Prepares with joy to quit the treacherous deep,
Hush'd every wave, and every wind asleep;
But ere he lands upon the well-known shore,
Wild storms arise, and furious billows roar,
Tear the fond wretch from all his hopes away,
And drive his shatter'd bark again to sea.

ACT III.

SCENE. A Portico of a Palace without the gates of Rome.-The abode of the Carthaginian ambassador.

Enter REGULUS and PUBLIUS meeting

Reg. Ah! Publius here at such a time as this? Know'st thou the important question that the senate This very hour debate ?-Thy country's glory, Thy father's honour, and the public good? Dost thou know this, and fondly linger here? Pub. They're not yet met, my father. Reg. Haste-awaySupport my counsel in th' assembled senate, Confirm their wav'ring virtue by thy courage, And Regulus shall glory in his boy.

Pub. Ah! spare thy son the most ungrateful task. What!-supplicate the ruin of my father?

Reg. The good of Rome can never hurt her sons.
Pub. In pity to thy children, spare thyself.

Reg. Dost thou then think that mine's a franctic
bravery?

That Regulus would rashly seek his fate?

Publius! how little dost thou know thy sire!

Misjudging youth! learn, that like other men,
I shun the evil, and I seek the good;

But that I find in guilt, and this in virtue.
Where it not guilt, guilt of the blackest dye,
Even to think of freedom at th' expense

Of my dear bleeding country? to me, therefore,
Freedom and life would be the heaviest evils;
But to preserve that country, to restore her,
To heal her wounds, though at the price of life,
Or, what is dearer far, the price of liberty,
Is virtue-therefore slavery and death,
Are Regulus's good-his wish-his choice.
Pub. Yet sure our country▬▬▬▬

Reg.
Is a whole, my Publius,
Of which we all are parts, nor should a citizen
Regard his interests as distinct from hers;
No hopes or fears should touch his patriot soul;
But what affect her honour or her shame.

E'en when in hostile fields he bleeds to save her,
"Tis not his blood he loses, 'tis his country's;
He only pays her back a debt he owes.
To her he's bound for birth and education:
Her laws secure him from domestic feuds,
And from the foreign foe her arms protect him.
She lends him honours, dignity, and rank,
His wrongs revenges, and his merit

pays;

And, like a tender and indulgent mother,

Loads him with comforts, and would make his state
As blest as nature and the gods design'd it.

Such gifts, my son, have their alloy of pain,
And let th' unworthy wretch, who will not bear
His portion of the public burden, lose

Th' advantages it yields;-let him retire,
From the dear blessings of a social life,

And from the sacred laws which guard those blessings;
Renounce the civiliz'd abodes of man,

With kindred brutes one common shelter seek
In horrid wilds, and dens, and dreary caves,

prey,

And with their shaggy tenants share the spoil;
Or if the savage hunters miss their
From scatter'd acorns pick a scanty meal ;-
Far from the sweet civilities of life;

There let him live, and vaunt his wretched freedom :
While we, obedient to the laws that guard us,
Guard them, and live or die as they decree.

Pub. With reverence and astonishment I hear thee! Thy words, my father, have convinc'd my reason, But cannot touch my heart;-nature denies Obedience so repugnant. I'm a son.

Reg. A poor excuse, unworthy of a Roman! Brutus, Virginius, Manlius-they were fathers. Pub. 'Tis true, they were; but this heroic great

ness,

This glorious elevation of the soul,

Has been confin'd to fathers,-Rome, till now,
Boasts not a son of such unnatural virtue,
Who, spurning all the powerful ties of blood,
Has labour'd to procure his father's death.

Reg. Then be the first to give the great example-
Go, hasten, be thyself that son, my Publius.
Pub. My father, ah!

Reg.

Publius, no more; begoneAttend the Senate-let me know my fate, "Twill be more glorious if announc'd by thee.

Pub. Too much, too much, thy rigid virtue claims From thy unhappy son. O nature, nature!

Reg. Publius! am I a stranger, or thy father? In either case an obvious duty waits thee;

If thou regard'st me as an alien here,

Learn to prefer to mine the good of Rome;
If as a father-reverence my commands.

Pub. Ah! couldst thou look into my inmost sou!, And see how warm it burns with love and duty, Thou wouldst abate the rigour of thy words.

Reg. Could I explore the secrets of thy breast, The virtue I would wish should flourish there

Were fortitude, not weak complaining love.
Pub. If thou requir'st my blood, I'll shed it all;
But when thou dost enjoin the harsher task
That I should labour to procure thy death,
Forgive thy son-he has not so much virtue.
[Exit PUBLIUS.

Reg. Th' important hour draws on, and now my soul

Loses her wonted calmness, lest the Senate
Should doubt what answer to return to Carthage
O ye protecting deities of Rome !

Ye guardian gods! look down propitious on her,
Inspire her Senate with your sacred wisdom,
And call up all that's Roman in their souls!

Enter MANLIUS (speaking).

See that the lictors wait, and guard the entranceTake care that none intrude.

Reg.

What can this mean?

Man.

Ah! Manlius here?

Where, where is Regulus?

The great, the godlike, the invincible?

Oh let me strain the hero to my breast.—

Reg. (avoiding him) Manlius, stand off, remember I'm a slave?

And thou Rome's Consul.

Man.

I am something more:

I am a man enamour'd of thy virtues;

Thy fortitude, and courage have subdued me.
I was thy rival-I am now thy friend;
Allow me that distinction, dearer far

Than all the honours Rome can give without it.
Reg. This is the temper still of noble minds,
And these the blessings of an humble fortune.
Had I not been a slave, I ne'er had gain'd
The treasure of thy friendship.

Man.

I confess,

Thy grandeur cast a veil before my eyes,

Which the reverse of fortune has remov'd.
Oft have I seen thee on the day of triumph,
A conqueror of nations, enter Rome;

Now, thou hast conquer'd fortune and thyself,
Thy laurels oft have mov'd my soul to envy,
Thy chains awaken my respect, my reverence;
Then Regulus appear'd a hero to me,

He rises now a god.

Reg.

Manlius, enough.

Cease thy applause; 'tis dang'rous; praise like

thine

Might tempt the most severe and cautious virtue.
Bless'd be the gods, who gild my latter days
With the bright glory of the Consul's friendship!
Man. Forbid it, Jove! saidst thou thy latter days?
May gracious heav'n to a far distant hour
Protract thy valued life. Be it my care
To crown the hopes of thy admiring country,
By giving back her long-lost hero to her.
I will exert my power to bring about
Th' exchange of captives Africa proposes.

Reg. Manlius, and is it thus, is this the way
Thou dost begin to give me proofs of friendship?
Ah! if thy love be so destructive to me,
What would thy hatred be?

Mistaken Consul!
Shall I then lose the profit of my wrongs?
Be thus defrauded of the benefit

I vainly hop'd from all my years of bondage?
I did not come to shew my chains to Rome,
To move my country to a weak compassion;
I came to save her honour, to preserve her
From tarnishing her glory; came to snatch her
From offers so destructive to her fame.

O Manlius! either give me proofs more worthy
A Roman's friendship, or renew thy hate.

Man. Dost thou not know, that, this exchange
refus'd,

Inevitable death must be thy fate?