for you And your stay here reprieves your Murderers We will release you to release our selves To our just vengeance Reg. Now I know you all I was afraid I had lost all my Friends That Punick air breath'd Punick souls in you And that you slighted Faith which I believe No Roman does except a Roman Priest Mourn not for me for that implys I 'm fallen Rather calamity falls under me Applaud my happy fortunes for I go In triumph to a higher Capitol And more magnificent than that in Rome One in the Heavens where living Jove resides True I must first put off my flesh by death But that I with as small concern can do As men do Sandals at a Temple gate Now Friends farewel thank you for all your Love And when I am in Carthage storm the Town Ex. Lep. Army Now Sir thank you for an immortal life For you have open'd me the way to it And at no small expences to your heart Oh! Fulvia there 's my last great agony Met. Sir I have eas'd you of some part of it I met her flying t' ee and stopp'd her way But might have spar'd the labor for alas Her sorrow often flung her dead on earth I left her senceless in her womens arms You may escape her now Oh! no! she comes Comes like a Torrent there 's no stopping her Reg. Nay then what sufferings have I to bear I fear my strength and dare not meet her Eyes Enter Fulvia Ful. Oh! Consul Consul what have you decreed Met. Daughter away Ful. I cannot cannot Sir Pray pardon me I 'm not in my own power Oh! Consul will y' abandon all your friends For Slavery and Death tormenting Death Met. He 's bound by Oath Ful. Was he not so to me And by a Thousand Oaths he had no right To give himself away without my leave He 's true to Murderers and false to me Reg. Dear Fulvia calm your self and use your reason You 'll find I 've acted as became a Man Who durst pretend to such a heart as yours Should such a Man betray the Rights of Rome To save his life Ful. Your death will ruine Rome And me and all the World Reg. No Fulvia By dying I preserve the Rights of Rome Advance her Glory and mine and therefore yours Now Rome will be my lofty Monument 'T will stand upon my Tomb where I shall rest In a Bed fit for him whom Fulvia loves Ful. Where shall I rest when Regulus is dead You take no care for me Reg Will you not rest In my repose can our united hearts Have any joys or griefs both do not feel Ful. I do not know your heart but I believe Your griefs afflict me more than they do you Reg. Too much too much More than a Slave as I am can deserve Ful. You are my Lord more dear if possible To me than ever by your fall my heart Is greatly bruis'd and tend'rer than before More sensible of Sorrow and of Love Then pity me for my sake go with me Reg. I dare not do 't because I love you more Than to permit your sorrow to deceive you You seek to take with you a Slave a Coward A Thief a Murderer all this I must be If I return not I shall break my Oath To steal my Freedom from the gallant Spartan Who trusted me and if I break my trust I expose him to all my Sufferings And perhaps prove his bloody Murderer Would you have such a Villain as this with you Ful. Oh! these are arts to hide your want of Love You love me not ne're lov'd you have deceived me Met. Now Daughter you are too importunate Ful. Oh! by my Love I know he does not love I for no Joy on Earth could part with him He flies from me to Torments and the Grave Met. No no to Justice Piety Renown Ful He is unjust I have a right in him I never did I never will renounce To take himself from me is Robbery And cruel Murder it will be my death And this he knows but he regards not me He can be tender of his Enemies And not of me Reg. Oh! Madam say not so Ful. Go go to Carthage let her have her right And I 'll have mine I 've title to partake whate're is yours It seems Chains Misery and Death are yours And all the forrune you have left your self Well I 'll to Carthage wi' you and have my share Reg. To Carthage Ful. Do you think I dare not do 't Yes valiant Consul I in some respects In resolution will transcend even you You are divine above all sence of ill I 'm a weak Woman I have tender sence I can feel torments yet I 'll rush upon ' em Reg. Sweet Fulvia hear me Ful. Oh! I love too much To hear and see you would I lov'd it less My misery and misfortune would be less Would I had never lent an Ear to you Yet you would now be heard What should I hear Bloody Decrees against yourself and me Oh! I have heard too much too much o' them And why