Sab. 
   And bending to the better—–­Stay, who’s this?

Enter Satrius and Natta, with Cremutius Cordus guarded.

Cremutius Cordus!  What! is he brought in?

Arr. 
   More blood into the banquet!  Noble Cordus,
   I wish thee good:  be as thy writings, free,
   And honest.

Tib.  What is he?

Sej.  For the Annals, Caesar.

Prae.  Cremutius Cordus!

Cor.  Here.

Prae. 
   Satrius Secundus,
   Pinnarius Natta, you are his accusers.

Arr. 
   Two of Sejanus’ blood-hounds, whom he breeds
   With human flesh, to bay at citizens.

Afer.  Stand forth before the senate, and confront him.

Sat. 
   I do accuse thee here, Cremutius Cordus,
   To be a man factious and dangerous,
   A sower of sedition in the state,
   A turbulent and discontented spirit,
   Which I will prove from thine own writings, here,
   The Annals thou hast publish’d; where thou bit’st
   The present age, and with a viper’s tooth,
   Being a member of it, dar’st that ill
   Which never yet degenerous bastard did
   Upon his parent.

Nat. 
   To this, I subscribe;
   And, forth a world of more particulars,
   Instance in only one:  comparing men,
   And times, thou praisest Brutus, and affirm’st
   That Cassius was the last of all the Romans.

Cot.  How! what are we then?

Var.  What is Caesar? nothing?

Afer. 
   My lords, this strikes at every Roman’s private,
   In whom reigns gentry, and estate of spirit,
   To have a Brutus brought in parallel,
   A parricide, an enemy of his country,
   Rank’d, and preferr’d to any real worth
   That Rome now holds.  This is most strangely invective,
   Most full of spite, and insolent upbraiding. 
   Nor is’t the time alone is here disprised,
   But the whole man of time, yea, Caesar’s self
   Brought in disvalue; and he aimed at most,
   By oblique glance of his licentious pen. 
   Caesar, if Cassius were the last of Romans,
   Thou hast no name.

Tib.  Let’s hear him answer.  Silence!

Cor. 
   So innocent I am of fact, my lords,
   As but my words are argued:  yet those words
   Not reaching either prince or prince’s parent: 
   The which your law of treason comprehends. 
   Brutus and Cassius I am charged to have praised;
   Whose deeds, when many more, besides myself,
   Have writ, not one hath mention’d without honour. 
   Great Titus Livius, great for eloquence,
   And faith amongst us, in his history,
   With so great praises Pompey did extol,
   As oft Augustus call’d him a Pompeian: 
   Yet this not hurt their friendship.  In his book
   He often names Scipio, Afranius,
   Yea, the same Cassius, and this Brutus too,
   As worthiest men; not thieves and