AURELIA. Beloved,—are you here?
CATILINE. [With a cry.] Aurelia!
AURELIA. Say,—
Have you been waiting for me?
[She becomes aware of the Conspirators and rushes
to him.]
AURELIA. Gracious gods!
CATILINE. [Thrusts her aside.] Woman, away from
me!
AURELIA. Speak, Catiline!
These many men in arms—? And you as well—?
Oh, you will go—
CATILINE. [Wildly.] Yes, by the spirits of night,—
A merry journey! See—this flashing
sword!
It thirsts for blood! I go—to quench
its thirst.
AURELIA. My hope,—my dream!
Ah, blissful was my dream!
Thus am I wakened from my dreaming—
CATILINE. Silence!
Stay here,—or follow! But my heart
is cold
To tears and lamentations.—Friends, behold
How bright the full moon in the west declines!
When next that full moon in its orient shines,
An avalanche of fire shall sweep the state
And all its golden glory terminate.
A thousand years from now, when it shall light
Mere crumbling ruins in the desert night,—
One pillar in the dust of yonder dome
Shall tell the weary wanderer: Here stood Rome!
[He rushes out to the right; all follow him.]
* * *
* *
[CATILINE’s camp in a wooded field in Etruria.
To the right is seen CATILINE’s tent and close
by it an old oak tree. A camp fire is burning
outside the tent; similar fires are to be seen among
the trees in the background. It is night.
At intervals the moon breaks through the clouds.]
[STATILIUS lies stretched out asleep by the camp fire.
MANLIUS paces back and forth in front of the tent.]
MANLIUS. Such is the way of young and buoyant
souls.
They slumber on as peaceful and secure
As though embosomed in their mothers’ arms,
Instead of in a forest wilderness.
They rest as though they dream some merry game
Were held in store for them when they awake,
Instead of battle,—the last one, perchance,
That will be theirs to fight.
STATILIUS. [Awakes and rises.] Still standing guard?
You must be weary? I’ll relieve you now.
MANLIUS. Go rest yourself instead. Youth
needs his sleep;
His untamed passions tax his native strength.
’Tis otherwise when once the hair turns gray,
When in our veins the blood flows lazily,
And age weighs heavily upon our shoulders.
STATILIUS. Yes, you are right. Thus I
too shall in time,
An old and hardened warrior—
MANLIUS. Are you sure
The fates decreed you such a destiny?
STATILIUS. And pray, why not? Why all
these apprehensions?
Has some misfortune chanced?
MANLIUS. You think no doubt
That we have naught to fear, foolhardy youth?
STATILIUS. Our troops are strongly reenforced—
