rest Exeunt Brothers and Guards The Scene changes into a Forest. Enter Aspasia Asp. They say wild Beasts inhabit here But Grief and Wrong secures my Fear Compar'd to him that does refuse A Tyger's kind for he pursues To be forsaken's worse than torn And Death a lesser ill than Scorn No Forrest Cave or Savage Den Holds more pernicious Beasts than Men. Vows Oaths and Contracts they devise And tell us they are sacred Tyes And so they are in our esteem But empty Names despis'd by them Women with study'd Arts they vex Ye Gods destroy that impious Sex And if there must be some to ' invoke Your Powers and make your Altars smoke Come down your selves and in their place Get a more Just and Nobler Race Such as the Old World did adorn When Hero's like your selves were born But this I wish not for Aspacia's sake For she no God would for Amintor take The Heart which is our Passions Seat Whether we will or no do's beat And yet we may suppress our Breath This let 's us see that Life and Death Are in our Power but Love and Hate Depend not on our Will but Fate My Love was Lawful when 't was born Their Marriage makes it merit Scorn Evadne's Husband 't is a Fault To Love a blemish to my thought Yet twisted with my Life and I That cannot faultless live will dye Oh! that some hungry Beast would come And make himself Aspasia's Tomb. If none accept me for a Prey Death must be found some other way In colder Regions Men compose Poyson with Art but here it grows Not long since walking in the Field My Nurse and I we there beheld A goodly fruit which tempting me I would have pluck'd but trembling she Whoever eat those Berries cry'd In less than half an hour dy'd Some God direct me to that Bough On which those useful Berries grow Exit Enter Amintor alone Am. Repentance which became Evadne so Would no less handsome in Amintor show She ask'd me pardon but Aspasia I Injur'd alike suffer to pine and dye 'T is said that she this dangerous Forrest haunts And in sad accents utters her complaints If over-taken e're she perish I Will gain her Pardon or before her dye Not every Lady does from Vertue fall Th' Injurious King does not possess them all Well I deserv'd Evadne's scorn to prove That to Ambition sacrific'd my Love Fools that consult their Avarice or Pride To chuse a Wife Love is our noblest Guide Exit Enter Aspasia alone with a Bough full of fair Berries Asp. This happy Bough shall give relief Not to my hunger but my grief The Birds know how to chuse their fare To peck this fruit they all forbear Those chearful Singers know not why They should make any haste to dye And yet they Couple Can they know What 't is to Love and not know Sorrow too 'T is Man alone that willing dyes Beasts are less Wretched or less Wise. How Lovely these ill Berries shew And so did false Amintor too Heav'n would ensnare us who can scape When fatal things have such a shape Nothing in vain the Gods create This Bough was made to hasten fate 'T was in compassion of our woe That Nature first made Poysons grow For hopeless wretches such as I Kindly providing means to dye As Mothers do their Children keep So Nature feeds and makes us sleep The indispos'd she does invite To go to Bed before 't is night Death always is to come or past If it be ill it cannot last Sure 't is a thing was never known For when that 's present we are gone 'T is an imaginary Line Which does our being here confine Dead we shall be as when unborn And then I knew nor Love nor Scorn But say we are to live elsewhere What has the Innocent to fear Can I be treated worse than here Justice from hence long since is gone And reigns where I shall be anon Enter Amintor Am. 'T is she those fatal Berries shew The mischief she 's about to do Women are govern'd by a stuborn fate Their Love 's insuperable as their hate No Merit their Aversion can remove Nor ill requital can efface their Love Asp. Like Slaves redeem'd Death sets us free From Passion and from Injury The Living chain'd to Fortunes Wheel In Triumph led her changes feel And Conquerors kept Poysons by Prepar'd for her Inconstancy Bays against Thunder might defend their Brow But against Love and Fortune here 's the Bough Here she puts some of the Berries to her mouth Amintor strikes the Berries out of her hand and snatches the Bough Am. Rash Maid forbear and lay those Berries by Or give them him that has deserv'd to dye Asp. What double Cruelty is this Would you That made me wretched keep me always so Evadne has you let Aspasia have The common refuge of a quiet grave If you have kindness left there see me laid To bury decently the injur'd Maid Is all the favour that you can bestow Or I receive Pray render me my Bough Am. No less than you was your Amintor wrong'd The false Evadne to the King belong'd You had my promise and my Bed is free I may be yours if you can pardon me