fair Who in his hand a flaming Sword did bear And Whirlwind-like around him drove the Air. At his rais'd arm the rigid Iron shook And bending backwards fled before the stroke Max. What! Miracles the tricks of Heav'n to me I 'le try if she be wholly Iron free If not by Sword then she shall dye by fire And one by one her Miracles I 'le tire If proof against all kind of death she be My Love 's immortal and she 's fit for me S. Cath. No Heav'n has shown its pow'r and now thinks fit Thee to thy former fury to remit Had Providence my longer life decreed Thou from thy passion hadst not yet been freed But Heav'n which suffer'd that my Faith to prove Now to its self does vindicate my Love A pow'r controls thee which thou dost not see And that 's a Miracle it works in thee Max. The truth of this new Miracle we 'll try To prove it you must take the pains to dye Bring me their heads Fel. That mercy Tyrant thou deny'st to me At thy last breath may Heav'n refuse to thee My fears are going and I death can view I see I see him there thy steps pursue And with a lifted arm and silent pace Stalk after thee just aiming in his chace S. Cath. No more dear Mother ill in death it shows Your peace of mind by rage to discompose No streak of blood the reliques of the Earth Shall stain my Soul in her immortal birth But she shall mount all pure a white and Virgin mind And full of all that peace which there she goes to find Exeunt S. Catharine and Felicia with Valerius and Guards The Scene shuts Max. She 's gone and pull'd my heart-strings as she went Were penitence no shame I could repent Yet 't is of bad example she should live For I might get th' ill habit to forgive Thou soft Seducer of my heart away Who ling'ring would'st about its confines stay To watch when some Rebellion would begin And ready at each sigh to enter in In vain for thou Dost on the outside of the body play And when drawn nearest shalt be whirl'd away What ails me that I cannot lose thy thought Command the Empress hither to be brought To Placid I in her death shall some diversion find And rid my thoughts at once of woman-kind Placid 'T is well he thinks not of Porphyrius yet Aside Exit Max. How hard it is this Beauty to forget My stormy rage has only shook my will She crept down lower but she sticks there still Fool that I am to struggle thus with Love Why should I that which pleases me remove True she should dye were she concern'd alone But I love not for her sake but my own Our Gods are Gods 'cause they have pow'r and will Who can do all things can do nothing ill Ill is Rebellion 'gainst some higher pow'r The World may sin but not its Emperour My Empress then shall dye my Princess live If this be ill I do my self forgive To him Valerius Val. Your will 's obey'd for mighty Emperour The Princess and her Mother are no more Max. She is not dead Val. Great Sir your will was so Max. That was my will of half an hour ago But now 't is alter'd I have chang'd her Fate She shall not dye Val. Your pity comes too late Betwixt her Guards she seem'd by Bride-men led Her cheeks with cheerful blushes were o'respred When smiling to the Ax she bow'd her head Just at the stroke AEtherial musick did her death prepare Like joyful sounds of Spousals in the Air. A radiant light did her crown'd Temples guild And all the place with fragrant scents was fill'd The Balmy mist came thick'ning to the ground And sacred silence cover'd all around But when its work perform'd the Cloud withdrew And day restor'd us to each others view I sought her head to bring it on my Spear In vain I sought it for it was not there No part remain'd but from afar our sight Discover'd in the Air long tracks of light Of charming Notes we heard the last rebounds And Musick dying in remoter sounds Max. And dost thou think This lame account fit for a Love-sick King Go from the other World a better bring Kills him then sets his foot on him and speaks on When in my breast two mighty passions strove Thou had'st err'd better in obeying Love 'T is true that way thy death had follow'd too But I had then been less displeas'd than now Now I must live unquiet for thy sake And this poor recompence is all I take Spurns the bodâ— Here the Scene opens and discovers Berenice on a Scaffold the Guards by her and amongst them Porphyrius and Albinus like Moors as all the Guards are Placidius enters and whispers the Emperour whilst Porphyrius speaks Por. From Berenice I cannot go away But like a Ghost must