Page:The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets, Volume 2.djvu/403

 Sempr. How will the young Numidian rave to see His mistress lost! If aught could glad my soul, Beyond th' enjoyment of so bright a prize, 'Twould be to torture that young, gay Barbarian. But hark! what noise? Death to my hopes! 'tis he, 'Tis Juba's self! There is but one way left! He must be murder'd, and a passage cut Through those his guards. Pray, what are 'those his guards?' I thought at present, that Juba's guards had been Sempronius's tools, and had been dangling after his heels.

But now let us sum up all these absurdities together. Sempronius goes at noon-day, in Juba's cloaths, and with Juba's guards, to Cato's palace, in order to pass for Juba, in a place where they were both so very well known: he meets Juba there, and resolves to murder him with his own guards. Upon the guards appearing a little bashful, he threatens them: Hah! Dastards, do you tremble! Or act like men, or by yon azure heav'n!

But