University of Virginia Library

ACT. III.

SCENE. I.

Enter Claudius, Publius Numitorius.
Claud.
Force? Can he barbarously threaten Force?

P. Num.
Yes; threaten both by Proxy and in Person;
And one so proud, so cruel, and so fierce,
As if that Nature form'd him for her ruin,
Is more than like to bring these Threats to practice,
And we have lost all hope to save Virginia,
Unless you kindly shelter her from Fate.
You only he respects, and you esteems
The living glory of his noble Race;
And your Authority has more than once
Been known to bend his cruel Soul to Mercy:
Then noble Claudius let me here conjure you,
By the bright Honour of the Claudian Race,
Which the black Crime that Appius now designs
Is like to eclipse with fearful infamy;
By the high Justice of the Cause it self,
Have pity on Virginia's lost Estate.
O did you but survey this mournful Maid,
The Sight of her wou'd surely pierce a Soul
Much harder to be mov'd, than that of Claudius.

Claud.
Virginia's danger surely moves me much,
But oh this cursed Tyrant's moves me more;
For oh he headlong to destruction runs
And to eternal infamy.
If he pursues his damn'd design, he's gone
His Hour his come; and all his blustring rage
(O dreadful scandal to the Claudian race)
At the Foot of the Tarpeian Rock will fall.

P. Num.
Hark!
Bless me, what noise is that which still grows nearer?

Claud.
Some Women in distress for succour shriek.

P. Num.
What is there violence committed here,
Here, in the publick Streets of Rome, by Day?
Now by yon Heaven 'tis poor Virginia's Voice.

Claud.
Is't possible? Nay then your fears were true.
By Heaven 'tis she, and with her good Cornelia,
And who pursues them? O ye immortal Gods!
Fulvius, the Tyrant's most detested Creature;
Who thinks his Master's Power will be perpetual,
And hopes to raise his wretched Fortune by it.
Let us a while observe him at a distance.

Enter Virginia, Cornelia, Fulvius, and others.
Virg.
O Earth, and Heaven! What have I liv'd to hear?
I charge thee come not near me.

Corn.
Prophane her not with thy detested touch.

Virg.
Nor hurt my Eyes with thy detested sight.

Corn.
Begone!

Fulv.
Yes, I will go, but not without Virginia.

Virg.
O help Diana! help eternal Vesta,
Help all ye Powers, protectors of the Chaste!

Corn.
What does the Villain mean?

Fulv.
To seize upon my Slave where e'er I find her.
You Rogues, who stand unmov'd like senceless Stones,
Nay are not half so much alive as Statues,
Dogs! Villains! bear her off, and do your Duty.

Claud.
Fulvius! Oh Fulvius! Fulvius! Stop I charge thee.
'Tis I, 'Tis Claudius who commands thee, stay.

Virg.
Just Heaven has heard my Prayer.

Fulv.
O my good Lord! Stop there ye Slaves a Moment,
My noble Lord! You are a Friend to Justice;
This is my Slave detain'd from me too long,
By the unjust Oppression of Virginius.

Virg.
O ye immortal Gods!

Corn.
See if this Villain strikes not Claudius dumb,
And harrows him with wonder.

Claud.
Is this thy Slave? O villany unheard old
Unparallell'd! unpresidented Impudence!
Hear me, and ponder what I tell thee well,
For it concerns thee near. If thou believ'st
I am a stranger to the damn'd design,
Of which thou'rt made the execrable Tool,
Thou err'st; and if thou ever lov'd'st thy self
Repent, while yet 'tis given thee to repent,
And on thy Knees implore this Lady's Mercy;
E'en now repent, or now the Hour comes on
When thou wilt curse thy self for unbelieving.
And if thou think'st thy impious Lord can save thee,
Vengeance divine will undeceive thee soon.
He soon will want the Power to save himself;
For he's a cursed Thing cast off by Jove,
And to th'avenging Furies given up.
Go tell him this from me.

Fulv.
My Lord, he'll in a Moment pass this way,
This will sound better from your Mouth than mine.

Claud.
And by th'immortal Gods I'll tell him more;
Yes, in his Ears I'll thunder such a Peal,
As his Lethargick Conscience shall awake,
And make him mad to cure him.

Fulv.
I humbly of your Lordship take my leave,
And beg that with me I may take my Slave.

