_A room in Piso’s house._
_Enter PISO with NATALIS._
_PISO_ (_at door_).
Show them in here, Natalis; I must see them.
[_Exit Nat._
’Tis dangerous: Rufus should know better. Five,
Five of them here together! ’tis enough
To damn an innocent: mere information
By any vagabond. Why should they come?
_Re-enter Natalis with Rufus, Lateranus, Lucan, Flavus and Asper._
Come in, my lords; come in.
_All._ Good-day, Lord Piso.
_Pis._ Your purpose, gentlemen? Ye would not come
In such a dangerous body to my house
Without great cause.
_RUFUS._
’Tis urgency, my lord.
We have met to-day, and voted with one voice
Immediate action. That madman Scevinus
Hath taken the whole affair upon himself,
And full of mystery walks at large, parading
His self-importance; wearing on his face
The secret of our lives. You must come forward,
Or we are lost.
_Pis._ I shall not move.
_Ruf._ My lord! 1880
My lord! my lord! (_A servant has been speaking with
Natalis at the door._)
_NATALIS_ (_to Piso_).
Here is another come.
_Pis._ Bring him in.—(_To Ruf._) Nay, Rufus, I shall
not move. [_Exit Nat._
Why should you come to me? I made no promise
But this, when Nero is dead, to be your Cæsar.
_ASPER._
The men, my lord, whose hands you grasped in faith
Need your support. A Cæsar we must have;
Stand by us or withdraw.
_Pis._ May I ask the name
Of the last speaker?
_Asp._ Asper, my lord.
_Pis._ By heaven!
Asper thou art.
_Re-enter Natalis with Senecio._
_Nat._ Betrayal! betrayal!
_SENECIO_ (_excitedly_). My lords, we are betrayed.
_All._ Betrayed!
_Pis._ Scevinus is it?
_Se^{o.}_ No. Proculus,
The Admiral. He hath brought to Nero a woman
From Naples, who was sent to gain him over.
_LUCAN_ (_aside_).
Epicharis failed me!
_Pis._ A woman too!
_Ruf._ What names hath she betrayed?
_Se^{o.}_ No names at all.
She outfaced the Admiral with a lie, and I
Swore it was true.
_Pis._ Hath she not mentioned me?
_Se^{o.}_ No, my lord, none.
_Luc._ (_aside_). Well done!
_Pis._ Maybe then she knows nothing. 1900
_Se^{o.}_ Ay, she knows:
She told me.
_Luc._ You?
_Se^{o.}_ Yes; me, sir.
_Pis._ What is her name?
_Se^{o.}_ Epicharis.
_Ruf._ Who is Epicharis?
_Pis._ Ay, who is she? how came she in the plot?
_Se^{o.}_ Lucan perhaps may know.
_Luc._ I have heard the name,
And mentioned with my uncle, the physician.
If that is what Senecio means, ’tis nought.
_FLAVUS._
Where is she? let us see her.
_Se^{o.}_ Tigellinus
Hath her in custody.
_Ruf._ She will be questioned.
_Fla._ We must not wait.
_Pis._ Who, now, is guilty of this?
I have other evidence too that your secret
Has been ill-kept, gentlemen.—When I sent
A messenger to Seneca this morning,
He was refused admission.—Seneca knows.
_LATERANUS._
My lords, we are all in danger: there’s no time
To investigate. Act,—act ere we be lost!
_Ruf._ But how to act?
_Lat._ The plan I have always urged:
Remember, sirs, how Julius fell. To-morrow
Are the Circensian games, Nero will come:
I, under the pretence of some request,
Will kneel to him, as Cimber knelt to Cæsar;
And as I beg my boon I’ll drag him down,
If one of you will slay him.
_Fla._ That will I.
_Asp._ And I.
_Se^{o.}_ Or Lord Scevinus.
_Ruf._ Better, Sir,
Do without him. And I still hold my plan
The best, that Cæsar should be asked to supper: 1925
Then nought were risked. Once more I pray Lord Piso
To save unneeded bloodshed.
_Pis._ I could not do it:
Nor were it wise, in face of the great pity
Such treachery would stir.
_Asp._ And the delay:
To-morrow is late.
_Ruf._ Then Lateranus hath it:
We adopt his disposition. You, my lord,
Must be by dawn to-morrow in Ceres’ temple
Clad in imperial purple: I with my guards
Will keep the doors; and when the deed is done
Will bring you forth, and lead you through the city,
Proclaiming you with shouts.
_Pis._ Well, let it be so.
I give consent. Let nothing stop you now:
But each man learn his part and act it bravely.
Your lives are forfeit. Secrecy and despatch—
And now depart.
_Ruf._ Be you in Ceres’ temple.
_Pis._ I understand. I shall await you there.
Action, Rufus, is now your only hope;
Let nothing stop you. Fail me not.
_Ruf._ Nay, trust me.
_Lat._ Bravo, Lord Piso.
_Fla. and Asp._ Hail, great Cæsar!
_Pis._ Hush!
Depart your different ways: be no more seen
Than cannot be avoided. I see none
Until to-morrow.
_All_ (_going_). To-morrow! to-morrow! [_Exeunt._