THE Fate of CAPUA THE Fate of CAPUA A TRAGEDY As it is Acted at the THEATRE In Lincolns-Inn-Fields BY His MAJESTY's Servants Written by Thomas Southerne Caetera neque temporum sunt neque aetatum omnium neque locorum Haec studia adolescentiam alunt senectutem oblectant secundas res ornant adversis perfugium ac solatium praebent Delectant domi non impediunt foris Pernoctant nobiscum peregrinantur rusticantur Cicero Orat. pro Archia Poeta LONDON Printed for Benjamin Tooke at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet-street 1700. Persons Represented Of Hannibals Faction Pacuvius Calavius By Mr. Hodgson Virginius Mr. Betterton Marius Blosius Mr. Berry Vibius Virius Mr. Bayly Of the Roman Interest Decius Magius Mr. Boman Perolla Mr. Scudamore Junius Mr. Verbruggen Favonia Mrs. Barry Senators Deputies Officers Guards Capuan and Carthaginian Messengers Clients The Scene Capua PROLOGUE Written by the Honourable Charles Boyle Esq OUR Bard resolv'd to quit this wicked Town And all Poetick Offices lay down But the weak Brother was drawn in again And a cast Mistress tempted him to Sin Thus many a cautious Gallant in this Throng May wed when old whom they debauch'd when young Thus the repenting fair Ones vow in vain From Cards from Love from Scandal to refrain For Easter over they relapse again To write well's hard But I appeal to y'all Is' t not much harder not to write at all Some Men must write for Writing's their Disease And every Poet 's sure one Man to please Some medling Coxcombs rather than sit still And perfectly do nothing must do ill Some are with busie Dulness so o're-run They seem design'd by Heav'n to teaze the Town Yet when these Fools have spawn'd some sickly Play We have so many greater Fools than they They 'll pack a crowded Audience the third Day This Poet has no sly inveigling Arts He 'll try to gain but he 'll not steal your Hearts His Muse is rustick and perhaps too plain The Men of squeamish Tastes to entertain Who none but Dutchesses will daign to toast And Favours only from front Boxes boast That 's all Grimace When Appetites are good Be the Dress course the Air and Manners rude You can take up with wholsom Flesh and Blood But he despairs of pleasing all the Nation 'T is so debauch'd with Whims of Reformation H' has done his best Here is no wanton Scene To give the wicked Joy the godly Spleen Not one poor bawdy Jest shall dare appear For now the batter'd Veteran Strumpets here Pretend at least to bring a modest Ear. Here is some Love 't is true some Noise some War Enough to please the Belles the Beaux to scare Some bustling Patriots too some Rabble-rout And Senators of the weak side thrown out But in all this here 's nothing can offend Nothing to lose one ancient midnight Friend He hopes then when his Cause comes on they 'll all attend Let Critick Foes remember 't is past Lent And all good Christians Curses then were spent EPILOGUE Written by Coll. Codrington and spoken by Mrs. Barry POets fine Titles for themselves may find I think 'em the Fool-mongers of Mankind The charitable Quacks indeed pretend They trade in Fools only those Fools to mend Yet they wou'd scarce the nauseous Task endure But that like Bedlam Doctors they are sure To get by showing Fools they cannot cure Equal in this all Plays must be confest Fool is the fav'rite Dish of the whole Feast In Farce the Wit 's a Fool or Fool 's a Wit In Comedy the Beau pretends a right But Tragick Writers still agree to plot The greatest Heroe for the greatest Sot Our Bard t' indulge your Taste with vast delight Serv'd up a Senate full of Fools to Night Same bustled hard for Hannibal and some Wou'd venture all the Brains they had for Rome Thus fighting Fools support ambitious Knaves Whoe're prevail'd the Capuans still were Slaves Our pair of Friends shine far above the rest With double share of Fool and Heroe blest Our Lover wou'd not tempt the Lady's Honour Yet had he boldly pusht and fairly won her You 'll all allow he wou'd less harm have done her Joys well contriv'd are had at easier price Thank Heav'n our British Friends are not so nice Our most important Fool is still behind The Man was marry'd Sirs and sick in mind 'T was a meer whim of Honour cost his Life The squeamish Capuan