Yet morning!

Time lapsed to win, or lose, or wreck a world.

Oh, I have been accursed in my sleep.

Oh, morbid, traitor sleep! from your death-thrall

And heavy blandishment I do divorce

Mine eyes for ever! Or the hideous things

Which may have happened-may ?-which must! which have!
Can well effect it! Spake you of my father?

ATT.-'Tis but some minutes since he parted, too.

PHRY.-Whither?

ATT.-Lady, no.

PHRY.-Said he

You know not?

No parting word for Phryne? for his daughter?
ATT.-No word.

PHRY.-How looked he? sternly? and

The prisoner? seemed he sad?-hush-thro' the streets,

Deserted by the people, bands of soldiers

Troop onward, heavily-returning now

Perhaps what is to happen-or has happened?
Heard you?-or any of my women? Speak
The very truth!

ATT.-Nor they, nor I, can answer.

PHRY.-I will go forth! whither I know not-but
O'er all the spreading city-and fall down
Before whatever living things I meet,

Praying a guidance to the mystery

Or explanation of it. Household gods-
House of my sires, farewell! I go-oh, when-

And how, If ever-to return? Fate knoweth.

(At a window.)

(Exeunt.)

SCENE II-The Forum. Lænas, Aufidius, Senators, Crassus, Cethegus, people.

AUF.-Know ye the cause or motive of this summons?
CRAS.-Unless as an example to the people,

To punish in their presence, the last son

Of their old butcher, Marius, we know not.

Aur. Such circumstantial show is not his fashion.
LEN.-It never was.

AUF.-The people quake in terror,

And boding ignorance, as hither led

By their weak Tribunes. See, how silently

They follow hither the accused.

Enter Catiline, Julius and Lepidus, guarded, First Tribune and people.

Might from this too untimely stroke be snatched,
Here do I plainly stand, your friend, to try it.

(Julius does not notice him.)

1ST TRIB. The noble senators may answer us.
AUF.-We, and those good knights with us, uninformed
As Tribunes or as people, hither come
For Sylla's pleasure.

CAT.-Julius, hearken to me.

You are a man-a young one-from whose eyes
The world is fading fast, with all its changes

Of wondrous, promising, and beautiful.
"Tis hard to look upon a man so young,
Standing so near the verge-encompassed,
Already, with the shadow and the silence
Of death-'tis hard to see you, Julius, thus,
And feel no wish to succour.-I cannot
Regard it passively; and altho' fate
Frown on the very dawning of the thought,
I may be bribed to zeal.

1ST TRIB.

Friends! Citizens!

Behold!

1ST CITZ.-Metellus leaning on his soldiers. 1ST TRIB.-They crowd upon us!

1ST CITZ.-Yes-and hem us in!

(Julius is still contemptuous.)

(Enter Metellus, with soldiers, who surround the Forum.)

LEN,-Aufidius, note you that?

AUF.-I do-and tremble.

1ST TRIB-Tis the last day of Sylla's tyranny. 1ST CITZ.-Rome's lost. We are to perish!

1ST TRIB.-Comes he yet?

CAT.-Julius, look round you. Of the shades of doom

It is the denser gathering-the deepest

For next comes doom itself. Bethink you, and
Now answer me. There is a lady-

JUL-Ha!

CAT.-Start not-but hear

JUL.-Villain! excelling villain!

Why is that here, prisoner as I stand,

I do not, from the bosom which could plot
That insult for me, tear the fetid heart out,
And-

CAT.-Traitor! unhand me!

JUL-But-live. You are the fitter for this world,
Which now-the gods do see it is no world
For any honest man. Go-thrive together.
In its decrepitude and worthlessness

I need bequeath to it no better curse.

Live and revenge me!

JUL.-Pshaw! They're not worth the breath it costs-a flock
Of sheep do not cringe closer from the growl

(Looking off.)

Of the shepherd's dog. Down with your necks, brave Romans,
That he may step on them!

Enter Second Tribune, with people.

2ND TRIB.-Sylla !-back, back !

Enter slowly, Sylla, with Lictors.

SYL.-Senators, citizens, all men of Rome

A day hath risen whose progress shall proclaim
Uuto the breathing and the unborn world,
How worthy or unworthy of his place
Has Sylla proved, and in your turn, of him,
Yourselves, how worthy. A peculiar question,
Which to this great one tends, we first examine.

