makes me sick and I am sick to death For Love I prize for Love I lose my life I liv'd your chaste and die your martyr'd Wife Val. A. Oh! Caesar Caesar thou shalt feel my Sword Shall is too sluggish and too faint a word The Tyrant's fallen on his Neck I tread He 's dying by my Sword nay more he 's dead But can one death for all his crimes atone He breaks thy Laws Oh! Nature break thy own Let him have many Lives be often born That he may often be in pieces torn ACT V. Enter Julia and her Women Jul. RUN to my Lord desire his swift return For I 've drunk Poyson and I burn I burn Enter Valerius Asiaticus and Annius Minutianus Oh! my dear Lord I 've done my honour right And Death will soon transport me out o' sight For I am all in a consuming flame I burn with poyson and I burn with shame Val. A. With poyson Jul. Poyson but I 've never been With a worse poyson tainted shameful sin Oh! I abhor the thought Val. A. I 've no distrust Jul. I 've been inviolably true and just No one can have a Soul more clear than I From foul desires for Caesar's sin I die Val. A. I do believe thou art as chaste as fair Wound not thy woundâ—d heart thy griefs I share How much I value thee thou hast not known Because I love thee more than can be shown I out of love conceal'd thee in a shade Jul. And your Commands I boldly disobey'd And came to Rome She kneels The fatal fault forgive And at the least oh love me whilst I live Val. A. Ay and for ever rise sweet Julia rise Rise to my arms thou life of all my joys But a departing life my Julia dies Jul. Oh! wou'd to Heav'n I had dy'd before This shameful violation Oh! no more My blushing cheeks glow with a fiery red In thy dear bosome let me hide my head An M. How blest was he before this heavy wrong In a soft beauty constant chaste and young In this sweet Lady all perfections joyn I never had a pleasing hour with mine Jul. When I am dead strew me all o'er I pray With flow'rs to shew that I was chaste as they Val. A. As sweet and lovely too Jul. They fade and die When they are rudely touch'd and so do I. Oh! my blood rises my cheeks glow again Why shou'd I blush for wicked Caesar's sin Val. A. The least undecent thought thou canst not bear Thy Vertue to its self is too severe Jul. Oh! see the Souls of Vestal Virgins come To welcome me and grace my martyrdom They 're all in Robes whiter than mountain Snow Val. A. Alas she raves Jul. Do you not see ' em Val. A. No. Jul. Then I perceive the modest beauties shun The sight of men therefore begone begone I shall in triumph to Elizium go 'T is a great honour Ladies you bestow Oh! they retire Ladies return again Admit me into your sacred spotless Train I 'm chaste as you tho' not so fair in fame For wicked Tongues I know will wrong my Name Throw on my mem'ry undeserv'd disgrace But your sweet Groves will hide my blushing face Oh! they are going stay sweet Virgins stay They 're gone they 're gone y 'ave frightned 'em away And I 'm with strangers left I know not where Val. A. Th' art in his arms to whom th' art wondrous dear Jul. Ha! you are Caesar Val. A. No sweet Julia no I 'm Caesar's mortal and eternal foe Jul. Well y' are a man and ev'ry man I dread Who 's this my Lord I knew not what I said In my few moments that my thoughts shou'd rove From him whom I so dearly dearly love Val. A. Lean lean my Julia on my panting breast My love and sorrow cannot be express'd Jul. I 'm going where no wicked Tyrant reigns Preserve my mem'ry Val. A. All thy dear Remains Jul. Heav'n knows how I 've been faithful to your Bed I 've lov'd you to my death shall love when dead Elizium can to me no bliss afford Till in those happy shades I meet my Lord Till then farewel She dies Val. A. She 's going she is gone Ah! see what beastial tyranny has done Her beauty 's gone Death has deflowr'd her too What I so lov'd I've not the heart to view Cover her face forbear a while-those pale Departing beauties Death too long will veil I will have one cold kiss before we part Kisses her Revenge Revenge Oh how it swells my heart An. M. Be well prepar'd Rome loves a vitious Prince All the corrupt will rise in his defence Val. A. Well if Rome rises I will raise it higher For I 'll exalt it to the Clouds in fire But 't is dispirited and