 | Horatius |  |
SCENA VI.
Horatius, Curiatius, Sabina, Camilla.Curiat.
Good Gods! Sabina followes him. Is not
Camilla strong enough to shake my heart,
but you must joyn my Sister too? And leaving
her tears to conquer me, bring you her hither
to seeke the same advantage?
Sab.
No, no, Brother,
oh no, I come not here but to embrace you,
and to bid you adieu; your blood's too good,
feare not that there is any baseness in it,
nothing that may offend the constancy
of these great hearts; if this illustrious fate
should shake either of you, I should not own him
for brother, or for husband: may I yet
make a request unto you worthy of
so brave a Husband, and so brave a Brother?
I would at once take off impiety,
render unto the honour that expects it,
its purity, without mingling of crimes
set its faire lustre on it: in a word,
I faine would make you lawfull enemies;
I am the sole bond of that sacred knot
which joyneth you; when I shall be no more,
you shall be nothing unto one another;
breaking this chaine, you breake off your alliance;
and since your honour doth require effects
of hatred, purchase by my death the right
and priviledge to hate: Alba and Rome
will have it so, 'tis fit that you obey them;
let one of you two kill me, and the other
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or at least one of you shall justly fight
for to revenge his wife, or else his sister.
But what! you would sully so faire Glory,
if any other quarrell should provoake you:
your zeal unto your Country doth forbid you
such cares, you should do very little for it,
if less then this; unto it you must sacrifice,
and without hate, a Brother in law; no more then
deferre that which you ought to do; begin,
and practise by his wife to shed his blood,
begin to peirce his bosome by his sister;
begin to make a worthy sacrifice
of your illustrious lives to your deare praties
by the death of Sabina; y'are enemies,
you unto Alba, you to Rome, and I
to both of them: what! think you to reserve me
to see a Victory, where I shall behold
the laurels of a brother or a husband
smoake with a blood that I so cherished?
can I between you two govern my heart then?
fulfill the duty of sister and wife?
embrace the conquerour in weeping for
the conquered? no, no, before Sabina
shall feel this stroake, the death which I expect
from one of you, shall readily prevent it.
If you deny your hands, my own shall execute it;
on then, who holds you? on, inhumane hearts!
I shall have means enough to force you to it;
you shall not be so busie at the fight,
but in the mid'st this body shall arrest
your Swords, and spight of your refusals, force them
to make way here before they reach at you.
Horat.
O my wife!
Curiat.
O my sister!
Cam.
They begin
to mollifie.
Sab.
You sigh, your Visages
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which Rome and Alba have tane for defenders?
Horat.
Wife, what have I done to thee, wherein have I
offended thee, that thou seek'st out against me
such a revenge? what have my honour done thee?
and wherefore comest thou with all thy force
tassault my vertue? satisfie thy self
at least to have astonish'd it, and leave me
to finish this great business. Thou would'st faine
reduce me to a strange point, if thou lov'dst
thy husband, thou wouldst not seeke to prevaile;
be gone then, and no longer leave the Victory
doubtful and in suspence, the dispute on't
makes me asham'd already: suffer me
to end my dayes with honour.
Sabina.
Well, proceed,
feare me no more; he comes to thy assistance.
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