Happy Ides of March!

[montagnarde1793]

Have some more Brutus and Cassius.

SCENE IV.

BRUTUS, CASSIUS.

BRUTUS.
And such however is
The execrable ascendancy of our divisions!
Amid dignities the only knowledge
Is the oppressed Romans’ vile insouciance.
Crime is wakened, courage asleep,
And the most virtuous are only so by half.
You see the tears flow from my eyes, Cassius.
Ah! I can at least confide my alarm to you.
Rome needs us, and despite her many warriors,
Today she has us alone for support.
Our defeat, friend, would be quite fatal to her.
If some drop of free and pure blood remains to her,
A prudent leader is needed to dare to aid it;
And Cato’s son will know only how to die.
Messala, though cleverer, has less confidence:
He secretly accuses our plans of imprudence,
All ready to submit to necessity,
But serving liberty until the last day.
Believe me, we can hope nothing of these tranquil virtues,
Too weak to shine in difficult times.
All will soon wither beneath the yoke of peace.
No one wants to bear the burden of the public good:
O mistress of the world! O my dear country!

CASSIUS.
My eyes will not behold that impious future.
And now, dear Brutus, if I’ve understood you rightly,
The plan inspiring me has been occupying your thoughts.

BRUTUS.
What!

CASSIUS.
Should liberty forever be extinguished,
We are all Romans, we have nothing to fear,
You were saying.

BRUTUS.
If Cato cleared the way for us.
Let us learn to die from the greatest of men.
Still young, in days of daring and hope,
I embraced the vengeance of the subjugated Romans;
And, occupied wholly by my great design,
I dared to blame Cato: time has undeceived me.
While he awaits eternal hatred from the Heavens,
Man is not guilty in shaking his chain.
A virtuous mortal, oppressed by fate,
May seek rest in death’s bosom.
He does no outrage to the Gods, authors of the soul,
For he does not destroy their immortal work.

CASSIUS.
They’re coming.

SCENE V.

BRUTUS, CASSIUS, PORCIUS-CATO, MESSALA, STATILIUS, ROMANS.

BRUTUS.
Son of Cato, Albinus, Statilius,
Labeo, Messala, Strato, Lucilius,
You to whom your country, to whom the laws, are dear,
You whose virtue, still worthy of our fathers,
Revives the expiring debris of the State;
Our eyes have just behind a friend of the tyrants.
Agrippa flattered himself that he spoke to traitors:
We were left the choice of groveling before three masters,
Or daring to share the Universe with them:
We have rejected power and irons.
Do you not blame us?

PORCIUS.
We all want to follow you:
We want to act, think, and live like you.

CASSIUS.
Thus, the State having been changed, you no longer expect anything?

STATILIUS.
I so swear to you.

CASSIUS.
Well then,
Preserve those respectable oaths in your hearts,
And let us march. The tyrants are no longer formidable.
Fears are for them, for them all the danger:
Glory is for us alone.

STATILIUS.
And who could think
To survive public ruin by one moment,
To serve, to grovel beneath tyrannical laws?

PORCIUS.
Ah! All must imitate Brutus’s example.

STATILIUS.
Doubtless: and, if I love our leaders’ virtues,
If I want to, if I must respect their prudence,
I am but a soldier, I have hope in my valor:
We must vanquish or die; that is the law of great hearts;
It is yours, Romans; we will return victorious.

BRUTUS.
Your ardor is illustrious and suits your age:
I like an ebullient courage in young warriors.
No more do I see unsure spirits among us:
Heaven will pronounce; Rome is entirely in our hands.
(Brutus and all the Romans dray their swords.)
You, whose majesty was not enslaved,
You, whose demise makes life eternal,
You, warriors, whose generous remains
Africa displays with respect in her awful deserts;
Warriors worthy of envy; and you august proscribed,
You, truly great mortals, free and just heroes,
Demigods of the Romans; ashes of Cicero,
Manes of the great Pompey and the divine Cato;
All you whose reverses, consecrated to glory,
Eclipsed the usurper’s victory,
Oh! If, from your glorious and radiant Olympus,
Retreat where virtue rests among the Gods,
Oh! If you preside over human actions,
If your sacred gazes descend to these plains,
Supports of the Roman name which is no more respected,
If you still love sacred liberty,
We bear arms both for you and for her;
See which defenders remain in her quarrel;
See your companions, your friends, your children;
Guide them into battle, render them triumphant;
Or else, if Jupiter orders otherwise,
At least let none of us abandon himself to the tyrants;
And since, it is such a fine destiny to die free,
Let these fields be the tomb of all the Romans!

In other news, I may be going to Arras this Saturday to discuss plans for the new museum which will hopefully be put together in Robespierre's house there, (and for which you should all sign the petition). I don't have any ideas in particular and I don't know anyone there, but I figure I should go... Hopefully it won't end too badly. >.>;

Comments

[francoisejeanne.livejournal.com]

Oh, I wish I could go to Arras too :( I believe only French citizens can sign the petition, right?

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

Actually, anyone can sign the petition. Most of the signataries are French, naturally, but we have people from all over the world. I'm certainly not a French citizen (yet!) and they let me sign it.