Your tongues, and give your magistrate permission
To speak? The law is just-most reasonable-
I fram'd that law myself-I will protect

That law!

Tit. "Most noble Appius !"

Ser. "A most just decree!"
All the Cits. "Ay! Ay!"

App. "Will you be silent? Will you please to wait For my decree, you most untractable

And boisterous citizens! I do repeat it,"
I fram'd that law myself, and will protect it.
But are you, Numitorius, here defendant ?
That title, none but the reputed father
Of the young woman has a right to-How
Can I commit to thee what may appear
The plaintiff's property; and if not his,
Still is not thine? I'll give thee till to-morrow
Ere I pass a final judgment-But the girl
Remains with Claudius, who shall bind himself
In such security as you require,

To re-produce her at the claim of him

Who calls her daughter. This is my decree.

Num. A foul decree.

Shame! shame!

Ser. Aye, a most foul decree.

Cre. A villainous decrec.

Ser. Most villainous !

Servia. (c.) Good citizens, wnat do you with our

weapons,

When you should use your own? Your hands!-your

hands!

He shall not take her from us.

Gather round her,

And if he touch her, be it to his cost;

And if ye see him touch her, never more

Expect from us your titles-never more

Be husbands, brothers, lovers, at our mouths,

Or any thing that doth imply the name

Of men-except such men as men should blush for.
App. Command your wives and daughters, citizens,

They quit the forum.

Servia. They shall not command us, That care not to protect us.

App. Take the girl,

If she is yours.

Claud. Stand by.

Virginia. O, help me! help me!

Enter ICILIUS, L.

Icil. Virginia's voice. Virginia!
Virginia. O, Icilius!

[Rushes to her.

[Falls fainting in his arms.

Icil. Take her, good Numitorius.
App. You had better

Withdraw, Icilius; the affair is judged.
Claud. (L. c.) claim my slave.

Icil. (c.) Stand back, thou double slave!
Touch her, and I will tear thee, limb from limb,
Before thy master's face.-She is my wife,
My life, my heart, my heart's blood.-Touch her
With but a look

App. My Lictors, there, advance!

See that Icilius quits the Forum.-Claudius,
Secure your slave.

Icil. Lictors, a moment pause

For your own sakes. Do not mistake these arms;
Think not the strength of any common man

Is that they feel. They serve a charmed frame,
The which a power pervades, that ten times trebles
The natural energy of each single nerve

To sweep you down as reeds.

App. Obey my orders!

Icil. Appius! before I quit the Forum, let me Address a word to you.

App. Be brief, then!

Icil. Is't not enough you have depriv'd us, Appius,
Of the two strongest bulwarks to our liberties
Our tribunes and our privilege of appeal

To the assembly of the people? Cannot
The honour of the Roman maids be safe?
Thou know'st this virgin is betroth'd to me,
Wife of my hope-Thou shalt not cross my hope
And I retain my life-attempt it not !-

I stand among my fellow-citizens—

His fellow-soldiers hem Virginius round;
Both men and gods are on our side; but grant
I stood alone, with nought but virtuous love
To hearten me-alone would I defeat
The execution of thy infamous

Decree! I'll quit the Forum now, but not
Alone-my love! my wife! my free-boru maid-
The virgin standard of my pride and manhood

"Of peerless motto !-rich and fresh, and shining, And of device most rare and glorious"

I'll bear off safe with me-unstain'd-untouch'd!

[Embracing her. App. Your duty, Lictors-Claudius, look to your right. Icil. True citizens !

Tit. Down with the traitor!

Ser. Down with him-slay him!

[The Lictors and Claudius are driven back; Claudius takes refuge at Appius's feet, who has descended, and throws up his arms as a signal to both parties to desist -whereupon the people retire a little.

App. So, friends! we thank you that you don't deprive us Of every thing; but leave your magistrates, At least their persons, sacred-their decrecs,

It seems, you value as you value straws,

And in like manner break them. Wherefore stop
When you have gone so far? You might, methinks,
As well have kill'd my client at my feet,

As threaten him with death before my face!
Rise, Claudius! I perceive Icilius' aim :
He labours to restore the tribuneship

By means of a sedition. We'll not give him

The least pretence of quarrel. (R. C.) We shall wait
Virginius's arrival till to-morrow.

