Sr Wm Lower Pub May 21 1800 by WRichardson No 31 strond HORATIUS A ROMAN TRAGEDIE BY Sir WILLIAM LOWER KNIGHT LONDON Printed for G. BEDELL and T. COLLINS and are to be sold at their Shop at the Middle Temple Gate Fleetstreet 1656. The ACTORS TULLUS King of Rome The old HORATIUS A Roman Knight HORATIUS his Son CURIATIUS A Gentleman of Alba Lover of Camilla VALERIUS A Roman Knight in love with Camilla SABINA Wife to Horatius and Sister to Curiatius CAMILLA Mistresse to Curiatius and Sister to Horatius JULIA A Roman Lady friend to Sabina and Camilla FLAVIAN A Souldier in the Army of Alba PROCULUS A Souldier in the Army of Rome The Scene is at Rome in a Hall of Horatius house HORATIUS A ROMANE TRAGEDIE ACTUS Primus SCENA Prima Sabina Julia Sabina A Pprove my weakness and suffer my griefe It is but too just in so great a misery such storms as these ready to powr upon them will shake the stoutest courages the least dejected masc'line Spirit without disorder can't exercise its Vertue although mine receive amazement at these rude alarmes the trouble of my heart can nothing worke upon my teares and amongst all the sighs it send's to Heaven my constancy raignes still over mine eyes When one doth stop the course of the Souls sadness and affliction though it be less then man 't is more then woman in this extremity to command teares is to shew strength enough in our weake sex Julia Enough and too much for a common Soul that from the meanest danger doth expect but one misfortune a great heart doth scorne such an abasement it despaires of nothing though in occurrents doubtful the two armies stand in battalia before our walls but Rome knows not yet how to lose a field we need not fear her rather le ts applaud her since she goes forth to fight she goes to conquer then banish banish quite so vaine a fear and conceive brave desires worthy a Romane Sabina I am a Romane since my Hushands is so marriage makes me embrace Romes interest but it should hold my heart like a chain'd slave if it did make me to forget the place where I was born Alba where I began to breath my first aire Alba my deare Country and my first love when between us and thee I see the war commenc'd I feare our Victory as much as our destruction Rome if thou complain'st that I am partial herein fix upon enemies that I may hate When I see drawn up'fore thy walls both Armies my three brave Brothers in the one and my undaunted Husband in the other can I pray for thee and without impiety importune Heaven for thy felicity I know thy State yet in its infancy cannot without war fix its puissance I know it must grow great and that thy destinies will not at home be bounded with the Latins I know the Gods have promised to thee the Empire of the Earth and that thou can'st not See th' effect of it but by the war so far am I from off'ring to oppose this thirst of Glory which obeyes so readily the Gods decrees and posteth to thy greatness that I would see thy Crowned Troops already pass the Pyrenees carry thy battalions into the East plaint thy Pavillions upon the banks of Rhine make the proud columns of Hercules to shake under thy feet But love a town to whom thou owest Romulus Ingratful know that from her Kings rich blood thou tak'st thy name thy walls and thy first laws Alba is thy original stay and wisely consider that thou carryest the sword into thy Mothers bosome turn elsewhere the force of thy triumphant armes her joy will breake forth in her childrens happiness and overcome with a maternal love her prayers will be for thee if thou art not against her Julia This discourse surpriseth me since from the time that we first arm'd against her people I have seen so much indifference in you for her as if you had been born within our walls I admired in you the vertue that reduc'd your dearest interests unto your husbands and did pity you in the mid'st of your plaints as if our Rome had caused all your fears Sabina Whil'st they encountered but in light skirmishes not strong enough to cast each other down whil'st a glad hope of peace flatter'd my trouble it is true I tooke a vanity to be all Romane if I saw Rome prevail with some regret I suddenly condemn'd this secret motion again if I resented in her contrary success any malignant joy in favour of my three brothers suddenly to smother it calling my reason to me I lamented when Glory entered into their house But now alas that one of them must fall that Alba become slave or that Rome sinke and that after the battel there remaine no obstacle more to the conquerours nor hope unto the conquered I should shew an unnatural hate unto my Country if I could be all Romane yet and should ask of the Gods your triumph at the price of so much blood which is so precious to me I tye me not so strictly to the interest of a man that I should forget my Country I 'm not for Alba nor am I for Rome I am afraid for one and for the other in this last conflict and must be of that side which fortune shall afflict indifferent to both untill the Victory I will participate the ils without assuming any thing of the glory and will keep my tears in store for the conquered party and my hate for the conquerours Julia How often we see such traverses as these