_A strong room in the palace dungeon. TIGELLINUS seated at a table
CENTRE. NATALIS scared, and with his hands bound behind him, stands_
R. _before two Guards_.
_TIGELLINUS_ (_to Guards_).
Leave him.— [_Exeunt Guards._
Natalis, thou hast had a taste of the rack?
_NATALIS_ (_kneels_).
Mercy, my lord; have mercy on me I pray thee:
I will tell all, and better without torture.
_Tig._ So far I have had mercy, sir: I have shown thee
In this Epicharis what thou mayst look for, 2100
Should I lack mercy. Canst thou too be silent?
_Nat._ Nay, my lord, nay. My lord, I am not brave.
Knowing I cannot suffer, I will speak truth
Without the torture.
_Tig._ Truth, fool! what is that?
I haggle not with thee for thine own tale:
That cannot serve thee. I require of thee
Such answers as best please me.
_Nat._ I will confess.
_Tig._ Thou hast betrayed thy master Piso; now
Tell me, was Seneca in this conspiracy?
_Nat._ No, my lord.
_Tig._ (_calling_). Guards!
_Nat._ I swear he was not. (_Enter Guards._)
_Tig._ Guards!
Take him to torture.
_Nat._ Oh, my lord, have pity!
Ask me not this.
_Tig._ I’ll ask thee nothing else
While thou art parting with thy skin. Once more:
Was Seneca in this conspiracy?
_Nat._ He was.
_Tig._ Just as I thought; hold fast to that;
Else, by great Jupiter, the things thou hast seen
Are nothing.—Take him off and send in the other.
[_Exeunt Guards with Natalis._
Now I am rid of Seneca. This method
Is easy and short. The foolish rich Scevinus
May serve me another way.
_Enter two Guards with Scevinus, whose hands are bound before him._
(_To Guards._) Leave him.—(_Exeunt Guards._) Scevinus,
Cæsar hath ordered thee the rack.
_SCEVINUS_ (_kneels_).
My lord,
Have pity upon me I beg. I turn informer.
I will betray it all: I withhold nothing.
_Tig._ Thou hast seen the torture of Epicharis....
_Sce._ O, my dear lord, not that! mercy!
_Tig._ Since she
Hath baulked my inquisitors, I have promised them
Some noisy victim to restore their credit.
_Sce._ Not me, not me!
_Tig._ And why not thee? I think thee
A likely fellow.
_Sce._ My lord, I am too tender.
The least prick of my finger, or if the wine 2130
I drink be overheated, ’tis enough
To put me in a frenzy: I should die
At first stretch of the rack.
_Tig._ Pooh! man: they’d keep thee
Alive for a week.—
_Sce._ O spare me, good Tigellinus!
Spare me, I pray, kind Tigellinus, spare me!
_Tig._ Shall I? and if I do, what is it worth?
Hast thou two thousand sesters?
_Sce._ Oh, my lord,
I have not the tenth of it.
_Tig._ (_calling_). Guards!
_Sce._ I swear I have not. (_Enter Guards._)
_Tig._ Get up, that is the price.—Guards, take him off.—
I’ll make good use of thee.
_Sce._ Sir, I might find it.
_Tig._ (_motioning Guards back_). Hark, thou canst raise the money,
and mayst write
From prison to thy friends: and if ’tis paid
To me to-night, I will respect thy wish.—
Guards, take this prisoner to the outer cell;
Let him there write what missives he desires,
And see they be delivered in the city.
[_Exeunt severally._