DARIUS

W Hat thundering power grown jealous of my state, Which (having daunted earth) perchance heaven fears Thus armed with lightning, breathing flames of hate, Big with disdain, high indignation bears? Long smoothed of all, while I (pale cares despised) In Fortune's lap asleep, of greatness dreamed, Even in that calm, my state a storm surprised, And ere I waked, my ruin was proclaimed; Thus I, whose only name did terror give (As Idol of the world,) adored over all, (With crosses compassed,) such a wretch do live, That who admired my might, admire my fallen; Ah, then indeed I fell, when gallants stood, And Phoenix Like renewed their lives by death; Who having sealed their force, and faith, with blood, Would rather die, then draw a borrowed breath; Yet I, not I, did view, not venge (though near) Those monstrous mountains of my Subject's slain, Though even my enemies must my courage clear, Which flames of fury lightened forth in vain; Through greatest dangers, death I did pursue, Till heaps of slaughtered bodies barred my way, And changed my Chariot to a scarlet hue, Ere wounded honour could be drawn away; Oh how I envy yet their happy Ghosts, Who died while hope of victory remained, And in the presence of two famous hosts, To praise their valour, even their foes constrained: Shall I survive that memorable shame, Which Persia's glory with disgrace confined? No, rather let me die, and let my name As vain, quite vanish, razed from every mind. Starre-boasting Babylon, all Asia's Queen, Blush to behold thy King in such a state, That by the gazing world he now is seen, (A scorned futer) humbly to entreat; But not turned vassal, as by power appalled; Though all my Empire to a perjod come, Yet none shall vaunt that ever I was thralled: "Hearts holding courage, are not quite overcome. Should I whose Sovereignty so oft was sworn, Be seen submiss to escape a minutes pains, No, let them bow, who but to bow were born: For Darius this indignity disdains, Since I was once judged worthy to command, Shall I descend a Subject's state to try? No, while a sword yields homage to this hand, I scorn to grant a greater man then I. Brave sprites, who now possess the pleasant bowers, And glorious Gardens of elysian Plains, (For, (if deserts may move the infernal powers) That happy shade your shadows now contains) Those fatal fields where I did lead you forth, Your bodies bury, but enlarge your fame's, Men shall adore the relics of your worth, And Trophies rear to your immortal names; I'll sacrifice as Incense to your souls, His dying sighs, and sorrowing Parents tears, Who now, while none his prospering pride controls, Our conquered Ensigns in his triumph bears: For, it may ease your Ghosts to hear his groans, While burdened earth rebounding back does send A wailing echo (raised from woods and stones,) With wounded words to show that Armies end. Why spend I speeches to disturb your rest, As but with words (and idle speaker) pleased? A mighty fury hath inflamed my breast, And I will rage, till by revenge appeased. Did I that strong Cadusian first afront, Who durst advance himself to brave our bans, Then turned applauded, and in high account, Charged with his spoils, the honour of my hands? What, could I then (all kind of doubt removed) Alone adventure to and Armies shame? And should I now (that ancient praise disproved) With squadrons compassed, loose that glorious name? Blind fortune, Oh! thy stratagems are strange! Which spoil my power, and stain my honour too, And (having made my state the stage of change) Hast acted all was in thy power to do; Lo, I, who late of swarming troops did boast, Near left alone, have Fortune's fraud disclosed; And those made captives whom I fancy most, To vaunting Victor's are by fates exposed: Oh torment but to think, death to believe, That any may my dearest partly annoy, And I, wretched I, not able to relieve Mine eyes chief jewel, and my hearts chief joy, Dear object of my thoughts, my life, my love, Sweet Spring of my delights, my one, my all, Bright image of th'excellencies above, What? dost thou breath, and comest not when I call? And can I be, and not be where thou art? Hath heaven the force me from thy face to bar? Or are my hands grown traitors to my heart? That they should shrink from doing what it dare: Oh! could my mind but distribute a space Those emulating thoughts which toss my breast, To pointless ciphers, who but spend a place, Then I alone might animate the rest; Since in this great disgrace, I chanced to fallen, Now nothing rests to raise my fame forlorn, But by some desperate course to hazard all; I'll live with praise, or by my death fly scorn; Some prosperous issue afterwards may purge This crime which fortune hath imposed on me, This crime that carries with it self a scourge: No greater torment then the want of thee; "But Fortune's course, what mortal can restrain, "Who Diadems through dust for sport does roll? A stranger now over my delights does reign, And may extort the treasures of my soul; Now, not till now, I apprehend my harms, When I imagine how my best beloved Must entertain mine enemy in her arms, And I so far from offering ay de removed; A host of furies in my breast I find, Which do my soul with dreadful horrors fill, While Melancholy musters in my mind Strange apprehensions that affright me still; And this surmized disgrace, grown thoroughly strong, Reads hourly in mine ears a hateful scroule Of and imagined, yet a helpless wrong, Such poisoned thoughts Like Serpents sting my soul; Blind love beguiles me not, sharp sighted fears With reason fed, do make suspicion live: Would God that I had neither eyes nor ears, Which to the heart intelligence might give; This aggravates the weight of my despair, When doubt objects to break loves last defence, How he is young and fierce, she young and fair, He to offend, she subject to offence; From wronging me, both cannot long abstain: Her beauty is sufficient to allure, His bravery is sufficient to obtain. "Captains will force, and Captives must endure. Oh Alexander, tender my renown, Though thus thou travel to usurp my throne, "I rage to have a rival in my Crown, "But in my love I can comport with none, That boundless flame which in thy bosom boils, If quenched with ought save blood (as base) I blame: My Fortune's take, but spare her honours spoils, Which not thy glory, yet must breed our shame. But