And raise me to thy arms with dear forgive- Makes wise Augustus envy thee in heaven!

Jaff. Yes.

Pier. A villain?
Jaff. Granted.

[ness. What mean the Fates by such prodigious

my

Pier. A coward, a most scandalous coward,
Spiritless, void of honor, one who has sold
Thy everlasting fame for shameless life?
Jaff. All, all, and more, much more
faults are numberless.
Pier. And wouldst thou have me live on
Base as thou 'rt false-
? [terms like thine,
Jaff. No; 'tis to me that's granted:
The safety of thy life was all I aim'd at,
In recompense for faith and trust so broken.
Pier. I scorn it more, because preserv'd by
thee;

And as when first my foolish heart took pity
On thy misfortunes, sought thee in thy mise-
ries,

[state

Of wretchedness, in which thy fate had plung'd thee,

virtue ?
[face,
When scarce the manly down yet shades thy
With conquest thus to overrun the world,
And make barbarians tremble. O ye gods!
Should Destiny now end thee in the bloom,
Methinks I see thee mourn'd above the loss
Of lov'd Germanicus; thy funerals,
Like his, are solemniz'd with tears of blood.
Theo. How, Marcian!

Mar. Yes, the raging multitude,
Like torrents, set no bound to their mad grief;
Shave their wives' heads, and tear off their
own hair;

With wild despair they bring their infants out,
To brawl their parents' sorrow in the streets :
Trade is no more; all courts of justice stopt;
With stones they dash the windows of their
temples,
[gods,
Pull down their altars, break their household
And still the universal groan is this

Reliev'd thy wants, and rais'd thee from thy" Constantinople 's lost, our empire 's ruin'd;
Since he is gone, that father of his country;
Since he is dead, O life, where is thy pleasure?
O Rome, O conquer'd world, where is thy
glory?"
[thy manners:
Theo. I know thee well, thy custom and
Thou didst upbraid me; but no more of this,

To rank thee in my list of noble friends;
All I receiv'd, in surety for thy truth,
Were unregarded oaths, and this, this dagger,
Given with a worthless pledge thou since hast
So I restore it back to thee again; [stol'n: Not for thy life-
Swearing, by all those powers which thou hast Mar. What 's life without my honor?
violated,
[nion, Could you transform yourself into a Gorgon,
Never from this curs'd hour to hold commu- Or make that beardless face like Jupiter's,
Friendship or interest with thee, though our I would be heard in spite of all your thunder:
O pow'r of guilt! you fear to stand the test
Which virtue brings like sores your vices

years.

Were to exceed those limited the world.

Take it-Farewell, for now I owe thee no-
Jaff. Say thou wilt live then.
Pier. For my life, dispose of it

shake

[thing. Before this Roman healer. But, by the gods, [with. Before I go, I'll rip the malady,

Just as thou wilt, because 'tis what I'm tir'd
Jaff. Oh Pierre !

Pier. No more.

Jaff. My eyes won't lose the sight of thee, But languish after thine, and ache with gazing. Pier. Leave me-Nay, then thus, thus I throw thee from me; [thee. And curses great as is thy falsehood catch

6. Theodosius and Marcian. LEE. Theo. Ha! what rash thing art thou, who sett'st so small

A value on thy life, thus to presume
Against the fatal orders I have given,
Thus to entrench on Cæsar's solitude,
And urge thy ruin ?

Mar. Mighty Cæsar,

I have transgress'd; and for my pardon bow
To thee, as to the gods, when I offend :
Nor can I doubt your mercy, when you know
The nature of my crime. I am commission'd
From all the earth to give thee thanks and
praises,
[arms
Thou darling of mankind! whose conqu'ring
Already drown the glory of great Julius;
Whose deeper reach in laws and policy

And let the venom flow before your eyes.
This is a debt to the great Theodosius,
The grandfather of your illustrious blood:
And then farewell for ever.

