_Agr._ ’Tis well resolved. I have been foolish; ’twas a mother’s fault, A tender fault: forget it, and hereafter Know my love better. If my presence bred Dislike, thy kinder mind may yet return When I am gone.
_Agr._ Nothing. I have only come to see my error. I thought, ’twas I that gave him all....
_Ner._ Tut! tut! ’Tis the old story told a thousand times.
_Agr._ Ay, and forgot as oft. Thy constant wrongs, I think, have dug my grave. Dost thou remember What answer once I made the sorcerer 881 Who prophesied thy fortune? Thy son, he said, Shall reign, and kill his mother. Let him kill me, So that he reign, I cried. He spake the truth, But ’tis by grief thou slay’st me.
_Ner._ That old rubbish Were best forgotten.
_Agr._ Indeed, I had forgot it: But yesternight I dreamed it all again; A frightful dream: plain as I see thee now Stood’st thou before me thus, with angry words
Mocking, until I wept for shame; but thou 890 Did’st only laugh the more. Then ran I to thee, And bared my breast, and cried, Kill me, O son! And thou fastened’st thy snaky eyes upon me, So that I could not see what thy hand did. But, oh! I knew. I heard thy weapon grate Leaving the scabbard, and a fiery pang Pierced through my heart. Ah!
_Ner._ (_aside_). Heavens, is she mad?— Mother, good mother, mother! 899
_Agr._ ’Twas nothing. Nay, where am I? I was come To hear thy speech. What is’t thou hast to say?
_Ner._ (_aside_). If this were trickery? Let the fact try.— ’Twas this: what speech you held the other morning With young Britannicus.
_Agr._ (_aside_). Ah! knows he that?— Thy spies are most alert. This time, at least, I praise their zeal: though thou art slow to thank me For my kind service done to thee and him.
_Ner._ Whether is it kinder, say you, to him to urge him To embrace the desperate plot, of which already He stood suspected, or more kind to me 910 To water this rebellion with the tears Of your insidious passion?
_Agr._ Your man’s a fool: I heard Your quarrel, and took pains to sound the boy.
_Agr._ ’Twas this: Britannicus Most truly said that nought could help his claim, Except the guards and Burrus: at which word I flew to Burrus, offered him the bait; And when he showed the scruple of his oath, Three words from me confirmed him. 920