wou'd not share his Wife Why Wives are Wives And he that will be billing Must not think Cuckoldom deserves a killing What if the gentle Creature had been kissing Nothing the good Man marry'd for was missing Besides the Rights of Ladies sacred are He shou'd have been content with Neighbours Fare But she by her coy Gallant 's Crime was good And was not won because she was not woo'd Had he the secret of his Birth-right known 'T is odds the faithful Annals wou'd have shown The Wives of half this Race more luckie than his own THE Fate of Capua ACT I. SCENE I. The Senate Pac. THIS only I wou'd offer to you more My known Alliances and kindred Blood By intercourse of Marriages with Rome Cementing long the Honour of my House With all the interests of that glorious State May well protest for me that I advise Abandoning the Romans to their Fate As necessary to avert our own 2 Sen. To avert our own Pac. At least you 'l join with me It may be needful to advance our own 2 Sen. Ay there I close with you when you speak plain The Romans Loss at Cannae shows it self Plainly in this that their Confederates Who had stood Ages fast and firm for Rome From that most dreadful Day began to fail Deserting her in absolute Despair Of her lost Empire not to be restor'd 1 Sen. You have a List of all the several States People and Cities that are faln away From Rome to the Carthaginians Let it be read Pac. It has been read already Their Number and Example shou'd advise Their Neighbours who intend to follow 'em As we must do to follow cheerfully To jump into our Resolutions What must be done to have it frankly done To make a merit of our Forwardness And not disgrace the Service we intend By cold Debates Indifference and Delay 2 Sen. Our Rabble are in barefac'd Mutiny 3 Sen. And have declar'd themselves for Hannibal Shouts in several quarters of the City 1 Sen. The noise comes this way now 2 Sen. 'T is every where Enter Decius Magius Within Make way for Decius Magius Pac. Decius Magius I thought he had giv'n o're the Common-wealth Mag. I thought so too But there is nothing certain I was in hopes I might have staid at home But when a City is in general Flame Cripples will find their Legs to cry out Fire Age has not much to lose But I am come To awake to rouze and warn you of your Ruin Pac. What is this Ruin Decius Magius Mag. In such an honourable Argument As yours
be fear'd Blo Nay what portends the worst and threatens most This head-long Rout this lew'd ungover'd Crew Is Captain'd headed and led on by some The noblest Blood and foremost of our Youth Who ne're will think their services well pay'd But at the price of universal Change 1 Sen. They 're at our Doors Shouts nearer 2 Sen. What will become of us Enter a Messenger Mes Fly fly you Senators of Capua There is no safety for you but in Flight The People are determin'd in your Doom And now come on to Execution They 've vow'd to Murder you and so give up The Common-wealth void of all Government To Hannibal and Carthaginian Power To model new and stamp what form he please As the best Sacrifice the justest Means To attone his wrath and punish your delay Pac. Let us not stand confounded in our fears Shouts again Gaping on one another as relief Without our care wou'd drop into our Mouths 2 Sen. What can we do 1 Sen. We wou'd do any thing 3 Sen. No God to pity us 4 Sen. Pacuvius you have been the Peoples Friend Wou'd we had all 1 Sen. Ay good Pacuvius You might do much would you appear for us Pac. I had some credit with 'em what 't is now 2 Sen. They will hear you Pac. I cannot promise that But what I can I will perhaps I may Do more than you expect but then you must Give up your Faith entire to what I do Lay by your Fewds and Factions in the Senate Submitting all to my Direction Omn. Dispose of all so you deliver us Exeunt SCENE The Outside of the Palace Shouts again Pacuvius enters with Guards Virginius heading the Rabble Pac. Shut up the Gates none to pass in or out But by my Orders if a Senator Escapes your Guard you answer with your lives To our great Lords the People 1 Cit. Why here 's a Lord indeed Vir. He does not think himself too great To be the Peoples Friend 2 Cit. No no Lord Pacuvius has been always our Friend And we will be his