Lucrece Tho on they Bridal night thou wilt not touch her Tit. I swear ev'n by the Soul of her you nam'd The Ravish'd Lucrece Oh th' Immortal Gods I will not touch her Brut. So I trust thy Virtue And by the Gods I thank thee for the Conquest Once more with all the blessings I can give thee I take thee to my arms thus on my brest The hard and rugged Pillow of thy Honor I wean thee from thy Love Farewel be fast To what thou 'st sworn and I am thine for ever Exit Tit. solus To what thou 'st sworn Oh Heaven and Earth What 's that What have I sworn to part with Teraminta To part with something dearer to my heart Than my Life's drops What! not this night enjoy her Renounce my Vows the Rights the Dues of Marriage Which now I gave her and the Priest was witness Bless'd with a floud that stream'd from both our eyes And seal'd with sighs and smiles and deathless kisses Yet after this to swear thou wilt not touch her Oh all the Gods I did forswear my self In swearing that and will forswear again Not touch her O thou perjur'd Braggard where Where are thy Vaunts thy Protestations now Enter Teraminta She comes to strike thy staggering Duty down 'T is fall'n 't is gone Oh Teraminta come Come to my arms thou only joy of Titus Hush to my cares thou mass of hoarded sweets Selected hour of all Life 's happy moments What shall I say to thee Ter. Say any thing For while you speak methinks a sudden calm In spight of all the horror that surrounds me Falls upon every frighted faculty And puts my Soul in Tune O Titus Oh! Methinks my Spirit shivers in her house Shrugging as if the long'd to be at rest With this foresight to dye thus in your arms Were to prevent a world of following ills Ter. What ills my Love what power has Fortune now But we can brave 'T is true my Teraminta The Body of the World is out of frame The vast distorted limbs are on the Rack And all the Cable Sinews stretch'd to bursting The Blood ferments and the Majestick Spirit Like Hercules in the invenom'd Shirt Lies in a Fever on the horrid Pile My Father like an Aesculapius Sent by the Gods comes boldly to the Cure But how my Love by violent Remedies And saies that Rome ere yet she can be well Must purge and cast purge all th' infected humors Through the whole mass and vastly vastly bleed Ter. Ah Titus I my self but now beheld Th'expulsion of the Queen driv'n from her Palace By the inrag'd and madding Multitude And hardly scap'd my self to find you here Tit. Why yet my Teraminta we may smile Come then to bed ere yet the night descends With her black wings to brood o're all the World Why what care we let us enjoy those pleasures The Gods have giv'n lock'd in each others arms We 'll lye for ever thus and laugh at Fate Ter. No no my Lord there 's more than you have nam'd There 's something at your heart that I must find I claim it with the priviledge of a Wife Keep close your joys but for your griefs my Titus I must not will not lose my share in them Ah the good Gods what is it stirs you thus Speak speak my Lord or Teraminta dies Oh Heav'ns he weeps nay then upon my knees I thus conjure you speak or give me death Tit. Rise Teraminta Oh if I should speak What I have rashly sworn against my Love I fear that I should give thee death indeed Ter. Against your Love No that 's impossible I know your God-like truth nay should you swear Swear to me now that you forswore your Love I would not credit it No no my Lord I see I know I read it in your eyes You love the wretched Teraminta still The very manner of your hiding it The tears you shed your backwardness to speak What you affirm you swore against your Love Tell me my Lord you love me more than ever Tit. By all the Gods I do Oh Teraminta My heart's discerner whether wilt thou drive me I 'll tell thee then My Father wrought me up I know not how to swear I know not what That I would send thee hence with Tullia Swear not to touch thee though my Wife yet Oh Had'st thou been by thy self and but beheld him Thou would'st have thought such was his Majesty That the Gods Lightned from his awful eyes And Thunder'd from his tongue Ter. No more my Lord I do conjure you by all those Powers Which we invok'd together at the Altar And beg you by the love I know you bear me To let this passion trouble you no farther No my dear Lord my honor'd God-like Husband I am your Wife and one that seeks your Honor By Heaven I would have sworn you thus my self What on the shock of Empire on the turn Of State and universal change of things To lye at home and languish for a Woman No Titus he that makes himself thus vile Let him not dare pretend to ought that 's Princely But be as all the Warlike World shall judge him The Droll of th' People and the scorn of Kings Enter Horatius Hor. My Lord your Father gives you thus in Charge Remember what you swore