arise in diverse spirits diverse passions In this Camilla acts clean contrary her brother is your Husband yours her Lover but she sees with an eye far different from yours her blood in one camp and her Love in th' other when you did conserve a spirit all Romane hers irresolute and fearful incertain fear'd the storm of the least mixture of either party hated the advantage to the misfortune of the vanquished still gave her plaints and so she nourished eternal griefes but yesterday when she understood that the Armies did advance resolved to joyn battaile on her brow a sudden joy appear'd Sabina Oh Julia how I fear so quick a change Yesterday in her faire and pleasant humour she entertain'd Valerius without doubt she quits my brother for this happy rival her spirit shaken by the present objects finds nothing amiable in an absent one after two yeers But pray excuse the heat of a fraternal love the care I have of him doth make me fear all things from her I frame suspitions from too light a subject The day of battel is unfit to change with a new dart few hearts are wounded then in so great trouble one hath other thoughts But who can have such pleasant entertainments and such contentments as may equall hers Julia The causes are as obscure unto me as unto you I can't he satisfied by any thought any conjecture on 't 't is constancy
adore Camilla so long as the war hath lasted I have approv'd my self as good a Citizen as faithful lover I would with my Love reconcile Alba's quarrel I sigh'd for you in combating for her and if we must yet come to strokes I should alas fight for her and sigh for you in spight of the desires of my charm'd soul if the warre should continue I should be in the Army it is peace that giveth me a free accesse unto you peace unto which our love oweth this happinesse Cam. Peace by what means may one believe this miracle Julia Camilla at the least believe the Oracle and know we fully by what blest effects the happines of a battle hath produc'd this peace Curiat Ye Gods who even could have thought it Already the two Armies animated unto the combate with an equal heat threatned each other with their eyes and fiercely advancing look'd for nothing but the signall to give the charge when our discreet Dictator putting himself some distance fore the ranks demanded of your Prince a minutes silence it being granted him What do we Romans said he what divel provoketh us to arms let reason rule and cleer your understandings We are your neighbours your fair daughters are our wives and ours are yours Hymen hath joyn'd us by so many reciprocal strong knots that there are few of our sons which are not your Nephews and to speak the truth we are but one blood and one people in two Towns why should we tear our selves by civil warrs where the death of the conquered weakneth the conquerors and the most beautious triumph is watered with tears Our common enemies expect with joy when one of us defeated shall leave the other as a prey unto them they have too long enjoy'd the benefit of our divisons let us for the future joyne all the forces that we have against them and let us drown these petty differences forever in Oblivion which make so ill allies of such good Warriours but if th' ambition to command each other maketh your troops and ours to march to day if we would but appease her with lesse blood she will unite farre from dividing us Let us name Combatants for th' common cause each people fix it self unto their own and as the chance of Arms shall dispose of them the weakest party shall obey the strongest but with this reservation that the conquered without indignity to such brave Warriours shall not be slaves but subjects free from tribute or shame without other subjection then to be bound to follow in all places the Colours of the Conqueror Thus our two States wil make but one resplendent Empire He ended here every one sighed with joy and looking each into the others ranks knew there a friend a cozen or a brother they wondred how their hands greedy of blood flew rashly to so many parricides and shew'd a face at once cover'd with horror of battaile and with ardour for this choice At last the offer was accepted and the desir'd peace on those conditions was swore of both sides three should fight for all but for to make the better choice our Chiefs will take a little leisure Your election is in the Senate our within a Tent Cam. O Gods how this discourse contents my minde Curiat Within three hours or there abouts by common accord the fortune of our warriours shall rule our fortune in the meane time all are free expecting when they shall be nam'd Rome's in our Campe and our Campe is in Rome free access being allowed of both sides every one goes to finde his ancient friend and to receive his Love for my part Madame my passion made me seeke your noble Brothers and my desires met with so good success that th' Authour of your dayes hath promised to give me the unparallell'd happiness of your faire hand to morrow you will not I hope become a Rebell to his power Cam. The duty of a daughter is obedience Curiat Come then receive that sweet command which must heape up my happiness to its full height Cam. I follow you but for