Which sort of temper being no wise proper To your more sprightly age and 〈◊〉 I As one oblig'd by Heaven to serve you and Authori'zd too to speak presum'd to watch A fitting opportunity to pray Your Highness to unfold whether its cause No wise concerns my Function or if I Might serve you with my Counsel or my Prayers Clean. Sir You have ever been a Father to me And possibly your great respect a little May injure your great judgement and present Things you are pleas'd to fear as though they were Priest No Madam pardon me I 'm not mistaken But much more doubt what you with so much art Desire to hide Sure 't is no common thing You can think worth the covering with such language Cleanth Indeed I am no wise sad Sir you but doubt it Priest Pardon me Madam if I dare to tell you You do not well to say so You are troubled Madam you are in love You ought not to Deny it ' cause 't is truth Cleanth Nor ought I to Confess it ' cause it is no sin Priest If it be not Indeed you are not bound to 't But if you Love one beneath your birth and Fortune Madam That is a sin Cleanth It may be so but I Am no wise guilty of it Sir Pri. Madam Endymion is so Cleanth And can I help it Sir So are a thousand more it may be Pri. Madam 'T were to affront your Highness should I longer Delude you by my seeming ignorance Of what would Heaven had ne'er been known to you Nor me Madam you love that poor Mean Lord Endymion 'T is for him that you Look pale and sigh and walk alone and die To all that 's glorious and worthy you So high a Princess 'T is for him you slight The Prince of Macedon and disoblige The King your Unkle 'T is for him you are No more Cleantha no more that noble Princess That like a Deity reflected on Your own perfection that Supreme Estate Nature and Fortune thought you worthy of And did esteem your self at the same rate Heaven and the Gods had valued you But Madam 'T is not too late yet to recant all this And there is oft more glory in repenting Us of some errours then never to have err'd Because we find there are more folks have Judgment Then Ingenuity Madam let me be The happy Messenger of this good news Cleanth Poor Cleantha poor Endymion Aside Pri. Madam Cleanth Enough Sir I am not asham'd My Priest should know what my Prayers are not Asham'd to own Pri. Then you love Endymion Confess it if you 're not asham'd Cleanth It may be It suits not with my Modesty to say so Nor yet with my Religion to deny it I am sorry you are angry Sir Pri. Ah! dear Princesse I am not angry that would not become me I am afflicted Madam I am afflicted At what much less becomes your Highness Can You love so mean a Lord and own it too And still think your self innocent and talk Of Modesty and say Love is no sin And pray Cleanth Nay Sir I must be bold when you Instruct me to be so and interrupt That Language Sir you must not let me hear Know I may love Endymion and yet talk Of Innocence and Modesty much more then you May of Civility when you presume Sir To tell me to my face the contrary You 'll pardon me I hope Sir I would fain Remember you yet not forget my self Pri. Pardom my passion Madam 'T is for you Clean. 'T is not for me to hear That Modesty You dar'd to doubt heaven have I heard it Know She cryes Is much too tender to be touch'd Sir with Hard fingers yet Priest Dear Princesse pardon me Clean. Had you not been my Priest I could have thought So bold a passion but for you who teach That all the Wealth and Grandeur in the world Doth hold no more proportion with true Vertue Then this world with Elysium her reward For you who teach this and have taught it me And if you teach it not your Function's nothing For you I say to be so much in passion I love Endymion who is poor but hath More vertue then a thousand Princes this Is wonder Sir But for your office sake I 'll think you speak not your own words and so I still may reverence you as you well know I still have done Priest Madam have I your pardon Cleanth You have it Sir Priest Then give me leave to be Gratefull and serve you Humbly to discusse This Love you 're pleas'd to own without the least Of prejudice or favour Thus you may Best judge of this great action of your life Cleanth You have it Sir and may oblige me with it Priest Then know faire Clean. But when you name Endymion Priest Your pleasure Madam Clean. Nothing I do attend you Priest Nay Madam pray be free Clean. It 's nothing Sir Endymion needs not my Apology Priest Madam you do acknowledge that you love The Lord Endymion Cleanth Sir I do to you But never have to him and it may be I never will Priest Your Highnesse doth oblige me And you do seem to give this reason ' cause He ownes more vertue then a thousand Princes Which sure is probable Yet Madam know That there are Princes too are vertuous As he and in particular the high Born Prince of Macedon who courts your Highnesse Doth yield to none but hath as good a title To Virtue as his Crown Now though you ought To prefer Vertue before Wealth or Greatnesse As what is of more value then them both Yet these are both fair Pedals unto Vertue They much advance her stature and do make Her more conspicuous to the world and so Much more ador'd and therefore alwayes are To be preferr'd when to be had with her Low Violets may smell among the grasse And their own leaves whilst that the nobler Rose Adornes the Garden and is no lesse sweet Clean. Sweeter then both in your comparison But Sir if it be possible t' advance This humble Violet almost unto The stature of the Rose to whom great Nature Hath gi'n a higher stem though not more sweetness Pray would it not be more of charity And judgement then t' endeavour with more hazard To adde some leaves unto that Rose whom Nature Already had made fair enough Pri. Madam I well do understand your Highnesse owns Greatness enough to make another Great And that the Prince of Macedon appears Already fair enough to all the world Yet surely Madam though your structure be Noble and high if you will build it on A low foundation it can ne'er appeare So high as if your Basis higher were You may appear your self but when you do Joyn with an equall you appear him too Clean. Pardon me Sir I onely him appear I lose my name and all I was before I am not greater when his wife because I was a Princesse for should he but wed The meanst Lass in all
Queen I suppose will by this time expect you Think over what I 've told you Exeunt Priest and Evad. Enter Geron sol Geron. And have not I brought my self into a sweet condition now Heavens nothing grieveth me but that I am an old fool Why could not I remember how many I had cuckold my self and to think I should not be served in the same kind if ever I married was to suppose neither wickedness nor justice in the world How could I imagine that any one of the lower rate of Court-Ladies would ever keep her self honest three minutes when once she feared neither the danger of taking Savine nor a big-belly Without all doubt now the Priest hath given her leave to eat flesh she runs from dish to dish like a starved prisoner at a feast who for three months hath had only the priviledge to think of meat and that 's the reason her belly is so soon full I might have been these four years a getting her by the rate I went to work with her but now I think I could do it with my horns were it to do again Ah! Geron Geron What a cocks-comb art thou in thy old age A reverent fool How prettily do horns mingle with thy gray hairs And yet thou art likely to cause more laughter then a wit Heaven What a condition am I in My Lord Pyrrhus he 's a man of an aspiring spirit and of what else the world may imagine but my head must have a hard bargain of it My Lord Edymion he 's a Poet forsooth and can finde no other place but my reverend fore-head for his forked Parnassus And for my Lord Neander the Priest convinced him the other day that adultery was a very great sin and that is reason enough for him to lie at rack and manger What a conspiracie is there here to make me a cuckold O that I had now but the generosity to hang my self Now do I perfectly perceive the pains that poor Children indure at the coming of their teeth by the coming of my horns How happy was I when I was a young man when my care was only to keep my hair from forking and I gave every Barber a fee for a receit but Oh that I had got but one receit to keep my head from forking in this my old age Wicked Phronesia How hast thou used me How hast thou affronted my weakness that thou hast made a collection through all the Court for a big-belly But what a comfortable sight will it be to me to see her lie in what a deal of pleasure I shall take to pay the Midwife and Nource Well it is now in my own power to make my self maz'd immediately