ARCADIUS

The Queen was not wont to send for me. Save you Gentlemen, what novelty Does the Court breath to day? I have ambition to see the difference Of Courts, and this may spare; the delights At home do surfeit, and the mistress whom We all do serve is fixed upon one object, Her beams are too much pointed, but no Country Shall make me loose your memories. If your Majesty Would please. I humbly beg your pardon. Madam I then write my self blessed on earth When I may do you service. Whither? I prithee leave thy fears, I am commanded Toth' contrary, I wonot leave thee now. The Queen. Only to get and appetite To thee Polidora. Nay, prithee do not so mistake thy servant. Thy love? Thou art jealous now; Come, let me take the kiss I gave thee last, I am so confident of thee, no lip Has ravished it from thine; I prithee come To Court. There is the throne for beauty. No praise of thee can be thought so, thy we ̄ rtue Will deserve all, I must confess, we Courtiers Do oftentimes commend to show our art, There is necessity sometime to say, This Madam breathes Arabian Gums, Amber and Cassia; though while we are praising, We wish we had no nostriles to take in The offensive steam of her corrupted lungs. Nay, some will swear they love their Mistress, Would hazard lives and Fortune's, to preserve One of her hairs brighter then Berinices; Or young Apollos, and yet after this, A favour from another toy would tempt him To laugh, while the Officious hangman whips Her head off. I am none of these, Nay, there are women Polidora too That can do pretty well at flatteries; Make men believe they dote, will languish for em, Can kiss a Jewel out of one, and dally A carcanet of Diamonds from another, Weep intoth' bosom of a third, and make ̄ Him drop as many pearls; they count it nothing To talk a reasonable heir within ten days Out of his whole estate, and make him mad He has no more wealth to consume. I dare not be so wicked Polidora, The Infant errors of the Court I may Be guilty off, but never to abuse So rare a goodness, nor indeed did ever Converse with any of those shames of Court, To practice for base ends; be confident My he ̄ art is full of thine, and I so deeply Carry the figure of my Polidora, It is not in the power of time or distance To cancel it, by all thats blessed I love thee: Love thee above all women, dare invoke A curse when I forsake thee. Teach me and oath I prithee, One strong enough to bind, if thou dost find Any suspicion of my faith, or else Direct me in some horrid imprecation When I forsake thee, for the love of other Woman, may heaven reward my apostasy To blast my greatest happiness on earth, And make all joys abortive. Should all the graces of your sex conspire In one, and she should court me, with a dower Able to buy a Kingdom when I give My heart from Polidora. It sin to let thee waste thy breath I have assurance of thy noble thoughts. I am more acquainted with Thy virtue then to imagine thou wilt not Excuse me now, one kiss dismisses him Whose heart shall wait on Polidora, prithee Let me not wish for thy return too often, My Father. You amaze me sir. Mine? who's my enemy? Sir, I beseech your pardon, which ith number Of my offences unto any, should Provoke this dishonourable flight? I would desire to know it, I am in no conspiracy of treason, Have ravished no men Mistress, not so much As given the lie to any, what should mean Your strange and violent fears, I will not stir Until you make me sensible I have lost My innocence. You more inflame me to inquire the cause Of your worser straction, and yowl arm me better Then any coward flight by acquainting me Whose malice aims to kill me, good sir tell me, Sir Would, keep off. I know your faces, but Am not secure, I would not be betrayed. They say I must be killed. I know not, nor wood I partly with life so tamely. I am confident, Pray pardon me, come I despise all danger: Yet a deer friend of mine, my Uncle told me He would not see my body full of wounds. Yes, my honest Uncle, If my unlucky stars have pointed me So dire a fate. Though to my death, I fly Upon her summons, I give up my breath Then willingly, if she command it from me. If you call back this honour you have done me I shall repent I live, do not persuade me Seleucus thou art a noble enemy, And I will love thy soul though I despair Our bodies friendly conversation: I would we were to tug upon some cliff, Or Like two prodigies ith air, our conflict Might generally be gazed at, and our blood Appease our grandsires ashes. I am circled with confusions I'll do ̄ somewhat My brains and friends assist me. Madam be charitab e to your humblest creature, Do not eward the heart, that falls in duty Beneath your feet, with making me the burden Of the Court mirth, a mockery for Pages, It treason in me but to think you mean thus. Gentlemen It was not my ambition, I durst never Aspire so high in thought, but since her Majesty Hath pleased to call me to this honour, I Will study to be worthy of her grace, By whom I live. This honour is too much, Madam