upon Occasion for he shall find himself Within this half hour the only Senator unhang'd in Capua Pac. My Country-men my fellow Citizens 'T is in your Power now to revenge your selves On this detested Senate justly fal'n Under your Sentence odious grown to all Who love the People or the Common-wealth I offer you a full and safe Revenge A free Revenge nothing to Interrupt But you may do your Work with decency No Tumult for one Senator to scape in Without the danger of invading 'em In their particular Houses which wou'd be Defended by their Friends Clients and Slaves I have 'em here defenceless and alone Imprison'd in the Palace Say the word What shall be done with ' em 1 Cit. Come come open the Gates We 'll quickly dispose of ' em 2 Cit. Ay ay we are Men of Expedition And so they shall find us to their Cost Every Man take his Senator We 'll hang 'em Upon the Battlements of the Palace for a stinking Example to all Common-wealths 1 Cit. Hold you hold you I don't like hanging There 's a great deal to be done in a handsom Execution 3 Cit. Look you my Masters I am but a plain Man to see to as a body may say but I can speak my Mind without being askt as soon as those that are wiser Look you time is precious and we have a great deal to do with it make as short work as you can I advise ev'n cut their Throats and there 's an end on 't 1 Cit. Cutting of Throats is but a Slovenly way of doing Justice I am for doing things decently Neighbours and I believe I have hit it This is not an ordinary Day with us you know Why then let 's make a Holy-day of it indeed Set the Palace a Fire about the Senators Ears And there 's a Bonfire to our Holy-day Om. Agreed agreed a Bonfire a Bonfire Pac. It was the very thing I was thinking of 1 Cit. Why very well Pac. Nay it is excellent To have the old Drones smother'd in their Hives Om. No more to be said Boys About it instantly my Lads 2 Cit. We are all in a mind once in our Lives Om. Fire the Palace down with it Fire the Palace Pac. And yet what has this noble building done A publick Ornament a reverend Pile That has stood Ages but if you please to think It has stood long enough why down with it Who shall find fault It is the Common-wealths The People's and you may dispose your own 1 Cit. How 's that The Palace Ours Let 's hear him a little upon that Subject Pac. The Senators blow them up in a Blaze You will miss nothing of 'em but their Beards Or if you should they cheaply are supply'd But if the Senate House be laid in Ashes Who shall repair the Ruine Vir. At a time when Capua stands the Rival of great Rome You would not strip her of her Palaces To leave her naked to her Neighbours scorn Om. No no We don't desire that neither Vir. This venerable Structure may stand up With our most celebrated publick Domes Sacred and Common Temples Theatres And all our numerous progeny of Art The Monuments of famous Ancestry That speak as loud for us as Rome's for her And wou'd you throw it down Pac. If you repent when it is down who builds it up again The publick Purse alone the common Stock The Citizens freeborn Inheritance Whoever does the mischief pays for all 1 Cit. If it be so my Masters 2 Cit. 'T is as he says Man and the case is quite alter'd 1 Cit. Why my Lord we 're at a loss here For want of Employment 2 Cit. You have sav'd the Building 't is true And we thank you for 't But the Senators Om. Ay ay the Senators the Senators Pac. I am their Goaler still to answer their forth-coming When you please and to promote the Justice you intend Since you are not agreed among your selves I do propose to bring each Senator Upon the tryal of his single Merit To stand or fall just as his Cause deserves Your selves to be the Judges 2 Cit. Why there you have hit it my Lord 1 Cit. Every honest Man must be Of your Lordship's Mind Vir. Your selves to be the Judges Mark you that 1 Cit. Well my Lord Pray proceed in your own Method We know you 're a Friend to us We 'll be govern'd by you Pac. Then in the first place I wou'd have you So govern your Anger that your Anger get Not the upper hand of your Int'rest and Safety For I suppose your Hatred extends to these Senators only You like the Constitution well enough 2 Cit. My Lord that 's more than we can say With a safe Conscience Pac. What! Not like a Senate 1 Cit. To tell you the truth we don't approve of th' Order And wou'd banish it the City if we cou'd Vir. You must have a Government among
