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;
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,
To 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 words, With their sound flatter'd ere their sense be meant?

Tib. Their choice of Antium, there to place the gift 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 Æmilian 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

• Tacit. Lib. iii. p. 71. 9 Tacit. ibid.

P Fortuna equestris, ibid. r Tacit. Ann. Lib. iii. p. 170. Torquata virgo vestalis, cujus memoriam servat marmor Roma. vid. Lips. comment. in Tacit.

8

Their policy, so temper'd with their mercy.
But for the honours which they have decreed
To our Sejanus,* to advance his statue
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 themselves,
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!

Sab. Peace.

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,

t Tacit. Ann. Lib. iii. p. 71. u Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. pp. 74-76. x Vid. Sen. Cons. ad. Marc. c. 22.

And bruise the name of Romans into dust,

Ere we behold it!

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!

Arr. O, good prince.

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

Dru. What!

your vast greatness grown so blindly bold, That will over us?

you

Sej. Why then give way.

Dru. Give way, Colossus! do you lift? advance you?

Take that!

[Strikes him.

[Draws his sword.

Arr. Good! brave! excellent, brave prince!

Dru. Nay, come, approach.

What, stand you off? at gaze?

It looks too full of death for thy cold spirits.

Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. p. 76.

z Tacit. ibid.

a Tacit sequimur Ann. Lib. iv. p. 74, quanquam apud Dionem et

Zonaram aliter legitur.

Avoid mine eye, dull camel, or my sword
Shall make thy bravery fitter for a grave,
Than for a triumph. I'll advance a statue

O' your own bulk; but 't shall be on the cross;b Where I will nail your pride at breadth and length, And crack those sinews, which are yet but stretch'd With your swoln fortune's rage.

Arr. A noble prince!

All. A Castor, a Castor, a Castor, a Castor!

[Exeunt all but SEJANUS. Sej. He that, with such wrong moved, can bear it

through

With patience, and an even mind, knows how

To turn it back.

Wrath cover'd carries fate :

Revenge is lost, if I profess my hate.

What was my practice late, I'll now pursue,
As my fell justice: this hath styled it new.' [Exit.

7 There is something very striking in the silence of Sejanus.After this speech the quarto has, Mu. Chorus, which is repeated at the end of every succeeding act. As it seems to mean, in plain English, merely the music between the acts, I have not thought it worth preserving.

↳ Servile, apud Romanos, et ignominiosissimum mortis genus erat supplicium crucis, ut ex Liv. ipso. Tacit. Dio. et omnibus fere antiquis, præsertim historicis constet. vid. Plaut. in Mil. Amph. Aulii. Hor. Lib. i. Ser. 3, et Juv. Sat. vi. Pone crucem servo, &c.

Sic Drusus ob violentiam cognominatus, vid. Dion. Rom. Hist. Lib. lvii. p. 701.

ACT II.

SCENE I. The Garden of EUDEMUS.

Enter SEJANUS, LIVIA, and Eudemus

Sejanus.

HYSICIAN, thou art worthy of a province,
For the great favours done unto our loves;
And, but that greatest Livia bears a part
In the requital of thy services,

I should alone despair of aught, like means,
To give them worthy satisfaction.

Liv. Eudemus, I will see it, shall receive
A fit and full reward for his large merit.
But for this potion we intend to Drusus,

No more our husband now, whom shall we choose
As the most apt and abled instrument,

To minister it to him?

Eud. I say, Lygdus.

Sej. Lygdus? what's he?

Liv. An eunuch Drusus loves.

Eud. Ay, and his cup-bearer.

Sej. Name not a second.

If Drusus love him, and he have that place,

We cannot think a fitter.

d Vid. Tacit. Ann. Lib. iv. pp. 74-76.

• Tacit. ibidem.