Rouse up your wrath let anger chase away These sullen clouds Revenge will bring the day Again and make your honour shine more bright While it damns her to shades of death and night Otho Ha! thou hast wak'd my Soul from its dull rest Revenge thou gen'rous fire enrich my brest Poppea passes over the Stage O glorious Whore I 'le sink her with a blow She 's rotten ripe for ruin let me go Piso. You see her guards will your Revenge oppose And thus for nothing we our lives shall lose Otho Down down my swelling heart O I am sad Hold my weak eyes this sight has made me mad Piso. Blinded with rage our Reason's apt to stray Be rul'd by me I 'le shew the safest way Exennt Scae III. Britannicus reading Poppea enters Pop. Musing and all alone Syllana go The bottom of my Fate I 'le quickly know My Virtues are dethron'd and passions rule O Heav'ns my crimes you have reveng'd at full Brit. It is a truth or does Fame tell us lyes When it reports that the Soul never dyes But mantled sits and acts in gloomy shrouds Like Cynthia when she 's hemm'd with circling clouds When the soft partner of our griefs and joyes With trembling hands shall close our dying eyes When in sad sort our friends shall stand and mourn To see the Fatal torch those relicts burn Is there an end of thought no farther care No throne of bliss nor caverns of despair No dens of darkness nor no seats of Glory Then all our grave discourse is but a story Some full-gorg'd Priest nodding beneath a shade Tales of Elizium and the dull pool made Whither O whither go we when we dye Why there where babes not yet conceiv'd do lie Death's nothIng nothing after death will fall Time and dark Chaos will devour us all Pop. I come to kill thee Prince Brit. My Boy is dead To Heav'ns bright Throne his brighter Soul is fled Yonder he mounts on silver burnish'd wings Each God immortal sweets around him flings Now lkie a ship he cuts the liquid Sky His Rigging's Glorious and his Mast is high Fan'd with cool winds his Golden colours fly Ha! wilt thou follow him begin strike home Pop. I say to kill thee Prince I hither come Thy eyes sharp beams have run quite through my heart And I on thine will thus revenge the smart Brit. Strike and by Heav'n I 'le kiss thee for the blow Be quick my blood is black and full of woe Do me this welcome dangerous cruelty Fair Murdress if thou art my enemy Pop. Nay sure you flater'd when you term'd me fair Brit. If Lillyes snow and light be such you are Pop. If I am so this deed would make me foul And cast eternal spots upon my soul Therefore thou horrid instrument be gone VVithout thy help alas I am undone I faint Brit. VVithin my arms I 'le hold thee till Thy Soul return and greedy death beguile In Rosy gales life through her lips does stream Pop. VVhy did you wake me from this golden dream Oh I am sick Brit. I am contagious sure And all that touch me dye Pop. You are my cure 'T is only in your power to make me live From those lov'd eyes let me this Balm receive Within this circle let me ever grow Brit. Thou charmer speak what wouldst thou have me do Pop. Something why thus to press your hand that 's all Heav'n how he shakes why do you tremble Prince Cyara's Ghost Brit. Ha! what art thou thou ayry phantasm hence O Gods it is my Boy what would'st thou have How cold he looks just ris'n from the grave Cya Go not to bed but fly that Sorceress arms She tempts like Circe and has deadly charms Think on Cyara for she lov'd thee well Take heed beware thou' rt in the Rode to Hell Exit Brit. Stay I conjure thee stay leave me not thus If thou did'st ever love Britaennicus I 'le follow thee along thy Ayay track And mount above the clouds to fetch thee back Exit Enter Sylvana with a Taper Silva O Heav'ns How do you Madam what success Pop. I 'le tell thee Killing woe and deep distress Thy arm my Girl I 'le shew thee e're we part Sad things a troubled mind and wounded heart Ah! for my former peace what would I give My comfort is this shame I shame I sha'nt survive Oh dismal change nothing is constant found The Gods with whirl-winds drive our Fortunes round Exeunt Scae IV. Nero sleeping in a Couch Caligula's Ghost appears Ghost FRom the Infernal cave the wide the low Abyss the direful pit of endless woe On which each God that looks scarce keeps his State But giddy grown turns and takes hold of Fate Caligula in vapors wrapt does come Nero thy friend and the sworn foe of ROME Not Hell's more deradful than these hated walls The Stygian waves and Terrhene water's falls Alike with fear confound my troubled Soul And sprinkle equal horrors as they rowl By Traytors hands I fell O that I could For every drop they shed Spill Seas of blood Oh Heav'n I 'de do what cannot be exprest VVith raging Plagues I 'de fill each Roman brest Burn Palaces like Thunder I would rave Tear the tall woods and rend each Sacred