assume Your place, and let Arcadius wait still: 'Tis happiness enough to be your servant. I am obedient. Give me leave to think There is no harmony but in your voice, And not and accent of your heavenly tongue, But strikes me into rapture, I incline To think the tale of Orphe no fable, 'Tis possible he might inchant the Rocks, And charm the Forest, soften hell, hell it self With his commanding Lute, it is no miracle To what you work, whose very breath conveys The hearer into heaven, how at your lips, Day winds gather perfumes, proudly glide away, To disperse sweetness round about the world. Not if I should say Nature had placed you here the creatures wonder, And her own spring, from which all excellence On earth's derived, and copied forth, and when The character of fair, and good in others Is quite worn out, and lost, looking on you It is supplied, and you alone made mortal To feed and keep alive all beauty. At such bright eyes the stars do light themselves, At such a forehead Swans renew their white, From such a lip the morning gathers blushes. And when you fly to heaven & leave this world No longer maintenance of goodness from you, Then Poetry shall loose all use with us, And be no more, since nothing in your absence Is left, that can be worthy of a Verse. Seleucus? At what? Let me plead for his pardon. These and a thousand more affronts I must Expect: your favours draw them all upon me; In my first state I had no enemies, I was secure while I did grow beneath This expectation, humble valleys thrive with Their bosoms full of flowers, when the hills melt With lightning, and rough anger of the clouds, Let me retire. Not deer Madam, My life is such a poor despised thing, In valve your least graces, that To loose it were to make my self a victory, It is not for my self I fear: the envy Of others cannot fasten wound in me Greater, then that your goodness should be checked So daringly. I shall forget And loose my way to heaven, that touch had been Enough to have restored me, and infused A spirit of a more celestial nature, After the tedious absence of my soul, O bless me not too much, one smile a day Would stretch my life to mortality, Poets that wrap divinity in tales, Look here, and give your coppyes forth of angels, What blessing can remain? Place then some horrors in the way For me, not you to pass, the journeys end Holds out such glories to me, I should think Hell but a poor degree of suffering for it, Whats that some petition, a Letter to me. You had a Polidora, would, thats all. Ith' minute when my vessels new launched forth, With all my pride and silken wings about me I strike upon a Rock: what power can save me? You had a Polidora; theres a name Killed with grief I can so soon forget her I must resolve, my faith is violated Already, yet poor loving Polidora Will pray for me, she says, to think she can Render me hated to my self, and every Thought's a tormentor, let me then be just. That voice prevails again, o Poledora, Thou must forgive Arcadius, I dare not Turn rebel to a Princess, I shall love Thy virtue, but a Kingdom has a charm To excuse our frailty, dearest Madam. To perfect all our joys. Our good Uncle, welcome. Reverend Father. Is my Uncle mad? Uncle dee know what you do, or what we are Going to finish, you will not break the neck of my glorious Fortune, now my foots ith' stirrups and mounting, Throw me over the saddle, I hope yowl let one Be a King, Madam it's as you say, My Uncle is something crazed, there is a worm In's brain, but I beseech you pardon him, he is Not the first of your counsel, that has talked Idly, dee hear my Lord Bishop, I hope You have more religion then to join with him To undo me. If your truth should do me any harm, I shall never Be in charity with a Croziers staff, look too't. What riddles are these, whom do they talk of? But do not mooke me Gentlemen, May I be bold upon your words to say I am Prince Thedosius son. Yowl justify it? Sister I am very glad to see you. Gentlemen I owe Unto your loves, as large acknowledgement As to my birth for this greath onour, and My study shall be equal to be thought Worthy of both. My sister should have been my Bride, that name me in mind of Polidora, would? Lysander, Philocles, Gentlemen, If you will have me think your hearts allow me Thedosius son, o quickly snatch some wings, Express it in your haste to Polidora, Tell her what title is new dropped from Heaven To make her rich; only created for me, Give her the ceremony of my Queen, With all the state that may become our Bride Attend her to this throne; are you not there? Yet stay, 'tis too much pride to send for her, Weel go our self, no honour is enough For Polidora, to redeem our fault Salute her gently from me, and upon Your knee, present her with this Diadem, 'Tis our first gift, tell her Demetrius follows To be her guest, and give himself a servant To her chaste bosom, bid her stretch her heart To meet me, I am lost in joy and wonder. Theres none will hurt, Or dare but think and ill to Polidora, The greatest will