Prey And make him tender as the panting Lamb. Ast. But yet the joyful Grant he had not seal'd When once again I did embrace his Knees And call'd to his remembrance how he liv'd By your kind intercession though he scorns The Life you gave yet frankly he confess'd It was a Noble pity in a Mind So great as yours Ars. Oh the Angelick Sound Cou'd yet the moving Argument be vain Ast. It was my Lord till turning to a Theme Of more concern I told him I lov'd How I was lov'd with what a generous Flame You answered my Affections how by you I was protected from the violence Of rash Andronicus and then he smil'd And said 't was nobly done and as a Lover Ars. And yet cou'd he deny Oh what remain'd What cou'd you farther urge Ast. Your Noble Acts Your constant Vertue and unviolate Faith How weighing not your wrongs then thick upon you Banish'd by your great Fathers jealous rage Your Loyal Vertue still unshook unconquer'd Brought Kingdoms to his Throne and Lawrels to his Head This he was strangely taken with and lost Much of his fury wondred and grew kind And swore he cou'd not be a Foe to Vertue Of so sublime a Nature then he rose And gave a soft Command and charg'd me love you Not as a Prince not as the Tyrants Son But something more than Man and nearer to the Gods Ars. Thus kneel kind Angels at the Feet of Heav'n When ready to destroy the impious World They with soft Pray'rs recall the bolted Thunder And ev'n o're-take the swiftest Lightnings Course Blest that I am in thy most charming sweet Prevailing Oratory thus cou'd we move But Tamerlanes far more obdurate Heart Then were we blest Ast. Then were we blest indeed Enter Zayda confus'dly and in hast Zay O dismal Chance O fatal Destiny Ast. What means this dreadful Voice not Croaking Ravens With Midnight-shreiks e're thus disturb'd my Soul Zay Your Father Ast. Say what can his ill-tim'd Fate Malicious Chance and inauspicious Stars Do to advance his full-blown Spring of Sorrow Zay Unheard-of Cruelty the Faithless Tyrant Incens'd by your great Fathers haughty Rage Who though in Chains with his great Spirit frights The Jealous King and with a Princely scorn Vexes his raging Soul which to Revenge Fierce Tamerlane O cruel Artifice Lock'd in an Iron Cage his Rival Slave While he in barbarous Triumph mounted on His Shoulders to his Chariot Ars. Savage Prince Ast. O Cruelty Oh more than Hellish Torment Zay Impatient of his wrongs the Royal Captive As he through Samarcanda's Streets was led A publick Trophy in his moving Prison Against the massy Bars with rage he dash'd His Royal Head while from the fatal Wound Gush'd out that Blood which long the greatest Life The World cou'd ever proudly boast preserv'd Who in a Storm of Ast. O I faint I faint To hear you out will send my Soul away E're I can to his Fate my Duty pay Farewell my Lord. Ars. O my dearest Life Let me let me support thy fainting Beauties Ast. O Adanaxus now we 'r lost again Ars. Unhappy Fate thus ever in our Joys A sudden Thunderbolt divides us Exeunt severally Enter Mandricard alone with a Letter Man What shall I do shall I not go not now When thus the true Idea of that Face Calls my glad Soul which we adore in Angels Great Mandricard I 'le sing thee in my Lap Reading I come I come Asteria Mercury Lend me thy winged Buskins that in thought I may in swiftness penetrate the Air. O welcome welcome be thou to my Soul I kiss thee for her sake whose Ivory Hands Have deep engrav'd these Golden Characters To him Ispatia unseen Isp. So now Ispatia thou hast view'd his Heart And seen it flaming with another Dart Then to compleat the Sum of all my Pains Death is the only Torment that remains Exit Man To thee sweet Saint I come I fly to thee But what ill Fates have intercepted me Enter Arsanes Arsanes here wou'd Hell it were his Ghost Now by my Arms a far more welcome sight Yet now for my defence a well-forg'd Lie With a false shew of Penitential Kindness Will be most exquisite Coming near and bowing to Arsanes Ars. What wou'd this Woman Man Ha! Ars. Art thou Offended with the Name then change the Art For all I yet can see in thee is Woman Forc'd Tears feign'd Flatteries and deep Dissembling These seldom sure possess a Manly Breast Man If ought I 've done can be by what I 'le do Ars. There 's death in thy