live here and study to be true Is all one as to be a Traitor Why should he dye Have they not Slaves and Rascals for their Offerings In full aboundance Bawds more than Beasts for slaughter Have they not singing Whores enough and Knaves besides And millions of such Martyrs to sink Charon But the best Sons of Rome must fall too I will shew him Since he must dye a way to do it truly And tho' he bears me hard yet shall he know I 'm born to make him bless me for a Blow Exit SCENE IV. Enter Phidius Aretus and AEcius Aret. The Treason is too certain fly my Lord. I heard that Villain Proculus instruct The desperate Pontius to dispatch you here Here in the Anti-Chamber Phid. Curst Wretches Yet you may escape to the Camp we 'l hazard with you Aret. Lose not your Life so basely Sir you are arm'd And many when they see your Sword and know why Must follow your Adventures AEcius Get ye from me Is not the Doom of Caesar on this Body Do I not bear my last hour here now sent me Am I not old AEcius ever dying You think this Tenderness and Love you bring me 'T is Treason and the strength of Disobedience And if ye tempt me further ye shall feel it I seek the Camp for safety when my Death Ten times more glorious then my Life and lasting Bids me be happy Let Fools fear to dye Or he that weds a Woman for his Honour Dreaming no other Life to come but Kisses AEcius is not now to learn to suffer If ye dare shew a just affection kill me I stay but those that must why do ye weep Am I so wretched as to deserve mens Pities Go give your Tears to those that lose their worths Bewail their miseries For me wear Garlands Drink Wine and much Sing Paeans to my Praise I am to triumph Friends and more than Caesar For Caesar fears to dye I love to dye Phid. O my dear Lord AEcius No more go go I say Shew me not signs of sorrow I deserve none Dare any man lament I should dye nobly When I am dead speak honourably of me That is preserve my Memory from dying There if you needs must weep your ruin'd Master A Tear or two will seem well This I charge you Because ye say ye yet love old AEcius See my poor Body burnt and some to sing About my Pile what I have done and suffer'd If Caesar kill not that too At your Banquets When I am gone if any chance to number The times that have been sad and dangerous Say how I fell and 't is sufficient No more I say he that laments my end By all the Gods dishonours me be gone And suddenly and wisely from my Dangers My Death is catching else Phid. We fear not dying AEcius Yet fear a wilful Death the just Gods hate it I need no Company to that that Children Dare do alone and Slaves are proud to purchase Live till your honesties as mine has done Make this corrupted Age sick of your Virtues Then dye a Sacrifice and then you 'l know The noble use of dying well and Romans Aret. And must we leave you Sir AEcius We must all dye All leave our selves it matters not where when Nor how so we dye well And can that man that does so Need Lamentation for him Children weep Because they have offended or for fear Women for want of Will and Anger is there In noble man that truly feels both Poyses Of Life and Death so much of this weakness To drown a glorious Death in Child and Woman I am asham'd to see you yet you move me And were it not my Manhood would accuse me For covetous to live I should weep with you Phid. O we shall never see you more AEcius T is true Nor I the Miseries that Rome shall suffer Which is a Benefit Life cannot reckon But what I have been which is just and faithful One that grew old for Rome when Rome forgot him And for he was an honest man durst dye Ye shall have daily with you could that dye too And I return no Traffick of my Travels No Annals of old AEcius but he lived My Friends ye had cause to weep and bitterly The common overflows of tender Women And Children new born Crying were too little To shew me then most wretched if Tears must be I should in justice weep 'em and for you You are to live and yet behold those Slaughters The dry and wither'd bones of Death would bleed at But sooner than I have time to think what must be I fear you 'l find what shall be If you love me Let that word serve for all Be gone and leave me I have some little practice with my Soul And then the sharpest Sword is welcomest Go Pray be gone Ye have obey'd me living Be not for shame now stubborn So I thank ye And fare you well A better Fortune guide ye Phid. What shall we do to save our best lov'd Master Aside