_Thr._ Young blood, hot blood and true: Yet is his energetic patriotism Useless,—nay, like a weapon out of date, Looks not to be a warlike weapon more. I think in me it had been truer wisdom, 60 Knowing the forces of this drowning time, To have said outright—Good, honest Priscus, Be good no longer, let thine honesty Rot, it can stead thee nothing; there’s no man Will be the better for it; there’s no field Where thou canst exercise it, not a place In all the world where in secure possession Thou mayst retire with it: cast it away; For ’tis a burden far beyond thy freight. If thou wilt swim at all, swim with the times, 70 An empty bottom on a shallow tide: Be that thy seamanship—No; I am bold to say Our virtue hath the topmost vaunt of honour; Seeing we are true to it in spite of shame, When its incompetence before the world Gives it the lie; nor can the fawning curs, That bask in Cæsar’s sunshine, when they mock us, Dream that we wish them other than they are. I give them joy. See here is folly’s king, The hare-brained boy to whom injurious fortune 80 Has given the throne and grandeur of the world: Now if I bow my head ’tis in thy game, Ridiculous fate; and my soul laughs at thee. [_Retires aside._ _Enter Nero, Otho, Lucan, Tigellinus, and Paris._ _NERO._ This is the place: enlarge it on this side To take in all the hill. That house of Rufus That blocks the way must down, and all the piles On the south slope. Now say, is’t fine or no? _LUCAN._ Magnificent. _OTHO._ It shows the mind of Cæsar. _TIGELLINUS._ Splendid. _Ner._ At least the best: we still regret A better than the best; and I can see 90 These possibilities. Think if the hill Were raised some hundred feet, till it o’ertopped The Capitol—eh! lords. And so ’twere best; But still ’twill pass for good. _Luc._ ’Twill be a palace For site and size the first in all the world. _Ner._ To kill the Jews’ brag of Jerusalem? _Oth._ I think it.