deceitful Eyes and Tongue Man Deceit and Death what mean those Mystick words Which strike like double Daggers to my Heart Ars. Art thou not false Nan. Destructive Fame thy worst Blow all thy lying Trumpets through the World And to all Ears pronounce me false yet not The blasting Breath of all thy hundred Mouths Can on my injur'd Vertue cast a blot Ars. The Careful Pilot riding on the Main May tack about and shun the highest Rocks But those he fears which skulk beneath the Waves The unseen Instruments of grinning Death You work my ruine not with Hand but Heart The lurking Treasure of black Designs Man Had I by any other Man been drawn In such a Character so much unlike So inconsistent with a Princely Mind That Man had with his final ruine brought Swift vengeance on himself for what he said By Heav'n had he but thought it he had dy'd With you quite otherwise I beg my peace Nature commands you seal my happiness Ars. Ha! are the Wounds I bear so light Man What Wounds This Tongue this Heart and Hand are innocent Ars. Ask'st thou what Wounds So did fell Atreus ask His fainting brother drunk with humane Blood And heavy with the weight of his own Bowels Set to him as a Banquet what he ail'd I tell thee Brother 't was wretched thing An exil'd Slave and Heir to Tamerlane Man Is that not blotted out I 'le hear no more Since you my Friendship and my love contemn I scorn all Treaties of a further Peace Come on Revenge like Wolves and spotted Tygers We 'l live together in perpetual strife And when we meet it must be always War Of which be this the Sacred binding Gage Throw him the Letter and Exit Ars. 'T was boldly spoke and much unlike himself He ne'r profess'd himself my Foe till now To him Axalla Ax. Saw you not Mandricard my Lord Ars. I did Behold this witness of his treacherous hate Opening the Letter Dazle my Eyes or is it from Asteria What sudden madness seizes my lost Senses And makes me think what is impossible 'T is all delusion Ha from my Nerina Directed too to Mandricard Oh Heav'n At her Apartment Ax. Oh the Monster Woman Ars. 'T is sure some feign'd device Ax. Her own false Hand Her Hand that writes her Hearts unconstant Love Ars. How oft have I such tender Characters Of the same size and make lock'd in my Breast And kiss'd
disguise Behold your wretched Son your Darling once Now less than Stranger to you banish'd spoil'd Of all my Honours Father Country Name By their vile Arts who with false Counsels arm'd Against my Innocence your mildest Nature Here could I wish I were for ever fix'd Here breath my last and leave my flying Soul Tam. Ye Powrs my Son the wrong'd Arsanes here Heav'n knows with what regret I rob my Throne of So great a Pillar my Kingdom of so good A Prince Heaven knows how I have mourn'd thy absence And curs'd my fond belief to busy Flatterers Credit me Prince I always thought thee injur'd Odm. O damn'd deceitful spightful Queen of Chance Man Hell that I as a Basilisk cou'd dart Poison from my Eyes and blot his growing Greatness Aside Tam. O Mandricard my other Blessing share This mass of Joy that fills my heaving Breast Man And can the Stranger prove so near a Friend A Brother Oh that Name Now by my Arms If ever hate were grounded in my Breast You Valiant Deeds have dispossess'd it all Such Vertue ne'r can find an Enemy Imbraces coolly Now all the subtilest Plagues of Hell prevent thee Aside Ars. O happy day the whitest of my Life Tam. All who are present at this Solemn Meeting Behold your Prince your wish'd for Prince Arsanes In whose just Cause you have so often mutinid And ev'n assail'd our Throne for his revenge Receive take share with me his Royal Heart And with loud shouts of Joy accompany Us to our Palace Thus from their sad Urn Thy Phoenix Vertues to new Glories burn Exeunt Odmar manet solus Odm. Furies and Death and all the Family Of dark Infernal Pow'rs can you see So tamely see me your Chief Instrument Sworn to your Counsels so lost so successless For this Have I trod in all Paths that Hell-ward led Has Envy lost her Snakes and Fraud forgot Her Art Is Malice satisfi'd so soon To glare and snarl and not destroy for this Have Guilty Thoughts disturb'd my Nights and Blood Started my Soul in Fancies broke my Sleeps Bled the Kings Son committed to my charge An Infant to no-purpose