they come they not upon us yet See the Guard doubled see the Gates shut up Why they 'l surprize us in our Court anon Mel. Not so my Lord they are at Piso's House And think themselves safe and undescry'd Ner. Let 's thither then And take 'em in this False Security Tig. 'T were better first publish'em Traytors Nim. That were to make 'em so And force'em all upon their Enemies Now without stir or hazard they 'l be â—…a'n And boldly Tryal dare and Law demand Besides this Accusation may be forg'd By malice or mistaking Pop. What likes you do Nimphidius out of hand Two may distract when either would prevail If they suspecting but this Fellow's absence Should try the City and attempt their Friends How dangerous might Piso's Favour be Nim. I to himself would make the matter clear Which now upon one Servant's Credit stands The City's Favour keeps within the Bounds Of Profit they 'l love none to hurt themselves Honour and Friendship they hear others name Themselves do neither feel nor know the same To put 'em yet though needless insome fear We 'l keep their Streets with Arm'd Companies Then if they stir they see their Wives and Houses Prepar'd a Prey to the Greedy Souldier Pop. Let 's be quick then you to Piso's House While I and Tigellinâ—…s further sift This Fellow's Knowledg Exeunt all but 〈◊〉 Ner. Look to the Gates and Walls o'th'City look The River be well kept have Watches set In every Passage and in every Way But who shall watch these Watches what if They Begin to play the Traitors first O where shall I Seek Faith or them that I may wisely trust The City favours the Conspirators The Senate in disgrace and fear has liv'd The Camp why most are Souldiers that he Nam'd Besides he knowes not all and like a Fool I interupted him else had he nam'd Those that stood by me O Security Which we so much seek after yet are still To court like a Stranger and dost rather choose The Smoaky Reeds and Sedgy Cottages Than the Proud Roofes and wanton cost of Kings O sweet despis'd Joys of Poverty A Happiness unknown unto the Gods Would I had been a Ragged Magistrate Sate as a Judge of Measures and of Corn Than the Adored Monarch of the World Mother thou dy'dst deservedly for this That from a Private and Sure State did'st Raise My Fortunes to this Slippery Hill of Greatness Where I can neither Stand nor Fall with Life Exit Nero. SCENE the Second Piso's House Emer Piso Lucan and Scevinus Luc. But since we are discover'd what remains But put our Lives upon our Hands our Swords Shall try us Traitors or true Romans And what should make this Hazard doubt success It is not now Augustus Gravity nor Tiberius Craft But Tigellinus and Crisogerus Eunuches and Women that we go against Sce. Why should we keep so many vow'd Swords From such a Hated Throat Or shall we fear To trust unto the Gods so good a Cause Luc. By this we may our selves Heaven's Favour promise Because all Nobleness and VVorth on Earth We see 's on our side here 's the Faby's Son Here the Corvini are take's our Parts And so their Noble Fathers would if now they Liv'd There 's not a Soul that claims Nobility Either by his or his Fore-Father's merit But is with us with us the Gallant Youth Whom passed Dangers or hot Blood makes bold Stay'd Men suspect their Wisdom or their Faith To whom our Counsels we have not reveal'd And while our Party seeking to disgrace They Traitors calls us each man Treason praise And hate that thing call'd Faith when Piso Is a Traitor Sce. O Piso Think on that day when in the Parthian Fields Thou cryedst to the Flying Legions turn And look't Death in the Face he was not Grim But Fair and Lovely when he came in Arms O why there dy'd we not on Syrian Swords Were we reserv'd to Prison's and to Chains Must Piso's Head be fixt upon a Tower Those Members torn rather than Roman-like VVith VVeapon in our Hands Fighting in Throngs of Enemies to dy Pis. You see the Court and City 's Arm'd Why should we move desperate and hopeless Courses And vainly spill that Noble Blood that should The Median Fields Not Tiber Colour And the more you shew Your readiness to lose your Lives The unwillinger I am to adventure'em Yet I am proud you would have dy'd for me But live and keep your selves to worthier Ends No Mother but my own shall weep my Death Disgrace my Roman Courage cannot bear Nor have I the Vanity to think we can Subdue With so few Swords O Friends I would not dy When I can live no longer 't is my Glory That free and willingly I give up this Breath Leaving such Courages as your's untry'd But to be long in talk of Dying would Shew a Relenting and a Doubtful Mind Since Fate would not with Fame our Cause reward This is from Infamy a Roman's Guard Falls