University of Virginia Library

ACT III.

SCENE the First.

Scipio, Almeyda.
Scip.
To tell you that I love you, that my Soul
Allows your high Dominion, and with Joy
Accepts its Chains, wou'd be a needless Tale;
Your self are conscious of the Pow'r you bear.
These Eyes have seen Maids of the noblest Bloom,
The foremost both in Beauty and in Blood;
Them with a cool Indiff'rence have I view'd,
No Love, no Philtre trickling through my Veins;
Dauntless, and unacquainted with the Force
Of Beauty; Battles were my sole Delight;
War was the darling Mistress of my Heart;
There did it range at large, 'till you o'ertook,
And by superior Charms confin'd it here.

Alm.
Forbear to mention that which I must doubt,
Or granting true, I never can return.

Scip.
What never, Madam?

Alm.
No, I never can.
But why should Scipio thus demean his Soul,
Ignobly stoop to her who is his Slave?
Or can Almeyda dare believe that Man,
Who conquer'd, and retains her in his Bonds?
For you 'tis too inglorious, and for me
Too great.

Scip.
These Obstacles are soon remov'd;
True Love is never limited, confin'd
To trifling Customs, or the senseless Rules
Of Birth, or dull Distinction, the Debates
Of cool deliberating Lovers, that
As much the fiercer, is the nobler Flame:
But where is this inglorious Meanness? Where
That mighty jarring Difference, when I bow
A Suiter for the fair Almeyda's Love?
Are you not equal to my self in Blood?
And tho' distress'd, as much to be esteem'd,
And worshipp'd as if circled with a Crown?
'Tis a base Passion that admires a Form,
When tempting Wealth unites its dazzling Lustre
To add new Beauties, and improve the Fair;
But when those guilded Trifles are no more,
Soon vanishes away.

Alm.
Be cautious, Scipio, nor
Too heedless tempt your Ruin.

Scip.
Cautious, say you?
Can Scipio from himself fear ought? If he must fall,
It will be only by Almeyda's Charms.

Alm.
Why there's the Danger, there's the fatal Rock
Which I advise you timely to beware:
Be not profuse, or lavish in the Praise
Of Beauties which you never can enjoy:
Do not too rashly thus indulge your Love
To a resistless and unbounded Height,
When all the Prospect of Success is lost.

Scip.
And can there, cruel Charmer, can the same
Fierce Tyranny prevail within thy Heart,
As Triumphs in thy Eyes, to name Despair
To one that's gasping in the Pangs of Death?
Look on him gently, and reverse his Doom,
Afford one Promise, one kind Gleam of Hope.

Alm.
Instruct me, Gracious Heaven! inspire my Tongue
In this disorder'd Tumult of my Soul:
If I reveal our Loves, Alucius dies,
By Silence I provoke a Victor's Wrath.

[Aside.
Scipio.
Why will you rack me thus with doubtful Fear?
Reflect but on the Tortures I endure,
The dreadful Anguish of my lab'ring Breast;
You cannot but compassionate my Pains.

Alm.
Compassionate! I do; observe my Heart,
See how it pants, and can you then upbraid me?

Scip.
If rising Pity pleads in my behalf,
Obey, obey that Pity, and consent.

Alm.
It is not in my Pow'r, indeed it is not.

Scip.
But wherefore not? What mighty secret Bar
Forbids my Joys, and envies my Repose?

Alm.
A thousand Reasons start into my Mind,
And warn me to be cautious; which to speak
Is only to inhance our Miseries,
And plunge us in a deeper Flood of Woes.

Scip.
Disastrous State of Love for ever puzzled,
Plagu'd with Objections, and chain'd down to Hardships!
To say that you compassionate, yet give
No Cure, distracts the wretched Lover most,
It aggravates the Pains he felt before.

Alm.
To bid you hope in this unhappy State,
Whilst I am thus bewildred and forlorn,
Is to be impious both to Heav'n and you:
Those Pow'rs indeed may more propitious smile,
And bless Almeyda with an happier Hour;
'Till then her Confidence is plac'd above,
Her Wishes all to their Decrees resign'd.

Scip.
Then Scipio hope, Almeyda bids thee hope,
Hope, and expect that white propitious Hour,
When Heav'n shall bless thee with Almeyda's Love;
For in a Lover's Hopes dwell coming Joys,
As budding Flow'rs fore-run the blooming Year:
Let me retire, indulge my promis'd Bliss;
Remember, Madam, that you bad me hope.
[Exit Scipio.

Alm.
Yes, I remember my own wretched State,
That I'm belov'd, where 'tis not in my Pow'r
To love again; Alucius I am thine:
But hush my Cares, a Beam of Joy breaks in
Upon my Soul, and whispers he'll be here;
He will! What to receive his fatal Doom?
To die? No, Heav'n forefend! Ye sacred Pow'rs
Protect his Person, ward each threatning Blow!
On him my diff'rent Fates Dependant move,
My Life, my Death, my Liberty, and Love.
[Exit Almeyda.

SCENE the Second.

Enter Trebellius and Lucilius different Ways.
Luc.
Hah! That Trebellius,—at the Sight of him
My Blood beats high within my angry Veins;
But I'll dissemble, and explore his Soul.
[Aside.
Well met, Trebellius, Fellow Soldier, why
Hovers this Cloud of Sadness on your Brow?
What! over-cloy'd with Happiness, my Friend?
Trebellius you have fought a glorious Battle,
And you are well rewarded for your Toils,
Semanthe, and the Mural Crown.

