I talk'd of being King 'T is true I did they started first the Talk The Apparition of so great a Treason So scar'd me that I knew not what to answer I soon reflected I should better serve The State by humoring these Gentlemen To find how far they'd dug in such a Mine Then I should do by making 'em in friâ—â—ts Conceal their works But that I ever went One step with 'em or gave 'em cause to think I aim'd at being King I do deny And they have prov'd by hiding long the Treason But I commend 'em that they e're discover'd it And humbly beg noble Rewards for ' em Pret. What say you Gentlemen d' ee think my Lord Meant to be King Gis We know not what he meant We did discover it for fear he meant it But were not hasty in discovery Because it was not plain to us he meant it Pret. It seems he would and he would not be King Why Sir you baffle your own evidence What says your Reverence to this affair Hiar. I do desire as it becomes my Coat To have my name and conscience without spot I fear'd his Highness was ambitious To feel his pulse I mov'd him to be King His Highness did accept the tempting proffer To do my Duty to the State I told it But I must do his Highness right He ne're advanc'd one step in th' affair Or gave us cause to think he did approve it So I have conscientiously discharg'd My Duty to the Senate and his Highness Pret. That is to say y 'ave play'd the Knave with both And with yourself the Fool as you shall find What says that Citizen Bat. An 't please your Honor His Highness never said one word to me Of being King All I know of th' affair Was from his Reverence he told me indeed His Highness had a fancy to be King And also said if I would help his Highness To keep a correspondence with the Romans If by the Romans help he got the Crown I shou'd be sure of very rich rewards 1. Sen. So so they 've been disposing all our Money Pret. And all our Lives the Romans must ha' come By all y 'ave said y 'ave fairly clear'd my Lord And charg'd yourselves I think 't is fit they die What says your Lordships Sen. Ay ay hang 'em hang ' em Gisg How hang us Sen. Go away with 'em and hang ' em Gisg My Lord my Lord will you let us be hang'd To Asd Asd What wou'd you have me do oppose the Senate Gisg We are all fop'd here fop'd out of our lives Bat. Oh! dear I cannot dye I cannot dye Pret. Thou canst do nothing else thou dyest with fear Bat. I am not prepared to dye Gisg No Sir nor I. Bat. I have my Religion yet to chuse Gisg I have my hanging Equipage to make I desire to hang like a Man o' Quality Pret. Dye piously that 's the best Equipage 1. Sen. They 'r not content with hanging torture ' em Gis Hold hold my Lords we beg we may be hang'd Bat. That 's a sad thing must we intreat a hanging 2. Sen. Away with 'em and hang 'em presently Hiarbas Gisgon and Batto are guarded off Asd So Traytors now will have a care of me aside For I out-match 'em all at their own art Now venerable Lords my hands are free To guard you Pret. To destroy us all we know you aside A Noise of a Multitude crying Justice Justice Enter Offloer Offi. My Lords the Traytors are all executed And at their deaths conjured the Multitude If any thing they had was precious to 'em With utmost speed to quell Lord Asdrubal Or he 'd be King and they 'd be all undone So all the Town are at your gates to beg You 'll fling him to their mercy Pret. We will do 't Guards seize Lord Asdrubal and carry him out To be dispos'd as the good People please Asd As the base Rabble please your dirty Lords You take my life for what you ought to thank me I shou'd have honor'd you by being your King Had I been King y 'ad serv'd a high born Prince Now you are Vassals to a nasty Rout. Confound your Commonwealth Confound it no. Continue it Heaven that there may never live A great Man here In a base Commonwealth Merit is Treason a great Man oppresses His little Masters by out-shining ' em I 'm your Oppressor now your Tyrant now Fear of me tortures you I give you Laws Shake and look pale you do Obedient Cowards While I have Life I 've Empire in my frown And in my courage a bright awful Crown Ex. Pret. Why what a thundring Tyrant had this been Upon a Throne when he is thus in Fetters 1. Sen. 'T is well we 're rid of him wou'd with this ease We cou'd be freed from the bold dangerous Spartan The Traytor Asdrubal has told some truth A Commonwealth bears no imparity A great Man is a Tumor is a Disease Enter an Officer Offi. My Lords the Roman Consul is return'd The Spartan General attends With his great Prisoner to know your pleasures Pret. Go bring 'em in Enter Xantippus sad and dejected Regulus bold and lively Ha! What means this our General is sad Which is the Conqueror and which the Captive Reg. Have you forgotten me so soon my Lords Pret. No but you come with the air of a Triumpher Your Conqueror there comes like a mournful Prisoner Has he subdued you General since he went Xant Yes and your Lordships too he has o'recome In a more dreadful battle with his Friends Than e're he fought with your