Others, by their example, from pursuing
Unlawful lusts, that think adultery

A sport to be oft practised; fix on them
Two satyrs' heads; and so, in capital letters

Their foul intents writ on their breasts, we'll have them

Led thrice through Paris; then, at the court gate,

Shall use his best art to restore your strength,
And render Perigot a perfect man.-

So break we up LOVE'S PARLIAMENT, which, we hope,

Being for mirth intended, shall not meet with
An ill construction; and if then, fair ladies,
You please to approve it, we hope you'll invite
Your friends to see it often, with delight. [Exeunt.

That with delight join profit, and endeavour
To build their minds up fair, and on the stage
Decipher to the life what honours wait

On good and glorious actions, and the shame
That treads upon the heels of vice, the salary
Of six sestertii.

Æsop. For the profit, Paris,

And mercenary gain, they are things beneath us;
Since, while you hold your grace and power with
Cæsar,

We, from your bounty, find a large supply,
Nor can one thought of want ever approach us.
Par. Our aim is glory, and to leave our names
To aftertime.

Lat. And, would they give us leave,
There ends all our ambition.

Esop. We have enemies,

No favour from him; my strong Aventine is,
That great Domitian, whom we oft have cheer'd
In his most sullen moods, will once return,
Who can repair, with ease, the consul's ruins.
Lat. 'Tis frequent in the city, he hath subdued
The Catti and the Daci, and, ere long,
The second time will enter Rome in triumph.
Enter two Lietors.

Par. Jove hasten it! With us?-I now believe The consul's threats, Æsopus.

1 Lict. You are summon'd

To appear to day in senate.

2 Lict. And there to answer

What shall be urged against you.

Par. We obey you.

Nay, droop not, fellows; innocence should be bold.

We, that have personated in the scene

The ancient heroes, and the falls of princes,

With loud applause; being to act ourselves,

Must do it with undaunted confidence.
Whate'er our sentence be, think 'tis in sport:

And, though condemn'd, let's hear it without sor-
As if we were to live again to-morrow.

1 Lict. 'Tis spoken like yourself.

[row,

Lam. What times are these!

To what 's Rome fallen! may we, being alone, Speak our thoughts freely of the prince and state, And not fear the informer?

Rust. Noble Lamia,

So dangerous the age is, and such bad acts
Are practised everywhere, we hardly sleep,
Nay, cannot dream with safety. All our actions
Are call'd in question; to be nobly born
Is now a crime; and to deserve too well,
Held capital treason. Sons accuse their fathers,
Fathers their sons; and, but to win a smile
From one in grace at court, our chastest matrons
Make shipwreck of their honours. To be virtuous
Is to be guilty. They are only safe
That know to sooth the prince's appetite,
And serve his lusts.

Sura. 'Tis true; and 'tis my wonder,
That two sons of so different a nature

Should spring from good Vespasian. We had a
Titus,

Styl'd, justly, "the Delight of all Mankind,"
Who did esteem that day lost in his life,
In which some one or other tasted not
Of his magnificent bounties. One that had
A ready tear, when he was forced to sign
The death of an offender and so far
From pride, that he disdain'd not the converse
Even of the poorest Roman.

Lam. Yet his brother,

Sura. I have letters

He's on his way to Rome, and purposes

To enter with all glory. The flattering senate Decrees him divine honours; and to cross it, Were death with studied torments :-for my part,

I will obey the time; it is in vain

To strive against the torrent.

Rust. Let's to the curia,

And, though unwillingly, give our suffrages,
Before we are compell'd.

Lam. And since we cannot

With safety use the active, let's make use of
The passive fortitude, with this assurance,
That the state, sick in him, the gods to friend,
Though at the worst, will now begin to mend.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II.-A Room in LAMIA'S House.
Enter DOMITIA and PARTHENIUS,
Dom. To me this reverence!
Parth. I pay it, lady,

As a debt due to her that's Cæsar's mistress :
For understand with joy, he that commands
All that the sun gives warmth to, is your servant;
Be not amazed, but fit you to your fortunes.
Think upon state and greatness, and the honours
That wait upon Augusta, for that name,

Ere long, comes to you:-still you doubt your
vassal-
[Presents a Letter.
But, when you've read this letter, writ and sign'd
With his imperial hand, you will be freed
From fear and jealousy; and, I beseech you,
When all the beauties of the earth bow to you,
And senators shall take it for an honour,
As I do now, to kiss these happy feet;
When every smile you give is a preferment,
And you dispose of provinces to your creatures,
Think on Parthenius.