Grove But oh by pow'rful Fate I am confin'd And must not reak the madness of my mind Nero Act thou what can't be done by me Thy Genius I will aid thy cruelty With my pale hand I stroak thy troubled sense All poyson Hell contains I do dispense The scum of Lethe with Alecto's gall Maegera's sweat shall on thy vitals fall Errinnis shall about thy heart-strings twine Yet all 's too little for our great design Lo I am warn'd see where fierce Envy stands And summons me by Pluto's dread commands Go on be mad no more I must be gone And vanish like the light when day is done Nero Solus VVhere have I been thou Daemon of the night Return I 'm rack'd with this appalling sight The forked tongues of Furyes can't express The rage that burns within me Sulphur's less Not Hell it self fo full of dread appears Not Night nor darker Death such horror wears Not the destructive force of wind and fire VVhen some great City's ruin they conspire Not the davouring Sea when Neptune makes The Sea Gods drunk and draughts of ruin takes VVrong'd womens hate Sword Famine Plagues combine Your madness trebled cannot equal mine All you faint emblems of my fury are No tender Sex nor age my wrath shall spare Enter Drusillus bloody What news thy looks declare it to be good A hasty joy appears though drest in blood Drus. The rabble Sir with wine and rage inspir'd With Trayt'rous hands your Palace would have fir'd Your Guards they did assault but we withstood Their heat and soon allay'd it with their blood Few strokes were giv'n ere the base cowards fled Some pris'ners are some scap'd and some are dead Nero. Ha! do they bid me battle they shall die
kill him gorg'd with wine Forcing a day and making black night shine Debauch'd and sordidly ambitious grown Midst all his Revels would the deed were done Ro. Guilt the mind's wild-fire lick his Spirits up Press him good GODS press him until he droop Sink and be damn'd beneath the lowest Hell After his death we may in safety dwell Dru. But while he lives no honest Roman may Pass night in rest or view one peaceful day Exeunt Scoe. II. The Country Otho Poppea Petronius Piso. Petr. WHy should such God-like forms inhabit here And bless th' ignoble sort Otho Pr'ythee no more She sha' not go to Court ther 's discord in 't Pet. Now by your Lady's lovely eyes I swear That Country sounds not half so well to me Is it more harmony to hear a Clown Whistle his dull Tunes which you construe solemn Than see a Lady softly touch her Lute And breath an Ayr to the melodious strings Her beauty and her voice so ravishing That each Spectators Soul is left in doubt Where first to mount into the eye or ear The Court Now by my Honor dearer than my life And as I action love I think the Court May well be tearmed the Noble Rendesvous Of Gallant Spirits 't is a Circle Sir Oth. More I 'le allow it is a golden Circle But like the Carthaginian Hero's KING It carries poyson 't is a fatal Circle Upon whose Magick skirts a thousand Devils In Chrystal forms fit tempting innocence And becken early Virtue from its Center Piso. Now by my life I think you councel ill I view thee and o th' sudden somthing calls Thee Traytor Brother I never lov'd this man that 's all Exit Ot. Why should you lose me on a bare suspicion The Gods ram curses on me thick as Hail If e're I harbour'd in this brest a thought But what was Noble of your spotly loves I must be bold to say yo 've done me wrong And but I have by Oath inviolable Sworn you a friendship firm as Destiny Protecting you and yours I should not thus Tamely put up your angry Brother's terms Oth. Your pardon generous friend he was too blame Let my repentance set all right again Indeed I am asham'd for what was past Pet. See our contention has disturb'd your Lady And call'd the precious dew into her eyes Oth. No more my dear nay if thou lov'st me cease Pet. I wonder that the Emperor 's so long I wrote to have him call Otho to Court Imploy him there and come in person hither Exeunt Scaen. 3. The Court Octavia Britannicus Octa. AH dearest Brother be not too secure Syrens most dreadful are when they allure I dread him most since your last Noble strife And fear he is plotting 'gainst your precious life Of which you ought to have a tender care Because your Sister claims so deep a share For hear me Gods the doom which you decree This gallant Prince shall prove my Destiny Brit Fear not my life he cannot be so base I have some friends that all his mischiefs trace If ought against me move their care will find Some means to let me know what is design'd Oct. HEAV'N ever shield you from his violence His kindness to you is but meer pretence And if he smiles 't is at your innocence The Chrystal of his eye is clouded 'ore That his dark thoughts my Genius can't explore E're while I met him The Fates sit working on his gather'd brows Slow steps