on his Sword and Dyes Luc. O that this Nóble Courage had been shown Rather on Enemies Brests than on thy own Enter Nimphidius with Nero's Guard Scevinus and Lucan offer to Fight with the Guard but they are Surrounded by 'em and taken Prisoners Nim. Nay other end your grievous Crimes await Ends which the Law and your Deserts exact Sce. What have we deserv'd Nim. That Punishment that Traitors unto Princes And Enemies unto the State they live in merit Sce. If by the State this Government you mean I justly am an Enemy unto it That 's but to Nero You and Tigellinus That Glorious World that even beguiles the Wise Being look't into includes but Three or Four Corrupted Men which were they all remov'd 'T would please the State and ease the Groaning World Nim. Away with 'em be carried before the Emperour Exeunt The 3d. Scene Changes to Nero's Throne Where he appears sitting and Poppea with Tigellinus Neophilus Guards and Flavius a Prisoner Ner. What could cause thee Forgetful of my Benefits and thy Oath To seek my Life Flav. Nerâ—… I hated thee Nor was there any of thy Souldiers More Faithful whil'st thou Faith deserv'dst Than I Together did I leave to be a Subject And thou a Prince Casar was now become A Player on the Stage A Burner of our Houses and of us A Paricide of Wife and Mother Tig. Villain dost'know Where and of Whom Thou speakest Ner. Have you but one Death for him Let it be A Feeling one Tigellinus Be 't Thy Charge and let me see thee witty In 't Tig. Come Sirrah We 'l see how stoutly you 'l stretch out your Neck Flav. Would thou durst strike as boldly Exit Tigellinus Flavius and 2. or 3. â—…f the Guard Enter Epaphroditus and a Boy Ner. And what 's He there Epap One that in whispering was o'r heard to say What pity 't was my Lord that Piso dy'd Ner. And why was 't pity Sirrah Piso dy'd Boy My Lord 't was pity he
to live i' th' State they hate Pis. Though we would all have that employment Yet since your worthy Forwardness Scevinus Prevent's us and so nobly begs for Danger Be yours the Chosen Hand to do the Deed The Fortune of the Empire speed your Sword Sce. Vertue and Heaven speed it O you Home-born Of our Country Romulus and Vesta That Thuscan Tiber and Rome's Tower defend Forbid not yet at length a happy End To Former Evils Let this Hand Revenge The Injur'd World Enough we now have suffered Mel. Tush all this long Consulting 's more Exit all but Melichus Than words It ends not there they 've some Attempt some Plot Against the State Well I 'le observe it farther And if I find it mâ—…ke my Profit of it Exit Finis Actus Secundi ACTUS TERTIUS Enter Poppea Pop. I Look't Nimphidius would have come ere this Makes he no greater haste to our Embraces Or does the Easiness abate his Edge Or seem we not as Fair still as we did Or is he so with Nero's Playing won That he before Poppea does preser it Or does he think to have Occasion still To have time to wait on our stoln Meetings Enter Nimphidius But â—…ee his Presence now does end those Doubts What is 't Nimphidius has so long detain'd you Nim. Faith Madam Causes strong enough High Wall 's bard Doors and Guards of armed Men. Pop. Were you Imprison'd then as you were going To the Theatre Nim. Not in my going Madam But in the Theatre I was Imprison'd For after he was once upon the Stage The Gates were more severely look't unto Then at a Town besieg'd No Man no Cause Was Currant no nor passant at other Sights The Strife is only to get in but here The Strife was all in getting out again Had we not been kept to it so I think 'T would not have been so tedious though I know T was hard to judg whether his doing of it were more absur'd than 't was for time to do it But when we once were forc't to be Spectators Compel'd to that which should have been a Pleasure We could no longer bear the Wearisomness No Pain so irksome as a forc't Delight Some fell down Dead or seem'd at least to do so Under that Colour to be carryed forth Pop. If 't were so straitly kept how got you forth Nim. Faith Madam I came pretending Haste In Face and Countenance told'em I was sent For things by th' Prince forgot about the Scene Which both my Credit made 'em to believe And Nero newly whisper'd me before Thus did I pass the Gates the danger Madam I have not yet escap't Pop. What Danger mean you Nim. The Danger of his Anger when he knows How I thus shrunk away for there stood Knaves That put down in their Tables all that stir'd And mark't in each their Chearfulness or Sadness Pop. I warrant I 'le excuse you but I Pray Let 's be a little better for your Sight How did our Princely Husband act Orestes Did he not wish again his Mother living Her Death would add great Life unto his part