Officer.

Cæsar, being sent to arrest Calpurnius Piso, We found him dead.

Ruf. Dead! how?

Ner. Is Piso dead?

Fla. (to Rufus). See how thou hast ruined all!

Ruf. (to Flavus). Speak not to me!

Off. He died by his own hand as we arrived. I viewed the body.

Tig. He must have killed himself To escape the confiscation.

Ner. Bah! he hath robbed The treasury.

Tig. We shall have pickings yet.

Ruf. Cæsar, the untimely suicide of the accused Confirms the charge against him in so far As he hath declined to meet it. But the trial Falls to the ground: we lose both the defence And the chief witness.

Ner. Not so. My chief object Remains, and my chief witness.—(To Tig.) Where is Epicharis?

Tig. I see a litter passing ’neath the trees.

Ner. Meet them, and bring her in.—

[Exit Tigellinus.

I now produce a woman in the court. Her name Epicharis: she lives at Naples, And there was used by the conspirators To tamper with the navy: the Admiral Arrested her; but she, being charged before me, Turned off suspicion with a specious tale, Which I more readily believed, because I hate informers, nor will lightly think Evil of anyone. Senecio Confirmed her story, but hath since confessed He knew it false: himself, as he affirms, Was not in Piso’s confidence; this woman Knew all. Now Piso towards Senecio Trusted too much in trusting but a little, Trusting Epicharis much he trusted well: For in the extreme of torture she hath not flinched, Nor given a sound: but seeing her silence now Confuted by so many tongues, she hath yielded, And promised to speak truth. See, here she is.

During this speech Epicharis has been borne in on the litter, and is set down at the centre of the stage.

Her speech shall now unmask what traitorous faces Still screen their villany.

Ruf. A woman, Cæsar; And in the pangs of torture, and fear of death! What evidence is this?

Ner. What would ye object?

Ruf. Shall Romans have their free lives played with thus?

Ner. What puts thee in fear? Silence!—Epicharis, I bid thee now speak truth before the court. Piso is dead. Thou seest thy comrades taken. Truth may not save thy life: yet speak the truth As thy last hope. Let no man interrupt her.

EPICHARIS (speaks from the litter).

Cæsar, I thank thee that in all my torture Thou hast spared my tongue to tell thee truth at last: That I am admitted where my free confession May reach the public ear, nay not denied Thine own ear, and for that I thank thee most; And for my torture I thank thee too: ’tis proved I speak not lightly, and must be well believed. Thou bidst me, mighty Cæsar, tell thee truth: Weak is my tongue to tell the mighty truths Cæsar dare hear, and none hath dared to tell: And I die ... hearken quickly. Of all thou seest There is not one whom thou canst trust: all hate thee ... Yet needst thou not, great Cæsar, fear them much; For all are cowards: nay, there is not among them One brave enough to kill thee. And yet again, Great Cæsar, I counsel thee to fear them too; For all the world ’gainst one will have their way. I know thou fear’st. Then who is most thy foe? Whom first to kill? That I can tell thee, Cæsar: For none of all thou seest, or ever saw’st, Or wilt see again, nay, not thy murdered mother, Thy poisoned brother, thy beheaded wife, Whose bloody ghosts watch on the banks of hell To mark thy doom, none hateth thee as I, Defieth thee as I, curseth thee as I. O emperor of the world, thine hour is come. Within thy cankered soul dwell side by side Remorse and vanity to drive thee mad: The grecian furies hound thee, the christian devils Dispute for thee. Fly to thy dunghill, Cæsar, Where thou must perish ...

Ner. Will none there stop her mouth?

Ep. Plague-spotted, abhorred for ever—by all—accurst—

Asp. Let no man interrupt her!

Ner. Who spoke? Arrest him.—

Epicharis’ last words are spoken as the Soldiers surround her. She struggles on the litter violently, and falls back dead. Other Guards arrest Asper.

Who art thou, sir? thy name?

Asp. My name is Asper. I am centurion under Rufus.

Ner. Rufus, Know’st thou thy man?

Ruf. I grieve, sire, it is true: He is one of my centurions.

Ner. Question him.

Tig. (who is standing by Epicharis, to Nero). Epicharis is dead.

Ner. Ye have killed her, fools? Hath she got quit?

Tig. ’Twas her own doing, Cæsar: She meshed her neck among the cords, and so Hath reft her of what little life remained.

Ner. Remove her to the prison, and let physicians Attend her at once.

Tig. She is dead. (They carry Epicharis out.)

Ner. Rufus, proceed With thy centurion.

Asp. If all hate thee, Cæsar, How wilt thou bid that hater question this?

Ruf. What, fellow?

Asp. Thou that sittest there to judge, And shouldst stand here, wilt thou dare question me?

Ruf. I, fellow?

Ner. Ha! Rufus, thou turnest pale.

Ruf. With anger I turn pale, that in your presence A traitor should defame me.

Ner. Be cool, sir: Thou wast suspected, now accused thou art. Thou hast but one appeal: In thy worst case ’Tis to thy friends (pointing to accused).

Ruf. Call not those men my friends.

Ner. I’ll see. Speak, traitors all; was Rufus with you?

Luc., Sce., and others. He was. He is guilty.

Ner. Arrest the judge.

Ruf. Who dares? What officer of mine dares raise his hand Against his general?