leuie threatning armes Whereof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine Yet once againe I must to thee recompte The wailefull thing that is already spred Bicause 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 employde 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 such 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 now our Citie is Thou knowst how he desirous still to searche The hidden secrets of supernall powers Vnto 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 wailfull 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 Vp 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 Which being bound about his féeble limmes Were strong inough to holde the little soule Thus did he leaue this infant scarcely borne That in short time must néedes haue lost his life If destenie that for our greater gréefes Decréede before to kéepe it still aliue Had not vnto this childe sent present helpe For so it chaunst a shepheard passing by With pitie moude did stay his giltlesse death He tooke him home and gaue him to his wife With homelie fare to féede and foster vp Now harken how the heauens haue wrought the way To Laius death and to mine owne decay Ser. Experience proues and daily is it séene In vaine too vaine man striues against the heauens Ioca. Not farre fro thence the mightie Polibus Of Corinth King did kéepe his princely court Vnto whose wofull wife lamenting muche Shée had no ofspring by hir noble phéere The curteous shepherd gaue my little sonne Which gratefull gift the Quéene did so accept As nothing séemde more precious in hir sight Partly for that his faitures were so fine Partly for that he was so beautifull And partly for bicause his comely grace Gaue great suspicion of his royall bloude The infant grewe and many yeares was demde Polibus sonne till time that Oedipus For so he named was did vnderstande That Polibus was not his sire in déede Whereby forsaking frendes and countrie there He did returne to seeke his natiue stocke And being come into Phocides lande Toke notice of the cursed oracle How first he shoulde his father doe to death And then become his mothers wedded mate Ser. O fierce aspect of cruell planets all That can decrée such seas of heynous faultes Ioca. Then Oedipus fraight full of chilling feare By all meanes sought t' auoyde this furious fate But whiles he wéende to shunne the shameful déede Vnluckly guided by his owne mishappe He fell into the snare that most he feared For loe in Phocides did Laius lye To ende the broyles that ciuill discorde then Had raysed vp in that vnquiet lande By meanes whereof my wofull Oedipus Affording ayde vnto the other side With murdring blade vnwares his father slewe Thus heauenly doome thus fate thus powers diuine Thus wicked reade of Prophets tooke effect Now onely restes to ende the bitter happe Of me of me his miserable mother Alas how colde I féele the quaking bloud Passe too and fro within my trembling brest Oedipus when this bloudy déede was doone Forst foorth by fatall doome to Thebes came Where as full soone with glory he atchieude The crowne and scepter of this noble lande By conquering Sphinx that cruell monster loe That earst destroyde this goodly flouring soyle And thus did I O hatefull thing to heare To my owne sonne become a wretched wife Ser. No meruayle though the golden Sunne withdrew His glittering beames from suche a sinfull facte Ioca. And so by him that from this belly sprang I brought to light O cursed that I am Aswell two sonnes as daughters also twaine But when this monstrous mariage was disclosde So sore began the rage of boyling wrath To swell within the furious brest of him As he him selfe by stresse of his owne nayles Out of his head did teare his griefull eyne Vnworthy more to sée the shining light Ser. How could it be that knowing he had done So foule a blot he would remayne aliue Ioca. So déepely faulteth none the which vnwares Doth fall into the crime he can not shunne And he alas vnto his greater gréefe Prolongs the date of his accursed dayes Knowing that life doth more and more increase The cruell plages of his detested gilte Where stroke of griefly death dothe set an ende Vnto the pangs of mans increasing payne Ser. Of others all moste cause haue we to mone Thy wofull smarte O miserable Quéene Such and so many are thy gréeuous harmes Ioca. Now to the ende this blinde outrageous sire Should reape no ioye of his vnnaturall fruite His wretched sons prickt foorth by furious spight Adiudge their father to perpetuall prison There buried in the depthe of dungeon darke Alas he leades his discontented life Accursing still his stony harted sonnes And wishing all th' infernall sprites of hell To breathe suche poysned hate into their brestes As eche with other fall to bloudy warres And so with pricking poynt of piercing blade To rippe their bowels out that eche of them With others bloud might strayne his giltie hands And bothe at once by stroke of spéedie death Be foorthwith throwne into the Stigian lake Ser. The mightie Gods preuent so fowle a déede Ioca. They to auoyde the wicked blasphemies And sinfull prayer of their angrie sire Agréed thus that of this noble realme Vntill the course of one ful yere was runne Eteocles should sway the kingly mace And Polynice as exul should departe Till time expyrde and then to Polynice Eteocles should yéelde the scepter
tedious tydinges styll Content you now to heare himselfe rehearse His strange affectes in his lamenting verse Which verse he wrote at Bathe as earst was sayd And there I sawe him when he wrote the same I sawe him there with many moanes dismaide I sawe him there both fryse and flashe in flame I sawe him gréeu'd when others made good game And so appeareth by his darke discourse The which to reade I craue your iust remorse Dan Bartholmewes Dolorous discourses I Haue entreated care to cut the thread Which all to long hath held my lingring life And here aloofe nowe haue I hyd my head From company thereby to stint my strife This solitarye place doth please me best Where I may weare my wylling mind with moane And where the sighes which boyle out of my brest May skald my heart and yet the cause vnknowne All this I doe for thee my swéetest sowre For whome of yore I counted not of care For whome with hungrie iawes I dyd deuoure The secrete baite which lurked in the snare For whome I thought all forreine pleasures paine For whome againe all paine dyd pleasure séeme But onely thine I found all fansies vaine But onely thine I dyd no dolours déeme Such was the rage that whilome dyd possesse The priuie corners of my mazed mind When hote desire dyd compt those tormentes lesse Which gaind the gaze that dyd my fréedome bind And now with care I can record those dayes And call to mind the quiet lyfe I led Before I first beheld thy golden rayes When thine vntrueth yet troubled not my hed Remember thou as I can not forget Howe I had layde both loue and lust aside And howe I had my fixed fancie set In constant vowe for euer to abide The bitter proofe of panges in pleasure past The costlye tast of hony mixt with gall The painted heauen which turnde to hell at last The freedome fainde which brought me but to thrall The lingring sute well fed with freshe delayes The wasted vowes which fled with euery winde The restlesse nightes to purchase pleasing dayes The toyling daies to please my restlesse minde All these with mo had brused so my brest And graft such grefe within my groning heart That had I left Dame fansie and the rest To gréener yéeres which might endure the smart My wearie bones did beare away the skarres Of many a wound receiued by disdaine So that I found the fruite of all those warres To be naught else but panges of vnknowen paine And nowe mine eyes were shut from such delight My fansie faint my hote desires were colde When cruell hap presented to my sight The maydens face in yéeres which were not olde I thinke the Goddesse of reuenge deuisde So to bée wreackt on my rebelling wyll Bicause I had in youthfull yéeres dispisde To taste the baites which tyste my fansie styll Howe so it were God knowes I cannot tell But if Ilye you Heauens the plague be mine I sawe no sooner how delight dyd dwell Betwéene those litle infantes eyes of thine But straight a sparkling cole of quicke desire Dyd kindle flame within my frozen heart And yelding fansie softly blewe the fire Which since hath bene the cause of all my smart What néede I say thy selfe for me can sweare Howe much I tendred thée in tender yeares Thy life was then to me God knowes full deare My life to thée is light as nowe appeares I loued the first and shall do to my last Thou flattredst first and so thou wouldst do styll For loue of thée full many paines I past For deadly hate thou seekest me to kyll I cannot nowe with manly tongue rehearse How sone that melting mind of thine dyd yelde I shame to write in this waymenting verse With howe small fight I vanquisht thée in fielde But Caesar he which all the world subdude Was neuer yet so proude of Victorye Nor Hanyball with martiall feates endude Dyd so much please himselfe in pollicie As I poore I dyd séeme to triumphe then When first I got the Bulwarkes of thy brest With hote Alarmes I comforted my men In formost ranke I stoode before the rest And shooke my flagge not all to shewe my force But that thou mightst thereby perceiue my minde Askaunces lo nowe coulde I kyll thy corce And yet my life is vnto thée resinde Well let this passe and thinke vppon the ioye The mutuall loue the confidence the trust Whereby we both abandoned annoye And fed our mindes with fruites of louely lust Thinke on the Tythe of kysses got by stealth Of sweete embracinges shortened by feare Remember that which did maintaine our helth Alas alas why shoulde I name it here And in the midst of all those happie dayes Do not forget the chaunges of my chaunce When in the depth of many waywarde wayes I onely sought what might thy state aduaunce Thou must confesse how much I carde for thee When of my selfe I carde not for my selfe And when my hap was in mishappes to be Estéemd thée more than al the worldly pelfe Mine absente thoughtes did