SCENE II.-The Forum.-The Tribunal, on which is the Cerule Chair.-Six Lictors on each side.An Altar L.-FLAMINIUS, C.-OPIMIUS and TUDITANUS, L.-FANNIUS and Senator, R.-A Rostrum in R. S. E.

Opi. How would you cure a state o'er-run with evils, But as you'd cleanse a garden rank with weeds ? Up with them by the roots! "The slothful hand

That will not bend it to the needful work,

Mars its own ease, and profitless expends

The labour which it grudges!" Why falls Tiberius, If not his coadjutor? Vettius free,

Gracchus should have been free, and Rome a slave. Flam. [To TUDITANUS.] Know you what friend he trusts with his defence?

Tud. 'Tis rumoured, but I say not with what truth, That, hopeless of acquittal, he will plead Guilty, and throw himself upon our mercy.

Opi. Our mercy, then, is mercy to ourselves : In showing which, we dare not pardon him.

Caius, I trust, will not appear for him?

Fan. Not he he shuns all care of public questions, And seems to be a mild retiring man.

He is not of the temper of Tiberius ;

Or, if he is, he does not emulate

His fate.

Opi. I would not have him speak for Vettius :
His voice would be omnipotent against us.
Fan. See, Vettius is at hand! Opimius,

You will conduct the prosecution.

[FLAMINIUS ascends the Tribunal, the Patricians follow and remain at foot of steps, R.-OPIMIUS goes R. and ascends the Rostrum.

Enter VETTIUS, with his Friends, followed by TITUS, MARCUS, and Citizens, L. V. E.

When shall we live as brothers? Is not Rome

Our common mother? Why should we, her sons,
Be foes? Ye powers that favour civil concord,

Prepare your vengeance, for the fratricide
Foments distrust among us.

Tit. (R.) Opimius pays the people court.

Marc. (R.) Yes, he rides us well. He strokes us, when we do not need the spur. O, we are gentle beasts! Opi. You, Spurius Vettius, I accuse of treason. What answer you?

Vet. That, since the times decree

To innocence what was in ancient days

The penalty of guilt, I am prepared

To suffer your award, and answer-Guilty!

[Goes under the Rostrum.-Citizens advance more

to c.

Flam. And wave you all defence?
Vet. When knew you, Consul,

A man already cast, to make defence?
I seem at large, but well am I advised
My cause is tried, and final sentence pass'd.
If you would have me use a Roman's right,
Show me the Romans I shall claim it of.

Call you these Romans? Why, your very slaves
Put on a prouder port, and cower not thus

Before you!

Opi. Hear you his seditious speech?

But he convicts himself. Say, Romans, say
What penalty do you adjudge the traitor?

Tud. Let it be death.

Tit. Nay, good Tuditanus, name some other punishWe will consent to banish him.

ment.

Opi. It is too mild a sentence. Let it be death!
Senators. Ay, death!

Flam. Come down, Opimius, help us to collect
The votes.

[OPIMIUS descends from the Rostrum, and goes down behind the Citizens, R.

Vet. O, Romans! he that is content To live among you, prostrate as you are, Should suffer worse than death!

Opi. (R.) Your votes! your votes !

[C. GRAC. appears in the Rostrum, R.

C. Grac. Opimius, hold!

[Upon hearing C. GRACCHUS, the people shout, press round the Rostrum, and ery "Caius! Caius Gracchus! Caius! Caius!"

Opi. How! Gracchus in the Rostrum!

C. Grac. Hold, good Opimius! do The votes.

yet collect

Titus und Citizens. No! No!-No votes !

Marc. Speak, Caius Gracchus, speak.

C. Grac. I come to plead for Vettius.

Tit. Go on! Go on!

C. Grac. The brother of Tiberius, for the friend!'
Marc. Noble Caius, go on!

C. Grac. I pray you, gentle friends, if I should make
you

A poor, confus'd, disjointed, graceless speech,
Let it not hurt the man for whom I plead.
If I should falter-If my heart should rise
Into my throat, and choke my utterance-
Or, if my eyes should with a torrent drown
My struggling words-let it not, I beseech you,
Let it not hurt the man for whom I plead!

Marc. Tiberius lives, again! Tiberius speaks.
C. Grac. Tiberius lives again! Alas, my friends!
Go ask the Tiber if he lives again.

Cry for him to its waters! they do know
Where your Tiberius lies, never to live
Again!-Their channel was his only grave,
Where they do murmur o'er him; but with all
The restless chafing of their many waves,
Cannot awake one throb in the big heart
That wont to beat so strong, when struggling for
Your liberties!

