Love in it's [sic] extasie, or, The large prerogative a kind of royall pastorall / written long since by a gentleman student at Aeton and now published.

Act. 1. Sce. 3.

Enter Virtusus.

Vir.

Once more in spight of fortune, and the raging waves Of a tumultuous Sea, does my unhappy foot Salute the Earth again. Did ever man From all eternity behold a night so dismall Leave behinde no sad remembrance of its former horror? Here's not a stemm that's widdowed of his leaf, No, nor one branch become The hopeless issue of the Husbandman, but all In a sweet tranquillity enjoy that happiness Which Nature has allotted them: I am The onely object of Heavens Tyranny, Else had these senseless Plants Perish'd this fatall night, when both the Ar∣tick, And Antartick Poles, striving to kiss each o∣ther, Confounded Heaven, Earth, Sea, Hell, and All Into an indigested Chaos: yet in this dire Confusion of the Elements, these stand un∣toucht Outbraving Fortunes Malice, whil'st wretch∣ed I, The heavens least part of care, Was banded too and fro by the immerci∣less winds Uncertain of a rest, and had not the thought Of thee my Thesbia, ballanc't my rottering soul, The insatiate bosome of the Ocean Had been my wish't••for grave.

Enter Fidelio like a Shepheard.

Sir, the fortune of the Sea having cast me, A sad and desolate man, upon the Confines Of an unknown Land, I must desire Your charitable disposition to declare Your Countreys name unto me.

Fid.

Most willingly. Know sir you are cast Upon a most unfortunate shore, Lelybaeus Is the Countreys Name, one of the three Promontorian Kingdoms of famous Scicily.

Vir.

Heavens, now I see ye are not altoge∣ther cruell: This is the happy Countrey that my voyage aim'd at.

Fid.

Call it not happy sir, for tis the most Infortunat'st habitation that ever man en∣joy'd.

Vir.

It seems not so by the outward Ap∣pearance.

Fid.

Oh no! Nature has bedeck't it with the best Of all her ornaments, nor could she, if she would Create another world, frame any part To parallel with this.

Vir.

What diastrous chance then Has made it thus unfortunate?

Fid.

Pardon me if I refuse to tell you that, The relation whereof would draw tears From my ore-charged eyes. Let this Decree Inform you sir.

He gives him a paper, and he reads.

Heavens I thank ye: This curtesie Will make me dye ungratefull to your bounty. Oh how my soul now gluts it self, to see his enemy Thus offer'd as a sacrifice to his incensed Ire! Just anger seise me then, and Constantina, Let the thoughts of thy sad sufferings Inspire my soul with vengeance, arm my strength With a Revenge as ample as the cause: Yet Prince Virtusus I'le not kill thee basely; That were to mistrust my cause, which is as just As heavens are innocent, Thou shalt not dye For to be damn'd in ignorance: No, I'le sum∣mon All thy faults, and thunder '••m to thy ears; If then thy treachery has not exil'd thy va∣lour, Let thy sword plead thy innocence: By which most noble pleading thou shalt dye Honor'd, by my Revenges charity.

Vir.

Oh my unjuster stars! Why did ye stop The Oceans mouth, denying me an entrance, Yet bring me here to be entomb'd Alive upon the shore? was it because I fear'd Your threatning waves, or that the louder windes Strake terror to my affrighted Conscience? This cannot be: For how oft in scorn has my undaunted sighs Ecchoed the blustering winds, and my full tide eyes For fear of scarcity, how oft have they Replenished the waves, and nourish'd The decaying Billowes? Yet must all this be The Prologue only to my ensuing Tragedy? Oh cruell Pity! Oh inhumane charity!

Enter Charastus.

Fid.

Peace sir: The King.

They Kneel.

Cha.

Why kneel ye unto me sirs? If I have not deserv'd your pity, I have not deserv'd your scorn I am sure.

Fid.

The Heavens forbid, when ere I see Such Beames of Majesty, that I should pre∣sume To approach without that awfull adoration Which my Allegiance payes unto my Sove∣raign.

Cha.

'Tis true, good Subjects ought to do so: But when a Lyon's dead, the baser Ass Will come, and trample on him, And spurn that face, which when alive Was death to look on.

Fid.

Such incivility becomes the Beasts; But man whose purer soul Claimes something of divinity, can easily di∣scern That sacred Majesty which on Kings Hang like the Gods re••in'd Idaeas: He cannot be So foolishly impious, to think the Sun, Because oft-times he does obscure himself Under the gloomy shade of some gross ex∣halation, That he never will again come to his p••istine splendor. How oft do we see those blazing Members

Of the Ayre, decline? those fiery Comets, Which though compos'd of exhalations Covet the highest Region, where hurried With their vain imaginations for a while they reign, Contracting their own ruine that at length will come As suddenly as fearfull? Such will Bermudo's fall be, And the higher he lifts his towring thought•• The deadlier will his precipice become.