Dom. Rise. I am transported,

[Kneels.

And hardly dare believe what is assured here.

The means, my good Parthenius, that wrought Our god on earth, to cast an eye of favour [Cæsar, Upon his humble handmaid?

Parth. What, but your beauty?

When nature framed you for her masterpiece,
As the pure abstract of all rare in woman,
She had no other ends but to design you
To the most eminent place. I will not say
(For it would smell of arrogance, to insinuate
The service I have done you) with what zeal
I oft have made relation of your virtues,
Or how I've sung your goodness, or how Cæsar
Was fired with the relation of your story:
I am rewarded in the act, and happy
In that my project prosper'd.

Dom. You are modest :

And were it in my power, I would be thankful.
If that, when I was mistress of myself,
And, in my way of youth, pure and untainted,
The emperor had vouchsafed to seek my favours,
I had with joy given up my virgin fort,
At the first summons, to his soft embraces :
But I am now another's, not mine own.
You know I have a husband :-for my honour,
I would not be his strumpet; and how law
Can be dispensed with to become his wife,
To me's a riddle.

Parth. I can soon resolve it :

When power puts in his plea the laws are silenced.
The world confesses one Rome, and one Cæsar,
And as his rule is infinite, his pleasures

Are unconfined; this syllable, his will,
Stands for a thousand reasons.

Dom. But with safety,

Suppose I should consent, how can I do it?
My husband is a senator, of a temper
Not to be jested with.

Lam. This is fine, i'faith! Is she not my wife?

Parth. Your wife! But touch her, that respect forgotten

That's due to her whom mightiest Cæsar favours,
And think what 'tis to die. Not to lose time,
She's Cæsar's choice: it is sufficient honour
You were his taster in this heavenly nectar;
But now must quit the office.

Lam. This is rare!

Cannot a man be master of his wife

Because she's young and fair, without a patent? I in my own house am an emperor,

And will defend what's mine. Where are my knaves?

If such an insolence escape unpunish'd

Parth. In yourself, Lamia.-Cæsar hath forgot To use his power, and I, his instrument,

In whom, though absent, his authority speaks,
Have lost my faculties !

Enter a Centurion with Soldiers.

Lam. The guard! why, am I Design'd for death?

Dom. As you desire my favour, Take not so rough a course.

Parth. All your desires

[Stamps

Are absolute commands: Yet give me leave
To put the will of Cæsar into act.
Here's a bill of divorce between your lordship
And this great lady if you refuse to sign it,
And so as if you did it uncompell'd,
Won to't by reasons that concern yourself,
Her honour too untainted, here are clerks,
Shall in your best blood write it new, till torture
Compel you to perform it.

Lam. Is this legal?

Parth. Monarchs that dare not do unlawful things,

Yet bear them out, are constables, not kings.
Will you dispute?

Lam. I know not what to urge
Against myself, but too much dotage on her,
Love, and observance.

Parth. Set it under your hand,

That you are impotent, and cannot pay

The duties of a husband; or, that you are mad ; Rather than want just cause, we'll make you so. Dispatch, you know the danger else ;-deliver it, Nay, on your knee.-Madam, you now are free, And mistress of yourself.

Lam. Can you, Domitia, Consent to this?

Dom. 'Twould argue a base mind

To live a servant, when I may command.
I now am Cæsar's: and yet, in respect

I once was yours, when you come to the palace,
Provided you deserve it in your service,
You shall find me your good mistress. Wait me,
And now farewell, poor Lamia ! [Parthenius;
[Exeunt all but Lama.

Lam. To the gods

I bend my knees, (for tyranny hath banish'd
Justice from men,) and as they would deserve
Their altars, and our vows, humbly invoke them,
That this my ravish'd wife may prove as fatal
To proud Domitian, and her embraces
Afford him, in the end, as little joy

As wanton Helen brought to him of Troy [Exit

Aret. The purpose of this frequent senate Is, first, to give thanks to the gods of Rome, That, for the propagation of the empire, Vouchsafe us one to govern it, like themselves. In height of courage, depth of understanding, And all those virtues, and remarkable graces, Which make a prince most eminent, our Domitian Transcends the ancient Romans: I can never Bring his praise to a period. What good man, That is a friend to truth, dares make it doubtful, That he hath Fabius' staidness, and the courage Of bold Marcellus, to whom Hannibal gave The style of Target, and the Sword of Rome? But he has more, and every touch more Roman; As Pompey's dignity, Augustus' state, Antony's bounty, and great Julius' fortune, With Cato's resolution. I am lost

In the ocean of his virtues in a word,
All excellencies of good men meet in him,
But no part of their vices.

