Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

ness

Car. Oh, now thou pleasest me; weep still,
my child,

As if thou sawest me dead! with such a flux
Or flood of sorrow; still thou pleasest me.
And, worthy soldiers, pray receive these pledges,
These hatchments of our griefs, and grace us so
much

To place them on his hearse. Now, if ye please,
Bear off the noble burden: raise his pile
High as Olympus, making heaven to wonder,
To see a star upon earth outshining theirs :
And ever-loved, ever-living be

Thy honoured and most sacred memory!

Drus. Thou hast done honestly, good Cara-
tach;

And when thou diest, a thousand virtuous Romans
Shall sing thy soul to heaven. Now march on,
soldiers.
[Ereunt. A dead march.
Car, Now dry thine eyes, my boy.
Hengo. Are they all gone?

I could have wept this hour yet.

Car. Come, take cheer,

And raise thy spirit, child; if but this day

Thou canst bear out thy faintness, the night co

ming,

Fill fashion our escape.

Hengo. Pray fear not me;

Indeed I am very hearty.

Car. Be so still;

His mischiefs lessen, that controuls his ill.

SCENE H.

Enter PETILLIUS.

[Exeunt.

Pet. What do I ail, in the name of heaven?

I did but see her

|

|

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Pet. Whoa, here's a stir now! Sing a song of
sixpence !

By heaven, if-prithee-pox on't, Junius!
Jun. I must either sing or laugh.

Pet. And what's your reason?

Jun. What's that to you?

Pet. And I must whistle.
Jun. Do so.

And see her die; she stinks by this time strongly, | Oh, I hear them coming.

Abominably stinks. She was a woman,

A thing I never cared for; but to die so,
So confidently, bravely, strongly-Oh, the devil,
I have the bots! by heaven, she scorned us
strangely,

All we could do, or durst do: threatened us
With such a noble anger, and so governed
With such a fiery spirit-The plain bots!
A pox upon the bots, the love-bots! Hang me,
Hang me even out of the way, directly hang me!
Oh, penny pipers, and most painful penners
Of bountiful new ballads, what a subject,
What a sweet subject for your silver sounds,
Is crept upon ye!

Pet. I have a little business.

Jun. Thou shalt not go, believe it: What! a gentleman

Of thy sweet conversation?

Pet. Captain Junius,

Sweet captain, let me go with all celerity!
Things are not always one; and do not question,
Nor jeer, nor gibe: None of your doleful ditties,
Nor your sweet conversation: you will find then
I may be angered.

Jun. By no means, Petillius;
Anger a man that never knew passion?
'Tis most impossible: A noble captain,
A wise and generous gentleman?

Pet. Tom Puppy, Leave this way to abuse me: I have found you, But, for your mother's sake, I will forgive you. Your subtle understanding may discover,

As you think, some trim toy to make you merry,
Some straw to tickle you; but do not trust to it;
You are a young man, and may do well; be sober,
Carry yourself discreetly.

Enter DECIUS, DEMETRIUS, and Curius.
Jun. Yes, forsooth.

Dem. How does the brave Petillius?

Jun. Monstrous merry.

We two were talking what a kind of thing

I was, when I was in love; what a strange mon

ster

For little boys and girls to wonder at;

How like a fool I looked!

Dec. So they do all,

Like great dull slavering fools.

Jun. Petillius saw too.

Pet. No more of this; it is scurvy; peace!
Jun. How nastily,

Indeed how beastly, all I did became me!
How I forgot to blow my nose! There he stands,
An honest and a wise man; if himself
(I dare avouch it boldly, for I know it)
Should find himself in love-

Pet. I am angry.

Jun. Surely

His wise self would hang his beastly self;
His understanding self so maul his ass self-

Dec. He is bound to do it; for he knows the follies,

The poverties, and baseness, that belong to it; He has read upon the reformations long.

Pet. He has so.

[blocks in formation]

Jun. 'Tis true, and he must do it: Nor is it What victuals has he?

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Suet. If thou be'st guilty,

[blocks in formation]

and yet thy good

All the woods

Some sullen plague, thou hatest most, light upon Are double lined with soldiers; no way left us

thee!

The regiment return on Junius;

He well deserves it.

Pet. So !

Suet. Draw out three companies,

(Yours, Decius, Junius, and thou, Petillius) And make up instantly to Caratach; He's in the wood before ye: We shall follow, After due ceremony done to the dead, The noble dead. Come, let's go burn the body. [Ereant all but Petillius. Pet. The regiment given from me? disgraced openly ?

In love too with a trifle to abuse me?

A merry world, a fine world! served seven years
To be an ass of both sides? sweet Petillius,
You have brought your hogs to a fine market!
you are wise, sir,

Your honourable brain-pan full of crotchets,
An understanding gentleman; your projects
Cast with assurance ever! Wouldst not thou now
Be banged about the pate, Petillius !
Auswer to that, sweet soldier! surely, surely,
I think you would; pulled by the nose, kicked ?
hang thee,

Thou art the arrantest rascal! Trust thy wisdom
With any thing of weight? the wind with feathers!
Out, you blind puppy! you command? you go-
vern?

Dig for a groat a-day, or serve a swine-herd,
Too noble for thy nature too!-I must up;
But what I shall do there, let time discover.

SCENE III.

[ocr errors]

To make a noble escape. I'll sit down by thee, And, when thou wakest, either get meat to save

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Jun. Most sure I told you truth then.

Pet. And that your love

[Erit. | Should not deny me any honest thing.
Jun. It shall not.

Enter MACER and JUDAS, with meat and a bottle.

