Har. Captain, you're a dead man; I'll spare your torture for your quality; prepare for execution instantly.

Tow. I am prepared.

Fisc. You die in charity, I hope?
Tow. I can forgive even thee:

My innocence I need not name, you know it.
One farewell kiss of my dear Isabinda,
And all my business here on earth is done.
Har. Call her; she's at the door. [Exit Fisc.
Tow. to Beam. embracing. A long and last fare-
well! I take my death

With the more cheerfulness, because thou liv'st
Behind me: Tell my friends, I died so as
Became a Christian and a man; give to my brave
Employers of the East India Company,
The last remembrance of my faithful service;
Tell them, I seal that service with my blood;
And, dying, wish to all their factories,
And all the famous merchants of our isle,
That wealth their generous industry deserves;
But dare not hope it with Dutch partnership.
Last, there's my heart, I give it in this kiss:
[Kisses him.
Do not answer me; friendship's a tender thing,
And it would ill become me now to weep.
Beam. Adieu! if I would speak, I cannot-
[Exit.

01

Enter ISABINDA.

Isab. Is it permitted me to see your eyes Once more, before eternal night shall close them?

Tow. I summon'd all I had of man to see you; "Twas well the time allow'd for it was short; I could not bear it long: 'Twas dangerous, And would divide my love 'twixt heaven and you.

I therefore part in haste; think I am going
A sudden journey, and have not the leisure
To take a ceremonious long farewell.
Isab. Do you still love me?
Tow. Do not suppose I do;

'Tis for your ease, since you must stay behind me, To think I was unkind; you'll grieve the less. Har. Though I suspect you join'd in my son's murder,

Yet, since it is not proved, you have your life.
Isab. I thank you for't, I'll make the noblest use
Of your sad gift; that is, to die unforced :
I'll make a present of my life to Towerson,
To let you see, though worthless of his love,
I would not live without him.

Tow. I charge you, love my memory, but live. Har. She shall be strictly guarded from that violence,

She means against herself.

Isab. Vain men! there are so many paths to death, You cannot stop them all: o'er the green turf, Where my love's laid, there will I mourning sit, And draw no air but from the damps that rise Out of that hallow'd earth; and for my diet, I mean my eyes alone shall feed my mouth. Thus will I live, till he in pity rise, And the pale shade take me in his cold arms, And lay me kindly by him in his grave.

Enter COLLINS, and then PEREZ, JULIA following him.

Har. No more; your time's now come, you must away.

Col. Now, devils, you have done your worst with tortures; death's a privation of pain, but they were a continual dying.

Jul. Farewell, my dearest! I may have many husbands,

But never one like thee.

Per. As you love my soul, take hence that wo

I.

man.

My English friends, I'm not ashamed of death,
While I have you for partners; I know you innocent,
And so am I, of this pretended plot :
But I am guilty of a greater crime;
For, being married in another country,
The governor's persuasions, and my love
To that ill woman, made me leave the first,
And make this fatal choice.

I'm justly punish'd; for her sake I die:
The Fiscal, to enjoy her, has accused me.
There is another cause;
By his procurement I should have kill'd-
Fisc. Away with him, and stop his mouth.
[He is led off.

Tow. I leave thee, life, with no regret at parting; Full of whatever thou could'st give, I rise From thy neglected feast, and go to sleep: Yet, on this brink of death, my eyes are open'd, And Heaven has bid me prophecy to you, The unjust contrivers of this tragic scene :An age is coming, when an English monarch With blood shall pay that blood which that blood which you have shed: To save your cities from victorious arms, You shall invite the waves to hide your earth, And, trembling, to the tops of houses fly, While deluges invade your lower rooms :* Then, as with waters you have swell'd our bodies, With damps of waters shall your heads be swoln:

*During the French invasion of 1672, the Dutch were obliged to adopt the desperate defence of cutting their dykes, and inundating the country.

།༢

Till, at the last, your sapp'd foundations fall,
And universal ruin swallows all.

[He is led out with the English; the Dutch remain.

Van. Her. Ay, ay, we'll venture both ourselves and children for such another pull.

1 Dutch. Let him prophecy when his head's off. 2 Dutch. There's ne'er a Nostradamus of them all shall fright us from our gain.

Fisc. Now for a smooth apology, and then a fawning letter to the King of England; and our work's done.

Har. "Tis done as I would wish it;

Now, brethren, at my proper cost and charges,
Three days you are my guests; in which good time
We will divide their greatest wealth by lots,
While wantonly we raffle for the rest:
Then, in full rummers, and with joyful hearts,
We'll drink confusion to all English starts.

[Exeunt.

EPILOGUE.

A POET Once the Spartans led to fight,
And made them conquer in the muse's right;
So would our poet lead you on this day,
Shewing your tortured fathers in his play.
To one well-born the affront is worse, and more,
When he's abused, and baffled by a boor:
With an ill grace the Dutch their mischiefs do,
They've both ill-nature and ill-manners too.
Well may they boast themselves an ancient nation,
For they were bred ere manners were in fashion;
And their new commonwealth has set them free,
Only from honour and civility.
Venetians do not more uncouthly ride,*
Than did their lubber State mankind bestride;
Their sway became them with as ill a mien,
As their own paunches swell above their chin:
Yet is their empire no true growth, but humour,
And only two kings' touch can cure the tumour.†
As Cato did his Afric fruits display,

So we before your eyes their Indies lay:
All loyal English will, like him, conclude,
Let Cæsar live, and Carthage be subdued !!

* The situation of Venice renders it impossible to bring horses into the town; accordingly, the Venetians are proverbially bad riders.

+ The poet alludes to the king's evil, and to the joint war of France and England against Holland.

Allusions to Cato,-who presented to the Roman Senate the rich figs of Africa, and reminded them it was but three days sail to the country which produced such excellent fruit,—were fashionable during the Dutch war. The Lord Chancellor Shaftesbury had set the example, by applying to Holland the favourite maxim of the Roman philosopher, Delenda est Carthago. When that versatile statesman afterwards fled to Holland, he petitioned to be created a burgess of Amsterdam, to ensure him against being delivered up to England. The magistrates conferred on him the freedom desired, with the memorable words, "Ab nostra Carthagine, nondum deleta, salutem accipe."