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
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
SENECA HIS TENNE TRAGEDIES TRANSLATED INTO Englysh Mercurij nutrices horae IMPRINTED AT LONDON IN Fleetstreete neere vnto Saincte Dunstans church by Thomas Marsh 1581 TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPEVL SIR THOMAS HENNEAGE KNIGHT TREASVRER OF HER MAIESTIES CHAMBER Thomas Newton wisheth all abundaunce of Felicitie and Spirituall benedictions in Christe YOV may think Sir some want of discretion in mee for thus boldly presuminge to thrust into your handes these Tragedies of SENECA From whych boldnesse the very Conscience of myne own vnworthynes might easely haue dissuaded mee had not certayne learned Gentlemen of good credite and worship thereunto persuaded animated mee Assuring mee where of I thought my selfe afore assured that your VVorship such is your loue to learning the generosity of your Heroicall mynde would daygne not onely to dispence with my temerity but also take in worth my affectionate simplicity And yet all this notwithstandinge well durst I not haue geuen the aduēture to approch your presence vpon trust of any singularity that in this Booke hath vnskilfully dropped out of myne owne penne but that I hoped the perfection of others artificiall workmāship that haue trauayled herein aswell as my selfe should somewhat couer my nakednèsse 〈◊〉 pùrchase my pardon And hard were the dealing if in payment of a good round gubbe of Gold of full wayght and poyse one poore peece somewhat clypped and lighter then his fellowes may not be foysted in amōg the rest and passe in pay for currant coigne Theirs I know to be deliuered with singuler dexterity myne I confesse to be an vnflidge nestling vnhable to flye an vnnatural abortion and an vnperfect Embryon neyther throughlye laboured at Aristophanes and Cleanthes candle neither yet exactly waighed in Critolaus his precise ballance Yet this dare I saye I haue deliuered myne Authors meaning with as much perspicuity as so meane a Scholler out of so meane a stoare in so smal a time and vpon so short a warning was well able to performe And whereas it is by some squeymish Areopagites surmyzed that the readinge of these Tragedies being enterlarded with many Phrases and sentēces literally tending at the first sight some time to the prayse of Ambition sometyme to the mayntenaūce of cruelty now and then to the approbation of incontinencie and here and there to the ratification of tyranny can not be digested without great daūger of infection to omit all other reasons if it might please thē with no forestalled iudgmēt to mark and consider the circumstaunces why where by what maner of persons such sentences are pronoūced they cānot in any equity otherwise choose but find good cause ynough to leade thē to a more fauourable and milde resolutiō For it may not at any hād be thought and deemed the direct meaning of SÈNECA himselfe whose whole wrytinges penned with a peerelesse sublimity and loftinesse of Style are so farre from còuntenauncing Vice that I doubt whether there bee any amonge all the Catalogue of Heathen wryters that with more grauity of Philosophicall sentences more waightynes of sappy words or greater authority of soūd matter beateth down sinne loose lyfe dissolute dealinge and vnbrydled sensuality or that more sensibly pithily and bytingly layeth downe the guerdon of filthy lust cloaked dissimulation odious treachery which is the dryft wherunto he leueleth the whole yssue of ech one of his Tragedies Howsoeuer whatsoeuer it be your VVorships curteous acceptaūce shal easily counterpoyse any of our imperfections Vnto whose learned Censure wee humbly submit these the exercises of our blusshing Muses The Lord God in mercy long preserue you in health and dignity with daily encrease of many his gracious gyfts already rychly abounding in you to the propagation and aduauncement of his truth whereof yee are a zealous Professor to the honoure of her Maiestye to whom you are a most loyall seruitour and to the generall benefite of your Countrey whereof you are a rare and most worthy Ornament From Butley in Chesshyre the 24. of Aprill 1581 Your Worshippes most humble Thomas Newton THE NAMES OF THE TRAGEDIES OF SENECA AND by whom each of them was translated 1 Hercules Furens 2 Thyestes 6 Troas By Iasper Heywood 1560 5 Oedipus By Alex Neuile 4 Hippolytus 7 Medea 8 Agamemnon 10 Hercules Octaeus By Iohn Studley 9 Octauia By T. Nuce 3 Thebais By Thomas Newton The Argument of this Tragedy IVno the Wyfe and sister of Iupiter hating his bastard broode cometh dovvne from heauen complayning of all his iniuries done to her deuising also by vvhat despight she may vexe his base Sonne Hercules And hauing by experience proued no toyles to be to hard for him findeth the meanes to make his ovvne hand his ovvne vengeance Hercules therefore returning novv from Hell from vvhence he vvas enioyned to fet Cerberus and finding that the Tyrant Lycus had inuaded his coūtrey destroieth the tyrant For the vvhich victory as hee sacrificeth to his Goddesse vvrathfull Iuno strikes him into a sodayne frensy Wherevvith he beinge sore vexed thynking to slea the Children and Wyfe of Lycus in steede of them killeth his ovvne Wyfe and Children in his madnes This done hee sleapeth Iuno restoreth to him agayne his Wits He being vvakt seing his Wyfe and Children slayne by his ovvne hand at last also vvould kill himselfe THE SPEAKERS Iuno Chorus Megara Amphitrion Lycus Hercules Theseus THE FIRST ACTE Iuno alone I Syster of the Thunderer for now that name alone Remaynes to me Ioue euermore as though deuorst and gone And temples of the highest ayre as wydowe shunned haue And beaten out of skyes aboue the place to Harlots gaue I must go dwell beneath on ground for Whoores do hold the sky From hence the Beare in parte aboue of ycy peale full hy A haughty starre the greekish shyps by Seas doth gurde about From this way whence at spring time warme the day is loased out Europaes bearer through the waues of Tyria shynes full bright From thence their stormy fearefull flocke to Ships and seas affright The wandring daughters here and there of Atlas vpward sway With staring bush of hayre from hens Orion Gods doth fray And Perseus eke his glitteryng starres of golden glosse hath here From hence the twynnes of Tyndars stocke do shine a signe full clere And at whose byrth first stode the grounde that erst went to and fro Nor onely Bacchus now himselfe or Bacchus mother lo Haue clymd to Gods least any parte should from rebuke be free The skies the Gnossian strumpets crownes do beare in spight of mee But I of old cōtemptes complayne me one dire fierce and shrewde Thebana land with wicked broode of Ioues base daughters strewde How oft hath it a stepdame made though vp to heauen should ryse The conqueryng drabbe Alcmena now and hold my place in skyes And eke her sonne to promisd starres obtayne the worthy way At byrth of whom the staying worlde so long deferd the day And Phoebus slow frome morning sea began to glister bright Commaunded long in
And cruell sceptors broken hath with iust and ryghtfull hand Nowe absent serues and what he eal'de in other doth sustayne And now doth bannysht Lycus holde of Hercles Thebes the rayne Yet shall he not he shall come home and him with vengeaunce quight And sodaine rise to starres he will soone flude the way to light Or make it ells returne thou safe repayre to thine in haste And conquerour to conquer'de house yet come agayne at laste Ryse vp my spouse and darknes vecye repell'de of helly shade Breake vp with hand if no way may for thee kept backe bee made And passage be shut vp returne with world vprent by might And whatsoeuer is the possest byneath in darkest night Send dut with thee as when the tops of haughty hylles vndoon A headlong passage making through for hasty floude to roon Thou somtime stoodst whā with great might of thyne a sunder broake The Tempye woods wyde open lay and beaten with thy stroake The mount now here now there fell downe and rampier tente of stay The raging brooke of Thessaly did roon a newe found way Thy parentes so thy sonnes thy land repayring home to see Breake out and lowest bonde of things out bringing thence with thee And what soeuer greedy age in all these long yeares race Hath hid shew forth ghosts that haue forgot theyr former case And people vp before thee driue that fearefull are of light Vnworthy spoyles for thee they are if thou but bring to sight What bidden is great thinges but farre to much I speake for mee Vnwotting of myne owne estate when shall I hap to see The day when thee and thy right hand I may embrace agayne And slowe returnes nor yet of me once myndefull may complayne To thee for this O guide of Gods vntamed Bulls shall bring Their hundred necks to thee O Queene of fruits on earth that spring I 'le geue thee secret sacrifice to thee with much fayth loe Long fyre brands at Eleusis towne full silent wyll I throe Then to my brethren shall I thinke to bee restort de agayne Theyr soules and eke himselfe aliue and guiding of his reyne My father for to flouryshe yet If any greater might Dor keepe thee shet we followe thee with thy returne to fight Defend vs all or els to hell drawe downe vs all to thee Thou shalt vs drawe no God shall rayse vs vp that broken bee AMPHITRYON MEGARA O Faythfull fellowe of our bloud with chaste true faythfullnes The Bridebed keeping and the sonne of haughty Hercules Conceiue in mynde some better thinges and take good heart to thee He will come home as after all his labours wounteth hee Of more renowne ME. What wretches doe most chiefly wishe of all They soone beleue AM. Nay what they feare to much lest it may fall They thinke it neuer may bee shoon'de nor rid by remedy ME. Beleefe is ready still to dreade the woorser mysery Deepe drown'de whellm'de farthermore with all the world full lowe Oppressed downe what way hath he to light agayne to goe AM. What way I pray you had he then whē through the burning coste And tumbling after maner of the troubled Sea vp toste He went by sands and freate that twyse with ebbe away doth slip And twyse vpflowe and when alone with his forsaken ship Fast caught he stucke in shallowe foordes of shelfye Syrtes sande And nowe his ship on grounde did passe throught seas a foote to land ME. Iniurious fortune vertue most of men most stout and strong Doth seldome spare no man alyue himselfe in safety long To perills great and daungers may so often times out cast Whom chaunce doth often ouerslip the same it findes at last But cruell loe and greeuous threats euen bearing in his face And such as he of stomacke is doth come euen such of pace Proude Lycus who the sceptors shakes in hande of other king The plentuous places of the towne of Thebes gouerning And euery thinge about the whych with fertile soyle doth goe Sloape Phocis and what euer doth Ismenus ouerfloe What euer thing Cithaeron seeth with haughty top and hye And slender Isthmos