University of Virginia Library

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE THE FIRST.

Cæsar, Anthony, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius, Cimber, Senators, all seated.
Cæ.
The dictator of Rome, illustrious fathers,
To an assembly summons you to-day.
'Tis true, that Cæsar seldom hitherto
Hath thus collected you: the cause of this
Alone hath risen from our common foes,
Who would not suffer me to quit my arms
Till I had first discomfited their ranks
With indefatigable promptitude,
E'en from the Betis to Egyptian Nile.
At length 'tis granted to me to enjoy
The privilege, which, more than all things else,
I coveted, in Rome to avail myself
Of Roman sense; and having first restored
Rome to herself, to take advice from you
Touching her welfare.—She, from civil broils
At length is respited; and now 'tis time
That every citizen on Tyber's banks
Should reassume his rights; and hence I hope
That envious calumny may cease to rail.
Rome is not, no, (as lying fame reports,)
In any wise impair'd: at her sole name,
Betwixt the Tagus and Euphrates, 'twixt
The adust Siena and the ultimate,
Unknown, sequester'd, hyperborean isle
Of Albion, at her name all nations tremble.
And since o'er Crassus he has been victorious,
Far more the Parthian fears; the Parthian,
Which at his victory, unlook'd-for, stands
In blank astonishment, and fearing for it
Chastisement from yourselves. To consummate
Rome's glory, nothing else is wanting now
Except to shew to Parthia and the world,
That there those Roman soldiers (who required
A Roman leader by the thirst of conquest,
And not of gold, impell'd) were only slain,
And not subdued. To wipe off this disgrace,
And to conduct to Rome the Parthian king
In fetters bound, or in the attempt to die,
I now address myself. To treat maturely
Of such a war, I have assembled you,
Here, in this temple of auspicious name:
May we infer from it a joyful omen;
Yes, unanimity among us all
Will be the only and authentic pledge
Of our success. Wherefore do I exhort
And counsel you to this. Our country's honour
Summons us thither with imperious voice,
Where her unconquer'd eagles have received
Intolerable insult: and that honour
Doth for the present absolutely silence
All lesser impulses of every heart.
The multitude collected in the forum
Burns for revenge; from thence may each of us
Their imprecations hear; from us they seek,
And will perforce obtain it, punishment
On the presumptuous Parthians. Hence should we,
Waving all other subjects, first resolve
How best this punishment may be inflicted.
I first then challenge, from the flower of Rome,
(And with a Roman joy I see that challenge
Accepted almost ere it is promulged,)
That hearty and unanimous consent,
From whose reverberation speedily
Each foe of Rome will be dispersed or slain.

Cim.
With so much wonder is my heart o'erwhelm'd,
Hearing of this unanimous consent,
That I first answer here, though I infringe
Rigid prescription, younger than so many.
To us to-day then, who have been already
Mute by compulsion for so many years,
To us is liberty of speech to-day
Restored. I first then will attempt to speak;
I, who beheld great Cato in my arms
In Utica expire. Ah, were my thoughts
Equal to his! If not in loftiness,
They may be similar in brevity.
Other abuses, other enemies,
And other wrongs, far less endurable,
Ere Rome bestows a thought upon the Parthians,
She ought to punish first. The massacres
Of Rome, e'en from the Gracchi to this time,
Would furnish matter for a copious tale.
Her forum and her temples, Rome has seen
Her dwellings not less sacred, whelm'd in blood:
With this is Italy, with this her seas
Are all defiled. What portion is there now
Of Rome's vast empire with the waste of blood
Not reeking? Is this by the Parthians spill'd?—
The formerly good citizens are changed
To butchering ruffians; to atrocious swords
The necessary ploughs; the sacred laws
To chains and implements of punishment;
The generals to ferocious despots: thus
What more remains to suffer? what to fear?
I then assert, that, to their pristine state,
Ere aught is done, all things should be restored;
And Rome should be regenerate ere avenged.
An easy process to her genuine sons.

