University of Virginia Library

Act II.

Scene I.

Enter Manlius and Clodio.
Clodio.
Let not your Brows, my Lord, such Wrinkles wear!
Your Clodio cannot your Displeasure bear.
All I could do, to urge your Suit, I did;
I sung the little amorous Song you made,
And every Thing, I thought would please, I said;
Yet still she frown'd:—Go, thou'rt a naughty Boy;
Thou shouldn't thus, said she, thy Thoughts employ.
If thou'rt disposed to sing, sing Hymns divine:
Church-Musick, Clodio, is exceeding fine.
Who could have thought that one so wondrous fair,
Could be so superstitious, so austere?

Manl.
Well, well, I am not angry, my dear Boy;
I shall at last the frozen Fair enjoy.
Tho' some small Clouds at present intervene,
The Sky ere long will be again serene.
Tho' all thy Art could no Impression make,
The Scheme I now have form'd must surely take.
Granius, my Boy, shall on Eudosia wait,
And lay these blazing Jewels at her Feet.
[Shews a Bracelet.
A Gift so costly must successful prove,
Must make her Virtue nod, and yield to Love:
So the coy Danaë was charm'd by Jove.

[Manlius goes out, Clodio follows him.

SCENE II.

Enter Eudosia and Granius: Lucia attending at a Distance.
Eud.
Talk not to me, officious Slave, of Love:
All thy Persuasions will successless prove.
Go, tell thy Master, I his Flame despise
Tho' Manlius sues, Eudosia still denies.

Gran.
Oh, fair Eudosia, if my Master's Charms
Cannot attract you to his longing Arms,
Think on his Wealth; let that your Fancy raise:
See, with what Lustre all these Jewels blaze!
Here wanton Cupid plays with subtle Art,
And every glittering Gem appears a Dart.

[Offers her the Bracelet.
Eud.

[She goes on: Lucia following, Granius calls her back.

SCENE III.

Gran.
Lucia!

Lucia.
What News, my Granius! What Success?—Declare.

Gran.
Great Manlius loves, yet loving must despair:
Eudosia proves as scornful as she's fair.
No Vestal Virgin e'er was half so cold;
Pray'rs can't prevail, nor yet Almighty Gold.
Behold, the glorious Present she withstood!
Shews the Bracelet.
Sure she was never made of Flesh and Blood!
'Tisn't a Virtue, Lucia, but a Vice,
To be so very coy! so very nice.

Lucia,
Must Women then, because they've beauteous Eyes,
Resign at once, be made an easy Prize?
No Granius, No:—
Our Sex a Lover's Onsets should withstand,
And ne'er surrender, but with Sword in Hand.

Gran.
And could my Lucia then so cruel prove,
With real Pleasure torment her Love?
To smile at all his anxious Cares and Pain,
And not compassionate her dying Swain?

Luc.
Granius, thou know'st how much thy Form I prize;
How much I doat upon those killing Eyes:
How freely I could fly into thy Arms,
And yield with Joy to thee my youthful Charms:
Yet still, I own my Vanity, 'tis great
To see a Lover prostrate at one's Feet:
See him all drown'd in Tears before one lie,
Languish and pine, and seem at least to die.

Gran.
Hark! Manlius comes:—My Lucia, pray retire;
Thou must not now be seen:—He's all on fire:—
His Eye-Balls start:—He rages with Despair;—
Yet loves, and is resolv'd t'obtain the Fair.

[Lucia goes out. Granius retires to the farther Part of the Stage.

SCENE IV.

Enter Manlius, Clodio, and other Attendants.
Manl.
Oh! God of Love, thou anxious, pleasing Guest,
How are thy Votaries pain'd, and yet how blest!
Now like a Ship in thy vast Ocean tost,
Now seem in Port, yet in a Moment lost!
Now restless Fears like tumbling Surges roll,
Now rising Hopes revive their drooping Soul!

[Sees Granius.
Granius,
What News from the fair Maid I love?
Will she be kind, or does sh'obdurate prove?

Gran.
'Tis hard, Great Sir, a Woman's Thoughts to read,
From any Words that from her Tongue proceed.

Manl.
Hold me not in Suspence!—Oh, ease my Pain!
And say, dear Granius, say what Hopes remain.
Am I to live; or am I to despair?
Speak boldly, and my Fate at once declare.

Gran.
Then Sir, to mitigate your raging Pain,
Take This:—This fully will your Fate explain.

[Returns the Bracelet.
Manl.
Does then the cruel Fair still scorn my Love?
Will no Persuasions the cold Virgin move?
Is she so very coy, so wondrous nice,
To slight a Present of so great a Price?—
Granius, This Treatment I can never bear.—
Eudosia's Fetters I'll no longer wear.—
It is resolv'd,—The beauteous Maid shall bleed,—
And Vengeance shall my injur'd Love succeed.
—Yet hold,—Methinks she hovers round my Heart.—
My Blood runs cold.—'Twill fatal prove to part.—
O! Granius, some new Stratagem contrive,
To make my dying Hopes once more revive.
Upon thy Art, thy Friendship I rely:
For if Eudosia's lost, I surely die.

Gran.
Vengeance, my Lord, will ne'er your Love appease;
Like Oil, 'twill make the Flame more fiercely blaze.
Some other Way your Granius will devise
To gain a Conquest o'er Eudosia's Eyes.—
[Pauses.
—I have it;—you shall wed her in Disguise.
Your scornful Fair's a superstitious Maid,
And thro' her Zeal with Ease may be betray'd.

Manl.
Go on:—There's mystic Musick in thy Tongue:
Thy Words are sweeter than the Syren's Song.

