Econlib

The Library

Other Sites

 Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow ACT II. - The Works of Voltaire, Vol. X The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Zaire, Caesar, The Prodigal, Prefaces) and Part II (The Lisbon Earthquake and Other Poems).

Return to Title Page for The Works of Voltaire, Vol. X The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Zaire, Caesar, The Prodigal, Prefaces) and Part II (The Lisbon Earthquake and Other Poems).

Search this Title:

Also in the Library:

Subject Area: Literature

ACT II. - Voltaire, The Works of Voltaire, Vol. X The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Zaire, Caesar, The Prodigal, Prefaces) and Part II (The Lisbon Earthquake and Other Poems). [1901]

Edition used:

From The Works of Voltaire, A Contemporary Version, (New York: E.R. DuMont, 1901), A Critique and Biography by John Morley, notes by Tobias Smollett, trans. William F. Fleming. Vol. X The Dramatic Works Part 1 (Zaire, Caesar, The Prodigal, Prefaces) and Part II (The Lisbon Earthquake and Other Poems).

Part of: The Works of Voltaire. A Contemporary Version, in 21 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


ACT II.

SCENE I.

brutus, antony, dolabella.

antony.

  • This bitterness of hate, this proud refusal,
  • Breathes less of virtue than of savage fierceness:
  • Cæsar’s indulgence, his high rank and power,
  • At least deserved a milder treatment from you,
  • And more complacency; you might at least
  • Have talked with him: did you but know with whom
  • You are at variance, you would shudder at it—

brutus.

  • I shudder now; but ’tis at hearing thee;
  • Foe to thy country, which thou hast betrayed
  • And sold to Cæsar, thinkest thou to deceive
  • Or to corrupt me? go, and cringe to him,
  • Fawn on your haughty lord. I know your arts,
  • You long to be a slave; you want a king.
  • Yet you are Roman.

antony.

  • Brutus, I’m a friend,
  • And boast a heart that loves humanity:
  • I am contented with this humble virtue:
  • But thou wouldst be a hero, yet art naught
  • But a barbarian; and thy savage pride
  • Grew fond of virtue, but to make us loathe her.

SCENE II.

brutus.

  • [Alone.
  • What baseness, heaven! what ignominious slaves!
  • Behold, my wretched country, your support,
  • Horatius, Decius, and thou great avenger
  • Of sacred laws, Brutus, my kindred blood,
  • Behold your successors; just gods, are these
  • The noble relics of our Roman grandeur?
  • We kiss the hand that binds us to the yoke;
  • Cæsar has ravished even our virtues from us:
  • I look for Rome, but find it now no more.
  • O ye immortal heroes, ye who fell
  • In her defence, whose images now strike
  • My soul with awe, and fill my eyes with tears,
  • The family of Pompey, and thou Cato,
  • Thou last of Scipio’s glorious race, I feel
  • A lively spark of your immortal virtues
  • Rebound from you, and animate my heart:
  • You live in Brutus still, and in his breast
  • Have left the honor of the Roman name
  • The tyrant would have stolen. What do I see,
  • Great Pompey, at thy statue’s foot? a paper.
  • [He takes the paper and reads.
  • Brutus, thou sleepest, and Rome’s in chains.
  • O Rome,
  • My eyes are ever open still for thee;
  • Reproach me not for chains which I abhor.
  • Another paper! No: thou art not Brutus:
  • Cruel reflection! Tyrant Cæsar, tremble,
  • This stroke must end thee: no: thou art not Brutus,
  • I am, I will be Brutus; I will perish,
  • Or set my country free: Rome still, I see,
  • Has virtuous hearts: she calls for an avenger,
  • And has her eyes on Brutus; she awakens
  • My sleeping soul, and shakes my tardy hand:
  • She calls for blood, and shall be satisfied.

SCENE III.

brutus, cassius, cinna, casca, decimus,Attendants

cassius.

  • ’Tis the last time we may embrace, my friends.
  • Buried beneath the ruins of his country,
  • Cassius must fall; Cæsar can ne’er forgive me;
  • He knows our hearts, he knows our resolution;
  • Our souls, untainted by corruption, thwart
  • His purposes; in us he will destroy
  • The last of Romans: yes, my friends, ’tis past;
  • Our laws, our country, and our honor’s lost;
  • Rome is no more; he triumphs over her,
  • And o’er mankind; our thoughtless ancestors
  • But fought for Cæsar, but for Cæsar conquered:
  • The spoils of kings, the sceptre of the world,
  • Six hundred years of virtues, toils, and war,
  • Were spent for Cæsar; he enjoys the fruit
  • Of all our dear-bought victories: O my Brutus,
  • Wert thou, too, born to crouch beneath a master?
  • Our liberty is gone.

brutus.

