 | The Tragedy of Nero |  |
Actus Quintus.
Enter Nero, Nimphidius Tigellinus, Neophilus, Epaphroditus, and other attendants.Nero:
Enough is wept, Poppæa, for thy death,
Enough is bled, so many teares of others
Who in the common funerall of the world
Can mourne on death?
Tigell:
Besides, your Maiestie this benefit
In their diserued punishment shall reape
From all attempts hereafter to be freed,
Conspiracy is now for euer dasht,
Tumult supprest, rebellion out of heart;
In Pisoes death, danger it selfe did die.
Nimph:
Piso that thought to climbe by bowing downe,
By giuing away to thriue, and raising others
To become great himselfe, hath now by death
Giuen quiet to your thoughts, and feare to theirs
That shall from treason their aduancement plot;
Those dangerous heads, that his ambition leand on,
And they by it crept vp, and from their meannesse
Thought in this stirre to rise aloft, are off:
Now peace, and safetie waite vpon your throne;
Securitie hath wall'd your seat about,
There is no place for feare left.
Nero:
Why, I neuer feard them.
Nimph:
That was your fault.
Your Maiestie must giue vs leaue to blame
Your dangerous courage, and that noble soule
Too prodigall of it selfe.
Nero:
A Princes mind knowes neither feare, nor hope,
The beames of royall Maiestie are such,
As all eyes are with it amaz'd, and weakened,
But it with nothing; I at first contemn'd
Their weake deuises, and faint enterprise:
Why, thought they against him to haue preuail'd,
Whose childhood was from Messalinas spight
By Dragons, (that the earth gaue vp) preseru'd,
Such guard my cradle had; for fate had then
Pointed me out, to be what now I am.
Should all the Legions, and the prouinces
In one vnited, against me conspire:
My brow's an host of men; Come Tigellinus,
Let turne this bloody banquet, Piso meant vs,
Vnto a merry feast, weele drinke and challenge
Fortune; whose that Neophilus?
Enter a Roman.
Neoph:
A Currier from beyond the Alpes my Lord.
Nero:
Newes of some German victorie belike,
Or Britton ouerthrow.
Neoph:
The Letters come from France.
Nimp:
Why smiles your Maiestie?
Nero:
So I smile, I should be afraid there's one
In Armes Nimphidius.
Nimp:
What arm'd against your Maiestie?
Nero:
Our Lieuetenant of the Prouince, Iulius Vindex.
Tigell:
Who, that guiddy French-man?
Nimp:
His Prouince is disarm'd my Lord, he hath
No legion, not a souldier vnder him.
Epaph:
One that by blood, and rapine would repaire
His state consum'd in vanities, and lust.
Enter another Roman.
Tigell:
He would not find out three to follow him.
A mess:
More newes my Lord.
Nero:
Is it of Vindex that thou hast to say?
Mess:
Vindex is vp, and with him France in Armes.
The Noble men, and people throng to th'cause,
Money, and Armour, Cities doe conferre,
The contrey doth send in prouision
Yong men bring bodies, old men lead them forth,
Ladies doe coine their Iewels into pay,
The sickle now is fram'd into a sword,
And drawing horses are to manage taught,
France nothing doth but warre, and fury breath.
Nero:
All this fierce talk's, but Vindex doth rebell,
And I will hang him.
Tigell.
How long came you forth after the former messenger.
Mess:
Foure dayes, but by the benefit of sea,
Neoph.
How strong was Uindex at your comming forth?
Mess:
He was esteem'd a hundred thousand.
Tigell:
Men enough,
Nimph.
And souldiours few enough.
Tumultuary troopes, vndisciplin'd,
Vntrain'd in seruice, to wast victuals good,
But when they come to looke on warres blacke wounds,
And but a farre off see the face of death.
Nero:
It falles out for my empty coffers well,
The spoyle of such a large and goodly Prouince,
Enricht with trade, and long enioyed peace.
Tigell:
What order will your Maiestie haue taken
For leuying forces to suppresse this stirre?
Nero:
What order should we take? weele laugh, & drinke,
Thinkst thou it fit my pleasures be disturb'd
When any French-man list to breake his necke?
They haue not heard of Pisoes Fortune yet,
Let that Tale fight with them.
Nimph.
What order needs: your Maiestie shall finde
This French heat quickly of it selfe grow cold.
Nero.
Come away.
Nothing shall come that this nights sport shall stay.
Ex. Ner.
Manet Neophilus, Epaphroditus.
Neoph.
I wonder what makes him so confident
In this reuolt now growne vnto a warre,
And ensignes in the field, when in the other,
Being but a plot of a conspiracie,
He shew'd himselfe so wretchedly dismaid,
Epaph.
Faith, the right nature of a coward to set light
Dangers that seeme farre off. Piso was here,
Ready to enter at the Presence doore,
And dragge him out of his abused chaire,
And then he trembled; Vindex is in France,
And many woods, and seas, and hills betweene.
Neoph.
Twas strange that Piso was so soone supprest,
Strange, strange indeed, for had he but come vp,
And taken the Court, in that affright and stirre,
While vnresolu'd for whom, or what to doe,
Each on the other had in iealousie
(While as apaled Maiestie not yet
Had time to set the countenance) he would
Haue hazarded the royall seat.
Neoph:
Nay, had it without hazard; all the Court
Had for him bin, and those disclos'd their loue,
And fauour in the cause, which now to hide,
And colour their good meanings ready were
To shew their forwardnesse against it most.
Epaph:
But for a stranger with a naked prouince,
Without allies, or friends ith'state to challenge
A Prince vpheld with thirty Legions
Rooted in foure discents of Ancestors,
And foureteene yeares continuance of raigne,
Why it is—
Enter Nero, Nimphidius, Tigellinus to them.
Nero:
Galba and Spaine, what Spaine and Gala too?
ex Ner Nimph:
Epaph:
I pray thee Tigellinus, what furie's this?
What strange euent, what accident hath thus
Orecast your countenances?
Tigell.
Downe we were set at table, and began
With sparckling bowles to chase our feares away,
And mirth and pleasure lookt out of our eyes;
When loe a breathlesse messenger comes in
And tells how Vindex, and the powers of France
Haue Segius Galba chosen Emperor,
With what applause the Legions him receiue,
That Spaines reuolted; Portingale hath ioyn'd;
As much suspected is of Germany;
But Nero, not abiding out the end,
Orethrew the tables, dasht against the ground
The cuppe which he so much you know esteem'd;
Teareth his haire, and with incensed rage
Curseth false men, and Gods the lookers on.
His rage we saw was wild and desperate.
Epaph:
O you vnsearched wisedomes, which doe laugh,
At our securitie, and feares alike!
And plaine to shew our weakenesse, and your power
Make vs contemne the harmes, which surest strike
When you our glories, and our pride vndoe,
Our ouerthrow you make rediculous too.
exeunt.
Enter Nimphidius solus.
Slow making counsels, and the sliding yeere
Haue brought me to the long foreseene destruction
Of this mifled yong man; his State is shaken,
And I will push it on; reuolted France;
Nor the coniured Prouinces of Spaine,
Nor his owne guilt, shall like to me oppresse him;
I to his easie yeelding feares proclaime
New German mutenys, and all the world
Rowsing it selfe in hate of Neroes name;
I his distracted counsels doe disperce
With fresh despaires, I animate the Senate
And the people, to ingage them past recall
In preiudice of Nero, and in brief,
Perish he must, the fates and I resolue it;
Which to effect, I presently will goe,
Proclaime a Donatiue in Galbaes name.
Enter Antoneus to him.
Anton:
Yonders Nimphidius our Commander, now,
I with respect must speake, and smooth my brow;
Captaine all haile.
Nimp:
Antoneus well met,
Your place of Tribune in this Anarchi.
Anton:
This Anarchy my Lord, is Nero dead?
Nimph:
This Anarchy, this yet vnstiled time,
While Galba is vnseased of the Empire
Which Nero hath forsooke.
Anton:
Hath Nero then resign'd the Empire?
Nimph:
In effect he hath, for he's fled to Egypt.
Anton:
My Lord you tell strange newes to me.
But nothing strange to mee,
Who euery moment, knew of his despaires,
The Curriers came so fast with fresh alarmes
Of new reuolts, that he vnable quite
To beare his feares, which he had long conceal'd,
Is now reuoulted from himselfe, and fled.
Anto:
Thrust with reports, and rumours from his seat.
My Lord you know the Campe depends on you
As you determine.