Gran.
Oft' she with Lucia to the Temple goes,
And at Diana's Altar pays her Vows.
There you shall come, and stand before her Eyes,
In all the Pomp Religion can devise:
Like Great Apotlo come, and in his Name
Make known with sure Success thy ardent Flame.
With Gifts profuse suborn the Priestly Train;
They'll join, and bless the pious Fraud for Gain.

Manl.
Kind Statesman, I thy Politicks approve:
Take this,—as earnest of my future Love.
[Gives him a Diamond Ring.
Still serve my Flame, and you shall never want
Any Reward, that Manlius can grant.
I'll summon all the Priests, thy Scheme disclose,
And bribe them high as wisely you propose.
Granius this Signet to Octavia bear.
Take Gold untold:—No Pains, no Cost I'll spare,
To melt into my Arms this Frozen Fair.

Granius goes out.
Manlius
alone.
O beauteous Goddess! O bright Queen of Love,
Look down, and to my Wish propitious prove.
Oh! let her Heart once feel thy pleasing Fire,
And breathe into her Soul some soft Desire;

He goes out.

SCENE V.

Enter Granius, Lucia following him.
Luc.
Granius!

Gran.
My dearest Love, I must not, dare not stay;
But to the Temple I must haste away:
Yet 'ere I go, receive this little Store,
[Gives her a Purse of Gold.
And if thy Granius prospers, think of more.—
My rising Genius now is busy grown,
And Fortue seems resolv'd my Worth to crown.
My Breast now glows with Thoughts of sudden State,
And Jove declares that Granius shall be great.

Luc.
Let such vain Transports, Granius, stand confin'd,
And to thy meaner Fortunes suit thy Mind.
These Extasies would far more welcome be,
Rightly employ'd on tender Love and me.

Gran.
For that we will some other Time allow;
Business of great Importance calls me now.
Thy Interest in great Manlius Suit I crave:
Prove but successful, and I'll be thy Slave.

Luc.
A Bribe more precious Lucia ne'er can have.

[They go out severally.

SCENE VI.

The Temple of Diana.
Four Priests come forward, and bow to the Altar, several other Priests attending.
1st Priest.
To thee we bow, Great Sister of the Sun.

2d Priest.
Accept our Homage, and look kindly down.

3d Priest.
Accept our Incense, and incline thine Ear,

4th Priest.
And be propitious to our fervent Pray'r.

While the Priests are performing their respective Ceremonies, the Musick plays after a solemn Manner.

SCENE VII.

Enter Eudosia, Lucia, and other Atendants. The Priests turn from the Altar, and address themselves to Eudosia.
1st Priest.
Hail! sweet Eudosia, happiest of thy Race!
Brightest of Forms! Thou Nature's Master-Peice.

2d Priest.
Sure framing thee Heaven took unusual Care,
By its own Beauties he designed thee Fair,
And form'd thee by the best lov'd Angel there.

3d Priest.
Thy Coldness to Great Manlius can't be blam'd;
Thy Mortal Beauties have a God inflam'd.

4th Priest.
Our bright Apollo has beheld thy Eyes,
And now from Heav'n, to wait on thee, he flies.

Eud.
This wondrous Honour is too great to bear;
My Heart it fill'd with a Religious Fear.

1st Priest.
Your Fears, tho' pious, yet all groundess prove,
Since 'tis your bounded Duty now to love.

2d Priest.
O! don't presume to thwart Heav'n's great Design,
But with Submission to the God resign.

3d Priest.
So shall a Train of Joys possess thy Soul,
And heavenly Transports all thy Powers controul.

4th Priest,
But if profanely you reject his Love,
Withstand his Offer, and disdainful prove,
Soon will that Bloom of Beauty fade away,
And Sickness make thy youthful Charms decay.

Eud.
Yet still I doubt:—Some further Proof declare,
That you from Heav'n this wondrous Message bear.

1st Priest.
Last Night as in the Temple late we pray'd,
Apollo call'd: We strait the Call obey'd,
And listen'd with Surprise to what he said.

3d Priest.
Arise, said he, and to Eudosia go:
What Honours I've design'd her let her know.

3d Priest.
Strait to the Temple let the Maid repair;
Soon her Apollo will with Pomp appear.

4th Priest.
Before her Eyes will Great Apollo stand,
And from Herself her Beauteous Self demand.

Eud.
I yield, I yield; new Transports fire my Breast,
Seraphic Joys too great to be exprest:
Uncommon Pleasures glide thro all my Veins,
And amply recompence my former Pains.

1st Priest.
Look up, bright Maid, Apollo does appear.

2d Priest.
I see him sailing in the ambient Air.

3d Priest.
Let all your Instruments of Musick sound,
And solemn Measures beat the hallow'd Ground.

4th Priest.
Honours like these uncommon Joys demand.
Behold!—The Great Apollo is at hand!

A Curious Machine is seen in the Air, descending slowly: During which Movement Eudosia stands fixt with Admiration, and the Priests sing a short Hymn to Apollo.

SCENE VIII.

Manlius alights from the Machine, disguis'd like Apollo; with Mercury, and several other Celestial Attendants.
Manl.
Oh! fair Eudosia, than the Stars more bright!
The Graces gaze upon thee with Delight:
Not Venus self has half such conquering Charms,
And Cupid revels in thy snowy Arms.
Fir'd by thy Eyes, I've left my Realms above,
And seek (like Jove) my Bliss in Mortal Love.

Eud.
Without Dispute I to thy Will resign,
And, as in Duty bound, my Soul is thine.

Manl.
Now then, in Honour of Eudosia's Name,
Our solemn Nuptials let the Priests proclaim:
And let the joyful Trumpets Sound declare,
Eudosia is as Loving as she's Fair.