a God And charm'd all nature when you came abroad The rugged Winter civilly withdrew And the sweet Spring look'd out to gaze on you The Zephyrs plaid and threw the clouds away As dancers strip to be more light and gay Ces I wou'd enrich these Gardens were they mine With Rocks of Diamonds and Seas of Wine Here tydes of Wine shou'd daily ebb and flow The Walks with golden dust and pearls I 'd strow And then I might suppose on Stars I trod As it becomes the consort of a God Cal. Thou shalt have all the Wealth that Nature yields These Gardens shall excel the Elizian Fields Or the Hesperiaen Groves so fam'd of Old Where all the Trees bore fruit of solid Gold And will that please thee Oh! how sits the Wind This golden Grove brings Africk to my mind With much impatience I expect from thence An Obelisk of great magnificence A Wonder both for stature and extent I 've for this Wonder a Sea Wonder sent A Ship which covers half the Sea and more And with its burden makes the billows roar Vit. Sir if the Ocean can the burden bear 'T will very soon be here the Winds are fair Cal. They say that Pyramids are Regal Tombs Of mighty Kings the last Retiring-Rooms This spacious Universe in War o'ercome And laid in Ruins shall be Caesar's Tomb. Ces Be Caesar's Tomb Let me not see the hour When he is entomb'd Cal. We will name Tombs no more Ces Their powers to me wou'd Destinies resign Eternal shou'd be Caesar's Life and mine And all our days be smiling and serene We wou'd not know what cares or troubles mean Cal. Well may we love I 'm sure our souls agree Then may thy life be all serenity And that of pleasure thou may'st have thy fill Command all Caesar's power all humane skill Now Love prepare for Caesar's golden Couch Th' Images smile with hopes of thy approach They blaze with gold we burn with hot desire There we shall all appear nay be o' fire Ces Is the Bed new For I when I 've my choice Let nothng but my Caesar touch me twice Cal. It is all new and so I think art thou Thou never didst appear so fair as now Ces Perhaps from joy some colour I derive But I have drooping beauties I 'd revive By this days trouble I 've contracted soil Therefore with Caesar's leave I 'd bath awhile From water then I 'll like a Venus rise And in my Caesar's arms dissolve in joys Cal. Water a Bath for beauty so Divine Ces Water ennobl'd with the richest Wine Perfumes and pearls dissolv'd Cal. Go bath an hour In pleasure then dissolve an Emperor Ex. Ces and Ladies Enter Pastor How now old splendid Knight thy days decline But thou resolv'st to make thy evening shine But all the lustre of thy Youth and Age Has been from Buildings Train and Equipage How dar'st thou have th' ill manners to abstain From War and Honour in a Warlike reign Pas In Youth I serv'd in War Sir now I 'm old The relick of a Man Cal. But wrapp'd in gold Well what 's your bus'ness here Pas With Caesar's leave From Caesar's glory pleasure to receive Also to let my gracious Emp'ror know News which perhaps some pleasure may bestow Th' Aegyptian Wonder is arriv'd at last Cal. Th' Obelisk Where Pas 'T is of a size so vast That Sir it will let nothing else appear And I may say 't is almost ev'rywhere Sir I believe no Province is so large As the great Ship that brought this monstrous charge I was of late forc'd on a small design To send to Aegypt a young Son o' mine And in this Ship he found a passage home Sir a great Nation might have there found room Cal. I 'll see this Vessel and its monstrous freight I 'll go by Sea prepare my Gallies straight Where is your Son Pas Without Sir Cal. Call him in Enter Lepidus Thou venture to the Sea no rather sure Thou hast been polishing thy self awhile In a sweet Bath of Milk and Wine and Oil. The Sea wou'd frighten one so soft as thou Unless 't was smoother than a Ladies brow Where blew the Wind Lep. In th' East where now it blows Cas You mean thro' Flutes and Trumpets I suppose The Ocean was in peace with ev'ry cloud The Winds were only in Wind-Musick loud Th' ast found at Sea a serene milky way And to those Waters went'st to dance and play As Ladies do to Wells when weather 's gay Oh! thou hadst rather Rome and all the World Shou'd be confounded than thy hair uncurl'd Thou never wou'dst expose to rugged air Rings which allure and Nets which catch the