Gascoignes Memories written vpon this occasion Hee had in myddest of his youth determined to abandone all vaine delightes and to returne vnto Greyes Inne there to vndertake againe the studdie of the common Lawes And being required by fiue sundry Gentlemen to write in verse somewhat worthye to bee remembred before he entered into their fellowshippe hee compiled these fiue sundrie sortes of metre vppon fiue sundrye theames whiche they deliuered vnto him and the first was at request of Frauncis Kinwelmarshe who deliuered him this theame Audaces fortuna iuuat And therevppon hee wrote this Sonnette following IF yelding feare or cancred villanie In Caesars haughtie heart had tane the charge The walles of Rome had not bene rearde so hye Nor yet the mightye Empire left so large If Menelaus could haue ruld his wyll With fowle reproche to loose his faire delight Then had the stately towres of Troy stoode styll And Greekes with grudge had dronke their owne despight If dread of drenching waues or feare of fire Had stayde the wandring Prince amydde his race Ascanius then the fruite of his desire In Lauine Lande had not possessed place But true it is where lottes doe lyght by chaunce There Fortune helpes the boldest to aduaunce Sic tuli Learne first to spare thy budget at the brinke So shall the bottome be the faster bound But he that list with lauish hand to linke In like expence a pennye with a pound May chaunce at last to sitte a side and shrinke His harbraind head with out dame dainties dore Hick hobbe and Dick with clouts vpon their knée Haue many times more goonhole grotes in store And change of crownes more quicke at cal then he Which let their lease and take their rent before For he that rappes a royall on his cappe Before he put one penny in his pursse Had néede turne quicke and broch a better tappe Or els his drinke may chance go downe the wursse I not denie but some men haue good hap To climbe a lofte by scales of courtly grace And winne the world with liberalitye Yet he that yerks old angells out apace And hath no newe to purchase dignitye When orders fall may chaunce to lacke his grace For haggard hawkes mislike an emptie hand So stiffely some sticke to the mercers stall Till sutes of silke haue swet out all their land So ofte thy neighbours banquet in thy hall Till Dauie Debet in thy parler stand And bids the welcome to thine owne decay I like a Lions lookes not worth a léeke When euery Foxe beguiles him of his praye What sauce but sorrow serueth him aweeke Which all his cates consumeth in one daye First vse thy stomacke to a stand of ale Before thy Malmesey come in Marchantes bookes And rather were for shifte thy shirte of male Than teare thy silken sleues with teynter hokes Put feathers in thy pillowes great and small Let them be princkt with plumes that gape for plummes Heape vp bothe golde and siluer safe in â—ooches Catche snatche and scratche for scrapings and for crommes Before thou decke thy hatte on high with brooches Lette first thyne one hand hold faste all that commes Before that other learne his letting flie Remember still that soft fire makes sweet malte No haste but good who meanes to multiplye Bought witte is deare and drest with sower salte Repentaunce commes to late and then saye I Who spares the first and keepes the last vnspent Shall finde that sparing yéeldes a goodly rent Sic tuli Alexander Neuile deliuered him this theame Sat cito si sat bene wherevpon hee compiled these seuen Sonets in sequence therin bewraying his owne Nimis cito and therwith his Vix bene as foloweth IN haste poste haste when first my wandring minde Behelde the glistring Courte with gazing eye Suche déepe delightes I séemde therin to finde As might beguile a grauer guest than I. The stately pompe of Princes and their péeres Did séeme to swimme in flouddes of beaten goulde The wanton world of yong delightfull yéeres Was not vnlyke a heauen for to behoulde Wherin dyd swarme for euery saint a Dame So faire of hue so freshe of their attire As might excell dame Cinthia for Fame Or conquer Cupid with his owne desire These and suche lyke were baytes that blazed still Before myne eye to feede my greedy will. 2. Before mine eye to féede my gréedy will Gan muster eke mine olde acquainted mates Who helpt the dish of bayne delighte to fill My empty mouth with dayntye delicates And folishe boldenesse toke the whippe in hande To lashe my life into this trustlesse trace Til all in haste I leapte a loofe from lande And hoyste vp soyle to catche a Courtly grace Eche lingring daye did séeme a world of wo Till in that haplesse hauen my head was brought Waues of wanhope so tost me to and fro In déepe dispayre to drowne my dreadfull thought Eche houre