On the contrare he said he searched to be instructed of his faults that he might amend them Behold Romans what Germanicus was His Soul was whollie Noble and Generous And under whatsoever form death did present it self he looked upon it with a fixed countenance he hath seen tempest disperse his armie and drive his ship against the rocks without having anie other fear then that of seeing the Roman Legions perish He has beenseen after ship-wrack repay to all the Souldiers who escaped what the storme had made them loss He was seen while he livedserve his greatest enemies And that which is morestrange and more mervalous he is dead without having said anie thing against the chief of the conspiracie that was done against his life And he is contented with having prayed his friends to cause punish the complices Me thinks Romans that it is the least thing can be granted to the Ashes of Anthonies Nephew of Augustus his grand-son and of Agrippinaes husband yes Romans if Tiberius were chief of that conspiration which none among you dare say that it be by his order that Germanicus is put to death Being a great Politician as he is he ought alwaies to put the complices of his crime to death Piso and Plancina should be sacrificed to Germanicus though it should be but for to hinder them from speaking and to dry up your tears their blood ought to be shed All they who concern themselves with doing of horrid Villanies have alwaies used to let the executioners of their wicked designs be lost to the end that they be not suspected Piso hath alreadie had the audacity to say to Marsus Vibius by an insolent rallerie that seems to be like a person whom I name not because I have more respect then he that he would come to Rome to justifie the death of Germanicus when the Praetor informed of the poisons had summoned there all the criminals and all the accusers Yes Romans I tell you again that whatsoever way Germanicus was put to death Piso should die And I have so much hope from the prudence of Tiberius that I doubt not but Piso shall die And that in some manner the death of Germanicus will be revenged But to obtain this satisfaction employ your tears and prayers Let the name of Germanicus be heared over all Do not enclose your sorrow in the tomb of Augustus with those pittifull Reliques which we are carieing to it Follow me Romans Let us go to the Senat and demand justice for Germanicus Let us represent that it will be disgracefull to it not to revenge the death of a man for whom Triumphant Arches were erected Who was seen enter Rome in a Triumphant Chariot And who past among all Nations and among the Barbarians themselves for the most accomplished among mortals Let us not use charmes nor enchantments for destroying our enemies as they have done to destroy Germanicus Let us not revenge his death by the same armes which caused it let us trust to the justice of the Gods to the prudence of Tiberius and to the Senats authoritie The justice that we desire cannot be refused to us You Souldiers who have followed him ask the blood of Piso to revenge the death of your Captain Recount to the Senate the perills wherein you did accompanie him show the wounds you received in the fights where he was Tell truelie the things which you was witnesses of And in fine desire that the death of the Father of his Legions and your Generall may be revenged You generous Citizens who hear me desire boldlie that the death of Germanicus may be revenged Remember what he was Remember his vertue his modestie his goodness his courage his liberalitie and his moderation Say that he was the Modell by which you hoped to regulate the lives of your children to hinder them from following the perniciousexamples which they see everie day Tel that you have lost your Supporter and your upholder And desire at least that they may revenge on the person of the treacherous Piso him who is taken from you in fine who ever you be that hears my voice employ yours in asking this equitable vengeance Echo over all the names of Julius Cesar of Anthonie of Marcellus and of Augustus thereby to obtain what you desire Speak of Tombs of Urnes and of Ashes to excit compassion in the most cruel heart Joyn also some menaces with prayers if they be unprositable And forget nothing of all that can cause Piso his death comfort Agrippina and â—â—venge Germanicus THE EFFECT OF THIS HARRANGUE THis Harrangue failed not of an advantageous Effect all the Senate and all the Roma People were sensibly touched with it The one and the other shed tears breathed complaints and abandoned themselves to forrow And it was said that all the glorie of Rome entered the Tomb with the Ashes of Germanicus Everie on called Agrippina the honour of her countrey the blood of Augustus the onlie and last example of the ancient Roman Vertue And everie one prayed the Gods that they would preserve her Race and make her live beyond and after the intire ruine of these wicked men In fine the publick zeal was so arduous for Germanicus and for Agrippina that Tiberius was constrained to abandone â—iso to the rigour of justice But he prevented his judgement by the wound of a sword which he gave himself in the throat and whereof he instantly dyed SAPHO TO ERINNA THE TWENTIETH HARRANGUE ARGUMENT YOw are to hear that Illusticus Woman speak of whom all ages have said so much Whom Plato himself admired whose image was engraven like that of a great Prince of whom we have yet remaining a species of Poesie whose verses are called Saphick because it was she who invented their measure and whom two great men of Antiquity a Grecian and a Roman called the tenth Muse I cause her take occasion to exhort her freind to make verses as she did thereby to make it appear that Ladies are sapable of it And that they wrong themselves by neglecting such an agreealâ— occupation It is the Argument of this Harrangue that I give in particular to the glorie of this fair Sex as in generall I have given all this Volumn SAPHO TO ERINNA I Must Erinnae I must this day overcome in your mynd that disttrust of your self and thatfalse shame that hinders you from employing yourmind with things which it is Capable of But before I speak to you particularlie of your merit I must let you see that of our Sex in general that by the knowledge thereof I may the more easily bring you to what I would They who say that beauty is the portion of women And thatfine arts good learning and all the sublime and eminent sciences are of the domination of men without our having power to pretend to any part of them Are equallie differing from justice and vertue If it were so all women would be born with beautie and â—ll men with a strong disposition
