Cur. Willingly. Jun. Now mark it. Cur. [reading.] "Health to thy heart, my honoured Junius, All thy love requited! I am thine, Both of myself and fortune this blessed day For I beheld your danger like a lover, Cur. This letter carries much belief, and most objections Answered, we must have doubted. Dec. Is that fellow Come to you for a guide yet? Jun. Yes. Dec. And examined? He vows he knows no more than this truth. Dec. Strange! Cur. If she mean what she writes, as it may be probable, "Twill be the happiest vantage we can lean to. Jun. I'll pawn my soul she means truth. Dec. Think an hour more; Then if your confidence grow stronger on you, We'll set in with you. Jun. Nobly done! I thank ye. Ye know the time. Cur. We will be either ready To give you present counsel, or join with you. Enter SUETONIUS, PETILLIUS, DEMETRIUS, and MACER. Jun. No more, as ye are gentlemen. neral ! The ge Suet. Draw out apace; the enemy waits for us. Are ye all ready? Jun. All our troops attend, sir. Suet. I am glad to hear you say so, Junius; I hope you are dispossessed. Jun. I hope so too, sir. Suet. Continue so. And, gentlemen, to you To bid you fight is needless; ye are Romans; Tie never-dying time and fortune constant. Pitched on the topless Apennine, where the snow dwells, And blows to all the under-world, all nations, thing Jun. Far more than that; he has felt tortures, And hugs not in his arms the noble danger, vet VOL. I. May he die fameless and forgot! N Car. Very likely; He shews no less than general. See how bravely We shall have bloody crowns this day, I see by it. [March. No place but lined alike, sure from oppression! They will not change this figure; we must charge them, And charge them home at both ends, van and rear; [Drums in another place afur off. They never totter else. I hear our music, And must attend it: Hold, good sword, but this day, And bite hard, where I hound thee! and hereafter I'll make a relic of thee, for young soldiers To come like pilgrims to, and kiss for conquests. [Exit. SCENE IV. Enter JUNIUS, CURIUS, and DECIUS. Jun. Now is the time; the fellow stays. Dec. What think ye? What multitudes they are, what infinites! Hark, how they shout to the battle how the air Drus. Now they charge Stand but this growing hydra one short hour, Drus. The dust Hides them; we cannot see what follows. Gone, swallowed, Drusius; this eternal sun Drus. Oh, turn this way, And see a model of the field! some forty, Pen. Well fought, bravely followed! They seem to carry it. Now they charge all; are gone too, For ever gone! see, Drusius, at their backs A fearful ambush rises. Farewell, valours, Excellent valours! oh, Rome, where is thy wis- Unto our snare: We have done you no small ser 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. Are you my sweetheart? How does my love? This is not he; my chicken Could prate finely, sing a love-song. Jun. Monster 2 Daugh. Oh, now it courts! Jun. Armed with more inalice Than he, that got thee, has, the devil. 2 Daugh. Good! Proceed, sweet chick. Jun. I hate thee; that is my last. 2 Daugh. Nay, an you love me, forward! No? Come, sister, Let us prick our answers on our arrows' points, And make them laugh a little. Ye damned lechers, Ye proud improvident fools, have we now caught ve? Are ye in the noose? Since ye are such loving creatures, We'll be your Cupids: Do ye see these arrows? We'll send them to your wanton livers, goats. 1 Daugh. Oh, how I'll trample on your hearts, ye villains, Ambitious salt-itch slaves, Rome's master-sins! 2 Daugh. Dogs, Thieves, honour's hangmen, do ye grin? Perdition Take me for ever, if, in my fell anger, I do not out-do all example. 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?-Arm again, gentlemen! Soldiers, I charge ye help them. 1 Daugh. I will not off thus! Or she, though it be yourselves, by him that got [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 Like a rough tumbling storm; see them, and view them, And then see Rome no more. Say they fail, look, Look where the armed carts stand; a new army! Look how they hang like falling rocks! as murdering Death rides in triumph, Drusius, fell Destruction Move me again, when they charge, when the mountain Melts under their hot wheels, and from their axletrees 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 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. Jun. Best; [Exeunt Romans. Enter BONDUCA, CARATACH, Daughters, and NENNIUS. 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. Will ye creep into your mothers' wombs again? Back, cowards! Hares, fearful hares, doves in your angers! leave me? Leave your queen desolate? her hapless children, Enter CARATACH and HENGO. To Roman rape again, and fury? Car. Fly, ye buzzards! 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, Pen. Fool, fool, coward! Pen. His blows fall like huge sledges on an anvil. Dec. I'm weary. Pet. So am I. Car. Send more swords to me. Jun. Let's sit and rest. Drus. What think you now? Pen. Oh, Drusius, [Sit down. I've lost mine honour, lost my name, lost all That was my light: These are true Romans, and I A Briton coward, a base coward! Guide me, That I may never more behold the face Of man, or mankind know me! Oh, blind fortune, 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. Enter SUETONIUS, DEMETRIUS, Soldiers, drum and colours. Suet. Draw in, draw in !-Well have you fought, and worthy Rome's noble recompense. Look to your wounds; queen ACT IV. SCENE I. 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, METRIUS, singing. Pet. Smooth was his cheek, Dec. And his chin it was sleek, Her red and white's her own, she makes good blood, |