rise shee scoffs at vs That blynd herselfe can bleare our eyes to trust her thus The Sunne that lends the earth his light Behelde her neuer ouer night lye calmely downe But in the morrow following might perceiue her frowne Shee hath not onely power and will T' abuse the vulgar wanting skill but when shee list To Kings and Clownes doth equall ill without resist Mischaunce that euery man abhors And cares for crowned Emperors shee doth reserue As for the poorest labourers that worke or starue The Merchant that for priuate gaine Doth send his Ships to passe the maine vpon the shore In hope he shall his wish obtaine doth thee adore Vpon the sea or on the Land VVhere health or wealth or vines doe stand thou canst doe much And often helpst the helpes hande thy power is such And many times dispos'd to iest Gainst one whose power and cause is best thy power to try To him that n'ere put speare in rest giu'st victory For so the Lybian Monarchy That with Ausonian blood did die our warlike field To one that n'ere got victorie was vrg'd to yeelde So noble Marius Arpins friend That dyd the Latin state defend from Cymbrian rage Did proue thy furie in the end which nought could swage And Pompey whose dayes haply led So long thou seem'dst t' haue fauoured in vaine t' is sayd VVhen the Pharsalian field be led implor'd thine ayde Now Caesar swolne with honors heate Sits signiorizing in her seate and will not see That Fortune can her hopes defeate what e're they be From chaunce is nothing franchized And till the time that they are dead is no man blest He onely that no death doth dread doth liue at rest ACTVS QVARTVS Cassius Decim and Brutus ACcursed Rome that arm'st against thy selfe A Tyrants rage and mak'st a wretch thy King For one mans pleasure O iniurious Rome Thy chyldren gainst thy children thou hast arm'd And thinkst not of the riuers of theyr bloode That earst was shed to saue thy libertie Because thou euer hatedst Monarchie Now o're our bodies tumbled vp on heapes Lyke cocks of Hay when Iuly sheares the field Thou buildst thy kingdom and thou seat'st thy King And to be seruile which torments me most Employest our liues and lauishest our blood O Rome accursed Rome thou murdrest vs And massacrest thy selfe in yeelding thus Yet are there Gods yet is there heauen and earth That seeme to feare a certaine Thunderer No no there are no Gods or if there be They leaue to see into the worlds affaires They care not for vs nor account of men For what we see is done is done by chaunce T' is Fortune rules for equitie and right Haue neither helpe nor grace in heauens sight Scipio hath wrencht a sword into hys brest And launc'd hys bleeding wound into the sea Vndaunted Cato tore hys entrails out Affranius and Faustus murdred dyed Iuba-and Petreus fiercely combatting Haue each done other equall violence Our Army 's broken and the Lybian Beares Deuoure the bodies of our Cittizens The conquering Tyrant high in Fortunes grace Doth ryde tryumphing o're our Common-wealth And mournfull we behold him brauely mounted With stearne lookes in his Chariot where he leades The conquered honor of the people yok't So Rome to Caesar yeelds both powre and pelfe And o're Rome Caesar raignes in Rome it selfe But Brutus shall wee dissolutelie sitte And see the tyrant liue to tyranize Or shall theyr ghosts that dide to doe vs good Plaine in their Tombes of our base cowardise Shall lamed Souldiours and graue gray-haird men Poynt at vs in theyr bitter teares and say See where they goe that haue theyr race forgot And rather chuse vnarm'd to serue with shame Then arm'd to saue their freedom and their fame Brutus I sweare by heauen th'Immortals highest throne Their Temples Altars and theyr Images To see for one that Brutus suffer not His ancient liberty to be represt I freely marcht with Caesar in hys warrs Not to be subiect but to ayde his right But if enuenom'd with ambitious thoughts He lyft his hand imperiously o're vs If he determyn but to raigne in Rome Or follow'd Pompey but to thys effect Or if these ciuill discords now dissolu'd He render not the Empyre back to Rome Then shall he see that Brutus thys day beares The selfe-same Armes to be aueng'd on hym And that thys hand though Caesar blood abhor Shall toyle in his which I am sorry for I loue I loue him deerely But the loue That men theyr Country and theyr birth-right beare Exceeds all loues and deerer is by farre Our Countries loue then friends or chyldren are Cassius If this braue care be nourisht in your blood Or if so franck a will your