together with her physician called Eudemus, and one Lygdus an eunuch, to poison Drusus. This their inhuman act having successful and unsuspected passage, it emboldeneth Sejanus to further and more insolent projects, even the ambition of the empire; where finding the lets he must encounter to be many and hard, in respect of the issue of Germanicus, who were next in hope for the succession, he deviseth to make Tiberius’ self his means, and instils into his ears many doubts and suspicions, both against the princes, and their mother Agrippina; which Cæsar jealously hearkening to, as covetously consenteth to their ruin, and their friends. In this time, the better to mature and strengthen his design, Sejanus labours to marry Livia, and worketh with all his ingine, to remove Tiberius from the knowledge of public business, with allurements of a quiet and retired life; the latter of which, Tiberius, out of a proneness to lust, and a desire to hide those unnatural pleasures which he could not so publicly practise, embraceth: the former enkindleth his fears, and there gives him first cause of doubt or suspect towards Sejanus: against whom he raiseth in private a new instrument, one Sertorius Macro, and by him underworketh, discovers the other’s counsels, his means, his ends, sounds the affections of the senators, divides, distracts them: at last, when Sejanus least looketh, and is most secure with pretext of doing him an unwonted honour in the senate, he trains him from his guards, and with a long doubtful letter, one day hath him suspected, accused, condemned, and torn in pieces by the rage of the people. 

 

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

 TIBERIUS. DRUSUS SENIOR. NERO. DRUSUS JUNIOR. CALIGULA. LUCIUS ARRUNTIUS. CAIUS SILIUS. TITIUS SABINUS. MARCUS LEPIDUS. CREMUTIUS CORDUS. ASINIUS GALLUS. REGULUS. TERENTIUS. GRACINUS LACO. EUDEMUS. RUFUS. SEJANUS. LATIARIS. VARRO. SERTORIUS MACRO. COTTA. DOMITIUS AFER. HATERIUS. SANQUINIUS. POMPONIUS. JULIUS POSTHUMUS. FULCINIUS TRIO. MINUTIUS. SATRIUS SECUNDUS. PINNARIUS NATTA. OPSIUS. Tribuni. Præcones. Flamen. Tubicines. Nuntius. Lictores. Minisri. Tibicines. Servi etc. AGRIPPINA. LIVIA. SOSIA. 

SCENE,—ROME

 

ACT I

SCENE I.—A State Room in the Palace.

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