University of Virginia Library

Actus V.

Scena I.

Enter Ziriff, Ariaspes, Jolas.
Jol.
A glorious night!

Ari.
Pray Heav'n it prove so.
Are wee not there yet?

Zir.
'Tis about this hollow.

Enter the Cave.
Ari.
How now! what region are we got into?
Th'enheritance of night;
Are wee not mistaken a turning Ziriff,
and stept into some melancholy Devils Territorie?
Sure 'tis a part of the first Chaos,
that would endure no change.

Zir.
No matter Sir, 'tis as proper for our purpose,
as the Lobbie for the waiting womans.
Stay you here, Ile move a little backward,
and so wee shall be sure to put him past
retreat: you know the word if't be the Prince.
Goes to the mouth of the Cave.
Enter King.
Here Sir, follow mee, all's quiet yet.—

King.
Hee is not come then?

Zir.
No.

King.
Where's Ariaspes?

Zir.
Waiting within.

Hee leads him on, steps behinde him, gives the false word, they kill the King.
Jol.
I doe not like this waiting,
nor this fellowes leaving us.

Ari.
This place does put odd thoughts into thee,
then thou art in thine owne nature too, as jealous
as either Love, or Honor: Come, weare thy sword in readines,
and thinke how neere wee are a crowne.

Zir.
Revenge!
So let's drag him to the light, and search
his pockets, there may be papers there that will
discover the rest of the Conspiratours.
Iolas, your hand—

Draw him out.
Jol.
Whom have wee here? the King!

Zir.
Yes, and Zorrannes too, Illo! hoe!—
Enter Pasithas and others.
Unarme them.
D'ee stare?
This for my Fathers injuries and mine:
Points to the Kings dead body.
halfe Love, halfe Duties Sacrifice,
this—for the noble Prince, an offering to friendship:

Runs at Jolas.
Jol.
Basely! and tamely—

Dies.
Ari.
What hast thou done?

Zir.
Nothing—kill'd a Traytour,
So—away with them, and leaves us,
Pasithas be onely you in call.

Ari.
What do'st thou pawse?
hast thou remorse already murtherer?

Zir.
No foole: 'tis but a difference I put
betwixt the crimes: Orbella is our quarrell;
and I doe hold it fit, that love should have
a nobler way of Justice, than Revenge
or Treason; follow mee out of the wood,
and thou shalt be Master of this againe:
and then, best arme and title take it.
They goe out and enter agen.
There—

Gives him his sword.
Ari.
Extremely good! Nature tooke paines I sweare,
the villaine and the brave are mingled handsomly.

Zir.
'Twas Fate that tooke it, when it decreed
wee two should meet, nor shall they mingle now
wee are brought together strait to part.—

Fight,
Ari.
Some Devill sure has borrowed this shape.
Pawse.
my sword ne're stay'd thus long to finde an entrance.

Zir.
To guiltie men, all that appeares is Devill,
come Trifler, come.—

Fight againe, Ariaspes falls.
Ari.
Whither, whither, thou fleeting Coward life?
Bubble of Time, Natures shame, stay; a little, stay!
till I have look'd my selfe into revenge,
and star'd this Traytour to a carcasse first.
—It will not be:—
Falls.
the Crowne, the Crowne, too
now is lost, for ever lost—oh!—
Ambition's, but an Ignis fatuus, I see
misleading fond mortalitie,
That hurries us about, and sets us downe
Just—where—wee—first—begun—

Dies.
Zir.
What a great spreading mightie thing this was,
and what a nothing now? how soone poore man
vanishes into his noone-tide shadow?
but hopes o're fed have seldome better done:—
(Hollowes.) Enter Pasithas.
Take up this lump of vanitie, and honour,
and carrie it the back way to my lodging,
there may be use of States-men, when th'are dead:
So.—for the Cittadell now, for in such times
as these, when the unruly multitude
is up in swarmes, and no man knowes which way
they'll take, 'tis good to have retreat.

Exeunt.
Enter Thersames.
Ther.
The Dog-star's got up high, it should be late:
and sure by this time everie waking eare,
and watchfull eye is charm'd; and yet mee thought
a noyse of weapons strucke my eare just now.
'Twas but my Fancie sure, and were it more,
I would not tread one step, that did not lead
to my Aglaura, stood all his Guard betwixt,
with lightning in their hands;
Danger! thou Dwarfe drest up in Giants clothes,
that shew'st farre off, still greater than thou art:
goe, terrifie the simple, and the guiltie, such
as with false Opticks, still doe looke upon thee.
But fright not Lovers, wee dare looke on thee
in thy worst shape, and meet thee in them too.
Stay—These trees I made my marke, 'tis hereabouts,
—Love guide mee but right this night,
and Lovers shall restore thee back againe
those eyes the Poets tooke so boldly from thee.

