University of Virginia Library

Act. 4.

Scæn. 1.

Enter King, Agenor, Austela, and Attendants.
K.
'Tis strange that they should be so long returning,
It is not a mile without the City.

Age.
It seems they find a pleasing entertainment.

Enter Clindor (wounded)
Au.
O my heart! what object's this!

Age.
Clindor, what mean these wounds?

Clind.
To kill me, sir, I think; and if they do,
It matters not, life hath with me no value:
Your Brother's lost.

Age.
How lost?

Clind.
Surpris'd by the base Prince of Aquitain,
As they were going to see the holy Druid.

Au.
O heavens! and whither carried?

Clind.
To his Fleet that lies here in the Road.
Prince Clarimant and I, when we had kill'd
Those that opposed us, pursued to overtake them,
But came just as they put their Barge from shore:
The Prince not considering his wounds,
Transported by his passion, leaps into the sea,
And swam after the Boat; but you may think
In vain, although he could have reacht it.

Age.
And so was drown'd!

Clind.
Not drown'd, but perhaps worse:
Whether moved by the Ladies prayers, or that they might not
Lose the profit of his ransom, or with more cruelty
To make an end of him, I know not which;
I saw them take him up into the Boat,
Having disarm'd him first.

Age.
He's lost, he's lost!
Just Gods grant me revenge upon the Traitor,
And after punish me which way you please for all my ills.

Clind.
The hope of that revenge is my excuse to outlive
My master: Think what you are to do.

Age.
Thou counsell'st well.
O sir, your help! what is to be done?

K.
I am so distracted with the accident—

Age.
Lend me your power.

K.
Most willingly.

Age.
Furnish such ships with all speed possible
As are not so; such as be ready, clap men aboard
Them strait: For me, were there but one,
By all the Gods, with that I will attempt their rescue.

Au.
Then I must go along.

Age.
You!

Au.
Yes, I.

Age.
Let some watch on the shore, and see if the Admiral
Hoise sail, what course he holds.

1.
That shall be my imployment; but be assured sir,
Whilst the wind keeps where it is,
They cannot pass into the Main.

K.; Age.
Continue good heaven, and grant your aid!

Exeunt.
Enter Cleon:
Fortune! thou enemy to wit and industry,
How I could curse thy deity, and this same giddy Prince,
That by his new affection gives thee power
To ruine my well-laid plots! But I unjustly
Do complain of both: Clorinda's beauty
Is my fate, all my disasters take from her
Their being; I will forget her, tear her from my heart:
But then I overthrow the groundwork
Of my great design; no Kingdom,
Nor no happiness without Clorinda.

Enter Selina.
Sel.
How! no happiness without Clorinda!

Cle.
No happiness without Clorinda dye,
You know her title to the Crown of Burgonia
Takes place of mine.

Sel.
And why then does she live?

Cle.
It is a question I may better ask,
I gave you poison to dispatch her.

Sel.
Rather a Cordial to comfort her,—see, I dare take the rest.

Cle.
Hold, dear Selina!

Sel.
Dear Selina! False perjur'd man, have I from love
To thee, attempted wickedness so great,
That horror strikes my soul to think upon it;
And after all cast off like a scorn'd property,
Your work perform'd?

Cle.
This jealousie does set a greater value on thee:
Come, I will open to thee all my heart;
To make my title strong, I must be married
To Clorinda.

Sel.
You must!

Cle.
Hear me with patience,
I mean in policie it were fit:
But to secure your fears, before that pass,
The Priest shall secretly joyn us together,
Which disanuls a second marriage.

Sel.
If this be real that you speak,
Perform it now betwixt our selves,
And call the Gods to witness.

Cle.
Our hearts already have consented,
What needs there more?

Sel.
Is it even so; I left nothing undone
To the last circumstance, that you desired;
Gave Clarimant, Clorinda, and the Princess
Olinda into your hands. But I perceive
Where your heart's fixt, and I was strangely fool'd,
That ever could believe again.

Cle.
I like not this, dear Selina,
If you consider well, you have no ground
For jealousie from me. The Prince, within whose power
We for the present are, neglects his former Mistress,
Makes all addresses, in my judgment, to Clorinda.

Sel.
In this you more confirm me, that you still
Do love Clorinda: since jealousie makes you
Imagine that for which there is no ground;
Or if this Prince like you should prove unfaithful,
Can it be thought Clorinda can be moved
To love again, that had no sense of all
Prince Clarimant hath done or suffer'd for her sake?

Cle.
But she is within his power; and what time
Or force may work! nay, if you will observe,
You'll find she shews no great a version to him.

