THE TRAGEDY OF NERO Newly Written Imprinted at London by Augustine Mathewes and Iohn Norton for Thomas Iones and are to bee sold at the blacke Rauen in the Strand 1624 THE TRAGEDIE OF NERO. Astus Primus Enter Petronius Arbyter Antonius Honoratus Petronius TVsh take the wench I showed thee now or else some other seeke What can your choler no way be allayed But with Imperiall tytles Will you more tytles vnto Caesar giue Anto. Great are thy fortunes Nero great thy power Thy Empyre lymited with natures bounds Vpon thy ground the Sunne doth set and ryse The day and night are thine Nor can the Planets wander where they will See that proud Earth that feares not Caesars name Yet nothing of all this I enuy thee But her to whom the world vnforst obayes Whose eyes more worth then all it lookes vpon In whom all beautyes Nature hath enclos'd That through the wide Earth or Heauen are dispos'd Petro. Indeed the steales and robs each part o' th world With borrowed beauties to enflame thine eye The Sea to fetch her Pearle is diu'd into The Diomond rocks are cut to make her shine To plume her pryde the Birds doe naked sing When my Enanthe in a homely gowne Ant. Homely I faith Petro. I homely in her gowne But looke vpon her face and that 's set out With no small grace no vayled shadowes helpe Foole that hadst rather with false lights and darke Beguiled be then see the ware thou buyest Poppea royally attended and passe ouer the Stage in State Ant. Great Queene whom nature made to be her glory Fortune got eies and came to be thy seruant Honour is proud to be thy tytle Though Thy beauties doe draw vp my soule yet still So bright so glorious is thy Maiestie That it beates downe againe my clyming thoughts Petro. Why true And other of thy blindnesses thou seest Such one to loue thou dar'st not speake vnto Giue me a wench that will be easily had Not woed with cost And being sent for comes And when I haue her foulded in mine armes Then Cleopatra she or Lucres is I le giue her any tytle Anto. Yet not so much her greatnesse and estate My hopes disharten as her chastitie Pet. Chastitie foole a word not knowne in Courts Well may it lodge in meane and countrey homes Where pouertie and labour keepes them downe Short sleepes and hands made hard with Thuscan Woll But neuer comes to great mens Pallaces Where ease and riches stirring thoughts beget Prouoking meates and surfet wines Inflame Where all there setting forth 's but to be wooed And wooed they would not be but to be wonne Will one man serue Poppea Nay thou shalt Make her as soone contented with an eye Nimphidius to them Nim. Whil'st Nero in the streetes his Pageants shewes I to his faire wiues chamber sent for am You gracious Starres that smiled in my birth And thou bright starre more powerfull then them all Whose fauouring smyles haue made me what I am Thou shalt my God my Fate and fortune bee Ex. Nim. Ant. How sausely you fellow Enters the Empresse chamber Pet. I and her too Antonius knowest thou him Ant. What knowes the onely fauorite of the Court Indeed not many dayes agoe thou mightest Haue not vnlawfully askt that question Pet. Why Is he rais'd Ant. That haue I sought in him But neuer peece of good desert could find Hee is Nimphidias sonne the free'd woman Which basenesse to shake off he nothing hath But his owne pride Pet. You Remember when Gallus Celsus And others too though now forgotten were Great in Poppeas eyes Ant. I doe and did enterpret it in them An honorable fauor she bare vertue Or parts like vertue Pet. The cause is one of theirs and this mans grace I once was great in wauering smiles of Court I fell because I knew Sence haue I giuen My time to my owne pleasures and would now Aduise thee too to meane and safe delights The thigh 's as soft the sheepes backe couereth As that which crimson and with Gold adorn'd Yet cause I see that thy restraind desires Cannot their owne way choose come thou with me Perhapps I le shew thee meanes of remedie Exeunt Two Romans at seuerall dores 1 Rom. Whither so fast man whither so fast 2 Rom. Whither but where your eares doe lead you To Neros Triumphs and the shouts you heare 1 Ro. Why comes he crown'd with Parthian ouerthrow And brings he Volegaesus with him chai'nd 2 Ro. Parthian ouerthrowne why he comes crownd For victories which neuer Roman wonne For hauing Greece in her owne arts ouerthrowne In Singing Dauncing Horse-rase Stage-playing Neuer O Rome had neuer such a