University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

—A Dungeon. Marius asleep on a couch.
Enter First Citizen, followed by Lygdamis.
FIRST CITIZEN.
Softly!—he sleeps. 'Tis well. Hist!—hither, fellow;
Here, take this sword, and, on him who lies there
Do present execution—without pause.

LYGDAMIS.
Ho! Kill him, in his sleep?

CITIZEN.
But only kill him,
And take thine own way. See! All this is gold.
Do this—and freedom and that gold are thine.

LYGDAMIS.
Freedom for murder! Free to stab men sleeping!
Who is 't that ye would kill?

CITIZEN.
What 's that to thee?
Do it; and there is thy reward. Refuse;
And we 'll find one shall do as much for thee.
Remember—and be prompt—and speed thee well!

[Citizen goes out.
LYGDAMIS
(looking at Marius).
Well!—I am sent to kill this poor old man—
Here, on the couch—and sleeping too; and if
I had a heart, as some men seem to have,
Would I not shrink to dabble yon white hairs
In blood?—aye, blood that 's innocent, perhaps!—
I have no heart!
Lygdamis' heart is dead;
For love, and fear, and hope, are strangers all
To the vile slave. Conquer'd; spar'd; sold to toil;
Degraded; trodden on; mock'd; scourg'd; and scorn'd;
Life is to him a blank, or worse than that;
And, therefore, recks he not to take anothers,
Who would with equal ease toss down his own.
Thus, then, I earn my hire.
[He prepares to strike.
The old man stirs;
I cannot strike him thus. Whate'er his features,
His hairs are reverend white.

MARIUS
(struggling in his dream).
Hah! hah!—well put!—
Well struck! but 't will not do!—no. Now—I have thee—
Down with thee!—yield, thee, Gaul—down, 'tis in vain!
Thou art mine, giant!

[Marius starts on his feet. He and Lygdamis glare on each other. Lygdamis trembling violently.
MARIUS.
Who art thou? and wherefore
Art thou come hither? Speak!

LYGDAMIS
(with great difficulty.)
To murder thee!

MARIUS
(after looking at him long and intently.)
Thou murther Marius?
Why! ere I awoke
I saw that quailing eye? Do I not know thee?
What? Thou! whom in that red Numantian field
I vanquished and then spared!—Thou more than slave,
Whose very breath is alms—who hold'st thy life
On sufferance merely—who defraud'st the kites
Of that which then was theirs—for I lack'd not
Thy clumsy limbs and huge anatomy—
What! Thou kill Caius Marius!
[Lygdamis drops his sword.
Thou dost well!
This is no feat for thee. Go tell thy masters,
If they would murder Marius, they must send
A better instrument! Begone.

[A trumpet sounds.
Young Marius, Saturninus, &c., rush hastily in.
YOUNG MARIUS.
Down with the ruffian! Thank th' immortal Gods
Marius yet lives!

Marius.
Harm him not. He 's a friend.
What does this mean?

SATURNINUS.
It means that Caius Marius
Shall yet be seven times Consul! Sylla's pride
Hath oped the eyes o' th' people, who now say
Give us back Marius—often injured Marius!
The stay o' the Commonwealth! The greater worn,
Aye, and alarm'd, with thirst insatiate
Of blood and never-tired proscriptions, wrung
By fear-own'd debts or base life-ransoms, look
Cold and averse, and Rome but waits for Marius
To shake off her dictator—all Campania,
By Glabrio rous'd, and his Illyrian cohorts,
E'en now is in rebellion.

MARIUS.
Sir, Rome never
In vain shall wait for Marius. Boy, your hand.
Have with you, sirs. And come thou too, good fellow,
I know thee, and will find thee better service
Than killing Caius Marius.
As for you,
(Citizens kneel.)
I know that force compelled you to the deed.
You 're pardon'd. As we go along, my friends,
You 'll tell me all hath chanc'd.
Follow me, sirs,
Justice goes hand in hand, now, with Revenge!

[Exeunt Omnes.