done nothing I have said nothing I have thought nothing against them And my greatest crime is that I am unhappie and that you love me But would to Heaven that I be in that manner Criminall all my life Continue my dear Lord to give them new subject of hateing me by loving me alwayes Testifie to them that the Victime which you sacrifice for them is dear to you And for your glorie as much as myne make them know that the affection you have for me hath lawfull fundationes Conceall my faults and carefulie exaggerate the few good qualities are in me tell them that the affection which I had for you served in stead of merit And in fine that you have found in my persone she object worthie of your love For me I am not troubled to justifie what I have for you your Valor and Vertue are so equallie known through all the Earth that I need not tell for what reasons I love you This sentiment is so universall that though you were not infinitly Good you should not be oblidged to me But my dear Titus shall I tell you something that is in my minde Yes because my affection hath caused it you cannot be displeased and you are too just to condemn Berenieta when you shall know that she is onlie guiltie of excess of Love I would not in the condition that things are in to day robb you of the Crown which you ought to carrie by oblidging you to follow me For my dear Lord there is no corner of the Earth where the Illustrious Titus can live unknown But if it be permitted me to tell you all that I think I wish that being born without Crown without Kingdom and without Empire we could leave together in some place where Vertue alone should Reign with us I wish I say that you were not what you are And yet I would not have you changed In fine the excess your grief and affection makes that finding nothing that satisfies me among all things possible I am constrained for my consolation to make wishes which are impossible to execute Pardon me my door Titus If I would rob you of a Crown I reprehend my self because I know by your eyes you are no offâ—â—â—ded Till now I never thought that I could see you greived and not be a partaker with you Yet surely that which I see Painted in your face sweetneth my affliction Your tears diminishes the bitterness of mine And in the condition my Soul is in I can have no reflection so pleasing as to see you infinitly afflicted Yes Titus my dispair is so great that since I cannot live happie with you there are moments wherein I shall wish that we were alwaies unhappie so that we could but be together Yet this unjust thought does not last long in my mind And passing from one extremity to another I shall wish that I were yet more unfortunate and that you were not at all Methinks then the Romans have reason to exile me because I am capable of disturbing the repose of their Prince I wish I could depart without afflicting you Carrie away in my heart your sorrow with my own And by so tender a thought I pittie you more then my self Moreover if I can possiblie live without you I am sure I shall hear often newes of you though you your self should give me none Fame will tell me of ail your brave actions And I heartily wish that it would load it self with my tears as well as with your exploits thereby to let you know that neither time nor absence had anie way Diminished my sorrows or affection Remember my Dear Titus everie time that your heart makes you do a brave action That there Berenicea shall find both a subject of joy and of grief She shall rejoice at your glorie and afflict her self for the loss she has had But when that doth come to pass she shall ever love you equallie Nevertheless I think I shall not be long in pain to partake of what befals you for my grief which I feel is so great That I believe it cannot be long If my exile had been caused by your inconstancie that you had changed your thonghts of of me That your disdain had been the cause of my disgrace I should have comforted my self by complaining of you I should mitigate my Torment by calling you ungrate perfidious Choller despight should devide my heart I might one day hope to love you no more And whether by resentment or glorie I should almost depart from you without weeping But as matters goe I se call over subjects to afflict me And nothing that can sweeten my grief I not only loss a lover I loss a Faithfull lover And I loss him in such a manner that it permits me not to complain of him I accuse the Senate and the people that I may not complain of the Emperor because he is his Father And without being able to accuse him If not of his having loved me too well I depart the unhappiest woman that ever was But unsensible that I am what do I say By that I find some cause to comfort me Because I quit Titus and he not me fortune plucks me from him against his will It threatens to take the Crown from him If he consent not to my banishment And at this time I have the satisfaction of seeing my dear Titus esteem me more then the Empire of all the World However it is true that I must forsake him Yet I have this little comfort at our parting to know that I dwell in his heart and that nothing can chase me thence If I be not mistaken I see by your silence that you consent to what I say Your sighes does assure me and your teares permit me not to doubt You have too delicate a Soul to be capable of infidelitie or forgetfulness Unconstancie is a fault which cannot be fouud in you be cause it is certainly a sign of imbicilitie or little Judgement The heart must not be given without a long premeditation But when once given it must never be retaken For me I find we have more right over others goods which belong not to us then we have of the presents which our liberalitie gives Others things may sometimes come under our power without injustice But what we once give should never again be ours It is a renouncing of all right we have to pretend to it And no Law can with equity put us in possesion of it Since it is so I am assured to have alwayes the possession of your heart It is by that thought that I can hope to live in my exile It is the onlie thing can support my life And for that only can I say that I am not absolutely unhappie I hope the Romans will in time know that as your love to me had nothing of injustice sol have inspired you with nothing but rationall thoughts I desire not Titus that you loss your self for preserving me I will
of ambition and unjustice And what was said against him at that time makes it sufficently seen that Pompey was the tyrran that Cesar was the Protector In effect he was no sooner in Rome then he courtiouslie treated all the senatores he with a sweet tenderness prayed them to Pacifie every thing and again proposed to them most just and most reasonable articles of peace thereby to make them agree with Pompey But they knowing that Pompey would be all or nothing They did not make it and excused themselves to Cesar But Lepidus when this Ilustrious Heros was created dictator gave he any markes of his having desires to aspire at tyrranie Non at all He recalled the banished Replaced in honor the children of them who had been con fiscated in the time of Silla who was a Tyrran and eleven dayes after voluntarlie demitted the dictatorship contenting himself with being Consulate with Servilius Jsauricus After that Lepidus can any say that Cesar was a tyrran and that Pompey was the defender of libertie But let us finish the giving account of his Illustrious Life in few words that we may have the more leasure to Lament his death Doubtless you remember all the artifice that Pompey used to shun fighting with Cesar and draw affairs to delay and they were so certainly visible and his ambitione so known that his verie souldiers boldlie said he continued not the warr but for to continue his authority In effect he knew that either victorious or conquered he must quitt the soveraign Power or altogether take of the Mask that concealed him to the halph of the Romaines But Cesar whose confidence was in the equity of his cause and in that of the gods searched after his enemies He seared not to assault and