University of Virginia Library

SCENE, A Bed-chamber.
Enter Torrismond.
Tor.
Love, Justice, Nature, Pity and Revenge
Have kindled up a Wild-fire in my Breast,
And I am all a Civil-war within!
Enter Queen and Teresa at a distance.
My Leonora there!
Mine? Is she mine? My Father's Murtherer mine?
Oh! that I could with Honour love her more,
Or hate her less with Reason! See, she weeps;
Thinks me unkind, or false, and knows not why
I thus estrange my Person from her Bed:
Shall I not tell her? no: 'twill break her Heart:
She'll know too soon her own and my Misfortunes.

[Exit.
Queen.
He's gon, and I am lost; Didst thou not see
His sullen Eyes? how gloomily they glanc'd:
He look'd not like the Torrismond I lov'd.

Ter.
Can you not guess from whence this Change proceeds?

Queen,
No: there's the Grief, Teresa: Oh, Teresa!
Fain would I tell thee what I feel within,
But Shame and Modesty have ty'd my Tongue!
Yet, I will tell, that thou maiest weep with me.
How dear, how sweet his first Embraces were!
With what a Zeal he join'd his Lips to mine!
And suckt my Breath at every word I spoke,
As if he drew his Inspiration thence:
While both our Souls came upward to our Mouths,
As neighbouring Monarchs at their Borders meet:
I thought: Oh no; 'Tis false: I could not think;
'Twas neither Life nor Death, but both in one.

Ter.
Then sure his Transports were not less than yours.

Qu.
More, more! for by the high-hung Tapers light
I cou'd discern his Cheeks were glowing red,
His very Eye-balls trembl'd with his Love,
And sparkl'd through their Casements humid Fires:
He sigh'd and kiss'd, breath'd short, and wou'd have spoke,
But was too fierce to throw away the time;
All he cou'd say was Love, and Leonora.

Ter.
How then can you suspect him lost so soon?

Qu.
Last night he flew not with a Bridegroom's haste,
Which eagerly prevents the pointed hour;
I told the Clocks, and watch'd the wasting Light.
And listned to each softly treading step,
In hope 'twas he: but still it was not he.
At last he came, but with such alter'd Looks,
So wild, so ghastly, as if some Ghost had met him;
All pale, and speechless, he survey'd me round;
Then, with a Groan, he threw himself a-bed,
But far from me, as far as he cou'd move,
And sigh'd, and toss'd, and turn'd, but still from me.

Ter.
What, all the night?

Queen,
Even all the live long-night.
At last: (for, blushing, I must tell thee all,)
I press'd his Hand, and laid me by his Side,
He pull'd it back, as if he touch'd a Serpent.
With that I burst into a floud of Tears,
And ask'd him how I had offended him?
He answer'd nothing, but with Sighs and Groans,
So restless past the night: and at the Dawn
Leapt from the Bed, and vanish'd.

Ter.
Sighs and Groans,
Paleness and Trembling, all are signs of Love;
He onely fears to make you share his Sorrows.

Queen.
I wish 'twere so: but Love still doubts the worst;
My heavy Heart, the Prophetess of Woes,
Foreboads some ill at hand: To sooth my sadness
Sing me the Song which poor Olympia made
When false Bireno left her.—

[Ter.]
A SONG.

Re-enter Torrismond.
Tor.
Still she is here, and still I cannot speak:
But wander like some discontend Ghost
That oft appears, but is forbid to talke.

[Going again.
Queen.
O, Torrismond, if you resolve my Death,
You need no more but to go hence again:
Will you not speak?

Tor.
I cannot.

Qu.
Speak! oh, speak!
Your Anger wou'd be kinder than your Silence.

Tor.
Oh!

Queen,
Do not sigh, or tell me why you sigh?

Tor.
Why do I live, ye Powers?

Qu.
Why do I live, to hear you speak that word?
Some black mouth'd Villain has defam'd my Vertue.

Tor.
No! No! Pray let me go.

Queen
, (kneeling)
You shall not goe:
By all the Pleasures of our Nuptial bed,
If ever I was lov'd, though now I'm not,
By these true Tears, which from my wounded Heart
Bleed at my Eyes—

Tor.
Rise.

Queen,
I will never rise,
I cannot chuse a better place to dye.

Tor.
Oh! I wou'd speak, but cannot.

Queen
, (rising)
Guilt keeps you silent then; you love me not:
What have I done? ye Powers, what have I done?
To see my Youth, my Beauty, and my Love
No sooner gain'd, but slighted and betray'd:
And like a Rose just gather'd from the Stalk,
But onely smelt, and cheaply thrown aside
To wither on the ground.

Tere.
For Heaven's sake, Madam, moderate your Passion.

