 | The Inflexible Captive |  |
14
ACT II.
Scene the inside of the Temple of Bellona, Seats for the Senators and Ambassadors, Lictors guarding the Entrance.Manlius, Publius, and Senators.
MANLIUS.
Let Regulus be sent for to our presence,
And with him the Ambassador of Carthage,
Is it then true the foe would treat of peace?
PUBLIUS.
They wish at least our captives were exchang'd,
And send my father to declare their purpose.
If he obtain it, well: if not, then Regulus
Returns to meet the vengeance of the foe,
And pay for your refusal with his blood:
He ratified this treaty with his oath,
And, ere he quitted Carthage, heard, unmov'd,
The fatal preparations for his death,
Should he return. O Romans, O my countrymen,
Can you resign your hero to their rage?
Say, can you give up Regulus to Carthage?
MANLIUS.
Peace, Publius peace, thy father comes.
15
HAMILCAR.
Why dost thou stop? dost thou not know this Temple?
I thought these walls had nothing new to Regulus.
REGULUS.
Hamilcar! I was thinking what I was
When last I saw them, and what now I am.
HAMILCAR.
[To the Consul.]
Carthage by me to Rome her greeting sends,
And wearied out at length with bloody war,
If Rome inclines to peace she offers it.
MANLIUS.
We will at leisure answer thee. Be seated.
Come Regulus, resume thine ancient place.
REGULUS.
[Pointing to the Senators.]
Who then are these?
MANLIUS.
The Senators of Rome.
REGULUS.
And who art thou?
MANLIUS.
Her Consul, Regulus.
Hast thou so soon forgotten Manlius?
REGULUS.
And shall a slave then have a place in Rome,
Among her Consuls and her Senators?
16
Yes!—For her Heroes, Rome forgets her laws;
Softens their harsh austerity for thee,
To whom she owes her conquests, and her triumphs.
REGULUS.
Rome may forget, but Regulus remembers.
MANLIUS.
Was ever man so obstinately good?
[Aside.]
PUBLIUS.
[Rising.]
Fathers! your pardon. I can sit no longer.
[To the Senators.]
REGULUS.
Publius, what dost thou mean?
PUBLIUS.
To do my duty:
Where Regulus must stand, shall Publius sit?
REGULUS.
Alas, O Rome how are thy manners chang'd!
When last I left thee, ere I sail'd for Afric,
It was a crime to think of private duties
When public cares requir'd attention.—Sit,
[To Publius.]
And learn to occupy thy place with honour.
PUBLIUS.
Forgive me Sir, if I refuse obedience:
My heart o'erflows with duty to my father.
REGULUS.
Publius, alas! that duty's at an end,
Thy father died when he became a slave.
17
Now urge thy suit, Hamilcar, we attend.
HAMILCAR.
Afric has chosen Regulus her messenger,
In him both Carthage and Hamilcar speak.
MANLIUS
to REGULUS.
We are prepar'd to hear thee.
HAMILCAR
to REGULUS.
Ere thou speakest,
Maturely weigh what thou hast sworn to do,
Should Rome refuse to treat with us of peace.
REGULUS.
What I have sworn I will fulfil, Hamilcar.
Thou shalt be satisfied.
PUBLIUS.
Ye guardian Gods of Rome;
Inspire his soul with your own eloquence!
REGULUS.
Carthage by me this embassy has sent;
If Rome will leave her undisturb'd possession
Of all she now enjoys, she offers peace;
But if you father wish protracted war,
Her next proposal is, exchange of captives;—
If you demand advice of Regulus,
Reject them both.—
HAMILCAR.
What dost thou mean?
PUBLIUS.
My father!
MANLIUS.
Exalted fortitude! I'm lost in wonder.
[Aside.]
18
Romans! I will not idly spend my breath,
To shew the dire effects of such a peace,
The foes, who beg it, shew their dread of war.
MANLIUS.
But the exchange of prisoners thou proposest?
REGULUS.
That artful scheme conceals some Punic fraud.
HALMILCAR.
Roman, beware! hast thou so soon forgotten?
REGULUS.
I will fulfil the treaty I have sworn to.
PUBLIUS.
And will be ruin'd.
REGULUS.
Conscript fathers! hear me.—
Tho' this exchange teems with a thousand ills,
Yet 'tis th'example which alarms me most.
This treaty fix'd, Rome's honor is no more.
Her fame, her valor, military pride,
Her glory, virtue, fortitude, were lost,
Should her degenerate sons, for recompence,
Be promis'd life, and liberty inglorious.
What honest captive of them all wou'd wish
With shame to enter her imperial gates,
The servile scourge of slavery on his back?
None, none, my friends, would wish a fate so vile,
But those base cowards who resign'd their arms,
Unstain'd with hostile blood, and poorly sued,
Thro' ignominious fear of death, for bondage,
The scorn, the laughter of th'insulting foe.
O shame! shame! shame! eternal infamy!
19
However hurtful the exchange may be,
The life, and liberty of Regulus,
More than compensate for it.
REGULUS.
Thou art mistaken,—
This Regulus is but a mortal man,
Yielding apace to all th'infirmities
Of weak decaying nature.—I am old,
Nor can my future, feeble services,
Assist my country much; but know, the young
Ferocious heroes you'd restore to Carthage,
In lieu of this old man, are her chief bulwarks.
In youth, with well-strung sinews this bold arm
Fought for my country, was employ'd for Rome;
Now weak and nerveless let the foe possess it;
Let Carthage have the poor, the wretched triumph
To close these failing eyes;—but, O my Countrymen!
