the VVinds And think that VVomen talk'd observe the Rain And think that VVomen wept or in the Clouds Behold Semandra's Form still fleeting from me But speak I lose my Senses with my Woes Arch. He has sav'd thy life come make a handsom lye In recompence Sem. I will be short as true When you were gone to Wars the King relaps'd How prompted Heav'n best knows and when with Conquest You came from Battel he with dreadful threats Compell'd me to receive you in that manner Ziph. Ah cruel Creature what what Menaces What fear of death cou'd so have made Ziphares Receive Semandra Sem. Not Racks nor all the Tortures Which Hell combin'd cou'd put into the hearts Of bloodiest Tyrant shou'd have forc'd me to 't But oh your life which he with deepest Oaths Had sworn to take unless I seem'd to scorn you That dash'd my Spirits bafled all the daring Of my defenceless heart there I confess The Woman work'd I trembled and agreed To see you so rather than lose you ever Arch. Now by my Arms she has come off with wonder Sem. And think my Lord reflect upon your self I dare believe so dearly once you lov'd me That were you certain I shou'd lose my life Unless you us'd me in that very manner I know you wou'd constrain your flame awhile And seem as cold and as reserv'd as I. Ziph. Oh heart oh bleeding Love but speak Semandra For there is wondrous Reason mighty Sense In what you say and I cou'd hear you ever Sem. When you were gone the cruel King came in And without stop propos'd the fatal Marriage Which being deny'd he forc'd me to the Temple Yet at the Altar I deni'd my hand Invok'd the Gods with the most violent sorrow Tears sighs and swoonings curst the frighted Priests Struck down the Censors and like one distracted I mangled my own flesh but all in vain I was suppos'd his Queen and so enjoy'd Ziph. Then still thy heart thy heart was mine Semandra Sem. It was it is for ever shall be yours Ziph. Oh at thy feet let me for ever lye Thus hang upon thy knees with dying grasps Thou most wrong'd Innocence abus'd Semandra Sem. Oh my dear Lord you shall not kneel without me Ziph. Thou art not false then Sem. Cou'd you think me so False to my Life my Soul my All I have Ziph. I did I thought thee false and I deserve To die for wronging thy most matchless Faith For thou art true constant as pining Turtles Constant as Courage to the Brave in Battel Constant as Martyrs burning for the Gods Arch. What Changes drive bus'ness of the World Come no more weeping rise Think on the King if he shou'd take you thus Ziph. Oh rise Semandra what what are we doing Why Archelaus why did'st thou cut me off The moments pleasure which my thoughts were forming Thy cruel breath quite broke the brittle Glass Of my short life and stopt the running Sand. What shall we do Semandra Sem. Part and die Ziph. Die 't is resolv'd but how that that must be My future care and with that thought I leave thee Go then thou Setting-star take from these eyes These eyes that if they see thee will be wishing O take those languishing pale fires away And leave me to the wide dark Den of Death Sem. Something within me sobs to my boding heart Semandra ne're shall see Ziphares more Ziph. Away then part for ever part Semandra Let me alone sustain those rav'nous Fates Which like two famish'd Tygers are gone out And have us in the Wind. Death come upon me Night and the bloodi'st deed of darkness end me But oh for thee for thee if thou must die I beg of Heav'n this last this only favour To give thy life a painless dissolution Oh may those ravish'd Beauties fall to Earth Gently as wither'd Roses leave their Stalks May Death be mild to thee as Love was cruel Calm as the Spirits in a Trance decay And soft as those who sleep their Souls away Exeunt ACT V. SCENE I. Pelopidas Andravar Priest incompass'd with Romans Pelop. ROmans who send your Laws far as the Sun His Beams and whom the Universe beholds With joy yet dreads your anger as the Gods Why move you to the ruine of this Tyrant To the sure death of bloody Mithridates As if you fear'd or car'd not he shou'd die Can you suspect an Ambush or that we Shou'd dare betray you yielding thus our persons Our Lives our Prince himself into your hands Andr. This man to whom the servile Priests bow down Who wears a Crown in honour of his place And sacred worth abandons all his glories T' attest the truth of what we have declar'd Enter Pharnaces But see the fierce the brave the Great Pharnaces Comes on to meet you waves his Royalties Therefore O mighty Romans give him Audience Phar. That I am rough and of an untaught Spirit All the East knows I ever scorn'd those Slaves VVith whom I have been bred and when my Father Order'd Barbarian Princes for my Masters In Arts and Arms I spurn'd 'em from my presence And rather chose since Rome might not instruct me Nature in all my Actions for my Guide Hence cou'd I