CAESAR

Up glory. Oh confidence! more new, then is the Man! Cato, you will undo him, with your praise. Most popular Consul he is grown, me thinks. And Cato leads them! Reports? Do you believe them Catulus, Why, he do's make, and breed them for the people; to endear his service to them. Do you not taste And art, that is so common? Popular men, They must create strange Monsters, and then quell them; To make their arts seeeme something. Would you have Such and Herculean Actor in the Scene, And not his Hydra? They must sweat no less To fit their properties, then to express their parts. That will Antonius make his care. And watch the watcher. I know not. But hardly sure. At first: But he gave way unto his friend. Yes, He is again Taken into the Senate. True, you were there, Prince of the Senate, then. Hail noblest Romans. The most worthy Consul, I gratulate your Honour. I'll come home to you: Crassus would not have you To speak to him, before Quintus Catulus. That Cato, and the Rout have done the other? A superstitious slave, and will die beast. Good night. You know what Crassus thinks, and I, By this: Prepare you wings, as large as sails, To cut through air, and leave no print behind you. A Serpent, ere he comes to be a Dragon, Do's eat a Bat: and so must you a Consul, That watches. What you do, do quickly Sergius. You shall not stir for me. By no means. Mind but your friends counsels. OR, I will bear no mind. How now, Aurelia? Are your confederates come? the Ladies? In have sent for him. To that his own necessi y will prompt him. It will mad him. Some cautions from his Wife, how to behave him. How now, what this M ter? Consul, A tonius? What are his mischiefs, Consul? you declaim Against his manners, and corrupt your own; " No wise man should, for hate of guilty men, " Lose his own innocence. It is reported here, you are the head To a strange faction, Lucius. Will he it down? He's lost, and gone. His spirits have forsook him. Unless He presently take arms; and give a blow, Before the Consuls forces can be leuie'd. And needs. But, wherefore did you bear Their letter to the Consul, that they sent you, To warn you from the City? There is no lose In being secure. I have, of late, too, plied him, Thick, with intelligences, but they' have been Of things he knew before. We must, And be as zealous or't, as Cato. Yet I would feign help these wretched men. It hath a face of horror. Say, what thou knowest, and fear not. Thou hast the Senates faith, and Consuls word, To fortify thee. But, first, Let Lentulus put off his Praetorship. So, now, there's no offence done to ligion. And a reward, out of the public treasure. Life, and favour's well. Our Wives, our Children, Parents, and our Gods. Let there be public prayer, to all the Gods, Made in that name, for him. It ought. A trick on me, too? Was not that Curius your spy, that had Reward decreed unto him, the last Senate, With Fulvia, upon your private motion? But he has not that reward, yet? It shall not, if that he have no reward. But if he have, sure I shall think my self Very untimely, and unsafely h est, Where such, as he is, may have pay t'accuse me. Consul, I am silent. I Never yet knew, Soldiers, that, in fight, Words added virtue unto valiant men; Or, that a Generals oration made And Army fallen, or stand: But how much prowess Habitual, or natural each men breast Was owner of, so much in act it showed. " Whom neither glory' or danger can excite " 'Tis vain t'attempt with speech: For the minds fear " Keeps all brave sounds from entering at that ear. I, yet, would warn you some few things, my Friends, And give you reason of my present counsels. You know, no less then I, what state, what point Our affair stand in; And you all have herd, What a calamitous misery the sloth, And sleepiness of Lentulus, hath plucked Both on himself, and us: How, while our aides There, in the City looked for, are defeated, Our entrance into Gallia, too, is stopped. Two Armies wait us: One from Room, the other From the Gaul-provinces. And, where we are, (Although I most desire it) the great want Of corn, and victual, forbids longer stay. So that, of need, we must remove, but whither The sword must both direct, and cut the passage. I only, therefore, wish you, when you strike, To have your valours, and your souls, about you; And think, you carry in your labouring hands The things, you seek, glory, and liberty, Your Country, which you want now, with the Fates, That are to be instructed, by our swords. If we can give the blow, all will be safe to'vs. We shall not want provision, nor supplies. The Colonies, and free Towns will lie open. Where, if we yield to fear, expect no place, Nor friend, to shelter those, whom their own Fortune, And ill used Arms have left without protection. You might have lived in servitude, or exile, Or safe at Room, depending on the great ones; But that you thought those things unfit for men. And, in that thought, you then were valiant. For no man ever yet changed peace for war, But he, that meant to conquer. Hold that purpose. There's more necessity, you should be such, In fighting for your selves, then they for others. " He's base, that trusts his feet, whose hands are armed. Me thinks, I see Death, and the Furies, waiting What we will do; and all the Heaven 'at leisure For the great Spectacle. Draw, then, your swords: And, if our destiny envy our virtue The honour of the day, yet let us care To fell our selves, at such a price, as may Undo the world to buy us: and make Fate, While she tempts ours, fear her own estate. Conscript Father's, In great affairs, and doubtful, it behooves Men, that are asked their sentence, to be free From either hate, or love, anger, or pity: For, where the least of these do hinder, there The mind not easily discerns the truth. I speak this to you, in the name of Room, For whom you stand; and to the present cause: That this foul fact of Lentulus, and the rest, Weigh not more with you, then your dignity; And you be more indulgent to your passion, Then to your honour. If there could be found A pain, or punishment, equal to their crimes, I would devise, and help: But if the greatness Of what they have done, exceed all men invention, I think it fit, to stay, where our laws do. Poor petty States may altar, upon humour, Where, if they' offend with anger, few do know it, Because they are obscure; their Fame, and Fortune Is equal, and the same: But they, that are Head of the world, and live in that seen height, All Mankind knows their actions. So we see The greater fortune hath the lesser licence. They must nor favour, hate, and least be angry: For what with others is called anger, there, Is cruelty, and pride. I know Syllanus, Who spoke before me, a joust, valiant Man, A lover of the State, and one that would not, In such a business, use or grace, or hatred; I know, too, well his manners, and his modesty: Nor do I think his sentence cruel (for against such delinquents, what can be too bloody?) But that it is abhorring from our state; Since to a Citizen of Room, offending, Our Laws give exile, and not death. Why then Decrees he that? 'Twere vain to think, for fear; When, by the diligence of so worthy a Consul, All is made safe, and certain. Is't for punishment? Why Death's the end of evils, and a rest, Rather then torment: It dissolves all griefs. And beyond that, is neither care, nor joy. You hear, my sentence would not have them die. How then? set free, and increase Catiline Army? So will they, being but banished. No, graven Father's, I judge them, first, to have their states confiscate, Then, that their persons remain prisoners In the free towns, far off from Room, and seuerd': Where they might neither have relation, Hereafter, to the Senate, or the People. Or, if they had, those towns, then to be mulcted. As enemies to the State, that had their guard. I'am not yet changed in my sentence, Father's. Cato, read you it. 'Tis a Love-letter, From your deer sister, to me: though you hate me. Do not discover it. You'll repent This rashness, Cicero. I, I, let you alone, cunning Artificer! See, how his gorget peers above his gown; To tell the people, in what danger he was. It was absu dly done of Vargunteius, To name himself, before he was God in. He enjoys rest, And ease, the while: Let th'others spirit toil, And wake it out, that was inspired for turmoil.