University of Virginia Library

[Scene VI.

A Chamber in the King's Palace.]
Enter Altemera and Candaces.
Cand.
Your Coldnesse did his fury soe provoke,
That hee has sworne much more than I have spoke.
Hee will forthwith deflower your chastitie,
His lookes more than his oathes assure it mee.
Dispaire and Lust are flameing in his Eyes:
Honour and virtue hee does but despise.
His guards hee sends about your Lodging now.
This is your case; resolve what you will doe.

Alt.
Yee Gods who shoud protect the Innocent,
Why are these Plagues to Altemera sent?
Men will beleive it (if this you let him doe)
My virtue, not my sinns, you punnish now.
Think you I may not yet, disguised, fly?

Cand.
All hope of flight their vigilence deny.
There's but one way to which you now can trust:
When hee comes here burning with rage and lust,
By a bold stroke your Just revenge beginne.
Make him the Sacrifice, that is the sinne.

Alt.
It ne'ere shall be of Altemera said,
Virtue to save, shee went to sinne for aid.
What you propose, to free mee from distresse,
Is by a greater ill to shunne the lesse.

Cand.
Your honour, then, you give upp to his will.

Alt.
Noe, my Candaces, I'le preserve it still.
If, while I am Innocent, the Gods designe
To act my ruine, that's their fault, not mine;
And such I alwayes shall to them appeare,
If I my flame above my life preferre.

Cand.
Virtue to save, sinns helpe you will not owne;
Doe you then thinke to kill your selfe is none?

Alt.
When I am forc'd of two ills one to choose,
'Tis virtue then the greatest to refuse.
When in this streight I by the Gods am plac'd,
I'le rather cease to Live than live unchast.
I'le save my honour, though at that deare price.
Your helpe I now desire, not your advice.
For when I had refus'd to be his wife,
Hee forc'd from mee all might destroy my life.
Some armes, or Poison now procure for mee
To end my dayes and save my chastitie.

Cand.
Thinke, Madame, on the horrors of the Grave.

Alt.
I'le only thinke my Honour how to save.

Cand.
I can for you with Joy my owne life loose,
But to advance your death, I must refuse.

Alt.
If saveing chastitie you doe not Prize,
Refuse not yet bow'd knees and weeping Eyes.
[Kneeles.
By my worst foes I shou'd be better us'd;
I am not wont to begg or be refus'd.

Cand.
This is to mee than death a greater ill,
To see my mistresse thus to weepe and kneel.
I will obey, though with a bleeding heart,
But from you in the grave I will not part.

Alt.
May you in life, deare freind, still happie prove,
And as much blest as I am curst in Love.

Cand.
When you have acted what you have design'd,
What bussinesse then have I to stay behinde?
No, Madame, such Commands I must decline.
You in your wayes are fixt, and I in myne.
But, Madame, since you are resolv'd to die,
And what you'l doe must be done speedily;
Since the Guards search all who goe in or out,
Weapons they'l find, and, why I bring them, doubt;
Poyson I therefore thinke the fittest thing,
Which unsuspected I to you may bring.

Alt.
That which you now propose I approve most.
In doing of it let noe time be lost,
And whilst you bring what must my Life destroy,
I'le fitt my selfe to welcome death with Joy.

[Exit.
Cand.
Now my designes, I thinke, are soe well laid,
That they by fortune cannot be betray'd,
But if to prosper them the Gods refuse,
Together with my hopes, my life I'le loose.
Who waits there?
Enter Confident.
Your old disguise put on,
And then to Lucidor you must be gone.
Tell him this night the King is fully bent
To act his hopes by force or by consent.
His courtshippe hithertoo has fruitlesse been,
Though hee has offer'd her to be his Queene,
But shee her constancy soe much does prize,
That to preserve it shee does death dispise.
Therefore hee must, without the least delay,
By art, or force, this night take her away,
Else I to him this sad account must yeild,
That shee is ruin'd, or her selfe has kill'd.
All that I say, alasse! is but too true.

[Exit.
Conf.
What you command mee I with speed will doe.

