Poetical Works
of
ROBERT BRIDGES

Volume III

London
Smith, Elder & Co
15 Waterloo Place
1898

OXFORD: HORACE HART
PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

POETICAL WORKS OF
ROBERT BRIDGES

VOLUME THE THIRD
CONTAINING

LIST OF PREVIOUS EDITIONS

THE FIRST PART OF NERO.

1. NERO. An historical Tragedy of the first part of the reign of the emperor Nero. Published by Ewd. Bumpus. London, 1885. 4to.

ACHILLES IN SCYROS.

1. ACHILLES IN SCYROS. A drama in a mixed manner. Published by Ewd. Bumpus. London, 1890. 4to.

2. ACHILLES IN SCYROS. Uniform with Shorter Poems (I). George Bell & Sons, 1892.

THE FIRST PART
OF THE
HISTORY
OF
NERO

A HISTORICAL
TRAGEDY

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

Scene. The first four acts are laid in ROME; the fifth is at BAIÆ.

SCENE · 1

On the Palatine. THRASEA & PRISCUS.

THRASEA.

IF you ask my advice then, it is silence. You are yet new to the senate, and must learn to give your opinion with least offence.

PRISCUS.

Can you mean this?

Thr. Yes—it is my serious advice.

Pr. Now, unless it were the silence of Brutus ...

Thr. Hush, hush! Were this repeated, there is no greater peril than that word of yours.

Pr. But to you I know I may speak freely.

10Thr. What know you of me?

Pr. I know Thrasea is brave, and resents his country’s wrongs; that he has insight to see that liberty was never more outraged than now.

Thr. Believe me, sir, this tale of things being at their worst is common to all times. Your judgment has gone astray upon a contempt for Cæsar’s follies, or a hatred of his mother’s crimes. Measure Nero but by what he has already done, and you may even find cause for congratulation.

Pr. We shall be ruled like the Britons by a Queen.

Thr. O nay. It is not possible that Nero will suffer Agrippina’s ambition to take such a place. ’Tis already a quarrel between them, and Seneca declares for him.

Pr. Then, I ask you, may there not be found in this quarrel an opportunity to bring in Britannicus? Now he is of age, he can no longer be held disqualified.

28Thr. There is no question of qualification or of claim.

Pr. How so? The late emperor Claudius in his will mentioned Britannicus for his successor, as being his own son ....

Thr. May be. But then, sir, his empress made away with both him and his will; and the Roman people chose for Cæsar the son of the murderess, rather than the heir of the idiot they were glad to be rid of. Since which day Nero is as truly our Cæsar as Britannicus could ever have been. Those who swore to Nero will remain by him; as ’tis well they should, else were no stability.

39Pr. Shall we then do nothing?

Thr. You take things by the wrong handle. Let us make the best of what we have. Our Cæsar is the pupil of a philosopher and guided in everything by his master’s counsels.

Pr. You are very tolerant and hopeful.

Thr. Try and be so too, and I shall wish to see more of you. If you will visit my house, you will indeed be most welcome and may find congenial company. Only no more of Brutus.

Pr. Thank you for your kindness, if it is an earnest of your confidence—On another occasion ... 50

Thr. O we will find many. (Shouts heard.) What is that? (More shouts.) It must be Cæsar: he is coming this way. Be not seen talking with me: go you that way: I will remain. Farewell.

Pr. Farewell, Thrasea.[Exit.

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,

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,

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

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

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.

Ner.You, my friends, who know my scheme,

May mete and judge my general scope in this,

A sample of my temper coined and uttered

For the world’s model, that all men’s endeavours

May rise with mine to have all things at best,

Not only for myself but for the world;

Riches and joy and heart’s content for all.

It may be done, and who should do it but I?

See now my years at best, my youth and strength

With form and gifts agreeing, and my power,....

Know’st thou my power?—Oh! Otho, I tell thee

The Cæsars which have been have never known

What ’tis to be full Cæsar. Dost thou think?

There’s nothing good on earth but may be won

With power and money; and I have them both;

Ay, and the will.

Oth.Much may be done, no doubt.

Ner. Much! Why there’s nothing, man, may not be

done.

The curse of life is of our own devising,

Born of man’s ignorance and selfishness.

He wounds his happiness against a cage

Of his own make, and only waits the word

For one to set his door open,—and look,

Having his liberty is he not glad

As heaven’s birds are?—Now when fate’s ordinance

Sends him a liberator, ay, and one

Not to cajole or preach, but, will or nill,

Who’ll force him forth and crush up his old cage,

With all who would hang back and skulk therein,

How shall he not be happy?

Luc.This shall be

The world’s last crown, by man with utmost power

Endowed to drive him to the good he shuns.

Ner. Ay. Be all human hopes summed up in mine

And reach their goal. I say there shall be peace,

There shall be plenty, pleasure, and content:

The god on earth shall work the good whereof

The folly of man hath baulked the gods in heaven:

And good that men desire shall be as common

As ills they now repine at. When I say

There shall be justice, see, even at my word

Injustice is no more.

PARIS.

The house of Rufus,

Standing on justice there, will mar thy palace.

Ner. Fool. Why, I say to Rufus—I am Cæsar,

And need thy house.—Says he—It cost my sire

Ten million sesterces.—A trifle that,

Say I, and give him twenty: and down it goes.