Aret. I 'le to Affranius who with half a Legion Lies in the old Subbura all will rise For the brave AEcius Phid. I 'le to Maximus And lead him hither to prevent this Murther Or help in the Revenge which I 'le make sure of Exit Phidius and Aretus AEcius I hear 'em come who strikes first I stay for you Enter Balbus Chylax Lycinius Yet will I dye a Souldier my Sword drawn But against none Why do you fear Come forward Balb. You were a Souldier Chylax Chy. Yes I muster'd But never saw the Enemy Lycin. He 's arm'd By Heav'n I dare not do it AEcius Why do you tremble I am to dye Come ye not from Caesar To that end speak Balb. We do and we must kill you 'T is Caesars Will Chy. I charge you put your Sword up That we may do it handsomly AEcius Ha ha ha My Sword up handsomely where were you bred You are the merriest Murtherers my Masters I ever met withal Come forward Fools Why do you stare Upon my Honour Bawds I will not strike you Lycin. I 'le not be first Balb. Nor I. Chy. You had best dye quietly The Emperor Sees how you bear your self AEcius I would dye Rascals If you would kill me quietly Balb. Plague on Proculus He promis'd to bring a Captain hither That has been us'd to kill AEcius I 'le call the Guard Uuless you kill me quickly and proclaim What beastly base cowardly Companions The Emperor has trusted with his safety Nay I 'le give out you fell on my side Villains Strike home you bawdy Slaves Chy. He will kill us I markt his hand he waits but time to reach us Now do you offer AEcius If you do mangle me And kill me not at two blows or at three Or not so stagger me my Senses fail me Look to your selves Chy. I told ye AEcius Strike me manly And take a thousand stroaks Enter Pontius Balb. Here 's Pontius Licinius runs away Pont. Not
Brutus Vengeance Who that ere heard the Cause applauded not That Roman-Spirit for his great Revenge Yet mine is more and touches me far nearer Lucrece was not his Wife as she was mine For ever ravisht ever lost Lucina Emp. Ah name her not That Name thy Face and Reason Are the three things on Earth I would avoid Let me forget her I 'le forgive thee all And give thee half the Empire to be gone Max. Thus steel'd with such a Cause what Soul but mine Had not upon the instant ended thee Sworn in that moment Caesar is no more And so I had But I will tell thee Tyrant To make thee hate thy Guilt and curse thy Fears AEcius whom thou hast slain prevented me AEcius who on this bloody Spot lyes murder'd By barb'rous Caesar watcht my vow'd Revenge And from my Sword preserv'd ungrateful Caesar. Emp. How then dar'st thou viewing this great Example With impious Arms assault thy Emperor Max. Because I have more Wit than Honesty More of thy self more Villany than Vertue More Passion more Revenge and more Ambition Than foolish Honour and fantastick Glory What share your Empire Suffer you to live After the impious Wrongs I have receiv'd Couldst thou thus lull me thou might'st laugh indeed Emp. I am satisfy'd that thou didst ever hate me Thy Wifes Rape therefore was an act of Justice And so far thou hast eas'd my tender Conscience Therefore to hope a Friendship from thee now Were vain to me as is the Worlds Continuance Where solid pains succeed our sensless joys And short-liv'd pleasures fleet like passing Dreams AEcius I mourn thy Fate as much as man Can do in my condition that am going And therefore should be busie with my self Yet to thy memory I will allow Some grains of Time and drop some sorrowing Tears Oh AEcius oh Max. Why this is right my Lord And if these Drops are orient you will set True Caesar glorious in your going down Tho' all the Journey of your Life was cloudy Allow at least a Possibility Where Thought is lost and think there may be Gods An unknown Countrey after you are dead As well as there was one ere you were born Emp. I 've thought enough and with that thought resolve To mount Imperial from the burning Pile I grieve for AEcius Yes I mourn him Gods As if I had met my Father in the dark And striving for the Way had murder'd him Oh such a faithful Friend that when he knew I hated him and had contriv'd his Death Yet then he ran his Heart upon my Sword And gave a fatal proof of dying Love Max. 