alas is quight consumde her fauor sweete doth faynt Nor ruddy sanguine purple deye her cherry checkes doth paynt Wyth greedy gripes of gnawing griefe her pinched limmes doe pyne Her foltring legs doe stagger now the glosse of beauty tyne In body Alabaster bright is shronke away and wast Those Cristall Eyes that wonted were resemblance cleare to cast Of radiant Phoebus gold arayes now nothing gentry shyne Nor beare a sparke of Phoebus bright her fathers beams deuyne The trickling teares tril down her chekes dew dampish dropping still Doth wet her warrye plantes as on the toppe of Taurus hill The warry snowes with lukewarme shoures to moisture turnd do drop But lo the Princes pallace is set open in the top She lying downe vpon her golden bed of high estate Hurles of hir wonted royal robes which wounded hart doth hate Ph. Maydes haue our purple garmentes hence vestures wrought with gold These crimsō robes of scarlet red let not myne eyes behold And damaske weedes wheron the Seres embraudet braunches braue Whose Silken substaunce gatherd of their trees aloofe they haue My bosome shal be swadled in with cuttied gaberdine No golden coller on my necke nor Indian iewels fyne The precious pearles so whyte shal hang no more now at myne eares Nor sweete perfumes of Siria shal poulder more my heares My flaryng ruffled lockes shal dagling hang my necke aboute And shoulder poyntes then then apace it shattring in and out Let wyndes euen blow it where it list in left hand wil I take A quiuer of shaftes and in my right a Boorespere wil I shake To cruell child Hippolitus such one his mother was As fleeting from the frosen Seas those countrey costes did passe And draue her hierdes that bet with trampling feete Th' Athenian soyle Or like the trull of Tanais Or like her wil I toyle Of Meotis that on a knot wounde vp her crispen lockes Thus wil I trot with moone like targe among the wodes and rockes Nu. Leaue of thy bitter languishing vnto the sille sort That walter thus in waues of woe griefe giues not testing port Is any measure to be found in thy tormenting fire Some grace at wyld Dianaes hand with sacrifyce require O Goddesse greate of Woods in hilles that onely setst thy throne And Goddes that of the craggy clyues at worshipped alone Thy wrathful threatninges on vs all now turne to better plight O Goddesse that in forrestes wyld and groues obtaynest might O shyning lampe of heauen and thou the Diamon of the Night O threefold shapen Heccate that on the world his face Dost render light with torch by turnes vouchsafe to graūt thy grace To further this our enterprise and helpe our piteous case O mollify Hippolytus his stubborne hardned hart And let him learne the pangues of loue and tast like bitter smart And yeeld his light allured eares entreate his brutish breast And chaunge his mynd in Venus boundes compel him once to rest So froward and vntoward now so crabbed curst and mad So shalt thou be with blandishing and smyling countnaunce clad Thy shimering clowde cleane fading hence then brightly shalt thou bear And glisteryng hornes then whyle by night vpon the whirling sphere Thy cloudy heeled steedes thou guydes the raging witches charme Of Thessal shal not draw thee from the heauens nor do thy harme No Shepherd purchase shal renoume Thou comst at our request Now fauour dost thou graunt vnto the prayers of our Breast I do espye him worshipping the solemne Sacrifyce Both place and tyme conuenient by Fortune doth arise We must go craftely to worke for feare we quaking stand Ful hard it is the buysy charge of guylt to take in hand But who of Princes standes in awe let him defye all right Cast of the care of honesty from mind exiled quight A man vnfit is for the hest of King a bashful wight Hip. O Nurse how chaūce thy limping limmes do crepe into this place With blubbred Cheekes leaden lookes with sad and mourning face Doth yet my Father Theseus with health enioy his life Doth Phaedra yet enioy her health my stepdam and his wyfe Nu. Forgoe these feares and gently come thy blessed hap to take For care constrayneth me to mourne with sorrow for thy sake That hurtfully thou looudes thy selfe with pangues of plūging payne Let him rubbe on in misery whom destny doth constrayne But if that any yeld himselfe to waues of wilful woe And doth torment himselfe deserues his weale for to forgoe The which he knowes not how to vse tush be not so demure Consideryng how thy yeares do runne take part of sport and play Let mirry Bacchus cause thee cast these clogging cares away And reape the frutte of sweete delyght belonging to thy yeares For lusty youth with speedy foote ful fast away it weares Earst tender loue earst Venus feedes the young mannes appetite Be blyth my Boy why Widow like liest thou alone by night Shake of thy sollem sadnesse man that harty youth doth spill Huff royst it out couragiously take bridle at thy will Let not the flowre of plooming yeares all fruitles fade away God poynteth euery tyme his taske and leades in dus aray Each age by order lust as mirth the sappy youthfull yeares A forehed frayte with grauity becommeth hoary hayres Why dust thou bridle thus thy selfe and dulles thy pregnant wit The corne that did but lately sproute aboue the ground if it Be rancke of roote yet in the luske with enterest at large Vnto the hoping husbandman shall trauel all discharge With braunched bough aboue the Wood the tree shall raise his top Whom rusty hand of canckred hate did neuer spill nor lop The pregnant Wittes are euermore more prone to purchase prayse If noble heartes by freedome franckt be nourisht from decayes Thou churlish countrey Clowne Hodgelike not knowing Courtly life Delight in drousy doting youth without a louing wyfe Dost thou suppose that to this end Dame Nature did vs frame To suffer hardnes in this world and to abyde the same