haughty top let now prepared be Both feeding beastes and foules the syde of Caucas turne to see And bare of woods the yle that bridge of Scithe that therby standes Simplegas ioynes both here and there let it my bounden handes Stretch out abroade and when with course return'de accustomd'ly They shall togeather dryue and shall the rockes tosse vp to skye With bankes togeather beyng thrust and eke the middle seay Let me bet weene the mountaynes lye vnquiet restlesse stay But building vp with wood throwne on a heaped plie on hie My body thus with wicked bloud besprinct why burne not I So so yt mus be done to hell I Hercles will restore Am. Not yet his hart astonted lackes his ragyng tumult sore But wraths hath turnd and which of rage is property and yre Agaynst himselfe he rageth now Her The furies places dire And dungeon depe of sprites in hell and place of tormentry To gylty ghostes and banishment yf any yet do lye Beyond Erebus yet vnknowen to Cerberus and mee There hyde me ground to farthest bond of Tartarus to see To tary there I le goe O brest of myne to fierce and stoute Who you my children thus disperst through all my house about May worthely enough bewayle in all my euils yet This countnaunce hard can neuer weepe a sword now hether set My shaftes reach hether hyther reach my mighty club also To thee my weapons breake I will to thee my sonne a two I le knappe my bowes and eke my clubbe this blocke of heauy wayghte Shal to thy sprites be burned loe this selfe same quiuer frayght With Lerney shaftes to funerall of thyne shall like wyse goe Let all my weapons penance pay and you vnhappy to Euen with my weapons burne I wil O stepdames handes of myne Th. Who euer yet to ignoraunce hath geuen name of cryme Her Ful oftentymes did errour greate the place of gylt obtayne Th. T' is neede to be a Hercles now this heape of yll sustayne Her Not so hath shame yet geuen place with fury drowned quight But peoples all I rather should dryue from my wicked sight My weapons weapons Theseus I quickly craue to mee Withdraw to be restoard agayne if sound my mynd now bee Restore to me my weapons if yet last my rage of mynd Then father flee for I the waye to death my selfe shal fynde Am. By sacred holy kynreds rightes by force and duty all Of both my names if eyther me thy brynger vp thou call Or parent els and which of good men reuerenced are By these hoare hayres I the besech my desert age yet spare And wery yeares of house falne downe the one alonly stay One onely light to mee with yls afflicted euery way Reserue thy selfe yet neuer hath there happ'ned once of thee Fruite of thy toyles still eyther I the doubtful sea to see Or monsters feard who euer yet hath bene a cruell king In all the world to ghostes allow and aulters both hurtinge Of me is feard the father of thee absent stil to haue The feuite the touching and the sight of thee at length I craue He. Wherfore I longer should sustayn my life yet in this light And linger here no cause there is all good lost haue I quighte My mynd my weapons my renoume my wife my sonnes my handes And fury to no man may heale and lose from gylty handes My mynd defyeld needes must with death he heald so haynous yll Th. Wilt thou thy father IIay He. Least I shoulde do it die I will Th. Before thy fathers face He. I taught him mischief for to see Th. Thy deedes marking rather that should of al remembred bee Of this one only cryme I do a pardon of thee craue Her Sall he geue pardon to himselfe that to none els it gaue I beeing bidden prayse deseru'd this deede mine owne doth proue Helpe father now if eyther els thy piety thee moue Or els my heauy fate or els the honour and renowne Of stained strength my weapons bringe let fortune be throwen downe with my right hand Th. The prayers which thy father makes to thee Are stronge enough but yet likewyse with weeping loe of me By moued yet aryse thou vp and with thy wonted myght Subdue thyne yls now such a mynde vnmeete to beare vpright No euill hap receyus againe loe now with manhode gret Thou must preuayle euen Hercules forbyd with yre to fret HE. Alyue I hurt but if I dye I take the gylt also I hast to ridde the world of cryme euen now before me lo A wicked monster cruel and vntamed fierce and flout Doth wander now with thy ryght hand beginne to goe aboute A greate affayre yea more then all thy twyse sixe labours long Yet stayst thou wretch that late agaynst the children wast so stronge And fearful mother now except restoard my weapons see Of Thracian Pindus eyther I wil feare downe euery tree And Bacchus holly woods and tops of mount Cythaeron hye Burne with myselfe and al at once with all their housen I And with the Lordes therof the roofes with goddes of Thebes all The Thebane temples euen vppon my body will let fall And wyl be hyd in to wne vpturnd if to my shoulders might The walles themselues all cast theron shall fall a burden light And couerd with seuen gates I shall not be enough opprest Then all the wayght wheron the worlde in middle part doth rest And partes the Goddes vppon my head I le turne and ouerthrow My weapons geue Am. This word is meete for Hercles father lo With this same arrow slaine behold thy sonne is tombled downe This weapōs cruell Iuno lo from handes of thyne hath throwne This same wil I now vse loe see how leaps with feare afright My wretched harte and how it doth my careful body smight The shaft is set therto thou shalt a mischiefe lo do now Both willing it and wotting tel what thing commaundest thou I nothing craue my doloure let in saf'ty standeth now To kepe my sonne alyue to mee that onely do canst thou O Theseu yet I haue not scapte great'st feare that happen can Thou canst mee not a miser make thou mayst a happy man So order euery thyng thou dost as all thy cause in hand And fame thou mayst wel know in strayght and doubtful case to stande Thou liu'st or diest this slender soule that light is hence to flee Weried with age and no lesse bet with greuous ils to see In mouth I holde so slowly to a father with such slaye Doth any man geue lyfe I wil no longer bid delay The deadly sword throughout my breast to strike I wil apply Here here the gylt of Hercules euen sound of mynd shall lye Her Forbeare O father now forbeare with draw thy hand againe My manhood yeld thy fathers will and impery sustaine To Hercles labours now like wyse let this one labour goe Let me yet liue lift vp from ground th' afflicted lims with woe O Theseu of my parent for from Godly
to them Here runnes a gulphy streame With force afore it dryuing stones as bigge as mountaine beame What say you shall wee drench our selues within this fomy Flood Goe where you wil take which you list do as you deeme it good Conditionally that I may first receyue the wound of death I recke no whit I ready stand to yeld vp vitall breath I neyther draw you to nor froe but euen as best you thinke So doe so deale Would you so fayne Deathes bitter cup to drinke My lord and Father take you death so greate a boone to bee If that you dye this I assure die first you shall me see If life in shew more pleasaunt seme if so you rather chuse I am to wayte vpon you still and neuer will refuse But chaunge this mynde wherein you rest take hart a grace and show The noble magnanimity that earst in you did flow Resist these panges subdue these dumpes by valour of the mynd Let manly courage qualify these your affections blynd T is great dishonor thus to yeeld your selfe to dolor thrall No storme of aduerse hap thus ought a Princes hart t' appall Oedip. This geare surmounteth far the reach of my capacity I am astonn'd I feele my selfe rapt with an extasie Is this not wonder of so lewd and of so curst a tree Such fruite to grow of graceles Syre so good a child to see Is it not straunge that in a house distaynd in villany Such noble shew of towardnes and vertuous gyftes should lye Let me some speach to thee direct dame Fortune how haps this That here my daughter so vnlike to wretched father is Degenerating from his steps and with such vertue fraught As in her Fathers cursed house she neuer yet was taught Is it I pray thee credible that out of me should spring Such yssue as should geuen be to any honest thinge No truely no it cannot bee my fates ful well I know None such vnlesse to doe me scart and mischiefe would be so T' encrease the heape of myne annoy no straunge effect shall want Dame Nature in her Creatures wil new affectes emplant The Ryuer shall returne his course to Fountayne backe agayne Dan Phoebus Lamp shall bring the Night and Night shal day remain So that my grieuous miseryes with surplusage may grow But be as t is I for a whyle wil play my part also And shew some sparke of piety my fault to counteruayle With murtdroue knife my woeful dayes to end I wil not fayle The onely helpe for Oedipus the onely safety is To ridde himselfe and so redeeme that Hellish fact of his Let mee take vengeance on my selfe for wronges to father donne Whose Death is yet vnexpiate by mee his cursed sonne Why dost thou shake and tremble thus thou hand not good for ought Why flaggrest thou to stabbe him in who Syre to spoyle hath brought That punishment which hether to by pulling out myne eyes Thou hast inflicted on me is but as a sacrifyce Or guerdon due for villany which I committed haue With mother myne Now Daughter sloute leaue of pretences braue Alledge no gâ—oses but with speede let goe thy Fathers hand Thou mak'st me die a lingring death within this loathed land Thou thinkst I am aliue but I am dead long while agoe To this my hateful Corps at length the rytes of Buriall show Thou meanest well I know but yet therin thou dost offend Though colour for thy piety I see thou dost pretend But piety it canot be to dragge thus vp and downe Thy Fathrs Corpes vnburied through City Field and Towne For bee that doth enforce a man agaynst his will to dye And he that stayeth him that would fayne dye most willingly Are both alike in equall fault and stand in egall plight To hinder one that would be dead is morthring him outright Yet not so great as thother is I would be more content To haue my death commaunded me then from me to be set Desist from this thy purpose Mayd my lyfe and death both are To dispose at my liberty with choyse to spill or spare I willingly resigned the Crowne of Thebane soyle yet I Do still retaine vpon my selfe the entyre Soueraygntye If I may make accompt of thee as of a trusty feare And true compagnion at assayes deliuer euen heere Into thy Fathers hand a Sweard but tell me dost thou reach The Sword embrewd in fathers bloud wherewith my sonnes empeach The course of Law possessing it and kingdome all by force Where so it is doubt is there none but cleane without remorse There bee the Floudgates opned wyde to al licencious lust And thriftlesse trades I al my clayme therein do rake in dust And cleane forsake Let both my Sonnes by Legacy enioy The same wherewith they surely shall contriue non smal annoy For mee pyle rather vp a stacke of wood set all on fyre That I therein may thrust my selfe that is my chiefe desyre And make an end at once of all this carrion Tarkasse vyle Where is the surging wauous Sea why stay I all this whyle Bring mee to some stiepe breaknecke fall bring me where Ismene flood With swift and horned course doth runne bring me wheras my blood With goaryng push of sauage beastes may out be let at once To some Gulfe bring me where the fall and tide may crush my Bones If needes thou wilt my guyde remayne as oft thou dost me tell Bring me that am dispos'd to dye where Sphiox that Monster fell With double shape apposed them that passed by the way Propounding Riddles intricate and after did them slay There would I bee that place I seeke thy Father thyther bring Into that Monsters Cabin dire thy Monstrous Father fling That though that Monster be dispatcht the place may bee supplyde With one as badde or worse then bee there wil I farre and wyde In tearmes obscure report and tell my heauy lucklesse lot The misteries whereof the bearers vnderstandeth not Geue eare to that which I shal speake marke thou Assyrian borne Consider this thou Thebane where Duke Cadmus men were torne And slayne in wood by Serpentes rage where Dirce seely trull In humble sort at Aulter lies aduert my tale at full Thou that in Lacedaemon dwelles and honorst Castors grace And Pollux eake two brethren twynnes Fynd out this doubtful case Or thou that dwelst in Elis towne or by Parnassus hill Or thou that till'st Baeotia ground there reaping gayne at wil Hearke listen well and flatly say if euer heretofore That murdrous monster Sphinx of Thebes that men in peeces tore In all his riddles askt the like or of so straunge a sort Or whether so insolubly his termes he cold report The Sonne in Lavv to Graundfather the Riual of his Syre The Brother of his litle Babes to Brethren father dire The Graundmother at euery byrth to Husband graceles Elfe Brought forth a Sonne or Daughter vvhich vvas Nephevv to her selfe How say you Syrs in Ryddle darke who hath so good insight That
lot yet Paris led away I haue bene cause of all these wars and then your woes were wrought When first your shippes the Spartayn Seas land of Grecia sought But if the Goddesse wild it so that I their pray should be And for reward to her beautyes iudge shee had appoynted me Then pardon Paris thinke this thing in wrathful iudge doth lie The sentence Menelaus geues and he this case shall trye Now turne thy playntes Andromacha and weepe for Polyxeyne Mine eyes for sorrowes of my hart theyr teares may not refrayne An. Alas what care makes Heleyn weepe what griefe doth she lament Declare what craftes Vlisses castes what mischiefe hath he sent Shall shee from height of Idey hil be hedlong tombled downe Or else out of the turrets toppe in Troy shal she be throwne Or wil they cast her from the clieues into Sygeon seas In bottom of the surging waues to end her ruthful days Show what thy countnaunce hides and tell the secrets of thy breast Some woes in Pyrhus wedding are farre worse then all the rest Go to geue sentence on the mayd pronounce her desteny Delude no longer our mishappes we are prepard to die H. Would God the 'xpoūder of the Gods would geue his dome so right That I also on poynt of sword might leese the lothsome light Or at Achilles tombe with stroake of Pyrrhus hand be slayne And beare a part of al thy fates O wretched Polixeyne Whom yet Achilles woeth to wed and where his ashes lie Requireth that thy bloud be shed and at his tombe to die An. Behold loe how her noble mynd of Death doth gladly heare She deckes her selfe her regal weede in seemely wyse to weare And to her head she settes her hand the broyded hayre to lay To wed she thought it Death to die she thinkes a wedding day But helpe alas my mother sounds to heare her daughters death Aryse plucke vp your heart and take agayne the panting breath Alacke good mother how slender stay that doth thy life sustayne A little thinge shall happy thee thou art almost past payne Her breath returnes she doth reuyue her lims their life do take So see when wretches fayne would die how death doth them forsake Hec. Doth yet Achilles liue alas to work the Troyans spight Doth he rebell agaynst vs yet O hand of Paris light The very tombe and ashes loe yet thirsteth for our bloud A happy heape of children late on euery syde mee stoode It wearied me to deale the mothers kisse among them al The rest are lost and this alone now doth me mother call Thou onely child of Hecuba a comfort left to me A stayer of my sory state and shall I now leese thee Depart O wretched soule and from this carefull carcas flie And ease me of such ruthfull fates to see my daughter die By weepyng wets alas my eyes and staines them ouer al And downe my cheekes the sodeine streames and showres af teares do fal But thou deare daughter maist be glad Cassandra would reioyse Or Hectors wife thus wed to be if they might haue their choyse And. We are the wretches Hecuba in cursed case we stande Whom straight the shippe shal tosse by seas into a forraine land But as for Heleyns grieues be gone and turned to the best She shall againe her natyue countrey se and liue at rest Hele. Ye would the more enuy my state if ye might know your owne Andr. And grouth there yet more griefe to me that erst I haue not known Hele. Such masters must ye serue as doth by chaunce of lots befal Andr. Whose seruaunt am I then become whom shall I maister call Hele. By lot ye fall to Pyrhus hands you are his prisoner Andr Cassandra is happy fury saues perhaps and Phoebus her Hele. Chiefe kinge of Greekes Cassandra keepes and his captiue is shee Hec. Is any one amonge them all that prysoner would haue me Hele You chaunsed to Vlysses are his pray ye are become Hec. Alas what cruell dyre and yrefull dealer of the dome What god vniust doth so deuide the captiues to their lordes What grieuous arbiter is he that to such choyce accordes What cruel hand to wretched folke so euil fates hath caste Who hath amonge Achilles armour Hectors mothers plaste Now am I captiue and beset with all calamitie My bondage grieues me not but him to serue it shameth mee He that Achilles spoyles hath won shall Hectors also haue Shall barraine lande enclosde with seas receiue my boanes in graue Leade me Vlysses where thou wylt leade me I make no stay My master I and me my fates shall follow euery way Let neuer calme come to the seas but let them rage with winde Come fire and sword mine owne mischaunce and Priams let me finde In meane time haps this deepe distres my cares can know no calme I ran the race with Priamus but he hath won the Palme But Pyrrhus comes with swiftned pace thretning browes doth wrest What stayste thou Pyrrhus strike thy sword now through this woful brest And both at ones the parents of thy fathers wife now slay Murderer of age likes thee her bloud he draw my daughter away Defile the gods and staine the sprights of hel with slaughtred bloud To aske your mercy what auayles our prayers do no good The vengeance aske I on your ships that it the gods may pleas According to this sacrifice to guide you on the seas This wishe I to your thousand sayles Gods wrath light on them all Euen to the ship that beareth me what euer may befall Chorus A Comfort is to mans calamity A dolefull flocke of felowes in distres And sweete to him that mournes in miserie To here them wayle whom sorowes like oppres In deepest care his griefe him bites the les That his estate bewayles not all alone But seeth with him the teares of many one For still it is the chiefe delight in woe And ioy of them that sonke in sorrowes are To see like fates by fall to many moe That may take part of all their wofull fare And not alone to be opprest with care There is no wight of woe that doth complayne When all the rest do like mischaunce sustayne In all this world if happy man were none None though he were would thinke himselfe a wretch Let once the ritch with heapes of Gold be gone Whose hundred head his pastours ouerretch Then would the poore mans hart begin to stretch There is no wretch whose life him doth displease But in respect of those that liue at ease Sweete is to him that standes in deepe distresse To see no man in ioyful plight to bee Whose onely vessel wind and waue oppresse Ful sore his chaunce bewayles and weepeth hee That with his owne none others wracke doth see When he alone makes shipwracke one the sand And naked falles to long desyred land A thousande sayle who seeth to drench in Seas With better will the storme hath ouerpast His heauy hap doth him the
able is the sense hereof t' vnfold and tell aryght As for my selfe although the Sphinx I whylome put to foyle Yet myne owne heauy destenie I scarcely can assoyle Why dost thou Daughter labour loose in vsyng further speech To alter this my stony hart why dost thou mee beseech I tel thee playne I fully meane this bloud of mynt to spill That long with Death hath struggling kept and thereupon I will Descend to darke infernall Lake for this same darknes blynd Of both myne eyes is nothing such as fact of myne should fynd It were my Blisse to bee in Hell in deepest dungeon fast Now that which should long since haue bene I wil perfourme at last I cannot be debard from Death wilt thou deny me glaue Or Sword or knife wilt thou no toole for mischiefe let me haue Wilt thou both watch and ward each way where dauÌ„ger lies in wayte Shall such a sinful Caytife wretch as I be kepe so straite Wilt thou not suffer me with Coard to breake my hatefull Necke Canst thou kepe mee from poysonous herbes hast thou them al at beck What shall it thee preuayle to take for mee such earnest care Death ech where is and wayes to death in thousand corners are Herein hath God good order tane that euery felie Foe May take away an others life but Death hee cannot so I seeke not anye toole to haue this desprate mynd of myne Can vse the seruice of my hand my threede of lyfe t' vntwine Now hand thy maister at a pinch assist to worke his feate Helpe him with all thy power and strength t' exployt his purpose great I poynt thee not in this my Corps vnto one place alone Alas each part of me with guilt is plaunch and ouergrowne In which soeuer part thou wilt thy Massacre beginne And seeke to bring me to my death which way thou mayst it winne In pieces crush this body all this hart that harbors sinne Pluck out out all my entrailes pull proceede and neuer linne To gash and cut my wezand pype My vaynes asender scratch And make the Bloud come spowting out or vse that other match Which heretofore thou vsed haste digge where myne eyes earst stood And let these woundes gush out apace much mattry filth and blood Hale out of mee this loathed soule that is so hard and stout And thou deare father Laius stand vp and looke about Behold where euer that thou standst I Vmpyre doe the make And eyed Iudge of all my plagues that iustly heere I take My Fact so lewde so horrible so loathsome to bee tolde I neuer thought with any pryce or tormentes manifolde Could haue full expiation ne thought I it inough To die this death or in one part to be beslasshed through By piecemeale I am well content to suffer tormentes all And euen by piecemeale for to die for plagues to plague mee call Exact the punishment that 's due I heere most ready stand To satisfie with any death that law and righte hath scand My former smartes when as mine eyes I raked out with pawes Were but as tastes of sacrifice somewhat to helpe my cause Come therefore Father neare to mee and thrust this hand of myne More nearer into euery wound It sweru'de and did decline For feare when first it tooke th' assay mine eyes to ransacke out I beare it still in memory my eyes then star'de about And seemed to disswade the hand from doing of the charge Whereto it was enioyned tho and had Commission large Thou shalt well thinke that OEdipus dissembleth not a whitâ— But what his word hath warranted his deede hath firmely quit Thy stoutnes then was not so great when eyes thou pulledst out As was thy man aâ—oden when thou threwst them from thee round about Now by those Gyeholes thrust thy hand into the very braine That part where death attempted was let death be sought againe AN. Vndaunted Prynce must noble Syre with humble mynde I sue That I your Daughter may be bolde to vse some speech to you And that you would with patience digest my poore aduise My suite is not to draw your minde to thinges that earst in price You highly held me to the view of glittring Pallace olde Ne brauery of your noble Realme scarce able to bee tolde But that you would these yrefull fittes by trace of time now quaild With patient minde sustayne and beare this vertue neuer faylde In any Prynce of such a spright as in your noble Grace Appeareth bryght it fitteth not that such should once abase Themselues as thralles to Sorrowes checke 〈◊〉 the conquest yeelde To aduerse hap lyke 〈…〉 It is no prayse syr though perhappes you so your reckening cast To make of lyfe so small accoumpt and thus to bee agast At euery wagging of a leafe and combersome myschaunce No no t is vertue in such case high courage to aduaunce And when thinges are at worst to shew true magnanimitie Not lyke a Meycocke cowardly at eche alarme to flee Hee that hath tride all fortunes spight and worldly wealth despisde And constantly hath borne all bruntes that are to be deuisde Mee thinks no cause hath why he needes to ende his breathing dayes Or wish himselfe in graue for why starcke crauens vse such wayes But as for him that 's drencht in dole and wrapt in carking care Whose pensius plight can be no worse nor tast of sowrer fare That man hath cause well pleasâ—â— to be sith hee in safety standes And pykes hath past and now is free from feare of further bandes Put case the Gods would weave the webbe of further woe to thee What more can any of them doe thy grieues to amplifie Nay thou thy selfe although thou wouldst canst adde thereto no more Vnlesse thou thinke thy selfe to haue deserued death therefore And yet thou arte not worthy death my reason is because Through ignoraunce thou didst a fact contrary to the lawes And therefore Father thinke your selfe most guiltlesse in the case And maugre Gods stand on your guarde my counsell sound embrace For doubtlesse you an innocent are deem'de and thought to bee And are in deede what makes you thus in dumpes and dolefull glee What cause so great should so enchaunt your conscience and your wits To seeke your owne decay and spoyle what meane faint hearted fits That thus in hast you would so faine abandon this your lyfe And goe to hell where torment dwelles and grisly ghostes be ryfe You would not see Sun Moone ne Starre no more you can your eyes Are blynd you faine would leaue your Court and Countries miseries Why so you may and so you doe These all are put to sacke That now alyue aswell as dead you feele of these the lacke You flee from Mother Wyfe and Chylde you see no man alyue What more can death dispatch away but life doth now depriue your lords your knights your courtly traine your kingly state crowne Your graund Affaires your waighty charge is gone brought abowne From whom froÌ„ what do
Serch out a death whereby thou mayst perpetuall shame obtayne And yet not dye But still to liue in euerlasting payne Why stayst thou man Go to I say what meane these blubbring teares Why weepst thou thus Alas to late Leaue of thy foolysh feares And i st enough to weepe thinkst thou shall teares and wayling serue No wretch it shall not be Thou dost ten thousand deaths deserue Myne eyes doe dally with mee I see and teares doe still out powre Shall teares suffice No no not so I shall them better scowre Out with thine Eyes he sayd and than with fury fierce enflam'de Like to a bloudy raging Feend and monstrous beast vntamde With fiery flaming spotted Cheekes his breast he often beats And scratch and teare his Face hee doth and Skin a sunder freats That scarse his eyes in head could stand so sore he them besets With furious fierce outrageous minde hee stamps and cries alowd And roares rayles with ramping rage Thus in this case he stood Perplext and vexed sore in minde with deadly sighs and teares When sodenly all franticklike himselfe from ground hee reares And rooteth out his wretched Eyes and sight a sunder teares Than gnasheth he his bloudy Teeth and bites and gnawes champs His Eyes all bathd and brude in bloud for fury fierce he stamps And raging more than needes alas his Eyes quight rooted out The very holes in vayne hee scrapes so sore the wretch doth dout Least sight should chaunce for to remayne he rents and mangels quight His Face his Nose his Mouth and all whereon his hands do light Hee rygs and ryues Thus fowly rayd alas in piteous plight At length his head aloft he lifts and therewith geues a shright And whan he sees that all is gone both light and sight and all Than schriching out he thus begins vpon the Gods to call Now spare you Gods now spare at length my countrey prest to fall I haue done that you did cÅmaund Your wraths reuenged bee This wretched looke this mangled face is fittest now for mee Thus speaking down the blackish bloud by streams doth gushing flow Into his mouth And clottred lumps of flesh the place doth strow Wherein hee standes Beware betimes by him beware I speake vnto you all Learne Iustice truth and feare of God by his vnhappy fall Chorus MAns lyfe with tumbling fatal course of fortunes wheele is rowld To it giue place for it doth run all swiftly vncontrowld And Cares teares are spent in vayn for it cannot be slayed Syth his decree of heauenly powers perforce must be obayed What mankind byded or does on earth it coÌ„meth from aboue Then wayling grones powrd out in griefe do nought at all behoue Our life must haue her pointed course alas what shall I say As fates decree so things do run no man can make them stay For at our byrth to Gods is known our latter dying day No Prayer no Arte not God himselfe may fatall fates resist But fastned all in fixed courte vnchaunged they persist Such ende them still ensues as they appointed were to haue Than fly all feare of Fortunes chaung leeke hot to lyue a slaue Enthrald in bondage vyle to feare For feare doth often bring Destnies that dreaded ben and mischiefs feard vpon vs fling Yea many a man hath come vnto his fatall ende by feare Wherefore set peuish feare aside and worthy courage beare And thou that subiect art to death Regard thy latter day Thinke no man blest before his ende Aduise thee well and stay Be sure his lyfe and death and all be quight exempt from mysery Ere thou do once presume to say this man is blest and happy But out alas see where he coms a wretch withouten Guide Bereft of sight Halfe spoyld of lyfe without all Pomp and Pride That vnto Kings Estate belonge THE FIFTE ACTE THE SECOND SCENE OEdipus Chorus Iocasta WEll well t is done more yet No no no mischiefs more remaynee My Fathers Rytes performed are What God on Mysers paynes That rues within this Cloud hath rolde and wrapt my wretched Pate Ah sir this is a life alone This is a happy State This is a case ene fit for thee for thee thou wretch for thee From whose accursed sight the Sun the Stars and all doe flee Yet mischiefs more who giues to doe The dreadfull day I haue Escapt Thou filthy Paracide thou vile mischieuous Slaue Vnto thy right hand nought thou owst all things performed bee O woe is mee that euer I liu'de this lucklesse day to see Where am I now Alas alas the light and all doth mee Abhor O wretched OEdipus this looke is first for thee CHO. See see where Iocasta coms with fierce and furious moode Quight past her selfe For very rage shee frets and waxeth woode Much like to Cadmus daughter mad who late hir Sonne did kill Fayne would she speake her mynde for seare alas she dares not still Shee stayes and yet from out her breast these ills haue quight exilde All shame fastnes See how shee lookes with coÅ«t'naunce fierce wilde IO. Fayne would I speake I am afraide For what should I thee call My Son doubt not Thou art my Son My Son thou art for all These mischiefs great alas alas I shame my Son to see O cruell Son Where dost thou turn thy Face Why dost thou flee From me From me thy Mother deare Why dost thou shun my sight And leaue me thus in misery with Cares consumed quight OE. Who troubles me Let me alone I thought not to be founde Who now restores myne Eyes to mee Mother or Mothers sounde Our labour all is spent in vayne now may wee meete no more The Seas deuide those meetings vile that wee haue had before The gaping earth deuide vs both th' one from th' other quight Still let our feete repugnant bee So shall I shun the light That most of all me grieues So shall I space obtaine to wayle These bleeding woes on euery side that doe my thoughtes assayle IOC. The Destentes are in fault Blame them Alas alas not wee OED. Spare now Leaue of to speake in vayne spare now O Mother mee By these Reliques of my dismembred body I thee pray By myne vnhappy Children pledges left What shall I say By all the Gods I thee beseech By all that in my name Is good or bad let mee alone Alas you are to blame To trouble mee You see what hell my haplesse heart doth payne You see that in my Conscience ten thousand horrors raine IOC. O dying heart O sindrownd soule Why dost thou faint alas Why dost thou seeke and toyle in vayne these ills to ouerpas What meane these sighes scalding teares why dost thou death refuse Thou mate of all his mischiefs thou by whose meanes onely rues The law of nature all by whom Ah Ah confounded lies Both God and man and beast and all that eyther liues or dies Die thou dispatch at once thrust through thy vile incestuous brest Thou hast none other meanes
