Who sees him act, but envies ev'ry deed?

Who hears him groan, and does not wish to bleed?

Ev'n when proud Cæsar, midst triumphal cars, The spoils of nations, and the pomp of wars, Ignobly vain, and impotently great,

Showed Rome her Cato's figure drawn in state; As her dead father's rev'rend image past,

The pomp was darkened, and the day o'ercast, The triumph ceased-tears gushed from ev'ry

eye,

The world's great victor passed unheeded by; Her last good man dejected Rome adored, And honored Cæsar's less than Cato's sword.

Pope.

CATO'S SENATE.

Cato. Fathers, we

council.

once again are met in

Cæsar's approach has summoned us together,
And Rome attends her fate from our resolves;
How shall we treat this bold aspiring man?
Success stills follows him, and backs his crimes:
Pharsalia gave him Rome. Egypt has since
Received his yoke, and the whole Nile is Cæsar's.
Why should I mention Juba's overthrow,
And Scipio's death? Numidia's burning sands
Still smoke with blood. 'Tis time we should de-

cree

What course to take. Our foe advances on us, And envies us even Libya's sultry deserts.

Fathers, pronounce your thoughts are they still

fixed

To hold it out and fight it to the last?

Or are your hearts subdued at length, and wrought

By time and ill success to a submission?
Sempronius, speak.

Sempronius. My voice is still for war.
Gods! can a Roman senate long debate
Which of the two to choose, slav'ry or death?
No, let us rise at once, gird on our swords,
And at the head of our remaining troops

Attack the foe, break through the thick array
Of his thronged legions, and charge home upon

him.

Perhaps some arm, more lucky than the rest, May reach his heart, and free the world from bondage.

Rise, fathers, rise! 'tis Rome demands your help; Rise, and revenge her slaughtered citizens,

Or share their fate! The corpse of half her senate

Manure the fields of Thessaly, while we

Sit here delib'rating in cold debates

If we should sacrifice our lives to honor,
Or wear them out in servitude and chains.
Rouse up for shame! Our brothers of Pharsalia
Point at their wounds, and cry aloud, To battle!
Great Pompey's shade complains that we are
slow,

And Scipio's ghost walks unrevenged among us!
Cato. Let not a torrent of impetuous zeal

Transport thee thus beyond the bounds of

reason:

True fortitude is seen in great exploits

That justice warrants and that wisdom guides :
All else is tow'ring frenzy and distraction.

Are not the lives of those who draw the sword
In Rome's defence entrusted to our care?
Should we thus lead them to a field of slaughter,
Might not th' impartial world with reason say,
We lavished at our deaths the blood of thousands,
To grace our fall, and make our ruin glorious?
Lucius, we next would know what's your opinion.
Lucius. My thoughts, I must confess, are turned

on peace.

Already have our quarrels filled the world
With widows and with orphans; Scythia mourns
Our guilty wars, and earth's remotest regions
Lie half unpeopled by the feuds of Rome :

"Tis time to sheath the sword, and spare mankind.

It is not Cæsar, but the gods, my fathers,
The gods declare against us, and repel
Our vain attempts. To urge the foe to battle,
(Prompted by blind revenge, and wild despair)
Were to refuse th' awards of Providence,
And not to rest in Heaven's determination.
Already have we shown our love to Rome,
Now let us show submission to the gods.
We took up arms, not to revenge ourselves,
But free the commonwealth; when this end fails,
Arms have no further use our country's cause,

That drew our swords, now wrests 'em from our hands,

And bids us not delight in Roman blood,
Unprofitably shed; what men could do

Is done already; heaven and earth will witness,
If Rome must fall, that we are innocent.

Sem. This smooth discourse and mild behav

ior oft

Conceal a traitor. Something whispers me
All is not right. Cato, beware of Lucius.

Cato. Let us appear not rash nor diffident;
Immod'rate valor swells into a fault;
And fear admitted into public councils
Betrays like treason. Let us shun 'em both.
Fathers, I cannot see that our affairs

Are grown thus desp'rate; we have bulwarks round us:

Within our walls are troops inured to toil
In Afric's heats, and seasoned to the sun;
Numidia's spacious kingdom lies behind us,
Ready to rise at its young prince's call.
While there is hope, do not distrust the gods:
But wait at least till Cæsar's near approach
Force us to yield. "Twill never be too late
To sue for chains, and own a conqueror.
Why should Rome fall a moment ere her time?
No, let us draw our term of freedom out
In its full length, and spin it to the last,
So shall we gain still one day's liberty:
And let me perish, but in Cato's judgment,
A day, an hour of virtuous liberty,
Is worth a whole eternity in 1

Enter MARCUS.

Marc. Fathers, this moment, as I watched the gate,

Lodged on my post, a herald is arrived

From Cæsar's camp, and with him comes old Decius,

The Roman knight: he carries in his looks Impatience, and demands to speak with Cato. Cato. By your permission, fathers, bid him

enter.

Decius was once my friend, but other prospects Have loosed those ties, and bound him fast to Cæsar.

His message may determine our resolves.

Enter DECIUS.

Dec. Cæsar sends health to Cato

Cato. Could he send it

To Cato's slaughtered friends it would be wel

come.

Are not your orders to address the senate ?

Dec. My business is with Cato; Cæsar sees The straits to which you're driven; and, as he knows

Cato's high worth, is anxious for your life.

Cato. My life is grafted on the fate of Rome. Would he save Cato, bid him spare his country. Tell your dictator this: and tell him, Cato Disdains a life which he has power to offer.

Dec. Rome and her senators submit to Cæs Her gen'rals and her consuls are no more,