Book I, Canto III

The brave Argalia, who design'd to raise
Through all approaching ills his weighty Fate,
In smooth Compliance that harsh Guard obeys
Who tow'rd his death did prosecute their hate:
To death, which here unluckily had staind,
Maugre his friends, the ill directed Sword
Of Justice, had not secret love obtaind
More mercy then the strict Laws dare afford.

LOw in a fruitful Pasture, where his Flocks
Cloud with their breath those Plains, whose leavy lock.
Could hardly shadow them, though Meadows need
No shearing, where in untold Droves did feed
His bellowing Heards, of which enough did come,
Each day to's Yoak to serve a Hecatombe;
Lay old And•ensons Country Farm, in which
(Happy til now) being made by Fortune rich,
And Goodness honest, from domestick strife,
Stil calm and free, the upper Robes of Life;
Til witherd he had worn, to ease whose sad
And sullen Cares, less bounteous Nature had
Lent him no numerous Issue, all he'd won
By prayer confin'd unto this murtherd Son:
The blasted Blossome of whose tender age,
When blooming first, taught Hope how to presage
Those future Vertues, which interpreted
By Action had such fruitful Branches spread,
That all indulgent Parents wisht to be
Immortalizd in blest Posterity,
Had seen in him, whose innocently good,
Stil let his Heart by's Tongue be understood,
In such a sacred Dialect, that all
Which verg'd within deliberate thought did fall,
Towards Heaven was grac'd, and in descent did prove
To's Parents Duty, and to's Neighbours Love.
This hopeful Youth, their Ages chief support,
Whose absence though by's own desires made short;
Their Love thought tedious, having now expir'd
His usual hours, the aged Couple tir'd
With expectation, to anticipate
His slow appearance to their Mansions Ga•e;
Where softly walk'd, where cooly shadowed by
An Elm, which planted at his Birth did vie
Age with his Lord, whilst their desires pursue
Its first design, they with some pleasure view
Their busie Servants, whose industrious pain
Sweats out Diseases in pursuit of gain.
All which, although the chiefest pleasure that
Their thoughts contain, whose best are busied at
The Mart oth' World, such small diversion lent
The aged pair, that his kind Mother spent,
With a too long protracted hope had let
Even that expire, had not his Father set
Props to that weakness, and that mutuall fear,
Which fil'd their breasts, let his sound Judgment clear
By the proposing Accidents that might
Untouchd detaine their Darling from their sight.
But many Minutes had not left their seals,
On the Records of Time, ere truth reveals
Her horrid secrets. A confused noise
First strikes their Ears, which suddenly destroys
Its own imperfect Embrioes, to transfer
Its Object to that nearer Messenger
Oth' Soul, the Eyes whose beamy Scouts convey
A trembling fear into their Souls, whilst they
That bore their murtherd Son, arriv'd to tel
Their doleful Message, which so fierce storm fel
Not long in those remoter drops, before
Sweld to a Deluge, the swift Torrent bore
The bays of Reason down, and in one flood
Drownd all their hopes, when purpl'd in his blood
Yet pale with death, untimely Death, she saw
Her hopeful Son, grief violates the Law
Of slower Nature, and his Mothers tears
In death congeals to Marble, her swoln fears,
Grown for her Sex a burthen far too great
Had only left death for her dark retreat.
Although from griefs so violent effects,
Reason conjoynd with manly strength protects
His wretched Father, at that stroke his Limbs
Slack their unweildy Nerves, faint sorrow dims
His Eyes more then his Age, his hands bereft
His hoary head of all that time had left
Unpluckt before, nor had th' expecting Grave,
Gap'd longer for him, if they then had gave
His passion freedome, his own guilty hand
Had broke the Glass, and shook that little Sand
That yet remaind, into thin Aire, that so
Unclog'd with earth, his tortur'd Ghost might go
Beyond that Orb of Attomes that attend
Mortality, and at that Iournies end,
Meet theirs soon, as swift Destiny inrouls
Those news come Guests within the sphear of Souls.
