University of Virginia Library

ACT III.

SCENE I.

Arcalaus, and Arcabon, meeting.
Arcalaus.
Welcome as after Darkness chearful Light,
Or to the weary wand'rer downy Night:
Smile, smile my Arcabon, for ever smile,
And with thy gayest Looks reward my Toil,
That sullen Air but ill becomes thee now,
See'st thou not glorious Conquest on my Brow?
Amadis, Amadis—

Arcab.
Dead, or in Chains? Be quick in thy Reply.

Arcal.
He lives, my Arcabon, but lives to die.
The gnawing Vulture, and the restless Wheel,
Shall be Delight, to what the Wretch shall feel.

Arcab.
Goddess of dire Revenge, Erinnys, rise,
With Pleasure grace thy Lips, with Joy thy Eyes;
Smile like the Queen of Love, and strip the Rocks
Of Pearls and Gems, to deck thy jetty Locks;
With chearful Tunes disguise thy hollow Throat,
And emulate the Lark and Linnet's Note;
Let Envy's Self rejoice, Despair be gay,
For Rage and Murder shall triumph To-day.

Arcal.
Arise, O Ardan, from the hollow Womb
Of Earth, arise, burst from thy brazen Tomb,
Bear witness to the Vengeance we prepare,
Rejoice, and rest for ever void of Care.

Arcab.
Pluto, arise, infernal King, release
Thy tortur'd Slaves, and let the Damn'd have Peace,
But double all their Pains on Amadis.

Arcal.
Mourn all ye Heav'ns, above yon azure Plain
Let Grief abound, and Lamentation reign,
The Thunderer with Tears bedew his Sky,
For Amadis, his Champion's doom'd to die.

Arcab.
Death be my Care; for to compleat his Woe,
The Slave shall perish by a Woman's Blow;
Thus each by turns shall his dire Vow fulfil,
'Twas thine to vanquish, and 'tis mine to kill.

Arcal.
So look'd Medea, when her Rival Bride,
Upon her nuptial Day, consuming dy'd:
O never more let Love disguise a Face
By Rage adorn'd with such triumphant Grace.

Arcab.
In sweet Revenge inferior Joys are lost,
And Love lies shipwreck'd on the stormy Coast;
Rage rules all other Passions in my Breast,
And swelling like a Torrent, drowns the rest.
Should this curst Wretch, whom most my Soul abhors,
Prove the dear Man whom most my Soul adores,
Love should in vain defend him with his Dart,
Thro' all his Charms I'd stab him to the Heart.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Enter Celius, Constantius, Lucius a Roman, and a numerous Attendance of Britons.
King.
From Contracts sign'd, and Articles agreed,
With British Faith it suits not to recede:
How may the World interpret such Neglect,
And on her Beauty, or her Fame, reflect?
Roman, consider well what course you run,
Resolve to be my Pris'ner, or my Son.
If this sounds rude, then know, we Britons slight
Those supple Arts which Foreigners delight,
Nor stand on Forms to vindicate our Right.

[Exit King and Attendants.
Luc.
Happy Extremity! now, Prince, be blest,
Of all you love, and all you wish possest;
No Censure you incur, constrain'd to choose,
Possest at once of Pleasure, and Excuse.

Const.
If for my self alone I would possess,
'Twere sensual Joy, and brutal Happiness.
When most we love, embracing and embrac'd,
The Particle sublime of Bliss, is plac'd
In Raptures that we feel the ravish'd Charmer taste.
Oriana, no—tho' certain Death it be,
I'll keep my Word—I'll die, or set thee free.
Haste, Lucius, haste, sound loud our Trumpets, call
Our Guard to Arms, tho' few, they're Romans all.
Now tremble, savage King, a Roman Hand
Shall ne'er be bound, that can a Sword command.

