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Show • M i7z The SPARTAN DAME: Therefore my Virtue will allow no Mean, « I muft renounce your Power, or marc your Crimes. Cleom Thi< Virtue, which you fenfelefly afkft, Is a Vlebeim Wesknefs in your Soul, A pot r, degenerate Fear of what may be, Which nobkr Minds can never apprehend. Celo. M y Lord! m y Lord! I was not born tofeaa M y Coumry places m e above m y Sex: I a m a Spa-tan born, can k n o w no Fears But of Difhonour; and I would be ftill A Coward in thofe Fears. Thel. Where will this end? Celo. But you are pleas'd to tax m e , in your Phrafe3 Of a Tlebeian WeaknefV. Sir, I fcorn A groveling Soul; I have a Mind as high, As generoufly enlarg'd with Royal Thoughts, As enterprising, gieat, and glorious, As e'er Ambition prompted to a Crown. Cleom. Give but a Proof of this. Celo. I* will •• Cleom. I ask no more. Celo. T h e higheft Proof. O ! were what you poMs, ** T h e Gift of Nature, from a Father's Death, " In the Succeffion a descending Right; Or had you nobly gain'd it, in Defence Of Rites infulted, and invaded Laws; Your Crown, the Thanks of a free'd Peoples Love; The Gift of vindicated Liberty; A Wreath of Triumph over Tyranny; The glorious Spoil of Arbitrary Pow'r, Wrefted, and torn from an Oppreftbr's Hand: O * were it fo dtferv'd, and fo beftow'd, H o w could I drefs that Brow, and deck m y own! What Plots, what Fadions, what Confpiracies, What impudent Rebellion ftiou'd oppUe Your Title then ? 1 have a Royal Soui Wou'd throw m e on m y Fate, never to reft, Till 1 were in the Grave, or on the Throne. 1 Cleom. Exert that Royal Soul, let it ftill reign? Ctlo.%1 wid. The SPARTAN DAME. 373 jtnd as I would all Dangers undertake, fo lhare a " Godlike Power of doing Good* Lfrom that facred Right of Sovereignty, I fcorn the Privilege of doing 111. L A petty Partnership* of borrow'd Power, « Precarioufly rais'd, and fo fuftain'd. kTo generous Motive from the Publick Caufe* Bat an Impulfe of impotent Defire, I The wandring Luft of a licentious Will, iHashurry'd you, to violate all Laws, IThat ftood between you, and your impious Ends: I'Tis therefore I abhor your Tyranny, That bafe-born Iffue of unlawful Might! Begot upon the Fears of bad Mens Crimes, Or proftituted, flavifh Principles; Cradled in Infamy, and rear'd in Vice, I Fatted with Feafts of undeferved Praife; Blown up with. Flattery to a Giant Size Of Rapine, and oppreffive Infolence, To trample d o w n the Bounds of Property, And feize the c o m m o n Birth-right, Liberty. This is the Monfter Idol you fet up, Which, in the Pride of Virtue, I defpife, And in that Pride, I go- But do not think You can be fafe: You> and " your ill got Crowa Long cannot profpei; nay, by Hercules, The Father of our Empire I hope It wonnot long: " If yet there can be found " Among fo irany Sia*es,one Spirit free, « Among fo many F«Je, one Man yet 'rue, " Unfhaken, unfeduced; w h o has preferv'd « His Loy iky, him will I animate; Nay I m y felt will head m y " Father's Caufe Againft your « Throne But O ! the conflict here! You judgi *eGods! whofe Sentence has affigu'd To wretched Mortals our proportion'd Slwc Of Labour, and our P ecDOipcnce of Fa e For virtuous Action,, 1 ok in Pi > on m e: Compote this toft this ten peft beaten Brecft^ With different Tides ^ .King V,\ c opprc#dy |