sight him He had nothing in his heart that reproached him of crime He knew that he revenged Rome by revenging himself And by freeing himself of an adversarie He freed Rome of a tyrran His hope of heaven did not deceive him He gained the battle and Pompey lost it That man who had been so much favoured by fortune whille he was innocent was abandoned by it when he became Criminal He did not anie more know aither to fight or overcome nor did somuch as know how to be overcome like a man of courage Howsoon his partie had gotten the worst in the battle of Pharsalia in sted of annimating them by his example he went into his tent without knowing almost what he said And knowing that affairs went still worse for him that his entrenchments were forced And that Cesar approached what said he all frightned even in our Camp and after he had spoken in this mannner he again fledd and abandoned all that remained of his Partie Yet me thinks it would have ben more glorious for him to have died by Cesars armes then by the sword of the traitour Septimius who formerlie commanded under him But this great man having in his heart hatred remorse repentance shame of being overcome and ambition We neid not wonder if losing hopes of reinging He in fine lost his reason But after we have seen that Cesar was skilful in the art of conquering I pray you Lepidus let us look if he did also know the use of victorie if he was inhuman or clement If he was just or rigorous If he was tyrran or Romane Citisen How soon the field of battle was left to him and the eagernesse he had to fight was mitigated when he saw such multitudes of dead souldiers round about him he shedd so many tears as he had caused them shedd bloud O gods cried he weeping Ye know it was their desyre and that they Compelled me to be their conqueror For Cesar after having gained so many Illustrious victories doubtless would have bein blamed if he had abandoned his armie Any other Conqueror but Cesar would shedd tears of soy after having gained the battle But for him He could not rejoyce in his Victorie because it had cost the lives of some of his citisens Believe me Lepidus Tyrrants do not weep for their ennemies And clemencie and pitty are sentiments which they know not at all However you know that Cesar almost pardoned all his He also had a particular care to cause search for that prefidious man who afterwards caused him loss his life And when the traytor Brutus rendred himself to him he treated him as if he had bein his son Woe is me me thinks I see my dear Cesar going from rank to rank asking from his people news of Brutus looking among the dead bodies if he was not yet there in condition to be suceoured and doing all things possible to save him who by a horrid ungratitude thrusted a poigniard into his breast O gods is it possible that Cesar could make so bad a choice That among all the Romans he loved his murtherer better then any other and that the gods who testified their having such particular care of his life did not advertise him that he whom he loved best of all men should of all men be the most cruell against him But it is not yet tyme to speak of Brutue his ungratitude The clemency and the goodness of Cesar furnishes me With too good a subject to leave it so soon And to let his affasinates cryme appear as great as it is his vertues must appear with all the splendour that they had Tyrrans have some times put a pryce upon the heads of their enemies they have promised abolitione of all sorts of crimes to these who would bring them And sometimes when they have been satisfied they have looked upon that fatall present with joy But Cesar used not his so He would not see that of Pompey He weeped bitterlie He treated him ignominiously who presented it to him and forced him to the necesity of making his recourse to flight thereby to save his life For me I find that actione more glorious for Cesar then if he had overcome Pompey But though he was alone to weep for his enemie He was not alone to fight Further He well testified that He did not so much regaird Pompey as to his own Particular then as to that of the Republick For he not only pardoned all them of his partie who would render themselves But he took a particular care of all Pompeys friends And by that made it seen that he hated not his person but only that He desyred to destroy his unjust and pernicious dessignes Any other but Cesar after having been victor would have considred his own security By banishing some by puting others to death and by putting himself in a condition to defie the rest But for him He considered nothing but the gathering the ruptures of Pompeyes naufrage It might have been said that it was his army that was defated And that He stayed in that place to railly his troups He testified so much swetnesse and goodness to them who came and listed themselves under his coulors He did also wreat to
cause of his Misfortune That I have loaded him with Irones that I made him friend to Carthage and Romes enemie Yes Generous Massinissa I avouch all these things And if I could rob the Romans of You I would esteem my self happie And believe that my death should be trulie worthie the Daughter of Hasdruball Pardon me my dear Massinissa for speakieg so boldlie to You. But since this is the last time perhaps that I shall ever see You I shall joyfullie tell You what have alwaies been my sentiments To the end that by the knowledge I shall give You of that aversion which I ever had to bondage You may be the more easilie induced to think of my Libertie How soon I had opened my eies to the light the first thing I learned was that there Were a People who without anle right but what the strong imposes upon the weak would make themselves Masters of all others And while my infancie lasted I heard no discourse but of the Roman Triumphs Of Kings whom they had chained Of famous Captives which they had made Of the Miseries of these unfortunate men And of all the things that are done in those fatal Spectales where the Romans pride makes up the Noblest fruit of the Victorie Those images were so earlie Imprinted in my mind that nothing could ever banish them thence Since I became more Reasonable by age I have had more Aversion for that Roman Eagle which sees nothing but the rapines it makes And which flies not above the heads of Kings but to take off their Crowns Perhaps it will be said to me that the Romans give so manie Kingdoms as they Usurpe And that they make as manie Kings as they 〈◊〉 to their Chariot But my dear Massinissa if you will rightlie Consider the business You wil find that they give no Scepters but to have the more famous slaves And that if they put Crowns upon their Vassals heads it is but to have the pleasure of seeing them laid at their feet because that by their orders they will have hommage payed to them Vanitie is the Soul of that Nation It is its onlie work It is but for it that it makes Conquests Usurpes Kingdomes Desolates all the World And unsatisfied in being absolutlie Mistris of all that great Part of the Universe which is of its Continent Passes the Seas to come and Disturb our Repose For if onlie a desire of augmenting its Confines and encreassing its riches caused it make War it would be content to overturn Thrones and putting them to death who Lawfullie Possessed them But because pride is their cheif instigator A simple Citizen of Rome must