Prince 1 Rom. Yet I haue heard our ancestors were crown'd For other Victories 2 Rom. None of our ancestors were ere like him within Nero Apollo Nero Hercules 1 Rom. Harke how th' applauding shouts doe cleare th' ayre This Idle talke will make me loose the sight Two Romans more to them 3 Rom. Whither goe you all 's done i' th Capytall And Nero hauing there his tables hung And Garlands vp is to the Pallace gone T' was beyond wonder I shall neuer see Nay I neuer looke to see the like againe Eighteene hundred and eight Crownes For seuerall victories and the place set downe Where and in what and whom he ouercame 4 Rom. That was set downe it 'h tables that were borne Vpon the Souldiers speares 1 Rom. O made and sometimes vse to other ends 2 Rom. But did he winne them all with singing 3 Rom. Faith all with singing and with stage-playing 1 Rom. So many Crownes got with a song 4 Rom. But did you marke the Greeke Musitians Behinde his Chariot hanging downe their heads Sham'd and orecome in their professions O Rome was neuer honour'd so before 3. Rom. But what was he that rode 'i th Chariot with him 4. Rom. That was Diodorus the Mynstrill that he fauours 3. Rom. Was there euer such a Prince 2. Rom. O Nero Augustus the true Augustus 3. Rom. Nay had you seene him as he rode along With an Olympicke Crowne vpon his head And with a Pithian on his arme you would haue thought Looking on one he had Apollo seem'd On th' other Hercules 2. Rom. I haue heard my father oft repeat the Triumphs Which in Augustus Caesars tymes were showne Vpon his Victorie ore the Jllirians But it seemes it was not like to this 3 4. Rom. Push it could not be like this 2 3 4. O Nero Apollo Nero Hercules Exeunt 2 3 4. Rom. Manet Primus 1. Rom. Whether Augustus Tryumph greater was I cannot tell his Tryumphs cause I know Was greater farre and farre more Honourable What are wee People or our flattering voyces That alwayes shame and foolish things applaud Hauing no sparke of Soule All Eares and eyes Pleas'd with vaine showes deluded by our senses Still enemies to wisedome and to goodnesse exit Enter Nero Poppea Nimphidius Tigellinus Epaphroditus Neophitus and others Nero Now
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
circumstance thou wrackst my thoughts Meli My Lord your life is conspir'd against Nero By whom Meli I must be of the world excus'd in this If the great dutie to your Maiestie Makes me all other lesser to neglect Nero Th' art a tedious fellow speake by whom Melic: By my Master Nero Who 's thy Master Meli Sceuinus Poppae: Sceuinus why should he conspire Vnlesse he thinke that likenesse in conditions May make him too worthy o th' Empire thought Nero Who are else in it I thinke Natalis Subius Flauius Lucan Seneca and Lucius Piso Asper and Quintilianus Nero Ha done Thou'ilt reckon all Rome anone and so thou maist Th' are villaines all I le not trust one of them O that the Romanes had but all one necke Poppae: Pisoes she creeping into mens affections And popular arts haue giuen long cause of doubt And th' others late obseru'd discontents Risen from misinterpreted disgraces May make vs credit this relation Nero Where are they come they not vpon vs yet See the Guard doubted see the Gates shut vp Why the 'yle surprise vs in our Court anon Meli Not so my Lord they are at Pisoes house And thinke themselues yet safe and vndiscry'd Nero Le ts thither then And take them in this false security Tigel: 'T were better first publish them traytors Nymph: That were to make them so And force them all vpon their Enemies Now without stirre or hazard they le be tane And boldly tryall dare and law demaund Besides this accusation may be forg'd By mallice or mistaking Poppe: What likes you doe Nimphidius out of hand Two wayes distract when either would preuaile If they suspecting but this fellowes absence Should try the Citie and attempt their friends How dangerous might Pisoes fauour be Nimph: I to himselfe would make the matter cleare Which now vpon one seruants credit stands The Cities fauour keepes within the bonds Of profit they 'le loue none to hurt themselues Honour and friendship they heare others name Themselues doe neither feele nor know the same To put them yet though needlesse in some feare Wee le keepe their streets with armed companies Then if they stirre they see their wiues and houses Prepar'd a pray to th' greedy Souldier Poppe: Let vs be quicke then you to Pisoes house While