Speake LVCIVS, we attend you. CAT. Noblest Ro
If you were lesse, or that your faith, and vertue
Did not hold good that title, with your bloud,
I should not, now, vnprofitably spend
My selfe in words, or catch at empty hopes,
By ayrie wayes, for solide certainties.
But since in many, and the greatest dangers,
I still haue known you no lesse true, then valiant,
And that I tast, in you, the same affections,
To will, or will, to thinke things good, or bad,
Alike with me: (which argues your firme friendship)
I dare the boldlier with you, set on foot,
Or leade, vnto this great, and goodliest action.
What I haue thought of it afore, you all
Haue heard apart. I then express'd my zeale
Vnto the glorie; now, the neede enflames me:
When I fore-thinke the hard conditions,
Our states must vnder-goe, except, in time,
We doe redeeme our selues to libertie,
And break the yron yoke, forg'd for our necks.
For, what lesse can we call it? When we see
The common-wealth engross'd so by a few,
The giants of the state, that doe, by turnes,
Enioy her, and defile her! All the earth,
Her Kings, and Tetrarchs, are their tributaries;
People, and nations, pay them hourely stipends:
The riches of the world flowes to their coffers,
And not, to Romes. While (but those few) the rest,
How euer great we are, honest, and valiant,
Are hearded with the vulgar; and so kept,
As we were onely bred, to consume corne;
Or weare out wooll; to drinke the cities water;
340 apart] a part 1640, 1692. 357 out] our 1640, 1692, Q3, 1716.
Vngrac'd, without authoritie, or marke;
Trembling beneath their rods: to whom, (if all
360 Were well in Rome) we should come forth bright axes. All places, honors, offices are theirs!
Or where they will conferre 'hem! They leaue vs [692] The dangers, the repulses, iudgements, wants:
Which how long will you beare, most valiant spirits?
365 Were we not better to fall, once, with vertue,
Then draw a wretched, and dishonor'd breath,
To loose with shame, when these mens pride will laugh?
I call the faith of gods, and men to question,
The power is in our hands; our bodies able;
370 Our mindes as strong; o' th' contrary, in them,
All things growne aged, with their wealth, and yeeres:
There wants, but onely to beginne the businesse,
The issue is certaine. CET. LON. On, let vs goe on.
CVR. BES. Goe on, braue SERGIVS. CAT. It
doth strike my soule,
375 (And, who can scape the stroke, that hath a soule,
Or, but the smallest aire of man within him ?)
To see them swell with treasure; which they powre
Out i' their riots, eating, drinking, building,
I, i' the sea! planing of hills with valleyes; 380 And raysing vallies aboue hills! whilst we Haue not, to giue our bodies necessaries.
They ha' their change of houses, mannors, lordships:
We scarce a fire, or poore houshold Lar!
They buy rare Atticke statues, Tyrian hangings,
385 Ephesian pictures, and Corinthian plate,
Attalicke garments, and now, new-found gemmes,
Since POMPEY went for Asia, which they purchase
At price of prouinces! The riuer Phasis
On, let vs goe on] LON. On. CET. Let us 383 or poore] or a poor 1692, 1716, W, G.
Cannot affoord 'hem fowle; nor Lucrine lake
Oysters enow: Circei, too, is search'd
To please the witty gluttony of a meale!
Their ancient habitations they neglect,
And set vp new; then, if the eccho like not
In such a roome, they pluck downe those, build newer,
Alter them too: and, by all frantick wayes,
Vexe their wild wealth, as they molest the people,
From whom they force it! yet, they cannot tame,
Or ouer-come their riches! Not, by making
Bathes, orchards, fish-pooles! letting in of seas
Here! and, then there, forcing 'hem out againe,
With mountaynous heaps, for which the earth hath lost
Most of her ribs, as entrailes! being now
Wounded no lesse for marble, then for gold.
