University of Virginia Library

The Argument.

Freed from those dangers, which this bold attempt
Made justly feard, whilst joy did yet exempt
Those cares, which when by time concocted shall,
His Kingdome to a general Mourning call,
Sparta's pleas'd Prince, with all the Attributes
Ere Gratitude learnd from Desert, salutes
That noble Youth, which even when hope was spent,
Kind Heaven had made his safeties Instrument,
By acts of such heroick Vertue, that
Whilst all the less concernd are wondring at
The grateful Prince, in all the noble waies
Of honour lasting, as his life repaies,
By whose example the fair Princess taught
To shadow Love (her Souls most perfect draught)
In friendships Vail, so free a welcome gave
The worthy stranger, that al, prayer durst crave,
Though sacrific'd in Zeals most perfect fire,
Seemd now from Heaven dropt on his pleas'd desire.

Some daies spent here, whilst Justice vainly sought,
That Treasons root, whose base production brought,
Unto an unexpected Period in
Molarchus death with him had buried bin,
To future knowledge, all confessions, though
In torments they extracted were, bestow
Upon their knowledge, being th' imperfect shade
Of supposition, which too weak t' invade
Even those, whose doubtful Loyalty lookt dim,
The prudent Prince, burying mistrust with him,
Leaving the Island, with's triumphant Fleet,
On the Sicillian shoar, prepars to meet
That Joy in triumph which a blessing brought,
His loyal Subjects with their prayers had sought,

To cure those hot distemperatures, which in
His absence had the Courts Quotidian bin,
The Princess guard (as being an honour due,
To noble Valour) having left unto
That worthy stranger, whose victorious hand
Declar'd a Soul created for command,
The Prince departs from his loud Daughters Court,
To joyful Corinth, where, though the resort
Of such as by their service strove t' express,
An uncorrupted Loyalty, made less,
That Mourning, which the Kingdomes general Loss,
Claim'd from all hearts, yet like a sable Cross,
Which amongst Trophy's noble Conquerors bear,
All did some signs oth' publick sorrow wear.

But leaving these to rectifie that State,
This Feaver shook, return, to whom we late
Left gently calm'd, that happy pair, which in
Desire (the shady Porch of Love) begin
That lasting progress, which ere ended shall,
So oft their Fate to strong assistance call.
Some Months in happy free delights, before
Passion got strength enough to dictate more,
Then Reason could, right fair they'd spent, in which
Slumber of Fancy, popular Love grown rich,
Soon becomes factious, and engages all
The powers of Nature to procure the fall,
Of the Souls lawful Soveraign; either in
Each Action of the others did begin
To place an Adoration, she doth see
What ere he doth, as shining Majesty
Beneath a Cloud, or Books, where Heaven transfers
Their Oracles in unknown Characters.

Like Gold yet unrefin'd, or th' Adamant,
Wrapt up in earth, he only seemd to want
Knowledge of Worth. Her Actions in his fight
Appear like fires feign'd Element, with light,
But not destruction arm'd; like the fair Sun,
When through a chrystal Aqueduct he'th run,
His piercing Beams, until grown temperate by
That cooling Medium, through humility,
Shun her Majestick worth; in eithers Eyes,
The other seemd to wear such a disguise
As Poets cloathd their wandring Gods in, when
In forms disguiz'd they here converst with men.

But long this conflict of their Passions ere
Resisted lasts not, when disdaind to bear
Those leaden Fetters, the great Princess tries
To quench that fire ith' Embrio, ere it rise
To unresisted blazes, but in vain,
What her tears smoother are by sighs again,
Blown into flames, such as, since not to be
By ought extinguisht, her sweet modesty
Strives to conceal, nor did them more betray,
Then by such Fugitives as stole away,
Through her fair Eyes, those Salliports of Love
From her besieged heart, now like to prove,
Had not her Honour cal'd the Act unjust,
So feeble to betray her Souls best trust,
Her flames being not such, as each vulgar breast,
Feels in the fires of Fancy, when opprest,
With gloomy discontents, her bright stars sate
Inthron'd so high, that like the Bays of Fate,
It stopt the Current of the stream, and to
The Sea of Honour, Loves fresh Rivers drew.

