bin free?
Hath he not shed the blood he calls divine?
Hath not that neerenes which should love beget
Always on him bin cause of hate and feare?
Vertue and power suspected and kept downe?
They, whose great ancestors this Empire made,
Distrusted in the government thereof?
A happy state where _Decius_ is a traytor,
_Narcissus_ true! nor onley wast unsafe
T'offend the Prince; his freed men worse were feard,
Whose wrongs with such insulting pride were heard
That even the faultie it made innocent
If we complain'd that was it selfe a crime,
I, though it were to _Caesars_ benefit:
Our writings pry'd into, falce guiltines
Thinking each taxing pointed out it selfe;
Our private whisperings listned after; nay,
Our thoughts were forced out of us and punisht;
And had it bin in you to have taken away
Our understanding as you did our speech,
You would have made us thought this honest too.

_Nimph_. Can malice narrow eyes
See anything yet more it can traduce?

_Scevin_. His long continued taxes I forbeare,
In which he chiefely showed him to be Prince;
His robbing Alters,[75] sale of Holy things,
The Antique Goblets of adored rust
And sacred gifts of kings and people sold.
Nor was the spoile more odious than the use
They were imployd on; spent on shame and lust,
Which still have bin so endless in their change
And made us know a divers servitude.
But that he hath bin suffered so long
And prospered, as you say; for that to thee,
O Heaven, I turne my selfe and cry, "No God
Hath care of us." Yet have we our revenge,
As much as Earth may be reveng'd on Heaven:
Their divine honour _Nero_ shall usurpe,
And prayers and feasts and adoration have
As well as _Iupiter_.

_Nimph_. Away, blaspheming tongue,
Be ever silent for thy bitternesse.

[_Exeunt_.

(SCENE 5.)

_Enter Nero, Poppaea, Tigellinus, Flavius, Neophilus,
Epaphroditus, and a yong man_.

_Nero_. What could cause thee,
Forgetfull of my benefits and thy oath,
To seeke my life?

_Flav_. _Nero_, I hated thee:
Nor was there any of thy souldiers
More faithful, while thou faith deserv'dst, then I.
Together did I leave to be a subject,
And thou a Prince. Caesar was now become
A Player on the Stage, a Waggoner,
A burner of our houses and of us,
A Paracide of Wife and Mother.[76]

_Tigell_. Villaine, dost know where and of whom thou speakst?

_Nero_. Have you but one death for him? Let it bee
A feeling one; _