is it nothing That my Themyre supplies his Place and Name But doth Arsanes still prevent us Nay He 's grown much higher by his fall our Plots To tread him down to Earth have mounted him Above the Clouds This must not on again Brain whet thy sweet Invention while he climbs That he may fall and set the World in Flames Exit Asteria's Apartment Asteria Zayda Ast. Give give my Passion vent or I shall burst Yes yes ye Pow'rs 't was he 't was Adanaxus That ruin'd me my Father Country all 'T is the same charming Tongue moves Tamerlane That caught Nerina's Heart just so he wept And knelt and pray'd for Mercy at my Feet For his own Life as for my Father's now T is the same Rival of Andronicus The same Triumpher o're the Graecian Slaves Turkey destroy'd I and this faithless Man Crown'd with the Pleasures of a Smiling Field While we each others Story did relate So tenderly and with so much concern Promiscuously we gave our Hearts away Born on the Wings of interchang'd Discourse Then first we sigh'd and smil'd and smil'd and sigh'd And look'd and wonder'd and discours'd again While the young God stood laughing on the Plain And wonder'd at our Sympathy of Souls Wou'd you believe it This same Under-Lover This very Adanaxus from the World From all Mankind was chose to work my ruine Zay Has he not sav'd your Captive Fathers Life Ast. Did he not make him so O trifling Comfort How now what Air what Heav'n is this what Sky What Country whither am I led alass What am I now become Still still my Eyes Behold those various Images of Death And Fatal Ruine they in Prutia saw All pale and shiv'ring there my Mother lies And there my Royal Brother bleeding groans All this and more this dear this trayt'rous Man This smiling false Deceiver has perform'd To them Arsanes Axalla Ax. See there my Lord and think on what your Friend Advis'd you to Ars. I see my Heav'n near Am ravish'd with the light wish and admire Court and hope yet dare not enter in With such a clog of guilt incumber'd round I tremble at the Presence of my Judge Ax. If Conquest were a Crime it was the Gods Not yours nor can she blame your hidden fate How full of Fears is Love Ast. Bless me my Stars Oh I 'm betray'd look Zayda see that Man Oh let us shun that swearing perjur'd Man And never let me trust my Heart again Ars. Madam Ast. What means this rude Assault Ars. Thus low I fall To Beauties and to Mercies Shrine while from Their Oracle I learn my Life or Death Present Despair or Happiness Ast. Expound These Riddles Heav'n Ars. Ha! am I grown so strange So alter'd neither known nor understood Or rather are you so forgetful grown If so let these recall your Memory A Bracelet The Tender Labour of your busie Love This witness of your Vows Ast. What shall I say or do Ungrateful Man but let me not recall My Grief with Words and stab my bleeding Wounds The Gods revenge my Injuries Is going out Ars. Oh hear Your Guilty Penitent his Crime confess Ast. Some weak Evasion or deluding Fable Oh what excuse or wile can you invent In recompence of all my Sufferings Ars. Her every word a bleeding Heart-string cuts Her every Tear a Vein your Sufferings Oh cast on me the burden of 'em all For I can bear for my Nerina's quiet The Pains of Hell with Heav'nly delight Ast. Ill shall I trust so known an Enemy Ars. An Enemy what Horrors seize my Soul Oh clear clear me of that wretched Name Who could have thought the Ridling Fates and meant I shou'd have sin'd in bringing help to him Who gave me birth Ast. 'T is plain you have betray'd For empty Duty have betray'd your Love What Name could make Nerina to forget Her Adanaxus thus ah cruel Man Ars. Forget you had I drunk dull Lethe dry Its Waters had on me wrought small effect Nerina always was is present here My Mind my Soul is nothing but Nerina This very impious Act was for Nerina When losing her I sought in dreadful Battle My long wish'd End Ast. Excuses are but vain For by your Actions I your kindness weigh Captivity and shameful Bands are all The mighty Gifts of your protested Vows Have I not heard you say yes I have heard To me the Tribute of the World was due How fit I was to be a Queen how well A Diadem wou'd with my Beauty Suit Ars. Oh my Nerina if I then must stand Guilty of all the malice of the Stars And what great Heav'n decreed if it be nothing That by my Pray'rs your Royal Father lives Yet sure I've lov'd and for your love despis'd All dangers oppos'd Princes in your Cause Witness the Fury of Andronicus Nerina may remember too some
