_Soph._ All worlds perish, Before my piety turn treasons parent, Take it again, and stand upon your guard, And while your Brother is, continue arm'd; And yet, this fear is needless, for I know, My _Rollo_, though he dares as much as man, So tender of his yet untainted valour, So noble, that he dares do nothing basely. You doubt him; he fears you; I doubt and fear Both; for others safety, and not mine own. Know yet, my sons, when of necessity You must deceive, or be deceiv'd; 'tis better To suffer Treason, than to act the Traytor; And in a War like this, in which the glory Is his that's overcome; consider then What 'tis for which you strive: is it the Dukedom? Or the command of these so ready subjects? Desire of wealth? or whatsoever else Fires your ambition? This still desp'rate madness, To kill the people which you would be Lords of; With fire, and sword to lay that Country waste Whose rule you seek for: to consume the treasures, Which are the sinews of your Government, In cherishing the factions that destroy it: Far, far be this from you: make it not question'd Whether you have interest in that Dukedom, Whose ruine both contend for. _Otto._ I desire but to enjoy my own, which I will keep. _Rol._ And rather than posterity shall have cause To say I ruin'd all, divide the Dukedom, I will accept the moiety. _Ott._ I embrace it. _Soph._ Divide me first, or tear me limb by limb, And let them find as many several Graves As there are villages in _Normandy_: And 'tis less sin, than thus to weaken it. To hear it mention'd doth already make me Envy my dead Lord, and almost Blaspheme Those powers that heard my prayer for fruitfulness, And did not with my first birth close my womb: To me alone my second blessing proves My first of misery, for if that Heaven Which gave me _Rollo_, there had staid his bounty, And _Otto_, my dear _Otto_, ne're had been, Or being, had not been so worth my love, The stream of my affection had run constant In one fair current, all my hopes had been Laid up in one; and fruitful _Normandy_ In this division had not lost her glories: For as 'tis now, 'tis a fair Diamond, Which being preserv'd intire, exceeds all value, But cut in pieces (though these pieces are Set in fine gold by the best work-mans cunning) Parts with all estimation: So this Dukedom, As 'tis yet whole, the neighbouring Kings may covet, But cannot compass; which divided, will Become the spoil of every barbarous foe That will invade it. _Gis._ How this works in both! _Bal._ Prince _Rollo_'s eyes have lost their fire. _Gis._ And anger, that but now wholly possessed Good Otto, hath given place to pity. _Aub._ End not thus Madam, but perfect what's so well begun.