THEOPHILUS

'Tis wondrous strange, the marches of great Princes Like to the motions of prodigious Meteors. Are step, by step observed, and loud tongued Fame The hat binger to prepare their entertainment: And were it possible, so great and army, Though covered with the night, could be so near: The Governor cannot be so unfriended Among the many that attend his person, But by some secret means he should have notice Of Casars purpose in this, then excuse me If I appear indredulous. They are the gods, great Lady, They were most happy in your service else, On these when they fell from their father's faith I used a judges power, entreaties failing (They being seduced) to win them to adore The holy powers we worship, I put on The scarlet robe of bold authority, And as they had been strangers to my blood, Presented them in the most horrid forms All kind of tortures, partly of which they suffered With Roman constancy. I did, but must Confess there was a strange contention in me, Between the impartial office of a Judge, And pity of a father, to help Justice Religion stepped in, under which ods Compassion fell: yet still I was a father, For even then, when the flinty hangmans whips Were worn with stripes spent on their tender limbs, I kneeled, and wept, and begged them though they would Be cruel to themselves, they would take pity On my grey hairs. Now note a sudden change, Which I with joy remember, those whom torture Nor fear of death could terrify, were overcome By seeing of my sufferings, and so won, Returning to the faith that they were born in, I gave them to the gods, and be assure I that used justice with a rigorons hand Upon such beauteous virgins, and mine own, Will vseno favour where the cause commands me To any other, but as rocks be deaf To all intreatics. Sunne-god of the day guide thee Macrinus. Gladst thou in such scorn, I call my wish back. One word, Take the least hand of time up: stay. As thought: I pritheo tell me good Macrinus How health and our fair Princess lay together This night, for you can tell, Courtiers have flies That buzz all news unto them. Double thy courtesy, how does Antoninus? Once more, Thy head is full of Windmills: when does the Princess Fill a bed full of beauty, and bestow it On Antoninus on the wedding night. No, thou art the Manunscript Where Antoninus writes down all his secrets, Honest Macrinus tell me. What piece Of this State-wheel (which winds up Antoninus ) Is broke, it runs so jarringly? the Man is from himself divided: O thou the eye By which I wonders see, tell me my Harpax, What gad fly tickles so this Macrinus, That up. flinging thy tail, he breaks thus from me, And what of this? I now construe thee. Eats through Cesareas heart, Like liquid poison Have I invented tortures to tent Christians, To see but which, could all that sceles Hels torments Have leave to stand aloof here on earth's stage, They would be mad till they again descended, Holding the pains most horrid, of such souls, May-games to those of mine, has this my hand Set down a Christians execution In such dire postures, that the very hangman Fell at my foot dead hearing but their figures, And shall Macrinus and his fellow Masquer Strangle me in a dance. Both hug and holy me, to this Dorotheae Fly thou and I in thunder. I will not lose thee then, her to confound, None but this head with glories shall be crowned. Away, away. Listen to more. Caesars imperial daughter, hear me speak, Let not this Christian Thing, in this her pageantry Of proud deriding, both our gods and Caesar, Built to her self a kingdom in her death Going laughing from us. No, her bitterest torment Shall be to seel her constancy beaten down, The bravery of her resolution lie Battered by the argument, into such pieces, That she again shall (on her belly) creep To kiss the pavements of our Panim Good. He send my Daughters to her, And they shall turn her rocky faith to wax, Else spit at me, let me be made your slave, And meet no Roman but a villains graven. There's hope left yet. If she refuse it, The Stygian damps breeding infectious airs, The Mandrakes shrieks, or Basiliks killing eye, The dreadful lightning that does crush the bones And never sing the skin, shall not appear Less fatal to her, then my zeal made hight With love unto my gods; I have deferred it In hope to draw back this Apostata, Which will be greater honour then her death Unto her father's faith, and to that end Have brought my daughters hither. I am commanded to, I'll bear you company. Spare no promises, Persuasions, or threats I do conjure you, If you prevail, it's the most glorious work You ever undertook. My soul divined as much, Blessed be the time when first they saw this light, Their Mother when she boar them to support My feeble age, filled not my longing heart With so much joy, as they in this good work Have thrown upon me. Welcome, o thrice welcome Daughters, both of my body and my mind, Let me embrace in you my bliss, my comfort, And Dorothea now more welcome too, Then if you never had fallen off, I am ravished With the excess of joy, speak happy daughters The blessed event. Blasphemer. Ingenious cruelty shall punish this, Thou art passed hope, but for you yet deer daughters, Again be witched, the Due of mild forgiveness May gently fallen, provided you deserve it With true contrition, be your selves again, Sue to the offended diety. My anger ends not here, hels dreadful porter Receive into thy ever open gates Their damned souls, and let the futies whips On them alone be wasted: and when death Closes these eyes, 'twill be Elizium to me, To hear their shrieks and howlings, make me Pluto Thy instruments to furnish thee with souls Of this accursed fect, nor let me fallen Till my fell vengeance hath consumed them all. Insernall Furies, Could they into my hand thrust all their whips To tear thy flesh thy soul, 'tis not a torture Fit to the Vengeance, I should heap on thee, For wrongs done me: me! for flagitious facts By thee done to our gods, yet (so it stand To great Cesara's Governors high pleasure) Bow but thy Knee to Jupiter and offer Any slight sacrifice, or do but swear By Caesars fortune, and be free. Beat out her brains—, These dogs are ours. come from his seat. Which snarl, yet bite not: see my Lord, her face Has more bewitching beauty then before, Proud whore: it smiles, cannot and eye shart out With these. We are mocked, these bats have power down to fell giants, yether skin is not feared. Cannot these force a shriek. beats them. Cannot this make her roar. beats tother he roars Hang the two hounds on the next tree. Why stay they trifling here? To gallows drag'em by the heals: away. My soul thirst for it, Come, I my self, thy hangmans partly could play. Now proud contemner Of us and of our gods, tremble to think It is not in the power thou servest, to save thee. Not all the riches of the sea increased By violent shipwracks, nor the unsearched mines Mammon's unknown exchequer shall redeem thee. And therefore having first with horror weighed What 'tis to die, and to die young, to partly with All pleasures, and delights: lastly, to go Where all Antipathies to comfort dwell Furies behind, about thee, and before thee, And to add to affliction the remembrance Of the Elysian joys thou mightest have tasted, Hadst thou not turned Apostata to those gods That so reward their servants, let despair Prevent the hangmans sword, and on this scaffold Make thy first entrance into hell. Derided to? dispatch I say. By no means, Let him go with her, do seduced young man, And wait upon thy saint in death, do, do, And when you come to that imagined place, That place of all delights, pray you observe me, And meet those cursed things I once called daughters, Whom I have sent as harbingers before you, If there be any truth in your religion, In thankfulness to me that with care hasten Your journey thither, pray send me some Small pittance of that curious fruit you boast of. The gates to hell are open. Whats the matter? Harpax my Harpax speak. He is distracted, and I must not lose him, Thy charms upon my servant cursed witch, Gives thee a short repricue, lethernot die Till my return. He quickly make a soparation of' om. Hast thou ought else to say? By Antoninus soul I do conjure you, And though not for religion, for his friendship, Without demanding whats the cause that moves me, Receive my signet, by the power of this Go to my prisons, and release all Christian That are in fetters there by my command. Haste then to the port, You there shall find two tall ships ready rig'd, In which embark the poor distressed souls And bear them from the reach of tyranny, Inquire not whither you are bound, the dietic That they adore will give you prosperous winds, And make your voyage such, and largely pay for Your hazard, and your travail: leave me here There is a scene that I must act alone. Haste good Macrinus, and the great God guide you. And such a presence Though every private head in this large room Were circled round with and imperial crown, Her story will deserve, it is so full Of excellency and wonder. Oh mark it therefore, and with that attention, As you would here and Embassy from heaven By a winged Legate, for the truth delivered, Both how and what this blessed virgin suffered: And Dorothea but hereafter named, You will rise up with reverence, and no more As things un worthy of your thoughts, remember What the canonized Spartan Ladies were Which lying Greece so bosts of, your own matrons