(SCENE 3.)
Reading edition
Enter Tigellinus with the Guard.
Tigell. You see what issue things doe sort unto; Yet may we hope not only impunitie But with our fellowes part oth' guift proclaim'd.
Nero meets them.
Nero. Whether goe you? stay, my friends; 'Tis Caesar calls you; stay, my loving friends.
Tigell. We were his slaves, his footstooles, and must crouch But now with such observance to his feet; It is his misery that calles us friends.
Nero. And moves 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'uphold, as if we were in love with them? We are excus'd (unlesse we stay too long) As forced Ministers and a part of wrong.
[Ex. praeter Nero.
Nero. O now I see the vizard from my face, So lovely and so fearefull, is fall'n off, That vizard, shadow, nothing, Maiestie, Which, like a child acquainted with his feares, But now men trembled at and now contemne. Nero forsaken is of all the world, The world of truth. O fall some vengeance downe Equall unto 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 have lost! Or were I now but Lord of my owne fires Wherein false Rome yet once againe might smoake And perish, all unpitied of her Gods, That all things in their last destruction might Performe a funerall honour to their Lord! O Iove dissolve with Caesar Caesars world; Or you whom Nero rather should invoke, Blacke Chaos and you fearefull shapes beneath, That with a long and not vaine envy have Sought to destroy this worke of th'other Gods; Now let your darknesse 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, Have left your changed fortunes and doe runne Whither new hopes doe call them, yet come we.
Nero. O welcome come you to adversitie; Welcome, true friends. Why, there is faith on earth; Of thousand servants, friends and followers, Yet two are left. Your countenance, me thinks, Gives comfort and new hopes.
2 Rom. Doe not deceive your thoughts: My Lord, we bring no comfort,—would we could,— But the last duty to performe and best We ever shall, a free death to persuade, To cut off hopes of fearcer cruelty And scorne, more cruell to a worthy soule.
1 Rom. The Senate have decreed you're punishable After the fashion of our ancestors, Which is, your necke being locked in a forke, You must be naked whipt and scourg'd to death.
Nero. The Senate thus decreed? they that so oft My vertues flattered have and guifts of mine, My government preferr'd to ancient times, And challenge[d] Numa to compare with me,— Have they so horrible an end sought out? No, here I beare which shall prevent such shame; This hand shall yet from that deliver me, And faithfull be alone unto his Lord. Alasse, how sharp and terrible is death! O must I die, must now my senses close? For ever die, and nere returne againe, Never more see the Sunne, nor Heaven, nor Earth? Whither goe I? What shall I be anone? What horred iourney wandrest thou, my soule, Under th'earth in darke, dampe, duskie vaults? Or shall I now to nothing be resolv'd? My feares become my hopes; O would I might. Me thinkes I see the boyling Phlegeton And the dull poole feared of them we feare, The dread and terror of the Gods themselves; 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 unto the throne, That will not leave unto Authoritie Nor favour the oppressions of the great!
1 Rom. These are the idle terrors of the night, Which wise men (though they teach) doe not beleeve, To curbe our pleasures faine[d] and aide the weake.
2 Rom. Deaths wrongfull defamation, which would make Us shunne this happy haven of our rest, This end of evils, 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? What doe the actions of this life concerne The tother world, with which is no commerce?
1 Rom. Would Heaven and Starres necessitie compell Us to doe that which after it would punish?
2 Rom. Let us not after our lives end beleeve More then you felt before it.
Nero. If any words had[95] made me confident And boldly doe for hearing others speake Boldly, this might.[96] But will you by example Teach me the truth of your opinion And make me see that you beleeve yourselves? Will you by dying teach me to beare death With courage?
1 Rom. No necessitie of death Hangs ore our heads, no dangers threaten us Nor Senates sharpe decree nor Galbaes arms.
2 Rom. Is this the thankes, then, thou dost pay our love? Die basely as such a life deserv'd; Reserve thy selfe to punishment, and scorne Of Rome and of thy laughing enemies.
[Exeunt.
Manet Nero.
Nero. They hate me cause I would but live. What was't You lov'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 deserv'd, yet once agen I come To warne thee to take pitie on thy selfe. The troopes by the Senate sent descend the hill And come.
Nero. To take me and to whip me unto 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 not I a little Bethinke my selfe?
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 falls 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 Prevent our punishment? Then die with him: Fall thy aspiring at thy Master's feete. (He kils Nimph).
Anton. Who, though he iustly perisht, yet by thee Deserv'd it not; nor ended there thy treason, But even thought oth' Empire thou conceiv'st. Galbaes disgrace[d] in receiving that Which the sonne of Nimphidia could hope.
Rom. Thus great bad men above them find a rod: People, depart and say there is a God.
[Exeunt.