of my worship to Th' immortal Gods as due to those high powers Not for reward or punishment me thoughts That was like Merchants to conditionate Irreverently with those celestial powers So I preserv'd my constancy of mind Dejected never by superstitious fears Nor pust up and exalted by false hopes But still in even balance To them Fulvia and Aurelia Ar. How importunly here These women enter to disturb us in Our passage to eternal happiness Th' Inheritance of noble souls Ful. Aurelia These men deserted of their former valor Have now recourse to false opinions of Philosophers and Pedants and would fain Perswade themselves that death 's no miserie But know it is of all the last and greatest Horrid and terrible in her own nature As contrary to the enjoyment of This pleasant light of which He now deprive you Hon. Impure creatures be gone The earth doth many monsters generate So does the sea yet nothing can produce So mischievous in nature as a woman Pursuing her revenge and scorning honor Mankind should have been propagated from Some other origine and not from this The fatal source the occasion and cause Of all his miseries and servitude Au. Thou base reviler of that sex which gave Thee life with hazard of her own hast here Extinguisht quite all sense of that compassion Which I methoughts felt moving in my brest Ful. Aurelia what pleasure 't is to see Them thus tormented in their rage if there Were any peace in death 't will make their death Less peaceable But you great Generals Deep Polititians and prime leaders in Affairs of War and State who fill'd the world With so much noise tumult and bloud with what Thoughts can you now reflect upon your selves Arm'd yesterday with numerous legions now Thus circumvented by the stratagem Of us poor silly simple virtuous women Flo. It is my glory not a reproach to me To have such impious creatures seek my death Ful. Which thou wilt undergo with high regret I know thy soul enamour'd on thy body Th ' object once of my love as now of hatred Cannot but with great indignation quit Her lovely pleasant and delightful mansion Flo. Not when she sees the neighborhood infested With such infectious pestilent diseases Ful. She must when she no benefit can find In death accompany'd with infamy Which if she have a being will torment her If not then nothing will remain of thee Hereafter but an odious memory Hon. Let us as it becomes us go and die Flo. Death 's our admission into liberty Ful. Th' entrance into confusion and darkness Out of which no man ever found his way Ar. The ease of troubled minds Ful. Their only horror Flo. The safe port of the virtuous Ful. Th' only rock Which human nature ever apprehends Flo. None but such impious creatures as thou art Who nor in life nor death can have repose Hon. Come let us die th' examples of true virtue Ful. The sacrifices of my furious rage Ar. We 'll freely meet our death Ful. Your execution Where you shall fall the trophies of my triumph Flo. The types of honor how happier 't is to die So then like you to live in infamie Ful. All after death incertain is in life No such felicity as our revenge ACT. V. Aurelia disguis'd Aur. O Thou bright glorious morning Thou oriental spring-time of the day Who with thy mixt vermillion colors paintest The Skies these Hils and Plains thou dost return In thy accustom'd manner but with thee Shall ne'r return my wonted happiness Here thou reducest back with thee the early Light and the golden Planet of the day To revive and illustrate with his presence The troubled world thou chasing noisome darkness And clouds of discontent illuminat'st All hearts with joy and chearfulness but mine From thy approche all things receive below New face and restoration The usurping Seas which devour the innocent become Calm in their channels the rebellious winds Publick disturbers of the peace of nature Find and give rest to the other elements All beasts of rapin Lions Wolves and Tygers Have their repose Only a guilty mind No cure no peace no rest shall ever find Here in my brest as in her loathed cell Eternal horror will for ever dwell To her Sophonia disguis'd like an Eunuch An. O Sophonia Since last night parting we our habits chang'd In this disguise these eyes have known no sleep Soph. Nor will not Madam if you keep them open Thus to your tears mine are long since dried up Unless they 'r such which have so many years Continually distill'd within my heart Au. O I shall ne'r sleep more The cleer sun-shine of my serener dayes In a short moment vanishing is here Succeeded by a fearful night of horror Which will ne'r know a setting but in death Soph. Thy tender years Aurelia know not The nature yet of death it is so lately From me thou learnst to live Au. And have not the Curst fruits of this last passage of my life Most rarely answer'd the blossoms of thy hopes Of me e're that my virgin honor Were lost thus to contaminate my self With so detestable a parricide Soph. Desire of revenge transported you Au. Which the immortal Gods Permit us never to execute our selves O what infernal torments equal mine Hating to live I am afraid to die Yet ne'r can hope ease to my miserie Now since I hear my Brother Lucius fell Only by the unlucky chance of war O the most cruel nature of my Father Thus to abuse my credulous ignorance Soph. Madam did he inform you otherwise Ar. Yes and perswaded me that Florus kill'd him With his own hands in cold bloud after battel And thus deluded gave me the curst employment Of cutting of this General in his Camp The only person which I lov'd of whom I had the fortune to be lov'd again Soph. It was unjustly done thus to deceive you Au. 