Corn.  And why should Death or Banishment be due
For speaking that which was requir’d, my thought? 
O why doe Princes love to be deceiv’d
And even do force abuses on themselves? 
Their Eares are so with pleasing speech beguil’d
That Truth they mallice, Flatterie truth account,
And their owne Soule and understanding lost
Goe, what they are, to seeke in other men. 
Alas, weake Prince, how hast thou punisht me
To banish me from thee?  O let me goe
And dwell in Taurus, dwell in Ethiope
So that I doe not dwell at Rome with thee. 
The farther still I goe from hence, I know,
The farther I leave Shame and Vice behind. 
Where can I goe but I shall see thee, Sunne? 
And Heaven will be as neere me still as here. 
Can they so farre a knowing soule exyle
That her owne roofe she sees not ore her head?

[Exit.

(SCENE 3.)

Enter Piso, Scevinus, Lucan, Flavius.

Piso.  Noble Gentlemen, what thankes, what recompence
Shall hee give you that give to him the world? 
One life to them that must so many venture,
And that the worst of all, is too meane paye;
Yet can give no more.  Take that, bestow it
Upon your service.

Lucan.  O Piso, that vouchsafest
To grace our headlesse partie with thy name,
Whom having our conductor[28] we need not
Have fear’d to goe against[29] the well try’d vallor
Of Julius or stayednesse of Augustus,
Much lesse the shame and Womanhood of Nero;
When we had once given out that our pretences
Were all for thee, our end to make thee Prince,
They thronging came to give their names, Men, Women,
Gentlemen, People, Soldiers, Senators,[30]
The Campe and Cittie grew asham’d that Nero
And Piso should be offered them together.

Scevin.  We seeke not now (as in the happy dayes
Oth’ common wealth they did) for libertie;
O you deere ashes, Cassius and Brutus,
That was with you entomb’d, their let it rest. 
We are contented with the galling yoke
If they will only leave us necks to beare it: 
We seeke no longer freedome, we seeke life;
At least, not to be murdred, let us die
On Enemies swords.  Shall we, whom neither
The Median Bow nor Macedonian Speare
Nor the fierce Gaul nor painted Briton could
Subdue, lay down our neckes to tyrants axe? 
Why doe we talke of Vertue that obay
Weaknesse and Vice?

Piso.  Have patience, good Scevinus.

Lucan.  Weaknesse and servile Government we hitherto
Obeyed have, which, that we may no longer,
We have our lives and fortunes now set up,
And have our cause with Pisoes credit strengthned.

Flav.  Which makes it doubtfull whether love to him Or Neroes hatred hath drawne more unto us.