MILESIA

Fear not their power. First, dearest Lady, do not think my power Greater as my will to serve you, it's so weak That if you should reley on't, I shall seem Cold in your service, when it does not answer What is expected from it, all I know, Is but conjectured, for our Stars incline, Not force us in our actions. Let me observe your face. It's not that, I was surprised in considering I must Partake of all your Fortune's, for our ascendants Threaten Like danger to us both. Would you could, with what great willingness Should I embrace a share of what afflicts you. I'de hast to meet and ease you of your fears. Now if to one whose interest do force her To advance your Hope's, you dare deliver The cause of your disquiet, you shall find A closet, if not a fort, to vindicate your fears. Does EUGENIO know you love him? Why does he doubt it? I've herd as much; but contradictions In the Princes actions do amaze me: They say he loves your friend, and labours now For to recall him, and that every Night He courts his former flame, hid in the ashes Of his lost Mistress. They will not hear us Madam, unless we Contribute to their aid our best endeavours. I have thought a way may for a time secure you; You must dissemble with the Prince, and seem To love ERGASTO. It's not impossible, but he seeing you Prefer one so beneath him, may provoke A just neglect from him; then for ERGASTO, Beside the time you gain, there may succeed A thousand ways to hinder his pretence. I see Love is a Child still, what a trifle Does now disturb him: You will not get your health O'th price of saying you are sick; I know There is another remedy more proportioned for your disease, Butnot for you that suffer, which is this: Tell the Prince that you're engaged, but he That broke with vows and friendship, for your love, Will not desist for such supposed slight lets, And then your Father will force you to his will. Those that in dangers that do press them nearly, Will not resolve, Upon some hazard, and give leave to chance To govern what our knowledge cannot hinder, Must fit still, and wait their preservation from a miracle. Good Madam use some means that I may speak With him before he goes; my heart does promise I shall do something in your service, and Be sure when he first speaks of love, seem not To understand him. You need not tell me it, though this be the first Time that I saw him since I came to Cirrha, His Fame does make him known to all that are Remotest from him. Have you not lately lost a Lady that did love you dearly? Good Sir, withdraw a little, I shall deliver What you believe, none know beside my self. Most perfectly she does, and mourns your lose of faith, That now begin after so many vows, So many oaths you would be only hers, To think of a new choice. Had you been snacht from her, and for her sake Murdered, as she for you, your Urns cold ashes Should have hid her fire of faithful love. Pardon me my Lord. Her injured spirit inspires me with this boldness. Fame of a constant lover will eternise it More than a numerous issue; would you hear Her self express her sorrow? You conclude too fast: if this night you'll come Unto her Tomb, you there shall see her. Madam, I cannot stay to know particulars, Of what hath passed betwixt you and the Prince: Only tell me how he relished your saying, you Were promised to ERGASTO? The gods give us permission to be false, When they exclude us from all other ways, Which may preserve our faith. Longer I dare not stay, I am your servant. Has there been any new storms since I went? I think I understand you. To both divided? What Fires, what Seas must your EUGENIO pass, To make him worthy you? me thinks I feel His soul sighs for a trial of his faith. They seldom let us know what is to come, That we may still implore their aid to help us: Yet something I can tell, if hope or force Shall make you deviate from your resolve, You are the subject of their hate: or if You measure your or their affection By merit, or advantages of fortune, You are the mark of all disasters. Be constant, and be happy, when you meet With opposition that may shake your judgement. Remember what affliction it's to weep A fault irrepairable, and think not Reason can pacify your father's rage: You must oppose your passion unto his, And love will be victorious, being the noblest: To morrow I will bring more certain council. You may believe her Madam, she loves him, Now you may revenge her, persuading you to leave EUGENIO, by smiling on Ergasto; it'll advance Your Cozens ends too, if you do as I le advice you, while we descend. Forbear uncivil Lord. This was well managed. You then did send the poison, with the Present I received? For heavens sake hold his hands: Oh my best Lysicles, Do not destroy the comforts of my soul; What a division do I feel within me! I am but half tormented, my soul in spite O'th'tortures of my body, do feel a joy That meets departed spirits in the blessed shades— Dares not Death shut those eyes where love Hath entered once, or am I in the shades Assisted with the Ghost of my deer Lysicles? And therefore dying, but before I go Let me obtain your pardon for the wrongs My jealousy hath thrown upon your innocence. IT was my too perfect knowledge of my want Of merits to deserve, made me doubt yours: I mean your constant love, which I will teach Below, and make them learn again to love, Who have died for it. Why should your grief make me repent the joys I ever begged of heaven? the knowledge Of your love, could there be added more Unto my happiness, than to be confirmed By my own sufferings how much you did love me, And prosecuted those that desired my ruin? Like Semele I die, who could not take The full God in her arms. I have but one wish more, that I may bear Unto the shades the glorious title of your wife: If I may live so long to hear but this Pronounced by Lysicles, I die in peace. Oh say not so, live, I command you live; Let your obedience unto this command, Show