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Of his fate tragic let thus much suffice. Whoso would hear it told in longer wise, Let him read the great bard of Italy Whom men call Dante; seen through Dante's eyes No point is slurred, nor in one word fails he. NERO Though viciousness had Nero in overplus, As ever fiend that's low in torment thrown. Yet he, as tells us old Suetonius, This whole wide world held subject; aye, did own, East, west, south, north, wherever Rome was known. Of rubies, sapphires, and of great pearls white Were all his garments broidered up and down, For he in jewels greatly did delight. More delicate, more pompous of array, More proud was never emperor than he; That toga which he wore on any day, After that time he nevermore would see. Nets of gold thread he had in great plenty To fish in Tiber when he pleased to play. His lusts were all the laws in his decree, For Fortune was his friend and would obey. He burned Rome for his delicate profligacy; Some senators he slew upon a day Only to learn how men might weep and cry; He killed his brother and with his sister lay. His mother put he into piteous way, For he her belly ripped up just to see Where he had been conceived; alackaday, That but so little for her life cared he! No tear out of his two eyes for that sight Came, but he said: "A woman fair was she." Great wonder is it how he could or might The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales 167Pass judgment thus upon her dead beauty. Wine to be brought him then commanded he And drank anon; no other sign he made. When might is wedded unto cruelty, Alas, too deep its venom will pervade! A master had, in youth, this emperor, To teach him letters and all courtesy, For of morality he was the flower In his own time, unless the old books lie; And while this master held his mastery, So well he taught him wiles and subtle ways That ere could tempt him vice or tyranny Was, it is said, the length of many days. This Seneca, of whom I do apprise, By reason Nero held him in such dread, Since he for vices spared not to chastise, Discreetly, though, by word and not by deed "Sir," would he say, "an emperor must need Be virtuous and hate all tyranny" For which, in bath, did Nero make him bleed From both his arms until he had to die. This Nero had, though, out of arrogance, Been wont, in youth, against the rod to rise, Which afterward he thought a great grievance; Wherefore he made him perish in this wise.
Nevertheless, this Seneca the wise Chose in a bath to die, as you did hear, Rather than suffer in some other guise; And thus did Nero slay his master dear. Now it befell that Fortune cared no longer To Nero's high pride to be accomplice; For though he might be strong, yet she was stronger; She thought thus: "By God, I am none too nice, Setting a man who is but filled with vice In high degree, emperor over all. By God, up from his seat I will him trice; When he least thinks of it, then shall he fall." The people rose against him, on a night, For all his faults; and when he it espied, Out of the doors he went and took to flight Alone; and where he thought he was allied He knocked; but always, and the more he cried The faster did they bar the doors, aye all; Then learned he well he'd been his own worst guide, And went his way, nor longer dared to call. The people cried and rumbled up and down, And, having ears, he heard the thing they said: "Where's this false tyrant Nero, where's he flown?" For fear almost out of his wits he strayed, And to his gods, then, piously he prayed For succour, but no help might him betide. The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales 168For fear of this he wished himself unmade, And ran into a garden, there to hide. And in this garden were two fellows, yea, Who sat before a great fire and a red, And to those fellows he began to pray That they would slay him and strike off his head, But of his body, after he was dead, They should do nothing to its further shame. Himself he slew, no better counsel sped, Whereat Dame Fortune laughed and made a game. HOLOFERNES Was never captain, no, of any king's That had more kingdoms in subjection thrown, Nor stronger was, in field; above all things, Nor in his time a greater of renown, Nor had more pomp with high presumption shown, Than Holofernes, whom Dame Fortune kissed Right lecherously, and led him up and down Until his head was off before 'twas missed. Not only did this world hold him in awe For taking all its wealth and liberty, But he made every man renounce old law. "Nebuchadnezzar is your god," said he, "And now no other god shall worshipped be." Against his order no man dared to stand, Save in Bethulia, a strong city, Where Eliachim priest was of the land.