Tre.
Lucilius, Why
Envy you thus your Fellow Soldier's Praise,
That thirsty Avarice of Martial Men?
Which rightly weigh'd is but an empty Toy,
Vain as are Infant's Bubbles swell'd with Wind,
Which quickly lose their splended Gaiety,
And vanish into nought: But hath not Mars
Enlarg'd his Honours, the Rewards of War,
With equal Kindness on your self? But Love,
In that I own the Favour of my Stars;
To Morrow's Night shall bless me with a Bride,
With all that's exquisite, and worthy Hope,
Where Nature's utmost Beauties are compleat.

Luc.
But I'll prevent it. [Aside.]
Trebellius be advis'd,
There is a certain Bar between your Loves
Which may endanger both; observe me well,
Take this my friendly Caution, and desist.

Tre.
Prithee unfold the dark mysterious Sense
Thy Words contain, explain the secret Cause.

Luc.
I tell thee there is Danger in thy Love;
Ruin attends it, that's enough at once;
Another time I may inform thee farther.

Tre.
Lucilius, No; my Hopes are so confirm'd,
So strengthned in th'Expectance of my Joys,
That no light Terrors can alarm my Mind,
Or scatter through my Breast th'infectious Fear.

Luc.
Then you'll persist, and, obstinately rash,
Provoke your Ruin.

Tre.
Yes, I will on
In Spite of all the Dangers that impend;
And extasy'd in Love, I'll brave 'em all.

Luc.
Come, come, you must not, nay, you shall not, Sir.

Tre.
Farewel, Lucilius, when we next shall meet,
I hope this Fit of Madness will be cur'd.
[Exit Trebellius.

Luc.
Madness indeed! It makes Lucilius rave;
The fell Distraction glides through ev'ry Part:
Was it for him, this empty grov'ling Wretch,
My Honour slighted, and my Love refus'd?
But shall I patiently endure the Scoffs,
The Insults of a vaunting happy Rival?
Surely my Roman Spirit cannot brook
The foul Indignity: I must invent
Some Means for my Redress, and quickly too.
[Exit Lucilius.

SCENE the Third.

Almeyda Sola.
Alm.
Thus Expectation still foreruns our Bliss,
And gives us Pleasure, e'er the Pleasure come;
Imagination builds a thousand Hopes,
And ev'ry Hope contains a thousand Joys.
Heav'n! who comes here? Alucius! my swoln Heart
Assures me it is he; I know that Face,
Those Royal Graces spite of their Disguise:
Fears, Pleasures, Jealousies at once arise,
And in a mix'd Confusion crowd into my Soul.

Enter Alucius, Running and Embracing Almeyda.
Alm.
Welcome Almeyda to my longing Arms!
Welcome! thrice welcome to the glad Alucius!
Nor were the few Remains of Man more pleas'd,
After the Deluge of th'unpeopled Earth,
To see the Mountains, and the Hills appear,
The burthen'd Plains shake off th'oppressive Waves,
Than is Alucius to behold his Love,
His Dear, his lov'd Almeyda once again.

Alm.
Believe me, I am lost; my fleeting Soul
Is hurried hence by this Excess of Joy;
Alucius, is it thee? Do I behold,
And touch thee once again? Is Heav'n so kind
To bless me with Alucius? Let me now
Be wrapt in the eternal Shades of Night,
That I may end thus with a Taste of Bliss,
Thus, thus embracing thee.

[Embracing him.
Alu.
No, let us live;
Live to enjoy one mutual happy State,
When the Alarms of War shall all be hush'd,
And Love display its Banners o'er the World,
Triumphant Love.

Alm.
Oh! when may we expect
That glorious Time, too fortunate for us?
We, my Alucius, from our Infant Years
Were doom'd a poor unhappy abject Pair,
To bear the Frowns, and the continual Darts,
Of arbitrary Fortune.

Alu.
Oh forbear
With rash Complaints to kindle dying Rage;
Heav'n is all Pity, and at length relents;
Do not deny its Favours when receiv'd:
We have, 'tis true, we have been wretched long,
By Fortune cross'd, e'en in the Hour of Bliss;
But now her Blessings in their Turn succeed,
With this kind Meeting she compensates all.

Alm.
This Meeting is a favourable Gift,
A Blessing I confess; but yet my Fears
Foretel some fatal Ruin will ensue.
How could'st thou be so cruel, and so kind,
So kind to me, so cruel to thy self?

Alm.
For thee, Almeyda, what could I refuse?
Is there a Joy within the utmost Limits,
The fairest Part of this Terrestrial Globe;
Nay, seated in those blissful Bow'rs above,
I could prefer to thee, thou worthy Maid?
Earth would grow dull, and Heav'nly Pleasures cloy,
Alucius still would sicken for Almeyda.

Alm.
But yet your Danger, thus beset with Foes,
Encompass'd round with Enemies of Spain,
What Safety can you find?

Alu.
This Roman Garb
Conceals me from Discov'ry; but were
Ten thousand Dangers planted round this Tent,
As many Daggers pointed at my Life,
And only love my Friend, I'd brave my Fate.
Thus, when the big impending Clouds appear,
And struggling Winds proclaim some Tempest near,
The trembling Birds the coming Danger fly,
And seek for Shelter from the low'ring Sky,
In wild Confusion, and Affright divide,
The mournful Mate is sever'd from his Bride:
But when the Gloom is clear'd, the Storm o'er past,
Each seek his Consort with impatient Haste;
Grieves 'till she's found, when found the joyful Pair,
With warbling Transports charm the list'ning Air.

[Exeunt