King pardons me Sure you may do 't Me. Oh! is the King so good And after that can you forgive your self Be. Ha done Me. I shall but let me do you first What Services I can and set you free From all Temptations you may have from me Perhaps you think a Crown may delight me Oh! I wou'd rather have my Head be cleft In my King's Service than by Treason Crown'd Let but my Sword command the spots of Earth On which I fight to Guard his Crown and Life And Nobler Fortune I will ne're desire The Gods be prais'd there I have Lordships yet And let us all preserve our Loyalty Then our true Glory lives though our Pomp dies For that is Vanity now I have done I 'le make but one Request then take my leave Be. What 's that Me. To chuse the place of my Exile Be. Where 's that Me. In the Fair Arms of one I Love. Be. And who is she Me. I know not wou'd I did It was my Fate at the Cilician Streights To give her Liberty and lose my own Be. Didst thou make no enquiry of her Name Me. I found her grac'd with all perfections And these I think are Names enow for one They took up all my thoughts and all my time Which was not much for soon we were pursu'd I was compell'd to face the Enemy I had the honour of the Victory But lost the best Reward the sight of her For she was fled away and from that hour I saw her not till now Be. Where saw you her Me. Here in this Palace Be. Here my Wife lives here Aside When did you see her Me. Not a minute past Be. Oh! how I tremble this must be my wife Aside Was no one with her Me. Yes your self my Lord. Be. Infernal horrours Me. Ha! he is disturb'd Aside Be. Oh! he has stab'd me sleeping in my Bed And waken'd me in Hell. Past all dispute Her secret sorrow is a Love for him I 've been solliciting for my own shame 'T is so t is so my Son has whor'd my Wife H 'as whor'd her in her Soul and that 's enough I 'le rip him up and carry her his Heart Hold he is Innocent and she may be Shall I skin o're my Wound with that may be And probe no farther no 't will fester then Oh! better see her once in the foul Act And so conclude my Torment and her Sin Than see her hourly sinning in my thoughts Me. My Lord I fear I love not as I shou'd For I perceive it discomposes you Though you in tenderness conceal my fault Pray let me know it I will freely part With all the Joys I have to pleasure you Be. Oh! noble Youth sure I am safe from him Aside But not from my own thoughts I cannot bear Thorns in my Bed if I have torment there Where shall I rest no I must search it well No Son I only doubt your good success Had you any Encouragement Me. I thought I had Be. 'T is done th' Adultery's finish'd o' her part Aside So is her Life Memnon you have my leave To make this Beauty yours be who she will. Me. My Lord I never can requite this Love Because you fight against your self for me For I see great contention in your thoughts Be. 'T is over now go in you 'l find her there Ex. Me. Oh! Memnon now I wish thy Vertue strong For if you mingle Smiles you mingle Blood. As Bessus is stealing after Memnon Nabarzanes enters Na. My Lord my Lord Be. Whos 's that I 'm employ'd Na. I 've Business for you that concerns your Life Be. I 'm busied in concerns above my Life Na. Well let 'em be of more Concern than Heaven You shall abandon'em and go with me Patron the Greek has been among our Troops Discover'd our designs and told the King. Be. Wou'd Patron were in Hell. Na. He shall be worse For head you Troops he shall be in our Power Be. I 'le come immediately Na. Immediately What Business have you here but with your Wife Do you prefer a Kiss above a Crown And all the Lives and Fortunes of your Freinds Then I believe Patron had this from you And you have sold us all Be. Who I Na. Yes you Your Wife and You the Cause and the World Sink I 'le save my self Farewel Be. Hold hold I go Oh! you have wrong'd me Na. Shew it in the Field Be. I will but I shall perish go or stay Stay and the Hangman's Sword falls on my head Go my Wife 's Whor'd aside oh cursed troubled World Where nothing without Sorrow can be had And 't is not easy to be Good or Bad. For Horrour attends Evil Sorrow Good Vice Plagues the Mind and Vertue Flesh and Blood. Ex. ACT IV. SCENE The Field Enter Darius Artabasus Patron Guards Ar. OH have I sav'd Villains to kill my King Da. No more no more I know thy honest thoughts Oh! my dear Children now a long farewell To all my Glory now a long farewel Nay oh my Fate I must for ruine fight Cyrus and Alexander did not shew More Courage to be Lords o' the whole World Than I must do to have no share in it For if these Villains Perish by my Sword I cut off all the Army that I have And I the once Great Monarch of the World Shall want a Cave where I may hide my head But Justice will be best for all Mankind I 'le shew that I deserve the World I lose Pa. I must entreat your leave for one word more Alas I sooner shall have leave from you Than from my self for every word I speak That grieves your heart stabs mine yet I must speak There 's scarce a faithful man in all your Camp. Da. What dost thou say are all the Persians false Pa. They are as true to you as to themselves But as in danger they have always done So they do now forsake you and themselves Da. Ha! do they joyn the Traytors Pa. Oh! Sir no. They joyn with nothing but confounding fear And that they meet with wherefoe're they go Terrours beset ' em Alexander comes And here the Traytors boldly threaten ' em They who had any Life in 'em are fled And they that stay are held by Cowardise They have not Soul enough even for flight Ar. He has told Truth which I was loath to speak We may as well force men into a Camp From Sick and Dying as from wanton Beds From Plagues as Luxury a flattering Pest Da. Oh! Alexander where wou'd be thy Fame Hadst thou my Army well may'st thou subdue Kingdoms by Men who merit to be Kings For mine do not deserve the name of men Pa. Sir one word more and then I shall have done Not far from hence I have four thousand Greeks We march'd to Persia fifty thousand men Did ever Greek forsake you but by Death Alas Sir now we cannot if we wou'd For in your Service we have fought our selves Out of our