Asp. Your Vows to her were in the Temple made The sacred Altar witness'd what you said Am. The pow'rs above are to no place consin'd But ev'ry where hear promises that bind The Heav'n the Air Earth and the boundless Sea Make but one Temple for the Deity That was a Witness to my former Vow None can Amintor justly claim but you Who gives himself away the second time Creates no title but commits a Crime Asp. I could have dy'd but once but this believ'd I may alas be more than once deceiv'd Death was the Port which I almost did gain Shall I once more be tost into the Main By what new Gods Amintor will you swear Am. By the same Gods that have been so severe By the same Gods the justice of whose Wrath Punish'd the infraction of my former faith May every Lady an Evadne prove That shall divert me from Aspasia's Love Asp. If ever you should prove unconstant now I shall remember where those Berries grow Am. My Love was always constant but the King Melantius's friendship and that fatal thing Ambition me on proud Evadne threw And made me cruel to my self and you But if you still distrust my faith I vow Here in your presence I 'll devour the Bough Asp. Snatching the Bough from him Rash Man forbear but for some unbelief My Joy had been as fatal as my Grief The sudden news of unexpected bliss Would yet have made a Tragedy of this Secure of my Amintor still I fear Evadne's mighty friend the King Am. He 's here Enter the King and his Brother to them King turning to his Brother How shall I look upon that noble Youth So full of Patience Loyalty and Truth The fair Aspasia I have injur'd too The guilty author of their
THE MAID'S TRAGEDY ALTERED With some other PIECES By EDMUND WALLER Esq Not before Printed in the several Editions of his POEMS LONDON Printed for Jacob Tonson at the Judges Head in Chancery Lane near Fleet-street 1690. MOST of the following Pieces being unfinish'd were never intended to be publish'd but that a Person who had borrowed a Manuscript Copy of them took upon him to print them The Copy from which they were printed was very Imperfect and there being noe means left to suppress them it was thought fit to suffer them to be more correctly printed from the last and truest Copies THE MAIDS TRAGEDY ALTER'D BY Mr. WALLER PROLOGUE SCarce should we have the boldness to pretend So long renown'd a Tragedy to mend Had not already some deserv'd your praise With like attempt Of all our elder Plays This and Philaster have the lowdest fame Great are their Faults and glorious is their Flame In both our English Genius is exprest Lofty and bold but negligently drest Above our Neighbours our Conceptions are But faultless Writing is th' effect of Care Our Lines reform'd and not compos'd in haste Polisht like Marble would like Marble last But as the present so the last Age writ In both we find like negligence and wit Were we but less indulgent to our faults And patience had to cultivate our thoughts Our Muse would flourish and a nobler rage Would honour this than did the Graecian Stage Thus says our Author not content to see That Others write as carlesly as He. Tho he pretends not to make things compleat Yet to please You he 'd have the Poets sweat In this old Play what 's new we have exprest In rhiming Verse distinguish'd from the rest That as the Roan its hasty way does make Not mingling Waters thro Geneva's Lake So having here the differeut stiles in view You may compare the former with the new If we less rudely shall the Knot unty Soften the rigour of the Tragedy And yet preserve each persons character Then to the Other This you may prefer 'T is left to you the Boxes and the Pit Are soveraign Judges of this sort of Wit In other things the knowing Artist may Judge better than the people but a Play Made for delight and for no other use If you approve it not has no excuse Enter Evadne with a Page of Honour Evad. A Mintor lost it were as vain a thing As 't is prodigious to destroy the King Compell'd by Threats to take that bloody Oath And the Act ill I am absolv'd by both This Island left with pitty I 'll look down On the King's Love and fierce Melantius's frown These will to both my resolution bring Page give Melantius that this to the King Exit Page with the Letters Under how hard a fate are Women born Priz'd to their ruine or expos'd to scorn If we want Beauty we of Love despair And are besieg'd like Frontier Towns if fair The pow'r of Princes Armies overthrows What can our Sex against such force oppose Love and Ambition have an equal share In their vast Treasures and it costs as dear To ruine us as Nations to subdue But we are faulty tho all this be true For Towns are starv'd or batter'd e're they yield But We perswaded rather than compell'd For things superfluous neglect our Fame And weakly render up our selves to shame Oh! that I had my Innocence again