Strangers new arriv'd do beg admittance Sert. Conduct 'em in Ex. Souldier SCENE V. Cassius to Sertorius and Bebricius Cass. Art thou Sertorious Sert. Men do call me so Art thou a Roman Cass. View well my face then judge Sert. By Heav'n 't is Cassius That noble Roman who appears to me As the last remedy to dying men Or life or death attend as the effect When Rome in Sylla made me Exile Thou In my necessity the only Friend I left as Guardian to my Life my Soul Four Suns have past the Zodiack since to me They 've blest this eye with my Terentia's sight Say Cassius lives she or to blessed Shades Doom'd by the Gods to an untimely Fate Sh' has chang'd for Immortality Yet hold Cassius offers to speak Dead is the Fatal period of thy words Night is not more ally'd to Chaos than This dismal sound if utter'd is to Death Cass. She lives Sertorius lives to bless thy sight To banish into Air thy doubts and fears Sert. I ask no other Heav'n you Gods than this For joys of Paradise Elizium Shades Are Fictions to the real bliss she brings SCEN. VI. Sertorius Terentia c. So breaks the Sun from out the Artic Pole And with it Day banishing Night from thence Ter. My past misfortunes whose obdurate Sence Sat heavy here now vanish at thy sight Long absence wing'd by noblest Fire sets on And the great extasy of flowing joys Lethe past dangers with the present bliss Sert. Thou all of excellence how shall I pay The mighty debt for by my life I swear The Sence of Seeing to the Center moves And makes a mutiny of thought within The Organ of my speech Let me admire And by my Eye which greedily delights To meet each glance judge of the Pow'r Love Ter. Leave my Sertorius this Courtly Stile And in such words with which thou won'st my brest Say I am welcom Sert. Gods and Men stand mute While both to Heav'n and Earth Sertorius owns Life Health and Happiness without thy sight Dwindle to nought and fill an Airy sound Not absent Gods from their Etherial Thrones Frightned by Typhon did with greater joy Again possess their Heav'n than I my fair Ter. No Musick of the Spheres could raise my Soul Into a height like this Gods on my knees I offer up my pray'rs of Sacrifice Contemn the many dangers I have past Since from those clouds which vail'd my happiness The Sun of comfort ushers on a Calm Sert. Heav'n has restor'd the Treasure which I sougâ—â— Given o're as Shipwrack'd upon Sylla's Rock While prest with grief beneath the mighty loss A happy moment makes me bless the Day In giving back the All that I admire For by thy self on thy fair hand I swear I would not change for a Celestial Seat Ter. And by my life wound up within thy Fate They embrace The joys of Heav'n Society of Gods Are not so charming as thy best-lov'd self Bebr. Blest Lady which to Lusitania brings The peace our Country has so often sought So oft with piles of Incense fill'd the Air And with the pray'rs of Nations in the Cloud Arriv'd and gain'd acceptance from the Gods Sert. Oh Cassius this noble man has spoke At once her Virtue and thy Worth What man Was ever blest like me from Time and Chance Through the dark Labyrinths of mistic Fate To tast of joys like mine and live You Gods Allay the Extasy which grows so fast That life in motion flags to keep its pace Ter. I tread on Air and view around the Days Which fleet like Shadows tho they harbor'd Death Like Prophets lightned by the Sacred fire Forget the giddy Chance and to the God In rapture celebrate the turns of Fate Thus blest by Love I fly into thy arms Where thy sight mesures there 's the blessed place And in that Circle joys of Heav'n are found Sert. I am all Rapture and will hence remove To pay the Tribute of an ardent Love Gaze on those eyes which do these joys create And view the charming object of my Fate Then extasy'd to greater bliss I 'll fly Contemn the gaudy Mansions of the Sky And wrapt in thy embrace for ever lye Exeunt ACT. II. SCEN. I. A Noise of Mutiny PERPENNA Perp. HELL and Confusion how they rend the Air With endless clamors Angry Elements When meeting cannot form a sound that bears More horror in 't No voice but cries aloud Lead to Sertorius which the Traytress eccho From off the Hills reverberates and makes No sound but his combat the yielding Air. Oh giddy Fortune and uncertain Chance Upon whose slipp'ry path I 've trod so long Into what Maze you 've led me Must I live To see my self bereav'd of Fame to plume The Minion that I hate Ha! who art thou That bring'st a terror with thee SCEN. II. Aufidius Perpenna Auf. A Friend Perpenna Who bids his General fly or else submit To lay the Storm by your consent to march All arguments are vain wounds but inflame Their burning rage and turn into despair What hope could form Hark how the Tempest roars As if they meant to force consent from Iove By strenuous voices so impulse the Air As make Convulsions in his Starry Orb SCEN. III. A confus'd Noise within Grecinus Perpenna Aufidius Grec Cease to consider if you mean to live So breaks the Sea through the opposing banks And with its Torrent headlong rushes Fate Your Friends are to their fury Sacrific'd No argument but Swords no speech but Blows Plead resolution to go on through Fate SCEN. IV. Repeated Noises A Centurion to them Cent. Perpenna so I was commanded call thee For the incensed Souldiers swear to chuse From out the Legions Chiefs and form a Head That shall to Osca lead their Warlike Bands Metellus and young Pompey they despise And to Sertorius fame are Prosetytes Say whether Concord to the Armed croud Thou send'st in salutation or Neglect Perp. If that my memory fails not thou art he When all the Cohorts bent to mutiny In the Apulian fields killing the Slave Ambitious to be heard didst lay the Storm How art thou chang'd how lost from what thou wert Those Silver hairs wain'd in the Roman Camp Should be example of her Discipline Not head of factious Slaves against their Lord Who made 'em what they are Cent. Thus low I bow To great Perpenna as my General VVhen the rash Croud mov'd with the Face of Death Lest some Officious Slave inur'd to noise Plebeiac sport wrought up the mischief higher I took this shape upon me and must beg Hower'e the boldness they compell'd me to Relish your sense you would give way to join Whom public Fame speaks loud They all concur If you resist to give you bound and chain'd Unto the Lusitanian General Be speedy e're the happy hour is fled Auf. Necessity compels you must obey Perp. Did I not fear for I 'm my self secure My Fulvia's harm th' insulting Slaves should feel Alcides labors dwelt upon
