University of Virginia Library

Actus tertius.

Scena prima.

Enter Cynna, Octauius, Anthonius, Lictors, Citizens.
Cyn:
Vpbraiding Senators bewitcht with wit,
That terme true iustice innouation:
You ministers of Scillas mad conceipts,
Will Consulls thinke you stoope to your controules?
These yonger Citizens, my fellow Lords,
Bound to maintaine both Marius and his sonne.
Craue but their due, and will be held as good
For priuiledge, as those of elder age:
For they are men conformd to feats of armes,
That haue both wit and courage to commaund.
These fauorites of Octauius, what with age
And palsies shake their iauelins in their hands,
Like hartlesse men attainted all with feare:
And should they then ouer-top the youth.
No, nor this Consull, nor Marke Anthonie,
Shall make my followers faint, or loose their right,
But I will haue them equall with the best.

M. An:
Why then the Senates name (whose reuerence
Hath blazd our vertues midst the Westerne Ile)
Must be obscurde by Cynnas forced powre.
O Citizens, are lawes of Countrey left?
Is iustice banisht from this Capitoll?
Must we poore fathers see your trooping bands
Enter the sacred Synode of this state.
Oh brutish fond presumptions of this age,
Rome would the mischiefes might obscure my life,
So I might counsaile Consulls to be wise.
VVhy Countri-men wherein consists this strife?
Forsooth the yonger Citizens will rule,
The old mens heads are dull and addle now:
And in elections youth will beare the sway?
O Cynna, see I not the wofull fruits
Of these ambitious stratagems begun,
Each flattring tongue that dallieth pretie words,
Shall change our fortunes and our states at once.
Had I ten thousand tongues to talke the care,
So manie eyes to weepe their wofull misse,
So manie pennes to write these manie wrongs:
My tongue your thoughts, my eyes your teares shuld moue,
My pen your paines by reasons should approue.

Cynna:
VVhy Anthonie, seale vp those sugred lips,
For I will bring my purpose to effect.

Anth:
Doth Cynna like to interrupt me then?

Cynna:
I Cynna sir, will interrupt you now,
I tell thee Marke, old Marius is at hand,
The verie patron of this happie law,
VVho will reuenge thy cunning eloquence.

Ma. An:
I talke not I to please or him or thee,
But what I speake, I thinke and practise too:
Twere better Scilla learnt to mend in Rome,
Than Marius come to tyrannize in Rome.

Octa:
Nay Marius shall not tyrannize in Rome.
Old Citizens, as Scilla late ordaind,
King Tullius lawes shall take their full effect,
The best and aged men shall in their choice,
Both beare the day and firme election.

Cynna:
Oh braue Octauius you will beard me then,
The elder Consull and old Marius frend,
And these Italian freemen must be wrongd.
First shall the frute of all thine honors faile,
And this my ponyard shall dispatch thy life.

Lepid.
Such insolence was neuer seene in Rome:
Nought wanteth here but name to make a King.

Octa:
Strike villaine if thou list, for I am prest,
To make as deepe a furrow in thy brest.

Yong Cit:
The yong mens voices shal preuaile my lords.

Old Cit:
And we will firme our honors by our blouds.

Thunder.
Anth:
O false ambitious pride in yong and old:
Harke how the heauens our follies hath contrould.

Old Cit:
What shall we yeeld for this religious feare?

Anth:
If not religious feare, what may represse
These wicked passions, wretched Citizens.
O Rome, poore Rome, vnmeet for these misdeedes,
I see contempt of heauens will breed acrosse:
Sweete Cynna gouerne rage with reuerence.
Thunder.
O fellow Citizens, be more aduisde.

Lepid.
VVe charge you Consulls now dissolue the Court
The Gods contemne this brawle and ciuill iurres.

Oct:
We will submit our honors to their wills:
You ancient Citizens come follow mee.

Exit Octauius, with him Anthonie & Lepidus.
Cynna:
High Ioue himselfe hath done too much for thee,
Els should this blade abate thy royaltie.
VVell yong Italian Citizens take hart,
He is at hand that will maintaine your right:
That entring in these fatall gates of Rome,
Shall make them tremble that disturbe you now.
You of Preneste and of Formiæ,
VVith other neighbring Cities in Campania,
Prepare to entertaine and succor Marius.

Citizen:
For him we liue, for him we meane to die.

Ext.
Enter old Marius with his keeper, & two souldiers.
Marius:
Haue these Minturnians then so cruelly,
Presumd so great iniustice gainst their frends?

Iailer:
I Marius, all our Nobles haue decreed
To send thy head a present vnto Rome.