I le the which betweene two seas doth lye Lycus Megara Amphitrion NOt I of natiue countrey howres possesse the auncient right Vnworthy heir nor yet to me are noble men of might The grandfathers nor stocke renownd with titles hie of name But noble vertue who so boastes of kinred whence he come Of others vertue makes his vaunt but got with fearful hand My sceptors are obtaynd in sword doth all my safety stand What thee thou worst agaynst the will of cytesyns to get The bright drawne sword must it defend in forrayne countrey set No stable kingdome is But one my pompe and princely might May ratify once ioynd to me with regall forche ful bright And chambers Megara of stocke of such nobility Let vpstart state of myne take shape I do not thinke that shee Refuse it will or in the bed with mee despyse to lye But if with proude vnbridled mynde shee stubburn do denye Then quite I purpose to destroy the house of Hercules The hate of men will then my pryde and peoples speach oppres Chiefe knacke of kingdome is to beare thy subiectes hates eche one Le ts proue her then chaunce geuen hath to vs a place alone For shee her head in fold of vayle ful sad and wofully Enwrapt the Gods that are her guides for succour standes fast by And at the syde of her doth leane Alcides father trewe Meg. What thing doth this destroyer of our stocke agayne anew Prepare what proueth he Ly. O Queene that name renowmed hye And tytle takste of regall stocke ful gentle and easily A litle whyle receiue and heare my wordes with pacient eare If alwayes men eternal hates should one to th' other beare And rage be gone out of the hart should neuer fall away But th' happy still should armour holde th' vnhappy stil obay Then shall the battayles nothing leaue with wide fieldes then the lande Shall lie vntild with vnderlayd to housen fiery brand Then ashes deepe shal ouerwhelme the buried people all Expedient is to conquerour to wish that peace befall To conquerd nedefull partner of the kingdome come to me Let 's toyne our myndes take here this pledge of faith and truth to thee My right hand touch Why wishest thou with cruell face and moode Meg. Should I abyde that I the hand sprinkt with my fathers bloud Should touch and double death imbrewd of both my brethren nay First shall sunne ryse extinguish quitte and West shal bring the day First faythful peace betweene the snowes and fiers there shal be tryde And Scilla shall t' Ausonius fyrst ioyne his Sicilian syde And fyrst the fleetyng floud that with swift turnes of course doth flowe Euripus with Euboik waue shall stand ful stil and slow My father th' empire bretherne house thou hast me cleare bereft My countrey to what may be more one thing to me is left Then brother
blood of chyldren fyled bee Let deynties such be drest it is no mischiefe newe to thee To banquet so behold this day we haue to thee releast And hunger starued wombe of thyne we send to such a feast With fowlest foode thy famyne fyll let bloud in wyne be drownd And dronke in sight of thee loe now such dishes haue I found As thou wouldst shonne stay whither doste thou hedlong way now take Tan. To pooles and floods of hell agayne and styll declining lake And flight of tree ful frayght with fruite that from the lippes doth flee To dungeon darke of hateful hell let leeful be for me To goe or if to light be thought the paynes that there I haue Remoue me from those lakes agayne in midst of worser waue Of Phlegethon to stand in seas of fyre beset to bee Who so beneath thy poynted paynes by destenyes decree Dost stil endure who soo thou bee that vnderliest alow The hollow denne or ruyne who that feares and ouerthrow Of fallyng hyl or cruel cryes that sound in caues of hell Of greedy roarying Lyons throats or flocke of furyes fell Who quakes to know or who the brandes of fyre in dyrest payne Halfe burnt throwes of harke to the voyce of Tantalus agayne That hastes to hel and whom the truth hath taught beleeue wel mee Loue wel your paynes they are but small when shall my hap so bee To flee the light Meg Disturbe thou fyrst thys house with dire discord Debates and battels bring with thee and of th' unhappy sworde Ill loue to kinges the cruel brest strike through and hateful hart With tumult mad Tan. To suffer paynes it seemeth wel my part Not woes to worke I am sent forth lyke vepoure dyre to ryse That breakes the ground or poyson like the plague in wondrouse wyse That slaughter makes shall I to such detested crymes applye My nephewes hartes o parentes great of Gods aboue the skie And myne though sham'de I be to graunt although with greater pain My tounge be vext yet this to speake I may no whit refrayne Nor hold my peace I warne you this least sacred hand with bloud Of slaughter dyre or strange fell of frantike fury wood The aulters stayne I wll resist And garde such gylt away With strypes why dost thou me affryght why threatst thou me to fraye Those crallyng snakes or famine fyxt in empty wombe wherfore Dost thou reuyue now fries within with thyrst enkindled sore My harte and in the bowels burnt the boyling flame do glow Meg. I follow thee through all this house now rage and fury throwe Let them be driuen so and so let eyther thirst to see Each others blood ful well hath felt the comming in of thee This house and all with wicked touch of the begune to quake Enough it is repayre agayne to dens and loathsome lake Of floud well knowen the sadder soyle with heauy fote of thyne Agreeued is seest thou from syringes how waters do declyne And inward sinke or how the bankes lye voyde by drughty heate And hoatter blast of fyery wynde the fewer cloudes doth beate The treese be spoyld and naked stand to sight in withred woddes The barayne bowes whose fruites are fled the land betwene the floods With surge of seas on eyther syde that wonted to resound And nearer foordes to seperat sometyme with lesser ground Now broader spred it heareth how aloofe the waters ryse Now Lerna turnes agaynst the streame Phoronides likewyse His poares be stopt with custom'd course Alphéus dryues not still His hollie waues the trembling tops of high Cithaeron hill They stand not sure from height adowne they shake their syluer snowe And noble fieldes of Argos feare theyr former drought to know Yea Tytan doubtes himselfe to rolie the worlde his wonted way And driue by force to former course the backward drawing daye Chorus THis Argos towne if any God be founde And Pisey boures that famous yet remayn Or kingdomes els to loue of Corinthes ground The double hauens or sundred seas in twayne If any loue of Taygetus his snowes By VVinter which when they on hils be cast By Boreas blastes that from Sarmatia blowes VVith yerely breath the sommer meltes as fast VVhere clere Alphéus runnes with floude so cold By playes wel knowen that there Olimpiks hight Let pleasaunt powre of his from hense withholde Such tunes of stryfe that here they may not light Not nephew worse then grandsier spring from vs Or direr deedes delyght the yonger age Let wicked stocke of thirsty Tantalus At length leaue of and wery be of rage Enoughe is done and naught preuaild the iust Or wrong betrayed is Mirtilus and drownde That did betray his dame and with like trust Borne as he bare himselfe hath made renound VVith chaunged name the sea and better knowne To mariners therof no fable is On wicked sword the litle infant throwne As ran the chide to take his fathers kisse Vnrype for th aulters offring fell downe deade And with thy hand O Tantalus was rent VVith such a meate for Gods thy boordes to spread Eternall famine for such foode is sent And thyrst nor for those daynty meats vnmilde Might meeter payne appoynted euer bee Vith empty throate standes Tantalus begylde Aboue thy wicked head their leanes to thee Then Phineys fowles in flight a swifter pray VVith burned bowes declynd on euery syde And of his fruites all bent to beare the sway The tree deludes the gapes of hunger wyde Though hee full greedy feede theron would fayne So oft deceyu'de neglectes to touch them yet He turnes his eyes his iawes he doth refrayne And famine fixt in closed gummes doth shet But then each braunch his plenteous ritches all Le ts lower downe and apples from an hie VVith lither leaues they flatter like to fall And famine styrre in vayne that bids to trye His handes which when he hath rought forth anone To be beguyld in higher ayre againe The haruest hanges and fickle fruite is gone Then thirst him greeues no lesse then hungers payne Wherwith when kindled is his boyling bloud Lyke fyre the wretch the waues to him doth call That meete his mouth which straight the fleeyng floud VVithdrawes and from the dryed foorde doth fall And him forsakes that followes them He drinkes The dust so deepe of gulfe that from him shrinkes THE SECONDE ACTE Atreus Seruaunt O Dastard cowrde O wretche and which the greatest yet of all To Tyrantes checke I compte that maye in waighty thinges befall O vnreuenged after guyltes so great and brothers guyle And trewth trode downe dost thou prouoke with vayne complaynts the whyle Thy wrath already now to rage all Argos towne throughout In armoure ought of thyne and all the double seas about Thy fleete to ryde now all the fieldes with feruent flames of thyne And townes to flash it wel beseemde and euery where to shyne The bright drawne sword all under foote of horse let euery syde Of Argos lande resound and let the woundes not serue to hyde Our
