MESSALINA

Our sovereign good is pleasure unto which None can attain but valiant men and wise. Silius thou shalt not fallen unless I fallen, Nor rise without me, we love thee Caius Thou soul of music breath, breath and enchant. With thy delicious Tones while thus we bend, And health our love mirror of men to thee. Fill for him, st prepared? Here pledge, and pledge freely, a hearty draught (As I began) up witht; so 'tis well, this, Sil. drinks. This failing, pure, precise one now is silenced, Convey him to our bed, Nature's delight Where when he wakes he may admire and burn Be mad in love to pleasure free in us. Thanks Valens, and Proculus, Caesar dispatched To Ostia, we'll find fit time to make you Shine in glory, all shall find rich rewards. Swift nimble time the season of the year (To offer sacrifice unto the Gods) Calls us with speed from Room to Hostiam, in Which our absence, sweet, deer then my life, We do implore, use all the careful means That may preserve that life and happiness Thy love assures us which if want of health Should ate thee joy; Caesar were not himself Disaster, griefs, diseases pale and won Wu'd make me marble, such is the affiance, The strong persuasion of that love I bear To thee thou star on earth my only bliss Bear record heaven, bless thou this parting kiss. Make us celestial happy with thy news, Art thou sure it's he. My hearts on fire To clip him; fly swift as thought Saufellus Conduct him to our Paradise of joy, If he escape desire then confound us, We only viewed him once, but then the time Crossed our desires; blessed opportunity That makes our happiness a very heaven We'll built and Altar, and erect a shrine That shall eternise thee for this; were't my brother Resembled him we so entirely love, Wee'd force him ravish pleasure if not kill Be a S I amiss to sat our will. Thus long with admiration we have stood To gaze on thy perfections, precious shape Why dost thou shake? why stare? as rapt in wonder Why dumb? or thinkest thy happiness a dream This kiss confirm thee ours; entrance thy soul To stir loves-panting appetite while thus We clip thee in our Arms, embrace thee thus. That's loves Alarm, to bed, to bed, To Venus field, there combat for loves treasure Swim in excess of joy, there ravish pleasure. To thee fair fortune in divinest sense, In w om all excellence inclusive is, To that high power, I invocate impore. If pleased, direct where I may find my friend, Fi l when, I fitly may assimulate The restless acquiessence of my mind, To the perpetual motion of a wheel. That by the force of water restless turns The vigour of the torrent left unstopped. So the strange absence of my noble friend, Suffers th'insulting tortent of sad grief, (Tyranicke-like upon the wheel of sense) To rack my restless rest, which I must bear, It's vain to strive against sorrows stream to swim, Man hath no power on grief, grief power on him; What's he declines his visage to the ground, Is't not my friend? 'tis he, happily met. Read it Virgilianus. Busy their brains, and put them mind That the black thoughts of Catiline survive For this prodigious Age to perpetrate. Thy temper melts me my magnanimous Mate. ARe we not Caesar? Is not Rome's Empire servile unto us? You mad me with your news. Damnation seize her, I will hear no more; misery of Misery's, Impatience cramps my vital vein ; that swell With fiery boiling rage, Oh I am a lump Of true vexation, tortured with torments Worse then those in hell, in hell, very hell; This body sure is not substantial, no I am all air, pierced through and through with storms, Incessant storms, that strike a terror to My panting soul, misery of marriage, Horned, and abused by every vastaile Groom Vessels of baseness, they shall buy it deer The high Sea of their daring pride must down All topsy turvie to confusion turn: I will uncharm and never more be fooled Slave to those wonder darting eyes that strike Amazement through the world, those bewitching Lamps her eyes, fed with the oil of whorish Fortitude, (that Like the Centaur ' blood) ive S the poison of ell furies rage Into my blood and brain, those false false eyes, Shall never more entice, because that I Will never see them more, they shall put out Their glory for a grave, there forgotten. Scorned, and contemned of Caesar, lie and rot. But am I so indeed (for I'm amazed At my dull follies passed) is't not too late To call back errors darkness, Oh tell me Narcissus, is not Silius Emperor, Usurps he not that name passed reach to quell. Sweetest revenge, honoured Narcissus draw Out the soldiers at thy free dispose Here's thy command Geta we do mistrust Thee only trust, accelerate revenge, That I may ebb the high swollen tide of wrongs, Which beyond limits tears my restless brain, Knits and then tears with infinite unrests If there be Hell, the devil and damnation It's men delight in woman, insatiate Woman; that will do with the devil, Oh It's a fearful thing to be a Cuckold, Rolled up in wrinkles of fool patience, We hear they have a Masque, but rather, then Any of the lustful rout, make their escape Fire me the Palace, burn they in that Masque, It will be brave to see they dance in fire, Skip letch'rous Antics in a boiling flame, That thus with raging passion, boiling, flames My most distracted brain; tortures no less, Then if on Caucasus we were exposed, A never dying prey to the Eagles beak. Such is the misery of marriage, where The besotted husband most affects, there Trepidabatur nihil minis a C sare, quip Get pretorij prae fecto haud satis fidem at, and honesta seu prava juxta levi, &c. Tacit. To be most abused, Cuckold, Cuckold, Cuckold, Oh. Excellent Silius all perfection. Nature's wonder, my delight my pleasure. Soul to my lips, embrace, hug, hug me. Mount blood. Again the pressure of that melting kiss. Locked in thy Arms my Mars. Music, distil new sweetness, vary thy Nectar Notes, while Loves bright eyes, court lips to The height of dalliance, each sacrifice a kiss, To all enchantments of loves luscious bliss. Brave health again, another, and a third. Senseless Cornuto, he's to confident, He ha too great affiance in my love. My scorn, Come, come lets dance, Music proceed, Claudius my hate shall with the next sun bleed. Deaf, deaf me Oh thuunder, B trayed, Oh black affright, fly Silius fly. Now you luxurious traitor, Emperor Silius ; your highness gates at length are forced To bow; where's your top gallant strumpet, that Strumpet, witch, hell-Cat; most insatiate whore That ever cleaved to the loins of Lechers. Tell me you impious villains, Traitorous slaves, That I may execute my burning hate, And send you swimming in her blood to hell. I fret with sufferance, upon they soldiers Sink him Evodius. More blood unto this banquet welcome, what Virgillianus so grave a Senator So treacherous, served you as Bawds to sooth the Minds of Lechers, Calphurnianus and Sulpitius too: off with their heads, away With them, be sudden, the tun of vengeance Now begins to stoop broached with the blood of These; vain inconsiderate fools. Where is that wretch? Remove these bodies, her bloods the perjod To my full revenge. My Emp'resse, She is no more my Emp'resse, her black life Lost in lust, hath changed that name into and Aethiops blackness, yet for those Infants sake For Lepida, and for the love we bear Your holy order we will hear her speak, Narcissus, against to morrow let her Have warning to appear in Senate. Is she then dead. It's at your free dispose convey her hence, And now since we are free by fair revenge, Never shall marriage yoke the mind of Caesar To trust the hollow faith of woman more, And if we do; may Heaven by treason foul Shorten our days; the sequel of our reign, Shall to the good of Room suppress black vice. Kingdoms are swallowing gulfs by careless rule, Justice makes Kings the Gods to imitate, Virtue in Princes, is the prop of state. Farewell my life, my love, my royal, Fool Shallow brain fop, dull ignorance adeiu, The kindest Cuckold woman ever knew. Saufellus draw nigh, Now is the wis to for time to crown delight Turn night to day and day into the night, Prepare for stirring, Masque, midnight revels All rare variety to provoke desire; Then haste and fetch those envied Adamants Room most admires for foolish chastity, When we have grasped them here, surfeits riot Shall squeeze their spongy virtue into vice. If they deny to come, let vengeance fallen Like to that all devouring thunders flame Which fierd the world, be merciless and kill. Room shall take notice, our incensed blood, Like to Medusa's shall to Serpents turn, Poys'ning the Air, where local chastity Claims least pre-eminence. Stay