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
lot yet Paris led away I haue bene cause of all these wars and then your woes were wrought When first your shippes the Spartayn Seas land of Grecia sought But if the Goddesse wild it so that I their pray should be And for reward to her beautyes iudge shee had appoynted me Then pardon Paris thinke this thing in wrathful iudge doth lie The sentence Menelaus geues and he this case shall trye Now turne thy playntes Andromacha and weepe for Polyxeyne Mine eyes for sorrowes of my hart theyr teares may not refrayne An. Alas what care makes Heleyn weepe what griefe doth she lament Declare what craftes Vlisses castes what mischiefe hath he sent Shall shee from height of Idey hil be hedlong tombled downe Or else out of the turrets toppe in Troy shal she be throwne Or wil they cast her from the clieues into Sygeon seas In bottom of the surging waues to end her ruthful days Show what thy countnaunce hides and tell the secrets of thy breast Some woes in Pyrhus wedding are farre worse then all the rest Go to geue sentence on the mayd pronounce her desteny Delude no longer our mishappes we are prepard to die H. Would God the 'xpoūder of the Gods would geue his dome so right That I also on poynt of sword might leese the lothsome light Or at Achilles tombe with stroake of Pyrrhus hand be slayne And beare a part of al thy fates O wretched Polixeyne Whom yet Achilles woeth to wed and where his ashes lie Requireth that thy bloud be shed and at his tombe to die An. Behold loe how her noble mynd of Death doth gladly heare She deckes her selfe her regal weede in seemely wyse to weare And to her head she settes her hand the broyded hayre to lay To wed she thought it Death to die she thinkes a wedding day But helpe alas my mother sounds to heare her daughters death Aryse plucke vp your heart and take agayne the panting breath Alacke good mother how slender stay that doth thy life sustayne A little thinge shall happy thee thou art almost past payne Her breath returnes she doth reuyue her lims their life do take So see when wretches fayne would die how death doth them forsake Hec. Doth yet Achilles liue alas to work the Troyans spight Doth he rebell agaynst vs yet O hand of Paris light The very tombe and ashes loe yet thirsteth for our bloud A happy heape of children late on euery syde mee stoode It wearied me to deale the mothers kisse among them al The rest are lost and this alone now doth me mother call Thou onely child of Hecuba a comfort left to me A stayer of my sory state and shall I now leese thee Depart O wretched soule and from this carefull carcas flie And ease me of such ruthfull fates to see my daughter die By weepyng wets alas my eyes and staines them ouer al And downe my cheekes the sodeine streames and showres af teares do fal But thou deare daughter maist be glad Cassandra would reioyse Or Hectors wife thus wed to be if they might haue their choyse And. We are the wretches Hecuba in cursed case we stande Whom straight the shippe shal tosse by seas into a forraine land But as for Heleyns grieues be gone and turned to the best She shall againe her natyue countrey se and liue at rest Hele. Ye would the more enuy my state if ye might know your owne Andr. And grouth there yet more griefe to me that erst I haue not known Hele. Such masters must ye serue as doth by chaunce of lots befal Andr. Whose seruaunt am I then become whom shall I maister call Hele. By lot ye fall to Pyrhus hands you are his prisoner Andr Cassandra is happy fury saues perhaps and Phoebus her Hele. Chiefe kinge of Greekes Cassandra keepes and his captiue is shee Hec. Is any one amonge them all that prysoner would haue me Hele You chaunsed to Vlysses are his pray ye are become Hec. Alas what cruell dyre and yrefull dealer of the dome What god vniust doth so deuide the captiues to their lordes What grieuous arbiter is he that to such choyce accordes What cruel hand to wretched folke so euil fates hath caste Who hath amonge Achilles armour Hectors mothers plaste Now am I captiue and beset with all calamitie My bondage grieues me not but him to serue it shameth mee He that Achilles spoyles hath won shall Hectors also haue Shall barraine lande enclosde with seas receiue my boanes in graue Leade me Vlysses where thou wylt leade me I make no stay My master I and me my fates shall follow euery way Let neuer calme come to the seas but let them rage with winde Come fire and sword mine owne mischaunce and Priams let me finde In meane time haps this deepe distres my cares can know no calme I ran the race with Priamus but he hath won the Palme But Pyrrhus comes with swiftned pace thretning browes doth wrest What stayste thou Pyrrhus strike thy sword now through this woful brest And both at ones the parents of thy fathers wife now slay Murderer of age likes thee her bloud he draw my daughter away Defile the gods and staine the sprights of hel with slaughtred bloud To aske your mercy what auayles our prayers do no good The vengeance aske I on your ships that it the gods may pleas According to this sacrifice to guide you on the seas This wishe I to your thousand sayles Gods wrath light on them all Euen to the ship that beareth me what euer may befall Chorus A Comfort is to mans calamity A dolefull flocke of felowes in distres And sweete to him that mournes in miserie To here them wayle whom sorowes like oppres In deepest care his griefe him bites the les That his estate bewayles not all alone But seeth with him the teares of many one For still it is the chiefe delight in woe And ioy of them that sonke in sorrowes are To see like fates by fall to many moe That may take part of all their wofull fare And not alone to be opprest with care There is no wight of woe that doth complayne When all the rest do like mischaunce sustayne In all this world if happy man were none None though he were would thinke himselfe a wretch Let once the ritch with heapes of Gold be gone Whose hundred head his pastours ouerretch Then would the poore mans hart begin to stretch There is no wretch whose life him doth displease But in respect of those that liue at ease Sweete is to him that standes in deepe distresse To see no man in ioyful plight to bee Whose onely vessel wind and waue oppresse Ful sore his chaunce bewayles and weepeth hee That with his owne none others wracke doth see When he alone makes shipwracke one the sand And naked falles to long desyred land A thousande sayle who seeth to drench in Seas With better will the storme hath ouerpast His heauy hap doth him the
boone of thee doe craue No monstrous beastes no noysome plagues hereafter let vs haue With bloudy champions let the earth encombred bee no more Cast downe the hauty sway of Courtes if ought annoyaunce sore Shall cloy the earth a champion to bee our shylde wee caue Whom as an honour of the Crowne his ruefull realme may haue That stil will keepe his swerd from being taint with guiltlesse bloud But loe what meanes this rumbling noyse loe Hercles ster doth grone And sigheth for his sonne is it the Gods that wayle and mone Or is it Iunoes fearefull shrike whom Hercles doth aggrise That seeing him for feare shee roares and runneth from the skyes Or els did Atlas faltring feete with feeble sturring stumble And shrinking from his tottring waight thus force the Gods to rumble Or scared he the wauling ghostes the which to feare he draue Or Cerberus brast his gingling Chaynes with buskling in his caue It is not so but loe where Philoctetes doth appeare And Hercles famous shaftes to him bequeathed doth hee beare THE FIFT ACTE Nutrix Philoctetes OF Hercules most heauy haps Good youngman make reporte How did hee beare it at his death PH. In such a chearefull sorte As no man liues NV. And could he with so sweete and merry looke The scorching panges and torments of his ending fier brooke PH. That there was any heate at all his face did not bewray Who prou'de that power might force al things to stoupe and to obay That vnder sonne vntamed be NV. Where did the noble knight Among the wrastling waues of sea display his matchlesse might PH. That mischiefe witch all only yet the worlde knew not before Euen fier hath bin conquered as beastes and monsters more Among the toyles of Hercules the fier is crept in NV. Declare vs how the flaming force of fier coulde hee win PH. As soone as hee with smarting hand the Oeta hill had grypte And forthwith from the braunched Beeche the shrinking shade was wipte And felled from the stump it lyes a Pyne tree hard hee bendes That crakes the clowdes down from skyes his hawty head he sende◠The Rocke did totter ready for to reele and with the sway It tumbleth downe a little groue withall it beares away A spreading Oake of Chaon big whose leaues did euer rush And dimde the sunne and did beyonde the woode his braunches push It being hewde doth crack and eake in twayne the wedges knappes The steele startes back and thus the toole of Iron bides the rappes And flyes out of the Logge at length at roore it shogde and shooke And falling downe full lythly the ouerthrow it tooke Forthwith the place lost all his light the byrds scaard fro their nest Doe soare about the cropped wood and holes wherein to rest And chirping with their weary winges about the plot they flicker In euery tree the ringing strokes were multiplied thicker The holy Oakes in hugy hand the Iron Axe did feele No timber on the stallen stocks might scape the hewing steele Thus all the wood vpon a pile is heapt and one by one The Logges are layde as hygh as heauen that Hercules thereon Might haue a narrow roome his burning bones for to bestow On Pynetree top and towghest Oake the fler begins to glowe And on the stumped willowe flamth and thus the forrest wyde Doth make the Kill the Popler wood all Hercles blocks doth hyde But as the puissaunt Lyon when his fits doe vexe him sore Lies wallowing on his back and through the forrest lowde doth rore So fareth hee who woulde haue thought hee had to burning gon As one that climbs to heauen not fier he was to looke vpon When vp he stept on Oera mount and gazed on his Kill Being layde aloft he brake the blocke so heauy was hee still The shyues yet coulde not beare his wayght he calling for his bow Did say to mee haue Philocktet on thee I it bestow This same is it that Hydra