to see my Brothers and to know th' end too of our miseries Julia Go whilst that I at the foot of the Altars freed so propitiously from their feirce rods give thanks for you to the immortall Gods The end of the first Act ACTUS II. SCENA I. Horatius Curiatius Curiatius THus Rome hath fitly placed her esteeme she should have chosen otherwise unworthily this City proud in you and in your brothers hath found three warriours which she doth preferre before all others and opposing to us no other armes but yours braveth all ours with one sole house we will believe that seeing all is committed to your hands there is no Romane besides Horace and his Sons This choice can fill three Families with Glory and consecrate their names to future ages Oh yes the honour which your doth receive by this choice can immortalize all three and since with you my fortune and may flame have made me place my Sister chuse my wife that which I ought to be and what I am to you already makes me take your part as much as possibly I can But sadly another interest doth restraine my Joy and mingles bitterness amongst those sweets the war hath cast such a refulgent ray upon your Valour that I shake for Alba and foresee its misfortune since you combat her ruine is assur'd in making you the choice even destiny her selfe hath sworn it I see herein too plain her fatall projects and do already count my selfe your subject Horat. So little reason have you to lament for Alba that Rome rather should be pitied seeing those she rejecteth and the three she names alas it is a fatall blindness for her in having so many brave Hero's to chuse and yet to take the worst a thousand of her faire Children far more worthy of her then we could better have sustain'd her quarell But though this combat points me out a grave the Glory of this choice doth swell me up with a just pride my spirit doth receive a masculine assurance by 't I dare by vertue of it to hope much from my small Valour and what ere the projects be of envious fortune I do not account me i' th' number of your subjects Rome hath too much attributed to me but my ravish'd soul shall satisfie her expectation or lose its life he that resolves to die or overcome is seldome overcome this generous despair doth hardly perish but come what will Rome shall be free not subject until my last gasp assure my defeat Curiat Alas how much am • here to be pitied that which my Country will my Amitie forbids Cruel extremities to see Alba enslaved or her Victory bought at the dear rate of a life so precious and the chief good whereto her wishes tend purchased at the price of your last sighs What prayers shall I form what happinesse expect on every side I must shed tears on every side my desires
a service and of such importance requires the rar'st and most illustrious honour you had for pawn thereof his word already I could no longer have deferred it I know by his report which I ne'r doubted how brave and like your self you bear the death of your two sons and that your soul already being resolv'd my consolation would be superfluous but I come to know what strange misfortune hath follow'd the vertue of your victorious Son and how it comes that his too much love for the publick cause bath tane an onely daughter from his father by his own hands I know what such a stroak can do upon the strongest spirit and doubt how you may bear this death Old Horat. Sir with displeasure but yet with patience Tull. 'T is plain this is the vertuous effect of your experience Many have taught by a long file of years as well as you that miseries succeed the sweetest happinesse few know like you t' apply this remedie and all their Vertue yeelds to their Interest If my compassion can ease your sorrow know that 't is extreme as is your evill and that Tullus laments you as much as he doth love you Val. Sir since Heaven doth put its justice in the hands of Kings and the force of the lawes and since the State asketh rewards for vertues and strict punishments for crimes of lawfull Princes suffer that a just occasion make you to remember that you lament too much what you should punish Suffer Old Horat. What! that we send a Conqueror to punishment Tull. Allow him leave to finish and I 'll do justice I am bound to render it to all at all hours and in every place it is by it that a King makes himself a demi-God and hence is' t that I pitie you that after such a service against him they should demand me justice Val. Suffer then O great King and the justest of all Kings that all good men speak to you by my mouth not that our hearts as jealous of his honours urge us to this if he receiveth much his high deeds do deserve it add unto it rather then lessen it we are also ready to contribute unto it but since he hath shew'd himself guilty of such a crime let him triumph as Conquerour and perish as malefactor stop his fury and save from his hands if you desire to reigne the remnant of the Romans hereupon depends the losse or safety of the rest seeing the blood shed by this fatall Warr and so many fair knots of marriage wherewith our happy destinies have so often united such neer nighbours few of us have enjoy'd such a happinesse as not I' have lost a Cosen or a brother