Tarp. More more of Curtius I love to hear thee speak You paint so prittily the Man your favour Port. I favour him Tarpeia alas that needs not He little values any of our favours For he had never any Mistress yet At least that we can guess that 's his chief fault Tarp. I like this best of all I have no Rival aside Enter Cornelia Singing Vse your Youth use your Youth and happy hours while they remain Cheerfully Cheerfully while they are ours the blessings entertain For time once lost can ne're be found again For time once c. Tarp. See Portia see how unconcern'd she seems Careless of fate while the alarms of war Or feircer love disquiet all her Sex Have you no heart Cornelia Cor. Not to admit of love or fear Tarpeia The Boy-God never dar'd to wound my breast And if I 'me arm'd against a God why should I fear a Souldier Portia the Queen asks for you Port. Then we must part Farewel Tarpeia Ex. Port. Cor. Tarp. Farewell farewel Conelia ah happy Girl In her own Childish innocence secure She never dreams the smart which I endure Exit SCENE III. Romulus Hostilius Rom. HOW long Hostilius must I sue in vain To know the cause why I am thus afflicted That is why you are thus afflicted Cou'd I Have kept a secret from my Friend so long Cou'd I have let him beg so long for that Which should be his without so much as asking For every Friend or is or ought to be A confident nor shou'd I care to know it But only in design to ease your sorrow Had you a secret cause of joy I shou'd Not then have importuned you for it Why stand you thus silent and almost senseless As you wou'd say I cannot answer what You urge and will not what you ask Host. O worthyest of Mankind O Prince too good To be my Friend I wou'd not have you love But pitty me and let me still be silent Rom. I cannot must not dare not suffer it Good Hostilius Host. Then you will not pitty me I see I must appear foul and unworthy In denying or still more foul and more Unworthy in Confessing O mistaken goodness When you shall see my Soul naked and bare Of all its silent vernish when you have stript Off the disguise you 'l find so base an object So poor and so degenerate a Roman And such a Monster of abused Friendship You 'l start at the discovery and curse me for it Rom. Who but Hostilius durst have said this of Hostilius Or do you aime th' unworthy Character At some less dear and less deserving Roman Host. I do not know another Roman that deserves it No Sir t is I I am the unworthy owner Rom. Come all this is false and feign'd to put me off I see through your pretences if will not do Hostilius and I must know your discontent Host. Suppose then For such a Crime from one oblig'd like me Ought not to be discover'd but by supposition Suppose I had agreed with Tatius To give the City up betray the Army And make my Friend his Prisoner Rom. I could forgive it Host. Suppose I had designed prompted by my Ambition To stab my Friend basely and when ungarded Usurp his Crown and make my self the head of Rome Rom. T is all impossible but still I should forgive it Host. Higher yet Suppose I love Hersilia Your your Hersilia love her to enjoy her For that dear end suppose I 'de be a Traytor A Devil repine and covet those sweet joyes Which only you can merit envy all The Heaven which you possess in her embraces How say you now Now am not I a Villian Rom. No but a foul desembler of a foul false scandal Do not I know Hostilius I 'me sure he cannot Think a Crime like these I know he cannot Since my Remus dyed I never had so near a Friend Remus and I Were not such Twins in blood as we two in Affection Are not we Aeneas and Achates Host. T is true I know you are God born like him As good as great a friend as he you are The more Divine Aeneas But where is now Faithful Achates O I am not worthy I must confess all that I said was false But that which most concern'd you I love Hersilia Aye there it is that strikes the very root Of friendship now I 'me sure you can't forgive me Nor is it fit you should I can't forgive my self As good and God like as you are you shou'd Not stand unmov'd thus like a Temple Idol But draw and sheath your Sword here in this breast That dar'd to harbour such injurious passion Come Sir you see how wide my bosome opens To receive your Justice I 'le meet your Sword And pull it home with my own hands Are you still motionless I shall not think You love Hersilia as you ought unless You kill me Rom. A Friend who can confess offending thoughts And like you hate 'em e're they grow to action Pleading against himself with so much Rigour Is still a friend Our inclinations Are not at our Election but he that can Like you govern his rebel thought by the Strict rules of Justice and true reason Ought to be lov'd and honoured as a King Be reconciled Hostilius to your self For you are still as dear to me as ever Hostilius's Honour and Hersilia's Vertue Admit no Jealous scruples Host. Is this your Sentence on Hersilia's Lover Do you thus treat a Rival unheard of friendship Mark then what I decree with better Justice For my own Penance Since you now have known How false my passions are