An.
I, consul, speak; to me it now belongs:
Let him not speak, or if he speak be heard,
Who to the idle winds doth bellow forth
His pompous imbecillities.—Oh fathers,
In that which our invincible dictator
Proposes to us now, 'tis my opinion
(Although for private ends he may propose it)
It is not so much question to restore
Rome to its pristine glory, as to urge
To that on which the safety, power of Rome,
In short her very being doth depend.
Did e'er a Roman leader unavenged
In battle fall? Did e'er our ancestors
Endure the opprobrium of an adverse battle
Without retaliation? Hostile heads
By thousands and by thousands did they not
Atone, cut off for every Roman corse?
Shall Rome now suffer that, since the confines
Of earth and her supremacy are one,
Which she would ne'er endure when limited
Within the boundaries of Italy?
And to her glory grant that she were deaf;
Grant that we suffered with impunity
The Parthian tribes their victory to enjoy;
From such a precedent what obloquy,
And more, what injury, would not accrue
To Rome?—A numerous and a warlike people
Dwell 'twixt the Parthian frontiers and our own.
Who, who would bridle them, if it should cease,
The salutary terror of our arms?
Germany, Greece, Illyria, Macedon,
Gaul, Britain, Africa, Iberia, Egypt,
These martial tribes, which outraged and o'ercome,
On every side surround us; would they serve
Unwarlike Rome? No, not a day, ... an hour!
Imperiously, besides your honour, then,
An incontestible necessity
Impels to Asia, to make war against it,
Our haughty eagles. For the enterprize
It now alone remains to chuse the leader.
But who would venture to propose himself
In Cæsar's presence? Let us chuse another,
On the condition, that in conquests, he,
In finish'd wars, in victories, in triumphs,
Surpasses Cæsar, or that he alone
In battle equals him. Of what avail
Is creeping envy? Cæsar, now, and Rome
Are but one object by two names express'd;
Since Cæsar doth alone for Rome assert,
For Rome maintain, the empire of the world.
Then he is now his country's open foe,
And a base miscreant, who would dare prefer,
Envious, his private ends, minute and abject,
To the common greatness and security.

Cas.
I am that miscreant then, yes, I am he,
Whom he, that is a traitor, calls a traitor.
I am the first to be so; 'tis my boast;
Since Cæsar now and Rome are but one thing
Call'd by two names. Who to the purpose speaks,
Speaks briefly. Others let them here repeat,
In servile, artful, and unmeaning accents,
The name of country: if there now remain
For us a country, to the senators
It doth belong over her state to watch:
This in their name do I asseverate;
But to true senators; and not like these,
Convened fortuitously; for a vain form
Summon'd to ridicule; and not like these
Intimidated and encircled round
By bullies and bribed satellites; and not
Almost beheld and heard by citizens
Bought and corrupted by their demagogues,
Who feed them with vain words. Is this a people?
This, that no other liberty esteems
Or knows, except to be an obstacle
To all that's great and good, to be a shield
To all abuse? We now are told to look
Amid the gladiatorial spectacles,
Or from the tribute of corn-bearing Egypt,
For Rome's lost majesty. From such a race
First may we see the senate purged, and then
May each of us be heard. My sentiments
Meanwhile I think it fitting to premise;
And 'tis, that there should be no dictator,
Since we are not at war; that there should be
Just consuls chosen; a just senate form'd;
And that the forum should again behold
Just people and authentic tribunes. Then
Rome may deliberate on the Parthian war;
Then, when by symptoms manifest, once more
Rome by true Romans may be recognized.
While of her former state we see a shadow,
Her true and few remaining sons for her
Will loyally to the utmost of their power
Exert themselves, now her so many foes
'Gainst her to the utmost of their power are leagued.

Cic.
A son, and not ungrateful son, of Rome,
More than myself I love her: and that day
When from the impious hand of Catiline
I rescued her, Rome hail'd me as her father.
Remembering this, the sweet tears yet I feel
Of gratitude and tenderness suffuse
My swimming eyes. The public happiness,
True peace, and liberty, have ever been,
And are, my wish. Could I for Rome alone,
And as I've always lived for her, expire!
Oh what will be my gain, if for her sake
Consumed, this remnant of a painful life
I to her peace devote! I speak sincerely;
My hoary hairs may well obtain belief.
My language doth not tend to exasperate
Him on the one hand, whom disdain, though just,
Already has enough in soul embitter'd,
From many and long-suffer'd injuries;
Nor, on the other hand, to adulate
The already sovereign arrogance of him
Who deems himself without competitor.
I speak to reconcile the good of Rome
(If it be possible) with that of all.
We have already for a long time seen
The ill effects among us of the sword,
Unholily laid bare. The names alone
Of the ringleaders who infringed the laws
Were changed, their aim unvarying, and each one
Added to the accumulating ills
Of the oppress'd republic. Who among us
Sincerely loves his country; who in heart,
Not in words only, is a citizen;
Now my example let him imitate.
Amid the rancour, hidden and profound,
The manifest atrocious enmities;
Amid the brandish'd swords, (if once again
The raging furies venture to unsheathe them,)
Let each of us expose his breast unarm'd.
Thus will these frantic and discordant spirits
Be laid at rest, or we alone shall fall
Slain by their cruel swords; to their disgrace,
Sole, genuine Romans, we.—These are the thoughts,
The aspirations, and the prayers are these
Of one, a Roman citizen: do ye
All listen to him equally: and who
With too much glory is already laden,
Let him not tarnish it, or lose it quite,
By trying to no purpose to gain more:
And who with envy sees another's glory,
Let him remember that not envious thoughts,
But lofty emulation in the contest
Of real virtue, can alone augment
His own pretensions, and without a stain,
And laudably, diminish those of others.
But since at home there doth so much remain
To occupy our thoughts, I deem that we
Ought, for the present, to let Parthian wars
To nearer interests yield. Ah, may Rome be
Harmonious by our means, and recomposed!
And may the Parthians at one glance from her,
And whate'er foreign foes she may possess,
All disappear, like clouds before the wind.

