The works of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland. With prefaces, biographical and critical, by S. Johnson

DELIA.

By Arcabon, like hoftile Juno, croft, And like neas 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 submits 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 most 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 brighteft 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 breaft all care and grief remove,
Oriana's thine, by conqucft as by love.

DELIA.

}

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 she 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 reafon free;
The Gods in every circumftance 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,
Thote 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 fcorn;
The charm 's immortal to a gallant mind,
If gratitude cement whom love has join'd.
And Providence, not niggardly, but wife,
Here lavishly bestows 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 Pricfts and Train.

KING.

Our priests recover: 'Twas a holy cheat; Lead back the bride, the ceremonies wait.

ORIANA.

Vows may be feign'd, nor shall 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 fay, 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 defpair, 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 inftant 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 Meffenger 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 submit. Think not from tyranny that love can grow; I am a flave, and you have made me so. 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.

ORIANA. [Soothingly.]

Accufe me not of hate; with equal eyes
I judge your merit, and your virtue prize:
Friendship, efteem, be yours; bereft before
Of all my love, what can I offer more?
Your rival's image in your worth I view,
And what I lov'd in him, esteem in you;

Had your complaint been first, it might have mov'd;
He then had been efteem'd, and you belov'd:
Then blame me not, fince what decides your fate,
Is that you pleaded laft, and came too late.

CORISANDA.

Hard fate of merit! Fortune holds the fcale,
And still throws in the weight that must prevail!
Your rival is not of more charms poffeft,
A grain of better luck has made him bleft.

CONSTANTIUS. [Afide.]
To love, and have the power to poffefs,
And yet refign, can Nature yield to this:
Shall Nature, erring from her first command,
Self-prefervation, fall by her own hand?
By her own act, the fprings of life destroy,
The principles, and being of her joy?
Tormenting thought! Can Nature then approve
Bleffings obtain'd, by curfing those we love.
Poffeffing, the is loft-renouncing-l-
Where's then the doubt!-Die, die, Conftantius die.
Honour, and Love, ye tyrants, I obey,
Where-e'er your cruel call directs my way;
To fhame, to chains, or to a certain grave,
Lead on, unpitying guides-behold your flave.

ORIANA.

Though love be wanting to relieve your care,
Glory may make amends, with fame in war;
Honour 's the nobleft chace, pursue that game,
And recompenfe the lofs of love with fame;
If ftill against such aids your love prevails,
Yet abfence is a cure that never fails.

CONSTANTIUS.

Tyrannic Honour! what amends canst thou
E'er make my heart, by flattering my brow?
Vain race of fame, unless the conquest prove
In fearch of beauty, to conclude in love.
Frail hope of aids! for time or chance to give,
That love, which, fpite of cruelty, can live!
From your difdain, fince no relief I find,

I must love abfent, whom I love unkind;
Though feas divide us, and though mountains part,
That fatal form will ever haunt my
heart.
O dire reverse of hope, which I endure,
From fure poffeffion, to despair as fure!
Farewell, Oriana-yet, ere I remove,
Can you refufe one tear to bleeding love?

Ah! no, take heed-turn, turn those eyes away,
The charm 's fo ftrong, I fhall for ever stay.
Princefs, rejoice-for your next news fhall be,
Conftantius dies-to fet Oriana free.

ftrength,

What is a life, whofe only charm is length;
Give me a life that 's fhort, and wing'd with joy,
A life of love, whose minutes never cloy:
What is an age in dull renown drudg'd o'er?
One little fingle hour of love is more.

An attendant enters haftily, and whispers Arcalaus.
ARÇALAUS.

[Exeunt feverally. Black minifter of hell-a God to me.
See it perform'd-and thou shalt be,

END OF ΤΗΣ FIRST ACT.

[Attendant flies away through the Air.

He comes, he comes, juft ready to be caught,
Here Ardan fell, here, on this fatal spot
Our brother dy'd; here flow'd that precious gore,
The purple flood, which cries aloud for more:
Think on that image, fee him on the ground,
His life and fame both bury'd in one wound:
Think on the murtherer, with insulting pride
Tearing the weapon from his bleeding fide:
Oh think-

ARCABON.

What need thefe bloody images to move?
Revenge I will; and would fecure my love:
Why fhould I of a frailty shameful be,
From which no mortal yet was ever free;
Not fierce Medea, mistress of our art,
Nor Circe, nor Calypfo 'scap'd the smart.
If hell has power, both paffions I will please,
My vengeance and my love shall both have cafe.
Lead on, magician, make revenge secure,
My hand's as ready, and fhall frike as fure.

