hath sent me nowe haue I litle néede that thankes be to god haue founde my déerely beloued sonne whom I loste of a childe at the siege of Otranto Da. Worthy gentleman you frendship your alliaunce and the nobilitie of your birthe are suche as I haue muche more cause to desire them of you than you to request of me that which is already graunted therefore I gladly and willingly receiue the same and thinke my selfe moste happie now of all my life past that I haue gottē so toward a sonne in lawe to my selfe and so worthye a father in lawe to my daughter yea and muche the greater is my contentation since this worthie gentleman maister Cleander doth holde himselfe satisfied And now behold your sonne Ero. O father Pas. Beholde the naturall loue of the childe to the the father for inwarde ioye he cannot pronounce one worde in stéede wherof he sendeth sobbes and teares to tell the effect of his inwarde intention But why doe you abide here abrode will it please you to goe into the house sir Da. Pasiphilo hathe saide well will it please you to goe in sir Ne. Here I haue brought you sir bothe fetters boltes Da. Away with them now Ne. Yea but what shall I doe with them Da. Marie I will tell thée Neuola to make a righte ende of our supposes lay one of those boltes in the fire and make thée a suppositorie as long as mine arme God saue the sample Nobles and gentlemen if you suppose that our supposes haue giuen you sufficient cause of delighte shewe some token wherby we may suppose you are content FINIS Pasi subitò improuiso venit IOCASTA A Tragedie vvritten in Greke by Euripides translated and digested into Acte by George Gascoygne and Francis Kinvvelmershe of Grayes Inne and there by them presented 1566 The argument of the Tragedie To scourge the cryme of vvicked Laius And vvrecke the foule Incest of Oedipus The angry Gods styrred vp theyr sonnes by strife VVith blades embrevved to reaue eche others life The vvyfe the mother and the concubyne VVhose fearefull hart foredrad theyr fatall fine Hir sonnes thus dead disdayneth longer lyfe And slayes hirself vvith selfsame bloudy knyfe The daughter she surprisde vvyth childish dreade That durst not dye a lothsome lyfe doth leade Yet rather chose to guyde hir banysht sire Than cruell Creon should haue his desire Creon is King the type of Tyranny And Oedipus myrrour of misery Fortunatus Infoelix The names of the Interloquutors Iocasta the Queene Seruus a noble man of the Queenes traine Bailo gouernour to the Queenes sonnes Antygone daughter to the Queene Chorus foure Thebane dames Pollynices Eteocles sonnes to Oedipus the Queene Creon the Queenes brother Meneceus sonne to Creon Tyresias the diuine priest Manto the daughter of Tyresias Sacerdos the sacrifycing priest Nuntij three messangers from the campe Oedipus the olde King father to Eteocles and Pollynices sonne and husbande to Iocasta the Queene The Tragedie represented in Thebes ¶ The order of the dumme shewes and Musickes before euery Acte FIrst before the beginning of the firste Acte did sounde a dolefull and straunge noyse of violles Cythren Bandurion and suche like during the which there came in vpon the Stage a King with an Imperiall Crowne vpon his head very richely apparelled a Scepter in his right hande a Mounde with a Crosse in his left hande sitting in a Chariote very richely furnished drawne in by foure kinges in their Dublettes and Hosen with Crownes also vpon their heades Representing vnto vs Ambition by the hystorie of Sesostres king of Egypt who beeing in his time and reigne a mightie Conquerour yet not content to haue subdued many Princes and taken from them their kingdomes and dominions did in lyke maner cause those Kinges whome he had so ouercome to drawe in his Chariote like Beastes and Oxen thereby to content his vnbrideled ambitious desire After he had beene drawne twyce about the Stage and retyred the Musicke ceased and Iocasta the Queene issued out of hir house beginning the first Acte as followeth Iocasta the Queene issueth out of hir Pallace before hir twelue Gentlemen very brauely apparelled following after hir eight Gentlewomen whereof foure be the Chorus that remayne on the Stage after hir departure At hir entrance the Trumpettes sounded and after she had gone once aboute the Stage she turneth to one of hir moste trustie and estemed seruaunts and vnto him she discloseth hir griefe as foloweth The first Acte The first Scene IOCASTA SERVVS O Faithfull seruaunt of mine auncient sire Though vnto thée sufficiently be knowen The whole discourse of my recurelesse griefe By seing me from Princes royall state Thus basely brought into so great cōtempt As mine owne sonnes repine to heare my plaint Now of a Quéene but barely bearing name Seyng this towne seyng my