O O O. I must away I must But ah I dread I near shall get these horns out of my head Exit Geron as in a fury Finis Act. prim Actus 2. Scoena 1. Enter Pyrrhus and Urania as in a Garden Pyrrh VVEll Madam Urania You imagine my business As long as you are pretty folks will be amorous You know my meaning Vran. The Heavens forbid Pyrrh Sure 't is the twentieth time I've told you it And must you hear it o'er again once more I hope my business then is almost done When thus you love the repetition of it Vran. My Lord Oh add not injury to my misfortune Oh! pity rather pity a poor Girl Who fain would seem to be as innocent As late she was and not to understand How harmless words by men are turn'd to sins Pyrrh Why should you be thus obstinate To be A Mistress to a King what greater honour Can those you serve ere hop'e t' aspire to Vran. A Mistress to a King No no you 'd have me To be a Servant to his vice an honour I should not envie her that sought my ruine Pyrrh Is love a vice Vrania Then surely nature Did make us vitious when she did immerse Love in the very beings of all Creatures Search the great Universe and shew me there What but affrighted man is not as free To satisfie his loves as thirst or hunger They near dispute the lawfulness of what Is natural No stone was e'er so dull To make 't a case of conscience whether it Should follow 'ts natural motion to the Centre Love's natures representative to whom she seems To 've taught her Trade and instituted it Still to continue all her self had made Without which surely this whole world had been But one poor Generation and each species Had been made up but of one He and She. Vran. You do do well my Lord when you intend Unlawful loves to instance not in men But beasts But let me ever be Of that affrighted number who follow vertue Rather then your examples with four feet Pyrrh Mistaken Sophistress How much more powerfully Dost thou dispute with those soft eyes of thine Then with thy pretty tongue Let these then be Rather imploy'd to see thy errour then This to defend it Know that instances In beasts do hold in men when they relate Unto that Nature which is truely common Unto them both And such is this of Love They cannot Say their passions like to us But they can Meane them with as strong an Ardor And though they do not sing their loves in verse Like me they do attain them less in prose And is this wickedness Sure vice is known By its own fruit and what do these bring forth Thy sheep Urania gave thee gentle Lambs The warmer Goat brought forth a prity Kid That thou wouldst play withal And wilt thou blame That play which did produce thy play-fellow No no Urania Love like men was free Ere power and laws had taught them both the use Of chaynes and fetters Nature ne'er confin'd Her noblest creature to the narrowest prison Nor gave him inclinations to torment him And therefore when thy Prince who only doth In right abridge thy other liberties Shall offer to restore thee this thou maist As freely take it as thou might'st the rest Vran. How is the King my Lord oblig'd unto you To serve whom even in sin you can permit Your noblest faculties to abuse each other Your Reason to abuse your Love But say my Lord Do you do well to plant so mighty Engines Against so weak a Fort that is design'd Only a poor shelter unto Innocence Pyrrh Well Urania I do perceive you still Make me to toil in vain But though 't is hard And painful to deliver harder dooms To pretty folks yet I must plainly tell you The King 's resolv'd to leave you but this choice Either to Love or Die to be the Subject Of his Revenge or Pleasure answer quickly And answer wisely For believ 't Vrania If you refuse his Love this houre 's your last Vran. Sure Sir the King 's more just She cries Pyrrh By Heaven it 's true Vran. Then Heavens more merciful Unfortunate Unfortunate Urania what canst thou do Pyrrh What Thou canst grant the Kings desires and live Come be brief
sooner shall Forget that I have eyes forget I have A memory Shall brave Endymion dwell In banishment for me and I forget him Sure thou wouldst minde me of him if I should Nource Well Madam I wish your Highness do not remember him too much I am glad you are alive yet for my part now he 's gone Cleant. Indeed I speak and do the offices Of life as yet But say say my dear Nource Did'st never see a Tree cut down in spring A while put forth his buds and leaves as if He 'd been a live until that sap was spent Which he had suck'd from his life-giving Root And then he wither'd Enter King and Queen King How do you Neece Queen VVe are come to visit you in the absence of your Lover Cleant. Your Majesties do always do me honour Queen Indeed Neece you ought to thank those who do you honour when you forget to do it to your self King Cleantha you are not too much discontented I hope at Endymions departure You are too wise to be so Cleant. Sir whatever my troubles are as they are my own so I shall endeavour not to make them any other bodies King Neece you ought to look to the justice of the action and so be satisfied Cleant. Indeed there 's little of mercy in it to be seen King VVell Neece I shall not dispute the business over with you again The Priest the Queen and my self have done it already at large and you seem to be resolved not to be satisfied with any thing but your own unreasonable desires The action I have done is just I thought it so and I have done it and will continue it and you must be patient Cleant. Your Majesty may please to know that I shall have so much regard to my self as not to permit my impatience to be troublesome to other folks Exit King Queen Come Cleantha prethee be not sad The Prince of Macedon will make a better Husband then Endymion Cleant. It may be so And some one else will make a better wife For him then I shall do Enter Phrones Queen VVhat newes with you Phronesia Phrones Only a word or two that doth a little Import your Majesty to know Queen I 'm going wench Cleantha fare you well I hope I shall Next finde your Melancholy less Exeunt Queen and Phrones Cleant. VVhy should they call it melancholy Nource Love is not melancholy this is cold But that a burning flame this dry and that All tears But why this wonder I sit strange that such Are ignorant of Love who never knew it VVho wedded are indeed but not because Their souls were equal but their fortunes not That they themselves but Parents did agree And think they that Cleantha'll do so too Is she so small a needy Girl to chuse A servant for advantage and to love him Until next our Commissioners disagree And then to be indifferent again And never give account of her affections Till she've enquir'd first how the Chaffer goes No my dear Nource I better understand My present freedom that true Monarchy I 'm to my self then on indifferent Parly To yeeld my self a cowardly Captive If I fall 't shall be by storm nor will I be Conquer'd by ought less then a Deity To add unto thy triumphs Love 's no more Then that which Goddesses have done before And this Cleantha may not blush to do Although a Princess and a Virgin too Nource Madam you are too wise why should you not contented be to do like all the world Cleant. I ne'er examine Nource what most folks do But what all should do and those few do practise Whose real Vertue never blush't to be Brought to the test of reason I can pardon Poor silly Lasses that believe their Granams Who tell them 't is a sin to intermix With those beneath them as though the rich and poor Were different species whose Sunburnt modesties Can well dispence with th' loss of that pure state Nature had plac'd them in for the advantage Of some convenient neighbourhood but still I 've no forgiveness for my self should I Grown now a woman and endue'd with reason Play with those Puppet-Vertues old folks give me And understanding my own whiteness ere Dissolve that Snow but by a flame as pure Nource VVell Madam I cannot dispute it with you But sure I am I should ne'er have got a husband on these Philosophical tearms It is well for me I was not so wise at your age Cleant. smiles Why Madam when I had loved any one as that was no very hard matter for me to do when I was young it had been ten to one if he had lov'd me again and there I had been gone Or if he had lov'd me then his friends would not have liked it and there I had been gone Or if his friends had then mine would have found some fault or other and still I had been gone Madam there is so much to do to bring two young folks together that have any thing in the world that should they refuse marriage on any tearms old maidens would be as plenty as Crabs are in America Cleant. Prethee Nource no more Nource Nay I was resolv'd to put you out of your dump you would