University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

SCENE, the out Part of the Castle.
Enter Ascanio, Alphonso, Mendoza, Castruchio; Souldiers and the Rabble shooting.
ASCANIO.
Alphonso , Let it be your Care to see
The City Ports well mann'd; you, Mendoza, guard
The Cittadel-Avenues; th'Usurper, drench'd in Blood,
Lies there immur'd—Place so your wilely Toyls,
That he escape us not—And you, Castruchio,
Inspire the People's Minds with just Revenge,
For Wrongs sustain'd—And let our Friends aloud
Cry, Liberty—

OMNES.
—Liberty—Huzzah—Liberty—

CASTRUCHIO.
My Countrymen, 'tis Liberty we fight for,
Nature's Inheritance, the universal Charter
That all Mankind are born to—
Remember, Oh you Men of Naples! think
What you have suffer'd, since you yielded up
Your Native Rights to arbitrary Sway.
Life is a Burthen, when it labours under
Th'oppressive Load of a despotick Power,
And those alone who are in willing Bondage
Deserve to dragg a Tyrant's cumb'rous Chain:
And if again you wish not to be Slaves,
Take Courage, and compleat what you've begun.

ASCANIO.
Then to th'Attack, my Friends! Behold
This is the Tyrant's Hive, where all his Swarm
Of lazy Drones, immur'd within their Cells,
In plenty feed upon the People's Honey,
Which we with sulphurous Fury will expell.
Root out the Cause, the Consequence is great,
When Tyrants Blood attones for Blood they've spilt,
But see the Usurper—

CASTRUCHOI.
See how the Furies dwell upon his Brow,
How his Eyes sparkle, how his glowing Cheeks,
Illustrate all his Soul tyrannick—

The King appears upon the Battlements.
KING.
Rebellious Miscreants, who for Power contend,
Think not that we regard your worthless Rage,
That thus we answer to your impious Summons:
Nor let your Pride so far deceive your Faith,
Fondly to fancy we vouchsafe our Presence
Through Fear, Despair, or shameful Cowardice!
But know, we scorn to stoop, or bend us to our Fate,
And tho encircled round with certain Death,
Which, like directing Lines from all Parts bent,
Point to the Center of our stable Heart,—
'Tis now as free, as far from being dejected,
As when with most ungovern'd Sway we trod
On your rebellious Necks—

ASCANIO.
Be not deceiv'd with these delusive Hopes,
Tyrant, thou'rt in the Toyle, and growl'st in vain;
Not the glad Huntsman's prouder of his Prey,
Than thou wer't in the Height of Lust and Riot.

KING.
What is this Vaunter?

ASCANIO.
I am Ascanio, lawful Heir of Naples,
Resolv'd to mount my Predecessor's Throne!
Tyrant, open the Gates, and yield thy self
Our Prisoner, or expect no Mercy;
Awake thy Fears, and tremble at our Justice.

KING.
That Sin of Cowards, Traytor,
Is far beneath the Soul of Majesty.
Know, Slaves, Alberto is in this weak Tower,
As great as fearless, and as bravely Royal
As ever Monarch was amidst his Triumphs.
And, to your Terror, from these old Battlements,
Shall let the Sun of Royalty break forth
With such contagious Ardor on Rebellion,
That every Beam, instead of chearing Warmth,
Shall bring consuming Plagues, and sweep you all
To swift Destruction—

CASTRUCHIO.
Once more we offer you our Articles,
The Terms by which you yet may save your Life.

KING.
Away, be gone, my Soul disdains your Kindness:
If thou wilt gratify my Choler, curse me!
Death is a Bugbear to fright Women with,
And only terrible to timerous Slaves.
Come on, and now, I wish this Storm of Fate,
May prove as dreadful as the Fall of Orbs
Thrown by the angry Hand of mighty Jove,
On his gigantick Foes, attempting Heaven,
And crush this nether Globe!
Then to immortal Fame it shall be known
(Shou'd there a new created World arise)
That the old tottering Fabrick sunk with us,
And from our Dust th'unfinish'd Embryo sprung.

OMNES.
Huzza! &c. Down with the Tyrant.

[Exeunt.
SCENE changes to Castruchio's Palace.
Enter Martia like Castruchio, in a Wig and Morning-Gown.
MARTIA.
In this Disguise, even her lov'd Hero's Habit,
Which curst Camilla by her Care provided,
I'll sting her to the Heart—Ha! was't not she
That swiftly cross'd the Pavement? Slighted Love,
Does like a guilty Conscience, strike my Soul,
And urges to Revenge; yes thou shalt fall Dardania,
A Victim to my disappointed Passion.