beate on thée alone When thou hadst found afond and newfound choice For lacke of thée I sunke in endlesse mone When thou in chaunge didst tumble and reioyce O mighty goddes néedes must I honor you Needes must I iudge your iudgmentes to be iust Bicause she did for sake him that was true And with false loue did cloke a fained luste By high decrées you ordayned the chaunge To light on such as she must néedes mislike A méete rewarde for such as like to raunge When fansies force their féeble fleshe doth strike But did I then giue brydle to thy fall Thou head strong thou accuse me if thou can Did I not hazard loue yea life and all To warde thy will from that vnworthy man And when by toyle I trauayled to finde The secrete causes of thy madding moode I found naught else but tricks of Cressides kinde Which playnly proude that thou weart of hir bloud I found that absent Troylus was forgot When Dyomede had got both brooch and belt Both gloue and hand yea harte and all god wot When absent Troylus did in sorowes swelt These tricks with mo thou knowst thy self I found Which nowe are néedelesse here for to reherse Vnlesse it were to touche a tender wound With corosiues my panting heart to perse But as the Hounde is counted little worth Which giueth ouer for a losse or twaine And cannot find the meanes to single forth The stricken Deare which doth in heard remaine Or as the kindly Spaniell which hath sprong The prety Partriche for the Falcons flight Doth neuer spare but thrusts the thornes among To bring this byrd yet once againe to sight And though he knowe by proofe yea dearely bought That selde or neuer for his owne auaile This wearie worke of his in vaine is wrought Yet spares he not but labors-tooth and nayle So labord I to saue thy wandring shippe Which reckelesse then was running on
fynde thy noble matche so méete And woorthie bothe for thy degrée and byrthe I séeke to comforte thée by myne aduise That thou returne this citie to inhabite Whiche best of all may séeme to be the bowre Bothe for thy selfe and for thy noble spouse Forget thou then thy brothers iniuries And knowe deare chylde the harme of all missehap That happes twixt you must happe likewise to mée Ne can the cruell sworde so slightly touche Your tender fleshe but that the selfe same wounde Shall déepely bruse this aged brest of myne Cho. There is no loue may be comparde to that The tender mother beares vnto hir chyld For euen somuche the more it dothe encrease As their griefe growes or contentations cease Poli. I knowe not mother if I prayse deserue That you to please whome I ought not displease Haue traynde my selfe among my trustlesse foes But Nature drawes whether he will or nill Eche man to loue his natiue countrey soyle And who shoulde say that otherwise it were His toung should neuer with his hearte agrée This hath me drawne besyde my bounden due To set full light this lucklesse lyfe of myne For of my brother what may I else hope But traynes of treason force and falshoode bothe Yet neyther perill present nor to come Can holde me from my due obedience I graunte I can not grieflesse wel beholde My fathers pallace the holie aultars Ne louely lodge wherin I fostred was From whence driuen out and chaste vnworthily I haue to long aboade in forreyn coastes And as the growing gréene and pleasant plante Dothe beare freshe braunches one aboue another Euen so amidde the huge heape of my woes Doth growe one grudge more gréeuous than the rest To sée my deare and dolefull mother cladde In mourning tyre to tyre hir mourning minde Wretched alonely for my wretchednesse So lykes that enimie my brother best Soone shall you sée that in this wandring worlde No enmitie is equall vnto that That dark disdayne the cause of euery euill Dooth bréede full ofte in consanguinitie But Ioue he knowes what dole I doe endure For you and for my fathers wretched woe And eke how déepely I desire to knowe What wearie lyfe my louing sisters leade And what anoye myne absence them hath giuen Iocast Alas alas howe wrekefull wrath of Gods Doth still afflicte Oedipus progenie The fyrste cause was thy fathers wicked bedde And then oh why doe I my plagues recompte My burden borne and your vnhappie birth But néedes we must with pacient heartes abyde What so from high the heauens doe prouide With thée my chylde fayne would I question yet Of certaine things me woulde I that my wordes Might thée anoye ne yet renewe thy griefe Poli. Saye on deare mother say what so you please What pleaseth you shall neuer mée disease Iocast And séemes it not a heauie happe my sonne To be depriued of thy countrey coastes Poly. So heauie happe as toung can not expresse Iocast And what may moste molest the mynde of man This is exiled from his natiue soyle Poli. The libertie hée with his countrey loste And that he lacketh fréedome for to speake What séemeth best without controll or checke Iocast Why so eche seruant lacketh libertie To speake his minde without his maisters leaue Poli. In exile euery man or bonde or free Of noble race or meaner parentage Is not in this vnlike vnto the slaue That muste of force obey to eche mans will And prayse the péeuishnesse of eche mans pryde Iocast And séemed this so grieuous vnto thée Poli. What griefe can greater be than so constraynde Slauelike to serue gaynst right and reason bothe Yea muche the more to him that noble is By stately lyne or yet by vertuous lyfe And hath a heart lyke to his noble mynde Iocast What helpeth moste in suche aduersitie Poli. Hope helpeth moste to comfort miserie Ioca. Hope to returne from whence he fyrst was driuen Poli. Yea hope that happeneth oftentymes to late And many die before such hap may fall Iocast And howe didst thou before thy mariage sonne Mainteyne thy lyfe a straunger so bestad Poli. Sometyme I founde though seldome so it were Some gentle heart that coulde for curtesye Contente himselfe to succour myne estate Iocast Thy fathers friends and thyne did they not helpe For to reléeue that naked néede of thyne Poli. Mother he hath a foolishe fantasie That thinkes to fynd a frende in miserie Iocast Thou mightest haue helpe by thy nobilitie Poli. Couered alas in cloake of pouertie Iocast Wel ought we then that are but mortall héere Aboue all treasure counte our countrey deare Yea let me knowe my sonne what cause thée moued To goe to Grece Poli. The flying fame that thundred in myne eares How king Adrastus gouernour of Greece Was answered by Oracle that he Shoulde knitte in linkes of lawfull mariage His two faire daughters and his onely heires One to a Lyon th' other to a Boare An answere suche as eche man wondred at Iocast And how belongs this answere now to thée Poli. I toke my gesse euen by this ensigne héere A Lyon loe which I did alwayes beare Yet thinke I not but Ioue alonely brought These handes of myne to suche an high exploite Iocast And howe yet came it to this straunge effect Poli. The shining day had runne his hasted course And deawie night bespread hir mantell darke When I that wandred after wearie toyle To seke some harbrough for myne irked limmes Gan fynde at last a little cabbin close Adioyned faste vnto the stately walles Where king Adrastus held his royall towres Scarce was I there in quiet well ycought But thither came another exile eke Named Tydeus who straue perforce to driue Mée from this sorie seate and so at laste We settled vs to fell and bloudie fight Whereof the rumour grewe so great foorthwith That straight the king enformed was therof Who séeing then the ensignes that wée bare To be euen such as were to him foresayde Chose eche of vs to be his sonne by lawe And sithens did solemnize eke the same Iocast Yet woulde I know if that thy wyfe be suche As thou canst ioy in hir or what she is Pyli O mother deare fayrer ne wyser dame Is none in Greece Argia is hir name Iocast Howe couldst thou to this doubtfull enterprise So many bring thus armed all at once Poli. Adrastus sware that he woulde soone restore Vnto our right both Tydeus and me And fyrst for mée that had the greater néede Whereby the best and boldest blouds in Greece Haue followed me vnto this enterpryse A thing both iust and grieuous vnto me Gréeuous I saye for that I doe lament To be constrayned by such open wrong To warre agaynst myne owne deare countrey féeres But vnto you O mother dothe pertain To stinte this stryfe and both deliuer mée From exile now and eke the towne from siege For otherwise I sweare you here by heauens Eteocles who now doth me disdayne For brother
Of which conflicte the ende must néedes be this That one do liue that other die the death Ioca. Alas alas this did I euer feare Nun. Now sith in summe I haue reuealed that Which you haue heard with great remorse of mind I will procéede at large to tell the whole When your victorious sonne with valiant force Had chast his foes into their ioyning tents Euen there he staide and straight at sound of trumpe With stretched voice the herault thus proclaimde You princely Gréekes that hither be arriued To spoile the fruite of these our fertile fields And vs to driue from this our Natiue soile O suffer not so many giltlesse soules By this debate descend in Stygian lake For priuate cause of wicked Polynice But rather let the brethren hand to hand By mutuall blowes appease their furious rage And so to cease from sheding further bloud And to the end you all might vnderstand The profite that to euery side may fall Thus much my Lord thought good to profer you This is his will if he be ouercome Then Polynice to rule this kingly realme If so it happe as reason would it should Our rightfull prince to conquere Polynice That then no one of you make more adoo But straight to Argos I le hast home againe This thus pronounst vnto the noble Gréeks No soner did the sound of trumpet cease But Polynice stept forth before the host And to these words this answere did he make O thou not brother but my mortall foe Thy profer here hath pleased me so well As presently without more long delay I yeld my selfe prepared to the field Our noble King no soner heard this vaunt But forth as fast he prest his princely steppes With eger mind as hoouering falcon woonts To make hir stoope