have cry'd presently if I would have let you But have you gi'en Vrania leave to be wanting Cleant. Yes she asked me to be a day or two with her Mother somewhere here in Town Nource She look'd but ill when she went I thought she had gone on some discontent Cleant. I know none She went hence two days since I think Nource Then she should be return'd again Cleant. She may take her own time Come shall we go Nource Exeunt Cleantha and Nource Enter the King and Pyrrhus King Is' t possible It cannot be My Queen My Queen an Adulteress and with My Priest too Could Heaven not punish me But by it's representative In what can men Confide if sanctity and holy vows Are nothing Pyrrh I am amaz'd The Queen And Priest in womans Cloaths strange circumstance To meet i' th' Grotto now this night sure 't is Impossible King It must be so unless This Geron be quite mad who 's now secur'd And is content to die for 't if I see not My self with my own eyes all this this night Pyrrh Heaven bless me King Ah my Pyrrhus Heaven is just 'T is we are wicked In this very Grotto I met Urania and forgot my Queen Though then I thought her faithful and almost VVhite as Virginity itself Pyrrh 'T is certain But Heaven grant this metting prove no worse Then that did King Blest Heaven grant it may not Pyrrh Your Majesty may yet prevent it King I may For this time doubtless But I will not harbour That Devil Jealousie within my breast For all this world can give me I 'm resolv'd To see the certainly my self And if It prove untrue my Queen shall dwell with freedom As she hath ever done in all my thoughts And her
noble natures a more pleasing taske To give rewards to Vertue then punishments To wicked folks I 'll in the first place shew How lovely justice looks when we are good And only sin makes her seem terrible Urania approach us Gentlem. Ah great King Vrania's place I doubt will nearer be The Bar then Throne King What mean'st thou Gent. See O see Those cheeks that lately beauty wore now pale With guilt Urania weeps King Her crime Gent. She'th lately had a childe King How know you this Gent. By a strange piece of chance For being sent in haste by my Lord Pyrrhus To bring herto you Majesty by chance I learnt of one o' th' servants of the Princess Near to what place he thought she was and when I made enquiry there at a small house I was acquinted at the woman told me She thought her I enquir'd for was i' th' house And asking of me many circumstances She told me surely it must be the same Only she did in private add she took her Not for a Virgin And as we thus discours'd Urania chanc'd to pass before the door A Virgin said I It may be she is married What hath she had a childe she told me Yes Though much in private but 't was very much Before her time and she affirms she 's married As did her mother who this morning left her At this I went in where I saw her enter And after some examinations she Confest she 'd had a childe but said withall She had a husband too and one who would Dare own her for his wife but would not tell me His name or dwelling and was very loath To move a foot with me but meerly by Constraint as ' t were King And is this truth Urania Lord. Speak to the King Urania It 's true King And who 's your Husband 2. Lord. Be not asham'd to name your Husband Madam 'T will be your shame if you name none Urania I 'm not Asham'd to name him but affraid King What is it Speak Vrania I dare not disobey and by my Lord I am authorized to name him when My Honour shall be question'd who 's more tender Of that then of his own Lord. Name him Urania It is The great Theander Queen The Prince King What are you marri'd Unto the Prince Theander Kneels Urania O pardon me great King That I refus'd not to be taken from A Cottage to the bosom of a Prince On such conditions as we dar'd to call The Gods to witness King Whether she be his wife Or only dare's affirm it though she were More to me then my hands or eyes she should Die ere I sleep The Prince in some few houres Will be in Town If what she says be false This news shall be his welcone But if true 'T is fit his coming be too late to save her Vran. Ah great Prince Pity the distress'd who hath No friend to plead her cause All I affirm Is truth Theander is my witness See Takes a letter out of her bosom That noble name This I receiv'd from him Not three days since King reads it and gives it the Queen King 'T is so But know Urania My Crown will prove too heavie for your off-spring Nor may I mingle blood with those small folks Who dwell in Cottages Heaven it seems Would not permit so foul a stain upon My Family but hath condemn'd to death What men in justice could not that poor infant VVhose only guilt was that it must be born No know Unania 't is enough you have been VVife to a Prince some months you 've liv'd enough In that small time Now 't will behove you to Prepare for death this day within three houres You are to loose your head ' cause 't is not fit To wear a Crown Marshal take her hence Let all things be prepar'd I 'll see her dead By two this afternoon Vran. Is there no mercy then Heaven help the friendless Such must never cry To men for help whose crime is poverty Exeunt Marshal and Vrania King My Lords had not this accident befallen me I 'd been too blest VVise Heaven doth see 't as fit In all our joys to give us some allays As in our sorrow comforts when our Sails Are fill'd with happiest winds then we most need Some heaviness to ballast us These are The ways of Heaven and we who are but earth Must all submit I am afflicted for The poor Vrania But the Gods have sure In death rewards for those who sometimes fall Nor for their crimes but through a kind of sad Necessity I 'm to proceed now to A far more willing task the sentencing Of those most wicked persons at the Bar. Neander I condemn to loose his head Tomorrow morning which I will have plac'd Over his Lodgings to shew those heads who dare Contrive their Princes harm do only meet VVith such advancement Geron I adjudge To die in Chayns that bunger may devour That little body malice yet hath left him A proper Lent for such a sinner And ' Cause what Phronesia did she did not know She ly'd but did not know the consequence Her I condemn only to banishment And thus I hope to expiate the thoughts I 've had of my chaste Queen and holy Priest Through those mens wickedness and teach the world That such who dare be traytors to their King Do on themselves the certain'st ruine bring Omnes Heaven bless the King and may our eyes still see Such Justice done on all that traytors be Exeunt Omnes Enter Cleantha and her Nource Cleantha Alas Vrania Now thou hast unriddl'd How thou couldst understand and yet accept not Endymions Love Poor Heart I pity thee Endymion now will be more banish'd when He hears Vraaia's dead Ah Urania VVould thou hadst a crime to die for that My just Endymion might less bewail thee VVhere can he now relieve himself If Vertue Be not security who can be safe Nource VVhy Madam here was now a marriage made According to your Highness principles Purely for Love without consideration Of Portion or equality or friends And here you see the end on 't Cleanth Silly woman Talk not so Idly Had they understood The force of Love who thus condemn'd Urania They ne'er had done it And shall we disesteem Religion ' cause folks often suffer for 't And think it is not true because 't hath Martyrs Wert thou not old thou mightst be brought to know There is a Gust in death when 't is for love That 's more then all that 's taste in all the world For the true measure of true love is death And what falls short of this was never love And therefore when those Tides do meet and strive And both swell high but love is highest still This is the truest satisfaction of The perfectst love For here it sees it self Indure the highest Test and then it feels The sum of delectation since it now Attains its perfect end and shews its object By one intense Act all
