LEOGARIUS

Dear Archimagus, We want thy skill to interpret a black dream I had last night, my fancy is still sick on't, And with the very apprehension I feel much of my soul dissolve, and through My frighted pores, creep from me in a sweat: I shall have nothing in me but a both, Unless thou do repair my languishing essence With thy great art and counsel. They must not hear it, Yet stay; the Eclipse, if it be any thing, Is universal, and does darken all. Me thought, Archimagus, as I was praying I'th' Temple near the see , my Queen, my Sons, Daughters, and Train of my Nobility Prostrate before the Altar, on the sudden The roof did open, and from Heaven a flame Descending on the images of our gods, Began to burn the sacred brows, from which Many deformed worms, and hideous serpents Come crawling forth, and leaped unto our throats, Where, with their horrid circles and embrace, We were almost strangled in this fright, me thought We fled out of the Temple, and as soon We saw a pale man coming from the sea, Attended by a Tribe of reverend men, At whose approach the Serpents all unchained Themselves, and leaving our imprisoned necks, Crept into the earth, straight all that were with me, As I had been the prodigy, forsook me, My wife, my children, Lords, my servants all, And sled to this pale man, who told me, I Must submit too, humble my self to him, This withered piece of man: at which, my-thought, I felt a trembling shoot through every partly, And with the horror, thus to be deposed, I wakened. Now, Archimagus, thy Art To cure thy soul-sick King. How, my deer Priest? Would where? They are vanished Already at thy voice, thou (next our Gods The hope of this great I and) hast dispersed All clouds, and made it a fair sky again, My learned Archimagus. What voices make the air So sad? What harmony is this? I have no power To do them harm, observe their ceremony. Post maris S vi fremitus Iernae (Navitas coelo tremulos beante) Vidimus gratum jubar enatantes littus inaurans Montium quin vos juga, vosque sylv Nunc salutamus, chorus advenarum Jubilum retrò modulantur, Ecce Carbasa ventis Dulce supremo melòs occinanus Carminum flagrans Domino litamen Cujus erranti dabitur popello Numine sacr m. I'll speak to him. Stay, you that have presumed Without our leave, to print your desperate foot Upon our Country; say, what bold design Hath armed you with this insolent noise, to dare And fright the holy peace of this fair I'll; Nay, in contempt of all our gods, advance Your songs in honour of and unknown power? The King commands you speak. Whence are you? Your name, that answer for the rest so boldly? No dwelling here And therefore quit this Kingdom speedily, Or you shall curse you saw the land. How? What place is this? Villain, wouldst thou owe thy life To the mercy of the power he serves, And if thou diest, I'll built a Temple here, and in this posture Kings shall kneel to thee, and on solemn days Present their crowns; Queens shall compose thee garlands, Virgins shall king thy name, and about thy neck And arms disperse the riches of their Art, Next to our Gods we honour thee: keep from The Impostor. Traitorous to heaven! Come from him. Dotard, Return; and prostrate to the gods we worship, Or though his witchcraft now protect thy self, Thy sons shall bleed. To satisfy The gods and us, with the next morning's Sun, Unless thou rise, and sacrifice to our Altars, Down from that Rock which over looks the Sea, They shall be throwlie; my vow is fixed. Take them away, their fate depends on him. Death pursue they, Will nothing make them feel our wrath. Would? Thou hast pleased us, Archimagus. It shall be so, he shall be thus invited, And we will meet him with our Queen and Daughters, Who shall compose themselves to entertain him. Be still their blessed Director, to thy charge We gave them up long since, but do not tell they What happened to the Apostate Dichu; women Have soluble and easy hearts, that accident May startle their religion, keep they firm In the devotion to our gods, whose virgins We hope to call them shortly, if their zeal Maintain that holy flame that yet hath filled Their bosoms. Conallus, you shall be the messenger, And bear our invitation. Be it so. All ways to serve our gods are free, and good, When shed for them, they take delight in blood. Away. Let not my daughters stir from hence: Is this reward, you gods, for my devotion: Break down the Temple doors. Would! keep off, more horrors to affright me, I must confess I did command your death's Unjustly, now my son is murdor'd for it. See how they all obey him, Archimagus. Archimagus, Conallus; see my children, The statue moves. Welcome Patrick, For so thou callest thy self; we have thrown off Our anger: and with calm, and melting eyes Look on thee. Thou hast piety, to forgive Our former threats and language, and to satisfy. For our denial of some humble cottages, Against the hospitable laws of nature. We give thee now our Palace, use it freely. My self, our Queen and children, will be all Thy guests: and owe our dwellings to thy favour. There are some things of venerable mark Upon thy brow, thou art some holy man, Designed by providence to make us happy: Again, most welcome to us. You may be confident Our favour spreads to all But where is Dichu Your Convert? we'll receive him to our grace too. I am not well o'th' sudden. And evil conscience: Alas my children. How shall I Win credit with this good man, that I have Repented, for the blood of Dichues sons? Some wine, it is the greatest ceremony Of love with us, the seal of reconcilement. Let some one bring us wine, I won't move, Until I drink to this blessed man. This place shall be remembered to posterity, Where Leogarius first, showed himself friend To holy Patrick. It's religious thirst, That with l not l to me expect till more return. There is a stream of peace within my heart. 'Tis well, ill us a cheerful cup: here Patrick, We drink thy welcome to the Irish coasts. Doo't strongly. Come, to our Queen. Forbear, as you affect your life. Not yet? If it were violent, as thou sayest, it had By this time gnawn to his bowels. It does not altar him, he rather looks With fr sher blood upon him. Come, it's not poison, we are abused. Prepare another. Come hither sirrah, you brought this wine. And you shall taste it. I will have it so. Come, drink our health. Nay, drink it off. Now we shall try the ingredients, it stirred Not him, has he done't? It affrights me, this was some treason meant to us; And thee good man: How I am innocent. Alive again? O let me honour thee. How? did thou hear Archimagus, let some Convey our Queen hence, her weak conscience melts; Shee'l be a Christian she says: I hate her, And do confine her to the house of Milcho Our zealous Provost. Look to my daughters, Least this change work on them. Be not dejected Patrick, we do mean All good to thee: set forward, have a care Of that poor fellow. Would, Archimagus, canst thou forgive me, And send those spirits hence? Art sure they are gone Archimagus? my fears So leave me, and religion once again Enter my stubborn heart, which dared to mutiny And quarrel with the gods; Archimagus, Be near again, we will redeem our rashness, By grubbing up these Christians, that begin To infect us, and our kingdom. Th'art born To make us happy, how my deer Archimagus? I embracemy Priest, Do this, and I'll forget my son, and die, And smile to see this Christians tragedy. My Queen! my son Conallus! Dicbu! would! And the still wandering ghosts of his two sons! Would, who durst abuse us? How met they to converse? Let the serpent then Feed upon all, my powerful Archimagus. Patrick, the King will kneel to thee. Canst forgive? Let me embrace you all, and freely give What I desire from this good man, a pardon. Thou shalt no more suspect me but possess All thy desires. The ground is shut again: Where now is Archimagus? How I shake, And court this Christian out of fear, not love? Once more visit our Palace, holy Father. The story of your sons, and what concerns Your escape, Madam, we will know hereafter; I'th' mean time be secure. I obey. Come my Queen, and daughters. They are my pious daughters, come Conallus.