'T is now fit time I 've wrought you to my purpose Else at my entrance with a brutal Blow I 'd fell'd you like a Victim for the Altar Not warn'd you thus and arm'd you for your hour As if when ere Fate call'd a Caesar home The judging Gods lookt down to mark his dying Emp. Oh subtil Traitor how he dallies with me Think not thou sawcy Counsellor my Slave Tho' at this moment I should feel thy Foot Upon my Neck and Sword within my Bowels That I would ask a Life from thee No Villain When once the Emperor is at thy Command Power Life and Glory must take leave for ever Therefore prepare the utmost of thy malice But to torment thee more and shew how little All thy Revenge can do appears to Caesar. Would the Gods raise Lucina from the Grave And fetter thee but while I might enjoy her Before thy Face I 'd ravish her again Max. Hark hark Aretus and the Legions come Emp. Come all Aretus and the Rebel Legions Let AEcius too part from the Gaol of Death And run the flying race of Life again I 'le be the foremost still and snatch fresh Glory To my last Gasp from the contending World Garlands and Crowns too shall attend my Dying Statues and Temples Altars shall be rais'd To my great Name while your more vile Inscriptions Time rots and mouldring Clay is all your Portion Enter Aretus and Souldiers They kill the Emperor Max. Lead me to Death or Empire which you please For both are equal to a ruin'd man But fellow-Souldiers if you are my Friends Bring me to Death that I may there find peace Since Empire is too poor to make amends For half the Losses I have undergone A true Friend and a tender faithful Wife The two blest Miracles of humane Life Go now and seek new Worlds to add to this Search Heav'n for Blessings to enrich the gift Bring Power and Pleasure on the wings of Fame And heap this Treasure upon Maximus You 'l make a great man not a happy one Sorrows so just as mine must never end For my Love ravish'd and my murder'd Friend Ex. omnes Epilogue Written by a Person of Quality 'T IS well the Scene is laid remote from hence 'T would bring in question else our Author's sence Two monstrous things produc'd for this our Age And no where to be seen but on the Stage A Woman ravisht and a Great man wise Nay honest too without the least disguise Another Character deserves great blame A Cuckold daring to revenge his shame Surly ill-natur'd Roman wanting wit Angry when all true Englishmen submit Witness the Horns of the well-headed Pit Tell me ye fair ones pray now tell me why For such a fault as this to bid me dye Should Husbands thus command and Wives obey 'T would spoil our Audience for the next new Play Too many wanting who are here to day For I suppose if ere that hapned to yee 'T was force prevailed yee said he would undo yee Struggling cried out but all alas in vain Like me yee underwent the killing pain Did you not pity me lament each groan When lest with the wild Emperor alone I know in thought yee kindly bore a part Each had her Valentinian in her heart FINIS The Fair on the Thames so called
VALENTINIAN A TRAGEDY As 't is Alter'd by the late EARL of ROCHESTER And Acted at the Theatre-Royal Together with a Preface concerning the Author and his Writings By one of his Friends LONDON Printed for Timothy Goodwin at the Maiden-head against St. Dunstans-Church in Fleetstreet 1685. Prologue spoken by Mrs. Cook the first Day Written by Mrs. Behn WIth that assurance we to day address As standard Beauties certain of Success With careless Pride at once they charm and vex And scorn the little Censures of their Sex Sure of the unregarded Spoyl despise The needless Affectation of the Eyes The softening Languishment that faintly warms But trust alone to their resistless Charms So we secur'd by undisputed Wit Disdain the damning Malice of the Pit Nor need false Arts to set great Nature off Or studied Tricks to force the Clap and Laugh Ye VVou'd-be-Criticks you are all undone For here 's no Theam for you to work upon Faith seem to talk to Jenny I advise Of who likes who and how Loves Markets rise Try these hard Times how to abate the Price Tell her how cheap were Damsels on the Ice 'Mongst City-VVives and Daughters that came there How far a Guinny went at Blanket-Fair Thus you may find some good Excuse for failing Of your beloved Exercise of Railing That when Friend cryes How did the Play succeed Deme I hardly minded what they did VVe shall not your Ill-nature please to day VVith some fond Scriblers new uncertain Play Loose as vain Youth and tedious as dull Age Or Love and Honour that o're-runs the Stage Fam'd and substantial Authors give this Treat And 't will be solemn Noble all and Great VVit sacred VVit is all the bus'ness here Great Fletcher and the Greater