English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Nimph_. And souldiers few enough;
Tumultuary troops, undisciplin'd,
Untrain'd in service; to wast victuals good,
But when they come to look on warres black wounds,
And but afarre off see the face of death--
_Nero_. It falles out for my empty coffers well,
The spoyle of such a large and goodly Province
Enricht with trade and long enioyed peace.
_Tigell_. What order will your Maiestie have taken
For levying forces to suppresse this stirre?
_Nero_. What order should we take? weele laugh and drinke.
Thinkst thou it fit my pleasures be disturb'd
When any French-man list to breake his necke!
They have not heard of _Pisoes_ fortune yet;
Let that Tale fight with them.
_Nimph_. What order needs? Your Maiestie shal finde
This French heat quickly of it selfe grow cold.
_Nero_. Come away:
Nothing shall come that this nights sport shall stay.
[_Ex. Ner. Nimph. Tig. and attendants_.
_Mane[n]t Neophilus, Epaphroditus_.
_Neoph_. I wonder what makes him so confident
In this revolt now growne unto a warre,
And ensignes in the field; when in the other,
Being but a plot of a conspiracie,
He shew'd himselfe so wretchedly dismaid?
_Epaphr_. Faith, the right nature of a coward to set light
Dangers that seeme farre off. _Piso_ was here,
Ready to enter at the Presence doore
And dragge him out of his abused chaire;
And then he trembled. _Vindex_ is in France,
And many woods and seas and hills betweene.
_Neoph_. 'Twas strange that _Piso_ was so soone supprest.
_Epaphr_. Strange? strange indeed; for had he but come up
And taken the Court in that affright and stirre
While unresolv'd for whom or what to doe,
Each on [of?] the other had in iealousie
(While as apaled Maiestie not yet
Had time to set the countenance), he would
Have hazarded the royall seat.
_Neoph_. Nay, had it without hazard; all the Court
Had for him bin and those disclos'd their love
And favour in the cause, which now to hide
And colour their good meanings ready were
To shew their forwardnesse against it most.
_Epaphr_. But for a stranger with a naked province,
Without allies or friends ith' state, to challenge
A Prince upheld with thirty Legions,
Rooted in foure discents of Ancestors
And foureteene yeares continuance of raigne,
Why it is--
_Enter Nero, Nimphidius, Tigellinus to them_.
_Nero_. Galba and Spaine? What? Spaine and Gal[b]a too?
[_Ex. Ner. Nimph_.
_Epaph_. I pray thee, _Tigellinus_, what furie's this?
What strange event, what accident hath thus
Orecast your countenances?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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