University of Virginia Library

Scena Tertia.

Paulina, Stratonica.
Paulina.
Go, and neglect my tears, hast to precipitate thee
Before the death, which the Gods have predicted
Unto me, follow that same fatall Agent
Of thy ill destinies, who, perhaps may give thee
Into the hands of murtherers: See, Stratonica
In this sad age wherein we live, what Empire
We have upon the stubborn Spirits of men;
See what is left us, and the ordinary
Effect of that love which they offer us,
And of the vowes they make us; whilst they are
But Lovers, we are Soveraigns; and untill
They've gain'd the conquest, we are us'd as Queens,
But after Marriage they are Kings by turn.

Strat.
Sure Polyeuctes, wants no love for you;
Though with full confidence he treat you not.
In this affair, though he depart in spight
Of all your tears: it is a part of prudence;
Without afflicting you presume with me,
That it is fit he should conceale the cause,
Assure your self he hath just reason for it:
A Husband must not tell us everything,
Let him be sometimes free, and not abase him
To render us accompt still of his steps.
We both have but one heart, which feels the same
Traverses, but this heart hath notwithstanding
Its divers functions; and the Law of marriage
Which holdeth you together, ordains not
That he should tremble when you tremble, Madam,
What maketh you afrayd, troubles not him,
He's an Armenian, and you are a Roman,
And you may please to understand that our
Two Nations ha'nt the same impressions
Upon this subject. A dream passeth with us
For a ridiculous phansie, it doth leave us,
Nor hope, nor fear, nor scruple; but it carries
Authority in Rome, and passeth for
A faithfull mirrour of fatality.

Paul.
Mine's very strange, and though Armenian,
I believe that thy fear would equall mine,
If by my bare recitall such like horrors
Had struck thy Spirit.

Strat.
To recount our evils,
We ease them oftentimes.

Paul.
Attend me then;
But I must tell thee more, and that thou mayst
The better comprehend this sad discourse,
I will discover unto thee my weakness
In the relation of my first amours;
A woman that loves honour may confess
Without shame those surprizes of the sences
Which reason doth or'ecome, chiefly it is
In these assaults that vertue doth break forth,
We doubt that heart that hath not combated.
In Rome where I was born this wretched face
Captiv'd the courage of a Roman knight
Called Severus. Pray excuse the sighes
Which yet a name too dear to my desires,
Snatches out of my bosome.

Strat:
Was it he
That not long since at th'expence of his life
Sav'd th'Emperour Decius from his enemies;
Who dying drew the victory from the Persians
And turn'd the chance upon the Roman Eagles?
He that amongst so many bodies sacrific'd
Unto his Master, could not be found out,
Or at least known, to whom Decius at last
Made sumptuous monuments to be rais'd in vain?

Paul.
Alas! it was the same, and never did
Our Rome produce a greater heart, nor saw
A braver man since thou hast understood him,
Il'e speak no more of him; Statonica,
I lov'd him, he deserved well; but whereto
Serves merit where blind fortune is defective?
The one is great in him, the other weak
And common, too invincible obstacle,
O're which a vertuous Lover very seldome
Triumpheth with a father.

Strat.
Fair occasion,
And worthy a rare constancy!

Paul.
Rather say
An overnice, foolish and base resistance;
What ever fruit one might receive from thence,
Tis not a vertue but for who would faile:
In this great love which I had for Severus,
I still expected from my Fathers hand
A Husband, and my reason never own'd
The amiable Treason of mine eyes.
He did possess my heart, my thought, wy wishes,
I hid not from him how much I was wounded,
We sigh'd together and wept our misfortunes,
But he in stead of hope had nought but tears,
And notwithstanding his sweet sighs and prayers
My Father and my duty were inexorable.
Lastly I left Rome, and this perfect lover,
To follow here my father in his government,
And he, even desperate, went unto the Army
To seek th'illustrious fame of a fair death.
Thou know'st the rest; my comming to this place
Made me see Polyeuctes, and I pleas'd
His eyes; My Father finding that he was
The chief of the Nobility, was ravish'd
With joy that he should take me for his Mistress,
And he believ'd himself by his allyance
Sure to be more redoubted and considerable.
He lik'd his love, and did conclude the marriage.
And I seeing me destin'd to his bed
Gave unto his affection through duty
All what the other had through inclination;
If thou canst doubt there of, judge by the fear
Wherewith for him thou seest my soul is troubled.

Strat.
You love him, I believe, as well as one
Can love, but after all what dream could have
Disturb'd you?

Paul.
This last night me thought I saw
Th'unfortunate Severus with revenge,
In hand, and with an Eye flaming with anger;
He was not covered with those sorry rags,
A desolate shade doth bring with it from graves,
He was not pierced with those glorious strokes
Which cutting off his life assure his memory;
He seem'd triumphant like unto our Cæsar
When on his Charriot he victoriously
Doth enter Rome; after a little fear
Which his sight gave me, carry unto whom
Thou wilt the favour that is due to me,
Ingratefull, (said he) and this day expir'd,
Lament at leisure him thou hast preferr'd
Before me. At these words I trembled,
My soul was troubled; afterward an impious
Assembly of the Christians to advance
Th'effect of this fatall and sad discourse.
Threw Polyeuctes at his Rivals feet;
Forthwith I call'd my Father to his ayd.
Alas! 'tis this that most doth trouble me,
I saw my Father enter with a Ponyard
In hand, and his arm rais'd to pierce his bosom.
There my grief too strong hath conceiv'd those Images,
The bloud of Polyeuctes hath contented
Their furies, I know neither how, nor when
They kill'd him, but I know that to his death
All have contributed. Behold my dream.

Strat.
'Tis true, tis sad, but your soul must resist
Those fears, the vision of it self may give
Some horror, but no just fear unto you.
Should you a death fear from a Father, who
Doth love your Husband, and doth honour him.
And whose just choice hath given you unto him,
To make himselfe thereby here in this Countrey
A sure and firm support?

Paul.
He hath himself
Told me as much, and laugh'd at my alarms,
But I do fear the Christians plots and charms,
And that upon my Husband they'l revenge
The bloud my Father hath so freely shed.

Strat.
Their Sect is mad, impious, and sacrilegious,
And in their Sacrifice use sorcery;
But this their fury goes no further then
To break our Altars, its pursues the Gods,
But reacheth not to mortals, whatsoever
Severity our anger doth display
Upon them, they do suffer without murmur,
And die with joy, and since the time they were
Treated as criminals of State, one cannot
Charge them with any murther.

Paul.
Peace, my Father.