Elegant Extracts

But let me now examine in my turn:
Is Juba fix'd?

Sy. Yes-but it is to Cato.
I've tried the force of every reafon on him,
Sooth'd and carefs'd; been angry, footh'd again:
Laid fafety, life, and int'rest in his fight.
But all are vain, he fcorns them all for Cato.

Sem. Come, 'tis no matter; we fhall do without him.

He'll make a pretty figure in a triumph,
And ferve to trip before the victor's chariot.
Syphax, I now may hope thou haft forfook
Thy Juba's caufe, and wifheft Marcia mine.
Sy. May the be thine as faft as thou wouldst
have her!

Sem. Syphax, I love that woman; tho' I curfe Her and myself, yet, fpite of me, I love her.

Sy. Make Cato fure, and give up Utica, Cæfar will ne'er refufe thee fuch a trifle. But are thy troops prepar'd for a revolt? Does the fedition catch from man to man, And run among their ranks ?

Sem. All, all is ready.

The factious leaders are our friends, that fpread Murmurs and difcontents among the foldiers; They count their toilfome marches, long fa

tigues,

Unufual faftings, and will bear no more
This medley of philofophy and war.
Within an hour they 'll form the fenate-house.
Sy. Meanwhile I'll draw up my Numidian

Mare, Portius, thou know'st my foul in all its weakness,

Then pr'ythee fpare me on its tender fide.
Indulge me but in love, my other paffions
Shall rife and fall by virtue's niceft rules.

Por. When love 's well-tim'd, 'tis not a fault to love.

The strong, the brave, the virtuous, and the wife,

Sink in the foft captivity together.

I would not urge thee to dimifs thy paffion, (I know 'twere vain) but to fupprefs its force, Till better times may make it look more graceful.

Marc. Alas! thou talk't like one who never

felt

Th' impatient throbs and longings of a foul
That pants and reaches after diftant good.
A lover does not live by vulgar time:
Believe me, Portius, in my Lucia's abfence
Life hangs upon me, and becomes a burden;
And yet, when I behold the chaiming maid,
I'in ten times more undone; while hope and fear,
And grief, and rage, and love, rife up at once,
And with variety of pain distract me.

Por. What can thy Portius do to give thee help

Mac. Portius, thou oft enjoy'ft the fair-one's profence;

Then undertake my caufe, and plead it to her
With all the ftrength and heat of eloquence
Fraternal love and friendship can infpire.
Tell her thy brother languishes to death,
And fades away, and withers in his bloom;
That he forgets his fleep, and loaths his food;
That youth, and health, and war are joyless to
him:

Defcribe his anxious days, and reftless nights,
And all the torments that thou feeft me fuffer.
Por. Marcus, I beg thee, give me not an office
That suits with me fo ill. Thou know it my

temper. Marc. Wilt thou behold me finking in my

But here, believe me, I 've a thousand reafonsMarc. I know thou 'It fay my paflion's out of feafon,

That Cato's great example and misfortunes Should both confpire to drive it from my thoughts.

Marc. THANKS to my ftars, I have not rang'd But what's all this to one that loves like me?

about

The wilds of life, ere I could find a friend:
Nature first pointed out my Portius to me,
And early taught me, by her facred force,
To love thy perfon ere I knew thy merit,
Till what was inftinct grew up into friendship.
Por. Marcus, the friendships of the world are

oft

Confed'racies in vice, or leagues of pleasure; Ours has fevereft virtue for its bafis,

And such a friendship ends not but with life.

O Portius, Portius, from my foul I with
Thou didst but know thyfelf what 'tis to love!
Then wouldst thou pity and aflift thy brother.
Por. What should I do! If I disclose my

Enjoys the noon-day breeze! Obferve her, Portius;
That face, that hape, thofe eyes, that heaven of
beauty!

Obferve her well, and blame me if thou canst.
Por. She fees us, and advances
Marc. I'll withdraw,

And leave you for awhile. Remember, Portius,
Thy brother's life depends upon thy tongue.

Enter Lucia.

[Exit.

Luc. Did not I fee your brother Marcus here?
Why did he fly the place, and fhun my prefence?
Por. O Lucia! language is too faint to fhew
His
rage of love; it preys upon his life;
He pines, he fickens, he defpairs, he dies:
His paffions and his virtues lie confus'd,
And mixt together in fo wild a tumult,
That the whole man is quite disfigur'd in him.
Heavens! would one think 'twere poffible for love
To make fuch ravage in a noble foul?

