Commentary Upon Acts, Part 2
PART II. The Roman Story.
Sect. I. Caius his death contrived.
THis madnesse of Caius could not last long, it was so mad and it was so violent, and hee could not expect a dry and timely death himselfe, which had brought an untimely and bloody to so many hundreds. Hee began a Consulship this yeere with Cn. Sentius, but it was soone out of date, as hee was himselfe, but hee not so soone as the people desired, as hee had deserved, and some had compassed, had their plot but taken effect. One or two conspiracies had beene contrived against him before this, but had failed in the successe, and hee escaped to doe more mischiefe still. But now a designe is in undertaking, that will runne the businesse to the full, and men are entred into the combination, that have mettle, and want not fortune. These were Cassius Chaereas & Cornelius Sabinus that contrived in chiefe, and they intertained many others into the conspiracy with them, as Callistus and Eparchus, Regulus and Minutianus. While the plot was in hatching, Caius gave an extraordinary offence and disgust unto the people, which basined and ripened it the more, upon his owne head. There were solemne sp…rts kept now in the Citie, at which time it was … that if the people asked a boone, the Emperour …id … grant it. Now therefore they begg…d that he… …ould ea…e … taxes, and release somewhat of the grievous … under which they groaned. But … was so far from … ▪ that hee caused many of the petitioners to bee slaine, hastning his owne death by theirs, and condemning himselfe by their condemnation. For what now remaines thought the conspirators but a speedy course, when neither his owne reason, nor their petitions, nor their countreys custome can any whit move him to goodnesse, nor divert him from his cruelties? Besides this generall quarrell of their countrey, some of them had their peculiar heart-burnings against him for particular abuses: As Minutianus for the death of his friend Lepidus and for feare of his owne life: but Cassius Chereas for divers affronts and disgraces, which the Tyrant not onelyonly used but loved to put upon him above other men. He was Tribune of the Praetorian band, or as it were Captaine of the guard, and a man as valiant, as that place required or any whatsoever. Yet was it the senselesse and inconsiderate tyrants delight and continuall custome, to geere him with the taunts of cowardise or effeminacy. Whensoever hee came to him to aske of him a word or ticket for the Watch, hee would give him Venus or Priapus: when hee offered him his hand to kisse, hee would frame it into an obscene forme, and so hold it to him: And that which might make him odious to others, hee caused him to bee the wracker and tormentor of delinquents, himself standing by, that hee might use no mercy for feare; and yet when hee had cruelly and miserably torne and rent the poore wretches, would the spitefull Prince speake pittifully to them, bemoane the extremity, condole their condition, and sometimes give them rewards, thus turning the detestation of all the cruelty upon the head of Chereas onelyonly: such things as these set the abused man all of a fire for revenge, that was hot enough already for the common cause, and hee wanteth nothing to end his own disgrace and his countries misery, but partners and opportunity. He therefore first assaieth Clemens the chiefe commander of the souldiery, & Papinius the chiefe Querry or Squire of the Emperours body, with feeling words and forcible arguments to draw them into the same designe with himselfe of freeing the Common wealth from the common misery, and themselves from the common guilt that lay upon them, not onelyonly for not redressing, but also for promoting it. For Caius, saith hee, indeed commandeth such cruelties, but wee are the men that execute them, hee guilty in word onelyonly, but wee in action. Whi…st wee obey his bloodinesse wee incourage it, and the weapons that our offices have put into our hands, for our country, wee use onelyonly against it: forwarding that crueltie which when it wanteth further objects will not stop to fall upon our owne selves. Come let us at the last right our Countrey and our owne consciences: and give an end to those butcheries which wee promote by our obedience, and of which wee are doubly guilty, because wee execute them, and because wee avenge them not. With these or such expressions as these, did Chereas easily bend these men to his opinion, who were in the same guilt, danger and misery with him: But Clemens, whether for cowardise or variablenesse of his disposition, fell suddainly off againe, and persisted not either in resolution or in secrecy, but began to divulge the conspiracy all abroad: Now therefore was it time for Chereas to hasten his enterprize, or it would bee too late: such undertakings as these will not brook long delaies, especially when any one of the faction beginneth to runne out, and leake. Hee therefore speedily addresseth himselfe to Sabinus, and to Minutianus, though a kinsman to Caius, and prevaileth with them both, to bee of the same mind and action with him: and all of them having men ready for this exploit doe but waite for an opportunitie to bring it to effect.
