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 principal.
Tib. But what,d 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 hell 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,

c Tacit. Lib. Ann. iii. p. 63, et Lib. iv. p. 79.

d Tacit. ibid.

c Tacit. ibid.

Vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 83. Dio. Hist. Rom. Lib. Ivii. p. 710, et Sen. Cons. ad Marc. cap. 1, et fusius, cap. 22.

Than have the stain to be preserved by such.
Have we the means to make these guilty first?
Sej. Trust that to me: let Cæsar, 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 mispend

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 edict shall forth with command a court.*
While I can live, I will prevent earth's fury:
Ἐμε θανόντα γαῖα μιχθήτω πυρί.

/h

Enter JULIUS POSTHUMUS.

Pos. My lord Sejanus

Sej. Julius Posthumus!

[Exit.

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, Furnius, and Gallus.

& Edicto ut plurimum Senatores in curiam vocatos constat. Tacit. Ann. Lib i. p. 3.

Vulgaris quidam versus, quem sæpe Tiber. recitasse memoratur. Dion. Hist. Rom. Lib. lviii. p. 729.

i De Julio Postumo, vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 77.

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.

The hospitable lady?

Pos. No; that trick

You forgot to extol *

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 wordsTM
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 Cæsar; 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 Cæsar. Pray Augusta then,
That for her own, great Cæsar's, and the pub-
Lic safety, she be pleased to urge these dangers.
Cæsar 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,

k Proximi Agrip. inliciebantur pravis sermonibus tumidos spiritus perstimulare. Tacit. ibid.

1 Mutilia Prisca, quæ in animum Augustæ valida. Tac. ibid. m Verba Silii immodice jactata, vid. apud Tac. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 79.

n Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 77.

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 inlarge it,
As you find audience. Noble 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 Cæsar'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 P
Would clog my way; whose guards have too
much faith

To be corrupted: and their mother known
Of too, too unreproved a chastity,

• Hæc apud Tacit. leg. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 79.

P Quorum non dubia successio, neque spargi venenum in tres poterat, &c. vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 77.

To be attempted, as light Livia was.
Work then, my art, on Cæsar'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.

SCENE III.

A Room in Agrippina's House.

Enter SATRIUS and NATTA.

[Exit.

Sat. They're grown exceeding circumspect, and wary.

Nat. They have us in the wind: and yet Arruntius

Cannot contain himself.

Sat. Tut, he's not yet

Look'd after; there are others more desired,
That are more silent.

Nat. Here he comes. Away.

9

[Exeunt.

Enter SABINUS, ARRUNTIUS, and CORDUS.

Sab. How is it, that these beagles haunt the house

Of Agrippina?

Arr. O, they hunt,' they hunt!

There is some game here lodged, which they

must rouse,

To make the great ones sport.

a Silius, Sabinus, de quibus supra.

Tib. tempor. delatores genus hon.inum publico exitio repertum, et panis quidem nunquam satis coërcitum, per præmia eliciebantur. Tac. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 82.