You and none els may turne away th occassons of this warre These bransicke youthes from further rage you onely may dibarre By this your meanes the countrey shall their quiet peace enioy And Brethren ioyntly reconcild shal worke no more ennoy If you therefore this mortall life thus to your selfe deny You many thousandes shal vndoe whose states on you relye Oed. What canst thou make me to beleue that any sparke of grece Or loue to Syre or honesty in them hath any place Which thirst for one on others bloud which after kingdomes gape Whose whole delight is villany werre wurther guile and rape Such hateful ympes on mischiefe set such wicked Termagosites As to be sonnes of such a Syre with shame may wake their vauntes At one bare woord to tel thee all thy brethren two are bent Vppon all mischiefe wayghing not what loosenes they frequent When flingbrayne rage ensots their heades they care not they a rush Vpon what Deuelish vile attemptes they geue the desprat push And as they are conceau'd and borne in most abhorred sort So still deuoyde of Grace they thincke all villany but sport Theyr Fathers shame and wretched state moues them no whit at all To Countrey they no reckning make what massacre befall Their myndes are rauisht with desyre ambitiously to raygne I know their driftes and what they hope at length by shiftes to gayne And therfore sith the case so standes I leyfer had to die With poasting speede whyle in my house there is none worse then I Ahlas deare Daughter what adoe dost thou about me make Why liest thou prostrate at my knees why dost thou trauaile take To conquere my resolued mynd with this thy spiced phraze Of fayre entreatie these thy wordes my flynty hart amaze Dame Fortune hath none other bayte to bryng me to her lure Then this alone til now I still vnbanquisht did endure No Creatures words but thyne alone could pearce this hart of myne Ne from a purpose resolute my setled mynd butwyne Thou conquere canst thaffections fond that in my breast do boyle Thou teachest grace to fathers house and zeale to natiue soyle Each thing to me delightful is which iumpeth with thy wil Commaund me Daughter I thy hestes am ready to fufill Old Oedipus if thou enioyne wil passe th' Aegaean Sea And flashing flakes of Aetna Mount with mouth he dare assay He boldly dare obiect himselfe to raumping Dragons claw Which rag'd sweld and venime spit apace when as he saw Dan Hercules away to steale his golden Aples all In Gardens of Hesperides At thy commaund he shall His Entrails offer vnto iobbe of greedy Vulturs Byll At thy commaund content he is in life to linger still THE SECONDE ACTE Nuntius OEdipus Antigone Iocasta REnowmed Prynce of royall Race and Noble lygne yspronge The Thebans dreading much the drife of this your childrens thronge And warlicke garboyle now in hand most humbly pray your Grace For Countreys safety downe to set some order in the case They bee not threates and menacies that thus their mindes affright The mischiefe is more neere then so the Enmy is in sight For Polynices he that is your younger sonne of twayne Doth clayme the crowne and in his turne in Thebes requires to raigne According vnto couenaunts made which quarrell to decite Hee purposeth the dene of sword and maritall force t' abide With him he brings a mighty Troupe from eu'ry part of Greece Sir seuen Dukes hesieging Thebes are minded it to fleese Helpe noble King els are wee lyke to perishe man and chylde These bloudy broyles of ciuill warre from vs protect and shyelde O Edi. Am I one like to stop the rage of any wicked act Am I one like to cause these Youthes to leaue their bloudy fact Am I a maister like to teach what lawes of loue do meane Should I not then from former quise digresse in nature eleane They treade their Fathers steps aright they play my lawlesse prankes Like Syre like Sonnes like Tree like fruite I con theÌ„ harty thanks By this I know them for my Sonnes and praise their towardnesse I would they should by peeuish partes whose Sonnes they be expresse Shew forth you noble Gallante ympes what metled minds you beare Shew forth by deedes your valor great let lofty sprights appeare Surmount and dimme my prayses all Eclypse my glory quight Attempt some enterprise in which your Syre may haue delight To haue till now remaynd in life hereof I haue no doubt For well I know your practise is straunge feates to bring about Your byrth and ligne from whence you spronge assures me of no lesse Such noble Bloudes must needes atchiue some doughty worthinesse Your Weapons and Artillery for warre bring out with speede Consume with flame your natiue Soyle and desolation breede In eu'ry house within the Land a hurly burly make Confusedly of eu'ry thinge Make all the Realme to quake And in exile theyr dayes let end make leuell with the ground Eche fenced Fort and walled Towne The Gods and all confound And throw their Temples on their heads Their Images deface And melt them all turne vpstdowne eche house in eu'ry place Burne spoyle make hauocke leaue no iote of City free from fyre And let the flame begin his rage within my Chamber dyre AN. Syr banish these vnpatient panges let plagues of CoÌ„mon wealth Entreate your Grace sith vpon you stayth all their hope and health Procure your sonnes to reconcile themselues as brothers ought Establishe peace betwene them both let meanes of loue be sought OEd. Oh daughter see and well beholde howe I to peace am bent And how to end these garboyles all I seeme full well content My minde I tell thee swelles with yre within my entralles boyles Abundaunt stoare of Choller fell such restlesse rage turmoyles My inward Soule that I must yet some greater matter brew Which may the Realme enwrap in bale and cause them all to rue That which my rashe and heady sonnes haue hitherto begon Is nothing in respect of that wich must by me be don This ciuill warre is nothing like to that which I deuise These trifling broyles for such a Sea of harmes cannot suffice Let brother cut the brothers throate with murthrous knife in hand Yet is not this ynough to purge the mischieues of this lend Some haynous Fact vnheard of yet some detestable deede Must practisde bee as is to mee and myne by Fates decreed Such custome haunts our cursed race such guise our house hath caught My vise incestuous Bed requires such pageaunts to be wraught To me your Father Weapons reach my selfe heere let me shrowde In couert of these queachy wooddes and let me be allowde To lurke behinde this Craggy Rocke or els my selfe to hyde On backside of some thickset hedge where lying vnespide I hearken may what marketfolkes in passing to and froe Do talke and what the countrey Clownes speake as by way they goe There syth with eyes I cannot see with earâ—s yet may I beare How
he shall be payd and payd agayne I trow He shal be King and raygne in Thebes his payne shal euen be so A payne in grayne I warrant him And if thou doubtful be Let Graundsyre Laius and thy Syre examples be to thee Sir Cadmus wil the same display and Cadmus ofspring all Can witnes be that none in Thebes yet raygnd without a fall None yet the Theban Scepter swayd that hath not felt the whippe And promise breach made most of them from regall Crowne to skippe Now if thou wilte thou mayst insert within this bedroll heere Thy Brother POLY. Mary that I wil in shame hath he no peere And vnto mee it seemes a world of blisse to bee a king And dye with Kings POC. Thy case doth thee in rank of exiles bring Raygne Kinge but yet a loathed wight vnto thy Subiectes all POLY. For that I neyther recke ne care what shall to me befall That Prince that feares disdaynful hate vnwilling seemes to raynge The God that swayes the Golden Globe together hath these twayne Conioynd and coupled Hate and Rule and him do I suppose To be a noble King indeede that can supplant his foes And Subiectes cancred hate suppresse A King is often stayed From doyng many thinges he would when Subiectes loue is wayed But vnto them that do repyne to se him sit aloft He may more rigour boldly shew and pare their pates more oft He that will loue of Subiectes winne with Elemency must raygne A King that 's hated cannot long in Kingly seate remayne For Kingdomes Kinges can best describe what preceptes needfull are Mell thou in cases of Exile for Kingdomes take no care Pol. To be a King I would engage to force of flaming Fire Both Countrey house land Wyfe and Chyld to compasse my desyre No Fee to purchase Princely seate ne labour coumpt I lost A Kingly Crowne is neuer deare what euer price it cost Thomas Newtonus Cestreshyrius FINIS THE FOVRTH AND MOST RVTHFVL TRAGEDY OF L. ANNAEVS SENECA ENtituled HIPPOLYTVS translated into Englishe by Ihon Studley The Argument HIPPOLYTVS the Sonne of THESEVS ANTIOPA Quene of the Amazons renouncing al Worldly pleasures and carnall delightes lyued a Batcheler forbearing all Womens company and amorous allurements and only vowed himselfe to the seruice of chaste DIANA pursuing the Gentlemanly pastime of hunting In the absence of THESEVS his Father it chaunced that his Stepmother PHAEDRA ardently enamored with his beawty and lusty age enueigled him by all meanes shee coulde to commit wyth her filthy and monstruous adultry Whych her beastly vnchaste and vndutifull practise hee dutifully loathinge shee turned hir former loue into extreame hatred and told her husband THESEVS at his returne home that his Sonne HIPPOLYTVS woulde haue vnlawfully layne with her THESEVS belieuing his Wyues most vntrue accusation meant to haue put his sonne to death HIPPOLYTVS vnderstāding thereof got vp into his Chariot and fled THESEVS being therewith tickeled and after some pursuite not ouer-taking him went to his Father AEGAEVS beeing a God of the Sea desiring him to graunt him three Wishes the last whereof was the destruction and Death of HIPPOLYTVS wherevpon AEGAEVS sent out certaine great Sea-monsters or Whirlepooles which affrighting the Horses in HIPPOLYTVS Charyot made them to ouerturne the Charyot and to runne through thick and thinne till they had dismēbred true HIPPOLYTVS in pieces The remorse of which villany so strake PHAEDRA in Conscience that with a Sword shee stabbed herselfe into the Entrailes died vpon the body of HIPPOLYTVS The Speakers names Hippolytus Phaedra Nuntius Chorus Theseus Nutrix THE FIRSTE ACTE HIPPOLYTVS GOe raunge about the shady Woods beset on euery side With Nets with Hounds toyles rūning out at randon ride About about the craggy crests of high Cecropes hill With speedy foote about the Rockes with coursing wander still That vnder Carpanetus Soyle in Dale below doth lurke Whereas the Riuers running swift their flapping waues doe worke And dashe against the beaten Banks of Thrias valley low And clamber vp the slimy cliues besmeard with hory Snow That falleth when the Westerne winde frō Riphes Moūts doth blow Heere heere away let other wend whereas with lofty head The Elme displayes his braunched armes the wood to ouerspread Whereas the Meadowes greene doe lye where Zephyrus most milde Out brayes his baumy breath so sweete to gernish vp the field With lusty springtide flowers fresh whereas Elysus slow Doth fleete vpon the Yste flakes and on the Pastures low Maeander sheds his stragling streame and sheares the fruitlesse sand With wrackfull waue yee whom the path on Marathons left hand Doth lead vnto the leauened launds whereas the heirde of beast For Euening forrage goe to graze and stalke vnto their rest The rascall Deare trip after fast you thither take your way Where clottered hard Acarnan forst warme Southerne windes t' obay Doth slake the chilling colde vnto Hymetus Ysie cliue To Alphids litle Villages now let some other driue That plot where Sunion surges high doe beate the sandy bankes Whereas the marble Sea doth fleete with crooked compast crankes Vnhaunted lies too long withoutten race of any wight Who set agog with hunting braue in woods doth take delyght Philippis him allures her hauntes a fomy bristled Bore That doth annoy with gastly dread the husbandmen full sore We know him wel for he it is foyld with so many woundes But ere they do begin to ope let slip let slip your Houndes But in your leashes Syrs keepe vp your eiger Mastifs yet Keepe on their Collers still that doe their galled neekes yfret The Spartayne Dogges eiget of pray and of couragious kynd That sone can single out their game wherto they be assygnd Tye shorter vp within your leash to passe tyme shall it bring That with the youlping noyse of houndes the hollow rockes shal ring Now let the Houndes goe fynd of it with Nosthrell good of sent And trace vnto the vglye den ere dawning day be spent Whyle in the dewish stabby ground the pricke of cleaze doth sticke One bear the toyle on cumbred necke and some with nettes ful thicke Make speede some with the arming coard by pensell paynted red By sleight and subtill guyleful feare shall make the Beastes adred Loke thou to pitch thy thirling dart and thou to trye thy might Shalt cope him with broad 〈…〉 with hand both lefte right Thou standing at receipt shalt chase the roused beastes amayne With hallowing thou with limere sharpe vndee him beyng slayne Graunt good successe vnto thy mate Virago thou Diuyne That secret desartes chosen hast for noble Empire thyne Whose thirled Dartes with leauel right do gore the Beast with Bloud That lappes the lukewarme licour of roxis fleeting Floud And eke the Beast that sportes it selfe on frosen Isters straud The ramping Lyons eake of Geate are chased by thy hand And eke the wyndy heeled Hart in Candie thou dost chase Now with more gentle launce thou strikst the Doe that trippes apace To
