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To idle with thee; give her to my Lictors.
Vir. Appius, I pray you wait! If she is not
My child, she hath been like a child to me
For fifteen years. If I am not her father,
I have been like a father to her, Appius,
For even such a time.

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They that have liv'd
So long a time together, in so near
And dear society, may be allow'd
A little time for parting."

Let me take

The maid aside, I pray you, and confer

A moment with her nurse; perhaps she'll give me
Some token, will unloose a tie, so twin'd

And knotted round my heart, that if you break it
My heart breaks with it.

App. Have your wish. Be brief!

Lictors, look to them.

Virginia. Do you go from me?

Do you leave me ?

Father! Father.

Vir. No, my child;

No, my Virginia-come along with me.

Virginia. Will you not leave me? Will you take me with you?

Will you take me home again? O, bless you, bless you! My father! my dear father! Art thou not?

My father?

[Virginius, perfectly at a loss what to do, looks anxiously around the Forum; at length his eye falls on a butcher's stall, L. with a knife upon it.

Vir. This way, my child-No, no; I am not going
To leave thee, my Virginia! I'll not leave thee.
App. Keep back the people, soldiers! Let them not
Approach Virginius! Keep the people back!

[Virginius secures the knife in the folds of his toga. Well, have you done?

Vir. Short time for converse, Appius;

But I have.

App. I hope you are satisfied.

Vir. I am-

I am that she is my daughter!

App. Take her, Lictors!

[Virginia shrieks, and falls half dead upon her
father's shoulder.

Vir. Another moment, pray you. Bear with me
A little 'Tis my last embrace. 'Twont try
Your patience beyond bearing, if you're a man!

Lengthen it as I may, I cannot make it
Long! My dear child! My dear Virginia !

[Kissing her.

There is only one way to save thine honour"Tis this

[Stabs her, and draws out the knife. She fulls and aïes, L. Lo! Appius! with this innocent blood,

I do devote thee to the infernal gods!

Make way there!

App. Stop him! Seize him!

Vir. If they dare

To tempt the desperate weapon that is madden'd

With drinking my daughter's blood, why let them: Thus

It rushes in amongst them. Way there! Way!

[Exit through the Soldiers.

"Enter HONORIUS and Valerius.

Hon. What tumult's this?

The fair Virginia

Kill'd by her father's hand, to save her from

The lust of Appius Claudius! Most foul cause
That makes so dark a deed look fair?

App. Remove

The body, Lictors.

Icil. At the peril of

Their lives! Death is abroad, at work, and most
In earnest when with such a feat as this

He opens his exploits!

App. Obey me, slaves!

Hon. Defend the body, freemen. There's a spark Remaining still, which, though not strong enough To light it up with its own beauteous life,

May yet rekindle liberty, and save

Expiring Rome!

Citizens. It shall not be removed!
App. Seize it, I say!

Val. Back, slaves! Give place to freemen

[A tumult ensues; the people deprive the Lictors of their fasces, and drive them, with the Soldiers, with Appius Claudius, &c. off the stage, then return shouting. Icil. Ay, shout and shout: a far more glorious cause Call'd for your voices, and you had not then The breath to whisper. How that ear had thank'd you, Had you as tender been of the jewel of

Its precious sense as of the empty casket!

Hon. A litter, citizens, to lift the body,

And bear it through the streets; the spectacle
Will fill all eyes with tears, all hearts with fire!
Icil. No hand but mine shall touch it: I will be
Its living bier.

Hon. Icilius, listen to me!

Thou art not thyself, and knowest not

There is a sweeter strain than that of grief-
Revenge, that drowns it. Suffer us to bear

Thy bride along the streets; a second, but
Unstained Lucretia, buying with her blood
The life of Rome and freedom!

Icil. Rome and freedom!

There is your ransom! such a costly one-
O, you are dear, to be so dearly won!

END OF ACT IV.

[Exeunt."

ACT V.

SCENE I-A Street.

Enter APPIUS, L.

App. I do abjure all further league with them :
They have most basely yielded up their pow'r,
"And compromis'd their glory. Had they died
In their high seats, they had liv'd demi-gods;
But not they live to die like basest men!"

