University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

The Senate, Cælius, Albinus, and Attendants.
Cælius enters, preceded by two Lictors and Albinus. He passes before the Consuls and the Senate, whom he salutes, and stands in the Front of the Theatre.
CÆLIUS.
Consuls and Senators—
I give you Thanks for the distinguish'd Honour,
Here to behold your Venerable Council,
And to approach this awful Seat of Heroes;
In Person to admire your shining Virtues,
And hear the Soul of Rome in Brutus speak!
Far from the Clamours of that barbarous Crowd,
Whom a wild frantic Fury hurries on;
Inconstant in their Love, as blind in Hate,
Who threat and crouch, are Lords and cringing Slaves,
All in a Day!—whose Insolence—

BRUTUS.
Hold, Cælius!
There is no Slave in Rome. Know you must treat
Her free-born Citizens with more Respect;
It is the Senate's Pride to represent
That virtuous People you so rashly censure.
Your flatt'ring Arts will all be fruitless here.
That Poison, which corrupts the Tuscan Court,
Is yet unknown among the Roman Senate.
Proceed.

CÆLIUS.
Unmov'd by these imperious Words,
I look with Pity on your falling State,
And mourn the Woes to which you are expos'd:
I, as a Son of Rome, espouse her Cause.
You see the dreadful Storm that low'rs around;
Titus in vain averts th'impending Blow;
His daring Hand (I speak it with Regret)
Can only make your Ruin more Illustrious.
His Victories unman your feeble Walls;
The Blood of your own Soldiers fills your Trenches.
Why will you then reject a Peace so needful?
As you pretend t'assert the Cause of Rome,
Porsenna is the Friend of injur'd Tarquin.
Reflect, ye formidable Roman Sires!
Sagacious Patrons of the People's Rights!
You who judge Kings! Reflect, where now ye are!
See there the Capitol, those very Altars,
Where heretofore, attesting all the Gods,
Ye swore Obedience to your banish'd King.
These Eyes beheld you, prostrate at his Feet,
With loyal Ardour plight your Faith to Tarquin.
What Gods have then dissolv'd a Monarch's Right?
What Pow'r can break a Tye, so strong and solemn?
Who has releas'd you from your Oaths?—

BRUTUS.
Himself.
Name not those Tyes, his flagrant Crimes have broke;
His forfeit Title, and the Gods he mock'd!
Mankind are all, by Nature, free and equal;
'Tis their Consent alone, gives just Dominion.
With what Pretence of Right can Tarquin claim
Respect and Reverence from the Roman State,
Which he so boldly labour'd to subvert?
Cælius, when we elected him our King,
We vow'd Allegiance, but not Servitude!
And since you call to mind, that in yon' Temple,
You saw the Senate plight their Faith to Tarquin,
Remember too, in the same sacred Place,
In Presence of the Gods, before their Altars,
He promis'd to maintain the Rights of Rome:
This was the Bond between the King and People.
Our Oaths are cancell'd by the Breach of His.
By violating Laws Divine and Human,
Tarquin alone rebells, and Rome is free!

CÆLIUS.
Should it alas! be true, that Sovereign Power
Has tempted him beyond the Bounds of Reason;
And that, deluded by this Siren's Wiles,
He fondly stray'd from Virtue's fairer Paths;
Where lives the Man, that does not sometimes err?
Or where the King, exempt from Human Frailty?
But how dare Subjects, form'd by Heav'n t'obey,
Contend against th'Awards of Providence,
And with high Hand call Monarchs to Account?
What! shall a Son chastise a guilty Father?
With silent Grief he only mourns his Crimes!
And shall we pay less Reverence to Kings?
We are their Sons, the Gods alone their Judges.
If Jove sometimes deputes them in his Wrath,
As Instruments to scourge a stubborn People,
Provoke him not to send severer Judgments;
Nor change the Regal Power for Anarchy,
And by new-modelling the State, subvert it.
By sage Affliction taught, (Man's best Instructer)
Tarquin will more consult the Good of Rome.
You may, in lasting Peace and Union join'd,
Restore the Happiness of King and People;
Then Liberty shall smile secure, and flourish,
Protected by your Monarch's milder Sway.