he takes and murmurs as he goes Starts and sixt looks upon the Terra's throws Brit. Mild as calm Martyrs I could death receive Two reasons only make me wish to live Two debts remain to pay most Nobly due Love claims the first t'other I owe to you Oct. Within your breast does Love chief Regent stand I thought that reason there had sole command Brit. Never was heart so pittifully kind So capable of Love's impression made We me all Beauties gentle usage find The humble charm the mighty do invade Last Year unknown to Parthia I did go And view'd the Court beheld the gallant foe Of ROME Prince of Alamander whose great Name Sound loud and almost cracks the cheeks of Fame Bellona then as Goddess of our Arms I did Adore but soon felt softer charms The curious Prince wirhin my looks did find Something that wrought upon his Noble mind Discours'd me call'd me friend and did confess He never lov'd a man to such excess One day Oh day most fatal to my rest After a thousand kindnesses exprest He took me by the hand and gently said Dear friend there is a young and noble Maid That fain would see you Bowing I reply'd Sir I am yours and to your service ty'd Oct. Your story yet has no great cause to fright Brit. At length we came but such a Glorious sight Such a bright flux of rayes on tender sense Such charming softness such sweet excellence Word may describe but never can define The Sun ne'r saw an object so Divine Fancy can't reach it above fiction fair All the sweet lines of Beauty center'd there Unlike to Caesar's was my amorous Doom I came I saw but was my self o'recome It was his Sister Cyara nam'd that Royal charming Maid My soul was rapt with joy though shook with dread So Angels when they stoop to mortal sight Strike us with awe yet ravish with delight Oct. Why did you not your noble Love declare I did but first committed to her ear The secret of my birth which she receiv'd VVith modest joy and generously believ'd Our Loves too happy were to flourish long Frost-nipt i' th' bud they wither'd as they hung Some Roman slave I know not whom nor where Gave the old KING private intelligence But the young Prince most watchful sent me word Hastn'd my flight and would not time afford To hear my thanks ungrateful so I came To ROME but nourish'd still my former flame Enter Cyara and Silvius at one door the Emperour and Plautus at another Cya YOnder he stands the GOD's great Master-piece Oh I could ever on that Object gaze And lose my Senses in that goodly maze VVith gay and vig'rous youth his eyes are Crown'd Presence and Manly graces all around His Noble form do make their bright abode Like beams of Lustre circling in a GOD. Nero. He dyes that bold Controller of my will He has Oblig'd me so that I must kill VVhy with dull thoughts do I my fancy pall VVhen I look sad whole Hecatombs should fall Ha! who are they my fretting blood does rise Hands rest I 'le try to blast him with my eyes Make me Basilisk but one short hour Some GOD that would be Nero's Emperour Plau. Oh you just Powr's where is Astrea fled Foul vice Triumphs trampling on Virtues head Here Fam'd Democritus his teeth might show And Heracletus might his tears bestow Nero. I hate him deadly As poverty diseases or old age For his wish'd death my Empire I 'le engage Not Hell nor Heav'n my fierce
Your Majesty Nero. I 'le hear no more Is Galba false Petr. They call him Emperour Nero. They do but what 's the name without the pow'r Let him come on this arm shall strike him dead And snatch his borrowed Laurels from his head Petr. Your Treasures are consum'd with late expence Nero. His gather'd Sums shall help that indigence Petr Time flies 't is fit your wisdom had design'd Nero. Do you consult while I my pleasures mind Oh my Poppoea where art thou retir'd Never was blessing So oft enjoy'd yet still so much desir'd Exeunt Scaen. III. Popepa Piso and Otho listening Pop. ARe they both dead Piso and Otho too Piso. I saw 'em first oppose the pyrat's rage With numbers scorning death they did engage The GOD of battels blush'd as he look'd on Envying the just applause these Heroes won Pop. Virtue is still by violence opprest How his eyes sparkle Pray relate the rest Piso. I have my self the doubtful hazard stood Of fifteen battles plung'd in waves of blood The dreadful cast on Fortune's bank I threw Life was my lot yet still in all my view Of wounds of War and death I never saw Such pleasing horror such delightful awe Such mighty force and art together laid Never was Game of death so bravely play'd At last O that I live such news to tell With conqu'ring tir'd these Sons of Valour fell Pop. Oh pow'r of Love his words my Soul invade Sure 't is some GOD delighting in a shade The Glories of his eyes like Stars in night Or mourning Beauties charm my wounded sight Since Honours are by Caesar round my hurl'd Since