If aught the house affords, my dearest love,
To set before your guests, I
pray prepare it :
We must be at the camp ere morning dawn.
An hour or two will be the utmost limit
Allowed us here.

Luc. With all the speed I can,

I'll play the caterer; though I am tempted,
Would that delay your journey, to be tardy,
And prove a sluggish housewife.

[Crosses, R.

Sex. This is indeed a wife! Here the dispute Must end;

And, Collatinus, we must yield to thee!

Aruns. I will not envy thee,—but 'tis a wife

Of wives-a precious diamond, picked

[Exit.

From out the common pebbles. To have found her
At work among her maids at this late hour,

And not displeased at our rude interruption

Not to squeeze out a quaint apology,

As, 'I am quite ashamed; so unprepared!

'Who could have thought! Would I had known of 't!' And such like tacit hints, to tell her guests

She wishes them away—thou'rt happy, Collatine.

Col. Enough, enough!

The gods forbid I should affect indifference,
And say you flatter me. I am most happy.—
But Sextus heeds us not.

Sex. Pray, pardon me :

My mind was in the camp.

He seems quite lost.

How wine could heat us

To such a mad exploit, at such a time,
Is shameful to reflect on: let us mount
This instant, and return.

Col. Now we are here,

We shall encroach but little on our time
If we partake the slender fare together

Which will, by this, await us. Pray, my lords,
This way.

Sex. Älong-I'll follow straight.

[Exit.

[Exeunt Aruns and Claudius.

[Apart.] Had she staid here till now, I should have done

Nothing but gaze. Nymphs, goddesses

Are fables; nothing can, in heaven or earth,

Be half so fair! But there's no hope! Her face,

Her look, her eye, her manners, speak a heart
Unknowing of deceit; a soul of honour,
Where frozen chastity has fixed her throne,
And unpolluted nuptial sanctity.

-Peace, undigested thoughts! Down-down! till, 1i

pened

By further time, ye bloom!

[Exit, R.

END OF ACT II.

ACT III.

SCENE I-Rome.-The Capitol.-Equestrian Statue of Tarquinius Superbus.-Night-Thunder and Lightning.

Enter BRUTUS, L. U. E.

Bru. [Alone.] Slumber forsakes me, and I court the

horrors

Which night and tempest swell on every side.
Launch forth thy thunders, Capitolian Jove!
Put fire into the languid souls of men;
Let loose thy ministers of wrath amongst them,
And crush the vile oppressor! Strike him down,
Ye lightnings! Lay his trophies in the dust!
[Storm increases
Ha! this is well! flash, ye blue-forkéd fires!
Loud-bursting thunders, roar! and tremble, earth!

A violent crash of thunder, and the Statue of Tur
quin, struck by a flash, is shattered to pieces.
What! fallen at last, proud idol! struck to earth!
I thank you, gods! I thank you! When you point
Your shafts at human pride, it is not chance,
'Tis wisdom levels the commissioned blow.
But I-a thing of no account—a slave—
I to your forked lightnings bare my bosom

In vain-for what's a slave-a dastard slave?

A fool, a Brutus? [Storm increases.] Hark! the storm

rides on!

The scolding winds drive through the clattering rain,
And loudly screams the haggard witch of night.

Strange hopes possess my soul. My thoughts grow wild,
Engender with the scene, and pant for action.
With your leave, majesty, I'll sit beside you,
And ruminate awhile. [Sits on a fragment of the Statue.
Oh, for a cause! A cause, ye mighty gods!
Soft, what stir is this?

Enter VALERIUS, followed by a MESSENGER, L.
Val. What! Collatinus sent for, didst thou say?
Mes. Ay, Collatinus, thou, and all her kinsmen !
To come upon the instant to Collatia;
She will take no denial. Time is precious,
And I must hasten forth to bring her husband.

[Crosses behind, and exit, R. Bru. [Apart.] Ha! Collatinus and Lucretia's kinsmen ! There's something sure in this-Valerius, too

Well met-Now will I put him to the test

Valerius-Hoa!

Val. Who calls me ?

Bru. Brutus.

Val. Go,

Get thee to bed!

Bru. Valerius!

