University of Virginia Library

Scene II.

Enter Crispus with a Dagger, and Fausta.
Faust.
Hold, hold thy hand—

Crisp.
Think not I meant to kill Thee—
No, thou seducer, were thy Stains more deep
Think not too, Despair, and Rage cou'd so unman me
To hurt a Woman. Yet thou shalt hear me Fausta:
And if the Story of thy Crimes can kill thee,
I'll lay thy Wounds wide open to the Air;
Display the Perjuries of thy bleeding Heart,
And to thy Incest, add at last a Murder.

Faust.
Stab with thy Dagger then; but let thy Tongue
Destroy no more.

Crisp.
Oh all ye Powers, who that had known last Night,
The Joys which I have known, could once have thought it!
Who that had heard her Vows, when on my Breast,
Weary'd with Oaths, and out of Breath with Kisses
She panting swore! And wish'd Destruction seize her,
If she were not content, so one night more
Her ravish'd Soul like that might entertain,
To live her Miseries and past Life again.

Faust.
By all those Powers you name, and by your own,
I wish so still.

Crisp.
Yet at that very Minute
When thus she swore, to know she was forsworn,
Conscious her Faith was plighted to another!
And who that other pick'd from all Mankind,
To make her more abhor'd, but my own Father?

Faust.
What, Load on Load?

Crisp.
Her violated Hands
Were plighted fast with his; and Kisses past.—

Faust.
Hold, hold, and let my Tears atone, my Lord,
Or sink upon the Earth.

Crisp.
The Center, Fausta,
The Center cannot hide thee from the Horrors
Of thy own Conscience, which are my Avengers:
And wheresoe're thou fly'st, shall follow thee
With inward Hells, for the base Wrong thou hast done me.

Faust.
O Crispus! never, never, wilt thou end?

Crisp.
By Heav'n! I know thy damnable Design:
Thou hast this Night contriv'd to ruine Nature,
To make the Angels sick with such a Crime,
As equals hers that first betray'd the World.

Faust.
I'll stop thee with my Kisses!

Crisp.
Off Crocodile!

Faust.
Why use thy Ponyard then.

Crisp.
Nor that, nor this.
I had design'd, 'tis true, to stab my self;
But second Thoughts instruct me thus to haunt thee;
Like an eternal Fiend to follow thee:
To hollow still Damnation in thy Ear,
And hinder thee from Incest with my Father.
Oh horrid Thought!

Faust.
Oh horrid Thought indeed!

Crisp.
Why does it not possess thee!
Thou fair insinuating Snake! wouldst thou then guild thy Poison?
Swear on my Ponyard, swear, and damn thy self;
Thou hast not plotted, as this Night, to twist
Thy incestuous Arms about my Father's Neck!

Faust.
Yes, I will swear. But let me lean my Head
Against thy Breast, while I recover Breath:
For I am faint with Groans.

Crisp.
Oh Heart! Oh Love!
She grasps so hard, and locks so with her Charms,
I cannot put her from me! Fausta! is't possible!
Is it then possible! Thou canst be good?
So good at least, as being thus gone in Sin,
To go no further?

Faust.
Let me swear;
For I will face the Gods in such a Cause;
And standing on the Guard of Innocence,
Swear, all I've done was but th' Effect of Love.

Crisp.
Again thou'rt fallen; for thou art guilty, Fausta,
Of Impious Treasons, and incestuous Love.

Faust.
I am not, Crispus.

Crisp.
Ha! not guilty, Fausta?
Then farewel all.

Faust.
Hold, hold, not guilty to my Crispus.
Fall not to Rage again, and I'll confess
I was compell'd to be contracted to him:
Not wedded, nor possest.

Crisp.
Why didst thou hide thy Contract?

Faust.
Because 'twas forc'd by Fear; nor did I dare
Reveal it to thee, e're I had thee sure. So much I lov'd thee, Crispus.

Crisp.
But what hadst thou decreed to do to night,
This fatal Night, if that the Emperour
Had sworn to enjoy thee?

Faust.
Stop him with my Tears;
Or if they fail'd, to dam his Passion thus,
And sheath this hidden Ponyard in my Heart.