Nimph:
There it lies Antonius,
What should we doe, it boots not to relie
On Neroes stinking fortunes, and to sit
Securely looking on, were to receiue
An Emperor from Spaine; which how disgracefull
It were to vs, who if we waigh our selues
The most materiall accessions are
Of all the Roman Empire, which disgrace
To couer we must ioyne our selues betimes,
And thereby seeme to haue created Gabba;
Therefore Ile straight proclaime a Donatiue,
Of thirty thousand sisterces a man.
Anto:
I thinke so great a gift was neuer heard of.
Galba they say is frugally inclinde,
Will he avow so great a gift as this?
Nimph:
How ere he like of it, he must avow it,
If by our promise he be once ingaged;
And since the souldiers care belongs to mee,
I will haue care of them, and of their good.
Let them thanke me, if I through this occasion
Procure for them so great a donatiue.
Ex: Nimp:
Anton:
So you be thankt, it skils not who preuaile,
Galba, or Nero, traitor to them both;
You giue it out that Neroes fled to Egypt,
Who with the frights of your reports, amaz'd,
By our deuice, doth lurke for better newes,
Whilst you ineuitably doe betray him,
Workes he all this for Galba then? not so
By secret practises of gracious women,
And other instruments of the late Court,
That was his loue to her that me refus'd;
And now by this he would giue the souldiers fauour;
Now is the time to quit Poppæas scorne,
And his rivallity; Ile straight reueale
His treacheries, to Galbaes agents here.
Exit:
Enter Tigellinus with the Guard.
Tigell:
You see what issue things doe sort vnto,
Yet may we hope not onely impunitie,
But with our fellowes part oth'guift proclaim'd.
Nero meets them.
Nero:
Whether goe you, stay my friends;
'Tis Cæsar calles you, stay my louing friends.
Tigell:
We were his slaues, his footstooles, and must crouch;
But now, with such obseruance to his feet,
It is his misery that calles vs friends.
Nero.
And moues you not the misery of a Prince?
O stay my friends, stay, harken to the voyce
Which once yee knew.
Tigell:
Harke to the peoples cryes,
Harke to the streets, that Galba, Galba ring.
Nero:
The people may forsake me without blame,
I did them wrong to make you rich, and great,
I tooke their houses to bestow on you:
Treason in them hath name of libertie,
Your fault hath no excuse, you are my fault,
And the excuse of others treachery.
Tigell:
Shall we with staying seeme his tyrannies
T'vphold, as if we were in loue with them?
We are excus'd vnlesse we stay too long,
As forced Ministers, and apart of wrong.
ex. preter Nero.
Nero:
O now I see the vizard from my face
So louely, and so fearefull is fall'n off
That vizard, shadow, nothing (Maiestie)
(Which like a child acquainted with his feares,
Nero forsaken is of all the world.
The world of truth; O fall some vengeance downe
Equall vnto their falsehoods, and my wrongs;
Might I accept the Chariot of the Sunne.
And like another Phaeton consume
In flames of all the world; a pile of Death
Worthy the state, and greatnesse I haue lost.
Or were I now but Lord of my owne fires,
Wherein false Rome yet once againe might smoake,
And perish, all vnpitied of her Gods,
That all things in their last destruction might
Performe a funerall honour to their Lord.
O Ioue dissolue with Cæsar, Cæsars world;
Or you whom Nero rather should inuoake
Blacke Chaes, and you fearefull shapes beneath,
That with a long, and not vaine enuy haue
Sought to destroy this worke of th'other Gods;
Now let your darkenesse cease the spoyles of day,
And the worlds first contention end your strife.
Enter two Romanes to him.
1 Rom:
Though others, bound with greater benefits
Haue left your changed fortunes and doe runne
Whither new hopes doe call them, yet come we.
Nero:
O welcome, come you to aduersitie,
Welcome true friends, why there is faith on earth.
Of thousand seruants, friends, and followers;
Yet two are left: your countenance me thinkes
Giues comfort, and new hopes
2 Rom:
Doe not deceiue your thoughts,
My Lord we bring no comfort, would we could;
But the last duty to performe, and best
We euer shall, a free death to perswade,
To cut off hopes of fearcer cruelty,
And scorne, more cruell to a worthy soule.