dares not rise And Caesar's scorn'd by all the brave and wise An. M. Proud Tyrants who no bounds of law endure Are common foes and never are secure Their lofty Thrones they seldom long enjoy Streif Lyons all men labour to destroy Val. A. Oh tremble Caesar prodigies appear Which say if there be Gods thy fall is near Prodigious Vertue in this Beauty shone Her Cause and Justice live tho' she is gone Thy own prodigious Crimes th' ast cause to dread Vengeance they 'll hurle at thy devoted head Eclipses are thought frightfull omens too This sad Eclipse thou may'st with terror view It threats thy life View it ye Gods forbid His frantick Lust wou'd violate the dead Methinks I talk too much in words abound And my Revenge evaporates in sound An. M. Will you not set the gallant Cassius free Val. A. And steal by stabs revenge and liberty My honour in full splendor I 'll maintain I 'll by fair War end this inhuman Reign This night for mine and universal good The Sun shall set in blood Imperial blood Ex. SCENE the Court. Enter Caligula Vitellius Guards Cal. Beauty I love but I hate toilsome Rapes I love good Wine but wou'd not tread the Grapes The Chast are cold therefore I hate the Chast Fruites in cold climes have an insipid tast I 'm told by Oracles my death is nigh Vit. Your death Cal. my death all I suspect shall die Valerius first shall perish by my Sword He can in battle face his Sovereign Lord. Vit. Nay he 's provok'd and therefore dangerous grown Cal. Provok'd by pride to mount th' Imperial Throne And by Revenge provok'd to take my life Because I forc'd his fair young vertuous Wife Cassius Cheraea's honest tho' not bold Valerius has confin'd him I am told In the mad Revels of his Rage no doubt Valerius let some dangerous secrets out Which now he 'd lock up in the dark from me But I 'll unravel all the Villainy Vit. The Jews inform'd that if they dare deny To worship Caesars Image they shall die Bey Audience Cal. Villains They wou'd not presume To slight my Will had they not found in Rome Rebellious spirits and when they appear A Prince's fall
of their Nile Nor link him with an Ape a thing most vile All these are Gods in the Egyptian Creeds And for refusing this our Nation bleeds No Age no Sex the Alexandrian spare Our Men they murder and they force the Fair. Cal. Jove is a Caesar in the World above Caesar is in this lower World a Jove He Thunders oft indeed and so do I But he keeps always safe within his Sky And in my Reign quits not his lofty ground He Thunders now I do not love that sound Why shou'd I shake when I hear Thunder roar For I 've no fear Vit. Antipathy no more Lyons are in disorder when they hear A poor Cock crow yet Lyons have no fear Cal. These foolish qualities in Men and Beasts Are tricks of Nature and her trifling jeasts Now will this writing Knave his Prince defame And with unmanly Cowardize blast my name Hew him to pieces Lictors hold not yet How ready blockheads are to ruin Wit Swine shall not root in such a noble Bed Whence fame may spring to me when I 'm dead Vit. What Divine Clemency does Caesar show What say you now Is he a God or no Cal. My Galleys I will hasten to the Port And see the wonders that must grace the Court. Vit. A throng of noble Youths the honour craves To Row you Sir and be your Galley-slaves Cal. Well let 'em Row they 'll Row against the stream Men must tug hard if they get my esteem Ex. Cal. Vit. Attendants Guards Enter Lepidus and Salome Sal. My Father lives my devout prayers are heard Good Angels left their Heaven to be his Guard The Tydings of your danger reach'd my ear Ah! what have I endeavour'd from tot'ring fear Lep. So much it wou'd be cruelty to tell A thousand times she in deep swoonings fell When sense return'd grief fail'd not to revive Ah! how she mourn'd because she was alive And blam'd us all who forc'd her to retain A miserable Life when you were slain That to deprive her we unkindly strove Of happy Martyrdome for filial love Phi. Why wert thou so amaz'd at this Report Is danger any News in Caesar's Court Thou knewst we to a fiery furnance came This raging Prince is always in a flame Sleep cools not him disturb'd by dreams he burns And when he wakes his waking dream returns That he 's a God We pity