University of Virginia Library

ACTUS II.

SCENA I.

ISMENIA, THERSANDER, THIMANTES.
ISMENIA.
'Tis true, Thersander, I have done for thee
As much as possibly I could, I made
Thy sighs, thy constancy, thy faith appear
For to perswade her, but I lost my labour,
Diana is insensible, her heart,
Which loves sweet applications cannot touch,
Among so many rocks, is become rock.

THERSANDER.
What shall I doe, Thimantes? what a rude
And rigorous fortune steers my destiny?

THIMANTES.
Quit that ingrateful, and come forth of slavery.

THERSANDER.
How shall I come forth? I'm born miserable
Under the frowning, and the fatal aspect
Of an ungentle Star, which in despight
Of all my studies to defend me from it;
Pursues Cleagenor under the name
Of poor Thersander.

ISMENIA.
Softly.
What is that I hear!
Good Gods!

THIMANTES.
Thersander, what hast thou discover'd?
Hath thy own mouth betrayed thus thy secret?
See into what great danger thy imprudence
Puts thee at present; fearest thou no more,
Nearchus, and his power?

THERSANDER.
No, I fear nothing
After this sentence, but seek death, for since
It is resolv'd by fate that I must die,
What matter is it, by what arm it be,
Whether Nearchus, or Diana kill me.

Ismenia.
Oh Gods! how happy is he?—
softly.
Hath not she
For whom thou diest had some intelligence
That thy heart loves elsewhere? if it be so,
And that thy inconstancy procures thy torment,
Thou wrongfully accusest her of cruelty.

THERSANDER.
Quite contrary, this love where with thou seest
My heart disturb'd, is a sure testimony
Of my fidelity: 'tis true, alas!
I sometime lov'd an object of such beauty,
That the Gods never fram'd so fair a peece:
The Roses and the Lillies form'd the colour
Which dy'd her cheeks, and in her sparkling eys
The Sun was painted; to express unto thee
Yet better her divine perfections,
Diana is her Portrait to the life
Celia is seen in her; she like Diana
Had a Magestick carriage, she had
A mouth, and eys like her, she had an air,
Fierce too like hers, but amiable; lastly
In every thing she seem'd Diana's self:
My heart is constant therefore as before,
Since still I love her in her living Portrait.
I thought at first then, that her death was false,
And that Diana was that lovely object;
But when I saw Diana entertain
With such contempt the fervent love wherewith
My heart was taken, when I saw her rigours,
And infinite hatred, I perceiv'd my errour,
And said this is not Celia; so that
I saw well by her cruelties indeed
That I pursu'd her picture, and had passion
But for a Portrait.

Ismenia.
What! is Celia dead then?

ThersaNder.
Alas! that's my affliction, I saw her
Stretch'd out upon her death-bed dead, Ismenia;
And more dead yet then she, I saw those places
Shine with a certain rest of brightness which
Her eyes had darted: presently on this
I had a Combat with Nearchus for
This charming Beauty; that proud favourite
Unto the King by infamous desires,
Form'd him an object to his filthy pleasures,
This outrage was intended to her sweetness:
We fought on this occasion, it was
My fortune to disarm him; but the death
Of Celia, and the anger of the King,
(To save me from the rigor of the Law)
Enforc'd me to a flight, and made me wander
Seven year from Province unto Province: last-
Wearied to see the Court of every Prince,
I thought to free me of all dangers here
Under the feign'd name of Thersander, and
The habit of a Shepheard: to disguise me
Yet better, the afflictions of my heart
Have chang'd my Visage.

Ismenia.
Hast thou nothing with thee
That formerly was Celia's?

Thersander.
Yes, one day
I receiv'd from her hand this pretious pledge
Of her unfeigned love, behold this Portrait,
And judge, I pray thee, if I love Diana,
Or Celia.

Ismenia.
Let me have this Portrait; with it
I'l cure thy evil, Diana seeing it
Will become gentle, I'l go shew it her.

