How many Bookes thinke you t' include it in Nero I thinke to write about foure hundred Bookes Cornu Foure hundred why my Lord the 'yle nere be read Nero Hah Tigil: Why he whom you esteeme so much Crisippus Wrote many more Cornu But they were profitable to common life And did Men Honestie and Wisedome teach Nero Tigillinus Exit Nero Tigeli Cornu See with what earnestnesse he crau'd my Iudgment And now he freely hath it how it likes him Neoph: The Prince is angry and his fall is neere Let vs begon least we partake his ruines Exeunt omnes praeter Cornu Manet Cornutus solus What should I doe at Court I cannot lye Why didst thou call me Nero from my Booke Didst thou for flatterie of Cornutus looke No let those purple Fellowes that stand by thee That admire shew and things that thou canst giue Leaue to please Truth and Vertue to please thee Nero there 's nothing in thy power Cornutus Doth wish or feare Enter Tigellinus to him Tigel: T is Neroes pleasure that you straight depart To Giarae and there remaine confin'd Thus he out of his Princely Clemencie Hath Death your due turn'd but to banishment Cornu Why Tigellinus Tigel: I haue done vpon your perill goe or stay ex Ti. Cornu And why should Death or Banishment be due For speaking that which was requir'd my thought O why doe Princes loue to be deceiu'd And euen doe force abuses on themselues There Eares are so with pleasing speech beguil'd That Truth they mallice Flatterie truth account And their owne Soule and vnderstanding lost Goe what they are to seeke in other men Alas weake Prince how hast thou punisht me To banish me from thee O let me goe And dwell in Taurus dwell in Ethiope So that I doe not dwell at Rome with thee The farther still I goe from hence I know The farther I leaue Shame and Vice behind Where can I goe but I shall see thee Sunne And Heauen will be as neere me still as here Can they so farre a knowing soule exyle That her owne roofe she sees not ore her head Exit Enter Piso Sceuinus Lucan Flauius Piso Noble Gentlemen what thankes what recompence Shall hee giue you that giue to him the world One life to them that must so many venture And that the worst of all is too meane paye Yet can I giue no more Take that bestow it Vpon your seruice Lucan O Piso that vouchsafest To grace our headlesse partie with thy name Whom hauing our conductors we need not Haue fear'd to goe again the well try'd vallor Of Iulius or stayednesse of Augustus Much lesse the shame and Womanhood of Nero When we had once giuen out that our pretences Were all for thee our end to make thee Prince They thronging came to giue their names Men Women Gentlemen People Soldiers Senators The Campe and Cittie grew asham'd that Nero And Piso should be offered them together Sceu. We seeke not now as in the happy dayes O' th common wealth they did for libertie O you deere ashes Cassius and Brutus That was with you entomb'd there let it rest We are contented with the galling yoke If they will only leaue vs necks to beare it We seeke no longer freedome we seeke life At least not to be murdred let vs die On Enemies swords Shall we whom neither The Median Bow nor Macedonian Speare Nor the firce Gaule nor painted Briton could Subdue lay downe our neckes to Tyrants axe Why doe we talke of Vertue that obay Weakenesse and Vice Piso Haue patience good Sceuinus Lucan Weakenesse and seruile gouernment we hitherto Obeyed haue which that we may no longer We haue our liues and fortunes now set vp And haue our cause with Pisoes credit strengthned Flaui: Which makes it doubtfull whether loue to him Or Neroes hatred hath drawne more vnto vs Piso I see the good thoughts you haue of me Lords Le ts now proceede to th' purpose of our meeting I pray you take your places Le ts haue some Paper brought Sceuin: Whos 's within Enter Milichus to them Meli. My Lord Sceu. Some Inke and Paper Exit Meli enter againe with Incke and Paper Flaui: Whos 's that Sceuinus Sceui: It is my freed man Melichus Luca: Is he trustie Sceuin: I for as great matters as we are about Piso And those are great ones Luca: I aske not that we meane to neede his trust Gaine hath great soueragintie ore seruile mindes Sceui: O but my benifits haue bound him to me I from a bondman haue his state not onely Aduanc't to freedome but to wealth and credit Piso Meli waire i th' next chamber tell we call abscondit se The thing determinde on our meeting now Is of the meanes and place due circumstance As to the doing of things t' is requir'd So done it names the action Melis: I wonder What makes this new resort to haunt our house When wonted Lucius Piso to come hither Or Lucan when so oft as now of late aside Piso And since the field and open shew of armes Dislike you and that for the generall good You meane to end all styrres in end of him That as the ground must first be thought vpon Melic: Besides this comming cannot be for forme Our visitation they goe