University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

The Senate.
Pac.
This only I wou'd offer to you more:
My known Alliances, and kindred Blood,
By intercourse of Marriages with Rome,
Cementing long the Honour of my House,
With all the interests of that glorious State,
May well protest for me, that I advise
Abandoning the Romans to their Fate,
As necessary to avert our own.

2 Sen.
To avert our own!

Pac.
At least you'l join with me,
It may be needful to advance our own.

2 Sen.
Ay, there I close with you when you speak plain.
The Romans Loss at Cannæ shows it self
Plainly in this, that their Confederates,
Who had stood Ages fast and firm for Rome,
From that most dreadful Day began to fail;
Deserting her in absolute Despair
Of her lost Empire, not to be restor'd.

1 Sen.
You have a List of all the several States,
People, and Cities that are faln away
From Rome to the Carthaginians:
Let it be read—

Pac.
It has been read already.
Their Number and Example shou'd advise
Their Neighbours, who intend to follow 'em
As we must do, to follow cheerfully;
To jump into our Resolutions;
What must be done, to have it frankly done;
To make a merit of our Forwardness;
And not disgrace the Service we intend,
By cold Debates, Indifference and Delay.

2 Sen.
Our Rabble are in barefac'd Mutiny.

3 Sen.
And have declar'd themselves for Hannibal.

[Shouts in several quarters of the City.
1 Sen.
The noise comes this way now.

2 Sen.
'Tis every where.

Enter Decius Magius.
[Within.]
Make way for Decius Magius.

Pac.
Decius Magius!
I thought he had giv'n o're the Common-wealth.

Mag.
I thought so too: But there is nothing certain:
I was in hopes I might have staid at home:
But when a City is in general Flame,
Cripples will find their Legs to cry out Fire.
Age has not much to lose: But I am come
To awake, to rouze, and warn you of your Ruin.

Pac.
What is this Ruin, Decius Magius?

Mag.
In such an honourable Argument,
As yours may be, in the Tarentine War,
A Peace from Pyrrhus was propos'd with Rome:
The Question almost was resolv'd for Pyrrhus:
When Appius, as we have it on Record,
Aged and blind, disabled long before
To the State's Service, and the publick Cares,
Was led into the Senate, and inspir'd
By Indignation, and his Country's Cause,
Sway'd the Debate, never to make a Peace
With any foreign Foe in Italy.
I come by his Example: He was happy
In his Success; and so may I be blest,
So may I thrive to Day, as this great Cause
That lies before you now is of more worth,
Of weightier worth, and threatning Consequence.

Pac.
A long Preamble: What will be the Tale?

Mag.
They say, you are upon deserting Rome,
And joyning Hannibal: I have a Voice
Before it comes to that, and must be heard.

Pac.
We have all Voices for our Countries good.

Mag.
Our Country's Honour is her chiefest good.
Can we forget what Rome has been to us?
A fostering Neighbour of our Infant State:
A kind Rejoycer in our Growth and Strength:
Ever a Friend: And in Adversity,
(As we have tasted of that bitter Cup,
Now swill'd in Pleasures to the giddy Brim
Of drunken Riot, and Forgetfulness:)
In our bad Days, I say, she still has been
A Comforter, a Parent, and Protector.

Pac.
Well, Decius Magius, had you minded us,
If we had been inclining to forget
What, as Allies and Friends, we owe to Rome.
But Vibius Virius, you our Legate were,
Commission'd to Rome's Consul: You can say—

Vib.
That we have paid all our Respects of Grief;
Condol'd their Dire Misfortunes, offering
Supplies of all things wanting to their Wars:
This in the general Name of Capua:
But Cordials to the Dead are so apply'd:
Fortune has left 'em nothing to supply.
The Roman Legions, Ensigns, Horse, and Arms,
Men, Money, and Provisions, routed, spoil'd,
All in the Day of Cannæ were destroy'd,
Or on the Morrow's Plunder of both Camps.

Pac.
So that 'tis not enough to aid 'em now:
If you do any thing you must resolve
To undertake their War with Hannibal.

Mag.
And can you undertake a worthier Cause?
Is there a worthier, than a social War?
Our Ancestors compell'd within these Walls,
No longer able to Defend the City,
The Samnites, Cidicines, investing us,
Sinking in Ruin, who upheld us then?
Who, but the Romans, cou'd have sav'd us then?
They took us trembling to Protection:
Sustain'd a Warr for near a Hundred Years,
With Fortune often varying the Event,
Dreadful to Italy, against the Samnites,
Which they begun, and carry'd on for us:
And is there nothing to be done for them?

4. Sen.
Why, that is true; if we cou'd do it,
Without an injury to our selves.

Mag.
Have we not always been affianc'd Friends?
Our Laws, our Customs, Constitutions
Allmost a-kin, and, as our Marriages,
Mingled, and wove into our mutual Weal?
The Citizens of Rome, and Capua,
Enjoying common rights of Burghesie,
Speak us indeed one People in two States.
So that whatever mischiefs fall on them,
Betide us too; and we must stand oblig'd,
By all the Bonds of honest Interest,
To save a Country, equal to us both.

