University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

Enter Rinaldo, Armida, Phænissa.
Rin.
Now you and Heav'n have perfected my Joy,
And all I wou'd have ask'd prevented:
Thou hast renounc'd thy Faith, renounc'd thy Art,
And thy Wound is not Mortal; my Friends too,
My Friends will all be ravish'd, I'll but seek them,
And with them in a moment I'll return.

Arm.
Wilt thou begone then?

Rin.
I must, it is in order to our Happiness.

Arm.
I know it, yet methinks 'tis Death to part with thee?

Rin.
It is but for a moment.

Arm.
But yet that moment sure will break my Heart.
How Dolefully it beats with Dying Blows?
As if with thee my very Soul departed.
How would Eternal seperation plague me?
But see, Rinaldo there, look here Phænissa!
What mean these wing'd ill Omens of the Air
That passing brush me with their deadly Pinions,
And seem the forlorne Hope of Fate?

Rin.
I see nothing.

Phæn.
Nor I.

Arm.
Is it possible? nor hear you any Voice?

Rin.
None but that Voice whose Musick Charms my Soul.

Arm.
Nor you?

Phæn.
Nor I.

Arm.
Hark! how it cries again, prepare Armida,
Dispatch, we're grown Impotent of Delay:
See, where we all stand ready to Receive thee,
Assembled in the Air, we hov'ring stand,
And Instantly expect thee.

Rin.
What do I hear? Her mind is much disturb'd,
And Danger's Imminent, I must be swift,
On wings of Fear which thou hast lent I'll fly,
And in a moment with my Friends return.

Phæn.
My Lord.

Just as he goes out.
Arm.
What want you?

Phæn.
Madam, I thought my Lord Rinaldo call'd.

Arm.
Sure so he did, for see he turns this way,
And seems to Beckon to you.
Fly, to know what he wants.

She goes after him to the Door.
Rin.
Wants the Queen any thing Phænissa?

Phæn.
No my Lord!

Rin.
Why am I call'd then?

Phæn.
My Lord,
I have something of Importance to Impart to you,
Which the Queen must not hear.

Rin.
I am now in haste, my Impatient Friends expect me,
I'll instantly return.

Exit.
Phæn.
You will! why then the Sun, that all things sees,
Sees not a wretch that's so forlorn, as I am:
Return! for what! To bear the Queen to Palestine?
Whither must I transport my self? to Syria?
Without Armida! or to Godfrey's Army?
Thou! thou the mortal Foe to their Religion!
But such Armida was! Renounce thy Faith!
Thou hast a Queens Example!
Suppose I should? alas! I have an art,
An Art, which Christians utterly abhor,
And that, I never, never can renounce:
Her, all th'Infernal powers obey'd, attracted
By Supream knowledge and by Soveraign Beauty!
For in her face, they saw the bright Reflection
of that refulgent place, from which they fell,
But I, alas! O dire Remembrance! I
Am by indissoluble contract bound.
This Voyage I must then obstruct or Perish!
Then his return I must obstruct or Perish:
But the black stratagem that Fate suggests,
Perhaps may touch Armida's precious Life:
No, by discovery of the Truth at last
I can prevent that dire Calamity.—

Arm.
What says Rinaldo?

Phæn.
What said your doleful heart at his departure?
What said the Wing'd ill Omens of the Air?
And what the Voices of the Eternal Beings?
Hear them once more! Ye Spirits now assist me.

Waves her wand.
Spirit rises and Sings.
Spirit.
Ah Queen! ah wretched Queen give o're,
Cease, cease with hopeless Fire to burn,
Ah cease his absence to deplore:
Who now, even now forsakes the Shoar,
And never, never will return,
No never see thee more.

Sinks.
Phæn.
What say they now?

Arm.
Gods I am tortur'd, I am stung to madness!
aside.
Let 'em say what they will: I'll not believe 'em.

Phæn.
Will you give Credit to Rinaldo then?
Since you must know what he himself has said.

Arm.
Ah Gods, and was it that?

