adulterye Haue wedlocke hurt LY. What is to Ioue to king is leefull thyng To Ioue thou gau'ste a wyfe thou shalt nowe geue one to a kyng And euen of thee shee shall it learne to bee a thing not newe Her husband euen approuing it the better man t' ensewe But if shee stubberne to be matcht with me deny it still Then euen by force a noble childe of her beget I will Meg. O Creons ghosts and all yee Gods of th house of Labdacus And wedding forches blasing bryght of wicked Oedipus To this my wedding geue yee nowe our wonted destenyes Now now yee bloudy daughters all of Aegypts king likewyse Bee here whose hands defyled are with so much bloud out spilt One daughter lacks of Danaus I wyll fyll vp the gylt Ly. Because that stubburnely thou do'st refuse my wedding so And fear'ste a king thou shalt know what the Scepters now may do Embrace thyne aulters yet no God shall euer take away Thee from my hands no not although with world vpturned may Alcides victor yet agayne to Gods aboue returne The woods on heapes together cast let all their temples burne Euen throwne vpon theyr heads his wyfe and all his flocke at laste With vnderlayed fyre let one wood pyle consume and waste AM. This only bowne I father of Alcides aske of thee Which well may me beseeme to craue that I fryst slayne may hes LY. Who all appoyncts with present death to haue their punishment He tyrunt wot not how to be more sundry greeues inuent Restrayne the wretched man from death commaunde that th' happy dye I while with beames prepar'de to burne the pyle encreaseth hye Will him with vowing sacrifyce that rules the seas entreate AM. Oh chiefest powre of Gods and oh of heauenly things so great The guyde and parent eke with whose throwne thunderbolts do shake All things humane throughout the world of king so cruell slake The wicked hande but why do I to Gods in vayne thus cry Where euer thou be heare me soone why start so sodaynely The temples thus with moouing shakte Why roareth out the graūd The noyse of Hell from bottome deepe byneathe hath made a sound Wee herde are loe it is the sound of Hercules his pace Chorus O Fortune hating men of stoutest brest How ill rewards dost thou to good deuyde Eurystheus raynes at home in easy rest Alcmendes sonne in euery battayle tryde To Monsters turnes hys hande that Skyes dyd stay And cruell Neckes cuts of of hydous Snake And Apples brynges from Systers mokt away When once to sleepe hys watchefull Eyes beetake Dyd Dragon set ryche fruicte to ouersee Hee past the Scythian bowres that straye abroade And those that in their countreys straungers bee And hardned top of frosen freate hee troade And sylent Sea with bankes full dumme about The Waters hard want there their floudes to sloe And there before the Shyps full Sayles spred out Is worne a pathe for Sarmates wylde to goe The Sea doth stande to mooue in course agayne Nowe apt to beare the Ship nowe horsemen bolde The Queene that there doth ouer Wydowes rayne That gyrds her Wombe wyth gyrth of glittring gold Her noble spoyle from body drawne hath shee And shyelde and bandes of breast as whyte as snowe Acknowledging the Conquerour with Knee Wyth what hope drawne to headlong Hell alowe So bolde to passe the vnreturned wayes Saw'ste thou Proserpines rayne of Sicylye Wyth Southern wynde or Western there no seas Aryse wyth waue and swellinge Surges hye Not there of Tyndars stocke the double broode Two starres the fearefull Shyps doe ayde and guide Wyth gulph full blacke doth stande the slouthfull floode And when pale death with greedy teeth so wyde Vnnumbred Nations hath sent downe to sprightes Wyth one Boateman all ouer feryed bee God graunt thou maist of Hell subdue the rightes And vnreuoked webs of Systers three There kyng of many people raygneth hee Who when thou did'st wyth Nestors Pylos fight Pestiferous handes applide to matche with thee And weapon bare with triple mace of might And prickt with litle wounde he fled away And lorde of death hymselfe did feare to dye Breake Fate by force and let the sight of day To sorry sprightes of Hell apparant lye And porche vnpast shew way to Gods aboue The cruell lordes of sprightes wyth pleasaunt song And humble bowne full well could Orpheus moue Whyle he Eurydicen them craues among The Arte that drew Woods Byrds and stones at will Which made delay to Floudes of flitting flight At sound whereof the sauage Beastes stoode still With tunes vnwont doth Ghosts of hell delight And clearer doth resounde in darker place And weepe wyth teares did Gods of cruell brest And they which faultes with to seuere a face Doe seeke and former gylt of Ghosts out wrest The Thracian Daughters wayls Eurydicen For her the Iudges weeping sit also Wee conquer'de are chy efe kyng of death sayd then To Gods but vnder this condition goe Behynde thy husbandes backe keepe thou thy way Looke thou not backe thy Wyfe before to see Than thee to sight of Gods hath brought the day And gate of Spartane Taenare present bee Loue hates delay nor coulde abyde so long His gyft hee lost while hee desires the syght The place that coulde be thus subdew'de with song That place may soone bee ouercome by myght THE THYRDE ACTE Hercules O Comfortable guyde of light and honour of the skye That cōpasting both Hemyspheres with flaming chariot hye Thy radiāt head to ioyful lāds about the world dost bring Thou Phoebus pardon geue to me if any vnlawful thing Thyne eyes haue seene cōmaūded I haue here to light out set The secretes of the worlde and thou of heauen to guider gret And parent eke in flashe out throwne of lightning hide thy fyght And thou that gouernest the seas with seconde sceptors syght To bottome synke of deepest waues who so from hye doth see And dreading yet with countnaunce newe the earth desil'de to bee Let him from hence turne backe his sight and face to heauen vpholde These monstrous sights to shun let twayn this mischiefe great behold Hee who it brought and shee that bad for paynefull toyles to mee And laboures long not all the earth thought wide inough may bee For Iunoes hate things vncome to all men I did see Vnknowne to soone and spaces wyde that darke and shadefull bee Which woorser poale geues dyrer Ioue to raygne and rule therein And yet if thyrde place pleased more for mee to enter in I there coulde raygne the Chaos of eternall nyght of hell And woorse then night the dolefull Gods I haue that there doe dwell And Fates subdu'de the death contemn'de I am return'de to light What yet remaynes I sawe and show'de the spryghts of hell to sight Appoynt if ought be moe do'ste thou my hands so long permit Iuno to ceasse what thing byd'st thou to be subdued yet But why doe cruell souldiars holde the holy temples wyde And dread of armour sacred porche
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
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
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
father kingdome house that dearer is to mee The hate of thee the which to me with people for to be In commune woe I am how great is myne alonly part Rule on ful proude beare vp ful hye thy sprites and haughty hart Yet God the proude behynd theyr backes doth follow them to wreake I know the Thebane kingdomes what should I the mothers speake Both suffring and aduentring gyltes what double mischiefe done And mixed name of spouse at once of father and of sonne What brether as double tentes or what as many roages also The mother proude of Tantals brood congeald in mourning Ice And sory stone yet flowes with teares in Phrygian Sipylye Himselfe like wyse erected vp his sealed heade awrye Euen Cadmus measuring throughout th' Illyrian landes in flight Behynd him left of body drawne long slymy markes in sight All these examples wayte for thee rule thou as likes thy will Whyle thee our kingdomes wonted fates do call and oft hap yll Ly. God to these fierce and furious wordes thou woman mad refraine And imperyes of princes learne of Hercles to sustayne Though I the scepters gotten by the force of war do beare In conquering hand all do rule without the law his feare Which armes subdue a few wordes yet to thee now speake I shall For this my cause thy father did in bloudy battel fall Thy brethren fell the weapons kepe no measurable stay For neither easily tempred be nor yet repressed may The drawne swordes yre the battels doth the bloud delite out shedde But he yet for his kingdome fought wee altogether led With wicked lust yet th' end of war is now complayned loe And not the cause but now let all remembraunce therof goe When conquerour hath weapons left the conquerds part should be To leaue his hates Not I that thou with lowly bended knee Mee raygning worship should'st require euen this doth mee delight That thou thy myseries do'st beare with mynde so stout vpright Thou for a king a spouse art meete let 's ioyne our beds anone ME. A trembling colde doth run throughout my bloudles lims ech one What hainous thinge comes to myne eares I fear'de not then at all When all peace broake the noyse of warre did by the city wall Resounde about I bare all that vnfearefully to see I feare the wedding chambers nowe I captiue seeme to mee Let heauy chaynes my body greeue and eke with hunger long Let lingring death be slowly brought yet shall no force full strong My truthe subdue for euen thine owne Alcides will I dye LY. Doth then thy husband droun'de in hell geue thee this stomack hic ME. The hells alowe he toucht that he the height againe might get LY. The heauy paise oppresseth him of all the earth full great ME. Hee with no burdein shall be prest that heauen it selfe sustayn'de LY. Thou shalt be forst ME. He wots not how to die that is cōstrain'd LY. Speake what may rather I prepare then wedding newe for thee More royall gyft ME. Thine owne death els or els the death of mee LY. Thou shalt mad woman die ME. I shall then to my husbande go LY. More then my Sceptors is to thee a seruaunt loued so ME. How many hath this seruant slayne of kings with hendy stroake LY. Why doth he yet a king then serue and still sustayne his yoake ME. Take once away the hard behests what 's vertue