Our Senators, great Jove, restrain
From private piques, they prudence call;
From the low thoughts of little gain,
And hazarding the lofing all.
The shining arms with hafte prepare,
Then to the glorious combat fly;
Our minds unclogg'd with farther care,
Except to overcome or die.
And, for reward, &c.
They fight, oppreffion to increase;
We, for our liberties and laws:
It were a fin to doubt fuccefs,
When freedom is the noble caufe.
And, for reward, of the juft Gods we claim
A life with freedom, or a death with fame.
BRUTUS, CASSIUS, LUCILIUS and TITINIUS, with other Officers, at the Head of their army.
ROPITIOUS ftars favour our cause already. Behold! a heedlefs party of OCTAVIUS, Haft'ning too fast, is fall'n within our ambush; And we may cut them off without defence.
Hold, CASSIUS, hold,
And fpare your fellow-citizens at mercy.
The death of these will make the day our own.
'Twill rather make the rest more desperate. Confider, CASSIUS, they are Romans all.
So much the worse, fighting against their country.
Alas! they do but follow wicked leaders,
And are our countrymen, with all their faults;
Kindred, nay friends, perhaps, to thee or me.
Thy tender nature will undo us all.
Good CASSIUS, let me over-rule in this,
And you in all things else shall govern me.
Order our foldiers not to kill a man, [T. LUCILIUS.
But feize them gently, as your future friends.
Oh! CASSIUS, what a pleasure 'tis to fave
Romans from falling in a fhameful caufe!
CASSIUS.
I can no longer contradict my BRUTUS,
Your mercy is fo moving; yet I own
This battle never was approv'd by me:
For I would ne'er have ventur'd at one blow
So great a stake as all our liberties;
But rather have prolong'd th' important war.
I ufe to flight prefages; but of late,
My mind, I know not how, foreboding ill,
Spite of my reafon, feels a drooping sadness,
And by its gloomy light forefees misfortune.
BRUTUS.
In fuch a cause it were a fault to fear;
Elfe, CASSIUS, I might have fome fancies too.
For CAESAR's ghoft appear'd to me last night,
At all his gaping wounds breathing revenge;
And when I would have reason'd with it, vanish'd.
CASSIUS.
Alas! good BRUTUS, what can be in that,
But an effect of melancholy fumes?
A dark and difmal picture lively drawn
By dreaming fancy, tho' we think we wake?
Our fect believes no fpirits; if there be,
At least, if they are fuch as PLATO fancies,
Thofe purer beings, who behold our caufe,
Thofe Demi-Gods will fure encourage virtue,
And give their fellow-creatures juft assistance.
Thus, in the midst of flaughter we shall find
Ten thousand airy legions on our fide,
Sent to our aid, as Heav'n's auxiliaries.
Enter LUCILIUS, with an Officer of the other Army.
My lord, your gen'rous orders were obey'd,
And fee the juft fuccefs! This worthy tribune,
Won by your mercy to those other foldiers,
Is come to join us with a valiant band,
Vowing they never will be foes to BRUTUS.
OFFICER.
Such virtue needs no army to fupport it;
It vanquishes beyond the reach of force,
And makes our very minds yield due fubmission.
BRUTUS.
Submiffion only should be paid to Heav'n,
And I muft blush to hear it from a Roman.
We scarce have in this little span of life
Sufficient time for exercise of virtue;
We fhould do ill to lofe the least occafion.
Let all his cohort charge with our chief legion.
Such a desertion is a timely service.
Your approbation is our highest aim:
And this day we'll deferve it.
Your country's freedom will excite your valour. Let him have rank among our chief commanders. [Exit Officer with VARIUS and TITINIUS.
Manent CASSIUS and BRUTUS.
The fight is well begun, most noble BRUTUS:
And may the reft be ftill fo favourable,
That we may lengthen out our lives to age,
In all the peaceful joys of love and friendship.
But, fince the chance of war is most uncertain,
'Tis wifdom to provide against the worst:
Which is, our parting, if we lose the battle,
Never to meet again: in fuch a cafe
What is my dearest friend refolv'd to do?
BRUTUS.
I am, alas! fo weary of a world,
All full of faults and follies, I would leave it :
But that to me it seems a want of spirit
To shrink from life for fear of future ill.
'Tis to distrust the justice of the Gods,
Or else their pow'r; and is, in my opinion,
Not courage, but a bold disguise for fear.
With patience arm'd, I'll bear the blows of fortune.
CASSIUS.
Then, dearest BRUTUS, you can be content
To wear a chain; nay, what is yet much worse, To fee great Rome as much a slave as you?
O never, never come that fatal day!
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