haughty top let now prepared be Both feeding beastes and foules the syde of Caucas turne to see And bare of woods the yle that bridge of Scithe that therby standes Simplegas ioynes both here and there let it my bounden handes Stretch out abroade and when with course return'de accustomd'ly They shall togeather dryue and shall the rockes tosse vp to skye With bankes togeather beyng thrust and eke the middle seay Let me bet weene the mountaynes lye vnquiet restlesse stay But building vp with wood throwne on a heaped plie on hie My body thus with wicked bloud besprinct why burne not I So so yt mus be done to hell I Hercles will restore Am. Not yet his hart astonted lackes his ragyng tumult sore But wraths hath turnd and which of rage is property and yre Agaynst himselfe he rageth now Her The furies places dire And dungeon depe of sprites in hell and place of tormentry To gylty ghostes and banishment yf any yet do lye Beyond Erebus yet vnknowen to Cerberus and mee There hyde me ground to farthest bond of Tartarus to see To tary there I le goe O brest of myne to fierce and stoute Who you my children thus disperst through all my house about May worthely enough bewayle in all my euils yet This countnaunce hard can neuer weepe a sword now hether set My shaftes reach hether hyther reach my mighty club also To thee my weapons breake I will to thee my sonne a two I le knappe my bowes and eke my clubbe this blocke of heauy wayghte Shal to thy sprites be burned loe this selfe same quiuer frayght With Lerney shaftes to funerall of thyne shall like wyse goe Let all my weapons penance pay and you vnhappy to Euen with my weapons burne I wil O stepdames handes of myne Th. Who euer yet to ignoraunce hath geuen name of cryme Her Ful oftentymes did errour greate the place of gylt obtayne Th. T' is neede to be a Hercles now this heape of yll sustayne Her Not so hath shame yet geuen place with fury drowned quight But peoples all I rather should dryue from my wicked sight My weapons weapons Theseus I quickly craue to mee Withdraw to be restoard agayne if sound my mynd now bee Restore to me my weapons if yet last my rage of mynd Then father flee for I the waye to death my selfe shal fynde Am. By sacred holy kynreds rightes by force and duty all Of both my names if eyther me thy brynger vp thou call Or parent els and which of good men reuerenced are By these hoare hayres I the besech my desert age yet spare And wery yeares of house falne downe the one alonly stay One onely light to mee with yls afflicted euery way Reserue thy selfe yet neuer hath there happ'ned once of thee Fruite of thy toyles still eyther I the doubtful sea to see Or monsters feard who euer yet hath bene a cruell king In all the world to ghostes allow and aulters both hurtinge Of me is feard the father of thee absent stil to haue The feuite the touching and the sight of thee at length I craue He. Wherfore I longer should sustayn my life yet in this light And linger here no cause there is all good lost haue I quighte My mynd my weapons my renoume my wife my sonnes my handes And fury to no man may heale and lose from gylty handes My mynd defyeld needes must with death he heald so haynous yll Th. Wilt thou thy father IIay He. Least I shoulde do it die I will Th. Before thy fathers face He. I taught him mischief for to see Th. Thy deedes marking rather that should of al remembred bee Of this one only cryme I do a pardon of thee craue Her Sall he geue pardon to himselfe that to none els it gaue I beeing bidden prayse deseru'd this deede mine owne doth proue Helpe father now if eyther els thy piety thee moue Or els my heauy fate or els the honour and renowne Of stained strength my weapons bringe let fortune be throwen downe with my right hand Th. The prayers which thy father makes to thee Are stronge enough but yet likewyse with weeping loe of me By moued yet aryse thou vp and with thy wonted myght Subdue thyne yls now such a mynde vnmeete to beare vpright No euill hap receyus againe loe now with manhode gret Thou must preuayle euen Hercules forbyd with yre to fret HE. Alyue I hurt but if I dye I take the gylt also I hast to ridde the world of cryme euen now before me lo A wicked monster cruel and vntamed fierce and flout Doth wander now with thy ryght hand beginne to goe aboute A greate affayre yea more then all thy twyse sixe labours long Yet stayst thou wretch that late agaynst the children wast so stronge And fearful mother now except restoard my weapons see Of Thracian Pindus eyther I wil feare downe euery tree And Bacchus holly woods and tops of mount Cythaeron hye Burne with myselfe and al at once with all their housen I And with the Lordes therof the roofes with goddes of Thebes all The Thebane temples euen vppon my body will let fall And wyl be hyd in to wne vpturnd if to my shoulders might The walles themselues all cast theron shall fall a burden light And couerd with seuen gates I shall not be enough opprest Then all the wayght wheron the worlde in middle part doth rest And partes the Goddes vppon my head I le turne and ouerthrow My weapons geue Am. This word is meete for Hercles father lo With this same arrow slaine behold thy sonne is tombled downe This weapōs cruell Iuno lo from handes of thyne hath throwne This same wil I now vse loe see how leaps with feare afright My wretched harte and how it doth my careful body smight The shaft is set therto thou shalt a mischiefe lo do now Both willing it and wotting tel what thing commaundest thou I nothing craue my doloure let in saf'ty standeth now To kepe my sonne alyue to mee that onely do canst thou O Theseu yet I haue not scapte great'st feare that happen can Thou canst mee not a miser make thou mayst a happy man So order euery thyng thou dost as all thy cause in hand And fame thou mayst wel know in strayght and doubtful case to stande Thou liu'st or diest this slender soule that light is hence to flee Weried with age and no lesse bet with greuous ils to see In mouth I holde so slowly to a father with such slaye Doth any man geue lyfe I wil no longer bid delay The deadly sword throughout my breast to strike I wil apply Here here the gylt of Hercules euen sound of mynd shall lye Her Forbeare O father now forbeare with draw thy hand againe My manhood yeld thy fathers will and impery sustaine To Hercles labours now like wyse let this one labour goe Let me yet liue lift vp from ground th' afflicted lims with woe O Theseu of my parent for from Godly
able is the sense hereof t' vnfold and tell aryght As for my selfe although the Sphinx I whylome put to foyle Yet myne owne heauy destenie I scarcely can assoyle Why dost thou Daughter labour loose in vsyng further speech To alter this my stony hart why dost thou mee beseech I tel thee playne I fully meane this bloud of mynt to spill That long with Death hath struggling kept and thereupon I will Descend to darke infernall Lake for this same darknes blynd Of both myne eyes is nothing such as fact of myne should fynd It were my Blisse to bee in Hell in deepest dungeon fast Now that which should long since haue bene I wil perfourme at last I cannot be debard from Death wilt thou deny me glaue Or Sword or knife wilt thou no toole for mischiefe let me haue Wilt thou both watch and ward each way where dauÌ„ger lies in wayte Shall such a sinful Caytife wretch as I be kepe so straite Wilt thou not suffer me with Coard to breake my hatefull Necke Canst thou kepe mee from poysonous herbes hast thou them al at beck What shall it thee preuayle to take for mee such earnest care Death ech where is and wayes to death in thousand corners are Herein hath God good order tane that euery felie Foe May take away an others life but Death hee cannot so I seeke not anye toole to haue this desprate mynd of myne Can vse the seruice of my hand my threede of lyfe t' vntwine Now hand thy maister at a pinch assist to worke his feate Helpe him with all thy power and strength t' exployt his purpose great I poynt thee not in this my Corps vnto one place alone Alas each part of me with guilt is plaunch and ouergrowne In which soeuer part thou wilt thy Massacre beginne And seeke to bring me to my death which way thou mayst it winne In pieces crush this body all this hart that harbors sinne Pluck out out all my entrailes pull proceede and neuer linne To gash and cut my wezand pype My vaynes asender scratch And make the Bloud come spowting out or vse that other match Which heretofore thou vsed haste digge where myne eyes earst stood And let these woundes gush out apace much mattry filth and blood Hale out of mee this loathed soule that is so hard and stout And thou deare father Laius stand vp and looke about Behold where euer that thou standst I Vmpyre doe the make And eyed Iudge of all my plagues that iustly heere I take My Fact so lewde so horrible so loathsome to bee tolde I neuer thought with any pryce or tormentes manifolde Could haue full expiation ne thought I it inough To die this death or in one part to be beslasshed through By piecemeale I am well content to suffer tormentes all And euen by piecemeale for to die for plagues to plague mee call Exact the punishment that 's due I heere most ready stand To satisfie with any death that law and righte hath scand My former smartes when as mine eyes I raked out with pawes Were but as tastes of sacrifice somewhat to helpe my cause Come therefore Father neare to mee and thrust this hand of myne More nearer into euery wound It sweru'de and did decline For feare when first it tooke th' assay mine eyes to ransacke out I beare it still in memory my eyes then star'de about And seemed to disswade the hand from doing of the charge Whereto it was enioyned tho and had Commission large Thou shalt well thinke that OEdipus dissembleth not a whitâ— But what his word hath warranted his deede hath firmely quit Thy stoutnes then was not so great when eyes thou pulledst out As was thy man aâ—oden when thou threwst them from thee round about Now by those Gyeholes thrust thy hand into the very braine That part where death attempted was let death be sought againe AN. Vndaunted Prynce must noble Syre with humble mynde I sue That I your Daughter may be bolde to vse some speech to you And that you would with patience digest my poore aduise My suite is not to draw your minde to thinges that earst in price You highly held me to the view of glittring Pallace olde Ne brauery of your noble Realme scarce able to bee tolde But that you would these yrefull fittes by trace of time now quaild With patient minde sustayne and beare this vertue neuer faylde In any Prynce of such a spright as in your noble Grace Appeareth bryght it fitteth not that such should once abase Themselues as thralles to Sorrowes checke 〈◊〉 the conquest yeelde To aduerse hap lyke 〈…〉 It is no prayse syr though perhappes you so your reckening cast To make of lyfe so small accoumpt and thus to bee agast At euery wagging of a leafe and combersome myschaunce No no t is vertue in such case high courage to aduaunce And when thinges are at worst to shew true magnanimitie Not lyke a Meycocke cowardly at eche alarme to flee Hee that hath tride all fortunes spight and worldly wealth despisde And constantly hath borne all bruntes that are to be deuisde Mee thinks no cause hath why he needes to ende his breathing dayes Or wish himselfe in graue for why starcke crauens vse such wayes But as for him that 's drencht in dole and wrapt in carking care Whose pensius plight can be no worse nor tast of sowrer fare That man hath cause well pleasâ—â— to be sith hee in safety standes And pykes hath past and now is free from feare of further bandes Put case the Gods would weave the webbe of further woe to thee What more can any of them doe thy grieues to amplifie Nay thou thy selfe although thou wouldst canst adde thereto no more Vnlesse thou thinke thy selfe to haue deserued death therefore And yet thou arte not worthy death my reason is because Through ignoraunce thou didst a fact contrary to the lawes And therefore Father thinke your selfe most guiltlesse in the case And maugre Gods stand on your guarde my counsell sound embrace For doubtlesse you an innocent are deem'de and thought to bee And are in deede what makes you thus in dumpes and dolefull glee What cause so great should so enchaunt your conscience and your wits To seeke your owne decay and spoyle what meane faint hearted fits That thus in hast you would so faine abandon this your lyfe And goe to hell where torment dwelles and grisly ghostes be ryfe You would not see Sun Moone ne Starre no more you can your eyes Are blynd you faine would leaue your Court and Countries miseries Why so you may and so you doe These all are put to sacke That now alyue aswell as dead you feele of these the lacke You flee from Mother Wyfe and Chylde you see no man alyue What more can death dispatch away but life doth now depriue your lords your knights your courtly traine your kingly state crowne Your graund Affaires your waighty charge is gone brought abowne From whom froÌ„ what do
shall mee excuse In such a case no meanes at all of tryall I refuse Lay what you can vnto my charge No fault in mee remayns The Thebanes long or I came heere of Laius death complayns My Mother yet alyue my Father still in like estate No no this is some doltishe drift of yon false Prophets pate Or else some mighty God aboue doth beare me no good will And seekes by Plagues on mee to wreke his wrathfull vengeaunce stil Ah Sir I am glad at length I smell your drifts and fetches fyne I know the whole confederacy your sleights I can vntwyne That beastly Priest that blearayed wretch beelyes the Gods and mee And thee thou Traytour in my place hath promist king to bee CRE. Alas would I my Sister of her lawfull kingdome spoyle Thinke you such treason may haue place in brothers breast to boyle Yf that myne Oth could me not keepe content with my degree But that contemning meane estate I would clime aloft to bee Yet should ill Fortune mee deter from such attempts I trowe Whose guise it is on Princes heads huge heapes of Cares to throwe I would aduise your grace betimes this charge from you to cast Least lingring long all vnawares you be opprest at last Assure your selfe in baser state more safer you may liue And shun a thousand Cares Griefs which Princes hearts doe riue OED. And dost thou me exhort thou slaue my kingdome for to leaue O faythlesse head O shamelesse heart that could such treasons weaue Darst thou attempt thou villayne vile this thing to me to breake And fearst thou not in such a cause so boldly for to speake CRE. I would perswade them so O King who freely might possesse Their Realmes such piteous cares I see do Prynces hearts oppresse But as for you of force you must your Fortunes chainge abyde OED. The surest way for them that gape for kingdoms large wyde Is first things meane and rest and peace and base estate to prayse And yet with Tooth and Nayle to toyle to mount aloft alwayes So often times most restlesse beastes doe chiefly rest commend CRE. Shall not my seruice long suffice my truth for to defend OED. Time is the onely meanes for such as thou to worke theyr will CRE. It is so syr but as for mee of goods I haue my fill A great resort A pleasaunt life from Princely cares exempt All these might surely mee disswade from such a foule attempt There is no day almost O King the whale yeare thorow out Where in some royall gyfts are not from countreys round about Vnto mee sent both Golde and pearles and things of greater cost Which I let passe least I should seeme but vainly for to bost Besides the life of many a man hath bin preserude by mee In such a bilsfull state O King what can there wanting bee OE. Good Fortune can no meane obserue but stil she preaseth higher CRE. Shall I than guiltlesse die alas my cause and all vntryde OED. Were vnto you at any time my life my deedes discride Did any man defend mee yet or els my causes pleade And guiltlesse yet I am condemn'de to this you doe mee leade And mee expresse example giue which I entend to take What measure you doe meat to mee lyke measure must I make CRE. The minde which causelesse dred appawls true cause of feare bewraies That cōsciēce is not guiltles sure which euery blast dismates OED. Hee that in midst of perilles deepe and daūgers hath bene cast Doth seeke all meanes to shun like ills as hee hath ouerpast CR. So hatreds ryse OE. Hee that to much doth vse ill will to feare Unskilfull is and knowes not how hee ought him selfe to beare In kings estate For feare alone doth Kingdomes chiefly keepe Than hee that thus doth arme himselfe from feare all free may sleepe CRE. Who so the cruell tyrant playes and guiltlesse men doth smight Hee dreadeth them that him doe dread so feare doth chiefly light On causers chiefe A iust reuenge for bloudy mindes at last OED. Come take this traytor vile away In dongeon deepe him fast Enclose There for his due deserts let him abide such payne And scourge of minde as meete it is false traytors to sustayne Chorus SEt see the myserable State of Prynces carefull lyfe What raging storms what bloudy broyles what toyle what endlesse stryfe Doe they endure O God what plagues what griefe do they sustayne A Princely lyfe No No No doubt an euer duringe payne A state ene fit for men on whom Fortune woulde wreke her will A place for Cares to couch them in A doore wyde open still For griefes and daungers all that ben to enter when they list A king these Mates must euer haue it bootes not to resist Whole fluds of priuy pinching feare great anguishe of the minde Apparant plagues dayly griefes These playfayres Princes finde And other none with whom they spend and passe theyr wretched dayes Thus hee that Princes liues and base Estate together wayes Shall finde the one a very hell a perfect infelicity The other eke a heauen right exempted quight from mysery Let OEdipus example bee of this vnto you all A Mirrour meete A Patern playne of Princes carefull thrall Who late in perfect Ioy as seem'de and euerlasting blis Triumphantly his life out led a Myser now hee is And most of wretched Misers all euen at this present tyme With doubtfull waues of feare Itost subiect to such a Cryme Whereat my tongue amased stayes God graunt that at the last It fall not out as Creon tolde Not yet the worst is past THE FOVRTH ACTE THE FIRSTE SCENE OEdipus Iocasta MY mynde with doubtfull waues of dread is tossed to and fro I wot not what to say Alas I am tormented so For all the Gods on me doe cry for paynes and vengeaunce due They say that these my guiltlesse hands king Laius lately slue But this my conscience voyde of crime and mynde from mischiefe free To Gods vntried to mee well known denies it so to bee Full well I doe remember once by chaunce I did dispatch A man who sought by force with mee presumptuously to match His purpose was a fond attempt my Chariot for to stay This I remember well enough the strife was in the way And he a man well steept in yeares and I a lusty bloud And yet of meere disdayne and pride in vayne hee mee withstood But this from Thebes farre was done a croked three pathd way That was the place in which we fought it hard by Phocis lay Deare Wyfe resolue my doubts at once and mee expresly tell How old was Laius the King whan this mischaunce befell Was he of fresh and lusty yeares or stricken well in age When he was kilde O ease my thoughts of this tormenting rage IOC. Betwixt an old man an a yong but nearer to an olde OED. Were there great Bands of men with him his Person to vpholde IOC. Some by the way deceiued were and
