University of Virginia Library

SCÆNA V.

To them Eurymedon, Roxane, Barsene, like Amazons, as in a Wood.
Eurym:
—Y'are the first Lady, Madam,
That e're yet bore such Armes against her Lover.
I thought to finde your Quiver in your Lookes,
Not hanging at your backe; And to encounter
No Shafts or Arrowes, but those bright ones shot
From your faire eyes. Thus doubly arm'd you have
Taken a Course to make me twice your Captive.

Bars:
You show, Sir, how you love me thus to stile
Your selfe the prisoner, of your prisoner.
Y'are the first Prince I've read of, (If I may
Call you a Prince, who by this act have showne
Your selfe s'unlike one) who first did surprize
His Mistrisse, and then Wooed her; Or bound her first,
Then told her that he loved her. Wilde Salvages,
And lustfull Satyres court thus; who do know
No difference betwixt their Loves, and Rapes;
But call a rude force Kindnesse; Thinke th'are amorous
Ith' midst of violence; And call't Loves fire,
And flame, which is a foule intemperate heate,
Kindled from every thing that's faire; on which
They looke not as 'tis faire, or amiable,
But as it may be sullyed and contribute
Unto their beastly satisfaction.

Eurym:
I hope you thinke not, Madam, I'le make use
Of this advantage so barbarously, as
T'attempt your person?

Bars.
—That were a crime, which would
Provoke the Gods, which doe inhabit these
Quiet, hallowed shades, to take revenge upon you.
And you would trespasse 'gainst the place, as well
As 'gainst your honour.

Eurym:
I do confesse you are,
To an irregular eye, wholly compos'd
Of sweet enticements. A thousand Beauties fly
From you, at every looke in soft Temptations.
And from a minde which knowes no holyer use
Of such a heavenly forme, but first to covet,
And then t'enjoy, there might be danger; And
The Assailer might excuse his fault from that
Which left him not himselfe, but snatcht him to
Forbidden pleasures. But I doe looke upon you
With other eyes. As y'are to me a Venus,
And strike a warme flame in me, so you are
Diana too, and do infuse a chaste,
Religious coldnesse. You do not onely stand
Before me safe as in a Circle, made
By your owne charmes; But do incircle me
With the same Vertuous spels.

Bars:
I yet scarce thinke
My selfe secure, when I thinke you my Pyrate.

Eurym:
You'l finde the enterprize deserves a name
More gentle, when you know my Sister went
Halfe Pyrate with me. I had no other way
To gaine a free, and Innocent Accesse.
To enter your Castle had beene impossible;
Unlesse, like Jove, I had transform'd my selfe
Into a Showre, and rained my selfe downe from
The Skies into your presence.

Bars:
Had you a hand
In my betraying, then?

Rox:
If for one Lady
To contrive Service for another; Or if
T'assist a Brother in his Vertuous Love
Be to betray, I do confesse Barsene,
I'me a Conspiratour. Or if he breake
Conditions, and make this ignoble use
Of such a favour, having had his Audience,
Not to restore us to our Liberty,
I am betrayed too. They were first my Letters
Which drew him from his Country with a Fleete,
In show for my pursuite, but in reality,
T'enjoy this Interveiw, and make his eyes
The Judges of the picture I made of you;
Or whether I err'd not in my discriptions, or
Presented you by a false partiall light,
When I decipher'd you just such another
As he doth now behold you.

Bars:
Is this true, Sir?

Eurym:
Witnesse ye Gods, if among all your Worshippers,
There be one who contemplates your Divine,
Invisible, Shapelesse, substances with a
More awfull reverence, or paies Devotion
To Powers he sees not with a stronger fervour,
Then I did to you, Madam; whom I did
Adore before I saw; And you had then
A perfect Shrine, and Temple in me; where
I did frame such Ideas of you, so pure.
So free from these grosse figures, which do stirre
The vulgar admiration, that, if I said,
A Minde was worshipt by a Minde, And that
My thoughts supply'd the place of Sacrifices,
Which flew betweene us; And, like winged prayers,
Maintain'd a sacred Entercourse, & traffique,
With the Originall of what I fancy'd,
I doe but rudely, but halfe expresse my selfe.

Bars.
You make me blush.

Eur.
But when in the disguise
Of my Embassadour, I saw before me
The Queene of Love, veil'd in your beauteous shape;
With all her Graces, & winged Cupids about her.
When I beheld all those celestiall Images,
Which I fram'd of your Absence, and ador'd
Abstracted from you, cloth'd in your faire face,
If I projected for this houre, or us'd
The Invention of one strucke, to purchase this
Short Audience from you, you are t'impute th'offence,
Or boldnesse, not to me, but unto Nature,
Who did not make me blind, But sent me in
To th'world with eyes.

Bars:
If you proceed, I must
Accuse her, that she gave me eares to heare
Such praises so misplac'd.

Eur:
Madam, then breifly,
I claime an interest in you, Love for Love;
Which that you may grant as a Princesse, and I
Receive it as a Prince, here I doe banish
All showes and signes of Hostile force, and doe
Release you, and your faire Traine. You Hippocles,
And Clytus, First aske pardon for your cruelty,
Although but acted, and then unbinde the Ladies.

Clyt:
Madam, I hope you can forgive; If not,
Please you to take me prisoner, so you will
They unbind 'em.
Promise my thraldome shall be onely such
As yours should have beene, had we in earnest kept you
Outright our Captives, I will be content
To exchange shackles with you.

Hipp:
Pray hold your legs
A little fairelier, Madam. Methinkes we two
Make the Embleme of the Jealous husband, and
The Handsome wife.

Orith:
How's that Sir?

Hipp:
Why there was
One, who by day still lockt his wife in chaines,
And gave her ease by night.

Clyt:
You two would faine
Have your two legges at large too.

Hipp.
Now your Armes
Are set at liberty, looke you imploy not
Your naturall weapons against us.

Men.
What are those Sir?

Hipp.
Your Nailes.

Men.
We scorne to scratch.

Eur.
Next, after this
Rude Interruption of it, (For when you
Have pardon'd it, I still must looke upon
It as an amorous Crime) I will my selfe
Continue your safe passage to your Island;
And see you receiv'd in your Castle.

Bar.
That
Will onely alter our Captivity,
Not tak't away. We must still thinke our selves
Your prisoners there, if you beare Armes against us.

Eurym.
Here, then, To let you see, my purpose is not
To be an Enemy to your Brother, and
A Supplicant to you; But that I came
To carry a Queene, not conquest home with me,
I doe resigne my Forces, and lay downe
My selfe, and Armies at your Feet, Bright princesse;
Say, what peace would you have? I will refuse
No Articles, so you be one of them.

Barsen.
You have exprest your selfe so Nobly, showne
Such generous Signes of your Intentions, and
Gayn'd such a Conquest or'e me by your free,
And Princely Carriage, That as an earnest of
Greater returnes, Wee'l make you partner in
A harmelesse plot we have, which shall conclude
With all that all we wish.

Rox.
Wee've a Designe
To try how our surprize takes with our Campe,
Our Habits and the Art we will put to 'em,
Will keepe us from being knowne.

Bars.
I will deferre
Your farther satisfaction, or confesse
How much I am engag'd, Sir, to requite
Your pure Affections with my owne, 'till our
Next Conference. And left you should beleive,
(How ere y'have chang'd a Tempest to a calme,
And make me now in Love with my owne fright)
You not deserve to undergoe some penance
For making us afraid, your punishment,
Shall be to fetch my Answer at my Tent,

Eurym.
And I shall think't an Age 'till I receive it.

Exeunt.