University of Virginia Library

ACT III.

SCENE I.

The QUEEN's Appartment.
Arsinoe alone, weeping.
Arsin.
Greatness, leave me,
Undeceive me,
State is but a Pomp of Woe;
Never given,
Under Heaven,
To make happy, but undo.
Greatness, leave me,
Undeceive me,
State is but a Pomp of Woe, &c.

Enter Feraspe with a Letter.
Fer.
Hail, gracious Queen.

Arsin.
Feraspe!

Fer.
Ormondo has betray'd your Life and Crown:
Behold the Letter, and the Treason own.

Arsin.
Directed to the King of Thrace!
[She reads the Superscription.
I know the Hand:
Ormondo has conspir'd.
Feraspe, e'er the Day be done,
Convinc'd of Treason, let the Rebel—
Gods! I can pronounce no more!

[Aside.
Fer.
Hate and Anger
Have oppress'd her.

[Aside.
Arsin.
Feraspe, hear me;
E'er the Day be done—
Shall that Sun ever set
Which I adore?

[Aside.
Fer.
Her Woman's Heart
Can ne'er resolve.

[Aside.
Arsin.
Bring me the News
That he is dead.

Fer.
Madam, I understand,
Ormondo you would say.

Arsin.
Audacious Slave,
The Secrets of a Queen
Dare you unfold?
Haste from my Sight,
My Rage avoid.

Fer.
Ye Gods, how Passion rends,
And Pity shakes her Soul?

[To himself going off.
Arsin.
I rave, I rave, I rave, I rave;
I am bewilder'd in a Maze of Grief.
Awake, Arsinoe, awake;
These are but the Pangs of Love.
Feraspe, hold!
[Feraspe returns.
Before the rising Sun
Ormondo dies;
Go, see it done.

Fer.
Great Queen, I hasten to obey.

Arsin.
No, no, Feraspe, stay.

Fer.
She changes like the Wind.

[Aside.
Arsin.
Rebellious Love, resist no more.
[Aside.
Let false Ormondo die.

[Feraspe hears the last Line.
Fer.
Your Will shall be obey'd.

Arsin.
Detested Fury,
What, return'd again?
Still in my Sight?
I can no more—
Be gone, and let Ormondo die.

[Feraspe goes off.

SCENE II.

Arsinoe alone.
Arsin.
Must then Ormondo die?
And die by me?
What Tygress gave thee Birth, Arsinoe?
Feraspe!
[She calls out.
Ah! Feraspe's gone!
Peace, my tumultuous Soul.
[She walks considering.
Ormondo has conspir'd;
'Tis true, 'tis true:
But how can I
Live, and let Ormondo die?
But how can I, &c.
Then shall the Traitor live?
[Holding forth the Letter.
My Heart will harden when I Treason read.
[She opens the Letter, throws down the Superscription, and finds a blank Paper.
Ye Gods, what nothing here!
Ormondo's innocent.
O Jealousie, thou raging Ill,
Too late, too late, my Love, I see
'Tis I am guilty, thou art free.
I'll make what Speed I can, I'll fly,
To break thy Bonds, and give thee Liberty.
Wanton Zephyrs,
Softly blowing,
Watching,
Catching
Whispers going,
Bear in Sighs my Soul away.
Tell Ormondo what I bear;
Tell him how his Chains I wear;
Tell him all my Grief and Care:
Gently stealing,
And revealing
More than Love and I can say.
Haste away,
And convey
More than Love and I can say.
Wanton Zephyrs, &c.
Bear in Sighs my Soul away.

[Goes off.

SCENE III.

A Prison. Ormondo in Chains, with a Letter in his Hand.
Orm.

[Falls asleep.

SCENE IV.

Arsinoe enters softly. Ormondo sleeping.
Arsin.
Sleep, sleep, Ormondo, void of Fear,
In pleasing Dreams forget thy Care;
Fortune ready
Waits to Crown thee,
Love and I attending are:
Sleep, sleep, Ormondo, void of Fear.

Orm.
My Queen.

[He talks in his Sleep.
Arsin.
I am here, my Love.
He dreams.

Orm.
Did you command my Death?

Arsin.
I did;
Thou art disloyal and unkind.

Orm.
I am innocent.

Arsin.
Ah! how, I wish thee so!
Thy Letter shows no Guilt,
But 'twas perfidious to Assault my Life.

Orm.
You will lament me dead.

Arsin.
No, no, my Love,
I cannot live to see thee dead.
But see, a Letter in his Hand!
[She takes the Letter softly out of his Hand.
Directed to the King of Athens!
[Reads the Superscription.
Perhaps a new Conspiracy.
[She opens it.
[She reads the Title.