Sect. II. The manner of his death.
Chereas afraid to lose any time, thought severall times to have throwne the tyrant headlong from an high place which hee used to stand in in the Capitoll, to throw and scatter money to the people, but hee was withheld partly by his owne judgement, which doubted whether the fall would kill him or no, and partly by the advise of his friends, which perswaded him to hold till a solemne festivall which was now comming on, in which they might have better accesse in a mixed crowd and multitude.
This time was come, and three daies of the festivall, and of the shewes were past before opportunitie would serve their turne: On the fourth and last of the solemnity which must be the day or none, and this was the ninth of the Calends of February or Ianuary the three and twenty, Chereas provideth his confederates for the expedition both for mettle and weapons. In the morning betime, people of all conditions flocke to the place of the shewes and solemnity to get them places, disposing of themselves where they could, so that men and women, bond and free, noble and base sate mixedly together, and happy was hee that could get a place no matter where. At last comes Caius, way forced for him through the crowd, all eyes upon him, but theirs especially that meant him mischiefe. His first beginning of that dayes solemnity was with sacrifice, with the blood whereof when the cloaths of Asprenas a Senator were accidentally bedawbed, it afforded matter of laughter to the Emperour, but it proved a fatall omen to himselfe. After his sacrifice hee tooke his place with the Nobles about him, and the plaies began: one of them was a Mimick acting that part which Neoptolemus did at the slaughter of King Priamus: Another, of one or more actors that seemed to vomit blood, so that the stage was even bloody over; and his sports read his destiny, himselfe being presently to substantiate in his owne person, what these did but personate and represent of others. Having fitten a spectator of these his owne Omens till towards one a clock, and indifferent whether to goe to dinner or no, his stomack being undisposed through his yesterdayes gluttony, Asprenas a partner in the plot, sitting neer him perswaded him for his refreshment to goe to the bath, and so to dinner, and then to the playes and showes againe. Caius giving notice of his rising, the company bussles to make him roome, the conspirators pretending officiousnesse, helpt to keepe off the crowde and people; when hee was come from among the multitude, hee tooke not the open and ordinary way to the Palace, but a back and by way toward the Bath: There was he met and accoasted by Chereas, who came to him as the custome was to demand the word: which when hee gave him with his accustomed scorne, and disgracefulnesse, Chereas drew and flew upon him, with these words, Hoc age, and smote him sore into the coller bone: upon the wound Caesar neither cried out nor resisted, but sought to have slipt away. Then was hee intertained by Sabinus with the like curtesie of a blow or Stabbe▪ so that by this time the great Lion is gotten downe, and then the rest of the confederacy flie all in upon him, every one with his slash, that there hee lieth mangled with few or no lesse then thirty wounds.
Sect. III. The sequell.
A pleasant spectacle was this to the overpressed commonwealth, but there must bee some more trouble before shee can enjoy the pleasure. Such stormes as these, though they come suddainly, and without expectation, yet are they not so suddainly, passed and calmed againe.
The German Souldiers were the first that had notice of the Princes death, and they are the onelyonly men that will avenge it▪ Men not onelyonly conditioned like himselfe, in barbarousnesse and headlong crueltie, but also in love with those conditions, because they found acceptance and reward with him. These men upon the report, rise up in revenge, and in searching for the murderers of Caesar, you must expect some innocency will bee murdered. They first light upon Asprenas, a man that indeed had a singer in the businesse, but it is like it is more then they knew, yet howsoever hee must pay for it because hee commeth in their way, and so the shedding of his owne blood answereth the Omen that hee had but even now by the blood of the sacrifice. Next cometh Barbarus Norhanus to handling because next to hand, and after him Anteius whose curiositie was his destiny, for comming to looke upon the corpse of the slaine tyrant hee was made a corpse himselfe: When the rumour of what had passed came into the Treater, it moved different passions according to their different affections. Some could not beleeve the newes it was so good, others would not, because it was displeasing, hoping better, then that they had lost so great a patron of their unrulinesse and sporting. But when the Souldiers came in thither after the rumour, with the heads of Asprenas, Norbanus and Auteius in their hands, then imagine what case they were all in there, expecting to be all involved in the same fatall end, by the same fatall fury, though they were not of the same opinion and affection to the fact that had lately passed. But this feare and fury was with as much speed as wit, and indeed were both finely calmed and removed by one Aruntius, for comming in among them in a mourning weed, as if for Caius, hee plainly, and dolefully, and assuredly averred that hee was dead. One would have thought that this should have increased the raging of the Souldiers farre more then before, but it had the cleane contrary effect, as his policy had wittily foreseene. For when they knew certainly that hee was dead, of whom they expected a reward for this their outrage in his quarrell, and when they considered what the people might doe now he was dead, who so hated him while hee was alive, they sheathed their swords and their fury together, and withdrew themselves from the Theater, and the peoples feare from the people fairely▪ and quietly both at once. By a carriage of as much valour as this was of ingenuitie, did Valerius Asiaticus calme the tumult of the people in the market place, for when there was no other language, but, who is it, and who is it that hath killed Caesar? hee steppeth into some place above the people, and boldly cried I would it had been I, and with his boldnesse daunted the mutiny, and amazed their anger.
