which from the Princely Ocean ranne Are quite dry'd vp onely Electra here Our deare Electra whose great weight of loue Is in our ballance equally so poys'd That shee shall euer thinke her father liues Our heart shall be so parallell with hers El. Yes great Aegystheus wer 't but our mothers will What she thinkes good of I must not thinke ill Besides your loue e'r since my fathers death As 〈…〉 ame from his departing soule And 〈◊〉 with had reuiu'd againe in you 〈…〉 prospectiu for me to see 〈…〉 oubled though the obiect 's chang'd 〈…〉 a brother if you please That I may challenge in your royall blood Here doe I tie with all affections bands My selfe vnto this Babe which is as deare Vnto my soule as were Orestes here Clyt. Daughter your heart now with obedience strung Makes a sweet musique sounding from your tongue Nurse bring the Babe giue it Electra so You daughter shall haue ouersight of it Nutr. O shall I part from 't then Clyt. No good Nurse no Electra with her care you with your paines Nutr. Now by Lucina had it gone away I should haue sit and sob'd away my heart 'T is the sweetest Babe that euer Nurse did kisse Aegyst. Looke here good father looke my nobles here Vpon this Babe scarce crept yet out of earth For you shall grow an Autumn of ripe yeeres When time hath brought it to maturity Looke on thy Grandchilde Tyndarus see 't is thine This came from thee old man see how it smiles Vpon the Grandsire as if wise nature had Taught him his kindreds names fore he came forth Tynd. I see 't Aegystheus and my ag'd blood grows warme As if my selfe were a new father made And all the blessings I can render it Shal drop like golden showers on the head Me thinks it doth recall my sliding age And makes swift time retire backe againe It doth vnfold those wrincles in my face Which griefe and yeeres had fixed as their signes Vpon my brow and now it shall be seene Althoug my hayres are gray my ioyes are greene Clyt. Long may our father his opinion hold And you our daughter let not sinister thoughts Wrong your suspicious minde though this being young It makes our Lord and me to speake our ioyes Yet our affection and our naturall loue Is not a whit to you diminished A mother can be mother vnto many And as from one roote hid within the ground Springs many flowers that lends sap to all So from a parents heart runne veines of loue Which though to many they without doe flow Yet from one heart one root they all doe grow Elect. I hope our gracious mother cannot thinke We doe suspect her loue witnesse this charge Which you haue bless'd my armes and soule withall And as your loue committed it with care My care shall still defend it with my loue Aegyst. We thanke our daughter come Lord Strophius come Griefe still sits heauy on your sighing heart Be frolike learne of vs in all the grace And pleasure our Court extends you shall haue place Stroph. I thanke my gracious Lord time hath by this Almost eate out the memory of our sonne And since the heauens let fall their dew on you And watred Argos with such springing hopes I will not seeme a stocke vncapable Of such a generall comfort but reuiue My buried thoughts and for my Souerignes sake Old Strophius will a young mans person take Aegyst. We thanke old Strophius and if honour can Keepe thee still young our Princely hand is wide And freely shall extend all graces on thee And you all our subiects which beare part Thus in our ioy and here I doe proclaime And personally from my owne mouth pronounce Sealing it with the signet of my State A generall immunity to all Murders rapes treasons thefts conueyances Which haue beene from the birth of our deare childe In all the confines of our Empire done Nor shall your licence date be quite expired Till the slow yeere seuen times runnes out his course Our selfe thus speake it vntill then all 's free Kings win their subiects by immunity Exeunt omnes Manet Strophius Electra Stroph. Electra you are happy in your charge Electr. Yes Vncle and you happy in my fauour Nur. Madam shal I stay here vntil you come comes back Electr, Yes Nurse sit downe and sing looke to the Babe I 'll onely with my Vncle change a word Nurse sings Lullaby lullaby Baby Great Argos ioy The King of Greece thou art borne to be In despight of Troy Rest euer wait vpon thy head Sleepe close thine eyes The blessed guard tend on thy bed Of Deities O how this brow will beseeme a crowne How these lockes will shine Like the raies of the Sun on the ground These lockes of thine The Nurse of heauen still send