LEPIDA

MY servants all are fast it's dead of night, And yet my restless senses want their rest; This was no wont to be, 'tis wondrous strange I fear (nor is't unlike) my daughter, my Most ambitious, irreverent daughter, Dead to good counsel, now in great Caesars Absence, most apt for ill; takes her full flight To the lose life of all licentiousness, Now at this instant wrongs him, and that the Gods, whole eyes see blackest deeds, do see and Abhor; and therefore caused me thus to wake From dead resembling sleep, to pray T'oppose her ill with good, heaven I obey. What ill includes this noise. That was a woman's voice most certain 'twas, I will no longer stay you. Opens the door. Woe is me wretch, accursed be the time That brought her forth; Oh may it ever be, For ever barred the rank of blessed hours. I am amazed, if from my daughter sent, Tell me you frightful villains her demand. Peace hell bred hag, stop thy unhallowed throat. Then die, Arm you brave Roman Dams, Tertestriall stars, Armed with fair fortitude resolve to die, That when you're gone I may look up and see Your chased thought stars in the Celestial spheres Is it not better die then live at court? Racked, torn and tossed on proud dishonours wheel, There to be whoor'd, your excellence defiled, Rather be free, be free rare spirits for Succeeding times to wonder at; spurn, spurn In contempt of death, at death's base strife, To die for virtue is a glorious life. Mischievous Monsters, Oh what have you done. Wu'd you be gone! Nay you damned hell-hagge I'll preserve you safe Manutius Folio wake, wake from drowsy sleep. Murder murder, what ho, Manutius awake. Oh see where murdered chastity lies slain, Under my tragic roof this fatal night. Here take this Baud. She hath a large hand in this impious act Take, hang her by the heals then let my dogs, Compelled through hunger tear, eat her alive, I must to Court there prosecute the rest. Exit Plagues yet unfelt light on thee mischievous Slave, villain, dog, murderer rot as thou livest. Murder in thee, in thee thou wicked Imp And that thy substitute by the ordained Gainst the most noble minds of chastity, Whose innocent blood Like the Atlantic sea Looks read with murder, and cries out to heaven For justice and revenge; Oh hadst thou first Then been the Author of so foul a fact Made thy own passage, happy woman I. 1st even so, then too too ill farewell Truths story shall relate to after times My love to thee; hate to thy desperate crimes. Nature constrains me back, what though dismayed Shall I desist, Oh then she's lost for ever, No; I will bend with fairest fair demean. To save her soul I'll make my foot my head, Mother's were Monsters else not truly bred, Give my speech once more freedom. I come not bent with wrath, but to implore On bent knees, with penitential tears, T'appease the Gods for thy full Sea of sin, Such is a mother's love, and such is mine; Prove thou m Like, thy soul shall never fallen Into those damned sins it nourishes; Which Like a ponderous Argosey full frought, Cuft on the mountain top of some big wave, In the descent, falls on the fearful Rock And splits in pieces irrecoverable. So fatal death upon the wings of night Whirls the black soul in her triumphant Car To the Tartarian vales; where crowned in flames, Tumbling descend to dreadful Or us Cell, That merciless pit of bottomless despair, To fry in those blue fl mes of fear for ever, In never ending endless pain for ever. If mother's tears were ever of force to move, Let that see of mine take place; strive to repent, Think what a horrid thing it is to see There is fear above us; fear still beneath us, Fear round about, and yet no fear within us. Heavens blessings on thee. Oh impious devil. Blessed be that sacred power which restored My senses lost, and in that perfect being Gives me the noble patience for to see, And suffers not mine eyeballs to drop out At sighed of this my daughters impudence, Shame that attends this wicked Nuptial Rites Now in the name of goodness, what means this Whispering? what new mischief lies hatching In yonder bloody villains busy brain? In the discovery, counterf it sleep, And madness be my Mosk. Oh horrible. Aside. I say, virtues a Cyphar