Catiline, His Conspiracy
Scene 1.5
W
Haile Lucius Catiline.
Haile noble Sergius.
E
Haile Publius Lentulus.
D
Haile the third Cornelius.
F
Caius Cethegus haile.
C
Haile sloth, and words,
Insteed of Men, and Spirits.
A
Nay, deare Caius;
C
Are your eyes yet vnseel'd? Dare they looke day In the dull face?
A
He is zealous, for the affaire;
And blames your tardy comming, Gentlemen.
C
Vnlesse, we had sold our selues to sleepe, and ease, And would be our slaues slaues.
A
Pray you forbeare.
C
The North is not so starke, and cold.
A
Cethegus.
H
We shall redeeme all, if your fire will let us.
A
You are too full of lightning, noble Caius.
Boy, see all doores be shut, that none approch us, On this part of the house. Go you, and bid The Priest, he kill the slaue I mark'd last night; And bring me of his bloud, when I shall call him: Till then, waite all without.
W
How is it, Autronius!
Longinus?
E
Curius?
D
Lecca?
W
Feele you nothing?
E
A strange, vnwonted horror doth inuade me, I know not what it is!
F
The day goes backe,
Or else my senses!
D
As at Atreus feast!
G
Darknesse growes more and more!
B
The Vestall flame,
I think, be out.
W
What groane was that?
C
Our phant'sies.
Strike fire, out of our selues, and force a day.
W
Againe it sounds!
H
As all the Citie gaue it!
C
We feare what our selues faine.
W
What light is this?
D
Look forth
B
It still grows greater
F
From whence comes it?
E
A Bloody arme it is, that holds a pine Lighted, aboue the Capitoll: And, now, It waues vnto us.
A
Braue, and omenous!
Our enterprise is seal'd.
C
In spight of darknesse,
That would discountenance it. Looke no more; We loose time, and our selues: To what we came for, Speake Lucius, we attend you.
A
Noblest Romanes,
If you were lesse, or, that your faith, and vertue Did not hold good that title, which your bloud, I should not, now, vnprofitably spend My selfe in words, or catch at emptie hopes, By ayrie waies, for solide certainties.
But since in many, and the greatest dangers, I still have knowne you no lesse true, then valiant, And that I tast, in you, the same affections, To will, or nill, to think things good, or bad, Alike with me: (which argues your firme friendship) I dare the boldlier, with you, set on foote, Or leade, vnto this great, and goodliest action.
What I have thought of it afore, you all Have heard apart; I then express'd my zeale
Vnto the glory; Now, the neede enflames me: When I fore-thinke the hard conditions, Our states must vndergoe, except, in time, We do redeeme our selues to liberty, And breake the yron yoake, forg'd for our necks.
For, what lesse can we call it? when we see The common-wealth engross'd so by a few, The Giants of the state, that do, by turnes, Enioy her, and defile her. All the Earth; Her Kings, and Tetrarchs, are their tributaries; People, and Nations pay them hourely stipends: The riches of the world flowes to their coffers, And not, to Romes. While (but those few) the rest, How euer great we are, honest, and valiant, Are hearded with the vulgar; and so kept, As we were onely bred, to consume corne, Or weare out wooll, to drinke the Cities water: Vngrac'd, without authoritie, or marke, Trembling beneath their rods, to whom, (if all Were well in Rome) we should come forth bright axes.
All Places, Honors, Offices are theirs; Or where they will conferre them: They leaue us The Dangers, the repulses, iudgements, wants; Which how long will you beare most valiant spirits?
Were we not better to fall, once, with vertue, Then draw a wretched, and dishonor'd breath To loose with shame, when these mens pride will laugh?
I call the faith of Gods, and Men to question; The power is in our hands; our bodies able; Our mindes as strong; On the contrary, in them, All things growne aged, with their wealth, and yeares.
There wants, but onely to beginne the businesse, The issue is certaine.
X
On, Let us go on.
Go on, braue Sergius.
A
It doth strike my soule, (And, who can scape the stroke, that hath a soule, Or, but the smallest ayre of Man within him?) To see them swell with treasure; which they poure Out in their riots, eating, drinking, building, Aye, in the sea: planing of Hilles with Valleyes; And raysing Vallies aboue Hilles, whilst we Have not, to give our Bodies Necessaries.
They have their change of Houses, Manors, Lordships; We scarce a fire, or poor houshold Lar.
