word of Innocence I nam'd Yet only I can be with Iustice blam'd For had I not that Fatal Letter writ Plan. Oh Sir I cannot such Discourse admit For while requests I for your Pardon make Alas my Guilt you on your self would take When all the Guilt to me alone is due Who did believe a Letter more then you Prin. Alas have you Design'd to let me see That every way you mean to ruine me For while you did suspect my Innocence You to my Rival did your love Dispence Ah Madam now that Heaven has thought it fit To make it evident you punish it For by these pretious Teares which now you spill You make me wish I were thought Guilty still Plan. Oh Sir what does your Innocency prove Makes me too Guilty to deserve your Love Prin. Ah be not cruel to this strange degree Let not my Innocence my Ruin be No Reparation could be reckon'd more Then what the injur'd person does emplore But you will make if this be your intent Your Reparation my worst Punishment A Punishment so cruel and so high As it transcends the imagin'd Injury Yet if you think that you amiss have done Let me then name the Reparation ' TisMadam that you 'l never think so more But give me leave your Beauties to Adore Plan. Heaven Sir does know and so does Cleorin That while I thought you guilty of that Sin Which only my Misfortune made me do I Lov'd you Sir and Lov'd none else but you Prin. And Heaven does know and so does Delaware That while I thought you Guilty as you 're Fair I did not you but my ill Fortune blame And still preserv'd for you a deathless Flame To Delaware My Lord to her and me this Iustice do As to oppose me if I speak not true Dela Sir you for her did still such Love express As Heaven knows too I griev'd it was not less Prin. Ah if you give belief to what we say Doe not refuse the perfect Love I pay Plan. Alas a greater Sin I should commit Then that I mourn for by accepting it But all the world will know that I repent When on my self I lay this Punishment Which Sir by Iustice dictates I have chose Since 't is the highest which I can impose Your Glory Sir would wither if not dye Should you Love one so guilty Sin as I. The penance I design'd let me pursue T is what Sir on my knees I beg of you She offers to kneel but is hindred by the Prince Prin. Ah doe not doubly thus my Soul subdue By such denyals and submission too But to my Suit be pleas'd to
false Joys or hiding Greif that 's true Her Rather then Griev me thinks you should Rejoyce Since Tryphon Madam you have made your choice Cleo. Rather then I Hermione would have Tryphon for husband I would wed my Grave Her Why did you his Addresses then receive And ne're so much as ask Nicanor's leave Had 〈◊〉 but to your Father told your mind He to prevent it Something had design'd Cleo. 'T is that which made me doe what I have done For I more feare his Ruine then my owne This is my Duty which appears my Crime Better he mourn'd for me then I for him But now my Word is given 't is past recall I 'l be Unhappy to prevent his Fall He gave me Life and therefore for his sake The Life he gave me I will Wretched make For such 't will be when I am Tryphon's Wife This way alone could Save Nicanor's life For by th' Usurpers Fury he had dy'd If he to many me had been deny'd Her Since 't was your Duty Madam as you owne And not Ambition led you to the Crowne Why did you not your head and arm employ To save your self and Tryphon to destroy Cleo. Ah I was loath to act the Guilty part Of Owing and not Paying him my Heart Her Do you so hate him as you 'le Wretched be Rather then yield his Sword should set you Free And under Tryphon let your Countrey bow Sooner then let him save both it and you Ah Madam to my Grief alas I see That you would now conceal your self from me Cleo. Think not that I conceal my self from you Telling you what my Duty made me doe Ar. Duty might you to marry Tryphon lead If that alone could 〈◊〉 Nicanor's head But you a much 〈◊〉 Easie Way may chuse To reach that End and yet that Way refuse When Madam by pursuing of it you Might save at once Your Self and Countrey too For none but brave Aretus that I see The valour has to end this Tyranny From which his Love to you will him restrain If you with Tryphon as his Queen should