As they go off, re-enter King Celius, attended as before.
King.
Not to be found! she must, she shall be found;
Disperse out Parties, search our Kingdoms round;
Follow Constantius, seize him, torture, kill;
Traitor! what Vengeance I can have, I will.
Well have thy Gods, O Rome! secur'd thy Peace,
Planted behind so many Lands and Seas,
Or thou should'st feel me, City, in thy Fall,
More dreadful than the Samnite, or the Gaul.
But to supply and recompense this Want,
Hear, O ye Guardians of our Isle, and grant
That Wrath may rise, and Strife immortal come
Betwixt the Gods of Britain, and of Rome.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The Scene changes to a Scene of Tombs and Dungeons, Men and Women chain'd in rows, opposite to one another. In the Front of the Captives, Florestan and Coresanda. A magnificent Monument erected to the Memory of Ardan, with this Inscription in large Letters of Gold:
A Dance of Dæmons insulting the Prisoners.
Flor.
to Cor.
To taste of Pain, and yet to gaze on thee,
To meet, and yet to mourn, but ill agree.
Well may the Brave contend, the Wise contrive,
In vain against their Stars the destin'd strive.

Cor.
So to th'appointed Grove the feather'd Pair
Fly chirping on, unmindful of the Snare,
Pursuing Love, and wing'd with am'rous Thought,
The wanton Couple in one Toil are caught,
In the same Cage in mournful Notes complain
Of the same Fate, and curse perfidious Man.

A Captive.
O Heav'ns take pity of our Pains,
Death is a milder Fate than Chains.

[A Flourish of Instruments of Horror. Arcabon descends in a Chariot drawn thro' the Air by Dragons, guarded by infernal Spirits. She alights and comes forward, arm'd with a Dagger in her Hand.
Arcab.
Your Vows have reach'd the Gods, your Chains and Breath
Have the same Date—
Prepare for Freedom, for I bring you Death.
He who so oft has 'scap'd th'Assaults of Hell,
Whom yet no Charms could bind, no Force could quell,
By whom so many bold Enchanters fell,
Amadis, Amadis, this joyful Day,
Your Guardian Deity's himself our Prey.
From all their Dungeons let our Captives come,
Idle Spectators of their Hero's Doom.

[Flourish of loud Instruments of divers sorts. Other Dungeons open, and discover more Captives. Amadis chain'd to an Altar, infernal Priests on each side of him with Knives up-lifted ready for the Sacrifice.
[Arcabon advancing hastily to stab him, starts and stops.
Arcab.
Thou dy'st—What strange and what resistless Charm,
With secret Force, arrests my lifted Arm?
What art thou, who with more than magick Art,
Dost make my Hand unfaithful to my Heart?

Ama.
One, who disdaining Mercy, sues to die;
I ask not Life, for Life were Cruelty.
Of all the Wretched, search the World around,
A more unhappy never can be found;
Let loose thy Rage, like an avenging God,
Fain wou'd my Soul encumber'd, cast her Load.

Arcab.
[Aside.]
In ev'ry Line and Feature of that Face,
The dear Enchanter of my Soul I trace:
My Brother! had my Father too been slain,
The Blood of my whole Race should plead in vain.
The Ties of Nature do but weakly move,
The strongest Tie of Nature, is in Love.

Ama.
O Florestan! I see those Chains with Shame,
Which I could not prevent—O Stain to Fame!
O Honour lost for ever! Theseus fell,
But Hercules remain'd unconquer'd still,
And freed his Friend—What Man cou'd do—I did,
Nor was I overpower'd, but betray'd.
O my lov'd Friend! with better Grace we stood
In Arms repelling Death, wading in Blood
To Victories; the manly Limb that trod
Firm and erect, beneath a treble Load
Of pond'rous Mail, these shameful Bonds disdains,
And sinks beneath th'inglorious Weight of Chains.

Flor.
Where shall the Brave and Good for Refuge run,
When to be virtuous, is to be undone?

Arcab.
He spoke—and ev'ry Accent to my Heart
Gave a fresh Wound, and was another Dart:
He weeps! but red'ning at the Tears that fall,
Is it for these? Be quick, and free them all.
Let ev'ry Captive be releas'd from Chains:
How is it that I love, if he complains?
Hence ev'ry Grief, and ev'ry anxious Care,
Mix with the Seas and Winds, breed Tempests there:
Strike all your Strings, to joyful Measures move,
And ev'ry Voice sound Liberty and Love.

