may'st thou live thy thousand years in peace And see thy AEry progeny increase So may'st thou still continue young and fair Fed by the blast of pure AEtherial Air. And thy full term expir'd without all pain Dissolve into thy Astral source again Dam. Name not my hated Rival Gemory And I 'le speak true whate're thy questions be Nig. Thy Rivals hated name I will refrain Speak shall the Emperour his love obtain Dam. Few hours shall pass before your Emperour shall be Possess'd of that he loves or from that love be free Placid Shall I enjoy that Beauty I adore Dam. She Suppliant-like e're long thy succour shall implore And thou with her thou lov'st in happiness may'st live If she not dies before who all thy joys can give Nig. Say what does the AEgyptian Princess now Dam. A gentle slumber sits upon her brow Nig. Go stand before her in a golden dream Set all the pleasures of the world to show And in vain joys let her loose spirit flow Dam. Twice fifty Tents remove her from your sight But I 'll cut through e'm all with rays of light And covering other objects to your eyes Show where intranc'd in silent sleep she lies Damilcar stamps and the Bed arises with S. Catharine in it Dam. singing You pleasing dreams of Love and sweet delight Appear before this slumbring Virgins sight Soft visions set her free From mournful piety Let her sad thoughts from Heav'n retire And let the Melancholy Love Of those remoter joys above Give place to your more sprightly fire Let purling streams be in her fancy seen And flowry Meads and Vales of chearful green And in the midst of deathless Groves Soft sighing wishes ly And smiling hopes fast by And just beyond e'm ever laughing Loves A Scene of a Paradise is discovered Placid Some pleasing objects do her mind employ For on her face I read a wandring Joy SONG Dam. Ah how sweet it is to love Ah how gay is young desire And what pleasing pains we prove When we first approach Loves fire Pains of Love be sweeter far Than all other pleasures are Sighs which are from Lovers blown Do but gently heave the Heart Ev'n the tears they shed alone Cure like trickling Balm their smart Lovers when they lose their breath Bleed away in easie death Love and Time with reverence use Treat 'em like a parting friend Nor the golden gifts refuse Which in youth sincere they send For each year their price is more And they less simple than before Love like Spring-tides full and high Swells in every youthful vein But each Tide does less supply Till they quite shrink in again If a flow in Age appear 'T is but rain and runs not clear At the end of the Song a Dance of Spirits After which Amariel the Guardian-Angel of S. Catharine descends to soft Musick with a flaming Sword The Spirits crawl off the Stage amazedly and Damilcar runs to a corner of it Amar. From the bright Empire of Eternal day Where waiting minds for Heav'ns Commission stay Amariel flies a darted Mandate came From that great will which moves this mighty Frame Bid me to thee my Royal charge repair To guard thee from the Daemons of the Air My flaming Sword above 'em to display All keen and ground upon the edge of day The flat to sweep the Visions from thy mind The edge to cut 'em through that stay behind Vain Spirits you that shunning Heav'ns high noon Swarm here beneath the concave of the Moon What folly or what rage your duty blinds To violate the sleep of holy minds Hence to the task assign'd you here below Upon the Ocean make loud Tempests blow Into the wombs of hollow Clouds repair And crush out Thunder from the bladder'd Air. From pointed Sun-beams take the Mists they drew And scatter 'em again in pearly dew And of the bigger drops they drain below Some mould in Hail and others stamp in Snow Dam. Mercy bright Spirit I already feel The piercing edge of thy immortal steel Thou Prince of day from Elements Art free And I all body when compar'd to thee Thou tread'st th' Abyss of light And where it streams with open eyes canst go We wander in the Fields of Air below Changlings and Fooles of Heav'n and thence shut out Wildly we roam in discontent about Gross-heavy-fed next man in ignorance and sin And spotted all without and dusky all within Without thy Sword I perish by thy sight I reel and stagger and am drunk with light Ama. If e're again thou on this place art found Full fifty years I 'le chain thee under ground The damps of Earth shall be thy daily food All swoln and bloated like a dungeon toad And when thou shalt be freed yet thou shalt ly Gasping upon the ground too faint to fly And lag below thy fellows in the sky Dam. O pardon pardon this accursed deed And I no more on Magick fumes