They buy rare Atticke statues, Tyrian hangings, Ephesian pictures, and Corinthian plate, Attalicke garments, and, now new-found, Gemmes Since Pompey went for Asia; which they purchase At price of Prouinces. The Riuer Phasis Cannot affourd them Fowle; nor Lucrine Lake Oysters enow: Circei, too, is search'd To please the witty Gluttonie of a meale.
Their ancient Habitations they neglect, And set up new; Then, if the Echo like not In such a roome, they plucke downe those; build newer, Alter them too; and, by all franticke waies, Vexe their wild wealth, as they molest the people, From whom they force it; Yet, they cannot tame, Or ouercome their riches: Not, by making, Bathes, Orchards, Fish-pooles, letting in of seas, Here; and, then there, forcing them out againe, With mountaynous heapes; for which the Earth hath lost Most of her ribbes, as entrayles, being now Wounded no lesse for Marble, then for gold.
We, all this while, like calme, benum'd Spectators, Sit, till our seates do cracke; and do not heare The thundring ruines, whilst, at home, our wants, Abroad, our debts do vrge us, our states daily Bending to bad, our hopes to worse: And, what Is left, but to be crush'd? Wake, wake braue Friends, And meete the liberty you oft have wish'd for,
Behold, renowne, riches, and glory court you.
Fortune holds out these to you, as rewards.
Me thinkes (thought I were dumbe) the affaire it selfe The opportunity, your needes, and dangers, With the braue spoile the warre brings, should inuite you.
Vse me your Generall, or Souldier: Neither, My Minde, nor Body shall be wanting to you.
And, being Consul, I not doubt to effect, All that you wish: If Trust not flatter me, And you had, rather, still be slaues, then free.
C
Free, free.
E
It is freedome.
D
Freedome we all stand for.
A
Why, these are noble voices. Nothing wants then, But that we take a solemne, Sacrament, To strengthen our designe.
C
And so to act it.
Differring hurts, where powers are most prepar'd.
W
Yet, ere we enter into open act, (With fauour) it were no losse, if it might be enquir'd What the Condition of these Armes would be?
Aye, and the meanes, to carry us through.
A
How, Friendes!
Think you, that I would bid you, graspe the winde?
Or call you to the embracing of a cloude?
Put your knowne valures of so deare a businesse, And have no other second then the Danger, Nor other Gyrlond then the losse? Become Your owne assurances. And, for the meanes, Consider, first, the starke security
The common wealth is in, now; the whole Senate Sleepy, and dreaming no such violent blow; Their forces all abroade; of which the greatest, That might annoy us most, is fardest off, In Asia, vnder Pompey: Those, nearehand, Commanded, by our friendes; one Army' in Spaine, By Cneus Piso; the other in Mauritania, By Nucerinus; both which I have firme, And fast vnto our Plot. My selfe, then, standing Now to be Consul; with my hop'd Colleague Caius Antonius, one, no lesse engag'd By his wants then we: And whom I have power to melt, An least in any mould. Beside, some others That will not yet be nam'd, (both sure, and Great ones) Who, when the time comes, shall declare themselues, Strong, for our party; for, that no resistance In nature can be thought. For our reward, then; First, all our Debts are paid; Dangers of Law, Actions, Decrees, Iudgments against us quitted; The rich Men, as in Sylla's times, proscrib'd, And Publication made of all their goods; That House is yours; That Land is his; Those Waters, Orchards, and walkes a third's: He has that Honor, And he that Office. Such a Prouince fals To Vargunteius: this to Autronius: That To bold Cethegus: Rome to Lentulus: You share the World, her Magistracies, Priest-hoods, Wealth, and Felicity amongst you, Friendes; And Catiline your seruant. Would you, Curius, Reuenge the Contumelie stucke upon you, In being remoued from the Senate? Now, Now, is your time. Would Publius Lentulus Strike, for the like disgrace? Now, is his time.
Would stout Longinus walke the streets of Rome, Facing the Prætor? Now, has he a time To spurne, and treade the Fasces, into dirt Made of the Vsurers, and the Lictors braines.
Is there a Beauty, here in Rome, you loue?
An Enemie you would kill? What Head is not yours?
Whose Wife, which Boy, whose Daughter, of what race, That the Husband, or glad Parents shall not bring you, And boasting of the office? Only, spare Your selues, and you have all the earth beside, A field, to exercise your longings in.