alas to set thine heart at rest Not thou if God him selfe if he his flaming fiers should throw On thee or mischiefs all by heapes vpon thy body strow Couldst once for thy deserued ills due paines or vengeaunce pay Some meanes therefore to wreak Gods wrath vpon thy selfe assay Death death now best contenteth mee then seeke a way to dye So maist thou yet at length finde end for all thy misery O Son lend mee thy hand sith that thou art a Paracyde This labour last of all remaynes this labour thee doth byde Dispatch rid mee thy mother deare from all my deadly woe It will not be no prayers auaile Thy selfe this deede must doe Take vp this sword Goe to with this thy husbande late was slayne Husband thou term'st him false hee was thy syer O deadly payne Shal I quight through my brest it driue or through my throte it thrust Canst thou not choose thy wound away die die alas thou must This hateful womb then woūd O wretch this this with thine own hand Strike strike it hard O spare it not sith both a husband and The same a Son it bare CHOR. Alas alas shee is slaine she is slayne dispatched with a push Who euer sawe the like to this see how the bloud doth gush O heauy doulfull case who can this dyrefull sight enduer Which for the hideousnesse thereof might teares of stones procuer OED. Thou God thou teller out of Fates On thee on thee I call My Father onely I did owe vnto the Destnies all Now twise a Paracide and worse than I did feare to bee My Mother I haue slayne Alas the fault is all in mee O OEdipus accursed wretch lament thine owne Calamity Lament thy state thy griefe lament thou Caitife borne to misery Where wilt thou now become alas thy Face where wilt thou hyde O myserable Slaue canst thou such shamefull tormentes byde Canst thou which hast thy Parents slain Canst thou prolong thy life Wilt thou not dye deseruing Death thou cause of all the griefe And Plagues and dreadfull mischiefs all that Thebane City prease Why dost thou seeke by longer life thy sorrowes to encrease Why dost thou toyle and labour thus in vayne It will not bee Both God and man and beast and all abhorre thy Face to see O Earth why gapst thou not for why doe you not vnfolde You gates of hell mee to receaue why doe you hence withholde The fierce Infernall Feends from me from me so wretched wight Why breake not all the Furyes lose this hatefull head to smight With Plagues which them deserued hath alas I am left alone Both light and sight and comfort all from mee O wretch is gone O cursed head O wicked wight whom all men deadly hate O Beast what meanst thou still to liue in this vnhappy state The Skies doe blush and are ashamd at these thy mischiefes great The Earth laments the Heauens weepe the Seas for rage doe freat And blustring rise and stormes doe stir and all thou wretch for thee By whose incest and bloudy deedes all things disturbed bee Quight out of course displaced quight O cursed fatall day O mischiefes great O dreadfull times O wretch away away Exile thy selfe from all mens sight thy life halfe spent in misery Goe end consume it now outright in thrise as great calamity O lying Phoebe thine Oracles my sin and shame surmount My Mothers death amongst my deedes thou neuer didst recount A meete Exploict for me that am to Nature deadly Foe With trembling fearefull pace goe forth thou wretched monster goe Grope out thy wayes on knees in darke thou miserable Slaue So maist thou yet in tract of time due paynes and vengeaunce haue For thy mischeuous lyfe Thus thus the Gods themselues decree Thus thus thy Fates thus thus the skyes appoint it for to bee Then headlong hence with a mischiefe hence thou caitife vyle away Away away thou monstrous Beast Goe Run Stand stay Least on thy Mother thou doe fall All you that wearyed bodies haue with sickenesse ouerprest Loe now I fly I fly away the cause of your vnrest Lift vp your heads a better state of Ayre shall strayght ensewe Whan I am gone for whom alone these dreadfull myschiefs grewe And you that now halfe dead yet liue in wretched misers case Help those whō present torments presse forth hye you on apace For loe with me I cary hence all mischiefes vnder Skyes All cruell Fates Diseases all that for my sake did ryse With mee they goe with me both griefe Plague Pocks Botch all The ills that eyther now you presse or euer after shall With me they goe with me these Mates bin meetst of all for mee Who am the most vnhappiest wretch that euer Sun did see FINIS THE SIXTE TRAGEDIE OF THE MOST GRAVE prudēt Author LVCIVS ANNAEVS SENECA entituled TROAS vvith diuers and sundrye Additions to the same by IASPER HEYVVOOD To the Reader ALTHOVGH GENTLE Reader thou mayst perhaps thinke mee arrogant for that I onely among so many fine wittes and towardly youth with which Englād this day florisheth haue enterprised to set forth in english this present piece of the flowre of all writers Seneca as who say not fearing what grauer heads might iudge of me in attempting so hard a thing yet vpon well pondering what next ensueth I trust both thy selfe shalt cleare thine owne suspicion and thy chaunged opinion shal iudge of me more rightfull sentence For neither haue I taken this worke first in hand as once entending it should come to light of well doynge wherof I vtterly dispayred and beynge done but for myne owne priuate exercise I am in myne opinion herein blameles thoughe I haue to proue my selfe priuately taken the part which pleased me best of so excellent an author for better is tyme spent in the best then other and at first to attempt the hardest writers shall make a mā more prompt to translate the easier with more facility But now since by request frēdship of those to whom I could denye nothinge this worke agaynst my will extorted is out of my hands I needes must craue thy pacience in reading and facility of iudgement when thou shalt apparantly se my witles lacke of learning prayng thee to consider how hard a thing it is for mee to touch at ful in all poynts the authors mynd beyng in many places verye harde and doubtfull and the worke much corrupt by the default of euil printed Bookes and also how farre aboue my power to keepe that Grace and maiestye of stile that Seneca doth when both so excellent a writer hath past the reach of all imitation and also this our English toung as many thinke and I here fynd is farre vnable to compare with the Latten but thou good Reader if I in any place haue swerued from the true sence or not kept the roialty of speach meete for a Tragedie impute the one to my youth and lacke of iudgement the other to my lacke of Eloquence Now as
In Marcke Antonius graue with him ylayed Augustus at the last of conquest greate His dulled swords that wounded soules did beate In peaceable sheathes reposd hath layd at rest And feare doth rule and guyde his kingdome best By ready force of armes at all assayes And Captaynes fayth he shieldes him selfe alwaies Whō now his sōnes most worthy vertuous praise To heauen a consecrated God doth rayse And causeth all in Churches for to place The sacred Picture of Prince Claudius grace And vs the starry raigne of Gods shall bide If first with dreadful sword about vs wyde We wype away what so our person stayne And found our court with worthy stem agayne Se. Your noble spouse sprong forth of saincted peer Of Claudius stocke the starbright diamond cleere That Goddesse Iuno wise her brothers bed Partaking pressed downe with buttockes red Your graces princely court shal garnish gay With wondrous heauenly fayre descended stay Ne. Incestuous maryed dames from stocke stem Detract all hope that we should haue of them Nor vs could she once loue that we could see Nor with our person once at all agree Se. In tender budding yeares when loue supprest With blusshing hydes the flames of burning breast Scant playne appeares the loue they bare indeed Ne. Thus wee our selues with hope in vaine did feede Although vndoubted signes as bodye wryed And frowning lookes which we haue oft espyed Her spyteful hating stomacke did bewray Which shee doth beare whom duty byndes t' obaye Which yet at last big boyling grieuous payne With death determind hath t auenge agayne Wee haue found out for byrth and beauties grace A worthy make for such an Empresse place To whom that louely goddesse Venus bright And mighty Ioue his spouse that Iuno hight and goddesse fierce in boysterous warlike artes Geues place for bodyes seemly portrayd partes Se. Fayth meeknes manners mild bashfull shame Of spouse those ought an husband to reclayme The perles of iudging mynd alone remayne Not subiect once to any rulers raygne The passing pryde of beautyes numming grace Each day appals and bleamisheth apace Ne. What prayses woman wights haue in them closd All those in her alone hath God reposde And such a peerlesse peere the guydes of lyfe The destnies would haue borne to be our wyfe Se. O noble prince such blynd vnlawful loue Do rashly credite naught from you remoue Ne. Whom Ioue can not repell that rules the cloudes And pearcing raging floods therein him shroudes And raungeth through the raigne of Plutoes pit And pulleth downe in welkin hie that sit The mighty powers of heauen the God of loue And can I then his force from me remoue Se. Swift winged loue mens fancy fond in vayne A mercy wanting God to bee doth fayne And armes his handes with woundinge weapons keen And bowes with burning brondes for louers greene Of Venus to be sprong they al accorde and blyndly forgde of thunders limping Lorde Bland loue the myndes great torment sore appeares And buddeth first in frolicke youthful yeares Who while we drinke of Fortunes pleasaunt cuppe With laysie pampring ryot is nestled vp Whom if to to ster vp you leaue at length It fleeting falles away with broken strength This is in all our life as I suppose The greattest cause how pleasure first arose Which sith mankind by broodyng bydeth aye Through gladsom loue the fierce wild beastes doth sway It neuer can from manly breast depart Ne. This selfe same God I wish with all my hart The wedlocke lightes to beare before our grace And fasten Poppie sure in our bed place Se. The peoples griefe might neuer yeeld to it Nor vertue can the same at all permit Ne. Shall I alone to do forbidden be That euery patch may do that grieueth mee Se. No tryfling toyes the people lookes to haue Of him that ought to rule with wisdome graue Ne. It pleaseth vs with daunted power to trye If peoples rash conceiued rage will flie Se. Seeke rather for to please and calme their moode Ne. Ill ruled is that raygne where people wood Their subiect Prince doth weld as they thinke good Se. When nought that they require they can obtayne They iustly then agrieued are agayne Ne. That gentle prayers cannot win with ease By force to wring it out it doth vs please Se. An hard thing t is the people not to haue That of theyr Prince which they do iustly craue Ne. And horrible 't is a Prince to be constraynd Se. Let not your subiectes then so sore be raynd Ne. Why then the common brute abroade wil be How that the people haue subdued mee Se. That no man trustes that is of credite light Ne. Be it so yet many it markes with deadly spyghte Se. With countrie peeres to medle it is afrayd Ne. To quip and frump 't is nothing lesse dismayd Se. Your grace may easly couch that budding bruite Let Sayncted sires desertes with pliant sute Your graces mynd remoue let spouses age And curteous bashfull shame disrumpe your rage Ne. Leaue off I say that we entend to grutch For now your talke our pacience moueth much I pray you let it lawful be to do That Senec geueth not aduyse vnto And we our peoples wishes do defer While Poppie feele in wombling wombe to sterre The pledge of faythful loue to me and her Why do we not appoynt the morrow next When as our mariage pompe may be context THE THIRD ACTE THE FIRST SCENE Agrippyna THrough paunch of riuened earth from Plutoes raigne With ghostly steps I am returnd agayne In writhled wristes that bloud do most desyre For guyding wedlocke vyle with Stygian fire Let Poppie which these cressets coupled sure Vnto my sonne be ioynd in mariage pure Whom mothers griefe and hand reuenging wrackes Shal send with heaue and hoe to funeral stackes I always do remember wel beneath Where piteous ghostly crauling soules do breath Th' unkindly slaughterous deede which to our spright Yet vnreuengd is grieuous and of right And for the good I did a cruell prise That deadly framed ship in crafty wyse And due reward that he gaue me agayne For helping him to rule of Empyres raygne And eake that night when as I did bewayle Both losse of shippe wherin we then did sayle And mates vnhappye death and whyle I thoughte For this accursed deede to haue besought The Gods to trickling teares he gaue scant tyme But twice encreased hath his deuillish cryme Quite slayne with sword thrust through my bodyes boundes And filthy layed through goary mattring woundes Deliuered safe from seas deuouring sup In antique court my ghost I yeelded vp Nor yet his cancred and vnsatiate hate For all this bloud doth Nero once abate That Tyrant dyre doth rage at mothers name And seeketh wayes my deedes for to defame Who threating death to them that doe withstand My shapes he dingeth downe in euery land My princely tytles large hee scrapeth out In euery place the whole wyde world aboute Which my vnlucky parentes loue did geue To much vnto
