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
hatred of your Families Au. True if the cruel nature of my Father Who thirsts after his bloud would not oppose us But here he comes and as my fears foretel me To reprehend me on this very subject To them Hostilius and Macrinus Hos Macrinus when the Romans surfeited With Roman bloud think fit to stop the torrent You like a generous adversary will Advance the publick good Mac. 'T is my first wish Thus to express my gratitude to you Hos Farewel and where the laws of arms permit you Be civil to my party Now Sophonia Exit Macr. Your obligations to Macrinus are Cancell'd by this his liberty I give him Which though you do not I count forfeited Sop. I must eternally record this favour Hos Aurelia 't was you and your intreaty Exit Soph. I sought to gratifie herein I hope When I grant your request that you will mine Which is at present to cast off thoughts of love Especially of Florus an Usurper As in the State so in thy breast now enterd Where love must have no harbor I shall find Passions more noble to possess thy mind Au. Sir if external beauty joyn'd with virtue Force love in womans heart it is no wonder Florus finds entrance here Sir let these tears Soften that breast which the age war and custom Seem to have armed so against compassion When you reflect On loves predominancy over all things Can you imagin that the soft and tender Breast of a young and inexperienc'd Virgin Can resist him who under the white snow Of reverend gray-heads kindles his fires and with his flames extinguishes the light Of the maturest judgements Hos Love exercises His power only where he finds consent An. No April tree when her green season 's past Shoots not forth into blossoms nor no Virgin Her Spring time come feels not the heats of love However O my erring soul and thou My captiv'd heart and you my thus misplac'd Affections bear me witness if I us'd not To comply with my Father all my forces To free my mind from these tyrannick passions But O alas the more I sought to break These fetters I in them was more intangled This love which in my breast insensibly It self insinuating there grew up Without advise of reason can't be now By reason either govern'd or extinguisht Hos Audacious creature were I not what thou Seems't to deny here an indulgent Father Thou from these hands at present shouldst receive shews her his sword Chastisement proper to thy insolence Which now falls on thee mitigated onely Into admonishment thy error is Th' error of love which is excusable In younger age confined within limits Excusable but when a royal Princess Hurri'd from love to madness by her passion Disdains the curbs of reason and of honor And yields her self up to my greatest foe This is a crime severely to be punisht and should be were I not assur'd of thy Future amendment but in the mean time Gives her a bloody handkerchif Wipe off thy tears for Florus here with this Au. What ominous gift is this Hos It is a token She startles Dipt in thy Brother Lucius bloud with which The hands of Florus as yet hot and distilling Must thee embrace Au. Death shall embrace me first In her cold arms What mutiny is here One of my chiefest vital parts has me Depriv'd of th' other Oh my Brother slain And by the hands of Florus just when he Has signifi'd his flames reciprocal And great as mine O my accursed fate Why we were twins bedfollows in the womb Companions e're born together united Before with life inspired in his death I 've lost my better part and can't survive She falls into a swoun With what is left me Hos Aurelia nay Aurelia Recall thy self thy Father is yet living He strives to recover her Thy loving Father who to thee shall be A Brother Mother all things reassume Thy life and courage Au. I do and find my self She seems to come to her self In this short transe so chang'd that now I 'm sorry I have no pentitential moisture left To expiate those tears against my duty Cast away on the love of Florus but You 'll pardon this defect desire of my Revenge so agitates my heart and raiseth Such violent motions in my troubled fancy Transporting all my thoughts and faculties To her tyrannique will like some vast flame Which all occurring obstacles consuming Transformeth them at last into her self Rage choller fury ofsprings of hell increase And multiply here in this breast which freely I open to you casting out all thoughts Of virgin softness or remorse hereafter These fountains of my eyes be ever dry My hands and tongue audacious to commit Mischiefs to terrifie mankind my looks Dissembling treacherous and fatal be To those they please the powers of my soul Let my rage rule and nothing it controul Hos Aurelia now thou shew'st thou dost inherit As well as Mothers beauty Fathers spirit Magnanimous revenge not love's a guest Fit to be harbor'd in a royal brest Exeunt Sophonia Macrinus Soph. O dear Macrinus hasten thy departure Hostilius must not know thy longer stay He thinks he gives what he can take away Thy liberty which I