a day eche day a yeare did séeme And euery yeare a worlde my will did déeme 3. And euery yeare a worlde my will did déeme Till lo at last to Court nowe am I come A séemely swayne that might the place beséeme A gladsome guest embraste of all and some Not there contente with common dignitie My wandring eye in haste yea poste poste haste Behelde the blazing badge of brauerie For wante wherof I thought my selfe disgraste Then peeuishe pride puffte vp my swelling harte To further foorth so hotte an enterprise And comely cost beganne to playe his parte In praysing patternes of mine owne deuise Thus all was good that might be got in haste To princke me vp and make me higher plaste 4. To prinke me vp and make me higher plaste All came to late that taryed any time Pilles of prouision pleased not my taste They made my heeles to heauie for to clime Mée thought it best that boughes of boystrous oake Should first be shread to make my feathers gaye Tyll at the last a deadly dinting stroake Brought downe the bulke with edge tooles of decaye Of euery farme I then let flye a lease To féede the purse that payde for péeuishnesse Till rente and all were falne in suche disease As scarse coulde serue to mayntayne cleanlynesse They bought the bodie fine ferme lease and lande All were to little for the merchauntes hande 5. All were to little for the merchauntes hande And yet my brauerye bigger than his booke But when this hotte accompte was coldly scande I thought highe time about me for to looke With heauie cheare I caste my head abacke To sée the fountaine of my furious race Comparde my losse my liuing and my lacke In equall balance with my iolye grace And sawe expences grating on the grounde Like lumpes of lead to presse my pursse full ofte When light rewarde and recompence were founde Fléeting like feathers in the winde alofte These thus comparde I left the Courte at large For why the gaines doth séeldome quitte the charge 6. For why the gaines doth seldome quitte the
calling to minde that there is a noble house of the Mountacutes in Italie and therwithall that the L. Mountacute here doth quarter the coate of an auncient English Gentleman called Mounthermer and hath the inheritaunce of the sayde house dyd therevpon deuise to bring in a Boye of the age of twelue or .xiiii. yeeres who should faine that he was a Mounthermer by the fathers side and a Mountacute by the mothers side and that his father being slaine at the last warres against the Turke and he there taken hee was recouered by the Venetians in their last victorie and with them sayling towardes Venice they were driuen by tempest vpon these coastes and so came to the mariage vpon report as followeth and the sayde Boye pronounced the deuise in this sort WHat wōder you my Lords why gaze you gentlemen And wherefore maruaile you Mez Dames I praye you tell mée then◠Is it so rare a sight or yet so straunge a toye Amongst so many nooble péeres to sée one Pouer Boye Why boyes haue bene allowed in euerye kinde of age As Ganymede that pretye boye in Heauen is Ioue his page Cupid that mighty God although his force be fearse Yet is he but a naked Boye as Poets doe rehearse And many a préetye boye a mightye man hath proued And serued his Prince at all assayes deseruing to bée loued Percase my strange attire my glittering golden gite Doth eyther make you maruaile thus or moue you with delite Yet wonder not my Lordes for if your honours please But euen to giue me eare a while I wyll your doubtes appease And you shall knowe the cause wherefore these roabes are worne And why I goe outlandishe lyke yet being Englishe borne And why I thus presume to presse into this place And why I simple boye am bolde to looke such men in face Fyrst then you must perstande I am no straunger I But English boye in England borne and bred but euen hereby My father was a Knight Mount Hermer was his name My mother of the Mountacutes a house of worthy fame My father from his youth was trained vp in field And alwayes toke his chiefe delight in helmet speare and shielde Soldado for his life and in his happie dayes Soldado like hath lost his life to his immortall prayse The thundering fame which blewe about the worlde so wyde Howe that the Christian enemye the Turke that Prince of pride Addressed had his power to swarme vppon the Seas With Gallies foists and such liks ships well armde at al assaies And that he made his vaunt the gréedy fishe to glut With gobs of Christian carkasses in eruell péeces cut These newes of this report did pearce my fathers eares But neuer touched his noble heart with any sparke of feares For well he knewe the trade of all the Turkishe warres And had amongst them shed his blood at many cruell iarres