_A room in the palace. NERO and POPPÆA meeting._
_NERO._
Empress! the emperor of the world salutes thee,
Bows to thee.
_POPPÆA._
And embraceth?
_Ner._ And embraceth.—
Didst thou sleep well in thy new chamber?
_Pop._ I did.
_Ner._ How doth it please?
_Pop._ ’Tis fine. It hath no fault,
Save that it lies so far from thine.
_Ner._ In that
See how I trust thee.
_Pop._ I shall need my litter
In this new palace: ’tis a morning’s journey
From end to end. What distances!
_Ner._ Yes, space:
Grandeur in space: we cannot emulate
Starry distinctions and ethereal peace;
Mortal conditions hamper us ... yet I’ll teach 1775
The world what may be done; and my new Rome
Shall stand for a type: the streets all laid out broad,
Straight and intelligible; and all the houses
Of fireproof stone from Alba and Gabii.
In four years ’twill be finished.
_Pop._ Four whole years
Of rubbish-heaps and hammering?
_Ner._ Come see
The plans in the library.
_Pop._ Would you believe
The plans of architects can cheer a woman?
_Ner._ If thou wert happy thou wouldst love to see
All that I do, and for my sake admire.
I wish that thou wert happier. Think, Poppæa,
What cause thou hast, being for thy peerless beauty
Chosen the world’s Augusta. I could wish
Thou didst smile oftener.
_Pop._ Well, consider, love,
I have cause for care.
_Ner._ I wish that thou couldst sing:
Music can cheer. Dost thou remember once,
When thou wast fearful in a thunderstorm,
How I diverted thee with sprightly music?
Then I should love if, when I came to see thee,
I heard thy voice afar, and in thy chamber....
(_Vatinius interrupts, entering noisily._)
Who’s there? (_Vatinius gives a note to Nero._)
(_Reads._) ‘Proculus the admiral is come from Naples
With secret tidings; he hath a lady with him!’
(_To Vat._) Let him in, or his tidings, or his lady,
Whichever is most secret—or all three. [_Exit Vat._
(_To Poppæa, who is going._) Thou needst not go, love.
_Pop._ Why! if ’tis a lady.
_Ner._ Pooh! ’tis some state affair.
_Pop._ I hate affairs. [_Exit._
_Ner._ Marriage rúins a woman: and how quickly!
And I to lead the ape-dance, who am sworn
To rid the world of this and all its plagues! 1805
_Enter Tigellinus with Proculus and Epicharis; Vatinius following._
_Ner._ Good-day, Lord Proculus; what brings you here?
_PROCULUS._ Forgive the intrusion, Cæsar.
_Ner._ The lady’s looks
Are ample excuse. You ask leave to be married?
_Pro._ Nay, Cæsar; I accuse her.
_Ner._ Bravo! divorce?
_TIGELLINUS_ (_aside to Nero_).
His story is urgent.
_Ner._ What is it?
_EPICHARIS._ Mighty Cæsar,
This is a charge ’gainst me: a foolish charge
Not worth your ear. I have a witness with me
Would make short matter of it, might he enter.
_Ner._ By all means. Why, sir, did you keep him back?
His name?
_Ep._ Senecio.
_Ner._ Good. We know him, lady.
Vatinius, fetch him in. (_Exit Vat._) What is the charge?
_Pro._ This woman, sire....
_Ner._ (_interrupting_). What is thy name, fair lady?
_Ep._ Epicharis, your majesty.
_Pro._ This lady
Was known to me at Naples.
_Ner._ I understand:
Spare your excuses.
_Pro._ At a tavern.
_Ner._ Ho!
You sailors! (_Vat. re-enters with Senecio._)
(_To Epicharis_) See your witness, lady, is come.
_Pro._ She took occasion of her intimacy
To draw me into a plot ’gainst Cæsar’s life.
_Ner._ Ha!
_Pro._ Entrusted by conspirators at Rome
Three days ago to tamper with me.
_Ner._ By heaven!
And thou dost laugh? (_to Epic._)
_Ep._ Will Cæsar hear the end?
_Ner._ (_to Pro._). Give me the names at once.
_Pro._ I know no names,
Cæsar; she would not tell.
_Ner._ No names? and whom
Wert thou then to conspire with?
_Pro._ She would tell
Nothing of her confederates, unless
I brought together certain officers,
Whose loyalty I know suspicious.
_Ner._ Dost thou? By God,
I’ll have théir names.
_Pro._ I was to sail to Rome,
And seize the granaries.
_Ner._ Enough. Now, madam;
What dost thou answer?
_Ep._ If Cæsar need an answer
To a charge so empty, ’tis enough to say
I have never been in Rome.
_Ner._ ’Tis not enough.
Didst thou speak to the Admiral in the sense
He avers?
_Ep._ I humbly crave great Cæsar’s pardon
For jesting with his name.
_Ner._ Thou didst? and why?
_Ep._ Here is my witness; Lord Senecio
Will say that my story is true. Holding with him
Some talk of Proculus, I laid a wager
That I could make the Admiral believe
Anything, no matter how ridiculous:
And this we hit on. Then straight he comes in,
And if I went too far, ’twas in my fear
To lose my money.
_Ner._ Is this so, Senecio?
_SENECIO._
’Twas so, sire; I backed the Admiral, and lost.
_Ner._ (_to Proc._). You sailors are so clumsy. You are a fool.
_Pro._ Sire! on my life ’twas true. ’Twas not a jest:
She would outface me.
_VATINIUS._
As Octavia did
That old sea-mutton Anicetus.
_Tig._ Hish!
_Ner._ First, sir,
Send me these same suspicious officers.
Meanwhile for her,—thy rank may win thy tale
So much respect,—she goes not free. (_To Tig._) Good master,
Keep her in custody.
_Ep._ (_aside to Proculus_). Hear me! I warn thee.
Join, or be first to die!
_Pro._ Now, Cæsar, again
She invites me to conspire.
_Ner._ Come, man; she mocks thee:
She hath won the privilege. (_To Tig._) Take her away;
But treat her well. You follow me: I go
To judge the cases argued yesterday.
No folly, Proculus, like being in earnest,
When others are all jesting.
[_Exeunt. Tigellinus with Epicharis: Proculus
and Vatinius with Nero._