shall I find to hide this head in Where is that Dungeon-darkness that can blind The eye of Jealousie my Husband comes To draw me to the hateful Light again To drag me to the tryal of my truth What can I plead O guilty guilty Wretch There is no courage but in Innocence No constancy but in an honest cause Thy Conscience is a thousand witnesses And Junius the chief Accessary he Stands out against thee and confesses all I 'le hear no more pronounce my sentence quick Let it be Death to end me any way Exit Enter Virginius and Junius Vir. I need not tell you you command all here And that you have your Liberty entire Ha! Junius why that paleness on thy face Thy alter'd looks speak thy condition Thou art not well Jun. Indeed I am not well Vir. Expence of Spirits and the loss of Blood With needful care they will recruit again Rest on my arm and let me lead you in SCENE Changes to Favonia's Appartment Favonia leaning on her hand in a Chair Virginius leading Junius into the Room Vir. Favonia Fav Ha! who calls Jun. I can no more I must end here Faints at the sight of Favonia She Shrieks at sight of Him Fav Ha! Vir. Fall into these Arms They never will refuse to bear thee up Favonia call for help he comes again Stay lend your hand soft gently set him down In the Chair She rises out of How is it now Jun. Conofunded in my shame That my infirmity should here intrude Your pardon Madam will recover me Vir. Rally your routed spirits to your aid Rest will compose and bring 'em back again I cannot stay with you but will return To cheer to comfort you and to renew The past endearments of our former Friendship I will provide you Balm for all your Wounds My Wife her self your kind Physician Will wait upon you till I come again Exit Favonia and Junius Jun. I 'm hunted to the brink of the Abyss Plunge in I must and to the bottom now But first upon my Knees let me fall down Trembling and aw'd and fearful of your Frown Bespeaking pardon if I wildly shou d In questioning the Gods upon my Fate Say any thing towards disturbing you Fav O rise I must not hear you on your Knees Jun. I m blest that you will hear me any way But O! the Accent of my Voice is chang'd You cannot know it now in misery There was a time in the gay Spring of Life When every Note was as the mounting Lark's Merry and cheerful to salute the Morn When all the day was made of Melody But it is past that day is spent and done And it has long been night long night with me I have been happier you have known me so Fav Alas there is no Fortune perfect here Jun. Indeed I find it When I enter'd first Into the List of this contending World I promis'd fair for a more prosperous course The Favourite of Fortune and the Friend To perfect all of my Virginius We liv'd the envy of our Capuan Youth The most aspiring to the Glorious Fame Of Friendship only imitated us So blest you found us Fav Would to all the Gods I ne're had come between you to divide To part such Friends Jun. O! had we parted there He to the rich possession of your Charms I to a poorer Fortune in my Love Yet rich enough and happy in content All had been well But he would have me home Fav O! I remember his impatience Jun. To be a Witness of his happiness And so I was I hear'd him every day Transported in the Riot of the Theme Full of the ravishing Discoveries He hourly made in that blest Land of Love The ever rising Springs of flowing Joy The hoarded Mines of treasures yet unborn With such a rapture of variety Of Pleasures that were ever growing there It was not safe to hear I found it so Fav O Curs'd effect of foolish Vanity Jun. What was it to approach then to behold And face to face examine and compare The Copied Beauties with the Original O! they were faint and the description cold Heavy and dead to the inspiring Life And what I thought Extravagance before Prov'd easie to the Wonders I saw there Fav What will this end in Jun. Can we resolve to gaze upon the Sun With steady Eyes soon blinded by that Pride I lost my way and found my self too late Born down the torrent of a Passion That