University of Virginia Library

SCENE V

Scene.—The same. Dawn breaking; Nero discovered lying in a swoon
Nero.
[Slowly.]
Dawn! In the night o'erpast a lightning flash!
Ah! I remember—here my mother's ghost
Stood—on this very ground—I feel the air
Still cold from her—and here the lightning burned.
So I awake my mother's murderer.
That was her ghost that stole on me sea-marred,
Silent—the ocean falling from her hair.

Enter Tigellinus
Tigellinus.
Caesar at last! Sole master of the world!

Nero.
O Tigellinus, in the mid of night,
The spirit of my whelmèd mother stole
Hither upon me, dumb out of the deep.
Heaven gave a flash: I saw her face and fell.

Tigellinus.
Her spirit! Better that than she herself.
Dismiss dark fancies now—this day thou art free.

Nero.
No, but enthralled by her for evermore.
She is my air, my ocean, and my sky.

Tigellinus.
The night has wrought this sickly mood on you—
Natural—it will pass.

Nero.
Never, O never!
You flatter, you console, you would assuage,
But you are human, can forget and change.
But yonder rocky coast remembers yet.
That countenance changes not: that conscious bay
Maintains its everlasting memory.
This privy region saw, and it shall see
For ever what was done. The amulet!
Filched from me! Was it then a ghost I saw?

Enter Seaman hurriedly, followed by Burrus
Seaman.
Caesar, my news must plead for this intrusion.
I was aboard the ship whereon the Augusta
Set sail: when the roof fell, thy mother's maid
Cried 'Save me! I am the Emperor's mother!' Straight
Crushed under many a blow, she dropped and died.
But silently thy mother Agrippina
Slid from the ship into the water and swam
Shoreward. With white and jewelled arms she thrust
Out through the waves and lay upon the foam.
We heard her through the ripple breathing deep,
And when we heard no more, we watched her still—
Her hair behind her blowing into gold
As she did glimmer o'er the gloomy deep;
And all the stars swam with her through the heavens,
The hurrying moon lighted her with a torch,
The sea was loth to lose her, and the shore
Yearned for her; till we lost her in the dark,
Save now and then some splendid leap of the head.

Nero.
You know not if she be alive or dead?

Seaman.
Caesar, rejoice—thy mother lives.

Nero.
She lives?

Seaman.
When I at last touched shore, I spoke with two
Night-wandering fishermen. These two, it seems,
Had borne her in their boat across the bay
To her own villa.

Nero.
[Falling hysterically on neck of Seaman.]
I am no murderer then!

Tigellinus.
Have you considered, sir, what now may urge
Thy mother, Agrippina, knowing all,
Seeing that by no chance or accident
Or sudden flurry of the ocean floor
The ship collapsed. Safe is she, but how long?
Will she not burst upon us suddenly?
Sir, she must die to-night.

Nero.
I'll not attempt
A second time that life the sea restored;
She is too vast a spirit to surprise.
Even Nature stood aloof—
My mother shall be gloriously caged,
Imprisoned in purple and immured in gold.
In some magnificent captivity
Worthy the captive let her day decline.

[Shouts without: enter Burrus.
Burrus.
Caesar, great news I bring: the Armenian
Lies helpless on Tigranocerta's plain
O'erwhelmed by Corbulo, and the huge host
Dissolved. Armenia lies beneath your feet:
Rome yearns to welcome you.

Nero.
To Rome I go
Free-souled and guiltless of a mother's blood,
Resume the accustomed feast, the race, the song,
And I shall be received with public joy
And clamour of congratulating Rome.

[Great cheering without: exit Nero.
[A pause.
Tigellinus.
Burrus, she'll strike at us whate'er the cost:
She'll slay the ministers if not the master.

Burrus.
We are both dead unless some sudden scheme—
Enter Anicetus at back
[Turning.]
Here is another doomed as we ourselves.

Tigellinus.
Ah, Anicetus! Agrippina lives,
And she will launch her vengeance on us three,
But first on you: you first set Nero on—
You first proposed the scheme. You on the sea
Bungled—Now on the land retrieve the error.
To you we look.

Enter Poppaea from behind and stands listening
Anicetus.
My error is repaired
Already. I first heard the Augusta lived,
And instantly despatched a faithful troop
To slay her at her villa o'er the bay.

Tigellinus.
How shall we know if they have found and slain her?

Anicetus.
All this I have arranged and clearly planned.
If they shall find that she hath fled to Rome,
Hark for one trumpet-call across the bay:
If they have found her at the villa, then
Hark for two trumpet-calls across the bay:
If they have found her and have slain her, then
Hark for three trumpet-calls across the bay!

[A burst of music without, and sounds of advancing procession.
[Enter soldiers and satellites, with attendants bearing a litter. Lastly Nero.
Tigellinus.
Now as a conqueror in triumphant vein
Ride through the thundering ways of risen Rome,
Anticipating the Armenian car.

Nero.
[Ascending litter.]
Set out for Rome! And you, accusing coasts,
Accuse no more. Guiltless I say farewell,
And with a light heart journey toward Rome
Joyous I go, for Agrippina lives.

[A great triumphal shout swells up again, and to the sound of military music, Nero and the procession pass off. Meanwhile Tigellinus is left in a listening attitude. Poppaea stands breathless at back. There is a pause. Then a trumpet-call is heard far off; a second; and a third. Poppaea rushes to Tigellinus and clasps his hand.