my paine whyle I did liue Vnto a boy to guyde which now I rue My poysoned make my Ghost doth oft pursue And in my face with burning brondes doth flye He stayes a space with earnest talke hard by And threatneth sore and doth impute his death And tombe he should haue had to mee beneath And now desyres to haue some factious wight That dare despoyle my sonne of breathing spright Let be you shall haue one to worke this cryme I do require no long delayed tyme Reuenging spright Erin a death doth coine Of life that wicked tyrant to purloyne Sore smarting leaden strypes and shameful flight And pyning panges with thurst and hunger dight That Tantalus spungelike thursty mouth befurde And Sisyphus toyle shal passe and Tityus burde And Ixions paynful wombling wheele aboute That teareth all his bodyes partes throughout Although that Tyrant proude and scornful wight His court with marble stone do strongly dyght And princelike garnish it with glistring golde Though troupes of souldiours shielded sure vpholde Their chieftaynes princely porch and though yet still The world drawne drye with taskes euen to his will Great heapes of riches yeeld themselues to saue Although his bloudy helpe the Parthians craue And Kingdomes bring and goods al that they haue The tyme and day shall come when as he shall Forlorne and quite vndone and wanting all Vnto his cursed deedes his life and more Vnto his foes his bared throate restore Alas vnto what ende is all my payne Or in what case do now my vowes remayne Wherto doth now thy rage and destnies spyte Draw thee O Sonne with brayne benummed quite That to such monstruous heapes of ylles thy dame Whom thou with cursed mischiefe ouercame Hir wrath should yeeld O that ere to the light A sucking babe I brought thee foorth in sight And fedd thee fyne with pappe as princely borne The fierce wild sauage beastes had rent and torne My wombe and bloudy entrails all beforne Without all cryme and wanting reasons pride Mine own deere dādling child thou shouldst haue dide And fastned sure to me shouldst aye beholde The quiet place where Ghostly soules be rolde And see thy graundsyres great of worthy fame And syre Domitius eake of princely name Whom now both shame and wayling doth abyde That whyle they dure from them shal neuer slyde For which both thee O cursed Barne they may And mee that thee haue borne geeue thankes for aye But why ceasse I with hel to hyde my face Wyfe stepdame mother dire in my life space THE SECOND SCENE Octauia Chorus DO not alas thus sore lament But rather yet your mourning stay Sith that the city whole is bent To celebrate this ioyful day Least your great loue and fauour both Which I do count to be most sure The more cause Nero me to loth And eake his bitter wrath procure And I fal out to be the ground To you of many mischieues vyle This same is not the first deepe wounde That I haue felt now this good whyle Farre worse then this haue I abode But of these troublous cares this day Shall make an end I trust in God Although with Death he do me pay No man to see shal me constrayne His bended browes knit furrowyse Nor step within the Chamber ragyne Of mayde drest vp in brydall guise Augustus sister I wil bee And not his wyfe as wont I was But onely paynes remoue from mee And feare of death I wil not passe Yet canst thou piteous wreth once trust Thy cruell husbandes father law Or these few thinges to haue so lust Whyle mischieues yet in mynd are rawe Now long reserud vntil this day And these same maryage rytes be past Thou shalt poore wretch without delay A bloudy offring dye at last Why thus with teares disfigured sore Thy wonted home dost thou behold Make hast to shunne this deadly shore And leaue this straughtrous Princes fold Cho. Lo see that day suspected long And whispered Fame in all mens eares With glisteryng pompe of brydall throng To vs pore wretches now appeares And Claudius broode Octauias grace From Neroes wedlocke place expelde Departed is whose spousall space Hath Poppie conquerour long tyme helde The whyle our pyety couched lyes Kept downe with heauy combrous feare And slow reuenging grief likewyse Where doth the peoples power appeare That brake the force of Princes great That conquerous city lawes hath framde That worthy men to honours seat Preferd that warre and peace proclaymd That sauage people straunge did tame That Kinges and Princes caught in fight Shut surely vp in prison frame To keepe them close from all mens sight Loe which wee cannot once abyde To see wher Poppies ymage trym Conioyned vnto Neroes syde All glistring bright shynes very brim Let force of Armes pul downe that frame And match with grounde that Ladyes face Too likely carued to his name And snatch her downe from beddig place And let it forthwith flye with brandes With Dartes and Iauelins fiercely flonge From pythy braunes and sturdy handes Vnto the princes courtly throng THE FOVRTH ACTE THE FIRST SCENE Nutrix Poppea FRom out of spousal bower dismayd with feare Whither go you what secrets daughter deare Vnknowen makes you to looke so drousely Why spungelike lokes your face with tears frō eye That fell of truth the tyme desyred long And wished for by prayers and vowes among Hath shyned bright Caesars wedlock are you Your golden grace whereof he tooke the view Him prisoner caught and did him surely bynde So much the more how much Senec his mynd Did seeke to chaunge and wild from loue to weeld And Venus chiefe in loue hath made him yeeld O in beauty passing all what beds then downe More soft haue borne thy weight when thou with crowne Didst sit in middes of court the Senate all At thy great beauty agast thou didst appall Whylst thou the Goddes with perfume sendest fyne And sacred alters drencht with thankful wyne Thy head attyrd with veyle of yellow hiew By Caesars side thou wentst as princesse new When he aloft extold aboue the rest With hauty courage merily went to feast Like as kyng Peleus went sometymes to take Queene Tethis whom salt seas fome bred his make Whose bridinge chambers banquet wise ydrest The Gods vouchsaft to hallow with their hest Both they that rule in skyes and eake in Seas But tel O Lady tell if it you please What sodayne chaūce doth shade your beautyes light What meanes your colour chaūge from red to white What moues those trickling tears how standes your plight Po. With dreames and griesly sightes this last night Nurse My mynd was troubled sore but frayd much worse For when sir Phoebe his weary course had ryd Whyle quiet restyng night each thing shadid My sences weary fel in slumber deepe Whyle Nero me within his armes did cleepe Resoluing lims at length gan sleepe discharge And long I rest not vnder quiets targe For loe I saw a route that brought me feare Come to my chaumber with
SENECA HIS TENNE TRAGEDIES TRANSLATED INTO Englysh Mercurij nutrices horae IMPRINTED AT LONDON IN Fleetstreete neere vnto Saincte Dunstans church by Thomas Marsh 1581 TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPEVL SIR THOMAS HENNEAGE KNIGHT TREASVRER OF HER MAIESTIES CHAMBER Thomas Newton wisheth all abundaunce of Felicitie and Spirituall benedictions in Christe YOV may think Sir some want of discretion in mee for thus boldly presuminge to thrust into your handes these Tragedies of SENECA From whych boldnesse the very Conscience of myne own vnworthynes might easely haue dissuaded mee had not certayne learned Gentlemen of good credite and worship thereunto persuaded animated mee Assuring mee where of I thought my selfe afore assured that your VVorship such is your loue to learning the generosity of your Heroicall mynde would daygne not onely to dispence with my temerity but also take in worth my affectionate simplicity And yet all this notwithstandinge well durst I not haue geuen the aduēture to approch your presence vpon trust of any singularity that in this Booke hath vnskilfully dropped out of myne owne penne but that I hoped the perfection of others artificiall workmāship that haue trauayled herein aswell as my selfe should somewhat couer my nakednèsse 〈◊〉 pùrchase my pardon And hard were the dealing if in payment of a good round gubbe of Gold of full wayght and poyse one poore peece somewhat clypped and lighter then his fellowes may not be foysted in amōg the rest and passe in pay for currant coigne Theirs I know to be deliuered with singuler dexterity myne I confesse to be an vnflidge nestling vnhable to flye an vnnatural abortion and an vnperfect Embryon neyther throughlye laboured at Aristophanes and Cleanthes candle neither yet exactly waighed in Critolaus his precise ballance Yet this dare I saye I haue deliuered myne Authors meaning with as much perspicuity as so meane a Scholler out of so meane a stoare in so smal a time and vpon so short a warning was well able to performe And whereas it is by some squeymish Areopagites surmyzed that the readinge of these Tragedies being enterlarded with many Phrases and sentēces literally tending at the first sight some time to the prayse of Ambition sometyme to the mayntenaūce of cruelty now and then to the approbation of incontinencie and here and there to the ratification of tyranny can not be digested without great daūger of infection to omit all other reasons if it might please thē with no forestalled iudgmēt to mark and consider the circumstaunces why where by what maner of persons such sentences are pronoūced they cānot in any equity otherwise choose but find good cause ynough to leade thē to a more fauourable and milde resolutiō For it may not at any hād be thought and deemed the direct meaning of SÈNECA himselfe whose whole wrytinges penned with a peerelesse sublimity and loftinesse of Style are so farre from còuntenauncing Vice that I doubt whether there bee any amonge all the Catalogue of Heathen wryters that with more grauity of Philosophicall sentences more waightynes of sappy words or greater authority of soūd matter beateth down sinne loose lyfe dissolute dealinge and vnbrydled sensuality or that more sensibly pithily and bytingly layeth downe the guerdon of filthy lust cloaked dissimulation odious treachery which is the dryft wherunto he leueleth the whole yssue of ech one of his Tragedies Howsoeuer whatsoeuer it be your VVorships curteous acceptaūce shal easily counterpoyse any of our imperfections Vnto whose learned Censure wee humbly submit these the exercises of our blusshing Muses The Lord God in mercy long preserue you in health and dignity with daily encrease of many his gracious gyfts already rychly abounding in you to the propagation and aduauncement of his truth whereof yee are a zealous Professor to the honoure of her Maiestye to whom you are a most loyall seruitour and to the generall benefite of your Countrey whereof you are a rare and most worthy Ornament From Butley in Chesshyre the 24. of Aprill 1581 Your Worshippes most humble Thomas Newton THE NAMES OF THE TRAGEDIES OF SENECA AND by whom each of them was translated 1 Hercules Furens 2 Thyestes 6 Troas By Iasper Heywood 1560 5 Oedipus By Alex Neuile 4 Hippolytus 7 Medea 8 Agamemnon 10 Hercules Octaeus By Iohn Studley 9 Octauia By T. Nuce 3 Thebais By Thomas Newton The Argument of this Tragedy IVno the Wyfe and sister of Iupiter hating his bastard broode cometh dovvne from heauen complayning of all his iniuries done to her deuising also by vvhat despight she may vexe his base Sonne Hercules And hauing by experience proued no toyles to be to hard for him findeth the meanes to make his ovvne hand his ovvne vengeance Hercules therefore returning novv from Hell from vvhence he vvas enioyned to fet Cerberus and finding that the Tyrant Lycus had inuaded his coūtrey destroieth the tyrant For the vvhich victory as hee sacrificeth to his Goddesse vvrathfull Iuno strikes him into a sodayne frensy Wherevvith he beinge sore vexed thynking to slea the Children and Wyfe of Lycus in steede of them killeth his ovvne Wyfe and Children in his madnes This done hee sleapeth Iuno restoreth to him agayne his Wits He being vvakt seing his Wyfe and Children slayne by his ovvne hand at last also vvould kill himselfe THE SPEAKERS Iuno Chorus Megara Amphitrion Lycus Hercules Theseus THE FIRST ACTE Iuno alone I Syster of the Thunderer for now that name alone Remaynes to me Ioue euermore as though deuorst and gone And temples of the highest ayre as wydowe shunned haue And beaten out of skyes aboue the place to Harlots gaue I must go dwell beneath on ground for Whoores do hold the sky From hence the Beare in parte aboue of ycy peale full hy A haughty starre the greekish shyps by Seas doth gurde about From this way whence at spring time warme the day is loased out Europaes bearer through the waues of Tyria shynes full bright From thence their stormy fearefull flocke to Ships and seas affright The wandring daughters here and there of Atlas vpward sway With staring bush of hayre from hens Orion Gods doth fray And Perseus eke his glitteryng starres of golden glosse hath here From hence the twynnes of Tyndars stocke do shine a signe full clere And at whose byrth first stode the grounde that erst went to and fro Nor onely Bacchus now himselfe or Bacchus mother lo Haue clymd to Gods least any parte should from rebuke be free The skies the Gnossian strumpets crownes do beare in spight of mee But I of old cōtemptes complayne me one dire fierce and shrewde Thebana land with wicked broode of Ioues base daughters strewde How oft hath it a stepdame made though vp to heauen should ryse The conqueryng drabbe Alcmena now and hold my place in skyes And eke her sonne to promisd starres obtayne the worthy way At byrth of whom the staying worlde so long deferd the day And Phoebus slow frome morning sea began to glister bright Commaunded long in
woes nor yet in haughty top of hilles and mountaynes hye The builded towers The people all let them to battel crye And clere forsake Mycenas towne who so his hateful head Hides and defendes with slaughter dire let bloud of him be shed This princely Pelops palace proude and bowres of high renowne On mee so on my brother to let them be beaten downe Go to do that which neuer shall no after age allow Nor none it whisht some mischefe greate ther must be ventred now Both fierce and bloudy such as woulde my brother rather long To haue bene his Thou neuer dost enough reuenge the wronge Exept thou passe And feercer fact what may be done so dyre That his exceedes doth euer he lay downe his hateful yre Doth euer he the modest meane in tyme of wealth regard Or quiet in aduerslty I know his nature harde Vntractable that broke may be but neuer wil it bend For which are he prepare himselfe or force to fight entend Set fyrst on him least while I rest he should on me aryse He wil destroy or be destroyd in midst the mischiefe lyes Prepard to him that takes it first Ser. Doth fame of people naught Aduerse thee feare Atre. The greatest good of kingdom may be thought That still the people are constraynd their princes deedes as well To prayse as them to suffer all Ser. Whom feare doth so compell To prayse the same his foes to bee doth feare enforce agoyne But who indeede the glory seckes of fauour trew t' obtayne He rather would with hates of each be praysd then tounges of all Atre. The trewer prayse ful oft hath hapt to meaner men to fall The false but vnto myghty man what nill they let them will Ser. Let first the king will honest thinges and none the fame dare nill Atre. Where leeful are to him that rules but honest thinges alone There raynes the kyng by others leaue Ser. And wher the shame is none Nor care of ryght fayth piety nor holines none stayeth That kingdome swarues Atre. Such holines such piety and fayth Are priuate goods let kinges runne one in that that likes their will Ser. The brothers hurt a mischiefe count though he be nere so ill Atre. It is but right to do to hym that wrong to brother were What heynous hurt hath his offence let passe to proue or where Refraynd the gylt thy spouse he stale away for lechery And raygne by stelth the auncient note and sygne of empery By frawde he got my house by fraud to vexe he neuer ceast In Pelops house there fostred is a noble worthy beast The close kept Ramme the goodly guyde of rych and fayrest flockes By whom throughout on euery syde depend a downe the lockes Of glittering gold with fleece of which the new kinges wonted were Of Tantals stocke their sceptors gylt and mace of might to beate Of this the owner raygneth he with him of house so great The fortune fleeth this sacred Ramme aloofe in safety shet In secret mead is wont to grase which stone on euery syde With rocky wall inclosethe rounde the fatall beast to hyde This beast aduentryng mischiefe greate adioyning yet for pray My spoused mate the traytour false hath hence conuayde away From hence the wrongs of mutuall hate and mischiefe all vpsyreng In exile wandred he throughout my kingdomes all along No part of myne remayneth safe to mee from traynes of hys My feere deflourde and loyalty of empyre broken is My house all vext my bloud in doubt and naught that trust is in But brother foe What stayst thou yet at length lo now beginne Take hart of Tantalus to thee to Pelops cast thyne eye To such examples well beseemes I should my hand applye Tell thou which way were best to bring that cruell head to death Ser. Through perst with sword let him be slayne yelde his hatefull breath Atre. Thou speak'st of th' end but I him would opres with greter payne Let tyrants vexe with torment more should euer in my rayne Be gentle death Ser. Doth piety in thee preuayle no whit Atre. Depart thou hence all piety if in this house as yet Thou euer wert and now let all the flocke of furies dyre And full of strife Erinnis come and double brands of fyre Megaera shaking for not yet enough with fury great And rage doth burne my boyling brest it ought to bee repleate With monster more Ser. What mischiefe new do'ste thou in rage pro-uide Atre. Not such a one as may the meane of woonted griefe abide No guilt will I forbeare nor none may be enough despight Ser. What sword Atr. To litle that Ser. what fire Atr. And yâ— is yet to Ser. What weapon then shall sorrow such finde fit to worke thy will Atr. Thy estes selfe Ser. Then yre it selfe yet that 's a greater ill Atr. I graunt a tombling tumult quakes within my bosomes loe And rounde it rolles I moued am and wote not wherevnto But drawen I am from bottome deepe the roryng soyle doth cry The day so fayre with thunder soundes and house as all from hy Were rent from roofe and rafters crakes and lares turnde abought Haue wryde theyr sight so bee'te so bee'te let mischiefe such be sought As yee O Gods would feare Ser. What thing seek'st thou to bring to pas I note what greater thing my mynde and more then woont it was Atre. Aboue the reache that men are woont to worke begins to swell And stayth with slouthfull handes What thinge it is I cannot tell But great it is Bee'te so my mynde now in this feate proceede For Atreus and Thyestes bothe it were a worthy deede Let eche of vs the crime commit The Thracian house did see Such wicked tables once I graunt the mischiefe great to bee But done ere this some greater guilt and mischiefe more let yre Fynde out The stomacke of thy sonne O father thou enspyre And syster eke like is the cause assist me with your powre And dryue my hand let greedy parents all his babes deuowre And glad to rent his children bee and on their lyms to feede Enough and well it is deuis'de this pleaseth me in deede In meane time where is he so long and innocent wherefore Doth Atreus walke before myne eyes already more and more The shade of such a slaughter walkes the want of children cast In fathers Iawes But why my mynde yet dreadst thou so at last And faint'st before thou enterprise it must bee done let bee That which in all this mischiefe is the greatest guilt to see Let him commit Ser. but what disceit may wee for him prepare Whereby betrapt he may be drawne to fall into the snare He wotes full well we are his foes Atre. He could not taken bee Except himselfe would take but now my kingdomes hopeth hee For hope of this he woulde not feare to meete the mighty Ioue Though him he threatned to deistroy with lightning from aboue For hope of this to passe the threats of waues