ere you go resolve us; what is that Stagerites Name, he that last night i'th play Did personate the Partly of Troilus. Menester how that name works on my blood And Like a violent Tide, swells me with full Desire to know the man; it must be so Command him to attend our will tonight. Diligent Saufellus, I'll to my chamber, Admit him thither; be swift in return, Exit Sauf. We long for change to feed on various fruit; Up Messallina let thy mountain will Too long kept down, fly to thy full desire, I'll live in pleasure though I burn in fire. Exit. How's this, dare not, is that answer for us Why fool, poor scum of the Earth dost know What 'tis to stop and Empress lofty will: Saufellus, within there, a Guard, we'll learn You better manners, hoist him on the Rack, To the Rack with him, tear limb from limb, dare not We will enforce thee wretch. Shall our high favours, (equal to base and Mercinare Trulls) prove common put offs, What say you now Sir. Would, would, do you so, Sir; Let him down, and let him find sudden cure Command our Doctors, feed him hight and high, Pleasure's a Princess full felicity. Menester, Valens, Proculus, not all No, not a world of favorites can yield To us that free delight in dalliance which Silius gives, he must not live at Forum, Though it be near at hand it's too far off Calphurnia. Cause Caius, Silius to be sent for straight, And let Harmonious Musics ravishing Airs, Breath our delight. Circle me round you Furies of the night, Dart all your fiery lust-stung Arrows here. Here, here, let Circe and the Sire's charms, Pour their enchantments; Monarch of flames, Fill with alluring poison these mine eyes That I may with the misty souls of m n, And send them tumbling to the Acharusian Fen: 'Twere and all pleasing object unto thee, Thou great Arck-Ruler of the low Abyss, Like to Cadmaean Semele I wu'd burn Rather then want this my implored desire And be consumed in thunder, smoke, and fire; Let petty Queens dull appetite dread fear, I'll be my self sole pleasures Queen in all. Would, whats this? cease that Music there, A sudden strange and drowsy heaviness Enchants my tender eyes to close their lights Furies enough, I'm fully satisfied, A Plurifie of lust runs through my veins I could grasp with any. Oh the unfounded sea of my delight In thee my Silius, 'tis miraculous, Ineffable, never to be expressed By learning's deepest Art. And Scarf about thy neck, my Ivory Arm Practice upon thy lips the Energy Of sweet allurements, shoot into thine eyes Amorous glances stirring dalliance, Embracements, passion, such as shall beget Perpetual appetite, that all the gods May in beholding emulate our joy, Enveloped with pleasures sweetest sweets, Ambrosiack kisses thus. Kiss. Redoubled thus and thus. Kiss again double Thou art too noble a substance to embrace Thy wife Syllana, be sudden, kill her, She must not live. Be not ignorant, Nam in Caium Silium Inventuti Romanae pulcherri u ita exar serat, ut Iuniam syllanam, nobilem faminam matrimonio ejus ex urbaret v cuoque adultero potiretur. Tacit. Lib. 11. That singular alone we must enjoy The freedom of thy body undebarred Least let to pleasure, by this I charm thee. Kiss. Death and destruction satisfy my will Or take't in thy bosom, I'm intemperate Briefly resolve. Did Lucius Catiline Spare wife nor child, for Orestillas love, And must our high born savours be slighted Put off with bore persuasive. Let mighty Queens, majestic eminence In the high pitch of their ambition learn Of us to hate corivalls in their love Trampling the Torch of Hymenaeall rites Under their see to. I love thee now, Like to a burning glass Th'ast fier'd a fresh affection of my mind More violent then ever be gone, be gone, Hasten Syllanas death then come to Court, There the Imperial Diadem of Room Dreadless of Caesar shall impale thy Front Messallina nomen matrimonii cum Cajo Silio c nc pivit; ob magnitudinem infamia; cujus apud prodigos novissima volup tas est Tacit. Like Jove and Juno in a nuptial knot, We'll knit the bans of Hymen, and out shine The glorious Tapers of the golden Sun, Whirl through the stately streets of spacious Room Like glistering Phaeton in and Orient chair. That with the bore report, swift fame shall strike Amazement through the world Monarchal state All-gazing eyes fixed on our rich attire Languish in