fountaynes fayre To frame their seate then vnto thee in senseles sleepe repayre Shal wanton Fayries Nymphes of Frithes that on the Hilles do walke Which Dryade mountayne Goblins haunt that vse on hilles to stalke Or when from high Starbearing poale Diana downe did looke On thee that next old Arcades in heauen thy seate hast tooke Shee could not weilde her weltring wayne and yet no foggy cloude Eclipst her gleaming Globe but we with tincking Pans aloude Gan make a noyse agrised at her dead and glowing light We deemd hir charmd with Magicke verse of Thessant witches spright But thou didst cause hir busines and madest her in a maze Whyle at thy pleasant louely lookes the Goddesse stoode in gaze That rules the rayne of cloudy night she stopt her running race God graunt that seldome byting frost may pinch this comely face Let seldome scorching Sunny beams thy Cheekes with freckles die The Marble blue in quarry pittes of Parius that doth lie Beares not so braue a glimsyng glosse as pleasant seemes thy face Whose browes with manly maiesty support an awful grace And forehead fraught with grauity of Fathers countnaunce old His Iuory colourd necke although compare to Phoebe ye would His lockes that neuer lacking knew it selfe displaying wyde On shoulder poyntes doth set them out and also doth them hyde Thy curled forhead seemes thee well and eake thy notted hayre That crumpled lies vndight in thee a manly grace doth beare Thou Gods though fierce and valiant perforce dost chase and farre Dost ouermatch in length of limmes though yet but young thou arre Thou heares as big boystrous brawnes as Hercules thy breast Then Champion Mars more bourly bolstred out with broader chest On back of horntehoofed Steedes if vawting thou do ryde With Bridle in thyne arriue hand more handsome canst thou guyde The trampling Cyllar horse of Spart then Princely Castor could Thy Letherne loope amid thy dart with former fingers hould And driue thy launce with all thy pith the actiue men of Creete That with their pitched dartes afarre do learne the marke to bit They shall not hurle a slender Reede but after Parthian guyse To shoote an arrow if they list into the open Skies Vnsped without some Bird attaynt it shal not light on ground Vnbath'd with lukewarme bloud of guttes in gory smoking wound And from amid the lofty Cloudes downe shalt thou fetch thy pray Few men marke wel the tyme haue borne beauty vnplagude away God send thee better lucke and graunt thy noble personage May passe vnto the happy steps and stretch to dumpish age What mischiefe vnattempt escapes a Womans witlesse rage Most haynous crymes shee meanes to lay to guiltles youngmās charge And thinkes to make her matter good with hayre thus rent at large She towseth eake the pranking of her head with watred plantes Her slye deuyse no crafty kind of womans fetches wantes But who is this that in his face such princely port doth beare Whose lofty lookes with stately pace hie vauntst his head doth reare Lyke lusty young Pyrithous he looketh in the face But that a faynting fallow pale his bleakish Cheekes disgrace And filthy baggage hangeth on his hash hayre raysde vpright Lo Theseus it is agayne restoard to earthly light THE THIRDE ACTE Theseus Nutrix AT length I scapt the glowinge glades of grim eternall Night And eake the vnderpropping poale that each infernall Spright Doth muffie in shut vp in shades loe how my dazelled eyes Can scant abyde the long dessred light of Marble Skies Eleusis now fowre offringes of Triptolemus deuydes And counterpaysed Day with Night now foure tymes Libra hydes I earnest in my Parlous toyle in doubt what lucke to haue Twixt dread of gastly Death and hope my feeble life to saue Some sparke of life stil in my breahles limmes abyding was When as embarkt on erkesome Stix Alcides downe did passe To succour me in dire distresse who when the hellicke hound From Tartares griesly gates in Chaynes he dragd aboue the ground And also me he caryed vp into the World agayne My tyred limmes doth sappy pith of former strength restrayne My feble faltring legges do quake what lugging toyle it was From bottom deepe of Phlegethon to world aloofe to passe What dreary dole mourning noyse is this that beates myne eares Let some declare it vnto mee who blubbred so with teares Lamenting loud and languishing within our gates appeares This entertaynment sit is for a guest that comes from Hell Nu. A stubburne heart and obstinate in Phaedras breast doth dwell With despret mind to slay her selfe our teares she doth despyse And giuing vp the gasping Ghoast alas my Lady dyes Th. Why should she kill herselfe why die hir spouse being come againe Nu For this my Lord with hasty death she would her selfe haue slaine Th. These troblous wordes some perlous thing I wot not what to tell Speake plain what lumpe of glutting griefe her laded heart doth quei She doth complayne her case to none but pensiuely and sad She keepes it secrete to hir selfe determind thus shee had To beare aboute with her the bane wherewith she meanes to die Hie hie thee fast I pray thee now now haue wee neede to hye Our Pallace lockt with stately stoulpes set open by and by Theseus Phaedra O Madame Mate of Spousall bedde thus dost thou entertayne The comming of thy louing Spouse and welcom home agayne Thy long desyred Hosbandes face why takes thou not away My Sword out of my hand and dost not cheare my Sprites I saye Nor shewest me what doth the breath out of the body chase Ph. Alas my valiant Theseus euen for thy royall mace Wherwith thy Kingdome thou dost weild and by the noble raygne Of thy belo'ud posterity and comming home agayne And for the worship that is due vnto my fatall graue O let me die and suffer me deserued death to haue Th. What cause compelleth thee to die Ph. If I the cause of death Disclose then shall I not obtayne the loosyng of my breath Th. No worldly wight saue I my selfe alone the same shall heare Art thou affrayd to tel it in thy husbandes bashful eare Speake out thy secretes shrowd I shall within my faythful brest Ph. What thou would other to conceale kepe thou it first in rest Th. Thou shalt not suffred be to die Ph. From him that wisheth Death Death neuer can be seperate Th. The crime that losse of breath Ought to reuenge shew it to me Ph. Forsooth because I liue Th. Alas do not my trilling teares thy stony stomacke grieue Ph. It is the sweetest death when one doth lothsome life forsake Bereft of such as should for him most woful weeping make Th. Stil standes she mum the croked old ilfauord hoblinge Trotte Hir Nurse for stripes and clogging bandes shall vtter euery iotte That shee forbid her hath to tell in yron chaynes her bynd Let tawing whips wring out perforce the secrets of her mynd PH. Now I my selfe wil speak stay
in band Deceipt in stately Court the sway doth weild In Lordinges levvde the vulgar sort delight With glee to such the Mace of might they yeeld Some magistrates they do both loue and spight And pensiue vertue brought to bitter bale Receyues revvard that doth of right aryse The continent to Prison neede doth hale The Leacher raygnes enhaunced by his vice O fruitles shame O counterfayted port But vvhat nevves may this messenger novv bring Who vvith maine pace comes poasting in this sort And stayes vvith mourning countnance at the Kinge THE FOVRTH ACTE Nuntius Theseus O Heauy happe and cruell chaunce of Seruantes slauish state Why am I Poast to bring the newes of this il fauord fate Th. Be not abasht the ruthful wracke with courage to declare My breast agaynst the brunt of broyles stil armed I prepare Nun. My foltring tongue doth speach vnto my glutting griefe denye Th. Our stocke with sorrow shuken sore what cares do crush escrie Nun. Hippolytus ay woe is me is slayne by doleful death Th. Now Father do I know my Sonne bereaued of his breath For why the Leacher life is lost shew in what sort he dide Nun. In all poast hast as fugitiue to shunne the Towne he hyde Once hauing caught his cutting course apace he scuddes away His prauncing Pelfrayes straite he doth with Collers close araye With curbed bittes their snaffled heads at wil he brydles in Then talking much vnto himselfe to curse he doth beginne His natiue soyle alas deare Father Father stil he cryes And angry lasheth with his whip whyle loose his Bridle lies Then sodenly a hugy swoln gan swel amid the deepe And starteth vp into the starres no pipling wind doth sweepe Along the Seas in Heauen so lith no noyse at all there was The Seas ful calme euen as their kindly Tyde doth driue them passe Nor yet no boysterous Southerne wynd the Sycill sand turmoyles Nor yet with fomie ramping surge the raging gulph vp boyles Heaude vp by Westerne puffes when as the rockes with flappyng flash Do shake and drownd Lucates cliue the hoary fome doth dash The tombling waues togeather tost on hils are heaped hie The swelling swolne with Monster much to land alofe doth flye Nor only shaken ships in Seas do suffer wracke hereby The land in hazard lyes of stormes a waltring waue is cold In tottring wise a wallowing gulph with winding compas fold Driues downe I know not what withall a flat vprisyng new An head aboue the water brim doth rayse the Starres to vew In foggie cloud eclipsed is Apollos dusky gleede And Scyros Rocks whom Trumpe of Fame aduaunst by dreary deede Corynthus eake whom double Sea on eyther side assayle While greatly we agriesh these thinges do languishing bewayle The belking Seas yell out the grunting Rockes with all do rore The slabby Cliue doth reke fro whence the water ebde before It frothes and keping course by course it spewes the waters out As doth Physeter fish that flittes the Ocean Coast about And gulping doth from yawning throat his flouds of water spoute The shaken surge did tottre strayte and brake it selfe in twayne With wracke more violent then wee did feare it rusht awayne Agaynst the shore beyond the bankes it breakes into the land And hideous Monster followes