And 'tis my honesty that says to you,

I'd die with Caius for the good of Rome!

Tit. Yes, yes; Drusus is an honest, quiet, good sort of man. That every body must say for him; but as for his speech, I'd make as good a one myself. [Crosses "Cheer him, masters-cheer him!

to R.]

[The people cheer faintly. "Dru. I do not ask you to applaud me, Romans; I love your welfare better than your praise.

"Marc. Come, come, that's very well now; cheer for that, masters ;-very well, indeed. Cheer! cheer! [They cheer louder. "Dru. I thank you, fellow-citizens. Don't mind me. "Marc. Cheer him again, masters.

[A general cheer.” Dru. Romans, I know my colleague's love for you; And, yet, methinks, he stints it in this measure.

Two colonies !-What are two colonies?

"Two handfuls!-He should stretch this grant, and

ease

The groaning and debilitated state !

I

Two handfuls of the people, to two cities!"
Caius for once adopts half measures.
Decree, that to each city there be sent

Three thousand of the poorest citizens→

Three thousand to each city.

Marc. Worthy Drusus! Noble Drusus! Huzza! All. Huzza!..

Dru. Countrymen,

Pay me no thanks! Indeed you owe me none;'

I only speak the wishes of the Senate.

"Marc. The Senate! May we cheer for the Senate? "Tit. To be sure, if they do the people good! "Marc. Huzza for the Senate, masters ;-Huzza! "All, Huzza!"

C. Grac. Indeed!The Senate! For the people's.

sake,

We thank them for this favour. 66

Worthy Romans,

Now our affairs put on a prosperous face.

The Senate send you favours. We thank the Senate!"'

But not this mighty kindness of the Senate,

Can set my cares at rest. I have made an estimate

Of certain waste, uncultivated lands,

South of the Tiber. These-however, subject

To certain trifling services and rents

We here allot to fifteen hundred families
From the Plebeians of the lowest class.
Tit. Noble Caius! Worthy Caius !
ters."

"Cheer, mas

Marc. Stop!-Drusus is going to speak. Hear what

Drusus says.

Dru. Romans, my worthy colleague, whom I honour, Seems not to love that you should owe the Senate

Favour or justice.

C. Grac. Drusus!

Marc. Go on, Drusus!

Let him go on! Come,

come, Drusus must have fair play!

"All. Drusus! Drusus!

"Dru. If 'tis your pleasure, friends, to hear my colleague

Sooner than me, you only have to say it.

"All. No! no! no!-Go on! go on!

"Dru. I care not who befriends you, worthy citi

zens;

The Senate or the Tribunes. The more friends
You have, the less you will have need of me.
"Marc. Good honest man, go on!

"All. Go on! Go on!

Dru. "I say-and if I know the thing I say,
Am I not right in saying it ?"-I say,
The Senate wish the people to be happy,
"And do not want to tax them."

Noble Caius

Might have gone farther in this act of his,
And not displeas'd the Senate; therefore, I,
Without regard to his decree, enact,
That certain waste, uncultivated lands,

Lying north of Rome, be forthwith parcell'd out
To fifteen hundred of the poorest families,
Free of all rent and service.

"The wor

Marc. A noble decree! noble Drusus ! thy Senate! Huzza, for Drusus and the Senate.' Dru. My friends, think not of Drusus. Thank the Senate.

Marc. Good honest man! He is too modest to take the praise to himself. He gives it all to the Senate."Observe Caius-he changes colour-he envies Drusus -he doesn't like the applause we give to Drusus. Applaud the good man again. Long live Drusus! Drusus and the Senate for ever! Huzza!

"All. Huzza!"

C. Grac. May I be heard, my friends?
Tit. Speak, Gracchus, speak !

Marc. Drusus for ever!

C. Grac. Rome, Rome, my friends, for ever! Whoe'er is good-whoe'er is just and great, The honour be to Rome, our common mother!— I have warn'd you oft!-Look to your liberties! Beware the Senate's arts!-Beware her tools! Dru. How! Caius

C. Grac. Nay, good Livius Drusus ! "Marc. Not a word against Drusus ! "All. No! no! no!"

Marc. The Senate has acted well in this.

"All. It has ! It has !"

C. Grac. I am content. If you approve it, masters, I am content. I cannot help my fears.

But let it pass. I'll say, I am content!

66

Masters, I never yet incurr'd your censure.

If I am over-watchful for your safety,

Guarding you 'gainst the chance of injury,
If I suspect-but, since it pleases you,'

I'll not suspect this kindness of the Senate !

