demand Lycaon This grant him Saturne since thy insinuation Hath wrought him quite out of the Cretans hearts That Tytans warlike issue may succeed thee Tytan Lycaon well aduis'd he during life Shall reigne in peace no interruption Shall passe from Tytan to disturbe his reigne So to our Gyant race thou wilt assure The crowne as due by right inheritance Saturne To cut off all hostile effusion Of human bloud which by our difference Must needs be spilt vpon the barren earth Wee 'le sweare to this accord Tytan Conditiond thus That to depriue all future enmity In our succeeding Issue thy male children Thou in their Cradle strangle Saturne Kill my sonnes Tytan Or sweare to this or all our warlike race Disperst in seuerall Kingdomes I l'e assemble To conquer thee and from thy ambitious head Teare that vsurped Crowne Saturne Tytan thy friendship Wee 'l buy with our own bloud all our male children If we hereafter shall haue any borne Shall perish in their births to this we sweare As we are King and Saturne Tytan I the like As I am Tytan and Vranus sonne This league confirm'd all my Allyes I 'le gather Search forreigne clymes in which I l'e plant my kin Scorning a seate here where I am dispis'd To liue a subiect to a younger birth Nor bow to that which is my owne by due Saturne farewell I l'e leaue thee to thy state Whil'st I in forreigne Kingdomes search my Fate Thinke on thy oath Saturne First stay with vs and feast Tytan this day shall be King Saturns guest Enter the Clowne and a Nurse Clown There is no dallying you must come with all speede For Madam Sibilla is growne a great woman Nurs. That is without question for she is now a Queene Clown Nay she is greater then many Queenes are for though you may thinke she is with ancient folkes yet I can assure you she is with childe you may imagine beeing now but morning shee is new risen yet t' is thought that ere noone she will bee brought a bed I neuer heard she was commited to prison yet t' is look't euery houre when she shall be deliuered and therefore Nurse I was sent to you in all haste Nurs. Is she so neere her time Clown Yes and yet t is thought shee will notwithstanding hold out because she is groning Nurs. Your reason Clowne Because you know the prouerbe A grunting horse and a groning wife neuer deceiue their Maister say will you make haste Nurse Nurs. What 's the best news abroad Clown The best newes abrode is that the Queene is likely to keepe at home and is it not strange that halfe an houres being abroad should make a woman haue a moneths minde to keepe in But the worst newes is that if the King haue a young Prince hee is tide to kill it by oath but if his maiesty went drunke to bed and got a gyrle she hath leaue to liue till she dye and dye when she can liue no longer Nurs. That couenant was the most vnnaturall That euer father made one louely boy Hath felt the rigor of that strict decree And if this second likewise be a sonne There is no way but death Clown I can tell you more newes the king hath sent to the Oracle to know whether my Lady be with childe of a boy or a gyrle and what their fortunes shall be the Lord that went is look't for euery day to returne with his answere it is so Gossipt in the Queenes chamber I can tell you O Nurse wee haue the brauest king if thou knewest all Nurs. Why I pray thee Clowne Let his vertues speake for himselfe he hath taught his people to sow to plow to reape corne and to skorne Akehorns with their heeles to bake and to brue we that were wont to drinke nothing but water haue the brauest liquor at Court as passeth Besides he hath deuised a strange engine called a Bow and Arrow that a man may hold in hand and kill a wilde beast a great way off and neuer come in danger of his clutches I 'le tell you a strange thing Nurse last time the King went a hunting he kild a beare brought him home to be bak't and eaten A Gentlewoman of the Court that sed hungerly vpon this pye had such a rumbling and roaring in her guts that her Intrails were all in a mutiny and could not be appeased No phisicke would helpe her what did the King but caused an excellent Mastiffe to be knock't in the head and drest gaue it to the gentlewoman of which when she had well eaten the flesh of the Mastiffe worried the beare in her belly and euer since her guts haue left wambling But come come I was sent in hast the Queene must