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• The Works of Voltaire: the Dramatic Works of Voltaire Vol. Ix— Part I
• Alzire
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Orestes
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• SÉmiramis
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Catiline
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Pandora
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• The Dramatic Works of Voltaire Vol. Ix—part Ii
• The Scotch Woman
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• Nanine
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• The Prude
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.
• Act II.
• Act III.
• Act IV.
• Act V.
• The Tatler
• Dramatis PersonÆ.
• Act I.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

cato,with part of the senate in arms.

clodius.

• [To Cato.
• What! whilst the senate armed for its own safety
• From busy faction’s power can scarce preserve
• These sacred walls; thus shall a proud plebeian
• Insult us? shall a people, born to freedom,
• Be treated like dependent slaves? by him,
• Shall Rome’s best friends, the conquerors of the world,
• Be put in chains? because he is a consul,
• Shall he condemn his masters? Catiline’s self
• Were less despotic, and less dangerous:
• With you I feel my country’s wretchedness,
• And weep her fate; but cannot, will not, see
• The senate thus disgraced.

cato.

• Disgrace attends
• On those alone who merit it—but know,
• The blood of nobles, your patrician friends,
• Debased by guilt, should rank below the meanest;
• Those who betrayed us are condemned to death:
• Cicero condemned them; he who saved your country,
• The glorious consul, whom ye dare accuse,
• Because he loved you but too well: yet fear
• And tremble all, ungrateful as ye are
• To join with traitors, for an equal fate
• Shall soon o’erwhelm you; Catiline’s at our gates.
• What Cæsar hath determined yet we know not;
• Whether he means to save, or to destroy
• His country: Cicero bravely acts alone,
• And hazards all for Rome, whilst you despise
• Your best of friends, and treat him as a foe.

clodius.

• Cato has more severity than courage,
• And ever rigorous, hates not guilt so much
• As he loves punishment: reproach us not,
• Nor act the censor when we want a friend.
• Whilst the destructive flames of war surround,
• ’Tis not a consul’s edict can defend us.
• What can your lictor and his fasces do,
• Against a band of fierce conspirators?
• You talk of dangers, and of Cæsar’s power:
• Who does not know that Cæsar is the friend
• Of Catiline? you have pointed out the ills
• That threaten Rome; it were a nobler task
• To show us how we may remove them.

cato.

• Yes;
• And so I will: I would advise the senate
• To be aware of Cæsar, and of—thee;
• Nay, more—but see our father comes.

SCENE II.

cicero, cato,part of the senate.

cato.

• [To Cicero.
• Behold
• Great Cicero, the sons of thankless Rome:
• Approach and save us; envy’s self shall soon
• Fall at thy feet, in humble admiration
• Of such transcendent virtue.

cicero.

• Friends and Romans,
• The love of glory is my ruling passion,
• Fame is the fair reward of human toil,
• And I would wish to merit it from you:
• I have done little yet, perhaps hereafter
• I may do more to serve my country: Rome
• Was full of open and of secret foes;
• Patricians, and plebeians, citizens
• And soldiers, all in wild confusion, seemed
• To thirst for blood: I saw the gathering storm
• That threatened universal ruin; saw
• The bold conspirators tumultuous rise,
• And bear down all before them: at their head
• Were Sura and Cethegus; them I seized,
• And gave to justice; but the Hydra faction
• Hath many heads which still successive rise,
• And mock my labors: Catiline boldly pushed
• To the Quirinal gate; by gallant deeds,
• Almost incredible, he kept the field,
• And forced a passage to his army; Rome
• Beheld him with amazement; Antony
• In vain opposing Sulla’s hardy veterans,
• Was baffled and subdued; Petreius strove
• To succor him, but with unequal force
• And fruitless valor: thus on every side,
• Surrounded by calamities, great Rome,
• The mistress of the world, is on the brink
• Of ruin; Cicero trembles for her fate.

crassus.

• What part hath Cæsar taken?

cicero.

• He hath behaved
• As Cæsar must, with most undaunted courage,
• Yet not as Rome could wish a zealous friend
• Would act in her defence. I saw him quell
• The rebel foe; yet after that, stir up
• Seditious spirits, and by every art
• Of smooth insinuation, work himself
• Into the people’s hearts. Amidst this scene
• Of blood, methought a secret joy o’erspread
• His glowing cheek, whilst his all-soothing voice
• Courted applause, inviting Rome to be
• His slave hereafter.

cato.

• I was ever fearful
• Of Cæsar’s power; he is not to be trusted.

SCENE III.

the senate, cæsar.

cæsar.

• Well: am I still suspected in the senate?
• Is Cato’s stubborn virtue still my foe?
• Of what does he accuse me?

cato.

• As a friend
• To Catiline, the sworn enemy of Rome;
• You have protected him, and leagued with those
• It had become you better to chastise.

cæsar.

• I would not stain my laurels with the blood
• Of such vile miscreants: Cæsar fights with none
• But warriors.

cato.

• What are these conspirators?

cæsar.

