University of Virginia Library

[Scene I.

The King's Camp.]
Great shouts of Joy often repeated.
Enter Clorimun, Thrasolin, Cratoner, and Monasin.
Thras.
The Souldiers, Sr, in this excess of noise
Showes your returne brings them resembling Joyes.
They think, sr, since to you their love is great,
Nothing but what is such should tell you it.

Clor.
My Joys, like theirs, shou'd now have been sublime,
Had they not brought mee to them by a crime.
But since they cannot call back what is done,
They must for it make their submission.
This they shall doe the first of anything;
Then I will forthwith send it to the King.
Hee will perceive, that duty being paid,
I know by Armies how to be obey'd.
But where is Filadin? Hee us'd to bee
The formost of my freinds to visitt mee.

Crat.
And soe hee now had been, but hee went hence
Last night to give you some Intelligence,
Such as might soone give you the meanes to show
You merit the high trust you are in now.

Clor.
This makes his absence kindnesse, but since wee
Are now encamp'd soe neere the Enemy,
It were a sinn in sloth one houre to lye.
Is there noe way their Courages to try?

Thras.
Noe way at all; the place they Campe upon,
Though 'tis secur'd by natures helpe alone,
Yet round it dayly their new workes appeare.

Clor.
Then they ev'n in their safety show their feare.
Enter Filadin with a Guard, with Lucidor and Memnor Prisoners.
Ha! What is this? Memnor and Lucidor!
By what strange fortune are they in my pow'r?

Fil.
Sir, with a Party I went out to try
If I cou'd take some of the Enemy.
Neare to their Camp, where I lay hid last night,
These two by dawne of day did come to fight,
And Clatus; but when Lucidor did knowe
His Mistrisse brother was to serve his foe,
Hee vow'd he wou'd returne, unless that hee
A Common second to them both wou'd bee;
Protesting, if to that hee'd Condescend,
Hee wou'd noe longer wait for his owne freind,
Who, hee well knew, wou'd soone be in the feild.
This high Civilitie had longer held,
Had I not with my party thought it fitt
To show my selfe, which quickly ended it.
Clatus, the name of Quarter slighting still,
Wee thought it rude to save him gainst his will.
The selfe same way these two had also tooke,
Had not their swords, while they were fighting, broke.

Luc.
If Filadin had not us death deny'd,
And had not fortune too joyn'd on his side,
Wee shou'd not now (soe justly bonds we hate)
Have been the tame beholders of our fate.

Mem.
Fortune, not wee, shou'd for our losse be blam'd,
Which wee'l soe bravely beare, shee'l be asham'd;
And whilst her unjuste frownes wee suffer thus,
Wee'l triumph over her, not shee on Us.

Clor.
Brave Filadin, I'm thine Eternally!
[Imbraces Filadin.
Lead Memnor to my tent—hee bleeds, I see—
And bid my Chyrurgions that care on him show
They'l have of mee, when I am wounded too.
Noe other Prison but your word I crave.

Mem.
That is the strongest Prison I can have.

Clor.
Yet that the easiest is in my Power.
All leave the tent but only Lucidor.

Fil.
Lett us three then retire into my tent,
And there letts have a little merriment.

[Exeunt. Manent Clor. and Luc.
Clor.
Mee thinks a Sadnesse sitts upon your brow,
Which misbecomes one soe much lov'd as you.
Your Mistrisse Love to mee wou'd bring releife
In all the wounds of Fortune and of greife.

Luc.
If any Sadnesse in my face appeares,
It is not on my owne accompt, but her's;
That fortune shou'd be tyranous to him
Whome Altemera does not disesteeme.

Clor.
Rather lett Altemera see in this
Fortune, by much, the lesser goddesse is.
Had fate to place me in thy Joy thought fitt,
I wou'd doe nothing else but thinke on it.
Nay, even I my sleepe would not esteeme,
If I shou'd not reflect on't, while I dreame.

Luc.
Though you did this, and more, yet you'd doe lesse
Than I in prizing of that happinesse.
You show the low esteeme of it you hold
By thinking 'tis a blessing can be told.

Clor.
And yet, mee thinks, your present looke affords
That which but too much contradicts your words.
But tell mee, pray, does Altemera still
Enjoy the pow'r of conquering whome shee will?

Luc.
Shee does, and her bright Eyes still shoot such fire,
All want the pow'r to shunne it, as desire;
Her beauties to behold and not to Love,
A wonder, great as they themselves, wou'd prove.
In all things else, 'tis Ignorance alone
Hinders our making their discription,
But, in this case, her beauties such are growne,
Knowledge is lost in admiration.

Clor.
Great Gods, why are the Starrs fixt in such height
That wee can only see their beautious light,
And Altemera, with more lustre grac'd,
Within my Rivalls reach by you is plac'd?
Why was there soe much giv'n to her, and shee
Permitted too to give it all to thee?
But Lucidor, you bleed. Had I your wound
But sooner seene, you shou'd have sooner found,
What's deare by nature to her, I'de not owne
More than what's soe by Inclination.

Luc.
This scratch, which you call wound, you much miscall.
'Tis my great trouble that it is soe small.

Clor.
You to my admiration alwaies are
Speakeing the dismall language of dispaire,
Which Altemera's power seems to decline.
At least I shou'd thinke soe, were thy fate mine.

[Exeunt.