 | The Siege of Rhodes : The Second Part |  |
The Third Act.
The Scene continues.Enter Solyman, Mustapha, Pirrhus, Rustan.
Must.
Majestick Sultan! at your feet we fall:
Our Duty 'tis and just
To say, you have encompass'd us with all
That we can private trust
Or publique Honours call.
Pirrh.
In Fields our weak retiring Age you grace
With forward action; and in Court,
Where all your mighty Chiefs resort,
Even they to us, as Kings to them, give place.
Rust.
The Cords by which we are oblig'd are strong.
Soly.
You all have Loyal been, and Loyal long.
To shew I this retain in full belief,
I'le doubly trust you, with my shame, and grief.
A grief which takes up all my Breast:
Yet finds the Room so narrow too
23
But must get out to trouble you.
That grief begets a shame which would disgrace
My pow'r if it were publisht in my face.
Must.
Your outward calm does well
Your inward storm disguise.
Rust.
But long dead calms fore-tell
That tempests are to rise.
Soly.
My Roxolana, by ambitious strife,
To get unjust Succession for her Son,
Has put in doubt
Or blotted out
All the Heroique story of my Life;
And will lose back the Battails I have wonn.
Pirrh.
E're ill advice shall lead her far shee'l skorn
Her Guide, and, faster than she went, return.
Must.
Those who advis'd her ill, in that did do
Much more than we dare hear except from you.
Soly.
O Mustapha! is it too much for me
To think, I justly may possessor be
Of one soft Bosom, where releas'd from care,
I should securely rest from toils of Warr?
But now, when daily tir'd with watchfull Life,
(With various turns in doubtfull Fight,
And length of talking Councils) I at night
In vain seek Sleep with a tempestuous Wife.
Wink at my shame, that I, whose Banners brave
The world, should thus to Beauty be a Slave.
Pirrh.
This Cloud will quickly pass
From Roxolana's face.
Must.
The weather then will change from foul to fair.
Rust.
Tempests are short, and serve to clear the Air.
Soly.
Since I have told my Sickness, it is fit
You hear what Cure I have prescrib'd to it.
Those Lovers Knots I cannot strait untwine,
Which, sure, were made to last
Since they were once ty'd fast.
24
Must.
How can she vast Possession more improve?
Has she not all in having all your Love?
Soly.
I have design'd a way to check her Pride.
It is not yet forgot,
That even the Gordian Knot
At last was cut, which could not be unty'd.
Does not the fair Ianthe wait
Without, in hope to mitigate,
By soft'ning Looks, the Rhodians fate?
Let that new Moon appear,
And try her Influence here.
[Exit Mustapha.
Pirrh.
What Lab'rynth does our Sultan mean to tread?
Shall straying Love the Worlds great Leader lead?
Enter Mustapha, Ianthe.
Soly.
When warlick Cities (fair Embassadress)
Begin to treat, they cover their distress.
In shewing you, the Artfull Rhodians know
They hide distress and all their triumphs show.
From with'ring Rhodes you fresher Beauty bring,
And sweeter than the bosom of the Spring.
Iant.
Cities (propitious Sultan) when they treat,
Conceal their wants, and strength may counterfeit:
But sure the Rhodians would not get esteem,
By ought pretended in my self or them.
If I could any Beauty wear
Where Roxolana fills the Sphear,
Yet I bring griefs to cloud it here.
Soly.
Your Rhodes has hung a Flagg of Treaty out.
Iant.
You can as little then my sorrows doubt
As I can fear that any humble grief
May sue to Solyman and want relief.
Soly.
You oft the proffer'd Freedome did refuse,
Which now you seek, and would have others use.
25
I then did make my want of merit known;
And thought that gift too much for me alone;
And as 'twas fit
To reckon it
More favour than Ianthe should receive;
So it did then appear
That single favours were
Too little for great Solyman to give.
Soly.
Much is to every Beauty due:
Then how much more to all
Those divers forms we Beauty call;
And all are reconcil'd in you?
But those who here for Peace by Treaty look
Must meet with that which Beauty least can brook;
Delay of Court, which makes the Blood so cold
That youngest Agents here look Pale and Old.
Here you must tedious forms of Pow'r obey.—
Your bus'ness will all Night require your stay.
Iant.
Bus'ness, abroad at Night? sure bus'ness then
Only becomes the confidence of Men.
Those who the greatest Wand'rers are,
Wild Birds, that in the day
Frequent no certain way,
And know no limits in the Air,
Will still at Night discreetly come
And take their civil rest at home.
Soly.
Is the protection of my pow'r so slight,
That in my Camp you are affraid of Night?
Iant.
Stay in the Camp at Night, and Rhodes so near,
Honour my guide, and griev'd Alphonso there?
Soly.
Treaties are long, my Bassas old and slow:
With whom you must debate before you go.
Let not your cause by any absence fail.
