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Show H° Tyrannick Love ; O R T H E ROYAL MARTYR. ACT I. SCENE I. A Camp, or Pavillion-Royal. Maximin, Charinus, Placidius, Albinus, Valerius, Apollonius, Gitarch. Max. r-w-^HUS far my Arms have with Succefs been Crown'd^ And found no ftop, or vanquifh'd what they found'. JL The German Lakes my Legions have o're-paft, With all the Bars which Art or Nature call: M y Foes in watry Faftnefles inclos'd, I fought, alone, to their whole W a r expos'd, Did firft the Depth of trembling marfhes found, And fix'd my Eagles in unfaithful Ground $ By force fubmitted to the Roman fazy Fierce Nations, and unknowing to obey : And now, for my Reward, ungrateful Rome, For which I fought abroad, Rebels at home.' Alb. Yet 'tis their fear which does this War maintain • They cannot brook a Martial Monarch's Reign : Your Valour would too much their Sloth accufe- And therefore, like themfelves, they Princes chufe T ^ W > J \ V 0 > f f ^, Gmvn'd Princes, who at eafe Debate In lazy Chairs the bufinefs of the State: W h o Reign but while the People they can pleafe And only know the little Arts of Peace. Char. In Fields they dare not Fight where Honour calls- But breath a faint Defiance from their Walls • The very noife of W a r their Soul does wound • They quake, but hearing their own Trumpets Sound. fai. An eafie Summons, but for Form they wait And to your Fame will Open wide the Gate. Buf cnt a lfhc°Ur FaitKVthat fwift fuccefs may ^d; But Conquefts, Sir, are eafily defign'd • However foft within themfelves they are Io you they will be valiant by Defpair. For having once been guilty, well they know To a revengeful Prince they ftill are fo. Tl" m^e !&** ** *£* *** **' rw£ -That Senate's but a name: Oi they are Pageant Princes which they make- That Power they give away they would partake w T i W 0 ^ / tW° diff^nt ways will draw W hde each m, , and &ive t h e>other ™ . True; 7 be Royal Martyr, ' -~~ - -• i - • i m ,* i * . Ii True, they fecure Propriety and Peace j But are not fit an Empire to encreafe. When they fhould aid their Prince, thc Slaves Difpute- And fear Succefs fhould make him Abfolute. They let Foes Conquer to fecure the State, And lend a Sword, whofe edge themfelves rebate. Char. When to encreafe the Gods you late are gone, I'll fwiftly chufe to dye, or Reign alone : But thefe Half Kings our Courage cannot fright} The thrifty State will bargain e'er they fight: Give juft fo much for every Viftory ^ And rather lofe a Fight, than over-buy. Max. Since all delays are dangerous in War, Your Men, Albinus, for Affault prepare: Crifpinus and Menephilm, I hear Two Confulars, thefe Aquileians cheer; By whom they may, if we protraft the time, Be taught the Courage to defend their Crime. Placid. Put off th'Affault but only for this day J No lofs can come by fuch a fmall dela)r. Char. W;e are not fure to Morrow will be ours : Wars have, like Love, their favourable Hours g Let us ufe all: for if we lofe one day, That white one in the Crowd may flip away. Max. Fates dark Recefles we can never find5 But Fortune at fome Hours, to all is kind : Theluckv have whole Days, which ftill they chufe5 Th' unlucky have but Hours, and thofe they lofe. Placid. I have confulted one, who reads Heaven's doom, And fees at prefent, things which' are to come. Tis that Nigrinus, made by your Command A Tribute in the new Panonian Band. Him have I feen, (on IJler's Banks he ftood, Where laft we winter'd ) bind the headlong Floud In fudden Ice^ and where moft fwift it flows, In Chryftal Nets, the wondring Fifties clofe. Then, with a moments Thaw, the Streams enlarge, And from the Mefh the twinkling Guefts difcharge 1 In a deep Vale, or near fome ruin'd Wall, He would the Ghofts- of flaughter'd Soldiers call5 W h o flow, to wounded Bodies did repair, And loth to enter, fhiver'd in the Air t, Thefe his dreadful W a n d did to fhort Life compel, And fore'd the Fates of Battel to foretell. Max. 'Tis wondrous ftrartge! But good Placidius, fay* What Proprieties Nigrinus of this day ? Placid. In a lone fent, all hung with Black, I faw, Where in a Square he did a Circle draw: Four Angles, made by that Circumference, Bore Holy Words inferib'd, of myftick Senfe 5 When firft a hollow Wind began to blow, The Sky grew Black, and Belly'd down more low 5 Around the Field did nimble Lightning Play, VVhich offer'd us by fits, and fnatch'd the Day. 'Midft this, was heard the thrill and tender cry Of well-pleas'd Ghofts, which in the Storm did fly 5 Danc'd to and fro, and skimm'd along the Ground, Till to the Magick Circle they were bound. They courting it, while we were fene'd within, W;e faw this dreadful Scene of Fate begin. Char. Speak without fear, What did the Vifion fhev AL aPyTl ohaewcanip dsB. eof fiAe Vg iC'fudi,rot anaanirdnv doSrnola dtwihnee,r s np erfielgafhienbn.ot eudri ntog oPluari vni ew |