with his swarming heads did know This did fetch downe the stimphall foules and all that wee haue daunt Goe thou with this let victory and happinesse thee haunt For neuer shall thou shute agaynst thy foes with these but speede If at a byrde amid the clowdes thou aame shee dies indeede These certayne shaftes shall bring thy marke down from the azur sky Thys bow shall not deceaue thy hand full oft I did it try And made it meete to beare a shaft and cast his leauell dew Thyne arrowes shall not fayle thyne aame if that thou nock them trew I aske but only this of thee put fier to the Stack Bestow on mee my funerall flame to bryng me to my wrack This knarry Club quoth hee the which no hand shell euer losse Shall onely with his Hercules in fier goe to losse This also quoth hee shouldst thou haue if thou could weild the same Beside his maister let it lye to help towarde the flame And then beside him down hee layes the Lyons vayry skin To burne with him the shaggy case hid all the pyle within The people sobde and none there was but sorrow straynde his teares The mother mad for egar griefe her breast all bare shee beares And naked downe toth Nauill steade displayes her tender teates And languishing with wringed hands her naked dugges shee beares And cryeth out vpon the Gods on Ioue himselfe shee cries Her shriking rang through all 〈◊〉 place so womanlike shee yalles Be still quoth hee good mother force your showres of teares to cease Your dreary dole disgraceth much the death of Hercules Wayle secretly vnto your selfe why make ye Iuno glad To se that you a weeping day with store of teares haue had It doth her good to see her bawdes to stand with weeping eyes Forbeare forbeare your malady t is deadly sinne for yee To teare the teares and rent the wombe that first did foster me And as he blustred giuing gruntes when earst he led in chayne The hownd aboute the townes of Grece what tyme he came agayne Tryumphing ouer conquerd hel defying Plutoës might And dreadful desteny so on the fyre he lay vpright What conquerour euer sat in coatch with such a chereful grace What tyrant did controll his folke by law with such a face How husht was al thing at his death himselfe he could not weepe And also we had cleane forgot the wound of sorrowes deepe None doth lament him at his death now were it shame to wayle Alemen whom nature ought to moue her teares now do her fayle And thus as yll as was the sonne the mother stoode almost N. But at his burning did hee not call on the heauenly host Remembring Ioue to heare his suite Ph. As on in depe dispayre He lay and staryng vp so rould his eyes into the ayre To spye if Ioue looke downe to him from any turret hye Then with his handes displayd to heauen quoth he where so thou lye And lokest downe to se thy sonne this same this same is hee Whom one day eeked
th' Ocean waues to hyde his drowned lyght Yet shall my hates not leaue them so a wrathful kindled rage His mynd in madnes shall stirre vp and yre that may not swage Shall euermore all peace layd downe wage warres eternally What warres what euer hideous thinge the earth his ennemy Begets or what soeuer sea or ayre hath brought to syght Both dredfull dire and pestilent of cruel fiercest might T' is tierd and tam'd he passeth all and name by ills doth rayse And all my wrath he doth inioy and to his greater prayse He turnes my hates whyle tedious toyles to much I him behest He proues what father him begot both thence where light opprest Hath sea and where it showde agayne where Titan day doth trayne And with his brand approaching nere doth dye those Aethiops twaine His strengh vntamde is honoured and God eche where is hee Now calde in worlde and now more store of monsters want to mee And laboure lesse to Hercles is t' acomplish all my will Then me to bydde at ease he doth myne imperies fulfyl What cruel hestes of tyrante now so fyerce a yong man may Preuayle to hurt for lo he beares for weapons now awaye What once he fearde and put to flight he armed comes at syde With Lyon fyerce and Hydra both nor land suffiseth wyde But broake he hath the threshold loe of that infernall Ioue And spoyls with him of conquerd king he drawes to Gods aboue But that 's but light broke is the league of sprites that there do dwell I saw my selfe I saw him lo the night now gone of hell And Ditis tamde throw out abroade before his fathers sight His brothers spoyles Why drawes he not opprest and bound by might Hymselfe in chaynes that equall thynges to Ioue by lot doth hold And beare the rule of captiue hel and way to Styxe vnfolde Vp opened is from lowest ghostes the backward way to skye And sacred secrets of dire death in open sight do lye But he the dredful den of sprites brake vp ful fierce and stout Euen ouer mee doth tryumph lo and with proude hand about The foule blacke dogge by Grekish townes he leades frō hel away When seene was vgly Cerberus I saw the fading day And fearefull sunne euen me lykewyse a trembling dread opprest And looking on the fylthy neckes of conquerd monstruous beast I feared much myne owne behestes but light things I complayne For heauen I may be frayde lest he may get the highest rayne That lowest wonne the sceptors from his father wil he take Nor hee to starres as Bacchus dyd his way wil gently make The way with ruine will he seeke and hee in empty skyes Wil reygne alone with force displayd hys haughty hart doth ryse And he that heauen it selfe by force of his might gotted bee It bearyng learnd quite vnderneth the world his head set hee Nor once his shoulders bowde the prayse of suth a mighty mas And midst of heauen on Hercles necke alone loe setled was His necke vnwryde the starres aboue and skyes did only stay And me likewyse oppressyng him to Gods he seekes the way Goe ire goe on and beate hym downe that great things doth inuent Match thou with him and with thy handes now thou thy selfe him rent Such hates why dost thou meditate let all wyld beastes now go And weary Euristheus now be free from geeuing charges mo The Tytans daryng once of Ioue to breake the impery Send out let loase the denne abroade of mount of Sicilye The Doricke land that with the turne of gyant quakes afrayd Let it bring forth the dredful neckes of monster vnder layd Let yet the haughty moone about some other beastes beget But these he ouercame Seekes thou a match t'Alcides yet Ther 's none except hymselfe let him agaynst himselfe rebell Let present be from bottome deepe vpraysd of lowest hell Th' Eumenides let flaming lockes of theyrs the fires out flinge And furious hands bestowe aboute the stroakes of vipers sting Go now ful prowde and scale the skyes to seates of gods make waye Now must thy battels wages be ful cleere loe shynes the daye Despyse mans workes thinkst thou fierce wight that hell and soules alow Thou hast escapt nay here I wil another hel thee show In deepe miste hid I wil call vp from bottome low of hell Beyond the wayes of gylty ghostes debateful goddesse fell Wheras the roaring dreadful den resoundes with cryes about From depest bond of Ditis raygne beneath I wil fet out What so is left Let hateful hurt now come in anger wood And fierce impyety imbrew himselfe with his owne bloud And errour eke and fury arm'd agaynst it selfe to fight This meane this meane let wrath of myne now vse to shewe my might Beginne ye seruantes now of hell the feruent burning tree Of Pyne shake vp and set with snakes her dreadful flocke to see Let now Megaera bring to sight and with her mournful brand For burning rage bring out of hell a huge and direful brand Do this require you vengeance due and paynes of hel his spoyle Strike through his breast let fyercer flame within his bosome boyle Then which in Aetna fornace beates so furiously to see That mad of mind and witles may Alcides driuen bee With fury great through pearced quight my selfe must first of all Be mad Wherfore doth Iuuo yet not into raging fall Mee me ye Furyes systers three throwne quite out of my wit Tosse fyrst if any thing to do I do endeuour yet For stepdame meete let now my hates be turnd another way Let him returnd his babes behold in safety I you pray And strong of hand come home I haue now found the day at length In which may greatly mee auayle the hated Hercles strength Both mee and eke hym selfe let him subdue and wish to die Returnd from hel yea let it here be my commodity That he of Ioue begotten is here present wil I stand And that his shaftes goe streyght from how I wil direct his hand The mad mans weapons will I guide euen Hercles fyghtyng lo At length I le ayde This gylt once done then leefull is that so His father may admit to saies those gylty haades of his Chorus THe fading starres now shyne but seelde in sighte In stipye skye night ouercome with day Plucks in her fyres while spronge agayne is light The day starre drawes the cleresome beames theire waye They cye signe of haughtye poale agayne VVith seuen starres markt the Beares of Arcadye Do call the light with ouerturned wayne VVith marble horse now drawne hys waye to hye Doth Titan toppe of Oetha ouer spred The bushes bright that nowe with berryes bee Of Thebes strewde by daye do blushe full redde And to returne doth Phabus syster flee Now labor harde beginnes and euerye kynde Of cares it styrres the Shepehearde doth vnfolde His flockes vnpende do grase their foode to fynde And nippes the grasse with hoary frost full colde At will doth play in open medow faire The Calfe