1 Rom:
The Senate haue decreed you're punishable,
After the fashion of our ancestors;
You must be naked whipt, and scourg'd to death.
Nero:
The Senate thus decreed? they that so oft
My vertues flattered haue, and guifts of mine,
My gouernment preferr'd to ancient times,
And challenge Numa to compare with me;
Haue they so horrible an end sought out?
No, here I beare which shall preuent such shame,
This hand shall yet from that deliuer me,
And faithfull be alone vnto his Lord.
Alasse how sharpe, and terrible is death;
O must I die, must now my senses close,
For euer die, and nere returne againe,
Neuer more see the Sunne, nor Heauen, nor Earth?
Whither goe I? what shall I be anone;
What horred iourney wandrest thou my soule,
Vnder th'earth, in darke, dampe, duskie vaults?
Or shall I now to nothing be resolu'd?
My feares become my hopes, O would I might.
Methinkes I see the boyling Phlegeton,
And the dull poole, feared of them we feare,
The dread, and terror of the Gods themselues,
The furies arm'd with linkes, with whippes, with snakes,
And my owne furies farre more mad then they;
My mother, and those troopes of slaughtred friends,
And now the Iudge is brought vnto the throne,
That will not leaue vnto authoritie,
Nor fauour the oppressions of the great
1 Rom:
These are the idle terrors of the night,
Which wise men (though they teach, doe not beleeue)
To curbe our pleasures faine, and aide the weake.
2 Rom:
Deaths wrongfull defamation, which would make
Vs shunne this happy hauen of our rest,
This end of euils; as some fearefull harme.
1 Rom.
Shadowes, and fond imaginations,
Which now you see on earth; but children feare.
2 Rom:
Why should our faults feare punishment from them,
The tother world, with which is no commerce?
1 Rom:
Would Heauen, and Starres, necessitie compell
Vs to doe that, which after it would punish?
2 Rom:
Let vs not after our liues end beleeue
More then you felt before it.
Nero:
If any words haue made me confident,
And boldly doe, for hearing others speake,
Boldly this night; But will you by example
Teach me the truth of your opinion,
And make me see that you beleeue your selues,
Will you by dying, teach me to beare death
With courage?
1 Rom:
No necessitie of death
Hangs ore our heads, no dangers threatens vs,
Nor Senates sharpe decree, nor Galbaes armes.
2 Rom:
Is this the thankes then thou dost pay our loue?
Die basely as such a life deseru'd;
Reserue thy selfe to punishment, and scorne
Of Rome, and of thy laughing enemies.
exeunt.
Manet Nero.
Nero:
They hate me, cause I would but liue, what was't
You lou'd kind friends, and came to see my death;
Let me endure all torture, and reproach
That earth, or Galbaes anger can inflict;
Yet hell, and Rodamanth are more pittilesse.
The first Romane to him.
Rom:
Though not deseru'd, yet once againe I come,
To warne thee to take pitie on thy selfe;
The troupes by the Senate sent, discend the hill
And come.
Nero:
To take me, and to whip me vnto death:
O whither shall I flye?
Rom:
Thou hast no choice.
Nero:
O hither must I flye, hard is his happe,
Who from death onely must by death escape,
Where are they yet? O may I not a little
Rom:
They are at hand; harke, thou maist heare the noise.
Nero:
O Rome farewell, farewell you Theaters,
Where I so oft, with popular applause
In song; and action; O they come I die.
He fals on his sword.
Rom:
So base an end all iust commiseration
Doth take away, yet what we doe now spurne,
The morning Sunne saw fearefull to the world.
Enter some of Galbaes friends, Antoneus and others, with Nimphidius bound.
Gal:
You both shall die together, Traitors both,
He to the common wealth, and thou to him,
And worse, to a good Prince; what, is he dead?
Hath feare encourag'd him, and made him thus,
Preuent our punishment; then die with him.
Fall thy aspyring at thy Masters feete.
He kils Nimph:
Anton:
Who though he iustly perisht, yet by thee
Deseru'd it not, nor ended there thy treason;
But euen thought oth'Empire, thou conceiu'st
Galbaes disgrace in receiuing that
Which the sonne of Nimphidia could hope.
Rom:
Thus great bad men aboue them finde a rod:
People depart, and say there is a God.
Exeunt.
FJNJS.
| The Tragedy of Nero | |