Sejanus: His Fall Part 15

Sil. What am I? speak.

Var. An enemy to the state.

Sil.

Because I am an enemy to thee, And such corrupted ministers o' the state, That here art made a present instrument To gratify it with thine own disgrace.

Sej.

This, to the consul, is most insolent, And impious.

Sil.

Ay, take part. Reveal yourselves, Alas! I scent not your confederacies, Your plots, and combinations! I not know Minion Seja.n.u.s hates me: and that all, This boast of law, and law, is but a form, A net of Vulcan's filing, a mere ingine, To take that life by a pretext of justice, Which you pursue in malice! I want brain, Or nostril to persuade me, that your ends, And purposes are made to what they are, Before my answer! O, you equal G.o.ds, Whose justice not a world of wolf-turn'd men Shall make me to accuse, howe'er provoked; Have I for this so oft engaged myself?

Stood in the heat and fervour of a fight, When Phoebus sooner hath forsook the day Than I the field, against the blue-eyed Gauls, And crisped Germans? when our Roman eagles Have fann'd the fire, with their labouring wings, And no blow dealt, that left not death behind it?

When I have charged, alone, into the troops Of curl'd Sicambrians, routed them, and came Not off, with backward ensigns of a slave; But forward marks, wounds on my breast and face, Were meant to thee, O Caesar, and thy Rome?

And have I this return! did I, for this, Perform so n.o.ble and so brave defeat On Sacrovir! O Jove, let it become me To boast my deeds, when he whom they concern, Shall thus forget them.

Afer.

Silius, Silius, These are the common customs of thy blood, When it is high with wine, as now with rage: This well agrees with that intemperate vaunt, Thou lately mad'st at Agrippina's table, That, when all other of the troops were p.r.o.ne To fall into rebellion, only thine Remain'd in their obedience. Thou wert he That saved the empire, which had then been lost Had but thy legions, there, rebell'd, or mutined; Thy virtue met, and fronted every peril.

Thou gav'st to Caesar, and to Rome their surety; Their name, their strength, their spirit, and their state, Their being was a donative from thee.

Arr. Well worded, and most like an orator.

Tib. Is this true, Silius?

Sil.

Save thy question, Caesar; Thy spy of famous credit hath affirm'd it.

Arr. Excellent Roman!

Sab. He doth answer stoutly.

Sej.

If this be so, there needs no farther cause Of crime against him.

Var.

What can more impeach The royal dignity and state of Caesar, Than to be urged with a benefit He cannot pay?

Cot.

In this, all Ceesar's fortune Is made unequal to the courtesy.

Lat. His means are clean destroyed that should requite.

Gal. Nothing is great enough for Silius' merit.

Arr. Gallus on that side too! [Aside.

Sil.

Come, do not hunt, And labour so about for circ.u.mstance, To make him guilty whom you have foredoom'd: Take shorter ways, I'll meet your purposes.

The words were mine, and more I now will say: Since I have done thee that great service, Caesar, Thou still hast fear'd me; and in place of grace, Return'd me hatred: so soon all best turns, With doubtful princes, turn deep injuries In estimation, when they greater rise Than can be answer'd. Benefits, with you, Are of no longer pleasure, than you can With ease restore them; that transcended once, Your studies are not how to thank, but kill.

It is your nature, to have all men slaves To you, but you acknowledging to none.

The means that make your greatness, must not come In mention of it; if it do, it takes So much away, you think: and that which help'd, Shall soonest perish, if it stand in eye, Where it may front, or but upbraid the high.

Got. Suffer him speak no more.

Var. Note but his spirit.

Afer. This shews him in the rest.

Lat. Let him be censured.

Sej. He hath spoke enough to prove him Caesar's foe.

Got. His thoughts look through his words.

Sej. A censure.

Sil.

Stay, Stay, most officious senate, I shall straight Delude thy fury. Silius hath not placed His guards within him, against fortune's spite, So weakly, but he can escape your gripe That are but hands of fortune: she herself, When virtue doth oppose, must lose her threats!

All that can happen in humanity, The frown of Caesar, proud Seja.n.u.s' hatred, Base Varro's spleen, and Afer's b.l.o.o.d.ying tongue, The senate's servile flattery, and these Muster'd to kill, I'm fortified against; And can look down upon: they are beneath me.

It is not life whereof I stand enamour'd; Nor shall my end make me accuse my fate.

The coward and the valiant man must fall, Only the cause and manner how, discerns them: Which then are gladdest, when they cost us dearest.

Romans, if any here be in this senate, Would know to mock Tiberius' tyranny, Look upon Silius, and so learn to die. [Stabs himself.

Var. O desperate act!

Arr. An honourable hand!

Tib. Look, is he dead?

Sab. 'Twas n.o.bly struck, and home.

Arr.

My thought did prompt him to it. Farewell. Silius.

Be famous ever for thy great example.

Tib.

We are not pleased in this sad accident, That thus hath stalled, and abused our mercy, Intended to preserve thee, n.o.ble Roman, And to prevent thy hopes.

Arr.

Excellent wolf!

Now he is full he howls. [Aside.

Sej.

Caesar doth wrong His dignity and safety thus to mourn The deserv'd end of so profest a traitor, And doth, by this his lenity, instruct Others as factious to the like offence.

Tib.

The confiscation merely of his state Had been enough.

Arr. O, that was gaped for then? [Aside.