Raign Alas what is the poor Aretus Crime That rather then you 'l be oblig'd to him You 'l of your Contry's Tyrant be the Wife And which is worse you 'll save that Tyrants Life Cleo. Doe not I shew I think him free from Crime That lose my self rather then hazard him Her In that Attempt he 'l but some Hazard runne But iâ—… you marry Tryphon he 's undone Thus from the Hazard you Aretus free But to destroy him the more certainly Ah Madam by such reas'ning you declare That in your Confidence I have no share 'T is therefore fit our Friendship here should End For who Distrusts deserves to Lose a Freind And since with me so Cruelly you deale I 'l bid you now eternally farewell Would to the Gods this had been done before That none might think I Like what I Abhorre But though from you my self I thus divide Yet still I 'l pray that Heaven may be your Guide Cleo. Raise not the Sorrows under which I bend By threatning to deprive me of my Friend This vsage so severe I needs must blame Her Why doe you thus abuse that Sacred Name Alas for me it is no longer fit For your Mistrust Madam has cancel'd it Therefore from you for ever will I part she offers to goe out Cleo. Oh stay and I 'l Disclose to you my Heart Yet with so cross a Fortune I contend As I 'm asham'd to tell it to my Freind Her What ever Sorrows have opprest your Heart Yet since you strove to hide your self by Art From me whom you call Freind you ought much more That Sin then those Misfortunes to Deplore Cleo. My Grief from you I will no longer hide That you may Pity her whom now you Chide But let us first Hermione remove To some such Shady Place as yonder Grove That when to you my Secret I commit You scarce may see how much I blush at it They goe out Enter Tryphon and Seleucus The Scene Tryphon's Apartment Sel. Forgive me Sir if I presume to say You have appear'd in too much Grief this day And all last night you took so little Rest As if some Sorrow had your Heart opprest Try Alas Seleucus I am under now Sorrows would make the Strongest Soul to Bow And I have often for Demetrius sent That in his Friendship I might give them vent But since he does not come and since I know That perfect Friendship which he has for you Being with Trouble so much overprest I will commit that Secret to your Breast Sel. This Favour no addition can admit Unless Sir I may serve you too in it Try That Friendship for Demetrius which I have And which shall never cease but in the Grave Made me resolve by his Advice to gaine The Syrians Kindness by a gentle Reigne And since Nicanor's Vertue most does Shine That I without Reserve might make him Mine I by Demetrius Councell too was led To raise Nicanor's Daughter to my Bed Sel. Which of Nicanor's Daughters is it Sir That he would have you to your Crown preferr Try 'T is Cleopatra whose Bright Eyes I own Makes her deserve to share the Syrian Throne You seem to Sigh at what I told you now Sel. Under your Grief how could I choose but Bow But under what Affliction can you bend Having a Crown that Mistress and that Friend Try Most men with one of those might Happy be But I am Wretched though I have all three For Heaven decrees from whence our Law we take How much shall every mortall Happy make And if he does but faile in one of those Desires which must that Happiness compose That one Deny'd though with all th' other Blest Will rob him of the Gust of all the rest If I must Love and in Love miss my ends Fortune in vaine sends me a Crown and Freinds Sel. Do's Cleopatra your Addresses slight Try That shee 'le receive them even my Heart does fright I who Undaunted through such Storms did steer As the most Brave would tremble but to hear I who have Kings depos'd and Battels won Andnever any thing like Feare have known Am now to see my Dearest Freind affraid And of the Yeildings of a Lovely Maid Sel. To share your Crown can you esteem her fitt And yet Sir fear that shee 'l accept of it Those words appear a Mistery to me Try Seleucus I 'l unvail the mistery 'T was yesterday that I Demetrius sent My Crowne to Cleopatra to present But 't was last night alas that I did see A Brighte Beauty which has Conquerd me Whose Eyes are blest with such a Pow'rfull charm They Burn those Hearts which others can but warm Till I that Beauty saw I did believe A man resolv'd the Law to Love could give Sel. Why should you Sir appear afflicted now Since 't is to so much Beauty that you Bow Love is a Fate which every one must Taste Some