I am made the Empress of the World Since all 's my choice why do I doubtful stand And wish a pleasure which I may command If when I dye I must to torments go 'T is fit no time be lost let pleasures flow Fancy its eager appetite shall cloy Let resolution Holy qualms destroy Henceforth what e're I like I will enjoy Exit beckoning Piso. Otho Solus O Hell her crimes thy horror cannot match Be swift my Sword her lust and life dispatch This key unlocks all doors throughout the Court Are you so wanton Yes you shall have sport How am I Rob'd of all I ever lov'd My soul is heavy and would be remov'd Once she was fair the softest sweetest wife My heart 's lov'd Joy the Jewel of my life Had she stood so how happy had I been But she 's fallen and Glories in her sin Ah the whole Sex is naught false and unkind Falser than flatt'ring Seas or fleeting wind With panting hopes and fears they rack our brest Snatch our soft sleeps and ravish downy rest Oh they are skill'd practis'd in paint and art Smile in our face and stab us to the heart Yet we see all think nothing is unspy'd While they like Serpents on their bellies glide And leave no Print behinde our search to guide Exit Poppea Piso. Piso. War is my Mistress here I am unfit Love's chaplet misbecoms a Warrior's head I cannot cringe my nerves too firm are knit These limbs ne'r lay upon a silken bed Can you that are the World 's great Empress take Delight in the embraces of a slave Pop. The Sun for thy lov'd cheek did Heav'n forsake Why should not I the like advantage have From a bright Orb of Glory I 'le descend And in thy gloomy Cell make my abode No more a slave henceforth thou art my friend A Cottage has ere now receiv'd a GOD. Piso. Who ever knew Night mingle with the Day Pop Nothing agrees with Love so well as Night Hush'd and in darkness hid the bashful play And happy as the bold ravish delight The most obdurate are by kindness won Your touches charm nay why do you withdraw Grow thus like a soft cloud upon the Sun My pow'rful flame thy Icy fears will thaw Piso. Your Grandeur aws me yet why should I fear Somthing there is which my blood strangely moves I am your slave but are we private here Pop. As Hermits in their Cells or Gods in groves Piso. Why did you name the Gods that Sacred sound The force of Thunder bears and turns my blood My Spirits fly low yet with your touch rebound Like wanton Swallows when they kiss the flood Pop. Such fears unworthy are my blood or Throne Give me a Fancy sixt to its delight Tremblings and starts the fearful well may own The valiant still refuse a distant fight Enter Otho Otho Here 's one that fain would try your mighty Art What mean you ere the Fight 's begun you start Pop. Night horror death Ah whither shall I fly Otho Can you be valiant and yet fear to dye Pop. Thus at your feet let me one moment grow A little respite for my Soul allow Repentance seizes on each vital part And serions grief clings about my heart Yet ere I dye let me my thoughts declare O you are wrong'd my still loved Lord you are Your bed's defil'd and I am all one stain But yet my blood may wash me white again By killing me you only can forgive I am so wicked that I would not live In pity say this of me when ' Im dead She was not easily to ruin led 'T was not a common Crown her virtue bought But mighty Glory with great Courtship wrought Then she was young This Sir perhaps may mitigate my fault Oth. Her cunning tongue retains its wonted charms Peace Syron and hold off thy guilty arms I feel a gentle load drop on my feet Look Piso I suspect but dare not see 't Piso Oh do not Sir my eyes by chance did stray And half my resolution 's ta'ne away She weeps she weeps Gods who would not admire To see such floods rise from a Spring of fire Otho Yes I will see her O thou false one speak For thou shalt die Though will the Fatal stroke my own heart break Look up seek not to hide thy known disgrace But shew thy fair thy false thy once lov'd face Oh answer me what have I ever done That thou should'st use me thus cease thy vain moan And speak or practice o're thy mournful art And sob an answer Oh my troubled heart Pop. Yes I will speak my Noble Lord I will 'T is but a short request be kind and kill Your words like Daggers through my brest make way A thousand deaths you give me by delay This one last look Oh put me out of pain I 'le speak no more Nor shall my eyes e'er look forth again Otho A mortal agony invades my blood Somthing now whispers me she may be good And shall we blast young Virtue in the bud An Earth-quake's here all in confusion Tost In the disorder too Revenge is lost Piso. Here you shall find it let me give the blow Otho Thou art so hasty still Piso. And you as slow Oth. She ne'r offended thee I charge you hold Piso. His old love burns again Oth. Alas I 'm cold Compassion this last ardency