Melts under their hot wheels, and from their axtrees Huge claps of thunder plough the ground before them! '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 I'th' field: Like lions, gentlemen, you've held Your heads up this day. Where is young Junius, Curius, and Decius? Pet. Gone to heaven, I think, sir. Suet. Their worths go with them! Breathe a while. How do ye? Pet. Well; some few scurvy wounds; my heart's whole yet. Dem. Would they would give us more ground! Suet. Give? we'll have it. Pet. Have it, and hold it too, despite the devil. Enter JUNIUS, DECIUS, and CURIUS. Jun. Lead up to th' head, and line sure; The queen's battle Begins to charge like wildfire. Where's the general? Suet. Oh, they are living yet. Come, my brave soldiers, Come, let me pour Rome's blessing on ye: Live, Live, and lead armies all! Ye bleed hard. [Exeunt omnes præter DRUSIUS and PENIUS. Drus. Victoria, victoria! Pen. How is that, Drusius? 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. Suet. Soft, soft, pursue it soft, excellent soldiers! 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 A Briton coward, a base coward! Guide me, Where nothing is but desolation, That I may never more behold the face Suet. Draw in, draw in!-Well have you fought, and worthy Rome's noble recompense. Look to your wounds: Of man, or mankind know me! Oh, blind for- The ground is cold and hurtful. The proud queen tune, Hast thou abused me thus! Drus. Good sir, be comforted; It was your wisdom ruled you. Pray you go home; Your day is yet to come, when this great fortune Shall be but foil unto it. [Retreat. [Exeunt PENIUS and DRUSIUS. Pen. Fool, fool, coward! Has got a fort, and there she and her daughters tunes Stop at no stubborn walls. Come, sons of honour, True virtue's heirs, thus hatched with Britain blood, Let's march to rest, and set in gules like suns. Beat a soft march, and each one ease his neighbours! [Exeunt. SCENE I. ACT IV. Enter PETILLIUS, JUNIUS, DECIUS, and DE- Pet. Smooth was his cheek, Jun. With, whoop, he has done wooing! A lad for a lass's viewing. Pet. Full black his eye, and plump his thigh, Jun. With, whoop, he has done wooing! Pet. Oh, my vexed thief, art thou come home again? Are thy brains perfect? Pet. Thy back-worm Quiet, and cast his sting, boy? Jun. Dead, Petillius, Dead to all folly, and now my anger only Pet. Why, that's well said; hang Cupid and his quiver, A drunken brawling boy! Thy honoured saint Be thy ten shillings, Junius; there's the money, And there's the ware; square dealing: This but | Takes none away. What she heats, sleep can help Without a groping surgeon. Jun. I am counselled; And henceforth, when I doat again- Ye had almost paid for't. Pat. Love no more great ladies; Thou canst not step amiss then; there's no de light in them: All's in the whistling of their snatcht-up silks; They're only made for handsome view, not handling. Their bodies of so weak and wash a temper, Plena rimarum sunt, they're full of rennet, 'em, They live in culisses, like rotten cocks, Stew'd to a tenderness that holds no tack; Give me a thing I may crush. Jun. Thou speakest truly: The wars shall be my mistress now. Pet. Well chosen ! For she's a bouncing lass; she'll kiss thee at morning. I found those favours infinite. Pet. She talks to th' purpose, pling, And he that lays on best is her best servant; All other loves are mere catching of dottrels, 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 I am persuaded they love me: I never Blasphemed them, uncle, nor transgressed my parents; I always said my prayers. Hengo. When they please. I've heard you say you've marched all day in armour. Car. I have, boy. Hengo. Am not I your kinsman? 