Enter CELIUS, CONSTANTIUS, LUCIUS a Roman, and a numerous Attendance of Britons. KING. From contracts fign'd, and articles agreed, How may the world interpret fuch neglect, If this founds rude, then know, we Britons flight [Exit King and Attendants LUCIUS. Happy extremity! now, Prince, be bleft, CONSTANTIUS. If for myfelf alone I would poffefs, In raptures that we feel the ravish'd charmer taste. As they go off, re-enter King CELIUS, attended as before. KING. Not to be found! fhe muft, fhe shall be found; Or thou shouldst feel me, city, in thy fall, [Exeunt. The Scene changes to a Scene of Tombs and Dungeons, Men and Women chained in Rows, oppofite to one another. In the Front of the Captives, Floreftan and Corifanda. A magnificent Monument erefied to the Memory of Ardan, with this Infcription in large Letters of Gold: REVENGE IS VOW'D, REST QUIET, GENTLE SHADE, THE LIVING SHALL BE RESTLESS TILL 'TIS Ꮋ Ꭺ Ꭰ. H A Guard of Dæmons. Plaintive Mufic. To be fung by a captive King. I who but now on thrones of gold, A wretched flave, Am now of flaves the fcorn. Alas! the fmiles of Fortune prove By a captive Lover. The happiest mortals once were we, I lov'd Myra, Myra me, The happieft mortals once were we. But fince cruel Fates diffever, Death befriend me: Of all pains, the greatest pain, By 1 So to th' appointed grove the feather'd pair O Heavens, take pity of our pains, [A Flourish of Inftruments of Horror. Arcabon defcends in a Chariot drawn through the Air by Dragons, guarded by infernal Spirits. She alights and comes forward, armed with a Dagger in ber Hand.] ARCABON. ARCABON. Thou dy'ft-What strange and what refiftless charm, With fecret force, arrefts my lifted arm? What art thou, who with more than magic art, Doft make my hand unfaithful to my heart? AMADIS. One, who difdaining mercy, fues to die; Of all the wretched, fearch the world around, [Afide.] In every line and feature of that face, The dear enchanter of my foul I trace: My brother! had my father too been flain, The blood of my whole race fhould plead in vain. The ties of nature do but weakly move, The strongest tie of nature, is in love. AMADIS. O Floreftan! I fee thofe chains with fhame, O my lov'd friend! with better grace we stood FLORESTAN. Where fhall the brave and good for refuge run, When to be virtuous, is to be undone ? ARCABON. He fpoke and every accent to my heart Gave a fresh wound, and was another dart : He weeps! but reddening at the tears that fall, Is it for thefe? Be quick and free them all. Let every captive be releas'd from chains : How is it that I love, if he complains? Hence every grief, and every anxious care, Your vows have reach'd the Gods, your chains and Mix with the feas and winds, breed tempefts there: breath Strike all your ftrings, to joyful measures move, [Flourish of all the Mufic; the Chains at once fall off from all the Captives. Arcabon frees Amadis her felf.] Chorus repeat, Liberty! Liberty! Another fingle Voice. Happy ifle, all joys poffeffing, When thy nymphs, to cure complaining, Ah! how fweet is Liberty! Dance of Captives, expreffing Joy for Liberty. [Arcabon having freed Amadis, they come forward together; the reft ftanding in Rows on each Side of the Theatre, bowing as they advance.] ARCABON. Never, O never-in some safe retreat, When rage, like mine, makes such a sudden paufe, Far from the noife and tumults of the great, Methinks 'twere easy to divine the cause : The dulleft warrior, in a lady's face, The fecret meaning in a blush may trace, Secure and happy on each other's breast, Within each other's arms we 'll ever reft; When fhort-breath'd fighs, and catching glances, fent Thofe eyes shall make my days ferene and bright, From dying eyes, reveal the kind intent. Let glory fhare, but not poffefs you whole, Love is the darling transport of the foul. AMADIS. The Lords of Fate, who all our lots decree, Have deftin'd Fame, no other chance for me; My fullen ftars in that rough circle move; The happy only are referv'd for love. ARCABON. The ftars which you reproach, my art can force, Glad of the theft, to court the robber's hand; Enchanting are your looks, lefs magic lies Thofe formal lovers be for ever curst, [To him.] Your captive friends have freedom from this hour, Rejoice for them, but for thyself much more: Transform'd to beafts, a vile and monstrous breed; These arms, thus circling