Yet hoped there was one creature of my blood
Who trusted-loved. She said it was in ignorance.
Perhaps. I'll try her awfully-Catiline!

Re-enter CATILINE.

Hearken. At the first hour of morning, summon
Unto the Forum, in my sovereign name,

The people and the senators. While all rest there,
Metellus shall surround them, with a force

Of soldiers. Lepidus and Julius Marius,
Guarded, lead thither, too.

My presence, and my will.

And let all wait
Leave me. It shall be !

[Exit CATILINE.

For every cause it shall. A new, last glory!
My last audacious triumph; certainty :
Vengeance; a mystery still! a blazing wonder,
And echo to all nations and all time!

ACT V.

SCENE I.-IN SYLLA's Palace. Enter hastily PHRYNE, followed by a female attendant.

Phry. After my watchings all the live-long night,

A hateful, leaden sleep, uncalled, unwilled,

Unfelt came o'er me-and how long I slept

I know not-and I fear to ask or know

Till, in the fierce ray of the summer sun,
Which, brightly angry,

I woke and screamed.

flashed, methought, to rouse me-
No voice replied to mine.

No creature came to me: I started up.

I have traversed all the chambers, one by one-
They are all empty, and upon the walls

And marble floors, I have looked for gouts of blood.
Speak, thou! who here at last dost wait on me—
My father and his prisoner-speak!

Att. At dawn,

A prisoner, with Catiline, left the palace.

Your father, lady

Phry. At the dawn! How old

Is the day, now?

Att. Yet morning tide.

Phry. 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? You know not?

Att. Lady, no.

Phry. Said he

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. LENAS, 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.

Auf. Such circumstantial show is not his fashion.
Læn. 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

Cat. His air,

and People.

His brow defeat me.

In look or limb, it were my dearest triumph,

Could I see him wince

[Aside.

[To him.

And for my purpose, opportunity.

Young Julius Marius.

Jul. Lucius Catiline?

Cat. I grieve to see you thus.

Jul. False as thou'rt foul.

Cat. No, Julius Marius, no. On public grounds

Your enemy, my heart can pity, still,

The doomed sufferings of all your race,
Now in your own to be so sadly ended.
Jul. Leave me.

Cat. And if by my poor agency

It might be otherwise—if your young life
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!

[JULIUS is still contemptuous.

1st Citz. Metellus leading on his soldiers.

1st Trib. They crowd upon us!

1st Citz. Yes-and hem us in !

[Enter METELLUS, with Soldiers, who surround the Forum.

Læn. 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?

[Looking of.

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 !-

Romans! you look pale

And stare upon each other, asking in whispers,
Why this and this? or, what will happen, now?

Or what shall save us?-Romans-no-not Romans !
That name no more-slaves then-and slaves of slaves!
But I'll speak calmer-on the day he robbed you

Of your last liberties, I met you here,

Here in this very Forum, and—

1st Trib. Citzs.

Hush! back!

[Looking off.

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

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

Enter Second Tribune, with People.

2d Trib. Sylla!—back, back!

Enter slowly, SYLLA, with Lictors.

Syl. Senators, citizens, all men of Rome-
A day hath risen whose progress shall proclaim
Unto 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.
In me, the awful dignity of Rome

Has by assassin league been violated.

There stand the plotters. Julius Marius, and
His colleague, Lepidus. More from the Rostrum.
Jul. [As SYLLA walks towards the Rostrum.]
Now, Lepidus, your secret dagger.

Lep. Take it.

Enter PHRYNE, behind JULIUS.

Phry. [Having observed JULIUS.] Turn, Sylla! Turn! Jul. [Breaking through the Guards.] Villains, make way! Die, monster!

Phry. [Intercepting and catching his arm.] Hold, parricide !-infanticide!

[Rushing to SYLLA.