always ended in a Sea of Woe I plainly saw Ruin attend my Steps Therefore resolv'd to lead 'em far away Where they might never come to trouble you But O! it was with all the violence Of Pangs in Death that I at last resolv'd And yielded to that only Remedy A Remedy worse than the worst of Deaths To fly the Place where I must die for Love Or live a Traitor to my Friend and Fame Fav What have you said Jun. If I have said too much Believe I rather had in silence dy'd Than to have spoke at all This was the fate I labour'd to avoid But who can shun His Destiny it follows every where Capua or Rome or Cannae still the same I would have welcom'd it that fatal day But there it lost me in the Crowd of Death This was the place of Execution And it has caught and seiz'd and bound me here I 'm on the Rack What I discover now Is only the expression of my Pain Wrung from my heart long overcharg'd and full Which else should burst with its Convulsive throws Rather than ease its Labour by a Groan A trembling Sigh that might offend your Ear. Fav O Junius whither are you going hold Jun. A little farther and I shall arrive At my long home the Goal of my Despair To ask your Pardon wou'd repeat my Fault To ask your Pity were to draw you in By steps of mercy to a tenderness Criminal and guilty to reprieve a Wretch Who for the Common Peace and yours must die There is no Ward against such Blows as these They stagger me and I at last must fall Since I am doom'd to be a Sacrifice Of fatal friendship and of hopeless love Falls at her Feet she breaks his Fall and kneels by him to recover him Here let me fall I wou'd be offer'd here Allow me dying to confess my Love In my last Sigh and at your feet expire Fav 'T is I am bound and torn upon the Rack I cannot bear it Junius Junius Look up and live and I 'll confess enough For you and for my self all that I know all that I ever heard of wretchedness What you have undergone what I have felt What I now feel from this tormenting Love Where am I going help there O he comes Again to life fly fly to my relief Women enter run to assist Junius and lead him off Use all your Arts his weakness to restore My cure must be never to see him more Exit at another Door The End of the Second
The Loss of all that ever I held dear A Loss to beggar me and all my Hopes These were the Thoughts that flew to your Relief And have preserv'd you for this Interview Fav More terrible than Death it self to me Vir. You cannot think I come to pardon you No all that I endeavour or can gain Upon my Wrongs is to disarm my Rage And let it pass among the strange Effects Of that commanding Pow'r you always had Upon my Heart that you are yet alive But I am still contriving my Revenge Still meditating how to punish you And I am in a way that pleases me It satisfies my Justice better too Than the Atonement of your spotted Blood Exit Fav There is no Remedy no way to save My Innocence but by accusing him Who always has been dearer than my Life It must be he that cou'd pursue me there If he has scap'd with safety I am pay'd Tho' 't is a heavy loss of Life and Fame Virginius returns with a Child in his Hand Vir. Here is a little Innocent that comes To Mourn with you Soon as she can speak plain She 'll tell you 't is an undone Mothers Loss Has brought her hither to be Nurs'd in Tears Fav O! may she never know her Mothers Fate Vir. Nor the Dishonour of her Father but Inheriting her Parents Infamy She must grow up with the Disgrace and Shame Look on her well Fav My Eyes and Heart are full of her Vir. Look on her as it were to be the last The last last look that you may ever have Fav This Object I wou'd wish to close my Eyes Vir. You must remember how she has been bred The fondled Darling of our rival Loves Fav Who are to strive in fondness of her now Who to supply a tender Mothers Care Vir. O! that the Reason of my Love shou'd prove Shou'd ever prove the reason of my Hate How have I hung upon the little Lines Of that dear Face with a fond Father's Joy To find the Mother there in Minature By Natures Hand Copy'd in every Look I pray'd the God's she might resemble you And now abhor the Likeness I desr'd I cannot look upon her but she brings Her Mothers Crimes into my Memory When you are in