DIOCLETIAN

Room shall not lose its name, the world's Commander, Till this knot unties; perpetual be it, till Room erects Our golden Statues, placed by Saturn, and great Jupiter, And there be deified, to bless all those which may succeed But in these designs, let us remember high deserving Albon, whose valuor was not seconded this day By any single Arm. O Brother Caesar, in this British calm weel pass again Over to stormy France, the Goths, and Vandals have outpast The bounds, and over the Rhine passed into Burgandy, our work Must be to reverberate, and drive them to Confined Germany, while you persever, with and awful hand, To keep our conquered foes beneath your feet; give not those Frighted Welch-men time to breath: But if again you doubt of what you can, you know your Friend called Dioclessan ? A careful Policy, be my Tutor to teach me Military Discipline, Fly Brason Oratrix, all lingued fame, And tell at Room of Maximinus name: Say Dioclesian too will bring a Crown, To bind thy seven fold Head with high Renown: Flourish. Say Like two Jove's, when our Dread Thunders burled, Our sable Eagle strikes through all the world. Exeunt omn. Advance the Roman Eagle, and command Our armed Legions to troop close, and stand. Death blur their parley, we'll not answer The thunder of their Drums: our Eagle shall not nesell by base Ravens, but to peck out their eyes; our Swords shall answer The Thunder of their Drums, the Roman Caesar holds scorn To parley with such servile Nations, as you the barbarous Vandals And Goths, poor frozen Snakes, that from the Northern cold Creep to the warmth of the Suns Western fires, Troubling our fertile Lands, and Like starved sheep, You spoil the Countries with a line you keep in Regions beggarly. What croaks the Raven? Of two barbarous Kings. Would, would, would; must Lyons be enforced to league with Wolves. Poor Flies, behold the Eagle, and give over; Strive not to cope with strength beyond your power, For us she spreads her wings as far and bright, As in a Day the Sun rides with his light, And that's the universal Globe of Earth: Europes proud throat we tread on: Afric and Asia our Eagles talents gripe, The Lords of Room fathom both Land and Deep. We'll hear no more; call up the Britain Soldiers Our Brother Maximinus sent unto our aid, let they begin the battle, Fight Like Roman: Remember this, your enemies are base; Let your Swords work Like Sithes confound these swarms, And sweep these Locusts hence with conquering Arms. Exen to. Turn thee base Vandal. And thou hast found me; He teach thee speak the Roman Language. A Fencer 'tis agreed. The School trick thou shalt learn at first blow. Alarnm. What art thou that hast saved me? And Emperor. I thank thee: follow thy Fortune's, and go on; The gods of Room fit on thy weapon still: The battle ended, see me in my Tent. Immortal gods! How crept a Kingly spirit into a breast so low! How now, how goes the day? Enter a Roman. How Traitor? The Roman gods forbid: Let a Trumpet call up the Britain's to recover it. Exit. Hand of thou barbarous slave; I still can boast my state's Imperial. Fight Warlike Britons, free your Emperor. Twice is my life indebted to thy valour: Admired Soldier, if I win the day, Never had Britain Soldier such a pay As thou shalt have. Keep it with fame. The glory's thine, thou hast saved me twice from death. Noble thou art, as valiant, And this day thy only sword the greater half Hath won, and we must pay thy merits. Whats thy name? Of what birth or Fortune's. Renowned Crispianus, royal thanks shall to our brother Maximinus fly, for sending such a Soldier. Kneel down, and rise a Britain Knight; Hence forth bear Arms and Shield; Thou hast wone thy honour truly in the field. Beside our gift, the ransom of this King I freely give; and that thy same may sing a lofty note, Back to thy Country led these Britain Soldiers, Over whom I make thee head; and to the Emperor Maximinus thou shalt bear such Letters from our self, As he shall rear and swell thine honours, And when we in France have laid These Whirlwinds that now shake the State, Weel cross the seas to Britain after thee. And that obedience Roderick weel embrace. Led Crispianus to receive the Ransom: Vandal and Goths ; nay, Room her self shall swear, She never met so brave a Shoemaker. A Flourish. Exeunt. In what circumference? This in the South: Brave Crispianus, to requite thy deed, Great Dioclesian's hand shall Crown thy head. A Crown presented, Even with their bloods they have: Their daring and their downfalls fill one grave, And yet our Conquest had not spread such wings But for those Britain forces you sent over: They from the French Field plucked the noblest Flower, And of them all, a Soldier too, whose Fame I cannot sing too much, carried the name Of Honour from us all: his good sword flew Like Lightning, And where it went, overthrew: the King of Goths Called me his prisoner, but then this brave Opponent Fetched me off in ransom with his blood, and that being done, He Like a Lion on the Vandal run: Took him, and closed the battle in his fallen, The work was bloody, rough, and Tragical; And therefore for my love pray crown his head That twice saved mine: It is a man, whose Fate Upheld the glory of the Roman State. Which we'll confirm brave Crispianus, Make thy princely boon worthy thy fame, And such as may beseem great Maximinus and Dioclesian, The Master's of the triple world, to give, And by our gods thou shalt the same receive. This wonder does amaze me: Is Crispianus then a Kings son found? 'Twas voye'd abroad, thou and thy brother died in the battle. We thank our Brother's love to grace our friend, For to his worth we can no gift extend. Why does the fair Leodice So vex her Kingly Father With so base a brat? She winkt a purpose. Enter Queen.