'T was his insatiate thirst of human bloud Which since I find increasing with his age I have thought of the effusion of some Which if not satisfying will delight Perchance his strange capricious appetite Soph. I scarce know what this language signifies I hope you think not by some greater sin To wash away the lesser Madam Your virgin tears will best perform this office Au. No my offence is of a deeper stain And must be washt in bloud I have alreayd Thought of the way and fixt my resolution In this disguis'd habit I 'le tel my Father That I the fatal executioner Have been of his Aurelia on pretence Valentius had discover'd my designe Now streight I know his rage will prompt him to Kill me with his own hands so that I shall Immediately the proper trophy fall Of the most injur'd Florus funeral And if the bloud of an usurping Tyrant Be ever the most grateful sacrifice To the immortal Gods as certainly It is I hope that mine deriv'd from him Will prove an acceptable offering The man whom I lov'd best he made me
kill Her bloud whom he loves best I 'le make him spill Ye Gods look down then with propitious eyes On him the Priest and me the Sacrifice Soph. I am at present in an ill condition To give or take advice having resolv'd Not to outlive the setting of this Sun Au. Sophonia it is not fit that you Perform the pennance of anothers crime Is mine so great or are the Gods so cruel That nor my tears nor bloud can washt away Soph. No you more white will after this offence Rise and appear then in your innocence Au. O my Sophonia must we now depart Soph. Yes never more to meet again Au. I am not So sorry to forsake the light as thee Soph. 'T is long since thou the only light hast been Of these mine eyes Au. And thou ev'n of my soul Which never felt eclipse but in thy absence Farewel Soph. Farewel Au. Farewel my dear Sophonia Shall I once more and this the last time joyn These treacherous and perfidious lips to thine Exeunt Hostilius I wonder I have no intelligence From my Aurelia my too forward fears Would fain perswade me that she has miscarri'd In my last enterprise I must confess Th' employment was of a strange nature to Make her conspire and act against the person Whom above all mankind she lov'd thee most To him a Messenger and Aurelia disguis'd Mess Sir here 's a person from the enemy's Camp Desires speedy admittance Hos Let him enter Some happy news I hope now from my daughter Sir your business Au. It is of such importance That 't will require privacie to hear it Hos Leave us alone first tell me who you are Au. My name is Oppius and I am the Son Of a Captain of the Praetorian Cohorts My Message to your Majesty is concerning Aurelia the Princess Hos O let me Embrace thee not a messenger from heaven Could be so welcome Au. But I fear my news Will not be so In short the horrid plot Which you design'd against our General Has been discover'd and Aurelia Not like a lawful enemy but like A Traitor has receiv'd her punishment Hos How pray tell me then what is become of her Au. Sir I by order of Valentius Have been her Executioner and here Behold the fatal Instrument as yet Remaining stain'd with her most guilty bloud Hos Stay let me see 't take this reward for thy So civil message civilly deliver'd Stabs her Au. Enought enough Hostilius I have What I expected I am thy Aurelia Hos Aurelia ah my Aurelia what has made thee draw This punishment upon thy self and me Au. Sir I methoughts had left no other way To wash away your horrid guilt and mine In the effusion of the bloud of Florus O thou his noble soul which hover'st here About me though invisible and canst not Repair to thy celestial origine So soon not being by thy fate but my Perfidious treacherie divorced from Thy lovely body look down on my complaint See how thy injury is vindicated Why cannot my soul follow thee she shall And mounted on the wings of love shall flie To that part of the pure celestial skie Where thou shalt O Florus Florus Florus dies Hos Ah how I have at once wounded two brests And in thy death depriv'd my self of life That bloud of thine is mine the torments which Afflict thy body I feel in my soul Who waits there To him some Attendants Though this young Gentleman I have discover'd