University of Virginia Library

SCENE VII.

TRINOVANTIUS, ANTONY, and Officers, CASSIUS, DECIMUS, CINNA, MARCELLUS, with bloody Daggers.

'Tis past—Ambition bleeds; and Rome is free:
Hail! Lords of Rome reviv'd! Nation of Princes.
Now once more, Masters of a World, you won!
Dare vindicate the Hands, that broke your Chain.

TRINOVANTIUS.
(struggling against Antony.)
Cowards! cold-hearted Cowards!—You, who thus
Fear to Revenge—'tis you, have murder'd Cæsar.

ANTONY.
No, Trinovantius.—Trust the Gods, and Rome.
With Cæsar's Vengeance!—carefull, thro' the Crowd,
I seek, but find not Brutus.

CIMBER.
(Enters wounded)
—Who nam'd Brutus?

CASSIUS.
'Twas Antony—come forward, valiant Cimber!
Where ha'st thou left our Chief?

CIMBER.
[Unhappy Brutus!
Struck, by the Words, and Look, of dying Cæsar,
He bow'd to weep upon the Wound, he made:
When, from a Gallery, bursting in, above,
Held twixt the frantic Vestals, there appear'd
Cato's yet living Sister—lost, Servilia!
See! cry'd the breathless Trembler,-Traitor! Paricide!
Call'd by thy Crimes, in vain, from a Retreat,
Where hid, (not dead) I shun'd a hated World,
Thy Mother's blasted Eye,—fell Monster! Murderer!
Finds thee, too late: And every God shall Curse thee,
She scream'd, and sunk, amid the vestal Train.
Brutus! all Wild, as with a Fury's Horror,
Gaz'd, up, down, round—wrung his clos'd Hands—ran—stopt,
Return'd—then, with a bursting sigh, resum'd
Composure: kneel'd, and kiss'd the Robe of Cæsar?
But snatching a fall'n Dagger, rose, distracted,
And cry'd—take, take me Vengeance! Rome is free:
“But Brutus, in her Cause, has stabb'd a Father!
Near, as he aim'd the meditated Blow,
I broke its erring Force—and on this Arm,
Receiv'd the pointed Mischief.—So, prevented,
I left him, 'midst a Guard of weeping Romans.

ANTONY.
Well may he weep!—but when he reads a Charge,
The murder'd Father left the murdering Son;
What will he then endure?—what Cave has Earth,
So deep, so dark, to hide him from Himself!
When he shall see, that, to his bloody Hand;
Cæsar consign'd the Power to fix Rom's Liberty.

CASSIUS.
Thou speak'st in Mystery, Marc Antony!

ANTONY.
Move to the Forum.—In the Face of Rome,
I shall unfold the Will of Rome's lost Guardian.

CASSIUS.
Cou'd artful Antony, prove Cæsar wrong'd;
Cassius wou'd then confess, he was too hasty.

ANTONY.
Traitor! thy willing Envy lov'd the Error:
And thou shalt expiate—far, as lowest Vice.
Too weakly can attone for murdered Virtue,
This Hour's detested Guilt, by Death and Infamy.

TRINOVANTIUS.
Summon the People:—I'll revenge this Murder;
Then, mourn lost Rome—and guard Britannia's Liberty,

(Exeunt Roman Officers, and Plebeians.
ANTONY.
(coming forward.)
Had but Ambition Eyes, to look thro' Time,
Twoud see its fruitless Toil, and shun to climb:
Fondness of Noise, and Crowds of Court would cease,
And Man's whole Happiness be plac'd in Peace.
Safe Liberty would guard each Patriot Throne,
And Tyrant be, henceforth, a Name unknown:
All Fruit of Power is Pain: and what is Fame?
When ev'n a Cæsar's Glory stains his Name.