your Grave the sight of her Will raise you from the Dead to haunt my Peace To plague and punish me take her away I wonnot throw her out to Beggary But for your sake will neve see her more Fav O miserable Woman must I be The Ruine of my Child She snatches up the Child the Women come about her to take the Child Vir. Away with her Why am I not obey'd Force her away Fav O let her stay but for a parting hour Vir. No not a Minute not a Moments stay Fav To take a farewel Kiss Vir. You 've seen your last of her Now she has wound her self about your Heart Now she has hold of all the Strings of Life Now tear her thence that you at last may feel Forcing the Child from her she falls on the Floor Some of the Tortures you prepar'd for me Fav The God's must give me Patience to support What they inflict this is a thousand Deaths Vir. When I can entertain you at this rate I 'll visit you agen in the mean time You know your Lodging I must see you in You 'll have sufficient leisure to reflect Upon the Follies that have brought you here You 've made your self unworthy of the World And therefore never shall appear agen But live forlorn immur'd within these Walls Who 's there A Servant enters with a Dagger in one Hand and a Bowl in t'other and gives 'em to Virginius who places 'em on a Table by Favonia I have your Father's Present yet to bring He sends a Dagger and a poyson'd Draught In your Extremity to comfort you When you are weary of this Slavery You have that wretched choice to set you free The Scene shuts upon Favonia he goes off ACT V. SCENE I. The Forum Pacuvius Vibius Virius Marius Blosius with the Senators in their several Parties 1 Sen. WE are met here and only to be made More certain of inevitable Fate Each Moment brings us Matter of Despair And no one to propose a Remedy Blo The Mauritanians who were hir'd and sent And as Deserters undertook to pass The Roman Camp and get to Hannibal Discover'd by the Consuls to be Spies Fifty in number were condemn'd to be First strip'd and Scourg'd then with their Hands cut off In that most lamentable plight driv'n back To Capua to let us see the News 2 Sen. To let us see what we are to expect 3 Sen. To let us read in bloody Characters The Vengeance that is laid in store for us 4 Sen. The Spectacle has sunk the People so They dare no longer think of a Defence And talk of nothing but Surrendring now Pac. This Accident has cut our Commerce off All our Intelligence with Hannibal We 've nothing farther to expect from him Blo And the God's know but little from our selves Within Bear back make way for our Deliverer Do you not know good Decius Magius Enter Decius Magius 1 Sen. O! Decius Magius you 'r a wellcome Man Among us you were never wanted more Mag. 'T is a bad Day for Capua when a Weak Old useless Man comes to be wanted so But any thing is welcome in Distress I 'm sorry for the Cause that brings me here Tho' it has brought me back to Liberty From Dungeon Darkness to the Heavenly Light 2 Sen. We never were in such a wretched need Mag. I hear how Matters go with us all wrong And fear me 't is too late to set 'em right My Pow'r is very poor but yet you may Employ it as you please for Capua For I am still devoted to her Cause 1 Sen. We cannot hope to have the Town reliev'd 2 Sen. Nor are we able to defend it long 3 Sen. The Roman Clemency has oft been try'd On desperate Occasions and been found When all has fail'd the only Remedy 4. Sen. And let us not despair of its effects It s good effects on us Blo What do you mean 1. Sen. To pacifie the fury of our Fate 2. Sen. Not to enrage it by opposing it 3. Sen. But freely give what they have pow'r to take 1. Sen. We have agreed the greatest part of Us To send our Legates to the Consuls Camp And offer up the Town to save our lives 4. Sen. And you are come good Decius Magius The fittest Suppliant in your Country's Cause 1. Sen. You have deserv'd and you may well pretend An Interest with the Roman Generals Mag. An Interest against their Interest There 's very little to expect from that 1. Sen. We will surrender at discretion Mag. And that is but a wretched Embassie But if you think it is the only way To do you Service and you are agreed 2. Sen. We are agreed there is no other way Mag. What says