should you expect I should hear you You regard not my Love my Tears my Blood Met. Hold Fulvia hold you harm a dying Friend Who dyes for you and me and for all Rome Why say you Misery is all the fortune Of this great Man is Glory of no price Are you a Roman and want sence of glory All Ages will adore this wondrous Man Whom you wrong heavily See see I swear Sh' as wrung Tears from him now but that I know What thou hast said proceeds from raving Love For this great Sacriledge I 'd strike thee dead Reg. Oh! Sir you now commit the cruelty You charge her with you wound a wounded heart I know her heart is bleeding now for me And what she says comes from her pain not her She is most kind in what she seems unkind Ful. Inndeed I am and though your Love were lost Reg. Oh say it not Ful. I do not think it is But if it were yet I must love you still Nay in calm thoughts adore you and believe You are too excellent that 's all your fault And my misfortune was I lov'd too high Met. Now Daughter you judge well and do him right Ful. Oh! 't was my madness wrong'd him and not I. Reg. I know 't sweet Fulvia and can I be false To so much love before I knew you lov'd I lov'd you so that you were my chief aim In seeking Glory I sought chiefly you I fought for you and now I dye for you By glorious Death more to deserve your Love And therefore be more lov'd for if I dye To keep my Faith with mortal Enemies Oh! think how firm my heart must be to you But shou'd I poorly live by breach of faith I should for ever lose you in both worlds You 'd shun me here with scorn and after death I for my Perjury shou'd shine in shades While you wou'd shine in Heaven there is a
domestic strife We measure all things equally to all So none like Billows rise to make a Storm Even Priests and Lawyers live in quiet there El. Have you no Titles and Distinctions there Xan. Only what Merit makes we mind not Blood Nor a vain Title floating on that Stream Only great Actions there beget great Sounds Your high-sprung Blood in Sparta will be lost I mean all your Precedencies of Birth You must give place to aged Matrons there Whose greatest Riches are their silver Hairs El. Let me have the Precedence in your Heart And let who will take all the World beside Xan. Oh! we shall be luxurious in Love But that will be no breach of Spartan Laws El. Well when shall we enjoy this happy Life And leave our Carthaginian Prison here So the victorious Romans make this Town Xan. I do not know I 'll try my Fate this day This day shall be the last deciding Battle I 'll be a Conqueror a Slave or Ghost Elis A Ghost a damp evapo'rates from the word Which sickens me to death Xan. Ha! ha ha El. D' ye laugh at me Xan. My Dear thou put'st me in mind of Novices Who when they first meet danger duck at Arrows But when their maid'nly terrors are all o'er Laugh at themselves as thou wilt do in time El. Sure when your life 's expos'd I shall not laugh Xan. A Soldiers life lies wholly in his honour And that lives best in danger If thou hear'st My honour 's lost shed pitying tears for me And think thou art a widow though I live But if my honour lives though I am kill'd Triumph and shed no tears but those of Joy For that 's the manner of a Spartan Wife And so farewell El. Thou shalt not go Xan. Away He rushes out El. Then can you cast me off Oh! cruel man Lead lead me to my bed and bind my hands Or I shall do some violence to my self Shall I be thus when I am married I do not find all Soldiers wives are thus Marriage perhaps may teach me wit and I May learn to let my Husband fight and dye Exit ACT II. SCENE Continues Enter Spy and Batto at several Doors Bat. OH how dost thou do when wast thou with our Chapmen the Romans Spy I just came from ' em Bat. How went off our Commodities Spy Our Swords went off but dully there having not been a Battle a good while they ha' not lost many Swords But they have shot away a abundance of Arrows against the Town and were in great want of Arrows So they gave us any thing for our Arrows Bat. That 's well Spy We are a couple o' pure Rogues We sell Arms to the Romans to cut the Throats of our own Countrymen the Carthaginians Bat. Ay but we sell our Arms so dear we cut the Throats o' the Romans too What News of Italian Wine Could you meet with a Bargain Spy A rare Bargain You must know Regulus is a severe man he won't suffer any man in his Army to drink VVine unless he be sick So Sir there came the other day a Ship from