University of Virginia Library

ACT. III.

SCENE. A Prison. A Couch here.
Enter Antimora.
Ant.
In vain I strive to rest my troubled Soul,
Since Sleep the Balsome of all Earthly cares,
Destroys my ease, and festers where't should heal,
My Dreams bring Horror and the Face of Death,
I'the absence of my Love my Courage sinks,
And sad Captivity with double woes appear.
Oh Amphialus!
I know thy constant Heart the same with mine,
Then hast and bless thy Antimora with thy sight.

Enter Arbaces.
Arb.
That Name when e're pronounc'd transports the Ear,
and drives all sorrow distant from the place,
The sweetness of thy Voice chears all around,
So Philomel imprison'd in her Cage,
Glads her Oppressors with her Nightly Song.

Ant.
I ever shun'd in my most prosperous Days
The Tongues of Flatterers, and grieve that now
I must endure it in my low Estate.
Prince, your Visit is unseasonable,
My watchful Hours were now dispos'd for rest:
Remember, Sir, I am a Princess still,
Tho' chance of War has made me Pris'ner here,
I am no Slave to have my Peace disturb'd
And privacy invaded when you please,
Nor can I value him that wants respect.

Arb.
Oh unkind and cruel Antimora!
To charge me with a Crime I never knew,
Can he whose frame is nothing else but Love,
Want respect for the object of his Soul;
But 'tis not that does authorize your scorn,
Or make my Person odious to your Eyes,
The false Amphialus usurps your Heart,
And bars my entrance there.

Ant.
Ha! betray'd—shall I deny it—no, no,
Methinks his Name when by this Wretch repeated,
Gives me new Life and Courage for disdain.
(aside.
Then if you know your Rival, Prince, you know
Him brave, and ought in silence to despair.

Arb.
I know him base, he did this Day accept
Upon his Knees, my Sister Corinth's Queen,
Her dead Fathers Will bequeath'd her to him,
And her own choice cofirm'd the mighty Gift,
That bright Carnation in your Cheeks proclaim
Your high resentment of this treacherous deed,
Disdain this fraudulent Impostor straight,
And smile upon a Prince that knows no Bliss
Without the Beauteous Antimora's Love.

Ant.
You ill interpret why my Blushes rise,
And read the motions of my Soul quite wrong;
I blush to hear the forgeries you urge,
To see a Sovereign Prince descend so low,
With poor Inventions to bespatter Fame,
And blast that Glory which he can't eclipse,
Nor reach in all the story of his Life,

Arb.
Your praise of him, or your disdain of me,
Cannot decrease the Ardour of my Love,
Nor is it with design to blast his worth,
That I declare this great undoubted truth,
But that you may not be deceiv'd by him,
Who must at his return Wed fair Zelmane.

Ant.
The Stories false, false as the Author is;
Your cunning Artifices prove too weak
To shock the Basis of a Mind resolv'd,
I will own it now, for I am proud to own it,
I do love the Prince Amphialus more
Than I hate thy Hellish Forgeries,
For which I hold as much detest and fear,
As for the dark recess of Souls in torment;
He is only mine, and I am only his.

Arb.
Confusion blast him.

Ant.
All the Powers protect him, nor can your Curse
Reach such transcendent Vertue;
But were it true that he is false, which yet
My Heart will no such base suspitions hold;
But if 'twere true, I say, what can'st thou hope,
I should abhor, detest all Humankind,
Rather than listen to the Voice of Love,
Call speedy Death and Desolation round me.

Arb.
Since you are so obstinate, 'tis fit you know
That I commander am of all your Fate,
The Governor is mine, and y'are within my power,
If you'll accept my vertuous faithful Love,
The Scythian Crown and freedom shall be yours;
If not, prepare to suffer what my rage inspires.

Ant.
I disdain thy offer and thy threats alike,
Audacious Prince, dost think this is the way,
To advance thy Passion, brutal as thy Country.
This Insolence has fix'd us distant far,
As far as Vice from Vertue grows—never
To meet in this nor t'other World.