My enemy and as a Spie dispatcht him Yet since he was of high Patritian bloud See that his body privately you burn And close the ashes in a marble Urn. Exeunt Valentius Statilius Sta. Sir the Camp is full of the news already Who say their General was sacrific'd To satisfie some factions of the Court. Val. Were not all testimonies cleer against him Sta. No Sir 't is thought you were uxoriously Subject to the ill government of women Whose practises should ever be suspected Their vows nor oathes their frowns nor pleasant looks Their smiles nor tears should conclude nothing in us Mans heart is seldom known a womans never Val. O good Statilius compassionate Me and my years so far distant from dotage Which otherwise might plead in my behalf Sta. It neither can become your Majesty Nor my condition longer to delude you With idle entertainments of false hopes You are betray'd Aurelia is retir'd Into her Fathers Court whom Fulvia follow'd Servilius has deliver'd up the Bridge Committed to his custodie where he And Carbo with their legions have past To fight under the colors of Hostilius Sir these the fruits are of the entercourse Betwixt the Empress and her beauteous Niece Val. How long have I this viper in my bosom Never suspected for a poisonous creature O the vain hopes of my approaching triumph In the air vanisht O my reputation Betrayd by those in whose hands 't was committed As in the safest custodie Exeunt Sophonia disguis'd Soph. So now methinks the stormie weathers past Of my tempestuous life and if a fair Ev'ning will crown the day sure I shall set Now red and gloriously here in my bloud Which with these daring hands I 'le now let forth To vindicate my honor and my worth To her Valentius as it were speaking to some in the Tents Soph. But see yonder he comes the cruel author Of all thy miseries the murderer Of thy fair reputation and thy Son And as he thought of thee Valentius Here thou shalt see in this Paper the motives Gives him a Paper Of thy repentance the defence of such Whom most injustly thou hast put to death Rash man in thy suspicion cruel in Thy execution from this very moment Begin to be unhappy yesterday Thou lost thy Son and now thy Wife the true Empress here fals before thee Stabs her self Val. Come in and take this body forth What strange Phantasms are these which scorn my power and Torment my sight with dismal objects and My soul with these reproaches O Statilius To him Statilius The friend and the Companion of thy Prince Thou opportunely comst to my assistance If there were any in this memorial By her presented who is now a Carkase Included is the ful malignity Of my misfortune Yesterday she said I lost my Son and now my Wife but how Can that be if the Empress Palladia So many years are past dy'd without issue Sta. This is some person who at the approach And horror of her death distracted spoke She knew not what Val. Ah how I fear this was the true Palladia Sta. How can that be that from the dead one should Arise is more then a Poetique fiction Val. If this were false I could not be so troubled Sta. Sir recollect your former mind too much Dejected with a falsifi'd appearance Val. Sure 't was the head divided from her body Which by Macrinus was expos'd before These eyes yet I suspect their faith unless Where they as here shall make me miserable Sta. Sir
if you doubt your own trust mine who saw And had her head within these hands you know To me alone you did impart this secret Val. 'T is true but why deferre I thus to read This short memorial which may pacifie Perchance these thoughts and troubles in my mind Sta. Securely read it Val. My hand shakes and my heart trembles at The opening of it and a suddain horror Congeals within me all my vital spirits What horrid spectacle is this My eyes deceive me when they should preserve My honor not when they should make me happy These are Palladia's true Characters Sta. Sir you 'l find the conceptions different Valentius reads Val. Valentius Thy inclination to cruelty has made thee guilty of two strange errors the first in the injust condemnation of Palladia upon a false suspicion who yet escap't the execution of thy barbarous designe the last not only in the mistake of the crime but the criminal The true name of Florus was Vespasius whose Father was Valentius and not Arsenius or Macrinus Palladia was his Mother whose loss not being able to sustain for he was falsely accus'd she made choice of a violent death If thou desir'st in thy self a fruitless remorse Macrinus will give thee an account of her inviolate integrity and of other occurrents sufficient to make thee miserable Sta. What can a soul believe when thus deluded By senses which are thought her true informers Val. O my suspicions equally fatal to me When they are just or false O my sad visions So fear'd and apprehended without profit And verified in me with my ruine Useless advises of the heavens that They only might