peftatibus vos cognovi fortes fidofque mihi, eò Animus aufus eft maximum atque pulcherrimum Facinus incipere: fimul, quia vobis eadem quæ mihi bona malaque effe intellexi; nam, Idem velle atque idem nolle, ea demum firma Amicitia est.

[b] Sed Ego quæ Mente agitavi, omnes jam anteà diverfi audîftis. Cæterùm mihi in dies magis Animus accenditur, cùm confidero, quæ Conditio Vitæ futura fit, nifi Nofmet-ipfos vindicamus in Libertatem: nam, poftquam, Refpublica in paucorum potentium Jus atque Ditionem conceffit, femper illos Reges, Tetrarchæ vectigales effe; Populi, Nationes, Stipendia pendere ; cæteri omnes, ftrenui, boni, nobiles atque ignobiles; Vulgus fuimus, fine, Gratiâ, fine Authoritate, his obnoxii, quibus (fi Refpublica valeret) Formidini effemus: itaque omnis Gratia, Potentia, Honos, Divitiæ, apud illos funt, aut ubi illi volunt; Nobis reliquerunt Pericula, Repulfas, Judicia, Egeftatem: Quæ quoufque tandem patiemini, fortiffimi Viri!

[c] Nonne emori per Virtutem præftat, quàm Vitam miferam atque inhoneftam, ubi alienæ Superbiæ Ludibrio fueris, per Dedecus amittere ? Verùm enimvero (proh Deûm atque Hominum Fidem!) Victoria in Manu nobis eft.

[d] Viget Etas, Animus valet; contrà illis, Annis atque Divitiis omnia confenuerunt: tantummodo Incepto opus eft; cætera Res expediet.

[e] Etenim quis

[6] Narratio. [e] Propofitio.

Mortalium, cui Virile Inge

[d] Confirmatio,
[e] Refutatio.

nium eft, tolerare poteft, Illis Divitias fuperare, quas profundant in extruendo Mari & Montibus coæquandis; Nobis Rem familiarem etiam ad neceffaria deeffe? illos binas aut ampliùs Domos continuare, nobis Larem familiarem nufquam ullum effe: cùm Tabulas, Signa, Toreumata emunt, vetera negligunt, nova diruunt,, alia ædificant; poftremò omnibus modis Pecuniam trahunt, vexant; tamen fummâ Libidine Divitias fuas vincere nequeunt? At nobis eft Domi Inopia, Foris Es alienum; mala Res, Spes multo afperior: denique, quid reliqui habemus, præter miferam Animam.

[f] Quin igitur expergifcimini? En illa, illa, quam fæbe obtâftis, Libertas! Præterea, Divitiæ, Decus, Gloria, in Oculis fita funt: Fortuna ea omnia Victoribus Præmia pofuit. Res, Tempus, Pericula, Egeftas, Belli Spolia magnifica, magis quàm Oratio mea, vos hortentur. Vel Impetratore, vel Milite, Me utemini; neque Animus, neque Corpus, à vobis aberit. Hæc ipfa (ùt fpero) vobifcum unà Conful agam; nifi forté Me Animus fallit, aut Vos fervire magis, quàm imperare parati eftis. Salluft. Bel. Catil

CATILINE's ORATION.

Tranflated by the Rev. Mr. BUCK.

HAD I not fufficient proofs of your courage and fidelity, in vain had this favourable opportunity offered itself, fruitless were our great hopes

[f] Peroratio.

of getting the government into our hands: nor would I, by men of a daftardly or unsteady difpofition, hazard a certainty for an uncertainty: but, because I have, in many and great disorders of the state, found you brave and faithful to me; I have, from that affurance, ventured to undertake one of the greatest and noblest enterprizes : as alfo, becaufe, I am perfuaded, your interest must be affected, by what is advantageous or injurious to me, for a fimilitude of defires and averfions is the only fafting foundation of friendfhip.

The fchemes I have formed in my mind, ye have all feparately hear'd already :—but my defire to accomplish them is daily more enflamed, when I confider, what is likely to be our condition of life, if we affert not our own liberty: for, fince the commonwealth has fallen to the management and difpofal of fome few men in power, kings and tetrarchs have been always subject to them, people and nations have paid them tribute; the rest of us (the brave, the good, the noble, and the ignoble) have all been as the vileft of the vulgar, without weight, without authority; expofed to thofe, to whom we should be a terrour, were the commonwealth in its due ftate: hence have all favour, power, honour, riches, been engroffed by them, or difpofed of at their pleasure; to us they have left dangers, difgraces, condemnation, want which wrongs (my brave fellows!) how long will ye endure?

_F

Is it not better, to die bravely, than fhamefully lose a wretched and dishonourable life, wherein ye were but the fport of others' infolence? But, by the faith of Gods and men, we have certain victory in our hand. We are in full vigour, and in high fpirits; on the contrary, every thing with them is impaired by years and luxury; we need but begin; the attempt itself will compleat the rest.

And what mortal, that has the spirit of a man, can bear, that they should have riches in abundance, to lavish in building in the fea, and in levelling mountains; and that we should want, even a competency for the neceffaries of life? that they should have numbers of houses together; we, not fo much as a houfhold-god left us: while they purchase paintings, ftatues, emboffed figures; defpife every thing that is old-fashioned; pull down their new buildings, and raise others more ftately; in fhort, run into every excefs of expence and extravagance, yet cannot with their utmost wantonnefs exhauft their riches? but we are weighed down, by want within doors, and debt without; our affairs diftreffed, our hopes much more desperate. To conclude ;-What have we left us, more than a life of mifery?

Why do ye not awake then?-Behold! behold that Liberty ye have often wished for!-Besides, -wealth, honour, glory, are full in your view: Fortune has fet them all before you, as rewards of the victory. The occafion, the opportunity, your danger, your diftreffes, and the magnificent

1

fpoils of the war, fhould roufe you more than any thing I can fay. Employ me, either as your general or fellow-foldier: my heart and hand fhall both be with you. I hope to be able to affift you in the enterprize, with the confular power, if my mind deceive me not, and ye better prepared for flavery than empire.

BRUTUS's SOLILOQUY.

On CESAR's attempting abfolute Power.

be not

IT muft be, by his death: and, for my part,
I know no perfonal cause to spurn at him,

But for the general. He would be crown'd!How THAT might change his nature, there's the queftion..

It is the bright day, that brings forth the Adder,
And that craves wary walking-Crown him?-
That:

And then, I grant, we put a fting in him,
Which at his will he may do danger with.
Th' abufe of greatnefs is, when it disjoyns
Remorse from power; and, to speak truth of
Gafar,

I have not known, when his affections fway'd,
More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof,
That Lowliness is young Ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber upward turns his face;
But, when He once attains the upmoft round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,

Looks into the clouds, fcorning the base degrees