University of Virginia Library

Sce. 3.

Enter Constantina.
Con.
Where am I now? what mak'st thou Constantina here?
Alas I am come to do a Message,
And have forgot my errand; oh nere remember it.
Could'st thou forget ever, thou mighst be happy.
Thou must accuse Fidelio; Thou must dye first:
Though he has sin'd, thy tongue shall never punish him.
Oh Fidelio thou art false, false as inconstancy it self,
False unto me, and to the worlds vast expectation too.
Is this the melancholy life thou vow'dst so oft
To lead in Lelybæus? why did my soul
Leave her religious Sanctuary, Countrey, friends, and all
To see thee court my ruine in an unknown Land?
Should I now chide, and seek Revenge,
I did but Justice, 'Twere equity
No Rigor should I kill thee.
I cannot be so much a woman; oh ye powers
Why made ye me so soft, and him so cruell.
Enter Charastus.
Hail gracious sir, these so dejected looks
Speak you Charastus: I have a message to you,
Would but you eye suffer your ear to hear it.
Why do you gaze so? has your divining soul
Fore-told the happy tidings that I bring you?
If some instinct has forestal'd my errand,
I shall not need for to relate. I'le only tell you sir.
You have a friend, by name Fidelio, a Man,
(A mine rather where scatter'd virtues gather'd up
Lye hoarded in a commixt unity)
If ere perfection was, it is in him. He Sir
Has spoke your cause so feelingly to Flavanda;
Pleaded with such divine and holy Oratory,
That her love now blazes with such violence
As I could wish you presently would see her.

Cha.
Divinest closure of a soul more pure,
No general pardon sent from Heaven
Could strike attention in me with so great a zeal
As thy commanding voyce as don; dearest,
Dearest Flavanda can'st thou suppose a poor,
And silly garment can keep me from
The discerning of thy excellence, that knew it,
When I lay a mishapen Embrio in the Chaos?
'Tis not a silken cloud, Divinest, that can hide the Sun.

Con.
You do mistake it sure.
This is a Meteor only, reflected from the true one.

Cha.
Those rayes are too too glorious for reflections,
They cast a lustre would make
An Angell of Æthiop, would not their heat
Convert him to his wonted colour.
Nor can I think such beams can meet
But in my dear Flavanda: Art thou not she?
I prithee say thou art, 'twill ease me somewhat.

Con.
Your reason sir will tell you that I am not.

Cha.
Make me not mad I prithee: can there be
Two most excellent, two most rare,
Two chiefest above all, it is a mysterie
Beyond two worlds: The Sun admits
No partner of his glory, the Phænix no partaker,
Why should not she the chiefest of all women
Assume the like Prerogative? Must there be
A divided essence of an united excellence?
Oh Nature! why didst thou give to man, two hands,
Two eyes, two Affections, and but one heart?
Pardon divinest Lady if my too much care
Has made me negligent, there is
A direfull conflict fought within me by two friends,
Either must have victory by my ruine:
What will that victory yield.

Con.
I see you are disturb'd sir;
I'le crave leave to return.

Exit.
Cha.
Thus does the Sun flie our Horizon,
Thus Night clad in a misty veil,
Spreads darkness o're the world,
Whil'st mortals wander in obscurity
Oh Love, thou art too much a wanton;
Thy sport's too serious. Who fires a Church
Or kills his parents may be happy,
Repentance oft will wash away that stain,
But he that loves, loves doubtfully as I,
No tears, no sorrows, nor repentant sighes
Can wipe away his misery, but he must dye
Starv'd in the midst of plenty.

Enter Fidelio.
Fid.
Why so sad Charastus? prepare your ears
To entertain news that will startle all your
Melancholy thoughts, and make your pamperd appetite
Swell high with contemplation of a happiness,
Flavanda's constant, more constant
Than a miser to his gold; The vestal Virgins
At their Altar may be tempted, but not she.

Cha.
Oh Fidelio thou hast abus'd my trust, I
Sent thee not to praise my constancy, but to try hers;
Didst thou not promise me to court her,
Nay court her in thy chiefest Rhetorick,
To use all the perswasions that thy tongue
Could in civility pronounce?

Fid.
And so I did, by all that's good, I did.

Cha.
Thou swearst not by thy self now:
He is not good that's false unto his friend.
VVhy stird'st thou a suspition in me of her constancy,
Yet ne're would seek to prove it?

Fid.
What Devil has inspir'd thee with this falshood?

Cha.
It was my better Angel rather
Sent from Heaven to warn mee.
Didst thou not flatter me? extoll my loyalty
Beyond its merit? Tell her each figh I spent?
What tears her love had caus'd?
But that I know she is constant,
I should suspect her for thy prayses.

Fid.
If thou believ'st Charastus there is faith
Or loyalty in Fidelio, (which surely thou oughtst not to suspect)
I tempted her as far as piety and friendship
Would permit me, yet like a stedfast rock she stood
Throwing the insulting billows on the movers face.
Oh Charastus thou art happy;
She is a gem incomparable, and did I know
What envious tongue had blasted thus our reputation,
I'de make it eat its venome.

Cha.
If thou but heardst, it thou wouldst start,
And stand amaz'd to hear such sweetness.

Fid.
Do not delay your joyes with her Encomium.
A Priest and your Flavanda does expect you
For to tye that Knot which you before
Too rashly would have don, had my unlucky hand
Not hinder'd it:

Cha.
Alas Fidelio the tide is turn'd;
If now you wed me tis unto my grave.
From my divided heart springs a biforked flame,
Hymen will stand amaz'd to see't, and will not tell
At which to light his torch at.
Farewel Fidelio, death he needs not fear
That does desire to meet it every where.

Exit
Fid.
Oh Love thou art too cruell! How can'st thou tyrannize
Ore his too soft nature? Hadst thou but eyes
Thou then would'st pity him, but as thou art,
Blind and obdurate, thou shootst at random still;
So fortune guides thy shafts, and always she
Upon desert spends all her cruelty.

Exit.