the Guard is ready And I am ordered to conduct your Bride While you attend your Father Tit. Oh Teraminta Then we must part Ter. We must we must my Lord Therefore be swift and snatch your self away Or I shall dye with lingring Tit. Oh a kiss Balmy as Cordials that recover Souls Chast as Maids sighs and keen as longing Mothers Preserve thy self look well to that my Love Think on our Covenant when either dyes The other is no more Ter. I do remember But have no language left Tit. Yet we shall meet In spight of sighs we shall at least in Heaven Oh Teraminta once more to my heart Once to my lips and ever to my Soul Thus the soft Mother tho her Babe is dead Will have the Darling on her bosom lay'd Will talk and rave and with the Nurses strive And fond it still as if it were alive Knows it must go yet struggles with the Croud And shrieks to see 'em wrap it in the Shroud ACT III. SCE. I. Collatinus Tiberius Vitellius Aquitius Col. TH' expulsion of the Tarquin now must stand Their Camp to be surpris'd while Tarquins here Was scolded from our Walls I blush to think That such a Master in the art of War Should so forget himself Vit. Triumphant Brutus Like Iove when follow'd by a Train of Gods To mingle with the Fates and Doom the World Ascends the Brasen steps o' th Capitol With all the humming Senate at his heels Ev'n in that Capitol which the King built With the expence of all the Royal Treasure Ingrateful Brutus there in pomp appears And sits the Purple Judge of Tarquin's downfal Aquil. But why my Lord why are not you
Farewel and take this with thee For thy sake I will not Fight against the King nor for him I 'll fly my Father Brother Friends for ever Forsake the haunts of Men converse no more With ought that 's Human dwell with endless darkness For Since the sight of thee is now unwelcome What has the World besides that I can bear Ter. Come back my Lord. By those immortal Pow'rs You now invok'd I 'll fix you in this virtue Your Teraminta did but try how strong Your Honour stood and now she finds it lasting Will dye to root you in this solid Glory Yes Titus tho the Queen has Sworn to end me Tho both the Fecialians have Commission To stab me in your presence if not wrought To serve the King yet by the Gods I charge you Keep to the point your constancy has gain'd Tarquin altho my Father is a Tyrant A bloody black Usurper so I beg you Ev'n in my death to view him Tit. Oh you Gods Ter. Yet guilty as he is if you behold him Hereafter with his Wounds upon the Earth Titus for my sake for poor Teraminta Who rather dy'd than you should lose your Honor Do not you strike him do not dip your Sword In Tarquin's blood because he was my Father Tit. No Teraminta no by all the Gods I will defend him ev'n against my Father See see my Love behold the Flight I take What all the Charms of thy expected bed Could not once move my Soul to think of Acting Thy tears and menac'd death by which thou striv'st To fix me to the Principles of Glory Have wrought me off Yes yes you cruel Gods Let the eternal Bolts that bind this Frame Start from their Order since you push me thus Ev'n to the Margin of this wide despair Behold I plungeat once in this dishonor Where there is neither Shore nor hope of Haven No Floating mark through all the dismal Vast 'T is Rockless too no Cliff to clamber up To gaze about and pause upon the ruin Ter. Is then your purpos'd Honor come to this What now my Lord Tit Thy death thy death my Love I 'll think on that and laugh at all the Gods Glory Blood Nature tyes of Reverence The dues of Birth respect of Parents all All are as this the Air I drive before me What ho Vitellius and Aquilius come And you the Fecialian Heralds hast I 'm ready for the leap I 'll take it with you Tho deep as to the Fiends Ter. Thus hear me Titus Tit. Off from my knees away What on this Theam thy death nay stab'd before me Enter Priests with Tiberius Aquilius Vitellius Speak not I will not know thee on this Subject But push thee from my heart with all persuasions That now are lost upon me O Tiberius Aquilius and Vitellius welcome welcome I 'll joyn you in the Conjuration come I am as free as he that dares be formost Ter. My Lord my Husband Tit. Take this woman from me Nay look you Sirs I am not yet so gon So headlong neither in this damn'd Design To quench this Horrid thirst with Brutus blood No by th' eternal Gods I bar you that My Father shall not bleed Tib. You could not think Your Brother sure so Monstrous in his kind As not to make our Father's life his care Tit. Thus then my Lords I List my self among you And with my Style in short Subscribe my self The Servant to the King my words are these Titus to the King Sir you need only know my Brother's mind To judge of me who am resolv'd to serve you 1 Pri. 