Cha.

Canst thou perceive that Majesty which to Kings Is still essentiall, and speak these words a∣gainst Thy lawfull Soveraign? Surely thou art no Scicilian.

Fid.

I am great sir, and yet dare say 'Tis virtue makes a King: Majestie without that Is a disjoynted structure that must fall, And come to ruine. 'Tis not a Crown alone That I adore, for should I do••e on that, And slight the goodness which you are Master of, I were worse than he, that fears the Idoll, Yet contemnes the Godhead: since then Bermudo Wants the better part of King, a Royall soul, I'le look on him, as on polluted incense, Sacred, though not holy; And on you, as on An unfurnish'd Temple, pious, though not glorious. Then pardon sir, if I prefer an undecent sanctity Before a comely wickedness.

Cha.

Couldst thou distinguish, I confess 'twere just: But since wise Nature has ordain'd Goodness essentiall to Supremacy, 'tis fit You serve and honour him.

Fid.

And so I will: but it must be As Infidels do Devils, for fear, not love. Far be it from me sir to confine Goodness to Greatness only, or suppose that man Is solely Rovall that's ambitious; That were to thinke the Heavens an easie spunge, From which the daring soul Squeases his ends out: He rather sir is great That dares be good.

Cha.

Then thou art great I swear; ex∣ceeding great: Thou canst distinguish between good and good. Had I had such an intellectuall soul To put a difference 'twixt those attributes That make a King compleat, the gilded flashes of his tongue Would then have rendred him, as far con∣temptible, As now he is fatall. Come nearer to us Shepherd: Nay! flatter not a falling greatness; To kneel unto an Altar that's defac't Smels more of Superstition than Devotion▪ Arise, worthy our Armes, And if thou needs will serve thy King In me his small Epitome, chide not his folly With this strickt observance; to make him Master Of those joyes, which ••e han'•• power to com∣mand, Is exprobation not affection.

Vir.

Noble Charastus! Thy miseries cannot outvie thy virtues, Nor can they suffer an ignoble act To derogate from fortunes Conquest, Though she has made thy sufferings Ample as her power. Wonder not, great Prince, Who 'tis dares Comment on thy miseries, Since none can truly know a Kingdomes loss, But he that feels it.

Cha.

If thou hast lost one then, And that experience stimulates this bold∣ness, I shall rejoice in thy society: I oft have seen A feather'd Captive sadly in a cage Mourning in silence his determin'd free∣dome, But having got a partner of his sufferings, the silly Bird, As if revived by anothers mischief, Has from his drousie taciturnity awak't, Chirping sweet Io Paeans to our ravish't ears, Untill his eyes became the sad oblation Of his fainting voyce.

Vir.

Behold a partner then, O••e

That fortunes malice has in sundry shap•••• Horrid as Cowards fears, or midnight ap∣prehensions, Strove to appall his courage, yet to him Those P••nick horror•• seem'd but painted fires Quench't with the smallest drop of's resolu∣tion. Behold a Prince equally distressed: But if our sympathetic••ll disasters Has not created an instinct to know me, Summe up your patience sir, ••nd that will tell you That none can parallell its fortitude, Except Pachynas Prince, Infortunate Vir∣tusut.

Cha.

Stay, and ere thou further speak'st Let me survey thee sully, for in thee is drawn The just resemblance of my misery. By all our former happiness! 'Tis rarely limm'd; Fortune, thou hadst eyes, thou nere couldst Copie me so truly else. Oh Royall Prince, my woes sad character! Let us incorporate, and be one, One Monumentall Trophee of misfortune. Bear witness oh thou sacred Register of uni∣ted hearts, How Virtusus here joyes to behold Chara∣stus there.

Vir.

Alli'd thus by misfortune, our uni∣ted wills Shall hate a separation. One act wee'l still pursue; One thought wee'l think; One soul wee'l have; One heart, and one Ambition.

Cha.

Ambition! In that wee'l imitate our mother Earth, To fall is her Ambition, should she aspire, 'Twere not Ambition, because not naturall.

Vir.

This Union sown in tears Shall rise in glory; my prophetick soul di∣vines it: Mean while wee'l live here in these woods disguis'd, Sometimes wee'l visit Court, and see if Fate Will put a period to our sufferings, till then From you renowned Shepherd we must crave concealment.

Fid.

Your graces may command your humblest vassall. I have a story of my own to tell you; But for a while I must crave leave to lie conceal'd.

Cha.

Then wee'l not urge it. Hence, hence Ambition now, and all those pleasing thoughts, Which Crowns and Scepters whistled to our ears. The silent Groves, and murmuring streams, The shadie woods, and whistling windes, will be A recreation beyond Court vanities. There we three Will fancy to our selves a Triarchy.

Exeunt.