alas to set thine heart at rest Not thou if God him selfe if he his flaming fiers should throw On thee or mischiefs all by heapes vpon thy body strow Couldst once for thy deserued ills due paines or vengeaunce pay Some meanes therefore to wreak Gods wrath vpon thy selfe assay Death death now best contenteth mee then seeke a way to dye So maist thou yet at length finde end for all thy misery O Son lend mee thy hand sith that thou art a Paracyde This labour last of all remaynes this labour thee doth byde Dispatch rid mee thy mother deare from all my deadly woe It will not be no prayers auaile Thy selfe this deede must doe Take vp this sword Goe to with this thy husbande late was slayne Husband thou term'st him false hee was thy syer O deadly payne Shal I quight through my brest it driue or through my throte it thrust Canst thou not choose thy wound away die die alas thou must This hateful womb then woūd O wretch this this with thine own hand Strike strike it hard O spare it not sith both a husband and The same a Son it bare CHOR. Alas alas shee is slaine she is slayne dispatched with a push Who euer sawe the like to this see how the bloud doth gush O heauy doulfull case who can this dyrefull sight enduer Which for the hideousnesse thereof might teares of stones procuer OED. Thou God thou teller out of Fates On thee on thee I call My Father onely I did owe vnto the Destnies all Now twise a Paracide and worse than I did feare to bee My Mother I haue slayne Alas the fault is all in mee O OEdipus accursed wretch lament thine owne Calamity Lament thy state thy griefe lament thou Caitife borne to misery Where wilt thou now become alas thy Face where wilt thou hyde O myserable Slaue canst thou such shamefull tormentes byde Canst thou which hast thy Parents slain Canst thou prolong thy life Wilt thou not dye deseruing Death thou cause of all the griefe And Plagues and dreadfull mischiefs all that Thebane City prease Why dost thou seeke by longer life thy sorrowes to encrease Why dost thou toyle and labour thus in vayne It will not bee Both God and man and beast and all abhorre thy Face to see O Earth why gapst thou not for why doe you not vnfolde You gates of hell mee to receaue why doe you hence withholde The fierce Infernall Feends from me from me so wretched wight Why breake not all the Furyes lose this hatefull head to smight With Plagues which them deserued hath alas I am left alone Both light and sight and comfort all from mee O wretch is gone O cursed head O wicked wight whom all men deadly hate O Beast what meanst thou still to liue in this vnhappy state The Skies doe blush and are ashamd at these thy mischiefes great The Earth laments the Heauens weepe the Seas for rage doe freat And blustring rise and stormes doe stir and all thou wretch for thee By whose incest and bloudy deedes all things disturbed bee Quight out of course displaced quight O cursed fatall day O mischiefes great O dreadfull times O wretch away away Exile thy selfe from all mens sight thy life halfe spent in misery Goe end consume it now outright in thrise as great calamity O lying Phoebe thine Oracles my sin and shame surmount My Mothers death amongst my deedes thou neuer didst recount A meete Exploict for me that am to Nature deadly Foe With trembling fearefull pace goe forth thou wretched monster goe Grope out thy wayes on knees in darke thou miserable Slaue So maist thou yet in tract of time due paynes and vengeaunce haue For thy mischeuous lyfe Thus thus the Gods themselues decree Thus thus thy Fates thus thus the skyes appoint it for to bee Then headlong hence with a mischiefe hence thou caitife vyle away Away away thou monstrous Beast Goe Run Stand stay Least on thy Mother thou doe fall All you that wearyed bodies haue with sickenesse ouerprest Loe now I fly I fly away the cause of your vnrest Lift vp your heads a better state of Ayre shall strayght ensewe Whan I am gone for whom alone these dreadfull myschiefs grewe And you that now halfe dead yet liue in wretched misers case Help those whō present torments presse forth hye you on apace For loe with me I cary hence all mischiefes vnder Skyes All cruell Fates Diseases all that for my sake did ryse With mee they goe with me both griefe Plague Pocks Botch all The ills that eyther now you presse or euer after shall With me they goe with me these Mates bin meetst of all for mee Who am the most vnhappiest wretch that euer Sun did see FINIS THE SIXTE TRAGEDIE OF THE MOST GRAVE prudēt Author LVCIVS ANNAEVS SENECA entituled TROAS vvith diuers and sundrye Additions to the same by IASPER HEYVVOOD To the Reader ALTHOVGH GENTLE Reader thou mayst perhaps thinke mee arrogant for that I onely among so many fine wittes and towardly youth with which Englād this day florisheth haue enterprised to set forth in english this present piece of the flowre of all writers Seneca as who say not fearing what grauer heads might iudge of me in attempting so hard a thing yet vpon well pondering what next ensueth I trust both thy selfe shalt cleare thine owne suspicion and thy chaunged opinion shal iudge of me more rightfull sentence For neither haue I taken this worke first in hand as once entending it should come to light of well doynge wherof I vtterly dispayred and beynge done but for myne owne priuate exercise I am in myne opinion herein blameles thoughe I haue to proue my selfe priuately taken the part which pleased me best of so excellent an author for better is tyme spent in the best then other and at first to attempt the hardest writers shall make a mā more prompt to translate the easier with more facility But now since by request frēdship of those to whom I could denye nothinge this worke agaynst my will extorted is out of my hands I needes must craue thy pacience in reading and facility of iudgement when thou shalt apparantly se my witles lacke of learning prayng thee to consider how hard a thing it is for mee to touch at ful in all poynts the authors mynd beyng in many places verye harde and doubtfull and the worke much corrupt by the default of euil printed Bookes and also how farre aboue my power to keepe that Grace and maiestye of stile that Seneca doth when both so excellent a writer hath past the reach of all imitation and also this our English toung as many thinke and I here fynd is farre vnable to compare with the Latten but thou good Reader if I in any place haue swerued from the true sence or not kept the roialty of speach meete for a Tragedie impute the one to my youth and lacke of iudgement the other to my lacke of Eloquence Now as
thou wert yet in thy mothers hand And that I knew what destentes thee held or in what land For neuer should the mothers fayth her tender child forsake Though through my breast the enmies al their cruell weapons strake Nor though the Greekes with pinching bandes of yron my handes had bound Or els in feruent flame of fyre beset my body rounde But now my litle Child pore wretch alas where might he bee Alas what cruel desteny what chaunce hath hapt to thee Art thou yet ranging in the fieldes and wandrest ther abroad Or smothred else in dusty smoake of Troy or ouertroad Or haue the Greekes thee slayne alas and laught to see thy bloud Or torne art thou with iawes of beastes or cast to foules for foode VI. Dissemble not hard is for thee Vlisses to deceaue I can ful wel the mothers craftes and subtilty perceaue The pollecy of Goddesses Vlisses hath vndone Set al these fayned wordes assyde tel mee where is thy sonne An. Wher is Hector where al the rest that had with Troy their fall Where Priamus you aske for one but I require of all Vl. Thou shalt constrayned be to tell the thing thou dost deny And. A happy chaunce were Death to her that doth desyre to dye Vli. Who most destres to die would faynest liue when death drawth on These noble wordes with present feare of death woulde soone be gone And. Vlisses if ye wil constrayne Andromacha with feare Threaten my life for now to dye my cheefe desyre it were Vl. With stripes with fyre tormenting death we wil the truth out wrest And dolour shal thee force to tel the secrets of thy brest And what thy hart hath depest hid for payne thou shalt expresse Oft tymes th extremity preuayles much more then gentlenesse And. Set me in midst of burning flame with woundes my body rent Vse al the meanes of cruelty that ye may al inuent Proue me with thirst and hunger both and euery torment trye Pearce through my sides with burning yrons in prison let me lie Spare not the worst ye can deuyse if ought be worse then this Yet neuer get ye more of me I wot not where he is Vli. It is but vayne to hyde the thinge that strayght ye wil deteckt No feares may moue the mothers hart she doth them al neglect This tender loue ye beare your child wherin ye stand so stoute So much more circumspectly warnth the Greekes to looke about Least after ten yeares tract of tyme and battell borne so farre Some one should liue that on our children might renew the warre As for my selfe what Calchas sayth I would not feare at all But on Telemachus I dread the smart of warres would fall And. Now will I make Vlisses glad and all the Greekes also Needes must thou woeful wretch confesse declare thy hidden woe Reioyce ye sonnes of Atreus there is no cause of dread Be glad Vlisses tell the Greekes that Hectors sonne is dead Vl. By what assurance proues thou that how shal we credite thee And What euer thing the enmies hand may threaten hap to me Let speedy fates me slay forthwith and earth me hyde at ones And after death from tombe agayne remoue ye Hectors bones Except my sonne already now do rest among the dead And that except Astianax into his tomb be led Vliss. Then fully are the fates fulfild with Hectors childes disceace Now shal I beare the Grecians word of sure and certayne peace Vlisses why what dost thou nowe the Greekes wil euery chone Beleeue thy wordes whom creditst thou the mothers tale alone Thinkst thou for sauegard of her child the mother wil not lye And dread the more the worse mischaunce to geue her sonne to die Her fayth she byndes with bond of oth the truth to verify What thing is more of weight to feare then so to sweare and lye Now call thy craftes togeather al bestirre thy wittes and mynd And shew thy selfe Vlisses now the truth herein to find Search wel thy mothers mynd behold shee weepes and wayleth out And here and ther with doubtful pace she raungeth al aboute Her careful ears she doth apply to harken what I say More frayd shee seemes then sorrowful Now worke some wily way For now most neede of wit there is and crafty pollecy Yet once agayne by other meanes I wil the mother trye Thou wretched woman maist reioyce that dead he is alas More doleful death by destenie for him decreed ther was From Turrets top to haue bene cast and cruelly bene slayne Which onely towre of all the rest doth yet in Troy remayne And. My spright failth me my limmes do quake fear doth my wits cōfounde And as the Ise congeals with frost my bloud with could is bound Vl. She trēbleth loe this way this way I wil the truth out wreaste The mothers fear detecteth all the secrets of her breast I wil renew her feare goe sirs bestir ye spedely To seeke this enmye of the Greekes where euer that he lie Wel done he wil be found at length goe to stil seke him out Now shal he dye what dost thou feare why dost thou looke about And Would God that any cause there were yet left that might me fray My hart at last now all is lost hath layd all feare away Vliss. Sins that your child now hath ye say already suffred death And with his bloud we may not purge the hostes as Caschas sayth Our fleete passe not as wel inspired doth Calchas prophecy Till Hectors ashes cast abroad the waues may pacify And tombe be rent now sins the boy hath skapt his desteny Needes must we breake this holy tombe wher Hectors ashes lie An. What shal I doe my mynd distracted is with double feare On th one my sonne on thother syde my husbandes ashes deare Alas which part should moue me most the cruel Goddes I call To witnes with me in the truth and Ghostes that guide thee all Hector that nothing in my sonne is else that pleaseth me But thou alone God graunt him life he might resemble thee Shal Hectors ashes drowned bee hide I such cruelty To see his bones cast in the Seas yet let Astyanax die And canst thou wretched mother bide thyne owne childes death to see And suffer from the hie towres top that headlong throwne he be I can and wil take in goad part his death and cruel payne So that my Hector after death be not remou'd agayne The boy that life and sences hath may feele his payne and dye But Hector lo his death hath plast at rest in tombe to lie What dost thou stay determine which thou wilt preserue of twayne Art thou in doubt saue this loe here thy Hector doth remayne Both Hectors be th one quicke of spright drawing toward his strēgth And one that may perhaps reuenge his fathers death at length Alas I cannot saue them both I thinke that best it were That of the twayne I saued him that doth the Grecians feare Vl. It shal be done
lesse displease When broaken boardes abroade be many cast And shipwrackt shippes to shore they flit ful fast With doubled waues when stopped is the floud With heaps of them that there haue lost theyr good Ful sore did Pirrhus Helens losse complayne What time the leader of his flocke of shepe Vppon his backe alone he bare them twayne And wet his Golden lockes amid the deepe In piteous playnt alas he gan to weepe The death of her it did him deepe displease That shipwracke made amid the drenching seas And piteous was the playnt and heauy moode Of woful Pyrrha and eke Deucalion That nought beheld aboute them but the flould When they of all mankynd were left alone Amid the seas ful sore they made their mone To see themselues thus left aliue in woe When neyther land they saw nor fellowes moe Anone these playnts and Troyans teares shall quaile And here and there the ship them tosse by seas When trompets sound shal warne to hoyse vp sayle And through the waues with wind to seeke their waies Then shall these captiues goe to ende their dayes In land vnknowne when once with hasty ore The drenching deepe they take and shunne the shore What state of mynd shal then in wretches bee When shore shall sinke from sight and seas aryse When Idey hill to lurke aloofe they see Then poynt with hand from farre wher Troia lies Shall child and mother talking in this wyse Loe yonder Troy where smoke it fumeth hie By this the Troyans shal their countrey spie THE FIFTH ACTE Nuncius Andromacha Hecuba O dyre fierce wretched horrible O cruell fates accurste Of Mars his ten yeares bloudshed blows the wofulst and the worst Alas which should I first bewayle thy cares Andromacha Or els lament the wretched age of woful Hecuba Hec. What euer mans calamityes ye wayle for myne it is I beare the smart of al their woes each other feeles but his Who euer he I am the wretch all happes to me at last Nun Slayne is the mayd and from the walles of Troy the child is cast But both as them became they toke their death with stomacke stout And. Declare the double slaughters then tell the whole throughout Nun. One towre of all the rest ye know doth yet in Troy remayne Where Pryam wonted was to sit and view the armies twayne His litle Nephew eke with him to lead and from a farre His fathers fightes with fire and sword to show on feats of war This towre sometyme wel knowne by fame and Troyans honor most Is now with captaynes of the Greeckes beset on euery coast With swift recourse and from the shippes in clustred heaps anone Both tagge and ragge they runne to gase what thing should ther be done Some clime the hilles to seeke a place where they might see it best Some one the rockes a tiptoe stande to ouerloke the rest Some on their rēples weare the pine some beech some crownes of bay For garlandes torne is euery tree that standeth in they way Some from the highest mountaynes top aloofe beholdeth all Some scale the buildinges halfe burnt and some the ruinous wall Yea some there were O mischtee loe that for the more despyghte The tombe of Hector sits vppon beholders of the sight With princely pace Vlisses then past through the preased band Of Greekes King Priams litle nephew leading by the hand The Child with vnrepyning gate past through his enmies handes Vp toward the walles and as anone in turrets top he standes From thence adowne his lofty lookes he cast on euery part The neerer death more free from care he seemd and feare of hart Amid his foes his stomacke swelles and fierce he was to sight Like Tygere whelpe that threats in vayne with tuthles chap to bight Alas for pitty then each one rew on his tender yeares And al the route that present were for him they shed their teares Yea not Vlisses them restraynd but trickling downe they sal And onely he wept not poore foole whom they bewayled al But whyle on Gods Vlisses cald and Calchas wordes expound In midst of Pryams land alas the child leapt downe to ground And. What cruel Calchas could or scith such slaughter rake in hande Or by the shore of Caspyan Sea what barbarous lawles land Busyridis to th' aulters yet no infantes bloud hath shed Nor neuer yet were children slayne for feast of Diomed Who shal alas in tombe thee lay or hyde thy limmes agayne Nu. What limmes from such a headlong fall could in a child remayne His bodies payse throwne downe to ground hath batred al his bones His face his noble fathers markes are spoyld agaynst the stones His necke vnioynted is his head so dasht with flint stoane stroake That scattered is the brayne about the scul is al to broake Thus lieth he now dismembred corpes deformd and all to rent An. Loe herein doth he yet likewyse his father represent Nun. What time the Child hath headlong faine thus from the walls of Troy And at the Greekes the selues bewaild the slaughter of the Boy Yet strayght returne they backe and at Achilles tombe agayne The second mischiefe goe to worke the death of Polixeine This tombe the waues of surging seas beset the vtter side The other part the fields encloase aboute and pastors wyde In vale enuyroned with hils that round aboute do ryse A sloape on height erected are the bankes in Theatre wyse By al the shore then swarme the Greekes thicke on heaps they prease Some hope that by her death they shall theyr shippes delay release Some other ioy their enmies stocke thus beaten downe to bee A greate part of the people both the slaughter hate and see The Troyans eke no lesse frequent their owne calamityes And all affrayd beheld the last of all their miseryes When first proceeded torches bright as guise of wedlocke is And author therof led the way the Lady Tindaris Such wedlocke pray the Troyans then God send Hermiona And would God to her husband so restoard were Helena Feare masd each part but Polixeine her bashful looke downe cast And more then earst her glittring eyes and beauty shyn'd at last As sweetest seems then Phoebus light when downe his beams do sway When starres agayne with night at hand opprest the doubtful day Astonnted much the people were and all they her commende And now much more then euer earst they prays'd her at her end Some with her beauty moued were some with her tender yeares Some to behold the turnes of chaunce and how each thing thus wears But most them moues her valiant minde and lofty stomacke hie So strong so stout so ready of hart and wel prepard to dye Thus passe they forth and bold before King Pirrhus goeth the mayde They pitty her they maruel her their hartes were all affrayde As sone as then the hard hil top where die she should they trode And hie vppon his fathers tombe the youthful Pyrrhus stoode The manly mayd she neuer shronke one
When as his honour budding forth with flowre began to bloome Alas the stocke was hewed downe and sent to deadly doome And they that of his victory and comming home were glad To sodayne mourning chaunge their myrth with heauinesse bestad The lusty pompe of royall courte is deade O dolefull day The people mone theyr prynces death with woe and weale away With howling crying wringing hands with sobs with sighes teares And with their fists they beate their breasts they pull hale their heares And as the sheepe amased run and rampe aboute the fielde When as theyr shepherd to the Wolfe his goary throate doth yeelde Euen so as mad they rage and raue throughout Micoenas land Depriued of theyr Prynce they feare the bloudy Tyrauntes hand While thus were woefull waylings hard in euery place about The good Cassandra come from Troy to death is haled out Like as the Swan who when the time of death approcheth nye By nature warned is thereof and pleased well to dye Doth celebrate her funerall with dirge and solemne songe Euen so the noble vyrgin who in woe hath liued longe Most ioyfull goes she to her death with milde and pleasaunt face Stout bouistring out her burly breast with pryncely porte and grace Nothing dismayde with courage bolde and chearefull countenaunce On stage ordeyned for her death shee gan her selfe aduaunce As though she had not thyther come to leaue her lothsome lyfe As though she had not come to taste the stroke of fatall knyfe But euen as it in brydale bed her iourney were to meete Corebus deare not hauing mynde of death nor winding sheete When looking rounde on euery side she tooke her leaue of all From vapourde eyes of younge and olde the trickling teares doe fall The Greekes them selues to griefe are moude to see this heauy sight So pity pearst the headmans heart that thrise aboute to smite He stayde the smot with shiuering hand yet once agayne he tryed And from her shoulders stroke her heade And thus the vyrgin dyed But now the Greekes another cause of mourning haue in hand Orestes Agamemnons some is forst to fly the land Amonge olde rotten ragged Rockes there lies an vgly place A Dungeon deepe as darke as hell vnknowne to Phoebus face An holow huge wyde gaping hole with way still bending downe Whose mouth with venonous wythred weedes is hid and ouergrowne Where stinking smels come belching out from filthy durty dyke Where Verment vyle doe creepe and craule in hell is not the lyke Ilfauourde foule misshapen bugges doe lucke about this caue With dreadfull sounds and roaring noyse withing the pit they raue Euen heather is Electra sent in darckenesse deepe to lye In pouerty and comfortlesse without the lyght of skye Fast clogde with Yron boults and Chaynes thus by her mother layde In torments till by her to death Orestes be betrayde Who as Cassandra telleth shall reuenge his fathers death Depryue with swerd th' adulterour and Mother both of breath So after all these bloudy broyle Greece neuer shall bee free But bloud for bloud and death by turnes the after age shall see FINIS THE NINTHE Tragedy of Lucius Annaeus Seneca called Octauia Translated out of Latine into Englishe by T.N. The Argument OCtauia daughter to prince Claudius grace To Nero espousd whom Claudius did adopt Although Syllanus first in husbandes place Shee had receiu'd whom she for Nero chopt Her parente both her Make that should haue bene Her husbandes present Tiranny much more Her owne estate her case that she was in Her brothers death pore wretch lamenteth sore Him Seneca doth persuade his latter loue Dame Poppie Crispynes wife that some time was And eake Octauias maide for to remoue For Senecks counsel he doth lightly passe But Poppie ioynes to him in marriage rites The people wood into his pallace runne Hir golden fourmed shapes which them sore spytes They pul to ground this vprore now begunne To quench he some to griesly death doth send But her close cased vp in dreadful barge With her vnto Campania coast to wend A band of armed men he gane in charge THE FIRST SCENE The Speakers names Octauia Nutrix Chorus Romanorum Seneca Nuntius Agrippina Poppea Nero Praefectus Octauia NOw that Aurore with glitteryng streames The glading starres from skye doth chase Syr Phoebus pert with spouting beames From dewy neast doth mount apace And with his cheerefull lookes doth yeeld Vnto the world a gladsome day Go to O wretch with ample Fielde Of heauy cares oppressed aye Thy grieuous wonted playntes recount Do not alone with sighes and howles The Seaysh Aloyones surmounte But also passe the Pandyon foules More yrksome is thy state then theirs O Mother deare whose death by fits I nyll lament but still shed teares My ground of griefe in thee it sits If that in shade of darksome denne Perceiuing sence at al remayne Heare out at large O mother then My great complayntes and grieuous payne O that immortall Clothos wrist Had torne in twayne my vitall thred Ere I vnto my griefe had wist Thy woundes and face of sanguine red O day which aye doth me annoy Since that tyme did I more desyre The feareful darknes to enioy Than Phoebus fresh with fayre attyre I haue abode the bitter hest Of stepdame dire in mothers place I haue abode her cruell breast Hir stomake stout and fighting face She Shee for spyte vnto my case A doleful and a graue Eryn To Bridegromes chamber spousall space The Stygian flashing flames brought in And thee alas most piteous Syre With traytrous traynes hath shee bereft Of breathing soule with poysoned myre To whom ere whyle the world all left Vnvanquisht from the Ocean Seas By martiall feats did freely yeeld And didst subdue with wondrous ease The Brittayne brutes that fledde the fielde Whom liuing at their propre swaye No Romayne power did earst inuade Now lo ful wel lament I may Thy Spouse deceypte thy prowes hath lade : And now thy court and child of yore With homage serue a Tyrantes lore THE SECOND SCENE Nutrix WHom so the glistering pompe of royal place With soden sight ynumd doth quite disgrace Who so at courtly fleeting ebbing blase Astonied sore himselfe doth much amase Lo see of late the great and mighty stocke By lurking Fortunes sodayne forced knocke Of Claudius quite subuert and cleane extinct Tofore who held the world in his precinct The Brittayne Ocean coast that long was free He ruld at wil and made it to agree Their Romaine Gallies great for to embrace Lo he that Tanais people first did chase And Seas vnknowen to any Romayne wight With lusty sheering shippes did ouerdight And safe amid the sauage freakes did fight And ruffling surging seas hath nothing dread By cruel spouses gilt doth lye all dead Her sonne likewyse more fiend then Tigre fierce Of naturall mother makes a funerall herse Whose brother drenched deepe with poysoned cup Pore Britannick his senseles soule gaue vp Octauia sister and vnhappy make Doth sore lament her