aside aside And haue long conferences by themselues Luca: Piso his comming to your house at Baiae To bathe and banquet will fit meanes afford amidst his cups to end his hated life Let him die drunke that nere liu'd soberly Pisa O be it farre that I should staine my Table And Gods of Hospitalitie with blood Let not our cause now Innocent be soyld With such a blot nor Pisoes name made hatefull What place can better fit our action Then his owne house that boundlesse enuied heape Built with the spoyles and blood of Cittizens That hath taken vp the Citie left no roome For Rome to stand on Romanes get you gone And dwell at Uciae If that Vciae too This house ore runne not Lucan But t will be hard to doe it in his house And harder to escape being done Piso Not so Bufus the Captaine of the Guard 's with vs And diuers other o th' Preterian Band Already made many though vnacquainted With our intents haue had disgrace and wrongs Which grieue them still most will be glad of change And euen they that lou'd him best when once They see him gone will smile o' th comming times Let goe things past and looke to their owne safetie Besides th' astonishment and feare will be So great so sodaine that 't will hinder them From doing any thing Meli. No priuate businesse can concerne them all aside Their countenances are troubled and looke sad Doubt and Importance in their face is read Lucan Yet still I thinke it were Safer t' attempt him priuate and alone Flaui. But 't will not carry that opinion with it T will seeme more foule and come from priuate malice Brutus and they to right the common
cause Did chuse a publike place Serui. Our deed is honest why should it seeke corners T is for the people done let them behold it Let me haue them a witnesse of my truth And loue toth ' Common-wealth The danger's greater So is the glory Why should our pale counsels Tend whether feare rather then vertue calls them I doe not like these cold considerings First let our thoughts looke vp to what is honest Next to what 's safe If danger may deterre vs Nothing that 's great or good shall ere be done And when we first gaue hands vpon this deed Toth ' commons safetie we our owne gaue vp Let not man venture on a princes death How bad soeuer with beliefe to escape Dispaire must be our hope fame or reward To make the generall liking to concurre With others were euen to strike him in his shame Or as he thinks his glory on the Stage And so too truely make 't a Tragedy When all the people cannot chuse but clap So sweet a close and 't will not Caesar be That shall be slaine a Romane Prince T will be Alemaeon or blind Oedipus Meli. And if it be of publique matters 't is not aside Like to be talke or idle fault finding On which the coward onely spends his wisedome These are all men of action and of spirit And dare performe what they determine on Luca. What thinke you of Poppea Tigellinus And th o'ther odious Instruments of Court Were it not best at once to rid them all Serui. In Caesars ruine Anthony was spared le ts not our cause with needlesse blood distaine One onely mou'd the change will not appeare When too much licence giuen to the sword Though against ill will make euen good men feare Besides things setled you at pleasure may By Law and publique Iudgement haue them rid Meli. And if it be but talke o th' State 't is Treason Like it they cannot that they cannot doe If seeke to mend it and remooue the Prince That 's highest Treason change his Councellours aside That 's alteration of the gouernment The common cloke that Treasons mufled in If laying force aside to seeke by suite And faire petition t' haue the State reform'd That 's tutering of the Prince and takes away Th one his person this his Soueraigntie Barely in priuate talke to shew dislike Of what is done is dangerous therefore the action Mislike you cause the doer likes you not Men are not fit to liue i th state they hate Piso Though we would all haue that imployment sought Yet since your worthy forwardnesse Seruinus Preuents vs And so Nobly beggs for danger Be this the chosen hand to doe the deed The fortune of the Empire speed your sword Sceui: Vertue and Heauen speed it O you homeborne Gods of our countrey Romulus and Vesta That Thuscan Tiber and Romes towers defends Forbid not yet at length a happie end To former euils Let this hand reuenge The wronged world enough we now haue suffered exeunt Manet Melichus solus Meli Tush all this long Consulting 's more then words It ends not there th'haue some attempt some plot Against the state well I le obserue it farther And if I find it make my profit of it exeunt Finis Actus Secundus Actus Tertius Enter Poppea Solus POppea I lookt Nimphidius would haue come ere this Makes he no greater hast to our embraces Or doth the easines abate his edge Or seeme we not as faire still as we did Or is he so with Neroes playing wonne That he before Poppea doth preferre it