Italy loaden with VVine and thought to come to a great Market here because all the Vineyards here are cut down and spoil'd E'gad Regulus having Wine enough to serve sick men on occasion would not suffer a drop of it to be sold to his Army so I bought it for a Song Bat. That 's well it comes in rare season Wine is very scarce among us and our Countrymen will have Wine Drunkenness is an honorable Quality amongst us VVine they will have and have no stoppage of VVine here give my Trade the Strangury In what Condition did you find the Roman Army Spy A very good one Bat I am glad of it Then the Blockade will continue and so Corn must rise 'T is true thanks be to the Gods there is a pretty good convenient Famine amongst us which makes Corn a good Commodity and I have a large stock But I 'll keep my Corn a while longer and make the best o' the Famine Spy Oh! you inhumane Rogue your Corn already grinds all the Town hast thou no Conscience Bat. I don't see any body has any Conscience after they come to years of Discretion Most People have it when they are young as they have the Small Pox but when they are once cured of it they are seldom troubled with it any more Spy If thou hast no regard to the Gods thou mayst have a little to the Commonwealth Bat. Hang the Commonwealth Does not every body cheat the Commonwealth as much as he can why should I be honest all alone by my self Spy Does your Priest of Hercules teach you no better Bat. He has no more Religion than myself Drinking has cup'd the humor out of him VVell is this all you have to say to me Spy No I have News for you worth a Talent every Syllable Bat. VVhat is' t what is' t Spy I 'll trust you with it for I know how to make my Pen'orths out of you If you be false to me I 'll get my own Pardon and hang you Apply your self to my Lord Hamilcar Bat. To him The People are ready to knock out his Brains and have set up Asdrubal Spy The People are Asses and meddle with that they do not understand State Affairs A Roman Tribune has engaged to put Regulus into the Spartan General 's hands 'T will be done to day and then the People will knock out Asdrubals Brains and set up Hamilcar Bat. Nay if the Romans begin to sell one another we 'll deal with ' em I 'll to my Lord Hamilcar presently but for fear this business should not succeed I 'll to my Lord Asdrubal too Spy VVell Sir remember I have you by the Neck If you get into business put me in or I 'le hang you Ex. SCENE Asdrubals Palace Enter Asdrubal Hiarbas Gisgon Gisg Oh! Sir how rarely your Highness dissembled to day Asd VVhat did I dissemble Gis Your desire to the Crown Asd Who told you I desire the Crown Gis Did you take all this trouble for a parcel of Fellows they call the Country You are of more worth than a Thousand such Countries I love a Court and Pomp and Gallantry I hate a Nation where the People are ador'd Hiar. Adore the People they are Antigods nothing they make but every thing they mar Asd They made too much in Carthage a great man is only Clay till they breath life in him Gis Oh! Sir I am glad to hear so much come from you we shall have more shortly I 'd feign see you a King great as the Persian King as absolute Head Hang Starve whom you will Ah that 's great that 's right Asd Would you like it Gis Ay! why not Sir You should never have my Head I warrant you Why should you I 'll do whatever you please Asd And would your Reverence like it too Hiar. I ha' more reason to like it than he has
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
in the Fort of Clypea The Enemy have met with some Recruits And make a shew of fighting us to day If fighting will oblige them I will serve them Retire my Love from danger for the sake Of me and Rome else I shall fight to day Greatly disorder'd by my fears for you Ful. I know the pleasure which you take in Glory That a brave Enemy who fights you well Does entertain you well I would not dare To call you from the Glory you pursue VVith so much ardor were I not compell'd By many Thousand Omens and Presages VVhich seem to me the Messengers of Heaven I beg you for the sake of Rome and me You 'll stay till some few threatning days are past Reg. Stay till those days bring all the ills they threat Succor to Carthage infamy to me Met. To joyn in consort with a womans fears And beg a Consul to forsake his Post To please a VVoman and to cure her frights VVould not suit well with a Proconsuls voice Yet Consul for my Daughter this I 'll say