Nor German who when winter chills Other mens veins sports on the Ice Nor Seres clad in silks of price His Kingdom is within No force He needs to keep his Crown of Horse No need of Swords or shafts whereby The Parthians Conquer when they fly No need of the Balista's ayde The walls with Battery to Invade VVho fears not is a King And he That will may have this Royaltie While he that loves Ambitions pains On the Courts slippery top remains Let me sweet Peace enjoy content I am to live where none frequent There shall I fill my longing breast VVith the still blessings of soft Rest Free from their Knowledg great who are Free from the noise of business there I 'le tast my Life and thus shall I Rich in an humble fortune dye But heavy doth that death befall To him who too much known to all By fame of his great honours past Dyes to himself unknown at last ACT III. Enter Thyestes Plisthenes and his Two other Sons My Countrys long'd for sight I now possess The greatest good that can sad Exiles bless My Native Soil and Country-gods I see If Gods they are who so neglected me I see the towrs the Cyclops work that are No Mortal can raise structures half so fair Oft with applause have I at that fam'd place In Pelops Royal Chariot won the Race Me the whole Town will meet returning home Nay Atreus too whose sight I hate will come Then let me back again to woods obscure And wish the Beasts a life like theirs endure A Crowns false splendor shall not me enflame Mind not the Gift but him that gives the same Chearful I was when in a low Estate Now I from Exile am recall'd and Fate Doth smile I 'me sad Something within doth cry Turn back again I move unwillingly Plisthenes aside VVhat means my Father thus his pace to slack He seems much unresolv'd and oft looks back Thy. Why do I waver thus why do I strain My wits and dwell on that which is so plain Shall I Two such uncertain things as are My Brother and a Kingdom trust and fear Those Ills which time doth now familiar make And my commodious sufferings forsake My former Life though wretched pleaseth me Then let me back retire while yet I 'me free Plist Dear Sir why turn you from your Countrys sight And why such Royal Presents do you slight Your Brothers wrath is ended he to you Offers a Peace and half his Kingdom too You to your self he will restore Thy. A kind Of strange and unknown Terror chills my mind No cause I have yet fear I much desire Forward to go yet forc'd am to retire So have I seen a raging storm prevail Against a ship spight of her Oar and Sail. Plist Contemn such idle fears think how at your Courted Return you 'l have a Kings Grandure Thy. That having power of my own Life I 've got Plâ—st Power 's the chief thing Thy. Nothing if valued not Plist It may descend to us Thy. Two cannot sway One Scepter Plist who 'd not happy be that may Thy Believe me Greatness is an empty Name And hard Fate 's vainly fear'd Since first I came Unto a Throne till it left I ner'e Was free but even mine own Guards did fear How sweet it is to live from strife secure To feed on Dishes wholsom though but poor The humble Cottage knows not villany And slender dyet is from Poyson free That 's drunk in Plate With good experience I Approve the low estate above the high * Here Seneca by a kind of Antecronism taxeth the Romans in his Age in their Buildings Feasts Baths c. of which particulars see at large Seneca's Epistles 122. I own no Castles that on hills do stand And from that height the neigbouring Towns command No Ivory frets adorn my roof and when I sleep I 'me guarded by no Halbert-men With no whole fleet I fish No Rampiers I Build to prescribe the Sea Nor banquet by The Lands Oppression Nor beyond the Gete Or Parthian have I Lands as rich as great I 'me not adord stead of neglected Jove Nor doth my Pallace roof support a Grove I have no Baths like Seas nor do I choose The day for sleep the night for drinking use Yet in my abject fortune am secure Without a guard and fearless being poor In it I meet content and to have this Without a Kingdom the best Kingdom is Plist But when the gods to us a Crown commit We should not slight the Gift Thy. Nor covet it Plist That you would Reign your Brorher doth desire Thy. Doth he that raiseth my suspition