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Show '• W b 1 v S u llot. d prevail »'* "* ^ ^ . ^ 1 e- it lor which I plead a Crime? " fire, fome Avgume.it may be; !t^\^S!a!^'wo1«mal,iudSeitfo: I will th' excefs of Pity to you mow. You ask to Save f\A/;fr. A dangerous Rebel, and d.floyal W ife, And I in Mercy-will not take your Lite. AtlA/ You nSre than kill me by this Cruelty, ^n! in their Perfons bid your Daughter Die. I Honour Berenice's Virtue much , But for Porphyrius m y Love is luch, You muft, like me, your Lovers Life remove , Cut off your Hope, and you deftroy your Love. If it were hard, I would not bid you try The Medicine : But 'tis but to let him Die. Yet fmce you are fo foft, (which you call good ) And are not yet confirm'denough in Blood, To fee his Death, ^ Your frailty {half be favour'd with this Grace, That they fhall fuffer in another place. If after they are dead, their Memory, By any chance into your Mind be brought, T liuh and divert it with fome otner Thought. . A w a V w h ? m [ i W Berenice, Porphyrins,Albinus', carried of by Guards. vl Since Pray'rs nor Tears can bend his cruel Mind, [Looking ofterVoi^- Farewel the beft and braveft of Mankind, | How 1 have Lov'd Heav'n knows, but theres a Fate, Which hinders me from being fortunate. M y Father's Crimes hang heavy on my Head, And like a gloomy Cloud about me fpread, I would in vain be Pious, that's a Grace Which Heav'n permits not to a Tyrant's Race. Max. Hence to her Tent the foolifh Girl convey. Val. Let me be juft before I go away: Vlacidius, I have vow'd to be your Wife, Take then m y Hand, 'tis yours while 1 have Life. One moment here, 1 muft anothers be: t But this Porphyrius, gives me back to thee. { Stabs her felf twice, and then Pla- Placid. Help, Help the Princefs, Help ! I cidius wrefts the Dagger from her Max. What Rage has urg'd this Act which thou haft done? Vol. Thou, Tyrant, and thy Crimes, have pull'd it on. Thou, who canft Death with fuch a pleafure fee, N o w take thy fill, and glut thy fight in me. £u t HI the occafion of m y Death forget, Save him I love, and be m y Father yet: I can no more Porphyrius, m y Dear Cyd. Alas, the raves, and thinks Porphyrius here. Val. Have I not yet deferv'd thee, now 1 Die? Is Berenice ftill more fair than I? Porphyrins, do not Swim before m y Sight, Stand ftill, and let me, let me aim aright. Stand ftill but while thy poor Valeria Dies, And Sighs her Soul into her Lovers Eyes. [ Dies Placid. She's gone from Earth, and with her went away All of the Tyrant that deferv'd to ftay: .I've loft in her all Joys that Life can give, An I only to revenge her Death would live- [Afide. Tbe Royal Martyr. ' vy CM T1A-.G°,S JaYc ^im'd her, and we muft rdkn Max. What had the Gods to do with m e or mine? Did I moleft your Heav n ? W h y fhould you then make Maximin your Foe W h o paid you Tribute which he need not do>' *our Altars I with fmoak of Gums did Crown For which you lean'dyour hungry Noftrils down: All daily gaping for m y Incenfe there, More than your Sun could draw you in a Year And you for this thefe Plagues on me have fent • But by the Gods ( by Maximin I meant) Henceforth I and my. World Hoftility with you and yours Declare: Look to it, Gods, for you th'Aggreffors are. Keep you your Rain and Sun-fhine in vour Skies And I'll keep back m v Flame and Sacrifice. Your Trade of Heav'n fhall foon be at a ftand, And all your Goods lie dead upon your hand. ' J j r j j Tyi"f'' ?nce ,he G ° d s th> A5greilbrs are, , f Stabbing &m. I nus by this ftroke they have begun the War. <Maximin Jirwglcs with htm, vr TL T , ^ . \ and gets the Du^er from him. Max Thus I return the Strokes which they have given , [Stalbing Placid. Thus, Traytor, thus, and thus I would to Heav'n. \ Placidius falls, and thc Emperour fta^ert after him, and fits ? down upon him , thc Guards come to help the Emperour. Max. Stand oft, and et me, e'er m y ftrength be gone, Take m y laft pleafure of Revenge alone. Enter d Centurion. Cen. Arm, Arm, the C a m p is in a Mutiny : For Rome and Liberty the Soldiers cry; Porphyrins mov'd their Pity as he went, To refcue Berenice from punifhment. And now he heads their new attempted Crime. Max. N o w I am down, the Gods have wstch'd their time You think To fave your Credit, feeble Deities • But I will give myfelf the ftrength to Rife. [He ftrivesto wet up andb (i.waers Itwonnotbe. ' "n M y Body has not Pow'r m y Mind to bear. I muft return again-and Conquer here. [Sits down upon the Body. M y coward Body does m y Will controul, Farwell thou bafe deferter of m y Soul. I'll fhake this Carkafs off, and be obey'd, Reign an Imperial Ghoft without its aid Go, Soldiers, take m y Enfigns with you, Fight, And vanquifh Rebels in your Sovereigns Right : Before I Die - Bring m e Porphyrins and m y Emprefs dead : I would brave Heav'n, in m y each Hand a Head. Placid. D o not regard a dying Tyrant' Breath, [To the Soldiers. He can but look Revenge on you in Death. Max. Vanquifh'd, and dar'ft thou vet a Rebel be ? Thus-I can more than look Revenge on thee; [ Stabs him again. Placid. Oh, I am gone ! [ Dies Max. . And after thee I go, Revenging ftill, and following ev'n to the other World m y EIow. [Stabs him again. And fhoving back this Earth on which I Sit, I'll m o u n t - a n d fcatter all the Gods I hit. [ Dies. Enter Porphyrius, Berenice, Albinus, Soldiers. Porphyrius loots on the Bodys entring, and fpeaks. Por. 'Tis done before, (this mighty W o r k of Fate.) And I a m glad your Swords are come too late. 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