she coms now let her beauty plead SCEN. XII Fulvia to them Sert. By Venus self there 's more than mortal in her Perpenna cannot err for joyes he reaps The Amorous Gods would slight their gaudy Sky And covet to enjoy her Heav'n of Love Perp. So Mortals to the Sacred Fane resort Latona's Son Invoking for success With greater heat when Battel calls go on As in thy presence such the pow'rful sway Of Beauty's Empire Doubtful of my Fate And from thy Tongue as from an Oracle Expect my Doom Pompey Metellus brave The noblest Roman to whose Fate 's ally'd All the remains Perpenna can command Ful. Absence my Cneius is the Lover's curse The Rack of Torture yet when Honor calls Thy Fulvia's Rival sense of Fame grows high Pleads in thy cause and for a space keeps down A floud of tears which take their source from Love The fate of Lovers should inseperate be But thou the killing Terrors to our Sex Mak'st thy Companions and in Arms forget'st Thy sorrowing Fulvia who like Niobe Could weep away the Being that I have Perp. Give not a birth to thoughts like these my life For when the Trumpet hastens to the Charge Death broods upon my Sword till from the Field Spred o're with slain with Laurel Crown'd I hast To pay the glories at my Fulvia's feet Thou as the Tresure of my life my Soul Must hence to Osca this brave Stranger here And stout Grecinus wait the way Cass. aside The envious Gods which plesure in our pain Have given the happy minute from my hope Oh my Terentia bloud nor death can lay The mighty anguish that thy eyes have made Ful. One look before I go and that 's the last The tast of parting joys so much increase That I could gaze my very Soul away Perp. Such pow'r the God pointed within that Ray Has chang'd the thought of Battel to desire And a few minutes would transform me quite Sert. Sound Drums and Trumpets Rise you noble Souls Fir'd with the harmony of sounds so sweet Let corage dictate and your Swords out-do The angry Fates To Arms my Friends to Arms Oh may the Fortune of the Day lay wast The many mischiefs which attend on War While the kind Gods auspiciously afford A blooming Peace to Crown the Victor's Sword Exeunt ACT. III. SCEN. I. FULVIA NOT subtil Fire from Iove's Olympus hurl'd In Airy tracts to mortal eyes recluse Can be more deadly than the Plots I 've form'd The old the young the dull Saturnine Soul And him whose lightness is Silenus like Wander the pleasant Maze so form'd by thought And by the Magic of my beauty Charm'd So the dull Pilot from the Helm is drawn Rapt with the Extasy of sound which bears Inevitable bane from Syrons Tongues Greatness in my Perpenna 't is I aim And while in Fields he steals the Soldiers hearts I 'll make a greater conquest here at home SCEN. II. Bebricius musing Fulvia Bebr. Like Travellers by light delusive led I 've wander'd from my reason and have trod The mystic Labyrinth of mighty Love Say then Bebricius she be virtuous good Stranger to thy requests and cold as Ice Let her be so the coyest may be won And shall I faint when Paradise falls short To the blest joys which dwell upon her lips Ha! she is here I grow unto the Earth Starts And the unruly Devil promts my Tongue Had I the Charms that Youth and Beauty bring The pow'r of Gods or of their Substitutes To the Divinities which habit there And make a Throne Celestial in those eyes I 'd prostrate all and with the gift my self But void of these how shall I frame my speech To merit pity Say thou beauteous Creature If I offend in saying that I love For If I do the World must err like me Worship those Eyes as Persians do the Sun And justly Idolize thy excellence Ful. Bebricius turn'd a Lover at these years Does the soft God captive the Man of War Bebr. Madam he does at vast expense he rules Tributes my being makes my heart his Seat Ill Chance to Camps and Martial deeds inur'd Has taught my Tongue a harsh unpolish'd way Yet Truth and Honesty absent from Courts Where gaudy Birds with borrow'd Feathers wing Dwells in my language Possibly you may For I expect it use me with neglect Do more than Daggers points could wound But I have said and wait my Destiny Ful. Are you then serious Was not all this form'd Invented to delude the hours away The tedious hours For Since Perpenna's absence Each day's delay appears an Age to me Bebr. Ev'n from the first which blest me with your sight I 've felt the pow'r of Beauty in my Brest Languish'd in Torture and have hug'd my chain Morpheus could ne'r close up my eyes with rest But your Idea Revel'd in my Soul Ful. Hold Sir This dialect does ill becom The Tongue of him I alwaies thought a Friend Thus far my Innocence will guard it self But farther were a crime that unbefits Perpenna's choice Leave me thou wretched man I will not punish thee with ought but Love Bebr. Know cruel Fair life without hope is Hell Wretched as they who dwell in endless night I