University of Virginia Library

ACTUS V.

SCENA I.

The old Horatius, Horatius.
Old Horat.
Let us withdraw our looks from that sad object,
to admire here the judgment of the Gods:
When glory puffs us up, they can confound
our pride; (our sweetest pleasures come not to us
without some sorrow) oftentimes they mingle
infirmities with our Vertues, and grant seldom
the entire honour of a glorious Action
to our ambition; I mourn not Camilla,
she was a criminal; I lament my self,
and thee too more then she: I for producing
unto the light a heart so little Roman,
thou for dishonouring by her death thy hand.
I find it not unjust, nor yet too quick;
but (Son) thou mightst have spar'd thy self the shame on't:
her crime, though great, and worthy death, were better
unpunished, then punish'd by thy arm.

Horat.
Dispose my fortune as you please; the laws
command it so: I thought I ow'd this stroak
unto the place that gave me my first being.
If my zeal to my Country seemeth criminall
unto you, if thereby I must receive
an everlasting staine, and by this action
my hand become disgraced and prophane,
you can with one sole word cut off my destinie.
Receive your blood again, whose purity
my basenesse hath unto so little purpose
defiled: My hand could not suffer crime
grow in our race; suffer you not a spot
in your own house: 'Tis in those actions
(wherewith honour is wounded) that a father,
such as you are, shewes himself interested.
His love must not appear, where all excuse
is null; himself takes part when he dissembles them:
and he makes small account of his own glory,
when he forbears to punish what he doth not
approve.

Old Horat.
He is not alwayes rigorous,
but spares his children often for himself;
his old age doth delight to lean upon them;
and punisheth them not, to th'end he may not
punish himself. I look upon thee with
another eye then thou behold'st thy self.
I know—But the King comes, I see his Guards.

SCENA II.

Tullus, The old Horatius, Valerius, Horatius, The Companie of the Guards.
Old Horat.
Oh Sir, this is too great an honour for me,
I should not see my King in this poor place.
Suffer me on my knees—

Tull.
No, Father, rise;
I do but what a good Prince ought to do:
so rare a service, and of such importance,
requires the rar'st and most illustrious honour:
you had for pawn thereof his word already,
I could no longer have deferred it.
I know by his report (which I ne'r doubted)
how brave and like your self you bear the death
of your two sons, and that your soul already
being resolv'd, my consolation
would be superfluous: but I come to know
what strange misfortune hath follow'd the vertue
of your victorious Son, and how it comes,
that his too much love for the publick cause
hath tane an onely daughter from his father
by his own hands: I know what such a stroak
can do upon the strongest spirit, and doubt
how you may bear this death.

Old Horat.
Sir, with displeasure,
but yet with patience,

Tull.
'Tis plain, this is
the vertuous effect of your experience:
Many have taught by a long file of years,
as well as you, that miseries succeed
the sweetest happinesse; few know like you
t'apply this remedie, and all their Vertue
yeelds to their Interest. If my compassion
can ease your sorrow, know that 'tis extreme,
as is your evill, and that Tullus laments you
as much as he doth love you.

Val.
Sir, since Heaven
doth put its justice in the hands of Kings,
and the force of the lawes; and since the State
asketh rewards for vertues, and strict punishments
for crimes, of lawfull Princes; suffer that
a just occasion make you to remember,
that you lament too much what you should punish:
Suffer—

Old Horat.
What! that we send a Conqueror
to punishment?

Tull.
Allow him leave to finish,
and I'll do justice; I am bound to render it
to all, at all hours, and in every place:
it is by it that a King makes himself
a demi-God: and hence is't that I pitie you,
that after such a service, against him
they should demand me justice.

