University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

An Anti-Chamber in the Empresses Appartment in the Pallace.
Enter Perennius and Lætus.
Lætus.
Have but a little Patience.—

Peren.
Patience!
Now Curses on thy Counsels, they have ruin'd me;
And then thou thrusts me out to slavish Patience.
Patience! the lazy Refuge of mean Souls,
That rather bear, than struggle with their Fortune.
Gods! how I despise it; if I fall, it shall
Be in a manly grapple with my Fate;
While my large Ruins crush ye all to Atoms.
No more of thy dull Counsels.

Læt.
You lik'd 'em once.
And by 'em have remov'd your pow'rful Rival.

Peren.
But rais'd a greater—set Portia farther off,
Beyond the bounds of my extensive hopes.
M' Ambition too's defeated; for her Brother
Wears all the Plumes of his degraded Friend,
And fond as a Child of's new gaudy Cloaths;
Already's gone to take possession of 'em.
Had I but gain'd that point, my love had thriv'd,
Spight of the changeful Emperors Will, or Pow'r.

Læt.
I know not what you think, that look through Mists,
Through Clouds of Passion; but to me I swear
By the great Gods, that all seems wondrous Well.
Why are we here else? at this dead of Night?
And by the Empresses Order? but with freedom
To consult your mutual satisfaction.
Is she not raging with neglected Love?
Resents she not with more than equal Ardor,
Th'estrang'd Affections of the Emperor?
But you will lose this means of Happiness,
Rather than have Patience! slavish Patience!

Per.
Pardon me Friend, my Soul is on the Rack,
I cannot think of losing heav'nly Portia!
But wild distraction seizes on my Brain!
And like a Whirl-wind rends my very Heart up.
But I am calm again, now Hope appears,
Temperate as Age to hear thy Story out.

Læt.
When I say I told her of it—

Per.
Ay then! What said she?

Læt.
At first she silent stood, as struck with Lightning,
Fixt were her Eyes, and motionless each part,
The charming Red forsook her beauteous Face,
And left it bleak, and wan; then in a moment,
A fiery Blush o'er-spread it; and from her Eyes
A show'r of Tears burst with impetuous force,
As if they meant to quench the angry Flame
That burnt her Cheeks. And then you might have seen
Pride, Love, Desire, Despair, Fear, and Disdain,
Rowl, clash, and break like furious meeting Tydes;
Till in this mighty Hurrican of Passion,
The wretched Princess sunk into her Chair.

Per.
Proceed, this Story moves me.

Læt.
It would be
Tedious to repeat her various Agonies,
And all that past till her tempestuous Rage
Had work'd it self into a calm of Thought,
How to redress, if not prevent her Wrongs.
But having inform'd her of the share you took
In her Suff'rings, she appointed this Place,
And Time, for our Consultation; and I
Have got, I think, the means of both your ease.

Per.
As how my best Friend?

Læt.
You see the Empress comes.
You shall partake it with her.

Enter Empress.
Empr.
Divorc'd! thrown from him like a loath'd Embrace!
Am I grown old and ugly in one Month?
Gods! I shall be the out-cast of the Court!
The Laughter, or the Pity of the Vulgar!
Of ev'ry fawning Rascal! Oh! my Heart!
May all the Plagues he has invok'd light on him!
For his base Perjuries! Oh! but I love him,
Ev'n to Distraction Love, th'ingrateful false one:
That blunts my Rage, and quite disarms Revenge,
Converts my Curses on my Tongue to Blessings.
I have no Refuge left, but sad Complaints;
And those, but fan the fury of my Love;
Set all his Charms in my despairing Eyes,
Shew me the dear, blissful, heav'nly good I lose.
Oh! Death! Confusion, 'tis not to be born!

Læt.
I cannot see such Beauty in such Grief!
I will break off the anxious Scene, Madam!

Empr.
Ha, Lætus, are yeu here, Perennius, too?
'Tis much to find two Friends, and in Disgrace.

Per.
Madam, such Beauty wrong'd can ne'er want Friends.

Empr.
Flatter me not, for I'm grown old and wither'd.

Læt.
Fresh by the Gods, and Beauteous as the Morning.

Empr.
Oh! were I so, how cou'd m' Emperor slight me?

Per.
His Appetite's too weak to taste so fierce a Joy.

Empr.
Is Portia fair? for yet I never mark'd her.

Per.
Bright as Pondora, made by all the Gods,
T'allure the stubborn Heart of the first Man.

Empr.
Ah! me!

Per.
But, Madam, to the means of your Relief.

Empr.
Ay my good Friends, proceed.

Læt.
The Emperor's Passion is yet but young,
And by removing Portia, wou'd soon dye;

Per.
And then his Love for you in course revives.

Empr.
But how! how shall I compass this Design?

Læt.
Madam, I have a Friend among the Vestals,
Who will convey her safely to their Temple.

Per.
Their Habit gives them passage where they please;
Nor will she scruple to venture with a Priestess.

Læt.
Thence may she make her wish'd escape to Martian.

Empr.
If she does love but half so well as I,
She will be swift to catch this blest occasion.

Læt.
But she must haste to use this dead of Night.
The Priestess shall be here within an Hour.

Empr.
Well, I'll away to free her and my self;
For while she's here, no hopes for me remain,
But a black Scene of dreadful Woe, and Pain.

Per.
Well, but how wilt thou perform this lucky Thought?

Læt.
Why, I will be this holy Vestal Virgin,
And bear your Portia for you, to your Arms.

Per.
Let me embrace thee, thou Soul of brave design,
But finish this, and all my Fortune's thine.

(Exeunt.