The battle near,
When cowards fear,

The drum and trumpet founds;
Their courage warms,
They rush to arms,

And brave a thousand wounds.

CHORUS.

By harmony our fouls are sway'd;
By harmony the world was made.
A fecond dance.
Singers again advance.
A fingle Voice.
When with adoring looks we gaze
On bright Oriana's heavenly face,
In ev'ry glance, and ev'ry grace,
What is that we fee,

But harmony,
Celestial harmony!

Our ravish'd hearts leap up to meet
The mufic of her eyes,

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,
Strike the lyre, inspire the flute;
In harmony,

Celestial harmony,

All magic charms are found;
Sound the trumpet, found.

A third dance.

URGANDA and DELIA come forward.
URGAND A.

This care for Amadis, ye gods, approve,
For what's a foldier's recompence but love?
When forc'd from Britain, call'd to distant war,
His vanquish'd heart remain'd a captive here;
Oriana's eyes that glorious conqueft made,
Nor was his love ungratefully repaid,

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,
'Tis now become a crime to mention love.
Our holy men interpreting the voice
Of Heaven in wrath, forewarn th'ill-omen'd choice.
CONSTANTIUS.

Strange rules for conftancy your priests devise,
If love and hate muft vary with your skies,
From fuch vile fervitude fet reason free;
The Gods in every circumstance agree
To fuit our union, pointing out to me;
In this right hand the fceptre that they place,
For me to guide, was meant for you to grace.
Thou beft and faireft of the beauteous kind,
Accept that empire which the Gods defign'd,
And be the charming mistress of mankind.
CORISANDA.

Nuptials of form, of intereft, or of state,
Thofe feeds of pride, are fruitful in debate;
Let happy men for generous love declare,
And choose the gentle virgin, chafte and fair:
Let women to fuperior fortune born,
For naked virtue all temptations (corn;
The charm 's immortal to a gallant mind,
If gratitude cement whom love has join'd.
And Providence, not niggardly, but wife,
Here lavishly beftows and there denies,
That by each other's virtue we may rife.
Weak the bare tie of Man and Wife we find,
But Friend and Benefactor always bind.

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,
Shall, when I pleafe, be good; and none shall dare
Preach or expound, but what their King would hear.
[Priefts bow profoundly low.

Ere they interpret, let 'em mark my nod,
My voice their thunder, this right arm their God.
Looking Bernly at 'em, they bow as before.
Prince, take your bride.

ORIANA.

'Twere impious now to fuffer him my hand. [Refufing her hand..

KING.

How dar'ft thou difobey, when I command?
Mind, mind her not, nor be difturb'd at tears,
A counterfeited qualm of bridal fears:

You'd fee, could you her inward motions watch,
Feigning delay, the wishes for dispatch;
Into a woman's meaning would you look,
Then read her backward, like a wizard's book.
Priefts, to your charge-back to your office go.

[Spoken with a stern, imperious air. Priefts retire, obfequiously boring as before.

ORIANA.

Th' obedience that is due, and which I owe,
Dread Sir, fhall ever be observed by me;
It is not to difpute your high decree
That thus I kneel, but humbly to implore

One moment's short fufpence; I own your power,
And I fubmit, Grant but this small delay,
And as the prince decides, Oriana fhall obey.

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
Your world? Are these the masters of mankind?
Thefe fupple Romans teach our women scorn;
I thank ye, Gods, that I'm a Briton born.
[To them.] Agree these trifles in a short debate;
No more delays, I am not us'd to wait.

[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
Which spoke that word, the found is instant death.
ORIANA.

Too late to be recall'd, or to deny,
I own the fatal truth-if one muft die,
You are the judge; fay, is it you-or I?

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.