have so endanger'd Mac. I would expose my life much more what you Call liberty to serve your Majesty Soph. That word does but revive The memory of my unhappy fate Macr. weeps Which I would fain forget I prethee weep not Mac. Madam I must though I rejoyce to see Your virtue triumph o're your misery Soph. Thou seest Valentius finds his satisfaction In my supposed death Mac. The Gods we see Intend your happiness since sure by their Instinct he destines Florus for the Throne Sop. Macrinus thou wouldst fain revive my false And treacherous hopes but oh I fear the heavens Which see mee in my miseries grow old Will in them let me die but pray le ts see The way th' hast found excuse my vanity To save my reputation when I dye Mac. Here 's the Inscription which I have made of you The most unfortunate of women the suppos'd Sophonia was the true Palladia Empress and Wife of Valentius condemn'd by him upon a false suspicion but sav'd by Macrinus conscious of her innocence and virtue in testimony whereof he hath left these characters ingraved with his own hands This I have cut in several plates of brass Which fixt in walls and only incrusted over With a slight plaister in short time decaying Will clear your story to the abused world Soph. Honest Macrinus how much I fear I never shall this zeal of thine repay Once more farewel make speedy hast away Exeunt Florus Servilius Carbo Carb Though Courts have ever been The chiefest Theaters where love delights To represent his cruel serious follies Yet Camps are not exempted Serv. Yes Sir but The wonder is to see our noble Gen'ral Surpriz'd thus with the picture of a Lady Car. Why were you so Flo. Yes when the Roman Eagles
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
my self From th'undermining practice of a Traytor Ar. Canst thou submit to serve a Prince who is An enemy to him who gave thee being Flo. Suppose you did will you on this account Rob me of my well-being fame and honor Ar. Disguis'd here in these abject weeds for thee My grandour and my dignity and life To hazard I expose Flo. Return thou hast free leave and reassume Thy Generalship under Hostilius It is my glory in the head of armies To meet me as my adversary but My shame disgrace and ignominy to Respect thee with the reverence of a Father Ar. Cruel Barbarian if thou dispisest Thy Father from whom thou enjoy'st this light At least make some account of him who seeks To put thee in possession of that Thou lov'st above this light thy fair Aurelia Flo. When my affection to Aurelia Shall be offensive to Valentius I le cast it off Ar. Art thou resolv'd to refuse me all pity Flo. I shall observe my duty to my Prince Ar. Which should give place to thy paternal duty And is ingrafted in all brests but thine Known long before Private ambition popular faction Had laid the ruines or the foundations Of Principalities or Commonwealths Whence these names sprang of loyalty and honor The cruel Thracian barbarous Indian Acknowledging no other law know this So does th' inhospitable Scythian Who others bloud devouring with his own His aged fainting Sire will revive Flo. My cruel fortune When thy looks fairest are how thou confound'st me Here filial obligation which nature Imprints not only in mens hearts but beasts Challenges my obedience to a Father Who not content to give me life seeks here With hazard of his own to make mine happy On th' other side my Prince who has prevented My age my merit and my expectation With heaping on me honors upon honors Exacts more from me then my gratitude Equaliz'd to my wishes could repay O how thus strangely circumvented I Far greater torment find to live then die Hon. Florus why thus perplext what in a dream Dispel these cloudy mists follow the way Where honor lights thee with her golden ray Flo. Honorius thou hast turn'd the balance which My trembling heart durst neither way incline Ar. Unfortunate Arsenius what new hopes Canst thou retain when they ingrateful are Which have such benefits receiv'd from thee The one is life the other liberty Hon. T' oblige the innocent to make him guilty Is not a benefit but treachery Ar. Ah Florus some respect to these gray hairs My Son some duty 's due to me thy Father Let these my tears mollifie that hard heart Which so inflexible seems to my prayers Flo. Old man give over Thy words and time are lost in this pursuit Ar. Rash and inhuman creature If thou dispisest the entreaties of a Father I le make thee fear the courage And stratagems of an old General Grown white under the helmot and the rage Of an incensed Enemy Valentius Shall know Aurelia's thy intended Spouse Hostilius thy private Friend so shall This artifice at once deprive thee of Thy honor and of that unworthy being Which I unworthily have given thee Flo. O nature O my honor cruel Tyrants Of my divided soul how you distract me In what inextricable labyrinth Has my ill fortune cast me if I conquer Or yield subdu'd in this unhappy conflict Of my contesting passions and affections I 'm sure to lose my life