so much Flame express As sure you could not but his Passion see Cleo. That 's not enough he should have told it me But what soe'r his Proofs of Love have been By me Dear Friend alas they were not seen For I so fear'd that I might act amiss In my own Love that I ne're minded his Blushes a Womans Passion may reveal But Men their Passion by their Words should tell Her Could he your Love more Generously seek Then to Deserve it and yet Nothing Speak Cleo. Rather what more could he have done amiss Then Lose my Love by so Concealing his A Love that is at once both Great and Strong While it doth Bind the Heart Sets Free the Tongue And lest that mine should make me Faulty prove I to my Honour Sacrific'd my Love So I did fear his Merit was so Great That asking Nothing he might All Things get Her How cruell is your Vertue or your Fate Which makes your Love produce th' Effects of Hate Cleo. Aretus yet more Cruelty does show That durst Love me yet durst not tell me so Her You doe him Double Wrong since his Respect You first Mistake then Punish as Neglect Such awfull Flames you in his Heart have bred As he thinks Silence ought his Love to plead He but defers to Speak what he does feel Till by his Actions you his Love may tell And to declare his Passion does delay Only to show it you the Noblest Way Cleo. Fatall Delay the Fatal'st that could be It loses me to him and him to me Yet such a High Respect to him I pay That on My Self I 'l Punish his Delay And since my Promise is to Tryphon made To Breake it Love it self shall not perswade That which for me your Friendship made me doe My Honour makes me now Perform for you Your Rivall I will never be again Her I for Aretus did a Love but feign That in your Blushes Madam I might see What by your Modesty was hid from me Yet had I lov'd I 'd not that Love pursue Since you best merit him as he does you But how can you so lust to Honour prove And yet resolve to be Unjust to Love Ah you much more then he have done amiss You prize your Word more then your Flame and his And by a Sacred Bond your self you Tye To him you hate and him you love you Fly Cleo I owe him less then I doe owe my Flame And fly not from his Love but from my Shame She to her Honour too Unjust does prove Who dares not value it above her Love Press me not then to Do what I should Shun Rather then be Unjust I 'l be Undone Those who are lost while Virtue they pursue In their Destruction find their Comfort too They goe out Enter Demetrius and Seleucus The SCENE Demetrius's Apartment Sel. Those were the Words which between us did pass Bul I perceive some Sadness in your Face Dem. My Heart and Face doe then but ill agree Since nothing could more welcome seem to me Sel. I cannot guess from whence your Joy should rise Since Tryphon told me 't was by your Advice That he did offer her to be his Queen And which is more that you employ'd had been To Court her to be Consort to his Throne Dem. All this and more then this I freely owne For I not only woo'd her to be Queen But her Consent to be it I did winn But why at this Seleucus do you start Sel. Alas what you have said has pierc'd my Heart Yet from my Friend I 'l not my self disguise The Charming Light of Cleopatra's Eyes Over my Soule the Victory did win But to herself this has a Secret been For my Demetrius I did judg it fit Not Words but Service should discover it That High Respect I did resolve was due To such a Beauty and such a Passion too Methinks at this which I have spoke you start I think her Beauties too have pierc'd your Heart Dem. How can you think for Tryphon I 'd appear If I my self had been in Love with her Sel. But why should you such Satisfaction show That he declines what you advis'd him to Ah sure your Liberty she did surprise Since first to Court her you did him advise I see what Beauty has made Tryphon doe What it has wrought in him it may in you And what I said such Change in you did move As I have Cause t'impute it to your Love Dem. If