for his Glorie and for the Peoples divertisement Drag Kings chained after his Triumphing Chariot O Gods Is it possible that Conqueros can be so inhumane Is it possible to find Conquered Kings so cowardlie to endure such cruell Usage Yes without doubt and too manie examples of this kind have made it known that all Princes are not Generous Nevertheless it is certain that Irons and Crowns Scepters and Chains are things which should never be seen together A Chaire drawn by Elephants should not be followed by Kings And by Kings tied like Criminall with whom no signs of Royaltie are left but to signalise their shame and the Glorie of their Conqueror But what Glorie can he have who Triumphs in this sort For if these whom he has overcome are baise as there is great appearance because they live It is no just Subject of vanitie to have outbraved them And if these unfortunate men testified courage in their defaite It is great inhumanitie in him who treats thus Princes who have done nothing but defend their Crowns Their Countrie Their Wifes Their Children Their Subjects And their Domestick-Gods But if for the Glorie of their Conquerors and for the Pleasure of the People they would have Triumphs It would be more Glorious for them to cause carrie the Enemies armes whom they have killed with their own hands then to have themselves followed by Kings whom they have not fought Chariots filled with broken armes Bucklers Launces Javelins and Standards taken from the Enemies Would make a show less Lamentable and more agreeable to the eies of the People But Gods Is it possible that Kings are destined for such infamie That these same People who have Combates of Gladiators and of wild Beasts given them for their divertisement Should also be the cause of such fatall Ceremonie And extract their pleasure from the ignominie and misfortune of Kings That it should be that they who delight in seeing four thousand men by a horrid brutalitie kill one another in one day And who find their happiness in seeing Tigers and Lyons devour each other Is it possible I say that Kings opressed with Irons should be draged for these same People For me my dear Massinissa I find something so strange in this sort of Triumph that I doubt if it be more disgracefull to the Conquered then to the Victorious and in my particular I know verie well that I shall neither do the one nor the other Judge then my dear Massinissa if a person who would not enter Rome in a Triumphing Chariot followed by a hunder chained Kings Could resolve to follow with Irons that of the proud Scipio No Sophonisbas Soul is too great for that If I were but a Carthaginean I shall never be capable of it If I were but Hasdrubals daughter I shal never resolve to do it If I were but the Wife of the unfortunate Siphax it is a weakness that shal never come in my mind And If I were but the slave of the Illustrious Massinissa I shall not follow anie other Conquerour But being both together a Carthaginean Hasdruballs daughters Wife to Siphax and Massinissa and Queen of two great Kingdoms Scipio needs not think to make Triumph of Sophonisba No Generous Massinissa if the chains they would give me were of Diamonds And all the Irons Glister with Gold and precious Stones And if they would assure me that I should be immediatlie restored to the Throne how soon I were untied from the Triumphant Chariot I would choose death in prejudice of Royalltie And if my hand should once carrie Irons I should no more think it worthie to carrie a Scepter In fine I have so strong an aversion for slaverie and bondage and my Spirit is so delicate in such matters that if I thought Scipio would cause carrie my Picture in Triumph I would pray you to put all the Limners of Numidea to death But no I condemn my self for that thought For if the insensible Scipio does carrie my Image in his entering into Rome he shall rather publish my Glorie then his own It will be seen that I could die when I could live no longer with honour And that a Feminine courage surpassed the Roman Vanitie I doubt not Generous Massinissa if you do not with all your force oppose Scipios severitie but that you will be compelled to
not have you oppose the Emperor I will not have you acquire the Senats hatred I will not have you irritate the People against you I will not have you endeavour to make the Legions Rebel I will not have you refuse the fair Arricidea who I know is appointed for you I will not I say have you lose the Empire for love of me On the contrare I counsel and conjure you to obey the Emperor to follow the Senats advice to content the humours of the people to keep your legiones to make new conquests to receive on the Throne the too happy Arricidea and preserve the Empire which Fate promises and birth gives you But when to my prejudice you have satisfied all the World be so just as to remember that Berenicea should by your only passion If I obtain this favour from you I shall depart with some pleasure Maugre all my sorrows so far from making imprecationes against my Enemies I shall make Vowes for their felicity as I shall doe for your preservation May you then O Titus gain so many Victories as you give Battles May you Reign over your people with as much Authority as clemency May you be feared of all the Earth May you have so much Glorie 〈◊〉 you merit May your Reign be as happy as I am unfortunate In fine may you doe so many brave actions both by your excellent Vallour and rare goodness That by consent of all Nations you may one day be called The love and delight of mankind THE EFFECT OF THIS HARRANGUE THese wishes were too passionate no to be èxâ—â—ushed Titus Was as great and as much beloved as Berenicia did wish And if the since of Historie deceive me not she was his last passion according to her desires So that it may be said that she obtained all that she asked though she parted from Râ—me and abandoned Titus PANTHEA TO CYRUS THE NINTH HARRANGUE ARGUMENT PAnthea Queen of Susania being taken prisoner of War by the great Cyrus was favourablie treated in acknowledgement of which courtesie she obliedged Abdradates her Hushand to for sake the Lydeane partie and joyn his Armes with those of this invincible Conqueror But that mightie man of War to signalise his gratitude and courage asked permission from Cyrus to fight in the advance guards in the day of Battle That glorious favour being granted to him he did prodigious things and so little spared himself that he gained the Battle and loft his life His body was brought back all covered with wounds to â—he inconsolable Panthia And Cyrus having gone to comfort her or rather to hear a part of her affliction for a loss equal to them both this sorrowâ—â—ll Princess spoke to him in these words PANTHEA TO CYRUS YOu see O Great aâ—â— Generous Cyrus what the Victorie hath cost you Abdradates hath been the Victime which has made the Gods Propitious to you His Bloud hath dyed the Laurels which are wreathed about your head He is dead in Crowning of you And to speak trulie of the matter Cyrus and Panthea are rather the cause of his death then the Lydeans Valor Yes Cyrus your Generositie his gratitude and mine have put him in the deplorable condition that he is in You see him all covered with his own bloud and with that of your enemies The great manie wounds he hath received over all his bodie are certaine proof of what he gave to them who fought