m.M. Cisce quasi semper victnras; vive quasi eras m.orltnms. VOL. XVI. NOTRE DAME, INDIANA, MARCH 34, 1883. No. 28. EiEister-Day. Nature's deep voice exhorts: "Preserve thyself— Preserve thyself, thousrh all thy friends should fall!" The morning sunshine streams into -f (^A CO/ifused noise xvitkozd.'). An empty tomb; What's this? A sudden tumult! Like a fire The light of Heaven is breaking tlirough Upon a mountain side once kindled, spreads Tlie slirouding gloom. The people's ire: it bears all down before it. Up, hearts, so lately with ybiir grieving rent; {Efzter METICULOSUS a?zd ATROX, dragging in Up! sing for joy! you well have kept j'ouf Lent: FAUSTULUS; and followed by a crowd.) And Christ is risen! VACILLUS.—What seek ye, friends, so early in II. the morn? The Easter lilies' pallid cheeks METICULOSUS.—The king! This shepherd, Have not a tear; nourished by his bounty, The violets have waited weeks. Is stirring up a fell conspiracy. But now are here; VACILLUS.—What! Faustulus! Bring all the flowers that make the garden gay, FAUSTULUS.—Falsely accused, my lord. And place them in our Lord's dear ho'iise to-day, ATROX.—Then tell Vacillus how thou didst ob­ For He is risen! tain HI. That trough beneath thy cloak. I know it well— But fairer in His blessecf sight For I it was who cast it in the flood Than any flowers With two ill-omened babes to float to sea— That turn their faces to the light, How came it hither back? Are hearts of ours, VACILLUS What babes were these? Turned from the dross of earth, seeking the way METICULOSUS.—The twins to Princess Rhea He" shows to us this gloinous Easter-Day, For He is risen! Sylvia born, Consigned by King Amulius to the waves, —Fiord L. Stanfield in Ave Maria. .Fit meed for offspring of a Vestal's shame. VACILLUS.—And how has this returned, then, from the sea. ROMULUS AND REMUS; Cast there, it seems, near twenty years ago ? OR, ATROX.—My lord, it never reached the sea. The Building of Borne. This villain Knows more' than he will tell- But here's the king— ACT THIRD. His majesty will make the knave confess. SCENE I. {Enter AMULIUS, atiefided.) (/« the Palace of A^iVLivs. YACIZL-US alone.) AMULIUS.—Why this unseemly tumult in our VACILLUS.—Th' events of these last days do hall? trouble much The hour for court hath not yet sounded. Whence My agitated mind. Amulius' fate The cause of this disturbance? Faustulus! Seems to be coming to a crisis. All Dragged hither like a prisoner! What is this? The wrath accrued from twenty years of wrong FAUSTULUS.—Most gracious king, I know not Is read}' to be poiu'ed upon his headl what nor whence. And shall I stay to share his punishment.^ In peace I entered, and in peace essayed Truerl have shared in his prosperity— To make my way along the city's street. Enriched myself on his ill-gotten gains, Your royal guards assailed me, unprovoked. But if I had not done soj some one else METICULOSUS.—^Because we saw he bore be­ Would have been found to be his'friend. And neath his cloak now That which aroused suspicion. See, O king! He thrives no more; then why await hisdoom? (Produces the trbicgJi.') 434 THE NOTRE DAME SCHOLASTIC. AMULIUS.—(Aside.) What! what! the fatal {^Re-ejtter METICULOSUS, runnhig and throwing- cradle of the bahes! himself at the king's feet.') Ye gods! mine hour is come. (^Alond.) Why, METICULOSUS.—Most gracious king, a mob the Faustulus, cit}- fills How cam'st thou by this strange misshajDcn thing? Of countrj'-'folk and shepherds, and they shout And whither wouldst thou bear it? For Numitor,—for Numitor as king. FAUSTULUS.—Gracious king, Their leader is a son of Faustulus— That trough I found by chance, some years ago, AMULIUS.—But where is Faustulus, th}' And kept it, thinking that its curious form -prisoner? Might indicate some hidden mystery. METICULOSUS.—The mob o'ermastered us, and AMULIUS.—And why didst bring it into town rescued him; this morn? And Atrox have they slain, by flight alone And, now I think of it, but yester e'en, Did I escape to tell thee. A youth before me dragged for stealing sheep AMULIUS.—Coward, die! {^Rtinshiin through.) Declared himself thy son, and said his name All ye. who would not share his fate, attend Was Remus; and, it seems to me, that name- In arms upon me. I will quell this riot. Is one of those engraved upon this trough {^Exeufit AMULIUS a7id attendaiits.) Although the letters, worn awa}"^ by age. Are hard to read. ]Exj)lain these mysteries; Or torture strict shall force the truth from thee. SCENE II. FAUSTULUS,—O king, most gracious king! I've (/« NUMITOR'S house. Enter NUMITOR with served you long— REMUS.) A faithful servant have I been to 3-ou! NUMITOR.