Claud.
Now by the Gods, name such another Word,
I'll pour the Roman People in upon thee;
And Ruin, like a Torrent, shall o'erwhelm thee.
Thou o'ergrown Impudence! Thou frontless Villany!
Can ought that looks like Heaven belong to thee?
Cast but thy Eyes upon that lovely Face,
Then try, if thou dar'st claim her as thy Slave?
Alas I rave! thou want'st the very Power
To look upon her with a stedfast Eye;
The Bird of Night can sooner bear the Sun,
Than thou the sacred influence of her Eyes.
But with a guilty and a down cast Look
Thou art compell'd to own that thou art aw'd
By a superior and diviner Being.

Fulv.
My Lord! Your Lordship always cou'd speak well,
But yet your Words were never yet our Laws;
Therefore I must entreat my noble Lord
Either t'allow this Woman to be mine,
Or else that you and Publius Numitorius
Wou'd give your solemn Words that in an Hour,
She, whom you call Virginia, shall appear
In her own Person in the publick Court,
Where it may be determin'd by plain Law
Whether she is my legal Slave or no.
One or the other sure my Lord will grant,
Or else he must obstruct the course of Justice.

Claud.
Justice! O Villain! Dar'st thou barely name her?
The very sound shou'd make thee hide thy Head.
As that of Thunder does the Foes of Gods.
And do'st thou dare then to persist in this?

Fulv.
My Lord, I must, and will persist.

Claud.
I plainly see thou dar'st not but persist,
Then here I give my solemn Word.

P. Num.
And I give mine.

Both.
That in an Hour Virginia shall appear.

Fulv.
Health and long Happiness attend your Lordship.
And so my noble Lord I take my leave.

[Exit.
Claud.
Yes, yes, she shall appear, let not that Thought
Disturb thee; but yet e'er the Sun rowls round
Thou'lt howling with thou had'st lost thy dearest Blood
That she had ne'er appear'd.

P. Num.
See where amid'st his Guard the Tyrant comes.

Claud.
Do you conduct the Ladies, I'll expect him.

P. Num.
Come, sweet Virginiæ, good Cornelia come,
We must prepare t'appear before dire Appius.
Short is our time, and we have much to do.

Virg.
My time is short indeed, but long enough,
To shew I am a Roman, and no Slave.

[Exeunt Virg. P. Num. & Corn.
Enter Appius.
Claud.
Decemvir stop a Moment.

App.
What wou'd my honour'd Uncle?

Claud.
Command your Lictors to withdraw a while,
And keep the People at a greater distance.

App.
Guards let my Uncle be forthwith obey'd.
Now what wou'd you Command me?

Claud.
I come to beg thee to Command thy self;
I come to give thee warning of the Vengeance
Which thou'rt about to pull from Heaven upon thee.

App.
For what?

Claud.
Dar'st thou, Created to Establish Law,
Dar'st thou attempt a thing against all Law,
Even Nature's Sacred and Original Law?

App.
What is this horrid thing?

Claud.
What? Dares the Judge of Rome commit a Rape?
A Rape on a Free Woman?

App.
I commit a Rape?

Claud.
You.

App.
On whom?

Claud.
The young and blooming Daughter of Virginius.

App.
Who told you this?

Claud.
Why is she brought before thy black Tribunal
On this most impudent pretence of Slavery?
Who told me this? you take it for a Secret,
When 'tis the universal Talk of Rome.

App.
Shou'd any Roman else but dare to talk thus,
I'd make him howle, yes by the Gods I wou'd.
Did I acquire this Independent Power
To be control'd by the base Scum of Rome?
I got it to control them, and to Ride them;
To Ride them hard, and use the Spur or Rein
As it seems good to me.

Claud.
If you go on,
You'll find them but a wild and dangerous Beast,
Who first will throw, then stamp upon their Rider.
And dar'st thou rashly thus prefer thy self
Before the Body of the Roman People?
But this assure thy self, if thou proceed'st,
The People whom so rashly thou contemn'st,
Will make thee feel their Excellence; their Strength
Will rise, and will revenge Virginia wrong'd,
And pour down ruin on thy cursed Head.

App.
I fear them not, they say themselves are wrong'd,
And yet you see they bear it.

Claud.
Because tho' all of them agree in thought,
They know not one another, but when Heaven
Would mighty Revolutions bring to pass,
It always for a great occasion waits,
That may awake and rouze the slumbring World
And that occasion thou art going to give,
To do the most provoking of all wrongs.
The Roman People
Have born thy Pride, thy Cruelty, thy Rapines,
Thy horrible Oppressions, and thy Murders,
And the same People bore all this from Tarquin:
But when he basely came to force their Women,
That rouz'd 'em from their long Lethargick slumber,
Soon they appear'd true Off-springs of Love's Goddess;
And like a half tam'd Lyon urg'd to madness,
Aloud they roar'd, and ramping scar'd their Keeper.
That which confounded Tarquin, Confounds thee;
Yet Tarquin dy'd an Exile in his Bed,
But thou wilt from the dreadful Rock be thrown.