father kingdome house that dearer is to mee The hate of thee the which to me with people for to be In commune woe I am how great is myne alonly part Rule on ful proude beare vp ful hye thy sprites and haughty hart Yet God the proude behynd theyr backes doth follow them to wreake I know the Thebane kingdomes what should I the mothers speake Both suffring and aduentring gyltes what double mischiefe done And mixed name of spouse at once of father and of sonne What brether as double tentes or what as many roages also The mother proude of Tantals brood congeald in mourning Ice And sory stone yet flowes with teares in Phrygian Sipylye Himselfe like wyse erected vp his sealed heade awrye Euen Cadmus measuring throughout th' Illyrian landes in flight Behynd him left of body drawne long slymy markes in sight All these examples wayte for thee rule thou as likes thy will Whyle thee our kingdomes wonted fates do call and oft hap yll Ly. God to these fierce and furious wordes thou woman mad refraine And imperyes of princes learne of Hercles to sustayne Though I the scepters gotten by the force of war do beare In conquering hand all do rule without the law his feare Which armes subdue a few wordes yet to thee now speake I shall For this my cause thy father did in bloudy battel fall Thy brethren fell the weapons kepe no measurable stay For neither easily tempred be nor yet repressed may The drawne swordes yre the battels doth the bloud delite out shedde But he yet for his kingdome fought wee altogether led With wicked lust yet th' end of war is now complayned loe And not the cause but now let all remembraunce therof goe When conquerour hath weapons left the conquerds part should be To leaue his hates Not I that thou with lowly bended knee Mee raygning worship should'st require euen this doth mee delight That thou thy myseries do'st beare with mynde so stout vpright Thou for a king a spouse art meete let 's ioyne our beds anone ME. A trembling colde doth run throughout my bloudles lims ech one What hainous thinge comes to myne eares I fear'de not then at all When all peace broake the noyse of warre did by the city wall Resounde about I bare all that vnfearefully to see I feare the wedding chambers nowe I captiue seeme to mee Let heauy chaynes my body greeue and eke with hunger long Let lingring death be slowly brought yet shall no force full strong My truthe subdue for euen thine owne Alcides will I dye LY. Doth then thy husband droun'de in hell geue thee this stomack hic ME. The hells alowe he toucht that he the height againe might get LY. The heauy paise oppresseth him of all the earth full great ME. Hee with no burdein shall be prest that heauen it selfe sustayn'de LY. Thou shalt be forst ME. He wots not how to die that is cōstrain'd LY. Speake what may rather I prepare then wedding newe for thee More royall gyft ME. Thine owne death els or els the death of mee LY. Thou shalt mad woman die ME. I shall then to my husbande go LY. More then my Sceptors is to thee a seruaunt loued so ME. How many hath this seruant slayne of kings with hendy stroake LY. Why doth he yet a king then serue and still sustayne his yoake ME. Take once away the hard behests what 's vertue then at last LY. Do'st thou it vertue counte to bee to beasts and monsters cast ME. T' is vertues part to tame the things that all men quake to know LY. Him great things braggīg darknes deepe of tartare presse ful low ME. There neuer may from ground to stars an easy passage be LY. Of whom begot the housen then of Gods through pearceth he AM. O wretched wife of Hercles great thy words a whyle now spare My parte it is the father of Alcides to declare And his true stocke yet after all of man so stoute as this So famous deebes and after all appeas'de with hand of his What euer Titan rysen vp doth see or els at fall And after all these monsters tam'de and Phlegrey sprinkled all With wicked bloud and after Gods defended all on hye Is not his father yet well knowne or Ioue doe we beelye Beleeue it yet by Iunoes hate LY. Why do'ste thou sclaunder Ioue No mortall kinred euer may be mixt with heauen aboue AM. To many of the Gods in skyes is this a common trade LY. But were they euer seruauntes yet before they Gods were made AM. Of Delos I le the sheepherde loe the flocks of Pherey fed LY. But through all coasts he wandred not abroade as banished AM. Whō straying mother first brought forth wādring loud to sight LY. Yet Phoebus did no monsters feare or beasts of cruell might AM. First Dragon with his bloud embrew'd the shalts of Phoebus lo Howe greeuous ills euen yet full yong he bare doe you not knoe From mothers wombe the babe out thrown with lightning flame frō hie Euen next his lightning Father stoode forthwith aboue in skye What he him selfe that guides the starres shakes the clouds at will Did not that Infant lurke in Den of hollowe caued hill The byrthes so great full troublous pryce to haue loe alwayes ought And euer to be borne a God with coste full great is bought LY. Whom thou a miser see'st thou mai'st know him a man to bee AM. A miser him deny yee may whom stout of heart yee see LY. Call we him stout from shoulders hye of whom the Lyon throwne A gift for mayden made and eke his Club from hand fell downe And paynted side with purple weede did shyne that he did weare Or may we him call stout of heart whose staring lockes of heare With ointmēt slowde who hands renownde knowne by prayses hye To sound vnmeete for any man of timber did applye With barbarous mytar cloasting in his forhead rounde about AM. The tender Bacchus did not blushe abroade to haue layde out His brayded heares nor yet with hand full soft the Thyrsus light For to haue shooke what time that he with pace vnstout in sight His long train'de batbarous garment drew with golde full fayre to see Still vertue after many workes is woont releast to bee LY. Of this the house of Euritus destroyde doth witnesse beare And virgins flockes that brutishly by him oppressed weare No Iuno did commaunde him this nor none Eurystheus loe But these in deede his owne workes are AM. Yet all yee doe not knoe His worke it is with weapons of his owne hand vanquished Both Eryx and to Eryx ioyn'de Antaeus Lybian ded And aulters which with slaughter of the straungers flowing fast Busyris well deserued bloud likewise haue drunke at last His deede it is that he that met the wounde and sworde is slayne Constrain'de to suffre death before those other Geryons twayne Nor ene all onely Geryon doth with one hand conquer'de lye Thou shalt among these be which yet with none
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
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
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
and drowne thy leaming lampe eclisde in glummy Skyes To shrink in shimmering shape why doth thy right hand not aryse O guide of Gods and men how haps the worlde yet doth not burne Enkindled with three forked brand on me thy thunder turne Dash out on mee thy bobbing bolt and let thy fiery flake Whirlde out with force burnt Cinders of my wasted Carcasse make For guilty Ioue I guilty am deserued death I haue My Stepdames Fancy I haue fed shall I most sinfull slaue Be worthy thought to blot my Fathers honorable Bed Canst thou for mischiefe such through mee alone be lightly sped O Caitiue thou of womankinde for guilt that heares the bell Whose enterprised hainous euill doth passingly excell Thy Monster breeding Mothers fault with whoredome shee alone Defilde her selfe when storming sighes with sorrow gan shee grone Through beastly lust of Bull till it the Minotaurus ster In act of generation had quencht her foule desier And yet the time concealed long the grim twishaped seede At length bewrayd with Bullike browes thy Mothers naughty deede The doubted Infant did disclose that wicked wombe shee bare With thrise yea foure times blessed Fate of lyfe depriu'de yee are Whom swolne of waltring Seas haue sonck me cankred hate of breath Dispoyled hath and traytrous traynes haue quelde by daunting death With Stepdames banes and sorcery O Father Father myne I rue thy lot not to be slayne of milder Stepdame thyne This mischiefe greater greater faire the wickednesse doth passe That by Medea despret Dame of Colchis practisde was PH. And I doe know what vncouth luck vpon our stock hath light The thing that we should shun we seeke it is not in my might To rule my selfe through burning fire eunne after thee I shall Through raging Seas craggy Rocks through fleeting Ryuers all Which boyling waters ruffling rayse what way so goe thou will I bedlem Wight with frantick fits will follow follow still O stately Lorde before thy feete yet fall I once agayne HIP. Doe not with shamelesse fawning Pawes my spotlesse body staine What meaneth this with hawsing mee t' imbrace she doth begin Draw draw my sword with stripes deseru'de I le pay her on the skin Her hayre about my left hand wound her head I backward write No bloud Diana better spent thine Aulter yet hath dyde PH. Hippolytus now dost thou graunt to mee mine owne desire Thou cooles my ramping rage this is much more than I require That sauing thus mine honesty I may be geuen to death By bloudy stroake receiued of thy band to loose my breath HIP. Auaunt auaunt preserue thy lyfe at my hand nothing craue This field Sword that thou hast toucht no longer will I haue What bathing lukewarme Tanais may I defilde obtaine Whose clensing watry Channell pure may washe mee cleane againe Or what Meotis muddy meare with rough Barbarian waue That boardes on Pontus roring Sea not Neptune graundsire graue With all his Ocean foulding floud can purge and wash away This dunghill foule of sinne O woode O saluage beast I say NVT. Thy crime detected is O soule why droupes thou all agast Let vs appeach Hippolytus with fault vpon him cast And let vs lay vnto his charge how he by might vniust Deflowre would his Fathers Wyfe with mischiefe mischiefe must Concealed bee the best it is thy foe first to inuade Sith that the crime is yet vnknowne who can be witnesse made That either first wee enterprisde or suffred of him then Come come in hast Athenians O troupes of trusty men Help help Hippolytus doth come hee comes that Villaine vile That Rauisher and Lecher foule perforce woulde vs defile Hee threatens vs denouncing death and glittering Blade doth shake At her who chastly doth withstand and doth for terrour quake Lo headlong hence for life and death hee tooke him to his flight And leaues his Sword in running rash with gastly feare afright A token of his enterprise detestable wee keepe Sirs chearish her that storming sighes with pensiue breast doth weepe Her ruffled hayre and shattred Locks still let them daggle downe This witnesse of his villany so beare into the Towne O Lady mine be of good cheare Plucke vp your sprights againe Why dost thou tearing thus thy selfe abhorre all peoples sight Not blinde Mischaunce but fancy wont to make a shamelesse Wight Chorus HIPPOLYTVS euen as the rageing storme away doth fly More swift than whirling Western wynde vptumbling cloudes in Sky More swift then flashing flames that catch their course with sweeping sway When Stars ytost with whisking windes long fiery