the Night Now unbelieving Eyes what would you more Enter Neophilus Neop O save your self my Lord your Palace burns Ner. My Palace How what Traiterous Hand Enter Tigellinus Tig. O fly my Lord and save your self betimes The Wind does beat the Fire upon your house The Eating Flame devoures your Double Gates Your Pillars sall your Golden Rooss do melt Your Antick Tables and Greek Imagery The Fire besets and the Smoak you see Does choak my Speech O fly and save your Life Ner. Heaven thou dost strive I see for Victory Exeuâ—…t Enter Nimphidius Nim. See how Fates work unto their purpos'd end And without all Self-Industry will raise Whom they determine to make great and happy Nero throws down himself I stir him not He runs unto Destruction studies ways To compass Danger and attain the Hate Of all Be his own Wishes on his Head Nor Rome with Fire more than Revenges burn Let me stand still or ly or sleep I rise Poppea a some new Favour will seek our My wakings to salute I cannot stir But Messengers of new Preferment meet me Now she has made me Captain of the Guard So well I bear me in these Night-Alarms That she imagin'd I was made for Arms I now command the Castle he the City If any Chance do turn the Prince aside l As many Hat'reds Mischiess threaten him Our's is his Wise his Seat and Throne is ours He 's next in right that has the strongest Powers Exit Enter Scevinus and Mellichus Sce. O Tray and O ye Souls of our Fore-Fathers Which in your Countries Fires were offered up How near your Nepheâ—…s to your Fortunes come Yet they were Greclau Hands began your Flame Not Pirrhus nor Hannibal art Author Sad Rome is ruin'd by a Roman Hand Mel. My Master has Seal'd up his Testament Those Bond-Men which he liketh best set free Given money and more liberally than he us'd And now as if a Fare-well to the World Were meant a sumptuous Banquet has he made Yet not with Countenance that Feasters use But Chears his Friends the whil'st himself looks Sad. Aside Sce. I have from Fortune's Temple ta'n this Sword may it be Fortunate and now at least Since it could not prevent punish the Evil To Rome it had been better done before but though less helping now they 'l praise it more Great Soveraign of all Mortal Actions Whom only Wretched Men and Poets blame Speed thou the Weapon which I have from thee 'T was not amidst thy Temple Monuments In vain repos'd somewhat I know 't has done O with new Honours let it be laid up Strike boldly Arm so many powerful Prayers Of Dead and Living hover over thee Mel. And though sometimes with talk Impertinent And Idle Fancies he would feign a Mirth Yet it is easie seen some-what is here The which he dares not let his Face make shew of Aside Sce. See Melichus this Weapon's better Edg'd Long want of use has made it dull and blunt Mel. Sharpening of Swords when must we then have Or means my Master Cato-like to exempt blows Himself from Power of Fates and cloy'd with Life Give the Gods back their unregarded Gist But he hath neither Cato's Mind nor Cause A Man given o're to Pleasures and Soft Ease Aside Which makes me still to doubt how in Affairs Of Princes he dares meddle or desire Sce. We shall have Blows on both sides Melichus What and 't be Heart for Heart Death is the worst Provide me store of Cloaths to bind up Wounds This World I see has no Felicity I 'le try the other Mel. Nero's Life is sought The Sword 's prepar'd against another's Breast The help for this It can be no Private Foe For then 't were best to make it known and call Troupes of Bond and Freed-Men to his Aid Besides his Counsellors Seneca And Lucan are no Managers of Quarrels Aside Sce. Me-thinks I see him struggling on the ground Hear his unmanly out-Crles and lost Prayers Made to the Gods which turn their Heads away Nero this Day must end the World's Desires And Headlong send thee down to Endless Fires Exit Mel. Why do I further idly stand debating My Proofs are but