 | The Enchanted Lovers |  |
SCENA III.
THERSANDER, THIMANTES, ISMENIA, DIANA.Thersander
to Thimantes.
Thou seest what she hath done; unto Diana
Sh' 'as given the Portrait.
Thimantes.
See she enters there
Into that Wood.
Ismenia.
A word with thee Thersander,
THERSANDER.
Perfidious, finish here thy crime, and be
My murtherer; strike, strike this heart, I pray thee,
That hopes no more; but by what interest
Hast thou betrai'd me?
Ismenia.
Why complainest thou?
THERSANDER.
O grofs dissimulation! dar'st thou yet
To ask what is my plaint?
Diana.
He hath his gate.
Softly, looking on him, where she was hidden.
Ismenia.
Thy heat hears nothing, give me leave to speak.
THERSANDER.
Yes, to feign more, and to lie at thy pleasure,
Am I oblig'd stil to thee for my life?
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How soon love doth degenerate into folly?
THIMANTES.
Thersander, hear her.
THERSANDER.
What is't she can say?
ISMENIA.
Since th'art so obstinate, let thy love go
Which way it will, I'l have no more to do in't.
THERSANDER.
Speak then, what wilt thou?
ISMENIA.
I have nought to say now.
THIMANTES.
Thou would'st speak to him.
ISMENIA.
'Twas to laugh a little.
THIMANTES.
I pray thee, speak unto him.
THERSANDER.
I conjure thee,
Ismenia, in the name of all the Gods,
Jeer not my Passion.
ISMENIA.
It is now my turn
To be perverse.
THERSANDER.
I hear thee, speak, what sai'st thou?
ISMENIA.
Since thou wilt have it, know then that a Rival
Hath caus'd thy grief and torments.
THERSANDER.
How, a Rival!
At that Word I'm all fire, a Rival!
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Yes,
A Rival, good Thersander, but a lov'd one.
THERSANDER.
What! loved of Diana?
ISMENIA.
Yes of her,
And more too, of thy self.
THERSANDER.
That's very strange;
How should I chuse but bear a mortal hatred
To him my Mistress loves; who e'r he be,
I must revenged die.
Diana.
Softly.
If this should be
Cleagenor, O Gods! how is he chang'd?
THERSANDER.
Where is that Rival?
ISMENIA.
With thee, Thersander;
Thou would'st defend him, if occasion were,
At the expence of all thy blood; believe me,
Thou never leavest him.
THERSANDER.
Without dissembling,—
to Thimantes
Tell me Thimantes, art not thou that Rival,
She means? I think thou art my friend, deal plainly
And freely with me, art not thou that cruel,
That false and traiterous Rival?
Thimantes.
Answer him,
Ismenia.
THERSANDER.
Well, what wilt thou say at last?
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Thersander hath for Rival in his love.—
Thersander.
Speak, whom?
Ismenia.
Cleagenor,
Thersander.
Cleagenor!
Ismenia, ha! my joy, sure, is extream;
True, I confess, I love this Rival equal
Unto my self, and if he may be loved
Of th'object whom I serve, I will adore
My chains without condemning her of rigour.
ISMENIA.
Thou hast lost nothing by this bout, thy fortune
May create envy, fair Diana hath
Yielded to Celia's portrait.
Diana.
Softly,
Who, to see
Those decay'd features, could have known that face?
But my love hath at last drawn them afresh
Within my memory; I must draw neer him,
And yield to my impatience.
THERSANDER
, to ISMENIA.
Pardon me,
I can't believe thee; but here comes Diana;
See if her eys ha' n't the same cruelty,
Alwaies the same pride, and the same disdain.
Diana.
Ismenia, I am come to tell thee something,
ISMENIA.
Me Celia?
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How, Celia?
ISMENIA.
Yes, Celia.
THERSANDER.
Alas! I'm in an error; 'tis her eyes,
Her gate, her countenance, but not her heart.
ISMENIA.
'Tis she, Thersander, whom thou do'st behold,
It is her very self.
