200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,001[A ]| Oh let me press those balmy lips all day, 200:55,002[A ]| And bathe my love-scorched soul in the moist kisses; 200:55,003[A ]| Now by my joys thou art all sweet and soft, 200:55,004[A ]| And thou shalt be the altar of my love; 200:55,005[A ]| Upon thy beauties hourly will I offer 200:55,006[A ]| And pour out pleasure, a blessed sacrifice 200:55,007[A ]| To the dear memory of my Lucina! 200:55,008[A ]| No god nor goddess ever was adored 200:55,009[A ]| With such religion as my love shall be, 200:55,010[A ]| For in the charming raptures of my soul 200:55,011[A ]| Clasped in thine arms, I'll waste myself away 200:55,012[A ]| And rob the ruined world of their great lord, 200:55,013[A ]| While to the honour of Lucina's name 200:55,014[A ]| I leave mankind to mourn the loss forever. 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,015[A ]| Ha! What desperate madman weary of his being 200:55,016[A ]| Presumes to press upon my happy moments? 200:55,017[A ]| Aecius, and armed? Whence comes this impious boldness? 200:55,018[A ]| Did not my will, the world's most sacred law, 200:55,019[A ]| Doom thee to die, 200:55,020[A ]| And darest thou in rebellion be alive? 200:55,021[A ]| Is death more frightful grown than disobedience? 200:55,022[C ]| Not for a hated life condemned by you, 200:55,023[C ]| Which in your service has been still exposed 200:55,024[C ]| To pain and labours, famine, slaughter, fire 200:55,025[C ]| And all the dreadful toils of horrid war, 200:55,026[C ]| Am I thus lowly laid before your feet; 200:55,027[C ]| For what mean wretch who has his duty done 200:55,028[C ]| Would care to live when you declare him worthless? 200:55,029[C ]| If I must fall which your severe disfavour 200:55,030[C ]| Hath made the easier and the nobler choice 200:55,031[C ]| Yield me not up a wretched sacrifice 200:55,032[C ]| To the poor spleen of a base favourite, 200:55,033[C ]| Let not vile instruments destroy the man 200:55,034[C ]| Whom once you loved; but let your hand bestow 200:55,035[C ]| That welcome death your anger has decreed. 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,036[A ]| Go seek the common executioner 200:55,037[A ]| Old man, through vanity and years grown mad 200:55,038[A ]| Or to reprieve thee from the hangman's stroke 200:55,039[A ]| Go use thy military interest 200:55,040[A ]| To beg a milder death among the guards 200:55,041[A ]| And tempt my kindled wrath no more with folly. 200:55,042[C ]| Ill-counselled, thankless prince, you did indeed 200:55,043[C ]| Bestow that office on a soldier 200:55,044[C ]| But in the army could you hope to find 200:55,045[C ]| With all your bribes a murderer of Aecius 200:55,046[C ]| Whom they so long have followed, known, and owned 200:55,047[C ]| Their god in war and thy good genius ever? 200:55,048[C ]| Speechless and cold without, upon the ground 200:55,049[C ]| The soldier lies, whose generous death will teach 200:55,050[C ]| Posterity true gratitude and honour 200:55,051[C ]| And press as heavily upon the soul, 200:55,052[C ]| Lost Valentinian, as thy barbarous rape 200:55,053[C ]| For which since heaven alone must punish thee 200:55,054[C ]| I'll do heaven's justice on thy base assister ~~ 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,055[J ]| Save me my lord! 200:55,056[A ]| Hold honest Aecius hold, 200:55,057[A ]| I was too rash ~~ Oh spare the gentle boy 200:55,058[A ]| And I'll forgive thee all! 200:55,059[J ]| Furies and death. 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,060[A ]| He bleeds! mourn ye inhabitants of heaven 200:55,061[A ]| For sure my lovely boy was one of you; 200:55,062[A ]| But he's dead and now ye may rejoice 200:55,063[A ]| For ye have stolen him from me, spiteful powers. 200:55,064[A ]| Empire and life I ever have despised, 200:55,065[A ]| The vanity of pride and hope of fear; 200:55,066[A ]| In love alone my soul found real joys 200:55,067[A ]| And still ye tyrannize and cross my love. 200:55,068[A ]| Oh that I had a sword 200:55,069[A ]| To drive this raving fool headlong to hell 200:55,070[A ]| And pacify the ghost of my dear boy! 