 | The Enchanted Lovers |  |
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ACTUS V.
SCENA I.
CLIDAMANT, PARTHENIA.CLIDAMANT.
Mine eyes and ears ne'r saw, nor heard the like
The miserable cryes of those poor Lovers
Fill all these places with astonishment.
Thersander and Diana are so chang'd,
I could scarce know them, as I now came from them:
Pale death by turns skipping from face to face,
Can't make them yet to dye unto their love:
But, Madam, is it true what's publish'd here
Among the people, that those strange inchantments
Come from Melissa?
PARTHENIA.
Yes, they are the works
Of her Art, without doubt, she could do more yet
Nothing's too hard for her, the destiny
Of mortals seems to be held in her hands,
And as she pleaseth, she disposeth it.
What can she not do, when she is in choler?
The miserable Thirsis feels th'effect,
And rigour of her power by sad experience.
Hath not fame yet inform'd you with his sufferings?
CLIDAMANT.
Yes, Madam, J have heard them fully spoken.
PARTHENIA.
You know then that he lov'd Roselia,
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And desire of the Nymph who hitherto
Design'd him for my husband, and knows not
That I have love for you; to her commands
This Shepheard was Rebellious: what did she?
Roselia was fair, she became sick;
She wept, she pined, she complain'd; the brightnes
Of her fair eyes, extinguish'd in a moment:
The whiteness of her Lillies as soon faded;
And of so many beauties there remain'd
Only the place, where sometime their seat was,
Her Lover that perceiv'd her taken from him,
Seeks her in every place, but cannot find her:
That was a Master-piece of her Apprentiship;
But this without doubt is another work
Of higer knowledge; if in her resentment
But for my interest she made poor Thirsis
A miserable Lover, judge how far
She may be carried, mov'd at her offence,
In her revenge own interest.
CLIDAMANT.
If the Nymph knew the love I have for you,
I could expect no other usage from her;
She would without doubt cause me to be carried
unto some fearfull Island where I should
Be rendered miserable all my days:
But let her art do what it can against me
Imployed by her hate, it shall work nothing
Upon my faith, to do it prejudice:
Oh! could I flatter me with the same hope,
That you would have like constancy for me!
PARTHENIA.
You need not doubt of it, I'm wholly yours,
My love is strong, and little fears her anger;
I'l keep it still sincere and firm unto you:
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Should she destroy me with her power, & kil me
I'le rather dye my self, then my affection.
My life can't pay the debt J owe unto you.
SCENA II.
ISMENIA, THIMANTES, PARTHENIA, CLIDAMANT.ISMENIA.
What strange news do we hear? is it true, Madam,
That by th'effects of fortune and inchantment,
Thesander and Diana dye by turns,
And live again to wail their miseries?
PARTHENIA.
Ismenia, tis too true, they are inchanted.
THIMANTES.
If I durst speak my thoughts, & what I've heard,
They impute this injustice to the Nymph.
PARTHENIA.
It is not to be doubted but she is'
The Author of it, and this cruel punishment
Denoteth that she studies high revenge,
When she's offended.
CLIDAMANT.
Whatso'er her power be
Which causeth fear, let us go presently
With our complaint unto her: in my judgement,
This is no way to make her self obey'd:
Fear is the parent not of love, but hate.
And that same fatal art which her revenge
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And not her power. But here J see she comes.
SCENA III.
MELISSA, MELINTUS, CLIDAMAT, PARTHENIA, THIMANTES, ISMENIA.MELISSA
to MELINTUS.
What doth this stroak surprize thee?
Melintus.
Truly, Madam,
Their punishment's too great, and all the Jsland
Murmureth at it.
MELISSA.
Shepheards, what say you?
Can J revenge me of an injury?
CLIDAMANT.
Yes, Madam, and th'estate wherein y'ave put them
Hath made all those their friends that envi'd them
Hear our petitions for them, and be pleas'd
To do them justice: what have they committed
Worthy of such a punishment? for having
Hid their love from you, lived in your Court
Under the name of brother, and of sister,
Deceiv'd the hope and envy of their Rivals,
Conserv'd their honour, and, perhaps, their life,
Is this so great a crime, as should be punish'd
By charmes which have no end? must they be made
To dye, and to revive continually
By turns, and by a strange unworthy fate
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Still to lament the dead? their pittious cryes,
And hideous clamours give both souls & mouths
Unto those rocks to join in plaints with me:
The whole Isle's moved with them, and disturb'd
PARTHENIA.