Rust. This is no flattery!

Sura. Take heed, you'll be observed.
Aret. 'Tis then most fit

That we, (as to the father of our country,
Like thankful sons, stand bound to pay true service
For all those blessings that he showers upon us,)
Should not connive, and see his government
Depraved and scandalized by meaner men,
That to his favour and indulgence owe
Themselves and being.

Par. Now he points at us.

Aret. Cite Paris, the tragedian.

That search into the secrets of the time,

And, under feign'd names, on the stage, present
Actions not to be touch'd at; and traduce
Persons of rank and quality of both sexes,
And, with satirical and bitter jests,
Make even the senators ridiculous

To the plebeians.

Par. If I free not myself,

And, in myself, the rest of my profession,
From these false imputations, and prove

That they make that a libel which the poet
Writ for a comedy, so acted too;

It is but justice that we undergo

The heaviest censure.

Aret. Are you on the stage,

You talk so boldly?

Par. The whole world being one,

This place is not exempted; and I am
So confident in the justice of our cause,

That I could wish Cæsar, in whose great name
All kings are comprehended, sat as judge,
To hear our plea, and then determine of us.-

If, to express a man sold to his lusts,
Wasting the treasure of his time and fortunes
In wanton dalliance, and to what sad end
A wretch that's so given over does arrive at ;
Deterring careless youth, by his example,
From such licentious courses; laying open
The snares of bawds, and the consuming arts
Of prodigal strumpets, can deserve reproof;
Why are not all your golden principles,
Writ down by grave philosophers to instruct us
To choose fair virtue for our guide, not pleasure,
Condemn'd unto the fire?

Sura. There's spirit in this.

Par. Or if desire of honour was the base
On which the building of the Roman empire
Was raised up to this height; if, to inflame
The noble youth with an ambitious heat
T'endure the frosts of danger, nay, of death,
To be thought worthy the triumphal wreath
By glorious undertakings, may deserve
Reward, or favour, from the commonwealth;
Actors may put in for as large a share
As all the sects of the philosophers:

They with cold precepts (perhaps seldom read)
Deliver, what an honourable thing

The active virtue is: but does that fire

The blood, or swell the veins with emulation,
To be both good and great, equal to that
Which is presented on our theatres ?
Let a good actor, in a lofty scene,
Shew great Alcides honour'd in the sweat
Of his twelve labours; or a bold Camillus,
Forbidding Rome to be redeem'd with gold
From the insulting Gauls; or Scipio,
After his victories, imposing tribute

On conquer'd Carthage: if done to the life,
As if they saw their dangers, and their glories,
And did partake with them in their rewards,
All that have any spark of Roman in them,
The slothful arts laid by, contend to be
Like those they see presented.

Rust. He has put

The consuls to their whisper.

Far. But, 'tis urged

That we corrupt youth, and traduce superiors.
When do we bring a vice upon the stage,
That does go off unpunish'd? Do we teach,
By the success of wicked undertakings,
Others to tread in their forbidden steps?
We shew no arts of Lydian panderism,
Corinthian poisons, Persian flatteries,
But mulcted so in the conclusion, that
Even those spectators that were so inclined,
Go home changed men. And, for traducing such
That are above us, publishing to the world

Their secret crimes, we are as innocent

As such as are born dumb. When we present
An heir, that does conspire against the life
Of his dear parent, numbering every hour
He lives, as tedious to him; if there be,
Among the auditors, one whose conscience tells

him

He is of the same mould,-WE CANNOT HELP IT. Or, bringing on the stage a loose adulteress,

That does maintain the riotous expense

Of him that feeds her greedy lust, yet suffers

The lawful pledges of a former bed

To starve the while for hunger; if a matron,
However great in fortune, birth, or titles,
Guilty of such a foul unnatural sin.