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 Sejanus’ hatred,
   Base Varro’s spleen, and Afer’s bloodying 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 nobly 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, noble 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.

Var.  Remove the body.

Sej.  Let citation Go out for Sosia.

Gal. 
   Let her be proscribed: 
   And for the goods, I think it fit that half
   Go to the treasure, half unto the children.

Lep. 
   With leave of Caesar, I would think that fourth,
   The which the law doth cast on the informers,
   Should be enough; the rest go to the children. 
   Wherein the prince shall shew humanity,
   And bounty; not to force them by their want,
   Which in their parents’ trespass they deserv’d,
   To take ill courses.

Tib.  It shall please us.

Arr. 
   Ay,
   Out of necessity.  This Lepidus
   Is grave and honest, and I have observed
   A moderation still in all his censures.