In Rhodes his race begonne a slender tale yong man Where he by many martiall feats his spurres of knighthood wan Yea though the péece was lost yet won he honour styll And euermore against the Turkes he warred by his wyll At Chios many knowe how hardily he fought And howe with streames of stryuing blood his honoure deare hée bought At length enforst to yéeld with many captaines mo He bought his libertie with Landes and let his goodes ago Zechines of glistering golde two thousand was his price The which to paye his landes must leape for else he were vnwise Beléeue me nowe my Lordes although the losse be mine Yet I confesse them better solde than lyke a slaue to pine For landes maye come againe but lybertie once lost Can neuer finde such recompence as counteruailes the cost My selfe now know the case who lyke my fathers lot Was lyke of late for to haue lost my libertie God wot My father as I saye enforste to leaue his lande In mortgage to my mothers kinne for ready coyne in hande Gan nowe vpon these newes which earst I dyd rehearse Prepare himselfe to saue his pawne or else to léese his phearce And first his raunsome payde with that which dyd remaine He rigged vp a proper Barke was called Leffort Brittaine And lyke a venturer besides him séemely selfe Determined for to venture me and all his worldly pelfe Perhappes some hope of gaine perswaded so his minde For sure his hauty heart was bent some greate exploite to finde Howe so it were the windes nowe hoysted vp our sailes Wée furrowing in the foming flooddes to take our best auailes Now hearken to my wordes and marke you well the same For nowe I wyll declare the cause wherefore I hyther came My father as I saye had set vp all his rest And tost on seas both daye and night disdayning ydle rest We left our forelandes ende we past the coast of Fraunce We reacht the cape of Finis Terre our course for to aduaunce We past Marrocchus streightes and at the last descried The fertile coastes of Cyprus soile whicch I my selfe first spyed My selfe a foreward boye on highest top was plast And there I saw the Cyprian shoare whereto we sayld in haste Which when I had declared vnto the masters mate He lepte for ioye and thanked God of that our happy state But what remaines to man that can continue long What sunne can shine so cleare bright but cloudes may ryse among Which sentence soone was proued by our vnhappy hap We thought our selues full néere our friendes light in enemies lap The Turke that Tirant he with siege had girte the walles Of famous Famagosta then and sought to make them thralles And as he laye by lande in strong and stately trenche So was his power prest by Sea his Christian foes to drenche Vpon the waltring waues his Foistes and Gallies fléete More forrest like than orderly for such a man most méete This heauy sight once seene we turnde our course apace And set vp al our sailes in haste to giue suche furie place But out alas our willes and windes were contrarie For raging blastes did blowe vs still vppon our enimie My father séeing then whereto he néedes must go And that the mighty hand of God had it appointed so Most like a worthy knight though certaine of his death Gan cleane forget all wayling wordes as lauishe of his breath And to his Christian crewe this too shorte tale he told To comfort them which séemde to faint make the coward bold Fellowes in armes quod hée although I beare the charge And take vpon mée chieftaines name of this vnhappy barge Yet are you all my pheares and as one companie Wée must like true companions togeather liue and die You sée quod hée our foes with furious force at hand And in whose handes our handfull heere vnable is to stand What resteth then to doe should we vnto them yéeld And wifully receiue that yoke which Christians cannot weld No sure hereof be sure our liues were so vnsure And though we liue yet so
Warre and wote not what it is Nor euer yet could march where War was made May well be thought a worke begonne amis A rash attempt in woorthlesse verse to wade To tell the triall knowing not the trade Yet such a vaine euen nowe doth féede my Muse That in this theame I must some labor vse 2 And herewithal I cannot but confesse Howe vnexpert I am in feates of warre For more than wryting doth the same expresse I may not boast of any cruell iarre Nor vaunt to sée full valiant facts from farre I haue nor bene in Turkie Denmarke Gréece Ne yet in Colch to winne a Golden fléece 3 But nathelesse I some what reade in writte Oh high exploits by Martiall men ydone And therevpon I haue presumed yet To take in hande this Poeme now begonne Wherin I meane to tell what race they ronne Who followe Drummes before they knowe the dubbe And bragge of Mars before