your Vrania I shall be thankful for the honour you Too early do vouchsafe me Theand. I must obey What Heaven knows when I shall understand Salutes Cleopatra This is an earlier tribute then I thought Embraceth Urania who cries on him To pay yourlips My dear Urania why Dost thou conspire to my distraction Why This Black And why these tears King Heaven bless you both And may your Loves encrease still with your days May you be fresh as spring as Autumn fruitful And know no Winter of adversity And Heaven that hath done wonders in your Loves May it do wonders in th' effects of it They both bow to the King and then step a little aside and talk together Enter Priest Priest A day full of wonders King Aday All miracle How merciful is Heaven To those it loves Who would be ever Bad When Vertuous folks are thus rewarded in The midst of their distress The Prince returns to the company again Theand. Cozen Salutes the Princess Your pardon Happy is this meeting I am oblig'd for all the joy I see Bows to the company Start out of sorrow now at my return Cleant. Heaven give you joy of your Urania Theand. You have oblig'd me Madam that you have Dealt still so gently with your servant Cleant. She ne'er Had been esteemed so had you esteem'd Me worthy of your Councel Sir but now I shall indeavour to repay her all Those services I have receiv'd from her Theand. She 's still your servant Cozen. Cleant. Aside How can there be such mirth when brave Lives sadly in an unjust banishment Endymion Theand. I long to ease my wonder and to know The story of great Cleopatra how She'th been so long obscur'd to all the world But to her self King We 'll find a scene for that Less like the face of sorrow 'T is enough Urania is a Princess and had Fortune In ought but in her blindness been like justice Had worn the Crown of Thrace Only my Daughter My dear Urania ask me on this place I so have injur'd thee what I shall do To expiate my ignorance of thy worth Ask what thou wilt I shall not find a tongue To give thee a denyal Vran. Great Prince I do not Want a request had I but merit to Deserve it first then confidence to ask it King Ask it or you chuse the perfect'st way To disoblige me What is it Uran. It is Endymions Liberty 'T was by his goodness I liv'd to see this day whose only Cloud Is his confinement Pardon the boldness Sir You 're pleas'd to give me and the gratitude I hope the Gods will never take from me King You have my word do with it what you please Endymion shall have his liberty I shall give order for it Theand. Your pardon Sir If your commands already are obey'd Endymion is return'd I met him ere He was imbarq'd and having been inform'd From my Urania all his cares for her I stay'd him hoping from your goodness to Obtain his pardon For the love Cleantha So truly bears him I have no more to say Against it then against my own I bare To my Urania when I thought her less And since the Gods have made her great for me 'T will be but gratitude in me to do Some of their business for them and reward So brave a Vertue as Endymion owns And make him great for his Cleantha too Especially since by their goodness I Have power to do it The war in Thessaly Hath found a happy end And there I 've left Those hands which made that Scepter stoop who now Want but a scoene to do new wonders in And this may prove rebellious Thrace if you Dread Sir approve it fit I wear that Crown Vrania gives me In this expedition And in this conquest too the brave Endymion Shall be my second What shall I not expect from Such Vertue and such Valour when they meet King I have of late receiv'd such mercies that I cannot think of any thing which looks Like cruelty And in my condemnations Heaven hath done miracles to keep me from Horrid injustice Therefore wonder not All that you ask is so soon granted you Cleantha take then thy Endymion be More blest in him then greatness e'er could make thee Cleantha bows Queen And now you 're doing works of mercy Sir Hear one intreaty more not for their sakes For whom I ask but for this days sake which Hath been a day of mercy to us all Let not Neander nor old Geron die A banishment for life will more prepare Them for their deaths and thus your mercy shall Best fit them for the mercy of the Gods King What you propose hath much of piety And mercy too the works of this day and Mayn't be deni'd And now I 've one request To you my honour'd Priest because I 'd give Joy to all honest hearts this day your leave That Pyrrhus my best confident may serve The fair Evadne Priest Great Prince I am oblig'd My poor Evadne is so much your care It shall be mine she still shall think that best Your majesty is pleas'd to chuse for her Enter Endymion Theand. Endymion Why so slowly to thy joys Reap here the fruits of gratitude and mercy And see those Stars again thou dost adore Takes him by the hand and leads him to Cleantha who kneels down and kisseth her hand Cleant. VVelcome my Lord. Queen My Lord you 're welcome from your banishment King You 've only now this Ladies leave to ask For any thing you 'd have Endym. I 'm happy in Your royal mercy Sir and hope in time To be so too in hers King You need not fear Your sentence when Cleantha is your judge But let us all away and satisfie Our selves with what we 've so long travell'd with And let the world learn from this story though Heaven may a while correct the Vertuous Yet will it wipe their eyes again and make Their Faces whiter with their tears Innocence Conceal'd is the stolen-pleasure of the Gods VVhich never ends in shame as that of men Doth oft-times do but like the Sun breaks forth VVhen it hath gratifi'd another world And to our unexpecting eyes appears More Glorious through it's late obscurity Priest Unvertuous folks a while may find some Rest But in the end the good are only blest Exeunt Omn. FINIS
all but for the love of that poor Maid The Prince not ten months since took from a Cottage As he a hunting was and gave the fair Cleantha for a present Endym. Who Vrania Pyrrh Yes But stay I see him coming Enter King Let us retire It may be we shall hear Some of the thoughts that trouble him Endym. Husht King Ah! VVhere will this tyrant end Heav'n shall I still Be Priest and Sacrifice and Altar too Unto a passion I can satisfie But never conquer what poor things are Kings What poorer things are Nations to obey Him whom a petty Passion doth command Fate why was man made so ridiculous But I can quench my Flame And where my prayers Have not prevail'd my power can command Who in Arcadia dare resist my will But stay When this poor Maid sprung from a stock Low as the Cottage where she first saw light Shall call on Vertue and the Gods to keep Her body they too weakly have expos'd White as her soul which all the world cann't sully Shall I whom men call sacred and divine And look on as deriv'd from Ancestors VVho have not Tombs but Altars without shame And thousand blushes dare with ruder force To drive poor Vertue from her cleanest Temple And use that power the Gods have given me O'er others but t' offend them how I please By Heaven by Heaven I will not But I dy Oh I am mortal Men but flatter me Oh fate why were not Kings made more then Men Or why will people have us to be more Alas we govern others but our selves VVe cannot rule as our eyes that do see All other things but cannot see themselves I must submit I am a King but LOVE 'S a Deity I am resolv'd to trie Whether Urania will Love or die I 'll in and faithful Pyrrhus streight shall prove My fate Lords must be Pimps when Kings do love Exit King Pyrrhus and Endymion appeare again Pyrrh He 's gone Endym. But he first thought on your employment Pyrrh Truth I have had already but too much on 't Endym. Have you then been the Mercury between Him and the fair Urania Pyrrh Yes I have Already done what Language and Rewards Have power to do But she 's as deaf to this As blind to those She seemeth not to see Ought shine but Vertue Endym. But what can she say Poor Country Girl VVhere can she find words And resolution when you do assault her Pyrrh VVhy 'faith my Lord I 'll tell you VVhen I first Mention'd the business to her all alone Poor soul she blush'd as if already she Had done some harm by hearing of me speak VVhilst from her pretty eyes two Fountains run So true so native down her fairest Cheeks As if she thought her self oblig'd to cry ' Cause all the world was not so good as she Endym. aside Heaven how doth this carriage please me Pyrrh For my own part I know not what to say Her tears so innocently beg'd my pity That I was straight turn'd over to her side And had forgot the cause for which I strove 'Till rallying once again I once more gave A new assault and urg'd her to an answer All her reply was No then humbly pray'd me Not to be cruel to a poor weak maid VVho had not any thing in all the world To give her credit but her innocence VVith such success as this I often have Assail'd her vertue adding promises Of all things I could suppose might tempt her But all in vain This Ermyne will not be Perswaded from the whiteness she so loves Endym. And do you think the King will now use force Pyrrh You heard him what he said I cannot tell 'T is hard to say what men whom reason guides Intend to do much more whom passion rides But let 's away I would not have him know VVe were so neer the venting of his thoughts Endym. There comes my Lord Leander let 's away Exeunt severally Enter Neander Cleantha and Urania waiting on her Neand. How doth this hour transport my