University of Virginia Library

SCENE V.

The Scene drawn, discovers a great many Spikes fix'd in the Ground, and a high Battlement above it.
Enter King Menaphon, Meleander, Guards and Attendants.
King.
Brother, I sent for you to see a justice
Done on the Monster that has wrong'd us both,
Haste Amyclas, and bring the viper forth.

[Ex. Amyclas.]
Re-enter Amyclas with Ithocles, chain'd in's Shirt and Drawers, a night Gown over 'em, Guarded.
Itho.
My death you have decreed, and Heaven permitted,
But know mistaken King, I wear a Soul
So free from that black charge for which I dye,
That at my Launch into Eternity,
I shall soare lighter then a mounting Angel,
And smile above, when thou false Menaphon
Sha't grin below; and though I leave the world
In poor deluded eyes, and Popular breath,
A Cank'red bloated thing, the hour will come,
When Fame's Recanting Trump shall sound my innocence.
Murder may hush, and guiltless blood may slumber,
But oh they never sleep, the hour will come,
When the story of my Fate, and the Dark Leagues,
And black Caballs against Semanthe's Honour,
And both our lives shall be all, all disclosed,
Whilst our amazing murther turns, a spectre
Shall fright you with the form.

King.
I'll hear no more.
I came not here to have my Royal justice
Arraign'd, but executed, guilt so harden'd,
As durst offend like thee, can never want
A forehead too, as hard'ned to deny it.
Take him away, by Heav'n my feeble rage.
[Ex. Guards with Itho. the Scene shuts.]
Is plumed with Down, and falls like feather'd snow,
But rowze my Bolts of Fate, and murder'd Love,
Thy sleeping furies wake—but oh Semanthe,
Though this avenging Sword my honour draws,
Proud of the Justice, yet I mourn the cause,
And oh! though pleas'd I send thee to the Grave,
I live to kill, what I wou'd dye to save.

Enter Lattinius hastily, and kneels to the King.
Lat.
Oh Sir!
As you'd secure your everlasting peace,
And dearer Soul, and guard a groaning Kingdom
From the impending plagues of guiltless blood,
Save, save Semanthe's Life.

King.
What means the Boy?

Lat.
By the bright Guardians of the Throne she's innocent;
Oh injur'd Sir! that shame of the Creation,
[Pointing to Meda.]
Oh injur'd Sir! that shame of the Creation,
Th'incarnate Devil Menaphon in a Wood,
Has babourously butcher'd his own Brother,
Who found by Huntsmen in his gasping Pangs,
Had just Remains of Life, enough to open
That most infernal Mass of Forgery;
Against the vertuous Queen's immaculate Honour,

Men.
Sure the youth raves.

Lat.
By Heav'n my Lord, 'tis true,
But fly, and save her life e're 'tis too late,
Then lend your Leizure to the hideous story,
Prepare your eares to ake, and Soul to tremble.

King.
Haste Amyclas, and stop the Execution.

Lat.
Oh fly Sir, with a posting Angels speed,
An Angel to redeem.

[To Amyclas as he's going off.]
[Ex Amy. running.]
Orgillus wounded, brought in by Huntsmen, Menaphon starts.
Men.
Ha! my Brother,
Vengeance and Hell, my Plots are all unravell'd,
Curse on my erring hand.

[Aside.]
Org.
Save, save the Queen.
Oh Sir she's innocent, her spotless truth,
White as our Souls are black, my Trayt'rous Brother,
And wicked self by false Armena's help,
Mixt a Lethargick potion for the Queen,
And Ithocles; and in the operation
Of the curst sleeping Drugg, we lay'd 'em senceless,
Clasp'd Arm in Arm, all Artifice and delusion,
To rob you of your peace, and her her life.

Men.
Thou cack'ling, craven slave.

[Draws and runs at him, is seiz'd by the Guards]
King.
Disarm the Traytor,
Go on my dying Penitent.

Org.
Alass!
I cannot more, Armena's murder'd Ghost
Raises a sullen fame from nights dark coast,
[Diet.]
My sence grows dim, and in a mist I'm lost.

King.
Hah! dead!
Is the stupendious tale of horrour done?
And dost thou Monster live to hear it?

Men.
Yes,
And doubly damn'd I did not live to act it.

King.
Thou art a Traytor of so black a die—
But haste, unbind the Guiltless Ithocles,
Bid him come down to meet a Flood of Honour;
The Acclamations of an Ecchoing Kingdom,
And the Rewards of a repenting King.
[Ex. an Attendant.]
But for thee Monster.

[To Menaphon.]
Men.
Call your self that Monster,
For such I'd made you, had my Plot succeeded;
But since the proud Semanthe's scorn has given me
That stroke of Fate, that all her bolts beyond it,
Will prove but edgless Plagues, I dare thy worst;
Know I defie at once both Hell and thee.