Exit.
Aglaura with a torch in one hand, and a dagger in the other.
Agl.
How ill this does become this hand, how much worse
this suits with this, one of the two should goe.
The shee within mee sayes, it must be this—
honour sayes this—and honour is Thersames friend.
What is that shee then? it is not a thing
that sets a Price, not upon mee, but on
life in my name, leading mee into doubt,
which when 'tas done, it cannot light mee out.
For feare does drive to Fate, or Fate if wee
doe flie, oretakes, and holds us, till or death,
or infamie, or both doth cease us.—
Puts out the light.
Ha!—would 'twere in agen.
Antiques and strange mishapes,
such as the Porter to my Soule, mine Eye,
was ne're acquainted with, Fancie lets in,
like a distracted multitude, by some strange accident
piec'd together, feare now afresh comes on,
and charges Love to home.
—Hee comes—hee comes—
woman, if thou would'st be the Subject of mans wonder, not his scorne hereafter,
now shew thy selfe.
Enter Prince rising from the vault, shee stabs him two or three times, hee falls, shees goes back to her chamber.
Sudden and fortunate.
My better Angell sure did both infuse
a strength, and did direct it.

Enter Ziriff.
Zir.
Aglaura!

Agl.
Brother—

Zir.
The same.
So flow to let in such a long'd for Guest?
must Joy stand knocking Sister, come, prepare,
prepare.—
The King of Persia's comming to you strait!
the King!—marke that.

Agl.
I thought how poore the Joyes you brought with you,
were in respect of those that were with mee:
Joyes, are our hopes stript of their feares,
and such are mine; for know, deare Brother,
the King is come already, and is gone—marke that.

Zir.
Is this instinct, or riddle? what King? how gone?

Agl.
The Cave will tell you more—

Zir.
Some sad mistake—thou hast undone us all.
Goes out, enters hastily againe.
The Prince! the Prince! cold as the bed of earth
hee lies upon, as senslesse too; death hangs
upon his lips,
like an untimely frost, upon an early Cherrie;
the noble Guest, his Soule, tooke it so ill
that you should use his old Acquaintance so,
that neither pray'rs, nor teares, can e're perswade
him back again.—
Aglaura swounes: rubs her.
hold, hold! wee cannot sure part thus!
Sister! Aglaura! Thersames is not dead,
It is the Prince that calls—

Agl.
The Prince, where?—
Tell mee, or I will strait goe back againe,
into those groves of Gessemine, thou took'st mee from,
and finde him out, or lose my selfe for ever.

Zir.
For ever.—I: there's it!
for in those groves thou talk'st of,
there are so many by-wayes, and odd turnings,
leading unto such wild and dismall places,
that should wee goe without a guide, or stir
before Heav'n calls, 'tis strongly to be feared
wee there should wander up and downe for ever,
and be benighted to eternitie!—

Agl.
Benighted to eternitie?—What's that?

Zir.
Why 'tis to be benighted to eternitie;
to sit i'th'darke, and doe I know not what;
unriddle at our owne sad cost and charge,
the doubts the learned here doe onely move—

Agl.
What place have murtherers brother there? for sure
the murtherer of the Prince must have
a punishment that Heaven is yet to make.—

Zir.
How is religion fool'd betwixt our loves,
and feares? poore Girle, for ought that thou hast done,
thy Chaplets may be faire and flourishing,
as his in the Elysium:

Agl.
Doe you thinke so?

Zir.
Yes, I doe thinke so.
The juster Judges of our Actions,
would they have beene severe upon
our weaknesses,
would (sure) have made us stronger.—
Fie! those teares
a Bride upon the marriage day as properly
might shed as thou, here widowes doo't
and marrie next day after:
To such a funerall as this, there should be
nothing common—
Wee'll mourne him so, that those that are alive
shall thinke themselves more buried far than hee;
and wish to have his grave, to finde his Obsequies:
but stay—the Body.
Brings up the bodie, shee swounes and dies.
Agen! Sister—Aglaura—
ô speake once more, once more looke out faire Soule.—
Shee's gone.—
Irrevocably gone.—And winging now the Aire,
like a glad bird broken from some cage:
poore Bankrupt heart, when 't had not wherewithall
to pay to sad disaster all that was its due,
it broke—would mine would doe so too.
My soule is now within mee
like a well metled Hauke, on a blinde Faulk'ners fist,
mee thinks I feele it baiting to be gone:
and yet I have a little foolish businesse here
on earth; I will dispatch:—

Exit.
Enter Pasithas, with the body of Ariaspes.
Pas.

