Lucius feems fond of life; but what is life?
'Tis not to talk about, and draw fresh air.
From time to time, or gaze upon the fun;
'Tis to be free. When liberty is gone,
Life grows infipid, and has loft its relish.
O could my dying hand but lodge a fword
In Cæfar's bofom, and revenge my country,
By heavens I could enjoy the pangs of death,
And fmile in agony.

LUCIU S.

Others perhaps

May serve their country with as warm a zeal,
Though 'tis not kindled into fo much rage.

SEMPRONIUS.

This fober conduct is a mighty virtue

In luke-warm patriots.

CATO.

Come! no more, Sempronius:

All here are friends to Rome, and to each other.
Let us not weaken ftill the weaker fide,

By our divifions.

SEMPRONIUS.

Cato, my refentments

Are facrific'd to Rome-I ftand reprov'd.

САТО.

Fathers, 'tis time you come to a refolve.

LUCIUS.

Cato, we all go into your opinion. Cæfar's behaviour has convinc'd the fenate We ought to hold it out till terms arrive.

SEM

SEMPRONIUS.

We ought to hold it out till death; but, Cato, My private voice is drown'd amid the fenate's.

САТО.

Then let us rife, my friends, and strive to fill
This little interval, this paufe of life,

(While yet our liberty and fates are doubtful)
With refolution, friendship, Roman bravery,
And all the virtues we can crowd into it;
That heaven may fay, it ought to be prolong'd.
Fathers, farewell-The young Numidian prince
Comes forward, and expects to know our councils.

Enter JUBA.

САТО.

[Ex. SEN

Juba, the Roman fenate has refolv'd, Till time give better profpects, ftill to keep The fword unfheath'd, and turn its edge on Cæfar. JUBA.

The refolution fits a Roman fenate.

But, Cato, lend me for a while thy patience,
And condefcend to hear a young man speak.

My father, when fome days before his death
He order'd me to march for Utica

(Alas! I thought not then his death fo near!)
Wept o'er me, prefs d me in his aged arms,
And as his griefs gave way, My fon, said he,
Whatever fortune fhall befal thy father,
Be Cato's friend; he'll train thee up to great

And

And virtuous deeds: do but obferve him well,

Thou 'It fhun misfortunes, or thou 'lt learn to bear them.

САТО.

Juba, thy father was a worthy prince, And merited, alas! a better fate;

But heaven thought otherwise.

JUBA.

My father's fate,

In spite of all the fortitude that shines

Before my face, in Cato's great example,
Subdues my foul, and fills my eyes with tears.

CATO.

It is an honeft forrow, and becomes thee.

JUBA.

My father drew refpect from foreign climes:
The kings of Afric fought him for their friend,
Kings far remote, that rule, as fame reports,
Behind the hidden fources of the Nile,

In diftant worlds, on t'other fide the fun :
Oft have their black ambaffadors appear'd,
Loaden with gifts, and fill'd the courts of Zama.

CATO.

I am no stranger to thy father's greatness.

JUBA.

I would not boast the greatness of my father,
But point out new alliances to Cato.
Had we not better leave this Utica,

To arm Numidia in our cause, and court
'Th' affistance of my father's powerful friends?

Did

1

Did they know Cato, our remotest kings
Would pour embattled multitudes about him M
Their fwarthy hosts would darken all our plains,
Doubling the native horror of the war,

And making death more grim.

САТО.

And canft thou think

Cato will fly before the fword of Cæfar?
Reduc'd, like Hannibal, to seek relief

From court to court, and wander up and down,
A vagabond in Afric!

JUBA.

Cato, perhaps

I'm too officious, but my forward cares
Would fain preserve a life of so much value.
My heart is wounded, when I fee fuch virtue
Afflicted by the weight of fuch misfortunes.

CATO.

Thy nobleness of foul obliges me.

But know, young prince, that valour foars above
What the world calls misfortune and affliction.
These are not ills; elfe would they never fall
On heaven's first favourites, and the best of men:
The gods, in bounty, work up ftorms about us,
That give mankind occafion to exert

Their hidden strength, and throw out into practice
Virtues, that hun the day, and lie conceal'd

In the fmooth feafons, and the calms of life.

5

JUBA.

JUBA.

I'm charm'd whene'er thou talk'ft! I pant for virtue! And all my foul endeavours at perfection.

САТО.

Doft thou love watchings, abftinence, and toil, Laborious virtues all? learn them from Cato: Succefs and fortune muft thou learn from Cæfar.

JUBA.

The best good-fortune that can fall on Juba, The whole fuccefs at which my heart afpires, Depends on Cato.

CATO.

What does Juba say?

Thy words confound me.

JUBA.

I would fain retract them.

Give them me back again. They aim'd at nothing.

САТО.

Tell me thy wish, young prince; make not my ear A ftranger to thy thoughts.