then at last LY. Do'st thou it vertue counte to bee to beasts and monsters cast ME. T' is vertues part to tame the things that all men quake to know LY. Him great things braggīg darknes deepe of tartare presse ful low ME. There neuer may from ground to stars an easy passage be LY. Of whom begot the housen then of Gods through pearceth he AM. O wretched wife of Hercles great thy words a whyle now spare My parte it is the father of Alcides to declare And his true stocke yet after all of man so stoute as this So famous deebes and after all appeas'de with hand of his What euer Titan rysen vp doth see or els at fall And after all these monsters tam'de and Phlegrey sprinkled all With wicked bloud and after Gods defended all on hye Is not his father yet well knowne or Ioue doe we beelye Beleeue it yet by Iunoes hate LY. Why do'ste thou sclaunder Ioue No mortall kinred euer may be mixt with heauen aboue AM. To many of the Gods in skyes is this a common trade LY. But were they euer seruauntes yet before they Gods were made AM. Of Delos I le the sheepherde loe the flocks of Pherey fed LY. But through all coasts he wandred not abroade as banished AM. Whō straying mother first brought forth wādring loud to sight LY. Yet Phoebus did no monsters feare or beasts of cruell might AM. First Dragon with his bloud embrew'd the shalts of Phoebus lo Howe greeuous ills euen yet full yong he bare doe you not knoe From mothers wombe the babe out thrown with lightning flame frō hie Euen next his lightning Father stoode forthwith aboue in skye What he him selfe that guides the starres shakes the clouds at will Did not that Infant lurke in Den of hollowe caued hill The byrthes so great full troublous pryce to haue loe alwayes ought And euer to be borne a God with coste full great is bought LY. Whom thou a miser see'st thou mai'st know him a man to bee AM. A miser him deny yee may whom stout of heart yee see LY. Call we him stout from shoulders hye of whom the Lyon throwne A gift for mayden made and eke his Club from hand fell downe And paynted side with purple weede did shyne that he did weare Or may we him call stout of heart whose staring lockes of heare With ointmēt slowde who hands renownde knowne by prayses hye To sound vnmeete for any man of timber did applye With barbarous mytar cloasting in his forhead rounde about AM. The tender Bacchus did not blushe abroade to haue layde out His brayded heares nor yet with hand full soft the Thyrsus light For to haue shooke what time that he with pace vnstout in sight His long train'de batbarous garment drew with golde full fayre to see Still vertue after many workes is woont releast to bee LY. Of this the house of Euritus destroyde doth witnesse beare And virgins flockes that brutishly by him oppressed weare No Iuno did commaunde him this nor none Eurystheus loe But these in deede his owne workes are AM. Yet all yee doe not knoe His worke it is with weapons of his owne hand vanquished Both Eryx and to Eryx ioyn'de Antaeus Lybian ded And aulters which with slaughter of the straungers flowing fast Busyris well deserued bloud likewise haue drunke at last His deede it is that he that met the wounde and sworde is slayne Constrain'de to suffre death before those other Geryons twayne Nor ene all onely Geryon doth with one hand conquer'de lye Thou shalt among these be which yet with none
kingdomes place Is he himselfe the lorde thereof the sight of whom doth feare What euer thing is fear'de AM. Is fame in this poynet true that there Such rygours are and gilty Ghosts of men that there remayne Forgetfull of theyr former faulte haue their deserued payne Who is the rector there of ryght and iudge of equity TH. Not onely one extorter out of faultes in seate set hye The iudgements late to trembling soules doth there by lot awarde In one appoyncted iudgement place is Gnossian Minos harde And in an other Radamanthe this crime doth Aeac heare What eche man once hath done he feeles and guilt to th' author the are Returnes and th' hurtfull with their owne example punisht bee The bloudy cruell captaynes I in pryson shee did see And backe of tyrant impotent euen with his peoples hande All torne and cut what man of might with fauour leades his lande And of his owne lyfe lorde reserues his hurtlesse handes to good And gently doth his empyre guide without the thyrst of blood And spares his soule he hauing long led forth the lingring dayes Of happy age at length to heauen doth eyther finde the wayes Or ioyfull happy places ells of fayre Elysius woode Thou then that here must be a iudge abstayne from man his bloode Who so thou be that raygnest kyng our gyltes are there acquit In greater wyse AM. Doth any place preseript of lymite shit The gylty Ghosts and as the fame reportes doth cruell payne The wicked men make tame that in eternall bondes remayne TH. Ixion roll'de on whyrling wheele is tost and turned hye Vpon the necke of Sisyphus the mighty stone doth lye Amyd the lake with thyrsty Iawes olde Tantalus therein Pursues the waues the water streame doth wet and washe his chin And when to him nowe ofte deceyu'de it doth yet promise make Straight flits the floud the fruicte at mouth his famyne doth forsake Eternall foode to fleeing foule doth Tytius hart geue still And Danaus daughters doe in vayne theyr water vessells fill The wicked Cadmus daughters all goe raging euery way And there doth greedy rauening byrde the Phiney tables fray AM. Nowe of my sonne declare to me the noble worthy fight Brings he his willing vnckles gyft or Plutocs spoyles to sight TH. A dyre and dredfull stone there is the slouthfull foordes fast bye Where sluggish freat with waue aston'd full dull and slowe doth lye This lake a dredfull fellow keepes both of attire and sight And quaking Ghosts doth ouer beare and aged vgly wyght His Bearde vnkempt his bosome foule deform'de in filthy wyse A knot byndes in full lothesome stand in head his hollowe eyes He Feary man doth steare about his Boate with his long Ore He driuing nowe his lightned Ship of burden towarde the Shore Repayres to waues and then his way Alcides doth requyre The flocke of Ghosts all geuing place alowde cryes Charon dyre What way attemptest thou so bolde thy hastening pace here stay But Nathales Alcmenaes sonne abyding no delay Euen with his owne poale bet he dothe full tame the shipman make And clymes the ship the barke that coulde full many peoples take Did yelde to one he sat the boate more heauy like to breake Whith shyuering ioyntes on eyther syde the lethey floud doth leake Then tremble all the monsters huge the Centaures fierce of myght And Lapithes kindled with much wyne to warres and bloudy fight The lowest Chanelles seeking out of Stygian poole a downe His Lerney labour sore affright his fertile heads doth drowne Of greedy Ditis after this doth then the house appere The fierce and cruell Stygian dogge doth fray the spirites there The which with great and roaring sounde his heads vpshaking three The kingdome keepes his vgly head with filth full foule to see The serpentes licke his hayres be fowle with vypers set among And at his crooked wrested tayle doth hysse a Dragon longe Lyke yre to shape when him he wyst his pace that way to take His bristle hayres he lifteth vp with fierce vp bended snake And sounde sent out he soone perceyues in his applyed eare Who euen the sprits is wont to sent as soone as stoode more neare The sonne of loue the doubtfull dogge strait couched downe in denne And eche of them did feare beholde with dolefull barking then The places dumme he makes a dred the threatning serpent stout Through all the fieldes about doth hysse the bawling noyse sent out Of dredfull voyce from triple mouth euen sprits that happy bee Doth make afrayde from left side then strayte way vndoeth hee The cruell Iawes and Lyons head once slayne in Cleon fielde Agaynst him sets and couer doth himselfe with mighty shielde And bearing in his conquering hande a sturdy club of Oke Nowe here now there he rolleth him about with often stroke His stripes he doubles he subdew'de his threates asswaged all And all his heads the weary dogge at once full lowe let fall And quite out of the denn he fled full greatly feared set In regall throne both king and queene and bad him to bee fet And me likewyse they gaue for gyft to Hercles crauing mee The monsters heauy neckes with hand then stroaking downe all three In lynked chayne he byndeth faste forgetting then his strength The dogge the watchefull keeper of the kingdome darke at length Layth downe his eares full sore affray'de and suffring to be led And eke acknowledging his lorde following wyth lowly hed With tayle that snakes theron doth beare he both his sides doth smight But after that to Taenare mouth we came and clearenes bright Had strooke his eyes of light vnknowne good stomacke yet agayne He takes although once ouercome and now the happy chayne He raging shakes he had almost his leader pluckt from place And headlong backward drawne to hell and moued from his pace And euen to my handes Hercles then his eyes did backward cast Wee both with double ioyned strength the dogge out drawne at last For anger woode and battells yet attempting all in vayne Brought vp to world as soone as he the cleere ayre sawe agayne And spaces pure of bryght fayre poale had once behelde with eye The nyght arose his sight to ground he turned by and by Cast downe his eyes and hatefull day forthwith he put to flight And backward turnd away his looke and streight with all his might To th' earthe he falles and vnderneath the shade of Hercles then He hyd his head therewith there came a great resorte of men With clamour glad that did the bay about theyr forheads bryng And of the noble Hercules deserued prayses sing Chorus EVrystheus borne with swiftned birth in hast Did bid to bottome of the Worlde to go This onely lackt of labours all at last To spoyle the Kyng of thyrde estate also The dongeons darke to enter ventred hee Where as the way to sprits farre of doth bring Full sadde and woode so blacke and fear'de to bee But full with flocke full great him following As great a