App.
Well! Since at last I am compell'd to speak,
Swear thou wilt keep the Secrets of our House,
And I'll disclose my Soul to thee.

Claud.
I swear.

App.
Know then I love Virginia, even to madness love her;
So desp'rate, so outrageous is my Flame,
That to possess I'll venture any Death,
Yes, the most Cruel and most Infamous,
For fierce Desire extends me on the Rack,
And of necessity I must possess,
Or in most cruel Torments must expire.

Claud.
Die then with Infamy thou cursed thing,
Thou Merit'st it; but has thy bleeding Country
Deserv'd that thou should still inflict more Wounds?
Think, think thou seest thy great Fore-fathers all
Arise from Hell to fright thee from this Deed;
And see old Appius Claudius at their Head,
Thy awful and thy ever honour'd Father.
Oh! had he but an Arm of Flesh and Blood,
Degenerate Boy, to use a Father's right,
Here in the midst of this polluted Forum,
Here in the midst of all thy cursed Guards,
He'd do what all my words want Power to do,
And with his Dagger pierce thy cruel Heart.

App.
No more, thou troubl'st me, all this I give
To my Relation, and the Claudian Race.
But trouble me no more, I cannot bear it.

Claud.
Yes, tho' I die for't, thou shalt bear it all;
But if thou can'st contemn the Claudian Race.
If thou contemn'st thy dying Country's Groans,
Which might have power to melt a Heart of Marble:
If nought has force to move thy savage Soul,
But the young blooming Daughter of Virginius,
If e'er thou lov'dst her, for her sake desist.
She is indeed so lovely, that she seems
Form'd by the Gods to be desir'd by Men.
But into what dire ruin art thou plunging
This sweetest, loveliest, workmanship of Heaven?
How will so damn'd a deed as thou design'st,
Deface this wondrous Master-piece of Nature?
Thou art about to rob her of that sweetness
That charms the Eyes and Hearts of all Beholders;
To render her contemptible and cheap
To all the World, and odious even to thee,
And to her self most loathsome, and for what?
For a frail Joy so fading and so short,
It dies before 'tis thought of; nay nor joy,
For thy design has made her strongly hate thee,
Detest thee, loath thee, utterly abhor thee.

App.
All this a thousand, thousand times I have thought,
Have done whatever mortal Man cou'd do,
To tear this cursed Passion from my Breast;
Or else Hell's blackest Torments were my due.
I have forborn my necessary Food,
The Food that Health and Life it self requir'd;
Have past the Livelong Nights in thoughts profound
Without admitting slumber to my Eyes;
Have weakned Life to mortifie my Passion,
But like a strong Disease it still increas'd,
And flourish'd in my weakness.

Claud.
Make an effort, a violent effort,
Persisting thou grow'st hateful to the Gods,
Detestable to all the Race of Men,
And to thy self most loathsome and most horrible:
You want not Reason if you wou'd exert it.

App.
I have no power t'exert this feeble Reason,
For O some God, some cruel God has fixt
This Madness of Desire within my Mind;
Yes, 'tis the dire Effect of wrath Divine!
For O I rave! I rave! a raging Feaver
Shakes my Tempestuous Frame, devours my Blood,
And scorches and consumes my inmost Marrow.
In vain I struggle in the Toils of Fate,
I struggle till I roar with burning Fury,
Curse my false Stars, and partial Gods accuse.
The more I struggle, I'm the more perplex'd,
The more by strong Necessity involv'd,
And Rage adds Force and Fury to my Love,
And makes my Reason weaker. Come ye Claudii,
Come ever glorious, ever honour'd Race,
And thou old awful Appius at their Head,
Ascend from Hell with all Hell's Rage about you,
Come and survey this miserable Breast,
And here's a sight will turn your Rage to Grief,
And send you back to Hell with such a Tale
As shall have power to move the damn'd to pity.
Enter Tribune.
Who art thou that presumptuously intrud'st
Upon our private Talk? but by thy Garb,
And by thy Air, thou shou'dst a Tribune be,
Sent by my Collegues on important Matters.

Trib.
Yes, sent by the Decemvirs who Command
The Legions that Encamp upon Mount Algid;
Who send you Health and this

[Gives Letters.
App.
Reads.