Thus whilst the royal Eaglet doth ith' high
Sublimer Region of bright Majesty,
Upon Affections Wings, still hover, yet,
Loath to descend, on th' humble earth doth sit,
Her worthy Lover, like that amorous Vine,
When crawling o're the Weeds, it strives to twine
Embraces with the Elm, he stands, whilst she
Desires to bend, but like that love-sick Tree,
By greatness is deni'd; he that nere knew,
A swelling tumour of conceit, nor flew
Upon the waxen Wings of vain Ambition,
A thought above his own obscure Condition,
Thinks that the Princess by her large respect,
Conferd on him, but kindly doth reflect
Her Fathers beams, and with a reverend zeal,
Sees those descending Rays that did reveal
Loves Embassies transported on the quick
Wings of that heart-o're-coming Rhetorick,
Instructing that the weakness of his Eye,
Dazl'd with beams of shining Majesty,
Might for too boldly gazing on a sight,
So full of glory, be depriv'd of light,
Stifling his Fancy, till it turnd the Aire,
That fand his heart to flames, which pale dispaire,
Chil'd into Ice soon; as he went about
With them to breath a storm of passions out.

But vain are all these fears, his Eagle sight,
Is born to gaze upon no lesser Light,
Then that from whence, all other beauties in
The same sphear borrow theirs, he else had bin,
Degenerate from that royal Airee, whence
He first did spring, although he fell from thence
Unfledg'd, the growing Pinnions of his Fame,
Wanting the purple tincture of his Name,
And Titles (both unknown) yet shall he fly,
On his own Merits strength, a pitch as high
Though not so boldly claimd, and such as shall
Inhance the blessing, when the dull mists fall
From truths benighted Eyes, whispering in
His Souls pleas'd Ear, her passion did begin,
Whilst all the Constellations of her Fate.
Fixt in the Zenith of bright honour sate,
Whilst his (deprest by adverse Fortune) in
Their Nader lay (even to his hopes) unseen.

Whilst thus Enthean fire did lye conceald,
With different Curtains, least by being reveald,
Cross Fate, which could not quench it, should to death
Scorch all their hopes, burnd in the angry breath
Of her incensed Father, whilst the fair
Pharonnida was striving to repair
The wakeful ruines of the day, within
Her Bed, whose Down of late by Love had been
Converted into Thorns, she having payed
The restless tribute of her sorrow, stayed
To breath a while in broken slumbers, such
As with short blasts cool feverish brains, but much
More was in hers, a strong Prophetick dream,
Diverting by Enigmaes Natures stream,
Long hovering through the Portals of her mind,
On vain phantastick Wings, at length did find
The glimerings of obstructed reason, by
A brighter beam of pure divinity,
Led into supernatural light, whose Rayes,
As much transcended reasons, as the dayes
Dull mortal fires, faith apprehends to be
Beneath the glimerings of divinity.

Her unimprisond Soul disrob'd of all
Terrestial thoughts, like its Original,
In Heaven pure, and Immaculate, a fit
Companion did for those bright Angels sit,
Which the Gods made their Messengers to bear
This sacred truth: seeming transported where,
Fixt in the flaming Center of the world,
The heart oth' Mycrocosme, 'bout which is hurld
The spangl'd Curtains of the Sky, within
Whose boundless Orbs, the circling Planets spin
Those threads of time, upon whose strength rely
The pondrous Burthens of mortality;
An Adamantine World she sees, more pure,
More glorious far then this, fram'd to endure
The shock of Dooms-daies Darts, in which remains
The better Angels of what earth contains,
Plac'd there to govern all our Acts, and be
A Medium 'twixt us and Eternity.

Hence Nature from a Laberinth, half above,
Half underneath, that sympathetick Love
Which warms the World, to Generation sends,
On unseen Atomes, each small star attends
Here for his Message, which receiv'd is by
Their influence to the Astral Faculty,
That lurks on earth communicated; hence
Informing Forma sends Intelligence,
To the material principles of earth,
Her upper Garments, Natures second birth.

Upon each side of this large Frame, a Gate
Of different use was plac'd, at one there sate
A sprightly youth, whose Angels form delights,
Eyes dim'd with age, whose blandishments invights
Infants ith' Womb to court their wo, and be
By his false shape tempted to misery.
Millions of thousands swarm about him, though
Diseases do each minute strive to throw
Them from his presence, since being tempted by
His flattering form, all court it, though they ly
On beds of thorns to look on't, saving some
More wretched Male-contents, that hither come,
With Souls so sullen, that whilst time invights
Them to his Joys, they shun those smooth delights.