case for Britans sake Ne can her ruthful piteous sorrow slake Though Neros wrath do sore constrayne her grace She nil esteemes the secrete closet place But boyling stil with equal peysd disdayne With mutuall hate gaynst him doth burne agayne My true and trusty loue that I do beare In vayne I see doth striue to comfort her Reuenging greedy griefe doth streight repriue T' appease her smarte the counsel that I giue Nor flame of worthy breast doth once relent But heaps of greefe her courage do augment Alas what griesely deedes for to ensue My feare foreseeth God graunt it be not true THE THIRD SCENE Octauia Nutrix O Staggering state O peerelesse yll With ease Electra I repeate And call to mynd thy mourning will With watred eies like smartiÌ„g sweat Thou mightst lament thy father slain Stil hoping that thy brother myght That deadly deede reuenge agayne Whom thou O tender louing wight Didst safely shield from bloudy foe And naturall loue did closely kepe But Neroes dreaded visage loe Doth feare me that I dare not weepe Nor wayle my parentes ruthful case By cruell lot this slaughter cought Ne suffers mee this geniall face To dash with teares to dearely bought With brothers bloud who onely was Myne onely hope in all my griefe And of so many mischieues as My comfort greate and sole reliefe Now loe reserud for greater care And to abyde more lingring payne Of noble famous lineage bare A drouping shade I do remayne Nutrix My Ladyes heauye voyce mee thought Within my listning eares can sounde And snaylish age in going soft Vnto her thews in not ybounde Octauia O Nurse our dolours witnes sure By curroll cheekes distilling rayne And heauy heartes complaynt endure Nutrix Alas what day shall ridde of payne With care your welnye wasted heart Octauia That sends this guiltles ghost to graue Nutrix This talke good madame set apart Octauia In rule my state theire destenies haue And not thy prayers O matrone iust Nutrix The doune soft easy God shall geue Your troubled mynd a tyme I trust More sweete then euer you did liue With feuell fayre as one content And glosed face but onely please Your man and make he will relent Octauia The Lyon fierce I shall appeale And sooner tame the Tygre stoute Then mankynd Tyrantes brutish breast He spytes the noble raced â—out Contemmes hygh powers disdaynes the least Ne can wel vse that princely weede Which venemous parent wrapt him in By huge vnspeakeable griesly deede Although that wight vnthankful grynne In Kingly throne that hee doth raygne Throughe cruel cursed mothers ayde Although hee pay with Death agayne So greate a gift it shal be sayde And after fates in long spent age That woman wight shal haue alwaye This eloge yet and saying sage That he by her doth beare the sway Nutrix Let not your ragious mynde so walke But doe compresse your moody talke THE FOVRTH SCENE Octauia Nutrix THough much I beare that boyling brest do beate And tollerably take diuorcements threate Deathes only deadly darte I see an end Of al my broyle and pinching payne can send What pleasant light to me O wretch is left My natural Mother slayne and Syre be reft Of breathing life by treason and by gilt Of Brother eake depriude with miseryes spilt And wayling ouercome kept downe with care Enuyed of Make which I dare not declare To mayden subiect now and now defied What pleasant light can me O wretch abyde With feareful hart suspecting always ought Because I would no wicked deede were wroughte Not that I feare Deathes griesly gyrning face God graunt I do not so reuenge my case A better deede to dye for to behold The Tyrantes visage grimme with browes vprolde And with soft tender lippes my foe to kisse And stand in awe of beckes and noddes of his Whose will to please my griefe with cares yfirde Since brothers death by wicked wyle conspirde Could neuer once vouchsafe for to sustayne Lesse griefe to die then thus to liue in payne His Empyre Nero rules and ioyes in blood The cause and ground of death that Tirant wood How oft alas doth Fansie fondly fayne WheÌ„ slumber swete in pensiue parts doth raigne And sleepe in eyes all tyrd with teares doth rest I apprehend deare Brittans liuely brest Ere whyle me thinkes his feble shiuering hands He fenseth sure with deadly blasing brandes And fiercely on his brother Neros face With sturdy stinging stroakes he flies apace Ere whyle thilke wretch recoyleth backe agayne And to my thewes for aide retyres amayne Him foming foe pursues with hast to haue And whyle my brother I desire to saue And in my clasped armes to shield him free His goary bloudied falchion keene I see The boysterous raumping fiend to tugge hale Through out my shiuering limmes as ashes pale Forthwith a mighty trembling chattering quake From weary lims all souple sleepe doth shake And makes me woeful wretch for to recount My wayling sobbing sorrowes that surmount Hereto put to that gorgeous stately ouse All glistring bright with spoyles of Claudius house His parent deare in bubling boate did douse That wicked sonne this fisking dame to please Whom yet escaping daungers great of Seas He fiercer freake than waues that scantly rest VVith bloudy blade hir bowels did vnbrest VVhat hope of health can me O wretch abyde That after them thilke way I should not ryde My speciall foe triumphant wise doth weight VVith naked nates to presse by louers sleight Our spousall pure and cleane unspotted bed Gainst whom she burns with deadly foode bloud red And for a meede of filthy strumpets sport She causeth Make from spouse for to diuort O auncient Syre step forth from Limbo lake Thy daughters heauy troublous cares to slake Or your twygated hellysh porche vnfolde That downe through gaping ground I may bee rolde Nu. O piteous wretch in vaine alas in vaine Thou calst vpon thy fathers senselesse sprite In whome God wot there doth no care remaine Of mortall broode that here doth take delight Shall he thinke you asswage your sory cheere Or shape you forth some sleight to appall your paine That could preferre before his Brittan deere Th' imperiall throne a straunge begotten swaine And with incestiall loue benummed quyte His brother Germanicks daughter that could plyght And ioyne to him in solemne mariage rites VVith woefull and vnlucky louers lightes Here sprang the roale of hurly burly great Here beastly venomous slaughter gan to sweate Here wylie treasons traines appeared first Here rules desire and brutish bloudy thirst Syllanus first Prince Claudius sonne in lawe A bloudy mangled offring fall we sawe That in our graces Hymaeneal bed Ymatcht with you he might not couche his hed O monstrous slaughter worthy endlesse blame In steade of gift vnto that wanton dame A Carkasse colde pore soule and curelesse corse Sillane was giuen against his will perforce And falsly then attacht of traitors crime As one conspyring death in Claudius time VVith lothsome streakes spewde out vpon the wall
my paine whyle I did liue Vnto a boy to guyde which now I rue My poysoned make my Ghost doth oft pursue And in my face with burning brondes doth flye He stayes a space with earnest talke hard by And threatneth sore and doth impute his death And tombe he should haue had to mee beneath And now desyres to haue some factious wight That dare despoyle my sonne of breathing spright Let be you shall haue one to worke this cryme I do require no long delayed tyme Reuenging spright Erin a death doth coine Of life that wicked tyrant to purloyne Sore smarting leaden strypes and shameful flight And pyning panges with thurst and hunger dight That Tantalus spungelike thursty mouth befurde And Sisyphus toyle shal passe and Tityus burde And Ixions paynful wombling wheele aboute That teareth all his bodyes partes throughout Although that Tyrant proude and scornful wight His court with marble stone do strongly dyght And princelike garnish it with glistring golde Though troupes of souldiours shielded sure vpholde Their chieftaynes princely porch and though yet still The world drawne drye with taskes euen to his will Great heapes of riches yeeld themselues to saue Although his bloudy helpe the Parthians craue And Kingdomes bring and goods al that they haue The tyme and day shall come when as he shall Forlorne and quite vndone and wanting all Vnto his cursed deedes his life and more Vnto his foes his bared throate restore Alas vnto what ende is all my payne Or in what case do now my vowes remayne Wherto doth now thy rage and destnies spyte Draw thee O Sonne with brayne benummed quite That to such monstruous heapes of ylles thy dame Whom thou with cursed mischiefe ouercame Hir wrath should yeeld O that ere to the light A sucking babe I brought thee foorth in sight And fedd thee fyne with pappe as princely borne The fierce wild sauage beastes had rent and torne My wombe and bloudy entrails all beforne Without all cryme and wanting reasons pride Mine own deere dādling child thou shouldst haue dide And fastned sure to me shouldst aye beholde The quiet place where Ghostly soules be rolde And see thy graundsyres great of worthy fame And syre Domitius eake of princely name Whom now both shame and wayling doth abyde That whyle they dure from them shal neuer slyde For which both thee O cursed Barne they may And mee that thee haue borne geeue thankes for aye But why ceasse I with hel to hyde my face Wyfe stepdame mother dire in my life space THE SECOND SCENE Octauia Chorus DO not alas thus sore lament But rather yet your mourning stay Sith that the city whole is bent To celebrate this ioyful day Least your great loue and fauour both Which I do count to be most sure The more cause Nero me to loth And eake his bitter wrath procure And I fal out to be the ground To you of many mischieues vyle This same is not the first deepe wounde That I haue felt now this good whyle Farre worse then this haue I abode But of these troublous cares this day Shall make an end I trust in God Although with Death he do me pay No man to see shal me constrayne His bended browes knit furrowyse Nor step within the Chamber ragyne Of mayde drest vp in brydall guise Augustus sister I wil bee And not his wyfe as wont I was But onely paynes remoue from mee And feare of death I wil not passe Yet canst thou piteous wreth once trust Thy cruell husbandes father law Or these few thinges to haue so lust Whyle mischieues yet in mynd are rawe Now long reserud vntil this day And these same maryage rytes be past Thou shalt poore wretch without delay A bloudy offring dye at last Why thus with teares disfigured sore Thy wonted home dost thou behold Make hast to shunne this deadly shore And leaue this straughtrous Princes fold Cho. Lo see that day suspected long And whispered Fame in all mens eares With glisteryng pompe of brydall throng To vs pore wretches now appeares And Claudius broode Octauias grace From Neroes wedlocke place expelde Departed is whose spousall space Hath Poppie conquerour long tyme helde The whyle our pyety couched lyes Kept downe with heauy combrous feare And slow reuenging grief likewyse Where doth the peoples power appeare That brake the force of Princes great That conquerous city lawes hath framde That worthy men to honours seat Preferd that warre and peace proclaymd That sauage people straunge did tame That Kinges and Princes caught in fight Shut surely vp in prison frame To keepe them close from all mens sight Loe which wee cannot once abyde To see wher Poppies ymage trym Conioyned vnto Neroes syde All glistring bright shynes very brim Let force of Armes pul downe that frame And match with grounde that Ladyes face Too likely carued to his name And snatch her downe from beddig place And let it forthwith flye with brandes With Dartes and Iauelins fiercely flonge From pythy braunes and sturdy handes Vnto the princes courtly throng THE FOVRTH ACTE THE FIRST SCENE Nutrix Poppea FRom out of spousal bower dismayd with feare Whither go you what secrets daughter deare Vnknowen makes you to looke so drousely Why spungelike lokes your face with tears frō eye That fell of truth the tyme desyred long And wished for by prayers and vowes among Hath shyned bright Caesars wedlock are you Your golden grace whereof he tooke the view Him prisoner caught and did him surely bynde So much the more how much Senec his mynd Did seeke to chaunge and wild from loue to weeld And Venus chiefe in loue hath made him yeeld O in beauty passing all what beds then downe More soft haue borne thy weight when thou with crowne Didst sit in middes of court the Senate all At thy great beauty agast thou didst appall Whylst thou the Goddes with perfume sendest fyne And sacred alters drencht with thankful wyne Thy head attyrd with veyle of yellow hiew By Caesars side thou wentst as princesse new When he aloft extold aboue the rest With hauty courage merily went to feast Like as kyng Peleus went sometymes to take Queene Tethis whom salt seas fome bred his make Whose bridinge chambers banquet wise ydrest The Gods vouchsaft to hallow with their hest Both they that rule in skyes and eake in Seas But tel O Lady tell if it you please What sodayne chaūce doth shade your beautyes light What meanes your colour chaūge from red to white What moues those trickling tears how standes your plight Po. With dreames and griesly sightes this last night Nurse My mynd was troubled sore but frayd much worse For when sir Phoebe his weary course had ryd Whyle quiet restyng night each thing shadid My sences weary fel in slumber deepe Whyle Nero me within his armes did cleepe Resoluing lims at length gan sleepe discharge And long I rest not vnder quiets targe For loe I saw a route that brought me feare Come to my chaumber with
boone of thee doe craue No monstrous beastes no noysome plagues hereafter let vs haue With bloudy champions let the earth encombred bee no more Cast downe the hauty sway of Courtes if ought annoyaunce sore Shall cloy the earth a champion to bee our shylde wee caue Whom as an honour of the Crowne his ruefull realme may haue That stil will keepe his swerd from being taint with guiltlesse bloud But loe what meanes this rumbling noyse loe Hercles ster doth grone And sigheth for his sonne is it the Gods that wayle and mone Or is it Iunoes fearefull shrike whom Hercles doth aggrise That seeing him for feare shee roares and runneth from the skyes Or els did Atlas faltring feete with feeble sturring stumble And shrinking from his tottring waight thus force the Gods to rumble Or scared he the wauling ghostes the which to feare he draue Or Cerberus brast his gingling Chaynes with buskling in his caue It is not so but loe where Philoctetes doth appeare And Hercles famous shaftes to him bequeathed doth hee beare THE FIFT ACTE Nutrix Philoctetes OF Hercules most heauy haps Good youngman make reporte How did hee beare it at his death PH. In such a chearefull sorte As no man liues NV. And could he with so sweete and merry looke The scorching panges and torments of his ending fier brooke PH. That there was any heate at all his face did not bewray Who prou'de that power might force al things to stoupe and to obay That vnder sonne vntamed be NV. Where did the noble knight Among the wrastling waues of sea display his matchlesse might PH. That mischiefe witch all only yet the worlde knew not before Euen fier hath bin conquered as beastes and monsters more Among the toyles of Hercules the fier is crept in NV. Declare vs how the flaming force of fier coulde hee win PH. As soone as hee with smarting hand the Oeta hill had grypte And forthwith from the braunched Beeche the shrinking shade was wipte And felled from the stump it lyes a Pyne tree hard hee bendes That crakes the clowdes down from skyes his hawty head he sende◠The Rocke did totter ready for to reele and with the sway It tumbleth downe a little groue withall it beares away A spreading Oake of Chaon big whose leaues did euer rush And dimde the sunne and did beyonde the woode his braunches push It being hewde doth crack and eake in twayne the wedges knappes The steele startes back and thus the toole of Iron bides the rappes And flyes out of the Logge at length at roore it shogde and shooke And falling downe full lythly the ouerthrow it tooke Forthwith the place lost all his light the byrds scaard fro their nest Doe soare about the cropped wood and holes wherein to rest And chirping with their weary winges about the plot they flicker In euery tree the ringing strokes were multiplied thicker The holy Oakes in hugy hand the Iron Axe did feele No timber on the stallen stocks might scape the hewing steele Thus all the wood vpon a pile is heapt and one by one The Logges are layde as hygh as heauen that Hercules thereon Might haue a narrow roome his burning bones for to bestow On Pynetree top and towghest Oake the fler begins to glowe And on the stumped willowe flamth and thus the forrest wyde Doth make the Kill the Popler wood all Hercles blocks doth hyde But as the puissaunt Lyon when his fits doe vexe him sore Lies wallowing on his back and through the forrest lowde doth rore So fareth hee who woulde haue thought hee had to burning gon As one that climbs to heauen not fier he was to looke vpon When vp he stept on Oera mount and gazed on his Kill Being layde aloft he brake the blocke so heauy was hee still The shyues yet coulde not beare his wayght he calling for his bow Did say to mee haue Philocktet on thee I it bestow This same is it that Hydra with his swarming heads did know This did fetch downe the stimphall foules and all that wee haue daunt Goe thou with this let victory and happinesse thee haunt For neuer shall thou shute agaynst thy foes with these but speede If at a byrde amid the clowdes thou aame shee dies indeede These certayne shaftes shall bring thy marke down from the azur sky Thys bow shall not deceaue thy hand full oft I did it try And made it meete to beare a shaft and cast his leauell dew Thyne arrowes shall not fayle thyne aame if that thou nock them trew I aske but only this of thee put fier to the Stack Bestow on mee my funerall flame to bryng me to my wrack This knarry Club quoth hee the which no hand shell euer losse Shall onely with his Hercules in fier goe to losse This also quoth hee shouldst thou haue if thou could weild the same Beside his maister let it lye to help towarde the flame And then beside him down hee layes the Lyons vayry skin To burne with him the shaggy case hid all the pyle within The people sobde and none there was but sorrow straynde his teares The mother mad for egar griefe her breast all bare shee beares And naked downe toth Nauill steade displayes her tender teates And languishing with wringed hands her naked dugges shee beares And cryeth out vpon the Gods on Ioue himselfe shee cries Her shriking rang through all 〈◊〉 place so womanlike shee yalles Be still quoth hee good mother force your showres of teares to cease Your dreary dole disgraceth much the death of Hercules Wayle secretly vnto your selfe why make ye Iuno glad To se that you a weeping day with store of teares haue had It doth her good to see her bawdes to stand with weeping eyes Forbeare forbeare your malady t is deadly sinne for yee To teare the teares and rent the wombe that first did foster me And as he blustred giuing gruntes when earst he led in chayne The hownd aboute the townes of Grece what tyme he came agayne Tryumphing ouer conquerd hel defying Plutoës might And dreadful desteny so on the fyre he lay vpright What conquerour euer sat in coatch with such a chereful grace What tyrant did controll his folke by law with such a face How husht was al thing at his death himselfe he could not weepe And also we had cleane forgot the wound of sorrowes deepe None doth lament him at his death now were it shame to wayle Alemen whom nature ought to moue her teares now do her fayle And thus as yll as was the sonne the mother stoode almost N. But at his burning did hee not call on the heauenly host Remembring Ioue to heare his suite Ph. As on in depe dispayre He lay and staryng vp so rould his eyes into the ayre To spye if Ioue looke downe to him from any turret hye Then with his handes displayd to heauen quoth he where so thou lye And lokest downe to se thy sonne this same this same is hee Whom one day eeked
th' Ocean waues to hyde his drowned lyght Yet shall my hates not leaue them so a wrathful kindled rage His mynd in madnes shall stirre vp and yre that may not swage Shall euermore all peace layd downe wage warres eternally What warres what euer hideous thinge the earth his ennemy Begets or what soeuer sea or ayre hath brought to syght Both dredfull dire and pestilent of cruel fiercest might T' is tierd and tam'd he passeth all and name by ills doth rayse And all my wrath he doth inioy and to his greater prayse He turnes my hates whyle tedious toyles to much I him behest He proues what father him begot both thence where light opprest Hath sea and where it showde agayne where Titan day doth trayne And with his brand approaching nere doth dye those Aethiops twaine His strengh vntamde is honoured and God eche where is hee Now calde in worlde and now more store of monsters want to mee And laboure lesse to Hercles is t' acomplish all my will Then me to bydde at ease he doth myne imperies fulfyl What cruel hestes of tyrante now so fyerce a yong man may Preuayle to hurt for lo he beares for weapons now awaye What once he fearde and put to flight he armed comes at syde With Lyon fyerce and Hydra both nor land suffiseth wyde But broake he hath the threshold loe of that infernall Ioue And spoyls with him of conquerd king he drawes to Gods aboue But that 's but light broke is the league of sprites that there do dwell I saw my selfe I saw him lo the night now gone of hell And Ditis tamde throw out abroade before his fathers sight His brothers spoyles Why drawes he not opprest and bound by might Hymselfe in chaynes that equall thynges to Ioue by lot doth hold And beare the rule of captiue hel and way to Styxe vnfolde Vp opened is from lowest ghostes the backward way to skye And sacred secrets of dire death in open sight do lye But he the dredful den of sprites brake vp ful fierce and stout Euen ouer mee doth tryumph lo and with proude hand about The foule blacke dogge by Grekish townes he leades frō hel away When seene was vgly Cerberus I saw the fading day And fearefull sunne euen me lykewyse a trembling dread opprest And looking on the fylthy neckes of conquerd monstruous beast I feared much myne owne behestes but light things I complayne For heauen I may be frayde lest he may get the highest rayne That lowest wonne the sceptors from his father wil he take Nor hee to starres as Bacchus dyd his way wil gently make The way with ruine will he seeke and hee in empty skyes Wil reygne alone with force displayd hys haughty hart doth ryse And he that heauen it selfe by force of his might gotted bee It bearyng learnd quite vnderneth the world his head set hee Nor once his shoulders bowde the prayse of suth a mighty mas And midst of heauen on Hercles necke alone loe setled was His necke vnwryde the starres aboue and skyes did only stay And me likewyse oppressyng him to Gods he seekes the way Goe ire goe on and beate hym downe that great things doth inuent Match thou with him and with thy handes now thou thy selfe him rent Such hates why dost thou meditate let all wyld beastes now go And weary Euristheus now be free from geeuing charges mo The Tytans daryng once of Ioue to breake the impery Send out let loase the denne abroade of mount of Sicilye The Doricke land that with the turne of gyant quakes afrayd Let it bring forth the dredful neckes of monster vnder layd Let yet the haughty moone about some other beastes beget But these he ouercame Seekes thou a match t'Alcides yet Ther 's none except hymselfe let him agaynst himselfe rebell Let present be from bottome deepe vpraysd of lowest hell Th' Eumenides let flaming lockes of theyrs the fires out flinge And furious hands bestowe aboute the stroakes of vipers sting Go now ful prowde and scale the skyes to seates of gods make waye Now must thy battels wages be ful cleere loe shynes the daye Despyse mans workes thinkst thou fierce wight that hell and soules alow Thou hast escapt nay here I wil another hel thee show In deepe miste hid I wil call vp from bottome low of hell Beyond the wayes of gylty ghostes debateful goddesse fell Wheras the roaring dreadful den resoundes with cryes about From depest bond of Ditis raygne beneath I wil fet out What so is left Let hateful hurt now come in anger wood And fierce impyety imbrew himselfe with his owne bloud And errour eke and fury arm'd agaynst it selfe to fight This meane this meane let wrath of myne now vse to shewe my might Beginne ye seruantes now of hell the feruent burning tree Of Pyne shake vp and set with snakes her dreadful flocke to see Let now Megaera bring to sight and with her mournful brand For burning rage bring out of hell a huge and direful brand Do this require you vengeance due and paynes of hel his spoyle Strike through his breast let fyercer flame within his bosome boyle Then which in Aetna fornace beates so furiously to see That mad of mind and witles may Alcides driuen bee With fury great through pearced quight my selfe must first of all Be mad Wherfore doth Iuuo yet not into raging fall Mee me ye Furyes systers three throwne quite out of my wit Tosse fyrst if any thing to do I do endeuour yet For stepdame meete let now my hates be turnd another way Let him returnd his babes behold in safety I you pray And strong of hand come home I haue now found the day at length In which may greatly mee auayle the hated Hercles strength Both mee and eke hym selfe let him subdue and wish to die Returnd from hel yea let it here be my commodity That he of Ioue begotten is here present wil I stand And that his shaftes goe streyght from how I wil direct his hand The mad mans weapons will I guide euen Hercles fyghtyng lo At length I le ayde This gylt once done then leefull is that so His father may admit to saies those gylty haades of his Chorus THe fading starres now shyne but seelde in sighte In stipye skye night ouercome with day Plucks in her fyres while spronge agayne is light The day starre drawes the cleresome beames theire waye They cye signe of haughtye poale agayne VVith seuen starres markt the Beares of Arcadye Do call the light with ouerturned wayne VVith marble horse now drawne hys waye to hye Doth Titan toppe of Oetha ouer spred The bushes bright that nowe with berryes bee Of Thebes strewde by daye do blushe full redde And to returne doth Phabus syster flee Now labor harde beginnes and euerye kynde Of cares it styrres the Shepehearde doth vnfolde His flockes vnpende do grase their foode to fynde And nippes the grasse with hoary frost full colde At will doth play in open medow faire The Calfe
adulterye Haue wedlocke hurt LY. What is to Ioue to king is leefull thyng To Ioue thou gau'ste a wyfe thou shalt nowe geue one to a kyng And euen of thee shee shall it learne to bee a thing not newe Her husband euen approuing it the better man t' ensewe But if shee stubberne to be matcht with me deny it still Then euen by force a noble childe of her beget I will Meg. O Creons ghosts and all yee Gods of th house of Labdacus And wedding forches blasing bryght of wicked Oedipus To this my wedding geue yee nowe our wonted destenyes Now now yee bloudy daughters all of Aegypts king likewyse Bee here whose hands defyled are with so much bloud out spilt One daughter lacks of Danaus I wyll fyll vp the gylt Ly. Because that stubburnely thou do'st refuse my wedding so And fear'ste a king thou shalt know what the Scepters now may do Embrace thyne aulters yet no God shall euer take away Thee from my hands no not although with world vpturned may Alcides victor yet agayne to Gods aboue returne The woods on heapes together cast let all their temples burne Euen throwne vpon theyr heads his wyfe and all his flocke at laste With vnderlayed fyre let one wood pyle consume and waste AM. This only bowne I father of Alcides aske of thee Which well may me beseeme to craue that I fryst slayne may hes LY. Who all appoyncts with present death to haue their punishment He tyrunt wot not how to be more sundry greeues inuent Restrayne the wretched man from death commaunde that th' happy dye I while with beames prepar'de to burne the pyle encreaseth hye Will him with vowing sacrifyce that rules the seas entreate AM. Oh chiefest powre of Gods and oh of heauenly things so great The guyde and parent eke with whose throwne thunderbolts do shake All things humane throughout the world of king so cruell slake The wicked hande but why do I to Gods in vayne thus cry Where euer thou be heare me soone why start so sodaynely The temples thus with moouing shakte Why roareth out the graūd The noyse of Hell from bottome deepe byneathe hath made a sound Wee herde are loe it is the sound of Hercules his pace Chorus O Fortune hating men of stoutest brest How ill rewards dost thou to good deuyde Eurystheus raynes at home in easy rest Alcmendes sonne in euery battayle tryde To Monsters turnes hys hande that Skyes dyd stay And cruell Neckes cuts of of hydous Snake And Apples brynges from Systers mokt away When once to sleepe hys watchefull Eyes beetake Dyd Dragon set ryche fruicte to ouersee Hee past the Scythian bowres that straye abroade And those that in their countreys straungers bee And hardned top of frosen freate hee troade And sylent Sea with bankes full dumme about The Waters hard want there their floudes to sloe And there before the Shyps full Sayles spred out Is worne a pathe for Sarmates wylde to goe The Sea doth stande to mooue in course agayne Nowe apt to beare the Ship nowe horsemen bolde The Queene that there doth ouer Wydowes rayne That gyrds her Wombe wyth gyrth of glittring gold Her noble spoyle from body drawne hath shee And shyelde and bandes of breast as whyte as snowe Acknowledging the Conquerour with Knee Wyth what hope drawne to headlong Hell alowe So bolde to passe the vnreturned wayes Saw'ste thou Proserpines rayne of Sicylye Wyth Southern wynde or Western there no seas Aryse wyth waue and swellinge Surges hye Not there of Tyndars stocke the double broode Two starres the fearefull Shyps doe ayde and guide Wyth gulph full blacke doth stande the slouthfull floode And when pale death with greedy teeth so wyde Vnnumbred Nations hath sent downe to sprightes Wyth one Boateman all ouer feryed bee God graunt thou maist of Hell subdue the rightes And vnreuoked webs of Systers three There kyng of many people raygneth hee Who when thou did'st wyth Nestors Pylos fight Pestiferous handes applide to matche with thee And weapon bare with triple mace of might And prickt with litle wounde he fled away And lorde of death hymselfe did feare to dye Breake Fate by force and let the sight of day To sorry sprightes of Hell apparant lye And porche vnpast shew way to Gods aboue The cruell lordes of sprightes wyth pleasaunt song And humble bowne full well could Orpheus moue Whyle he Eurydicen them craues among The Arte that drew Woods Byrds and stones at will Which made delay to Floudes of flitting flight At sound whereof the sauage Beastes stoode still With tunes vnwont doth Ghosts of hell delight And clearer doth resounde in darker place And weepe wyth teares did Gods of cruell brest And they which faultes with to seuere a face Doe seeke and former gylt of Ghosts out wrest The Thracian Daughters wayls Eurydicen For her the Iudges weeping sit also Wee conquer'de are chy efe kyng of death sayd then To Gods but vnder this condition goe Behynde thy husbandes backe keepe thou thy way Looke thou not backe thy Wyfe before to see Than thee to sight of Gods hath brought the day And gate of Spartane Taenare present bee Loue hates delay nor coulde abyde so long His gyft hee lost while hee desires the syght The place that coulde be thus subdew'de with song That place may soone bee ouercome by myght THE THYRDE ACTE Hercules O Comfortable guyde of light and honour of the skye That cōpasting both Hemyspheres with flaming chariot hye Thy radiāt head to ioyful lāds about the world dost bring Thou Phoebus pardon geue to me if any vnlawful thing Thyne eyes haue seene cōmaūded I haue here to light out set The secretes of the worlde and thou of heauen to guider gret And parent eke in flashe out throwne of lightning hide thy fyght And thou that gouernest the seas with seconde sceptors syght To bottome synke of deepest waues who so from hye doth see And dreading yet with countnaunce newe the earth desil'de to bee Let him from hence turne backe his sight and face to heauen vpholde These monstrous sights to shun let twayn this mischiefe great behold Hee who it brought and shee that bad for paynefull toyles to mee And laboures long not all the earth thought wide inough may bee For Iunoes hate things vncome to all men I did see Vnknowne to soone and spaces wyde that darke and shadefull bee Which woorser poale geues dyrer Ioue to raygne and rule therein And yet if thyrde place pleased more for mee to enter in I there coulde raygne the Chaos of eternall nyght of hell And woorse then night the dolefull Gods I haue that there doe dwell And Fates subdu'de the death contemn'de I am return'de to light What yet remaynes I sawe and show'de the spryghts of hell to sight Appoynt if ought be moe do'ste thou my hands so long permit Iuno to ceasse what thing byd'st thou to be subdued yet But why doe cruell souldiars holde the holy temples wyde And dread of armour sacred porche
