University of Virginia Library

ACT III.

SCENE I.

The Scene the Palace of Aristarchus.
Philocles
and Dion.
Yes, Dion, I beheld the royal Maid
With Adoration; all my Thoughts by Day,
And all my Dreams by Night, were of Urania;
Th' Ideas of my Soul were all confin'd
To her; her ev'ry Gesture, ev'ry Word,
Enrich'd my Mind with Images of Love.

Dion.
The more you lov'd the brighter shines your Glory:
Who but a Prince with ev'ry Virtue crown'd
Cou'd act like you? That Title which you claim'd,
From a King's Promise, from a Parent's Word,
You greatly have resign'd, and forc'd your Tongue
To plead Philander's Cause.

Philocles.
The good and brave
Are always Friends; nor was I e'er his Foe.
While I might hope to make Urania mine
I stop'd not my Pursuit; but now I find
The Cement of their Love so strong, my Joy
Shall be to make them happy, and myself
Less wretched than I shou'd be, if I striv'd
Still to divide them. With this Sigh I give
My unsuccessful Passion to the Wind.
The Prince of Rhodes, Philander, is thy Friend,
And will be foremost, when he meets thee next,
To give thee Proofs of his avow'd Esteem.
I'd rather, Dion, take the marble Form,
To my Embraces, than the living Maid
Cold as the Marble to my eager Love.
Have you prepar'd to let Philander know
How much I prize his Worth, and seek his Ease?

Dion.
I have; and he's, 'e're now, arriv'd at Court.
Behold the mournful Majesty of Cyprus:
In solemn Sadness comes the aged King,
With Grief depress'd, yet aweful in his Sorrows.

SCENE II.

Aristarchus enters with Attendants.
Aristarchus.
If she is lost, the Idol of my Eyes,
The richest Jewel that adorn'd my Crown,
If she is lost, within my Walls no more
Be hear'd the Voice of Joy; henceforth may Peace
Forsake my Dwelling: let these hoary Locks
Henceforth be circled with a Crown of Thorns,
This purple Robe, the Badge of Royalty,
Be chang'd to Sackcloth. Till my Child returns
Nightly the marble Floor shall catch my Tears,
This aged Body shall no more enjoy
A gentle slumber on the Bed of Down.

Philocles.
Be patient, Sir, the Hand of sad Affliction
May soon withdraw, and the lost Maid may come
To bless your Age with greater Happyness
Than ever yet you tasted.

Aristarchus.
Wou'd she come,
And was Philander but an humble Slave,
He shou'd receive her to his longing Arms.
[Philocles aside to Dion.
Haste, Dion, to relieve the wretched King,
And wipe the Tears from weeping Majesty.

[Dion goes.

SCENE III.

Philocles.
Let not the Majesty of Cyprus droop
While you have Room for Hope: your faithful Slaves,
Obsequious to your Will, are now employ'd
In searching out the Fair; nor has my Care,
As soon perhaps th' Event may witness for me,
Been wanted to restore that Peace of Mind,
Which you enjoy'd while your Urania smil'd
Beneath your Eye, and charm'd the Heart of Age.

Aristarchus.
O! Philocles, perhaps the love-sick Maid,
The darling of my Soul, now frantic roves
Over the desart Heath, her Tresses loose,
And talks romantic to the whistling Winds!
E'en now perhaps she loads my Age with Curses,
Or is perhaps no more: support me, Prince.

[He leans on Philocles.

SCENE IV.

Enter Philander, Dion, Urania, and Thalia.
Philocles.
Welcome, Philander, to the Court, and me;
May all our Meetings give you Joy like this.
Lift up your Eyes, great Sir, and see the fairest,
The purest, Work of the creating Hand;
Behold your own Urania.

Aristarchus.

[Urania goes towards the King, and kneels.
If, royal Sir, you can forgive a Maid,
That left a Court, my Father, and my King,
To be Companion to an exil'd Man,
Pour down your Grace on me: that I repent
I cannot say, or if I shou'd, that Word
Wou'd sink the Merit of my Love; a Love,
Which nor the Baits of Empire, nor the Frowns
Of Majesty, a Parent, nor of Fortune,
Nor any Pow'r, except the Foe of Life,
Can drive from my sincere, afflicted, Heart;
A Heart too fix'd, too faithful, to admit
A Rival to Philander.