Months Imprisonment harsh Chains and hardest usage Ast. How quickly passes a Womans Rage that loves Aside Now could I lay on Fortune all his Crimes Oh Adanaxus but I have been wrong'd Turning from him Ars. Then Heav'n o'retake me with thy swiftest Justice While from your Mouth I here beg leave to die Ast. Oh how I melt to Tenderness and Love I cannot now dissemble with my Heart Nor curb my Passion with a seeming Fierceness Ah my dear Lord Ars. Pronounce the Fatal Sentence Ast. While your Nerina lives you must not die Your Life is link'd with hers Ars. And can I hope For Absolution Ast. If you 've any Faith See see it Seal'd while I due Thanks repay To Heav'n which has restor'd my dearest Lord By this one Gift my Stars have recompenc'd me For Mother Brother Father Country all Ars. Such words as these mix'd with that Grace of Speech Wou'd charm the praying Hermite from his Cell And draw the rigid Cynick's Heart to Love Ast. But see we are observ'd Mandricard passes over the Stage Ars. 'T is Mandricard That Raven bodes ill Fate Man Ha! what so close Billing believe me Brother 't is too much Ast. Did not you mark his black disorder'd Looks Between his gnashing Teeth what silent Curses He mutter'd forth and threatned us with Frowns Ars. Though he were arm'd with Lightning we 'd not fear Ast. Again then we must part Ars. So willingly Ast. Part now to meet again with greater Joys More Ravishing Delights mean while we 'l live On hope Ars. And nourish Nature with the Thoughts Of Joys to come now drive thy Chariot Time Incumbent on the Wings of all the Winds Nor cease thy flying Pages to maintain While I and my Nerina meet again Exeunt A Garden belonging to the Palace Mandricard alone Man Dull Coward Heart weak Flesh and what is worse A Mind ambitious yet without revenge Rise Mandricard let not thy Glory sink In vain Complaints and feeble Murmurings By this I shou'd have fill'd the World with Ruine And on its Fall my early Glory built By all my Fury I cou'd laugh to feel The ruin'd Palace crush my burthen'd Limbs So that Arsanes might partake my Fate To him Odmar Abdalla Odm. A happy Morning to my Gracious Lord Man Gods that I live to see this hateful day No Serpent wing'd or Dragon-breathing-flame Cou'd raise my Soul to this unbounded rage As doth Arsanes Presence O ye Furies Prepare some sudden deadly Pest to blast him Odm. He 's fir'd and now to blow him into Flames Busie my Lord and full of rowling thoughts Man Dost thou not see Revenge hang on my Brow Odm. Divide the heavy burthen of your Breast And witness for me Hell there 's not a Path That leads to your Ambition vast desires Your Odmar dares not tread to make you happy Though with the fatal hazard of his Life Abd. Speak but the word and I 'm a true born Son Of Scythian breed can strangle poison kill When e're your Interest shall arm my Fury Man Now these are Men according to my wish Aside First swear to keep the Secret Both. Shou'd it be To blaspheme Mahomet we swear Man Why sticks My Tongue to speak the happy Deed my Mind Long since has acted were you bred in Blood And nurs'd with Milk of Tygers have you each Murder'd your Thousands Abd. All my Life has been But a continual practice how to kill Most silent and most sure Odm. I from my Youth Have conversant in Plots and Treasons been And artfully have study'd by the fall Of Men above me how to raise my self To highest Place and Power Man Instruments As fit as Hell cou d make for my Design How long shall I like some vile Shrub beneath A spreading Oak stand overshadow'd by Arsanes mighty Pow'r Abd. Does it hit there this Steel Has entred Brass and cut through Coats of Mail And will serve still to lop or branch or so From that tall Oak Odm. We 'l take it by the Roots Man His Heart Odm. And drink his Blood Abd. And eat the Corse Man Like Tartars spoke the Means Abd. By force of Arms. Odm. By Stratagem Fate-working Stratagem Then first the Captive Princes to deceive Must be our care that she in spight of all The tenderness she to Arsanes bears Be brought into your Arms a Glorious