Macer. Hang it on the side of the rock, as though the Britons

Stole hither to relieve him: Who first ventures To fetch it off, is ours. I cannot see him.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Jun. And then I'll kill you,

Because you shall die miserable. Know, sir,'
The regiment was given me, but 'till time
Called you to do some worthy deed, might stop
The peoples' ill thoughts of you for lord Penius,
I mean his death. How soon this time's come to
you,

And hasted by Suetonius! Go, says he,
Junius and Decius, and go thou, Petillius,
(Distinctly, thou, Petillius) and draw up,
To take stout Caratach; there's the deed pur-

posed,

A deed to take off all faults, of all natures:
And thou, Petillius, mark it! there's the honour;
And that done, all made even.

Pet. Stay!

Jun. No, I'll kill you.

He knew thee absolute, and full in soldier, Daring beyond all dangers, found thee out According to the boldness of thy spirit,

A subject, such a subject—————

[blocks in formation]

Come, if you'll pray, dispatch it.

Pet. Is there no way?

Jun. Not any way to live.
Pet. I will do any thing,

Redeem myself at any price: Good Junius,
Let me but die upon the rock, but offer
My life up like a soldier!

Jun. You will seek then

To out-do every man.

Pet. Believe it, Junius,

You shall go stroke by stroke with me.
Jun. You'll leave off too,
As you are noble, and a soldier,
For ever these mad fancies?

Pet. Dare you trust me?
By all that is good and honest-
Jun. There's your sword then;
And now, come on, a new man:
thee!

Virtne guide [Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

Hengo. Methinks, sir,

They ring a strange sad knell, a preparation
To some near funeral of state: Nay, weep not,
Mine own sweet uncle! you will kill me sooner.
Car. Oh, my poor chicken!
Hengo. Fy! faint-hearted, uncle?

Come, tie me in your belt, and let me down.
Car. I'll go myself, boy.

Hengo. No, as you love me, uncle!

I will not eat it, if I do not fetch it;

The danger only I desire; pray tie me.

Car. I will, and all my care hang over thee!
Come, child,

My valiant child!

Hengo. Let me down apace, uncle,

And you shall see how like a daw I'll whip it
From all their policies; for 'tis most certain
A Roman train: And you must hold me sure too.
You'll spoil all else. When I have brought it, uncle,
We'll be as merry-

Car. Go, in the name of Heaven, boy!
Hengo. Quick, quick, quick, uncle! I have it. Oh!
Car. What ail'st thou! [Judas shoots Hengo.
Hengo. Oh, my best uncle, I am slain !

Car. I see you, [Car. kills Judas with a stone.
And heaven direct my hand!—Destruction
Go with thy coward soul! How dost thou boy?
Oh, villain, pocky villain!

Hengo. Oh, uncle, uncle,

Oh, how it pricks me-am I preserved for this?—
Extremely pricks me!

Car. Coward, rascal coward!

Dogs eat thy flesh!

Hengo. Oh, I bleed hard; I faint too; out
upon it,

How sick I am! The lean rogue, uncle!
Car. Look, boy;

I have laid him sure enough.

Hengo. Have you knocked his brains out?
Car. I warrant thee for stirring more: Cheer
up, child.

Hengo. Hold my sides hard; stop, stop; oh,
wretched fortune,

Must we part thus? Still I grow sicker, uncle.
Car. Heaven look upon this noble child!
Hengo. I once hoped

I should have lived to have met these bloody
Romans

At my sword's point, to have revenged my father,
To have beaten them. Oh, hold me hard! But,
uncle-

Car. Thou shalt live still, I hope, boy. Shall I draw it?

Hengo. You draw away my soul, then; I
would live

A little longer, (spare me, Heavens!) but only
To thank you for your tender love! Good uncle,
Good noble uncle, weep not!

Car. Oh, my chicken,

My dear boy, what shall I lose?

Hengo. Why, a child,

VOL. I.

[blocks in formation]

[Dies.

Car. Farewell the hopes of Britain! Thou royal graft, farewell for ever! Time and death,

You have done your worst. Fortune, now see, now proudly

Pluck off thy veil, and view thy triumph: Look,
Look what thou hast brought this land to. Oh,
fair flower,

How lovely yet thy ruins shew, how sweetly
Even death embraces thee! The peace of heaven,
The fellowship of all great souls, be with thee!

Enter PETILLIUS and JUNIUS on the rock.
Ha! Dare ye, Romans? Ye shall win me bravely.
Thou art mine!
[Fight.

Jun. Not yet, sir.

Car. Breathe ye, ye poor Romans,
And come up all, with all your antient valours;
Like a rough wind I'll shake your souls, and send
them-

Enter SUETONIUS, and all the Roman captains.
Suet. Yield thee, bold Caratach! By all the gods,
As I am soldier, as I envy thee,

I'll use thee like thyself, thou valiant Briton.
Pet. Brave soldier, yield, thou stock of arms
and honour,

Thou filler of the world with fame and glory!
Jun. Most worthy man, we'll woo thee, be

thy prisoners.

Suet. Excellent Briton, do me but that honour, That more to me than conquest, that true happi

ness,

To be my friend!

Car. Öh, Romans, see what here is!
Had this boy lived-

Suet. For fame's sake, for thy sword's sake,
As thou desirest to build thy virtues greater!
By all that's excellent in man, and honest-

Car. I do believe. Ye've made me a brave foe; Make me a noble friend, and from your goodness,

That must have died however; had this escaped me, Give this boy honourable earth to lie in!

P

« ZurückWeiter »