this Disease And worship not for Gods his Images If th' Images be Gods we shou'd adore The Men that made 'em they are something more 'T is base born Godhead which from Man descends If Caesar be a God as he pretends His Godhead in Creation was display'd He needs no Image but the World he made Well in the shamefull Alexandrian Rape Daughter you had the happiness to scape But in this Court th' art in a dan'grous place And therefore always vail thy thoughts and face Lep. Ay Madam here y' are in the seat of sin Caesar will force the Fair he cannot win Sal. Oh! you have fill'd my heart with chilling fears To fly from him I 'd rush o're Swords and Spears The Croaks of Ravens and the Shreikes of Owls All boding sounds threatning departing Souls And to the sick approaching death proclaim Are not so dreadfull as this Tyrants name Ex. ACT IV. SCENE a Room in the Court. Enter Lepidus and Salome Lep. OH Madam I was in a dreadfull fright Had you appear'd in our young Emperors fight Sal. Sir I have no temptations to allure So great a Prince and therefore I 'm secure Lep. Oh! you 've all qualities can be desir'd You are by all but by your self admir'd Y' are to a wonder fair and yet not vain Your innocence and fame have not a stain Y' are humble tho' of high extraction sprung Devout and Grave and Prudent tho' young Like all your Fathers works your worth is high With great delight perus'd by every eye Oh! if kind Heaven wou'd grant my hearts request This work shou'd be immortal like the rest Sal. This Charity I thankfully receive But affairs call me hence I take my leave Lep. Affairs no Madam you are too severe Why shou'd not you Angels sometimes appear But Angel like you with the Heavens converse And with poor mortals will have no commerce Sal. Sir you oft talk to me of Love Lep. I do And shew Religion in admiring you If o're my heart your Vertue had no sway Ah! what Celestial Law should I obey What Revelation shou'd not I disdain What miracle to me not shew'd in vain Sal. Till joyn'd in faith our hearts Sir must not joyn Our Laws which many wonders prove Divine From Forreign Love strictly enclose our race Shou'd I climb o're those Walls to your embrace And boldly lay all piety aside You wou'd not Sir accept me for your Bride For to Religion shou'd I prove untrue You cou'd not hope I wou'd keep faith with you I sin if to your Love I lend an ear Therefore in generous Charity forbear Lep. Oh! 't is the nature of a flame to rove My eyes will in your presence talk of Love My heavy sighs will silently complain And own my secret languishings and pain Sal. Oh! I 'm afraid you own your love elsewhere And it will reach your angry Emperors ear Have you confest your Love to none Lep. I have I talk so much of Love Men think I rave I mention not your name but fair and young Lovely and Love dwell always on my Tongue And these serve me for every reply Some ask where Caesar is in Love say I. Some ask what new rais'd Forces we prepare Against the spring I answer young and fair Some if the Towns that Caesar took were strong I answer wond'rous beautiful and young Sal. Oh! Sir avoid me least I shou'd be won And then you share our fate and be undone To Caesar's Image we 'll not humbly fall And now his fury flames around us all A horror sits on ev'ry Jewish brow Our Nation has a frightful aspect now Sir for my peace give your Addresses o'r And for your safety never see me more Lep. Ah! cruel doom and not to be obey'd Who can live always in a mournful shade Well tho' your Laws and you all hope deny Sweet Maid I must love on Sal. Ah! so must I. Aside Sir pray retire I see my Father near He 'll be displeas'd if he shou'd find you here Lep. Since you command I must and will withdraw But I hope yet in your dividing Law To find a passage where our hearts may meet And have delights as innocent as sweet Ex. Lep. Sal. at several doors Enter Caligula Attendants Guards Cal. I went for a dead miracle of Art And a fair living Wonder charm'd my heart A Divine beauty she exceeds all praise I sent Vitellius for her and he stays How dares he let my pleasure be delay'd He knows I 'm not of patient metal made 'T is dangerous my appetites to pall Or make 'em await a minute when they call
