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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) SCENE IV — - Cato: A Tragedy and Selected Essays
SCENE IV — - Joseph Addison, Cato: A Tragedy and Selected Essays [1710]Edition used:Cato: A Tragedy and Selected Essays, ed. by Christine Dunn Henderson and Mark E. Yellin, with a Foreword by Forrest McDonald (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2004).
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- Foreword
- Introduction
- The Life of Joseph Addison
- Addison the Essayist
- Cato, a Tragedy
- Editors’ Note
- Acknowledgments
- Cato: a Tragedy
- Prologue By Mr. Pope 2
- Dramatis Personae
- Act I —
- Scene I
- Scene Ii
- Scene Iii
- Scene Iv
- Scene V
- Scene Vi
- Act Ii —
- Scene I
- Scene Ii
- Scene Iii
- Scene Iv
- Scene V
- Scene Vi
- Act Iii —
- Scene I
- Scene Ii
- Scene Iii
- Scene Iv
- Scene V
- Scene Vi
- Scene Vii
- Act Iv —
- Scene I
- Scene Ii
- Scene Iii
- Scene Iv —
- Act V —
- Scene I
- Scene Ii
- Scene Iii
- Scene Iv
- Epilogue By Dr. Garth. 1
- Selected Essays
- Tatler, No. 161
- Tatler, No. 162
- Whig Examiner, No. 5
- Spectator, No. 55
- Spectator, No. 125
- Spectator, No. 169
- Spectator, No. 215
- Spectator, No. 219
- Spectator, No. 231
- Spectator, No. 237
- Spectator, No. 243
- Spectator, No. 255
- Spectator, No. 256
- Spectator, No. 257
- Spectator, No. 287
- Spectator, No. 293
- Spectator, No. 349
- Spectator, No. 446
- Spectator, No. 557
- Guardian, No. 99
- Guardian, No. 161
- Freeholder, No. 1
- Freeholder, No. 2
- Freeholder, No. 5
- Freeholder, No. 10
- Freeholder, No. 12
- Freeholder, No. 13 1
- Freeholder, No. 16
- Freeholder, No. 29
- Freeholder, No. 34
- Freeholder, No. 39
- Freeholder, No. 51
- The Life and Character of M. Cato of Utica [ ]
SCENE IV —
—A march at a distance.
Cato, Lucius.
Lucius- I stand astonisht! what, the bold Sempronius!
- That still broke foremost through the crowd of patriots,
- As with a hurricane of zeal transported,
- And virtuous even to madness—
Cato- Trust me, Lucius,
- Our civil discords have produced such crimes,
- Such monstrous crimes, I am surprised at nothing.
- —O Lucius! I am sick of this bad world!
- The day-light and the sun grow painful to me.
Enter Portius. - But see where Portius comes! What means this haste?
- Why are thy looks thus changed?
Portius- I bring such news as will afflict my father.
Cato- Has Caesar shed more Roman blood?
Portius- Not so.
- The traitor Syphax, as within the square
- He exercised his troops, the signal given,
- Flew off at once with his Numidian horse
- To the south gate, where Marcus holds the watch.
- I saw, and called to stop him, but in vain,
- He tossed his arm aloft, and proudly told me,
- He would not stay and perish like Sempronius.
Cato- Perfidious men! but haste, my son, and see
- Thy brother Marcus acts a Roman’s part. [Exit Portia.]
- —Lucius, the torrent bears too hard upon me:
- Justice gives way to force: the conquered world
- Is Caesar’s: Cato has no business in it.
Lucius- While pride, oppression, and injustice reign,
- The world will still demand her Cato’s presence.
- In pity to mankind, submit to Caesar,
- And reconcile thy mighty soul to life.
Cato- Would Lucius have me live to swell the number
- Of Caesar’s slaves, or by a base submission
- Give up the cause of Rome, and own a tyrant?
Lucius- The victor never will impose on Cato
- Ungenerous terms. His enemies confess
- The virtues of humanity are Caesar’s.
Cato- Curse on his virtues! they’ve undone his country.
- Such popular humanity is treason—
- But see young Juba! the good youth appears
- Full of the guilt of his perfidious subjects.
Lucius- Alas! poor prince! his fate deserves compassion.
Cato
Juba
Cato- And a brave one too.
- Thou hast a Roman soul.
Juba- Hast thou not heard
- Of my false countrymen?
Cato- Alas! young prince,
- Falsehood and fraud shoot up in every soil,
- The product of all climes—Rome has its Caesars.
Juba- ’Tis generous thus to comfort the distrest.
Cato- ’Tis just to give applause where ’tis deserved;
- Thy virtue, prince, has stood the test of fortune,
- Like purest gold, that, tortured in the furnace,
- Comes out more bright, and brings forth all its weight.
Juba- What shall I answer thee? my ravished heart
- O’erflows with secret joy: I’d rather gain
- Thy praise, O Cato! than Numidia’s empire.
Cato- Hah! what has he done?
- Has he forsook his post? has he given way?
