The history of Polexander in five bookes / done into English by VVilliam Browne, Gent. ...

THE LAST TESTIMONY OF LOVE WHICH HELIOPHILUS BEARES TO HIS KINGS AND COUNTREY.

WHen this Kingdome shall be raised to the supreme point of all prosperitie, by a precipitated death, it shall be expos'd to the rage of mindes most ambitious. The deaths of the first rebels shall no way terrifie the second. Bloudy examples shall but stirre up the treason; and that unfortunate age shall produce such monsters, who to satiate their brutishnesse, will lay waste their countrey with fire and sword, and shall be so base as to enter into confederary with meere strangers. Me thinkes I al∣ready see those Usurpers appeare on our coasts; they are within our ports; they have besieg'd thee miserable Eliza, and keep thee captivated: stay thy furie, unmercifull Na∣tion; thrust not thy boudy weapon into the throat of the innocent. But behold, I see a Slave come out of the bottome of Africa, who already having vanquish'd many nations, arrives here to exterminate both the rebels and usurpers. Courage brave Prince, thy Inheritrix shall be preserv'd at the instant of her ruine. But thou young Princesse, oppose not the felicities Heaven reserves for thee: force thy deceiving opi∣nions; in this occasion take thy selfe to be thine owne enemie; and since thy happi∣nesse cannot be perfected unlesse thou become the glorious reward of the fatall Slave's travels: sacrifice thy aversions, thy desires, and thine own will, to the safetie of thy Countrey. 'Tis a businesse resolv'd in heaven, thou must swallow this potion, which hath no bitternesse but whilst thou refusest it; on then, and let not thy brave heart faile thee at need; taste those sweets thy vertues have deserv'd. O new age of gold! O Island truly fortunate! O Slave worthy the regall throne! O Princesse happily de∣ceived! O glorious alliance! O illustrious posteritie!

In all likelihood, Alcidiana at the reading of this Prophesie might have receiv'd some contentment; but she renew'd her sighings, and unable any longer to refraine from tears, even let them fall down on the Prophesie in such an excesse, as if she had be∣leev'd she could with the Characters have drown'd all the misfortunes they seem'd to threaten her. Rhadiotez seeing her discontent, spoke all he thought fitting to quiet her afflicted minde; but Alcidiana not induring his discourse, Retire father (said she) and assure your selfe, that I have not so little profited in your schoole, but that I know well how we must die when we can live no longer, but with dishonour. I was borne free, and you propose to me something worse then death, when you propound I am not to live but by making my selfe the slave of a Slave. Rhadiotez willing to give the Princesse time to advise with her selfe, and more seriously to meditate on the Pro∣phesie, return'd to his palace; and Alcidiana seeing her self then at libertie, began again her lamentations, and turning to her confident, Come Amintha (said she) am I not now at last arriv'd at that utmost point of misfortune, which long since, my visions, my dis∣rests, and melancholy foretold me? O cruell Fate! certainly thou too tyrrannically abusest that soveraigne power which is given thee from above on us poore mortalls: What wilt thou shall become of me? But doe what thou list; my good or ill shall not depend on thee: the command I have over my selfe is no lesse absolute then thine; I will keep it in spight of all thy violence; and since death hath depriv'd me of all that could make me in love with life; 'tis in vaine by the object of greatnesse and felicities to bustle with my resolution and tempt my courage. Cast thine eyes on me, deare and worthy subject of my sorrow, turne thine eyes on me, and upbraid me of falshood, if thou read'st in my soule any motion that counsels me to forsake thee for another. The Princesse's confident seeing her teares and sighes had taken away her power of speech; Polexander (said she to her) is worthy of these testimonies of love you bestow on his memorie; and, Madam, he having lov'd you, what said I, lov'd? having ador'd you as he hath done, I doubt not, but amidst all the pleasures which inviron him, hee resents your displeasures, and seeing you afflicted, is even pensive and sad in the very source of all happinesse. Ah deare Amintha, cry'd the Queene, how doe thy words pierce me, and mournfully re-imprint in my memorie, the remembrance of my folly and ingra∣titude! She could not speake further, for word was brought her, the multitude was round about the palace, and threatned to breake the gates if they were not let in. All conspires against us Amintha (said she to her confident,) but let us resist to the last, and at least shew that faire soule which lookes on us from heaven, that we abandon not his

