Caes. Let him be whipped. Lictors, go take him hence. And, Lupus, for your fierce credulity, One fit him with a pair of larger ears: 'Tis Caesar's doom, and must not be revoked. We hate to have our court and peace disturb'd With these quotidian clamours. See it done.
Lup. Caesar! [Exeunt some of the Lictors, with Lupus and AEsop
Caes. Gag him, [that] we may have his silence.
Virg. Caesar hath done like Caesar. Fair and just Is his award, against these brainless creatures. 'Tis not the wholesome sharp morality, Or modest anger of a satiric spirit, That hurts or wounds the body of the state; But the sinister application Of the malicious, ignorant, and base Interpreter; who will distort, and strain The general scope and purpose of an author To his particular and private spleen.
Caes. We know it, our dear Virgil, and esteem it A most dishonest practice in that man, Will seem too witty in another's work. What would Cornelius Gallus, and Tibullus? [They whisper Caesar. Tuc. [to Mecaenas.] Nay, but as thou art a man, dost hear! a man of worship and honourable: hold, here, take thy chain again. Resume, mad Mecoenas. What! dost thou think I meant to have kept it, old boy? no: I did it but to fright thee, I, to try how thou would'st take it. What! will I turn shark upon my friends, or my friends' friends? I scorn it with my three souls. Come, I love bully Horace as well as thou dost, I: 'tis an honest hieroglyphic. Give me thy wrist, Helicon. Dost thou think I'll second e'er a rhinoceros of them all, against thee, ha? or thy noble Hippocrene, here? I'll turn stager first, and be whipt too: dost thou see, bully?
Caes. You have your will of Caesar: use it, Romans. Virgil shall be your praetor: and ourself Will here sit by, spectator of your sports; And think it no impeach of royalty. Our ear is now too much profaned, grave Maro, With these distastes, to take thy sacred lines; Put up thy book, till both the time and we Be fitted with more hallow'd circumstance For the receiving of so divine a work. Proceed with your design.
Gal. Tibullus, draw you the indictment then, whilst Horace arrests them on the statute of Calumny. Mecaenas and I will take our places here. Lictors, assist him.