preasse as flocke in cyties streetes To see the Playes of Theatre newe wrought As great as at Eléus thundrer meetcs When Sommer fift the sacred game hath brought As great as when comes houre of longer night And willing quiet sleepes to bee extent Holdes equall Libra Phoebus Chariots light A sorte the secrete Ceres doe frequent And from theyr howsen left doe hast to comme The Atticke priestes the nyghte to celebrate Such heape is chaste beneath by fieldes so dumme With age full slowe some taking forth their gate Full sad and fillde with life so long now led Some yet doe runne the race of better yeares The virgins yet vnioynde to Spowses bed And yonglings eke on whom grow yet no heares And Infant lately taught his mothers name To these alone that they the lesse might feare Is graunted night to ease with foreborne flame The rest full sad by darke doe wander theare As is our mynde when once away is fled The lyght when eche man sorry feeles to bee Deepe ouer whelmde with all the earth his hed Thick Chaos standes and darknesse fowle to see And colour ill of night and slouthfull state Of silent World and diuers Cloudes about Let hoary age vs thyther bring full late No man comes late to that whence neuer out When once hee is come turne agayne he may To hast the hard and heauy Fate what vayles This wandring heape in wyde landes farre away Shall goe to Ghosts and all shall geue their sayles To slowe Cocytus all is to thee enclinde Both what the fall and rise of sonne doth see Spare vs that comme to thee wee death are signde Though thou be slow our selues yet haste doe wee Fyrst houre that gaue the lyfe it loast agayne TO Thebes is come the ioyfull day Your Aulters touch yee humbylly The fat fayre Sacrifices slay Maydes myxte with men in cumpany Let them in solempne Flockes goe royle And nowe wyth yoake layde downe let câ—ase The Iillers of the fertile Soyle Made is wyth hande of Hercles peace Betweene the morne and Hespers Glade And where Sonne holding myddle seate Doth make the Bodyes caste no Shade What euer grounde is ouerweate Wyth compasse longe of Seas abought Alcydes laboure taemde full well Hee ouer foordes of Tartare brought Returnde appeased beeinge Hell There is remayning nowe no feare Nought lyes beyonde the Hell to see O Priest thy staring Lockes of heare Wrappe in wyth loued Poplar tree THE FOVRTHE ACTE Hercules Theseus Amphitryon Megara WIth my reueÌ„ging right haÌ„d slayne now Lycus loe the grouÌ„d With groueling face hath smit theÌ„ who soeuer fellow fouÌ„d Of Tyraunt was partaker of his paynes did also lye Nowe to my father sacrifice and Gods victor will I And aulters that deserue it with slayne offrings reuerence Thee thee O mate of all my toyles I pray and my defence O warrefull Pallas in whose left hand thy cleare shielde Aegis shakes Fierce threats whead that eche thing stone that looke vpon it makes Let tamer of Lycurgus nowe and of red Sea be heare That poynct of speare with Iuye greene in hand doth couer'de beare And two Gods powre doth Phoebus and his Syster to I pray The sister meeter for her shaftes but hee on th' harpe to play And what soâ—uer brother ells of myne doth dwell in sky Not of my stepdame brother bring yee hyther by and by Your plentuous flocks what euer haue all th' Indians fruicts brought out And what sweete odours th' Arabickes doe get in trees about To th' aulters bring let vapour fat and fume smoke vp full hye Let rounde about the Poplar tree my hayres now beautifye Let th' oliue bowe thee hyde with braunche accustom'de in our lande Theseu for foorthwith reuerence the thundrer shall my hande TH. O Gods the builders of the towne and which of Dragon fell The wilde woods vens and noble waues likewise of Dirces well And Tyrian house enhabite eke of straunger wandring king HE. Cast into fyres the frankencense AM. Sonne fyrst thy hands flowing With bloudy slaughter and the death of enmy purify HE. Would God the bloud of hatefull head euen vnto Gods on hye I might out shed for lycour loe more acceptable none Myght th' aulters stayne nor sacrifice more ample any one Nor yet more plentyfull may bee to Ioue aboue downe cast Then king vniust AM. Desyre that now thy father ende at last Thy labours all let quietnes at length yet gieuen bee And rest to weary folke HE. I will thee prayers make for mee And Ioue ful meete in this due place let stand the haughty skye And land and ayre and let the starres dryue forth eternally Their course vnstayde let restful peace kepe nations quietly Let labour of the hurtles land all yron now occupye And swordes lye hyd let tempest none ful vyolent and dyre Disturbe the sea let from the skyes no flash of lightning fyre Fall downe whyle Ioue ful angry is nor yet with winter snowe Encreased flood the ground vpturnde and field quyte ouerthrowe Let poysons cease and from hensforth let vp from ground aryse No greeuous hearbe with hurtful sappe nor fierce and fell lykewyse Let tyrantes raygne but if to sight some other mischiefe bringe The ground yet shall let it make hast and any monstruous thinge It it prepare let it be myne but what meanes this myd day The darkenes haue incloas'd aboute lo Phoebus goeth his way With face obscure without a clowde who dryues the day to flight And turnes to east from whence doth now his dusky hed the night Vnknowne bring forth whence fil the poale so many rownde about Of daytyme starres lo here behold my laboure first ful stout Not in the lowest parte of heauen the Lyon shyneth bryght And feruently doth rage with yre and byttes prepares to fyght Euen now loe he some star wil take with mouth full wyde to see He threatning standes and fires out blowes and mane vp rustleth he Shaking with necke the haruest sad of shape what euer thinge And what soeuer winter colde in frosen tyme doth bring He with one rage wil ouerpasse or spring tyme bull he will Both seeke and breake the neckes at once Am. what is this sodayne ylle Thy cruel count'naunce whether sonne dost thou cast here and there And seest with troubled daseld syght false shape of heauen appere Her The land is tam'de the swelling feas their surges did asswage The kingdomes lowe of hell lykewyse haue felt and knowne my rage Yet heauen is free a labour meete for Hercules to proue To spaces high I wil be borne of haughty skies aboue Let th' ayre be skaeld my father doth me promise starres t' obtayne What if he it denyde all th' earth can Hercles not contayne And geeues at length to gods me calles of one accorde beholde The whole assembly of the gods and doth their gates vnfolde Whyle one forbyddes receyu'st thou mee and openest thou the skye Or els the gate of stubburne heauen draw after me do I Do I yet doubt I euen the bondes from
alas is quight consumde her fauor sweete doth faynt Nor ruddy sanguine purple deye her cherry checkes doth paynt Wyth greedy gripes of gnawing griefe her pinched limmes doe pyne Her foltring legs doe stagger now the glosse of beauty tyne In body Alabaster bright is shronke away and wast Those Cristall Eyes that wonted were resemblance cleare to cast Of radiant Phoebus gold arayes now nothing gentry shyne Nor beare a sparke of Phoebus bright her fathers beams deuyne The trickling teares tril down her chekes dew dampish dropping still Doth wet her warrye plantes as on the toppe of Taurus hill The warry snowes with lukewarme shoures to moisture turnd do drop But lo the Princes pallace is set open in the top She lying downe vpon her golden bed of high estate Hurles of hir wonted royal robes which wounded hart doth hate Ph. Maydes haue our purple garmentes hence vestures wrought with gold These crimsō robes of scarlet red let not myne eyes behold And damaske weedes wheron the Seres embraudet braunches braue Whose Silken substaunce gatherd of their trees aloofe they haue My bosome shal be swadled in with cuttied gaberdine No golden coller on my necke nor Indian iewels fyne The precious pearles so whyte shal hang no more now at myne eares Nor sweete perfumes of Siria shal poulder more my heares My flaryng ruffled lockes shal dagling hang my necke aboute And shoulder poyntes then then apace it shattring in and out Let wyndes euen blow it where it list in left hand wil I take A quiuer of shaftes and in my right a Boorespere wil I shake To cruell child Hippolitus such one his mother was As fleeting from the frosen Seas those countrey costes did passe And draue her hierdes that bet with trampling feete Th' Athenian soyle Or like the trull of Tanais Or like her wil I toyle Of Meotis that on a knot wounde vp her crispen lockes Thus wil I trot with moone like targe among the wodes and rockes Nu. Leaue of thy bitter languishing vnto the sille sort That walter thus in waues of woe griefe giues not testing port Is any measure to be found in thy tormenting fire Some grace at wyld Dianaes hand with sacrifyce require O Goddesse greate of Woods in hilles that onely setst thy throne And Goddes that of the craggy clyues at worshipped alone Thy wrathful threatninges on vs all now turne to better plight O Goddesse that in forrestes wyld and groues obtaynest might O shyning lampe of heauen and thou the Diamon of the Night O threefold shapen Heccate that on the world his face Dost render light with torch by turnes vouchsafe to graūt thy grace To further this our enterprise and helpe our piteous case O mollify Hippolytus his stubborne hardned hart And let him learne the pangues of loue and tast like bitter smart And yeeld his light allured eares entreate his brutish breast And chaunge his mynd in Venus boundes compel him once to rest So froward and vntoward now so crabbed curst and mad So shalt thou be with blandishing and smyling countnaunce clad Thy shimering clowde cleane fading hence then brightly shalt thou bear And glisteryng hornes then whyle by night vpon the whirling sphere Thy cloudy heeled steedes thou guydes the raging witches charme Of Thessal shal not draw thee from the heauens nor do thy harme No Shepherd purchase shal renoume Thou comst at our request Now fauour dost thou graunt vnto the prayers of our Breast