And find Valerius out away Horatius Exeunt severally Fabr. Pr'ythee let 's talk no more on 't Look here 's Lord Brutus Come come we 'll divert ourselves For 't is but just that we who sit at the Helm should now and then unruffle our State affairs with the impertinence of a Fool. Pr'y thee Brutus what 's a Clock Brut. Clotho Lachesis Atropos the Fates are three let them but strike and I 'll lead you a Dance my Masters Fab. But hark you Brutus dost thou hear the news of Lucrece Brut. Yes yes and I heard of the wager that was lay'd among you among you whoring Lords at the Siege of Ardea Ha Boy about your handsome Wives Fab. Well and how and how Brut. How you bounc'd from the Board took Horse and rode like madmen to find the gentle Lucrece at Collatia but how found her why working with her Maids at midnight Was not this monstrous and quite out of the fashion Fine stuff indeed for a Lady of Honor when her Husband was out of the way to sit weaving and pinking and pricking of Arras Now by this light my Lord your Wife made better use of her Pin-cushion Fab. My Wife my Lord by Mars My Wife Brut. Why should she not when all the Royal Nurses do the same What what my Lord did you not find 'em at it when you came from Collatia to Rome Lartius your Wife and yours Flaminius with Tullia's Boys turning the Cristals up dashing the Windows and the Fates defying Now by the Gods I think 't was Civil in you discreetly done Sirs not to interrupt ' em But for your Wife Fabritius I 'll be sworn for her she would not keep 'em company Fab. No marry would she not she hates Debauches How have I heard her rail at Terentia and tell her next her heart upon the qualms that drinking Wine so late and tipling Spirits would be the death of her Brut. Hark you Gentlemen if you would but be secret now I could unfold such a business my life on 't a very Plot upon the Court Fab. Out with it we swear secrefie Brut. Why thus then To morrow Tullia goes to the Camp and I being Master of the Houshold have command to sweep the Court of all its Furniture and send it packing to the Wars Pandars Sycophants upstart Rogues fine Knaves and surly Rascals Flatterers easie supple cringing passing smiling Villains all all to the Wars Fab. By Mars I do not like this Plot. Brut. Why is it not a Plot a Plot upon your Selves your Persons Families and your Relations even to your Wives Mothers Sisters all your Kindred For Whores too are included Setters too and Whore-procurers Bag and Baggage all all to the Wars All hence all Rubbish Lumber out and not a Baud be left behind to put you in hope of hatching Whores hereafter Fab. Hark Lartius he 'll run from fooling to direct madness and beat our Brains out The Devil take the hindmost your Servant sweet Brutus noble honorable Brutus Exeunt Enter Titus Tit. 'T is done 't is done auspicious Heav'n had joyn'd us And I this night shall hold her in my arms Oh Sir Brut. Oh Sir that exclamation was too high Such Raptures ill become the troubled times No more of ' em And by the way my Titus Renounce your Teraminta Tit. Ha my Lord Brut. How now my Boy Tit. Your counsel comes too late Sir Brut. Your reply Sir Comes too ill-manner'd pert and saucy Sir Tit. Sir I am marry'd Brut. What without my knowledge Tit. My Lord I ask your pardon but that Hymen Brut. Thou ly'st that honorable God would scorn it Some baudy Flamen shuffled you together Priapus lock'd you while the Bachanals Sung your detested Epithalamium Which of thy blood were the curs'd Witnesses Who would be there at such polluted Rites But Goats Baboons some chattring old Silenus Or Satyrs grinning at your slimy joys Tit. Oh all the Gods my Lord your Son is marry'd To Tarquin's Brut. Bastard Tit. No his Daughter Brut. No matter To any of his Blood if it be his There is such natural Contagion in it Such a Congenial Devil in his Spirit Name Liniage Stock that but to own a part Of his Relation is to profess thy self Sworn Slave of Hell and Bondman to the Furies Thou art not Marry'd Tit. O is this possible This change that I behold no part of him The same nor Eyes nor Meen nor Voice nor Gesture Brut. Oh that the Gods would give my Arm the vigor To shake this soft effeminate lazy Soul Forth from thy bosom No degenerate Boy Brutus is not the same the Gods have wak'd him From dead Stupidity to be a Scourge A living Torment to thy disobedience Look on my face view my eyes flame and tell me If ought thou seest but Glory and Revenge A blood-shot Anger and a burst of Fury When I but think of Tarquin Damn the Monster Fetch him you Judges of th' eternal Deep Arraign him Chain him plunge him in double fires If after this thou seest a tenderness A Woman's tear come o're my resolution Think Titus think my Son 't is Nature's fault Not Roman Brutus but a Father now Tit. Oh let me fall low as the Earth permist me And thank the Gods for this most happy change That you are now altho to my confusion That aw-ful God-like and Commanding Brutus Which I so oft have wish'd you which sometimes I thought imperfectly you were or might be When I have taken unawares your Soul At a broad glance and fore'd her to retire Ah my dear Lord you need not add new threats New marks of Anger to compleat my Ruin Your Titus has enough to break his heart When he remembers that you durst not trust him Yes