THE ARGUMENT.

CORNELIA, the daughter of Metellus Scipio, a young Roman Lady, as much accomplish'd with the graces of the body, and the virtues of the mind as ever any was, was first married to young Crassus, who died with his father, in the disconfiture of the Romans against the Parthians; afterward she took to second husband Pompey the great, who (three years after) upon the first fires of the civil wars betwixt him and Cæsar, sent her from thence to Mitilen, there to attend the uncertain success of those affairs. And when he saw that he was vanquish'd at Pharsalia, returned to find her out, and carry her with him into Egypt, where his purpose was to have re-enforced a new army, and give a second assault to Cæsar.

In this voyage, he was murdered by Achillus and Septimius the Roman before her eyes, and in the presence of his young son Sextus, and some other Senators his friends. After which, she retired herself to Rome. But Scipio her father (being made general of those that survived after the battle) assembled new forces, and occupied the greater part of Afrique, allying himself to Juba king of Numidia. Against all whom Cæsar (after he had ordered the affairs of Egypt and the state of Rome) in the end of winter marched. And there (after many light encounters) was a fierce and furious battle given amongst them, near the walls of Tapsus. Where Scipio seeing himself subdued, and his army scattered, he betook himself with some small troop, to certain ships which he caused to stay for him.

Thence he sailed toward Spain, where Pompey's

faction commanded, and where a sudden tempest took him on the sea, that drave him back to Hippon, a town in Afrique, at the devotion of Cæsar, where (lying at anchor) he was assailed, beaten, and assaulted by the adverse fleet; and for he would not fall alive into the hands of his so mighty enemy, he stab'd himself, and suddenly leapt over board into the sea, and there dyed.

Casar (having finished these wars, and quietly reduced the towns and places thereabout to his obedience) returned to Rome in triumph for his victories; where this most fair and miserable Lady, having overmourn'd the death of her dear husband, and understanding of these cross events and hapless news of Afrique, together with the piteous manner of her father's end, she took (as she had cause) occasion to redouble both her tears and lamentations: wherewith she closeth the catastrophe of this their Tragedy.

R

VOL. II.

INTERLOCUTORES.

M. CICERO.
PHILIP.

DECI BRUTUS.

M. ANTONY.
CORNELIA.
C. CASSIUS.
JULIUS CESAR.

The Messenger.

CHORUSES.

CORNELIA.

АСТ І.

Cicero. VOUCHSAFE, Immortals, and (above the rest)
Great Jupiter, our city's sole protector,
That if (provok'd against us by our evils)/

You needs will plague us with your ceaseless wrath,
At least to chuse those forth that are in fault,
And save the rest in these tempestuous broils:
Else let the mischief that should them befall,
Be pour'd on me, that one may die for all.
Oft hath such sacrifice appeas'd your ires,
And oft ye have your heavy hands with-held
From this poor people, when (with one man's loss)
Your pity hath preserv'd the rest untouch'd:
But we, disloyal to our own defence,
Faint-hearted, do those liberties enthrall,
Which to preserve (unto our after-good)
Our fathers hazarded their dearest blood.
Yet Brutus Manlius, hardy Scevola,
And stout Camillus, are returned from Styx,
Desiring arms to aid our Capitol.
Yea, come they are, and fiery as before,
Under a tyrant see our bastard hearts
Lie idly sighing; while our shameful souls
Endure a million of base controuls.

Poison'd ambition (rooted in high minds)
"Tis thou that train'st us into all these errors:

they feal care

15 Thy mortal covetice perverts our laws,

And tears our freedom from our franchis'd hearts.
Our fathers found thee at their former walls;

And humbled to their offspring left thee dying.

6

Yet thou reviving, soil'dst our infant town,

With guiltless blood by brothers hands out-launch'd;
And hang'st (O hell) upon a fort half finish'd,
Thy monstrous murder for a thing to mark.
"But faith continues not where men command.
Equals are ever bandying for the best:

"A state divided cannot firmly stand.

"Two kings within one realm could never rest.” This day, we see, the father and the son

Have fought like foes Pharsalia's misery;

And with their blood made marsh the parched plains,
While th' earth, that groan'd to bear their carcases,
Bewail'd th' insatiate humours of them both;
That as much blood in wilful folly spent,
As were to tame the world sufficient.

Now, Parthia, fear no more for Crassus' death,
That we will come thy borders to besiege:
Nor fear the darts of our courageous troops;
For those brave soldiers, that were sometime wont
To terrify thee with their names, are dead;
And civil fury, fiercer than thine hosts,
Hath in a manner this great town o'er-turn'd,
That whilom was the terror of the world,
Of whom so many nations stood in fear,
To whom so many nations prostrate stoopt,
O'er whom (save Heaven) nought could signorize,

5 Thy mortal covetice] So, in Ben Jonson's Catiline, A. 2. S. 3:

- But you think, Carius,

""Tis covetise hath wrought me: if you love me,

Change that unkind conceit

Alchymist, A. 2. S. 3:

Why, this is covetise!

Pierce Penilesse his Supplication to the Divell, p. 29: “

under

vellany I comprehend murder, treason, theft, cousnage, cut throat "covetise, and such like."

6 -- soil'dst] foyld'st, first and second edition.