I do espye him worshipping the solemne Sacrifyce Both place and tyme conuenient by Fortune doth arise We must go craftely to worke for feare we quaking stand Ful hard it is the buysy charge of guylt to take in hand But who of Princes standes in awe let him defye all right Cast of the care of honesty from mind exiled quight A man vnfit is for the hest of King a bashful wight Hip. O Nurse how chaūce thy limping limmes do crepe into this place With blubbred Cheekes leaden lookes with sad and mourning face Doth yet my Father Theseus with health enioy his life Doth Phaedra yet enioy her health my stepdam and his wyfe Nu. Forgoe these feares and gently come thy blessed hap to take For care constrayneth me to mourne with sorrow for thy sake That hurtfully thou looudes thy selfe with pangues of plūging payne Let him rubbe on in misery whom destny doth constrayne But if that any yeld himselfe to waues of wilful woe And doth torment himselfe deserues his weale for to forgoe The which he knowes not how to vse tush be not so demure Consideryng how thy yeares do runne take part of sport and play Let mirry Bacchus cause thee cast these clogging cares away And reape the frutte of sweete delyght belonging to thy yeares For lusty youth with speedy foote ful fast away it weares Earst tender loue earst Venus feedes the young mannes appetite Be blyth my Boy why Widow like liest thou alone by night Shake of thy sollem sadnesse man that harty youth doth spill Huff royst it out couragiously take bridle at thy will Let not the flowre of plooming yeares all fruitles fade away God poynteth euery tyme his taske and leades in dus aray Each age by order lust as mirth the sappy youthfull yeares A forehed frayte with grauity becommeth hoary hayres Why dust thou bridle thus thy selfe and dulles thy pregnant wit The corne that did but lately sproute aboue the ground if it Be rancke of roote yet in the luske with enterest at large Vnto the hoping husbandman shall trauel all discharge With braunched bough aboue the Wood the tree shall raise his top Whom rusty hand of canckred hate did neuer spill nor lop The pregnant Wittes are euermore more prone to purchase prayse If noble heartes by freedome franckt be nourisht from decayes Thou churlish countrey Clowne Hodgelike not knowing Courtly life Delight in drousy doting youth without a louing wyfe Dost thou suppose that to this end Dame Nature did vs frame To suffer hardnes in this world and to abyde the same With courses and kerereyes fet the prauncing Steedes to tame Or bicker els with battails fierce and broyls of bloudy warre That soueraygne Syre of heauen and earth when fates do vs detarre With signes and plagues prognosticate prouided hath with heede For to repayre the damage done with new begotten seede Go to let bedding in the world be vsed once no more That stil mankind from age to age vpholdes and doth restore The filthy world deformd would lie in yrksome vgly stay No flotting ships on wambling Seas should hoysted Sayles display No Foule should skoare in azur Skie ne Beast to woods repayre And onely whisking windes should whirle amid the empty ayre What diuers dreery deathes driue one mankind to dumpish graue The Seas the sword and trayterous traynes whole countries wasted have Yet for to limit forth our league there is no destny thincke So downe to blackefast Stigian dampes we of our selues do sincke Let youth that neuer felt the ioyes in
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
alas to set thine heart at rest Not thou if God him selfe if he his flaming fiers should throw On thee or mischiefs all by heapes vpon thy body strow Couldst once for thy deserued ills due paines or vengeaunce pay Some meanes therefore to wreak Gods wrath vpon thy selfe assay Death death now best contenteth mee then seeke a way to dye So maist thou yet at length finde end for all thy misery O Son lend mee thy hand sith that thou art a Paracyde This labour last of all remaynes this labour thee doth byde Dispatch rid mee thy mother deare from all my deadly woe It will not be no prayers auaile Thy selfe this deede must doe Take vp this sword Goe to with this thy husbande late was slayne Husband thou term'st him false hee was thy syer O deadly payne Shal I quight through my brest it driue or through my throte it thrust Canst thou not choose thy wound away die die alas thou must This hateful womb then woūd O wretch this this with thine own hand Strike strike it hard O spare it not sith both a husband and The same a Son it bare CHOR. Alas alas shee is slaine she is slayne dispatched with a push Who euer sawe the like to this see how the bloud doth gush O heauy doulfull case who can this dyrefull sight enduer Which for the hideousnesse thereof might teares of stones procuer OED. Thou God thou teller out of Fates On thee on thee I call My Father onely I did owe vnto the Destnies all Now twise a Paracide and worse than I did feare to bee My Mother I haue slayne Alas the fault is all in mee O OEdipus accursed wretch lament thine owne Calamity Lament thy state thy griefe lament thou Caitife borne to misery Where wilt thou now become alas thy Face where wilt thou hyde O myserable Slaue canst thou such shamefull tormentes byde Canst thou which hast thy Parents slain Canst thou prolong thy life Wilt thou not dye deseruing Death thou cause of all the griefe And Plagues and dreadfull mischiefs all that Thebane City prease Why dost thou seeke by longer life thy sorrowes to encrease Why dost thou toyle and labour thus in vayne It will not bee Both God and man and beast and all abhorre thy Face to see O Earth why gapst thou not for why doe you not vnfolde You gates of hell mee to receaue why doe you hence withholde The fierce Infernall Feends from me from me so wretched wight Why breake not all the Furyes lose this hatefull head to smight With Plagues which them deserued hath alas I am left alone Both light and sight and comfort all from mee O wretch is gone O cursed head O wicked wight whom all men deadly hate O Beast what meanst thou still to liue in this vnhappy state The Skies doe blush and are ashamd at these thy mischiefes great The Earth laments the Heauens weepe the Seas for rage doe freat And blustring rise and stormes doe stir and all thou wretch for thee By whose incest and bloudy deedes all things disturbed bee Quight out of course displaced quight O cursed fatall day O mischiefes great O dreadfull times O wretch away away Exile thy selfe from all mens sight thy life halfe spent in misery Goe end consume it now outright in thrise as great calamity O lying Phoebe thine Oracles my sin and shame surmount My Mothers death amongst my deedes thou neuer didst recount A meete Exploict for me that am to Nature deadly Foe With trembling fearefull pace goe forth thou wretched monster goe Grope out thy wayes on knees in darke thou miserable Slaue So maist thou yet in tract of time due paynes and vengeaunce haue For thy mischeuous lyfe Thus thus the Gods themselues decree Thus thus thy Fates thus thus the skyes appoint it for to bee Then headlong hence with a mischiefe hence thou caitife vyle away Away away thou monstrous Beast Goe Run Stand stay Least on thy Mother thou doe fall All you that wearyed bodies haue with sickenesse ouerprest Loe now I fly I fly away the cause of your vnrest Lift vp your heads a better state of Ayre shall strayght ensewe Whan I am gone for whom alone these dreadfull myschiefs grewe And you that now halfe dead yet liue in wretched misers case Help those whō present torments presse forth hye you on apace For loe with me I cary hence all mischiefes vnder Skyes All cruell Fates Diseases all that for my sake did ryse With mee they goe with me both griefe Plague Pocks Botch all The ills that eyther now you presse or euer after shall With me they goe with me these Mates bin meetst of all for mee Who am the most vnhappiest wretch that euer Sun did see FINIS THE SIXTE TRAGEDIE OF THE MOST GRAVE prudēt Author LVCIVS ANNAEVS SENECA entituled TROAS vvith diuers and sundrye Additions to the same by IASPER HEYVVOOD To the Reader ALTHOVGH GENTLE Reader thou mayst perhaps thinke mee arrogant for that I onely among so many fine wittes and towardly youth with which Englād this day florisheth haue enterprised to set forth in english this present piece of the flowre of all writers Seneca as who say not fearing what grauer heads might iudge of me in attempting so hard a thing yet vpon well pondering what next ensueth I trust both thy selfe shalt cleare thine owne suspicion and thy chaunged opinion shal iudge of me more rightfull sentence For neither haue I taken this worke first in hand as once entending it should come to light of well doynge wherof I vtterly dispayred and beynge done but for myne owne priuate exercise I am in myne opinion herein blameles thoughe I haue to proue my selfe priuately taken the part which pleased me best of so excellent an author for better is tyme spent in the best then other and at first to attempt the hardest writers shall make a mā more prompt to translate the easier with more facility But now since by request frēdship of those to whom I could denye nothinge this worke agaynst my will extorted is out of my hands I needes must craue thy pacience in reading and facility of iudgement when thou shalt apparantly se my witles lacke of learning prayng thee to consider how hard a thing it is for mee to touch at ful in all poynts the authors mynd beyng in many places verye harde and doubtfull and the worke much corrupt by the default of euil printed Bookes and also how farre aboue my power to keepe that Grace and maiestye of stile that Seneca doth when both so excellent a writer hath past the reach of all imitation and also this our English toung as many thinke and I here fynd is farre vnable to compare with the Latten but thou good Reader if I in any place haue swerued from the true sence or not kept the roialty of speach meete for a Tragedie impute the one to my youth and lacke of iudgement the other to my lacke of Eloquence Now as