full harde I stoute and ioyfull was but now agayne thus in t feare I am returne my mynde misdoubtes and backeward seekes to beare My body hence and forthe I draw my pace agaynst my will Phy. With slouthfull step what meaneth this my father stādeth still And turnes his face and holdes him selfe in doubt what thing to do Thy. What thing my minde considrest thou or els so long whereto Do'st thou so easte counsayle wrest wilt thou to thinges vnsure Thy brother and the kingdome trust fearst thou those ills t' endure Now ouercome and mielder made and trauayls do'st thou flee That well were plaste it thee auayls a myser now to bee Turne hence thy pace while leefull is and keepe thee from his hande Phy. What cause thee driues O father deere thus frŠthy natiue lande Now seene to shrynk what makes thee thus frō things so good at last Withdrawe thy selfe thy brother comes whose tres be ouerpast And halfe the kyngdome geues and of the house Dysacerate Repayres the partes and thee restores agayne to former state Thy. The cause of feare that I know not thou do'st require to heare I see nothing that makes mee dread and yet I greatly feare I would goe on but yet my limmes with weary legges doe slacke And other way then I would passe I am withholden backe So oft the ship that driuen is with wynde and eke with Ore The swelling surge resisting both beates backe vpon the shore Phy. Yet ouercome what euer stayes and thus doth let your mynde And see what are at your returne prepar'de for you to finde You may O father raygne Thy. I may but then when die I mought P. Chiefe thing is powre T. nought worth at al if thou desyre it nought P. You shall it to your children leaue T. the kingdome takes not twayne Phy. Who may be happy rather would he miser yet remayne Thy. Beleue me well with titles false the great thinges vs delight And heauy haps in vayne are fearde while high I stoode in sight I neuer stinted then to quake and selfe same sworde to feare That hanged by myne owne side was Oh how great good it were With none to striue but careles foode to eate and rest to knowe The greater gyltes they enter not in cotage set alowe And safer foode is fed vpon at narrowe boorde alway While drunke in golde the poyson is by proofe well taught I say That euill haps before the good to loue it likes my will Of haughty house that standes aloft in tickle top of hyll And swayes asyde the cyty lowe neede neuer be affright Nor in the top of roofe aboue there shynes no Iuery bright Nor watchman none defendes my sleepes by night or gardes my rest With fleete I fishe not nor the sees I haue not backwarde prest Nor turn'de to flight with builded wall nor wicked belly I With taxes of the people fed nor parcell none doth lie Of ground of myne beyonde the Getes and Parthians farre about Nor worshiped with frankinsence I am nor Ioue shet out My Aulters decked are nor none in top of house doth stande In garden treese nor kindled yet with helpe of eche mans hande The bathes doe smoake nor yet are dayes in slouthfull slumbers led Nor nightes past forth in watche and wyne without the rest of bed Wee nothing feare the house is safe without the hidden knyfe And poore estate the sweetenes feeles of test and quiet lyfe Greate kindome is to be content without the same to lyue Phy. Yet should it not refused be if God the kingdome giue Thy. Not yet desierd it ought to be Phy. your brother byds you rayne Thy. Bids he the more is to be fearde there lurketh there some trayne Phy. From whence it fell yet piety is woont to turne at length And loue vnfaynde repayres agayne his erst omitted strength Thy. Doth Atreus then his brother loue eche Vrsa fyrst on hys The Seas shall washe and swelling surge of Seas of Sicylye Shall rest and all asswaged be and corne to rypenes growe In bottome of Ionian seas and darkest night shall showe And spreade the light about the soyle the waters with the fyre The lyfe with death the wynde with seas shall friendship first requyre And be at league Phy. of what deceipte are you so dreadfull here Thy. Of euerychone what ende at length might I prouide of feare In all he can he hateth me Phy. to you what hurt can he Thy. As for my selfe I nothing dread you litle Babes make mee Afrayde of him Phy. dread yee to be beguilde when caught yee are To late it is to shoon the traytie in middle of the snare But goe we on this father is to you my last request Thy. I follow you I leade you not Phy. God turne it to the best That well deuised is for good passe farth with cherefull pace THE SECOND SCENE Atreus Thyestes ENtrapt in trayne the beast is caught and in the snare doth fall Both him and eke of hated stocke with him the ofspryng all About the fathers syde I see and nowe in saufety stands And surest ground my wrathfull hate nowe comes into my hands At length Thyestes yea hee comes and all at once to mee I scant refrayne my selfe and scant may anger brydled bee So when the Bloudhound seekes the beast by step and quick of sent Drawes in the leame and pace by pace to wynde the wayes hee went With nose to soyle doth hunt while he the Boare aloofe hath founde Farre of by sent he yet refraynes and wanders through the grounde With silent mouth but when at hand he once perceiues the pray With all the strength he hath he striues with voyce and calls away His lingring maister and from him by force out breaketh hee When Ire doth hope the present bloud it may not hydden bee Yet let it hydden be beholde with vgly hayre to sight How yrkesomely deform'de with filthe his fowlest tace is dight How lothsome lyes his Bearde vnkempt but let vs friendship fayne To see my brother me delights geue now to me agayne Embracing long desyred for what euer stryfe there was Before this time betwene vs twayne forget and let it pas Fro this day forth let brothers loue let bloud and lawe of kinde Regarded be let all debate be slakte in eythers mynde Thy. I coulde excuse my selfe except thou wert as now thou art But Atreus now I graunt the faulte was myne in euery part And I offended haue in all my cause the worse to bee Your this dayes kindnes makes in deede a guilty wight is hee That would so good a brother hurt as you in any whit But now with teares I must entreate and first I me submit These handes that at thy feete doe lye doe thee beseeche and pray That yre and hate be layde aside and from thy bosome may Be scraped out and cleere forgot for pledges take thou these O brother deere these guiltles babes Atr. thy hands yet from my kneese Remoue and
rather me to take in armes vpon me fall And yee O aydes of elders age yee litle infants all Mee clyp and coll about the necke this fowle attyre forsake And spare myne eyes that pity it and fresher vesture take Lyke myne to see and you with ioy the halfe of emperie Deere brother take the greater prayse shall come to mee thereby Our fathers seate to yelde to you and brother to relieue To haue a kingdome is but chaunce but vertue it to geeue Thy. A iust reward for such deserts the Gods O brother deare Repay to thee but on my head a regall crowne to weare My lothsome lyfe denyes and farre doth from the sceptor flee My hand vnhappy in the mydst let leefull be for mee Of men to lurke Atre. this kingdome can with twayne full well agree Thy. What euer is O brother yours I count it myne to bee Atr. Who would dame fortunes gifts refuse if shee him rayse to raigne Thy. The gyfts of hir eche man it wotes how soone they passe againe Atr. Yee me depryue of glory great except yee th' empyre take Thy. You haue your prayse in offring it and I it to forsake And full perswaded to refuse the kingdome am I still Atre. Except your part yee will susteine myne owne forsake I will Thy. I take it then and beare I will the name thereof alone The ryghts and armes as well as myne they shall be yours eche one Atre. The regall crowne as you beseemes vpon your head then take And I th' appoyncted sacrifice for Gods will now goe make Chorus WOulde any man it weene that cruell wight Atreus of mynde so impotent to see VVas soone astonied with his brothers sight Mo greater force then pietye may bee VVhere kynred is not lasteth euery threat VVhom true loue holdes it holdes eternally The vvrath but late vvith causes kyndled great All fauour brake and did to battayle cry VVhan horsemen did resounde one euery syde The swoordes eche vvhere then glystred more more VVhich raging Mars vvith often stroke did guide The fresher bloud to shed yet thyrsting sore But loue the sworde agaynst theyr vvills doth swage And them to peace perswads vvith hand in hand So sodeyne rest amid so great a rage VVhat God hath made throughout Mycenas land The harnesse clynkt but late of cyuill strife And for their babes did fearefull mother quake Her armed spouse to leese much fearde the vvyfe VVhen sworde vvas made the scabberde to forsake That now by rest vvith rust vvas ouergrowne Some to repayre the vvalles that did decay And some to strength the towres halfe ouerthrowne And some the gates vvith gyns of Yrne to stay Full busie vvere and dredfull vvatch by nyght From turret high did ouerlooke the towne VVorse is then warre it selfe the feare of fight Nowe are the threats of cruell sworde layde downe And nowe the rumour whists of battayles sowne The noyse of crooked trumpet silent lyes And quiet peace returnes to ioyfull towne So when the waxes of swelling surge aryse VVhyle Corus wynde the Brutian seas doth smight And Scylla soundes from hollowe Caues within And Shipmen are with wafting waues affright Charybdis casts that erst it had drunke in And Cyclops fierce his father yet doth dred In AEtna banke that feruent is with heates Least quenched be with waues that ouershed The fire that from eternall Fornace beates And poore Laërtes thinkes his kyngdomes all May drowned be and Ithaca doth quake If once the force of wyndes begin to fall The sea lyth downe more mylde then standing lake The deepe where Ships so vvyde full dredfull vvere To passe vvith sayles on eyther syde out spred Now fallne adowne the lesser Boate doth beare And leysure is to vewe the fyshes ded Euen there vvhere late vvith tempest bet vpon The shaken Cyclades vvere vvith Seas agast No state endures the payne and pleasure one To other yeldes and ioyes be soonest past One howre sets vp the thinges that lowest bee Hee that the crownes to prynces doth deuyde VVhom people please with bending of the knee And at whose becke theyr battayles lay aside The Meades and Indians eke to Phebus nye And Dakes that Parthyans doe with horsemen threat Him selfe yet holdes his Sceptors doubtfully And men of might he feares and chaunces great That eche estate may turne and doubtfull howre O yee vvhom lorde of lande and vvaters wyde Of Lyfe and death grauntes here to haue the powre Lay yee your proude and lofty lookes aside VVhat your inferiour feares of you amis That your superiour threats to you agayne To greater kyng eche kyng a subiect is VVhom dawne of day hath seene in pryde to raygne Hym ouerthrowne hath seene the euening late Let none reioyce to much that good hath got Let none dispayre of best in vvorst estate For Clotho myngles all and suffreth not Fortune to stande but Fates about doth driue Such friendship finde wyth Gods yet no man myght That he the morowe might be sure to lyue The God our things all tost and turned quight Rolles with a whyrle wynde THE FOVRTHE ACTE Messenger Chorus WHat whirlwynde may me headlong dryue and vp in ayre mee fling And wrap in darkest cloude whereby it might so heynous thing Take from myne eyes O wicked house that euen of Pelops ought And Tantalus abhorred bee Ch. what new thing hast thou brought Me. What lande is this lythe Sparta here and Argos that hath bred So wicked brethern and the ground of Corinth lying spred Betweene the seas or Ister else where woont to take their flight Are people wylde or that which woonts with snowe to shyne so bright Hircana lande or els doe here the wandring Scythians dwell Ch. What monstrous mischiefe is this place then guilty of that tell And this declare to vs at large what euer be the ill Me. If once my mynde may stay it selfe and quaking limmes I will But yet of such a cruell deede before myne eyes the feare And Image walkes yee raging stormes now far from hence me beare And to that place me driue to which now driuen is the day Thus drawen from hence Ch. Our myndes yee holde yet still in doubt full stay Tell what it is yee so abhorre The author thereof showe I aske not who but which of them that quickly let vs know Me. In Pelops Turret high a part there is of Pallece wyde That towarde the south erected leanes of which the vtter syde With equall top to mountayne standes and on the City lies And people proude agaynst theyr prynce if once the traytors rise Hath vnderneath his batiring stroke there shynes the place in sight Where woont the people to frequent whose golden beames so bright The noble spotted pillers gray of marble doe supporte Within this place well knowen to men where they so ost resorte To many other roomes about the noble court doth goe The priuie Palaice vnderlieth in secret place alos With ditch ful deepe that doth enclose the wood of priuiter And hidden parts of kyngdome
brothers banquet now and streight a fonder cuttes The bodyes into quarters all and by the stoompes anone The shoulders wyde and brawnes of armes be strikes of euerychone He layes abroad their naked limes and cuts away the bones The onely heads he kepes and handes to him committed once Some of the guttes are broacht and in the fyres that burne full sloe They drop the boyling licour some doth tomble to end froe In moorning cawderne from the flesh that ouerstandes aloft The fyre doth flye and skatter out and into chimney ofte Up heat agayne and there constraynd by force to tary yet Unwilling burnes the liuer makes great noyse vpon the spit Nor easely wot I if the flesh or flames they be that bry But crye they do the fyre like pitch it fumeth by an by Nor yet the smake it selfe so sad like filthy miste in sight Ascendeth vp as wont it is nor takes his way vpright But euen the Gods and house it doth with fylthy turne defile O pacient Phoebus though from hence thou backeward flee the whyle And in the midst of heauen aboue dost drowne the broken day Thou fleest to late the father eats his children well away And limmes to which he once gaue life with cursed iaw doth teare He shynes with oyntment shed ful sweete all round about his heare Replete with wyne and oftentymes so cursed kynd of food His mouth hath held that would not downe but yet this one thing good In all thy yls Thyestes is that them thou dost not knoe And yet shal that not long andure though Titan backward goe And chariots turne agaynst himselfe to meete the wayes be went And heauy night so heynous deede to keepe from sight be sent And out of tyme from East aryse so foule a fact to hyde Yet shall the whole at length be seene thy ylles shall all be spide Chorus WHich way O Prince of landes and Gods on hie At whose vprise eftsones of shadowd night All beawty fleeth which way turnst thou awrye And drawest the day in midst of heauen to flight Why dost thou Phoebus hide from vs thy sight Not yet the watch that later howre bringes in Doth Vesper warne the Starres to kindle light Not yet doth turne of Hespers whele begin To loase thy chare his well deserued way The trumpet third not yet hath blowen his blast Whyle toward the night beginnes to yeld the day Great wonder hath of sodayne suppers hast The Plowman yet whose Oxen are vntierd From woonted course of Heauen what drawes thee backs What causes haue from certayne race conspierd To turne thy horse do yet from dongeon black Of hollow hell the conquerd Gyantes proue A fresh assaut doth Tityus yet assay VVith trenched hart and wounded wombe to moue The former yres or from the hil away Hath now Typhoeus wound his syde by might Is vp to heauen the way erected hie Of phlegrey foes by mountaynes set vpright And now doth Ossa Pelion ouerlye The wonted turnes are gone of day and night The ryse of Sunne nor fall shal be no more Aurora dewish mother of the light That wontes to send the horses out before Doth wonder much agayne returne to see Her dawning light she wots not how to case The weary wheeles nor manes that smoaking be Of horse with sweate to bathe amid the seas Himselfe vnwonted there to lodge likewise Doth setting sonne agayne the morning see And now commaundes the darkenes vp to ryse Before the night to come prepared bee About the Poale yet glowth no fyre in sight Nor light Moone the shades doth comfort yet What so it be God graunt it be the night Our hartes do quake with feare oppressed gret And dreadfull are least heauen