shewne Rather on enemies breasts then on thy owne Sceui: But sacred and inviolate be thy will And let it lead and I teach vs This sword I could more willingly haue thrust Through Neroes breast That fortune deni'd me It now shall through Sceuinus Enter Tigellinus solus What multitudes of villaines are here gotten In a conspiracy which Hydra like Still in the cutting off increaseth more The more we take the more are still appeach And euery man brings in new company I wonder what we shall doe with them all The prisons cannot hold more then they haue The Iayles are full the holes with Gallants stincke Strawe and gold lace together liue I thinke 'T were best euen shut the gates o th' Citie vp And make it all one Iayle for this I am sure There 's not an honest man within the walles And though the guilty doth exceed the free Yet through a base and fatall cowardise They all assist in taking one another And by their owne hands are to prison led There 's no condition nor degree of men But here are met Men of the sword and gowne Plebeans Senators and women too Ladies that might haue slaine him with their Eye Would vse their hands Philosophers And Polititians Polititians Their plot was laid too short Poets would now Not onely write but be the arguments Of Tragedies The Emperour 's much pleas'd But some haue named Seneca and I Will haue Petroneus one promise of pardon Or feare of torture will accusers find exit Enter Nimphidius Lucan Sceuinus with a guard Nimph: Though Pisoes suddennesse and guilty hand Preuented hath the death he should haue had Yet you abide it must Luca: O may the earth lye lightly on his Course Sprinckle his ashes with your flowers and teares The loue and dainties of Mankind is gone Sceui: What onely now we can we 'le follow thee That way thou lead'st and waite on thee in death Which we had done had not these hindred vs Nimph: Nay other ends your grieuous crimes awaite Ends which the law and your deserts exact Sceui: What haue we deserued Nimph: That punishment that traitors vnto Princes And enemies to the State they liue in merit Sceuin: If by the State this gouernment you meane I iustly am an enemy vnto it That 's but to Nero you and Tigellinus That glorious world that euen beguiles the wise Being lookt into includes but three or foure Corrupted men which were they all remou'd 'T would for the common State much better be Nimph: Why what can you i th' gouerment mislike Vnlesse it grieue you that the world 's in peace Or that our armes conquer without blood Hath not his power with forraine visitations And strangers honour more acknowldg'd bin Then any was afore him Hath not hee Dispos'd of frontier kingdomes with successe Giuen away Crownes whom he set vp preuailing The riuall seat of the Arsacidae That thought their brightnesse equall vnto ours Is 't crown'd by him by him doth raigne If we haue any warre it 's beyond Rheme And Euphrates and such whose different chances Haue rather seru'd for pleasure and discourse Then troubled vs At home the Citie hath Increast in wealth with building bin adorn'd The arts haue flourisht and the Muses sung And that his Iustice and well tempred raigne Hath the best Iudges pleas'd the powers diuine Their blessings and so long prosperitie Of th' Empire vnder him enough declare Sceui: You freed the State from warres abroad but 't was To spoile at home more safely and diuert The Parthian enmitie on vs and yet The glory rather and the spoyles of warre Haue wanting bin the losse and charge we haue Your peace is full of cruelty and wrong Lawes taught to speake to present purposes Wealth and faire houses dangerous faults become Much blood i th' Citie and no common deaths But Gentlemen and Consulary houses On Caesars owne house looke hath that bin free Hath he not shed the blood he calls diuine Hath not that neerenes which should loue beget Alwayes on him bin cause of hate and feare Vertue and power suspected and kept downe They whose great ancestors this Empire made Distrusted in the gouernment thereof A happy state where Decius is a traytor Narcissus true nor onely wast vnsafe T' offend the Prince his freed men worse were feard whose wrongs with such insulting pride were heard That euen the faultie it made innocent If we complain'd that was it selfe a crime I though it were to Caesars benefit Our writings pry'd into falce guiltines Thinking each taxing pointed out it selfe Our priuate whisperings listned after nay Our thoughts were forced out of vs and punisht And had it bin in you to haue taken away Our vnderstanding as you did our speech You would haue made vs thought this honest too Nimph: Can malice narrow eyes See anything yet more it can traduce Sceui: His long continued taxes I forbeare In which he chiefely showed him to be Prince His robbing Alters sale of Holy things The Antique Goblets of adored rust And sacred gifts of Kings and people sold Nor was the spoile more odious then the vse They