His cruel sleepes he turnes and not yet is The plague subdude of so great raging yll And on great club the weary head of his He wont to laye doth secke the staffe to fynde VVith empty handes his armes out casting yet VVith mouing vayne nor yet all rage of minde He hath layd downe but as with Sowthwind greate The waue once vext yet after kepeth still His raging long and though the wind now bee Asswaged swelles shake of theis madde and yll Tossinges of mynde returne let piety And vertue to the man els let be so His mynde with mouing mad toste euery waye Let errour blynd where it begun hath go For naught els now but only madnes maye Thee gyltles make in next estate it standes To hurtles handes thy mischiefe not to know Now stroken let with Hercules his handes Thy bosome sounde thyne armes the worlde allow VVere wonte to beare let greuous strypes now smyte VVith conquering hande and lowde complaying cryes Let th' ayre now heare let of darke pole and nighte The Queene them hear and who ful fyercely lyes That beares his neckes in mighty chaynes fast bounde Low lurking Cerberus in deepest caue Let Chaos all with clamour sad resound And of broad sea wide open wafting waue And th' ayre that felt thy weapons beter yet but felt them though The breastes with so great yls as these beset VVith litle stroake they must not beaten bee Let kingdomes three sound with one playnt and crye And thou neckes honour and defence to see His arrowe strong longe hanged vp on hye And quiuers light the cruell stripes now l'myte On his fierce backe his shouldars strong and stout Let oken club now strike and poast of might VVith knots ful hard his brestee load all aboute Let euen his weapons so great woes complayne Not you pore babes mates of your fathers praise VVith cruell wound reuenging kinges agayne Not you your lims in Argos barriars playes Are taught to turne with weapons strong to smie And strong of hand yet euen now daring loe The weapons of the Scithian quiuer light VVith stedy hand to paise set out from bow And stags to perce that saue them selues by flight And backes not yet ful maend of cruel beast To Stigian hauens goeye of shade and night Goe hurtles soules whom mischiefe hath opprest Euen in fyrst porch of lyfe but lately had And fathers fury goe vnhappy kind O litle children by the way ful sad Of iourney knowen Goe see the angry kynges THE FIFTHE ACTE Hercules Amphitry on Theseus WHat place is this what region or of the world what coast Where am I vnder ryse of sunne or bond els vttermost Of th' ycy beare or els doth here of sea of Hespery The fardest ground appoynt a bond for th' ocean sea to lye What ayre draw we to weary wight what ground is vnderset Of truth we are returnd from hell whence in my house downe bet See I these bloudy bodyes hath not yet my mynd of cast Th' infernall shapes but after yet returnd from hel at last Yet wander doth that belly heape before myne eys to see I am asham'de to graunt I quake I know not what to me I cannot tell what greeuou yll my mynde before doth know Where is my parent where is shee with goodly childrens show My noble harly stomackt spouse why doth my left syde lacke The lyons spoyle which way is gone the couer of my backe And selfe same bedde ful soft for slepe of Hercules also Where are my shaftes where is my bow then from my liuing who Could plucke away who taken hath the spoyles so great as these And who was he that feared not euen sleepe of Hercules To see my conquerour me lykes yt lykes me hym to know Ryse victor vp what new sonne hath my father gotten now Heauen beynge left at byrth of whom myght euer stayd bee A longer night then was in myne what mischiefe do I see My children loe do lye on ground with bloudy slaughter slayne My wyfe is kild what Lycus doth the kingdome yet obtayne Who durst so haynous giltes as these at Thebes take in hand When Hercles is returnd who so Ismenus waters land Who so Acteons fieldes or who with double seas beset The shaken Pelops kingdomes dost of Dardan dwell on yet Helpe me of cruel slaughter show who may the author bee Let rage my yre and all my foe he is who so to me Shewes not my foe dost thou yet hyde Alcides victorly Come forth euen whether thou reuenge the cruel charyots hye Of Bloudy Thracian king or yf thou Gerions catell quight Or lordes of Lybia no delay there is with thee to fight Beholde I naked stande although euen with my weapons loe Thou me vnarmed sette vppon Wherfore fleeth Theseus soe And eke my father from my syght theyr faces why hyde they Deferre your weepings and who did my wyfe and children sley Thus all at once me tell Wherfore O father dost thou whus ht But tell thou Theseu but Theseu with thy accustom'd truste Ech of them sylent hydes away their bashefull count'naunces And priuily they shed their teares in so great ils as these Of what ought wee asham'de to be doth ruler yet of might Of Argos towne or hateful band of sowldiars apt to fight Of Lycus dying vs oppresse with such calamity By prayse of all my noble actes I do desyre of thee O father and of thy great name approu'de to me alway The prosperous powre declare to mee who did my houshold flay Whose pray lay I A. Let thus thyne ylles in sylens ouerpas He. That I should vnreuenged bee Am Reuenge oft hurtful was He Did euer man so greeuous yls without reuenge sustayne A Who 's euer greater fearde H. Then these O father yet agayne May any greater thing or els more greuous feared be Am. How great apart is it thou wotst of thy calamity Her Take mercy father lo I lift to thee my humble hands What meaneth this my hand fleeth backe some priuy gylt their standes Whence comes this bloud or what doth mean flowing with death of child The shaft imbrewd with slaughter once of Lerney monster kilde I see my weapons now the hand I seeke no more to witte Whose hand could bend this bow but myne or what right at me but it Could string the bow that vnto mee euen scantly doth obay To you I turne O father deare is this my gylt I pray They held their peace it is myne own Am. Thy greuous woe is there The cryme thy stepdames this mischaunce no falt of thyne hath here Her From euery part now father throw in wrath thy thunders mighte And of thy sonne forgetful now with cruel hand requighte At least thy nephewes let the world that beares the starrs sounde out And let both th' one and th' other poale flyng downe thy flames aboute And let the bankes of Caspyan sea my bounden body teare And gredy foule Wherfore do of Prometheus lacke heare The rockes with huge and
rather me to take in armes vpon me fall And yee O aydes of elders age yee litle infants all Mee clyp and coll about the necke this fowle attyre forsake And spare myne eyes that pity it and fresher vesture take Lyke myne to see and you with ioy the halfe of emperie Deere brother take the greater prayse shall come to mee thereby Our fathers seate to yelde to you and brother to relieue To haue a kingdome is but chaunce but vertue it to geeue Thy. A iust reward for such deserts the Gods O brother deare Repay to thee but on my head a regall crowne to weare My lothsome lyfe denyes and farre doth from the sceptor flee My hand vnhappy in the mydst let leefull be for mee Of men to lurke Atre. this kingdome can with twayne full well agree Thy. What euer is O brother yours I count it myne to bee Atr. Who would dame fortunes gifts refuse if shee him rayse to raigne Thy. The gyfts of hir eche man it wotes how soone they passe againe Atr. Yee me depryue of glory great except yee th' empyre take Thy. You haue your prayse in offring it and I it to forsake And full perswaded to refuse the kingdome am I still Atre. Except your part yee will susteine myne owne forsake I will Thy. I take it then and beare I will the name thereof alone The ryghts and armes as well as myne they shall be yours eche one Atre. The regall crowne as you beseemes vpon your head then take And I th' appoyncted sacrifice for Gods will now goe make Chorus WOulde any man it weene that cruell wight Atreus of mynde so impotent to see VVas soone astonied with his brothers sight Mo greater force then pietye may bee VVhere kynred is not lasteth euery threat VVhom true loue holdes it holdes eternally The vvrath but late vvith causes kyndled great All fauour brake and did to battayle cry VVhan horsemen did resounde one euery syde The swoordes eche vvhere then glystred more more VVhich raging Mars vvith often stroke did guide The fresher bloud to shed yet thyrsting sore But loue the sworde agaynst theyr vvills doth swage And them to peace perswads vvith hand in hand So sodeyne rest amid so great a rage VVhat God hath made throughout Mycenas land The harnesse clynkt but late of cyuill strife And for their babes did fearefull mother quake Her armed spouse to leese much fearde the vvyfe VVhen sworde vvas made the scabberde to forsake That now by rest vvith rust vvas ouergrowne Some to repayre the vvalles that did decay And some to strength the towres halfe ouerthrowne And some the gates vvith gyns of Yrne to stay Full busie vvere and dredfull vvatch by nyght From turret high did ouerlooke the towne VVorse is then warre it selfe the feare of fight Nowe are the threats of cruell sworde layde downe And nowe the rumour whists of battayles sowne The noyse of crooked trumpet silent lyes And quiet peace returnes to ioyfull towne So when the waxes of swelling surge aryse VVhyle Corus wynde the Brutian seas doth smight And Scylla soundes from hollowe Caues within And Shipmen are with wafting waues affright Charybdis casts that erst it had drunke in And Cyclops fierce his father yet doth dred In AEtna banke that feruent is with heates Least quenched be with waues that ouershed The fire that from eternall Fornace beates And poore Laërtes thinkes his kyngdomes all May drowned be and Ithaca doth quake If once the force of wyndes begin to fall The sea lyth downe more mylde then standing lake The deepe where Ships so vvyde full dredfull vvere To passe vvith sayles on eyther syde out spred Now fallne adowne the lesser Boate doth beare And leysure is to vewe the fyshes ded Euen there vvhere late vvith tempest bet vpon The shaken Cyclades vvere vvith Seas agast No state endures the payne and pleasure one To other yeldes and ioyes be soonest past One howre sets vp the thinges that lowest bee Hee that the crownes to prynces doth deuyde VVhom people please with bending of the knee And at whose becke theyr battayles lay aside The Meades and Indians eke to Phebus nye And Dakes that Parthyans doe with horsemen threat Him selfe yet holdes his Sceptors doubtfully And men of might he feares and chaunces great That eche estate may turne and doubtfull howre O yee vvhom lorde of lande and vvaters wyde Of Lyfe and death grauntes here to haue the powre Lay yee your proude and lofty lookes aside VVhat your inferiour feares of you amis That your superiour threats to you agayne To greater kyng eche kyng a subiect is VVhom dawne of day hath seene in pryde to raygne Hym ouerthrowne hath seene the euening late Let none reioyce to much that good hath got Let none dispayre of best in vvorst estate For Clotho myngles all and suffreth not Fortune to stande but Fates about doth driue Such friendship finde wyth Gods yet no man myght That he the morowe might be sure to lyue The God our things all tost and turned quight Rolles with a whyrle wynde THE FOVRTHE ACTE Messenger Chorus WHat whirlwynde may me headlong dryue and vp in ayre mee fling And wrap in darkest cloude whereby it might so heynous thing Take from myne eyes O wicked house that euen of Pelops ought And Tantalus abhorred bee Ch. what new thing hast thou brought Me. What lande is this lythe Sparta here and Argos that hath bred So wicked brethern and the ground of Corinth lying spred Betweene the seas or Ister else where woont to take their flight Are people wylde or that which woonts with snowe to shyne so bright Hircana lande or els doe here the wandring Scythians dwell Ch. What monstrous mischiefe is this place then guilty of that tell And this declare to vs at large what euer be the ill Me. If once my mynde may stay it selfe and quaking limmes I will But yet of such a cruell deede before myne eyes the feare And Image walkes yee raging stormes now far from hence me beare And to that place me driue to which now driuen is the day Thus drawen from hence Ch. Our myndes yee holde yet still in doubt full stay Tell what it is yee so abhorre The author thereof showe I aske not who but which of them that quickly let vs know Me. In Pelops Turret high a part there is of Pallece wyde That towarde the south erected leanes of which the vtter syde With equall top to mountayne standes and on the City lies And people proude agaynst theyr prynce if once the traytors rise Hath vnderneath his batiring stroke there shynes the place in sight Where woont the people to frequent whose golden beames so bright The noble spotted pillers gray of marble doe supporte Within this place well knowen to men where they so ost resorte To many other roomes about the noble court doth goe The priuie Palaice vnderlieth in secret place alos With ditch ful deepe that doth enclose the wood of priuiter And hidden parts of kyngdome
olde where neuer grew no tree That chereful bowes is woont to beare with knife or lopped be But Taxe and Cypresse and with tree of Holme ful blacke to see Doth becke and bende the wood so darke alofte aboue all theese The higher oke doth ouer looke surmounting all the treese From hens with lucke the raigne to take accustom'd are the kyngs From hens in daunger ayd to aske and doome in doubtfull things To this affixed are the gifts the sounding Trumpets bright The Chariots broke and spoyles of sea that now Mirtôon hight There hang the wheeles once won by crafte of falser axel tree And euery other conquests note here leefull is to see The Phrygian tyre of Pelops head the spoyle of enmies heere And of Barbarian triumphe left the paynted gorgeous geere A lothsome springe stands vnder shade and slouthfull course doth take With water blacke euen such as is of yrkesome Stygian lake The vgly waue whereby art wont to sweare the gods on hye Here all the night the grisly ghosts and gods of death to erie The fame reportes with clinkyng chaynes resoūds the wood ech where The sprights cry out and euery thinge that dredfull is to heare May there bee seene of vgly shapes from olde Sepulchres sent A fearefull flocke doth wander there and in that place frequent Worse things then euer yet were knowwne ye all the wood full oft With flame is woont to flash and all the higher trees alofte Without a fyre do burne and ofte the wood beside all this With triple barkyng roares at once ful oft the palaice is Affright with shapes nor lighte of day may on the terrour quell Eternall night doth hold the place and darknes there of hell In mid day raignes from hens to them that pray out of the ground The certayne answers geuen are what tyme with dredful sound From secret place the fates be tolde and dungeon roares within While of the God breakes out the voyce whereto when entred in Fierce Atreus was that did wyth him his brothers children trayle Dekt are the aulters who alas may it enough bewayle Behynde the infants backs anone he knyt theyr noble hands And eke theyr heauy heads about he bound with purple bands There wanted there no Frankencense nor yet the holy wine Nor knyfe to cut the sacrifice besprinkt with leuens fine Kept is in all the order due Icast such a mischiefe gret Should not be ordred well Ch. who doth his hand on sword then set Mc. He is him selfe the priest and he himselfe the deadly verse With prayer dyre from feruent mouth doth syng and oft reherse And he at th' aulters stands himselfe he them assygn'de to dye Doth handle and in order set and to the knyfe applye He lights the fyres no rights were left of sacrifice vndone The woode then quakt and all at once from trembling grounde anone The Pallace beckt in doubt which way the payse thereof woulde fall And shaking as in waues it stoode from th' ayre and therewithall A blasing starre that foulest trayne drew after him doth goe The wynes that in the fyres were cast with chaunged licour floe And turne to bloud and twyse or thryse th' attyre sell from his hed The Iuerye bright in Temples seem'de to weepe and teares to shed The sights amas'de all other men but stedfast yet alway Of mynde vnmoued Atreus stands and euen the Gods doth fray That threaten him and all delay forsaken by and by To th' aulters turnes and therewithwall asyde he lookes awry As hungry Tygre wonts that doth in gangey woods remayne With doubtfull pace to range roame betweene the bullocks twayne Of eyther pray full-couetous and yet vncertayne where She fyrst may byte and roaring throate now turnes the tone to teare And then to th' other strayght returnes and doubtfull famyne holdes So Atreus dyre betwene the babes doth stand and them beholdes On whom he poynctes to slake his yre first slaughter where to make Hee doubts or whom he shoulde agayne for second offring take Yet skills it nought but yet he doubtes and such a cruelty It him delightes to order well Ch. Whom take he fyrst to dy Me. First place least in him thinke yee might no piere to remayne To graundsier dedicated is fyrst Tantalus is slayne Ch. With what a minde count'nace could the boy his death sustayne Me. All careles of him selfe he stoode nor once he would in vayne His prayers leese But Atreus fierce the sword in him at last In deepe and deadly wound doth hide to hilts and gryping fast His throate in hād he thrust him through The sword thē drawne away When long the body had vphelde it selfe in doubtfull stay Which way to fall at length vpon the vnckle downe it falles And then to th' aulters cruelly Philisthenes he tralles And on his brother throwes and strayght his necke of cutteth hee The Carcase headlong falles to ground a piteous thing to see The mourning head with murmure yet vncertayne doth complayne Chor. What after double death doth he and slaughter then of twayne Spares he the Child or gilt on gilt agayne yet heapeth he Mess. As long maymd Lyon fierce amid the wood of Armenie The droue pursues and conquest makes of slaughter many one Though now defyled be his tawes with bloud and hunger gone Yet slaketh not his yreful rage with bloud of Bulles so great But slouthful now with weary tooth the lesser Calues doth threat None other wyse doth Atreus rage and swelles with anger straynd And holding now the sword in hand with double slaughter staynd Regarding not where fell his rage with cursed hand vnmild He strake it through his body quite at bosome of the Child The blade goeth in and at the backe agayne out went the same He falles and quenching with his bloud the aulters sacred flame Of eyther wound at length he dieth Chor. O' heynous hateful act Mess. Abhorre ye this ye heare not yet the end of all the fact There followes more Cho. A fiercer thing or worse then this to see Could Nature beare Me. why thinke ye this of gylt the end to be It is but part Cho. what could he wore to cruel beastes he cast Perhappes their bodyes to be torne and kept from fyres at last Me. Would God he had that neuer tombe the dead might ouer hyde Nor flames dissolue though them for food to foules in pastures wyde He had out throwen or them for pray to cruell beastes would flinge That which the worst was wont to be were here a wished thing That them their father saw untombd but oh more cursed crime Uncredible the which denye will men of after tyme From bosomes yet aliue out drawne the trembling bowels shake The vaynes yet breath the feareful hart doth yet both pant and quakes But he the stringes doth turne in hand and destenies beholde And of the guttes the sygnes each one doth vewe not fully cold When him the sacrifyce had pleasd his diligence hē puttes To dresse his
grounde to swallowe him whom Gods and day haue fled Yet breake yee out from cursed seates and heere remayne with mee Yee neede not now to be affrayde the Ayre and Heauen to see Nor triple headed Cerberus thou needst not bee affryght The day vnknowne to thee to see or els the lothsome lyght They both be fled and now doth dwell none other count'naunce heere Then doth beneath the fowlest face of hatefull hell appeere Come see a meetest match for thee a more then monstrous wombe That is of his vnhappy broode become a cursed tombe Flocke here yee fowlest flendes of hell and thou O graundsyre greate Come see the glutted guts of myne with such a kinde of meate As thou didst once for Gods prepare Let torments all of hel Now fall vppon this hatefull head that hath deserude them well Yee all be plagued wrongfully your guiltes be small in sight Of myne and meete it were your pange on me alone should light Now thou O graundsier guiltlesse arte and meeter were for mee With fleeing floud to be beguilde and fruite of fickle tree Thou slewst thy sonne but I my sonnes alas haue made my meate I coulde thy famyne better beare my paūch is now repleate With foode and with my children three my belly is extent O filthy fowles and gnawyng gripes that Tytius be some rent Beholde a fitter pray for you to fill your selues vppone Then are the growing guts of him foure wombes enwrapt in one This paūche at once shall stll you all if yee abhorre the foode Nor may your selues abide to bathe in such a cursed bloode Yet lend to me your clinching clawes your pray a while forbeare And with your tallons suffer mee this monstrous mawe to teare Or whirling wheeles with swinge of which Ixion still is rolde Your bookes vpon this glutten gorge would catche a surer holde Thou filthy floud of Lymbo lake and Stygian poole so dyre From chocked chanell belche abrode Thou fearefull freate of fyre Spue out thy flames O Phlegethon and ouershed the grounde With vomit of thy fyry streame let me and earth be drownde Breake vp thou soyle from bottome deepe and geue thou roome to hell That night where day the ghosts where Gods were woōt to raigne may dwel Why gapst thou not Why do you not O gates of hell vnfolde Why do yee thus th infernall fiendes so long from hence withholde Are you likewyse affrayde to see and knowe so wretched wight From whom the Gods haue wryde theyr lookes turned are to flight O hatefull head whom heauen and hell haue shoonde and left alone The Sunne the starres the light the day the Gods the ghosts be gone Yet turne agayne yee Skyes a while ere quight yee goe fro mee Take vengeance fyrst on him whose faulte enforceth you to flee If needes yee must your flight prepare and may no longer bide But rolle yee must with you forthwt the Gods and Sunne a syde Yet slowly flee that I at length may you yet ouertake While wandring wayes I after you and speedy iorney make By seas by lands by woods by rocks in darke I wander shall And on your wrath for right rewarde to due deserts will call Yee scape not fro me so yee Gods still after you I goe And vengeaunce aske on wicked wight your thunder bolte to throe FINIS THE THYRD TRAGEDY OF L. ANN AEVS Seneca entituled Thebais translated out of Latin into Englishe by Thomas Newton 1581 The Argument LAIVS King of Thebes hadde by his Wyfe and Queene IOCASTA a Sonne named OEDIPVS Who being yet in his Mothers Wombe APOLLO his Oracle pronounced that by the handes of that childe King LAIVS the father should bee murthered The feare whereof caused the King to commaūd him to be put to death The Kinges heardman who had the charge to see this done on th one side mooued with compassion ouer a tender weakeling and on the otherside afraid to incurre the King his maisters displeasure contented himselfe onely to boare two hoales through the Infants two feete and with certayne plyable Twigges beinge thrust through the same hong him vp on a tree by the Heeles supposing that heereby hee should cōmit a lesse crime in suffring the childe to perishe by famine then in playing the Butcher himsefe It fortuned that one PHORBAS heardman to POLYBIVS King of Corynth passing by that way hearing a yong Childe cyre went and cut him downe and caryinge him to Corynth it so fell out that at length hee was giuen for a present or gyft to MEROPE Wyfe to the said King POLYBVS This OEDIPVS afterward going to Thebes in a certayne sedicious hurly burly in the countrey there vnawares and vnwitting slewe King LAIVS his Father About which tyme the City of Thebes and Countrey there about was meruelously infested with a monster called Sphinx who propounding a certaine Riddle or obscure question to such as passed that vvay and deuouringe as many as coulde not assoyle the same To him that coulde assoile it and so rid the Countrey from that so vgly and daūgerous a monster the mariage of Queene IOCASTA and the kingdome of Thebes was promysed as a recompence OEDIPVS after many others taking the matter in hand assoyled the Ryddle slew the mōster Whereupō marying the Queene not knowing her to bee his owne Mother had by her foure Chyldren ETHEOCLES POLYNICES ANTIGONE ISMENE In the end hauing knowledg how first hee had kylled his Father and then incestuously maryed his Mother hee forsooke his kingdome being continually infested wyth the plague as one ashamed to loke any man in the face pulled out his own Eyes and hid himselfe in corners and solitary places His Sonnes ETHEOCLES POLYNICES agreed to raigne enterchaungeably that is to wit ETHEOCLES one yeare and POLYNICES the other ETHEOCLES hauing raigned his yeare refused according to the articles of agrement to resigne the Crowne to his brother for the next yeare Whereupō they fel to mortal warres and in the end meaning by combat to ende the matter they mutually slew one the other And note that this Tragedy was left by the Authour vnperfect because it neyther hath in it Chorus ne yet the fifth Acte The names of the speakers OEdipus Nuntius Antigone Iocasta THE FIRSTE ACTE OEdipus Antigone DEare Daughter vnto Father blynde a Staffe of steady stay To weary Syre a comfort greate and Guide in all his way And whom to haue begotten I may glad and ioyfull bee Yet leaue me now thy haplesse Syre thus plungde in misery Why seekst thou meanes still to direct my stalking steppes aright Let mee I pray thee headlong slyde in breaknecke tumbling plight I better shall and sooner fynde a way my selfe alone To rid mee out of all the thrall wherein I now am throwne Whereby both heauen shall eased bee and earth shall want the sight Of mee vile wretch whom guilt hath made a most abhorred wight Alas what litle triffling tricke hath hitherto bene wrought By these my hands what