fleshe and bloude Against it selfe to leuie threatning armes Wherof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine Yet once againe I must to thée recompte The wailefull thing that is alredy spred Bycause I know that pitie will compell Thy tender hart more than my naturall childe With ruthfull teares to mone my mourning case Ser. My gracious Quéene as no man might surmount The constant faith I beare my souraine lorde So doe I thinke for loue and trustie zeale No sonne you haue doth owe you more than I For hereunto I am by dutie bounde With seruice méete no lesse to honor you Than that renoumed prince your déere father And as my duties be most infinite So infinite must also be my loue Then if my life or spending of my bloude May be employed to doe your highnesse good Commaunde O quéene commaund this carcasse here In spite of death to satisfie thy will So though I die yet shall my willing ghost Contentedly forsake this withered corps For ioy to thinke I neuer shewde my selfe Ingratefull once to suche a worthy Quéene Ioca. Thou knowst what care my carefull father tooke In wedlockes sacred state to settle me With Laius king of this vnhappie Thebs That most vnhappie nowe our Citie is Thou knowst how he desirous still to searche The hidden secrets of supernall powers Unto Diuines did make his ofte recourse Of them to learne when he should haue a sonne That in his Realme might after him succéede Of whom receiuing answere sharpe and sowre That his owne sonne should worke his wailful ende The wretched king though all in vayne did séeke For to eschew that could not be eschewed And so forgetting lawes of natures loue No sooner had this paynfull wombe brought foorth His eldest sonne to this desired light But straight he chargde a trustie man of his To beare the childe into a desert wood And leaue it there for Tigers to deuoure Ser. O lucklesse babe begot in wofull houre Ioc. His seruant thus obedient to his hest Up by the héeles did hang this faultlesse Impe And percing with a knife his tender féete Through both the wounds did drawe the slender twigs
boyling yre are bolne so sore As each do thyrst to sucke the others bloude But why do I sustaine the smart hereof Why should my bloud he spilte for others gilte Oh welcome were that messanger to me That brought me word of both my nephewes deathes Then should it soone be sene in euery eye Twixt prince and prince what difference would appeare Then should experience shewe what griefe it is To serue the humours of vnbridled youth Now will I goe for to prepare with spéede The funeralls of my yong giltlesse sonne The which perhaps may be accompanyed With th obsequies of proude Eteocles Creon goeth out by the gates Homoloydes Finis Actus 4. CHORVS O Blissfull concord bredde in sacred brest Of him that guides the restlesse rolling sky That to the earth for mans assured rest From heigth of heauens vouchsafest downe to flie In thée alone the mightie power doth lie With swete accorde to kepe the frouning starres And euery planet else from hurtfull warres In thée in thée suche noble vertue bydes As may commaund the mightiest Gods to bend From thée alone such sugred frendship flydes As mortall wightes can scarcely comprehend To greatest strife thou setst delightfull ende O holy peace by thée are onely founde The passing ioyes that euery where abound Thou onely thou through thy celestiall might Didst first of all the heauenly pole deuide From th' olde confused heape that Chao hight Thou madest the Sunne the Moone and starres to glide With ordred course about this world so wide Thou hast ordainde Dan Tytans shining light By dawne of day to chase the darkesome night When tract of time returnes the lustie Uer By thée alone the buddes and blossomes spring The fieldes with floures be garnisht euery where The blooming trées aboundant fruite do bring The cherefull birdes melodiously do sing Thou dost appoint the crop of sommers séede For mans reliefe to serue the winters néede Thou dost inspire the hearts of princely péeres By prouidence procéeding from aboue In flowring youth to choose their worthie féeres With whom they liue in league of lasting loue Till fearefull death doth flitting life remoue And loke how fast to death man payes his due So fast againe dost thou his stocke renue By thée the basest thing aduaunced is Thou euerie where dost graffe suche golden peace As filleth man with more than earthly blisse The earth by thée doth yelde hir swete increase At becke of thée all bloudy discords cease And mightiest Realmes in quiet do remaine Wheras thy hand doth holde the royall raigne But if thou faile then all things gone to wracke The mother then doth dread hir naturall childe Then euery towne is subiect to the sacke Then spotlesse maids