University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

SCENE I.

SCENE A Plain: Tents, &c.
Gozanes following some runaway Troops.
Gozanes.
O cowards! Dastards, to forsake your King,
And give your Country up—for Shame for Shame!
Sure as you fly you lose your Liberties,
If not your Lives—but if once more yon sally,
The Fate of War may change, and we succeed.
I'll foremost stand upon the brink of Danger;
Have I a Friend among you? let him follow,
If not, I'll singly purchase Death with Glory.
AIR.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

An Hermitage.
Cratander solus.
Cra.
Xarino warm'd with Jealousy,
Has left me at full Freedom,
To try my Fate with Teraminta:
Her Heart may change;
I've surely now more Hopes than ever;
My Rival is away,
The Fair incens'd beyond Expression,
Nay more, inclin'd to pity me;
Pity may nourish Kindness,
I must improve that Pity:
This Disguise is no ill Plot,
But see! She comes, now for Dissimulation.

SCENE III.

Enter Teraminta.
Ter.
Say, venerable Father,
Have you seen
Two Shepherds pass this way?

Cra.
Just by my Cave they parted;
Where unperceiv'd I heard
The different Stories of their Fortunes:
The one
Is gone a Virgin to espouse
Of high Degree, and rich Possessions;
The other, hapless Youth!
Scorn'd by the Fair he lov'd,
In deep Despair
Wanders, he knows not, cares not whither.
I weep for very Pity.

AIR.
Ter.
Shall Strangers weep, and shall not I,
The Cause of all his Woe?
I'd freely drain these Eye-strings dry,
Cou'd I his Grief forgo.
Why did I treat with such Disdain,
A Flame so pure and true?
Why love I still, yet love in vain,
Where Hate is only due?

[Exit.

SCENE IV.

Cratander solus.
Cra.
Who wou'd weep and kneel
To heighten Vanity,
And purchase Scorn,
When dear Deceit
Has such prevailing Charms,
Under this veil of Sanctity?
I'll prosecute my Scheme;
Determin'd to enjoy her,
And supplant my Rival.
AIR.

[Exit.

SCENE V.

A Camp.
Xarino in a warlike Habit.
Xar.
Thus rous'd as from some strange illusive Dream,
I wake astonisht, and with Shame reflect,
Upon my Follies past, O Teraminta!
In what a maze of Error, hast thou led me?
While I in Indolence by Charms inchanted,
Amus'd away my life's Meridian Splendor.
I shou'd have been conducting shining Legions,
In all the splendid Pomp of War array'd;
And not have suffer'd these sad Revolutions,
To fill my Country with such Scenes of Sorrow.
My Father Captive! O Distracting Thought!
But 'tis resolv'd, I'll amply now atone,
Preserve his sacred Life, or lose my own.
AIR.

SCENE VI.

A Grove.
Ardelia sola.
Ard.
What is become of my Cratander?
O boding Heart!
Why dost thou fill my Soul with sad Conjecture
He's surely slain,
Or in the rage of Jealousy
Has kill'd his Rival,
And therefore fled.
What Scenes of Sorrow
Take Birth from this pernicious Beauty?
And must she triumph thus?
Rob me of my Peace,
Of him I love.
And shall I suffer tamely?
No,
If my Cratander's dead,
I kill her for his sake;
If he still lives, I kill her for my own.
But die she must; farewel Compassion!
AIR.

[Exit.

SCENE VII.

A Prison.
Gozanes.
Goz.
Curst Fate of War! Uncertainty of Grandeur!
No Hopes of Liberty for lost Gozanes!
Here must I linger out a wretched Life;
Wretched indeed! for such a train of Sorrows,
Demonstrate me but born to know distress.
Surely some Vengeance from offended Heav'n,
Pursues me to the utmost Verge of Woe.
Oh ye vindictive Powers! that punish me,
Spare my Xarino, spare my hapless Son!
But lives he to be spar'd? that's the sad Question.
AIR.

