COEPARIUS. Never was Catiline faithless or afraid!
LENTULUS. And yet he leaves us now.
STATILIUS. Our hopes go with him.
Where"s now the man to take the leadership?
COEPARIUS. He"ll not be found; our plan we must forego.
LENTULUS. Not yet, not yet, my friends! First you shall hear What I will say. Now what have we resolved?
That we should win at last by force of arms What an unrighteous destiny denied.
Tyrants oppress us;--yet we wish to rule.
We suffer want;--yet wealth is our desire.
MANY VOICES. Yes, wealth and power! Wealth and power we want!
LENTULUS. Yes, yes; we chose a comrade as our chief, On whom there was no doubt we could rely.
Our trust he fails and turns his back to danger.
Ah, brothers,--be not daunted. He shall learn We can succeed without him. What we need Is some one man, fearless and resolute, To take the lead--
SOME. Well, name us such a man!
LENTULUS. And should I name him, and should he comeforth,-- Will you then straightway choose him as your leader?
SOME. Yes, we will choose him!
OTHERS. Yes, we will, we will!
STATILIUS. Then name him, friend!
LENTULUS. Suppose it were myself?
GABINIUS. Yourself?
COEPARIUS. You, Lentulus--!
SEVERAL. [In doubt.] You wish to lead us?
LENTULUS. I do.
CETHEGUS. But can you? Such a task requires The strength and courage of a Catiline.
LENTULUS. I do not lack the courage, nor the strength.
Each to his task! Or will you now turn back, Now when the moment seems most opportune?
"Tis now or never! All things prophesy Success for us--
STATILIUS. Good;--we will follow you!
OTHERS. We"ll follow you!
GABINIUS. Well, now that Catiline Forsakes our cause, you are no doubt the man To lead us in our enterprise.
LENTULUS. Then hear What plan of action I have outlined. First--
[CATILINE enters hastily.]
CATILINE. Here, comrades, here I am!
ALL. Catiline!
LENTULUS. He?
Oh, d.a.m.ned--
CATILINE. Speak out,--what do you ask of me?
Yet stay; I know already what it is.
I"ll lead you on. Say--will you follow me?
ALL (EXCEPT LENTULUS). Yes, Catiline,--we follow if you lead!
STATILIUS. They have deceived us--
GABINIUS. --and belied your name!
COEPARIUS. They said you did intend to leave the city And wash your hands completely of our cause.
CATILINE. Yes, so I did. Yet now no more; henceforth Only for this great purpose do I live.
LENTULUS. What is this mighty purpose you proclaim?
CATILINE. My purpose here is higher than you think-- Perhaps than any thinks. Ah, hear me, friends!
First will I win to us each citizen Who prizes liberty and values most The public honor and his country"s weal.
The spirit of ancient Rome is yet alive;-- The last faint spark is not yet wholly dead.
Now into brilliant flames it shall be fanned, More glorious than ever flames before!
Alas, too long the stifling gloom of thraldom, Dark as the night, lay blanketed on Rome.
Behold,--this realm--though proud and powerful It seems--totters upon the edge of doom.
Therefore the stoutest hand must seize the helm.
Rome must be cleansed,--cleansed to the very roots; The sluggish we must waken from their slumber,-- And crush to earth the power of these wretches Who sow their poison in the mind and stifle The slightest promise of a better life.
Look you,--"tis civic freedom I would further,-- The civic spirit that in former times Was regnant here. Friends, I shall conjure back The golden age, when Romans gladly gave Their lives to guard the honor of the nation, And all their riches for the public weal!
LENTULUS. Ah, Catiline, you rave! Nothing of this Had we in mind.
GABINIUS. What will it profit us To conjure up again those ancient days With all their dull simplicity?
SOME. No, no!
Might we demand--
OTHERS. --and means enough to live A gay and carefree life!
MANY VOICES. That is our aim!