any Change does in my Looks appear 'T is not I vow that Im in Love with her Sel. Give me then leave there my Address to make Dem. That 's what I cannot Give but you may Take Sel. Neither for Tryphon nor your self to woo And yet deny me leave to court her too I cannot guess what 't is that you intend Dem. I were unfit to be Seleucus Friend Should I act otherwise â—…en now I doe For he who to one Friend does prove untrue That he may gaine another Friend's Esteem Deserves too justly to lose both of them Though I am yours above what I can say Yet I must be it too in Honours way In Friendship every other Tenure's ill By that mine has been held and shall be still Sel. Fate ore my hopes another Cloud does send I 'm Rival'd and by one that is your Friend But may you not acquaint me with his Name Who is my Fellow Martyr in this Flame Dem. No I 'l be just to both he shall not know You Rivall him or that he Rivals you Yet both thus farr shall be oblieg'd to me From Tryphon's Rivallship I 'l set you free But did he not acquaint you with her Name Who in his Heart has lighted such a Flame Sel. So vast a Cause of Joy to me it prov'd That he no longer Cleopatra lov'd As I did not remember to inquire Who this new Passion did in him inspire Dem. By what he said could you not gues at it Sel. Ah! he who Cleopatra's Love could quit The Pow'r of Love forever must forswear For could he Love who should he love but her Sure this new Love is but a Love of State But he for our return too much may waite Dem. I long to know to whom he does Submit As much as he that I 'l consent to it Exeunt Enter Nicanor Stratonice Aretus and Irene The SCENE Nicanor's Pallace Ire Sir that Demetrius may your Pardon winn That he made Tryphon court her for his Queen He bad me tell you every way hee 'l try To make that Love which he gave Life to Dy And hopes himself this night to let you know He has perform'd what he has promis'd you Nic. I at this Promise so much Joy admit As nought can Heighten but his doing it Stra. What e'r Demetrius hopes yet Sir I fear Tryphon will not decline his Love for her Nic. Demetrius Pow'r with him you know is Great Stra. The Pow'r of Beauty Sir is Greater yet And though th' Usurper were more fierce and
Those Griefs whose Cure you say depends on me What have I done that you should use me so Dem. Ah Madam sure you my Transgression know Or your Resentments could not be so High As by such Cruel Words to make me Dye Which now I humbly begg your leave to doe Since twice you say I was unkind to you But for those Words I never could have thought That my Misfortune did Transcend my Fault I must Despair your Pardon now to win My Grief for needing it being judg'd my Sin Stra. You never my Resentments did provoke But by your Silence and what now you spoke Dem. Would to the Gods I never had then I Should but Unhappy and not Guilty Dye But I alas must by a Fatall Oath Ending my Life contract the Guilt of both This is my Fate whatever I shall doe Stra. I feare your Sorrows have Distracted you Dem. A las Distraction Madam would appear A Happiness compar'd to what I bear For though the Joys I in your Love Recieve Transcend all those which Heaven to me can give Yet I those Charming Glories must foregoe And to my self the Sin thereof must owe. Stra. Demetrius I believ'd you had a Soul Which could th' approaches of Despair controul Dem Condemn not Madam the Despair I show Since Tryphon is Declar'd my Rivall now Stra. Since this is the Misfortune you deplore I have more cause to Blame you then before For could you Grieve at this did you not fear I would his Crown above your Love preferr By your first Fault you did but wrong my Love But this a wrong does to my Vertue prove Alas what two worse Actions could you doe Then thus to doubt my Love and Vertue too Dem. Ah Madam if you would have heard me out You would have â—…ound that I do neither doubt For Nothing can to either equall be But that Misfortune which has fall'n on me When I thus grieve he does my Rivall prove I feare his Cruelty not doubt your Love But though his Fire for you I must Lament Yet Fate on you a sharper Curse has sent For he not knowing I his Rivall am Imployes me to acquaint yon with his Flame To court