him His mightie Courage changed that of the Aegyptians into despair And that Illustrious hand which they have almost separated from his arm alace what an object to Panthea makes it sufficientlie seen that he quitted not his armes but by quitting his life He was seen Generous Cyrus fight with such Ardencie that it was said that the gaining of that Battle ought to put the Crown of the World upon his head He hath retributed the obligations I had from you with his person his blood and his life And in this manner O invincible Cyrus as I have told you alreadie your Generositie his Gratitude and mine have caused his death and my miserie However I do not accuse you I am too just to do that On the contrate I thank you kindlie for offering your assistance to comfor me I praise in you O Cyrus that Generous sentiment which makes your shed tears the verie day of your Victorie And which makes you greive more for the death of your freind then rejoice for the gaining of the Battle and defaiting all your enemies But after I have done your Vertue this justice suffer me without either accusing you or repenting me to complain of the rig our of my fate which owing the preservation of my honour to you would oblidge me my self to expose my dear Abdradates to a fight where multitudes made him Succumb It was onlie for the love of me that he abandoned Cresus forces For though he had just enough cause not to serve him the memorie of the dead King his Father who loved him dearlie made him not abandone the Son though less Vertuous But I no sooner made my obligations from you known to him then he freelie offered to acquitt me with you for so sensible an obligation Your fame had formerlie disposed his heart to consent to what I asked And having alreadie esteemed you infinitlie it was easie for him to love you In fine Cyrus you know he testified at that time great Gratitude to you and great love to me No said he to me Generous Panthea Abdradates cannot be your Protectors enemie He hath dried up your tears and I must spend my blood in his service he hath been carefull of your glorie and my Valour must increase his He hath lost a man whom he verie much loved by Protecting you I ought to repaire that loss And if it be possible not let it be perceived in the day of Battle that Araspes is not there Yes said he to me a loud I shall loss my life or I shall testifie to Cyrus that they who receive benefits as they ought are some times as generous as they who give them Wo is me Must I tell it I never gain-said this discourse And without apprehending any fatall Event from so Noble an Intention I praised his resolution and designe I thanked him for that which was to become the cause of my supream misfortune contributing to my own unhappiness I excited his courage to do thins which have caused his death to day And yet which will make him live Eternallie O cruell Remembrance O injustice of Fortune of all the Conquerours why should Abdradates onlie been overcome And having so profitably shed his blood for gaining of the Battle why should he almost have been the onlie one who enjoyed not the Fruits of the Victorie But it was not in this encounter alone that I contributed to my own Disaster So great was my blindness that I expected that fatall day like a day of Triumph My spirit was filled with nothing but hope My
What object to my eyes And what grief to my soul It is so great that I wonder it hath not alreadie deprived me of all sorrow everie thing I see Torments me and everie thing I think of makes me dispair for Cyrus when the unlawful passion of Araspes gave me cause to complain If I had then had my recourse to Death I had preserved Abdradates his life I had secured my honor And you should not have had cause to accuse a man who was beloved of you I should have altogether satisfied my husband my own glory and the great Cyrus I owed him that respect not to have complained of his favorite and if I had been rationall death should have hindred my complaints then And my tears to day But fate had otherwise resolved it Would t the Gods in so sad as adventure that as Abdradates showed himself a husband worthie of Panthea and worthy of Cyrus his friendship I may also manifest to posterity that Panthea was a wife worthy of Abdradates And that she was not unworthie of Cyrus his protection I well perceive O excellent Prince by the many sacrifices that are prepared and by the magnificent ornaments That are brought to me upon your account That you design to make the obsequies of my dear Abdradates such as are suitable to this Illustrious Conqueror But because his Glorie is the onlie thing that I ought to care most for O great Cyrus let Posteritie know by a Glorious Monument and by true Inscriptions what Abdradates was Eternise altogether your glorie his and my unhappiness The Gold and the Marble which you will make use of in it will not be unprofitable to you And the Tomb which you cause build to Immortalise Abdradates shall make your self immortall There are more People who can do a brave action then give account of it themselves Who can acknowledge and publish it as it ought to be Have not that Jealousie which Glorie gives to the most Illustrious And believe that if You take care of that of Abdradates the Gods will also take care of yours The blood which he has lost for you merits me thinks this gratitude Nor shall I doubt my obtaining what I desire of you I see that you consent to me And that I have no sooner thought of my request but your goodness oblidges me to thank you However I have another yet to ask of you It is O Illustrious Cyrus that without hastening the doolfull Pomp of my dear Abdradates I may be yet suffered a while to wash his wounds with my tears All the Victims that are necessare for appeasing his Ghost are not yet in that order they should be O Cyrus let them not then be pressed I shall not make them wait long my last fare-wells shall be quicklie said And moreover it is verie just that since he died for me I shed so manie tears as he did drops of blood And since I ought to see him no more in this World I may enjoy the sight of him so long as it is possible for me Yes Cyrus that lamentable and most pittifull object is the onlie good I have remaining It is both my despare and comfort I cannot see it without dying and perhaps I shall die how soon I am deprived of seeing it any more Wherefore I 〈◊〉 you that I be not pressed And because you â—â—tyed me to tell you into what place I would go I promise to you that you shall quickly know the place that I shall choose for my retirement THE EFFECT OF THIS HARRANGUE ALace This beautifull and sad Queen was but too true For scarcelie had she deceived Cyrus by making him believe that she was capable to live after the death of Abdradates And that Generous deceipt was the issue of her Harrangue but she choose her retiring place I mean her husbands Tomb. I say Cyrus was not well gone from her but she plunged a Poiniard in her heart and expired upon the dead body of Abdradates This Generous monarch was incredibly greived And to eternise the memorie of these two rare persons and his own gratitude with them He builded for them a Glorious Monument Where manie ages after his the Marble and the Brass declared the Vertues of Panthea and the Valor of Abdradates And the River Pactose which is there represented upon whose banks this Tom was builded seems to tell