University of Virginia Library

Scene I.

Consorts of Musick, Shouts and Acclamations at distance.
Enter Mal. Alb. Mer.
Mal.]
We stand, Albazar, on the Brink of Fate,
The next Advance we step into a Throne,
Or fall for ever.
[Shouts at distance.
These Shouts are mine.
Thou thoughtless King, dream of imagin'd Joys,
Which thou shalt never taste, thy Crown sits loose,
And ready for this Head.

Mer.]
The King intends Prince Rodomond to release,
When in possession of his Love, we must
Anticipate that Design, or all is lost.

Mal.]
'Tis true, that thought necessitates our haste;
Albazar, shall the Citadel secure,
Then strangle Rodomond, while we
Disarm the King, and make him Prisoner:
Our Friends, I hope, are ready?

Alb.]
They only wait the Signal.

Mal.]
Each to his Charge, with Care and Caution move,
And nothing Leave to Fortune,
Who never trusts, can never be deceiv'd;
For Fortune still in our own Power lies,
She governs Fools, is govern'd by the Wise.

[Exit.
Scene opens and discovers Armida drest like a Bride, Eup. attending.
Arm.]
Ye radiant Galaxies of blended Stars,
Whose Influence governs Mortals here below,
Among that numerous and cœlestial Host,
Has poor Armida not one Friend? Are Bears
And Lyons only Rulers of the Skies,
And not one Lover in that shining Throng?

Eup.]
Despair not, Madam, Time these Griefs will cure;
Time dries the sighing Widow's Eyes, and makes
The Wretch in Bondage, in Chains forget
That ever he was happy.

Arm.]
There is no Cure for this immortal Grief:
To Night, Euphelia, I must wed the King.
The Thought distracts, and fills my Soul with Horrour.
But I'll anticipate my Doom; I'll be his Bride,
But never will his Wife. Give me the Draught,
I have prepar'd, Euphelia.

Eup.]
O rush not headlong to Despair.
I now must disobey you.

Arm.]
Dispute not my Command.

Eup.]
Then let me Pledge, and with my Mistress Die.

Arm.]
No, live Euphelia, to defend my Fame,
From rude Aspersions of malicious Tongues.
[Exit Eup.
To save my Lover, and to save my Self,
I drink this healing Draught; Armida dead,
The King relents, and Rodomond restores.
Enter Eup. with a Cup, Arm. takes it, drinks.
Here's to immortal Love; 'tis Rodomond's Health.
Euphelia, the noble Draught gives Life to him
And Indolence to me: When After-ages read
Our dismal Tale, Proverbial be our Names,
In all the Legends, and Records of Love.
Now, Almerick, come, I give my willing Hand;
Lead to the Grave.
Enter Cim. Roz. and Ladies.
Be silent on thy Life, Euphelia.

Cim.]
The King commands us to attend your Nuptials.
My Friend, Armida, now be comes my Mother;
And that Affection which I shew'd before,
I now convert to Duty.

Arm.]
Thy wretched Mother, since I bear that Name,
Shall know Cimene only as her Friend;
No other Title can unite our Hearts.

Enter King as a Bridegroom. Mal. Alb. Roder. &c.
King.]
Keep down my Joys, compress your rapid Stream,
And slow as gentle as you'r Deep;
Thy Hand, my Love.

Arm.]
Some leprous Scurf this wretched Hand defile,
And make it loathsom to thy Touch and Sight;
And wilt thou then, inhuman King, thus force
My Virgin-heart, and ravish my Desires.

King.]
This Rage, Armida, misbecomes the Night,
But Time will make us better Friends:
Lead to the Temple.

As they proceed, enter running Gon. Ir. kneel to the King.
Gon.]
Hold, Royal Almerick, hold, you press your Fate;
I must forbid these horrid Nuptials.

King.]
What means Gonzalvo?

Gon.]
With frightful Incest you pollute your Soul;
Armida is your Daughter.

King.]
Thou sure art mad, Gonzalvo?

Gon.]
My Wife Irene, will unfold the Secret.

Ir.]
By Heav'n 'tis true.

King.]
Speak, frantick Woman.

Ir.]
O first forgive, forgive my fatal Folly,
'Tis I have thus deceiv'd the World and You.

King.]
Speak, undeceive, and kill;
I will have Patience if I can.