how strong that love That ought not to be nam'd to free you of suspicion I 'le leave your Rome for voluntary Exile And never see again my Romulus nor his Hersilia Rom. Must I be punisht then because you say You have offended must I lose so dear A Friend because that Friend thinks he had wronged me We will not part I 'le lose an eye before Hostilius no I will hazard all the ills His love can do me Host. Will you out-rival me in Honour too Will you not let me have that Mistress free O you are cruel If you were kind you would not keep me here Ever in sight of Heaven yet in a state Of such Damnation I cannot hope Nor ought I to enjoy it Rom. I 'le woe Hersilia to smile upon you I know she will for my sake Host. I dare not trust my self before her smiles They will unhinge my vertue besides A smile tho much above my merit yet to A love like mine gives little satisfaction And yet she ought not to give more and yet O I am wild the more I think of this The more I am confounded Thus low I beg Kneels You 'd let me leave you By all the tyes Of friendship by all the love you owe Hersilia allow my absence for only that Can cure my phrenzy Rom. To beg with such concern is to
Fortune Command Rule Reign over my Rome and me Have I a City Subjects Crown and my Friend not the same Is not Hostilius Romulus and Romulus Hostilius Take and enjoy then all that makes me happy but leave your mournful silence Host. Aside Oh Royal bounty oh unheedful kindness he knows not what he sayes nor I to answer to this invidious Friendship Enter Feliciana Feli. Oh Sister O dear Hersilia what will become of us Hers. Why Sister what surprizing fright has caus'd this Question Feli. The City 's all allarm'd While from the Tarrace yonder I saw the distant-hills towards the west-gate covered with Armed Sabines drawing this way I hear they come to have us back alive or dead are these the effects of your Heroick Passions indeed Hersilia tho I respect you dearly you had not had my Company if I had thought I shoud have dyed for Love Rom. Innocently pretty fear not Feliciana these are but shews of terrour there 's nothings real in ' em Come Hostilius let us go view the Enemy and give such orders as may secure the Ladies fears and make the Sabines know Romans and Lovers are not to be Conquered Exeunt Rom. Host. Feli. Sister how great a change do we find here from the still life we 'mongst the Sabines led while at our Fathers Silvan Pallace there frighter from love and seldome seen of Men we spent so many dayes in the adjoyning Groves that all the wild Inhabitants knew us as part of them the Thorstle Nightingale and little Redbrest with all the other pretty feather'd Quire at our approach wou'd flock about and fill the Air with a compleat and chearful consort The speckled Dear woud fearless bring their Fawns and seek their food from me Hers. True Feliciana those were our softer hours Thoughtless in that calm state we past the year And knew not what it was to love or fear But now I have learnt both since the brave Romulus first met me in those shades Ah fatal hour yet hour I still must love we often met and full of angry tears at the approaching night as often parted You know Feliciana how we dispairing ever to procure the severe Tatius to approve our love the generous Youth of Rome by my consent forc'd us and all our Train of Sabine Ladies from the great feast and Sacred Rights of Consus Feli. I know too much Woud I had never known more then the harmless joyes of our own dwelling Widdow'd for loss of me how will the Turtles grieve which I so often fed and kist in feeding Were they now here methinks I could instruct 'em to sigh and Coo and mourn with better Emphesis then their own feather'd Parents in a Grove of Cypress Weeps Hers. Alas my pretty Sister weep not however If the sweet toiles of Lovers are uneasie to you you may return Command a Chariot and a Convoy when you please why shoud I force my Sister to pertake my troubles Feli. Sure Hersilia cannot have so mean a thought of me to think I 'de leave her no I 'le die here Yet wear you not my Sister I coud not go from Rome I know not what it is but something here about my heart afflicts me and often pants and heaves and almost stops my breath and will not suffer me so much as wish to be again amongst the Sabines and my once loved pleasure Of late I alwayes weep and sigh when private yet know not why I seek to be alone hate Company yet know not well the cause of this uneasie humour Hers. Why these are all the innocent signs of stifled Love Feli. sighing Indeed it may be so Had it been any thing but that I might perhaps have known the cause and sought a cure but love 's so great a stranger I can't So much as guess at his proceedings Her How long have you been thus Fel. E're since the willing force that brought us hither I need not tell you for you well remember how at those publick Shews where we were taken Prisoners of Love when at the signal given Your Romulus seiz'd you and every Roman youth that Lady whom his choice or chance presented Hostilius for my quality no doubt as being your Sister not for my