Crisp.
Is't possible, Thou should'st so greatly dare?

Faust.
Yes Crispus. Thou shalt see by what's to come.
Oh! therefore take me to thy Breast, and swear—

Crisp.
Swear first thy self, he never shall possess thee.

Faust.
What needs an Oath after possessing Thee?

Crisp.
Yet, for the Satisfaction of my Soul,
And Cement of our everlasting Loves,
Swear thou wilt never.

Faust.
Never Crispus, never.
By Heav'n and Earth, by all that's great, and holy,
I swear thy Father never shall embrace me.

Crisp.
What never! Oh yet closer! Never Fausta?

Faust.
By all this Dearness, never Crispus, never.

Enter Arius.
Arius.
What Faults are gone and past, it matters not:
But you had best beware of what's to come—
Haste Sir away.—See there the Beds prepar'd—
Scene draws,
The Diadem; and Name of Empress given—
Your Father's at my Heels! hark! you are warn'd.
Soft Musick.
I hear him come, and wish you Sir away.
Ex. Arius.

Crisp.
Oh Fausta!

Faust.
Take no Thought.

Crisp.
If he should charm thee,
Or scare thee to Compliance—

Faust.
That distrust
Again! by Heav'n I'll dye before he enters.

Crisp.
Hold thee, my Heart! my Life, my Love, my Soul,
I'll stay—and hazard all—but hark! he comes.
I would advise—Live, if thou canst with Honour—
If not—he's here, fall, and I'll follow thee.
Ex. Crispus.

Re-enter Arius with Constantine.
Const.
Ha Arius! see'st thou there?

Ari.
Crispus, I think.

Const.
Did'st thou not see him?

Ari.
Yes.

Const.
Why dost thou then suppose it but thy Thought?

Ari.
Because I do not like his being here.

Const.
Nor I, by Heav'n! Withdraw; and wait my Call.
Ar. retires.
What now, my Fausta! Ha! in Tears my Fair!
What, on thy Wedding Night? Why dost thou fly me?
Am I a Ravisher? Howe're reputed
Bloody in Fields, in Chambers I am gentle
As thy own Thoughts.
Therefore let our Vows be scal'd, and then to bed.

Faust.
What said you, Sir?

Const.
Why, to Bed my Love;
And hide thy Virgin Fears. Thou wilt be bolder there—

Faust.
Alas! I dare not.

Const.
Why?

Faust.
I've sworn, my Lord.

Const.
What, and to whom?

Faust.
To Heav'n I've sworn,
Howe're contracted, that I will not wed you.

Const.
When?

Faust.
Not to night.

Const.
When then?

Faust.
Press me no further,
For I can only answer with my Tears.

Const.
Speak, for I'll know th' Extremity to night—
Why then to morrow; but by Heav'n no longer;
For now I've sworn too.

Faust.
But I vow'd first:
And swear again to keep that Vow till Death.
To morrow and to morrow, add to those
Ten Millions more. You never shall embrace me—

Const.
Is't possible! after thy Faith was given!

Faust.
Not given, but by a Conquerour compell'd.

Const.
And hast thou rightly scan'd the Conqueror's Rage!
Ha! Fausta! hast thou plac'd thy Fathers Fate
Before thy Eyes? And thought upon thy own?

Faust.
Just to your purpose: I'm prepar'd for Death,
Rather than entertain you in my Bed:
Therefore if you set down t'enjoy me, Sir,
Or doom me dead, upon the Earth I beg you
To speak your Will. And Fausta shall revenge you.
This Ponyard strait shall act your vow'd Revenge,
And take her from the World.—

Const.
Rise, Fausta! rise—
By Heav'n I find 'tis vain to strive against thee!
Take then what more thou valu'st than the World,
And what, in spite of me, the Fates ordain thee—
My Crispus for thy Love—

Faust.
Ah, Sir, what mean you?

Const.
Why would'st thou strive to hide what Nature shows?
Dalmatius, Arius, and Sylvester, know it:
And over-wrought me for my Empires Safety,
To this great Act to yield thee to my Son.