dreaded the ill Fate which did compel This doom from you See thou cruel Woman And judg by this the wondrous pow'r of Love Ful. What means Bebricius Bebr. Say when I am dead Bebricius Life and Love were so unite That Death it self fell short to seperate If there be paths the Soul when banish'd treads Whether on burning Phlegeton or Styx Upon the flaming Shores I 'll call on thee And make thy Spirit lose all mortal bliss Rack'd with the Sympathy of pains like mine Ful. Hold barbarous man Is 't not enough I heard And in it suffer'd but thou threat'st my Fame When vulgar crouds not promt to judg speak loud Enlarge Report spread wide her Airy wings With seeming Subjects blazing Infamy If thou dost love in death it self the Soul Th' essential Seat of the Divinity Still cares with danger of the living's fate And wilt thou wound in death what living thou Ador'st Bebr. Rather than suffer pains beyond all speech Languish in Torture to Eternity I 'll live to merit but when stranger thoughts Do find a gentle passage in your brest Oh let the memory of your Slave appear A pitying object suing for relief Ful. Death waiting on a Lover's words till now I 've been a stranger to you 've ta'ne a way To merit pity what th' effects may be I dare not guess but Time will lighten all Bebr. So Gods when mortals doom'd to Shades below Revoke the Sentence of the sinking Soul And give a glimps of Heav'n unto their sight To banish from the thought the fears of Night Exeunt SCEN. III. Cassius Terentia Cass. From Fortune's Minion sorrowing Cassius coms Where Slaughter gluts upon the Bodies slain Pastime and sport to the rough Sons of War Sensless to me the gaudy feast appear'd For
say what Sacrifice What Vows what Incense may atone their Ire For I shall never tast of peace or rest Till I the Cause have quieted thy grief Cass. White as the thought of Innocence thou art Pure like the first Creation from all guilt That takes it source from the internal frame Yet tho attended circled round with gifts The only Jewel of Heav'ns Tresury Such is the violence of head-strong Fate I covet Oh how th' unwilling Soul Just on the brink of ruin all confus'd Casts a sad look upon her long-lov'd seat E're for Immortal change she takes her flight Ter. Oh free me Cassius from these doubts and fears Which make a Winter's storm within my bloud Did I not call upon Sertorius love To raise my Soul deprest with such a weight Sure I should sink in Sorrow's vast Abyss Cass. You have commanded and I will obey Free you from this but fear a second storm More dreadful and more just You call'd on Love That raises you but sinks me down to Hell For what but Love could thus effect a change Transform me from the being that I had Ter. I am amaz'd what is 't that Cassius means Cass. But oh when naming Love I view that face Like him who gazing on the works of Heav'n Lost life in admiration of the Object Pity me Fair tho justly you condemn And when I say 't is you that I adore For you thus wither and thus lose myself Stabs himself Say in my death That Honor to my Friend Held a contest with Love and master'd it Ter. Help help the wretched who distract with pain Has sheath'd his killing Dagger in his brest Enter her Women Oh run Camilla call the Sons of Art To stay this deluge in which Life does hast To find a passage Cass. In vain is human help Let me in death Adore and shoot my Soul Viewing thy face into Elizium shâ—des Forgive the boldness of my love tho Death Coms swiftly on yet ere the latest blast Let me intreat you 'l to my memory How-e're you hate me now be pitiful SCEN. III. Sertorius Terentia Cassius Sert. Who was 't that call'd for help Ha! 't is my self To bear with patience such a sight as this Gods you 're unkind more cruel than she 's false By Heav'n She weeps and baths him with her tears Oh the inconstancy of all the Sex That damns the living and torments the dead I will retire from hence and wish I could Forget I e're had being Ter. Oh my Lord Stay you so long without a helping hand Sert. Ha! by Heav'n she 'd make a Property of me Death Hell and Furies 't is too much to bear Ter. See here my Lord the noble Cassius slain Sert. What said'st thou Cassius dying How the word Has calm'd the passion at the name of Friend So the Earth's vapors when the Sun appears Dissolve to Dew Oh Cassius Oh my Friend Tell me how came this wound imprinted here Cass. Give me your hand and swear forgiveness to me Sert. By all the Gods I do Cass. Then I shall dy Freed of the bitter anguish of the mind I have offended but it was in thought 'T was the ill bloud rebell'd within my Veins But from the sluces I have loos'd the slave And dy a Roman yet my Rebel eyes Will fix upon the Object of my Soul Now plunging o'r the mighty Main of Death Dyes Sert. Forbear thou saucy Tyrant for a while If thou want'st Subjects for thy eager maw I 'll give thee thousands spare me but this one He 's gon he 's gon the fleeting Soul has past The bounds of life Night out of Chaos take The blackest of thy Wardrobe thrust back day That all the World may mourn in endless Darkness Weep on Terentia for thy tears like Balm Will please his Manes and allay my grief Takeup the Body and erect a Pile Great as a Pyramid from the blest look down And see thy last of Rites Oh might there rise Another Phoenix from the Sacrifice Exeunt SCEN. IV. Fulvia Perpenna Ful. The angry Fates now croud to serve our will Lest they should want in mischief as in pow'r Ligurius Decius are my Proselytes Greedily swallow up the gilded bait And hurry on to ruin But I fear Bebricius Friendship will admit no change For tho he loves and to the height of passion In his rough Soul such Honor is imprest He 'l sooner turn Apostate unto