Your Roman dams whose figures you yet keep As holy relics in her historic Will find a second urn. Gracohus, Cornelia, Paulina that in death desired to follow Her husband Seneca, nor Brutus Portia That swallowed burning coals to overtake him, Though all their several worths were given to one With this is to be mentioned. They out of desperation Are for vain glory of and aftername Parted with life. This had not mutinous sons As the rash Gracchi were, nor was this Saint A doting mother as Cornelia was: This lost no husband in whose overthrow Her wealth and honour sunk, no fear of want Did make her being redious, but aiming At and immortal crown, and in his cause Who only can bestow it; who sent down Legions of ministering Angels to bear up Her spotless soul to heaven; who entertained it With choice celestial music, equal to To the motion of the spheres, she uncompelled Changed this life for a better. My Lord Sapritius You were present at her death, did you ere here Such ravishing sounds? I then hard it With sinful cares, and belched out blasphemous words Against his diety, which then I knew not, Nor did believe in him. At cuer I deserved your favour here me, And grant one boon, 'tis not for life I sue for, Nor is it fit that I that never knew pity To any Christian, being one my self Should look for any: no, I rather beg The utmost of your cruelty; I stand Accountable for thousand Christians death's, And were it possible that I could die A day for every one, then live again To be again tormented, to were to me And cafie penance, and I should pass through A gentle cleansing fire, but that denied me, It being beyond the strength of feeble nature, My suit is you would have no pity on me. In mine own house there are a thousand engine Of studied cruelty, which I did prepare For miserable Christians, let me seel As the Sicilian did his brazen bull, The horridest you can find, and I will say In death that you are merciful. 'Tis not in thy power, It was the first good deed I ever did, They are removed out of thy raceh, how ere I was determined for my sins to die, I first took order for their liberty, And still I dare thy worst. I'm turned a marble Statue at thy language, Which printed is in such crabbed Characters, It puzzles all my reading, what (ith name Of Pluto ) now is hatching. The gold you earn is here, dam up your mouths, and no words of it. 'Tis well done, go go, year my fine white boys. Be happy then, My Lord Sapritius, I am confident Such eloquence and sweet persuasion dwells Upon my Daughters tongues, that they will work her To any thing they please. O my deer Girl, Our gods reward thee. My best Christeta, Madame if ever you did grace to worth, Vouchsafe your Princely hands. My own child still, here set our God, prepare The Incense quickly, come fair Dorothea, I will my self support you, now kneel down And pay your vows to Jupiter, They shall guide you, They are familiar with the sacrifice, Forward my Twins of comfort, and to teach her Make a joint ossring. I am blasted, And as my feet were rooted here, I find I have no motion, I would I had no sighed too, Or if my eyes can serve to any use, Give me thou iniut'd power a sea of tears, To expiate this madness in my Daughters: For being themselves, they would have trembled at So blasphemous a deed in any other, For my sake hold a while thy dreadful thunder, And give me patience to demand a reason For this accursed act. Peace damned Enchantres peace, I should look on you With eyes made read with fury, and my hand That shakes with rage should much outstrip my tongue, And seal my vengeance on your hearts, but nature To you that have fallen once, bids meagaine To be a father, Oh how durst you tempt The anger of great Jove ? My ears Receive in hearing this, all deadly charms Powerful to make man wretched. And I will. Do not blow, The Furnace of a wrath thrice hight already, Aetna is in my breast, wild fire burns here, Which only blood must quench: incensed power, Which from my infancy I have adored, Look down with favourable beams upon The Sacrifice (though not allowed thy Priest) Which I will offer to thee, and be pleased (My fiery zeal incidng me to act it) To call that justice, others may style murder. Come you accursd, thus by the hair I drag you Before this holy altar; thus look on you Less pitiful then Tigers to their prey. And thus with mine own hand I take that life Which I gave to you. kills them. Where is the Governor? My Lord, Sapritius, he's not dead, my Lord, That Witch there. Gone, gone, he's peppered: 'tis thou Hast done this act internal. He slirres, help, raise him up, my Lord. Spurn her too'th bar. Die all. That are or favour this accursed Sect, I triumph in their ends, and will raise up A hill