when pray appeares in sight At all assayes they both were brauely armed To eithers side his sword fast being girt In eithers hand was put a sturdy launce About Eteocles our souldiers cloong To comforte him and put him then in mind He fought for safetie of his country soile And that in him consisted all their hope To Polynice the king Adrastus swore If he escaped victor from the fielde At his returne he would in Greece erecte A golden Image vnto mightie Ioue In signe of his triumphing victorie But all this while séeke you O noble quéene To hinder this your furious sonnes attempte Intreat the Gods it may not take effecte Els must you néedes ere long depriued be Of both your sonnes or of the one at least Nuncius returneth to the camp by the gates Homoloydes IOCASTA ANTIGONE ANtigone my swete daughter come forth Out of this house that nought but woe retaines Come forth I say not for to sing or daunce But to preuent if in our powers it lie That thy malicious brethren swolne with ire And I alas their miserable mother Be not destroide by stroke of dreadfull death Antigone commeth out of hir mothers Pallace Anti. Ah swete mother ah my beloued mother Alas alas what cause doth moue ye now From trembling voice to send such carefull cries What painefull pang what griefe doth gripe you now Ioca. O deare daughter thy most vnhappie brethren That sometimes lodgde within these wretched loynes Shall die this day if Ioue preuent it not Anti. Alas what say you alas what do you say Can I alas endure to sée him dead Whom I thus long haue sought to sée aliue Ioca. They both haue vowde I quake alas to tell With trenchant blade to spill eche others blood Antig. O cruell Eteocles ah ruthlesse wretch Of this outrage thou only art the cause Not Polynice whom thou with hatefull spight Hast reaued first of crowne and countrie soyle And now doest séeke to reaue him of his life Ioca. Daughter no more delay le ts go le ts go Anti. Ah my swéete mother whither shall I go Ioca. With me déere daughter to the gréekish host Anti. Alas how can I go vnles I go In daunger of my life or of good name Ioca. Time serues not now my well beloued childe To way the losse of life or honest name But rather to preuent if so we may That wicked déede which only but to thinke Doth hale my hart out of my heauie brest Anti. Come then le ts go good mother let vs go But what shall we be able for to doe You a weake old woman forworne with yeares And I God knowes a silly simple mayde Ioca. Our wofull wordes our prayers our plaintes Pourde out with streames of ouerflowing teares Where Nature rules may happen to preuayle When reason power and force of armes do fayle But if the glowing heate of boyling wrath So furious be as it may not relent Then I atwixt them both will throw my selfe And this my brest shal beare the deadly blowes That otherwise should light vpon my sonnes So shall they shead my bloud and not their owne Well now déere daughter let vs hasten hence For if in time we stay this raging strife Then haply may my life prolonged be If ere we come the bloudy déede be done Then must my ghost forsake this féeble corps And thou deare childe with dolour shalt bewaile Thy brothers death and mothers all at once Iocasta with Antigone and all hir traine excepte the Chorus goeth towards the campe by the gates Homoloydes CHORVS WHo so hath felt what faith and feruent loue A mother beares vnto hir tender sonnes She and none other sure can comprehende The dolefull griefe the pangs and secret paine That presently doth pierce the princely brest Of our afflicted Quéene alas I thinke No martyrdome might well compare with hirs So ofte as I recorde hir restlesse state Alas me thinkes I féele a shiuering feare Flit to and fro along my flushing vaines Alas for ruth that thus two brethren shoulde Enforce themselues to shed each others bloud Where are the lawes of nature nowe become Can fleshe of fleshe alas can bloud of bloud So far forget it selfe as slay it selfe O lowring starres O dimme and angrie skies O geltie fate suche mischiefe set aside But if supernall powers decréed haue That death must be the ende of this debate Alas what floudes of teares shall then suffise To wéepe and waile the néere approching death I meane the death of sonnes and mother both And with their death the ruine and decay Of Oedipus and his princely race But loe here Creon cōmes with carefull cheare T is time that now I ende my iust complaint Creon commeth in by the gates Homoloydes CREON. NVNCIVS ALthough I straightly charge my tender childe To flée from Thebes for safegarde of him selfe And that long since he parted from my sight Yet doe I greatly hang in lingring doubt Least passing through the gates the priuie watch Hath stayed him by some suspect of treason And so therewhile the prophets hauing skride His hidden fate he purchast haue the death Which I by all meanes sought he might eschewe And this mischaunce so much I feare
the more How much the wished conquest at the first Fell happily vnto the towne of Thebes But wise men ought with patience to sustaine The sundrie haps that slipperie fortune frames Nuncius commeth in by the gates Electrae Nun. Alas who can direct my hastie steppes Vnto the brother of our wofull Quéene But loe where carefully he standeth here Cre. If so the minde may dread his owne mishap Then dread I much this man that séekes me thus Hath brought the death of my beloued sonne Nun. My Lorde the thing you feare is very true Your sonne Meneceus no longer liues Cre. Alas who can withstand the heauenly powers Well it beséemes not me ne yet my yeares In bootelesse plaint to wast my wailefull teares Do thou recount to me his lucklesse deathe The order forme and manner of the same Nun. Your sonne my Lorde came to Eteocles And tolde him this in presence of the rest Renoumed King neither your victorie Ne yet the safetie of this princely Realme In armour doth consist but in the death Of me of me O most victorious King So heauenly dome of mightie Ioue commaunds I knowing what auayle my death should yéeld Vnto your grace and vnto natiue land Might well be déemde a most vngratefull sonne Vnto this worthy towne if I would shunne The sharpest death to do my countrie good In mourning wéede now let the vestall Nimphes With fainyng tunes commend my faultlesse ghost To highest heauens while I despoyle my selfe That afterwarde sith Ioue will haue it so To saue your liues I may receyue my death Of you I craue O curteous Citizens To shrine my corps in tombe of marble stone Whereon graue this Meneceus here doth lie For countries cause that was content to die This saide alas he made no more a doe But drewe his sword and sheathde it in his brest Cre. No more I haue inough returne ye nowe From whence ye came Nuncius returneth by the gates Electrae Well since the bloud of my beloued sonne Must serue to slake the wrath of angrie Ioue And since his onely death must bring to Thebes A quiet ende of hir vnquiet state Me thinkes good reason would that I henceforth Of Thebane soyle should beare the kingly swaye Yea sure and so I will ere it belong Either by right or else by force of armes Of al mishap loe here the wicked broode My sister first espoused hath hir sonne That slewe his fire of whose accursed séede Two brethren sprang whose raging hatefull hearts By force of 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 be spilt for others gilte Oh welcome were that messenger 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 funerals 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. Actus 4. CHORVS O Blisful 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 such noble vertue bydes As may commaund the mightiest Gods to bend From thée alone such sugred frendship slydes 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 al the heauenly pole deuide From th' olde confused heape that Chaos hight Thou madste 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 Ver. 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 birds melodiously do sing Thou dost appoint the crop of sommers séede For mans reliefe to serue the winters néede Thou doest inspire the heartes of princely péeres By prouidence procéeding from aboue In flowring youth to choose their worthie féeres With whome 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 doste thou his stocke renue By thée the basest thing aduaunced is Thou euerie where dost graffe such 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 raine But if thou faile then al things gone to wracke The mother then doth dread hir naturall childe Then euery towne is subiect to the sacke Then spotlesse maids the 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 battred 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 Finis Actus quarti Done by F. Kinwelmarshe The order of the laste dumbe shevve FIrst the Stillpipes sounded a very mournful melody in which time came vpon the Stage a womā clothed in a white garment on hir head a piller double faced the formost face fair smiling the other behinde blacke louring muffled with a white laune about hir eyes hir lap ful of Iewelles sitting in a charyot hir legges naked hir fete set vpō a great roūd bal beyng drawē in by .iiij. noble personages she led in a string on hir right hand .ij. kings crowned and in hir lefte hand .ij. poore slaues very meanly attyred After she was drawen about the stage she stayed a little changing the kings vnto the left hande the slaues
