 | The Double Distress |  |
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ACT I.
Scene Persepolis.Drums and Trumpets. King Darius, Rheusares, Russus, Officers and Guards.
Dar.
Bellona rous'd again, our Troops Allarms;
Hark! how the Trumpets sound, to Arms, to Arms.
Sound lowder Trumpets, beat the thundring Drums,
Medea shall tremble now Darius comes.
Glory which calls to War, to Conquest calls;
Dare they confine a Monarch to his Walls?
The Gods, who Sons deny'd to Persia's King,
From Strangers unexpected Succours bring,
Cleomedon your brave and God-like Son.
Rheu.
Pour Sir, your Fury on these haughty Medes,
War charms, where Fame, and where Cyraxes leads.
Medea oppress'd with Arbitrary Sway,
Her King affects by Tyranny to rule,
Trampling all Laws both Humane and Divine.
His Subjects forc'd to leave their native Land,
And wretched Allies your Protection Seek,
Where Vows are Sacred, and where Oaths are binding,
Such is my lost, yet such my happy State.
Dar.
Speak good Rheusares, how Astiages
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Seeks to support it by Tyrannick Sway.
Tell thy unequal'd Wrongs, that while I hate
The cruel Cause, yet I may bless the Gods
That thus ordain'd for mine, for Persia's Safety.
Rheu.
When proud Astiages the Medean Throne
Had mounted Young, all Eyes were fix'd on him;
Vast Expectation hung upon his Actions,
The Assyrian Princses too, who Beauty brought,
And large and fertile Provinces for Dower,
By me conducted to his Youthful Arms;
The Royal Maid, with every Vertue crown'd,
Was made a joyful Offering to his Bed,
And the returning Year brought forth a Son,
The Hope of Nations, and the glorious Heir
Of half our Eastern World.
Dar.
What King was e'er so happy?
Rheu.
Yet he contemn'd the Blessings of the Gods;
First on the Person of his charming Queen,
His Eye soon sated was with Marriage Joys,
New Fires straight kindled in his wanton Breast
From an ignoble Fair; yet this the Queen
With an exemplar Meekness bore.
Dar.
Ungrateful Monster!
Rheu.
But as our Lawless Flames are fiercer far,
Then those confin'd, and leap o'er Virtues Bounds,
Where such mad Guides, as Passion spurr'd by Lust
And head strong Wit, let loose the Reins of Power;
So e'er the second Birth, the Adulterous King
Left the chast Converse of the mournful Queen.
Dar.
Unhappy Princess!
Poor innocent Sacrifice to Falshood!
Rheu.
In this sad State, neglected now by all,
The long afflicted Queen, for Woes are tedious,
Expir'd, her wretched Offspring too, as Fame reports,
(Scarce seen or talk'd off) most untimely fell,
Whether by Poison, or sure working Greif,
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Dar.
By the eternal Light that early gilds
Our Eastern Courts, and glads th'adoring World,
'Tis sad, 'tis wondrous pitiful.
Rheu.
The Queen in private was interr'd; soon after
The King by Philtres charm'd to fatal Love,
Hasts to his Nuptials with ambitious Orna,
The product of a vile and perfect States-man,
Begot when his black Soul was forming Mischeif,
And stamp'd with all her Father's Haughtiness,
Curst Avarice, and Cunning.
Dar.
And did Assyria tamely bear
A Daughter of the Royal Line thus injur'd?
Rheu.
No, for a fierce and bloody War ensu'd;
But for what hidden Cause, alass! unknown
To mortal Search, the much abused Queen
Was unreveng'd, and false Astiages
Triumph'd, and to compleat their guilty Wishes,
The infant Prince soon dropt, none daring to complain:
And tho' 'twas evident, Attempts of Poison
Were us'd, yet all was husht and all serene;
For Orna now gave to the doating King
A Royal-Prince, Tygranes call'd, the fierce
Young General in the present War. What need
I tell my Injuries, the judging World
Has seen 'em plain, speaking bold Truths that have
Incurr'd the Hate of Orna, and the King.
