University of Virginia Library

SCENE III.

A Prison.
Cesario discover'd on a Couch. Enter Ferdinand and Oswell.
Ferd.
You think she may be won then?

Osw.
May, most Certain.
Nay, Sir, you have her own Confession for't,
Her foolish Tongue in the last words dropt from her,
Cou'd not forbear to tell me so; alas,
What Woman ever yet admir'd the dead,
When there were living Lovers to be found?

Ferd.
Then he must die: Oswell, wait you without,
And let none Enter here, unless the King.

Osw.
I shall obey your Orders.

[Ex. Oswell.
Cesario Rises.
Cesa.
More Torments still! Why dost thou bring to plague me,
The only Person of the World I hate?

Ferd.
And why that Person of the World so hateful?

Cesa.
Because that Person poorly entertains
A sordid Soul within, which shames the Lodging.

Ferd.
Bold Man!

Cesa.
Yes, bolder Lord. Thou that darst act
What Man would blush to think.

Ferd.
Blush!

Cesa.
Blush, false Greatness.
Inglorious titled Wretch, Panthers and Leopards
Are spotless to thy Stains, those kind Devourers,
The Innocenter, honourabler Savages;
They chase blood fairer than the treach'rous Ferdinand,
Run down their hunted Prey in open Field,
Not snare 'em into toyls, mew'd up for Sacrifice,
In Dungeon Walls, as thou hast done Cesario.

Ferd.
Vile Arrogant, how Impudent is guilt?
When with such Rude, and Villainous Reflections,
Thou darst impeach the Justice of thy punishment.

Cesa.
Justice, my bold Tormenter!

Ferd.
Justice, Miscreant.
The just reward of thy too bold Ambition.
As well the tumbling Lucifer might challenge
His Fall; call his Damnation Martyrdom,
Plung'd in his Flames for his aspiring Pride,
As thou in Chains for thine.

Cesa.
Infamous Tyrant,
How poorly dost thou prop thy Impious Cause,
And gild the Face of Butchery? Royal Hangman,
Take thy Face hence, my persecuting Cerberus.
Sure in the Grave I shall not rest in Peace,
If Prisons cannot guard me from thy Malice.

Ferd.
Malice, alas, can'st think I bear thee Malice!
Imperial brightness Envy at a shadow!
Malign thee! yes, when Stars repine at gloe-Worms.
Oh that thou stoodst but some tall Mountain Cedar,
With all thy Pride and Glory rais'd up high,
That I might plow thy Root up with a blast;
But since a Village Shrub is all my aim,
And my low Vengeance has no nobler game;
My blushing shame, withholds my arm of fate.

Cesa.
A Shrub! that name from him, that needs my pity!
From him that lives in Torment, I in Pleasure,
Raptures and Ecstasies, my Jail Companions;
Whilst Fiends and Goblins haunt thee, even to Thrones,
Break thy distracted sleeps on Beds of Gold:
From my Urania's love, her love, poor Prince,
There Darts that Beam as lights my very Dungeon,
Imprints a softness, even in Chains and Death,
Whilst thou, the little object of her hate,
Must bear about thee an Eternal Hell,
And beg in vain of that dear Heaven for ease.

Enter Oswell.
Osw.
My Lord the King.

Ferd.
Now tremble at thy doom.

Cesa.
Why should I dread the only thing I covet?
You seek a Life that I desire to lose.

Enter King.
[Shout within.
King.
Hell and Confusion seize their clamorous Throats!
Oh Ferdinand, I am beset with Ruine,
My very Slaves oppose my Royal Justice;
And dare rebel to save a Traytor's Life.

Ferd.
Great, Sir, what storm is this that shakes your quiet?

King.
Dost thou not hear the bellowing Crowd proclaim it?
The scum of Earth, those never-failing Rebels,
Join with the Souldiers to preserve Cesario:
But in despight of that ungovern'd Herd,
A Monarchs hand shall send him from the World.

[Draws and runs at Cesario, Ferd. stops him.
Ferd.
Hold, Sacred Sir.

King.
Wilt thou oppose me too?

