Ambition over-eager, checks at nothing;
A goodly, but a dang'rous bird of prey;
Flies at all game, and never to be tam'd,
She pecks, and tears the hand on which she fits.
I often warn'd good TULLY of his danger;
But all in vain, when Heav'n will have it fo.
He wish'd himself with us, at CAESAR's death,
And heartily, I doubt not; tho' his foes
Sufpected his too soft and tender nature.
Enter fome LICTORS, bringing in THEODOTUS with them bound as a Prisoner.
We have discover'd here THEODOTUS,
Odious to all mankind for POMPEY's death.
JUNIA.
What! he that made a formal speech for murder?
And with a philofophic gravity
Sanctify'd mischief with a rev'rend tongue?
The orator wants words in his own cause.
Speak for thyself; that justice thou shalt have.
THEODOTUS.
Had I not often own'd my crime with tears,
So felf-condemn'd already; or if BRUTUS
Were not my judge, the good, the faultlefs BRUTUS;
Black tho' I now appear, and all disfigur'd
With common prejudice; yet I might give
Fair colour to this hated, foul offence.
But who can stand the test of strictest justice?
Or how can words avail to fway the wife?
This wisdom and this justice are in BRUTUS.
So much fuperior thou to other men,
That at thy judgment-feat, the greatest art
Is ufelefs to excuse the smallest fault.
Say boldly all thou canst.
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 fafety 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 CAESAR;
Who, had his foe been spar'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 loft,
POMPEY would have disdain'd a life precarious,
Which yet had cost 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.
With all thy guilt,how durft thou name great POMPEY? THEODOTUS.
Ev'n he was guilty once, and flew
Yet, grant he was the bravest, best of men,
Victorious often in the caufe of Rome,
While I was but a counsellor for Egypt;
Since fame rewards his fervice to his country,
Should I be punish'd for aflifting mine?
If words could change the nature of ill deeds,
Thy head would be indebted to thy tongue,
Which, I must needs confefs, 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 fubftitute of Rome;
Which with united fighs bemoans her POMPEY,
And weeping waits to have his death reveng❜d.
Thy worthless prince and country were too flight
A facrifice to POMPEY. At his feet
CAESAR himself was not too great to fall :
Think but on that, and thou will die content.
[Exeunt LUCILIUS and Officers with THEODOTUS.
'Twere barbarous to reafon with a wretch
Long fince condemn'd to die by Rome's decree.
But he was no Egyptian, as he pleaded;
Nor fubject to that prince he fo advis'd.
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, bafeft villain;
Yet in that lowest ebb was much too high
For fuch a prince as PTOLEMY to reach.
From PTOLEMY, proftrate at POMPEY's feet,
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.
Base villainy is feldom at a stand,
But ftill proceeding on to greater mischief:
From murd'ring Senators at Rome, they now
Lift their aspiring treachery to BRUTUS.
The wife Athenians watchful of your safety,
Have newly feiz'd a flave in foul disguise;
Who on the rack confeffes all the crime.
"Hie thee to Athens (faid the base OCTAVIUS)
"And fave thy master, 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 CAESAR.
"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.
Except at Rome infected by our foes,
Virtue like yours is ev'ry-where secure,
And claims the just protection of mankind.
Your life is fo important,
Youths quit their pleasures, foldiers flight their pay, Ev'n mifers leave their wealth to watch your fafety. BRUTUS.
Let go the flave to tell OCTAVIUs this.
Both fave and let him go.
In this attempt he but obey'd his master.
[Exit LUCILIUS. Oh that there were no Romans worse than he! This flave 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.
TITINIUS.
CASSIUS has fent me here with this reply,
He wants that gold himself, which you would borrow;
Of which, at meeting, you shall have account.
Thefe letters I have brought for noble JUNIA.
[JUNIA goes out with the letters.
LUCILIUS.
Your legions then must stay till his are paid.
BRUTUS.
Think not the worst, LUCILIUS, ere it comes a
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