Ir.]
When you, great Almerick, with conquering Arms
Our Lombardy o'rerun, and laid our Cities waste,
The good Queen Emmeline, the Wife of Gondibert,
Committed to my Charge her only Daughter,
The Sister of Prince Rodomond;
I had a Daughter of an equal Age,
Who dying soon, I bred the Princess as my own,
And gave her the same Name;
My Lord Gonzalvo then three Years was absent,
In the Wars, and nothing knew of what had past,
But thought the Princess dead, and that
Our Daughter liv'd; for so I had deceiv'd him.
When you became our King, and had receiv'd
My Lord unto your Friendship, you also gave
Your only Daughter of the same Age, and
Call'd Cimene, to my Care; I, out of Affection to the Royal
House of Gondibert, exchang'd the Children,
Gave you the Daughter of King Gondibert,
And bred up yours as mine; there she stands,
Miscall'd Armida, but is true Cimene.

King.]
Then Cimene is the true Armida,
And Armida is the true Cimene?

Ir.]
By all that's sacred it is true.

King.]
Why did'st thou sooner not reveal it?

Ir.]
My Fear restrain'd me 'till this fatal Minute:
Necessity compell'd, thus to prevent your Incest.

King.]
Why not to thy Husband?

Gonz.]
I was in Ignorance, 'till this Moment.

Ir.]
I knew the Niceness of his Honour would not
Permit that Imposition on the King.

King.]
By Heav'n 'tis false; 'tis Combination all,
To rob me of my Love, thou wretched Woman;
Thy Sex, nor Age, nor Quality, shall protect
From my just Anger, thy devoted Head.

Ir.]
O, Sir, like Heav'n, the Penitent forgive.

King.]
I lose a Daughter, and a Daughter find;
But where's my Mistress? O, Irene,
Revoke thy Tale; thy horrid Tale, Irene;
Say, that through Dotage thou hast idly dreamt,
And I will yet forgive.

Ir.]
The Truth I speak, I must to Death defend.

Gon.]
'Tis true, most certainly true:
Reflect, great Sir, and you perhaps may trace
The Mother's Image in the beauteous Daughter.

King.]
Ha, Gonzalvo, thou hast.
[Looks stedfastly on her.
Rouz'd such a Thought.
As will destroy. I see, I see
My charming Wife, my Clarismunda there;
When Beauty's Bloom hung on her blushing Cheeks,
And all the Royal Youth in shining Arms
Fought for her Love like Empire.

Arm.]
O see the Care of Heaven, whose Instinct arm'd
My boading Heart, against my Father's Love:
Here were a Dawn of Happiness, but I
Have thrown that Happiness away: You still
Are Daughter to a King Armida.

Cim.]
For Friendship-sake I love the very Name,
And am with pleasure call'd Armida.

King.]
Indulgent Gods due Warning give,
But humane Blindness oft prevents their Care.
Last Night, Cimene, when my Love relax'd,
Permitted Slumber to invade these Eyes,
Methought I saw thy beauteous Mother stand
In her own Form, confest before my sight,
And with that Voice, which every Ear cou'd charm,
Thus cry aloud, Cease, wretched Almerick, cease,
And check thy impious Love; which, if indulg'd,
Will fill thy Soul with everlasting Horrour:
I starting, wak'd, and nothing found but Air;
But when my Reason had resum'd its place,
I scorn'd the foolish Dream, as only bred
From melancholy Vapours.

Gon.]
It surely was the Voice of Heav'n.

King.]
On what a horrid Precipice I stood,
Whence, falling headlong, I had dash'd to pieces;
For ever broke the Quiet of my Soul;
In how perplext a Maze of Error thou
Has thus intangled us, Irene? But I
Forgive thy Folly: O Cimene! Oh, my Daughter.
A Father thus may sure embrace a Daughter.
[Embraces.
Begone, begone; thy Lips are much too warm.
[Starts.
O fly, my Child, for ever from these Eyes;
Too weak my Vertue, and my Love too strong.
Pauses and Sighs.
Approach, Cimene, now the Danger's past;
In that one Sigh, my Love and Life expire:
'Tis true, I lov'd with more than Father's Love;
But all my Passion cou'd inspire before,
Affection now shall equal: Fly, Malespine,
And bring Prince Rodomond: This Night
I make my Daughter happy.

Arm.]
Oh, I never can be happy:
What has my Folly done.

Mal.]
I must disguise no longer; he cannot come.

King.]
Ha! cannot come.

Mal.]
He shall not come.

King.]
What means the Slave?

Mal.]
This Minute he is strangled.

King.]
The Gods forbid. How? Where?

Mal.]
By my Command, unthinking Almerick:
Thou gav'st thy Power to me, and Power
Makes Kings; I think not proper to refund it.

Arm.]
O Heavens!

[Swoons.
King.]
The Villain raves; seize him, Gonzalvo.

