DRAMATIC SCENES. 215 



No,* let us rise at once, gird on our swords, 



And at the head of our remaining troops, 



Attack the foe, break through the thick array 



Of his throng'd legions, and charge home upon him : 



Perhapsf some arm, more lucky than the rest, 



May reach his HEART, and free the world from BONDAGE. 



Rise,+ fathers, rise ! Tis ROME demands your help : 



Rise, and revenge her slaughter'd citizens, 



Or share their fate ! The corpse of half her senate 



Manure the fields of Thessaly, while we 



Sit here deliberating^ in cold debates, 



If we should sacrifice our lives to HONOUR, 



Or wear them out in SERVITUDE and CHAINS. 



Rouse up, for shame ! our brothers of Pharsalia 



Point at their wounds, and cry aloud To BATTLE ! 



Great Pompey's shade complains that we are slow , 



And SCIPIO'S ghost walks unreveng'd amongst us. 



CATO. Let |j not a torrent of irripetuous zeal 

 Transport thee thus beyond the bounds of REASON : 

 True FORTITUDE is seen in great exploits, 

 Thatju.-itice warrants, and that wisdom guides : 

 All else is tow' ring frenzy and distraction. 

 Are not the lives of those who draw the sword 

 In ROME'S defence intrusted to our care ? 

 Should we thus lead them to a field of slaughter, 

 Might not th' impartial world with reason say, 

 We lavish'd at our deaths the blood of thousands, 

 To grace our fall, and make our ruin glorious ? 

 Lucius, we next would know what's your opinion ] 

 ~ Luc. My thoughts,! must confess, are turn'd on PEACE. 

 Already have our quarrels fill'd the world 

 With widows, and with orphans. SCYTHIA mourns 

 Our guilty wars : and earth's remotest regions 

 Lie half unpeopled by the feuds of ROME. 

 'Tis time to sheath the sword, and spare mankind. 



* This and the three following lines require an increased rapidity 

 of utterance. 



f Here is a transition to a deeper tone, and more lengthened utterance. 



j Much animation. 



This requires a protracted utterance ; thus de-li-be-ra'ting. 

 * jj Cato's gravity forms a striking contrast with the impetuosity of 

 Sempronius. 