THERSANDER.
How is't a custome
To call forth from the bosom of the Grave
Departed souls? and by what priviledge
Hath that God, who at the eternal sleep
Presides, ordain'd her waking?
DIANA
, to THERSANDER.
Though thy faith
Finds this point strange, is not love strong enough
To make thee to believe a Miracle?
Cleagenor sees me, and knows me not:
How comes it, is my Portrait false? have J
No more attractions? see if't be thy Celia,
At least if't be not she; it is no more
That beauty which was late so cruel to thee;
Cleagenor!
THERSANDER.
My Celia!
DIANA.
Is it possible,
O Gods! that J should see again what J
Best love i' th' World?
THERSANDER.
Is it you that J see?
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Take heed, be moderate, one may die with joy.
Thimantes.
Ismenia, follow this example here;
Grant only at this instant but a kisse
To my impatience, see at last Diana
Ceaseth to be unkind.
ISMENIA.
What! doth the object rouse thee, and th'example
Provoke thy spirits? thou wilt have but one kiss?
THIMANTES.
I will be satisfied.
ISMENIA.
Give me then
Some verses, or at least a nose-gay of
The choicest flowers.
THIMANTES.
Ismenia, I'l not fail
To bring them thee.
Ismenia.
Then trouble not thy self,
The kisse is thine.
THIMANTES.
Wilt thou withhold from me
So long what is my due?
ISMENIA,
It will be better
When it is much expected, and long'd for.
THERSANDER.
Behold my whole adventure in few words.
Diana.
I've made thee to a full description
Of my misfortunes; thou seest how I feign'd
(To give my grief full vent) a Brothers death
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THERSANDER.
What felicity
Do I injoy now?
THIMANTES.
Use your utmost skil
To make it lasting to you, and beware of
The fickleness of fortune, and her wrongs.
THERSANDER.
What! have we yet any thing more to fear?
Is not that blind inconstant Goddess weary
Of persecuting us?
THIMANTES.
Love is a child,
He must be govern'd well, Diana's beauty
Hath gain'd her lovers, they may hurt, Thersander;
Melintus hath a subtle wit, and we
Both know he loves Diana, and besides
Is jealous of her; fear some foul play from him,
If thou appear his Rival; he disposeth
The spirit of Melissa at his pleasure;
When he shall see you serve as obstacle
Unto his love, he will take speedy order
For your removal.
THERSANDER.
But to hinder him
To hurt me, I conceive Diana hath
No lesse power on the spirit of the Nymph.
THIMANTES.
But if the Nymph loves thee, as I observ'd
Her heart expressed some such matter lately,
When at her last return home from the Games,
Her free confession to us all, declar'd
How much she did esteem thee, but at last
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Close at the heels in plain terms, and indeed
Spoken by her of purpose, if she loves thee,
I say (as I'm confirmed in that thought)
How wilt thou steer thy course?
ISMENIA.
'Tis very true,
Her discourse comes into my memory.
THERSANDER.
O Gods! what's this you utter?
Diana.
For my part
I begin to believe it, and remember
The passage too, I fear all things from thence;
This is the only mischief we should shun.
ISMENIA.
What can she not do 'gainst your interests,
When your refuse shall come to arm her anger
Against you? Know that with a single word,
I'th twinckling of an eye too, she can calm
The floods and make a mutiny amongst them,
Call forth corrupted bodies from their graves,
Make their cold as hes speak, and their pale ghosts
To walk; these were the secrets, Zoroastres
Taught, whil'st he raign'd, to his posterity;
She is descended from him; and to give
Her self content, will make use of her art
To serve her passion.
THERSANDER.
I know that her skill
Extends to Magick. Yes I fear her love
With so much power, and yield unto thy counsel
Advise us what to do.
Thimantes.
Disguise your selves
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In the mean time we'l spread abroad the rumor
Of this event that every one shall hear it
Within the Island.
THEERSANDER.
J approve this project.
Diana.
My life lies on it.
ISMENIA.
I go to begin
To lie unto Parthenia.
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