Dar.
Injustice sure's the Rule of this bad Man.
Stript of thy Principalities, and turn'd
A Wanderer, himself he ruines most,
In banishing, and giving to his Foes
The Virtue and the Valour shou'd defend him.
Rheu.
Yet unredress'd with Loyalty I bore
These Wrongs; at length, my self imprison'd,
(My Son and little Daughter Hostages
At Court) in Dungeons close confin'd I pass'd
The tedious Winters, and the cheerless Summers,
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Dar.
Oh wretched King! Cruel Astiages!
For thou in innocence wert happy.
Rheu.
Thus quite forgot for long revolving Years
Under Oppression's Load, senceless I lay,
Till Fame, which pierces deepest Dungeon Walls,
The unknown Sound too soon approach'd my Ear,
Of Cytheria's and Tygranes Love.
Oh Gods! at the curs'd News I quickly rous'd,
Shook my vile Chains, and tore my matted Locks;
Rather, ye Powers, than such a Match should be,
Let me behold the dear and lovely Maid
Sunk with her Mother quick beneath the Earth,
And all my blooming Hopes forgot.
Dar.
O wondrous Loyalty to thy dead Queen!
And Constancy renown'd, thus to deny
Thy Daughter, and despise the Media Crown.
But by what wonder scap'd you, here we heard
The Prince's Passion to that height was grown,
That Death or Cytheria only cou'd
A Remedy prescribe; and how, agen
Was she recovered by the Median Force?
For whom your Son, the brave Cyraxes, makes
Excursions daily on the vanquish'd Foes;
Who, with their crimson Vitals mourn his Fury,
In numerous Heaps of slain.
Rheu.
That Darling of my Age contriv'd my Freedom,
Whilst Fame of great Darius Power and Justice,
With a choice few directed here our Refuge;
But Gods! e're we had reach'd the blest Asylum,
Tygranes, like a Faulcon, wing'd with Love,
Did with his Pounces seize the darling Prey.
My pious Son, divided in his Care;
For striving to defend these Silver Hairs,
Lost what I value more, my Cytheria.
Dar.
My Soul foretells she will again be free;
Cleomedon is joyn'd, this Day she's yours;
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My routed Forces Life, and pull'd fair Victory
From Men triumphant in their happy Fortune,
And made her perch again upon our drooping Helms.
Rheu.
From whence Cleomedon, this noble Youth,
Whose Praise the Breath of Majesty records?
Dar.
If by his Deeds his Birth cou'd be divin'd,
I shou'd pronounce him sprung from Gods, not Man,
Such Glory shines thro' all his gallant Actions;
He our Palladium, this Old Man the Giver.
[To Rus.
You start, Rheusares! Do you know him?
Rheu.
No, Royal Sir, the Lines of such a Face,
The Image gave me of a trusted Friend;
But 'tis the Error of my Aged Sight.
Rus.
Aside.]
His Looks speak Anger,
Some other time I must unfold my Story.
[Drums and Trumpets.
Dar.
Heark, heark agen, the noble Voice of War
Rebounds from Earth, and cuts the yielding Air;
They're sounds of Victory; look up Rheusares,
See my lov'd Daughter Leamira comes,
All conquering Smiles are printed on her Lips,
And in her Eyes triumphant Joy appears.
Enter Leamira attended.
Lea.
All Tongues be mute, let none but Leamira
The happy Tidings to Darius tell.
First bless I Heav'n and you its noblest Image;
The pittying Gods have heard my humble Prayers,
And giv'n me still new Theams for Praise.
Dar.
Rise thou best Jewel of Darius Crown,
Quickly disclose the Transports of thy Soul.
Oh welcome Conquest; I am doubly blest,
Thus to subdue, and hear the News from Thee.
Lea.
As on the Eastern Tow'r I trembling stood,
Wrack'd in suspence, yet longing to behold
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When loe, from far, a shining Troop advanc'd,
Whose prancing Steeds, as taught their Master's Joy,
Did proudly Neigh, and beat the hollow Ground,
Whilst the shrill Trumpets did their Triumph Sound.