Phæn.
And was it that? what cou'd it be but that?
Or what could he declare but that?
Which you were not to hear:
He coldly bad me Comfort you.

Arm.
Ah! Comfort from a Devil! but be hush'd!
aside.
Be hush'd my Soul but only for this moment:
And be as mad as all the Winds the next,
And ye, ye Tyrant Gods, unless y' are pleas'd
To see perfidiousness pass unreveng'd:
While thus you plague the Creature of your hands,
Only for too much truth; for too much Love;
Assist my enfeebled Arm this once, and then
Hurl all your Thunders at my wretched head,
And take your willing Victim.

Phæn.
So, she resents it greatly.
I see a noble Fury in her Eyes.

Arm.
Why then Rinaldo's gone?

Phæn.
Most certainly.

Arm.
Confusion! I must now make haste:
I shall be mad too soon else.
But how durst you, my Slave! conceal his Treason:
How did you dare t'abett his damn'd design?

Phæn.
To abett it.

Arm.
Ay, how did you dare t'abett it?

Phæn.
Hell had suggested—

Arm.
What?

Phæn.
Why, that you—

Arm.
Die, and consult it better.
Stabs Phæn. she dies.
So: 'twas exactly levell'd at thy Heart:
Would I had always taken aim as justly.
And hast thou then forsaken me! what me!
Me, couldst thou then forsake! is't possible!
Me, that had laid out all my Soul upon thee!
That willingly, that gladly would have dy'd for thee!
And couldst thou not be satisfy'd, unless
Thou murderst me thy self! O wretched man!
Can you see this! you Gods! and not Revenge it!
Revenge it then, Revenge it then ye Devils!
Who with Abhorrency and Detestation
Foretold this more than Devilsh Act!
They hear thee not! my Spirits too have left me.
But behold!
Phænissa there lies dead! Rinaldo's gone.
Whither must I go! ha! where am I left!
Thrice has yon Planet wayn'd and thrice encreas'd,
Since I came flying to these Isles of Fortune:
In all which time no Footstep has appear'd
Of any humane Creature here inhabiting:
Nor has one Sail bin seen to dare the winds!
Upon this unknown Ocean! But this morning
I seem'd to be the darling care of Heav'n!
The pow'rfull'st Queen of all the Eastern World!
The adoration of Mankind: O dreadful change!
But have I not one Friend in Heav'n or Hell?
Yes: one I have: then let him come! Come death!
Come thou most Generous of th'Immortal Pow'rs!
The only God, that's true to th'Unhappy:
Thus let me guide thee to my faithful Heart:
Take heed; how thou a second time mistak'st!
Ah Gods! thou hast a second time mistaken!
And I have now not strength enough t'assist thee!
Yet hast thou done thy work! and tho' thy hand
Is slow; I find 'tis sure.
A noise without.
What's that a Noise!
The trampling sure of Feet! which this way tend.
Oh all ye pow'rs the Christians are returning!
Is it my weakness that deludes my Eyes,
Or has the barb'rous man relented? ha!
He has, he has! Oh all ye Eternal Pow'rs!
What have I done! now death forbear a Moment!
That with my dying breath I may upbraid him:
That with my dying breath I may forgive him,
And that my Soul may blessing him, expire.

Enter Rinaldo, Urania, Ubaldo, Carlo.
Uran.
Not farr from hence you know you left Armida!

The Stage is darkn'd.
Rin.
A very little further on the right:
Upon a sudden 'tis exceeding Dark.

Uran.
Yes, with a Darkness foreign to the place:
A Fog, that steaming from the Mouth of Hell,
Doubles the Native Horrors of the Night:
Be cautious! Cautious, how thou treadst, Rinaldo;
Lest blindly guided by thy head-strong Love
Thou stumblest on despair!
Whom left you with Armida?

Rinal.
Phænissa.

Uran.
Armida's evil Genius bore that name,
The Sourse of all her woes.

Arm.
Oh Curs'd Phænissa! hast thou then betray'd me!
Is't Possible?