will feed Which drew me hither by their pow'rful steams Ama. to S. Cath. Go expiate thy guilt in holy dreams Ex. Dam. But thou sweet Saint henceforth disturb'd no more With dreams not thine thy thoughts to Heav'n restore The Angel ascends and the Scene shuts Nig. Some holy Being does invade this place And from their duty does my Spirits chase I dare no longer near it make abode No Charms prevail against the Christians God Exit Placid How doubtfully these Specters Fate foretell In double sense and twi-light truth they dwell Like sawning Courtiers for success they wait And then come smiling and declare for Fate Enter Maximin and Porphyrius attended by Valerius and Guards But see the Tyrant and my Rival come I like the Fiends will flatter in his doom None but a Fool distastful truth will tell So it be new and please 't is full as well Placid whispers with the Emperour who seems pleas'd Max. You charm me with your news which I 'le reward By hopes we are for coming joys prepar'd Possess her Love or from that Love be free Heav'n speaks me fair if she as kind can prove I shall possess but never quit my Love Go tell me when she wakes Exit Placidius Porphyrius seems to beg something of him Porphyrius no She has refus'd and I will keep my vow Por. For your own sake your cruel vow defer The time 's unsafe your Enemies are near And to displease your men when they should fight Max. My looks alone my Enemies will fright And o're my men I 'le set my careful Spies To watch Rebellion in their very eyes No more I cannot bear the least reply Por. Yet Tyrant thou shalt perish e're she dye Aside Enter Valeria Valeria here how Fortune treats me still With various harms magnificently ill Max. Valeria I was sending to your Tent To Valeria But my Commands your presence does prevent This is the hour wherein the Priest shall joyn Your holy Loves and make Porphyrius mine Val. aside Now hold my Heart and Venus I implore Be Judge
your Daughter Sir are here Por. What dangers in those charming Eyes appear Looking on the Empress How my old wounds are open'd at this view And in my murd'rers presence bleed anew Max. I did expect your coming to partake To the Ladies The general gladness which my Triumphs make You did Porphyrius as a Courtier know But as a Conquerour behold him now Ber. You know I read it in your blushing face To Por. To merit better than receive a grace And I know better silently to own Than with vain words to pay your service done Por. Princes like Gods reward e're we deserve Kneeling to kiss hâ—â—â— And pay us in permitting us to serve Oh might I still grow here and never move lower Ber. How dangerous are these extasies of Love He shows his passion to a thousand Eyes He cannot stir nor can I bid him rise That word my heart refuses to my tongue Aside Max. Madam you let the General kneel too long Por. Too long as if Eternity were so Aside Ber. Rise good Porphyrius since it must be so Aside Por. Like Hermits from a Vision I retire rising With Eyes too weak to see what I admire Aside Val. The Empress knows your worth but Sir there be To Porphyrius who kisses her hand Those who can value it as high as she And 't is but just since in my Fathers cause You fought your Valour should have my applause Placid O Jealousie how art thou Eagle-ey'd She loves and would her Love in praises hide How am I bound this Rival to pursue Who ravishes my Love and Fortune too Aside A Dead March within and Trumpets Max. Somewhat of mournful sure my Ears does wound Like the hoarse murmurs of a Trumpets sound And Drums unbrac'd with Souldiers broken cryes Enter Albinus Albinus Whence proceeds this dismal noise Alb. Too soon you 'l know what I want words to tell Max. How fares my Son Is my Charinus well Not answer me Oh my prophetique fear Alb. How can I speak or how Sir can you hear Imagine that which you would most deplore And that which I would speak is it or more Max. Thy mournful message in thy looks I read Is he oh that I live to ask it dead Alb. Sir Max. Stay if thou speak'st that word thou speak'st thy last Some God now if he dares relate what 's past Say but he 's dead that God shall mortal be Alb. Then what I dare not speak look back and see Charinus born in dead by Souldiers Max. See nothing Eyes henceforth but Death and wo You 've done me the worst office you can do Youv'e shown me Destinies prepost'rous crime An unripe fate disclos'd e're Nature's time Placid Asswage great Prince your passion lest you show There 's somewhat in your Soul which Fate can bow Por. Fortune should by your greatness be controul'd Arm your great mind and let her take no hold Max. To tame