University of Virginia Library

Scæn. 3.

Enter Maximus and Æcius.
Max.
I cannot blame the Nations noble friend,
That they fall off so fast from this wild man,
When (under our Allegeance be it spoken,
And the most happy tye of our affections)
The worlds weight groanes beneath him; where lives vertue,
Honour, discretion, wisdom? who are cald
And chosen to the steering of the Empire
But Baudes, and singing Girles? ô my Aecius,
The glory of a Souldier, and the truth
Of men made up for goodnesse sake, like shells
Grow to the ragged walls for want of action:
Only your happy selfe, and I that love ye,
Which is a larger meanes to me then favour.

Æcius.
No more my worthy friend, though these be truths,
And though these truthes would aske a Reformation,
At least a little squaring; yet remember,
We are but subjects Maximus; obedience
To what is done, and griefe for what is ill done,
Is all we can call ours: the hearts of Princes
Are like the Temples of the gods; pure incense,
Vntill vnhallowed hands defile those offrings,
Burnes ever there; we must not put 'em out,
Because the Priests that touch those sweetes are wicked;
We dare not deerest friend, nay more we cannot,
While we consider why we are, and how,
To what lawes bound, much more to what Law-giver;
Whilest majestie is made to be obeyed,
And not inquired into, whilest Gods and Angels
Make but a rule as we do, though a stricter;
Like desperate and unseason'd fooles let fly
Our killing angers, and forsake our honors.

Max.
My noble Freind, from whose Instructions
I never yet tooke surfet, weigh but thus much,
Nor thinke I speake it with ambition,
For by the Gods I do not, why Æcius,
Why are we thus, or how become thus wretched?

Æcius.
You'l fall againe into your fit.

Max.
I will not.
Or are we now no more the sons of Romanes,
No more the followers of their happy fortunes,
But conquer'd Gaules, or Quivers for the Parthians?
Why is this Emperor, this man we honor,
This God that ought to be?

Æcius.
You are too curious.

Max.
Good, give me leave, why is this Author of us?

Æci.
I dare not heare ye speake thus.

Max.
Ile be modest,
Thus led away, thus vainly led away,
And we beholders, misconceive me not,
I sow no danger in my words; but wherefore
And to what end, are we the sonnes of Fathers
Famous, and fast to Rome? Why are their vertues
Stampt in the dangers of a thousand Battailes,
For goodnesse sake, their honors, time out daring,
I thinke for our example.

Æci.
Ye speake nobly.

Mac.
Why are we seeds of these then, to shake hands
With Bawdes and base Informers, kisse discredit,
And court her like a Mistris? pray, your leave yet;
You'l say the Emperor is young, and apt
To take impression rather from his pleasures
Then any constant worthynsse, it may be.
But why do these, the people call his pleasures,
Exceed the moderation of a man?
Nay to say justly freind, why are they vices
And such as shake our worthes with forraigne Nations?

Æc.
You search the soare too deep, and I must tel ye,
In any other man this had been boldnesse,
And so rewarded; pray depresse you spirit,
For though I constantly beleeve ye honest,
Ye were no freind for me else, and what now
Ye freely spake, but good ye owe toth Empire,
Yet take heed worthy Maximus, all eares
Heare not with that distinction mine doe, few
You'l find admonishers, but urgers of your actions,
And to the heaviest (freind;) and pray consider
We are but shadowes, motions others give us,
And though our pitties may become the times,
Iustly our powers cannot; make me worthy
To be your ever freind in faire allegiance,
But not in force: For durst mine own soule urge me
(And by that soule, I speake my just affections)
To turn my hand from truth, which is obedience,
And give the helme my vertue holds, to Anger,
Though I had both the blessings of the Brutij,
And both their Instigations, though my cause
Carried a face of Iustice beyond theirs,
And as I am a servant to my fortunes,
That daring soule, that first taught disobedience,
Should feele the first example: Say the Prince,
As I may well beleeve, seemes vitious,
Who justly knowes tis not to try our honors?
Or say he be an ill Prince, are we therefore
Fit fires to purge him? No, my dearest freind
The Elephant is never won with anger,
Nor must that man that would reclaime a Lyon,
Take him by'th teeth.