they féele his clubbe 4 Which talk to tell let first with penne declare What thing warre is and wherof it procéeds What be the fruites that fall vnto their share That gape for honor by those haughtie déeds What bloudie broyles in euery state it bréeds A weary worke vneths I shall it write Yet as I may I must the same endite 5 The Poets olde in their fonde fables faine That mightie Mars is god of Warre and Strife These Astronomers thinke where Mars doth raigne That all bebate and discorde must be rife Some thinke Bellona goddesse of that life So that some one and some another iudge To be the cause of euery gréeuous grudge 6 Among the rest that Painter had some skill Which thus in armes did once set out the same A fielde of Genles and on a Golden hill A stately towne consumed all with flame On cheafe of Sable taken from the dame A sucking babe oh borne to bide myschaunce Begoarde with bloud and perced with a launce 7 On high the Helme I beare it well in minde The Wreath was Siluer poudred all with shot About the which goutté du sang did twinde A roll of Sable blacke and foule beblot The Creast two handes which may not be forgot For in the Right a trenchand blade did stande And in the Left a firie burning brande 8 Thus Poets Painters and Astronomers Haue giuen their gesse this subiect to define Yet are those thrée and with them trauellers Not best betrust among the Worthies nine Their woordes and workes are déemed not diuine But why God knowes my matter not so marre Vnlesse it be bicause they faine to farre 9 Well then let sée what sayth the common voice These olde sayde sawes of warre what can they say Who list to harken to their whispring noise May heare them talke and tattle day by day That Princes pryde is cause of warre alway Plentie brings pryde pryde plea plea pine pine peace Peace plentie and so say they they neuer cease 10 And though it haue bene thought as true as stéele Which people prate and preach aboue the rest Yet could I neuer any reason féele To thinke Vox populi vox Dei est As for my skill I compt him but a beast Which trusteth truth to dwell in common spéeche Where euery lourden will become a léech 11 Then what is warre define it right at last And let vs set all olde sayde sawes aside Let Poets lie let Painters faigne as fast Astronomers let marke how starres do glide And let these Trauellers tell wonders wide But let vs tell by trustie proufe of truth What thing is warre which raiseth all this ruth 12 And for my parte my fansie for to wright I say that warre is euen the scourge of God Tormenting such as dwell in princelie plight Yet not regarde the reaching of his rodde Whose deedes and dueties often times are odde Who raunge at randon iesting at the iust As though they raignde to do euen what they lust 13 Whome neyther plague can pull into remorse Nor dearth can drawe to mende that is amisse Within whose hearts no pitie findeth force Nor right can rule to iudge what reason is Whome sicknesse salueth not nor bale brings blisse Yet can high loue by waste of bloudie warre Sende scholemaisters to teach them what they are 14 Then since the case so plaine by proufe doth stande That warre is such and such alwayes it was Howe chaunceth then that many take in hande To ioy in warre whiles greater pleasures passe Who compt the quiet Burgher but an Asse That liues at ease contented with his owne Whiles they séeke more and yet are ouerthrowne 15 If Mars mooue warre as Starcoonners can tel And Poets eke in fables vse to faine Or if Bellona cause mennes heartes to swell By deadly grudge by rancor or dysdaine Then what delight may in that life remaine Where anger wrath téene mischiefe and debate Do still vpholde the pillers of the State 16 If Painters craft haue truly warre dysplayde Then is it woorsse and badde it is at best Where townes destroyde and fields with bloud berayde Yong children slaine olde widdowes foule opprest Maydes rauished both men and wiues distrest Short tale to make where sworde and cindring flame Consume as much as earth and ayre may frame 17 If pryde make warre as common people prate Then is it good no doubt as good may bée For pryde is roote of euill in euerie state The sowrse of sinne the very féend his fée The head of Hell the bough the braunch the trée From which do spring and sproute such fleshlie seedes As nothing else but moane and myschiefe bréedes 18 But if warre be as I haue sayde before Gods scourge which doth both Prince and people tame Then warne the wiser sorte by learned lore To flée from that which bringeth naught but blame And let men compt it griefe and not a game To féele the burden of Gods mightie hande When he concludes in iudgement for to stande 19 Oh Prince be pleasde