Check their vain hopes, and shew aspiring Afric
That heroes are the common growth of Rome.
MANLIUS.
Unequall'd fortitude!
PUBLIUS.
O fatal virtue!
HAMILCAR.
What do I hear? this constancy confounds me.
MANLIUS
to the SENATORS.
Let honor be the spring of all our actions,
Not interest, Fathers. Honor disallows
Ingratitude to this exalted Patriot.
REGULUS.
If Rome wou'd thank me, I will teach her how.
20
Thought me so base, so very low of soul,
That the poor wretched privilege of breathing,
Would force me to betray my country to them.
Have these barbarians any tortures, think you,
To match the cruelty of such suspicions?
Revenge me, Fathers! and I'm still a Roman.
Arm, arm yourselves, prepare your Citizens,
Rush eager onwards to the gates of Carthage,
Snatch the imprison'd Eagles from their Fanes,
Dye every Roman sword in Punic blood—
And do such deeds—that when I shall return,
(As I have sworn, and am resolv'd to do)
I may behold, with exquisite delight,
The terrors of your rage in the dire visages
Of my astonish'd executioners.
HAMILCAR.
Surprise has chill'd my blood! I'm lost in wonder!
PUBLIUS.
Does no one answer? must my father perish?
MANLIUS.
Romans, we must defer th'important question,
Maturest councils must determine on it.
Rest we awhile.—Nature requires some pause
From high-rais'd admiration. Thou, Hamilcar,
Shalt shortly know our final resolution.
Mean time, we go to supplicate the Gods.
REGULUS.
Have you a doubt remaining? Manlius, speak.
MANLIUS.
Yes, Regulus, I think the danger less
21
Than would accrue to Rome in losing thee,
Whose wisdom might direct and valour guard her;
Athirst for glory thou wouldst rush on death,
And for thy country's sake wouldst greatly perish.
Too vast a sacrifice thy zeal requires,
For Rome must bleed when Regulus expires.
Exeunt Consul and Senators.
Manent Regulus, Publius, Hamilcar, to them enter Attilia, and Licinius.
HAMILCAR.
Does Regulus fulfil his promise thus?
REGULUS.
I've promis'd to return, and I will do it.
HAMILCAR.
But yet—
ATTILIA.
My Father! think a moment.
LICINIUS.
Ah! my friend!
LICINIUS and ATTILIA.
O by this hand we beg.—
REGULUS.
Away, no more.
Thanks to Rome's guardian Gods I'm yet a slave!
ATTILIA.
Was the exchange refus'd? Oh ease my fears.
REGULUS.
Publius! conduct Hamilcar, and myself
To the abode thou hast for each provided.
22
And will my father then no more enjoy
The smiling blessings of his cheerful home?
REGULUS.
Dost thou not know the laws of Rome, forbid
A foe's Ambassador within her gates?
PUBLIUS.
This rigid law does not extend to thee.
REGULUS.
Yes, did it not alike extend to all,
'Twere tyranny, not law.
ATTILIA.
Then, O my father,
Allow thy daughter to partake thy fate!
REGULUS.
Attilia! no. The present exigence
Demands far other thoughts, than the soft cares,
The fond effusions, the delightful weakness,
The dear affections 'twixt the child and parent.
ATTILIA.
How is my father chang'd from what I've known him!
REGULUS.
The fate of Regulus is chang'd, not Regulus.
I am the same in laurels as in chains!
'Tis the same virtue which informs my mind,
Unalter'd still, tho' circumstances change;
It struggles with, and conquers adverse fortune.
The native, free-born vigor of my mind
Soars above slavery.—My soul's invincible.
Exeunt Reg. & Pub.
23
BARCE.
Ah! my Hamilcar.
HAMILCAR.
Ah! my long-lost Barce:
Again I lose thee, Regulus rejects
Th'exchange of prisoners Africa proposes.
ATTILIA and BARCE.
Ah, cruel fate!
HAMILCAR.
Farewell! my all of joy—
My heart's too full.—Oh I have much to say!
BARCE.
Yet you unkindly leave me, and say nothing?
HAMILCAR.
Ah! didst thou love, as thy Hamilcar loves,
Words were superfluous; in my eyes, my Barce,
Thou'dst read the tender eloquence of love,
Th'uncounterfeited language of my heart.
A single look betrays the soul's soft feelings,
And shews imperfect speech of little worth.
If but a sigh escape my gentle Barce,
I catch it's meaning, and am bless'd indeed!
Exit Hamilcar.
ATTILIA.
My father then conspires his own destruction.
Is it not so?
BARCE.
Indeed I fear it much,
But as the Senate has not yet resolv'd,
24
Hasten, my friend, lose not a single moment,
And, ere the conscript Fathers are assembled,
Try all thy powers of winning eloquence,
Each gentle art of feminine perswasion,
The love of kindred, and the faith of friends,
To bend the rigid Romans to thy purpose.
ATTILIA.
Yes, Barce, I will go, I will exert
My little power tho' hopeless of success.
Undone Attilia! in a moment fall'n
From the high pinnacle of flattering hope,
Down the vast precipice of sad despair.
So some tir'd Mariner the coast espies,
And his lov'd home explores with straining eyes;
Prepares with joy to quit the treacherous deep,
Hush'd every wave and every wind asleep;
But ere he lands upon the well-known shore,
Wild storms arise, and furious billows roar,
Tear the fond wretch from all his hopes away,
And drive his shatter'd bark again to sea.
END of the Second ACT.
| The Inflexible Captive | |