the unborn unknown The brave are mad for fame they 'll madly die Which after death they hope not to enjoy The Learn'd are mad and madly tear their brains For knowledge which no mortal e're attains And what confusion from Learn'd madness springs Among Religions Laws States Realms and Kings And yet in Schools where thoughtfull madness Reigns The mad are free and Books are bound in Chains The vitious are all mad by Laws confin'd The Vertuous are more mad themselves they bind And Jove was mad when he made mad Mankind There 's one great flaw runs through the Earth and Sky And ev'ry God and Man is mad but I. Ces Wou'd I were mad I shou'd be more at ease And have no sense of all my Miseries New Beauties vanquish Caesar ev'ry hour Then how does raging grief my heart devour My heart to Caesar fixt more torment feels Than if he dragg'd me at his Chariot wheels Cal. I love and hunt variety 't is true And does not Mother nature love it too Good Gods how does she vary humane mold She often makes new faces o' the Old If any have in Life continued long We always say they 're Old we do 'em wrong And if we call'd 'em Young 't is but their due Their Shapes and Features are entirely new How oft does nature change us e're we die She loves new faces then why shou'd not I In chace of change my Nature loves to run Yet to amazement I have doted on Two years and more I have thy will obey'd Others enjoy'd seem in a night decay'd They 've sprung to Caesar's Bed young lovely gay And I have thought 'em old by break o' day Have thought 'em dead with age and I've decreed To burn 'em or embowel 'em with speed But to thy arms I 've been two years confin'd Th' art an Enchantress and canst fix the wind Back to its spring canst make a torrent run And stop the fiery Chariot o' the Sun The Beauty only cou'd not have the Power To fix my heart never see Caesar more Ces Oh! these eternal Tempests who can bear I 'll rather sink into profound despair I 'm hourly broken on a golden shore A barren beach cou'd not afflict me more I never in your presence will appear I ll Labour to forget you ever were No Image of you shall my griefs renew And so a long farewell to Love and you Cal. Come back Ces Only to love and mourn in vain And be a follower id my Rivals train Cal. I 'll have thee wrack'd to make thee own the art Which thus eternally enslaves my heart When any one but thee I 've oft embrac'd Corrupted Water has a sweeter tast But thee I never can abandon long Thy tempting Beauty and Inchanting Tongue Soon make the wandring Gods of Love return And now once more with violence I burn Ces Oh! Caesar Caesar tempt my heart no more For can I moderately Love Adore A Prince so Great so Gracefull so Divine Ah! what do I enjoy whilst Caesar's mine And when I loose his heart does he believe That I can calmly moderately grieve Cal. I know in Love my Godhead I exert Therefore I 'm lov'd by thy voluptuous heart Cast from thy mind all jealousie and fear I ll ne're forsake thee by my Life I swear Ces Your heart no beauty scarce an hour endures I could dwell years upon a kiss o' yours Cal. Thou art a Golden Harp Divinely tun'd What Statue wou'd not dance to such a sound Rase from thy memory my sinfull hours And all my little vagabond amours They 're meteors and like other vagrants poor Soon wast their fires and then appear no more Others no more the riots can supply Of such an Epicure in Love as I Than a Plebeian fortune can support My Guards my Fleets my Armies and my Court But my excursions from thy arms improve Thy joys and mine and make new springs in Love So an Arabian gains by his retreats The livelier sense of his o'recoming sweets Ces Cost what it will to Caesar's arms I 'll fly I cannot pay too dear for so much joy She runs to Caesar 's embraces Cal. Oh! Welcome to my arms my Charming Love Ces Welcome to mine my young Illustrious Jove Oh! my excess of Love gluts Caesar's heart If I were wise I 'd temp'rate Love with art But I am too immoderately kind Cal. Have I a temp'rate and a mod'rate mind Is Caesar to thy heart no better known Give me extravagant delights or none Mod'rate delight is but a waking dream And of all pleasures Love is the supreme And therefore Love immoderate Love deserves Excess o'recomes but moderation starves Fear