Dost delay Nor hasten to the chamber of thy Queen?
Thou only?
Married to the Latian chief, The impious sister now her brother weds And hurrying from rival spouse to spouse Hath Egypt won, and plays the bawd for Rome.
By amorous potions she has won the man: Then trust the boy! Yet give him but a night In her enfondling arms, and drunk with love Thy life and mine he'll barter for a kiss.
We for his sister's charms by cross and flame Shall pay the penalty: nor hope of aid; Here stands adulterous Caesar, here the King Her spouse: how hope we from so stern a judge To gain acquittal?
Shall she not condemn Those who ne'er sought her favours?
By the deed We dared together and lost, by Magnus' blood Which wrought the bond between us, be thou swift With hasty tumult to arouse the war: Dash in with nightly band, and mar with death Their shameless nuptials: on the very bed With either lover smite the ruthless Queen.
Nor let the fortunes of the Western chief Make pause our enterprise.

We share with him The glory of his empire o'er the world.
Pompeius fallen makes us too sublime.
There lies the shore that bids us hope success: Ask of our power from the polluted wave, And gaze upon the scanty tomb which holds Not all Pompeius' ashes.

Peer to him Was he whom now thou fearest.

Noble blood True, is not ours: what boots it?
Nor are realms Nor wealth of peoples given to our command.
Yet have we risen to a height of power For deeds of blood, and Fortune to our hands Attracts her victims.

Lo! a nobler now Lies in our compass, and a second death Hesperia shall appease; for Caesar's blood, Shed by these hands, shall give us this, that Rome Shall love us, guilty of Pompeius' fall.
Why fear these titles, why this chieftain's strength?
For shorn of these, before your swords he lies A common soldier.