With courses and kerereyes fet the prauncing Steedes to tame Or bicker els with battails fierce and broyls of bloudy warre That soueraygne Syre of heauen and earth when fates do vs detarre With signes and plagues prognosticate prouided hath with heede For to repayre the damage done with new begotten seede Go to let bedding in the world be vsed once no more That stil mankind from age to age vpholdes and doth restore The filthy world deformd would lie in yrksome vgly stay No flotting ships on wambling Seas should hoysted Sayles display No Foule should skoare in azur Skie ne Beast to woods repayre And onely whisking windes should whirle amid the empty ayre What diuers dreery deathes driue one mankind to dumpish graue The Seas the sword and trayterous traynes whole countries wasted have Yet for to limit forth our league there is no destny thincke So downe to blackefast Stigian dampes we of our selues do sincke Let youth that neuer felt the ioyes in
rebound The brambles rent his haled hayre the edged flinty stones The beauty batter of his Face and breake his crashing bones At Mouth his blaring tongue hangs out with squeased eyne out dasht His Iawes Skull doe crack abrode his spurting Braynes are pasht His cursed beauty thus defoylde with many wounds is spent The iotting Wheeles do grinde his guts and drenched sims they rent At length a Stake with TruÌ„chion burnt his ripped PauÌ„ch hath caught From riued Grine toth ' Nauell stead within his wombe it raught The Cart vpon his Maister pawsde agaynst the ground ycrusht The Fellies stuck within the wounds and out at length they rush So both delay and Maisters limbs are broke by stresse of Wheeles His dragling guts then trayle about the wincing horses heeles They thumping with their horny Hooues agaynst his Belly kick From bursten Paunch on heapes his blouddy bowells tumble thick The scratting Bryers on the Brakes with needle poynted pricks His gory Carkas all to race with spelles of thorny sticks And of his flesh ech ragged shrub a gub doth snatch and rent His men a mourning troupe God knowes with brackish teares besprÄ“t Doe stray about the fielde whereas Hippolytus was tore A piteous signe is to bee seene by tracing long of gore His howling Dogges their Maisters limmes with licking follow still The earnest toyle of woful Wights can not the coars vp fill By gathering vp the gobbets sparst and broken lumps of flesh Is this the flaunting brauery that comes of beauty fresh Who in his Fathers Empyre earst did raigne as pryncely Peare The Heyre apparant to the Crowne and shone in honour cleare Lyke to the glorious Stars of Heauen his Limmes in pieces small Are gathred to his fatall Graue and swept to funerall TH. O Nature that preuaylste too much alas how dost thou binde Whyth bonds of bloud the Parents breast how loue we thee by kinde Maugre our Teeth whom gullty ecke we would haue rest of breath And yet lamenting with my teares I doe bewayle thy death NVN. None can lament with honesty that which he wisht destroyde TH. The hugiest heape of woes by this I thinke to be enioyde When flickering Fortunes cursed wheele doc cause vs cry alas To rue the wrack of things which earst wee wished brought to passe NVN. If stil thou keepe thy grudge why is the Face with seates besprÄ“t TH. Because I slue him not because I lost him I repent Chorus WHat heape of happes do tumble vpsyde downe Th' estate of man lesse raging Fortune flies On little things lesse leaming lightes are throwne By hand of Ioue on that which lower lies The homely couch safe merry hartes do keepe The Cotage base doth giue the Golden sleepe The lofty Turrets top that cleaues the cloude VVithstandes the sturdy stormes of Southren wynde And Boreas boysterous blastes with threatning loud Of blusteryng Corus shedding showres by kinde The reking Dales do seldome noiance take Byding the brunt of Lightninges slashing flake Th' aduaunced crest of Caucasus the great Did quake with bolt of lofty thundring Ioue VVhen he from cloudes his thunder dintes did beat Dame Cybels Phrygian fryth did trembling moue King loue in hawty heauen ful sore affright The nighest thinges with weapons doth he smyght The ridges low of Vulgar peoples house Striken with stormes do neuer greatly shake His Kingdomes coast Ioues thundring thumpes do souse VVith wauering winges that houre his fligth doth take Nor flitting Fortune with her tickle wheele Le ts any wight assured ioy to feele VVho in the VVorld beholds the starres ful bright And chereful day forsaking gastly Death His sorrowfull returne with groning spright He rewes sith it depriude his Sonne of breath He seeth his lodging in his court agayne More doleful is then sharpe Auernus payne O. PALLAS vnto whom all Athens land Due homage oweth because that THESEVS thine Among vs worldly Wights againe doth stand And seeth the Heauens vpon himselfe to shine And passed hath the parlous myrie Mud Of stinking Stygian Fen and filthy Flud Vnto thy rauening Vncles dreery Gaile O Lady chaste not one Ghost dost thou owe The Hellick Tyrant knovves his perfect tale Who from the Court this shriking shrill doth throwe What mischiefe comes in frantick PHAEDRAS brayne With naked Svvord thus running out amayne THE FIFTE ACTE THESEVS PHAEDRA CHORVS THrough pierst with pangues of pensiuenesse what fury prickes thy brayne What meanes this bloudy blade what meanes this shriking out amayne And langishing vpon the Corps which was thy mallice made PH. O tamer of the wrastling waues mee mee doe thou inuade The Monstrous hags of Marble Seas to rampe on mee send out What euer Thetis low doth keepe with folding armes about Or what the Ocean Seas aloofe embrace with winding waue O Theseus that to thine alies dost still thy selfe behaue So Currishly O thou that for thy louing Friends auayle Dost neuer yet returne thy Sonne and Father