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,071[C ]| Take your desire and try if lawless lust 200:55,072[C ]| Can stand against truth, honesty, and justice. 200:55,073[C ]| I have my wish, gods give me true repentance 200:55,074[C ]| And bless you still. Beware of Maximus. 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,075[A ]| Farewell dull honesty which though despised 200:55,076[A ]| Canst make thy owner run on certain ruin. 200:55,077[A ]| Old Aecius where is now thy name in war, 200:55,078[A ]| Thy interest with so many conquered nations, 200:55,079[A ]| The soldiers' reverence and the people's love, 200:55,080[A ]| Thy mighty fame and popularity 200:55,081[A ]| With which thou keptst me still in certain fear 200:55,082[A ]| Depending on thee for uncertain safety? 200:55,083[A ]| Ah what a lamentable wretch is he 200:55,084[A ]| Who urged by fear or sloth yields up his power 200:55,085[A ]| To hope protection from his favourite, 200:55,086[A ]| Wallowing in ease and vice feels no contempt 200:55,087[A ]| But wears the empty name of prince with scorn 200:55,088[A ]| And lives a poor led pageant to his slave: 200:55,089[A ]| Such have I been to thee honest Aecius! 200:55,090[A ]| Thy power kept me in awe, thy pride in pain, 200:55,091[A ]| Till now I lived, but since thou art dead I'll reign. 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,092[O ]| Behold my lord the cruel emperor 200:55,093[O ]| By whose tyrannic doom the noble Aecius 200:55,094[O ]| Was judged to die. 200:55,095[A ]| He was so saucy, slave, 200:55,096[A ]| Struck by this hand here grovelling at my feet 200:55,097[A ]| The traitor lies; as thou shalt do bold villain, 200:55,098[A ]| Go to the furies, carry my defiance 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,099[A ]| And tell 'em Caesar fears nor earth nor hell. 200:55,100[O ]| Stay Aecius, and I'll wait thy mightier ghost. 200:55,101[O ]| Oh Maximus, through the long vault of death 200:55,102[O ]| I hear thy wife cry out, Revenge me, 200:55,103[O ]| Revenge me on the ravisher! No more, 200:55,104[O ]| Aretus comes to aid thee. Oh, farewell! 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,105[A ]| Ha! what, not speak yet? Thou whose wrongs are greatest! 200:55,106[A ]| Or do the horrors that we have been doing 200:55,107[A ]| Amaze thy feeble soul? If thou art a Roman 200:55,108[A ]| Answer the emperor: Caesar bids thee speak! 200:55,109[D ]| A Roman! Ha! and Caesar bids thee speak! 200:55,110[D ]| Pronounce thy wrongs and tell 'em or in groans, 200:55,111[D ]| But oh! the story is ineffable! 200:55,112[D ]| Caesar's commands, backed with the eloquence 200:55,113[D ]| Of all the inspiring gods cannot declare it. 200:55,114[D ]| Oh emperor, thou picture of a glory, 200:55,115[D ]| Thou mangled figure of a ruined greatness! 200:55,116[D ]| Speak sayest thou, speak the wrongs of Maximus? 200:55,117[D ]| Yes I will speak, imperial murderer, 200:55,118[D ]| Ravisher, oh! thou royal villainy 200:55,119[D ]| In purple dipped to give a gloss to mischief; 200:55,120[D ]| Yet ere thy death enriches my revenge 200:55,121[D ]| And swells the book of fate, thou statelier madman 200:55,122[D ]| Placed by the gods upon a precipice 200:55,123[D ]| To make thy fall more dreadful, why hast thou slain 200:55,124[D ]| Thy friend, thy only stay for sinking greatness? 200:55,125[D ]| What frenzy, what blind fury did possess thee 200:55,126[D ]| To cut off thy right hand and fling it from thee, 200:55,127[D ]| For such was Aecius? 