Fair. Lep. Nature Sir gave me what I value more A great devotion for my Emperor Sir in that Ornament lies all my Pride When Caesar pleases any thing beside I can with infinite delight resign In duty only I desire to shine Cal. Well said Vit. A nobler Youth I have not seen I love you Sir our tempers are akin Cal. The Egyptians highly flam'd with zeal of late For Caesar's Glory does their heat abate Lep. Caesar Vit. When Caesar's mention'd by your own Or any Tongue pray Sir bow humbly down Lep. Egypt with Gods is plentifully stor'd But Divine Caesar there is most ador'd Vit. and Lep. bow when Caesar is nam'd Vit. Yes Caesar makes a glorious Figure there Therefore that Kingdom greatly I revere And often tow'rds that point of Heaven I bend Which Canopys that happy holy Land Vit. bows toward Egypt Lep. The Alexandrian Jews each moment feel Dreadfull effects Sir of Egyptian zeal Cal. And they shall quickly feel my fury too And so shall ev'ry disobedient Jew Their old dead Priests and Prophets they prefer Above a living new young Jupiter Caesar I mean Lep. The Egyptian Jews have sent A noble Agent Learned and Eloquent His Life is Pious and his Conduct Sage He 's call'd by some the Plato of the Age. Cal. Let 's see this second Plato Ex. Lep. and Enter Philo. Welcome Sir You are a Learned Philosopher I 'm told Caesar may well admit of your adress You have to nature intimate access And are her Minister you shall be heard For that 's a Character deserves regard She is my Benefactress I must own I had from nature my Imperial Crown Nay more a Godhead on me she bestows Or so it is my pleasure to suppose And who will plunder me of what I love Thunder may easier be snatch'd from Jove Your Nation spoils my Images will you Assault my high Imaginations too Phi. To such high arrogance who dares ascend Sir with the Egyptians we only contend We 'll not thrust Caesar down among the low Rabble of Gods to which th' Egyptians bow A Leek in Egypt is a Heavenly Lord Cart loads of Gods their Gardens can afford We 'll not mix Caesar with their Herds and Flocks Their Rams and Goats nor yoke him with an Ox Nor joyn him with the Monsters
Now you have Queens for your Domestick slaves And all delights that nature yields in call Were there more Emp'rors you wou'd love 'em all Ces No Sir of all Men Emp'rors wou'd I shun They are mysterious understood by none But this I know what are so much above All Kings on Earth 't is arrogance to love And to my sorrow I have found it vain For having all things all things they disdain Caesar is pleas'd with beauty whilst 't is new And the next hour thinks it not worth his view A while I 'm graceful in the Emp'rors thoughts And the next moment seem all over faults Now I 've all beauties then I 've all decays Now sudden starts of joy then sharp always Now I 'm in luxury and then in tears And always shaken with confounding fears Cal. Oh! my Cesonia prithee have a care Impose not on me more than I can bear This Neck is soft so is not Caesar's Heart This Head and Neck how easily can I part But though in Caesar thou hast no delight To thy fair self thou art a pleasing sight And by all Eyes thou art with wonder seen Oh! I am loath to stain so white a skin 'T is pity so much beauty shou'd be lost Thou wilt not be so lovely when a Ghost Ces I find I 'm pleasing still in Caesar's Eye And therefore now I 'm very loth to die No joys in the most sweet Elizian Grove Can equal the Remains of Caesar's love With pomp and power I am pleas'd I own But Caesar far outshines his glorious Throne Were Caesar but my equal were he lower Had but that graceful person and no more From all Mankind to Caesar's arms I 'd fly And think no Goddess is so blest as I. Cal. Oh! thou art made exactly to my mind Fair to perfection fond though l 'm unkind Faithful thou art as the severely chaste And yet as Venus wanton when embrac'd I have a thousand Venusses in thee Once more I love thee to a mad degree New beauties for a moment snatch my Eyes And entertain me whilst they 're novelties Ces Caesar will oft abandon me I know But one hours love will rich amends bestow I am luxurious freely I confess But Caesar Caesar is my Sovereign bliss From Caesar's Lips divine Ambrosia flows His breath in sweets excels the Syrian Rose And when I have his Arms I think I 'm dress'd