Dar.
I need not ask who led those gallant Succours.
Lea.
Cyraxes and Cleomedon, those Sons of Fame,
Dreadfully glorious seem'd, their distant March;
At nearer View, the Scene all gay appear'd,
And to our wondring Sight a Goddess came,
Her Chariot drawn by twice four Thracian Steeds,
Got by the Winds on smooth Pharsalia's Plains,
White as the Snow upon the Mountain's Tops,
The Emblem of that Innocence they carry'd.
Our Jealous Sun his richest Robes put on,
As if he fear'd to be by her out-shone.
And Cytherea shou'd usurp his Throne.
Dar.
Hear, hears't thou that Rheusares?
Rheu.
The Gods are just, and you Imperial Princess,
Joy of all Eyes, the Worlds best blooming hope!
Whose Royal Breath disdain'd not thus to praise
An humble, worthless Maid.
For this auspicious News, hear me kind Heav'n!
May never any Sound approach the Ear
Of this Majestick Fair, which brings less Tides
Of Bliss, then she has pour'd on me.
Lea.
Then follow'd her, which but to her were Foils,
The massie Wealth of proud Tygranes Spoils.
The next appear'd the Prisoners of the War,
The wretchedst Sight of all this Pomp they were,
If any so cou'd be in veiw of her.
Dar.
The long forbearing Gods begin to thunder,
Which false Astiages at length shall feel.
How much this War by him alone was sought,
Those Powers can tell. To save the Blood of Thousands,
I stoop'd so low, to give my darling Daughter,
A lasting Cement of eternal Peace,
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Lea.
O sacred Sir; Darius, King, and Father!
Hear what my Wrongs, not stubborn Will provoke;
For I have still a Stranger been to Disobedience.
Tho' now the haughty Medeans from Euphrates Banks
And Babylon's exalted Towers,
Have to Persopolis their bloody Standards rear'd,
And Ravage made of all those fertile Fields;
Nay, shou'd the Gods yet further License grant,
And this Imperial Town become their Prey;
Let Leamira fall a Sacrifice to death,
To death more welcome than Tygranes Bed.
Mithras our God be Witness of my vow
Rheu.
Never to wed Tygranes.
Lea.
Never Rheusares, ne'er, whilst there are Gods,
And Vows are binding.
Rheu.
Great Princes Royal Fair! That I shou'd urge
This Hate, is evident my Wrongs require it.
Thus far I wish to see your Vow confirm'd;
For ever to renounce his Bed, yet am
So just a Friend to Merit, tho' in him:
All must allow Tygranes to be Noble;
And if his Mother's Faults we judge in him,
'Gainst Virtue we commit a greater Crime.
Dar.
What generous Man can to an absent Foe
Give such a Character as brave Rheusares!
Cherish him Leamira, wear him in
Thy Heart; such Goodness is a Miracle.
Lea.
I plant him here, next you my Royal Father:
Will you not grace your conquering Soldiers home,
Their Triumphs are imperfect till you come.
Dar.
Place all our Guards before the Palace Gate,
Thou with thy Virgins deck the Throne of State;
Let the soft Flute, and softer Womens Voice,
Silence the Drum, and drown the Trumpets Noise;
And let the Temple Gates be open'd wide,
Nothing that's Sacred from my People hide.
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Shall melt the Soldiers Hearts, and soften all their Toils.
Lea.
My Women in their richest Robes shall shine,
Bright as our God that cheers us with his Rayes,
And decks with golden Beams his House of Praise;
Sing Io Pæan, till the Musick fly,
And eccho Pæan's from the vaulted Sky;
O sing Cyraxes crown'd with deathless Fame,
And sing Cleomedon's more mighty Name.
Dar.
By Right indeed, thy Father holds his Crown;
But to thy Charms It owes this Day's Renown.
Valour's the greatest Gift that Heav'n can give,
But Beauty's Power alone can make it live;
To that we owe all Blessings we partake;
And Love and Beauty first the World did make.
[Exeunt omnes.
| The Double Distress | |