We, all this while, like calme, benum'd Spectators,
Sit, till our seates doe cracke; and doe not heare
The thundring ruines: whilst, at home, our wants,
Abroad, our debts doe vrge vs; our states daily
Bending to bad, our hopes to worse: and, what
Is left, but to be crush'd? Wake, wake braue friends,
And meet the libertie you oft haue wish'd for.
Behold, renowne, riches, and glory court you.
Fortune holds out these to you, as rewards.
Me thinkes (though I were dumbe) th' affaire it selfe
The opportunity, your needs, and dangers,
With the braue spoile the warre brings, should inuite you. 415 Vse me your generall, or souldier: neither,
My minde, nor body shall be wanting to you.
And, being Consul, I not doubt t' effect,
All that you wish, if trust not flatter me,
And you'd not rather still be slaues, then free.
390 Circei] Circes 1640, 1692; Circe's 1716. you had Q1, Q2.
CET. Free, free. LON. 'Tis freedom. CVR.
Freedom we all stand for.
CAT. Why, these are noble voyces! Nothing wants then,
But that we take a solemne sacrament,
To strengthen our designe. CET. And so to act it. 425 Differring hurts, where powers are so prepar'd.
Yet, ere we enter into open act,
(With favour) 'twere no losse, if 't might be enquir'd,
What the condition of these armes would be?
VAR. I, and the meanes, to carry vs through?
CAT. How, friends!
430 Thinke you, that I would bid you, graspe the winde ?
Or call you to th' embracing of a cloud?
Put your knowne valures on so deare a businesse,
And haue no other second then the danger,
Nor other gyrlond then the losse ? Become
435 Your owne assurances. And, for the meanes,
Consider, first, the starke securitie
The common wealth is in now; the whole Senate
Sleepy, and dreaming no such violent blow;
Their forces all abroad; of which the greatest,
440 That might annoy vs most, is fardest off,
In Asia, vnder POMPEY: those, neare hand,
Commanded, by our friends; one army' in Spaine,
By CNEVS PISO; th' other in Mauritania,
By NVCERINVS; both which I haue firme,
445 And fast vnto our plot. My selfe, then, standing
Now to be Consul; with my hop'd Colleague
CAIVS ANTONIVS; one, no lesse engag'd
By'his wants then we: and, whom I'haue power to melt,
And cast in any mould. Beside, some others
450 That will not yet be nam'd, (both sure, and great ones)
425 so] most, Q1, Q2, G. 432 valures] valours Q2, 1716, W, G.
Who, when the time comes, shall declare themselves,
Strong, for our party: so, that no resistance
In nature can be thought. For our reward, then,
First, all our debts are paid; dangers of law,
Actions, decrees, iudgments against vs quitted;
The rich men, as in SYLLA'S times, proscrib'd,
And publication made of all their goods;
That house is yours; that land is his; those waters,
Orchards, and walkes a third's; he' has that honor,
And he that office: Such a prouince falls
TO VARGVNTEIVS: this to AVTRONIVS: that
To bold CETHEGVS: Rome to LENTVLVS.
You share the world, her magistracies, priest-hoods,
Wealth, and felicitie amongst you, friends;
And CATILINE your seruant. Would you, CVRIVS, 465 Reuenge the contumely stuck vpon you,
In being remoued from the Senate? Now,
Now, is your time. Would PVBLIVS LENTVLVS
Strike, for the like disgrace? Now, is his time.
Would stout LONGINVS walke the streets of Rome,
Facing the Praetor? Now, has he a time
To spurne, and tread the fasces, into dirt,
Made of the vsurers, and the Lictors braines.
Is there a beautie, here in Rome, you loue?
An enemie you would kill? What head's not yours? 475
Whose wife, which boy, whose daughter, of what race,
That th'husband, or glad parents shall not bring you,
And boasting of the office? only, spare
Your selues, and you haue all the earth beside,
A field, to exercise your longings in.
I see you rais'd, and reade your forward mindes
High, in your faces. Bring the wine, and bloud
456 proscrib'd] prescrib'd Q2.
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