but yours is not with horror seiz'd Viewing the danger that approaches us Sir you deserve the Empire o' the World. And we 'l endeavour Sir to deserve you Great Sir go on and we will follow you You have prepar'd us all with Glorious Arms With hopes of Victory and scorn of Death Pa. Sir We are strangers owe our Birth to Greece So are free Troops and may march where we please But yet to shew we fight for Fame not Pay And did not serve your Money but your Self We are all ready to lay down our Lives And on our Sepulchres erect your Throne For what a Glory will it be to us To make the Persian King our Monument Da. I look'd brave Patron for no less from thee Now it will be a shame if Persian Lords Let a poor stranger in their King 's own Court Outshine 'em all in Love and Loyalty Me. The Gods forbid Lead on most Royal Sir I have some wounds require my present care But Sir they will not indispose me long Ex. Be. Now speak our Thoughts to him we are prepar'd Na. You shew a Courage Sir that shames your Fate Which gives your Crown from your Descent and Right But what has made Heaven blush shall make you bleed Fate plots your ruine by your Gallantry Alas we are not now as we have been A Sea of Men that delug'd the whole Earth Swallowed the Rivers devour'd Nature's Store Emptied the spacious vessel o' the World. More than the grasp o' Providence cou'd hold That down we fell in heaps now 't is not so We may be numbred now all we can do Is but to gain some pity for our selves And Honourably throw away our King. Brave Men scorn Death but yet they value Life Because their Lives are useful to the World. It is enough too much Danger and Death Follow us fast let us not follow them Sir I most humbly move Heaven knows my Soul In tenderness to you not to our selves Retreat with us to neighb'ring Bactria Sir there are endless Forests of brave Youth Whence in few days we will have rods enow To scourge the Macedonian pride to death But then we beg you 'l make one more retreat Da. Whither Na. Sir out of the Dominion Of your ill Planets Da. Ha! What dost thou mean Na. Sir we dare fight with Men but not with Heaven And all the Gods appear your Enemies What if you hid in privacy and ease It wou'd be pious reverence to Heaven And a brave conquest over your own Mind Let none subdue Darius but himself Fling up awhile to th' importuning storm Some of your Dignity to save the rest And make your Court to Heaven and all brave Men By honouring the favourite of both Lord Bessus with the Sovereign power Da. How now Na. Nay Sir but for a while till he has lur'd Gods and revolting Nations to your aid He is ador'd by Men obey'd by Gods. They all observe his Will they 'l not deny Your Crown to him and when 't is in his hand He 'l faithfully return it to your Self Da. Oh! Villain most amazing impudent And cowardly Villain hast thou watch'd thy time When Treason may be insolent and safe And to my Face abuse me unchastis'd No Traytor Da. Draws Bessus and his Men interpose and hold the King. Be. Hold Sir do not hurt your Self Da. Ha! I am seiz'd and threatned Are you all In this conspiracy Pa. No I am not Pa. and the Greeks draw Be. Hold Patron hold hold all that love the King. He will receive no hurt except from you Our Blood is his perhaps his vital Blood. In me you 'l cut whole Nations from his aid Na. Before we spoke we did consider well The strength both of our Reason and our Swords Ex. Be. Na. Da. Ha! Was this Bessus Pa. Sir Will you bear this By Heavens I wou'd rather endure the Swords Of these bold Villains than their impudence Da. It stunn'd me but I now recover Sense Brave Patron follow me follow me all Though my hard Fortune will not suffer me To conquer Kings I 'll be more like a God. I will defend all Kings even those unborn By the reward these Villains shall receive Their dire confusion shall be the defence Of Kings and Kingdoms forty Ages hence Ar. Oh! he is running to his certain death Oh! Sir. Ar. falls at the King's Feet Da. What dost thou mean Ar. Pity your Self Your Friends your Children you will ruin all Da. Will none stand by me then Pa. Yes Sir we will. Da. De' e see Oh! Shame More Love more Loyalty In this brave Stranger than in all my Friends Whom I have made more rich than all his Greece Come Patron bring thy Greeks they 'r strength enough Ar. Oh! If you 'l go to ruin pass through me My life has long been useless to myself I shall abhor it when 't is so to you And nor my Sword nor Counsel can prevail Da. Oh! How am I beset the Enemy Is at my Back my Friends fly in my Face Ar. Oh! Sir I speak my Loyal Care of you The Enemy is near your Army small The Macedonian was too great a weight For us to bear when we had Millions Alas What shall this little Body do When you have maim'd it too and have cut off Its strongest limbs for so these Great Men are Da. They are cut off from all their love to me Ar. Indeed Sir I believe their meaning good They have stood bravely by you Sir till now Stood stronger than the Walls of Babylon For they are fallen in shame by base revolt If they meant well pardon their erring love Do not destroy 'em for some kind mistakes If they be bad Mercy may change their Hearts Da. Do what you will for all must Reign but I. Oh! My misfortunes Ar. Pray Sir do not grieve Da. Nay prithee if I may not be a King Yet let me be the Mourner of a King I am all the Mourners that my death shall have Ar. Then am I false Da. No pardon me good Man. Pa. Who can pretend to Honor or a Soul And not be touch'd with such a Princes wrong Ar. 'T is true then can the Men he has oblig'd Conspire to wrong him if they had the Thought I doubt not but they will abhor themselves And I shall fling 'em at his Feet in tears Pa. Or by the Gods I 'l fling 'em there in Blood. Da. Oh! how shall I reward thee noble Greek Well it is possible they may mean well Then on submission I will pardon 'em And take 'em to my Favour yet for I â—ear more to do injustice than to dye Ex. Pa. Come my brave Countrymen stand to your Arms And let us shew what a true Soldier is He 's no Mechanique Slave that sells his breath But a just generous Lord of life and death Not a wild Beast that knows no Law but Lust He destroys beastial Men or makes 'em just The Cut-throat does a Soldiers name prophane