My untoucht Honour but I wish in vain The Fleece that has been by the Dyer stain'd Never again its native whiteness gain'd Th' unblemisht may pretend to virtue's Crown 'T is Beauty now must perfect my renown With that I govern'd him that Rules this Isle 'T is that which makes me tryumph in Spoile The Wealth I bear from this exhausted Court Which here my Bark stands ready to transport In narrow Rhodes I 'll be no longer pent But act my part upon the Continent Asiatick Kings shall see my Beauties Prize My shining Jewels and my brighter Eyes Princes that fly their Scepters left behind Contempt or Pitty where they travel find The Ensigns of our Power about we bear And every Land pays Tribute to the Fair. So shines the Sun tho hence remov'd as clear When his Beams warm th' Antipodes as here Exit Enter Melantius with a Letter in his hand She 's gone to perish if the Gods be just The Sea 's not vast enough to quench her Lust. The standing Regiments the Fort the Town All but this wicked Sister is our own Oh! that I could but have supriz'd the Wretch E're she that Watry Element did reach Twice false Evadne spightfully forsworn That fatal Beast like this I would have torn Tears the Paper with fury But this design admits of no delay And our Revenge must sind some speedy way I 'll sound Lucippus he has always paid Respect to my deserts could he be made To joyn with us we might preserve the State And take revenge without our Countrys fate He loves his Brother but a present Crown Cannot but tempt a Prince so near the Throne He 's full of Honour tho he like it not If once he swear he 'll not reveal the Plot. Exit Enters the King alone King Melantius false it cannot be and yet When I remember how I merit it He is presented to my guilty mind Less to his Duty than Revenge inclin'd 'T is not my nature to suspect my friends Or think they can have black malicious ends 'T is doing wrong creates such doubts as these Renders us jealous and destroys our peace Happy the Innocent whose equal thoughts Are free from anguish as they are from faults Enter a Page with a Letter Page 'T is from Evadne Sir Exit King Why should she use Her Pen to me 't is some important news Reads the Letter From aboard my Yacht Strangely dated WHich is now bearing me away from the rage of my offended Brothers I wish you were as safe from their Revenge They aim at your Life and made me swear to take it They have got the Fort and are assured of the Inclinations both of the Soldiers and Citizens My first Prayer is to the Gods for your Preservation my next to your Majesty that if they return to their Duty you would afford them your Grace 'T is no fain'd tale Callianax has told The Great Melantius is as false as bold The Crown we hazard when at home we stay And teach our forces others to obey Conduct of Armies is a Princes Art And when a Subject acts that Royal Part As he in Glory rises we grow less While our Arms prosper ruin'd by success For in a Court what can so dreadful be As one more glorious than our selves to see Enter Melantius and Lucippus Such is the General to Lucippus Ear What 't is he trusts I 'll step aside and hear Lucipp How am I caught with an unwary Oath Not to reveal the secret which I loath To stain my Conscience with my Brother's blood To be a King No not
to be a God He that with patience can such Treason hear Tho he consent not has a Guilty Ear. Unto thy self pronounce the name of King That word will keep thee from so foul a thing late Mel. Sir your fond care and kindness comes too To save your Brother or prevent my hate The People mutiny the Fort is mine And all the Soldiers to my will incline Of his own Servants he has lost the Heart And in the Court I have the nobler part Unto your self pronounce the name of King That word will tell you 't is no trivial thing That you are offer'd Do not storm and frown At my endeavours to preserve the Crown Wear it your self occasion will not stay T is lost unless you take it while you may Tumult and ruine will o'rewhelm the State And you 'll be guilty of your Country's fate Luc. aside Some form'd design against the King is laid Let 's try how far our reason may perswade To him The Crown you value so my Brother bears Upon his Head and with it all the cares While I enjoy th' advantage of his State And all the Crown can give except the weight Long may he Reign that is so far above All Vice all Passion but excess of Love And can th' effects of Love appear so strange That into Beasts our greatest Gods could change Mel. The deathless Gods when they commit a Rape Disguis'd a while again resume their Shape But Princes once turn'd into Beasts remain For ever so and should like Beasts be slain Luc. Tho more in years you have a Mistress still And for that fault would you your Soveraign kill Love is the frailty of Heroic minds And where