His friends take care to notice him-The camp's
But four hours journey from the city. Till
To-morrow, then, let me prevail with you
To yield up something of your right, and let
The girl remain at liberty.

Claud. (R.) If they

Produce security for her appearance,

I am content.

Tit. I'll be your security.

Ser. And I.

Citizens. We'll all be your security

Icil. My friends,

[They hold up their hands.

And fellow-citizens, I thank you; but

Reserve your kindness for to-morrow, friends,
If Claudius still persist-To-day, I hope,
He will remain content with my security,
And that of Numitorius, for the maid's
Appearance.

App. See she do appear!—and come

Virginia. O, help me! help me!

Enter ICILIUS, L.

Icil. Virginia's voice. Virginia!
Virginia. O, Icilius!

[Rushes to her.

[Falls fainting in his arms.

Icil. Take her, good Numitorius.
App. You had better

Withdraw, Icilius; the affair is judged.
Claud. (L. c.) claim my slave.

Icil. (c.) Stand back, thou double slave!
Touch her, and I will tear thee, limb from limb,
Before thy master's face.-She is my wife,
My life, my heart, my heart's blood.-Touch her
With but a look-

App. My Lictors, there, advance!

See that Icilius quits the Forum.-Claudius,
Secure your slave.

Icil. Lictors, a moment pause

For your own sakes.

Do not mistake these arms;

Think not the strength of any common man

Is that they feel. They serve a charmed frame,
The which a power pervades, that ten times trebles
The natural energy of each single nerve

To sweep you down as reeds.

App. Obey my orders!

Icil. Appius! before I quit the Forum, let me Address a word to you.

App. Be brief, then!

Icil. Is't not enough you have depriv'd us, Appius, Of the two strongest bulwarks to our liberties

Our tribunes and our privilege of appeal

To the assembly of the people? Cannot
The honour of the Roman maids be safe?
Thou know'st this virgin is betroth'd to me,
Wife of my hope-Thou shalt not cross my hope
And I retain my life-attempt it not !—

I stand among my fellow-citizens

His fellow-soldiers hem Virginius round;
Both men and gods are on our side; but grant
I stood alone, with nought but virtuous love
To hearten me-alone would I defeat

The execution of thy infamous

Decree! I'll quit the Forum now, but not
Alone-my love! my wife! my free-boru maid—
The virgin standard of my pride and manhood

"Of peerless motto!-rich and fresh, and shining, And of device most rare and glorious"—

I'll bear off safe with me-unstain'd-untouch'd!

[Embracing her. App. Your duty, Lictors-Claudius, look to your right. Icil. True citizens !

Tit. Down with the traitor!

Ser. Down with him-slay him!

[The Lictors and Claudius are driven back; Claudius takes refuge at Appius's feet, who has descended, and throws up his arms as a signal to both parties to desist -whereupon the people retire a little.

App. So, friends! we thank you that you don't deprive us Of every thing; but leave your magistrates, At least their persons, sacred-their decrecs,

It seems, you value as you value straws,

And in like manner break them. Wherefore stop
When you have gone so far? You might, methinks,
As well have kill'd my client at my feet,

As threaten him with death before my face!
Rise, Claudius! I perceive Icilius' aim:
He labours to restore the tribuneship

By means of a sedition. We'll not give him

The least pretence of quarrel. (R. C.) We shall wait
Virgiuius's arrival till to-morrow.

His friends take care to notice him-The camp's
But four hours journey from the city. Till
To-morrow, then, let me prevail with you
To yield up something of your right, and let
The girl remain at liberty.

Claud. (R.) If they

Produce security for her appearance,

I am content.

Tit. I'll be your security.

Ser. And I.

Citizens. We'll all be your security

Icil. My friends,

[They hold up their hands.

And fellow-citizens, I thank you; but
Reserve your kindness for to-morrow, friends,
If Claudius still persist-To-day, I hope,
He will remain content with my security,
And that of Numitorius, for the maid's
Appearance.

App. See she do appear!-and come