The Roman Revenge A Tragedy |
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| 5. | SCENE V. |
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 | The Roman Revenge |  |
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SCENE V.
TORBILIUS. (Ent'ring hastily.)TRINOVANTIUS.
(meeting him.)
Bless thy quick Step! Com'st thou to hold back Cæsar?
TORBILIUS.
Brave Islander, I do:
TRINOVANTIUS.
Emperor! Dictator!
CÆSAR.
Hush thy too busy Terrors.
TRINOVANTIUS.
(Aside.
Hold him, sweet Roman!
Tun'd Eloquence is thine: Tell him some Tale,
No matter on what Subject, make it but long,
[Exit hastily.
CÆSAR.
(seeing Torbilius.)
Why art Thou, here!—Did Brutus vote for Murder?
TORBILIUS.
Shun the met Senate:—All mean Murder, there:
CÆSAR.
All cannot.—Thou defam'st too broadly:—Who?
TORBILIUS.
The Patriot Faction.
CÆSAR.
Thou has't yoak'd Ideas,
Which Reason must divide.—Patriot, and Faction,
Like Oil on Waters, mix, when strongly shaken:
But never can unite.—disjoin'd, by Nature!
TORBILIUS.
Patriot's can envy.—And who envies—hates.
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Let 'em hate on.—In Men, who love their Country,
Envy but quickens Virtue.
TORBILIUS.
This black List
Contains O, Cæsar! thirty Traitor's Names:
Traitors, by great Calphurnia's Care detected:
Traitors, who under Friendship's fair Disguise,
Have with confederate Malice, sworn thy Murder.
CÆSAR.
(Taking the Roll.)
Did my Calphurnia send thee?
TORBILIUS.
Cæsar, she did:
CÆSAR.
My Friend's Names, say'st thou, in this Roll of Traitors?
TORBILIUS.
All thy most trusted, most distinguished Friends?
CÆSAR.
(After a Pause, returning the Roll, unopened.)
Take back thy bloody List. and hide Man's baseness:
Where Trust is tainted by such dire Deceit,
Life is not worth preserving.
TORBILIUS.
Lov'd Calphurnia.
Demands it:—for her sake, repress thy Scorn.—
Stay but to go well-guarded.
CÆSAR.
Against Enemies,
Cæsar suffices for the Guard of Cæsar:—
But, against Friends, Distrust were Violation.
TORBILIUS.
(Holding his Robe.)
Stay, but to be convinced—ill-fated Cæsar!
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I will not be convinced, that Faith is Weakness,
Who wou'd take Pains to lose that Peace, he feels,
From generous Confidence in human Virtues?
If there are Wretches, who, oblig'd, betray,
'Tis Comfort, not to know 'em.
[Exit Cæsar
| The Roman Revenge | |