THERSANDER.
What wilt thou do, Ismenia? but I see
Diana: O Gods! end my misery.

SCENA II.

DIANA, THERSANDER, ISMENIA, THIMANTES.
Diana.
I sought thee every where.—

to Ismenia.
THERSANDER.
You will oblige me,—
to Ismenia.
Ismenia, to restore my Portrait to me.

Ismenia.
Troublesome Shepheard!
I have much to say—
to Diana
To thee in private, therefore let us enter
Into this Wood.—

Exit Ismenia and Diana.
THERSANDER.
Shew her that Portrait! oh my martyrdom!
Traitrous Ismenia, is this that faith
For which Thimantes alwaies answered
To me for thee? yes it is by thy counsels,
Thimantes, only that my seduc'd soul
Left her the conduct of my faithfull love:
Nothing from thee or me can work upon her,
She jeers at all; but let us find her out.

Exit Thersander and Thimantes.
Ismenia returns with Diana.
Ismenia.
I see w' are private here, we may speak freely.
A Mistress yet at last sighs for Thersander,
And one too in this Island far lesse cruel
Then thee; accept his service, and embrace
His faith: this portrait which thou seest here,
He receiv'd from her as a faithfull witness
Of their reciprocal and mutual fires.

Diana.
What do I see?

Ismenia.
That portrait (as I take it)
Whereof Thersander is so proud.

Diana.
I gave
Such a one to Cleagenor; Ismenia,
Who gave it thee?

Ismenia.
Cleagenor himself.

Diana.
O Gods! what saiest thou to me? thou art in
An extream errour.

Ismenia.
I tell thee again
Cleagenor himself gave it to me.

Diana.
This discourse holds no credit.

Ismenia.
Every day
Almost I see him, and thou seest him also
As well as I.

Diana.
I comprehend not these obscurities.

Ismenia.
He loves thee, and thou fliest him.

Diana.
I fly
None but Thersander.

ISMENIA.
Well, henceforth accuse
None but thy self of these disasters, 'tis
The same Cleagenor that loveth thee,
And whom thou fli'st.

DIANA.
Cleagenor! Ismenia;
That cannot be, is't possible that I
Should have been two moneths without knowing him,
For so long 'tis since he arriv'd among us.

ISMENIA.
Thy grief hood-winck'd thine eys, thou couldst not see him.
Think'st thou that since those seven years thou hast liv'd
Upon those fair banks, time that changeth all things,
Hath not yet chang'd a face? there comes Thersander;
Take a full survey of him, whilst I hold him
In some discourse; make shew as if thou'dst enter
Into that Wood, and have a care thou do not
Discover thee till I have ordered
Thy meeting with him.

Diana.
Happy pledge of love!

Entring into the Wood.

SCENA III.

THERSANDER, THIMANTES, ISMENIA, DIANA.
Thersander
to Thimantes.
Thou seest what she hath done; unto Diana
Sh' 'as given the Portrait.

Thimantes.
See she enters there
Into that Wood.

Ismenia.
A word with thee Thersander,

THERSANDER.
Perfidious, finish here thy crime, and be
My murtherer; strike, strike this heart, I pray thee,
That hopes no more; but by what interest
Hast thou betrai'd me?

Ismenia.
Why complainest thou?

THERSANDER.
O grofs dissimulation! dar'st thou yet
To ask what is my plaint?

Diana.
He hath his gate.

Softly, looking on him, where she was hidden.
Ismenia.
Thy heat hears nothing, give me leave to speak.

THERSANDER.
Yes, to feign more, and to lie at thy pleasure,
Am I oblig'd stil to thee for my life?

ISMENIA.
How soon love doth degenerate into folly?

THIMANTES.
Thersander, hear her.

THERSANDER.
What is't she can say?

ISMENIA.
Since th'art so obstinate, let thy love go
Which way it will, I'l have no more to do in't.

THERSANDER.
Speak then, what wilt thou?

ISMENIA.
I have nought to say now.

THIMANTES.
Thou would'st speak to him.

