Sejanus: His Fall Part 30

Arr.

G.o.ds! how the sponges open and take in, And shut again! look, look! is not he blest That gets a seat in eye-reach of him? more, That comes in ear, or tongue-reach? O but most, Can claw his subtle elbow, or with a buz Fly-blow his ears?

Praet. Proclaim the senate's peace, And give last summons by the edict.

Prae.

Silence!

In name of Caesar, and the senate, silence!

Memmius Regulus, and Fulcinius Trio, consuls, these present kalends of June, with the first light, shall hold a senate, in the temple of Apollo Palatine: all that are fathers, and are registered fathers that have right of entering the senate, we warn or command you be frequently present, take knowledge the business is the commonwealth's: whosoever is absent, his fine or mulct will be taken, his excuse will not be taken.

Tri. Note who are absent, and record their names.

Reg.

Fathers conscript, may what I am to utter Turn good and happy for the commonwealth!

And thou, Apollo, in whose holy house We here have met, inspire us all with truth, And liberty of censure to our thought!

The majesty of great Tiberius Caesar Propounds to this grave senate, the bestowing Upon the man he loves, honour'd Seja.n.u.s, The tribunitial dignity and power: Here are his letters, signed with his signet.

What pleaseth now the fathers to be done?

Sen. Read, read them, open, publicly read them.

Cot.

Caesar hath honour'd his own greatness much In thinking of this act.

Tri.

It was a thought Happy, and worthy Caesar.

Lat.

And the lord As worthy it, on whom it is directed!

Hat. Most worthy!

San.

Rome did never boast the virtue That could give envy bounds, but his: Seja.n.u.s----

1 Sen. Honour'd and n.o.ble!

2 Sen. Good and great Seja.n.u.s!

Arr. O, most tame slavery, and fierce flattery!

Prae. Silence!

TIBERIUS CAESAR to the Senate, greeting.

If you, conscript fathers, with your children, be in health, it is abundantly well: we with our friends here are so. The care of the commonwealth, howsoever we are removed in person, cannot be absent to our thought; although, oftentimes, even to princes most present, the truth of their own affairs is hid, than which, nothing falls out more miserable to a state, or makes the art of governing more difficult. But since it hath been our easeful happiness to enjoy both the aids and industry of so vigilant a senate, we profess to have been the more indulgent to our pleasures, not as being careless of our office, but rather secure of the necessity. Neither do these common rumours of many, and infamous libels published against our retirement, at all afflict us; being born more out of men's ignorance than their malice: and will, neglected, find their own grave quickly, whereas, too sensibly acknowledged, it would make their obloquy ours. Nor do we desire their authors, though found, be censured, since in a free state, as ours, all men ought to enjoy both their minds and tongues free.

Arr. The lapwing, the lapwing!

Yet in things which shall worthily and more near concern the majesty of a prince, we shall fear to be so unnaturally cruel to our own fame, as to neglect them. True it is, conscript fathers, that we have raised Seja.n.u.s from obscure, and almost unknown gentry

Sen. How, how!

to the highest and most conspicuous point of greatness, and, we hope, deservingly, yet not without danger: it being a most bold hazard in that sovereign, who, by his particular love to one, dares adventure the hatred of all his other subjects.

Arr. This touches; the blood turns.

But we affy in your loves and understandings, and do no way suspect the merit of our Seja.n.u.s, to make our favours offensive to any.

Sen. O! good, good.

Though we could have wished his zeal had run a calmer course against Agrippina and our nephews, howsoever the openness of their actions declared them delinquents, and, that he would have remembered, no innocence is so safe, but it rejoiceth to stand in the sight of mercy: the use of which in us, he hath so quite taken away, towards them, by his loyal fury, as now our clemency would be thought but wearied cruelty, if we should offer to exercise it.

Arr. I thank him; there I look'd for't. A good fox!

Some there be that would interpret this his public severity to be particular ambition, and that, under a pretext of service to us, he doth but remove his own lets: alleging the strengths he hath made to himself, by the praetorian soldiers, by his faction in court and senate, by the offices he holds himself, and confers on others, his popularity and dependents, his urging and almost driving us to this our unwilling retirement, and, lastly, his aspiring to be our son-in-law.

Sen. This is strange!

Arr. I shall anon believe your vultures, Marcus.

Your wisdoms, conscript fathers, are able to examine, and censure these suggestions. But, were they left to our absolving voice, we durst p.r.o.nounce them, as we think them, most malicious.

Sen. O, he has restored all; list!

And give last summons by the edict.

Prae.

Silence!

In name of Caesar, and the senate, silence!

Memmius Regulus, and Fulcinius Trio, consuls, these present kalends of June, with the first light, shall hold a senate, in the temple of Apollo Palatine: all that are fathers, and are registered fathers that have right of entering the senate, we warn or command you be frequently present, take knowledge the business is the commonwealth's: whosoever is absent, his fine or mulct will be taken, his excuse will not be taken.

Tri. Note who are absent, and record their names.

Reg.

Fathers conscript, may what I am to utter Turn good and happy for the commonwealth!

And thou, Apollo, in whose holy house We here have met, inspire us all with truth, And liberty of censure to our thought!

The majesty of great Tiberius Caesar Propounds to this grave senate, the bestowing Upon the man he loves, honour'd Seja.n.u.s, The tribunitial dignity and power: Here are his letters, signed with his signet.

What pleaseth now the fathers to be done?

Sen. Read, read them, open, publicly read them.

Cot.

Caesar hath honour'd his own greatness much In thinking of this act.