THERSAMES

As well as any man can do a house by seeing of the portal, here's but a face, and faces (Sir) are things I have not studied; I have my duty, and may boldly swear, what you Like best will ever please me most. This is the grove, it's somewhere here within.— Ours cannot; it's as immortal as the things that elemented it, which were our souls: nor can they ere impair in health, for what these holy rites do warrant us to do, more than our bodies would for quenching thirst. Come let's to horse, we shall be missed, for we are envies mark, and Court eyes carry far. Your prayers and silence Sir:— Softly, as Death it self comes on, when it does steal away the sick men breath, and standers by perceive it not, have I trod the way unto these lodgings. How wisely do those Powers that give us happiness, order it? sending us still fears to bound our joys, which else would overflow and loose themselves: see where she sits, Like Day retired into another world. Dear mine! where all the beauty man admires in scattered pieces, does united lie. Where sense does feast, and yet where sweet desire lives in its longing, Like a misers eye, that never knew, nor saw satiety: tell me, by what approaches must I come to take in what remains of my felicity? All but the Fort, and in such wars, as these, till that be yielded up, there is no peace, nor triumph to be made; come! undo, undo, and from these envious clouds slide quick into Loves proper Sphere, thy bed: The weary traveller, whom the busy Sun hath vexed all day, and scorched almost to tinder, never longed for night, as I have longed for this. What rude hand is that? Go Iolina, see, but let none enter— —O— Something of weight hath fallen out it seems, which in his zeal he could not keep till morning. But one short minute, Dear, into that chamber.— How now? thou startest, as if thy sins had met thee, or thy Father's ghost; what news man? Why? what of her? How? Though fear of worse makes ill, still relish better, and this look handsome in our friendship, Ziriff, yet so severe a preparation—, there needed not: come, come! what is't? A Guard! Thersames, thou art lost; betrayed by faithless and ungrateful man, out of a happiness:— the very thought of that, will lend my anger so much noble justice, that Wertenberg thou master of as much fresh life, as th'ast been of villainy, it should not serve, nor stock thee out, to glory, or repent the least of it. I scarce believe mine eyes:— Zorannes. Into how strange a labyrinth am I now fallen! what shall I do Zorannes? Good heavens, did I but dream that she was mine? upon imagination did I climb up to this height? let me then wake and die, some courteous hand snatch me from what's to come, and ere my wrongs have being, give them end: I have done (Sir) pray chide no more; the slave whom tedious custom has enured and taught to think of misery as of food, counting it but a necessary of life, and so digesting it, shall not so much as once be named to patience, when I am spoken of: mark me; for I will now undo my self as willingly, as virgins give up all first nights to them they love:— In how much worse estate am I in now, Than if I never had known her; privation, is a misery as much above bore wretchedness, as that is short of happiness: So when the Sun does not appear, It's darker because it once was here. —O it's well you're come, there was within me fresh Rebellion, and reason was almost unkinged again. But you shall have her Sir— Here Sir— Is there no way for Kings to show their power, but in their Subject's wrongs? no subject neither but his own son? How? that but again, and thou arr more injurious than he, and woul't provoke me sooner. I'll instantly unto him— Would! King, it's indeed, and there's no Art can cancel that high bound: What subtle State trick now? but one turn here, and I am back my Lord.— I cannot bear the burden of my wrongs one minute longer. They do pretend the safety of the State now, nothing but my marriage with Cadusia can secure th'adjoyning country to it; confinement during life for me if I refuse Diana's Nunnery for her—And at that Nunnery, Jol S, allegiance in me Like the string of a watch wound up too high, and forced above the neck, ran back, and in a moment was unraveled all. Right! None, they gave me till to morrow, and ere that be, or they or I must know our destiny: come friend let's in, there is no sleeping now; for time is short, and we have much to do.