with thine owne diademe Confine thy countries with their common boundes Enlarge no lande ne stretch thou not thy streame Penne vp thy pleasure in Repentance poundes Least thine owne sworde because of all thy woundes Claime nought by warre where title is not good It is Gods scourge then Prince beware thy bloud 20 Oh Dukes oh Earls oh Barons Knights squiers Kepe you content with that which is your owne Let brauerie neuer bring you in his briers Seeke not to mowe where you no séede haue sowne Let not your neighbors house be ouerthrowne To make your garden straight round euen and square For that is warre Gods scourge then Lordes be ware 21 Oh bishops deacons prelates priests and all Striue not for tythes for glebelande nor for fées For polling Peter pens for popish Pall For proud pluralities nor newe degrées And though you thinke it lubberlike to léese Yet shoulde you lende that one halfe of your cote Then Priests leaue warre and learne
shortly shall sée me his lorde ▪ I aske the seate wherof I ought of right Possesse the halfe I am Oedipus sonne And yours so am I true sonne to you both Wherfore I hope that as in my defence The worlde will weygh so Ioue wil me assiste Eteocles commeth in here by the gates Electrae himself armed and before him .xx. gentlemen in armour his two pages wherof the one beareth his Target the other his helme Chor. Beholde O quéene beholde O woorthie quéene Vnwoorthie he Eteocles here cōmes So woulde the Gods that in this noble realme Shoulde neuer long vnnoble tyrant reigne Or that with wrong the right and doutlesse heire Shoulde banisht be out of his princely seate Yet thou O quéene so fyle thy sugred toung And with such counsell decke thy mothers tale That peace may both the brothers hartes inflame And rancour yelde that erst possesse the same Eteocl. Mother beholde your hestes for to obey In person nowe am I resorted hither In haste therefore fayne woulde I knowe what cause With hastie spéede so moued hath your minde To call me nowe so causelesse out of time When common wealth moste craues my onely ayde Fayne woulde I knowe what quent commoditie Perswades you thus to take a truce for tyme And yeld the gates wide open to my foe The gates that myght our stately state defende And now are made the path of our decay Ioca. Represse deare son those raging stormes of wrath That so bedimme the eyes of thine intent As when the tongue a redy Instrument Would fayne pronounce the meaning of the minde It cannot speake one honest séemely worde But when disdayne is shrunke or sette asyde And mynde of man with leysure can discourse What séemely wordes his tale may best beséeme And that the toung vnfoldes without affectes Then may procéede an answere sage and graue And euery sentence sawst with sobernesse Wherefore vnbende thine angrie browes deare childe And caste thy rolling eyes none other waye That here doest not Medusaes a face beholde But him euen him thy bloud and brother deare And thou behold my Polinices eke Thy brothers face wherein when thou mayst sée Thine owne image remember therewithall That what offence thou wouldst to him were done The blowes thereof rebounde vnto thy selfe And hereof eke I would you both forewarne When frendes or brethren kinsfolke or allies Whose hastie hearts some angrie moode had moued Be face to face by some of pitie brought Who seekes to ende their discorde and debate They onely ought consider well the cause For which they come and cast out of their minde For euermore the olde offences past So shall swéete peace driue pleading out of place Wherfore the first shall Polinices be To tell what reason first his minde did rule That thus our walles with forrein foes enclosde In sharpe reuenge of causelesse wronge receiu'd As he alledgeth by his brothers doome And of this wicked woe and dire debate Some God of pitie be the equall iudge Whome I beseeche to breath in both your breasts A yelding heart to deepe desire of peace Poli. My woorthie dame I finde that tried truthe Doth beste beseeme a simple naked tale Ne néedes to be with painted proces prickt That in hir selfe hath no diuersitie But alwayes shewes one vndisguised face Where déepe deceipt and lies must séeke the shade And wrap their wordes in guilefull eloquence As euer fraught with contrarietie So haue I often sayde and say againe That to auoide our fathers foule reproche And bitter curse I parted from this lande With right good will yet thus with him agréed That while the whirling wings of flying time Might roll one yeare aboute the heauenly spheare So long alone he might with peace possesse Our fathers seate in princely Diademe And when the yeare should eke his course renue Might I succeede to rule againe as long And that