University of Virginia Library

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

Enter Augustus, Euphorbus, and Polycletus.
Aug.
Maximus !—Cinna!—'tis impossible.

Euph.
I scarce believe it, tho' I know it true,
So strange a Fury I with Pain conceive,
And, but to think it, makes me shake with Horror.

Aug.
What, Cinna? Maximus? my Bosom Friends?
Whom my Esteem and Love made all Mens Envy,
To whom my Heart I open'd, and to whom
It was my Joy to give, and to confide,
The best Employments, and the greatest Trust,
And in their Hands my Empire to deposite,
What these? these two conspire against my Life?
The horror of the Guilt has Maximus
Alarm'd, and, with a just Repentance touch'd,
He gives me this Advice; but Cinna still—

Euph.
Cinna in his Infernal Rage persists,
Forgetful of your Goodness, is invet'rate;
The faint Efforts of Virtue and Remorse,
Yet struggling in the Minds of his Associates,
Cinna opposes, Obstinate to kill you,
And labours to confirm their wav'ring Souls.

Aug.
Cinna!—O Heav'n!—he!—he alone seduce!
He animate! he urge my Murtherers!
O foul unparallel'd Ingratitude!
O Perfidy! O Treason forg'd in Hell!
O sensible Resentment of a Stroke!
So barbarously meant, from one so cherish'd!
Cinna Betray me! Cinna Chief against me!
Cinna alone thus Obstinate to kill me!
But, Polycletus—

[Whispers to Polycletus.
Poly.
Sir, it shall be done.
[Exit Polycletus.

Aug.
And let Erastus Maximus inform,
'Tis my Desire he should return to Court,
Receive his Pardon, and forget his Crime.

Euph.
He, he alas! too sensibly was touch'd,
Conceiv'd his Fault too great to let him live.
Back to his Palace scarce was he return'd,
When, Sir, his Cheek turn'd pale, his Eyes star'd wild,
The Treason he abhor'd, and Life renounc'd,
To me each Circumstance with Care recounted,
In the same Order I have told it You.
Re-enter Polycletus.
Of this, said He, give Cæsar timely Notice,
Tell him, that conscious what his Crime deserv'd,
False Maximus did Justice on himself—
Then in the Tyber suddenly he plung'd;
But from my View, the darkness of the Night,
And Billows of the rapid Current, hid
The Tragick End of his Despair, and Guilt.

Aug.
All Crimes against my self find easie Grace,
When by a true Repentance 'tis implor'd;
But since my Pardon Maximus renounc'd,
Haste and secure the rest; but first dispose
This faithful Witness in some proper Hands.

[Points to Euphorbus.
Augustus Solus.
Aug.
Where now, ye Gods, must Cæsar seek for Quiet,
To whom the Secrets of his Soul confide,
In whom the Safety of his Life repose?—
Retake the Power that makes me Jove on Earth;
If making Subjects, I must lose my Friends;
If from the mighty Benefits I grant,
I but acquire the most Obdurate Hate,
How is a Monarch safe? if he whose Hand
Holds absolute Command o'er every Life,
In fear of his, must start at every Hand;
But O! return Octavius to thy self!
Cease to bemoan whom thou shouldst first condemn:
Thou that hast spar'd so few, wouldst thou be spar'd?
Canst thou remember all those Fields of Blood,
Which thy Proscriptions, thy Ambition shed,
That thou hast been the Executioner
Of thy own People, and thy faithful Tutor?
And dar'st thou of Injustice now accuse
The Powers Divine, when for thy Punishment,
Thy Subjects, Tyranniz'd, contrive thy Death,
And violate those Laws thou wouldst not keep?
Quit, quit thy Purple, as thou didst acquire it;
Give up to Perfidy a Life perfidious,
Since thou, ungratefully, hast sacrific'd
Those whom thou shouldst have cherish'd, now submit
To perish, even by those whom Thou hast cherish'd—
In this distress of Mind my Judgment fails.
Can Rage, can Malice, by accusing me
Cinna acquit? who made me hold my Power,
And trait'rously oppos'd his Country's Good,
For a Pretence to kill his Prince, and Friend.
Just Gods, should I restrain my Vengeance now?
Punish, Augustus, punish this Assassin,
And let Proscriptions reach his fell Associates—
O Heav'n! what, ever, ever shedding Blood!
More Executions still, and more Proscriptions!
I'm tir'd with Cruelty; yet must be cruel.
I would be fear'd; but only can provoke.
The Death of numberless Conspirators,
Renders my Days more hateful, not more safe;
Cæsar, no more defend thee from the Spirit
Of a new Brutus; die, let thy own Hand
Deprive him of the Glory of thy Fall;
In vain thou basely wouldst attempt to live,
Since yet so many Hearts implacable
Resolve thy Death, since all the noble Youth
Of Rome, by turns, combine for thy Destruction,
Die, since thou must, or half dispeople Rome.
Life is a Trifle, and thy small Remain
Deserves not to be held at such a Price.
Yield up thy Life; but yield it up with Glory,
Extinguish'd in the Traitor Cinna's Blood.
And since Rome hates thee, Triumph o'er Rome's Hate,
O Romans! O Revenge! O Pow'r supreme!
O Doubt! how insupportable thy Pain!
Just Gods, let Cæsar fall, or let him Reign—
Enter Livia.
O Livia, still, they still conspire against me;
When I reflect by whom I was to fall,
My Firmness sinks beneath my keen Resentment.
Oh Cinna! treacherous, ungrateful Cinna.