[Exit.
Enter Ronveir pointing to Martia.
RONVEIR.
[Noise of Shouts.
[Enter Rinaldo.

RINALDO.
I have—e'er this the Tyrant is destroy'd:
Your Pardon with the Prince is also seal'd,
As firm as Oaths and Promises can make it.

RONVEIR.
Enough, enough—
Let Horses on the Road be laid, to fly
If Dangers threaten; our Flight secur'd,
We may contrive some further Means
To gain the wish'd for Prize—Dardania?

RINALDO.
My Lord, the Horses are already plac'd,
And your Attendants warn'd in Case of need.

RONVEIR.
Expect me then at the appointed Place.
[Exit Rinaldo.
Now for Castruchio—he dies this Moment,
He falls a Sacrifice to Love, to Rage, and all
The glowing Passions cherish'd in my Breast.

[Withdraws.
Re-enter MARTIA.
This Way I think she pass'd;
Ha! What frightful Noise was that?
[Trembling.
Ah Fear! thou Female Weakness, hence be gone!
My Wrongs have steel'd me to a manly Courage;
Revenge has grain'd my Temper!
That God-like Attribute of Power—How
It swells my Heart, and rages for a Passage!

Ronveir enters, and stabs her through the Back.
RONVEIR.
Thus, thus I end my hated Rival's Life.

[Exit.
MARTIA.
An everlasting Curse pursue the Hand
That unawares surpriz'd me like a Coward,
And sunk my Soul in Sight of Happiness.
Unlucky Turn of Chance—
Thus vilely am I caught in my own Toyls,
Even then when soaring high,
Envy had tour'd me on Revenge's Wings,
Ready to stoop and seize my trembling Prey,
To miss the Game, and meet unlook'd for Fate:
But 'tis in vain—Life's Tapours dimly burn,
And this is but a Flash e'er they expire.
There, there the Soul got loose,
And flutt'ring like a long imprison'd Bird,
At length has broke this brittle earthly Cage,
And roves at large, but knows not where to rest:
Oh Dardania!—

[Dies.
Enter Dardania and Stella.
DARDANIA.
Hark! Was not that a hollow dying Voice,
Which at our Entrance seem'd to sigh its last,
And faintly eccho'd in a Groan my Name.
[Sees the Body.
Ha, murder'd! Oh execrable, horrid Act!
Weep Eyes, till Sorrow drain your Fountains dry,
For here's a Sight will exhaust your Store.

STELLA.
Turn from the dreadful Scene,
Lest powerful Grief shou'd o'erwhelm your Nature.

DARDANIA.
Oh most inexpiable Cruelty!
O unexpected Horror, Soul-racking Object!
And yet my Brain, my tortur'd Reason holds.

STELLA.
Have Patience, Madam.

DARDANIA.
No—no—all my future Hours
Shall in incessant, wasting Tears be spent,
Ages shall now but Moments seem in Sorrow:
Oh my lov'd Lord! Death sha'not, cannot part us.
Thus let me lay me by his bleeding Side,
And drink the Crimson Current as it flows.

STELLA.
For Heaven's Sake, Madam!

DARDANIA.
No, never will I leave this mangled Body,
Oh you almighty Guardians of true Vertue,
Where was your wonted Care, your Providence,
When this inhumane barbarous Act was done.
Accursed Villains! Oh Blood thirsty Dogs!
Heaven dart its swiftest Vengeance on your Heads!
And Hell's eternal Plagues be your Reward!
To you the Powers of Heaven and Hell I call!
But oh, I rave, I curse, I pray in vain;
The Gods are deaf, else why should Heav'n permit
This wild Injustice?—Oh ye midnight Fiends,
(You durst not act this in the Face of Day.)
May Horror, Ruin, Death, Damnation seize you.

STELLA.
Have Patience, Madam.

DARDANIA.
Let rav'nous Tygers of their Young bereav'd,
Refrain their Fury—'Twere a Sin in me
To learn dull Patience—In vain the Breath of Heav'n,
Infus'd the Fire of chast connubial Love,
And thro' each Art'ry spread the sacred Flame:
If I with cold Indifference could bear
A Husband's Loss, or tamely see Love's Light,
By Villains Hands lie there extinguished.
Oh my Castruchio! Oh thou Godlike Man!
Here let me fix my Feet—for ever here
Deplore thy Loss, and curse the horrid Deed.

[Going to the Body.
Ronveir and Rinaldo enter, and seize Dardania and Stella.
RONVEIR.
—See where she stands:
Fate I defy thee now! She's in my Power,
Nor will I part again with the lov'd Treasure,
For all that Earth can yield, or Heav'n can give.
But uncontroul'd, revel in balmy Sweets,
And drench my hot Desires in flowing Joys.