party though it be to the weakest. With that she went out on a great Terrasse which ran along the first court of her palace, and commanded the gates to be opened. Pre∣sently the people rush'd in headlong, but at sight of the Princesse whom they never look'd on without respect and wonder, they rain'd in their fury and fell all on their knees. Alcidiana, seeing them in such a reverence, commanded them to stand up and declare the cause of the tumult: the multitude after their wonted manner, speaking in confusion, began to cry out, that the Deliverer which had beene promis'd the State even from Heaven, was at the towne gate, and they besought the Queen's permission to goe meet him, to see him, and petition him for an end of their present calamities. Alcidiana, unable to indure the continuation of their discourse; How, my subjects (said she all inraged) you doe not thinke of me then otherwise then as of an enemie, or at least as of one without power? What, doe you expect from a wretched stranger, what you hope not from my vigilancie, from my forces, nor your owne courage? who is the seducer that hath impoison'd your minds with a prediction as idle as it is intri∣cate? You see at hand the safetie my care hath acquir'd you, and yet you tread under∣foot what is sensible to run after Chimera's and meer leasings. Assure your selves, the date of your misfortune is pass'd; the revolt is buried in the graves of the authors, and the strangers are no more in case to annoy us: have a little patience, and you shall soone see them shamefully quit our coasts, and carrie nothing of their crimes with them, but their griefe for committing them. The people repli'd, she promis'd no happinesse but what was most certaine; but that she might not be unworthy of it, 'twas fitting the person should be honour'd who had wrought it. That reply absolutely angring the Queene, she withdrew without giving the people any contentment, and shutting her selfe up in her closet with Amintha onely; O ingratefull people (cry'd she) that have neither thought of me nor my predecessors! Reeds, shaken with all winds, minds ado∣ring novelties, you are then wearie of my Government, and without the knowledge of what is beneficiall or hurtfull to you, desire a Slave for your King; and that Alci∣diana, who would not bestow her chaines on Polexander, should offer her Crowne to Araxes! Here she was silent, and after a little musing, threw her selfe (weeping) on her confident's neck; And my poore Amintha (said she) see I pray thee with what eagernesse my misfortune pursues me, and thinke what I should resolve on to avoid the accomplishment of our dismall Prophesie: Doest thou imagine that Alcidiana hath so base a spirit as to preferre before death, a Slave who without doubt is come from among that barbarous nation which wretchedly inhabits the in-land deserts of Africa? No, no, let Fortune arme the whole universe, to force me to that necessitie; I will see my kingdome all of a flame, if my bloud cannot quench the fire, rather then undergoe the reproach of doing an act unworthy of Alcidiana. Amintha, desirous to intertaine the Queen in this just aversion; There is nothing (said she) but your Majestie is bound to suffer rather then the dangerous beliefe which is slid in among your subjects. Weak minds (as your Majestie knowes) are susceptible of all: we need but propose things to them beyond their understanding, to fill them with foolish admirations, and from those idle wondrings, carry them to beliefes more ridiculous and extravagant. If once your subjects strongly conceive that their fafetie depends on this Slave, and that you ought to be the sacrifice to be offer'd for their good; your forbiddings, how severe soever, shall never plucke that opinion out of them: I feare, lest at the upshot they come to violate the respect they owe you, and to avoid the falling into such misfortunes as threaten them, they cast your sacred person into the greatest that can betide you: pluck out this errour before it have taken too deep root, and suffer not this African Inchanter to bewitch the minds of your people, and forbid on paine of death, any man whatso∣ever to have the least communication with him. I would willingly follow your advice (reply'd the Queene) but the love I beare to my subjects forbids me: What shall I do miserable wretch that I am? the sorrow for what is pass'd, the horror of the present, and the feare of what is to come, present themselves to my thoughts all at once, like so ma∣ny monsters resolutely bent to be drunken with my bloud. I confesse Amintha, my Philosophy yeelds to my fortune, and my constancy leaving me, I float incertainly in my selfe, and know not what to resolve on: thinke on it for me (deare Amintha) and

