And I extol’de[997] the meaner sort of men, Adorning them with titles[998] of estate, Euen such perdy as seru’d[999] my dyet then, Amongst the auncient fathers often sate.[1000] For this the noble _Romaynes_ did me hate.[1001] And for the cruell beastly[1002] life I lead, Full often times they wish’t that I were dead.[1003] 13. _Agrippina_ perswaded me t’adopt her sonne,[1004] That after me the[1005] Empire he might haue; Which when at length[1006] I had vnwisely donne At her request,[1007] as she the same did craue, In recompence to me she poyson[1008] gaue, Whereof I dyed:[1009] this was my life and ende, Let so my factes and fatall fall be pen’de.[1010] How the Emperovr Domitius Nero liued wickedly and tyrannously, and in the ende miserably slewe himselfe, the yeere of Christ, 70. 1. Must I that lead so loose a life speake here, Amongst the wreckes whom Fortune’s tempestes tore; Wel then I see I must, the case is clere, But blame I must my onely selfe therefore, I am that _Nero_ rule in _Rome_ that bore, _Agrippina_ my mother wrought that feate for mee,[1011] Her husband poisned, I might Emprour bee. 2. A while I gaue my selfe to gouerne well, As _Senecke_ graue instructed me thereto; But after, I to shamelesse dealings fell, At randome liu’de in lust as Lechers doe, To slaughters fell, of friendes and kinred to, Not sparing those in fleshly lustes desire, Whome nature’s impes dombe beasts will not require. 3. A shame it were to tell my hatefull life, But he that wanted shame, whose face was brasse, That spared neyther men, mayde, virgine, wife, Not mother, sister, kinde, nor kin that was, Whose factes both care and shame did alwayes passe: What shoulde be shame to doe, speake, thinke, or say, Which all his life cast bashfull shame away? 4. For wantonnesse, I past the filthy stues; For glutony, I had no where my peere; No kinde of crueltie but I did vse, No wickednesse from which my life was cleere: My pride did passe them all, both farre and neere; Against the trade of kind in shamelesse life, One man for bride me had, another for bridewife.[1012] 5. With golden nets in ryot I would fishe, And purple lines to drawe my nets I had; I vsed eke for pleasures many a dishe, And was with naught but lust and mischiefe glad: Though these thinges made the _Romaynes_ hartes full sad, They durst not speake: for who so did complayne, Without respect or sentence more, was slayne. 6.