Lat. 
   I’ll tell you;
   But you must swear to keep it secret. 
                                                  Enter Sejanus. 
Sej. 
   I knew the Fates had on their distaff left
   More of our thread, than so.

Reg.  Hail, great Sejanus!

Tri.  Hail, the most honour’d!

Cot.  Happy!

Lat.  High Sejanus!

Sej.  Do you bring prodigies too?

Tri. 
   May all presage
   Turn to those fair effects, whereof we bring
   Your lordship news.

Reg.  May’t please my lord withdraw.

Sej.  Yes:-I will speak with you anon. [To some that stand by.

Ter. 
   My lord,
   What is your pleasure for the tribunes?

Sej. 
   Why,
   Let them be thank’d and sent away.

Min.  My lord—–­

Lac.  Will’t please your lordship to command me-

Sej. 
   No: 
   You are troublesome.

Min.  The mood is changed.

Tri. 
   Not speak,
   Nor look!

Lac. 
   Ay, he is wise, will make him friends
   Of such who never love, but for their ends. [Exeunt.

             SceneVIII.-A Space before the Temple of Apollo. 
       Enter Arruntius and lepidus divers Senators passing by them.

Arr. 
   Ay, go, make haste; take heed you be not last
   To tender your All Hail in the wide hall
   Of huge Sejanus:  run a lictor’s pace: 
   Stay, not to put your robes on; but away,
   With the pale troubled ensigns of great friendship
   Stamp’d in your face!  Now, Marcus Lepidus,
   You still believe your former augury! 
   Sejanus must go downward!  You perceive
   His wane approaching fast!

Lep.  Believe me, Lucius, I wonder at this rising.

Arr. 
   Ay, and that we
   Must give our suffrage to it.  You will say,
   It is to make his fall more steep and grievous: 
   It may be so.  But think it, they that can
   With idle wishes ’say to bring back time: 
   In cases desperate, all hope is crime. 
   See, see! what troops of his officious friends
   Flock to salute my lord, and start before
   My great proud lord! to get a lord-like nod! 
   Attend my lord unto the senate-house! 
   Bring back my lord! like servile ushers, make
   Way for my lord! proclaim his idol lordship,
   More than ten criers, or six noise of trumpets! 
   Make legs, kiss hands, and take a scatter’d hair
   From my lord’s eminent shoulder!
                     [Sanquinius and Haterius pass over the stage. 
                                    See, Sanquinius
   With his slow belly, and his dropsy! look,
   What toiling haste he makes! yet here’s another
   Retarded with the gout, will be afore him. 
   Get thee Liburnian porters, thou gross fool,
   To bear thy obsequious fatness, like thy peers. 
   They are met! the gout returns, and his great carriage.
                   [Lictors, Regulus, Trio, Sejanus, Satrius,
                   and many other Senators, pass over the stage.