higher Plist True Piety from whence she fled doth use Back to return and her lost strength renews Th. Atreus his Brother love first Arctos will Set in the waves Sicilian Seas be still In the Ionian Ocean Corn will grow Darkness will shine before he will do so First fire with water wind with waves and Life With death will enter League and end their strife Plist What fraud suspect you Thy. All. Nor can I see VVhat not to doubt from such an Enemy Plist How can his Pow'r hurt you Thy. Me I despise His Rage Ye only cause my jealousies Plist Fear you deceit when in the Trap we are Cautious too late when taken in the snare Then let us on Thy. Witness ye gods to this I follow them I lead 'em not amiss Plist Fearless let us proceed Prosper th' event Kind Heaven let it be good as is th' Intent Enter Atreus Attended Atr. At length the Game which I so long have saught aside VVith all his Breed in my spread Toils is caught I have him now and with him my desire Behold Thyestes comes he comes intire My or'e-joyd soul will temper scarce admit Nor my unbroke fierce Passion know the Bit So when the Vmbrian Lime-hound through the field Hunts on a Trayl and in a Leash is held VVhilst he perceives the Game far off to be Silent and stanch on the dead Scent runs he But when the Quarry's nigh his gesture speaks The welcome News stiff doth he draw and breaks From his slow Master's hand Rage never cou'd Take a Disguize when once her ayme was blood Yet mine shall Look do but observe him there How his wild superstuities of Hair Hang rudely or'e his sad dejected Eyes His Beard too how undecently it lyes goes to Thyestes Brother i 've past my Faith doubt me no more Your dearest sight doth my lost joyes restore Bless me with your so coveted Embrace Henceforth all Enmity let us displace From our abused breasts and entertain The Piety of Brothers once again Thy. Your Goodness Sir is of such force I can't Frame an Excuse but all my fault must grant Your Goodness makes me worse appear one who Have wrong'd a Brother and a Brother too So eminent for generous Love as you Kneels I who ner'e did do weeping you implore And with these hands that never beg'd before
of stone enclose and fortifie This bold attempting Trayter having made My Wife a Party hence that beast convey'd From this springs all our mutual strife Now goes He through my Kingdoms and Sedition sowes Where 's he not guilty he corrupted hath My Wife ruin'd my house and broke his faith My Issue 's doubtful nothing sure but this That my worst Enemy my Brother is VVhy stopst thou Atreus on at length begin Thy brave Revenge Courage mind what has been By Tantalus and Pelops done thine Eye And hand withall unto their Deeds apply Then say what course in my Revenge is best Ser. Let your just sword Sir pierce his guilty breast Atr. Mild Kings do only kill You of the end Of torment speak I torment do intend A sued-for favour in my Reign shall be Bare death esteem'd Ser. Moves you no piety Atr. Hence thou vain shadow Piety if thou VVast ever here hence I abjure thee now Ye Furies Hells black Missionaries let Me begg your ayd to make my Rage compleat Bring here two brands of your Infernal fire And in this breast a doublâ— hate inspire Ser. VVhat frenzie drives you thus to unknown Deeds Atr. Such as the common mean of Grief exceeds I 'de use the worst of Cruelties but fear They'd all too slight and innocent appear Ser. The Sword At. A trifle Ser. Fire At. A trifle still Ser. VVhat Instrument shall your Revenge fulfill Atr. Thyestes self Ser. And wrath it self has less Of Plague then him Atr. Horror I must confess Invades my trembling Soul I 'me forc'd but know Not whether yet I 'me forc'd and on must go Here Tantalus and Megaera are supposed to pass over the Stage The Center groans the Heavens in Thunder speak And all my house cracks as the Roof would break The Lares turn their looks be done be done This Crime whose sight the fearful Gods do shun Ser. What Royal Sir do you at length design Atr. I know not what great Act beyond the Line Of humane Custome more then usual swells My Soul and forward my slow hand compells What 't is I know not something great it is Pauses a while Thus let it be my Soul resolve on this A fit Deed for Thyestes