in The hearts of great ones, and stands for nothing. What says your most approved judgements, your Single sole conceits I am sure will stand For bawdy Comedies, and ribald jests. Insinuate thou and so wax knavish wise, Thou a stamped villain, learn to temporise, Plot thou, and set friends hourly at debate, Cling to the surer side, the weaker hate, Turn Bawd at midnight, Dander to a Whore While lust in 'ith act (you knaves) look to the door. Would, would, would, would, would. Exit. Be thou, One that knows how to mix with perilous . The deadly poison with the amorous dart, Drunk with conceit, that greatness bears the sway, Safely to act what villainy it may. Godge godden I'll come again anon. Exit. Gone, Oh happy blessed blessed prevention That to mine ears unlocked the horrid found The black intention of so foul a rape A hundred vestal virgins to be whored, First let the world dissolve and disipate; To its first Chaos ; Oh thou all seeing power Prostrate on bent knees, I here implore, Beg at thy mighty hands to inspire my soul, Make me the substitute and holy means The sweet prevention of so horrid a Fact; Oh heaven 'tis granted, thanks Majesty Divine; work on my mind; thought happily Thought upon; a spacious vault I have, which Near adjo nes unto the Vestals Temple; Thither this night by a back secret way I'll draw the holy maid (none will suspect Because all deem me mad) there by this hand Succour, relief, and safety shall attend Your noble souls; chaste maids live long and blessed, "Free from the bondage of black mischief hands, "To virtuous Actions, heaven propitious stands. Now good Vibidia, thou virtuous Matron Of Rome's Vestal maids, say, are they all safe, Can they endure the vault, that wretched shift This wretched Age enforces, What means Vibidia ? Fly to the vault, I fear we are betrayed. To this, if ruled by me you never had plunged But thats too late now; Oh strive to repent. Only a day of hearing that's all, which You must arm your self for against to morrow. Oh It's a gailty conscience. 'Tis a guard, I fear the Emperor in his mind is changed And this some sudden plot to take your life. Lepida quae florenti filiae and concors, Supremis ejus necessita tibus and miserationem evicta erat. Tacit. Oh be not wholly lost die resolute, If thou respect the womb that brought thee forth, Let thy faults ripe in Act, be blown to Air. Through fair repentance. Oh Caesar grant this Corpse to my dispose. Would, howes that? Live and be thankful; am I then contemned Is all my labour in a moment lost. Live and be thankful; sure I do but dream, It cannot be, nam ure against it self Should so rebel; Oh fool, fool that I am With vain hope thus to play the flatterer. Mors e umna um quies; mors omnibus finis. Dissolve the glassy pearls of mine eyes, That N obe -Like I may consume in tears, And nevermore behold Dam light again. Pish, all this is but talk; and talk I must, Fly from me soul and turn my earth to dust. Must I then live to see my daughters shame, Crack, crack poor heart; stern death let fly thy dart, Send my sad soul to the El zium shades That there it might drink Lethe, and forget It ever lived in this mortality. Parcae dispatch; when, when I say; no, no, Then will I act Medea's murdering partly Upon my stain of blood that gods and men May fit and laugh, and plaudite my revenge. You dismal sisters of the fatal night, Rise, rise, and dance hells round lays for joy, Rhamn siam finds employment for you all. Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow. Note with your grim aspects the courts of Kings, See how the politic statesman for his ends, Sits hammering mischief; and how Toadlike swells Bombast with treasons riches; see ther's lust, Brave Madam, lust temptations painted whore Divinely worshipped by the bastard brood Of knaves and fools. You dread and ireful furies i'ft not true. Why then employ your burning whips of steel, Lash with eternal lashes, there, there, there, Excellent Furies how you do excel, So, so, so, so, 'tis holy day in hell. Not unto me Vibidia but to heaven, To that lets kneel, to that omnipotence Which made this earth, lets both with holy zeal Salute our mother earth in ardent love, To heavens great Master.