thee milk Maist thou suck a Queene Thy drinke Ioues Nectar and cloaths of silke A God mayst thou seeme Cupid sit on this Rosean cheeke On these rubie lips May thy minde like a Lambe be meeke In the vales which trips Lullaby Lullaby Baby c. Elect. You neuer heard from my brother Vncle Nor from your sonne they haue beene long away Stroph. In troth Electra I am in despaire Almost of euer seeing them againe Sure if Orestes liue and euer heare Vnto what passe Aegystheus brings his state Seated him in the throne of his mothers bed And like to leaue Argos hereditary To his posterity it cannot e'r be borne Orestes spirit will endure no scorne Elect. Vncle his long delayes make mee surmise Or he will neuer come or come with prize Hee if now come hee must not shew himselfe But liue vnknowne vnnam'd or change his name Str. His name Electra yes and 's nature too Which I doe feare me hee will hardly doe But if we hear not from them now e're long I 'll listen by some meanes about the land To heare of them meane time you to your charge Officious duty must our liues enlarge Elect. Come Nurse Exeunt SCEN. II. Enter Orestes and Pylades Orest. O here 's the Palace vnder whose kinde roofe My tender yeeres were gently fostered But now the sight on 't seemes to strike my soule When I but thinke it holds within the walls The patrons of such lust incarnate diuells Mere Pythonists that fascinate the world Pyl. Nay but Orestes thinke now of your selfe Complaine not of your wrongs but seeke to right them We might haue liu'd i' th woods still to complaine And to that purpose wee may turne againe Whet vp your former thoughts and spend not time To raue but to reuenge this odious act We know they were their shapes and no Chymera's Orest. O Pylades knew I thou art my friend Pyl. I hope you thinke it Orest. I doe I dare sweare it So I dare sweare it was Aegystheus and The dumbe witch the O what things enough To be an attribute to terme her by The Clytemnestra O wee saw her do 't Pyl. 'T was a
creatures they haue such Maeanders Their teares will come and goe with such Art Come now my Queene one sweet Ambrosian kisse O Nectar prethe hadst thou taught thy teares How they should flow before Clyt. No trust me loue I knew my teares would soon be at command And faith the boy had almost made me weepe Really once were not my curses rare Aegyst. Yes all was woman like but yet that boy He tooke it deepely would he were with his father So gon it skills not how were he away We would act freely all our lustfull play Clyt. O but my loue hee 's mine nor can the rauen Dig her sharpe beake into her owne birds brest He will forget his father woe will breake 'T is not the greatest griefe that most doth speake Egyst. O but hee 'll beare a still suspitious eye And who in bloudy Scenes doth act a part Thinks euery eye doth penetrate his heart Nor can we ere be free or I inioy True pleasures we must be but theeues at most Close in delights and haue a Pander still To be a Factor 'twixt thy bed and mine This we could haue before what now we doe The world should see done and applaud it too Clyt. Why my deare Loue I that would set my hand To staine my marriage sheets with husbands blood Would let these hands instructed now in ill Not leaue one arme of that vprooted tree Could but Aegystheus giue me any hope That from this top there should one spreading branch Grow vp and flourish Aegyst. Now thou art thy selfe Yes yes my loue there shall one spring from vs Shall be a lofty Pine let this be cropt Murder must murder guard guilt adde to guilt After one drop whole streams of blood be spilt walks away SCEN. III Enter Pylades Orestes Electra Strophius DEare friend what mean you to o'rwhelme your selfe In such a sea of griefe Orest. Father deare Agamem Pyl. Nay let this tempest fall thou hast lost a father Why t is but change my father shall be thine I 'll be thy brother nay I 'll be thy selfe Weepe when thou weep'st and where thou go'st I 'll goe And bring thee on thy pilgrimage of woe Elect. Brother looke vp haue not I lost a father Yes and would a riuer of fresh teares Turne Lethes streame and bring him from the wharf With a North gale of windy blowing sighs I would expire my soule become all teares Stroph. Come you haue lost a father I a brother The Queene a Husband all the Land a King Yet all thi 's but a man Therefore must die Our woes may all be in one ballance poys'd His booke of life the Fates had ouer-read And turn'd the leafe where his last period stood Now an immortall