twayne With whom Latona traueling did grone with pynching payne O Hydra whom in Lerna poole Alcides gaue the foyle And all the noysome vermen vyle that Hercules did spoyle Which when on sunder they were cut with slysing deadly knyfe Can knit agayne their sodred partes and so recouer lyfe Help wakefull Dragon Argos whom first magicke wordes of myne Made Morpheus locke thy sleepy liddes and shut thy slugring eyne Then hauing brought aboue the ground of Serpents all the rout Of filthy weedes the ranckest bane shee pyckes and gathers out That spryng on knotty Eryx hill where passage none is founde Among the ragged Rockes or what on Caucasus his grounde Doth grow that still is clad in Coate of hoary moary frost That euermore vnmelt abydes whose spattred fylde is soste With gubbs of bloud that spowteth from Prometheus gaping maw Whose guts with twitching talent out the gastly gripe doth draw Or any other venemous herbe amonge the Medes that growes That with their sheafe of arowes sharp in field do scare their foes Or what the light held Parthian to serue her turne can sende Or els the rych Arabians that dyp theyr arrowes ende In poyson strong the iuyce of all Medea out doth wrynge That vnderneath the frosen poale in Svveuia land doth sprynge Whose noble state Hircinus woode doth high enhaunce and reare Or what the pleasaunte soyle doth yeelde in pryme of smiling veare When nature byddes the byrd begin her shrowding nest to builde Or when the churlyshe Boreas blast sharpe winter hath exilde The trym aray of braunche and bough to cloth the naked tree And euery thinge with bitter coulde of Snowe congealed bee In any pestilent flower on stalke of any hearbe doth growe Or noysome iuyce doth lye in rotten wrythen rootes alowe Hath any force in breading bane those takes shee in her hande Some plaugy hearbes did Athos yeelde that mount of Thessayle lande And other Pindus roches hye and some vppon the top Of Pingeus but tender twigges the cruell Sythe did lop These Tigris ryuer norisht vp that choakes his whyrlpoale deepe With stronger streame Danubius those in fostring waue did keepe Those did Hidaspus mynister who by the parching zone With lukewarme siluer channell runnes so rych with precious stone And Bethis sonne who gaue the name vnto his countrey great And with his shallowe foarde agaynst the Spanyshe seas doth beat This hearbe aboade the edge of knyfe in dawning of the day Ere Phoebus Face gan peepe bedect with glittring goulden spray His slender stalke was suepped of in deepe of silent nyght His corne was cropt whyle she with charme her poysned nayles did dight Shee chops the deadly hearbes wrings the squesed clottered bloud Of Serpentes out and filthy byrdes of irkesome miry mud She tempers with the same and eake she brayes the heart of Owle Foreshewing death with glaring Eyes and moaping Vysage foule Of shryke Owle hoarce alyue she takes the durty stinking guts All these the framer of this feate in dyuers percels puts This hath in it deuouring force of greedy spoyling flame The frosen ysle dulling coulde engenders by the same Shee chauntes on those the magicke verse that workes no lesser harme With bustling frantickely shee stampes and ceaseth not to charme MEDEA O Flittring Flockes of grisly ghostes that sit in silent seat O ougsome Bugges O Gobblins grym of Hell I you intreat O lowryng Chaos dungeon blynde and dreadfull darkned pit Where Ditis muffled vp in Clowdes of blackest shades doth sit O wretched wofull wawling soules your ayde I doe implore That linked lye with gingling Chaynes on wayling Limbo shore O mossy Den where death doth couche his gastly carrayne Face Relesse your pangues O spryghts and to this wedding hye apace Cause yee the snaggy wheele to pawse that rentes the Carkas bound Permit Ixions racked Lymmes to rest vpon the ground Let hungry bytten Tantalus wyth gawnt and pyned panche Soupe vp Pirenes gulped streame his swelling thyrst to staunche Let burning Creon byde the brunt aud gyrdes of greater payne Let payse of slyppery slyding stone type ouer backe agayne His moylyng Father Sisyphus amonges the craggy Rockes Yee daughters dyre of Danaus whom perced Pychers morckes So oft with labour lost in vayne this day doth long for you That in your lyfe with bloudy blade at once your husband slewe And thou whose aares I honored haue O torch and lampe of night Approche O Lady myne with most deformed vysage dight O three folde shapē Dame that knitst more threatning browes then one According to the countrey guise with dagling locks vndone And naked foote the secrete groue about I halowed haue From dusky dry vnmoysty cloudes the showers of rayne I craue Through me the chinked gaping ground the soked seas hath drunk And mayner streame of th' ocian floud beneath the earth is sunk That swelteth out through hollow gulph with stronger gushing rage Then were his suddy wambling waues whose power it doth asswage The heauens with wrong disturbed course and out of order quight The darkned sonne glimmering stars at once hath shewed theyr light And drēched Charles his stragling wayne hath ducie in dasshing waue The framed course of roaming time racte out of frame I haue So my enchauntments haue it wrought that when the flaming sunne In sommer bakes the parched soyle then hath the twigges begunne With sprowting blossom fresh to blome and hasty winter corne Hath out of haruest seene the fruite to barnes on sudden borne Into a shallowe foorde his sture distreame hath Phasis wast And Isters channell being in so many braunches cast Abated hath his wrackfull waues on euery silent shore He lyeth calme The tumbled flouds with thundring noyse did rore When couched close the windes were not mouing pippling soft With working waue the prauncing seas haue swolne leapt aloft Whereas the wood in alder time with thicke and braunched bowe Did spread his shade on gladsome soyle no shade remayneth now I rolling vp the magicke verse at noone time Phoebus stay Amyd the darkned Sky when fled was light of drowsy day Eke at my charme the watry flockes of Heyaeds went to glade Time is it Phoeba to respect the seruice to thee made To them with cruell bloudy hands these garlands greene were twynde Which with his folding circles nyne the serpent rough did bynde Haue here Tiphoias fleshe that doth in Aetnas Foruace grone That shoke with battery violent king Ioues assaulted trone This is the Centaures poysoned bloud which Nessus villayne vyle Who made a rape of Dianire entending her to fyle Bequethed her when newly wounde he gasping lay for breath While Hercles shaft stack in his Ribs whose laūce did worke his death Beholde the Funerall cinders heere which vp the poyson dryed Of Hercules who in his fyre on Oeta mountayne dyed Loe heere the fatall brand which late the fatall sisters three Conspyred at Meleagers byrth such should his destiny bee To saue alyue his brethyng corpes while that might whole remayne Which saufe his
He all bedasht your fathers princely hall Eft stepped into seruile Pallace stroke To filthy vices lore one easly broke Of Diuelish wicked with this Princocks proude By stepdames wyle prince Claudius Sonne auoude VVhome deadly damme did bloudy match ylight And thee against thy will for feare did plight Through which successe this Dame of corage fine Durst venture mighty Ioue to vndermine VVho can so many cursed kindes report Of wicked hopes and actes in any sort Or such a womans glosed guyles can name That raumpes at rule by all degrees of shame Then holy sacred zeale put out of grace Her stagring steppes directed forth apace And sterne Erinnis in with deadly steps To Claudius Court all desert left yleps And with hir dririe drakes of Stygian fort Hath quite distainde the sacred princely port And raging riuen in twaine both natures lore And right to wrongs mishapen fourme hath tore That haughty minded dame first gaue her make A deadly poysoned cup his thyrst to slake Straight wayes againe through vise vnkindly touch Her Nero causde with him in hell to couch And thee vnhappy Britt in all that broyle Till that of breth and life he did dispoyle Thilk greedie bloudy tyraunt neuer stent VVhose dolefull death for aye we may lament Ere whyle vnto the world the starre that shone And was the stay of princely court alone Now loe light ashes easly puft aforne And griesly goast to graue with torche yborne VVhom blessed Babe thy stepdame did lament Nor from hir gushing teares did scarce relent VVhen as shee gaue eche trimme appointed parte And goodly portraide limmes with natures arte Of flaming stacke to be deuoured quite And sawe the scortching feruent fire in sight Thy naked ioynts to rauin vp a pace And like the flittring God thy comely face Oct. Dispatch he me least with this hand he fall Nut. That power you nature graunted not at all Oct. But wondrous dolor great and wrathfull yre And miseries will it graunt without desyre Nu. Nay rather cause your angry moody make VVith souple cheere his fury for to slake Oct. VVhat that he will by guilt once slaine before Aliue againe my brother mee restore Nut. Nay safe that you may liue and issue beare Your fathers auncient court for to repayre Oct. That court doth wayte another broode they say And poore Britts death tugges me another way Nut. Yet let the cities loue vnto your grace Your troubled minde confirme but for a space Oct. Their mindes so prest to pleasure me I know Great comfort brings but do not slake my wo Nut. Of mighty power the people haue bene aye Oct. But princes force doth beare the greater sway Nut. He will respect his lawfull wedded wife Oct. His mynion braue can not so leade her life NV. Of no man shee esteemde Oct. But dear to make NV. She can not truely yet of wifehood crake Oct. Ere longe she shall a mother eke be made So farre therein I dare most boldly wade Nut. His youthfull heate at first in filthy loue With lusty crusty pangs doth boyle aboue Thylke corage quickly colde in lust apace As vapour sone extinct in flame giues place But holy louing chaste vnspotted spouse Her loue endureth aye with sacred vowes That wanton first that there durst couch hir hed And tumbling stayned quite