ACT II
_Seneca_ [_alone_]: Why hast thou, potent Fate, with flattering looks, Exalted me, contented with my lot, That so from this great height I might descend With heavier fall, and wider prospect see 380 Of deadly fears? Ah, better was I, hid Far from the stinging lash of envy's tongue, Amid the lonely crags of Corsica. There was my spirit free to act at will, Was master of itself, had time to think And meditate at length each favorite theme. Oh, what delight, than which none greater is, 385 Of all that mother nature hath produced, To watch the heavens, the bright sun's sacred rounds, The heavenly movements and the changing night, The moon's full orb with wandering stars begirt, The far-effulgent glory of the sky! 390 And is it growing old, this structure vast, Doomed to return to groping nothingness? Then must that final doomsday be at hand, That shall by heaven's fall o'erwhelm a race So impious, that thus the world may see A newer race of men, a better stock, 395 Which once the golden reign of Saturn knew. Then virgin Justice, holy child of heaven, In mercy ruled the world; the race of men Knew naught of war, the trumpet's savage blare, 400 The clang of arms; not yet were cities hedged With ponderous walls; the way was free to all, And free to all the use of everything. The earth, untilled, spread wide her fertile lap, 405 The happy mother of a pious stock. Then rose another race of sterner mold; Another yet to curious arts inclined, But pious still; a fourth of restless mood, Which lusted to pursue the savage beasts, 410 To draw the fishes from their sheltering waves With net or slender pole, to snare the birds, To force the headstrong bullocks to endure The bondage of the yoke, to plow the earth Which never yet had felt the share's deep wound, And which in pain and grief now hid her fruits Within her sacred bosom's safer hold. 415 Now deep within the bowels of the earth Did that debased, unfilial age intrude; And thence it dug the deadly iron and gold, And soon it armed its savage hands for war. It fixed the bounds of realms, constructed towns, 420 Fought for its own abodes, or threat'ning strove To plunder those of others as a prize. Then did abandoned Justice, heavenly maid, In terror flee the earth, the bestial ways Of men, their hands with bloody slaughter stained, And, fixed in heaven, now shines among the stars. 425 Then lust of war increased, and greed for gold, Throughout the world; and luxury arose, That deadliest of evils, luring pest, To whose fell powers new strength and force were given By custom long observed, and precedent Of evil into worser evil led. This flood of vice, through many ages dammed, 430 In ours has burst its bounds and overflowed. By this dire age we're fairly overwhelmed-- An age when crime sits regnant on the throne, Impiety stalks raging, unrestrained; Foul lust, with all unbridled power, is queen, And luxury long since with greedy hands Has snatched the boundless riches of the world, 435 That she with equal greed may squander them. [_Enter_ Nero, _followed by a_ Prefect.] But see, with frenzied step and savage mien, The prince approaches. How I fear his will.
_Nero_ [_to_ Prefect]: Speed my commands: send forth a messenger Who straight shall bring me here the severed heads Of Plautus and of Sulla.
_Prefect:_ Good, my lord; Without delay I'll speed me to the camp.
[_Exit._]
_Seneca:_ One should not rashly judge against his friends. 440
_Nero:_ Let him be just whose heart is free from fear.
_Seneca:_ But mercy is a sovereign cure for fear.
_Nero:_ A ruler's part is to destroy his foes.
_Seneca:_ A ruler's better part, to save his friends.
_Nero:_ A mild old man's advice is fit for boys. 445
_Seneca:_ Still more does hot young manhood need the rein--
_Nero:_ I deem that at this age we're wise enough.
_Seneca:_ That on thy deed the heavenly gods may smile.
_Nero:_ Thou fool, shall I fear gods myself can make?
_Seneca:_ Fear this the more, that so great power is thine. 450
_Nero:_ My royal fortune grants all things to me.
_Seneca:_ But trust her cautiously; she may deceive.
_Nero:_ A fool is he who does not what he may.
_Seneca:_ To do, not what he may, but ought, wins praise.
_Nero:_ The crowd spurns sluggish men. 455
_Seneca:_ The hated, slays.
_Nero:_ Yet swords protect a prince.
_Seneca:_ Still better, faith.
_Nero:_ A Caesar should be feared.
_Seneca:_ And more be loved.
_Nero:_ But men must fear.
_Seneca:_ Enforced commands are hard.
_Nero:_ Let them obey our laws.
_Seneca:_ Make better laws--
_Nero:_ I'll be the judge. 460
_Seneca:_ Which all men may approve.
_Nero:_ The sword shall force respect.
_Seneca:_ May heaven forbid!
_Nero:_ Shall I then tamely let them seek my blood, That suddenly despised and unavenged, I may be taken off? Though exiled far, The stubborn spirits are not broken yet Of Plautus and of Sulla. Still their rage 465 Persistent spurs their friends to seek my death; For still have they the people's love in Rome, Which ever nourishes the exile's hopes. Then let the sword remove my enemies; 470 My hateful wife shall die, and follow him, That brother whom she loves. The high must fall.
_Seneca:_ How fair a thing it is to be the first Among great men, to think for fatherland, To spare the weak, to hold the hand of power From deeds of blood, to give wrath time to think, Give rest to a weary world, peace to the age. 475 This is the noblest part; by this high path Is heaven sought. So did Augustus first, The father of his country, gain the stars, And as a god is worshiped at the shrines. Yet he was long by adverse fortune tossed On land and sea, in battle's deadly chance, 480 Until his father's foes he recompensed. But fortune hath to thee in peaceful guise Bent her divinity; with unstained hand Hath she the reins of government bestowed, And given world-dominion to thy nod. Sour hate is overcome, and in its stead 485 Is filial harmony; the senate, knights, All orders yield obedience to thy will; For in the fathers' judgment and the prayers Of humbler folk, thou art the arbiter Of peace, the god of human destinies, Ordained to rule the world by right divine. Thy country's father thou. This sacred name 490 Doth suppliant Rome beseech thee to preserve, And doth commend her citizens to thee.