— COuldst thou not find out Ziriff? It's strange, but let's on now how ere, when Fortune's, honour, life, and all's in doubt bravely to dare, is bravely to get out. Betrayed! betrayed! Madam! Aglaura. Open fair Saint, and let me in. Softly! for I, Like a hard hunted Dear, have only hearded here; and though the cry reach not our ears, yet am I followed close: o my heart! since I saw thee, Time has been strangely Active, and begotten a Monstrous issue of unheard of Story: Fit; thou shalt have it all! nay, sighs not. such blasts will hinder all the passage; Do to thou remember, how we parted last? That word of parting was ill placed, I swear, it may be ominous; but dost thou know into whose hands I gave thee? That Ziriff was thy brother, brave Zorannes preserved by miracle in that sad day thy father fell, and since thus in disguise, waiting his just revenge. And must do more, when I tell all the Story. The King, the jealous King, knew of the marriage, and when thou thoughtest thy self by my direction, thou Wertenberg his Prisoner; unless I would renounce all right, and cease to love thee, (oh strange, and found request ) immured thou must have been in some sad place, and locked for ever, from Thersames sighed. For ever—and that unable to endure this night, I did attempt his life. Oh no! extremely Ill! for oh attempt and not to act was poor: here the dead-doing Law, (Like ill-paid Soldiers) leaves the side 'twas on, to join with power. Royal villainy now will look so Like to Justice, that the times to come and curious posterity, will find no difference: weepest thou Aglaura? come, to bed my Love! and we will there mock Tyranny, and Fate, those softer hours of pleasure, and delight, that Like so many single pearls, should have orn'd our thread of life, we will at once, by Loves mysterious power, and this nights help contract to one, and make but one rich draught of all. To make my self incapable of misery, by taking strong preservative of happiness: I would this ght enjoy thee: But what Aglaura? As soon the Sun may hide himself, as I. The Prince of Persia hide himself?— Never sweet Ignorance, he shines in th'other world then; and so shall I, if I set here in glory: Enter ye hasty seekers of life. Soranne .— To me all this— for great grief's deaf as well as it is dumb, and drives no trade at all with counsel: (Sir) why do you not Tutor one that has the Plague, and see if he will fear and after ague fit; such is all mischief now to me; there is none left is worth a thought, death is the worst, I know, and that compared to shame, does look more lovely now than a chaste Mistress, set by common woman— and I must court it Sir? Yea: but if pleasures be themselves but dreams, what then are the dreams of these to men? that monster, Expectation, will devour all that is within our hope or power, and ere we once can come to show, how rich we are, we shall be poor, shall we not Sorannez? What shall become of thee Aglaura then? shall I leave thee their rages sacrifice? and Like dull Seamen threatened with a storm, throw all away, I have, to save my self. Grows that in question? then it's time to partly:— when we shall meet again Heaven only knows, and when we shall I know we shall be old: Love does not calculate the common way, Minutes are hours there, and the hours are days, each day's a year, and every year and age; what will this come to think you? Happiness, such as men lost in misery would wrong in naming, it's so much above them. All that I want of it, all you deserve, Heaven send you in my absence. Goodnight deer friend. The Dog-star's God up high, it should be late: and sure by this time every waking ear, and watchful eye is charmed; and yet me thought a noise of weapons struck my ear just now. 'Twas but my Fancy sure, and were it more, I would not tread one step, that did not led to my Aglaura, stood all his Guard betwixt, with lightning in their hands; Danger! thou Dwarf dressed up in Giants clothes, that shewest far off, still greater than thou art: go, terrify the simple, and the guilty, such as with false Optics, still do look upon thee. But fright not Lovers, we dare look on thee in thy worst shape, and meet thee in them too. Stay—These trees I made my mark, it's hereabout, —Love guide me but right this night, and Lovers shall restore thee back again those eyes the Poets took so boldly from thee. The Dog-star's God up high, it should be late: and sure by this time every waking ear, and watchful eye is charmed; and yet me thought a noise of weapons struck my ear just now. 'Twas but my Fancy sure, and were it more, I would not tread one step, that did not led to my Aglaura, stood all his Guard betwixt, with lightning in their hands. Danger, thou Dwarf dressed up in Giants clothes, that shewest far off still greater than thou art, go, terrify the simple, and the guistie, such as with false Optics still do look upon thee: but fright not Lovers, we dare look on thee in thy woe st shapes, and meet thee in them too.