as a charitable Physitian imploy your judgement and remedies for the comforting of a Patient whose sicknesse is all in extremities. If your Majestie (reply'd Amintha) gets not from your selfe the remedie that may give ease to your maladie, doe not ex∣pect that any which may come from without you, can render you your health. I am capable of all (repli'd Alcidiana sighing) excepting two things, which I finde alike im∣possible; the one of comforting me for the losse I have suffered by mine owne indis∣cretion, and the other of assuring my peace in hazarding that of my subjects. As shee had spoke thus, the Ladies which kept the dores of her sever'd lodgings, came and told 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that Rhadiotez demanded audience, not onely for Amintas and his associates, but for Araxes deputies, to give her Majestie an account of his actions, and to know her resolution for that which remain'd unperfected. At this newes Alcidiana was extreamly perplexed; her anger forbad the hearing of her owne Embassadors, whom she thought had been wonne by Araxes, and those, whom the Slave had taken the boldnesse to send to her; on the other side, the love of her people overcoming all her resentments, represented to her, that to offend a person chosen for the safetie of the State, was to make a publike declaration that shee had sworne the destruction of it. After she had beene long without resolving what part she was to take, her affection carried her at last on that of her hatred; and shee told her Ushers, that within two hours she would be in the Hall of publike audience. Pre∣sently, all the Officers had order to performe their severall charges, and the Ladies which made up her private Court, dressing themselves all in haste, assembled in the chamber where they were wont to attend at the like Ceremonies. Alcidiana, cover'd with a large vaile, (as if she would let them know, that during her subjects misery, she resolv'd to be in mourning) came out of her chamber, and so went with all her Ladies into that Hall (shining with gold and jewels) which we have already made admirable to our Readers. Assoone as she was plac'd in her Throne, the Officers of her Guard, went for the Embassadors: Rhadiotez and the high Chamberlaine, brought them to the audience, and coming to the foot of the Throne, one of Aminta's associates made an ample narration of all that which pass'd in their voyage to the Island of the Sunne, and offer'd her all the King of Gheneoa's presents. I erre, for the best was not there, since the victorious Araxes, kept backe by his wound, and the necessitie of affaires, was still in the Fort: and indeed, the Embassador making known that present was missing, turn'd to those whom Araxes had chosen for his owne particular, and giving them the place, Your Majestie (said he) may be pleas'd to understand from these what hath been done since our returne. Alcidiana, giving them leave to speake, one amongst them particularly recounted all that which Araxes had perform'd from the very day hee had devoted himselfe to the Queen's service; and ending his relation with the wound hee receiv'd at the taking of the Fort, presented her a Letter. Alcidiana was surpris'd at it, and blushing for anger, sate awhile so extreamly confused, that 'twas well perceiv'd, she deliberated with her selfe, whether she should receive or refuse the Letter: at last, the good Genius who had resolv'd Polexander's happinesse, forc'd the Queen's will, and wonne her (spight of her selfe) to extend her hand to receive that which she had look'd upon with horror. Yet had she no sooner touch'd the paper but she repented it, and to discharge her selfe of a burthen, which (as light as it was) seem'd to her insupportable, gave it to the chiefe of her Secretaries; Read (said she) this aloud, that my subjects may know, the love onely which I beare to them, makes me forget what I owe to my selfe. The superscription of the Letter was thus: