ishments,
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.

Arr.
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.

Lep.
Ay, but his fear
Would ne'er be mask'd, allbe his vices were.

Pom. His lordship then is still in grace?

Ter.
Assure you,
Never in more, either of grace or power.

Pom. The gods are wise and just.

Arr.
The fiends they are,
To suffer thee belie 'em.

Ter.
I have here
His last and present letters, where he writes him,
The partner of his cares, and his Sejanus.----

Lac.
But is that true? it is prohibited
To sacrifice unto him?

Ter.
Some such thing
Caesar makes scruple of, but forbids it not;
No more than to himself: says he could wish
It were forborn to all.

Lac. Is it no other?

Ter.
No other, on my trust. For your more surety,
Here is that letter too.

Arr.
How easily
Do wretched men believe, what they would have!
Looks this like plot?

Lep. Noble Arruntius, stay.

Lac. He names him here without his titles.

Lep. Note!

Arr. Yes, and come off your notable fool. I will

Lac. No other than Sejanus.

Pom.
That's but hast