your spousall bed And being but your mayde hath ruled longe Hir soueraine Lord with beauties grace bestong That pranked Paramour pert shal croutch with pain VVhen she your grace shall see preferd againe For Poppie subiect is and meeke of spright And now begins her goastly tombs to dight VVhereby she closely graunting doth bewray Hir secret hidden feare eche other day That swift vnconstant double winged lad With cloute before his blinded eyes yclad That fickle brayned God th unhappy boy Shall leaue hir in the midst of all hir ioy Although for beauty bright the bell she beare And goodly glistring garments new she weare And now do vaunt her selfe in gorgeous geere Shee shall not long enioy this gladsome cheere Be not dismayde Madame for such like paine The queene of gods was forced to sustaine VVhen to ech pleasaunt shape the heauenly guide And syre of Gods yturned from skyes did glyde The swannes white wings to se how they could fadge He did on him and cuckoldes bullysh badge That God shone bright in Golden raynie showre To Danaes brest through top of fortred towre The twinckling starres the twinnes of Laeda bright Whom Pollux some and Castor call aryght In large and ample space of starry scope With cristal glimering faces shyne wyde ope And Semeles sonne whom Bacchus we do call In heauenly byrthright doth himselfe ystall And Hercules that puissant Champion stoute His sturdy brawnes his Hebe wyndes aboute Nor once regardes how Goddesse Iuno fare Whose lowring stepdame now she is yframde That whyle on earth his prowes he did declare Agaynst that maryage aye was sore inflamd Yet loe her wise and closly couched greefe Debonaire face obeisaunce to her leefe Causde him at length his mynd for to remoue Through mortall feeres estraundge from Iunos loue And now that mighty heauenly Goddesse great No more adred of mortall strumpets feat Aloft alone in cloudy bowre contentes The thundring Lord which now to her relentes Nor now with earthly Ladyes beauty bright Yfyred leaues his starry specked right Now madam sith on earth your powre is pight And haue on earth Queene Iunos princely place And sister are and wyfe to Neroes grace Your wondrous restles dolours great appease Oct. Nay sooner shall the roaring froathy seas And mounting flashing flawes ymatch the skye And smoaking stifling parching fyer drye With dankish pooles agree and watrye fenne And griesly Plutoes filthy feltred denne With starbright heauen shal sooner coupled be And shyning light with glomy shades agree And with the cleere drye day the dewy night Than vnto seruile lore of husbande wight That brutish wyse in bloud takes his delight My heauy woeful mynd can I addresse Whyle brothers death my heart doth stil possesse O that of heauenly powers the prince and syre That shogges and shakes the earth with thūdring fyre And with his wondrous feareful cursed crackes And straunge mishapen monsters which he makes Our feareful musing myndes doth sore amase Would coyne some cureles burning wildfyre blase To pelt and pash with thumping fyer bright That diuelish pate that cruell cursed wight We saw from heauen with beames forthshoting farre Doubtles a dreadful heary blasing starre That spouted out a mortall fiery flake Whose force a princes bloud can only slake Euen where that hayting carman sloe Boote With chilling cold al starcke of frosen pole Doth guyde aright Charles whirling running rote In steade of night that neuer away doth role Loe now the open ayre in euery streate With doggish tyrantes breath is poysoned quite And dreadful starres some sodayne death do threate To people rulde by wicked Neroes spright So sterne a freake or mankynd tyrant stoute Not Tellus with the Gods displeasd brought out
disheueled hayre The Matrons sage of Latin land did mourne And sounded shryking sighes as though forlorne They were the dolefulst wightes that liue on ground And oft among the warlike trumpets sound I sawe my husbands mother teribly stand With threatning looke berayed with bloud in hand A light fyre brand she bare which oft she shooke And made mee goe with her through feareful loke When downe we came through op'ned earth shee led The way I after went with bowing hed And musing much therat marke what I say My bed me thought I saw wherin I laye When first espousde I was to Rufe Chrispyne And hee me thought with first sonne of his lyne With many following them agaynst me fast Did come and me to cleepe did swift his hast And as he wonted was he kist me oft Then rusht into my house with pace not soft Amased Nero sore in Chryspines breast That hidde his faulchion kene feare shakte of rest From mee I trembling stode with quiuering feare And brest dismayd to speake made me forbeare Til now O Nurse I met with thee whose trust And fayth into these wordes haue made me brust Alas what threatneth mee eche griesly spright What meanes of husbands bloud that doleful sight Nu. The hidden sacred vayne that moueth swift Which fantasie we call by secret drift When we do take our rest doth shew agayne The thinges both good and bad that broyle in brayne You maruel that you saw your make and bower His ghostly funerall stackes at that same hower Round clasped close in armes of husband new Hereto the beaten breastes with handes mou'd you And maydens hayre on mariage day displayd Octauias friendes with heauy hartes bewrayed Amids hir brothers both and fathers hall Their heauy cheere for her vnluckye fall That dreadful blasing flame of fyre forborne In Agryppynas hand your grace beforne Which you did follow streigth declares renowne To you though enuye stryue to keepe it downe The seat you saw beneath doth promise you Your state to stand ful sure not chaunging new That Nero prince in Crispins throat did hyde His sword it telles that he in peace shall byde Vnknowen to bloudy ruthful warre for aye Therfore Madam plucke vp your hart I pray Receiue both mirth and glee cast feare asyde With ioy and ease you may in bowre abide Pop. To temples hie where mighty Gods do dwell I wil repayre and offringes to them fell In humble wyse their heauy wrath t' ppease And me of mighty sight and dreams to ease My second wish shal be that this feare all Vppon my foes as sodayne chaunce may fall O Nurse pray thou for mee some vowes do make Toth ' Gods that ghostly feare his flight my take THE SECOND SCENE Chorus IF stealth discloasde by blabbing fame And lusty pleasaunt thankfull loue Of IOVE be true who fourme did frame Of swan to come from skies aboue And did enioy the sweete consent Of Ladye LEDAS loues delight VVho like a Bull his labour spent Through flowing floods to cary quite EVROPA slylie stolne awaye Hee will no doubt leaue raygne of Skye And POPPIES loue disguisd assaye If hee her soueraygne beauty spye VVhich hee might wel preferre before Fayre LAEDAS sugred sweete delight And DANAE whom hee wonne of yore Amasde with golden shoure so bright Let SPARTE now for HELENS sake Of beauty bragging fame vprayse Admit the TROIAN heardman make Of gayned spoyle tryumphant prayse Fayre HELEN here is stayned quight VVhose beauty bredde such boyling yre That earth was matched euen in sight VVith TROIAN towres consumde with fyre But who is this that runnes with feare opprest Or els what newes bringes he in panting breast THE THIRD SCENE Nuntius Chorus WHat sturdy champion stoute doth ioy with glee Our chieftaynes royal bower safe to see Then to his court I counsel him to wend Gainst which the populus rout their force doth bend The rulers runne amasde to fetch the gard And armed troupes of men theyr towne to ward Nor woodnes rashly cought through feare doth ceasse But more and more their power doth encrease Ch. What sodain rage doth beat their brawling braine Nun. The garisons great with fury astonde againe And sturred vp for Queene Octauias sake With monstrous mischiefe vile their rage to slake They rumbling rush into the Pallace farre Cho. What dare they do their counsailers who are Nun. Aduaunce their Empresse old subuert the new And graunt hir brothers beds as is hir due Cho. Which Poppie now with hole consent doth hold Nun. Yea that vnbrideled rage in brest vprold Sets them agog and makes them wondrous wood What euer ymage grauen in marble stood If Poppies badge it bare or if in sight It tended for to shew hir beauty bryght Though it on heauenly altares braue did stand They break or pull it down with sword or hand Some parts with ropes sure tide they trayle thē forth Which spurnd with durty feete as though naught worth With filthy stinking myre they it all beray And with their deedes their talke doth iumpe agree Which mine amased minde thinks true to bee For fierie flames they threat for to prepare Wherewith to waste the princes Pallace faire Vnlesse vnto their furious moode he giue His second wife and with Octauia liue But he by me shall know in what hard stay The City stands the rulers I le obay Cho. A lack what made you cruell warres in vaine To moue sith prisoner loue you can not gaine You can not him ouercome your fiery flame He recketh not his syre ouercomes the same He darkened hath those thundring thumps that shake Heauen Earth Hel sea al things that makes to quake Yea mighty Ioue in heauen that weares chief crowne His flames from welkin hie hath brought adowne And you not victors now but vanquished Shall raunsome pay the price of hearts bloud red Loue pacient can not be but hote in rage No easie thing it is his wrath t' asswage Achilles worthy sight that was so stout To twang the Harpe he made in Ladies rout Prince Agamemnon sterne that boy benumd And rable rude of Greekes with loue bronds bumd King Priams raigne he topsie turuie tost Aud goodly Cities great he chiefly lost And now my minde sore frighted stands agast What Cupides furious force brings vs at last THE FOVRTH SCEANE Nero AH ah our captaines sloe dispatching coyle And our long suffring yre in such a broyle That streames of bloud yet do not quēch their rage Which thei against our propre person wage And that all Rome with corses strewd about Those cruell villaines bloud doth not sweat out But deedes already done with death to pay A small thing t' is a greater slaughtrous day The peoples cursed crime and eke that dame Whom I did aye suspect deserues the same whome to yelde those peasaunts would me make At last she shall with life our sorow slake And with hir bodies bloud shall quench our yre Then shall their houses fall by force of fyre What burning both and buildings fayre