that she esteems their Reliques more precious then all the Gold that rolles on her sands AMALASONTHA TO THEODATES THE TENTH HARRANGUE ARGUMENT A Malasontha daughter of Theodorick the great Reigned after the death of Eutharick her Husband eight years in Italie with a marvollous Splendor dureing the minority of Athalarick her Son But this young Prince being dead whither it was that she would discharge her self partlie of state affairs Or that she believed the Goths were desirous of a King She placed upon the Throne Theodates Son of Amalfreda Sister to Theodorick her Father Yet with intention to partake of the Soveraign Authoritie with him But this ungrate man had the Scepter no sooner in his hand then he banished this great Princess Who immediatly upon her departure did express her self in these words AMALASONTHA TO THEODATES HAve you forgot Theodates which way you was conducted to the Throne Have you forgot how you received that Crown which you carrie Have you forgot of whom you hold that Scepter which I see in your hands And that absolute power which I so cruellie have triall of to day Did it come to you by your Valor Was it given you by the Laws of this Kingdome Or by the depopulation of all the Goths Have you conquered that great Extent of Earth which acknowledges your Authoritie Are you either Conqueror Usurper or Legittimate King Answer everie thing Theodates Or at least let me answer for you Because if I be not deceived you cannot make it for your advantage And I am more indulgent then to oblidge you to tell anie thing that would be irkesome to you They who desire not to acknowledge a benefit can have no greater punishment then to be forced to publish it Wherefore I will not constrain you to avouch from your own mouth that neither by right of Birth nor of a Conquerour nor by that of our Lawes could you while I am alive have anie pretensions to the Kingdom of the Gothes Because I was in possession of it as Daughter Wife and Mother of them whose in was And who left it to me after them as their lawfull Heiress Nor are you ignorant that you are born my Subject And that you would have still been so If by a verie extraordinare goodness I had not descended from the Throne to conduct you to it However after I had taken the Crown from off my own head to give it you After I had deposited my Scepter in your hands and was resolved to make a King of your Person After all that it was seen that I had much ado to make the Gothes obey you
alace can I tell it Yes Lucretia for your vindication and chastisement thou must to day be altogether thy accuser thy witness thy partie thy defender and thy judge Know then Collatinus that that Lucretia who did ever love her honor better then her life or yours Whose chastitie was alwayes without blemish The puritie of whose Soul is incorruptible Hath suffered in your place a base an infamous Person the son of a Tirran and a verie Tirran himself Yes Collatinus the perfidious Tarquin whom you called your friend when you brought him to me the first time that I had seen him and would to the Gods it had been the last day of my life That Traitor I say hath made Triumph of Lucretias chastity By despising his own Glorie he hath lessened yours by having absolutlie benighted mine Aud by a crueltie which never had example he hath reduced me to the most deplorable condition that Woman whose whole inclinations are Noble could ever see I perseive Generous Collatinus that my discourse astonishes you And that you are in pain to believe what I say Yet it is a certain truth I am witness and asociate of Lucretias crime Yes Collatinus though I am yet alive I am not innocent Yes my Father your daughter is guiltie for having survived her glorie Yes Brutus I merit the hatred of all my Neighbours And when I have commited no other crime but the giving love to a cruell Tirran who by the abuse he hath done to me hath altogether violated the Laws of men of friendshp offended the Roman People and despised the Gods It is enough to merit the hatred of all the World Wo is me Is it possible that Lucretia could inspire such base thoughts that her fatal beautie could kindle a flame which should be her own destruction And that her looks which were so innocent could give such criminall desires But what is thy wonder insensible that thou art Rather wonder that thou did not tear thy heart before thy great misfortune Then was the time Lucretia wherein you should have testified courage and the love that you had to Glorie You should have then died innocent Your life would have been spotless and without question the Gods would have â—een carefull of your reputation Butinfine the busifiess is not so I am unhappie unworthie to fee the right Unworthie of being Spurius Lucretius his Daughter Unworthie of being Collatinus his Wife And unworthie of being a Roman Now Collatinus I ask of you what punishment Lucretia deserves Deprive her of your affection Blot her our of your Remembrance Revenge the abuse that has been done to her onlie for love to your self and not out of love her Look upon her no more but as infamous And though her misfortune be extream deny her that compassion which is had of all that are miserable But nevertheless if it were permitted me after I have spoken against my self to say some what in my defence I would say Collatinus without contradicting truth That I have not obscured my Glorie but by having loved Glorie too well Tarquins cajolleries did not touch my heart His passion gave me none His presents did not at all suborn my fidelitie Nor love nor ambition brangled my Soul And if I desired to speak for my self I can onlie say that I loved my Reputation too much Yes Collatinus Lucretias crime was that she preferred fame to true Glorie When the insolent Tarquin came into my Chamber I being awaked saw a Poiginard in his hand And having brought it to my Throat to hinder my out-cries he began to speak of a passion he had for me The Gods knows what were then my thoughts And if death appeared terrible to me In that condition I equallie despised the praiers and threats of the Tyrran His demands and offers were equallie rejected Neither love nor fear had anie place in my Soul Death did not affright me And so far from apprehending I manie times desired it My Vertue had nothing to fight against at that time I was not pendulous to preser death to the Tyrrans love And I know no horrid pain which I would not have joyfullie endured to have preserved my honour But when my coustancie had wearied the Tirrans patience That he saw neither his praiers tears presents promises threats nor death it self could move my heart That Barbarian inspired by the furies said it I resisted his desires anie longer he would not onlie kill me But to make me infamous to Posteritie he would 〈◊〉 slave who accompanied him To the end that 〈…〉 him dead in my bed it should be thought that I 〈◊〉 forgot my honour for that slave and that he wing 〈…〉 zeal to you had punished us as being guiltie of that crime I avouch with shame that that discourse wrought on my Spirit what the certaintie of death could not do I lost strength and reason I yeelded to the Tirran And the fear of being thought infamous is the onlie thing that made me so No Collatinus I cannot endure that Lucretia should be accused to have failled in her honour That the memorie of it was eternallie blasted And thinking that she should