 | The Roman Actor |  |
Scæna, I.
Enter Paris, Latinus, Æsopus.Æsop.
What doe wee acte to day?
Latinus.
Agaves phrensie
With Pentheus bloudie end.
Paris.
It skils not what
The times are dull, and all that wee receiue
Will hardly satisfie the dayes Expence.
The Greekes (to whom we owe the first inuention
Both of the buskind scæne and humble stocke)
That raigne in euery noble familie
Declaime against vs: and our Amphitheater,
Great Pompies worke, that hath giu'n full delight
Both to the eye, and eare of fifty thousand
Spectators in one day, as if it were
Some vnknowne desert, or great Roome vnpeopl'd,
Is quite forsaken.
Latin.
Pleasures of worse natures
Are gladly entertayn'd, and they that shun vs,
Practise in priuate sports the Stewes would blush at.
A Litter borne by eight Liburnian staues,
To buy Diseases from a glorious strumper,
The most censorious of our Roman gentrie,
Nay of the guarded robe the Senators,
Esteeme an easie purchase,
Paris.
Yet grudge vs
(That with delight joyne profit and endeauour
To build their mindes vp faire, and on the Stage
On good, and glorious actions, and the shame
That treads vpon the heeles of vice. The salarie
Of six Sestertij:
Æsop.
For the profit Paris,
And mercinarie gaine they are things beneath vs
Since while you hold your grace, and power with Cæsar,
We from your bounty finde a large supply,
Nor can one thought of want euer approach vs,
Par.
Our aime is glorie, and to leaue our names
To after times.
Latin.
And would they giue vs leaue
There ends all our ambition.
Æsop.
Wee haue enemies
And great ones too, I feare. 'Tis giuen out lately
The Consull Aretinus (Cæsars spie)
Sayd at his Table ere a moneth expir'd
(For being gald in our last Comedie)
He would silence vs for euer.
Par.
I expect
No fauour from him, my strong Auentine is
That great Domitian, whom we oft haue cheer'd
In his most sullen moodes will once returne,
Who can repayre with ease, the Consuls ruines.
Lat.
'Tis frequent in the Citie, he hath subdued
The Catti, and the Daci, and ere long,
The second time will enter Rome in triumph.
Enter two Lictors.
Par.
Ioue hasten it, with vs? I now beleeue
The Consuls threates Æsopus.
1. Lict.
You are summon'd
T'appeare to day in Senate.
2. Lict.
And there to answer
What shall be vrg'd against you.
Par.
We obey you.
Nay droope not fellowes, innocence should be bould
The ancient Heroes, and the falles of Princes
With loude applause, being to act our selues,
Must doe it with vndaunted confidence.
What ere our sentence be thinke 'tis in sport.
And though condemn'd lets heare it without sorrow
As if we were to liue againe to morrow.
1. Lict.
'Tis spoken like your selfe.
Enter Ælius, Lamia, Junius, Rusticus, Palphuris, Sura.
Lam.
Whether goes Paris?
1. Lict.
He's cited to the Senate.
Lat.
I am glad the State is
So free from matters of more waight and trouble
That it has vacant time to looke on vs.
Par.
That reuerend place, in which the affaires of Kings,
And prouinces were determin'd, to descend
To the censure of a bitter word, or iest,
Drop'd from a Poets pen! peace to your Lordships
We are glad that you are safe.
Exeunt Lictors, Paris, Latinus, Æsopus.
Lam.
What times are these?
To what is Rome falne? may we being alone
Speake our thoughts freely of the Prince, and State,
And not feare the informer.
Rust.
Noble Lamia,
So dangerous the age is, and such bad acts
Are practis'd euery where, we hardly sleepe
Nay cannot dreame with safetie. All our actions
Are cal'd in question, to be nobly borne
Is now a crime; and to deserue too well
Held Capitall treason. Sonnes accuse their Fathers,
Fathers their sonnes; and but to winne a smile
From one in grace in Court, our chastest Matrons
Make ship wracke of their honours. To be vertuous
Is to bee guilty. They are onely safe
That know to sooth the Princes appetite,
And serue his lusts.
Tis true; and tis my wonder
That two sonnes of so different a nature,
Should spring from good Uespatian. We had a Titus,
Stilde iustly the delight of all mankinde,
Who did esteeme that day lost in his life
In which some one or other tasted not.
Of his magnificent bounties. One that had
A readie teare when he was forc'd to signe
The death of an offender. And so farre
From pride, that he disdain'd not the conuerse
Euen of the poorest Roman.
Lam.
Yet his brother
Domitian, that now swayes the power of things,
Is so inclin'd to bloud, that noe day passes
In which some are not fastend to the hooke,
Or throwne downe from the Gemonies. His freemen
Scorne the Nobilitie, and he himselfe
As if he were not made of flesh and bloud,
Forgets he is a man.
Rust.
In his young yeeres
He shew'd what he would be when growne to ripenes:
His greatest pleasure was being a childe
With a sharp pointed bodkin to kill flies,
Whose roomes now men supply. For his escape.
In the Vitellian warre he rais'd a Temple
To Jupiter, and proudly plac'd his figure
In the bosome of the God. And in his edicts
He does not blush, or start to stile himselfe
(As if the name of Emperour were base)
Great Lord, and God Domitian.
Sura.
I haue letters
He's on his way to Rome, and purposes
To enter with all glorie. The flattering Senate
Decrees him divine Honours, and to crosse it
Were death with studied torments; for my part
I will obey the time, it is in vaine
To striue against the torrent
Rust.
Lets to the Curia
Before we are compeld.
Lam.
And since we cannot
With safetie vse the actiue, lets make vse of
The passiue fortitude, with this assurance
That the state sicke in him, the gods to friend,
Though at the worst will now begin to mend,
Exeunt.
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