Fright hence these worse than ravens, that devour The quick, where they but prey upon the dead : He shall be told it.
Sab. Stay, Arruntius,
We must abide our opportunity;
And practise what is fit, as what is needful.
It is not safe t' enforce a sovereign's ear:
Princes hear well, if they at all will hear.
Arr. Ha, say you so? well! In the mean time,
Jove,
(Say not, but I do call upon thee now,)
Of all wild beasts preserve me from a tyrant;
And of all tame, a flatterer.
Tib. [having read the letters.] Return the lords this voice, We are their creature,
And it is fit a good and honest prince,
Whom they, out of their bounty, have instructed'
With so dilate and absolute a power,
Should owe the office of it to their service,
And good of all and every citizen.
Nor shall it e'er repent us to have wish'd
The senate just, and favouring lords unto us,
Since their free loves do yield no less defence
To a prince's state, than his own innocence.
Say then, there can be nothing in their thought
Shall want to please us, that hath pleased them;
Our suffrage rather shall prevent, than stay
Behind their wills: 'tis empire to obey,
Where such, so great, so grave, so good determine.
Yet, for the suit of Spain," to erect a temple
In honour of our mother and our self,
We must, with pardon of the senate, not
Hist. Lib. i. p. 233, qui secretis criminat. infamant ignarum, et quo incautior deciperetur, palam laudatum, &c.
Vid. Suet. Tib. c. 20. et Dio. Hist Lib. Ivii. p. 696.
in Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 84 et 85.
Assent thereto. Their lordships may object
Our not denying the same late request
Unto the Asian cities: we desire
That our defence for suffering that be known
In these brief reasons, with our after purpose.
Since deified Augustus hindered not
A temple to be built at Pergamum,
In honour of himself and sacred Rome;
We, that have all his deeds" and words observed
Ever, in place of laws, the rather follow'd
That pleasing precedent, because with ours,
The senate's reverence, also, there was join'd.
But as, t' have once received it, may deserve
The gain of pardon; so, to be adored
With the continued style, and note of gods,
Through all the provinces, were wild ambition,
And no less pride: yea, even Augustus' name
Would early vanish, should it be profaned
With such promiscuous flatteries. For our part,
We here protest it, and are covetous
Posterity should know it, we are mortal;
And can but deeds of men: 'twere glory enough,
Could we be truly a prince. And, they shall add
Abounding grace unto our memory,
That shall report us worthy our fore-fathers,
Careful of your affairs, constant in dangers,
And not afraid of any private frown
For public good. These things shall be to us
Temples and statues, reared in your minds,
The fairest, and most during imagery:
For those of stone or brass, if they become
Odious in judgment of posterity,
Are more contemn'd as dying sepulchres,
Than ta'en for living monuments. We then
Make here our suit, alike to gods and men;
Cons, Strab. Lib. vi. de Tib.
The one, until the period of our race,
To inspire us with a free and quiet mind,
Discerning both divine and human laws;
The other, to vouchsafe us after death,
An honourable mention, and fair praise,
Το accompany our actions and our name:
The rest of greatness princes may command,
And, therefore, may neglect; only, a long,
A lasting, high, and happy memory
They should, without being satisfied, pursue:
Contempt of fame begets contempt of virtue.
Nat. Rare!
Sat. Most divine!
Sej. The oracles are ceased,
That only Cæsar, with their tongue, might speak. Arr. Let me be gone: most felt and open this! Cor. Stay.
Arr. What! to hear more cunning, and fine
With their sound flatter'd ere their sense be meant? Tib. Their choice of Antium, there to place
Vow'd to the goddess" for our mother's health,
We will the senate know, we fairly like;
As also of their grant to Lepidus,
For his repairing the Emilian place,
And restoration of those monuments:
Their grace' too in confining of Silanus
To the other isle Cithera, at the suit
Of his religious' sister, much commends.
Their policy, so temper'd with their mercy.
But for the honours which they have decreed
To our Sejanus,' to advance his statue
• Tacit, Lib. iii. p. 71.
P Fortuna equestris, ibid.
Tacit. Ann. Lib. iii. p. 170.
Torquata virgo vestalis, cujus memoriam sercat marmor Roma. vid. Lips. comment. in Tacit.
Tacit. Ann. Lib. iii. p. 71.
In Pompey's theatre, (whose ruining fire
His vigilance and labour kept restrain'd
In that one loss,) they have therein out-gone
Their own great wisdoms, by their skilful choice,
And placing of their bounties on a man,
Whose merit more adorns the dignity,
Than that can him; and gives a benefit,
In taking, greater than it can receive.
Blush not, Sejanus," thou great aid of Rome,
Associate of our labours, our chief helper;
Let us not force thy simple modesty
With offering at thy praise, for more we cannot,
Since there's no voice can take it. No man here
Receive our speeches as hyperboles :
For we are far from flattering our friend,
Let envy know, as from the need to flatter.
Nor let them ask the causes of our praise:
Princes have still their grounds rear'd with them-
selves,
Above the poor low flats of common men;
And who will search the reasons of their acts,
Must stand on equal bases. Lead, away:
Our loves unto the senate.
[Exeunt Tib. Sejan. Natta, Hat. Lat. Officers, &c. Arr. Cæsar!
Cor. Great Pompey's theatre was never ruin'd Till now, that proud Sejanus hath a statue Rear'd on his ashes.
Arr. Place the shame of soldiers,
Above the best of generals? crack the world,
And bruise the name of Romans into dust,
Ere we behold it!
Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74-76. * Vid. Sen. Cons. ad. Marc. c. 22.
Sil. Check your passion; Lord Drusus tarries.
Dru. Is my father mad,"
Weary of life, and rule, lords? thus to heave
An idol up with praise! make him his mate,
His rival in the empire!
Dru. Allow him statues, titles, honours, such As he himself refuseth!
Arr. Brave, brave Drusus!
Dru. The first ascents to sovereignty are hard; But, entered once, there never wants or means, Or ministers, to help the aspirer on.
Arr. True, gallant Drusus.
Dru. We must shortly pray
To Modesty, that he will rest contented-
Arr. Ay, where he is, and not write emperor.
Re-enter SEJANUS, SATRIUS, LATIARIS,
Clients, &c.
Sej. There is your bill, and yours; bring you
your man. [to Satrius.]
I have moved for you, too, Latiaris.
Is your vast greatness grown so blindly bold,
That you will over us?
Sej. Why then give way.
Dru. Give way, Colossus! do you lift? advance you?
[Strikes him. Arr. Good! brave! excellent, brave prince!
Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 76.
• Tacit. sequimur Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74, quanquam apud Dionem et Zonaram aliter legitur.
|