— Stay, these trees I made my mark, it's hereabout, —Love guide me but right this night, and Lo ers shall restore thee back again those eyes the Poets took so boldly from thee. Unkindly done— What art thou that thus poorly hast destroyed a life? Hast thou no voice? Aglaura, it cannot be? Loves wounds used to be gentler than these were, the pains they give us have some pleasure in them, and that these have not. O do not say 'twas you, for that does wound again: guard me my better Angel, do I wake? my eyes (since I was man) never met with any object gave them so much trouble, I dare not ask neither to be satisfied, she looks so guiltily— As with the besieged: my soul is so beset it does not know, whether't had best to make a desperate sally out by this port or not? If thou dost love me, weep not Aglaura: all those are drops of blood, and flow from me. Friend, bring me a little nearer, I find a kind of willingness to stay, and find that willingness something obeyed. My blood now it persuades it self ou did not call in earnest, makes not such haste— Why should that fright thee, which most comforts me? I glory in it, and shall smile the grave, to think our love was such, that nothing but it self could ever destroy it. I cannot tell whither I may or not. No: The Gods thought me unworthy of thee here, and when thou art more pure, why should I not more doubt it? Prithee speak still, this music gives my soul such pleasing business, takes it so wholly up, it finds not leisure to attend unto the summons death does make, yet they are loud and peremptory now, and I can only— O—o:— What ever thou art hast given me now a life; and with it all my cares and Misery's, expect not a reward, no not a thanks. If thou wouldst merit from me, (yet wh'would be guilty of so lost and Actium) restore me to my quietness again, for life and that are most incompatible. What sayest thou, Aglaura? Well, I will still obey, though I must fear it will e with me, but as it's with tortured men, whom States preserve only to wrack again. She wake't me with a sighs, and yet she sleeps her self, sweet Innocence, can it be sin to love this shape, and if it be not, why am I persecuted thus?— she sighs again, sleep that drowns all cares, cannot I see charm loves? blessed pillows, through whose fineness does appear the violets, lilies, and the roses you are stuffed withal, to whose softness I owe the sweet of this repose, permit me to leave with you this,— see if I have not wake't her, sure I was born, Aglaura, to destroy thy quiet. A dream! what dream, my Love? Well, extremely well, so well, that had I now no better a remembrancer than pain, I should forget I ever was hurt, thanks to Heaven, and good Andrages. What cause, Zorannes? 'Twere hard I should deny thee any thing.— Knowest thou, Andrages, what he means? I am astonished. What wouldst thou have me do. A punishment he best can make that suffered the wrong. We have no punishment can reach these crimes: therefore it's justest sure to send him where th'are wittier to punish than we are here: and cause repentance oft stops that proceeding, a sudden death is sure thegreatest punishment. Hold:—now go you up. Nay, I denied not you,— That all thy accusations are just, I must acknowledge, and to these crimes, I have but this t'oppose, he is my Father, and thy Sovereign.— It's wickedness (deer Friend) we go about oh punish, and when w'have murdered him, what difference is there betwixt him and our selves, but that he first was wicked?— Thou now wouldst kill him' cause he killed thy Father, and when th'hast killed, have not I the self same quarrel? True: and therefore it's I beg his life, there was no way for me to have redeemed intent, but by a real saving of it. If he did ravish from thee thy Orbella, remember that that wicked issue had a noble parent, Love,—Remember how he loved Zorannes when he was Ziriff, — ther's something endue to that.— If you must needs have blood for your revenge, take it here—despise it not Zorannes: The gods themselves, whose greatness makes the greatness of our sins, and heightens they above what we can do unto each other, accept of sacrifice for what we do against them, why should not you, and it's much thriftier too: you cannot let out life there, but my honour goes, and all the life you can take here, posterity will give me back again; see, Aglaura weeps: that would have been ill Rhetoric in me, but where it is, it cannot but persuade. Betrayed again; all ease our Fortune gives our Misery's is hope, and that still proving false, grows partly of it. Sir, be not so cruel to your self, this is and age. No Sir; but that's a story for your ear— Fear not my Dear, if when Loves diet was bore looks and those stolen too, he yet did thrive! what then will he do now? when every night will be a feast, and every day fresh revelry.