Sejanus: His Fall Part 6

Sej; Let me adore my AEsculapius.

Why, this indeed is physic! and outspeaks The knowledge of cheap drugs, or any use Can be made out of it! more comforting Than all your opiates, juleps, apozems, Magistral syrups, or---- Be gone, my friend, Not barely styled, but created so; Expect things greater than thy largest hopes, To overtake thee: Fortune shall be taught To know how ill she hath deserv'd thus long, To come behind thy wishes. Go, and speed. [Exit Eudemus.

Ambition makes more trusty slaves than need.

These fellows, by the favour of their art, Have still the means to tempt; oft-times the power.

If Livia will be now corrupted, then Thou hast the way, Seja.n.u.s, to work out His secrets, who, thou know'st, endures thee not, Her husband, Drusus: and to work against them.

Prosper it, Pallas, thou that better'st wit; For Venus hath the smallest share in it.

Enter TIBERIUS and DRUSUS, attended.

Tib. [to Haterius, who kneels to him.]

We not endure these flatteries; let him stand; Our empire, ensigns, axes, rods and state Take not away our human nature from us: Look up on us, and fall before the G.o.ds.

Sej. How like a G.o.d speaks Caesar!

Arr.

There, observe!

He can endure that second, that's no flattery.

O, what is it, proud slime will not believe Of his own worth, to hear it equal praised Thus with the G.o.ds!

Oar. He did not hear it, sir.

Arr.

He did not! Tut, he must not, we think meanly.

'Tis your most courtly known confederacy, To have your private parasite redeem, What he, in public, subtilely will lose, To making him a name.

Hat. Right mighty lord---- [Gives him letters.

Tib.

We must make up our ears 'gainst these a.s.saults Of charming tongues; we pray you use no more These contumelies to us; style not us Or lord, or mighty, who profess ourself The servant of the senate, and are proud T' enjoy them our good, just, and favouring lords.

Car. Rarely dissembled!

Arr. Prince-like to the life.

Sab.

When power that may command, so much descends, Their bondage, whom it stoops to, it intends.

Tib. Whence are these letters?

Hat. From the senate.

Tib. So. [Lat. gives him letters.

Whence these?

Lat. From thence too.

Tib. Are they sitting now?

Lat. They stay thy answer, Caesar.

Sil.

If this man Had but a mind allied unto his words, How blest a fate were it to us, and Rome!

We could not think that state for which to change, Although the aim were our old liberty: The ghosts of those that fell for that, would grieve Their bodies lived not, now, again to serve.

Men are deceived, who think there can be thrall Beneath a virtuous prince: Wish'd liberty Ne'er lovelier looks, than under such a crown.

But, when his grace is merely but lip-good.

And that, no longer than he airs himself Abroad in public, there, to seem to shun The strokes and stripes of flatterers, which within Are lechery unto him, and so feed His brutish sense with their afflicting sound, As, dead to virtue, he permits himself Be carried like a pitcher by the ears, To every act of vice: this is the case Deserves our fear, and doth presage the nigh And close approach of blood and tyranny.

Flattery is midwife unto prince's rage: And nothing sooner doth help forth a tyrant, Than that and whisperers' grace, who have the time, The place, the power, to make all men offenders.

Arr.

He should be told this; and be bid dissemble With fools and blind men: we that know the evil, Should hunt the palace-rats or give them bane; Fright hence these worse than ravens, that devour T he 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,)

Sil. 'Tis well pray'd.

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 a.s.sent 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 G.o.ds, 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 forefathers, 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 bra.s.s, 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 G.o.ds 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!

Bat. Most divine!

Sej.

The oracles are ceased, That only Caesar, 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 G.o.ddess for our mother's health, We will the senate know, we fairly like: As also of their grant to Lepidus, For his repairing the AEmilian place, And restoration of those monuments: Their grace too in confining of Sila.n.u.s 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 Seja.n.u.s, 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, Seja.n.u.s, thou great aid of Rome, a.s.sociate 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, etc.