reproach me with imprudence When I securely thought them vain or past I found my ignorance exposer of them O thou black dismal day arising only To see my honor blasted with thy light And confound me in an eternal night Sta. Let not your Majestie 's misfortunes triumph In the dejecting your high noble spirit Perchance your complaints are not rational Why should you credit to your senses give Only when they would make you miserable Refusing when they satisfie your wishes But see here happily Macrinus comes To dissipate the clouds which here involve us To them Macrinus Val. O thou Protector of mine enemies And Traitor of the honor of my Empress And of my Son why hast thou thus abus'd me Mac. Sir if it is to be compassionate An error I cannot excuse my self Val. No Traitor all circumstances accuse thee Thy very silence speaks aloud against thee Th' accursed silence which has thus ruin'd me If Florus was my Son or if Palladia Were innocent why didst thou not tell me Was I So great a hater of religious truth Mac. In Princes with new Wives and their Attendants Surrounded and with passions prepossest Truth finds her entrance doubly barricadoed This rather then to justifie with hazard Made me chuse to secure the innocent Val. Tell me how can Palladia be absolv'd From her lasciviousness when I saw my self Her Lovers Letter where in amorous language He promises to temperate those heats Which so consum'd him in his absence from her Can any thing appear more evident Mac. Not in a form so near resembling truth Which I unveil'd will expose to your view Calantha a Pannonian Lady Cousin Of th' Empress loving a Roman Knight Call'd Plancus then of her domestique Train Procur'd her consent that in Pages habit She might repair to Court and so discover The ardency of her affection to him She changing then her person and her name Into Lucrinus writ that Letter which so Subscrib'd th' occasion was of your mistake And gelosie Sta. Sir which was grounded on Such probabilities which will exempt you From being censur'd rash Val. Ah let him proceed To tell me how he sav'd Palladia from My furious rage Mac. When that you had enjoyn'd me The private execution of her in My village where Calantha waited on her And where we all lamented our ill fortunes Secure of each ones innocencie but Could find no remedie at last Calantha Having some respite with her tears comes to me Affirming that she had found out the way To lead us out of this dark labyrinth She bid me only find her in her Closet Within two hours where I should in writing See her designe and as she knew approve it The time arriv'd I went to see her whom I newly found expired with a bloudy Dagger in her right hand and in the left This Paper which will clear part of the story Val. Statilius read it Sta. Macrinus thy only respect of vertue and innocence has made thee inform us of thy odious commission to make a present this night of my Cousin Palladia's head to the Emperor In whose stead I beseech thee to take mine divided from my body 'T is the only and last request which I dying intreat of thee Our age complexions and features were so alike that they will remain undistinguisht in death With this happy delusion thou wilt incur no suspicion of neglecting the Emperour's severe Commands And the life of the Empress will be hereby preserv'd Together with my reputation in thus declaring I have not betray'd so incomparable a Princess Calantha or the Counterfeit Lucrinus Sta. O memorable act where shall we find Roman or Grecian Pens to celebrate Sufficiently the worth of this brave woman Val. How strangely fortune has industrious been In this my ruine What became of Palladia Mac. Having perform'd what this Letter desir'd From her with difficultie I obtain'd Patience to live concealed in my Village Till she brrought forth a Son infortunate No less in birth then death named Vespasius Who yesterday expir'd you know the manner Under the name of Florus After that I plac't her in the family of Hostilius Where she was Nurse and Governess of his Aurelia and her great vertues the Delight and admiration of his Court Till now impatient for the loss of her Vespasius she us'd violence on her self Th' unhappy Mother of an unhappy Son Sta. These are events t'astonish minds at once With grief and wonder horror and amazement Val. O ye Gods was there so much artifice Required to make one man miserable With what contrivance you have wrought my ruin O my Palladia equally to me Infortunate in the suspicion of Thy loyaltie and clearing of thy fame Unhappy Son discover'd now my Son When I unworthy am to be thy Father Ah Florus now thy innocence is prov'd When I thy Father am guiltie of thy murder Sta. Great persons when they 're injur'd in their honor Pursue th' offence with death you thought you were so Val. O interrupt us not thou hast not yet Related how thou didst deceive the world Making Vespasius appear for thy Son Nor by what error poor