I'm very ill!-In sooth, I am so ill

It is not kind of you to leave me, Caius!
Caius, you would not leave me when I'm ill?
You surely never would! Let me lean on you,
And take me into the house. I thank you, Caius ?
C. Grac. There.

[Stopping when he has conducted her to the
door.

Licinia. Would you quit me at the threshold?
Won't you

Come in too? Caius, do come in.-Sure, Caius,
You can go forth by and by!

C. Grac. I must go forth

At once, love.

Licinia. Must? In truth you must not-will notC. Grac. Farewell!

Licinia. Stop, Caius-stop!

[Going.

[Following, catches hold of his robe, by which means his sword is discovered under his arm. Is it to use

That sword you go abroad? Is it, my husband?
It is; alas, it is! You would go forth
To sell your life for an ungrateful people.
To quit your wife and child for men, look'd on
And saw your brother murder'd-and will now
Betray even you to death!" Caius, you trust
The faith of men that have no faith, except
When trial is not near."-Go not, my Caius !
My lord !-My husband!-Father of my child!
Go not, but hear your poor distracted wife!
C. Grac. Licinia, now is it perverse in you
To fancy danger. I have business forth!
Is it a time to walk the streets unarm'd
When drunken revellers from breaking up
Of banquets are abroad? No more of this!
In! in! my love. Be sure I'll make all haste.
Thy thin robe suits not, sweet, the morning air.
In, my Licinia, in! there's nought to fear!

[Trumpet, L. Licinia. What's that? [Trumpet, L.] Again ! Speaks not that summoner

To thee?

C. Grac. Dear wife!

Licinia. Come into the house! Come in!

"If I'm thy wife, whose interest in thee

Shall push by mine?-Whose claim to hold thy pledge

[Trumpet."

Calls on thee with a right can shut out mine?

Thou shalt not go !

C. Grac. Licinia!

Licinia. Nay, thou shalt not!

C. Grac. Let go my robe!

Licinia. will not let it go !—

You hurt me, Caius !" Know you, you do hurt me!
For Juno's sake, dear husband!-Caius-0!
You gripe my wrist till I am sick with the pain!
If any one had said it!"-Promise one thing

And I will let thee go.

C. Grac. What is it?
Licinia. Kill me!

C. Grac. Licinia!

Licinia. Ah!

[Catches her to his breast. [Nearly faints in his arms.

C. Grac. Gods! I have kill'd thee!

Licinia. No!

Or if you have, 'tis with a sudden draught

Of too sweet life!"Bless thee, my Caius-bless thee!

You will not go !-you'll stay with me!-you'll come with me!

You'll live for me!-Come in! Come in! Come in!"

Enter LICINIUS, L.

Licin. What keeps you, Caius?

C. Grac. [Aside to him.] Take her from about My neck.

Licinia. I hear you, Caius !-There!-Myself
Will do that kindness for thee. "Thou art free

To go.-Stay, husband!-Give me, from about
Thy neck, that collar which thou wear'st, to keep it
As thy last gift.

C. Grac. Here, my Licinia.

Licinia. What!

Nothing about me I can give thee in

Exchange for't?-O! I have a token yet,
That hath the virtue of an amulet

To him believes in't.-One thing, I do know,
Steel, at its sight, hath all as harmless turn'd
As point of down, that cannot stand against
The tenderest breath. Swear" only, stay till
I fetch one gift, one last, one parting gift.

C. Grac. Bring it, love! [Exit LICINIA hurriedly, R.
Licin. Now, Caius !

Now is your time! Wait not till she returns.

C. Grac. Iv'e promis'd her.

Licin. And if you promis'd her

To pluck an eye out, would you think it kinder
To do't, than leave't undone? Away, at once!
The cause!-the cause!

LICINIA rushes out with her Child, R.

Licinia. Thy boy, my Caius !

C. Grac. Ha!

Licinia. Nay, if thou look'st that way upon thy child,

I'm satisfied there is no hope for me!

"C. Grac. Why, was this kind? Licinia. I do not know that word.

[Kneels.

It stands for nothing-worse! "Tis found the thing
It says it is not. Husbands are call'd kind,
That break the foolish hearts are knit to them—
And fathers kind, who their own children do
Make orphans of-and brothers kind, who play
The parts of bloodless strangers-and friends, too,
Whose actions find them foes. More kind are foes
That are not kind, but do not say they are!
C. Grac. Take the child, wife.