then virgins be defilde Then rigor rules then reason is exilde And this thou wofull Thebes to our great paine With present spoile art likely to sustaine Me thinke I heare the wailfull wéeping cries Of wretched dames in euerie coast resound Me thinkes I sée how vp to heauenly skies From battered walls the thundring clappes rebound Me thinke I heare how all things go to ground Me thinke I sée how souldiers wounded lye With gasping breath and yet they can not dye By meanes wherof oh swete Meneceus he That giues for countries cause his guiltlesse life Of others all most happy shall he be His ghost shall flit from broiles of bloudy strife To heauenly blisse where pleasing ioyes be rife And would to God that this his fatall ende From further plagues our citie might defend O sacred God giue eare vnto thy thrall That humbly here vpon thy name doth call O let not now our faultlesse bloud be spilt For hote reuenge of any others gilt Done by F. Kinvvelmarshe Finis Actus quarti The order of the laste dumbe shevve FIrst the Stillpipes sounded a very mournfull melodye in which time came vpon the Stage a womā clothed in a white garment on hir head a piller double faced the formost face fayre smiling the other behinde blacke louring muffled with a white laune about hir eyes hir lap full of Iewelles sitting in a charyot hir legges naked hir fete set vpō a great round ball beyng drawē in by .iiij. noble personages she ledde in a string on hir right hande .ij. kings crowned and in hir lefte hand .ij. poore slaues very meanely attyred After she was drawen about the stage she stayed a lyttle changing the kings vnto the left hande the slaues vnto the right hande taking the crownes from the kings heads she crowned therwith the ij. slaues casting the vyle clothes of the slaues vppon the kings she despoyled the kings of their robes and therwith aparelled the slaues This done she was drawen eftsones about the stage in this order and then departed leauing vnto vs a plaine Type or figure of vnstable fortune who dothe oftentimes raise to heigthe of dignitie the vile and vnnoble and in like manner throweth downe frō the place of promotiō euen those whō before she hir selfe had thither aduaunced after hir departure came in Duke Creon with foure gentlemen wayting vpon him and lamented the death of Meneceus his sonne in this maner Actus v. Scena j. CREON CHORVS ALas what shall I do bemone my selfe Or rue the ruine of my Natiue lande About the which such cloudes I sée enclosde As darker cannot couer dreadfull hell With mine own eyes I saw my own deare sonne All gorde with bloud of his too bloudy brest Which he hath shed full like a friend too deare To his countrey and yet a cruell foe To me that was his friend and father both Thus to him selfe he gaynde a famous name And glory great to me redoubted payne Whose haplesse death in my afflicted house Hath put suche playnt as I ne can espie What comfort might acquiet their distresse I hither come my sister for to séeke Iocasta she that might in wofull wise Amid hir high and ouerpining cares Prepare the baynes for his so wretched corps And eke for him that nowe is not in life May pay the due that to the dead pertaynes And for the honor he did well deserue The giue some giftes vnto infernall Gods Cho. My Lorde your sister is gone forth long since Into the campe and with hir Antigone Hir daughter deare Cre. Into the campe alas and what to do Cho. She vnderstoode that for this realme foorthwith Hir sonnes were gréed in combate for to ioyne Cre. Alas the funerals of my deare sonne Dismayed me so that I ne did receiue Ne séeke to knowe these newe vnwelcome newes But loe beholde a playne apparant signe Of further feares the furious troubled lookes Of him that commeth héere so hastilie Scena ij. NVNTIVS CREON CHORVS ALas alas what shall I doe alas What shriching voyce may serue my wofull wordes O wretched I ten thousande times a wretche The messanger of dread and cruell death Cre. Yet more mishappe and what vnhappie newes Nun. My Lord your nephues both haue lost their liues Cre. Out and alas to me