Liv.
Euphorbus has the whole reveal'd to Me,
My Heart cou'd scarce sustain the bare Report:
Will Cæsar hearken to a Woman's Council?

Aug.
Alas! what Council can my Soul partake?

Liv.
Severity has made a dreadful Noise;
But has produc'd as yet no good Effect.
Salvedienus scarcely was suppress'd,
When Lepidus appear'd in Arms against you;
Next him Murenus, Cepio after him,
These two by cruel Torments suffer'd Death;
Nor was the Fury of Ignatius check'd,
Whose horrid Treason Cinna imitates,
And from this high Attempt, the Lees of Rome,
Have push'd to rank their Names among the Nobles.
You have, in vain, their Insolence chastis'd.
Make an Essay of Clemency on Cinna,
His Execution wou'd exasperate
A People, that already is inrag'd;
But by his Pardon you'll advance your Fame:
Those Hearts, your Rigour cou'd not terrifie,
Such Godlike Lenity may touch with Love.

Aug.
This Empire let me quit, and throughly gain 'em,
This Empire that alone has made me odious,
This Empire, that alone makes Rome conspire—
Madam, too much I have, by your Advice,
Consulted on this Point, and which, henceforth,
Forbear to mention, I consult no more.
Cease for thy Liberty to sigh, O Rome!
The Hand that has impos'd thy Chains, shall break 'em,
And give thee back thy State, which I have conquer'd,
Greater, and more at Peace, than when I seiz'd it;
If thou wilt hate me, hate without Pretext,
If thou wilt love me, love me without Fear.
Master of all the Dignities, and Pow'r
Sylla possess'd, like him grown weary of 'em,
My sole Ambition is to lay 'em down.

Liv.
You sooth your self too much with his Example,
Beware a different Effect on you.

Aug.
After a Storm the Bark requires a Port,
For me there are but two, Repose, or Death.

Liv.
Your Passion drives you, Sir, to this Extreme,
Which is not generous, but desperate.

Aug.
To reign, and to caress a Traitor, shews
My Weakness, not my Virtue—

Liv.
Sir, it shews
You rule your self, and by a noble Choice,
Practise a Virtue worthy of a Monarch.

Aug.
You promis'd me the Council of a Woman,
And you have kept your Word in this Advice.
Tho' Crowds of Enemies have felt my Justice,
I twenty Years have govern'd stubborn Rome,
And well I am acquainted with those Virtues,
Are proper to maintain a Monarch's Pow'r.
By such Attempts my People are assail'd,
Crimes against Me are Crimes against the State,
And if to punish Treason I refuse,
I forfeit then the Property of Prince.

Liv.
Cæsar, be less perswaded by your Passion.

Aug.
Livia, be You more wise, or less ambitious.

Liv.
Treat not with such Contempt my wholsome Council.

Aug.
The Gods will here instruct me what to do;
Farewel, we lose but Time—

Liv.
I must not leave you,
Till my Affection, in this Point, prevail.

Aug.
You importune me from the love of Pow'r.

Liv.
I love your Person, Cæsar, not your Fortune.
[Ex. Cæs.
I'll strive to calm the Rage that rends his Soul,
And when his banish'd Reason is return'd,
Make him astonish'd he so late shou'd see,
That Mercy best confirms a Throne, by Mercy,
Which worthy Princes to their People show,
We Jove's Vicegerent from a Tyrant know.