yes my Lord I have a thousand frailties The mould you cast me in the breath the blood And Spirit which you gave me are unlike The God-like Author yet you gave 'em Sir And sure if your had pleas'd to honor me T'immortalize my Name to after Ages By ' imparting your high cards I should have found At least so much Hereditary Virtue As not to have divulg'd them Brut. Rise my Son Be satisfy'd thou art the first that know'st me A thousand Accidents and Fated Causes Rush against every Bulwark I can raise And half unhinge my Soul For now 's the time To shake the Building of the Tyrant down As from Night's Womb the glorious Day breaks forth And seems to kindle from the setting Stars So from the blackness of young Tarquin's Crime And Fornace of his Lust the virtuous Soul Of Iunius Brutus catches bright occasion I see the Pillars of his Kingdom totter The Rape of Lucrece is the midnight Lantorn That lights my Genius down to the Foundation Leave me to work my Titus O my Son For from this Spark a Lightning shall arise That must e're Night purge all the Roman Air And then the Thunder of his ruin follows No more but haste thee to Lucretius I
me O Romans plece-meal And let your Brutus be more loath'd than Tarquin But now to those Affairs that want a view Imagine then the fame of what is done Has reach'd to Ardea whence the trembling King By Guilt and Nature quick and apprehensive With a bent brow comes post for his Revenge To make examples of the Mutiniers Let him come on Lucretius to your care The charge and custody of Rome is given While we with all the Force that can be rais'd Waving the Tarquins on the common Road Resolve to joyn the Army at the Camp What thinks Valerius of the consequence Val. As of a lucky hit There is a number Of Malecontents that wish for such a time I think that only speed is necessary To Crown the whole event Brut. Go then your self With these Assistants and make instant head Well as you can numbers will not be wanting To Mars his Field I have but some few Orders To leave with Titus that must be dispers't And Brutus shall attend you Val. The Gods direct you Exeunt with the Body of Lucrece Maneut Brutus Titus Brut. Titus my Son Tit. My ever honor'd Lord. Brut. I think my Titus Nay by the Gods I dare protest it to thee I love thee more than any of my Children Tit. How Sir oh how my Lord have I deser'd it Brut. Therefore I love thee more because my Son Thou hast deserv'd it for to speak sincerely There 's such a sweetness still in all thy manners An Air so open and a brow so clear A temper so remov'd from Villany With such a manly plainness in thy dealing That not to love thee O my Son my Titus Were to be envious of so great a Vertue Tit. O all the Gods where will this kindness end Why do you thus O my too gracious Lord Dissolve at once the being that you gave me Unless you mean to screw me to performance Beyond the reach of Man Ah why my Lord do you oblige me more Than my humanity can e're return Brut. Yes Titus thou conceiv'd thy Father right I find our Genij knoweach other well And Minds my Son of our uncommon make When once the Marks in view never shoot wide But in a Line come level to the White And hit the very heart of our Design Then to the Shocking purpose Once again I say I swear I love thee O my Son I like thy Frame the Fingers of the Gods I see have left their Mastery upon thee They have been tapering up thy Roman Form And the Majestick prints at large appear Yet something they have left for me to finish Which thus I press thee to thus in my Arms I fashion thee I mould thee to my heart What dost thou kneel nay stand up now a Roman Shake from thy Lids that dew that hangs upon 'em And answer to th'austerity of my Vertue Tit. If I must dye you Gods I am prepar'd Let then my Fate suffice but do not rack me With something more Brut. Titus as I remember You told me you were Marry'd Tit. My Lord I did Brut. To Teraminta Tarquin's natural Daughter Tit. Most true my Lord to that poor vertuous Maid Your Titus Sir your most unhappy Son Is joyn'd for ever Brut. No Titus not for ever Not but I know the Virgin beautiful For I did oft converse here when I seem'd Not to converse at all Yet more my Son I think her chastly good most sweetly fram'd Without the smallest Tincture of her Father Yet Titus Ha! what man what all in tears Art thou so soft that only saying yet Has dash'd thee thus nay then I 'll plunge thee down Down to the bottom of this foolish Stream Whose brink thus makes thee tremble No my Son If thou art mine thou art not Teraminta's Or if thou art I swear thou must not be Thou shalt not be hereafter Tit. O the Gods Forgive me Blood and Duty all respects Due to a Father's name not Teraminta's Brut. No by the Gods I swear not Teraminta's No Titus by th' eternal Fates that hang I hope auspicious o're the head of Rome I 'll grapple with thee on this spot of Earth About this Theam till one of us fall dead I 'll struggle with thee for this point of Honor And tug with Terminta for thy heart As I have done for Rome yes ere we part Fix'd as you are by Wedlock joyn'd and fast I 'll set you far asunder nay on this This spotted blade bath'd In the blood of Lucrece I 'll make thee swear on this thy Wedding night Thou wilt not touch thy Wife Tit. Conscience heart and bowels Am I a man have I