University of Virginia Library

[Scene]

SCENE A Garden.
Enter Memnon.
Me.
Oh! I am blasted in my Bloom of Youth.
I am more miserable for my Youth.
For the more Years and Life I have to come,
The larger Fields of Misery and Shame,
Have my unhappy Father sowed for me.
Well—I will trouble nothing but my self.
I'le wander from my Friends, my Fortunes, Hopes—
Then like a Plummet parted from the Line,
I will sink down in deep obscurity,
Where never more shall trace be found o'me.
Ha!—oh! my Heart! the Princess comes this way,
Enter Barzana and Oronte.
Comes like a sudden spring on my dead hopes,
And forces 'em, methinks, into new Life.
Something, methinks, from Heaven stops my way,
And tells me, she and I must never part.

Ba.
Where is the Chariot?

Or.
At the Garden gate.

Ba.
Come then away—Oh! Heavens! Memnon here!
Turn from him quickly.

Me.
Hold, dear Madam, hold.

Ba.
My Lord, what mean you? thirst you for my Blood?

Me.
Oh! Madam, do not entertain those fears.

Ba.
Do not you entertain false dangerous hopes.
Your Father has this minute left the Field.

Me.
But not his Love to me.

Ba.
You'l find him quit
His Love to you, and all Humanity,
If he shou'd catch you, seeking Leagues with me.
I fear he's at the Palace Window now,
Oh! if he be, this minute is our last.

Me.
These are vain terrours; oh! wou'd he were here.
This Minute were the last of all our Griefs.
But oh! the first of our Immortal Joys.
And something in me says, it will be so.
Methinks I have a sight of Paradise.

Ba.
Oh! you speak Oracles—methinks in you
A voice from Heaven has Prophesied our death.
The Pangs of Death, already seize my Heart,
I tremble, sweat, and I've scarce Breath to speak.
Know there is yet another stronger Cause,
Than any I have nam'd, why we must part.

Me.
Another Cause?

Ba.
Oh! do not enquire what,
If you take any joy in loving me.
For when I've told you, you must love no more,
If you have any tenderness for me;
When I have told you, I shall speak no more,
The secret will tear out my heart—Oh! fly—
If you would love, or live, or have me live.

Me.
Y'ave stunn'd me so—I have no strength to stir.

Ba.
Oh! he will loyter till his Father comes,
The Gods will bate my Passion no disgrace.
Know, I'm a Wife; nay more, your Father's Wife.
He faints—he faints—Now shou'd his Father come—
And find him in my Arms.

[Me. saints, Ba. runs to him and supports him.
Or.
Madam, he's come.

Ba.
Oh! horrour we are lost—my Lord, my Lord.

Enter Bessus—who seeing Me. in Barzana's Arms, draws. Me. recovers, Barzana runs to hold Bessus.
Be.
Oh! Villain.

Ba.
Oh! my Lord—

Be.
Oh! Impudent!
And foolish Whore! wilt thou proclaim thy shame?
And murder him, thou hast a mind to save?
Had he a thousand lives, now he shou'd dye.

Ba.
Oh! hear me first

Be.
Hear thee encrease thy sins,
By falsehood? is not Incest Crime enough?
I saw you from the Palace, meet, Caress.
And is not this your second meeting? ha!
I will provide for you a third meeting place,
In Death and Hell—thou frightful Monster—dye.

[wounds Me. who falls.
Ba.
Unnatural Parricide! dire Regicide!—

Be.
The fitter match for an incestuous Wife.

Me.
My Lord, you wrong us; we are innocent.
I lov'd—but knew her not—she banish'd me—
I was now going to obey her doom;
When Heaven contriv'd this Meeting for our Death,
We sought it not—for ever to prevent
All future Meetings, she reveal'd her self.
Then did I sink to Death, under surprize,
And horrour, for my faulty unfortunate Love;
Which is more trouble to me, than this Death.
Oh! I had rather have a thousand Deaths
Got by misfortune, than your ill-got Crown—

[Dyes.
Ba.
Oh! he has told thee truth—thou Murderer.
He was too excellent! for all the Gods
Thought him a God, and took him to themselves.
And I will follow him; yes I will do't.
And we will revel to Eternity;
And it shall be the chiefest of our Joyes,
To be the chief of thy Eternal Plagues.