Her fears are all for you She has no sence Of her own dangers I have seen her oft In bloody Fields gaze on your Victories With the same unconcern she 'd see a Masque Yet I must counsel you to what she prays That you would let some frowning hours go by I do not second her let her fear on It suits her Sex and is a proof of Love I plead for one more excellent than she I mean Religion I beseech you Sir Give her those rights which are her due by Law You know our Laws give her the casting Voice In all our Councils both of Peace and War No Roman dares start a great Enterprize Till she has given the sign and she has mark'd This day for bad by many a black Portent And charg'd you not to interfere with it Lest it should drop some horrors on your head As this learn'd Augur better can inform Aug. 'T is true Sir all the flights of birds to day And all the entrails o' the victim'd Beasts Threaten much ill Reg. In reverence To our own Laws Augur I reverence you You are our Scout to discern coming ills Our Spy on Heaven and I 'll be rul'd by you When I am not otherwise advis'd by reason Which I think soars higher than birds can do And can discover more of Heaven's will A Noise of a Storm Lep. Ha! all the Heavens are troubled once again Reg. Let 'em be troubled Lep. And it thunders loud Thunder Reg. Well let it thunder Met. Would you take advice Reg. Of Thunder 't is no Counsellor o' mine The Ghost of Apamia rises Lep. Oh! Sir I see another Counsellor Look there in you dark cave so dark the night Seems to skulk there in day to rob the day Apamia stands Reg. Let her stand there I see her Ful. What d' ye see Reg. Nothing Love you frighten Fulvia Ful. I heard you name the dead Apamia What should make her leave Heaven but for you She has some knowledge you are hasting to her And rushes through the bars of death to meet you But I 've more right to you than she has now Her death has cancell'd all your bonds to her But those you made to me are new and firm I 'll keep my right I will not let you go Reg. Must I give such a fatal proof of Love To leap from Honor into wanton Ease And be no more a Consul well I 'll do 't Consul and Shame suit not Now come my Dear let us to private shades For darkness and dishonor best agree My noble Friends eternally farewel For after this I must not shew my face I pray conceal what has befallen me Report you saw me like great Romulus Assum'd to Heaven is not this a Heaven Pointing to Fulvia 'T is like one it resembles Fulvia 'T is not that warlike Virgin I confess But 't is her Image and my Love is such To Fulvia's Image I will sacrifice A Roman Consul Ful. I will strive no more Since 't is your pleasure Go but I believe After this fatal day we shall not meet Except in Fetters or in Blood or Death Met. Something within my heart divines the same Reg. Your fears are against reason the Recruits Come to the Enemy are few and heartless Dispirited and cowed by fear of us And if we baffle them Carthage is lost At our next meeting Fortune shall be fetter'd And this short parting shall be all the Death Your fears have boded Ful. No we will not part Reg. Yes you must to the Fort I to the Field Ful. I 'll to the Field so was I woo'd and won Your Battles were the Courtship of my Love And so will I return your glorious Love Nor Enemies nor worlds shall part us long Stars shew your selves worthy to shine in Heaven By guarding this great man but if you must Resign him up to death I shake to think of it If among all the doors Nature has made To let us into death I can find one My Ghost within few hours shall be with his Met. Thou hast well vow'd daughter perform thy vow Reg. Could we not meet elsewhere there were enough To make me rush on death but our next meeting Shall be attended with unequall'd Glory Ful. Nay we 'll be great and blest befal what will We will so dye if Death must be our doom We 'll triumph o're all ages in our Tomb. Ex. ACT III. SCENE A Field Enter Regulus Metellus Lepidus Roman Guard Reg. THE Spartan General is a Souldier He manages with skill the advantages I let him have Met. I do not think it safe To give so great a man advantages Reg. The chief advantage I bestow upon him Is opportunity to perish bravely He has Recruits indeed but what are they African Slaves whose Lords I 've often beat I blush to fight so base an Enemy Met. You would blush more should you be beaten by them Lep. You let 'em have a Chance for Victory Which Sir you may deny 'em if