my flesh about me Brut. I know thou hast too much of Flesh about thee 'T is that my Son that and thy Blood I fear More than thy Spirit which is truly Roman But let the heated Chanels of thy Veins Boil o're I still am obstinate in this Thou shalt renounce thy Father or thy Love Either resolve to part with Teraminta To send her forth with Tullia to her Father Or shake hands with me part and be accurs'd Make me believe thy Mother play'd me false And in my absence stampt the with Tarquin Tit. Hold Sir I do conjure you by the Gods Wrong not my Mother tho you doom me dead Curse me not till you hear what I resolve Give me a little time to rouze my Spirits To muster all the Tyrant-man about me All that is fierce austeer and greatly cruel To Titus and his Teraminta's ruin Brut. Remember me look on thy Fathers suff'rings What he has born for twenty rowling years If thou hast nature worth or honour in thee The contemplation of my cruel labours Will stir thee up to this new act of glory Thou want'st the Image of thy Father's wrongs O take it then reflected with the warmth Of all the tenderness that I can give thee Perhaps it stood in a wrong light before I 'll try all ways to place it to advantage Learn by my rigorous Roman Resolution To stiffen thy unharrass'd Infant vertue I do allow thee fond young soft and gentle Train'd by the Charms of one that is most lovely Yet Titus this must all be lost when Honor When Rome the World and the Gody come to claim us Think that thou hear'st 'em cry obey thy Father If thou art false or perjur'd there he stands Accountable to us but swear t' obey Implicitly believe him that if ought Be sworn amiss thou may'st have thought to answer Tit. What is it Sir that you would have me swear That I may scape your Curse and gain your blessing Brut. That thou this night will part with Teraminta For once again I swear if here she stayes What for the hatred of the Multitude And my Resolves to drive out Tarquin's Race Her person is not safe Tit. Here take me Sir Take me before I cool I swear this night That I will part with Oh! my Teraminta Brut. Swear too and by the Soul of Ravish'd
hear the Multitude and must among them Away my Son Tit. Bound and obedient ever Exit Enter Vinditius with Plebeians 1. Cit. Iupiter defend us I think the Firmament is all on a light fire Now Neighbour as you were saying as to the Cause of Lightning and Thunder and for the Nature of Prodigies Vin. What! a Taylor and talk of Lightning and Thunder why thou walking Shred thou moving Bottom thou upright Needle thou shaving edging Skirt thou Flip-flap of a Man thou vaulting Flea thou Nit thou Nothing dost thou talk of Prodigies when I am by O tempora O mores But Neighbours as I was saying what think you of Valerius All. Valerius Valerius Vin. I know you are piping hot for Sedition you all gape for Rebellion but what 's the near For look you Sirs we the People in the Body Politic are but the Guts of Government therefore we may rumble and grumble and Croke our hearts out if we have never a Head why how shall we be nourish'd therefore I say let us get us a Head a Head my Masters Brut. Protect me Iove and guard me from the Fantom Can this so horrid Apparition be Or is it but the making of my Fancy Vin. Ha Brutus what where is this Apparition 1. Cit. This is the Tribune of the Celeres A notable Head-piece and the King's Jester Brut. By Iove a Prodigy Vin. Nay like enough the Gods are very angry I know they are they told me so themselves For look you Neighbours I for my own part Have seen to day fourscore and nineteen Prodigies and a half Brut. But this is a whole one O most horrible Look Vinditius yonder o're that part O' the Capitol just just there man yonder look Vin. Ha my Lord Brut. I always took thee for a quick-sighted Fellow What art thou blind why yonder all o'fire It vomits Lightning 't is a monstrous Dragon Vin. O I see it O Iupiter and Iuno By the Gods I see it O Neighbours look look look on his filthy Nostrils 'T has eyes like flaming Saucers and a Belly Like a burning Caldron with such a swinging Tail And O a thing a thing that 's all o fire Brut. Ha! now it fronts us with a Head that 's mark'd With Tarquin's name and see 't is Thunder-strook Look yonder how it whizzes through the Air The Gods have strook it down 't is gone 't is vanish'd O Neighbours what what should this Potent mean Vin. Mean why it 's plain did we not see the Mark. Upon the Best Tarquin's the Dragon Neighbours Tarquin's the Dragon and the Gods shall swinge him All. A Dragon a Tarquin 1. Cit. For my part I saw nothing Vin. How Rogue why this is Prodigy on Prodigy Down with him knock him down what not see the Dragon 1. Cit. Mercy I did I did a huge monstrous Dragon Brut. So not a word of this my Masters not for your lives Meet me anon at the Forum but not a word Vinditius tell 'em the Tribune of the Celeres Intends this night to give them an Oration Exit Vendit and Rabble Enter Lucrece Valerius Lucretius Mutius Herminius Horatius Titus Tiberius Collatinus Brut. Ha! in the open Air so near you Gods So ripe your Judgments nay then let 'em break And burst the hearts of those that have deserv'd them Lucrece O Collatine art thou come Alas my Husband O my Love my Lord Coll. O Lucrece see I have obey'd thy Summons I have thee in my Arms but