Sel.
Lend me your eyes, I cannot see it else:

Cle.
No more; be confident, Selina, I am what I was:

Sel.
Yes, I am confident,
False as the Fiends, too late I find it.

Enter Prince, Clorinda, Olinda, Attendants.
Pr.
Most noble Cleon!

Clo.
Ha! Cleon?

Pr.
Lend me your help, to let these Ladies know
Nothing but service is intended.

Cle.
What mean you sir? she must not know me.

Clo.
Cleon: Did you not call him Cleon?

Pr.
No, Madam:

Clo.
Sure you did:

Pr.
Then I mistook.

Cle.
Cleander is my name, a servant to your beauty
Lady, and this fair Princess; whose merits
Are so great, that by your selves consider'd,
May well assure of all observance,
Especially from this noble Prince your servant.

Clo.
I must confess sir, I believe him every way
So worthy, that I much grieve fortune allotted
Him no other way then force to gain
Possession of his Mistress. Come, Madam, be not sad;
A noble husband makes a large amends
For loss of friends or country; nor are they lost
But for the present.

Olind.
I know not how (Clorinda) you may value him;
But I must tell him plainly, his actions
Speak him base and treacherous.

Pr.
Madam, I shall not so much grieve to find you
Cruel; since this fair Lady not condemns me.

Clo:
You shall in nothing, sir, oblige me more,
Then by your using Clarimant with courtesie:
Although your enemy, he is my friend;
A nearer interest tho' he most deservingly
Hath sought, my inclination never could allow him.

Pr.
I shall forget my wounds receiv'd from him;
Neglect all opportunity to take revenge,
If it may be to you a satisfaction.

Clo.
Your noble usage of him whilst he is your prisoner,
At last may turn to your advantage:
Your peace will be the easier made with both the Kings;
Nay, without doubt this fair Princess
Would easily be granted to you
In exchange for him.

Olind.
Me in exchange! first I will be wedded to my grave.

Pr.
Lady, I shall not press you much:
Your pride and scorn darkens your beauty,
Whilst courtesie sets off what in this Lady
Needs no foil.

Cle.
It is so.

Clo.
I see you are a Courtier, sir, and know how
To oblige those who have power to assist your wishes:
Your favorable opinion of me, engages my
Best performance with my dearest friend
To make her yours; this coyness shall not last,
Leave me to win her for you.

Pr.
If you be pleas'd to hold me worthy, I shall not
Study to maintain a meaner happiness.

Cle.
He is taken past recovery.

Pr.
Ladies, we dare not longer bar you
The happiness to enjoy your selves.
Dispose of all things freely in this ship,
Were it the Empire of the world, most
Excellent Clorinda, your power were still the same.

Clo.
I know you borrow but my name,
The power intended here; and so she must
Conceive it.

Pr.
Sir, let me crave some conference with you:

Cle.
Command that boy straight from them,
As you respect your happiness:
I'll give you reason for it.

[Ex. Princes, Cleon]
Sel.
O Madam!

[Whispers]
1.
Sir, you must go with me.

Sel.
What mean you?

1.
The Prince would speak with you.

Exeunt.
Enter Clarimant.
Can I yet live, and know Clorinda prisoner,
Subject to all the injuries of power,
And I incapable to serve her? I am not so;
My hands are free, only my heart is slaved
Under misfortune. Were my love such as justly
Might arise from so miraculous a cause,
The ardor of my flame would prompt my heart
And hand to find some way to set her free,
And take revenge upon the treacherous Prince.
But I do find the cause of all this deadness:
My thoughts are active, but there wants
Her favorable influence upon me.
O me! what do my fears suggest!
My eyes and ears, those traitors to my peace,
I will not trust your base intelligence;
You are but the servants of my fear, and not my reason:
Can injuries or importunity prevail
To make her love this Prince; where love and service
On my part procured but frowns? O yes,
It may be so; there is a cruelty in Love,
By which that Deity does magnifie it self:
Reason or merit must pretend no share
In the free bounties of a heart that Love inclines.

Enter Clorinda.
Prince Clarimant!

Clar.
Ha!

Clo.
Why are you so amazed?

Clar.
What light breaks from that cloud,
And with the sudden brightness dazles my sense!
My happiness is such, O speak agen,
That by two witnesses my joys may be confirmed.

Clo.
Why are you thus disturb'd? you oft have seen me.

Clar.
But never thus, never thus unexpectedly,
When I despair'd the happiness.

Clo.
Had fortune been so envious to deny an opportunity,
As I confess this hardly was attain'd,
To give you thanks for the last testimony of your love;
Yet reason, and the estimation you do hold of me,
Might well assure you I could not but resent it
Highly.

Clar.
O heavens!

Clo.
You are sad; does this acknowledgment offend you?