soule possesse Why hast we not euen while these words are vttred To sheathe our new-ground swords in Caesars throate Why spend we day-light and why dies he not That by his death we wretches may reuiue We stay too-long I burne till I be there To see this massacre and send his ghost To theyrs whom subtilly he for Monarchie Made fight to death with show of liberty Bru. Yet haply he as Sylla whylom dyd When he hath rooted ciuill warre from Rome Will there-withall discharge the powre he hath Cass. Caesar and Sylla Brutus be not like Sylla assaulted by the enemie Did arme himselfe but in his owne defence Against both Cynnas host and Marius Whom when he had discomfited and chas'd And of his safety throughly was assur'd He layd apart the powre that he had got And gaue vp rule for he desier'd it not Where Caesar that in silence might haue slept Nor vrg'd by ought but his ambition Did breake into the hart of Italie And lyke rude Brennus brought his men to field Trauers'd the seas And shortly after backt With wintered souldiers vs'd to conquering He aym'd at vs bent to exterminate Who euer sought to intercept his state Now hauing got what he hath gaped for Deere Brutus thinke you Caesar such a chyld Slightly to part with so great signiorie Belieue it not he bought it deere you know And traueled too farre to leaue it so Brut. But Cassius Caesar is not yet a King Cas. No but Dictator in effect as much He doth what pleaseth hym a princely thing And wherein differ they whose powre is such Brutus Hee is not bloody Cassius But by bloody iarres he hath vnpeopled most part of the earth Both Gaule and Affrique perrisht by his warres Egypt Emathia Italy and Spayne Are full of dead mens bones by Caesar slayne Th' infectious plague and Famins bitternes Or th' Ocean whom no pitty can asswage Though they containe dead bodies numberles Are yet inferior to Caesars rage Who monster-like wyth his ambition Hath left more Tombes then ground to lay them on Brut. Souldiers with such reproch should not be blam'd Cass. He with his souldiers hath himselfe defam'd Bru. Why then you thinke there is no praise in war Cass. Yes where the causes reasonable are Bru. He
hath enricht the Empire with newe states Cass. Which with ambition now he ruinates Bru. He hath reueng'd the Gaules old iniurie And made them subiect to our Romaine Lawes Cassius The restfull Almaynes with his crueltie He rashly styrd against vs without cause And hazarded our Cittie and our selues Against a harmeles Nation kindly giuen To whom we should do well for some amends To render him and reconcile old frends These Nations did he purposely prouoke To make an Armie for his after-ayde Against the Romains whom in pollicie He train'd in warre to steale theyr signiorie Like them that stryuing at th' Olympian sports To grace themselues with honor of the game Annoynt theyr sinewes fit for wrestling And ere they enter vse some exercise The Gaules were but a fore-game fecht about For ciuill discord wrought by Caesars sleights Whom to be King himselfe he so one remou'd Teaching a people hating seruitude To fight for that that did theyr deaths conclude Bru. The warrs once ended we shall quickly know Whether he will restore the state or no Cas. No Brutus neuer looke to see that day For Caesar holdeth signiorie too deere But know while Cassius hath one drop of blood To feede this worthles body that you see What reck I death to doe so many good In spite of Caesar Cassius will be free Bru. A generous or true enobled spirit Detests to learne what tasts of seruitude Cass. Brutus I cannot serue nor see Rome yok'd No let me rather dye a thousand deaths The stiftneckt horses champe not on the bit Nor meekely beare the rider but by force The sturdie Oxen toyle not at the Plough Nor yeeld vnto the yoke but by constraint Shall we then that are men and Romains borne Submit vs to vnvrged slauerie Shall Rome that hath so many ouer-throwne Now make herselfe a subiect to her owne O base indignitie A beardles youth Whom King Nicomides could ouer-reach Commaunds the world and brideleth all the earth And like a Prince controls the Romulists Braue Romaine Souldiers sterne-borne sons of Mars And none not one that dares to vndertake The intercepting of his tyrannie O Brutus speake O say Seruilius Why cry you ayme and see vs vsed thus But Brutus liues and sees and knowes and feeles That there is one that curbs their Countries weale Yet as he were the semblance not the sonne Of noble Brutus hys great Grandfather As if he wanted hands sence sight or