I and Tigellinus further sift This fellowes knowledge Ex. omnes Pretor Nero Nero Looke to the gates and walles o th' Citie looke The riuer be well kept haue watches set In euery passage and in euery way But who shall watch these watches what if they Begin and play the Traitors first O where shall I Seeke faith or them that I may wisely trust The Citie fauours the conspirators The Senate in disgrace and feate hath liu'd The Camp why most are souldiers that be named Besides he knowes not all and like a foole I interrupted him else had he named Those that stood by me O securitie Which we so much seeke after yet art still To Courts a stranger and dost rather choose The smoaky reedes and sedgy cottages Then the proud roofes and wanton cost of Kings O sweet dispised ioyes of pouerty A happines vnknowne vnto the Gods Would I had rather in poore Gallij bin Or Vlubrae a ragged Magistrate Sat as a Iudge of measures and of corne Then the adored Monarke of the world Mother thou didst deseruedly in this That from a priuate and sure state didst raise My fortunes to this slippery hill of greatnesse Where I can neither stand nor fall with life Exit Enter Piso Lucan Sceuinus Flauius Flau: But since we are discouer'd what remaines But put our liues vpon our hands these swords Shall try vs Traitors or true Citizens Sceui: And what should make this hazard doubt successe Stout men are oft with sudden onsets danted What shall this Stage-player be Luc: It is not now Augustus grauitie nor Tiberius craft But Tigellinus and Crisogorus Eunuckes and women that we goe against Sceui: This for thy owne sake this for ours we begg That thou wilt suffer him to be orecome Why shouldst thou keepe so many vowed swords From such a hated throate Flaui: Or shall we feare To trust vnto the Gods so good a cause Luca: By this we may our selues Heauens fauour promise Because all noblenesse and worth on earth We see 's on our side Here the Faby's sonne Here the Coruini are and take that part There noble Fathers would if now they liu'd There 's not a soule that claimes Nobilitie Either by his or his fore-fathers merit But is with vs with vs the gallant youth Whom passed dangers or hote bloud makes bould Staid men suspect their wisedome or their faith To whom our counsels we haue not reueald And while our party seeking to disgrace They traitors call vs Each man treason praiseth And hateth faith when Piso is a traitor Sceui: And at aduenturer what by stoutnesse can Befall vs worse then will by cowardise If both the people and the souldier failde vs Yet shall we die at least worthy our selues Worthy our ancestors O Piso thinke Thinke on that day when in the Parthian fields Thou cryedst to th' flying Legions to turne And looke Death in the face he was not grim But faire and louely when he came in armes O why there di'd we not on Syrian swords Were we reseru'd to prisons and to chaines Behold the Galley-asses in euery street And euen now they come to clap on yrons Must Pisoes head be shewed vpon a pole Those members torne rather then Roman-like And Piso-like with weapons in our hands Fighting in throng of enemies to die And that it shall not be a ciuill warre Nero preuents whose cruelty hath left Few Citizens we are not Romans now But Moores and Iewes and vtmost Spaniards And Asiaes refuge that doe fill the Citie Piso Part of vs are already tak'n the rest Amaz'd and seeking holes Our hidden ends You see laid open Court and Citie arm'd And for feare ioyning to the part they feare Why should we moue desperate and hopelesse armes And vainely spill that noble bloud that should Christall Rubes and the Median fields Not Tiber colour And the more your show be Your loues and readinesse to loose your liues The lother I am to aduenture them Yet am I proud you would for me haue dy'd But liue and keepe your selues to worthier ends No Mother but my owne shall weepe my death Nor will I make by ouerthrowing vs Heauen guiltie of more faults yet from the hopes Your owne good wishes rather then the thing Doe make you see this comfort I receiue Of death vnforst O friends I would not die When I can liue no longer 'T is my glory That free and willing I giue vp this breath Leauing such courages as yours vntri'd But to belong in talke of dying would Shew a relenting and a doubtfull mind By this you shall my quiet thoughts intend I blame nor Earth nor Heauen for my end He dies Lucan O that this noble courage had bin