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Aftarbe fuffers him to hold the fceptre,
But the directs his hand which way to point.
The king's decrees were firm and absolute,

Not the whole earth's confederate powers could shake 'em ;

But now a frown, a fmile, from fair Aftarbe,
Renders them light as air.

Soph. If you have lov'd,

You cannot think this strange.

Orba. Yet this fame woman,

To whom the king has given up all himself,
Can scarce prevail upon her haughty temper
To show diffembled love She loves his power,
She loves his treasures; but fhe loaths his perfon:
Thus ev'ry day he buys diffimulation.

Whene'er a woman knows you in her power,
She never fails to use it.

Soph. That's a fure proof

Of cold indifference and fixt dislike.

In love both parties have the power to govern,
But neither claims it. Love is all compliance.
Aftarbe feem'd to me of gentleft manners,
A tender softness languish'd in her eyes,
Her voice, her words, bespoke an easy temper.
I thought I scarce had ever feen till then
Such beauty and humility together.

Orba. How beauty can miflead and cheat our reafon!
The queen knows all the ways to ufe her charins
In their full force, and Media feels their power.
Whoever dares difpute her hourly will,

Wakens a busy fury in her bofom.
Sure, never love exerted greater fway;
For her he breaks through all the regal customs,
For the is not confin'd like former queens,
But with controling power enjoys full freedom.
I am to blame, to talk upon this fubject.

Soph. My innocence had made me quite forget
That I'm your prifoner. Load me with diftreffes,
They better fuit my ftate. I've loft my kingdom,
A palace ill befits me. I'm a captive,

And captives fhould wear chains. My fellow foldiers Now pine in dungeons, and are gall'd with irons,

And I the caufe of all! Why live I thus
Amidft the pomp and honours of a court?
Why breathe I morn and ev'n in fragrant bowers?
Why am I fuffer'd to behold the day?
For I am loft to ev'ry fenfe of pleasure.

Give me a dungeon, give me chains and darkness;
Nor courts, nor fragrant bowers, nor air, nor day-light
Give me one glimpse of joy- loft Cylene!
Orba Misfortunes are the common lot of man,
And each man has his fhare of diff'rent kinds:
He who has learnt to bear them best is happiest.
But fee, Araxes comes with guards and prifoners.
Enter Araxes, Hydarnes, Confpirators, with guards.
Arax. Behold your leader. Where are now your hopes
[To the Confpirators.
Of murd'ring kings and overturning nations?
See with what ftedfaft eyes they gaze upon him,
As thinking him the man that has betray'd them.
Angry fufpicion frowns on ev'ry brow;

They know their guilt, and each miftrufts the other.
We feiz'd them in th' attempt to make escape,

All arm'd, all defperate, all of them unknown,
And ev'ry one is obftinately dumb.

[To Orba.
I charge you, fpeak. Know you that prifoner there?
Ay, view him well. Confefs, and merit grace.
What, not a word! Will you accept of life? [To Hyd.
Speak, and 'tis granted. Tortures fhall compel you..
Will you, or you, or you, or any of you?

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What, all refolv'd on death! Bring forth the chains. [Exit foldier. Orba. Be not too rafh, nor treat the prince too roughly.

He

may be innocent.

Arax. You are too partial.

I know my duty. Juffice treats alike
Those who alike offend, without regard

To dignity or office. Bring the chains.

[Enter foldiers with chains.

Orba. This over zeal perhaps may give offence, The prince is treated like no common flave.

Pbraortes ftrives to leffen his affliction,

Nor

Nor would he add a figh to his diftreffes :
Afarbe too will talk to him whole hours,
With all the tender manners of her fex,
To fhorten the long tedious days of bondage.
I'll be his guard. My life hall answerfor him.

Ara My life mutt anfwer for him. He's my charge, And this is not a time for courtesy.

Are you ftill refolute and bent on death?

Once more I-offer mercy.

[To the Confpirators. When the torture

Cracks all your finews and disjoints your bones, And death grins on you, 'arm'd with all his terrors, 'Twill loose your stubborn tongue. Know ye this man? Hyd. We know him not; nor why we wear thefe chains. Ini nola

We ask no mercy, but appeal to justice.

