CICERO

What end (Oh raze of Scipio,) will the Fates Afford your tears? Will that day never come That your disastrous griefs shall turn to joy, And we have time to bury our annoy? "The wide world's accidents are apt to change. "And tickle Fortune stays not in a place. "But (Like the Clouds) continually does range, "Or Like the Sun that hath the Night in chase. "Then as the Heavens (by whom our Hope's are guided) "Do coast the Earth with and eternal course, "We must not think a misery betided, "Will never cease, but still grow worse and worse. "When Isie Winter's passed, then comes the spring, "Whom Summers pride (with sultry heat) pursues; "To whom mild Autumn does earth's treasure bring, "The sweetest season that the wise can choose. "Heavens influence was never so constant yet, "In good or bade as to continue it. When I was young, I saw against poor Sulla, Proud Cynna, Marius, and Carbo fleshed, So long, till they gan tiranize the Town, And spilled such store of blood in every street, As there were none but dead-men to be seen. Within a while, I saw how Fortune played, And wound those Tyrants underneath her wheel, Who lost their lives, and power at once by one, That (to revenge himself) did (with his blade) Commit more murder then Room ever made. Yet Sulla, shaking tyranny aside, Returned endue honours to our Commonwealth, Which peaceably retained her ancient state, Grown great without the strife of Citizens. Till this ambitious Tyrants time, that toiled To stoop the world, and Room to his desires. But flattering Chance that trained his first designs, May change her looks, and give the Tyrant over, Leaving our City, where so long ago, Heavens did their favors lavishly bestow. Mourn not for Pompey, Pompey could not die A better death, then for his Countries weal. For oft he searched amongst the fierce alarms, But (wishing) could not find so fair and end; Till fraught with years, and honour both at once, He gave his body (as a Barricade) For Rome's defence, by Tyrants overlaid. Bravely he died, and (happily) takes it ill, That (envious) we repine at heavens will. Madam, you must not thus transpose your self. We see your sorrow, but who sorrows not? The grief is common. And I muse, beside The servitude that causeth all our cares, Beside the baseness wherein we are yoked, Beside the lose of good men dead and gone, What one he is that in this broil hath been And mourneth not for some man of his kin? "Oh, but men bear misfortunes with more ease, "The more indifferently that they fallen, "And nothing more (in uproars) men can please, "Then when they see their woes not worst of all. "But ours of others will not be acknown. "I when himself will entertain none such. "And choice of streams the greatest River dries. What boot your tears, or what avails your sorrow Against th'ineuitable dart of Death? Think you to move with lamentable plaints Persiphone, or Plutos ghastly spirits, To make him live that's locked in his tomb, And wanders in the Centre of the earth? "No, no, Cornelia, Caron takes not pain, "To ferry those that must be fetched again. "Nought is immortal underneath the Sun, "All things are subject to Death's tyranny: "Both Clowns & Kings one selfsame course must run, "And whatsoever lives, is sure to die. Then wherefore mourn you for your husbands death Sith being a man, he was ordained to die? Sith Jove's owns sons, retaining humane shape, No more then wretched we their death could escape. Brave Scipio, your famous ancestor, That Rome's high worth to Affrique did extend; And those two Scipios (that in person fought, Before the fearful Carthaginian walls,) Both brother's, and both wars fierce lightning fierce; Are they not dead? Yes, and their death (our dearth) Hath hid them both emboweled in the earth. And those great Cities, whose foundations reached From deepest hell, and with their tops tucht heaven: Whose lofty Towers, (Like thorny-pointed spears) Whose Temples, Palaces, and walls embossed, In power and force, and fierceness, seemed to threat The tired world, that trembled with their weight; In one days space (to our eternal mones) Have we not seen them turned to heaps of stones? Carthage can witness, and thou heavens handwork Fair Ilium, razed by the conquering Greeks; Whose ancient beauty, worth and weapons, seemed Sufficient to-have tamed the Myrmidons. "But whatsoever hath been begun, must end. "Death (haply that our willingness does see) "With brandished dart, does make the passage free; "And timeless does our souls to Pluto send. "Death's always ready, and our time is known "To be at heavens dispose, and not our own. What good expect we in a fiery gap? "A noble mind does never fear mischances. Can bondage true nobility exclude? "True noblesse never does the thing it should not. Yet dying think this still; "No fear of death should force us to do ill. My works will show I never feared my life. "We neither ought to urge nor ask a thing, "Wherein we see so much assurance lies. "But if perhaps some fierce offended King, "(To fright us) set pale death before our eyes, "To force us do that goes against our heart; "T'were more then base in us to dread his dart. "But when for fear of and ensuing ill, "We seek to shorten our appointed raze, "Then t'is (for fear) that we our selves do kill, "So found we are to fear the world's disgrace. Daughter, beware how you provoke the heavens, Which in our bodies (as