doe bewayle Thy pasport brought by death and bloud thy stocke thou dost destroy By loue or hatred of thy wife thou workest still annoy O sweete Hippolytus thus I behold thy battred face And I it is I wretch alas that brought thee to this case What Scinis forst thy lims so torne his snatching boughes to feele Or what Procrustes rackt and rent thee streacht on bed of Steele Or else what Minotaur of Crete that grim twishaped Bull With horny head that Dedalls â—â—nues with lowing filleth full Hath thee in fitters torne aie me where is thy beauty fled Where are our twinckling stars thine eyes alas and art thou ded Appeare a while receiue my words for speake I shall none yll This hand shal strike the stroake wherwith thy bengeance quite I wil And sith that I I Caytive I abridged haue thy life Lo here I am content to yeeld thee mine with bloudy knife If ghost may here be giuen for ghost and breath may serue for breath Hippolytus take thou my soule and come againe from death Behold my bowels yet are safe my lims in lusty plight Would God that as they serue for me thy body serue they might Mine eies to render kindly light vnto thy Carkasse ded Lo for thy vse this hand of mine shall pluck them from my hed And set them in these empty cells and vacant holes of thine Thy weale of me a wicked Wight to win do not repine And if a womans wofull heart in place of thine may rest My bosom straight breake vp I shall and teare it from my brest But courage stout of thine doth loth faint womans heart to haue Thy Noble minde would rather go with manly heart to graue Alas be not so manly now this manlinesse forheare And rather choose to liue a man with womans sprite and feare Then as no man with manly heart in darcknesse deepe to sit Haue thou thy life giue me thy death that more deserueth it Can not my profer purchase place yet vengeance shal thou haue Hell shall not hold me from thy syde nor
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
what cost ye came to Troy ye shal repayre to Greece With bloud ye came with bloud ye must from hence returne againe And where Achilles ashes lieth the virgin shal be slaine In seemely sort of habite such as maydens wont ye see Of Thessalie or Mycenas els what time they wedded be With Pyrrhus hand she shal be slaine of right it shal be so And meete it is that he the sonne his fathers right should do But not this onely stayeth our shippes our sayles may not be spred Before a worthier bloud then thine Polixena be shed Which thirst thirst the fates for Priames nephew Hectors litle boy The Erekes shal tumble hedlonge down from highest towre in Troy Let him there die this onely way ye shal the gods appeas Then spread your thousand sayles with ioy ye neede not feare the seas Chorus MAy this be true or doth the Fable fayne When corps is deade the Sprite to liue as yet When Death our eies with heauy hand doth strain And fatall day our leames of light hath shet And in the Tombe our ashes once be set Hath not the soule likewyse his funerall But stil alas do wretches liue in thrall Or els doth all at once togeather die And may no part his fatal howre delay But with the breath the soule from hence doth flie And eke the Cloudes to vanish quite awaye As danky shade fleeth from the poale by day And may no iote escape from desteny When once the brand hath burned the body What euer then the ryse of Sunne may see And what the West that sets the Sunne doth know In all Neptunus raygne what euer bee That restles Seas do wash and ouerflow With purple waues stil tombling to and fro Age shal consume each thing that liuth shal die With swifter race then Pegasus doth flie And with what whirle the twyse sixe signes do flie With course as svvift as rector of the Spheares Doth guide those glistering Globes eternally And Hecate her chaunged hornes repeares So drauth on death and life of each thing vveares And neuer may the man returne to sight That once hath felt the stroke of Parcas might For as the fume that from the fyre doth passe With tourne of hand doth vanish out of sight And swifter then the Northren Boreas With whirling blaste and storme of raging might Driuth farre away and puttes the cloudes to flight So fleeth the sprighte that rules our life away And nothing taryeth after dying day Swift is the race we ronne at hand the marke Lay downe your hope that wayte here ought to win And who dreads ought cast of thy carefull carke Wilt thou it wot what state thou shalt be in When dead thou art as thou hadst neuer bin For greedy tyme it doth deuoure vs all The world it swayes to Chaos heape to fall Death hurtes the Corpes and spareth not the spright And as for all the dennes of Taenare deeepe With Cerberus kingdome darke that knowes no light And streightest gates that he there sittes to keepe They Fancies are that follow folke by sleepe Such rumors vayne but fayned lies they are And fables like the dreames in heauy care These three staues following are added by the translatour O dreadful day alas the sory time Is come of al the mothers ruthful woe Astianax alas thy fatal line Of life is worne to death strayght shalt thou goe The sisters haue decreed it should be so There may no force alas escape there hand There mighty loue their will may not withstand To se the mother her tender child forsake What gentle hart that may from teares refrayne Or whoso fierce that would no pity take To see alas this guiltles infant slayne For sory hart the teares myne eyes do stayne To thinke what sorrow shall her hart oppresse Her litle child to leese remedilesse The double cares of Hectors wife to wayle Good Ladies haue your teares in readines And you with whom should pity most preuayle Rue on her griefe bewayle her heauines With sobbing hart lament her deepe distresse When she with teares shall take leaue of her son And now good Ladies heare