Philosophers teach constancy There is no farther use of it in me Gods but why name I you All that was worth a pray'r to you is gone I ask not back my Vertue but my Son Alb. His too great thirst of fame his ruine brought Though Sir beyond humanity he fought Placid This was my Vision of this fatal day Alb. With a fierce hast he led our Troops the way While fiery showrs of Sulphur on him rain'd Nor left he till the Battlements he gain'd There with a Forest of their Darts he strove And stood like Capaneus defying Jove With his broad Sword the boldest beating down While Fate grew pale lest he should win the Town And turn'd the Iron leafs of its dark Book To make new dooms or mend what it mistook Till sought by many Deaths he sunk though late And by his fall asserted doubtful Fate Vale. Oh my Dear Brother whom Heav'n let us see And would not longer suffer him to be Max. And didst not thou a Death with Honour chuse To Alb. But impudently liv'st to bring this news After his loss how did'st thou dare to breath But thy base Ghost shall follow him in death A decimation I will strictly make Of all who my Charinus did forsake And of each Legion each Centurion Shall dye Placidius see my pleasure done Por. Sir you will lose by this severity Your Souldiers hearts Max. Why they take Pay to dye Por. Then spare Albinus only Max. I consent To leave his life to be his punishment Discharg'd from trust branded with infamy Let him live on till he ask leave to dye Ber. Let me petition for him Max. I have said And will not be intreated but obey'd But Empress whence does your compassion grow Ber. You need not ask it since my birth you know The Race of Antonin's was nam'd the Good I draw my pity from my Royal Blood Max. Still must I be upbraided with your Line I know you speak it in contempt of mine But your late Brother did not prize me less Because I could not boast of Images And the Gods own'd me more when they decreed A Thracian Shepherd should your Line succeed Ber. The Gods O do not name the pow'rs divine They never mingled their Decrees with thine My Brother gave me to thee for a Wife And for my Dowry thou didst take his life Max. The Gods by many Victories have shown That they my merits and his death did own Ber. Yes they have own'd it witness this just day When they begin thy mischiefs to repay See the reward of all thy wicked care Before thee thy succession ended there Yet but in part my Brothers Ghost is pleas'd Restless till all the groaning world be eas'd For me no other happiness I owne Than to have born no Issue to thy Throne Max. Provoke my rage no farther lest I be Reveng'd at once upon the Gods and thee Por. aside What horrid tortures seize my lab'ring mind O only excellent of all thy kind To hear thee threatned while I idle stand Heav'n was I born to fear a Tyrants hand Max. to Ber. Hence from my sight thy blood if thou dost stay Ber. Tyrant too well to that thou know'st the way going Por. Let baser Souls from falling Fortunes flye I 'le pay my duty to her though I dye Exit leading her Max. What made Porphyrius so officious be The action look'd as done in scorn of me Val. It did indeed some little freedom show But somewhat to his Services you owe. Max. Yet if I thought it his presumption were Placid Perhaps he did not your displeasure hear Max. My anger was too loud not to be heard Placid I 'm loth to think he did it not regard Max. How not regard Val. Placidius you foment On too light grounds my Father's discontent But when an action does two faces wear 'T is Justice to believe what is most fair I think that knowing what respect there rests For her late Brother in the Souldiers breasts He went to serve the Emp'rour and design'd Only to calm the tempest in her mind Lest some
grant Such Graces sure your Empress does not want Max. Beauty has bounds And can no more to every heart be so Than any Coin through every Land can go Some secret Grace which is but so to me Though not so great may yet more pow'rful be All guard themselves when stronger Foes invade Yet by the weak surprizes may be made But you my Son are not to judge but aid Por. What is it Sir you can require of me Max. I would from Berenice's bonds be free This yoke of Marriage from us both remove Where two are bound to draw though neither love Por. Neither the Gods nor man will give consent To put in practice your unjust intent Max. Both must consent to that which I decree Por. The Souldiers love her Brother's memory And for her sake some Mutiny will stir Max. Our parting therefore shall be sought by her Go bid her sue for a Divorce or dye I 'le cut the knot if she will not untye Haste to prepare