wreath circles his brow And makes him King in heauen who was before At most a God on earth Hence difference springs Kings are earths Gods and Gods are heauenly Kings Orest. Let vs ioyne words then now and Swan-like sing The dolefull dirge to a departed King Thou friend didst of this misery diuine Therefore the burthen of the song is mine Words Orators for woe which plead the cause When griefe 's the Iudge and sighs are all the lawes Each one a sob for Diapason beares Our tunes shall drowne the musique of the spheares O what Hirudo with vnsatiate thirst Could draw the blood from out those Princely veynes From whence flowes comfort to so many soules Spies his mother goes to her Mother when wept you last heere take a scarfe Dry your eyes now by Ioue you need none What shine of comfort hath dri'd vp your teares Clyt. Our sonne 's too sawcie with his mother Queene Why Sir shall you tell vs a time to weepe Orest. Vs good Who is 't makes the plurality 'T was wont to be my father does he liue Clyt. Sir curbe this lauish speech or I 'll forget You are my sonne and make you but a subiect Aegyst. Good Cousin adde not disobedience Vnto your mothers griefes Orrst. My mother no She is not here no she hath hid her selfe In some odde nooke or angle vnperceiu'd She might not see this impious stygian world Clyt. Aegistheus canst thou still suffer thy dul sword i' th sheath Take the ranke head from this o'r-growing weed Stro. Remember Clytemnestra he 's your sonne Clyt. He is so and I 'll learne him to be so Had I a brazen bull it should be heat Hotter then for the Tyrant Disobedient More harsh then Adders hisses is thy voyce Sir you shall die but with a liuing death He still shall liue but liue to know he dies Who strait threats death knowes not to Tyrannize Exeunt Aegystheus Clytemnestra Stro. What temper 's growne on the distracted Queene Hath griefe conceiu'd for her late husbands death Brought her so farre shee hath forgot her selfe Orest. No Vncle no by heauen I doe suspect O my propheticke soule diuines much ill Well I will flie but heare this stratagem It shall be rumor'd i' th eare o' th Court I was found dead I 'll put a new shape on And liue alone to heare how things goe here Pyl. Nay not alone Orestes whilst I liue Shouldst make thy bed vpon the rigid Alps Or frozen Caucasus wrapt in sheets of snow I 'd freeze vnto thy side we will tell tales Of Troian warriers and deposed Kings Tell of strange shipwracke of old Priams fall How mad Andromacha did teare her hayre When the wild horses tore braue Hectors limbs Wee 'll thinke they all doe come and weepe with vs Griefe loues companions and it helpeth woe When it heares euery one grone forth his Oh It easeth much and our plaints fall more sweet When a whole consort in one tune doe meet The halfe-dead ship-man which hath shipwracke borne Seeing many drown'd it makes him lesse to mourne It made Deucalion care the lesse to die When hee had all the world in company Thus we will sit and our teares turnes shall keepe Thou for thy father I for thee will weepe If actors on the stage hauing no cause But for to winne an hearers hands applause Can let fall teares wee 'll thinke wee Actors be And onely doe but play griefes Tragedie Orest. O but deare friend should we but act a part The play being ended passion left the heart And we should share of ioy but my whole age Must neuer moue from off this wofull Stage But we must take our leaue Vncle farewell Remember what I spake and Sister you Must tarry here my thoughts shall busied be To finde the man that let my father blood Can I but finde Aegystheus did consent To spill one drop O I would pierce his heart With venom'd daggers and so butcher him That all Apollo's skill in physicke hearbs Nor Aesculapius th' Epidaurian God Should keepe his soule out of Enio's hand Come my deare friend to all the rest farewell If heauen relate it not I 'll know 't from hell Exeunt Pylades Orestes SCEN. IIII Enter Aegysteus Clytemnestra