Prey Man That serves but for one half of my revenge That for my Love but what for my Ambition Odm. You have no sooner thought but I have acted Lyes are the steps by which black Treason climbs Confederacy with Turkey dark Designs With Bajaset and contracts with the Princess This Head that Hand can fail in no Attempt Abd. Where you the Platform lay I swear to build Man My Noble Lords now you are Friends indeed I envy not Arsanes now with all His crowd of supple Flatterers that cringe And buz about his new-reviving Greatness Let them speak Friendship which you act and now To our great Charges silent as the night And hush'd as our Designs we go Farewell Exeunt Odm. Abd. 'T is sure these Men with Trayterous Designs To the destructive part may much avail But on what Ground to build my happy Love And how to gain the Fair Asteria's Heart Instruct me Alha O Prince 't is enough Enough thou see'st to gain her mortal hate That by thy cursed Hand her Brother fell What will she say but oh what canst thou say In thy excuse when by thy Hellish Arts She hears Arsanes basely poorly Murder'd Yet Mandricard cheer up thy drooping Spirits She loves the Man that sought her Fathers ruine By Heav'n her Brothers Murd'rers less in fault 'T is fix'd and on that hope I build my Bliss To him Ispatia Isp. I wou'd not harbour such a jealous thought Within my Breast can Mandricard prove false To his Ispatia O unequal Gods Prevent this mischief what disast'rous chance Has summon'd me to this unhappy place With Eyes and Ears to see and hear his falshood To which my Soul cou'd never credit give But yet I 'le smother it and try if words With all the force of Tears may turn his mind Health to my Noble Lord Great Mandricard How fares your Highness Man Well Ispatia well The better that I hear thee ask me so But I am busie now leave me Ispatia Isp. My Lord Man I prithee leave me We shall have idle hours enough for Love Isp. How my dear Lord I little did expect To meet you thus on this Triumphant Day Man Blame then the Fates not me Isp. Doth any Wound Disturb your Rest my Lord If so behold Your weak Physitian do not scorn my help Man Thanks to your care your Mandricard is whole Isp. My Care O trifling word He shou'd have cast Away that cool Endearment on the Crowd That fawn'd and welcom'd him at his return Are all my longing Wishes come to this And is it is it thus I must receive you Is this the Fruit of all my early Moans
Odm. Too well dread Prince he fought if all were known He has already half eclips'd your Fame Witness all Tartary which bowing low Kisses the very Ground on which he treads Do not you hear Arsanes mighty Name Eccho'd through every Street long live Arsanes A Thousand Voices ev'n in your Court reply While Tamerlane must stand neglected by And wait upon the Triumphs of his Son Abd. By Hell thou art the very Soul of lying Odm. Nay more I fear it is no false report The specious Acts he wrought in your defence Cut but his way into your Peoples Hearts And a wide Path to his Ambition made This I may safely swear my Lord he 's false Abd The same swear I. Tam. You both are Villains False treacherous perjur'd damn'd Villains Whose spotted Souls regard not Innocence Nor Conscience trembles when you dare accuse it And now to let you know how little Faith Your seeming Counsels fix upon my Soul Call here the Prince Arsanes spight of yours And Mandricards more hateful Policies I 'le Crown his Vertue with Rewards so large Shall raise your envy high as is his Fate Enter Arsanes Come to my Arms my best my Loyal Son Let me embrace thee all my long-wish'd Joys At last are come rise my better self See there the Authors of thy former woes See them that wou'd renew thy Miseries Villain is this a Face shews discontent What wild unstable looks are here what frown What gesture that may render him suspected Ars. I always thought those Men my Enemies Yet I confess Great Sir I have deserv'd All that their envy or your juster wrath Have made me suffer For whom e're he be So just a Prince thinks false or but suspects By Heav'n he 's false nay then 't is a Crime A Crime unpardonable in innocence To say she 's wrong'd Abd. He has a Tongue as smooth To Odmar aside As yours pray Heav'n it may but prove as fatal Tam. You false believe me nor thy Conqueror