of swerd N. Thy wrath deare foster child Is greater then the crime that hath thy Hercules defilde With egall mallice measure faultes Alas why dost thou bring So great and sore a penalty vpon so swale a thinge Let not thy griefe be greater then the sorrow thou sustaynes DE. Set you it light that with our wedlocke linkt an harlot raygnes ? Nay rather thinke it still to much that doth thy sorrows breede NV. And is the Ioue of Hercules reuolt from thee in deede DE. T' is not reuolt deare foster Dame fast in my bones it stickes But yre boyles hoate in burning breast when loue to anger prickes NV. It is almost a common guise that wedded wyues doe haunte Theyr husbands hearts by magicke Arte and witchcraft to enchaunte In winter coulde I charmed haue the woods to make them sprout And forst the thunder dint recoyle that hath bin boulting out With waltring surges I haue shooke the seas amid the calme I smoothed haue the wrastling waues and layde downe euery walme The dry grouÌ„d gaped hath like gulphs out new springs haue gusht The roring rocks haue quaking sturd none therest hath pusht Hell glounimy gales I haue brast cape where grisly ghosts all husht Haue stood aunswering at my charme the goblins grim haue scoulde The threefolde headed hounde of hell with barking throates hath houlde Thus both the seas the lande the heauens hell bowe at my becke Noone day to midnight to and froe turnes at my charming checke At my enchauntment euery thing declynes from natures lawe Our charme shall make his stomacke stoupe bring him more in awe D. What hearbes doe grow in Pontus sea Or els on Pindus hill To trownce this machelesse champton where shall I finde the ill The magicke vearse â—uchaunts the Moone from Starry skies to grouÌ„d And fruictfull haruest is thereby in barren winter found The whisking flames of lightning leames oft sorcery doth stay And noonetyde topsy turuy â—ost doth dim the dusky day And leaue the welkin to the starres and yet not cause him stxsoupe N. The Gods them selues by charme of loue haue forced bin to droupe DE. Perhap hee shall be woon by one and yeelde to her the spoyle So loue shall be to Hercules the last and latest toyle By all the hoste of heauenly powers and as thou seest mee feare The secrets that I shall attempt in councell see thou beare NV. What may it be that thou woulde haue me keepe so secretly DE. No broyle of blades no priue cote no fiery force perdye NV. I you assure I can conceale if mischiefe none be ment For then the keeping close of it is sure a lewbe entent DE. Then looke about if none be heere our councell to betray Looke rounde about on all sides cast thy countnaunce euery way NV. Beholde the place is safe inough from any listning eare DE. Beside the place of our estate there is a secret nooke A couert corner for our talke that sonneshyne neuer tooke Neyther at morne nor euening tyde when Titans blaze doth quench And hee in ruddy westerne waue his firy wheeles doth drench There secret lyes the priuy proofe of Hercules amorous thought I le tell thee all deare foster dame This witchcraft Nessus taught Whom Ixion engendred of a mysty grouing clowde Where Pindus hauiy hill his top among the starres doth shrowde And other stipe doth heaue his Crest about the ryding rack When Achelous ouer layde with many a thumping thwack Of Hercles club did shift him selfe to euery kinde of shape And triall made of all his sleights none serued to escape At length he turnde him selfe into the lykenesse of Bull And so was fowly vanquished in forme of horny scull While Hercules being Conquerour did me his Wyfe enioy Returning home to Greece agayne it hapned Euen lake To ouerflow the drowned marshe and channell to forsake And strongly streamde to seas hee runns and swells aboue his bankes And Nessus vsde to passe the poole and search the croking crankes As Ferryman demaundes his fare and bare mee on his backe And wading forward brake the Waues and surges of the lake At length yet Nessus waded out vnto the farther shore Yet Hercules had swam but halfe the riuer and no more And plyde it hard to cut the streame but when espied had hee That Hercules was farre behinde Madam quoth hee to mee Be thou my booty and my wyfe and clasping mee about Away he flings and Hercules besturres him mauger Waue Though Ganges gulph and Ister streame quoth he thou traytour slaue Might roon in on yet shiâ— to scape them both well coulde I make And in thy hast a shaft shall soone they running ouer take And ere he spake the word his arrow flew out of his bowe And wrought a wounde in Nessus ribbs hee coulde no farther goe It sped him sure to looke for death Hee cried well away The baggage running from the wounde reserued as hee lay And putting it into his hoofe the which vndoyng hee In cutting yt with his owne hand did geue it vnto me And thus at latter gaspe he sayde the witches haue me toulde That loue may charmed be by this to haue and keepe his hould The conning witch dame Michale did teach Thessalia dames Who onely forst the Mone to stoupe to her from heauenly frames Therfore quoth he at any tyme when hateful whores abuse Thy spousall bed or waueryng man do haunt to any stewes Then with this salue annoynt his shyrtes and let it see no sonne But kepe it close in corners darke the bloud then shall not shonne His strength and thus ful sodenly he left his talke with rest And deadly sleepe with senceles death his feeble lims opprest Thou Dame to whom in hope of trust my secrets all bewray On that the poyson soakt into the vesture bright it may Preace through his limmes vnto his hart sinke through euery bone N. I wil dispatch it all in hast make thou thy earnest mone Vnto the God whose tender hand his stedfast dartes doth weild D. I thee beseech that art of earth and heauen in honour helde And thou that shakest burning boltes thou curst and cruel boy Whose eluish weapons make thy mother feare thy sharpe annoy Now arme thy hand with speedy shaft not of the slender sort But biggest boultes with which as yet thou hast assault no fort We neede no litle shaft that may styrre Hercules to loue Bring cruel handes and force thy how his depest draught to prooue Now now draw forth thy shaft wherewith thou caused cruelly The burning breast of Ioue by fyttes of seruent loue to frye When as the God his thonder bolt and lightning layd assyde Gan boalne with bumpes on forehead big and throught the waue he hid And swam with Europ on his backe in shape of horny Bull Now powre downe loue and therwithall let Hecles hart be full If Ioles beauty kyndle heate and Hercles hart doth moue Quench thou these coales and force him glow with vs
that hel may in this pickle playne Behold the man that conquerd yt no booty bringe I will Away with me why dost thou quake for feare of Hercles still Set on me death coragiously for now I may be kilde A. Now stint thy tender tears that down thy checkes so long haue trild And mayster this thy mallady compell thy sorrowes sloupe And shew that in these plunging panges Alcides did not droupe And as it hath bene caâ—st thy guyse force death and hel to shriâ—ke Her If ougly grested Cauâ—asue In chayne of yrone linke Should bynd me as agâ—oning pray the greedy grype to feede Yet from myne eyes it should not strayne a brokeÌ„ teare indeede If wandring Symplegads would me wish eyther rocke assaile To byde the brunt of double wracke my courage would not quayle Let Pindus tumbled be on me houge Aemus let me haue Or Athos rocke in Thracian seas that breakes the weltring waue And bode the boultes of thondring Ioue although th unweildy masse Of all the world should fal on mee and might be brought to passe That Phoebus flaming apeltree should burne vppon my graue No vncouth crye should force the mynd of Hercles thus to raue Let meete a thousand sauage beastes and rent me al at once Let Stymphal foules with houling hoarse lay strokes vppon my bones Or scrowling bul on thother syde strike on with head and horne Or els of other serpentes wilde let al my partes be torne With roring earthquakes hougy lumpes be puffed vppon me With griping greefe let all my limmes to nothing pyned bee Although I be to pouder crusht I wil with pacience peace In spite of beastes or brusing blowes my sighes and teares shal seace Alc. It is not sonne the womans bane that in thy bones doth boile But festring teares and broosing knockes of thy continual toyle The wrinches old with aking panges begin to smart anew HE. O where is death where is hee now of all that I do rew Can any witnes what it is let death now bend his bow A naked hand is stronge ynough to make mee stowpe ful low Let any wight in al the worlde attempt to set on mee I warrant him approch let him Ah wretched might I bee This wayward agony hath take his perfit wits away Haue hence his tooles and eake his shaftes for daunger hence coâ—uay His ruddy gills that glow like fier some mischiefe doe pretend To shrowde my selfe alas into what corner shall I wend This mallady a frensy is this onely is the meane To conquer Hercules why then doe I as doting queanâ— Thus fall to teares and seeke to shrynke may bee that hee will haue Alcmenas hand to giue the stroke to bring him to the graue But dye he in a Murreynes name ere I for cowarde will Such deadly penaunce bee enioynde that on my doings still His baynous hand may vaunt it selfe loe how the pangues full deepe With stuggling ceast doe hinde the purple vaynes with deadly sleepe And beating sore lift vp and downe his faynt and panting breast If I O Gods of this my noble Childe bee dispossest Be gracious yet and for the worlde some lusty champion saue Rid his annoy and let his limmes agayne theyr courage haue Hyllus Alcmena Hercules O Dismall day O anguishe O the heaper vp of ill Ioues Sonne is