feate of worth or maistry haue I sought In deede they haue me helpt to pull myne eyes out of my head So that ne Sunne ne Moone I see but life in darknesse lead And though that I can nothing see yet is my guilt and cryme Both seene and knowne poyneted at woe worth the cursed tyme Leaue of thy hold let lose thy hand good daughter let mee goe Let foultring foote light where it will let it this once be so I le trudge and runne I le skudde and raunge I le hasten to the hill Of craggy stiepe Cytheron there I hope to worke my will Where earst Actaeon lost his lyfe by straunge and vncouth death Whom vawling Dogges and hunting Hounds bereft of vitall breath Where once Agaue bedlemlike raungd vp and downe the woode With Systers hers enspired all with Bacchus raging moode And pleasing well her selfe in that her fact and mischiefe donne Pitcht on a Poale the grisly head of him that was her Sonne Where Zethus with his ruffling Crew of Gallantes young and stoute Dragd hald and puld the hateful corps of Dirce all aboute Where bushie bloudied brambles show which way the Bull her drew Nere where dame Ino from a Rocke her selfe in Sea downe threw So that poore mother though she ment t' auoyde one fault by flight Yet she therby a worse procur'd while like a seely wight She bother selfe and eke her sonne from Scyron hurled downe Entending both her selfe and him in foaming Sea to drowne Oh happy yea thryse happy they that had so good an bap And whom such mothers pitiful earst daudled in theyr lap Yea yet there is in these same woods an other place to mee That 's due by right and rightly may me challenge as his fee Where I am Infant out was layed al Fortunes to abide I thyther wil direct my course of try what may betyde I le neither stop ne stay til that I be arryued there For guyde I recke not neyther force for Stumbling any where Why stay I thus like dastard drudge to hasten vnto it Sith wel I know it lotted is to be my graue and Pit Let me myne owne Cytheron mount enioy in quiet state It is myne old and auncient bower appoynted me by fate I pray thee be not discontent that I should aged die Euen there where life I should haue lost in pueling infancy I yeild me heere with willing hart vnto those tortures all That earst to me were due and which to others haue befall To thee I speake O bloudy mount fierce cruel styepe and fell As well in that thou sparest some as that thou some dost quell This carion corps this sinful soule this carcasse here of myne Long tyme agone by right good Law and propertye is thine Now yet at length perfourme the hest that earst enioyned was To thee by those my parentes both now bring their doome to passe My hart euen longeth till I may so fully satisfy By this my death that their decree that glad I am to die Ah Daughter Daughter why wouldst thou thus keepe mee gaynst my mynd In this so vile incestuous loue thou art but now to kind Oh stay me not I thee desire behold behold I heare My Fathers ghost to bidde me come apace and not to feare O Father myne I come I come now father ceasse thy rage I know alas how I abus'd my Fathers hoary age Who had to name King Laius how hee doth fret and frye To see such lewd disparagement and none to blame but I Wherby the Crowne vsurped is and he by murther slayne And Bastardly incestuous broode in Kingly throne remayne And loe dost thou not playnly see how he my panting Ghost With raking pawes doth hale and pull which grieues my conscience most Dost thou not see how he my face bescratcheth tyrant wyse Tel mee my Daughter hast thou seene Ghostes in such griefly guyse Antig I see marke each thing ful well Good father leaue this mind And take a better if you can from this your selfe vnwynd Oed. O what a beastly cowardise is in this breast of myne Was I so stout and venturous in pulling out myne Eyen And shall all courage be employd agaynst one onely part Of Body and from other partes shall valour wholly start Let none of all these puling trickes nor any faint excuse Thus daunt thy sprites let no delay to basenes thee enduce Dispatch at once why lingre I as one that 's loth to dye Why liue I i st because I can no longer mischieues trye Yes that I can wretch though I be and therfore tel I thee Deare Daughter that the sooner thou mightst hence depart from mee Depart a mayd and Virgin hence for feare of after claps Since villany to Mother shewde its good to doubt mishaps Anti. No force no power no violence shall make me to withdraw My duty vnto thee my Syre to whom I vow myne awe I will not be disseuered ne pulled from thy syde I will assist thee whyle that breath shal in this Breast abyde My Brothers twayne let them contend and fight for Princelye swaye Of wealthy Thebes where whilom raignd King Labdacke many a day The greatest share and portion that I do loke to haue Out of my Fathers Kingdome is my Fathers lyfe to saue Him neither shall Etheocles my elder brother take Away from mee who now by force the Thebane realme doth rake Ne Polynices who as now is Mustring men apace From Argos Land with ful entent his brother to displace No though the world went all on wheeles though Ioue should frō aboue Hurle flashing flakes vpon the Earth all shall not quayle my loue No though his thumping thunderbolt when wee togeather stand Should light betweene vs where as we are plighted hand in hand Yet wil I neuer thee forsake but held my handfast still Therefore it s boateles father deare to countermaund my will In this my full resolued mynd Forbid me if you please But surely I will be your guide in weale woe dole case And maugre al your sharpe reprofes though much against your mind I wil direct your steppes and gate that you your way may fynd Through thick thinne through rough and smoth I wil be at an ynch In hill and dale in wood groue I le serue at eu'ry pinch If that you goe where daunger lies and seeke your owne annoy You shall wel proue that I to leade the daunce wil not be coy Aduyse your selfe therfore of twayne to which I guyde shall be My count is cast I am ful bent with you to liue and die Without me perish can you not but with me wel you may It booteth not in other sort to moue me ought to saye Here is an huyge Promontory that elboes into Sea Let vs from thence throw downe our selues and worke our last decay If that ye wil Here also is a flinty Rocke besyde Which if you please shal serue our turnes Heere beaten with the tyde Bee craggy Cliffes let 's goe
you thus flee OEdi. Frō none but frō my selfe Who haue a breast full fraught with guilte who wretched caitiffe Elte Haue all embrude my hands with bloud From these apace I flee And from the heauens and Gods therein and from that villanie Which I most wicked wretch haue wrought Shall I treade on thys ground Or am I worthy so to doe in whom such trickes abound Am I to haue the benefite of any Element Of Ayre for breath of water moyst or Earth for nourishment O Slaue forlorne O beastly wretch O Incestmonger vyle O Varlet most detestable O Peysaunte full of guile Why doe I with polluted Fyst and bloudy pawes presume To touch thy chast and comely hand I foame I fret I fume In hearing any speake to mee Ought I heare any tell Or once of Sonne or Father speake syth I did Father quell Would God it were within my power my Senses all to stop Would God I could these Eares of myne euen by the stumps to crop If that might bee then daughter I should not haue heard thy voyce I I thy Syre that thee be got by most incestuous choise Beegetting of thee makes my crymes moe then they were before Remorse thereof both gnaw and grype my conscience more and more Ofttymes that which myne Eyes not see with Eares that doe I heare And of my Facts afore time done the inward wound I beare Why is there stay made of my doome Why am I spard so long Why is not this blind head of myne throwne damned ghosts among Why rest I on the Earth and not among infernall Sprightes Why pester I the company of any mortall Wightes What myschiefe is there more behind to aggrauate my care My Kingdome Parents Children Wit and Vertue quayled are By sturdy stormes of froward Fate nothing remaynde but teares And they bee dryde and Eyes be gon my hardned heart forbeares Such signes of grace leaue of therefore and make no more adde A minde so mated with dispayre no suytes will slowpe vnto I practize some straunge punishments agreeing to my deede But what proportion can bee found of plagues vnto my meede Whose Fortune euer was so bad I was in sooner borne But seely Infant Iudgde I was in peeces to be torne My mother in whose wombe I lay forth had not mee yet brought And yet euen then I feared was and straight my death was sought Some Babes soone after they bee borne by stroke of death depart But I poore soule before my byrth adiudged was to dart Of death some yet in Mothers wombe ere any light they see Doe taste the dint of hasty Fate while Innocents they bee Apollo by his Oracle pronounced sentence dyre Vpon mee being yet vnborne that I vnto my Syre Should breastly parricide commit and therevpon was I Condemned straight by Fathers doome My Feete were by and by Launcde through through with yrō Pins hangde was I by the Heeles Vpon a Tree my swelling plants the printe thereof yet feeles As pray to Beastes cast out also to cramme theyr greedy Iawes In Mount Cythaeron and to fill the griping Vulturs Mawes Such Sauce to tast full lyke was I was others heeretofore Descended of the royall Sangue with smart perforce haue bore But see the chaunce I thus condemn'de by Dan Apollos hest And cast to beasts by Fathers doome and euery way distrest Could finde no death no death on mee durst seyze his lordly Pawe But fled from mee as though I had not beene within his Lawe I verified the Oracle with wicked hand I kilde Myne owne deere Father and vnwares his guiltlesse bloud I spilde Shall any satisfaction redeeme so vile an Acte May any kinde of Piety purge such a shamefull fact I rested not contented thus For Father beeing slayne I fell in linkes of lawlesse Loue with Mother Oh what payne And grudge of minde sustaynde I there in thinking on the same To tell our wicked wedlocke Yoake I loath I blush I shame I may not well this geare conceale I le tell it out it shall Though to my shame it much redound it may augment my thrall I will display straunge villanies and them in number many Most beastlike parts most lewde attempts to bee abhorr'de of any So filthy and so monstruous that sure I thinke no Age Will them belieue to haue bene done so cruell was my rage That euen ech cutthroate Partrcide thereat may be ashamde To heare it nam'de and with disdaine straight wayes will be enflamde My handes in Fathers blud embrude to Fathers Bed I brought And haue with Mother myne his Wife incestuous practyse sought To myschiefe adding mischiefe more I wis my fault to Sire Is slender in comparison my gracelesse fond desire Could not bee staide till solemnely the mariage Knot was knit Twixt mee and Mother myne alas for want of grace and wit How plungde am I in myschiefe still how is the measure full Of horrours vile which doe my minde and heart asunder pull And least the heape of these my woes might seeme to bee too skant My Mother she my Wyfe that is yong issue doth not want Can any crime in all the World more haynous be surmisde If any may by wicked Impes the same I haue deuisde My Realme and Crowne I haue resignde which I receiued as hyre For murdring most vunaturally the king my Lord and Syre Which Crowne now since twixt both my sonnes hath kindled mortall war And all the countrey by the ears remains at deadly iarre I know ful wel what destenies to this same Crowne belonges None without Bloud the same shall weare and most accursed wrongs This mynd of myne who Father am presageth many ills And gloomy dayes of slaughter dyre the plot that murther willes Already is contriu'd and cast all truth of word and deede Is quight exild al promise broke of pactes afore decreed Etheocles th one of my sonnes who now in princely throne Beates all the sway meanes stil to keepe the Diademe alone Poore Polynices th'o other sonne thus beyng dispessest And kept by force from Kingly rule his humble sute addrest Vnto the Gods this wrong to wreake this breach of league and oth T' auenge and plague he Argos soyle end Greekish Cttyes both Perswades t' assist him in this warie this quarel to mayntayne That he in Thebes as promise was might haue his turne to raygne The ruyne that to wearied Thebes shall greeuously befall And bring the pompous state therof adowne shal not be small Fire sword glaue woūds thwackīg thūps shal light vnto their share And that ere long and mischieues worse it any worse there are And this shall hap that all the worlde may know it is the race And yssue of a curied Syre that darraygnes such a case Though other causes none there were to moue you sic to liue Yet is this one sufficient that you by awe may dryue Your sonnes my Brethren tarring thus to vnity and peace For you their Father only may theyr furies cause to tease
cruelly my Sonnes by warre do one the other teare IOC. A fortunate and happy Dame Agaue may be thought Who though with bloudy hands her sonne to fatell death she brought And from the shoulders chopt his head and bore the same about In bloudy hand at Bacchus feast withau th' inspired rout Of sacrificers quartering poore Pentheus mangled lymmes Though this her cruell facte somewhat her commendation dymmes Yet euen in these her phrantick fits shee stayde her selfe in time From further harme not adding more to aggrauate her crime My guilt were light if I had not some others guilty made And yet is this but matter light I tooke a biler trade For Mother I am vnto those that in all vice excell And who in most abhorred sinnes condignely beare the bell To all my woes and myseries there wanted onely this That I should loue my Countreyes foe who Polynices is Three snowy Wynters passed are and Sommers three be gone Synce be an exilde wretch abroade hath lead his lyfe in moane And sought his bread among the fremmd till now compell'de perforce Hee craues reliefe of Greekish Kings on him to haue remorse Hee maried hath the Daughter of Adrastus who at becke Rules Argiue people swaying them with awe of Princely checke And he t' aduaunce his sonne in law to his most lawfull right Hath with him brought from seuen Realmes a warlike Crue to fight What doome I should in this case geue which syde I wish to winne I cannot tell my minde amazde yet doubtfull rests therein Th' one of my Sonnes as right it is requyres the Crowne as due I knowe it so accorded was his cause is good and true But in such sort by force of Armes to relie maunde the same Is ill and most vnnaturall herein he is to blame What shall I doe what may I say I mother am to both And thus my Sonnes at deadly feud to see I am full loth Without the breach of mother zeale I can no way deuise For what good had I wishe to th' one thence th' others harme doth rise But though I loue them both alyke yet sure my heart enclynes To him that hath the better cause though wronged thus he pynes As one by frowning fortune thrilde from piller vnto post His Credite Countrey friendes and wealth and treasure being lost The weaker side I will support and further al I can Most mercy alwayes should vt shewde vnto th' oppressed man NV. While Madame you waymēting here your heauy plaints declare And waste the time my Lords your Sonnes in taunged battayle are Eche Captains bright in Armour standes the Trumpet sounds amain And Standard is aduanc'de amid the thronge of eyther traine In marshall ray full prest to fight stand seuen worthy Kynges And eche of them a warlicke troupe of valiaunt Souldiers bringes With courage not behynd the best the Thebanes marche apace And like right ympes of Cadmus brood do slash at Enmies face The Souldiers force and willingnes on eyther side to fyght Appeares in that they nothing lesse pretend them shameful flight See how their trampling to and froe the dust to Skies doth reare And what a Cloud of Smoke in Campe the horses make t' appeare And if my feare dismay me not It all be true I see Me thinkes I view their glittering glaues begoard with bloud to bee Me thinkes I see the Voward thrill and shake their Pikes in hand Me thinkes I see the Gydons gay and Streamers where they stand Wherein is wrought by curtous skill in Letters all of Gold The Scotchion Poeste Name and Armes of euery captayne bold Make hast be gone dispatch Madame Cause Brethren to agree Betwyxt them stay this quarell least a slaughter great ye see So shall you to your Children loue to each syde peace restoare The mothers mediation may heale vp all the Soare THE THIRDE ACTE Antigone Iocasta Nuntius POast poast be gone and trudge for life Queene mother make no stay That twixt my Brothers perfect league and truce continue may You that be Mother to them both vse your auctority Out of their handes their weapons wrest and make them warres defye Your bared Breastes which once they suckt hold out amid their Swordes Beare of the brunt of all their blowes or end this warre with wordes Ioc. Thy talke I like I wil be gone I le goe with might and mayne This head of myne I ieoperd wil betwene them to be slayne In thickest thronge of all the Troupes I purposd am to stand And try what grace or curtesy rimaynes in eyther Bonde If Brothers beare malicious myndes each other to subdue Let them first onset geue on wee and me to death pursue If eyther of them be endude with any sparke of grace Or Natures lawes or Filiall awe doth any whit embrace Let him at mothers suite lay downe his Pikes and glaues of warre And weapons of hastility let him abandon farre And he that cancard stomacke beares his Brother there to quell Forgetting Nature let him first with me his Mother mell These headdy youthes from further rage I seely Trot wil staye I wittingly will not behold such mischiefe cary sway Or if I liue to see the same it shal not bee alone Ant. The Standardes are displayd in field the Ennemyes are prone To fall to fight the clashing noyse of weapons heare you may Much murther death and dreadfull dule cannot be far away Their stony hartes goe mollify with sugred termes perswade Their wilful myndes O Queene before they furiously inuade The one the other yonder see how they in armour bright Bestirre themselues from place to place O dire and dismall sight My trickling teares my blubbring Eyes may put you out of doubt That all is true which I haue sayd looke looke how al the route On eyther part doth slowly march as loth belike to trye By dent of Swerd so straunge a case But both my brothers hie Apace to grapple force to force and ioyne with handy blowes This day wil breeede the bitter smart of euer during woes Ioc. What whirlewynd swift might I procure to beare me through the ayre What monstruous flying Sphinx wil helpe that I were quickly there Of all the Byrdes Stimphalides with winges so huge and large That Phoebus rayes they shadowed quight wil any take the charge To cary mee to yonder place what rauenous Harpye Burd With vgly talantes all with flith and dirty dung befurde Which hungrestarud King Phineus that had put out the Eyes Of children his wil at this pinch a meane for me deuyse That I aloft may hoysed bee and with al spede be set Where yonder cruel armies two in open field be met Nune. Shee runnes apace like one of wit and senses all distract No Arrow swifter out of Bow no Ship with Sayle ful thwackt With wynd at will more way can make with motion such shee flyes As glyding Star whose leames do drawe a Furrow longe in Skyes As much agast she trottes apace and now in Campe she standes Her presence
rebound The brambles rent his haled hayre the edged flinty stones The beauty batter of his Face and breake his crashing bones At Mouth his blaring tongue hangs out with squeased eyne out dasht His Iawes Skull doe crack abrode his spurting Braynes are pasht His cursed beauty thus defoylde with many wounds is spent The iotting Wheeles do grinde his guts and drenched sims they rent At length a Stake with TruÌ„chion burnt his ripped PauÌ„ch hath caught From riued Grine toth ' Nauell stead within his wombe it raught The Cart vpon his Maister pawsde agaynst the ground ycrusht The Fellies stuck within the wounds and out at length they rush So both delay and Maisters limbs are broke by stresse of Wheeles His dragling guts then trayle about the wincing horses heeles They thumping with their horny Hooues agaynst his Belly kick From bursten Paunch on heapes his blouddy bowells tumble thick The scratting Bryers on the Brakes with needle poynted pricks His gory Carkas all to race with spelles of thorny sticks And of his flesh ech ragged shrub a gub doth snatch and rent His men a mourning troupe God knowes with brackish teares besprÄ“t Doe stray about the fielde whereas Hippolytus was tore A piteous signe is to bee seene by tracing long of gore His howling Dogges their Maisters limmes with licking follow still The earnest toyle of woful Wights can not the coars vp fill By gathering vp the gobbets sparst and broken lumps of flesh Is this the flaunting brauery that comes of beauty fresh Who in his Fathers Empyre earst did raigne as pryncely Peare The Heyre apparant to the Crowne and shone in honour cleare Lyke to the glorious Stars of Heauen his Limmes in pieces small Are gathred to his fatall Graue and swept to funerall TH. O Nature that preuaylste too much alas how dost thou binde Whyth bonds of bloud the Parents breast how loue we thee by kinde Maugre our Teeth whom gullty ecke we would haue rest of breath And yet lamenting with my teares I doe bewayle thy death NVN. None can lament with honesty that which he wisht destroyde TH. The hugiest heape of woes by this I thinke to be enioyde When flickering Fortunes cursed wheele doc cause vs cry alas To rue the wrack of things which earst wee wished brought to passe NVN. If stil thou keepe thy grudge why is the Face with seates besprÄ“t TH. Because I slue him not because I lost him I repent Chorus WHat heape of happes do tumble vpsyde downe Th' estate of man lesse raging Fortune flies On little things lesse leaming lightes are throwne By hand of Ioue on that which lower lies The homely couch safe merry hartes do keepe The Cotage base doth giue the Golden sleepe The lofty Turrets top that cleaues the cloude VVithstandes the sturdy stormes of Southren wynde And Boreas boysterous blastes with threatning loud Of blusteryng Corus shedding showres by kinde The reking Dales do seldome noiance take Byding the brunt of Lightninges slashing flake Th' aduaunced crest of Caucasus the great Did quake with bolt of lofty thundring Ioue VVhen he from cloudes his thunder dintes did beat Dame Cybels Phrygian fryth did trembling moue King loue in hawty heauen ful sore affright The nighest thinges with weapons doth he smyght The ridges low of Vulgar peoples house Striken with stormes do neuer greatly shake His Kingdomes coast Ioues thundring thumpes do souse VVith wauering winges that houre his fligth doth take Nor flitting Fortune with her tickle wheele Le ts any wight assured ioy to feele VVho in the VVorld beholds the starres ful bright And chereful day forsaking gastly Death His sorrowfull returne with groning spright He rewes sith it depriude his Sonne of breath He seeth his lodging in his court agayne More doleful is then sharpe Auernus payne O. PALLAS vnto whom all Athens land Due homage oweth because that THESEVS thine Among vs worldly Wights againe doth stand And seeth the Heauens vpon himselfe to shine And passed hath the parlous myrie Mud Of stinking Stygian Fen and filthy Flud Vnto thy rauening Vncles dreery Gaile O Lady chaste not one Ghost dost thou owe The Hellick Tyrant knovves his perfect tale Who from the Court this shriking shrill doth throwe What mischiefe comes in frantick PHAEDRAS brayne With naked Svvord thus running out amayne THE FIFTE ACTE THESEVS PHAEDRA CHORVS THrough pierst with pangues of pensiuenesse what fury prickes thy brayne What meanes this bloudy blade what meanes this shriking out amayne And langishing vpon the Corps which was thy mallice made PH. O tamer of the wrastling waues mee mee doe thou inuade The Monstrous hags of Marble Seas to rampe on mee send out What euer Thetis low doth keepe with folding armes about Or what the Ocean Seas aloofe embrace with winding waue O Theseus that to thine alies dost still thy selfe behaue So Currishly O thou that for thy louing Friends auayle Dost neuer yet returne thy Sonne and Father doe bewayle Thy pasport brought by death and bloud thy stocke thou dost destroy By loue or hatred of thy wife thou workest still annoy O sweete Hippolytus thus I behold thy battred face And I it is I wretch alas that brought thee to this case What Scinis forst thy lims so torne his snatching boughes to feele Or what Procrustes rackt and rent thee streacht on bed of Steele Or else what Minotaur of Crete that grim twishaped Bull With horny head that Dedalls â—â—nues with lowing filleth full Hath thee in fitters torne aie me where is thy beauty fled Where are our twinckling stars thine eyes alas and art thou ded Appeare a while receiue my words for speake I shall none yll This hand shal strike the stroake wherwith thy bengeance quite I wil And sith that I I Caytive I abridged haue thy life Lo here I am content to yeeld thee mine with bloudy knife If ghost may here be giuen for ghost and breath may serue for breath Hippolytus take thou my soule and come againe from death Behold my bowels yet are safe my lims in lusty plight Would God that as they serue for me thy body serue they might Mine eies to render kindly light vnto thy Carkasse ded Lo for thy vse this hand of mine shall pluck them from my hed And set them in these empty cells and vacant holes of thine Thy weale of me a wicked Wight to win do not repine And if a womans wofull heart in place of thine may rest My bosom straight breake vp I shall and teare it from my brest But courage stout of thine doth loth faint womans heart to haue Thy Noble minde would rather go with manly heart to graue Alas be not so manly now this manlinesse forheare And rather choose to liue a man with womans sprite and feare Then as no man with manly heart in darcknesse deepe to sit Haue thou thy life giue me thy death that more deserueth it Can not my profer purchase place yet vengeance shal thou haue Hell shall not hold me from thy syde nor
of hell where filthy fluds do flow Where plages and vile diseases too where dredfull horrors grow And all the furies brasten loose do mischiefes on vs throw With Botch biane of sundry kindes which sothern blasts do blow And wrekful vexed hagges of hell do dreath and on vs bringe The angry feddes of hell I thinke their vengeaunce on vs flinge And out their mortall poyson spue which they agaynst vs beare Lo see how greedy death on vs with scowling eyes doth leare See see Oh Ioue how fast hee throwes his Dartes Not one he spares But all confounds His thretning force withstand no Creature dares No doubt the lothsom Feryman the sinfull soules that traynes Through stincking fluds his labour loths that he for vs sustaynes Such presse by plūps to him is made which still renews his paynes But harke yet mōsters more thē these the Fame abroade doth fly That hellishe Dogges with bawling sound were heard to howle and cry And the the ground with trembling shooke and vnder feele did moue And dreadfull blasing Comets bright were seene in Skies aboue And gastly shapes of men besides to wander on the ground And wood and trees on euery syde did fearefully resound Besides all this straūg Ghosts were seene in places where they stoode And Ryuers more then one or two that ran all blacke goorb bloode O cruell plague O vile disease farre worse then speedy death O wee vnhappy thrise and more who doe prolonge our breath In these accursed dayes and tymes But harke to mee a while When first this lothsome plague begins these Mysers to defile It takes them thus A feareful Cold through al their bones doth run And Cold and Heate togeather mixt their sences all benome Than litle lothsome markes appeare and all their bodies spot And all their members flaming glow and burning fast doe rot The Lights the Lungs the heart the Guts and all that inwarde lies And all the secret partes iscorcht with deadly I fier fries The bloud all clotterd in their Cheekes in cluster lies by lumps And it and heate together makes great straung and ruddy bumps And bloud and flesh congeled stands in Face as stiffe as stake And Eyes in head fast fixed set and often trickling make And downe apace whole fluds they steame and clots drops doe trill And all the skin from of their Face by flakes and scales doth pill A thousand fearefull sounds at once into their eares doe rush And lothsome bloud out of their Nose by stilling streames doth gush The very anguish of their heart doth cause them for to shake And what with payne heale and feare their weried lims doe quake Then some the rūning Ryuers haunt and some on ground doe wallow And some agayne their thirst to slake cold water gulping swallow Thus all our country tost with plague in Griefe it waltering lies And still desiring for to dye a thousand deathes it dyes But God to heare them then is prest and death to none denyes Besydes al this the church some do frequent but not to pray But onely for to glut the Gods with that that they do say But who is this that comes to Court in hast with poasting pace What i st Creon that noble Prince for deedes and stately race Or doth my mynd opprest with care thinges false for true contriue Creon it is long looked for his sight doth me reuyue THE SECONDE ACTE The first Scene OEDIPVS CREON FOr feare my body chilles alas and trembling all I stand In quakinge dread I seke and toyle these mischiefes to withstand But al in vayne I spend my thoughtes it wil not be I see As long as all my sences thus by cares distracted bee My mynd desyrous stil Oh God the truth for to vnfold With doubtful Dread is daunted so that it can scant vpholde It selfe O Brother beare if way or meane of health thou know Declare it out and sticke not all the truth to me to show Cre. The Oracle most noble king ys darke and hidden lies Oed. Who doubtful health to sicke men brings all health to thē denies Cre. Apolloes vse yt is the troth in darkesome dens to hold Oed. And Oedipus of Gods it hath thinges hidden to vnfold Speake out tell all and spare not man all doubtes I can discus Cre. Apollo then most noble King himselfe commaundeth thus By exile purge the Princes seat and plague vvith vengeance due That haples vvretch vvhose bloudy handes of late King Laius slue Before that this perfourmed bee no hope of milder ayer Wherfore do this O King or else All hope of helpe dispayre Oe, Durst any man on earth attempte that noble Prince to slay Shew me the man that I may him dispatch out of the way Cre. God graunt I may it safely tel the hearyng was to terrible My senses all amased are it is a thing so horrible That I abhorre to vtter it oh God for feare I quake And euen at the very thought my lims beginne to shake Assoone as I Appollos Church had entred in affrayd Vppon my face flat downe I fell and thus to him I prayd Oh God if euer thou didst rue on wretched misers state If euer men opprest thou easd or didst their cares abate If euer thou in present neede didst present helpe declare If euer thou afflicted Hartes with cares consumd didst spare Shew now thy wonted elemency and pitty knowne of yore Scant had I sayd Resounding all the mountaynes thondring rore And filthy feendes spout out their flames out of their darksome caues And woods do quake and hilles do moue and vp the surging waues Do mount vnto the skies aloft and I amased stand Still looking for an aunsweare at Apollos sacred hand When out with ruffled hayre disguisd the Prophet comes at last And when that shee had felt the heate of mighty Phoebus blast All puffyng out she swelles in rage and pattring still she raues And scant she entred had into Apollos shyning caues When out a thundring voyce doth brust that 's farre aboue mans reach So dreadful seemed then to me the mighty Phoebus speach Than thus he spake aud thus at length into myne cares he rusht Whyle sprawling stil the Prophet lay before the doores in dust The Thebane City neuer shal be free frō plagues quoth he Except from thense the Kingkiller forthwith expulsed bee Vnto Apollo knowen he was or euer he was borne Do this or else no hope of health to this the gods haue sworn And as for thee thou shalt not long in quiet state indure But with thy self wage war thou shalt war thou shalt procure Vnto thy children deare crepe agayn thou shalt into thy mothers wombe Oed. Loke what the Gods commaunded haue accomplished shal be Nor neuer shal these eyes of myne abyde the day to see A King of kingdome spoyld by force by guyle or crast supprest A kinge to kinges the prop ought be and chiefest cause of rest No man regardes his death at all whom liuing
