Which puts her teeth off, with her clothes, in court?
Or, which her hair, which her complexion,
And, in which box she puts it? These were ques-
tions,

That might, perhaps, have put your gravity
To some defence of blush. But, I enquired,
Which was the wittiest, merriest, wantonnest?
Harmless intergatories, but conceits.

Methinks Augusta should be most perverse,
And froward in her fit.

Eud. She's so, my lord.

Sej. I knew it and Mutilia the most jocund.
Eud. 'Tis very true, my lord.

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,
Whom I would be ambitious to serve

In any act, that may preserve mine honour,
Before your lordship.

Sej. Sir, you can lose no honour,

By trusting aught to me. The coarsest act
Done to my service, I can so requite,

As all the world shall style it honourable:
Your idle, virtuous definitions,

Keep honour poor, and are as scorn'd as vain :
Those deeds breathe honour that do suck in gain.
Eud. But, good, my lord, if I should thus betray
The counsels of my patient, and a lady's
Of her high place and worth; what might your
lordship,

Who presently are to trust me with your own,
Judge of my faith?

VOL. III.

D

Sej. Only the best, I swear.

Say now that I should utter you my grief,
And with it the true cause; that it were love,
And love to Livia; you should tell her this:
Should she suspect your faith? I would you could
Tell me as much from her; see if my brain
Could be turn'd jealous.

Eud. Happily, my lord,

I could in time tell you as much and more;
So I might safely promise but the first
To her from you.

Sej. As safely, my Eudemus,

I now dare call thee so, as I have put
The secret into thee.

Eud. My lord

Sej. Protest not,

Thy looks are vows to me; use only speed,
And but affect her with Sejanus' love,"

Thou art a man, made to make consuls. Go.
Eud. My lord, I'll promise you a private meeting
This day together.

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
The knowledge of cheap drugs, or any use
Can be made out of it! more comforting
Than all your opiates, juleps, apozems,
Magistral syrups, or--Be gone, my friend,
Not barely styled, but created so;

Expect things greater than thy largest hopes,

To overtake thee: Fortune shall be taught
To know how ill she hath deserv'd thus long,
To come behind thy wishes. Go, and speed.

с

[Exit Eudemus.* Ambition makes more trusty slaves than need. These fellows, by the favour of their art, Have still the means to tempt; oft-times the power.

If Livia will be now corrupted, then

Thou hast the way, Sejanus, to work out

His secrets, who, thou know'st, endures thee not,
Her husband, Drusus: and to work against them.
Prosper it, Pallas, thou that better'st wit;
For Venus hath the smallest share in it.

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.
O, what is it, proud slime will not believe

*Exit Eudemus.] Sejanus plays on the vanity of this man, with singular cunning and dexterity.

SO, 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.

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.

Of his own worth, to hear it equal praised
Thus with the gods!

Cor. He did not hear it, sir.

Arr. He did not! Tut, he must not, we think meanly.

'Tis your most courtly known confederacy,
To have your private parasite redeem
What he, in public, subtiley will lose,
To making him a name.

Hat. Right mighty lord-- [Gives him letters.
Tib. We must make up our ears 'gainst these

assaults

Of charming tongues; we pray you use no more
These contumelies to us; style not us

Or lord, or mighty, who profess ourself
The servant of the senate, and are proud
T'enjoy them our good, just, and favouring lords.
Cor. Rarely dissembled !

Arr. Prince-like to the life.

Sab. When power that may command, so much descends,

Their bondage, whom it stoops to, it intends.
Tib. Whence are these letters?

Hat. From the senate.

Tib. So.

Whence these?

Lat. From thence too.

[Lat. gives him letters.

Tib. Are they sitting now.

Lat. They stay thy answer, Cæsar.

Sil. If this man

Had but a mind allied unto his words,

How blest a fate were it to us, and Rome!

We could not think that state for which to change,

• Cons. Tacit. Ann. Lib. ii. p. 50, et Suet. Tib. c. 27 et 29. Nullam æque Tiberius ex virtutibus suis quam dissimulationem diligebat. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 95.

Although the aim were our old liberty:
The ghosts of those that fell for that, would grieve
Their bodies lived not, now, again to serve.
Men are deceived, who think there can be thrall
Beneath a virtuous prince: Wish'd liberty'
Ne'er lovelier looks, than under such a crown.
But, when his grace is merely but lip-good,
And that, no longer than he airs himself
Abroad in public, there, to seem to shun
The strokes and stripes of flatterers, which within
Are lechery unto him, and so feed

His brutish sense with their afflicting sound,
As, dead to virtue, he permits himself
Be carried like a pitcher by the ears,
To every act of vice: this is a case
Deserves our fear, and doth presage the nigh
And close approach of blood and tyranny.
Flattery is midwife unto prince's rage:

And nothing sooner doth help forth a tyrant, Than that and whisperers' grace, who have the time,

The place, the power, to make all men offenders. Arr. He should be told this; and be bid dis

semble

With fools and blind men: we that know the evil, Should hunt the palace-rats, or give them bane;

• Wish'd liberty, &c.]

-Nunquam libertas gratior exstat,

"Quam sub rege pio."

Bruti, Cassii, Catonis, &c.

Claud de laud. Stil. Lib. iii.

h Vid. Dio. Hist. Lib. lvii. de moribus Tiberii.

Tyrannis fere oritur ex nimia procerum adulatione în principem. Arist. Pol. Lib. v. c. 10, 11. et delatorum auctoritate. Leg. Tacit. Dio. Suet. Tib. per totum. Sub quo decreta accusatoribus præcipua præmia. Vid. Suet. Tib. c. 61. et Sen. Benef. Lib. iii.

* Tineas soricesque Palatii vocat istos Sex. Aurel. Vict. et Tacit.