The Queen of Heaven has not so rich a Vest In Caesar's Arms in extafies I lie Like a mad Prophetess entranc'd with joy Whilst a God fills me all my spirits fly Cal. No my Cesonia I must do thee right Thy spirit gives a life to my delight A livelier Beauty Caesar ne'r enjoy'd Thou hast more life than all thy Sex enjoy'd Ces Now I 'm compos'd and fit for great Affairs Your Glory must a while employ my Cares Enter Valerius Asiaticus Lucius Vitellius Oh! come my Lord tho' in this last Compagne You gave us too much reason to complain Your service for your faults make great amends And I rank you among the Emp'rors friends Cal. Th' art proud and therefore I think Caesar's friend Thy haughty heart can to an Emp'ror bend My pow'rs by Jove and Nature were bestow'd By serving me thou serv'st an Earthly God Senators oft are of ignoble blood And all their pow'rs the Off-spring of the Croud Can thy proud heart endure those Men shou'd reign Whom thou woud'st scarce admit into thy Train Will one so brave by Cowards be controul'd And one so rich let Bankrupts rule his Gold So Wise to Blockheads for Advice repair In all the great Affairs of Peace and War Depend on the result of empty prate And account Fools the Oracles of State Val. A. I wou'd not be a slave to slaves 't is true Our Senators are solemn slaves to you If I must serve on Caesar I 'd depend For as the Ladies who on Queens attend Are by the World Ladies of Honour stil'd Tho' of their Honour they have been beguil'd So Sir if Honour can to slaves be due They 're slaves of Honour who are slaves to you L. Vit. Spoke like a Nobleman and Man o' sence 'T is an illustrious thing to serve a Prince So great so glorious so renown'd so wise What Vassal wou'd not such a glory prize Val. A. When he has Caesar's favour in pursuit He 'll lick the dust beneath the Tyrant's feet Aside Caesar's a God and Caesar says I 'm proud A God knows all the secrets of our blood Therefore no doubt I 'm ostentatious vain The Characters he gives me I 'll maintain I will be proudly faithful to my trust To all Mankind I will be proudly just All danger Sir I 'll haughtily despise To serve you boldly fight as boldly advise Your service to your pleasure I 'll prefer And boldly stop you if I think you err Cal. Stop me Val. A. By Councel tho' it cost my Head Even by your self I will not be misled Cal. Will I be judg'd and govern'd by my slaves Val. A. I 'll judge and if I can I 'll rule your Knaves I 'll offer and I 'll suffer no abuse Because I 'm proud pride is of mighty use The affectation of a pompous name Has oft set Wits and Heroes in a flame Volumes and Buildings and Dominions wide Are oft the noble Monuments of pride Cal. Then I'm your lofty Building Have a care This from no other Man on earth I 'd bear Thou rul'st thy Emperor I know not how More than thou dar'st demand I dare bestow Have all a Vassal can from pow'r derive Tho'th'art the boldest proudest Man alive Val. A. All this I durst not have presum'd to crave My thanks I 'll on your foes in wounds engrave Ces In serving Caesar rich rewards proceed From the meer conscience of the noble deed But yet is Caesar so Divinely good He over-pays his Warriors for their blood I 'm sure my Lord your recompence is great To Val. A. You 've Rubies for your blood and Pearls for sweat Y 'ave Provinces for all the Fields y 'ave won And Realms for all the Kings y 'ave undone L. Vit. Higher rewards than these my service meets This Province Madam He takes out of his bosom the Empresses Sandal 'T is all over sweets Here dwelt a foot a Wonder of its kind And left a thousand fragrancies behind Cal. How false are Men both in their Heads and Hearts And there is falshood in all Trades and Arts. Lawyers deceive their Clients by false Law Priests by false Gods keep all the World in awe By their false Tongues such flatt'ring Knaves are rais'd For their false wit Scriblers by fools are prais'd Whores by false beauty Venusses appear Hect'ring Faux braves o'r Cowards domineer Look round the World what shall we find sincere Ces The Senate Sir attend Cal. Well let 'em wait How dare you in my Ear name what I hate I 'll have no Guardians I 'm at Age to reign What my Birth gave
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
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