what shall be done THE THIRD ACTE Andromacha Senex Vlisses ALas ye careful company why hale ye thus your hayres Why beate you so your boyling breasts and stayne your eyes with teare The fall of Troy is new to you but vnto me not so I haue foreseene this careful case ere this tyme long agoe When fierce Achilles Hector slew and drew the Corpes aboute Then then me thought I wist it well that Troy should come to naught In sorrowes sonke I senceles am and wrapt alas in woe But sone except this babe me held to Hector would I goe This seely foole my stomacke tames amid my misery And in the howre of heauiest happes permittes me not to die This onely cause constraynes me yet the gods for him to pray With tract of tyme prolonges my payne delayes my dying day He takes from me the lacke of feare the onely fruit of ill For while he liues yet haue I left wherof to feare me still No place is left for better chaunce with worst wee are opprest To feare alas and see no hope is worst of all the rest Sen. What sodayne feare thus moues your mynd vexeth you so sore And. Stil stil alas of one mishap there ryseth more and more Nor yet the doleful destenies of Troy be come to end Sen. And what more grieuous chaunces yet prepare the Gods to send Andr. The caues and dennes of hel be rent for Troyans greater feare And from the bottoms of their tombes the hidden sprightes appeare May none but Greekes alone from hel returne to life agayne Would God the fates would finish soone the sorrowes I sustayne Death thankful were a common care the Troyans all oppresse But me alas amaseth most the feareful heauines That all astonied am for dreade and horrour of the sight That in my sleepe appeard to mee by dreame this latter night Sen. Declare what sightes your dream hath shewd tell what doth you feare And. Two parts of al the silent night almost then passed were And then the cleare seuen clustered beams of starres were falle to rest And first the sleepe so long vnknowne my wearyed eyes opprest If this be sleepe the astonied mase of mynd in heauy moode When sodaynly before myne eyes the spright of Hector stoode Not like as he the Greekes was wont to battail to require Or when amid the Grecians shippes he threw the brandes of fyre Nor such as raging on the Grees with slaughtring stroake had slayne And bare indeede the spoyles of him that did Achilles fayne His countenaunce not now so bright nor of so liuely cheere But sad and heauy like to owres and clad with vgly hayre It did me good to see him though when shaking then his head Shake of thy sleepe in hast he sayd and quickly leaue thy bed Conuay into some secrete place our sonne O faythful wife This onely hope there is
thou wert yet in thy mothers hand And that I knew what destentes thee held or in what land For neuer should the mothers fayth her tender child forsake Though through my breast the enmies al their cruell weapons strake Nor though the Greekes with pinching bandes of yron my handes had bound Or els in feruent flame of fyre beset my body rounde But now my litle Child pore wretch alas where might he bee Alas what cruel desteny what chaunce hath hapt to thee Art thou yet ranging in the fieldes and wandrest ther abroad Or smothred else in dusty smoake of Troy or ouertroad Or haue the Greekes thee slayne alas and laught to see thy bloud Or torne art thou with iawes of beastes or cast to foules for foode VI. Dissemble not hard is for thee Vlisses to deceaue I can ful wel the mothers craftes and subtilty perceaue The pollecy of Goddesses Vlisses hath vndone Set al these fayned wordes assyde tel mee where is thy sonne An. Wher is Hector where al the rest that had with Troy their fall Where Priamus you aske for one but I require of all Vl. Thou shalt constrayned be to tell the thing thou dost deny And. A happy chaunce were Death to her that doth desyre to dye Vli. Who most destres to die would faynest liue when death drawth on These noble wordes with present feare of death woulde soone be gone And. Vlisses if ye wil constrayne Andromacha with feare Threaten my life for now to dye my cheefe desyre it were Vl. With stripes with fyre tormenting death we wil the truth out wrest And dolour shal thee force to tel the secrets of thy brest And what thy hart hath depest hid for payne thou shalt expresse Oft tymes th extremity preuayles much more then gentlenesse And. Set me in midst of burning flame with woundes my body rent Vse al the meanes of cruelty that ye may al inuent Proue me with thirst and hunger both and euery torment trye Pearce through my sides with burning yrons in prison let me lie Spare not the worst ye can deuyse if ought be worse then this Yet neuer get ye more of me I wot not where he is Vli. It is but vayne to hyde the thinge that strayght ye wil deteckt No feares may moue the mothers hart she doth them al neglect This tender loue ye beare your child wherin ye stand so stoute So much more circumspectly warnth the Greekes to looke about Least after ten yeares tract of tyme and battell borne so farre Some one should liue that on our children might renew the warre As for my selfe what Calchas sayth I would not feare at all But on Telemachus I dread the smart of warres would fall And. Now will I make Vlisses glad and all the Greekes also Needes must thou woeful wretch confesse declare thy hidden woe Reioyce ye sonnes of Atreus there is no cause of dread Be glad Vlisses tell the Greekes that Hectors sonne is dead Vl. By what assurance proues thou that how shal we credite thee And What euer thing the enmies hand may threaten hap to me Let speedy fates me slay forthwith and earth me hyde at ones And after death from tombe agayne remoue ye Hectors bones Except my sonne already now do rest among the dead And that except Astianax into his tomb be led Vliss. Then fully are the fates fulfild with