be execrable to you hindered her from dying at that instant and makes her live till now I did all things to oppose the Tyrrans violences except killing my self I desired to live that I might preserve my Reputation and that I should not die unrevenged And a false image of true Glorie taking possession of my heart made me commit a crime which I feared to be accused of However the Gods are my witnesses that my Soul and desires are whollie pure my consent contributed nothing to that doolefull accident neither in the beginning progress nor end of it You know Generous Collatinus that when you brought the Tirran as your Friend I was not voluntarlie the cause of his unjust passion I scarce lifted up my eies to look upon him And that Illustrious Victorie which my Modestie gained to you that day should make you sufficientlie remember that I have not drawn upon my self the misfortune that is befallen me After that I did not see the treacherous Tarquin untill that dismall day wherein he made prise of Lucretia Vertue But what do I say Tirrans have no power over the will I am yet the same Lucretia who so much loved glorie Because it is certain that mine is altogether innocent The tears which flow from my eies are not the effects of my remorse I repent not for the fault I have committed but onlie that I died not before that of another We were two in the crime and but one Criminall And my conscience does check me of nothing but my having preferred my reputation and revenge to a Glorious death That which hath caused my misfortune is that I believed the Glorie of my death would not be known I doubted the equitie of the Gods at that time And without remembering that they do miracles when they please and that they are protectors of innocence
endure that disgrace without murmuring Yes my Lord that blind thing so much accustomed to favour vice at the expence of Vertue that makes no presents but to take them away That establishes no Kingdomes but to destroy them And which overturns all that it does establish In one word Fortune shall not put a stand to my patience I shall without regrate quit the Scepter the Crown the Throne the Court and the Empire and all that splendid some which accompanies Royalltie if I could return into my solitude with your esteem and affection These two things my Lord if I be not mistaken should not be under Fortunes Jurisdiction It may both take day and Empire from you it may also make you a slave but it cannot make your unjust You alone are the arbitrator of your will your hatred your esteem and your affection The noble priviledge that God hath given to man of being free among chains and of being absolute Master of his inclinations makes â—ou be oblidged to answer exactlie for yours Nevertheless my Lord the respect I have to you makes that I dare not accuse you of these you have to me Though certainlie my innocence renders them unjust And for that respect I will rather call my self unhappie then say you are culpable I accuse Fortune unjustlie of one thing which you alone can answer It is not from its hand to speak more trulie then I have done that I hold the Scepter which I carrie It is not she hath put the Crown up on my head Her wheel hath not thrown me upon the Throne Her caprice made me not your Wife All these things my Lord are either effects of your goodness of my merit or of your blindness If it be the first I have learned of my Father that crime alone justifies repentance That it is a sentment which vertue knows not and which should not be used but after a wicked action If it be the second and if you have estemed me by knowing how little I am worth take not from me my Lord what belongs to me Because being the verie same that I was you should be the same that you have been But if you say to me that I am the error of your judgement and that you have not found in my person such merit as you did believe to meet with I dispute not against you take from me all that you have given me but take not away my innocence which I have onlie received from Heaven When Athenais came to your Court her reputation was spotless Few People that did speak said all good of her To day all People speak according to their fancie yet without letting me know what they say For to speak sincerlie it is onlie with you that I would be justified They who do good because it is good and not because it should be divulged care not what unjustice fame will do to their Vertue They find their satisfaction on themselves without seeking after it in anie other So that the wise are sometimes most innocent and most happie when the Vulgar who onlie judge appaaentlie believes them guilty and unfortunate But my Lord since the affection that you have had for me and thrt which I have for you hath made you if I dare say so a second self to me I ought to vindicate my actions before your eies Remember my Daughter said my Father to me one day That you studie not so much to acquire the esteem of other as not to endeavour more to obtain your own Be you both your own judge and partie Think of satisfying your self Examine your inclinations Search the bottome of your heart to knew if Vertrue be Mistris of it But do not flatter yourself incline rather to rigor then to indulgence And after having made an exact scrutinie of your intentions when you come to the point of being satisfied with your mind slight the glorie of the World laugh at calumnie And be better contented in having your own esteem then if you had that of the greatest Princes of the Earth But my Lord for this reason I cannot be tranquill so long as my better half doth not believe me innocent Suffer me then my Lord to repass exactlie all the circumstances of my disgrace and that dear part of my innocence that I may thereby with some tranquillitie go to my searched for solitude When I came to Constantinople asking justice against my Brothers who refused me that right which I had to the paternall Succession the prudent Pulcheria rejected not my requests She heard me And making me loss my cause verie advantageouslie gave me For tunes which she ought to have preserved for me At that time my Lord there was onlie a poor cottage in agitation and three foot of Earth to cover me from extream necessitie But to day when not onlie the honor of Anthenais is in question but that of Eudosia your Wise you are oblidged to hear her and to do her justice I think my Lord that the cause of your anger and my grief is because I have given a trifle which you gave me And that afterwards to excuse an action which I saw by your eies would not have pleased you if you had known it I excused that innocent error by a lie Behold my Lord all the crime that I have committed And the fear onlie of dispeasing you hath made me displease you When your Majestie gave me that fatal fruit which hath caused my disgrace I received it with joy Both for its extraordinar pleasantness and more because it came from your hands The pleasure I had in seeing of it perswading me that it was more proper to divert the sight then to satisfie the teast And being irresolute to destroy it I examined what I could do with such an agreeable present The unfortunate Paulinus was then sick So that being minded to send visit him I thought the amiable gift that you gave me could not be better bestowed then by giving it to a person whom you testified that you loved better then your self But my Lord Paulinus made not a misterie of this liberalitie For because I did not tell him that I had received it from your Majestie the same apprehension that had oblidged me to send him that fatall apple was doubtless the cause why to testifie to me the esteem he had of the present I made him he would put it in more worthie hands then his own But if you say to me that since you gave me the gift I ought never to have regiven it because everie thing that comes from the person beloved should be held as dear as the life I shall agree with you because by that I pretend to justifie my self However there is an important distinction to be made in this encounter For as there is great diversitie in mens loves the things which that passion produces should also be all differing The love of husband and Wife is no more that of Lover and Mistris And though they be