  • It will revive.

cassius.

  • What sayest thou? hark! did you not hear a shout?

brutus.

  • ’Twas the vile rabble: think not of them, Cassius.

cassius.

  • Didst thou say, liberty—that noise again!

SCENE IV.

brutus, cassius, decimus, cimber.

cassius.

  • Ah! Cimber, is it thou? speak, what hath happened?

decimus.

  • Some new attempt on liberty and Rome?
  • What has thou seen?

cimber.

  • Our shame. When haughty Cæsar
  • Came to the temple, he looked down upon us
  • Even like the thunderer, Capitolian Jove;
  • Then proudly told us of his bold design
  • Of adding Persia to the Roman empire:
  • The people knelt before their idol, called him
  • Rome’s great avenger, conqueror of the world;
  • But Cæsar wanted yet another title
  • To gratify his insolent ambition;
  • When, lo! amidst this scene of adulation,
  • Came Antony, and bustled through the crowd
  • That stood ’twixt him and Cæsar; in his hand
  • A crown and sceptre: when, O shameful act,
  • Disgraceful to a Roman! whilst we stood
  • In silent admiration, unabashed,
  • He placed the crown on Cæsar’s head; then knelt,
  • And cried out, “Cæsar, live and reign o’er us,
  • And o’er the world:” our Romans, as he spake,
  • Turned pale, and with their cries tumultuous wrung
  • The temple’s vaulted roof: some fled with terror,
  • Whilst others blushing stood, and wept their fate.
  • Cæsar, who read resentment in their looks,
  • And indignation but too visible,
  • With well-dissembled modesty, took off
  • The radiant crown, and rolled it at his feet.
  • Instant the scene was changed, and every Roman
  • Welcomed with smiles returning liberty,
  • Ill-founded hopes, and momentary joy!
  • Antony seemed astonished: Cæsar still
  • Blushed and dissembled; and the more he strove
  • To hide his grief, the more was he applauded.
  • By moderation he would veil his crimes,
  • Affects to scorn the crown, and spurn it from him:
  • But, spite of all his efforts to conceal it,
  • Was galled within to hear the people praise him
  • For virtues which he never will possess.
  • No longer able to conceal his rage
  • And disappointment, with contracted brow
  • He left the capitol, and in an hour
  • The senate must attend him: an hour hence
  • Shall Cæsar change the state of Rome: thou knowest,
  • O Brutus! half our senate is corrupted,
  • Have bought their country, and will sell it now
  • To Cæsar: they are far more infamous
  • Even than the people, who at least abhor
  • The name of king: Cæsar, already vested
  • With regal power, yet wishes for the crown;
  • The people have refused him, but the senate
  • Bestow it on him: what remains?

cassius.

  • To die;
  • To end a life of misery and reproach:
  • I’ve dragged it on whilst yet a ray of hope
  • Dawned on my country, but her latest hour
  • Is come, and Cassius never shall survive her.
  • Let others weep for Rome, I can’t avenge
  • My country’s cause, but I can perish with her.
  • I go where all our gods—O Scipio, Pompey,
  • ’Tis time to follow you, and imitate
  • Great Cato.

brutus.

  • No: we’ll not be followers,
  • But bright examples: the world’s eye, my friends,
  • Is fixed on us; be it our part to answer
  • The great expectance of our bleeding country.
  • Had Cato taken my counsel, he had fallen
  • More nobly, and the tyrant’s blood had flowed
  • Mixed with his own: he turned his blameless hand
  • Against himself; but little did his death
  • Avail mankind: Cato did all for glory,
  • And nothing for his country: there, my friends,
  • There only erred the greatest of mankind.

cassius.

  • What can we do in this disastrous crisis?

brutus.

  • [Shows the paper.
  • See what was wrote to me, and learn our duty.

cassius.

  • The same reproach was sent to me.

brutus.

  • It shows
  • We had deserved it.

cimber.

  • Quick, the fatal hour
  • Approaches, when a tyrant shall destroy
  • The Roman name: one hour, and all is gone.

brutus.

  • One hour, and Cæsar—dies.

cassius.

