Page:All for love- or, The world well lost. A tragedy as it is acted at the Theatre-Royal; and written in imitation of Shakespeare's stile. By John Dryden, servant to His Majesty (IA allforloveorworl00indryd).pdf/66

40 That pride was all I had to bear me up; That you might think you ow'd me for your life, And ow'd it to my Duty, not my Love. I have been injur'd, and my haughty Soul Could brook but ill the Man who slights my Bed.

Ant.Therefore you love me not.

Octav.Therefore, my Lord, I should not love you.

Ant.Therefore you wou'd leave me?

Octav.And therefore I should leave you if I could.

Dolla.Her Souls too great, after such injuries, To say she loves; and yet she lets you see it. Her modesty and silence plead her cuse.

Ant.Oh, Dollabella, which way shall I turn? I find a secret yielding in my Soul; But Cleopatra, who would die with me, Must she be left? Pity pleads for Octavia; But does it not plead more for Cleopatra?

Ven.Justice and Pity both plead for Octavia; For Cleopatra, neither. One would be ruin'd with you; but she first Had ruin'd you: the other, you have ruin'd, And yet she would preserve you. In every thing their merits are unequal.

Ant.Oh, my distracted Soul!

Octav.Sweet Heav'n compose it. Come, come, my Lord, if I can pardon you, Methinks you should accept it. Look on these; Are they not yours? Or stand they thus neglected As they are mine? Go to him, Children, go; Kneel to him, take him by the hand, speak to him; For you may speak, and he may own you too, Without a blush; and so he cannot all His Children: go, I say, and pull him to me, And pull him to your selves, from that bad Woman. You, Agrippina, hang upon his arms; And you, Antonia, clasp about his waste [sic]: If he will shake you off, if he will dash you Against the Pavement, you must bear it, Children; For