Fit to behold your fate, and meet her summons.
To-morrow's rising sun must see you all

Deck'd in your honours. Are the soldiers ready?
Pier. All, all.

Ren. You, Durand, with your thousand must possess St. Mark's; you, Captain, know your charge already, 'Tis to secure the ducal palace: “You,

521

"Brabe, with an hundred more, must gain the Secque:
"With the like number, Bromveil, to the Procurale;"
Be all this done with the least tumult possible,
'Till in each place you post sufficient guards:
Then sheathe your swords in every breast you meet.
Jaf. Oh! reverend cruelty! damn'd bloody villain!
Ren. During this execution, Durand, you

Must in the midst keep your battalia fast;
And, Theodore, be sure to plant the cannon
That may command the streets;
"whilst Revillido,
"Messano, Ternon, and Retrosi guard you.”
This done, we'll give the general alarm,
Apply petards, and force the ars'nal gates;
Then fire the city round in several places,
Or with our cannon (if it dare resist)
Batter to ruin. But above all I charge you,
Shed blood enough; spare neither sex nor age,
Name nor condition; if there live a senator
After to-morrow, though the dullest rogue
That e'er said nothing, we have lost our ends.
If possible, let's kill the very name

Of senator, and bury it in blood.

540

Jaf. Merciless, horrid slave-Ay, blood enough!

Shed blood enough, old Renault! how thou charm'st

me!

Ren. But one thing more, and then farewell, till fate

Join us again, or sep'rate us for ever:

First let's embrace. Heav'n knows who next shall thus
Wing ye together; but let's all remember,

We wear no common cause upon our swords:
Let each man think that on his single virtue
Depends the good and fame of all the rest;
Eternal honour, or perpetual infamy.

"Let us remember through what dreadful hazards Propitious fortune hitherto has led us :

"How often on the brink of some discovery

"Have we stood tottering, yet still kept our ground "So well, that the busiest searchers ne'er could follow

"Those subtle tracts, which puzzled all suspicion?” You droop, Sir.

Jaf. No; With most profound attention

I've heard it all, and wonder at thy virtue.

Ren. "Tho' there be yet few hours 'twixt them and ruin,

"Are not the senate lull'd in full security,

Quiet and satisfy'd, as fools are always ?

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"Never did so profound repose fore-run Calamity so great. Nay, our good fortune "Has blinded the most piercing of mankind, Strengthen'd the fearfullest, charm'd the most sus. pectful,

"Confounded the most subtle: for we live,
"We live, my friends, and quickly shall our life
"Prove fatal to these tyrants." Let's consider,
That we destroy oppression, avarice,
A people nurs'd up equally with vices

And loathsome lusts, which nature most abhors,
And such as without shame she cannot suffer.

Jaf. Oh, Belvidera! take me to thy arms,

And shew me where's my peace, for I have lost it. [Exit.

Ren. Without the least remorse then, let's resolve With fire and sword t'exterminate these tyrants; "And when we shall behold those curs'd tribunals "Stain'd by the tears and sufferings of the innocent, Burning with flames rather from Heav'n than ours, "The raging, furious, and unpitying soldier “Pulling his reeking dagger from the bosoms

581

"Of gasping wretches; death in every quarter; "With all that sad disorder can produce "To make a spectacle of horror; then, "Then let us call to mind, my dearest friends, "That there is nothing pure upon the earth; "That the most valu`d things have most allays, "And that in change of all these vile enormities," Under whose weight this wretched country labours, The means are only in our hands to crown them. Pier. And may those pow'rs above that are propitious

To gallant minds, record this cause and bless it.

Ren. Thus happy, thus secure of all we wish for,

Should there, my friends, be found among us one
False to this glorious enterprize, what fate,
What vengeance were enough for such a villain?
Eli. Death here without repentance, Hell hereafter.
Ren. Let that be my lot, if as here I stand,
Listed by fate among her darling sons,

Tho' I had one only brother, dear by all

The strictest ties of nature; "tho' one hour

"Had given us birth, one fortune fed our wants, "One only love, and that but of each other,

600

"Still fill'd our minds;" could I have such a friend Join'd in this cause, and had but ground to fear He mean't foul play; may this right hand drop from

me,

If I'd not hazard all my future peace,

And stab him to the heart before you. Who,

Who would do less? Would'st thou not, Pierre, the same?

Pier. You've singled me, Sir, out for this hard

question.

As if 'twere started only for

my sake?

Am I the thing you fear! Here, here's my bosom,
Search it with all your swords. Am I a traitor?
Ren. No: but I fear your late commended friend
Is little less. Come, Sirs, 'tis now no time
To trifle with our safety. Where's this Jaffer?
Spin. He left the room just now, in strange disorder.
Ren. Nay, there is danger in him: I observ'd him;
During the time I took for explanation,

He was

transported from most deep attention

620

To a confusion which he could not smother,
"His looks grew full of sadness and surprise,
"All which betray'd a wavering spirit in him,
"That labour'd with reluctancy and sorrow."
What's requisite for safety, must be done
With speedy execution; he remains

Yet in our power: I, for my own part, wear
A dagger

Pier. Well.

Ren. And I could wish it

Pier. Where?

Ren. Buried in his heart.

Fier. Away; we're yet all friends,

No more of this, 'twill breed ill blood among us. Spin. Let us all draw our swords, and search the house,

Pull him from the dark hole where he sits brooding O'er his cold fears, and each man kill his share of him. Pier. Who talks of killing? Who's he'll shed the

blood

That's dear to me? is't you, or you, or you, Sir! 640
What, not one speak! how you stand gaping all

On your grave oracle, your wooden god there!
Yet not a word! Then, Sir, I'll tell you a secret ;
Suspicion's but at best a coward's virtue.

Ren. A coward!

[To Ren.

[Handles his sword.

Pier. Put up thy sword, old man ;

Thy hand shakes at it. Come, let's heal this breach; I am too hot, we yet may all live friends.

Spin. Till we are safe, our friendship cannot be so.