200:55,128[A ]| Yes and such art thou, 200:55,129[A ]| Joint traitors to my empire and my glory: 200:55,130[A ]| Put up thy sword, be gone, forever leave me, 200:55,131[A ]| Though traitor yet because I once did wrong thee, 200:55,132[A ]| Live like a vagrant slave. I banish thee. 200:55,133[D ]| Hold me you gods, and judge our passions rightly 200:55,134[D ]| Lest I should kill him, kill this luxurious worm; 200:55,135[D ]| Ere yet a thought of danger has awaked him 200:55,136[D ]| End him even in the midst of night debauches 200:55,137[D ]| Mounted upon a tripos drinking healths 200:55,138[D ]| With shallow rascals, pimps, buffoons and bawds 200:55,139[D ]| Who with vile laughter take him in their arms 200:55,140[D ]| And bear the drunken Caesar to his bed 200:55,141[D ]| Where to the scandal of all majesty 200:55,142[D ]| At every grasp he belches provinces, 200:55,143[D ]| Kisses of fame, and at the empire's ruin 200:55,144[D ]| Enjoys his costly whore. 200:55,145[A ]| Peace, traitor or thou diest; 200:55,146[A ]| Though pale Lucina should direct thy sword 200:55,147[A ]| I would assault thee if thou offer more. 200:55,148[D ]| More! by the immortal gods I will awake thee, 200:55,149[D ]| I'll rouse thee, Caesar, if strong reason can; 200:55,150[D ]| If thou hadst ever sense of Roman honour, 200:55,151[D ]| Or the imperial genius ever warmed thee 200:55,152[D ]| Why hast thou used me thus for all my service, 200:55,153[D ]| My toils, my fights, my wounds in horrid war, 200:55,154[D ]| Why didst thou tear the only garland from me 200:55,155[D ]| That could make proud my conquests? Oh ye gods! 200:55,156[D ]| If there be no such thing as right or wrong 200:55,157[D ]| But force alone must swallow all possession 200:55,158[D ]| Then to what purpose for so long descents 200:55,159[D ]| Were Roman laws observed or heaven obeyed? 200:55,160[D ]| If that the great for ease and vice were formed 200:55,161[D ]| Why did our first kings toil? Why was the plough 200:55,162[D ]| Advanced to be the pillar of the state? 200:55,163[D ]| Why was the lustful Tarquin with his house 200:55,164[D ]| Expelled but for the rape of bleeding Lucrece? 200:55,165[A ]| I cannot bear thy words, vexed wretch no more. 200:55,166[A ]| He shocks me, prithee Maximus no more, 200:55,167[A ]| Reason no more, thou troublest me with reason. 200:55,168[D ]| What servile rascal, what most abject slave 200:55,169[D ]| That licked the dust where'er his master trod 200:55,170[D ]| Bounded not from the earth upon his feet 200:55,171[D ]| And shook his chain, that heard of Brutus' vengeance? 200:55,172[D ]| Who that e'er heard the cause applauded not 200:55,173[D ]| That Roman spirit for his great revenge? 200:55,174[D ]| Yet mine is more and touches me far nearer: 200:55,175[D ]| Lucrece was not his wife, as thou wert mine, 200:55,176[D ]| Forever ravished, ever lost Lucina. 200:55,177[A ]| Ah name her not, that name, thy face, and reason 200:55,178[A ]| Are the three things on earth I would avoid; 200:55,179[A ]| Let me forget her, I'll forgive thee all 200:55,180[A ]| And give thee half the empire to be gone. 200:55,181[D ]| Thus steeled with such a cause, what soul but mine 200:55,182[D ]| Had not upon the instant ended thee, 200:55,183[D ]| Sworn on that moment Caesar is no more? 200:55,184[D ]| And so I had but I will tell thee tyrant 200:55,185[D ]| To make thee hate thy guilt and curse thy fears, 200:55,186[D ]| Aecius, whom thou hast slain, prevented me, 200:55,187[D ]| Aecius, who on this bloody spot lies murdered 200:55,188[D ]| By barbarous Caesar watched my vowed revenge 200:55,189[D ]| And from my sword preserved ungrateful Caesar. 200:55,190[A ]| How then darst thou viewing this great example 200:55,191[A ]| With impious arms assault thy emperor? 200:55,192[D ]| Because I have more wit than honesty, 200:55,193[D ]| More of thy self, more villainy than virtue, 200:55,194[D ]| More passion, more revenge, and more ambition 200:55,195[D ]| Than foolish honour and fantastic glory. 200:55,196[D ]| What? Share your empire, suffer you to live 200:55,197[D ]| After the impious wrongs I have received? 200:55,198[D ]| Couldst thou thus lull me thou mightst laugh indeed. 200:55,199[A ]| I am satisfied that thou didst ever hate me: 200:55,200[A ]| Thy wife's rape therefore was an effect of justice 200:55,201[A ]| And so far thou hast eased my tender conscience; 200:55,202[A ]| Therefore to hope a friendship from thee now 200:55,203[A ]| Were vain to me as is the world's contrivance 200:55,204[A ]| Where solid pains succeed our senseless joys 200:55,205[A ]| And short-lived pleasures fleet like passing dreams. 