Swells in the winds, and comes more full

MARCU S.

upon us.

Oh, for fome glorious cause to fall in battle!
Lucia, thou haft undone me! thy difdain

Has broke my heart: 'tis death must give me ease,
PORTIUS.

Quick let us hence; who knows if Cata's life
Stands fure? O Marcus, I am warm'd, my heart
Leaps at the trumpet's voice, and burns for glory. [Exit.

SCENE IV.

SEMPRONIUS with the leaders of
the mutiny.

SEMPRONIUS.

At length the winds are rais'd, the ftorm blows high Be it your care, my friends, to keep it up

In its full fury, and direct it right,

"Till it has spent itself on Cato's head.

Mean-while I'll herd among his friends, and feem

One of the number, that whate'er arrive,

My friends and fellow-foldiers may be safe.

[Exit.

I LEADER.

We all are fafe, Sempronius is our friend, Sempronius is as brave a man as Cato.

But hark! he enters. Bear up boldly to him;

Be

Be fure you beat him down, and bind him fast.
This day will end our toils, and give us reft!
Fear nothing, for Sempronius is our friend.

SCENE V.

CATO, SEM PRONIUS,

LUCIUS,

PORTIUS, MARCUS, &c.

CATO.

Where are thefe bold intrepid fons of war, That greatly turn their back upon the foe, And to their general fend a brave defiance :

SEMPRONIUS.

Curfe on their daftard fouls, they ftand aftonifh'd![ Afide. САТО

Perfidious men! and will you thus difhonour

Your past exploits, and fully all your wars?
Do you confefs 'twas not a zeal for Rome,
Nor love of liberty, nor thirft of honour,.
Drew you thus far; but hopes to share the fpoil
Of conquer'd towns, and plunder'd provinces ?
Fir'd with fuch motives you do well to join
With Cato's foes, and follow Cæfar's banners.
Why did I 'fcape the envenom'd afpic's rage,
And all the fiery monfters of the defart,
To fee this day? why could not Cate fall

Without your guilt? behold, ungrateful men,
Behold my bofom naked to your view,

And let the man that's injur'd strike the blow.
Which of you all fufpects that he is wrong'd,
Or thinks he suffers greater ills than Cato?
Am I diftinguish'd from you but by toils,
Superior toils, and heavier weight of cares!
Painful pre-eminence!

SEMPRONIUS.

By heavens, they droop !

Confufion to the villains! all is loft.

CATO.

"Have you forgotten Libya's burning wafte,
Its barren rocks, parch'd earth, and hills of fand,
Its tainted air, and all its broods of poison?
Who was the first to explore th' untrodden path,
When life was hazarded in every step?
Or, fainting in the long laborious march,
When on the banks of an unlook'd-for stream
You funk the river with repeated draughts,
Who was the last in all your host that thirsted?

SEMPRONIUS.

If fome penurious fource by chance appear'd,
Scanty of waters, when you scoop'd it dry,
And offer'd the full helmet up to Cato;

Did he not dash th' untafted moisture from him?
Did he not lead you through the mid-day fun,

[Afide.

And

And clouds of duft? did not his temples glow

In the fame fultry winds, and fcorching heat?

САТО.

Hence, worthless men! hence! and complain to Cafar You could not undergo the toils of war,

Nor bear the hardships that your leader bore.
LUCIU S.

See, Cato, fee th' unhappy men! they weep!
Fear, and remorfe, and forrow for their crime,
Appear in every look, and plead for mercy.
САТО.

Learn to be honeft men, give up your leaders, And pardon fhall defcend on all the rest.

SEMPRONIUS.

Cato, commit these wretches to my care.
First let 'em each be broken on the rack,
Then, with what life remains, impaled and left
To writhe at leisure round the bloody stake.
There let them hang, and taint the fouthern wind.
The partners of their crime will learn obedience,
When they look up and fee their fellow-traitors
Stuck on a fork, and black'ning in the fun.

LUCIU S.

Sempronius, why, why, wilt thou urge the fate

Of wretched men?

SEMPRONIUS.

How! would'st thou clear rebellion!

Lucius,

Lucius, (good man) pities the poor offenders:
That wou'd imbrue their hands in Cato's blood.

CATO.

Forbear, Sempronius!-fee they fuffer death,
But in their deaths remember they are men.
Strain not the laws to make their tortures grievous.
Lucius, the bafe degenerate age requires

Severity, and justice in its rigour;

This awes an impious, bold, offending world,
Commands obedience, and gives force to laws.
When by juft vengeance guilty mortals perish,
The gods behold their punishment with pleasure,
And lay th' uplifted thunder-bolt aside.

SEMPRONIUS.

Cato, I execute thy will with pleasure.
CATO.

Mean while we'll facrifice to liberty.
Remember, Omy friends, the laws, the rights,
The gen'rous plan of pow'r deliver'd down,
From age to age, by your renown'd forefathers,
(So dearly bought, the price of so much blood)
O let it never perish in your hands !
But piously tranfmit it to your children.
Do thou, great liberty, infpire our fouls,
And make our lives in thy poffeffion happy,

Or our deaths glorious in thy juft defence. [Exit Cato'

SCENE