Power gone, life follows! (c.) Well! 'tis well we know
The worst! (R.) The worst?-The worst is yet to come,
And, if I err not, hither speeds a messenger

Whose heel it treads upon.

Enter VIBULANUS, hastily, and other Decemvirs, with MARCUS, L.

Vibul. Honorius and Valerius are elected

To the Consulate.-Virginius is made Tribune.

App. "No doubt they'd fill their offices, when ours
Were laid so poorly down.-You have acted wisely!
Vibul. Who could resist Virginius, raving at

The head of the revolted troops, with all
The commons up in arms? Waste not dear time!
Look to your safety, Appius. "Tis resolv'd
To cite you instantly before the Consuls.

F

App. Look to my safety, say you?

A man, that's tumbling from a precipice

You would bid

A hundred fathoms high, and midway down,
Look to his safety! What has he to snatch at ?
Air!-E'en so much have I.

Vibul. Withdraw awhile

From Rome.

And honours.

We shall recall you with applause

App. Yes! you saw me on the brink— Beheld it giving way beneath my feetAnd saw me tottering o'er the hideous leap,

Whose sight sent round the brain with madd'ning whirl. With but a twig to stay me, which you cut,

Because it was your friend that hung by it

Most kindly.

Vibul. Nay," employ the present time In looking to your safety-" that secured, Reproach us as you will."

App. I am in your hands,

Lead me which way you please.

Icilius. [Without.] Hold! Stand!

Enter ICILIUS, with HONORIUS and VALERIUS as Consuls, NUMITORIUS and Lictors, L.

Icil. Did I not tell you 'twas the tyrant? Look,

Was I not right? I felt that he was present

Ere mine eye told it me.-You are our prisoner

App. On what pretence, Icilius?

Icil. Ask of poor

Virginius, tottering between despair

And madness, as he seeks the home, where once

He found a daughter!

App. I demand due time To make up my defence.

Icil. Demand due time!

Appius!-Assign the cause, why you denied
A Roman maid, of free condition,

Her liberty provisionally, while

Her plea remain❜d unjudg'd. No answer, Appius
Lictors, lay hold upon him-to prison with him!
Look to him well. To prison with the tyrant!

[Exeunt Appius and Lictors, R. Icilius and Numilorius, ↓ Vibul. Let all his friends, that their own safety prize, Solicit straight for his enlargement; doff

Their marks of station, and to the vulgar eye
Disguise it with the garb of mourning; 'twill
Conciliate the crowd.-We know them well:
But humour them, they are water soon as fire!

[Exeunt severally.

SCENE II.-Virginius's House.

Enter LUCIUS and SERVIA, L.

Luc. (c.) Is he not yet come home?
Servia. (c.) Not since her death.

I dread his coming home, good Lucius.

Luc. (L.) A step! "Tis Numitorius and Virginius. Servia. Gods! how he looks!-See, Lucius, how he looks!

Enter VIRGINIUS, attended by NUMITORIUS and

others, L.

Vir, (c.) 'Tis ease! 'Tis ease! I am content! 'Tis peace, "Tis any thing that is most soft and quiet. And after such a dream!-I want my daughter;

Send me my daughter!

Num. Yes, his reason's gone.

Scarce had he come in sight of his once sweet
And happy home, ere with a cry he fell

As one struck dead. When to himself he came,

We found him as you see. How is it, brother?

Vir. How should it be but well? Our cause is good. Think you Rome will stand by, and see a man Robb'd of his child? We are bad enough, but yet They should not so mistake us. "We are slaves, But not yet monsters."-Call my daughter to me. What keeps her thus? I never stept within The threshold yet, without her meeting me With a kiss. She's very long coming. Call her Num. Icilius comes! See, my Icilius, see!

Enter ICILIUS, L.

Vir. Come, come, make ready. Brother, you and he Go on before: I'll bring her after you.

Icil. Ha!

Num. My Icilius, what a sight is there!
Virginius' reason is a wreck, so stripp'd
And broken by wave and wind, you scarce
Would know it was the gallant bark you saw
Riding so late in safety!

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