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Show C8S) do not love you, can you me endure > Needs there more yet ? m y Faith I here abjure. O ! rigid Virtue ! at whofe fhrine I fall, Muft thou a Crime to thy afliftance call > C A M I L L A Commit no more, and I the gods atteft, M y love fhall not be leffen d, but increas'd,^ M y kindnefs fhall ev'n in thy falfhood live, All but a Brother's death I can forgive: W h y am I R o m a n ? or w h y art thou none? That I m y felf might put thy L aurels on , I fhould thy valour heighten, not forbid, And treat thee juft as I m y Brother did : But ah! how blind I n o w thofe vows efteem, Since againft thee were all I made for him ! But he returns^ O 1 may Sdbina be More prevalent with him than I'm with thee. S C E N. VL r Curtius, Camilla, Horace, Sabina. U CURTIUS. Sabina too! m y heart to undermine, And with Camilla muft you Sifter joyn ? Leaving her tears her Brother to attaque, Hope you by yours to call m y purpofe back ? SABINA. No, Brother* no, I only vifit you T o give you m y embrace and laft adieu , Your bloodcs too good, nor need you apprehend From m e what can your great refolves offend ; If either were by this brave (hock o'rethrown, H e that firft yielded, I fhould firft difown. But may not I one favor beg of you, Worthy this Brother* and this Husband too ? I wifh your quarrel might lefs impious grow, And would refiftc the glory of the blow, That * <89) That free from guilt, it might no fplendor mifs, I would fain make you lawful Enemies : I the fole link am of your facred knot, Which will unty, afioon as I am not; Break then the chain whence that alliance grows, And fince your Honor now will' have you Foes, Buy, by m y death, right to each others hate, And Rome's and Alba's Vote legitimate ', Your hand deftroying, his revenging me,- Your Combat will appear no Prodigy ; And one at leaft will juftly ftake his life, That he may right his Sifter, or his Wife : But what ? you think your Fame would be lefs bright, if for another^ quarrel you fhould fight; Your Country's caufe will no new heats admit, Did you love lefs, you would aft,lefs for ib ! A Brother you muft kill, a lov'd one too, IT Well then, defer not what you ought to do: But, by his Sifter, him begin to kill, Or by his Wife his blood begin to fpill: IT And by Sabina's blood, if her you prize, t Bod J3 Make your own lives the braver faerifice: r> cn ) You are a Foe,to Rome, to Alba you, V And m y averfion to them both is due. O What, mufti live to fcch a Viftory, Whofe higher) triumph will but let m e fee A Brother, or a Husband Laurels wear, Reeking with blood that is to m e fo dear ? H o w fliall I then decide m y inward ftrife, Or well exprefs the Sifter and the Wife > The Conqueror embrace, the Conquer'd grieve ? No, no, Sabina's death fhall her relieve, From whomfoe'er m y grief that blow procures, Andtny hands muft beftow it, if not yours, C5o then, what does your favagc hearts reftrain ? Againft your will, I m y defire fhall gain ; For you no fooner fhall begin your blows, But you fhall fee this bofom interpofe : Nor |