ISMENIA.
'Twas to laugh a little.

THIMANTES.
I pray thee, speak unto him.

THERSANDER.
I conjure thee,
Ismenia, in the name of all the Gods,
Jeer not my Passion.

ISMENIA.
It is now my turn
To be perverse.

THERSANDER.
I hear thee, speak, what sai'st thou?

ISMENIA.
Since thou wilt have it, know then that a Rival
Hath caus'd thy grief and torments.

THERSANDER.
How, a Rival!
At that Word I'm all fire, a Rival!

Ismenia.
Yes,
A Rival, good Thersander, but a lov'd one.

THERSANDER.
What! loved of Diana?

ISMENIA.
Yes of her,
And more too, of thy self.

THERSANDER.
That's very strange;
How should I chuse but bear a mortal hatred
To him my Mistress loves; who e'r he be,
I must revenged die.

Diana.
Softly.
If this should be
Cleagenor, O Gods! how is he chang'd?

THERSANDER.
Where is that Rival?

ISMENIA.
With thee, Thersander;
Thou would'st defend him, if occasion were,
At the expence of all thy blood; believe me,
Thou never leavest him.

THERSANDER.
Without dissembling,—
to Thimantes
Tell me Thimantes, art not thou that Rival,
She means? I think thou art my friend, deal plainly
And freely with me, art not thou that cruel,
That false and traiterous Rival?

Thimantes.
Answer him,
Ismenia.

THERSANDER.
Well, what wilt thou say at last?

Ismenia.
Thersander hath for Rival in his love.—

Thersander.
Speak, whom?

Ismenia.
Cleagenor,

Thersander.
Cleagenor!
Ismenia, ha! my joy, sure, is extream;
True, I confess, I love this Rival equal
Unto my self, and if he may be loved
Of th'object whom I serve, I will adore
My chains without condemning her of rigour.

ISMENIA.
Thou hast lost nothing by this bout, thy fortune
May create envy, fair Diana hath
Yielded to Celia's portrait.

Diana.
Softly,
Who, to see
Those decay'd features, could have known that face?
But my love hath at last drawn them afresh
Within my memory; I must draw neer him,
And yield to my impatience.

THERSANDER
, to ISMENIA.
Pardon me,
I can't believe thee; but here comes Diana;
See if her eys ha' n't the same cruelty,
Alwaies the same pride, and the same disdain.

Diana.
Ismenia, I am come to tell thee something,

ISMENIA.
Me Celia?

THERSANDER.
How, Celia?

ISMENIA.
Yes, Celia.

THERSANDER.
Alas! I'm in an error; 'tis her eyes,
Her gate, her countenance, but not her heart.

ISMENIA.
'Tis she, Thersander, whom thou do'st behold,
It is her very self.

THERSANDER.
How is't a custome
To call forth from the bosom of the Grave
Departed souls? and by what priviledge
Hath that God, who at the eternal sleep
Presides, ordain'd her waking?

DIANA
, to THERSANDER.
Though thy faith
Finds this point strange, is not love strong enough
To make thee to believe a Miracle?
Cleagenor sees me, and knows me not:
How comes it, is my Portrait false? have J
No more attractions? see if't be thy Celia,
At least if't be not she; it is no more
That beauty which was late so cruel to thee;
Cleagenor!

THERSANDER.
My Celia!

DIANA.
Is it possible,
O Gods! that J should see again what J
Best love i' th' World?

THERSANDER.
Is it you that J see?

ISMENIA.
Take heed, be moderate, one may die with joy.

Thimantes.
Ismenia, follow this example here;
Grant only at this instant but a kisse
To my impatience, see at last Diana
Ceaseth to be unkind.

ISMENIA.
What! doth the object rouse thee, and th'example
Provoke thy spirits? thou wilt have but one kiss?

THIMANTES.
I will be satisfied.

ISMENIA.
Give me then
Some verses, or at least a nose-gay of
The choicest flowers.

THIMANTES.
Ismenia, I'l not fail
To bring them thee.