[Exit.
Enter Altemera alone.
Alt.
Death is a debt wc h I to nature owe;
Honour and Love calls mee to pay it now.
Those who by virtue all their actions steere,
Either of those above their life preferre.
The shortnesse of my life I cannot blame;
Death is repair'd by dying with such fame.
Yet some a life after this life distrust,
And thinke that death makes Us perpetuall dust.
That shou'd not, were it true, my death retard;
Virtue shines most, when 'tis without reward.
'Tis only those who here indulge to sence,
To Joyes of endlesse life have noe pretence.
Eternall death, when this life does expire,
Is not the Wickeds faith, but their desire.

Enter Candaces with a Violl in her hand.
Cand.
Madame, I hope in this you'l understand
I will obey whatever you Command.
The Guards did search mee, ere they lett mee passe,
But ne'ere suspected what was in this Glasse;
But now that I have brought it, I must say
I wish the Guards had taken it away,
For still the neerer that you are to dye,
The more to it is my Reluctancy.

Alt.
The neerer I my honours dangers see,
Death is soe much the welcommer to mee.
If you deny mee that which you have brought,
Your sinn will be worse than the Tyrants thought.
He makes mee but the feare of ill endure,
But it is you deny that ill a cure.
Oh, my Candaces, 'twere the highest spight
To make mee perish in my harbours sight.

Cand.
Perhaps all are but threatnings which hee swore.

Alt.
What would become of mee should they be more?
To lose life certainly is much more fitt
Than hazard chastitie by saving itt.
Show mee the truth of what you have profess'd
In not denying mee my last request.

Cand.
Your teares and prayers who is it can withstand?
Thus, Madame, I obey your sad Command.

[Kneeles and gives her a Glasse.
Alt.
With Joy this happie present I receive;
By giving this, much more than life you give.

[Offers to drinke; Candaces stopps her.
Cand.
Oh! Madame, thinke what you'r about to doe!

Alt.
I have well thought on't and resolv'd it too.
Feare, I perceive, in thee is much more high
To see my death than 'tis in mee to die.
My wish'd for remedy may come too late,
If wee shou'd spend more time in this debate.
I feare not now the Tyrants art nor pow'r.
This will evince my truth to Lucidor.
Tell him you did his Altemera see
Undauntedly drinke immortallitie.
[Drinkes of the Poison.
'Tis done, and now the thing is past recall.
This poison is become my Cordiall.
Thy killing sorrow, my deere freind, decline;
Add not to my owne greifes the weight of thine.

Cand.
Oh, Madame, 'tis but Just you shou'd consent.
I mourne that Losse my prayers cou'd not prevent.

Alt.
Since you want power your sorrowes to reclayme,
And to behold them but augments my paine,
I will retire into another roome.
There tell mee when the tyrant here does come,
Where I resolve to meet him and declare
How vast my wrongs and his Injustice are.
Perhapps my dying words may wound his Eare;
Who feares not death needs nothing else dispaire.

Cand.
What fatall Orders still on mee you lay!
But yet what you Command I must obey.

[Exeunt at severall doores.
Enter King.
King.
Conscience, the sinne thou fearst is not soe great
As are the Joyes attend the acting it.
Those very godds, which awe thee soe, have done
That which thy fearefullnesse wou'd make mee shunne.
Love is by all the Gods their God allow'd,
For to his pow'r they every one have bow'd,
And yet their hearts ne're felt a sacrifice
To Charme like those in Altemera's Eyes,
Nor ever yet soe feirce a flame have felt,
As that which rather triumph'd here than dwelt.
Enter Altemera and Candaces.
«Ha! Altemera comes to meet mee now.
Her feare at length her Constancy does bow.»
Madame, I hope you come with an intent
To lett mee see your Coldnesse you repent.

Alt.
Noe, Sir, I now am come in hope to Winne
Your soule to see, and then abhorr your sinne.
That power which by the Gods to you is sent
Is to protect, not wrong, the Innocent.
The greater is the place that you are in,
Abuseing it, the greater is your sin.
You thinke but mee you wrong in what you doe,
But who wrongs virtue does wrong heaven too.
Therefore, great Sir, your fatall sinn decline.
I aske it more for your owne sake than mine.

