Enter LUCILIUS and VARIUS.
XPRESS upon exprefs arrives from Rome, Their veneration for most noble BRUTUS Is now reviv'd, and makes all mourn his abfence.
yet fome threaten to deftroy us here, For giving fhelter to that worthy Roman: What means this contradiction?
Our empire groan'd beneath the pow'r of CAESAR;
A man fo fam'd for clemency and courage,
(Qualities charming ev'n in enemies)
That none, tho' virtuous, could resolve to act
A bold and noble deed, which all men wish'd.
You mean the death of CAESAR. Pray go on,
LUCILIUS.
At length, a man of all the world inclin'd
The least to violence, or any paffion;
A man fublimely wife, exactly just-
Dd
After this character, you need not name him.
BRUTUS, the head of all those noble spirits
Who shine at Rome, and rule the under world,
Selects the very choicest of them all,
And fells the tyrant in the very
This deed of BRUTUS feems the will of Heav'n.
And fo accounted for his wond'rous virtue.
The foldiers, fenators, and common people,
(If among Romans they can be fo call'd)
Ev'n the best friends of CAESAR follow'd BRUTUS,
As the avow'd deliv'rer of his country:
Till his foft nature, and his gen'rous fpirit,
Refign'd the corps to be interr'd with honour.
VARIUS.
That made this fatal change, as we are told.
Moft true, in those that heard the fam'd oration.
What is it eloquence cannot perfuade?
Reafon itfelf comes over to its fide.
Thus ANTONY, foon as his fpeech was ended,
Rais'd in that heat fo great a rage against us,
As forc'd ev'n friends to act the part of foes:
Yet now the wife repent, and rev'rence Athens
For thus fupporting the most worthy BRUTUS.
VARIUS.
The roads from Rome are fill'd by valiant crouds,
Who fly from fafety, to partake our danger.
No wonder: fince virtue has ever fix'd
Kind correfpondence between Rome and Athens. The youth of Rome, and all whom Rome has conHither repair to learn philofophy.
quer'd,
Chief among thefe, you (fon of famous TULLY)
Advis'd no doubt by your illuftrious father,
Invited BRUTUS and his brother CASSIUS
To make great Athens centre of the war.
VARIUS.
And she has own'd your caufe in ample manner.
Armies are levy'd, and vast fums are rais'd,
In the defence of Roman liberty.
Oh! noble efforts of republick fpirit!
Why this is being friends to human-kind;
Which, next to Heav'n, is most oblig'd to those
Who rescue liberty from vile oppreffion.
VARIUS.
Our ancient heroes thus grew Gods themselves:
Befides, 'tis in a manner felf-defence
To help in neighb'ring dangers; for it hinders
Future encroachments on ourselves at home.
LUCILIUS.
Of that, Athenians are almost too jealous:
Ev'n with ingratitude they crufh ambition,
And banish merit, when the least afpiring.
VARIUS.
Moft wifely do they act, nay justly too:
For we reward a leader's service best,
In barring him the means of doing mischief.
Happier, much happier had it been for CAESAR,
Had he been banish'd, while yet innocent,
Than e'er return'd triumphant o'er his country.
Enter DOLABELLA, pulling off his disguise.
What! DOLABELLA here?
DOLABELLA.
A friend to VARIUS,
Sent by ANTONIUS in most secret manner,
To ask an interview of noble BRUTUS,
Before the foldier joins in bloody battle.
Who knows but each great chief may grow more kind,
In fight of wond'ring armies may embrace,
And Rome fhall fmile at their returning friends?
And can you think that BRUTUS flew great JULIUS, To fuffer tyranny in other hands?
Alas! that tyranny is but a word,
Us'd only by us when we hate our ruler.
Have we not found (you'll pardon me, good VARIUS)
That ev'n this change you call deliverance
Has but remov'd one hardship for a greater,
A single grievance for a civil war?
What do I hear! Is any grievance equal
To that most abject state of being fubjects
To will, to paffion, or to lawless humour?
Yet thefe expreffions fhew 'tis not mere ruling,
But ruling ill, you fear. When prudence sways,
'Tis happiness, not flav'ry, to be govern'd.
To bless our times with plenty, and with pleasures,
Prevent disorders, and promote diverfions,
Hinder us all from hurting one another,
Take all the cares, and leave us all the joys,
Can only be accomplish'd by great power,
When plac'd in such a man as God-like BRUTUS.
VARIUS.
Where is content or pleasure under force?
The freedom of man's will not Heav'n constrains:
Who wants it, and endures it, is a brute.
Yet put the cafe fome Phoenix prince should reign,
A Vultur might fucceed; a fon, or brother,
Who will undo in a few months of folly,
(For fhort will be his reign, tho' feeming long)
Whate'er the wife had been whole years contriving.
Like BRUTUS, did you say? A man like BRUTUS
No more would be a sov'reign, than a slave:
A man fo virtuous, and fo wife, well knows
'Tis better much to bear than do a hardship.
DOLABELLA.
What hardship's done by acting for mens good?
VARIUS.
What good can come from arbitrary sway?
The choiceft fare, forc'd down, will cloy the ftomach.
But here he comes himself to hear your message:
At once the humbleft and the highest mind
That ever fhin'd in all our Roman story!
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