were imployd on spent on shame and lust Which still haue bin so endlesse in their change And made vs know a diuers seruitude But that he hath bin suffered so long And prospered as you say for that to thee O Heauen I turne my selfe and cry No God Hath care of vs yet haue we our reuenge As much as Earth may be reueng'd on Heauen Their diuine honour Nero shall vsurpe And prayers and feasts and adoration haue As well as Iupiter Nimph: Away blaspheming tongue Be euer silent for thy bitternesse Exeunt Enter Nero Poppaea Tigellinus Flauius Neophilus Epaphroditus and a yong man Nero What could cause thee Forgetfull of my benefits and thy oath To seeke my life Flaui Nero I hated thee Nor was there any of thy souldiers More faithfull while thou faith deseru'dst then I Together did I leaue to be a subiect And thou a Prince Caesar was now become A player on the Stage a Waggoner A burner of our houses and of vs A Paracide of Wife and Mother Tigel: Villaine dost know where of whom thou speakst Nero Haue you but one death for him let it bee A feeling one Tigellinus bee 't Thy charge and let me see thee witty in 't Tigell: Come sirrah Wee le see how stoutly you 'le stretch out your necke Flaui: Wold thou durst strike as stoutly Ex. Tig. Flau Nero And what 's hee there Epaph: One that in whispering oreheard What pitie 't was my Lord that Piso died Nero And why wa st pitie sirrah Piso died Yong My Lord 't was pitie he deseru'd to die Poppae: How much this youth my Otho doth resemble Otho my first my best loue who is now Vnder pretext of gouerning exyl'd To Lucitania honourably banisht Nero Well if you be so passionate I le make you spend your pitie on your Prince And good men not on traytors Yong The
the storie Which in the doing had enough to grieue me Tell on and end the tale you whom it pleaseth Mee mine owne sorrow stops from further speaking Nero my loue doth make thy fault and my griefe greater ex Se. Sceuin: I doe commend in Seneca this passion And yet me thinkes our Countries miserie Doth at our hands craue somewhat more then teares Luca: Pittie though 't doth a kind affection show If it end there our weakenesse makes vs know Flaui: Let children weepe and men seeke remedie Sceui: Stoutly and like a Souldier Flauius Yet to seeke remedie to a Princes ill Seldome but it doth the Phisitian kill Flaui: And if it doe Sceuinus it shall take But a deuoted soule from Flauius Which to my Countrey and the Gods of Rome Alreadie sacred is and giuen away Death is no straunger vnto me I haue The doubtfull hazard in twelue Battailes throwne My chaunce was life Luca: Why doe we goe to fight in Brittanie And end our liues vnder an other Sunne Seeke causelesse dangers out The German might Enioy his Woods and his owne All is drinke Yet we walke safely in the streets of Rome Bodinca hinders not but we might liue Whom we doe hurt Them we call enemies And those our Lords that spoyle and murder vs Sceuin: Nothing is hard to them that dare to die This Noble resolution in you Lords Heartens me to disclose some thoughts that I The matter is of waight and dangerous Luca: I see you feare vs Seruinus Sceuin Nay Nay although the thing be full of feare Flaui: Tell it to faithfull Eares what eare it bee Sceuin: Faith let it goe it will but trouble vs Bee hurtfull to the speaker and the hearer Luca: If our long friendship or the opinion Sceuin: Why should I feare to tell them Why is he not a Parricide a Player Nay Lucan is he not thine Enemie Hate not the Heauens as well as men to see That condem'd head and you O righteous Gods Whither so ere you now are fled and will No more looke downe vpon th' oppressed Earth O seuere anger of the highest Gods And thou sterne power to whom the Greekes assigne Scourges and swords to punish proud mens wrongs If you be more then names found out to awe vs And that we doe not vainely build you alters Aid that iust arme that 's bent to execute What you should doe Luca. Stay y' are caried too much away Sceuinus Sceui. Why what will you say for him hath he not Sought to suppresse your Poem to bereaue That honour euery tongue in duty paid it Nay what can you say for him hath he not Broa'cht his owne wiues a chast wiues breast and torne With Scithian hands his Mothers bowels vp The Inhospitable Caucasus is milde The More that in the boyling desert seekes With blood of stranger to imbrue his iawes Vpbraides the Roman now with barbarousnesse Luca: You are to earnest I neither can nor will I speake for him And though he sought my learned paynes to wrong I hate him not for that My verse shall liue When Neroes body shall be throwne in Tiber And times to come shall blesse those wicked armes I loue th' vnnaturall wounds from whence did flow Another Ciria a new Hellicon I hate him that he is Romes enemie An enemie to Vertue fits on high To shame the seate And in that hate my life And blood I le mingle on the earth with yours Flaui: My deeds Sceuinus shall speake