Theo. Presuming Marcian!
What canst thou urge against my innocence?
Through the whole course of all my harmless
youth,

Ev'n to this hour, I cannot call to mind [me.
One wicked act which I have done to shame
Mar. This may be true; yet if you give the

sway

To other hands, and your poor subjects suffer,
Your negligence to them is as the cause.
O Theodosius, credit me, who know [kings;
The world, and hear how soldiers censure
In after times, if thus you should go on,
Your memory by warriors will be scorn'd,
As much as Nero or Caligula loath'd: [ease,
They will despise your sloth, and backward
More than they hate the others' cruelty.
And what a thing, ye gods, is scorn or pity!
Heap on me, Heaven, the hate of all mankind;
Load me with malice, envy, detestation ;
Let me be horrid to all apprehension,
And the world shun me, so I 'scape but scorn.

Theo. Pr'ythee no more.

[parisons, Now charms my hand from giving thee thy

Mar. Nay, when the legions make com-
And say, Thus cruel Nero once resolv'd,
On Galba's insurrection, for revenge
To give all France as plunder to the army;
To poison the whole senate at a feast ;
To burn the city, turn the wild beasts out,
Bears, lions, tigers, on the multitude; [fire,
That, so obstructing those that quench'd the
He might at once destroy rebellious Rome-
Theo. O cruelty! why tell'st thou me of

this?

Am I of such a barb'rous bloody temper?

Mar. Yet some will say, This show'd he
had a spirit,

However fierce, avenging, and pernicious,
That savor'd of a Roman: but for you,
What can your partial sycophants invent,
To make you room among the emperors?
Whose utmost is the smallest part of Nero;
A pretty player, one that can act a hero,
And never be one. O ye immortal gods!
Is this the old Cæsarean majesty ?
Now in the name of our great Romulus,
Why sing you not, and fiddle too, as he did?
Why have you not, like Nero, a Phonascus,
One to take care of your celestial voice?
Lie on your back, my lord, and on your
stomach

fate?

Did not, for less than this, the latter Brutus,
Because he thought Rome wrong'd, in person
head

Against his friend a black conspiracy,
And stab the majesty of all the world?
Theo. Act as you please: I am within
your pow'r.
[crime
Mar. Did not the former Brutus, for the
Of Sextus, drive old Tarquin from his king-
dom?

And shall this prince too, by permitting others
To act their wicked wills, and lawless plea-
Ravish from the empire its dear health, [sures,
Well-being, happiness, and ancient glory?

Lay a thin plate of lead; abstain from fruits;
And when the business of the stage is done,
Retire with your loose friends to costly ban-Go on in this dishonorable rest?

quets, f

While the lean army groans upon the ground.
Theo. Leave me, I say, lest I chastise thee;
Hence, begone, I say-

Mar. Not till you have heard me out.
Build too, like him, a palace lin'd with gold,
As long and large as that of th' Esquiline :
Enclose a pool too in it, like the sea,
And at the empire's cost let navies meet ;
Adorn your starry chambers too with gems;
Contrive the plated ceilings to turn round,
With pipes to cast ambrosian oils upon you:
Consume with this prodigious vanity,
In mere perfumes and odorous distillations,
Of sesterces at once four hundred millions;
Let naked virgins wait you at your table,
And wanton Cupids dance and clap their
wings.

No matter what becomes of the poor soldiers,
So they perform the drudgery they are fit for;
Why, let 'em starve for want of their arrears,
Drop as they go, and lie like dogs in ditches.
Theo. Come, you are a traitor!
Mar. Go to, you are a boy-
Or by the gods-

[troops

Shall he, I say, dream on, while the starv'd
Lie cold and waking in the winter camp;
And like pin'd birds, for want of sustenance,
Feed on the haws and berries of the fields ?
O temper, temper me, ye gracious gods!
Give to my hand forbearance, to my heart
Its constant loyalty! I would but shake him
Rouse him a little from this death of honor.
And show him what he should be.

Theo. You accuse me,

As if I were some monster most unheard of!
First, as the ruin of the army; then
Of taking your commission: but by Heaven
I swear, O Marcian! this I never did,
Nor ne'er intended it; nor say I this
To alter thy stern usage; for with what
Thou 'st said, and done, and brought to my re-
membrance,

I grow already weary of my life. [not know
Mar. My lord, I take your word: you do
The wounds which rage within your country's
bowels;

The horrid usage of the suffering soldier:
But why will not our Theodosius know ?
If you intrust the government to others
That act these crimes, who but yourself's to
blame!