Val.
Suffer then,
O great King, and the justest of all Kings,
that all good men speak to you by my mouth:
not that our hearts, as jealous of his honours,
urge us to this; if he receiveth much,
his high deeds do deserve it; add unto it,
rather then lessen it; we are also ready
to contribute unto it: but since he
hath shew'd himself guilty of such a crime,
let him triumph as Conquerour, and perish
as malefactor: stop his fury, and
save from his hands, if you desire to reigne,
the remnant of the Romans: hereupon
depends the losse or safety of the rest;
seeing the blood shed by this fatall Warr,
and so many fair knots of marriage
wherewith our happy destinies have so often
united such neer nighbours, few of us
have enjoy'd such a happinesse, as not
T'have lost a Cosen, or a brother in law,
an uncle, or a son in law in Alba,
whereby to have occasion to shed tears
for their own losses in the publick joy:
If it be an offence to Rome, and that
the fortune of his arms alloweth him
to punish this crime of our tears, what blood
will this fierce Conqu'ror spare, that would not pardon
that of his Sister, nor excuse the grief
which the death of a Lover doth infuse
into a Mistresse heart, when ready to be
lighted by the fair nuptiall Torch, she sees
her hope i'th' grave with him? Making Rome thus
to triumph, he enslaves it: by this means
he hath a right of life and death upon us,
and our offending dayes shall last no longer
then it shall please his clemency to suffer them.
I could add, for the interests of Rome,
that such a stroak's unworthy of a man:
I could demand, to be brought here before you
that rare exploit of a victorious arme;
you should see then a fair blood (to accuse
his rage) retort into his cruel face:
you should behold horrours which cannot be
conceiv'd; her age and beauty (sure) would move you,
but I hate those means that show artifice.
You have deferr'd the sacrifice till to morrow;
Think you that the just Gods (stil'd the revengers
of Innocents) will receive incense from
a parricide hand? This sacriledg would draw
their punishment upon you. Look upon him
but as an object of their hate, believe
(with us) that the good destinie of Rome
in all these three fights did more then his arm,
since these same Gods (the Authors of his Victory)
permitted that he suddenly should sully
the glory of it; and that such a courage,
after so brave an Act, should in one day
be worthy of a Triumph, and of Death.
It rests (Sir) that your Sentence decide this:
Rome never saw a parricide till now.
Fear what may follow, and Heaven's anger; save us
from his unnaturall hand, and fear the Gods.

Tull.
Defend your self, Horatius.

Horat.
To what purpose
shall I defend me? Sir, you know the action,
as being told it now: what you think of it
must be a law to me. One ill defends
himself against th'opinion of a King:
and th'innocentest soul that e'r was born
is guiltie, if he judg him to be so:
It is a crime t'excuse himself unto him.
Our blood's his goods, he can dispose thereof;
and we must think, that when he doth do so,
he deprives not himself without just cause.
Then (Sir) pronounce, I'm ready to obey.
Others love life, and I am bound to hate it.
I reproach not Valerius heat, which makes him,
loving the Sister, to accuse the Brother:
my wishes at this time conspire with his:
he asks my death, 'tis that which I desire:
We differ onely in this point, that I
seek to conserve my honour in't, and he
to perish it. Sir, seldome is a subject
offer'd to shew the vertue of a great
and noble heart complete: according to
occasion, it acts or more or lesse,
and appears strong or weak unto the eyes
of those that are her witnesses: The people,
that onely looks upon the outside, judgeth
its force by its effects, and dares to think,
by an ill maxime, that who doth a miracle,
must do it still: After a complete action,
high and illustrious, what glitters lesse
ill answereth their expectation:
they would have us to be all times alike,
and in all places: they examine not
if one could better do then, nor that, if
they see not still a wonder, the occasion
is lesse, and Vertue equall: Their injustice
destroyes great names; the honour of the first
attchievements is forgotten by the second:
and when renown is pass'd beyond the mean,
if we'll not fall thence, we must act no more.
I will not boast th'exploits (Sir) of my arm,
your Majestie hath seen my three encounters;
hardly again shall I meet any such,
nor e'r the like occasion will be
to shew my courage, and crown the successe;
so that to leave here an illustrious memory,
death onely now can keep alive my glory,
and I must have it too as soon as I
have conquer'd; for I have outliv'd my honour:
Such one as I beholds his glory perish'd,
when he falls into any ignominie:
and my hand would have freed me on't already,
if my bloud durst come forth without your leave:
as it belongs to you, you must dispose on't;
to shed it otherwise, is to rob you of it.
Rome wants not store of generous warriours;
enough besides me will sustaine your Laurels;
henceforward let your Majestie dispense
with me herein. And if what I have done
deserves a recompence, permit, great King,
that with this conquering arm I sacrifice
me to my Glory, not my Sisters cryes.

SCENA III.