out what way we can And Sir indeed we thought this was the best But now because 't was bold it appears bad Da. What cou'd befal me worse that what you â—ought Tamely to yield my Crown at your demand And serve my Slaves nothing can throw me down So low as that but my own cowardize I will not yield the Conqueror my Crown I 'le rather singly fight with all his Troops For by 'em aâ—l I can be kill'd but once But yield my Crown I suffer many deaths In my own Shame and my dear Childrens Tears Who then no more are Children of a King. And wou'd you wish me cowardly infamous And cruel to my Children Oh! Is this Your kindness to me You ingrateful Men. Oh! Who wou'd not ha' thought you were my Friends Who wou'd ha' thought you cou'd be otherwise For I beset you with my Favours so No Hearts but yours cou'd scape from loving me And now for you to hurt your King and Friend And at this time when I am prest to death Under a fallen Throne a ruin'd House My Mother Brother little only Son Both my sweet Daughters in captivity And my Queen dead Na. Oh! Sir No more no more Be. Yes Sir Go on go on and break our Hearts For we desire to dye since we grieve you Da. You deserve it for your cruelty Had you by private Treasons stollen my life You had shewn more Humanity than now For then I had not felt the barb'rous blow That had shewn Reverence call'd me a Dread King This calls me Fool and Coward to my Face I shew'd no fear o' the brave enemy Why shou'd you think I wou'd be seiz'd by you Na. We did not hope to work upon your Fear We know you have no Fear but on your Love. We know you have a truly Royal Soul That love your People with paternal Love And we petition'd Sir for all our Lives Which hourly perish by your destiny Be. Yes Sir 't is plain while you are in the Field We fall in heaps you are no sooner gone But as your Chariot wheels turn'd Heaven round Success is ours and the whole day is chang'd And we wou'd six our Fortune to your Crown Your dangers to our Heads in off'ring this We have discharg'd our Duties and can dye Na. Nay wish to dye to ease you of your fears Better we dye than you shou'd want repose We pray not for our Lives Sir but your Love. Da. Oh! now you vanquish me come to my Arms Be. Oh! excellent King. Na. Too Good too Gracious Da. I will not sacrifice great things to vile Men good and gallant to revenge and fear No do your Duty Sirs and I 'le do mine Leave the dispose of Crowns to Kings and Gods. Preserve your Honours that 's enough for you Conquer a Conqueror not a fallen King. And your own King you want no Enemies Oh! make not any for your selves by crimes The Macedonian King pursues us fast And I perhaps shall perish by his Sword That you may spare the guilt of murd'ring me Be. Oh! Horror Do you think we have the thought Na. Oh! you suspect us that is worse than death Da. No no I only counsel you in love For you possess my Heart though I 've lost yours Be. Oh! say not so Da. I hope 't is otherwise Na. But you believe it not Da. Well I ha' done Be what you seem and all shall be forgot And what we do le ts do like gallant Men. Who bravely fall have this one happiness Above the Conqueror they share his Fame And have more Love and an unenvied Name Ex. Da Ar. Guards Na. This was the only way to vanquish him I found we cou'd not gain the Perâ—â—â—s I often talked to 'em of Liberty Alas they understood not what I meant For in the Persian Tongue is no such word they answer'd nothing but the King the King His Sacred Majesty long live the King That mighty comprehensive word the King Had all the Sense a Persian Thought cou'd hold So I thought this our only secure way We cou'd not fight the Greeks and Persians Be. Now I cou'd easier have fought 'em both Than stoop'd to all this base Hypocrisie I think 't is harder to subdue him now Than if he had his Millions at his heels For Sovereign Power springs out o' the Sword. If I had conquer'd him in a fair Fight I had both gain'd his Kingdom and his Right Now on our Selves and our brave Friends we fall And turn 'em into Fools and Villains all Glory I court and I wou'd have my Love Fair and complete as She 's enjoy'd by Jove Na. And so you will Jove did for Empire frame A World of Fools and Knaves we do the same Were there no Knaves what use of Sovereign sway And if there were no Fools Who wou'd obey Ex. SCENE Another Apartment in the Palace Enter Bar. and Or. Ba. Now I have told the secrets of my Heart I have much eas'd my Heart it is more cool My Reason does begin to come in play Though I find great misfortune in Love I have this comfort there is no great guilt I lov'd the Son e're I the Father saw It pleas'd the Gods I know not for what sin In the great Field at the Cilician Streights First to begin the dreadful day on me Darted into my Eyes into my Soul The shining the confounding killing charms Of the most Noble Youth they ever form'd At the first sight of him my Soul dissolv'd It was some time e're I had breath to speak At length I hid my Face and whisp'ring you Bid you enquire who that Commander was Or. You did I thought 't was Curiosity And gave you information Ba. To my Joy. He quickly rode away oâ—â— o' my sight But left such strong impressions on my Soul. Though many thousands fell before my Face The day was lost nay my own liberty I saw it not Memnon was in my Eye But oh my misery soon waken'd me And then I shriek'd more out of fear For Memnon than my Self for I despair'd To see him more except amongst the dead As we were led over our slaughter'd Friends Envying their gory mangled Carkasses The same brave Youth whom I had in my Heart Came shining once again into my Eye With new and brighter splendors than before For he brought Honour Conquest Liberty Dispers'd the Enemy as Winds do Sand And quickly made free passage for my flight You must remember it for you were there In the same Chariot with me Or. Yes I was And so was he I think Ba. What do you mean Or. I 'm sure his Eye was and I think his Heart Ba. Away but if it was so much the worse For then his misery wou'd be like mine Or. Wou'd it afflict you to be lov'd by him Ba. Yes to his grief else 't wou'd extremely please Or. I know not if he loves this I am sure He was your Guard your Beauty was his Guide For all the way