Mysander Strophiues Electra another way Aegyst. WHat is Orestes fled sure there 's some plot If you deare Queen but search Elect well You 'll finde she knowes whither her brothers gone Clyt. If in her heart there be but lodg'd a thought Vnknowne to mee this hand shall rip her brest And search her inparts but I 'll finde it out Mysander call Electra Aegyst. O were that moat tane from our comforts beams No cloud could euer then o'rshade our ioyes His life must be cut off without delay Mischiefe by mischiefe findes the safest vvay But here 's Electra Clyt. Why how now Minion what a blubbering still Huswife pray vvhere 's your brother where 's my sonne Elect. Mother pray wher 's my father wher 's your husband Haile to my gratious Queene here 's one at doore Enter Strophius and speaks Brings you a message hee vvill not relate To any but your selfe he saies t is sad Clyt. Why the more dismall the more vvelcome 't is But as for you Elect. Good mother doe your worst No plague can euer make me more accurst Nothing is worse then death that I 'll not flye Clyt. Yes life is worse to those that faine vvould die But vvhere 's the messenger SCEN. V. Enter Nuncius WHat whirlewind rising from the wombe of earth Doth raise huge Pelion vnto Ossa's top That both being heapt I stand vpon them both And with an hundred Stentor-drowning voyce Relate vnto the world the saddest tale That euer burdned the weake iawes of man Aegyst. Why what portentuous newes Amaze vs not Tell vs what e'r it be Nun. Were my minde settled would the gellid feare That freezeth vp my sense set free my speech I would vnfold a tale which makes my heart Throb in my intralls when I seeme to see 't Clyt. Relate it quickly hold 's not in suspence Nun. Vpon the mount of yonder rising cliffe Which the earth hath made a bulwarke for the sea Whose peerlesse head is from the streames so high That whosoe'r lookes downe his braine will swim With a vertigo The space remou'd so farre The obiect from the eye that a tall ship Seem'd a swift flying bird vpon this top Saw I two men making complaints to heauen One's voyce distinctly still cry'd Father King Great Agamemnon whose diuiner soule Fled from thy corps exil'd by buchers hands His friend still sought to keepe his dying life With words of comfort that it should not rush Too violently vpon the hands of Fate He deafe as sea to which he made his plaints Still cryed out Agamemnon I will come And finde thy blessed soule where e'r it walke In what faire Tempe of Elisium So e'r it be my soule shall find it out With that his friend knit him within his armes Striuing to hold him but when t was no boot They hand in hand thus plung'd into the maine Strait they arose and striu'd me thought for life But swelling Neptune not regarding friends Wrapt their embraced limbs in following waues Vntill at last their deare departing soules Hastned to Styx and I no more cloud see Stro. O 't was Orestes 't was my Pylades Which arme in arme did follow him to death Elect. O my Orestes O my dearest brother 'T is he 't is he that thus hath drown'd himselfe Aegyst. Why then if Agamemnon and his sonne Haue brought their leafe of life to the full end I am Thyestes sonne and the next heyre To sit in Argos Throne of Maiesty Thanks to our Alpheus sea who as' t'ad striu'd To gratifie Aegystheus rais'd his force And gathered all his waters to one place They might be deepe inough to drowne Orestes But come my Queene let vs command a feast To get a kingdome who 'ld not thinke it good To swim vnto it through a sea of blood ACT. III SCEN. I. Enter Tyndarus Misander Tynd. OVr daughter send for vs how fares she well She mournes I 'm sure for her husbands death Mis. My Lord shee tooke it sadly at the first But time hath lessen'd it Tynd. I griefe soone ends That flowes in teares they still are womens friends But how is 't rumord now in Argos though That Agamemnon dyde Mys. Why hee was old And death thought best to seise on him at home Tynd. 'T was a long home hee got by comming home Well well Misander I like not the course The peoples murmure makes my cheekes to blush Mis. My gracious Lord who trusts their idle murmure Must neuer let the blush goe from his cheeke They are like flagges growing on muddy banks Whose weake thin heads blowne with one blast of winde They all will shake and bend themselues one way Great mindes must not esteeme what small tongues say All things in state must euer haue this end The vulgar should both suffer and commend If not for loue for feare great maiesty Should doe those things the vulgar dare not see Tynd. O Sir but those that doe commend for feare Doe in their hearts a secret hatred beare Euer learne this the truest praise indeed Must from the heart and not from words proceed I feare some foule play doth Aegystheus meane Then totally for to inuest himselfe In Agamemnons seat Where 's young Orestes Mis. Why my Lord hee for the great griefe conceiu'd Being young not knowing well to rule himselfe With sway of reason ranne vpon his death And threw himselfe with my Lord