Drakes display Fame wondring at of aldertime our Auncestours renowne Fare well with thee and beare away olde worship from our Towne So much thy beauty brighter shines as much more cleare and fayre The golden Moone with glorious Globe full furnisht in the Ayre Doth shine when as her fiery tips of wayning hornes doe close When lifting vp her fulgent face in ambling Waine she goes Vpon her nightwatch to attend the Starres of lesser light Their darckned Faces hide as hee the Messenger of night That watchword geues of th' euening tide and Hesperus hee hight That glading earst was bath'de in Seas and hee the same agayne When shedes be shrunck doth then the name of Lucifer obtayne Thou Bacchus blessed barne of Ioue in warlicke India borne Thou Lad that euermore dost weare thy hayry bush vnshorne Whose Iaueling tuft with Iuy bunch the Tygres makes adred And dost with labelde Myter vse to pranck thy horny hed Hippolytus his staring Locks thou Bacchus shalt not stayne To woonder at thy louing lookes too much doe thou refrayne Whom as the people doe report the Ariadne bright For beauties name preferde before Bacchus that Bromius hight A brittle Iewell beauty is on mortall men employde Thou gift that for a season short of Mankinde arte enioyde How soone alas with feathered foote hence dost thou fading slide The partching Sommers vapour hoate in Vers most pleasaūte pride So withers not the Meadowes greene when as the scorching Sūne In Tropick ligue of burning Crab full hoate at Noone doth runne And on her shorter clowdy Wheeles vnhorseth soone the night With wanny Leaues downe hang the heads of withred Lillies whight The balmy bloomes and sprouting floure do leaue the naked bed As beauty bright whose radiant beams in corauld Cheekes is spred Is dashed in the twincke of Eye no day as yet did passe In which not of his beauty reft some pearles person was For Fauour is a fleetyng thing what wight of any wit Wil vnto frayle and fickle ioy his confidence commit Take pleasure of it whyle thou mayst for Tyme with stealing steps Wil vnder mint on howre past strayght in a worser leps Why flyest thou to the wildernes to seeke thy succour there Thy beauty bydes not safer in the waylesse woods then here If Tytan hoyst his totteryng Cart on poynt of ful midday Thee shrowded close among the brakes the Naids wil assay A gadding troupe that beautys Boyes do locke in
death of dompish graue Sith fates wil not permit thee life though I behest thee mine My selfe I shall in spite of fate my fatall twist vntwine This blade shall riue my bloudy breast my selfe I will dispoile Of soule and sinne at once through floods and Tartar gulphes that boyle Through Styx and through the burning Lakes I wil come after thee Thus may we please the lowring shades receiue thou heere of mee The parings of my Poll and Locks cut off from forehead torne Our hearts we could not ioyne in one yet wretches now farlorne We shal togeather in one day our fatall hower close If thou be loyall to thy spouse for him thy life then lose But if thou be vncestuous dye for thy louers sake Shall I vnto my husbandes bed agayne my corps betake Polluted with so haynous crime O death the chiefest ioy Of wounding shame Death onely ease of stinging Loues annoy We runne to thee embrace our sowles within thy gladsome breast Harke Athens harke vnto my talke and thou aboue the reste Thou Father worse vnto thy Child than bloudy stepdame I False forged tales I told with shame I fayning that did lye Which I of spite imagined when raging breast did swarue Thou father falsly punisht hast him that did not deserue The youngman chast is cast away for myne vncestuous vice Both bashful he and guiltles was now play thy wonted guyse My guilty breast with bloudy Launce of Sword deseru'd is riuen The Dirge toth ' dead to purge my spouse shal with my bloud be geuen Thou father of the stepdame learne what things thy SoÌ„ne should haue Of life depriued as to lay his carkasse in a graue Th. O wanny Iawes of blacke Auerne â—ake Tartar dungeon grim O Lethes Lake of woful Soules the ioy that therein swimme And eake ye glummy Gulphes destroy destroy me wicked wight And stil in pit of pangues let me be plunged day and night Now now come vp ye Gobline grim from water creekes alow What euer Proteus hugie swoln aloofe doth ouerflow Come dowse me drownd in swallowes depe that triumphe in my sinne And father thou that euermore ful ready prest hath binne To wreake myne yre aduentring Ia deede deseruing death With new found slaughter haue bereft myne onely Sonne of breath His tattred lims I scatred haue the bloudy field about Whyle th' innocent I punish doe by chaunce I haue found out The truth of al this wickednes heauen starres and sprites of hell I pester with my treachery that me doth ouerquell No mischiefes hap remayneth more iii. kingdomes know mee well We are returned to this World For this did Hell vnfold His gates that burials twayne I might and double death beholde Wherby I both a wyueles Wight andeakâ— a Sonles Sire May with one brand to wyse and Sonne enflame the funeral fire O tamer of blackefaced light Alcides now restore Thy booty brought from Hel redeeme to mee to mee therfore These Ghostes that now be gone ah sinful wretch to death in vayne I sue most vndiscrete by whom these wretched Wightes were slayne Imagining destruction sore aboute it wil I goe Now with thyne owne handes on thy selfe due vengeance do bestow A Pine tree bough downe straind perforce vnto the ground alow Let slip into the open ayre shal cut my corpes in twayne From top of Scyrons Rockes I wil be tumbled downe amayne More grieuous vengeance yet I haue in Phlegethon Riuer found Tormenting guilty Ghostes enclosd with fiery Channel round What pit and pangues shal plunge my soule already haue I known That tyring toyle of Sisyphus that retchles rolling stone Let yeeld vnto my guilty Ghost and beyng layed on These shoulders these these lifting handes of myne downe let it sway And let the fleeting floud aboute my lips deluded play Yea let the rauening grype come heare and Tytius paunch forsake For glutting foode with grasping Cleaze my liuer let him take Encreasyng stil to feede the Foule and for my tormentes sake And pause thou my Pyrothous Syre and eke the snackle Wheele That whirleth stil enforce my limmes thy swinging swift to feele Gape gape thou ground and swallow me thou cruell Chaos blynd This passage to th infernall Sprightes is fit for me to find My Sonne I wil ensue thou Prince of gastly ghostes in hell Dread not for chast wee come to thee geue thou me leaue to dwell Among thy dreadful dennes for aye and not to passe agayne Alas my prayer at the Gods no fauour can obtayne But if that mischiefe craue I should how ready would they bee Ch. O Theseus to thy plaint eternall tyme is graunted thee Prouyde thy Sonne his Obit rytes and shroude in dompish graue His broken lims which Monsters foule disperst and scattered haue Th. The shreadings of this deare beloued carkasse bring to mee His mangled members hether bring on heapes that tombled be This is Hyppolytus I do acknowledge myne offence For I it is that haue depriued thee of life and sense Least that but once or onely I should be a guilty Wight I Sire attempting mischiefe haue besought my Fathers might Lo I enioy my fathers gift O solitarinesse A grieuous plague when feeble yeares haue brought vs to distresse Embrace these lims and that which yet doth of thy sonne remayne O woeful wight in baleful breast preserue and entertayne These scattred scraps of body torne O Syre in order fet The straying gobbetts bring agayne here was his right hand set His left hand here instructed will to rule the raynes must be His left syde rybbs ful wel I know to be bewayld of mee With bitter teares as yet alas are lost and wanting still O trembling handes behold this woful busines to fulfil And withered Cheekes forbid your streams of flowing tears to runne Whyle that the father do accompt the members of his Sonne And eke patch vp his body rent that hath his fashion lost Disfigured foule with gorye woundes and all about be tost I doubt if this of thee be peece and peece it is of thee Here lay it here in th' empty place here let it layed be Although perhap it lye not right aye me is this thy face Whose beauty twinckled as a starre and eake did purchase grace In sight of Fâ—â— procurd to ruth Is this thy beauty lost O cruell will of Gods O rage in sinne preuayling most Doth thus the Syre that great good turne perfourme vnto his sonne Lo let thy fathers last fare wel within thyne eares to runne My child whom oft I bid farewell the whilst the fire shall burne These bones set ope his buriall bower and let vs fall to mourne With loude lamenting Mopsus wise for both the coarses sake With Princely Pompe his funerall fire see that ye ready make And seeke ye vp the broken parts in field dispersed round Stop hir vp hurlde into a Pit let heauy clodds of ground lie hard vpon hir cursed hed FINIS THE FIFTH TRAGEDY OF SENECA ENGLISHED The yeare of our Lord M. LX. BY
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
