My sweet companion, pupil, tutor, child!— That tells thee, she is thine! [Joins their hands.] Icilius, Be done-you shall espouse her. Friends, a word! [Virginius and the rest exeunt M. D. Icil. (c.) [Holding her hand. Virginia! my Virginia I am all Dissolv'd-o'erpower'd with the munificence Of this auspicious hour-And thou, not mov'st- To make thee happy! If to make thee so The gifted hand-that I would faster hold, Than wretches, bound for death, would cling to life- Virginia. "Thou dost but beggar me, My real little worth."-I'd help thee to A hundred words; each one of which would far Rate over high ! Icil. Thou could'st not do it! No; Thou could'st not do it! Every term of worth Writ down and doubl'd, then the whole summ'd up, Pick from each rarer pattern of thy sex Her rarest charm, till thou hast every charm With thee! Virginia. "And if thou would'st, I'd find thee, for A mate which doth transcend the thing, 'tis ta'en Icil. No! I will not let thee win On such a theme as this! Virginia. Nor will I drop The controversy, that the richer makes me Icil. My sweet Virginia, We do but lose and lose, and win and win; [Kisses her. Re-enter VIRGINIUS, and the others, M. D. Vir. Witness, my friends, that seal! Observe, it is And stamp'd upon as true and fair a bond— Virginia. (R.) My father! Vir. (R.) May the gods protect thee. ; Vir. Does the blood forsake thy cheek? Come to my arms once more! Remember, girl, Is to his country; and it must be paid, If need be, with his life. Why, how you hold me! Icilius, take her from me! [Icilius goes to her.] Hon Within! Icil. (R.) Farewell, Virginia. Vir. Take her in! Virginia. The gods be with thee, my Icilius-Father, The gods be with thee-and Icilius. Vir. I swear, a battle might be fought and wor. In half the time! Now, once for all, farewell; Come on! Your sword and buckler, boy! The foe! the foe! SCENE III-Appius's House. Enter APPIUS, L. 4pp. It was a triumph, the achieving which The wealth, and power, and dignity of Rome How godlike is thy port! Thou giv'st, and tak'st, Now, Claudius Enter CLAUDIus, r. Claud. We have suffer'd a defeat! App. What! The Decemvirs fly! Claud. The soldiers fight With only half a heart. "The other half Looks on, and cares not which side proves the winner." App. (c.) Then decimate them. Traitors! Recreants! Why, we shall have them at our doors! Have we lost ground, my Claudius ? Claud. (R. c.) None, except What we've retrac'd in fame. We strove to teach The enemy their road lay backwards, but They would not turn their faces for us. Retains his former line. Each Enter MARCUS, R. App. What news? Marc. (R.) The Equi Still press upon us. Rumours are afloat Walks up and down among the people, making Your plans his theme of laughter. Nought he stints And lower the decemvirate. App. A dungeon Would do good service to him! Once within, Marc. In the Forum. App. So! He is past service, is he not? Some way To clear the city of him. Come, we'll hear him, SCENE IV.-The Forum. Enter DENTATUS, TITUS, SERVIUS, and Citizens, R. Den. (c.) We'll be undone-that's to be done. Den. You'll do away with the Decemvirate ?-The Decemvirate will do away with you! You'll do away with yourselves! Do nothing-The enemy will do away with both of you. In another month, a Roman will be a stranger in Rome. A fine pass we are come to, Masters! Tit. (R.) But something must be done. Den. Why, what would you have? clap your hands, as if it were a victory you heard of; and yet you cry-Something must be done! Truly I know not what that something is, unless it be to make you General. How say you, Masters ? You shout and Ser. We'd follow any man that knew how to lead us, and would rid us of our foes, and the Decemvirate together. Den. You made these Decemvirs! You are strangely discontented with your own work! And you are over cunning workmen too. You put your materials so firmly together, there's no such thing as taking them asunder! What you build, you build-except it be for your own good. There you are bunglers at your craft. Ha! ha! ha! I cannot but laugh to think how you toiled, and strained, and sweated, to rear the stones of the building one above another, when I see the sorry faces you make at it. Tit. But tell us the news again. Den. Is it so good? Does it so please you? Then prick your ears again, and listen. We have been beaten again-beaten back on our own soil. Rome has seen its haughty masters fly before chastisement, like slavesreturning cries for blows—and all this of your Decemvirs, gentlemen. [The people shout. 1st Cit. (R.) Huzza for it again! 2nd Cit. (R.) Hush! Appius comes. Den. (R.) And do you care for that? You that were, just now, within a stride of taking him and his colleagues by the throat? You'll do away with the Decemvirs, will you! And let but one of them appear, you dare not, for your life, but keep your spleen within your teeth! Listen to me, now! I'll speak the more for Appius Enter APPIUS, CLAUDIUS, and MARCUS, preceded by Lictors, R. U. E. I say, to the eternal infamy of Rome, the foe has chased her sons, like hares, on their own soil, where they should prey like lions-and so they would, had they not keepers to tame them. App. (c.) What's that you are saying to the people, Siccius Dentatus? Den. I am regaling them with the news. App. The news? Den. (R. C.) Ay, the news-the newest that can be had; and the more novel, because unlooked for. Who ever thought to see the eagle in the talons of the kite? App. It is not well done in you, Dentatus, to chafe a sore. It makes it rankle. If your surgery has learned no better, it should keep its hands to itself! You have very little to do, to busy yourself after this fashion. Den. I busy myself as I like, Appius Claudius. App. I know you do, when you labour to spread disaffection among the people, and bring the Decemvirs into contempt. Den. The Decemvirs bring themselves into contempt |