  • Ha! now thou art
  • What Brutus should be.

decimus.

  • Worthy of thy race,
  • The scourge of tyrants; thou hast spoke the thoughts
  • Of my own heart.

cassius.

  • O Brutus, thou revivest me;
  • ’Twas what my sorrows, what my rage expected
  • From thy exalted virtue; Rome inspires
  • The great design; thy voice alone decrees
  • The death of tyrants: O my dearest Brutus,
  • Let us blot out this infamous reproach
  • On all mankind, and whilst Jove’s thunder sleeps,
  • Avenge the capitol. What say ye, Romans,
  • Have ye the same unconquerable heart,
  • The same desires?

cimber.

  • Cassius, we think with you,
  • Despise the thought of life, abhor the tyrant;
  • We love our country, and we will avenge her,
  • If there’s a spark of Roman virtue left,
  • Brutus and Cassius will revive it.

decimus.

  • Born
  • The guardians of the state, the great avengers
  • Of every crime, too long the oppressive hand
  • Of power hath galled us, and ’twere added guilt
  • To spare the tyrant, or suspend the blow:
  • Say, whom shall we admit to share this honor?

brutus.

  • We are ourselves enough to save our country.
  • Emilius, Dolabella, Lepidus
  • And Bibulus, are all the slaves of Cæsar.
  • Cicero may serve us with his eloquence,
  • And that alone; he can harangue the senate,
  • But is too timid in the hour of danger:
  • He’ll talk for Rome, but is not fit to avenge her:
  • We’ll leave the orator who charms his country
  • The task of praising us when we have saved it.
  • With you alone, my friends, will I partake
  • This glorious danger, this immortal honor:
  • The senate are to meet him an hour hence,
  • There I’ll surprise, destroy him there: this sword,
  • Deep in his bosom buried, shall avenge
  • Cato, and Pompey, and the Roman people:
  • I know the attempt is perilous and bold:
  • His watchful guards are placed on every side:
  • The changeful people, fluttering and inconstant,
  • Are doubtful whether they should love or hate him.
  • Death seems, my friends, to be our certain fate:
  • But O how glorious such a death will be!
  • How much to be desired! how noble is it
  • To fall in such a cause, to see our blood
  • Flow with the blood of tyrants; with what pleasure
  • Shall we behold this last illustrious hour!
  • Yes, let us die, my friends, but die with Cæsar;
  • And may that liberty his crimes oppress
  • Rise from his ashes, and forever flourish!

cassius.

  • Debate not then, but to the capitol
  • Let us away; there he has injured us,
  • And there ’tis fit he should be sacrificed:
  • Fear not the people, though they are doubtful now,
  • Whene’er the idol falls, they will detest him.

brutus.

  • Swear then with me upon this sword; all swear
  • By Cato’s blood, by Pompey’s, by the shades
  • Of those brave Romans who in Afric’s plains
  • Fell glorious; swear by all the avenging gods
  • Of Rome, that Cæsar by your hands shall die.

cassius.

  • Let us do more, my friends; here let us swear
  • To root out all who, like himself, shall strive
  • To govern here: sons, brothers, fathers, all,
  • If they are tyrants, Brutus, are our foes:
  • A true republican has neither son,
  • Father, nor brother, but the commonweal,
  • His gods, the laws, his virtue, and his country.

brutus.

  • Forever let me join my blood with yours;
  • All linked together in one sacred knot,
  • The adopted sons of Liberty and Rome,
  • We’ll seal our union with the tyrant’s blood.
  • [Advancing towards the statue of Pompey.
  • By you, illustrious heroes, who excite
  • Our duty and inspire the great design,
  • O Pompey, at thy sacred knees, we swear,
  • Naught for ourselves we do, but all for Rome,
  • We swear to be united for our country;
  • We swear to live, to fight, and die together.
  • Let us be gone: away: we’ve staid too long.

SCENE V.

cæsar, brutus.

cÆsar.

  • Stop, Brutus, I must talk with thee; attend:
  • Where wouldst thou fly?

brutus.

  • From tyranny, and thee.

cÆsar.

  • Lictors, detain him.

brutus.

  • Thou wouldst have my life,
  • Take it.

cÆsar.

  • No: Brutus, had I wanted that,
  • Thou knowest, I could command it with a word,
  • And thou hast merited no better fate:
  • It is the pride of thy ungrateful heart
  • Still to offend me; and I find thee here
  • Amongst those Romans whose dark perfidy
  • I most suspect, with those who proudly dared
  • To blame my conduct, and defy my power.

brutus.

