University of Virginia Library

SCENE A Prison.
Enter Asdrubal, Hiarbas, Giscon, Batto.
Bat.

Oh! I'm afraid our head's lost, oh! if they take my head, what shall
I do.

Hiar.

The Rabble are fine fellows to trust to.

Gis.

Well I can say for my honour, I ever hated the vulgar. I have undone
thousands of 'em, and I never did one of 'em good in my life.

Bat.

Nor I.

Gis.

Sir you have had the impudence to cheat Persons o' Quality. If you
had only cheated poor fellows, you shou'd have had a friend o' me.

Asd.
My ruine wou'd be great delight to me,
If by my fall Carthage were overwhelm'd.

Hiar.
That it may be spite o' this great success.
Though Regulus is taken Rome is not.

Gis.
I'll tell your Highness very excellent news,
The Romans burnt this day in our own Ports,
Above threescore of our best men of war. ha! ha!

Asd.
Ha! art thou sure of that?

Gis.
I'm very sure.
(all laugh.
The Romans now may land what men they will;
If they don't take the Town I'gad I'l hang.

Bat.
But will they take the Town before we hang?

Gis.
That I can't say.

Bat.

Nay if we hang, let who will have the Town. Well, I am horridly
afraid to dye. I'd go to Prayers if I thought t'wou'd signify any thing.

Gis.

Whom wou'dst thou pray to? thou hast no Friends in Heaven, thou
never mad'st the least acquaintance there: thou hast traded to all parts but
Heaven.

Bat.

I doubt none of us have any great store of Friends in Heaven; if
we had, they'd ne're ha' suffer'd us to come to this.

Asd.
Right, therefore Heaven has no great Friend o'me.
Ha! I'm a fool to open thus my heart
To fools; who though they should have honesty
May be outwitted into knavery.
But now it is in vain to look my heart,
For all the dangerous secrets are gone out.
(aside.
—Well, Sirs, what do you think? are we in danger?
I do not think we are; what have we done?
Much have we talk'd indeed, in merriment,
About I know not what, of this and that,
Of altering some Forms of Government.
But that was only matter of discourse,
We could not be in earnest, for we know
'Twas wholly impracticable.

Gis.
Do you hear.

(aside to Hiar.
Hiar.
That shall not bring him off, he was in earnest.

Gis.
Were not you so?

Hiar.
No, I abhor the thought.

Gis.
You mov'd him to't.

Hiar.
A trick to try him.

Gis.
Pox o' your tricks, you have noos'd me,
To save my neck I have been forc'd to make
Shameful Confessions.

Hiar.
Well, y'are serv'd right, why wou'd you be a knave,
And plot to take your Countries liberty.

Gis.
A knave? how cou'd I chuse but be a knave,
Keeping such knavish company as yours.

Hiar.
'Tis very well.

Asd.
Ha! wrangling Gentlemen?
What, I believe y'are discompos'd by fear?
Fear nothing, for I say, what have we done?
Shew'd our Affection to the Commonwealth
In a mistaken way? will they put men
To death, for being subject to mistakes?
Then it will be a fault to be a man.
But do not fear, for I have one sure Friend,
Money I mean, which shall buy all our pardons?

Bat.
Oh! dear, Sir, will your Highness buy my pardon?

Asd.
Thine? what art thou to me? these are my Friends
And Gentlemen: thou art a barterer
Canst traffique for thy self; buy thy own head.

Bat.
And so I wou'd at reasonable rates.

Gis.
De'e hear? de'e hear? we have been silly knaves,
I wou'd I had all my confession back.

(aside.
Hiar.
W'ave been too hasty, I am sorry for it.

(aside.
Asd.
I must keep up the spirits of these fools.
(aside.
Be merry Sirs; I warrant you your lives.
Who's there?

(Enter Keeper.
Keep.
My Lord.

Asd.
Bring in my Wine and Music
Enter Wine and Singers.
Here is sincere Wine.