brook more hardly the fierce mind Of our Inhumane Parent Mithridates My Eldest Brother's Fate did kindle first My fiery Soul to a most swift revenge For when the State of Bosphorus demanded That Prince for King he bound the gallant Youth In Golden Chains and doom'd him to be slain Two more were by his boundless fury strangled And ev'n the last but me the brave Ziphares Last night was murder'd in the Tyrants Palace In whose sad cause the Squadrons which he led Of late so valiantly against you Romans Attend some furlongs hence to joyn your Banners If this be true not to recount the Slaughters Of all his Queens and poyson'd Concubines I think the World Rome I shou'd first have nam'd Will little censure this so just revolt If you suspect me false behold Pharnaces Ne're yet detain'd but free as roving Lyons That swept at will like Winds in Deserts wild Behold him with these Noble Hostages Your Pris'ner to be bound the Slave of Rome Rom. Capt. Lead us on to Victory Omnes To Victory Phar. On them you Race of Heav'n you Seed of Gods And to Immortalize Pharnaces Name Plant me like Thunder breaking from this Cloud Foremost while all the ratling Engines follow Monima whom this Tyrant ravish'd from me I hear is fled to Pompey her I ask For my reward with half his spreading Empire But I waste words let 's act and then make claim And O remember when we storm the Town Remember that most horrid Massacre Of Asia whet on that your blunted Spirits Till with the motion Lightning edge your Souls To mow off hoary Heads hurl Infants puling From the lug'd breast kill in the very Womb To Beauties cries be deaf make all Synope But one vast Grave to hold the infinite bodies Which we
who am bound by Oaths and solemn Vows To love Ziphares By my Father's Order And by the tenderest Inclination too Mith. You strike me dead Sem. Oh do but think my Lord How wou'd Mankind when they shall read my Story Tear all the Rolls or throw 'em to the Flames How wou'd the weeping Maids curse my remembrance Shou'd I for pride of Power a Golden Promise A gaudy Nothing prove ingrateful perjur'd Leave all the goodness of the Earth to languish And break for ever with his matchless Virtue Mith. You have said and I confess it to be Heav'nly I know and till I saw your Eyes I lov'd The Virtue of my Son I lodg'd him near My Heart and set him down my Successor But now Oh hear and wonder at your Power Spight of his Noble Acts tho to his Arm I owe my Life tho Justice speaks so loud And the soft Tongue of Nature pleads so well I hate him more than I did ever love him Sem. Alas wou'd I had dy'd when first you saw me Mith. Had he conspir'd my Death usurp'd my Throne Perhaps I might have doom'd him to be slain Yet sure I shou'd have wept to see him die But now since he must Ravish that lov'd Gem I prize above the World tearing you from me Giving me twenty Deaths and cutting through My very Soul shou'd I my Empire give To buy his Fate I 'de think it vastly sold. Sem. Then blasted be the Form that charm'd your Eyes His Fate Oh Gods then you design his Death To reap the Bloody Harvest of his Life And Atreus-like to feed on your own Bowels But know Proud Monarch there are Powers who see And punish Crimes like yours Nor can I doubt But they will save from your most Impious Rage My poor lov'd Lord the Innocent Ziphares Weeping Mith. Those Waters more inrage my Jealous Flame And those heav'd Sighs but spread my Anger 's Wings Your Fatal Kindness hastens on his Death And that untimely Doom which I forbore To execute seems necessary now You give him all your Stock of richest Love Your Tears your longing Looks your Smiles your Groans And over-bless him with your lavish kindness But niggardly to me you will not spare A pitying Glance one Pearly drop to Ransom The Soul of this despairing Mithridates Andravar go and bear the Prince to Prison Sem. Stay Andravar the King has call'd you back See he repents Nay I must hold you then And if you stir you take Semandra with you O Mithridates O ungrateful Prince What was it you did order But behold His Eyes are fix'd upon the ground he blushes To think he cou'd so monstrously Decree To murder the sweet hopes of all his Kingdoms The Gods be prais'd for this Serene Repentance Yet with the fright I fear I shall not sleep Till Death does close my Eyes Mith. O rise Semandra Sem. Never I never will Oh all you pitying Powers will not my cryes And piercing Woes move you to melt his Soul Can you be deaf Oh Cruel Mithridates Did you but know the workings you have made The heavy plight the panting Passions here If you had but a Grain of all that World Of Love you swore you once had for Semandra You cou'd not see me thus Misery distracts My Reason shou'd you turn to a new rage Which I must fear unless you Vow to save him I cou'd not bear it you shou'd see me fall Cold pale and with my Deaths Convulsions