This, the Worlds Favourite, had a younger Brother.
Of different hue, each more unlike the other,
Then opposite Aspects Antipathy
Within their breasts, though they were forc'd to be
Almost inseparable dwelt: this Fiend
A passage guarded, which at th' other end
Oth' spatious Structure stood, betwixt each Gate
Was plac'd a Laberinth, in whose Angles sate
The vanities of Life, attempting to
Stay deaths pale Harbengers, but that black Clew,
Times dusty Girdle, Fates Arithmetick,
Griefs slow pac'd Snail, Joyes more then Eagle quick,
That Chain whose Links compos'd of hours and daies,
Thither at length spight of delay conveys
The slow pac'd steps of time; there alwaies stood
Near him one of the triple Sisterhood,
Who with deformity in love, did send
Him troops of Servants, hourly to attend
Upon his harsh Commands, which he from all
Society of flesh, without the Wall,
Down a dark Hill conveyd, at whose foot stood
An ugly Lake, black as that horrid flood,
Gods made by men did feare, Myriads of Boats,
On the dark surface of the water floats,
Containing Passengers, whose different hue,
Tell them that from the Wals do trembling view
Their course, that there's no age of man to be
Exempted from that powerful tyrany.

A Tyde which nere shall know reflux, beyond
The baleful stream, unto a gloomy strond,
Circl'd with black obscurity, conveys
Each passenger, where their torn Chain of daies,
Is in Eternity peeckt up: between
These different Gates, the Princess having seen
Lifes various Sceans wrought to a method by
Disposing Angels, on a Rock more high
Then Natures common surface, she beholds
The Mansion house of Fate, which thus unfolds
Its sacred Mysteries, A trine within
A quadrate plac'd, both those incompast in
A perfect Circle was its form, but what
Its matter was, for us to wonder at,
Is undiscoverd left; a Tower there stands
At every Angle, where times fatal hands
Th' impartial Parcæ dwel, ith' first she sees
Clothe, the kindest of the Destinies,
From immaterial Essences to cull
The seeds of life, and of them frame the Wooll,
For Lachesis to spin, about her flie
Myriades of Souls, that yet want flesh to lie
Warmd with their Functions in, whose strength bestows
That power by which man ripe for misery grows.

Her next of Objects was that glorious Tower,
Where that swift fingerd Nymph that spares no houre
From mortals service, draws the various threds
Of life in several lengths; to weary beds
Of age, extending some, whilst others in
Their Infancy are broke, some blackt in sin,
Others (the Favourites of Heaven) from whence
Their Origen, candid with Innocence:
Some purpl'd in afflictions, others dy'd
In sanguine pleasures; some in glittering pride,
Spun to adorn the Earth, whilst others wear
Rags of Deformity; but knots of care
No thread was wholly freed from. Next to this
Fair glorious Tower was plac'd that black Abbyss
Of dreadful Atropos, the baleful seat
Of death and horrour, in each room repleat,
With lazy damps, loud groans, and the sad sight
Of pale, grim Ghosts, those Terrours of the Night:
To this (the last stage) that the winding Clew
Of life can lead mortality unto;
Fear was the dreadful Porter, which let in
All Guests sent thither by destructive sin.

As its firm Basis, on all these depends
A lofty Piramid, to which each sends
Some Gift from Natures treasury to Fames
Uncertain hand, the hollow room with Names,
And empty sounds was only fil'd, of those,
For whom the Destinies daind to compose
Their fairest threads; as if but born to die,
Here all Ephem'raes of report did flie,
On feeble Wings, till being like to fall
Some faintly stick upon the slimy Wall,
Till the observant Antiquary rents,
Them thence to live in paper Monuments,
In whose Records they are preserv'd to be,
The various censures of posterity.

Ith' upper Room, as Favourites to Fate,
There only Poets (rich in Fancy) sate,
In that beneath, Historians, whose Records,
Do Theams unto those pregnant Wits afford;
Yet both preparing everlasting Bayes,
To crown their glorious dust, whose happy dayes
Were here spent well; beneath these cover'd o're
With dim oblivions shadows, Myriads more,
Till Dooms-day shall the gaudy World undress,
Lay huddl'd up in dark forgetfulness:
All which (as Objects not of worth to cast
A fixt Eye on) the Princess Genius past,
In heedless hast, untill obstructed by
Visions, that thus fixt her Souls wandring Ey.