my consent Sceui. T is answerd as I lookt for noble Poet Worthy the double Lawrell Flauius Good lucke I see doth vertuous meanings ayde And therefore haue the Heauens forborne their duties To grace our swords with glorious blood of Tyrants exeunt Finis Actus Primi Actus Secundus Enter Petronius Solus HEre waites Poppea her Nimphidius comming And hath this garden and these walkes chose out To blesse her with more pleasures then their owne Not onely Arras hangings and silke beeds Are guilty of the faults we blame them for Somewhat these Arbors and you trees doe know Whil'st you kind shades you to these night sports show Night sports Faith they are done in open day And the Sunne see'th and enuieth their play Hither haue I Loue-sicke Antonius brought And thrust him on occasion so long sought Shewed him the Empresse in a thicket by Her loues approach waiting with greedie Eye And told him if he euer meant to proue The doubtfull issue of his hopelesse Loue This is the place and time wherein to try it Women will heere the suite that will deny it The suit 's not hard that she comes for to take Who hott in lust of men doth difference make At last loath willing to her did he pace Arme him Priapus with thy powerfull Mace But see they comming are how they agree Heere will I harken shroud me gentle tree Enter Poppea and Antonius Anto. Seeke not to grieue that heart which is thine owne In Loues sweete fires let heat of rage burne out These browes could neuer yet to wrinckle learne Nor anger out of such faire eyes looke forth Poppea You may solicite your presumptuous suites You duety may and shame too layd aside Disturbe my priuacies and I forsooth Must be afeard euen to be angry at you Anto: What shame is 't to be mastred by such beautie Who but to serue you comes how wants he dutie Or if it be a shame the shame is yours The fault is onely in your Eies they drew me Cause you were louely therefore did I loue O if to Loue you anger you so much You should not haue such cheekes nor lips to touch You should not haue your snow nor currall spy'd If you but looke on vs in vaine you chide We must not see your Face nor heare your speech Now whilst you Loue forbid you Loue doe teach Pet. He doth better then I thought he would Pop: I will not learne my beauties worth of you I know you neither are the first nor greatest Whom it hath mou'd He whom the World obayes Is fear'd with anger of my threatning Eyes It is for you a farre off to adore it And not to reach at it with sawsie hands Feare is the Loue that 's due to Gods and Princes Pet. All this is but to edge his appetite Ant. O doe not see thy faire in that false glasse Of outward difference Looke into my heart There shalt thou see thy selfe Inthroaned set In greater Maiesty then all the pompe Of Rome or Nero T is not the crowching awe And Ceremony with which we flatter Princes That can to Loues true duties be compar'd Pop: Sir let me goe or I le make knowne your Loue To them that shall requite it but with hate Pet. On on thou hast the goale the fort is beaten Women are wonne when they begin to threaten Anto. Your Noblenesse doth warrant me from that Nor need you others helpe to punish me Who by your forehead am condem'd or free They that to be reuendg'd do bend
Gods forbid my Prince should pitie need Somewhat the sad remembrance did me stirre Oth fraile and weake condition of our kind Somewhat his greatnesse then whom yesterday The world but Caesar could shew nothing higher Besides some vertues and some worth he had That might excuse my pitie to an end So cruell and vnripe Poppae: I know not how this stranger moues my mind His face me thinkes is not like other mens Nor doe they speake thus Oh his words inuade My weakned senses and ouercome my heart Nero Your pitie shewes your fauour and your will Which side you are inclinde too had your power You can but pitie else should Caesar feare Your ill affection then shall punisht bee Take him to execution he shall die That the death pities of mine enemie Yong This benefit at least Sad death shall giue to free me from the power Of such a gouernment and if I die For pitying humane chance and Pisoes end There will be some too that will pitie mine Poppa: O what a dauntlesse looke what sparkling eyes Threating in suffering sure some noble blood Is hid in ragges feares argues a base spirit In him what courage and contempt of death And shall I suffer one I loue to die He shall not die hands of this man away Nero thou shalt not kill this guiltlesse man Nero He guiltlesse strumpet Spurns her and Poppaa falls She 's in loue with the smooth face of the boy Neoph. Alas my Lord you haue slaine her Epaph: Helpe she dies Nero Poppaa Poppaa speake I am not angry I did not meane to hurt thee speake sweet loue Neoph: Shee 's dead my Lord Nero Fetch her againe she shall not die I le ope the Iron gates of hell And breake the imprisond shaddowes of the deepe And force from death this