of their dead Karkatses, to or clooke The Pyrenean Hills, but isle root out. These superstitious fools, and leave the World No name of Christian. Illusions of the Devil Wrought by some one of her Religion. That feign would make her death a miracle, It frights not me: because he is your son Let him have burial, but let her body Be cast forth with contempt in some high way, And be to Vultures and to Dogea prey. Is't Holiday (O Casar ) that thy servant, (Thy Provost, to see execution done On these base Christians in Casarea ) Should now want work: sheep these Idolaters That none are stirring, As a curious Painter Rises. When he has made some admirable piece, Stands off, and with a searching eye examines Each colours how 'tis sweetened, and then hugs Himself for his rare workmanship.— So here Sits. Will I my Drolleries and bloody Lantskips Long passed wrapped up unfold to make me merry With shadows, now I want the substances. Books. My Muster-book of Hellhounds, were the Christians Whose names stand here (alive) and armed, not Room Could move upon her Hinges. What I have done, Or shall hereafter, is not out of hate To poor tormented wretches, no I am carried With violence of zeal, and streams of service I owe our Roman gods. Great Britain, what. A thousand wives with brats sucking their breasts, Had hight Irons pinch they off and thrown to swine; And then their fleshy backparts he wed with hatchet's, Were mined and baked in Pies to feed starved Christians. Would, would. Again, again, — East. Anglas—, o, East-Angles, Bandogs (kept three days hungry) worried 1000. British Rascals, stied up, fat Of purpose, striped naked, and disarmed. I could outstare a year of Suns and Moons, To fit at these sweet Bul-baitings, so I could Thereby but one Christian win to fallen In adoration to my Jupiter. Twelve hundred Eyes bored with Augurs out: o! eleven thousand Torn by wild beasts: two hundred rammed i'th earth To'th armpits, and full Platters round about'em, But far enough for reaching, eat dogs, would, would, would. Tush, all these tortures are but phillipings, Flea-bitings; I before the destinies My bottom did wind up, would flesh my self Once more, upon some one remarkable Above all these, this Christian Slut was well, A pretty one, but let such horror follow The next I feed with torments, that when Room Shall hear it, her foundation at the found May feel and Earthquake. How now? Music. How camest thou in? to whom thy business? Cannot I see this Garden? 'Tis attempting fruit, and the most bright checked child I ever viewed, Sweet smelling goodly fruit, what flowers are these? In Dioclesian's Gardens, the most beauteous Compared with these are weeds: is it not February? The second day she died: Frost, Ice and snow Hang on the beard of Winter, where the sun That guilds this summer, pretty sweet boy, say in what Country Shall a man find this Garden —, my delicate boy, gonel Vanished! Within there, Iuliarues and Gota. — Are my gates shut? Saw you not — a boy. Here he entered, a young Lad, 1000. blessings danced upon his eyes, a smooth faced glorious Thing, that brought this Basket. Away, but be in reach if my voice calls you, No! vanished! and not seen, be thou a spirit Sent from that Witch to mock me, I am sure This is essential, and how ere it grows, Will taste it. So good, isle have some now sure. What art thou? What dost thou catch; Geta. What insolent slave is this dares laugh at me? Or what is't the dog grins at so? Jupiter! all within me is not well, And yet not sick. What's thy name slave? Harpax, go drag the Caitiff to my foot, That I may stamp upon him. Watch thou that end While I make good this. He's at Barli-breake, and the last coulple are now in hell, Search for him, all this ground me think is bloody, And paved with thousands of those Christians eyes Whom I have tortu'd, and they stare upon me; What was this apparition? sure it had A shape Angelical; mine eyes (though dazzled And daunted at first sighed) tell me, it wore A pair of glorious wings, yea they were wings, And hence he flew; 'tis vanished, Jupiter For all my sacrifices done to him Never once gave me smile: how can stone smile, music. Or wooden Image laugh? would! I remember Such Music gave a welcome to my ear, When the fair youth came to me: 'tis in the Air, Or from some better place, a power divine, Through my dark ignorance on my soul does shine, And makes me see a conscience all stai'nd over, Nay drowned and damned for ever in Christian gore. Again, what dainty relish on my tongue This fruit hath left, some Angel hath me fed, If so toothfull, I will be banqueted. eats another. Not for Caesar. Thou art no Twin to him that Last was here. You powers whom my soul bids me reverence Guard me: What