ACT V. SCENE I. An Apartment in Sejanus's House. Enter SEJANUS. Sej. Swell, swell, my joys; and faint not to declare Yourselves as ample as your causes are. I did not live till now; this my first hour; Would thou stood'st stiff, and many in our way! Sejanus' strife; durst fates but bring it forth. * De fastu Sejani leg. Dio. Hist. Rom. Lib. lviii. p. 715, et Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 96. Enter TERENTIUS. Ter. Safety to great Sejanus! Sej. Now, Terentius? Ter. Hears not my lord the wonder? Ter. I meet it violent in the people's mouths, Who run in routs to Pompey's theatre, To view your statue,' which, they say, sends forth practised an imposture, Some slave hath To stir the people.-How now! why return you? Re-enter TERENTIUS, with SATRIUS and NATTA. Sat. The head,' my lord, already is ta'en off, I saw it; and, at opening, there leapt out A great and monstrous serpent. Sej. Monstrous! why? Had it a beard, and horns? no heart? a tongue To such as live in great men's bosoms? was Nat. May it please The most divine Sejanus, in my days, (And by his sacred fortune, I affirm it,) I have not seen a more extended, grown, Sej. O, the fates! What a wild muster's here of attributes, Dio. Hist. Rom. Lib. lviii. p. 717. 2 Dio. ibid., Ter. But how that should Sej. What, and you too, Terentius ! Ter. Can the wise Sejanus Think heaven hath meant it less? Why, then the falling of our bed, that brake Or running of the cat betwixt our legs, Ter. I think them ominous: And would they had not happen'd! As, to-day, No prosperous bird appear'd; but croking ravens Sej. What excellent fools 7 Who, declining their way,] Turning out of the way. This is from the folio, 1616: the quarto reads diverting; but as declining seems to have been the poet's own choice, and the language of that age, I have given it the preference. So the author of Aulicus Coquinaria, speaking of sir Walter Raleigh, when out of place, says, that, "when it fell out to be so, he would wisely decline himself out of the court-road." WHAL. a Dio. Rom. Hist. Lib. lviii. p. 715. b Dio. ibid. p. 716. Religion makes of men! Believes Terentius, Your scrupulous phant'sies, I go offer. Bid SCENE II. Another Room in the same. Enter COTTA and POMPONIUS. Cot. Pomponius, whither in such speed? To give my lord Sejanus notice e Grani turis. Plaut. Pænu. A. I. Sc. 1. et Ovid. Fast. Lib. iv. f Dio. Hist. Rom. Lib. Lib. Iviii. p 717. De sacris Fortunæ, vid. Lil. Gre. Gyr. Synt. 17. et Stuch. lib. 、 de Sacrif. Gent. p. 48. Cot. What? Pom. Of Macro. Cot. Is he come? Pom. Enter'd but now Cot. The opposite consul! Cot. And by night too! Stay, sir; Pom. Along then [Exeunt. SCENE III. A Room in Regulus's House. Enter MACRO, REGULUS, and Attendant. Mac. "Tis Cæsar's will to have a frequent senate; And therefore must your 'edict lay deep mulct On such as shall be absent. Reg. So it doth. Bear it my fellow consul to adscribe. Mac. And tell him it must early be proclaim'd: The place Apollo's temple. Reg. That's remember'd. Mac. And at what hour? Exit Attendant. To send one for the provost of the watch. b Dio. Hist. Rom. Lib. lviii. p. 718. i Edicto ut plurimum senatores in curiam vocatos constat, ex Tacit. Ann. Lib. i. et Liv. Lib. ii. Fest. Pon. Lib. xv. vid. Bar. Briss, de Form. Lib. i. et Lips. Sat. Menip. * Dio. Rom. Hist. Lib. lvii. p. 718. 1 Dio. ibid. |