Ferd.
Most sacred Sir, that stroke requires more thought,
Shou'd you thus cut him off, the incens'd Rabble
Wou'd throw aside all Duty and Allegiance,
And on your Royal Head pour all their fury;
Affection in your stubborn multitude,
Is a prone Torrent not to be withstood.
Were you as sacred, Sir, as Heaven it self,
Yet when you stop the current of their Will,
They'll break all Bands of duty, and prophane
That Holiness, to which they'd bound their Faiths.
Appease them first, which when you have perform'd,
A private way may finish your Revenge.

King.
Must I then crouch and fawn to crawling Mud,
Wou'd I cou'd Curse the Traytors from the Earth.
But oh the wretched State of Kings, my Fate
Will force my Tongue to flatter where I hate.

[Ex.
Ferd.
Dost thou not think thy self secur'd from harm?
And with Triumphant smiles dispise our fury?
Dost thou not think the threatning storm that's near,
Will cast thee safe ashore, and Shipwrack me?

Cesar.
How silly and how vain is credulous Man!
Thy Fear suggests what never enters here.
I see the Woman brooding in thy Eyes,
And thy Soul bursting with envenom'd Malice.
And oh, how poor is he that's Passion's Slave!
Let me be stript of all my Soul holds dear,
Rob me of Life, and what's more priz'd, Urania;
Yet thou shou'dst see how my undaunted Soul
Cou'd bear it all, and smiling quit the World.

Ferd.
I'll try this boasted Courage: 'tis resolv'd,
This hour's thy last, in spite of what can threaten.
Thou tak'st the Free-hold of my Soul away,
Urania and that are but one Creature.
's Death, I have been a tame Fool all this while,
Swallow'd my Poison in a fruitless hope;
But my Revenge as heavy as Jove's wrath,
Wrapt in a Thunder-bolt is falling on thee.

Cesar.
And I can thus undaunted stand the stroke,
Yes, barbarous Prince, appear in thy true Colours.
Shake off that dull effeminate Clog, Humanity,
And if the least remains of Vertue, Honour
Hang soft upon thy Soul, freeze, freeze thy Veins,
Crust'em to Rock, and wall thy heart in Marble,
Inexorable as the Grave, and deaf as Death.
Bath in my Blood, and mount me to the Stars.
But know, when from my glorious Constellation,
I shall look down upon that dark Abyss,
Where thou ly'st howling in eternal Flames,
I'll scorn thee then, as I defie thee now.

Ferd.
Oh! I am vanquisht by this noble Spirit.
Come to my Arms; my Arms, nay to my Heart.
There take possession, and remain for ever.
Cesario, thou sha't find that I have Honour
Equals my Love. Oswell, retire a while,
But first your Sword, and as you love your Master,
Ask me not why, nor yet dispute my Orders.

Osw.
I've ever learnt Obedience to my Prince,
Tho' I much fear the fatal Consequence.

[Ex. Oswell.
Ferd.
Cesario, this imbrace makes me thy Friend,
And with it take this more surprising Present.
Since 'tis decree'd that one of us must fall,
Let Fortune hold the Scale: if 'tis my Fate,
A long farewel at once to Life and Love.
But if 'tis doom'd this Hand must give thee Death,
Oh, make but this return with thy last Breath,
Call me thy Friend, and make Urania mine.

Cesar.
By Heaven, you have with Honour conquer'd me,
And here I lift a Sword against that Life,
Which, witness for me, Gods, how fain I'd save,
Nay were there any way to preserve both,
But by resigning of the bright Urania;
Were I as great as the young Macedonian,
Whose Conquering Arms subdu'd the spacious World,
I'd quit all Titles to those vanquisht Crowns,
And build my Happiness on Love and Friendship.

Ferd.
It will not be, we cannot both possess her;
And either to resign's Impossible.
Therefore delay no longer; if thou dost,
I here call back the name of Friend again;
And will proceed as an inveterate Foe.

Cesa.
But this Embrace, and then proceed to blood.
[Embrace:
Now Fate, ordain me Love, or give me Death.

Ferd.
Thou hast thy wish, Urania now is thine;
[Fight, and both wounded.
And may those powers that give her to your Arms,
Crown all your Days and Nights with endless Joys.

[Ferd. falls.
Cesa.
That wish is kind, but oh it comes too late.
For Death has been too busy with us both,
And we both fall each others Sacrifice.

[Falls.
Enter King, Tachmas, Sigismond, Oswell, and Souldiers.
Osw.
Behold, my Lord, the fatal deed is done;
See where th'unhappy Rivals, Arm in Arm,
Are mixing Blood, as they have join'd their Souls.