and earth and all With fatall ruine shaken shall decay And least on Gods agayne and men shall fall Disfigurde Chaos and the land away The Seas and Fyres and of the glorious Skise The wandring lampes least nature yet shal hide Now shall no more with blase of his vprise The Lord of starres that leades the world so wyde Of Sommer both and Winter geue the markes Nor yet the Moone with Phoebus flames that burnes Shall take from vs by night the dreadful carkes With swifter course or passe her brothers turnes While compasse lesse she fets in croked race The Gods on heaps shal out of order fall And each with other mingled be in place The wryed vvay of holy planets all With path a slope that doth deuide the Zones That beares the sygnes and yeares in course doth brynge Shall see the starres with him fall downe at ones And he that first not yet vvith gentle spring The temperate Gale doth geue to sayles the Ramme Shall headlong fall a dovvne to Seas agayne Through vvhich he once vvith fearefull Hellen svvam Next him the Bull that doth vvith horne sustayne The systers seuen with him shall ouerturne The twins and armes of croked Cancer all The Lyon hoat that wontes the soyle to burne Of Hercules agayne from heauen shall fall To landes once left the Virgin shall be throwne And leueld payse of balance sway alow And draw with them the stinging Scorpion downe So likewyse he that holdes in Thessale bowe His swift wel fethred arrowes Chiron old Shal breake the same and eke shal lese his shotte And Capricorne that bringes the winter cold Shall ouerturne and breake the water pot VVho so thou be and downe with thee to grounde The last of all the sygnes shal Pisces fall And monsters eke in seas yet neuer drounde The water gulph shal ouerwhelme them all And he which doth betwene each vrsa glyde Lyke croked flood the slipper serpent twynde And lesser Beare by greater Dragons syde Full cold with frost congealed hard by kinde And carter dull that slowly guides his waine Vnstable shall Boòtes fall from hye VVe are thought meete of all men whom agayn Should hugy heape of Chaos ouerly And world oppresse with ouerturned masse The latest age now falleth vs vppon VVith euil hap we are begot alas If wretches we haue lost the sight of sonne Or him by fraught enforced haue to flye Let our complayntes yet goe and feare be pasts He greedy is of life that wil not die VVhen all the world shall end with him at last THE FIFTE ACTE Atreus alone NOwe equall with the Starres I goe beyond each other wight With haughty heade the heauens aboue and highest Poale I smite The kingdome nowe and seate I holde where once my father raynd I nowe lette goe the gods for all my wil I haue obtaynde Enoughe and well ye euen enough for me I am acquit But why enough I wil procede and fyl the father yet With bloud of his least any shame should me restrayne at all The day is gone go to therfore whyle thee the heauen doth call Would God I could agaynst their wils yet hold the Goddes that flee And of reuenging dish constrayne them witnesses to bee But yet which wel enough is wrought let it the father see
cruelly my Sonnes by warre do one the other teare IOC. A fortunate and happy Dame Agaue may be thought Who though with bloudy hands her sonne to fatell death she brought And from the shoulders chopt his head and bore the same about In bloudy hand at Bacchus feast withau th' inspired rout Of sacrificers quartering poore Pentheus mangled lymmes Though this her cruell facte somewhat her commendation dymmes Yet euen in these her phrantick fits shee stayde her selfe in time From further harme not adding more to aggrauate her crime My guilt were light if I had not some others guilty made And yet is this but matter light I tooke a biler trade For Mother I am vnto those that in all vice excell And who in most abhorred sinnes condignely beare the bell To all my woes and myseries there wanted onely this That I should loue my Countreyes foe who Polynices is Three snowy Wynters passed are and Sommers three be gone Synce be an exilde wretch abroade hath lead his lyfe in moane And sought his bread among the fremmd till now compell'de perforce Hee craues reliefe of Greekish Kings on him to haue remorse Hee maried hath the Daughter of Adrastus who at becke Rules Argiue people swaying them with awe of Princely checke And he t' aduaunce his sonne in law to his most lawfull right Hath with him brought from seuen Realmes a warlike Crue to fight What doome I should in this case geue which syde I wish to winne I cannot tell my minde amazde yet doubtfull rests therein Th' one of my Sonnes as right it is requyres the Crowne as due I knowe it so accorded was his cause is good and true But in such sort by force of Armes to relie maunde the same Is ill and most vnnaturall herein he is to blame What shall I doe what may I say I mother am to both And thus my Sonnes at deadly feud to see I am full loth Without the breach of mother zeale I can no way deuise For what good had I wishe to th' one thence th' others harme doth rise But though I loue them both alyke yet sure my heart enclynes To him that hath the better cause though wronged thus he pynes As one by frowning fortune thrilde from piller vnto post His Credite Countrey friendes and wealth and treasure being lost The weaker side I will support and further al I can Most mercy alwayes should vt shewde vnto th' oppressed man NV. While Madame you waymēting here your heauy plaints declare And waste the time my Lords your Sonnes in taunged battayle are Eche Captains bright in Armour standes the Trumpet sounds amain And Standard is aduanc'de amid the thronge of eyther traine In marshall ray full prest to fight stand seuen worthy Kynges And eche of them a warlicke troupe of valiaunt Souldiers bringes With courage not behynd the best the Thebanes marche apace And like right ympes of Cadmus brood do slash at Enmies face The Souldiers force and willingnes on eyther side to fyght Appeares in that they nothing lesse pretend them shameful flight See how their trampling to and froe the dust to Skies doth reare And what a Cloud of Smoke in Campe the horses make t' appeare And if my feare dismay me not It all be true I see Me thinkes I view their glittering glaues begoard with bloud to bee Me thinkes I see the Voward thrill and shake their Pikes in hand Me thinkes I see the Gydons gay and Streamers where they stand Wherein is wrought by curtous skill in Letters all of Gold The Scotchion Poeste Name and Armes of euery captayne bold Make hast be gone dispatch Madame Cause Brethren to agree Betwyxt them stay this quarell least a slaughter great ye see So shall you to your Children loue to each syde peace restoare The mothers mediation may heale vp all the Soare THE THIRDE ACTE Antigone Iocasta Nuntius POast poast be gone and trudge for life Queene mother make no stay That twixt my Brothers perfect league and truce continue may You that be Mother to them both vse your auctority Out of their handes their weapons wrest and make them warres defye Your bared Breastes which once they suckt hold out amid their Swordes Beare of the brunt of all their blowes or end this warre with wordes Ioc. Thy talke I like I wil be gone I le goe with might and mayne This head of myne I ieoperd wil betwene them to be slayne In thickest thronge of all the Troupes I purposd am to stand And try what grace or curtesy rimaynes in eyther Bonde If Brothers beare malicious myndes each other to subdue Let them first onset geue on wee and me to death pursue If eyther of them be endude with any sparke of grace Or Natures lawes or Filiall awe doth any whit embrace Let him at mothers suite lay downe his Pikes and glaues of warre And weapons of hastility let him abandon farre And he that cancard stomacke beares his Brother there to quell Forgetting Nature let him first with me his Mother mell These headdy youthes from further rage I seely Trot wil staye I wittingly will not behold such mischiefe cary sway Or if I liue to see the same it shal not bee alone Ant. The Standardes are displayd in field the Ennemyes are prone To fall to fight the clashing noyse of weapons heare you may Much murther death and dreadfull dule cannot be far away Their stony hartes goe mollify with sugred termes perswade Their wilful myndes O Queene before they furiously inuade The one the other yonder see how they in armour bright Bestirre themselues from place to place O dire and dismall sight My trickling teares my blubbring Eyes may put you out of doubt That all is true which I haue sayd looke looke how al the route On eyther part doth slowly march as loth belike to trye By dent of Swerd so straunge a case But both my brothers hie Apace to grapple force to force and ioyne with handy blowes This day wil breeede the bitter smart of euer during woes Ioc. What whirlewynd swift might I procure to beare me through the ayre What monstruous flying Sphinx wil helpe that I were quickly there Of all the Byrdes Stimphalides with winges so huge and large That Phoebus rayes they shadowed quight wil any take the charge To cary mee to yonder place what rauenous Harpye Burd With vgly talantes all with flith and dirty dung befurde Which hungrestarud King Phineus that had put out the Eyes Of children his wil at this pinch a meane for me deuyse That I aloft may hoysed bee and with al spede be set Where yonder cruel armies two in open field be met Nune. Shee runnes apace like one of wit and senses all distract No Arrow swifter out of Bow no Ship with Sayle ful thwackt With wynd at will more way can make with motion such shee flyes As glyding Star whose leames do drawe a Furrow longe in Skyes As much agast she trottes apace and now in Campe she standes Her presence
ALEXANDER NEVYLE TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE MAISTER DOCTOR WOTTON ONE OF THE Queenes Maiesties priuy Counsayle Alexander Neuyle wisheth Helth vvith encrease of Honor THis sixtenth yeare of myne age righte honorable reneweth a gratefull memory of your great goodnes towardes mee for at Baptisme your honor vouchsafed to aunsweare for mee and causeth mee thus boldly to present these greene and vnmelowed fruicts of my first trauailes vnto you as signes and testimonies of a well disposed minde vnto your honor Albeit when first I vndertoke the translation of this present Tragoedy I minded nothing lesse than that at any tyme thus rudely transformed it shoulde come into the Printers hands For I to none other ende remoued him from his naturall and lofty style to our corrupt and base or as some men but vntruly affyrme it most barbarous Language but onely to satisfy the instant requests of a few my familiar frends who thought to haue put it to the very same vse that SENECA himselfe in his Inuention pretended VVhich was by the tragicall and Pompous showe vpon Stage to admonish all men of their fickle Estates to declare the vnconstant head of wauering Fortune her sodayne interchaunged and soone altered Face and lyuely to expresse the iust reuenge and fearefull punishmēts of horrible Crimes wherewith the wretched worlde in these our myserable dayes pyteously swarmeth This caused me not to be precise in following the Author word for word but sometymes by addition somtimes by subtraction to vse the aptest Phrases in geuing the Sēse that I could inuent VVhereat a great numbre I know will be more offended than Reason or VVysedome woulde they should bee Thus as I framed it to one purpose so haue my frends to whom I can not well deny any thyng that Frendshyps ryght may seeme iustly to requyre wrested it to another effect and by this meanes blowen it abroade by ouerrash and vnaduised printing By whych fond deede I know vndoubtedly I shall receyue the poysoned infamies of a number of venemous tonges VVherefore ryght honorable as I geue these the first Fruicts of my trauayle vnto you declaring therein the great goodwyll and duety that I owe vnto your Honor for the noble disposition of your vertuous mynde so am I driuen humbly to require your strong ayde and assured defence agaynst the sclaunderous assaults of such malicious mouths which obtayned I shal be the better encouraged agaynst an other time to bestow my trauaile in matters of farre greater weighte and importaunce In the meane season desiring your Honour to take these simple Attemptes of myne in good part I leaue you to the tuitiō of the right high and mighty God VVho keepe you long in health graunt you many happy yeares with encrease of Honor All your Honours to commaund Alexander Neuile †THE PREFACE TO the Reader BEHOLD HERE BEFORE THY Face good Reader the most lamentable Tragedy of that most Infortunate Prince O Edipus for thy profit rudely translated Wonder not at the grosenesse of the Style neyther yet accounte the Inuentours Dylygence dysgraced by the Translators Neglygence VVho thoughe that he hath somtimes boldly presumed to erre from his Author rouing at randon vvhere he list adding and subtracting at pleasure yet let not that engender disdaynefull suspition vvith in thy learned breast Marke thou rather vvhat is ment by the vvhole course of the History and frame thy lyfe free from such mischiefes vvherevvith the World at this present is vniuersally ouervvhelmed The vvrathfull vengeaunce of God prouoked the Body plagued the mynde and Conscience in midst of deepe deuouring daūgers most terribly assaulted In such sort that I abhorre to write and euen at the thought thereof I tremble and quake for very inward griefe and feare of minde assuredly perswading my selfe that the right high and immortall God will neuer leaue such horrible and detestable crimes vnpunished As in this present Tragoedy and so forth in the processe of the whole hystory thou maist right well perceyue Wherein thou shalt see a very expresse and liuely Image of the incōstant chaunge of fickle Fortune in the person of a Prince of passing Fame and Renown midst whole fluds of earthly blisse by meare misfortune nay rather by the deepe hidden secret Iudgemēts of God piteously plunged in most extreame miseries The whole Realme for his sake in straungest guise greuously plagued besides the apparaunt destruction of the Nobility the generall death and spoyle of the Cōminalty the miserable transformed Face of the City with an infinite number of mischiefes more which I passe ouer vnrehersed Onely wish I all men by this Tragicall hystory for to that entent was it written to beware of Synne the ende whereof is shamefull and miserable As in the most infortunate fall of this vnhappy Prince right playnely appeareth Who by inward gripe of fearefull cōsuming Cōscience wretchedly tormented beholding the lamētable state of his vile infected Realmes wasted by the burning rage of priuy spoyling Pestilence finds himselfe in tract of time to be th' onely plague misery of the almost quight destroied City Wherevpon calling together his Priests and Prophets asking coūsaile of the Gods by them for present remedy in those euils wherewith the Realme was than vniuersally ouerflowen aūswere was made that the Plague should neuer ceasse till king LAIVS death were throughly reuenged and the bloudy Murtherer driuen into perpetuall exile Which aunswere receiued OEDIPVS farre more curious in bowlting out the truth than carefull of his own Estate sodainly slides into an innumerable company of dredfull miseries For as soone as he had once the perfect vewe of his own detestable deedes and wicked misdemeanour cast before his eyes together with the vnnaturall killing of his Father LAIVS the incestuous Mariage of his Mother IOCASTA the preposterous order of his ill misguyded lyfe vvith a hundred moe like mischiefes vvhich chaste vndefiled eares abhorre to heare fretting Fury cōmon enemy tormētor to corrupted cōsciēces pricking him forvvard all inflamed vvith Phrensie and boyling in invvard heate of vile infected minde hee rooteth out his wretched eyes vnnaturally bereaueth his Mother her life though earnestly requested thereto beastly in the ende in most basest kind of slauery banisht dieth miserably Leauing behind him vnto all posterities a dredfull Example of Gods horrible vengeaunce for sinne Such like terrors as these requireth this our present Age wherein Vice hath chiefest place Vertue put to flight lies as an abiect languishing in great extremity For the vvhich cause so much the rather haue I suffred this my base trāslated Tragoedy to be published frō his Author in word verse somewhat trāsformed though in Sense litle altered and yet oftentimes rudely encreased vvith mine owne simple inuention more rashly I cōfesse than wisely vvishing to please all to offend none But vvhereas no man liues so vprightly vvhom slaundring tonges leaue vndiffamed I referre my selfe to the Iudgement of the vvisest litle esteeming the preiudiciall mouthes of such carping