liue and such a life leade I. The Sunny dayes which gladde the saddest wightes Yet neuer shine to cleare my misty moone No quiet sléepe amidde the mooneshine nightes Can close mine eyes when I am woe begone Into such shades my péeuishe sorrowe shrowdes That Sunne and Moone are styll to me in clowdes And feuerlike I féede my fancie styll With such repast as most empaires my health Which feuer first I caught by wanton wyll When coles of kind dyd stirre my blood by stealth And gazing eyes in bewtie put such trust That loue enflamd my liuer al with lust My fits are lyke the feuer Ectick fits Which one daye quakes within and burnes without The next day heate within the boosoms sits And shiuiring colde the body goes about So is my heart most hote when hope is colde And quaketh most when I most heate behold Tormented thus without delayes I stand All wayes in one and euermore shal be In greatest griefe when helpe is nearest hand And best at ease if death might make me frée Delighting most in that which hurtes my heart And hating change which might relieue my smart Yet you deare dame to whome this cure pertaines Deuise by times some drammes for my disease A noble name shall be your greatest gaines Whereof be sure if you wyll worke mine ease And though fond fooles set forth their fittes as fast Yet graunt with me that my straunge passion past Euer or neuer ¶ A straunge passion of a Louer AMid my Bale I hath in blisse I swim in heauen I sinke in hell I find amends for euery misse And yet my moane no tongue can tell I liue and loue what wold you more As neuer louer liu'd before I laugh sometimes with little lust So iest I oft and féele no ioye Myne ease is builded all on trust And yit mistrust bréedes myne anoye I liue and lacke I lacke and haue I haue and misse the thing I craue These things séeme strange yet are they trew Beléeue me sweete my state is such One pleasure which I wold eschew Both slakes my grief and breedes my grutch So doth one paine which I would shoon Renew my ioyes where grief begoon Then like the larke that past the night In heauy sleepe with cares opprest Yit when shee spies the pleasaunt light She sends sweete notes from out hir brest So sing I now because I thinke How ioyes approch when sorrowes shrinke And as fayre Philomene againe Can watch and singe when other sleepe And taketh pleasure in hir payne To wray the woo that makes hir weepe So sing I now for to bewray The lothsome life I lead alway The which to thée deare wenche I write That know'st my mirth but not my moane I praye God graunt thée déepe delight To liue in ioyes when I am gone I cannot liue it wyll not bée I dye to thinke to part from thée Ferendo Natura ¶ The Diuorce of a Louer DIuorce me nowe good death from loue and lingring life That one hath bene my concubine that other was my wife In youth I liued with loue she had my lustye dayes In age I thought with lingering life to stay my wādering wais But now abusde by both I come for to complaine To thée good death in whom my helpe doth wholy now remain My libell loe behold wherein I doe protest The processe of my plaint is true in which my griefe doth rest First loue my concubine whome I haue kept so trimme Euen she for whome I séemd of yore in seas of ioy to swimme To whome I dare auowe that I haue serued as well And played my part as gallantly as he that heares the hell She cast me of long since and holdes me in disdaine I cannot pranke to please hir nowe my vaunting is but vaine My writhled chéekes bewraye that pride of heate is past My stagring steppes eke tell the trueth that nature fadeth fast My quaking crooked ioyntes are combred with the crampe The boxe of oyle is wasted wel which once dyd féede my lampe The gréenesse of my yeares doth wyther now so sore That lusty loue leapes quite awaye and lyketh me no more And loue my lemman gone what lyking can I take In lothsome lyfe that croked croane although she be my make Shée cloyes me with the cough hir comfort is but cold She bids me giue mine age for almes wher first my youth was sold No day can passe my head but she beginnes to brall No mery thoughts conceiued so fast but she confounds them al. When I pretend to please she ouerthwarts me still When I would faynest part with hir she ouerwayes my will. Be iudge then gentle death and take my cause in hand Consider euery circumstaunce marke how the case doth stand Percase thou wilte aledge that cause thou canst none sée But that I like not of that one that other likes not me Yea gentle iudge giue eare and thou shalt see me proue My concubine incontinent a common whore is loue And in my wyfe I find such discord and debate As no man liuing can endure the tormentes of my state Wherefore thy sentence say deuorce me from them both Since only thou mayst right my wronges good death nowe he not loath But cast thy pearcing dart into my panting brest That I may leaue both loue and life thereby purchase rest Haud ictus sapio ¶ The Lullabie of a Louer SIng lullaby as women doe Wherewith they bring their babes to rest And lullaby can I sing to As womanly as can the best With lullaby they still the childe And if I be not much beguild Full many wanton babes haue I Which must be stild with lullabie First lullaby my youthfull yeares It is nowe time to go to bed For croocked age and hoary heares Haue wone the hauen with in my head With Lullaby then youth be still With Lullaby content thy will Since courage quayles and commes behind Go sleepe and so beguile thy minde Next Lullaby my gazing eyes Which wonted were to glaunce apace For euery Glasse maye nowe suffise To shewe the furrowes in my face With Lullabye then winke awhile With Lullabye your lookes beguile Lette no fayre face nor beautie brighte Entice you efte with vayne delighte And Lullaby my wanton will Lette reasons rule nowe reigne thy thought Since all to late I finde by skyll Howe deare I haue thy fansies bought With Lullaby nowe tak thyne ease With Lullaby thy doubtes appease For trust to this if thou be styll My body shall obey thy will. Eke Lullaby my louing boye My little Robyn take thy rest Since age is colde and nothing coye Keepe close thy coyne for so is best With Lullady be thou content With Lullaby thy lustes relente Lette others pay which hath mo pence Thou art to pore for such expence Thus Lullabye my youth myne eyes My will my ware and all that was I can no mo delayes deuise But welcome payne let pleasure passe With Lullaby now take your leaue
charge And so saye I by proofe too dearely bought My haste mad wast my braue and brainsicke barge Did float to fast to catch a thing of nought With leasure measure meane and many mo I mought haue kept a chayre of quiet state But hastie heads can not bée setled so Till croked Fortune giue a crabbed mate As busie braynes muste beate on tickle toyes As rashe inuention bréedes a rawe deuise So sodayne falles doe hinder hastie ioyes And as swifte baytes doe fléetest fyshe entice So haste makes waste and therefore nowe I saye No haste but good where wisdome makes the waye 7. No haste but good where wisdome makes the waye For profe whereof behold the simple snayle Who sées the souldiers carcasse caste a waye With hotte assaulte the Castle to assayle By line and leysure clymes the loftye wall And winnes the turrettes toppe more conningly Than doughtyé Dick who loste his life and all With hoysting vp his head to hastilye The swiftest bitche brings foorth the blyndest whelpes The hottest Feuers coldest crampes ensue The nakedst néede hathe ouer latest helpes With Neuyle then I finde this prouerbe true That haste makes waste and therefore still I saye No haste but good where wisdome makes the waye Sic tuli Richarde Courtop the last of the fiue gaue him this theame Durum aeneum miserabile aeuum and therevpon hee wrote in this wise WHen péerelesse Princes courtes were frée from flatterie The Iustice from vnequal doome the quest from periurie The pillers of the state from proude presumption The clearkes from heresie the commones from rebellion Then right rewardes were giuen by swaye of dewe desarte Then vertues derlinges might be plaste aloft to play their part Then might they coumpt it true that hath béene sayde of olde The children of those happie dayes were borne in beds of golde And swadled in the same the Nurse that gaue them sucke Was wife to liberallitie and lemman to good lucke When Caesar woon the fielde his captaines caught the Townes And euery painful souldiours purse was crammed ful of crownes Licurgus for good Lawes lost his owne libertie And thought it better to preferre common commoditie But nowe the times are turnde it is not as it was The golde is gone the siluer sunke and nothing left but brasse To sée a King encroache what wonder should it séeme When commons cannot be content with countrie Dyadeeme The Prince maye dye a babe trust vp by trecherie Where vaine ambition doth moue trustlesse nobillitye Errours in pulpit preache where faith in priesthood failes Promotion not deuotion is cause why cleargie quailes Thus is the stage stakt out where all these partes be plaide And I the prologue should pronounce but that I am afraide First Cayphas playes the Priest and Herode sits as king Pylate the Iudge Iudas the Iurour verdict in doth bring Vaine tatling plaies the vice well cladde in ritche aray And poore Tom Trooth is laught to skorn with garments nothing gay The woman wantonnesse shée commes with ticing traine Pride in hir pocket plaies bo péepe and bawdry in hir braine Hir handmaides be deceipte daunger and dalliaunce Riot and Reuell follow hir they be of hir alliaunce Next these commes in Sim Swashe to see what sturre they kéepe Clim of the Clough then takes his héeles t is time for him to créepe To packe the pageaunt vp commes Sorrow with a song He say these iestes can get no grotes al this geare goth wrong Fyrst pride without cause why he singes the treble parte The meane hee mumbles out of tune for lacke of life and hart Cost lost the counter Tenor chanteth on apace Thus all in discords stands the cliffe and beggrie singes the base The players loose their paines where so fewe pence are sturring Their garmēts weare for lacke of gains fret for lack of furring When all is done and past was no part plaide but one For euerye player plaide the foole tyll all be spent and gone And thus this foolishe iest I put in dogrell rime Because a crosier staffe is best for such a crooked time Sic tuli ¶ And thus an ende of these fiue Theames admounting to the number of CCLVIII. verses deuised ryding by the way writing none of them vntill he came at the ende of his Iourney the which was no longer than one day in ryding one daye in tarying with his friend and the thirde in returning to Greyes Inne and therefore called Gascoignes memories ¶ A gloze vpon this text Dominus ijs opus habet MY recklesse race is runne gréene youth and pride be past My