Marius:
A Tantals present it will proue my frend,
VVhich with a little smarting stresse will end
Old Marius life, when Rome it selfe at last,
Shall rue my losse, and then reuenge my death.
But tell me Iailer, couldst thou be content,
In being Marius for to brooke this wrong.

Iailer:
The high estate your Lordship once did wield,
The manie frends that fawnd when fortune smild,
Your great promotions, and your mightie welth:
These (were I Marius) would amate me so,
As losse of them would vexe me more than death.

Marius:
Is Lordship then so great a blisse my frend?

Jailer:
No title may compare with princely rule.

Marius:
Are frends so faithfull pledges of delight?

Iailer:
VVhat better comforts than are faithfull frends?

Marius:
Is welth a meane to lengthen liues content?

Iai:
VVhere great possessions bide, what care can tutch?

Marius:
These stales of fortune are the common plagues
That still mislead the thoughts of simple men.
The shepheard swaine that midst his country cote,
Deludes his broken slumbers by his toyle,
Thinkes Lordship sweete, where care with lordship dwelt
The trustfull man that builds on trothles vowes,
VVhose simple thoughts are crost with scornfull nayes,
Together weepes the losse of welth and frend:
So Lordship, frends, welth, spring and perish fast,
VVhere death alone yeelds happie life at last.
O gentle gouernor of my contents,
Thou sacred chieftaine of our Capitoll,
VVho in thy christall orbes with glorious gleames,
Lendst lookes of pitie mixt with maiestie,
See wofull Marius carefull for his sonne,
Carelesse of lordship, welth or worldly meanes,
Content to liue, yet liuing still to die:
VVhose nerues and veynes, whose sinewes by the sword
Must loose their workings through distempering stroake:
But yet whose minde in spight of fate and all,
Shall liue by fame although the bodie fall.

Iail:
VVhy mourneth Marius this recurelesse chance?

Mar:
I prethee Iailer wouldst thou gladly die?

Iail:
If needes, I would.

Mar:
Yet were you loath to trie.

Iail:
VVhy noble Lord, when goods, frends, fortune faile
VVhat more than death might wofull man auaile?

Mar:
VVho calls for death (my frend) for all his scornes,
VVith Aesops slaue will leaue his bush of thornes.
But since these traitrous Lords will haue my head,
Their Lordships here vpon this homely bed,
Shall finde me sleeping, breathing forth my breath,
Till they their shame, and I my fame attaine by death.
Liue gentle Marius to reuenge my wrong,
And sirrha see they stay not ouer-long.
For he that earst hath conquered kingdomes many,
Disdaines in death to be subdude by anie.

He lies downe.
Enter Lucius Fauorinus, Pausanius, with Pedro, a French-man.
Iail:
The most vndanted words that euer were.
The mightie thoughts of his imperious minde,
Do wound my hart with terror and remorse.

Paus:
Tis desperate, not perfect noblenes.
For to a man that is preparde to die,
The heart should rent, the sleepe should leaue the eye:
But say Pedro, will you doo the deed?

Pedr:

Mon monsieurs perla sang dieu, mee will make a
trou so large in ce belly, dat he sal cry hough come vne porceau.
Featre delay, il a true me fadre, hee kill my modre.
Faith a my trote mon espee: fera le fay dun sol dat, Sau, sau,
Ieieuera, come il founta pary, me will make a spitch-cocke
of his persona.

Fauor:
If he haue slaine thy father and thy frends,
The greater honor shall betide the deed:
For to reuenge on righteous estimate,
Beseemes the honor of a French mans name.

Pedro:

Mes messiers, de fault auoir argent, me no point
de argent, no point kill Marius.

Paus:

Thou shalt haue forty crowns, wil that content thee?

Pedro:

Quarante escus, per le pied de Madam, me giue
more dan foure to se prettie damosele, dat haue le dulces tettinos,
leleures cymbrines. Oh they be fines.

Fauorinus:
Great is the hire and little is the paine,
Make therefore quicke dispatch, and looke for gaine.
See where he lies in drawing on his death,
VVhose eies by gentle slumber sealed vp,
Present no dreadfull visions to his hart.

Pedro:

Bien monsieur, le demourera content. Maries
tu es mort. Speake dy preres in dy sleepe, for me fall cut off
your head from your espaules before you wake. Quies stia,
what kinde a man be dis.

Fauor:

VVhy what delaies are these, why gaze ye thus?

Pedr:

Nostre dame, Iesu estiene, oh my siniors der be a
great diable in ce eies, qui dart de flame, and with de voice
d'un beare, cries out, Villaine dare you kill Marius. Ie tremble:
aid a me siniors, autrement I shall be murdred.