Rochester Now name the hardy Man one fault dares find In the vast VVork of two such Heroes joyn'd None but Great Strephon's soft and pow'rful VVit Durst undertake to mend what Fletcher writ Different their heav'nly Notes yet both agree To make an everlasting Harmony Listen ye Virgins to his charming Song Eternal Musick dwelt upon his Tongue The Gods of Love and VVit inspir'd his Pen And Love and Beauty was his glorious Theam Now Ladies you may celebrate his Name VVithout a scandal on your spotless Fame VVith Praise his dear lov'd Memory pursue And pay his Death what to his Life was due Prologue to VALENTINIAN Spoken by Mrs. Cook the second Day 'T IS not your easiness to give Applause This long hid Iewel into publick draws Our matchless Author who to VVit gave Rules Scorns Praise that has been prostitute to Fools To factious Favour the sole Prop and Fence Of Hackney-Scriblers he quits all Pretence And for their Flatteries brings you Truth and Sence Things we our selves confess to be unfit For such side-Boxes and for such a Pit To the fair Sex some Complement were due Did they not slight themselves in liking you How can they here for Iudges be thought fit VVho daily your soft Nonsence take for VVit Do on your ill-bred Noise for Humour doat And choose the Man by the embroider'd Coat Our Author lov'd the youthful and the fair But even in those their Follies could not spare Bid them discreetly use their present store Be Friends to Pleasure when they please no more Desir'd the Ladies of maturer Ages If some remaining Spark their Hearts enrages At home to quench their Embers with their Pages Pert patch'd and painted there to spend their days Not crowd the fronts of Boxes at new Plays Advis'd young sighing Fools to be more pressing And Fops of Forty to give over dressing By this he got the Envy of the Age No Fury's like a libell'd Blockhead's Rage Hence some despis'd him for his want of VVit And others said he too obscenely writ Dull Niceness envious of Mankind's Delight Abortive Pang of Vanity and Spite It shows a Master's Hand 't was Virgil's Praise Things low and abject to adorn and raise The Sun on Dunghils shining is as bright As when his Beams the fairest Flowers invite But all weak Eyes are hurt by too much Light Let then these Owls against the Eagle preach And blame those Flights which they want VVing to reach Like Falstaffe let 'em conquer Heroes dead And praise Greek Poets they cou'd never read Criticks should personal Quarrels lay aside The Poet from the Enemy divide 'T was Charity that made our Author write For your Instruction 't is we Act to night For sure no Age was ever known before VVanting an AEcius and Lucina more Prologue intended for VALENTINIAN to be spoken by Mrs. Barrey NOw would you have me rail swell and look big Like rampant Tory over couchant Whig As spit-fire Bullies swagger swear and roar And brandish Bilbo when the Fray is o're Must we huff on when we 're oppos'd by none But Poets are most fierce on those wh'are down Shall I jeer Popish Plots that once did fright us And with most bitter Bobs taunt little Titus Or with sharp Style on sneaking Trimmers fall Who civilly themselves Prudential call Yet Witlings to true Wits as soon may rise As a prudential Man can ere be wise No even the worst of all yet I will spare The nauseous Floater changeable as Air A nasty thing which on the surface rides Backward and forward with all turns of Tides An Audience I will not so coursely use 'T is the lewd way of every common Muse. Let Grubstreet-Pens such mean Diversion find But we have Subjects of a nobler kind We of legitimate Poets sing the praise No kin to th' spurious Issue of these days But such as with desert their Laurels gain'd And by true Wit immortal Names obtain'd Two like Wit Consuls rul'd the former Age With Love and Honour grac'd that flourishing Stage And t'every Passion did the Mind engage They sweetness first into our Language brought They all the Secrets of man's Nature sought And lasting Wonders they have in conjunction wrought Now joyns a third a Genius as sublime As ever flourish'd in Rome's happiest time As sharply could he wound as sweetly engage As soft his Love and as divine his Rage He charm'd the tenderest Virgins to delight And with his Style did fiercest Blockheads fright Some Beauties here I see Though now demure have felt his pow'rful Charms And languish'd in the circil of his Arms. But for ye Fops his Satyr reach'd ye all Vnder his Lash your whole vast Herd did fall Oh fatal loss that mighty Spirit 's gone Alas his too great heat went out too soon So fatal is it vastly to excel Thus young thus mourn'd his lov'd Lucretius fell And now ye little Sparks who infest the Pit Learn all the Reverence due to sacred Wit Disturb not with your empty noise each Bench Nor break your bawdy Iests to th' Orange-wench Nor in that Scene of Fops the Gallery Vent your No-wit and spurious Raillery That noisie Place where meet all sort of Tools Your huge fat Lovers and consumptive Fools Half Wits
