Belvidera?

_Jaf._ No; thou'rt my soul itself; wealth, friendship, honour,
All present joys, and earnest of all future,
Are summ'd in thee.
Come, lead me forward, now, like a tame lamb
To sacrifice. Thus, in his fatal garlands
Deck'd fine and pleas'd, the wanton skips and plays,
Trots by th' enticing, flatt'ring, priestess' side,
And, much transported with its little pride,
Forgets his dear companions of the plain;
Till, by her bound, he's on the altar lain,
Yet then too hardly bleats, such pleasure's in the pain.

_Enter Officer and six Guards._

_Offi._ Stand! who goes there?

_Bel._ Friends.

_Offi._ But what friends are you?

_Bel._ Friends to the senate, and the state of Venice.

_Offi._ My orders are to seize on all I find
At this late hour, and bring 'em to the council,
Who are now sitting.

_Jaf._ Sir, you shall be obey'd.
Now the lot's cast, and, fate, do what thou wilt.

[_exeunt, guarded._

SCENE II. THE SENATE-HOUSE.

_Duke of Venice, Priuli, and other Senators._

_Duke._ Antony, Priuli, senators of Venice,
Speak, why are we assembled here to night?
What have you to inform us of, concerns
The state of Venice' honour, or its safety?

_Pri._ Could words express the story I've to tell you,
Fathers, these tears were useless, these sad tears
That fall from my old eyes; but there is cause
We all should weep, tear off these purple robes,
And wrap ourselves in sackcloth, sitting down
On the sad earth, and cry aloud to heav'n.
Heav'n knows, if yet there be an hour to come
Ere Venice be no more.

_All Sen._ How!

_Pri._ Nay, we stand
Upon the very brink of gaping ruin.
Within this city's form'd a dark conspiracy,
To massacre us all, our wives and children,
Kindred and friends, our palaces and temples
To lay in ashes; nay, the hour too fix'd;
The swords, for aught I know, drawn e'en this moment,
And the wild waste begun. From unknown hands
I had this warning; but, if we are men,
Let's not be tamely butcher'd, but do something
That may inform the world, in after ages,
Our virtue was not ruin'd, though we were. [_noise._
Room, room, make room for some prisoners--

_Enter Officer and Guards._

_Duke._ Speak, there. What disturbance?

_Offi._ Two prisoners have the guards seiz'd in the street,
Who say they come t' inform this reverend senate
About the present danger.

_Enter Jaffier and Officer._

_All Sen._ Give 'em entrance.--Well, who are you?

_Jaf._ A villain!
Would e