soul with Joy To have the blessed priviledge to be With fair Cleantha the best Princess Cleanth I 'm glad it makes some body happy Sir Neand. With her who hath my heart Cleanth Have it I Sir Pray my Lord then take it again for I would not be troubled with the keeping such a bauble for all the world Neand. She whom great Nature now grown wanton made To look upon and scorn her other works Cleanth My Lord I see you are resolv'd not to studie to no purpose You will have our your Complement let me say what I please But by the by I hope you will not be angry if I prove somewhat like my scornful Mother as you say and make you the first example of it Fare you well Neanth Nay Madam I beseech your Highness Cleand. Nay my Lord now I have put you out of your Complement I 'll tarry a little longer Neand. Madam You are cruel How do you kill Cleanth Kill Neander No sure for then you would be affraid to come neer me Neand. Great Princess You are cruel But I ne'er Could fear Death from so fair a hand as yours Cleanth Perchance you do your self the justice to think that such will not foul their fingers about you I beleeve indeed my Lord You fear Death least from the hands of a woman which is the reason you chuse to tarry here at Court among the Ladies rather then go to the War with the Prince Neand. Madam You Ladies have a Priviledge Cleanth Yes my Lord it 's sometimes a Priviledge to speak Truth Neand. 'Faith Madam You may say what you please Cleanth Pardon me my Lord it would please me much better if I could say you were in the war in Thessalia Neand. Why truly Madam I could give your Highness very good reasons why I went not to the war with the Prince Cleanth I believe you can my Lord and so can every body else that knows your Lordship It was because you were affraid Neand. Do not disgrace me so Madam I beseechy you It was for very different reasons Cleanth Truely my Lord You will give very much satisfaction to the world if you say what they are and very much undeceive them Neand. Why then Madam to tell you truly I am somewhat troubled with Corns so that I cannot without pain wear a riding Boot And then I am strangely subject to the Tooth-ake which makes me very unfit to lie in the Field Which indeed were the two main reasons made me to refuse the war Cleanth What pity it is so brave a minde should be thus unluckily hindred from shewing it self Neand. Madam I perceive you jeer me Cleanth What a quick apprehension you have my Lord And do not you perceive you merit it But the Queen will expect me and possibly Sir you are by this time somewhat satisfied with my company adieu Exeunt Cleanth and Urania Neand. Pox take her for me for all she is so great
Here 's one at hand will have small pity on you Vran. Oh my Lord pity me pity a distressed Maid She kneels Pyrrh Vrania pity your self and pity a Prince that loves you Come do not cast away thy self You 're young And if you please have many years to live And pleasant ones Be wise ere 't be too late Uran. My Lord what shall I do Pyrrh Why love the King Say but the word and hee 'l presently be here Vran. And must I loose my Innocence Pyrrh Come come Urania live The King will streight be with you I 'le turn the Lock and keep you sure till then Ex. Pyrrh and locks the door Vran. sol Unhappy Maid wretched Vrania Thou art undone for evermore undone Lost to the World or Innocence Thy choice Is either to be wicked or to die To loose thy Virginpurity or life Ay me unblest What black what fatal Star Shone sad misfortune at thy birth How happy How blest hadst thou been still hadst thou still dwelt ' Mongst those who wear poor cloaths and honour Vertue Whose chaster Loves made Love a Deity What will thy Mother say when she shall hear Vrania is not Innocent And what Will thy brave Love think who ne'er approacht thee But with a flame as pure as that which burns On holy Vesta's Altars No no die Die die unfortunate but chaste Urania Never be thrifty of that blood which must But serve to blush that it preserv'd it self Endymion from behind an Arbor Endym. 'T is not safe to tarry longer Poor Soul her love To me may prove her ruine Now I see She loves me and I must improve my time He appears My dear Vrania Why these Tears Uran. Is this Endymions Ghost Endym. No 't is his Body Madam He imbraceth her Vran. Then ne'er more welcome Dear my Lord Urania is undone Endym. Not so because Endymion lives Know Urania's ruine never can be writ But in Endymions blood Uran. Undone beyond Endymions help because to help her is To be a Traytor now Endym. If to assist My Queen be to rebell then let me wear The glorious Name of Traytor Vran. Ah! my Lord You know not what I mean Endym. Yes yes my Dear Yond Arbor was my covert whilst I heard Pyrrhus assault thy Noble Innocence Uran. And can you help me now my Lord Endym. I can And I will shew you how I can But know Know my Urania I have lov'd thee long And lov'd thee with a holy flame My Hopes And all my Longings have as vertuous been As those of pious Votaries who court Strait-lac'd Religion All my sighs and tears Have been as pure as are those Gales and Springs That in Elysium do refresh the Blest And yet thou hast not pitied him that loves thee Even though thy very Nature be as gentle As Morning dew just melting into Ayr. And shall I languish thus and die Must Love His Martyrs have as well as other Gods Sure no Vrania he hath no Rewards Beyond this Life How can he gratifie His Martyrs then The cold Inhabitants Of Graves do not desire but dwell alone And never Think like aged Priests and Nuns Help then thy dying Lover and he 'll change His Love to adoration since thou wantst Nothing but pity to become Divine Uran. What shall I serve you in my Lord Endym. Permit Me to enjoy the Title of thy Servant And pay my fire with equal flames again Uran. My Lord I were ungrateful if I should not Endym. Then be not so But to be short I doubt The Kings approach and therefore if thou 'lt promise This night to sleep within mine Arms being first Authoriz'd so to do by Hymen's Priest I 'le free thee from the Kings illicite Love Vran. My Lord I will But satisfie me how Endym. You must appoint the King to meet you here In yonder Grotto and oblige him to The language and the time of Love soft whispers And the Night and I 'll prepare Some other Body to supply your place Vran. Ah! Who will be so wicked as to do 't Endym. Enough Vran. Sure 't is impossible it cannot be What Woman would consent to such an Act Endym. Ten thousand Madam Vran. Would they They let them not I 'll rather chuse a thousand times to die Then own a wretched life sav'd at the Rate Of so much Wickedness Endym. Come be content Chaste Soul the Queen her self shall be the Person I 'll tell her all thy story and I doubt not But she 'll preserve thy Innocence and love it Uran. Thrive brave Endymion thrive in all thy Loves That hast for Love redeem'd and redeem'd too Without a Sacrifice a wretched Maid Nought but whose Blood could have preserv'd her White Endym. My Dear I must retire I fear the King Thou hast a Part to act and so have I. Be happy fair Urania I am blest That my imployment is to do thee service Ex. Endym. as at a private door Uran. sol Poor poor Endymion in what little point Will all the Vertue and Religion end Of thy contrivances How doth thy Fate In the contempt of all that 's brave and worthy Play with thy Noble Actions and endeavour In pride to make Vertue ridiculous Poor poor Endymion How could I now weep If tears were able but to wash away The blackness of thy Fate Now thou hast thought And thought by paths white as the milky-way To lead me from the Labyrinth of my Woes The next thing I must think must be to cheat All thy innocent expectations which Are every of them Honours to my self And condescentions in thy Noble Soul Whilst thou in melting language tell'st my tale And giv'st me so much value by thy words That she who is a Queen shall condescend And love that condescention too to pity The Daughter of an humble Villager And to become her self her Substitute Whilst thou dost this and for no recompence But to bestow on me what were more fit For Temples far a pure unspotted Love I must endeavour at that very time To frustrate all thy hopes and only give My fained promise to the King on this Condition That Endymion must be sent So far from Court that he do not return Until to morrow Sun see us again And my engagement to him be made void And to effect my purpose the more surely I must endeavour to perswade the King That he hath often courted me and hath So wary eyes upon me that I doubt I shall not be secure but by his absence And thus I must reward the brave Endymion But I will recompence thee with my tears And since I cannot sat is fie thy flame I 'll weep it out Poor poor Endymion She weeps How must I cry to see thee like a Ball Toss'd vainly up and down even by those two Blinde Gamesters Love and Fortune Enter Pyrrhus Pyrrh And why with showres allay you thus you beams Uran. You are the Messenger of Sorrow Sir Pyrrh In bringing the sad news a Prince attends Your
