Five of 'em now are lictors, yet she prays;
Sh' has been the song of Rome, and common
Pasquil;
[tress,
Since I durst see a wench, she was camp-mis-
And muster'd all the cohorts, paid 'em too,
They have it yet to show, and yet she prays;
She's now to enter old men that are children,
And have forgot their rudiments: Am I
Left for these wither'd vices? And but one,
But one of all the world, that could content
me,

And snatch'd away in shewing? If your wives
Be not yet witches, or yourselves, now be so,
And save your lives; raise me this noble
beauty,

As when I forc'd her, full of constancy,
Or, by the gods-

Licin. Most sacred Cæsar

Val. Slaves

Enter Proculus and Lycias.

Lycias. Good Proculus!

Proc. By Heav'n, you shall not see it;

It may concern the empire.

Val. Ha! what saidst thou?

Is she not dead?

Proc. Not any one I know, sir:

I come to bring your Grace a letter, here Scatter'd belike i'th'court: 'Tis sent to MaxAnd bearing danger in it.

Val. Dauger? where?

Double our guard!

[imus,

Proc. Nay, no where, but i' th' letter. Val. What an afflicted conscience do I live with,

And what a beast I'm grown! I had forgotten To ask Heav'n mercy for my fault, and was Ev'n ravishing again her memory. [now

I find there must be danger in this deed: Why do I stand disputing then, and whining, For what is not the gods' to give? they cannot, Tho' they would link their powers in one, do mischief!

This letter may betray me. Get ye gone, [Exeunt.

And wait me in the garden; guard the house well,

And keep this from the empress. The name
Maximus

Runs thro' me like a fever! This may be
Some private letter, upon private business,
Nothing concerning me: Why should I open't?
I've done him wrong enough already. Yet,
It may concern me too; the time so tells me;
The wicked deed I've done, assures me 'tis

SO.

Be what it will, I'll see it; if that be not Part of my fears, among my other sins,

For there is nothing in it but is certain 41,
Besides my safety. Had not good Germanicus,
That was as loyal and as straight as he is,
If not prevented by Tiberius,

Been by the soldiers forc'd their emperor?
He had, and 'tis my wisdom to remember it.
And was not Corbulo, (even that Corbulo,
That ever-fortunate and living Roman,
That broke the heart-strings of the Parthians,
And brought Arsaces' ime upon their knees,
Chain'd to the awe of Rome,) 'cause he was
thought

(And but in wine once) fit to make a Cæsar, Cut off by Nero? I must seek my safety; For 'tis the same again, if not beyond it.

I know the soldier loves him more than Heav'n,

And will adventure all his gods to raise him; Me he hates more than peace: What this may breed,

[at.

If dull security and confidence
Let him grow up, a fool may find, and laugh
But why lord Maximus, I injur'd so,
Should be the man to counsel him, I know not,
More than he has been friend, and lov'd alle-
giance:

Mr. Seward prints,

Ecius. Were it fire,

And that fire certain to consume this body,
If Cæsar sent, I would go. Never fear, man;
If he take me, he takes his arms away.
I am too plain and true to be suspected.
Max. Then I have dealt unwisely.
Ecius. If the emperor,

life, my Because he merely may, will have That's all he has to work on, and all shall have;

Let him, he loves me better. Here I wither, And happily may live, 'till ignorantly

I run into a fault worth death; nay more,

dishonour.

Now all my sins, I dare say those of duty,
Are printed here; and if I fall so happy,
I lie in, and the gods,
I bless the grave
Equal as dying on the enemy,

Must take me up a sacrifice.

Max. Go on then;

And I'll go with you.

Acius. No, you may not, friend.

Max. He cannot be a friend bars me,

Aecius:

Shall I forsake you in my doubts?

Acius. You must.

[liv'd

Mar. I must not, nor I will not. Have I Only to be a carpet-friend, for pleasure? I can endure a death as well as Cato. Ecius. There is no death nor danger in my going,

Nor none must go along.

Max. I have a sword too,

And once I could have us'd it for my friend. Ecius. I need no sword, nor frieud, in

this. Pray leave me;

And, as you love me, do not over-love me.
I am commanded none shall come. Atsupper
I'll meet you, and we'll drink a cup or two;
You need good wine, you have been sad.
Farewell!

Mux. Farewell, my noble friend! Let me

embrace you

Ere you depart! It may be one of us
Shall never do the like again.

Ecius. Yes, often.

Max. Farewell, good dear Aecius!
Ecius. Farewell, Maximus,

'Till night! Indeed you doubt too much.
[Exit with Phidias.

Mar. I do not.

Go, worthy innocent, and make the number Of Cæsar's sins so great, Heav'n may want mercy!

I'll hover hereabout, to know what passes;
And, if he be so dev'lish to destroy thee,
In thy blood shall begin his tragedy. [Exit.

SCENE III.

Enter Proculus and Pontius. Proc. Besides this, if you do it, you enjoy The noble name Patrician; more than that [nothing too,

The friend of Cæsar you are stil'd. There's Within the hopes of Rome, or present being, But you may safely say is yours.

