SOPHONISBA

Watch at the dors: and till we be reposed Let no one enter: Zanthia undo me. I wonder Zanthia why the custom is To use such Ceremony such strict shape About us women: forsooth the Bride must steal Before her Lord to bed: and then delays Long expectations all against known wishes I hate these figures in locution These about phrases forced by ceremony We must still seem to fly what we most seek And hide our selves from that we feign would find us Let those that think and speak and do joust acts Know form can give no virtue to their acts Nor detract vice. You are familiar. Zanthia my shoe, Your reason Zanthia. Hark, Music, Music. Hast good Zanthia, help, keep yet the doors A modest silence tho'te be thought A virgins beauty and his highest honour Though bashful feignings nicely wrought Grace his that virtue takes not in, but on his What I dare think I boldly speak After my word my well bold Actium rushes In open flame then passion break Where Virtue prompts, thought word, act never blusheth. Revenging Gods whose Marble hands Crush faithless men with a confounding terror Give me no mercy if these bans I covet not with and unfeigned fervor Which zealous vow when ought can force me lame Load with that plague Atlas would groan at, shame. Worthy my Lord. By Massinissa, Sophonisba speaks Worthy his wife: go with as high a hand As worth can rear, I will not stay my Lord Fight for our country, vent thy youthful heat In field not beds, the fruit of honour Fame Be rather got then the oft disgrace Of hapless parents, children, go best man And make me proud to be a soldiers wife That valews his renown above faint pleasures Think every honour that does grace thy sword Trebles my love: by thee I have no lust But of thy glory: best lights of heaven with thee Like wonder stand, or fallen, so though thou die My Fortune's may be wretched, but not I. Is this the Senates firm decrees My answers thus, Whats safe to Carthage, shall be sweet to me But 'tis not safe for Carthage to destroy, Be most unjust, cunningly politic, Your heads still under Heaven, Oh trust to fate, Gods prosper more a joust then crafty state. 'Tis less disgrace to have a pitied lose Then shameful victory. We all have sworn good Massinissa faith, Speech makes us men, and the no other bound Betwixt man and man, but words: Oh equal Gods Make us once know the consequence of vows— Would! good Gelosso is thy breath not here? Excellent man Carthage & Room shall fallen Before thy fame: our Lords know I the worst. Gods nought foresee, but see, for to their eyes Nought is to come, or passed, Nor are you vile Because the Gods foresee: for Gods and We See as things are things are not, for we see But since affected wisdom in us Women Is our sex highest folly: I am silent, I cannot speak less well, unless I were More void of goodness: Lords of Carthage, thus The air and earth of Carthage owes my body, It is their servant; what decree they of it? I go: what power can make me wretched? what evil Is there in life to him, that knows life's lose To be no evil: show, show thy ugliest brow Oh most black chance: make me a wretched story Without misfortune Virtue hath no glory Opposed trees makes tempests show their power And waves forced back by rocks makes Neptune tower Tearless Oh see a miracle of life A maid, a widow, yet a hapless wife. Can Sophonisba be enforced? Thou mayest enforce my body but not me. No. No off with thy loathed arms That lie more heavy on me then the chains, That wear deep wrinkles in the captives limbs I do beseech thee. Be but a beast, Be but a beast. dead? To Gods of goodmen shame Oh save thine own (yet) fame. Hold thy strong arm and hear my Syphax know, I am thy servant now: I needs must love thee For (Oh my sex forgive) I must confess, We not affect protesting feebleness. Intreats faint blushings, timorous modesty, We think our lover is but little man, Who is so full of woman: Know fair Prince Loves strongest arms not rude: for we still prove Without some fury the no ardent love. We love our loves impatience of delay, Our noble sex was only born obey To him that dares command. Great dreadful Lord by thy affection Grant me one boon, know I have made a vow, Nay if you take off ̄ ce Let my soul suffer first and yet. Alas cross misery As I do wish to live I