This is reviving news the King has now Considerable strength see my Lord 's here Enter Bessus Barzana Oronte Oh! my Lord Bessus welcome from the Grave For the devouring Fields you left behind Are but one Grave of many miles extent Be. 'T is true where half the Kingdom lies interr'd Where is the King my Lord Ar. I do not know I mean the Glorious King you saw to day March to the Field with pomp that made the day It had more light from him than from the Sun. Here 's a despairing and deserted Prince That came to Town a private Charioteer And has not only lost Dominion Over great Nations but his Royal Self His Passions rule which they ne'r did before And rule so ill the gallant Enemy Wou'd I 'm sure treat him with more gentleness Be. No wonder he has had a heavy blow Ar. What Lady have you there Be. My Wife my Lord. Ar. Oh! Madam I 'm in doubt if I may say I 'm glad your life is safe for I believe 'T is better to be dead than as we are Be. Not so my Lord we may recover all I find great numbers of brave Men in Town The King has yet great Provinces entire And chiefly Bactria where I command There are a thousand Towns well fortified Where the proud Conquerors Fortune may be lost As in a Labyrinth with a thousand doors And the King scape and re-ascend his Throne Therefore he need not much submit to grief Ar. Alas He grieves not only for himself But all his suffering Friends for you and me The griefs and losses of his faithful Slaves Are all of ours that he wou'd ever share Other Proprieties he 'd never touch Though he be Lord of all but wou'd neglect All Right but what he has in his Friends tears Those he too carefully collects himself Now in the midst of his great Monarchy He 's all alone as in a Wilderness I 'le go to him and when I can have leave To speak to him I 'le tell him you are come 'T will greatly comfort him he loves you much Be. The Gods preserve him Ar. Madam your sweet Youth Ex. May live to better days Heaven grant you may Be. Madam your Beauty may make better days At least with me let Fortune do her worst Wou'd it please you But Sorrow pleases you More than my Love and ever has done so Since first you saw my Face How Saw my Face I do not know you ever look'd on me Your Eyes are turn'd away or veil'd in tears Madam this cannot easily be born I am less safe with you than among all The Macedonian Swords I 've scap'd from them Yet dye with torments in Barzana's Arms. I am resolv'd I will find out the cause Ba. Alas I fear he will discover me aside One whispers Dat. Dat. My Lord my Lord I 've joyful news for you Your belov'd Son Lord Memnon is come safe Barzana starts Ba. Lord Memnon ha aside My Lord I beg your leave I may retire I 'm weary and not well Be. Madam I wish you may have more repose Than you can find in me Ba. Nay Why my Lord Will you be cruel to your Self and Me I pray forbear if you desire my life Be. More than my own I 've done all health to you Ex. Ba. Oron. at one Door At another Enter Mem. Well I will trace her Sorrows to their Spring So Here 's another joy Welcome young Man Come to my Arms for you deserve my Love. Y 'ave done me in the Field no little Grace It wou'd be strange if thou should'st not be brave Thy Mother had more Manhood than our Men. Well thou art come into a ruin'd World Where thy great Virtue will have no reward Me. My Lord I am rewarded in your Love. Our Honour and our Friends is wealth enough Be. 'T is true indeed there is great wealth in Love. Oh! Son I 've Married so much Excellence Me. So I am told my Lord. Be. Do not admire I never â—rought thee yet into her sight I durst not do it for to produce thee Had been too bold a boast of my past Love To thy fair Mother to affront my Wife And I wou'd not offend her for the World. Me. My Lord You need not make excuse for this You but observe the custom o' the place 'T is thought a horrid profanation To Persian Beauties to be visible They are conceal'd like Divine Mysteries A Sister does not see a Brother here Be. True and I prithee come not in her sight I brought her from the Battle She 's in Town Me. How shall I shun her For I know her not Be. Do not approach this Palace here She 's lodg'd With other Beauties that escap'd the Fight Me. I shall observe your pleasure carefully Be. Now go thy ways here is another Friend Exit Me. And Enter Nabarzanes Na. Lord Bessus I am glad to see you safe Be. I doubt we are not safe the King is strong Na. In what Be. In Persians Na. Strong in Persians They can be strong in nothing but Perfumes They have no Spirits but from Essences Be. They 'r above thirty thousand Na. Say they be Be. Danger breeds Valour They who poorly fell Were Embrio's and miscarriages of War. But Danger has gone out her time with these Then he has Patron and four thousand Greeks Na. They I confess give the King's Sword an edge Be. And I have scarce four thousand Bactrian Horse Na. True and my Scythian Archers are no more Be. And then he has a Guard which all Slaves fear Religious awe of Kingly Majesty Na. When other Forces fly that never stays That Kings have the Militia on Earth Is fit shou'd they have that of Heaven too Vain Panique fears and Superstitions I 'l suffer none to List among my Troops Be. He has one Guard I fear that 's Misery It somthing touches me but that 's not all I 've an insatiable and burning Love For Glory and to fall on a fallen King Will much deface the Beauty of my Fame Na. We 'l serve the King save him from misery Fortune declares her Self his Enemy And we will lay him safe out of her way He shall enjoy the ease and pomp of Power And we 'l endure the danger and the toil Be. Ha! 't is well thought The King will yield to this Na. We 'l make it our request Be. Do I agree Na. Where is he now Be. He is shut in with Grief And Artahasus the Old General Na. Let us prepare our Friends and watch our time Be. Do 't is a brave design to save one King And beat another save a ruin'd King And beat his Conqueror then save the World From both by Liberty it will be great It will be Glorious we shall be ador'd Na. There will be cause while Glorious Murderers Destroy mankind to form a Tyranny We 'l destroy Tyranny to form Mankind Be. 'T is true how Cruel is it and unjust Whole Nations shou'd in Sorrow Live
