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On your retentive wisdom: and because
I would no jealous scruple should molest
Or rack your peace of thought. For I assure
My noble lord, no senator yet knows

The business meant: though all by several letters
Are warned to be there, and give their voices,
Only to add unto the state and grace

Of what is purposed.

Sej. You take pleasure, Macro,

Like a coy wench, in torturing your lover.
What can be worth this suffering?

Mac. That which follows,

The tribunitial dignity and power:

Both which Sejanus is to have this day
Conferr'd upon him, and by public senate.

Sej. Fortune be mine again! thou hast satisfied For thy suspected loyalty.

Mac. My lord,

[Aside.

I have no longer time, the day approacheth,
And I must back to Cæsar.

Sej. Where's Caligula?

Mac. That I forgot to tell your lordship. Why, He lingers yonder about Capreæ,

Disgraced; Tiberius hath not seen him yet:
He needs would thrust himself to go with me,
Against my wish or will; but I have quitted
His forward trouble, with as tardy note
As my neglect or silence could afford him.
Your lordship cannot now command me aught,
Because I take no knowledge that I saw you;
But I shall boast to live to serve your lordship :
And so take leave.

Sej. Honest and worthy Macro;

Your love and friendship. [Exit Macro.]-Who's there? Satrius,

• Dio. Lib. lviii. p. 78. vid. Suet. de oppress. Sejan. Tib. c. 65.

Attend my honourable friend forth.-O!
How vain and vile a passion is this fear,
What base uncomely things it makes men do!
Suspect their noblest friends, as I did this,
Flatter poor enemies, entreat their servants,
Stoop, court, and catch at the benevolence
Of creatures, unto whom, within this hour,
I would not have vouchsafed a quarter-look,
Or piece of face! By you that fools call gods,
Hang all the sky with your prodigious signs,
Fill earth with monsters, drop the scorpion down,
Out of the zodiac, or the fiercer lion,

Shake off the loosen'd globe from her long hinge,
Roll all the world in darkness, and let loose
The enraged winds to turn up groves and towns!
When I do fear again, let me be struck
With forked fire, and unpitied die:
Who fears, is worthy of calamity.

SCENE VII.

Another Room in the same.

[Exit.

Enter TERENTIUS, MINUTIUS, LACO, COTTA, LATIARIS, and POMPONIUS; REGULUS, TRIO, and others, on different sides.

Pom. Is not my lord here?

Ter. Sir he will be straight.

Cot. What news, Fulcinius Trio?

Tri. Good, good tidings;

But keep it to yourself. My lord Sejanus

Is to receive this day in open senate

The tribunitial dignity.

Cot. Is't true?

Tri. No words, not to your thought: but, sir,

believe it.

Lat. What says the consul?

Cot. Speak it not again:

He tells me, that to-day my lord Sejanus-
Tri. I must entreat you, Cotta, on your honour
Not to reveal it.

Cot. On my life, sir.

Lat. Say.

Cot. Is to receive the tribunitial power.

But, as you are an honourable man,

Let me conjure you not to utter it;

For it is trusted to me with that bond.

Lat. I am Harpocrates.

Ter. Can you assure it?

Pom. The consul told it me; but keep it close. Min. Lord Latiaris, what's the news?

Lat. I'll tell you;

But you must swear to keep it secret.

Enter SEJANUS.

Sej. I knew the Fates had on their distaff left More of our thread, than so.

Reg. Hail, great Sejanus!

f

Tri. Hail, the most honour'd!

Cot. Happy!

Lat. High Sejanus!

Sej. Do you bring prodigies too?

Tri. May all presage

Turn to those fair effects, whereof we bring

Your lordship news.

Reg. May't please my lord withdraw.

I will speak with you anon.

Sej. Yes

Ter. My lord,

[To some that stand by.

What is your pleasure for the tribunes?

f Dio. Rom. Hist. Lib. lviii. p. 718.

Sej. Why,

Let them be thank'd and sent away.

Min. My lord——

Lac. Will't please your lordship to command

me

Sej. No:

You are troublesome.

Min. The mood is changed.

Tri. Not speak,

Nor look!

Lac. Ay, he is wise, will make him friends Of such who never love, but for their ends.

SCENE VIII.

[Exeunt.

A Space before the Temple of Apollo.

Enter ARRUNTIUS and LEPIDUS, divers Senators passing by them.

Arr. Ay, go, make haste; take heed you be not last

h

To tender your All Hail in the wide hall

Of huge Sejanus: run a lictor's pace:

Stay not to put your robes on; but away,
With the pale troubled ensigns of great friendship
Stamp'd in your face! Now, Marcus Lepidus,
You still believe your former augury

2

Much of this speech is copied from Juvenal:

Vocantur

Ergo in concilium proceres, quos oderat ille,
In quorum facie misere magnæque sedebat
Pallor amicitiæ. Sat. iv. v. 73.

8 Div. Rom. Hist. Lib. Iviii. p.718.

h

WHAL.

Ave, matutina vox salutanti propria, apud Romanos, vid. Briss. de form. Lib. viii.

Sejanus must go downward! You perceive
His wane approaching fast!

Lep. Believe me, Lucius,
I wonder at this rising.

Arr. Ay, and that we

Must give our suffrage to it. You will say,
It is to make his fall more steep and grievous:
It may be so. But think it, they that can
With idle wishes 'say to bring back time:
In cases desperate, all hope is crime.

See, see! what troops of his officious friends
Flock to salute my lord, and start before
My great proud lord! to get a lord-like nod!
Attend my lord unto the senate-house!
Bring back my lord! like servile ushers, make
Way for my lord! proclaim his idol lordship,
More than ten criers, or six noise of trumpets!
Make legs, kiss hands, and take a scatter'd hair
From my lord's eminent shoulder! [Sanquinius and

Haterius pass over the stage.] See, 'Sanquinius
With his slow belly, and his dropsy! look,
What toiling haste he makes! yet here's another
Retarded with the gout, will be afore him.
Get thee Liburnian porters, thou gross fool,
To bear thy obsequious fatness, like thy peers.
They are met! the gout returns, and his great
carriage.

[Lictors, Regulus, Trio, Sejanus, Satrius, and

many other Senators pass over the stage. Lict. Give way, make place, room for the consul!

San. Hail,

Hail, great Sejanus!

iDe Sanquinio vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. vi. et de Haterio, ibid. * Ex Liburnia, magnæ et proceræ staturæ mittebantur, qui erant Rom. Lecticarii; test. Juv. Sat. iii. v. 240.

Turba cedente vehetur

Dives, et ingenti curret super ora Liburno.

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