^oMS^ Disce quaisi semper victurus; vive quasi eras moritnms. VOL. XVI. NOTRE DAME, INDIANA, MARCH 3, 1883. 25- Then listen to the kindly version, Portray it feebly as we may; ROMULUS AND REMUS; AlthougK we will not spare exertion OR, To win your praise to-daV- THE BUILDING OF ROME. ACT FIRST. ScEXE FIRST. An Historical Tragedy; in Five Acts. A Forest in the Alban Territor)'. FliAll.. (ASIDE)—1 am astonished,' he's a genias! (Atom).) I say, sir. {^JBnter INSIDIUS, URSINUS, SMILAX and PRO­ DB. O'TOOLE.—1 differ with you there, sir. MISCUUS, hearing a sheefJ) FliAll..—I say that any man who vrould put such a book as Rdmalns'aDd Remus into a child's hand would put the^the heathen conchology ! INSIDIUS.—Here, boys, here! This is just ^he DB. O'TOOLE.—SO I would, sir. spot. HeVe we can kill, cook, and feast upon our —THE IBISR TUTOB. p^^y- • - . , •.,.. DRAMATIS PERSONS. URSINUS.—^What think ye? Is there ho' danger from Amulius' men? AM'ULIUS, King de facto of Alba Loriga. NuMiTOR,* His Brother: King de jure. SMILAX.—They never come this way. These; are Numitor's woods. , . •o c,»r-c. I Twin Brothers' Grandsons to"Nuniitor. K-EMl/S ) ... ' INSIDIUS.—They are Numitbr's as much! as"; any FAUSTULUS, Their Foster-father. other property that he calls his own; which is' n6 PLISTINUS', Brother to Faustulus. more than Amulius forbears to ro|b hiin of. DuBius, A Friend of Numitor's. VACILLUS, A Courtier. PROMISCUUS.—There! I ani rid of this burden INSIDIUS ' ^ at last, {^laying' doivn the sheep') It is a well- URSINUS I Herdsmen, Servants earned meal, after all; if we are only allowed to SMILAX r of Numitor. enjoy it. PROMISCUUS ) SMILAX.—Those herdsmen of Amulius are ai^ FERSIUS 1 P^'-tisans of Romulus. saucy as their master. We cannot call anything SYLVIUS, Friend to Remus. our own, even after having had the trouble of METICULOSUS )V' A 4. ^U r» 1 ATROX V Guards at the Palace. stealing it. HiERoPHANT, Herald and other Officers at the Mysteries URSINUS.—Stealing! I don't call it stealing. of Ceres. We simply ge£ back, by the exercise of a little sa­ YALENS DEFATIGATUS, An Old Soldier. gacity, a small part of the plunder which that arch- MARS, God of War, with Chorus. PAX CCELESTIS; with Chorus. traitor and tyrant, Amulius, has snatched, from, Attendants of Amulius • that sfood and guileless master of ours. If he had Crowd of Citizens. his rights, how prosperous would be our land! PROLOGUE. The reign of Saturn would again return. We come, a tale of old relating,-^ PROMISCUUS.—Is Numitor the lawful king, , 'Tis found iff rnany a mouldering tome,— then? But still, with interest unabating, URSINUS.—Aye, that he is, boy. From him We read the birth of Rome. hath Amulius most unjustly usurped the kingdom', The wondrous tSvins by myth surrounded, and deprived Numitor's children of their inheri­ The fostering wolf, the mystic birds, tance. -'Egestus, the boy, he slew; and the girl The death of one; the city founded he placed among the sacred virgins that tend the For fame too great for words! fire of Vesta, lest she might bear an heir to main­ tain her father's right. But niany versions of the story ' We .find at hand from which to choose: PROMISCUUS.—The gods will punish such vil­ . And Romulus shall naught of glory lainy ! By Remus' murder lose. INSIDIUS.—Come, come, time passes! Promis­ cuus, they say that you Hetriirians are skilled^ in We fcJUowed Livy, till a pleading. Sweet voice frorii Plutarch's pages' came: the preparation of food. Canst kill arid cook a No stain from fratricide proceeding sheep? Shall mar our hero's-fame. PROMISCUUS.—That can I; biit niethinks, after 386 THE NOTRE DAME SCHOLASTIC. can-ying ' it hither, some other should perform ROMULUS.—Yes; let us haste; •• {^Exeu7tt\ bear- these offices. ing off sheep.') INSIDIUS.—What! a new-comer^ murmunnsr at {^Enter IJJSIDIUS, cautiously.') \hy comrades, already? Do what is appointed to INSIDIUS.—The hateful twins. The she-wolf's thee. Did we not show thee-the way to a place of milk still stirs in them. They use some magic art safet}"^? . • to overcome us. Come on, boys, the coast is clear. {Sjiter ROMULUS «;zfl? REMUS.) {^Bnter SMILAX and URSINUS.) ROMULUS.—Safety! For what? Some new SMILAX.—See how that villain, Remus, bruised knavery, villain? I know thee! me! URSINUS.—Alas! The twins of Faustulus! URSINUS.—They have carried oft' our sheep, REMUS.—That sheep is stolen! see! There are too. By Vesta! their insolence must .be checked. the earmarks of Amulius, and the brand! INSIDIUS.—Listen, boys, how we will break INSIDIUS.—Thou liest,she-wolf's son! 'Tisours. their power. But where is Pi'omiscuus? REMUS.