these for feare did quaking stand Th. What shape that vncouth Monster had and body vast declare Nu. A boasting Bull his marble necke aduaunced hye that bare Vpraysd his lofty bristled Mayn on curled forhead greene With shaggy eares prickt vp his diuers speckled hornes were seene Whom Bacchus earst possessed had who tames the Cattel wyld And eake the God that horne in flouds was bred a water Chyld Now puffing he perbraketh flames and now as leaming light With sparckling beams his goggle eyes do glare and glister bright His greasy larded necke a marke for to be noted well With rough and knobby curnels hie out bumping big do swell His snorting Nostrilles wyde do grunt and yawning gulphes they sosse His breast and throtebag greenishly are dawbd with clammy mosse His side along begrymed is with Lactuse red of hue On snarling knots his wrinkled rumps toward his face he drue His scaly haunch and lagging tayle most vgly dragges hee vp As Pristis in the deepe of Seas the swallowed Keele doth sup Or else perbraketh out agayne the vndigested pup The earth did quake the Cattel feard about the field do rampe The hunter starke with chilling feare beginnes to stare and stampe The heâ—â—dman had no mynd his scattrynge Heyfers to pursue The Deere amazed brake the pale and bad the Laundes adue But onely yet Hippolytus deuoyde of faynting feare His neyng horses with the raynes of Bridles hard doth beare With wonted woordes he cheareth vp his nymble Nagge 's afraide A steepe hie way at Argos lies with stony cliues decaide That nodding ouerhangs the Sea which vnderfleetes that wayes That vgly Royle heere heates him selfe and raging wrath doth rayse And kindling courage hoate him force with burning breast assayes And chauflag eft himselfe before gan fret with angry hart Lo then into a scouring course on sodayne doth hee start With whirling pace he girding forth doth scarcely touch the ground Lighting a-front the trimbling Cart with glaring Eyes hee glowmd Then also doth thy threatning Son with lowring browes vpstart Nor chaungeth Countenaunce but speakes with stout couragious hart This foolish feare doth not appaule my bold and hardned brest It comes to mee by kinde that Bulls by mee should bee opprest His Steedes defying strait the Raynes plonge forward with the Cart As rage did prick them sore afright bestoe the way they start This bias way among the Rocks they raunge and wander wyde But as the Pylot least the Barke should totter to one syde Doth beare it euen in wrastling waues so while his horses skip He ruleth them now raines them hard and now with winding whip Free lashes on their buttocks layes his Foe doth him pursue Now step by step now meeting full agaynst his face hee flue Prouoking terror euery where No further fly they might The horned beast with butting Browes gan run vpon them right The trampling Gennets straught of wits doe straight way breake their ray The struggle striuing hard to slip the Collar it they may And prauncing on their hinder Feete the burden hurle on ground Thy Son flat falling on his Face his body fast was bound Entangled in the winding ropes the more he striues to loose The slipping knots he faster sticks within the sliding noose The Horses doe perceyue the broyle and with the Waggon light While none there is to rule the Raynes with skittish feare afright At randon out they ramping runne euen as the Welkin hye The Cart that mist his woonted waight disdayning in the Skye The dreery day that falsely was commit vnto the Sun From off the fiery Marble Poale that downe a skew doth run Flang Phaeton topsie toruey tost his bloud begdres the ground And dingd agaynst the rugged Rocks his head doth oft
milde and doe they gently bide The touching of thy sacred hands MA. What may this thing betide The Bull a wonder great to see his head on hie he lifts And turned still vnto the East from thence it alway shifts Still lothing as hee seemes to me of heauen to see the light Oft scouling with his blearing eyes with gastely ruthfull sight TY. But doth one blow thē driue to groūd or more the one they haue MA. The Heifer as it seemde enflamd with courage stoute and braue Vpon the mortall Blade did rush and there hirselfe destries When out the bloud it foming spoutes and mounts vnto the Skies The brawny Bull twise stroke or thrise with groueling groning tyres And toyling vp and down he moyles And still to liue desires And yet at length with much ado his brutish breath expiers TY. What doth the wounde wide open gape or is it closed vp Or doth the deepnes of the hole the bloud in soking sup MA. Out of the wounded Heifers breast Black bluish waters rush As for the Bull but little bloud out of his wounds doth gush It back rebounds and from his Mouth Eyes by streames doth flow But what these dreadfull signes portend the Gods aloane doe know TY. By this vnhappy Sacrifice great feares within mee rise But tell mee now In the inner parts what secret hidden lies MA. O Father what meanes this alas that more then wonted guise The Inwards stir and shake my hands and heauing oft arise The bloud by streames out of the vaynes full straungly skips aloft The heart all schorcht and hidden lies and strykes are seene full oft Of Colour very wan and pale The chiefest parts doe want The Lyuer blackish gall out spurts and somwhat rysing pants And that that myschiefes great to kingdoms doth foreshow Two heads are seene and yet both heads one skin doth ouergrow And ouerheales them quight But yet the skin it is so thin That easely one may discerne what lieth hid therein And that which horror doth encrease a man may plainly see How both the heart the Lights and Lungs and all disturbed bee The fearefull noyse and sound you heere is not of beasts but fier That roaring on the Alters makes presaging wrekefull yre Of angry Gods who doe foretell some purpose that they haue For to reuenge some foule misdeede that vengeance iust doth craue No part his proper place obserues nor keepes his order due But altogether quight disguisde with an vnwonted hue Mishapen out of frame transformde displaced quight alas What thing is that the Gods entend ere long to bring to pas OEd. Why than declare from whēce and why these deadly signes arise With courage stout I will it heare it shall not once aggrise By valiaunt mynd Extremest ils haue power to banish feare TY. You will wishe that vnhard which you so much desyre to heare OEd. Yet sence the Gods wil haue him known tell me I say his name That siue your King TY. Nor wing nor womb of Bird or beast that same Can tell O king new sacrifice new meanes we must inuent From dredfull darke infernall damps some Fury must be sent These mischifes great for to vnfolde Or els King Ditis hee That Empyre keepes on griesly Ghosts entreated needes must bee These things forthwith for to disclose Tell who shall haue the charge A King thou art than maist not thou go through those kingdoms large OEd. Than noble Creon thou shalt goe this payne is first for thee Who must this crown and kingdome great enioy after mee THE THIRDE ACTE THE FIRST SCENE Oedipus Creon THough that thy Face where sadnes sits in heauy mourning guise Nought els portend but dedly griefes and mischiefes stil to ryse Yet tel some meanes wherby at length the Gods we may appease And purchasē to our Kingdomes wast some hope of health and ease Cre. Alas you byd me that disclose which feare doth byd me hyde Oed. It that the Thebane Citties great by doleful plagues destryde Perce not thy hart yet oughtest thou these Kingdomes for to rue Which were vnto thy brothers house of auncient title due Cre. You wish the thing to know which you wil wish vnknown at length Oed. Why so a simple remedy of litle force and strength Is ignoraunce of our estate when daungers vs betyde But what wilt thou so great a good for common safety hide Cre. Irkesome Medcines and perilous in sickness I abhorre Oed. And I likewyse at Subiects hands disdayne to take a dorre Speake out with speed or else by proofe of torment thou shalt find How daungerous a case it is to gawle a Princes mynd Cre. Kinges often vse to wish vntolde which they bad tel before Oed. Go to dispatch and cease in time to vexe me any more Except that thou forthwith to me this heinous deede disclose The gods I do protest to death for al thou onely goes Cre. O pardon me most noble king O let me hold my pes Of al the gracis Princes graunt what fauour may be lesse Oed As though the silence hurts not more both king and countries weale Then spech oft tymes which subiects thoughts to Prices both reueale Dispatch at once stir me no more thou knowst my guise of olde CRE. Silence denied what priuileage may silly Subiect holde OED. A traytor he is who stlēce keepes whē king cōmaunds to speake CRE. Then pardon my constrayned speach sith silence for to breake You me compell A dolefull tale O king my tongue must tell And which I feare your maiesty will not interpret well OED. Was euer man rebukt for that that he was bid to say CRE. Well than since needes I must I am contented to obay A wood there is from City farre enhaunst with stately trees Where many a plant and her be doth grow which Phoebus neuer sees With euer during bushes greene the Cypresse there doth ryse And puts his alde aud leffty had withing the cloude Skyes The auncient Time eaten Oke with crooked bended lims The Teyl tree fine The Alder which in Neptunes kingdoms swims The Bayes with bitter beries eke the Elmes deere friends to Vynes And many a noble tree besides as Mirtles 〈…〉 Amidst them all one tree there is with large out 〈…〉 Whose roring sound craking noyse the lesser woods Icharmes And ouershades them all a Tree of monstrous huge estate Beset with fearefull woods there is that dyre and dreadfull gate That leades to lothsome Lymbo Lake and pyts that euer flowe Where choked miry mud doth streame with slimy course full flowe Here when the priest was entred in with comely aged pace He stayed not No neede there was for night was still in place Than all the ground wyde open gapes smouthering vapours ryse And fyre and smoke styfling stink mounts vp vnto the Skyes The Priest with wayling werde iclad his fatall red out tooke And entring in in blacke Aray full often times it shooke With heauy cheere and dolful pace his hoary haire was twynde