of hell where filthy fluds do flow Where plages and vile diseases too where dredfull horrors grow And all the furies brasten loose do mischiefes on vs throw With Botch biane of sundry kindes which sothern blasts do blow And wrekful vexed hagges of hell do dreath and on vs bringe The angry feddes of hell I thinke their vengeaunce on vs flinge And out their mortall poyson spue which they agaynst vs beare Lo see how greedy death on vs with scowling eyes doth leare See see Oh Ioue how fast hee throwes his Dartes Not one he spares But all confounds His thretning force withstand no Creature dares No doubt the lothsom Feryman the sinfull soules that traynes Through stincking fluds his labour loths that he for vs sustaynes Such presse by plūps to him is made which still renews his paynes But harke yet mōsters more thē these the Fame abroade doth fly That hellishe Dogges with bawling sound were heard to howle and cry And the the ground with trembling shooke and vnder feele did moue And dreadfull blasing Comets bright were seene in Skies aboue And gastly shapes of men besides to wander on the ground And wood and trees on euery syde did fearefully resound Besides all this straūg Ghosts were seene in places where they stoode And Ryuers more then one or two that ran all blacke goorb bloode O cruell plague O vile disease farre worse then speedy death O wee vnhappy thrise and more who doe prolonge our breath In these accursed dayes and tymes But harke to mee a while When first this lothsome plague begins these Mysers to defile It takes them thus A feareful Cold through al their bones doth run And Cold and Heate togeather mixt their sences all benome Than litle lothsome markes appeare and all their bodies spot And all their members flaming glow and burning fast doe rot The Lights the Lungs the heart the Guts and all that inwarde lies And all the secret partes iscorcht with deadly I fier fries The bloud all clotterd in their Cheekes in cluster lies by lumps And it and heate together makes great straung and ruddy bumps And bloud and flesh congeled stands in Face as stiffe as stake And Eyes in head fast fixed set and often trickling make And downe apace whole fluds they steame and clots drops doe trill And all the skin from of their Face by flakes and scales doth pill A thousand fearefull sounds at once into their eares doe rush And lothsome bloud out of their Nose by stilling streames doth gush The very anguish of their heart doth cause them for to shake And what with payne heale and feare their weried lims doe quake Then some the rūning Ryuers haunt and some on ground doe wallow And some agayne their thirst to slake cold water gulping swallow Thus all our country tost with plague in Griefe it waltering lies And still desiring for to dye a thousand deathes it dyes But God to heare them then is prest and death to none denyes Besydes al this the church some do frequent but not to pray But onely for to glut the Gods with that that they do say But who is this that comes to Court in hast with poasting pace What i st Creon that noble Prince for deedes and stately race Or doth my mynd opprest with care thinges false for true contriue Creon it is long looked for his sight doth me reuyue THE SECONDE ACTE The first Scene OEDIPVS CREON FOr feare my body chilles alas and trembling all I stand In quakinge dread I seke and toyle these mischiefes to withstand But al in vayne I spend my thoughtes it wil not be I see As long as all my sences thus by cares distracted bee My mynd desyrous stil Oh God the truth for to vnfold With doubtful Dread is daunted so that it can scant vpholde It selfe O Brother beare if way or meane of health thou know Declare it out and sticke not all the truth to me to show Cre. The Oracle most noble king ys darke and hidden lies Oed. Who doubtful health to sicke men brings all health to thē denies Cre. Apolloes vse yt is the troth in darkesome dens to hold Oed. And Oedipus of Gods it hath thinges hidden to vnfold Speake out tell all and spare not man all doubtes I can discus Cre. Apollo then most noble King himselfe commaundeth thus By exile purge the Princes seat and plague vvith vengeance due That haples vvretch vvhose bloudy handes of late King Laius slue Before that this perfourmed bee no hope of milder ayer Wherfore do this O King or else All hope of helpe dispayre Oe, Durst any man on earth attempte that noble Prince to slay Shew me the man that I may him dispatch out of the way Cre. God graunt I may it safely tel the hearyng was to terrible My senses all amased are it is a thing so horrible That I abhorre to vtter it oh God for feare I quake And euen at the very thought my lims beginne to shake Assoone as I Appollos Church had entred in affrayd Vppon my face flat downe I fell and thus to him I prayd Oh God if euer thou didst rue on wretched misers state If euer men opprest thou easd or didst their cares abate If euer thou in present neede didst present helpe declare If euer thou afflicted Hartes with cares consumd didst spare Shew now thy wonted elemency and pitty knowne of yore Scant had I sayd Resounding all the mountaynes thondring rore And filthy feendes spout out their flames out of their darksome caues And woods do quake and hilles do moue and vp the surging waues Do mount vnto the skies aloft and I amased stand Still looking for an aunsweare at Apollos sacred hand When out with ruffled hayre disguisd the Prophet comes at last And when that shee had felt the heate of mighty Phoebus blast All puffyng out she swelles in rage and pattring still she raues And scant she entred had into Apollos shyning caues When out a thundring voyce doth brust that 's farre aboue mans reach So dreadful seemed then to me the mighty Phoebus speach Than thus he spake aud thus at length into myne cares he rusht Whyle sprawling stil the Prophet lay before the doores in dust The Thebane City neuer shal be free frō plagues quoth he Except from thense the Kingkiller forthwith expulsed bee Vnto Apollo knowen he was or euer he was borne Do this or else no hope of health to this the gods haue sworn And as for thee thou shalt not long in quiet state indure But with thy self wage war thou shalt war thou shalt procure Vnto thy children deare crepe agayn thou shalt into thy mothers wombe Oed. Loke what the Gods commaunded haue accomplished shal be Nor neuer shal these eyes of myne abyde the day to see A King of kingdome spoyld by force by guyle or crast supprest A kinge to kinges the prop ought be and chiefest cause of rest No man regardes his death at all whom liuing
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
Serch out a death whereby thou mayst perpetuall shame obtayne And yet not dye But still to liue in euerlasting payne Why stayst thou man Go to I say what meane these blubbring teares Why weepst thou thus Alas to late Leaue of thy foolysh feares And i st enough to weepe thinkst thou shall teares and wayling serue No wretch it shall not be Thou dost ten thousand deaths deserue Myne eyes doe dally with mee I see and teares doe still out powre Shall teares suffice No no not so I shall them better scowre Out with thine Eyes he sayd and than with fury fierce enflam'de Like to a bloudy raging Feend and monstrous beast vntamde With fiery flaming spotted Cheekes his breast he often beats And scratch and teare his Face hee doth and Skin a sunder freats That scarse his eyes in head could stand so sore he them besets With furious fierce outrageous minde hee stamps and cries alowd And roares rayles with ramping rage Thus in this case he stood Perplext and vexed sore in minde with deadly sighs and teares When sodenly all franticklike himselfe from ground hee reares And rooteth out his wretched Eyes and sight a sunder teares Than gnasheth he his bloudy Teeth and bites and gnawes champs His Eyes all bathd and brude in bloud for fury fierce he stamps And raging more than needes alas his Eyes quight rooted out The very holes in vayne hee scrapes so sore the wretch doth dout Least sight should chaunce for to remayne he rents and mangels quight His Face his Nose his Mouth and all whereon his hands do light Hee rygs and ryues Thus fowly rayd alas in piteous plight At length his head aloft he lifts and therewith geues a shright And whan he sees that all is gone both light and sight and all Than schriching out he thus begins vpon the Gods to call Now spare you Gods now spare at length my countrey prest to fall I haue done that you did cÅmaund Your wraths reuenged bee This wretched looke this mangled face is fittest now for mee Thus speaking down the blackish bloud by streams doth gushing flow Into his mouth And clottred lumps of flesh the place doth strow Wherein hee standes Beware betimes by him beware I speake vnto you all Learne Iustice truth and feare of God by his vnhappy fall Chorus MAns lyfe with tumbling fatal course of fortunes wheele is rowld To it giue place for it doth run all swiftly vncontrowld And Cares teares are spent in vayn for it cannot be slayed Syth his decree of heauenly powers perforce must be obayed What mankind byded or does on earth it coÌ„meth from aboue Then wayling grones powrd out in griefe do nought at all behoue Our life must haue her pointed course alas what shall I say As fates decree so things do run no man can make them stay For at our byrth to Gods is known our latter dying day No Prayer no Arte not God himselfe may fatall fates resist But fastned all in fixed courte vnchaunged they persist Such ende them still ensues as they appointed were to haue Than fly all feare of Fortunes chaung leeke hot to lyue a slaue Enthrald in bondage vyle to feare For feare doth often bring Destnies that dreaded ben and mischiefs feard vpon vs fling Yea many a man hath come vnto his fatall ende by feare Wherefore set peuish feare aside and worthy courage beare And thou that subiect art to death Regard thy latter day Thinke no man blest before his ende Aduise thee well and stay Be sure his lyfe and death and all be quight exempt from mysery Ere thou do once presume to say this man is blest and happy But out alas see where he coms a wretch withouten Guide Bereft of sight Halfe spoyld of lyfe without all Pomp and Pride That vnto Kings Estate belonge THE FIFTE ACTE THE SECOND SCENE OEdipus Chorus Iocasta WEll well t is done more yet No no no mischiefs more remaynee My Fathers Rytes performed are What God on Mysers paynes That rues within this Cloud hath rolde and wrapt my wretched Pate Ah sir this is a life alone This is a happy State This is a case ene fit for thee for thee thou wretch for thee From whose accursed sight the Sun the Stars and all doe flee Yet mischiefs more who giues to doe The dreadfull day I haue Escapt Thou filthy Paracide thou vile mischieuous Slaue Vnto thy right hand nought thou owst all things performed bee O woe is mee that euer I liu'de this lucklesse day to see Where am I now Alas alas the light and all doth mee Abhor O wretched OEdipus this looke is first for thee CHO. See see where Iocasta coms with fierce and furious moode Quight past her selfe For very rage shee frets and waxeth woode Much like to Cadmus daughter mad who late hir Sonne did kill Fayne would she speake her mynde for seare alas she dares not still Shee stayes and yet from out her breast these ills haue quight exilde All shame fastnes See how shee lookes with coÅ«t'naunce fierce wilde IO. Fayne would I speake I am afraide For what should I thee call My Son doubt not Thou art my Son My Son thou art for all These mischiefs great alas alas I shame my Son to