near my Treasure stay Alb. Night and this shape secure us from their eyes Por. Have courage then for our bold enterprise Duty and Faith no tye on me can have Since I renounc'd those Honours which he gave Max. The time is come we did so long attend To Berenice Which must these discords of our Marriage end Yet Berenice remember you have been An Empress and the Wife of Maximin Ber. I will remember I have been your Wife And therefore dying beg from Heav'n your life Be all the discords of our Bed forgot Which Vertue witness I did never spot What errors I have made though while I live You cannot pardon to the dead forgive Max. How much she is to piety inclin'd Behead her while she 's in so good a mind Por. Stand firm Albinus now the time is come To free the Empress Alb. And deliver Rome Por. Within I feel my hot blood swell my heart And generous tremblings in each outward part 'T is done Tyrant this is thy latest hour Porphyrius and Albinus draw and are making at the Emperour Ber. Look to your self my Lord the Emperour Treason help help my Lord Maximin turns and defends himself the Guards set on Porphyrius and Albinus Max. Disarm 'em but their lives I charge you spare After they are disarm'd Unmask 'em and discover who they are Good Gods is it Porphyrius whom I see Placid I wonder how he gain'd his liberty Max. Traytor Por. Know Tyrant I can hear that name Rather than Son and bear it with less shame Traytor 's a name which were my arm yet free The Roman Senate would bestow on thee To Ber. Ah Madam you have ruin'd my design And lost your life for I regard not mine Too ill a Mistress and too good a Wife Ber. It was my duty to preserve his life Max. Now I perceive To Porphyriu In what close walks your mind so long did move You scorn'd my Throne aspiring to her Love Ber. In death I 'le owne a Love to him so pure As will the test of Heav'n it self endure A Love so chast as Conscience could not chide
Maximin struggles with him and gets the Dagger from him Max. Thus I return the strokes which they have giv'n Stabbing Placid Thus Traytor thus and thus I would to Heav'n Stabbing upward with his Dagger Placidius falls and the Emperour staggers after him and sits down upon him the Guards come in to help the Emperour Max. Stand off and let me e're my strength be gone Take my last pleasure of revenge alone Enter a Centurion Cen. Arm arm the Camp is in a mutiny For Rome and Liberty the Souldiers cry Porphyrius mov'd their pity as he went To rescue Berenice from punishment And now he heads their new-attempted crime Max. Now I am down the Gods have watch'd their time You think To save your credit feeble Deities But I will give my self the strength to rise He strives to get up and being up staggers It wonnot be My body has not strength my mind to bear I must return again and conquer here Sits down upon the Body My coward Body does my will controul Farewel thou base Deserter of my Soul I 'le shake this Carcass off and be obey'd Reign an Imperial Ghost without its aid Go Souldiers take my Ensigns with you fight And vanquish Rebels in your Soveraign's right Before I die Bring me Porphyrius and my Empress dead I would brave Heav'n in my each hand a head Placid Do not regard a dying Tyrants breath To the Souldiers He can but look revenge on you in death Max. Vanquish'd and dar'st thou yet a Rebel be Thus I can more than look revenge on thee Stabs him again Placid Oh I am gone Dyes Max. And after thee I go Revenging still and following ev'n to th' other world my blow Stabs him again And shoving back this Earth on which I sit I 'le mount and scatter all the Gods I hit Dyes Enter Porphyrius Berenice Albinus Souldiers Porphyrius tooks on the Bodies entring and speaks Por. 'T is done before this mighty work of Fate And I am glad our Swords are come too late He was my Prince and though a bloody one I should have conquer'd and have mercy shown Sheath all your Swords and cease your enmity They are not Foes but Romans whom you see Ber. He was my Tyrant but my Husband too And therefore duty will some tears allow Por. Placidius here And fair Valeria new depriv'd of breath Who can unriddle this dumb-show of death Cyd. When Sir her Father did your life deny She kill'd her self that she with you might dye Placidius made the Emp'rours death his crime Who dying did revenge his death on him Porphyrius kneels and takes Valeria's hand Por. For thy dear sake I vow each week I live One day to fasting and just grief I 'le give