speak my Fair Say is all well Lucrece Away and do not touch me Stand near but touch me not My Father too Lucretius art thou here Luc. Thou seest I am Haste and relate thy lamentable Story Lucrece If there be Gods O will they not revenge me Draw near my Lord for sure you have a share In these strange woes Ah Sir what have you done Why did you bring that Monster of Manking The other Night to curse Collatia's walls Why did you blast me with that horrid Visage And blot my Honor with the Blood of Tarquin Coll. O all the Gods Lucrece Alas they are far off Or sure they would have help'd the wretched Lucrece Hear then and tell it to the wondring World Last night the Lustful bloody Sextus came Late and benighted to Collatia Intending as he said for Rome next morning But in the dead of Night just when soft sleep Had seal'd my eyes and quite becalm'd my Soul Methought a horrid voice thus thunder'd in my ear Lucrece thou' rt mine arise and meet my Arms When strait I wak'd and found young Tarquin by me His Robe unbutton'd red and sparkling eyes The flushing blood that mounted in his face The trembling eagerness that quite devour'd him With only one grim Slave that held a Taper At that dead stilness of the murd'ring Night Sufficiently declar'd his horrid purpose Coll. O Lucrece O! Lucrece How is it possible to speak the Passion The fright the throes and labour of my Soul Ah Collatine half dead I turn'd away To hide my shame my anger and my blushes While he at first with a dissembled mildness Attempted on my Honor But hastily repuls'd and with disdain He drew his Sword and locking his left hand Fast in my hair he held it to my breast Protesting by the Gods the Fiends and Furies If I refus'd him he would give me death And swear he found me with that swatthy Slave Whom he would leave there murder'd by my side Brut Villain Damn'd Villain Lucrece Ah Collatine Oh Father Iunius Brutus All that are kin to this dishonor'd blood How will you view me now Ah how forgive me Yet think not Collatine with my last tears With these last sighs these dying groans I beg you I do Conjure my Love my Lord my Husband Oh think me not consenting once in thought Tho he in act possess'd his furious pleasure For oh the name the name of an Adultress But here I faint Oh help me Imagine me my Lord but what I was And what I shortly shall be cold and dead Coll. Oh you avenging God! Lucrece my Love I swear I do not think thy Soul consenting And therefore I forgive thee Lucrece Ah my Lord Were I to live how should I answer this All that I ask you now is to Revenge me Revenge me Father Husband Oh revenge me Revenge me Brutus you his Sons revenge me Herminius Mutius thou Horatius too And thou Valerius all revenge me all Revenge the Honor of the Ravish'd Lucrece All. We will Revenge thee Lucrece I thank you all I thank you noble Romans And that my life tho well I know you wish it May not hereafter ever give example To any that like me shall be dishonor'd To live beneath so loath'd an Infamy Thus I for ever lose it thus set free My Soul my Life and Honour all together Revenge me Oh Revenge Revenge Revenge Dyes Luc. Strook to the heart already motionless Coll. O give me way t'lmbalm her with my tears For who has that propriety
of Sorrow Who dares to claim an equal share with me Brut. That Sir dare I and every Roman here What now at your laments your puling Sighs And Womans drops Shall these quit scores for blood For Chastity for Rome and violated Honor Now by the Gods my Soul disdains your tears There 's not a common Harlot in the Shambles But for a Drachma shall out-weep you all Advance the Body nearer See my Lords Behold you dazled Romans from the wound Of this dead Beauty thus I draw the Dagger All stain'd and reeking with her Sacred blood Thus to my lips I put the Hallow'd blade To yours Lucretius Collatinus yours To yours Herminius Mutius and Horatius And yours Valerius Kiss the Ponnyard round Now joyn your hands with mine and swear swear all By this chast Blood chast ere the Royal Villain Mixt his foul Spirits with the Spotless Mass Swear and let all the Gods be witnesses That you with me will drive proud Tarquin out His Wife th' Imperial Fury and her Sons With all the Race drive 'em with Sword and Fire To the World's limits Profligate accurst Swear from this time never to suffer them Nor any other King to Reign in Rome All. We Swear Brut. Well have you sworn and Oh methinks I see The hovering Spirit of the Ravish'd Matron Look down She bows her Airy head to bless you And Crown th' auspicious Sacrament with smiles Thus with her Body high expos'd to view March to the Forum with this Pomp of Death Oh Lucrece Oh! When to the Clouds thy Pile of Fame is rais'd While Rome is Free thy Memory shall be prais'd Senate and People Wives and Virgins all Shall once a year before thy Statue fall Cursing the Tarquins they thy Fate shall mourn But when the thoughts of Liberty return Shall bless the happy hour when thou wert born Exeunt ACT II. SCE. I. The Forum Tiberius Fabritius Lartius flaminius Tib. FAbritius Lartius and Flaminius As you are Romans and oblig'd by Tarquin I dare confide in you I say again Tho I could not refuse the Oath he gave us I disapprove my Father's undertaking I 'm Loyal to the last and so will stand I am in haste and must to Tullia