By these sad symptomes of infectious grief,
Those best of friends that came for the relief
Of sorrows Captives, being by that surprizd
They hop'd to conquer, sadly sympathizd
With him in wo, till th' epedemick Ill,
Stifling each Voice, drest sorrow in a still
And dismal silence, in which sad aspect,
None needing Robes, or Cypress to detect
A Funeral March, each dolefully attends
To deaths dark Mansion, their lamented friends,
Where having now the earthy Curtain drawn
O're their cold Bed, till Doomsdaies fatal dawn,
Rally their dust they, leave them, and retire
To sorrow, which can ne're hope to expire
In just revenge, since kept by fear in awe
Where power offends, the poor scarce hope for Law,
By sad example to confirm this truth,
From innocent and early hopes of youth;
Led tow'rd destruction, let's return to see
That noble stranger, whose captivity,
Like an unlucky Accident depends
On this sad subject. By the angry friends
Of those accus'd, which in that fatal strife,
To death resign'd the Charter of their life,
He's brought unto the Princes Pallace, where
That age, whose Customes knew not how to bear
Such Sails, as these have fil'd with pride, was plac'd
The seat of Justice, whose stern Sword defac'd
Not pleasures smoothest Front, since now twas by
Her fair hand guided, whose commanding eye,
If armd with Anger, seemd more dreadful then
The harshest Law ere made by wrathful men.
Here strictly guarded, til th' important Crime
Which urg'd her to anticipate the time,
By Custome known, had cal'd her forth to that
Unwilling Office: stil unstartled at
The frowns of danger, did Argalia lie
An injur'd Captive, til commanded by
The stern Reformers of offended Law,
He hasts to th' Bar, where come, though death nere saw
A Brow more calm, or Breast more confident,
To meet his Darts: yet since the innocent
Are staind with guilt, when in contempt of Fate,
They silent fal, he means to meet their hate,
With all that each Beholder could expect,
From dying Valor, when 't had to protect
An envied stranger left no more defence,
But what their hate obscures, his Innocence,
The clamorous friends of Aphron, backt by those
Which knew his death the only mean to close
Almanzors bleeding honour, to the fair
And pitiful Pharonnida repair,
With cries of Vengeance, whose unwelcome sound
She by her Fathers strickt command was bound
To hear, since that those rivolets of Law,
Which from the Sea of regal power did draw
Their several streams, all flowd to her, and in
That chrystal Fountain pure as they had bin
From Heaven dispens'd, ere just Astrea fled
The Earth remaind, yet such aversion bred
In her soft soul, that to these Causes where
The Law sought blood, slowly as those that bear
The weight of Guilt, she came, whose dark Text she
Stil Comments on with noble Charitie.
High mounted on an Ebbon Throne, in which,
Th' imbellisht Silver shewd so sadly rich,
As if its varied form strove to delight
Those solemn souls, which Deaths pale fear did fright;
In Tyrian Purple clad, the Princess sate,
Between two sterner Ministers of Fa•e,
Impartial Judges, whose distinguisht tasks
Their varied habits to the view unmasks,
One, in whose looks, as pity strove to draw
Compassion in the Table•s of the Law,
Some softness dwelt in a magestick Vest
Of state-like red was cloathd, the other drest
In dismall black, whose terrible Aspect,
Declard his Office, serv'd but to detect
Her slow consent, if when the first forsook
The Cause, the Law so far as death did look.
Silence proclaimd, a harsh Command cals forth
Th' undaunted Prisoner, whose excelling wroth,
In this low ebb of Fortune did appear,
Such as we fancy, Vertues that come near
The excellence of Angels; fear had not
Rifl'd one drop of blood, nor rage begot
More colour in his Cheeks, his soul in state,
Thron'd in the Medium, constant Vertue sate
Not sleighting with the impious Atheists, that
Loud storm of danger, but safe anchord at
Religious hope, being firmly confident,
Heaven would relieve, whom Earth knew innocent.
All thus prepard, he hears his wrongfull Charge,
(Envie disguizing injur'd Truth) at large,
Before the people, in such Language read,
As checkt their hopes, in whom his worth had bred
Some seeds of pity, and to those whose hate
Pursu'd him to this Precipice of Fate,
(Dead Aphrons friends) such an advantage gave,
That Providence appeard too weak to save,
One so assaulted; yet, though now deprest,
Even in opinion, which oft proves the best
Support to those, whose publick Vertues we
Adore, before their private guilt we see.
His noble Soul stil wings it self above
Passions dark Fogs, and like that prosperous Dove,
The Worlds first Pilot, for discovery sent,
When all the floods that bound the Firmament,
Ore-whelmd the Earth, Conscience calm joys t' encrease,
Returns fraight with the Olive Branch of Peace.
Thus fortifi'd from all, that tyrant fear
E'reawed the Guilty with, he doth appear,
The Courts just wonder in the brave defence
Of what, though power, armd with the strong pretence
Of right opposd, so prevalent had been,
T' have cleard him, if, when neer triumphing in
Victorious truth to cloud that glorious Sun,
Some faithless Swains, by large Rewards being won
To spot their souls, had not corrupted by
His Foes been brought, falsly to justifie,
Their Accusations, which beheld by him
Whose knowledge now did hopes clear Opticks dim;
He ceas'd to plead, justly despairing then,
That Innocence 'mongst Mortals rested, when
Banisht her owne Abode; so thinks it vain
To let truths naked Armes strive to maintain
The Field 'gainst his more powerful Foes; not all
His Vertues now protect him, he must fall
A guiltless Sacrifice, to expiate
No other Crime, but their invenomd hate.