a tower of strength) Have placed our souls, and fortefide the same; As discreet Princes set their Garrisons, In strongest places of their Provinces. "Now, as it is not lawful for a man, "At such a Kings departure or decease, "To leave the place, and falsefie his faith, "So in this case, we ought not to surrender "That dearer partly, till heaven it self command it. "For as they lent us life to do us pleasure, "So look they for return of such a treasure. Then Oh world's Queen, Oh town that didst extend Thy conquering arms beyond the Ocean, And throngdst thy conquests from the Lybian shores Down to the Scythian swift-foot fearless Porters, Thou art embased; and at this instant yieldest Thy proud neck to a miserable yoke. Room thou art tamed, & earth dewd with thy blood Does laugh to see how thou art signiorizd. The force of heaven exceeds thy former strength. For thou that wontest to tame and conquer all, Art conquered now with and eternal fallen. Now shalt thou march (thy hands fast bound behind thee) Thy head hung down, thy cheeks with tears besprent, Before the victor; While thy rebel son, With crowned front triumphing follows thee. Thy bravest Captains, whose courageous hearts (Joined with the right) did reinforce our Hope's, Now murdered lie for Foul to feed upon. Petreus, Cato, and Scipio are slain, And Juba that amongst the Moors did reign. Now you whom both the gods and Fortune's grace, Hath saved from danger in these furious broils, Forbear to tempt the enemy again, For fear you feel a third calamity. Caesar is Like a brightly flaming blaze That fiercely burns a house already fired; And ceaseless launching out on every side, Consumes the more, the more you seek to quench it, Still darting sparkles, till it find a train To seize upon, and then it flames amain. The men, the Ships, wherewith poor Room affronts him, All powreles, give proud Caesars wrath free passage. Nought can resist him, all the pour we raise, Turns but to our misfortune, and his praise. T'is thou (Oh Room) that nurse his insolence. T'is thou (Oh Room) that gavest him first the sword Which murder-like against thy self he draws: And violates both God and Nature's laws. Like moral Esops mysled Country swain, That found a Serpent pining in the snow, And full of foolish pity took it up, And kindly laid it by his household fire, Till (waxed warm) it nimbly gan to stir, And stung to death the fool that fostered her. Oh gods that once had care of these our walls, And fearless kept us from th'assault offoes. Great Jupiter, to whom our Capitol So many Oxen yearly sacrafiz'd. Minerva, Stator, and stout Thracian Mars, Father to good Quirinus our first founder. To what intent have you preserved our Town? This stately Town so often hazarded, Against the Samnites, Sabins, and fierce Latins? Why from once footing in our Fortresses, Have ye repelled the lusty warlike Gauls? Why from Molossus and false Hanibal, Have ye reserved the noble Romulists? Or why from Catlins lewd conspiracies, Preserved ye Room by my prevention? To cast so soon a state so long defended, Into the bondage where (enthrald) we pine? To serve (no stranger, but amongst us) one That with blind frenzy builds up his throne? But if in us be any vigor resting, If yet our hearts retain one drop of blood, Caesar thou shalt not vaunt thy conquest long, Nor longer hold us in this servitude. Nor shalt thou bath thee longer in our blood. For I divine that thou must vomit it, Like to a Cur that Carrion hath devoured, And cannot rest until his maw be scoured. Thinkest thou to signiorize, or be the King Of such a number, nobler then thy self? Or thinkest thou Romans bear such bastard hearts, To let thy tyranny be unrevenged? No, for me thinks I see the shame, the grief, The rage, the hatred that they have conceived: And many a Roman sword already drawn, T'enlarge the liberty that thou usurpest. And thy dismembered body (stabbed and torn,) Dragged through the streets, disdained to be born. VOuchsafe Immortals, and (above the rest) Great Jupiter, our Cities sole Protector, That if (provoked against us by our evils,) You needs will plague us with your ceases wrath, At least to choose those forth that are in fault, And save the rest in these tempestuous broils: Else let the mischief that should them befall, Be poured on me, that one may die for all. Oft hath such sacrifice appeased your ires, And oft ye have your heavy hands withheld From this poor people, when (with one men lose,) Your pity hath preserved the rest vntucht: But we disloyal to our own defence, Fainthearted do those liberties enthral, Which (to preserve unto our after good) Our father's hazarded their dearest blood. Yet Brutus Manlius, hardy Scaevola, And stout Camillus, are returned from Stix, Desiring Arms to aid our Capitol. Yea, come they are, and fiery as before, Vndera Tyrant see our bastard hearts Lie idly sighing, while our shameful souls Endure a million of base controls. Poisoned Ambition (rooted in high minds) T'is thou that trainest us into all these errors: Thy mortal covetise perverts our laws, And tears our freedom from our franchiz'd hearts. Our Father's found thee at their former walls; And humbled to their offspring left thee dying. Yet thou reviving, foyl'dst our Infant Town, With guiltless blood by brother's hands out-lanched. And hongst (Oh Hell) upon a Fort half finished, Thy monstrous murder for a thing to mark. "But