her and thy self return Thy Hymen's Torch this day with mine shall burn Exit Por. Rather my Funeral-torch for though I know Valeria's fair and that she loves me too Gainst her my Soul is arm'd on every part Yet there are secret Rivets to my heart Where Berenice's Charms have found the way Subtile as Lightnings but more fierce than they How shall I this avoid or gain that Love So near the Rock I to the Port must move To him Valeria attended Val. Porphyrius now my joy I may express Nor longer hide the Love I must possess Should I have stay'd till Marriage made us one You might have thought it was by duty done But of my heart I now a present make And give it you e're it be yours to take Accept it as when early fruit we send And let the rareness the small gift commend Por. Great Monarchs like your Father often give What is above a Subject to receive But faithful Officers should countermand And stop the gift that passes through their hand And to their Prince that mass of wealth restore Which lavish'd thus would make whole Nations poor Val. But to this gift a double right you have My Father gives but what before I gave Por. In vain you such unequal presents make Which I still want capacity to take Such fatal bounty once the Gaules did show They threw their Rings but threw their Targets too Bounty so plac'd does more like ruine look You pour the Ocean on a narrow Brook Val. Yet if your Love before prepares a Boat The stream so pour'd drowns not but makes it float Por. But when the Vessel is on Quick-sands cast The flowing tide does more the sinking hast Val. And on what Quick-sands can your heart be thrown Can you a Love besides Valeria's own Por. If he who at your feet his heart would lay Be met with first and robb'd upon the way You may indeed the Robbers strength accuse But pardon him who did the Present lose Val. Who is this Thief that does my right possess Name her and then we of her strength may guess From whence does your unwonted silence come Por. She bound and gag'd me and has left me dumb Val. But of my wrongs I will aloud complain False man thou would'st excuse thy self in vain For thee I did a Maidens blush forsake And own'd a Love thou hast refus'd to take Por. Refus'd it like a Miser midst his store Who grasps and grasps till he can hold no more And when his strength is wanting to his mind Looks back and sighs on what he left behind Val. No I resume that heart thou didst possess My Father shall my injuries redress With me thou losest his Imperial Crown And speedy death attends upon his frown Por. You may revenge your wrongs a nobler way Command my death and I will soon obey Val. No live for on thy life my cure depends In Debters deaths all obligation ends 'T will be some ease Ungrateful thee to call And Bankrupt-like say trusting him lost all Por. Upbraided thus what gen'rous man would live But Fortune will revenge what you forgive When I refuse as in few hours I must This offer'd grace your Father will be just Val. Be just say rather he will cruel prove To kill that only person I can love Yet so it is Your int'rest in the Army is so high That he must make you his or you must dye It is resolv'd who e're my Rival be Aside after a pause I 'le show that I deserve him more than she And if at last he does ingrateful prove My constancy it self rewards my Love Exit Por. She 's gone and gazing round about I see Nothing but death or glorious misery Here Empire stands if I could Love displace There hopeless Love with more Imperial Grace Thus as a sinking Hero compass'd round Beckens his bravest Foe for his last wound And him into his part of Fame does call I 'le turn my face to Love and there I 'le fall To him Berenice Erotion Ber. I come Porphyrius to congratulate This happy change of your exalted Fate You to the Empire are I hear design'd And fair Valeria must th' Alliance bind Por. Would Heav'n had my succession so decreed That I in all might Maximin succeed He offers me th' Imperial Crown 't is true I would succeed him but it is in you Ber. In me I never did accept your Love But you I see would handsomly remove And I can give you leave without a frown I always thought you merited a Crown Por. I never sought that Crown but on your brow But you with such indifference would allow My change that you have kill'd me with that breath I feel your scorn cold as the hand of death Ber. You 'l come to life in your Valeria's arms 'T is true I cannot boast of equal Charms Or if I could I never did admit Your Love to me but only suffer'd it I am a Wife and can make no return And 't were but vain in hopeless fires to burn Por. Unkind can you whom