Madam, I join in this petition,
Vouchsafe to hear me: O forbear to dart
Thunder and wrath upon this happy place,
Where the Gods liberally pour upon mortals
So many and so great felicities:
Begin not to disturb the sweet repose
Of an abode that's favoured by Heaven,
To please those Shepheards, whose devotions
May fix upon some other Sanctuary
More safe, and other Soveraigns more sweet.
Thimantes.
Yes, Madam, stop the mouth of this sad murmur,
Let it be smother'd, this inchantment hath
Continued too long, break, break the charm,
And pacifie our spirits immediately,
Which are astonished at this proceeding.
ISMENIA.
If in the freedom which J use too frequently,
My mouth might dare to speak, and not displease you,
I should then tell you that this rigid course
You take, would leave you here nor Shepheardesses
Nor Shepheards; they would seek this place no more
For their retrait and sanctuary, but shun it
Like a destroying rock; and this fair Iland
The glory of the world, would be a wilderness:
To enjoy subjects, rule your passions better,
And be more soveraign over your self.
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Shepheards, and Shepheardesses, your discourses
Astonish and surprize me, know, my Art,
Is a sufficient warrant for my actions;
J could do greater yet, and stranger too:
Though this which you have seen seemeth unjust
Unto you, have you any right, or priviledge
To complain to me, and to murmur thus?
Much less to reprehend, and censure me?
How! should the bold Shepheard Thersander dare
To injure me, and to deride my power?
Should he presume to lay aside his duty
And respect for me, and I wink at it,
That so can punish such an insolence?
Presume it not, the blood of Zoroastres
Is not yet born under so ill a star,
J know its influence better, and can use it
To the destruction of those that wrong me:
Yes, Shepheards, I am skilful in the qualities
Of herbs and roots, and as I have occasion
J chuse them, some for poyson, some for medicine:
When I wil, I prescribe some to confound
The memorie, and to distract the spirit;
But those obnoxious weeds I never use
But for their punishment that do offend me;
Have I not reason to maintain my rank
In dignity and honour? those that dare
To brave me, without doubt, hazard themselves:
My scepter's guarded with enwreathed serpents,
Whose fearful aspects bid all keep aloof,
And threaten death to those that dare to touch it:
Thirsis hath felt their stings: vvhat reason had he
To be an enemy to his ovvn fortune
And interest, in foolishly refusing
The honour of the name to be my Nephevv:
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Shall yet accept this honourable title
Of Husband to my Neece; Parthenia,
Your colour changes, but in vain you hide
Your thoughts from me, I can discover them,
I know that you love Clidamant, and more
What you design, and what you do discourse;
But understand both one and t'other of you,
That I must be obey'd in what I will;
My power can force it; take heed ye provoke not
My anger; if J may not be belov'd,
J will be fear'd.
PARTHENIA.
Madam—
MELISSA.
It is enough,
You know my prohibition.
CLIDAMANT,
I hope
To bend her, but at present let's say nothing.
THIMANTES.
We all know your high rank and quality
With reverence and respect, so in that notion
We imploy but our prayers to perswade you;
They are our onely arms, be touched with them,
And dissipate these charms: Thersander now
Begins t'awake out of his fatal fit;
You'l hear his plaints and clamours presently,
His cryes and his despair for his dear Mistress
This is the hour, wherein he is tormented:
This object without doubt before your eyes
Will raise up pitty, Madam, in your heart:
His sighs will quench your anger, and prevail
Much more then we; see he begins to move:
Madam, you will be touch'd, to hear him speak.
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SCENA IV.
THERSANDER, DIANA, MELISSA, ISMENIA, PARTHENIA, CLIDAMANT, THIMANTES.Thersander
by Dianas body.
O lamentable object! why mine eyes
Were ye not cover'd with eternal darkness,
That J might not have seen this fatal spectacle?
Oh! what cause have I to complain of fortune,
That my sleep is not the last sleep of death?
In the night of the Grave I should take rest,
And not be ty'd to die thus all my life,
I should be there but dust, and this sad sight
Should not have martyred my heart and eyes.