faith continues not where men command. "Equals are ever bandying for the best: "A state divided cannot firmly stand. "Two Kings within one realm could never rest. This day we see, the Father and the son, Have fought Like foes Pharsalia's misery; And with their blood made marsh the parched plains, While earth that groaned to bear their carcases, Bewailed insatiate humours of them both; That as much blood in wilful folly spent, As were to tame the world sufficient. Now Parthia fear no more, for Crassus death That we will come thy borders to besiege: Nor fear the darts of our courageous troops. For those brave soldiers that were (sometime) wont To terrify thee with their names, are dead. And civil fury, fiercer then thine hosts, Hath in a manner this great Town overturned; That whilom was the terror of the world. Of whom so many Nations stood in fear, To whom so many Nations prostrate stooped, Over whom (save heaven) nought could signorize, And whom (save heaven) nothing could affright. Impregnable, immortal, and whose power, Could never have been curbed, but by it self. For neither could the flaxen-haird high Dutch, (A martial people madding after Arms,) Nor yet the fierce and fiery humored French, The More that travels to the Lybian sands, The Greek, Th'Arabian, Macedons or Medes, Once dare t'assault it, or attempt to lift Their humbled heads, in presence of proud Room. But by our Laws from liberty restrained, Like Captives live eternally enchained. But Room (alas) what helps it that thou ty'dst The former World to thee in vassalage? What helps thee now to-have tamed both land and Sea? What helps it thee that under thy control, The Morn and Midday both by East and West, And that the golden Sun where ere he driven His glittering Chariot, finds our Ensigns spread? Sith it contents not thy posterity; But as a bait for pride (which spoils us all,) Embarques us in so perilous a way, As menaceth our death, and thy decay. For Room thou now resemblest a Ship, At random wandering in a boisterous Sea, When foaming billows feel the Northern blasts: Thou toilest in peril, and the windy storm, Does topside-turuey toss thee as thou flotest. Thy Mast is shyuer'd, and thy maine-sail torn, Thy sides soar beaten, and thy hatches broke. Thou wantest thy tackling, and a Ship vnrig'd Can make no shift to combat with the Sea. See how the Rocks do heave their heads at thee, Which if thou shouldst but touch, thou straight becomest A spoil to Neptune, and a sportful pray Toth' Glauc's and Trytons, pleased with thy decay. Thou vauntest not of thine Ancestors in vain, But vainly countest thine own victorious deeds. What helpeth us the things that they did then, Now we are hated both of Gods and men? "Hatred accompanies prosperity, "For one man grieves at another's good, "And so much more we think our misery, "The more that Fortune hath with others stood: "So that we filled are seen as wisdom would, "To bridle time with reason as we should. "For we are proud when Fortune favours us, "As if inconstant Chance were always one, "Or standing now, she would continue thus. "Oh fools look back and see the rolling stone, "Whereon she blindly lighting sets her foot, "And slightly sows that seldom takes root. Heaven heretofore (enclinde to do us good,) Did favour us, with conquering our foes, When jealous Italy (exasperate, With our uprising) sought our Cities fallen. But we, soon tickled with such flattering Hope's, Waged further war with and insatiate heart, And tyerd our neighbour Countries so with charge, As with their lose, we did our bounds enlarge. Carthage and Sicily we have subdued, And almost yoked all the world beside: And solely through desire of public rule, Room and the earth are waxed all as one: Yet now we live despoiled and robbed by one, Of ancient freedom wherein we were born. And even that yoke that wont to tame all others, Is heavily returned upon our selves. "A note of Chance that may the proud control, "And show Gods wrath against a cruel soul. "For heaven delights not in us, when we do "That to another, which our selves dysdaine: "Judge others as thou wouldst be judged again. "And do but as thou wouldst be done unto. "For sooth to say (in reason) we deserve, "To have the selfsame measure that we serve. What right had our ambitious ancestors, (Ignobly issued from the Cart and Plough,) To enter Asia? What, were they the heirs To Persia or the Medes, first Monarchies? What interest had they to Afferique? To Gaul or Spain? Or what did Neptune owe us Within the bounds of further Brittany? Are we not thiefs and robbers of those Realms That ought us nothing but revenge for wrongs? What touches us the treasure or the Hope's, The lives or liberties of all those Nations, Whom we by force have held in servitude? Whose mournful cries and shrieks to heaven ascend, Importuning both vengeance and defence Against this City, rich of violence. "T'is not enough (alas) our power t'extend, "Or overrun the world from East to West, "Or that our hands the Earth can comprehend, "Or that we proudly do what like us best. "He lives more quietly whose rest is made, "And can with reason chasten his desire, "Then he that blindly toileth for a shade, "And is with others Empire set on fire. "Our bliss consists not in possessions, "But in commanding our affections "In virtues choice, and vices needful chase "Far from our hearts, for staining of our face.