Max.
I pray mistake me not.

Æci.
Our honest actions, and the light that breakes
Like morning from our service, chaste and blushing
Is that, that pulls a Prince backe; then he sees,
And not till then truly repents his errors,
When subjects Chrystall soules are glasses to him.

Max.
My ever honored freind, Ile take your councel:
The Emperor appeares, Ile leave ye to him,
And as we both affect him, may be flourish.
Exit Max.

Enter the Emperor and Chilax.
Empe.
Is that the best newes?

Chil.
Yet the best we know Sir.

Empe.
Bid Maximus come to me, and be gone then:
Mine own head be my helper, these are fooles;
How now Æcius, are the Souldiers quiet?

Æci.
Better I hope Sir, then they were.

Empe.
They are pleas'd I heare,
To censure me extremely for my pleasures,
Shortly they'l fight against me.

Æci.
Gods defend Sir.
And for their censures they are such shrew'd Iudgers;
A donative of ten Sesterties
Ile undertake shall make 'em ring your praises,
More then they sang your pleasures.

Empe.
I beleeve thee.
Art thou in love Æcius yet?

Æci.
O no Sir.
I am too course for Ladies; my embraces
That only am acquainted with Alarums,
Would break their tender bodies.

Empe.
Never feare it,
They are stronger then ye think, they'le hold the hammer
My Empresse sweares thou art a lusty Souldier,
A good one I beleeve thee.

Æci.
All that goodnesse
Is but your Graces creature.

Empe.
Tell me truly,
For thou darst tell me.

Æci.
Any thing concernes ye,
That's fit for me to speake and you to pardon.

Emp.
What say the soldiers of me, and the same words,
Mince 'em not good Æcius, but deliver
The very forms and tongues they talke withall,

Æci.
Ile tell your Grace, but with this caution
You be not stirr'd, for should the Gods live with us,
Even those we certainly beleeve are righteous,
Give 'em but drinke, they would censure them too.

Empe.
Forward.

Æci.
Then to begin, they say you sleep too much
By which they judge your Majesty too sensuall,
Apt to decline your strength to ease and pleasures,
And when you do not sleepe, you drink too much,
From which they feare suspitions first, then ruines;
And when ye neither drinke nor sleepe, ye wench much,
Which they affirm first breakes your understanding,
Then takes the edge of honor, makes us seeme,
That are the ribbes, and rampires of the Empire,
Fencers, and beaten Fooles, and so regarded;
But I beleive 'em not; for were these truths,
Your vertue can correct them.

Empe.
They speake plainly.

Æc.
They say moreover (since your grace wil have it,
For they will talke their freedoms, though the sword
Were in their throat) that of late time, like Nero,
And with the same forgetfullnes of glory,
You have got a vaine of filing, so they terme it.

Empe.
Some drunken dreames Æcius.

Æci.
So I hope Sir.
And that you rather study cruelty.
And to be feared for blood, then lov'd for bounty.
Which makes the Nations, as they say, despise ye,
Telling your yeares and actions by their deathes,
Whose truth, and strength of duty made you Cæsar.
They say besides you nourish strange devourers,
Fed with the fat o'th Empire, they call Bawdes,
Lazie and lustfull creatures that abuse ye.
A people as they terme 'em, made of paper,
In which the secret sins of each mans monyes
Are sealed and sent a working.

Empe.
What sin's next?
For I perceive they have no mind to spare me.

Æci.
Nor hurt ye ô my soule Sir; but such people
(Nor can the power of man restraine it)
When they are full of meat and ease, must prattle.

Empe.
Forward.

Æci.
I have spoken too much Sir.

Empe.
Ile have all.