Arsenius thought Him his which false belief cost him his life Ev'ry one sought the glory to be his Father but I the Monster who begot him Mac. Some few dayes after this your Son saw light Arsenius had a Son nam'd Florus whom When he was banisht the whole Roman Empire He to my care committed but he prov'd Of small survivance which I conceal'd from him Making Vespasius pass for his Son Florus Not willing to add to th' affliction of His exile this new loss In the mean space Whilst Arsenius commanded Persian Armies Tespasius growing up in years and hopes I told him he was Son of this great Gen'ral Though the world thought him mine which troubled him To think he should his first relation have Sir to your greatest enemie and whom Hostilius raising tumults in the Empire Restor'd and made his General to oppose you What for their benefit I contriv'd in th' end Has prov'd the fatal ruine of them both Val. O the convulsions of my distracted soul Desiring though not yet deserving death O my eyes giv'n me only for my torment What will ye first lament the desperation Of a Wife or the murder of a Son Or my lost honor And I yet alive Am I still call'd a Prince or Emperor Are these my eyes thought worthy of the light Yes and perchance 't is to betray me with More fatal errors then my former were Is there no curteous hand will arm it self Against me but with what with that Ponyard So cruelly stain'd in the bowels of My Son or else that which is infamous And wreaking yet distills with the chast bloud Of my so injur'd Empress Have I left No friend nor enemie But why demand I Goes to stab himself That aid which I can give my self Sta. Nay hold Sir You may die with Statilius not without him Here they hold him Mac. Sir 't is the greatest of miseries to think Your heart not capable of enduring greater Val. Then let me die to free me of this torment Sta. Sir a great Prince like you though life he hate Should stand in opposition to his fate Mac. And being as fearless to live as die He should at once both life and death defie Val. From slaves we life take not the power of dying Must my condition then be worse then theirs For heavens sake let me die Statilius Sta. O Sir preserve that life on which depends The happiness of all your Friends and Subjects Val. 'T is vain to teach him pitie who has been So cruel to his Son and Wife and thee The brave Honorius glory of the age Mac. Your Majestie shall live as long as I Have force t' oppose your death Val. Ah Traitor hast thou not Confer'd sufficient miseries upon me Unless thou dost prolong them Here this dagger Shall be the instrument of my revenge on thee Sta. I cannot hold him O Macrinus flie Here he gets out of their hands and pursues Macrinus who kills himself Mac. No like a Roman by these hands I 'le die Val. He has escapt me However I will not escape my self So now I shall die Oh But not my name or lasting memorie Stabs himself Of my rash and inhumane crueltie Statilius Thy Prince bids thee farewel and goes to know Since here is none if there be rest below dyes Sta. Valentius thy brave soul is fled that soul Which did not only animate thy body But the whole fabrick of the Roman Empire Which now lyes bury'd in thy Funeral Such is the sequel of so great a fall FINIS
reading the letter at some distance Ful. Now I triumph to see thy boasting fate Bow and submit it self to Fulvia's hate Au And from this moment I esteem my self To Florus apart Happy now I have made thee miserable Flo. O cruel creatures leave me to my self Au. No I 'le torment thee here when thou art dead My Brothers ghost shall act that part whom thou Inhumanly didst murder in cold bloud Flo. 'T was only by the chance of war he fell Au. Know once thou wert the only object of My love as now of hatred which when any Remorse of conscience would extinguish in me Plucks forth the bloudy handkerchef See here thus with that bloud I wip't away Ful. O my revenge sweeter then life or love Au. O how my joy increases with his torment Val. How much I was deceiv'd he shall streight die In reading the letter Val. often stamps and cries Traitor Shews the letter My dearest Fulvia what 's the matter with him Ful. He rages only to see himself discover'd Flo. Sir will your Majesty be pleas'd to hear me Val. Speak arrogant Traitor then only in answer To what I ask is this the writing of Arsenius confess is he thy Father Flo. Should I deny Arsenius Sir to be My Father I should be ingrateful to him Who gave me being which the Gods defend Val. It was thy choice then rather to express Thy gratitude to him a publick Rebel And Traitor to his Country then to me The common Father of her thy peculiar And so great benefactor See Statilius To have Honorius found out as I Believe confederate in this treason and Macrinus who perswading us he was The Father of him has conceal'd his true Extraction Sta. I shall obey Exit Val. Thy crimes so horrid are that with the greatest I can't