spirites yre VVhose sonue we slew whereof doth yet remayne The wrath beneath and hell shal be their payne From burning lakes the furies wrath I threate And fire that nought but streames of bloud may slake The rage of winde and seas their shippes shall beate And Ditis deepe on you shall vengeance take The spirites crie out the earth and seas do quake The poole of Styx vngratefull Greekes it seath VVith slaughtred bloud reuenge Achilles death The soyle doth shake to beare my heauy foote And fearth agayne the sceptors of my hand The pooles with stroake of thunderclap ring out The doubtful starres amid their course do stand And fearfull Phoebus hides his blasing brande The trembling lakes agaynst their course do flite For dread and terrour of Achilles spright Great is the raunsome ought of due to mee Wherwith ye must the sprightes and hell appease Polyxena shal sacrifysed be Vpon my tombe their yreful wrath to please And with her bloud ye shall asswage the seas Your ships may not returne to Greece agayne Til on my tombe Polyxena be slayne And for that she should then haue bene my wyfe I wil that Pyrrhus render her to mee And in such solemne sort bereaue her life As ye are wont the weddinges for to see So shal the wrath of Hel appeased bee Nought els but this may satisfy our yre Her wil I haue and her I you require THE SECOND SCENE Talthibius Chorus ALas how long the lingring Greekes in hauen do make delay When eyther warre by seas they seeke or home to passe theyr way Ch. Why shew what cause doth hold your ships and Grecian nauy stayes Declare if any of the Gods haue stopt your homeward wayes Tal. My mynd is mai'd my trembling sinne wes quake and are affeard For straunger newes of truth then these I thinke were neuer heard Lo I my selfe haue playnly seene in dawning of the day When Phoebus first gan to approch and driue the starres away The earth all shaken sodaynly and from the hollow grownde My thought I hard with roaryng crye a deepe and dreadful sound That shoke the woods and al the trees rong out with thunder stroke From Ida hils downe fel the stones the mountayne toppes were broke And not the earth hath onely quakt but all the Sea likewyse Achilles presence felt and knew and high the surges ryse The clouen ground Erebus pittes then shewd and deepest dennes That downe to Gods that guyde beneath the way appeard from hence Then shoke the tombe from whence anone in flame of fiery light Appeareth from the hollow caues Achilles noble spright As wonted he his Thracian armes and bannars to disploy And weild his weighty weapons wel agaynst th assaultes of Troy The same Achilles seemde he than that he was wont to bee Amid the hostes and easiy could I know that this was hee With carkasse slayne in furious fight that stopt and fild each floude And who with slaughter of his hand made Xanthus runne with bloud As when in Chariot high he sate with lofty stomacke stoute Whyle Hector both and Troy at once he drew the walles aboute Alowd he cride and euery coast rang with Achilles sound And thus with hollow voyce he spake from bottom of the ground The Greekes shal not with litle pryce redeeme Achilles yre A princely raunsome must they geue for so the fates require Vnto my ashes Polyxene spoused shal here be slayne By Pyrrhus hand and al my tombe her bloud shal ouerstayne This sayd he strayght sanke downe agayne to Plutoes deepe region The earth then cloasd the hollow caues were vanished and gon Therwith the wether waxed clere the raging wyndes did slake The tombling seas began to rest and al the tempest brake THE THIRD SCENE Pyrrhus Agamemnon Calchas WHat tyme our sayles we should haue spread vppon Sygeon Seas With swift returne from long delay to seeke our homeward wayes Achilles rose whose onely hand hath geuen Greekes the spoyle Of Troia sore annoyde by him and leueld with the soyle With speede requiting his abode and former long delay At Scyros yle and Lesbos both amid the Aegaeon sea Til he came here in doubt it stoode of fall or sure estate Then though ye hast to graunt his wil ye shall it geue to late Now haue the other captaynes all the pryce of their manhood What els reward for his prewesse then her al onely blood Are his desertes thinke you but light that when he might haue fled And passing Pelyus yeares in peace a quiet life haue led Detected yet his mothers craftes forsooke his womans weede And with his weapons prou'd himselfe a manly man indeede The King of Mysya Telephus that woulde the Greekes withstand Comming to Troy forbidding vs the passage of his land To late repenting to haue felt Achilles heauy stroke Was glad to craue his health agayne where he his hurt had tooke For when his sore might not be salud as told Appollo playne Except the speare that gaue the hurte restoared help agayne Achilles plasters cur'd his cuttes and sau'd the King aliue His hand both might and mercy knew te slay and then reuyne When Thebes fel Eetion saw it and might it not withstand The captiue King could nought redresse the ruin of his land Lyrnesus litle likewyse felt his hand and downe it fill With ruine ouerturned like from top of haughty hil And taken Bryseys land it is and prisoner is she caught The cause of strife betwene the Kinges is Chryses come to naught Tenedos yle wel knowne by fame and fertile soyle he tooke That fostreth fat the Thracian flockes and sacred Cilla shooke What bootes to blase the brute of him whom trumpe of fame doth show Through all the coastes where Caicus floud with swelling stream doth flow The ruthful ruine of these realmes so many townes bet downe Another man would glory count and worthy great renowne But thus my father made his way and these his iourneyes are And battayles many one he fought whyle warre he doth prepare As wisht I may his merits more shall yet not this remayne Wel knowne and counted prayse enough that he hath Hector slayne Duryng whose life the Grecians al might neuer take the towne My father onely vanquist Troy and you haue pluct it downe Reioyce I may your parentes prayse and brute abroade his actes It seemeth the sonne to follow well his noble fathers factts In sight of Priam Hector slayne and Memnon both they lay With heauy theere his parentes wayld to mourne his dying day Himselfe abhord his handy worke in fight that had them slayne The Sonnes of Goddes Achilles knew were borne to die agayne The woman queene of Amazons that greu'd the Greekes ful sore Is turnd to flight then ceast our feare wee dread their bowes no more It ye wel waigh his worthynes Achilles ought to haue Though he from Argos or Mycenas would a Virgin craue Doubt ye herein allow ye not that straight his wil be done And count ye cruel Pryams bloud to
hope to thryue herein Let all thy guilts with thronging thick assemble thee to ayde The golden Fleece the chiefe Nouell of Colchis I le betrayde My tender Brother eke that with my Syer did mee pursue Whom with his secret partes cut of I wicked Virgin slewe Whose shreaded and dismembred corps with sword in gobbits hewd A wofull Coarse toth ' Fathers heart on Pontus ground I strewd How hory headded Pelias his wythred age to shyft To greener yeares for longer lyfe his daughters by my dryft His members all and mangled flesh with licour scalding hot Ysodden and perboyled haue in seething brasen pot How oft in haynous bloud haue these my cruell handes bene dyed And neuer any guilt as yet by wrath inflamde I tryed But now the parlous poysning wound of Cupids percing dart Doth boyle and rage within my breast it ranckles at my hart But how could Iason it redresse whom fortunes froward wyll Hath yeelde vnto anothers hande at lust to saue or spill O rage of rusty cancred minde this sclaundrous talke amende If Fortunes grace will graunt it thus let him vnto his ende Lyue still my Iason as he was but if not Iason myne Yet caytife suffer Iason liue though Iason none of thyne Who being mindefull still of vs some fauour let him showe For these good turnes that our good will could earst on him bestowe King Creon is in all the fault and onely worthy blame Who puffed vp with Scepter proude vnable for to frame His tickle minde to modesty made breach twixt vs agayne Whom Hymens bands and link of loue had made but one of twayne By whom eke from her tender brats the mother wretch is drawne Hee breakes the vowe that gaged is with such a precious pawne Seeke after such a villaynes bloud in daunting pangs of smart Let him alone bee surely dowst such is his due desart A dungell hept of Cinders burnt his Pallayce make I shall That Malea where in winding strights the lingring ships due crall Shall gase on smolthring turrets tops turmoylde in crackling flame NV. For godsake Madame I you pray your tongue to silence frame Eke hyde your priuy languishing and greefe in secret vayne Who with a modest minde abides the Spurs of pricking payne And suffereth sorrowes paciently may it repay agayne Who beares a priuy grudge in breast and keepes his malyce close When least suspection is thereof may most annoy his Foes He leeseth oportunity who vengeaunce doth requyre That shewes by open sparkes the flame the heate of kindled fyre ME. Small is the grype of griefe that can to reasons lore obay And sneking downe with stealing steps can slyly slip away But they that throughly sowsed are with showers of greater payne Can not digest such corsyes sharpe but cast it vp agaye Fayne would I giue them trouncing girds NV. Good daughter deare asswage Th' unbrydled sway and boyling heate of this thy gyddy rage Scant maist thou purchase quietnesse although thou hold thy tongue ME. The valiaunt heart dame Fortune yet durst neuer harme with wrōg But dreading dastards downe she driues NV. It any corage dure And harbred be in noble breast now put the same in vre ME. The show of sturdy valiant heart at any time doth shyne NV. No hope doth in aduersity thy way to scape assygne ME. Hee that hath none affiaunce left nor any hope at all Yet let him not mystrust the luck of ought that may befall NV. Thy Countrey cleane hath cast thee of to let thee sinke or swim As for thy husband Iason bee there is no trust in him Of all the wealth and worldly mucke wherewith thou didst abounde No porcion remaynes at all whereby some helpe is founde ME. Medea yet is left to much and here thou mayst espy The Seas to succour vs in flyght and landes aloofe that ly Yea pron tooles with burning brands we haue to worke them woe And Gods that with the thunder dint shall ouerquell our foe NV. Who weares the goldēcrested crowne him dred with awe yee should ME. My Father was a King yet I betrayed his Fleece of gould NV. Can not the deadly vyolence of weapons make thee feare ME. No though such grisly Lads they were as whilom did appeare That bred of gargell Dragous teeth in holow gaping grounde When mutually in bloudy fight eche other did confounde N. Thē wilt thou cast thy self to death M. Would God that I were dead NV. Fly fly to saue thy life ME. Woe worth the time that once I fled N. What O Medea M. Why shall I fly N. A mother deere art thou Fly therefore for thy childrens sake ME. Yee see by whom and how A wretched Mother I am made NV. Thy lyfe by flight to saue Dost thou mistrust ME. Nay fly I will but vengeaunce first I le haue NV. Then some shall thee at heeles pursue to wrecke the same agayne ME. Perhap I le make his cōming short NV. Be still and now refrayne O despret dame thy thundring threates and slake your raging ire Apply and frame thy froward will as time and tides requyre ME. Full well may fortunes welting wheele to begging bring my state As for my worthy corage that shee neuer shall abate Who bowncing at the Gates doth cause the creaking dores to Iar It is the wretch Creon his selfe whom princely power far Hath lift aloft with lordly looke puft vp with pouncing pryde That hee may Corinth countrey with the sway of Scepter guide Creon Medea NEdea that vngracious Imp king Aetas wicked chylde Yet hath not frō our careful realme her lingring foote exilde Som naughty drift she goes about her knacks of old we kno Her iugling arts her harming hāds are known wel long ago From whō will shee withhold her harme whom will this cruell beast Permit to liue from perrill free in quietnesse and rest Cleane to cut of this parlous plague it was our purpose bent But Iason by entreting hard did cause vs to relent At his request we graunted haue her life she shall enioy Let her acquit our countrey free from feare of all annoy Yea saufely let her pack her hence in eger giddy fit With lumpish lowring looke shee comes in talke with me to knit Sirs keepe her of and set her hence least vs she touch perhap And driue her backe from cōming nigh commaunde her keepe her clap And let her learne at length how that her selfe submit she may The puissaunt payse and maiesty of Princes to obay Run hie thee quickly trudge apace haue hence out of my sight This horrible most odious quean this monstrous wicked wight ME. My soueraygne liege what greater crime haue I or lesse offence Commit against thy maiesty to be exiled hence CR. Alas the guiltlesse woman doth demaunde a reason why ME. If thou be Iudge indifferent ordaynde my cause to try Consider then my doubtfull case and wey the ground of it If thou be king cōmaund a Iudge for such a matter fit CR. The princes powre thou shalt