you please Reg. Yes we may lodge our selves on yonder hill Like frighted Birds on Trees to keep from danger And be the mockery of the Enemy Which of you can endure the Shame an hour See he comes bravely on and tempts you all Who 's not fir'd by that alluring sight And finds not in his blood a lust to fight Ex. SCENE Carthage an Alarum Enter Asdrubal Hiarbas Gisgon Gis Sir we beseech you do not venture your self Hiar. We beg you Sir Gis What should you venture for Asd You know for what a Crown Gis Sir you may have a Crown without venturing Do not yonder men fight for you Asd If I do not fight I shall have an inglorious Crown I must fight for Glory Gis You may have Glory without fighting too The great Persian King has got much Glory by wal and never saw a fight in his Life Hiar. A great Prince Sir like a great Palace will ring with
The destinies of Carthage and of Rome Shall I attend you to the Senate house Reg. Whither you please to death if you think good Ham. With how much greatness he o're-looks his Fate Ex. Omn. SCENE the Roman Camp Enter Metellus Lepidus Met. The Consul 's lost dreadful reverse o' Fate It overturns my Reason makes me doubt If Vertue ought to have regard from Men Since it has none from Heaven Lep. What will become Of his poor Children he has left at Rome And your fair Daughter here Met. I dare not think Lep. I have charg'd all to hide the News from her Met. Oh! she will quickly find it in our Looks And universal Consternation Oh! Gods how will her Sorrows pierce my heart But those of Rome will give me deeper wounds Lep. See Sir your Daughter comes retire with speed Or your confusion will discover all Met. Too late but if I can I 'll rule my self Lep. goes off weeping Enter Fulvia and her Women Ful. Oh! Sir what means this terror in your Camp Some unseen mischief like a Pestilence Strikes your Men pale and mute their only Proofs Of breath are Sighs but words I can have none Oh! something with the Consul is amiss Where is he Sir Met. Do not retard me now Ful. Oh! do you shun me too he 's kill'd he 's kill'd Met. He lives let that suffice Ful. Then why de' e shake And look so sad Oh! he is near his death Wounded to death Met. Not so he is in health Ful. Oh! let me see him then Met. In fitting time But Rome must be serv'd first in her Affairs He 's now engag'd longer I cannot stay Follow me not nor be inquisitive Ful. Stay Sir I humbly beg Met. What wou'dst thou say Be quick for I 've much business to dispatch Ful. Sir I fought near the Consul as I cou'd But crowds of Enemies and clouds of dust Soon took him from my sight and since that time I 've heard no news of him All is not well You hide some dreadful Secret in your Breast Because y' are fearful it shou'd do me harm You wou'd have all the Sorrows to your self I thank you for your generous tender Love But am I worthy of his Love and yours If I 'm no more than other Women are If ill has hapned to the Man I love I 'll grieve but shew my grief some noble way I 'll not be pitied for my womanish tears But do some glorious thing in his revenge Shall make us all be envied Met. Nobly spoke I 'll trust thy courage know he is surpriz'd And led to Town a Captive Ful. Horror horror Met. Is this your promis'd bravery Ful. Did I say I wou'd not grieve yes Sir I ought to grieve But every tear I shed and pang I feel I 'll put to the account of cursed Carthage Now I consider I may spare my tears This mercenary Town much prizes Gold For this we need but make our treasure weep Met. No I 'm afraid they 'll prize him above Gold But shortly we will free him with our Swords Though by strange Fate he 's fallen into their hands We have not with the Consul lost the day No their great purchase they have dearly bought Some hundreds of brave Spartans are cut off I do not find our Army much impair'd And shortly we expect two Legions more The Wind is fair I 'll see if they be come Ex. Ful. So now my sinking heart is rais'd again Yet the brave Captive shall enslave the Town We 're here a Conqueror's I a Bridal Crown And we 'll make burning Carthage when we wed Our Nuptial Flame and light us both to Bed ACT IV. SCENE Carthage A Room in Hamilcars House Enter Xantippus and Elisa Xan. DArling of Heaven t is to you to you Carthage owes all the Fortune of this day The Gods wou'd ne're ha' ruin'd Regulus To preserve Carthage had not you been here Eli. If Heaven loves me it is for loving you Oh! fie I shew my self too fond I spoil