reproche thee neither stands it with The reputation of a man of honor Much less a Princes dignity to speak them To them Honorius Arsenius Oh here opportunely comes another Conspirator Tell me vile man the reason To Honorius Of purchasing thy dear-bought libertie With prostitution of thy honor 't was Thou who discoverdst to Arsenius how Florus was ready to betray me when He should obtain Aurelia for his bed Therfore thou shalt fall with him it were pity That cruel death should separate that pair Which treacherous friendship has so fast united Ar. Unlucky son thus betray'd by thy self aside And I become a miserable Father In only seeking a Sons happiness Val. What he 's astonisht to be thus found out Hon. No 't is to have my faith suspected only Who with expence of bloud so oft have purchast The reputation of my Prince Ar. Infortunate Arsenius constrain'd Here to accuse thy self of guilt and die aside Dishonor'd to express a loving Father To him who scarce vouchsaf'd to be thy Son Val. When once thy actions have deceiv'd me I Should too incautious be to be surpriz'd With the fair language of discover'd traitors Ar. Ah cruel Prince if there be treacherie t is mine 'T is mine alone Florus is guilty of No other crime but disobeying of A Father in obedience to thee Which has alike Honorius made ingrateful To me the author of his libertie I am Arsenius and though I was Plucks off his disguise Injuriously upon a false suspicion Banish'd the Empire I 'le confess my self A criminal to save the innocent O spare a Son become an enemy To his own Father to obey his Prince O spare a Friend whose gallant braverie So nobly scorn'd my treacherous curtesie Let me fall with my bloud these gray hairs stain Who thus alone have my own ruine wrought The fittest sacrifice for thy revenge Val. Arsenius Arsenius here why this clears all my doubts Says this in amaze Flo. Unhappy Father this is to reproach A weakness in me not to think this heart Sufficiently couragious to sustain The injust indignation of one man Let not your Majesty deceive your self Had I not been incautious in my love My Father had not incur'd this suspisition Of treacherie not caus'd by malice but Compassion of rash folly in a Son Hon. Florus this language is offensive to Thy virtue and our friendship in supposing Your self the least way guilty in your life If you to envy subject were in death Be not to infamy Let glory triumph Over thy nature let thy Father perish Thy Friend thy self but let thy honor live Ar. My only Son let me fall by thy hands Compassion 't is not cruelty to take My life in my old age and save my honor Flo. Take rather Sir that life which you have giv'n To me now for my miserie already I for my glory have liv'd long enough Ho. Cheer up friends 't is for us who gloriously Have known the way to live so many years Easie to die like Romans in a moment Ful. Why thus amus'd Au. What do you ruminate To Valentius Ant. Sir as the case stands now your only counsel Is to take none Au. But think of execution Val. As a ship seeming with her ful-blown sails To make a high and rapid course sometimes Is checkt and drawn back by an unknown current So I methinks now ardently pursuing Revenge thus instigated by my reason And passion feel within me secret motives Which would retard my will But I must break Through these impediments They all shall die And from thee Fulvia shall receive their sentence Thou for thy answering my great benefits With an unparallel'd ingratitude To Flous Thou who preferd'st before thy loyaltie A friendship so dishonorable shalt Now see the fruits of thy unlucky choice To. Honorius And thou inur'd to treason who at last Betrayd'st thy self shalt see how the just heavens Convert thy crimes into thy punishment To Arsenius Thus Treason is discover'd in the birth The Gods of heaven protect the Gods of earth Ex. Val. c. Florus Honorius Arsenius manent Ar. Come let our minds be cheerful now they shall No longer pris'ners be we are just sailing Out of the narrow channel of this life Into the Port or rather boundless Ocean Of everlasting unrestrained freedom Ful. 'T is true we are now on the confines of That vast immense inconfin'd libertie Which men call Death Honorius if I lov'd thee So much here I shall more hereafter Hon. No Now comes the period of our friendship and Of what concerns us but our memory There 's nothing after death and death it self is nothing At least in all respects to us for whilst We are death is not and when death is We are no more and therefore nothing more Can us concern or humane nature when Our gross and airy parts are separated Ful. But the immortal soul Of the renown'd Honorius shall embellish The heavens where it shall give and receive New light and lustre and the just reward Of his so gloriously transacted life Hon. I ne'r indulg'd my self the libertie Of any vice as odious in its nature I ever honor'd virtue for her self And payd the tribute