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Scena tertia,

The Cornets a far off sounding a charge, A Souldier wounded at one dore, Enters at the other Sophonisba, two Pages before her with lightes, two women bearing vppe her traine.
Sol.
Princes O flie, Syphax hath lost the day,
And captiu'de lies, the Roman Legeons
Haue seisde the towne, and with inueterate hate,
Make slaues or murder all: Fier and steele,
Fury and night hold all: faire Queene O flie,
We bleede for Carthage, all of Carthage die.

Exit.
The Cornets sounding a March, Enter Pages with iauelings and Targets, Massinissa and Iugurth, Massinissas heauer shut.
Ma.
March to the Pallace.

So.
What ere man thou art
Of Libea, thy faire armes speake: giue hart,
To amazde weakenes, heare her, that for long time,
Hath seene no wished light. Sophonisba,
A name for misery much knowne, tis she,
Intreates of thy gracd sword, this onely boone,
Let me not kneele to Rome, for though no cause,
Of mine deserues their hate, though Massinissa,
Be ours to hart, yet Roman Generals
Make proud their triumphs, with what euer captiues
O tis a Nation which from soule I fearc,
As one well knowing the much grounded hate,
They beare to Asdrubal and Carthage bloud,
Therefore with teares that wash thy feet, with hands
Vnusde to beg I claspe thy manlie knees,
O saue me from their fetters and contempt,
Their proud insultes, and more then insolence,
Or if it rest not in thy grace of breath,
To grant such freedome, giue me long wishd death,
For tis not much loathde life, that now we craue,
Onely an vnshamd death, and silent graue
We will now daine to bend for.

Ma.
Rarity
Mas. disarmes his head.
By thee and this right hand thou shalt liue free.

So.
We cannot now be wretched.

Ma.
Stay the sword.
Let slaughter cease, Soundes soft as Ledas breast,
Soft Musique.
Slide through all eares, this night be loues high feast,

So.
O're whelme me not with sweetes, let me not drinke,
Till my breast burst, O Ioue thy Nectar, thinke

She sinkes into Massi. armes.
Ma.
She is orecome with ioy.

So.
Helpe, helpe to beare
Some happinesse yee powers, I haue ioy to spare,
Inough to make a God, O Massinissa.

Ma.
Peace,
A silent thinking makes full ioyes increase.

Enter Lelius.
Le.
Massinissa.

Ma.
Lelius.

Le.
Thine eare.

Ma.
Stand off

Le.
From Scipio thus: by thy late vow of faith,
And mutuall league of endles amity,
As thou respects his vertue or Romes force,
Deliuer Sophonisba to our hand,

Ma.
Sophonisba?

Le.
Sophonisba.

So.
My Lord,
Lookes pale, and from his halfe burst eyes a flame,
Of deepe disquiet breakes, the Gods turne false,
My sad presage.

Ma.
Sophonisba?

Le.
Euen she,

Ma.
Shee kilde not Scipios father nor his vnkle,
Great Cucius.

Le.
Carthage did.

Mas.
to her whats Carthage?

Le.
Know twas her father Asdrubal strooke off
His fathers head, giue place to faith and fate,

Ma.
Tis crosse to honor.

Le.
But tis iust to state,
So speaketh Scipio, doe not thou detaine,
A Roman prisoner, due to this great triumph,
As thou shalt answere Rome and him.

Ma.
Lelius.
We now are in Romes power, Lelius,
View Massinissa do, a loathed act,
Most sinking from that state his hart did keepe,
Looke Lelius looke, see Massinissa weepe,
Know I haue made a vow more deere to me,
Then my soules endles being: she shall rest,
Free from Romes bondage.

Le.
But dost thou forget,
Thy vow yet fresh thus breathd: When I desist:
To be commaunded by thy vertue: Scipio,
Or fall from friend of Rome, Reuenging Gods,
Afflict me with your torture.

Ma.
Lelius enough:
Salute the Roman, tell him wee will act
What shall amaze him.

Le.
Wilt thou yeeld her then?

Ma.
Shee shall ariue there straight.

Le.
Best fate of men,
To thee.

Ma.
and Scipio: Haue I liude O Heauens,
To be inforcedly perfidious?

So.
What vniust griefe afflicts my worthy Lord,

Ma.
Thanke me yee Gods, with much beholdingnes,
For marke, I doe not curse you:

So.
Tell mee sweet
The cause of thy much anguish.

Ma.
Ha, the cause?
Lett's see, wreath backe thine armes, bend down thy necke,
Practise base Praiers, make fit thy selfe for bondage,

So.
Bondage.

Ma.
Bondage, Roman bondage.

So.
No, No.

Ma.
How then haue I vowde well to Scipio?

So.
How then to Sophonisba?

Ma.
Right which way
Runne mad impossible distraction,

So.
Deere Lord thy patience; let it maze all power,
And list to her in whose sole heart it rests,
To keepe thy faith vpright.

Ma.
Wilt thou be slau'd,

So.
No free.