And what hard Fate did to thy life deny My gratitude shall pay thy memory Cen. Mean time to you belongs th' Imperial pow'r We with one voice salute your Emperour Souldiers Long live Porphyrius Emperour of the Romans Por. Too much my Country men your Love you show That you have thought me worthy to be so But to requite that Love I must take care Not to ingage you in a Civil War Two Emperours at Rome the Senate chose And whom they chose no Roman should oppose In Peace or War let Monarchs hope or fear All my ambition shall be bounded here Kissing Berenice's hand Ber. I have too lately been a Prince's Wife And fear th' unlucky Omen of the life Like a rich Vessel beat by storms to shore 'T were madness should I venture out once more Of glorious troubles I will take no part And in no Empire reign but of your heart Por. Let to the winds your golden Eagles flye To the Souldier Your Trumpets sound a bloodless Victory Our Arms no more let Aquileia fear But to her Gates Our peaceful Ensigns crown'd with Olives bear While I mix Cypress with my Myrtle Wreath Joy for your life and mourn Valeria's Death Exeunt omnes Epilogue Spoken by Mrs. Ellen when she was to be carried off dead by the Bearers To the Bearer HOld are you mad you damn'd confounded Dog I am to rise and speak the Epilogue To the Audience I come kind Gentlemen strange news to tell ye I am the Ghost of poor departed Nelly Sweet Ladies be not frighted I 'le be civil I 'm what I was a little harmless Devil For after death we Sprights have just such Natures We had for all the World when humane Creatures And therefore I that was an Actress here Play all my Tricks in Hell a Goblin there Gallants look to 't you say there are no Sprights But I 'le come dance about your Beds at nights And faith you 'l be in a sweet kind of taking When I surprise you between sleep and waking To tell you true I walk because I dye Out of my Calling in a Tragedy O Poet damn'd dull Poet who could prove So sensless to make Nelly dye for Love Nay what 's yet worse to kill me in the prime Of Easter-Term in Tart and Cheese-cake time I 'le fit the Fopp for I 'le not one word say T' excuse his godly out of fashion Play A Play which if you dare but twice sit out You 'l all be stander'd and be thought devout But farewel Gentlemen make haste to me I 'm sure e're long to have your company As for my Epitaph when I am gone I 'le trust no Poet but will write my own Here Nelly lies who though she liv'd a Slater'n Yet dy'd a Princess acting in S. Cathar'n
your Daughter Sir are here Por. What dangers in those charming Eyes appear Looking on the Empress How my old wounds are open'd at this view And in my murd'rers presence bleed anew Max. I did expect your coming to partake To the Ladies The general gladness which my Triumphs make You did Porphyrius as a Courtier know But as a Conquerour behold him now Ber. You know I read it in your blushing face To Por. To merit better than receive a grace And I know better silently to own Than with vain words to pay your service done Por. Princes like Gods reward e're we deserve Kneeling to kiss hâ—â—â— And pay us in permitting us to serve Oh might I still grow here and never move lower Ber. How dangerous are these extasies of Love He shows his passion to a thousand Eyes He cannot stir nor can I bid him rise That word my heart refuses to my tongue Aside Max. Madam you let the General kneel too long Por. Too long as if Eternity were so Aside Ber. Rise good Porphyrius since it must be so Aside Por. Like Hermits from a Vision I retire rising With Eyes too weak to see what I admire Aside Val. The Empress knows your worth but Sir there be To Porphyrius who kisses her hand Those who can value it as high as she And 't is but just since in my Fathers cause You fought your Valour should have my applause Placid O Jealousie how art thou Eagle-ey'd She loves and would her Love in praises hide How am I bound this Rival to pursue Who ravishes my Love and Fortune too Aside A Dead March within and Trumpets Max. Somewhat of mournful sure my Ears does wound Like the hoarse murmurs of a Trumpets sound And Drums unbrac'd with Souldiers broken cryes Enter Albinus Albinus Whence proceeds this dismal noise Alb. Too soon you 'l know what I want words to tell Max. How fares my Son Is my Charinus well Not answer me Oh my prophetique fear Alb. How can I speak or how Sir can you hear Imagine that which you would most deplore And that which I would speak is it or more