needs speake with you Exeunt Enter Saturne with wedges of gold and siluer models of ships and buildings bow and arrowes c. His Lords with him Saturne You shall no more be lodg'd beneath the trees Nor chamber vnderneath the spreading Okes Behold I haue deuis'd you formes for tooles To square out timber and performe the Art Of Architecture yet vnknowne till now I 'le draw you formes of Cities Townes and Towers For vse and strength behold the models here 1 Lord Saturnes inuentions are diuine not humane A God-like spirit hath inspir'd his reigne Saturne See here a second Arte of Husbandry To till the earth to plow to sow to plant Deuis'd by Saturne here is gold refin'd From Grosser mettals siluer brasse and tinne With other minerals extract from earth I likewise haue found out to make your brooks Rivers and seas by practise Nauigable Behold a forme to make your Craers and Barkes To passe huge streames in safety dangerlesse 2. Lord Saturne is a God Saturn The last not least this vse of Archery The stringed bow and nimble-fethered-shaft By this you may command the flying fowle And reach her from on high this serues for warre To strike and wound thy foe-man from a farre What meanes this acclamation Alowd shout within 1. Lord T is thy people Deuinest Saturne furnisht with these vses More then the Gods haue lent them by thy meanes Proclaime to thee a lasting deity And would haue Saturne honoured as a God Saturn Wee 'l study future profits for their vse And in our fresh inuentions proue diuine But Gods are neuer touch't with my suspires Passions and throbs their God-like Issue thriue Whilst I vn-man-like must destroy my babes Oh my strict oath to Tytan which confounds All my precedent honours one sweete babe My yongest Ops hath felt the bloudy knife And perisht in his swathing And my Queene Swels with another Infant in her wombe Ready to taste like rigor Is that Lord Return'd from Delphos yet 2 Lord He is Saturn Admit him now what doth the Oracle Speake by the Delphian Priest 3. Lord Thus mighty Saturne After our Ceremonious Rites perform'd And Sacrifice ended with reuerence A murmuring thunder hurried through the Temple When fell a pleasant shower whose siluer drops
your decree And I must play th' intruder gainst my will The King vpon your liues hath charged you To see that infant Lad immediatly Receiue his death he stayes for his warme bloud To offer to the Gods To thinke him slaine Sad partner of your sorrowes I remaine Nurs. Madam you heare the king doth threat our liues Let 's kill him then Sib. Is he inexorable Why should not I proue as seuere a mother As he a cruell father since the King Hath doom'd him I the Queene will doo 't my selfe Giue me the fatall Engine of his wrath I l'e play the horrid murdresse for this once I 'le kisse thee ere I kill thee for my life The Lad so smiles I cannot hold the knife Uesta Then giue him me I am his Grand-mother And I will kill him gently this sad office Belongs to me as to the next of kin Sib. For heauens sake when you kil him hurt him not Vesta Come little knaue prepare your naked throat I haue not heart to giue thee many wounds My kindnesse is to take thy life at once Now Alacke my pretty Grand-child smil'st thou still I haue lust to kisse but haue no heart to kill Nurs. You may be carelesse of the kings command But it concernes me and I loue my life More then I do a sucklings giue him me I 'le make him sure a sharpe weapon lend I 'le quickly bring the yongster to his end Alacke my pretty knaue t' were more then sin With a sharpe knife to touch thy tender skin On Madame hee 's so full of Angell grace I cannot strike he smiles so in my face Sib. I 'le wink strike come once more reach him hither For dye he must so Saturne hath decreed 'Las for a world I would not see him bleed Vesta Ne shall he do but sweare me secresie The babe shall liue and we be dangerlesse Sib, O blesse me with such happinesse Vesta Attend me The king of Epires daughters two bright maids Owe me for many fauours the like loue These I dare trust to them I 'le send this babe To be brought vp but not as Saturns sonne Do but prouide some trusty messenger My honour for his safety Sib. But by what meanes shall we delude the king Vest. A yong Kids heart swimming in reeking bloud Wee 'l send the King and with such forged griefe And counterfet sorrow shadow it That this imposture