and for me Let us both act Th' * Odrysian house did see The Story of Tereus King of Thrace See the Metamorphosis Lib. 6. Inhumane feasts I grant the Crime though high Yet hath been done already something I Would have as new as bad Progne Inspire Thou cruel Parent in my breast the fire Of thy Revenge Our cause is Parrallel Assist me and to act my hands compell Let the pleas'd Father on his Children feed And carve their Limbs I this I like indeed T is well exceeding well But i th' mean time Where 's he And I why so long free from Crime Methinks I see the Tragick Scene and how He eats himself no Father even now Heart dost thou faint before thou hast begun The Generous Act It must it shall be done On then since he in his own person shall Commit the highest Villany of all Ser. But by what Wiles can we er'e bring him here Whose caution renders him so full of fear At. I le bate then take him with his own Desires He hopes my Crowns and while he thus aspires He 'd meet a flaming Thunderbolt for them The Adriatique Gulf he would contemn And pass the Libyck shelves nay more he will Which he esteems of all the greatest Ill For them his Brother see Ser. Yet who shall give The pledg of Peace or who will he believe Atr. Vain hope is credulous My Sons shall bear From me this envy to their Uncles ear And sue in wining terms that he would leave His Exile for a Pallace and receive A Crown with half my Kingdom Should he prove Obdurate like himself yet this would move His children who in these affairs untaught And tyred with miseries are easily caught And they 'l prevail with him Love of Rule here His antient frenzie grief and trouble there Though ne're so obstinate will conquer him Ser. Time now hath made his sorrows light to seem Atr. Time doth augment our miseries not cure They 'r light to suffer heavy to endure Ser. Yet find some other Messengers for this Youth to ill counsell prone and docile is They may by him to act ' gainst you be led Mischief oft falls on the Contrivers head Atr. No other Tutor than Ambition needs To teach 'em fraud and such Nefarious Deeds Dost doubt they 'l not be wicked made they be So born And what you think dire Cruelty Is now perhaps by him designed on me Ser. Should your Sons know the Plot their Childhood may Unapt for secrecy the same betray Atr. Silence I 've learnt from sorrows not a few Ser. Must they be strangers then to what they do Atr. Yes Be they guiltless still I see no need To make my Sons my Partners in the Deed. We our Revenge will act alone My mind Thou now dost shrink from what was first design'd Spare them spare him Let Agamemnon be And Menelaus of my Privicie In this Affair Of their Original Doubtful as yet the truth thus find I shall If they to act their parts unwilling seem And grieve at our Dissention calling him Their Uncle he their Father is Well go They shall but about what they must not know Their dubious face will what 's within reveal Therefore from them and all else this conceal Ser. Sir I conceive this needs not Faith and fear But chiefly Faith will closely keep it here Chorus At length the happy time occurs That reconciles the Successors Of Royal Inachus What made Ye thus each others Life invade Unkindly equal Brothers why Sought ye a Crown in such Impiety Greatness ye do not rightly prize Nor know in what a Kingdom lyes Riches cannot inaugurate A King nor Tyrian Robes of State Nor Diadems nor Roofs that may With Golden frets out-shine the day He is a King whose mind is free From every Passions tyranny Whom nor th' inconstant Vulgars praise Nor impotent Ambition sways Such is the man whose richer breast Contemns the Treasures of the West Tagus bright Sands he doth despise And Lybia's wealthy Graneries Whose Soul no terror feels when Jove Dischargeth Lightning from above Or when the Adriatique waves Swell to the Clouds and Eurus raves His great heart shakes or shrinks no more Then doth the Neighbouring Rocks or shore Whose Noble soul nor sword nor spear Can subject to unmanly fear He plac'd in a secure Estate Looks down on all those sports of Fate Grandure and Triumphs and sees there How much below his thoughts they are Nor will he murmur at his End But meet pale death and call him friend None of those Kings can him infest The scatter'd Dacae who molest Or who by that Red Sea abide With Pearls enrich'd and beautifi'd Him the Armenian cannot harm Who so confides in his own Arm He slites th' advantage of his hills