hart He doth deuiseth sees nor dareth ought That may exstirpe or raze these tyrannies Nor ought doth Brutus that to Brute belongs But still increaseth by his negligence His owne disgrace and Caesars violence The wrong is great and ouer-long endur'd We should haue practized conspierd coniur'd A thousand waies and weapons to represse Or kill out-right this cause of our distresse Chorus WHo prodigally spends his blood Brauely to doe his country good And liueth to no other end But resolutely to attempt VVhat may the innocent defend And bloody Tyrants rage preuent And he that in his soule assur'd Hath waters force and fire endur'd And past the pikes of thousand hostes 'To free the truth from tyrannie And feareles scowres in danger coasts T' enlarge his countries liberty VVere all the world his foes before Now shall they loue him euer-more His glory spred abroade by Fame On wings of his posteritie From obscure death shall free his name To liue in endles memorie All after ages shall adore And honor him with hymnes therefore Yeerely the youth for ioy shall bring The fairest flowers that grow in Rome And yeerely in the Sommer sing O're his heroique kingly Tombe For so the two Athenians That from their fellow cittizens Did freely chase vile seruitude Shall liue for valiant prowesse blest No Sepulcher shall ere exclude Their glorie equall with the best But when the vulgar mad and rude Repay good with ingratitude Hardly then they them reward That to free them fro the hands Of a Tyrant nere regard In what plight their person stands For high Ioue that guideth all When he lets his iust wrath fall To reuenge proud Diadems VVith huge cares doth crosse Kings liues Raysing treasons in their Realmes By their chyldren friends or wiues Therefore he whom all men feare Feareth all men euery where Feare that doth engender hate Hate enforcing them thereto Maketh many vnder-take Many things they would not doe O how many mighty Kings Liue in feare of petty things For when Kings haue sought by warrs Stranger Townes to haue o'rethrowne They haue caught deserued skarrs Seeking that was not theyr owne For no Tyrant commonly Lyuing ill can kindly die But eyther trayterously surprizd Doth coward poison quaile their breath Or their people haue deuis'd Or their guarde to seeke their death He onely liues most happilie That free and farre from maiestie Can liue content although vnknowne He fearing none none fearing him Medling with nothing but his owne VVhile gazing eyes at crownes grow dim Caesar Mar. Anthonie Caesar O Rome that with thy pryde dost ouer-peare The worthiest Citties of the conquered world Whose honor got by famous victories Hath fild heauens fierie vaults with frightfull horror O lofty towres O stately battlements O glorious temples O proude Pallaces And you braue walls bright heauens masonrie Grac'd with a thousand kingly diadems Are yee not styrred with a strange delight To see your Caesars matchles victories And how your Empire and your praise begins Through fame which hee of stranger Nations wins O beautious Tyber with thine easie streames That glide as smothly as a Parthian shaft Turne not thy crispie tydes like siluer curle Backe to thy grass-greene bancks to welcom vs And with a gentle murmure hast to tell The foming Seas the honour of our fight Trudge not thy streames to Trytons Mariners To bruite the prayses of our conquests past And make theyr vaunts to old Oceanus That hence-forth Tyber shall salute the seas More fam'd then Tyger or fayre Euphrates Now all the world wel-nye doth stoope to Rome The sea the earth and all is almost ours Be' it where the bright Sun with his neyghbor beames Doth early light the Pearled Indians Or where his Chariot staies to stop the day Tyll heauen vnlock the darknes of the night Be' it where the Sea is wrapt in Christall Ise Or where the Sommer doth but warme the earth Or heere or there where is not Rome renownd There lyues no King how great so e're he be But trembleth if he once but heare of mee Caesar is now earths fame und Fortunes terror And Caesars worth hath staynd old souldiers prayses Rome speake no more of eyther Scipio Nor of the Fabij or Fabritians Heere let the Decij and theyr glory die Caesar hath tam'd more Nations tane more Townes And fought more battailes then the best of them Caesar doth tryumph ouer all the world And all they scarcely conquered a nooke The Gaules that came to Tiber to carouse Dyd liue to see my souldiers drinke at Loyre And those braue Germains