Or doth he thinke to haue occasion still Sill to haue time to waite on our stolne meetings Enter Nimphidius to her Poppe: But see his presence now doth end those doubts What i' st Nimphidius hath so long detain'd you Nimph: Faith Lady causes strong enough High walls bard dores and guards of armed men Poppe: Were you Imprisoned then as you were going To the Theater Nimphi: Not in my going Lady But in the Theater I was Imprisoned For after he was once vpon the Stage The Gates were more seuerely lookt into Then at a towne besieg'd No man no cause Was Currant no nor passant At other sights The striefe is only to get in but here The stirre was all in getting out againe Had we not bin kept to it so I thinke T' would nere haue bin so tedious though I know 'T was hard to iudge whether his doing of it Were more absur'd then 't was for time to doe it But when we once were forc't to be spectators compel'd to that which should haue bin a pleasure We could no longer beare the wearisomnesse No paine so irkesome as a forc't delight Some fell downe dead or seem'd at least to doe so Vnder that colour to be carried forth Then death first pleasur'd men the shape all feare Was put on gladly some clombe ore the walls And so by falling caught in earnest that Which th' other did dissemble There were women That being not able to intreat the guard To let them passe the gates were brought to bedde Amid'st the throngs of men and made Lucina Blush to see that vnwonted companie Poppe: If 't were so straightly kept how got you forth Nimp: Faith Lady I came pretending hast In Face and Countenance told them I was sent For things by th' Prince forgot about the sceane Which both my credit made them to beleeue And Nero newly whispered me before Thus did I passe the gates the danger Ladie I haue not yet escap't Poppe: What danger meane you Nim: The danger of his anger when he knowes How I thus shrunke away for there stood knaues That put downe in their Tables all that stir'd And markt in each there cheerefulnesse or sadnesse Poppe: I warrant I le excuse you But I pray Lett 's be a little better for your sight How did our Princely husband act Orestes Did he not wish againe his Mother liuing Her death would adde great life vnto his part But come I pray the storie of your sight Nim: O doe not driue me to those hatefull paines Lady I was too much in seeing vext Let it not be redoubled with the telling I now am well and heare my eares set free O be mercifull doe not bring me backe Vnto my prison at least free your selfe It will not passe away but stay the time Wracke out the houres in length O giue me leaue as one that wearied with the toyle at sea And now on wished shore hath firm'd his foote He lookes about and glads his thoughts and eyes With sight o th' greene cloath'd ground and leauy trees Of flowers that begge more then the looking on And likes these other waters narrow shores So let me lay my wearines in these armes Nothing but kisses to this mouth discourse My thought be compast in those circl'd Eyes Eyes on no obiect looke but on those Cheekes Be blest my hands with touch of those round brests Whiter and softer then the downe of
impunitie But with our fellowes part o th' guift proclaim'd Nero meets them Nero Whether goe you stay my friends 'T is Caesar calles you stay my louing friends Tigell: We were his slaues his footstooles and must crouch But now with such obseruance to his feet It is his misery that calles vs friends Nero And moues you not the misery of a Prince O stay my friends stay harken to the voyce Which once yee knew Tigell: Harke to the peoples cryes Harke to the streets that Galba Galba ring Nero The people may forsake me without blame I did them wrong to make you rich and great I tooke their houses to bestow on you Treason in them hath name of libertie Your fault hath no excuse you are my fault And the excuse of others treachery Tigell: Shall we with staying seeme his tyrannies T' vphold as if we were in loue with them We are excus'd vnlesse we stay too long As forced Ministers and apart of wrong ex preter Nero Nero O now I see the vizard from my face So louely and so fearefull is fall'n off That vizard shadow nothing Maiestie Which like a child acquainted with his feares But now men trembled at and now contemne Nero forsaken is of all the world The world of truth O fall some vengeance downe Equall vnto their falsehoods and my wrongs Might I accept the Chariot of the Sunne And like another Phaeton consume In flames of all the world a pile of Death Worthy the state and greatnesse I haue lost Or were I now but Lord of my owne fires Wherein false Rome yet once againe might smoake And perish all vnpitied of her Gods That all things in their last destruction might Performe a funerall honour to their Lord O loue dissolue with Caesar Caesars world Or you whom Nero rather should inuoake Blacke Chaos and you fearefull shapes