dreams our stately state admire. Shall Messallina in her flourishing youth Like dull and tame, Nobility live coopt, Confined and mewed up singular to one; No Caesar no, t'were fools Philosophy, And I abjure't; there is no music in't, Those of our Sex the minds of sots contain And are of no brave spirits that deny Pleasure, the heaven of my Idolatry. Mother the cause of your distemperature. Beldame give over, or I'll disclaim all smoothness, Ther's nothing done that's wished undone by us. Pish to your chamber dotard be advised. We do commend thy care, Joy 'ith performance of our strict command, Which shall from hence forth style thee favourite To us, that will command thy Fortune's rise. For which we thus enseam thee, Kisses him. Grasp me Saufellus ; lets have a sprightly dance, Swift footing apts my blood for dalliance. Tush: we'll accept thy will. Pish mind her not. You'll force us through unmannerly exclaims To rest the strictness of our dread command I do begin to melt. No more, live and be thankful. What killing objects, this presents our eyes, Our Favorites turned fighters must not be, Descend Saufellus, know the cause, we'll follow. Whence proceeds this fray. And was that the cause? We do embrace and preciously account The vigour of your loves; so you no more So full of spite, let prosecute your hate. With the Like hardy daring, 'twill not please. We should esteem your jars ridiculous Issuing from brainless wit discerned in others. And as it's common to our eminent Sex, Triumph instate, and glory in your falls; Yet th'operation of your loves so works, That it scruze ours to judge the contrary. Dry up your wounds with care; then come to court Love shall entrance your souls; prepare for sport. Prevented with a storm in Sunshine, Frost in the hear of all our happiness, Oh fire and Ice, Oh how between these two Sad smarting strange extremes I madly live Tortured in mind and blood. Repent, redivell, Tell not me mother of repentance, Earth's pleasures are to full of high content, To be forgotten by such a bitter Pill. Pray give some better solace, what return Makes Rome's grave Matron your friend Vibidi , Can she with all her holiness of life, Procure our pardon; is that possible. Oh what a lightnings this to my sad heart My heavy heart, will Caesar hear me speak, Nay then I am sure of reconcilement. My quick-eyed sense, and Sire's tongue shall work it Charming Like Lethe make him to forget My Crymenall life, then my rich Revenge Like to the Plots of thundering Jupiter Shall —would, what horrid found is this, What dreadful sighed thus quakes me. Swallow me earth, gape gape and swallow Hide me from sighed of this sad spectacle, No? why then do sta e till you burst again It's true, I was your death's chief Actor Mischiefs chief Engine, ruin of you all Quid faciam? ubi fugiam, him , & illi , Ubinam nescio, Oh dira Fata. Exeunt Ghosts. Close eyes and never open, all's vanished now. Was but the perturbation of my mind So let it pass—what again. How can that be? Am not I only Author of all ill, Is it not I that have prepared the paths To the lose life of all licentiousness, Black murder, lust, and rapes unspeakable Why do I live? I that have lived too long, Worthy a thousand death's; I fear not death But Oh the journey I know not whither, Torments me more then twenty thousand death's But how so ever it must not be denied, Fallen then my earthly substance; thus low humbled Tunc primum fortunam suam introspexit, frustra jugulo pectori per epidationem ; ictum Tribuni transfigitur, Tacit. Lib. 11. Let my declining height submit my head To take and everlasting leave of life. Hold, our blood's to precious we will not die So Like a Calf, nor by the hand of any But our own, thus and thus, Oh this cold steel How it offends my flesh, I want full strength To put it home; if thou be valiant and a soldier Help to dispatch me; that was bravely done Oh my mad lust whither wilt thou bear me A dim black fog raised from the Lernean Fen Obscures my sighed; farewell deer, deer Mother. Had I been ruled by you, I had been happy Now justly scourged for disobedience. A Caitiff most accursed she is no other That scorns the virtuous counsels of a Mother; So farewell light of eyes, never to entice, Horror invades my blood, I am all Ice. Die. A Headsman and a scaffold are these for me