true borne Martialists Beheld the swift Rheyn vnder-run mine Ensignes The Brittaines lockt within a watry Realme And wald by Neptune stoopt to mee at last The faithles Moore the fierce Numidian Th' earth that the Euxine sea makes somtymes marsh The stony-harted people that inhabite Where seau'nfold Nilus doth disgorge it selfe Haue all been vrg'd to yeeld to my commaund Yea euen this Cittie that hath almost made An vniuersall conquest of the world And that braue warrier my brother in law That ill aduis'd repined at my glory Pompey that second Mars whose haught renowne And noble deeds were greater then his fortunes Proou'd to his losse but euen in one assault My hand my hap my hart exceeded his When the Thessalian fields were purpled ore With eyther Armies murdred souldiers goe When hee to conquering accustomed Did conquered flie his troopes discomforted Now Scipio that long'd to shew himselfe Discent of Affrican so fam'd for Armes He durst affront me and my warlike bands Vpon the Coastes of Lybia till he lost His scattred Armie and to shun the scorne Of being taken captiue kild himselfe Now therefore let vs tryumph Anthony And rendring thanks to heauen as we goe For brideling those that dyd maligne our glory Le ts to the Capitoll Anth. Come on braue Caesar And crowne thy head and mount thy Chariot Th' impatient people runne along the streets And in a route against thy gates they rushe To see theyr Caesar after dangers past Made Conqueror and Emperor at last Caesar I call to witnes heauens great Thunderer That gainst my will I haue maintaind this warre Nor thirsted I for conquests bought with blood I ioy not in the death of Cittizens But through my selfe-wild enemies despight And Romains wrong was I constraind to fight Anth. They sought t' eclipse thy fame but destinie Reuers'd th' effect of theyr ambition And Caesars prayse increasd by theyr disgrace That reckt not of his vertuous deeds But thus We see it fareth with the enuious Caesar I neuer had the thought to iniure them Howbeit I neuer meant my greatnes should By any others greatnes be o're-ruld For as I am inferior to none So can I suffer no Superiors Anth. Well Caesar now they are discomfited And Crowes are feasted with theyr carcases And yet I feare you haue too kindly sau'd Those that your kindnes hardly will requite Caes. Why Anthony what would you wish mee doe Now shall you see that they will pack to Spaine And ioyned with the Exiles there encampt Vntill th' ill spyrit that doth them defend Doe bring their treasons to a bloody end Anth. I feare not those that to theyr weapons flye And keepe theyr state in Spaine in Spaine to die Caes. VVhom fear'st thou then Mark Anthony Anth. The hatefull crue That wanting powre in fielde to conquer you Haue in theyr coward soules deuised snares To murder thee and take thee at vnwares Caesar VVill those conspire my death that liue by mee Anth. In conquered foes what credite can there be Caesar Besides theyr liues I did theyr goods restore Anth. O but theyr Countries good concerns them more Caesar What thinke they mee to be their Countries foe Anth. No but that thou vsurp'st the right they owe Caesar To Rome haue I submitted mighty things Anth. Yet Rome endures not the commaund of Kings Caes. Who dares to contradict our empery Anth. Those whom thy rule hath rob'd of liberty Caes. I feare them not whose death is but deferd Anth. I feare my foe vntill he be interd Caes. A man may make his foe his friend you know Anth. A man may easier make his friend his foe Caes. Good deeds the cruelst hart to kindnes bring Anth. But resolution is a deadly thing Caes. If Cittizens my kindnes haue forgot whom shall I then not feare Anth. Those that are not Caes. What shall I slay them all that I suspect Anth. Els cannot Caesars empery endure Caes. Rather I will my lyfe and all neglect Nor labour I my vaine life to assure But so to die as dying I may liue And leauing off this earthly Tombe of myne Ascend to heauen vpon my winged deeds And shall I not haue liued long enough That in so short a time am so much fam'd Can I too-soone goe taste Cocytus flood No Anthony Death cannot iniure vs For he liues long that dyes victorious Anthony Thy prayses show thy life is long enough But for thy friends and Country all too-short Should Caesar lyue as long as Nestor dyd Yet Rome may wish his life eternized Caesar Heauen sets our time with heauen may nought dispence Anth. But we may shorten time with negligence Caes. But Fortune and the heauens haue care of vs Anth. Fortune is fickle Heauen imperious Caes. VVhat shall I then doe