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I trust, than either life or fame-my wife.
Her bitter sorrows pierce my soul; for her
My heart drops blood!-Oh, she will want a friend.
Then take her to thy care; do thou pour balm
On her deep-wounded spirit, and let her find
My tender helps in thee.-I must be gone,
My ever faithful, and my gallant friend.-

I pray thee leave this woman's work-farewell

Take this last dear embrace.-Farewell for ever!

South. My bursting breast! I fain would speak, but words

Are poor-Farewell!—

But we shall meet again, embrace in one
Eternal band which never shall be loosed.

SELECTION XV.

CAIUS GRACCHUS-DRUSUS.

Drusus. Your pleasure, Caius ?

-Knowles.

C. Gracchus. Pleasure!-Livius Drusus,
Look not so sweet upon me!-I am no child
Not to know bitter, for that it is smeared
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!

Drusus. The caitiff!

C. Gracc. Ah! ho! Now

You are Livius Drusus!

You were only then

The man men took him for-the easy man,

That, so the world went right, cared not who got
The praise. Who ever thought, in such

A plain and homely piece of stuff, to see
The mighty senate's tool!

Drusus. The senate's tool!

C. Gracc. Now what a deal of pains for little profit! If you could play the juggler with me, Livius

To such perfection practice seeming, as

To pass it on me for reality—

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

I see as palpable as if they were—

Twas 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 labor!-Livius Drusus,
I know you are a tool!

Drusus. Well, let me be so!

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

C. Gracc. What barefaced shifting!

What real fierceness could grow tame so soon!
You turn upon me like a tiger, and

When open-mouthed 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.

Drusus. Honest!

C. Gracc. Ay, honest!-Why do you repeat My words, as if you feared 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 in full retort upon me

Tell me I lie, and smite me to the earth!—
I'll rise but to embrace you!

Drusus. My good Caius,

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

C. Gracc. Give me but an answer, and

I'll be content. Are you not leagued with the senate? Drusus. Your senses leave you, Caius!

C. Gracc. Will you answer me?

Drusus.

C. Gracc.

Drusus.

Drusus.

C. Gracc.

Throw off this humor!

Give me an answer, Drusus!
Madman!

Are you the creature of the senate?
Good Caius !

C. Gracc. Do you juggle with the people?
Let me but know you, man, from your own lips:

'Tis all I want to know you are a traitor.

Drusus. A traitor!

C. Gracc. Ay!

Drusus.

To whom?

C. Gracc. To the poor people!

The houseless citizens that sleep at nights
Before the portals, and that starve by day
Under the noses of the senators!

Thou art their magistrate, their friend, their father.

Dost thou betray them? Hast thou sold them? Wilt thou
Juggle them out of the few friends they have left?
Drusus. If 'twill content you, Caius, I am one

Who loves alike the senate and the people.

i am the friend of both.

C. Gracc. The friend of neither

The senate's tool!-a traitor to the people!
A man that seems to side with neither party;
Will now bend this way, and then make it up,
By leaning a little to the other side;

With one eye, glance his pity on the crowd,
And with the other, crouch to the nobility;
Such men are the best instruments of tyranny.
The simple slave is easily avoided

By his external badge; your order wears
The infamy within!

Drusus. I'll leave you, Caius,

And hope your breast will harbor better counsels.

Grudge you the senate's kindness to the people?

'Tis well-whoe'er serves them shows love to me! (Exit.) C. Gracc. Go! I have tilled a waste; and, with my sweat, Brought hope of fruitage forth-the superficial

And heartless soil cannot sustain the shoot:
The first harsh wind that sweeps it, leaves it bare!
Fool that I was to till it! Let them go!

I loved them and I served them!-Let them go!

SELECTION XVI.

RIENZI-COLONNA-URSINI-FRANGIPANI-CAFARELLO-AN

GELO-SAVELLI-THE NUNCIO-EMBASSADOR-NOBLES.

Mitford.

Rienzi. Why, this

Is well, my lords, this full assemblage. Now
The chief of Rome stands fitly girt with names
Strong as their towers around him. Fall not off,

And we shall be impregnable. (Advancing up the room.)

Lord Nuncio,

I should have asked thy blessing. I have sent
Our missions to the pontiff. Count Savelli-
My lord embassador. I crave your pardon.
What news from Venice, the sea-queen? Savelli,
I have a little maiden who must know
Thy fairest daughter. Angelo, Colonna,

A double welcome! Rome lacked half her state
Wanting her princely columns.
Colonna. Sir, I come

A suitor to thee. Martin Ursini

Rie. When last his name was on thy lips-
Well, sir,

Thy suit, thy suit! If pardon take at once
My answer-No.

Angelo. Yet, mercy—

Rie. Angelo,

Waste not thy pleadings on a desperate cause
And a resolved spirit. She awaits thee.
Haste to that fairer court.

My lord Colonna,

This is a needful justice.

Col. Noble Tribune,

It is a crime which custom-
Rie. Ay, the law

(Exit Angelo.)

Of the strong against the weak-your law, the law
Of the sword and spear. But, gentles, ye lie now
Under the good estate. (Crossing to the centre.)
Savelli. He is a noble.

Rie.

Therefore,

A thousand times he dies. Ye are noble, sirs,

And need a warning.

Col. Sick, almost to death.

Rie. Ye have less cause to grieve.

Frangipani. New wedded.

Rie. Ay,

Madonna Laura is a blooming dame,

And will become her weeds.

Cafarello. Remember Tribune,

He hath two uncles, cardinals. Wouldst outrage

The sacred college?

Rie. The lord cardinals,

Meek, pious, lowly men, and loving virtue,
Will render thanks to him who wipes a blot
So flagrant from their name.

Col. An Ursini!

Head of the Ursini!

Ursini. Mine only brother!

Rie. And darest talk thou to me of brothers? Thou, Whose groom-wouldst have me break my own just laws, To save thy brother? thine! Hast thou forgotten When that most beautiful and blameless boy, The prettiest piece of innocence that ever Breathed in this sinful world, lay at thy feet, Slain by thy pampered minion, and I knelt Before thee for redress, whilst thou didst never Hear talk of retribution! This is justice, Pure justice, not revenge! Mark well, my lordsPure equal justice. Martin Ursini

Had open trial, is guilty, is condemned

And he shall die!

If

Col. Yet listen to us!

Rie. Lords,

ye could range before me all the peers,
Prelates and potentates of Christendom―
The holy pontiff kneeling at my knee,
And emperors crouching at my feet, to sue
For this great robber, still I should be blind,
As justice. But this very day a wife,
One infant hanging at her breast, and two
Scarce bigger, first-born twins of misery,
Clinging to the poor rags that scarcely hid
Her squalid form, grasped at my bridle-rein,
To beg her husband's life; condemned to die
For some vile petty theft, some paltry scudi-
And, whilst the fiery war-horse chafed and reared,
Shaking his crest, and plunging to get free,

There, 'midst the dangerous coil unmoved, she stood,
Pleading in broken words and piercing shrieks,
And hoarse low shivering sobs, the very cry
Of nature! And when I at last said no-
For I said no to her-she flung herself

And those poor innocent babes between the stones
And my hot Arab's hoofs. We saved them all—
Thank heaven, we saved them all! but I said no
To that sad woman, 'midst her shrieks. Ye dare not
Ask me for mercy now.

Sav. Yet he is noble!

Let him not die a felon's death.

Rie. Again,

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