Your injur'd Vertue claims a Recompence So large with guilty thoughts I blushing hear That now to share that Empire you have sav'd With that your Arms have won will be a light An empty Offering to your vast deserts Men stile us Scythians barbarous and wild But I appeal to the Immortal Pow'rs If ever Rome in all her Pomp cou'd show An Act like what Arsanes has perform'd An Act so good Athens wou'd blush to hear As wanting fit example to compare An Act to brave the Heroes from their Orbs The famous Senate of unconquer'd Minds Start back and think their Glory faintly won So much Arsanes has surpass'd their Deeds An Act Ars. Of which I thought the insolence Might rather raise your Anger than your Love To see an Exil'd Slave who durst return Uncall'd to share the Trophies of your Fame Yet let me plead but this in my defence My Duty to so just a Father and So good a Prince work'd high my ravish'd Soul Nor could my Blood be chill'd with outward fear Or inward grief but boyling in my Veins As one shou'd say 't was part of Tamerlanes Stir'd me to go where Fame and Duty call'd Abd. Ruin'd as handsomely as Hell cou'd wish us Tam. Now in the Face of thy worst Enemies Receive the highest Honours we can give Let loose thy vast Ambition let it fly At Riches Honour Love or once at all Your Word shall guide our Heart your Wishes bind Our Will your Pray'rs command what e're they crave Ask and believe it granted e're you speak Abd. Now cou'd I cut thy Throat instead of his To Odm. Ars. Lawrels and Crowns are Tamerlanes alone And the Rich Entrails of the Golden Earth Serve but to fill the Lustre of his Name It is Great Sir a light Request I make And yet in my esteem worth Worlds so great A Prize the fair Asteria seems to me That were I seated on the Scythian Throne With swarms of Tributary Kings about me And subject Princes waiting my Commands By all my wishes I shou'd scarce enjoy One moments rest without the beauteous Bride Tam. Ye Gods that ever such antipathy Shou'd be united Oh cou'd I but taste The sleepy Waters of dull Lethe's Lake That I might now forget those hateful words I tell thee Prince thy fond Request is vain Which nor consists with Duty nor with Honour She is thy Enemy Arsanes cease To think of her Odm. Take Heart Abdalla see The Prince is Planet-struck and Tamerlane Pursues his ruine Ars. Duty bids me not Dispute your dread Commands yet I must blame The coldness of my Stars and too hard Fate Tam. It is not fancy sure disturbs my mind And leads my wav'ring thoughts to jealousie Yet I cou'd shun thee now Arsanes here Thy dark Request sticks deep Farewell and when You make your next if not as a Son Ask what is fitting for a Friend Exit Abd. 'T is just As Hell and we cou'd wish Odm. Now is our time To shed out all our Poison on his Soul Which Heav'n nor Arsanes may controul Exeunt Ars. Now from a fairest Heav'n of surest hope Am I thus faln O sudden turn of Fortune Quite ruin'd e're I scarce perceiv'd a Change Thus stands some mighty Tower the Bulwark of A Nation shooting up her lofty Head Above the Clouds gaz'd and wonder'd at But in a moment see to Ashes turn'd Its tot'ring pride on some base Traytors Guilt And scarce the marks of all its Glory left Thus But oh the Star that guilds my days She comes and now my fading sorrows pass Like showry Clouds before the Glorious Sun Enter Asteria Ast. My dearest Lord so may you find all Joys My Heart can wish you as you shall unfold The Mystick Secret of that sad Complaint Just now you sent to Heav'n Ars. Most impious were I Could I while I possess those numerous Worlds Of fullest pleasures hanging o're your Brow Those endless Comforts basking in your Eyes And all the Charms which wait upon your Smile Ungratefully and foolishly complain Pard'n me ye Pow'rs if I have offended For to Arsanes you are wond'rous kind Most bountiful who in the fair Nerina All I can ask all I can wish have giv'n Ast. Yes Adanaxus we are free to love And I without a crime can give a Heart With Honour Duty and a Fathers Will. Ars. What is 't I hear what sudden happiness Raps my glad Soul Ast. 'T is true as strange Ars. O Bliss O Harmony but how the wond'rous Change Was wrought dulls all my busie thoughts to guess Ast. Then first I knelt and wept and kiss'd his Feet And told how I had been his Darling from My very Infancy and what Delights My Childish Sports afforded him how dear He priz'd my Mother made him sensible Of his past Joys with her and then conjur'd him By her blest Ashes and Eternal Name To have compassion on me Ars. Words like these Wou'd charm the rav'ning Wolf with hunger pinch'd With a strange softness to forego his