Anth. As befits your state Maintaine a watchfull guard about your gate Caes. VVhat more assurance may our state defend Then loue of those that doe on vs attend Anth. There is no hatred more if it be mou'd Then theirs whom we offend and once belou'd Caes. Better it is to die then be suspitious Anth. T' is wisdom yet not to be credulous Caesar The quiet life that carelesly is ledd Is not alonely happy in this world But Death it selfe doth sometime pleasure vs That death that comes vnsent for or vnseene And suddainly doth take vs at vnware Mee thinks is sweetest And if heauen were pleas'd I could desire that I might die so well The feare of euill doth afflict vs more Then th' euill it selfe though it be nere so sore A Chorus of Caesars friends O Faire Sunne that gentlie smiles From the Orient-pearled Iles Guilding these our gladsome daies VVith the beautie of thy rayes Free fro rage of ciuill strife Long preserue our Caesars life That from sable Affrique brings Conquests whereof Europe rings And faire Venus thou of whom The Eneades are come Henceforth vary not thy grace From Iulus happy race Rather cause thy deerest sonne By his tryumphs new begun To expell fro forth the Land Firce warrs quenchles fire-brand That of care acquitting vs VVho at last adore him thus He a peacefull starre appeare From our walls all woes to cleere And so let his warlike browes Still be deckt with Lawrel boughes And his statues new set VVith many a fresh-flowrd Coronet So in euery place let be Feasts and Masks and mirthfull glee Strewing Roses in the streete VVhen their Emperor they meete He his foes hath conquered Neuer leauing till they fled And abhorring blood at last Pardon'd all offences past For high Ioue the heauens among Their support that suffer wrong Doth oppose himselfe agen Bloody minded cruell men For he shortneth their dayes Or prolongs them with dispraise Or his greater wrath to show Giues them ouer to their foe Caesar a Cittizen so wrong'd Of the honor him belong'd To defend himselfe from harmes VVas enforc'd to take vp Armes For he saw that Enuies dart Pricking still their poysoned hart For his suddaine glory got Made his
CORNELIA AT LONDON Printed by Iames Roberts for N. L. and John Busbie 1594 To the vertuously Noble and rightly honoured Lady the Countesse of Sussex HAuing no leysure most noble Lady but such as euermore is traueld with th' afflictions of the minde then which the world affoords no greater misery it may bee wondred at by some how I durst vndertake a matter of this moment which both requireth cunning rest and oportunity but chiefely that I would attempt the dedication of so rough vnpollished a worke to the suruey of your so worthy selfe But beeing well instructed in your noble and heroick dispositions and perfectly assur'd of your honourable fauours past though neyther making needles glozes of the one nor spoyling paper with the others Pharisaical embroderie I have persum'd vpon your true conceit and entertainement of these small endeuours that thus I purposed to make known my memory of you and them to be immortall A fitter present for a Patronesse so well accomplished I could not finde then this faire president of honour magnanimitie and loue VVherein what grace that excellent GARNIER hath lost by my defaulte I shall beseech your Honour to repaire with the regarde of those so bitter times and priuie broken passions that I endured in the writing it And so vouchsafing but the passing of a VVinters weeke with desolate Cornelia I will assure your Ladiship my next Sommers better trauell with the Tragedy of Portia And euer spend one howre of the day in some kind seruice to your Honour and another of the night in wishing you all happines Perpetually thus deuoting my poore selfe Your Honors in all humblenes T. K. The Argument CORNELIA the Daughter of Metellus Scipio a young Romaine Lady as much accomplisht with the graces of the bodie the vertues of the minde as euer any was was first married to young Crassus who died with his Father in the disconfiture of the Romains against the Parthians Afterward she tooke to second husbande Pompey the great who three yeeres after vpon the first fiers of the ciuill warres betwixt him Caesar sent her fro thence to Mitilen there to attende the incertaine successe of those affaires And when he sawe that hee was vanquisht at Pharsalia returnd to find her out carrie her with him into Egipt where his purpose was to haue re-enforc'd a newe Armie and giue a second assault to Caesar In this voyage hee was murdred by