beneath That with a long and not vaine enuy haue Sought to destroy this worke of th' other Gods Now let your darkenesse cease the spoyles of day And the worlds first contention end your strife Enter two Romanes to him 1 Rom: Though others bound with greater benefits Haue left your changed fortunes and doe runne Whither new hopes doe call them yet come we Nero O welcome come you to aduersitie Welcome true friends why there is faith on earth Of thousand seruants friends and followers Yet two are left your countenance me thinkes Giues comfort and new hopes 2 Rom: Doe not deceiue your thoughts My Lord we bring no comfort would we could But the last duty to performe and best We euer shall a free death to perswade To cut off hopes of fearcer cruelty And scorne more cruell to a worthy soule 1 Rom: The Senate haue decreed you 're punishable After the fashion of our ancestors Which is your necke being locked in a forke You must be naked whipt and scourg'd to death Nero The Senate thus decreed they that so oft My vertues flattered haue and guifts of mine My gouernment preferr'd to ancient times And challenge Numa to compare with me Haue they so horrible an end sought out No here I beare which shall preuent such shame This hand shall yet from that deliuer me And faithfull be alone vnto his Lord Alasse how sharpe and terrible is death O must I die must now my senses close For euer die and nere returne againe Neuer more see the Sunne nor Heauen nor Earth Whither goe I what shall I be anone What horred iourney wandrest thou my soule Vnder th' earth in darke dampe duskie vaults Or shall I now to nothing be resolu'd My feares become my hopes O would I might Me thinkes I see the boyling Phlegeton And the dull poole feared of them we feare The dread and terror of the Gods themselues The furies arm'd with linkes with whippes with snakes And my owne furies farre more mad then they My mother and those troopes of slaughtred friends And now the Iudge is brought vnto the throne That will not leaue vnto authoritie Nor fauour the oppressions of the great 1 Rom: These are the idle terrors of the night Which wise men though they teach doe not beleeue To curbe our pleasures faine and aide the weake 2 Rom: Deaths wrongfull defamation which would make Vs shunne this happy hauen of our rest This end of euils as some fearefull harme 1 Rom. Shadowes and fond imaginations Which now you see on earth but children feare 2 Rom: Why should our faults feare punishment from them What doe the actions of this life concerne The tother world with which is no commerce 1 Rom: Would Heauen and Starres necessitie compell Vs to doe that which after it would punish 2 Rom: Let vs not after our liues end beleeue More then you felt before it Nero If any words haue made me confident And boldly doe for hearing others speake Boldly this night But will you by example Teach me the truth of your opinion And make me see that you beleeue your selues Will you by dying teach me to beare death With courage 1 Rom: No necessitie of death Hangs ore our heads no dangers threatens vs Nor Senates sharpe decree nor Galbaes armes 2 Rom: Is this the thankes then thou dost pay our loue Die basely as such a life deseru'd Reserue thy selfe to punishment and scorne Of Rome and of thy laughing enemies exeunt Manet Nero Nero They hate me cause I would but liue what was 't You lou'd kind friends and came to see my death Let me endure all torture and reproach That earth or Galbaes anger can inflict Yet hell and Rodamanth are more pittilesse The first Romane to him Rom: Though not deseru'd yet once againe I come To warne thee to take pitie on thy selfe The troupes by the Senate sent discend the hill And come Nero To take me and to whip me vnto death O whither shall I flye Rom: Thou hast no choice Nero O hither must I flye hard is his happe Who from death onely must by death escape Where are they yet O may I not a little Bethinke my selfe Rom: They are at hand harke thou maist heare the noise Nero O Rome farewell farewell you Theaters Where I so oft with popular applause In song and action O they come I die He fals on his sword Rom: So base an end all iust commiseration Doth take away yet what we doe now spurne The morning Sunne saw fearefull to the world Enter some of Galbaes friends Antoneus and others with Nimphidius bound Gal: You both shall die together Traitors both He to the common wealth and thou to him And worse to a good Prince what is he dead Hath feare encourag'd him and made him thus Preuent our punishment then die with him Fall thy aspyring at thy Masters feete He kils Nimph Anton: Who though he iustly perisht yet by thee Deseru'd it not nor ended there thy treason But euen thought o th' Empire thou conceiu'st Galbaes disgrace in receiuing that Which the sonne of Nimphidia could hope Rom: Thus great bad men aboue them finde a rod People depart and say there is a God Exeunt FJNJS