How Caivs Caesar Caligula Emperour of Rome was slayne by Cherea and others, The yeare of Christ, 42.

Vnhappy Princes haue in wealth no grace,

To see how soone their vices ping them vnder,

But run vnruly, reckelesse of their race,

Till at the length they make themselues a wonder:

When from aloft theyr traces fall asonder,

There is no hope to hold aright the trace,

[Fortuna once when shee beginnes to thunder.]

They cannot keepe aloft th’ Emperiall place:

[The Lady blynde, so blindly makes them blunder.]

Behold my hap, on whom the Romayne rout

With ioy did gaze, when bloudy slayne I lay,

Here lyes (quoth they), thrust thirty times throughout,

The monster vile, that beast Caligula,

Which did so many giltlesse Romaynes slay:

The nobles now the matrones neede not doubt,

[The virgins now retayne theyr vertues may:]

The worthy writers may their workes set out,

[They neede no longer feare theyr foule decay.]

I was (I graunt) full lewdely led by lust,

I forced nought of vertue, faith, nor lawe,

In powre I put my confidence and trust,

Regarding right nor Justice strickte a strawe:

My facts infarst my life with many a flawe,

[So Venus vile by dealings moste vniust,]

Did mee to deedes of deadly inceste[927] drawe:

[My sisters three accuse my rudenesse must,]

Which had of God nor nature’s hestes the awe.

To make my selfe a God I did deuise,

That Iupiter to name my selfe did dare,

For incestes vile, which all good wights despise,

Nam’d Bacchus eke a dronken shrine I bare;

To call mee God some flatterers did not spare.

By message I commaunded then likewise,

[Petronius at Ierusalem prepare]

By statue in the Temple to comprise,

[Of honours so, to haue an heauenly share.]

I would not haue my slaughters here enrolde,

And murders mischieues mingled with the rest,

Without regard of sexe, of yong or olde,

For which the Romaynes did my life detest:

To vices vile my deedes were all addrest:

[Unfit they should bee here reherst or tolde:

Wherefore to rid mee Cheria thought it best,

Some others eke t’accomplishe it were bolde,

In thirty steedes they stabde me through the brest.][928]

My life was naught, and thus at last I dyde,

My life procur’de both Gods and men my foes:

Let Princes then beware of pompe and pride,

And not themselues to vices such dispose:

The throne will soone a Princely minde disclose,

The tyraunt’s hart at once in throne is tryde,

[Iehoua iust beholds both these and those,

T’abace the bad, the godly well to guide,

The good to gard, and godlesse downe depose.[929]]