A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vii Part 16

YOUNG MARIUS. Sirrah, leave off this foolish dalliance, Lest with my sword I wake you from your trance.

SLAVE. O happy man, O labours well-achiev'd!

How hath this chance my weary limbs revived: O n.o.ble Marius! O princely Marius!

YOUNG MARIUS. What means this peasant by his great rejoice?

SLAVE. O worthy Roman, many months have past Since Cinna, now the consul and my lord, Hath sent me forth to seek thy friends and thee.

All Lybia, with our Roman presidents, Numidia, full of unfrequented ways, These weary limbs have trod to seek you out, And now, occasion pitying of my pains, I late arriv'd upon this wished sh.o.r.e, Found out a sailor born in Capua, That told me how your lords.h.i.+p pa.s.s'd this way.

YOUNG MARIUS. A happy labour, worthy some reward.

How fares thy master? What's the news at Rome?

SLAVE. Pull out the pike from off this javelin-top, And there are tidings for these lords and thee.

YOUNG MARIUS. A policy beseeming Cinna well: Lectorius, read, and break these letters up.[118]

LETTER.

To his Honourable friend Marius the younger, greeting.

_Being consul (for the welfare both of father and son, with other thy accomplices), I have, under an honest policy, since my instalment in the consuls.h.i.+p, caused all Sylla's friends that were indifferent, with the other neighbouring cities, to revolt. Octavius, my fellow-consul, with the rest of the senate, mistrusting me, and hearing how I sought to unite the old citizens with the new, hath wrought much trouble, but to no effect. I hope the soldiers of Capua shall follow our faction, for Sylla, hearing of these hurly-burlies, is hasting homeward, very fortunate in his wars against Mithridates. And it is to be feared that some of his friends here have certified him of my proceedings, and purpose to restore you. Cethegus and Lectorius I hear say are with you.

Censorinus and Albinova.n.u.s will shortly visit you. Therefore haste and seek out your father, who is now, as I hear, about Minturnum. Levy what power you can with all expedition, and stay not_.

Rome, the 5 Kalends of December.

_Your unfeigned friend,_ CINNA, _Consul_.

YOUNG MARIUS. Yea, fortune, shall young Marius climb aloft?

Then woe to my repining foes in Rome!

And if I live, sweet queen of change, thy shrines Shall s.h.i.+ne with beauty 'midst the capitol.

Lectorius, tell me what were best be done?

LECTORIUS. To sea, my lord; seek your warlike sire: Send back this peasant with your full pretence, And think already that our pains have end, Since Cinna, with his followers, is your friend.

YOUNG MARIUS. Yea, Romans, we will furrow through the foam Of swelling floods, and to the sacred twins Make sacrifice, to s.h.i.+eld our s.h.i.+ps from storms.

Follow me, lords; come, gentle messenger, Thou shalt have gold and glory for thy pains.

[_Exeunt_.

ACTUS TERTIUS. SCENA PRIMA.

_Enter_ CINNA, OCTAVIUS, ANTHONY, _Lictors, Citizens_.

CINNA. Upbraiding senators, bewitch'd with wit, That term true justice innovation; You ministers of Sylla's mad conceits, Will consuls, think you, stoop to your controls?

These younger citizens, my fellow-lords, Bound to maintain both Marius and his son, Crave but their due, and will be held as good For privilege as those of elder age; For they are men conform'd to feats of arms, That have both wit and courage to command.

These favourites of Octavius, that[119] with age And palsies shake their javelins in their hands, Like heartless men attainted all with fear: And should they then overtop the youth?

No, nor this consul, nor Mark Anthony, Shall make my followers faint or lose their right; But I will have them equal with the best.

ANTHONY. Why then the senate's name, whose reverend rule Hath blazed our virtues 'midst the western isle, Must be obscur'd by Cinna's forced power.

O citizens! are laws of country left?

Is justice banish'd from this capitol?

Must we, poor fathers, see your drooping bands Enter the sacred synod of this state?

O brutish fond presumptions of this age!

Rome! would the mischiefs might obscure my life, So I might counsel consuls to be wise.

Why, countrymen, wherein consists this strife?

Forsooth the younger citizens will rule; The old men's heads are dull and addle now; And in elections youth will bear the sway.

O Cinna, see I not the woful fruits Of these ambitious stratagems begun?

Each flattering tongue that dallieth pretty words Shall change our fortunes and our states at once.

Had I ten thousand tongues to talk the care, So many eyes to weep their woful miss, So many pens to write these many wrongs, My tongue your thoughts, my eyes your tears, should move, My pen your pains by reason should approve.

CINNA. Why, Anthony, seal up those sugar'd lips, For I will bring my purpose to effect.

ANTHONY. Doth Cinna like to interrupt me, then?

CINNA. Ay, Cinna, sir, will interrupt you now.

I tell thee, Mark, old Marius is at hand, The very patron of this happy law, Who will revenge thy cunning eloquence.

ANTHONY. I talk not, I, to please or him or thee, But what I speak, I think and practise too: 'Twere better Sylla learnt to mend in Rome, Than Marius come to tyrannise in Rome.

OCTAVIUS. Nay, Marius shall not tyrannise in Rome, Old citizens; as Sylla late ordain'd, King Tullius' laws shall take their full effect: The best and aged men shall in their choice, Both bear the day, and firm [th'] election.

CINNA. O brave! Octavius, you will beard me then, The elder consul and old Marius' friend; And these Italian freemen must be wrong'd.

First shall the fruit of all thine honours fail, And this my poniard shall despatch thy life.

LEPIDUS. Such insolence was never seen in Rome: Nought wanteth here but name to make a king.

OCTAVIUS. Strike, villain, if thou list, for I am prest To make as deep a furrow in thy breast!

YOUNG CITIZEN. The young men's voices shall prevail, my lords.

OLD CITIZEN. And we will firm our honours by our bloods.

[_Thunder_.

ANTHONY. O false ambitious pride in young and old!

Hark, how the heavens our follies hath controll'd.

OLD CITIZEN. What, shall we yield for this religious fear?

ANTHONY. If not religious fear, what may repress These wicked pa.s.sions, wretched citizens?

O Rome, poor Rome, unmeet for these misdeeds, I see contempt of heaven will breed a cross.

Sweet Cinna, govern rage with reverence. [_Thunder_.

O fellow-citizens, be more advis'd!

LEPIDUS. We charge you, consuls, now dissolve the court; The G.o.ds condemn this brawl and civil jars.