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My name pronounc'd. [Both, c.] Was it by thee, Virginia ?
Thou dost not answer? Then it was by thee-

O! would'st thou tell me why thou nam'dst Icilius!
Virginia. My father is incens'd with thee. Dentatus

Has told him of the new Decemvirate,

How they abuse their office. You, he knows,

Have favoured their election, and he fears
May have some understanding of their plans.
Icil. He wrongs me then!

Virginia. I thank the gods!
Icil. For me!

Virginia? Do you thank the gods for me?
Your eye is moist-yet that may be for pity;
Your hand doth tremble-that may be for fear;
Your cheek is cover'd o'er with blushes! What,
O what can that be for?

Virginia. Icilius, leave me!

Icil. Leave thee, Virginia ? O! a word-a word
Trembles upon my tongue, which, if it match

The thought that moves thee, now, and thou wilt let me
Pronounce that word, to speak that thought for thee,
I'll breathe-though I expire in the extacy

Of uttering it.

Virginia. Icilius, will you leave me ? Icil. Love! Love! Virginia! Love! Thy thought aright, ne'er be it said again,

If I have spoke

The heart requires more service than the tongue
Can, at its best, perform. My tongue.hath serv'd
Two hearts-but, lest it should o'erboast itself,
Two hearts with but one thought. Virginia!

Virginia, speak [Virginia covers her face with her hands.
O, I have lov'd thee long:

So much the more extatic my delight.

To find thee mine at length.

Virginia. My secret's yours.

Keep it, and honour it, Icilius.

Enter VIRGINIUS and DENTATUS behind, M. D.

Vir. Icilius here!

Virginia. I ask thee now to leave me.

Icil. Leave thee! who leaves a treasure he has coveted So long, and found so newly, ere he scans it Again, and o'er again; and asks and answers, Repeats and answers, answers and repeats, The half-mistrustful, half-assured question

And is it mine indeed ?

Virginia. Indeed! indeed!

Now leave me.

Icil. I must see thy father first, And lay my soul before him. Virginia. Not to-night.

Icil. Now worse than ever, dear Virginia! Can I endure his doubts; I'll lay my soul Naked before him-win his friendship quite, Or lose myself for ever!

Vir. (R. C.) Stop, Icilius!

[Going, is met by Virginius

Thou seest that hand? It is a Roman's, boy;
'Tis sworn to liberty-It is the friend

Of honour.-Dost thou think so?
Icil. (R. c.) Do I think
Virginius owns that hand?

Vir. (R.) Then you'll believe
It has an oath deadly to tyranny,

And is the foe of falsehood! By the gods,
Knew it the lurking place of treason, though
It were a brother's heart, 'twould drag the caitiff
Forth. Dar'st thou take that hand?

Icil. I dare, Virginius.

Vir. Then take it! Is it weak in thy embrace?
Returns it not thy gripe? Thou wilt not hold .
Faster by it, than it will hold by thee!

I overheard thee say, thou wast resolv'd
To win my friendship quite. Thou canst not win
What thou hast won already!-You will stay
And sup with us to night?

Den. To be sure, he will!
Vir. And hark you, sir,

At your convenient time, appoint a day

Your friends and kinsmen may confer with me-
There is a bargain I would strike with you.
Come, to the supper-room. [Pausing, R.-
L. Icil. c.] Do you wait for me

To lead Virginia in, or will you do it?

– Virginia stands

[Icilius goes eagerly to Virginia, and exit with he, R, Come on, I say; come on. Your hand, Dentatus.

[Exeunt, H.

END OF ACT I

ACT II

SCENE I.-A Street.

Enter PUBLIUS, R. and SEXtus, L.

Pub. This way! We muster at the Flaminian gate.
Sext. Shall we not wait for Decius ?

Pub. No; were he ten times Decius. They'll have already begun their march. Come on.

Enter NUMITORIUS.

Num. Do you belong to the fourth legion?

Pub. We do.

Num. They are upon their march, then.

Pub. I told you so.

Come on! come on!

[Exeunt Soldiers.

Enter LUCIUS.

Luc. Numitorius, what soldiers were those that just now parted from you?

Num. Soldiers hasteuing to overtake the army, that's now upon it's march.

Luc. 'Tis all confirmed then; the Sabines are in force upon our borders.

