805

POR. I am commanded so. VAR. By whom?
COR. I hope

We are not discouer'd. VAR. Yes, by reuelation.
Pray thee, good slaue, who has commanded thee?

POR. He that may best, the Consul. VAR. We
are his friends.

POR. All's one. COR. Best giue your name. VAR.
Do'st thou heare, fellow?

I haue some instant businesse with the Consul.

Cicero speakes My name is VARGVNTEIVS. CIC. True, he knowes it; And for what friendly office you are sent.

to them from above.

810 CORNELIVS, too, is there? VAR. We are betraid.

CIC. And desperate CETHEGVS, is he not?

VAR. Speake you, he knowes my voyce. CIC.
What say you to't?

COR. You are deceiu'd, sir.

are so;

CIC. No, 'tis you

Poore, misse-led men. Your states are yet worth pitty, 815 If you would heare, and change your sauage minds. Leaue to be mad; forsake your purposes

[726] Of treason, rapine, murder, fire, and horror:

The common-wealth hath eyes, that wake as sharpely
Ouer her life, as yours doe for her ruine.

820 Be not deceiu'd, to thinke her lenitie
Will be perpetuall; or, if men be wanting,
The gods will be, to such a calling cause.
Consider your attempts, and while there's time,
Repent you of 'hem. It doth make me tremble

825 There should those spirits yet breath, that when they

cannot

Liue honestly, would rather perish basely.

808 CIC.

805 POR. [within.] S. N.-G. So, too, at 806. [appears at the window above, with Cato, Catulus, and Crassus.] S. N.-G. Marginal note om. Q1, Q2.

CATO. You talke too much to 'hem, MARCVS,

they'are lost.

Goe forth, and apprehend 'hem. CATV. If you

proue

This practice, what should let the common-wealth
To take due vengeance? VAR. Let vs shift, away.
The darkenesse hath conceal'd vs, yet. Wee'll say
Some haue abus'd our names. COR. Deny it all.
CATO. QVINTVS, what guards ha' you? Call the
Tribunes aide,

And raise the citie. Consul, you are too mild,
The foulenesse of some facts takes thence all mercy :
Report it to the Senate. Heare: The gods
Grow angrie with your patience. 'Tis their care,
And must be yours, that guiltie men escape not.
As crimes doe grow, iustice should rouse it selfe.

CHORVS.

Hat is it, heauens, you prepare

VVE

With so much swiftnesse, and so sodaine
rising?

There are no sonnes of earth, that dare,
Againe, rebellion? or the gods surprising?
The world doth shake, and nature feares,

Yet is the tumult, and the horror greater
Within our minds, then in our eares:

So much Romes faults (now growne her fate) doe
threat her.

830

835

It thunders and lightens violently on

the sodaine.

840

845

835 [It thunders and 837 'Tis] This Q2. Marginal note missing QI,

832 [Exeunt below. S. N.-G. lightens violently on a sudden] S. N.-G. 839 [Exeunt above. S. N.-G.

Q2.

G divides Chorus into 4-line stanzas.

846 then] and Q2.

850

855

[727] 860

865

870

The priests, and people runne about,

Each order, age, and sexe amaz'd at other; And, at the ports, all thronging out,

As if their safety were to quit their mother: Yet finde they the same dangers there,

From which they make such hast to be preserued; For guiltie states doe euer beare

The plagues about them, which they haue deserued. And, till those plagues doe get aboue

The mountayne of our faults, and there doe sit;
Wee see 'hem not. Thus, still we loue

The 'euill we doe, vntill we suffer it.
But, most, ambition, that neere vice

To vertue, hath the fate of Rome prouoked;
And made, that now Rome's selfe no price,

To free her from the death, wherewith shee's

yoked.

That restlesse ill, that still doth build

Vpon successe; and ends not in aspiring;

But there begins. And ne're is fill'd,

While ought remaines that seemes but worth desiring:

Wherein the thought, vnlike the eye,

To which things farre, seeme smaller then they are, Deemes all contentment plac'd on high:

And thinkes there's nothing great, but what is

farre.

O, that in time, Rome did not cast

Her errors vp, this fortune to preuent;

T'haue seene her crimes 'ere they were past:
And felt her faults, before her punishment.

848 priests,] Priest 1640, 1692, 1716. 868 vnlike] much like Q2.

862 selfe] selfe ('s) G.

ACT IIII

CA

ALLOBROGES.

An these men feare? who are not onely ours,
But the worlds masters? Then I see, the gods
Vpbraid our suffrings, or would humble them;
By sending these affrights, while we are here;
That we might laugh at their ridiculous feare,
Whose names, we trembled at, beyond the Alpes.
Of all that passe, I doe not see a face
Worthy a man; that dares looke vp, and stand
One thunder out: but downe-ward all, like beasts,
Running away from euery flash is made.

The falling world could not deserue such basenesse.
Are we emploid here, by our miseries,
Like superstitious fooles (or rather slaues)
To plaine our griefs, wrongs, and oppressions,
To a meere clothed Senate, whom our folly
Hath made, and still intends to keepe our tyrannes?
It is our base petitionarie breath

That blowes 'hem to this greatnesse; which this pricke
Would soone let out, if we were bold, and wretched.
When they haue taken all we haue, our goods,
Crop, lands, and houses, they will leaue vs this:
A weapon, and an arme will still be found,
Though naked left, and lower then the ground.

Diuers Sena

tors passe by, quaking, and trembling.

10

15

20

CATO, CATVLVS, CICERO, ALLOBROGES.
Oe; vrge thine anger, still good heauen, and iust.
Tell guiltie men, what powers are aboue them.

Doe;

Divers

ACT IV. SCENE I. A Street at the foot of the Capitol. [The storm continued.] Enter the Allbrogian Ambassadors. Senators pass by them, quaking and trembling. S. D.-G. Speech assigned to I Amb. by G. 6 trembled] tremble Q3.

18

[Points to his sword. S. N.-G.
CATO, CATULUS, and CICERO. S. D.-G.

19 and] as W.
24 iust] a just Q2.

Enter

[728]

25

In such a confidence of wickednesse,

CATV.

'Twas time, they should know something fit to feare. I neuer saw a morne more full of horror. CATO. TO CATILINE, and his : But, to iust men 30 Though heauen should speake, with all his wrath at once, That, with his breath, the hinges of the world

Did cracke, we should stand vpright, and vnfear'd. CIC. Why, so we doe, good CATO. Who be these? CATV. Ambassadors, from the ALLOBROGES, 35 I take 'hem, by their habits. ALL. I, these men Seeme of another race; let's sue to these, There's hope of iustice, with their fortitude.

CIC. Friends of the Senate, and of Rome, to day,
We pray you to forbeare vs: on the morrow
40 What sute you haue, let vs, by FABIVS SANGA,
(Whose patronage your state doth vse) but know it,
And, on the Consul's word, you shall receiue
Dispatch, or else an answere, worth your patience.
ALL. We could not hope for more, most worthy
Consul.

45 This magistrate hath strooke an awe into me,
And, by his sweetnesse, wonne a more reguard
Vnto his place, then all the boystrous moodes
That ignorant greatnesse practiseth, to fill
The large, vnfit authoritie it weares.

50 How easie is a noble spirit discern'd

From harsh, and sulphurous matter, that flies out

In contumelies, makes a noyse, and stinkes!

May we find good, and great men that know how
To stoup to wants, and meete necessities,

55 And will not turne from any equall suites.
Such men, they doe not succour more the cause,

35 ALL.] Am. G. Catulus, and Cicero. S. N.-G.

44 ALL.] 2 Am. G. [Exeunt Cato,