noble Ten! 3rd Cit. Pah! they announce them like to royal kings! 1st Cit. Tyrants are ceremonious to the letter. Multitude. All hail to the lawgivers! Life and peace Unto the Ten! 2nd Cit. Jove's lightning strike them down, The turncoats! Ah, the cowards and the curs! Perfidious gang of fawners! Do they thus Forget their wrongs in the wrongdoer's presence, Or veil them with that slime, false loyalty?

[Enter the Ten Decemvirs, each preceded by twelve lictors armed with fasces.

4th Cit. Lo! the presumption! How each lictor bears Amongst his rods an axe to indicate That life and death lie in his master's word. Once was each tyrant pleased with one attendant The way to clear—now must they number twelve.

[The Decemvirs pause a space, the while their leader, Appius Claudius, addresses the assembled citizens.

Appius. Ye Roman citizens! Unto our ears Murmurings hath arrived laden with strife; And though this day ye have protested loud Your loyalty, and hailed us with acclaim, Ye seem but ill-content. This must not be. We have been lenient to every class— What ye demand in reason ye receive. Ye called for written laws, and lo! they hang Within the Forum that all eyes may read.[3] Yet, mark ye! Read not only, but obey, Else blood shall pour in torrents on these stones.

[3]

[Low, angry murmur.

What! would ye show your teeth, ye nobles brave, Would bare your fangs, O ye plebeian dogs! Your teeth are drawn, patricians, and your fangs Are dull, indeed, ye curs!

[A hissing protest.

What, open schism? Ho, lictors, strike! Ah! would ye calmer grow? Lictors, enough! Now must we on. Our time Is pressing.

What, open schism?

[As he is on the point of departing with his colleagues, his gaze is arrested by the passing of a girl, clad all in white, attended by her nurse, through the Forum.

(To a companion.) Now, by the ghost of Ixion, behold Yon perfect vision of most perfect beauty. Enchanting grace! Exquisite featuring! Youth lightly shadowed by young womanhood! My passions, Oppius, are all awake. Aflame and spreading fast! Why, I 

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