Sejanus, His Fall

By Ben Jonson

Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was a Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. He worked shortly as an actor in "The Admiral's Men", but soon moved on to writing original plays for the troupe. Jonson's work was primarily in comedies for the public theatres, very few of his tragedies have survived. "Sejanus, His Fall," is the earliest known attempt by the playwright at tragedy, and although the play is less popular than his comedic works, it is a valuable look at Jonson's view of the repressive totalitarian state. Based on a tragedy about Lucius Aerlius Seianus and the Roman emperor Tiberius, the play does not conform to the archetype of classical tragedy; it spans several months and various locales, and graphically violent scenes are delivered on stage. It has been speculated that the story of the tyrannical emperor and the villainous Sejanus represents James I and his corrupt court.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781420941937

Ben Jonson

Benjamin Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637 was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satirical plays Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone, or The Fox (c. 1606), The Alchemist (1610) and Bartholomew Fair (1614) and for his lyric and epigrammatic poetry. He is generally regarded as the second most important English dramatist, after William Shakespeare.

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SEJANUS

HIS FALL.

A TRAGEDY.

BY BEN JONSON

A Digireads.com Book

Digireads.com Publishing

Print ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-4089-3

Ebook ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-4193-7

This edition copyright © 2012

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CONTENTS

DEDICATION

TO THE READERS.

THE ARGUMENT.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT I.

ACT II.

ACT III.

ACT IV.

ACT V.

DEDICATION

MART.

Non hic Centauros, non Gorgonas, Harpyiasque

Invenies: Hominem paginanostra sapit.

To the no less noble by virtue than blood,

Esmé

Lord Aubigny.

My Lord,

If ever any ruin were so great as to survive, I think this be one I send you, the Fall of Sejanus. It is a poem, that (if I well remember) in your Lordships sight suffered no less violence from our people here, than the subject of it did from the rage of the people of Rome; but with a different fate, as (I hope) merit: for this hath outlived their malice, and begot itself a greater favour than he lost, the love of good men. Amongst whom, if I make your Lordship the first it thanks, it is not without a just confession of the bond your benefits have, and ever shall hold upon me.

Your Lordship's most faithful honourer,

BEN JONSON.

TO THE READERS.

The following, and voluntary labours of my friends, prefixed to my book, have relieved me in much, whereat (without them) I should necessarily have touched: now, I will only use three or four short, and needful notes, and so rest.

First, if it be objected, that what I publish is no true poem; in the strict laws of time, I confess it: as also in the want of a proper chorus, whose habit, and moods are such, and so difficult, as not any, whom I have seen since the Ancients (no, not they who have most presently affected laws) have yet come in the way of. Nor is it needful, or almost possible, in these our times, and to such auditors, as commonly things are presented, to observe the old state, and splendour of dramatic poems, with preservation of any popular delight. But of this I shall take more seasonable cause to speak; in my observation upon Horace his Art of Poetry, which (with the text translated) I intend shortly to publish. In the meantime, if in truth of argument, dignity of persons, gravity and height of elocution, fullness and frequency of sentence, I have discharged the other offices of a tragic writer, let not the absence of these forms be imputed to me, wherein I shall give you occasion hereafter (and without my boast) to think I could better prescribe, then omit the due use, for want of a convenient knowledge.

The next is, lest in some nice nostril, the quotations might savour affected, I do let you know, that I abhor nothing more; and have only done it to show my integrity in the story, and save myself in those common torturers, that bring all wit to the rack: whose noses are ever like swine spoiling, and rooting up the Muses' gardens, and their whole bodies, like moles, as blindly working under earth to cast any, the least, hills upon virtue.

Whereas, they are in Latin and the work in English, it was presupposed, none but the learned would take the pains to confer them, the authors themselves being all in the learned tongues, save one, with whose English side I have had little to do: To which it may be required, since I have quoted the page, to name what edition I followed. Tacit. Lips. in 4°. Antwerp. edit. 600. Dio. Folio Hen. Step. 92. For the rest, as Sueton, Seneca. etc. the chapter doth sufficiently direct, or the edition is not varied.