Be witness, O ye gods! of my plain dealings,
Of Marcian's honesty, howe'er degraded.
I thank you for my banishment: but alas!
My loss is little to what soon will follow!
Reflect but on yourself and your own joys;
Let not this lethargy for ever hold you.

"Twas rumor'd through the city, that you I swear that there are seeds in that sweet

lov'd;

That your espousals should be solemniz'd;
When on a sudden here you send your orders
That this bright favorite, the lov'd Eudosia,
Should lose her head.

temper,

T' atone for all the crimes in this bad age.

Theo. I thank thee first for my Eudosia's life.

[life What but my love could have call'd back that Which thou hast made me hate? But, O, methought [thee, 'Twas hard, dear Marcian, very hard from From him I ever reverenc'd as my father, To hear so harsh a message! But no more; We 're friends: thy hand. Nay, if thou wilt not rise,

[thou? Theo. O heaven and earth! What say'st That I have seal'd the death of my Eudosia! Mar. "Tis your own hand and signet: yet I swear, [sway, Though you have given to female hands your And therefore I, as well as the whole army, For ever ought to curse all womankind; Yet when the virgin came, as she was doom'd, And let me fold my arms about thy neck, And on the scaffold, for that purpose rais'd I'll not believe thy love: in this forgive me. Without the walls, appear'd before the army-First let me wed Eudosia, and we 'll out; Theo. What, on a scaffold! ha! before the We will, my general, and make amends [turn'd For all that 's past: glory and arms, ye call, And Marcian leads me on!

army?

Mar. How quickly was the tide of fury
To soft compassion, and relenting tears!
But when the axe

Sever'd the brightest beauty of the earth
From that fair body-had you heard the groan,
Which, like a peal of distant thunder, ran
Through all the armed host, you would have
thought,

By the immediate darkness that fell round us,
Whole nature was concern'd at such a suff'ring,
And all the gods were angry.

Theo. O Pulcheria!

Cruel, ambitious sister! this must be
Thy doing. O, support me, noble Marcian!
Now, now's the time, if thou dar'st strike: be-
hold,

I offer thee my breast; with my last breath,
I'll thank thee too, if now thou draw'st my
blood.

Were I to live, thy counsel should direct
But 'tis too late-

[cius!

Mar. Let her not rest, then ;
Espouse her straight: I'll strike you at a heat.
May this great humor get large growth within

you;

And be encourag'd by the embold'ning gods :
O what a sight will this be to the soldier,
To see me bring you dress'd in shining armor,
To head the shouting squadrons! O ye gods!
Methinks I hear the echoing cries of joy,
The sounds of trumpets, and the beat of drums;
I see each starving soldier bound from earth,
As if a god by miracle had rais'd him;
And with beholding you, grow fat again!
Nothing but gazing eyes, and opening mouths,
Cheeks red with joy, and lifted hands about

you;

Some wiping the glad tears that trickle down
With broken lo's, and with sobbing raptures;
Crying, To arms! he 's come; our emperor's

come

Mar. He faints! What, hoa, there! Lu-To win the world! Why, is not this far better My lord the emperor! Eudosia lives; Than lolling in a lady's lap, and sleeping, She's here, or will be in a minute, moment! Fasting or praying? Come, come, you shall Quick as the thought, she calls you to the be merry: temple.

And for Eudosia, she is yours already!
Marcian has said it, Sir; she shall be yours.

Theo. O Marcian! O my brother, father,

§ 7. Gloster and Hastings. RowE. Glost. My lord, y' are well encounter'd; here has been

A fair petitioner this morning with us;
Believe me, she has won me much to pity her:
Alas, her gentle nature was not made
To buffet with adversity. I told her
How worthily her cause you had befriended;
How much for your good sake we meant to do;
That you had spoke, and all things should be
well.
[service.
Hast. Your highness binds me ever to your

Glost. You know your friendship is most | By Heaven, 'tis done in perfect spite to peace.