it not forbid Forbid by Duty it were so in me But oh Ax. Still dreaming Ars. Oh my Innocence Thou sacred fort fair Guardian of my Breast Where art thou fled me thinks I 'm left alone Disarm'd defenceless since I saw thee last Ax. Still in the tedious maze of fearful doubts Ars. Where e're I turn I see my Ruine nigh Ax. Mark then your surest way to Life or Death Bright Honour or base Shame the King Arsanes Brooks heavily the scorn of his Commands Your Friends their ill accepted Love repent And sad Nerina all in Tears protests She never thought Arsanes cou'd deny Her any thing Ars. Hold thou hast said enough Words of such wond'rous sense so moving full With Arguments of such prevailing Pow'r Wou'd raise the dull Lethargick from his Dream That Threefold Chain of Duty Friendship Love Wou'd bind the Roving Sylvan Honours Slave Faith draws the Wills of Men to my defence Duty and Love Auxiliary Gods Exeunt Odmar solus Odm. Traytor 't is a Name of vast import Not arm'd with furbish'd Brass nor lock'd in Steel He bears the noiseless Weapons of Deceit Lies politick and subtle Flatteries Raise him to trust what cannot Villains trusted We change destroy make Princes and unmake Unenvy'd be henceforth Cassander fam'd Dire Sylla Close Sejanus Cruel Marius Seditious Gracchi God-like Catiline With all the Glorious Traytors of each Age Not the false Smerdis with his Magick Train Could sound the dark Abyss of Odmars Plots Peop. Long live Great Tamerlane and Prince Arsanes Shout within Odm. Hark now me thinks I see this Lover come Hot with desire see how the too rash Fool With what large hasty steps he meets half way My Daggers Point now Heart for thy Revenge Heav'n guide my Hand where I resolve to strike Here will I make my Vigilant Retreat All Passages but through this Gate are bar'd To the dear Lodgings of his lov'd Asteria While the dark Night shall shrow'd me and my Guilt Retreats Enter Mandricard Man No not so much as one poor Cypress Torch To light her to her Grave ah the much-wrong'd Ispatia Odmar rushes on him and stabs him with a Poniard Odm. As sure a Thrust as ever Malice made Lye there thou empty Blaze of Fame while I Run with false Tears devulger of thy Fate Oh how the Crowd will fret the Prince Arsanes The Noble Prince lies murder'd in the way Help help the Prince is murder'd oh oh oh oh Exit Man Darkness and Horror whither am I going What greedy Horse-leech sucks my Vital Blood And draws me to a Being like Ispatia's Laugh laugh ye Furies and ye Devils grin Scourge me with Scorpions punish me with Flames Eternal Flames tear consume devour me Let Hell surround me with her greatest Torments Severest Plagues prepar'd for blackest Souls But turn the wrong'd Ispatia from my sight Ispatia's Presence is a Thousand Hells Dies Re enter Odmar with a dark Lanthorn Odm. But to be sure thou' rt dead it much concerns By Heav'n 't is Mandricard Death Furies Hell And thou curst Hand false Author of my woe Thou Traytor to my Will and Rebel to my Aim Oh the black Curse of Chance And plague of Accidents so gross an Error Was wrought sure by the envy of the Stars My Mandricard my Son oh oh my Son Enter Tamerlane Tam. Keep back the Rabble and your selves retreat While I survey and mourn my hapless Son Well Friend thou 'st done the business Odm. Very well To make the Strumpet Fortune frisk and laugh Tam. What mean you Friend Odm. I mean there is in Heav'n A Jubilee among Arsanes Stars Tam. That he 's come there Odm. That he is not come there Tam. Thy Mystick Speech I cannot comprehend Nor sound thy Sense no nor thy Ghastly Looks Odm. This will explain 'em all Points to Mandric Tam. By all the Gods 'T is Mandricard Curst Villain Oh my Son Odm. Ha ha ha Tam. What wou'd thy Mirth Odm. Seeing once a Corse On a Black Beer to gloomy Pluto born â—laught to see the Sympathetick Crowd Howl yell lament as they were Parents all What was the Corse to them or they to it Tam. Yet