slayne his Daughter dyes his Nephew lyueth still First by the Stepdames treason is the Sonne to ruin brought The Daughter likewyse trapt in traynes and thereby come to nought What hoary head in chaunge of tunes or teanour of his age Hath seene that Fortunes frowning Face hath sturd such stormy rage One dolefull day bereaueth mee alas of parents twayne But least I speake to spite the Gods I will somewhat refrayne I lost a Father Hercules this onely I complayne AL. O noble Impe of Hercules alas my Nephew deare That dost of wretched Alcmens Sonne the liuely feature beare Refrayne my chylde thy wayling woordes this quiet sleepe perhap Will ouercome these plonging fits But loe loe in my lap Hee doth begin to striue agayne his fits begin a fresh Sleepe gieuing vp the feeble ghost to ranckle in the flesh HE. What meaneth Thrachin craggy crest to shew before myne eyes Or now forsaking man am I aduaunst aboue the skies Why do the heauens prouyde for me the father Ioue I see And eake my stepdame Iuno dire appeased now with me What heauenly harmony is this that soundeth in myne eare Dame Iuno calles me sonne in law I se the pallace cleare Of christal skies and beaten rakes of Phoebus flaming wheele I see the dumpish moary denne of glowming lady night Here he commaundeth darknes dim to shew it self in sight What meaneth this who is it that the heauens agaynst me sparres And am I thus O father myne brought downe againe from starres Euen now Appolloës sowltring car did fume about my face So nie I past the pinch of Death lo Thrachin top in place Who brought me backe to ground agayne beneath me earst it lay And al the world was vnder me thou smart wert worne away Thou forcest me confesse the same Ah mercy mercy now In stead of farther vengeance do these humble wordes allow Lo Hillus lo thy mothers giftes such presentes shee preparde Ah might my trunchion punch her puddinges once as whilom farde The haughty Ladye Amazon wel trounsed for her pride On th edge of ysy Caucasus afront the mountayne syde O noble lady Megara were thou my wretched wyfe When rapt in rage of franticke fittes I rest thee of thy life Geue me my batt and bow in hand my wrestes I wil imbrew And force ye all your brages on me with blemish blacke to rue Thus let of Hercules exployts a woman be the last Hi. Forbeare O Syre thy hateful threates she hath it all is past The vengeance that ye seke on her already hath her spedd With wound receiued at your hand my mother lieth dead Her O blynded anguish dye she should of Hercles furious hand Thus Licas hath his marrow lost the heate of burning brest Wil haue me on the breathlesse coarse for to reuenge the rest Why doth shee not yet fele her force both let her want a graue And on her cursed flesh to feede let beastes her carkasse haue Hil. The silly woman was more woe then ye that bide the smart Ye wil release some part hereof for pitty in your hart For greefe of you with her owne hande alas her selfe she slew Thus more then ye do aske of her she doth her doyng rewe Yet is it not your Wyfes misdeede that brought you to this plight No nor my mothers traytrous hand hath wrought this deepe deceit This treason Nessus did contriue whom yee did pay his hire With arrow shot into his Ribs for rape of Deianire Thus father with the Centaures bloud your shyrt was sore embrewde At Nessus hand the vengeaunce of your deede thus haue yee rewde HE. Hee hath his will all is dispacht our Fates themselues display This is the
with a night engendred hath to thee If East and West if Scithia and euery burning plot That parched is with glowing glede of Phoebus fier hot Doth sing my prayse and if the earth ful satisfyde with peace If languishing and wayling woords in euery towne doe cease If none their alters do imbrew with any guiltles gore Then Ioue let my vncaged spirite haue heauen for euermore As for th infernall dennes of death they do not me detarre Nor scouling Plutoes dungeon darck but Ioue I do abhorre Vnto those gastly Goblins as a stlly shade to goe Sith I am he whose conquering hand gaue them their ouerthrowe Withdraw these foggy clowdes of night display the glimsyng light That Hercles broyld with flying flames the Gods may haue in sight And if thou do denye O fyre the starres and heauen to mee To geue me them agaynst thy will thou shalt constrayned bee If glutting griefe do stop thy speach the Stygian goulphes set oape Aud let mee dye but first declare within the heauenly coape That thou accepst me as thy soone this day it shal be wrought That to bee raysd aloft to starres I may be worthy thought Thou hast doone litle for me yet it may be doubted well Whether Ioue did first beget his sonne or damnd him first to hell And quoth he let my stepdame see how wel I can abyde The scorching heate of burning brandes for fyer then he cride And sayth to me O Philoctet in hast vppon me throw The burning logges why quakest thou dost dastard thow forslow For feare to this wicked deede O coward peasant slaue Thou art to weake to bende my bow vnmeete my shaftes to haue What aylest thou to loke so pale and as thou seest mee lye With cherefull looke couragiously do thou the fier plye Behold me wretch that broyle and burne my father opes the Skyes And vnto me sonne Hercules come come away he cryes O father Ioue quoth he I come with that I waxed pale And toward him a burning beame with might and mayne I hale But backe from him the billets flye and tumbling out they leape And from the limmes of Hercules downe falleth all the heape But he encrocheth on the fyre as it from him doth shrinke That many mountaynes whole were set on fyer a man would thinke No noyse was hard and all was husht but that the fyer did hisse In Hercles glowing paunch when as his liuer burning is It boysteous gyant Typhus had amid this fire bene throwne These torments would haue straind his teares forst him sigh grone Or tough Euceladus that tost a mountayne on his backe But Hercles lifted vp himselfe amid his fyres all blacke With smoake besmeard his corps halfe burnt in shiuers gube flawes And downe the throate his gasping breath flames at once he drawes Then to Alemen he turnd himselfe O mother myne quoth hee Should ye so stand at Hercles death should you thus wayle for me And thus betwene the fire and smoke vpright and stiffe he standes And neyther stoupes nor leanes awrye but moues and stirs his hands With al his liuely gestures still and thus he doth perswade His mother leaue the langusshing and mourning that she made And did encourage all his men t' encrease the fyre than As though he were not burning but would burne some other man The people stoode astonished and scant they would beleeue That fire had any force on him or that it did him greeue Because his chereful looke had such a maiesty and grace And neuer wilde vs meue the fyre that he might burne apace And now when as he thought he had endured pangues ynough And stoutly bode the brunt of death the blocks hee doth remoue That smothering lay to make theÌ„ burne then downward doth he shoue And where the stewing heate did chiefely scorch and burne most hot That way he thrusts his frying lims and thether hath hee got With steaming countnaunce vnapaulde his mouth now doth he fill With burning coales his comely Bearde theÌ„ blazde about his cheekes And now when as the sparkling fier vnto his visage seekes The flame lickt vp his sâ—â—ged hayre and yet he did not winke But open kept his staring eyes But what is this my thinke Alomene cometh yonder as a woefull wight forlorne With sighes and sobs and all her hayre befrounced rent and torne And beares the remnaunt in her Lap of Hercules the great Alcmena Philoctetes LEarne Lordings learne to feare and dread th' unwelldy fatall force This little dust is all that 's lefâ— of Hercles hugy coarse That boysteous Giaunt is consumde vnto these ashes small O Titan what a mighty masse is come to nought at all Aye me an aged womans lappe all Hercules doth shrowde her lap doth serue him for a graue and yet the champion prowde With all his lumpe stils not the roome Aye mee a burthen small I feele of him to whom whole heauen no burthen was at all O Hercules beare chylde O sonne the season whilom was That thou to Tartar pits and sluggish deus aloofe didst passe For to repasse from deepe of hell when wilt thou come agayne For to put loyne the spoyles thereof or bring from captiue chayne To life thy friendly Theseus But when wilt thou returne Alone can flaming Phelegethon thy ghost in torments burne Or can the mastiâ—â—e Dogge of hell keepe downe thy woefull sprite Where then might I come see thy soule and leaue this loathed light When shall I rap at Tartar gate what Iawes shall mee deuower What death shall dâ—wnt mee goest thou to hell and hast no power To come agayne alas why do I wast the day in teares and 〈◊〉 O wretched lyfe why dost thou last thou shouldest droupe and saynt And loath this dreary daye how can I beare to Ioue agayâ—e Another noble Hercules what sonne may I obtayne So valiunt to call mee thus Alcmena mother myne O happy spouse Ampliterio twyse happy hast thou bene In entring at the dennes of death and through the noble sonne The Deutis arthy presentes quake to see thee thether come Though thou but forged father were to Hercules of late Whether shall old beldam goe whom many kinges do hate If any prince remayne with blody breast and murdring mynde Then woe to mee if groning babes be any left behynd That sorrow for theyr parentes deathes now now for Hercles sake Theyr mallice let them wrecke on mee on mee dyre vengeance take If any young Bustris be I feare the Persians sore Wil come and take me captiue hence in chaynes for euermore If any tyrant feede his horce with gubbes of straungers flesh Now let his pampred iades vnto my Carksse fall a fresh Perhap dame Iuno coueteth on me to wrecke her yrâ— And eâ—vs of her burning breast wil turne the flaming fire Her wreckful hand doth loyter now sith Hercules is slayne And now to feele her spurning spyte as harlot I remayne My valyant sonne is cause of this my wombe shall barrayne be Least I should beare another