• A dastard crowd, contemptible and vile:
• They fled like slaves before me; but the soldiers
• Of Sulla are a formidable band,
• And boast an able chief; from them indeed
• Rome hath some cause to fear; Petreius sinks
• Beneath his wounds, and Catiline marches onward;
• Our soldiers are alarmed: what says our consul?
• And what has he resolved?

cicero.

• I’ll tell thee, Cæsar:
• Grant, heaven, we may succeed!—thou hast deserved
• Suspicion, but I’ll give thee the fair means
• To clear thy honor, and avenge thy country.
• I know thee well, thy virtues and thy frailty;
• Know what thou canst, and what thou darest not do;
• Know Cæsar would command, but not betray,
• A noble friend, and a most dangerous foe:
• Whilst I condemn I cannot but esteem thee.
• Away: remember that the eyes of Rome,
• And of the world, are on thee: go, support
• Petreius, save the empire, and deserve
• The love of Cato: we have men, but want
• A general to conduct them; Cæsar best
• Can lead them, and to him alone we trust
• The safety and the glory of mankind.

cæsar.

• Cicero on Cæsar safely may depend;
• Farewell: I go to conquer or to die.
• [Exit.

cato.

• You’ve touched him in the tenderest part; ambition
• Will urge him on.

cicero.

• Great souls must ever thus
• Be treated: I have bound him to the state
• By this firm confidence; I know his valor
• Will now support us: the ambitious still
• Should be distinguished from the traitor; I
• Shall make him virtuous if he is not so
• Already. Courage, as directed, forms
• The mighty hero, or the mighty villain;
• And he who is renowned for guilt alone,
• Had glory fired his breast, to him had been
• The incense poured, to him the temple raised
• For his exalted merit: Catiline’s self,
• By me conducted, had like Scipio shone:
• Though many a Sulla is in Cæsar hid,
• Yet doubt I not but Rome shall find in him
• Her best support.
• [Turning to the chief of the Lictors, who enters armed.
• Well: these conspirators,
• What have they done?

chief lictor.

• My lord, they met the fate
• They merited, but other foes rise up,
• Sprung from their blood; like Ætna’s flames, that burst
• From the parched entrails of the burning mount:
• Another Hannibal, but far more dreadful,
• Because amongst the guilty sons of Rome
• He finds his traitorous friends, is at our gates.
• A hundred voices roar for Catiline,
• Condemn your laws, and curse your tardy senate;
• Demand their ancient rights, and cry aloud
• For vengeance on the consul.

clodius.

• Well indeed
• They may, while Cicero tramples on the laws,
• And spurns his equals thus; perhaps the senate—

cicero.

• Clodius, no more; restrain thy envious tongue,
• Nor rashly blame the guiltless; my short power
• Will soon be wrested from me; whilst it lasts
• It shall not be controlled; you will have time
• Enough to vex and persecute hereafter;
• But whilst the state’s in danger, Cicero claims
• The tribute of respect: I know too well
• This fickle world to hope for constancy
• And candor from it; foul ingratitude
• Is all that I expect; on false surmises
• Great Scipio was accused; he thanked the gods,
• And quitted Rome: I too will pay my vows
• To gracious heaven, but will not leave you; no;
• My days are all devoted to my country,
• And all shall be expended in her service.

cato.

• Suppose I were to show myself in Rome,
• Perhaps my presence might disperse the crowd,
• And be a check on Cæsar, whom I own
• I much suspect: if fortune frowns upon us—

cicero.

• We cannot do without you in the senate;
• I’ve given my orders; Cæsar’s in the field;
• Thy great example may be useful here,
• And Rome’s expiring glory be restored
• By Cato’s virtue—but behold he comes,
• And crowned with victory.
• [Cæsar enters; Cicero embraces him.
• Most noble Cæsar,
• Hast thou preserved the state?—

cæsar.

• I hope so: now
• The consul will believe me—brave Petreius
• Has gained immortal glory: here we fought,
• Beneath this sacred rampart, in the sight
• Of our domestic gods that fired each soul
• With nobler rage: Metellus, and Murena,
• With the brave Scipios showed in Rome’s defence
• The same exalted courage that subdued
• Asia and Carthage; they have merited
• Most nobly of their country: touching Cæsar
• Let others speak: the desperate remains
• Of Sulla’s army seemed to brave their fate,
• And in the agonies of death breathed forth
• Their curses on us: midst the general slaughter,
• The fiery Catiline long undaunted stood,
• Fought through a host of circling foes, till spent
• With ceaseless toil, and covered o’er with wounds,
• Bravely he fell: I must admire the soldier,
• Though I detest the rebel: once I loved him,
• I own it; but let Cicero judge, if ever
• To friendship Cæsar sacrificed his honor.

cicero.

• Cæsar is all that Cicero could desire,
• All that he wished, and all he hoped to find him:
• Go on, brave youth, preserve thy noble spirit,
• And be thy country’s friend; may heaven protect
• And guard thee: never may thy generous soul
• Be stained with vice, nor false ambition urge
• Thy spotless youth to quit the paths of virtue!

End of the Fifth and Last Act.

PANDORA