| OCR Text |
Show 1 • 31-4 I The FATE of CAPUA. He fends a Dagger, and , £ « }n your Excrem.ty to comfor you^ •W hen vou are weary of this Slavery, y o u hive that wretched Cho.ce to fet you free 1 [The Scene/huts upon Favonia, he TMATE^CAPUA! 3*5 m i A C T V. S C E N E I. SCENE The Forum. Erur Pacuvius, Vibius Virius, and MariusBlofius, *M& Senators in their fiveral Parties. 1 &». \ A 7 E are met here, and ^ly to be made V V More ctrtain of inevitable Fate-. Each M o m e n t brings us Matter of Defpair, And no one to propofe a Remedy. Bio. T h e Mauritania™, w h o were mr a, and fent, And, as Deferters, undertook to pafs T h e Roman Camp, and get to Hannibal, Difcover'd by the Confuls to be Spies, Fifty in Number, were condemn d to be Firft ftrip'd, and fcourg'd, then with their Hands cut o£ In that moft lamentable plight dnv n back T o Capua, to let us fee the News. iStn. T o let us fee what w e are to expect. 2 Sen T o let us read in bloody Chafers T h e Vengeance that is laid in (tore tor us 4. Sen The Speaacle has funk the People fo, They dare no longer think of a Defence, And talk of nothing but Surrendnng now. ?,ac This Accident has cut our Commerce off, - Ail our Intelligence with Hannibal Da you not know good.Decius Magius y Enter Decius Magius. , Sen. O IDeciu, Magius lyou^ a welcome Man Among us, you were never wanted more Mag Tis^a bad Day for Capua, w h T a weak Old, ulelefs Man comes to be wanted fo fBut any thing is welcome in Diftrefs pa forry for the Caufe that brings m e here I Tho' it has brought m e back to Liberty ' | From Dungeon Darknefs to the Heav'nly Li2ht iSen. W e never were in fuch a wretched Need Mag. I hear h o w Matters go with us, all wrone, And fear me, tis too late to fet 'em right. My Pow'r is very poor, but yet you may* [Employ it, as you pleafe, for Capua, For I am ftill devoted to her Caufe. 1 Sen. W e cannot hope to have the T o w n reliev'd* iSen. Nor are w e able to defend it long. iSen. Thc Roman Clemency has oft been tryU-On defperate Occafions, and been found, When all has fail'd, the only Remedy. ±Sen. And let us not defpair of its Effedts, Its good Effects on us. Bh. What do you mean ? 1 Sen. T o pacifie the Fury of our Fate. iSen. Not to enrage it by oppofing it. iSen. But freely give what they have Pow'r to take, \Sen. W e have agreed, the greateft part of us, [ To fend our Legates to the Confuls Camp, [And offer up the T o w n , to fave our Lives. 4&». And you are come, good Decius Magius, The fitted Suppliant in your Country's Caufe. i Sen. You h^ve deferv'd, and you may well pretend [An Intereft with the Roman Generals. Mag. An Intereft againft their Intereft! [There's very little to expecl from that. 1 Sen. W e will furrender at Difcretion. Hag. And that is but a wretched Embaflle. j But if you think it is the only way To do you Service, and you are agreed. *&». W e are agreed, there is no other way. Mag; What fays Pacuvius ? Y o u are yet to fpeak. he. 'Twould ill become my. Character, to join In this Advice of fupplicaring Rom % I mft Fo |
