Tvcc. His tongue shall bee gent'man vsher to his 150 wit, and still goe before it.

ALBI. An excellent fit office!

CRIS. I, and an excellent good ieft, besides.

HERM. What, haue you hired MERCVRY, to cry your

iests you make?

OVID. MOMVS, you are enuious.

Tvcc. Why, you whorefon block-head, 'tis your only blocke of wit in fashion (now adaies) to applaud other folkes iests.

155

HERM. True: with those that are not artificers 160 themefelues. VULCAN, you nod; and the mirth of the ieft droops.

PYRG. He ha's fild nectar fo long, till his braine fwims in it.

GALL. What, doe we nod, fellow Gods? found 165 musicke, and let vs startle our spirits with a song.

Tvcc. Doe, APOLLO: thou art a good musician.
GALL. What faies IVPITER?

ᏙᏙ

SONG.

Ake, our mirth begins to die:

Quicken it with tunes, and wine:
Raife your notes, you're out: fie, fie,
This drouzineffe is an ill figne.

We banish him the queere of Gods,
That droops agen:

Then all are men,

For here's not one, but nods.

OVID. I like not this fodaine and generall heauineffe, amongst our Godheads: 'Tis fomewhat ominous. APOLLO, command vs lowder muficke, and let MERCVRY, and Moмvs contend to please, and reuiue our senses.

185

190

195

200

205

OVID. I: This hath wak't vs. MERCVRY, our Herald; Goe from our felfe, the great God IVPITER, to

SONG.] CANTVS. Q om. G

183 Alb. G, N 194 [Music. G, N 199 AMBO.] Both. N

187 Quire 1640, 1692, N
TVS. Qom. N
207 hath] has W +

184 wines W SONG,] CAN

205 AMBO.] Both. N

the great Emperour, AVGVSTVS CAESAR: And command him, from vs (of whose bountie he hath receiued 210 his fir-name, AVGVSTVS) that for a thanke-offring to our beneficence, he prefently facrifice as a difh to this banquet, his beautifull and wanton daughter IVLIA. Shee's a curft queane, tell him; and plaies the fcold behind his backe: Therefore, let her be facrific'd. 215 Command him this, MERCVRY, in our high name of IVPITER ALTITONANS.

IVLI. Stay, feather-footed MERCVRY, and tell AVGVSTVS, from vs, the great IVNO SATVRNIA; if he thinke it hard to doe, as IVPITER [323] hath com- 220 manded him, and facrifice his daughter, that hee had better to doe fo ten times, then fuffer her to loue the well-nos'd poet, OVID: whom he fhall doe well to whip, or cause to bee whipt, about the capitoll, for foothing her, in her follies.

225

CÆSAR, MECONAS, HORACE, LVPVS, HIS-
TRIO, MINOS, LICTORS, OVID, GALLVS,
TIBVLLVS, TVCCA, CRISPINVS, AL-
BIVS, HERMOGENES, PYRGVS,
IVLIA, CYTHERIS, PLAV-

VV

TIA, CHLOE.

Hat fight is this? MECONAS! HORACE! fay!
Haue we our fenfes? Doe we heare? and
fee?

Or, are these but imaginarie obiects

Drawne by our phantafie?

219 IVNO] Junio 1692, 1716, W

Why fpeake you not?

222 better do 1716, W, G

SCENA SEXTA. Q Act . . . CHLOE.] Enter AUGUSTUS Cæsar, MECENAS, HORACE, LUPUS, Histrio, MINOS, and LICTORS. G (So N, omitting AUGUSTUS.)

1 Cæsar. Q Cæs. 1716+

Let us doe facrifice? Are they the Gods?
Renerence, amaze, and furie fight in me.
Wha.? doe they kneele? Nay, then I fee 'tis true
I thought impoffible: ô, impious fight!
Let me diuert mine eyes; the very thought
Euerts my foule, with paffion: looke not, man.
There is a panther, whofe vnnaturall eyes
Will ftrike thee dead: turne then, and die on her
With her owne death.

He offers to kill his daughter. MECO. HORACE. What meanes imperiall CAESAR? CAESA. What, would you haue me let the ftrumpet liue,

That, for this pageant, earnes so many deathes?

Tvcc. Boy, flinke boy.

PYRG. 'Pray IVPITER, we be not follow'd by the fent, Master.

CAESA. Say, fir, what are you?

5

ΙΟ

15

20

CAESA. I aske not, what you play? but, what you

are?

CHLO. Your citizen, and iewellers wife, fir.

CAESA. And you, good fir?

CRIS. Your gentleman, parcell-poet, fir.

CAESA. O, that prophaned name!

And are these feemely companie for thee,

Degenerate monster? all the rest I know,

30

[324] And hate all knowledge, for their hatefull fakes.

Are you, that firft the deities infpir'd

With skill of their high natures, and their powers,

35

13 S.D.] om. Q He] om.

19 Exeunt. Q [Exeunt Tucca and 32 [To Julia. G, N

The first abusers of their vse-full light;
Prophaning thus their dignities, in their formes:
And making them like you, but counterfeits?
O, who shall follow vertue, and embrace her,
When her false bosome is found nought but aire?
And yet, of thofe embraces, centaures spring,
That warre with humane peace, and poyfon men.
Who fhall, with greater comforts, comprehend
Her vnfeene being, and her excellence;
When you, that teach, and should eternize her,
Liue, as shee were no law vnto your liues:
Nor liu'd her felfe, but with your idle breaths?

40

45

If you thinke gods but fain'd, and vertue painted,

50

Know, we sustaine an actuall refidence;
And, with the title of an Emperour,
Retaine his spirit, and imperiall power:
By which (in imposition too remisse,
Licentious NASO, for thy violent wrong,
In foothing the declin'd affections

55

Of our bafe daughter) we exile thy feete
From all approch, to our imperiall court,

On paine of death: and thy mis-gotten loue

Commit to patronage of iron doores;

Since her foft-hearted fire cannot containe her.

60

MECœ. O, good my lord; forgiue: be like the
Gods.

HORA. Let royall bountie (CAESAR) mediate.

CAESA. There is no bountie to be shewed to fuch,

As haue no reall goodneffe: Bountie is

A spice of vertue: and what vertuous a&t

65

Can take effect on them, that haue no power
Of equall habitude to apprehend it,

But liue in worship of that idoll vice,

As if there were no vertue, but in shade

Of strong imagination, meerely enforc't?

70

This fhewes, their knowledge is meere ignorance;

56 our] my Q we] IQ