King.
Of granting such a suite you must dispaire.
Your beautie is more powerfull than your Prayer,
And my neglected flame is rais'd too high
To be supprest with dull morallitie.
My virtuous Love to slight is worse in you
Than what thereby you now constraine mee too.

Alt.
How can that, Sir, a virtuous passion bee,
Which wou'd pervert, or punnish Constancy?
If, Sir, to favour mine you thinke not fitt,
At least you shou'd forbeare to Injure it.

King.
Who to a Kings Just Love shows noe remorse
At once provokes and Justifies his force.

Alt.
Love from fruition all Joyes does divorce,
Fruition being made th'effect of force.

King.
Make it the effect of inclination then,
And thereby make mee the most blest of men.

Alt.
Oh, Sir, I can be none but Lucidors.

King.
I am to my ways fixt as you to your's.
There is noe meanes then left for your escape;
You must give Love or else endure a rape.

Alt.
I knowe not one way to inconstancy,
But I knowe many wayes, Sr, how to die.

King.
All wayes of dying I from thee did take.

Alt.
Looke in my face and then see your mistake,
See how the Collour in my Cheeks decline,
And to deaths palenesse does the place resigne.
Daggers and Swords you wrested from my hand,
But, having Poison left at my Command,
That Remedy your Lust did make mee Choose,
And now the Welcome vennom does diffuse.

[Goes to bed.
King.
Forbid it, heaven, that beauties soe sublime
Shou'd be destroy'd, and only by my cryme.
Yet I perceive a palenesse in her Lipps,
And her triumphant Eyes are in an Ecclipse.
The bright Virmillion from her Cheekes is fledd,
And death beginns to reigne where beauty did.
What fury was't cou'd your resentment move
In this dire way to disappoint my Love.

Alt.
Since life or virtue I was forc'd to loose,
It had been sinn to doubt which I shou'd choose.

King.
I knowe not which is most, my cryme or Greife.

Cand.
I'le raise the Court in hope of some releife.

[Exit.
King.
Oh, Altemera, if I cou'd have thought
My threatnings cou'd this dire effect have wrought,
Rather than have lett out that sinnfull breath,
I wou'd have stop'd it by my instant death.

Alt.
You may deplore but not recall my fate;
Your sorrow, though 'twere true, yet comes too late.

King.
Though 'twere true! Am I soe black with Sinne
That my Repentance noe releife can winne?
Oh! wou'd to heaven you had been but as slow
My crymes to creditt once as sorrow now!

Enter Gesippus at one doore; Melizer, Thrasolin, Cratoner, Monasin, and Olerand at the other doore, disguised.
Alt.
The truth of your repentance will appeare,
If you restore the crowne to Melizer.
Your Sorrow for your Sinns none can suspect,
If you their cause decline and mourne th'effect.

King.
Oh! wou'd to Heav'n I cou'd your life redeeme
By laying at your feet my Diadem!
To save you, I with Joy wou'd make it knowne
I wou'd my life resigne, as well as Crowne.

Alt.
My life is past recovery, you see,
But doe as much for Justice as for mee.
If ever you immortall Joys wou'd winn,
You must repaire as well as mourne your sinne,
Which that you may, I of the Gods implore.
Deaths hasty summons letts mee say noe more.
Witnesse, oh witnesse, yee alseeing powers,
That as I Live'd, soe I die, Lucidors!

[Dyes.
King.
Oh stay, oh stay a while, faire Maid, thy flight!
More of such prayers wou'd once more make mee white.
But 'twill not be, for death, like envious night,
Drawes his black curtaines o're those Globes of light.
Great Gods! already shee is turn'd to bee
As cold herselfe, as still shee was to mee.
Those cheekes, in which but even now did grow
The freshest rose, and the whitest snowe,
Have nothing left to entertaine the sence,
But the pale Emblem of her Innocence.
[Drawes his sword.
I will noe more thus trifle out my breath,
But right her wrongs by acting my owne death.
Faire Injur'd spirit, if thou dost grace
With thy bright Lustre this unhallow'd place,
Behold, behold, ere my last flight beginns,
How in my bloud I wash away my sinns!
[Offerrs to kill himselfe and is stop'd by Melizer who takes off his disguise.
Who dares soe rudely thus my Justice stay?