Val. Peace,

[Valerius is departing.

Thou foolish thing! Why dost thou cali so loud?
Bru. Because I will be heard! The time may come
When thou may'st want a fool.

Val. Pr'ythee, begone!

I have no time to hear thy prattle now.

Bru. By Hercules, but you must hear.

Val. You'll anger me.

[Seizing his arm.

Bru. Waste not your noble anger on a fool

Twere a brave passion in a better cause.

Val. Thy folly's cause enough.

Bru. Rail not at folly

There's but one wise,

And him the gods have killed.

Val. Killed?

Bru. Behold!

Whom?

Oh, sight of pity!-Majesty in ruins!

Down on your knees-down to your kingly idol!

Val. Let slaves and sycophants do that: not I.

Bru. Wilt thou not kneel?

Val. Begone;

Valerius kneels not to the living Tarquin.

Bru. Indeed!-Belike you wish him laid as low?
Val. What if I do?

Bru. Jove tells thee what to do

Strike !-Oh! the difference 'twixt Jove's wrath and

thine!

He, at the crownéd tyrant aims his shaft:

Thou, mighty man, would'st frown a fool to silence,
And spurn poor Brutus from thee.

Val. What is this?

Let me look nearer at thee. Is thy mind,

That long-lost jewel, found?-and Lucius Junius,
Dear to my heart, restored? Or art thou Brutus,
The scoff and jest of Rome, and this a fit
Of intermittent reason?

Bru. I am Brutus !

Folly, be thou my goddess! I am Brutus,
If thou wilt use me so !-If not, farewell.

Why dost thou pause? Look on me! I have limbs,
Parts and proportions, shoulders strong to bear,
And hands not slow to strike!

Could Lucius Junius do?

What more than Brutus

Asks both the strength of Brutus, and the wisdom

Of Lucius Junius.

Bru. No more-we're interrupted.

Val. Farewell. Hereafter we'll discourse.

And may the gods confirm the hope you've raised!

[Exit, R.

Bru. [Alone.] My soul expands! my spirit swells with.

in me,

As if the glorious moment were at hand!

Sure this is Sextus-why has he left the camp?
Alone-and muffled!

Enter SEXTUS, wrapped in a mantle, R. U. E., and crosses, L.
Welcome, gentle prince!

Sex. Ha! Brutus here!-Unhoused amid the storm? Bru. Whence com'st thou, prince? from battle? from the camp!

Sex. Not from the camp, good Brutus-from Collatiae camp of Venus,-not of Mars, good Brutus.

Bru. Ha!

Sex. Why dost thou start?-thy kinswoman, Lucretia
Bru. [Eagerly.] Well-what of her? speak!
Sex. Ay, I will speak,-

d I'll speak that shall fill thee with more wonder,
an all the lying oracle declared.

Bru. Nay, prince, not so; you cannot do a deed o make me wonder.

Sex. Indeed! Dost think it?

hen let me tell thee, Brutus,—wild with passion
or this famed matron,-though we met but once,-
ast night I stole in secret from the camp,
Vhere, in security, I left her husband.

She was alone. I said affairs of consequence
Had brought me to Collatia. She received me
As the king's son, and as her husband's friend-

Bru. [Apart.] Patience, oh, heart!-a moment longer, patience!

Sex. When midnight came, I crept into her chamber Bru. [Apart.] Inhuman monster!

Sex. Alarmed and frantic,

She shrieked out, Collatinus! Husband! Help!'
A slave rushed in-I sprung upon the caitiff,

And drove my dagger through his clamorous throat;
Then, turning to Lucretia, now half dead

With terror, swore, by all the gods, at once,
If she resisted, to the heart I'd stab her;
Yoke her fair body to the dying slave,
And fix pollution to her name forever!
Bru. And-and-the matron?-

Sex. Was mine!

Bru. [With a burst of frenzy.] The furies curse you, then! Lash you with snakes!

When forth you walk, may the red flaming sun

Strike you with livid plagues!

Vipers, that die not slowly, gnaw your heart!

May earth be to you but one wilderness!

May you hate yourself—

For death pray hourly, yet be in tortures

Millions of years expiring!