capita servarat Sen P. In the same place where the people drawne by the reputation of his eloquence pressed to follow him where they gaue eare vnto his seruiceable speeches which haue preserued so many heads he is now made a spectacle vnto his citizens not with the same ioy or in the same manner they had admired him liuing and intire but the blood couering his head and disfiguring his visage the same head which in former time commanded in the Senate and was the ornament of the Romane name now serues for a recompence to him who did seperate it from his body All their hearts burst forth into teares and lamentations when they beheld his right hand the instrument of his diuine eloquence made fast vnto his head Caeterorum caedes privatorum luctus exciâ—averunt illa una communes the death of all besides himselfe were but particularly lamented all did ioyne in mourning for this generall losse we are not onely to beleeue the greatnesse but to admire the number of his vertues when he saw what they meant to Brutus Optimè meruit de posteris ad quos veniet incorrupta rerum fides Cassius and Sextus Pompeius he spake these words euery thing displeaseh me but death Cordus did write the history of his owne time and it may be that leauing the truth vntainted to posterity he spake honourably of those that suffred death in defence of their ancient liberty for the feare of death excuseth not him which offendeth against the truth to please fortune To publish false storie or to giue false instructions vnto them that write is but to murther them that passe thorow the high way of beleefe retaining in his discourse the same liberty which hee had done in his writings he contemned the pride of Seianus and to deliuer himselfe from the hands of so puissant a man made it knowne that he was truely a man with drawing himselfe from the number of miserable men This misery was not so frequent amongst the Romans while Germanicus liued Dion saith that often opinions past against his and that hee was not offended these two lions as yet kept in their clawes feare ruled the actions of Tiberius and necessity bridled the insolency of Seianus Dion saith that so long as Germanicus liued Tiberius did nothing of himselfe he restored all manner of affaires to the Senate administred iustice by the aduise of them who assisted him thought good that euery man should giue his aduise Tiberius was wont to say I am Lord of slaues Emperour of souldiers and prince of all the rest suffered himselfe to bee contradicted and sometimes taken vp in his opinions Hee would not permit himselfe to bee called Lord but of slaues and Emperour onely of the souldiers he flatly refused the title of Father of the Countrey in speeches and petitions he passed by the name of Augustus and in his dispatches to Kings and contented himselfe euery where else with the name of Caesar and prince of the Senate his ordinary wishes were that the heauens might grant him life so long as the commonwealth should haue need of his seruice Germanicus liuing All this was during the life of Germanicus but after his death all was changed his birth day was not solemnized they neuer swore by his fortune they erected him neither statue nor temple when he passed thorow the the Citie there was neither Senator Patrician Romane Knight nor any other Lord of quality in his traine comporting himselfe in all things as if hee had liued vnder a popular gouernment so farre as to make funerall orations for particular persons If he did commit any violence it was coloured and cloaked with apparances of reason or necessity Ambition lurks for a long time after to appeare great or if it were secret it was so carried that it neuer came to light Clement a famous Impostor murthered his master Agrippa Posthumus the grand child of Augustus The Emperour Augustus to please Liuia did banish him to the Isle of Plauesia Vetita occultis primum sermonibus crebrescunt Tac. and because they were of the same yeares and proportion he caused a report to be raised secretly as a thing dangerous after published as pleasing newes that Agrippa was aliue for it is true that the Emperors mother caused him to be slaine immediatly after the death of Augustus Whose memory was so deare and venerable that vnder this name he found friends in Gaule succour in Italy and credence in Rome the people crying and beleeuing that the Gods had reserued him for the good of the Empire Tiberius considering that fame and legerity supported this fable Veritas visu mora falsa festinatione incertis valescunt and that there could not so little credit bee giuen to it but that it might preiudice his affaires made meanes to intrappe him by some who fained themselues to be of his plot when he was before him he maruelled that hee did so handsomely mannage this imposture and asked him by what title doe you make your selfe Agrippa Percontanti Tiberio quomodo Agrippa factus esset respondisse fertur quomodo tu Caesar Tac. the gallant replyed