Caes.  What is this, Asinius Lupus?  I understand it not.

Lup.  Not understand it!  A libel, Caesar; a dangerous, seditious libel; a libel in picture.

Caes.  A libel!

Lup.  Ay, I found it in this Horace his study, in Mecaenas his house, here; I challenge the penalty of the laws against them.

Tuc.  Ay, and remember to beg their land betimes; before some of these hungry court-hounds scent it out.

Caes.  Shew it to Horace:  ask him if he know it.

Lup.  Know it! his hand is at it, Caesar.

Caes.  Then ’tis no libel.

Hor.  It is the imperfect body of an emblem, Caesar, I began for
Mecaenas.

Lup.  An emblem! right:  that’s Greek for a libel.  Do but mark how confident he is.

Hor. 
   A just man cannot fear, thou foolish tribune;
   Not, though the malice of traducing tongues,
   The open vastness of a tyrant’s ear,
   The senseless rigour of the wrested laws,
   Or the red eyes of strain’d authority,
   Should, in a point, meet all to take his life: 
   His innocence is armour ’gainst all these.

Lup.  Innocence!  O impudence! let me see, let me see!  Is not here an eagle! and is not that eagle meant by Caesar, ha?  Does not Caesar give the eagle? answer me; what sayest thou?

Tuc.  Hast thou any evasion, stinkard?

Lup.  Now he’s turn’d dumb.  I’ll tickle you, Satyr.

Hor.  Pish:  ha, ha!

Lup.  Dost thou pish me?  Give me my long sword.

Hor. 
   With reverence to great Caesar, worthy Romans,
   Observe but this ridiculous commenter;
   The soul ’to my device was in this distich: 
   Thus oft, the base and ravenous multitude
   Survive, to share the spoils of fortitude. 
   Which in this body I have figured here,
   A vulture—­

Lup.  A vulture!  Ay, now, ’tis a vulture.  O abominable! monstrous! monstrous! has not your vulture a beak? has it not legs, and talons, and wings, and feathers?

Tuc.  Touch him, old buskins.

Hor.  And therefore must it be an eagle?

Mec.  Respect him not, good Horace:  say your device.

Hor.  A vulture and a wolf

Lup.  A wolf! good:  that’s I; I am the wolf:  my name’s Lupus; I am meant by the wolf.  On, on; a vulture and a wolf

Hor.  Preying upon the carcass of an ass—­

Lup.  An ass! good still:  that’s I too; I am the ass.  You mean me by the ass.

Mec.  Prithee, leave braying then.

Hor.  If you will needs take it, I cannot with modesty give it from you.

Mec. 
   But, by that beast, the old Egyptians
   Were wont to figure, in their hieroglyphics,
   Patience, frugality, and fortitude;
   For none of which we can suspect you, tribune.

Caes.  Who was it, Lupus, that inform’d you first, This should be meant by us?  Or was’t your comment?