or reputation Or rather both which my sad thoughts presage Hon. Fear nothing be not thus dejected whilst Here 's an Honorius to give so ample A testimony of your innocence Flo. Malicious dotard do thy worst my clear Sincerity of mind and actions shall Prove thou a Traytor canst not be my Father Ar. Arsenius thou spend'st thy time thy words And labor here in vain come then prepare For thy revenge The world shall know what I thought to conceal Flo. Arsenius hold Ah stay and le ts compose this cruel strife You pretend only to have giv'n me life Which I 'le return t' you opening thus my brest The passage will make entrance for my rest The bloud will be the balsom of my honor And pay your debt and save my reputation Ar. Arsenius O thy unhappy fortune Which made thee Father Souldier or Commander Live cruel Parricide live and prolong Thy odious life I 'le find some way to death And my repose my self I cannot shew A cruel Father or soft-natur'd Foe Exit Hon. Florus why thus cast down 't is strange to see A man dejected after victory Here nothing was requir'd but a spectator Of this most glorious passage of thy life Which the propitious aspect of the heavens Has granted thee in an Honorius Florus farewel congratulate thy happy Fortune to have preserv'd a Friend who seeks The preservation of thy honor which Thy Father thou here losest sought to ruine Exit Flo. There is no reason nature should unite By an usurp'd authority those minds Virtue upon just grounds has separated But see th' Empress comes I 'm sorry she Should find me in this conflict of my passions Fulvia Florus Ful. Ladies retire within I will be private See here in finding Florus alone a happy Occasion is presented by my fortune aside For the discovery of my passion which As womens wits are best when they have least Time to consider I have found already I 'le tell him that I hear his love aspires To the possession of a Royal Lady Who meets his flames with mutual fire commending Herein his choice so by this artifice He shall perceive my love in a surprize Florus what is th' occasion of this sadness VVhen th'Emperour so much applauds your conduct Flo. Madam to see the enemy provide Against us a more vigorous assault Ful. 'T is but a new occasion for your triumph I know the real cause of this disturbance O Florus you aspire to great matters Flo. Servilius or my Father has betray'd me aside Ful. Nay I commend your course 't was virtue which Distinguisht and made Princes-first besides Love 's a great leveller like death and where He finds not an equality will make it Flo. I shall be of the Court Now and the Camp the laughing-stock and sport aside Ful. If you desir'd such secresie you should not Make one the object of your love so near In bloud to me allied Flor. Aurelia is her Niece 't is very true aside If I persist this silence will convince me Let not your sacred Majesty be thus Abus'd by false reports my Princes favor And yours as ever happens in great Courts Have rais'd me private enemies which seek My ruin from these false suggestions Ful. No no here 's no place for the least suspicion Against the testimony of this truth Which from the Ladies lips proceeds who loves you Which here this Medal better will declare gives him a Medal Then words which through respect of you and of My self I cannot utter Confront this with th' orignal and see If she be
oft would say In other things let justice be observ'd Val. O ye immortal Gods why has your care Given us a touchstone to distinguish our Adulterate gold and no mark to discern The treacherous hearts of false perfidious men If this be true Confound him with your sharpest thunderbolt But 't is too true and if I further stay To question it I fear I shall become Procurour of those dire events upon me Portended in my last nights dreams to happen Within so short a time Antonia retire I 'le have a care To vindicate my honor his proud Laurels Which from Joves thunder are secure I 'le blast But let this secret make no further progress Ant My prudent care shall not fail to correct This fault to which our sex is incident Val. A Prince who tolerates a known disgrace Becomes the subject of the vulgar scorn Ant. Honor once sought to be betray'd is never Secure so long as the Offendor lives Val. Gelosie entred in a Prince no other Assistant needs to hasten his revenge Ant. Which when it is of a slow pace we find 'T is signe of weakness in a Princes mind Let him th' effects Sir of your anger prove Who thus hath undervalued your love In prudent Monarques like your self t' appear Not to be fear'd should be your only fear Exit Car. You Majesty's perplext Val. But why should I So low thoughts of my self have and so high Of his bold insolent temeritie Good Carbo have the patience to repeat Thy story over though in it ev'ry passage Creates new wounds and ulcers in my soul Thou saidst the Master of my light Cavalrie Macrinus was not Father of this Florus But that Arsenius the sworn enemy of My person and my dignitie has made The world the