by the same thou makest thy selfe Caesar Torments could not wrest from him the names of his accomplices and although Tiberius knew well that he was assisted with mony and counsell by men of the greatest ranke Inanis credulitas tempore ipso vanescit yet he made no inquiry after them he put him to death without noyse and there was no more spoken of it Tiberius then had cause to reckon the death of Germanicus amongst the happiest daies of his life and Seianus ranked it amongst the greatest stroakes of his fortunes but the same enmity they bore towards the Father they continued to his Children dissembling it neuertheles as much as they could because it should not appeare but in conuenient time and couering it with shewes of affection towards them Tiberius intreated the Senate to dispence with the age of Nero Neronem è liberis Germanici iam ingressum iuventam commendavit patribus non sine risu audientium Ta. Congiarium pleb Ta. Vt illa secundis ita hoc adversis animis acceptum Tacit. Iason tyrant of Pheres said that he would die of hunger if he did faile of the tyranny for he could not liue Idiot Idiot is a priuate person to vndergoe publike offices and at fifteene yeares to be made a Questor which office was neuer borne before two and twenty he was also named high Priest and at the day of his entry to this office he made largesse of prouisions to the people which reioyced to see the children of Germanicus in a flourishing youthfulnes For increase of ioy he espoused Iulia the daughter of Drusus but all was conuerted to disdaine when they saw that the daughter of Seianus was affianced to Drusus the sonne of Claudius esteeming this great house to bee dishonoured by that alliance and
was accompanied with so many thwartings that his faithfulnesse found no fauour nor his counsell any credence in the heart of this young Prince who being not affrighted by encountring of things impossible eleuated his thoughts aboue his dutie threatning the Sunne of obscuritie the Ocean of bondage whence arose those thoughts of greatnesse which troubled those of the Emperor His affection to his Countrey his faith to his Prince obliged him to watch ouer his actions which he found alwaies so bold and high Nec in astra lenta veniet vianter ruina quaeret Sen. Tr. that he beleeued that this young Hercules had not yet attempted to mount aboue the Starres neither handsomely nor peaceably and that hee would enter by a breach to the ruine of the Empire These designes of an vnbridled ambition could not come to any happy end and Piso was not a whit astonished Necesse est opprimant onera quae ferenti maiora sunt Sen. when the Priest of the oracle of Apollo told him at Colophon that he should not continue there very long for the charge which hee had vndertaken was too weighty for his forces But as Princes loue better to be flattered in their errors than aduertised in their duties Malo veris offendere quà m placere adulando Sen. he presently remained distasted that Piso loued rather to displease him with truth than to be agreeable to him with flattery He conceiued that his freenesse was presumption when he shewed him the way from which hee had swarued and that which he ought to hold especially when he told him that he did wrong to the Maiestie of the Empire when he treated common men so respectiuely and so courteously that sinke of Athenians Quod colluviem illam nationum comitate nimia coluisset Tac. who alwaies followed the party contrary to ours neither was it euer without some practise of reuolt towards vs hauing assisted Mithridates against Sylla Antony against Augustus Inter alia dominationis arcana Augustus vetitis seposuit Aegiptum Ta. Levi praesidioingentes exercitus coercentur Tac. Was it by the counsell of Piso that he went into Aeypt against the ancient ordinance of Augustus who left it you for a secret of estate neuer to to permit great persons to goe into Aegypt because reuolting against vs they might there with a few men resist a great army and prohibiting the bringing of corne from thence might famish Italy Call to your memory O Caesar but let nothing of importance escape you the displeasure you receiued when Piso aduertised you that this young Prince directed all his actions to vanity and ambition In vulgus grata sine milite incedere pedibus intectus pari cum Graecis amictu Ta. that to gaine the hearts of the people he gaue them great gratuities of mony and of corne that he marched without guards on foot meanely attended and went apparelled after the Greeke manner as at another time Scipio had done All the furies of hell could not inuent a more detestable Calumny then of this poyson whereof Piso is accused Tenus mendacium pellucet Se. but it is so minced and subtile that falshood may be transparently seene through it How is it possible that you Vitellius who haue your eyes open and a cleare iudgement Non minus vitandum supervacanea dicere quam contraria Sen. not to speake of superfluous things