too many and too pregnant And Princes Ears still to Suspitions open For States are wise and cut of Ills that may be Mean Men must dy that others may sleep sound Exeunt Finis Actus Tertij ACTUS QUARTUS Enter Nero Poppea Nimphidius Tigellinus Neophilus and Epaphroditus Nero. THis Kiss sweet Love â—…le sorce from thee and this And of such Spoyls and Victories be Prouder Than if I had the Fierce 〈◊〉 Or Valiant German Ten times over-come Let Juliâ—… go and Fightat the end o'th'World And Conquer from the Wild Inhabitants Their Cold and Poverty whilst Nero here Makes other Wars Wars where the Conquer'd Gains Where to o'r-come is to be Prisoner O willingly I give up my Freedome And put on my own Chains And am in Love with my Captivity Such Venâ—… is when on the Sandy Shore Of Xanthâ—… or on Ida's Pleasant Greeâ—… She leads the Dance If Bacchus could his Stragling Minion Grace with a Glorious Wreath of Shining Stâ—… Why should not Heaven my Poppea Crown The Northern Teem shall move into a round New Constellations rise to honour thee The Earth shall woe thy Favoâ—…rs and the Sea Lay his Rich Shells and Treâ—…sures 〈◊〉 thy Feeâ—… For thee Hidaspis shall throw up his Gold Panchaia breath the Rich Delightful Smells The Seres and the Feather'd Man of India Shall their Fine Arts and 〈◊〉 Labours bring And where the Sun 's not known Poppea's Name Shall mid'st their Feasts and Barbarous Pomp Be sung What 's he Enter Melichus Nim. One that it seems my Lord does come in haste Ner. Yet in his Face he sends his Tale before him Bad News thou tellest Mel. T is bad I tell but good that I can tell it Therefore your Majesty will pardon me If I offend your Ears to save your Life Ner. Why is my Life indanger'd How ends this Circumstance thou rack'st My Thoughts Mel. My Lord your Life is conspir'd against Ner. By whom Mel. I must be of the World excus'd in this If the great Duty to your Majesty Makes me all other lesser to neglect Ner. Thou art a tedious Fellow speak by whom Mel. By my Master Ner. who 's thy Master Mel. Scevinus Pop. Scevinus why should he Conspire Unless he think that Likeness in Conditions May make him too worthy o'th'Empire thought Ner. Who are else in it Mel. I think Natalia Subius Flavius Lucan Seneca and Lucius Piso Asper and Quiâ—… Ner. Ha done Thou 'lt reckon all Rome anon and so thou may'st They 're Villains all I 'le not trust one of 'em O that the Romans had but all one Neck Pop. Piso's sly creeping into Mens Affections And Popular Arts have given long Cause of Doubt And the other 's late observ'd Discontents Risen from Misinterpreted Disgraces May make us credit this Relation Ner. Where are
will change it not as heretofore By singling out 'em one by one to death Each common Man can such Revenges have A Prince's Anger must lay desolate Cities Kingdoms consume root up Mankind O could I live to see the General end Behold the World wrap't in one Funeral Flame When as the Sun shall lend his Beams to burn What he before brought forth and Water serve Not to extinguish but to nurse the Fire Then like the Salamander bathing me In the last Ashes of all Mortal things Let me give up this Breath Prium was happy Happy indeed he saw his Troy burnt And Ilion ly on heaps wâ—…st ' thy Streams Divine Scamander did run Rhrygian Blood And heard the pleasant Cries of Trojan Mothers Could I see Rome so Tig. Your Majesty may easily Without this Trouble to your â—…acred Mind Ner. What may I easily do kill thee or him How may I rid you all where is the man That will all others end and last himself O that I had thy Thunder in my Hand Thou idle Rover I 'le non shoot at Trees And spend in Woods my unregarded Vengeance I 'le shiver them down upon their guilty Rooss And fill the Streets with Bloody Funerals But 't is not Heaven can give me what I seek To you you hated Kingdoms of the Night You Severe Powers that no like those above Will with fair words or Children's