riper mellowed yéeres beginne to follow on as fast My glancing lookes are gone which wonted were to prie In euerie gorgious garishe glasse that glistred in mine eie My sight is now so dimme it can behold none such No mirrour but the merrie meane can please my fansie much And in that noble glasse I take delight to vewe The fashions of the wonted world compared by the newe For marke who lyst to looke eche man is for him selfe And beates his braine to hord heape this trashe worldly pelfe Our handes are closed vp great giftes go not abroade Fewe men wyll lende a locke of heye but for to gaine a loade Giue Gaue is a good man what néede we lashe it out The world is wondrous feareful now for danger bids men doubt And aske how chaunceth this or what meanes all this meede Forsoothe the common aunswere is because the Lord hath neede A noble iest by gisse I finde it in my glasse The same fréeholde our sauiour Christ conueyed to his asse A texte to trie the trueth and for this time full fitte Fo where should we our lessons learne but out of holy writte First marke our onely God which ruleth all the rost He sets a side all pompe and pride wherin fond wordlings boast His trayne is not so great as filthy Sathans band A smaller heard maye serue to féede at our great masters hand Next marke the heathens Gods and by them shall we sée They be not now so good fellowes as they were wonte to be Ioue Mars and Mercurie Dame Venus and the rest They bāquet not as they were wont they know it were not best So kinges and princes both haue left their halles at large Their priuie chambers cost enough they cut off euery charge And when an office falles as chaunce somtimes maye bée First kepe it close a yere or twayne then geld it by the fee. And giue it out at last but yet with this prouiso A bridle for a brainsicke Iade durante bene placito Some thinke these ladders low to climbe alofte with spéede Well let them créepe at leisure thē for sure the Lord hath neede Dukes Earles and Barons bold haue learnt like lesson nowe They breake vp house come to courte they liue not by that plowe Percase their roomes be skant not like their stately boure A field bed in a corner coucht a pallad on the floure
My faynting lymmes straight fall into a sowne Before the taste of Ippocrace is felt The naked name in dollours doth mée drowne For then I call vnto my troubled mynde That Ippocrace hath bene thy daylye drinke That Ippocrace hath walkt with euerye winde In bottels that were fylled to the brinke With Ippocrace thou banquetedst full ofte With Ippocrace thou madst thy selfe full merrye Such chéere had set thy new loue so alofte That olde loue nowe was scarcely worth a cherry And then againe I fall into a traunce But when my breth returnes against my wyll Before my tongue can tell my wofull chaunce I heare my fellowes how they whisper still One sayth that Ippocrace is contrary Vnto my nature and complexion Whereby they iudge that all my malladye Was long of that by alteration An other sayth no no this man is weake And for such weake so hote thinges are not best Then at the last I heare no lyar speake But one which knowes the cause of mine vnrest ▪ And sayth this man is for my life in loue He hath receiued repulse or dronke disdaine Alas crye I and ere I can remoue Into a sowne I sone returne againe Thus driue I foorth my doolefull dining time And trouble others with my troubles styll But when I here the Bell hath passed prime Into the Bathe I wallowe by my wyll That there my teares vnsene might ease my griefe For though I starue yet haue I fed my fill In priuie panges I count my best relife And still I striue in weary woes to drench But when I plondge than woe is at an ebbe My glowing coles are all to quicke to quenche And I to warme am wrapped in the webbe Which makes me swim against the wished waue Lo thus deare wenche I leade a lothsome life And greedely I séeke the greedy graue To make an ende of all these stormes and strife But death is deafe and heares not my desire So that my dayes continewe styl in dole And in my nightes I féele the secrete fire Which close in embers coucheth lyke a cole And in the daye hath bene but raked vp With couering ashes of my company Now breakes it out and boyles the careful cuppe Which in my heart doth hang full heauily I melt in teares I swelt in chilling sweat My swelling heart breakes with delay of paine I fréeze in hope yet burne in haste of heate I wishe for death and yet in life remaine And when dead sléepe doth close my dazeled eyes Then dreadful dreames my dolors do encrease Me thinkes I lie awake in wofull wise And sée thée come my sorrowes for to cease Me séemes thou saist my good what meaneth this What ayles thée thus co languish and lament How can it be that bathing all in blisse Such cause vnknowne disquiets thy content Thou doest me wrong to kéepe so close from me The grudge or griefe which gripeth now thy heart For well thou knowest I must thy partner be In bale in blisse in solace and in smarte Alas alas these things I déeme in dreames But when mine eyes are open and awake I sée not thée where with the flowing streames Of brinishe teares their wonted floods do make Thus as thou séest I spend both nightes and dayes And for I find the world did iudge me once A witlesse wryter of these louers layes I take my pen and paper for the nonce I laye aside this foolishe ryding rime And as my troubled head can bring to passe I thus bewray the torments of my time Beare with my Muse it is not as it was Fato non fortuna The extremitie of his Passion AMong the toyes which tosse my braine and reaue my mind from quiet rest This one I finde doth there remaine to breede debate within my brest VVhen wo would work to wound my wyl I cannot weepe nor waile my fyll My tongue hath not the skill to tell the smallest griefe which gripes my heart Mine eyes haue not the power to swell into such Seas of secrete smart That will might melt to waues of woe and I might swelt in sorrowes so Yet shed mine eyes no trickling teares but flouddes which flowe abundauntly VVhose fountaine first enforst by feares found out the gappe of ielousie And by that breache it soketh so that all my face is styll on flowe My voice is like the raging wind which roareth still and neuer staies The thoughtes which tomble in my minde are like the wheele which whirles alwayes Nowe here nowe there nowe vp now downe in depth of waues yet cannot drowne The sighes which boyle out of my brest are not lyke those which others vse For louers sighes sometimes take rest And lend their mindes a leaue to muse But mine are like the surging Seas whome calme nor quiet can appeas And yet they be but sorrowes smoke my brest the fordge where furie playes My panting heart yt strikes the stroke my fancie blowes the flame alwaies The coles are kindled by desire and Cupide warmes him by the fire Thus can I neyther drowne in dole nor burne to ashes though I waste Mine eyes can neyther quenche the cole which warmes my heart in all this haste Nor yet my fancie make such flame that I may smoulder in the same VVherefore I come to seeke out Care beseeching him of curtesie To cut the thread which cannot weare by panges of such perplexitie And but he graunt this boone of mine thus must I liue and euer pine Fato non fortuna LO thus déere heart I force my frantike Muse To frame a verse in spite of my despight But whiles I doo these mirthlesse méeters vse This rashe conceite doth reue me from delight I call to minde howe many louing layes Howe many Sonets and how many songes I dyd deuise within those happie dayes When yet my wyl had not receiued wronges All which were euermore regarded so That litle fruite I séemd thereby to reape But rather when I had bewrayed my woe Thy loue was light and lusted styll to leape The rimes which pleased thee were all in print And mine were ragged hard for to be read Lo déere this dagger dubbes me with this dint And leaue this wound within my ielous head But since I haue confessed vnto Care That now I stand vppon his curtesie And that the bale which in my brest I bare Hath not the skill to kyll me cunningly Therefore with all my whole deuotion To Care I make this supplication Fato non fortuna His libell of request exhibited to Care. O Curteous Care whome others cruell call And raile vpon thine honourable name O knife that canst cut of the thread of thrall O sheare that shreadst the séemerent shéete of shame O happye ende of euery gréeuous game Vouchsafe O Prince thy vassall to behold Who loues thée more than can with tongue be told And nowe vouchsafe to pittie this his plaint Whose teares bewray His truth alway Although his feeble tongue be forst to faint I must confesse
