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Show 7yramiicl^Love, Or, pS^+idii*-'***- f^^£o#* f. O. ,hnn to vouthful Monarchs Conquer d Fields, : <?™e • "JiHFutMv lovs Difdain, Allfilldw.hHeavSd.dE«WyJoy B%H C fe Sir She «n own a Joy below. ..^"drld" ffidocs on the Waves appear! VVhtse -onlv ,ee, and Tempefts hear. *%£* XS dances to your Wifih combine : Herfear of Death advances yonr Defign F m to that only Pow'r we ferve, I Pray d, nifhe who bid i t ^ ' ^ W P e f t laid. ^ M4* Ycu are a Chriftian then ! L De th this very Hour you muft prepare: H ave d c^eed no Chriftian's Lite to fpare. S For Death I I hope you but m y Courage try : What ever I Believe, I dare not Die He v n does not, fure, that Seal of Faith require, Or if he did, would firmer Thoughts infpire. A Womans Witnefs can no Credit give To Truth's Divine, and therefore I would Live ML 1 cannot give the Life winch you <Remand. But that and mine are in your Daughter s Hand . Ask her, if (he will yet her Love deny , An! bid a Monarch and her Mother Die. Pel N o w Mighty Prince, you cancel all m y Feai , M y Life is fafe when it depends on ben How can you let me languifh thus in pain! % I f* 5- Uitli. Mike hafte to cure thofe Doubts which yet remain. Speak quickly, fpeak, and eafe mc ot m y Fear. c. Cath. Alas, 1 doubt it is not you 1 hear. Some wicked Fiend aflumes your Voice and Face, t To make trail Nature Triumph over Grace. It cannot be • That the who taught m y Childhood Piety, Should bid my riper Age m y Faith deny: That the who bid m y Hopes this Crown purlue, Should fnatch it from me when 'tis juft in view. Fel. Peace, Peace, too much m y Age's fhame you fhow : How eafie 'tis to Teach! H o w hard to D o! M y lab'ring Thoughts are with themfelves at ftrife: I dare not Die, nor bid you fave m y Life. Max. You muft do one, and that without delay, To long already for your Death 1 ftay: I cannot with your fmall Concerns difpence, For Death's of more importance call me hence. ' Prepare to execute your Office ftrait. L *-° hk Gim-ds. Fel. O ftay, and let 'em but one Minute wait. Such quick Commands for Death you would not give, If you but knew how fweet it were to live. Max. Then bid her Love. Fel. Is Duty grown fo weak, [To S. Cath. That Love's a harder word than Death to fpeak ? S. Cath. Oh! Fel. Miftake me not, I never can approve [Privately to S. Cath. A thing fo wicked as the Tyrant's Love. I ask L he Royal Martyr. 3 7 1 I ask that you would but fome promife give, Only to gain me fo much time to live. S. Cath. That Promife is a ftep to greater Sin: The hold once loft, we feldom take agen. Each bound to Heav'n we fainter Eflays make, Still lofing fomewhat till we quite go back. Max. Away, I grant no longer a Reprieve. Fel. O do but beg m y Life, and I may live. S. Cath. Have you not fo much Pity in your Breaft ? He ftays to have you make it your Requeft. S. Cath. To beg your Life- Is not to ask a Grace of Maximin : It is a filent Bargain for a Sin. Could we live always, Life were worth our coft - But now we keep with Care what muft be loft. Here w e ftand fhiv'ring on the Bank, and cry, W h e n we fhould plunge into Eternity. One Moment ends our pain, And yet the fhock of Death we dare not ftand, By Thought fcarce meafur'd, and too fwift for Sand : Tis but becaufe the Living Death ne'er knew, They fear to prove it as a thing that's new. Let me th' Experiment before you try, I'll fhow you firft h o w eafie 'tis to Die. Max. Draw then that Curtain, and let Death appear, And let both fee h o w eafie 'twill be there. The SCENE opens, andfljews the Wheel. Fel. Alas, W h a t Torment I already feel ! Max. Go, bind her Hand and Foot beneath that Wheel: Four of you turn that dreadful Engine round, Four otheis hold her fattened to the ground: That by degrees her tender Breafts m a y fed, Firft the rough, razings of the pointed Steel: Her Paps then let the bearded Tenters ftake, And on each Hook a gory Gobbet take. Till th' upper Flefh by piece-meal torn away, Her beating Heart fhall to the Sun difplay. Fel. M y deareft Daughter at your Feet I fall 5 L Reeling. Hear, O yet hear your wretched Mother's Call. Think, at your Birth, A h think what pains I bore, And can your Eyes behold m e fuffer more ? You were the Child which from your Infancy I ftill lov'd beft, and then you beft lov'd me. About m y Neck your little Arms you fpred, Nor could you fleep without m e in the Bed , But fought m y Bofom when you went to Reft, And all Night long would lie acrofs m y Breaft. Nor without Caufe did you that fondnei* fhow : You may remember when our Nile did flow, While on the Bank you innocently ftood, And with a W a n d made Circles in the Flood, That rofe, and juft was hurrying you to Death, W h e n I, from far, all pale, and out of Breath, Ran and rufh'd in And from the Waves m y floating Pledge did bear. So much m y Love was ftronger than m y Fear. But y o u - - - Max. W o m a n , for thefe long Tales your Life's too fhort, Go, bind her quickly, and begin the fport. Fel. N o, in her Arms m y Sanctuary's plac'd: [ Running to her Daughter. Thus I will cling for ever to her Wafte. Max. What, muft m y Will by W o m e n be controul'd > Hafte, draw your Weapons, and cut off her hold. B b b S. Cath. |