most valiant Troops Their griefs had sharper edges than your Swords He has o'recome 'em all and now returns To triumph here and if I might prevail He shou'd triumph and be led round the Town With Lawrels crown'd t' encourage all your Subjects To do for Carthage what he did for Rome For if you honor vertue in a Foe What may a great deserving Friend expect Pret. Is this true Regulus have you brought war Reg. I have done Justice both to Rome and you What Roman Valor got I have preserv'd And hither brought myself your right by war 1. Sen. Be crown'd with Lawrels torn with red hot Pincers Xant Be torn 2. Sen. Be torn Go fetch the Torturers Xant Touch him that dares he is my right Pret. Once more Out-brave us all in our own Senate-house Xantippus know we are provided for you Our fond confiding in your faith and honor Expos'd us lately to your insolence Now we have fifty Thousand Men in arms Affront us now no Spartan shall escape Xant Behave yourselves like Men and we 'll obey you But if you will be Lions and devour A valiant Man only in love to blood We 'll do our best to scowre your filthy den Happen what will to us Reg. Gallant Xantippus No more no more o' this if y' are my Friend You torture me more than these Men can do For I shall glory in
very rich Reward Bat. Well I will serve his Highness That is if he succeeds I 'l stay till then Aside If he does not succeed I will inform The Senate and help them to hang up him If he gets all the Town into his power I 'l help him to be King and hang the Senate A Shout Asd See what 's the meaning of that Shout Enter Gentleman Gen. The Spartan General and Hamilcar have treated with Regulus about delivering the Town Asd Now the truth comes to light Gen. A Roman Tribune was privately convey'd under ground to Lord Hamilcar's house about that design The People have learnt the Story thousands are run to the Lord Hamilcar's house to pull it down thousands are come to your Palace to beg you to protect 'em against the Romans and Hamilcar both Hiar. Where 's the Spartan General Gen. Gone out o' Town to bring Regulus in The people have shut the Gates and are resolv'd to kill him if ever he comes near the walls Asd I 'l among the good people and serve ' em Ex. SCENE the Roman Camp Enter Fulvia and her Women a Song sung to her The SONG Ah me to many Death 's decreed My Love to War goes every day In every Wound of his I bleed I die the hour he goes away Yet I wou'd hate him shou'd he stay Ah me to many Death 's decreed By Love or War I hourly die If I see not my Love I bleed Yet when I have him in my Eye He kills me with excess of Joy Ful. Go bid the Musick cease I find it vain Dark thoughts of late have my mind their haunt I thought to lay th' ill Spirits by sweet Sounds But 't will not do who 's that Commander there Wom. Lepidus Madam Ful. Oh! a gallant Man And one I love because he loves the Consul Go call him hither I wou'd speak with him Enter Lepidus Good morning Lepidus what news to day Lep. Oh! Madam joyful News the gracious Gods Have stoop'd to be our Pioneers to night And undermin'd the Carthaginian Wall Thrown to the ground no little part of it We have an open passage into Town And we 'l accept the invitation The Consul will in person view the Breach Then order an Assault Ful. Oh! Lepidus I taste no Joy in this Lep. Good Madam why Ful. I am distemper'd with oppressing Fears Which deaden all delight to me I 've none Even in my lov'd my ador'd Regulus Lep. How none in Regulus Ful. None even in him My Sorrow comes from him Lep. What is his Fault Ful. He has no Fault from thence my Fears arise We always find Men have a check by death When they approach near Gods in excellence If they will be ador'd they must ascend And put off mortal Natures Had he Faults To moderate my Bliss and make it fit For humane Creature I shou'd have more hope But nothing mortal must presume to reach At perfect happiness the lot of Heaven Lep. You hunt out Griefs as they were hard to find And study Arts how to perplex your self Consider Madam how belov'd he seems By Fortune how she fondly clings to him Caresses him with strange extravagance At his first landing here she tore in two This Empire and gave him the fairest piece Now she has torn yon' Wall as she were mad To have him nearer faster in her Arms. And the truth is he has her now so fast She cannot if she wou'd break from him now Ful. I know his Fortunes are like his Deserts In great Excess but all Excess destroys Excessive Lustre like excessive Heat Frail Man bears not We very rarely find Men in intemp'rate Glories are long-liv'd Oh! he is near his end Lep. Nay this is strange Ful. I must lament his death before he dies For when he 's dead I shall run mad with grief And the dear Man will fall unmourn'd by me Lep. Misery deserves not sure this great Respect That you shou'd run to meet it e're it comes Ful. You make me mad have I more fear than you Or any in the Camp did not this Morn Spread Terrors through you all Lep. Then have you heard Ful. I cou'd hear Thunder sure Thunder which seem'd to burst the Firmament And I cou'd see the ruddy Face of Morn Turn'd o' the sudden black one wou'd ha' thought The Night had wheel'd about and strangled her Night ne're was clad in such thick woven Blacks As were of late spread like a Funeral Pall O're day as day were dead Lep. 