he by your Chariot rode His Eye did never fail to follow yours His Tongue said little but his Looks said much Indeed that was no time or place for talk Our Ears were with a thousand noises fill'd Ay and our Hearts too with a thousand fears Alas This short success was only lent Fortune did soon demand her Favours back The Enemy pursued the gallant Youth Was forc'd to turn on them and you to fly Ba. Oh! I fled slowly with a heavy Heart A thousand times did I turn back my Eye Ay and I think as oâ—t my Chariot Wishing to see him come a Conqueror But 't was in vain to stay the night came on So I went forwards and let Fortune drive Who led me to Eternal Misery In the first ylace where I my safety sought There with the King Lord Bessus lay conceal'd Who at first sight o' me flam'd out with Love And begg'd in me his ruine o' the King. Or. Why did you not inform the King your love Ba. I did in what I cou'd blushes and tears But the word Love I had not power to speak Or. Oh! fatal Modesty But see my Lord. Ba. Oh! my disorders will discover me What can I say why I as yet a Bride Have all the Sorrow of a captive Slave Enter Bessus Be. Madam may I approach Ba. My Lord you know You are a Sovereign here Be. I have some right But Grief usurps my room I cann't bear A Rival in my Bed. Ba. Rival my Lord Be. That is my Rival sure that shares with me And I methinks have the least part in you What Favours I receive you rather give To Marriage Vows than Me. Those Cherubims Are not for Idols but for Ornaments To grace Love's Altars not to be ador'd Madam you may believe it troubled me To be excluded thus my Joy and Right I wou'd not very tamely yield it up I have been searching for my Enemy And I believe I have th' Offender found Ba. What does he say aside Be. Madam I call to mind When we last parted new was brought to me My Son was come his Name disorder'd you Ba. Undone Undone I am betraid aside Be. 'T is so My Son My Son. Ba. Your Son What of your Son Be. Undoes me your confusion shews it plain Ba. In what confusion am I Be. All your Face Flames with a blush your breath goes thick and short Your Speech wou'd scarcely falter more in death Ba. Fetch me a Dagger aside Be. I 'le remove this Grief Iâ—le send for him and stab him in your sight Ba. Oh! Horror Horror Hold You shall know all Be. Oh! I know all and will remove it all Madam you very highly injure me Ba. I do not do not Be. Oh! you do Ba. In what Be. I here invoke the Gods. Ba. And so do I. Be. Tear out my Heart if it be false to you Ba. Have you suspicion I am false to you Be. No Madam no but you have entertain'd Causeless suspicion of my Truth to you Not that my humble Heart is worth your Care But your own Merit is you are enrag'd Your Royal Birth and Divine Excellence Which may deserve to have more Heavens than one Gain not the entire Heart of one poor Slave But you are triumph'd over by the Queen Because I shew some fondness of her Son. Ba. Oh! I am scap'd Shame and Death threatned me aside And then rode by far far out of their way He thinks my Grief is jealousie of him Be. Come Madam throw the Queen out of your Thoughts For I 'le assure you she is far from mine I never lov'd her in her softest Youth Nature indeed had given her charms for Love But the embraces of the wanton Wind And Suns hot Kisses had debauch'd 'em all And they were all the Kisses She endur'd She must perform the Office of her Sex Or have no Heirs to her Renown and Throne So our embrace was but a Bed Cabal More for a State than amorous intrigue Love did but little in the whole Affair The Gods did all therefore the gallant Youth Is like a God and therefore lov'd by me I know you 'd love him if you saw him once Which you shall do and let him kiss your hands Run for my Son to 〈◊〉 Ba. I will not see his Face He 's setting his own House all in a flame aside When it already burns in smothering fire Be. Oh How disturb'd She is cou'd I believe A trouble to thy Hear shou'd delight mine This is a mark of love but th' only one I do not wish to have lay it aside And let all three love I must confess My Son is a record of my past Love But he 's so fair a one I 'm very sure if you beheld him once You wou'd be loth he shou'd be blotted out Ba. With what a pleasing Dream he is deceiv'd aside 'T is cruelty to waken a sick Friend Whose Sleep is all his case let him dream on Nay I am told your Son your Son 's a gallant Man. And I am troubled that I cannot give His Merit the reception it deserves Be. Why not my Love you may if I consent Ba. I 'le not consent to an undecent thing And so it is t' encourage vicious Love. Such was your kindess for the Amazon Queen Be. Thy Virtue is too nice Ba. Nay I 'm content You love and favour him Be. A thousand Thanks Ba. But do not let him come into my sight Be. Well dearest you shall see the Divine power You have o'r me that the least sigh of yours Can shake the Universe from under me My Memnon is to me a World of Joy He offends you and vanishes for ever Ba. Oh! now I grieve aside Be. What say you do you grieve Ba. O'r-heard aside Be. Oh! this is kind now he shall go Enter Memnon Ba. I see him Oh? I tremble burn and faint I cannot stay or go aside Be. See see I swear The very sight of him distempers her You shall not see him love away away A thousand Thanks for all this tender love Ex. Ba. Or. Come hither Memnon thou wert once my All And still thou art a most dear part o' me I tell thee this ' cause I 'm to lose thee soon And I wou'd make our parting soft to thee What e're it is to me I am compell'd To banish thee for ever from my sight Me. Compell'd to banish me Alas my Lord I fear my Loyalty displeases you I have heard dreadful news about the King. Oh! I have wâ—pt and rav'd and torn my Hair And curs'd my Birth now doubly infamous First by my Mothers sin and now by yours Be. You know not what you say I had great aims I saw the Kingdom fall Me. Had Heaven fallen And yoâ— had done your Duty you had stood Be. 'T is true I sallied out beyond my bounds But 't was to serve the King Me. He serves him best Who keeps his Post Obedience was yours Be. No more o'th is if the