— The lie to me! Take that—and that— . (^Efiter PROMISCUUS.) (^JBeats him. They all' fight. ROMULUS and REMUS drive the others off.^ PROMiscuus.-^Here, Insidius! Dost thou call ROMULUS.—Such the poor triumphs of a herds­ this a safe place? man's life! U.RSiNus.—No place is safe against the valiant The rescue of a silly sheep from thieves. twins. Were they not our enemies, I could admire Brother, what think'st thou, were w^e made for them. this? ' INSIDIUS".—:Tush! tush! magicums! necroman­ I gaze upon th}- noble brow, thine eyes cers! ~~ Think'st thou two mortal men could van­ Pure and serene; the clowns with whom we live quish twice their number-^and four such men as Have sordid features. Are we like to them ? w-e? But listen to my plan. ..REMUS.—Oft have I heard oiir father, Faustulus, URSINUS.—What is it? . When sitting- at his after-supper ease. INSIDIUS.—^You have noticed that they are pow­ Communing with himself. He'll shake his head. erful when together? Arid softl}' say: " Ye know not what ye are! " SMILAX.—We have, indeed! He gazes on us, as I sometimes think. iNSiDius.-^Separated, they will lose their power. With greater than a father's love; and yet I overheard their conversation. To-morrow Rom­ He useth not the- free authority ulus goes alone to the temple of Carmenta to pros­ That fathers use. He seems to do us homage. ecute his infernal sorceries. Remus sta_vs behind. ROMULUS.—These mysteries, Remus, have per­ Remus shall be our victim! What say ye ? plexed me long, ' • PROMISCUUS.—^Yes; yes! Remus shall be our With others still more strange. To-morrow, I, victim! Which is Remus? - Accompanied b}- a chosen band of friends, INSIDIUS.—The one that first attacked us. Will seek Carmenta's shrine, and once again SMILAX.—And bruised me black and blue. Ask a solution. -Wilt thou come with us?, PROMISCUUS.—I had rather make a victim of REMUS.—^Not I! This jugglery of oracles, the other one. What is his name? Augurs and petty deities ill becomes URSINUS.—Romulus. A noble soul! ' Ever my heart within me. PRoanscuus.—He rather victimized me. If Declares God is but one! These mountains, woods; . ever I catch him alone, and have sufficient back­ This broad, serene and radiant firmament; ing—r think ten average fellows would be sufficient These crj'^^stal streams, and endless harmonies backing— . .- Proclaim one only God. His voice is heard INSIDIUS.—Come, come, no more of .this folly. Beneath the smiling summer sky. Go not We have lost our supper. • Let us make the best To noisome caverns, temples all besmirched of our way home. i^Exeufit.) With blood of beasts and reeking entrails,—frauds SCENE II. To fill the pockets of some crafty priest! (A Room in the Palace at-Alba Lotiga.) No voice Divine is there! {^Rnfer AMVLIVS^ attended, and VACILLUS.) ^ROMULUS.—Brother, I sigh AMULIUS.—{^To his attendants.) Depart; (^.v- To think thy mind so haughty. Who shall scan. eunt Att.) I would confer awhile in private The means that Deities employ to speak With thee", Vacillus; many'things'there are Their holj' \vill? What seems uncouth to us That do disturb'my spirit. All the omens May be for trial of our submission. Woe Have become luckless. - Dreams distress my sleep To him that doth the sacred rites despise! With shapes of coming horror. Manj- years REMUS.- -~I laugh-at menaces such as these; and • thou, Have I in triumph ruled o'er Alba Longa, Romulus, wnlt do likewise, when thine eyes And no reverse of fortune dimmed my star. Are further opened! Shall vengeance overtake me now? Again -RoMULUs.-:-Then.thou vyilt not-go? Shall Numitor ainse, and cast me dovv^n ? . REMus.-T-Sorry am I that thou shouldst ask it. Such seem the. portents to my troubled heart. ' Now ^ ' ' .-- - VACILLUS.—;Be not.dismayed; most noble kin,*-^ Letusbear back.this sheep to Faustulus. Misgivings •- Evening is closing in. Annoy sometimes the happiest of men-^^ THE NOTRE DAME SCHOLASTIC. 387 And as to omens: often they deceive. ington, and there shall rest tilLthe trump of judg­ Frequent I've seen a circle round the moon ment peals out the doom of time. Sacred are the When no rain followed. Dreams will oft arise associations of his chosen home; sacred the domain From over-eating at the evening meal, adorned with the works of his taste; sacred the Or an unwonted humor of the brain— spot hallowed bj'.his tomb, and, save when the Dismiss these fancies, king! tread of pilgrim feet disturb the stillness, the prim­ AMULIUS.—I bid them go, eval quiet that x'eigns around is broken only by the But- quickly they return,—a deep oppression murmuring of the waters, the whistling of the VVeighs on my soul, and will riot let me rest.