Cat. 'Traitor!' (furious) I go—but I return. This—trial!
Here I devote your Senate! I've had wrongs,
To stir a fever in the blood of age,
Or make the infant's sinews strong as steel.
This day's the birth of sorrows! This hour's work
Will breed proscriptions. Look to your hearths, my lords,
For there henceforth shall sit, for household gods,
Shapes hot from Tartarus! all shames and crimes;
Wan Treachery, with his thirsty dagger drawn ;
Suspicion poisoning the brother's cup;
Naked Rebellion with the torch and axe,
Making his wild sport of your blazing thrones ;
Till anarchy comes down on you like night,
And massacre seals Rome's eternal grave!
The Senators rise and cry out,
Go, enemy and parricide, from Rome!
Cat. It shall be so!
(With great indignation.
[Going. He suddenly returns.
When Catiline comes again,
Your grandeur shall be base, and clowns shall sit
In scorn upon those chairs ;—your palaces
Shall see the soldier's revels, and your wealth
Shall go to deck his harlot and his horse.
Then Cicero, and his tools, shall pay me blood-
Vengeance for every drop of my boy's veins;
And such of you as cannot find the grace
To die with swords in your right hands, shall feel
The life, life worse than death of trampled slaves!
The Senators cry out,
Go, enemy and parricide, from Rome!
Cic. Expel him, Lictors! clear the Senate house!
[The Lictors approach him.
Cat. I go, but not to leap the gulf alone;
I go;-but when I come-'twill be the burst
Of ocean in the earthquake-rolling back
In swift-and mountainous ruin. Fare you well.
You build my funeral pile,—but your best blood
Shall quench its flame. Back, slaves!
I will return!
(He rushes out.)
Cato having vainly tried to bring about an agreement between Pompey and Cæsar, sided with the former, and after Pompey's death, fled with his party to Utica in Africa. Being pursued by Cæsar, he called his friends together, and advised them to leave him, and throw themselves on Cæsar's clemency. They left him accordingly, and Cato unwilling to fall into the power of Cæsar, put himself to death. This scene, describes Cato deliberating with his Senate as to the mode of conduct to be pursued, now they were so hotly pressed by Cæsar.
Cato seats himself, and the Senators take their places around him. Cato's tone and manner are most grave, earnest, and dignified. Sempronius is animated and energetic. Lucius, mild and persuasive. Decius, grave and forcible. Junius's address is hurried and monotonous.
Fathers, we once again are met in council;
Cæsar's approach has summon'd us together,
And Rome attends her fate from our resolves;
How shall we treat this bold aspiring man?
Success still follows him, and backs his crimes;
Pharsalia gave him ROME, EGYPT has since
Received his yoke, and the whole NILE is CESAR'S.
Why should I mention Juba's overthrow,
And Scipio's death? Numidia's burning sands
Still smoke with blood. 'Tis time we should decree
What course to take. Our foe advances on us,
And envies us even Lybia's sultry deserts.
Fathers, pronounce your thoughts; are they still fixed
To hold it out, and fight it to the last?
Or are your hearts subdued at length, and wrought
By time, and ill success, to a submission?
Sempronius, speak.
Sempronius. My voice is still for WAR.
GODS! can a ROMAN Senate long debate
Which of the two to choose, SLAVERY or DEATH!
No, let us at once, gird on our swords,
And at the head of our remaining troops,
Attack the foe, break through the thick array
Of his thronged legions, and charge home upon him;
Perhaps some arm, more lucky than the rest,
May reach his HEART, and free the world from BONDAGE,
Rise, fathers, rise!
(with much animation.
"Tis ROME demands your help;
Rise, and revenge her slaughtered citizens,
Or share their fate! The corpse of half her Senate
Manure the fields of Thessaly, while we
Sit here deliberating [protracted] in cold debates
If we should sacrifice our lives to Honour,
Or wear them out in SERVITUDE and CHAINS.
Rise up, for shame! our brothers of Pharsalia
Point at their wounds, and cry aloud-TO BATTLE!
Great POMPEY's shade complains that we are slow ;
And Scipio's ghost walks unrevenged among us.
Cato. (gravely) Let not a torrent of impetuous zeal
Transport thee thus beyond the bounds of Reason:
True FORTITUDE is seen in great exploits,
That justice warrants, and that wisdom guides;
All else is towering frenzy and distraction.
Are not the lives of those who draw the sword
In ROME's defence intrusted to our care?
Should we thus lead them to a field of slaughter,
Might not the impartial world with reason say,
We lavished at our deaths the blood of thousands,
To grace our fall, and make our ruin glorious?
Lucius, we next would know what's your opinion?
My thoughts, I must confess, are turned on PEACE.