Love Than derogate from him who fills his praise Perp. Crassus Norbanus and Tribunius com With many more inclin'd unto our Faction The lightest Souls thou hast already fir'd While the consid'ering Fools are catch'd by me Norbanus honor nor the Tribuneship Which Crassus has nor fam'd Tribunius charge Are strong enough against th' assaults I make Ful. What doom you of Bebricius Perp. He must dy Ful. Then let him dy but shall he fall before The Tragedy intended Perp. Yes he must Lest he betray us to that Fiend Sertorius Ful. I think 't were better that you let him fall Associate with the mighty Deity He Idolizes let 'em mount together And erring from the slipp'ry paths of Heav'n Sink headlong down into eternal Night Perp. Retire my Fair and invocate of Chance To cease the motion of her giddy Wheel Till I have fixt the Engins of his Fate Exit Fulvia Answer me Iove in Thunder if that man To greatness born by interposing Fate Headlong flung down th' aspiring Precipice Yet lab'ring to regain the mighty top Views round the spacious Empire of his toil Can any guile or fraud as perse his fame Who makes his opposite his step to mount If thou darst answer me I wil speak aloud That Romulus the man thou snatch'd from Earth To Deify forgetting tyes of bloud Remov'd his Brother to secure his Rule I dare as much and court thee in my deeds Tho Ill yet great and offer 'em to thee For thou with thoughts Olympic fir'st the brave Lifts 'em from Earth into the middle sky And points 'em out the Regions of the World 'T is thee I invocate and wish I could As once unto Lycaon's House thou did'st Turn all into a Flame and Nature change Enter a Servant Serv. Sir there are many Gentlemen without That wait admittance Perp. Go conduct 'em in They 're the Conspirators Exit Servant SCEN. V. Crassus Ligurius Norbanus Decius Tribunius to Perpenna Trib. Hail noble Roman Crass. Hail noble Cneius Lig. Hail the great Perpenna Dec. Hail the great Perpenna Nor. Hail the great Perpenna Perp. The Omen's well that with a mind unite To carry on this great deliv'ering work We here are met as at a Signal given Tribunius Crassus and Ligurius Norbanus and good Decius use no speech But seat your selves Now Roman Lords and Friends Once great in Fortune not in emty sound The all that we enjoy tho we may feign Like melancholy men who Reign in thought Revel in joyes the meer Idea's form'd From Fancy wrought into a height by words But the
would say but when my words Do croud for utt'rance they 're confus'd and lost I will yet I will not Death here shall rule E're I the fatal Secret do reveal Aside Your pity Madam's ill bestow'd on me Who labor under the extreams of Fate Foresee the Goal which I shall ne're arrive And languish in the sight of Heav'n I wish Yet there is somthing in your words creates A kind of quiet here and rest unknown Allays the mutiny of warring thoughts And breaks like light thorough my Chaos sense Ter. Give me your hand consider as we go If I am worthy of the secret Cause Fear not success I 'll be your Advocate Or if a Kingdom 's loss can buy your peace Sertorius to regain a Friend like you With hands profuse would slight the gaudy Rule And in th' extreams of Friendship prove a Friend Cass. Upon the utmost rim of Earth I stand And the least motion down the Precipice Headlong I fall giddy with doubts and fears I see my Fate but cannot Fate prevent Exeunt SCEN. IX Drums and Trumpets On the one side Bebricius with Lusitanians On the other Aufidius with Romans Crown'd with Garlands and Olive-Branches in their hands Aus Health to Sertorius Perpenna sends Union and Concord Palms and Olive-Crowns Trophies and Spoils ta'ne from the tawny Gauls The pledg of Friendship bonds of Unity Bebr. A Roman constancy and Faith commends The great Sertorius proud of such Ally Open the Phalanx sound the voice of War And fill the Heav'ns with Battel-harmony SCEN. X. Loud shouts a Flourish Lictors bearing Fasces Roman Officers then Sertorius attended by Cassius Norbanus Crassus Ligurius Is met in like manner by Perpenna attended by Manlius Grecinus c. They view each other Perp. Fame which to mighty deeds extends her wings Has from the Confines of wide-spreading Gaul To view a Man famous as ancient Gods Drawn me Perpenna to admire thy Fate Nor find I less than what I sought a Man Great as the Founder of Imperial Rome Who like a God does with his presence awe Give here our Standard now no more our own Lictors your Fasces prostrate at his feet And all your Chiefs which own'd me for your head Pay here Allegiance for Perpenna vows By the blest light which guilds the Day he lives Wholly devoted to Sertorius will Sert. You make me blush through all my honour'd Scars Naming my deeds which are by your's eclips'd The Starry Light to Cynthia's Orb compar'd Believe me noble Roman I 'm more proud Of this Days honour by so fam'd a man That all the glories of my life fall short When this is nam'd Bear high the Fasces still and let the lofty Eagle raise her Crest For by the loves and lives of all my Friends Sertorius bows to so much Fortitude Perp. Now by the God which bears the name of War His mighty Soul 's transplanted in thy brest The Shields of Rome are forg'd Metallic dross Thou only Patriot exil'd in a Storm Of Brutal rage Fabius Camillus all The noblest Spirits inhabit in thy mind And while I praise thy Virtue thoughts Divine Possess my Brain and elevate my Soul Sert. We 're Men Perpenna Men by Fate chose out To lanch through all the Terrors of the World Frail mortal Men subject to every Chance And while we praise our selves we rob the Gods Let it suffice I am thy Virtue 's Creature For by the Gods I covet to be thine Bebricius Cassius noblest Friends come