CAESAR

Welcome thus far, Partners of weal and woe, Welcome brave bloods: Now may our weapons sleep, Since Ariovist in cockboat basely flies: Vast Germany stands trembling at our bridge: And Gaul lies bleeding in her mother's lap. Once the Pellaean Duke did Eastward march, To rouse the drowsy Sun, before he rose Adorned with Indian rubies: But the Main Bade him retire. He was my Type. This day, We stand on Nature's western brink; Beyond, Nothing but Sea and Sky. Here is Nil ultra. Democritus make good thy fancy, give me More world's to conquer, which may be both seen, And won together. But me thinks I ken A whitish cloud kissing the waves, or else Some chalky rocks surmount the barking flood. Comius, your knowledge can correct our eyes. I'll hit the white. That Seamark for our Ships, Invites destruction, and gives to our eye A treacherous Becko. Dare but resist: your shore Shall paint her pale face with read crimson gore. That's cause enough. They shall not henceforth range Abroad for War, We'll bring Him to their doors: His ugly Idol shall displace their gods, Their deer Penates, and in desolate streets Raise trophies high of barbarous bones, whose stench May poison all the rest. I long to stride This Hellespont, or bridge it with a Navy, Disclosing to our Empire unknown Lands, Until the Arcticke Star for Zenith stands. First let's advice; For soon to ruin come Rash weapons, which lack counsel graven at home. The likeliest Cause without regard proves vain. Where peace is first refused, should come the sword. 'Tis true: yet so, we stop the peoples cry, When we propose, and they do peace deny. We'll therefore wise Ambassadors dispatch, Parents of Love, the Harbingers of Leagues, Men that may speak with mildness mixed with courage, Having quick feet, broad eyes, short tongues, long ears; To warn the British Court. And further view the Ports, faddome the Seas, Learn their complotments; where Invasion may Be soonest entertained. All this shall lie On Volusene, a Legate, and a Spy. What land, what people, and what answer; Show. I grieve to draw my sword against the stock Of thrice-renowned Troy: But they are rude, And must be frighted, ere we shall be friends. Then lets aboard, and hoisting sails convey Two legions over: For I long to view This unknown land, and all their fabulous rites; And gather margarites in my brazen cap. Nature, nor Fates can valorous virtue Stop. Oh thou Preserver of our present Raze, Our Cities Second founder! What dire fate Troubles Thy Rest, that thou shouldst trouble Mine? Thou shalt not needs. Is this that Northern rout, the Scourge of kingdoms? Whose names till now unknown, We judged Gauls; Their Tongue and Manners not unlike. So mayest thou sweetly rest, as I shall strive To trace your steps: Nor let me live, If I Thence disappointed ever seem to fly, Exit. Our Landing cost us dearly, many lives Between the ships and shore being sacrificed. Our men with heavy armour clogged, and ignorant Of all the flats, and shallows, were compelled To wade and fight, Like Tritons half above, Half under water. Now we surer tread, Though much diminished by so many lost. Come on. Come on. They march, and go out. What, still fresh Supplies come thronging from their dens? The nest of Hornets is awake: I think Here's Nature's Shop: Here men are made, not born, Nor stay nine tedious months, But in a trice Sprout up Like mushrooms at Wars thunderclap. We must make out a way. Exeunt. We may confess, they come of Trojan kind, And hundred valiant Hector's here we find. Thou seemest a worthy Prince, and Caesars match. Heaven, Sea, and Wind, and all the Elements, Conspire to work us harm. Our Ships in Gaul Wind-bound, at length put forth, and come in view Are tossed, and torn: Our Navy on the shore With civil discord break each others planks. The airy Rulers are displeased, all day Noises and nimble flashes mixed with rain Amaze our soldiers. To make grief full, my Daughters death I hear. When, powerful Fortune, will thy anger cease? Never till now did Caesar fortune fear. Mount Palatine, thou Throne of Jove, and you Whose lesser Turrets pinnacle Rome's head: Are all your Deities fled? or was I bold, To outgo Nature, and our Empire stretch Beyond her limits? Pardon then my fault. Or do we basely faint? Or is our might Answered with Like, since Troy gainst Troy does fight? Nor can I write now, I came over, and I overcame: Such foes deny such hast. Then Sirs, to ship: Compelled I leave this land: But to return, if gods do not withstand, Exeunt. A Story is't, or fable; That stern Mars, Thy weight did Romulus sleepy mother press? Since we thy Brood degenerous, stand at gaze, Charmed in the circle of a foaming flood, And trail our dastard pikes? Burst Janus prison, Roar as thou didst at Troy, drown Stentors voice By many eights, which Pindus may re-beate, Which Caucasus may as a Catch repeat, And Taurus lough the fame: That Pygmees small May squeak, It thunders, and dive into burroughs. Let the four winds with dreadful clamour sing Thy anger through the affrighted world. What Lemnian chain shackles our mounting Eagle? The Moon's round Concave is too strait a cage For her advanced Pinions. Arise unhappy Prince, our deeds shall show, We grant thy suit. To Volusene. Fortune repents at last; The Moon is changed, the Globe does to us turn Her shining cheek, and