Dost thou imagine thou canst slide on blood, ? Dying Man. See, see how firmly he doth fix his eye O, hold it constant ! It settles his wild spirits; and so his eyes Despair. O, the cursed devil, Which doth present us with all other sins APPIUS AND VIRGINIA, A TRAGEDY: BY THE SAME AUTHOR. APPIUS, the Roman Decemvir, not being able to corrupt the innocence of VIRGINIA, daughter to VIRGINIUS the Roman general, and newly married to ICILIUS a young and noble gentleman; to get possession of her person, suborns one CLODIUS to claim her as the daughter of a deceased bond-woman of his, on the testimony of certain forged writings, pretended to be the deposition of that woman, on her deathbed, confessing that the child had been spuriously passed upon VIRGINIUS for his own: the cause is tried at Rome before APPIUS. APPIUS. VIRGINIA. VIRGINIUS, her father. ICILIUS, her husband. Senators of Rome. Nurse, and other Witnesses. Virginius. My lords, believe not this spruce orator : 1 Had I but fee'd him first, he would have told 1 Counsel for Clodius. X. 17 B As smooth a tale on our side. Appius. Give us leave. Virginius. He deals in formal glosses, cunning shows, And cares not greatly which way the case goes. Examine, I beseech this old woman, you, Who is the truest witness of her birth. Appius. Soft, you! is she your only witness? Virginius. She is, my lord. Appius. Why, is it possible Such a great lady, in her time of child-birth, Should have no other witness but a nurse? Virginius. For aught I know, the rest are dead, my lord. Appius. Dead! no, my lord; belike they were of counsel With your deceas'd lady, and so sham'd Twice to give colour to so vile an act. Doth merit punishment beyond our censure; Nurse. I defy your whips, my lord. Appius. Command her silence, lictors. Virginius. O injustice! you frown away my witness : is this law? Is this uprightness? Appius. Have you view'd the writings? This is a trick to make our slaves our heirs Beyond prevention. Virginius. Appius, wilt thou hear me? You have slander'd a sweet lady that now sleeps In a most noble monument. Observe me, I would have ta'en her simple word to gage Appius. That makes thee wretched. Old man, I am sorry for thee that thy love By custom is grown natural, which by nature Should be an absolute loathing: note the sparrow, That having hatch'd a cuckoo, when it sees Her brood a monster to her proper kind, Forsakes it, and with more fear shuns the nest Than she had care i' the spring to have it dress'd. Here's witness, most sufficient witness. Think you, my lord, our laws are writ in snow, And that your breath can melt them? Virginius. No, my lord, We have not such hot livers: mark you that. Virginia. Remember yet the gods, O Appius, Who have no part in this! Thy violent lust Shall, like the biting of the envenom'd aspick, Steal thee to hell. So subtle are thy evils, In life they'll seem good angels, in death devils. I'll show thy letters full of violent lust Appius. My lords, these are but dilatory shifts. And I'll observe you. Icilius. Do, but do it with justice. Clear thyself first, O Appius, ere thou judge I Senator. You are too bold. Appius. Lictors, take charge of him. Icilius. 'Tis very good. Will no man view these papers?1 what, not one? Jove, thou hast found a rival upon earth: His nod strikes all men dumb. My duty to you! Thought that the superstitious people kneel'd If thou think'st so, proud judge, I let thee see 1 The forgery. |