Queen,
Why nam'st thou Heaven? there is no Heaven for me,
Despair, Death, Hell, have seiz'd my tortur'd Soul:
When I had rais'd his groveling Fate from ground,
To Pow'r and Love, to Empire and to Me;
When each Embrace was dearer than the first;
Then, then to be contemn'd; then, then thrown off;
It calls me old, and wither'd, and deform'd,
And loathsome: Oh! what Woman can bear Loathsome?
The Turtle flies not from his billing Mate,
He bills the closer: but ungratefull Man,
Base, barbarous Man, the more we raise our Love,
The more we pall, and cool, and kill his ardour.
Racks, Poison, Daggers, rid me but of Life;
And any Death is welcome.

Tor.
Be witness all ye Powers that know my Heart,
I would have kept the fatal Secret hid,
But she has conquer'd, to her Ruin conquer'd:
Here, take this Paper, reade our Destinies;
Yet do not; but in kindness to your self,
Be ignorantly safe.

Qu.
No! give it me.
Even though it be the Sentence of my Death.

Tor.
Then see how much unhappy Love has made us.
O Leonora! Oh!
We two were born when sullen Planets reign'd;
When each the others Influence oppos'd,
And drew the Stars to Factions at our Birth.
Oh! better, better had it been for us
That we had never seen, or never lov'd.

Queen.
There is no Faith in Heaven, if Heaven says so,
You dare not give it.

Tor.
As unwillingly,
As I would reach out Opium to a Friend
Who lay in Torture, and desir'd to dye.
[Gives the Paper.
But now you have it, spare my sight the pain
Of seeing what a world of Tears it cost you:
Go silently enjoy your part of Grief,
And share the sad Inheritance with me.

Queen,
I have a thirsty Fevor in my Soul,
Give me but present Ease, and let me dye.

Exit Qu. and Teres.
Enter Lorenzo.
Lor.
Arm, arm, my Lord, the City Bands are up,
Drums beating, Colours flying, Shouts confus'd;
All clustring in a heap, like swarming Hives,
And rising in a moment.

Tor.
With design to punish Bertran, and revenge the King,
'Twas order'd so.

Lor.
Then you're betray'd, my Lord.
'Tis true, they block the Castle kept by Bertran,
But now they cry, Down with the Palace, Fire it,
Pull out th'usurping Queen.

Tor.
The Queen, Lorenzo! durst they name the Queen?

Lor.
If railing and reproching be to name her.

Tor.
O Sacrilege! Say quickly who commands
This vile blaspheming Rout?

Lor.
I'm loth to tell you,
But both our Fathers thrust 'em headlong on,
And bear down all before 'em.

Tor.
Death and Hell!
Somewhat must be resolv'd, and speedily,
How sayst thou, my Lorenzo? darst thou be
A Friend, and once forget thou art a Son,
To help me save the Queen?

Lor.
(Aside.)
Let me consider;
Bear Arms against my Father? he begat me;
That's true; but for whose sake did he beget me?
For his own sure enough: for me he knew not.
Oh! but says Conscience: Fly in Nature's Face?
But how if Nature fly in my Face first?
Then Nature's the Aggressor: Let her look to't—
—He gave me Life, and he may take it back:—
No, that's Boys play, say I.—
'Tis Policy for Son and Father to take different sides:
For then, Lands and Tenements commit no Treason.
(To Tor.)
Sir, upon mature consideration, I have found my Father
To be little better than a Rebel, and therefore I'll doe
My best to secure him for your sake; in hope you may
Secure him hereafter for my sake.

Tor.
Put on thy utmost speed to head the Troops
Which every moment I expect t'arrive:
Proclaim me, as I am, the lawfull King:
I need not caution thee for Raymond's Life,
Though I no more must call him Father now.

Lor.
(Aside.)
How! not call him Father?
I see Preferment alters a man strangely,
This may serve me for a Use of Instruction,
To cast off my Father when I am great.
Methought too he call'd himself the lawful King;
Intimating sweetly that he knows what's what
With our Sovereign Lady: Well, if I rout my
Father, as I hope in Heaven I shall, I am in a fair
Way to be a Prince of the Blood: Farwell General:
I'll bring up those that shall try what mettle there is in Orange Tawny

[Exit.]
Tor.
(at the door.)
Hast there, command the Guards be all drawn up
Before the Palace gate.—By Heaven, I'll face
This Tempest, and deserve the Name of King.
O, Leonora, beauteous in thy Crimes,
Never were Hell and Heaven so match'd before!
Look upward, Fair, but as thou look'st on me;
Then all the Blest will begg that thou may'st live,
And even my Father's Ghost his Death forgive.
[Exit Tor.