grasping Your water'd feet but never more rise Mith. Give me your Beauteous Hand I swear upon it By all those Powers we worship by our Self When e're Ziphares dies Semandra kills him She shall alone have Power to give him Death Or to recal his most untimely Fate Enter Ziphares and Archelaus Thus dearly do I buy the Red Impression Which my Lips make but take it take it from me My Blood boils up again my Spirits kindle That lovely Brand has lent my wishes flame And I am lost again in vast desire Ziph. Semandra live I once to see thee more Tho in my Father's Arms 'T is Heav'n to gaze On thy assaulted Honour thus to see thee Thus tempted from me with the Charms of Empire Yet not consenting No I 'll not think the World Laid at thy Feet Cou'd win thy Faith Yet O dread Sir forgive me If that my boding Heart suspects you more Then all that Heav'n cou'd send down great and charming Or Hell cou'd raise up horrid to destroy me Mith. O Glory Arch. O consider Sir on that Think how the Romans will despise your Wars If Love now drive you Speak my Lord he yields Ziph. Oh Royal Sir or if the Name of Father Can move you more by that I will Conjure you By all the Charms of Stratonice's Eyes When first they drew you to adore their lustre By all the Pains you gave her when she bore me By all the Obedience I have paid you long And by the Blood I yet intend to lose In your behalf oh grant me my Semandra Sem. Ev'n by the Passion my unhappy Beauty First kindled in you but I hope is dying Give me Ziphares give him to my Longings Mith. 'T is done the Conquest is at last obtain'd And Manly Virtue Lords it o're my Passion It shall be so away thou feeble God I banish thee my Bosom hence I say Be gone or I will tear the Strings that hold thee And stab thee in my Heart The Wars come on By Heav'n I 'll drown thy laughing Deity In Blood and drive thee with my brandish'd Sword To Rome I will yes to the Capitol There to resume thy Godhead once again And vaunt thy Majesty without controul But never Reign in Mithridates Soul Arch. O wonderful effect of highest Virtue O Conquest which deserves more Triumphs than A hundred Victories in Battel gain'd Ziph. You must you shall be now the Lord of Rome Her Fate shall bow beneath your Awful Scepter O let me not enjoy the Life you promis'd The vast possession of the rich Semandra If I strike not Rome's Eagles to the Earth Take the Imperial Standard Chase their Legions And bring in Triumph all their Leaders bound Mith. Andravar haste Proclaim throughout the City My Son Ziphares General against the Romans Exit Andravar Come to my Breast once more my dearest Son In spight of Love thou art again my Child Thus with a Father's bowels I receive thee Thus melting o're thee with the tenderest Nature I pray the Gods to Crown thy Youth with glory Ziph. Oh Happiness Oh Joy Oh blessed Tears Reward this Goodness Heav'n for Poor Ziphares Is now so lost he knows not what to say Let me devour your hands with Filial dearness Were my whole Life to come one heap of Troubles The pleasure of this moment wou'd suffice And sweeten all my griefs with its remembrance Sem. Oh happy hour if I not set thee down The whitest that the Eye of Time e're saw Let me ne're smile when I remember thee
must shovel in and when you see The Head of Mithridates in this hand Then think who ever dar'd for Rome like me Or bought an Empire at a price so dreadful Then yield the Beauty I so much desire And all those Crowns to which my thoughts aspire Exeunt SCENE II. Enter Ziphares Archelaus Ziph. 'T Is late the gath'ring Clouds like meeting Armies Come on apace and Mortals now must die Till the bright Ruler of the rising Day Creates 'em new the wakeful Bird of Night Claps her dark wings to th' Windows of the dying General Good-night Arch. Sir I 'll not leave you yet I do not like the dusky boding Eve Well I remember Sir how you and I Have often on the Watch in Winter walk'd Clad in cold Armor round the sleeping Camp Till cover'd o're from head to foot with Snow The Centinels have started at our march And thought us Ghosts stalking in Winding-sheets And do you think I cannot watch you now Thus cover'd and beneath this bounteous Roof Sleep Sir I 'll guard you from suspected danger Ziph. Danger there 's none no shadow of a harm Dear General you 'l oblige me to retire We 'll meet to morrow with the earliest dawn I 'm troubled now and heavy in the morning Soon as you please you shall have entrance here And then I trust the bounteous Gods you 'll find A wondrous alteration Sleep may Charm My talking griefs and hush 'em fast for ever Arch. 