Let mee bee like my burthen here, if I had not as lieve kill two of the
Bloud-royall for him, as carrie one of them; These Gentlemen of high actions are
three times as heavie after death, as your private retir'd ones; looke if hee be not reduc'd
to the state of a Courtier of the second forme now? and cannot stand upon
his owne legs, nor doe any thing without help, Hum.—And what's become
of the great Prince, in prison as they call it now, the toy within us, that makes us
talke, and laugh, and fight, I! why there's it, well, let him be what hee will, and
where hee will, Ile make bold with the old Tenement here. Come Sir—come
along:—

Exit.
Enter Ziriff.
Zir.
All's fast too, here—
They sleepe to night
i'their winding sheets I thinke, there's such
a generall quiet.
Oh! here's light I warrant:
for lust does take as little rest, as care, or age.—
Courting her glasse, I sweare, fie! that's a flatterer Madam,
in mee you shall see trulier what you are.

Knocks. Enter the Queene.
Orb.
What make you up at this strange houre my Lord?

Zir.
My businesse is my boldnesse warrant,
(Madam)
and I could well afford t'have beene without it now,
had Heav'n so pleas'd.

Orb.
'Tis a sad Prologue,
what followes in the name of vertue?

Zir.
The King.

Orb.
I: what of him? is well is hee not?

Zir.
Yes.—
If to be free from the great load
wee sweat and labour under, here on earth
be to be well, hee is.

Orb.
Why hee's not dead, is hee?

Zir.
Yes Madam, slaine—and the Prince too.

Orb.
How? where?

Zir.
I know not, but dead they are.

Orb.
Dead!

Zir.
Yes Madam.

Orb.
Didst see them dead?

Zir.
As I see you alive.

Orb.
Dead!

Zir.
Yes, dead.

Orb.
Well, wee must all die;
the Sisters spin no cables for us mortalls;
th'are thred; and Time, and chance—
trust mee I could weep now,
but watrie distillations doe but ill on graves,
they make the lodging colder.

Shee knocks.
Zir.
What would you Madam?

Orb.
Why my friends, my Lord!
I would consult and know, what's to be done.

Zir.
Madam 'tis not so safe to raise the Court;
things thus unsetled, if you please to have—

Orb.
Where's Ariaspes?

Zir.
In's dead sleepe by this time I'm sure.

Orb.
I know hee is not! find him instantly.

Zir.
I'm gone.—
Turnes back againe.
But Madam, why make you choyce of him, from whom
if the succession meet disturbance,
all must come of danger?

Orb.
My Lord, I am not yet so wise, as to be jealous;
pray dispute no further.

Zir.
Pardon mee Madam, if before I goe
I must vnlock a secret unto you; such a one
as while the King did breathe durst know no aire,
Zorannes lives.

Orb.
Ha!

Zir.
And in the hope of such a day as this
has lingred out a life, snatching, to feed
his almost famish'd eyes,
sights now and then of you, in a disguise.

Orb.
Strange! this night is big with miracle!

Zir.
If you did love him, as they say you did,
and doe so still; 'tis now within your power!

Orb.
I would it were my Lord, but I am now
no private woman, if I did love him once
(and 'tis so long agoe, I have forgot)
my youth and ignorance may well excuse't.

Zir.
Excuse it?

Orb.
Yes, excuse it Sir.

Zir.
Though I confesse I lov'd his father much,
and pitie him, yet having offer'd it
unto your thoughts: I have discharg'd a trust;
and zeale shall stray no further.
Your pardon Madam:

Exit.
Queene studies.
Orb.
May be 'tis a plot to keep off Ariaspes
greatnesse, which hee must feare, because hee knowes
hee hates him: for these great States-men,
that when time has made bold with the King and Subject,
throwing downe all fence that stood betwixt their power
and others right, are on a change,
like wanton Salmons comming in with flouds,
that leap o're wyres and nets, and make their way
to be at the returne to everie one a prey.

Enter Ziriff, and Pasithas throwing downe the dead body of Ariaspes.
Orb.
Ha! murthered too!
treason—treason—

Zir.
But such another word, and halfe so loud,
and th'art.—

Orb.
Why? thou wilt not murther mee too?
wilt thou villaine?