thy so loved Issue will Doubt not most fully satisfie and fill At present with my Sons they celebrate This day of Joy but I will call 'em straight First tast our Families cup fil'd with choice wine Thy. Brother I kindly take this guift ' cause thine First offer to our Fathers deities And then wee I drink How 's this my hand denies Her office still the wines weight heavier grows And loads my arm while from my Lips it flows About my mouth it rouls nor down will go See the ground shakes the Table too doth so The fire it self scarce shines on the Suns flight The Sky stands Neutral betwixt day and night How 's this Heavens connex sinks still lower and lower To darkness joyns a darkness that is more Condenst and night it self to this is day Each star is fled What e're this means I pray That from my Brother and my Sons it be Averted and the Omen threaten me Restore me now my Sons Atr. I will restore And they from thee shall ne're be parted more Thy. What tumult shakes me thus within My breast Is with a sad impatient weight opprest Sad groans I with a voice not mine respire Appear my Sons your most unhappy sire Bids you appear your sight alone will cure This grief Whence answer they Atr. Make ready your Shews the Heads Embraces they are come Now Sir do ye know Your Sons Atr. I know my Brother Canst thou undergo Dull earth such wickedness bear it thus And not to Styx sink both thy self and us Wilt thou not open that these Kingdoms may And King through thee to Chaos find a way Wilt thou not all the structures of this Land Levell with their foundations We to stand Both well deserve in hell with Tantalus And other the Progenitors of us If any there Open now open wide Thy dislocated Joynts on every side Down let us sink through some vast cleft of thee To Acheron and there for ever be While or'e our heads th' Infernal shapes appear Flow hither Phlegethon and setling here Us wretches in thy flaming waters drownd Lyest thou unmoved still dull senceless ground Atr. Here take thy Sons so much desired by thee Enjoy them now there 's no delay in me Each of these three alike embrace and kiss Thy. Is this thy League thy amity is this A Brothers faith Thus dost thou love To have Safe or alive my Sons I do not crave This I thy brother beg which no ways your Revenge impleads allow them sepulture I ask but what I le burn 't is nothing I Beg to enjoy but part with by and by Atr. All of thy Sons I 'le give that I did save What not remains that you already have Thy. Lye they a Feast for Birds of Prey or are They for wild beasts reserv'd inhumane fare Atr. Thou of thy Sons hast made that impious feast Thy. 'T was this that sham'd the gods his to the East Forc'd back the Sun wretch that I am what crys What sad complaints what words will me suffice Their heads and hands chopt off too plain I see And from their Legs how their feet sever'd be 'T was the presage of this unheard of meat Though pinch'd with hunger would not let me eat My bowels roul about and seek with pain A passage for the horrid food in vain Lend me thy sword dyed in my blood and I Will to my Sons with it give liberty Is this deny'd yet shall with frequent blows This breast resound ah no! forbear from those Unhappy man and spare the dead within Hath over such a curst deed acted been By barbarous Heniochan that 's bred On Caucasus or the Cecropian dred Procrustes oh my Sons do me oppress And I my Sons No mean in wickedness Atr. A mean should be observ'd when first we act A wrong but not when we revenge a fact This is but small for me I should have shed Goar in thy mouth as from the wound it bled That of thy living Sons the warm blood thou Mightst drink I 've trifled with my anger now In hast I gave the wounds Of them I made A sacrifice I the vow'd slaughter payd To my wrong'd houshold gods and jointing all Their liveless bodies into goblets smal I rent each Limb and some of them I cast Into the boiling Cauldron some I plac't By a slow fire to rost They not yet dead I cut their Nerves and members quartered I heard the