Arb.
That shall be tried, insulting Maid, it shall,
Nay, struggle not, for by the burning rage of Love,
Not all the Furies shall prevent me now,
You may be kind and save your self the pain,
Else from the unwilling Tree the Fruit Ill force,
And bend it with my Embraces down.

(Catches hold of her.
Ant.
Villain, stand off. Oh all you Guardian Stars,
Protectors of my Vertue, lend your aid,
Dispatch your thunder, strike the Monster dead,
What will none hear me.

(struggles with him.
Arb.
None, none, there's none within thy call to hear,
And thou art mine without a hope of remedy.

Ant.
Oh Heavens! yet hear me speak in this black deed,
Thou pull'st ten thousand Ruins on thy Head,
The Gods and Men will joyn in my revenge,
And with the Sword lay all thy Nation waste
See thou hast humbled all my haughty Pride,
And at thy Feet a much wrong'd Princess falls:
Oh! quit thy horrid purpose, and I vow,
Never to betray thy curst design, but
Bless thee for the kind relenting Goodness.

Arb.
And hug Amphialus at his wisht return,
No—
I'm deaf to thy complaints, as thou hast been to mine,
And thou shalt meet him blemisht, if thou thinkst it so,
With strict embraces of my ardent Love,
My leavings only shall my Rival crown.

Ant.
Oh monstrous resolution!
But thus I will prevent thy cursed aim.

(snatches his Dagger.
Arb.
Ha! by Hell thou shall not.

(wrests it from her.
Ant.
Oh Antimora! is cold Death denied thee,
My Heart with indignation swells so high,
I hope 'twill burst the Cords of Life assunder,
I ask but Death, come thou pale Tyrant come,
And save my Vertue by thy speedy stroke.

(struggles still.
Arb.
The mortal Dart of Death advanc'd on high,
With point directed now to both our Hearts,
Should neither break nor stagger my resolves,
I would possess thee, though I died that Moment,
So wrapt in Joy I would my Life resign,
In extasies of Bliss I'd upward climb;
Else on thy Lips I'd leave my parting Soul,
And giddy with delight to darkness roul.

(struggles with her.
Ant.
Help, help, Murder.

Enter Arcanes with his Sword drawn.
Arc.
Oh Villany! unheard of Villany,
Traytor, forego the Princess and prepare
From my just Sword to meet thy final Doom.
Is this the manner that you treat my Queen,
Whose Fame will suffer by your barbarous acts.

Arb.
Thou younger half of the usurping Brood.
How dar'st thou here pretend to Question me,
Or examine the Conduct of a Prince above thee.

Ant.
Oh protect me, Brother, thou better part
Of my dear, dear Amphialus.

Arc.
Unhand her, Villain, I've no time to talk.

Arb.
Yes, to correct thy Insolence I will.

(Draws.
Ant.
Preserve him Fate—ah, ah, ah!

(As they fight Antimora trembles and shreiks.
Arc.
I am prepar'd to meet thy utmost hate.

Arb.
This to thy Heart.

(they fight.
Arc.
That to cool thy raging Blood.

Arb.
Malicious Stars, you've shown your greatest spight,
And here I sink beneath a Striplings Sword.

(falls.
Ant.
Oh you just Powers! the cursed Monster falls.

Enter Pirotto.
Pirot.
I hear the Noise of clashing Swords this way,
A sound too harsh for the affairs of Love.

Arb.
Oh! Pirotto! thy aid comes now too late,
And I expire by Arcanes Arm,
'Tis he has rob'd me of Revenge and Bliss,
But Oh! I charge thee to employ thy Brain,
And work their ruin to appease my Ghost,
I can no more—farewel.

(faints.
Pirot.
He's gone, for ever sunk in endless Night,
Traytor and Traytress what is your reward.