An ominous silence, such as oft precedes
The fatal sentence, whilst th' Accuser reades
His Charge, possest the pitying Court, in which
Presaging Calm, Pharonnida too rich
In mercy (Heavens supream Prerogative)
To stifle tears did with her passion strive
So long, til what at first assaulted in
Sorrows black Armor had so often bin
For pity cherisht, that at length her eyes
Found there those Spirits that did sympathize
With those that warmd her blood, and unseen move
That Engine of the World, mysterious Love,
The way that Fate predestinated, when
Twas first infus'd ith' Embrio, it being then
That which espousd the active forme unto
Matter, and from that passive being drew,
Divine Ideas, which subsisting in
Harmonious Natures highest sphear, do win
In the perfection of our Age, a more
Expansive power, and Natures common store
Stil to preserve, unites Affections by
The mingled Attomes of the serious eye.
Whilst Natures Priest, the cause of each effect,
Miscal'd Disease indeavou• to detect
Its unacquainted operations in
The beauteous Princess, whose free soul had bin
Yet guarded in her Virgin Ice, and now
A stranger is, to what she doth allow
Such easie entrance, by those Rays that fall
From eithers eyes, to make reciprocal
Their yeilding passions, brave Argalia felt
(Even in the grasp of death) his Functions melt
To flames, which on his heart an on-set make,
For sadness such as weaker Mortals take
Eternal farewels in, yet in this high
Tyde of his blood, in a soft calm to die;
His yielding Spirits, now prepare to meet
Death, cloathd in thoughts, white as his winding sheet.
That fatal doom, which unto Heaven affords
The sole Appeal, one of th' assisting Lords
Had now pronouncd, whose horrid thunder could
Not strike his Laureld Brow, that Voice which would
Have putrified, a timerous Soul he hears
With calm attention, no disorderd fears
Ruffl'd his Fancy, nor domestick War
Rag'd in his breast, his •v'ry look so far
From vulgar passions, that, unless amazd
At Beauties Majesty he sometimes gazd
Wildly on that, as Emblems of more great
Glories then earth afforded, from the seat
Of resolution, his fixt soul had not
Been stird to passion, which had now begot
Wonder, not fear within him. No harsh frown
Contracts his Brow, nor did his thoughts pull down
One fainting spirit, wrapt in smootherd groans,
To clog his heart. From her most eminent Thrones
Of Sense, the Eyes, the lightning of his Soul
Flew with such vigour, forth it did controul
All weaker passions, and at once include,
With Roman Valour, Christian Fortitude.
Pharonnida, from whom the rigid Law
Extorts his Fate, being now inforc'd to draw
The longest Line she ere could hope to move
Over his Face, that beauteous sphear of Love,
Unto its great'st obliquity, she leaves
Him in his winter solstice, and bereaves
Loves Hemisphear of light, not hear, yet oft
Retreating wisht those Stars Fare plac'd aloft
In the first Magnitude of Honour might
Prove retrograde, so their contracted light
Might unto him part of their Influence
In Life bestow, Passion would fain dispence
So far with Reason, to recall again
The sentence she had past, but hop'd in vain,
Those false suggestions moves, his Jaylers are
Th' undaunted Prisoner hurrying from the Bar;
His fair Judge rising, the corrupted Court
Upon removing, all the ruder sort
Of Hearers rushing out, when through the throng,
Kind Ariamnes (being detaind so long
By strict Imployment comes) at whose request,
The Court their Seats resuming, he adrest
Himself to th' Princess, in a Language that
Whilst all Argalias Foes were storming at,
Even on her Justice so prevails, that he
Repriev'd, til all, hope could produce to free
Her Loves new care might be examind by
His active Friend, who now being seated nigh
Pharonnide, whilst all attentive sate;
The strangers story doth at large relate.
Pleas'd at this full relation, nere as much
As griev'd to see those Jewels plac'd in such
A course cheap Mettal, which could never hold
The least proportion with her regal Gold.
Pharonnida had now remov'd, if not
Thus once more stayed, the Rumor first begot;
From this sad truth, had with the common hast,
Of Ill arriv'd, where his Disease had plac'd
Aphron, whose Ears assaulted now with words
Of more infection then that Plague affords
Room for the stronger Passion: though offended,
To leave a hold it had, at first intended
To keep til ruin'd, the imprisond blood,
And spirits are unfetterd, by that flood
To wash usurping grief from off that part
Where most she reign'd, but they drawn near the heart,
And finding Enemies too strong to be,
Incounter'd mix in their society;
Which thus supplyed with Auxiliaries in
Contempt of weakness, when he long had been
Languishing underneath a tedious Load
Of sickness, sends him from his safe Aboad;
'Mongst dangers which in deaths black shape attend
His bold design, to seek his honourd Friend.
