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, 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. 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. POSTHUMUS. I shall not fail in my instructions. [Exit.] SEJANUS. 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 Would clog my way; whose guards have too much faith To be corrupted: and their mother known Of too, too unreproved a chastity, 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. [Exit.] SCENE III.—A Room in AGRIPPINA’S House. Enter Satrius and Natta. Satrius Natta SATRIUS. They’re grown exceeding circumspect, and wary. NATTA. They have us in the wind: and yet Arruntius Cannot contain himself.
Prev.
Back
Top