SCENE IV.

A Sacellum (or Chapel) in Sejanus's House.

Enter Præcones, Flamen,' Tubicines, Tibicines, Ministri, SEJANUS, TERENTIUS, SATRIUS, NATTA, &c.

Præ. Be all profane far hence; fly, fly far off: Be absent far; far hence be all profane!

[Tub. and Tib. sound while the Flamen washeth. Fla. We have been faulty, but repent us now, And bring pure "hands, pure vestments, and pure minds.

1 Min. Pure vessels.

2 Min. And pure offerings.

3 Min. Garlands pure.

X

Fla. Bestow your garlands: and, with reverence, place

The vervin on the altar.

Præ. Favour your tongues.

a Præcones, Flamen, hi omnibus sacrificiis interesse solebant. Ros. Ant. Rom. Lib. iii. Stuch. de Sac. p. 72.

r

Ex iis, qui Flamines Curiales dicerentur, vid. Lil. Greg. Gyr. Synt. 17. et Onup. Panvin. Rep. Rom. Comment. 2.

• Moris antiqui erat, Præcones præcedere, et sacris arcere profanos. Cons. Briss. Ross. Stuch. Lil. Gyr. &c.

Observatum antiquis invenimus, ut qui rem divinam facturus erat, lautus, ac mundus accederet, et ad suas levandas culpas, se imprimis reum dicere solitum, et noxæ pœnituisse. Lil. Gyr. Synt. 17. In sacris puras manus, puras vestes, pura vasa, &c. antiqui desiderabunt; ut ex Virg. Plaut. Tibul. Ovid. &c. pluribus locis

u

constat.

× Alius ritus sertis aras coronare, et verbenas imponere. y Hujusmodi verbis silentium imperatum fuisse constat. Vid. Sen. in lib. de beata vita. Serv. et Don. ad eum versum, Lib. v. Æneid. Ore favete omnes, et cingite tem pora ramis.

a

[While they sound again, the Flamen takes of the honey with his finger, and tastes, then ministers to all the rest: so of the milk in an earthen vessel, he deals about; which done, he sprinkleth upon the altar, milk; then imposeth the honey, and kindleth his gums, and after censing about the altar, placeth his censer thereon, into which they put several branches of poppy, and the music ceasing, proceeds.

c

b

Fla. Great mother Fortune, queen of human state, Rectress of action, arbitress of fate,

To whom all sway, all power, all empire bows,
Be present, and propitious to our vows!
Præ. Favour it with your tongues.

Min. Be present, and propitious to our vows!
Omnes. Accept our offering, and be pleased,
great goddess.

Ter. See, see, the image stirs!

Sat. And turns away!

Nat. Fortune' averts her face!

Fla. Avert, you gods,

The prodigy. Still! still! some pious rite

z Vocabatur hic ritus Libatio. Lege Rosin. Ant. Lib. iii. Bar. Brisson. de form. Lib. i. Stuchium de Sacrif. et Lil. Synt. 17.

a In sacris Fortuna lacte non vino litabant. iisdem test. Talia sacrificia dova et vnpánia dicta. Hoc est sobria, et vino carentia.

b Hoc reddere erat et litare, id est propitiare, et votum impetrare; secundum Nonium Marcellum. Litare enim Mac. Lib. iii. e. 5. explicat, sacrificio facto placare numen. In quo sens. leg. apud Plaut. Senec. Suet. &c.

His solemnibus præfationibus in sacris utebantur.

• Quibus, in clausu, populus vel cætus a præconibus favere jube-batur; id est, bona verba fari. Talis enim altera hujus forme interpretatio apud Briss. Lib. i. extat. Ovid. Lib. i. Fast. Linguis animisque favete. Et Metam. Lib. xv.

piumque

Eneade præstant et mente, et voce favorem. eSolennis formula in donis cuivis nomini offerendis.

f Leg. Dio. Rom. Hist. Lib. lviii. p. 717. de hoc sacrificio.

We have neglected. Yet, heaven be appeased, And be all tokens false and void, that speak Thy present wrath!

