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Dec. My business is with Cato; Cæsar sees
The straits to which you're driven; and, as he knows
Cato's high worth, is anxious for your life.

Cato. My life is grafted on the fate of Rome.
Would he save Cato, bid him spare his country.
Tell your dictator this: and tell him, Cato
Disdains a life which he has power to offer.

Dec. Rome and her senators submit to Cæsar;
Her generals and her consuls are no more,
Who checked his conquests, and denied his triumphs.
Why will not Cato be this Cæsar's friend?

Cato. Those very reasons thou hast urged forbid it.
Dec. Cato, I've orders to expostulate

And reason with you, as from friend to friend.
Think on the storm that gathers o'er your head,
And threatens every hour to burst upon

it;

Still may you stand high in your country's honours,
Do but comply, and make your peace with Cæsar.
Rome will rejoice, and cast its eyes on Cato,
As on the second of mankind.

Cato. No more :

I must not think of life on such conditions.

Dec. Cæsar is well acquainted with your virtues,
And therefore sets this value on your life:
Let him but know the price of Cato's friendship,
And name your terms.

Cato. Bid him disband his legions,

Restore the commonwealth to liberty,
Submit his actions to the public censure,

And stand the judgment of a Roman senate.

Bid him do this, and Cato is his friend.

Dec. Cato, the world talks loudly of your wisdomCato. Nay, more, though Cato's voice was ne'er employed

To clear the guilty, and to varnish crimes,

Myself will mount the rostrum in his favour,
And strive to gain his pardon from the people.
Dec. A style like this becomes a conqueror.
Cato. Decius, a style like this becomes a Roman.
Dec. What is a Roman, that is Cæsar's foe?
Cato. Greater than Cæsar: he's a friend to virtue.

Dec. Consider, Cato, you're in Utica,
And at the head of your own little senate;
You dont now thunder in the Capitol,
With all the mouths of Rome to second you.

Cato. Let him consider that, who drives us hither. 'Tis Cæsar's sword has made Rome's senate little, And thinned its ranks. Alas! thy dazzled eye Beholds this man in a false glaring light,

Which conquest and success have thrown upon him;
Did'st thou but view him right, thou'dst see him black
With murder, treason, sacrilege, and crimes,
That strike my soul with horror but to name them.
I know thou look'st on me, as on a wretch
Beset with ills, and covered with misfortunes;
But, as I love my country, millions of worlds
Should never buy me to be like that Cæsar.

Dec. Does Cato send this answer back to Cæsar,
For all his generous cares, and proffered friendship?
Cato. His cares for me are insolent and vain:
Presumptuous man! The gods take care of Cato.
Would Cæsar show the greatness of his soul,
Bid him employ his care for these my friends,
And make good use of his ill-gotten power,
By sheltering men much better than himself.

Dec. Your high, unconquered heart makes you forget You are a man. You rush on your destruction:

But I have done.

When I relate hereafter

The tale of this unhappy embassy,

All Rome will be in tears.

ADDISON.

CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, ETC.- -CORIOLANUS.

Cor. Tullus Aufidius then had made new head. Men. He had, my lord; and that it was which caused Our swifter composition.

Cor. So then the Volsces stand but as at first; Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon us again.

Men. They are worn, lord consul, so

That we shall hardly in our ages see

Their banners wave again.

Cor. Saw you Aufidius?

Men. On safeguard he came to me; and did curse Against the Volsces, for they had so vilely

Yielded the town: he is retired to Antium.

Cor. Spoke he of me?
Men. He did, my lord.
Cor. How? What?

Men. How often he had met you sword to sword:
That of all things upon the earth he hated

Your person most: that he would pawn his fortunes
To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be called your vanquisher.

Cor. At Antium lives he?

Men. At Antium.

Cor. I wish I had a cause to seek him there,

To oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home. (To Menenius).

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

Behold! these are the tribunes of the people;

The tongues o' the common mouth. I do despise them; For they do prank them in authority,

Against all noble sufferance.

Sic. Pass no further.

Cor. Ha! what is that?

Bru. It will be dangerous to go on: no further.
Cor. What makes this change?

Men. The matter?

Hath he not passed the nobles and the commons ?

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Or all will fall in broil.

Cor. Are these your herd?

Must these have voices, that can yield them now,

And straight disclaim their tongues?

offices?

What are your

You being their mouths, why rule you not their teeth?

Have you not set them on?

Men. Be calm, be calm.

Cor. It is a purposed thing, and grows by plot,

To curb the will of the nobility:

Suffer it, and live with such as cannot rule,
Nor ever will be ruled.

Bru. Call 't not a plot :

The people cry you mocked them; and, of late,
When corn was given them gratis, you repined;
Scandal'd the suppliants for the people; called them
Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.

Cor. Why, this was known before.

Bru. Not to them all.

Cor. Have you informed them since ?

Bru. How! I inform them!

Cor. You are like to do such business.

Bru. Not unlike,

Each way, to better yours.

Cor. Why then should I be consul? By yon clouds, Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me

Your fellow tribune.

Sic. You show too much of that

For which the people stir: If you will pass
To where you are bound, you must inquire your way
Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit;

Or never be so noble as a consul,

Nor yoke with him for tribune.

Men. Let's be calm.

Cor. Tell me of corn!

This was my speech, and I will speak 't again ;

Men. Not now, not now.

Cor. Now, as I live, I will. My nobler friends,

I crave their pardons:

For the mutable, rank-scented many,

Let them regard me as I do not flatter,

And therein behold themselves: I say again,

In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate

The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition,

Which we ourselves have ploughed for, sowed, and scat

tered,

By mingling them with us, the honoured number;

Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that

Which they have given to beggars.

Men. Well, no more.

Cor. How! no more?

As for my country I have shed my blood,
Not fearing outward force; so shall my lungs
Coin words till their decay, against those meazels,
Which we disdain should tetter us, yet sought
The very way to catch them.

Bru. You speak o' the people as if you were a god
To punish; not a man of their infirmity.

Sic. 'Twere well we let the people know't.
Men. What, what? His choler?

Cor. Choler!

Were I as patient as the midnight sleep,
By Jove, 'twould be my mind!

Sic. It is a mind

That shall remain a poison where it is,

Not poison any further.

Cor. Shall remain !

Hear you this triton of the minnows? Mark you
His absolute shall?

O good, but most unwise patricians, why

You grave, but reckless senators, have you thus
Given Hydra here to choose an officer,

And such a one as he who puts his shall,
His popular shall, against a graver bench

Than ever frowned in Greece? By Jove himself
It makes the consuls base! And my soul aches
To know, when two authorities are up,

Neither supreme, how soon confusion
May enter twixt the gap of both, and take

The one by the other.

Men. Well, on to the market place.

Cor. Whoever gave that counsel to give forth The corn o' the storehouse gratis, as 'twas used Sometime in Greece,

Men. Well, well, no more of that.

Cor. Though there the people had more absolute power, I say, they nourished disobedience, fed

The ruin of the state.

Bru. Why shall the people give One that speaks thus, their voice?

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