Messalina (page 4)

igitur domus principis inhorruit,

Therefore the house of the Emperor shuddered,

maximeque ei ... timuerunt

and those ... feared very greatly

qui potentiam habebant

who held power

ne res verterentur:

that there would be a coup.

spem tamen habebant,

However, they had hope that,

si Claudio ... persuasissent,

if they were to persuade Claudius

de atrocitate sceleris

of the appalling nature of the crime,

Messalinam posse opprimi

then Messalina could be crushed

sine quaestione damnatam;

(and) condemned without a trial;

sed periculum esse

But there was a danger

ne ille defensionem audiret,

that Claudius would listen to her defence,

neve clausae aures ... non essent.

and his ears would not be closed

etiam confitenti

even to her confession.

Narcissus, occasiones quaerens,

Narcissus, looking for opportunities,

cum Caesar diu apud Ostiam moraretur,

when Caesar was delaying for a long time at Ostia,

duas eius paelices ... perpulit

persuaded two of his mistresses

largitione et promissis

by bribery and promises

delationem subire.

to undertake the informing.