only I adore Set open to your Slave the Prison-door You use my heart just as you would afford A fatal freedom to some harmless bird Whom breeding you ne're taught to seek its food And now let flye to perish in the Wood. Ber. Then if you will love on and disobey And lose an Empire for my sake you may Will a kind look from me pay all this score For you well know you must expect no more Por. All I deserve it will not all I wish But I will brave the Tyrants rage for this If I refuse my death must needs ensue But you shall see that I dare dye for you Ber. Would you for me A Beauty and an Empire too deny I love you now so well that you shall dye Dye mine 't is all I can with honour give Nor should you dye if after I would live But when your Marriage and your Death I view That makes you false
fair Who in his hand a flaming Sword did bear And Whirlwind-like around him drove the Air. At his rais'd arm the rigid Iron shook And bending backwards fled before the stroke Max. What! Miracles the tricks of Heav'n to me I 'le try if she be wholly Iron free If not by Sword then she shall dye by fire And one by one her Miracles I 'le tire If proof against all kind of death she be My Love 's immortal and she 's fit for me S. Cath. No Heav'n has shown its pow'r and now thinks fit Thee to thy former fury to remit Had Providence my longer life decreed Thou from thy passion hadst not yet been freed But Heav'n which suffer'd that my Faith to prove Now to its self does vindicate my Love A pow'r controls thee which thou dost not see And that 's a Miracle it works in thee Max. The truth of this new Miracle we 'll try To prove it you must take the pains to dye Bring me their heads Fel. That mercy Tyrant thou deny'st to me At thy last breath may Heav'n refuse to thee My fears are going and I death can view I see I see him there thy steps pursue And with a lifted arm and silent pace Stalk after thee just aiming in his chace S. Cath. No more dear Mother ill in death it shows Your peace of mind by rage to discompose No streak of blood the reliques of the Earth Shall stain my Soul in her immortal birth But she shall mount all pure a white and Virgin mind And full of all that peace which there she goes to find Exeunt S. Catharine and Felicia with Valerius and Guards The Scene shuts Max. She 's gone and pull'd my heart-strings as she went Were penitence no shame I could repent Yet 't is of bad example she should live For I might get th' ill habit to forgive Thou soft Seducer of my heart away Who ling'ring would'st about its confines stay To watch when some Rebellion would begin And ready at each sigh to enter in In vain for thou Dost on the outside of the body play And when drawn nearest shalt be whirl'd away What ails me that I cannot lose thy thought Command the Empress hither to be brought To Placid I in her death shall some diversion find And rid my thoughts at once of woman-kind Placid 'T is well he thinks not of Porphyrius yet Aside Exit Max. How hard it is this Beauty to forget My stormy rage has only shook my will She crept down lower but she sticks there still Fool that I am to struggle thus with Love Why should I that which pleases me remove True she should dye were she concern'd alone But I love not for her sake but my own Our Gods are Gods 'cause they have pow'r and will Who can do all things can do nothing ill Ill is Rebellion 'gainst some higher pow'r The World may sin but not its Emperour My Empress then shall dye my Princess live If this be ill I do my self forgive To him Valerius Val. Your will 's obey'd for mighty Emperour The Princess and her Mother are no more Max. She is not dead Val. Great Sir your will was so Max. That was my will of half an hour ago But now 't is alter'd I have chang'd her Fate She shall not dye Val. Your pity comes too late Betwixt her Guards she seem'd by Bride-men led Her cheeks with cheerful blushes were o'respred When smiling to the Ax she bow'd her head Just at the stroke AEtherial musick did her death prepare Like joyful sounds of Spousals in the Air. A radiant light did her crown'd Temples guild And all the place with fragrant scents was fill'd The Balmy mist came thick'ning to the ground And sacred silence cover'd all around But when its work perform'd the Cloud withdrew And day restor'd us to each others view I sought her head to bring it on my Spear In vain I sought it for it was not there No part remain'd but from afar our sight Discover'd in the Air long tracks of light Of charming Notes we heard the last rebounds And Musick dying in remoter sounds Max. And dost thou think This lame account fit for a Love-sick King Go