AGRIPPINA

Farewell, noble SILIUS. SOSIA stays with us? How can that be, when there's no gain, but virtuous? Yo'are too suspicious, SILIUS. What? Dying? Yo'were with him, yesternight. This's quick! what should be his disease? How, SILIUS! Good SILIUS do. SOSIA, and I will in. I must have vengeance, first: and that were nectar Unto my famished spirits. Oh, my fortune, Let it be sudden thou preparest against me; Strike all my powers of understanding blind, And ignorant of destiny to come: Let me not fear, that cannot hope. Is this the happiness of being born great? Still to be aimed at? still to be suspected? To live the subject of all jealousy's? At least the colour made, if not the ground To every painted danger? who would not Choose once to fallen, then thus to hang for ever? What, my GALLUS? Be lewd SEIANUS strumpet? Or the baud To CAESARS lustest, he now is gone to practice? Not these are safe, where nothing is. Your self, While thus you stand but by me, are not safe. Was SILIUS safe? or the good SOSIA safe? Or was my niece, deer CLAUDIA PULCHRA safe? Or innocent FURNIUS? They, that latest have (By being made guilty) added reputation To AFERS eloquence? Oh, foolish friends, Could not so fresh example warn your loves, But you must buy my favours, with that lose Unto your selves: and, when you might perceive That CAESARS cause of raging must forsake him, Before his will? Away, good GALLUS, leave me. Here to be seen, is danger; to speak, treason: To do me least observance, is called faction. You are unhappy in me, and I in all. Where are my sons? NERO? and DRUSUS? We Are they, be shot at; Let us fallen apart: Not, in our ruins, sepulchre our friends. Or shall we do some Actium, Like offence, To mock their studies, that would make us faulty? And frustrate practice, by preventing it? The danger's Like: for, what they can contrive, They will make good. No innocence is safe, When power contests. Nor can they trespass more, Whose only being was all crime, before. And power, to turn those ruins all on us; And bury whole posterities beneath them. NERO, and DRUSUS, and CALIGULAM, Your places are the next, and therefore most In their offence. Think on your birth, and blood, Awake your spirits, meet their violence, It's princely, when a tyrant does oppose; And is a fortune sent to exercise Your virtue, as the wind does try strong trees: Who by vexation grow more found, and firm. After your father's fallen, and uncle's fate, What can you hope, but all the change of stroke That force, or slight can give? then stand upright; And though you do not act, yet suffer nobly: Be worthy of my womb, and take strong cheer; What we do know will come, we should not fear. Returned so soon? renewed in trust, and grace? Is Caesar then so weak? or hath the place But wrought this alteration, with the air; And he, on next remove, will all repair? MACRO, thou art engaged: and what before Was public; now, must be thy private, more. The weal of Caesar, fitness did imply; But thine own fate confers necessity On thy employment: and the thoughts born nearest Unto our selves, move swiftest still, and dearest. If he recover, thou art lost: yea, all The weight of preparation to his fallen Will turn on thee, and crush thee. Therefore, strike Before he settle, to prevent the Like Upon thy self. He does his vantage know, That makes it home, and gives the foremost blow.