[Exit.
Enter Emilia and Fulvia.
Emil.
Whence is this Calm, and whence thus out of Season,
Do I enjoy this perfect Ease of Soul?
Cæsar commands that Cinna shou'd attend,
And yet Emilia's Heart is not alarm'd,
Not swell'd with Sighs, nor are her Eyes in Tears,
As if a secret Impulse now inform'd me,
That all Things wou'd succeed to my Desire.
O Fulvia! have I rightly understood thee?

Fulv.
I said, that I on Cinna had prevail'd,
To love his Life; and that, his rufled Soul
Become more calm, he was with me returning,
To make a fresh Attempt upon your Hate;
But while I pleas'd my self with my Success,
Just in that very Instant Polycletus,
The harsh Expositor of Cæsar's Will,
Approach'd your Lover, and without a Guard,
By his Command conducted him to Court.
Cæsar is troubled; but the Cause is private:
Each Person makes his different Surmise,
And all presume the Consequence is great,
And that he sends for Cinna to consult him;
But, Madam, what I find perplex my Thoughts,
Is that two Men, unknown, have seis'd Evander,
And that Euphorbus strictly is Confin'd;
Nor can we learn, as yet, on what Occasion.
They talk confus'dly too of Maximus,
Of Night, of Tyber, and obscure the rest.

Emil.
What Subject of Affright! and of Despair!
And yet my heavy Heart disdains to murmur,
There Heav'n a different Impression makes
On every turn, from what it should receive.
Evander with an idle Fear, could make me tremble,
And now, that I should tremble, I'm intrepid.
Your Goodness, gracious Gods! I comprehend,
And I adore, that will not let Emilia
Receive Dishonour from her Sex's weakness,
That not permitting her to sigh, nor weep,
Sustains her Fame, against her great Misfortunes.
It is your Will I perish with that Courage,
Which makes me undertake this famous Blow;
And I desire to die as You ordain,
In the same State of Soul, where you retain me.
O Rome! O Manes of a murther'd Father!
In what I could my Part I have perform'd,
Against the Tyrant leagu'd his nearest Friends;
If my Attempt have fail'd of that Effect,
For which my anxious Soul so long has rag'd,
For which I could have dy'd, been torn on Racks,
My Merit, nor my Glory is not less;
And, if I can't Revenge you, yet my Death
Shall manifest to Rome Emilia's Virtue.
My Ghost, still furious with its noble Rage,
At the first view, will make my Father see,
It is the Spirit he to me transmitted,
From the great Race whence He deriv'd his Birth.
'Tis Maximus! and they Report him dead.

Enter Maximus.
Maxim.
Madam, suppress your Wonder that I live;
Euphorbus on Augustus has impos'd.
Finding himself secur'd, and the Design
Reveal'd, to save my Life, he feign'd the Story
Of my Despair.

Emil.
Is Cinna too in Hold?

Maxim.
He is.

Emil.
(Aside.)
O Heav'n!—What says Report of Cinna?

Maxim.
They say, his greatest Grief is, that he finds
Augustus knows the Secret of your Love.

Emil.
O Cinna! faithful, tender, brave, and glorious.

[Weeps.
Maxim.
(Aside.)
Thoughtless, infatuated Maximus!
The Means I us'd to find if Love, or Vengeance,
To Cinna had engag'd Emilia's Faith,
Has but encreas'd her Flame, too great before.

Emil.
Evander has (for Fulvia was born free)
Disclos'd my Hate, in hopes to save his Life.—
This Woman's Arm, resistless by that Hate,
If it were still conceal'd, in Cæsar's Heart
Should fix a mortal Steel, to save my Cinna,
Revenge a Father's Blood, and set Rome free.

Maxim.
(Aside.)
Nor will the fear of Death urge Her to fly.
Already has Augustus given Command,
[To Emilia.
That You forthwith should strictly be Confin'd.

Emil.
His Officer is tardy in his Duty,
I grow impatient to receive his Orders.
Why this Delay?

Maxim.
He waits you at My Palace.

Emil.
Your Palace! Yours!

Maxim.
I know you'll be surpriz'd;
Yet learn the tender Care of Heav'n for you.
The Officer appointed to confine You,
Is one of the Conspirators; but He
Resolves, with Us, to make a speedy Flight.
A Vessel at the River's Bank attends,
Prepar'd to spread her Sails when You Embark.