Be.
A damp goes to my Heart, I am afraid
I've been too rash: I wish this were undone.
Come take her to my Chariot—

Ba.
Touch me not.
The Gods be prais'd I've found my Dagger now.
I'le go another way.

Be.
Sh'as stab'd her self.
Call help—I'le have her live if possible.

Ba.
I have help here.

Be.
Horrour! she tears her wound.
Hold—hold—her hands.

Ba.
Then I will hold my Breath.

Be.
Is this thy Vertue? thou, who canst commit
This most unnatural sin against thy self,
Wou'dst not refuse thy self a sweeter Crime.

Ba.
Indeed, I'm sorry for this sinful Death,
I wou'd shun Hell, if only to shun thee.
Hell purg'd by Fire, has less Offence than thou.

Be.
Oh! thou art most ungrateful to my Love,
I have more Love for thee, than words can speak.

Ba.
I am glad of it, then 'twill be thy Plague.
And to encrease it, know I'm innocent,
So was thy Noble Son; he sought my Love,
But knew me not, for I conceal'd my self.
Cause he had found my secret Love for him.
And then I cou'd not shew my blushing face.

Be.
You lov'd him then it seems?—

Ba.
That I confess,
I lov'd him, but it was e're I was thine.
Since that I did subdue my self for thee.
Reveal'd my self, and banish'd him for ever.
And he was taking his Eternal leave,
When thou, (oh! Murderer!) tookst his Innocent Life.

Be.
If this be true.—

Ba.
'Tis true; they're my last words.
All my past Life, is evidence enough,
And so is that of thy most excellent Son.
For had he any other fault but thee?
And I had less, my Birth was Glorious.
Yet has my Life, honour'd my Royal Birth.
And now I hope my Death will crown my Life.
It has some sin which you, good Gods, forgive.
Your Justice has had Honour by my fall.
Oh! honour now the Vertuous part o' me,—
My Soul—you know I never sin'd in will;
Only in Blood, and that foul Blood I spill.

[Dyes.
Be.
Oh! horrour! horrour!

Enter Nabarzanes.
Na.
How now? why this rage?

Be.
Look there.

Na.
Your belov'd Son and Wife in blood?
Amazing! how came this?

Be.
No matter how.
They're dead, and I am curs'd; nay, I am forc'd
To curse the Vertues of my Son and Wife.
The Worlds great Blessings were my Miseries.

Na.
I'm glad o'this; they did divide your Soul,
And cut the Stream into small Rivulets,
It cou'd not bear the Burdens o'the State.
Now 'twill be all united in the Crown.

Enter Dataphernes.
Dat.
My Lord, the Enemy, the Enemy.

Be.
What Enemy?

Dat.
The Macedonians,
And Alexander.

Be.
Alexander? ha!

Na.
How do you know?

Dat.
We had it from our Scouts.
But go upon the Mountains, you may see
The Spirit of that Monarch in his March.
He wings along the Air in Clouds of Dust,
And does not march, but fly.

Be.
Bring out the King.

Na.
Ha! what to do?

Be.
What else, but take his Life?
I will not dye in Complement to him;
Spare him a Guard, when we want men our selves.
I've bath'd my Sinews in my Son's hot Blood;
Now they are strong enough for any thing.

Na.
Hold—hold—you are too hot, let him alone.
If we shou'd barbarously Butcher him.
The Crime will have such a grim Gastly face,
The basest Persian Cowards, will be scar'd
Out of their Natures into something Brave.
Cowards oft by flying, into Valour fly.
Our Friends will leave us, and our Enemies
Fly in our Faces.

Be.
True, what shall we do?

Na.
Tempt him to yield.

Be.
I know he scorns to do't.

Na.
We will deceive him by feign'd Penitence.

Be.
I do not find him easily deceiv'd.

Na.
Let's make a Trial; if he'll not be gain'd,
We'll murder him unknown to any one,
Besides our selves, and then give out he yields,
And what we do is by his own Command.

Be.
'Tis well advis'd—draw up our Troops with speed;
[To Data.
And then give out the King and we are friends.

[Ex.