Mel.
Thy deaths a debt my hand alone must pay.
Had I allow'd what now thou wouldst have done,
Thou hadst usurp'd my vengeance, as my crowne.

King.
Ha! Melizer, in freedome, and arm'd too!
To whome this double favour dost thou owe?

Officers discover themselves.
Thras.
'Tis wee this double debt our King have paid.
The Armie Joynes in it.

King.
Then I'me betraid!
But though, when that bright Maid I did destroy,
I meant my sword against my selfe t'imploy,
Yet now I thus turne it against you all.
Though your false Army to your helpe you call,
Yett here I'le stand, and till you have hew'd me downe,
My death shall show I merited a Crowne.

Mel.
If a bold death Life's crymes could wash off soe,
What is it then brave Villaines wou'd not doe?
Retire awhile in the next roome, for I
Must speake with him alone before hee dye.

Thras.
Let us disarme him, Sr, before wee goe.

King.
How durst thou entertaine a thought soe lowe?
This sword, which once a Kingdome did Command,
Nothing but death can wrest out of my hand!
Who by the sword an Empire does subdue,
Parting with it, must part with his life too.

Mel.
Retire, I say. His Guilty sword I slight.
A tyrant never a true King cou'd fight,
Nor is he fitt a Kingdome to Command,
Who feares a sword in any single hand.

[Exeunt Officers and take Gesippus with them.
King.
What dost thou meane by this?

Mel.
I take this way
That what I owe to both, I both may pay,
For hee that once a Monnarch's crowne did weare
Should not die by an Executioner,
And hee who on my Throne did dare to stand
Ought to receive his death from my owne hand.

King.
I thought thee moulded of such Common earth,
That thou hadst nothing Royal but thy birth.

Mel.
Thy actions told mee what thy words have said,
Else thou wou'dst ne'er have dar'd my throne t'invade,
A Throne on which thou such disgrace didst lay,
That 'tis thy blood must wash thy sinns away.

King.
This Hightned gallantry which thou dost show
Wounds mee much deeper than thy sword can doe,
And makes mee more to greive that I withstood
Thy virtuous title than thy right of bloud.

Mel.
It is but Justice, then, that thou shou'dst die
To expiate that double Injury.

[They fight and the Usurper falls.
King.
Oh, if I had not guiltie been to her,
Thou never could have been my conquerour.
That sinne which against her I did designe,
At once, bore upp thy hand, and wigh'd downe myne.
Looseing my fame, my crowne, and Mistrisse too,
Death is the only Blessing I shou'd woo.
Oh treacherous fate, wc h makes mee after all
My conquests, by a single hand to fall.

[Dies.
Mel.
Dye both forgiven and forgotten too.

Enter all the Officers with Gesippus.
Thras.
'Twas to your hand this Justice, Sr, was due.
A true Kings virtue did disspence such light,
That 'twas too glittering for a tyrants sight.

Mel.
Let that Gesippus to the tower be ledd.
'Tis to the Law I leave his guilty head.

Ges.
My sinns already have pronounc'd my Doome.

Enter Olerand.
Oler.
Great Sr, from Clorimun I hither come.
His Conduct did the cittadell surprize,
Help'd by some of the Army in Disguise.
The Alarum did draw the tyrants guards from hence.
Against the Generall they made brave defence,
But his resistlesse sword did all subdue,
And he is now marching to waite on you.

Mel.
Brave Olerand! it is to him and thee
I owe my freedome and my victorie.
My minde will never bee at any ease
Till my returne has paid your services.
Thy death, faire maid, does wound mee past releife.
See her interr'd with all the pomp of greife.

[Exeunt.