kill him yet Is this the Love you bear the Emperor Nay then I see you are Traitors all have at ye Chy. Oh I am hurt Balb. And I am kill'd Exit Chylax and Balbus Pont. Dye Bawds As you have liv'd and flourisht AEcius Wretched Fellow What hast thou done Pont. Kill'd them that durst not kill And you are next AEcius Art thou not Pontius Pont. I am the same you cast AEcius And in the face of all the Camp disgrac'd AEcius Then so much nobler as thou art a Soldier Shall my death be Is it revenge provokt thee Or art thou hired to kill me Pont. Both. AEcius Then do it Pont. Is that all AEcius Yes Pont. Would you not live AEcius Why should I To thank thee for my Life Pont. Yes if I spare it AEcius Be not deceiv'd I was not made to thank For any Courtesie but killing me A fellow of thy Fortune Do thy Duty Pont. Do you not fear me AEcius No. Pont. Nor love me for it AEcius That 's as thou dost thy Business Pont. When you are dead your Place is mine AEcius AEcius Now I fear thee And not alone thee Pontius but the Empire Pont. Why I can govern Sir AEcius I would thou coul'dst And first thy self Thou canst fight well and bravely Thou can'st endure all Dangers Heats Colds Hungers Heav'ns angry Flashes are not suddener Then I have seen thee execute nor more mortal The winged feet-of flying Enemies I have stood and seen thee mow away like Rushes And still kill the Killerâ— were thy mind But half so sweet in Peace as rough in Dangers I dy'd to leave a happy Heir behind me Come strike and be a General Pont. Prepare then And for I see your honour cannot lessen And 't were a shame for me to strike a dead man Fight your short span out AEcius No. Thou know'st I must not I dare net give thee such advantage of me As Disobedience Pont. Dare you not defend you Against your Enemy AEcius Not sent from Caesar I have no power to make such Enemies For as I am condemn'd my naked Sword Stands but a Hatchment by me only held To shew I was a Souldier had not Caesar Chain'd all defence in this Doom Let him dye Old as I am and quench'd with Scars and Sorrows Yet would I make this wither'd Arm do wonders And open in an Enemy such wounds Mercy would weep to look on Pont. Then have at you And look upon me and be sure you fear not Remember who you are and why you live And what I have been to you Cry not hold Nor think it base injustice I should kill thee AEcius I am prepar'd for all Pont. For now AEcius Thou shalt behold and find I was no Traitor Pontius kills himself And as I do it bless me Dye as I do AEcius Thou hast deceiv'd me Pontius and I thank thee By all my Hopes in Heav'n thou art a Roman Pont. To shew you what you ought to do this is not But noble Sir you have been jealous of me And held me in the Rank of dangerous persons And I must dying say it was but justice You cast me from my Credit Yet believe me For there is nothing now but truth to save me And your forgiveness tho' you hold me heinous And of a troubled Spirit that like fire Turns all to flames it meets with You mistook me If I were Foe to any thing 't was ease Want of the Souldiers due The Enemy The nakedness we found at home and scorn Children of Peace and pleasures no regard Nor comfort for our Scars nor how we got 'em To rusty time that eats our Bodies up And even began to prey upon our hours To Wants at home and more than Wants Abuses To them that when the Enemy invaded Made us their Saints but now the Sores of Rome To silken Flattery and Pride plain'd over Forgetting with what Wind their Fathers sail'd And under whose protection their soft pleasures Grow full and numberless To this I am Foe Not to the State or any point of Duty And let me speak but what a Souldier may Truly I ought to be so yet I err'd Because a far more noble Sufferer Shew'd me the way to Patience and I lost it This is the end I dye for to live basely And not the follower of him that bred me In full account and Virtue Pontius