University of Virginia Library

SCE. I.

Enter Alexius, Andronicus.
Alex.
No longer Cousin now, but dearest brother,
You're welcome to a burthen, and I'm glad
I've got so good a Partner in the Throne:

And.
Great Sir, I thank you, and (have been so us'd
To down-right honesty) I believe you too:
It is enough to me, that I'm your servant,
The partner of your cares, and not your Throne;
Yet who'd be great, when at the best, 'tis but
A better sort of slavery, a handsome Gaol,
And (what the worst of Gaols is free from) envy'd?
Could you believe that in this little time
I should be struck at? and through your sides too?
What is my fault? if to have done 'um good
Be such, 'tis mine; if to have broke my rest,
That they might sleep secure, be crime, I'm guilty;

Alex.
Alas I'm sorry for't; and cannot yet
Conjecture what you mean.—

And.
Please you read this.

(And. gives him a paper
Alex.
How's this?
Belgrade betray'd unto the King of Hungary!

And.
It should have been; And had not I stalkt with 'um,
It had been now too late to ask whose work 'twas.

Alex.
What are the persons? They must be considerable.

And.
And so they are;

Alex.
But have you taken any?

And.
Yes—divers—And on one a Counsel of war
Has pass'd, and sentenc'd—Please you sign the warrant;

Alex.
Gi'me't, and lest relation may sway me,
I'll ne're enquire the name (signs it)
Yet let me see't;
How now! what's this—My Mother Empress!—hold:
Make me a Nero! take away her life
That gave me mine!—

And.
Have but a little patience,
And if I do n't convince you, o'my honour
I'll give't you back agen—Consider it;
A Frontier, a whole Province in effect;
A little Kingdom; all the fate of Greece,
Attends its Fortune—

Alex.
But we have it still.

And.
What matter is't—Then you believe no Treason,
Unless the Prince be kill'd:

Alex.
But 'tis my Mother:

And.
Justice respects no persons, Crowns, no kindred;
And Fathers of their Country, know no Mothers:

Alex.
As if one could not be a Prince, unless
He put off man—Come—You are too severe;
She is my Mother—Let a Cloyster serve:

And.
Severe—Know I'um joynt Emperor, and can
Do it my self; but that I would not rob you
The glory of the action; This will break
The neck of Treason, when the age shall see
Such signal Justice done upon a Mother.

Alex.
That shall not I.—

And.
Then let the Empire sink,
I'll never mind it more, nor break my sleep
To force an happiness on one that slights it:
Here—take your Paper—But lest it be said
You did once well, and streight repented it,
I thus dispose it—

Tears a wrong paper, and burns it.
Alex.
'Tis all one—I thank you.

Exit
And.
'Tis done; and your game's next: See! Here's the warrant
Twas a wrong paper burnt:—What excellent mortar
Blood makes! Rome batten'd in't, and from the ruines
Of Alba, and the slaughtered world, grew up
To what she was; and so must I the same?
'Tis not enough that I'm got up my self
But I must beat down others; level all
That stand before, or near me; I'm not safe
While young Alexius lives, or (which is worse)
Has a friend left him; He has many, and great ones,
And might be worth my fear, could they but fix,
Or know their strength; But there are only two
Considerable, that's Constantinus, and Mamalus;
Honest, and able both—For all the rest
Would all my friends were what they think themselves,
My enemies, what they are; yet as they are,
They made me what I am; and may again
Crush me to nothing, if I don't prevent 'um,
By giving the first blow, and putting 't home:
Thus, thus it must; nor can I sleep secure,
Till they have slept their last, and fall together
Wrapt in one common fate; none ever rackt
A grave to find the man he fear'd, or hated;
The rest will follow; 'Tis but using well
The present time, and working on emergencys;
Things counsel men, and not men counsel things.
Enter Manuel.
How now my Manuel—Thus you see my pains
To make you happy.—

Man.
Would your self were such.

And.
Small time will do't—Rome was not built at once.

Man.
And better she'd continu'd Cottage still,
Than built on rapine, or enlarg'd with blood;
The tears of Orphans, and the curse of Widdows,
Rot not i'th' Ayre.

And.
Away you fool—The Fox
Fares best, when he is curst; 'Tis a sure sign,
H'as done his work;—But to be serious—Tell me
Whither a man may not preserve himself?
Or whither all things that are tending to't,
May not be lawfull, at least excuseable?

Man.
Thereafter as they are—Though this I'll grant you
Peace without safety, is a bare cessation,
No laying down of Arms.—

And.
Th'ast hit the nail:
Come, you must help me;—See this executed.
Gives Man. the warrant; Man. startles.
What makes you startle? Let me have it done;

Man.
Don!—Were I satisfi'd o'th' crime, which yet
The people say, was rather packt, than prov'd;
There's no such dearth of hangmen, that your Son
Need take the office.—

And.
Stranger to my blood
And never true begot:
Have I for this run through so many hazards?
Ventured so farr, to make a villain great
That never had a soul above a dunghill?
See it be done—and quickly—Or—

Man.
I cannot;
And which is more I shall not—Disobedience
Is vertue here:—If you suspect my courage,
Try't yet again;—Shew me your Enemy,
And were he guarded with ten thousand Devils,
I'll through, and through, but I will reach his head,
Or lose my own—But this—Is such a thing
Honor, and conscience, Justice, all forbid it.

And.
What are those private toyes to me? Kings may
Do what they list.—

Man.
But can they do't by Law?

And.
By law! you block head; Doth not Justice sit
At Jupiters elbow? What cannot power do,
And justifi't when don? He that can nothing
But what is lawful, raigns by curtesie:
Besides, what use of Laws? Good Kings may live
Without 'um, bad ones will not much regard 'um;
Had Alexander squar'd his actions
By common Justice, he had never wept
The want of worlds; or had Rome giv'n back
To every one their own—How had she sate
(Like Æsop's Jay) stript of her pilfer'd plumes,
And fairly martch't to her first Huts agen:
Weigh Crowns by th'ballance and you'll make fine work:
Preach laws to sword-men!—Out—This squemish slave
Exit Manuel;—At another door enter Stephanus.
Will be my ruin, and his own in mine.
Welcome my better self!—you must see this
Dispatch't, and quickly; If the people grumble
Produce your warrant; tel'um how hard I stood
To have preserv'd her, but I could not doe't.
And. gives Stephanus the warrant for Execution.
How sayes my Stephanus?—

Enter Philo.
Ste.
I say—'tis don.

And.
'Twas my good Angel's voice; good luck attend it.
Now honest Philo! How goes your work on?

(Exit Steph.
Philo.
As well as heart can wish; The Stag is lodg'd;
And my Hounds ready:—

And.
But dost know 'um well?
Have they been enter'd, flusht in blood before?
I hate the fearful hands.—

Phil.
Ne're doubt 'um Sir,
There's not a man among 'um but has been
Kickt out of all the Sanctuaries in Europe:
Who ever speaks of young Alexius next,
Shall only say,—He was:

And.
'T was bravely said:
Come—We have more to do.

Exeunt.