Hectors childes disceace Now shal I beare the Grecians word of sure and certayne peace Vlisses why what dost thou nowe the Greekes wil euery chone Beleeue thy wordes whom creditst thou the mothers tale alone Thinkst thou for sauegard of her child the mother wil not lye And dread the more the worse mischaunce to geue her sonne to die Her fayth she byndes with bond of oth the truth to verify What thing is more of weight to feare then so to sweare and lye Now call thy craftes togeather al bestirre thy wittes and mynd And shew thy selfe Vlisses now the truth herein to find Search wel thy mothers mynd behold shee weepes and wayleth out And here and ther with doubtful pace she raungeth al aboute Her careful ears she doth apply to harken what I say More frayd shee seemes then sorrowful Now worke some wily way For now most neede of wit there is and crafty pollecy Yet once agayne by other meanes I wil the mother trye Thou wretched woman maist reioyce that dead he is alas More doleful death by destenie for him decreed ther was From Turrets top to haue bene cast and cruelly bene slayne Which onely towre of all the rest doth yet in Troy remayne And. My spright failth me my limmes do quake fear doth my wits cōfounde And as the Ise congeals with frost my bloud with could is bound Vl. She trēbleth loe this way this way I wil the truth out wreaste The mothers fear detecteth all the secrets of her breast I wil renew her feare goe sirs bestir ye spedely To seeke this enmye of the Greekes where euer that he lie Wel done he wil be found at length goe to stil seke him out Now shal he dye what dost thou feare why dost thou looke about And Would God that any cause there were yet left that might me fray My hart at last now all is lost hath layd all feare away Vliss. Sins that your child now hath ye say already suffred death And with his bloud we may not purge the hostes as Caschas sayth Our fleete passe not as wel inspired doth Calchas prophecy Till Hectors ashes cast abroad the waues may pacify And tombe be rent now sins the boy hath skapt his desteny Needes must we breake this holy tombe wher Hectors ashes lie An. What shal I doe my mynd distracted is with double feare On th one my sonne on thother syde my husbandes ashes deare Alas which part should moue me most the cruel Goddes I call To witnes with me in the truth and Ghostes that guide thee all Hector that nothing in my sonne is else that pleaseth me But thou alone God graunt him life he might resemble thee Shal Hectors ashes drowned bee hide I such cruelty To see his bones cast in the Seas yet let Astyanax die And canst thou wretched mother bide thyne owne childes death to see And suffer from the hie towres top that headlong throwne he be I can and wil take in goad part his death and cruel payne So that my Hector after death be not remou'd agayne The boy that life and sences hath may feele his payne and dye But Hector lo his death hath plast at rest in tombe to lie What dost thou stay determine which thou wilt preserue of twayne Art thou in doubt saue this loe here thy Hector doth remayne Both Hectors be th one quicke of spright drawing toward his strēgth And one that may perhaps reuenge his fathers death at length Alas I cannot saue them both I thinke that best it were That of the twayne I saued him that doth the Grecians feare Vl. It shal be done
of auncient corage still doe dwell within my brest Exite all foolysh Female feare and pity from thy mynde And as th' untamed Tygers vse to rage and raue vnkynde That haunt the croking combrous Caues and clumpred frosen cliues And craggy Rockes of Caucasus whose bitter colde depryues The soyle of all Inhabitours permit to lodge and rest Such saluage brutish tyranny within thy brasen brest What euer hurly burly wrought doth Phasis vnderstand What mighty monstrous bloudy feate I wrought by Sea or Land The like in Corynth shal be seene in most outragious guise Most hyddious hatefull horrible to heare or see wyth eyes Most diuelish desperate dreadfull deede yet neuer knowne before Whose rage shall force heauen earth and hell to quake and tremble sore My burning breast that rowles in wrath and doth in rancour boyle Sore thrysteth after bloud and wounds with slaughter death spoyle By renting racked lyms from lyms to driue them downe to graue Tush these be but as Fleabytings that mentioned I haue As weyghty things as these I did in greener girlishe age Now sorrowes smart doth rub the gall and frets with sharper rage But sith my wombe hath yeelded fruict it doth mee well behoue The strength and parlous puissaunce of weightier illes to proue Be ready wrath with all thy might that fury kindle may Thy foes to their destruction bee ready to assay Of thy deuorsement let the Pryce to match and counterpayse The proude precious pryncely pomp of these new wedding dayes How wilt thou from thy spouse depart as him thou followed hast In bloud to bath thy bloudy handes and traytrous lyues to wast Breake of in time these long delayes abanden now agayne This lewd alliaunce got by guilt with greater guilt refrayne †Chorus altered by the Translatour WHo hath not wist that windy words be vayne And that in talke of trust is not the grounde Heere in a mirrour may hee see it playne Medea so by proofe the same hath founde Who being blind by blinded Venus Boy Her bleared Eyes could not beholde her blisse Nor spy the present poyson of her Ioy While in the grasse the Serpent lurked is The shaft that flew from Cupids golden bowe With feathers so hath dimd her daseld Eyes That cannot see to shun the way of woe The ranckling head in dented heart that lyes So dulles the same that can not vnderstand The cause that brought false Iason out of Greece To come vnto her fathers fertile Land Is not her loue but loue of golden Fleece Yet was his speache so pleasaunt and so milde His