Ismenia.
Then trouble not thy self,
The kisse is thine.

THIMANTES.
Wilt thou withhold from me
So long what is my due?

ISMENIA,
It will be better
When it is much expected, and long'd for.

THERSANDER.
Behold my whole adventure in few words.

Diana.
I've made thee to a full description
Of my misfortunes; thou seest how I feign'd
(To give my grief full vent) a Brothers death
In weeping of my lovers.

THERSANDER.
What felicity
Do I injoy now?

THIMANTES.
Use your utmost skil
To make it lasting to you, and beware of
The fickleness of fortune, and her wrongs.

THERSANDER.
What! have we yet any thing more to fear?
Is not that blind inconstant Goddess weary
Of persecuting us?

THIMANTES.
Love is a child,
He must be govern'd well, Diana's beauty
Hath gain'd her lovers, they may hurt, Thersander;
Melintus hath a subtle wit, and we
Both know he loves Diana, and besides
Is jealous of her; fear some foul play from him,
If thou appear his Rival; he disposeth
The spirit of Melissa at his pleasure;
When he shall see you serve as obstacle
Unto his love, he will take speedy order
For your removal.

THERSANDER.
But to hinder him
To hurt me, I conceive Diana hath
No lesse power on the spirit of the Nymph.

THIMANTES.
But if the Nymph loves thee, as I observ'd
Her heart expressed some such matter lately,
When at her last return home from the Games,
Her free confession to us all, declar'd
How much she did esteem thee, but at last
With such an esteem that love followed
Close at the heels in plain terms, and indeed
Spoken by her of purpose, if she loves thee,
I say (as I'm confirmed in that thought)
How wilt thou steer thy course?

ISMENIA.
'Tis very true,
Her discourse comes into my memory.

THERSANDER.
O Gods! what's this you utter?

Diana.
For my part
I begin to believe it, and remember
The passage too, I fear all things from thence;
This is the only mischief we should shun.

ISMENIA.
What can she not do 'gainst your interests,
When your refuse shall come to arm her anger
Against you? Know that with a single word,
I'th twinckling of an eye too, she can calm
The floods and make a mutiny amongst them,
Call forth corrupted bodies from their graves,
Make their cold as hes speak, and their pale ghosts
To walk; these were the secrets, Zoroastres
Taught, whil'st he raign'd, to his posterity;
She is descended from him; and to give
Her self content, will make use of her art
To serve her passion.

THERSANDER.
I know that her skill
Extends to Magick. Yes I fear her love
With so much power, and yield unto thy counsel
Advise us what to do.

Thimantes.
Disguise your selves
Under the names of Brother, and of Sister,
In the mean time we'l spread abroad the rumor
Of this event that every one shall hear it
Within the Island.

THEERSANDER.
J approve this project.

Diana.
My life lies on it.

ISMENIA.
I go to begin
To lie unto Parthenia.

SCENA IV.

PARTHENIA, ISMENIA, DIANA, THERSANDER, THIMANTES.
PARTHENIA.
Ismenia,
I would speak one word with thee but a moment.

Ismenia.
Immediately when you have born a part
In the contentment of this pair; Diana
Hath for the future no more cause to weep
Heaven hath been pleas'd that she hath found her brother,
It is this happy Shepheard, they acknowledge
Each other.

PARTHENIA.
This event, J must confess
Confounds my spirit; Thersander found her brother?

Diana.
Yes Nymph, it is the same,
For whom my grief was hitherto extream.
The Gods at length have heard my prayers and sighs.

THERSANDER.
Yes, Madam they have granted our desires.

Parthenia.
J'm very glad on't, and my soul is ravish'd
With this good fortune of our friends, which makes
Our lives content, Diana will oblige me
If she please at her leisure to inform me
with the discovery; but acquaint the Nymph
Therewith, and to that purpose go to see her.

THERSANDER.
We ow that duty to our Soveraign.