on And with the Gordian-knot of Friendship tye Shouts and Trumpets c. They all embrace This mighty Union Now let Pompey come Metellus or the source of Civil War Sylla attended with his dire effects Like angry Gods we 'l hurl destruction down Blast all their hopes and scatter all their pow'r For Heav'n in this secures the worst of Fate And marks it out the Raising of our Swords Perp. Where e're Sertorius leads so winds break loose Both Air and Earth suffer Convulsive fits Not angry Parcae mounted on a Plague In greater numbers kill than where thy Sword Points out the fatal compass and makes way Like loudest Bolts forg'd by the Cyclops hands The mighty-weapons of an angry Iove Proud to obey the Legions stand their Chiefs Glow Aetna like and courage fills the Nerves While the hot-Will only the Signal waits Sert. When brave Perpenna leads the coldest Soul With Emulative Virtue Flames and courts The dismal'st objects and the sharpest fights And when the noble Bird of Iove soars high The Pyes and flocks of chatt'ring Jayes disperse Beat on the wing and court the Mountains womb And Rocky Cliffs for Shelter Give command The Salij enter to perform those Rites Apt to the will of Heav'n and lives of Men. SCEN. XI An Altar discover'd Enter the Flamen of Mars attended by the Salij While Sertorius and Perpenna stand on each side the Altar is Sung this SONG In Erebus and in the lowest shades Of ancient Chaos and old Kingdom Night Where the fierce Element of Fire ne'r fades Where horrors and the Terrors of the sight The Pow'rs Immortal tho secure affright Thou in the Genius of Alcides Reign'd And made the God-like Labors soon obtain'd Son of Juno God of War Who in bloud and death delights Wbich still adorn thy mighty Car And fire the brave in fiercest fights From Thrones Etherial see O see The strictest bonds of unity Through Death and Wounds offer'd to thee Here the Incense is lighted on the Altar Sertorius and Perpenna shake hands over the smoke the Salij Dancing a Warlike dance to the honor of Mars Sert. Bebricius hast to Osca Summon all The Roman Orders to the Sacred place Of Iupiter Feretrius There assembled In a full Senate tell the Conscript Fathers Sertorius leads their Pow'r to Sucron Fields And Heav'n indulgent with a mighty force Whom fam'd Perpenna to their Army joyns Eager for fight as famish'd men for food Hasts to revenge on the Tyrannic Fo. Then to Terentia thy self address Say that Sertorius invocates the hours Swiftly to move the Orb which rules the Day And fleetest Time counts tardy in his flight Till the long'd minute ushers my return Bebr. None more can covet to obey than I Tho the great Goddess I adore comes on Fiercest Bellona whom in bloud I court But such the Magic is which Friendship holds I 'll fly to Osca and neglect the Day Perp. to Auf. Yet hold thy hasty steps till Cneius speaks Bring Fulvia hither thou my best of Friends In Battel often try'd as Gold by fire But far out-stripping Plutus Mines of Ore Ex. Auf. Let me intreat the mighty man of War To Sert. When he the weakness of Perpenna knows That he 'd forget the frailty of that man Whose silent hours if such the Great can know Are fetter'd with the Charms of pow'rful Love Our Patron Mars oft from his Seat of War To Revel with the beauteous Queen of Love Forgets his best-lov'd sound for soft embrace But see
effect is Air Can you my Friends Tho we may credit in our fulness things Which stupid ease creates be or secure or great We call our selves a Senate and beget Thoughts we are truly so Sertorius says When barbarous Gaul's sack'd Rome and lay'd it wast Camillus unto Vei made retreat Gave out that Rome it self was thither mov'd And for the confirmation added this Where e're the Senate was there Rome was still Alluding to our abject States to please A few once Senators now Exil'd men Say then if Cneius may be bold to speak The plainest of his thoughts Nor. You have Perpenna Crass. VV ' expect from thee as from an Oracle Lig. Speak free Perpenna for thou art our Fate Perp. Say we have fought and gain'd a Victory If I may call it so but which of you From public hands receiv'd the benefit Or did the Croud eccho your names from far Or to your Houses carry you with shouts If any such be here then I am mute Omnes None none Perpenna Perp. Know you why it was For great Sertorius like a boundless Sea Swallows the many Riv'lets in his Main VVhich of your Swords cut not as deep as His I saw you fight and stood amaz'd at it VVhat have the Barbarous giv'n you in return For such expense If praise will cure your wounds The Soldier 's purchase whether since or no They 've thought you worthy merit Trib. VVe all fought They look'd upon us rais'd a shout and cry'd The Gods reward the noble Roman Chiefs Perp. I there it is the Gods must pay you thanks VVhile like a Tyrant he ingrosses all And leaves us not our fame But now I 'll hast To search our hidden griefs Sertorius says Sylla's a Fury truly so it seems For maugre all opposers still he Rules His Fame mounts with the Chariot of the Sun Rises and sets with his Etherial light Yet we despise him and contemn his pow'r Content with sound and lull'd with flattery Is not the beaten Pompey at our walls Has not Metellus joyn'd him nay has not Sylla threatn'd to be here yet we sleep Surrounded with these dangers Noble Friends If any of you think I use this speech To alienate your Loyalty of form Language that bears a bane unto your worths Speak and Perpenna shall be ever mute Lig. Th' hast freed us from the Lethargie and added Long-absent heat Go on thou noble Roman Who while we slept beheld our certain Fate Perp. This City which to Rome is like a Star In magnitude unto the Moon at full He calls New