Tit. Noble Tiberius !

Marc. Noble Caius ! See how he weeps for his brother.

Opi. Their hearts are his already. Our labour's lost. C. Grac. What is't you do? Is it to banishment Or death, you are about to doom that man? Know you no heavier punishment for those That love you? Rather let them live, to hear You groan beneath the burdens of the great, And bear it!-to behold you vilely spurn'd By clients, bondsmen, hirelings, and bear it! To see you grip'd by heartless usury! To hear your children cry to you for food! Without a shelter for your wretched heads; Or land enough to serve you for a grave, And bear it! To a Roman, such as Vettius, What banishment, what death, were suffering Equal to life like this!

Tit. Most true!

Most true!

Marc. Vettius is a friend to the people, and therefore he is accused !

1st Citizen. 66

Ay, that's his crime."

2d Citizen. "He's innocent."

Tit. and Marc. Vettius is innocent!

Opi. Have you done, Caius ?

For, by your leave, I will produce my witnesses.
Vet. They are the creatures of thy tampering ;
Wretches that feed upon the victims of

Thy cruelty.

Opi. Hoa there! My witnesses!

Marc. No witnesses!

No witnesses!

Tit. Speak, Gracchus, speak.

We'll hear you, Gracchus, before a thousand witnesses. Go on!

Citizens. Go on! Go on!

C. Grac. Romans! I hold a copy of the charge-
And depositions of the witnesses.

Upon three several grounds he is arraing'd.
First, that he strove to bring the magistracy
Into contempt! next, that he form'd a plot,
With certain slaves, to raise a tumult; last-
And were there here the slightest proof, myself
Would bid him sheathe a dagger in his breast!—
That he conspir'd with enemies of Rome-
With foreigners! barbarians! to betray her!
The first, I'll answer-Vettius is a Roman,
And 'tis his privilege to speak his thoughts.
The next, I'll answer-Vettius is a freeman,
And never would make compact with a slave.
The last, I'll answer-Vettius loves his country,
And who that loves his country would betray her!
But, say they, "We have witnesses against him."
Name them!-Who stands the first upon the list?
A Client-I'll oppose to him a Senator.

Who next? A Slave-Set down a Roman Knight.
Who follows last? The servant of a Questor-
I'll place a Tribune opposite to him!

How stand we now? Which weighs the heavier ?
Their Questor's Servant, or my Tribune?-Their
Slave, or my Roman Knight?-Their Client, or
My Senator?-Now, call your witnesses!

Marc. We'll have no witnesses!

Tit. For your sake, Caius, we acquit him.
Marc. Vettius is innocent!

"Citizens. Ay! Ay! Ay!"

Marc. The tribes acquit Vettius by acclamation,
Citizens. We do! We do!

Opi. Hear me, I say;

Citizens. No! No! No!

C. Grac. Their voices are against you, Opimius !

[Descends.

Flam. To please the people, we withdraw our

charge,

Citizens. Huzza! Huzza!

[Rises.

C. Grac. Come, Vettius, come! my brother's friend is free!

Citizens. Huzza! Huzza!

[Exeunt CAIUS, VETTIUS, and Citizens, R. Flam. (c.) [They come forward.] This was their policy! What's to be done?

Opi. (L.) Remove him from the city, and you nip
The danger in the bud! I'll take him for
My Quæstor, if you'll name him to the office,
And render good account of him-Who waits
Until a reptile stings him, ere he crushes it?
Tread on it at once!

Flam. Your counsel pleases me,

Here's the commission I design'd for Carbo,
All but the name, fill'd up. In Carbo's place,
I'll insert Caius, and dispatch it to him.
Opi. I leave Rome ere an hour.

Flam. He shall have orders

Most positive, to bear you company,

Opi. Of your decision you shall reap the fruits, Or, when you name your friends, leave out Opimius ! [Exeunt OPI. and TUD. R. the rest are shut in,

SCENE III.-Caius Gracchus's House-Room with an opening in centre-Tuble, two Chairs, and Tambour Work, brought on and placed near R.

Enter LIVIA and LICINIA, L.

Licinia. (R.) I am the happiest wife in Rome, my

Livia!

The happiest wife in Rome!

Livia, (L.C.) I doubt it not;

But there's Flaminius' wife, the other day,

Scarce from the Forum to her house could pass
For salutations, that her husband won

The Consulate.

B