Inwards groan upon the spit I my self made the fire and lookt to it All this their Father better might have done My Rage is spent in vain 'T is true each Son Of his his cursed mouth did tear and eat But both the Eater ignorant and mear Thy. Ye Seas with wandring shores incompassed Hear this Here this you gods where-ever fled Hear this hell Earth hear this and thou Night made More black and horrid by a hellish shade Attend to what I 'le say and what is said Darkness I 'me left to thee and only thou Sad as my self canst view my sorrows now No suppliant vows for my concern I 'le make Ah! what is that Nature 't is for thy sake Great King of Gods who the World 's Soveraign art Bury the Earth in Clouds from every part Bid the winds fight and thou thy Thunder dart Use not that hand which lesser bolts do throw To batter guiltless buildings here below But with that hand that levell'd Mountains rear'd Three stories high Gyants that appear'd Like other Mountains upon them on us Discharge thy Lightning and thy thunder thus Make good the perish't day Let thy fires fly The light that 's lost with lightning now supply Doubt not of us whose cause doth call they be Both bad if not yet mine is aime at me Transfix this breast with thy Artillery To their last fire would I my Sons bestow My self into those Funeral flames must go If nothing moves the Gods if sinners they Neglect to punish Night for ever stay And hide our Crime Titan I 'le nere complain So thy bright flames no more return again Atr. Now I applaud my hands the Palm I 've won I had lost my glory thus had I not done Now my bed chast I think and Children mine Thy. Why should the Infants dye Atr. For being thine Vhy With his own Sons dost thou the Father feast Atr. Ay the undoubted Sons which pleases best Thy. Witness ye Gods Atr. The Nuptial Powers well may Thy. With a worse Deed who would a Crime repay Atr. I know what grieves you To prevented be Your next not what thou hast devour'd moves thee But not t' have drest the same Thou didst design Ignorant such Viands should be mine Their Mother helping thou did'st mean to seise My Sons and butcher them as I did these You 'd don 't but that you fancy'd them your own Thy. Be present ye just Gods to them alone I give thee up for Punishment Atr. For it I to thy Childrens Manes thee commit FINIS MOCK-THYESTES ACT.
I. TANTALVS MEGAERA TAnt What Witch of Endor does thus fret me And when I 'de stay in hell won't let me Cannot a man be damn'd in quiet But Haggs must thus commit a Riot You 'l whip me out of Hell-doors we ' ye And firk me up with a Pox te ' ye I must to earth but pray let 's know What I must do there er'e I go I cannot teach 'em damning there Nor more debauch 'em then they are To Wench drink rook or be uncivil They scorn to learn of a poor Devill 'T is ten to one the Sons of Whores Will either kick me out of doors Or think'me a tame harmless Cully And then I 'me gone to Nicker-Bully But should I take a Wenches shape 'T is six to four I get a Clap. And then how shamefully 't will urge one That comes from Hell to use a Surgeon All that I say I can make good In mine own proper flesh and blood Two Imps I have as very Rakells As er'e did cling in Newgate shackles Men call one Atreus and the other Thyestes Atreus's own Brother Rake Hell and skim the Devill if er'e You match 'em I 'le be hang'd that 's fair Meg. Allons and stand not thus hum drum Or Faith I 'le run this Pin i' your bum De' e think I 'le suffer you conclude Whether the thing be bad or good Yet if you wonder at your Mission And why 't is with such expedition To give your Nephews a kind Visit If you would know the true cause is it Oh then and do just as I tell ye First put two live Eels in their belly Which may so operate and frisk it As if old Nick were in their Brisket Where Nature 's dull we thus must force her For Devils may learn of a Horse-Courser Then make 'em hector huff and swear Curse damn and sink spit fire and stare Snatch Spits and tilt at one another And Brother bite off Nose of Brother Tan. I say you so but if you get me To do 't I le give you leave to eat me Perhaps on earth what you have moved Is often done and well approved And to debauch ones own Relation Counted a Genteil Recreation