person made me his care and entertained me then with so much gallantry and such obliging kindness that I have never since had any ease but when I see him yet I had rather die than he should know it Hers. Fear not dying my Felciana I know Hostilius by his silent sighs melts with loves kindly flames as much as you Fel. That that 's my torment for silly as I am I see he loves but see withal I 'am not the Object Since that dear time of our first encounter he never treated me with one kind word But wheresoever I 'm present he looks another way and sighs and never speaks to me Hers. Pretty Feliciana weep no more but trust your Cares to me I will find out a Cure for this sweet innocent Passion Mean time let 's seek my Romulus I have not patience to endure his absence I know his friend is with him too Come Sister you shall see Hostilius Fel. O hold I dare not Sister Since I have told you all my weakness for Hostilius I am ashamed to let you see me see him Hers. Away you foolish Innocent remove Such idle scruples or ne're thrive in Love Exeunt ACT. I. SCENE II. Enter Romulus Hostilius Spurius Tarpeius Rom. THE Western Gate that fronts the Enemy with the adjoyning Fort Tarpeius I commit to your experienc'd Loyalty and Conduct Sp. Tar. It is an honour Sir which when I give you cause to wish undone take off my head Rom. Hostilius to you belongs all the Command I have my self in my own City Hostil Why shou'd you be so prodigal of favours Why shou'd you lavish thus my best of friends what Heaven and your own merits have conspired to make you only worthy of On me on me too One that can taste no happiness one whose dull sence has lost all relish of a blessing one born to be a wretch a curst unhappy wretch Rom. This is extravagancy sure friend you are not well Hostil My tongue too much betrays me woud I coud spit it out I must confess great Sir my mind of late is much distempered Which often makes my language out of order It is a causless transiant Cloud I know and soon will over I beg you take no notice of it I am too sensible of my own imperfection and am ashamed to have it known to others Rom. 'T is reason nobly urged I 'm silent but see Hersilia Enter Hersilia Feliciana Tarpeia c. Rom. Be safe my Love as your own wish can fancy Nor let the pretty Feliciana fear since Rome is now so guarded that the Sabines may as well hope to storm the Cloud as prevail here No arms but those of friendship can pass these Walls Her I think my Lord your cause will raise an Army
even of Women Tarpeia talks so bravely here and in such Martial Language that were we all like her we alone were sufficient not only to defend our selves but to subdue all the adjacent Enemies of Rome Rom. Your Conquest sweet Hersilia have been already greater And for the fair Tarpeia since she appears so brave she too shall have a share in our Command Tarpeius let your Daughter act as Leiutenant in your absence This is the Ladies War and why should then that Sex be bar'd to share the honours of it Enter a Souldier Sol. Sabinus Curtius Sir sent from the Enemy attends without Rom. Admit him Fel. Now Sister should this War scarce yet begun end in a treaty Hers. As I 'm a Sabine by my Birth I wish a Peace with honour but I am more a Roman by my inclination than to desire it basely Enter Curtius Cur. Tatius the just to the great Romulus hath sent these terms of Peace Host. He speaks as if we were already Conquered Rom. Suffer him good Hostilius Go on Sir Cur. He sayes the Sabines never yet loved war meerly for the inhumane act of killing T is your own selves then that destroy your selves if you refuse him Justice he offers therefore e're yet the Sword has been unkind to Roman Mothers e're widdowed Matrons with hands up heav'd to Heaven name you and curse the cause that rob'd them of their Husbands e're Orphan Babes like Callow Birds the old one killed abroad dye mourning for their food ' ere these and thousand worse events of war arrive he offers to withdraw his arms if you restore Hersilia and the other Ladies Host. Restore Hersilia Cur. Who 'gainst the Law of Nations 'gainst all the rights of Civil life you first invited to your publick Entertainments and then from thence so fouly ravisht Our General farther sayes if after this your merits can prevail with their respective Parents to gain 'em for your Wives you shall have liberty to use such formal means in your address as peace and Love not brutal force allow of Rom. Tell the most Noble Tatius he is now our Father-in-law and we as such shall treat him how e're his passion bids him act with us Hersilia's not ashamed to call her Romulus Husband and can her Romulus fear to call her Wife and as such keep her here No shou'd he bring a greater force than that which made the ten years Seige at Troy here she shoud live and Reign secure and better guarded then their Palladium And for the other Ladies in all but thirty and most Attendants to Hersilia they have all found by their own free Election Husbands or humble Lovers of the best of Rome I cannot force the property of others nor can I in civility bid 'em remove where their