Faust.
Did Arius too? No sure, they rather wrought you
To yield me to my Grave—

Const.
No. To my Throne:
Already 'tis decreed: my Cæsar weds thee.
Not but I own I came to work thee from him.
But since not Death it self can daunt thy Love,
Forbid it Heav'n, that I should break such Union.
Haste Arius! Call my Son. I'll give him now;
Now while my Reason lets me see my Dotage.
How ill such Autumn suits thy Beauties Spring!
But haste and bring him, while the heat is on me;
For I will have you wedded in my presence:
And if thy Heart consent to make a Turn,
As strange as kind; this Night he shall enjoy thee.

Faust.
Oh Heav'n, instruct my Frailty what to answer!
Can this be real Sir! is't possible?

Const.
My Council know it; and confirm the Order.

Faust.
That I shall wed your Son?

Const.
Why thus repeated?

Faust.
And you approve it?

Const.
Canst thou doubt me still?

Faust.
No. I will own Sir, since you approve it:
Own it to Death, I love him more than Life.

Const.
O Fausta!

Faust.
Ha! what now? He turns away.
He blushes! Gods—I'm lost, betray'd, undone!
Undone for ever. Crispus is betray'd:
The innocent Crispus.—

Const.
Guilty, guilty Crispus—
And guilty Fausta! Guilty both to death;
But most my Son who wrought thee to this ruin.

Faust.
O say not so. 'Twas Fausta wrought your Son—
And over Lov'd him, to his own destruction,
Therefore as you're powerful be just,
And let the stroak of Vengeance light on me.
But Sir for him—

Const.
For him each Syllable
Thou plead'st in his behalf but wings his death.

Faust.
By the just Heav'ns! And by the Saint that bore you,
By your Religion Sir, I do conjure you,
Spair, spair his Innocence—

Const.
If thou consent,
That I this night shall wed thee.—

Faust.
Wed me Constantine!

Const.
Fausta, Why not?
Art thou enjoy'd already, married? Speak, confess—
That I may pardon thee—

Faust.
What you know, you know;
You have betray'd me once, but shall no more:
More! There's no more, but that I Love your Son,
And whether he Loves me, the Gods can tell:
I know the natural goodness of your temper,
How e're transported will not let you kill him.
Therefore I leave you—

Const.
Stay and tell me when;
When I may hope Loves Consummation sure?

Faust.
When you behold me Wedded to your Son,
As you engag'd, and past your Royal word,
When after many rowling years I bring you
A race of smiling Boys to bless your Age,
To play about your Throne, and be your Cæsars:
Then may your happiness compleated be,
Then may your Eyes the Consummation see,
But never hope for other joys from me.
Ex. Fausta.

Const.
What Arius! help and free me from this plunge
Of Love and Nature. She Loves; She Loves to Death;
And tho she hides it, is belov'd agen.

Arius.
What's your resolve? To give her to your Son?

Const.
No Arius; first I'll give her to the Grave—
Resign my Empire: All—

Arius.
Then Crispus dies—

Const.
If he has not enjoy'd her, he shall live,
For that I Lov'd him once is full as true
As that, tho now he has sin'd, I cannot hate him,
But if enjoy'd! How shall I find it out?
I'll seise and Rack him.

Arius.
How Sir, Rack your Son!

Const.
By Heav'n 'twas well remember'd by a Villain:
Therefore I swear thou shalt be Rack't thy self.

Arius.
Who I, my Lord?

Const.
Ay Villain: Traitor, Thou!
I'll Rack the Racker, till I find it out;
For my misgiving Heart says thou know'st more:
Therefore, when next I see thee, bring me proof,
She's not enjoy'd, her vows and vertue clear;
Do't, or thy Death shall teach succeeding Kings—
No more by false reports to be abus'd—
But strait confront th' Accuser with the Accus'd,—
To prove the Treasons urg'd against the Throne;—
Or show the Sycophants that set 'em on:
So shall the Soveraign pow'r unclouded sway.
When such Court Devils, shun the glorious Ray,
And drive like Foggs, before the rising Day,

Exeunt.