to sing that note 22 Oh lawlesse Lawyers stoppe your too long nose Wherwith you smell your néedie neighbors lacke Which can pretende a title to suppose And in your rules vplandish loutes can racke Till you haue brought their wealth vnto the wracke This is plaine warre although you terme it strife Which God will scourge then Lawyers leaue this life 23 Oh Merchants make more conscience in an oth Sell not your Silkes by danger nor deceyte Breake not your bankes with coine and credite bothe Heape not your hoordes by wilinesse of weyght Set not to sale your subtilties by sleight Bréede no debate by bargayning for dayes For God will skourge such guiles tenne thousand wayes 24 Oh countrie clownes your closes sée you kéepe With hedge ditche marke your meade with meares Let not dame flatterie in your bosome créepe To tell a fittone in your Landlordes eares And say the ground is his as playne appeares Where you but set the bounders foorth to farre Plie you the plough and be no cause of warre 25 Oh common people clayme nothing but right And ceasse to séeke that you haue neuer lost Striue not for trifles make not all your might To put your neighbours purse to néedelesse cost When your owne gilte is spent then farewell frost The Lawyer gaynes and leades a Lordly lyfe Whiles you leese all and begge to stinte your stryfe 26 Knew Kings and Princes what a payne it were To winne mo realmes than any witte can wéelde To pine in hope to fret as fast for feare To sée their subiects murdred in the field To loose at last and then themselues to yéeld To breake sounde sléepe with carke and inward care They would loue peace and bidde warre well to fare 27 If noble men and gentle bloodes yborne Wist what it were to haue a widdowes curse Knew they the skourge of God which wrōgs doth skorns Who sees the poore still wronged to the worse Yet stayes reuenge till he it list disburse Wist they what were to catche Gods after clappes Then would they not oppresse somuch perhappes 28 These spirituall Pastors nay these spitefull Popes Which ought to lende a lauterne to the rest Had they themselues but light to sée the ropes And snares of Hell which for their feete are drest Bicause they pill and pole bycause they wrest Bycause they couet more than borrell men Harde be their hartes yet would they tremble then 29 Lawyers and Marchants put them both yfeare Could they foresée how fast theyr heyres lashe out If they in minde this old Prouerbe could beare De bonis malepartis vix through out Gaudebit tertius baeres out of doubt They would percase more peace than plea procure Since goods ill got so little time endure 30 Whiles Pierce the Plowmā hopes to picke a thāke By mouing boundes which got skarce graze his goose His Landlord lawes so long to winne that banke Till at the last the Ferme and all flies loose Then farewell Pierce the man proues but a mouse And séekes a cottage if he could one get So fayre he fisht by mouing mischief yet 31 If common people could foresée the fine Which lights at last by lashing out at lawe Then who best loues this question Myne or Thyne Would neuer grease the gréedy sergeants pawe But sit at home and learne this old sayde sawe Had I reuenged bene of euery harme My coate had neuer kept me halfe so warme 32 But whether now my wittes are went awrie I haue presumde to preache to long God wote Where mine empryse was well to testifie How swéet warre is to such as knowe it not I haue but toucht their yll luck and their lot Which are the cause why strife and warres begin Nought haue I sayd of such as serue therein 33 And therwithal I termed haue all strife All quarells contecks and all cruell iarres Oppressions bryberes and all gréedy life To be in genere no bet than warres Wherby my theame is stretcht beyond the starres And I am entred in a field so large As to much matter doth my Muse surcharge 34 But as the hawke which soareth in the skie And clymbes aloft for sollace of hir wing The greater gate she getteth vp on highe The truer stoupe she makes at any thing So shall you sée my Muse by wandering Finde out at last the right and ready way And kepe it sure though earst it went astray 35 My promisse was and I recorde it so To write in verse God wot though lyttle worth That warre séemes swéete to such as little knowe What commes therby what frutes it bringeth forth Who knowes none euil his minde no bad abhorth But such as once haue fealt the skortching fire Will seldome efte to play with flame desire 36 Then warre is badde and so it is in déede Yet are thrée sortes which therin take delight But who they be now herken and take héede For as I may I meane their names to wright The first hight Haughtie harte a man of might The second Greedy minde most men do call And Miser he the mome cōmes last of all 37 As for the first thrée sparkes of mighty moode Desire of fame disdayne of Idlenesse And hope of honor so inflame his bloud That he haunts warre to winne but worthinesse His doughty déedes alwayes declare no lesse For whyles most men for gaines or malice fight He gapes for glory setting lyfe but light 38 O noble mind alas and who could thinke So good a hart so hard a happe should haue A swéete perfume to fall into a sinke A costly iewell in a swelling waue Is happe as harde as if in gréedy graue The lustiest lyfe should shryned be perforce Before dyre deathe gyue sentence of diuorce 39 And such I counte the happe of Haughty hart Which hunts nought els but honor for to get Where treason malyce sicknesse sore and smarte With many myschieues moe his purpose let And he meane while which might haue spent it bet But loseth time or doth the same mispend Such guerdons giues the wicked warre at end 40 I set aside to tell the restlesse toyle The mangled corps the lamed limbes at last The shortned yeares by fret of feuers foyle The smoothest skinne with skabbes and skarres disgrast The frolicke fauour frounst and foule defast The broken sléepes the dreadfull dreames the woe Which wonne with warre and cannot from him goe 41 I list not write for it becommes me not The secret wrath which God doth kindle oft To sée the sucklings put vnto the pot To heare their giltlesse bloode send cries alofte And call for vengeance vnto him but softe The Souldiours they commit those heynous actes Yet Kings and Captaynes answere for such factes 42 What néede me now at large for to rehearse The force of Fortune when she list to frowne Why should I héere display in barreyne verse How realmes are turned topsie turuie downe How Kings and Keysars loose both clayme and
their going in Scena .ix. PHILOGANO 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 procéedee 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 night from day to day this seuen night be thou my guest But beholde here cōmeth Damō out of his house Here they come all togither Scena decima CLEANDER PHILOGANO DAMON EROSTRATO PASIPHILO POLINESTA NEVOLA and other seruaunts WE are come vnto you sir to turne you sorowe into ioy and gladnesse the sorow we meane that of force you haue sustained since this mishappe of late fallen in your house But be you of good comforte sir and assure your selfe that this yong man which youthfully and not maliciously hath commited this amorons offence is verie well able with consent of this worthie man his father to make you sufficient amendes being borne in Cathanea of Sicilia of a noble house no way inferiour vnto you and of wealth by the reporte of suche as knowe it farre excéeding that of yours Phi. 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 though 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 wher I was desirous of a wife by whom I might haue yssue to leaue that litle which god hath sent me now haue I litle néede that thankes be to god haue founde my déerely beloued sonne whō I loste of a childe at the siege of Otranto Da. Worthy gentlemā your friendship 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 Therfore 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 father for inwarde ioye he cannot pronounce one worde in steade wherof he sendeth sobbes and teares to tell the effect of his inward inuention But why doe you abide here abrode wil it please you to goe into the house sir Da. Pasiphilo hath 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 shal 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 whereby we may suppose you are content Et plauserunt FINIS IOCASTA A Tragedie vvritten in Greeke 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 eache others life The vvife 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 vvith childish dreade That durst not dye a lothsome lyfe doth leade Yet rather chose to guide hir banisht 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 presented as it were in Thebes ¶ The order of the dumme shewes and Musickes before euery Acte FIrste before the beginning of the first Acte did sounde a dolefull straunge noyse of violles Cythren Bandurion and such like during the whiche there came in vppon the Stage a king with an Imperial crown vppon his head very richely apparelled a Scepter in his righte hande a Mounde with a Crosse in his lefte 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 like maner cause those Kinges whome he had so ouercome to draw 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 firste Acte as followeth Iocasta the Queene issueth out of hir Pallace before hir twelue Gentlemen 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 about the Stage she turneth to one of hir most trustie and esteemed 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 knowne The whole discourse of my recurelesse griefe By seing me from Princes royall state Thus basely brought into so great cōtempt As mine own sonnes repine to heare my plaint Now of a Quéene but barely bearing name Seyng this towne seing my fleshe and bloude Against it selfe to
I can commaunde This necke of mine shall neuer yeld to yoke Of seruitude let bring his banners splayde Let speare and shield sharpe sworde and cyndring flames Procure the parte that he so vainely claimes As long as life within this brest doth last I nill consent that he should reigne with me If lawe of right may any way be broke Desire of rule within a climbing brest To breake a vow may beare the buckler best Cho. Who once hath past the bounds of honestie In ernest déedes may passe it well in words Ioca. O sonne amongst so many miseries This benefite hath croked age I find That as the tracke of trustlesse time hath taught It séeth much and many things discernes Which recklesse youth can neuer rightly iudge Oh cast aside that vaine ambition That corosiue that cruell pestilence That most infects the minds of mortall men In princely palace and in stately townes It crepeth ofte and close with it conuayes To leaue behind it damage and decayes By it be loue and amitie destroyde It breakes the lawes and common concord beates Kingdomes and realmes it topsie turuie turnes And now euen thée hir gall so poisoned hath That the weake eies of thine affection Are blinded quite and sée not to them selfe But worthy childe driue from thy doubtfull brest This monstrous mate in steade wherof embrace Equalitie which stately states defends And binds the minde with true and trustie knots Of frendly faith which neuer can be broke This man of right should properly possesse And who that other doth the more embrace Shall purchase paine to be his iust reward By wrathfull wo or else by cruell death This first deuided all by equall bonds What so the earth did yeld for our auaile This did deuide the nightes and dayes alike And that the vaile of darke and