Gis.
And here are sophisticated Knaves, pity they shou'd be put together.

Asd.
Come, sing us a Catch.

A SONG.
Chorus.

Enough, be gone.

Asd.
I wonder Gisgon your fine Persian Wife
Comes not to visit you.

Gis.
I wonder more
She does not come to kiss your Highness Hands.
For she has brought with her from Persia
Her Country Adoration of all Princes.

Lady
within.
Where's my Husband?

Gis.
Hark! I hear her voice.

Enter a Persian Lady supported by her Women.
Lad.
Oh! Princely Sir, I humbly kiss the Earth
Y'are pleas'd to honour, with your sacred Feet.

Asd.
Oh! Madam, you are not in Persia.

Lady.
No Sir, I wou'd you were, your Royal Blood
Wou'd not there meet this profanation.
Now Sir, shall I implore your Princely leave
To have some Conference with your Slave my Husband?
Oh! are you there Sir.

(to Gis.
Gis.
Ha! I am afraid
She has been told I'm turning an informer.

(aside.
Lady.
You are a worthy person.

Gis.
Ha! 'tis so.

(aside.
Lady.
Did not I bring much Honour to your Bed?

Gis.
Madam you did.

Lady.
Much Fortune too?

Gis.
You did.

Lady.
Have not I kept the Honour which I brought?

Gis.
Madam you have.

Lady.
Have not I manag'd too
Your Fortune with the utmost care and wisdom?

Gis.
Exquisite Wisdom.

Lady.
Of your person too
Have I not been most tender?

Gis.
Most obliging:

Lady.
Then why have you been a base man to me?

Gis.
'Tis so, (aside)
in what respect most noble Madam?

Lady.
In such an odious way I loath to name it.
This Valiant Gentleman, this Noble Spark,
Has sold his Honour, for vile shameful life.
He has submitted cowardly to confess
Your Highness plotted to be Monarch here.

Asd.
Oh! dog! can I not get him near the wall,
That I may brain him? (aside)
have you done this Gisgon?

Gis.
Yes, Sir, I have, and Sir you know 'tis true.

Lady.

Say it be true; have you not told me, Sir, he has a right to reign?
that he's descended from King Strato.

Gis.

Well, let him be descended from fifty Kings, I don't care. I'll not
be a slave to him, nor to any Prince upon earth.

Asd.
Oh! Madam, it was all but railery.
And he was one that started first the jest;
Now by his fooling I lose life and honour.

Lady.
His fooling, Sir? his cowardly treachery.
What e're you were, he was in earnest Sir.
He has a thousand times boasted to me,
What Honours he shou'd have, when you were King.
Then, though your Highness be most innocent,
And will escape (I hope and beg the Gods)
He shall dye; I'll swear he is a Traytor,
Double, false, both to the Prince and People.

Gis.
Oh! Whore!

(aside.
Lady.
So is that Reverend person too.

Asd.
And has the Priest been dabbling.

Lady.
Deeply Sir.
He has been at his Revelations;
His Commentaries, Sir, on your dark Text.

Asd.
I'll take him by the beard, and wring his head off

Hiar.
Well, Sir, I did as I was bound in conscience.
I'll not betray my Countries Liberty.

Asd.
No—then thou't not a Priest.

Lady.
Ah! foolish men, they might have liv'd and dy'd
With glory, and have got a thousand Friends.

Hia.
They'd ha' done us much good when we were hang'd.

Lady.
More good than infamous base life will do.
Now all will spit upon you. I abhor you,
Who lately ador'd you, and resolv'd to do
The greatest things for you.

Gis.
What cou'd you do?

Bat.
Oh! Madam can you do us any kindness?
Oh! if you can I will present your Honour,
I will give any thing for my head in reason.

Lady.
Hold thy tongue fool, I think not of such fellows.
But for my Husband and his Reverence too,
I wou'd have done what had amaz'd the world;
If they had done as great men ought to do.
I'd have convey'd 'em through the Town in pomp,
In spite of all the Senate.

