Priscus.

Thrasea knows.

Sen. Ha! Priscus, thou hast been silent all this while: And what said Thrasea?

Pr. In my credit, sir, I may not tell.

Sen. Indeed! And while ye invite me To plunge into the bowels of Hell, and wrap me In the blóody purples of a murdered Cæsar, Thou wouldst hide from me, for some petty scruple, What my best friend says of it!

Pr. I should tell:— He said you would refuse.

Sen. And he said right. I do refuse.

All. Refuse!

Luc. Uncle, consider!

Fla. We cannot take that word, sir; ’tis not thine. The state requires thee: there is none but thou.

Sen. My word is No, I will not.

Luc. Thou wilt nót? Wilt nót throne virtue in the seat of might? Not crown philosophy? and in thyself Fulfil the dream of wisdom, which the world Hath mocked at as impracticable?

Sen. Yea, And yet shall mock. ’Tis not for me. Ye think Because I am rich, that I despise not wealth; Because I have been involved in courtly faction, I loathe not crime; that what ye have seen to touch me, Thát I would handle. Can ye thus mistake me? And deem that I, being such an one to serve you, Might be entrapped with flattery,—that ye style me The one man worthy? ay, to rule the world Ye said: Well! I shall rule it; but not so. I make my throne here, and with these nibbed reeds Issue my edicts to the simple-hearted, To whom all rule shall come: Yes, it shall come If God’s will count for aught.

Pr. My lord, consider. This is the hour to set you right for ever. ’Twas of your doing Nero came to power: Now with one word you may blot out the past.

Sen. Priscus, if thou didst think I was to blame For all the wrongs and crimes, which by thy speech Thou wouldst impute, wouldst thou be here to-day To hail me Cæsar? ’Tis a stingless taunt.

Lat. Thou shalt not be reproached.

Fla. We do not blame thee.

Luc. We ask but thy consent.

Sen. Shame, nephew; shame!

Lat. Sir, you mistake: we ask not your consent Unto the deed.

Fla. We take that on ourselves.

Lat. We ask of thee but this: Nero once slain, Wilt thou be Cæsar?

Sen. No, sir: I will not.

Fla. Thou wilt not change thy books for provinces?

Sen. No, sir.

Lat. Dost thou refuse?

Luc. Oh, uncle, uncle!

Fla. My lord, allow me.

Luc. Hear what I would say.

Sen. I know it, nephew, afore. Now let this end. ’Tis said.

Pr. I was prepared, my lord, for this: And we at least may spare you further danger Of our suspicious conference. I go. (Moving.)

Sen. The ill is done.

Fla. One word. Nero must die; And whosoe’er but thou steps in his place Must also die; for none is worthy. Come At once, ere more be slain. This ends not here.

Sen. Thou dost say right: this ends not here: if more Shall die, thou bearest some blame of it. Farewell! God can bend all to good: this, which to me Seems ill, may not be so.

Lat. (going). Sir, I shall trust you.

Sen. Indeed fear not. Now, for my safety & yours, Leave me, I pray. Farewell!

All (going). Farewell! [Exeunt.

Sen. Nay, can it be? Fools! can it be they cried Seneca, Cæsar? My hand is trembling, my sense Swimming: ’tis true: my mortal stroke, & dealt me By would-be friends. The way that least I expected, When I least looked for it—yea—thus cometh Death. No hope. I am named. But ah! thou bloody tiger, Who slewest her that bare thee, now I that trained thee Might ... yea, I might.—The whole world for a bait Dangles upon the hook, and I refuse. I would not; nay, I could not ... What then do? Stand firm? with my poor palsied limbs, Stand firm? budge not a hair, as Burrus put it? —So take rank in the monster’s tale of murders: My gravity in his comedy of crime: Suffer in my last act of serious life His hypocritical smile, his three or four Crocodile tears: be waved off with a smirk, ‘A sacrifice to the safety of the state’? Oft have I thought of death, to brave his terror, But ne’er forereckoned thus.... Why, it were better To give life its one chance, still play the game. That may well be: That I’ll do: all my skill Summon to aid me: else ’tis my death,—the end: That execrable nothing which no art Of painful thought can reconcile....

Enter Paullina excitedly.