Rome the Superstitious Croud Pleas'd with Novelty count him a God And pay him Adoration Don't we find While we exclaim 'gainst Sylla Sylla here Here in Sertorius is he not Lord of Rule Does he not write himself Dictator too Saves or destroys are not his words as Laws And tho he Lures us with the name of Friends Are we not under his Authority When I consider noble Romans Iove Rive me with Thunder if it irks me not To see our selves thus by our selves deceiv'd Nor. Thoust read the mystic Character of Fate And found the number of the Sacred Writ Now lead the path remote from Slavery Perp. I were not Romans worthy of your loves Could I not shun as well as see the danger Consider Friends now as your latest choice For Freedom is 't or Slavery we toil If Freedom we desire as I believe No Roman breaths a Soul or holds a Life Worthy enjoying without the blessed Name It must be pardon me for Gods command By bloud Nay start not worthy Roman Friends We all must suffer if he lives if dyes We 've all the World to rove in or divide The Provinces amongst us Old Metellus Will sign our own Conditions Sylla courts us Lest staying in their pow'r we joyn with Pompey Whom well I know that he both hates and fears Speak then my Friends and ease me from my doubts If by my freeness I am odious grown This hand which willingly should aid your cause Shall ease me of the weight of life I bear Trib. Oft have I serv'd him in the fiercest fights And think no man e're courted more his love But since the general good requires his fall I willingly assent to 't Crass. So do I. Nor. And all Lig. And all Dec. And all Perp. Give me your hands First yours Ligurius Now noble Tribune yours honor'd Norbanus Tribunius tho last yet Chief of all Since Heav'n has put into our hands a Shield To ward the body from distress Oh Friends Watchful with cares retiring to the Cave Sacred to Fortune which in Gaul I found Off'ring the Sacred Rites lo from her mouth This sound was heard Awake thou sleepy man And dissipate those heavy clods of Earth Whos 's pitchy vapors do like Meteors hang About thy Soul Gods have decreed the fall Of proud Sertorius and have chose thee out To free the Romans from their Slavish State I'll move before thee and prepare thy way Into their minds instil the lost desire Of Liberty This said the God was mute By the concurrence well I know the pow'r That the indulgent Gods unto our Fates By this effect have giv'n Death is the word But how and when and where you noble Romans Shall this great Act which gives us Liberty By Gods commanded be by us perform'd Trib. Fortune has chose thee out to lead us on Thou who conversest with a Deity In my opinion ought to be our Head Crass. Perpenna's thoughtful wise and valiant Bends all his Study for the Roman good And in this cause must lead us forth to act Nor. Do noble Cneius for we 're vow'd to thee Point out the way tho circled with the Fates We'd gain the prize or perish in th' attemt Perp Secure in all your loves I dare disclose The secrets of my brest and form a way Subtil and sure as what the Gods Decree What think you Friends if that he fall this night Deluded with a Tale of Victory I have the Engins ready for the work The fire is kindled and the Forge compleat And we the many hands to batter down This vast Colossus But with him must fall Bebricius who with jealous eyes inspects Into the very marrow of our Plot The real Argus and a trusty Villain Trib. Delay is dangerous since we are confirm'd Why should our Swords ready to act our wills Grow to the Scabbards Freedom is the prize For which we fight now in the face of Day The Sun should view the glory of the deed Perp. Brave Spirit that 's so forward in the Cause Signal from Heav'n to fan us into flame But that the Gods decree it otherwise Blest would my Optics be to see thy Sword Hew Slavery in pieces This I've thought When high in hope pleas'd with the splendid Tale Of Vict'ry won from Sylla's Officers He sups with me to night and that 's his last The Lusita nian who admires him so As the dull Clown the Thunder-making
God Not knowing that the warring Elements Create the same without the Thund'rer's hands Must with him fall Draw all your Swords Now swear By all the Pow'rs which sat when Man was made By all the Beings abstract from those Po'wrs Sea Air and Fire by day and Erebus And by th' Eternal Flames of Pluto's Realm When Time the happy minute points out You Swords cut deep into the Monster 's heart Omnes We swear Perp. Methinks I see the Landscape of his Fate By angry Daemons stretch'd to a full length While the pleas'd Gods their heav'nly Curtins draw And from the Christal Casements of the Sky With purer light Illuminate the Moon Pale with the greatness of the glorious deed Which makes an Empire and subverts a State And from my breath forms the Decrees of Fate Exeunt ACT. V. SCEN. I. Bebricius Sertorius Bebr. IF the Decrees of Iove in Thunder spoke Or the sad Character of warring Gods In ample Prodigies inlarge themselves You must not hence unless unto your Fate Osca till now was stranger to these sights Which fright the vulgar and confound the wise Last night when Horror did in darkness Reign When Graves gave up their dead to trace the Earth And the unquiet Ghosts as robb'd of rest With horrid Schreams and howlings of the Damn'd Fill'd every Soul with terror of the change Our Priests as when Neptune his Trident struck The angry Element and call'd the Springs To vomit up a Deluge o're the Earth To every Pow'r Divine they Sacrifice While angry Heav'n in Thunder drowns their Pray'rs And with repeated Storms does threaten end To the World's frame Sert. 