DARDANIA.
Oh Heav'n! what further Mischiefs yet remain?
What unaccomplish'd Miseries attend me?
Some Guardian Angel shield me from this Villain;
What is his horrid Purpose.

[Shouts of the Rabble.
RINALDO.
Hark, hark, the Rabble come, the growing Noise
Shew their Approach this way. My Lord, dispatch,
Or we shall find it difficult to 'scape.

DARDANIA.
Unhand me, impious, base, detested Ravisher!
Thou vilest Monster, most inhumane Devil,
A Devil scorns the Fact—Oh kill me rather:
Then Heav'n will take it as a Sacrifice,
And I'll invoke it, to forgive the Crime:
But if your hellish Lust should force a Rape,
Know there's a Hell—

RONVEIR.
Those Tears but nourish and foment my Passion.
And 'stead of quenching the unruly Flame,
They make my Heart with glowing Ardour burn.
And as parch'd Earth does after teeming Showers,
My Resolutions with fresh Vigour swell;
Come then and tast the springing op'ning Joy,
And blend and mix your mellow Love with mine.

RINALDO.
Again they shout—this Way the Rabble come.
[Shouting
Good my Lord hast, for their Approach is near.

RONVEIR.
Yield, yield, Dardania.
And I will place thy Beauties in my Heart,
To comfort and regale thee with the Sweets
And Odours of refreshing Love—And thus
Transplanted from a Husband's hungry Earth,
Your Charms with recent Lustre shall bud forth,
And blossom in a Lovers fertile Soil.

DARDANIA.
Loose me thou most unmanly Monster,
Worthless Villain—

Enter Castruchio, Ascanio, and Souldiers; The Rabble shouting, The Tyrant's Destroy'd, Liberty! Liberty!
CASRTUCHIO.
Stand off my Prince! oppose not my just Rage,
The Villain there Alberto's Minister
Of Lust, of Rapine, and Tyrannick Rage;
Deserves an exquisite Damnation—
Thus let me sink him in his Heat of Blood,
[Stabbs him.
Send him to howl with Devils and his curst Master.

RONVEIR.
Furies confound you all—

[Falls.
DARDANIA.
Amazement seizes me!
Oh fatal Extasy of Joy—

[Swoons.
CASTRUCHIO.
Awake Dardania, open those fair Eyes,
And shine upon thy Dear, thy lov'd Castruchio.

DARDANIA.
Oh, blest illusion! Is Castruchio safe?

CASTRUCHIO.
He must be so, thy Piety's his Guard.
Thou art Heaven's Darling Care, and all the God's
Now crown thy Wishes, and reward thy Vertue.

DARDANIA.
Amazement and Surprize beweilder me,
And every Sense is now so full of Pleasure,
That feeble Reason in the Conflict dies.
Oh my dear Lord! The Joy I had to find
You mine again, mine, living and secure,
So stretch'd my agonizing Heart with Transport,
That it had like to crack Life's Strings, and prove
More fatal than convulsive Fears, caused by
That Wretched Man, or that delusive Fair.

CASTRUCHIO.
Ha! Martia dead!
Justice has over-taken now thy Crimes!

ASCANIO.
Speak thou miserable Villain,
Know'st thou how Martia fell.

RONVEIR.
This luckless hand struct her in that Disguise,
But 'twas design'd to end my happy Rival.
Deceitful Wisdom! that deluding Fire
Has led me by false Lights to certain Death;
I can no more—The Veil of Fate is drawing,
And now for ever hides me—

[Dies.
CASTRUCHIO.
That Ponyard in her dying Hand declares
She justly met her Fate, and Ronveir's Error
Was by all-seeing Providence thy Safety!
Her disappointed boundless Rage had vow'd
Eternal Ruin to our Love.

DARDANIA.
Through what a Labyrinth of Woes we've past
To meet at last thus happily secure.

CASTRUCHIO.
The Praise be Heavens, and ours the Happiness;
Remove those Bodies to a proper Place.
[Servants remove the Bodies.
And now my Prince, to whom fair Naples owes
Her Liberty, and all the Charms of Peace!
May the Example of Alberto's Fate
Inform you, you're to govern Men, not Beasts,
Warn you to persevere in Vertue's Road;
So shall fair Liberty with equal Weight
Support their Rights, and your Prerogative.
Let Piety, and gentle Moderation
Endear you to your faithful Subjects Hearts,
While there you reign you will securely prove,
The Bulwark of a Throne's the Peoples Love.