this lawe might still be kept for aye He bound him selfe by vowe of solemne othe By Gods by men by heauen and eke by earth Yet that forgot without all reuerence Vnto the Gods without respect to right Without respect that reason ought to rule His faith and troth both troden vnder foote He still vsurps most tyrantlike with wrong The right that doth of right to me belong But if he can with equall doome consent That I retourne into my natiue soyle To sway with him alike the kingly seate And euenly beare the bridle both in hand Deare mother mine I sweare by all the Gods To raise with speede the siege from these our walles And send the souldiers home from whence they came Which if he graunt me not then must I do Though loth as much as right and reason would To venge my cause that is both good and iust Yet this in heauen the Gods my records be And here in earth each mortall man may know That neuer yet my giltlesse heart did fayle Brotherly duetie to Eteocles And that causlesse he holdes me from mine owne Thus haue I said O mother euen as much As néedefull is wherein I me assure That in the iudgement both of good and badde My words may séeme of reason to procéede Constrained thus in my defence to speake Chor. None may denie O pere of princely race But that thy words are honest good and iust And such as well beséeme that tong of thine Eteo. If what to some séemes honest good and iust Could séeme euen so in euery doubtfull mind No darke debate nor quarell could arise But looke how many men so many minds And that that one man iudgeth good and iust Some other déemes as déepely to be wrong To say the truth mother this minde of mine Doth fléete full farre from that farfetch of his Ne will I longer couer my conceit If I could rule or reigne in heauen aboue And eke commaund in depth of darksome hell No toile ne trauell should my sprites abashe To take the way vnto my restlesse will To climbe aloft nor downe for to descend Then thinke you not that I can giue consent To yeld a part of my possession Wherin I liue and lead the monarchie A witlesse foole may euery man him gesse That leaues the more and takes him to the lesse With this reproch might to my name redound If he that hath with forren power spoilde Our pleasaunt fields might reaue from me perforce What so he list by force of armes demand No lesse reproofe the citizens ensewes If I for dread of Gréekish hosts should graunt That he might climbe to heigth of his desire In fine he ought not thus of me to craue Accord or peace with bloudy sword in hand But with humilitie and prayer both For often is it séene and proofe doth teach Swete words preuaile where sword and fire do faile Yet this if here within these stately walles He list to liue the sonne of Oedipus And not as king of Thebes I stand content But let him thinke since now
into the Gulfe to fill it vp but it would not so close vp nor be filled Then came the ladyes and dames that stoode by throwing in their cheynes Iewels so to cause it stoppe vp and close it selfe but when it would not so be filled came in a knighte with his sword drawen armed at all poyntes who walking twise or thrise about it perusing it seing that it would nether be filled with earth nor with their Iewells and ornaments after solempne reuerence done to the gods and curteous leaue taken of the Ladyes and standers by sodeinly lepte into the Gulfe the which did close vp immediatly betokning vnto vs the loue that euery worthy person oweth vnto his natiue coūtrie by the historye of Curtins who for the lyke cause aduentured the like in Rome This done blinde Tyresias the deuine prophete led in by hys daughter and conducted by Meneceus the son of Creon entreth by the gates Electrae and sayth as followeth Actus iij. Scena 1. TYRESIAS CREON. MANTO MENECEVS SACERDOS THou trustie guide of my so trustlesse steppes Déer daughter mine go we lead thou the way For since the day I first did léese this light Thou only art the light of these mine eyes And for thou knowst I am both old weake And euer longing after louely rest Direct my steppes amyd the playnest pathes That so my febled féete may féele lesse paine Meneceus thou gentle childe tell me Is it farre hence the place where we must goe Where as thy father for my comming stayes For like vnto the slouthfull snayle I drawe Deare sonne with paine these aged legges of mine Creon returneth by the gates Homoloydes And though my minde be quicke scarce can I moue Cre. Comfort thy selfe deuine Creon thy frend Loe standeth here and came to méete with thée To ease the paine that thou mightst else sustaine For vnto elde eche trauell yeldes annoy And thou his daughter and his faithfull guide Loe rest him here and rest thou there withall