you With how much cruelty you tore your self Away from me when I was all in tears I shed for you yet you cou'd laugh at me I 'll manage Love as all wise women do The best and finest shall not come abroad But on great solemn times to make a shew Mean while you shall have course and homespun love I swear I will not give you a good look This Xan. This how long come say it if you dare Eli. I will not say how long because I 'l cross you Han. You will not say 't lest you should cross your self Eli. Well 't is in vain to hide my love from you It is too great for any covering I 'l trust thee generously with my heart Xan. Now thou appear'st in thy own beautious form All kind and sweet I knew 't wou'd soon be so For Nature always is too hard for Art Do not believe my heart barren of Love If thou perceiv'st in me a dearth of words That I abound not in professions We Spartans weed from talk superfluous words Let time declare how I will use thy heart Eli. I doubt this pleasure is too great to last A shout within Enter a Gentleman Xan. How now what new disturbance in the Town Gen. My Lord your glorious Captive Regulus Is sent in Fetters to the Dungeon And the rude Rabble triumph over him Xan. How came this Climate Love to produce you Since 't is as opposite to Excellence As others are to Poyson I confess Valour and Wit here is those noble Fires Your damps of Luxury have not yet choak'd But as they 'r us'd 't were to be wish'd they had Wit here is all imploy'd in knavish Craft The valiant glory in oppression Give speedy orders to the Guard from me The Consul to the Senate be return'd I 'll hasten thither and if possible Prevail with 'em better to treat themselves If not he 's mine and I will force him from ' em El. Just as I thought you must be gone again 'T is a sad thing to be a Soldiers wife One has but half a Husband of a Soldier Wars and Campaigns have half of him and more And Wounds have a large share of t'other half And yet this noble parcel of a man Is better than a wanton soft Gallant Who is no man but makes Summer Campaigns In Gardens Groves at Springs or Bowling-greens Or with a Whore as much a man as he But go I 'm pleas'd thou shou'dst do gallant things Because in all thy glory I have share Xan. That 's like a Spartans wife for she prefers Her Husbands honour far above his life Weeps if his Bucklers lost though he be safe But she rejoyces though he be brought home Dead on his Buckler and the greater Love She had for him the greater is her joy El. Now I believe that joy is not sincere Widows I find are artful every where In Sparta for their poor departed Dears Joy they Dissemble and in Carthage
what they inflict But I sink down under your griefs and dangers I would not for the world lose this occasion Of winning Glory to myself and Rome Pret. Go carry him away and torture him Xan. E're I will bear it I 'll be tortur'd with him Ex. Pret. Was ever such amazing insolence 1 Sen. 'T is well we are behind hand with his pay Pret. He puts a bloody cross on his accounts 2 Sen. 'T is the best piece o' service he e're did us After a Fight within enter an Officer Off. My Lords take speedy course to save yourselves And the whole City or it will be lost The Spartan General has beat your Guards And finding he wants strength to fight the Town He has let in part o' the Roman Troops Commanded by a warlike Roman Virgin Contracted as they say to Regulus And she 's come hither to revenge her Lover 1 Sen. Why what a bold black Traytor is this Spartan Pret. My Lord I doubt we are the Traytors now The beaten Party always are the Traytors 2 Sen. The beaten Party has he got all Carthage Off. Oh! no! he 's only Master of one Gate Which I believe he keeps for his retreat But he has strength enough to do great mischief Unless prevented Pret. We will put a stop to 't Where 's Regulus Off. He 's forc'd out of our hands Pret. Before he was tormented Off. No my Lord. Pret. Well all the better he cannot harm us Go to the Spartan General and tell him We say he has committed a high fault His King and Country would severely punish Should we complain of him but for the sake Of his past services we greatly love him If he will quickly leave the Town in peace And return home all this shall be forgot We will provide him every thing he wants Money and Shipping Off. I will let him know 't Ex. Pret. I will take care the Shipping shall be rotten And he shall sink perhaps in sight of Carthage Ex. SCENE A Street