_Nero:_ It is the gift of heaven that haughty Rome, Her people, and her senate bow to me, And that my terror doth extort those prayers And servile words from their unwilling lips. To save the citizens! seditious men, Who ever 'gainst their land and prince conspire, 495 Puffed up with pride of race--sheer madness that, When all my enemies one word of mine Can doom to death. Base Brutus raised his hand To slay that prince from whom he had his all; And he, who never 'mid the shock of arms Had been o'ercome, the world's great conqueror, 500 Who trod, a very Jove, the lofty paths Of honor, he was slain by impious hands-- Of _citizens_! What streams of blood hath Rome, So often rent by civil strife, beheld! That very saint of thine, Augustus' self, 505 Who, as thou said'st but now, did merit heaven By piety--how many noble men Did he destroy, in lusty youth, in age, At home, abroad, when, spurred by mortal fear, They fled their household gods and that fell sword Of the Triumvirate, consigned to death Upon those mindful tablets' fatal lists. The grieving parents saw their severed heads 510 Upon the rostra set, but dared not weep Their hapless sons; the forum reeked with blood, And gore down all those rotting faces dripped. Nor this the end of slaughter and of death: Long did the plains of grim Philippi feed 515 The ravenous birds and prowling beasts of prey; While ships and men, in deadly conflict met, Beneath Sicilia's waters were engulfed. The whole world trembled with the shock of arms; And now, when all was lost, with fleeing ships, 520 That mighty leader sought the distant Nile, Doomed soon himself to perish there. And thus, Once more incestuous Egypt drank the blood Of Rome's great captains. Now his flitting shade Is hovering there; and there is civil strife, So long and impious, at last interred. Now did the weary victor sheathe his sword, All blunted with the savage blows he gave, 525 And held his empire with the rein of fear. He lived in safety 'neath the ample shield Of loyal guards; and when his end was come, The pious mandate of his son proclaimed Him god, and at the temples' sacred shrines Was he adored. So shall the stars expect My godhead too, if first I seize and slay 530 With sword relentless all who bear me hate, And on a worthy offspring found my house.
_Seneca:_ But she will fill thy house with noble sons, That heaven-born glory of the Claudian stock, Who by the will of fate was wed to thee, As Juno to her brother Jove was given. 535
_Nero:_ A child of hers would stain my noble line, For she herself was of a harlot born; And more--her heart was never linked to me.
_Seneca:_ In tender years is faith not manifest, When love, by shame o'ercome, conceals its fires.
_Nero:_ This I myself long trusted, but in vain, 540 Though she was clearly of unloving heart, And every look betrayed her hate of me. At length, in angry grief, I sought revenge; And I have now a worthy wife obtained, In race and beauty blessed, before whose charms 545 Minerva, Venus, Juno--all would bow.
_Seneca:_ But honor, wifely faith, and modesty-- These should the husband seek, for these alone, The priceless treasures of the heart and soul, Remain perpetual; but beauty's flower Doth fade and languish with each passing day. 550
_Nero:_ On her has heaven all its charms bestowed, And fate has given her from her birth to me.
_Seneca:_ But love will fail; do not too rashly trust.
_Nero:_ Shall he give way, that tyrant of the skies, Whom Jove, the Thunderer, cannot remove, Who lords it over savage seas, the realms 555 Of gloomy Dis, and draws the gods to earth?
_Seneca:_ 'Tis by our human error that we paint Love as a god, wingéd, implacable, And arm his sacred hands with darts and bow, Assign him blazing torches, count him son Of fostering Venus and of Vulcan. Nay, 560 But love is of the heart's compelling power, A fond and cozening passion of the soul; Of hot youth is it born, and in the lap Of ease and luxury, 'midst fortune's joys, Is fostered. But it sickens straight and dies When you no longer feed and fondle it. 565
_Nero:_ I deem the primal source of life is this, The joy of love; and it can never die, Since by sweet love, which soothes e'en savage breasts, The human race is evermore renewed. This god shall bear for me the wedding torch, 570 And join me with Poppaea in his bonds.
_Seneca:_ The people's grief could scarce endure to see That marriage, nor would piety permit.
_Nero:_ Shall I alone avoid what all may do?
_Seneca:_ The state from loftiest souls expects the best. 575
_Nero:_ I fain would see if, broken by my power, This rashly cherished favor will not yield.
_Seneca:_ 'Tis better calmly to obey the state.
_Nero:_ Ill fares the state, when commons govern kings. _Seneca:_ They justly chafe who pray without avail. 580
_Nero:_ When prayers do not avail, should force be sought?
_Seneca:_ Rebuffs are hard.
_Nero:_ 'Tis wrong to force a prince.
_Seneca:_ He should give way.
_Nero:_ Then rumor counts him forced.
_Seneca:_ Rumor's an empty thing.
_Nero:_ But harmful too.
_Seneca:_ She fears the strong. 585
_Nero:_ But none the less maligns.
_Seneca:_ She soon can be o'ercome. But let the youth, The faith and chastity of this thy wife, The merits of her sainted sire prevail To turn thee from thy will.
_Nero:_ Have done at last, For wearisome has thy insistence grown; One still may do what Seneca comdemns. And I myself have now too long delayed 590 The people's prayers for offspring to the throne. Tomorrow's morn her wedding day shall prove, Who bears within her womb my pledge of love.
[_Exeunt._]