Woos, feasts the chiefest men of action,
Whose wants, not loves, compel them to be his.
And though he ne'er were liberal by kind,2
Yet to his own dark ends, he's most profuse,
Lavish, and letting fly, he cares not what
To his ambition.

Arr. Yet, hath he ambition?

Is there that step in state can make him higher,
Or more, or any thing he is, but less?
Sil. Nothing but emperor.

Arr. The name Tiberius,

I hope, will keep, howe'er he hath foregone

The dignity and power.

Sil. Sure, while he lives.

Arr. And dead, it comes to Drusus. Should he fail,

To the brave issue of Germanicus;

And they are three: too many-ha? for him

To have a plot upon

?

Sab. I do not know

The heart of his designs; but, sure, their face
Looks farther than the present.

Arr. By the gods,

If I could guess he had but such a thought,

My sword should cleave him down from head to heart, But I would find it out: and with my hand

I'd hurl his panting brain about the air

In mites, as small as atomi, to undo

The knotted bed

Sab. You are observ'd Arruntius.

Arr. [turns to NATTA, TERENTIUS, &c.] Death! I dare tell him so; and all his spies :

You, sir, I would, do you look? and you.

Sab. Forbear.

2 He ne'er were liberal by kind.] By nature. See p. 18. WHAL.

9 Nero, Drusus, et Caligula.-Tacit. ibid.

SCENE II. (The former Scene continued.) A Gallery discovered opening into the State Room.

Enter SATRIUS with EUDEMUS.

Satrius.

ERE he will instant be: let's walk a turn;
You're in a muse, Eudemus?

Eud. Not I, sir.

I wonder he should mark me out so! well,

Jove and Apollo form it for the best.

[Aside.

Sat. Your fortune's made unto you now, Eudemus,

If you can but lay hold upon the means;

Do but observe his humour, and-believe it

He is the noblest Roman, where he takes

Enter SEJANUS.

Here comes his lordship.

Sej. Now, good Satrius.

Sat. This is the gentleman, my lord.
Sej. Is this?

Give me your hand, we must be more acquainted.
Report, sir, hath spoke out your art and learning:
And I am glad I have so needful cause,

However in itself painful and hard,

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. Yes.

Sej. Sir?

Eud. It is, my lord.

Sej. I hear you are

Physician to Livia," the princess.

Eud. I minister unto her, my good lord.

r

Lege Terentii defensionem. Tacit. Ann. Lib. vi. p. 102.

Germanici soror, uxor Drusi. Vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74.

Sej. You minister to a royal lady then.
Eud. She is, my lord, and fair.

Sej. That's understood

Of all their sex, who are or would be so;

And those that would be, physic soon can make them: For those that are, their beauties fear no colours. Eud. Your lordship is conceited.3

Sej. Sir, you know it.

And can, if need be, read a learned lecture

On this, and other secrets.

'Pray you, tell me,

What more of ladies, besides Livia,

Have you your patients?

Eud. Many, my good lord.

The great Augusta, Urgulania,"

Mutilia Prisca,* and Plancina;' divers—

Sej. And, all these tell you the particulars
Of every several grief? how first it grew,
And then increased; what action caused that;
What passion that: and answer to each point
That you will put them?

Eud. Else, my lord, we know not
How to prescribe the remedies.
Sej. Go to,

You are a subtile nation, you physicians!
And grown the only cabinets in court,"
To ladies privacies. Faith, which of these
Is the most pleasant lady in her physic?
Come, you are modest now.

3 Your lordship is conceited.] Merry, disposed to joke. Every Man in his Humour, "You are conceited, sir."

* Mater Tiberii. vid. Tacit. Ann. 1, 2, 3, 4, moritur 5. Dio. Rom. Hist. 57, 58.

" Delicium Augusta. Tacit. Ann. Lib. ii. et iv.
* Adultera Julii Posthumi. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 77.
Pisonis uxor. Tacit. Ann. Lib. ii. iii. iv.

So in

WHAL.

Suet. Tib.

2 Vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74. et Plin. Nat. Hist. Lib. xxix.

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?
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 questions,
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 :

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.

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?

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,b

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 lord

ship.

Cons. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74.

b Tacit. ibid.