For still the greater troubles they confess,
They know their pleasures will be envied less.
Por. Those joy's I neither envy nor admire;
But beg I from the troubles may retire.

Mar. What soul is this which empire cannot stir!

Supine and tame as a philosopher!

Know then, thou wert adopted to a throne,
Not for thy sake so much as for my own.

My thoughts were once about thy death at strife;
And thy succession's thy reprieve for life.

Por. My life and death are still within your

power;

But your succession I renounce this hour.
Upon a bloody throne I will not sit,

Nor share the guilt of crimes which you commit.
Mar. If you are not my Cæsar, you must die.
Por. I take it as the nobler destiny.

Max. I pity thee, and would thy faults forgive; But, thus presuming on, thou canst not live. Por. Sir, with your throne your pity I restore; I am your foe, nor will I use it more. Now all my debts of gratitude are paid, I cannot trusted be, nor you betrayed. [Is going. Max. Stay, stay! in threatening me to be my

foe,

You give me warning to conclude you so.
Thou to succeed a monarch in his seat!

Enter PLACIDIUS.

No, fool, thou art too honest to be great!
Placidius, on your life this prisoner keep:
Our enmity shall end before I sleep.

Plac. I still am ready, sir, whene'er you please,

To do you such small services as these.

[To POR

Max. The sight, with which my eyes shall first be fed,

Must be my empress' and this traitor's head.
Por. Where'er thou stand'st, I'll level at that
place

My gushing blood, and spout it at thy face.
Thus, not by marriage, we our blood will join;
Nay more, my arms shall throw my head at thine.
[Exit guarded.
Max. There, go, adoption: I have now decreed,
That Maximin shall Maximin succeed:
Old as I am, in pleasures I will try
To waste an empire yet before I die:
Since life is fugitive, and will not stay,
I'll make it fly more pleasantly away.

ACT V. SCENE I.

Enter VALERIA and PLACIDIUS.

Val. If, as you say, you silently have been
So long my lover, let my power be seen:
One hour's discourse before Porphyrius die,
Is all I ask, and you too may be by.

Plac. I must not break

The order, which the emperor did sign.

[Exit.

Val. Has then his hand more power with you than mine?

Plac. This hand, if given, would far more power

ful be

Than all the monarchs of the world to me:
But 'tis a bait which would my heart betray;
And, when I'm fast, will soon be snatched away.
Val. O say not so; for I shall ever be
Obliged to him, who once obliges me.

Plac. Madam, I'll wink, and favour the deceit; But know, fair cozener, that I know the cheat: Though to these eyes I nothing can refuse, I'll not the merit of my ruin lose:

It is enough I see the hook, and bite ;

But first I'll pay my death with my delight.
[Kisses her hand, and exit.
Val. What can I hope from this sad interview?
And yet my brave design I will pursue.
By many signs I have my rival found;
But fortune him, as deep as me, does wound.
For, if he loves the empress, his sad fate
More moves my pity, than his scorn my hate.

To her PLACIDIUS, with PORPHYRIUS.
Plac. I am, perhaps, the first,

Who, forced by fate, and in his own despite,
Brought a loved rival to his mistress' sight.

Val. But, in revenge, let this your comfort be, That you have brought a man who loves not me. However, lay your causeless envy by ;

He is a rival, who must quickly die.

Por. And yet I could, with less concernment, bear

That death of which you speak, than see you here. So much of guilt in my refusal lies,

That, debtor-like, I dare not meet your eyes.

Val. I do not blame you, if you love elsewhere: And would to heaven I could your sufferings bear! Or once again could some new way invent, To take upon myself your punishment: I sent for you, to let you know, that still, Though now I want the power, I have the will. Plac. Can all this ocean of your kindness be Poured upon him, and not one drop on me?

Val. 'Tis poured; but falls from this ungrateful

man,

Like drops of water from a rising swan.

Upon his breast no sign of wet remains;
He bears his love more proudly than his chains.
Por. This thankless man his death will soon re-

move,

And quickly end so undeserved a love.

Val. Unthankful as you are, I know not why,
But still I love too well, to see you die.
Placidius, can you love, and see my grief,
And for my sake not offer some relief?

Plac. Not all the gods his ruin shall prevent;
Your kindness does but urge his punishment.
Besides, what can I for his safety do?
He has declared himself your father's foe.

Val. Give out he has escaped, and set him free; And, if you please, lay all the fault on me.

Por. O, do not on those terms my freedom name! Freed by your danger, I should die with shame. Plac. I must not farther by your prayers be won: All I could do, I have already done.

[To her.
Val. To bring Porphyrius only to my sight,
Was not to show your pity, but your spite:
Would you but half oblige her you adore?
You should not have done this, or should do more.
Plac. Alas! what hope can there be left for me,
When I must sink into the mine I see?

My heart will fall before you, if I stay;
Each word you speak saps part of it away.
-Yet all my fortune on his death is set;
And he may love her, though he loves not yet.
He must-and yet she says he must not die.---
O, if I could but wink, I could deny!

To them ALBINUS.

Alb. The emperor expects your prisoner strait; And with impatience for his death does wait. Plac. Nay, then it is too late my love to weigh; Your pardon, madam, if I must obey.

[Exit ALBINUS. Por. I am prepared; he shall not long attend. Val. Then here my prayers and my submissions

end.

Placidius, know, that hour in which he dies,

My death (so well I love) shall wait on his.
Plac. O, madam, do not fright me with your

death!

Val. My life depends alone upon his breath.
But, if I live in him, you do not know
How far my gratitude to you may go.

I do not promise

-but it so may prove,

That gratitude, in time, may turn to love.
Try me-

Plac. Now I consider it, I will:

[Musing a little.

'Tis in your power to save him, or to kill.

I'll run the hazard to preserve his life,

If, after that, you vow to be my wife.

Val. Nay, good Placidius, now you are too hard: Would you do nothing but for mere reward?

Like usurers to men in want you prove,

When would take extortion for you

my love.

Plac. You have concluded then that he must

die?

[Going with PORPHYRIUS.

Val. O stay! if no price else his life can buy,

My love a ransom for his life I give :

Let my Porphyrius for another live.

[Holding her handkerchief before her face.

Por. You too much value the small merchandise: My life's o'er-rated, when your love's the price.