Already have our quarrels filled the world
With widows, and with orphans. SCYTHIA mourns
Our guilty wars; and earth's remotest regions
Lie half unpeopled by the feuds of ROME.
'Tis time to sheath the sword, and spare mankind.
It is not CÆSAR, but the gods, my fathers,
The gods declare against us, and repel
Our vain attempts. To urge the foe to battle,
(Prompted by blind revenge and wild despair)
Were to refuse the awards of providence,
And not to rest in heaven's determination.
Already have we shown our love to ROME:
Now let us show submission to the GODS.
We took up arms, not to revenge ourselves,
But free the Commonwealth; when this end fails,
Arms have no further use. Our COUNTRY's cause,
That drew our swords, now wrests 'em from our hands,
And bids us not delight in ROMAN blood,
Unprofitably shed. What men could do,
Is done already; heaven and earth will witness,
If Rome must fall, that we are innocent.
Sem. This smooth discourse, and mild behaviour, oft
Conceal a traitor-something whispers me
All is not right.-Cato, beware of Lucius. [aside to Cato.
Cato. Let us appear not rash nor diffident;
Immoderate valour swells into a fault;
And fear admitted into public councils
Betrays like treason. Let us shun 'em both,-
Fathers, I cannot see that our affairs
Are grown thus desperate: we have bulwarks round us :
Within our walls are troops inur'd to toil
In Afric's heat, and season'd to the sun;
Numidia's spacious kingdom lies behind us,
Ready to rise at its young Prince's call.
While there is hope, do not distrust the GODS,
But wait at least till Cæsar's near approach
Force us to yield. 'Twill never be too late
To sue for chains, and own a conqueror.
Why should Rome fall a moment ere her time?
No, let us draw her term of freedom out
In its full length, and spin it to the last,
So shall we gain still one day's liberty;
And let me perish, but in Cato's judgment,
A day, an hour of virtuous liberty,
Is worth a whole eternity in bondage.
Junius. Fathers, this moment, as I watched the gate,
Lodged on my post, a herald is arrived
From Cæsar's camp, and with him comes old Decius,
The Roman knight; he carries in his looks
Impatience; and demands to speak with Cato.
Cato. By your permission, fathers-bid him enter.
Decius was once my friend, but other prospects
Have loosed those ties, and bound him fast to Cæsar.
His message may determine our resolves.
[Enter Decius and Junius.
Decius. Cæsar sends health to Cato.
Cato. (with sternness) Could he send it
To Cato's slaughtered friends, it would be welcome.
Are not your orders to address the Senate ?
My business is with Cato. Cæsar sees
The straits to which you're driven, and as he knows
Cato's high worth, is anxious for your LIFE.
Cato. (with enthusiasm) My life is grafted on the fate of Rome.
Would he save Cato? bid him spare his country.
Tell your DICTATOR this; and tell him, Cato
Disdains a life which he has power to offer.
Decius. Rome and her senators submit to Cæsar;
Her generals and her consuls are no more,
Who checked his conquests, and denied his triumphs.
Why will not Cato be this Cæsar's friend?
Cato. These very reasons thou hast urged forbid it.
Decius. Cato, I have orders to expostulate,
And reason with you, as from friend to friend :
Think on the storm that gathers o'er your head,
And threatens every hour to burst upon it;
Still may you stand high in your country's honours,
Do but comply, and make your peace with Cæsar,
Rome will rejoice, and cast its eyes on Cato,
As on the second of mankind.
Cato. (angrily) No more!
I must not think of life on such conditions.
Decius. Cæsar is well acquainted with your virtues,
And therefore sets this value on your LIFE.
Let him but know the price of Cato's friendship,
And name your terms.
Cato. (dignified & commanding) Bid him disband his legions,
Restore the Commonwealth to Liberty,
Submit his actions to the public censure,
And stand the judgment of a Roman Senate:
Bid him do this, and Cato is his friend.
Decius. Cato, the world talks loudly of your wisdom.
Nay more though Cato's voice were ne'er employ'd To clear the guilty, and to varnish crimes, Myself will mount the Rostrum in his favour, And strive to gain his pardon from the people. Decius. A style like this becomes a conqueror. Cato.
Decius, a style like this becomes a Roman.
Decius. What is a Roman, that is Cæsar's foe?
Cato. Greater than Cæsar: he's a friend to Virtue.
Decius. Consider, Cato, you're in Utica,
And at the head of your own little Senate,
You don't now thunder in the Capitol,
With all the mouths of Rome to second you.
Cato. Let him consider that, who drives us hither.
"Tis Cæsar's sword has made Rome's Senate little,
And thinned its ranks. Alas! thy dazzled eye
Beholds this man in a false glaring light,
Which conquest and success have thrown upon him.
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