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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1734]

By Root 20413 0

And in our Sheild and Standard shall the figure

Of a Red Dragon still be born before us,

To fright the bloody Saxons. Oh, my Aurelius,

Sweet rest thy soul; let thy disturbed spirit

Esxpect revenge; think what it would, it hath:

The Dragon's coming in his fiery wrath.

(Exeunt.

ACT 5.

Scene I.

A barren Waste, a huge Rock appearing.)

Enter JOAN fearfully, the DEVIL following her.

JOAN.

Hence, thou black horror! is thy lustful fire

Kindled agen? Not thy loud throated thunder

Nor thy adulterate infernal Musick

Shall e're bewitch me more: oh, too too much

Is past already.

DEVIL.

Why dost thou fly me?

I come a Lover to thee, to imbrace

And gently twine thy body in mine arms.

JOAN.

Out, thou Hell-hound!

DEVIL.

What hound so e're I be,

Fawning and sporting as I would with thee,

Why should I not be stroakt and plaid withal?

Will't thou not thank the Lion might devour thee,

If he shall let thee pass?

JOAN.

Yes, thou art he;

Free me, and Ile thank thee.

DEVIL.

Why, whither wouldst?

I am at home with thee, thou art mine own,

Have we not charge of family together?

Where is your son?

JOAN.

Oh, darkness cover me!

DEVIL.

There is a pride which thou hast won by me,

The mother of a fame, shall never die.

Kings shall have need of written Chronicles

To keep their names alive, but Merlin none;

Ages to ages shall like Sabalists

Report the wonders of his name and glory,

While there are tongues and times to tell his story.

JOAN.

Oh, rot my memory before my flesh,

Let him be called some hell or earth-bred monster,

That ne're had hapless woman for a mother!

Sweet death, deliver me! Hence from my sight:

Why shouldst thou now appear? I had no pride

Nor lustful thought about me, to conjure

And call thee to my ruine, when as at first

Thy cursed person became visible.

DEVIL.

I am the same I was.

JOAN.

But I am chang'd

DEVIL.

Agen Ile change thee to the same thou wert,

To quench my lust. - Come forth, by thunder led,

My Coajutors in the spoils of mortals.

(Thunder

Enter SPIRIT.

Claspe in your Ebon arms that prize of mine,

Mount her as high as palled Hecate;

And on this rock Ile stand to cast up fumes

And darkness o're the blew fac'd firmament:

From brittain and from Merlin Ile remove her.

They ne're shall meet agen.

JOAN.

Help me some saving hand,

If not too late, I cry: let mercy come!

Enter MERLIN.

MER.

Stay, you black slaves of night, let loose your hold,

Set her down safe, or by th'infernal Stix,

Ile binde you up with exorcisms so strong,

That all the black pentagoron of hell

Shall ne're relase you. Save your selves and vanish!

(Exit SPIRIT.

DEVIL.

Ha! What's he?

MER.

The Childe has found his Father. Do you not know me?

DEVIL.

Merlin!

JOAN.

Oh, help me, gentle son.

MER.

Fear not, they shall not hurt you.

DEVIL.

Relievest thou her to disobey thy father?

MER.

Obedience is no lesson in your school;

Nature and kind to her commands my duty;

The part that you begot was against kinde,

So all I ow to you is to be unkind.

DEVIL.

Ile blast thee, slave, to death, and on this rock

Stick thee (as) an eternal Monument.

MER.

Ha, ha, thy powers too weak; what art thou, devil,

But an inferior, lustful Incubus,

Taking advantage of the wanton flesh,

Wherwith thou dost beguile the ignorant?

Put off the form of thy humanity,

And cral upon thy speck;ed belly, serpent,

Or Ile unclasp the jaws of Achoron,

And fix thee ever in the local fire.

DEVIL.

Traitor to hell! curse that I e're begot thee!

MER.

Thou didst beget thy scourge: storm not, nor stir;

The power of Merlins Art is all confirm'd

In the Fates decretals. Ile ransack hell,

And make thy masters bow unto my spells.

Thou first shall taste it. -

(Thunder and Lightning in the Rock.

Tenibrarum princeps, devitiarum & infirorum Deus, hunc Incubum in

ignis eterni abisum accipite, aut in hoc carcere tenebroso in

sempeternum astringere mando.

(the Rock incloses him.

So! there beget earthquakes or some noisom damps,

for

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