from the other World a better bring Kills him then sets his foot on him and speaks on When in my breast two mighty passions strove Thou had'st err'd better in obeying Love 'T is true that way thy death had follow'd too But I had then been less displeas'd than now Now I must live unquiet for thy sake And this poor recompence is all I take Spurns the bodâ— Here the Scene opens and discovers Berenice on a Scaffold the Guards by her and amongst them Porphyrius and Albinus like Moors as all the Guards are Placidius enters and whispers the Emperour whilst Porphyrius speaks Por. From Berenice I cannot go away But like a Ghost must near my Treasure stay Alb. Night and this shape secure us from their eyes Por. Have courage then for our bold enterprise Duty and Faith no tye on me can have Since I renounc'd those Honours which he gave Max. The time is come we did so long attend To Berenice Which must these discords of our Marriage end Yet Berenice remember you have been An Empress and the Wife of Maximin Ber. I will remember I have been your Wife And therefore dying beg from Heav'n your life Be all the discords of our Bed forgot Which Vertue witness I did never spot What errors I have made though while I live You cannot pardon to the dead forgive Max. How much she is to piety inclin'd Behead her while she 's in so good a mind Por. Stand firm Albinus now the time is come To free the Empress Alb. And deliver Rome Por. Within I feel my hot blood swell my heart And generous tremblings in each outward part 'T is done Tyrant this is thy latest hour Porphyrius and Albinus draw and are making at the Emperour Ber. Look to your self my Lord the Emperour Treason help help my Lord Maximin turns and defends himself the Guards set on Porphyrius and Albinus Max. Disarm 'em but their lives I charge you spare After they are disarm'd Unmask 'em and discover who they are Good Gods is it Porphyrius whom I see Placid I wonder how he gain'd his liberty Max. Traytor Por. Know Tyrant I can hear that name Rather than Son and bear it with less shame Traytor 's a name which were my arm yet free The Roman Senate would bestow on thee To Ber. Ah Madam you have ruin'd my design And lost your life for I regard not mine Too ill a Mistress and too good a Wife Ber. It was my duty to preserve his life Max. Now I perceive To Porphyriu In what close walks your mind so long did move You scorn'd my Throne aspiring to her Love Ber. In death I 'le owne a Love to him so pure As will the test of Heav'n it self endure A Love so chast as Conscience could not chide
But cherisht it and kept it by its side A Love which never knew a hot desire But flam'd as harmless as a lambent fire A Love which pure from Soul to Soul might pass As light transmitted through a Crystal glass Which gave Porphyrius all without a sin Yet kept entire the Right of Maximin Max. The best return that I to both can make Shall be to suffer for each others sake Por. Barbarian do not dare her blood to shed Who from my vengeance sav'd thy cursed head A flight no Honour ever reach'd before And which succeeding Ages will adore Ber. Porphyrius I must dye That common debt to Nature paid must be But I have left a debt unpaid to thee To Maximin I have perform'd the duty of a Wife But saving his I cast away thy life Ah what ill Stars upon our Loves did shine That I am more thy Murd'rer than he mine Max. Make haste Por. So hasty none in execution are But they allow the dying time for pray'r Farewel sweet Saint my pray'r shall be to you My Love has been unhappy but 't was true Remember me Alas what have I sed You must dye too But yet remember me when you are dead Ber. If I dye first I will Stop short of Heav'n and wait you in a Cloud For fear we lose each other in the crowd Por. Love is the only Coyn in Heav'n will go Then take all with you and leave none below Ber. 'T is want of knowledge not of Love I fear Lest we mistake when bodies are not there O as a mark that I could wear a Scroul With this Inscription Berenice's Soul Por. That needs not sure for none will be so bright So pure or with so small allays of light Max. From my full eyes fond tears begin to start Dispatch they practise treason on my heart Porphyrius kisses his hand and blows it to Berenice saying Por. Adieu this farewel sigh I as my last bequeath Catch it 't is Love expiring in a breath Berenice kissing hers in the same manner Ber. This sigh of mine shall meet it half the way As pledges giv'n that each for other stay Enter Valeria and Cydon her Woman Val. What dismal Scene of Death is here prepar'd Max. Now strike Val. They shall not strike till I am heard Max. From