Depend on thee: my woes will vanish all
If thou wilt hear me; and thy noble heart
Hath ever been the friend of injur❜d virtue:
To thee I owe my life: affift me now,
Remove me, Varus, from this fatal palace;
Grant my benighted steps a friendly guide
To Zidon's ports, where now thy veffels lie.
Not answer me! what means that look of sorrow?·
Why art thou filent? O! too well I fee
Thou wilt not hear the voice of wretchedness.
It is not fo: I hear, and will obey thee:
My guards fhall follow thee to Rome: dispose
Of them, of me; my heart, my life is thine.
Flee from the Tyrant, break the fatal tye;
'Tis punishment enough to be forfaken
By Mariamne: ne'er shall he behold thee;
Thanks to his own injustice; and I feel
Too well there cannot be a fate more cruel.
Forgive me, but the thought of losing thee
Hath drawn the fatal fecret from my breast;
I own my crime: but, fpite of all my weakness,
Know, my respect is equal to 'my love:
Varus but wishes to protect thy virtue,
But to revenge thy injuries, and die.
I hoped the great preferver of my life
Wou'd prove the guardian of my honour too;
And to his pity only thought I ow'd
His kind affiftance: ne'er did I expect
That he, of all men, fhou'd increase my forrows;
Or that, to crown the woes of Mariamne,
I fhou'd be forc'd to tremble at thy goodness,
And blush for ev'ry favour I receiv❜d :
Yet, think not, Varus, that thy paffion, thus
Delear'd, fhall rob thee of my gratitude:
My constant friendship shall be ever thine
I will forget thy love, but not thy virtues :
Thou hadst my praise and my esteem till now,
But longer converse may deprive thee of it ;
For thy fake therefore, Varus, I must leave thee.
I fear your're troubled, Sir; your colour changes.
Albinus, I must own, my fpirits droop;
Pity, my friend, the weakness of a heart
That never lov'd before: alas! I knew not
How ftrong my fetters were, but now I feel,
Nor can I break them with what fweet demeanor,
And lovely softness, did fhe chide my paffion;
Calm and unruffled, how her tranquil prudence
Taught me my duty, and enforc'd her own;
How I ador❜d her ev'n when she repuls'd me!
I've loft all hope, yet love her more than ever:
Gods! for what dreadful trial of my faith.
Wilt thou then aid her flight?
ALBINUS.
Art thou pleas'd fo well
With her disdain, as thus to make thyfelf
Unhappy, and promote thy own deftruction?
What doft thou purpose?
Can I rebel against her laws? my heart
Were then unworthy of her. Hence my doubts,
"Twas Mariamne spoke, and I obey :
Quick let her leave the Tyrant; let her seek
Auguftus; she has caufe to fly, and Varus
Has none to murmur or complain; at least
She leaves me the fweet pleasure to reflect,
That I have liv'd and acted but for her;
Have broke her chains, have fav'd her precious life :
Nay more for I will facrifice my love,
Fly from thofe dang'rous charms that wou'd betray me, And imitate the virtue I adore.
VARUS, NABAL, ALBINUS, ÀTTENDANTS on VARUS.
HE king, my lord, the happy Herod, comes
Triumphant, and the Hebrews flock in crouds
To meet him: Salome, alarm'd and fearful
Of her declining intereft, joins his train
Of fawning courtiers, fooths his pride, and strives
By ev'ry art to gain him to her purpose ;
The priests attend, and ftrew their palms before him.
With Herod comes the faithful Idamas,
Deputed by his fov'reign to attend
The noble Varus; he will foon be here.
Still hath he prov'd himself the conftant friend
Of Marianne, and by wholesome counfels
Soften'd the rage of his impetuous master;
The queen, ftill wav'ring and irrefolute,
Condemns herself; her rigid virtue fears
To do what danger tells her must be done :
She quits the palace, then returns; mean while
Her anxious mother, falling at her feet,
Bathes them in tears, points to her weeping children,
And trembling begs her to depart: she stops,
And doubts, and much I fear will stay too long:
'Tis thou must haften her; on thee alone
Depends the safety of the nobleft being
Heav'n e'er gave birth to. O preserve her; save
The race auguft fprung from a line of kings;
Save Mariamne. Are your guards all ready?
May I inform her of it?
And wilt thou too permit a faithful fervant
To follow his lov'd mistress?
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