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 Hengo. Why, a Caratach, A Roman-hater, a scourge sent from heaven Hark, uncle, hark! I hear a 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 o'th' head: I'll not come near him. Judas. Retire again, and watch then. How he stares! The eating Roman, see where he thrids the thickets: Kill him, dear uncle, kill him! one good blow To knock his brains into his breech; strike his head off, That I may piss in's face. Car. Do ye make us foxes? Here, hold my charging-staff, and keep the place, boy! I am at bay, and like a bull I'll bear me. Enter JUDAS, &c. [Exit. Hang thee, base slave, thou shak'st. Judus. Upon my conscience, The boy will beat me! how it looks, how bravely, Judas. The boy speaks sword and buckler! Come, here's an apple, yield. Hengo. By Heaven, he fears me! Enter PENIUS, DRUSIUS, and Regulus. Look not upon me, as ye love your honours! Reg. Most honoured sir! Pen. Most hated, most abhorred ! I'll give you sharper language: When, ye coward, Say so, and then ye know me, nay, ye please me. When come ye up? Judas. If he should beat me Hengo. When, sir ? I long to kill thee! Come, thou canst not 'scape me; I've twenty ways to charge thee, twenty deaths Judas. Sure, 'tis the devil, A dwarf devil in a doublet! Hengo. I have killed Oh, my dear credit, my dear credit! 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, A captain, sirrah, a brave captain, and when I've And now I'm left to scornful tales and laughters, Judas. Most certain this boy will cut my throat yet. Enter two Soldiers running. 1 Sold. Flee, flee! he kills us. [Exeunt JUDAS, &c. Hengo. Run, run, ye rogues, ye precious rogues, ye rank rogues! A comes, a comes, a comes, a comes! that's he, boys! What a brave cry they make! Enter CARATACH, with a head. Car. How does my chicken? To hootings at, pointing with fingers. That's he, 'That's the brave gentleman forsook the battle, 'The most wise Penius, the disputing coward.' Oh, my good sword, break from my side, and kill me; Cut out the coward from my heart! Reg. You are none. Pen. He lies, that says so; by heaven, he lies, Baser than I have done Come, soldiers, seek me; Take me, and swallow me, make ballads of me, Drus. What shall we do? Pen. Good gentlemen, forsake me; You were not wont to be commanded. Friends, pray do it, Hengo. 'Faith, uncle, grown a soldier, a great And do not fear; for, as I am a coward, soldier ; For, by the virtue of your charging-staff, And a strange fighting face I put upon it, I've out-braved Hunger. Cur. That's my boy, my sweet boy! Here, here's a Roman's head for thee. Before I starve, my sweet-faced gentleman, Car. A right complete soldier! Come, chicken, let's go seek some place of strength (The country's full of scouts) to rest a while in; And love, to comfort him. Drus. Good Regulus, Step to the soldier and allay his anger, For he is wild as winter. [Exeunt DRUS. and REG. Pet. Oh, are you there? have at you!—Sure he's dead. It cannot be he dare outlive this fortune; Pen. As you see. Pet I'm glad on't; Continue so still. The lord general, The valiant general, great SuetoniusPen. No more of me is spoken: my name's perished. Pet. He that commanded fortune and the day, By his own valour and discretion, (When, as some say, Penius refused to come, But I believe them not) sent me to see you. Pen. Ye're welcome; and pray see me, see me well: You shall not see me long. Pet. I hope so, Penius; The gods defend, sir! Pen. See me and understand me: This is he, Left to fill up your triumph; he, that basely Whistled his honour off to th' wind, that coldly Shrunk in his politic head, when Rome, like reapers, Sweat blood and spirit for a glorious harvest, That, being courted by loud Fame and Fortune, Pet. Forgiveness meets with all faults. All sins I can commit, to be forgiven; Pen. He is a brave gentleman, Nor dare I hope more from him than is worthy. Pet. What would you do? Whether they knew obedience! must not these kill you? Say they are won to pardon you, by mere miracle Brought to forgive you, what old valiant soldier, What man that loves to fight, and fight for Rome, Will ever follow you more! Dare you know these ventures? If so, I bring you comfort; dare you take it? tain There is a mercy for each fault, if tamely A man will take it upon conditions. |