Sect. IIII. Dissention about the government.
The hearts of the people were pretty well setled about the death of the Prince, but their minds not so well about the manner of the future government. The Senate being assembled in the Capitoll were divided about this great matter, whether the commonwealth should returne to its old Democracy, or to its later Monarchy againe; some remembring the tyrannies used by the two latter monarchs, abhorred the thought of that government any longer: Others considering that it were better to bee under one tyrant, then under many, were as much against democracy; and yet if they might have a Monarch, which they desired, they were yet to seeke who should be he. Sentius the Consull was vehement for the former choyce, and might have well been suspected for affecting some kind of monarchy for the present himselfe, for hee was chief governour alone, but that his earnestnesse to reduce the state to its former rule stopped the mouth of any such prejudice. Thus rose the Court without any determination, and no lesse was the Citie divided in opinion. And indeed it was a very hard taske that they had in hand, to resolve for futuritie what might prove the best, being to take a gentle medium betwixt their too much libertie and too little.
Sect. V. Claudius.
Whilst they were thus in doubt and agitation, and better able to resolve what they would not have, then what they would, fortune seemed to offer them an umpirage and determination, winding an acceptance of a Monarch into their hearts before they were aware. Claudius an uncle of the Tyrant that now lay dead, hearing the tumult and hubbub that the palace was in, and how the matter went with Caligula, hee crept into an obscure hole to hide himselfe, not much guilty indeed of any other cause of such feare, but onelyonly because he was so neer allied to the man so hated and now slaine. When loe Gratus a common Souldier searching about, whether for a prey or for a conspirator, spyeth his feet lying out of his skulking hole, and draws him out to see who it was; here might a stander by have laughed to have seene the different passions of Claudius and the Souldier meet together in one like and uniforme action. Claudius, ready to kneele to the Souldier to beg for his life, and the Souldier already kneeling to Claudius to reverence his person. For being drawne out and brought into the light, and his face knowne by him and who hee was, hee presently shewes him all reverence and homage, and cryeth out An Emperour, an Emperour; with this cry they bring him out to some more of their fellowes, who getting him on their shoulders bring him into their Ga…rison, the people as hee went pitying him, as going unto execution. There hee lodged that night, and you may suppose that hee slept out little, being so divided betwixt hope and feare. The Consull and Senate the next day hearing what was done, send to him to advise him to submit to their government, and not to disturbe the State with a monarchy againe, which had been so burdensome and tedious to it so long: which if hee should goe about to doe they would oppose him to their utmost strength, and doubted not the assistance of the Gods in this their vindication of their liberty. Verrannius and Brachus, their two Legats upon this message, delivered their errand with as much moving Rhetorick and intreaty as they could invent, beseeching him with all the vehemency they could, not to distemper the Republike againe by affecting and aspiring the Monarchy, which was now in a hopefull possibility of setling her tranquillitie and libertie to her owne content. But the sight of the strength and forwardnesse of the Souldiers that were about him, made them to straine their Oratory one key higher then it may bee they had either commission for at their comming forth, or any thankes for at their returne. For they besought him that if hee would needs have the Empire, that hee would rather receive it from the hands of the Senate then of the Souldiers, and make an entry to his government by consent and approvall and not by violence.
Claudius, howsoever his mind stood, gave a gentle answer, either dissembling till hee could bee sure to have his owne party good, or indeed rather forced upon this pursuit then propense, and though affecting the majesty of the Empire, yet not patient of the trouble.
Sect. VI. Caesonia and her child slaine.