Yes, my dear Mistress, sometime my delight,
Thy sight is now my greatest punishment,
And in this sad estate wherein I see thee,
Thou which wert once my joy, art now my grief;
Thy body's but a trunk that gives me horror,
Thy head all over's smoaking with thy blood,
The graces lodge no more there, I see death
In every place, where I saw love before:
How! dost thou live no more then? have I lost thee
As soon as found thee? hopes born and destroy'd
With an immortal love, fantosme of fortune
Which lasts good but a day, wealth too soon lost,
Brightness too soon put out, excessive joy,
To which so many plaints so soon succeed,
Why in that splendor wherewith all you flatter'd,
My flame, did you promise so much unto me,
And give so little. Fair eyes, sometimes conquerous,
Whose lights are shut up in eternal night
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From death unto the light; is't possible
That I can see here what Diana sees not?
No, no, I live no more since she is dead;
Yet my heart moves; but this last strugling is
But a small spark that's left behind, and shines
A little after death; 'tis but a vapour,
An exaltation, a wind, a smoak,
Last dying and last kindled; I am coming
To join with thee, object of my desire,
To give thee soul for soul, and sigh for sigh;
Death is my aid, my hope is but in her;
I will express that I am faithful to thee
In that, not able to survive thy fate,
I put my self into the arms of death.
CLIDAMANT.
Madam, you see how great his torment is,
And whereunto your hatred hath reduc'd him;
You see besides how far without proportion
Of the crime to the punishment, the power
Of your inchantment goes; these woods weep at it;
And these rocks which before heard no complaints,
Are pierc'd now with his cryes, and become soft,
And sensible, the Eccho likewise mourns,
And should you onely, Madam, be without
Compassion for him.
MELISSA.
Yes, without compassion;
Since he took pleasure alwaies to displease me,
I'le please my self by a most just return
In my revenge, and never cease t' afflict him:
No, think not that J will incline to pitty.
I'm too much injur'd to be pacifi'd:
His sorrow makes my joy, and I am glad
To see that by this famous punishment
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THIMANTES.
Diana's turn is now; sees he revives
To weep her lover, and immediately
To follow him by the force of your Art:
Sad spectacle? hearken unto her grief,
And ope your eyes, and heart to her complaints,
Diana upon Thersanders body.
Diana.
What, my dear Lover, art thou then but dust?
Alas! thy mouth wants speech, and thine eyes light.
But inspight of the plot which makes me sigh,
I have the happiness yet to lament thee:
Flow, flow, my tears, and pour upon this object
Torrents of flame, not water, there is nothing
So cold in the dark bosom of the Grave,
Which the fire of these Rivers cannot warm:
Yes, by my tears at last, my cryes, my plaints,
Dear ashes, I will kindle you again,
Though cold now and extinguish'd like the Phenix
I'le raise you up again by force of sights,
Which you shall Eccho to me.
THIMANTES.
Madam can you
Behold this sight, and not be moved at it?
Diana.
Love, canst thou not answer to my desires?
Thou art a miracle thy self, and therefore,
Methinks, should'st do one: art thou in the world
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Restore my lover to me, from whose armes
They 'ave ravish'd him; which of the Gods can call him
Back from the gates of death, if thou canst not?
My dear Cleagenor, J pray thee, answer me
By these my tender sighs, by Celia's name;
How's this! I can pronounce thy name, and mine
And yet, O Gods! thou answerest me nothing;
I see, alas! thy mouth and eyes still shut:
He's dead, and these names cannot touch him now.
Love, since thou hast no power to succour me
In that point as to make him live, at least
Make me to dye: I come, my faithful lover,
It is impossible I should survive thee;
I feel that my despair t'enjoy thee here
Gives me to death; my heart hath lost the spirits
Which made it move, J scarce can utter more:
Happy thy Celia, if her death could give
Thee life again, if thy sleep might have end
By mine, and if I could with all my blood
Redeem thine; J have done, my love is coming
To meet thy flame, and I expire upon thee
The rest of my sad soul.
CLIDAMANT.
What! is your heart
Not touch'd yet with this object? are you still
Jnsensible of so much grief as she
Suffers by your means? oh! let pitty yet
Disarm your anger, the Inchanted Lovers
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MELISSA.
Yes, I am touch'd at last, J must confess,
And really am sorry for the evil
Which they have drawn through their temerity
Upon themselves; but though their grief appeaseth
My anger now, the charm which I have made
J can't undo; to tell you truly, Shepheards,
It is so strong that onely a Divinity
Can break the chance on't; tis decree'd by fate
That it shall last yet longer, and J cannot
Prevent it, though it be my proper work.
THIMANTES.