A Light as great, as if that Dooms daies flame
Were for a Lamp hung in the Court of Fame:
Directs her, where on a bright Throne there sate
Sicillia's better Genius: her proud state,
(Courted by all Earths greatest Monarchs) by
Three valiant Knights supported was, whose high
Merits disdaining a Reward, less great,
With equal hopes aim'd at the royal Seat,
Which since all could not gain, betwixt her three
Fair Daughters both her Crown and Dignity
Is equally bestow'd, by giving one
To each of them; when the divided Throne,
Had on each Angle fixt a Diadem,
Her Vision thus proceeds; the royal Stem,
That bore her Fathers Crown, to view first brings
Its golden Fruit, a glorious Race of Kings,
Led by the Founder of their Fame, their Rear
Brought by her Father up: next those that bear,
Epirus honourd Armes, the royal train
Concluding in Zoranza: this linkt Chain
Drawn to an end, the Princes that had swayed
Argalia's Scepter, fill the Scean till stayed
By the Epirots Sword, their conquerd Crown,
From aged Gelons hoary head dropt down,
At fierce Zoranza's feet; this she beholds
With admiration, whilst hid truth unfolds
It self in plainer objects, the distrest
Actolian Prince again appears, but drest
In a poor Pilgrims Weed, in's hand he leads
A lovely Boy, in whose sweet look she reads
Soft pitties Lectures, but whilst gazing on
This Act till lost in admiration,
By sudden Fate he seemd transformd, to what
She last beheld him, only offering at
Loves Shrine his heart to her Idea; there
Joy had bereav'd her slumbers, had not fear
Clouded the glorious Dream, a dreadful mist,
Black as the steams of Hell, seeming to twist
Its ugly vapours, into shades more thick
Then Night ingendring Damps, had with a quick
But horrid darkness vail'd the Room, t' augment
Whose terrour a Clouds sulphry bosome rent,
With dreadful thunder-claps, darting a bright
But fearful blaze through th' artificial Night,
Lent her so much use of her Eyes to see
Argalia groveling in his blood, which she
Had scarce beheld, ere the malignant flame
Vanisht again she shrieks, and on his Name
Doth passionatly call, but here's no sound
Startles her Ear, but hollow groans, which drownd
Her Soul in a cold sweat of fears, which ended,
A second blaze lends her its light, attended
With Objects, whose wild horrour did present
Her Fathers Ghost then seeming to lament,
Her injur'd Honour, in his Company,
The slain Laconians Spirit, which let free
From the dark Prison of the cold Grave, where
In rusty Chains he lay, was come to bear
Her to that sad Abode; but as she now
Appeard to sink, a golden Cloud did bow
From Heavens fair Arch, in which Argalia seemd,
Clad in bright Armour sitting, who redeemd
Her from approaching danger, which being done,
The darkness vanisht, and a glorious Sun
Of welcome Light displayd its beams, by which
A Throne the first resembling, but more rich
In its united Glory to the eye,
Presents its luster, where in Majesty
The Angels that attend their better Fate,
Plac'd her, and brave Argalia, in which state
The un-bard portals of her Soul, let fly
The golden slumber, whose dear memory,
Shall live within her noble thoughts, until
Treading o're all obstructions, Fate fulfil
These dark predictions, whose obscurity,
Must often first her Souls afflictions be.

When now the Mornings dews, that cool allay,
Which cures the Feavers of th' intemperate day,
Were rarifi'd to Aire, the Princess to
Improve her joy in private thoughts, withdrew
From burthensome society within
A silent Groves cool shadows, what had been
Her Midnights joy to recollect, in which
Delightful task, whilst Memory did enrich
The robes of Fancy, to divert the stream
Of thoughts, intentive only on her Dream.
Argalia enters with a speed, that shewed
He unto some supream Commander owed
That diligence, but when arriv'd so near
As to behold, stopt with a reverend fear,
Least this intrusion on her Privacies,
Might ruffle Passion, which now floating lies
In a calm stream of thoughts, he staies, till she
By her Commands gave fresh activity
To his desires, then with a lowly grace,
Yet such, to which Prides haughty Sons gave place,
For Native sweetness, he on's knee presents
A Packet from her Father, whose Contents,
If Love can groan beneath a greater Curse,
Then Desperation, made her sufferings worse
Then fear could represent them, 'twas exprest
In Language that not wholly did request,
Nor yet command consent; only declare,
His royal Will, and the paternal Care
He bore his Kingdomes safety, which could be
By nought confirm'd, more then Afinity,
With the Laconian Prince, whose big fame stood
Exalted in a spatious Sea of blood,
On Honours highest Pyramid; his hand
Had made the triple headed spot of Land,
One of her stately Promontories bow,
Beneath his Sword, and with his Scepter now,
He at the other reaches, which, if Love
But gently smile on's new-born hopes, and prove
Propitious as the God of War, his Fate
Climbs equal with his wishes, but too late,
That slow-pac'd Soldier bent his Forces to
Storm that sair Virgin Cittadell, which knew
Ere his pretences could a Parlee call,
Beneath what force that royal Fort must fall.