you for him I am hither sent And he his Rival makes his Confident Str. He has more cause to mourn for this then you Dem. Yet to a Trust Fidelity is due That Man who can be faithless to his Friend Though 't is in Love deserves to lose his End Could I but one Unworthy Action do I should by it forfeit my Right in you And though you might to Pardon me think fit Yet to my self I ne're could Pardon it Stra. Heaven this strict Virtue does in you Inspire Which therefore I Condemn not but Admire Then with what you did Promise him Comply But what you ask for Him I 'le still Deny Thus you to Friendship 's Duty Just may prove And I as Faithfull to the Rights of Love Dem. Oh gods What is Demetrius's Offence That you to him so strange a Fate dispence Your Fiercest Anger could not plague him worse Then thus to turn his Blessings to his Curse Your Love and Vertuâ—… which should give Releif But more contributes to Augment my Grief Yes Madam your Inconstancy and Hate Had been to me a less Tormenting Fate Less Horror I had felt from Deaths Assault Caus'd by my Mistress Justice then my Fault I 'me as Unfortunate as you are Fair. Stra. Alas what causes in you this Despair Since I have let you know how you might be Just to your Vowes to Tryphon and to Me. Dem. 'T is more then all the World has Pow'r to doe I must be False to Him or False to You For not believing he Ador'd your Eyes I swore a solemn Oath I would despise His Conquerors Charmes to serve him thus you see I must Forsake you or must Perjur'd be I know which of the two I ought to doe 'T is less to loose then be unfit for you Heaven which your Merits and my Faults has known Calls me to Death you to the Syrian Throne Death is to my Ambitious Passion due Which from the Throne can only hinder you My Fate I therefore shall Undaunted bear Since 't is my Ruine helps to raise you there Stra. Could I of what you now propose admit I of that Throne should judge my self Unfit Tryphon to gain it has acquir'd such Hate As 't is scarce strong enough to bear his Weight And to his Guilt if I should add my own 'T would be a Certain Way to sinke the Throne Dem. If with his Pow'r your Virtue you doe mix Madam the Throne you would not Sink but Fix Then what he offers you vouchsafe to take Both for your own and for your Countries sake Stra. My Country will deserve those Chaines shee 's in Could she consent to Break them by my Sin Dem. Your Country cannot charge them with a crime Since Madam I Resign you up to Him Stra. Resign me up to him Ah you shall find That I to Tryphon will not be Resign'd Now you Pretend to more then you can Do For you 'd Forsake me and Bestow me too You may if you think fit your Love Resign But I Demetrius ne're can alter mine Dem Ah the more Kindness you to me Express You still to it Intitle me the less Stra. I see 't was clearly what you told me now And mourn your Sin more then the Losing you Yet I by Scorning Tryphon will make known I Value you more then the Syrian Throne If to your Guilt I so Oblieging prove Ah judge what I 'de have been unto your Love Farewell you are the first the World e're knew Who Lov'd his Mistress and Forsook her too Stratonice and Irene go out Demetrius gazing after them Dem. Thus when the Sun from us withdraws his Light He leaves the World to Horror and to Night Why to the Throne did Heaven let Tryphon climb And then Revenge on me my Truth to him Prodigious is my Fate my Death I find In Friendships being True and Beauty Kind Oh Gods to what must I hereafter Trust Since you Destroy me but for being Just If you for Virtue onely will Admit Why am I Ruin'd for pursuing it He goes out Cleopatra and Hermione Cleopatra holding Tryphon's letter in her hand The SCENE the Garden of Nicanoâ—…'s 〈◊〉 Cleo. To Court and gain my leave his Queen to be And after dare thus to Abandon me Th' Affront which he therein on me would lay Can only by his Blood be wash'd away Her Why should his leaving you your Anger move Since now you may Accept Aretus Love That Fatal Promise which eclips'd your Joy Tryphon's Inconstancy does now Destroy Cleo. I should Aretus Flame too much Abuse If I gave him what Tryphon does Refuse Her Sure Madam if you argue at this rate To lose Aretus is your Choice not Fate Enter Aretus Ar. Madam I bring before your Justice now One who has been so Criminal to you As he no