Gis.
Through the Town?

Lady.
Yes when your glorious Martrydom was past,
I wou'd ha' crown'd you such Funerals—

Gis.
Pox o' your Funerals.

Hiar.
Mind your own Funerals;
Vex not your head with ours.

Asd.
Oh! Madam bury 'em dead or alive,
Or the corrupted Rogues will breed a pest.

Lady.
I cannot serve his Reverence as I wou'd
And he deserves; but it is in my power
To do my Husband justice, I'll right him.

Gis.
She'l be the death of me.
I must retard her while I get my Pardon.
(Aside.
I have consider'd on't—I would retract
My confession, and rather dye than live
In all the shame I've brought upon my self,
But I'm afraid they'l torture me to death.

Lady.
Oh! I've so much Power with the great men.
Be you a noble valiant Gentleman
One I may own and love. Dye like a Hero
For this great high-born Prince, I'll undertake
The State shall not torment a man I love.

Gis.
She is a whore to the whole Commonwealth.

Lady.
I'll get you any kind of death you fancy.
And for his Reverence too, if he desire it.

Hiar.
I do not fancy any kind of death.
If you do Madam take your fill of it.
Poyson or hang your self, and if you like it
Come tell us so, and Madam we'll be hang'd.

Lady.
'Tis well—great Sir, I humbly take my leave
With infinite concernment for your danger.
I wou'd ha' sacrificed my Husband for you,
With all my heart.

Asd.
I do believe it Madam.

Lady.
Or my own life.

Asd.
You much oblige me, Madam.

Lady.
I take my leave in great confusion.

Gis.
She'd have sacrific'd me.

Hiar.
These women tamper here with State affairs,
And hang their Husbands, I'll be hang'd by no body.
I'm Heavenly mettal and belong to Gods,
And I will keep their Plate from batterry.
Troth Batto, I have done your business too.
I've let the Councel know your villany.
Not only trade with Romans, but conspire
To set a King over the Commonwealth,
And take away our Liberties and Laws?

Bat.
Oh! horrible! did you not move me to't?

Hiar.
Only to try you; I had heard of you.
I'm watchman for the Public; 'tis my Office
To have my Eye and Ear in every place,
And knock at every door. When I mov'd you,
I knock'd, and found a Knave within your bosom.

Bat.
And so you'd hang me?

Hiar.
I've endeavour'd it.

Bat.
Well, and I've endeavour'd to hang you.
I've let the Councel know your Villany.

Hiar.
Ha! have you so? Well see who shall have most credit.

Gis.
Nay none of us I think will have much credit.

Asd.
So, so, the Rogues are hanging one another.
If ever a turn comes, I'll hang you all.

Hiar.
Let a turn come; I fear not you or death,
For death will only change my vehicle.

Enter Keeper.
Keep.
My Lord, here are some Senators from the Senate,
To speak with your Highness

Asd.
To take my head; I'm lost. Wait on 'em in

Enter Senators.
1. Sen.
My Lord, the Senate sends to beg your Highness
To be Protector o' the Commonwealth.

Asd.
Protector, Sir?

1. Sen.
The Spartan General
Usurps upon the State, he forc'd the Senate
To release Regulus on his Parole.
The Common People think they are betray'd,
And have requir'd the Senate to free you,
And give you power, that you may punish him.

Asd.
Sir, I'm unfit for Power, these Gentlemen
Have accus'd me of very horrid Treasons.

2. Sen.
They'r not believ'd but look'd on as defamers;
And order'd to be kept in close confinement.

Gis.
Oh! brave! oh! brave!

Hiar.
Oh! curse on evidencing!

Asd.
Now Rascals!—Keeper, put these men in setters.
Now Noble Senators, I'll wait on you,
To my most honourable Lords the Senate.

(Ex.