Come on the spur of passion to the Court,
A flux of Spirits from all parts resort,
To prompt his anger, which abruptly broke
Forth in this Language. Do not Sirs, provoke
A forrein power thus far (I speak to you,
That have condemnd this stranger) as to do
An Act so opposite to all the Law,
Of Nations, here within your Realm to draw
Blood that's so neer allied unto the best
Of an adjacent State. If this request
Of mine, too full of insolence appear,
We are Spirits nobly born, and near
Enough to hav't, whatever Crime's the Cause
Of this harsh sentence, tri'd by our own Laws.
This bold Opposer of stern Justice, here
Pausing to see what Clouds there did appear
In that fair Heaven, whose influence only now
Could light to's friends declining Stars allow,
To free the troubl'd Court, which struggl'd i•
A strange Delemma had commanded bin,
To a more large discovery, if not by
His pitying Friend, discharg'd in a reply,
Doubting how far inregular boldness had
Provok'd just wrath, Argalia thus unclad
Amezements dark disguise. To you that a•
This Court (with that kneels to Pharonnida)
I now for Mercy flee, that scorn to run
From my own doom, so I might have begun
The doubtful task alone, but here to leave
My Friend from whom your Justice did receive
This bold Afront in danger, is a Crime
That not approaching death, which all my time
Too little for repentance cals, can be
A just excuse for, let me then set free
His person with your doubts, and joynd to those
What both their varied stories may compose.
For what this noble Lord, whose goodness we,
First found in needful hospitality,
From him hath differd him, impute it not
To eithers error, both Reports begot
From such mistakes, as Nature made to be
The careful Issues of Necessity;
That fatal difference, whose Vestigia stood
Where we Epiciae left fresh fil'd with blood;
By league so lately with Calabria made,
Being compos'd, that Fame did not invade
Our Ears with the report, til we had been
By a disguise secur'd, which shaded in
Whilst fearing danger we nere thought to leave,
Til safe at home; Thus what did first deceive
Kind Aminander you have heard, and now
Without the stein of boasting must allow
Me leave to tel you, that we there have Friends,
On whom the burthen of a State depends,
When to the Court just wonder, thus far he,
With such unshaken confidence as we
Pray on th' expanded wings of Faith, displayed
His Souls integrity, the Royal Maid,
Whom a repented destiny had made
His pitying Judge, endeavouring to evade
That dooms harsh rigour, grants him a reprieve,
Till thrice the Sun returning to relieve
Nights drooping Sentinels had circl'd in
So many days, in which short time to win
The fair advantage of discovering truth,
Old Aminander, active as fresh Youth
In all Attempts of Charity, to know,
From what black Spring those troubled streams did flow:
Hasts toward Andremons, whi'st Pharonnida
Active as he, toward all, whence she might draw
A consequence of hope, layes speedy hold
On this design, Commission'd to unfold
Their Masters Love toward her, there long had been
Embassadours from the Epicote in
Her Fathers Court, whose Message though it might
Wear Loves pure Robes, yet in her Reasons light,
Seems so much staind with pollicy, that all
Those blessings which the wise foresaw to fall,
As Influence from that Conjunction, she
Opposes as her stars malignity.
Proud of this new Command, with such a hast,
As those that fear more slow delays may wast
Their pretious time, th' Ambassadours attain
The Princess Court, where come, though hope in vain,
Only expect a speedy Audience, they
That frustrated, are soon taught to betray
More powerful passions; the first glance oth' eye
They on the Prisoners cast, kind sympathy,
Proclaim'd Love gave no leave for time to rust
Their Memories, both the old Lords durst trust
Eyes dim'd with tears, whilst their embraces give
A sad assurance there did only live
Their last and best of Comforts, which beheld,
By those from whom kind pity had expeld
All thoughts of the vindictive Law, they strive
By all the power of Rhetorick to drive
Those sad storms over, which good Office done,
They each inform the Prince, which was the Son
Of Nature, which Adoption, withall tel how
By their perswasions mov'd, they did allow
Them time to travel, which Disasters had
So long protracted, for some years with sad
And doubtfull hopes, they had in vain expected
Their wisht return, but that their stars directed
Their course so ill, as now near home to be
Ore-taken with so sad a destiny;
Since such a sorrow could be cur'd by none,
They sadly crave the time to mourn alone.