Æci.
It fits not
Your eares should heare their vanities; no profit
Can justly rise to you from their behaviour,
Vnlesse ye were guilty of those crimes.

Empe.
It may be
I am so, therefore forward.

Æci.
I have ever
Learn'd to obey, nor shall my life resist it.

Empe.
No more Apologies.

Æci.
They greive besides Sir,
To see the nations, whom our ancient vertue
With many a weary march and hunger conquer'd,
With losse of many a daring life subdude,
Fall from their faire obedience, and even murmure
To see the warlike Eagles mew their honors
In obscure Townes, that wont to prey on Princes,
They cry for enemies, and tel the Captaines
The fruits of Italy are luscious, give us Ægypt,
Or sandy Affrick to display our valours,
There were our Swords may make us meat, and danger
Digest our well got Vyands: here our weapons
And bodyes that were made for shining brasse,
Are both unedg'd and old with ease, and women;
And then they cry agen, where are the Germaines,
Linde with hot Spaine, or Gallia, bring 'em on,
And let the son of war, steel'd Mithridutes,
Lead up his winged Parthians like a storme,
Hiding the face of Heaven with showres of arrowes;
Yet we dare fight like Romanes; then as Souldiers
Tyr'd with a weary march, they tell their wounds
Even weeping ripe they were no more nor deeper,
And glory in those scarrs that make 'em lovely,
And sitting where a Campe was, like sad Pilgrims
They reckon up the times, and living labours
Of Julius or Germanicus, and wonder
That Rome, whose turrets once were topt with honours,
Can now forget the Custome of her conquests:
And then they blame your Grace, and say who leads us,
Shall we stand here like Statues? were our Fathers
The Sonnes of lazie Moores, our Princes Persians,
Nothing but silkes, and softnesse? curses on 'em
That first taught Nero wantonnesse, and bloud,
Tiberius doubts, Caligula all vices;
For from the spring of these succeeding Princes
Thus they talke Sir;

Emp.
Well,
Why doe you heare these things?

Aec.
Why do you do 'em?
I take the gods to witnesse, with more sorrow,
And more vexation, doe I heare these taintures,
Then were my life dropt from me through an hour-glasse

Emp.
Belike then you beleeve 'em, or at least
Are glad they should be so; take heed, you were better
Build your own Tomb, and runne into it living,
Then dare a Princes anger.

Aec.
I am old Sir,
And ten yeares more addition, is but nothing:
Now if my life be pleasing to ye, take it,
Vpon my knees, if ever any service,
As let me brag, some have bin worthy notice,
If ever any worth, or trust ye gave me,
Deserv'd a faire respect, if all my actions,
The hazards of my youth, colds, burnings, wants,
For you and for the Empire, be not vices;
By that stile ye have stampt upon me, Souldier,
Let me not fall into the hands of wretches.

Emp.
I understand ye not.

Aec.
Let not this body.
That has lookd bravely in his bloud for Cesar,
And covetous of wounds, and for your safety,
After the scape of Swords, Speares, Slings, and Arrows,
Gainst which my beaten body was mine Armour,
The Seas, and thirstie deserts, now be purchase
For Slaves, and base Informers: I see anger,
And death look through your eyes: I am markt for slaughter
And know the telling of this truth has made me
A man cleane lost to this world; I embrace it;
Only my last Petition sacred Cesar,
Is, I may dye a Roman.

Emp.
Rise my friend still,
And worthy of my love; Reclaime the Souldier,
Ile study to doe so upon my selfe too,
Goe keep your command, and prosper.

Aec.
Life to Cesar—

Exit Aecius—Enter Chilax.
Chi.
Lord Maximus attends your Grace.

Emp.
Goe tell him,
Ile meete him in the gallery.
The honesty of this Aecius
Who is indeed the Bull-wark of the Empire,
Has div'd so deep into me, that of all
The sins I covet, but this womans beautie,
With much repentance, now I could be quit of:
But she is such a pleasure, being good,
That though I were a god, she would fire my bloud.

Exit.