I see you rais'd, and reade your forward mindes High, in your faces. Bring the wine, and blood You have prepar'd there.
E
How!
A
I have kill'd a slaue,
And of his blood caus'd to be mixt with wine.
Fill euery man his bowle. There cannot be A fitter drinke, to make this Sanction in.
Here, I beginne that Sacrament to all.
O, for a clap of thunder now, as loud, As to be heard through-out the Vniuerse, To tell the world the fact, and to applaude it.
Be firme, my hand; not shed a drop: but poure Fiercenesse into me, with it; and fell thirst Of more, and more: Till Rome be left as blood-lesse, As euer her feares made her, or the sword.
And, when I leaue to wish this to thee, Stepdame Or stop, to effect if, with my powers fainting; So may my blood be drawne, and so drunke up As is this slaues.
E
And so be mine.
B
And mine.
W
And mine.
And mine.
C
Crowne me my bowle yet fuller.
Here, I do drinke this, as I would do Cato's.
Or the new fellow Cicero's: with that vow Which Catiline hath giuen.
D
So do I.
F
And I.
H
And I.
G
And I.
W
And all of us.
A
Why, now is the businesse safe, and each man strengthned.
Sirah, what aile you?
W
Nothing.
H
Somewhat modest.
A
Slaue, I will strike your soule out, with my foote, Let me but finde you againe with such a face: You Whelpe.
H
Nay Lucius.
A
Are you coying it,
When I command you to be free, and generall To all?
H
You will be obseru'd.
A
Arise, and shew
But any least auersion in your looke To him that bourdes you next, and your throate opens.
Noble Confederates, thus farre is perfect.
Only your suffrages I will expect, At the assembly for the choosing Consuls.
And all the voices you can make by friendes To my election. Then let me worke out Your fortunes, and mine owne. Mean while, all rest Seal'd up, and silent, as when rigid frosts Have bound up Brookes, and Riuers, forc'd wild beasts Vnto their caues, and birds into the woods, Clownes to their houses, and the Countrey sleepes; That, when the sodaine thaw comes, we may breake Upon them like a deluge, bearing downe Halfe Rome before us, and inuade the rest With cries, and noise able to wake the Vrnes Of those are dead, and make their ashes feare.
``The horrors, that do strike the world, should comè`Loud, and vnlook'd for; Till they strike, be dumbe.
C
Oraculous Sergius:
B
God-like Catiline.
U
Can nothing great, and at the height Remaine so long? but its owne weight Will ruine it? Or, is it blinde Chance, That still desires new States to aduance, And quit the old? Else, why must Rome Be by it selfe; now, ouercome?
Hath she not foes inow of those, Whom she hath made such, and enclose Her round about? Or, are they none, Except she first become her owne?
O wretchednesse of greatest States, To be obnoxious to these Fates:
That cannot keepe, what they do gaine; And what they raise so ill sustaine.
Rome, now, is Mistresse of the whole
World, Sea, and Land, to either Pole; And euen that Fortune will destroy The power that made it. She doth ioy So much in plenty, wealth, and ease, As, now, the excesse is her disease.
She builds in gold; And, to the Starres: As, if she threatned Heau'n with warres; And seekes for Hell, in quarries deepe, Giuing the fiends, that there do keepe, A hope of day. Her Women weare
The spoiles of Nations, in an eare, Chang'd for the treasure of a shell; And, in their loose attires, do swell More light then sailes, when all windes play: Yet, are the men more loose then they, More kemb'd, and bath'd, and rub'd, and trim'd, More sleek'd, more soft, and slacker limm'd; As prostitute: so much, that kinde May seeke it selfe there, and not finde.
They eate on beds of silke, and gold; At yuorie tables; or, wood sold
Dearer then it: and, leauing plate, Do drinke in stone of higher rate.
They hunt all grounds; and draw all seas; Foule euery brooke, and bush; to please Their wanton tasts: and, in request Have new, and rare things; not the best.
Hence comes that wild, a vast expence, That hath enforc'd Romes vertue, thence, Which simple pouerty first made; And, now, ambition doth inuade
Her state, with eating auarice,
Riot, and euery other vice.
Decrees are bought, and Lawes are sold, Honors, and Offices for gold;
The peoples voices: And the free Tongues, in the Senate, bribed be.
Such ruine of her manners Rome Doth suffer now, as she is become (Without the Gods it soone gaine-say) Both her owne spoiler, and owne pray.
So, Asia, art thou cru'lly euen