disposes every dignity, Centurions, tribunes, heads of provinces, Praetors and consuls; all that heretofore Rome’s general suffrage gave, is now his sale. The gain, or rather spoil of all the earth, One, and his house, receives. SILIUS. He hath of late Made him a strength too, strangely, by reducing All the prætorian bands into one camp, Which he commands: pretending that the soldiers, By living loose and scatter’d, fell to riot; And that if any sudden enterprise Should be attempted, their united strength Would be far more than sever’d; and their life More strict, if from the city more removed. SABINUS. Where, now, he builds what kind of forts he please, Is heard to court the soldier by his name, Woos, feasts the chiefest men of action, Whose wants, not loves, compel them to be his. And though he ne’er were liberal by kind, Yet to his own dark ends, he’s most profuse, Lavish, and letting fly, he cares not what To his ambition. ARRUNTIUS. Yet, hath he ambition? Is there that step in state can make him higher, Or more, or anything he is, but less? SILIUS. Nothing but emperor. ARRUNTIUS. The name Tiberius, I hope, will keep, howe’er he hath foregone The dignity and power. SILIUS. Sure, while he lives. ARRUNTIUS. And dead, it comes to Drusus. Should he fail, To the brave issue of Germanicus; And they are three: too many-ha? for him To have a plot upon! SABINUS. I do not know The heart of his designs; but, sure, their face Looks farther than the present. ARRUNTIUS. By the gods, If I could guess he had but such a thought, My sword should cleave him down from head to heart, But I would find it out: and with my hand I’d hurl his panting brain about the air In mites, as small as atomi, to undo The knotted bed- SABINUS. You are observ’d, Arruntius. ARRUNTIUS. [turns to Natta, Terentius, etc.] Death! I dare tell him so; and all his spies: You, sir, I would, do you look? and you. SABINUS. Forbear. SCENE II.—(The former scene continued.) A Gallery discovered opening into the state Room.
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