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
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
day of death to mee Thus earst to mee did say A charmed Oake and all the wood that range with yetling noyse Of Parnass hill the Temples shooke and thundred out this voyce The dead mans hand whom thou before hast slayne O Hercules shall murther thee agayne Thou hauing mot the space of gulph and grounde And deapth of hell heare shall thou bee confounde I therefore doe bewayle no more such should our ending bee That Hercles conquerde after him no man aliue may see Now let mee dye a manly death a stout and excellent And meete for mee this noble day shall valiauntly bee spent Fell all the Timber on the grounde hew down all OEta wood Let coales deuower Hercules let fyer fry his blould But ere I dye thou noble Impe of Peans royall race This dolefull duety doe for mee See that an whole day space My funerall fier flaming burne And now my tender Hill The last peticion of my mouth make vnto thee I will Among the captiue Ladies one there is a noble Dame Of royall bloud Euritus Chylde Iole is her name Accept her to thy spousall Bed whom victour I vnkindâ— Haue trayned from her natiue home and but my heart and mynde Poore silly mayde I gaue her nought and now shee shall mee lose Loe thus the wretched woman walles her still encreasing woes But let her foster that she hath conceaued as Ioues ally And childe to mee bee 't thyne by her that earst begot haue I And as for thee deare mother myne your dreary dole forgoe Your Hercules shall liue doe not vayne teares on him bestowe My manhoode made a strumpet thought a Stepdame vnto thee But if that eyther Hercles byrth shewe her vnsure to bee Or be a man my ster or els be falsified my kin Now let Ioues 〈◊〉 cease and let my mothers slaunder â—in I haue deserued a father well that haue aduaunst so hye The glory of the rolling heauens of nature tramde was I To worke the wondrous prayse of Ioue and Ioue him selfe doth Ioy To haue the name of Hercules begetting such a boy But pardon now my strayned teares but you as Ioue his niece Shall as a stately matrone bee among the Dames of Greece Though Iuno with the thunderer in spousall chamber lyes And in her heauenly hand doth weilde the scepter of the skies When euer bare shee such a Babe and yet though heauen she hould In heart agaynst a mortall man she fosters mallice oulde For spighte that borne of womans womb be counted thus I should Goe Tican goe run out thy Race thee onely I forsake I that went with thee foote by foote nowe to th' infernall lake And Ghostes I go yet with this prayse to 'th pit down will I passe That Hercules of open foe yet neuer foyled was But hee in open combats brought his conquests all to passe Chorus O Titan crownd with blasâ—ing bush whose morning moystures make The Moone her foamy bridell from her tyred teame to take Declare to 'th Easterlinges whereas the ruddy morne doth ryse Declare vnto the Irishmen aloofe at western Skies Make knowne vnto the Moores annoyed by flaming axentree Those that with the ysy Wayne of Archas pestred bee Display to these that Hercules to th' eternall ghostes is gone And to the bauling mastriffes den from whence returneth none With dusky dampe of filthy fog O Titan choake thy blaze With lowring light of wanny Globe on wofull wordlings gaze And let thy head bee muffled vp with cloudes and darknesse dim For Hercles sake when shall thou finde or where the like to him O wretched worlde to whom wilt thou henceforth thy woes coÌ„plaine If any scattring pestilence on earâ—h shall be renewde By uenom ranck from poyson mouth of scaly Dragon spewde If any Bore of Arcadie shall comber all a wood And teare the trauelers flesh with tuske embrewed in goary blood If any champion rough of Thrace with heart more hard in breast Then are the ysy rockes where as the frozen Beare doth rest Shall trample thicke his stables fowle with bloud of slaughterd men When people quake for feare of warre who shall assist them then If wrathfull Gods for vengeaunce will foâ—he monsters to be bread Loe nowe enfebled all of force his Karkasse lyeth dead Whom Natures moulde had made a match to thuÌ„dring Ioue in streÌ„gth Hale out alas and let your playnt be hearde to townes at length Let women beat their naked armes and wring their trembling handes Untrusse their hayre and from theyr locks pluck of their binding bands Boult vp and lock the Temple gates of Gods and â—ape bee none But despret Iunoes Chapple doares O Hercles thou art gone To Lethes lake and streame of Stix from whence no Keele agayne Shall bring thee backe O silly soule thou goest to remayne Among the grisely goblins grymme from whence thou whilom came With triumph sooner daunted death and conquest of the same With gastly face and karrayne armes and neck that yeeldes to waight Thy ghost returnes but Carons boate then shall not haue her fraight As balased with thy onely payse and yet shalt thou not byde Among the rascall sprites but sit on bench by Eacus side And with the Iudges twayne of Creete as Umpier there to bee Appoynting paynes to soules that maye to their desartes agree FroÌ„ slaughter hold your guiltlesse hands bath not your blades in bloud Yee states that beare high sayle on earth and floaâ—e in worldly good It merits prayse a mayden sword vndipt in goare to beare And while thou rayne to keepe thy realme from cruell doings cleare But vertue hath a pryuiledge to passe vnto the skies To 'th top of frosen Apell tree O Hercules wilt thou ryse Or where the sunne with scorching blaze his burning beames doth rest Or wilt thou bee a shyning starre amid the lukewarme west Where Calpe Rocke is heard with roaring noyse of wrastling waue What place amid the azur skye entendest thou to haue What place shall be in all the heauens from hurley burley free When Hercules amid the starres shall entertayned bee Let Ioue appoynt thy byding from the ougly Lion farre And burning Crab least thou with grysely countnaunce do theÌ„ skarre And make the trembling starres in heauen for feare to breake aray And Titan quake while spring doth prank with flowers the tender spray Then hasty winter strip the trees of all their braunches greene Or sudden Summer deckt with leaues in busshy woods be seene And from the trees the Apples fall the haruest being doone No age on earth shall wipe away the fame that thou hast woone As farre as Sun or Stars can shyne thy glorious name shall goe Amid the botome of the Sea first Corne shall sprout and grow And brackish Seas his waters salt to water fresh shall chaunge And fixed starre of ysy beare from Clime to Clyme shall raunge And sink into the frozen poole agaynst his kindly sway Ere people cease the honour of thy triumphes to display O soueraygne Ioue wee wretched wightes this
her desire fulfill Shee sometime subiect to hir slaue To death was put with souldiours blade VVhat shee that easly hope might haue Toth skies hir raigne to rise haue made Prynce Neroes lusty Parent great First tost with shipmans boysterous force Then torne with sword in Prynces heat Did shee not lye a senceles corse Oct. Loe mee the tyrant stern will send To yrcksome shades and hellish sprits Why wretch doe I the tyiue thus spend Draw mee to death you to whose myghts False Fortune hath bequeathed mee I witnesse now the heauenly powre What dost thou bedlame leaue to flee With prayer to Gods who on thee lowre I call to witnesse Tartar deepe And sprytes of Hell reuenging freakes Of haynous facts in Dungeon steepe And Syre whom death deserued wreakes I doe not now repyne to dye Deck vp your Ship and hoyse your Sayle On frothing seas to windes on hye Let him that guides the Helm not fayle To seeke the shore of Pharian Land Cho. O pippling puffe of western wynde Which sacrifice didst once with stand Of Iphigen to death assignde And close in Cloude congealed clad Did cary hir from smòking aares Which angry cruell Virgin had This Prynce also opprest with cares Saue from this paynefull punishment To Dians temple safely horne The harbarous Moores to rudenesse bent Then Prynces Courtes in Rome forlorne Haue farre more Cyuile curtesie For there doth straungers death appease The angry Gods in heauens on hie But Romayne bloude our Rome must please FINIS THE TENTH TRAGEDY OF L. ANNAE SENECA Entituled HERCVLES OETAEVS Translated out of Latin into Englishe by I. S. The Argument HERCVLES hauinge subdued the Sonnes of EVRITVS Kynge of OEchalia who contrary to theyr promise denied to geue their Sister IOLE vnto him hauing made conquest of the City and countrey thereabout meant to sacryfice vnto the Gods for his victory in that behalfe and successe in briging away perforce his beeloued IOLE For the solemne celebration whereof he sent LYCAS his seruaunt vnto DEIANEIRA his Wyfe to fetche his Robe which hee alwayes vsed when hee sacrifized DEIANEIRA dippinge and besprinckling the same Robe in the bloude of NESSVS the Centaure because she feared least her husband loued IOLE better then he did her for NESSVS being shot through and slayne by HERCVLES had perswaded aduised her that shee shoulde so doe whensoeuer shee doubted that her husbands loue were alienated from her to any other sent it vnto him Which Garment when HERCVLES had put on the poyson wherein it was dipped and washed enuenomed all his Vitall partes and droue him into most intollerable tormentes For remedy vvhereof hee sent to APOLLO his