long to enjoy, Your warm embrace, but Oh my vow 'tis thus, If ever my Lord died I vowed to him, A most, most private sacrifice, before I touched a second spouse: all I implore. Is but this liberty: One hour. He stays. Za ̄ thia, where are we now? speak worth my service Would we done well? Zanthia victorious Massinissa liu's. My Massinissa lives: Oh steady powers Keep him as safe as heaven keeps the earth. Which looks upon it with a thousand eyes, That honest valiant man and Zanthia, Do but record the justice of his love, And my for ever vows, for ever vows. hence Take nay with one hand. Prepare Our sacrifice. When ̄ thou dost know. then thou wilt know Let him that would have counsel void th'aduice Exit Zanthia Of friends made his with weighty benefits Whose much dependence only strives to fit Humour not reason, and so still devise In any thought to make their frieud seem wise But above all Oh fear a servants tongue, Like such as only for their gain to serve Within the vast capacity of place I know no vileness so most truly base. Their Lords, their gain: and he that most will give, With him (they will not die: but) they will live. Traitors and these are one: such slaves once trust Whet swords to make thine own blood lick the dust. Cornets and Organs playing full music. Enters the solemni ty of a sacrifice, which being entered while the attendance furnish the Altar Sopho. Song: which done she speaks. Withdraw, withdraw All but Zauthia & Vangue depart I not invoake thy arm thou God of found Nor thine, nor thine, although in all abound. High powers immense: But Jovial Mercury And thou Oh brightest female of the sky Thrice modest Phoebe, you that jointly fit A worthy chastity and a most chased wit To you corruptles Honey, and pure dew Vpbreathes our holy fire. Words joust and few Oh dame to hear if in poor wretches cries You glory not: if drops of withered eyes Be not your sport, be joust: all that I crane Is but chased life or and untainted graven. I can no more: yet hath my constant tongue Let fallen no weakness, tho'my heart were wrung With pangus worth hell: while great thoughts stop our tears Sorrow unseen, unpitied in ward wears. You see now where I rest, come is my end. Cannot heaven, virtue, against weak chance defend? When weakness hath outborn what weakness can, What should I say 'tis Jove's, not sin of man. Some stratagem now let wits God be shown, Celestial powers by miracles are known. I hau't 'tis done. Zanthia prepare our bed Vangue Vangue we have performed Endue rites unto the dead. Sopho: presents a carous to Vangue & & &. Now to thy Lord great Syphax healthful cups: which done, The King is right much welcome. My safety with that draught. To what use gentle Negro serves this cave Whose mouth thus opens so av-jn, Even in the Kings bedchamber? The wine is strong. Zanthia Zanthia rest firm And scilent, help us: Nay do not dare refuse. No drunk. Too late, Her hand is fearful whose minds desperate. It is but sleepy Opium he hath drunk, Help Zanthia, They lay Vangue in Syphax bed & draw the cur taines, there lie Syphax bride, a naked man is soon undressed; There bide dishonoured passion they knock within, forth with Syphax comes. Straight for the King: I fly Where misery shall see nought but it self. Dear Zanthia close the vault when I am sunk And while he slips to bed escape be true I can no more, come to me: Hark Gods, my breath Scorns to crave life grant but a well famde death she de scends Where are we Zanthia? Lord how sweet I sent the air? the huge long vaults close vain, What dumps it breathed? In Belos forest sayest? Be valiant Zanthia; how far's Utica From these most heavy shades? The Massinissa, my true Zanthia Shals venture nobly to escape, and touch My Lords just arms: Loves wings so justly heave The body up, that as our toes shall trip Over the tender and obedient grass, Scarce any drop of Due is dashed to ground. And see the willing shade of friendly night Makes safe our instant haste: Boldness and speed Make actions wost impossible succeed. Do not betray me Zanthia. No I not mistrust thee, yet, but, I Zanthia delay By which we may yet hope, yet hope, Alas How all be numd's my sense Chance hath so often I scarce Can ̄ feel: I should now curse the Gods struck Call on the furies: stamp the patient earth