Ar. Ah you your self what now you said must blame Or must think Justice but an empty Name Who has the Right has on his side the Odds Else chance does Rule the World and not the Gods Dem. The Right Antiochus had on his side And yet alas by Tryphon's Sword he dy'd Ar. You know that hapless Monarch did not dye By Tryphon's Force but by his Trechery Those onely then to bear his Yoke are fit Who can Fear ought more than to suffer it Do not a Guilt so great as this pursue Dem. I have more Cause to be his Foe than you For he is fall'n in Love with Stratonice And me he did into a Vow surprize Before to me his Conqueress he did name That I would Help and Serve him in his Flame By which the Death of Tryphon you may see Cannot more Grateful prove to you than me But my concerns from Syria are above Even those I have for Stratonice's Love Then doe not Blame me if I hinder you From Doing what I think is Sin to Doe Ar. The Justice of the Gods in this you see He punishes in you your Guilt to me You Cross my Love and bind me to my Oath Tryphon alike Revenges me in both 'T is Heaven permits him thus to do you Wrong Because his Death you have delay'd so long Dem. That Wrong you mention I with Patience take Since I 'me convinc'd it is for Syria's sake By me be taught to give your Passion Lawes And Bâ—…avely Suffer for your Contry's cause Farewell to Sacred Virtue let us trust The Gods would not be Gods were they not Just. Demetrius offers to gâ—… 〈◊〉 Aretus drawes his Sword Ar. Demetrius stay Dem. Ha! what meane you now Ar. Since you Deny to free me from my Vow By which my Hopes of Cleopatra End And Syria must under a Tyrant Bend Either of which too Cleerly you must see Is worse a thousand times then Death to me Thus I cast off that Friendship which does prove So Fatall to my Country and my Love My Death must End the Grief of losing both Or yours Absolve me from my Guilty Oath Dem. Put up your Sword for when this Storm is Laid You 'll Curse your self for what you now have said Though to your Rage your Friendship you Resign Yet you shall see nothing can alter mine Ar. How dare you mention Friendship 's Sacred Name And yet Oppose my Country Love and Fame By that Enchanting Word you shall not now That payment Stop which to these three I Owe. Draw or I 'll kill thee Dem. Heare me but one Word Ar. I will not hear thee till thou draw'st thy Sword Dem. Then thus I draw it but to Heaven I Vow I 'l soner Kill my self with it then You. Ar. Thy Guilt to me thy Courage has betray'd It makes Demetrius now of Death affraid Dem. When thou reflect'st the King my Rivall is How by my Oath I have lost Stratonice And how thy self on whom I did rely Art from my Friend become my Enemy It may perhaps to thee a Truth appeare That Death is what I Wish not what I Feare What I have told thee now I thus make good Opening his doublet and spreading his armes Here quench thy Rage in my â—…guarded Bâ—…ood And in such Death no 〈◊〉 I shall endure But that thy Rage not Friendship acts the Cure Aretus turns away Why dost thou turn away we are Agreed My Death is what thou Seek'st and what Need. Ar. Oh my Demetrius that which now you doe Is worse then not to Free me from my Vow 〈◊〉 For Friendship 's sake methinks you should not give Words worse then Death yet after let me Live Dem If this appears a Cruelty to thee Then be not Guâ—…lty of the like to me Ar. I buâ—… provok'd you to that High Degree To get that Death from you you seek from me Dem. Such Wounâ—…s from You and Fate I now Recieve As I much rather Death would Take then Give Ar. I hop'd for me your Friendship was so High As when you found Tryphon oâ—… I must Dye You then to Kill him your Consent would give Or let me the Denyal not Survive But now alas both are refus'd by you Dem. Ah doe not blame what Honour makes me doe You know how much Tryphon my Friend has bin Ar. Call you him Friend who 's Guilty of the sin Of Tying you by Oath from Stratonice Dem. He does not know that he my Rivall is But she whom I acquainted with it now And how I was surpris'd into my Vow Does Scorn his Passion and Condemn my Crime In being