But say Endymion say She should look sad or sigh when thou depart'st How dost thou think at the same time to quell Two insurrections that at Argos and This sadder one in thy own breast My Dear I must not see thee I must onely make Some little paper happier then my self And write thee why Endymion is unblest Exit Endym. Enter King and Pyrrhus King Well Pyrrhus now our business is done This night Urania after all her pretty blushes and loathness to say Yes is mine Pyr. She is an 't please your Majesty and I am very glad of it knowing your Majesty's passion for the truth is I did very much doubt so much innocence would never have been overcome King She was loath indeed But Pyrrhus prithee see Endymion loyter not She was very passionate in that particular and all her promise is void if he be in towne by six of the clock this Even and it is neere so much already I think Pyr. I shall hasten him if he be not already gone King And then you must see yond Grotto prepared Pyr. It shall be fitted for the Scene of Love King The all I have to do is to make some fair pretence to the Queen for my absence this night Look where she comes Enter Queen alone Pyrrh I shall make haste to wait on your commands Ex. Pyrrh King How doth my Queen what all alone Queen Not now When I have found my Lord who is to me All company King Ah! thou hast found him none Thou 'st found him now disorder'd I 'm not well Qu. Alas I doubt you 've taken cold King I have But hope that this nights rest will make me well Qu. Sure Sir you don't do well to tarry here King I do not Madam I 'll retire Good night Kisseth her Qu. Nay give me leave Sir to attend you King No I will not draw you from the entertainment This pleasant evening will afford you here Qu. Alas my Prince you injure now your Queen To think that evening which gives Pain to you Can give her Pleasure King My dear I am not sick I onely am a little indispos'd I 'll beg thy pardon to retire this night But pray sup you and take no farther care Till at your own appartment I wait on you To morrow morning Queen Your will is still my Law King Once more goodnight Ex. King Queen sol Poore Prince poore Prince How little dost thou think How soon we two shall meet again and she Thou so much fly'st shall prove the very thing For which thou fly'st her How ridiculous Just Heaven doth make the wayes of men when they Forsake the wayes of Vertue This brave Prince At whose victorious Armies Greece now trembles When he contrives inglorious actions shall At the same time be pitied by his servants And a poor Girle shall upbraid him in Contriving to preserve him vertuous How do men ravel back to childhood when They cease to be thy Children sacred Vertue And need the care of every little person That what they call for may not do them harm Poor Prince I pity thee And oh that Heaven Shee kneeles May do so too And though the setting Sun Bode nought but darkness to the world yet may Some charitable Star vouchsafe one beam To his benighted breast lest wicked men Upbraid your wisdome that give Crowns and Scepters To those poor spirits who can softly creep At cowardly midnight to their beds of sin She riseth How happy should I be this tedious night In yonder Grotto to expect in vain And by my penance there to expiate Th' intended crime of my repenting Prince But I must haste Blest Heaven have pity on The folly of my poor deluded Lord. Exit Queen Enter Cleantha She takes two or three turns in the Garden and then breaks into these words Unfortunate Cleantha She walks a turn or two more Too fortunate In that which Fools call Happinesse She walks a little Fate Fate VVhy dost thou thus abuse the world to make Some high some low yet every one alike Unhappy whate'er our stations be VVe meet in this sad Center Misery Yet lest by knowing this we should rebel And every Generous soul turn Destiny Unto it self scorning thy tyranny And rather chusing not to be at all Then be thy sport thou hast contriv'd things so That every person thinks others more happy And that no breast knowes Misery like theirs But those whom thou dost destine to such Plagues As would break forth through private windows thou Dost place in mighty Palaces and with External splendour hid'st their inward Griefs From common eyes and mak'st them silly souls Admire what did they understand they 'd pity How many that behold Cleantha walk Attended by the proudest sparks of Greece And richer clad then Tulips in the Spring Do think her every minute happier far Then Cowards condemn'd are when their pardon 's read And every Lady in Arcadia But wretched when compar'd to her bright Fortune VVhilst poor Cleantha at that very minute Envies some Village-Maid that Russet weares The Livery of those sheep she doth attend But freely favours the poor Swain she loves And sleeps at night Cleantha's oft admir'd And her great titles reckon'd up whilest she Doth in her closet weep she is not less Heaven Heaven where was thy Mercy then VVhen thou mad'st Life so great a pain and Death A Sin Didst thou create great souls but to Affront them with thy greater power But stay Prophane Cleantha stay and be not more Unfortunate by being wicked too Endymion is all vertue and he would Hate a prophane Cleantha Poor Endymion How little dar'st thou think my thoughts or I Dare say them to thee Ah wretched wretched Princess VVhom Fate hath made greater then Happiness VVhat can I hope for should Endymion speak I then should hate him for his confidence A Crime of which he never can be guilty VVhen once he bled for me and conquer'd too And I on purpose chid my woman that She was unhandy onely ' cause my hand Ambitious was to wipe his wounds and give Him Balsam for the better Balsam of His blood poor Lord me thought he seem'd to wish The earth had been created lower that He might have lower bow'd to give me thanks And was so far from daring to presume That he did seem to make the distance more Betwixt himself and me by placing me Yet higher for my so great charity Nay should he speak in speaking he would forfeit The very thing I love him for that rest He findes in th' Elysium of his thoughts And those true satisfactions which he takes In being all the world unto himself But since my Love is vertuous as its Object VVhy should I stick to tell it all the world Nay why should I not rather glory in it To blush to say I love Endymion were To be asham'd to love Religion ' cause Her Priests are poor If Fortune ' th set him low Fools that are blind like her may do
Arcadia he In doing so would make her full as great As I should be Ambitious Rivers whilst They needs will strive to joyn with greater Floods Do adde indeed to them but lose themselves Whilst those that court some smaller Brook at once Encrease their Waters and preserve their Names Pri. Mâ—dam you will do well to heed that whilst You seek t' encrease your Waters you do not Encrease your Years too Mighty Floods you know Glide smooth yet bear down all whilst little Brooks Murmure at Pebles in their way and have Their courses oft obstructed And Madam what What is a Name to the unfortunate What is a Name to those whose Names must live But in their Epitaph if you do wed A Prince the faire Cleantha will adorn His Chronicle and that in recompence Will make that Name immortall as her Merit But if you will in common Chanels run Poor neighbour-Towns may know your Name but Mapps Will heed you not And then the brave Cleantha Will set with her own face and th' injut'd world Shall lose her best Example to those Ages Are yet to come and thus Cleantha will Undoe her self and all Posterity Cleanth You almost do undoe my reason with Your language Sir But you well know Sir should I by each action of my life endeavour To be forgotten in all Chronicle And leave it in my Will to have my Name Ne'er mention'd more this very Will of mine Would live to all Posterity Comets As soon may unobserved pass among Astrologers as any Princess can Among Historians But alas Sir what What 's my Remembrance when I am dead To be compar'd to the Contents of Life Shall I be wretched all the day because I 'd have folks talk of me when I 'm asleep What is it if it be hereafter said Cleantha was the Queen of Macedon When poor Cleantha's but a little earth If I love nothing but Endymion Nothing but him can make me happy Sir And if I love nothing in him but his Vertue And his brave Soul and can be