see O cruell Son Where dost thou turn thy Face Why dost thou flee From me From me thy Mother deare Why dost thou shun my sight And leaue me thus in misery with Cares consumed quight OE. Who troubles me Let me alone I thought not to be founde Who now restores myne Eyes to mee Mother or Mothers sounde Our labour all is spent in vayne now may wee meete no more The Seas deuide those meetings vile that wee haue had before The gaping earth deuide vs both th' one from th' other quight Still let our feete repugnant bee So shall I shun the light That most of all me grieues So shall I space obtaine to wayle These bleeding woes on euery side that doe my thoughtes assayle IOC. The Destentes are in fault Blame them Alas alas not wee OED. Spare now Leaue of to speake in vayne spare now O Mother mee By these Reliques of my dismembred body I thee pray By myne vnhappy Children pledges left What shall I say By all the Gods I thee beseech By all that in my name Is good or bad let mee alone Alas you are to blame To trouble mee You see what hell my haplesse heart doth payne You see that in my Conscience ten thousand horrors raine IOC. O dying heart O sindrownd soule Why dost thou faint alas Why dost thou seeke and toyle in vayne these ills to ouerpas What meane these sighes scalding teares why dost thou death refuse Thou mate of all his mischiefs thou by whose meanes onely rues The law of nature all by whom Ah Ah confounded lies Both God and man and beast and all that eyther liues or dies Die thou dispatch at once thrust through thy vile incestuous brest Thou hast none other meanes
land And old tvvise captiue king receiue our feare VVhile thou vvert king Troy hurtles then could stand Though shaken tvvise with Grecian sword it weare And twise did shot of Hercles quiuer beare At latter losse of Hecubes sonnes all And roges for kings that high on piles we reare Thou father shutst our latest funerall And beaten downe to Ioue for sacrifies Like liueles blocke in Troy thy carkas lies HEC. Yet turne ye once your teares another way My pryams death should not lamented be O Troyans all ful happy is Pryame say For free from bondage downe descended hee To the lowest Ghoste and neuer shall sustayne His Captiue necke with Greekes to yoked bee Hee neuer shal behold the Atrids twayne Nor false Vlisses euer shal he see Not hee a pray for Greekes to triumph at His necke shall subiect to their conquestes beare Ne geue his handes to tye behynde his backe That to the rule of Scepters wonted weare Nor following Agamemnons chare in bande Shall he bee pompe to proude Mycenas land WO. ¶ Ful happy Pryame is each one wee say That toke vvith him his Kingdome then that stoode Now safe in shade he seekes the wandring way And treads the pathes of all Elizius wood And in the blessed Sprightes ful happy hee Agayne there seekes to meete with Hectors Ghost Happy Pryam happy whoso may see His Kingdome all at once with him be lost Chorus added to the Tragedy by the Translator O Ye to whom the Lord of Lande and Seas Of Life and Death hath graunted here the powre Lay dovvne your lofty lookes your pride appeas The crovvned King fleeth not his fatall howre Who so thou be that leadst thy land alone Thy life vvas limite from thy mothers vvombe Not purple robe not Glorious glittering throne Ne crovvne of Gold redeemes thee from the tombe A King he was that wayting for the vayle Of him that slew the Minotaure in fight Begilde with blacknes of the wonted saile In seas him sonke and of his name they hight So he that wild to vvin the golden spoyle And first vvith ship by seas to seeke renovvne In lesser vvaue at length to death gan boyle And thus the daughters brought their father dovvne Whose songes the vvoodes hath dravven and riuers held And birdes to heare his notes did theirs forsake In peece meale throvvne amid the Thracian field Without returne hath sought the Stigian lake They sit aboue that holde our life in line And vvhat vve suffer dovvne they fling from hie No carke no care that euer may vntwine The thrids that vvoued are aboue the skie As vvitnes he that sometyme King of Greece Had Iason thought in drenching seas to drovvne Who scapt both death and gaind the Golden fleece Whom fates aduaunce there may no povvre plucke dovvne The highest God sometyme that Saturne hight His fall him taught to credite their decrees The rule of heauens he lost it by their might And Ioue his sonne novv turnes the rolling Skies Who vveneth here to vvin eternall vvelth Let him behold this present perfite proofe And learne the secrete stoppe of chaunces stelth Most nere alas vvhen most it seemes aloofe In slipper ioy let no man put his trust Let none dispayre that heauy haps hath past The svvete vvith sovvre she mingleth as she lust Whose doubtful web pretendeth nought to last Frailtie is the thride that Clothoes rocke hath sponne Novv from the Distaffe dravvne novv knapt in tvvaine With all the world at length his end he wonne Whose works haue wrought his name should great remaine And he whose trauels twelue his name display That feared nought the force of worldly hurt In fine alas hath found his fatall daye And died with smart of Dianyraes shurt If prowes might eternity procure Then Priam yet should liue in lyking lust Ay portly pompe of pryde thou art vnsure Lo learne by him O Kinges yee are but dust And Hecuba that wayleth now in care That was so late of high estate a Queene A mirrour is to teach you what you are Your wauering wealth O Princes here is seene Whom dawne of day hath seene in high estate Before Sunnes set alas hath had his fall The Cradels rocke appoyntes the life his date From setled ioy to sodayne funerall THE SECOND ACTE The Spright of Achilles added to the tragedy by the Translator The first Scene FOrsaking now the places tenebrouse And deepe dennes of th infernall region From all the shadowes of illusions That wāder there the pathes ful many one Lo here am I returned al alone The same Achil whose fierce and heauy hande Of al the world no wight might yet withstand What man so stout of al the Grecians host That hath not sometyme crau'd Achilles aide And in the Troyans who of prowes most That hath not feard to see my Banner splaide Achilles lo hath made them all affrayde And in the Greekes hath bene a piller post That stvrdy stode agaynst their Troyan host Where I haue lackt the Grecians went to wracke Troy proued hath what Achills sword could doe Where I haue come the Troyans fled a backe Retyring fast from field their walles vnto No man that might Achilles stroke fordoe I dealt such stripes amid the Troian route That with their bloud I staynd the fieldes aboute Mighty Memnon that with his Persian band Would Pryams part with all might mayntayne Lo now he lyeth and knoweth Achilles hand Amid the field is Troylus also slayne Ye Hector great whom Troy accompted playne The flowre of chiualry that might be found All of Achilles had theyr mortall wound But Paris lo such was his false deceipt Pretending maryage of Polixeine Behynd the aulter lay for me in wayte Where I vnwares haue falne into the trayne And in Appolloes church he hath me slayne Wherof the Hel will now iust vengeance haue And here agayne I come my right to craue The deepe Auerne my rage may not sustayne Nor beare the angers of Achilles spright From Acheront I rent the spoyle in twayne And though the ground I grate agayne to sight Hell could not hide Achilles from the light Vengeance and bloud doth Orcus pit require To quench the furies of Achilles yre The hatefull land that worse then Tartare is And burning thrust excedes of Tantalus I here beholde againe and Troy is this O trauell worse then stone of Sisyphus And paines that passe the panges of Tityus To light more lothsome furie hath me sent Then hooked wheele that Ixions flesh doth rent Remembred is alowe where sprites do dwell The wicked slaughter' wrought by wyly way Not yet reuenged hath the deepest hell Achilles bloud on them that did him slay But now of vengeance come the yrefull day And darkest dennes of Tartare from beneath Conspire the fautes of them that wrought my death Now mischiefe murder wrath of hell draweth nere Aud dyre Phlegethon floud doth bloud require Achilles death shall he reuenged here VVith slaughter such as Stygian lakes desyre Her daughters bloud shal slake the
that Calchas words to vs doth prophecye And now shal all the sumptuous worke be throwne downe vtterly An That once ye sold Vl. I wil it all from toppe to bottome rend An. The fayth of Goddes I call vppon Achilles vs defend And Pyrrhus ayd thy fathers right Vl. This tombe abroad shall lye An. O mischiefe neuer durst the Greekes show yet such cruelty Ye straine the temples and the Gods that most haue fauourd you The dead ye spare not on their tombes your fury rageth now I wil their weapons all resist my selfe with naked hand The yre of hart shal geue me strength their armour to withstand As fierce as did the Amazones beate down the Greekes in fight And Menas once enspierd with God in sacrifyce doth smyght With speare in hand and while with furyous pace she treads the groūd And wood as one in rage she strykes and feeleth not the wound So wil I runne on midst of them and on theyr weapons dye And in defence of Hectors tombe among his ashes lie Vl. Cease ye doth rage and fury vayne of women moue ye ought Dispatch with speede what I commaund plucke downe al to naught An. O slay me rather here with sword rid me out the way Breake vp the deepe Auern and rid my destenies delay Rise Hector and beset thy foes breake thou Vlisses yre A spright art good enough for him behold he casteth fire And weapon shakes with mighty hand do ye not Greekes him see Or els doth Hectors spright appear but onely vnto me Vl. Downe quight withal An. What wilt thou suffer both thy sonnes be slayne And after death thy husbandes bones to be remou'd agayne Perhaps thou mayst with prayer yet aprease the Grecians all Els downe to ground the holy tombe of Hector streight shall fal Let rather die the childe pore wretch and let the Greekes him kil Then father and the sonne should cause the tone the others yll Vllisses at thy knees I fal and humbly aske mercie These handes that no mans feete els knew first at thy feete they lye Take pitty on the mothers case and sorrowes of my breast Vochsafe my prayers to receiue and graunt