own choice and love has made 'em settle besides it were impertinent and base for us to quit the love which they themselves have given and make a new Court o're again to their old Parents as for the foul act which you charge me with and call a Rape Hersilia's self whose every sillable's a sacred truth can purge that scandal Hers. Yes Heaven and I can Witness so can Feliciana that 't was no force but a confederate plot 'twixt my lov'd Lord and me I knew too well how little kind my Father was to all the Romans how vilely he has spoke of their original and the Asylum with reason therefore my Lord and I despair'd of his assent and us'd this means to Crown our loves Are your demands then just or Honourable that seek to make a Husband quit his Wife Host. Restore Hersilia Did he not say e're while restore Hersilia No I will first my self fight your whole Army take all the wounds ten thousand swords can give me challenge every weapon in all your Camp to do its office here Cut Gash and mangle every part about me till there 's not left one place to make a wound on and I at last drown in a Sea of my own blood e're you shall have Hersilia Feli. aside Sure he mistakes the name he shoud have said Feliciana my love woud have it so How happy had I been if this concern this high excess of favour had appeared for me but now how wretched O I shall faint conduct me sweet Cornelia to my Chamber Exit Rom. Your friendship dear Hostilius carries you beyond your temper my cause too far transports you Cur. If these be your resolves I have command to tell you War must force the right which you deny us Rom. If we must fight where we had rather Love and use those arms to kill which should embrace know Curtius we are ready either way Nor let your Sabines think to find our courage less than our love successful We know the way to make your Men as well as Women Captive Tarpeius see him safe without the walls Farewel Sir Host. Since you demand to have Hersilia back I am no Man of words I cannot argue whether the thing be just which you demand but if you are brave meet me in the next skirmish and then like Men and Soulders we 'l dispute it This if you dare Cur. I smile at these last words I dare do more than I dare speak I am a Coward in my boasting I long to meet you Sir till then I am your Servant Exit Cur. and Tarpeius Tarp. Gallantly answered and with temper methinks I love him for 't I wish I were a Sabine Maid or he a Roman Aside Rom. Come my Hersilia while we have you we cannot doubt the fate of Rome Fortune and Victory must act for us having so dear a pledge The love inspired By you a stronger power and more assistance brings To our Triumphant cause than all the aid I justly may expect from Mars my Father Then how successless must the Sabines prove Opposing both the Gods of War and Love Ex. all but Hostilius Host. But more successless I who fight against Two such almighty passions as Love and Friendship Ye Gods What have I done to merit such a torment While these two Heavenly flames strive in my breast 'T is hell to me I 'am damn'd in the contest But why shou'd I look on as unconcern'd While Civil War within me rends me peice-meal No I will be a Monarch o're my self And crush the Rebels Away thou soft seducer Love Tyrant and Traytor I am a Roman And will keep my Friendship sacred Who can offend in thought so sweet a Friend As is the Mighty Romulus How blind is real kindness He cou'd not see my Passion for Hersilia When my love raved but thought it his concern O innocent obliging Goodness I wish The Sword of Curtius when we shall meet May find a way to revenge Romulus And peircing this offending bosome end Those thoughts that dared to injure such a friend Exit ACT. II. Scena Prima A Field before the Walls of Rome Drums and Trumpets Enter Curtius and other Sabines Cur. I Would not
command Where the request is to a love like mine If you will go Hostilius you have your liberty But let this dear embrace and this convince you That when we separate you carry with you The better half of your lov'd Romulus Host. Witness sweet Heavens with what constraint I leave him No cause but one cou'd make so sad divorce To be a Friend I leave my Friend for ever I 'le now to unfrequented Woods and seek To lose Mankind for after Romulus Who wou'd know other Men and who wou'd see A Woman that hath once known Hersilia Farewel thou God of Friendship once more Farewel Embrace I go imperfect You keep back my heart With such a groan the Soul and body part Exit Rom. He 's gone O sacred power of Love was e're affection Like this of his to quit his Mistress for his Friend Nay more to quit both Friend and Mistress rather Than injure me O truly Noble Roman Who can his passion in due terms express Had he not loved amiss his love were less Enter Hersilia and Feliciana Attendants Feli. Why did you bring me hither Sister Here 's no Hostilius Hers. Wou'd you have dyed in silence Shou'd I let you Weep by your self till I had lost my Sister And in a Fountain full of Maiden tears Found all the poor remains of my Feliciana You must not grieve so much indeed you shall not Do