well content To lose a Crown and Title of a Queen To sind those better treasures though I stoop To take them up 't will be more glory and Eternity unto my Name then if Like petty Countrey folks I do dispense With Love for my convenience and wed What I may chance to like in time with help Of some good Counsel and Necessity This Sir will be an act will give my Name An honourable mention in the mouthes Of Priests and holy folks as oft as they Instruct men that the Gods sometimes reward Vertue in this world or that Vertue is To be preferr'd before a Crown or Scepter For then it will be said Endymion's vertue Won him a Princess and Cleantha did Esteem a brave Endymion much above A Prince and Diadem And thus my Greatness At once shall make it self more great and serve T' embalm the bravest person in the world And make him like my self immortal too For whist men write Cleantha's Story since Like her it will be nought without Endymion The brave Endymion must be mentioned too That else perchance might have been numbred ' monstg Those precious things whose loss the world bewails And thus I shall oblige Posterity More in Endymion then my self and shall Give like a Goddess immortality To what was mortall in it self and had Dy'd but for me This Sir I onely say To answer your objection and I name Endymion ' cause you nam'd him as I did The Rose and Violet when you were pleas'd To instance in them Priest Heaven would it were but so Madam as errour ne'er can be more happy Then in your mouth nor more secure who give It so much beauty with your language and Strength with your Wit so can it never be More dangerous And therefore pardon me If I no longer do occasion you To shew th' omnipotency of your wit In almost making Errour Truth and tell you What 's surely true Madam I have not thus Presum'd to interrupt this your Retirement I found you in on any confidence Meerly my own but onely in obedience Unto the King's Command your Royall Unkle Who understands howe'er you little think it You love Endymion Heaven would not conceall So great an ill from him who may prevent it And hath commanded me to use my best Endeavours to disswade you from an action So much beneath your self and contrary To his desires who with so dear affection Hath ever treated you And now refus'd To speak to you himself lest that his passion Should move too violent ' gainst what he hates And disoblige what he so dearly loves To this so true and tender a regard Of this your Royal Unkle Madam what Regardfull answer will you now command Me to return him She rests a while Clean. Sir I cannot tell What way the King should know what you affirm Since I ne'er said so much to any person I dare not think you would betray me Sir That were profane But if you must indeed Return some answer to the King be pleas'd To tell him As I ever yet have been Obedient to him as my Unkle so I still do think my self oblig'd to be Supposing as he hath not hitherto His Goodness never will command cut what Shall be within my power t' obey him in Pri. Madam this answer hath much Latitude Clean. It promiseth Sir all I can You will not Have me to promise more I hope Priest But is it In your Highness power to love the Prince Of Macedon and not to love Endymion Clean. I think Sir Love's as much within my power As 't is in any other body's Pri. Madam I must intreat your Highness for an answer A little more direct unto the question You 'l pardon me I hope I 'm to deliver It to a King Clean. And to receive it from A Princesse and a Maid Pri. Madam I shall Be loath to tell the King you love the Lord Endymion And may be you 'll be sorry To see him banisht to some distant Isle There to bewail his own perfections that He ' th pleas'd too much and wish a thousand times You had not thus undone him with your love Injure not Madam thus a Lord who else May number many happy daies and live An honour to his Countrey and grow old And die among his Kindred and his Friends Clean. Sir this would be strange justice that my Love Should be Endymion's Crime Priest 'T will prove so Madam Clean. He may be sufferer but not criminall And Heaven will do justice when men do not She being ready to cry fetcheth a sigh and goes as towards her appartment Pri. Your humble servant Madam Ex. Priest Cleantha perceiving the Priest gone giveth way to her tears and remains still speaking thus to her selfe Clean. Wretched Cleantha Is thy Love a Crime A crime to him thou lov'st Must it be ruine Unto a person if thou but affect'st him Have I some plague that I must thus destroy Whom I
embrace Or is my destiny Grown paradoxicall and proves my Love To be true hatred Or doth Heaven revenge Other folk Pride and my Humility Oh Death Death Death thou art not half so cruel In thy destructions of the prosperous As in not killing wretches that would die She weeps 'T is thou canst make Cleantha happy and Preserve Endymion so 'T is onely thy Long night and thy dark bed that can give rest And sleep to sad Cleantha Enter Endymion Endym. Vrania Hath not done well to treat me thus Alas Could I divine the Kings command or durst I not obey him or refuse employment In which was Honour and Obedience too Unto my Prince and Service to my Countrey I took no leave of her but I have told her The reasons why my Love forbad it me Surely Urania's cruel She ought not sure To be thus angry and accuse me of Slighting a poor deluded Shepherdess When I have vow'd so oft to her my love Clean. Here comes my poor Endymion Endym. The Princess She is still gracious to me and I were Best to intreat her to perswade my now Provok'd Urania But she 's alone She steps aside a little Clean. Good morrow my Lord. Endym. Your pardon Madam if unthought of I Have rusht on your Retirement Cleanth Your presence Sir Will better it Pray what 's the news from Argos Endym. Madam the report was last night brought to Court Had nothing in 't of truth I found all quiet But onely for th' disturbance that we made Our selves by our arrival in the night Clean. I 'm glad my Lord your danger was no more Endym. You do oblige me Madam to undergo Much greater danger for your Highness then This could have prov'd Clean. My Lord you have already Purchas'd the name of my preserver with Your blood Endym. 'T was at too cheap a rate Clean. Indeed You ne'er can be in greater danger Endym. Madam The cause I fought for made the danger nothing They might have kill'd me but I could not die Clean. Your Nature 's to oblige my Lord. I shall Be happy when I find it in my power To let your Lordship know the great respect I have for that great Vertue which you own Endym. Madam 't hath been your Highness pleasure still To honour with too great respect the little Merits of your mean servant who 's advanc'd When numbred in the lowest rank of those That have been fortunate to do you service Clean. You adde still to my debts my Lord yet are No wise injurious since you make me rich In having such a noble Creditor But pray my Lord tell me as one concern'd Mach in your Fortunes who have so oblig'd me If it be fit for me to know and you Conceive that by my wishes or endeavours I any wise may stead you what 's the cause Your Lordship hath not worn of late that rest Upon your looks which heretofore appear'd A happy witness to the world you were A world unto your self still and with wise Content blest all your fortunes Endym. Ah! great Princess It is for you to wear that Rest who are Plac'd in that upper Region where there is No wind But for a little Bark i' th' midst Of a great Sea subject to every wave And all the winds she never must pretend To this blest state And for my troubles Midam Alas their objects will appear so small To your great Eye you 'd think I did affront you Should I dare say them to you Should the Lion in His midnight walks for prey hear some poor worms Complain for want of little drops of dew What pity could that generous creature have who never wanted small things for those poor Ambitions yet these are their concernments And but for want of these they pine and die There must be some proportion still to pity Between our selves and what we moan 't is hard For men to be ought sensible how Moats Press Flies to death Your Highness oft in jest Hath play'd away more then some poor men have Wrought all their life for Cleanth My Lord I cannot tell Whether possibly what is your trouble may Not be augmented by my knowing it Else shall I never think ought small that can So much affect you nor beneath my care To seek to remedy that gives you pain Endym. Great Princess you undo me with your Honours My blood turns all to blushes as a sham'd It had not all been shed for your sake when I had the honour to pour forth a little A sacrifice to your great