be proud to honour the ̄ e ̄ . Thy luster wants the admiration here: There thou wot shine indeed, and strike a reverence Into the gazer. She lives Thats well, and yet it better, for my fame, And honour she were dead, what fate hath placed me Upon this fearful precipice? Stay, who's this? observe what follows? No more. What morral's this? Exeunt. Enter Honour with the Crown upon a mourning Cushion. What melancholy object strikes a sudden Chillness through all my veins, and turns me Ice? It is the same I sent, the very same, As the first pledge of her ensuing greatness, Why in this mourning livery, if she live To whom I sent it? would, what shape of sorrow? Enter Polidora in mourning. It is not Polidora, she was fair Enough, and wanted not the setting off With such a black, if thou be'st Polidora, Why mourns my love? it neither does become Thy fortune nor my joys. And I yet living? can A sorrow enter but upon thy garment, Or discomplexion thy attire, while I Enjoy a life for thee? who can deserve Weighed with thy living comforts, but a piece Of all this Ceremony? give him a name And are you sure he's dead? And is he dead? Come, shame him not with praises, recollect Thy scattered Hope's, and let me tell my best, And dearest olidora, that he lives, Still lives to honour thee. Look here. Am not I worth your knowledge? Mine is not changed, But still hath fed upon thy memory, These honours, and additions of state Are lent me for thy sake, be not so strange, Let me not loose my entertainment now I am improved, a worser raised unto the height, Beneath which, I did blush to ask thy love. And his heart Is still the same, and I thy coustant Lover. But heaven permitted not I should dispose What was ordained for thee. I am wounded, The thought of thee ith' throng of all my yes, Like poison poured in Nectar, turns me frantic, Dear, if Arcadius have made a fault, Let not Demetrius be punished for't, He pleads that ever will be constant to thee. I see compassion in thy eye, that chides me If I have either soul, but what's contained Within these words or if one sillable Of their full force, e not made good by me, May all relenting thoughts in you take end, And thy disdain be doubled, from thy pardon, I'll count my Coronation, and that hour Fix with a rubric in my Calendar, As and auspicious time to entertain Affairs of weight with Princes, think who now Intreats thy mercy, come thou shalt be kind, And divide titles with me Her heart is frozen up, nor can warm prayers Thaw it to any softness. Persuade her not. What treason? Would? We will not arm one man, Speak it again, have I a brother living? And must be no King. This news does speak me happy, it exalts My heart, and makes me capable of more Then twenty Kingdoms. I'll stand upon my honour, Mercy relieves me. The world's too poor to bribe me, leave Me all, lest you extenuate my fame, and I Be thought to have redeemed it by your counsel, You shall not share one scruple in the honour; Titles may set a gloss upon our name, But virtue only is the soul of Fame. I'll talk with you anon, my Polidora, Allow thy patience till my breath recover Which now comes lade with the richest news Thy ear was ever blessed with. It sin to busy Thy thoughts upon't, I'll tell thee that I could Retain some partly, 'tis too wide a joy To be expressed so soon, and yet it falls In a few syllables, thou wot scarce believe me, I am no King. It but Translates me to a fairer and better Kingdom In Polidora. Did you not say, Were I no King you could be drawn to love Me again, that was consented to in Heaven, A Kingdom first betrayed my ambitious soul To forget thee, that, and the flattering glories, How willingly Demetrius do resign, The Angels know, thus naked without titles I throw me on thy charity, and shall Boast greater Empire to be thine again, then To wear the triumphs of the world upon me. You trouble me with noise, speak Polidora I despise it, What fate dares injure me? Be comforted. Not as prisoner? It cannot be. For what? It does appear You had a will. It is not then our brother? How? and Impostor, what will become on's now? We are at his mercy. Rise, our misfortune Carries this good, although it loose our Hope's, It makes you friend with virtue, weel expect What providence will do. Thou art my angel, and canst best instruct me, Boldly present our selves, you'll with Cassandra. All love and duty, Flow from me to my royal King, and brother I am confirmed. We are ripe for the same wishes, Polidora's partly of me. Arcadius? The house is desolate, none comes forth to meet us, She's slow to entertain us, Philocles, I prithee tell me, did she wear no cloud Upon her brow, wast freely that she said We should be welcome. What does mean all this? Guess what in wish could make me fortunate And heaven hath dropped that on Demetrius. Forbid? Heaven has relieved me with a mercy I knew not how to ask, I have they say And elder brother living, crowned already, I only keep my name Demetrius, Without desire of more addition, Then to return thy servant.