art thou? Mine. Avant. My Fruit! Does this offend thee? see Art thou with this affrighted? see, hears more. Flow ers. At the bottom, One thing I found not yet, see. A cross of Flowers. Can this doo't? hence thou Fiend infernal hence. At thee isle fling that Jupiter, for me thinks I serve a better Master, he now checks me For murdering my two daughters, put on by thee, By thy damned Rhetoric did I hunt the life Of Dorothea, the holy Virgin Martyr, She is not angry with the Axe nor me, But sends these presents to me, and its Over world to find her, and from her white hand To beg a forgiveness. I set up a strength above thine: this small uvea Pon me thinks is Armour hard enough. Art posting to thy centre? down hellhound, down, Me hast thou lost; that arm which hurlesthee hence Save me, and set me up the strong defence In the fair Christians quarrel. It is, it is some Angel, vanished again! O come back ravishing Boy, bright Messenger, Thou hast (by these mine eyes fixed on thy beauty) Illumined all my soul, now look I back On my black Tyrannies, which as they did. Out dare the bloodiest, thou blessed spirit that leads me, Teach me what I must do, and to do well, That my last act, the best may Parallel. Never, never, No breath of mine shall ever be spent on him, They tor meant him. But what shall speak his Majesty or mercy: I am honoured in my sufferings, weak tormentors More tortures, more: alas you are unskilful, For Heavens sake more; my breast is yet untorn: Here purchase the reward that was propounded, The Irons cool, here are arms yet and thighs, Spare no partly of me. Most glorious vision, Did ere so hard a bed yield man a dream So heavenly as this? I am confirmed, Confirmed you blessed spirits, and make hast To take that crown of immortality You offer to me; death till this blessed minute I never thought thee slow paced, nor could I Hasten thee now for any pain I suffer, But that thou keptest me from a glorious wreathe Which through this stormy way I would creep to, And humbly kneeling with humility wear it. O now I feel thee, blessed spirits I come And witness for me, all these wounds and scars, I die a soldier in the Christian wars. die. COme to Casarea to night? The Emperor in person? TO was a benefit For which I ever owe you, Hail Jove's Flamen, Have these my daughters reconcilde themselves (Abandoning for ever the Christian way) To your opinion. My deer daughters. I young again to your devotions. O my Harpax. Thou engine of my wishes, thou that steeldst My bloody resolutions, thou that armest My eyes gainst womanish tears and soft compassion. Instructing me without a sighs to look on Babes torn by violence from their mother's breasts To feed the fire, and with them make one flame: Old men as beasts, in beasts skins torn by dogs: Virgins and matrons tire the executioners, Yet I unsatisfied think their torments easy. Wear all sceptres That grace the hands of kings made into one, And offered me, all crowns laid at my feet, I would contemn them all, thus spit at them. So I to all posterities might be called The strongest champion of the Pagan gods And rooter out of Christians. No more the Governor. My good Lord, This care is timely, for the entertainment Of our great master, who this night in person Comes here to thank you. Fetch them good Harpax. How he blushes! Did ever man Strive so against his own good. A Very dog. Sirrah, bandog, Wilt thou in pieces tear, our Jupiter, For her? our Mars, for her? our Solemnizing, for her? A whore, a hellhound, in this globe of brains Where a whole world of tortures for such furies Have fought as in a Chaos) which should exceed, These nails shall grubbing lie, from scull to scull, To find one horrider, then all, for you, You three. We leave you. Be constant and be careful. It matters not, We can discharge this works without his help: But see your son. Sapr, Villain Were my voice As loud as is his thunder, to be herd Through all the world, all potentates on earth Ready to burst with rage should they but hear it, Though hell to aid their malice lent her furies Yet I would speak, and speak again, and boldly, I am a Christian, and the powers you worship But dreams of fools and madmen. Here me yet Here for my service passed. Yet when I call to mind you never failed me In things more difficult, but have discovered Deeds that were done thousand leagues distant from me, When neither woods, nor caves, not secret vaults, No nor the power they serve, could keep these Christians, Or from my reach or punishment, but thy magic Still laid them open: I begin again To be as confident as heretofore. It is not possible thy powerful art Should meet a check, or fail. I meet your sorrow, With my true feeling of it. One cheek is blasted.