—^AU thou hast told me of thine age, AMULIUS.—Speak plainly, knave, and tell me thy brother— what thou know'st. The cii'cumstances of thy bringing up— {^Aside to VACILLUS.) I can dissemble now no Has made me wish to know still more. longer—speed— REMUS.—My lord, Speed thee to Numitor, and find from him Your kindness unto me, accused of theft, What he may know of Rhea Sjdvia's twins. Emboldens me to speak. Were Faustulus They live—^ye gods!—they live; and that was one, Here, he might tell you more; I and my brother That shepherd boy they brought here 3'^esterday. Often have sought to fathom his demeanor: Go, go, Vacillus, go! {^Exit VACILLUS.) NOW, For thouffh in kindness and in s^entle care Faustulus, Most fatherly, he ne'er has used to us We shall contrive a way to make thee speak. The tone authoritative of a father. TO whom wert thou convejnng this strange thing? NUMITOR.—We'll send for him. But who is FAUSTULUS.—To Numitoi*. your royal brother, this comes here? king! {^Enter VACILLUS.) His daughter, Rhea Sylvia, had heard From the king's court? Vacillus, thou art welcome. Of it, and much desired to see this trough, VACILLUS.—Hail, Numitor! {Aside.) Amulius' Which bears her name. fears are just!— AMULIUS.—And was it empty, knave, He has discovered his relationship!— When thou didst find it? This shepherd boy is Rhea Sylvia's son;— FAUSTULUS.—^Empty? yQ%—^yes—no: He is the kingdom's heir. Amulius' star It did contain two lifeless babes, now buried Is set. Farewell, Amulius! I'll haste Beneath the fig-tree Ruminalis, where To do my homage to the rising sun. This cradle-boat I found. .NUMITOR.—We do await thy leisure, gentle AMULIUS.—What! lifeless? Then, friend. Who was the youth that said his name was Remus VACILLUS.—Most noble Numitoi*, in great And called himself thy son? Dost hesitate? amaze Bear him hence, guai'ds, we'll quickly find a waj- I stand before thee, seeing this fair youth. To make him speak. {^Exeunt METICULOSUS aiid Although in servile garb arrayed, so noble ATROX, ivith FAUSTULUS.) In mien and bearing, I could think he were And now, good people all, yEgestus born again. The gods avenge' This trifle seems to cause unneeded care! The crime of him who caused -^gestus' death. Go, get .ye to your work. These strange events {^E^tter AMULIUS, listening at back.) Are not for common folks to comment on. NUMITOR.—Beware in cursing, lest thou curse The king has duties that ye. wot not of. a friend. • And they shall be performed. Go to your work! I think that thou dost eat Amulius' bread ? VACILLUS.—Amulius no more shall be my (Exeunt crowd.) king. • ;. • And now my mind her. powers must concentrate The measure of his tyrannies is full: On this most desperate case. The people shout. The gods decree his - doom. For Numitor,—^why did I spare his life? AMULIUS.—{^Advancing.), And if they do, An oversight! I deemed.his cowardice Thine, traitor, shall precede it! False,-—false My own security. Ha! what is this ? friend, . , , i THE NOTRE DAME SCHOLASTIC. 435 Whom fondly once I deemed a faithful soul, seven hundred years of oppression have deprived Thy time is come. The gods decree thy doom. Ireland of the advantages possessed hy other And my good sword shall prove it. Draw, knave, nations for the cultivation of literature and the draw! muse. Long before Christianity dawned on the (They fight. VACILLUS falls.) Irish shores, the national poetry was composed and There! take the just reward of treachery. recited to the sound of the Irish harp, and the VACILLUS.—Tyrant, this is the last of th}' mis­ senachies or bai'ds played a conspicuous part in the deeds. social and political affairs of the nation. Numitor, be thou kinir asrain. The twins In time of battle, they were seen'and. heard in the thickest of the fight, animating warriors livin or Of Rhea Sylvia shall reinstate thee. o With dying breath, I do salute thee, king! (^Di'es.) by singing the glory of the warriors dead. In time of peace, they sat in the councils of the nation; (A tianult ivithotti. Enter ROMULUS, PLIS- ' they interpreted the laws, and, upon their harp- TiNUS, CELER, and an armed throtig.) strings made merry the banquet halls of Tara. ROMULUS.—^Yield thee, Amulius, and restore They were the Druid priests, the -chroniclers of the crown events, and the councillors of the king. Their in­ To Numitor, our father and our king.