With bowes of mortall Ewe A tree wherewith the mourners winde Theyr mourning heads Garlands make In this guise all arayde The sacred Priest doth enter in with trembling lims dismayde Than in the Sheepe and Oxen blacke by backwarde course are drawn And odoures sweete Frankencence on flaming fyres are thrown The beasts on burning Altars cast do quake with schorched lims And bloudy streames with fyre mixt about the Aultars swims Than on the darke internall Gods and him that rules them all With deadly shriking voyce aloude the Prophet gins to call And rouls the Magick verse in mouth and hidden Artes doth proue Which eyther power haue to appease or els the Gods to moue Thair bloudy streaming Lycours black with broyling heate doe boyle And all the Beasts consume and burn The Prophet than to toyle Begins And mixed wyne and Mylke vpon the Aultars throwes And all the Dongeon darke and wyde with streaming blood it flowes Than out with thundring voyce agayne the Prophet calles and cryes And straight as much with mumbling mouth he champs in secret wyse The trees do turne The Riuers stÄd The ground with roring shakes And all the world as seemes to mee with fearefull trembling quakes I am heard I am heard than out aloude the Priest began to cry Whan all the dampned soules by heapes abrode outrushing fly Then woods with rumbling noyse doe oft resounding make And Heauen and Earth together goe And bowes and trees do crake And ThuÌ„ders roore And Lightnings flash And waues aloft doe fly And ground retyres and Dogs doe bawl and Beastes are heard to cry And whyther long of Acheron that lothsom Flud that flowes All stinking streames or of the earth that out her Bowels throwes Free place to Sprights to geue or of that fierce infernall Hound That at such times doth bustling make with chayns railing sound The Earth al wide it open gapes And I did see on ground The Gods with colour pale and wan that those dark kingdoms keepe And very night I saw in deede and thousand shapes to creepe From out those filthy stinking Lakes and lothsom pits of Hell Where all the euils vnder Son in darksom shades doe dwell So quaking all for feare I stoode with minde right sore apalde Whilst on those Gods with trembling mouth the Priest full often calde Who all at once out of theyr dens did skip with griesly Face And Monsters grim and stinging Snakes seemd wander in that place And all the fowlest Feendes of Hell and Furies all were theare And all traÌ„sformed Ghosts sprights that euer Hell did beare With Cares ahd all Diseases vyle that mortall mynds doe crush All those and more I sawe out of those Dungeons deepe to rush And Age I sawe with riueled Face and Neede Feare and Death And Fyre and flames thousand ills out fro those Pits to breath Then I was gon and quight amazd The wenche in worser case And yet of olde acquaynted with her Fathers Artes she was The Priest himselfe vnmooued stoode and boldly cited owt Whole Armies of king Ditis men who clustring in a Rowt All flittring thin like Cloudes disperst abrode in Ayre doe fly And bearing sundry shapes and formes doe scud aboue in Sky A thousand woods I thinke haue not so many leaues on trees Ten thousand medowes fresh haue not so many flowers for bees Ten hundred thousand riuers not so many Foule can show Nor all the drops and streams and gulphes that in the Seas do flow If that they might be wayed can sure so great a number make As could those shapes and formes that flew from out of Limbo lake Both Tantalus and Zetus too and pale Amphions Ghost And A gaue and after her ten thousand Sprightes do post Than Pentheus and more and more in like estate ensue Til out at length comes Laius with foule and grisly hue Vncomly brest in wretched plight with fylth all ouergrowne All perst with wounds I loth to speake with bloud quight ouerflown A Miser ryght as seemd to me and most of Misers all Thus in this case at length he spake and thus began to call O Cadmus cruel Citty vyle that stil delightste in bloud O Cadmus thou which kinsmens death accountst as chiefest good Teare out the bloudy Bowels of your Children learne of me Do that and rather more then you would byde the day to see Like ills as late on mee are light Loe mothers loue alas Hath causd the greatest misery that ere in Theba was The Countrey with the wrath of Gods at this tyme is not tost Nor yearth nor ayre infect is not the cause that all bene lost No No A bloudy King is cause of all these mischiefes great A bloudy wretch A wretched child that sits in Fathers Seate And Mothers bed defyles O wretch and entreth in agayne In places whence he came from once and doubleth so her payne Whilst that hee fils the haples wombe wher in himselfe did lie With graceles seede and causeth her twise childbirthes pangues to try Vnhappy Sonne but Father worse and most vnhappy hee By whom the lawes of sacred shame so sore confounded bee For that that very bestes almost do all abhorre to do Euen of his mothers body he hath brothers gotten two O mischiefe great O dredful deede then Sphinx O moÌ„ster more Example vnto ages all of Gods foretold before But I thee thee that Scepter holdst thy Father wil pursue And wreacke my selfe on thee and thyne with plagues vengeance due All restles rage of spite and paine I will vppon thee blow And all the furies foule of hell vppon thee I will throw I wil subuert thy Houses cleane for this thy lothsome lust I wil do this thou wretch And thee and thyne consume to dust Wherfore dispatch at once I say into exile driue your King That ground that first of all he leaues with fresh grene grasse shall spring And sweete and pleasaunt Ayre and healthfull blasts shall ryse And all the euills vnder Sun that mortall men surprise The Pocks the Piles the Botch the blaine death with him shall fly And with him mischiefs all shall passe and Monsters vnder Sky And as for him I know hee would depart with willing mynde But I will clog his Feete and hands his way he shall not finde But groping with his aged staffe shall passe from place to place This shall he doe And none shall rue vpon his ruthfull case Rid you the Monster from the Earth for Heauen let mee alone No sooner sayd but straight away his dreadfull Ghost was gone And fast by thousands after him th' other Sprights in hyde Than Cold trembling feare began through all my bones to glyde OED. The thing I alwayes fearde I see vpon mee now is layde But slender props they are God wot whereby your Treason is stayde Meropa my Mother deare shall mee from this defend Polybius eke shall purge mee quight from Actions all that tend To murder or to incest vile they both
land And old tvvise captiue king receiue our feare VVhile thou vvert king Troy hurtles then could stand Though shaken tvvise with Grecian sword it weare And twise did shot of Hercles quiuer beare At latter losse of Hecubes sonnes all And roges for kings that high on piles we reare Thou father shutst our latest funerall And beaten downe to Ioue for sacrifies Like liueles blocke in Troy thy carkas lies HEC. Yet turne ye once your teares another way My pryams death should not lamented be O Troyans all ful happy is Pryame say For free from bondage downe descended hee To the lowest Ghoste and neuer shall sustayne His Captiue necke with Greekes to yoked bee Hee neuer shal behold the Atrids twayne Nor false Vlisses euer shal he see Not hee a pray for Greekes to triumph at His necke shall subiect to their conquestes beare Ne geue his handes to tye behynde his backe That to the rule of Scepters wonted weare Nor following Agamemnons chare in bande Shall he bee pompe to proude Mycenas land WO. ¶ Ful happy Pryame is each one wee say That toke vvith him his Kingdome then that stoode Now safe in shade he seekes the wandring way And treads the pathes of all Elizius wood And in the blessed Sprightes ful happy hee Agayne there seekes to meete with Hectors Ghost Happy Pryam happy whoso may see His Kingdome all at once with him be lost Chorus added to the Tragedy by the Translator O Ye to whom the Lord of Lande and Seas Of Life and Death hath graunted here the powre Lay dovvne your lofty lookes your pride appeas The crovvned King fleeth not his fatall howre Who so thou be that leadst thy land alone Thy life vvas limite from thy mothers vvombe Not purple robe not Glorious glittering throne Ne crovvne of Gold redeemes thee from the tombe A King he was that wayting for the vayle Of him that slew the Minotaure in fight Begilde with blacknes of the wonted saile In seas him sonke and of his name they hight So he that wild to vvin the golden spoyle And first vvith ship by seas to seeke renovvne In lesser vvaue at length to death gan boyle And thus the daughters brought their father dovvne Whose songes the vvoodes hath dravven and riuers held And birdes to heare his notes did theirs forsake In peece meale throvvne amid the Thracian field Without returne hath sought the Stigian lake They sit aboue that holde our life in line And vvhat vve suffer dovvne they fling from hie No carke no care that euer may vntwine The thrids that vvoued are aboue the skie As vvitnes he that sometyme King of Greece Had Iason thought in drenching seas to drovvne Who scapt both death and gaind the Golden fleece Whom fates aduaunce there may no povvre plucke dovvne The highest God sometyme that Saturne hight His fall him taught to credite their decrees The rule of heauens he lost it by their might And Ioue his sonne novv turnes the rolling Skies Who vveneth here to vvin eternall vvelth Let him behold this present perfite proofe And learne the secrete stoppe of chaunces stelth Most nere alas vvhen most it seemes aloofe In slipper ioy let no man put his trust Let none dispayre that heauy haps hath past The svvete vvith sovvre she mingleth as she lust Whose doubtful web pretendeth nought to last Frailtie is the thride that Clothoes rocke hath sponne Novv from the Distaffe dravvne novv knapt in tvvaine With all the world at length his end he wonne Whose works haue wrought his name should great remaine And he whose trauels twelue his name display That feared nought the force of worldly hurt In fine alas hath found his fatall daye And died with smart of Dianyraes shurt If prowes might eternity procure Then Priam yet should liue in lyking lust Ay portly pompe of pryde thou art vnsure Lo learne by him O Kinges yee are but dust And Hecuba that wayleth now in care That was so late of high estate a Queene A mirrour is to teach you what you are Your wauering wealth O Princes here is seene Whom dawne of day hath seene in high estate Before Sunnes set alas hath had his fall The Cradels rocke appoyntes the life his date From setled ioy to sodayne funerall THE SECOND ACTE The Spright of Achilles added to the tragedy by the Translator The first Scene FOrsaking now the places tenebrouse And deepe dennes of th infernall region From all the shadowes of illusions That wāder there the pathes ful many one Lo here am I returned al alone The same Achil whose fierce and heauy hande Of al the world no wight might yet withstand What man so stout of al the Grecians host That hath not sometyme crau'd Achilles aide And in the Troyans who of prowes most That hath not feard to see my Banner splaide Achilles lo hath made them all affrayde And in the Greekes hath bene a piller post That stvrdy stode agaynst their Troyan host Where I haue lackt the Grecians went to wracke Troy proued hath what Achills sword could doe Where I haue come the Troyans fled a backe Retyring fast from field their walles vnto No man that might Achilles stroke fordoe I dealt such stripes amid the Troian route That with their bloud I staynd the fieldes aboute Mighty Memnon that with his Persian band Would Pryams part with all might mayntayne Lo now he lyeth and knoweth Achilles hand Amid the field is Troylus also slayne Ye Hector great whom Troy accompted playne The flowre of chiualry that might be found All of Achilles had theyr mortall wound But Paris lo such was his false deceipt Pretending maryage of Polixeine Behynd the aulter lay for me in wayte Where I vnwares haue falne into the trayne And in Appolloes church he hath me slayne Wherof the Hel will now iust vengeance haue And here agayne I come my right to craue The deepe Auerne my rage may not sustayne Nor beare the angers of Achilles spright From Acheront I rent the spoyle in twayne And though the ground I grate agayne to sight Hell could not hide Achilles from the light Vengeance and bloud doth Orcus pit require To quench the furies of Achilles yre The hatefull land that worse then Tartare is And burning thrust excedes of Tantalus I here beholde againe and Troy is this O trauell worse then stone of Sisyphus And paines that passe the panges of Tityus To light more lothsome furie hath me sent Then hooked wheele that Ixions flesh doth rent Remembred is alowe where sprites do dwell The wicked slaughter' wrought by wyly way Not yet reuenged hath the deepest hell Achilles bloud on them that did him slay But now of vengeance come the yrefull day And darkest dennes of Tartare from beneath Conspire the fautes of them that wrought my death Now mischiefe murder wrath of hell draweth nere Aud dyre Phlegethon floud doth bloud require Achilles death shall he reuenged here VVith slaughter such as Stygian lakes desyre Her daughters bloud shal slake the
what cost ye came to Troy ye shal repayre to Greece With bloud ye came with bloud ye must from hence returne againe And where Achilles ashes lieth the virgin shal be slaine In seemely sort of habite such as maydens wont ye see Of Thessalie or Mycenas els what time they wedded be With Pyrrhus hand she shal be slaine of right it shal be so And meete it is that he the sonne his fathers right should do But not this onely stayeth our shippes our sayles may not be spred Before a worthier bloud then thine Polixena be shed Which thirst thirst the fates for Priames nephew Hectors litle boy The Erekes shal tumble hedlonge down from highest towre in Troy Let him there die this onely way ye shal the gods appeas Then spread your thousand sayles with ioy ye neede not feare the seas Chorus MAy this be true or doth the Fable fayne When corps is deade the Sprite to liue as yet When Death our eies with heauy hand doth strain And fatall day our leames of light hath shet And in the Tombe our ashes once be set Hath not the soule likewyse his funerall But stil alas do wretches liue in thrall Or els doth all at once togeather die And may no part his fatal howre delay But with the breath the soule from hence doth flie And eke the Cloudes to vanish quite awaye As danky shade fleeth from the poale by day And may no iote escape from desteny When once the brand hath burned the body What euer then the ryse of Sunne may see And what the West that sets the Sunne doth know In all Neptunus raygne what euer bee That restles Seas do wash and ouerflow With purple waues stil tombling to and fro Age shal consume each thing that liuth shal die With swifter race then Pegasus doth flie And with what whirle the twyse sixe signes do flie With course as svvift as rector of the Spheares Doth guide those glistering Globes eternally And Hecate her chaunged hornes repeares So drauth on death and life of each thing vveares And neuer may the man returne to sight That once hath felt the stroke of Parcas might For as the fume that from the fyre doth passe With tourne of hand doth vanish out of sight And swifter then the Northren Boreas With whirling blaste and storme of raging might Driuth farre away and puttes the cloudes to flight So fleeth the sprighte that rules our life away And nothing taryeth after dying day Swift is the race we ronne at hand the marke Lay downe your hope that wayte here ought to win And who dreads ought cast of thy carefull carke Wilt thou it wot what state thou shalt be in When dead thou art as thou hadst neuer bin For greedy tyme it doth deuoure vs all The world it swayes to Chaos heape to fall Death hurtes the Corpes and spareth not the spright And as for all the dennes of Taenare deeepe With Cerberus kingdome darke that knowes no light And streightest gates that he there sittes to keepe They Fancies are that follow folke by sleepe Such rumors vayne but fayned lies they are And fables like the dreames in heauy care These three staues following are added by the translatour O dreadful day alas the sory time Is come of al the mothers ruthful woe Astianax alas thy fatal line Of life is worne to death strayght shalt thou goe The sisters haue decreed it should be so There may no force alas escape there hand There mighty loue their will may not withstand To se the mother her tender child forsake What gentle hart that may from teares refrayne Or whoso fierce that would no pity take To see alas this guiltles infant slayne For sory hart the teares myne eyes do stayne To thinke what sorrow shall her hart oppresse Her litle child to leese remedilesse The double cares of Hectors wife to wayle Good Ladies haue your teares in readines And you with whom should pity most preuayle Rue on her griefe bewayle her heauines With sobbing hart lament her deepe distresse When she with teares shall take leaue of her son And now good Ladies heare what shall be done THE THIRD ACTE Andromacha Senex Vlisses ALas ye careful company why hale ye thus your hayres Why beate you so your boyling breasts and stayne your eyes with teare The fall of Troy is new to you but vnto me not so I haue foreseene this careful case ere this tyme long agoe When fierce Achilles Hector slew and drew the Corpes aboute Then then me thought I wist it well that Troy should come to naught In sorrowes sonke I senceles am and wrapt alas in woe But sone except this babe me held to Hector would I goe This seely foole my stomacke tames amid my misery And in the howre of heauiest happes permittes me not to die This onely cause constraynes me yet the gods for him to pray With tract of tyme prolonges my payne delayes my dying day He takes from me the lacke of feare the onely fruit of ill For while he liues yet haue I left wherof to feare me still No place is left for better chaunce with worst wee are opprest To feare alas and see no hope is worst of all the rest Sen. What sodayne feare thus moues your mynd vexeth you so sore And. Stil stil alas of one mishap there ryseth more and more Nor yet the doleful destenies of Troy be come to end Sen. And what more grieuous chaunces yet prepare the Gods to send Andr. The caues and dennes of hel be rent for Troyans greater feare And from the bottoms of their tombes the hidden sprightes appeare May none but Greekes alone from hel returne to life agayne Would God the fates would finish soone the sorrowes I sustayne Death thankful were a common care the Troyans all oppresse But me alas amaseth most the feareful heauines That all astonied am for dreade and horrour of the sight That in my sleepe appeard to mee by dreame this latter night Sen. Declare what sightes your dream hath shewd tell what doth you feare And. Two parts of al the silent night almost then passed were And then the cleare seuen clustered beams of starres were falle to rest And first the sleepe so long vnknowne my wearyed eyes opprest If this be sleepe the astonied mase of mynd in heauy moode When sodaynly before myne eyes the spright of Hector stoode Not like as he the Greekes was wont to battail to require Or when amid the Grecians shippes he threw the brandes of fyre Nor such as raging on the Grees with slaughtring stroake had slayne And bare indeede the spoyles of him that did Achilles fayne His countenaunce not now so bright nor of so liuely cheere But sad and heauy like to owres and clad with vgly hayre It did me good to see him though when shaking then his head Shake of thy sleepe in hast he sayd and quickly leaue thy bed Conuay into some secrete place our sonne O faythful wife This onely hope there is
that Calchas words to vs doth prophecye And now shal all the sumptuous worke be throwne downe vtterly An That once ye sold Vl. I wil it all from toppe to bottome rend An. The fayth of Goddes I call vppon Achilles vs defend And Pyrrhus ayd thy fathers right Vl. This tombe abroad shall lye An. O mischiefe neuer durst the Greekes show yet such cruelty Ye straine the temples and the Gods that most haue fauourd you The dead ye spare not on their tombes your fury rageth now I wil their weapons all resist my selfe with naked hand The yre of hart shal geue me strength their armour to withstand As fierce as did the Amazones beate down the Greekes in fight And Menas once enspierd with God in sacrifyce doth smyght With speare in hand and while with furyous pace she treads the groūd And wood as one in rage she strykes and feeleth not the wound So wil I runne on midst of them and on theyr weapons dye And in defence of Hectors tombe among his ashes lie Vl. Cease ye doth rage and fury vayne of women moue ye ought Dispatch with speede what I commaund plucke downe al to naught An. O slay me rather here with sword rid me out the way Breake vp the deepe Auern and rid my destenies delay Rise Hector and beset thy foes breake thou Vlisses yre A spright art good enough for him behold he casteth fire And weapon shakes with mighty hand do ye not Greekes him see Or els doth Hectors spright appear but onely vnto me Vl. Downe quight withal An. What wilt thou suffer both thy sonnes be slayne And after death thy husbandes bones to be remou'd agayne Perhaps thou mayst with prayer yet aprease the Grecians all Els downe to ground the holy tombe of Hector streight shall fal Let rather die the childe pore wretch and let the Greekes him kil Then father and the sonne should cause the tone the others yll Vllisses at thy knees I fal and humbly aske mercie These handes that no mans feete els knew first at thy feete they lye Take pitty on the mothers case and sorrowes of my breast Vochsafe my prayers to receiue and graunt me my request And by how much the more the Goddes haue thee aduaunced hie More easely stryke the pore estate of wretched misery God graunt the chast bed of thy godly wyfe Penelope May thee receiue and so agayne Laerta may thee see And that thy sonne Telemachus may meete thee ioyfully His graundsires yeares and fathers witte to passe ful happely Take pity on the mothers teares her litle child to saue He is my onely comfort left and th' onely toy I haue Vl. ¶ Bryng forth thy sonne and aske THE SECOND SCENE Andromacha COme hither child out of the dennes to mee Thy wretched mothers lamentable store This Babe Vlisses loe this Babe is hee That stayeth your ships and feareth you so sore Submit thy selfe my sonne with humble hand And worship flat on ground thy maysters feete Thinke it no shame as now the case doth stand The thing that Fortune wilth a wretche is meete Forget thy worthy stocke of Kingly kynd Thinke not on Priams great nobility And put thy father Hector from thy mynde Such as thy Fortune let thy stomacke bee Behaue thy selfe as captiue bend thy Knee And though thy griefe pearce not thy tender yeares Yet learne to wayle thy wretched state by mee And take ensample at thy mothers teares Once Troy hath seene the weeping of a child When litle Priam turnde Alcides threats And he to whom all beastes in strength did yelde That made his way from hel and brake their gates His litle enmies teares yet ouercame Priam he sayd receiue thy liberty In seat of honor kepe thy Kingly name But yet thy Sceptors rule more faythfully Lo such the conquest was of Hercules Of him yet learne your hartes to mollify Do onely Hercles cruel weapons please And may no end be of your cruelty No lesse then Pryam kneeles to thee this boy That lieth and asketh onely life of thee As for the rule and gouernaunce of Troy Where euer fortune wil ther let it bee Take mercy on the mothers ruthful teares That with their streames my cheekes do ouerflow And spare this guiltles infantes tender yeares That humbly falleth at thy feete so lowe THE THIRD SCENE Vlisses Andromacha Astianax OF truth the mothers greate sorow doth moue my hart full sore But yet the mothers of the Greekes of neede must moue me more To whom this boy may cause in time a great calamtie Andr. May euer he the burnt ruines of Troy reedifie And shall these handes in time to come ereckt the towne againe If this be th onely helpe we haue there doth no hope remain For Troy we stand not now in case to cause your feare of mynde Doth ought auayle his fathers force or stocke of noble kinde His fathers heart abated was he drawen the walles abought Thus euil haps the haughttest heart at length they bring to nought If ye wil needes oppresse a wretch what thing more grieuous were Then on his noble neck he should the yoke of bondage bere To serue in life doth any man this to a King denye Vl. Not Vlisses with his death but Calchas prophecy An. O false inuentor of deceipt and hainous cruelty By manhode of whose hand in warre no man did euer dye But by disceipt and crafty trayne of mynd that mischiefe seekes Before this tyme ful many one dead is yea of the Greekes The Prophets wordes and guilties Gods saist thou my sonne require Nay mischiefe of thy breast it is thou dost his death desyre Thou night souldier and stout of hart a litle child to stay This enterprise thou takste alone and that by open day Vl. Vlisses manhood wel to Greekes to much to you is knowne I may not spend the tyme in wordes our Nauy wil be gone And. A little stay while I my last farewel geue to my child And haue with oft embracing him my greedy sorrowes fild Vli. Thy grieuous sorrowes to redresse would God it lay in mee But at thy wil to take delay of tyme I graunt it thee Now take thy last leaue of thy Sonne and fil thy selfe with teares Oft tymes the weeping of the eyes the inward griefe out weakes An. O deere O sweete thy mothers pledge farewel my onely ioy Farewel the flowre of honor left of beaten howse of Troy O Troyans last calamity and feare to Grecians part Farewel thy mothers onely hope and vayne comfort of hart Oft wish I thee thy fathers strength and halfe thy graundsires yeares But all for naught the Gods haue all dispoynted our desires Thou neuer shalt in regal court thy sceptors take in hand Nor to thy people geue decrees nor leade with law thy land Nor yet thine enmies ouercome by might of handy stroke Nor sende the conquerde nations all vnder thy seruile yoke Thou neuer shalt beat downe in fight and Greekes with sword pursew Nor at