'T was wonderful Ful. Why d' ye abuse me then and hide the truth As I were th' only Woman in your Camp The boldest of you all was turn'd this Morn To things like heartless Women at the least And by a Woman too by something less The shadow of a Woman I 've heard all Lep. I 'm sorry for 't Ful. Day turn'd away its Face That a dead Beauty boldly might appear In all the wretched nakedness of Death To the great Man to whom she once was fair The Consul Did not his late beautiful Chaste modest Wife the dead Apamin Appear to him this Morning in his Tent Ay and to you and many more great Officers Assembled there Lep. She did if we dreamt not Ful. Oh! you were far from such repose as sleep The Fantom whiter than the Shroud she wore Dissolv'd you all into a thin cold dew You lay all vanishing beneath her eye Which brightly shone thro' the dim mists of death She was the firmest substance of you all Bating the Consul he remain'd the same And was the only living person there Whom yet she seem'd to say with speaking looks She pitied much she pierc'd his eyes with hers As with their points she wou'd upon his Soul Engrave her pitying thoughts Lep. 'T was so indeed But they were much to blame who told you this And frightned you I wou'd no more ha' don 't Than thrown a poyson'd Dart into your breast Ful. VVhy should you hide from me what is my own I 've in this dismal story too much share More than my understanding can dispose 'T will make me mad Ah! may I lose my wits E're I lose him that I may have no sence VVhen the Blow comes Lep. VVhy do you think 't will come Ful. VVhat else should move the dead Apamia To bear the light which living beauties shun But to have him Oh! that 's her Errant here Lep. I 'll not presume to combat with your fear One will soon do it who can conquer it He conquers all things 't is your Regulus Your griefs and fears have reach'd his ear and heart And he will come to ease your soul and his Trumpets He 's come I see his Guards I see himself I sâ—â—â—our Father the Proconsul too Enter Regellus Metellus an Augur Reg. Most beautiful reward of all my Labors In whose kind Love I am before hand paid And overpaid for all my Sword can do Permit me to be careful of my Treasure And lodge you safely
the blows others give Your Name will have a noble sound from all the blows which make many a Coxcomb ake though you ne're strike stroke Asd This is prate I must not lose mine Honor. Gis Sir if you will go I beseech you kill me Your danger will put me in such torment I shall not be able to bear it I would not follow you for all the world and see an Arrow come near you Hiar. Sir you are going to be a King keep State Do not let every paltry Sword be familiar with your Person Gis Sir I who am but a Gentleman scorn as much to let a base Fellow fight with me as eat with me A Shout Enter an Officer Off. Good news Sir your Enemies are beaten Lord Hamilcar is taken Prisoner Gis Huzza well Sir you are a glorious Prince What Soldiership you have shown to day Asd Do you laugh at me You would not let me discover Soldiership Gis We would not let you play the common Soldier and run your self into danger but you shewed such Generalship as I never saw and I have seen many a General and many a General in my time They may talk of their Reguluses and their Reguluses Sir if you ben't a better Soldier than Regulus I 'le hang for 't Asd Oh! prithee Gis Come Sir I know Generalship when I see it Now Sir the Crown is within your reach send me to Sea I 'le do you Honor there I 'le keep you such a Table Hiar. Shall I humbly offer you my advice Sir Make all Persons depend upon you Crush them that will not Advance them that will But above all favor those upon whom you depend that is to say us Priests Asd Go fetch my Lord Hamilcar to an Officer now he 's mine aside His Daughter will be mine I have hold of her By a strong tye Affection to her Father I love her beauty though herself I hate For the disgrace and scorn sh 'as thrown on me If I can ever get her in my power She first shall please my Lust then my Revenge Enter Hamilcar a Prisoner So so here comes the noble Criminal Dear Countrymen you see the power of truth I charg'd this Lord with Treason against the State Great was his power and policy but truth Greater than both breaks out in spite of ' em Ham. Dear Countrymen y 're all out of your way And 't is no wonder men in darkness rove What light have you in mysteries of State What business there could you come by a light I pray who made you Privy Councellors The Senate never did A Roman Tribune Was i' my house to day know you for what No when you do you 'l be asham'd o' this Asd My Lord y 're of a Noble Family But the more