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Show 7'yranmcK Lo"^ 0 li 3 T+ . •; ri: K.rDeatb and W o, - T^T Pvrs henceforth, but ucdiu Mr*. See nothing, byes,> » do. You've clone me the ^ f ^ V r o u s Crime, You've fhewn mc £ftmv ^Hatie's time. : , g An unripe fate, di^os d e re Natuj ,eft ^w P / J Aflwage, g ^ S ' X c h fate can bow. There is no farther ufe of itm me. Gods! ( But why name I you^ AH that was worth a Prayer to > cm h I ask not back my; Virtue.but my Son. WhHe feryShow'rs of Sulphur on him ram d, Nor left h7 till the Battlements he gain d : There with'aforeft of their Darts he ftrove, And turn d the Iron Leaves of its dark Book To make new Dooms, or mend what it ™f°f' Till, fought by many Deaths he funk, though late. And bv his Fall aflertcd doubtful Fate. Vaiel Oh, my dear Brother! whom Heaven let us fee, And would no longer fuffer hini to.be\ j- To AlL Max And didft not thou a Death with Honour cnuic, But impudently liv'ft to bring this news) After his lofs how didft thou dare to breath? _ _ B u t thy bafe Ghoft fhall follow him to Death, A Decimation I will ftriaiy make Of all who my Charinus did forfake. And of each Legion, each Centurion Shall die.. Placidius, fee my Pleafure done. Por. Sir, you will lofe, by this Severity, Your Soldiers Hearts. Max. • W;hy, They take Pay to die. Por. Then fpare Minus only. Max. < 1 confent To leave his Life to be his Punifhment. Difcharg'd from Truft, branded with Infamy, Let him live on, till he ask Leave to die. Ber. Let me Petition for him. Max. 1 have faid , And will not be intreated, but obey'd. But, Emprefs, whence does your Compaflion grow ? Ber. You need not ask it, fince my Birth you know. The Race of Antomn's'v/zs nam'd the Good : I draw my Pity from my Royal Blood. Max. Still muft I be upbraided with your Line ? I know you fpeak it in contempt of mine. But your late Brother did not prize me lefs, Becaufe I could not boaft of Images. And the Gods own'd me more, when they decreed A Thracian Shepherd fhould your Line fucceed. Ber. The Gods! 0, do not name the Pow'rs Divine, They never mingled their Decrees with thine. My Brother gave me to thee for a Wife, And for my Dowry thou didft take his Life. Max. The Gods by many Victories have fhown, That they my Merits and his Death did own, Ber. Tbe Royal Martyr. 3 A 5 Ber. Yes, they have own'd it, witnefs this juft dav W;hen they begin thy Mifchiefs to repay. • See the Reward of all thy wicked Care, Before thee thy Succeffion ended there. Yet but in part my Brother's Ghoft is pleas'd • Reftlefs till all the groaning World be eas'd. For me, no other Happinefs I own, Than to have born no flfue to thy Throne. Max. Provoke my Rage no farther, left I be Reveng'd at once upon the Gods and thee. Por. afde.~] What horrid tortures feize my lab'rin°- mind! O, only excellent of all thy kind, To hear thee threatned while I idle ftand! Heaven! was I born to fear a Tyrant's Hand ? Max. to Ber.~\ Hence from my fight thy Blood, if thou doft ftay- » Ber. Tyrant! too well to that thou know'ft the way. f Goine* . Por. Let bafer Souls from falling Fortunes fly : rH ^ nS;PUty ? Hnr ?°?ghr* *£'• . CExit **% ** Max. What made Porphyrins to officious be? The action look'd as done in fcorn of me. Vol. It did indeed fome little Freedom fhow, But fomewhat to his Services you owe. Max. Yet, if I thought it his Prefumption were Placid. Perhaps he did not your Difpleafure hear. Max. M y Anger was too loud, not to be heard. Placid. I'm loath to think he did it not regard. Max. How, not regard! Yal. Placidius, you foment, On too light grounds, my Father's Difcontent. But when an Aftion does two Faces wear, 'Tis Juftice to believe what is moft fair. I think, That knowing what Refpecl; there refts For her late Brother in the Soldiers Breafts, He went to ferve the Emp'ror, and defign'd Only to calm the Tempeft in her mind, Left fome Sedition in the Camp fhould rife. Max. I ever thought him loyal as he's wife. Since therefore all the Gods their Spite have fhown, To rob my Age of a fucceffive Throne, And you, who now remain The only lifue of my former Bed, In Empire cannot by your Sex fucceed: To bind Porphyrias firmly to the State, I will this day my C<efar him create: And, Daughter, I will give you him for Wife. Val. O day, the beft and happieft of my life! Placid. O day, the moft accurft I ever knew! [Afide. Max. See to my Son perform'd each Funeral Due: Then to the Toils of War we will return, And make our Enemies our Lofles mourn. f_ Exeunt. A C T II. S C E N E I. The Royal Camp. Berenice, Porphyrins. Ber. DOrphyrius, you too far did tempt your Fate, •" In owning her the Emperor does hate. 'Tis true, your Duty to me it became, But praifing that, I muft your Conduct blame. _ Por. Not to have own'd my Zeal at fuch a time, Were to fin higher than your Tyrant's Crime. Ber. 'Twas too much my Difgrace t'accompany 5 A filent Wifh had been enough for me. Y y P<>r' |