Like moral Æsop's misled country swain, That found a serpent pining in the snow, And full of foolish pity took it up, And kindly laid it by his household fire, Till (waxen warm) it nimbly 'gan to stir, And stung to death the fool that foster'd her. O gods! that once had care of these our walls, And fearless kept us from th' assault of foes: Great Jupiter, to whom our Capitol So many oxen yearly sacrific'd; Minerva, Stator, and stout Thracian Mars, Father to good Quirinus our first founder; To what intent have ye preserv'd our town, This stately town, so often hazarded Against the Samnites, Sabines, and fierce Latins? Why, from once footing in our fortresses Have ye repell'd the lusty warlike Gauls? Why from Molossus and false Hannibal Have ye reserv'd the noble Romulists? Or why from Cat'line's lewd conspiracies Preserv'd ye Rome by my prevention? To cast so soon a state, so long defended, Into the bondage where (enthrall'd) we pine? To serve (no stranger, but amongst us) one That with blind frenzy buildeth up his throne? But if in us be any vigour resting, If yet our hearts retain one drop of blood, Cæsar, thou shalt not vaunt thy conquest long, Nor longer hold us in this servitude. Nor shalt thou bathe thee longer in our blood: For I divine, that thou must vomit it, Like to a cur that carrion hath devour'd, And cannot rest, until his maw be scour'd. Think'st thou to signiorise, or be the king Of such a number nobler than thyself? Or think'st thou Romans bear such bastard hearts. To let thy tyranny be unreveng'd? No; for methinks I see the shame, the grief, The rage, the hatred that they have conceived, And many a Roman sword already drawn, T' enlarge the liberty that thou usurp'st, And thy dismember'd body (stabb'd and torn), Dragg'd through the streets, disdained to be borne. [_Exit._ _Enter_ CORNELIA [_and to her_ PHILIP].