Blood our Country and our Friends There is no Bactria no Greece for us Your Royal Self is now our sole retreat We humbly beg for all our Services No greater Honour than to be your Guard. Ar. Sir he desires an Honour he deserves And what may be of mighty use to you His Greeks will be a Bulwark to your self And all your Men give 'em new Courage Sir grant him his request Da. Not for the World A Glorious King shou'd ever more regard The Honourable Counsels than the safe In my own Camp be a poor Fugitive To my own Nation a Forreigner To Forreigners a little Pensioner Have no Authority but what they give And so descend from being a Persian King To be a petty Lord of a few Greeks The Traytors then will say they fight a Greek And I shall give 'em Colour for their Crimes No I 'le not fall by any fault of mine I 'le not forsake my Friends if they quit me The fault 's not mine and I had rather fall By Royal Charity to my own Slaves Than Reign by Stranger 's Charity to me Patron a thousand thanks I will accept The Service of thy Sword but not this way Go to thy Noble Greeks and serve me there And Heaven reward thy Love and Gallantry Pa. Heaven be your Guard I fear y 'ave little else Besides what you shall ever find in me Da. Thou Honour of thy Nation shame to mine Ex. Pa. Now put my men in readiness to fight And then command the Traytors to my Feet If they dare disobey fall on An Alarm How now Ar. What shou'd this mean Da. They make the first assault Ex. Ar. My Chariot speedily the news the news Enter Artabazus Ar. Sir the Vantguard of Alexander's Troops Is in your Camp. Da. Two Enemies at once Thou fight the Rebells and I 'le fight the King Ex. Da. Ar. a great cry Alarm and disorder within and Enter Darius stopping the flying Persians Da. For shame for shame you Cowards quit your King And fly from sound this is a false Alarm The Traytors made by Alexander's Name To frighten you from me Fly from his Name How will you meet his Sword but by my Life You shall encounter with his Sword or mine Enter Artabazus Ar. Oh! Sir a Cheat a Cheat Da. I know it well How many of our Men may be disperst Ar. Sir almost all y 'ave not a hundred left And now the Traytors have surrounded you Have interpos'd between the Greeks and you And are in a great body drawing down Da. Then it is time The King offers to kill himself but is held by Ar. Ar. Hold Sir. Da. Now I reflect This Crime belongs only â—o Regicides Why shou'd I take their Guilt upon my self I ne're yet stain'd my Sword with Innocent Blood Why shou'd I do it in my dying hour Ar. Oh! mournful hour oh wou'd you had receiv'd The Gallant Offer of the Noble Greek You had been safe as in a Tower of Steel Da. Not from my self it wou'd ha' stab'd my heart To beg poor Life from a few wandring Greeks Alas from them I cou'd ha' had no more Ar. No doubt the Persians wou'd have followed you Da. I 'm better follow'd now and more secure I 'm safe from the Dishonour and the Crime Of quitting them or doing any thing That may deserve my miserable fall The thought brings many comforts to my Soul. Ar. A dreadful fall indeed how have I seen A hundred Nations follow you to Wars Follow Adore you Now your only Guards Are a few Eunuchs and a weak old man. And you who oft have rode on Golden Gods Are trod on now by every little Slave Da. Oh! these are many Darts and they 're all keen Yet did they only light upon my self My pain wou'd be no more than if they fell On a dead part for in my Queen I 'm dead But in my Children and my Friends I live Oh! there my Sence is quick my Torments sharp Prithee dear Artabazus when I 'm dead Go to my Mother Children all my Friends And tell 'em how I fought and how I mourn'd My Courage Honour and my Love to them Stuck to me the last but nothing else I give 'em cause to Mourn but not to Blush Ar. Oh! Sir you rather give 'em cause of pride Men are admir'd not prais'd for Happiness Vertue 's the Lustre Pomp is but a shew That pleases Gods This Women Fools and Boys You conquer'd Power where Alexander falls And now in Misery y' are Glorious still But Sir wou'd you wou'd try if you cou'd scape Da. Ah! whither can I scape to scornful Life I wou'd not have it were it in my Power Then sure I wou'd not steal so poor a thing And if I wou'd now the Attempt is vain I shall be catch'd in the disgraceful Theft No here I will attend my Destiny And now good Artabazus take thy leave Ar. How leave you Sir in all this great distress Da. Alas thy stay can do me little good 'T will rather hurt me much encrease my Grief If thou hast any pleasure in my sighs Continue with me I have none in thine No we afflict each other prithee go I love to have my Friends share in my joyes But wou'd have all my sorrows to my self And I can best contend with 'em alone For Sorrow I perceive's love 's solitude I prithee take not from me solitude Ar. I am not us'd Sir to dispute your will. But I shall never never see you more Or at least never till we meet in Heaven There is a Heaven or there are no Gods. Gods wou'd not suffer so much Misery In their poor Creatures but for some great End And all this world can never recompence The sorrows of the least poor honest man. What shall be done then for a Martyr'd King Da. Nay I confess I look and long for Death Come Artabazus take my last Embrace 'T is all I have to give thee for thy love Ar. My King my King Da. My ever faithful friend Oh! thou art rooting deeper in my heart Tear thy self from me or we cannot part Ar. I have not strength to do 't Da. I cannot part Or see thee go first let me Veil my Face And then betake to my last Friend the Earth In whose cold Bosome I shall rest secure No Traytors will have Plots upon me there Now go The King flings his Robe over his Face then falls on the ground Ar. Farewell for ever Sir. Ex. Da. Farewell Go all and as you go plunder my Tents To the Eunuchs Let not my bloody Murderers be my Heirs Better my Gold pay your Fidelity Than their base Villany Go 't is enough Your Faith and Love have liv'd as long as I. As the Eunuchs go off they set up a mournful cry At which Bessus Nabarzanes and Dataphernes and their Guards rush in upon the King with drawn Swords Be. What means this cry Na. Has the King kill'd himself Darius rises Da. No Villains I