Pont. Pray stay, sir;

What has Accius donc, to be destroy'd?
At least, I'd have a colour.

Proc. You have more,

Nay, all that may be given; he's a traitor, One any man would strike that were a subject. Pont. Is he so foul?

Proc. Yes, a most fearful traitor.

Pont. [aside. A fearful plague upon thee, for thou liest!

I ever thought the soldier would undo him With his too much affection.

Proc. You have hit it;

They've brought him to ambition.
Pont. Then he's gone!

Proc. The emperor, out of a foolish pity, Would save him yet.

Pont. Is he so mad?

Proc. He's madder

Would go to th' army to him.

Pont. Would he so?

Proc. Yes, Pontius; but we consider-
Pont. Wisely?

Proc. How else, man?-that the state

Enter Ecius, Phidias, and Aretus. Phid. Yet you may 'scape to th' camp; we'll hazard with you.

Are. Lose not your life so basely, sir! You're arm'd;

And many, when they see your sword out, and know why,

Must follow your adventure.

Erins. Get ye from me!

Is not the doom of Cæsar on this body?
Do not I bear my last hour hee, now sent
Am I not old Aecius, ever dying? [me?
You think this tenderness and love you bring

me;

Tis treason, and the strength of disobedience,
And, if ye tempt me further, ye shall feel it.
I seek the camp for safety, when my death
(Ten times more glorious than my life, and
lasting)

Bids me be happy? Let the fool fear dying,
Or he that weds a woman for his honour,
Dreaming no other life to come but kisses:
Aecius is not now to learn to suffer.
If ye dare shew a just affection, kill me;
I stay but those that must. Why do ye
weep?

Am I so wretched to deserve men's pities?
Go, give your tears to those that lose their

worths,

Bewail their miseries; for me, wear garlands, Drink wine, and much: Sing peans to my [Cæsar;

praise;

I am to triumph, friends; and more than For Cæsar fears to die, I love to die!

Phid. Oh, my dear lord!

Ecius. No more! Go, go, I say ! Shew me not signs of sorrow; I deserve none; Dare any man lament I should die nobly? Am I grown old, to have such enemies? When I am dead, speak honourably of me, That is, preserve my memory from dying; There, if you needs must weep your ruin'd master,

[ye,

A tear or two will seem well. This I charge (Because ye say ye yet love old Aecius,) See my poor body burnt, and some to sing About my pile, and what I've done and suffer'd,

If Cæsar kill not that too: At your banquets, When I am gone, if any chance to number The times that have been sad and dangerous, Say how I fell, and 'tis sufficient.

No more, I say; he that laments my end,

By all the gods, dishonours me! Be gone, And suddenly, and wisely, from my dangers; My death is catching else.

Phid. We fear not dying.

Acius. Yet fear a wilful death; the just gods hate it:

I need no company to that that children Dare do alone, and slaves are proud to purchase.

Live 'till your honesties, as mine has done,
Make this corrupted age sick of your virtues;
Then die a sacritice, and then ye know
The noble use of dying well, and Roman.
Are. And must we leave ye, sir?
Ecius. We must all die,

All leave ourselves; it maters not where, when, Nor how, so we die well: And can that man that does so

Need lamentation for him? Children weep Because they have offended, or for fear; Women for want of will, and anger: Is there In noble Man, that truly feels both poises Of life and death, so much of this wet weak[man? To drown a glorious death in child and woI am asham'd to see ye! Yet ye move me, And, were it not my manhood would accuse with ve.

ness,

me

For covetous to live, I should weep
Phid. Oh, we shall never see you more!
Ecius. 'Tis true;

Nor I the miseries that Rome shall suffer,
Which is a benefit life cannot reckon.

But what I have been, which is just and faithful,

One that grew old for Rome, when Rome forgot him,

And, for he was an honest man, durst die, Ye shall have daily with ye: Could that die

too,

And I return no traffick of my travels,
No pay to have been soldier, but this silver,
No annals of Aecius, but He liv'd,'
My friends, ye had cause to weep, and bit
terly:

The common overflows of tender women,
And children new-born crying, were too little
To shew me then most wretched. If tears
must be,

I should in justice weep 'em, and for you; You are to live, and yet behold those slaugh

ters

The dry and wither'd bones of death would bleed at:

But, sooner than I've time to think what must

be,

I fear you'll find what shall be. If ye love me, (Let that word serve for all) be gone and

leave me:

I have some little practice with my soul, And then the sharpest sword is welcom'st.

Go,

Pray be gone; ye have obey'd me living,

Be not for shame now stubborn. So; I thank

yc,

Pont. Nor love me for it?

cins. That's as thou dost thy business. Pont. When you're dead,

Your place is mine, Aecius.

Ecius. Now I fear thee;

And not alone thee, Pontius, but the empire.
Pont. Why, I can govern, sir.
Ecius. I would thou couldst,

And first thyself. Thou canst fight well, and
bravely,
[hungers;

Thou canst endure all dangers, heats, colds, Heav'n's angry flashes are not suddener Than I have seen thee execute, nor more