Tib.
We will command Their rank thoughts down, and with a stricter hand Than we have yet put forth; their trains must bate, Their t.i.tles, feasts, and factions.
Sej.
Or your state.
But how, sir, will you work!
Tib. Confine them.
Sej.
No.
They are too great, and that too faint a blow To give them now; it would have serv"d at first, When with the weakest touch their knot had burst.
But, now, your care must be, not to detect The smallest cord, or line of your suspect; For such, who know the weight of prince"s fear, Will, when they find themselves discover"d, rear Their forces, like seen snakes, that else would lie Roll"d in their circles, close: nought is more high, Daring, or desperate, than offenders found; Where guilt is, rage and courage both abound.
The course must be, to let them still swell up, Riot, and surfeit on blind fortune"s cup; Give them more place, more dignities, more style, Call them to court, to senate; in the while, Take from their strength some one or twain, or more, Of the main factors, (it will fright the store,) And, by some by-occasion. Thus, with slight You shall disarm them first; and they, in night Of their ambition, not perceive the train, Till in the engine they are caught and slain.
Tib.
We would not kill, if we knew how to save; Yet, than a throne, "tis cheaper give a grave.
Is there no way to bind them by deserts?
Sej.
Sir, wolves do change their hair, but not their hearts.
While thus your thought unto a mean is tied, You neither dare enough, nor do provide.
All modesty is fond: and chiefly where The subject is no less compell"d to bear, Than praise his sovereign"s acts.
Tib.
We can no longer Keep on our mask to thee, our dear Seja.n.u.s; Thy thoughts are ours, in all, and we but proved Their voice, in our designs, which by a.s.senting Hath more confirm"d us, than if beart"ning Jove Had, from his hundred statues, bid us strike, And at the stroke click"d all his marble thumbs.
But who shall first be struck?
Sej.
First Caius Silius; He is the most of mark, and most of danger: In power and reputation equal strong, Having commanded an imperial army Seven years together, vanquish"d Sacrovir In Germany, and thence obtain"d to wear The ornaments triumphal. His steep fall, By how much it doth give the weightier crack, Will send more wounding terror to the rest, Command them stand aloof, and give more way To our surprising of the princ.i.p.al.
Tib. But what, Sabinus?
Sej.
Let him grow a while, His fate is not yet ripe: we must not pluck At all together, lest we catch ourselves.
And there"s Arruntius too, he only talks.
But Sosia, Silius" wife, would be wound in Now, for she hath a fury in her breast, More than h.e.l.l ever knew; and would be sent Thither in time. Then is there one Cremutius Cordus, a writing fellow, they have got To gather notes of the precedent times, And make them into Annals; a most tart And bitter spirit, I hear; who, under colour Of praising those, doth tax the present state, Censures the men, the actions, leaves no trick, No practice unexamined, parallels The times, the governments; a profest champion For the old liberty-
Tib.
A perishing wretch!
As if there were that chaos bred in things, That laws and liberty would not rather choose To be quite broken, and ta"en hence by us, Than have the stain to be preserved by such.
Have we the means to make these guilty first?
Sej.
Trust that to me: let Caesar, by his power But cause a formal meeting of the senate, I will have matter and accusers ready.
Tib. But how? let us consult.
Sej.
We shall misspend The time of action. Counsels are unfit In business, where all rest is more pernicious Than rashness can be. Acts of this close kind Thrive more by execution than advice.
There is no lingering in that work begun, Which cannot praised be, until through done.
Tib.
Our edicts shall forthwith command a court.
While I can live, I will prevent earth"s fury: [Exit
Enter JULIUS POSTHUMUS.
Pos. My lord Seja.n.u.s----
Sej.
Julius Posthumus!
Come with my wish! What news from Agrippina"s?
Pos.
Faith, none. They all lock up themselves a" late, Or talk in character; I have not seen A company so changed. Except they had Intelligence by augury of our practice.----
Sej. When were you there?
Pos. Last night.
Sej. And what guests found you?
Pos. Sabinus, Silius, the old list, Arruntius, Furmus, and Gallus.
Sej. Would not these talk?
Pos.
Little: And yet we offer"d choice of argument. Satrius was with me.
Sej.
Well: "tis guilt enough Their often meeting. You forgot to extol The hospitable lady?
Pas.
No; that trick Was well put home, and had succeeded too, But that Sabinus cough"d a caution out; For she began to swell.
Sej.
And may she burst!
Julius, I would have you go instantly Unto the palace of the great Augusta, And, by your kindest friend, get swift access; Acquaint her with these meetings: tell the words You brought me the other day, of Silius, Add somewhat to them. Make her understand The danger of Sabinus, and the times, Out of his closeness. Give Arruntius" words Of malice against Caesar; so, to Gallus: But, above all, to Agrippina. Say, As you may truly, that her infinite pride, Propt with the hopes of her too fruitful womb, With popular studies gapes for sovereignty, And threatens Caesar. Pray Augusta then, That for her own, great Caesar"s, and the public safety, she be pleased to urge these dangers.
Caesar is too secure, he must be told, And best he"ll take it from a mother"s tongue.
Alas! what is"t for us to sound, to explore, To watch, oppose, plot, practise, or prevent, If he, for whom it is so strongly labour"d, Shall, out of greatness and free spirit, be Supinely negligent? our city"s now Divided as in time o" the civil war, And men forbear not to declare themselves Of Agrippina"s party. Every day The faction multiplies; and will do more, If not resisted: you can best enlarge it, As you find audience. n.o.ble Posthumus, Commend me to your Prisca: and pray her, She will solicit this great business, To earnest and most present execution, With all her utmost credit with Augusta.
Pos. I shall not fail in my instructions. [Exit.
Sej.
This second, from his mother, will well urge Our late design, and spur on Caesar"s rage; Which else might grow remiss. The way to put A prince in blood, is to present the shapes Of dangers, greater than they are, like late, Or early shadows; and, sometimes, to feign Where there are none, only to make him fear?
His fear will make him cruel: and once enter"d, He doth not easily learn to stop, or spare Where he may doubt. This have I made my rule, To thrust Tiberius into tyranny, And make him toil, to turn aside those blocks, Which I alone could not remove with safety, Drusus once gone, Germanicus" three sons Would clog my way; whose guards have too much faith To be corrupted: and their mother known Of too, too unreproved a chast.i.ty, To be attempted, as light Livia was.
Work then, my art, on Caesar"s fears, as they On those they fear "till all my lets be clear"d, And he in ruins of his house, and hate Of all his subjects, bury his own state; When with my peace and safety, I will rise, By making him the public sacrifice. [Exit.