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Show •!•••*•• jii^w ! o 2 The Indian Emperour : Or, ACT IV. . SCENE, ^ Prifon. Enter Almeria and an Indian, they fpeak entri, Ind. A Dangerous proof of my refpcct I fhow. J \ . Fear not, Prince Guyomar fhall never know: While he is abfent, let us not delay, Remember 'tis the King thou doft obey. W . See where he fleeps. [Cortez , / ^ C A « ^ ^ / W ^ /. ^,. , Without m y coming wait: And on thv Life fecure the Prifon Gate. !-*•*" Indum. /vno on tny i. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ D ^ r ^ approaches him Spaniard, awake : thy fatal hour is come : Thou fhall not at fuch eafe receive thy Doom. Revenge is fure, though fometimes flowly pac d, Awake5, awake, or fleeping fleep thy laft. Cort. W h o names Revenge ? jlm. Look up and thou fhalt fee. Cort. I cannot fear fo fair an Enemy. Aim. N o aid is nigh, nor canft thou make defence: Whence can thy Courage come ? Cort. From Innocence. Aim. From Innocence ? let that then take thy part, Still are thy looks affur'd, have at thy Heart. [Holds up th'Dagger. I cannot kill thee, fure thou bear'ft fome Charm, [Goes back. Or fome Divinity holds back m y Arm. W h v do I thus delay to make him Bleed, isyae. Can'I want Courage for fo brave a deed ? I've fhook it off, m y Soul is free from fear, [Comes again. And I can now ftrikc any w h e r e , - - but here His feorn of Death how ftrangely does it move! A mind fo haughty who could chufe but love! \Cioes ojjt Plead not a Charm, or any Gods command, Alas, it is thy heart that holds thy hand : In fpight of m e I love, and fee too late M y Mother's Pride muft find m y Mother's Fate. Thy Country's Foe, thy Brother's Murtherer, For fhame, Almeria, fuch mad thoughts forbear: ) It w'onnot be if I once more come on, , [Coming on again. I fhall miftake the Breaft, and pierce m y own. [Comes with her Dagger down. Cort. Does your revenge malicioufly forbear T o give m e Death, till 'tis prepar'd by Fear ? If you delay for that, forbear or ftrike, Fore-feen and fudden death are both alike. Aim. T o fhow m y love would but increafe his Pride : They have moft Power w h o moft their Paffions hide. [Afide. Spaniard, I muft confefs I did expect: You could not meet your Death with fuch neglect; I will defer it now, and give you time, You may Repent, and I forget your Crime. Cort. Thofe w h o repent acknowledge they did ill : I did not unprovok'd your Brother kill. Aim. Petition m e , perhaps I may forgive. Cort. W h o begs his Life does not deferve to live. Aim. But if 'tis given you'll not refute to take ? Cort. I can live gladly for Cydaria's fake. Aim. Does fhe fo wholly then poffefs your mind? What if you fhould another Lady find, Equal to her in Birth, and far above In all that can attract, or keep your Love, Would you fo doat upon your firft defcre, As not to entertain a Nobler Fire? Cert. Me Conqueft of Mexico. 33 Cort. I think that Perfon hardly will be found With gracious form and equal Vertue crown'd • ' Yet if another could Precedence claim, M y fixt defires could find no fairer Aim. Aim. Dull Ignorance, he cannot yet conceive loipeak more plain, fhame will not give m e leave. --Suppofe one lov'd you w h o m even Kings adore : rrfr W h o with your Life, your Freedom would reftore, And add to that the Crown of Mexico: Would you for her Cydaria's love forgo ? Cort. Though fhe could offer all you can invent I could not of m y Faith once vow'd repent. Aim. A burning blufh hath covered all m y Face, W h y a m I fore'd to publifh m y difgrace ? What if I love, you know it cannot be, And yet I blufh to put the cafe 'twere me. If I could love you with a flame fo true, I could forget what hand m y Brother flew ? • Make out the reft 1 a m diforder'd fo, I know not farther what to fay or do: -But anfwer m e to what you think I meant. Cort. Reafon or W it no anfwer can invent: Of words confus'd w h o can the meaning find ? Aim. Diforder'd words fhow a diftemper'd mind. Cort. She has oblig'd m e fo, that could I chufe, I would not anfwer what I muft refute. [Afide Aim. His mind is fhook; fuppofe I lov'd you, fpeak, Would you for m e Cydaria's Fetters break ? Cort. Things meant in Jeft, no ferious anfwer need. Aim. But put the cafe that it were fo indeed. Cort. If it were fo, which but to think were Pride, M y conftant Love would dangeroully be try'd: For fince you could a Brother's Death forgive, H e w h o m you fave, for you alone fhould live : But I the moft unhappy of Mankind, E'er I knew yours, have all m y love refign'd : 'Tis m y o w n lots I grieve, w h o have no more; You go a begging to a Bankrupt's door. Yet could I change, as fure I never can, H o w could you love fo infamous a M a n ? For love once given from her, and plac'd in you, Would leave no ground I ever could be true. Aim. You conftrued m e aright, 1 was in Jeft: And by that offer meant to found your Breaft; Which fince I find fo conftant to your Love, Will much m y value of your worth improve. Spaniard, affure your felf you fhall not be Oblig'd to quit Cydaria for m e : 'Tis dangerous though to treat m e in this fort, And to refute m y offer, though in fport. [Exit Almeria. Cort. In what a ttrange Condition a m I left, [Cort. folus. More than I wifh I have, of all I wifh bereft! In wifhing nothing w e enjoy ftill moft; For even our wifh is in poffeffion loft: Reftlefs w e wander to a new defire, And burn our felves by blowing up the fire : W e tofs and turn about our feaverifhWill, W h e n all our eafe muft come by lying ftill: For all the happinefs Mankind can gain Is not in pleafure, but in reft from pain. [Goes m, and the &e*e uofes upon tin S C F. N E |