not I stand engaged to make you happy Feli. Softly for Heavens sake Your Lover's there I would not he shou'd hear you for the world Rom. My dear Hersilia O my only comfort I have a Pitious tale to tell my Love Hostilius my best friend is now my Rival Hers. Hostilius Rom. Yet so admir'd a Friend he still remains That to secure my love and ease his own He hath forsaken Rome and given himself To a perpetual Exile Feli. aside Heart hold a little Life do not yet forsake me The other killing word and then farewel Rom. I 'le borrow a few minutes of my Love To view the works and give abroad new orders And then you shall have all the wondrous story Exit Hers. Feliciana Sister do but here me O she faints Feliciana faints back into one of her Womens Armes Cornelia Portia Cloe Give all you help here quickly O she 's gone The fatal news was too too rough her ear Too tender to endure it Bend Bend her forward Give her more air kind Heavens she comes again Feli. O too unkind O cruel Romulus Was it not death enough for him to tell me Hostilius loves my Sister But he must kill me o're again and say He 's gone for ever Why do you thus torment me Why do you shew me Rome again and not Hostilius in it But I will follow him If he be yet in this vexatious world I 'le find my Love or lose my self in searching If to the world below he be retir'd I shall be there almost as soon as he The way is easie thither and I can't miss it Hers. Conduct her gently to repose Cornelia What a surprizing turn was this Poor Sister I have engaged beyond performance for her Ye Gods that favour innocence be kind Keep her wits safe and cure her troubled mind Exeunt ACT. III. SCENE I. Scene the Sabine Camp Enter Tarpeia in Mans Apparel Tarp. FOrgive me Maiden shame that in this Habit I seek to ease a Passion for whose sake The Gods have taken more undecent formes Yet still I am resolv'd to keep my Honour Safe and entire I would but see him once Again and then farewell the thought for ever Enter a Centry Cent. Stand and reveal your self who are you there From whence and whither going Tarp. I come from Rome my business to Lord Curtius If you can bring me Soldier to his presence Take this and this for expedition Cent. Gold as I live if that be all Sir follow me Exeunt Enter Curtius Cur. Hard fate of Lovers The wounds that I receiv'd From that Hostilius far less afflict me Than to discover that he is my Rival In vain I fear have I procur'd this War Of Tatius in vain did I exasperate The good old Prince against his Daughters Lover And vilified the Noble Romulus If thus the Roman Hydra Love produces New heads to be cut off before we Conquer Think Curtius think in time not only how To gain Hersilia but to save thy Honour Enter Soldier Sold. A Youth attends without from Rome he sayes He has affairs to you and prays admittance Cur. Let him Enter and do you withdraw Exit Sol. Enter Tarpeia Tarp. Would I were off again now I should speak Heavens how I am confounded Aside Cur. Would you with me young Roman Tarp. I am imploy'd Sir from the Sabine Ladies Now Roman Wives Hersilia and Cur. Oh speak that Name again sweet youth and win My Soul for ever Is this Hersilia's message And to me There 's Musick in thy voice Tarp. aside What means this transport The happy lye it seems Is well accepted Hersilia Sir and all Your other Sabine Beauties now in Rome Have bid me tell you and by you Tatius Since the kind ties of Love are stricter far Than those of blood they cannot leave their Husbands Nor will they ever think of coming back If by your Armes which yet they cannot fear You conquer Rome and make 'em yours again You 'l force their wills and do a fouler Rape Than that which brought 'em thither Cur. Unkind thou art a cunning and dissembling Boy Fie on such early falshood Wou'd any one But such a smoothdeceitful thing as you Have rais'd my hopes to glorious Expectations And so soon dash 'em all again to nothing Away then Syren-Traytor Tarp. Would I had never seen him O I love him more than ever Aside Cur. And is this all you have in charge Tarp. No my Lord I bring you news of Love Cur. The Villain mocks me Tarp. By all the Gods kill me if I dissemble Cur. O Venus shou'd this be from dear Hersilia Love find your eyes again but this short minute And be hereafter blind for ever aside Tell me Thou Charming Boy tell me my better Genius What is the sweet Intelligence Speak while A thousand Cupids hovering in the air Snatch at thy words and bear 'em all perfum'd About the Heavens Tarp. Oh I am ruin'd now beyond all cure His tender words strike through my very Soul Aside Cur. Will you not speak Why will you torture me With these delayes Tarp. Whither will this tumultuous passion drive me Now I am in it thrusts me headlong on And bids me stop at nothing Aside The Love my Lord comes from a Roman Lady My unhappy Sister Cur. T is gone again the empty shaddow leaves me Thy fortune Curtius laughs at all thy wishes And scorns thy Expectation Aside Tarp. She saw you Sir when you was last at Rome You came she saw you there and was o'recome Since as a Captive to your Name and merits She knows