Paus.

VVhat sodaine madnes daunts this stranger thus?

Pedro:

Oh me no can kill Marius, me no dare kill Marius:
adieu messiers, me be dead si ie touche Marius, Marius est
vne diable. Iesu Maria saua moy.

Exit fugiens.
Paus.
VVhat furie haunts this wretch on sodaine thus?

Fauor:
Ah my Pausanius I haue often heard,
That yonder Marius in his infancie
VVas borne to greater fortunes than we deeme:
For being scarce from out his cradle crept,
And sporting pretely with his compeeres,
On sodaine seuen yong Eagles soard amaine,
And kindly pearcht vpon his tender lap.
His parents wondring at this strange euent,
Tooke counsaile of the Southsaiers in this,
VVho told them that these seuen-fold Eagles flight,
Forefigured his seuen times Consulship:
And we our selues (except bewitcht with pride)
Haue seene him sixe times in the Capitoll
Accompanyd with rods and axes too.
And some diuine instinct so presseth mee,
That sore I tremble till I set him free.

Paus:
The like assaults attaint my wandring minde.
Seeing our bootlesse warre with matchlesse fate,
Let vs intreat him to forsake our towne,
So shall we gaine a frend of Rome and him:
Marius awaketh.
But marke how happely he doth awake.

Mar:
What, breath I yet pore man, with mounting sight
Choaking the riuers of my restlesse eies?
Or is their rage restraind with matchlesse ruth?
See how amazd these angrie Lords behold
The poore confused lookes of wretched Marius.
Minturnians why delaies your headsman thus
To finish vp this ruthfull tragedie?

Fauorinus:
Far be it Marius from our thoughts or hands
To wrong the man protected by the Gods:
Liue happie (Marius) so thou leaue our towne.

Marius:
And must I wrestle once againe with fate?
Or will these Princes dally with mine age?

Pausan:
No matchles Romane, thine approued minde
That earst hath altred our ambitious wrong
Must flourish still, and we thy seruants liue
To see thy glories like the swelling tides
Exceed the bounds of Fate and Romane rule.
Yet leaue vs Lord, and seeke some safer shed,
Where more secure thou maist preuent mishaps:
For great pursuits and troubles thee awaite.

Marius:
Ye piteous powres that with succesfull hopes,
And gentle counsailes thwart my deepe dispaires:
Olde Marius to your mercies recommends
His hap, his life, his hazard and his sonne.
Minturnians, I will hence, and you shall flie
Occasions of those troubles you expect.
Dreame not on dangers that haue faud my life:
Lordings adieu, from walls to woods I wend,
To hills, dales, rockes, my wrong for to commend.

Exit.
Fauor:
Fortune vouchsafe thy manie cares to end.

Exe.
Enter Scilla in triumph in his chare triumphant of gold, drawen by foure Moores, before the chariot: his colours, his crest, his captaines, his prisoners: Arcathius Mithridates son, Aristion, Archelaus, bearing crownes of gold, and manacled. After the chariot, his souldiers bands, Basillus, Lucretius, Lucullus: besides prisoners of diuers Nations, and sundry disguises.
Scilla:
You men of Rome, my fellow mates in Armes,
VVhose three yeares prowesse, pollicie, and warre,
One hundreth three score thousand men at Armes
Hath ouerthrowne and murthered in the field:
VVhose valours to the Empire hath restorde,
All Grecia, Asia, and Ionia.
VVith Macedonia subiect to our foe:
You see the froward customes of our state,
VVho measuring not our many toiles abroad,
Sit in their Cells imagining our harmes,
Replenishing our Romaine friends with feare.
Yea, Scilla worthy friends, whose fortunes, toiles,
And stratagems these strangers may report,
Is by false Cynna and his factious friends.
Reuilde, condemnde, and crost without a cause.
Yea (Romaines) Marius must returne to Rome,
Of purpose to vpbraid your Generall.
But this vndaunted minde that neuer droopt:
This forward bodie formd to suffer toile,
Shall hast to Rome where euerie foe shall rue,
The rash disgrace both of my selfe and you:

Lucretius:
And may it be that those seditious braines,
Imagine these presumptuous purposes?

Scilla:
And may it be? why man and wilt thou doubt,
VVhere Scilla daines these dangers to auerie?
Sirrha except not so, misdoubt not so,
See here Ancharius letters reade the lines,
And say Lucretius that I fauour thee,
That darest but suspect thy Generall.

Read the letters and deliuer them.
Lucr:
The case conceald hath moued the more misdoubt,
Yet pardon my presumptions worthy Scilla,
That to my griefe haue read these hideous harmes.