BRUTUS.
'Tis now too late: Each Country has its Laws,
Which, uncontroul'd, it abrogates at Pleasure.
The Tuscans, to their Kings and Priests enslav'd,
Wish all Mankind as abject as themselves.
The gen'rous Greeks, Patrons of Liberty,
By Arts and Arms swell the loud Trump of Fame.
The soft luxurious Race of rich Ionia
Bow down their Necks to trampling Tyranny.
The Kings of Rome were never Absolute.
Numa, who gave us Laws, himself obey'd them.
We share the Weight of the supreme Command.
[He rises.
Great Jove, thou Sov'reign Pow'r! forgive the Romans
Their long Delay to pass the solemn Sentence,
Against proud Tarquin and his impious Race,
For ever to exclude them from the Throne!
When, in Defiance of the Laws and Justice,
He wantonly destroy'd his Subjects Lives,
The Tyrant then depos'd the Legal King!
The Romans, prest beneath his Iron Sceptre,
By Sufferings rouz'd, resume their antient Courage,
And with One Voice disclaim Despotic Sway.
The Tuscans too, had they the Souls of Men,
Might learn from Us t'expell licentious Tyrants!
[The Consuls move towards the Altar, and the Senate rises.
O Mars! thou Tutelary Pow'r of Rome,
The Hero's Guardian, and the God of Battels!
Receive our ardent Vows, on thy dread Altar,
For this great Council, and the Roman People.
Should there be found among the Sons of Rome
A Soul so base, barely to wish for Bondage,
Or harbour the least Thought to bring back Tarquin,
May the perfidious Wretch expire in Tortures;
And may his Ashes, scatter'd by the Winds,
Leave nought beside a Name, still more accurst,
If possible, than that of guilty Tarquin!

CÆLIUS,
moving towards the Altar.
And I, on this same Altar you profane,
Swear, in the Name of your deserted King,
And in Porsenna's Name, his just Avenger,
Eternal War to all the Roman Race!
[The Senators move towards the Capitol.
Stay, Senators; I have not yet complain'd
Of all the Outrages I have in Charge.
Is Tarquin's Daughter too, whom you detain,
Design'd a Victim for the Roman Safety?
Or do you load her Princely Hands with Chains,
T'insult her Sire, and all the neighb'ring Kings?
Is that Imperial Wealth, those ample Treasures,
From whence his Donatives so largely flow'd,
Now yours by Gift? or do you claim by Conquest?
Well you dethrone the King to seize his Riches!
Let Brutus, if he can, deny this Charge.

BRUTUS,
turning himself towards Cælius.
Thou'rt yet a Stranger to the Roman Genius;
We, and these Senators, Foes to Corruption,
Have heap'd no Wealth, tho' hoary grown in Honours:
Take then the Gold: Let Tarquin revel with it,
Nor envy us our Poverty and Freedom.—
Lucia, to Me entrusted by the Senate,
Enjoys not here, indeed, that Royal Pomp,
Those flatt'ring Honours and luxurious Pleasures,
Whose Siren Charms corrupt the tender Heart;
But all the kind Regard she has receiv'd,
Due to her Sex, her Youth, and her Misfortunes.
She is permitted to return with You.
Henceforth may Nought in Rome belong to Tarquin,
But Public Hate, and Vengeance of the Gods!
To carry off th'Effects and Gold requir'd,
You are allow'd a Day; That must suffice;
In the mean while, my House is your Protection:
Freely enjoy all Hospitable Rights.
You have the Senate's final Resolution.
Acquaint Porsenna with our fixt Decree,
And bear to him from us War and Defiance!

VALERIUS
to the Senate.
Proceed we now to crown the Capitol
With Laurel Wreaths, that deck'd the Brows of Titus.
There let us hang the Spoils and bloody Trophies,
His happy Hands have ravish'd from the Tuscans.
[To Brutus.]
Thus may your late Descendants, with like Ardour,
From Age to Age, Triumphant fight for Rome!

BRUTUS.
Ye righteous Pow'rs! continue still to bless
The glorious Cause of Freedom with Success!

[Exeunt all but Cælius and Albinus.