Aminta

Cataline Exhorting his Souldiers to fight with Anthony.

HEre stand we fortune: nor hast thou us gi'n A Captain who hath dull or sloathful bin; What though the Romans are content to serve; And from their ancient noble tenents swerve? I by these wars choose rather to proclaim, My man-like soule craves liberty or fame; He onely ha's true honour who dare die Rather than live in endlesse slavery; And dying thus to shun a servile shame, Loosing his life wins honour to his name. What though my harder fortune may deny To my full hopes successe or victory: My daring and illustrious soul shall be, For ever famous to posteritie; Then let our onely hope of triumph rear Our free-born souls and make them void of fear; Why should we tremble at the Consuls sword, Or be obedient to the Senates word, Since we maintain that they no Senate be, But meer usurpers of our liberty: Why should the mighty Rome fear Cato? why

Should it to Piso Crassus subject lie? W'are Romans too, and from the self same race The footsteps of the fam'd Aeneas trace: They'are not alone Quirinus off-spring, nor Are they alone sprung from the god of war; We from the same stock do descend, and claim Right in the glories of our grandsires name: Why should they ful with gold their treasures make? Why we opprest with poverty? they rake And squeeze the people to increase their gains, Our riches are the fruits due to our pains; They with their prouder faces do command, And boast dominion o'r both sea and land; Are we by birth or courage lesse then they? Or have we no soul left but to obey? Why should not they to us obedience shew, Or why should they despise me thus? why you? Are we thy laughing-stock proud Rome? must we Be thus neglected and contemn'd by thee? Whilst some with an insulting state do go Bearing the mace before um, others flow With heapt-upriches, these usurp the Laws, And at their pleasure deal in every cause; Such is their pride: the Consul seems to be Subject unto the Tribunes tyranny; When we like Cyphers stand, and void of state Neglected lie like minds degenerate: These live in stately marble structures, we Must with poor cottages contented be, These strive their Empire stil to magnifie,

And stretch their vast dominions to the sky; We wanting all things miserably poor, Are forc'd both cold and hungry to endure; For this did nature us produce? or thus To live? is this the fate assigned us? Must we thus suffer? No, it shal not be Our swords from what the gods themselves de∣cree Shal free us: he who bears a noble soul, May destiny and fate it self controul; Fortune assists the bold: let's not incite It's frowns, nor our own slavery invite By coward-minds; nor loose by our vain sloth, The gaining Rome, or liberty, or both. The hopes of gold imbolden some mens breasts, Which an insatiate cov'tousuesse infests; But let your courage spring from thoughts more high It is your own; your country's liberty You crave and fight for; here you nobly gain Honour which truly do's requite your pain; I'l be both Souldier, and your General, Nor me Commander but Companion call; To Roman tyrants I'l their pride make known, And wil revenge, hers, your wrongs, and my own This hand devoted to my Countries health Shal fight for you; this shal restore your wealth: Revenge the altars of the gods through death And slaughters, give Rome new & freeborn breath Go then, and with couragious minds assaile, The Consuls tents, and doubt not to prevail. Hope in the Victor-gods: now only force

Convenes, sloth hurts, nor must ye have remorse, Or being Romans, Romans fear to kil. Pity's good after fight, before 'tis ill. Unbridled fury now of all helps best; And fear to kil, denotes too base a breast; But whosoe'r he be that fears to die, Half dead already is, to death more nigh; There is no hope in flight, a double host With all their pow'r on each side doth accost Our tents: the Alpes encompasse us half round, The Consul is possess'd of yonder ground; That side presents Metellus to our sight, There is no way of safety but by fight: Go on then bravely let your sharp swords find A passage through them, he that ha's a mind To fight may scape, at least he'l nobly die, Not like a carcase unrevenged lie: Then let not fear surprise your hearts, be bold, The Roman people shal as wel behold The slaughter of their own, as ours, and he That drinks this blood with his 't shal mixed be; And though they Victors are, they shal not boast, But rather weep the bloody conquests cost.