How! cannot you prevent it? heavenly Gods,
What saying's this? no, no, you have not left
Your anger, but retain it still; and willing
To punish them, and to revenge your wrong,
Will make of them a lasting spectacle
Unto the eyes of all; and to excuse
Your self the better of this cruelty,
Would put it off to some Divinity;
But the Gods by our prayers and tears appeas'd,
Jnspight of your attempts, wil stop your charms:
Yes, Madam, the great Gods condemn your plots,
They are the Soveraigns, and absolute Masters
Of destiny, we hope all things from them,
And that they'l suffer crime no longer here
To raign and tyranize. Thou Goddess, which
Art in this place ador'd which holdest fate,
And fortune in thy hands, which hatest crime,
and whose cares keep the Shepheards that serve thee
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The sad estate whereto love hath reduc'd
Two miserable Lovers, whom the Nymph
Pursues with horrid cruelty to death
By fatal charmes, destroy the power of them,
And render to this government again
The liberty to love, and to declare it.
Thunder and lightning.
PARTHENIA.
Ha! what a sudden flash of lightning's this,
That strikes mine eyes, and what a clap of thunder
Shakes all this place?
ISMENIA.
With what a thick black cloud
The Skie is cover'd?
MELISSA.
I believe Heaven trembles,
And its Arch openeth; behold the Goddess
Descends, and maketh sign, as if she'd speak:
We must give audience.
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The Goddesse DIANA.
DIANA.
Your prayers are heard, let nothing trouble you,
Fair Celia and her Lover both shal live
And love for ever, their afflictions
Are ended, and I have dissolv'd the charm,
No accident shall henceforth trouble them.
They stir'd up pity in you, now they may
Make you to envy them; search all Records,
You'l find no subject equal to their love.
THERSANDER
, to DIANA.
By what inchantment is thy life restor'd?
Diana
, to Thersander.
By what inchantment do'st thou live again?
The Goddesse continues.
I'l recompense their inexemplar vertues,
And pay the price of their affection;
To consummate their happy Nuptials,
I'l ope my Temple, and assure you all
Of my protection. 'Tis my pleasure also
That the love of the Shepheard Clidamant
Be at the same time crown'd with Hymen's honours,
And that he end his daies with sweet Parthenia,
That henceforth he command in the Isle with her;
My justice hath made choice of them to reign.
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And dispense you of your obedience to her;
I'l make the power of her Art unusefull;
And free this Island from all future fear,
And danger; but to save her from the Thunder
Of the offended Gods, I will recive her
Into my Temple, which shall be her Sanctuary.
Her Sex hath long enough ruled the Province,
I'l change the order of its Government,
And henceforth it shall be under the power,
And wise administration of a Prince,
Which shall be of the blood of Clidamant
From father unto son.
Melissa seeing the Goddess to ascend.
MELISSA.
I confesse Goddesse,
You do me justice in approving crime
One makes himself a complice: without you,
The Gods, high Soveraigns, Masters, and disposers
Of destiny, would, sure, have punish'd me
With death; I go into your Temple now
To imploy other charms, to wash away
My criminal defilements with my tears
To pray unto the immortal powers, whilst J
Have breath, and so disarm them at your Altars:
But to the end her law may be fulfill'd
In every point, Cleagenor, fail not
To love your Celia.
THERSANDER.
O how redevable
Am I to your rare goodness?
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Enjoy what you deserve, accept Parthenia,
With her, the crown, and succeed happily.
The rank which I freely resign unto you.
CLIDAMANT.
You command still, and keep your Soveraign rank,
When the raign is conferr'd upon your blood;
And by all my respects, I shall express
That 'tis but in your name that I'l be Master.
PARTHENIA.
Though Heavens kind hand chuseth a husband for me,
Since you allow him, I'l hold him of you,
And will possess no honour here, nor power,
But to express the more my service to you,
And my acknowledgements.
THIMANTES.
Ismenia,
Must we not couple too?
ISMENIA.
Yes, if the Goddess
Had said it; we'l defer our marriage,
Till she descends again.
CLIDAMANT.
Ismenia,
I command in this place now, and J will it.
ISMENIA.
Since you will have it, I accept his vows
Of faithfull service. If Melintus too
Hath shaken of his jealousie, J must
Be reconcil'd with him.
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Well, J agree to 't,
Let us remain friends.
CLIDAMANT.
Heaven hath promis'd us
That we shall all be happy, let us go
Forthwith unto the Temple to conclude
This triple marriage, and henceforth we shall
Honour this day as a great Festival.
FINIS.
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