Clar.
Offend me, dear Clorinda! 'tis such a joy
As justly might transport me from my self:
But when I do consider all my merit was but intention
And that I can do nothing real in your service,
The sense of my misfortune sinks me down low as despair.

Clo.
The Gods themselves in what we owe to them,
Do not require above what they inable us
To act: much less is due to me,
Who rather am your debtor; which to acquit in part
I chiefly came to clear any suspition
You might have conceived from my kind usage
Of this traitor Prince; yet know if you believed me
Guilty, it was a crime I can as hardly pardon
As your too much love.

Clar.
The last is such a guilt as every minute multiplies;
And though you cruelly condemn it, such is yet
The riches of my soul.

Clo.
But if you wish, as you profess, my happiness
And satisfaction, temper it so, that I may pay the like;
The affection of a brother to a sister I will allow you.

Clar.
In this you do so far exceed my hopes or merit,
That it were ingratitude not to acknowledge
A bounty infinitely great: But since that
Sisterly affection does not debar you
From conferring a greater happiness upon some other,
A happiness which I must burst with envy to behold:
Nay, curse whom you so bless, you do but raise me high,
To throw me down with greater violence.

Clo.
To cure this fear, the Gods be witness,
No others interest ever shall exceed Prince Clarimant's.

Clar.
Nor shall their happiness then, by this fair hand.

Clo.
But if beyond this you but hope, you injure me
And vertue.—So peace dwell with you.

Clar.
Alas, already you forget your promise;
You wish peace, and remove it from me,
Would any sister do so to a brother?

Clo.
Enter Prince, Cleon, and Sailors.

[They seise him]
Clo.
O heavens! what art can save him?

Clar.
O for a sword!

Clo.
Dare you presume to speak of love to me,
And do an act so base? The meer intent,
Were you not rooted here, would cancel all your interest.

Pr.
My interest!

Clo.
But if you value my respect so little,
And your own promise for his noble usage,
Yet wisdom bids you not forget the advantage
That his life may bring more then his death.

Cle.
She tels you true; remember why we did at first
Preserve him to make our peace, should not our plot
Take on Agenor.

Pr.
Take him away and bind him.

Clo.
Why sure he cannot flie: To leap into the sea,
Were to perform himself that which you threaten.

Pr.
Remove him hence however.

Clar.
Fortune! that gives this man this power.

Pr.
I look upon him as a hated Rival, away with him.

Exit with Clar.
Clo.
Come, I forgive this passion, the cause
That it proceeds from being love to me,
The error too that you are in is punishment enough.

Pr.
Though I suspect all for dissembled,
Yet I am pleas'd to hear her; what was my error?

Clo.
A gross mistake of this stolne visit,
And yet love was my grand errand.

Pr.
Where's my mistake then?

Clo.
Patience, and hear me: You thought Olinda
Once did love you, and you were not mistaken;
She did so till she knew the Prince:
You found her alter'd; and of me mistaking
The true cause, were jealous. Now by the Gods,
If I have truth, she loves the Prince.

Pr.
And so I fear do you.

Clo.
By way of gratitude; but for affection,
Heaven witness with me I loved another:
Yet where I find distrust and disrespect,
Such as you have exprest, I am no longer bound.

Cle.
Infinite cunning!

Clo.
But to proceed: Finding this Ladies passions
Strong to Clarimant, my obligations great,
By way of gratitude, I thought my self obliged
To make him happy in Olinda's love,
And doubt not to effect it, though I must blush to say so.
I found some arguments besides that prest me
To this undertaking; for were their hearts so fixt
On other, your peace with both the Kings were quickly made,
And you stood free to make a new election:
Yet were all women of my mind,
You should stay long enough without a wife, you are so passionate.

Pr.
Most excellent Clorinda, pardon the rashness of your servant,
Who henceforth yields himself for ever to be dispos'd
Of by you.

Clo.
Well, if I find so, I never was ungrateful.

Ex Prince & Clor.
Cle.
How with a twin'd thred does she ride the Ass,
And turns him how she please! but when I consider,
It is no wonder, she hath a depth of policie
Which all my art could never fathom: True,
Blinded by my love, I could not reach her aims:
But stood I free, she wanting the advantage
Of loves power upon me, how poor and shallow
Were the arts of all the sex? But as it is,
Fortune hath given this silly Prince
The power to crush me into nothing;
Breaks his contract with me touching Clorinda,
Which was the soul of all my undertaking.
Is there no way to right my self? yes,
This could revenge my wrongs on him,
But then I perish in the act, and leave Clorinda
To be enjoy'd by Clarimant: that must not be,
No, ere my Rival shall so happy prove,
I to my hate will sacrifice my love.

Exit.