Ridling Slave what hoa my Guards who waits Seize there the Murderer Enter Guards Odm. I scorn to perish by a Fate so base Thus do the Noble dye Stabs himself What mean those Tears To Tam. Know King thou shou'dst have shed those very Tears Some twenty years ago when Mandricard Your Son my Charge a tender Infant dy'd Then the wish'd Glory of my days began He dey'd I to his room my Son advanc'd My own Themyre suppos'd your Mandricard My swell'd Ambition yet did higher aim A King at least the Father of a King I was resolv'd to raise my self Think Sir By me how oft Arsanes has been made By me a Traytor never of himself This was the last unlucky Cheat I acted Which the curst Fates had otherwise decreed And turn'd on me the Ruines of my Wish Scarce can I more my Death comes swiftly on While from my Actions I this Glory draw None cou'd but Odmar Odmars Plots destroy Dies Tam. Remove the wretched Bodies from my sight The hated Traytor and the curst Impostor First let 'em hang a publick Spectacle In our high Road which to the Palace leads Then when all Eyes are glutted with the sight Cast 'em to Birds and Beasts a welcome Prey Enter an Officer Off. Prepare Great Tamerlane for your defence Uproars and Tumults every where are ris'n Fame of Arsanes Death has arm'd the Crowd With Fury Rage Suspicions Frenzies Fears Your self the sole Promoter of his Fate Are sworn arraign'd on you they vow Revenge Tam. Hast quickly and with Trumpets Sound pronounce The Rumour false their lov'd Arsanes lives By blest mistake 't is Mandricard is fal'n Exit off Call to my Arms the Noble Prince Arsanes And his fair Mistress at last my Eyes are open Unseal'd to Truth I see and am confirm'd No close Conspiracy or black Design But Love and only Love their Hearts did joyn Enter Arsanes and Asteria Tam. Thanks O Propitious Heav'n thanks my Stars And all ye Angels Guards of Innocence Which have restor'd and brought into his Right The wrong'd Arsanes welcome O my Son Thy Enemies are dead the Impostors dead And with them all Suspitions of thy Faith Thy Injuries are dead Oh my Arsanes A Father in the Face of Heav'n salutes thee A happy Bridegroom from a Fathers Hand Receive thy Fairer Vertues Fair Reward Ars. O Extasie Oh Paradise of Joy I come scarce hoping for a Pard'n and find A full Reward Inestimable Treasure Eternal Bliss nor is it Fairy Treasure No no I have it here I hold it grasp it A Real Pleasure and Substantial Good But oh let not the fulness of my Joy Make me unmindful of the Noble Giver Oh my Asteria Ast. My Lord Ars. Thus let us kneel With Thanks unto our Father Ast. Our Preserver Ars. Our new Creator thus let us lie prostrate And wonder at our sudden Happines Tam. Rise and believe it granted now witness Heav'n And ye kind Stars that smile upon our Throne With what untroubled Joy I joyn the Hands Of the blest Loyal Pair The Sacred Tye just Alha shall confirm And as we Sign Seal your Eternal Loves Ars. Thanks O our Royal Father God-like Prince And double Author of my happy Being So may Great Alha all your Actions Crown And with Eternal Blessings Guard your Throne As I your worthy Praises loudly sing The Kindest Father and the Justest King Exeunt EPILOGUE By Mr. DRYDEN LAdies the Beardless Author of this Day Commends to you the Fortune of his Play A Woman Wit has often grac'd the Stage But he 's the first Boy-Poet of our Age. Early as is the Year his Fancies blow Like young Narcissus peeping through the Snow Thus Cowley Blossom'd soon yet Flourish'd long This is as forward and may prove as strong Youth with the Fair shou'd always Favour find Or we are damn'd Dissemblers of our kind What 's all this Love they put into our Parts 'T is but the pit-a-pat of Two Young Hearts Shou'd Hag and Gray-Beard make such tender moan Faith you 'd e'en trust 'em to themselves alone And cry let 's go here 's nothing to be done Since Love's our Business as 't is your Delight The Young who best can practise best can Write What though he be not come to his full Pow'r He 's mending and improving every hour You sly She-Iockies of the Box and Pit Are pleas'd to find a hot unbroken Wit By management he may in time be made But there 's no hopes of an old batter'd Iade Faint and unnerv'd he runs into a Sweat And always fails you at the Second Heat FINIS