SCENE III.

CASSIBELANUS, BELINUS, ROLLANO.

CAS. Wisdom, confirm my sense! what seem'd their number?

ROL. Rising from shore, conjecture might descry A thousand ships with painted prows to pave The briny fields of Neptune; their broad sails Did Nereus canopy, Titan's taper veil. As nations twenty-nine 'gainst Troy built up A floating Delos of a thousand ships, To plough the liquid glass; no frame of Pallas, No crafty Sinon; but those wooden horse Did Troy _dis-Troy_. So Troynovant shall feel Her mother's fate; Achilles comes again, And Pergamus again shall sink in dust; They threaten. [_Exit._

CAS. Wonder! what can their arsenals spawn so fast? Last year his barks and galleys were debosh'd;[330] This spring they sprout again: belike their navy, Like the Lernæan adder, faster grows The more 'tis prun'd. They come their last. Lord deputy, Lead on the present troops, and levy new. 'Twere best, I think, to let him land, lest view Of his huge navy should our commons fright. Retire ourselves to some place of advantage, Entice him from his ships; so cut the veins Which nourish both: enclos'd he cannot 'scape.

BEL. I rather judge, we should oppose his footing, Using the benefit of our natural mound.

CAS. Uncertain 'tis where--when, he makes inroad: To furnish all, unlikely: to neglect Any were dangerous as Pelides' heel, Our shores are large and level: then t' attend His time and leisure would exhaust the state-- Weary our soldiers.

BEL. All places may be strengthen'd more or less, As by last year discretion now may guess. The clifts themselves are bulwarks strong: the shelves And flats refuse great ships: the coast so open, That every stormy blast may rend their cables, Put them from anchor; suffering double war: Their men pitch'd battle, and ships naval fight. For charges 'tis no season to dispute: Spend something or lose all. Shall he maintain A fleet t' enthral us, we detract small costs. When freedom, life and kingdom lie at stake?

CAS. But the assailants are the flower of Italy, Back'd with four hundred Gallic horse, all tried And gallant troops, join'd in one martial body, To give a fuller stroke; when we defendants, Scatter'd along, can weak resistance make; Plainness of ground affording us no shelter.

BEL. For what serve sart and engines, mounds and trenches, But to correct the nature of a plain? A few on firm land may keep out a million Weaken'd by sea, false footing, billows' rage, And pond'rous arms; when as, receiv'd within, He prospers by our spoil: we feed a viper, And malcontents and rebels have a refuge. Nor were it safe to venture all at once; When one fought field being lost, swift ruin runs, And rushing throws down all.

CAS. We know our strength and his; we'll fight in field Some dozen miles from sea. An open theatre Gives lustre to our prowess: to keep him out Supposes fear, not manhood. No, let him march, Till he rouse Death, and stride his future grave.

BEL. Your will commands, and mine obeys. [_Exeunt._