Licinia. I will."

C. Grac. Why dost thou kneel?

Licinia. To beg a blessing for him of the gods,
Since thou dost turn him from thee, asking it
Of thee.

C. Grac. The gods be more to him; Licinia,
Than thou wouldst have me be..

That look."

Licin. Come! Come!

"Licinia!-Ha!

C. Grac. She rivets me !

Licin. Do you hear?

[Trumpets, L.

C. Grac. Tear me away!-More blessings light

upon you

Than I feel pangs who curse the things I'd bless!

[Exeunt C. GRACCHUS and LICINIUS, L.

Alarm continues.-Enter CORNELIA from the house,. followed by LUCILLA and LUCIUS, R.

"Licinia. Take the child from me,

Until I lay me down and die.

Cor. And die!

Rise, rise, my daughter!

Licinia. Rather thou fall down

Along with me, and pray the gods they send
A thunderbolt to strike us both together;
For both already they have smitten so,

To spare's the countertide of mercy!

Cor. Rise!

We may not tempt the gods !"-Come into the house,
And show thy tears to it-'twill not tell of thee.
This is the common street," and thou but lend'st
The essence of thy grief to vilest tongues

Will make a jest and marvel on't. Come in.

Licinia. You counsel me, and do not know the cause Whereon you counsel me!

Cor. My son is dead?

Licinia. No! No!Yet

Cor. Yet!-Why wouldst thou say he lives, And but that little word 'twixt him and death? He is the same as dead, then think him dead As I do.

Licinia. And art thou a mother?

Cor. Yes!

The mother of the virtue of my child!
The fashion of his body nature fix'd.

I had no choice in't-was not ask'd how high
The stature out should grow-gave not my voice
As to the shape of limb or lineament-

Nor pick'd the shade and texture of the skin.
But of his worth, the modelling was mine-
Say that is dead, and you may say I'm dead!

Licinia. I cannot answer this!-I can but marvel
The weight bows me to earth, should seem so light
To you.'

Alarm.-LIVIA rushes in, L.

Livia. Cornelia !

Cor. Well, my Livia?

Livia. Those fearful noises!-Listen!-You will

hear

The rush of feet on every side. I've pass'd

Such groups of angry looking men-"some pale-
Some flush'd-some mute, and others muttering
To one another"-hurrying all one way,

As all on one momentous object bent.

I came to thee, that we might seek some sanctuary,
For houses are not safe in times like these!

Cor. The Temple of Diana is at hand.

We will go thither. See, my Livia,

How lost Licinia is! Take hold of her,

And lead the way.-Nobly, ye gods! O, nobly! [Exeunt, CORNELIA last, R.

SCENE II.Mount Aventine.

Enter groups of armed Citizens.-CAIUS GRACCHUS, FULVIUS FLACCUS, and VETTIUS, L. S. E.

"C. Grac. You see!-You.see!-Their very trumpets shake

Your ranks. How will they stand the blows of those Whose only breath can stagger? What! No means?" Flac. Twice have we offered terms of peace, which they

Have twice refus'd-and into prison cast

Our herald, my own son; and not content

With this, they have proclaim'd for a reward

To him who brings your head, its weight in gold.

C. Grac. Then shall they have it at a dearer price, The safety of my friends.

Enter POMPONIUS, R.

Pom. Why stand you here?

Advance!-A rumour spreads among our ranks,
That pardon is proclaim'd to those who quit us;
And many friends fall off!

C. Grac. It shall be so!

Call back the runaways, and let them save

The honour of their manhood! [Crosses to L.] "Husbands, drive out

Your sad foreboding thoughts; your wives shall hear Your feet to-night upon the threshold-sons,

Check not your pious tears, but let them flow

For joy; your mothers have not lost their props"
Cowards, relax not your strain'd sinews yet,

But live redoubted-brave hearts, rein your courage
To give it course upon a fairer field-

Caius alone shall bleed!

Vettius. What mean you, Caius?

C. Grac. To yield myself into the Consul's hands, And save these veins their stores!

Vettius. No, by the gods

You shall not do it!

C. Grac. Not! Why should I live

[Crosses to c.

At such a price as half these lives, which I
Can, singly dying, save?—I cannot live