Strophius sonne Into the midst of Alpheus so was drown'd Tynd. How took my daughter that Mis. Why wisely too And like her selfe not being in despaire Her royall wombe will bring forth many more Shall be as deare as e'r Orestes was Tynd. I feare heauen cannot looke with equall eyes Vpon so many deaths but meanes to send Plague after plague for in a wretched state One ill begets another dismall Fate But goe and tell my daughter I will come And helpe to solemnize her nuptiall night Her hasty wedding and the old Kings neglect Makes my coniecturall soule some ill suspect Exeunt SCEN. II. Enter Orestes and Pylades Orest. IF euer God lent any thing to earth Whereby it seem'd to symphatize with heauen It is this sacred friendship Gordian knot Which Kings nor Gods nor Fortune can vndoe O what Horoscopus what constellation Held in our birth so great an influence Which one affection in two mindes vnites How hath my wo beene thine my fatall ill Hath still beene parted and one share beene thine Pyl. Why dearest friend suppose my case were thine And I had lost a father wouldst not thou In the like sort participate my griefe Orest. Yes witnesse heauen I would Pyl. So now thou hast lost a father Orest. True Pylades thou putst me well in mind I haue lost a father a deare deare father A King a braue old King a noble souldier And yet he was murdered O my forgetfull soule Why should not I now drawe my vengefull sword And strait-way sheath it in the murderers heart Minos should neuer haue vacation Whilst any of our progeny remain'd Well I
'de see my mother burnt before I de goe Why shouldst thou bring her she would stifle thee Stifle thee in thy bed as my mother did Pylad. Still harping on thy mother Orest. Harping no Let Orpheus harpe O I she was she was A very very Harpie Pyl. Thus madnes playes And keeps a certaine measure in his words Orest. O I suckt out my mothers dearest blood I did indeed O she plagues me for 't now O I must goe lie downe in Tytius place Ixion too he Sir would faine resigne I scorne your petty plagues I 'll haue a Worse O the vulture the wheele the vulture Pyl. See how his conscious thoughts like fiends of hell Doe arme themselues and lash his guilty soule He see 's no vulture nor no Scorpion strikes Yet doth his conscience whip his bloody heart He needs no witnesses he hath within A thousand thoughts which testifie his sin No punishment so strickt no deadly smart As priuate guilt that smiteth on the heart Orest. I did I confesse I did I kild them all Ript vp the wombe that bare me nay I did O Tantalus thy plague some meate some meate Who pulls those apples hence let them alone Nay sinke to the bottom I will follow thee Lies downe to drinke The riuer 's drie my mother hath drunke all Pyl. Alas come goe with me we will finde drinke Orest. Is Pluto's buttry ope his drinks too hot I doubt 't will scald me but I 'll taste on 't yet Th' Eumenides stand to whip me as I goe Nay I will passe you I will out-slip them all Exit currens Pyl. See in his conscience lies hels punishment Our own thoughts iudges none are innocent Exit SCEN. VI. Enter 2. Lords 1 Lord WE that haue here ben born to see this change May leaue the court and tell our children tales Of the dire fall of Inachus great house The young Prince mad the Princesse kild her selfe Old Strophius dead from griefe and murder heapt Corps vpon corps as if they ment t' inuite All hell to supper or som Iouiall night 2 Lor. Nay but my Lord this is most pittifull That the yong Prince should thus from dore to dore Beg for his foode and yet none dare to giue I saw him wandring yesterday alone Flying from euery crow or pratling Pie Crying out mother and as if there had Tormenting Furies following him with fraud And truth I thought to tell old Tyndarus To moue his ruthfull yeeres to pitty him And will you ioyne petitioner with me Wee 'll tell the cause 't is good to ease misery 1 Lord My Lord I like your motion and will ioyne For Agamemnons sake my honor'd Master Exeunt SCEN. VII. Enter Orestes Pylades with naked rapiers Orest. MY Fury leaues me now I 'me at my last And now me thinks thou truely art a friend Now with vndaunted spirit preuent my griefe And let thy rapier drinke blood greedily As if it lou'd it cause it is thy friend Now rid me of my woe thy friendly vow Neuer did truely shew it selfe till now Pyl. Why then deare friend I thus erect this arme And will be strong to thee as thou to me Wee 'll looke vpon our deathes with better face Then others doe on life come Tyndarus