MarchauÌ„ts vvhych suffer no mens doings almost to scape vndefiled In fine I beseech all to gether if so it might be to beare vvith my rudenes consider the grosenes of our owne Countrey language which caÌ„ by no meanes aspire to the high lofty Latinists stile Myne onely entent vvas to exhorte men to embrace Vertue and shun Vyce according to that of the right famous excellent Poet Virgil Discite iusticiam moniti non temnere diuos This obtayned I hold my selfe throughly coÌ„tented In the meane season I ende wishing all men to shun Sin the plaine but most perilous pathway to perfect infelicity The Speakers names OEdipus Choruâ— Tiresias Sanex Iocasta Creon Manto Phorbas Nuntius THE FIRST ACTE OEDIPVS the King IOCASTA the Queene THe Night is gon and dredfull day begins at length t' appeere And Phoebus all bedim'de with Clowdes himselfe aloft doth reere And glyding forth with deadly hue a dolefull blase in Skies Doth beare Great terror dismay to the beholders Eyes Now shall the houses voyde bee seene with Plague deuoured quight And slaughter that the night hath made shall day bring forth to light Doth any man in Princely throne reioyce O brittle Ioy How many ills how fayre a Face and yet how much annoy In thee doth lurke and hidden lies what heapes of endles strife They iudge amisse that deeme the Prince to haue the happy life For as the Mountaynes huge and bie the blustring windes withstand And craggy Rocks the belching fluds do dash and driue fro land Though that the Seas in quiet are and calme on euery side So kingdoms great all Windes and Waues of Fortune must abide How well shund I my Father deare Polybius Scepters late Exil'de bereft of carefull feare in Pilgrims happy state I call the Gods to witnes this and Stars that glyde in Skyes A Kingdome is befauln to mee I frare least thereof ryse A mischiefe mighty Ioue to great I feare alas I feare Least these my handes haue reft the life or thee my Father deare Apollo byds mee this beware and yet a mischiefe more Foretels IOC. Can any greater bee than that you tolde before Of Father slayne by sonnes own hand OE. O thrice vnhappy state With horror all dismaide I stand in dred of threatned fate I am ashamed my destinies fowle O Queene to thunder out And openly to blase my feare my trembling minde doth dout Yet out it goes Phoebus me bids my Mothers Bed to fly As though that I her Sonne with her incestuously should ly This feare and onely this me causde my fathers kingdome great For to forsake I fled not thence when feare the minde doth beat The restlesse thought still dreds the thing it knows can neuer chaunce Such fansies now torment my heart my safety to aduaunce And eke thyne euer sacred lawes O Nature for to keepe A stately Scepter I forsooke yet secret feare doth creepe Within my breast and frets it still with doubt and discontent And inward pangues which secretly my thoughts a sunder rent So though no cause of dred I see yet feare and dred I all And scant in credit with my selfe my thoughts my minde appall That I cannot perswaded be though reason tell mee no But that the Web is weauing still of my decreed wo For what should I suppose the cause a Plague that is so generall And Cadmus country wholy spoyles and spreds it selfe through all Should mee amongest so huge a heape of plagued Bodies spare And we alone amongst the rest reserude to mischiefes are O heauy hap And bide I stil alone the spoyle to see Of Cities great of men of beasts by plague that wasted bee And thou amongst so many ils a happy lyfe to lead Couldst once perswade thy selfe O wretch without all feare or dread Of Phoebus secret Iudgements to and that in Kinges estate Thou thou infected hast the ayre in such a filthy rate Thou art the onely cause of woe by thee these euils rise By thee to graue on such a sorte this wretched people plies The firy flaming frying heate afflicted hearts that wasts Is not relieude as wont it was by cold and pleasaunt blasts The gentle western windes haue left with healthfull puffes to blow And now the fiery Dog with blase of boyling heate doth glow The Sunne in Leo burns so hoate and so the earth doth broyle That fluds and hearbes are dryed vp and nought remaynes but soyle So throughly schorcht and stued with heate that moisture all is gone And now amongst so many fluds remaynes alas not one The places dry are onely seene the streames are drunken vp And water that doth yet remayne the soaking Earth doth sup The Moone with clowds quight over cast all sadly forth she glides And dolefull darksom shades of night the whole worlde ouer hides No Star on high at all doth shine but black and heliâ—ke hue Hath ouershaded all the Skyes whence deadly mists ensue The corne that wonted was to growe and fruitfully to spring Now to the voyded Barnes nought els but empty stalkes doth bring No part of all our kingdome is free from destruction But all together run and rush to vtter confusion The old men with the yong alas the Father with the chylde The plague consumes Both man wife all beasts both tame wylde Are spoyled by the Pestilence No pompe at all remaynes That wonted was in Funeralles to ease the mourners paynes Alas this spoile of people made by plague hath dryde myne eyes And secretly within my breast the griefe it boyling fryes And that that wonted is to hap in most extremest ills My tearees are dry and glutting griefe my wretched breast it fills The crased father beares the son vnto theyr dampish graues And after him with burden like the Mother comes and raues And euen lamenting as they stand 〈…〉 both they fall And mourners new in like estate for them and theirs they call Who likewise in the midst of all their toyle and paynfull payne Do drop into the graue they digd and so the place doe gayne That was prepar'de for others erst A hell it were to heere The horror and the miseries that euery where appeere A Tombe is made for noble men fast on the people die And in their burdens fling Great Pieres all vnregarded lye For lack of Graues to Ashes cleane their bodyes some doe wast And some halfe burnt doe leaue them there and home away for hast They run more they fetch and then wood fier graue and all Doth want And downe for very griefe the wretched mysers fall No prayers auaile No Arte can help this raging Plague t' appease For none almost is left aliue each others woe to ease Before thine aulters heere O God my feeble hands I hold Requiring all my destinies at once with courage bold And that by death I may preuent my Countrey prest to fall For this and only this O God vpon thy name I call Let mee not be the last that dies The last that goes to
Graue Graunt this and then O mighty Ioue my full request I haue O cruell Gods vnkinde O more than thrise vnhappy Fates That onely mee denied is that lyghtes on all Estates I meane a speedy death alas these euils to preuent And deadly woes that doe my heart with restlesse rage torment Leaue of thy blubbering teares O foole fly these kingdomes foylde With rotten plagues Botches bile and graves ech where dispoylde All which diseases thou vnhappy guest didst bring with thee Dispatch Away Goe hence At least vnto thy parents flee IO. What bootes it 〈…〉 great with piteous plaints to aggregate Stoutly to beare aduersity 〈…〉 estate When dred and daunger most assayle when cruell Cares doe crush Thy princely breast Thē oughtst thou most to beare and bide the push It is no poinct of courage stout to yeelde to fortunes frown OED. Nay Feare could neuer cause mee sloupe nor Fortune cast mee down My manly winds was neuer thraule to vaine and peauish feares But euermore in each 〈…〉 courage beares No not a thousand glistering swords nor Mars himselfe in fielde Can once dismay my Countenaunce or cause my heart to yeelde The very Giaunts fierce and huge in fight withstand I dare That Monster Sphinx whose riddels through the world renowmed are Could not dismay my deedles heart nor cause my courage slide For all the terrors I behold I did that Fury byde I saw him belching Gobs of bloud I viewde full well the fielde That all to spatterd lay with bloud and bones quight ouerheelde And when that he on Mountaynes top with mouth full huge to see Stoode gaping all with greedy Iawes to feede and pray on mee Oft fluttering with his fearefull wynges and shaking oft his rayse Began full like a Lyon fierce with threates mee to assayle Of whom straight way the Riddell I it rusht into myne eares With roring sound His winges he claps the Rock for hast hee teares Desiring with my Bowels still his greedy Iawes to glut But I full soone assoyled had the question that he put And all the subtile poincts ther of and twisted knots vntwinde IO. What makes you wish for death to late and waue your wordes in wind You might haue died than you know for Sphinx so nobly slain This kingdom vnto you and yours for euer shall remain OED. The ashes of that Monster vile agaynst vs doth rebell That vile mishapen lothsome Beast that raging Feend of Hell Is cause of all the plague that doth this mournfull City smight Now only this remaynes alone if Phoebus heauenly might Can any meanes inuent for vs or way of mercy make Whereby these burning Plagues at length may haply chasice to slake Chorus O More then thrise renowned Stock of auncient Cadmus Race O mighty Thebes City great O heauy ruthfull Case Loe now you lye all desolate with Plague deuoured quight Both you and all your Husbandmen Oh miserable sight O fowle and feareful Fate alas what causeth all this aid O God whence springs this Pestylence that vs tormenteth so No age no shape no forme is sparde but all confounded lye Thus happiest now the man I count whose chaunce was first to dye For hee hath shund a thousand ills which wretched Eyes haue seene And mischiefes great that vs doe presse from him are taken cleane O God withhold thy fury great thy Plagues from vs remoue Ceasse of afflicted Soules to scourge who thee both serue and loue Powre downe on them diseases fowle that them deserued haue A Guerdon iust for sinne Oh God this this of thee wee craue And onely this We aske no more the cause and all is thyne A thing not vsde of Gods it is from pity to declyne My heart doth vant and trembling cold through all my lims doth run As oft as I remembring count the noble Stockes vndun By death and dolfull destenies that ouerwhelmed lye And yet alas the people stil to Graue doe faster hye In long Aray all in a rancke by thousandes on a roe On euery side in euery streate to buriall fast they goe The seuen broade wyde open Gates are not enough forway But throngd the people pestred stand still in a fearefull stay And in the mydst of all theyr toyle with corses on their backes The number that before doth poast the hinder number slackes The corses in the streates doe lye and Graue on Graue is made But all in vayne For nought it boots the plague cannot be stayde The sacrifices don to Gods haue to to ill successe And such straunge sights signes doe rise that nought els I can gesse But that at hand with gastly pawes is vtter destruction With thousand ills accompayned and extreme confusion The sheepe of rot by heapes as thick as dogges doe fall and dye And belching out their wasted lunges on grounde doe sprawling lye And I my selfe of late did see a sight vnseene before As our high priest stoode sacrifising at the Temple dore And strake with grieuous bloudy wound the golden horned Bull When downe with liueles lump he drops and members made full dull And all the woude wide bleeding gapes black goar 's bloud out spues And yet the blade vnsprinckled was The bloud it boyling fiues And bubbles on the ground Alas what do these things portend Oh mighty Ioue at length vouchsafe some good and happy end At length withhold thy hand O God and health vnto vs send Nothing alas remaynes at all in wonted old estate But all are turned topset downe quight voyd and desolate The famting horse for 〈…〉 back his burden tats Aud after on his maisters brest his liueles lyms he squats Who cries for help but all in vain the beasts in field that bide Unkept vnknowen wayes and pathe do raunge and ouerstride The Bull 〈…〉 and meate are in field all faintyng lyes And all his flocke dispersed quight the fely Shephard dyes The herdman eke amongst his beasts his fatal breath expiers And to the heuens with piteous cries commends his last desters The Harts without all feare of wolues do lyue in wretched peace The rage and wrathful roring sounds of ramping Lions cease The vengeaunce wyld outragious Beares are now as tame as sheepe The vgly Serpent that was wont the Rocky Dennes to keepe Oft quaffing poisoned Venom sups in inward heat shee boyles And all inflamd and schorcht in vayne for lenger lyfe she toyles The woods are 〈…〉 with fresh and lyuely hue The wonted shades are gon All things are quight out of their Que No greenish grasse on ground doth grow the earth no moisture soupes The Vine withouten any sap his drowsy head down drowpes What shal I say all 〈…〉 out of course And as they seeme to me are lyke to fare still worse and worse O mighty God aboue when ende these euerduryng yls When cease 〈…〉 bloud thus fierce and raging spils I thinck but we almost alyue there do no men remayne Whom dolful Darts 〈…〉 on earth haue left vnslayne I thinck the darcksome shades
he doth feare Cr. Great cause makes mee my Princes death conceale and closly beare Oed. Ought any cause of feare or griefe the duty for to let Cre. The threatning of the prophesyes do stil my breast beset Oe. Let vs sith God cōmaunds forthwith some good attonement make If any way or meanes there be their wrathful rage to slake Thou God that sits on seate on high and al the world dost guide And thou by whose commaundement the Starres in Skies do glide Thou thou that onely ruler art of Seas of Floods and all On thee and on thy Godhead great for these requestes I call Who so hath slayne king Laius oh Ioue I do thee pray Let thousand ils vpon him fall before his dying day Let him no health ne comfort haue but al to crusht with cares Consume his wretched yeares in griefe though that death him spares Awhyle Yet mischiefes all at length vppon him light With all the euils vnder Sun that vgly monster smight In exile let him liue a Slaue the rated course of life In shame in care in penury in daunger and in strife Let no man on him pity take let all men him reuyle Let him his Mothers sacred Bed incestuously defyle Lim him his father kill And yet let him do mischiefes more What thing more haynous can I wish then that I wisht before Let him do all those illes I say that I haue shund and past All those and more if more may be oh God vpon him cast Let him no hope of pardon haue but sue and all in vayne All hellish Furies on him light for to encrease his payne O Ioue powre downe thy fury greate thy thūdring thumpes out throw Let Boreas boysterous blastes and stormy plagues vpon him blow Consume him quight Fret out his guttes with pockes and botches vile Let all diseases on him light that wretched bodyes fyle Let these and more if more may be vppon that Monster fall Let Harpies pawes and greedy paunche deuoure his members all Let no man him regard or seeke his limmes in grade to lay But let him dye ten thousand deathes before his dying day By this my Kingdome I do sweare and Kingdome that I left By al my Countrey Gods that bene in Temples closely kept I sweare I vow I do protest and thereto witnes take The Starres the Seas the Earth and all that ere thy hand did make Except that I my selfe forthwith this bloudy monster find To wreake the wrath of God some way with solempne oth I bynde And so my father Polybius his happy dayes out lyue And so my mother Merope no mariage new contriue As he shall dye that did this deede and none shal him excuse Whoso he be here I protest for that he shortly rues But where this wicked deede was don Creon now tell me playne Both by what meanes where and how Ring Laius was slayne Creon Passing through Castalia woods mountayns heapt with snoe Where groues and scrubs and bushes thicke brambles sharp do groe A threepathd crooked way there is that diuersly doth goe One vnto Bacchus citty bends that Phoce doth hight The other to Olenius forth stretcheth out aright The third that reacheth through the vales and by the riuers lyes Tends downe vnto the Bancks wherby Eleia water plyes There vnawares O piteous chaunce a troup of theues entraps The noble prince and murders him hence spring these great mishaps which heape you realms with hideous woes and plagues on euery side By iust decree of heauenly powers which can no murder bide But see Tiresias where he coms with old and trembling pace I thincke Apolloes heauenly might haue brought him to this place See where he comes and Manto too his steps directing stayes T is he who for your grace O king and for your countrie prayes THE SECOND ACTE THE SECOND SCENE OEDIPVS TYRESIAS MANTO COme holy priest to Phoebus next these doubtfull aunswers lose And whom that destnies will to dye Straightwayes to me disclose TY. Renowmed Prince though still I stand in silence dūme dismayde And though by inwarde feare of mynde my lingring tonge is stayde Yet pardon me O noble Prince and geue me leaue a while From lack of sight springs Ignoraunce which powre hath to exile Vnspotted Truth frō doubtfull breasts This thing ful well you knoes But whither God and Countrey calles with willing minde I goe Let deadly fatall destentes be boulted out at length O King if I of greener yeares had now my wonted strength This matter soone discust should be and I would take in hande My selfe in presence of the Gods in temple for to stande A mighty Oxe all coulourd white vp on the Aulters reare Which neuer yet on weried necke the croked yoake did beare And Manto thou O daughter mine mine onely prop and stay The secret hidden misteries and sacred signes out say M A. The beast before the Aulter stands T Y. To Gods a prayer make And on the holy Aulters cke some pleasaunt odors shake M A. T is done And all the fiers fierce with incence bright doe flame T Y. O Manto now what signes seest thou how doe thy matters frame What doth the fire the Sacrifice encompas rounde about MA. Not so But first it mounts aloft and streight it flasheth out TY. Well Yet how doth the sacred flame all shining bright and cleare It selfe on high vnto the Skies with sparkelting flakes vpreare Or doth it oft rebounding backe it selfe from Skyes vnfould Or all with rumbling roring noyse about the place i st rould Or dim'd with smoke i st tost from place to place now heere now theare MA. Not one But diuerse colours mixt the flame doth with it beare Much like vnto the Rainbow which with sundry paynted hues Foreshewes vnto the husbandmen the weather that ensues What colour it wants or what it hath to me is like vncertayne Now is it black now blue now red and euen now agayne Quight out it is Yet once agayn all fierce it flashing flames But lo yet mischiefs more then this vnluckely it frames The fier quight a sunder parts and flame with flame doth fight O father I abhorre to see this vgly lothsome sight The Wyne to blud is turned quight and all the Prynces hed With thicke black clouds encōpast is with smoke all ouerspred O father tell what this portends TY. What should I tell alas My mynde for feare astonied stands and trembling cold doth pas Through all my lims What shall I say or where shall I begin O cruell Plagues O wrekfull Gods O vengeaūce due for sin Some dyre and blouddy deed Alas these hydeous signes declare What 's that the Gods would haue reuealde and yet doe bid beware To vtter it By certaine signes their wrath is oft descride Such signes appeere and yet they seeme their fury great to hide They are ashamde I wot nere what Come hither quickly bring Some salt with thee and it vpon the sacrifice goe fling What are their lookes pleasant and