in law an uncle or a son in law in Alba whereby to have occasion to shed tears for their own losses in the publick joy If it be an offence to Rome and that the fortune of his arms alloweth him to punish this crime of our tears what blood will this fierce Conqu'ror spare that would not pardon that of his Sister nor excuse the grief which the death of a Lover doth infuse into a Mistresse heart when ready to be lighted by the fair nuptiall Torch she sees her hope i' th' grave with him Making Rome thus to triumph he enslaves it by this means he hath a right of life and death upon us and our offending dayes shall last no longer then it shall please his clemency to suffer them I could add for the interests of Rome that such a stroak 's unworthy of a man I could demand to be brought here before you that rare exploit of a victorious arme you should see then a fair blood to accuse his rage retort into his cruel face you should behold horrours which cannot be conceiv'd her age and beauty sure would move you but I hate those means that show artifice You have deferr'd the sacrifice till to morrow Think you that the just Gods stil'd the revengers of Innocents will receive incense from a parricide hand This sacriledg would draw their punishment upon you Look upon him but as an object of their hate believe with us that the good destinie of Rome in all these three fights did more then his arm since these same Gods the Authors of his Victory permitted that he suddenly should fully the glory of it and that such a courage after so brave an Act should in one day be worthy of a Triumph and of Death It rests Sir that your Sentence decide this Rome never saw a parricide till now Fear what may follow and Heaven's anger save us from his unnaturall hand and fear the Gods Tull. Defend your self Horatius Horat. To what purpose shall I defend me Sir you know the action as being told it now what you think of it must be a law to me One ill defends himself against th' opinion of a King and th' innocentest soul that e'r was born is guiltie if he judg him to be so It is a crime t' excuse himself unto him Our blood 's his goods he can dispose thereof and we must think that when he doth do so he deprives not himself without just cause Then Sir pronounce I 'm ready to obey Others love life and I am bound to hate it I reproach not Valerius heat which makes him loving the Sister to accuse the Brother my wishes at this time conspire with his he asks my death 't is that which I desire We differ onely in this point that I seek to conserve my honour in 't and he to perish it Sir seldome is a subject offer'd to shew the vertue of a great and noble heart complete according to occasion it acts or more or lesse and appears strong or weak unto the eyes of those that are her witnesses The people that onely looks upon the outside judgeth its force by its effects and dares to think by an ill maxime that who doth a miracle must do it still After a complete action high and illustrious what glitters lesse ill answereth their expectation they would have us to be all times alike and in all places they examine not if one could better do then nor that if they see not still a wonder the occasion is lesse and Vertue equall Their injustice destroyes great names the honour of the first attchievements is forgotten by the second and when renown is pass'd beyond the mean if we 'll not fall thence we must act no more I will not boast th' exploits Sir of my arm your Majestie hath seen my three encounters hardly again shall I meet any such nor e'r the like occasion will be to shew my courage and crown the successe so that to leave here an illustrious memory death onely now can keep alive my glory and I must have it too as soon as I have conquer'd for I have outliv'd my honour Such one as I beholds his glory perish'd when he falls into any ignominie and my hand would have freed me on 't already if my bloud durst come
enough in so great danger to see it to attend it without griefe but surely 't is too much t' expresse it further even unto joy Sabina See how a gentle Genius hath fittly sent her to us Try to make her discourse upon this point she loveth you too well to conceal any thing from you I leave you Julia entertain my Sister I am asham'd to shew so much of melancholy and my heart hurthened with a thousand fears seeks solitude to hide its sighs and tears SCENA II. Camilla Julia Camilla Why flyes she and would have me entertain you thinks she that my grief 's less then hers and that as more insensible of such misfortunes I should mix less plaints with my sad discourse My soul 's affrighted with the same alarmes I shall lose in the one and th' other army aswell as she I shall behold my Lover nay more my onely Joy die for his Country or ruine mine and this dear object of my love become for my afflicting punishment or worthy of my teares or of my hate Alas Julia Yet she is more to be lamented then you one may change Lover but not Husband leave Curiacius and receive Valerius so shall you fear no more for th' adverse party so shall you be all ours and your •pirit released of it's trouble shall have nothing to lose more in the camp of th' Enemy Camilla Give me advises that