yet that you will me procure A royall tombe within my natiue realme And now shut vp with those your tender handes These griefful eyes of mine whose daseled sight Shadowes of dreadfull death be come to close Now rest in peace thus sayde he yeelded vp His fainting ghost that ready was to part The mother thus beholding both hir sonnes Ygone to death and ouercome with dole Drewe out the dagger of hir Polinices From brothers brest and gorde hir mothers throte Falling betwéene hir sonnes Then with hir féebled armes she doth enfolde Their bodies both as if for company Hir vncontented corps were yet content To passe with them in Charons ferrie boate When cruell fate had thus with force bereft The wofull mother and hir two deare sonnes All sodenly allarme allarme they crye And hote conflict began for to aryse Betwene our armie and our enemyes For either part would haue the victorye A while they did with equall force maintaine The bloudy fight at last the Gréekes do flie Of whom could hardly any one escape For in such hugie heapes our men them slew The ground was couerde all with carcases And of our souldiers some gan spoyle the dead Some other were that parted out the pray And some pursuing Antigone toke vp The Queene locasta and the brethren both Whom in a chariot hither they will bring Ere long and thus although we gotten haue The victory ouer our enemies Yet haue we lost much more than we haue wonne Creon exit Cho. O hard mishap we doe not onely heare The wearie newes of their vntimely death But eke we must with wayling eyes beholde Their bodies deade for loke where they be brought Scena 3. ANTIGONE CHORVS MOst bitter plaint O ladyes vs behoues Behoueth eke not onely bitter plainte But that our heares dysheuylde from our heades About our shoulders hang and that our brests With bouncing blowes be all be battered Our gastly faces with our nayles defaced Behold your Queene twixt both hir sonnes lyes slayne The Queene whom you did loue and honour both The Queene that did so tenderly bring vp And nourishe you eche one like to hir owne Now hath she left you all O cruell hap With hir too cruell death in dying dreade Pyning with pensiuenesse without all helpe O weary life why bydst thou in my breast And I contented be that these mine eyes Should sée hir dye that gaue to me this life And I not venge hir death by losse of life Who can me giue a fountaine made of mone That I may weepe as muche as is my will To sowsse this sorow vp in swelling teares Cho. What stony hart could leaue for to lament Anti. O Polinice now hast thou with thy bloud Bought all too deare the title to this realme That cruell he Eteocles thée reste And now also hath reft thée of thy life Alas what wicked dede can wrath not doe And out alas for mée Whyle thou yet liuedst I had a liuely hope To haue some noble wight to be my phéere By whome I might be crownde a royall Quéene But now thy hastie death hath done to dye This dying hope of mine that hope hencefoorth None other wedlocke but tormenting woe If so these trembling hands for cowarde dread Dare not presume to ende this wretched life Cho. Alas deare dame let not thy raging griefe Heape one mishap vpon anothers head Anti. O dolefull day wherein my sory sire Was borne and yet O more vnhappie houre When he was crowned king of stately Thebes The Hymenei in vnhappie bed And wicked wedlocke wittingly did ioyne The giltlesse mother with hir giltie sonne Out of which roote we be the braunches borne To beare the scourge of their so foule offence And thou O father thou that for this facte Haste torne chine eyes from thy tormented head Giue eare to this come foorth and bende thine eare To bloudie newes that canst not them beholde Happie in this for if thine eyes could sée Thy sonnes bothe slayne and euen betwéene them bothe Thy wife and mother dead bathed and imbrude All in one bloud then wouldst thou dye for dole And so might ende all our vnluckie stocke But most vnhappie nowe that lacke of sighte Shall linger life within thy lucklesse brest And still tormented in suche miserie Shall alwayes dye bicause thou canst not dye Oedipus entreth Scena iiij. OEDIPVS ANTIGONE CHORVS WHy dost thou call out of this darkesome denne The lustleste lodge of my lamenting yeres O daughter deare thy fathers blinded eyes Into the light I was not worthy of Or what suche sight O cruell destenie Without tormenting cares might I beholde That image am of deathe and not of man Anti. O father mine I bring vnluckie newes Unto your eares your sonnes are nowe both slayne Ne doth your wife that wonted was to guyde So piteously your staylesse stumbling steppes Now see this light alas and welaway Oed. O heape of infinite calamities And canst thou yet encrease when I thought least That any griefe more great could grow in thée But tell me yet what kinde of cruell death Had these three sory soules Anti. Without offence to speake deare father mine The lucklesse lotte the frowarde frowning fate That gaue you life to ende your fathers life Haue ledde your sonnes to reaue eche others life Oed. Of them I thought no lesse but tell me yet What causelesse death hath caught from me my deare What shall I call hir mother or my wife Anti. When as my mother sawe hir deare sonnes dead As pensiue pangs had prest hir tender heart With bloudlesse cheekes and gastly lookes she fell Drawing the dagger from Eteocles side She gorde hirselfe with wide recurelesse wounde And thus without