Ant.
All that is due for saving Innocence,
The Queen must pay to him.

Pirot.
Shame, Punishment and Death shall be your lot;
What ho, a Guard there.
(Enter Guard.
Watch these vile Murdrers with strictest care,
Fly to the Queen, and beg her presence here,
That she at once her Brother may behold,
And doom the treacherous pair to tortures.

Arc.
The Queen's too good, thou base thou canker'd thing,
Whose innate malice far exceeds the Feinds,
When she shall know the Justice of the Act—

Pirot.
Yes, yes, the Queen shall know, Arcanes,
And all your black contrivances shall out,
The dark designs you've laid shall now appear,
And startle Nature with your monstrous Crimes.

Arca.
Thou worst of Fiends and in the ugliest form,
Thou more than Devil, thou all Pirotto,
Canst thou question if this act be Justice,
When her clear Fame bright as the Morning Star,
Call'd loud for vengeance on the Traytor's Head,
Nor need I blush to own the glorious deed,
When in defence of Vertue here 'twas done.

Ant.
Thou matchless Youth, thou something more than Brother,
Thou art my Guardian Angel in distress,
Let his projecting Brain new Mischiefs form,
And to a Column let his Malice swell;
Whilst we secure in our unsullied Minds,
Walk heedless by this great impending ill.

Pirot.
You talk it well, but you shall quickly find,
That I'm to punish, not to Words inclin'd.

Enter Queen, Geronta, Guards and Attendants.
Queen.
What means this rude Alarm, Pirotto speak,
And why this strange disorder in your Looks?

Pirot.
See who lies there cover'd with Royal Gore,
And then if more your Majesty would know,
There stand the Murderers.

Queen.
Ha! Arbaces, my Royal Brother dead,
And is it thus thy faithful Love is paid;
Henceforth no more let Scythia bear the Name,
Of salvage, false and barbarous Clime, since here's
A proof, Corinth out-does thy Cruelty.
Let this Sleep in everlasting silence,
This curst Act will blast my Nations Glory,
And Strangers will abhor Zelmane's Name.

Pirot.
Ha! either my Sence deceives me, or I find,
A trembling motion in his Pulse.
(aside.
Bear his Body to my Apartment streight,
I there will mourn in private o're my Friend,
And beg the Gods they would restore that Soul,
(Guards exit
Whose vast Ambition may the World controul.

(with the Body
Arc.
Royal Madam—

Pirot.
Shall he the Murderer be allow'd to plead.

Arc.
I'll not extenuate my guilt, but—

Queen.
Be dumb and only answer with thy Tears,
For such a deed whole Rivers does require,
Nor could that wash thy blotted stain away.
Say, Pirotto, how was this perform'd.

Pirot.
Then briefly thus—
This Prince whose Sword you see unsheath'd and stain'd,
By secret means got entrance to this place,
By Antimora's Plot I do suppose,
To act this horrid wickedness.

Ant.
Go on thou vile detested Man, go on,
My Vertue shrinks not at thy foul aspersion,
You that with guilded Villany abuse,
The Ears of a too gracious Queen.

Ger.
When Noblemen are charg'd with Crimes like these,
'Tis fit the Evidence be strong and clear,
Nor must they fall on bare conjectures only.

Pirot.
My proofs are plain and obvious as the Light.
When I gave the Prince Arbaces entrance,
To Antimora, as the Queen commanded,
This young Arcanes was it seems conceal'd,
E're since the violence which I receiv'd
From Prince Amphialus, I watch'd with care,
Least he had laid some treacherous Design,
To free the Captive Princess underhand;
But as I just approach't this fatal Door,
Arcanes stab'd your Brother to the Heart,
And heard these Words distinctly spoke by her,
A thousand Blessings on thee for this deed,
Thou'st freed me from this Wretch, this worst of plagues,
The Plot was noble, and the Action brave.

Ant.
Oh you just Powers! protect my wrong'd Innocence.

