200:11,000[' ]| 200:11,164[A ]| Which way Lucina hope ye to escape 200:11,165[A ]| The censure both of tyrannous and proud 200:11,166[A ]| While your admirers languish by your eyes 200:11,167[A ]| And at your feet the emperor despairs? 200:11,168[A ]| Gods! why was I marked out of all your brood 200:11,169[A ]| To suffer tamely under mortal hate? 200:11,170[A ]| Is it not I that do protect your shrines, 200:11,171[A ]| Am author of your sacrifice and prayers, 200:11,172[A ]| Forced by whose great commands the knowing world 200:11,173[A ]| Submits to own your beings and your power? 200:11,174[A ]| And must I feel the torments of neglect, 200:11,175[A ]| Betrayed by love to be the slave of scorn? 200:11,176[A ]| But 'tis not you poor harmless deities 200:11,177[A ]| That can make Valentinian sigh and mourn: 200:11,178[A ]| Alas all power is in Lucina's eyes. 200:11,179[A ]| How soon could I shake off this heavy earth 200:11,180[A ]| Which makes me little lower than yourselves 200:11,181[A ]| And sit in heaven an equal with the first 200:11,182[A ]| But Love bids me pursue a nobler aim: 200:11,183[A ]| Continue mortal and Lucina's slave, 200:11,184[A ]| From whose fair eyes (would pity take my part 200:11,185[A ]| And bend her will to save a bleeding heart) 200:11,186[A ]| I in her arms such blessings should obtain 200:11,187[A ]| For which the unenvied gods might wish in vain. 200:11,188[B ]| Ah! cease to tempt those gods and virtue too, 200:11,189[B ]| Great emperor of the world and lord of me, 200:11,190[B ]| Heaven has my life submitted to your will, 200:11,191[B ]| My honour's heaven's which will preserve its own: 200:11,192[B ]| How vile a thing am I when that is gone; 200:11,193[B ]| When of my honour you have rifled me 200:11,194[B ]| What other merit have I to be yours? 200:11,195[B ]| With my fair fame let me your subject live 200:11,196[B ]| And save that humbleness you smile upon; 200:11,197[B ]| Those gracious looks whose brightness should rejoice 200:11,198[B ]| Make your poor handmaid tremble when she thinks 200:11,199[B ]| That they appear like lightning's fatal flash 200:11,200[B ]| Which by destructive thunder is pursued, 200:11,201[B ]| Blasting those fields on which it shined before. 200:11,202[B ]| And should the gods abandon worthless me, 200:11,203[B ]| A sacrifice to shame and to dishonour, 200:11,204[B ]| A plague to Rome and blot to Caesar's fame, 200:11,205[B ]| For what crime yet unknown shall Maximus 200:11,206[B ]| By me and Caesar be made infamous? 200:11,207[B ]| The faithfullest servant and the kindest lord, 200:11,208[B ]| So true, so brave, so generous and so just, 200:11,209[B ]| Who ne'er knew fault, why should he fall to shame? 200:11,210[A ]| Sweet innocence, alas your Maximus 200:11,211[A ]| Whom I like you esteem is in no danger 200:11,212[A ]| If duty and allegiance be no shame; 200:11,213[A ]| Have I not praetors through the spacious earth 200:11,214[A ]| Who in my name do mighty nations sway, 200:11,215[A ]| Enjoying rich dominions in my right? 200:11,216[A ]| Their temporary governments I change, 200:11,217[A ]| Divide or take away as I see good 200:11,218[A ]| And this they think no injury nor shame. 200:11,219[A ]| Can you believe your husband's right to you 200:11,220[A ]| Other than what from me he does derive, 200:11,221[A ]| Who justly may recall my own at pleasure? 200:11,222[A ]| Am I not emperor, this world my own? 200:11,223[A ]| Given me without a partner by the gods, 200:11,224[A ]| Each man, each beast, even to the smallest fly 200:11,225[A ]| No mortal creature dare call his but I; 200:11,226[A ]| And shall those gods who gave me all allow 200:11,227[A ]| That one less than myself should have a claim 200:11,228[A ]| To you, the pride and glory of the whole? 200:11,229[A ]| You without whom the rest is worthless dross, 200:11,230[A ]| Life a base slavery, empire but a mock 200:11,231[A ]| And love the soul of all a bitter curse. 200:11,232[A ]| No, only blessing, Maximus and I 200:11,233[A ]| Must change our provinces, the world shall bow 200:11,234[A ]| Beneath the sceptre, grasped in this strong hand 200:11,235[A ]| Whose valour may reduce rebellious slaves 200:11,236[A ]| And wise integrity secure the rest; 200:11,237[A ]| In all those rights the gods through me have given 200:11,238[A ]| While I from tedious toils of empire free, 200:11,239[A ]| The servile pride of government despise, 200:11,240[A ]| Find peace and joy and love and heaven in thee 200:11,241[A ]| And seek for all my glory in those eyes. 200:11,242[B ]| Had heaven designed for me so great a fate 200:11,243[B ]| As Caesar's love I should have been preserved 200:11,244[B ]| By careful providence for him alone 200:11,245[B ]| Not offered up at first to Maximus, 200:11,246[B ]| For princes should not mingle with their slaves 200:11,247[B ]| Nor seek to quench their thirst in troubled streams; 200:11,248[B ]| Nor am I framed with thoughts fit for a throne 200:11,249[B ]| To be commanded still has been my joy 200:11,250[B ]| And to obey the height of my ambition. 