There let us leave him to studie, as farre as his feare and the Souldiers tumult would suffer him, what to resolve upon as best to bee done, or if hee were resolved already, then how to doe it: And let us a little step aside to the corpse of Caius, and there wee shall see some partners with him in his death, which had better relation to it then Asprenas and the other that wee saw slaine before: Chereas not thinking it enough for the common safetie, and the accomplishment of his designe, that Caius was dead alone, unlesse so much also of him were cut off with him, as was in Caesonia his wife and her and his little child, hee sendeth one Lupus one of the tribunes upon this execution, that nothing might remaine of Caligula, but his putrified memory. Some were of opinion that Caesonia had beene his perswasive and provocation to his mischiefes either by charmes, or exhortations, or both; others thought, that shee used her utmost indeavours to have reduced him to a better mind, but could not prevaile: But were it the one or the other, were shee good or bad, it is all one to Chereas, she was Caius his wife, and so must needs die for the desert of her actions, if she were nought, and though shee were otherwise, yet for the due of her relation. Lupus findeth her tumbling upon the ground with the corpse, all besmeared with his blood and her owne teares: She conceiving his errand by his very person, boldly invites him to accomplish what hee came about, which hee did accordingly, and withall slew the little child upon the heape: And so there lieth the greatest Prince and Princesse under heaven, a spectacle of misery and majestie tied up together, and to bee lamented in regard of these two, howsoever but justly rewarded in regard of their deserts.
Sect. VII. Claudius made Emperour.
That rule and Monarchy that the Souldiers would have tumbled upon Claudius they cared not how, Agrippa the King of whom wee had mention a good while agoe folded it as it were upon him fairely and smoothly, that it both lay more easie for him himselfe, and lesse wrinckled and rugged to the eyes of others. For first comming privately to Claudius whilst hee somewhat fluctuated in opinion, and was ready to have yeelded to the Senates propositions, he setled him in a contrary resolution, perswading him by no meanes to forsake or relinquish that faire apprehension and seisure of the dominion that was offered him. Then commeth hee as craftily into the Senate as if hee had been a meer stranger to what was in hand, and there asketh how the matter went between them and Claudius; when they ingenuously laid all the businesse before him, and demanded his counsell and advise in those affaires: Hee subtle enough for his owne ends, and neither regarding their libertie, nor Claudius his Monarchy so much in the matter as his owne securitie in his kingdome, maketh faire weather to them, and professeth with all solemnitie to serve them in their designes to the utmost of his power. But when it came to the vote what must bee done, and the resolution was that they must take up armes, and arme their servants, and compasse that with the sword that they could not doe with perswasions; then Agrippa thought it was time to worke or never. Hee therefore puts them in mind of the strength of the Souldiers that had proclaimed Claudius, and of their forces but weake, few, and utterly unexpert: that to hazzard a warre was to hazard their State, and therefore hee would advise them to tender to Claudius propositions of accommodation, and if they were so pleased, hee himselfe would bee the agent. It is agreed upon, and hee sent upon this imployment, which how hee would performe it is easie to guesse, by looking upon his owne condition in which hee now stood. For in the life of Caius it was conceived that his evill counsell had very much forwarded the others crueltie and mischievousnesse, and therefore if the Senate bee masters of their desires, hee can little expect to bee master any more of his Kingdome, but if with all his officiousnesse and trotting up and downe hee can helpe Claudius to the Monarchy, hee is sure hee hath then holpen himselfe to the royalty. It was therefore not an oversight in that grave & discreet great Councell that they imployed such a man as this in their occasions, who, a farre dimmercie of judgement then any of theirs would easily perceive, would bee against them: but it was their descreet evasion with their honour, when finding themselves too weake to deale it out by force of Armes, they came to a noble reference, by the motion and mediation of so great a Prince. When Agrippa commeth to Claudius hee is now more urgent then before, that hee stand to his challenge, because he had now groped the mind and strength of the Senate: and hee prevaileth with him so farre that the Souldiers goe to the Senate house, and there demand a confirmation of their choice. It was now come to it in the Councell, that they were resolved to choose one Monarch, for they saw the Souldiers would so have it, but now the question was who that must bee; some were for one, some for another, but the conspirators against Caius were against Claudius howsoever: This division had like to have caused another tumult, but the end of all was, that the power and feare of the Souldiers prevailed, and the Senate was glad to accept him for their Prince whom they durst not refuse.
Sect. VIII. His demeanour at his beginning.