Is not this more than justice?

Par.Ay, ’tis power.

Ner. Thou quibbling meddler, learn this point of wit,

To keep thy sphere; answer in that: last night

Sang I divinely? Wert thou envious

When I put on the lion’s skin, and did

The choice of Hercules?

Par.Most mighty Cæsar,

I wished that I had asses ears to hear;

Mine are not long enough.

Ner.Plague on thy jesting.

See static virtue stalks with folded arm

To set thee down.[Thrasea comes forward.

Thr.Hail, Cæsar!

Ner.Thy opinion,

Thrasea, come, thy opinion. What dost thou think

If I extend my palace to take in

The hill whereon we stand?

Thr.The plan no doubt

Is worthy of the site, and for the site,

Why, ’tis the darling spot of Rome.

Ner.Well said.

Stay. I would ask my fellow senator

Wherefore he left the house three days ago

Without his voice or vote.

159

Thr.I judged the time

Unmeet to speak; and, for my vote, the senate

Was of one mind: a vote was of no count.

Ner. Thou show’dst a sense against us in not voting.

Thr. That must thou look for, Cæsar, in the senate.

Ner. Well, I would have thee speak. We are not full

Without thy voice: nay more, such conduct makes

The senate but a name; for times have been

When silence was well justified by fear.

Now we court criticism, ay, and look ill

On those that grudge their approbation.

Thr. Cæsar commands my service and my praise;

I shall not lack.

Ner.We look for much from thee.

Thr. Long live your majesty.[Exit.

Ner.There’s something good

In that man, Otho; spite of his dry mien

And Stoic fashion.

Oth.Nay, I like him not.

He’s hardly flesh and blood. Old Seneca

Is stiff and prosy enough; but if you pinch him,

You find he yields, shows softness here and there.

This man is merely stone, foursquare by rule.

Ner. Do you despise divine philosophy?

180

Oth. Well, as I take it, all philosophy

Is questionable guessing, but the sense

A man grows up with bears the stamp of nature.

Ner. How mean you that?

Oth.At best this fine-spun system

Is but a part of man’s experience

Drawn out to contradiction of the rest.

’Tis a fool’s wisdom.

Luc.’Tis a form of pleasure.

Oth. True. Though there be no theory of life

That’s worth a button, yet the search for one

Seems to content some men better than life.

Ner. Call him not fool, Otho!

Oth.Unless I wrong him,

I speak as well of him as he of me.

Or if he say nothing, his guarded manner

Covers, be sure, a more unkind contempt.

Par. (apeing Thr.). That must thou look for, Cæsar, in the senate.

Tig. Ha! ha! Excellent!

Ner.Paris would make a senator.

Oth. Well, give me life.

Ner.Ay, that is wisdom. Live.

Enjoy the hour; which minds me, for to-night

I have time well disposed: we sup with Actè;

She will inaugurate the new pavilion,

And after, there are masks and clubs provided.

Thou’lt join us, eh!

Oth.With all my heart.

Ner. (to Tig. and Luc.).And you.

And you. And, Paris, see Petronius comes,

And Anicetus. Hence, and bid them now.

[Exit Paris.

Good news for them I think; pleasure in store.

We’ll make a merry night. Now tell me, Otho,

You’re a good judge, have you ever seen a woman

Fit to compare with Actè?

Oth.I say no.

Ner. I mean not, man, for what our grandsires praised,

Who knew no better; I mean the perfect art

Which makes each moment feverous.

Oth.I know none.

Ner. ’Tis spoke as if thy judgment or thy envy

Grudged me the word.

Oth.Nay, Cæsar.

Ner.O, I know

Thou’rt a good husband, thy good wife commands thee.

Oth. Say, my good fortune, Cæsar.

Ner.Now if thy boast

Be true as it is rare, thy lady’s presence

Would add much spirit to our gaieties.

I have never seen Poppæa, say that to-night

Thou bring her.

Oth.In this thing, for friendship’s sake,

Hold me excused.

Ner.Nay, no constraint; thy wish

Is all in all. Wrong me not; I would not have,

And least to thee, my pleasures a command;

But my commands are pleasures. Let us go.

[Exeunt.

SCENE · 2

A room in the palace. Enter OCTAVIA and BRITANNICUS.

BRITANNICUS.

Why art thou weeping, dearest? Has Nero been

Again unkind?

OCTAVIA.

Most unkind.

Br.Weep not so.

Octavia, weep not so.

Count but my tears as thine, so shall my pity

Comfort thy wrongs. Nay, wert thou not my sister,

How must I feel to see so base a rival

Honoured before thyself in Cæsar’s palace!

Why even his mother could not grant him that

Unmoved, but wept with rage: while he himself,

I saw, was touched with shame.

Oct.Hush, hush! nay, ’tis not that;

I mind not that: at least they tell me now

I must not mind; and since he never loved me

It matters little. ’Tis not that at all.

Br. Then something fresh; what more?

Oct.I scarce dare tell.

What hast thou said or done, Britannicus,

That so could anger him?

Br.Ah! is’t with me then

He is angry? Dost thou weep for me?

Oct.For both.

Br. Now tell me all, sister.

240