great you are the greater bonds Lie on you to be faithful to the Public From whence you have such great advantages Truth is a Debt you owe the Commonwealth A man of Honor ought to pay his Debts I should be glad you 'd fairly discharge yours For my own sake that I might come off cheaply Without the torment of tormenting you For I can pain no man and scape my self Hiar. Here 's a sweet Gentleman Gis A lovely creature Ham. My Lord you wrack me now by shewing me Such shameful baseness in a Nobleman Asd Is it possible have you no tenderness Nor for the Commonwealth nor for your self He 'l force me to inflict those torments on him Which I can never suffer tho he can Hiar. Was ever such a noble soul to have such a concern for his Enemies Gis Oh! Countrymen you 'l have a delicate Magistrate Enter Batto Asd Oh! here comes one I hope can ease us all Batto you 've had great dealings with this Lord And must know very much of his designs If you 'd discover to us what they are You 'd greatly serve your Country and your self Bat. How I turn Evidence when the trade comes to nothing no such matter I ne're like the trade when 't was at best Besides I have nothing to evidence I could make a Story but what should I make of the story it may be a Rope for my self A great man if an unmanageable thing I don't care to deal with him Though he 's down now he may get up again and knock my brains out aside An 't please your Honor I only dealt with his Lordship about money matters if he had any treasonable designs he had more wit than to tell me he knew I abhorred them and would discover them Therefore I had a pretty good opinion of him because he employ'd me So I can say nothing against him I 'm sorry for it Asd I must be forc'd to fly to violence Most unexpressibly against my nature Gis Good Gentlemen Asd Ha! what I wish I see his Daughter come aside Enter Elisa and her Women El. Oh! where 's my Father Oh! my Lord my Lord Ham. Daughter away away you ruine me I was not half undone before you came For you my better half was then secure El. I cou'd not hold from venturing my own life To preserve yours Ham. Prethee what canst thou do To preserve me that will not ruin me Wilt thou give up thy honour El. Heaven forbid Ham. That thou wilt do only by marrying him Since thou art promis'd to a Nobler Man El. I 'll try to fool him into clemency Ham. Oh! he will not be fool'd El. Yes by a woman Asd Madam I hope y' are lab'ring to preserve Your Father both from death and suffering I seek to do 't whose ruine he hath sought Can you prevail with him to own the truth El. My Lord you know he 's innocent at least You do not know of any guilt he has Asd We do not know what 's needful to be known We know so much that I shall deserve death If I consent to smother all the rest Madam I have much tenderness for you Indeed I 'm very unwilling to let fall Your Fathers heavy doom in your soft ear Therefore I pray retire out of harms way Attend the Lady out El. Oh! hold my Lord. Can you destroy the Father of a Woman Whom you once dearly lov'd You swore you did Asd To save the State I cou'd destroy my self El. My Lord the World knows well you love a Woman Above the Commonwealth above your self And if you can be cruel to a Woman What must the Men expect when at your mercy They must all please your Lust or be destroy'd For oh my Father did refuse me to you From thence arises all your Rage against him Asd Madam I am so far from private Piques Let any Man discover me a way How publick Safety and your Father's Life May stand together and with all my heart I 'll pardon him what e're he did to me Nay more I 'l lay my Life under his Feet Ham. How good are you for I 'l ne're pardon you The Mischiefs you ha' done the Commonwealth El. Oh!
Heaven This shred of Life cannot be all the Web Nature has wrought to cover divine Spirits There is a Heaven because there 's misery The divine Power ever blest and good Made not the World for an ill natur'd jest To sport himself in pains of those he made Ful. True but for Heaven what must you endure Reg. No more than what you cou'd endure for me Ful. Oh! that I might I 'd run to it with joy Reg. Then cannot I for you sweet Fulvia Met. So y 'ave prepared balm for the parting blow And that you may the better bear it to Take from each other your entangling Eyes I 'll interpose and hide 'em now my Lord. Metellus goes between Regulus offers to go Fulvia holds him Ful. Hold hold I cannot will not let you go I 'll lose my arms before I 'll lose my hold I know what you resolve is glorious But I 'm a Woman and my Love prevails And the more brave you are the more I love And the less able am to part with you Reg. Oh! I am in a tempting dangerous snare Ful. Nay do not grieve you cannot scape from me I shall release you soon my heart will break The Ghost of Apamia rises Fulvia shreiks and falls in her Womens Arms. Met. She shreiks and dies her heart is broke indeed Poor Girl Reg. Oh! now I see what made her shriek A frightful Messenger is come for