With bowes of mortall Ewe A tree wherewith the mourners winde Theyr mourning heads Garlands make In this guise all arayde The sacred Priest doth enter in with trembling lims dismayde Than in the Sheepe and Oxen blacke by backwarde course are drawn And odoures sweete Frankencence on flaming fyres are thrown The beasts on burning Altars cast do quake with schorched lims And bloudy streames with fyre mixt about the Aultars swims Than on the darke internall Gods and him that rules them all With deadly shriking voyce aloude the Prophet gins to call And rouls the Magick verse in mouth and hidden Artes doth proue Which eyther power haue to appease or els the Gods to moue Thair bloudy streaming Lycours black with broyling heate doe boyle And all the Beasts consume and burn The Prophet than to toyle Begins And mixed wyne and Mylke vpon the Aultars throwes And all the Dongeon darke and wyde with streaming blood it flowes Than out with thundring voyce agayne the Prophet calles and cryes And straight as much with mumbling mouth he champs in secret wyse The trees do turne The Riuers stÄd The ground with roring shakes And all the world as seemes to mee with fearefull trembling quakes I am heard I am heard than out aloude the Priest began to cry Whan all the dampned soules by heapes abrode outrushing fly Then woods with rumbling noyse doe oft resounding make And Heauen and Earth together goe And bowes and trees do crake And ThuÌ„ders roore And Lightnings flash And waues aloft doe fly And ground retyres and Dogs doe bawl and Beastes are heard to cry And whyther long of Acheron that lothsom Flud that flowes All stinking streames or of the earth that out her Bowels throwes Free place to Sprights to geue or of that fierce infernall Hound That at such times doth bustling make with chayns railing sound The Earth al wide it open gapes And I did see on ground The Gods with colour pale and wan that those dark kingdoms keepe And very night I saw in deede and thousand shapes to creepe From out those filthy stinking Lakes and lothsom pits of Hell Where all the euils vnder Son in darksom shades doe dwell So quaking all for feare I stoode with minde right sore apalde Whilst on those Gods with trembling mouth the Priest full often calde Who all at once out of theyr dens did skip with griesly Face And Monsters grim and stinging Snakes seemd wander in that place And all the fowlest Feendes of Hell and Furies all were theare And all traÌ„sformed Ghosts sprights that euer Hell did beare With Cares ahd all Diseases vyle that mortall mynds doe crush All those and more I sawe out of those Dungeons deepe to rush And Age I sawe with riueled Face and Neede Feare and Death And Fyre and flames thousand ills out fro those Pits to breath Then I was gon and quight amazd The wenche in worser case And yet of olde acquaynted with her Fathers Artes she was The Priest himselfe vnmooued stoode and boldly cited owt Whole Armies of king Ditis men who clustring in a Rowt All flittring thin like Cloudes disperst abrode in Ayre doe fly And bearing sundry shapes and formes doe scud aboue in Sky A thousand woods I thinke haue not so many leaues on trees Ten thousand medowes fresh haue not so many flowers for bees Ten hundred thousand riuers not so many Foule can show Nor all the drops and streams and gulphes that in the Seas do flow If that they might be wayed can sure so great a number make As could those shapes and formes that flew from out of Limbo lake Both Tantalus and Zetus too and pale Amphions Ghost And A gaue and after her ten thousand Sprightes do post Than Pentheus and more and more in like estate ensue Til out at length comes Laius with foule and grisly hue Vncomly brest in wretched plight with fylth all ouergrowne All perst with wounds I loth to speake with bloud quight ouerflown A Miser ryght as seemd to me and most of Misers all Thus in this case at length he spake and thus began to call O Cadmus cruel Citty vyle that stil delightste in bloud O Cadmus thou which kinsmens death accountst as chiefest good Teare out the bloudy Bowels of your Children learne of me Do that and rather more then you would byde the day to see Like ills as late on mee are light Loe mothers loue alas Hath causd the greatest misery that ere in Theba was The Countrey with the wrath of Gods at this tyme is not tost Nor yearth nor ayre infect is not the cause that all bene lost No No A bloudy King is cause of all these mischiefes great A bloudy wretch A wretched child that sits in Fathers Seate And Mothers bed defyles O wretch and entreth in agayne In places whence he came from once and doubleth so her payne Whilst that hee fils the haples wombe wher in himselfe did lie With graceles seede and causeth her twise childbirthes pangues to try Vnhappy Sonne but Father worse and most vnhappy hee By whom the lawes of sacred shame so sore confounded bee For that that very bestes almost do all abhorre to do Euen of his mothers body he hath brothers gotten two O mischiefe great O dredful deede then Sphinx O moÌ„ster more Example vnto ages all of Gods foretold before But I thee thee that Scepter holdst thy Father wil pursue And wreacke my selfe on thee and thyne with plagues vengeance due All restles rage of spite and paine I will vppon thee blow And all the furies foule of hell vppon thee I will throw I wil subuert thy Houses cleane for this thy lothsome lust I wil do this thou wretch And thee and thyne consume to dust Wherfore dispatch at once I say into exile driue your King That ground that first of all he leaues with fresh grene grasse shall spring And sweete and pleasaunt Ayre and healthfull blasts shall ryse And all the euills vnder Sun that mortall men surprise The Pocks the Piles the Botch the blaine death with him shall fly And with him mischiefs all shall passe and Monsters vnder Sky And as for him I know hee would depart with willing mynde But I will clog his Feete and hands his way he shall not finde But groping with his aged staffe shall passe from place to place This shall he doe And none shall rue vpon his ruthfull case Rid you the Monster from the Earth for Heauen let mee alone No sooner sayd but straight away his dreadfull Ghost was gone And fast by thousands after him th' other Sprights in hyde Than Cold trembling feare began through all my bones to glyde OED. The thing I alwayes fearde I see vpon mee now is layde But slender props they are God wot whereby your Treason is stayde Meropa my Mother deare shall mee from this defend Polybius eke shall purge mee quight from Actions all that tend To murder or to incest vile they both
spirites yre VVhose sonue we slew whereof doth yet remayne The wrath beneath and hell shal be their payne From burning lakes the furies wrath I threate And fire that nought but streames of bloud may slake The rage of winde and seas their shippes shall beate And Ditis deepe on you shall vengeance take The spirites crie out the earth and seas do quake The poole of Styx vngratefull Greekes it seath VVith slaughtred bloud reuenge Achilles death The soyle doth shake to beare my heauy foote And fearth agayne the sceptors of my hand The pooles with stroake of thunderclap ring out The doubtful starres amid their course do stand And fearfull Phoebus hides his blasing brande The trembling lakes agaynst their course do flite For dread and terrour of Achilles spright Great is the raunsome ought of due to mee Wherwith ye must the sprightes and hell appease Polyxena shal sacrifysed be Vpon my tombe their yreful wrath to please And with her bloud ye shall asswage the seas Your ships may not returne to Greece agayne Til on my tombe Polyxena be slayne And for that she should then haue bene my wyfe I wil that Pyrrhus render her to mee And in such solemne sort bereaue her life As ye are wont the weddinges for to see So shal the wrath of Hel appeased bee Nought els but this may satisfy our yre Her wil I haue and her I you require THE SECOND SCENE Talthibius Chorus ALas how long the lingring Greekes in hauen do make delay When eyther warre by seas they seeke or home to passe theyr way Ch. Why shew what cause doth hold your ships and Grecian nauy stayes Declare if any of the Gods haue stopt your homeward wayes Tal. My mynd is mai'd my trembling sinne wes quake and are affeard For straunger newes of truth then these I thinke were neuer heard Lo I my selfe haue playnly seene in dawning of the day When Phoebus first gan to approch and driue the starres away The earth all shaken sodaynly and from the hollow grownde My thought I hard with roaryng crye a deepe and dreadful sound That shoke the woods and al the trees rong out with thunder stroke From Ida hils downe fel the stones the mountayne toppes were broke And not the earth hath onely quakt but all the Sea likewyse Achilles presence felt and knew and high the surges ryse The clouen ground Erebus pittes then shewd and deepest dennes That downe to Gods that guyde beneath the way appeard from hence Then shoke the tombe from whence anone in flame of fiery light Appeareth from the hollow caues Achilles noble spright As wonted he his Thracian armes and bannars to disploy And weild his weighty weapons wel agaynst th assaultes of Troy The same Achilles seemde he than that he was wont to bee Amid the hostes and easiy could I know that this was hee With carkasse slayne in furious fight that stopt and fild each floude And who with slaughter of his hand made Xanthus runne with bloud As when in Chariot high he sate with lofty stomacke stoute Whyle Hector both and Troy at once he drew the walles aboute Alowd he cride and euery coast rang with Achilles sound And thus with hollow voyce he spake from bottom of the ground The Greekes shal not with litle pryce redeeme Achilles yre A princely raunsome must they geue for so the fates require Vnto my ashes Polyxene spoused shal here be slayne By Pyrrhus hand and al my tombe her bloud shal ouerstayne This sayd he strayght sanke downe agayne to Plutoes deepe region The earth then cloasd the hollow caues were vanished and gon Therwith the wether waxed clere the raging wyndes did slake The tombling seas began to rest and al the tempest brake THE THIRD SCENE Pyrrhus Agamemnon Calchas WHat tyme our sayles we should haue spread vppon Sygeon Seas With swift returne from long delay to seeke our homeward wayes Achilles rose whose onely hand hath geuen Greekes the spoyle Of Troia sore annoyde by him and leueld with the soyle With speede requiting his abode and former long delay At Scyros yle and Lesbos both amid the Aegaeon sea Til he came here in doubt it stoode of fall or sure estate Then though ye hast to graunt his wil ye shall it geue to late Now haue the other captaynes all the pryce of their manhood What els reward for his prewesse then her al onely blood Are his desertes thinke you but light that when he might haue fled And passing Pelyus yeares in peace a quiet life haue led Detected yet his mothers craftes forsooke his womans weede And with his weapons prou'd himselfe a manly man indeede The King of Mysya Telephus that woulde the Greekes withstand Comming to Troy forbidding vs the passage of his land To late repenting to haue felt Achilles heauy stroke Was glad to craue his health agayne where he his hurt had tooke For when his sore might not be salud as told Appollo playne Except the speare that gaue the hurte restoared help agayne Achilles plasters cur'd his cuttes and sau'd the King aliue His hand both might and mercy knew te slay and then reuyne When Thebes fel Eetion saw it and might it not withstand The captiue King could nought redresse the ruin of his land Lyrnesus litle likewyse felt his hand and downe it fill With ruine ouerturned like from top of haughty hil And taken Bryseys land it is and prisoner is she caught The cause of strife betwene the Kinges is Chryses come to naught Tenedos yle wel knowne by fame and fertile soyle he tooke That fostreth fat the Thracian flockes and sacred Cilla shooke What bootes to blase the brute of him whom trumpe of fame doth show Through all the coastes where Caicus floud with swelling stream doth flow The ruthful ruine of these realmes so many townes bet downe Another man would glory count and worthy great renowne But thus my father made his way and these his iourneyes are And battayles many one he fought whyle warre he doth prepare As wisht I may his merits more shall yet not this remayne Wel knowne and counted prayse enough that he hath Hector slayne Duryng whose life the Grecians al might neuer take the towne My father onely vanquist Troy and you haue pluct it downe Reioyce I may your parentes prayse and brute abroade his actes It seemeth the sonne to follow well his noble fathers factts In sight of Priam Hector slayne and Memnon both they lay With heauy theere his parentes wayld to mourne his dying day Himselfe abhord his handy worke in fight that had them slayne The Sonnes of Goddes Achilles knew were borne to die agayne The woman queene of Amazons that greu'd the Greekes ful sore Is turnd to flight then ceast our feare wee dread their bowes no more It ye wel waigh his worthynes Achilles ought to haue Though he from Argos or Mycenas would a Virgin craue Doubt ye herein allow ye not that straight his wil be done And count ye cruel Pryams bloud to
