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A60960
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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.
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Southerne, Thomas, 1660-1746.
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1700
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Wing S4757; ESTC R12322
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41,770
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85
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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
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