Traytress has inform'd my Husband all And he in rage has flung me off to Hell. Did he consent you shou'd address to me Me. No Madam not to your fair self by name I do not know your name Ba. Not know my Name Me. No Madam when I met you in the Field Love and Amazement took up all my Sence Had I been told your Name I had not known The Enemy and Night then parted us And a long Night it was I saw no day 'Till here this happy Morning I saw you I found my Father told him what befell He gave me a full grant to make you mine Be what you wou'd Or. Now Madam was I false Aside to Barzana Ba. I am more wretched than I was before I have found Treasure which I cannot keep The Love of him I love is now my grief For I am forc'd to cast it all away I must discover to him who I am Alas my Lord this Love is but a Dream Your Heart receiv'd my Image as it past Remove the face the shadow vanishes Leave me your Love is gone Be 't as it will All Heaven and Earth is plac'd between us two For to be plain with you I am a Wife Me. Madam I will acknowledge a bold Truth I sought you much but Guide I cou'd have none For you are far above description Chance brought me hither when the wanton winds Open'd the folding doors and shew'd me you My Soul retir'd in a Religious awe But your inchanting words soon brought her back I heard you own inspiring Love for me Madam wou'd you do that were you a Wife Ba. Oh! I shall blush to Death Aside to Or. Or. Good Madam why He knows not who you are you did not say You are his Father's wife Aside Ba. 'T is very true Aside What held my tongue But oh he knows too much He knows my Love more he shall never know I 'd rather burn in any fire than shame I will get free then like a Vision I 'le vanish hence and never be heard of more Me. Oh! Madam I perceive you are disturb'd Ba. Indeed My Lord y 'ave give me great Offence Me. Alas I fear my self am the Offence Why shou'd you be asham'd of innocent Love Unless you be asham'd of him you Love. Oh! is it so with me Ba. Y 'ave made it now Indecent to consider what you are And if you have not your ill Father has Your wicked Father has destroy'd your hopes Me. Oh! must I suffer for my Father's faults Ba. And must I suffer for your Father's faults I am a Princess o' the Royal Blood And if I League with you I cast away My Fortune Conscience Honour nay my Life Nay both shall die and by your Father's hand Me. Oh! Madam I am sure that fear is vain Pray send for him I know he 'll give consent Ba. Oh! horrour horrour Me. Madam do not fear Run for my Father Ba. Will you murder me All of the Royal Race will seek my Life If I be known to love your Father's Son. Me. Madam we 'll fly to the Brave Enemy Ba. I fly away in secret with a man And with the Son of the King's Enemy Shou'd my Friends pardon me yet I shou'd dye With Shame and Horrour And I 'm much displeas'd You shou'd embrace such shameful thoughts o' me And I even scorn you for your loving me Since you believe I have no more desert Me. Madam your merit seems so great to me As gives a Grace to every thing you do You can do nothing will appear a fault Madam I 'le do such things to serve the King As will conceal the faults of my ill Birth Ba. You can do nothing Nature binds your hands Will you destroy your Father horrid thought Yet if you do not he destroys the King. That Hell surrounds you 't is impossible To come at you but through all Misery And why shou'd you desire such ill to me Then go if you 'd preserve my Love or Life Your stay will but incurr my Mortal hate Nay perhaps bring my Blood upon your head Me. The Gods forbid I 'le rather sink to Hell. Ba. Then go whilst I have one kind thought of you And my kind thoughts are all you shall enjoy Me. All this I fear'd expected almost wish'd So much I tender you above my self For my ill Father's Son must look for Plagues They are my Birthright and Inheritance And I shou'd be most cruel and unjust If I shou'd seek to fix 'em upon you No Madam fly our cursed House and me Your generous Loyalty I praise and love Though 't is the Sword of Heaven to cut me off Well Madam I will take my self away Nay more I beg you 'l throw me from your thoughts That I may ne're be trouble to you more Ba. Now he goes nearer to my heart than ever Aside 'T is dangerous to see or hear him more And cruelty to send him bleeding hence Without some Balm My Lord I were unjust To love you least when you deserve it most No no you ever shall possess my thoughts And Heaven that made me has no more of me Me. Oh! Madam many thousand thousand thanks For this Compassion though 't will be no more Than a fair Monument o're a dead Wretch Ba. Oh! I have held my violent Grief till now To make our parting easie as I cou'd But now I 've lost all power o're my self And if you longer stay I shall fall dead Go if y 'ave pity for your self or me Me. I go I go and now can easier go Your kind Tears comfort me oh wretched me The grief of her I love is all my joy And now a long farewel my Love was born In a most fatal Field in Deaths dark shades And it will ne're have Health till it repair To Death again its Mournful Native Air. Exit Ba. He 's gone and I shall never see him more I must not will not dare not see him more I 'le fly if possible all thoughts of him All knowledge of my self Poor Womankind Heaven for our ruin gifts on us bestows Charms to allure no Power to opppose In Passion we are strong in Reason weak Constant alone to errour and mistake In Vertue feign'd in Vanity sincere Witty in Sin and for Damnation fair Exeunt Omnes ACT V. SCENE A Garden Enter Memnon Me. OH I am blasted in my Bloom of Youth I am more miserable for my Youth For the more Years and Life I have to come The larger Fields of Misery and Shame Have my unhappy Father sowed for me Well I will trouble nothing but my self I 'le wander from my Friends my Fortunes Hopes Then like a Plummet parted from the Line I will sink down in deep obscurity Where never more shall trace be found o' me Ha! oh my Heart the Princess comes this way Enter Barzana and Oronte Comes like a sudden spring on my dead hopes And forces 'em methinks into new Life Something methinks from Heaven stops my