5 Sen.
That I don't so well understand neither.

Mag.
This is no Samnite, no Hetrurian War;
Where if one lose a Neighbour State must win;
And tho' the Empire shou'd be torn from Rome,
It still remains with us in Italy.
We shall not find it so with Foreigners:
The Carthaginians are these Foreigners:
The Carthaginians are our Enemies—

Pac.
Hold, have a care—

Mag.
I will, to speak the truth;
And say again they are our Enemies:
Rivals of Empire, in this second War:
And therefore to be thought the common Foes
Of Rome, of Capua, and of Italy.

4 Sen.
Urg'd home, and boldly.

Mag.
O! let us pay the debt of Glory now!
Tho' Rome be drooping, we may raise her Head.
Our Forces are unbroken, fresh, entire:
Full thirty thousand Foot, four thousand Horse,
Upon our Musters in Campania:
Money, Munitions, and Provisions,
With the proud Train and Equipage of War,
Martiall'd, and ready Harness'd for the Field,
All high of Heart, and full of able Proof.
If then our Friendship, and Fidelity,
Answer the firmness of our Strength and Power,
Hannibal will not perceive his Victory;
No, nor the Romans feel their sore defeat.

[Shouts again.
Enter a Messenger.
3 Sen.
Here comes another Messenger.

4 Sen.
The news?

Mess.
If I had breath, it is not to be told.
The madding Rabble have at last possest
The sober part, the peaceful Citizens,
Infected by their fury, are in Arms;
And Capua now is but one Multitude.

Pac.
Enter Marius Blosius.

Blo.
Disorders, Tumults, and Confusions,
Raging with Horror up and down our Streets,
Had spent themselves in Opposition
Of their contending Parties; there we hop'd
The Uproar wou'd have end: But now they join,
Rabble and Citizens, in horrid League,
And all combin'd in Violence, resolve
On Mischiefs more premeditate and bold.

1 Sen.
Resolve on what?

2 Sen.
What Mischiefs are resolv'd?

Blo.
All who are Romans found in Capua,
(As we have Families transplanted here)
Tho' in the service of our State employ'd,
Or in their private Callings, they have seiz'd—

Mag.
How! seiz'd!

Blo.
Men, Women, Children, hudled in the Rout,
Without distinction hurry'd and shut up,
Under the name of Safety, in our Baths,
The publick Baths, where choak'd with Heat and Smoak,
Their strugling Souls must wretchedly expire,
If timely not set free.

Mag.
If this goes on
Ruin must follow: I will spare no Pains
For their Deliverance.

[Magius goes out.
1 Sen.
Wretched indeed!

2 Sen.
Barbarous and cruel to our worst of Foes,
Without a Name to our Allies and Friends!

Pac.
No Friendship, no Alliance after this.
What they have done, is a sad Argument
They will do more to carry to their ends.

Blo.
Nay, there is more in hand, and to be fear'd,
Directed this way too: For, One and all,
They cry, the Senate's Councils are too slow,
That they intend to come and quicken 'em—

1 Sen.
The Gods forbid!

2 Sen.
Avert this Danger, Heav'n!

Blo.
But that we shall no longer buy and sell
Their Interests, with our mercenary Tongues:
That we but hold the Government in trust
For them, they all have Law enough for that,
They say, they can recall it when they please.
They'l do their Work themselves; they'l have no more
To do with us; we never did 'em good,
Before this time; and now against our will;
Affording 'em such just occasion
To throw us off, Senate and Tyranny.

3 Sen.
Heav'n grant it go no farther.

2 Sen.
But I fear—

3 Sen.
They bear us ancient hate on former Scores:
And what the Priviledge of such lawless Times,
May set 'em on to act, is to be fear'd.

Blo.
Nay, what portends the worst, and threatens most:
This head-long Rout, this lew'd ungover'd Crew,
Is Captain'd, headed, and led on by some,
The noblest Blood, and foremost of our Youth:
Who ne're will think their services well pay'd,
But at the price of universal Change.

1 Sen.
They're at our Doors.

[Shouts nearer.
2 Sen.
What will become of us!

Enter a Messenger.
Mes.
Fly, fly you Senators of Capua:
There is no safety for you, but in Flight:
The People are determin'd in your Doom,
And now come on to Execution:
They've vow'd to Murder you, and so give up
The Common-wealth void of all Government
To Hannibal, and Carthaginian Power,
To model new, and stamp what form he please:
As the best Sacrifice, the justest Means,
To attone his wrath, and punish your delay.

Pac.
Let us not stand confounded in our fears:
[Shouts again.
Gaping on one another, as relief,
Without our care, wou'd drop into our Mouths.

2 Sen.
What can we do?

1 Sen.
We wou'd do any thing.

3 Sen.
No God to pity us!

4 Sen.
Pacuvius, you have been the Peoples Friend;
Wou'd we had all.

1 Sen.
Ay, good Pacuvius,
You might do much, would you appear for us.

Pac.
I had some credit with 'em: what 'tis now—

2 Sen.
They will hear you.

Pac.
I cannot promise that.
But what I can, I will: perhaps I may
Do more than you expect—but then you must
Give up your Faith entire to what I do;
Lay by your Fewds, and Factions in the Senate;
Submitting all to my Direction.

Omn.
Dispose of all, so you deliver us.

[Exeunt.