Fab. Leave me my Lord to deal with the Multitude Tib. Remember this in short A King is one To whom you may complain when you are wrong'd The Throne lies open in your way for Justice You may be angry and may be forgiven There 's room for favor and for benefit Where Friends and Enemies may come together Have present hearing present composition Without recourse to the Litigious Laws Laws that are cruel deaf inexorable That cast the Vile and Noble altogether Where if you should exceed the bounds of Order There is no pardon O 't is dangerous To have all Actions judg'd by rigorous Law What to depend on Innocence alone Among so many Accidents and Errors That wait on human life Consider it Stand fast be Loyal I must to the Queen Exit Fab. A pretty Speech by Mercury Look you Lartius when the words lye like a low Wrestler round close and short squat pat and pithy Lar. But what should we do here Fabritius the Multitude will tear us in pieces Fab. 'T is true Lartius the Multitude is a mad thing a strange blunder-headed Monster and very unruly But eloquence is such a thing a fine moving florid pathetical Speech But see the Hydra comes let me alone fear not I say fear not Enter Vinditius with Plebeians Vin. Come Neighbours rank your selves plant your selves set your selves in Order the Gods are very angry I 'll say that for 'em pough pough I begin to sweat already and they 'l find us work enough to day I 'll tell you that And to say truth I never lik'd Tarquin before I saw the Mark in his forehead for look you Sirs I am a true Commonwealths-men and do not naturally love Kings tho they be good for why should any one man have more power than the People Is he bigger or wiser than the People Has he more Guts or more Brains than the People What can he do for the People that the People can't do for them selves Can he make Corn grow in a Famine can he give us Rain in Drought or make our Pots boil tho the Devil piss in the Fire 1. Cit. For my part I hate all Courtiers and I think I have reason for 't Vin. Thou reason Well Taylor and what 's thy reason 1. Cit. Why Sir there was a Crew of 'em t'other Night got drunk broke my windows and handled my wife Vin. How Neighbours Nay now the Fellow has reason look you his wife handled why this is a matter of moment 1. Cit. Nay I know there were some of the Princes for I heard Sextus his name Vin. I I the King's Sons my life for 't some of the King's Sons Well these roaring Lords never do any good among us Citizens they are ever breaking the Peace running in our Debts and swindging our wives Fab. How long at length thou many-headed Monster You Bulls and Bears you roaring Beasts and Bandogs Porters and Coblers Tinkers Taylors all You Rascally Sons of VVhores in a Civil Government How long I say dare you abuse our patience Does not the thought of Rods and Axes fright you Does not our presence ha these eyes these faces Strike you with trembling Ha! Vin. VVhy what have we here a very Spit-fire the Crack-fart of the Court Hold let me see him nearer yes Neighbours this is one of 'em one of your roaring Squires that poke us in the night beat the VVatch and deflowr our VVives I know him Neighbours for all his bouncing and his swearing this is a Court-Pimp a Baud one of Tarquin's Bauds Fab. Peace thou obstreperous Rascal I am a man of Honor. One of the Equestrian Order my name Fabritius Vin. Fabritius your Servant Fabritius Down with him Neighbours an upstart Rogue this is he that was the Queen's Coachman and drove the Chariot over her Father's Body down with him down with 'em all Bauds Pimps Pandars Fab. O mercy mercy mercy Vin. Hold Neighbours hold as we are great let us be just You Sirrah you of the Equestrian Order Knight now by Iove he has the look of a Pimp I find we can't save him Rise Sir Knight and tell me before the Majesty of the People what have you to say that you should not have your neck broke down the Tarpeian Rock your Body burnt and your Ashes thrown in the Tiber Fab. Oh! oh oh Vin. A Courtier a Sheep biter Leave off your blubbering and confess Fab. Oh! I will confess I will confess Vin. Answer me then Was not you once the Queen's Coachman Fab. I was I was Vin. Did you not drive her Chariot over the Body of her Father the dead King Tullus Fab. I did I did tho it went against my Conscience Vin. So much the worse Have you not since abused the good People by seducing
me a year within some horrid Dungeon So deep so near the Hells that I must suffer That I may groan my Torments to the Damn'd I do submit this Traitor this curs'd Villain To all the Stings of most ingenious horror So thou dispatch me ere my Father comes But hark I hear the tread of Fatel Brutus By all the Gods and by the lowest Furies I cannot bear his face away with me Or like a Whirlwind I will tear my way I care not whither Exit with Tiberius Val. Take 'em hence together Enter Vinditius with the Priests Vin. Here here my Lord I have unkennel'd two Those there are Rascals made of Flesh and blood Those are but men but these are the Gods Rogues Val. Go good Vinditius hast and stop the People Get 'em together to the Capitol Where all the Senate with the Consuls early Will see strict Justice done upon the Traytors For thee the Senate shall decree rewards Great as thy Service Vind. I humbly thank your Lordship