cries be won But in Destruction Power and Terror shew To you I fly for succour You whose Dwellings For Torments are bely'd must give me Ease Furies lend me your Fires no they are here They must be other Fires Material Brands That must the burning of my Heat allay I bring to you no rude unpractis'd Hands Already do they reek with Mothers Blood Tush that 's but Innocent to what now I mean Alas what evil could these Years commit The World in this shall see my setled Wit Exeunt Enter Piso and Seneca Sen. Piso were you at the Theatre Pis. Seneca I was and saw your Kingly Pupil In Minstrel's Habit stand before the Judges Bowing those Hands which the World's Scepter hold And with great Awe and Reverence beseeching Indifferent Hearing and an equal Doom Mean time how would he eye his Adversaries How he would seek t' have all they did disgrac't Traduce'em privatly openly railat'em And them he could not conquer so he would Corrupt with Money to do worse than he This was his Singing Part His Acting now Sen. Nay even end here for I have heard enough Let me not See him a Player nor the fearful Voice Of Rome's great Monarch now Command in jest Our Prince be Agamemnon in a Play Pis. Why Seneca 't is better in a Play Be Agamemnon than himself indeed How does it stir this Airy part of us To hear our Poets tell Imagin'd Fights And the strange Blows that fain'd Courage gives When on the Stage I Heard Achilles Speak Honour and the Greatness of his Soul Methinks we too could on a Phrygian Spear Run bolâ—…ly and make Tales for after times But when we come to Act it in the Deed Death mat's this Bravery and the ugly Fears Osth'other VVorld sit on the Proudest Brow Enter two Romans 1 Rom. Fire Fire help we burn 2 Ro. Fire fire help fire Sen. Fire where Pis. Where What Fire 1 Ro. O round about here there on every side Compass the City Pis. How came this Fâ—…re by whom Sen. Was 't Chance or Purpose Pis. Why is 't not quench't 2 Ro. Alas there are many there with Weapons And whether it be for Prey or by Command They hinder Nay they throw on Fire-brands Enter Antonius Ant. The Fire encreaseth and will not be staid But like a Stream that tumbling from a Hill O'r-whelms the Fields o'r-whelms the hopeful Toil O'th'Husband-man and headlong bears the Woods The weary Shepheard on a Rock a far Amaz'd hears the fearfull Noyse so here Danger and Terror strive which shall exceed some cry and yet are well some are kill'd silent Some kindly run to help their Neighbour's House The whil'st their own 's a fire Some save their Goods And leave their dearer Pledges in the Flame Pis. What are the Gauls return'd Does 〈◊〉 brandish Fire-brands once again Sen. What can Heaven now unto our Sufferings add Enter 3 Roman 3 Ro. O all goes down Rome falleth from the Roofe The Wind 's aloft the Conquering Flame turns all Into it's self nor do the Gods escape Pleiades burns Jupiter Saturn burns The Altar now is made a Sacrifice And Vesta mourns to see her Virgin Fires Mingle with Profane Ashes Sen. Heaven hast thou set this end to Roman greatness Were the World's Spoils for this to Rome divided To make but our Fires bigger You Gods whose Anger made us great grant yet Some Change in Misery we beg not now To have our Consuls tread on Asian Kings Or spurn the quiver'd Susa at their Feet This we have had before we beg to live At least not thus to dy Let Cannons come Let Allius Water turn again to Blood To these will any Miseries be light Pis. VVhy with false Auguries have we bin deceiv'd VVhy was our Empire told us should endure VVith Sun and Moon in time in Brightness pass'em And that our End should be o'th'VVorld and it VVhat can Celestial God-heads speak doubly too Sen. O Rome the Envy late But now the Pity of the VVorld The Men of Cholcos at thy Sufferings grieve The Shaggy Dweller in the Scythian Rocks The most Condemn'd to Perpetual Snow That never wept at Kindreds Funerals Suffers with thee