O Lucia! I'm diftreft; my heart bleeds for him:
Ev'n now, while thus I ftand bleft in thy prefence,
A fecret damp of gief comes o'er my thoughts,
And I'm unhappy, tho' thou smil'st upon me.
Luc. How wilt thou guard thy honour, in the
fhock

Of love and friendship? Think betimes, my Por-
tius,

But, O! I'll think no more! the hand of fate
Has torn thee from me, and I muft forget thee.
Por. Hard-hearted, cruel maid!
Luc. O ftop those sounds,

Thofe killing founds! Why doft thou frown upon

me?

My blood runs cold, my heart forgets to heave,
And life itfelf goes out at thy difpleasure.
The gods forbid us to indulge our loves;
But, O! I cannot bear thy hate, and live.

Por. Talk not of love, thou never knew'ft its
force.

I've been deluded, led into a dream
Of fancied blifs. O Lucia, cruel maid!
Thy dreadful vow, loaden with death, still founds
In my ftunn'd ears. What fhall I fay or do?
Quick let us part! Perdition 's in thy prefence,
And horror dwells about thee!-Ha! the faints!
Wretch that I am, what has my rashness done!
Lucia, thou injur'd innocence! thou best
And loveliest of thy fex! awake, my Lucia,
Or Portius rushes on his fword to join thee.
—Her imprecations reach not to the tomb,
They fhut not out fociety in death-
But, ah! the moves, life wanders up and down
Thro' all her face, and lights up ev'ry charm.

Luc. O Portius, was this well-to frown on her
That lives upon thy fimiles? to call in doubt
The faith of one expiring at thy feet,
That loves thee more than ever woman lov'd?

Think how the nuptial tie, that might enfure
Our mutual blifs, would raise to such a height
Thy brother's griefs, as might perhaps deftroy-What do I say? My half-recover'd sense

him.

Por. Alas, poor youth! what doft thou think,
my Lucia?

His gen'rous, open, undefigning heart
Has begg'd his rival to folicit for him;
Then do not strike him dead with a denial;
But hold him up in life, and cheer his foul
With the faint glimm'ring of a doubtful hope:
Perhaps when we have pais'd thefe gloomy hours.
And weather'd out the ftorm that beats upon

Luc. No, Portius, no; I fee thy fifter's tears,
Thy father's anguish, and thy brother's death,
In the purfuit of our ill-fated loves:

And, Portius, here I fwear, to Heaven I fwear,
To Heaven and all the powers that judge mankind,
Never to mix my plighted hands with thine,
While fuch a cloud of mischiefs hang about us,
But to forget our loves, and drive thee out
From all my thoughts as far as I am able.
Por. What haft thou faid? I'm thunderftruck-
recal

Thofe hafty words, or I am loft for ever.

Luc. Has not the vow already pafs'd my lips?
The gods have heard it, and 'tis feal'd in heaven.
May all the vengeance that was ever pour'd
On perjur'd heads o'crwhelm me, if I break it!
Por. Fix'd in aftonishment, I gaze upon thee,
Like one juft biafted by a stroke from Heaven,
Who pants for breath, and stiffens, yet alive,
In dreadful looks; a monument of wrath!

Luc. At length I've acted my feverest part;
I feel the woman breaking in upon me,
And melt about my heart; my tears will flow.

Forgets the vow in which my foul is bound.
Destruction stands betwixt us; we must part.
Por. Name not the word: my frighted thoughts
run back,

And ftartle into madnefs at the found.

Luc, What wouldst thou have me do? Confider

well

The train of ills our love would draw behind it.
Think, Portius, think thou feeft thy dying

brother

Stabb'd at his heart, and all befmear'd with blood,
Storming at Heaven and thee! Thy awful fire
Sternly demands the caufe, th' accursed caufe,
That robs him of his fon: poor Marcia trembles,
Then tears her hair, and, frantic in her griefs,
Calls out on Lucia. What could Lucia anfwer,
Or how ftand up in fuch a fcene of forrow?

Por. To my confusion, and eternal grief,
I must approve the fentence that deftroys me.
The mift that hung about my mind clears up;
And now, athwart the terrors that thy vow
Has planted round thee, thou appear'ft more fair,
More amiable, and rifeft in thy charms.
Lovelieft of women! Heaven is in thy foul;
Beauty and virtue fhine for ever round thee,
Bright'ning each other: thou art all divine.
Luc. Portius, no more; thy words shoot thro'
my heart,

Melt my refolves, and turn me all to love.
Why are thofe tears of fondnefs in thy eyes?
Why heaves thy heart? why fwells thy foul with
forrow?