round me, blefs the night. [Exeunt Flor. and Cor. [The remaining Captives express their Joy for Liberty by finging and dancing.] Chorus of all the Captives together. To Fortune give immortal praise, Fortune depofes, and can raise; Fortune the captives chains does break, And brings defpairing exiles back; However low this hour we fall, One lucky moment may mend all. The At concludes with a Variety of Dances. ARCABON. To govern love, alas! what woman can ? ARCALAUS. ORIANA. Death I expect, and I defire it too, Too cruel to fufpect such usage meant, -What thence would you infer? [Surlily. Immortal, as the loves which they create. First perish thou; earth, air, and feas, and sky, SCENE II. [Exit. [The SCENE changes to the Reprefentation of a fine Garden; Oriana fitting fenfively in a pleasant Borver towards the lower End of the Scene. Soft Mafic playing. Arcalaus enters, addressing himself respectfully to her, he rises; they advance flowly towards the Front of the Stage, feeming in mute Difcourfe, till the Mufic ceafes.] ARCALAUS and ORIANA. ARCALAU S. Of freedom loft, unjustly you complain, Born to command, where-e'er you come you reign; We know the cause of this prepofterous grief, Refpect is limited to power alone, How art thou chang'd! ah, wretch'd Princefs! now, If I do love, the fault is in your eyes, Love, with fubmiffion, firft begins in courfe, [To her.] Since fofter arguments have prov'd so vain, [He feizes her, he breaks from him. ORIANA ORIANA. Help-help-ye Gods! ARCALAUS. Who with fuch courage can refift defire, [Amadis difcovered in Chains. Arcalaus advancing to fab him, Arcabon enters in the Inftant and offers to fab Oriana.] ARCABON. Strike boldly, murd'rer, ftrike him to the ground, ཀ While thus my dagger answers every wound. By what new magic is thy vengeance charm'd? Trembles thy hand before a man unarm'd? ORIANA. Strike, my deliverer, 'tis a friendly ftroke, I fhun thee not, but rather would provoke : Death to the wretched is an end of care, But yet, methinks, he might that victim spare. [Pointing to Amadis. AMADIS. [Trumpets found on Arcabon's Side, which are ans fwered on Urganda's. The Grove appears in an Inftant all in a Flame; Fountains from below caft up Fire as in Spouts; a Rain of Fire from above; the Sky darkened; Dæmons range themselves on the Stage by Arcalaus and Arcabon; other Dæmons face Urganda; Spirits in the Air; martial Inftruments founding from all Parts of the Theatre; Arcalaus advances before his Party, with his Sword drawn, to Amadis.] ARCALA U S. Let Heaven and Hell and neuter, while we try, On equal terms, which of us two shall die. [Arcalaus and Amadis engage at the Head of their Parties; a Fight at the fame Time in the Air, and upon the Stage; ail Sorts of loud Inftruments founding; Arcalaus falls; the Dæmons, fome fly away through the Air, others fink under Ground, with horrible Cries.] URGANDA. Sound tunes of triumph, all ye winds, and bear Your notes aloft, that heaven and earth may hear; And thou, O Sun! fhine out ferene and gay, And bright, as when the giants loft the day. Burft, burst these chains, just Gods can you look [Tunes of Triumph; the Sky clears; the Grove returns to its firft Profpect. A large Ball of Fire reprefenting the Figure of the Sun defcends gradually to the Stage; Amadis approaching Oriana refpectfully; Arcabon fands fullen and obferving.] AMADIS. [To ORIANA.] While Amadis Criana's love poffeft, Secure of empire in that beauteous breast, Not Jove, the king of Gods, like Amadis was bleft. ORIANA. } While to Oriana Amadis was true, Nor wandering flames to diftant climates drew, No heaven, but only love, the pleas'd Oriana knew. AMADIS. That heaven of love, alas! is mine no more, Braving thofe Powers by whom the falfely fwore; She to Conftantius would thofe charms refign, If oaths could bind, that should be only mine. ORIANA. With a feign'd falfehood you'd evade your part [Turning disdainfully from him.' AMADIS, [Approaching tenderly.] But should this injur'd vassal you suspect Prove true-Ah! what return might he expect? ORIANA. [Returning to him with an air of tenderness.] Though brave Constantius charms with every art, That can entice a tender virgin's heart, Whether he shines for glory, or delight, To tempt ambition, or enchant the fight, Were Amadis reftor'd to my esteem, I would reject a Deity-for him. AMADIS. |