and feels his Heart to soften O should the Parthian hear these Miseries He would his low and native Hate apart Sit down with us and lend an Enemie's tear To grace the Funeral Fires of ending Rome Exeunt SCENE ROME a Fire Enter Nero above Ner. I now my Troy looks beauteous in her Flames The Tyrrhene Seas are bright with Roman Fires Whilst the amaz'd Mariner afar Gazing on th' unknown Light wonders what Star Heaven hath begot to ease the Aged Moon VVhen Pirrhus striding o're the Cinders stood On Ground where Troy late was and with his Eye Measur'd the height of what he had thrown down A City great in People and in Power VValls built with th' Hands of Gods he now forgave The Ten Years Wars and thinks his wounds well heal'd Bath'd in the Blood of Priam's fifty Sons Yet am not I appeas'd I must see more Than Towers and Columns tumble to the Ground 'T was not the High built Walls and Guiltless Stones That Nero did provoke Themselves must be the Wood To feed this Fire or quench it with their Blood Within Fire Fire Fire Within Gods if you be not fled from Heaven help us Ner. I like this Musick well they like not mine Let Heaven do what it will this have I done Already Do you feel my Furies weight Rome is become a Grave of her late Greatness Her Clouds of Smoak have ta'n away the Day Her Flames
deserv'd to dy Pop. How much this Youth my Othâ—… does resemble Otho my first my best Love who is now Undér pretext of Governing Exll'd To Lusitania Honourably Banish't Ner. VVell if you be so Passionate I 'le make you spend your Pity on your Prince And good Men not on Traitors Boy The God's forbid my Prince should pity need Some-what the sad Remembrance did me stir Of frail and weak Condition of our Kind Some-what his Greatness than whom Yesterday The VVorld but Caesar could shew nothing Higher Besides some Vertues and some VVorth he had That might excuse my Pity to an End so Cruel and Unripe Pop. I know not but this Youth does strangely move My mind His Face me-thinks is more Angelical Than Earthly Oh! his words invade My weak'ned Senses and o'r-come my Heart Ner. Your Pity shews your favour and your will VVhich side you are enclin'd to had you Power Your Ill Affection then shall punish'd be Take him to Execution he shall dy Boy This Benefit at least Sad Death shall give to free me from the Power Of such a Government and if I dy For pitying Humane Chance and Piso's End There will be some too that will pity me Pop. O what a Dauntless Look what sparkling Eyes Threatning his Suffering sure some Noble Blood Is hid in Raggs Fear argues a base Spirit In him what Courage and Contempt of Death And shall I suffer ohe I Love to dye He shall not dy Take off your hands away Nero thou shalt not kill this Guiltless Youth Ner. He Guilâ—…less By Heaven she is in love with this smooth-fac'd Boy Take him away Pop. I beg my Lord to spare his Lise Alas what Treason can such tender Years commit Ner. How dare you with your Fate and God Contend But the Bold Impieâ—…y shall end Stabs â—…er How impotent wou'd Nero's God-head be Cou'd Mortal stand betwixt my Rage and thee Neoph. Alas my Lord you have kil'd her Epap Help help she dyes Ner. Poppea Poppea speak I am not angry I did not mean to hurt thee speak sweet Love Neoph. She 's dead my Lord. Ner. Fetch her again she shall not dy I 'le open the Iron Gates of Hell And break the Imprison'd Shadows of the Deep And force from Death this far too worthy Prey She is not dead The Crimson Red for-sakes not yet her Cheeks Her Breath Yet moves her Lips those quick and piercing Eyes That did in Beauty challenge Heaven Yet shine as they were wont O no they do not See how they grow Obscure O see they close And cease to take or give light to the World What Stars soe'r you are assur'd to grace The Firmament sor how the Twinkling Fires Together throng and that clear Milky space Prepares your Room do not with wry aspect Look on your Nero who