Mal.]
Seize me? The Pageant King shall first be seiz'd.
Stamps with his Feet, arm'd Men rush in.
Look, Almerick, behold these Swords are mine:
[Party draws.
Disarm Gonzalvo, Roderick, and his Friends,
This Day I mount thy Throne.

King.]
Flagitious Villain, I cannot fear,
So much Amazement has possest my Soul.
Look, Monster, if thou canst on me, and Heav'n:
Have I not pour'd on thee continual Streams
Of Bounty and of Favour, with Titles grac'd,
And made thee, Miscreant, Kinsman to the Throne,
With Honours loaded that ingrateful Head,
'Till over-charg'd, thou bent'st beneath the Weight;
What coud'st thou ask, and went'st repulst away?
I granted all Ambition could devour,
Or thy own Averice demand! This Hand!
This unexhausted Hand! still gave and gave,
'Till thou seem'd satiated with the vast Receipt,
But I unsatiated with giving. Is this
Then the Return of all?

Mal.]
The sole Return of boundless Favour;
You gave so long, till I cou'd not repay;
But talk no more, the Repetition's vain,
To you disgustful, troublesome to me.

Gon.]
Let us resolve to die, 'tis worse than Death,
But to survive this Day the poison'd Air
Must be contagious, which that Monster draws.

Mal.]
Take that preaching Fool away.

Kin.]
First hear me speak, but not to thee again,
I see my Soldiers, nay my Guards thy Slaves,
[To the Soldiers.
Have I not fed your Hunger, cloath'd your Wants,
To Conquest led you, and to glorious Spoils,
Indulg'd your Riot? Like my Children, nurst
In Wantonness and Ease? Can you revolt?
A Soldier's Honour's dearer than his Life;
Can Gold corrupt you to betray your Master?
Dogs on their Feeders fawn, but Men betray.
I see that the Defection's universal.

Shouts without, A Mal. a Mal. a Mal.
Mal.
Away with the Prisoners, I'll hear no more.

[Exit.
As they are going out, Mal. stops Cimene.
Manent Mal. Cim. Arm. Aler.
Mal.]
One Word before you go.

Cim.]
With me, thou Monster.

Mal.]
Since you appear the Daughter of the King,
I want your Title to confirm my Throne;
I once design'd that Lady for my Bed,
But she despis'd, and I despise again.

Arm.]
Thy Impudence surmounts thy other Crimes,
To hope my Love, thou execrable Wretch.
Seest not the Lightning in the Hand of Jove
Prepar'd to flash, and to transfix thy Soul.

Mal.]
Rave, rave on, till sleeping Gods awake.

Arm.]
There are no Gods, if thou this Night survive.

Mal.]
Kind Nature has not form'd my manly Mind
To sooth, to fawn and flatter, wretched Woman;
I know the Charter of my Sex; I know
How Kings shou'd be obey'd; all Right began
In force to Love, and Empire the first Claim:
But I will give you back the Crown I take,
And so compensate for the Father's Loss.

Arm.]
Give me thy Crown, thou greater Fool than Villain;
What height of Madness can indulge thy Love,
Stain'd with the Heroe's Blood whom I adore,
And vile Possession of my Father's Crown?

Cim.]
Thou poor Usurper of a Moment's Greatness,
Who hast no other Title but thy Crimes.

Mal.]
Neglected Beauty may have leave to rail;
You, Madam, have more reason to be kind;
I own I cannot yet despair: They say,
Affected Anger is a sign of Love;
My long Experience of your Sex supports
The Vanity of that Thought.

Arm.]
Insolent insulting Villain!

Mal.]
That very Rage is not without its Charms.

Arm.]
Come, let us fly, Armida.

Mal.]
First hear your Doom:
I go this Minute to dispatch the King;
Then drag thee to my Bed, and tye thee to my Throne.

Arm.]
O hear me, Malespire, if thou art a Man,
And Nature is not totally defac'd;
Grant me but one Request, Let me behold,
For once, my Father's Eyes, before that Hand
Has clos'd their Lids in endless Night: Grant this,
I ask no more.

Mal.]
The first Request a Lover ought to grant;
Next, grant thou mine; Conduct the Princess, Meroan.
[Exeunt Cim. Ar. Mer.
So Meron has seiz'd his Prey.
[Shrieking without.
Thus have I rowl'd my Fortunes up the Hill;
But must provide with Care, lest they revolve:
Had I miscarry'd, I had been a Villain;
For Men judge Actions always by Events;
But when we mannage with a just Foresight,
Success is Prudence, and Possession Right.

[Exit.