Excellent valours! oh, Rome, where is thy wis- | Unto our snare: We have done you no small ser Enter the two Daughters, with JUNIUS, CURIUS, DECIUS, Soldiers, and Servants. 2 Daugh. Bring them in; 1 Daugh. Ye need not beg it. 2 Daugh. Are you my sweetheart? How does my love? This is not he; my chicken Could prate finely, sing a love-song. Jun. Monster vice. These used as we intend, we are for the battle. Car. As you intend? Taken by treachery? 1 Daugh. Is it not allowed? Car. Those, that should gild our conquest, Make up a battle worthy of our winning, Catched up by craft? 2 Daugh. By any means that's lawful. Car. A woman's wisdom in our triumphs? Out! Out, out, ye sluts, ye follies! From our swords Filch our revenges basely?-Arm again, gentlemen! Soldiers, I charge ye help them. 1 Daugh. I will not off thus! Car. He that stirs to execute, Or she, though it be yourselves, by him that got [Drums loud again. Jun. Puff! there it flies. Come, let us redeem our follies. [Exeunt Junius, Curius, and Decius. DRUSIUS and PENIUS come forward. Drus. Awake, sir; yet the Roman body's whole; I see them clear again. Pen. Whole? it is impossible; Drusius, they must be lost. Drus. By heaven, they are whole, sir, And in brave doing; see, they wheel about, To gain more ground. Pen. But see there, Drusius, see, See that huge battle moving from the mountains! Their gilt coats shine like dragon's scales, their march "Till then, I'll dream what Rome was. [They retire. Enter SUETONIUS, PETILLIUS, DEMETRIUS, and MACER. Suet. Oh, bravely fought! Honour till now ne'er shewed her golden face Pet. Gone to heaven, I think, sir. Pet. Well; some few scurvy wounds; my Dem. Would they would give us more ground! Pet. Have it, and hold it too, despite the devil. Enter JUNIUS, DECIUS, and CURIUS. Jun. Lead up to the head, and line sure! The queen's battle Begins to charge like wildfire. neral? Where's the ge In gross before the enemy? We pay for it; on it! [Exeunt Queen, &c. Home and spin, woman, spin, go spin! you trifle. Open before there, or all's ruined !— How? [Shouts within. Now comes the tempest on ourselves, by heaven! Within. Victoria! Car. Oh, woman, scurvy woman, beastly woman! [Exeunt omnes præter Drusius and Penius. Drus. Victoria, victoria! Pen. How is that, Drusins! Drus. They win, they win, they win! Oh, look, look, look, sir, For Heaven's sake, look! The Britons fly, the Britons fly! Victoria! Enter SUETONIUS, Soldiers, and Captains. Close, my brave fellows, honourable Romans! Enter BONDUCA, Daughters, and Britons. Bond. Shame! whither fly ye, ye unlucky Britons? Will ye creep into your mothers' wombs again? Back, cowards! Hares, fearful hares, doves in your angers! leave me? Pet. We'll grow to it. Jun. I am myself, Petillius. Pet. 'Tis I love thee. [Exeunt Romans. [Ex. Bond. &c. Car. No, boy; thy fortune's mine; I must not leave thee. Get behind me; shake not; Enter PETILLIUS, JUNIUS, and DECIUS. Car. Charge them in the flanks! Oh, you have I'll breech you, if you do, boy.-Come, brave Ro played the fool, The fool extremely, the mad fool! Bond. Why, cousin? Car. The woman fool! Why did you give the word Unto the carts to charge down, and our people, Dec. When thou lovest next, love a good cup of wine, Enter PETILLIUS, JUNIUS, DECIUS, and DE- A mistress for a king! she leaps to kiss thee, SCENE I. METRIUS, singing. Her red and white's her own, she makes good For she's a bouncing lass; she'll kiss thee at night, boy, And break thy pate in the morning. I found those favours infinite. Pet. She talks to the purpose, Which never woman did yet. She'll hold grappling, And he that lays on best is her best servant; Enter SUETONIUS, CURIUS, and MACER. Are those come in yet, that pursued bold Caratach? We must all die; my little brother died, Hengo. I know, uncle, I saw him die, and he died smiling; sure Hengo. And am not I as fully allied unto you In those brave things, as blood? Car. Thou art too tender. Hengo. To go upon my legs? they were made I can play twenty mile a-day; I see no reason, Car. What wouldst thou be, living To wear a man's strength? Hengo. Why, a Caratach, A Roman-hater, a scourge sent from heaven Hark, uncle, hark! I hear a drum. [Drum. Enter JUDAS and his people to the door. Judas. Beat softly, Softly, I say; they're here. Who dare charge? 