see We scorne to liue when all our friends are dead Nor shall thy Fury make base famine be The executioner to my dearest friend Whilst I can kill him therefore spight of thee Wee 'll free our selues past all calamity Orest. Yes Pylades we will beguile our time And make him search through euery nooke a' th world If he in all his race can euer spie Two that like vs did liue like vs did die But we delay our death now brauely come And the last parting word shall be strike home they run at one another run again Pyl. O brauely strook deare friend yet once again Orst. Yes at one thrust two friends must not be slain O how I loue these wounds heauen dropping showers When the outragious dogge makes clouds of dust Vpon the thirsty earth come not more sweet Then the blest streames of blood thy rapier raines Hence weapon for my loynes now scorne all props But my friends armes O beare good leggs a while The weight of murder sits vpon my soule And bends my staggering ioynts vnto the earth Pyl. Haste haste I faint but O yet let my strength Be Atlas to sustaine the falling world Breath breath sweet vapours of two trusty hearts And let our breaths ascend to heauen before To make a roome hard by the frozen pole Where that our winged soules shall mount and sit More glorious then the Concubines of loue Wreath'd with a crowne of rich enamel'd starres Leauing all ages to deplore our death That friendships abstract perish with our breath Orest. Fly thou best part of man where Hecate Borne on the swarthy shoulders of the Euen Sits in a groue of oakes till gray eye'd morne Bids her to throw off nights blacke Canopie Pyl. Wil 't die before me Stay stay I come Orest. O graspe me then our names like Gemini Shall make new starres for to adorne the skie Is thy breath gone Pyl. O yes 't is almost past Then both together thus wee 'll breath our last They fall downe dead embracing each other SCEN. VIII. Enter in haste Tyndarus Lords with others Tynd. WEnt they this way my Lords you moue mee much Could I find him now I would seat him new In his right Kingdome which doth weigh downe mee 1 Lord I see my Lord Orestes and his friend Without your leaue haue made themselues an end Tynd. Then now is Argos Court like to some stage When the sad plot fills it with murdred Trunckes And none are left aliue but onely one To aske the kinde spectators plaudite All else haue bid valete to the world The man reseru'd for that is Tyndarus Who thus hath seen his childrens childrens end His Grandchild a bad sonne a most deare friend The Scene must now be ouerflow'd with grones Each man sits downe to waile his priuate mones One for the Queen doth weep one for the King All taste the bitter waters of this Spring The Nurse bewails the child that part she beares All haue their subiects to bedew with teares Each one yet haue but one but all of mee Challenge a part in griefes sad sympathy Orestes Clytemnstra I must call These all for mine thus must I weepe for all Let none belieue this deed or if they doe Let them belieue this punishment then too 'T is vile to hate a Father but such loue As breeds a hate to 'th mother worse doth proue Our life consists of ayre our state of winde All things we leaue behind vs which wee find Sauing our faults witnesse Orestes here VVho was his owne tormentor his owne feare VVho flying all yet could not fly him selfe But needs must shipwrack vpon murders shelfe And so his brest made hard with miserie He grew himselfe to be his enemy Thus griefe and gladnesse still by turnes do come But pleasure leastwhile doth possesse the roome Long nights of griefe may last but lo one day Of shining comfort slideth soone away He whom all feare on earth must feare a fate For all our powers are subordinate Three howres space thus well can represent Vices contriu'd and murders punishment A Monarchs life can in this little space Shew all the pompe that all the time doth grace His risings and his falls and in one span Of time can shew the vanity of man For none of vs can so command the powers That we may say to morrow shall be ours Now Fortunes wheele is turn'd and time doth call To solemnize this friendly funerall No force so great no so disaster wrong As can vnknit the bands which holdeth strong Vnited hearts who since they thus are dead One roome one tombe shall hold them buried And as these friends ioyn'd hands to beare their Fate So we desire you to imitate VVho since they all are dead we needs must craue Your gentle hands to bring them to their graue THE END