It foftens me too much-farewel, my Portius;
Farewel, tho' death is in the word-for ever!

Xx3

Por.

Por. Stay, Lucia, stay! What doft thou fay For ever?

Luc. Have I not fworn? If, Portius, thy success Muft throw thy brother on his fate, farewelO, how thall I repeat the word, for ever!

For. Thus o'er the dying lamp th'unfteady flame Hangs quiv'ring on a point, leaps off by fits, And falls again, as loth to quit its hold. -Thou must not go; my foul still hovers o'er thee, And can't get loose.

Luc. If the firm Portius fhakes

To hear of parting, think what Lucia fuffers!

Por. 'Tis true, unruffled and ferene, I 've met The common accidents of life; but here Such an unlook'd-for ftorm of ills falls on me, It beats down all my ftrength. I cannot bear it. We must not part.

Luc. What doft thou fay? Not part! Haft thou forgot the vow that I have made? Are there not heavens, and gods, that thunder

o'er us?

Marc. Thy down-caft looks, and thy disorder'd thoughts,

Tell me my fate.

I ask not the fuccefs My caufe has found.

Por. I'm griev'd I undertook it.
Marc. What does the barbarous maid infult
my heart,

My aching heart, and triumph in my pains?
That I could caft her from my thoughts for ever!
Por. Away, you're too fufpicious in your griefs;
Lucia, though fworn never to think of love,
Compaflionates your pains, and pities you.
Marc. Compaffionates my pains, and pities me!
What is compaffion, when 'tis void of love?
Fool that I was to choose fo cold a friend

To urge my caufe!- -Compaffionates my pains!
Pr'ythee what art, what rhet'ric didst thou use
To gain this mighty boon?-She pitics me!
To one that afks the warm returns of love,
Compaffion's cruelty, 'tis fcorn, 'tis death
Por. Marcus, no more; have I deferv'd this

[Exit.

ift Lead. We are all fafe, Sempronius is our friend.

Sempronius is as brave a man as Cato.
But hark! he enters. Bear up boldly to him;
Be fure you beat him down, and bind him faft.
This day will end our toils, and give us reft:
Fear nothing, for Sempronius is our friend.

Re-enter Sempronius, with Cato, Lucius, Portius, and Marcus.

Cato. Where are thefe bold intrepid fons of war, That greatly turn their backs upon the foe, And to their general fend a brave defiance? Sem. Curfe on their daftard fouls, they fand aftonith'd.

[Afide. Cato. Perfidious men! And will you thus difhonour

Your paft exploits, and fully all your wars?
Do you confefs 'twas not a zeal for Rome,
Nor love of liberty, nor this ft of honour,
Drew you thus far; but hopes to fhare the spoil
Of conquer'd towns, and plunder'd provinces ?
Fir'd with fuch motives, you do well to join
With Cato's foes, and follow Cæfar's banners.
Why did I 'fcape th' envenom'd afpic's rage,
And all the fiery moufters of the defert,
To fee this day? Why could not Cato fall
Without your guilt? Behold, ungrateful men,
Behold my bolom naked to your fwords,
And let the man that 's injur'd ftrike the blow.
Which of you all fufpects that he is wrong'd,
Or thinks he fuffers greater ills than Cato?
Am I diftinguifh'd from you but by toils,
Superior toils, and heavier weight of cares?
Painful pre-eminence!

Sem. By Heavens they droop!
Confufion to the villains; all is loft.

[Afide.

Calo. Have you forgotten Libya's burning waste, Its barren rocks, parch'd earth, and hills of fand, Its tainted air, and all its broods of poifon ? Who was the first to explore th' untrodden path, When life was hazarded in ev'ry step? Or, fainting in the long laborious march, When on the banks of an unlook'd-for stream

You

You funk the river with repeated draughts,
Who was the last in all your hoft that thirsted?
Sem. If fome penurious fource by chance ap-
pear'd,

Scanty of waters, when you scoop'd it dry,
And offer'd the full helmet up to Cato,
Did he not dah th' untafted moisture from him:
Did he not lead you through the mid-day fun,
And clouds of duft? Did not his temples glow
In the fame fultry winds, and fcorching heats?
Cato. Hence, worthless men! hence! and com-
plain to Cæfar,

You could not undergo the toil of war,
Nor bear the hardships that your leader bore.
Luc. See, Cato, fee the unhappy men; they
weep!