dares not Much less to out-live all that is good and flatter AEcius I want a Name to give thy Virtue Souldier For only good is far below thee Pontius The Gods shall find thee one Thou hast fashion'd Death In such an excellent and beauteous manner I wonder men can live Canst thou speak one word more For thy words are such Harmony a Soul Would chuse to fly to Heav'n in Pont. A farewell Good noble General your hand Forgive me And think whatever was displeasing to you Was none of mine you cannot live AEcius I will not Yet one word more Pont. Dye nobly Rome farewel And Valentinian fall In joy you have given me a quiet Death I would strike more Wounds if I had more Breath Dies AEcius Is there an hour of goodness beyond this Or any man that would outlive such Dying Would Caesar double all my Honours on me And stick me o're with Favours like a Mistress Yet would I grow to this man I have Lov'd But never doated on a Face till now Oh Death Thou art more than Beauty and thy Pleasures Beyond Posterity Come Friends and kill me Caesar be kind and send a thousand Swords The more the greater is my fall why stay you Come and I 'le kiss your Weapons fear me not By all the Gods I 'le honour ye for killing Appear or through the Court and World I 'le search ye I 'le follow ye and ere I die proclaim ye The Weeds of Italy the dross of Nature Where are ye Villains Traitors Slaves Exit SCENE V. Valentinian and the Eunuch discover'd on a Couch Emp. Oh let me press these balmy Lips all day And bathe my Love-scorch'd Soul in thy moist Kisses Now by my Joys thou art all sweet and soft And thou shalt be the Altar of my Love Upon thy Beauties hourly will I offer And pour out Pleasure and blest Sacrifice To the dear memory of my Lucina No God nor Goddess ever was ador'd With such Religion as my Love shall be For in these charming Raptures of my Soul Claspt in thy Arms I 'le waste my self away And rob the ruin'd World of their great Lord While to the Honour of Lucina's Name I leave Mankind to mourn the loss for ever A SONG 1. KIndness hath resistless Charms All besides can weakly move Fiercest Anger it disarms And clips the wings of flying Love 2. Beauty does the heart invade Kindness only can perswade It guilds the Lovers servile-chain And makes the Slave grow pleas'd and vain Enter AEcius with two Swords Emp. Ha! What desperate Mad-man weary of his Being Presumes to press upon my
happy Moments AEcius And arm'd Whence comes this impious Boldness Did not my Will the Worlds most sacred Law Doom thee to die And dar'st thou in Rebellion be alive Is Death more frightful grown than Disobedience AEcius Not for a hated Life condemn'd by you Which in your Service has been still expos'd To Pain and Labours Famine Slaughter Fire And all the dreadful Toyls of horrid War Am I thus lowly laid before your feet For what mean Wretch who has his Duty done Would care to live when you declare him worthless If I must fall which your severe Disfavour Hath made the easier and the nobler Choice Yield me not up a wretched Sacrifice To the poor Spleen of a base Favourite Let not vile Instruments destroy the man Whom once you lov'd but let your hand bestow That welcome Death your anger has decreed Lays his Sword at his feet Emp. Go seek the common Executioner Old man thro' vanity and years grown mad Or to reprieve thee from the Hangman's stroak Go use thy military Interest To beg a milder Death among the Guards And tempt my kindl'd Wrath no more with folly AEcius Ill-counsell'd thankless Prince you did indeed Bestow that Office on a Souldier But in the Army could you hope to find With all your Bribes a Murderer of AEcius Whom they so long have follow'd known and own'd Their God in War and thy good Genius ever Speechless and cold without upon the Ground The Souldier lyes whose generous Death will teach Posterity true Gratitude and Honour And press as heavily upon thy Soul Lost Valentinian as thy barb'rous Rape For which since Heavâ—n alone must punish thee I 'le do Heav'ns justice on thy base Assister Runs at Lycias Lycias Save me my Lord. Emp. Hold honest AEcius hold I was too rash Oh spare the gentle Boy And I 'le forgive thee all Lycias Furies and Death Dies Emp. He bleeds mourn ye Inhabitants of Heav'n For sure my lovely Boy was one of you But he is dead and now ye may rejoyce For ye have stol'n him from me spiteful Powers Empire and Life I ever have despis'd The vanity of Pride of Hope and Fear In Love alone my Soul found