Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A30789
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The tragedy of Sertorius acted at the Theatre-Royal by Their Majesties servants / by John Bancroft, Gent.
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Bancroft, John, d. 1696.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing B636; ESTC R12104
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33,991
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70
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Friend and Mother Thrice cry Curs'd Rome then from her eyes burst forth A floud of tears which usher'd on her woes Sertorius is no more she often said I saw the Fates busy about his life The thred expos'd on the immortal Sheers And all the lesser Messengers on wing This spoke she vanish'd into Air again Sert. Sure my Terentia thou but dream'd the while And this the product of thy fear Ter. Oh no. Scarce recollected viewing round the space Too true I found the Vision which out-fled Report it self a Messenger arriv'd VVith Letters which confirm the fatal chance Sert. Oh Mother art thou com to warn my Fate Left the possession of thy quiet Urn And thy distracted Spirit hovers here Speak loud you Gods for I 'm prepar'd for change VVhy all these horors is it to amate The wandring Soul when she her mansion leaves Loose all your Bolts bury me quick in Earth Rather than Rack with sounds exceeding death SCEN. III. Tribunius Crassus Norbanus Ligurius Sertorius c. Trib. Hail mighty Lord Imperial Conqueror Great in thy deeds as Phoebus is for light Give leave that we attend thee to the Feast VVhile that Perpenna of the favor proud Envies the Thrones of Friendship that we have Sert. I will not go do not inquire the cause Let it suffice it is my will Trib. 'T is true That people whisper here I find it now Sertorius doubts the constancy and faith Of men devoted wholly to his Fame Men which have sworn in death to follow thee Men which have left the Roman State for thee To ashes turn'd the Tables Sylla sent With ample restitution and full honor I see the hate thou bear'st us in thy eyes Oh would they had the pow'r of Basilisks To kill the Villain who infected thee Sert. Mistake me not Tribunius I 'm not well And do not like the fierceness of the Air. Trib. Mistake me not Sertorius nor believe Thy secret thoughts are hid I see 'em there There in thy eyes and hear 'em in thy words And curse my Stars I ever liv'd to hear Crassus Ligurius and Norbanus com Draw all your Daggers and compleat our doom To live suspected by the man we love Is worse than death Sert. What means Tribunius Trib. Thou shalt read here and glut thee with the Character Writ with these Pens of Steel upon our hearts But Oh! the wretched State of human things On what false Basis do we build our hopes Thus subject to the blast of every wind Know thou Sertorius that I hate to live Under the very Igno'miny of thought Nor. View all these Scars the badges of my love Gain'd by thy side in Battel call to mind How oft I 've interpos'd 'twixt thee and death This single arm as glorying in thy sight Has made a Lane in the opposing Foes What have I ever don to merit this What action in my life has made a crime Did I but think my Soul could harbor one Against my Friend by Heav'n I 'd stab that too Lig. Believe me General that I court thy worth A Servant to thy Virtue and this Steel Hasting to let out life when so revil'd Shall pierce as deep into a Loyal heart Nay I believe that man who loves me not Would be a pledg in Honor for my faith Bebr. Why nam'st thou me Ligurius well thou know'st When darkness summons all the World to rest You 're waking at Perpenna's loath all sleep And there confederate at such hours of Night No good can e're be hatch'd but Treason may Lig. Thou ly'st base man Now by the Thunderer Wert thou not safe within this sacred place Had'st thou as many lives as Hydra heads I 'd kill 'em one by one From hence it springs Here takes it Source and like a Plague Infects Bind me Sertorius lead me where no light E're shot its Beams and if you find it truth Invent a Torment new and terrible Exceeding all the labors of the Damn'd But till I 'm justly doom'd believe my brest Like Chrystal casts this poyson in his Teeth Sert. What thinks Terentia now how can I doubt Such Friends as these Com we will go my Fair Banish distrust and think the Prodigies Were only to amuse not to Predict Let not these men know of our inward grief Apart to Terentia But bear it with the patience of a God Ter. Yet there is something dictates in my brest This visit will be fatal and I see Like dying men prospect of mighty things From fear they cannot com to me they seem Like Meteors fix'd not flying forms of Air. Sert. Com my Bebricius do like me believe Not one of all these Romans can be false Ligurius com forgive the hasty words Age has its faults as well as fiery youth The one must bear th' other's Infirmities And credit me such is the great esteem If in the scope of Rule you cast an eye To any part which raises strong desire Command Sertorius who no Tresure knows Beyond th' intrinsic value of a Friend Exeunt SCEN. IV. PERPENNA Perp. I grow in love with mischief and the Gods Envying like me consent unto his fall If there 's a Fury greater than I feel A subtil Daemon that I have not sought Let him expand his wings and habit here Dull Fools they were that sought eternal Fame By deeds not worthy naming He that fir'd Diana's Temple or that stupid Ass Who headlong fell in flaming Aetna's womb In hopes to cheat the Vulgar lost himself I mount a Sphere above ' em As in Hell The lesser Fiends are Slaves unto their Lord And band the fiery Surges to his will So I on Earth would with this arm controul And if the disobedient Clods rebell'd Find the Connexion of the Globes above And with this Sword divide the mighty tye That headlong with its weight it sunk to Hell And made the Furies groan beneath its Orb While from the Region of the Sky I saw Its mighty dissolution unconcern'd SCEN. V. Fulvia Perpenna Ful. You seem exalted with success Perpenna Tread upon Air and breath a Soul all fire Perp. Yes and behold my Iuno fix'd by me While the connected Atoms Statue-like Know nether life nor motion till we speak Ful. How if Ixion-like we ' embrace a Cloud Perp. Why then that Cloud shall hide us both for ever Slighting the Earth we 'l put our beings off And wing for the Society of Gods I hear the noise of many feet let 's hence And meet the Victim Exeunt SCEN. VI. A Banquet At it Sertorius Perpenna Tribunius Crassus Decius Ligurius Norbanus Bebricius Attendants Perp. Such was the time in the Laâ—tean way When frightned Gods by Sons of Earth besieg'd Sat there in Council with Immortal fear Till all the fainting Pow'rs by Bacchus fir'd Forc'd Iove unto his Thunder Here we sit While Pompey's Rams are storming at our walls Whose Blows are Harmony unto our Feast Sert. It is Perpenna and a God-like sound Enough to sink the fearful into Earth