Agrippa had perswaded him to deale gently with the Senate, but hee either perswaded not or prevailed not with him for the like towards the conspirors of his nephews death. Chereas and Sabinus the slaiers of Caius, and Lupus the executioner of Caesonia and her child were not like the Senate, either perswaded by reasons, or affrighted by forces to accept of Claudius or to owe him homage, but they boldly and resolutely gainesay his election even to the death. Claudius therefore causeth Chereas to bee slaine and Lupus with him, which doome they underwent with different demeanors, Chereas stoutly, but Lupus weeping, Chereas at one blow, for hee met death halfe the way, but Lupus at many, for hee shrunk it all hee could. But Sabinus, foolehardy as hee was, when Claudius had granted him his pardon, and not onelyonly so but also restored him to his former honours, hee disdaining to bee singled from his fellow conspirators in their end any more then in their designe, fell upon his owne sword and died. Such a beginning did the new made Emperour make into his Empire, mingling severitie and clemency together in the censure of offendors of the same knot, that hee might also mingle feare and love in the hearts of the people. This Claudius was the sonne of Drusus the sonne of Livia, a man dull and diseased even from his childhood, and for that brought up most in the converse with women or nurses: hence his effeminacy and luxuriousnesse at all times, and his readinesse to be led away by the counsell of women at some. Hee was now about fiftie yeers of age when he began to reigne, at the very ripenesse of all the discretion he had, but that it was often blasted with fearefulnes, drunkennes & wicked counsell. When he was set quietly in the Throne, the first thing hee did was to get the two dayes in which the agitation was about the change of the government, quite out of memory, and for that end hee made an act of oblivion of all things that had passed either in words or actions of all that time: yet had hee not wrought his owne securitie so farre, but that hee caused all that came neere him to bee searched for weapons, and while hee sate at any meale, hee had a strong guard about him. For the motion that had beene so lately and so strongly carried for the abolition of monarchy, and the other which proposed others thereto when Monarchy was agreed upon, and would have excluded him, had taken such an impression upon him, that hee reputed no safety in his holding of the royaltie, but by that strong hand and power by which hee had gotten it. Yet tryed hee faire and gentle dealing though hee durst not trust it: Those from whom hee had received any affront, in the dayes of Tiberius and Caligula (for sometimes in those dayes to abuse Claudius, was to curry favour) hee freely pardoned if hee found them guilty of no other crime, but if hee did he paid them then for all together. The unjust fines of Caius hee remitted, his illegall decrees hee revoked, his innocents imprisoned hee released, and his causelesse banished hee called home.
The poisons which he had prepared for the Nobles, and a list of their names for whom they were prepared, being found in the Palace, though Caius had pretended to have burnt them, hee shewed publikely to the Senate and then burnt them indeed. Hee forbad any one to adore him or to sacrifice to him, hee restrained the great and loud acclamations that were used to bee made to the Emperour, and carried himselfe with such sweetnesse and moderation, that happy had the Republique beene in the continuance of the Monarchy, had hee been so happy as to have continued in this his fi…st demeanure. But his wicked Empresse Messallina, and her wicked consorts first provoked him to mischief, and his too much delight in the bloody sports did by degrees habituate him unto cruelty. Hee had recalled Iulia and Agrippina the two sisters of Caius out of banishment, whither they had been sent by their owne brother after hee had defloured them, and hee restored them to their estates and revenues againe. But Messallina stomacking that Iulia did her not honour and homage enough, and envying her beauty, and being jealous of her privacy with Claudius, shee caused her to bee banished againe, and in a short time she compassed her death.
These were but ominous beginnings, when Caesars love to his owne neece was cause enough to worke her ruine, but was not strong enough to stand betweene her and the fury of his owne wife: And it did but fatally presage what mischiefe her wretched counsells would worke the cowardize and indiscretion of her husband to, when their first effect was upon one so neere allied: Nor did crueltie and bloodinesse enter thus onelyonly in at his eares, by the suggestion of his cursed wife, but the like it did also at his eyes, by his frequent and delightsome beholding of the bloody sports: that growing by degrees to bee his delight to act, which had grown by degrees also to bee his delight to see. Sometimes beasts with beasts, as twelve Camels and Horses at one time, and 300. Beares, and 300. African wild beasts at the same: sometimes beasts with men, and sometimes men with men, and at all times hideous bloodshed, that hee that can looke upon such barbarousnesse and slaughter with content, it may bee suspected that hee in time will grow to act the like with the same delight.