Exeunt Thers. and Diana.
PARTHENIA.
In the mean time Ismenia and my self
May entertain each other in discourse,
Thimantes, J believe, will not be jealous.

THIMANTES.
Let not a third come, Madam, and J fear
Nothing from you.—

Exit Thimantes.
PARTHENIA.
Ismenia, J know not,
If J may safely tell a secret to thee,
Alas!

Ismenia.
J know it well, since the heart sighs;
When one would say J love, and dares not speake it,
The heart at the nam'd point gives an Alas.
Have not J well divin'd?

PARTHENIA.
Ismenia,
I do confess it, see too, if thou canst
Divine the object that procures my grief
Let me not speak him, spare my cheeks those blushes.

Ismenia.
I cannot, a sigh carries not so far;
You love; but what more, is beyond my skil
To understand, unless your self unfold
That sigh unto me by its cause.

Parthenia.
'Tis true
I love.

ISMENIA.
But whom?

PARTHENIA.
'Tis—

ISMENIA.
Outwith't.

PARTHENIA.
Clidamant.

ISMENIA,
Behold a handsom way to name a Lover;
Ha! how you fear your lips should touch upon it!
One must draw 't word by word out of your mouth;
You have then but one lover; really
'Tis well as't happens; had you lists of them
As I have, which I name, and reckon over
Every hour of the day, your bashfullness
Would well become you; love is a fair fruit,
But then it must be gathered, modesty
Leaves it to fall and wither, but I pray you
What will Melissa say to't, who intends
To match her Neece to Thirsis?

PARTHENIA.
Oh! I hate
That Thirsis, and shall be even in despair,
If the Nymph force me to observe my duty
In that particular; yet I would keep it
Without disturbance, if the love I bear
To Clidamant should not return me his;
For to speak truly I am violent
Where honour doth ingage me, therefore would I
Have his heart to be sounded, and as I
Find it dispos'd, I should pursue my love,
Or quench my flame.

ISMENIA.
Speak unto him your self,
Nothing's more easie.

PARTHENIA.
But, Ismenia,
Thou hast a wit would help me; if I should
Speak to him, he hath little understanding
If he should not know that I first was taken,
And I should sin against the rule of maids
To make such a confession.

ISMENIA.
You may write then,

PARTHENIA.
That is all one, still the same point of honour
Forbids it me; my Letter would discover
My love, and make him boast thereof, perhaps,
To my dishonour, if he might have once
That mark on't in his hand.

ISMENIA.
Let him then
Divine it, if he be Astrologer.

PARTHENIA.
Treat not my passion thus with railery.

ISMENIA.
I must then serve you in it, I perceive;
Well I'l about it with my best invention;
I'l write a Letter to him, and invite him
By a feign'd love, as soon as it is night,
To meet me at the Eccho of the Garden,
To entertain us there.

PARTHENIA.
So in my absence
Thou shalt discern his thought.

ISMENIA.
This business
Concerns you, Madam, and requires your presence.
You shall speak softly to him, and in those
Sweet moments, you shall understand much better
What his thoughts are, and thus you may your self,
To find out if he loves, speak of your self.

PARTHENIA.
Thou wilt be present too?

ISMENIA.
Yes, J'l so well
Contrive it, that he shal believe undoubtedly
That it is I that speak.

PARTHENIA.
But how can we
Speak to the Eccho, for thou know'st the Nymph,
As soon as it is night, retires her self,
And then we cannot come there, what devise now
Hast thou that we may speak to him?

ISMENIA.
Cannot we
Speak to him from the terrass which joins close
Unto the Garden; you know that you can
Conveniently come there at any hour
From your apartment; 'tis upon this ground,
And these conjunctures, that I've ta'n the plot
For my invention.

PARTHENIA.
I admire thy wit,
'Tis wonderfull industrious and ready.

Ismenia.
I'l write the Letter here before your eyes,
Behold the paper for it.

PARTHENIA.
How, these are
Thy writing Tables!

ISMENIA.
They can speak of Passions
Discreet and secret; J'l about my business,
And use my smoothest stile.