neuer shall be found Sib. Oh twice my mother you bestow vpon me A double life thus to preserue my boy Nurs. Giue me the child I 'le finde a messenger Shall beare him safe to Melliseus Court Vesta The bloud and heart I 'le presently prouide T' appease the rage of Saturne Sib. First le ts sweare To keepe this secret from King Saturnes eare Vesta We will and if this plot passe vndiscouer'd By like deuise we will saue all your sonnes About our taskes you some choyce friend to finde I with my feigned teares the King to blinde Actus secundi Scoena prima Enter HOMER Homer WHat cannot womens wits they wonders can When they intend to blinde the eyes of man Oh lend me what old Homer wants your eyes To see th' euent of what these Queenes deuise The doombe shew sound Enter the Nurse and Clowne shee sweares him to secresie and to him deliuers the child and a letter to the daughters of King Melliseus they part Enter at one doore Saturne melancholy with his Lords at the other Vesta the Nurse who with counterfeit passion present the King a bleeding heart vpon a kniues point and a bowle of bloud The King departs one way in great sorrow the Ladies the other way in great ioy This past so currant that the third sonne borne Cal'd Neptune was by like deuise preseru'd And sent to Athens where he liu'd vnknowne And had in time command vpon the seas Pluto the yongest was sent to Tartary Where he in processe a strange City built And cald it Hell his subiects for their rapine Their spoils and theft are Diuels tearm'd abrode Thus melancholy Saturne hath suruiuing Three Noble sonnes in seuerall confines plac'd And yet himselfe thinks sonne-lesse one faire daughter Hight Iuno is his sole delight on earth Thinke kinde spectators seuenteene sommers past Till these be growne to yeares and Iupiter Found in a caue by the great Epyre King where by his daughters he before was hid Of him and of his fortunes we proceeed My iournie 's long and I my eye-sight want Courteous spectators left blind Homer stray Lend me your hands to guide me on your way Enter Lycaon with his Lords Iupiter with other Lords of Epyre Lycaon After long warre and tedious differences Betwixt King Melliseus and our selfe What craue the Epyre Lords Iupiter This King Lycaon Since truce and hostage hath tane vp these broiles And ended them in peacefull amity Since all the damadge by the Epyrians done Is on our part aboundantly made good We come Lycaon to demand the like Of thee and of thy Kingdome and for proofe That all our malice is extinct and dead We bring thy hostage backe demanding ours Lycaon Receiue him Lords a Banquet instantly You shall this day braue Epyre feast with vs And to your boord your hostage shall be brought There to receiue him freely meane time sit And taste the royall welcomes of our Court Iup. Lycaon's iust in keeping these conditions So strictly with a reconciled foe Lyc. But faire prince tell me whence you are deriu'd I neuer heard King Melliseus had A Prince of your perfections Iupiter This demand Startles my bloud being borne I know not where Yet that I am of gentry at the least My Spirit prompts me and my noble thoughts Giue me approued warrant being an infant Two beauteous Ladyes found me in a caue Where from their voluntary charity Bees fed me with their hony for that cause The two bright Ladies cal'd me Iupiter And to their Father Melliseus brought me My Foster-father who hath train'd my youth In feats of Armes and military prowesse And as an instance of his deerest loue Hath honor'd me with this late Embassy A banquet brought in with the limbes of a Man in the seruice Lyca. We are satisfi'd Princes sit round and feast You are this day Lycaons welcom'st guest Iup. This meat distasts me doth Lycaon feast vs Like Caniballes feed vs with humane flesh Whence is this portent Lycan. Feede Epyrians eate Lycaon feasts you with no common meate Iup. But wher 's the Epyre Lord we left as hostage Lyca. Behold him here hee 's at the table with you This is the Epyres head and these his limbes Thinkes Melliseus that Lycaon can Discended of the valiant Tytanoys Bury his hatred and intoombe his spleene Without reuenge bloud in these warres was shed And for that bloud your hostage lost his head Iup. Beare wrong that list those can brooke it best I was not borne to suffrance thoughts mount hye A King hath wrong'd me and a King shall