in Blood shall mourn Your Luckless Fate and many a Breathing Soul Send after you to wait upon their Queen SCENE the Fourth Enter Seneca and two Friends Sen. What means your Mourning this ungâ—…ful Sorrow Where are your Precepts of Philosophy Where are your Prepar'd Resolutions So many Years fore-studied against Dangers To whom is Nero's Cruelty unknown Or what remain'd after his Mother's Blood But his Instructer's Death Leave leave these Tears Death from me nothing takes but what 's a Burthen A Clog to that free Spark of Heavenly Fire But that in Seneca the which you lov'd Which you admir'd does and shall still remain Secure of Death untouch't of the Grave 1 Frie. We 'l not bely our Tears we waile not thee It is our selves and our own Loss we grieve To thee what loss in such a Change can be Vertue is paid her due by Death alone To our own Losses do we give these Tears That lose thy Love thy boundless Knowledge Lose Lose the unpattern'd Sample of thy Vertue Lose whatsoe'r may Praise or Sorrow Move In all these Losses yet of this we Glory That 't is thy Hâ—…ppiness that makes us sorry 2 Frie. If there be any Place for Ghosts of Good Men If as we have bin told Great Mens Souls Consume not with their Bodies thou shalt see Looking from out the Dwellings of Air True Duties to thy Memory perform'd Not in the outward Pompe of Fâ—…neral But in Remembrance of thy Deeds and Words The oft Recalling of thy many Vertues The Tomb that shall the Eternal Relicks keep Of Seneca shall be his Hearers Hearts Exeunt 2. Rom. Sen. Be not afraid my Soul go chearfully To thy own Heaven from whence it Had its Being Now lifted up thou ravish't shalt behold The Truth of things at which we wonder here And Foolishly do wrangle on beneath And like a God shalt walk the Spacious Air And see what even to Conceit 's deny'd Great Soul o'th'World that through the Parts Diffus'd of this Vast-all guid'st what thou do'st Informe You Blessed Minds that from the Spheres You move Look on Mens Actions not with Idle Eyes And Gods we go to Aid me in this Strise And Combat of my Flesh that ending I May still shew Seneca and my self dy Stabs himself Finis Actus Quarti ACTUS QUINTUS Enter Nero Nimphidius Tigellinus Neophiluâ—… Epaphroditus and. Attendants Nero. Enough is wept Poppea for thy Death Enough is Bled so many Tears of others Wailing their Losses have wip'd mine away VVho in the Common Funeral of the world Can mourn one Death Tig. Besides your Majesty this Benefit In their deserv'd Punishment shall reap From all Attempts hereafter to be freed Conspiracy is now for ever dash'd Tumult supprest Rebeâ—…ion out of heart In Piso's Death Danger it self did dy Nimp Piso that thought to climb by bowing down By giving a way to Thrive and Raising others To become great himself hath now by Death Given quiet to your Thoughts and Fear to theirs That shall from Treason their Advancement plot Those Dangerous Heads that his Ambition lean'd on And they by it crept up and from their meanness Thought in this Stir to rise aloft are off Now Peace and Safety wait upon your Throne Security hath wall'd your Seat about There is no place for Fear lest Ner. VVhy I never sear'd'em Nim. That was your Fault Your Majesty must give us leave to blame Your Dangerous Courage and that noble Soul Too Prodigal of it self Ner. A Prince's Mind knows neither Fear nor Hope The Beams of Royal Majesty are such As all Eyes are with it amaz'd â—…nd weakned But it with nothing I at first contemn'd Their weak Devices and saint Enterprize Why thought they against him to have prevail'd Whose Child-hood was from Messallina's Spite By Dragons that the Earth gave up preserv'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 Provinces In one united against me Conspire I could disperse 'em with one Angry Eye My Brow 's an Host of Men. Come Tigellinus Let 's turn this Bloody Banquet Piso meant us Unto a Merry Feast we 'l Drink