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Scæna, 3.
Enter, Lictors, Arctinus, Fulcinius, Rusticus, Sura, Paris, Latinus, Æsopus.Aret.
Fathers conscript may this our meeting be
Happie to Cæsar and the common wealth.
Lict.
Silence.
Aret.
The purpose of this frequent Senate
Is first to giue thankes to the Gods of Rome,
That for the propagation of the Empire,
In height of courage, depth of vnderstanding,
And all those vertues, and remarkeable graces,
Which make a Prince most eminent, our Domitian
Transcend's the ancient Romans. I can neuer
Bring his praise to a period. What good man
That is a friend to truth, dares make it doubtfull,
That he hath Fabius slay'dnesse, and the courage
Of bould Marcellus, to whom Hanibal gaue
The stile of Target, and the Sword of Rome.
But he has more, and euery touch more Roman
As Pompey's dignitie, Augustus state,
Antonies bountie, and great Iulius fortune.
With Catoes resolution. I am lost
In th'Ocean of his vertues. In a word
All excellencies of good men in him meet,
But no part of their vices.
Rust.
This is no flatterie!
Sur.
Take heed, you'l be obseru'd,
Aret.
'Tis then most fit
That we (as to the Father of our Countrie,
Like thankefull sonnes, stand bound to pay true seruice
For all those blessings that he showres vpon vs)
Should not conniue, and see his gouernment,
Deprau'd and scandaliz'd by meaner men
That to his fauour, and indulgence owe
Themselues and being.
Par.
Now he points at vs.
Aret.
Cite Paris the Tragedian.
Par.
Here.
Aret.
Stand forth.
In thee, as being the chiefe of thy profession,
I doe accuse the qualitie of treason,
As libellers against the state and Cæsar.
Par.
Meere accusations are not proofes my Lord,
In what are we delinquents?
Aret.
You are they
That search into the secrets of the time,
And vnder fain'd names on the Stage present
Persons of rancke, and qualitie of both Sexes,
And with Satiricall. and bitter iests
Make euen the Senators ridiculous
To the Plebeans.
Par.
If I free not my selfe,
(And in my selfe the rest of my profession)
From these false imputations, and proue
That they make that a libell which the Poet
Writ for a Comedie, so acted too,
It is but Iustice that we vndergoe
The heauiest censure.
Aret.
Are you on the Stage
You talke so boldly?
Par.
The whole word being one
This place is not exempted, and I am
So confident in the iustice of our cause,
That I could wish Cæsar, in whose great name
All Kings are comprehended sate as iudge,
To heare our Plea, and then determine of vs.
If to expresse a man sould to his lusts,
Wasting the treasure of his time and Fortunes,
In wanton dalliance, and to what sad end
A wretch thats so giuen ouer does arriue at,
Deterring carelesse youth, by his example,
From such licentious courses; laying open
The snares of baudes, and the consuming arts
Of prodigall strumpets, can deserue reproofe,
Why are not all your golden principles
Writ downe by graue Philosophers to instruct vs
To chuse faire Vertue for our guide, not pleasure,
Condemne vnto the fire?
Sura.
There's spirit in this.
Par.
Or if desire of honour was the base
On which the building of the Roman Empire
Was rais'd vp to this height; if to inflame
The noble youth with an ambitious heate
T'indure the frosts of danger, nay of Death
By glorious vndertakings, may deserue
Reward, or fauour, from the common wealth.
Actors may put in for as large a share
As all the sects of the Philosophers;
They which could precepts (perhaps seldome reade)
Deliver what an honourable thing
The actiue vertue is. But does that fire
The bloud, or swell the veines with emulation
To be both good, and great, equall to that
Which is presented on our Theaters?
Let a good Actor in a loftie Sceane
Show great Alcides honour'd in the sweate
Of his twelue labours; or a bould Cancillus
Forbidding Rome to be redeem'd with gold
From the insulting Gaul's; or Scipio
After his victories imposing Tribute
On conquer'd Carthage. If done to the life,
As if they saw their dangers, and their glories,
And did partake with them in their rewardes,
All that haue any sparke of Roman in them
The slothfull artes layd by, contend to bee
Like those they see presented.
Rust.
He ha's put
The Consuls to their whisper,
Par.
But 'tis vrg'd
That we corrupt youth, and traduce superiours:
When doe we bring a vice vpon the Stage,
That does goe off vnpunish'd? doe we teach
By the successe of wicked vndertakings,
Others to tread, in their forbidden steps?
We show no arts of Lidian Pandarisme,
Corinthian poysons, Persian flatteries,
But mulcted so in the conclusion that
Even those spectators that were so inclin'd,
Go home chang'd men. And for traducing such
That are aboue vs, publishing to the world
Their secret crimes we are as innocent
Ah heyre, that does conspire against the life
Of his deare parent, numbring euery houre
He liues as tedious to him, if there be
Among the auditors one whose conscience tells him,
He is of the same mould we cannot helpe it.
Or bringing on the stage a loose adultresse,
That does maintaine the ryatous expence
Of him that seedes her greedie lust, yet suffers
The lawfull pledges of a former bed
To starue the while for hunger, if a Matron
Howeuer great in fortune, birth, or titles,
Guilty of such a foule vnnaturall sinne,
Crie out tis writ by me, we cannot helpe it:
Or when a couetous man's express'd, whose wealth
Arithmatique cannot number, and whose Lordships
A Falcon in one day cannot flie ouer.
Yet he so sordid in his mind, so griping
As not to affoord himselfe the necessaries
To maintaine life, if a Patrician,
(Though honourd with a Consulship) finde himselfe
Touch'd to the quicke in this, we cannot helpe it.
Or when we show a Iudge that is corrupt,
And will giue vp his sentence as he fauours,
The person, not the cause, sauing the guiltie
If of his faction, and as oft condemning
The innocent out of particular spleene,
If any in this reuerend assemblie,
Nay e'ne your selfe my Lord, that are the image
Of absent Cæsar feele something in your bosome
That puts you in remembrance of things past,
Or things intended tis not in vs to helpe it.
I haue said, my Lord, and now as you finde cause
Or censure vs, or free vs with applause.
Lat.
Well pleaded on my life I neuer saw him
Act an Orators part before.
Æsop.
We might haue giuen
Ten double sees to Regulus, and yet
A shoute within, enter Parthenius.
Aret.
What shoute is that?
Parth.
Cæsar our Lord married to conquest, is
Returnd in triumph.
Fulcin.
Lets all hast to meete him.
Aret.
Breake vp the Court, we will reserue to him
The Censure of this cause
All.
Long life to Cæsar.
Exeunt omnes.
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