not my wandrings for go where I will I 'm in my Empresses dominion still Ces And tho' he wonders I love Caesar still Caesar methinks the name of Caesar charms Caesar I love tho' in a Rivals arms More in my own embraces I confess And I will Love to infinite excess Cal. Love to excess th' art infinitely fair In my delights I can no limits bear But for what reason never cou'd he known Our joys have bounds and our desires have none Ex. Cal. Ces Attendants Guards Enter Valerius Asiaticus Val. A. Oh! I have met with News which makes me flame And every eye upbraids me with my shame My services have met a kind reward The hour I quitted my Domestick Guard The Emperors Bawds ravish'd my Wife away And he 's devouring now the Luscious prey She comes Enter Julia. Oh! Julia what has Caesar done Jul. Oh! my Lord leave me to my griefs alone Do not look on me I 'm a hatefull sight And long to hide in everlasting night As in my Garden I walk'd all alone Securely as I thought unseen unknown The Emperor from an Apartment nigh Often beheld me with a greedy eye And forc'd me thence Let me not tell the rest Oh! thou most wrong'd of Men and yet the best Val. A. New Giants have bound Jove so he lies still And lets this filthy Tyrant take his fill Of Whoredom Blood Rapes Incest what he will Had Caesar ravish'd from me all my Lands Bottomless treasures numberless commands But to thy beauty never had approach'd Had left me thee unblemish'd and untouch'd My heart is so devoted to thy love I wou'd not have chang'd happiness with Jove Jul. Oh! my dear Lord your wrongs with patience bear Trust not your dang'rous passions to the air Val. A. Revenge revenge my love I must pursue The Tyrant with more ease I can subdue And fear him not for as the lofty Sky And bright full Moon attract a mad man's eye This gawdy Tyrant's meditations gaze On the bright splendors that around him blaze And so to others no regard he pays Like a fierce Panther I will hunt my prey And with his blood wash all my spots away Come let me lead thee home Jul. Can you endure To touch or to approach one so impure I hate to touch my self to draw my breath It
Caesar and your Wife been kind Val. A. Been kind No more I sweat when e'er their names are joyn'd An. M. You wisely keep her out of Caesar's sight And in safe privacies engross delight You never suffer her to see the Town And thus secure her honour and your own Val. A My Lord I 'd stab her if she shou'd presume But to look towards or own she dreamt of Rome Damnation She 's in Court in this Lewd Court I pray my Lord for your own sake retire Of my Domestick troubles take no share You have enow and more than you can bare Exit An. M. Enter Julia attended Why how now Madam am I disobey'd What has allur'd you from your Sacred shade To Rome where ev'ry Vice has open sway Revells and Rages in sight of day Jul. My Lord I 'm overjoy'd with your Renown Spoil not my pleasure with an angry frown Why do you look with such a threatning brow My Lord you are not in a battle now Val. A. I 'm in worse danger as I 've cause to fear For you expose my life and honour here If e're you come in ravenous Caesar's eye Your beauty I l be devoured and I shall die Jul. I 'll guard my self Val. A. I 'll not trust your defence I 'll hurry you a hundred Leagues from hence Your Beauty shall not flourish in report I 'll furle that banner up remote from Court Shell I display your tempting white and red And challenge Caesar to invade my Bed Provoke the proud Adulterer to my Couch And be Procurer to my own Reproach Jul. You have confin'd me till I wished to die Th' unborn have as much joy in life as I. Val. A. Caesar and you I labour'd to divide But shame and ruin what have I deny'd I out of love confin'd you to a seat I do not think Elezium is so sweet I kept you a Luxurious Court at home You had the pomp without the crimes o' Rome Had Reason Rul'd you I had pleas'd your mind But Reason is no part of womankind Your Lusts and Vanities no bounds admit You 're moderate in nothing but your Wit Jul. This picture of our Sex not much allures Now I 'll endeavour to delineate yours Our Follies are akin but yours are gross And ours from beauty have a pleasing gloss Your Fop is but our Ape he paints the face And