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With anxious Thoughts: A thousand fecret Terrors,
Rife in my Soul: How fhall I fave my Friends!
Tis now, O Cafar, I begin to fear thee.

Luc. Cafar has Mercy, if we ask it of him.
Cato. Then ask it, I conjure you! let him know
Whate'er was done againft him, Cato did it.
Add, if you pleafe, that I requeft it of him,
That I my felf, with Tears, request it of him,
The Virtue of my Friends may pass unpunish'd.
Juba, my Heart is troubled for thy Sake.
Shou'd I advise thee to regain Numidia,
Or feek the Conqueror?

Jub. If I forfake thee

Whilft I have Life, may Heav'n abandon Juba!

Cato. Thy Virtues, Prince, if I foresee aright, Will one Day make thee Great; at Rome, hereafter, 'Twill be no Crime to have been Cato's Friend.

Portius, draw near! My Son, thou oft hast seen
Thy Sire engaged in a corrupted State,

Wrestling with Vice and Faction: Now thou fee'ft me
Spent, overpow'r'd, defpairing of Success;

Let me advise thee to retreat betimes

To thy Paternal Seat, the Sabine Field,

Where the great Cenfor toil'd with his own Hands,
And all our frugal Ancestors were bless'd

In humble Virtues, and a Rural Life.

There live retired, pray for the Peace of Rome,
Content thy felf to be Obfcurely good.

When Vice prevails, and impious Men bear Sway,
The Poft of Honour is a private Station.

Port. I hope, my Father does not recommend

A Life to Portius, that he fcorns himself.

Cato. Farewel, my Friends! if there be any of you
That dares not trust the Victor's Clemency,
Know there are Ships prepared by my Command,
(Their Sails already op'ning to the Winds)
That fhall convey you to the wifht-for Port.

Is

Is there aught elfe, my Friends, I can do for you?
The Conqueror draws near. Once more Farewel!
If e'er we meet hereafter, we shall meet
In happier Climes, and on a fafer Shore,
Where Cafar never fhall approach us more.
There the brave Youth, with Love of Virtue fired,
Who greatly in his Country's Cause expired,
Shall know he Conquer'd. The firm Patriot there
(Who made the Welfare of Mankind his Care)
Tho' ftill, by Faction, Vice, and Fortune, croft,
Shall find the gen'rous Labour was not loft.,

[Pointing to the Body of his dead Son.

End of the Fourth Act.

ACT

ACT V. SCENE I

Cato folus, fitting in a thoughtful Pofture: In his Hand
Plato's Book on the Immortality of the Soul.
Sword on the Table by him.

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T must be fo-Plato, thou reason'st well!
Elfe whence this pleafing Hope, this fond Defire,
This Longing after Immortality?

Or whence this fecret Dread, and inward Horror,
Of falling into Nought? Why Thrinks the Soul
Back on her felf, and ftartles at Deftruction?
'Tis the Divinity that ftir's within us

'Tis Heav'n its felf, that point's out an Hereafter,
And intimate's Eternity to Man.

Eternity! thou pleafing, dreadful, Thought!
Through what Variety of untry'd Being,

Through what new Scenes and Changes must we pass!
The wide, th' unbounded Profpect, lie's before me;
But Shadows, Clouds, and Darkness, reft upon it.
Here will I hold. If there's a Pow'r above us,
(And that there is all Nature cries aloud
Through all her Works) He muft delight in Virtue;
And that which he delights in must be happy.
But when! or where!-- This World was made for Cafar.
I'm weary of Conjectures This must end 'em.
[Laying his Hand on his Sword.

A drawn

Thus

Thus am I doubly arm'd: my Death and Life,
My Bane and Antidote are both before me:
This in a Moment brings me to an End:
But this inform's me I fhall never die.
The Soul, fecur'd in her Existence, smile's
At the drawn Dagger, and defie's its Point.
The Stars fhall fade away, the Sun himself.
Grow dim with Age, and Nature fink in Years;
But thou fhalt flourish in immortal Youth,
Unhurt amidst the War of Elements,

The Wrecks of Matter, and the Crufh of Worlds.

What means this Heaviness that hangs upon me?
This Lethargy that creeps through all my Senses?
Nature opprefs'd, and harrafs'd out with Care,
Sinks down to Reft. This once I'll favour her.

That my awaken'd Soul may take her Flight,
Renew'd in all her Strength, and fresh with Life,
An Off'ring fit for Heav'n. Let Guilt or Fear
Disturb Man's Reft: Cato knows neither of 'em,
Indiff'rent in his Choice to fleep or die.

Enter Portius.

But hah! how's this, my Son? Why this Intrufion?
Were not my Orders that I wou'd be private?
Why am I disobey'd?

Port. Alas, my Father!

What means this Sword? this Inftrument of Death?
Let me convey it hence!

Cato. Rafh Youth, forbear!

Port. O let the Pray'rs, th' Entreaties of your Friends,

Their Tears, their common Danger wreft it from you.

Cato. Wou'd'ft thou betray me? Wou'd'ft thou give me up A Slave, a Captive, into Cafar's Hands?

Retire, and learn Obedience to a Father,
Or know, young Man!

Port.

Port. O Sir, forgive your Son,

Whose Grief hangs heavy on him! O my Father!
How am I fure it is not the last Time

I e'er fhall call you fo! Be not difpleafed,
O be not angry with me whilft I weep,

And, in the Anguifh of my Heart, befeech you
To quit the dreadful Purpose of your Soul.

Cato. Thou haft been ever good and dutiful.[Embracing him. Weep not, my Son. All will be well again.

The righteous Gods, whom I have fought to please,

Will fuccour Cato, and preferve his Children.

Port. Your Words give Comfort to my drooping Heart.
Cato. Portius, thou may'ft rely upon my Conduct.

Thy Father will not act what misbecome's him.
But go, my Son, and fee if aught be wanting
Among thy Father's Friends; fee them embarqued;
And tell me if the Winds and Seas befriend them.
My Soul is quite weigh'd down with Care, and asks
The foft Refreshment of a Moment's Sleep.

[Exit.

Port. My Thoughts are more at Eafe, my Heart revives.

Enter Marcia.

O Marcia, O my Sifter, ftill there's Hope!

Our Father will not caft away a Life

So needful to us all, and to his Country.

He is retired to Reft, and feems to cherish

Thoughts full of Peace. He has difpatcht me hence
With Orders, that befpeak a Mind compofed,
And ftudious for the Safety of his Friends.
Marcia, take care that none difturb his Slumbers.

Marc. O ye immortal Powers, that guard the Good,
Watch round his Couch, and foften his Repofe,
Banish his Sorrows, and becalm his Soul
With eafie Dreams; remember all his Virtues!
And fhow Mankind that Goodness is your Care.

[Exit.

Enter

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