Father,

After a tedious Absence of Three Years,
Your wand'ring Son dies innocent;
Just at the Period of his Life
He sends you this, his last Farewel.

Pelops, your Son.

Arsin.
Pelops, Ormondo, Athens!
I stand amaz'd!
Ha! who comes here?
I'll hear her Business, and retire.

[She retires on one side to hearken.

SCENE V.

Enter Dorisbe veil'd, Omondo still sleeping.
Dor.
Cruel Stars, who all conspire
To blast my Love with hopeless Fire,
Set my Ormondo free,
Or let me share his Destiny:
Two Lives in one
The Fates have spun;
I last but 'till his Race be done, &c.

Arsin.
She talks of Love;
I've found a Rival here.

Dor.
Two Lives in one
The Fates have spun
I last but 'till his Race be done.

Orm.
What Voice disturbs my Rest?
[He wakes.
I dreamt Arsinoe revok'd my Doom,
And, smiling, plac'd me on a Throne.
Then how I grasp'd her Neck,
And held her panting in my Arms;
I dreamt it only,
She is still unmov'd.

Dorisbe unveils.
Dor.
If not Arsinoe, Dorisbe's here,
To free, or suffer with Love's Prisoner.

Orm.
Perhaps you are the Messenger of Fate;
I am prepar'd.

Dor.
No, no, my Love,
I bring thee Life and Liberty.

Orm.
But if my Life with Treason I must buy,
Leave me, Dorisbe,
I would rather die.

Dor.
By all that's dear,
By all our Loves,
Ormondo, I beseech you hear.

Orm.
Leave, O leave your black Revenge;
Against the Queen no more Conspire:
When in the Garden you design'd her Death
I brought her safely off;
And when you held the Dagger at her Breast,
Did not I ward the Blow,
And wrest it from your Hand?
And now, and now, for my Fidelity,
To save your Life I sacrifice my own.

Arsin.
Ye Gods, what more can I desire?
My Dear Ormondo's innocent?

[Apart to her self.
Orm.
False Dorisbe, once admir'd,
Urge me no more,
I'll save thy Life, and die.

Arsinoe discovers her self.
Arsin.
No, no, you shall not die.

Dor.
Heav'ns, I'm undone!

[Starting in a Fright
Arsin.
Guards!
Who's there?

SCENE VI.

Enter Feraspe.
Fer.
Great Queen!

Arsin.
Feraspe, you too long detain
The Prince of Athens Pris'ner.
[Pointing to Pelops.
[Feraspe sets him at Liberty.
Haste, set him free:
This Day shall crown
My Love, and his Fidelity.

Dor.
What Hope for me remains?

[Aside.
Arsin.
And let Dorisbe wait
A Pris'ner in his Place,
'Till with less Anger I resolve her Fate.

Pelops.
Permit me, Royal Fair,
[kneeling to Arsinoe.
To vent the Raptures of my Soul;
I scarce know how to bear
This mighty swelling Tide of Joy!
Your Captive I so long have been,
I must petition now to be so still.

Arsin.
If Freedom you refuse,
What is it I can give,
Or you can chuse?

Pelops.
While I do Homage to your Eyes,
I still enjoy the Liberty I lose.

Arsin.
Rise, generous Prince,
[He rises and bows.
If you by me
Have lost your Liberty,
I give my self to set you free.

Pelops.
Thus then I mark you, thus and thus,
And thus I seal my own.

[Kisses her Hand four times at each Thus.
Arsin.
My Dear, my Joy!

Pelops.
My Life, my Goddess!

Arsin.
Yours for ever.

Pelops.
True as ever;

Arsin.
Cupid! ever
May this happy Transport last.

[Both.
Arsin.
Still desiring,

Pelops.
Still expiring,

Arsin.
Still refining,

Pelops.
Still repining

Both.
At each Minute that is past.

Both.
Still desiring,
Still expiring,
Still refining,
Still repining
At each Minute that is past.

[They go off Hand in Hand.

SCENE VII.

Feraspe and Dorisbe alone.
Fer.
Death, Hell and Furies,
I am Thunder-struck!
What have you done?

Dor.
I have undone my self and thee:
I hate us both:
I rage, I burn
With Anger and Despair.

[Walking up and down in a Fury.
Fer.
You have abus'd my Love;

Dor.
And thus I make you Recompence.

[Draws a Dagger, offers to stab her self.
Fer.
What rash Attempt is this?

[Holds her Hands struggling with her.
Dor.
It is my Will and Pleasure;
Let me strike.