Inclos'd within this rough Lords Letters she
Receiv'd his Picture, which inform'd her be
Wanted dissimulation (that worst part
Of Courtship (o put Complements of Art
On his Effigies; his stern Brow far more
Glorying ith' Scars, then in the Crown he wore:
His active Youth made him Retainer to
The Court of Mars, something too long to sue
For entrance into Love's, like Mornings clad
In griest'd Frosts, ere plump-cheek'd Autume had
Shorn the Glebs golden Locks, some silver hairs
Mixt with his black appeard; his Age dispairs
Not of a hopeful Heir, nor could his Youth
Promise much more, the venerable truth
Of glorious Victories, that stuck his Name
For Ornament ith' Frontispiece of Fame,
Together with his Native greatness were,
His Orators to plead for Love, but where
Youth, Beauty, Valor, and a Soul as brave,
Though not known great as his, before had gave
Loves pleasing wounds; Fortunes neglected gain,
In fresh assaults, but spends her strength in vain.

With as much ease as Souls, when ripen'd by
A wel-spent life, hast to eternity.
She had sustaind this harsh encounter, though
Backt with her Fathers threats, did it not shew
More dreadful yet, in a command which must
Call her Argalia, from his glorious trust,
Her Guardian to a separation in
An Embassie to him, whose hopes had been
Her new created fears, which sentence read
By the wise Lady, though her passions bred
A sudden tumult, yet her reason staies
The Torrent, till Argalia who obaies
The strictest limits of observance to
Her he adornd, being reverently withdrew,
Inlarg'd her sorrow in so loud a tone,
That ere he's through the winding Laberynth gone,
So far, but that he could distinctly hear
Her sad Complaints, they thus assault his Ear:

Unhappy Soul, born only to infuse
Pearls of delight with Vinegar, and lose
Content for Honour; it's a sin to be
Born high, that robs me of my liberty:
Or is't the curse of greatness to behold
Vertue through such false Opticks as unfold
No splendor less, from equal Orbs they shine?
What Heaven made free, ambitious men confine,
In regular degrees: poor Love must dwel
Within no Climate, but what's parallel,
Unto our honourd births; the envied Fate
Of Princes oft these burthens find from state;
When lowly Swains knowing no Parents voice,
A Negative, make a free happy choice.

And here she sigh'd, then with some drops distild,
From Loves most soveraign Elixar fil'd
The chrystal Fountains of her eyes, which ere
Dropt down, she thus recals again; but nere,
(Ne're my Argalia) shall these fears destroy
My hopes of thee, Heaven let me but enjoy
So much of all those blessings, which their Birth
Can take from frail Mortality, and Earth,
Contracting all her Curses cannot make
A storm of danger loud enough to shake
Me to a trembling Penitence, a Curse,
To make the horrour of my sufferings worse,
Sent in a Fathers Name, like Vangeance fell
From angry Heaven, upon my head may dwell,
In an eternal stain; my honourd Name
With pale disgrace may languish, busie Fame
My Reputation spot, Affection be
Term'd uncommanded Lust, sharp poverty,
That Weed which kils the gentle Flower of Love,
As the result of all these Ills may prove
My greatest misery, unless to find
My self unpitied, yet not so unkind,
Would I esteem this mercenary Band,
As those far more malignant powers that stand
Arm'd with diswasions to obstruct the way,
Fancy directs, but let those Souls obay
Their harsh Commands, that stand in fear to shead
Repentant tears: I am resolv'd to tread
These doubtful pathes, through all the shades of fear,
That now benights them. Love, with pity hear
Thy Suppliants Prayers, and when my clouded Eyes
Shall cease to weep, in Smiles I'le sacrifice
To thee such Offerings, that the utmost date
Of deaths rough hands shall never violate.

Whilst our fair Virgin-sufferer was in
This Agony, Argalia that had been
Attentive, as an envied Tyrant to
Suspected Counsels: from her Language drew
So much, that that pure essence which informs
His knowledge, shall in all the future storms
Of Fate protect him, from a fear that did
Far more then death afflict, whilst Love lay hid
In Honours upper Region, now whilst she
Calmly withdraws, to let her Comforts be
Hopes of 's return, his latest view forsook
His Souls best comfort, who hath now betook
Her self to private thoughts, where with what rest,
Love can admit, I leave her, and him blest
In a most prosperous Voyage, but happier far
In being directed by so bright a Star.