'T is full enough Tit. Then leave me to the hire Exeunt Tib. Aquil. Vitell. and Priests Of this hard labor to the dear bought prize Whose life I purchas'd with my loss of Honor Come to my brests thou Tempest-beaten Flower Brim-full of Rain and stick upon my heart O short liv'd Rose yet I some hours will wear thee Yes by the Gods I 'll smell thee till I languish Rifle thy sweets and run the o're and o're Fall like the Night upon thy folding beauties And clasp thee dead Then like the Morning Sun With a new heat kiss thee to life again And make the pleasure equal to the pain ACT. IV. SCE. I. Tiberius Vitellius Tib HArk are we not pursu'd Vit No 't is the tread Of our own Friends that follow in the dark Tib. What 's now the time Vit. Just dead of night And 't is the blackest that e're mask'd a Murder Tib. It likes me better for I love the Scoul The grimmest lowre of Fate on such a deed I would have all the Charnel Houses yawn The dusty Urns and Monumental Bones Remov'd to make our Massacre a Tomb. Hark! who was that that holloa'd fire Vit. A Slave That snores i' th' Hall he bellows in his Sleep And cries The Capitol's o' fire Tib. I would it were And Tarquin at the Gates 't would be a blaze A Beacon fit to light a King of Blood That vows at once the Slaughter of the World Down with their Temples set 'em on a Flame What should they do with Houses for the Gods Fat Fools the lazy Magistrates of Rome Wise Citizens the Politick heads o' th' People That Preach Rebellion to the Multitude Why let 'em off and rowl into their Graves I long to beat work See good Aquilius Trebonius too Servilius and Minutius Pomponius hail nay now you may unmask Brow-beat the Fates and say they are your Slaves Aqu. What are those Bodyes for Tib. A Sacrifice These were two very busie Commonwealth's-men That ere the King was banish'd by the Senate First set the Plot on foot in publick Meetings That would be holding forth 'T was possible That Kings themselves might err and were but men The People were not Beasts for Sacrifice Then jogg'd his Brother this cram'd Statesman here The bolder Rogue whom ev'n with open mouth I heard once bealch Sedition from a Stall Go bear him to the Priests he is a Victim That comes as wish'd for them the Cooks of Heav'n And they will Carve this Brawn of fat Rebellion As if he were a Dish the Gods might feed on Vin. From a Window Oh the Gods Oh the Gods what will they do with him O these Priests Rogues Cutthroats A dish for the Gods but the Devil's Cooks to dress him Tib. Thus then The Fecialians have set down A platform copy'd from the King's design The Pandane or the Romulide the Roman Carmental and Janiculan Ports of Rome The Circ the Capital and Sublician Bridge Must all be seiz'd by us that are within 'T will not be hard in the Surprise of night By us the Consuls Children and their Nephews To kill the drowsie Guards and keep the Holds At least so long till Tarquin force his entrance With all the Royalists that come to joyn us Therefore to make his broader Squadrons way Tarquinian is design'd to be the Entry Of his most pompous and Resolv'd Revenge Aqu. The first
head of that illustrious Whore Troy might have stood till now but that was wanting Iove having from eternity set down Rome to be head of all the under-World Rais'd with this thought and big with Prophesie Of what vast good may grow by such examples Brutus stands forth to do a dreadful Justice I come O Conscript Fathers to a deed Wholly Portentous New and Wonderful Such as perhaps has never yet been found In all Memorials of Former Ages Nor ever will again My Sons are Traytors Their Tongues and Hands are Witnesses confest Therefore I have already past their Sentence And wait with you to see their Execution Hor. Consul the Senate does not ask their deaths They are content with what 's already done And all intreat you to remit the Ax. Bru. I thank you Fathers but refuse the offer By the assaulted Majesty of Rome I swear there is no way to quit the Grace To right the Common-wealth and thank the Gods But by the Sacrifycing of my Bowels Take then you sad revengers of the Publick These Traytors hence strike off their heads and then My Sons No More their Doom is past Away Thus shall we stop the mouth of loud Sedition Thus show the difference betwixt the Sway Of partial Tyrants and of a Free-born People Where no man shall offend because he 's great Where none need doubt his Wives or Daughter's honor Where all injoy their own without suspicion Where there 's no innovation of Religion No change of Laws nor breach of Priviledge No desperate Factions gaping for Rebellion No hopes of Pardon for Assassinates No rash advancements of the Base or stranger For Luxury for Wit or glorious Vice But on the contrary a Balanc'd Trade Patriots incourag'd Manufactors cherish'd Vagabonds Walkers Drones and Swarming