tongue so filde his promises so fayre Sweete was the fowlers Song that hath beguilde The seely byrd brought to the limed snare Faith in his Face trust shined in his Eyes The blushing brow playne meaning seemde to showe In double hearte blacke treason hydden lies Dissembling thoughts that weaue the webbe of woe The honyed Lyppes the tongue in suger dept Doe sweete the poyson rancke within the breast In subtle shew of paynted sheath is kept The rusty knife of treason deemed least Lyfe seemes the bayte to sight that lyeth brim Death is the hooke that vnderlies the same The Candell blase delights with burning trim The Fly till shee bee burned in the flame Who in such showes least deemed any ills The hungry fyshe feares not the bayte to Brooke Till vp the lyne doe pluck him by the gylls And fast in throate hee feeles the deadly hooke Woe Iason woe to thee most wretched man Or rather wretch Medea woe to thee Woe to the one that thus dissemble can Woe to the other that trayned so might bee Thoughtst thou Medea his eyes to bee the glasse Wherein thou might the Face of thoughts beholde That in his breast with wordes so couered was As cancred brasse with glosse of yealow golde Did thou suppose that nature more then kinde Had placde his heart his lying lyppes betweene His lookes to be the mirrour of his minde Fayth in fayre Face hath sildome yet ben seene Who listneth to the flatering Maremaides note Must needes commit his tyred eyes to sleepe Yeelding to her the taking of his boate That meanes vnware to drowne him in the deepe What booteth thee Medea to betray The golden Fleece to fawning Isasons hande From Dragons teeth him safely to conuay And fyry Bulles the warders of the lande Why for his sake from father hast thou fled And thrust thy selfe out from thy natiue soyle Thy brothers bloud what ayled thee to shed With Iason thus to trauell and to toyle Beholde the meede of this thy good desarte The recompence that hee to thee doth gyue For pleasure payne for ioy most eger smarte With clogging cares in banishment to liue Thou and thy Babes are like to begge and starue In Nation straunge O myserable lyfe Whyle Iason from his promyses doe swarue And takes delight in his new wedded Wyfe O Ground vngrate that when the husband man Hath tilled it to recompence his toyle No Corne but Weedes and Thystles render can To stinge his handes that Fruict seekes of his Soyle Such venome growes of pleasaunt coloured flower Loe Prynces loe what deadly poyson sup Of Bane erst sweete now turned into sower Medea dranke out of a goulden Cup THE SECOND ACTE Medea Nutrix AYe mee alas I am vndone For at the Brydall cheare The warble note of wedding songe resounded in mine eare Yet for all this scant I my selfe yet scant beleue I can That Iason would play such a prancke as most vnthāckfull man Both of my Countrey and my Syre and kingdome me to spoyle And yet forsake mee wretch forlorne to stray in forrein soyle O hath he such a stony heart that doth no more esteeme The great good turnes and benefits that I imployde on him Who knowes that I haue lewdly vsed enchauntments for his sake The rigour rough and stormy rage of swelling Seas to slake The grunting firy foming Bulles whose smoking guts were stuft With smoltring fumes that frō theyr Iawes nosthrils out they puft I stopt their gnashīg moūching mouths I quēcht their burning breath And vapors hot of stewing paunch that els had wrought his death Or feedes hee thus his fansy fond to thinke my skill of charme Abated is and that I haue no power to doe him harme Brstract of wits with wauering minde perplext on euery part I tossed and turmoyled am wyth wayward crasy hart Now this now that and neyther now but now another way By diuers meanes I toyle that so my wrong reueng I may I would the wretch a brother had but what he hath a Wyfe Goe cut her throate with gastly wounds bereue her of her lyfe On her I le worke my deadly spight her her alone I craue To quit such bitter sowsing stormes as I sustayned haue If any graund notorious guilt in all Pelasga Land Be put in practise yet vnknowne vnto thy harming hand Thereof to get experience the time doth now begin Thy former feates doe byd thee take good
you thus flee OEdi. Frō none but frō my selfe Who haue a breast full fraught with guilte who wretched caitiffe Elte Haue all embrude my hands with bloud From these apace I flee And from the heauens and Gods therein and from that villanie Which I most wicked wretch haue wrought Shall I treade on thys ground Or am I worthy so to doe in whom such trickes abound Am I to haue the benefite of any Element Of Ayre for breath of water moyst or Earth for nourishment O Slaue forlorne O beastly wretch O Incestmonger vyle O Varlet most detestable O Peysaunte full of guile Why doe I with polluted Fyst and bloudy pawes presume To touch thy chast and comely hand I foame I fret I fume In hearing any speake to mee Ought I heare any tell Or once of Sonne or Father speake syth I did Father quell Would God it were within my power my Senses all to stop Would God I could these Eares of myne euen by the stumps to crop If that might bee then daughter I should not haue heard thy voyce I I thy Syre that thee be got by most incestuous choise Beegetting of thee makes my crymes moe then they were before Remorse thereof both gnaw and grype my conscience more and more Ofttymes that which myne Eyes not see with Eares that doe I heare And of my Facts afore time done the inward wound I beare Why is there stay made of my doome Why am I spard so long Why is not this blind head of myne throwne damned ghosts among Why rest I on the Earth and not among infernall Sprightes Why pester I the company of any mortall Wightes What myschiefe is there more behind to aggrauate my care My Kingdome Parents Children Wit and Vertue quayled are By sturdy stormes of