may be more lawful and without proposition of crimes wail my misfortunes although I can scarce resist my evils yet I would rather suffer then merit them Julia How Madame do you call a fair and reasonable change a crime Camilla What think you that the breach of faith is pardonable Julia Towards an enemy what should oblige you Camilla Who can absolve us from a Solemn vow Julia 'T is to no purpose to disguise a thing that is so cleare I saw you yesterday receive Valerius court-ship and the favour which he receiv'd from you gives him encouragement to nourish a sweet hope Camilla If yesterday I entertain'd him with a pleasing countenance think nothing on 't but to his disadvantage of my content another was the object But to remove your error know the cause on 't I look on Curiacius with an amity too pure to suffer my self longer to be thought perjur'd About five or six months after my Brother marryed his Sister Julia you know it he obtained of my Father that I should be his Wife This day was prosperous and fatal to us both at once uniting our houses it did disunite our Kings our marriage and the war were both concluded at the same instant our hope as soon dead as born all promises lost assoon as made Oh how extreme then were our miseries how many blasphemies did Curiacius Vomit forth against Heaven how many Rivers flow'd from mine eyes I need not tell it you you saw our farwels you have since beheld the troubles of my soul you know what prayers my flame hath made for peace and what sad plaints at every encounter I have uttered as fate dispos'd it sometime for my Country and sometime for my Lover my dispaire at last constrained me to have recourse Unto the Oracles Hearken unto the voyce that yesterday they gave unto me and give me your opinion whether I have reason thereupon to reassure my dismay'd spirit That Greek so much renown'd who for so many yeers foretold our destinies at the foot of Aventine he I mean that inspir'd by Apollo ne'r spake false doth promise in these verses a quick end Unto my travels The Oracle Thy prayers are heard Alba and Rome shall be to morrow in a faire confaederacy and thou with Curicius shalt be joyn'd never to part so have the Gods enjoyn'd She continues Upon this Oracle I ground a firme beliefe and as the successe pass'd may hope I gave my soul over to ravishments which pass'd the transports of the happiest Lovers Judge you of their excess I met Valerius and he could not as he was wont displease me he spake to me of Love without my trouble I perceiv'd not that I discours'd with him I could not shew him coldness nor contempt all that I saw seem'd Curiacius to me all that he said unto me spake his fires all what I said assur'd him of my love A general fight to day is doubted much I heard the news on 't yesterday and was not troubled at it my Spirit did reject these fatall objects charm'd with the sweet thoughts of marriage and peace But this last night hath dissipated those so charming errors A thousand fearful dreams and bloody Images or rather heapes of slaughter and of horrour snatch'd my joy from me and fill'd me with fear I saw dead bodies blood and nothing else a spirit appearing suddenly tooke flight they defac'd one another and each fantasme redoubled my fear by its confusion Julia A dream for the most part should be interpreted in a contrary sense Camilla I should believe it so since I desire it but notwithstanding all my prayers and wishes I see a day of battel not of peace Julia Thereby the war will end and peace will follow Camilla Last still the ill if this must be the remedy Whether Rome fall or Alba be o'rthrown dear Lover think no more to be my Husband my heart how great soever the fire be that doth consume it will not have the conquerour nor Slave of Rome But what new object here presents it selfe Is it thee Curiacius SCENA III. Curiatius Camilla Julia Curiat Camilla doubt it not behold a man who neither is the conquerour nor yet the slave of Rome fear not to see my hands blush with the shameful weight of Irons or the blood of Romanes I believ'd you lov'd glory and Rome enough for to despise my chaine and hate my Victory and so in this extremity I equally feared captivity and Victory Camilla It is sufficient Curatius I do divine the rest thou fly'st a battel so fatall to thy wishes and thy heart wholly mine to the end thou mayst not lose me denies to lend thy arm unto thy Country let who will herein look on thy Renowne and blame thee to have too much loved me Camilla must not disesteeme thee for 't the more thy Love appears the more she ought to cherish thee and if thou owest much unto the place that gave thee birth the more thou quit'st for me the more thy Love appears But hast thou seen my Father can he suffer thee in his house thus doth he not preferre the State before his private Family regardeth he not Rome more then his daughter Lastly is our good fortune well assur'd hath he beheld thee as a Son in law or as an Enemy Curiat He look'd upon me as son in law with tenderness and love which witnessed enough an entire Joy but he beheld me not by any treason unworthy honour enter in his house I give not up the interest of my towne I love my honour yet though I