Sejanus: His Fall Part 9

Liv.

When I shall, Eudemus: but let Drusus' drug Be first prepared.

Eud.

Were Lygdus made, that's done; I have it ready. And to-morrow morning I'll send you a perfume, first to resolve And procure sweat, and then prepare a bath To cleanse and clear the cutis; against when I'll have an excellent new fucus made, Resistive 'gainst the sun, the rain, or wind, Which you shall lay on with a breath, or oil, As you best like, and last some fourteen hours.

This change came timely, lady, for your health, And the restoring your complexion, Which Drusus' choler had almost burnt up!

Wherein your fortune hath prescribed you better Than art could do.

Liv.

Thanks, good physician, I'll use my fortune, you shall see, with reverence.

Is my coach ready?

Eud. It attends your highness. [Exeunt

SCENE II.----An Apartment in the Palace.

Enter SEJa.n.u.s.

Sej.

If this be not revenge, when I have done And made it perfect, let Egyptian slaves, Parthians, and bare-foot Hebrews brand my face, And print my body full of injuries.

Thou lost thyself, child Drusus, when thou thoughtst Thou couldst outskip my vengeance; or outstand The power I had to crush thee into air.

Thy follies now shall taste what kind of man They have provoked, and this thy father's house Crack in the flame of my incensed rage, Whose fury shall admit no shame or mean.---- Adultery! it is the lightest ill I will commit A race of wicked acts Shall flow out of my anger, and o'erspread The world's wide face, which no posterity Shall e'er approve, nor yet keep silent: things That for their cunning, close, and cruel mark, Thy father would wish his: and shall, perhaps, Carry the empty name, but we the prize.

On, then, my soul, and start not in thy course; Though heaven drop sulphur, and h.e.l.l belch out fire, Laugh at the idle terrors; tell proud Jove, Between his power and thine there is no odds: 'Twas only fear first in the world made G.o.ds!

Enter TIBERIUS, attended.

Tib. Is yet Seja.n.u.s come?

Sej. He's here, dread Caesar.

Tib.

Let all depart that chamber, and the next.

[Exeunt Attendants.

Sit down, my comfort. When the master prince Of all the world, Seja.n.u.s, saith he fears, Is it not fatal?

Sewj. Yes, to those are fear'd.

Tib. And not to him?

Sej.

Not, if he wisely turn That part of fate he holdeth, first on them.

Tib. That nature, blood, and laws of kind forbid.

Sej. Do policy and state forbid it?

Tib. No.

Sej.

The rest of poor respects, then, let go by; State is enough to make the act just, them guilty.

Tib. Long hate pursues such acts.

Sej.

Whom hatred frights, Let him not dream of sovereignty.

Tib.

Are rites Of faith, love, piety, to be trod down, Forgotten, and made vain?

Sej.

All for a crown.

The prince who shames a tyrant's name to bear, Shall never dare do any thing, but fear; All the command of sceptres quite doth perish, If it begin religious thoughts to cherish: Whole empires fall, sway'd by those nice respects; It is the license of dark deeds protects Ev'n states most hated, when no laws resist The sword. but that it acteth what it list.

Tib.

Yet so, we may do all things cruelly, Not safely.

Sej. Yes, and do them thoroughly.

Tib. Knows yet Seja.n.u.s whom we point at?

Sej.

Ay, Or else my thought, my sense, or both do err: 'Tis Agrippina.

Tib. She, and her proud race.

Sej.

Proud! dangerous, Caesar: for in them apace The father's spirit shoots up. Germanicus Lives in their looks, their gait, their form, t' upbraid us With his close death, if not revenge the same.

Tib. The act's not known.

Sej.

Not proved: but whispering Fame Knowledge and proof doth to the jealous give, Who, than to fail, would their own thought believe.

It is not safe, the children draw long breath, That are provoked by a parent's death.

Tib.

It is as dangerous to make them hence, If nothing but their birth be their offence.

Sej.

Stay, till they strike at Caesar; then their crime Will be enough; but late and out of time For him to punish.

Tib. Do they purpose it?

Sej.

You know, sir, thunder speaks not till it hit.

Be not secure; none swiftlier are opprest, Than they whom confidence betrays to rest.

Let not your daring make your danger such: All power is to be fear'd, where 'tis too much.

The youths are of themselves hot, violent, Full of great thought; and that male-spirited dame, Their mother, slacks no means to put them on, By large allowance, popular presentings, Increase of train and state, suing for t.i.tles; Hath them commended with like prayers, like vows, To the same G.o.ds, with Caesar: days and nights She spends in banquets and ambitious feasts For the n.o.bility; where Caius Silius, t.i.tius Sabinus, old Arruntius, Asinius Gallus, Furnius, Regulus, And others of that discontented list, Are the prime guests. There, and to these, she tells Whose niece she was, whose daughter, and whose wife.

And then must they compare her with Augusta, Ay, and prefer her too; commend her form, Extol her fruitfulness; at which a shower Falls for the memory of Germanicus, Which they blow over straight with windy praise, And puffing hopes of her aspiring sons; Who, with these hourly ticklings, grow so pleased, And wantonly conceited of themselves, As now, they stick not to believe they're such As these do give them out; and would be thought More than compet.i.tors, immediate heirs.

Whilst to their thirst of rule, they win the rout (That's still the friend of novelty) with hope Of future freedom, which on every change That greedily, though emptily expects.

Caesar, 'tis age in all things breeds neglects, And princes that will keep old dignity Must not admit too youthful heirs stand by; Not their own issue; but so darkly set As shadows are in picture, to give height And l.u.s.tre to themselves.