Oracle at Delphos from vvhence hee receiued aunswere that hee should bee caryed vnto Mounte OEtus and there that a greate fier shoulde bee made and as for all other things they should bee referred to the pleasure and direction of IVPITER The fier being there made and kindled by PHILOCTETES vnto vvhom HERCVLES bequeathed his Arrowes HERCVLES vvent vp into it was there burned Whose boanes being afterward sought for and not founde the standers by vvere fully perswaded that he vvas deified taken vp into Heauen When knowledge thereof vvas broughte vnto DEIANIRA shee thinking herselfe to bee the cause of her husbandes tormenting death strangled her selfe FINIS The Speakers names HERCVLES ALCMENA HYLLVS NVTRIX IOLE CHORVS PHILOCTETES DEIANIRA THE FIRST ACTE HERCVLES alone O Lorde of Ghostes whose fyrye flashe that forth thy hand doth shake Doth cause the trembling Lodges twayne of Phoebus Carre to quake Raygne reachlesse nowe in euery place thy peace procurde I haue Aloofe where Nereus lockes vp lande Empalde in winding Waue Thwack not about with thunder thumpes the rebell kinges bee downe The rauening tyrauntes Scepterlesse are pulled from their crowne By mee all daunted is whereon thy boults thou shouldst bestowe And yet O Father yet the Heauens are still withhelde mee froe At all assayes I serue as might an Impe of Ioue behoue And that thou ought to Father mee my stepdame well doth proue Why dost thou linger in delay is Heauen of vs afraide Seeme wee so awfull fell and fierce and wherefore are wee staide And cannot Atlas boysteous backe on stouping shoulder tough Vpholde the payse of Hercules and heauen well inough What is it sier what is it Ioue that thee so much detarres What may thee force keepe backe thy sonne from scaling of the Starres For death hath let me passe againe from dungeon darke to thee When mischiefes fell and monsters all destroyde and spoyled bee That eyther Lande or Seas or Ayre Or hell engender coulde Arcadian Lion none to raunge in saluage Nemea wolte The Stymphall Foule hath chased bin with Bowe and Brusell boulte No nimble heart of Menalus doth lye in hill nor houlte The Dragon daunting with his bloud hath goarde the goulden groue And Hydra hath his courage coolde and Diomedes droue Whose puffed paunches pampred were with stoare of straungers bloud That scoarde the Coaste and barren bankes of cruell Heber floud I slaughterd them and that the force of foe might well bee seene I prowlde away the boottes of the prowde Amazon Queene Of silent shades in glummy Goulphes the dreadfull doomes I saw On Cerber black the Tartar Tike the sonne did shine with awe And he with steaming Goggle eyes hath glyed vpon the soone Anteus yawnes and gapes no more whose gasping breath to doone A-front his alters Busir fell was knockt vnto the grounde By him whose hande gaue Gerion his deepe and deadly wounde And slew the mighty Bull that was to hundred heartes a dreade All noyous plagues I spoyled haue that euer Tellus bread And daunted by my hand they lye the Gods now neede not free The worlde to aunswere Iunoes yre no monsters now can get Now shew thy valiaunt sonne his sire or set him in the clowdes Thou shalt not neede to bee my guide my selfe will climbe the shrowdes Doe thou my passage but allow and I shall finde away But if thou dreade that monsters more the earth engender may Hast on eache monster hideous to shew it selfe in time Whyle Hercules hath his aboade beneath the heauenly Clyme For who encounter shall the fiendes who i st that Grecia hath That may be meete to bide the brunt of mighty Iunoes wrath My prayse burtes not my health my fame doth fly from land to land The ysy poale doth know mee where the northerne beare doth stand The easterlings encombred with the gleede of scorching sunne The south where Phoebe by crooked cleare of Tropick Crab doth rūne In euery coast O Titan where thou dost thy selfe reueale How I haue met thee face to face to thee I doe appeale Aloofe beyonde the compasse of thy light I set my foote And neuer coulde thy blaze so farre his glymsinge glory shoote As I haue forst the honour of my triumphes for to streatch The day it selfe hath had his stint within my trauells reatch Dame Nature faylde the worlde was shogd
beside his center dew And ougsome night in shimmering shade from dungeon darck I drew And cankred Chaos lodged aloafe encountred mee awayne Yet from the deepe I gat to ground whence none returnes agayne Wee straue against the Ocean stormes I balasen the keele Fraught with my waight that wrestling waues could not cōpell it reele What heapes of hazardes tempted I through all the open ayre To qualify thy wedlocks wrath can mischiefe none repayre The earth would loath such baggage bred as I would match by might Yea monsters none are to be founde the fiendes doe shun my sight And Hercules for want of fiendes agaynst him selfe did rage What eluishe creatures curst did I with naked arme asswage Was euer any peuish thing so big vpon the ground That coapt with mee but that my hand alone did it confound Not hether to from vermin vyle through faynting feare I leapt In babish yeares not when to me in Cradell layde they leapt Eache thing that was commaunded me at ease I did obay Thus free from paynefull toyle to me there neuer past a day What vermin haue I vanquished no king commaunding it My courage cloyes me more then all the wyles of Iunoes wit But what auayleth me to rid mankinde of fickle feare The Gods yet cannot raygne in rest while vp the world doth peare New rid of furious fiendes it sees a loft in starry skies The cruell creatures all that earst on earth did fore aggrise Dame Iuno hath transport the elues The scorching Crab doth creepe Abouth the burning zone and loofe at Affrica doth keepe The Tropick line and Haruest fat he feedes with parching heate To Virgo Leo turnes the time and in a reaking sweate He buskling vp his burning Mane doth dry the dropping south And swallowes vp the slabby cloudes in fyry foming mouth The Vrchins all are creapt to skies and haue preuented mee I Conqueror from Earth to Heauen my trauells all may see These gargle Faces grim on heauen Dawe Iuno first did set As though thereof the terrour might to skies my passage let Although she scatter them in Skyes or make the Heauens forlorne More then the Earth or hellike Goulphes wherby the Gods are sworne Yet roome for Hercles shal be made if after monsters quelde Or battells fought or hellike hound in Chaynes as captiue helde If all exploytes cannot preuayle in skies a place to gayne Then soukt vp bee the midland Sea twixt Barbarie and Spayne That eyther shore may ioyne in one with channell none betweene There will I dam the running streame that Sea shall none be seene Or as for Corinth out shot land that tweene two seas doth lye It shall giue way to eyther streame that through the same shall fly And when the seas on passage haue the Fleete of Athens towne May floate in Channell new thus shall the world turne topsidown Let Ister turne his streame and Tanaus slow another way Graunt Ioue a placket graunt whereby the Gods vpholde I may Discharge thy thunder dint where I shall keepe due watch warde If eyther to the ysy poale thou bid mee haue regarde Or burning zone heere let the Gods full safe all force defy Prynce Paean purchast hath an house amid the cristall sky And well deserued he the temples of Pernassus hill For slaughter of a Dragon made how oft recouering still In Hydra poyson Python lay with Bacchus Perseus strong By lesse desert then Hercules haue crept the Gods among But all the East a mighty coast to bond is brought by him Whom Iuno spightes how stearne a bug was snaky Gorgon grim What Impe is he begot betweene my stepdame dyre and thee Whose praysed paynes haue purchaste him a place in heauen to be The heauen that on my shoulders I haue hoisterd vp I craue But Lycas partner of my paynes dispatch our triumph braue Display in pomp the ruin of Euritus house and Crowne And for the sacrifice with speede strike yet the Bullocks downe Where as the Aare that doth adnaunce the Church of Cenei Ioue Lyes open to Euboea sea that wrackfull waue doth moue Chorus THe Gods in blisse that man doth coūteruaile That can at once both Graue glory gayne Death vpon death the whilst doth him assaile Whose wretched life is lingred on in payne With frowning fate in spurning spighte who shiues And sets the Keele of gaping goulphe at nought Will not submit his captiue handes to giues As dishe of dishonour in triumph to bee brought Like carefull caytife hee shall neuer droupe Whelmed in storming thoughts of sower annoy Whose stomacke scornes for dawnting death to stoupe Though seas amid the deepe in hoysted hoy Driue him aloofe when as a southern gale Beates Boreas back or eastern puffe agayne Recoiles the western winde and seemes to hale From deepest sandes the surges torne in twayne Tht broken planckes to catche hee scrambles not Of wracked barke as one that hopes to haue Amid the Channell deepe a landing plot When dismall death appeares in euery waue Hee cannot suffer shipwracke all alone With pined karrayne coarse and streames of teares And with our countrey dust our heades vpon Powldring our lockes wee languishe out our yeares Neyther flashing flame nor thumping thunder cracke Will once dawnt vs O death thou dost pursew Where fortune fawnes but where shee worketh wracke Thou shunnest those that woulde thee not eschew Wee stand not in our razed countrey wall Whose ground shall now bee ouergrowne alas With bramble and bryer and down the temples fall While mucky sheepecotes are planted in their place And now the frostifaced Greeke alas This way this way with all his droue of Neate By so much of AEchalia must passe As heapt on ashes gloweth still with heate The Tessayle sheepherd sitting by the way On iarringe Pype shall play his countrey ryme Singing wyth sighes alacke and weladay Thus to bewayle the sorrowes of our time Ere tyme shall roll the race of many a yeare It will be askt where earst the towne did stand O well was I when as I liued a leare Not in the barren balkes of fallow land Nor in Thessalia on the foodelesse cliues But now among rough Trachin craggy Rocks And ougly shrubs necessity mee driues Whose flaming toppes detarres the feeding Oxe And in the way lesse woods vntrode before All comfortlesse afright and in a maze Needes must I trot alone that would abhorre The saluage beastes that on the mountaynes graze But better lot if any Dames may haue They ouer Inach wambling streame shall row Or shrowd in Dirce Walles where Ismen waue With feeble force of shallow fourde doth flow The hawty Hercles mother heere was wed What Scythian crag what stones engendred him What Rocky mountayne Rhodope thee bred Of Tyrant Titans race a cursed lim Stipe Athos hill the brutish Caspia land With teate vnkinde fed thee twixt rocke stoane False is the tale wherewith thou bearst in hande Two nights for thee thy Mother deare did groane While lingring starres long lodged in purple sky