Carl.
Angels, and all ye Host of Heaven desend me,
What dismal Shape is this.

Stumbling on Phænissa.
Uran.
The Remnant of the wretch that was Phænissa.

Rin.
Look down upon me ye eternal Pow'rs!
Phænissa! where! Oh where!

Uran.
Where! here! Look here Rinaldo,
Now see thou show'st thy self a man! a Man!
That's not enough. Be what thou art, a Hero!
And then with stedfast Eyes, and heart unshaken,
Behold ill Fate lie their.

Rin.
Oh! Oh!
Nor Man nor Hero can ill fate resist,
And thus it tears me down: all Conquering Death
Thou art indeed the Greizly King of terrors!

Ubald.
Son of Bertoldo! be thy self this moment.

Carl.
Think of thy Glory!

Ubal.
Think of past Trophies and of future Triumphs!

Carl.
Think that the Army of the East Survey's thee!

Uran.
Think that a Thousand Demi-Gods Surround thee.

Rin.
O my Armida.

Armid.
And art thou come my Hero! art thou mine!
Take, take my fleeting life! ye Envious powr's!
For life with thee, exceeded Mortal happiness.

Rinal.
What wrought this dreadful work of Fate!

Uran.
Leave that Discovery to me, Rinaldo!
For know that in three Minutes she Expires.

Rin.
Heart rending sound! has Heav'n expresly form'd
My Soul, for her alone! and will it part us.
For ever part us! wee'll not part a moment:
Behold her with my Eyes! ye Heavens! and spare her.

Uran.
Thy prayr's are all deliver'd to the winds,
Heav'n hears not: and she dies.

Rin.
Oh sad reward of Constancy divine!

Arm.
'Tis the dreadful punishment, of Lawless Love!

Rin.
Oh Faith! Oh matchless Truth opprest by Fate;
For Truth it self embody'd lies in thee:
And with its Beauty charms the admiring World.

Uran.
'Tis not for Man to censures Heav'ns decrees;
As it knows how to Punish, it can recompence?
By Impious Arts, she drew thee to her Arms!
No sacred rites prepar'd; th'unlicens'd way:
For which, by Heav'ns severe decree, she dies
A Terrible Example.
But yet because her Faith, her Truth, her Constancy;
Seem'd to have more then humane Virtue in them,
And she Expires repentant.
Heav'n, that in all its sacred dispensations,
Makes the perfection of its Justice shine;
A more then mortal Recompence ordains for them:
For after both your mortal Dates are past,
Here in this blissful Region of the Air;
Thou shalt for ever Live, with thy Armida.

Arm.
Nay, then you Pow'rs! you make amends for all:
These, these are Sounds, which can make Death delightful.

Uran.
Thus with the motion of this sacred Wand,
I in a moment drive away the Mists;
That Cloud your mortal Eyes.
Scene opens, and discovers Fame, Heros and Heroines in the Clouds.
And now behold!
If that your Eyes can bear Immortal Splendor;
Behold where hovering on her Golden Wings:
Bright Fame illuminates her Godlike Equipage.
Heros, and Heroines? in the Air assembled,
A Thousand Glorious forms that live in pleasures;
To mortals inconceivable:
With these you shall for ever live;
O're these you shall for ever reign,
For ever reign united.

Arm.
Thou Kindest, Dearest, Best of Men, farewell?
I come ye Pow'rs!
Rinaldo! let no grief come near thy Soul:
In insupportable delight I die.

Dies.
Rin.
Break Heart; this very Moment! Cruel Pow'rs!
Why am I such a Wretch, that Death avoids me:
Faith, Beauty, Truth, and Constancy farewell;
For a short time farewell; farewell, ye Hero's,
Who in your Mansions of the Air expect me. \
Death! who shou'd joyn me to you here, avoids me?
Then to Jerusalem I'll fly, and there
Provoke him, and compell him, to unite me;
Eternally to you and my Armida.

Uran.
There I'll Proclaim, how he, who rules above!
Takes severe Vengeance of unlawful Love.

Exeunt Omnes.