Aristarchus.
Rise, my Child,
And be uninterrupted Joy your Dow'r.
Here, with this Kiss, which a fond Parent gives,
I freely grant thee Privilege to ask
All that the Fondness of thy Soul can wish;
Which I will answer, to my Stretch of Pow'r,
With all th' Indulgence of a tender Father.

Urania.
My late Offence, I cannot say my Crime,
May tell my royal Father what Request
Is nearest to my Heart: why did I fly
The Court and you, but for Philander's Love?

Aristarchus.
O! had I known thee safe beneath the Care
Of thy belov'd, Affliction had not layed
Her Hand so heavy on me: my fond Fears
Fram'd the sad Image of my Age's Darling
Roving regardless of herself, no Guide
But her own Frenzy, and uncertain Chance:
Now I have found thee, I with Joy bequeath thee
Another's Right thro Life. Philander, take her,
And, in bestowing her, think that I give thee
What's dearer to me than my Crown. Thou know'st
My strict Attachment to my royal Word,
Plighted to Philocles, was the sole Cause
Of our late short, but tedious, Separation:
Be that forgot; and let one Face of Joy
Now thro our Isle be seen. The Prince of Rhodes,
Gen'rous as royal, has subdu'd his Heart,
And pleaded for his Rival. Now, my Son,
With a glad Mind, and an unbroken Vow,
I give her to thee: be your Hours of Joy
According to your Virtues.

Philander.
Royal Sir,
Words cannot well express the Worth supreme
Of the fair Gift; and since they can not speak
My Sense of Gratitude, my Actions shall:
To her Desires I will devote my Days,
And by my future Deeds approve myself
A loyal Subject, and a duteous Son.
Forgive me, Philocles, thou bright Example
Of princely Virtue, my too long Delay
Of rend'ring Thanks for thy Benevolence.
Prince, from this Hour you may command my Sword;
To you my Heart's in sacred Friendship join'd,
And Gratitude's my Bond, which Death alone
Shall cancel from my Heart.

Philocles.
My Fate deny'd
That I shou'd be successful in my Love,
But, in Exchange, has bless'd me with a Friend,
Whose Virtues will adorn the great Allyance.
Urania, fruitful be your nuptial Bed:
You only cou'd deserve the Man, whose Worth
Gives him a Title to the lovely'st Maid.
When I have seen the marriage Rites fulfill'd,
I'll sail to Rhodes, where ev'ry rising Sun
Shall witness to my zealous Pray'rs, preferr'd
For the Continuance of our mutual Safety.

Philander.
For which I'll breath my dayly Vows to Heav'n.
Now that my Friend may be as bless'd as I am,
Dion, receive what your unsully'd Faith,
And your brave Soul have merited from me.
Thalia, now in giving thee to Dion,
I give thee, what thou can'st not prize too much,
An honourable Husband. The same Hour,
In which the Priest shall join me to Urania,
Shall give my much lov'd Sister to my Friend.

Dion.
All that I beg'd of Heav'n I now receive
From you; without your Friendship and her Love
The Pomp and Wealth of Empires wou'd but serve
To dress Affliction with the Face of Joy.

Philander.
Urania, heav'nly Fair, from our Example
May future Lovers learn to persevere
In Constancy and Virtue: tho awhile
The Parent may oppose the growing Passion,
The kindly Workings of paternal Love,
Urg'd by the voice of Reason, plead too strongly
To be withstood; or shou'd a Father prove
Deaf to the Dictates of th' unerring Guide,
Immortal Reason, sad Experience soon
Wou'd teach him his Mistake, wou'd load his Age
With Woes, the Fruit of his obdurate Heart:
This Truth the godlike Aristarchus knows,
Who wisely listen'd to the Voice divine,
That pointed out the Way to Happyness
To us and to himself. Honour and Love
Now triumph Hand in Hand; and my fond Heart
Bounds raptur'd with Extravagance of Bliss.
With Joys unnumber'd are their Moments crown'd,
With Virtue whose sincere Affections move;
Pleasures, by Vice unsully'd, wait around
Where spotless Honour makes the Bed of Love.