Curio, a fpeaker turbulent and bold,
Of venal eloquence, that ferv'd for gold,
And principles that might be bought and fold.
A tribune once himself, in loud debate,
He ftrove for public freedom and the state:
Effay'd to make the warring nobles bow,
And bring the potent party-leaders low.
To Cefar thus, while thousand cares infeft,
Revolving round, the warrior's anxious breast,
His fpeech the ready orator addrest.
While yet my voice was useful to my friend; 496 While 'twas allow'd me, Cæfar to defend, While yet the pleading bar was left me free, While I could draw uncertain Rome to thee; In vain their force the moody fathers join'd, In vain to rob thee of thy power combin'd; I lengthen'd out the date of thy command, And fix'd thy conquering fword within thy hand. But fince the vanquish'd laws in war are dumb, To thee, behold, an exil'd band we come; For thee, with joy our banishment we take,
For thee our houshold hearths and gods forfake;
Nor hope to see our native city more,
Till victory and thou the loss restore.
Th' unready faction, yet confus'd with fear,
Defenceless, weak, and unresolv'd, appear;
Hafte then thy towering eagles on their way:
When fair occafion calls, 'tis fatal to delay.
If twice five years the stubborn Gaul withheld,
And set thee hard in many a well-fought field;
A nobler labour now before thee lies,
The hazard lefs, yet greater far the prize:
A province that, and portion of the whole;
This the vaft head that does mankind control.
Succefs fhall fure attend thee, boldly go
And win the world at one fuccefsful blow.
No triumph now attends thee at the gate
No temples for thy facred laurel wait:
But blafting envy hangs upon thy name,
Denies thee right, and robs thee of thy fame;
Imputes as crimes, the nations overcome,
And makes it treason to have fought for Rome:
Ev'n he who took thy Julia's plighted hand,
Waits to deprive thee of thy juft command.
Since Pompey then, and those upon his side,
Forbid thee, the world's empire to divide ;
Affume that.fway which best mankind may bear,
And rule alone what they difdain to share.
He faid; his words the liftening chief engage,
And fire his breaft, already prone to rage.
Not peals of loud applause with greater force,›
At Grecian Elis, roufe the fiery horse;
When eager for the course each nerve he strains,
Hangs on the bit, and tugs the stubborn reins,
At every fhout erects his quivering ears,
And his broad breast upon the barrier bears.
Sudden he bids the troops draw out, and straight.
The thronging legions round their enfigns wait
Then thus, the croud compofing with a look,
And with his hand commanding filence spoke..
Fellows in arms, who chose with me to bear
The toils and dangers of a tedious war,
And conquer to this tenth revolving year;
See what reward the grateful fenate yield,
For the loft blood which ftains yon northern field; 550
For wounds, for winter camps, for Alpine fnow,
And all the deaths the brave can undergo.
See! the tumultuous city is alarm'd,
As if another Hannibal were arm'd:
The lufty youth are cull'd to fill the bands,
And each tall grove falls by the shipwright's hands;
Fleets are equipp'd, the field with armies spread,
And all demand devoted Cæfar's head.
If thus, while fortune yields us her applaufe,
While the gods call us on and own our cause,
If thus returning conquerors they treat,
How had they us'd us flying from defeat;
If fickle chance of war had prov'd unkind,
And the fierce Gauls pursued us from behind!
But let their boasted hero leave his home,
Let him, diffolv'd with lazy leifure, come,
With every noisy talking tongue in Rome :
Let loud Marcellus troops of gown-men head,
And their great Cato peaceful burghers lead.
Shall his bafe followers, a venal train,
For ages, bid their idol Pompey reign ?
Shall his ambition ftill be thought no crime,
His breach of laws, and triumph ere the time?
Still fhall he gather honours and command,
And grafp all rule in his rapacious hand?
What need I name the violated laws,
And famine made the fervant of his caufe?
Who knows not, how the trembling judge beheld
The peaceful court with armed legions fill'd;
When the bold foldier, juftice to defy,
In the mid Forum rear'd his enfigns high;
When glittering fwords the pale affembly fear'd,.
When all for death and flaughter food prepar'd,
And Pompey's arms were guilty Milo's guard?
And now, difdaining peace and needful eafe,
Nothing but rule and government can please.
Afpiring ftill, as ever, to be great,
He robs his age of reft, to vex the state:
On war intent, to that he bends his cares,
And for the field for battle now prepares.
He copies from his master Sylla well,
And would the dire example far excel.
Hyrcanian tigers fiercenefs thus retain,
Whom in the woods their horrid mothers train,
To chace the herds, and furfeit on the flain.
Such, Pompey, ftill has been thy greedy thirst, 596 In early love of impious slaughter nurst;
Since first thy infant cruelty essay'd
To lick the curft dictator's reeking blade.
None ever give the falvage nature o'er,
Whose jaws have once been drench'd in floods of gore.
But whither would a power so wide extend?
Where will thy long ambition find an end?
Remember him who taught thee to be great;
Let him who chose to quit the fovereign feat,
Let thy own Sylla warn thee to retreat.
Perhaps, for that too boldly I withstand,
Nor yield my conquering eagles on command;
Since the Cilician pirate strikes his fail,
Since o'er the Pontic king thy arms prevail;
Since the poor prince, a weary life o'er-past,
By thee and poifon is fubdued at last;
Perhaps, one latest province yet remains,
And vanquish'd Cæfar muft receive thy chains.
But though my labours lose their just reward,
Yet let the fenate these my friends regard;
Whate'er my lot, my brave victorious bands
Deferve to triumph, whofoe'er commands.
Where fhall my weary veteran reft? Oh where
Shall virtue worn with years and arms repair?
What town is for his late repofe affign'd?
Where are the promis'd lands he hop'd to find,
Fields for his plow, a country village feat,
Some little comfortable safe retreat;
Where failing age at length from toil may cease, 625
And waste the poor remains of life with peace?
But march! Your long-victorious ensigns rear,
Let valour in its own juft caufe appear.
When for redress intreating armies call,
They who deny juft things, permit them all.
The righteous gods shall surely own the cause,
Which seeks not spoil, nor empire, but the laws.
Proud lords and tyrants to depose we come,
And fave from slavery fubmiffive Rome.
He faid; a doubtful fullen murmuring found
Ran through the unrefolving vulgar round;
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