cleave my streachd cheeks with found speak from all sense But loud and full of players eloquence No, no, What shall we eat. Do Zanthia, Oh happiness, Of those that know not pride or lust of city, Ther's no man blessed but those that most men pity. Oh fortunate poor maids, that are not forced, To wed for state nor are for state divorced! Whom policy of kingdoms does not marry, But pure affection makes to love or vary, You feel no love, which you dare not to show, Nor show a love which does not truly grow: Oh you are surely blessed of the sky, You live, that know not death before you die, Through the vauts mouth in his night gown, torch in his hand, Syphax enters joust behind Sophon. You are: Art a man? Look thee, view this, show but one strain of force Bow but to seize this arm, and by my self, Or more by Massinissa this good steel, Shall set my soul on wing thus formde Gods see, And men with Gods worth envy nought but me. I shame to make thee know, How vile thou speakest: Corruption then as much, As thou shalt do: but frame unto thy lustest, Imaginatious utmost sin: Syphax, I speak all frightles, know I live or die To Massinissa, nor the force of fate Shall make me leave his love, or slake thy hate I will speak no more, Dread Syphax speak As thou art worthy: is not Zanthia false As thou art then thy self Let his not be. Syphax be recompensed. I hate thee not. Partly the file. We cannot now be wretched. Over whelm me not with sweets, let me not drink, Till my breast burst, Oh love thy Nectar, think Help, help to bear Some happiness ye powers, I have joy to spare, Enough to make a God, Oh Massinissa. My Lord, Looks pale, and from his half burst eyes a flame, Of deep disquiet breaks, the Gods turn false, My sad presage. What unjust grief afflicts my worthy Lord, Tell me sweet The cause of thy much anguish. Bondage. No, No. How then to Sophonisba? Dear Lord thy patience; let it maze all power, And list to her in whose sole heart it rests, To keep thy faith upright. No free. My death Gives help to all: From Room so rest we free, So brought to Scipio, faith is kept in thee. How near was I v to the curse of man, Joy, How Like was I yet once to have been glad: He that near laughed may with a constant face, Contemn Jove's frown. Happiness makes us base. She takes a bole into which Mass. puts poison. Behold me Massinissa, Like thy self, A king and soldier, and I pree thee keep, My last command, Dear do not weep And now with undismayed resolve behold, To save You, you, (for honour and joust faith. Are most true Gods, which we should much adore) With even disdainful vigour I give up, And abhorred life. She drinks. You have been good to me, And I do thank thee heaven, Oh my stars, I bless your goodness, that with breast unstained, Faith pure: a Virgin wife, tried to my glory, I die of female faith, the long lived story, Secure from bondage, and all servile harms, But more most happy in my husbands arms. Massinissa, Massinissa, My Lords to,is most unusual such sad haps Of sudden horror, should intrude mong beds Of soft and private loves; but strange events Excuse stram ̄ ge form's. Oh you that know our blood Revenge if I do feign: I here protest Though my Lord leave his wife a very maid, Even this night instead of my soft arms Clasping his well strong limbs with glossfull steel, Whats safe to Carthage shall be sweet to me. I must not, nor I am once ignorant My choice of love hath given this sudden Dam ̄ her To yet strong Carthage: was I lost the fight, My choice vexed Syphax enraged Syphax struk Arms fate: yet Sophonisba not repents, Oh we were Gods if that we knew events. But let me Lord leave Carthage, quit his virtue I will not love him, yet must honour him, As still good Subject's must bad Princes: Lords From the most ill-grac'd Hymeneal bed That ever Juno frowned at, I entreat That you'll collect from our lose formed speech This firm resolve: that no lo Appetite Of my sex weakness, can or shall overcome Endue grateful service unto you, or virtue. Witness you Gods I never until now Repined at my creation; now I wish I were no woman, that my arms might speak My heart to Carthage: but in vain, my tongue Swears I am woman still: I talk to long. Is this the Senates firm decree? Hath Syphax entertained the stratagem? Wilt thou keep faith?