The arrival in the Camp of Marcus, Brother to
Lucius Icilius, the late Tribune of the People, has inclin'd the
Legions to a Revolt, who threaten to pull up their Standards,
and March directly to Rome. The News of your Death has
been maliciously spread thro' the Camp, to animate the Legions
to a Rebellion; and tho' we have produc'd Letters from you of
a fresher date than the Report, yet still the Report prevails; several
Tribunes and Centurions have already left the Army. If
the Torrent encreases it will be too strong for us to stemm; assist
us as soon as possible with your Counsels, and with your Power
Farewel.

Come to my House within an Hour, and there
You Shall receive your answer.
[Exit Tribune.
Damnation! these presumptuous Rebels brave me;
Yes, they pretend to force Virginia from me,
To force my Empire from me, force my Life,
Which spight of all their Fury I'll maintain:
Let them come on, and by the Gods I'll face them
With such a Spirit as shall damp their Rage,
And strike it dead within their Coward Hearts
As fiercest Beasts by Men resolv'd are Tam'd,
I'll humble their rebellious Pride, I will,
Shew them a Man, a Being that's above them,
Born to Command, as they are Born to obey.

Claud.
What force can you oppose against the Legions
Encamp'd on Algid's Mount?

App.
The other Army at Fidenæ's mine.

Claud.
No, the other Army burns with noble Thirst
Of great Revenge for their Dentatus Murder,
Whom thou wilt now inflame beyond all Patience
By injuring their other hope, Icilius.

App.
I have a stedfast Party in them all,
Besides my Guards and Forces in the Town.

Claud.
Too few, too weak, too wretched to oppose
The Solid Body of the Tribes and Legions.

App.
Then, by the Gods, I'll with them join the Foe,
March at the Head of the Victorious Sabines,
And lead the conquering Æqui to these Walls;
Sink this proud City in a Sea of Blood,
And greatly ruin what I cou'd not Rule.

Claud.
Hadst thou directly thy descent deriv'd,
From a successive Race of fifty Tyrants,
Thou coud'st not speak one more: but be assur'd
If thou'rt resolv'd on ruin, 'tis thy own;
Our Patron Gods this City will defend,
As soon thy miserable Fate will shew.

App.
Let the result be what it will, I'll on;
For shou'd I now my high Command resign,
And more ingloriously my Love forego,
'Twou'd all be imputed to ignoble fear.
Yes, they wou'd brag they scar'd me like a Girl;
That I my Mistress yielded like a Coward,
And basely ran from boundless Power away.
No, by yon glittering Lamp that Rules the Day,
Eclipsing all th'inferiour Lights of Heaven,
From hence I'll to my dread Tribunal go
As a prætext to blind the stupid Crowd,
Adjudge Virginia to be Slave to Fulvius.
The Master o'er his Slave has Power of Life,
Or Death, and that includes all other Powers;
And Fulvius strait transfers his Power to me,
And then, ye Gods, I'll seize th'enchanting Joy,
And to the Heaven of Heavens my Raptures raise.

Claud.
Thou go'st from hence thou say'st to thy Tribunal.

App.
Immediately I go.

Claud.
I'll meet thee there and plead Virginia's Cause.

App.
You dare not.

Claud.
Tyrant I dare and will.

App.
Disclose my Secret, and your Life shall answer't.

Claud.
Ha! dost thou threaten me, degenerate Boy?
I value this old Life at the same rate,
As thou the old Honour of the Claudian House,
But yet for my own sake I'll keep thy Secret;
For never any of our noble Race
Dar'd to betray his Trust excepting thee.
But I'll do that which more a thousand times
Shall gall and wring thy Heart.

App.
What will you do?

Claud.
I'll pour such strong Conviction on thy Soul,
Even in the Eyes of all th'assembled People,
As shall be follow'd by those dreadful Furies
That wait upon Remorse, and punish mighty Crimes.
Yes, they shall scourge thee with a scourge of Scorpions,
And give thee a taste of Hell beforehand here.

App.
Thou talk'st in vain, I will persist till Death.

Claud.
'Tis not thy wretched Life I go to save,
I go to save the Honour of the Claudii,
And shew th'assembled People that our House,
Our noble House abhors such things as these;
But thy Brute Soul was shuffled in among us
By the mistake of some o'er hasty God.
As for thy Life it is not worth my Care,
That and thy Empire are already lost;
And so to the revenging Gods I leave thee.

[Exit.
App.
Well, if for Love I Empire must forego,
While in her Arms the Joys of Heaven I know,
I'll learn to scorn the wretched World below.

[Exit.