False to her and true to him For thus she tearmes what my Oath binds me to By which I am under such Torments now As if the Gods should but one day deny The Cure I need the Grief will make me die So long your Aimes at Tryphons Death suspend 'T is but one day and beg'd too by your Friend Ar. So long I 'le respite Justice for your sake But know so long I shall be on the Racke Dem. Heaven Knows which on us both such Ills has thrown That I lament Your Sufferings as my Own They goe out embracing Enter Tryphon and Nicanor The SCENE Tryphons Pallace Try Yes in my first Address my chiefest End Was by Alliance to make you my Friend And this Address to the like End does move But with th' Addition of a Deathless Love The Bond between us nothing can â—…doe When ty'd by Love and by Alliance too Nic. That Honor you to Stratanice design Deserves her best Acknowledgements and mine Try You then Consent I place her in my Throne Nic. Sir it were fit you first Obtain'd her Own For as by Natures Dictates she is led Not without my Consent her self to Wed So 't would â—…n me Unnaturall appear Should I without her leave dispose of Her Try 'T would much Advance the Union I pursue If I could tell her 't is Approv'd by you Nic. Too much to me it like Injustice showes T' Approve that Union till I know she Does Try You 'l make me doubt your Scruples are so nice That you on it do set too Low a Price Nic. No Sir I doe Esteem her 〈◊〉 I ought Call not my Duty to my Child a Fault Try I Know what e'r you Please shee 'll alwayes Do And therefore I 'll alike Ascribe to you Those Charming Joy Iâ—…m her Love shall find As all my â—…orments should she prove Unkind To you Nicanor I this Evâ—…ning give T' ingage her my Addresses to receive But if to be Rejected be my Fate Know I 'l resent it at the Highest Rate Nic. I 'l Rather to a Punishment submit Then to the Guilt of what may Merit it Tryphon and Nâ—…canor goe out severall wayes Enter Cleopatra and Seleucus The SCENE Nicanors Pallace Sel. Though Tryphon does to me much Favour show Yet Madam the Respect to you I owe Makes me abhor th' Affront he did to you And makes me offer to Revenge it
Gods let me not see That you can have so Low a thought of me For then I 'l rather my own Death Pursue Then owe the saving of our Lives to you I would have had you to my Love pretend By ways which were proportion'd to the End And would have had you though your Hopes were Crost Yet to have Merited what you have Lost More Grief in such Revenge I might then find Then in this mean one you have now design'd For when true Honor in a Soul does Raigne To bâ—… ingratefull is the fowlest Staine And she must in her Breast feel more Remorse That is orecome by Merit then by Force Seleu. Merit would have but plaid a Hopeless part When he by Inclination had your Heart Madam it would have much encreast my woe To have Deserv'd you and have Lost you too Cleo. And yet both these had been an Easier Fate Then not to Merit me and Merit Hate Ah! when you thought that he my Heart had won By that which you call Incination You then should by Desert and not Despaire Have cast him thence and fixt Seleucus there This might perhaps have been perform'd by you Had you reveng'd my Wrongs and Syria's too And this Perhaps though Late may yet be done Sel. Ah Madam I to your Revenge will run If you to me will now a Promise give That when 't is acted you 'l my Love receive Cleo. Ah Run not thus into another Fault Love would not be what t is could it be bought Arâ—… Why Madam should he now rewarded be For doing that from which he hinders me Pay not so high a price for our Repreive Cleo. My Love Aretus is my own to give Arâ—…t Yet to your Love give him not a pretence By that which cannot wash off his Offence Cleo. Death would to me Seleucus happier prove Then if I made a Bargain for my Love Seleu. Madam I beg that it your Gift might be Cleo. Doing your Duty you should trust to me Stra. Alass why should you her Unkindness dread When so much Merit on your side shall plead Nic. Consider should you run your Fatal way The present Times and Times to come will say Because Seleucus in his Love had fail'd He on his Country Tyrannie â—…tayl'd A Sin so black t' were better to submit To