Why what they 'l make me a Senator at least And then a Consul O th' Immortal Gods My Lord I go To have the Rods and Axes carry'd before me and a long purple Gown trailing behind my honorable heels Well I am made for ever Exit Enter Brutus attended Bru. O my Valerius are these horrors true Hast thou O Gods this night embowel'd me Ransack'd thy Brutus Veins thy Fellow Consul And found two Villains lurking in my blood Val. The blackest Treason that e're darkness brooded And who to hatch these horrors for the World Who to seduce the Noble Youth of Rome To draw 'em to so damn'd a Conjuration To bind 'em too by new invented Oaths Religious Forms and Devilish Sacrifices A Sacrament of blood for which Rome suffer'd In two the worthiest of her Martyr'd Sons Who to do this but Messengers from Heav'n These Holy men that Swore so solemnly Before the Senate call'd the Gods to curse 'em If they intended ought against the State Or harbor'd Treason more than what they utter'd Bru. Now all the Fiends and Furies thank 'em for it You Sons of Murder that get drunk with blood Then Stab at Princes poyson Commonwealths Destroy whole Hecatombs of Innocent Souls Pile 'em like Bulls and Sheep upon your Altars As you would smoke the Gods from out their Dwelling You shame of Earth and Scandal of the Heav'ns You deeper Fiends than any of the Furies That scorn to whisper Envy Hate Sedition But with a blast of Priviledge Proclaim it Priests that are Instruments design'd to Damnus Fit speaking Trumpets for the mouth of Hell Hence with 'em Guards secure 'em in the Prison Of Ancus Martius Read the Packets o're I 'll bear it as I 'm able read 'em out Val. The sum of the Conspiracy to the King It shall begin with both the Consuls deaths And then the Senate every man must bleed But those that have ingaged to serve the King Be ready therefore Sir to send your Troops By twelve to morrow night and come your self In person if you 'll reascend the Throne All that have sworn to serve your Majesty Subscribe themselves by name your faithful Subjects Tiberius Aquiltus Vitellius Trebonius Servilius Minutius Pomponius and your Fecialian Priests Bru. Ha! my Valerius is not Titus there Val. He 's here my Lord a paper by it self Titus to the King Sir you need only know my Brother's mind To judge of me who am resolv'd to serve you What do you think my Lord Bru. Think my Valerius By my heart I know not I 'm at a loss of thought and must acknowledge The Councils of the Gods are fathomless Nay 't is the hardest task perhaps of life To be assur'd of what is Vice or Virtue Whether when we raise up Temples to the Gods We do not then Blaspheme 'em O behold me Behold the Game that laughing Fortune playes Fate or the will of Heav'n call 't what you please That marrs the best designs that Prudence layes That brings events about perhaps to mock At human reach and sport with expectation Consider this and wonder not at Brutus If his Philosophy seems at a stand If thou behold'st him shed unmanly Tears To see his Blood his Children his own Bowels Conspire the death of him that gave 'em being Val. What heart but yours could bear it without breaking Bru. No my Valerius I were a beast indeed Not to be mov'd with such Prodigious suffering Yet after all I justifie the Gods And will conclude Ther 's Reason supernatural That guides us through the World with vast discretion Altho we have not Souls to comprehend it Which makes by wondrous methods the same Causes Produce effects tho of a different nature Since then for Man's Instruction and the Glory Of the Immortal Gods it is Decreed There must be patterns drawn of fiercest Virtue Brutus submits to the eternal Doom Val. May I believe there can be such perfection Such a Resolve in Man Bru. First as I am their Father I pardon both of 'em this black Design But as I am Rome's Consul I abhor 'em And cast 'em from my Soul with detestation The nearer to my blood the deeper grain'd The colour of their fault and they shall bleed Yes my Valerius both my Sons shall dye Enter Teraminta Nay I will stand unbowel'd by the Altar See something dearer to me than my entrails Display'd before the Gods and Roman People The Sacrifice of Justice and Revenge Ter. What Sacrifice what Victim Sir are these Which you intend O you eternal Powers How shall I vent my Sorrows Oh my Lord Yer ere you Seal the death you have design'd The death of all that 's lovely in the World Hear what the witness of his Soul can say The only Evidence that can or dare Appear for your unhappy guiltless Son The Gods command you Virtue Truth and Justice Which you with so much rigor have Ador'd Beg you would hear the wretched Teraminta Bru. Cease thy laments tho of the blood of Tarquin Yet more the Wife of my forgotten Son Thou shalt be heard Ter. Have you forgot him then Have you forgot your self the Image of you The very Picture of your excellence The Portraiture of all your manly Virtues Your visage stampt upon him just those eyes The moving Greatness of 'em all the mercy The shedding goodness not so quite severe Yet still most like and can you then forget him Bru. Will you proceed Ter. My Lord I will know then After your Son your Son that loves you more Than I love him after our common Titus The wealth o' th' World unless you rob 'em of it Had long endur'd th' Assaults of the Rebellious And still kept fix'd to what you had enjoyn'd him I as Fate order'd it was sent from Tullia With my death menac'd ev'n before his eyes Doom'd to be stab'd before him by the Priests Unless he yielded not t' oppose the King Consider Sir Oh make it your own Case Just Wedded just on