But come I pray the Story of your Sight Nim. O do not drive me to those hateful Pains Madam I was too much in seeing vext Let it not be redoubled with the telling I now am well and hear my Ears set free O be mercisul do not bring me back Unto my Prison at least free your self It will not pass away but stay the time Rack out the Hours in length Oh give me leave As one that wearied with the toil at Sea And now on wish'd sor Shore hath fixt his Foot He looks about pleases his Thoughts and Eyes With sight o' th' Green-Cloath'd Ground and Leavy Trees Of Flowers that beg more than the looking on And likes these Narrow Shores much better So let me lay my weariness in these Arms My Thoughts be compast in those Circl'd Eyes And bless my hands with touch of those round Brests Whiter and softer than the Down of Swans Let me of thee and of thy Glorious Beauty Tell endless Stories but never wearied be Exeâ—…t Enter Nero Epaphroditus and Neophilus Ner. Come Sirs I Faith how did you like my Acting What was 't not as you look't for Epap Yes my Lord and much beyond Ner. Did not I do it to the Life Epap The very doing never was so lively As now this Counterfeiting Ner. And when I came To th' Point of Agrippa Clitemnestra's Death Did it not move the feeling Auditory Epap They had been Stones whom that could not have mov'd Ner. Did not my Voice hold out well to the end And serv'd me afterwards afresh to Sing with Neop We know Apollo cannot match your Voice Epap By Iove I think you are the God himself Come from above to shew your hidden Arts And fill us men with wonder of your skill Ner. Nay Faith speak truly do not flatter me I know you need not Flattery 's but where Desert is mean Epap I swear by thee O Câ—…sar Than whom no Power of Heaven I honour more No Mortal Voice can pass or equal thine Ner. They tell of Orpheus when he took his Lute Hebrus stood still Pangea bow'd his Head Ofsa then first shook off his Snow and came To listen to the movings of his Song The Gentle Popler took the Oak along And call'd the Pine down from his mountain-Seat The Virgin Bay although the Arts she hates O' th' Delphick God was with his Voice o'r-come He his twice-dead Euridice bewailes His lost Love's name then Water Air and Ground Euridice Euridice resound These are bold Tales of which the Greeks have store But if he could from Hell once more return And would compare his Hand and Voice with mine I though himself were Judg he then should see How much the Latin stains the Thracian Lyre I oft have walk't by Tyber's flowing Banks And heard the Swan sing her own Epitaph When she heard me she held her peace and dyed Let others raise from Earthly things their Praise Heaven has stood still to hear my happy Airs And ceast th' Eternal Musick of the Spheres To mark my Voice and mend their Tunes by mine Neop O Divine Voice Epap Happy are they that hear it Enter Tigellinus Ner. But here comes Tigellinus come thy Bill Are there so many I see we have Enemies Tigellinus Epap Have you put Cajus in I saw him frown Neop And in the midâ—…st o' th' Emperor's Action Gallus Laught out and as I think in Scorn Ner. Vespatian too asleep was he so drowsie Well he shall sleep the Iron Sleep of Death And did Thrasea look so sourly on us Tig. He never smil'd my Lord nor would vouchsafe With one Applause to grace your Action Ner. Our Action needed not be grac'd by him He 's our Old Enemy and still hates us 'T will have an end nay it shall have an end Why I have been too pitiful too remiss My Easiness is laught at and contemn'd But I
Care belongs to me I will have care of them and of their Good Let 'em thank me if I Through this Occasion Procure for them so great a Donative Exâ—… Nimph. Ant. So you be thank'd it Skill's who prevails Galba or Nero Traitor to 'em both You give it out that Nero's fled to Egypt Who with the Frights of your Reports amaz'd By our Device does lurk for better News Whil'st you inevitably do betray him Works he all this for Galba then 〈◊〉 Not so I have long seen his Climbing to the Empire By Secret Practises of Gracious Women And other Instruments of the Late Court That was his Love to her that me resus'd And now by this he would give the Souldiers Favour Now is the time to quit Poppea's Scorn And Revenge my self upon my Rival I 'le straight Reveal His Treacheries to Galba's Agents here Exit Enter Tigellinus and Guards Tig. You see what Issue things are come too Yet may we hope not only Impunity But with our Fellows part o' th' Guilt proclaim'd Enter Nero alone Ner. Whither go you Stay my Friends 'T is Caesar calls stay my Loving Friends Tig. We were his Slaves his Foot-stool and must Câ—…ouch But now with such Observance to his Feet