They go off.
ORIANA and CORISANDA entering from the lower
Part of the Scene.

ORIANA.

Thrice happy they, who thus in filent groves,
From courts retir'd, poffefs their peaceful loves.
Of royal maids, how wretched is the fate,
Born only to be victims of the state;
Our hopes, our wishes, all our paffions ty'd
For public ufe; the flaves of others pride.
Here let us wait th' event, on which alone
Depends my peace, I tremble till 'tis known.

CORISANDA.

So generous this Emperor's love does feem, 'Twould justify a change, to change for him. ORIANA.

Alas! thou know'ft not men, their oaths, and arts
Of feigning truth, with treafon in their hearts.
Who now 's ador'd, may the next hour displease,
At first their cure, and after their disease.

[Flourish of Mufic as in the Foreft.

CORISANDA.

Oft we have heard fuch airy sounds as thefe Salute us as we pass.

What danger in fuch gentle notes can be?
Thou friend to love, thrice powerful harmony,
I'll follow thee, play on-

Mufic's the balm of love, it charms despair,
Sufpends the smart, and foftens every care.

[Excunt down the Scene, following the Mufic. Arcalaus enters, with an Attendant, obferving them as they walk down into the Foreft. ARCALAUS.

Finish the reft, and then be free as air.
My eyes ne'er yet beheld a form so fair.
Happy beyond my wish, I go to prove
At once, the joys of fweet revenge and love.

[Walks down the Scene after them. Enter AMADIS and FLORESTAN. AMADIS.

Miftake me not-no-Amadis shall die,
If he is pleas'd, but not disturb her joy;
Nice honor till engages to requite

Falfe miftreffes, and friends, with flight for flight:
But if, like mine, the ftubborn heart retain
A wilful tenderness, the brave must feign,
In private grief, but with a careless fcorn
In public, feem to triumph, not to mourn.
FLORESTAN.

Hard is the task, in love or grief to feign;
When paffion is fincere, it will complain :
Doubts which from rumour rife, you should fufpend.
From evil tongues what virtue can defend?

In love, who injures by a rafh distrust,
Is the aggreffor, and the firft unjust.

My love attends with pain, while you pursue
This angry theme ;-I have a mistress too :
The faultlefs form no fecret ftains difgrace,
A beauteous mind unblemish'd as her face;
Not painted and adorn'd to varnish fin,
Without all angel, all divine within;
By truth maintaining what by love she got;
A heaven without a cloud, a fun without a spot.
AMADIS. [Embracing him.]

Forgive the vifions of my frantic brain,
Far from the man I love be all such pain :
By the immortal Gods I fwear, my friend,
The Fates to me no greater joy could fend,
Than that your labors meet a profperous end.
After fo many glorious toils, that you
Have found a mistress beautiful and true.

ORIANA and CORISANDA. [Without.] Help, help, oh! Heavens, help

ARCALAUS.

Without thy life, my vengeance is complete: Yet paufe, and be advis'd; avoid thy fate; Behold thy friend borne to eternal chains, Remember Ardan now, and count thy gains.

AMADIS.

Like Ardan's be thy fate, unpitied fall: Thus I'll at once revenge, and free them all.

[Fight, Arcalaus ftill retreating. A fudden found of Inftruments expreffing Terror and Horror, with Thunder at the fame Time. Monsters and Dæmons rife from under the Stage, while others fly down from above, croffing to and fro in Confufion, during which the Stage is darkened. On a fudden a Flourish of contrary Mufic fucceeds; the Sky clears, and the whole Scene changes to a delightful Vale, Amadis appearing leaning on his Sword, furrounded by Shepherds and Shepherdeffes, who with Songs, Mufic and Dances, perform the following Enchantment.]

To be fung in full Chorus.

Love, creator Love, appear,
Attend and hear;

Appear, appear, appear.

A fingle Voice.

Love, creator Love,

Parent of heaven and earth,

Delight of Gods above;

To thee all Nature owes her birth;
Love, creator Love.

Another fingle Voice.

All that in ambient air does move,
Or teems on fertile fields below,
Or fparkles in the skies above,

Or does in rolling waters flow,
Spring from the feeds which thou doft fow,
Love, creator Love.

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The works of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland. With prefaces ..., Volume 5