Emil.
Sure Maximus thou know'st not who I am.

Maxim.
All that I can, I do for him I love,
Striving to save from this extream Misfortune,
The beauteous half of Cinna that remains;
Let us by sudden Flight secure our Lives.
In hopes we may return, and then revenge
The Woes of Rome, your Father, and your Lover.

Emil.
In this distress, know Cinna's not a Man
We should desert; but one we ought to follow,
One we should not revenge, least that Attempt
Require we should survive him—Maximus,
After his Loss, they who would save their Lives,
Merit the Death, they basely strive to shun.

Maxim.
To this wild Rage what blind Despair transports you?
O Heav'n! what Weakness in a Soul so firm!
Can your great Spirit make so mean a Fight,
Be daunted at the first Reverse of Fortune:
Recall, recall this Virtue so sublime.
Op'ning your Eyes, at last know Maximus,
The Lover that You lose, You find in Me.
With equal Passion I adore Emilia.

Emil.
Hold, you pretend too much; yet be at least
Worthy of Her whom You pretend to Love,
Cease meanly to avoid a glorious Death,
Or offer me a Heart you show so base,
Make me Invidious of your perfect Virtue,
And make me Pity, tho' I can not Love you;
Exert the Grandeur of a Roman Soul,
And since Emilia's Heart you can't acquire,
Deserve her Tears; if, as you would infer,
Your zealous Friendship is concern'd for Cinna,
Should it be shown in flattering his Mistress.
Learn, learn of Me the Duty of a Friend,
Be my Example, or let Me be yours.

Maxim.
Your blind Affection over-bears your Reason.

Emil.
Yours, in your own Advantage, is too subtle.
Your Grief for Cinna made you talk of Vengeance,
And yet amidst that Grief you profer Love.

Maxim.
My secret Flame, long forcibly conceal'd,
Discover'd, rages and becomes Extream.

Emil.
Forbear, alas! forbear this vain Attempt.
My Loss amazes Me; but not confounds Me.
My Virtue still maintains it self entire,
Still undisturb'd presides o'er all I do,
And I can see more than you wish I should.

Maxim.
Is Maximus of Treachery suspected?

Emil.
Maximus, Maximus, I do suspect you;
Your Flight appears to Me too much concerted.
Fly Maximus, but fly without Emilia;
And know, once more, your Passion is in vain;
Yet fear not I should tell the World thy Baseness,
Nor do thou think, with Love or Perjuries
To dazle Me; but if I wrongfully
Distrust thee Maximus, to prove thy Truth,
Instead of flying with me, with me die.

Maxim.
Live, beauteous Fair, and O! permit your Slave—

Emil.
I'll hear no more, except in Cæsar's Presence:
There shalt thou see, if there thou dar'st appear,
For a just Vengeance, and the Cause of Rome,
How greatly I receive my fatal Doom,
How well I brave Despotick Power enrag'd,
And execute the Faith I have engag'd,
There Maximus, thou there shalt learn from Me,
That thou wert Born Rome's Citizen, and Free.
Cæsar shall find his Tyranny is vain,
While Free-born Souls a single Power disdain.
And when thou seest me gasp my latest Breath,
Learn not to wait 'till Cæsar gives thee Death.

[Shews a Dagger. Exit.
Maxim.
Confounded, desp'rate, and if possible,
Thou Maximus art worthy such Refusal.
O Maximus! what? what is thy Resolve?
For thy vain Artifice, what Punishment
Prepares thy Virtue, Virtue thus offended?
Let no Illusion Cheat thee into Hopes,
Emilia, dying, goes to publish all,
On the same Scaffold, will her loss of Life
Display her Glory, and thy deathless Shame.
Thou, in one Day, hast, by a Slave deluded,
Betray'd thy Country, Mistress, and thy Friend.
Euphorbus! these, these are the sad Effects
Of thy false, vile Advice; but yet I hope,
In injur'd Cinna's, and Emilia's Presence,
To fall a worthy Victim to their Wrongs,
When flaming with Resentment, in thy Blood,
I there have washt away the anxious Shame,
That racks my Soul, for having listen'd to thee,
To Thee, and to my more seducing Flame.
O Love! thy absolute Command alone,
A glorious Heart is not asham'd to own.
The Free-born Soul all Human Pow'r disdains,
That with despotick Dictates Man restrains;
But Love holds all the World, and Jove, in Chains.

[Exit.