Tullus, Valerius, The old Horatius, Horatius, Sabina, Julia.
Sab.
Sir, hear Sabina, and see in her soul
the sorrows of a Sister and a Wife,
who (wholly desolate) at your sacred feet
laments her Family, and fears her Husband.
It is not that I would by any artifice
endeavour to take out o'th' hand of Justice
a guilty person; Whatsoever he
hath done for you, use him as such a one;
and punish (Sir) in me this noble Criminall:
with my unfortunate blood wash off his crime.
You shall not change your Victime for all that,
nor shall you herein take an unjust pitie,
but sacrifice the dearest moity of him.
The knots of marriage, and his extreme love
makes him live more in me, then in himself;
and if you grant that I shall die to day,
he will die more in me then in himself:
the death which I beg, and would fain obtain,
will raise his punishment, and finish mine.
See the excesse (Sir) of my sad afflictions,
and the deplorable condition
whereto I am reduc'd: What horrour is it
t'embrace a man whose sword hath cut the thred off
of all my family? and what impiety
to hate a Husband for his service to you,
his Country, and his Friends? What? shall I love
an arm stain'd with the blood of all my Brothers?
Shall I not love an Husband that doth put
a period to our common miseries?
O (Sir) deliver me by an happy death
both from the crimes of loving, and not loving.
I shall esteem that Sentence a great favour:
My hand can give me what I crave of you,
but this death shall be much more sweet unto me,
if I can free my Husband from his shame,
and by my bloud appease the anger of
the Gods, in dying satisfie the Ghost
of his offended Sister, and conserve
to Rome so good and glorious a Defender.

Old Horat.
Sir, it concerns me then to give an answer
unto Valerius; I see my children
conspire with him against me, and all three
would ruine me: they arm themselves unjustly
against that little blood's left in my house.
Thou that by griefs (contrary to thy duty)
would'st leave thy Husband to go to thy Brothers,
go rather to consult their generous Ghosts.
'Tis true, they are dead; but they dy'd for Alba,
and hold them happy in't, since Heav'n would have it,
she should be subject: if that any sentiment
remaineth after life lost, this misfortune
seems lesse, and its stroaks not so rigorous,
since all the honour of it falls on us.
All three will disapprove thy grief, thy tears
and sighs, they will condemn the horrour which
thou hast of a brave Husband. Be their Sister
(Sabina) and observe thy duty like them.
Valerius in vain lifts up himself
'gainst this dear Husband: a first motion
was never held a crime; and praise is due,
in stead of punishment, when Vertue onely
produceth this first motion. To love
our enemies even with idolatry,
madly to curse the Country for their death,
to wish the State an everlasting ruine,
is that which we name crime, and that which he
hath punished; the onely love of Rome
provok'd his arm: He should be innocent,
if he had lov'd her lesse. What have I said, Sir?
he is so, and this my paternall arm
had punish'd him already, were he guilty;
I would have better used the full power
I have upon him by the lawes of birth.
I love honour too well, and am not of
a quality to suffer in my blood
affront or crime: of this I do desire
no other witnesse but Valerius;
he saw what rigorous entertainment I
prepar'd to give my Son, when ignorant
as yet of half the combat, I believ'd
that by his flight he had betray'd the State.
What makes him so officiously to trouble
himself with the cares of my Family?
What makes him to desire (in spight of me)
to vindicate my daughter? By what reason
in her just death takes he an interest
a father doth not meddle with? He fears,
that after this severity to his Sister,
he'll not spare others. Sir, we have no part
but in the shame of ours, and in what manner
another may act, what concerns us not
makes us not blush. Valerius, thou maist weep,
and in Horatius sight; he takes no interest
but in the crimes of his race; who is not of
his blood, can do no injury unto
th'immortall Lawrels that impale his brow.
Ye Lawrels, sacred boughs, which envie would
reduce to dust, you that conserve his head
from the confounding thunder, will you leave him
unto the infamous Ax, that makes offenders
fall underneath the executioners hands?
Romans, will you permit that they should sacrifice
a man, without whom Rome had not been Rome
at this time, and that any Roman should
traduce the glory of a Conquerour,
to whom all owe so fair a character?
Tell us, Valerius, tell, since he must perish,
where thou wouldst chuse fit a place for his punishment.
Is it within these walls, which many thousands
of voyces make resound yet with the noise
of his exploits? Is it without the walls,
in the midst of those places which smoak yet
with the blood of the conquer'd Curiatii,
between their three tombs, in that field of honour,
the witnesse of his valour and our happinesse?
Thou canst not from his Victory conceal
his Punishment: within the walls, without them
all speak his glory; all oppose themselves
to the indeavour of thy unjust love,
which would with such a glorious blood defile
so fair a day. Alba cannot endure
so sad a spectacle, and Rome with her tears
will put an obstacle to 't. But (Royall Sir)
you will prevent them, and by a just sentence
you can embrace her interest much better:
What he hath done for her, he can yet do;
he can secure her still from adverse fortune:
despair not yet (Sir) of my feeble years.
Rome now hath seen me father of four children,
three in her quarrell are already dead,
there is but one left me; keep him for her,
remove not from her walls so strong a prop;
and suffer me t'addresse my self unto him,
to make an end. Horatius, do not think
the stupid people should be absolute masters
of a substantiall honour; their vain voice
tumultuous enough makes often noise:
but as a moment raiseth it, a moment
destroyes it; and whatever they contribute
to our renown, i'th' twinkling of an eye
it vanisheth to smoak: It doth belong
to Kings, to great ones, to accomplish'd spirits
to see that Vertue in its least effects
be full; it is from them alone that we
receive true glory; they alone assure
the memory of the true Heroes, live
still in Horatius, and still after them.
Thy name shall remain great, illustrious, famous,
though the occasion, lesse high or resplendent,
deceives the unjust expectation
of th'ignorant vulgar. Hate then life no more;
at least live for me, and to serve thy King
and Country longer. Sir, I've said too much;
but th'affair concerns you, and all Rome
speaks by my mouth.