great Vertues are our pardon finds Brutes may be Chast Pidgeons Swans and Doves Are more confin'd than we are in their Loves Justice and Bounty in a Prince are things That Subjects make as happy as their Kings Will you contract the guilt of Royal Blood And rob your Country of her chiefest good Mel. Of one whose Lust his Family has stain'd By whose good Conduct he securely reign'd Luc. Of one whose choice first made your Valour known And with whose Armies you have got renown 'T is all the gratitude Subjects can shew To bear with Patience what their Princes do Mel. Yet Brutus did not let proud Tarquin scape Luc. The Prince his Son was guilty of a Rape For Joys extorted with a violent hand Revenge is just and may with honour stand But should a Prince because he does comply With one that 's fair and not unwilling dye Or is it fit the people should be taught Your Sisters frailty with my Brothers fault Mel. Let her be known unchast so it be said That he that durst perswade her to 't is dead Luc. The King has wrong'd you Is it just that you Mischief to me and the whole Nation do Mel. Rather than not accomplish my Revenge Just or unjust I would the World unhinge Luc. Yet of all Vertues Justice is the best Valour without it is a common Pest. Pirates and Thieves too oft with Courage grac'd Shew us how ill that Vertue may be plac'd 'T is our complexion makes us chast or brave Justice from Reason and from Heav'n we have All other Vertues dwell but in the blood That in the Soul and gives the name of good Justice the Queen of Vertues you despise And only rude and savage Valour prize To your revenge you think the King and all That Sacred is a Sacrifice should fall The Town be ruin'd and this Isle laid wast Only because your Sister is not chast Can you expect that she should be so sage To rule her blood and you not rule your rage Both foul distempers are but yours the worse Less pleasure has and brings the greater curse Mel. In idle Rhodes Philsophers are bred And you young Prince are in their Morals read Nor is it hard for one that feels no wrong For patient duty to employ his Tongue Oppression makes men mad and from their breast All reason does and sense of duty wrest The Gods are safe when under wrongs we groan Only because we cannot reach their Throne Shall Princes then that are but Gods of clay Think they may safely with our honour play Reward a Soldiers Merit with a stain To his whole Race and yet securely Reign Farewel I know so brave a Prince will scorn To tell the secret unto which he 's sworn Luc. aside I promis'd Secrecy but did not say I would look tamely on Melantius stay You have my Promise and my hasty word Restrains my Tongue but tyes not up my Sword Of other Vertues tho you are bereft By your wild rage I know your Valour 's left Swear not to touch my Brother or with speed Behind the Castle-wall let 's meet Mel. Agreed Exit Lucip. Mel. His well-known Vertue and his constant Love To his bad Brother may the people move I 'll take the occasion which he gives to bring Him to his Death and then destroy the King Ex. Mel. Enter the King as discovering himself King O! what an happiness it is to find A friend of our own blood a Brother kind A Prince so good so just so void of fear Is of more value than the Crown I wear The Kingdom offer'd if he would engage He has refus'd with a becoming rage For such a Brother to th' immortal God More thanks I owe then for the Crown of Rhodes Happy this Isle with such a Hero blest What Vertue dwells not in his Loyal Breast Enter Strato Str. Sir we are lost Melantius has the Fort And the Town rises to assault the Court Where they will find the strongest part their own If you 'll preserve your self you must be gone I have a Garden opens to the Sea From whence I can your Majesty convey To some near friend King There with your Shallop stay The Game 's not lost I have one Card to play Suffer not Diphilus to leave the Court But bid him presently to me resort Exit Strato Had not this Challenge stopt the impendent fate We must have perisht with the ruin'd State Forts Soldiers Citizens of all berest There 's nothing but our private Valour left If he survive I have not long to Reign But he that 's injur'd should be fairly slain The people for their Darling would repine If he should fall by any hand but mine Less wise than valiant the vain man is gone To fight a Duel when his work was done Should I command my Guards to find him where He meets my Brother and destroy him there All hope of Peace would be for ever lost And the wild Rabble would adore his Ghost Dead than alive he would do greater harm And the whole Island to revenge him arm So popular so mighty have I made This fighting man while I liv'd in the Shade But 't was a double fault to raise him so And then dishonour on his house to throw Ill govern'd passions in a