froward Fate nothing remaynde but teares And they bee dryde and Eyes be gon my hardned heart forbeares Such signes of grace leaue of therefore and make no more adde A minde so mated with dispayre no suytes will slowpe vnto I practize some straunge punishments agreeing to my deede But what proportion can bee found of plagues vnto my meede Whose Fortune euer was so bad I was in sooner borne But seely Infant Iudgde I was in peeces to be torne My mother in whose wombe I lay forth had not mee yet brought And yet euen then I feared was and straight my death was sought Some Babes soone after they bee borne by stroke of death depart But I poore soule before my byrth adiudged was to dart Of death some yet in Mothers wombe ere any light they see Doe taste the dint of hasty Fate while Innocents they bee Apollo by his Oracle pronounced sentence dyre Vpon mee being yet vnborne that I vnto my Syre Should breastly parricide commit and therevpon was I Condemned straight by Fathers doome My Feete were by and by Launcde through through with yrō Pins hangde was I by the Heeles Vpon a Tree my swelling plants the printe thereof yet feeles As pray to Beastes cast out also to cramme theyr greedy Iawes In Mount Cythaeron and to fill the griping Vulturs Mawes Such Sauce to tast full lyke was I was others heeretofore Descended of the royall Sangue with smart perforce haue bore But see the chaunce I thus condemn'de by Dan Apollos hest And cast to beasts by Fathers doome and euery way distrest Could finde no death no death on mee durst seyze his lordly Pawe But fled from mee as though I had not beene within his Lawe I verified the Oracle with wicked hand I kilde Myne owne deere Father and vnwares his guiltlesse bloud I spilde Shall any satisfaction redeeme so vile an Acte May any kinde of Piety purge such a shamefull fact I rested not contented thus For Father beeing slayne I fell in linkes of lawlesse Loue with Mother Oh what payne And grudge of minde sustaynde I there in thinking on the same To tell our wicked wedlocke Yoake I loath I blush I shame I may not well this geare conceale I le tell it out it shall Though to my shame it much redound it may augment my thrall I will display straunge villanies and them in number many Most beastlike parts most lewde attempts to bee abhorr'de of any So filthy and so monstruous that sure I thinke no Age Will them belieue to haue bene done so cruell was my rage That euen ech cutthroate Partrcide thereat may be ashamde To heare it nam'de and with disdaine straight wayes will be enflamde My handes in Fathers blud embrude to Fathers Bed I brought And haue with Mother myne his Wife incestuous practyse sought To myschiefe adding mischiefe more I wis my fault to Sire Is slender in comparison my gracelesse fond desire Could not bee staide till solemnely the mariage Knot was knit Twixt mee and Mother myne alas for want of grace and wit How plungde am I in myschiefe still how is the measure full Of horrours vile which doe my minde and heart asunder pull And least the heape of these my woes might seeme to bee too skant My Mother she my Wyfe that is yong issue doth not want Can any crime in all the World more haynous be surmisde If any may by wicked Impes the same I haue deuisde My Realme and Crowne I haue resignde which I receiued as hyre For murdring most vunaturally the king my Lord and Syre Which Crowne now since twixt both my sonnes hath kindled mortall war And all the countrey by the ears remains at deadly iarre I know ful wel what destenies to this same Crowne belonges None without Bloud the same shall weare and most accursed wrongs This mynd of myne who Father am presageth many ills And gloomy dayes of slaughter dyre the plot that murther willes Already is contriu'd and cast all truth of word and deede Is quight exild al promise broke of pactes afore decreed Etheocles th one of my sonnes who now in princely throne Beates all the sway meanes stil to keepe the Diademe alone Poore Polynices th'o other sonne thus beyng dispessest And kept by force from Kingly rule his humble sute addrest Vnto the Gods this wrong to wreake this breach of league and oth T' auenge and plague he Argos soyle end Greekish Cttyes both Perswades t' assist him in this warie this quarel to mayntayne That he in Thebes as promise was might haue his turne to raygne The ruyne that to wearied Thebes shall greeuously befall And bring the pompous state therof adowne shal not be small Fire sword glaue woūds thwackīg thūps shal light vnto their share And that ere long and mischieues worse it any worse there are And this shall hap that all the worlde may know it is the race And yssue of a curied Syre that darraygnes such a case Though other causes none there were to moue you sic to liue Yet is this one sufficient that you by awe may dryue Your sonnes my Brethren tarring thus to vnity and peace For you their Father only may theyr furies cause to tease
You and none els may turne away th occassons of this warre These bransicke youthes from further rage you onely may dibarre By this your meanes the countrey shall their quiet peace enioy And Brethren ioyntly reconcild shal worke no more ennoy If you therefore this mortall life thus to your selfe deny You many thousandes shal vndoe whose states on you relye Oed. What canst thou make me to beleue that any sparke of grece Or loue to Syre or honesty in them hath any place Which thirst for one on others bloud which after kingdomes gape Whose whole delight is villany werre wurther guile and rape Such hateful ympes on mischiefe set such wicked Termagosites As to be sonnes of such a Syre with shame may wake their vauntes At one bare woord to tel thee all thy brethren two are bent Vppon all mischiefe wayghing not what loosenes they frequent When flingbrayne rage ensots their heades they care not they a rush