Bru.
Cimber, and Cassius, and great Cicero,
Their lofty Roman sentiments, so like
True Romans have announced, that nought remains
For him succeeding them to say of Rome.
Nought now remains except to speak of him
Who in himself has centred Rome, and now
E'en deigns not to dissemble it.—To thee,
Cæsar, since Rome in thee alone exists,
I of thyself will speak, and not of Rome.
I love thee not, and this thou knowest, thou
Who lov'st not Rome; sole cause I do not love thee:
I do not envy thee, because no more
I deem myself inferior to thee,
Since thou'rt become inferior to thyself:
I do not fear thee, Cæsar, since I'm always
Ready to die rather than be a slave;
And, finally, I hate thee not, because
In nothing do I fear thee.—Now then, hear
Brutus alone; to him alone yield faith;
Not to thy servile consul, who so long
By the reflection of thy virtues stands,
While he with thee thy vices only shares,
And seconds and augments them. Thou, oh Cæsar,
Perhaps yet deservest to be saved; (I think so;)
And I would have it so; since thou so much,
Wert thou reform'd, might'st benefit thy country:
Yes, thou may'st do it, as thou hast been able
To injure her so grievously already.
This thy own people, (Cassius hath erewhile
Pourtray'd it to the life,) this thy own people,
A few days since, did somewhat disenchant
Thy visions of supreme authority.
Thou heard'st the cries of popular indignation,
That day when, as in sport, the majesty
Of the new consul gallantly attempted
To round thy forehead with the royal wreath.
Thou heard'st all shudder; and thy regal rage
Blanch'd thy fierce countenance. But by thy hand
The bauble was repell'd, which, in thy heart,
Thou didst so ardently desire: from hence
Thou wert assail'd with universal plaudits.
But these same acclamations of thy people,
Which, though in truth not really Roman, were not
Infatuate as thou hadst wished them,
Infix'd a mortal anguish in thy breast.
That Rome might have a short-lived tyranny,
Thou that day learnedst, but a king ... no, never!
Thou know'st too clearly for thy inward peace,
That thou art not a citizen: and yet,
I also see it, that it weighs upon thee
To be a tyrant; and for this, I think,
Thou wert not born: thou see'st now if I hate thee.
Reveal thou quickly then, if thou dost know it,
To us and to thyself, that which thou think'st,
That which thou hop'st to be. And learn thou now,
If thou dost know it not, thou dictator,
Learn from a citizen, from Brutus learn,
That which thou meritest to be. Oh Cæsar,
A ministration far more glorious
Than that which thou assumest doth await thee.
Tyrant of Rome thou covetest to be;
Presume, and thou shalt certainly succeed,
To announce thyself as her deliverer.—
Thou, by the freedom with which Brutus speaks,
May'st clearly apprehend, that if of us
Thou deem'st thyself lord paramount, as yet
The bond of my allegiance is not seal'd.

An.
Of thy rash insolence ere long I swear
The punishment ...

Cæ.
Let this suffice.—So long,
In hearing you with silence, have I given
Of my forbearance no slight specimen:
And should I hold myself of all things here
The master, 'twould not misbecome me now;
Since I with patience have not only dared
To hear, but have provoked, th'audacity
Of reprehensive tongues. Yet to yourselves
This consultation seems not free enough;
Although you have assail'd the dictator
With insults, which he might or might not hear.
I in the court of Pompey then invite you,
Far from the forum, by to-morrow's dawn,
To a more free debate, and without arm'd
Attendants to defend you from the people.
There, more at length, words more insulting yet,
And more reproachful, shall I hear from you:
But there too must the Parthians' destiny
Be finally resolved.—If it seem meet
To the majority, that Cæsar's fate
Be also there determined, I dissent not,
Provided that majority decree it.