me my request And by how much the more the Goddes haue thee aduaunced hie More easely stryke the pore estate of wretched misery God graunt the chast bed of thy godly wyfe Penelope May thee receiue and so agayne Laerta may thee see And that thy sonne Telemachus may meete thee ioyfully His graundsires yeares and fathers witte to passe ful happely Take pity on the mothers teares her litle child to saue He is my onely comfort left and th' onely toy I haue Vl. ¶ Bryng forth thy sonne and aske THE SECOND SCENE Andromacha COme hither child out of the dennes to mee Thy wretched mothers lamentable store This Babe Vlisses loe this Babe is hee That stayeth your ships and feareth you so sore Submit thy selfe my sonne with humble hand And worship flat on ground thy maysters feete Thinke it no shame as now the case doth stand The thing that Fortune wilth a wretche is meete Forget thy worthy stocke of Kingly kynd Thinke not on Priams great nobility And put thy father Hector from thy mynde Such as thy Fortune let thy stomacke bee Behaue thy selfe as captiue bend thy Knee And though thy griefe pearce not thy tender yeares Yet learne to wayle thy wretched state by mee And take ensample at thy mothers teares Once Troy hath seene the weeping of a child When litle Priam turnde Alcides threats And he to whom all beastes in strength did yelde That made his way from hel and brake their gates His litle enmies teares yet ouercame Priam he sayd receiue thy liberty In seat of honor kepe thy Kingly name But yet thy Sceptors rule more faythfully Lo such the conquest was of Hercules Of him yet learne your hartes to mollify Do onely Hercles cruel weapons please And may no end be of your cruelty No lesse then Pryam kneeles to thee this boy That lieth and asketh onely life of thee As for the rule and gouernaunce of Troy Where euer fortune wil ther let it bee Take mercy on the mothers ruthful teares That with their streames my cheekes do ouerflow And spare this guiltles infantes tender yeares That humbly falleth at thy feete so lowe THE THIRD SCENE Vlisses Andromacha Astianax OF truth the mothers greate sorow doth moue my hart full sore But yet the mothers of the Greekes of neede must moue me more To whom this boy may cause in time a great calamtie Andr. May euer he the burnt ruines of Troy reedifie And shall these handes in time to come ereckt the towne againe If this be th onely helpe we haue there doth no hope remain For Troy we stand not now in case to cause your feare of mynde Doth ought auayle his fathers force or stocke of noble kinde His fathers heart abated was he drawen the walles abought Thus euil haps the haughttest heart at length they bring to nought If ye wil needes oppresse a wretch what thing more grieuous were Then on his noble neck he should the yoke of bondage bere To serue in life doth any man this to a King denye Vl. Not Vlisses with his death but Calchas prophecy An. O false inuentor of deceipt and hainous cruelty By manhode of whose hand in warre no man did euer dye But by disceipt and crafty trayne of mynd that mischiefe seekes Before this tyme ful many one dead is yea of the Greekes The Prophets wordes and guilties Gods saist thou my sonne require Nay mischiefe of thy breast it is thou dost his death desyre Thou night souldier and stout of hart a litle child to stay This enterprise thou takste alone and that by open day Vl. Vlisses manhood wel to Greekes to much to you is knowne I may not spend the tyme in wordes our Nauy wil be gone And. A little stay while I my last farewel geue to my child And haue with oft embracing him my greedy sorrowes fild Vli. Thy grieuous sorrowes to redresse would God it lay in mee But at thy wil to take delay of tyme I graunt it thee Now take thy last leaue of thy Sonne and fil thy selfe with teares Oft tymes the weeping of the eyes the inward griefe out weakes An. O deere O sweete thy mothers pledge farewel my onely ioy Farewel the flowre of honor left of beaten howse of Troy O Troyans last calamity and feare to Grecians part Farewel thy mothers onely hope and vayne comfort of hart Oft wish I thee thy fathers strength and halfe thy graundsires yeares But all for naught the Gods haue all dispoynted our desires Thou neuer shalt in regal court thy sceptors take in hand Nor to thy people geue decrees nor leade with law thy land Nor yet thine enmies ouercome by might of handy stroke Nor sende the conquerde nations all vnder thy seruile yoke Thou neuer shalt beat downe in fight and Greekes with sword pursew Nor at
lesse displease When broaken boardes abroade be many cast And shipwrackt shippes to shore they flit ful fast With doubled waues when stopped is the floud With heaps of them that there haue lost theyr good Ful sore did Pirrhus Helens losse complayne What time the leader of his flocke of shepe Vppon his backe alone he bare them twayne And wet his Golden lockes amid the deepe In piteous playnt alas he gan to weepe The death of her it did him deepe displease That shipwracke made amid the drenching seas And piteous was the playnt and heauy moode Of woful Pyrrha and eke Deucalion That nought beheld aboute them but the flould When they of all mankynd were left alone Amid the seas ful sore they made their mone To see themselues thus left aliue in woe When neyther land they saw nor fellowes moe Anone these playnts and Troyans teares shall quaile And here and there the ship them tosse by seas When trompets sound shal warne to hoyse vp sayle And through the waues with wind to seeke their waies Then shall these captiues goe to ende their dayes In land vnknowne when once with hasty ore The drenching deepe they take and shunne the shore What state of mynd shal then in wretches bee When shore shall sinke from sight and seas aryse When Idey hill to lurke aloofe they see Then poynt with hand from farre wher Troia lies Shall child and mother talking in this wyse Loe yonder Troy where smoke it fumeth hie By this the Troyans shal their countrey spie THE FIFTH ACTE Nuncius Andromacha Hecuba O dyre fierce wretched horrible O cruell fates accurste Of Mars his ten yeares bloudshed blows the wofulst and the worst Alas which should I first bewayle thy cares Andromacha Or els lament the wretched age of woful Hecuba Hec. What euer mans calamityes ye wayle for myne it is I beare the smart of al their woes each other feeles but his Who euer he I am the wretch all happes to me at last Nun Slayne is the mayd and from the walles of Troy the child is cast But both as them became they toke their death with stomacke stout And. Declare the double slaughters then tell the whole throughout Nun. One towre of all the rest ye know doth yet in Troy remayne Where Pryam wonted was to sit and view the armies twayne His litle Nephew eke with him to lead and from a farre His fathers fightes with fire and sword to show on feats of war This towre sometyme wel knowne by fame and Troyans honor most Is now with captaynes of the Greeckes beset on euery coast With swift recourse and from the shippes in clustred heaps anone Both tagge and ragge they runne to gase what thing should ther be done Some clime the hilles to seeke a place where they might see it best Some one the rockes a tiptoe stande to ouerloke the rest Some on their rēples weare the pine some beech some crownes of bay For garlandes torne is euery tree that standeth in they way Some from the highest mountaynes top aloofe beholdeth all Some scale the buildinges halfe burnt and some the ruinous wall Yea some there were O mischtee loe that for the more despyghte The tombe of Hector sits vppon beholders of the sight With princely pace Vlisses then past through the preased band Of Greekes King Priams litle nephew leading by the hand The Child with vnrepyning gate past through his enmies handes Vp toward the walles and as anone in turrets top he standes From thence adowne his lofty lookes he cast on euery part The neerer death more free from care he seemd and feare of hart Amid his foes his stomacke swelles and fierce he was to sight Like Tygere whelpe that threats in vayne with tuthles chap to bight Alas for pitty then each one rew on his tender yeares And al the route that present were for him they shed their teares Yea not Vlisses them restraynd but trickling downe they sal And onely he wept not poore foole whom they bewayled al But whyle on Gods Vlisses cald and Calchas wordes expound In midst of Pryams land alas the child leapt downe to ground And. What cruel Calchas could or scith such slaughter rake in hande Or by the shore of Caspyan Sea what barbarous lawles land Busyridis to th' aulters yet no infantes bloud hath shed Nor neuer yet were children slayne for feast of Diomed Who shal alas in tombe thee lay or hyde thy limmes agayne Nu. What limmes from such a headlong fall could in a child remayne His bodies payse throwne downe to ground hath batred al his bones His face his noble fathers markes are spoyld agaynst the stones His necke vnioynted is his head so dasht with flint stoane stroake That scattered is the brayne about the scul is al to broake Thus lieth he now dismembred corpes deformd and all to rent An. Loe herein doth he yet likewyse his father represent Nun. What time the Child hath headlong faine thus from the walls of Troy And at the Greekes the selues bewaild the slaughter of the Boy Yet strayght returne they backe and at Achilles tombe agayne The second mischiefe goe to worke the death of Polixeine This tombe the waues of surging seas beset the vtter side The other part the fields encloase aboute and pastors wyde In vale enuyroned with hils that round aboute do ryse A sloape on height erected are the bankes in Theatre wyse By al the shore then swarme the Greekes thicke on heaps they prease Some hope that by her death they shall theyr shippes delay release Some other ioy their enmies stocke thus beaten downe to bee A greate part of the people both the slaughter hate and see The Troyans eke no lesse frequent their owne calamityes And all affrayd beheld the last of all their miseryes When first proceeded torches bright as guise of wedlocke is And author therof led the way the Lady Tindaris Such wedlocke pray the Troyans then God send Hermiona And would God to her husband so restoard were Helena Feare masd each part but Polixeine her bashful looke downe cast And more then earst her glittring eyes and beauty shyn'd at last As sweetest seems then Phoebus light when downe his beams do sway When starres agayne with night at hand opprest the doubtful day Astonnted much the people were and all they her commende And now much more then euer earst they prays'd her at her end Some with her beauty moued were some with her tender yeares Some to behold the turnes of chaunce and how each thing thus wears But most them moues her valiant minde and lofty stomacke hie So strong so stout so ready of hart and wel prepard to dye Thus passe they forth and bold before King Pirrhus goeth the mayde They pitty her they maruel her their hartes were all affrayde As sone as then the hard hil top where die she should they trode And hie vppon his fathers tombe the youthful Pyrrhus stoode The manly mayd she neuer shronke one