the expected joys Warm for my bed and rushing to my arms So loving too alas as we did love Granted in hast in heat in flame of passion He knew not what himself and so Subscrib'd But now Sir now my Lord behold a wonder Behold a Miracle to move your Soul Tho in my arms just in the grasps of pleasure His noble heart strook with the thoughts of Brutus Of what he promis'd you till then forgot Leapt in his brest and dash'd him from enjoyment He shriek'd y' immortal Gods what have I done No Teraminta let us rather perish Divide for ever with whole Seas betwixt us Rather than Sin against so good a Father Tho he before had barr'd your life and Fortune Yet would not trust the Traytors with the safety Of him he call'd tho Image of the Gods Val. O Saint-like Virtue of a Roman Wife O Eloquence Divine now all the arts Of Womens tongues the Rhetoric of the Gods Inspire thy soft and tender Soul to move him Ter. On this he rouz'd Swore by the Powers Divine He would fetch back the Paper that he gave Or leave his life amongst 'em kept his word And came to challenge it but oh too late For in the mid'st of all his Piety His strong perswasions to swift repentance His vows to lay their horrid Treasons open His execration of the barbarous Priests How he abhor'd that bloody Sacrament As much as you and curs'd the conjuration Vinditius came that had before alarm'd The wise Valerius who with all the Guards Found Titus here believ'd him like the rest And seiz'd him too as guilty of the Treason Val. But by the Gods my Soul does now acquit him Blest be thy tongue blest the auspicious Gods That sent thee O true pattern of perfection To plead his bleeding Cause There needs no more I see his Father 's mov'd Behold a joy A watry comfort rising in his eyes That sayes 'T is more than half a Heav'n to hear thee Bru. Hast O Valerius hast and send for Titus Ter. For Titus Oh that is a word too distant Say for your Son for your beloved Son The Darling of the World the joy of Heav'n The hope of Earth your eyes not dearer to you Your Soul's best wish and comfort of your age Enter Titus with Valerius Tit. Ah Sir Oh whither shall I run to hide me Where shall I lower fall how shall I lye More groveling in your View and howl for mercy Yet 't is some comfort to my wild despair Some joy in death that I may kiss your feet And swear upon 'em by these streaming tears Black as I am with all my guilt upon me I never harbor'd ought against your person Ev'n in the height of my full fraught distraction Your life my Lord was Sacred ever dear And ever pretious to unhappy Titus Bru. Rise Titus rise my Son Tit. Alas I dare not I have not strength to see the Majesty Which I have brav'd if thus far I aspire If on your knees I hang and vent my groans It is too much too much for thousand lives Bru. I pity thee my Son and I forgive thee And that thou may'st believe my mercy true I take thee in my arms Tit. O all the Gods Bru. Now rise I charge thee on my blessing rise Ter. Ah! See Sir see against his will behold He does obey tho he would choose to kneel An Age before you see how he stands and trembles Now by my hopes of mercy he 's so lost His heart 's so full brimful of tenderness The Sence of what you 've done has strook him Speechless Nor can be thank you now but with his tears Bru. My dear Valerius let me now intreat thee Withdraw a while with gentle Teraminta And leave us to our our selves Ter. Ah Sir I fear you now Nor can I leave you with the humble Titus Unless you promise me you will not chide Nor fall again to anger Do not Sir Do not upbraid his soft and melting temper With what is past Behold he sighs again Now by the Gods that hitherto have blest us My heart forebodes a storm I know not why But say my Lord give me your God-like word You 'l not be cruel and I 'll not trust my heart How e're it leaps and fills me with new horror Bru I promise thee Ter. Why then I thank you Sir Ev'n from my Soul I thank you for this goodness The great good gracious Gods reward and bless you Ah Titus ah my Soul 's eternal treasure I fear I leave thee with a hard Usurer But I perforce must trust thee Oh Farewell Exit with Val. Bru. Well Titus speak how is it with thee now I would attend awhile this mighty motion Wait till the Tempest were quite o'verblown That I might take thee in the Calm of Nature With all thy gentler Virtues brooding on thee So hush'd a stilness as if all the Gods Look'd down and listn'd to what we were saying Speak then and tell me O my best belov'd My Son my Titus is all well again Tit. So well that saying how must make it nothing So well that I could wish to dye this moment For so my heart with pow'erful throbs perswades me That were indeed to make you reparation That were my Lord to thank you home to dye And that for Titus too would be most happy Bru. How 's that my Son would death for thee be happy Tit. Most certain Sir for in my Grave I scape All those affronts which I in life must look for All those reproaches which the eyes and fingers