[Exit.

SCENE VIII

Teraminta.
AIR.
Ter.
Come, O Sleep, my Eyelids close,
Lull my Soul to soft Repose,
Downy Slumbers sooth to Rest,
Ease the Torments of my Breast.

[Falls into a Slumber.

SCENE IX.

Enter Ardelia.
Ard.
How sweet she looks?
How lovely ev'n in Sleep?
Too lovely to my Sorrow:
Who wou'd now imagine,
A Form so fair shou'd cause so much Distress?
Where's my Resentment now?
Coward Ardelia!
Rise up, my Injuries;
I call for Rage, and Pity comes.
Begone! fond Pity.

[Offers to strike.
Ter.
O Xarino!
How coud'st thou leave me thus?

Ard.
Who cou'd kill her? It must not be.

Ter.
Base Man! to wed another,
After such Vows to me.

Ard.
Strange, and almost incredible;
My own sad Fate.

Ter.
O shield me, Heav'n! what's that?

[Waking.
Ard.
A Friend, a poor afflicted Friend.

Ter.
No, you're a Man,
All Men are false:
As such I shun you.

[Exit.

SCENE X.

Ardelia sola.
Ard.
Stay, Teraminta;
But alas! she's gone.
How hapless are we both?
Kind Heav'n preserve her Reason,
But drive me mad in Pity,
That I may have no Sense of Sorrow;
Or end my Life,
And with it all my Misery.
AIR.

[Exit.

SCENE XI.

Teraminta meeting Cratander.
Cra.
Where flies my Fair?

Ter.
From Man, false Man.

Cra.
All are not false; Cratander loves you.

Ter.
I ought indeed,
But can't return that Love;
And yet I pity him.

Cra.
O speak once more,
Add Love to Pity,
And place him prostrate at your Feet.

Ter.
'Tis now too late.

Cra.
O no, suppose him here;
Nay more, behold him,
And reward his Passion.

[Discovers himself and seizes her Hand
Ter.
Is this your Artifice?
This unexpected Boldness,
Makes me repent my Pity.

Cra.
Then I repent my cowardly Delays:
And since Intreaty's vain,
Force shall assist my Wishes.

Ter.
Unhand me Ravisher.

Cra.
You plead in vain,
Consent can only soften me.

[Bearing her off.

SCENE XII.

Enter Ardelia.
Ard.
O Villain, Villain!

Cra.
Is this your Champion,
Your Minion Shepherd?
Xarino left in time
So false a Creature.

Ard.
Cratander! more untimely left,
An injur'd constant Maid.

Cra.
Ha! dost thou brave me?
Now by my Love, nay, by my Rage,
Unarm'd I dare thy Fury.
[Disarms her.
Now busy Interrupter of my Bliss,
Thus I reward thy Insolence.

[Offers to kill her.
Ard.
Strike home, and pierce a Heart
You have already broken.
Ardelia from that Hand
Receives her Death with Pleasure.

Cra.
Ardelia!
Amazement seizes me!
Shame and Remorse confound me—
To both I kneel,
For I have injur'd both;
But if the strictest Penitence
Can merit Pardon,
Behold a Convert.
Here I swear,
I'll ne'er desist till I've restor'd
Xarino to his Teraminta.
Will that atone?

Ter.
It will, it will,
Lead me to my Xarino;
Unweary'd round the World I follow.

Cra.
Now, my Ardelia,
My future Constancy
Shall make amends for my past Falshood.

Ard.
O unexpected Blessing!

AIR for three Voices.
Cra.
No more I'll rove,
No more I'll range
But ever love,
And never change.

Ard.
No longer rove,
No longer range,
Give Love for Love
In sweet Exchange.

Ter.
Oh! who wou'd rove,
Oh! who wou'd range,
And constant Love for Falshood change.
If false or pure the Lover's Flame,
Their Joys as sure will prove the same.