'T is strange indeed Bebricius But if the Gods Decree the final change Why should we dread what first or last will com Iove from the Earth form'd us to what we are Infus'd a noble fire within our Souls Whose heat gave life and wrought our stupid Sense Unto the glorious actions which create Envy in Gods and Honor in us Men And makes our Fame out-live us in our deeds Bebr. That Glory is the Soul of noble men Living to merit justly I believe But when on Earth as once was 'gainst the Heav'ns The Beings which from Chaos were produc'd Rose in Rebellion 'gainst the Lord of all The kinder Gods by glorious actions won Speak loud as far as Fate will give 'em leave To save the mortal lov'd from sudden harm Sert. Thou would'st persuade me then that this portends Danger to me pointed to me alone Would'st in my brest infuse I know not what And make me Subject to an idle fear Bebr. The Gods declare that we may shun that Storm Which gathers in the Wind and threats from far Not with a Natural war divides the Clouds But speaking forms a Thunder with his voice Which did not Fate oppose would Eccho here The Revolutions known in Skyes above I as a Prophet and by Friendship fir'd Swell with the object which my thoughts unravel And now the visits vail'd by Night and shame Appear at full made by Perpenna's guile Crassus Ligurius could not shun my sight Tho wing'd by fear and muffled with their Cloaks 'T was there I hous'd 'em and am confident A nest of Villains brood within the walls Sert. It is impossible Can they my Friends Equal in greatness and in pow'r as when Marius did awe in Rome contrive the fall Of him who rais'd 'em to that height of pow'r They now enjoy Persuade me to believe The melancholy which Norbanus bears Deep in his bloud promts him to change Oh no They court the lonely places and do hate Human Society the joy of Earth Or that Ligurius lightness in discourse May give occasion to distrust him I've In numerous dangers seen him act as far As the loud-talking Hero of the Field Tribunius merit rais'd him to that seat Which now he holds next thee and my dead Cassius The man I prize Can these my best of Friends Conspire against the man that they divide Bebr. Pray Heav'n the Nation feel not the effects This I am sure There is no good intended For when I was devoted unto Love Admir'd the beauteous creature of her Sex That Sodom Apple whose fair outside temts Death in the tast Plots and contrives like Fate Has numerous visitants of hot-brain'd youth Coveting danger for a smile from her Decius the chief who leads the pleasing Maze While she adorn'd like Venus shoots her beams Into their Souls which in a mighty blaze As subject Flames commanded by the Winds Threatens destruction Can Sertorius think Perpenna ign'orant of this work of Night No I have seen him unconcern'd behold Such amorous glances and such liberty With his fair Wife that were it not design'd To lure 'em with the specious bait of Beauty It were above an honest man to bear Sert. The ag'd Bebricius always look on youth With thoughts of danger and of Jealousy And from the gayness which they think adorns That makes 'em light and Airy in their Meen Take too severe a judgment Oh Friend in Love VVe know not what we say but if the Sex Command a deed ignoble then the brave Shake off the Fetters of the Amorous God And loath the object which affected change Bebr. 'T is fix'd in Fate Sooner the Adamant By vernal dew shall all its hardness lose Than the lost minute call from hoary Time VVhose Scythe has cut deep into ignorance 'T is not my fault you Gods for as a Friend And call'd to speak I 've utter'd every thought Hast then Sertorius struggle with thy Fate Roar like a Lyon catch'd within the Toyl Neglecting the poor Beast that gave him warning Then when inclos'd I 'll summon all my strength Or set thee free or perish in the Snare Sert. Something thou 'st said like Ice sits chilling here And the rash thought tho light as Air before Now like a weight hurl'd in som quiet stream In many circles wreaths th' adjacent floud And from the bottom raises flakes of Ouze The clearness of my mind once void of fear Thou hast infected with the poys'nous sound Oh Doubt that tortur'st more than points of Swords By Heav'n these shapes of fear these dreams of night Thus I discard for ever banish hence And live above the reach of envious men SCEN. II. Terentia Sertorius Bebricius Ter. Thou must not pass unless upon my death VVhich I oppose to fill the breach of Fate Can Oh the cruel question to be made Sertorius love love his Terentia still If I have pow'r or if these tears prevail Oh let my words find credit in thy brest Sert. By Iove my manhood fails I grow to Earth Speak and release the Agony thou 'st made Ter. By all the joys of Hymen all the sweets That wait on Love nay by the secret bliss That happy Souls enjoy Oh stir not hence Swift as a Pile hurl'd by the Delphic God Barb'd with destruction coms our ruin on Aurelia is no more I saw her Ghost The dear remembrance of a