And tongues of Rome will daily cast upon me From whom to a Soul so sensible as mine Each single Scorn would be far worse than dying Besides I scape the stings of my own Conscience Which will for ever Rack me with remembrance Haunt me by day and torture me by night Casting my blotted honor in the way Where e're my melancholy thoughts shall guide me Bru. But is not death a very dreadful thing Tit. Not to a mind resolv'd No Sir to me It seems as natural as to be born Groans and Convulsions and discolour'd faces Friends weeping round us blacks and obsequies Make it a dreadful thing the Pomp of death Is far more terrible than Death it self Yes Sir I call the Powers of Heav'n to witness Titus dares dye if so you have Decreed Nay he shall dye with joy to honor Brutus To make your Justice famous through the World And six the Liberty of Rome for ever Not but I must confess my weakness too Yet it is great thus to resolve against it To have the frailty of a mortal man But the Security of th' immortal Gods Bru. O Titus Oh thou absolute young man Thou flatt'ring Mirror of thy Father's Image Where I behold my self at such advantage Thou perfect Glory of the Iunian Race Let me indear thee once more to my bosom Groan an eternal Farewel to thy Soul Instead of tears weep blood if possible Blood
about But cannot find thee now I sink in shaddows Dyes Tit. I come thou matchless Virtne Oh my heart Farewel my Love we 'll meet in Heav'n again My Lord I hope your Justice is aton'd I hope the glorious Liberty of Rome Thus water'd by the blood of both your Sons fill get Imperial growth and slourish long Bru. Thou hast so nobly born thy self in dying That not to bless thee were to curse my self Therefore I give thee thus my last embrace Print this last kiss upon thy trembling lips And ere thou goest I beg thee to report me To the great Shades of Romulus and Numa Just with that Majesty and rugged Virtue Which thy inspir'd and which the World has seen So for I see thou' rt gon Farewel for ever Eternal Iove the King of Gods and Men Reward and Crown thee in the other World Tit. What happiness has Life to equal this By all the Gods I would not live again For what can Iove or all the Gods give more To fall thus Crown'd with Virtu's fullest Charms And dye thus blest in such a Father's arms Dyes Val. He 's gone the gallant Spirit 's fled for ever How fares this noble Vessel that is rob'd Of all its Wealth spoil'd of its Top mast glory And now lyes floating in this World of ruin Bru. Peace Consul peace let us not soil the pomp Of this Majestick Fate with Womans brawls Kneel Fathers Friends kneel all you Roman People Hush'd as dead Calms while I conceive a pray'r That shall be worthy Rome and worthy Iove Val. Inspire him Gods and thou oh Rome attend Bru. Let Heav'n and Earth for ever keep their bound The Stars unshaken go their constant Round In harmless labour be our steel employ'd And endless peace thro all the World enjoy'd Let every Bark the Waves in safety Plough No angry Tempest curl the Ocean's brow No darted flames from Heav'n make Mortals fear Nor Thunder fright the weeping Passenger Let not poor Swains for storms at Harvest mourn But smile to see their hoards of bladed Corn No dreadful Comets threaten from the Skies No venom fall nor poys nous Vapors rise Thou Iove who dost the Fates of Empires Doom Guard and Defend the Liberty of Rome FINIS Epilogue Spoken by Mr. Barrey NO cringing Sirs the Poets Champion I Have sworn to stand and ev'ry Iudge defie But why each Bullying critick shou'd I name A Iugde whose only business is to damne While you your Arbitrary fist advance At Wit and dust it like a boor of France Who without show of reason or pretence Condemn a man to dye for speaking sence How ere we term'd you once the wise the strong Know we have born your impotence too long You that above your Sires presume to soare And are but copies dawb'd in Minuture You that have nothing right in heart nor tongue But only to be resolute in wrong Who sence affect with such an Aukward Ayre As if a Frenchman should become severe Or an Italian make his Wife a jest Like Spaniards pleasant or like Dutchmen drest That rank the noblest Poets with the vile And look your selves in a Plebeian stile But with an Oath False as your Wit and Iudgment now I swear By the known Maiden heads of each Theater Nay by my own The Poets shall not stand Like Shrove-tide Cocks the Palt of every hand Let not the purblind Critick's sentence pass That shoots the Poet through anopick glass No peals of ill plac'd praise from galleries come Nor punk below to clap or hiss presume Let her not cackle at the fops that flout her Nor clukk the Squires that use to pipp about her No full blown block head bloated like an Ox Traverse the pit with-dam â—e what a pox Know then for Ev'ry misdemeanor here I 'll be more stabbing sharp and more severe Then the Fell-she that on her Keeper comes Who in his drink last night laid wast her Roomes Thundred her China damn'd her quality Her glasses broke and tore her Point Venie That drag'd her by the hair and broke her head A Chamber Lion but a lamb in bed Like her I 'le teez you for your midnight storming For your all talking and your noe performing You that with monstrous Iudgment force the Stage You fribling fumbling Keepers of the Age.