Ma.
How then keepe I my faith?

So.
My death,
Giu's helpe to all: From Rome so rest we free,
So brought to Scipio, faith is kept in thee.

Enter a Page with a bole of wine.
Ma.
Thou darst not die, some wine, thou darst not die.

So.
How neere was I vnto the curse of man, Ioye,
How like was I yet once to haue beene glad:
He that neere laught may with a constant face,
Contemne Ioues frowne. Happinesse makes vs base.
She takes a bole into which Mas. puts poison.
Behold me Massinissa, like thy selfe,
A king and souldier, and I preethee keepe,
My last command,

Ma.
Speake sweet.

So.
Deere doe not weepe
And now with vndismaid resolue behold,
To saue You, you, (for honor and iust faith.
Are most true Gods, which we should much adore)
With euen disdainefull vigour I giue vp,
An abhord life. She drinks.
You haue beene good to me,
And I doe thanke thee heauen, O my stars,
I blesse your goodnes, that with breast vnstaind,
Faith pure: a Virgin wife, try'de to my glory,
I die of female faith, the long liu'de story,
Secure from bondage, and all seruile harmes,
But more most happy in my husbands armes.

she sinks
Iug.
Massinissa, Massinissa,

Ma.
Couetous
Fame greedy Lady, could no scope of glory,
No reasonable proportion of goodnes
Fill thy great breast, but thou must proue immense
Incomprehence in vertue, what wouldst thou,
Not onely be admirde, but euen adorde?
O glory ripe for heauen? Sirs helpe, helpe, helpe,
Let vs to Scipio with what speed you can.
For piety make haste, whilst yet we are man.

Exeunt bearing Soph. in a chaire,
Cornets, A March, Enter Scipio in full state triumphalornamentes carried before him and Sy. bound at the other dore Lelius.
Sc.
What answers Massinissa will he send,
That Sophonisba of so mouing tongs

Le.
Full of dismaid vnsteddines he stood,
His right hand lookt in hers, which hand he gaue
As pledge from Rome, she euer should liue free
But when I entred, and well vrg'd this vow
And thy command his great hart sunke with shame:
His eyes lost spirite, and his heat of life,
Sanke from his face, as one that stood be numbde,
All mazde, t'effect, impossibilities,
For eyther vnto her or Scipio,
He must breake vow, long time he tossd his thoughts
And as you see a snow ball being rolde
At first a handfull, yet long bould about,
Infensibly acquires a mighty globe,
So his cold griefe through agitation growes,
And more he thinkes, the more of griefe he knowes
At last hee seemde to yeeld her.

Sy.
Marke Scipio,
Trust him that breaks a vow?

Sci.
How thē trust thee?

Sy.
O misdoubt him not, when hee's thy slaue like me

Enter Massinissa all in black,
Mas.
Scipio,

Sc.
Massinissa,

Ma.
Generall.

Sc.
King.

Mas.
Liu's there no mercy for one soule of Carthage
But must see basenes?

Sc.
Wouldst thou ioy thy peace,
Deliuer Sophonisba straight and cease,
Do not graspe that which is too hote to hold,
We grace thy griefe, and hold it with soft sense.
Inioy good courage, but voide insolence,
I tell thee Rome and Scipio daine to beare,
So low a breast as for her say, we feare.

Ma.
Do not, doe no tilet not the fright of Nations
Know so vile termes. Shee rests at thy dispose

Sy.
To my soule ioy, shall Sophonisba then
With me go bound and waite on Scipios wheele?
VVhen th'whole worlds giddy one man cānot reele,

Ma.
Starue thy leane hopes, and Romans now behold
A sight would sad the Gods? make Phæbus cold.
Orgaine and Recorders play to a single voice: Enter in the mean time the mournful solemnity of Massinissas presenting Sophon. body:
Looke Scipio, see what hard shift we make
To keepe our vowes; here, take I yeeld her thee,
And Sophonisba I keepe vow thou art still free.

Sy.
Burst my vext heart, the torture that most rackes
An enimie, is his foes royall actes.

Sc.
The glory of thy vertue liue for euer,
Braue heartes may be obscur'd, but extinct neuer.
Scipio adornes Massinissa.
Take from the Generall of Rome this crowne,
This roabe of triumph, and this conquests wreath
This scepter, and this hand for euer breath,
Romes very minion: Liue worth thy fame
As far from faintings as from now base name.

Ma.
Thou whom like sparkling steele the strokes of Chance
Made hard and firme; and like wild fier turnd
The more cold fate, more bright thy vertue burnd,
And in whole seas of miseries didst flame.
On thee lou'd creature of a deathlesse fame
Massinissa adornes Sophonisba.
Rest all my honour: O thou for whom I drinke
So deepe of greefe, that he must onely thinke,
Not dare to speake) that would expresse my woe,
Small riuers murmur, deepe gulfes silent flow,
My griefe is here, not here, heaue gently then,
Womens right wonder, and iust shame of men.

Cornets a short florish. Exeuntque, manet Ma.