Vpon what Deuelish vile attemptes they geue the desprat push And as they are conceau'd and borne in most abhorred sort So still deuoyde of Grace they thincke all villany but sport Theyr Fathers shame and wretched state moues them no whit at all To Countrey they no reckning make what massacre befall Their myndes are rauisht with desyre ambitiously to raygne I know their driftes and what they hope at length by shiftes to gayne And therfore sith the case so standes I leyfer had to die With poasting speede whyle in my house there is none worse then I Ahlas deare Daughter what adoe dost thou about me make Why liest thou prostrate at my knees why dost thou trauaile take To conquere my resolued mynd with this thy spiced phraze Of fayre entreatie these thy wordes my flynty hart amaze Dame Fortune hath none other bayte to bryng me to her lure Then this alone til now I still vnbanquisht did endure No Creatures words but thyne alone could pearce this hart of myne Ne from a purpose resolute my setled mynd butwyne Thou conquere canst thaffections fond that in my breast do boyle Thou teachest grace to fathers house and zeale to natiue soyle Each thing to me delightful is which iumpeth with thy wil Commaund me Daughter I thy hestes am ready to fufill Old Oedipus if thou enioyne wil passe th' Aegaean Sea And flashing flakes of Aetna Mount with mouth he dare assay He boldly dare obiect himselfe to raumping Dragons claw Which rag'd sweld and venime spit apace when as he saw Dan Hercules away to steale his golden Aples all In Gardens of Hesperides At thy commaund he shall His Entrails offer vnto iobbe of greedy Vulturs Byll At thy commaund content he is in life to linger still THE SECONDE ACTE Nuntius OEdipus Antigone Iocasta REnowmed Prynce of royall Race and Noble lygne yspronge The Thebans dreading much the drife of this your childrens thronge And warlicke garboyle now in hand most humbly pray your Grace For Countreys safety downe to set some order in the case They bee not threates and menacies that thus their mindes affright The mischiefe is more neere then so the Enmy is in sight For Polynices he that is your younger sonne of twayne Doth clayme the crowne and in his turne in Thebes requires to raigne According vnto couenaunts made which quarrell to decite Hee purposeth the dene of sword and maritall force t' abide With him he brings a mighty Troupe from eu'ry part of Greece Sir seuen Dukes hesieging Thebes are minded it to fleese Helpe noble King els are wee lyke to perishe man and chylde These bloudy broyles of ciuill warre from vs protect and shyelde O Edi. Am I one like to stop the rage of any wicked act Am I one like to cause these Youthes to leaue their bloudy fact Am I a maister like to teach what lawes of loue do meane Should I not then from former quise digresse in nature eleane They treade their Fathers steps aright they play my lawlesse prankes Like Syre like Sonnes like Tree like fruite I con theÌ„ harty thanks By this I know them for my Sonnes and praise their towardnesse I would they should by peeuish partes whose Sonnes they be expresse Shew forth you noble Gallante ympes what metled minds you beare Shew forth by deedes your valor great let lofty sprights appeare Surmount and dimme my prayses all Eclypse my glory quight Attempt some enterprise in which your Syre may haue delight To haue till now remaynd in life hereof I haue no doubt For well I know your practise is straunge feates to bring about Your byrth and ligne from whence you spronge assures me of no lesse Such noble Bloudes must needes atchiue some doughty worthinesse Your Weapons and Artillery for warre bring out with speede Consume with flame your natiue Soyle and desolation breede In eu'ry house within the Land a hurly burly make Confusedly of eu'ry thinge Make all the Realme to quake And in exile theyr dayes let end make leuell with the ground Eche fenced Fort and walled Towne The Gods and all confound And throw their Temples on their heads Their Images deface And melt them all turne vpstdowne eche house in eu'ry place Burne spoyle make hauocke leaue no iote of City free from fyre And let the flame begin his rage within my Chamber dyre AN. Syr banish these vnpatient panges let plagues of CoÌ„mon wealth Entreate your Grace sith vpon you stayth all their hope and health Procure your sonnes to reconcile themselues as brothers ought Establishe peace betwene them both let meanes of loue be sought OEd. Oh daughter see and well beholde howe I to peace am bent And how to end these garboyles all I seeme full well content My minde I tell thee swelles with yre within my entralles boyles Abundaunt stoare of Choller fell such restlesse rage turmoyles My inward Soule that I must yet some greater matter brew Which may the Realme enwrap in bale and cause them all to rue That which my rashe and heady sonnes haue hitherto begon Is nothing in respect of that wich must by me be don This ciuill warre is nothing like to that which I deuise These trifling broyles for such a Sea of harmes cannot suffice Let brother cut the brothers throate with murthrous knife in hand Yet is not this ynough to purge the mischieues of this lend Some haynous Fact vnheard of yet some detestable deede Must practisde bee as is to mee and myne by Fates decreed Such custome haunts our cursed race such guise our house hath caught My vise incestuous Bed requires such pageaunts to be wraught To me your Father Weapons reach my selfe heere let me shrowde In couert of these queachy wooddes and let me be allowde To lurke behinde this Craggy Rocke or els my selfe to hyde On backside of some thickset hedge where lying vnespide I hearken may what marketfolkes in passing to and froe Do talke and what the countrey Clownes speake as by way they goe There syth with eyes I cannot see with earâ—s yet may I beare How