'T is that I fear I tell you there are Deaths Brooding this night abroad A Recluse Priest Surpriz'd with mortal sickness was this Evening As he himself desir'd ta'n from his Bed And carry'd to the Closet of the King Where after some close conference he expir'd Immediately your Father Orders gave For doubling all his Guards and went in fury To Monima's Apartment where 't was said Pharnaces had been gone a while before Ziph. I ever thought that Brother most ambitious But what is this to me Arch. What follow'd does Concern both you and me and all the East For streight when the sick Priest had breath'd his last The sacred Oyl which for a hundred years Supply'd the Sun behind the Golden Vail Went out and all the mystick lights were quench'd Strange doleful Voices shrilly eccho'd through The darkned Fane the Monuments did open And all the Marble Tombs like Spunges squeez'd Spouted big Sweat the Curtain was consum'd With wondrous flame and every shining Altar Dissolv'd to yellow puddle which anon A flash of thirsty Lightning quite lick'd up While through the Streets your murder'd Brothers rode Arcathias Mithridates and Machares And madded all the schreaming multitude Is not this strange Ziph. The Gods reproach my slackness Aside 'T is strange most wondrous strange Once more I pray thee By all our Friendship leave me to my self Arch. Ah Prince you cannot hide Your purpose from your narrow-searching Friend I find it by the sinking of your Spirits Your hollow speech deep musings eager looks Whose fatal longings quite devour their objects You have decreed by all the Gods you have This night to end your Noble Life Ziph Away I never thought thee troublesome till now Arch. I care not spite of all that you can do I 'll stay and weep you into gentleness Your faithful Souldier this old doting Fool Shall be more troublesom than one that 's wiser By Heav'n you shall not hurt your precious life I 'll stay and wait you wake here till I die Follow you as a fond and fearful Father Wou'd watch a desperate Child Ziph. I 'll tell thee then Since thou wilt tear the Secret from my breast And dive into the bottom of my Soul This night must end me make not a reply 'T is fix'd as fast and sure as are my woes Did'st thou but know what 't is to love like me And to be so belov'd O Archelaus Yet to be past all hope of happiness Of ever tasting those desir'd Beauties Of any dawn least glimpse or spark of comfort Did'st thou not hate me much even thou wou'dst kill me Arch. If that my death for that indeed 's but little Cannot once move you from this dreadful deed Yet Prince your Country which must fall without you Your bleeding Country must obtain at least That you wou'd live to free her from her Foes Your Glory calls your sinking Father begs That you wou'd save your Country from the Romans Ziph. Much I indeed have got by Conquering Rome And to much purpose lost my dearest blood Much have my wounds deserv'd and Heav'n can tell How Nobly I have been rewarded for ' em I tell thee Archelaus I have sworn Were I to live I wou'd not fight again The World shou'd neither better be nor worse For me But I waste time and to convince thee Since thou wilt have the trouble to behold My death I bid thee now farewel for ever Arch. Hold Sir Ziph. I will and talk as calmly to thee As any dying Roman of 'em all I have consider'd well of what I do And I will perish with as little noise As Fate cou'd wish that wou'd not be accus'd Arch. I 'll follow you Ziph. I wou'd intreat thee not Thou hast no sorrows that are past the sufferance And sure my flying Soul will hang her wing When she shall feel thy weighty death upon her O Archelaus leave me to my Fate If thou must see me fall I charge thee live At least so long to tell Semandra of me Bear her some Token of my ill-star'd Love Which Empire cou'd not win to live without her Dip in the blood which trickles from my heart Thy Handkerchief and bid her keep it for me As a Remembrance now and then to mourn me Swear to do this Arch. This I will do and mark me cruel Prince If thus thou violate that Royal Frame Tearing the gallant Spirit from his Mansion I swear by what I tremble at thy death I 'll double all thy wounds upon Semandra Ziph. Ha! Arch. I 'll tear her piece-meal and so hack her limbs Thou shalt not know her in the other World Ziph. Oh torture dear good Archelaus hold I know thou canst not mean such cruelty Why dost thou rack me thus with thoughts in death That are much heavier ev'n than death it self Why dost thou make my eyes thus swim in tears I charge thee do not hurt her for the sake Of all the Gods be gentle to my Love I beg for mercy to the soft Semandra Alas if she deserv'd as she is faultless She cou'd not bear the wounds which we can bear Arch. Give me your promise then that you will live Live but this night or I have sworn her death Ziph. Thou hast found the means to Charm me into life And keep me on the Rack but no more threats Against Semandra 't was unkindly done And I grow angry at my Fates delay Arch. Why will you be thus froward Live to night Be careful of your self but till the Morn Methinks there may