Scilla:
Tut my Lucretius, fortunes ball is tost,
To forme the storie of my fatall powre:
Rome shall repent, babe, mother, shall repent,
Aire weeping clowdie sorrowes shall repent,
vvind breathing many sighings shall repent
To see those stormes concealed in my brest,
Reflect the hideous flames of their vnrest:
But words are vaine, and cannot quell our wrongs,
Briefe periods serue for them that needs must post it.
Lucullus since occasion calls me hence,
And all our Romaine senate thinke it meete,
That thou pursue the warres I haue begun,
As by their letters I am certified,
I leaue thee Fimbrias Legions to conduct,
vvith this prouiso, that in ruling still,
You thinke on Scilla and his curtesies.

Lucullus:
The waightie charge of this continued warre,
Though strange it seeme, and ouer great to wield,
I will accept if so the Armie please.

Souldiers:
Happie & fortunate be Lucullus our Generall.

Scilla:
If he be Scillas friend, els not at all:
For otherwise the man were ill bested,
That gaining glories straight should lose his head.
But souldiers since I needly must to Rome,
Basillus vertues shall haue recompence.
Lo here the wreath Valerius for thy paines,
VVho first didst enter Archilous trench:
This pledge of vertue sirrha shall approue,
Thy vertues, and confirme me in thy loue.

Basillus:
Happie be Scilla, if no foe to Rome.

Scilla:
I like no iffs from such a simple groome,
I will be happie in despite of state,
And why? because I neuer feared fate.
But come Arcathius for your fathers sake,
Enioyne your fellow Princes to their taskes,
And helpe to succour these my wearie bones.
Tut blush not man, a greater state than thou,
Shall pleasure Scilla in more baser sort.
Aristion is a iolly timberd man,
Fit to conduct the chariot of a King.
VVhy be not squeamish, for it shall goe hard,
But I will giue you all a great reward.

Arcath:
Humbled by fate like wretched men we yeeld

Scilla:
Arcathius these are fortunes of the field.
Beleeue me these braue Captyues draw by art,
And I will thinke vpon their good desart.
But stay you strangers, and respect my words.
Fond hartles men, what folly haue I seene:
For feare of death can Princes entertaine
Such bastard thoughts, that now from glorious armes
Vouchsafe to draw like oxen in a plough.
Areathius I am sure Mithridates
VVill hardly brooke the scandall of his name:
Twere better in Picæo to haue died
Aristion, than amidst our legions thus to draw.

Aristion:
I tell thee Scilla, captiues haue no choice,
And death is dreadfull to a caytiue man.

Scilla:
In such imperfect mettals as is yours.
But Romanes that are still allurde by fame,
Chuse rather death than blemish of their name,
But I haue hast, and therefore will reward you.
Goe souldiers, with as quicke dispatch as may be,
Hasten their death, and bring them to their end,
And say in this that Scilla is your frend.

Arcathius:
Oh ransome thou our liues sweet conqueror?

Scilla:
Fie foolish men, why flie you happines,
Desire you still to lead a seruile life.
Dare you not buy delights with little paines.
VVell, for thy fathers sake Arcathius,
I will preferre thy triumphs with the rest.
Goe take them hence, and when we meete in hell,
Then tell me Princes if I did not well.
Exeunt milites.
Lucullus, thus these mightie foes are downe,
Now striue thou for the king of Pontus crowne.
I will to Rome, goe thou, and with thy traine,
Pursue Mithridates till he be slaine.

Lucul:
VVith fortunes help, go calme thy countries woes
VVhilst I with these seeke out our mightie foes.