200:11,251[B ]| When young in anxious cares I spent the day 200:11,252[B ]| Trembling for fear lest each unguided step 200:11,253[B ]| Should tread the paths of errors and of blame 200:11,254[B ]| Till heaven in gentle pity sent my lord 200:11,255[B ]| In whose commands my wishes meet their end; 200:11,256[B ]| Pleased and secure whilst following his will, 200:11,257[B ]| Whether to live or die I cannot err. 200:11,258[B ]| You like the sun great sir are placed above, 200:11,259[B ]| I a low myrtle in the humble vale 200:11,260[B ]| May flourish by your distant influence 200:11,261[B ]| But should you bend your glories nearer me 200:11,262[B ]| Such fatal favour withers me to dust; 200:11,263[B ]| Or I in foolish gratitude desire 200:11,264[B ]| To kiss your feet by whom we live and grow, 200:11,265[B ]| To such a height I should in vain aspire 200:11,266[B ]| Who am already rooted here below. 200:11,267[B ]| Fixed in my Maximus's breast I lie 200:11,268[B ]| Torn from that bed like gathered flowers I die. 200:11,269[A ]| Cease to oppress me with a thousand charms, 200:11,270[A ]| There need no succours to prevailing arms; 200:11,271[A ]| Your beauty had subdued my heart before, 200:11,272[A ]| Such virtue could alone enslave me more. 200:11,273[A ]| If you love Maximus to this degree, 200:11,274[A ]| How would you be in love did you love me? 200:11,275[A ]| In her who to a husband is so kind 200:11,276[A ]| What raptures might a lover look to find? 200:11,277[A ]| I burn Lucina like a field of corn 200:11,278[A ]| By flowing streams of kindled flames o'erborne 200:11,279[A ]| When north winds drive the torrent with a storm; 200:11,280[A ]| These fires into my bosom you have thrown 200:11,281[A ]| And must in pity quench 'em in your own. 200:11,282[A ]| Heaven when it gave your eyes the inflaming power 200:11,283[A ]| Which was ordained to cast an emperor 200:11,284[A ]| Into love's fever kindly did impart 200:11,285[A ]| That sea of milk to bathe his burning heart 200:11,286[A ]| Through all those joys 200:11,000[' ]| 200:11,287[B ]| Hold sir, for mercy's sake: 200:11,288[B ]| Love will abhor whatever force can take. 200:11,289[B ]| I may perhaps persuade myself in time 200:11,290[B ]| That this is duty which now seems a crime; 200:11,291[B ]| I'll to the gods and beg they will inspire 200:11,292[B ]| My breast or yours with what it should desire. 200:11,293[A ]| Fly to their altars straight, and let 'em know 200:11,294[A ]| Now is their time to make me friend or foe 200:11,295[A ]| If to my wishes they your heart incline 200:11,296[A ]| Or they're no longer favourites of mine. 200:11,000[' ]| 200:11,297[A ]| None in my world shall dare to own a power 200:11,298[A ]| That can't or will not help their emperor; 200:11,299[A ]| Incense no longer to those gods shall burn 200:11,300[A ]| Unless they strive to serve me in their turn. 200:11,301[A ]| Ho! Chylax, Proculus! 200:11,000[' ]| 200:11,302[A ]| As ever you do hope to be by me 200:11,303[A ]| Protected in your boundless infamy, 200:11,304[A ]| For dissoluteness cherished, loved and praised, 200:11,305[A ]| On pyramids of your own vices raised 200:11,306[A ]| Above the reach of law, reproof, or shame, 200:11,307[A ]| Assist me now to quench my raging flame; 200:11,308[A ]| 'Tis not as heretofore a lambent fire 200:11,309[A ]| Raised by some common beauty in my breast, 200:11,310[A ]| Vapours from idleness and loose desire 200:11,311[A ]| By each new motion easily suppressed, 200:11,312[A ]| But a fixed heat that robs me of all rest; 200:11,313[A ]| Before my dazzled eyes could you now place 200:11,314[A ]| A thousand willing beauties to allure 200:11,315[A ]| And give me lust for every loose embrace, 200:11,316[A ]| Lucina's love my virtue would secure; 200:11,317[A ]| From the contagious charm in vain I'd fly 200:11,318[A ]| That seized upon my heart and may defy 200:11,319[A ]| That great preservative variety. 200:11,320[A ]| Go call your wives to council and prepare 200:11,321[A ]| To tempt, dissemble, promise, fawn and swear 200:11,322[A ]| To make faith look like folly, use your skill: 200:11,323[A ]| Virtue an ill-bred crossness in the will, 200:11,324[A ]| Fame the loose breathings of a clamorous crowd 200:11,325[A ]| Ever in lies most confident and loud, 200:11,326[A ]| Honour a notion, piety a cheat, 200:11,327[A ]| And if ye prove successful, bawds, be great. 200:11,328[I ]| All hindrance to your hopes we'll soon remove 200:11,329[I ]| And clear the way to your triumphant love. 200:11,330[G ]| Lucina for your wishes we'll prepare 200:11,331[G ]| And show we know to merit what we are. 200:11,000[' ]| 200:11,332[A ]| Once more the power of vows and tears I'll prove, 200:11,333[A ]| These may perhaps her gentle nature move 200:11,334[A ]| To pity first, by consequence to love; 200:11,335[A ]| Poor are the brutal conquests we obtain 200:11,336[A ]| O'er barbarous nations by the force of arms, 200:11,337[A ]| But when with humble love a heart we gain 200:11,338[A ]| And plant our trophies on our conqueror's charms. 200:11,000[' ]| 200:11,339[A ]| Such triumphs even to us may honour bring, 200:11,340[A ]| No glory's vain which does from pleasure spring.