Thy virgins hands that in sustayning him Doest well acquite the duetie of a childe For crooked age and hory siluer heares Still craueth helpe of lustie youthfull yeares Tyr. Gramercie Lorde what is your noble will Cre. What I would haue of thée Tyresias Is not a thing so soone for to be sayde But rest a whyle thy weake and weary limmes And take some breath now after wearie walke And tell I pray thée what this crowne doth meane That sits so kingly on thy skilfull heade Tyr. Know this that for I did with graue aduise Foretell the Citizens of Athens towne How they might best with losse of litle bloude Haue victories against their enimies Hath bene the cause why I doe weare this Crowne As right rewarde and not vnméete for me Cre. So take I then this thy victorious crowne For our auaile in token of good lucke That knowest how the discord and debate Which late is fallen betwene these brethren twaine Hath brought all Thebes in daunger and in dreade Eteocles our king with threatning armes Is gone against his greekish enimies Commaunding me to learne of thée who arte A true diuine of things that be to come What were for vs the safest to be done From perill now our countrey to preserue Tyr. Long haue I bene within the towne of Thebes Since that I tyed this trustie toung of mine From telling truth fearing Eteocles Yet since thou doest in so great néede desire I should reueale things hidden vnto thée For common cause of this our common weale I stand content to pleasure thée herein But first that to this mightie God of yours There might some worthie sacrifice be made Let kill the fairest goate that is in Thebes Within whose bowelles when the Préest shall loke And tell to me what he hath there espyed I trust t' aduise thée what is best to doen. Cre. Lo here the temple and ere long I looke To sée the holy préest that hither cōmes Bringing with him the pure and faire offrings Which thou requirest for not long since I sent For him as one that am not ignorant Of all your rytes and sacred ceremonyes He went to choose amid our herd of goates The fattest there and loke where now he commes Sacerdos accompanyed with .xvj. Bacchanales and all his rytes and ceremonies entreth by the gates Homoloydes Sacer. O famous Citizens that holde full deare Your quiet country Loe where I doe come Most ioyfully with wonted sacrifice So to beséeche the supreme Citizens To stay our state that staggringly doth stand And plant vs peace where warre and discord growes Wherfore with hart deuoute and humble chéere Whiles I breake vp the bowels of this beast That oft thy veneyarde Bacchus hath destroyed Let euery wight craue pardon for his faults With bending knee about his aultars here Tyr. Take here the salt and sprincle therwithall About the necke that done cast all the rest Into the sacred fire and then annoynte The knife prepared for the sacrifice O mightie Ioue preserue the precious gifte That thou me gaue when first thine angrie Quéene For deepe disdayne did both mine eyes do out Graunt me I may foretell the truth in this For but by thée I know that I ne may Ne wil ne can one trustie sentence say Sa. This due is done Tyr. With knife then stick the kid Sac. Thou daughter of deuine Tyresias With those vnspotted virgins hands of thine Receiue the bloude within this vessell here And then deuoutly it to Bacchus yelde Man. O holy God of Thebes that doest both praise Swete peace and doest in hart also disdayne The noysome noyse the furies and the fight Of bloudie Mars and of Bellona both O thou the giuer both of ioy and health Receiue in grée and with well willing hand These holy whole brunt offrings vnto thée And as this towne doth wholy thée a dore So by thy helpe do graunt that it may stand Safe from the enimies outrage euermore Sac. Now in thy sacred name I bowell here This sacrifice Tyre And what entralls hath it Sac. Faire and welformed all in euery poynt The liuer cleane the hart is not infect Saue loe I finde but onely one hart string By which I finde something I wote nere what That séemes corrupt and were not onely that In all the rest they are both sound and hole Tyr. Now cast at once into the holy flame The swete incense and then aduertise mée What hew it beares and euery other ryte That ought may helpe the truth for to coniecte Sac. I sée the flames doe sundrie coulours cast Now bloudy sanguine straight way purple blew Some partes séeme blacke some gray and some be gréene Tyr. Stay there suffyseth this for to haue séene Know Creon that these outward séemely signes By that the Gods haue let me vnderstand Who know the truth of euery secrete thing Betoken that the Citie great of Thebes Shall Victor be against the Gréekish host If so consent be giuen but more