MACRO

I herd so, Caesar. The humblest place in CAESARS choice, or trust, May make glad MACRO proud; without ambition: Save to do Caesar service. To go for Capreae presently: and there Give up your self, entirely, to your uncle. Tell Caesar (since your mother is accused To fly for succours to AUGUSTUS statue, And to the army, with your brothers) you Have rather chosen, to place your aides in him, Then live suspected; or in hourly fear To be thrust out, by bold SEIANU'S plots: Which, you shall confidently urge, to be Most full of peril to the state, and Caesar, As being laid to his peculiar ends, And not to be let run, with common safety. All which (upon the second) I'll make plain, So both shall love, and trust with Caesar gain. But, how comes MACRO So in trust, and favour, with CALIGULAM? And tell him it must early be proclaimed; The place, APOLLO Is temple. And at what hour? You do forget To send one for the Provost of the watch? GRACINUS LACO, You're a friend most welcome: by, and by, I'll speak with you. (You must procure this list Of the Praetorian cohorts, with the names Of the Centurions , and their Tribunes. I bring you letters, and a health from Caesar— (And hear you, with your note, Which are the eminent men, and most of Actium. Most worthy LACO, Caesar salutes you. ( Consul! death, and furies! Gone now?) the argument will please you, sir. (Hough! REGULUS? The anger of the gods Follow his diligent legs, and ouer'take them, In likeness of the gout.) Oh, good my lord, We lacked you present; I would pray you send Another to FULCINIUS TRIO, straight, To tell him, you will come, and speak with him: (The matter we'll devise) to stay him, there, While I, with LACO, do survey the watch. What are your strengths, GRACINUS? You see, what Caesar writes: and (—gone again? H'has sure a vein of mercury in his feet) Knew you, what store of the Praetorian soldiers SEIANUS holds, about him, for his guard? Three? good. And who be those Centurions? (When h'is away: Spite, on his nimble industry.) GRACINUS, You find what place you hold, there, in the trust Of royal Caesar? Sir, The honours, there proposed, are but beginnings Of his great favours. I herd him When he did study, what to add— You were his own first choice; Which does confirm as much, as you can speak: And will (if we succeed) make more— Your guards Are seven cohorts, you say? Those we must Hold still in readiness, and undischarged. Be done without suspicion, you'll object? The Senate shall be met, and set So early, in the temple, as all mark Of that will be avoided. (That secret would have burnt his reverend mouth, Had he not spit it out, now:) by the gods, You carry things too—let me borrow'a man, Or two, to bear these— That of freeing DRUSUS, Caesar projected as the last, and utmost; Not else to be remembered. These to ARRUNTIUS, these to LEPIDUS, This bear to COTTAM, this to LATIARIS. If they demand you'of me: say, I have taken Fresh horse, and am departed. You (my lord) To your colleague, and be you sure, to hold him With long narration, of the new fresh favours, Meant to SEIANUS, his great patron; I, With trusted LACO, here, are for the guards: Then, to divide. For, night hath many eyes, Whereof, though most do sleep, yet some are spies. About the noon of night. I have been, since I came, with both the Consuls , On a particular design from Caesar. Right plentifully well; as, with a prince, That still holds out the great proportion Of his large favours, where his judgement hath Made once divine election: Like the God, That wants not, nor is wearied to bestow Where merit meets his bounty, as it does In you, already the most happy, and ere The sun shall climb the south, most high SEIANUS. Let not my lord be' amused. For, to this end Was I by Caesar sent for, to the isle, With special caution to conceal my journey; And, thence, had my dispatch as privately Again to Room ; charged to come here by night; And, only to the Consuls , make narration Of his great purpose: that the benefit Might come more full, and striking, by how much It was less looked for, or aspired by you, Or least informed to the common thought. If bade, I should for ever loath my self, To be the messenger to so good a lord. I do exceed m' instructions, to acquaint Your lordship with thus much; but it's my venture On your retentive wisdom: and, because I would no jealous scruple should molest Or rack your peace of thought. For, I assure My noble lord, no Senator yet knows The business meant: though all, by several letters, Are warned to be there, and give their voices, Only to add unto the state, and grace Of what is purposed. That which follows, The tribunicial dignity, and power: Both which SEIANUS is to have this day Conferred upon him, and by public Senate. My lord, I have no longer time, the day approaches, And I must back to Caesar. That I forgotten to tell your lordship. Why, He lingers yonder, about Capreae , Disgraced; Tiberius hath not seen him yet: He needs would thrust himself to go with me, Against my wish, or will, but I have quit His forward trouble, with as tardy note As my neglect, or silence could afford him. Your lordship cannot now command me ought, Because, I take no knowledge that I saw you, But I shall boast to live to serve your lordship: And so take leave. If you shall hear commotion in the Senate , Present your self: and charge on any man Shall offer to come forth. Fit still, and unaffrighted, reverend Father's. MACRO, by CAESARS grace, the new-made Provost , And now possessed of the Praetorian bans, And honour late belonged to that proud man, Bids you, be safe: and to your constant doom Of his deservings, offers you the surety Of all the soldiers, tribunes , and centurions , Received in our command. I, thou, Thou insolent monster, art bid stand. Come down Typhoeus , If mine be most, lo, thus I make it more; Kick up thy heals in air, tear off thy robe, Play with thy beard, and nostrils. Thus it's fit, (And no man take compassion of thy state) To use th'ingratefull viper, tread his brains Into the earth. If I could loose All my humanity now, 'twere well to torture So meriting a traitor. Wherefore, Father's , Fit you amazed, and silent? and not censure This wretch, who in the hour he first rebelled against CAESARS bounty, did condemn himself? P'hlegra , the field, where all the sons of earth Mustered against the gods, did never acknowledge So proud, and huge a monster. Forth, thou prodigy of men.