Num. I pray you tell me something new! Know you not the senate has met, and the Decemvirs have come off triumphant, in spite of all opposition ?

Luc. Should they have been opposed in such a strait as this?

Num. Aye, should they. They dared not have armed a single citizen without the order of the Senate; which, had they not obtained, the country would have been left naked to the foe, and then they had been forced to make room for more popular magistrates.

Caius

Luc. Why were they not opposed then? Num. Did not I tell you they were opposed. Claudius, Appius's own uncle, and Honorius, that noble senator, opposed them: and it was like to go against them, but for the brawling insolence of Spurius Oppius, and the effrontery of the head Decemvir, backed by the young Patricians.

Luc. So they are empowered to take up arms?

Num. To be sure they are; and they have done so.

One body has already marched, and by this time, no doubt, has come to blows with the enemy. The levy is still proceeding. All the Decemvirs, but Appius, take the field. He remains in Rome to keep good order, that is the violater of all order. Why, where have you been, Lucius, to have felt no movement of so great and wide a stir? Your brother meets Virginius at his house to-day. Come with me thither; for you, I know, are bid. Lucius, there's no huzzaing for your Decemvirs now!Come on, we have outstaid the hour. [Exeunt, L.

SCENE II.-Virginius's House.

Enter VIRGINIUS, ICILIUS, NUMITORIUS, LUCIUS, und others, L.

Vir. (c.) Welcome, Icilius! Welcome, friends! Icilius, I did design to speak with you of feasting And merriment, but war is now the word; One that unlovingly keeps time with mirth, Unless war's own-whene'er the battle's won, And safe carousing comrades drink to victory! Icil. Virginius! have you changed your mind? Vir. My mind?

What mind?

How now! Are you that boy, Icilius ! You set your heart so earnestly upon

A dish of poor confections, that to balk you

Makes you look blank! I did design to feast you
Together with your friends-The times are changed-
The march, the tent, the fight, becomes us now!
Icil. (L. C.) Virginius!

Vir. Well?

Icil. Virginius!

Vir. How the boy Reiterates my name.

Icil. There's not a hope

I have, but is the client of Virginius.

Vir (c.) Well, well! I only meant to put it off; We'll have the revel yet! the board shall smoke!

The cup shall sparkle, and the jest shall soar

And mock us from the roof! Will that content you?
Not till the war be done tho'-Yet, ere then,

Some tongue, that now needs only wag, to make
The table ring, may have a tale to tell

So petrifying, that it cannot utter it!

I'll make all sure, that you may be my guest

At any rate-altho' you should be forced
To play the host for me and feast yourself.
Look here,

[Shows a parchment to Icilius.

How think you? Will it meet the charge?
Will it not do? We want a witness tho' !
I'll bring one; whom if you approve, I'll sign
The bond. I'll wait upon you instantly.

Luc. (L.) How feel you now, Icilius?
Icil. (c.) Like a man

Whom the next moment makes, or quite unmakes.
With the intensity of exquisite

Suspense, my breathing thickens, and my heart

Beats heavily, and with remittant throb,

As like to lose its action-See! my hope
Is bless'd! I live! I live!

[Exit, R.

[Stands, L.

Enter VIRGINIUS, R. conducting VIRGINIA, with

NUMITORIUS.

Vir. (R.) [Holding his daughter's hand] You are my

witnesses,

That this young creature I present to you,

I do pronounce-my profitably cherish'd
And most deservedly beloved child;
My daughter, truly filial-both in word
And act-yet even more in act than word.
And for the man who seeks to win her love-
A virgin, from whose lips a soul as pure
Exhales, as e'er responded to the blessing
Breath'd in a parent's kiss. [Kissing her.] Icilius !

Since

[[cilius rushes towards Virginius and kneels,

You are upon your knees, young man, look up;
And lift your hands to heaven-You will be all
Her father has been-added unto all

A lover would be!

Icil. All that man should be

To woman, I will be to her!

L'ir. The oath

Is registered! [Icilius rises.] Didst thou but know, [Takes a hand of each.] young man,

How fondly I have watch'd her, since the day
Her mother died, and left me to a charge
Of double duty bound-how she hath been
My ponder'd thought by day, my dream by night,
My prayer, my vow, "my offering, my praise,"

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