you now affirme contrary What apparance is there that Piso eating at the table of Germanicus who alwaies obserued him diligently had the leisure to take the poison to rub his fingers to waste his victualls Absurdum inter aliena seruitia tot astantium visu Tacit. Is this easie in another mans house in the presence of a Prince to whom they giue so much trust who hath so many eies that watch ouer all Si patrem pulsaverit manus ei praecidatur Se. If this be true let Piso consent not that the hand which hath done this Parricide may be cut off but that the heart which hath conceiued it may be pluck't aliue out of his breast Offerebat familiam reus ministrosin tormenta Ta. and that to finde out the truth none may hinder but that the racke may be giuen to all his family and all his seruants There is nothing so foule as an iniury which returneth against him that hath spoken it Plut. He is not altogether without fault there is no man exempt Diamonds haue their blemishes the fairest visages their spots but he is neither wicked nor a traitor Those that reproach him of pride are not without arrogance if he be cholerick they are violent he neuer attempted against the life of princes If he hath exercised any seuerity in his charge hee rather did it out of duty then of his owne inclination It is for Princes to seeke to make themselues to be beloued Magistrates ought to be more curious to make themselues to bee feared than to be beloued There is nothing so naturall as to hat◠those who persecute vs. and for Magistrates to make themselues to be feared If he failed in his respect and affection towards Germanicus it is also a very hard matter to be constrained to loue those who haue resolued and sworne ones ruine Germanicus as all great men had written the seruices of Piso in the sands and all his offences in Marble if wee may so call those sincere and faithfull aduises which he gaue vnto him for his good gouernment He confessed that Germanicus his death had drawne out of his heart a growing thorne and a wearisome feare that he was very ioyfull to see his house deliuered from so puissant an enemy Tiberius from a Nephew so ambitious the Empire from a Prince so vndertaking Germanicus would haue ruined Piso and the heauens ruined Germanicus and by his death made him know that there is a Iustice aboue The Eagle hauing snatcht vp the little rabbets the damme vndermines the tree and throwes downe the Eagles nest and the Eaglets remaine at her mercy Mala impia consuetudo contra Deos disputandi sive ex animo id fiat sive simulate Cic. that auengeth the violences of the great ones vpon the little ones It is permitted to them to spit in our faces or to set their feete vpon our throates to raise themselues aboue vs yet the smallest liuing Creatures haue had Iustice ouer the Eagle There is nothing so sweete as reuenge what soeuer it cost this is a viand which one may swallow downe without chewing But Piso neuer attempted against his life although he desired his death and being assured that it was naturall this is a great wickednesse to faine that it was violent the gods would haue it so It is not permitted to dispute neither with studied arguments nor by way of discourse of their power If he had sought to gaine any credite amongst the men of warre this was but onely to lessen that of Germanicus
them assurance they conducted them before the Emperor who taking them by the hands said My friends when these children lost their father I sent them vnto my sonne Drusus their cosen and intreated him although he had children himselfe to haue as much care of them as of his owne bloud to bring them vp and conserue them for himselfe and posterity But now that Drusus is snatched away from them I adresse my prayers vnto you and coniure you before the Gods and our countrey that in doing that which is my duty and yours you will take the care and conduct of the Nephewes of Augustus which are descended from famous and illustrous persons And then casting his eyes vpon the little ones he said My deare Nero and you Drusus these Lords you see here are your fathers the condition of your birth is such that the Commonweale hath intrest both in the good and euill which you doe The Senate made no answere but by their teares their vowes and prayers and this discourse had beene much more for the honour of Tiberius if he had not added hereunto the very same promises wherewith he had so often deluded them that he would restore Rome to her former liberty and leaue the gouernment either to the Consuls or to some others These last words were so farre from the intention of him that vttered them and the beliefe of the hearers that they tooke from the fromer all the beliefe which truth and honesty might haue giuen them All this was but meere iugling for this bad Prince thought of nothing more than how vtterly to ruine Germanicus his house Vana irrisa vero honesto fidem adimunt Ta. which Drusus his death began againe to bring into credit