NYMPHIDIUS

Whilst Nero, in the streets, his Pageants shows, I, to his fair wives chamber, sent for am. You gracious Stars, that smiled in my birth, And thou bright star more powerful then them all, Whose favouring smiles have made me what I am Thou shalt my God, my Fate, and fortune be. Ex. Nim. Even Fortune's self, Fortune the Queen of kingdoms (That Wars grim valour graceth with her deeds,) Will claim no portion in this Victory. What a thing he makes it to be a Minstrill. Such beauty's to enjoy, were happiness, And a reward sufficient in it self, Although no other end, or Hope's were aimed at: But I have other; 'Tis not Poppeas arms, Nor the short pleasures of a wanton bed, That can extinguish mine aspiring thirst To Nero;s Crown; By her love I must climb, Her bed is but a step unto his Throne. Already, wise men laugh at him, and hate him; The people, though his Mynstrelsie does please them They fear his Cruelty, hate his exactions, Which, his needs, still, must force him to increase. The multitude, which cannot one thing long Like, or dislike, being cloyed with vanity, Will hate their own delights, though Wisdom do not, Even weariness, at length, will give them eyes, Thus, I by Nero;s, and Poppeas favour, Raised to the envious height of second place, May gain the first: Hate must strike Nero down. Love make Nimphidius way unto a Crown. Faith Lady, causes strong enough, High walls, barred doors, and guards of armed men. One that it seems, my Lord, does come in hast. I to himself would make the matter clear, Which now upon one servants credit stands: The Cities favour keeps within the bonds Of profit they'le love none, to hurt themselves; Honour, and friendship they hear others name, Themselves do neither feel, nor know the same; To put them yet, (though needless) in some fear, Weel keep their streets with armed companies: Then if they stir, they see their wives, and houses Prepared a pray to the greedy Soldier. Though Piso's suddenness, and guilty hand Prevented hath the death he should have had; Yet you abide it must. Nay, other ends your grievous crimes await, Ends which the law and your deserts exact. That punishment that traitors unto Princes, And enemies to the State they live in merit. Why, what can you ith' government mislike? Unless it grieve you, that the world's in peace, Or that our arms conquer without blood. Hath not his power with foreign visitations, And strangers honour more acknowledge been, Then any was afore him? Hath not he Disposed of frontier kingdoms, with success, Given away Crowns, whom he set up, prevailing? The rival seat of the Arsacidae, That thought their brightness equal unto ours, Is't crowned by him by him, does reign? If we have any war, it's beyond Rheme, And Euphrates, and such whose different chances Have rather served for pleasure, and discourse, Then troubled us; At home the City hath Increased in wealth, with building been adorned; The arts have flourished, and the Muses sung, And that, his Justice, and well tempered reign, Hath the best Judges pleased, the powers divine; Their blessings, and so long prosperity Of the Empire under him, enough declare. Can malice narrow eyes, See anything yet more it can traduce. Away blaspheming tongue Be ever silent for thy bitterness, 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 leaned 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 walled your seat about, There is no place for fear left. That was your fault. Your Majesty must give us leave to blame Your dangerous courage, and that noble soul Too prodigal of it self. This Anarchy, this yet vnstiled time, While Galba is un eased of the Empire Which Nero h h forsook. In effect he hath, for he's fled to Egypt. But nothing strange to me, Who every moment, knew of his despairs, The Curriers came so fast with fresh alarms Of new revolts, that he unable quite To bear his fears, which he had long concealed, Is now reuoulted from himself, and fled. There it lies Antonius, What should we do, it boots not to rely On Nero;s stinking Fortune's, and to fit Securely looking on, were to receive And Emperor from Spain; which how disgraceful It were to us, who if we weigh our selves The most material accessions are Of all the Roman Empire, which disgrace To cover we must join our selves betimes, And thereby seem to have created Gabba; Therefore I'll straight proclaim a Donative, Of thirty thousand sisterces a man. How ere he Like of it, he must avow it, If by our promise he be once engaged; And since the soldiers care belongs to me, I will have care of them, and of their good. Let them thank me, if I through this occasion Procure for them so great a donative. Ex: Nimp: Not in my going Lady, But, in the Theater, I was Imprisoned: For, after he was once upon the Stage, The Gates were more severely looked into Then at a town besieged; No man, no cause Was Currant, no, nor passant; At other sights The striefe is only to get in, but here The stir was all, in getting out again; Had, we not been kept to it so, I think Would never have been so tedious, though I know, 'Twas hard to judge, whither his doing of it Were more absurd, then 'twas for time to do it. But wh we once were forced to be spectators, compelled to that, which should have been a pleasure, We could no longer bear the wearisomeness: No pain so irksome, as a forced delight; Some fell down dead, or seemed at least to do so, Under that colour, to be carried forth, Then death first pleasured men, the shape all fear Was put on gladly, some climbed over the walls, And so, by falling caught in earnest that, Which th'other did dissemble; There were women, (That being not able to entreat the guard To let them pass the gates,) were brought to bed Amidst the throngs of men, and made Lucina Blush, to see that unwonted company. Faith Lady I came, pretending hast In Face and Countenance, told them I was sent For things, bith' Prince forgotten about the scene, Which, both my credit made them to believe, And Nero, newly whispered me before. Thus did I pass the gates, the danger Lady I have not yet escaped. Why smiles your Majesty? What armed against your Majesty? His Province is disarmed my Lord, he hath No legion, not a soldier under him. Antoneus well met, Your place of Tribune in this Anarchi. The danger of his anger, when he knows How I thus shrunk away, for there stood knaves That put down in their Tables all that stirred, And marked in each there cheerfulness, or sadness. Oh do not driven me to those hateful pains; Lady, I was too much in seeing vexed, Let it not be redoubled with the telling; I now am well, and hear, my ears set free; Oh be merciful, do not bring me back Unto my prison, at least free your self, It will not pass away, but stay the time; Wrack out the hours in length; Oh give me leave, as one that wearied with the toil at sea, And now on wished shore hath firmed his foot; He looks about, and glads his thoughts and eyes, With sighed oth' green clothed ground, and leafy trees, Of flowers that beg more then the looking on, And likes these other waters narrow shores; So let me lay my weariness in these arms, Nothing but kisses to this mouth discourse, My thought be compassed in those circled Eyes; Eyes on no object look, but on those Cheeks; Be blessed my hands with touch of those round breasts, Whiter and softer then the down of Swans. Let me of thee, and of thy beauty's glory, And endless tell, but never wearying story. Exeunt. That were to make them so, And force them all upon their Enemies; Now, without stir, or hazard theyle be taken, And boldly trial dare, and law demand; Beside, this accusation may be forged By malice or mistaking. And soldiers few enough. Tumultuary troops, undisciplined, Untrained in service, to wast victuals good, But when they come to look on wars black wounds, And but a far off see the face of death. What order needs: your Majesty shall find This French heat quickly of it self grow cold.