SCENE VII.
brutus, valerius, titus, messala.
valerius.
My lord, let all retire.
brutus.
[To Titus.
Run, fly, my son—
valerius.
Rome is betrayed.
brutus.
What do I hear?
valerius.
There’s treason;
We’re sold, my lord, the author’s yet unknown;
But Tarquin’s name is echoed through our streets,
And worthless Romans talk of yielding to him.
brutus.
Ha! would the citizens of Rome be slaves!
valerius.
Yes: the perfidious traitors fled from me;
I’ve sent in quest of them: much I suspect
Menas and Lælius, the base partisans
Of tyranny and kings, the secret foes
Of Rome, and ever glad to disunite
The senate and the people: if I err not,
Protected by Messala, who himself,
But for his friendship with the noble Titus,
I almost think, has joined them.
brutus.
We’ll observe
Their steps with caution; more cannot be done:
The liberty and laws which we defend
Forbid that rigor which I fear is needful;
But to detain a Roman on suspicions
Were to resemble those usurping tyrants
Whom we would punish: let us to the people,
Awake the fearful, give the virtuous praise,
Astonish the perfidious: let the fathers
Of Rome and liberty revive the warmth
Of Roman courage: who will not be bold
When we appear? O rather give us death,
Ye gods! than slavery: let the senate follow.
SCENE VIII.
brutus, valerius, proculus.
proculus.
A slave, my lord, desires a private audience.
brutus.
At this late hour of night!
proculus.
He brings you news,
He says, of highest import.
brutus.
Ha! perhaps
Rome’s safety may depend on it: away.
[To Proculus.
A moment’s loss might hazard all—go thou
And seek my son: let the Quirinal gate
Be his first care: and may the world confess,
When they behold his glorious deeds, the race
Of Brutus was decreed to conquer kings.
End of the Fourth Act.
ACT V.
SCENE I.
brutus, senators, proculus, lictors. vindex (a Slave).
brutus.
A little more and Tarquin, armed with vengeance,
This night had rushed upon us; Rome had fallen,
And freedom sunk beneath the tyrant’s power:
This subtle statesman, this ambassador,
Had opened wide the fatal precipice:
Would you believe it, even the sons of Rome
United to betray her: false Messala
Urged on their furious zeal, and sold his country
To this perfidious Aruns; but kind heaven,
Still watchful o’er the fate of Rome, preserved us.
[Pointing to Vindex.
This slave o’erheard it all; his faithful counsels
Awaked my fears, and filled my aged breast
With double vigor: I had scized Messala,
And hoped by tortures to have wrested from him
The names of his associates; but, behold,
Surrounded by my lictors, on a sudden
He from his bosom drew a poniard forth,
Designed no doubt for other purposes,
And cried, if you would know Messala’s secrets,
Look for them here, within this bleeding breast;
He who has courage to conspire against you,
Can keep the counsel which he gives, and die:
Then, as tumultuously they gathered round him,
Pierced his false heart, and like a Roman died,
Though he had lived unworthy of the name.
Already Aruns was beyond the walls
Of Rome; our guards pursued him to the camp,
Stopped him with Tullia, and ere long will bring
The traitor here, when heaven, I trust, will soon
Unravel all their dark and deadly purpose.
Valerius will detect them: but remember
Friends, Romans, countrymen, I charge you all,
When ye shall know the names of these vile slaves,
These parricides, nor pardon nor indulgence
Be shown to friends, to brothers, nay to children;
Think on their crimes alone, preserve your faith,
For liberty and Rome demand their blood,
And he who pardons guilt like theirs, partakes it.
[To the slave.
Thou, whose blind destiny and lowly birth
Made thee a slave, who shouldst have been a Roman;
Thou, by whose generous aid the senate lives,
And Rome is safe, receive that liberty
Thou hast bestowed; henceforth let nobler thoughts
Inspire thy soul; be equal to my sons,
The dread of tyrants, the delight of Rome.
But whence this tumult? Hark!
proculus.
The ambassador
Is seized, my lord, and they have brought him hither.
brutus.
How will he dare—