potent with us,

And shares our power. But of this enough,
For we have other matter for your ear:
The state is out of tune; distracting fears,
And jealous doubts, jar in our public counsels;
Amidst the wealthy city murmurs rise,
Lewd railings, and reproach on those that rule,
With open scorn of government; hence credit,
And public trust 'twixt man and man are
broke,

sans,

The golden streams of commerce are withheld,
Which fed the wants of needy hinds and arti-
[bellion.
Who therefore curse the great, and threat re-
Hast. The resty knaves are overrun with
As plenty ever is the nurse of faction: [ease,
If in good days, like these, the headstrong herd
Grow madly wanton, and repine, it is
Because the reins of pow'r are held too slack,
And reverend authority of late
Has worn a face of mercy more than justice.
Glost. Beshrew my heart! but you have
well divin'd
[wonder
The source of these disorders. Who can
If riot and misrule o'erturn the realm,
When the crown sits upon a baby brow?
Plainly to speak-hence comes the gen'ral cry,
And sum of all complaint: "Twill ne'er be well
With England (thus they talk) while children
[of that?
Hast. 'Tis true the king is young ; but what
We feel no want of Edward's riper years,
While Glo'ster's valor and most princely wis-
dom

govern.

So well supply our infant sovereign's place,
His youth's support, and guardian to his throne.
Glost. The council (much I 'm bound to
thank 'em for 't)

Have plac'd a pageant sceptre in my hand,
Barren of pow'r, and subject to control;
Scorn'd by my foes, and useless to my friends.
O worthy lord! were mine the rule indeed,
I think I should not suffer rank offence
At large to lord it in the commonweal;
Nor would the realm be rent by discord thus,
Thus fear and doubt, betwixt disputed titles.
Hast. Of this I am to learn; as not sup-
A doubt like this-

[posing

Did not the king,

Our royal master, Edward, in concurrence
With his estates assembled, well determine
What course the sovereign rule should take
henceforward?

When shall the deadly hate of faction cease,
When shall our long-divided land have rest,
If every peevish, moody malcontent
Shall set the senseless rabble in an uproar,
Fright them with dangers, and perplex their
brains,

Each day, with some fantastic giddy change?
Glost. What if some patriot, for the public
good,

[state? Should vary from your scheme, new-mould the Hust. Curse on the innovating hand at

tempts it!

Remember him, the villain, righteous Heaven,
In thy great day of vengeance! Blast the
traitor,

And his pernicious counsels, who for wealth,
For pow'r, the pride of greatness, or revenge,
Would plunge his native land in civil wars!

Glost. You go too far, my lord.
Hast. Your highness' pardon-
Have we so soon forgot those days of ruin,
When York and Lancaster drew forth the
battles ?

When, like a matron butcher'd by her sons
And cast beside some common way, a specta-
Of horror and affright to passers by, [cle
Our groaning country bled at ev'ry vein ;
When murders, rapes, and massacres pre-
vail'd;

When churchés, palaces, and cities blaz'd;
When insolence and barbarism triumph'd,
And swept away distinction; peasants trod
Upon the necks of nobles; low were laid
The reverend crosier and the holy mitre,
And desolation cover'd all the land;
Who can remember this, and not, like me,
Here vow to sheath a dagger in his heart
Whose damn'd ambition would renew those
horrors,
[us ?
And set once more that scene of blood before
Glost, How now! so hot!

Hast.
Glost.

So brave, and so resolv'd. [moment, Is then our friendship of so little Glost. Ay, marry, but there is; [heard That you could arm your hand against my And that of much concern. Have you not life? [I meant it; How, on a late occasion, Doctor Shaw [ness Hast. I hope your highness does not think Has mov'd the people much about the lawful- No, Heaven forefend that e'er your princely Of Edward's issue? by right grave authority person [ment. Of learning and religion plainly proving, A bastard scion never should be grafted Upon a royal stock; from thence, at full Discoursing on my brother's former contract To Lady Elizabeth Lucy, long before His jolly match with that same buxom widow, The queen he left behind him

Should come within the scope of my resent-
Glost. O noble Hastings! Nay, I must

embrace you;

By holy Paul, y' are a right honest man. The time is full of danger and distrust, And warns us to be wary: hold me not Too apt for jealousy and light surmise, If, when I mean to lodge you next my heart, Such meddling priests, who kindle up con- I put your truth to trial. Keep your loyalty, And vex the quiet world with their vain And live your king and country's best support. For me, I ask no more than honor gives,

Hast. Ill befal

scruples!

[fusion,