_Fred._ Hold, I am the Prince of _Florence_.

_Cur._ These, Sir, are Rogues, and have no sense of ought,
But Mischief in their Souls;
Gold is their Prince and God,--go, be gone-- [They withdraw.
--See, Sir, I can command them.

_Fred._ _Curtius_, why dost thou deal thus treacherously with me?
Did I not offer thee to fight thee fairly?

_Cur._ 'Tis like the Injuries, Sir, that you have done me;
Pardon me if my Griefs make me too rude,
And in coarse terms lay all your Sins before you.
--First, Sir, you have debauch'd my lovely Sister,
The only one I had;
The Hope and Care of all our noble Family:
Thou, Prince, didst ravish all her Virtue from her,
And left her nothing but a desperate sense of Shame,
Which only serv'd to do her self that Justice,
Which I had executed, had she not prevented me.

_Fred._ In this, upon my Soul, you do me wrong.

_Cur._ Next, (Oh, how unlike a brave and generous Man!)
Without a Cause, you cast me from your Bosom;
Withdrew the Honour of your promis'd Friendship,
And made me partner in my Sister's Fate;
Only with this difference, that she
You left to act a Murder on her self;
And mine you would have been so kind to've done
With your own hand, but my respect prevented it.
--Next, Sir, you ravish'd _Laura_ from me,
And under a pretence of sacred Friendship,
You prov'd your self the worst of Enemies;
And that's a Crime you dare not say was Ignorance,
As you perhaps will plead your Sin to _Cloris_ was.

_Fred._ _Cloris_, why, what hast thou to do with _Cloris_?

_Cur._ She was my Sister, _Frederick_.

_Fred._ Thy Sister!

_Cur._ Yes, think of it well,
A Lady of as pure and noble Blood,
As that of the great Duke thy Father,
Till you, bad Man, infected it.
--Say, should I murder you for this base Action,
Would you not call it a true Sacrifice?
And would not Heaven and Earth forgive it too?

_Fred._ No, had I known that she had been thy Sister,
I had receiv'd her as a Gift from Heaven;
And so I would do still.

_Cur._ She must be sent indeed from Heaven,
If you receive her now.

_Fred._ Is _Cloris_ dead? Oh, how I was to blame! [Weeps.
--Here thou mayst finish now the Life thou threaten'st.

_Cur._ Now, Sir, you know my Justice and my Power;
Yet since my Prince can shed a Tear for _Cloris_,
I can forgive him; here, Sir,--send me to _Cloris_,
[Kneels, and offers his