Queen.
Oh horror! horror, dismal to the Ear,
But I will punish ye, as ye deserve,
Yes, perfidious Maid I will:
Confused guilt appears in all thy Looks,
And cloaths thy conscious Face in scarlet die,
That scornful Smile hastens thy ruin on,
For know Ingrateful, I am Sovereign here, thou diest.

Ant.
Thy threats might fright and shake Plebeian Souls,
But they want force to bend my resolution,
I am a Princess equal to thy self,
And though the chance of War my Person chains,
Thy Law wants power to subject my Mind,
Nor dare you to pass sentence on my Life,
Directly opposite to Martial Law,
For if thou dost, all Nations will revenge
My Death, and make my cause their own.

Queen.
Art thou so haughty minded in thy Bonds.

Ant.
Yes, Innocence should never stoop to fear,
Since I see you Credit that Impostor,
I will be bold and tell the sacred Truth.
Arcanes by the Gods was sent to save
My threatned Vertue from that Monstrous Prince,
Whose black design brought Ravishment in view,
A deed as fatal to your Countries Peace,
Had it been acted, as my Death will be.

Pirot.
Oh monstrous Combination! he a Ravisher!
He that languish'd and even died for Love,
That begg'd her Majesty this fatal Day
To assist his suit, and make you Queen of Scythia;
Madam,
You know I am no Stranger to the cause,
'Twas for Amphialus this Prince was slain.

Arc,
Ha! name not my Brother, by the Stars I charge thee,
Least I forget the presence of my Queen,
And ram thy accusation down thy throat.

(passionately.
Queen.
Sure we shall tame your furious Natures,
A Guard there—seize him, you're not a Kingdoms Heir,
(the Guard seize Arcanes.
I shall not sure be brav'd by you—
Nor shall I, Madam, now dispute your Birth,
You've doubly broke our just Corinthian Laws,
And must by them be justified or doom'd,
Nor will your close insinuating Arts,
By which you steal my best Subjects from me,
Befriend you in the great concern of Life.

Arc.
To save my Life I would not wast a Breath.
But when such matchless Vertue calls for help,
I can endure to stand no longer silent,
Witness that bright Saint which I defended,
Witness the Stars above and Earth below:
Had my Queen, the Patron of all Goodness,
Seen with what violence he did use the Princess,
Your vertuous Soul would have abhorr'd the deed,
And you your self commanded what is done.

Queen.
I'll hear no more—
My Brothers Blood for vengeance loudly calls,
Seize 'em both and bear 'em to the Dungeon,
(Guards seize them.
The Law shall pass this Night upon them.

Ant.
Oh! hold,
Thus I put off the greatness of my Birth,
And fall an humble Slave beneath your Feet,
I'll on your Royal Robe for ever hang,
And force your Mercy with incessant Pray'r.
Oh! spare Arcanes, spare that valiant Prince,
Whose youthful Arm crown'd your Land with Conquest,
If for a Deed so just the Warriour falls,
All Nations when they hear't will curse your Name,
The Powers will soon our Innocence reveal,
Yes, I know they will, Oh spare him, Madam,
And if 'tis necessary one must die,
Let me alone pursue the mighty leap,
Spare him, and let my Fate
Attone for lost Arbaces.

Queen.
My Heart sinks and all my Courage fails me.

(aside.
Ant.
Oh! let pity touch your generous Soul,
And save him, save him for his Brothers sake,
That wondrous Man, that Bulwark of your Crown,
Who Cæsar like, your Battels bravely gains,
And makes your Name a terror to your Foes.

Queen.
Yes, Princess, yes, I know for whom you sue,
'Tis for Amphialus sake you ask his life:
Your haughty Temper nothing else cou'd bend,
Only to save the Brother of your Love:
But know proud Maid, 'tis for his sake you die.
Away with them.

Arc.
Oh! do not wast thy Tears in vain for me,
Whose very drop is worth a Kingdoms Crown.
I would not live, cause I'd not disobey
The least Command my Royal Mistress gave.