Tach.
How fares my Brother?

Cesa.
Near my last safe Harbour,
Let me the little time I have to live,
Imploy in begging Pardon of my King,
And one kind farewel word to my Urania.

King.
Haste, haste, and bring that most unhappy Innocence;
Made wretched by a Fathers harsh Decree.

Cesa.
O Brother, Place me nearer to my Friend:
No more my Enemy, yet still my Rival,
My generous Rival, still though't be in Death.

Ferd.
My dear Cesario, I must bid farewel:
For cruel Death too hasty draggs me hence.
Urania hates me, and 'tis time to die.
But whither I shall go, too cruel Fair,
The shades of black Despair can only tell.
Pusht from the World by thy Disdain and Scorn,
I drop into the dark side of Eternity—

[Dies.
Cesar.
Farewel, thou Royal Convert of true Honour.

[Enter Ardel.
Ardel.
Where, where's the King? oh, Sir, the poor Urania!

King.
Ha! what of her?

Ardel.
If Horrour and Confusion
Will lend me Breath to speak. Unhappy Princess!
Alarm'd by the false Oswell's treach'rous Tongue,
That your Commands had given Cesario death;
Her generous Despair for her dear Lord,
In her own Breast has plung'd her fatal Dagger.

Cesar.
For me! this was too much. Oh Love! thy Altar
Was never loaden with so rich a Victim.

Ardel.
And all the small remains of life that's left her,
She comes to sigh out in his dying Arms.

Enter Urania bleeding, her hair hanging loose, led by two Women.
Uran.
Lead, lead me to this dismal scene of Horrour.
Place me but near to my poor dying Lord,
And in his Arms, I'll quit the World with pleasure.

Cesar.
Ye cruel Powers! this stabs my very Soul.
Is there no Help, no Art, no succouring Angels
To save her Life?

Uran.
Wer't in the Power of Fate,
The precious Balm of thy kind Tears wou'd do't.
But 'tis too late.

King.
My dear unhappy Daughter,
What has thy Rashness done!

Uran.
Nothing but only paid
The Debts of dying Love, tho' cruel Fate
Divorc'd me from his Arms, and cancell'd all
Our marriage Joys; yet in the Grave, in that
Cold Bridal Bed, I shall not be deny'd
To lie a sleeping Virgin by thy side.

King.
Of all these Ruines only I am Authour!

Cesar.
Can then my kind and generous Princess
Leave all her Greatness, all her blooming Youth,
Let those dear Eyes, those sparkling Twins of Love,
And all that mighty Mass of infinite Beauty,
Lie undistinguish'd in the common Heap
Of mouldring Dust, ghastly as Death and wither'd
As naked scraggy Roots of unborn Flowers,
And all for her unhappy, worthless Slave?

Uran.
Cou'd I do less to shew I lov'd Cesario?
The meanest of my Sex can live and love,
Each common Spark inspires that feeble heat,
To die for Love is only truly great:
Nor is this all the Glory of my Death,
You God's I bring my Innocence to Heaven.
Free from Loves grosser and impurer Charms,
I die a Virgin in my Husbands Arms.

[Dies.
Cesa.
She's dead, she's dead, meet her you Gods, oh meet her:
Throw open all the shining Gates of Heaven;
And sally out, thick as the Beams of Day:
To her Immortal Praise, new tune your Spheres,
At her dear Feet your brightest Diadems lay,
For this is Beauties Coronation Day;
But still in all her Heavenly Pomp she wants
Her Loyal Slave, I come, dear Saint, I come.
Oh let thy Soul one moment stay its flight,
And take mine with thee to Eternal Light.

[Dies.
Enter Sigismond.
Sig.
Forgive, dread Sir, the ungrateful sounds I bring,
The popular fury and your Armies Rage
For their Dear General, and Princes Blood,
Is swell'd so high, that where the Storm will break
I tremble but to think; their Impious murmurs
No less than at your Royal Scepter fly.

King.
My Scepter, why 'tis what I'm weary of:
It may be Tachmas, 'twill to thee descend:
But when the Royal Helm is in thy hand,
Oh let my Wrack thy warning Seamark stand,
Shun but my Guilt, and with a prosperous Tyde,
Safe from my Rock the Royal Vessel Guide.

[Exeunt omnes.