thy Charyot Pyrrhus plucke as Achill Hector drew And neuer shal these tender handes thy weapons weild and wrest Thou neuer shalt in woods pursue the wyld and mighty beast Nor as accustom'd is by guyse and sacrifice in Troy With measure swift betweene the aulters shalt thou daunce with ioy O grieuous kind of cruel death that doth remayne for thee More woeful thinges then Hectors death the walles of Troy shall see Vliss. Now breake of al thy mothers tears I may no more tyme spende The grieuous sorrowes of thy hart will neuer make an end An. Vlisses spare as yet my teares and graunt awhyle delay To close his eyes yet with my handes er he depart away Thou diest but young yet feard thou art thy Troy doth wayte for thee Goe noble hart thou shalt agayne the noble Troyans see Asti. Helpe me mother An. Alas my child why tak'st thou holde by me In vayne thou calst where helpe none is I can not succour thee As when the little tender beast that heares the Lyon crye Straight for defence he seekes his damme crouching downe doth lye The cruel beast when once remoued is the damme away In greedy taw with rauening bit doth snatch the tender pray So strayght the enmies wil thee take and from my side thee beare Receiue my kisse and teares pore childe receiue my rented hayre Depart thou hence now ful of mee and to thy father goe Salute my Hector in my name and tel him of my woe Complayne thy mothers griefe to him if former cares may moue The sprightes and that in funerall flame they leese not all their loue O cruel Hector suffrest thou thy wyfe to be opprest With bond of Grecians heauy yoke and liest thou still at rest Achilles rose take here agayne my teares and rented heare And al that I haue left to send this kisse thy father beare Thy coat yet for my comfort leaue the tomb hath touched it If of his ashes aught here lye I le seeke it euery whit Vl. There is no measure of thy teares I may no lenger stay Deferre no further our returne breake of our shippes delay Chorus altered by the translatour O Ioue that leadst the lampes of fire and deckst vvith flaming starres the skye VVhy is it euer thy desyre to care their course so orderly That novve the frost the leaues hath vvorne novv the sprīg doth close the tree Novv fiery Leo rypes the corne and stil the soyle should chaunged be But vvhy art thou that all dost guide betvvene vvhose hands the poale doth svvay And at vvhose vvil the Orbs do slyde careles of mans estate alvvay Regarding not the goodmans case nor caryng hovv to hurt the yll Chaunce beareth rule in euery place and turneth mans estate at vvill She geues the vvronge the vpper hand the better part she doth oppresse She makes the highest lovv to stand her Kingdome all is orderlesse O parfite profe of her frailty the princely tovvres of Troy beat dovvne The flovvre of Asia here ye see vvith turne of hand quight ouerthrovvne The ruthful ende of Hectors son vvhō to his death the Greekes haue led His fatall hovvre is come and gone and by this tyme the Child is ded Yet stil alas more cares encrease O Troyans doleful destenie Fast doth approach the maydes decease and novv Polixena shall die THE FOVRTH ACTE Helena Andromacha Hecuba WHat euer woeful wedding yet were cause of funerall Of wayling teares bloud slaughter els or other mischiefes all A worthy watch for Helena and meete for me it ware My wedding torch hath bene the cause of al The Troyans care I am constraynd to hurt them yet after their ouerthrow The false and fayned mariages of Pyrrhus must I showe And geue the mayde the Greekes attyre and by my pollecy Shal Paris sister be betrayd and by disceypt shal die But let her be beguiled thus the lesse should be her payne If that vnware without the feare of death she might be slayne What ceasest thou the wil of Greekes and messuage to fulfill Of hurt constraynd the fault returnth to th' auter of the ill O noble Virgin of the famous house and stocke of Troy To thee the Grecians haue me sent I bring thee newes of ioy The Gods rue on thy afflicted state more merciful they bee A greate and happy maryage loe they haue prepard for thee Thou neuer should if Troy had stoode so nobly wedded be Nor Priam neuer could prefer thee to so hie degree Whom flowre of all the Grecians name the prince of honour hie That beares the Scepters ouer all the lande of Thessaly Doth in the law of wedlocke chose and for his wyse require To sacred rightes of lawful bed doth Pyrrhus thee desyre Loe Thetis great with al the rest of Gods that guide by sea Each one shall thee accompt as theirs and toy by wedding day And Peleus shall thee daughter call when thou art Pirrhus wyfe And Nereus shall accompt thee his the space of all thy life Put of thy mourning garment now this regall vesture weare Forget henceforth thy captiue state and seemly broyd thy hayre The fall hath lift thee higher vp and doth thee more aduaunce Oft to be taken in the warre doth bring the better chaunce An. This ill the Troyans neuer knew in all their griefs and payne Before this tyme ye neuer made vs to reioyce in vayne Troy towres geue light O seemely tyme for mariage to be made Who would refuse the wedding day that Helayne doth perswade The Plague and ruine of each parte behold dost thou not see These tombes of noble men and how their bones here scattered bee Thy brydebed hath bene cause of this for thee all these be ded For thee the bloud of Asia both and Europe hath bene shed When thou in ioy and pleasure both the fighting folke from farre Hast viewde in doubt to whom to wish the glory of the warre Goe to prepare the mariages what neede the Torches light Behold the Towres of Troy do shine with brands that blase ful bright O Troyans all set to your handes this wedlocke celebrate Lament this day with woeful cry and teares in seemly rate Mel Though care do cause the want of wit and reasons rule denye And heauy hap doth ofttymes hate his mates in misery Yet I before most hateful iudge dare wel defend my part That I of all your greuous cares sustayne the greatest smart Andromacha for Hector weepes for Priam Hecuba For onely Paris priuily bewayleth Helena A hard and grieuous thing it is captiuity to beare In Troy that yoke I suffred long a prisoner whole ten yeare Turnd are the fates Troy beaten downe to Greece I must repeare The natiue countrey to haue lost is ill but worse to feare For dread therof you neede not care your euilles all be past On me both partes wil vengeance take al lightes to me at last Whom each man prisoner takes God wot shee standes in slipper stay And me not captiue made by
blase as yet forget I not Achilles eke my sonne in law to mynd I do not spare How wel he kept his vow that he to me his mother sware Nu. When as our nauy might not passe by wynd nor yet by streame Thy daughters bloud in sacrifyce their passage did redeme Shee sturd and brake the sluggish seas whose water stil did stand Whose feble force might not hoyse vp the vessels from the land Cl. I am ashamed here withal it maketh me repyne That Tyndaris who from the Gods doth fecch her noble ligne Should geue the ghost t' asswage the wrath of Gods and them appease Wherby the Grekish nauy might haue passage free by seas My grudging mynd stil harpes vppon my daughters wedding day Whom he hath made for Pelops stock the bloudy raunsome pay When as with cruel countenaunce embrewd with gory bloud As at a wedding alter syde th' unpitiful parent stoodt It erked Calchas woful hart who did abhorre the same His Oracle he rewd and eke the backe reflicting flame O wicked aud vngracious stocke that winnest il with yll Tryumphing in thy filthy featse ncreasyng leaudnes still By bloud we win the waueryng windes by death wee purchase warre Nu. But by this meanes a thousand ships at once released are Cly. With lucky fate attempt the seas did not the losed rout For Aulis I le th' ungracious fleete from port did tumble out As with a lewde vnlucky hand the warre he did beginne So Fortune fauored his successe to thriue no more therin Her loue as captiue holdeth him whom captiue he did take Not moued with the earnest suite that could Achilles make Of Phoebus prelat Sminthicall he did retayne the spoyle When for the sacred virgins loue his furious dreast doth boyle Achilles rough and thundring threats could not him qualify Nor he that doth direct the fates aboue the starry skye To vs he is an Augur iuste and keepes his promise due But while he threats his captiue truls of word he is not true The sauage people fierce in wrath once might not moue his spright Who did purloyne the kindled tentes with fyer blasing bryght When slaughter great on Greekes was made in most extreamest fyght Without a foe he conquered with leanes pines awaye In lewd and wantōn chamber trickes he spends the idle day And freshly still he fedes his lust least that some other while His chamber chast should want a stewes that might the same defile On Lady Brises loue againe his fancy fonde doth stand Whom he hath got that wrested was out of Achilles hand And carnal copulation to haue he doth not shame Though from her husbands bosome he hath snacht the wicked dame Tushe he that doth at Paris grudge with wound but newly stroke Eflamd with Phrygian Prophets loue his boyling brest doth smoke Now after Troyan boties braue and Troy orewhelm'd he saw Retourned he is a prysoners spouse and Pryams sonne in law Now heart be bold take corage good of stomacke now be stowt A field that easely is not fought to pitch thou goest about In practise mischiefe thou must put why hopst thou for a day While Priams daughter come from Troy in Grece do beare the sway But as for the poore sely wreth a wayteth at thy place Thy wyddow virgyns and Orest his fatherlyke in face Consyder theyr calamityes to come and cake their cares Whom all the peril of the broyle doth threat in thy affayres O cursed captiue woful wretch why dost thou loyter so Thy little brats a stepdame haue whose wrath wil worke their woe With gashing sword and if thou can none other way prouide Nor thrust it through anothers ribbes then launch thy gory syde So murther twayne with brewed bloud let bloud immixed be And by destroying of thy selfe destroy thy spouse with thee Death is not sawst with soppes of Sorrow if some man els I haue Whose breathlesse corse I wish to passe with me to deadly graue Nu. Queene brydle thyne affections and wysely rule thy rage Thy swelling moode now mittigate thy choller eake asswage Way wel the wayghty enterpryse that thou dost take in hand Tryumphant victor he returnes of mighty Asia land Auenging Europes iniury with him he bringes away The spoyles of sacked Pargamy a huge and mighty pray In bondage eake he leades the foalke of long assaulted Troy Yet darest thou by pollecie attempt him to annoy Whom with the dynt of glittring sword Achilles durst not harme Although his rash and desperat dickes the froward Knight did arme Nor Aiax yet more hardy man vp yelding vitall breath Whom frantike fury fell enforst to wound himselfe to death Nor Hector he whose onely life procurde the Greekes delay And long in warre for victory enforced them to stay Nor Paris shaft whose conning hand with shot so sure did ayme Nor mighty Memnon swart and blacke had power to hurt the same Nor Xanthus flood where to and fro deade carkasses did swimme With armour hewd and therewith all some maymed broken limme Nor Symois that purple wawmes with slaughter died-doth steare Nor Cygnus lilly whyte the Sonne of fenny God so deare Nor yet the musteryng Thrasian host nor warlike Rhesus kinge Nor Amazons who to the warres did paynted Quiuers bring And bare theyr hatches in their handes with Target and with shield Yet had no powre with ghastly wound to foyle him in the field Syth he such scouringes hath escapt and plungde of perilles past Entendest thou to murther him returning home at last And sacred alters to prophane with slaughters so vnpure Shal Greec th aduenger let this wronge long vnreuengde endure The grym and fearce coragious horse the battayles shoutes cryes The swelling seas which bruised barkes do dread when stormes aryse Behold the fieldes with streames of bloud oreflòwne depely dround And al the cheualry of Troy in seruile bondage bounde Which Greekes haue writ in registers Thy stubborne stomacke byud Suddue thy fond affections and pacify thy mynde THE SECOND ACTE THE SECOND SCENE AEgysthus Clytemnestra THe cursed tyme that euermore my mynd did most detest The dayes that I abhorred haue and hated in my breast Are come are come that myne estate wil bring to vtter wracke Alas my hart why dost thou fayle and faynting flyest backe What dost thou meane at first assalte from armour thus to flye Trust this the cruel Gods entend my doleful destenie To wrap thee in with perils round and catch thee in a band Endeuer drudge with all thy power their plagues for to withstand With stomacke stoute rebellious to fyre and sword appeale Cli. It is no plague if such a death thy natiue destnies deale Ae O partners of my perils all begot of Leda thou Direct thy doynges after myne and vnto thee I vow This drosel sluggish ringleader this stout strong harted fire Sal pay thee so much bldud agayne as shed he bath in fyre How haps it that his trembling cheekes to be so pale and whight Lying agast as in a traunce with faynting face vpright
shaft the dusky cloude did smite The Stymphall byrde that shadowed the sunne did take her flight The fertill tree that apples beares of golde did feare him sore Which neuer yet acquayntaunce had with Tasters tooth before But whipping vp with liuely twigges into the ayre she flyes And whyle the chinking plate doth found then Argos full of eyes The watchman shrinking close for colde that sleepe yet neuer knew Doth heare the noyse whyle Hercules with mettall of yellow hew Well loden packs away and left the groue befliched cleane The hound of hell did holde his tongue drawne by in tryple cheane Nor barke with any boughinge throate nor coulde abyde the heme Or colour of the heauenly lyght whose beames hee neuer knewe When thou wert captayne Generall and didst conduct our Hoste They that of Dardans Lygne to come theyr Stocke doe falsly boste Were vanquished by force of armes and since they felt agayne Thy Gray goose winge whose bitternesse to feare might thē constrayne THE FIFTE ACTE CASSANDRA WIthin a reuell rexe is kept as sore as euer was Euen at the ten yeares siege of Troy What thing is this alas Get vp my soule and of the rage auengmeent worthy craue Though Phrygians wee bee vanquished the victory we haue The matter well is brought aboute vp Troy thou rysest now Thou flat on floore hast pulde down Greece to ly as low as thou Thy Conquerour doth turne his Face my prophesying spright Did neuer yet disclose to mee so notable a sight I see the same and am thereat and busied in the broyle No vision fond fantasticall my senses doth beguile Such fare as Prygians feastes with on last vnhappy night At Agamemnons royall courte full daintily they dight With purple hangings all adornde the brodred Beds doe shyne In olde Assaracks goblets gylt they swincke and swill the wyne The King in gorgyous royall robes on chayre of State doth sit And pranckt with pryde of Pryams pomp of whom he conquerd it Put of this hostile weede to him the Queene his Wyfe gan say And of thy louing Lady wrought weare rather thys aray This garment knit It makes mee loth that shiuering heere I stande O shall a King be murthered by a banisht wretches hande Out shall Th' adulterer destroy the husbande of the Wyfe The dreadfull destinies approcht the foode that last in lyfe He tasted of before his death theyr maysters bloud shall see The gubs of bloude downe dropping on the wynde shall powred bee By traytrous tricke of trapping weede his death is brought about Which being put vpon his heade his handes coulde not get out The stopped poake with mouth set ope his muffled head doth hyde The mankinde dame with trembling hand the swerd drew from her side Nor to the vtmost of her might it in his flesh shee thrast But in the gieuing of the stroke shee stayed all agast Hee as it were a bristled Bore entangled in the net Among the bryars in busshy woodes yet tryeth out to get With strugling much the shrinking bands more streightly he doth bind He stryues in vayne and would fliy of the snare that doth him blind Which catcheth holde on euery syde But yet th' entangled wreatch Doth grope about his subtle foes with griping hand to catch But furious Tyndaris preparde the Pollaxe in her hande And as the priest to sacrifice at Th' alter side doth stande And vewes with eye the Bullockes necke eare that with Axe he smite So to and fro shee heaues her hand to stryke and leauell right He hath the stroke dispatcht it is not quite chopt of the head It hangeth by a litle crop heere from the Carkasse dead The spouting bloude came gusshing out and there the head doth lye With wallowing bobling mumbling tongue nor they do by and bye Forsake him so the breathlesse coarse Aegist doth all to coyle And mangled hath the gasshed corpes whyle thus hee doth him spoyle She putteth to her helping hand by detestable deede They both accorde vnto the kynde whereof they doe proceede Dame Helens syster right shee is and hee Thyestes sonne Loe doubtfull Titan standeth still the day now being donne Not knowing whether best to keepe still on his wonted way Or turne his wheeles vnto the path of dyre Thyestes day THE FIFTE ACTE THE SECONDE SCEANE ELECTRA O Thou whom of our Fathers death the onely helpe wee haue Fly fly from force of furious foes make hast thy selfe to saue Our house is topsey turuey tost our Stocke is cast away Our ruthfull realmes to ruin ronne our kingdomes doe decay Who cometh heere in Chariot swift thus galloping a mayne Brother disguised in thy weede let mee thy person fayne O Bussard blynde what dost thou meane from forrayne folke to fly Whom dost thou shun it doth behoue to feare this family Orestes now bee boulde and set all shiuering feare a side The certayne succour of a trusty friende I haue espide THE FIFTE ACTE THE THIRD SCENE Strophilus Electra WIth solemne Pompe I Strophilus forsaking Phocis lande Bearing a braunch of Paulme that growes at Elis in my hand Returned backe I am the cause that wild mee heather wend Is with these gyftes to gratefie and welcome home my frend Whose valiaunt army skalde and shooke the tattred Troyan walles Who wearied with the ten yeares warre now flat on floore shee falles What wofull wight is this that staynes her mourning face with teares And drowned deepe in drousp dumpes oppressed is with feares I know full well this damsell is of Prynces lynage borne What cause Electra hath this ioyfull family to morne ELE. By treason that my mother wrought my Father lieth slayne And drincking of their fathers cup the chyldren doe complayne Aegist engroceth Castels got by fornication STR. A lack that of so longe a tyme filicity is none ELE. I thee request euen for the Ioue my father thou doest owe And for the honour of the crowne whose brute abrode both growe In euery coast and by the Gods that diuersly doe deale Take into thy tuicion conuey away and steale This poore Orest such kinde of theft is piety in deede STR. Although that Agamemnoas death doth teach mee to take heede Yet will I vndertake the same and with all diligence Orestes shall I goe about with strength to haue thee hence Prosperity requireth faith but trouble exacts the same Haue heere a pryce for those that doe contende and wage in game An Ornament with comely grace ordaynde to deck the brow And let thy heade be couerde with this greene and pleasaunt bow And cary this victorious triumphant braunche in hand God graunt this Paulme that planted was in fertill Pisa land Where solemne games were celebrate Ioues honour to expresse May both a sauegarde bee to thee and bring thee good successe Thou that bestryds thy fathers steedes as he before hath done Goe stryke a league of amity with Pylades my sonne Now nimble Nagges let Greece heereof recording testify With headlong scouring course amayne this traytrous country fly ELE.
Hee is escapte and gone and with vnmeasurable might The Chariot horse with rayne at will doe scud out of my sight Now free from perill on my foes attendaunce will I make And offer willingly my head the deadly wounde to take The cruell conqueresse of her spouse is come whose spotted weede With sprinkels signe of slaughter doe beare recorde of her deede Her goary handes new bathde in bloude as yet they bee not dry Her rough and churlishe rigorous lookes the fact doe notify Unto the Temple will I trudge Cassandra suffer mee Opprest with egall griefe take parte of sacrifice with thee THE FIFTE ACTE THE FOVRTH SCENE Clytemnestra Electra AEgisthus Cassandra O Thou thy Mothers Enemy vngracious saucy face After what sorre dost thou a mayde appeare in publyque plate ELEC. I haue wyth my virginity the bowres of Baudes forsooke CLY. What man is het that euer thee to bee a vyrgin tooke E. What your own daughter C. With thy mother more modest should EL. Doe you at length begin to preach such godlines to me thou be CL. A marily stomacke stout thou bast with swelling hawty hart Subdued with sorrow learne thou shall to play a womans part EL. A swerd and buckler very well a woman doth beseeme Except I dote CL. Thy selfe dost thou haylefellowe with vs esteeme EL. What Agamemnoon new is this whom thou hast got of late CL. Hereafter shall I tame and teach thy gyrlish tongue to prate And make thee know how to a Queene thy taunting to forbeare EL. The whilst thou Wyddow aūsware me directly to this geare Thy husband is bereued quight of breath his lyfe is donne CL Enquier where thy brother is so seeke about my sonne EL. Hee is departed out of Greece CL. Goe fetch him out of hande EL. Fetch thou my father vnto mee CL. Giue me to vnderstande Where doth he lurking hyde his head where is he shrunke away EL. All plunge of perills past hee is and at a quiet stay And in another Kyngdome where no harme hee doth mistrust This aunswere were sufficient to please a Parent trust But one whose breast doth boyle in wrath it cannot satisefy CL. To day by death thou shalt receyue thy fatall destiny EL. On this condition am I pleasde the Aulter to forsake If that this hanc shall doe the deede my death when I shall take Or els if in my throate to bath thy blade thou doe delight Most willingly I yeelde my throate and giue thee leaue to smite Or if thou will chop of my heade in brutishe beastly guise My necke a wayting for the wounde out stretched ready lies Thou hast committed sinfully a great and grieuous guilt Goe purge thy hardned hands the which thy husbands bloud haue spilt CL. O thou that of my perills all dost suffer part with mee And in my realme dost also rule with egall dignity Aegisthus art thou glad at this as doth her not behoue With checks and taunts the daughter doth her mothers mallice moue Shee keepes her brothers counsell close conueyde out of the way AEGI. Thou malipert and witlesse wenche thyne cluishe prating stay Refrayne those wordes vnfit thy Mothers glowing cares to vex EL. What shall the breeder of this broyle controll me with his checks Whose fathers gut it hath caused him to haue a doubtfull name Who both is to his sister sonne and Nephew to the same CL. To snap her head of with thy swerd Aegist dost thou refrayne Let her giue vp the ghost or bryng her brother straight agayne Let her be lockt in dungeon darck and let her spend her dayes In Caues Rocks with painefull pangues torment her euery wayes I hope him whom she hidden hath shee will agayne discry Through being clapt in pryson strong and suffring pouerty With yrksome and vnsauory smells on euery syde annoyde Enforst to weare a wyddowes weede er wedding day enioyde Put in exile and banishment when eche man doth her hate So shall she bee by misery compeld to yeelde to late Prohibyted of holsome ayre fruition to haue EL. Graunt me my dome by meanes of death to passe vnto my graue CL. I would haue graunted it to thee if thou should it deny Unskilfull is the tyraunt who by suffring wretches dy Doth ende theyr paynes EL. what after death doth any thing remayne CL. And if thou doe desyre to dye the same see you refrayne Lay hands sirs on this wondrous wretch whom being caryed on Euen to the furthest corner of my iurisdiction Farre out beyond Mycoenas land in bonds let her be bound With darknesse diui in hiddeous holde let her be closed round This captiue Spouse and wicked Queane the Trull of Prynces bed Shall pay her paynes and suffer death by losing of her head Come hale her on that she may followe that way my spouse is gon Whose loue from mee entised was CAS. Doe not thus hale mee on I will before you take the way these tydings first to tell Vnto my countrey men of Troy beneath in lowest hell How ouerquelmed ships ech where are spread the seas vppon And Micœne countrey conquerde is brought in subiection He that of thousand captaynes was graunde captayne generall Come to as great calamity as Troy it selfe did fall Entrapped was by traytrous trayne and whoredome of his Wyfe And by a gyft receaued of her depriued of his Lyfe Let vs not linger on with mee and thankes I doe you giue I ioy that it might be my hap thus after Troy to liue CL. Go to prepare thy selfe to dye thou frantique raging wight CAS. The fransy fits of fury fell on you shall also light EVRIBATES Added to the Tragedy by the Translator ALas yee hatefull hellish Hagges yee furies foule and fell Why cause yee rusty rancours rage in noble heartes to dwell And cancred hate in boyling breastes to grow from age to age Coulde not the graundstres paynefull pangues the childrens wrath asswage Nor famyne faynt of pyning paunche with burning thyrst of hell Amid the blackest streame of Sticks where poysning breathes do dwel Where vapors bile parbraking out from dampishe myry mud Encrease the paynes of Tantalus deserude by guiltles bloud Could not thine owne offence suffice Thyestes in thy Lyfe To file thy brothers spousall Bed and to abuse his Wyfe But after breath from body fled and Lyfe thy Lymmes hath left Can not remembraunce of reuenge out of thy breast be reft What yet hast thou not layde thy lips taiaste of Lethes floude Now afte death why dost thou come to moue thy sonne to bloude Coulde cruell Ditis graunt to thee thy pasporte backe agayne To worke this woe vpon the world and make such rigour raygne That Clytemnestra is become the fifty sister dyre Of Danaus daughters that did once theyr husbands death conspyre Loe here how fickle fortune giues but brytle fading ioy Lot hee who late a Conquerour tryumphed ouer Troy Enduring many sturdy stormes with mighty toyle and payne To sowe the seede of fame hath reapt small fruite thereof agayne
In Marcke Antonius graue with him ylayed Augustus at the last of conquest greate His dulled swords that wounded soules did beate In peaceable sheathes reposd hath layd at rest And feare doth rule and guyde his kingdome best By ready force of armes at all assayes And Captaynes fayth he shieldes him selfe alwaies Whō now his sōnes most worthy vertuous praise To heauen a consecrated God doth rayse And causeth all in Churches for to place The sacred Picture of Prince Claudius grace And vs the starry raigne of Gods shall bide If first with dreadful sword about vs wyde We wype away what so our person stayne And found our court with worthy stem agayne Se. Your noble spouse sprong forth of saincted peer Of Claudius stocke the starbright diamond cleere That Goddesse Iuno wise her brothers bed Partaking pressed downe with buttockes red Your graces princely court shal garnish gay With wondrous heauenly fayre descended stay Ne. Incestuous maryed dames from stocke stem Detract all hope that we should haue of them Nor vs could she once loue that we could see Nor with our person once at all agree Se. In tender budding yeares when loue supprest With blusshing hydes the flames of burning breast Scant playne appeares the loue they bare indeed Ne. Thus wee our selues with hope in vaine did feede Although vndoubted signes as bodye wryed And frowning lookes which we haue oft espyed Her spyteful hating stomacke did bewray Which shee doth beare whom duty byndes t' obaye Which yet at last big boyling grieuous payne With death determind hath t auenge agayne Wee haue found out for byrth and beauties grace A worthy make for such an Empresse place To whom that louely goddesse Venus bright And mighty Ioue his spouse that Iuno hight and goddesse fierce in boysterous warlike artes Geues place for bodyes seemly portrayd partes Se. Fayth meeknes manners mild bashfull shame Of spouse those ought an husband to reclayme The perles of iudging mynd alone remayne Not subiect once to any rulers raygne The passing pryde of beautyes numming grace Each day appals and bleamisheth apace Ne. What prayses woman wights haue in them closd All those in her alone hath God reposde And such a peerlesse peere the guydes of lyfe The destnies would haue borne to be our wyfe Se. O noble prince such blynd vnlawful loue Do rashly credite naught from you remoue Ne. Whom Ioue can not repell that rules the cloudes And pearcing raging floods therein him shroudes And raungeth through the raigne of Plutoes pit And pulleth downe in welkin hie that sit The mighty powers of heauen the God of loue And can I then his force from me remoue Se. Swift winged loue mens fancy fond in vayne A mercy wanting God to bee doth fayne And armes his handes with woundinge weapons keen And bowes with burning brondes for louers greene Of Venus to be sprong they al accorde and blyndly forgde of thunders limping Lorde Bland loue the myndes great torment sore appeares And buddeth first in frolicke youthful yeares Who while we drinke of Fortunes pleasaunt cuppe With laysie pampring ryot is nestled vp Whom if to to ster vp you leaue at length It fleeting falles away with broken strength This is in all our life as I suppose The greattest cause how pleasure first arose Which sith mankind by broodyng bydeth aye Through gladsom loue the fierce wild beastes doth sway It neuer can from manly breast depart Ne. This selfe same God I wish with all my hart The wedlocke lightes to beare before our grace And fasten Poppie sure in our bed place Se. The peoples griefe might neuer yeeld to it Nor vertue can the same at all permit Ne. Shall I alone to do forbidden be That euery patch may do that grieueth mee Se. No tryfling toyes the people lookes to haue Of him that ought to rule with wisdome graue Ne. It pleaseth vs with daunted power to trye If peoples rash conceiued rage will flie Se. Seeke rather for to please and calme their moode Ne. Ill ruled is that raygne where people wood Their subiect Prince doth weld as they thinke good Se. When nought that they require they can obtayne They iustly then agrieued are agayne Ne. That gentle prayers cannot win with ease By force to wring it out it doth vs please Se. An hard thing t is the people not to haue That of theyr Prince which they do iustly craue Ne. And horrible 't is a Prince to be constraynd Se. Let not your subiectes then so sore be raynd Ne. Why then the common brute abroade wil be How that the people haue subdued mee Se. That no man trustes that is of credite light Ne. Be it so yet many it markes with deadly spyghte Se. With countrie peeres to medle it is afrayd Ne. To quip and frump 't is nothing lesse dismayd Se. Your grace may easly couch that budding bruite Let Sayncted sires desertes with pliant sute Your graces mynd remoue let spouses age And curteous bashfull shame disrumpe your rage Ne. Leaue off I say that we entend to grutch For now your talke our pacience moueth much I pray you let it lawful be to do That Senec geueth not aduyse vnto And we our peoples wishes do defer While Poppie feele in wombling wombe to sterre The pledge of faythful loue to me and her Why do we not appoynt the morrow next When as our mariage pompe may be context THE THIRD ACTE THE FIRST SCENE Agrippyna THrough paunch of riuened earth from Plutoes raigne With ghostly steps I am returnd agayne In writhled wristes that bloud do most desyre For guyding wedlocke vyle with Stygian fire Let Poppie which these cressets coupled sure Vnto my sonne be ioynd in mariage pure Whom mothers griefe and hand reuenging wrackes Shal send with heaue and hoe to funeral stackes I always do remember wel beneath Where piteous ghostly crauling soules do breath Th' unkindly slaughterous deede which to our spright Yet vnreuengd is grieuous and of right And for the good I did a cruell prise That deadly framed ship in crafty wyse And due reward that he gaue me agayne For helping him to rule of Empyres raygne And eake that night when as I did bewayle Both losse of shippe wherin we then did sayle And mates vnhappye death and whyle I thoughte For this accursed deede to haue besought The Gods to trickling teares he gaue scant tyme But twice encreased hath his deuillish cryme Quite slayne with sword thrust through my bodyes boundes And filthy layed through goary mattring woundes Deliuered safe from seas deuouring sup In antique court my ghost I yeelded vp Nor yet his cancred and vnsatiate hate For all this bloud doth Nero once abate That Tyrant dyre doth rage at mothers name And seeketh wayes my deedes for to defame Who threating death to them that doe withstand My shapes he dingeth downe in euery land My princely tytles large hee scrapeth out In euery place the whole wyde world aboute Which my vnlucky parentes loue did geue To much vnto