[He forces it out of her Hand, and kneels.
Fer.
O live, my fair Dorisbe, live:
Impute me Fierceness to my Love,
And pardon my Offence.

Dor.
What, live to be reproach'd by thee!
Live to be scorn'd by proud Arsinoe!
I cannot, will not live.

Fer.
Alass! you know not how to die!
Let me strike first,
I'll tell you when I try.

[Holding the Dagger to his Breast.
Dor.
Ye Gods! Why this is kind
[She turns her
I must some Pity show,
[Head and weeps.
Feraspe, you are innocent.

Fer.
No longer than Dorisb elives.

Dor.
If I will die, what blame in you?
The Wound's my own, the Guilt's so too.

Fer.
That Wound would kill us both;
I act, what I permit in you.

Dor.
Heavens! he obliges me too far!
What shall I say?
[Aside.
You cannot save my Life.

Fer.
Not save your Life!

Dor.
The Queen will have me die.

Fer.
She will not dare when I am by.

Dor.
She's guarded by the Prince.

Fer.
The Fort is mine for your Defence.

Dor.
It will be taken before Night.

Fer.
The Haven's open for our Flight.

Dor.
A Thousand Thoughts remain behind. [Aside.
Feraspe, rise;
I must consult my Mind.

Fer.
O make no longer Stay!

[Takes her by the Hand.
Dor.
The Sea is dangerous.

Fer.
But Love guides our way.

[Leads her to the Door of the Fort, and opens it.
Dor.
The Court will miss you.

Fer.
Leave it to my Care.

Dor.
I hear a Noise, let me step in.
Farewel.

[She catches the Key and locks her self in.
Fer.
I am safe when you are there.

[He goes off.

SCENE VIII.

The Scene opens and discovers Arsinoe and Pelops on a Throne. A Dance. After which an Epithalamium Song, as follows.
First Voice.
Hail, happy, happy, happy Pair!
Great Pelops and Arsinoe!
For Love prepare,
No Moments spare;
One happy Moment equals long Despair.

[They dance again
Second Voice.
Bright Queen of Love ordain
This Night no Lovers sigh in vain!
Nymphs complying,
Panting, dying,
Mutual Pleasure bless each happy Swain.

CHORUS.
Hail, happy, happy happy Pair!
Great Pelops and Arsinoe!
For Love prepare,
No Moments spare;
One happy Moment equals long Despair.

SCENE IX.

Dorisbe looks out of a Balcony of the Castle with a Dagger in her hand.
[They all rise
Dor.
Tyrant, look up, and see
[to Arsinoe.
How much in Death I scorn thee!
There, sate thy thirsty Soul.

[She stabs her self, and throws over the Dagger.
Pel.
Save, save, the Princess Life.

Arsin.
Make haste, break up the Door.

Dor.
O feeble Arm!
What must I live?
Give me the Dagger back;
I'll strike again!

Fer.
Cruel Dorisbe!
You mistook the Heart;
I feel the Wound by which you bleed;
[He faints leaning on one of the Guards.
O fatal sight!

[Dorisbe is brought in by the Guards slightly wounded.
Arsin.
Princess, you are much to blame!

Pel.
You wrong our Clemency.

Arsin.
I would have sav'd your Life.

Pel.
And I your Fame.

Dor.
Can you forgive me then?

Arsin.
I will, and can.

Fer.
O name that Word again!
Name it a thousand times.

[He kneels to Arsinoe, who bids him rise.
Dor.
Much to your Pity I, Feraspe, owe,
And out of Pity I can love you now.

Fer.
But can you love, and live?

Dor.
The Wound's not dangerous, I believe.

Fer.
Immortal Gods!
What Joy, what Bliss?

Arsin.
When Love does cure,
What we endure?

All three.
And Wounds compleat our Happiness.

Pel.
Then tell it in the Cyprian Groves,
Tell it all the laughing Loves.

Arsin.
While the tuneful Quire plays,
While the tripping Satyrs bound.

Fer.
While they sooth us with their Lays,
While the Woods and Hills resound.

Pel.
We envy not Jove
In Grandeur above;
Altho' we endure
Such Pain for a Cure,
Who live in the Realm of Love.

A full CHORUS of all the Voices.
Then tell it in the Cyprian Groves,
Tell it all the laughing Loves;
While the tuneful Quire plays,
While the tripping Satyrs bound;
While they sooth us with their Lays,
While the Woods and Hills resound.
We envy not Jove
In Grandeur above;
Altho' we endure
Such Pain for a Cure,
Who live in the Realm of LOVE.