mo words gaue vp the ghost Embracing both hir sonnes with both hir armes In these affrightes this frosen heart of mine By feare of death maynteines my dying life Cho. This drearie day is cause of many euils Poore Oedipus vnto thy progenie The Gods yet graunt it may become the cause Of better happe to this afflicted realme Scena v. CREON OEDIPVS ANTIGONE GOod Ladies leaue your bootelesse vayne complaynt Leaue to lament cut of your wofull cryes High time it is as now for to prouide The funerals for the renowned king And thou Oedipus hearken to my wordes And know thus muche that for thy daughters dower Antigone with Hemone shall wedde Thy sonne our king not long before his death Assigned hath the kingdome should descende To me that am his mothers brother borne And so the same might to my sonne succéede Now I that am the lorde and king of Thebes Will not permit that thou abide therein Ne maruell yet of this my heady will Ne blame thou me for why the heauens aboue Which onely rule the rolling life of man Haue so ordeynde and that my words be true Tyresias he that knoweth things to come By trustie tokens hath foretolde the towne That while thou didst within the walles remayne It should be plagued still with penurie Wherfore
was the firste Erostrato the seconde and so from one to another throughout the citie Alas what dower what mariage shall I nowe prepare for my daughter O poore dolorous Damon more miserable than miserie it selfe would god it were true that Polinesta tolde me ere while that he who hathe deflowred hir is of no seruile estate as hitherto he hath bene supposed in my seruice but that he is a gentleman borne of a good parentage in Sicilia Alas small riches should content me if he be but of an honest familie but I feare that he hathe deuised these toyes to allure my daughters loue Well I wil goe examine hir againe my mind giueth me that I shall perceiue by hir tale whether it be true or not But is not this Pasiphilo that commeth out of my neighbours house what the deuill ayleth him to leape and laughe so like a foole in the high way Pasiphilo commeth out of the tovvne laughing Scena septima PASIPHILO DAMON O God that I might finde Damon at home Da. What the deuill would he with me Pas. That I may be the firste that shall bring him these newes Da. What will he tell me in the name of God Pas. O Lord how happie am I loke where he is Da. What newes Pasiphilo that thou arte so merie Pas. Sir I am mery to make you glād I bring you ioyfull newes Da. And that I haue nede of Pasiphilo Pas. I knowe sir that you are a sorowfull man for this mishap that hath chaunced in your house peraduenture you thoughte I had not knowen of it but let it passe plucke vp you sprites and reioyce for he that hath done you this iniurie is so well borne and hath so riche parents that you may be glad to make him your sonne in law Da. How knowest thou Pas. His father Philogano one of the worthiest men in all Cathanea is nowe come to the citie and is here in your neighbours house Da. What in Erostratos house Pas. Nay in Dulipos house for where you haue alwayes supposed this gentlemā to be Erostrato it is not so but your seruaunt whom you haue emprisoned hitherto supposed to be Dulipo he is in dede Erostrato and that other is Dulipo and thus they haue alwayes euen since their first ariual in this citie exchaunged names to the ende that Erostrato the maister vnder the name of Dulipo a seruaunte mighte be entertained in your house and so winne the loue of your daughter Da. Well then I perceiue it is euē as Polinesta told me Pas. Why did she tell you so Da. Yea But I thought it but a tale Pas. Well it is a true tale and here they will be with you by and by both Philogano this worthie man and maister doctor Cleander Da. Cleander what to doe Pas. Cleander Why therby lies another tale the moste fortunate aduenture that euer you heard wot you what this other Dulipo whom all this while we supposed to be Erostrato is founde to be the sonne of Cleander whom he lost at the losse of Otranto and was after solde in Sicilia to this Philogano the strangest case that euer you heard a mā might make a Comedie of it they wil come euen straight and tell you the whole circumstance of it themselues Da. Nay I will first goe heare the storie of this Dulipo be it Dulipo or Erostrato that I heare within before I speake with Philogano Pas. So shall you doe well sir I will goe tell them that they may stay a while but loke where they come Damō goeth in Scenese Cleander and Philogano come vpon the stage Scena viij. SCENESE CLEANDER PHILOGANO SIr you shall not nede to excuse the matter any further since I haue receiued no greater iniurie than by words let them passe like wind I take them well in worthe and am rather well