Your beautious presence may on Age prevail.
Iant.
Alas, I came not to capitulate,
And shew a love of Speech by long debate:
[She kneels.
But to implore from Solymon what he
26
And never feel a want
Of that which by dispatch would doubled be.
Soly.
Ianthe rise! your grief may pitty move;
But gacefull grief,
Whilst it does seek relief
May pitty lead to dang'rous ways of Love.
Iant.
Why Heav'n, was I mistaken when I thought
That I the coursest shape had brought
And the most wither'd too that sorrow wears?
Soly.
If you would wither'd seem restrain your Tears.
The morning Dew makes Roses blow
And sweter smell and fresher show.
Take heed, Ianthe, you may be too blame.
Did you not trust me when you hither came?
Will you my honour now too late suspect,
When only that can yours protect?
Iant.
If of your virtue my extreme belief
May virtuous favour gain,
My tears I will restrain.
It is my faith shall save me not my grief.
Soly.
Conduct her strait to Roxolana's Tent:
And tell my haughty Empress I have sent
Such a mysterious Present as will prove
A Riddle both to Honour and to Love.
[Exeunt sev'ral ways.
The Scene returns to that of the Town Besieg'd.
Enter Admiral.
Adm.
Dwells not Alphonso in Ianthes Breast;
As Prince of that fair Palace, not a Guest?
27
To seek possession of anothers right?
Yet how can I his Title there destroy
By loving that which he may still enjoy?
My passion will no less than virtue prove
Whilst it does much Ianthes virtue love.
If in her absence I her safety fear,
Tis virtuous kindness the to wish her here.
But of her dangers I in vain
Shall with my watchfull fears complain
Till he grow fearfull too, whose fears must be
Rais'd to the Husbands virtue, Jealousie.—
Enter Villerius, Marshal.
Vill.
Does he not seem
As if in Dream,
His course by storm were on the Ocean lost?
Mar.
He now draws Cards to shun a rocky Coast.
Adm.
The foolish world does Jealousie mistake:
'Tis civil care, which kindness does improve.
Perhaps the Jealous are too much awake;
But others dully sleep o're those they love.
He must be jealous made, for that kind fear,
When known, will quickly bring and stay her here.
Vill.
What can thy silence now portend,
When the assembled People send
Their thankfullness to Heav'n in one loud Voice?
The hungry, wounded, and the sick rejoyce.
Mar.
Our Quires in long procession sing,
The Bells of all our Temples ring,
Our Enemies
Begin to rise,
And from our Walls are to their Camp retir'd
To see Ianthe there in triumph shown.
28
And eccho'd too by louder of our own.
Who is so dully bred,
Or rather who so dead
Whom fair Ianthes triumph cannot move?
From th'Oceans bosom it will call,
A sinking Admiral
Who flies to stormy Seas from storms of Love.
Enter Alphonso.
Alph.
Our Foes (great Master) wear the looks of friends.
A Zanjack from the Camp attends
Behind the out-let of the Peer;
And he demands your private ear.
[Exit Villerius.
Adm.
Would you had met Ianthe there.
Alph.
Since well receiv'd, you wish her here too soon.
The morning led her out
And we may doubt
How her dispatch could bring her back e're Noon.
Adm.
Her high reception was but justly due;
Who with such noble confidence,
Could with her Sexes fears dispence,
And trusting Solyman could part from you.
Alph.
By that we may discern her rising mind
O're all the Pinnacles of Female kind.
Adm.
Strangely she shun'd what Custom does afford,
The pledges of his Pass and plighted word.
Alph.
Not knowing guilt, she knows no fear,
And still must strange in all appear,
As well as singular in this;
The Crowd of Common gazers fill
Their eyes with objects low and ill,
But she a high and good Example is.
29
Mar.
Ianthes Lawrels hourly will increase!
Vill.
I have receiv'd some secret signs of peace
From Mustapha, whose trusted Messenger
Has brought me counsel how to counsel her.
She must a while make such appliances
As may the haughty Roxolana please,
To whom she now by Solyman is sent,
And does remain our Lieger in her Tent.
Adm.
In Turkish Dialect, that word, remain,
May many summs of tedious hours contain:
And in a Rhodian Lovers swift accompt,
To what a Debt will that sad reck'ning mount?
Vill.
To night, Alphonso, you must sleep alone.
But Time is swift, a night is quickly gone.
For Lovers nights are like their slumbers, short.—
I must dispatch this Zanjack to the Court.
Alph.
The quiet Bed of Lovers is the Grave;
For we in Death, no sence of absence have.
Exeunt Villerius, Marshal.
Adm.
Rhodes in her view, her Tent within your sight!
And yet to be divided a whole Night!
Alph.
A single night would many ages seem,
Were I not sure that we shall meet in Dream.
Adm.