acts our fool without her Charming Grace Both Sexes vex the World with noise and prate But we confound a street and you a state Our fools but seldom write your Sex is stor'd With fools who will be Coxcombs on Record And their impertinence through ages spread Your scolds in Books wrangle alive and dead Fighting all Women and most Men abhor But Women Cowards have wit to keep from War Your mighty Tyrant Lords our beauty rules Your greatest Wits are gull'd by Female Fools I 've youth I 've youth and pleasure I 'll enjoy But fear me not my birth and spirit are high Rather than taint my Family I 'd die Val. A. Of Caesar's wickedness I 'm most in fear Madam begone you 're in a mad house here Not where a Lunitick is held in Chains But where a great Imperial Madman Reigns Who tares the World and lays all Nations bare And when he has enjoy'd he strips the Fair Of his Lewd love those are Triumphal shews In jovial moodes on Fav'rites he bestows The beauteous Empress I have oft by night Beheld all naked like unclouded light Have often seen in wanton postures spread That brazen beauty on a Golden bed Jul. Whatever you suppose e're I 'd be food To brutal Lust Lyons shou'd drink my blood Val. A. Oh! Madam you have vertues that he slights And Rapes and Rapines are his high delights He loves to make all Nature feel his force Rivers he Ravishes and turns their course He levels Mountains Elevates the Vales O're waves he rides and over Lands he sails Nay he builds lofty Palaces on Seas He scorns the Pleasure he can gain with ease I have been hot but no one shou'd admire In a watch Tower to see a blaâ—ing fire 'T is kindled up to lend a needful light To Mariners in dangerous dead of night To tell 'em Land is near they 're cast away Unless they keep aloofe to Sea 'till day For such kind ends my passion flam'd aloft But though my words were harsh my heart is soft Now I 'll no more be troublesomely wise Dwell where thou wilt with thy own heart advise Study thy pleasures and regard not mine To my own bosome I 'll my fears confine But of my fortunes carve thy self thy share I will lock nothing from thee but my care Jul. This gen'rous Love I never can requite In pleasing you I 'll place my chief delight Rome from this moment I renounce abjure I 'll not the memory of Rome endure Nay in my presence no one shall presume To mention infamous and vitious Rome Val. A. Oh! if this Town shou'd rightly be pourtray'd Hell must lend colours for a dismal shade Climates there are which burn the natives black And scorching day appears a fiery Lake In a more horrid Climate here we dwell For they are burnt by Heaven but we by Hell Here bosoms oft flame with incestuous fires And many Sons are Brethren to their Sires Our Emp'ror has with high-sprung Bastards stor'd A thousand beds and all his Sisters Whor'd Jul. Oh! Monster Val. A. Stay He drags thee to his bed And then his fear and envy take my head None whom he fears will he with life entrust And nothing that he likes escapes his Lust Jul. My Chariot I abhor a Court so Lewd Methinks it has a scent of Lust and Blood And I shall sicken If I longer stay Therefore this very minute I 'll away Val. A. Canst thou not breath in the same air with Vice Then thou must quit the World th' art over nice Well I 'll release thee from this dire abode When I 've an hour on some affairs bestow'd Then I 'll along I hurry thee from hence Only to save thee from lewd violence Not part with beauty I so highly prize But to secure thee to my Arms and Eyes Ex. The SCENE a magnificent part of the Palace Enter Caligula Cesonia Vitellius Attendants Guards Cal. I have been building Madam since we went Ces A palace lofty as the firmament The Rooms with wondrous pleasure I behold Cal. And mark the doors the hinges are of gold Ces If Artists Sir can for the work be found I 'd have the doors yield an harmonious sound As all the Heavens do when e'r they move And make this palace like the seat of Jove Wou'd this were possible to human skill Cal. What is impossible to Caesar's Will Vit. No Caesar's genius exalts ev'ry mind Gives a great Soul to Arts of ev'ry kind Cal. How do those Gardens in thy eye appear Ces The face of Winter now frowns ev'ry where Vit. Oh! Madam you 're the favorite of