It is his Misery that he calls us Friends Ner. And moves you not the Misery of a Prince O stay my Friends stay and hearken to the Voice Which once you knew Tig. Hark to the People's Cries Hark to the Streets that Galba Galba rings Ner. The People may sorsake me without Blame I did 'em wrong to make you Rich and Great I took their Houses to bestow on you Treason in them has name of Liberty Your Fault has no Excuse you are my Fault And the Excuse of other's Treachery Tig. Shall we with staying seem to uphold his Tyrannies As if we were in Love with them Come let 's away Exeunt Tigellinus and Guards Ner. O now I see the Vizard from my Face So lovely and so fearful is fall'n off That Vizard Shaddow nothing Majesty Which like a Child acquainted with his Fears But now Men tremble at and now contemn Nero forsaken is of all the World The World of truth O sall some Vengeance Down Equal unto their Falsh-hoods and my Wrongs Might I accept the Chariot of the Sun And like another Phaeton Consume In Flames of all the World a Pile of Death Worthy the State and Greatness I have lost Or were I now but Lord of my own Fires Where in False Rome yet once again might Smoak And Perish all unpityed of the Gods That all things in their Last Destruction Might Perform a Funeral Honour to their Lord. O Jove Dissolve with Caesar Caesar's World Enter Neophilus and Epaphroditus Neop Though other 's bound with greater Benefits Have left your Altered Fortunes and do run Whither new Hopes do call 'em yet come we Ner. O welcom Come you to Adversity Welcom true Friends why there is Faith on Earth Of Thousand Servants Friends and Followers Yet two are left Your Countenance me-thinks Gives Comfort and new Hopes â—…pap Do not deceive your Thoughts My Lord we bring no Comfort Would we could But the Last Duty to perform and best We ever shall a free Death to perswade To cut off Hopes of Fiercer Cruelty And Scorn more Cruel to a Worthy Soul Neop The Senate has decreed your Punishment After the Fashion of our Ancestors Which is your Neck being locked in a Fork You must be Whipt and Scourg'd to Death Ner. The Senate thus decreed They that so oft My Vertues flatter'd have and Gifts of mine My Government prefer'd to Ancient Times And challeng Numa to compare with me Have they so Horrible an End sought out No here I bear That which shall prevent such Shame Draws a Dagger This hand shall yet from that deliver me And Faithful be alone unto it's Lord. Alas how sharp and terrible is Death O must I dy must now my Senses close For ever dy and ne'r return again Never more see the Sun nor Heaven nor Earth Whither go I What shall I be anon What Horrid Journey wand'rest thou my Soul Under the Earth in Dark Damp Dusky Vaults Or shall I now to nothing be dissolv'd My Fear 's become my Hopes O would I might Me thinks I see the Boyling Phlegeton The Dread and Terrour of the Gods themselves The Furies arm'd with Lincks with Whips with Snakes And my own Furies far more mad than they My Mother and those Troops of Slaughter'd Friends And now the Judge is brought unto the Throne That will not lean unto Authority Nor favour the Oppressions of the Great Stabs himself Epap They are at hand Hark you may hear the Noise A Shout of Long live Galba Emperour of Rome Ner. O Rome fare-well Fare-well you Theaters Where I so oft with Popular Applause Have won that Glory which must shine no more Dies Enter Romans with Nimphidius bound Roâ—… Thus dy all Tyrants Let the News be Carried To my Great Master And the Tyrant's Body Thrown into Tyber Let th' Aspiring Traitor Nimphidius straight to Galba be convey'd To undergo the Vengeance due to Rebels Nero the Nobler Criminal has the Nobler Destiny Tyrants by Conquest have their Fall Decreed But Traitours should by Execution Bleed Exeunt FINIS EPILOGUE IT is a Trick of late grown much in Vogue When all are Kill'd to raise an Epilogue This some Pert Rymer wittily contriv'd For a Surprize whil'st the Arch Wag believ'd 'T would please You to see Pretty Miss reviv'd But Gentlemen the Case is alter'd new We may be Dead and Damn'd too for all You And therefore just as my Poor Ghost came down All the Elizian Shades began to frown Told me that I must there expect no Grace Till I return'd to You and made my Peace Faith it is very hard you cannot be Content to vex our frail Mortality Damne all Our Plays call Us Dull Jades and Fools That might content You Would You Damne Our Souls I Gad we 'l ne'r endur 't I 'le tell You that To be thus us'd at this ill natur'd Rate Nay ne'r begin to bite your Lips and Fume Not one of Us but may be found at Home If You 'l have Satisfaction when We 're there We are Ready for You and come faith if You dare