Zir.

Orb.
Hold—hold—
Not for my sake, but Orbella's (Sir) a bare
and single death is such a wrong to Justice,
I must needs except against it.
Finde out a way to make mee long a dying;
for death's no punishment, it is the sense,
the paines and feares afore that makes a death:
To thinke what I had had, had I had you,
what I have lost in losing of my selfe;
are deaths farre worse than any you can give:
yet kill mee quickly, for if I have time,
I shall so wash this soule of mine with teares,
make it so fine, that you would be afresh
in love with it, and so perchance I should
againe come to deceive you.

Shee rises up weeping, and hanging downe her head.
Zir.
So rises day, blushing at nights deformitie:
and so the prettie flowers blubber'd with dew,
and ever washt with raine, hang downe their heads,
I must not looke upon her:

(Goes towards him.)
Orb.
Were but the Lillies in this face as fresh
as are the roses; had I but innocence
joyn'd to their blushes, I should then be bold,
for when they went on begging they were ne're deni'de,
'Tis but a parting kisse Sir—

Zir.
I dare not grant it.—

Orb.
Your hand Sir then, for that's a part I shall
love after death (if after death wee love)
'cause it did right the wrong'd Zorannes, here—
Steps to him, and open the box of poyson, Zorannes falls.
Sleepe, sleepe for ever, and forgotten too,
all but thy ills, which may succeeding time
remember, as the Sea-man does his marks,
to know what to avoyd, may at thy name
all good men start, and bad too, may it prove
infection to the Aire, that people dying of it
may helpe to curse thee for mee.
Turnes to the body of Ariaspes.
Could I but call thee back as eas'ly now;
but that's a Subject for our teares, not hopes!
there is no piecing Tulips to their stalks,
when they are once divorc'd by a rude hand;
all wee can doe is to preserve in water
a little life, and give by courteous Art
what scanted Nature wants Commission for,
that thou shalt have: for to thy memorie
such Tribute of moyst sorrow I will pay,
and that so purifi'd by love, that on thy grave
nothing shall grow but Violets and Primroses,
of which too, some shall be
of the mysterious number, so that Lovers shall
come thither not as to a Tombe, but to an Oracle.

Shee knocks, and raises the Court.
Enter Ladies and Courtiers, as out of their beds.
Orb.
Come! come! help mee to weep my selfe away,
and melt into a grave, for life is but
repentance nurse, and will conspire with memorie,
to make my houres my tortures.

Ori.
What Scene of sorrow's this? both dead!

Orb.
Dead? I! and 'tis but halfe death's triumphs this,
the King and Prince lye somewhere, just
such emptie truncks as these.

Ori.
The Prince?
then in griefes burthen I must beare a part.

Sem.
The noble Ariaspes—valiant Ziriff too.— Weeps.


Orb.
Weep'st thou for him, fond Prodigall? do'st know
on whom thou spend'st thy teares? this is the man
to whom wee owe our ills; the false Zorannes
disguis'd, not lost; but kept alive, by some
Enter Pasithas, surveyes the bodies, findes his Master.
incensed Power, to punish Persia thus:
Hee would have kill'd mee too, but Heav'n was just,
and furnisht mee with meanes, to make him pay
this score of villanie, ere hee could doe more.

Pas.
Were you his murth'rer then?—

Pasithas runs at her, kills her, and flies.
Ori.
Ah mee! the Queene.—

Rub her till shee come to her selfe.
Sem.
How doe you Madam?

Orb.
Well,—but I was better, and shall—

Dies.
Sem.
Oh! shee is gone for ever.

Enter Lords in their night gownes, Orsames, Philan.
Ors.
What have wee here?
a Church-yard? nothing but silence, and grave?

Ori.
Oh! here has been (my Lords)
the blackest night the Persian world e're knew,
the King and Prince are not themselves exempt
from this arrest; but pale and cold, as these,
have measured out their lengths.

Lo.
Impossible! which way?

Sem.
Of that wee are as ignorant as you:
for while the Queene was telling of the Storie,
an unknowne villaine here has hurt her so,
that like a sickly Taper, shee but made
one flash, and so expir'd:

Enter tearing in Pasithas.
Phi.
Here hee is, but no confession.

Or.
Torture must force him then:
though 'twill indeed, but weakly satisfie
to know now they are dead, how they did die.

Phi.
Come take the bodies up, and let us all
goe drowne our selves in teares, this massacre
has left so torne a state, that 'twill be policie
aswell as debt, to weep till wee are blinde,
For who would see the miseries behinde?