real Joys And still ye tyrannize and cross my Love Oh that I had a Sword Throws him a Sword To drive this raving Fool headlong to Hell Fight AEcius Take your desire and try if lawless Lust Can stand against Truth Honesty and Justice I have my Wish Gods Give you true Repentance And bless you still beware of Maximus They fight Acius runs on the Emp. Sword and falls Dies Emp. Farewel dull Honesty which tho' despis'd Canst make thy owner run on certain Ruine Old AEcius Where is now thy Name in War Thy Interest with so many conquer'd Nations The Souldiers Reverence and the Peoples Love Thy mighty Fame and Popularity With which thou kept'st me still in certain fear Depending on thee for uncertain safety Ah what a lamentable Wretch is he Who urg'd by Fear or Sloth yields up his pow'r To hope protection from his Favourite Wallowing in Ease and Vice feels no Contempt But wears the empty Name of Prince with scorn And lives a poor lead Pageant to his Slave Such have I been to thee honest AEcius Thy pow'r kept me in awe thy pride in pain Till now I liv'd but since th' art dead I 'le reign Enter Phidius with Maximus Phid. Behold my Lord the cruel Emperor By whose tyrannick Doom the noble AEcius Was judg'd to die Emp. He was so sawcy Slave Struck by this hand here groveling at my feet The Traitor lyes as thou shalt do bold Villain Go to the Furies carry my Defiance Kills him And tell 'em Caesar fears nor Earth nor Hell Phid. Stay AEcius and I 'le wait thy mightier Ghost Oh Maximus thro' the long vault of Death I hear thy Wife cry out revenge me Revenge me on the Ravisher no more Aretus comes to aid thee oh farewel Dies Emp. Ha! what not speak yet thou whose wrongs are greatest Or do the Horrors that we have been doing Amaze thy feeble Soul If thou art a Roman Answer the Emperor Caesar bids thee speak Max. A Roman Ha! And Caesar bids thee speak Pronounce thy Wrongs and tell 'em o're in Groans But oh the Story is ineffable Caesar's Commands back'd with the Eloquence Of all the inspiring Gods cannot declare it Oh Emperor thou Picture of a Glory Thou mangled Figure of a ruin'd Greatness Speak saist thou Speak the Wrongs of Maximus Yes I will speak Imperial Murderer Ravisher Oh thou royal Villany In Purple dipt to give a Gloss to Mischief Yet ere thy Death inriches my Revenge And swells the Book of Fate you statelier Mad-man Plac'd by the Gods upon a Precipice To make thy Fall more dreadful Why hast thou slain Thy Friend thy only Stay for sinking Greatness What Frenzy what blind Fury did possess thee To cut off thy right Hand and fling it from thee For such was AEcius Emp. Yes and such art thou Joynt Traitors to my Empire and my Glory Put up thy Sword be gone for ever leave me Tho' Traitor yet because I once did wrong thee Live Like a vagrant Slave I banish thee Max. Hold me you Gods and judg our Passions rightly Lest I should kill him kill this luxurious Worm Ere yet a thought of Danger has awak'd him End him even in the midst of night-Debauches Mounted upon a Tripos drinking Healths With shallow Rascals Pimps Buffoons and Bawds Who with vile Laughter take him in their Arms And bear the drunken Caesar to his Bed Where to the scandal of all Majesty At every grasp he belches Provinces Kisses off Fame and at the Empires ruine Enjoys his costly Whore Emp. Peace Traitor or thou dy'st Tho' pale Lucina should direct thy Sword I would assault thee if thou offer more Max. More By the immortal Gods I will awake thee I 'le rouze thee Caesar if strong Reason can If thou hadst ever sence of Roman Honour Or th' imperial Genius ever warm'd thee Why hast thou us'd me thus for all my Service My Toyls my Frights my Wounds in horrid War Why didst thou tear the only Garland from me That could make proud my Conquests Oh ye Gods If there be no such thing as Right or Wrong But Force alone must swallow all possession Then to what purpose in so long descents Were Roman Laws observ'd or Heav'n obey'd If still the Great for Ease or Vice were form'd Why did our first Kings toyl Why was the Plow Advanc'd to be the Pillar of the State Why was the lustful Tarquin with his House Expell'd but for the Rape of bleeding Lucrece Emp. I cannot bear thy words Vext Wretch no more He shocks me Prithee Maximus no more Reason no more thou troublest me with Reason Max. What servile Rascal what most abject Slave That lick'd the Dust where ere his Master trod Bounded not from the Earth upon his feet And shook his Chain that heard of