LUCIUS JUNIUS BRUTUS,

FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY.

ACTI. SCENE 1.

Titus, Teraminta.

OH TERAMINTA, why this face of tears?
Since first I saw thee, till this happy day,
Thus hast thou pass'd thy melancholy hours,
Ev'n in the court retir'd; stretch'd on a bed,
In some dark room, with all the curtains drawn;
Or in some garden, o'er a flow'ry bank,
Melting thy sorrows in the murmuring stream;
Or in some pathless wilderness amusing,
Plucking the mossy bark of some old tree,
Or poring, like a Sybil, on the leaves.

What, now the priest should join us! Oh, ye Gods!
What can you proffer me in vast exchange

For this ensuing night? Not all the days

Of crowning Kings, of conquering Generals,
Not all the expectation of hereafter,

With what bright Fame can give in th' other world,
Should purchase thee this night one minute from me.
Ter. Ob, Titus! if since first I saw the light,
Since I began to think on my misfortunes,
And take a prospect of my certain woes,
If my sad soul has entertain'd a hope
Of pleasure here, or harbour'd any joy
But what the presence of my Titus
gave me ;
Add, add, ye cruel Gods, to what I bear,

And break my heart before him.

Titus. Break first th' eternal chain: for when thou'rt

gone

The world to me is chaos. Yes, Teraminta,

So close the everlasting Sisters wove us,

Whene'er we part, the stings of both must crack:
Once more, I do intreat thee, give the grave
Thy sadness; let me press thee in my arms,
My fairest bride, my only lightness here,
Tune of my heart, and charmer of my eyes!
"Nay, thou shalt learn the ecstacy from me,
I'll make thee smile with extravagant passion,
Drive thy pale fears away, and ere the morn,
'I swear, Oh Teraminta, Oh my love,

'Cold as thou art, I'll warm thee into blushes.'.

Ter. Oh, Titus ! may I, ought I to believe you? Remember, Sir, I am the blood of Tarquin;

The basest too.

Titus. Thou art the blood of Heav'n,

The kindest influence of the teeming stars;
No seed of Tarquin; no, 'tis forg'd t'abuse thee:
A God thy father was, a Goddess was his wife;
The Wood-nymphs found thee on a bed of roses,
Lapt in the sweets and beauties of the Spring;
Diana foster'd thee with nectar dews,

Thus tender, blooming, chaste, she gave thee me
To build a temple sacred to her name;

Which I will do, and wed thee there again.

Jer. Swear then, my Titus, swear you'll ne'er up-
braid me,

Swear that your love shall last like mine for ever;
No turn of state or empire, no misfortune,
Shall e'er estrange you from me: swear, I say;
That, if you should prove false, I may at least
Have something still to answer to my fate;
Swear, swear, y Lord, that you will never hate me,
But to your death still cherish in your bosom
The poor, the fond, the wretched Teraminta.

!

Titus. Till death nay, after death, if possible. Dissolve me still with questions of this nature, While I return my answer all in oaths:

More than thou cans't demand I swear to do. "This night, this night shall tell thee how I love thee: . When words are at a loss, and the mute soul Pours out herself in sighs and gasping joys, Life-grasps, the pangs of bliss, and murmuring plea

sures:

'Thou shalt confess 11 language then is vile,

And yet believe me most without my vowing."

Enter BRUTUS, with a Flamen.

But see, my father with a Flamen here!

The court comes on; let's slip the busy croud.
And steal into the eternal knot of love.'

[Exeunt

Brut. Did Sextus, say'st thou, lie at Collatia, At Collatine's house last night?

Fla. My Lord, he did.

Where he, with Collatine, and many others,
Had been some nights before.

Brut. Ha! if before,

Why did he come again?

Fla. Because, as rumour spreads,

He fell most passionately in love with hers

Brut. What then?

Fla. Why, is't not strange?

Brut. Is she not handsome?

Fla. Oh, very handsome.

Brut. Then 'tis not strange at all: :

What, for a King's son to love another man's wife!
Why, Sir, I've known the King has done the same.
Faith, I myself, who am not us'd to caper,
Have sometimes had th' unlawful itch upon me :
Nay, pr'ythee priest, come thou and help the number.
Ha! my
old boy, the company is not scandalous :

Let's go to hell together; confess the truth,

Did'st thou ne'er steal from the Gods an hour, or so, To mumble a new prayer

With a young fleshy whore in a bawdy corner? ha!'

Fla. My Lord, your servant. Is this the fool-the madman?

Let him be what he will, he spoke the truth:

If other fools be thus, they're dangerous fellows.

[Exit!

Brut. [Solus.] Occasion seems in view; something there is

In Tarquin's last abode at Collatine's:

Late entertain'd, and early gone this morning!
The matron ruffled, wet, and dropping tears,
As if she had lost her wealth in some black storm!
As in the body, on some great surprize,

The heart still calls from the discolour'd face,
From every part, the life and spirits down:

So Lucrece comes to Rome, and summons all her blood.
Lucrece is fair; but chaste, as the fann'd snow
Twice bolted o'er by the black northern blasts :-
So lies this starry cold and frozen beauty,
Still watch'd and guarded by her waking virtue,
A pattern, though I fear inimitable,

For all succeeding wives. Oh Brutus! Brutus !
When will the tedious Gods permit thy soul
To walk abroad in her own majesty,

And throw this vizor of thy madness from thee?
Oh, what but infinite spirit, propt by Fate,
For empire's weight to turn on, could endure,
As thou hast done, the labours of an age,
All follies, scoffs, reproaches, pitiés, scorns,
Indignities almost to blows sustain'd,

For twenty pressing years, and by a Roman ?