Fear and remorfe, and forrow for their crime,
Appear in ev'ry look, and plead for mercy.

Cato. Learn to be honest men, give up your leaders,

And pardon fhall defcend on all the rest.

Sem. Cato, commit thefe wretches to my care: First let 'em each be broken on the rack; Then, with what life remains, impal'd, and left To writhe at leifure round the bloody stake; There let 'em hang, and taint the fouthern wind. The partners of their crime will learn obedience, When they look up and fee their fellow traitors Stuck on a fork, and black'ning in the fun.

Luc. Sempronius, why, why wilt thou urge the fate

Of wretched men?

Sem. How! wouldst thou clear rebellion? Lucius (good man) pities the poor offenders That would imbrue their hands in Cato's blood. Cato. Forbear, Sempronius !-fee they fuffer death,

But in their deaths remember they are men;
Strain not the laws to make their tortures grievous.
Lucius, the bafe degen'rate age requires
Severity, and juftice in its rigour:

This awes an impious, bold offending world,
Commands obedier.ce, and gives force to laws.
When by juft vengeance guilty mortals perish,
The gods behold their punishment with pleasure,
And lay th' uplifted thunderbolt afide.

Sem. Cato, I execute thy will with pleasure. Cato. Meanwhile we 'll facrifice to liberty. Remember, O my friends, the laws, the rights, The gen'rous plan of pow'r deliver'd down, From age to age, by your renown'd forefathers, (So dearly bought, the price of fo much blood:) O let it never perifh in your hands! But piously tranfmit it to your children. Do thou, great Liberty, infpire our fouls, And make our lives in thy poffeffion happy, Or our deaths glorious in thy juft defence. [Exeunt Cato, &c. ift Leader. Sempronius, you have acted like yourself.

One would have thought you had been half in

earneft.

2d Lead. Nay, now you carry it too far, Sempronius;

Throw off the mafk, there are none here but friends.

Sem. Know, villains, when such paltry flaves
prefume

To mix in treafon, if the plot fucceeds,
They're thrown neglected by: but if it fails,
They're fure to die like dogs, as you fhall do.
Here, take these factious monsters, drag 'em forth
To fudden death.

ft Lead. Nay, fince it comes to this--
Sem. Difpatch 'em quick; but first pluck out
their tongues,

Left with their dying breath they fow fedition. [Exeunt Guards, with the Leaders.

Enter Sypbax.

Sy. Our first defign, my friend, has prov'd aborStill there remains an after-game to play: [tive: My troops are mounted; their Numidian steeds Snuff up the wind, and long to fcour the defert: Let but Sempronius head us in our flight, We'll force the gate where Marcus keeps his guard, And hew down all that would oppofe our paffage. A day will bring us into Cæfar's camp.

Sem. Confufion! I have fail'd of half my purpofe;

Marcia, the charming Marcia, 's left behind! Sy. How will Sempronius turn a woman's flave?

Sem. Think not thy friend can ever feel the foft Unmanly warmth and tenderness of love. Syphax, I long to clafp that haughty maid, And bend her ftubborn virtue to my paffion : When I have gone thus far, I'd caft her off.

Sy. Well faid! that's fpoken like thyself, Sem

pronius.

What hinders, then, but that thou find her out,
And hurry her away by manly force

Sem. But how to gain admiffion? For access
Is given to none but Juba, and her brothers.

Sy. Thou shalt have Juba's drefs, and Juba's
guards:

The doors will open when Numidia's prince
Seems to appear before the flaves that watch them.

Sem. Heavens, what a thought is there! Mar

cia 's my own!

How will my bofom fwell with anxious joy
When I behold her struggling in my arms,
With glowing beauty, and diforder'd charms,
While fear and anger, with alternate grace,
Pant in her breaft, and vary in her face!
So Pluto, feis'd of Proferpine, convey'd
To hell's tremendous gloom th' affrighted maid,
There grimly fimil'd, pleas'd with the beauteous
prize,

Nor envied Jove his funfhine and his skies.

Sem. Villain, ftand off, bafe, grov'ling, worth-Luc.

ACT IV.

Enter Lucia and Marcia.

[Exeung

NOW tell me, Marcia,tell me from thyfoul, If thou believ'ft 'tis poffible for woman Mongrels in faction, poor faint-hearted traitors! To fuffer greater ill than Lucia fuffers

lefs wretches,

X x 4

Mar. O Lucia, Lucia! might my big-swoln

heart

Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow,
Marcia could anfwer thee in fighs, keep pace
With all thy woes, and count out tear for tear.
Luc. Iknow thou 'rt doom'd alike to be belov'd
By Juba, and thy father's friend Sempronius:
But which of these has pow'r to charm like
Portius?