Enter Marius solus from the Numidian mountaines, feeding on rootes.
Mar: pat:
Thou that hast walkt with troops of flocking frends,
Now wandrest midst the laborynth of woes,
Thy best repast with manie sighing ends,
And none but fortune all these mischiefes knowes.
Like to these stretching mountaines clad with snow,
No sun-shine of content my thoughts approcheth:
High spyre their tops, my hopes no height do know,
But mount so high as time their tract reprocheth:
They finde their spring, where winter wrongs my minde:
They weepe their brookes, I wast my cheekes with teares.
Oh foolish fate, too froward and vnkinde,
Mountaines haue peace, where mournfull be my yeres:
Yet high as they my thoughts some hopes would borrow,
But when I count the euening end with sorrow.
Death in Minturnum threatned Marius head,
Hunger in these Numidian mountaines dwells:
Thus with preuention hauing mischiefe fled,
Old Marius findes a world of manie hells.
Such as poore simple wits haue oft repinde,
But I will quell by vertues of the minde.
Long yeres misspent in manie luckles chances,
Thoughts full of wroth, yet little worth succeeding,
These are the meanes for those whom fate aduances:
But I, whose wounds are fresh, my hart still bleeding,
Liues to intreate this blessed boone from fate,
That I might die with griefe to liue in state.
Sixe hundreth sonnes with solitarie walkes,
I still haue sought for to delude my paine,
And frendly Eccho answering to my talkes,
Rebounds the accent of my ruth againe:
She (curteous Nymph) the wofull Romane pleaseth,
Els no consorts but beasts my paines appeaseth.
Each day she answeres, in yond neighbring mountaine,
I doo expect reporting of my sorrow,
Whilst lifting vp her lockes from out the fountaine,
She answereth to my questions euen and morrow:
Whose sweete rebounds my sorrowes to remoue,
To please my thoughts I meane for to approue.
Sweet Nymph draw nere thou kind & gentle Eccho.
Eccho.
VVhat help to ease my wearie paines haue I?
I. griefes.
VVhat comfort in distres to calme my griefes?
Sweet Nymph these griefes are growne before I thought so?
I thought so.
Thus Marius liues disdaind of all the Gods.
O ods.
VVith deepe dispaire late ouertaken wholy,
O ly.
And wil the heavns be neuer wel appeased?
appeased.
VVhat meane haue they left me to cure my smart?
art.
Nought better fits old Marius mind then war,
then war.
Then full of hope say Eccho, shall I goe?
goe.
Is anie better fortune then at hand.
at hand.
Then farewell Eccho, gentle Nymph farewel.
farewell.
Oh pleasing folly to a pensiue man.
VVell I will rest fast by this shadie tree.
VVaiting the end that fate allotteth mee.

sit downe.
Enter Marius the sonne, Albinouanus, Cethegus, Lectorius, with souldiers.
Marius:
My countrimen and fauorites of Rome,
This melancholy desart where we meete,
Resembleth well yong Marius restles thoughts.
Here dreadfull silence, solitarie caues,
No chirping birds with solace singing sweetlie,
Are harbored for delight: but from the oake
Leaueles and saples through decaying age,
The scritch-owle chants her fatall boding layes.
VVithin my brest, care, danger, sorrow dwells,
Hope and reuenge sit hammering in my hart,
The balefull babes of angrie Nemesis
Dispearse their furious fires vpon my soule.

Lector:
Fie Marius, are you discontented still,
VVhen as occasion fauoreth your desire?
Are not these noble Romanes come from Rome?
Hath not the state recald your father home?

Marius:
And what of this, what profit may I reape,
That want my father to conduct vs home.

Lector:
My Lord, take hart, no doubt this stormie slawe
That Neptune sent to cast vs on this shore.
Shall end these discontentments at the last.

Mar: pat:
VVhom see mine eyes, what is not yon my son?

Mar: iu:
vvhat solitarie father walketh there?

Mar: pa:
It is my sonne, these are my frends I see:
vvhat haue forepining cares, so changed mee?
Or are my lookes, distempred through the paines
And agonies that issue from my hart?
Fie Marius, frolicke man, thou must to Rome,
There to reuenge thy wrongs and waight thy tombe.

Marius iu:
Now fortune frowne, & palter if thou please,
Romanes behold my father and your frend.
Oh father.

Marius pa:
Marius thou art fitly met:
Albinouanus and my other frends,
VVhat newes at Rome? what fortune brought you hither?

Albino:
My Lord, the Consull Cynna hath restord
The doubtfull course of your betrayed state,
And waits you prresent swift approch to Rome,
Your foe man Scilla poasteth verie fast,
VVith good successe from Pontus to preuent
Your speedie entrance into Italy.
The neighbring Cities are your verie frends,
Nought rests my Lord, but you depart from hence.

Mar: iu:
How manie desart waies hath Marius sought,
How manie Cities haue I visited,
To finde my father and releeue his wants?

Marius pat:
My sonne, I quite thy trauells with my loue,
And Lords and Citizens we will to Rome,
And ioyne with Cynna haue your shipping here?
VVhat are these souldiers bent to die with mee?

Soul:
Content to pledge our liues for Marius.

Lect:
My Lord, here in the next adioyning port,
Our ships are rigd and readie for to saile.

Marius pa:
Then let vs saile vnto Hetruria,
And cause our frends the Germanes to reuolt,
And get some Tuscans to increase our power.
Deserts farewell come Romanes let vs goe,
Ascourge for Rome that hath deprest vs so.

Exeunt.