Braves The Froth of States scum'd from the Common-wealth Idleness banish'd all excess reprofâ—'d And Riots check'd by Sumptuary Laws O Conscript Fathers 't is on these Foundations That Rome shall build her Empire to the Stars Send her Commanders with her Armies forth To Tame the World and give the Nations Law Consuls Proconsuls who to the Capitol Shall ride upon the Necks of Conquer'd Kings And when they dye mount from the gorgeous Pile In Flames of Spice and mingle with the Gods Hor. Excellent Brutus all the Senate thanks thee And says that Thou thy self art half a God Enter Sempronia Teraminta with the rest of the Mourners Titus Valerius Junius Sem. Gon gon to death already Sentenc'd Doom'd To lose the light of this dear World for ever What my Tiberius too Ah Barbarous Brutus Send hast revoke the Order of their Fate By all the pledges of our Marriage bed If thou Inhuman Judge hast left me one To put the yet in mind thou art a Father Speak to him Oh you Mothers of sad Rome Sisters and Daughters ere the Execution Of all your blood hast hast and run about him Groan sob howl out the terrors of your Souls Nay fly upon him like rob'd Savages And tear him for your young Bru. Away and leave me Sem. Or if you think it better for your purpose Because he has the pow'r of Life and Death Intreat him thus throw all your heartless brests Low at his feet and like a God Adore him Nay make a Rampier round him with your Bodies And block him up I see he would be going Yet that 's a Sign that our complaints have mov'd him Continu'd falls of ever streaming tears Such and so many and the chastest too Of all the pious Matrons throughout Rome Perhaps may melt this Adamantine temper Not yet nay hang your Bodies then upon him Some on his arms and some upon his knees And lay this Innocent about his neck This little smiling Image of his Father See how he bends and stretches to his bosom Oh all you pittying pow'rs of the Darling weeps His pretty eyes ruddy and wet with tears Like two burst Cherries rowling in a storm Plead for our griefs more than a thousand Tongues Iun. Yes yes my Father will be good to us And spare my Brothers Oh I know he will Why do you think he ever was in earnest What to cut off their heads I warrant you He will not no he only meant to fright 'em As he will me when I have done a fault Why Mother he has whipt 'em for 't already And do you think he has the heart to kill ' em No no he would not cut their little fingers For all the World or if he should I 'm sure The Gods would pay him for 't Bru. What hoa without there Slaves Villains Ha! are not my Orders heard Hor. Oh Brutus see they are too well perform'd See here the Bodies of the Roman youth All headless by your Doom and there Tiberius Ter. See Sir behold is not this horrid Slaughter This cutting off one limb from your own Body Is 't not enough Oh will it not suffice To stop the mouth of the most bloody Law Oh it were highest Sin to make a doubt To ask you now to save the Innocent Titus The common wish and general Petition Of all the Roman Senate Matrons Wives Widdows and Babes nay ev'n the madding People Cry out at last that Treason is reveng'd And ask no more Oh therefore spare him Sir Bru. I must not hear you Hark Valerius Ter. By all these wounds upon my Virgin breast Which I have suffer'd by your cruelty Altho you promis'd Titus to defend me Sem. Yet hold thy bloody hand Tyrannick Brutus And I 'll forgive thee for that headless horror Grant me my Titus Oh in death I ask thee Thou hast already broke Sempronia's heart Yet I will pardon that so Titus live Ah cruel Judge thou pittyless avenger What art thou whisp'ring Speak the horror out For in thy glaving eyes I read a Murder Bru. I charge thee by thy Oath Valerius As thou art here Deputed by the Gods And not a Subject for a Woman's folly Take him away and drag him to the Ax. Val. It shall be thus then not the Hangman's hand Runs him through the Women shriek Tit. Oh bravely strook thou hast hit me to the Earth So nobly that I shall rebound to Heav'n Where I will thank thee for this galiant wound Semp. swoons Bru. Take hence this-Woman hast and bear her home Why my Valerius did'st thou rob my Justice Tit. I wrought him to it Sir that thus in death I might have leave to pay my last obedience And beg your blessing for the other World Ter. Oh do not take it Titus what e're comes From such a monstrous nature must be blasting Ah thou inhuman Tyrant but alas I loiter here when Titus stayes for me Look here my Love thou shalt not be before me Stabs her self Thus to thy arms then Oh make hast my Titus I 'm got already in the Grove of Death The Heav'n is all benighted not one Star To light us through the dark and pathless Maze I' have lost thy Spirit Oh I grope
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.