Excellent valours! oh, Rome, where is thy wis- Unto our snare: We have done you no small ser dom? Enter the two Daughters, with JUNIUS, CURIUS, DECIUS, Soldiers, and Servants. 2 Daugh. Bring them in; Tie them, and then unarm them. 1 Daugh. Valiant Romans, Ye are welcome to your loves! 2 Daugh. Your death, fools! Dec. We deserve them; And, women, do your worst. 1 Daugh. Ye need not beg it. 2 Daugh. Which is kind Junius? Serv. This. 2 Daugh. Are you my sweetheart? It looks ill on it! How long is it, pretty soul, Since you and I first loved? Had we not reason To doat extremely upon one another? 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?—Arin 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 Cur. A noble worth! [Exit. [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. 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. In gross before the enemy? We pay for 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, 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. Close, my brave fellows, honourable Romans! Enter BONDUCA, Daughters, and Britons. Jun. I am myself, Petillius. Pet. 'Tis I love thee. [Exeunt Romans. Enter BONDUCA, Caratach, Daughters, and NENNIUS. [Er. 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, mans! 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. Pet. Smooth was his cheek, Dec. And his chin it was sleek, Jun. With, whoop, he has done wooing! A lad for a lass's viewing. Pet. Full black his eye, and plump his thigh, Pet. And his chin it was sleek, Jun. With, whoop, he has done wooing! Pet. Oh, my vexed thief, art thou come home again? Are thy brains perfect? Jun. Sound as bells. Pet. Thy back-worm Quiet, and cast his sting, boy? Jun. Dead, Petillius, Dead to all folly, and now my anger only- 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: Thus but sweats thee Like a nesh nag, and makes thee look pin-buttocked; The other runs thee whining up and down lads, And shews thee like a long lent, thy brave body Turned to a tail of green fish without butter. Her red and white's her own, she makes good Pet. Not yet, sir, for I think they mean to lodge him; Take him I know they dare not, 'twill be dangerous. Suet. Then haste, Petillius, haste to Penius: I fear the strong conceit of what disgrace He has pulled upon himself, will be his ruin; I fear his soldiers' fury too: Haste presently; I would not lose him for all Britain. Give him, Petillius Pet. That, that shall choke him, Suet. All the noble counsel, [Aside. I am persuaded they love me: I never Blasphemed them, uncle, nor transgressed my parents; I always said my prayers. Car. Thou shalt go then, Indeed thou shalt. Hengo. When they please. Car. That's my good boy! Art thou weary, Hengo? Hengo. Weary, uncle? 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, Hark, uncle, hark! I hear a drum. [Drum. There's no great pain in it, uncle. But pray tell If we could take or kill him-A pox on ye, How fierce ye look! See, how he broods the boy? The devil dwells in his scabbard. Why, to the blessedest place, boy-Ever sweet- Apace, apace! he has found us. Car. Do ye hunt us? Yield willingly, (your uncle's out of hearing) I'll tickle your young tail else. Hengo. I defy thee, 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. Judas. Upon my conscience, The boy will beat me! how it looks, how bravely, How confident the worm is! a scabbed boy 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, Judas. If he should beat me- 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. [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! 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, Car. That's my boy, my sweet boy! 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, ine; take me, 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. |