Val.
Sir, suffer me—

Tull.
Valerius,
it is enough, your sound discourse by theirs
is not defac'd: I keep yet in my spirit
the pressing'st reasons on't, and all your arguments
are present with me still: this hainous action
(almost before our eyes) doth injure nature,
and even wounds the Gods. A sudden motion
of anger, that produceth such a crime,
cannot excuse him lawfully; the Lawes
that are the least severe condemn the act,
and if we follow them, he's worthy death:
If otherwise we will look on the guilty,
this crime, though great, hainous and inexcusable,
proceeds from the same sword and arm that makes me
now Master of two States: Two Scepters in
my hand, and Alba subject unto Rome,
speak highly in the favour of his life.
Had it not been for him, I should have yeelded
obedience, whereas now I give forth lawes;
and should be subject, whereas now I am
twice Soveraigne. There are in all the Provinces
many good subjects, that by feeble prayers
only acquit themselves toward their Princes:
all can love them, but all cannot assure
their States by some illustrious actions;
and th'art and power to establish Crowns
are gifts which heav'n gives but to some choice persons:
such servants are the wealth and strength of Kings,
and also are to be above the Lawes;
let them be silent then, let Rome dissemble
what from her birth she sees in Romulus;
She can well suffer in her Liberator,
what she hath suffered in her first Authour.
Live then Horatius, live magnanimous souldier,
thy Vertue sets thy glory 'bove thy crime,
Its generous heat produced thy offence;
th'effect of such a fair cause must be suffer'd.
Live to doe service to the State, but love
Valerius; let not any hate nor anger
remain between you, and whether he follow'd
or love, or duty, without any sentiment
resolve to see him. Hearken lesse (Sabina)
unto the grief that presseth you; remove
from this great heart those marks of imbecilitie:
in drying of your tears, you'l shew your self
true Sister of those Brothers you lament.
But we do owe to morrow to the Gods
a sacrifice, and should have heaven but little
propitious to us, if our Priests before
the action, finde not out the means to purge it.
His father shall take care on't, I believe,
it will not be hard for him to appease
Camilla's Ghost. I do deplore her fortune,
and to give to it what her amorous spirit
may happily desire, (since in one day
an equall heat of one and the same zeal
finish'd her Lovers destinie and hers)
it is our will that one day, as a witnesse
of their two deaths, may see in the earth's wombe
their bodies laid, and shut up in one tombe.

The King riseth, and all follow him but Julia.
Jul.

Thy pray'rs are heard, Alba and Rome shall be
to morrow in a fair Confæderacie;
And thou with Curiatius shalt be joyn'd,
never to part: So have the Gods enjoyn'd.