Achillas and Septimius the Romaine before her eyes and in the presence of his young Sonne Sextus and some other Senators his friends After which shee retyred herselfe to Rome But Scipio her Father beeing made Generall of those that suruiued after the battaile assembled new forces and occupied the greater part of Afrique allying himselfe to Iuba King of Numidia Against all whō Caesar after he had ordred the affayres of Egipt and the state of Rome in the end of VVinter marched And there after many light encounters was a fierce and furious battaile giuen amongst them neere the walls of Tapsus Where Scipio seeing himselfe subdued and his Armie scattered he betooke himselfe with some small troope to certaine shippes which he had caused to stay for him Thence he sailed towarde Spayne where Pompeys Faction commaunded and where a suddaine tempest tooke him on the Sea that draue him backe to Hippon a Towne in Affrique at the deuotion of Caesar where lying at anchor he was assailed beaten assaulted by the aduerse Fleete And for hee woulde not fall aliue into the hands of his so mightie Enemie hee stabd himselfe and suddainly leapt ouer boorde into the Sea and there dyed Caesar hauing finished these warres and quietly reduc'd the Townes and places there-about to his obedience return'd to Rome in tryumph for his victories Where this most faire and miserable Ladie hauing ouer-mourn'd the death of her deere husband and vnderstanding of these crosse euents and haples newes of Affrique together with the pitteous manner of her Fathers ende shee tooke as shee had cause occasion to redouble both her teares and lamentations wherewith she closeth the Catastrophe of this theyr Tragedie ⧠INTERLOCVTORES M. Cicero Phillip Deci. Brutus M. Anthony Cornelia C. Cassius Iulius Caesar The Messenger CHORVS CORNELIA ACTVS PRIMVS CICERO VOuchsafe Immortals and aboue the rest Great Iupiter our Citties sole Protector That if prouok'd against vs by our euils You needs wil plague vs with your ceasles wroth At least to chuse those forth that are in fault And saue the rest in these tempestious broiles Els let the mischiefe that should them befall Be pour'd on me that one may die for all Oft hath such sacrafice appeas'd your ires And oft yee haue your heauie hands with-held From this poore people when with one mans losse Your pittie hath preseru'd the rest vntucht But we disloiall to our owne defence Faint-harted do those liberties enthrall Which to preserue vnto our after good Our fathers hazarded their derest blood Yet Brutus Manlius hardie Sceuola And stout Camillus are returnd fro Stix Desiring Armes to ayde our Capitoll Yea come they are and fiery as before Vndera Tyrant see our bastard harts Lye idely sighing while our shamefull soules Endure a million of base controls Poysoned Ambition rooted in high mindes T' is thou that train'st vs into all these errors Thy mortall couetize peruerts our lawes And teares our freedom from our franchiz'd harts Our Fathers found thee at their former walls And humbled to theyr of-spring left thee dying Yet thou reuiuing foyl'dst our Infant Towne With guiltles blood by brothers hands out-lanched And hongst O Hell vpon a Forte halfe finisht Thy monstrous murder for a thing to marke But faith continues not where men command Equals are euer bandying for the best A state deuided cannot firmely stand Two Kings within one realme could neuer rest Thys day we see the Father and the sonne Haue fought like foes Pharsalias miserie And with their blood made marsh the parched plaines While th' earth that gron'd to beare theyr carkasses Bewail'd th' insatiat humors of them both That as much blood in wilfull follie spent As were to tame the world sufficient Now Parthia feare no more for Crassus death That we will come thy borders to besiege Nor feare the darts of our couragious troopes For those braue souldiers that were sometime wont To terrifie thee with their names are dead And ciuill furie fiercer then thine hosts Hath in a manner this great Towne ore-turn'd That whilom was the terror of the world Of whom so many Nations stood in feare To whom so many Nations prostrate stoopt Ore whom saue heauen nought could signorize And whom saue heauen nothing could afright Impregnable immortall and whose power Could neuer haue beene curb'd but by it selfe For neither could the flaxen-haird high Dutch A martiall people madding after Armes Nor yet the fierce and fiery humor'd French The More that trauels to the Lybian sands The Greek Th' Arabian Macedons or Medes Once dare t'