King.
Damnation, was there ever Dungeon, Jayle
Or Gibbet that cou'd match this hardn'd Infidel,
But do I talk and let the Villain live,
Away with him,
And his own snare, be his own fate, the doom
Of Ithocles see executed instantly
On that Infernal slave, but yet thou devil
So Grand, thou'rt fitter to be Lucifer's
Tormenter then he thine, repent and save,
If possible, thy bloated Soul;

Men.
Repent! a Scull which has for Ages lain i'th' Earth,
Shall sooner Pray then I. I do Repent
I've mist my ends, for had that piece of Pride,
Ended her hated Life, in scorching flames
I wou'd have borne the hottest plagues of Hell,
Rattled the Chains of my Infernal Goal,
As Peals of Joy that I had left thee here,
With greater torments than I felt below.
Have smil'd to think on thy distracted Soul,
And laught when all the damn'd besides did howl.
[Exit Men. Guarded.

King.
Most hiddeous Villain,
Was slighted Lust then
The lighting Fire-brand to this Hellish Train.
[Enter Queen attended
Ha! by my wrongs that Injur'd Beauty lives!
My Joys like rustling Winds lockt up in Caves,
Do bustle for a Vent. Oh! to my breast,
Yet Closer, Closer thou dear banisht Peace,
Torrents of Extasies, transporting Joyes.
But oh! Divinest Innocence, is there
That Beam of mercy in th'Immortal Treasury,
As can forgive my faults?

Queen.
Name 'em no more;
My Joy, to find you know my Innocence,
Makes me forget that I was ever wrong'd;
Nay, had I dy'd 't had pleased my murder'd Ghost,
To see my vertue to the World Proclaimed.

[Enter Marcelia.
King.
But see, Marcelia! Oh what Recompence
Is there in Nature for the wrongs Ive done thee?

Mar.
Most Royal Sir, there is a Recompence,
Wou'd Cancel all the Injuries was done
To me, and to th'unhappy Ithocles.

Queen.
I know thy meaning, and I hope Marcelia,
The King will not deny his free Consent.

[Enter Ithocles Attended.
Mel.
[Aside.]
I fear her meaning tends to my destruction.

King.
Oh thou bright worthy!
Come to my Arms; my Arms; Oh no, that Circle
Is too Unhallow'd to Infold such Goodness.
No let me first deserve t'embrace thee, take
This fair Attonement for the wrongs I've done thee.

Itho.
Oh my Exalted bliss!

[gives him Marcelia.
Mel.
And my Confusion.
[aside.]
Remember Sir the Promise of a King,
It was to me you gave Marcelia.

King.
Ah!
Take heed bold man, croak that loath'd sound no more.
I have rewarded Virtue, and crown'd Love;
And if before, to my unprincely shame,
I promised ought to wrong this faithful Pair,
Perhaps that guilty Promise drew down Heav'n against me;
And 'tis just I have appeas'd
The wrath of that black Sin.

Mar.
No, Meleander.
Persue not hopeless Love, nor tempt the frown
Of Heaven by cherishing a lawless Fire;
No, take this worthier and kinder Beauty,
[gives him Statilia.]
No more Lattinius, but the fair Statilia.

Omn.
Statilia!

Itho.
Ha! my Sister.

Stat.
Yes my Brother.
The same unhappy Maid—

Mar.
Transform'd by Love;
But take her to your Arms and hide her Blushes,
She's Love that can deserve you, though I want it.

King.
Brother and Friend, [for he that weds our Favour
In fair Statilia, I must call him both]
Accept this Present from my hand,

[giving Stat.
Queen.
And mine,
To bind the Royal Seal.

Mel.
My Heart heaves up, and struggles in my Breast,
When I but look on fair Marcelias Face,
But she is lost to me, for ever lost;
And one more kind there is that seeks my Love,
I will no more persue a hopeless Game,
But fix my Heart on her that has deserv'd it.
[aside.
Oh! on my knees Statilia let me beg
[to her.
A Pardon for the Injuries I've done thee;
Accept a Heart that now is all thy own.

[Enter Mr. Harris.]
The Scene drawn discovers Men. Executed, being flung from a Battlement upon Spikes.
Bass.
According to your Majesties Command,
The Traitor Menaphon received his doom.

King.
Behold Semanthe, the curst Instrument
Of all our Woes.

Queen.
Remove the dismal sight—
[the Scene shuts.
He was a Villain, and a cruel one
Yet I cou'd freely have forgiven him.

King.
Thou beauteous Miracle of woman kind,
Let all the Kingdom share my mighty Joy!
Brother, Marcelia, Ithocles, Statilia,
Was ever man redeem'd like me from ruin,
O what a Precipice have we escap'd!
How near we all were to the Gulph of Ruin,
Till thou, blest Soul, brought us this Halcyon Gale.

Lat.
The great Reward does far exceed my hopes.

[Aside.
King.
Oh! give me leave,
As one, that wearied with the Toil at Sea,
And now on wisht for Shore has fixt his feet,
He looks about, and glad's his Thoughts and Eyes
With sight o'th' green cloath'd ground and leafy Trees:
So let me gaze agen on those dear Eyes,
Nothing but kisses to thy Lips discourse.
Oh! My Semanthe, to my Arms return,
Where loves rekindling Fire shall brighter burn,
Whilst all the wrongs to Beauty so Divine,
Shall be but foils to make the Diamond shine.

[Exeunt omnes.