slighted Love then bear the Guilt of it Cleo. But though to sell my Love I do abhom She offers to kneel and be hinders her Yet on my knees your Virtue I Implore To free your Country and remove our Fears And to those Pray'rs behold I add these Tears She weeps Since t' was your Love forc'd you to doe these Wrongs This Reparation to your Love belongs Seleucus Mâ—…ses a while gazing on Cleopatra Seleu. Love â—…l with a resistless Power appears When Beauty Pleads the Cause and speaks in Tears The fiercest storms which over Souls has Pow'r Cannot but be supprest by such a Show'r I Can no Longer my hard Temper keep 'T is less to Loose you then thus make you weep In you and in my Services I 'l trust They shall be Great and you I know are Just Thus Clouds a while may the Suns Light Confine But when they Vanish it does brighter shine Sel. to Are. Now brave Aretus wee 'l together prove Who has the Highest Title to her Love Are. When of most Merit you can truly boast Then I deserve she should to me be Lost. Dem. to Stra. Madam your Wrongs call me with them to go So does the Duty I to Syria Owe. Sel. Then against Tryphon Let us all declare The Guards which I have brought my Creatures are And I even Long till I his Blood have spilt The Victim due both to my Love and Guilt We must this Moment kill him by surprise Our Safety now in Expedion Lies Nica. Deme. Aret. and Seleucus goes out Cleo. Sure 't is the Gods that thus their Hearts Incline Stra. And may the Gods smile too on their designe Cleo. You both must to the Tyrants Pallace go To Hermione and Irene And Let us hourly all that Passes know Cleopatra Stratonice Hermione and Irene goe out The SCENE is Tryphons Pallace Tryphon alone Demetrius Knowes ' ere now that t is a thing Too bold to be a Rival to a King And in his Ruine Stratonice shall see Nothing is dearer then her Love to me Nor dare Nicanor my Address detâ—…st Who by such Proofe he finds I 'm not in Jest Aretus still so proud A heart did show As I long ow'd him what I pay him now My faithfull Freed Man Arcas I have sent Sooner to learn of my Revenge th' Event Arcas Runs in hastily and affrighted Arcas Sir you are lost Try What makes thee so affraid Ar. Oh Sir you by Seleucus are Betray'd Try This News my Soul do's with Amazement â—…ill Arcas He 's Joyn'd with those whom he was sent to kill My hast hath almost robb'd me of my Breath And Sir with them your Guards conspire your Death The People too call for your head aloud And to those Traitors in whole troops they croud Try Arcas who told this fatal news to thee Ar. Sir what I tell you I my self did see And through the streets they March'd at such a rate As they must now be near the Pallace Gate Which is abandon'd Sir by all the Guards Brib'd by Seleucus Arts or his Rewards If you would fly you should not loose your time Try Death 's but a Punishment but Flight a Crime I 'l rather Loose my Life then they shall see That ought which they can do can frighten me The name of King by no base act I 'l Blot Nor Dying loose the Fame my Life has got Arcas Were but these Words Sir to the Syrians known They yet would grant that you deserve the Throne To me you seem so Generous and High That fighting by your side I mean to Die Try Dost thou then think I will with Traytors fight Ar. Sir you disdain to save your self by Flight Try But who like me a Kingdom did Command Should scorn to Die by any Subjects hand No No he Merits not to fill a Throne Who when Fate calls dares not imploy his own 'T would be the Traytors Glory as their Guilt If they could say that they my Blood had spilt Go watch their coming in the outward Roome And when they Enter say aloud they Come Mean while for such a Death I will prepare As shall Deserve thy kindness and thy care Arcas stays weeping and fixes his eyes on Tryphon Will Arcas then my last Request deny Ar. Sir I but begg that I with you may Dye Try They will surprise me by this fond delay Arc. Since you will have it so I must obey Arcas goes out Try This turn I owe to Cleopatra's Eyes Yet since I am depriv'd of Stratonice My Death which they united do conspire Is not my Fear but that which I Desire Tryphon goes to an elevated place like a Throne seats himself in 〈◊〉 then