But who can stand the Test of strictest Justice?
Or how can words avail to fway the Wife?
This Wisdom and this Juftice are in BRUTUS:
So much fuperior thou to other Men,
That at thy Judgment-feat, the greatest Art
Is useless to excuse the smallest Fault.
BRUTUS.

Say boldly all thou can'ft.

THEODOTUS.

Elfe, I might say, 'tis hard to be condemn'd
For doing that, which if I had not done,
I might have justly been condemn'd by those
Who fummon'd me to Council for their Safety.
I thought their Safety ask'd for POMPEY'S Death:
O that I could redeem it with my own!

POMPEY was great, was good, was wife, was valiant,
But yet was vanquifh'd by more happy CÆSAR ;
Who, had his Foe been fpar'd, would foon have
fhewn

A real Rage, which now he but affected.
Could Egypt stop the Victor of Pharfalia?
All we could give was but a poor Reprieve,
A hardship worse than Death to Minds refolv'd.
Rome and her Liberty entirely lost,

POMPEY would have difdain'd a Life precarious,
Which yet had coft our King and Country dear.

Would he had counsell'd, and would I had dy'd!
For he, who, as a Roman, died for Rome;

If born with us, would have advis'd for Egypt.

JUNIA.

With all thy Guilt, how durft thou name great

POMPEY?

THEODOTUS.

Ev'n he was guilty once, and flew your

your Father.
Yet, grant he was the braveft, best of Men,
Victorious often in the Cause of Rome,
While I was but a Counsellor for Egypt,
Since Fame rewards his Service to his Country,
Should I be punish'd for affifting mine?

BRUTUS.

If Words could change the nature of ill Deeds,
Thy Head would be indebted to thy Tongue,
Which, I must needs allow, has done its part,
And makes my tender Nature wish thee hence,
Out of my Reach, as well as Will, to punish.
But here I ftand the Subftitute of Rome;
Which with united Sighs bemoans her POMPEY,
And weeping waits to have his Death reveng'd.
Thy worthless Prince and Country were too flight
A Sacrifice to POMPEY. At his Feet

CÆSAR himself was not too great to fall :

Think

Think but on that, and thou wilt die content.

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and Officers with THEODOTUS.

'Twere barbarous to reason with a Wretch
Long fince condemn'd to die by Rome's Decree.
But he was no Egyptian, as he pleaded';

Nor subject to that Prince he so advis'd.

JUNIA.

What King or Country dares be fo audacious
To hurt the meanest Senator of Rome?
How then durft any think of killing POMPEY!
BRUTUS.

Prefumptuous Wickedness! POMPEY o'ercome,
Abandon'd by his Friends, a Fugitive,
At mercy of the meaneft, basest Villain;
Yet in that loweft Ebb was much too high
For fuch a Prince as PTOLEMY to reach.
From PTOLEMY, proftrate at POMPEY'S Fect,
Not only Aid, but Reverence was due.

That Chief escaping, might have chang'd Rome's

Fate ;

And the whole World had been oblig'd to Egypt.

SCENE III.

Enter LUCILIUS.

LUCILIUS.

Base Villany is feldom at a stand, But still proceeding on to greater Mischief: From murd'ring Senators at Rome, they now Lift their afpiring Treachery to BRUtus. The wife Athenians, watchful of your Safety, Have newly feiz'd a Slave in foul Disguise; Who on the Rack confeffes all the Crime. "Hic thee to Athens (faid the base OCTAVIUS) "And fave thy Mafter, fave us all, fave Rome, "Go purchase Fame and Freedom by a Blow: "Our Foes are all united in that BRUTUS; "He, he alone inspir'd the Death of CÆSAR. "Be defperate, be fecret, and be rich.

BRUTUS.

I pity the poor Wretch; he knows no better.
At his Return how would his Master grieve
To find me fafer here than he at Rome?
He does but shoot these Arrows in the Air.

LUCILIUS.

Except at Rome infected by our Foes,
Virtue like yours, is every where secure,

And claims the juft Protection of Mankind.

JUNIA.

Your Life is fo important,

Youths quit their Pleasures, Soldiers flight their Pay,
Ev'n Mifers leave their Wealth to watch your Safety.

Oh that there were no Romans worse than he!

This Slave would kill; but 'tis to get his Freedom!
But ah! ev'n Senators are growing Slaves,

Careless of Honour, void of Honesty,
Forgetting all their noble Ancestors,
And ruining a glorious Commonwealth!

Enter TITINIUS and LUCILIUS again.

TITINIU S.

CASSIUS has fent me here with this Reply,

He wants that Gold himself, which you would

borrow;

A a 4

Of

1

!