dreadfull night Which shrowds in misty clouds the pleasaunt light Ne yet the golden beames of Phoebus rayes Which cleares the dimmed ayre with gladsome gleams Can yet heape hate in either of them both If then the dayes and nightes to serue our turne Content themselues to yeld each other place Well oughtest thou with waightie dome to graunt Thy brothers right to rule the reigne with thée Which heauens ordeyned common to you both If so thou nill O sonne O cruell sonne In whose high brest may iustice builde hir houre When princes harts wide open lye to wrong Why likes thée so the tipe of tyrannie With others losse to gather gréedy gaine Alas how farre he wanders from the truth That compts a pompe all other to command Yet can not rule his owne vnbridled will A vaine desire much riches to possesse Whereby the brest is brusde and battered still With dread with daunger care and cold suspecte Who séekes to haue the thing we call inough Acquainte him first with contentation For plenteousnesse is but a naked name And what suffiseth vse of mortall men Shall best apay the meane and modest hearts These hoorded heapes of golde and worldly wealth Are not the proper goods of any one But pawnes which Ioue powres out aboundantly That we likewise might vse them equally And as he seemes to lend them for a time Euen so in time he takes them home agayne And would that we acknowledge euery houre That from his handes we did the same receiue There nothing is so firme and stayde to man But whyrles about with whéeles of restlesse time Now if I should this one thing thée demaunde Which of these two thou wouldest chuse to kéepe The towne quiet or vnquiet tyrannie And wouldest thou say I chuse my kingly chayre O witlesse answere sent from wicked heart For if so fall which mightie God defende Thine enimies hand should ouercome thy might And thou shouldest sée them sacke the towne of Thebes The chastest virgins rauished for wrecke The worthy children in captiuitie Then shouldest thou féele that scepter crowne wealth Yéelde deeper care to sée them tane away Than to possesse them yeldeth déepe content Now to conclude my sonne Ambition Is it that most offends thy blynded thought Blame not thy brother blame ambition From whome if so thou not redéeme thy selfe I feare to sée thée buy repentance deare Cho. Yea deare too deare when it shal come too late Ioc. And now to thée my Polinices deare I say that sillie was Adrastus reade And thou God knowes a simple sillie soule He to be ruled by thy heady wil And thou to warre against the Thebane walls These walls I say whose gates thy selfe should garde Tell me I pray thée if the Citie yéelde Or thou it take by force in bloudie fight Which neuer graunt the Gods I them beséeke What spoyles what Palmes what signe of victorie Canst thou set vp to haue thy countrie woonne What title worthie of immortall fame Shall blased be in honor of thy name O sonne deare sonne beléeue thy trustie dame The name of glorie shall thy name refuse And flie full farre from all thy fonde attemptes But if so fall thou shouldst be ouercome Then with what face canst thou returne to Greece That here hast lefte so many Greekes on grounde ▪ Eache one shall curse and blame thée to thy face As him that onely caused their decaye And eke condemne Adrastus simple heade That such a phéere had chosen for his childe So may it fall in one accursed houre That thou mayst loose thy wife and countrie both Both which thou mayst with little toyle attaine If thou canst leaue high minde and darke disdaine Cho. O mightie Gods of goodnesse neuer graunt Vnto these euilles but set desired peace Betwene the hearts of these two friendly foes Ete. The question that betwixt vs two is growen Beléeue me mother can not ende with words You waste your breath and I but loose my time And all your trauell lost and spent in vaine For this I sweare that peace you neuer get Betwéene vs two but with condition That whilst I liue I will be Lord of Thebes Then set aside these vaine forwasted wordes And yéelde me leaue to go where néede doth presse And now good sir get you out of these walles Vnlesse you meane to buy abode with bloude Po. And who is he that séekes to haue my bloude And shall not shed his owne as fast as myne Ete. By thée he standes and thou standst him before Loe here the sworde that shall perfourme his worde Po. And this shall eke mainteine my rightfull cause Ioc. O sonnes dear sonnes away with glittring armes And first before you touch eache others flesh With doubled blowes come pierce this brest of mine Po. Ah wretch thou art both vile and cowarde like Thy high estate esteemes thy life to deare Ete. If with a wretch or coward shouldst thou fighte Oh dastard villaine what first moued thée With swarmes of Gréekes to take this enterprise Po. For well I wist that cankred heart of thine Coulde safely kepe thy heade within these walles
And flée the fielde when combate should be callde Ete. This truce assureth thée Polynices And makes thée bolde to giue such bosting wordes So be thou sure that had this truce not bene Then long erethis these handes had bene embrude And eke this soyle besprinkled with thy bloude Po. Not one small drop of my bloude shalt thou spill But buy it deare against thy cankred will. Ioc. O sonnes my sonnes for pittie yet refrayne Ch. Good Gods who euer sawe so strange a sight True loue and frindship both be put to flight Po. Yelde villein yelde my right which thou witholdst Ete. Cut of thy hope to reigne in Thebane walles Nought hast thou here nor nought shal euer haue Away Po. O aultars of my countrie soyle Ete. Whome thou art come to spoyle and to deface Po. O Gods giue eare vnto my honest cause Ete. With forreine power his countrie to inuade Po. O holy temples of the heauenly Gods. Ete. That for thy wicked déedes do hate thy name Po. Out of my kingdome am I driuen by force Ete. Out of the which thou camst me for to driue Po. Punish O Gods this wicked tyrant here Ete. Pray to the Gods in Greece and not in Thebes Po. No sauage beast so cruell nor vniust Ete. Not cruel to my countrie like to thée Po. Since from my right I am with wrong depriued Ete. Eke from thy life if long thou tarie here Po. O father heare what iniuries I take Ete. As though thy diuelishe déedes were hid from him Po. And you mother Eteo. Haue done thou not deseruest With that false tong thy mother once to name Po. O deare Citie Eteo. When thou ariuest in Greece Chuse out thy dwelling in some mustie Moores Po. I must departe and parting must I prayse Oh deare mother the depth of your good will. Ioc. O sonne Eteo. Away I say out of these walls Po. I can not chuse but must thy will obey Yet graunt me once my father for to sée Ete. I heare no prayers of my enemie Po. Where be my swéete sisters Eteo. And canst thou yet With shamelesse tong once name thy noble race That art become a common foe to Thebes Be sure thou shall them neuer sée againe Nor other friend that in these walls remaine Po. Rest you in peace O worthy mother myne Ioc. Howe can that be and thou my ioye in warre Po. Hence forth n'am I your ioyne yet your sonne Ioc. Alas the heauens me whelme with all mishap Po. Lo here the cause that stirreth me by wrong Ete. Much more is that he profereth vnto me Po. Well speake darest thou come armed to the fielde Ete. So dare I come wherfore dost thou demaunde Po. For néeds or thou must ende this life of mine Or quenche my thirst with pouring out thy bloud Eteo. Ah wretch my thirst is all as drie as thine Ioc. Alas and welaway what heare I sonnes How can it be deare children can it be That brethrens heartes such rancour should enrage Eteo. And that right soone the proofe shall playnely shew Io. Oh say not so yet say not so deare sonnes Po. O royall race of Thebes now take thine ende Cho. God shield Eteo. O slow sluggish heart of mine Why do I stay t'embrew these slothfull hands But for his greater griefe I will departe And at returne if here I finde my foe This hastie hande shall ende our hote debate Eteocles here goeth out by the gates Electrae Po. Deare Citizens and you eternall Gods Beare witnesse with me here before the worlde How this my fierce and cruell enimie Whom causelesse now my brother I do call With threates of death my lingring steps doth driue Both from my right and from my countrey soyle Not as beséemes the sonne of Oedipus But as a slaue an abiect or a wretche And since you be both pitifull and iuste Vouchsafe O Gods that as I part with griefe So may I yet returne with ioyfull spoyle Of this accursed tyraunt and he slayne I may recouer quietly mine owne Polynice goeth out by the gates Homoloides Io. O wretched wretch Iocasta wher is founde The miserie that may compare to thine O would I had nor gasing eyes to sée Nor listning eares to heare that now I dread But what remaines saue onely to entreate That cruell dole wold yet so curteous be To reaue the breath out of this wofull brest Before I harken to some wofull newes Rest you here dames and pray vnto the Gods For our redresse and I in that meane while Will shut my selfe from sight of lothsome light Iocasta goeth into hir Pallace Cho. O mightie God the gouernour of Thebes Pitie with spéede the payne Iocasta bydes And eke our néedes O mightie Bacchus helpe Bende willing eare vnto our iust complaint Leaue them not comfortlesse that trust in thee We haue no golde nor siluer thée to giue Ne sacrifice to those thine aultars due In stéede wherof we consecrate our harts To serue thy will and hestes for to obey VVhyles the Chorus is thus praying to Bacchus Eteocles returneth by the gates called Electrae Actus 2. Scena 2. ETEOCLES CREON. SInce I haue ridde mine enmie out of sight The best shall be for Creon now to sende My mothers brother that with him I may Reason consulte conferre and counsell bothe What shall be best to vse in our defence Before we venter forth into the fielde But of this trauayle loe he me acquites That comes in haste towards these royall towres Here Creon attended by foure gentlemen commeth in by the gates Homoloydes Cre. O mightie king not causelesse nowe I come To finde that long haue sought your maistie So to discharge the duetie that I owe To you by comforte and by counsell bothe Ete. No lesse desire this harte of mine did presse To send for thée Creon since that in vaine My mother hath hir words and trauayle spent To reconcile Polynices and me For he so dull was his caparitie Did thinke he could by dread of daunger winne My princely heart to yéeld to him his realme Cre. I vnderstande the armie that he brings Agaynst these walles is such that I me doubte Our cities force may scarce the same resist Yet true it is that right and reason both Are on our side which bring the victorie Oftetimes for we our countrey to defend They to subdue the same in armes are come But what I would vnto your highnesse shewe Is of more weight and more behoues to know Ete. And what is that oh quickly tell it me Cre. A Gréeke prisner is come vnto my hands Ete. And what sayth he that doth so much importe Cre. That euen alredy by their ranks in raye And streight will giue assault to these our walles Ete. Then must I streight prepare our Citizens In glittring arms to march into the fielde Cre. O Prince and pardon me thy youthfull yers Nor sée them selfe ne let thée once discerne What best behoueth in this doubtfull case For Prudence she that