present of this dissembling Monster Can this be so Car. Your Majestie may rest Can this be so Car. Your Majestie may rest Assur'd I heard it from his own relation And how besides he has in a disguise Converst here with him in our Camp where he Assur'd him of the consent of Hostilius For his obtaining of the fair Aurelia The Idol of his soul With the rich dowrie of the Roman Empire Val. Which his pernicious hopes securely streight Devour'd with consentment to my ruine Car. Yes and with invitation to my self Joyning with him to take part with Hostilius See where the Empress comes I take my leave Exit Valentius Fulvia Antonia Ful. Now if Antonia as thy promise was aside Thou hast distill'd the poison in his ears I shall perceive streight by the operation Val. My dearest Fulvia since all griefs and sorrows Divided are betwixt the Wife and Husband Th' occasions also should be so if then Antonia's care without your intimation Has let me know the cause of your distemper I must obtain her pardon let then thy Former serenity of looks dispel Those clouds of sorrow from that brow to mine Where they hang thick already but I 'le have Them washt away in bloud of the offendors Ful. With whose let mine be joyn'd Sir 't is the only Favor I beg here on my knees by all kneels The former merits with which the constant duty Of an obedient Wife has e're been able T' oblige a Husband by the rising hopes Of young Valentius and the other pledges And fruits of our so constant loves till now By this accursed accident disturb'd Val. They are not rise then O let me not see takes her up My idol thus bow and encline to me Ful. Sure you look on me with false eyes or else You see me chang'd into a loathsome creature Suspicion of guilt in an Empress makes her Seem foul and guiltie to her felf and others So I am in effect a Viper though He casts no poison forth his very touches Are venemous th' offring to embrace me In Florus has methinks with leprosie Infected all my parts Good Sir have mercie kneels again On your poor Fulvia here and let me die When life is now my greatest miserie Val. His bloud shall rather satisfie th' offence Who trespast on thy spotless innocence And though he seemeth at too cheap a rate By single death his crime to expiate 'T is recompenc't at once to see him die And live in a perpetual infamie Whilst thou the best of women glorie of embraces her The present age and honor of thy sex Shalt like a star of the first magnitude Shine glorious in the firmament of honor However yet my dearest Fulvia The heavens in their happiness delay Thy presence though so much desired there T' instruct the age is necessary here Ful. My noble Lord my dutie So hitherto obsequious to your will Shall strive then to obey your last commands Val. O now thou speakst like Fulvia and thy self Thy passions can never long transforme thee Come let us go to my Pavilion and Consult upon the manner how to put In speedy execution our revenge The just effects of which shall never cease Till in the Traitors bloud I find my peace Exeunt Florus Honorius Flo. 'T is strange methinks Honorius that you An Epicurean by Sect should be An enemy of love the greatest pleasure When once obtain'd in the enjoyment of What we call perfect beauty a happiness So frequently desir'd so seldom found Hon. The nature of true pleasure can't consist In the delights of love which leave the soul Not satisfi'd when the most satiated Whilst in her interchangeably there fight Restless disgust and restless appetite True pleasures no remorse but leave behind Them still a grateful odor in the mind Flo. They ill discourse of love who are no lovers Hon. It troubles me to see the royal fort Of noble Florus heart thus yielded up Flo. 'T is given up to him who conquers all things And will in time the brave Honorius brest Where virtue keeps so strong a garrison Hon. It must be weak if so contemptible An Adversary can his entrance force Flo. Neglect of the Enemy destroys the valiant Hon. The fear of him dejecteth noble spirits Flo. Who apprehends his Adversary may Preserve his honor though he lose the day Hon. Esteem of him is distrust in our selves Flo. A prudent fear companion is of valor Hon. 'T is rather of an irresolved mind To them Aurelia Flo. But stay behold here breaks the beauteous light Which will these difficulties cleer Honorius stand firm what means this change Honorius surpriz'd at her beauty Let not thy actions contradict thy words Hon. My hearts unmov'd but the external sense In such surprisals has no sure defence exit Au. Yonder he comes his eyes are fixt on mine Those false lights which will lead him to his ruine Love and Disdain two raging firebrands Are of the mind their common residence Is in the heart but raise a general Disturbance in the soul confounding all Her faculties They are of equal force Contending for the prize with emulation But in effect and nature contrary The one producing hatred and the other Gentle affection
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