Max. Thy mournful message in thy looks I read Is he oh that I live to ask it dead Alb. Sir Max. Stay if thou speak'st that word thou speak'st thy last Some God now if he dares relate what 's past Say but he 's dead that God shall mortal be Alb. Then what I dare not speak look back and see Charinus born in dead by Souldiers Max. See nothing Eyes henceforth but Death and wo You 've done me the worst office you can do Youv'e shown me Destinies prepost'rous crime An unripe fate disclos'd e're Nature's time Placid Asswage great Prince your passion lest you show There 's somewhat in your Soul which Fate can bow Por. Fortune should by your greatness be controul'd Arm your great mind and let her take no hold Max. To tame Philosophers teach constancy There is no farther use of it in me Gods but why name I you All that was worth a pray'r to you is gone I ask not back my Vertue but my Son Alb. His too great thirst of fame his ruine brought Though Sir beyond humanity he fought Placid This was my Vision of this fatal day Alb. With a fierce hast he led our Troops the way While fiery showrs of Sulphur on him rain'd Nor left he till the Battlements he gain'd There with a Forest of their Darts he strove And stood like Capaneus defying Jove With his broad Sword the boldest beating down While Fate grew pale lest he should win the Town And turn'd the Iron leafs of its dark Book To make new dooms or mend what it mistook Till sought by many Deaths he sunk though late And by his fall asserted doubtful Fate Vale. Oh my Dear Brother whom Heav'n let us see And would not longer suffer him to be Max. And didst not thou a Death with Honour chuse To Alb. But impudently liv'st to bring this news After his loss how did'st thou dare to breath But thy base Ghost shall follow him in death A decimation I will strictly make Of all who my Charinus did forsake And of each Legion each Centurion Shall dye Placidius see my pleasure done Por. Sir you will lose by this severity Your Souldiers hearts Max. Why they take Pay to dye Por. Then spare Albinus only Max. I consent To leave his life to be his punishment Discharg'd from trust branded with infamy Let him live on till he ask leave to dye Ber. Let me petition for him Max. I have said And will not be intreated but obey'd But Empress whence does your compassion grow Ber. You need not ask it since my birth you know The Race of Antonin's was nam'd the Good I draw my pity from my Royal Blood Max. Still must I be upbraided with your Line I know you speak it in contempt of mine But your late Brother did not prize me less Because I could not boast of Images And the Gods own'd me more when they decreed A Thracian Shepherd should your Line succeed Ber. The Gods O do not name the pow'rs divine They never mingled their Decrees with thine My Brother gave me to thee for a Wife And for my Dowry thou didst take his life Max. The Gods by many Victories have shown That they my merits and his death did own Ber. Yes they have own'd it witness this just day When they begin thy mischiefs to repay See the reward of all thy wicked care Before thee thy succession ended there Yet but in part my Brothers Ghost is pleas'd Restless till all the groaning world be eas'd For me no other happiness I owne Than to have born no Issue to thy Throne Max. Provoke my rage no farther lest I be Reveng'd at once upon the Gods and thee Por. aside What horrid tortures seize my lab'ring mind O only excellent of all thy kind To hear thee threatned while I idle stand Heav'n was I born to fear a Tyrants hand Max. to Ber. Hence from my sight thy blood if thou dost stay Ber. Tyrant too well to that thou know'st the way going Por. Let baser Souls from falling Fortunes flye I 'le pay my duty to her though I dye Exit leading her Max. What made Porphyrius so officious be The action look'd as done in scorn of me Val. It did indeed some little freedom show But somewhat to his Services you owe. Max. Yet if I thought it his presumption were Placid Perhaps he did not your displeasure hear Max. My anger was too loud not to be heard Placid I 'm loth to think he did it not regard Max. How not regard Val. Placidius you foment On too light grounds my Father's discontent But when an action does two faces wear 'T is Justice to believe what is most fair I think that knowing what respect there rests For her late Brother in the Souldiers breasts He went to serve the Emp'rour and design'd Only to calm the tempest in her mind Lest some