whence does this new impudence proceed That you dare alter that which I decreed Val. Ah Sir to what strange courses do you fly To make your self abhorr'd for cruelty The Empire groans under your bloody Reign And its vast body bleeds in every vein Gasping and pale and fearing more it Iyes And now you stab it in the very eyes Your Caesar and the Partner of your Bed Ah who can wish to live when they are dead If ever gentle pity touch'd your brest I cannot speak my tears shall speak the rest Weeping and sobbing Por. She adds new grief to what I felt before And Fate has now no room to put in more Max Away thou shame and slander of my blood To Val. Who taught thee to be pitisul or good Val. What hope have I The name of Vertue should prevail with him Who thinks ev'n it for which I plead a crime Yet Nature sure some Argument may be If them you cannot pity pity me Max. I will and all the World shall judge it so I will th' excess of pity to you show You ask to save A dangerous Rebel and disloyal Wife And I in mercy will not take your life Val. You more than kill me by this cruelty And in their persons bid your Daughter dye I honour Berenice's Vertue much But for Porphyrius my Love is such I cannot will not live when he is gone Max. I 'le do that Cure for you which on my self is done You must like me your Lovers life remove Cut off your hope and you destroy your Love If it were hard I would not bid you try The Med'cine but 't is but to let him dye Yet since you are so soft which you call good And are not yet confirm'd enough in blood To see his death Your frailty shall be favour'd with this grace That they shall suffer in another place If after they are dead their memory By any chance into your mind be brought Laugh and divert it with some other thought Away with ' em Exeunt Berenice Porphyrius Albinus carried off by Guards Val. Since pray'rs nor tears can bend his cruel mind Looking after Porphy Farewel the best and bravest of Mankind How I have lov'd Heav'n knows but there 's a Fate Which hinders me from being fortunate My Father's Crimes hang heavy on my head And like a gloomy Cloud about me spread I would in vain be pious that 's a grace Which Heav'n permits not to a Tyrant's race Max. Hence to her Tent the foolish Girl convey Val. Let me be just before I go away Placidius I have vow'd to be your Wife Take then my hand 't is yours while I have life One moment here I must anothers be But this Porphyrius gives me back to thee Stabs her self twice and then Placidius wrests the Dagger from her Placid Help help the Princess help Max. What rage has urg'd this act which thou hast done Val. Thou Tyrant and thy Crimes have pull'd it on Thou who canst death with such a pleasure see Now take thy fill and glut thy sight in me But I 'le th' occasion of my death forget Save him I love and be my Father yet I can no more Porphyrius my dear Cyd. Alas she raves and thinks Porphyrius here Val. Have I not yet deserv'd thee now I dye Is Berenice still more fair than I Porphyrius do not swim before my sight Stand still and let me let me aim aright Stand still but while thy poor Valeria dyes And sighs her Soul into her Lovers eyes Dyes Placid She 's gone from Earth and with her went away All of the Tyrant that deserv'd to stay I 've lost in her all joys that life can give And only to revenge her death would live Aside Cyd. The Gods have claim'd her and we must resign Max. What had the Gods to do with me or mine Did I molest your Heav'n Why should you then make Maximin your Foe Who paid you Tribute which he need not do Your Altars I with smoke of Gums did crown For which you lean'd your hungry nostrils down All daily gaping for my Incense there More than your Sun could draw you in a year And you for this these Plagues on me have sent But by the Gods by Maximin I meant Henceforth I and my World Hostility with you and yours declare Look to it Gods for you th' Aggressors are Keep you your Rain and Sun-shine in your Skies And I 'le keep back my flame and Sacrifice Your Trade of Heav'n shall soon be at a stand And all your Goods lie dead upon your hand Placid Thus Tyrant since the Gods th' Aggressors are Stabbing him Thus by this stroke they have begun the War
