Brutus ; or, the fall of Tarquin :: :: University of Virginia Library

Brutus ; or, the fall of Tarquin

An historical tragedy in five acts

Payne, John Howard (1791-1852)

[section]

BRUTUS; OR, THE FALL OF TARQUIN.

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SCENE II.

An Apartment in the house of Collatinus. Collatinus enters wildly, a bloody dagger in his hand, followed by Valerius and Lucretius.
Col.
She's dead. Lucretia's dead! I pluck'd this steel
From my Lucretia's heart! This is her blood!
Howl, howl, ye men of Rome. Look! there she lies
That was your wonder.
Ye mighty gods, where are your thunders now?
Ye men and warriors, have you human hearts?
But who shall dare to mourn her loss like me!

Enter Brutus.
Br.
I dare,—and so dare every honest Roman.

Luc.
Whence comes this mad intrusion! hence, begone!

Br.
The noble spirit fled! How died Lucretia?

Val.
By her own hand she died!

Br.
Heroic matron!
Now, now the hour is come! By this one blow
Her name's immortal and her country sav'd!
Hail! dawn of glory! (snatching the dagger)
Hail, thou sacred weapon!
Virtue's deliverer, hail! This fatal steel
Empurpled with the purest blood on earth,
Shall cut your chains of slavery asunder!
Hear, Romans, hear! did not the Sybil tell you
A fool should set Rome free? I am that fool;
Brutus bids Rome be free!

Val.
What can this mean?

Br.
It means that Lucius Junius has thrown off
The mask of madness and his soul rides forth

On the destroying whirlwind, to avenge
The wrongs of that bright excellence and Rome!

Luc.
Can this be Lucius Junius?

Val.
Ha! The voice
Of inspiration speaks!

Col.
Oh, glorious Brutus,
Let me in tears adore the bounteous gods
Who have restor'd thee to redress my woes:
And in my woes, my country.

Br.
No more of this.
Stand not in wonder. Every instant now
Is precious to your cause. Rise! Snatch your arms!
(Brutus kneels)
Hear me, great Jove! and thou, paternal Mars,
And spotless Vesta! To the death I swear
My burning vengeance shall pursue these Tarquins!
Ne'er shall my limbs know rest till they are swept
From off the earth, which groans beneath their infamy!
This, from the bottom of my soul I swear!
(He rises)
Valerius, Collatine, Lucretius,—all—
Here, I adjure ye by this fatal dagger,
All stain'd and reeking with her sacred blood,
Be partners in my oath, revenge her fall!

All.
We swear!

Br.
Well have ye said: and, oh! methinks I see
The hovering spirit of the murder'd matron,
Look down and bow her airy head to bless you!
Summon your slaves, and bear the body hence
High in the view, through all the streets of Rome,
Up to the Forum!—On! The least delay,
May draw down ruin and defeat our glory!
On, Romans, on! The fool shall set you free!

[Exeunt omnes.

The scene which was omitted after the first representation, and for which this introductory speech of Collatinus is substituted, will be found in a note at the end of the Play.