pleased than offended for it shall bothe be a good warning to me another time howe to trust euery man at the first sighte yea and I shall haue good game hereafter to tell this pleasant storye another day in mine owne countrey Cle. Gentleman you haue reason and be you sure that as many as heare it will take great pleasure in it and you Philogano may thinke that god in heauen aboue hath ordained your comming hither at this presente to the ende I mighte rcouer my lost sonne whom by no other meanes I could euer haue founde oute Phi. Surely sir I thinke no lesse for I thinke that not so muche as a leafe falleth from the tree withoute the ordynance of god But let vs goe seke Damon for me thinketh euery day a yeare euery houre a daye and euery minute to much till I see my Erostrato Cle. I cannot blame you goe we then Carino take you that gentleman home in the meane time the fewer the better to be present at such affaires Pasiphilo stayeth their goyng in Scena ix. PASIPHILO CLEANDER MAister doctor will you not shew me this fauour to tell me the cause of your displeasure Cle. Gentle Pasiphilo I muste néedes confesse I haue done thée wrong and that I beleued tales of thée whiche in déede I finde now contrary Pas. I am glad then that it procéeded rather of ignorance than of malice Cle. Yea beleue me Pasiphilo Pas. O sir but yet you shoulde not haue giuen me suche foule wordes Cle. Well content thy selfe Pasiphilo I am thy frende as I haue alwayes bene for proofe whereof come suppe with me to nighte and from day to daye this seuen night be thou my guest but beholde here commeth Damon out of his house Here they come all together Scena decima CLEANDER PHILOGANO DAMON EROSTRATO PASIPHILO POLINESTA NEVOLA and other seruauntes WE are come vnto you sir to turne your sorowe into ioye and gladnes the sorow we meane that of force you haue sustained since this mishappe of late fallen in your house But be you of good comfort sir and assure your selfe that this yong man whiche youthfully and not maliciously hath committed this amorous offence is verie well hable with consent of this worthie man his father to make you sufficient amendes being borne in Cathanea of Sicilia of a noble house noway inferiour vnto you and of wealth by the reporte of suche as knowe it farre excéeding that of yours Phe. And I here in proper person doe presente vnto you sir not onely my assured frendship and brotherhoode but do earnestly desire you to accepte my poore childe thoughe vnworthy as your sonne in lawe and for recompence of the iniurie he hath done you I profer my whole lands in dower to your daughter yea and more would if more I might Cle. And I sir who haue hitherto so earnestly desired your daughter in mariage doe now willingly yelde vp and quite claime to this yong man who both for his yeares and for the loue he beareth hir is most méetest to be hir husbād for where I was desirous of a wife by whom I might haue yssue to leaue that litle which god
departe and thinke not that I speake These wofull wordes for hate I beare to thée But for the weale of this afflicted realme O foule accursed fate that hast me bredde To beare the burthen of the miserie Of this colde death which we accompt for life Before my birth my father vnderstoode I should him slea and scarcely was I borne When he me made a pray for sauage beastes But what I slew him yet then caught the crowne And last of all defilde my mothers bedde By whom I haue this wicked ofspring got And to this heinous crime and filthy facte The heauens haue from highe enforced me Agaynst whose doome no counsell can preuayle Thus hath I now my life and last of all Lo by the newes of this so cruell death Of bothe my sonnes and deare beloued wife Mine angrie constellacion me commaundes Withouten eyes so wander in mine age When these my wéery weake and crooked limmes Haue greatest néede to craue their quiet rest O cruell Creon wilt thou slea me so For cruelly thou doste but murther me Out of my kingdome now to chase me thus Yet can I not with humble minde beseeche Thy curtesie ne fall before thy féete Let fortune take from me these worldly giftes She can not conquere this couragious heart That neuer yet could well be ouercome To force me yeelde for feare to villanie Do what thou canst I will be Oedipus Cre. So hast thou reason Oedipus to say And for my parte I would thee counsell eke Still to maynteine the high and hawtie minde That hath dene euen in thy noble heart For this be sure if thou wouldst kisse these knées And practise eke by prayer to preuayle No pitie coulde persuade me to consent That thou remayne one onely houre in Thebes And nowe prepare you worthie Citizens The funeralls that duely doe pertayne Unto the Quéene and to Eteocles And eke for them prouide