She must no more such dang'rous Visits make,
Me-thinks I grow malicious for your sake,
And rather wish Rhodes should of freedome fail,
Than that Ianthes power should now prevail.
Alph.
Your words mysterious grow.
Adm.
Alphonso, no.
For if whilst thus you for her absence mourn
Her pow'r should much appear,
She'l want excuse,
Unless she use
30
To day, and nightly resting here.
Alph.
The hardned Steel of Solyman is such,
As with the Edge does all the World command,
And yet that Edge is softned with the touch
Of Roxolana's gentle hand.
And as his hardness yields, when she is near,
So may Ianthes softness govern her.
Adm.
The day sufficient seems for all address,
And is at Court the season of access;
Deprive not Roxolana of her right;
Let th'Empress lye with Solyman at night.
And as that privilege to her is due,
So should Ianthe sleep at Rhodes with you.
Alph.
I'le write! The Zanjack for my Letter stays;
Love walks his round, and leads me in a Maze.
[Exit.
Adm.
Love does Alphonso in a Circle lead;
And none can trace the wayes which I must tread.
Lovers, in searching Loves Records, will find
But very few like me,
That still would Virtuous be,
Whilst to anothers Wife I still am kind.
And whilst that Wife I like a Lover woo,
I use all art
That from her Husband she may never part,
And yet even then would make him Jealous too.
[Exit.
The Scene returns to that of the Camp.
Enter Roxolana, Haly.
Roxol.
Think, Haly, think, what I should swiftly do?
A Rhodian Lady, and a Beauty too,
31
His setled hatred and his wandring Love.
Who did he send to plant this Canker here?
Haly.
Old Bassa Mustapha.
Roxol.
Bid him appear.
[Exit Haly.
Hope, thou grow'st weak, and thou hast been too strong.
Like Night, thou com'st too soon, and stay'st too long.
Hence! smiling Hope! with growing Infants play:
If I dismiss thee not, I know
Thou of thy self wilt go,
And canst no longer than my Beauty stay.
I'le open all the Doors to let thee out:
And then call in thy next Successor, Doubt.
Come Doubt, and bring thy lean Companion, Care.
And, when you both are lodg'd, bring in Despair.
Enter Mustapha, Haly.
Must.
Our op'ning Buds, and falling Blossoms, all
That we can fresh and fragrant call,
That Spring can promise, and the Summer pay,
Be strew'd in Roxolana's way.
On Natures fairest Carpets let her tread;
And there, through Calms of peace, long may she lead
That Pow'r which we have follow'd farr,
And painfully, through storms of Warr.
Roxol.
Blessings are cheap, and those you can afford:
Yet you are kinder than your frowning Lord.
I dare accuse him; but it is too late.—
[Weeps.
What means that pretty property of State,
Which is from Rhodes for Midnight Treaties sent?
Private Caballs of Lovers in my Tent?
Your Valour, Mustapha, serv'd too convay
Loves fresh supplies. You Souldiers can make way.
Was it not greatly done to bring her here?
Must.
Duty in that did over-rule my fear.
32
Roxol.
Thou fatal Fool! how canst thou think
To find a Basis where thou firm mayest stand
On those rough Waters where I sink?
Must.
If Roxolana were not rank'd above
Mankind, she strait would fall
Before that Pow'r which all
The valiant follow, and the virtuous love.
Roxol.
I grow immortal; for I Life disdain:
Which ill with thy dislike of Dying suits.
Yet thou, for safety, fear'st great pow'r in vain;
Who here, art but a Subject to my Mutes.—
Mastapha Draws a Parchment.
Must.
Peruse the dreaded Will of anger'd Pow'r;
Toucht with the Signet of the Emperour:
It does enjoyn Ianthes safety here:
She must be sought with Love, and serv'd with Fear.
This disobey'd; your Mutes, who still make haste
To cruelty, may rest for want of breath.
Tis order'd they shall suddenly be past
Their making signs, and shall be dumb with Death.
This dreadfull Doom from Solyman I give.
But if his will, which is our Law,
Be met with an obedient awe,
The Empress then may long in triumph Live.
[She weeps.
Roxol.
Begon! thy Duty is officious fear.
If I am soft enough to grieve,
It is to see the Sultan leave
The Warting World, and end his Conquests here.—
Crawl to my Sultan still, officious grow!
Ebb with his love, and with his anger flow.
[Exit Mustapha.
Haly.
Preserve with temper your Imperial mind;
And, till you can express
33
By angring others to your self be kind.—
Roxol.
If thou canst weep, thou canst endure to bleed:
Men who Compassion feel have Valour too:
I shall thy Courage more than Pitty need:
Dar'st thou contrive as much as I dare do?
Haly.
I'le on, as far as weary Life can go.
Roxol.
Then I shall want no aid to my design:
Wee'l digg below them, and blow up their Mine.
[Exeunt.
| The Siege of Rhodes : The Second Part | |