merits Madam I must obey your Highnesses Command And thank you for it too since in your knowledge Of what afflicts me is my remedy Cleanth What will he tell me Heaven he knows I love him Aside Endym. Madam I long have lov'd Clean. Whom Sir Endym. The faire Urania who attends your Highness Clean. Forgive Aside Forgive me poor Endymion Endym. And have us'd A thousand arts to get her love and had Won her consent last night to be my wife Not doubting Madam but your Highness would Have favoured me in this adventure but My sudden being sent to Argos did Unhappily absolve this promise and I am accus'd by her for slighting of An innocent Shepherdess who was too forward In trusting me and in believing that I e'er would match to one of her mean fortune Clean. Indeed my Lord I never could have guess'd Your melancholy had so mean a cause I could not think you would so far dishonour Your Family and Name as to have courted So low a person Endym. Madam I well do know Urania was a Shepherdess and born In some low Cottage ' mongst those little folks Whom Honour seldome visits and are blest With nothing but their own content but she Like to a Star mistaken of his sphere Grew so conspucious ' mongst those dimmer lights That brave Theander had no sooner spy'd her But he became all wonder and would needs Dismiss all but my self to talk with her I do remember yet when first the Prince Ask'd her some little questions how poor soul She blusht and look'd upon her Lambs as if She 'd have them take her part Her answers were So innocent as if she 'd been begot By Prayer upon some Vestal This sweet carriage From this sweet person caus'd the Prince almost For one whole Summer ever when he hunted About those parts to spend his pleasant'st hours With this fair Shepherdess untill at last He had perswaded her for she was loath To leave what she well knew for what she knew not To leave her little flock and go with him At what time he esteem'd her fit to be A Pâ—esent for your Highness an Advancement Few Families can boast of since when I know not VVhether through your reflections on her Madam VVho was celestiall though obscure before She did become a Star or whether she Became a greater Imitator of Your Highnesses perfections then all others She hath so added unto Nature Art That she 's grown
bright to every eye and Lords And greatest persons of the Court are proud To say Urania favours them to wear The Title of her Servant as a Gem Too rich to be examin'd whence she came For her low Birth Madam this morning sprung First to our eyes from yonder barren hill And so will thousand Stars at night though this And they and she are lights from Heaven all Their rise is mean or noble only from Our situation so is hers You cast Your eyes upon her from the hight of Birth And fortune too and see her low whilst that Some other Princess Born as high but not Beneath so happy Stars beholds her through The thicker Medium of her Tears and thinks Her Birth more noble ' cause more free and less Subject to Fate that doth like Thunder oft O'erturn vast Oaks whilst Rue and Vervin stands Her Loves are free without which we may wear Fetters of gold but they are Fetters still And fit as hard as Iron though more rich Whilst many great folks are constrain'd to wed By Law and Policie and marry those Old Men in Council shall think fit who have So many years for gotten love and hate Now all but wealth and Empire ' cause themselves Have nothing else to boast of left Cleantha being not able longer to contain her self at this goes abruptly from Endym. to a Sun-Dial which stood not far from the walk where she lets fall some tears her back being towards Endymion and says with a low voice Cleantha Now thou art not fond Endymion saith Thou art unhappy And wilt thou say so And leave me so Endymion No my passion Is now Authoriz'd and I 'll speak She wipes her eyes My Lord Would you think it were so late already Endym Indeed Endym. Comes to the Dial. I cou'd not think it had been night so late But every part of Heaven hasts to see What it so loves and favours your bright self Cleant. Well my Lord I do not wonder much So great a Wit should thus maintain so great A Paradox since that in nothing less It can find its true exercise But say And tell me truly should I make 't my care To chuse a Mistress for you fair as Urania If thousands may be judges and as Vertuous Because she truely honours Vertue but Extracted from a Family would give Luster to yours although it were as mean As hers you court now say would you not leave Urania for her who doth seem to me To undervaule your respects Tell me my Lord. Endym. pauseth a while Madam should your highness condescend to chuse A Torment for me it were impudence In me to chuse ought else But that 's all blest Which is so like Urania Cleant. So like to her Vrania's body's fair but what 's that mind Which cannot apprehend the true contents Of being bound with sacred chaynes to him Who in her Closet and alone can be The whole world to her unto whom she may Bring all her doubts and tell her sorrows and Repeat her joyes and have his censure on them What is that minde which cannot value such True satisfactions more perchance then Crowns And Sceptres which is more then e'er Vrania Doth ever hope for sure Endym. Great Princess could I own Half those perfections I might happy be Without Vrania But Urania knows She may find thousands of more merit then The poor Endymion who durst never measure Himself but by the passion he had for her Cleant. Sure 't was his modesty He might have thriven Much better possibly had his ambition Been greater much They oft-times take more payns Who look for Pins then those who finde out Stars Endym. They do and are unfortunate But know Know highest Princess those may search for such Small things you 're pleas'd to name who only have A little candle of as small a value But those who seek out Stars must be provided VVith Arts and Glasses and such costly things As humble folkes must be content to want Cleant. Those coyer Stars indeed which so retire Their little eyes in Heavens vast Bosom do They say require those things you mention but For others of more magnitude you need Only to fix your eyes and they 'll appear By their own light and all you have to do Is to receive those Beams they cast upon you Endym. You cannot erre great Princess But 't is hard To fix our eyes aright upon that part Of Heaven where those Stars inhabit if VVe have not some directions first Cleant. Indeed Those who look downwards ought to be directed To look above them to the highest sphere For there the Stars are then I 'm apt to think Their task will not prove hard She blusheth My Lord I blush Thus to instruct you in Astronomy Endym. No wonder Madam if I 'm proud of what You blush at and esteem this my best knowledge VVhich your unbounded wit perhaps to morrow Will with much greater reason quite deny Clean. My Lord you think no woman's ever constant To what she saith a day but your Urania But till you 've try'd pray have more charity You 'll after have more Faith 'T is late my Lord You have oblig'd me with your company Exit Clean. Endym. sol VVhat meant this last discourse Heaven blest Heaven VVas 't not enough to lose my dear Urania Unless I also did adore the hand VVhich snatch'd her from me Cleantha love Endymion The great the pure Cleantha All my hopes In rich and holy Incense stifled are The worlds best light hath burnt my Phenix with A thousand Spices but Fool â— it cannot be Can brave Cleantha love the poor Endymion Cleantha pardon this wild thought forgive The proud Endymion Never may he know Thy noble breast harbour a thought so low Exit Endym Finis Act. 3. ACTUS 4. Enter Neander sol in a fury Neand. I Wonder who the Devil intends I shall marry with for marry I will by Heaven though the Match be made in Hell I have been a servant as they call it that is I have sworn and ly'd and spent money upon every Lady of Quality in the whole Court yet I am still so far from having a Wife among them all as the veryest Eunuch in the Great Turks Seraglio is from having a Child among all those wenches Indeed I never was in any probability unless in my own conceit of winning any one but the sweet Evadne and now that the Queen and her ugly Father should cross me should forbid her to speak to me to see me it is what I cannot I will not bear though Fate it selfe say I shall do it No I have been told that most old folks when the Wine of Love is worn our in them live some years by its Vinegar Spight and I will do the same I am resolved and that old gray Priest and his Mistress the Queen shall be my subjects And yet I am not ambitious to shew my valour so far as to be hang'd for it neither This if I