SCIPIO

Well urges Massinissa, but to leave A City so ingrate, so faithless, so more vile Then civil speech may name, fear not, such vice To scourge is heavens most grateful sacrifice. Thus all confess first they have broke a faith To the most endue, so just to be observed That barborousnes it self may well blush at them Where is thy passio ̄ ? they have shared thy crown Thy proper right of birth; contrived thy death. Where is thy passion? given thy beauteous spouse. To thy most hated rival: statue, not man, And last thy friend Gelosso (man worth Gods) With tortures have they re ̄ to to death. No passion for the rest. stay prince. To counsel then Grief fits weak hearts, revenging virtue men. Thus I think fit, before that Syphax know How deeply Carthage Sinks, lets Beatrice swift march Up even to Cirta, and while Syphax snores With his, late thine— Temperance be Scipios honour. No more. Before then Syphax join With new strengthened Carthage, or can once unwind His tangled sense from out so vild amaze Fallen we Like sudden lightning before his eyes; Boldness and speed are all of victories. Beatrice then a close quick march Before the morn shall shake cold dews through skies, Syphax shall tremble at Rome's thick alarms. Thy words are full of honour take thy fate, Lelius, Lelius, take a choice troop of horse And spur to Cirta. To Massinissa thus Syphax palace crown, spoil cities sack Be free to him but if our new laughd friend Possess that woman of so moving art Charge him with no less weight then his deer vow Our love, all faith, that he resign her thee As he shall answer Room will him give up A Roman prisoner to the Senates doom She is a Carthaginian, now our laws Wise men prevent not actions, but ever cause How the ̄ trust thee? The Libean speaks bold sense Stand As we are Rome's great General thus we press Thy Captive neck but as still Scipio And sensible of joust humanity We weep thy bondage: speak thou ill chanced man What spirit took thee when thou Wertenberg our friend (Thy right hand given both to Gods and us With such most passionate vows and solemn faith) Thou fledst with such most foul disloyalty To now weak Carthage stre ̄ gthning their bade arms Who lately scorned thee with all lothd abuse Who never entertain for love but use What answers Massinissa will he send, That Sophonisba of so moving tongue's Massinissa, King. Wouldst thou joy thy peace, Deliver Sophonisba straight and cease, Do not grasp that which is too hight to hold, We grace thy grief, and hold it with soft sense. Enjoy good courage, but void insolence. I tell thee Room and Scipio dame to bear, So low a breast as for her say, we fear. The glory of thy virtue live for ever, Brave hearts may be obscured, but extinct never. Scipio adorns Massinissa. Take from the General of Room this crown, This robe of triumph, and this conquests wreathe This sceptre, and this hand for ever breath, Rome's very minion: Live worth thy fame As far from faintings as from now base name.