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Now you know all we know: lead to our dungeons. [Ex. Hyd. and Confpirators, guarded, Onba. How have you wrong'd the prince! theie .fhameful irons

Should not difgrace the hands of innocence.

Let's fet him freepin

Ara. This is all artifice,

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To let their leader 'fcape. Guards, take him hence,
And let him be confin'd till further orders.

Soph. Who fhall plead for me in a foreign land!
My words will find no faith for I'm a stranger:
And who holds friendship with adverfity?.
So fate may do its worft. I'm tir'd of life.

[Exit, guarded.
Ara. I've done my duty, and I've done no more,
Why wear you that concern upon your brow?
It misbecomes you in this time of joy.
Strait let us to the king, and learn his pleasure,
Juftice is ours, but mercy's lodg'd in him."

Orba. I never can believe the prince fo vile To mix with common murderers and affallins. I think him virtuous, and I fhare his fuff'rings. All generous fouls muft ftrong reluctance find, In heaping forrows on th' afflicted mind.

I

[Exeunt.

ACT

.

A CT II.

SCENE, The Queen's Apartment,

Ho

ASTARBE.

WOW expectation can prolong an hour,
And make it seem a day! a tedious day!
What not yet come! the wonted hour is past :.
In vain I turn my eye from walk to walk,
Sophernes is not there. Here, every morn
I watch his penfive fteps along the garden,..
And gaze and with till I am loft in love!

--

What not yet come! But hark! methinks I hear
The found of feet! How my heart pants and flutters
No. 'Twas the wind that shook yon cyprefs boughs.
Where are my views of wealth, of power, of state?
[Rifes
They're blotted from my mind. I've loft ambition.
O love, thou haft me all. My dreams, my thoughts,
My every with is center'd in Sophernes.
Hence, Shame, thou rigid tyrant of our sex,
I throw thee off and I'll avow my paffion.
Dorafpe. I can bear to think no longer..

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[Sits again!

Dor. Why fits the queen thus overcaft with thought? Is majefty all plac'd in outward pomp ?

?.

Is it a queen, to have fuperior cares?
And to excel in forrows and diftreffes ?
"Tis in your power to have fuperior pleasures,
And feel yourself a queen.

Aft. This mighty empire

I know I do command, and him that rules it. That was a pleasure once, but now 'tis past ! you alone I have difclos'd my heart.

Το

I know you faithful.

Dor. What avails my fervice?

Can I redress you? can I calm your mind?

Aft. Thou know'ft, Dorafpe, amidst all this power.

That

That I'm a flave, the very worst of flaves.
The yoke of bondage, and the dungeon's horrors,
Are eafy fuff'rings, if compar'd with mine.

I am confin'd to dwell with one I hate,
Confin'd for life to suffer naufeous love,
Like a poor mercenary prostitute:
His fondness is my torture.

Dor. Love is a pleasure for inferior minds;
Your lot is rais'd above that vulgar paffion.
Ambition is the pleasure of the great,

That fills the heart, and leaves no room for love. Think you're a queen, enjoy your pomp, your power; Love is the paradife of fimple fhepherds.

You hold a fceptre.

Aft. O infipid greatness!

She who has never lov'd, has never liv'd.
All other views are artificial pleasures
For fluggish minds, incapable of love.
My foul is form'd for this fublimer paffion :
My heart is temper'd for the real joy;
Ifigh, I pant, I burn, I'm fick of love!
Yes, Media, I renounce thy purple honours.
Farewell the pomp, the pageantry of ftate,
Farewell ambition, and the luft of empire;
I've now no paffion, no defire but love.

[Rifes

may my eyes have power!-I ask no more. Where ftays Sophernes? Were he now before me, My tongue fhould own what oft my eyes have spoke, For love has humbled pride.-Why this intrusion? Who call'd you here a witness to my frailties? Away and leave me.

Dor. 1 obey my queen.

Aft. Dorafpe, tay. Excufe this ftart of paffion;
My mind is torn with wishes, doubts, and fears;
I had forgot myself.-Should fortune frown,
And tear the diadem from off my brow,

Couldst thou be follower of my adverse fortune?
I think thou couldft.

Dor. If I might give that proof,

Without your fufferings, I could with the trial;
So firm I know my heart.

Aft. Life, like the seasons,

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