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 Vnto your eares your sonnes are nowe both slayne Ne doth your wife that wonted was to guyde So piteously your staylesse stumbling steppes Now sée 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 thrée 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 chéekes 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 5. CREON. OEDIPVS ANTIGONE GOod Ladies leaue your bootelesse vayne complaynt Leaue to lament cut off your wofull cryes High time it is as now for to prouide The funerals for the renowmed king And thou Oedipus hearken to my wordes And know thus muche that for thy daughters dower Antigone with Hemone shall be 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 plagned still with penurie Wherfore departe and thinke not that I speake These wofull wordes for hate I beare to thée But for the weale of this afflicted realme Oedipus 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 hate 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 constellation me commaundes Withouten eyes to wander in mine age When these my wéery weake and crooked limme 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 beséeche Thy curtesie ne fall before thy féete Let fortune take from me these worldly giftes She can not conquere this courageous heart That neuer yet could well be ouercome To force me yéelde 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 thée counsell eke Still to maynteine the high and hawtie minde That hath bene euer 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 Vnto the Quéene and to Eteocles And eke for them prouide their stately tombes But Pollynice as common enimie Vnto his countrey carrie foorth his corps Out of the walles ne none so hardie be On peine 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 cruell and vniust Creon Is it vniust that he vnburied be Anti. He not deseru'd so cruel 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. In spite of thée he shall vnburied be Anti. In spite of 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 worongfull force can not fordoe But I will kisse these colde pale lippes of thine And washe thy wounds with my waymenting teares Cre.
pleased not you I cannot my selfe therwith be pleased as one that seeketh not to please many and more desirous to please you than any The cause of myne affection I suppose you behold dayly For self loue auoyded euery wight may iudge of themselues as much as reason perswadeth the which if it be in your good nature suppressed with bashfulnesse then mighty loue graunt you may once behold my wan cheekes washed in woe that therein my salt teares may be a myrrour to represent your owne shadow and that like vnto Nacissus you may be constrayned to kisse the cold waues wherein your counterfait is so liuely purtrayed For if aboundance of other matters fayled to drawe my gazing eyes in contemplation of so rare excellency yet might these your letters both frame in me an admiration of such diuine esprite and a confusion too my dull vnderstanding whiche so rashly presumed too wander in this endles Laberinth Such I esteeme you and thereby am become such and euen HE. F.I. THis letter finished and fayre written ouer his chaunce was to méete hir alone in a Gallery of the same house where his manhood in this kinde of combat was firste tried and therein I can compare him to a valiant Prince who distressed with power of enemies had committed the safegard of his person to treaty of Ambassade and sodenly surprised with a Camassado in his owne trenches was enforced to yéeld as prisoner Euen so Ferdinando Ieronimi lately ouercome by the beautifull beames of this Dame Elynor and hauing now committed his moste secrete intent to these late rehearsed letters was at vnwares encountred with his friendly foe and constrayned either to prepare some new defence or else like a recreant to yéeld himselfe as already vanquished Wherefore as in a traunce he lifted vp his dazled eies and so continued in a certen kind of admiration not vnlike the Astronomer who hauing after a whole nights trauaile in the grey morning found his desired starre hath fired his hungry eies to behold the Comete long looked for wherat this gracious Dame as one that could discerne the sunne before hir chamber windowes were wide opeÌ„ did deign to embolden the fainting Knight with these or like woordes I perceiue nowe quod she howe mishap doth follow me that hauing chosen this walke for a simple solace I am here disquieted by the man that meaneth my destruction and therwithall as half angry began to turne hir backe when Ferdinando now awaked gan thus salute hir Mistresse quod he and I perceiue now that good hap hauÌ„ts me for being by lacke of oportuniâ—ie constreined to commit my welfare vnto these blabbing leaues of bewraying paper shewing that in his haÌ„d I am here recomforted with happy view of my desired ioy and therewithall reuerently kissing his hand did softly distreyne hir slender arme and so slayed hir departure The firste blow thus profered and defended they walked and talked trauersing diuerse wayes wherein I doubte not but that the Venetian coulde quite himselfe resonably well For after long talke shee was contented to accept his proffered seruice but yet still disabling hir selfe and séeming to maruell what cause had moued him to subiect his libertie so wilfully or at least in a prison as shée termed it so vnworthy Wherevnto I néede not rehearse his answere but suppose now that thus they departed sauing I had forgotten this shée required of him the last rehearsed letter saying that his firste was loste and nowe shée lacked a new bottome for hir silke the whiche I warrant you he graunted and so preffering to take an humble congé by Bezolas manos she graciously gaue him the Zuccado dez labros and so for then departed And there vppon recompting hir woordes he compiled these following whiche he termed Terza sequenza too sweete Mistresse SHE OF thee deare Dame three lessons would I learne What reason first persuades the foolish Fly As soone as shee a candle can discerne To play with flame till shee bee burnt thereby Or what may moue the Mouse to byte the bayte Which strikes the trappe that stops hir hungry breth What calles the bird where snares of deepe deceit Are closely coucht to draw hir to hir death Consider well what is the cause of this And though percase thou wilt not so confesse Yet deepe desire to gayne a heauenly blisse May drowne the minde in dole and darke distresse Oft is it seene whereat my hart may bleede Fooles play so long till they be caught in deede And then It is a heauen to see them hop and skip And seeke all shiftes to shake their shackles off It is a world to see them hang the lip Who earst at loue were wont to skorne and skoff But as the Mouse once caught in crafty trap May bounce and beate against the boorden wall Till shee haue brought hir head in such mishap That downe to death hir fainting lymbes must fall And as the Flie once singed in the flame Cannot commaund hir wings to waue away But by the heele shee hangeth in the same Till cruell death hir hasty iourney stay So they that seeke to breake the linkes of loue Striue with the streame and this by paine I proue For when I first beheld that heauenly hewe of thine Thy stately stature and thy comly grace I must confesse these dazled eies of mine Did wincke for feare when I first viewd thy face But bold desire did open them againe And had mee looke till I had lookt to long I pitied them that did procure my paine And lou'd the lookes that wrought me all the wrong And as the byrd once caught but woorks hir woe That striues to leaue the limed twigges behind Euen so the more I straue to parte thee fro The greater grief did growe within my minde Remedilesse then must I yeeld to thee And craue no more thy seruaunt but to bee Till then and euer HE. F.I. WHen he had well sorted this sequence he sought oportunitie to leaue it where shée might finde it before it were lost And nowe the coles began to kindle whereof but ere while shée feigned hir selfe altogither ignorant The flames began to breake out on euery side and she to quench them shut vp hir selfe in hir chamber solitarily But as the smithie gathers greater heate by casting on of water euen so the more she absented hir self from company the fresher was the griefe whiche galded hir remembrance so that at laste the report was spredde thorough the house that Mistresse Elinor was sicke At which newes Ferdinando tooke small comfort neuerthelesse Dame Venus with good aspect did yet thus much furder his enterprise The Dame whether it were by sodaine chaunge or of wonted custome fell one day into a greate bléeding at the nose For whiche accident the sayde Venetian amongst other pretie conceits had a present remedie Whereby he tooke occasion when they of the house had all in vayne sought many waies to stoppe hir bléeding to worke his feate in this wise