 | The VVonder of VVomen or The Tragedie of Sophonisba |  |
Scena prima.
Syphax and Vangue.Sy:
Syphax, Syphax, why wast thou cursd a King?
What angry God made thee so great, so vile?
Contemd, disgraced, thinke, wert thou a slaue
Though Sophonisba did reiect thy loue
Thy low neglected head vnpointed at
Thy shame vnrumord and thy sute vnskoffd
Might yet rest quiet: Reputation
Thou awe of fooles and greatmen: thou that choakst
Freest addictions, and makst mortals sweat
Bloud and cold drops in feare to loose, or hope
To gaine thy neuer certaine seldome worthy gracings,
Reputation!
Wert not for thee Syphax could beare this skorne
Not spouting vp his gall among his bloud
In blacke vexations: Massinissa might
Inioy the sweets of his preferred graces
Without my dangerous Enuy or Reuenge
Wert not for thy affliction all might sleepe
In sweete obliuion: But (O greatnes skourge!)
We cannot without Enuie keepe high name
Nor yet disgrac'd can haue a quiet shame.
Va.
Scipio:—
Sy.
Some light in depth of hell: Vangue what hope?
Va.
I haue receaud assur'd intelligence
That Scipio Romes sole hope hath raisd vp men
Drawne troupes together for inuasion—
Sy.
Of this same Carthage.
Va.
With this pollicie
To force wild Hannibal from Italy—
Sy.
And draw the war to Affricke.
Va.
Right.
Sy.
And strike
This secure countrey with vnthought of armes
Va.
My letters beare he is departed Rome
Directly setting course and sayling vp.—
Sy.
To Carthage, Carthage, O thou eternall youth
Man of large fame great and abounding glory
Renounefull Scipio, spread thy too-necked Eagles,
Fill full thy sailes with a reuenging wind,
Strike through obedient Neptune, till thy prows
Dash vp our Lybian ouse, and thy iust armes
Shine with amazfull terror on these wals,
O now record thy Fathers honord bloud
Which Carthage drunke, thy Vncle Publius bloud
Which Carthage drunke, 30000. soules
Of choice Italians Carthage set on wing:
Remember Hannibal, yet Hannibal
The consul-queller: O then inlarge thy hart
Be thousand soules in one, let all the breath
The spirit of thy name and nation be mixt strong.
In thy great hart: O fall like thunder shaft
The winged vengeance of incensed Ioue
Vpon this Carthage: for Syphax here flies off
From all allegeance, from all loue or seruice
His (now freed) scepter once did yeeld this Cittie
Renounefull Scipio, spread thy too-necked Eagles,
Fill full thy sailes with a reuenging wind,
Strike through obedient Neptune, till thy prows
Dash vp our Lybian ouse, and thy iust armes
Shine with amazfull terror on these wals,
O now record thy Fathers honord bloud
Which Carthage drunke, thy Vncle Publius bloud
Which Carthage drunke, 30000. soules
Of choice Italians Carthage set on wing:
Remember Hannibal, yet Hannibal
The consul-queller: O then inlarge thy hart
Be thousand soules in one, let all the breath
The spirit of thy name and nation be mixt strong.
In thy great hart: O fall like thunder shaft
The winged vengeance of incensed Ioue
Vpon this Carthage: for Syphax here flies off
From all allegeance, from all loue or seruice
His (now freed) scepter once did yeeld this Cittie
Yee vniuersall Gods, Light, Heate, and Ayre
Proue all vnblessing Syphax if his hands
Once reare them selues for Carthage but to curse it.
It had beene better they had changd their faith,
Denide their Gods, then sleighted Syphax loue
So fearefully will I take vengeance.
I'le interleague with Scipio. Vangue.
Deere Ethiopian Negro, goe wing a vessell
And fly to Scipio: say his confederate
Vowd and confirmd is Syphax: bidd him hast
To mix our palmes and armes: will him make vp
Whilst we are in the strength of discontent
Our vnsuspected forces well in armes
For Sophonisba, Carthage, Asdruball
Shall feele their weaknes in preferring weaknes
And one lesse great then we, to our deere wishes
Haste gentle Negro, that this heape may knowe
Me, and their wronge:
Proue all vnblessing Syphax if his hands
Once reare them selues for Carthage but to curse it.
It had beene better they had changd their faith,
Denide their Gods, then sleighted Syphax loue
So fearefully will I take vengeance.
I'le interleague with Scipio. Vangue.
Deere Ethiopian Negro, goe wing a vessell
And fly to Scipio: say his confederate
Vowd and confirmd is Syphax: bidd him hast
To mix our palmes and armes: will him make vp
Whilst we are in the strength of discontent
Our vnsuspected forces well in armes
For Sophonisba, Carthage, Asdruball
Shall feele their weaknes in preferring weaknes
And one lesse great then we, to our deere wishes
Haste gentle Negro, that this heape may knowe
Me, and their wronge:
Ua:
Wronge?
Sy.
I, tho twere not, yet knowe while Kings are stronge
I am disgrac'd in, and by that which hath
No reason. Loue, and Woman, my reuenge
Shall therefore beare no argument of right
Passion is Reason when it speakes from Might
I tell thee, man, nor Kings, nor Gods exempt
But they grow pale if once they find Contempt: haste.
Exeunt.
| The VVonder of VVomen or The Tragedie of Sophonisba | |