farre too worthy pray Shee is not dead The crimson red that like the morning shone When from her windowes all with Roses strewde She peepeth forth forsakes not yet her cheekes Her breath that like a hony-suckle smelt twining about the prickled Eglintine Yet moues her lipes those quicke and piercing eyes That did in beautie challenge heauens eyes Yet shine as they were wont O no they doe not See how they grow obscure O see they close And cease to take or giue light to the world What starres so ere you are assur'd to grace The firmament for loe the twinkling fires Together throng and that cleare milky space Of stormes and Phiades and thunder void Prepares your roome doe not with wry aspect Looke on your Nero who in blood shall mourne Your lucklesse fate And many a breathing soule Send after you to waite vpon their Queene This shall begin the rest shall follow after And fill the streets with outcryes and with slaughter Ex. Enter Seneca with two of his friends Senec: What meanes your mourning this vngratefull sorrow Where are your precepts of Philosophie Where our prepared resolution So many yeeres fore-studied against danger To whom is Neroes cruelty vnknowne Or what remained after mothers blood But his instructers death Leaue leaue these teares Death from me nothing takes but what 's a burthen A clog to that free sparke of Heauenly fire But that in Seneca the which you lou'd Which you admir'd doth and shall still remaine Secure of death vntouched of the graue 1. Friend Wee le not belie our teares we waile not thee It is our selues and our owne losse we grieue To thee what losse in such a change can bee Vertue is paid her due by death alone To our owne losses doe we giue these teares That loose thy loue thy boundlesse knowledge loose Loose the vnpatternd sample of thy vertue Loose whatsoeu'r may praise or sorrow moue In all these losses yet of this we glory That 't is thy happinesse that makes vs sorry 2. Friend If there be any place for Ghosts of good men If as we haue bin long taught great mens soules Consume not with their bodies thou shalt see Looking from out the dwellings of the ayre True duties to thy memorie perform'd Not in the outward pompe of funerall But in remembrance of thy deeds and words The oft recalling of thy many vertues The Tombe that shall th' eternall relickes keepe Of Seneca shall be his hearers hearts Senec: Be not afraid my soule goe cheerefully To thy owne Heauen from whence it first let downe Thou loath by this imprisoning flesh putst on Now lifted vp thou rauisht shalt behold The truth of things at which we wonder here And foolishly doe wrangle on beneath And like a God shalt walke the spacious ayre And see what euen to conceit 's deni'd Great soule o th' world that through the parts defus'd Of this vast All guid'st what thou dost informe You blessed mindes that from the Pbeares you moue Looke on mens actions not with idle eyes And Gods we goe to Aaid me in this strife And combat of my flesh that ending I May still shew Seneca and my selfe die Exeunt Enter Antonius Enanthe Anto: Sure this message of the Princes So grieuous and vnlookt for will appall Petronius much Enan: Will not death any man Anto: It will but him so much the more That hauing liu'd to his pleasure shall forgoe So delicate a life I doe not maruell That Seneoa and such sowre fellowes can Leaue that they neu'r tasted But when we That haue the Nectar of thy kisses felt That drinkes away the troubles of this life And but one banquet make of forty yeeres Must come to leaue this but soft here he is Enter Petroneus and a Centurion Petron: Leaue me a while Centurion to my friends Let me my farewell take and thou shalt see Neroes commandement quickly obaid in mee ex Centurion Come let vs drinke and dash the posts with wine Here throwe your flowers fill me a swelling bowle Such as Mecenas or my Lucan dranke On Virgills birth day Enan: What meanes Petroneus this vnseasonable And causelesse mirth Why comes not from the Prince This man to you a messenger of death Petro: Here faire Enanthe whose plumpe ruddy cheeke Exceeds the grape it makes this here my gyrle He drinks And thinkst thou death a matter of such harme Why he must haue this pretty dimpling chin And will pecke out those eyes that now so wound Enan: Why is it not th' extreamest of all ills Petro: It is indeed the last and end of ills The Gods before th 'would let vs tast deaths Ioyes Plac't vs i th toyle and sorrowes of this world Because we should perceiue th' amends and thanke them Death the grim knaue but leades you to the doore Where entred once all curious pleasures come To meete and welcome you A troupe of beauteous Ladies from whose eyes Loue thousand arrowes thousand graces shootes Puts forth their faire hands to you and inuites To their greene arbours and close shadowed walles Whence banisht is the roughnesse of our yeeres Onely the west wind blowes i th euer Spring And euer Sommer There