Mar. Still I muft beg thee not to name Sem-
pronius,

Lucia, I like not that loud boift'rous man;
Juba to all the brav'ry of a hero

Adds fofteft love and more than female sweetness;
Juba might make the proudest of our sex,
Any of womankind, but Marcia, happy.

Luc. And why not Marcia? Come, you ftrive

in vain

To hide your thoughts from one who knows too well

The inward glowings of a heart in love.

Mar. While Cato lives, his daughter has no
right

To love or hate, but as his choice directs.
Luc. But fhould this father give you to

pronius ?

Jub. Nay, then beware thy own, proud, barbarous man!

[They fight. Sem.falls; bis guards furrender.]
Sem. Curfe on my ftars! am I then doom'd to
fall

By a boy's hand, disfigur'd in a vile
Gods, I 'm distracted! this my close of life!
Numidian drefs, and for a worthlefs woman?
Earth, fea, and air, and heaven, and Cato tremble!
O, for a peal of thunder that would make
[Dies

Jub. With what a spring his furious soul broke

And left the limbs ftill quiv'ring on the ground!
loofe,
Hence let us carry off those flaves to Cato,
This dark defign, this mystery of fate.
That we may there at length unravel all

[Exit Juba, with prifoners, &c. Enter Lucia and Marcia.

Luc. Sure 't was the clash of fwords; my troubled heart

Is fo caft down, and funk amidst its forrows, Sem-O Marcia, fhould thy brothers for my fake !It throbs with fear, and aches at ev'ry found. I die away with horror at the thought.

Mar. I dare not think he will: but if he fhould-
Why wilt thou add to all the griefs I fuffer
Imaginary ills, and fancied tortures?

I hear the found of feet! They march this way!
Let us retire, and try if we can drown
Each fofter thought in fenfe of prefent danger:
When love once pleads admiflion to our hearts
(In fpite of all the virtue we can boast)
The woman that deliberates is loft.

[Exeunt. Enter Sempronius, dressed like Juba, witb Nu

midian Guards.

Sem. The deer is lodg'd, I 've track'd her to
her covert.

Be sure you mind the word, and when I give it
Rufh in at once, and feize upon your prey.
Let not her cries or tears have force to move you.

How will the young Numidian rave to fee
His mistress loft! If aught could glad my foul,
Beyond th' enjoyment of fo bright a prize,
'Twould be to torture that young, gay barbarian.
-But hark, what noife! Death to my hopes!

'tis he,

Mar. See, Lucia, fee! here's blood! here's blood

and murder !

The face lies muffled up within the garment,
Hah! a Numidian! Heaven preserve the prince!
But, hah! death to my fight! a diadem,
And royal robes! O gods! 'tis he, 'tis he;
Juba, the loveliest youth that ever warm'd
A virgin's heart, Juba lies dead before us!

Luc. Now, Marcia, call up to thy affiftance
Thy wonted ftrength and conftancy of mind,
Thou canst not put it to a greater trial.

Mar. Lucia, look there, and wonder at my pa-
tience:

To rend my heart with grief, and run distracted?
Have I not cause to rave, and beat my breast,
Luc. What can I think or fay to give thee com-

fort?

Behold a fight that ftrikes all comfort dead.
Mar. Talk not of comfort, 'tis for lighter ills;

Enter Juba liftening.

I will indulge my forrows, and give way
To all the pangs and fury of defpair;

'Tis Juba's felf! there is but one way leftThat man, that beft of men, deferv'd it from me. He must be murder'd, and a paffage cut Through those his guards-Hah,dastards, do you

tremble?

Or act like men, or by yon azure heaven-

Jub. What do I hear? and was the false Sem-
pronius

That beft of men? O, had I fall'n like him,
And could have thus been mourn'd, I had been

happy.

And help thee with my tears; when I behold
Luc. Here will I ftand companion in thy woes,
A lofs like thine, I half forget my own.

This empty world, to me a joyless defert,
Mar. 'Tis not in fate to cafe my tortur'd breaft.
Has nothing left to make poor Marcia happy.
Jub. I'm on the rack! was he fo near her
heart?

Mar. O, he was all made up of love and charms!
Whatever maid could with, or man admire :

Delight

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