Ant.
Come then you Slaves and quickly bear me on,
[rising.
Each Minute seems an Age till I am gone;
Had I but known 'twas for his sake I dy'd,
I ne'er had ask'd you to be Justifyed.
For him,
If more could be, I more then Life would give;
And for Amphialus alone I live.
No joyful Bridegroom on his Wedding night
Can be transported with more true delight,
Than I, to find for whose dear sake I fall;
I know my Death will be reveng'd on thee;
Thou Lov'st him Queen, but he loves only me:
For me he sighs, for me the Hero dies,
While in despair the proud Zelmanes lies.

Queen.
Confusion!

Ant.
Whose Jealous Soul such Wrecking passions fill,
That what her Charms can't conquer, she with rage will kill.

Queen.
Dragg her hence ye Slaves.
[Exit Antimora.
Brav'd to my face, this Wings thy fate proud Girl;
Yes, thou diest, nor should thy Kingdom save thee,
Tho' in thy fall I sunk my self for ever.

[Going.
Arcan.
Stay yet a Moment most admir'd of Queens,
By day of all my thoughts the only Theme,
And all the Subject of my Dreams by night;
From you the sentence of my Death is welcome,
Nor will I e'er complain of rigid fate.
Permit me but e'er I from hence remove
To unload my Soul of one great secret.

Queen.
Be brief, What would'st thou say?

Arc.
Since the cold dark Grave sweeps all Distinction,
And dying Men confess there long hid Crimes,
'Cause what they dreaded were approaching near,
For Death's the utmost punishment on Earth
More I cannot merit for this bold Truth,
For Oh! I Love the Great the Fair Zelmane.
E'er since my Eyes did first behold her Face;
I gaz'd methought with pleasure on your Charms,
And somthing felt for which I knew no name;
But as my Years Advanc't that somthing grew,
Till by experience taught I found 'twas Love.

Pirot.
Oh! Arrogance unparalell'd.

Geront.
Now by the Honour of a Soldiers Name,
Far from his Eyes is Arrogance remov'd;
And his soft Tongue speaks only humble Love.

Queen.
I am amaz'd! sure thou art Mad Arcanes,
The Horror of thy guilt has turn'd thy Brain.

Arc.
I am indeed a Wretch forlorn and lost;
But know no guilt for ought but Loving you.
May endless Peace and Plenty Crown your Days,
And they be lengthen'd to a good old Age,
Even till you shall wish to put them off,
May not one Care offend you.—
This Day I thought the happiest of my Life,
When from your Finger you bestow'd this Ring,
With Mutiplicity of praise on me;
My Soul transported with the Royal Gift,
Revel'd in boundless Seas of pleasure.—Now
Since the great ebb of Life is almost run,
And rude unholy Hands will ransack here,
I thus restore it on my humble knees,
[Offers the Ring.
Not yet defil'd with any touch but mine.

Geront.
Did ever Youth speak with so sweet a Grace.

Queen.
Pitty flows in, and I am lost in thought.
Ha! where am I, amidst my Mortal Foes?
And am I listing to my Brothers Murderer?
Wake me Pirotto from this Dream of Mercy,
And save thy Queen from such Distemper'd passion.

Pirot.
Guards bear hence your Prisoner streight.

Queen.
Love and Death, oh! ill match'd sounds,
Oh! Zelmane, where will thy misfortunes drive the?
Support thy Queen Geronta.

Arcan.
Without a Sigh I to my Death will move,
And think it gentler far than slighted Love,

[Exunt Guards.
Queen.
Of my Brothers Body takes peculiar care
Pirotto, see him Royally inter'd,
Whilst I retire to ruminate on Woe,
That none but great disparing Lovers know:
Sure none so curst, so lost as I appear;
For while I seek revenge, the mighty stroke falls here.

[Pointing to her Breast.
[Exit led of by Geronta.