They performed his funeralls after the same order that those of Germanicus were and many other magnificences were added thereunto for the last flatteries are alwaies the most liberall Tiberius himselfe made the funerall Oration as Augustus made that of Agrippa his sonne in law Addit semper aliud posterior adulatio Ta. There was a vaile laid betwixt the dead and him because he should not see the body for the high Priest was a sacred thing it was not permitted him to looke vpon any mournfull obiect So Philo reporteth that the high Priest of the Iewes alwayes to keepe his soule pure neuer saw any mournfull thing the very Statues of the Gods were couered or transported from those places where any punishment was inflicted and Claudius caused the Statue of Augustus to bee taken away from the Theatre of the gladiatours because it should not be present at the murthers or it was alwayes vailed euery one wept for him who wept not himselfe at all for that obiect so sad and feeling had not the power to soften his gratuity Flente populo non flegit vultum Sen. obseruing without any preturbation the people who bewayled his losse whereof himselfe had no feeling Seianus who stood by him admired his constancy but made no vse of it Seiano ad latus stanti experiedum si dedit quam patienter posset suos perdere Sen. for this did notably shew of what temper this princes heart was carrying the losse of so deare a person so patiently did he thinke that this Prince who had so little relentment of the death of his sonne would care for that of his seruants hee should haue beene more subtill to haue knowne the humour of his master who made vse of him as of a cloake or gabardaine in foule weather to throw it away when it was past Seianus dreamed of nothing but to ruine the house of Germanicus and that accomplished Tiberius will ruine him for then he will haue no more imployment for him he serues his turne with him now as with a good horse when the horseman findes him ready he spures forward and makes him goe where he pleaseth and in the end kills him This mighty power of Seianus was not solely managed by violence auarice must haue her part Quicquid non acquiritur damnum est Sen. and made him thinke all which he acquired not to be lost Dion saith that he was heire to all them that died without children this iniust cupiditie wrought the death of Lepida a noble Romane dame and Suetonius hauing declared how he procured the death of Lentulus the Augure that he might haue no heire but him hee addes the pursuite he made against Lepida to be for no other cause Ingratiam Quiriâ— consularis praedivitis orbi Ta. but to gratifie Quirinus her husband a very wealthy man and without children The proceeding reported by Tacitus is strange she kept not company with her husband for the space of twenty yeares when he accused her of adultery poysoning and faining her selfe to haue a child Tiberius said she consulted with the Chaldeans against his person and his house Exemit Drusum dicenda primo loco sententia ne caeteris assentiendi necessitas fierit Ta. he would not haue Drusus deliuer his mind first in her iudgement to the end they may freely deliuer their opinions and not to compell them to follow him There were playes to bee shewen during the processe Lepidae did accompany the chiefest and most illustrious dames of the Citie enioying the priuiledge of the Romans who were not imprisoned during their accusation nor after iudgement if it were not capitall Entring the Theatre of Pompey she turned her eyes towards his images which were there in diuers places Amm Marcellinus Rankes the Theater of Pompey inter decora vrbis aeternae Adstantes effusi in lacrimas saeua detestanda Quirino clamitant and implored his succour from whom she was descended This was with dolefull lamentation and abundance of teares which moued the people and principally the women to compassion and to powre forth reproaches against Quirinus calling him an vnworthy man to deale so cruelly with a woman who hauing beene promised to L. Caesar Augustus his sonne Livia cui semper Emiliorum decus L. Sulla ac Cn. Pompeius proavierant Ta. did him a great deale of honour to marry him as if they would faine say vnto the good man that because hee was old had no children and of a low degree his wife had cause to make him carry the hornes The processe being prepared their opinions inclined to commiseration of a woman of a great house liuing twenty yeares asunder from her husband and the accusations against her were proued but by slaues But Rubellius Blandus concluded with banishment Adsensit Drusus quamvis alij minores Ta. Drusus was of his opinion and reduced those which proceeded not with that rigor A Prince should not be the first nor the last to deliuer his opinion he is to conclude and determine Quo loco censebis Caesar si primus habebo quod sequar si post omnes vereor no impudens dissentiam Ta. These words were brauely spoken by Piso vnto Tiberius in the