PHRY.-(Having observed Julius.) Turn, Sylla! Turn!
JUL.-(Breaking thro' the guards.)—Villains, make way!
Die, monster! (Rushing to Sylla)
PHRY.(Intercepting, and catching his arm.)
Hold, parricide!-infanticide!

CAT.-Guards!-Lictors!

Down with him-slay!

SYL.-Lictors!-disarm that boy;

If I had wanted proof for your assurance,
Himself, the head and spirit of this treason,
Doth here supply it. Ye have seen his hand
Raised against the life of the republic-and,
By every law, civil and natural,

The days of the last Marius are now numbered.
PHRY. Against all nature! against all the laws

Of natural hearts! Romans! he is my husband! (Embracing him.)
JUL.- Oh Phryne, I was nerved for fate-but, this-

PHRY. And, Romans, plead for him, with me! ye know-
Great as his crime hath been unto your eyes,

And mine, this day-the youngest and the last
Of all the Marians, must, if he be man-
Hoard in his heart-even against his will-
Griefs, recollections, bitterness, and anger,
Which madden him, at times, to say and do

He knows not what!-oh think ye, Roman husbands,
Were he not made, by suffering, moment-mad,
He who doth love his wife, as never wife
Was loved, would raise his boyish arm upon
The sacred person of that wife's dear parent,
A parent, by that wife beloved as well-

And she will say no more-as she by him,
Her chosen husband? Romans, plead for me!

Your hands and voices here with mine! My father!

SYL.-I am dictator. Senators, no word.

Tribunes, beware!-Lictors, control the people.
Phryne, retire.

PHRY.-No! bid them strike me here!

It is the fitter place for me to fall

Even at the feet of the unnatural father

Who spurns me here! Perish I must-I will-
If-

(Kneels to Sylla.)

SYL. Lead the wife of Marius from the Forum! (Ascends the Rostrum.) PHRY.-Off, abject slaves!-I stand by him again!

(Kushes to Julius, who is again guarded.)

My arm around him! to be silent, now,

Since, if I am so, I have equal right

With any citizen to tarry here

Silent until i catch a word to harm him-
My Julius, fear not!

JUL.-I but fear for you.

SYL.-Young Julius Marius may tell you, Romans, (From the Rostrum.)

He strikes but at an absolute dictator.

Wherefore, in justice? Let the people answer.

Freely they chose me-nor unworthily

For, ere I was dictator, I was a hero.

Deep, distant waters ye shall never see,

I bade flow round your empire, and they flowed

Rejoicingly. Kings I uncrowned and crowned ;*

Avenged your wrongs; enforced your rights; unfurled

Your glory to earth s limits. This, abroad.

At home, I brought you peace; by any means;

Peace, still. Proscriptions, confiscations, blood

These were the means; on whom? and blood of whom?

On those who plundered ye, and first shed yours.
Who perished? Romans-but the foes of Rome;
What was her loss? Citizens?-rebels! Sons?

Parricides!

JUL-Friends, oh friends! PHRY.-Julius--for my sake

Patience-forbearance!

JUL-Childless fathers, answer!

Fatherless sons! lorn brothers, answer him!
Rome's loss?-oh, let her women raise their voices!
And Romans, tell him, too, Rome's loss is freedom!
The freedom a perpetual dictator

Hath in his life shut up, and which his life
Alone may render!

(At the commencement of Julius' speech, Sylla had beckoned Cethegus to his side-during it he has conferred with him; now he resumes, without having seemed to notice it.)

SYL. Thus, the means were desperate.

Who used them?

In person? No.

In personal anger?

Sylla? No. Your Sovereign.-
In Rome's great Majesty.-

No. In her assertion.

For his revenge? No-for her great salvation!

What father whose child's treason leaves him childless,
What sireless son whose father's treason shamed him,
What brother whose bad brother shamed their sire,
Will now stand up for such against his country?

If I do speak unto a Roman patriot

So circumstantial and conditional,

Let him stand forth and front-not punishment

Eut the deep, broad, indelible disgrace

Of that avowal in this public forum

Let him stand forth I say!

1ST. TRIB.-How should we answer?

1ST. CITZ.-Out of our own admissions he would judge us! 1ST. TRIB.-Let no man speak!

SYL-Your silence I do thus interpret, friends.

"Twere just to punish any, who, with cause

Of private suffering, the most peculiar,

Dares, in my sovereign person, touch the state-
Behold young Marius wao hath so dared.