me Met. From Carthage Reg. From the dead 't is my dead Wife Ghost sinks Met. I perceive nothing dead but my poor Child I hope she 's dead life would afflict her now Reg. Take notice Heaven what we all endure Only for Vertue This one sweet last touch Of this fair hand is the only recompence I shall receive for all I lose on Earth Met. I 'll see you to the Lines then take my leave Ex. Fulvia recovers Ful. Oh! he is gone he is for ever gone Fond tears be gone such vain and vulgar sorrow Does not become the grave of Regulus I 'll strew his Tomb with Carthaginian Ruines And this whole Nation for his bloody death Shall weep to death in blood Ho Lepidus Enter Lepidus Where is your Consul Lep. He is near the Walls Where Thousands of us will be presently We are preparing for him a revenge Ful. Come follow me I 'm now your Consul his Soul lives in me We 'll bury Carthage so that where it stood In future ages shall to few be known Some shall believe here never was a Town Ex. SCENE Carthage Enter Asdrubal Senators and Attendants Asd Most noble Senators will you be pleas'd To tell my honorable Lords the Senate I 'll only give some necessary orders About their Service then attend their Pleasures Sen. We shall my Lord. Ex. Senators Asd I fee the Senates craft I 'm only us'd like Physic for a need With loathing forc'd upon 'em and the wish'd Effect once wrought I shall be flung away For Commonwealths cannot bear glorious men By the confessions of the Priest and Gisgon I am in danger but I 'll try to quash ' em I order'd the confessing Gentlemen To his Attend. Should be brought to me 1. They are come my Lord. Enter Hiarbas Gisgon Batto guarded Asd How the Rogues look and tremble for my sport aside I 'll let their terrors worry 'em a while Gisg What will he do with us Hiar. I do not know I 'm under dreadful consternation Gisg How are y' afraid of death now it is come I 've heard you crow over death on your own Dunghil Bat. Oh! no profaneness in affliction pray Gis Oh! now the wind sits there y 'ave a sore Throat At other times your swallow's large enough Asd The Rascals wrangle and how pale they look The Priest there has a face just like a Goose White every where except about his Bill His Nose is faithful to the dye Wine gave it Well now my grave my cheating face goes on aside Oh! Gentlemen I love and honor you Come to my arms Hiar. What 's this come to his arms aside Gis Has he not got an engine there to flash us aside Asd You lov'd the Commonwealth above my life Or your own credit you are honest men You play'd the part of Spies oh you did well To tell you truth it was a part I play'd I was a Spy on you Gisg Indeed my Lord Asd Indeed But you had one great quality Most fit for Spies of which I had no share You scorn those scorns which always are the vales Of that unlucky Office I confess I was kept under by the fear of shame And partly by some tenderness for you I love you Gentlemen Gisg Your humble Servant Hiar. Your Excellencies very humble Servant Gisg A noble Gentleman Bat. A gallant Man Asd Besides I found no great necessity To do you harm when I had power enough To hinder you from doing the State harm But that I never meant to wrong the State I swear before the Gods Do not I know It is impossible to be King here Speak your minds Gentlemen you never thought I was so foolish as to be in earnest And stake my life at a sure losing game Hiar. We knew not what to think of your Highness We acted as our Consciences directed Asd Oh! You did very well y' are honest men Bat. I can swear for your Highness you never said one word to me of being King Asd Th' ast done me right so must these Gentlemen Or they will bring great guilt upon themselves For Gentlemen had you thought me in earnest You 'd have inform'd when first you knew my guilt Instead o'th at you never let it go Till you cou'd purchase your own lives by it For Sirs can you deny the fear of death Had not a mighty hand in this great work Gisg It had a little finger in 't indeed Asd Well Gentlemen y 'ave serv'd the Senate well Now he that is an entire honest Man Does right to all Men clear my innocence Then both the Senate and myself must love you For having serv'd us both most honestly And let me tell you it is in my power To raise or ruine you which I shall do According as I find you good or bad Hiar. We had best stick to him he 's a great man aside to Gis Gis Ay and a very devillish cunning Man aside Bat. Ay and an honest man for ought I know He never said a word to me of being King aside Hiar. This Fellows evidence too will mischief us We 'll serve your Highness Asd You are honest men Come we will to the Senate they are sate Ex. SCENE The Senate House The Senate sitting the Pretor in the Chair Enter Asdrubal Hiarbas Gisgon Batto Asd Most Honorable Venerable Lords I have an infinite desire to serve you It is my sole ambition whatsoe're Some Men may tell you but alas my arm Is wither'd by a blast these Gentlemen Have blown upon me I must do 'em right They have inform'd