geue to Peleus sonne For Helen sake your owne childes bloud appeasd Dianas yre A wonted thing and done ere this it is that I require Ag. The onely fault of youth it is not to refraine his rage The Fathers bloud already sturres in Pryams wanton age Somtime Achilles grieuous checkes I bare with pacient hart The more thou mayst the more thou oughtst to suffer in good part Wherto would yee with slaughtred bloud a noble spirit stayne Thinke what is meete the Greekes to do and Troyans to sustayne The proude estate of tyranny may neuer long endure The King that rules with modest meane of safety may be sure The higher step of princely state that fortune hath vs signd The more behou'th a happy man humility of mynd And bread the chaunge that chaūce may bring whose gifts so sone be lost And chiefly then to feare the Gods whyle they the fauour most In beating downe that warre hath wonne by proofe I haue ben taught What pompe and pride in twinke of eye may fall and come to naught Troy made me fierce proude of mynde Troy makes me frayd withal The Grekes now stand wher Troy late fel ech thing may haue his fal Sometyme I graunt I did my selfe and Sceptors proudly beare The thing that might aduaunce my hart makes me the more to feare Thou Priam perfit proofe presentst thou art to mee eftsones A cause of pride a glasse of feare a mirrour for the nones Should I accoumpt the sceptors ought but glorious vanity Much like the borowed brayded hayre the face to beautify One sodayne chaunce may turne to naught and mayme the might of men With fewer then a thousand shippes and yeares in lesse then ten Not she that guydes the slipper wheele of fate doth so delay That she to al possession grauntes of ten yeares setled stay With leaue of Greece I wil confesse I would haue wonne the towne But not with ruine thus extreme to see it beaten downe But loe the battel made by night and rage of feruent mynd Could not abyde the brydling bitte that reason had assignd The happy sword once slaind with blood vnsatiable is And in the darke the seruent rage doth strike thee more amis Now are we wreakt on Troy so much let all that may remayne A Virgin borne of Princes bloud for offring to be slayne And geuen be to slayne the tombe and ashes of the ded And vnder name of wedlocke see the guiltles bloud be shed I wil not graunt for myne should bee thereof both fault and blame Who when he may forbiddeth not offence doth wil the same Pyr. And shall his sprights haue no reward their angers to appeyse Aga. Yes very great for all the world shall celebrate his prayse And landes vnknowen that neuer saw the man so praysd by fame Shall heate and kepe for many yeares the glory of his name If bloudshed vayle his ashes ought strike of an Oxes hed And let no bloud that may be cause of mothers teares be shed What furious fransy may this be that doth your will so leade This earnest carefull sutte to make in trauayle for the dead Let not such enuy towarde your father in your heart remayne That for his sacrifice yee would procure an others payne Pyr. Proude tirant while prosperity thy stomacke doth aduaunce And cowardly wretch that shrinks for feare in case of fearefull chaunce Is yet agayne thy breast enflamde with brand of Venus might Wilt thou alone so oft depriue Achilles of his right This hand shall giue the sacrifice the which if thou withstand A greater slaughter shall I make and worthy Pyrrhus hand And now to long from Princes slaughter doth my hand abide And meete it were that Polyxene were layde by Priams side Aga. I not deny but Pyrrhus chiefe renowne in warre is this That Pryam slaine with cruell sworde to your father humbled is Pyr. My fathers foes we haue them known submit themselues humbly And Pryam presently yee wot was glad to craue mercy But thou for feare not stout to rule liest close from foes vp shit Whil thou to Aiax and Vlysses dost thy will commit Aga. But needes I must and will confesse your father did not feare When burnt our fleete with Hectors brands Greeks they slaughtred weare While loytring then a loofe he lay vnmindfull of the fight In steede of armes with scratch of quill his sounding harp to smight Pyr. Great Hector then despising thee Achilles songes did feare And Thessale ships in greatest dread in quiet peace yet weare Aga. For why aloofe the Thessale fleete they lay from Troyans handes And well your father might haue rest he felt not Hectors brandes Pir. Well seemes a noble king to giue an other king reliefe Aga. Why hast thou then a worthy king berieued of his life Pyr. A poinct of mercy sometime is what liues in care to kill Aga. But now your mercy mooueth you a virgins death to will Pyr. Account yee cruell now her death whose sacrifice I craue Your own deere daughter once yee knowe your selfe to th' aulters gaue Aga. Naught els could saue the Greekes frō seas but th' only bloud of her A king before his children ought his countrey to prefer Pyr. The law doth spare no captiues bloud nor wil'th their death to stay Aga. That which the law doth not forbid yet shame doth oft say nay Pyr. The conquerour what thing he list may lawfully fulfill Aga. So much the lesse he ought to list that may do what he will PYR. Thus boast ye these as though in all ye onely bare the stroke When Pyrrhus loosed hath the greekes from bond of ten yeres yoke A. Hath Scyros yle such stomaks bred P. No bretherns wrath it knoes AG. Beset about it is with waue PYR. The seas it do enclose Thyestes noble stocke I know and Atreus eke full well And of the bretherns dire debate perpetuall fame doth tell AG. And thou a bastard of a mayde defloured priuely Whom then a boy Achilles gat in filthy lecherr Pyr. The same A chill that doth possesse the raigne of Gods aboue With Thetys seas with Aeacus sprights the starred heauen with Ioue Aga. The same Achilles that was slaine by stroke of Paris hande Pyr. The same Achilles whom no god durst euer yet withstand Aga. The stoutest man I rather would his checkes he should refraine I could them tame but all your bragges I can full well sustaine For euen the captiues spares my sword let Calchas called be If destyntes require her bloud I will thereto agree Calchas whose counsel rulde our ships and nauy hither brought Vnlookst the poale and hast by arte the secretes thereof sought To whome the bowelles of the beast to whom the thunder clap And blasyng starre with flaming traine betokeneth what shall hap Whose words with dearest price I bought now tell vs by what meane The will of Gods agreeth that we returne to Greece againe Cal. The fates apoint the Grekes to buy their waies with wonted price And with
hope to thryue herein Let all thy guilts with thronging thick assemble thee to ayde The golden Fleece the chiefe Nouell of Colchis I le betrayde My tender Brother eke that with my Syer did mee pursue Whom with his secret partes cut of I wicked Virgin slewe Whose shreaded and dismembred corps with sword in gobbits hewd A wofull Coarse toth ' Fathers heart on Pontus ground I strewd How hory headded Pelias his wythred age to shyft To greener yeares for longer lyfe his daughters by my dryft His members all and mangled flesh with licour scalding hot Ysodden and perboyled haue in seething brasen pot How oft in haynous bloud haue these my cruell handes bene dyed And neuer any guilt as yet by wrath inflamde I tryed But now the parlous poysning wound of Cupids percing dart Doth boyle and rage within my breast it ranckles at my hart But how could Iason it redresse whom fortunes froward wyll Hath yeelde vnto anothers hande at lust to saue or spill O rage of rusty cancred minde this sclaundrous talke amende If Fortunes grace will graunt it thus let him vnto his ende Lyue still my Iason as he was but if not Iason myne Yet caytife suffer Iason liue though Iason none of thyne Who being mindefull still of vs some fauour let him showe For these good turnes that our good will could earst on him bestowe King Creon is in all the fault and onely worthy blame Who puffed vp with Scepter proude vnable for to frame His tickle minde to modesty made breach twixt vs agayne Whom Hymens bands and link of loue had made but one of twayne By whom eke from her tender brats the mother wretch is drawne Hee breakes the vowe that gaged is with such a precious pawne Seeke after such a villaynes bloud in daunting pangs of smart Let him alone bee surely dowst such is his due desart A dungell hept of Cinders burnt his Pallayce make I shall That Malea where in winding strights the lingring ships due crall Shall gase on smolthring turrets tops turmoylde in crackling flame NV. For godsake Madame I you pray your tongue to silence frame Eke hyde your priuy languishing and greefe in secret vayne Who with a modest minde abides the Spurs of pricking payne And suffereth sorrowes paciently may it repay agayne Who beares a priuy grudge in breast and keepes his malyce close When least suspection is thereof may most annoy his Foes He leeseth oportunity who vengeaunce doth requyre That shewes by open sparkes the flame the heate of kindled fyre ME. Small is the grype of griefe that can to reasons lore obay And sneking downe with stealing steps can slyly slip away But they that throughly sowsed are with showers of greater payne Can not digest such corsyes sharpe but cast it vp agaye Fayne would I giue them trouncing girds NV. Good daughter deare asswage Th' unbrydled sway and boyling heate of this thy gyddy rage Scant maist thou purchase quietnesse although thou hold thy tongue ME. The valiaunt heart dame Fortune yet durst neuer harme with wrōg But dreading dastards downe she driues NV. It any corage dure And harbred be in noble breast now put the same in vre ME. The show of sturdy valiant heart at any time doth shyne NV. No hope doth in aduersity thy way to scape assygne ME. Hee that hath none affiaunce left nor any hope at all Yet let him not mystrust the luck of ought that may befall NV. Thy Countrey cleane hath cast thee of to let thee sinke or swim As for thy husband Iason bee there is no trust in him Of all the wealth and worldly mucke wherewith thou didst abounde No porcion remaynes at all whereby some helpe is founde ME. Medea yet is left to much and here thou mayst espy The Seas to succour vs in flyght and landes aloofe that ly Yea pron tooles with burning brands we haue to worke them woe And Gods that with the thunder dint shall ouerquell our foe NV. Who weares the goldēcrested crowne him dred with awe yee should ME. My Father was a King yet I betrayed his Fleece of gould NV. Can not the deadly vyolence of weapons make thee feare ME. No though such grisly Lads they were as whilom did appeare That bred of gargell Dragous teeth in holow gaping grounde When mutually in bloudy fight eche other did confounde N. Thē wilt thou cast thy self to death M. Would God that I were dead NV. Fly fly to saue thy life ME. Woe worth the time that once I fled N. What O Medea M. Why shall I fly N. A mother deere art thou Fly therefore for thy childrens sake ME. Yee see by whom and how A wretched Mother I am made NV. Thy lyfe by flight to saue Dost thou mistrust ME. Nay fly I will but vengeaunce first I le haue NV. Then some shall thee at heeles pursue to wrecke the same agayne ME. Perhap I le make his cōming short NV. Be still and now refrayne O despret dame thy thundring threates and slake your raging ire Apply and frame thy froward will as time and tides requyre ME. Full well may fortunes welting wheele to begging bring my state As for my worthy corage that shee neuer shall abate Who bowncing at the Gates doth cause the creaking dores to Iar It is the wretch Creon his selfe whom princely power far Hath lift aloft with lordly looke puft vp with pouncing pryde That hee may Corinth countrey with the sway of Scepter guide Creon Medea NEdea that vngracious Imp king Aetas wicked chylde Yet hath not frō our careful realme her lingring foote exilde Som naughty drift she goes about her knacks of old we kno Her iugling arts her harming hāds are known wel long ago From whō will shee withhold her harme whom will this cruell beast Permit to liue from perrill free in quietnesse and rest Cleane to cut of this parlous plague it was our purpose bent But Iason by entreting hard did cause vs to relent At his request we graunted haue her life she shall enioy Let her acquit our countrey free from feare of all annoy Yea saufely let her pack her hence in eger giddy fit With lumpish lowring looke shee comes in talke with me to knit Sirs keepe her of and set her hence least vs she touch perhap And driue her backe from cōming nigh commaunde her keepe her clap And let her learne at length how that her selfe submit she may The puissaunt payse and maiesty of Princes to obay Run hie thee quickly trudge apace haue hence out of my sight This horrible most odious quean this monstrous wicked wight ME. My soueraygne liege what greater crime haue I or lesse offence Commit against thy maiesty to be exiled hence CR. Alas the guiltlesse woman doth demaunde a reason why ME. If thou be Iudge indifferent ordaynde my cause to try Consider then my doubtfull case and wey the ground of it If thou be king cōmaund a Iudge for such a matter fit CR. The princes powre thou shalt
obey b' it eyther right or wrong M. The prosperous pryde of wronging crownes cannot endeuer long CR. Auaunt yell out thy complaynts at Colchis get thee hence ME. Full gladly will I get mee home if he that brought me thence Vouchsafe to beare me back agayne CR. Alas to late aryse Entreating wordes when as decree is taken otherwise ME. He that not hearing eyther part pronounceth his decree Vnrighteous man accoumpted is though ryght his sentence bee CR. Whyle Pelias trusted to thy talke from lyfe to death hee fell Go to begyn we gyue you leaue your goodly tale to tell ME. That type of Regall maiesty that erst by Fortunes hand Aduaunced to I dyd attayne hath taught mee vnderstand How hard a thing it is of wrath the rygour to asswage When burning heate of boyling breast in flames begins to rage Eke for th' aduan̄cement of their power more to display in sight Theyr kingly corage bolstred out with maiesty of might They deeme it doth import asway and hath a greater grace Whome stately scepter causde to climbs aloft to prouder place To perseuer with fansye fonde in that to reasons spyght Whose greedy choyce attaynted fyrst his minde with vayne delight For though in piteous plyght I lye throwne downe to great decay With heauy hap and ruthfull chaunce to myserable stay Thus hunted out from place to place forsoke and left alone A wyddow while my husband liue with cause to wayle and mone Perplext in maze of misery wyth cloying cares so ryfe Yet whylom I in golden trone haue led in happy lyfe By high and noble parentage my bryght renowne doth shyne From Phoebus take my Graundsire great deryued is my ligue Whear syluer streamed Phasis flood his wasshing waues doth shed Or with contrary croking wayes his bathing channell spred What euer wandring coast stretcht out is left aloofe behynde From whence the roaming Scithyan Sea his channell forth doth fynde Where as Maeotis fenny plashe with pure fresh water sprynges Doth season sweete the briny Sea that tyde in thyther brynges Eke all the coastes enuyroued and kept within the bankes Of Thermodon where warlike troupes armed wyddowes ranckes With paynted bucklers on their armes holde all the land in feare With rigour rough of threatning sword with force of denting speare So farre to all these wandring coastes and countreyes round about My Fathers ample regiment at large is stretched out I being thus of noble Race and in an happy plight With glorious glosse of pryncely pomp in honour shining bright Then pearelesse Peares my Spousall bed did seeke and sue to haue But those to be theyr louing Feeres now other Ladyes craue Rashe ticle peuish vndiscreete and wauering Fortunes wheele Hath cast me out the crusshing cares of banishment to feele In Scepter proude and hauty Crowne fix thine affyaunce fast Sith vpsidowne with welkin wheele whole mounts of wealth is cast This Prynces doe possesse that should theyr royalty display Whose fame shall neuer razed be with storme of lowring day To succour those whom misery in pit of paynes doth souse To shield and harber suppliaunts in roof of loyall house This onely brought I from my Realme the precious golden Fleece That Iewell chiefe and eke the flower of Chyualry in Greece The sturdy prop the Rampter strong the bulwarke of your wealth And Hercules the boystrous Imp of Ioue I kept in health It was by meanes of my good will that Orpheus did escape Whose harmony the liuelesse Rocks with such delight did rape That forced euen the clottred lumpes with hobling prickt to praunce And eke the iocond nodding woods with footing fine to daunce And that these heauenly twins Castor and Pollux did not by My dew desart is doubled twise sith them preserued I Of Boreas blustring out with puffed Cheekes his blasting Breath His wynged Sons I kept aliue both Calais and Zeath And Linceus that with pearcing beames and sharper sight of Eye Could Nauies on the farther banke of Sicill shore espy And all the Mynians that did come the golden Fleece to win As for the Prince of Princes all I will not bring him in With silence Iason will I passe for whom though him I saue Yet is not Greece in debt to mee no recompence I craue To no man him I doe impute the rest I brought agayne For your auayle that you thereby some profit might attayne But onely on my Iason deare him for my owne loues sake I kept in store that hee of mee his wedded Wyfe should make None other fault God wot yee haue to charge mee with but this That Argo Ship by meanes of mee returned saufely is If I a shamefast mayde had not with Cupids bayte bene caught If more my Fathers health to haue then Iasons I had sought Pelasga land had bene vndone and faine to great decay The lusty valiaunt Capitaynes had cleane bene cast away And ioly Iason fyrst of all this now thy sonne in lawe The Buls had rent his swalowed lims in fiery chomping iawe Let Fortune fight agaynst my case as list her eluish will Yet neuer shall it grieue my heart repent my deede I nill That I should for so many kings their reling honour saue The guerden due that I for this my crime commit must haue It lyeth Creon in thy hande if thus it lyketh thee Condemne my guilty ghost lo death but render fyrst to mee My fault that forced me offend then Creon graunt I this Receauing Iason cause of cryme I guilty did amisse Thou knowst that I was such an one when couring low I lay Before thy feete in humble wise and did entreating pray Thy gracious goodnes mee to graunt some succour at thy hande For me a wreatch and wreatched Babes I aske within this lande Some cotage base in outcast hole some couching corner vile If from the towne thou driue vs out to wander in exile The some by place aloofe within this realme let vs obtayne CR. How I am none that tyrant like with churlish Scepter raygne Nor proudly or disdaynfully with hawty corage hie With vaūting foote doe stamp them downe that vndertroden lye And daunted are in carefull bale thys playnly doth disclose In that to mee of late I such a sonne in lawe haue chose Who was a wandring pilgrim poore with sore afflictions fraight Dismayde with terrour of his foe that lay for him in wayght Because Acastus hauing got the crowne of Thessail lande Requyreth in thy guilty bloude to bath his wreackfull hande He doth bewayle that good olde man his feeble father slayne Whom waight of yeres with bowing back to stoupe alow constrayne The godly mynded systers all yblinde with misty vale And cloking colour of thy craft durst ventrusly assayle That mount of myschiefe marueylous to mangle heaw and cut Theyr Fathers dere vnioynted limmes in boyling Caldron put But for thy open guiltinesse if thou can purge the same Strayght Iason can discharge him selfe from blot of guilty blame His gentle handes were neuer staynde with goare of any