Sejanus: His Fall Part 4

Sat. It is, my lord: Your lords.h.i.+p's answer.

Sej.

To what?

Sat.

The place, my lord. 'Tis for a gentleman Your lords.h.i.+p will well like of, when you see him; And one, that you may make yours, by the grant.

Sej.

Well, let him bring his money, and his name.

Sat.

'Thank your lords.h.i.+p. He shall, my lord.

Sej.

Come hither.

Know you this same Eudemus? is he learn'd?

Sat.

Reputed so, my lord, and of deep practice.

Sej.

Bring him in, to me, in the gallery; And take you cause to leave us there together: I would confer with him, about a grief---- On. [Exeunt Seja.n.u.s, Satrius, Terentius, etc.

Arr.

So! yet another? yet? O desperate state Of grovelling honour! seest thou this, O sun, And do we see thee after? Methinks, day Should lose his light, when men do lose their shames, And for the empty circ.u.mstance of life, Betray their cause of living.

Sil.

Nothing so.

Seja.n.u.s can repair, if Jove should ruin.

He is now the court G.o.d; and well applied With sacrifice of knees, of crooks, and cringes; He will do more than all the house of heaven Can, for a thousand hecatombs. 'Tis he Makes us our day, or night; h.e.l.l, and elysium Are in his look: we talk of Rhadamanth, Furies, and firebrands; but it is his frown That is all these; where, on the adverse part, His smile is more, than e'er yet poets feign'd Of bliss, and shades, nectar----

Arr.

A serving boy!

I knew him, at Caius' trencher, when for hire He prost.i.tuted his abused body To that great gormond, fat Apicius; And was the noted pathic of the time.

Sab.

And, now, the second face of the whole world!

The partner of the empire, hath his image Rear'd equal with Tiberius, born in ensigns; Commands, disposes every dignity, Centurions, tribunes, heads of provinces, Praetors and consuls; all that heretofore Rome's general suffrage gave, is now his sale.

The gain, or rather spoil of all the earth, One, and his house, receives.

Sil.

He hath of late Made him a strength too, strangely, by reducing All the praetorian bands into one camp, Which he commands: pretending that the soldiers, By living loose and scatter'd, fell to riot; And that if any sudden enterprise Should be attempted, their united strength Would be far more than sever'd; and their life More strict, if from the city more removed.

Sab.

Where, now, he builds what kind of forts he please, Is heard to court the soldier by his name, 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, 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 anything 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 G.o.ds, 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, etc.]

Death! I dare tell him so; and all his spies: You, sir, I would, do you look? and you.

Sab. Forbear.

SCENE II.

(The former scene continued.) A Gallery discovered opening into the state Room.

Enter SATRIUS with EUDEMUS.

Sat.

Here 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.

Bat.

Your fortune's made unto you now, Eudemus, If you can but lay bold upon the means; Do but observe his humour, and--believe it-- He is the n.o.blest Roman, where he takes----

Enter SEJa.n.u.s.

Here comes his lords.h.i.+p.

Sej. Now, good Satrius.

Sat. This is the gentleman, my lord.