[Flourish of all the Musick; the Chains at once fall

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off from all the Captives, Arcabon frees Amadis herself.
Chorus of all the Captives.
Liberty! Liberty!

A single Voice,
Arm, arm, the gen'rous Britons cry,
Let us live free, or let us die;
Trumpets sounding, Banners flying,
Braving Tyrants, Chains defying,
Arm, arm, the generous Britons cry,
Let us live free, or let us die;
Liberty! Liberty!

Chorus
repeat.
Liberty! Liberty!

Another single Voice.
Happy Isle, all Joys possessing,
Clime resembling Heaven above,
Freedom 'tis that crowns thy Blessing,
Land of Liberty and Love!
When thy Nymphs, to cure complaining,
Set themselves and Lovers free,
In the Blessing of Obtaining,
Ah! how sweet is Liberty!

Dance of Captives, expressing Joy for Liberty.
[Arcabon having freed Amadis, they come forward together; the rest standing in Rows on each side of the Theatre, bowing as they advance.
Arcab.
When Rage, like mine, makes such a sudden Pause,
Methinks 'twere easy to divine the Cause:
The dullest Warrior, in a Lady's Face,
The secret Meaning of a Blush may trace,
When short-breath'd Sighs, and catching Glances, sent
From dying Eyes, reveal the kind Intent.
Let Glory share, but not possess you whole,
Love is the darling Transport of the Soul.

Ama.
The Lords of Fate, who all our Lots decree,
Have destin'd Fame, no other Chance for me;
My sullen Stars in that rough Circle move;
The Happy only are reserv'd for Love.

Arcab.
The Stars which you reproach, my Art can force,
I can direct them to a kinder Course:
Trust to my Charms, the present Time improve,
Select and precious are the Hours of Love.
Unguarded see the Virgin Treasure stand,
Glad of the Theft, to court the Robber's Hand;
Honour, his wonted Watch no longer keeps,
Seize quickly, Soldier, while the Dragon sleeps.

Ama.
Enchanting are your Looks, less Magick lies
In your Mysterious Art, than in your Eyes;
Such melting Language claims a soft Return,
Pity the hopeless Flames in which I burn;
Fast bound already, and not free to choose,
I prize the Blessing fated to refuse.

Arcab.
[Aside.]
Those formal Lovers be for ever curst,
Who fetter'd freeborn Love with Honour first,
Who thro' fantastick Laws are Virtue's Fools,
And against Nature will be Slaves to Rules.
[To him.]
Your captive Friends have Freedom from this Hour,
Rejoice for them, but for thy self much more:
Sublimer Blessings are reserv'd for thee,
Whom Love invites to be possess'd of me.
The shipreck'd Greeks cast on Ææa's Shore,
With trembling Steps the dubious Coast explore,
Who first arrive, in vain for Pity plead,
Transform'd to Beasts, a vile and monstrous Breed;
But when Ulysses with superiour Mien
Approach'd the Throne where sat th'Enchantress Queen,
Pleas'd with a Presence that invades her Charms,
She takes the bold Advent'rer in her Arms,
Up to her Bed she leads the Conqu'ror on,
Where he enjoys the Daughter of the Sun.

[She leads Amadis out. Florestan and Corisanda, and the released Captives only remain. Florestan and Corisanda run into each other's Arms.
Flor.
In this enchanting Circle let me be,
For ever and for ever bound with thee.

Cor.
Soul of my Soul, and Charmer of my Heart,
From these Embraces let us never part.

Flor.
Never, O never—in some safe Retreat,
Far from the Noise and Tumults of the Great,
Secure and happy on each other's Breast,
Within each other's Arms we'll ever rest;
Those Eyes shall make my Days serene and bright,
These Arms, thus circling round me, bless the Night.

[Exeunt Flor. and Cor.
[The remaining Captives express their Joy for Liberty by Singing and Dancing.
Chorus of all the Captives
together.
To Fortune give immortal Praise,
Fortune deposes, and can raise;
Fortune the Captives Chains does break,
And brings despairing Exiles back;
However low this Hour we fall,
One lucky Moment may mend all.

The Act concludes with variety of Dances.