University of Virginia Library

Scena Quarta.

Polyeuctes, Nearchus, Paulina, Stratonica.
Polyeuctes.
You shed too many tears, 'tis time to dry them,
Let your grief cease, and your vain fears fly hence,
You see me living, Madam, in despight
Of the false intimation of your gods.

Paul.
The day is long yet, and what most affrights me
Is, that the half of the Advertisement
Is found already true, I did believe
Severus dead, but he was here just now.

Pol.
I know it, and am nothing troubled at it;
I am in Militene, and let Severus
Be what he will, your Father doth command here,
And I'm considerable. Besides I'm confident
That from a heart so generous as his
A Treason cannot spring, I was inform'd
He gave a visit to you, and I'm come
To render him an honour he deserves.

Paul.
He is gone very sad, and much confounded,
But I've prevailed with him that he will
See me no more.

Pol.
How! Madam, d'ee suspect me
Of jealousie already?

Paul.
I should do
Unto all three too sensible an injury,
I assure my repose which his looks trouble;
The firmest vertue still avoideth hazards
Wo doth expose himself to danger, would
Meet with his ruine, and to speak to you
With open soul of him, since a true merit
Could have inflamed us, his presence alwaies
Hath right to charm us. Besides that one must
Be out of countenance to leave ones self
To be surpris'd, one suffers to resist,
One suffers to defend, and although vertue
Triumpheth o're these fires, the victory
Is painfull and the fight dishonourable.

Pol.
Oh Vertue, if 'twere possible, too perfect,
And duty too sincere! what sad regrets
'Cost you Severus! how at the expence
Of a fair fire you render me most happy!
And to my Amorous heart how sweet are you!
The more I see mine own defects, and do
Contemplate your perfections, the more
I do admire.—

Polyeuctes, Paulina, Nearchus, Stratonica, Cleon.
Cle.
My Lord and Master Felix
Hath sent me to desire you to make hast
Unto the Temple, for the Victime's chosen,
And all the People on their knees; there wants
But you, Sir, to begin the Sacrifice.

Pol.
Go, we will follow thee, will you along, Madam?

Paul.
Severus fears my sight, it stirs his flame,
I'le keep my word with him, and will not see him;
Adiew, you'l find him there, think of his power,
And the great favour that he hath.

Pol.
I fear not
His credit nor his power, and as I know
His generosity, we shall encounter
Each other onely in civility.

Polyeuctes, Nearchus.
Nearc.
Where do you think to go?

Pol.
Unto the Temple,
Where I am called.

Nearc.
What, to joyn your self
To the Devotions of a company
Of Infidels, have you forgot already
That you are Christian?

Pol.
You by whom I am so,
Do you remember it.

Nearc:
I hate false Gods.

Pol.
And I detest them.

Nearc.
I do hold their worship
Most impious.

Pol.
And I take it for abominable.

Nearc.
Fly then their Altars.

Pol.
I will overthrow them,
And in their Temple die, or drive them thence.
My dear Nearchus, come, lets brave Idolatry
Before the eys of men, and shew us Christians;
Heaven doth expect it, and we must perform it:
For my part I do promise, and am going
T'accomplish it: I thank God that hath given me
This opportunity to express my zeal,
Wherein his goodness ready even to crown me,
Deigns to approve the faith that he will give me.

Nearc:
This zeal, Sir, is too ardent, moderate it.

Pol.
We cannot have too much on't for the God
Which we adore.

Nearc.
It will procure your death.

Pol.
I seek it for him.

Nearc.
If this heart should shake?

Pol.
He will be my support.

Nearc.
Tis not his pleasure,
We should precipitate our selves therein.

Pol.
If we die willingly, the more's our merit.

Nearc.
To wait and suffer is sufficient,
We need not seek out danger.

Pol.
We suffer with regret when we dare not
Offer our selves.

Nearc.
But in this Temple Death
Is most assured.

Pol.
But in Heaven the Palme
Already is prepar'd.

Nearc.
A holy life
Must merit it.

Pol.
Living, perhaps, my crimes
May take it from me, wherefore should we hazzard
What death assures us? When she opens heaven,
Can she seem hard? I am a Christian,
Nearchus, and I am so altogether;
The pure faith which I have receiv'd, aspires
To its effect; who flies believeth faintly,
And hath but a dead faith.

Nearc.
Know that your life
Importeth God himself, live to protect
The Christians in this place.

Pol.
Th'example of my death will better fortifie them.

Nearc.
You will die then?

Pol.
And you desire to live?

Nearc.
To tell you truly, I've no mind to follow you.
I fear to fall under the horrour of
The Torments which they will inflict upon us.

Pol.
Who goes on boldly needs not fear to fall,
God doth impart at need his infinite force;
Who thinks he shall denie him, in his soul
He doth deny him, he believs to do't,
And doubteth of his faith.

Nearc.
Who feareth nothing
Presumes too much upon himself.

Pol.
I expect all things from his grace and mercy,
And nothing from my weakness; but in stead
Of pressing me, t'is fit that I press you,
Whence doth proceed this coldness?

Nearc.
God himself
Hath feared death.

Pol.
He offered himself;
Let's follow this divine instinct, and raise
Altars unto him on the heaps of Idols;
We must not (I do remember yet your words)
Neglect to please him; wife, and wealth, and rank,
We must not stick t'expose our selves to dangers,
Yea even to death, to pour our blood forth for him;
Alas! where is that perfect love which you
Wished to me, and which I now wish you?
If it remains yet with you, are you not
Jealous that I scarce Christian yet, should shew it
Stronger then you?

Nearc.
You come immediatly
From baptism, and the thing that animates you,
It is his grace, which yet no crime in you,
Hath weakened, yet it acteth fully in you.
And to its vehement fire all things seem possible;
But this same grace in me diminished,
And by a thousand sins continually
Extenuated acteth with such faintness
In hazardous attempts, that all things seem
Impossible unto its little vigour;
This base effeminacy, and cowardly
Evasions are the punishments which my
Offences do draw on me, but our God,
Whom we must ne'r distrust, gives your Example
To fortifie me; Come, dear Polyeuctes,
Let us go 'fore the eyes of men to brave
Idolatry, and to shew who we are;
May I to suffer give you the Example,
As you have given me that of offering you?

Pol.
By this most happy transport which Heaven sends you,
Again I know Nearchus, and I weep
For joy on't, come, let us not lose more time,
The Sacrifice is ready, let's uphold
Th'interest of the true God, lets tread
Under our feet this feigned Thunderbolt,
With which th'abused and credulous people
Arm a corrupted piece of wood; let's go
To make this fatall blindness manifest,
Those gods of stone and mettall, let us break
In pieces, and lets dedicate our days
To this cœlestiall heat, and so let's offer
A triumph unto God; let him dispose
The rest.

Nearc.
Come let us make his glory to break forth
Unto the eyes of all, and for him dye,
Who for us suffer'd death and infamy.