Till heav'n fhall crown our arms with victory,
And make them fubjects; then, Publicola,
As fuch we'll ufe them: mean time, Aruns comes,
Doubtless to mark the ftate of Rome, to count
Her treasures, and obferve her growing pow'r,
And therefore wou'd I have him be admitted;
Wou'd have him know us fully: a king's flave
Shall look on men; the novelty may please him :
Let him at leifure caft his eyes o'er Rome,
Let him behold her in your patriot breasts,
You are her beft defence; let him revere
The God who calls us hither; let him fee
The fenate, hear and tremble.
VALERIUS PUBLICOLA.
[The fenators rife and come forward to give their votes.
The gen'ral voice is yours: Rome and her Brutus
Must be obey'd: for me, I difapprove it :
Lictors, attend, and introduce him to us:
Never may Rome repent of this!
Our eyes are fix'd; on Brutus, who firft broke
Our chains; let freedom ufe a father's voice,
And fpeak by thee.
THE SENATE, ARUNS, ALBINUS, ATTENDANTS. [Aruns enters, preceeded by two lictors, with Albinus, his friend; he paffes by the confuls and fenate, falutes them, and fits down on a seat prepar'd for him towards the front of the flage.
This great affembly, Rome's illuftrious senate,
And her fage confuls, fam'd for truth and justice,
Which ne'er till now fuffer'd reproach or blame :
I know your deeds, and I admire your virtues ;
Unlike the wild licentious multitude,
The vulgar croud,, whom party rage or joins:
Or difunites, who love and hate by turns,
They know not why, taught in one changeful hour
To boast or beg, to rail or to obey ;,
Stop, and learn with more refpect.
To treat the citizens of Rome; for know,
It is the fenate's glory and her praise
To represent that brave and virtuous people
Whom thou haft thus reviled: for ourselves,,
Let us not hear the voice of flattery;
It is the poison of Etrurian courts,
But ne'er has tainted yet a Roman senate.
On with thy Meffage.
Little doth the pride
Of Rome affect me; but I own I feel
For her misfortunes, and wou'd plead her caufe
With filial love you fee the gath'ring storm
Hangs o'er your heads, and threatens fure deftruction:
In vain hath Titus ftrove to fave his country;
With pity I behold that noble youth,
Whofe ardent courage labours to fupport
Expiring Rome, and make her fall more glorious :
His vict'ries cost you dear; they thin your ramparts,
And weaken your small force: no longer then
Refuse a peace fo needful to your fafety.
The fenate bears a father's love to Rome,
So does Porfenna to the hapless kings
Whom you oppress: but tell me, you who judge
Depending monarchs, you who thus determine
The rights of all mankind, was it not here,
Ev'n at these altars, at this capitol,
You call'd the gods to witnefs your allegiance,
And bound your faith to your acknowledg'd king,
To Tarquin? Say, what pow'r has broke the tie? Who fnatch'd the diadem from Tarquin's head? Who can acquit you of your oaths?
Talk not of ties diffolv'd by guilt, of gods
Whom he renounc'd, or rights which he has loft;
We paid him homage, bound ourselves by oath,
Oaths of obedience, not of flavery:
But fince thou bid'st us call to our remembrance,
The fenate making vows for Tarquin's health,
And kneeling at his feet, remember thou,
That on this facred spot, this altar here,
Before the fame attefting gods, that Tarquin
Swore to be juft; fuch was the mutual bond
Of prince and people, and he gave us back
The oath we made, when he forgot his own:
Since to Rome's laws no more he pays obedience,
Rome is no longer fubject to his pow'r,
And Tarquin is the rebel, not his people.
But, grant it true, that pow'r unlimited,
And abfolute dominion, had mifled
Th' unhappy monarch from the paths of duty,
Is there a man from human error free ?
Is there a king without fome human weakness ?
Or if there were, have you a right to punish,
You, who were born his fubjects; you, whose duty
Is to obey? The fon doth never arm
Against the fire, but with averted eyes
Laments his errors, and reveres him still:
And not lefs facred are the rights of kings;
They are our fathers, and the gods alone
Their judges if in anger heav'n fometimes.
Doth fend them down, why wou'd you therefore call
For heavier chains, and judgments more fevere ?
Why violate the laws you wou'd defend,
And only change your empire to destroy it?
Taught by misfortune, beft of monitors,
Tarquin henceforth, more worthy of his throne,
Will be more wife and juft; the legal bonds.
Of king and people now may be confirm'd
By happiest union; public liberty
Shall flourish then beneath the awful shade:
Of regal pow'r.
Aruns, 'tis now too late :
Each nation has its laws, by nature giv'n,
Or chang'd by choice: Etruria, born to ferve,,
Hath ever been the flave of kings or pricfts;
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