you have lost a Mistress. O, o, o, gods! if I have merited your hate, You might have laid it on until my name Had been a word to express full misery, And I had thanked you, if you had forborn To make his innocence the instrument Of your dire wrath. HERMIONE, IRENE, I have conjured my servants not to tell you When I am dead, who I was: but if Their weakness shall discover't, let it be hid From the best Lysicles: I burn, I burn, And death dares not to cease me, frighted With the furies that torment me. O gods, deny me not a death, since you Have given me the tortures that devance it: If I deserve this, your inflicting hands Do reach unto the shades, lay it on there, Hermioue, Jrene, is Eysicles yet come? What unknown ways have the gods invented To punish me! I feel a torment No tyranny e'reparalell'd, yet must confess And obligation to him that imposed it. Good gods! if I do bow under your wills, Without repining at your sad decrees, Grant this to recompense my Martyrdom, That he that is the Author of my sufferings, May never learn his error. Sir, if torments ever could expiate the crimes We have committed, mine might challenge your pardon And your pity: I feel Death entering me; Love the memory of your Mylesia, and forgive— O, o; why do you kneel to me: Why do you ask? My Lysicles, I am by miracle preserved, Though since the gods repent them of their succours. Knowing me unworthy of thy firm constant love: I never thought that death could be a terror Too long acquainted with the Misery's Pursue our lives, but now the apprehension My grave should swallow thee, makes me to welcome it With a heaviness that Sinks despairing sinners. If ever I did expect a happier death, May I die loathed: what Funeral pomp Can there be greater, than for me to hear While I yet live, my dying Obsequies With so much zeal pronounced by him I love? Tortures again do seize me. Till I have farther means, thank you; receive this ring. My fair deer friend, you shall know all my story. 'Tis true, my Uncle did design my death For loving Lysicles, for at his coming hither He charged me by all ties that were between us, To hate him as the ruin of his honour, And yet for some dark ends I understood not, Resolved to leave me here. I swore obedience, But knew not what offence it was to keep And oath so made, till I had seen the Lysicles, Which at your house I did; when he came wounded From hunting of the Boar, all but his name Appeared most godlike to me; you all did run To stop his wounds, and I thought I might see My enemies blood; yet soon did pity cease me To see him bleed: thus, love taking the shape Of pity, glided unseen of me into my heart, And while I thought my self but charitable, I nursed my infant love with milk of pity Till he grew strong enough to take me prisoner. I found his eyes on mine, and ere I could Remove them, herd him say, he'de thank his fortune For this last wound: if'twere the cause Of seeing me; then took his leave, But left me speechless that I could not say, My heart farewell: after this visit our loves Grew to that height that you have herd of. I had a servant unsuspected of me, For none I trusted that observed our meetings, And guessing by my sighs that love had made them, Betrayed them to my Uncle; on PALLAS Eve He rushed into my Chamber, his sword drawn, And snacht me by the arm: I fell down, But knowing yet no fault, could beg no pardon. A while our eyes did only speak our thoughts; At length out of his bosom he pulled out A paper, 'twas the contract betwixt my Lord and me: And asked me if I would avow the hand. Heaven said I, has approved it, and the gods Have chosen this way to reunite our houses; Stain of thy kindreds honour, he exclaims: Was there no other man to ease your lust But he that was our greatest enemy. Resolve to die, thy blood shall hide the stains Of our dishonour. He was: for leaving me oppressed with sighs And tears; yet not of sorrow and repentance, But fear that I should loose my dearest servant, Commands his cruel slaves to murder me As I descended: and least pity should Create remorse in their obdurate hearts, The lights were all put out: then hastily My name was herd; I then entreated her That betrayed me, tell them I was coming, And took this time to write unto my Lord: She went, but by the way was ceased, And strangled by those murderers That expected me. My Uncle herd Her latest groans; and now the act was passed, His power to help, he wished it were undone: Brings lights to see the body, and perceived The strange mistake: by signs and lifted eyes Confessed Heavens hand was in't; yet would not leave His revenge here, commands his slaves to change My clothes with hers was slain; then takes the head off, And on the Trunk did leave a note, which told My death for loving LYSICLES, in hope my ruin: Knowing his noble nature would be his. At midnight quits this Town, leaving none behind Were conscious of the fact, immures me in his house Till I escaped in that disguise I wore, When I first came to you. You were the cause on't: at my arrival here, I herd my LYSICLES should marry you, And therefore kept the habit I was in, To search unknown the truth of this report, And practised in the private actions of some near friends, God and opinion I could presage The future: thus was I sought by you, Thus found the faith of my deer LYSICLES, When at the Tomb I did appear his ghost, And had revealed my self, had not the shame Of doubting such a faith, kept my desires in. He did: forgive it him, 'twas for his friend. How my deer friend? O you are pleasant; Here comes my Lord. The gods have made this trial in my sufferings, If I deserved so great a blessing: I have but one grief left. Yes, but it springs from and excessive joy Of finding such admired worth in you. What I hereafter shall do in your service, Must wear the name of Gratitude, not Love. This is all truth my Lord, I can assure you. Sweet Madam, let me obtain this for him: He die if you deny him.