Troops of Magicians attending the feveral Enchanters. Knights and Ladies, Captives. Men and Women attending the British Court. Priefts, or Druids. Romans attending Conftantius. Singers, Dancers, &c. SCENE the King's Palace, and Parts adjacent, inhabited by the different Enchanters. ACTI. SCENE I. The Curtain rifes to a fymphony of all forts of inftruments of mufic. The Scene The battle near, The drum and trumpet founds; And brave a thousand wounds. CHORUS. By harmony our fouls are sway'd; But harmony, Our ravish'd hearts leap up to meet The mufic of her eyes, And dance around her feet. Full Chorus of voices and inftruments, as at firft. Sound the trumpet, touch the lute, Celestial harmony, All magic charms are found; A third dance. URGANDA and DELIA come forward. This care for Amadis, ye gods, approve, DELIA DELIA. By Arcabon, like hoftile Juno, croft, And like Æneas driv'n from coast to coast, The wand'ring hero wou'd return too late, Charg'd by Oriana with the crimes of fate: Who anxious of neglect, fufpecting change, Confults her pride, and meditates revenge. URGANDA. Juft in a moment, when refentment fires, A charming rival tempts, a rugged king requires: Love yields at laft, thus combated by pride, And the fubmits to be the Roman's bride. DELIA. Did not your art with timely charms provide, Oriana were his wife, and not his bride. URGANDA. In ancient times, ere chivalry was known, The infant world with monfters overgrown, Centaurs and giants, nurft with human blood, And dire magicians, an infernal brood, Vex'd men and gods: but moft the fair complain Of violated loves, and lovers flain. To shelter innocence, and injur'd right, The nations all elect fome patron-knight, Sworn to be true to love, and flaves to fame, And many a valiant chief enrolls his name ; By fhining marks diftinguish'd they appear, And various orders various enfigns wear. Bound by ftrict oaths, to ferve the brightest eyes, Not more they ftrive for glory, than the prize; While to invite the toil, the fairest dame Of Britain is the boldest champion's claim. DELIA. Of all who in this race of fame delight, Brave Amadis is own'd the hardy'ft knight. Nor Thefeus, nor Alcides, ventur'd more, Nor he fo fam'd, who, bath'd in monster's gore, Upon his crested helm the trampled dragon bore. URGANDA. Ardan, that black enchanter, whofe dire arts Enflav'd our knights, and broke our virgins hearts, Met fpear to fpear, his great delivering hand Slew the deftroyer, and redeem'd the land; Far from thy breast all care and grief remove, Oriana's thine, by conqueft as by love. DELIA. But haughty Arcabon, of Ardan's blood, And Arcalaus, foes alike to good, Gluttons in murder, wanton to destroy, Their fatal arts as impiously employ Heirs to their brother's mischiefs, and fworn foes To Amadis, their magic they oppose Against his love and life. URGANDA. With equal care, Their vengeance to prevent, we thus prepare, Behold the time, when tender love fhall be Nor vext with doubt, nor prest with tyranny. The love-fick hero fhall from camps remove, To reap reward: the hero's pay is love. The tasks of glory painful are, and hard, But ah! how bleft, how fweet is the reward! L CONSTANTIUS. OVERS confult not ftars, nor fearch the skies, But feek their fentence in their charmer's eyes. Careless of thunder from the clouds that break, My only omens from your looks I take; When my Oriana fmiles, from thence I date My future hope; and when the frowns, my fate. ORIANA. Ceafe, Prince, the anger of the Gods to move, Strange rules for conftancy your priests devise, Nuptials of form, of intereft, or of state, The KING advances, followed by Priefts and Train. KING. Our priests recover: 'Twas a holy cheat; Lead back the bride, the ceremonies wait. ORIANA. ORIANA. What Heaven forbids KING. -'Twas ignorance of my will, Our Priefts are better taught: What now is ill, Ere they interpret, let 'em mark my nod, ORIANA. 'Twere impious now to fuffer him my hand. [Refufing her hand.. KING. How dar'ft thou difobey, when I command? You'd fee, could you her inward motions watch, [Spoken with a stern, imperious air. Priefts retire, obfequiously boring as before. ORIANA. Th' obedience that is due, and which I owe, One moment's short fufpence; I own your power, CONSTANTIUS. I have no will but what your eyes ordain, Deftin'd to love, as they are doom'd to reign. KING. [Afide.] Into what hands, ye Gods! have ye refign'd [King CELIUS retires back into the Temple. ORIANA, CONSTANTIUS, and CORISANDA, after a short pause. ORIANA. Your stars and mine have chofen you, to prove The nobleft way how generous men should love; All boast their flames, but yet no woman found A paffion, where felf-love was not the ground. Slaves we are made, by falfe pretences caught, The Briton in my foul difdains the thought. CONSTANTIUS. So much, fo tenderly your flave adores, He has no thought of happiness, but yours. ORIANA. Vows may be feign'd, nor fhall mere words prevail, I must have proofs, but proofs that cannot fail. By arms, by honor, and by all that's dear To heroes, or expecting lovers, fwear. CONSTANTIUS. Needs there an oath! and can Oriana say, Thus I command, and doubt if I'll obey. ORIANA. Prepare then, Prince, to hear a fecret told, Which shame would fhun, and blufhing I unfold, But dangers preffing, cowards will grow bold: Know-then-I love. CONSTANTIUS. [Eagerly] } Can you command despair, yet love confefs? And curfe with the fame breath with which you blefs? ORIANA. [Disdainfully putting him off.] Miftake me not-that I do love is true, But flatter not yourself, it is not you. CONSTANTIUS. [Starting.] Forbid it, Gods! recal the fatal breath Too late to be recall'd, or to deny, A Mejenger from the Temple. MESSENGER. The King is much difpleas'd at this delay. CONSTANTIUS, walking about in a Paffion. CONSTANTIUS. And let him wait, while 'tis my will to stay. ORIANA. } Bear back a gentler anfwer: we 'll obey. [Exit Meffenger. CONSTANTIUS. Hence every found that 's either foft, or kind; O for a war like that within my mind! Say, flatterer, fay, ah! fair deluder, speak, Answer me this, ere yet my heart shall break; Since thus engag'd, you never could intend Your love, why was I flatter'd with your hand? ORIANA. To what a Father and a King thinks fit, A Daughter and a Subject must fubmit. Think not from tyranny that love can grow; I am a flave, and you have made me fo. Thofe chains which duty hath put on, remove; Slaves may obey, but they can never love. CONSTANTIUS. Cruel Oriana, much you wrong my flame, To think that I could lay fo harsh a claim. Love is a fubject to himself alone, And knows no other empire but his own; No ties can bind, which from constraint arife, Where either 's forc'd, all obligation dies. O fatal law requiring to refign The object lov'd; or hated, keep her mine. ORIANA. |