1 Sold. He, That dares be knocked on the head: I'll not come near him. Judas. Retire again, and watch then. How he stares! He has eyes would kill a dragon. Mark the boy well; There's no great pain in it, uncle. But pray tell If we could take or kill him-A pox on ye, me, Whither must we go when we're dead? Car. Strange questions! Why, to the blessedest place, boy-Ever sweet- Apace, apace! he has found us. ness And happiness dwell there. Hengo. Will you come to me? Hengo. Mine aunt too, and my cousins? Hengo. I should be loth to meet them there. That live by violence, and strong oppression, Come thither; 'tis for those the gods love, good men. Hengo. Why, then, I care not when I go, for surely Car. Do ye hunt us? Back, I say! [They retire. Hengo. Uncle, good uncle, see! the thin starved rascal, I can eat moss, nay, I can live on anger, Thou mock-made man of mat? Charge home, To vex these Romans. Let's be wary, uncle. sirrah! Hang thee, base slave, thou shakest. The boy will beat me! how it looks, how bravely, To handle me thus !-Yield, or I cut thy head off. Hengo. Thou darest not cut my finger; here 'tis, touch it. Judas. The boy speaks sword and buckler! Prithee yield, boy; Come, here's an apple, yield. Hengo. By Heaven, he fears me! I'll give you sharper language: When, ye coward, When come ye up? Judas. If he should beat me Hengo. When, sir? I long to kill thee! Come, thou canst not escape me; I've twenty ways to charge thee, twenty deaths Attend my bloody staff. Judas. Sure, 'tis the devil, A dwarf devil in a doublet! A captain, sirrah, a brave captain, and when I've done, I've kicked him thus. Look here; see how I charge This staff! Judas. Most certain this boy will cut my throat yet. Enter two Soldiers running. 1 Sold. Flee, flee! he kills us. 2 Sold. He comes, he comes! [Exeunt Judas, &c. Hengo. Run, run, ye rogues, ye precious rogues, ye rank rogues! A comes, a comes, a comes, a comes! that's, boys! What a brave cry they make! Enter CARATACH, with a head. Car. How does my chicken? Hengo. 'Faith, uncle, grown a soldier, a great soldier; For, by the virtue of your charging-staff, And a strange fighting face I put upon it, I've out-braved Hunger. Car. That's my boy, my sweet boy! Here, here's a Roman's head for thee. Hengo. Good provision! Car. I warrant thee; come cheerfully. Hengo. And boldly! SCENE III. [Exeunt. Enter PENIUS, DRUSIUS, and REGULUS. Look not upon me, as ye love your honours! Reg. Most honoured sir! Pen. Most hated, most abhorred! Say so, and then ye know me, nay, ye please me. His mind is dangerous. Drus. The good gods cure it! Pen. My honour got through fire, through stubborn breaches, Through battles, that have been as hard to win as heaven, Through Death himself, in all his horrid trims, The most wise Penius, the disputing coward.' Oh, my good sword, break from my side, and kill Take me, and swallow me, make ballads of me, Shame, endless shame! and, pray, do you forsake me! Drus. What shall we do? Pen. Good gentlemen, forsake me; You were not wont to be commanded. Friends, pray do it, And do not fear; for, as I am a coward, I will not hurt myself, (when that mind takes me, I'll call to you, and ask your help) I dare not. Throws himself upon the ground. |