vnfeareful arme loe ouerchargde with woe My breast lies bare vnto thy hand Stryke I thy gylt forgeue The fâ—endes infernall for their sinne thy soule shal neuer greeue What yerking noyse is this we heare what hagge here haue we fowndâ— That beares aboute her writhen lockes these vgly adders wound And one her yrksome temples twayne her blackysh â—innes do wagge Why chase ye mee with burning brandes Megera filthy hagge Alcides can but vengeance aske and that I wil him get But haue the iudges dyre of hell for yt in counsell set But of the dreadful dongeon dores I see th unfoulding leaues What auncient sier is he that on his tatred shoulder heaues Th' unweildy stone that borne toth top agayne doth downward reele Or what is â—e that spraules his lims vppon the whirling wheele Lo heare stood ougly Tisiphon with sterne and ghastly face And did demaunde with steaming eies the manner of the case O spare thy strypes Megera spare and with thy brandes away Th' offence I did was ment in loue but whether do I sway The grouÌ„d doth sinke the roofe doth cracke whether went this raging route Now al the world with gasing eyes stand staring me about On euery side the people grudge and call for their defence Be good to me O nations whither shall I get mee hence Death onely is my loade of rest there may my sorrowes byde I do protest the fiery wheeles that Phoebus charyot guide That heare I dye and leaue the worlde ther 's Hercles yet behynde Hi. Away she runnes agast aye me shee hath fullylde her mynd For purposed she was to dye and now remaynes my wil For to preuent her that by force her selfe she shall not kill O mise rable prety if I my mother saue I sin agaynst my father then but if vnto the graue I let her goe then toward her a trespas soule there lyes And tâ—hus alas on eyther syde great mischiefe doth aries And needes her purpose must be stayde I le hie and take in hand To stop her despret enterpryse and mischiefy to withstand Chorus FVll true the dytty is That holy ORPHEVS sang On Thracian harpe with sounde whereof the Rocks of Rodop rang That nothing is creat For euer to endure Dame Natures byrdes each on must stoupe when death throwes out the lure The head wyth Crispen lockes or goulden hayres full In time hath borne an hoary bush or bin a naked scull And that which tract of time doth bring out of the grayne Olde SATVRNE sharps his Syth at length to reape it downe agayne Though PHOEBVS ryse at morne with glistring rayes full proude Hee runnes his race and ducketh downe at length in foggy Clowde Toth Gaetans ORPHEVS sang such kinde of melody And how the gods themselues were bounde to lawes of destiny The God that doth the yeare By egall partes dispose Howe fatall webbe in euery clyme are dayly spunne he showes For all thinges made of moulde The grounde agayne will gape As Hercles preacheth playne by proofe that nothing can escape For shortly shall ensue Discarge of Natures Lawe And out of hande the gloming daye of doome shall onwarde drawe Then all that lies within The scorching Libicke clyme The poale antarticke of the South shall ouerwhelme in tyme Poale articke of the North Shall iumble all that lyes VVithin the Axeltree whereon drye BORES blasinge flyes The shiuerynge Sunne in Heauen Shall leese his fadyng lighte The Pallace of the frames of Heauens shall runne to ruin quight And all these blockish Gods Some kynd of Death shall quell And in confused CHAOS blynde they shall for euer dwell And after ruin made Of Goblin Hegge and Elfe Death shall bringe finall destenye at last vppon it selfe VVhere shall be then bestowde The world so huge a masse The beaten hye way vnto hell is like away to passe To leade vnto the Heauens That shall be layed flatt The space betwene the Heauen and earth inough thinke ye is that Or is it not to much For worldly miseryes VVher may such heaps of sinnes be lodgd what place aboue the skyes Remaynes but that the sea VVith Heauen and lowest Hell Three Kingdomes cast in one are like within one roofe to dwell But hark what roaring crye Thus beates my fearefull eare But lo it s Hercules that yelles t is Hercules I heare THE FOVRTH ACTE Hercules Chorus REtyre retyre thy breathing breastes O Titan blasing bright Vnfold thy mysty mantle blacke of dim and darkesome Night And dash this dreary day wherin I Hercules must die With blemish black of filthy fogge defyle the griesly skye Preâ—â— enâ— my stepdames naughty mynd Now should I haue resignde O Father my inheritaunce of Plutoes dungeon blynd Heauen frames should here there be brast eyther poale should crack Why sparest thou the starres and least thy Hercles go to wracke Now Ioue loke round aboute the heauens and if thou can espye On gyant heaue the Thessaill cliues agaynst th assalted skye Vnburdned be Enceladus of hugye Osir hill And hurled be on Hercules the mighty mountayne still Prowde Pluto shall vnbarre the gates of blacke and glummy caue Yet maugre all their might o Father Ioue I wil thee saue From fury of thy foes and set thee vp agayne in skyes Yet lo Ioue loe her that on earth thy thunderdint supplies And for to be liuetenaunt of thy boultes on earth was borne Is sent to burning Limbo lake in tormentes to be torne The sterne Enceladus agayne in ramping rage shal ryse And hurle the weighte that now doth croâ—de him downe against the skies Thus by my death they shal presume to conquer heauen all But ere that day vppon my corse compel the heauens to fall Breake downe breake downe the welkin that thou suffrest to decay Ch. O sonne of thunder thumping Ioue no shadowes do thee fray Now Ossa mount of Thessalie shal Pelion hill downe crush And Athos pilde on Pindus toppe his bushy hed shall push Among the starry skes therby aboue the craggy rockes Typhoëus vp shal clyme and thumpe with store of baâ—tryng knockes Iuarmen stone in Tyrren sea from thence eake shall he beat The smoaky forge of Aetna mount that glowes with stewing heate Enceladus not ouerthrowne yet with the thunder cracke Shal hew the mountayne syde in twayne and trusse it on his backe The signes of heauen shal follow thee and goe with thee to wracke Her I that returnde from dennes of death and Stigian streame defyed And ferryed ouer Lethes lake and dragd vp chaind and tyde The tryple headded mastiffe hownd when Tytans teeme did start So at the ougly sight that he fel almost from his cart Euen I whose pith the kingdomes three of Gods ful wel haue knowne Lo yet myne end I daunted am by death and ouerthrowne But yet no bloudy blade agaynst my riued rybbes doth crash It is no rock that vnto death my brused bones doth pash Nor as it were with O sir hill that clouen were in twayne Nor with the sway of all the
mountayne falling am I slayne The glaring eyed giant grym doth not now squeaze my coarse With paise of Pindus roch and thus not feling enmyes force I conquerd am and yet alas this coarsie frets me more O feeble force of man he whom no might could match before Withouten any conquest made doth end his latter day Without exployt or feat of armes my selfe I passe away O mighty vmpier of the world and all ye Ghostes aboue That witnes how in quarell good my right hand euer stroue O all ye landes O earth alas may it your mercy please To spoyle the spiteful sting of death that dauntes your Hercules Fy fye what shame is it to vs what filthy fate we haue A woman prowde shall boast her bane brought Hercles to his graue Then what are they whose mortall mayme Alcides weapon gaue If thus with sway inuincible my fatal wheele do run And neede must on this shameful rocke my fatall twist be spunne As by a womans cursed hand my bloud should thus be shed Yet Iunoes mallice migh haue powrd this vengeance on my head So might a womans deadly band have brought me to my beere But pet a woman wellding sway amid the welkin cleare But this seemde ouerprowde attempt for Gods to take in hand The paples dame in Scithia borne where pight on hie â—oâ—h s tand The Apeltree whereon the vnderpropped poales do sway It might as wel haue bene her hap to take my breath away What womans might may maister me Queene Iunoes hatefull foe Fye stepdame fye the fowler shame by this to thee doth grow Why dost thou triumph in this day why did dame Tellus breede Such parlous bugges thy humour ranck of colour hoate to feede A mortall womans peauishe spight doth passe thy rancour rough Thou sayst thou cannot haue reuenge on Hercules inough Then are wee twayne y passe thy power the Gods may blushe for sham To see their mallice ouermacht by such a mortall dame Would God the ramping Lyons pawe that noyed Neme woode Had fillde his greedy mounching Iawes with plenty of my bloude Or while the twining snakes had hembde mee in by hundreds thick Why might not Hydra swallow vp my wrinched body quick Why was it not the centaures hap my silly flesh to gnawe Or that I bounde on Tantalls rocke shoulde gape with greedy Iawe In vayne to catch the fleeting foode when deepe from Tartar soyle Where at the Gods aggrized were I did purloyne the spoyle And from the darck infernall Styx I got agayne to light Or Ditis dungeon all the stops and stayes I conquerde quight Death shranke from mee in euery place that I a noble knight At length might ende my dayes in shame and in dishonour spoylde Oh Ioue the creatures terrible thou knowst that I haue foylde The threefolde shapen mastiffe curre whom vp I draggde in chayne Hee starring from the sunnewarde could not hale mee back agayne The sheepherdes churlishe rabble that aloofe in Iber hee Vnder the Spanishe feruent clyme coulde neuer maister mee Nor serpents twayne that vnto mee in tender cradell creapt Aye woe is mee that valiant death so oft I ouerleapt What honour shall I dye withall CH. Beholde how death and hell Cannot appaule the verteous mynde that of deseruing well By guiltlesse conscience warrant hath the death that doth him spoyle Irkes not as thus of such an one to take this filthy foyle If with this torment life were lost his mynde should much be â—asde As with vnweâ—ldy Gyauntes sway hee had his body squeasde Or Titans burden with his monsters all he woulde abyde Or wishe of raging Gyants rent in pieces to haue dyde And if thy dâ—lefull death because that monster none is left Who may be worthy thought by whom Alcides life bee reft But thine owne hand to doe the deede HE. Aye me and wellaway What Scorpion scrapes within my Mawe what cralling Crab I say With crooking cleaze to comber mee from scorching zone returnes And boat within my boyling bones the seathing Marowe burnes My Riuer whilom ranke of bloude my rotting Lunges it tawes And teareth them in shattred gubs and filthy withered flawes And now my Gall is dryed vp my burning Lyuer glowes The stewing heate hath stulde away the bloude and Ioue hee knowes My vpper skin is scorcht away and thus the Cankar stronge Doth eate an hole that get it may my wretched Limmes amonge And from my frying Ribs alas my Lyuer quite is rent It gnawes my flesh deuowers all my Carkas quite is spent It soakes into the empty bones and out the iuyce it suckes The bones by lumps drop of while it the ioyntes a sunder pluckes My corpulent Carkes is consumde of Hercules euery Iim Yet stauncheth not the festring rot that feedeth fast on him O what a tingling ache it is that makes mee thus to smart O bitter plague O pestilence that gripeth to the heart Loe Cittes loe what now remaynes of Hercules the great Are these the armes that did with stripes the roaring Lyon beate And in Nemea wood did teare him from his hary case Might this hand bend y bow from cloudes the Stimphall foule to chase Are these the shankes that coapt the heart who shifting pace full oft Did beare his braunched head ypranckt with garlond gay aloft Was Calâ—e craggy cliue of these my feeble clowches broake To rayse a dam in â—eas that did their foamy channell choake Had these armes pith the breath of Kings of Beastes and bugs to stop Or might these shoulders tough the payse of heauen vnderprop Are these the lusty Lims and Neck that shrank not at the payse Are these handes that I agaynst the weltring heauens did rayse Alas whose handes shall now perforce from hence hell Iayloâ—â— leade Alas the noble courage earst that now in mee is deade Why call I Ioue my Father great of whom my stock should ryse Why by the Thunderer make I my challenge to the skyes Now now Ampitrio is my ster all men may it auouch Come out thou murreyn fowle that dost within my bowells couch Why dost thou thus with priuy wound my carefull Carkas foyle What gulph vnder the frozen Clyme in saluage Scithian soyle Engendred them what water Hag did spawne thee on the shore Or stony Câ—lpe Rock in Spayne that borders on the Moare O yrksome ill and art thou not the Serpent that doth sting With crest on ougly head or els some other lothly thing Or spronge of Hydraës bloude or left heere by the hellick hound Art thou no plague and yet a plague in whom all plagues abound What gastly countnaunce cariest thou alas yet let me know What kinde of mischiefe may thou be that dost torment mee so What saluage sore or murreyn straunge or vncouth plague thou bee With open combat face to face thou should encounter mee And not thus ranckle in my flesh nor soake into the sap By sowltring heate within my bones thy boyling bane to wrap And in the mid thereof to fry the Maroe that doth melt My
iagged skin is ript and out my smoaky Bowells swelt From bursten Paunch my selfe doe flea the skin with grasping pawse And from the naked boanes doe teare the mangled flesh by flawes I searched for thee through my Mawe yet further dost thou creepe And festring farther in my flesh hast gnawne an hole more deepe O mischiefe match to Hercules what griefe coulde make mee greete WheÌ„ce flow these streames of trilliÌ„g teares that down my cheekes do fleete The time hath bin no plunging pangues could cause our courage quaile That neuer vse with cristall teares our anguish to bewayle Ah fy I am ashamde that I should learne these teares to shed That Hercules in weeping wise his griefe hath languished Who euer saw at any day in any time or place All bitter brunes I bare with dry and eake vnreky face The manhoode that so many ills hath maistred heretofore Hath yeelded onely vnto thee to thee thou Cankar sore Thou first of all hast straynde the teares out of my weeping eyes Thy gargle face thy visage man that doth mee sore aggrise More towgh then mossy Rockes more hard then Gads of sturdy steele Or roaming streame of Simplegade whereby this smart I feele Hath crusht my cracking Iawes wronge the streaming teares froÌ„ me O wielder of the Welkin swifte loe loe the Earth doth see How Hercules doth weepe and wayle and to my greater payne My Stepdame Iuno sees the same beholde beholde agayne My Lunges doe fry the scorching heate preuayleth more and more Whence fell this thunder Boult on mee that burnes in mee so sore C. Who stoupeth not wheÌ„ griefe doth gal more tough theÌ„ Aem of Thrace Whas whilom hawty Hercules and did no more gieue place Then doth the marble axelltree his Lims hee now doth yeelde To paynefull pangues and on his Neck his aking heade doth wielde And tossing still from side to side hee bendes with hugy sway And oft his noble heart doth force his trilling teares to stay Hercules Alcmena O Father wyth thy heauenly Eyes Beholde my wretched plight For neuer HERCVLES till nowe bid craue thy hande of might Not when as Hydraës fruictfull heads about my Lyms were wounde Nor when I locke in Lakes alow fought with th' infernall hownde These hideous fiends I foylde with kings tyraunts prowde likewise Yet in these broyles I neuer lookt for succour to the skyes This hand did still auouch the vowe no thunder for my sake Did glitter in the holy heauens this day hath hid mee make Some suite to thee and of my boones yet heere 's the first and last One onely Thunder boult I craue at mee O Ioue to cast Count mee a Giaunt of my selfe I can no lesse deuise While Ioue I thought of promise true I spaarde the starry skies Bee thou eyther a cruell sier or pity if thou haue Yet lend thy sonne thy help and get the glory of my graue Preuenting this my dreary death of this if thou doe skorne Or that thy hand abhorre the guilt from Sicill cliue suborne The soultring Giaunts that in hand high Pindus mount can weilde Or Ossa that it hurlde on mee I may therewith bequielde Brast vp hell Gates and let Bellone scourge mee with Iron rod And let in armes encounter mee the mighty Martiall God My brother I acknowledge him but by my sâ—epdames side And Pallas thou my sister take let at thy brother slide A thirling Darte O stepdame myne with humble suite I craue A wounde of thee that womans hand may bring mee to my graue Why dost thou feede thy fury nowe as one whose wrath were ende And satisfied what seeke yee more I stoupe I yeelde I bende Thou seest Alcides humbly layde where as vnto this day That euer I entreated thee no Land no Beast can say Now doe I neede thy deadly wrath to rid mee of my payne And now thy rankour is appeasde thy hate is quencht agayne And thus thou sparest mee my life when as I wishe to dye O Earth will none make mee the fier wherein my bones may fry Nor reach a blade to Hercules conuay yee all from mee So let no country Monsters breede when I shall buried be And let none wayle the losse of mee if 〈◊〉 more aryse God send another Hercules to succour Earth and skyes But as for mee on euery side ding out my broosed brayne And crash with sturdy stroke of stones my cursed Scull in twayne And rid my torments wilt thou not O worlde to mee vnkynde And are so soone our benefits forgotten in thy mynde Een to this bower with bugs and beasts thou had 〈◊〉 ouer layde Had not I bin good people cause his torments to be stayde That succored you time giues you leaue to recompence my payne If yee with death will guerden mee I aske none other gayne AL. Where shall I wretched mother of Alcides wishe to bee Where is my chylde where is my sonne If sight deceaue not mee With gasping mouth and panting heart loe where hee sprawling lyes Where as alas in raging heart of boyling fits hee fryes Hee groues all is dispacht deare childe let mee Alcides myne Embrace thy pining lims with kisse enfoulde my armes in thyne Where are the lims where is the neck that bare the skies alone What thus hath mangled thee that all thy corps is waste and gone HE. I am your Hercles mother deare whom thus yee see here lost Acknowledge mee all though God knowes I seeme but as a ghost Why doe you turne your face away and mourning visage mylde Are yee ashamde that Hercules should counted bee your chylde AL. What world hath bred this vncouth bug what land engendred it Or els what monstrous mischiefe may on thee triumphing sit Who i st that conquers Hercules HE. By treason of his Wyfe Thou seest how wretched Hercules do leese his lothed Lyfe AL. To ouerthrow my Hercules what treason hath the might HE. That which a wrathfull Dame doth seeke to case her of her spight AL. How hath this pestilence gotten to thy Lims and bleeding bones HE. Iâ—to a Shyrt the woman had conuayde it for the nonce AL. Where is the Shyrt for nothing but thy naked coips I see HE. The vesture by the poyson ranke deâ—owred is with mee AL. And can such poyson be contriued HE. I thinke within my guts That hideous Hydra hissing Snake his slowghy body puts A thousand plagues of Lerna Poole within my Bowelles rampes What raging deare is this that driues vp all Sicilia dampes What Eâ—me of Hell forbids the day to passe the boyling â—one O Maâ—es amid the greedy gulphes and pooles let me be throwne What Ister can my Carkas coole no not the Ocean mayne Of these my stewing vapours may the raging quench agayne Al moysture of my limmes in these my fits are fryde away The iuyce wil sone be soaked vp what president of hel Let me returne from vnder grounde agayne with Ioue to dwell He ought to haue retaynd me still receiue me once agayne Into thy dungeon darke
with a night engendred hath to thee If East and West if Scithia and euery burning plot That parched is with glowing glede of Phoebus fier hot Doth sing my prayse and if the earth ful satisfyde with peace If languishing and wayling woords in euery towne doe cease If none their alters do imbrew with any guiltles gore Then Ioue let my vncaged spirite haue heauen for euermore As for th infernall dennes of death they do not me detarre Nor scouling Plutoes dungeon darck but Ioue I do abhorre Vnto those gastly Goblins as a stlly shade to goe Sith I am he whose conquering hand gaue them their ouerthrowe Withdraw these foggy clowdes of night display the glimsyng light That Hercles broyld with flying flames the Gods may haue in sight And if thou do denye O fyre the starres and heauen to mee To geue me them agaynst thy will thou shalt constrayned bee If glutting griefe do stop thy speach the Stygian goulphes set oape Aud let mee dye but first declare within the heauenly coape That thou accepst me as thy soone this day it shal be wrought That to bee raysd aloft to starres I may be worthy thought Thou hast doone litle for me yet it may be doubted well Whether Ioue did first beget his sonne or damnd him first to hell And quoth he let my stepdame see how wel I can abyde The scorching heate of burning brandes for fyer then he cride And sayth to me O Philoctet in hast vppon me throw The burning logges why quakest thou dost dastard thow forslow For feare to this wicked deede O coward peasant slaue Thou art to weake to bende my bow vnmeete my shaftes to haue What aylest thou to loke so pale and as thou seest mee lye With cherefull looke couragiously do thou the fier plye Behold me wretch that broyle and burne my father opes the Skyes And vnto me sonne Hercules come come away he cryes O father Ioue quoth he I come with that I waxed pale And toward him a burning beame with might and mayne I hale But backe from him the billets flye and tumbling out they leape And from the limmes of Hercules downe falleth all the heape But he encrocheth on the fyre as it from him doth shrinke That many mountaynes whole were set on fyer a man would thinke No noyse was hard and all was husht but that the fyer did hisse In Hercles glowing paunch when as his liuer burning is It boysteous gyant Typhus had amid this fire bene throwne These torments would haue straind his teares forst him sigh grone Or tough Euceladus that tost a mountayne on his backe But Hercles lifted vp himselfe amid his fyres all blacke With smoake besmeard his corps halfe burnt in shiuers gube flawes And downe the throate his gasping breath flames at once he drawes Then to Alemen he turnd himselfe O mother myne quoth hee Should ye so stand at Hercles death should you thus wayle for me And thus betwene the fire and smoke vpright and stiffe he standes And neyther stoupes nor leanes awrye but moues and stirs his hands With al his liuely gestures still and thus he doth perswade His mother leaue the langusshing and mourning that she made And did encourage all his men t' encrease the fyre than As though he were not burning but would burne some other man The people stoode astonished and scant they would beleeue That fire had any force on him or that it did him greeue Because his chereful looke had such a maiesty and grace And neuer wilde vs meue the fyre that he might burne apace And now when as he thought he had endured pangues ynough And stoutly bode the brunt of death the blocks hee doth remoue That smothering lay to make theÌ„ burne then downward doth he shoue And where the stewing heate did chiefely scorch and burne most hot That way he thrusts his frying lims and thether hath hee got With steaming countnaunce vnapaulde his mouth now doth he fill With burning coales his comely Bearde theÌ„ blazde about his cheekes And now when as the sparkling fier vnto his visage seekes The flame lickt vp his sâ—â—ged hayre and yet he did not winke But open kept his staring eyes But what is this my thinke Alomene cometh yonder as a woefull wight forlorne With sighes and sobs and all her hayre befrounced rent and torne And beares the remnaunt in her Lap of Hercules the great Alcmena Philoctetes LEarne Lordings learne to feare and dread th' unwelldy fatall force This little dust is all that 's lefâ— of Hercles hugy coarse That boysteous Giaunt is consumde vnto these ashes small O Titan what a mighty masse is come to nought at all Aye me an aged womans lappe all Hercules doth shrowde her lap doth serue him for a graue and yet the champion prowde With all his lumpe stils not the roome Aye mee a burthen small I feele of him to whom whole heauen no burthen was at all O Hercules beare chylde O sonne the season whilom was That thou to Tartar pits and sluggish deus aloofe didst passe For to repasse from deepe of hell when wilt thou come agayne For to put loyne the spoyles thereof or bring from captiue chayne To life thy friendly Theseus But when wilt thou returne Alone can flaming Phelegethon thy ghost in torments burne Or can the mastiâ—â—e Dogge of hell keepe downe thy woefull sprite Where then might I come see thy soule and leaue this loathed light When shall I rap at Tartar gate what Iawes shall mee deuower What death shall dâ—wnt mee goest thou to hell and hast no power To come agayne alas why do I wast the day in teares and 〈◊〉 O wretched lyfe why dost thou last thou shouldest droupe and saynt And loath this dreary daye how can I beare to Ioue agayâ—e Another noble Hercules what sonne may I obtayne So valiunt to call mee thus Alcmena mother myne O happy spouse Ampliterio twyse happy hast thou bene In entring at the dennes of death and through the noble sonne The Deutis arthy presentes quake to see thee thether come Though thou but forged father were to Hercules of late Whether shall old beldam goe whom many kinges do hate If any prince remayne with blody breast and murdring mynde Then woe to mee if groning babes be any left behynd That sorrow for theyr parentes deathes now now for Hercles sake Theyr mallice let them wrecke on mee on mee dyre vengeance take If any young Bustris be I feare the Persians sore Wil come and take me captiue hence in chaynes for euermore If any tyrant feede his horce with gubbes of straungers flesh Now let his pampred iades vnto my Carksse fall a fresh Perhap dame Iuno coueteth on me to wrecke her yrâ— And eâ—vs of her burning breast wil turne the flaming fire Her wreckful hand doth loyter now sith Hercules is slayne And now to feele her spurning spyte as harlot I remayne My valyant sonne is cause of this my wombe shall barrayne be Least I should beare another