Maximin struggles with him and gets the Dagger from him Max. Thus I return the strokes which they have giv'n Stabbing Placid Thus Traytor thus and thus I would to Heav'n Stabbing upward with his Dagger Placidius falls and the Emperour staggers after him and sits down upon him the Guards come in to help the Emperour Max. Stand off and let me e're my strength be gone Take my last pleasure of revenge alone Enter a Centurion Cen. Arm arm the Camp is in a mutiny For Rome and Liberty the Souldiers cry Porphyrius mov'd their pity as he went To rescue Berenice from punishment And now he heads their new-attempted crime Max. Now I am down the Gods have watch'd their time You think To save your credit feeble Deities But I will give my self the strength to rise He strives to get up and being up staggers It wonnot be My body has not strength my mind to bear I must return again and conquer here Sits down upon the Body My coward Body does my will controul Farewel thou base Deserter of my Soul I 'le shake this Carcass off and be obey'd Reign an Imperial Ghost without its aid Go Souldiers take my Ensigns with you fight And vanquish Rebels in your Soveraign's right Before I die Bring me Porphyrius and my Empress dead I would brave Heav'n in my each hand a head Placid Do not regard a dying Tyrants breath To the Souldiers He can but look revenge on you in death Max. Vanquish'd and dar'st thou yet a Rebel be Thus I can more than look revenge on thee Stabs him again Placid Oh I am gone Dyes Max. And after thee I go Revenging still and following ev'n to th' other world my blow Stabs him again And shoving back this Earth on which I sit I 'le mount and scatter all the Gods I hit Dyes Enter Porphyrius Berenice Albinus Souldiers Porphyrius tooks on the Bodies entring and speaks Por. 'T is done before this mighty work of Fate And I am glad our Swords are come too late He was my Prince and though a bloody one I should have conquer'd and have mercy shown Sheath all your Swords and cease your enmity They are not Foes but Romans whom you see Ber. He was my Tyrant but my Husband too And therefore duty will some tears allow Por. Placidius here And fair Valeria new depriv'd of breath Who can unriddle this dumb-show of death Cyd. When Sir her Father did your life deny She kill'd her self that she with you might dye Placidius made the Emp'rours death his crime Who dying did revenge his death on him Porphyrius kneels and takes Valeria's hand Por. For thy dear sake I vow each week I live One day to fasting and just grief I 'le give And what hard Fate did to thy life deny My gratitude shall pay thy memory Cen. Mean time to you belongs th' Imperial pow'r We with one voice salute your Emperour Souldiers Long live Porphyrius Emperour of the Romans Por. Too much my Country men your Love you show That you have thought me worthy to be so But to requite that Love I must take care Not to ingage you in a Civil War Two Emperours at Rome the Senate chose And whom they chose no Roman should oppose In Peace or War let Monarchs hope or fear All my ambition shall be bounded here Kissing Berenice's hand Ber. I have too lately been a Prince's Wife And fear th' unlucky Omen of the life Like a rich Vessel beat by storms to shore 'T were madness should I venture out once more Of glorious troubles I will take no part And in no Empire reign but of your heart Por. Let to the winds your golden Eagles flye To the Souldier Your Trumpets sound a bloodless Victory Our Arms no more let Aquileia fear But to her Gates Our peaceful Ensigns crown'd with Olives bear While I mix Cypress with my Myrtle Wreath Joy for your life and mourn Valeria's Death Exeunt omnes Epilogue Spoken by Mrs. Ellen when she was to be carried off dead by the Bearers To the Bearer HOld are you mad you damn'd confounded Dog I am to rise and speak the Epilogue To the Audience I come kind Gentlemen strange news to tell ye I am the Ghost of poor departed Nelly Sweet Ladies be not frighted I 'le be civil I 'm what I was a little harmless Devil For after death we Sprights have just such Natures We had for all the World when humane Creatures And therefore I that was an Actress here Play all my Tricks in Hell a Goblin there Gallants look to 't you say there are no Sprights But I 'le come dance about your Beds at nights And faith you 'l be in a sweet kind of taking When I surprise you between sleep and waking To tell you true I walk because I dye Out of my Calling in a Tragedy O Poet damn'd dull Poet who could prove So sensless to make Nelly dye for Love Nay what 's yet worse to kill me in the prime Of Easter-Term in Tart and Cheese-cake time I 'le fit the Fopp for I 'le not one word say T' excuse his godly out of fashion Play A Play which if you dare but twice sit out You 'l all be stander'd and be thought devout But farewel Gentlemen make haste to me I 'm sure e're long to have your company As for my Epitaph when I am gone I 'le trust no Poet but will write my own Here Nelly lies who though she liv'd a Slater'n Yet dy'd a Princess acting in S. Cathar'n