Lastly, I would inform you, that this book, in all numbers, is not the same with that which was acted on the public stage, wherein a second pen had good share: in place of which I have rather chosen, to put weaker (and no doubt less pleasing) of mine own, then to defraud so happy a genius of his right, by my loathed usurpation.

Fare you well. And if you read farther of me, and like, I shall not be afraid of it though you praise me out.

Neque enim mihi cornea fibra est.

But that I should plant my felicity, in your general saying Good, or Well, etc. were a weakness which the better sort of you might worthily contemn, if not absolutely hate me for.

BEN JONSON and no such.

Quem Palma negate macrum, donate reducit opimum.

THE ARGUMENT.

Aelius Sejanus, Son to Sejus Strabo, a gentleman of Rome, and born at Vulsinium, after his long service in court, first, under Augustus; afterward, Tiberius; grew into that favour with the latter, and won him by those arts, as there wanted nothing but the name to make him a co-partner of the Empire. Which greatness of his, Drusus, the Emperor's son, not brooking, after many smothered dislikes (it one day breaking out) the Prince struck him publicly on the face. To revenge which disgrace, Livia, the wife of Drusus, (being before corrupted by him to her dishonour, and the discovery of her husband's counsels) Sejanus practiseth with, together with her physician called Eudemus, and one Lygdus an eunuch, to poison Drusus. This their inhumane 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 instills into his ears many doubts and suspicions, both against the Princes, and their mother Agrippina; which Caesar 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 engine) 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 others 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, in one day hath him suspected, accused, condemned, and torn in pieces, by the rage of the people.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Tiberius.

Drusus senior.

Nero.

Drusus junior.

Caligula.

Arruntius.

Silius.

Sabinus.

Lepidus.

Cordus.

Gallus.

Regulus.

Terentius.

Laco.

Eudemus.

Rufus.

Sejanus.

Latiaris.

Varro.

Macro.

Cotta.

Afer.

Haterius.

Sanquinius.

Pomponius.

Posthumus.

Trio.

Minutius.

Satrius.

Natta.

Opsius.

Agrippina.

Livia.

Sosia.

Praecones.

Flamen.

Tubicines.

Nuntius.

Tribuni.

Lictores.

Ministri.

Tibicines.

Servus.

The Scene

Rome.

ACT I.

A state-room in the palace.

[Sabinus and Silius, followed by Latiaris.]

SABINUS. Hail, Caius Silius.

SILIUS. Titius, Sabinus, Hail. You're rarely met in Court!

SABINUS. Therefore, well met.

SILIUS. 'Tis true. Indeed, this place is not our sphere.

SABINUS. No, Silius, we are no good enginers.

We want the fine arts, and their thriving use,

Should make us graced, or favoured of the times:

We have no shift of faces, no cleft tongues,

No soft and glutinous bodies, that can stick,

Like snails, or painted walls; or, on our breasts,

Creep up, to fall, from that proud height, to which

We did by slavery, not by service, climb.

We are no guilty men, and then no great;

We have no place in court, office in state,

That we can say, we owe unto our crimes:

We burn with no black secrets, which can make

Us dear to the pale authors; or live feared

Of their still waking jealousies, to raise

Our selves a fortune, by subverting theirs:

We stand not in the lines, that do advance

To that so courted point.

[Enter Satrius and Natta at a distance.]

SILIUS. But yonder lean

A pair that do.

(SABINUS. Good cousin Latiaris.)

SILIUS. Satrius Secundus, and Pinnarius Natta,

The great Sejanus' clients: there be two,

Know more, than honest counsels: whose close breasts,

Were they ripped up to light, it would be found

A poor and idle sin, to which their trunks

Had not been made fit