pardon deer that which grieved thoughts burst orth, More bright thy fame, that darkened is my state, "By many means men may approve their worth "A woman only with a wretched mate: "Chaste minds still pure, do then most firmly stand, "When fortified with wedlock's sacred band. Yet let me doubt, or let me leave to love, "To fear the worst it is affections partly: I doubt not of thy truth; yet it may prove Thy face betray thy faith, thy hap thy heart; But on thy worth my confidence relies, This does dissolve suspicions power again; I will repel reports as stand'rous lies, Which would my judgement, or thy virtue stain. Though fortune now my ruin does design, Yet, with that traitress scorn to be conjured, She soon may help her fault, thou never thine: "No help for honours wounds, all else are cured. Great signs of grief I in thy face discern, And spare not to report this heavy cross To one (I fear) whom it does most concern: Is't death, disgrace, destruction, treason, lose? Tell on the sum of horror at the first; With no ambiguous words my pain prolong; "A wretch for comfort craves to know the worst, And I have learned to be unhappy long; What least I speak, and yet suspect too much, Art thou the Trumpet to proclaim my scorn Which must wound me? (but ah) no torment such As this to her who that disgrace hath born. Yet does the Sun on my affliction shine, And clear the air though tainted by my breath? And can I live, and look them in the face, Who have my overthrow (shameful overthrow) seen? And how I vanquished, vanquished with disgrace, Did loose at once my Kingdom and my Queen? Heaven bruise me all to powder with thy thunder, That I no more may in the world remain The object of thy wrath, and Fortune's wonder, Spoiled of all hope, yet kept for greater pain. Ah, art thou dead? and do I live behind thee? Thy faulty husband, thinkest thou so to fly? If it be thin, then know I where to find thee, This only grieves me that too late I die. Oh Alexander, what such heinous ill Have I done thee, that thou requit'st me thus? Whom of thy friends or kindred did I kill? This cruelty comes undeserved of us, Though justly thou intended had this war, Mars from his rage made women always free, This tyranny shall all thy Trophies mar, And still to thy reproach reported be. If any sparks of that respect remain, Which much with thee should (duly weighed) import, I pray thee (Tiriotes) now be plain, Or else strange torments shall the truth extort; I loath to let this question escape my mouth, Which both I blush to crave, and long to know, And can it be, that this transported youth Not urged to have that which I only owe? Could this fierce Prince even in his flaming age, Have such a beauty purchased by his toils, And yet not seek (forced by affections rage) Her honours ruin, and my pleasures spoils? Speak frankly now, and tell what fatal shelf Hath crushed my treasures Bark, and me defaced: The fear of ill is worse then ill it self, "They twice do die, who die, and die disgraced. Oh endless shame which never can be cured Would God I then had died, as I desired, To have prevented those ensuing barmes, Whilst ere my hohour and my hap expired A Crown my head, a Queen enriched my arms. Oh hateful heaven! that with such hellish spite The world's chief treasure, Nature's glory reft. Oh power supreme that of great states disposest, And ratifi'st thy will with fearful thunder, Who as thou pleasest, placest, and deposest Uncertain worldlings, now above, now under: I pray thy Deity in my souls distress, If that inhabitants of heaven can hear The plaints of them who this low point possess, Or that the immortals can give mortals care, This favour last I only do require, Establish first the Sceptre in my hand; But if through my desert, or thy desire, The raze of Cyrus must no more command, Since angry heaven so high a hate contracts, That I must needs my Diadem forgo, Let him succeed, who proves in all his acts, So mild a Victor, and so just a foe. Wretch travelest thou thy Sovereign to betray? Such treason darest thou to our ears impart? Such treason under trust? stay traitor stay, My sword shall search what lurks within thy heart. And of my Subject's I would rather have Then one to punish, them to guerdon all. Your found opinion justly might be feared, Which seemed indeed sinistrously inclined; For, at the first your speech to me appeared The poisoned birth of some malicious mind. But your purgation now hath taken place, And of your faith I will no further doubt, But hold you in the same degree of grace, That you enjoyed, before those words chanced our. I think that Patron looks with speaking eyes, As if his mind were mightily perplexed, Come, Patron, tell what in thy bosom lies, By which thou seemest so wonderfully vexed. What sudden danger does of late dismay you, Such inconveniences that you forecast? I trust thy words, but yet I cannot wrong Those who by nature love to me should bear, Shall I leave them who followed me so long? Then they may think, I merit what I fear. I will await on what the heavens will send, For, who can stand when fates his fallen conspire, And with mine own, at least, least grieved will end; I live too long if they my death desire. Of Alexander those who hope for gain, By traitorous means do but themselves deceive, Since none in earth does Traitors more disdain, Nor treason can in greater horror have. It better is since things are gone so far, Then seem but to mistrust, to be betrayed. Lo, Artabazus I have acted here My partly of greatness, and my glass is run, Now Patrons speech does evident appear, I see my end, yet can their course not shun. And what if I were gone to Patrons Tent, And had the Greeks for guard as you desire? He h that but thousands four which are well bent, TO y thirty thousand who my fallen conspire; And (doing this) I should their deed excuse, In giving them a cause who have most might; They may indeed my lenity abuse, But by my deed they shall pretend no right. Retire you all, and seek your selves to keep, ere attend the issue of my fate. Y on that a wretch yet breathing stands, oh whom the heavens no comfort can impart: F e shall not make me fallen by mine own hands, No, let another sin though I must smart; None of you all have falsified your truth, But loyal still unto the end abide, Now I you all disburthen of your oath, Leave me alone, and for your selves provide.