University of Virginia Library

SCENE IV.

Enter Rapatio, Limpet, Meagre and P---p.
Rapatio.
What say my friends! shall patriots, grov'ling patriots,
Thus thwart our schemes? push back the plan of action!
And make it thus recoil? mistaken wretches!
Unthinking fools! they work their own destruction.
Let them amuse themselves with thoughts of freedom,
And bask amid the sunshine of an hour;—
They hover o'er the secret precipice—
The leap is death. Come, cunning be my guide,
Beleagu'd with hell—Come all those hateful passions,
That rouse the mind to action.

Meagre.
Bravely spoke!
And here's a soul, like thine, that never linger'd,
When prompted by revenge—If thirst of power;
A spirit haughty, sour, implacable,
That bears a deadly enmity to freedom,
But mean and base; who never had a notion
Of generous and manly; who would stab,
Stab in the dark, but what he'd get revenge;
If such a soul is suitable to thy purpose,
'Tis here.

Rapatio.
I thank thee—thy fraternal love
I always knew, twin brother in affection.
Bagshot complains his numbers are but few:
We must have more: and here the field's extensive.
But then their dev'lish coolness comes athwart us,
To represent them factious and rebellious;
Mov'd on by malice to attack the soldier—
There lies the doubt—the simple bare assertion
Would sway but weak.

Limput.
If this is all you want—
If breaking thro' the sanction of an oath,
And trampling on the highest obligations
Would back this good design—here's one will do it.
In youth when all my soul was full of virtue,
And growing age had not matur'd my practice,
I felt a pang and shudder'd at a crime.
But thoughts like these have long since slept; old habits
Have fear'd my conscience—Vice is now familiar—
Prescribe whatever form you chuse—I sign it—

Rapatio.
'Tis well—then swear—that in our general meeting,
This was declar'd, that long before that night,
In which we snuff'd the blood of innocence,
The factious citizens, urg'd on by hell,
Had leagu'd together, to attack the soldier;
Trample on laws; murder the friends of power
And bury all things in one common ruin.
All this you call the majesty of heaven
To witness to as truth—

Limput.
I do, and swear.

Rapatio.
There's one thing more and then my mind's at rest.
Those noble men who fought for government
Are now confin'd, and soon must have a trial.
Let's all unite and use our utmost efforts
To get them off. There's worthy Hazlerod
Who hears with too much joy the groans of freedom,
To see her executioner's expire.
On you my dear P---p much depends.

P---p.
And is Rapatio grown distrustful of me?
Of me, who long had sacrific'd my honor,
To be a tool?—who've cring'd and bow'd and fawn'd
To get a place?—Fear not I e'er should prove
An alien here—Go wash the Æthiop white
Then bid my soul grow fond and pleas'd with virtue.

Rapatio.
Then I'm secure—Know patriots this and tremble.
Grief shall again its wonted seat resume,
And piles of mangled corpses croud the tomb.
Thro' all the wanton streets of pow'r I'll rove,
And soar exulting like the bird of Jove,
On lofty pinions put a sovereign sway,
And glow illustrious in the blaze of day.

[Exeunt.