their stately tombes But Pollynice as common enimie Unto his countrey carrie foorth his corps Out of the walles ne none so hardie be On paine of death his bodie to engraue But in the fieldes let him vnburied lye Without his honour and without complaynte An open praie for sauage beastes to spoyle And thou Antigone drie vp thy teares Plucke vp thy sprites and chéere thy harmelesse hearte To mariage for ere these two dayes passe Thou shalt espouse Hemone myne onely heire Antig. Father I sée vs wrapt in endlesse woe And nowe muche more doe I your state lamente Than these that nowe be dead not that I thinke Theyr greate missehappes too little to bewayle But this that you you onely doe surpasse All wretched wightes that in this worlde remayne But you my Lorde why banishe you with wrong My father thus out of his owne perforce And why will you denye these guiltlesse bones Of Polinice theyr graue in countrey soyle Creon So would not I so woulde Eteocles Anti. He cruel was you fonde to hold his hestes Creon Is then a fault to doe a kings cōmaund Anti. When his cōmaunde is cruel and vniust Creon Is it vniust that he vnburied be Anti. He not deseru'd so cruell punishment Creon He was his countreys cruell enimie Anti. Or else was he that helde him from his right Cre. Bare he not armes against his natiue land Anti. Offendeth he that sekes to winne his owne Cre. Perforce to thée he shall vnburied be Anti. Perforce to thée these hands shall burie him Cre. And with him eke then will I burie thée Anti. So graunt the gods I get none other graue Then with my Polinices deare to rest Cre. Go sirs lay holde on hir and take hir in Anti. I will not leaue this corps vnburied Cre. Canst thou vndoe the thing that is decréed Anti. A wicked foule decrée to wrong the dead Cre. The ground ne shall ne ought to couer him Anti. Creon yet I beseche thée for the loue Cre. Away I say thy prayers not preuaile Anti. That thou didst beare Iocasta in hir life Cre. Thou dost but waste thy words amid the wind Anti. Yet graunt me leaue to washe his wounded corps Cre. It can not be that I should graunt thée so Anti. O my deare Polinice this tirant yet With all his wrongfull force can not fordoe But I will kisse these colde pale lippes of thine And washe thy wounds with my waymenting teares Cre. O simple wench O fonde and foolishe girle Beware beware thy teares do not foretell Some signe of hard mishap vnto thy mariage Anti. No no for Hemone will I neuer wed Cre. Dost thou refuse the mariage of my sonne Anti. I will nor him nor any other wed Cre. Against thy will then must I thée constraine Anti. If thou me force I sweare thou shalt repent Cre. What canst thou casue that I should once repent Anti. With bloudy knife I can this knot vnknit Cre. And what a foole were thou to kill thy selfe Anti. I will ensue some worthie womans steppes Cre. Speake out Antigone that I may heare Anti. This hardie hand shall soone dispatche his life Cre. O simple foole and darst thou be so bolde Anti. Why should I dread to doe so doughtie deede Cre. And wherfore dost thou wedlocke so despise Anti. In cruell exile for to folow him pointing to Oedipus Cre. What others might beseme besemes not thée Anti. If néede require with him eke will I dye Cre. Depart depart and with thy father dye Rather than kill my childe with bloudie knife Go hellishe monster go out of the towne Creon exit Oedi. Daughter I must commend thy noble heart Anti. Father I will neuer come in company And you alone wander in wildernesse Oedi. O yes deare daughter leaue thou me alone Amid my plagues be mery while thou maist Anti. And who shall guide these aged féete of yours That banisht bene in blind necessitie Oedi. I will endure as fatall lot me driues Resting these crooked sory sides of mine Where so the heauens shall lend me harborough And in exchange of riche and stately toures The woodes the wildernesse the darkesome dennes Shal be the bowre of mine vnhappy bones Anti. O father now where is your glory gone Oedi. One happy day did raise me to renoune One haplesse day hath throwne mine honor downe Anti. Yet will I beare a part of your mishappes Oedi. That sitteth not amid thy pleasant yeares Anti. Deare father yes let youth giue place to age Oedi. Where is thy mother let me touche hir face That with these hands I may yet féele the harme That these blind eyes forbid me to beholde Anti. Here father here hir corps here put your hand Oedi. O wife O mother O both wofull names O wofull mother and O wofull wyfe O woulde to God alas O woulde to God Thou nere had bene my mother nor my wyfe But where lye nowe the paled bodies two Of myne vnluckie sonnes Oh where be they Anti. Lo here they lye one by an other deade Oedip. Stretch out this hand dere daughter stretch this hande