Sej. Be thou dumb, scrupulous priest:
And gather up thyself, with these thy wares,
Which I, in spight of thy blind mistress, or
Thy juggling mystery, religion, throw
Thus scorned on the earth. [Overturns the statue
and the altar.] Nay, hold thy look

Averted till I woo thee turn again;
And thou shalt stand to all posterity,
The eternal game and laughter, with thy neck
Writh'd to thy tail, like a ridiculous cat.
Avoid these fumes, these superstitious lights,
And all these cosening ceremonies; you,
Your pure and spiced conscience! [Exeunt all but
Sejanus, Terent. Satri. and Natta.] I, the slave
And mock of fools, scorn on my worthy head!
That have been titled and adored a god,
Yeah sacrificed unto, myself, in Rome,
No less than Jove: and I be brought to do'
A peevish giglot, rites! perhaps the thought
And shame of that, made Fortune turn her face,
Knowing herself the lesser deity,

And but my servant.-Bashful queen, if so,
Sejanus thanks thy modesty.-Who's that?

i

Enter POMPONIUS and MINUTIUS.

Pom. His fortune suffers, till he hears my news: I have waited here too long. Macro, my lord

8

I be brought to do

A peevish giglot, rites.] Giglot is a wanton girl: so Shak

speare:

"Young Talbot was not born

"To be the pillage of a giglot wench." WHAL.

.716.

Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 96. h Dio. Lib. lviii. p. 7 i De Minutio vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. vi.

Sej. Speak lower and withdraw.

Ter. Are these things true?

[Takes him aside.

Min. Thousands are gazing at it in the streets. Sej. What's that?

Ter. Minutius tells us here, my lord,

That a new head being set upon your statue, A rope is since found wreath'd about it! and, But now a fiery meteor in the form

1

Of a great ball was seen to roll along

The troubled air, where yet it hangs unperfect, The amazing wonder of the multitude!

Sej. No more.

than all!

That Macro's come, is more

Ter. Is Macro come?

Pom. I saw him.

Ter. Where? with whom?

Pom. With Regulus.

Sej. Terentius!

Ter. My lord.

Sej. Send for the tribunes, we will straight

have up

More of the soldiers for our guard. [Exit. Ter.] Minutius,

We pray you go for Cotta, Latiaris,

Trio the consul, or what senators

You know are sure, and ours. [Exit Min.] You, my good Natta,

For Laco, provost of the watch. [Exit Nat.] Now, Satrius,

The time of proof comes on; arm all our servants, And without tumult. [Exit. Sat.] You, Pomponius, Hold some good correspondence with the consul:

Attempt him, noble friend. [Exit Pomp.] These things begin

To look like dangers, now, worthy my fates.
Fortune, I see thy worst: let doubtful states,
And things uncertain hang upon thy will;
Me surest death shall render certain still.
Yet, why is now my thought turn'd toward death,
Whom fates have let go on, so far in breath,
Uncheck'd or unreproved? I," that did help
To fell the lofty cedar of the world

Germanicus; that at one stroke cut down
Drusus, that upright elm; wither'd his vine;'
Laid Silius and Sabinus, two strong oaks,
Flat on the earth; besides those other shrubs,
Cordus and Sosia, Claudia Pulchra,

u

Furnius and Gallus, which I have grubb'd up;
And since, have set my axe so strong and deep
Into the root of spreading* Agrippine;

Lopt off and scatter'd her proud branches, Nero,
Drusus; and Caius too, although re-planted.
If you will, Destinies, that after all,
I faint now ere I touch my period,

That at one stroke cut down

Drusus, that upright elm; wither'd his vine.] As Drusus is here called an elm, his wife Livia, by a very elegant and easy metaphor, is termed his vine. The whole description is a beautiful allegory, animated with the most sublime spirit of true poetry. WHAL.

Beaumont and Fletcher have closely imitated, or rather copied, this passage in the False One.

n Vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. i. p. 23.

• Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. pp. 74, 75. et Dio. Lib. Ivii. p. 709. P Tacit. Lib. iv. p. 79.

a Ibid. p. 94.

De Cremut. Cor. vid. Dio. Rom. Hist. Lib. lvii. p. 710. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 83. s De Sosia. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 94.

* De Clau. et Furnio, quære Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 89.

u De Gallo, Tacit. Lib. iv. p. 95. et Dio. Lib. lviii. p. 713.

* De Agr. Ner. et Dru. leg. Suet. Tib. cap. 53, 4.

Y De Caio, cons. Dio. Lib. lviii, p. 727.