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Show %b6 •Ixrve,- Or, Pnter Maximin and \ Tis faid but i am loth to think it true Valerius tollnng, rith Guards. [To Por. nrders were tbntcnin'dbjr you: W S thrfe Commands would your Renown betray. jV. Wlv.ntl.oie y-i' „mown vou name •I? Por. - Xfliould be Judge of that Renown you Yes I, and all who love your Fame. Partbmm vour Replies are Infolent. ^ T p r c j u f t , and tor your Service meant. Relieion, you our Lives will take, ;!Jnc?thebkndersfindbutnA \li Faiths are to their own Believers iutt, For none Mieve, becaufe they will, but muft. Fdth is a Force frcm which there's no Defence, Becaufe the Reafon it does firft convince , And Reafon Confcience into Fetters bungs, And Confcience is without the Pow r ot Kings Max Then Confcience is a greater Prince than 1, \t whofe each erring Call a King may Die. W h o Confcience leaves to its own tree Command, Puts the worft Weapon in the Rebel's Hand. Por. Its Empire, therefore, Sir, fhould bounded be, And but in Afts of its Religion free: Thofe who ask Civil Pow'r and Confcience too, Their Monardi to his own Definition wooe. With needful Arms let him refcuehis Peace, Then that wild Beaft he fafely may Ueleale. Max. I can forgive thefe Liberties you take, While but m y Counfellor your felf you make t But you firft act your Scnfe, and then Advife: That is, at my expence you will be Wife. M y Wife 1 for Religion do not Kill 5 But She fhall Die becaufe it is m y Will. Por. Sir, I acknowledge I too much have done , And therefore merit not to be your Son : I render back the Honours which you gave , M y Liberty's the only Gift I crave. Max. You take too much - but e'er you lay it down Confider what you part with, in a Crown : Monarchs of Cares in Policy complain, Becaufe they would be pitty'd while they Reign, For ftill the greater Troubles they confefs. They know their Pleafures will be envy'd lefs. Por. Thofe Joys I neither Envy nor Admire, But beg I from the Troubles may retire. Max. What Soul is this which Empire cannot ftir! Supine and Tame as a Philofopher ! Know then, thou wcrt adopted to a Throne, Not for thy fakefo much asfor m y own. M y Thoughts were once about thy Death at ftrife , And thy Succeflion's thy Reprieve for Life. Por. M y Life and Death are ftill within your Pow'r : But your Succeflion I renounce this Hour. Upon a Bloody Throne I will not Sit, Nor (hare the guilt of Crimes which you commit. Max. If you are not m y Ccfar you muft Die. Por. I take it as a Nobler Deftiny. Max. I pity thee, and would thy Faults forgive: But thus prefuming on, thou canft not Live. Por. 7be Royal Martyr. 367 Por. Sir, with your Throne your Pity I reftore, I a m your Foe , nor will I ufe it more. V o w all m y Debts of Gratitude are paid, I cannot Trufted be, nor you betraid. [Isgoing. Max. Stay, ftay ! In threatning m e to be m y Foe, You give m e Warning to conclude you fo. Thou to fucceed a Monarch in his Seat! Enter Placidius. No, Fool, Thou art too Honeft to be Great. Placidius, on your Life this Pris'ner keep: Our Enmity fhall end before I fleep, Placid. I ftill a m ready, Sir, whene'er you pleafe. £ To Porph. To do you fuch fmall Services as thefe. Max. The Sight with which m y eyes ftiall firft be fed, Muft be m v Emprefs, and this Traitor's Head. Por. W h e r e e'er thou ftand'ft, I'll level at that place M y gufhing Blood, and fpout it at thy Face. Thus, not by Marriage, w e our Blood will join: Nay, more, m y Arms fhall throw m y Head at thine. Max. There: G o Adoption 1 have n o w decreed, That Maximin fhall Maximin fucceed: Old as I am in pleafures, I will try To wafte an Empire yet before I Die: Since Life is fugitive, and will not ftay, I'll make it fly more pleafantly away. C ^xit. ACT V. SCENE I. Valeria, Placidius. Val. T F, as you fay, you filently have been Y So long m y Lover, let m y Pow'r be feen : One Hour's Difcourfe, before Porphyrins Die, Is all I ask, and you too may be by. Placid. I muft not break The Order, which the Emperour did fign. Val. Has then his Hand more Pow'r with you than ftnne ? Placid. This Hand, if given, would far more pow'rful be, Than all the Monarchs of the World to m e: But 'tis a Bait which would m y Heart betray, And, when I'm faft, will foon be fnatch'd away. Val. O fay not fo, for I fhall ever be Oblig'd to him w h o once obliges me. Placid. Madam, I'll wink, and favour your Deceit: But know, fair Couz'ner, that I know the Cheat : Though to thefe Eyes I nothing can refufe, I'll not the Merit of m y Ruine lofe : It is enough I fee the Hook and Bite: , , F ButfiTni pay m y Death with my'Delight. [*#r her Hand, and Ex,. Val. W h a t can I hope from this fad Interview! And yet m y brave Defign I will purfue. By many figns I have m y Rival found: But Fortune him as deep as m e does wound. Placid. I am, perhaps, the firft _ W h o fore'd by Fate, and in his o w n defpite, Brought a lov'd Rival to his Miftnfs fight. Val But, in Revenge, let this your Comfort be, That you have brought a M a n who loves not me. However, lay your caufelefs Envy by, He is a Rival w h o muft quickly Die. Por And yet I could with lefs concernment bear That Death ol which you fpeak, than fee you here. & |