But soft you ne're shall get me to it An honest Devil will not do it Do you my Grandchildren suppose Bull-Doggs to run full at the Nose Or think you them Cocks grown so sullen To spit themselves instead of Pullen In fine I tell you once again Tempt me no more for 't is in vain Meg. Well since I can't this way prevail I le try now to perswade your Tail Your Toby I 'le so feaze with this Rod that has lain three weeks in piss That you shall begg the thing to do Before we part and thank me too Come come untruss or must I force ye And call Tysiphone to horse ye Tant Oh lay that frightfull Engine by Kneels Dred Queen for if it shakes I dye And I will your Commands obey Like your most humble as they say But spare my buttocks let me begg ye For they are tender dearest Megge Meg. Enough I pardon do not doubt it But let 's shake hands and so about it Tan. Like a dire Vapour which some call A Blast Hypocondriacal Or like the steem of Candle snuff I come but peacably enough Then fear not Mortals I will do No harm but stink and so adiew Madam when you confer the Grace Next your Command on me to place Henceforth I 'le do it without grudging And like a plain well-meaning Gudgin What er'e you offer me I 'le swallow Go on sweet Lady for I follow Exeunt Chorus If any of the Starry Powers Value one pin or us or ours If Jupiter or Mars ere saw A Miss among us worth a straw If we have ought that 's worth their care Twixt wind and water or else where I wish with all my heart and Soul That they our Quarrels would controul For this same Atreus and Thyestes Are both stark naught who er'e the best is Cat after kind exact 'T is plain That neither of 'em cross the strain Pelops their Father was and he Kill'd his own Wives Dad a dadde He loved the Sport so well that rather Then want a Wench he 'd kill a Father Nay more the most ungrateful Woer Hang'd the poor Pimp that helpt him to her Now if the Heraulds books don't fail us Pelops was Son of one Tantalus He was as is reported common Of London Town a Serjeants Yeoman Who to arrest a Cook once came In place Ram Ally call'd by name Some Clerks and Bullies of the Cloisters Were there by chance then opening Oysters These seeing their Cook in woful danger On whom they lay at Rack and manger Or as some say 't was chiefly ' cause They saw a Rupture in the Laws And sacred Franchise of the Ally They never stand ye shally shally But take poor Tant and hurl him in To Temple Bog-house up to th' Chin. But here the Mischief ends not yet To see a Cooks malicious wit When Tant had stood there half a day He thought him hungry as we say His Knife unto the Spit he puts ye And pen'worth six of Roast Beef cuts ye In order then to what his heart meant He runs me strait to Tants appartment There holding it down in the Hole He cry's you cursed Dog Catchpole Look what is here do's your Maw crave it Yes when y' are hang'd then you shall have it This said in an heroick strain His hand he snatches up again Then brings the flagon full of Ale Or as some Authors have it Stale For Flagons oft have used been Both to fill out and empty in Or as the plain expression is Either to drink in or to piss Now as all Cooks do often try Hot stinks do make men develish dry The cunning Spit-man therefore thus Brings a full Pot to Tantulus Which whch the poor Fool reaches at He empties it upon his Pate And this is briefly the first rising Of that which we call Tantalizing ACT. II. Enter Atreus and a Servant ATreus 'T is true my Brother did seduce My Spouse but that 's not all th' abuse For Jack as I was saying if he Had done this out of Amity And pure good will unto my Wife It had ner'e griev'd me but us'd life To Cuckold me out of meer scorn By flesh and blood cannot be born Sei. That 's very true But still I say Sir How if it were in a fair way Sir Atr. Lord Jack thou art just such another When the thing 's cleer to make a puther For look ye Jenny had she been As beauteous as is any Queen Then it might well have been as you say But she 's as ugly as Medusa 'T was therefore done you plainly see In spight and disrespect to me And now dear Rogue let think upon 't For I 'le not put up the affront Ser. Must my Dame too be guilty made For she was in the Musquerade Couchant and did