did for that Excellent man it was he who did generouslie oppose Pompeyes faction when it would have had Cesar lay down his armes and his enemie not lay down his He spake zealouslie at that time and feared not the exposing of himself to receve an outrage as in effect he was unworthâ—lie used in consideration of that And was constrained to disguise himself like a slave to goe and seek a refuge in the Camp of him whom he had protected But what He did at that time He did also at a hundered others as important He hath repayed with his blood and with his person the friendship that Cesar did bear to him He was seen severall times to rallie his troupes bring them back to the battle and render them victorious when they were almost ready to be conquered He was seen at the battle of Pharsalia command the right wing of Cesars armie fight for glolrie and expose his life to secure in his hands that soveraign Power which at last hath come to yours Further if he fought for Cesar dureing his life he hath also caused Cesar conquer after his death His eloquence did that which the valour of anie other had not power to doe For you are not ignorant that without that fervent zeal that made him speak the Roman people dared not to testifie how near the blood of Cesar did touch them They would have bein contented with shedding of tears and would not have set fire to the houses of his murtherers You see then my Lord in what manner he erected the first stepp by which you obtained the power that you have But if after what he hath done for Cesar it be permitted to put in account what he hath done for the common cause both against Cassjus and against Brutus You will find that he was alwaies their conqueror And that in some encounters wherein you was not in condition to fight he was as advantageous to you as he was to your freinds Because that without his valor they should have doubtlesse gained a victorie which perhaps would have put them in condition of not being anie more conquered I well know my Lord that since that you have not still being equallie well together And that this noble jealousie that inseparablie followes them who are lovers of glorie and who aspyre at great things hath altered your freindship But if I be not mistaken this kind of hatred should not so much as reach the person Ane enemie must be excelled in grandour of courage and in generositie He must be opposed if he attempts to destroy us But for particular causes the publick repose must never be troubled nor for everie flight reason should a warr be begun whose successe is allwaies dubious Hatred is a pass on for particulars And if it be permitted to persones who have the supreame power to have it it should be a hatred of vice of slaverie and of infamie Other wayes if they fight not against that passion and if they let it bear sway with them they shall doubtlesse be capable of all sort of unjustice For revenging their own injuries they will make no difficultie to violate the lawes of men to forget naturall equitie to infringe the justest Lawes to destroy their countrey and to despise the power of the gods Behold my Lord the disorders that hatred may cause sometimes in the most steaddie mind And to hinder you from falling in the like misfortune consider a little what ane excesse of love makes the unfortunat Anthonie doe Think you my Lord that â—atred can give you juster sentiments And that jealousie if I were capable of it permitts me to act with lesse violence No my Lord these three passiones being put in opposition to one another as they will be in this encounter will be capable of destroying the whole earth Doe not engadge your self then in such a perverse designe but how ever if you will revenge your self of Anthonie abandone him to his own judgement and to the charms of Cleopatra Let him preserve that fair conquest in repose And doe not fear that he will attempt to oppose yours if you let him enjoy that peaceablie But my Lord consider if you doe jrritate him he may parhaps give you much trouble Anthonies first valour is not dead it is but benumed Perhaps it may at last rouse it self with furie And without quitting the passion that reignes in his soul he may oppose your designs with all the fervour that man can have who fights to defend himself to revenge himself for his own glorie and to preserue his Mistress Make not then a redoubtable enemie of ane unfortunat freind I conjure you never to let me see you undertake a warr wherein it will not be permitted me to have the power of wishing you to gain the victorie Consider I pray you in what condition my soul will find it self if I should again see you ready to come to shedding of blood But with this cruel difference from the first that that was but for love to you and that this will be for love of me No No revenge not the injurie that is done to me and seek not a remedie worse then the desease The sole thought of seing my brother and my husband ready to give death to each other for my sake transports me with horror I almost know no more what I say And in so greata trouble I am ready to give my blood and my life to preserve yours and that of Anthonies But since you would naither accept of my blood nor of my life see my tears with with compassion At least hear my prayers and my sighs And since by your command I am Anthonies wife Doe not command inâ—e to quit his house as that of my enemie Consider I am mother of Anthonies children And that in that quality I should natther forsake them nor make them goe out of their fathers house That will be almost to say that they are not legittimat successors if â—â— should cause them depart And it will be also my giving of armes to destroy my self to all Anthonies flatterers and to Cleopatras â—â—aves But I am verie well assured not to use it so my patience shall laâ—â—â—onger then Anthonies love And let the contempt he has of me goe to what height it can my vertue shall yet goe further yes my Lord though his affection should never return to me And though he should live and die in Cliopatras armes I shall shed tears for his death His memorie shall be dear to me The children of Fulvia and also of Cleopatra shonld become mine I will take care of their education and of their fortune And so long as Octavia shall be alive she shall never forbear to give new proofes of her constancie Since I am of a Sex to whom valor is forbidden at least patience may be permitted me and that that vertue may serve me for courage There is sometimes as much generosity in knowing how to endure misfortunes as