- Did he look tamely on, and let ’em pass?"
Portius- Scarce had I left my father, but I met him
- Borne on the shields of his surviving soldiers,
- Breathless and pale, and covered o’er with wounds.
- Long, at the head of his few faithful friends,
- He stood the shock of a whole host of foes.
- Till, obstinately brave, and bent on death,
- Opprest with multitudes, he greatly fell.
Cato
Portius- Nor did he fall before
- His sword had pierced through the false heart of Syphax.
- Yonder he lies. I saw the hoary traitor
- Grin in the pangs of death, and bite the ground.
Cato- Thanks to the gods! my boy has done his duty.
- —Portius, when I am dead, be sure thou place
- His urn near mine.
Portius- Long may they keep asunder.
Lucius
- O Cato! arm thy soul with all its patience;
- See where the corpse of thy dead son approaches!
- The citizens and senators, alarmed,
- Have gathered round it, and attend it weeping.
Cato, meeting the corpse. - Welcome, my son! here lay him down, my friends,
- Full in my sight, that I may view at leisure
- The bloody corse, and count those glorious wounds.
- —How beautiful is death, when earned by virtue!
- Who would not be that youth? what pity is it
- That we can die but once to serve our country!
- —Why sits this sadness on your brows, my friends?
- I should have blushed if Cato’s house had stood
- Secure, and flourished in a civil war.
- —Portius, behold thy brother, and remember
- Thy life is not thy own, when Rome demands it.
Juba- Was ever man like this! [Aside.]
Cato- Alas! my friends!
- Why mourn you thus? let not a private loss
- Afflict your hearts. ’Tis Rome requires our tears,
- The mistress of the world, the seat of empire,
- The nurse of heroes, the delight of gods,
- That humbled the proud tyrants of the earth,
- And set the nations free, Rome is no more.
- Oh liberty! Oh virtue! Oh my country!
Juba- Behold that upright man! Rome fills his eyes
- With tears, that flowed not o’er his own dead son. [Aside.]
Cato- Whate’er the Roman virtue has subdued,
- The sun’s whole course, the day and year, are Caesar’s.
- For him the self-devoted Decii died,
- The Fabii fell, and the great Scipios conquered;
- Ev’n Pompey fought for Caesar. Oh! my friends!
- How is the toil of fate, the work of ages,
- The Roman empire fall’n! Oh curst ambition!
- Fall’n into Caesar’s hands! Our great forefathers
- Had left him nought to conquer but his country.
Juba- While Cato lives, Caesar will blush to see
- Mankind enslaved, and be ashamed of empire.
Cato- Caesar ashamed! has not he seen Pharsalia?
Lucius- Cato, ’tis time thou save thyself and us.
Cato- Lose not a thought on me, I’m out of danger.
- Heaven will not leave me in the victor’s hand.
- Caesar shall never say, I conquered Cato.
- But, oh! my friends, your safety fills my heart
- With anxious thoughts: a thousand secret terrors
- Rise in my soul: how shall I save my friends!
- ’Tis now, O Caesar, I begin to fear thee.
Lucius- Caesar has mercy, if we ask it of him.
Cato- Then ask it, I conjure you! let him know
- Whate’er was done against him, Cato did it.
- Add, if you please, that I request it of him,
- The virtue of my friends may pass unpunished.
- —Juba, my heart is troubled for thy sake.
- Should I advise thee to regain Numidia,
- Or seek the conqueror?—
Juba- Whilst I have life, may heaven abandon Juba!
Cato- Thy virtues, prince, if I foresee aright,
- Will one day make thee great; at Rome, hereafter,
- ’Twill be no crime to have been Cato’s friend.
- Portius, draw near! my son, thou oft hast seen
- Thy sire engaged in a corrupted state,
- Wrestling with vice and faction: now thou seest me
- Spent, overpowered, despairing of success:
- Let me advise thee to retreat betimes
- To thy paternal seat, the Sabine field,
- Where the great Censor toiled with his own hands,
- And all our frugal ancestors were blest
- In humble virtues, and a rural life.
- There live retired, pray for the peace of Rome:
- Content thyself to be obscurely good.
- When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway,
- The post of honour is a private station. "
Portius- I hope my father does not recommend
- A life to Portius that he scorns himself.
Cato- Farewell, my friends! if there be any of you
- Who dare not trust the victor’s clemency,
- Know, there are ships prepared by my command,
- (Their sails already opening to the winds,)
- That shall convey you to the wished-for port.
- Is there aught else, my friends, I can do for you?
- The conqueror draws near. Once more farewell!
- If e’er we meet hereafter, we shall meet
- In happier climes, and on a safer shore,
- Where Caesar never shall approach us more.
- [Pointing to his dead son.]
- There the brave youth, with love of virtue fired,
- Who greatly in his country’s cause expired,
- Shall know he conquered. The firm patriot there,
- (Who made the welfare of mankind his care,)
- Though still, by faction, vice, and fortune crost,
- Shall find the generous labour was not lost.
ACT V —
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