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Show 7yrannickjf^^l ' T-~i7f^nf- Servants may fuppty* Por. Withes are Aids fain * ™ fdve/ d e ny. W h o ask Heav'n for you w h a n h ^ i Could 1 do lefs than myRefpea » X, Where I before b a d ^ g feem to bear. fler. You fad m that el p e y When you ^^^7"! accept tl"fe Vows I paid. ^T,TvotswSSto^made, But cannot now be heard without a Sin, Your Marriage was a Sacrifice to th Stat- Youx^rothermade it: to fecure ^ T^"*' ^a^r^^^f But what avails? The Forfeit none can take. As in a general Wreck The Pyrate finks with his ill-gotten Gains, And nothing to another's ufe remains : So by his Lofs, no Gain to you can fall, The Sea and vaft Deftruftion fwallows all. Por. Yet he, w h o from the Shore the Wreck defenes, May lawfully enrich him with the Prize. Ber. W h o fees the Wreck can yet no Title plead, Till he be fure the Owner firft is dead. Por. If that be all the Claim I want to Love, This Pyrate of your Heart I'll foon remove , And, at one Stroak, the World and you (et free. Ber. Leave to the Care of Heav'n that World and me. Por. Heav'n, as its Inftrument, m v Courage fends. Ber. Heav'n n'er fent thofe w h o fight for private ends. W e both are bound by Truft, and muft be true, I to his Bed, and to his Empire you. For he who to the bad betrays his Truft, Though he does good, becomes himfelf un'iuft. Por. When Brutus did from Cafor Rome redeem, The A d was good. Ber. -But 'twas not good in him. You fee the Gods adjudg'd it Parricide, By dooming the Event on Ctfar's fide. 'Tis Virtue not to be oblig'd at all, Or not confpire our Benefactor's Fall. Por. You doom me then to fuffer all this ill, And yet 1 doom m y felf to love you ftill. Ber. Dare, not Pdr^hyrius fuffer then with m e, Since what fot him I for m y felf decree ? Por. H o w can I bear thofe Griefs you difapprove ? Ber. To eafe 'em, I'll permit you ftill to love. Por. That will but hafte m y death, if you diink fit not to reward, but barely to permit. Love without Hope does like a Torture wound, Which makes me reach in pain to touch the ground. Ber. If hope, then, to your Life fo needful be, Hopeftill. Por. Blefs'd News! Ber But hope in Heav'n, not me. Por. Tbe Royal Martyr. Por. Love is too noble fuch deceits to ufe 5 Referring m e to Heav'n, your Gift I lofe : So Princes cheaply may our Wants Supply, W h e n they give that their Treafurers deny. Ber. Love blinds m y Virtue: If I longer ftay, It will grow dark, and I fhall lofe m y way. Por. One Kifs from this fair Hand can be no Sin $ I ask not that you gatfe to Maximin. In full Reward of all the pains I've paft, Give me but one. Ber. Then let it be your laft. Por. 'Tis gone! Like Soldiers prodigal of their Arrears, One Minute fpends the Pay of many Years. Let but one more be added to the Sum, And pay at once for all m y pains to come. Ber. Unthrifts will ftarve 'if we before-hand give: [ptdH*g *<*4*w •**?• I'll fee you fhall have juft enough to live. Enter Erotion. Ero. Madam, the Emperor is drawing near t, And comes, they fay, to feek Porphyrias here. Ber. Alas! Por. Twill not ask what he intends, M y Life, or Death, alone on you depends. Ber. I muft withdraw, but muft not let him know [Afide* H o w hard the Precepts of m y Virtue grow. But what e're Fortune is for m e defign'd, Sweet Heav'n, be ftill to brave Porphyrias kind! [ Exit cum firotio* Por. She's gone unkindly, and refus'd to caft One Glance to feed me for fo long a Faft. Enter Maximin, Placidius, Guards. Max. Porphyrins, fince the Gods have ravifh'd one, I come in you to feek another Som Succeed him then in m y Imperial State • Succeed in all, but his untimely Fate. If I adopt you with no better Grace, Pardon a Father's Tears upon m y Face. And give 'em to Charinus Memory: M a y they not prove as ominous to thee. Por. With what Misfortunes Heav'n torments m e ftill \ W h y muft I "be oblig'd to one fo ill ? [ Afide. Max. Thofe Offers which I made you, Sir, were fuch, N o private M a n fhould need to ballance much. Por. W h o durft his Thought to fuch Ambition lift ? Kneeling The Greatnefs of it made m e doubt the Gift. The diftance was fo vaft, that to m y View It made the Object feem at firft untrue : And now 'tis near, the fudden Excellence Strikes through, and flafhes on m y tender Senfc Max. Yet Heav'n and Earth, which fo remote appear, [ Raifing him. Are, by the Air which flows betwixt 'em, near. And 'twixt us two, m y Daughter be tbe Chain, One end with me, and one with you remain. Por. You prefs m e down with fuch a glorious Fate, £ Kneeling again, I cannot rife againft the mighty Weight* Permit I m a y retire fome little fpace, And gather Strength to btar fo great a Grace. [ Exit bowirfg. Placid. H o w Love and Fortune lavifhly contend, Which fhould Porphyrins Withes moft befriend! The Mid-ftream's his, I, creeping by the fide, A m fhoulder'd off by his impetuous Tide* £ Afide Enter Valerius haflity. Vat. I hope m y Bufinefs may m y Hafte excufe? For, Sir, I bring you moft fufprizirig News. Y y 2 The |