  • They talked like Romans, gave thee noble counsel:
  • Hadst thou been wise, thou wouldst have followed it.

cÆsar.

  • Yet I’ll be calm, and bear thy insolence,
  • Will stoop beneath myself, and talk to thee.
  • What layest thou to my charge?

brutus.

  • A ravaged world,
  • The blood of nations, and thy plundered country;
  • Thy power, thy specious virtues that gild o’er
  • Thy crimes, thy fatal clemency, that makes
  • Thy chains so easy, a destructive charm
  • To soothe thy captives, and deceive mankind.

cÆsar.

  • Reproach like this had suited Pompey well;
  • He whose dissembled virtues have betrayed thee,
  • That haughty citizen, more fatal far,
  • Would not admit even Cæsar as his equal.
  • Thinkest thou, if he had conquered, his proud soul
  • Had left secure the liberty of Rome?
  • He would have ruled you with a rod of iron,
  • What then had Brutus done?

brutus.

  • He would have slain him.

cÆsar.

  • Is that the fate which Cæsar must expect
  • From thee? thou answerest not. O Brutus, Brutus,
  • Thou livest but for my ruin.

brutus.

  • If thou thinkest so,
  • Prevent my fury. What withholds thee?

cÆsar.

  • [Giving him the letter from Servilia.
  • Nature,
  • And my own heart: read there, ungrateful, read
  • And know whose blood thou hast opposed to mine;
  • See whom thou hatest, and if thou darest, go on.

brutus.

  • [Reading.
  • What have I read? where am I? do my eyes
  • Deceive me?

cÆsar.

  • Now, my son, my Brutus.

brutus.

  • Cæsar
  • My father, gracious gods!

cÆsar.

  • Ungrateful, yes,
  • I am thy father: whence this deadly silence?
  • Why sobbest thou thus, my son? Why do I hold thee
  • Thus in my arms mute and insensible?
  • Nature alarms, but cannot soften thee.

brutus.

  • O dreadful fate! it drives me to despair:
  • My oaths! my country! Rome forever dear!
  • Cæsar—alas! I’ve lived too long.

cÆsar.

  • O speak,
  • I see thy heart is laboring with remorse
  • And anguish: O hide nothing from me: still
  • Thou art silent: does the sacred name of son
  • Offend thee, Brutus? art thou fearful of it?
  • Fearest thou to love me, to partake my fortunes?
  • Is Cæsar’s blood so hateful to thee! Oh,
  • This sceptre of the world, this power supreme,
  • For thee alone, that Cæsar, whom thou hatest,
  • Desired them: with Octavius and thyself
  • I wished but to divide the rich reward
  • Of all my labors, and the name of king.

brutus.

  • O gods!

cÆsar.

  • Thou canst not speak: these transports, Brutus,
  • Spring they from hatred, or from tenderness?
  • What secret weight hangs heavy on thy soul?

brutus.

  • Cæsar—

cÆsar.

  • Well, what?

brutus.

  • I cannot speak to him.

cÆsar.

  • Thou seemest as if thou durst not call me father.

brutus.

  • O if thou art my father, grant me this,
  • This only boon.

cÆsar.

  • Ask it: to give it thee
  • Will make me happy.

brutus.

  • Kill me then this moment,
  • Or wish no more to be a king.

cÆsar.

  • Away!
  • Barbarian, hence! unworthy of my love,
  • Unworthy of thy race, thou art no more
  • My son: go, henceforth I disclaim thee;
  • My heart shall take example from thy own,
  • And stifle nature’s voice; shall learn of thee
  • To be inhuman: hence, I know thee not.
  • Think not I mean again to supplicate,
  • No, thou shalt see I’ve power to crush you all:
  • I will no longer listen to the pleas
  • Of mercy, but obey the laws of justice;
  • My easy heart is weary of forgiveness:
  • I’ll act like Sulla now, like him be cruel,
  • And make you tremble at my vengeance: go,
  • Find out your vile seditious friends, they all
  • Insulted me, and all shall suffer for it:
  • They know what Cæsar can do, and shall find
  • What Cæsar dare: if I am barbarous,
  • Remember, thou alone hast made me so.

brutus.

  • I must not leave him to his cruel purpose,
  • But save, if possible, my friends, and Cæsar.

End of the Second Act.