Monarch o' the Universe And for the common Cause of all Crown'd Heads I challenge the Revenge due to my Blood. Pol. Sir it will be reveng'd your Murderers Are in the hands of your most Faithful Slaves Da. I 'm glad on 't for the sake of all Mankind Pity the Sea has bounds if Sin has none Better men sunk in Sea than Villany I 'm faint and thirsty I but lately saw Some drinking at a Spring not far from hence A little Water wou'd refresh me much Pol. Sir it was I you shall have some with speed Pol. fetches the King water in his Helmet the King drinks Da. How vainly do we pity Poverty The Gods sit at the Table o' the Poor And turn their Water to delicious Wine Never had I in pompous Luxury Such Pleasure as this draught o'water yields But Fortune does pursue me to the last I 'm forc'd to beg even Water for my Thirst And though a King I cannot pay for it But Alexander will give me thy hand Prethee for me touch Alexander's hand The â—ole remaining Pledge I have to give For all my grateful Love to that brave Prince Dyes Pol. He 's gone he 's gone and it is well he 's so Oh! wretched Prince whose Happiness is Death Let 's bear the Sacred Body to our King For he will give it Royal Funerals Ex. Poly. and Persians with the Body Enter another way Artabazus Patron Persians Greeks with Bessus and Nabarzanes chain'd and wounded Per. Here is the Spring the King 's not far from hence Ar. Oh! no for see the ground all stain'd with Blood. And no doubt Royal Blood let us pursue The dreadful track 't will bring us to the King. Pa. 'T will bring these Villains to Damnation Enter a Persian 2 Per. My Lord I met the Macedonians With the King's Body and the King is dead Ar. Oh! Prince the best and yet most wrong'd of men What Joy and Glory did he not deserve And yet what Misery did he not endure And now deny'd the comfort of Revenge Pa. Perhaps he may enjoy it after Death Oh Royal Shade if yet thou be'st not fled To blest Abodes bear this detested place But while we entertain thee with Revenge Drink sweet Revenge till thy great sorrows Sleep Then thou and all good things fly hence for ever Here take these Monsters torture 'em to Death Ha! pleasing Harmony hear you it not Soft Musick Ar. Yes with great Admiration for methinks This is no time or place for such delight Pa. A Sence of the Kings Murder seems imprest On Beasts and Plants and every thing but those Who threw at once their King and Nature off Lyons come roaring from their Caves then dy'd The Cedars groan'd then fell Th' Earth deeply tore Her Bowels and then wept a bloody Spring Streight all the Plants and Flowers droop'd and dy'd They must be most unnatural Villains then That now find Pleasure but none such are near Enter a Persian Per. My Lord the Traytours are in Torments Dead The Scene is drawn and the Carcasses of Bessus and Nabarzanes are seen hung in Chains and stuck with Darts a Guard attending At another part o' the Stage is seen the Ghost of Darius brightly habited Pa. Oh! now I see the Cause of these Divine Miraculous Sounds I see the King the King More Lively than he ever was in 's Life More Pompous than in all his Royal Pomp. Ar. I see him and my Spirit rais'd with joy Ascends to meet him happy Vision Vertue triumphing over Villany Pa. The Royal Shadow smiles and points to 'em Ar. This is the difference 'tween the good and bad Death shews it truly Life is a false light But the true Diamond appears by Night Ex. The EPILOGUE spoke by her that acts Barzana OVR Poet fears he too much Blood has shed So I am come to shew I am not dead My Part will all the wanton Masks displease That 's half the Pit and all the Galleries Rather than take into my Breast a Fair And brave young Lover thrust a Dagger there You put your Bosomes to another use 'T is a vile Pagan Custome I produce Pagans may rather dye than be debauch'd Good Christians Sin to be well Kept and Coach'd Besides to kill my self for Love I fear Will to you Sparks improbable appear Who in side Boxes daily crowd and there Plant all your murdering shot against the Fair Four Teer of Beaus o're one another plac'd And each one hopes to kill a Box at least And yet with all this terrible design Sink not one Heart only the Playhouse Coyn. How you look down with scorn on a Pit Beau The Wretch into his Grave does living go The Lord may have some Mercy on his Ghost Bus as for his poor Body that 's quite lost Now our side Boxes are a Smithfield grown Where Town and Country Nags for Sale are shown Where any Lady may her humour fit With a tall Palfry or a little Tit. And yet I do not hear the Ladies buy Nay Sirs they towards you hardly cast an Eye The Ladies nobly pay the House their due Why shou'd they give four Shillings to see you Not all your Faces are worth half the Sum Get Flags and Trumpets and try who will come The Images of Virtue we have shewn We know will please you Hero's o' the Town And Heroines because they are your own In Gallant faithful Patron and my dear Lov'd Memnon you brave men of Arms appear The Ladies in Barzana see your Face Of their fair minds but in no flattering Glass All love to see themselves the foul will stare In Glasses though they meet with Goblings there But all the little hopping fluttering Sparks You catch with Glasses as you do the Larks Place a fair Glass directly in the eye Of a young Beau he never can pass by Young Souldiers discipline their Graces there Face to the right the left then as you were She combs first o're the right Shoulder then o're the left then sets her Cravat Strings We pray all daily to this Glass repair FINIS