University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

A Palace.
Enter Volumnia and Virginia.
Vol.
Prethee Vergilia spare those feeble Tears,
Which I must Blame in any that belongs
To Caius Martius, tho his Tender Babe,
That had no other Language; Learn of me
That blest the Absence, gave my Lord his Honour,
More than the calm Peace, that gave me his Love.
This Martius, this thy Lov'd, Lamented Husband,
When of my Widdow'd Years, the only Son;
When Tender-Body'd, and so Fresh a Bloom
Adorn'd his Cheeks, as drew and fixt all Eyes,
When at a Kings Entreaty, the Fond Mother,
Not Half an Hour wou'd Sell him from her Sight;
I Weighing then, how Honour wou'd become
So promising an Excellence, dismist him,
To seek out Danger, where he might find Fame.
To a Cruel War I sent him, where he Flesht
His Youthful Sword; and to my Arms return'd,
Laden with bloody Bays: I tell thee Daughter,
I sprung not with more Joy, to find my Pains,
Had to the World Restor'd his Father's Image:
Then first to find him, Match his Fathers Fame.

Virg.
But had he Dy'd in the Adventure?

Vol.
Then—
His Glory shou'd have been my Darling Son:
Now by Minerva, had the Indulgent Gods
Blest me with Twenty Sons, as much Belov'd
As my brave Martius; I had rather Lose them All
In Chase of Glory, and their Country's Cause,
Than One, i'th' Surfeit of voluptuous Peace.

Virg.
Excuse my Tenderness, that Wishes still
For Peace and Martius: What's this Monster Country,
That must be Fed with my Dear Martius Blood?
If this Unnatural Mother still must prey
On her own Off-spring, let her take her Rabble;
The Vermin-Crowd my Martius so Abhors.

Enter a Servant.
Serv.
Madam, the Lady Valeria is come to Visit you.

Virg.
Let me Retire from her Impertinence;
A heavier Burden than the Grief I bear.

Vol.
Not now Virginia, she'll divert you: Oh!
Methinks I hither Hear thy Husbands Drum;
See him Dismount Aufidius; all the Volsces
Wide Shunning him, as Children from a Tyger:
Methinks I see him Frown, and hear him Call,
Come on ye Cowards; you were got in Fear,
Tho you were Born in Rome: His bloody Brow—

Virg.
His bloody Brow? The Gods Defend!—No Blood.

Vol.
Away Fond Girl; it more becomes a Man,
Then Gold his Arms; the Breasts of Hecula,
When she gave Suck to Hector, look't not Lovelier,
Than Hectors Forehead, when besmear'd with Blood.
Go, Bring Valeria in.

Virg.
Heavens Bless my Lord from fierce Aufidius.

Vol.
No more such Folly,
He'll Strike Aufidius Head below his Knee,
And Tread upon his Neck.

Enter Valeria, Gawdily and Fantastically Drest, follow'd by Six or Seven Pages.
Val.
Morrow Ladies, good Morrow.

Vol.
I am glad to see your Ladyship.

Val.

Your Ladyships most Eternal—Well, you are the most manifest
House-keepers! Come, you do your Beauties wrong, the Suburra
wrong, the Forum wrong, the Cirque, the whole Youth of Rome.

Vol.

We leave that Triumph Madam to your Sovereign Charms.

Val.

And do I look Sovereignly Madam? Indeed I think my Enemies
will Grant me That; but I bear not upon't: I am Ambitious only
of the Graces of the Mind, the Intellectuals, and despise those vain
Allurements of Dress and Face—but do I look Sovereignly Madam?

Vol.

Most Irresistably!

Val.

And what my Dear, Eternally in Tears?
[To Virgilia.
Come, I must have you Read Philosophy; better Live in Apathy, as
the Stoicks say, then have such tender Sense of Things:—pray
Madam, What do's your Ladyship think of the Stoicks.

[To Vol.
Vol.

As of the Noblest Sect.

Val.

Come, I must have you Forth with me: I have some Nineteen
Visits to make, and all of 'em old Debts upon my Honour: Well, I'll
Swear there's an intollerable deal of Patience requir'd to common Civility:
Because an impertinent Lady comes and teazes me three Hours
at my House to Day, therefore I must go to be teazed three more at
her House to Morrow; I Swear 'tis most Unreasonable. How I wish
my self at Athens again We had no such Doings at Athens; no idle
Chat of Tires and Fans, but of Secrets in Nature, and stiff Points of
Philosophy—but Rome at Rome; Come, come away.

Virg.

By no means Madam, I'll not out of Doors.

Val.

O you Confine your self most Unreasonably; your Thoughts
now are with your Lord at Corioles; trouble not your self, I shall give

you Intelligence of his Affairs; I have it always an Hour before the
Senate: Well, Intelligence is a fine thing! It costs me the Gods know
what in Forreign Correspondence from Sicily, Sardinia, Rhetia, Aquitain,
Crete, Cyprus, Lydia, Ephesus, Dalmatia, Thrace, Pontus;
the Hetrusci make no Motion, but by my Advice: Nay, our own General
Cominius, is glad to keep Touch with me: Not an Officer of Note
in the Camp, but sends me News or Love. Come hither Page—look Madam,
pray Madam observe, this is my last Days Post, and the lightest Pacquet
has come this two Months; Fye, fye, up with 'em, I am asham'd on't.

Vol.

But do's your Ladyship Answer all These?

Val.

Some of 'em I never peruse, and those are your Gallantry Epistles:
I know all those Hands with half an Eye; there's Titus Decius,
Cajus Proculus, Marcus Flavius, Publius Cotta; Albinus,
Sesinna, Graculus, Phocus, Linus, Tucca, Rufus, Fæsula; with a
Legion more, that are All unseal'd in the Fire! I Swear I am a cruel
Creture! But 'tis my Way Madam.

Virg.

Eternal Torturer!—By your Leave Madam.

Val.

Nay, I am just upon the Wing too; my Chair there, What?
No Attendance in this World? Well, of all things in Nature, I love
Dispatch; and yet I Swear I cou'd stay with your Ladyships Eternally
—but your Ladyships will Excuse me upon Business; not but that I'd
leave any Thing for your Ladyships Company—your Ladyships will pardon
my Hast, for I Swear I am in Hast most inordinately.

[Exit.