in Carthage Enter Xantippus Fulvia and her Women Xant Oh! noble Virgin in whose sacred breast The heart of the great Regulus is lodg'd Can you forgive the cruel Sacriledge I have committed against him and you But I repent and have made some atonement Fulv. I am not able Sir to answer you My Soul is torn with tortur'd Regulus For I am told we come too late to save him Xant It is too true Fulv. Is he alive or dead Xan. He lives and has the joy to know y 're here I told it him I did not think it safe To bring you to him e're he was prepar'd Lest the surprize shou'd scatter all his Spirits And still I am afraid the enterview Will harm you both Fulv. Sir this short enterview Is all the wealth we hope for in this world And to be hinder'd of it all the harm That can befall us now if you repent The ill y 'ave done us heap no more upon us Xant The Heavens forbid Well you shall have your will He 's nearer than you think open the door The SCENE is drawn and Regulus is discover'd fitting in a Chair bloody Fulv. Oh! here 's my Lord all over wounds and blood Reg. And have I liv'd to see my Fulvia Thou bringst me joy can heal a thousand wounds Wou'dst thou not weep but if thou weep'st my Dear Thou wilt set all my wounds bleeding afresh Fulv. Can any eye see this and not burst out In tears and blood your barbarous Murderers Have found a luxury in torturing you You are all over wounds Reg. Oh! no my Love My Soul 's all over pleasure Had I wounds In Conscience or in Honor I indeed Were a poor creaturre fit to be lamented But as I am I 'm to be envied I have a Conscience which I would not change For all the Crowns on earth and I have Honor Will live unrivall'd to Eternity And in my arms I've my dear Fulvia Xant And at your feet your weeping enemy Asking your pardon and adoring you Reg. Can there be then a happier man than I I have some wounds it is no wonder sure A Soldier shou'd have wounds and these I sought They give eternal life to my renown To me but a few pains which now methinks Are gone my Fulvia has heal'd 'em all Ful. No no you say this to deceive my sorrow I see your Agonies Convulsions And feel 'em too they tear my veins and nerves And I shall die without revenging you I did not doubt but to have offer'd up This Town a burning Victim to your Ghost A glory to which I had greatest right For by your suff'rings I have highest wrong Now all this wealth I must bequeath to others But for my suff'rings I have great rewards Since I in life have Regulus's love And in Elizium shall possess himself Reg. For ever dear But do not hasten thither By dangerous ways harm not thy beauteous self Lest I shou'd lose thee too in the next world Dark is the passage to 't the clearest paths Are Vertue and Obedience to the Gods If 't is their pleasure suffer life a while A little time in this short life is much But it is nothing in eternity Some days cut off from thence will not be miss'd I 'll wait the coming of thy lovely shade At th' entrance of Elizium which to me Will not be an Elizium till thou com'st I 'm going weep not Fulvia for no man Can live with greater pleasure than I dye Dyes Fulv. He 's gone he 's gone oh thou accursed Carthage May'st thou abhor and scorn all Honor Virtue Piety Faith till thou art scorn'd by all May'st thou do Villanies may deserve hanging And then be fond of Tyrants that shall hang thee Ha! I 'm not well I burn and my brain 's sick All nature's sick the frightned day starts back Abortive night is born before its time Some horrid thing is done what is the news Xan. Alas she raves sorrow has hurt her sence Fulv. I 'm told the Consuls murder'd is it true I saw him lately what 's become of him Xant 'T is so alas here 's a great Spirit broke Fulv. I 'm to be married to him I 'll have him Though he be dead Dead no he 's but asleep The Bridegroom sleep before the Brides abed Oh! fie upon 't I 'll make him blush to morrow Undress undress me Ladies quickly softly I 'll steal to him and never waken him Then i' th' morning I will rise a Virgin And we 'll all laugh him out o' countenance ha ha Xan. How does she mix together grief and mirth Ah? what confusion's in this noble mind Ful. How pale and cold he is like a Moon beam In a clear frosty night oh he will starve me Xant Remove from hence the body it disturbs her Regulus is carried off Fulv. Warm warm him some body Ha! he is gone Then he is taken Pris'ner once again When he had paid his Ransom with his blood Oh! treacherous