But we as seated on a Throne behold Ruin spread wide the Terror of its wings They like Cambyses rage against the wind Till weary'd with the object then we hast Mounted on Death give Reins unto the Sword And glut the Furies with whole Seas of Gore Perp. When great Sertorius speaks he should like Iove Have Thunder ready all the Elements Ready to make a second Chaos stand And all the World as dreading the fierce change Becom agast But viewing round I see The Cyclops wanting Bolts for such a work Nor has old Vulcan captiv'd Time or yet The fatal Sisters ta'ne 'em to their Sheers Bebr. Ha! means he me by Vulcan captiv'd Time By Heav'n my fears I find now are not vain How dares Perpenna thus abuse the Gods And in a language strange unto a Friend Dost call the Son of Anthropos a Iove Yet mock'st his wanting Ministers of wrath Sert. No more Bebricius he is hot with wine Give him his liberty he is our Friend Perp. Let not Sertorius doubt the proof of it Free men have Liberty 't is Slaves have Chains And well I know Quintus will ne're impose Upon a Roman what a Roman hates For Liberty Sertorius knows we 've fought And we would do 't again knee-deep in bloud Let 's see that Talker fight instead of speak Let Oratory hang upon his Sword But till the Field sets forth his mighty worth Confine that Gall which dwells upon his Tongue Sert. It is unkind Perpenna thus to rate him He is a worthy man and bears a Soul Great as the proudest Roman I have seen Wonders perform'd where er'e his Sword has com And death before the blow has made its way Such worthy actions in my Camp has don That nether Pompey nor Metellus can 't When he is nam'd but reverence the sound Perp. Now Romans be you Judges of the change So long I warn'd you of See see our Fates See all the merits that our wounds have got That now when Pompey girts us in our walls He dares prefer this man the only Friend This gray-beard Villain who contrives our fall That when the danger which invades is past 'T is he must Lord it o're our Liberties Trib. Speak thou for me how much I loath a Chain Stabs Sertorius Sert Ha! Sure 't was deadly Ho! my Guards my Guards Perp. Be not deluded with so false a hope There 's not a Soul that dares but think relief Bebr. Thou seest I've yet that strength within my arm To turn thy Dagger's point upon thy self Here Ligurius is Stab'd by Bebricius who escapes There is no safety here I 'll hast away And com attended with Revenge e're Day Exit Sert. Oh Barbarous Vaillains Treason help Perp. 'T is here Sertorius on this point despair and dy Thou base ingrateful man had'st thou surviv'd We'd been thy Slaves but thank our Swords we 're free Sert. Yet I dye pleas'd to know thy sudden Fate I see it now before me view the man Pompey revenges me I see these men That shame the name of Friend to that degree In so deplorable and lost a state That their own Souls begin to loath their make And curse the hour when first they saw Perpenna Oh my Terensia thy Prophetic fear Is now accomplish'd Oh uncertain Chance How subtil are thy ways that Greatness tread Which guides us on unto our certain Fate And never leaves us till our life is fled Perp. Dy Wizard Think'st thou that I fear my Fate No 't is on thee I build the mighty frame And seem a Body second unto Atlas Thus grasp a Scepter and thus rule my Stars Since by thy death our Liberty is gain'd Shout till your voices burst the Clouds to Air That with the violence of meeting sounds The Globe grows giddy and inconstant Fortune No longer can command her fickle Wheel Shoâ—ts Liberty Freedom Liberty SCEN. VII Terentia to Perpenna c Ter. Curs'd be the sound for ever ever curs'd She runs to Sertorius body and kneels by it The cruel Villains why is 't you delay Sheath all your murd'rous weapons in my brest And show your selves Masters in Villany That know no bounds in bloud Oh Sertorius How have the Gods ordain'd our Destinies Weeps Sert. Terentia oh Dyes Ter. Sertorius Lord 't is thy Terentia calls He 's gon he 's gon and summon'd me away To shades remote which happy souls enjoy Yet my Sertorius stay thee in thy race Hover a minute o're Terentia's Fate See with what swiftness I 'll pursue thy shade To its Immortal Mansion Flow swift my bloud Stabs her self That from this passage like a Sea broke loose My Soul shall mount still calling as it flies Justice from Gods Revenge for perjur'd men Quintus I com From Earth I now remove And seek the Ghost of an Eternal Love Dyes Perp. Som Devil sure resides within my brest I ne're knew pity till I saw this sight Nor will I now Remove these Bodies hence Place 'em within that viewing our disgrace When coward thoughts dare give themselves a birth Look on the Tyrant call to mind his deeds And if the Gods dare put a cheat upon us We 'l wait not Death but make him ' tend on us Trib. Farewel thou noble Roman we shall meet Goes to Ligurius In happy shades while thy blest soul delights In the success that waits upon our Swords Speak then Perpenna shall we sally out Or send to treat with Pompey Perp. Noble Friends It will disgrace the glory of our deeds Sully our Fame atchiev'd in fiercest War To lay those killing weapons at his feet Whose edg has forc'd him from the Field retreat Are not our Legions full their souls o' fire This City ours to back us in the fight While in their Camp Famin and Sickness Reigns Let 's out and chase these Specters from our VValls That fright us like the shadows of the night Whose wither'd substance much resembles theirs Omnes Lead on thou Soul of all the noble Romans Alarms and shout within SCEN. VIII A Roman Soldier to Perpenna c. Perp. What dreadful message dwells upon thy tongue VVhy thus confus'd Call back thy frightned sense And tell us what 's the meaning of this sound Rom. Pompey is entred Osca all is lost Bebricius scaping from the bloudy Feast Turn'd all into Sedition for the Croud No sooner heard their lov'd Sertorius dead Quitting their several stations op'd the Gates To Pompey's Soldiers fir'd with strange desire Both partyes now are one Bebricius leads The num'erous bands and has begirt us round There is no scaping hence with life Perp. Hence slave Kills him And preach to Furies in the other VVorld 'Sdeath am I catch'd betraid by Jilting Fate VVhen the full Scene of Greatness was in view It is too late to talk Com let our Swords Hew out a passage to our former state And make the wond'ring Gods call back their Ire To see how Slaughter does pursue our blows Exeunt SCEN. IX Fight After which Pompey