MINUTIUS.
Do you hear so?
LACO.
Yes.
POMPONIUS.
By Castor, that’s the worst.
ARRUNTIUS.
By Pollux, best.
MINUTIUS.
I did not like the sign, when Regulus,
Whom all we know no friend unto Sejanus,
Did, by Tiberius’ so precise command,
Succeed a fellow in the consulship:
It boded somewhat.
POMPONIUS.
Not a mote. His partner,
Fulcinius Trio, is his own, and sure.—
Here comes Terentius.
Enter Terentius.
He can give us more.
[They whisper with Terentius.]
LEPIDUS.
I’ll ne’er believe, but Cæsar hath some scent
Of bold Sejanus’ footing. These cross points
Of varying letters, and opposing consuls,
Mingling his honours and his punishments,
Feigning now ill, now well, raising Sejanus,
And then depressing him, as now of late
In all reports we have it, cannot be
Empty of practice: ’tis Tiberius’ art.
For having found his favourite grown too great,
And with his greatness strong; that all the soldiers
Are, with their leaders, made a his devotion;
That almost all the senate are his creatures,
Or hold on him their main dependencies,
Either for benefit, or hope, or fear;
And that himself hath lost much of his own,
By parting unto him; and, by th’ increase
Of his rank lusts and rages, quite disarm’d
Himself of love, or other public means,
To dare an open contestation;
His subtilty hath chose this doubling line,
To hold him even in: not so to fear him,
As wholly put him out, and yet give check
Unto his farther boldness. In mean time,
By his employments, makes him odious
Unto the staggering rout, whose aid, in fine,
He hopes to use, as sure, who, when they sway.
Bear down, o’erturn all objects in their way.
ARRUNTIUS.
You may be a Lynceus, Lepidus: yet I
See no such cause, but that a politic tyrant,
Who can so well disguise it, should have ta’en
A nearer way: feign’d honest, and come home
To cut his throat, by law.