woes us with a smile. But what firm signs of Faith, what faithful aid, What furtherance can you give at our arrival? Enough. I'll once more cross the Seas, For your good, more than mine; That happier sky May bless your Towns with peace, your fields with plenty; Perpetual spring in gay perfumed attire, Surname your I'll, the Garden of the West. Now Volusene : Our glorious state, Like the noone-pointed Sun, When he bestrides the Lyons flaming fleece, Does Northwest roll his burning brand, whose fire The Ocean's blue lake cannot stop, but flies With brighter blaze to thaw the frozen Isles. But how proceeds our preparation? Blow gently Africus, Play on our poops: When Hyperions Son Shall couch in West his fome-bedappled jades; We'll rise to run our course. Exeunt. The coast is clear. Our honour is the Goal. In vain does Tagus yellow sand obey, Rhenes horned front, and nimble Tygris running For wager with the wind, which skimmes his top: In vain from Ganges to Hesperian Gades, The Bounds marked out by Jove's two baseborn Sons, Our Echoed Name does found: If we recoil From hence again not victor's. You Pilots old, who were begotten on mermaids, Whose Element is the Sea, bred and brought up In cradles rocked with storms, and wooden walls, Fear not to grapple with their seas. Fear not Their bulks, Brave veterans: That extended mass Is not of iron, but can bleed, and die: They were not dipped in Styx: nor are they Giants, Or wild Poetic Centaur's we assail: Let then this voyage quit our credit lost, And let Rage lash on Courage. Here's the Game: Life may be lost, but sure weel hold fast Fame. Are you the Men, who never fought in vain? Who wear Bellona's favours, in your skarres: I, you are They. What then benumbs our Spirits? Our Empire from Quirinus narrow Centre Does circling spread, and finds no brink nor bottom. Titan no later sets, nor earlier wakes, Than he beholds our Provinces, Why, then? What Privilege hath this place? Have we, or They The Phrygian powers? Have they Palladium God? No, no, Those gods our Capitol keep with joy: These only have undaunted minds from Troy. What news, good Atrius? What devil-cacus drags our Fortune back? Does She move retrograde? and hoist us up. That we may fallen at heighth? Why dost Camillus Each night torment my sleep, and cry, Revenge? I strive against the stream. All, all shall know our love. Nor stakes, Lake's, fords, nor swords shall check our progress: Those downy swan's shall hear more funeral notes. Their Kings departed, Nennius dead, whose lose Would tears extort even from Pumicean eyes; Had Britain nursed but such another Champion, They might have stuck their darts on our barred gates, And Latium trembled with contrary fates. In what now lies their hope? No doubt: This blow shall Like and earthquake move The roots and pillars of this sea-clipt I'll. A cloud of vultures shall attend our Camp, And no more shall the fields bear Vert, but Gules: The grain en-graind in purple die shall lose His verdant hue. Bones, marrow, humane limbs Shall putrifying reak, whose vapoured slime Kindled on high may breed long-bearded Stars, To tell more mischief, and out-beard Apollo. Atrius, let our ships be drawn on shore, New-rigg'd and mended. I must needs confess him A darling of the gods; under whose colours Stars, winter, sky, and tempests serve in pay, And know both march and skirmish by his Drum. Exeunt. Thus gain we ground: yet still our foes will fight, Whither they win or lose. With bloody drops Our path is printed: Thames his maiden-cheeks Blush with vermilion: Nations crave our League On every side: Yet still Cassibelane braves us, Nor will submit. What God adore you? Whats the Moon? Whats Night? What most compendious way to happiness? What is a man? How differ they in nature? One question more: What dangers shall I pass? Wee'll talk at leisure more. Exeunt. It is my glory to end all with peace: And for that cause, I Comius sent in hast, For to conduct him hither. Hail valorous prince, disdain not this engrafting Into Rome's Empire, whose command incloses The whole Levant, and whose large shadow hides The triple-bounded Earth, and bellowing Seas. Thus we determine: That Crown still shall stand; Reign as the total Monarch of this I'll: Till death unkings you. 'Twere, Androgeus, best You in our train kept honourable place: And let Themantius wear the royal wreathe. You must forgive the Towns which did revolt, Nor seek revenge on Trinobants, but let Young Mandubrace possess his Father's Princedom. In sign of league, you shall us pledges give, And yearly pay three thousand pound of silver, Unto our Treasury. So let these decrees Be straight proclaimed through Troynovant, whose Tower Shall be more fairly built at my charge, as A lasting Monument of our arrival. And you receive this massy Cup of gold, Loves earnest, and Memorial of this day: By this, suppose our Senate calls you friend. Now the Tarpeyan rock overlooks the world; Her Empire bounded only by the Ocean; And boundless Fame beats on the starry Pole. So Danube crawling from a mountains side, Wider and deeper grows, and Like a Serpent, Or Pyramid reversed; improves his bigness, As well as length: Till viewing countries large, And fed with sixty rivers, his wide mouth On the Euxine Seanymph gapes, and fear does stir, Whither he will disgorge, or swallow her.