Cat. But this already hath confess'd, without:
And so been weigh'd, examined and compared,
As 'twere malicious ignorance in him
Would faint in the belief.
Lent. Do you believe it?
Cat. Do I love Lentulus, or pray to see it?
Lent. The augurs all are constant I am meant.
Cat. They had lost their science else.
Lent. They count from Cinna.
Cat. And Sylla next, and so make you the third; All that can say the sun is risen, must think it.
!
Lent. Men mark me more of late, as I come forth. Cat. Why, what can they do less? Cinna and Sylla Are set and gone; and we must turn our eyes On him that is, and shines. Noble Cethegus, But view him with me here? he looks already As if he shook a sceptre o'er the senate, And the awed purple dropp'd their rods and axes: The statues melt again, and household gods In groans confess the travail of the city; The very walls sweat blood before the change, And stones start out to ruin ere it comes.
Cet. But be, and we, and all are idle still.
Lent. I am your creature, Sergius; and whate'er
The great Cornelian name shall win to be,
It is not augury nor the Sybil's books,
But Catiline that makes it.
Cat. I am a shadow
To honour'd Lentulus, and Cethegus here,
Who are the heirs of Mars.
Cet. By Mars himself,
Cataline is more my parent; for whose virtue
Earth cannot make a shadow great enough, [they are.
Though envy should come too. [Noise within.] O, here
Now we shall talk more, though we yet do nothing.
Enter AUTRONIUS, VARGUNTEIUS, LONGINUS, CURIUS, LECCA, BESTIA, FULVIUS, GABINIUS, etc. and Servants.
Aut. Hail, Lucius Catiline.
Var. Hail, noble Sergius.
Lon. Hail, Publius Lentulus.
Cur. Hail, the third Cornelius.
Lec. Caius Cethegus, hail.
Cet. Hail, sloth and words,
Instead of men and spirits!
Cat. Nay, dear Caius
Cet. Are your eyes yet unseel'd? dare they look day In the dull face?
Cat. He's zealous for the affair,
And blames your tardy coming, gentlemen.
Cet. Unless we had sold ourselves to sleep and ease, And would be our slaves' slaves
Cat. Pray you forbear,
Cet. The north is not so stark and cold.
Cat. Cethegus
Bes. We shall redeem all if your fire will let us. Cat. You are too full of lightning, noble Caius. Boy, see all doors be shut, that none approach us [bid On this part of the house. [Exit Servant.] Go you, and The priest, he kill the slave I mark'd last night, And bring me of his blood, when I shall call him : Till then, wait all without.
[Exeunt Servants,
Var. How is't, Autronius?
Aut. Longinus?
Lon. Curius ?
Cur. Lecca?
Var. Feel you nothing?
Lon. A strange unwonted horror doth invade me, I know not what it is.
[A darkness comes over the place. ...17...
Lec. The day goes back, Or else my senses!
Cur. As at Atreus' feast!
Ful. Garkness grows more and more!
Len. The vestal flame,
I think, be out.
[A groan of many people is heard under ground. Gab. What groan was that? Cet. Our phant'sies:
Strike fire out of ourselves, and force a day.
Aut. Again it sounds.
Bes. As all the city gave it!
Cet. We fear what ourselves feign.
Var. What light is this?
Cur. Look forth.
Len. It still grows greater!
Lec. From whence comes it?
Lon. A bloody arm it is that holds a pine
Lighted above the capitol! and now
It waves unto us!
Cat. Brave and ominous ! Our enterprise is seal'd.
Cet. In spite of darkness,
That would discountenance it.
We lose time and ourselves.
Speak Lucius, we attend you.
Cat. Noblest Romans,
If you were less, or that your faith and virtue
Did not hold good that title, with your blood,
I should not now unprofitably spend
Myself in words, or catch at empty hopes,
By airy ways, for solid certainties;
But since in many, and the greatest dangers,
Look no more!
To what we came for.
I still have known you no less true than valiant,
And that I taste in you the same affections,
To will or nil, to think things good or bad,
Alike with me, which argues your firm friendship:
I dare the boldlier with you set on foot,
Or lead unto this great and goodliest action.
What I have thought of it afore, you all
Have heard apart: I then express'd my zeal
Unto the glory; now, the need inflames me.
When I forethink the hard conditions
Our states must undergo, except in time
We do redeem our selves to liberty,
And break the iron yoke forged for our necks;
For what less can we call it, when we see,
The commonwealth engross'd so by a few,
The giants of the state, that do by turns
Enjoy her, and defile her! all the earth,
Her kings and tetrachs, are their tributaries;
People and nations pay them hourly stipends;
The riches of the world flow to their coffers,
And not to Rome's. While, (but those few) the rest,
However great we are, honest, and valiant,
Are herded with the vulgar, and so kept,
As we were only bred to consume corn,
Or wear out wool; to drink the city's water:
Ungraced, without authority or mark,
Trembling beneath their rods; to whom, if all
Were well in Rome, we should come forth bright
axes;
All places, honours, offices are theirs,
Or where they will confer them: they leave us
The dangers, the repulses, judgments, wants;
Which how long will you bear, most valiant spirits?
Were we not better to fall once with virtue,
Than draw a wretched and dishonour'd breath,
To lose with shame, when these men's pride will laugh!
I call the faith of Gods and men to question,
The power is in our hands, our bodies able,
Our minds as strong; o' the contrary, in them
All things grown aged, with their wealth and years:
There wants but only to begin the business,
The issue is certain.
Cet. Lon. On! let us go on!
Cur. Bes. Go on, brave Sergius !
Cat. It doth strike my soul,
And who can scape the stroke, that hath a soul,
Or but the smallest air of man within him?
To see them swell with treasure, which they pour
Out in their riots, eating, drinking, building,
Ay, in the sea! planing of hills with valleys,
And raising valleys above hills! whilst we
Have not to give our bodies necessaries.
They have their change of houses, manors, lordships;
We scarce a fire, or a poor household Lar!
They buy rare Attic statues, Tyrian hangings,
Ephesian pictures, and Corinthian plate,
Attalic garments, and now new-found gems,
Since Pompey went for Asia, which they purchase
At price of provinces ! the river Phasis
Cannot afford them fowl, nor Lucrine lake
Oysters enow: Circei too is search'd,
To please the witty gluttony of a meal!
Their ancient habitations they neglect,
And set up new; then, if the echo like not
In such a room, they pluck down those, build newer,
Alter them too; and by all frantic ways,
Vex their wild wealth, as they molest the people,
From whom they force it! Yet they cannot tame,
Or overcome their riches! not by making
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