And yet, it may be ask'd-when you were weak

And needed friends, where was the Senate's kindness? Then you might help yourselves; now, you are strong,

It holds its hundred hands to give you aid!

"I think, 'twas not the kindness of the Senate,
Made it expedient, when my first decree
Declar'd the magistrate to be infamous,

Who was depos'd by judgment of the people.
Or, when my next enacted, that the magistrate,
Who banished, without law, a citizen,
Should answer the assembly of the people.
Or, when, to give you plenitude of power,
I granted each inhabitant of Latium,

The right of suffrage!

"Tit. Hear him! Hear him!

"Marc. Silence !-Drusus is going to speak. Dru. Romans, I'll not pretend to say how much You owe the Senate. Be it much, or little, Or nothing. Only," as I think they love you, I'll not speak ill of them." They have desir'd me To show you favour. Mark me-have desired me. "Should I be jealous of them? Words, my friends,

Are air-but actions are substantial things,
That warrant judgment. But we'll not debate
Their truth or falsehood. They appear to favour us,
And let us take advantage of their seeming!
My colleague, Caius, as he just now said,
Has given to the inhabitants of Latium,
The right to vote-the right of citizens.
Has not this act then made them citizens ?
And yet, my friends, the Latin soldier feels
The scourge !-He feels the scourge !--an infamy,
That never should approach the freeman's back!
We now decree, that it shall be unlawful,
Henceforth, for any captain of our legions,
To beat with rods, a soldier of that nation.

"Marc. A noble decree !-Worthy Drusus !-A noble decree! Huzza!"

Dru. My friends, I now depart-but ere I leave you, I must declare, that whatsoe'er I have done,

I have done with the approval of the Senate.

[Descends. Marc. We'll follow you home, Drusus! [GRACCHUS hurries down R. steps.] We'll follow you home.― We'll cheer the Senators as we pass them. We'll follow you home!

Dru. Nay, my good friends!

"Marc. Come, come! Let us follow him to his house.

"Dru. Well! Since you will not be denied."

C. Grac. (L.) Stay, Livius Drusus-let me speak

with you.

Dru. (R.) Your pleasure, Caius ?

C. Grac. Pleasure! Livius Drusus,

Look not so sweet upon me! I am no child
Not to know bitter, for that it is smear'd
With honey! Let me rather see thee scowl
A little; and when thou dost speak, remind me
Of the rough trumpet more than the soft lute.
By Jove, I can applaud the honest caitiff
Bespeaks his craft!

Dru. The caitiff!

C. Grac. Ah! ho! Now

You're Livius Drusus! You were only then
The man men took him for-the easy man,
That, so the world went right, car'd not who got
The praise;
"but rather from preferment shrunk

Than courted it." Who ever thought, in such
A plain and homely piece of stuff, to see

The mighty Senate's tool!

Dru. The Senate's tool!

C. Gruc. Now, what a deal of pains for little profit! If you could play the juggler with me, LiviusTo such perfection practise seeming, as

To pass it on me for reality

Make my own senses witness 'gainst myself,
That things I know impossible to be,

I see as palpable as if they were

"Twere worth the acting; but, when I am master

Of all your mystery, and know, as well

As you do, that the prodigy's a lie,

What wanton waste of labour !-Livius Drusus,
I know you are a tool!

Dru. Well, let me be so!

I will not quarrel with you, worthy Caius!
Call me whate'er you please.

C. Grac. What barefac'd shifting!

What real fierceness could grow tame so soon!

You turn upon me like a tiger, and,

When open-mouth'd I brave you, straight you play The crouching spaniel! You'll not quarrel with me! I want you not to quarrel, Livius Drusus,

But only to be honest to the people.

Dru. Honest!

C. Grac. Ay, honest! Why do you repeat My words, as if you fear'd to trust your own? Do I play echo? Question me, and see

If I so fear to be myself. I act

The wall, which speaks not but with others' tongues.

I say you are not honest to the people.

I say you are the Senate's tool-their bait

Their juggler-their trick-merchant. If I wrong you,
Burst out at once, and free retort upon me-
Tell me, I lie, and smite me to the earth !—
I'll rise but to embrace you!

Dru. My good Caius,

Restrain your ardent temper; it doth hurry you
Into madness.

C. Grac. Give me but an answer, and

I'll be content. Are you not leagued with the Senate? Dru. Your senses leave you, Caius! [Crosses to R. C. Grac. Will you answer me?

Dru. Throw off this humour!