JUL-Tyrant!

Addressing Sylla.)

PHRY.-My Julius!

SYL.-Yet

PHRY.-Hush! Hear him on!

SYL.-Yet, as the offence, to Sylla, is, at once,
Public and personal, I do waive the right
Of judging him, referring it unto

The senate and the people.

PHRY.-Hear you that?

JUL-I do-in deepest wonder-if he mean it,

I am no longer Sylla's enemy.

SYL.-But more than my permission here is urgent.
JUL.-Hark-some deep subtlety which cheats us all.
SYL. For this you must be, once again, a people,
United to your senate, sovereign-
Without an absolute dictatorship,

Or any intervention from the presence

Of civil or of military force.

Wherefore, observe me. Lictors-yield your fasces!
Soldiers, lay down your arms !-and, all, draw off,
Or, here, as citizens, with your fellows mingle.

PHRY.-Oh, joy, my Julius, joy!

JUL-Let me observe him

(Lictors and soldiers obey him.)

SYL.-This, the first step to leave your councils free,

Is the last act of my authority.

My servants powerless, myself I now

Command from power-Sylla, o'er Sylla still.

The only master. You have heard it said

That, in dictatorship perpetual,

I had shut up your freedom. Well. Attend.
My place I now do abdicate for ever;

My palm and purple I renounce for ever;

And, once again a simple citizen,

Unarmed, unsymbolled, thus advance to greet you.

(Takes off the golden palm and the purple cloak, and descends from the Rostrum.)

PHRY.-Well, Julius? well!

JUL. I am astounded-thrilled!

1ST TRIB.-Now, countrymen!

2ND TRIB.-Hush! hush! he would speak still.

SYL-More. As Rome's magistrate, I have freely dealt

Upon the people-and the senate, too.

For that, yourselves have righteously admitted

I am not privately responsible.

Yet-lest my single judgment may have pushed
Authority beyond its sovereign limit-

Hear me. What I have done in Rome's great name,

I will account for in mine own.

I ask

A trial from the people. I invite it.

Silent? I dare it!

JUL.-Oh, amazing courage!

Majestic boldness!

PHRY.-Terrible!

JUL. But how grand!

God-despot! His sublimity hath conquered!

STL-I am not answered, friends. Would the coward dagger,

A course of virtuous justice intercept?

I have heard, I know not well how many thousands,

Of those whose kindred, but contaminate, blood

Flowed at their country's doom, pronounced by me,
Waited but time and opportunity.

The time is come-if ever to come; I yield
The opportunity. That, too, I dare.

My countrymen, about the forum, here,

I now shall walk. You see I am unarmed.

My life upon a blow. To plot and poignard
I oppose my genius only! Charonea,
Orchomenus, and the terror of my name!
Behold, I walk among ye.

Let that man

Who deems he has a private vengeance, take it!

Again, young Marius, strike!

JUL. Her breast, as soon!

PHRY-My father!

SYL.-Well? I cannot punish now.

PHRY.-My father! Take this hand.

SYL-Tush-tush

(Walks to Julius.)

(Falls on Sylla's neck, holding by one of Julius' hands.)

Freely I may depart then? all unquestioned?

PARY.-Father!

(Re-addressing the people while Phryne still clings to him.) (Endeavouring to join his hand with that of Julius.) SYL.-(Grasping Julius' hand almost without regarding him.) Well, well? He is pardoned, is he not?

Or must I plead for him unto the people

And the grave senate? and-tush-sir, support her

She is now more yours than mine-tho' I say not

More, in the heart-there-free me of your wife, sir-
My child-that was-

PHRY.-(Embracing him.) And is! Is, glorious father!
Say-is!

SYL.-Is, then-is, is-will that content you?

Go to your husband.

PHRY.-Yes! When you call him so!

STL-Freely I may depart? and all unquestioned?
Take my last word, tho'. Over all my battles,
Proscriptions, decimations, hear ye, Romans;
How I've served Rome. I found the old republic,
A shadow; scorned, insulted, braved; I leave it
A substance; feared, respected, trembled at-
A threat to foes-to rebels, terrible!

I found ye slaves! I leave ye free! By what
Inducement, ye do know, and will remember.
For myself, Romans, I give thanks for nought.
My own hand won me power. A sovereign crown

(Embracing Julius.)