_Poppea_. Nay, in good faith, my Lord, I speake in earnest: I hate that headie and adventurous crew That goe to loose their owne to purchase but The breath of others and the common voyce; Them that will loose their hearing for a sound, That by death onely seeke to get a living, Make skarrs there beautie and count losse of Limmes The commendation of a proper man, And soe goe halting to immortality-- Such fooles I love worse then they doe their lives. _Nero_. But now, _Poppea_, having laid apart Our boastfull spoyles and ornaments of Triumph, Come we like _Jove_ from _Phlegra_-- _Poppea_. O Giantlike comparison! _Nero_. When after all his Fiers and wandering darts He comes to bath himselfe in _Juno's_ eyes. But thou, then wrangling _Juno_ farre more fayre, Stayning the evening beautie of the Skie Or the dayes brightnesse, shall make glad thy _Caesar_, Shalt make him proud such beauties to Inioy. [_Exeunt_. _Manet Nimphidius solus_. _Nimph_. Such beauties to inioy were happinesse And a reward sufficient in itselfe, Although no other end or hopes were aim'd at; But I have other: tis not _Poppeas_ armes Nor the short pleasures of a wanton bed That can extinguish mine aspiring thirst To _Neroes_ Crowne. By her love I must climbe, Her bed is but a step unto his Throne. Already wise men laugh at him and hate him; The people, though his Mynstrelsie doth please them, They feare his cruelty, hate his exactions, Which his need still must force him to encrease; The multitude, which cannot one thing long Like or dislike, being cloy'd with vanitie Will hate their own delights; though wisedome doe not Even wearinesse at length will give them eyes. Thus I, by _Neroes_ and _Poppeas_ favour Rais'd to the envious height of second place, May gaine the first. Hate must strike Nero downe, Love make _Nimphidius_ way unto a Crowne. [_Exit_. (SCENE 4.) _Enter Seneca, Scevinus, Lucan and Flavius_. _Scevin_. His first beginning was his Fathers death; His brothers poysoning and wives bloudy end Came next; his mothers murther clos'd up all. Yet hitherto he was but wicked, when The guilt of greater evills tooke away the shame Of lesser, and did headlong thrust him forth To be the scorne and laughter to the world. Then first an Emperour came upon the stage And sung to please Carmen and Candle-sellers, And learnt to act, to daunce, to be a Fencer, And in despight o'the Maiestie of Princes He fell to wrastling and was soyl'd with dust And tumbled on the earth with servile hands. _Seneca_. He sometimes trayned was in better studies And had a child-hood promis'd other hopes: High fortunes like stronge wines do trie their vessels. Was not the Race and Theatre bigge enough To have inclos'd thy follies heere at home? O could not _Rome_ and _Italie_ containe Thy shame, but thou must crosse the seas to shewe it?