University of Virginia Library

Megæra ascends.
Megæra.
Thus to the Romane Palace, as our home
And proper mansion, is Megæra come
No stranger to these walls: not more in Hell
Then here, doe mischiefs, and we Furies dwell
Let the unenvy'd Gods henceforth possesse
Poore Peasants hearts, and rule in Cottages;
Let Vertue lurke among the rurall Swaines,
Whilest Vice in Romes Imperiall Palace reignes,
And rules those breasts, whom all the world obeys.
What though the Gods and Vertue first did raise
Rome to that height it holds? they did but make
An Empire large enough for us to take,
And build a strength for us to manage now,
Though Vertue made the Romane greatnesse grow:
Shee now forsakes it at the height: the Powers,
And fruits of all her diligence are ours.
But to preserve that interest, and keep high
Our hold in thus commanding family,
A blacker Fury then my selfe must rise,
To fill these roofes with fresh Impieties.
Rise cruell Ghost, ascend Caligula,
That lately didst the worlds proud scepter sway
Beyond our wish; who though an Emperour,
In wickednesse wer't greater then in power;
And cloth'd with flesh among mankind did'st dwell
A Fiend more black then any was in Hell.
From those darke vaults ascend; to blast this faire
And gorgious Palace, like that poisonous aire,
Which Earth-quakes from the grounds torne entrailes breath
To fill the world with pestilence and death.
Hee comes; Hee comes: the very house begins
To shake with horrour of approching sinnes.
The night growes blacker then before, and I
My selfe am fill'd with new Impiety.

Caligula's Ghost.
Why am I raised from the vaults below?
What mischiefs can an aëry shadow doe?
What can a naked Ghost performe? In vain
Are all intents, unlesse I reign'd againe
Obey'd by all the Romane power, and wore
That wicked body which I had before.
What then I did you know, and if your power
Could have maintain'd me longer Emperour,
I had outdone your wishes, and given birth
To such new mischiefes, as the suffring earth
Had groan'd to feele: what my intentions were
Did to the world in those black bookes appeare,
When all Romes Senate were to death design'd,
And chests of poison that I left behind,
Which since my death into the Ocean throwne,
Poison'd the waves for many leagues, and on
Poore fishes wrought that execution,
Which on mankind I ment they should have done.
What can I now performe alas?

Megæra.
Enough.
With thy contagious presence blast this roofe;
Infect th'Imperiall House with all the ill
That Hell and thou canst bring. Let mischiefe still
Reigne here, and keep out banish'd Piety,
Iustice, and Conscience; let no sacred ty
Of Nature, or Religious lawes restraine
Their Parricidall hands: all names bee vaine
Of brother, childe, or parent. let the wife
with impious rage destroy her husbands life,
The brother kill the brother, and the Sonne
Rip up his parents bowels.

Ghost.
'Twill be done.
The actors are my kindred, and like mine
Must play their parts: ambitious Agrippine,
Pursue thy cruell projects, and upon
A husband's murther raise thy Impious Sonne,
That he may play the Parricide againe,
And murder thee, that gav'st him life and reigne.
That all the world astonish'd at so high
Ingratitude and foule Impiety,
May feare the Monsters reigne, yet suffer more
Then they could feare, or ere was felt before.
Let what no foes, no furies durst conspire
To act 'gainst Rome, nor I my selfe desire
When I was Prince; bee cursed Nero's crimes.
Let his dire story in succeeding times
From all earths Tyrants else the wonder draw,
And men almost forget Caligula.

Megæra.
The Fates consent; that thunder, which wee heare
From Acheron, confirmes the Omen there.
Downe wicked Ghost into thy cell below,
Wee must no longer hide; the Cocks doe crow,
The twinkling starres begin to hide their heads
The day would dawne, and from Auroraes bed
Would Titan rise, but that he feares to see
Such instruments of Hells impiety.
The Gods themselves forbid our longer stay,
For feare our presence should retard the day.

Exeunt.