PARTHENIA.
Especially
Appoint him wel the hour and place of meeting
How redevable am J to thy wit
For this great favour? what do J not ow thee
For this good office, thou giv'st me again.
Life, and repose.

ISMENIA.
See what J write unto him
In two words for you, they are very pressing,
And will ingage him to betake himself
Unto the place appointed to know more.

PARTHENIA.
'Tis very well; it rests now how to giv' 't him.

ISMENIA.
Leave me the care of that; but here he comes.

SCENA V.

MELINTUS, CLIDAMANT, PARTHENIA, ISMENIA.
MELINTUS
, to CLIDAMANT.
Yes, J have heard Diana is his sister.

CLIDAMANT
, to PARTHENIA.
Madam, Melintus and my self are going
To seek Thersander, to congratulare
With him his happy meeting with his sister.

ISMENIA
, to CLIDAMANT.
seftly
Thersander's happy, and thou art no lesse,
Since thy good fortune offereth it self
Unto thy hand, from whence thou mai'st expect
All that thou canst desire without that jealous.

PARTHENIA
, to ISMENIA.
Come, let us go, the Nymph expecteth us.

ISMENIA
, softly to CLIDAMANT.
Having no opportunity at present
To speak unto thee, read, J think 't will please thee.

Clidamant.
Read it, J think 't will please thee, what i'th name
Of wonder doth she mean?

Melintus.
Take but the pain
To open, and to read it thou shalt find.

Clidamant.
J think, J may make thine eys witnesses
Of what it doth contain, there's nothing in it
Secret or serious, Ismenia loves
To jest, and to be talk'd of; and this is
Some new piece of her wonted merry wit.

Melintus.
J am impatient, prethee open it.

Clidamant.
Let me see what divertisement is here,
Which she expounds good fortune, what is this?
He reads.
List of my Lovers by an exact order
Of Alphabet.
'Tis very well put of;
But so far forth as J can see yet, neither
Obsetve J here Melintus or my self.

Melintus.
For my part, J renounce there; turn the leaf,
Go on.

Clidamant
, reads.
Stanza's of Dorilas upon inconstancy.

CLIDAMANT.
Melintus, what sai'st thou unto them?

Melintus.
J see for what design she put those Tables
Into thy hand, J call'd her cocket lately,
And that, it seems, provok'd her to return me
The injury with one of the same nature.

CLIDAMANT
, continues to read.
Sonnet of Silvio, my most faithfull Lover.
A Madrigal of Thirsis,—what's this follows,
Unto the Shepheard Clidamant.

CLIDAMANT.
Melintus,
Am J not purblinde, see if this name doth
Strike thine eyes thus like mine!

Melintus looking into the writing Tables.
Melintus.
Nothing's more certain,
It is address'd to thee; thou art more happy
Then thou imagin'st.

Clidamant
, reads.
As soon as the dark shadows of the night
Hang o'r the light,
At th'Eccho of the Garden let us meet;
But be discreet;
'Tis love invites thee; more anon,
When w' 're alone.

Ismenia.

Melintus would take the writing Tables.
Melintus.
Prethee let me see them,
Grant me this favour—not, then J, believe
Thou do'st disguise the truth, and read'st Ismenia,
When 'tis subscrib'd Diana.

Clidamant.
Oh fond jealous!
How long wilt thou thus be thy own tormenter?

Melintus.
Yet shew them me.

Clidamant.
To cure thy troubled spirit,
I'l first o'rcome thy curiosity;
And since the discreet Lover, what vain heat
So ever presseth thee, never shews thus
His Mistress name—

Melintus.
But—

CLIDAMANT.
Quit those blind suspicions; as soon
As it is night I'l go unto the Eccho
Alone, and with our noise; I'm all a fire
To know what she will tell me, in the mean time
Let's go unto the Nymph to seek Thersander.

MELINTUS,
softly
To be more sure, and to inform my self
Yet fuller of thy faith in this my doubt,
I'l to the Eccho too, and find it out.