200:55,206[A ]| Aecius I mourn thy fate as much as man 200:55,207[A ]| Can do in my condition, that am going 200:55,208[A ]| And therefore should be busy with myself; 200:55,209[A ]| Yet to thy memory I will allow 200:55,210[A ]| Some grains of time and drop some sorrowing tears: 200:55,211[A ]| Oh! Aecius, Oh! 200:55,212[D ]| Why this is right my lord 200:55,213[D ]| And if these drops are orient you will set 200:55,214[D ]| True Caesar, glorious in your going down; 200:55,215[D ]| Though all the journey of your life was cloudy 200:55,216[D ]| Allow at least a possibility 200:55,217[D ]| Where thought is lost and think there may be gods, 200:55,218[D ]| An unknown country, after you are dead 200:55,219[D ]| As well as there was one ere you were born. 200:55,220[A ]| I've thought enough and with that thought resolved 200:55,221[A ]| To mount imperial from the burning pile; 200:55,222[A ]| I grieve for Aecius, yes I mourn him gods 200:55,223[A ]| As if I'd met my father in the dark 200:55,224[A ]| And striving for the way had murdered him. 200:55,225[A ]| Oh such a faithful friend! that when he knew 200:55,226[A ]| I hated him and had contrived his death, 200:55,227[A ]| Yet then he ran his heart upon my sword 200:55,228[A ]| And gave a fatal proof of dying love. 200:55,229[D ]| 'Tis now fit time, I've wrought you to my purpose 200:55,230[D ]| Else at my entrance with a brutal blow 200:55,231[D ]| I'd felled you like a victim for the altar, 200:55,232[D ]| Not warned you thus and armed you for your hour 200:55,233[D ]| As if whene'er fate called a Caesar home 200:55,234[D ]| The judging gods looked down to mark his dying. 200:55,235[A ]| Oh subtle traitor! How he dallies with me. 200:55,236[A ]| Think not thou saucy counsellor, my slave, 200:55,237[A ]| Though at this moment I should feel thy foot 200:55,238[A ]| Upon my neck and sword within my bowels 200:55,239[A ]| That I would ask a life from thee. No, villain, 200:55,240[A ]| When once the emperor is at thy command 200:55,241[A ]| Power, life and glory must take leave forever; 200:55,242[A ]| Therefore prepare the utmost of thy malice, 200:55,243[A ]| But to torment thee more and show how little 200:55,244[A ]| All thy revenge can do appears to Caesar, 200:55,245[A ]| Would the gods raise Lucina from the grave 200:55,246[A ]| And fetter thee but while I might enjoy her, 200:55,247[A ]| Before thy face I'd ravish her again. 200:55,248[D ]| Hark, hark, Aretus and the legions come. 200:55,249[A ]| Come all, Aretus and the rebel legions, 200:55,250[A ]| Let Aecius too start from the gaol of death 200:55,251[A ]| And run the flying race of life again, 200:55,252[A ]| I'll be the foremost still and snatch fresh glory 200:55,253[A ]| To my last gasp from the contending world. 200:55,254[A ]| Garlands and crowns too shall attend my dying, 200:55,255[A ]| Statues and temples; altars shall be raised 200:55,256[A ]| To my great name, while your more vile inscriptions 200:55,257[A ]| Time rots and mouldering clay is all your portion. 200:55,000[' ]| 200:55,258[D ]| Lead me to death or empire which you please 200:55,259[D ]| For both are equal to a ruined man, 200:55,260[D ]| But fellow soldiers if you are my friends 200:55,261[D ]| Bring me to death that I may there find peace 200:55,262[D ]| Since empire is too poor to make amends 200:55,263[D ]| For half the losses I have undergone: 200:55,264[D ]| A true friend and a tender faithful wife, 200:55,265[D ]| The two blessed miracles of human life. 200:55,266[D ]| Go now and seek new worlds to add to this, 200:55,267[D ]| Search heaven for blessings to enrich the gift, 200:55,268[D ]| Bring power and pleasure on the wings of fame 200:55,269[D ]| And heap this treasure upon Maximus, 200:55,270[D ]| You'll make a great man not a happy one; 200:55,271[D ]| Sorrows so just as mine must never end 200:55,272[D ]| For my love ravished and my murdered friend. 200:55,000[' ]|