Enter SEJANUS. Here comes his lordship. Sat. This is the gentleman, my lord. Give me your hand, we must be more acquainted. To make me known to so great virtue.-Look, Who is that, Satrius? [Exit Sat.]—I have a grief, sir, That will desire your help. Your name's Eudemus? Eud. It is, my lord. Sej. I hear you are Physician to Livia,' the princess. Eud. I minister unto her, my good lord. Sej. That's understood Of all their sex, who are or would be so; them: For those that are, their beauties fear no colours. Eud. Your lordship is conceited.' Sej. Sir, you know it. And can, if need be, read a learned lecture 3 Your lordship is conceited.] Merry, disposed to joke. So in Every Man in his Humour, "You are conceited, sir." WHAL. • Germanici soror, uxor Drusi. Vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74. What more of ladies, besides Livia, Eud. Many, my good lord. t The great Augusta, Urgulania," Mutilia Prisca,* and Plancina; divers- Eud. Else, my lord, we know not You are a subtile nation, you physicians! Eud. 'Tis fit, my lord. Sej. Why, sir, I do not ask you of their urines, Whose smell's most violet, or whose siege is best,* Or who makes hardest faces on her stool? Which lady sleeps with her own face a nights? 4 Whose siege is best,] This word which was growing out of use in Jonson's time, is found in Barclay's Eclogues : "For sure the lord's siege and the rural man's "Is of like savour." It is also used by Shakspeare, Tempest, A. II. S. 2, where it is well explained by Steevens. Mater Tiberii. vid. Tacit. Ann. 1, 2, 3, 4, moritur 5. Suet. Tib. Dio. Rom. Hist. 57, 58. " Delicium Augustæ. Tacit. Ann. Lib. ii. et iv. * Adultera Julii Posthumi. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. y Pisonis uxor. Tacit. Ann. Lib. ii. iii. iv. 2 Vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74. et Plin. Nat. Hist. Lib. xxix. Which puts her teeth off, with her clothes, in court? That might, perhaps, have put your gravity Eud. She's so, my lord. Sej. I knew it and Mutilia the most jocund. Sej. And why would you Conceal this from me, now? Come, what is Livia? I know she's quick and quaintly spirited, And will have strange thoughts, when she is at leisure: She tells them all to you. Eud. My noblest lord, He breathes not in the empire, or on earth, In any act, that may preserve mine honour, Sej. Sir, you can lose no honour, By trusting aught to me. The coarsest act As all the world shall style it honourable: Keep honour poor, and are as scorn'd as vain: Who presently are to trust me with your own, Sej. Only the best, I swear. Say now that I should utter you my grief, Eud. Happily, my lord, I could in time tell you as much and more; Sej. As safely, my Eudemus, I now dare call thee so, as I have put Eud. My lord Sej. Protest not, Thy looks are vows to me; use only speed, Thou art a man, made to make consuls. Go. Sej. Canst thou? Eud. Yes. Sej. The place? Eud. My gardens, whither I shall fetch your lordship. Sej. Let me adore my Esculapius. Why, this indeed is physic! and outspeaks Expect things greater than thy largest hopes, To overtake thee: Fortune shall be taught If Livia will be now corrupted, then Thou hast the way, Sejanus, to work out Enter TIBERIUS and DRUSUs, attended, Tib. [to Haterius, who kneels to him.] We not endure these flatteries; let him stand; Our empire, ensigns, axes, rods and state Take not away our human nature from us: Look up on us, and fall before the gods. Sej. How like a god speaks Cæsar! Arr. There, observe! He can endure that second, that's no flattery. *Exit Eudemus.] Sejanus plays on the vanity of this man, with singular cunning and dexterity. 5 0, what is it proud slime, &c.] "nihil est quod credere de se "Non possit, cum laudatur Diis æqua potestas? Juv. Sat. iv. Eud. specie artis frequens secretis. Tacit. ibid. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. Lib. xxix. c. 1. in criminat. medicorum. a De initio Tiberii principatus vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. i. p. 23, Lib. iv. p. 75. et Suet. Tib. c. 27. De Haterio vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. i. p. 6. |