The Virginia Gazette

CATO's SOLILOQUY imitated.

SCENE the Senate House in Br. America

Julius, sitting in a thoughtful posture. In her hand the resolves of the House, She spread on the table by her.

I must be so—my sons, ye reason well!
Else whence this pleasing hope, this fond desire,
This struggle for expiring Liberty?
Or whence this general dread, and deep-felt horrour,
Of falling into slavery? A Briton shrinks
Back on himself, and startles at a chain.
'Tis the Divinity that stirs within him,
'Tis Heaven itself points out his birthright to him,
And intimates fair Liberty to man.
Fair Liberty! thou amiable form!
From what vile stratagems hast thou escap'd!
Through what new dangers art thou still to pass!
The dire, th' alarming prospect, lies before me,
While ministerial maxims cloud the scene.
Here will I hold. If there's a George in Britain,
(And that there is his thundering fleets proclaim
Through every clime) he must delight in Freedom,
And that which he delights in must prevail.
(But why this land was made for— or
I'm weary of conjectures—here I'll end them.)
Behold, dear Liberty, thy death and life,
Thy bane and antidote, are both before me.
This in a moment stabs thee to the heart,
But this assures me thou shalt still survive.
Still conscious of existence, may thou smile
At the vain project, and defy the chains.
Kingdoms shall fade away, proud France herself
Decline with age, and sink in years;
But thou shalt flourish in these western climes,
Unhurt, nor heed the jars of eastern realms,
The shock of Empires and the crush of—.

Pointing to the S-p A-t, and to the R-solves.