Romance of the Rose (Ellis)/Chapter 39

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XXXIX

How Emperor Nero, in his mad
And cruel unchecked fury, bade
In daylight clear, before his eyes,
His minions to anatomise
His mother living, and the spot
Disclose where he was erst begot.

Nero and Seneca “Alas! that thus should Fortune play
Her pranks, and worthy men betray
To misery, while the better part
She deals to miscreants. In thine heart
Bethink thou well of Socrates
(Too wise a foolish world to please);6530
My love I gave him, and to me
He gave his love all utterly.

Full many examples have there been
Of this in old-time records seen,
In proof whereof will I relate
Great Seneca’s and Nero’s fate.
But here I purpose not to tell
The grievous crimes and actions fell
Of Nero; such a tale of wrong
Were wearisome and over long
To cite once more; how he with dire
Intention set great Rome a-fire,
And many a senator that time
Met death by his atrocious crime.
Or how with heart more obdurate
Than stone, he sealed his brother’s fate;
The crimes of Nero Or how the monster ruthlessly
His mother slew, that he might see
The sanctuary where conceived^{[errata 1]}
He’d been^{[errata 2]}, then watched her body reived6550
Of every limb, and, standing there,
Adjudged her members passing fair.
Ah God! what vile and felon judge
Who could to that dread sight begrudge
One single tear, for so ’tis writ,
He calm looked on, nor wept at it,
But gave command to thither bring
Fair cups of wine, and roystering
Therewith, beheld, with fiend’s delight,
Unmoved, the matricidal rite.6560
Moreover did he lay a-waste
The body of his sister chaste,
And gave himself to work all crime
That man hath stained since birth of time.

He martyred Seneca, his guide
And mentor, bidding him decide,
With impious oath, the manner he
Would choose to face his agony,
E’en as a devil brimmed with wrath.
Quoth Seneca: ‘Make warm a bath,6570
Since I must bow me to the pains
Of death, then forthwith ope my veins,
That through the wave my blood may flow
Forth freely, till my spirit go
To that great God from whence it sped:
May he sweet mercy on it shed.’”

1. Original: he conceived was amended to conceived: detail
2. Original: Had been was amended to He’d been: detail