foote nor backward drew But boldely turnes to meete the stroke with sloute vnchanged hew Her corage moues eche one and loe a strange thing monstrous like That Pyrhus euen himselfe stood still or dread and durst not strike But as he had his glittring sword in her to hills vp doon The purple bloud at mortall wound then gushing out it spoon Ne yet her corage her forsooke when dieng in that stounde She fell as th e'rth should her reuenge with lieful rage to groūd Each people wept the Troyans first with priuy fearful crye The Grecians eake each one bewayld her death apparantly This order had the sacrifyce her bloud the tombe vp dronke No drop remaynth aboue the ground but downe forthwith it sonke Hec. Now go now goe ye Greekes and now repayre ye safely home With careles shippes and hoised sailes now cut the salt sea fome The Child and Virgin both be slaine your battels finisht are Alas where shal I end my age or whether beare my care Shal I my daughter or my nephew or my husband mone My countrey els or all at once or else my selfe alone My wish is death that children both and virgins fiercely takes Where euer cruel death doth hast to strike it me forsakes Amid the enmies weapons all amid both sword and fyre All night sought for thou fleest from me that do thee most desyre Not flame of fyre not fall of towre not cruel enmies hand Hath rid my life how neere alas could death to Priam stand Nun. Now captiues all with swift recourse repayre ye to the saies Now spread the ships their sayls abroad forth they seeke theyr waies FINIS THE SEVENTH TRAGEDYE OF L. ANNAEVS SENECA Entituled MEDEA Translated out of Latin into Engiishe by IOHN STVDLEY The Argument To the Tragedy by the Translator CAre sore did grype Medeas heart to see Her Iason whom shee tendred as her lyfe And rescued had from plunge of perills free Renouncing her to take another wyfe Loue spent in vayne breedes hate malice rife Enkindling coales whose heate and greedy flame Saue streames of bloud nought els can quench the same Medea mad in troubled mynde doth muse On vengeaunce fell to quit her grieuous wrong Rough plagues at length entendeth shee to vse Yll venemous thinges shee charmes with charming song Seekes out a Bane made of their poyson strong In Trayterous gifts a Robe and chayne of Golde Nycely shee doth the hidden poyson folde Sent are the Gyfts to Creuse and her Syre They taking them that brought their dole to passe Vnware are burnt by meanes of charmed fyre Due vengeaunce yet for Iason greater was Lyfe first on chylde by Mothers hande alas Expired hath which though it him aggryse Yet his other chylde shee slayes before his eyes The Speakers names MEDEA CHORVS NVTRIX CREON IASON NVNTIVS THE FIRST ACTE Medea O Gods whose grace doth guide their ghostes that ioy in wedlocke pure O Iuno thou Lucina hight on whom the chary cure Alotted is of those that grone in paynfull chyldhed bandes O Pallas by whose heauenly arte Sir Typhis cunning handes Haue learnde to bridle with his helme his newly framed boate Wherewith the force of fighting fluds hee breaking rides a floate O God whose forked Mace doth stormes in rigour rough appeas And cause the ruffling surges couch amid the rampinge Seas O Titan who vpon the swift and werling Hemisphaer Deuides the chearefull day and night by egall turnes t' appere O threefolde shapen Hecate that sendest forth thy light Vnto thy silent Sacrifice that offered is by night By whom my Iason sware to mee O heauenly powers all And yee on whom Medea may with safer conscience call O Dungeon darke most dreadfull den of euerlasting night O dampned Ghosts O kingdome set against the Gods aright O Lord of sad and lowring lakes O Lady dyre of Hell Whom though that Pluto stale by force yet did his troth excell The ficle fayth of Iasons loue that hee to mee doth beave With cursed throate I coniure you O grisly Ghostes appeare Come out come out yee hellish hagges reuenge this deede so dyre Bring in your scrauing pawes a burning brand of deadly fyre Rise vp yee hiddeous diuelish Feendes as dreadfull as yee weare When vnto me in wedlocke state yee did sometime appeare Worke yee worke yee the dolefull death of this new wedded Wyfe And martir yee this Father in lawe depryue of breath and lyfe King Creons ruthfull family in plunge of passing payne Torment yee mee that on my spouse doe wishe this woe to raygne Preserue my Iasons life but yet let him be bayted out A myching roging rūnagate in forren townes about To passe from dore to dore with care to begge his needy bread Not knowing in what harbring place to couch his curssed head A banisht wretch disdaynde of all and still in feare of lyfe Then let him wish ten thousand times for me agayne his Wyfe This famous gest whom euery man will entertayne and haue Let him be driuē at straungers gates the table crūmes to craue And that my bytter bannings may with mischiefe most abounde God graunt in gulph of like distresse his chyldren may be drounde To synke in sorrowes stormes that doe their mother ouerflowe Now now I haue I haue the full reueng of all my woe I haue dispatcht my pyteous playnt and wordes in vayne I lose What shall not I with vyolence get vp agaynst my foes And wring out of theyr wrested hands the wedding torch so bryght Shall I not force the firmament to lose his shrinking lyght What doth my Graundsirs Phoebus face this heauy hap beholde And standyng gasyng at this geare yet westwarde is he rolde On glystring chariot hoysted hyghe and keepes his beaten Race Amid the christall colourde skye why turnes hee not his Face Retyring fast into the East backe vp the day to twyne O Father Phoebe to me to me thy Chariot reynes resigne That I aduaunced vp about the marble skyes may ryde Bequeath thy brydle vnto mee and giue me grace to guide Thy yoked prauncing teame with yerking lasshe of burning whip That with thy feruent fyry beames on purple poale doe skip Let Corynth countrey burnt to dust by force of flame and fyre Gyue place that both the iumbled seas may ioyne whom to retyre It doth compell and dassheth of from banke on eyther syde Least meete in one their chanels might whose streames hee doth deuide No way to worke theyr deadly woe I haue but this at hande That to the wedding I should beare a ruthfull brydall brande Anoying Creons carelesse Court when finished I haue Such solemne seruice as that ryght of sacrafice doth craue Then at the Aulters of the Gods my chyldren shal be slayne With crimsen colourde bloud of Babes their Aulters will I stayne Through Lyners Lungs the Lights Heart through euery gut gal For vengeaunce breake away perforce and spare no bloude at all If any lusty lyfe as yet within thy soule doe rest It ought
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
bearing in his recklesse breast his fathers warnings wyse Was burned with the flames which hee did scatter in the Skyes None knew the costly glimsing glades where straggling Phaëton rode Passe not the path where people safe in former tyme haue trode O fondling wilfull wanton boy doe not dissolue the frame Of heauen sith Ioue with sacred hand hath halowed the same Who rowde with valiaunt Oares tough that were for Argo made Hath powled naked Pelion mounte of thycke compacted shade Who entred hath the fleeting rockes and serched out the toyle And tyring trauels of the seas and hath on saluage soyle Knit fast his stretched Cable rope and going forth to land To cloyne away the forren golde with greedy snatching hand Vnto the seas because that hee transgrest theyr lawes deuine By this vnlucky ende of his he payes his forfeyte fine The troubled seas of theyr vnrest for vengeaunce howle and weepe Syr Typhis who did conquer fyrst the daunger of the deepe Hath yeelded vp the cunning rule of his vnweldy sterne To such a guide as for that vse hath neede as yet to learne Who giuing vp his Ghost aloofe from of his natiue lande In forreyn more lyes buryed vile with durty soddes in sande He sits among the flitiring soules that straungers to him weare And Aulis Isle that in her minde her masters losse doth beare Held in the Ships to stand and wayle in croking narrow nocke That Orpheus Calliops sonne who stayde the running Brooke Whyle he recordes on heauenly Harpe with twanckling finger fine The wynde layde downe his pipling blastes his harmony diuine Procurde the woods to styr them selues and trees in traynes along Came forth with byrds that held their layes and listned to his song With lims on sunder rent in fielde of Thrace he lyeth dead Vp to the top of Heber floude eke haled was his head Gone downe he is to Stygian dampes which seene hee had before And Tartar boyling pits from whence returne hee shall no more Alcydes banging hat did bringe the Northern laddes to grounde To Achelo of sundry shapes he gaue his mortall wounde Yet after he could purchase peace both vnto sea and land And after Ditis dungeon blacke rent open by his hand He lyuing spred himselfe along on burning Oetas hill His members in his proper flame the wretch did thrust to spill His bloud he brewd with Nestors bloud and lost his lothsome lyfe By traytrous gyft that poysoned shyrt receaued of his wyfe With tuske of bristled groyning Bore Anceus lyms were torne O Meleagar wicked wight to graue by thee were borne Thy mothers brethren twayne and shee for it with ruthfull hand Hath wrought thy dolefull desteny to burne thy fatall brand The rash attempting Argonautes deserued all the death That Hylas whom Alcides lost bereft of fading breath That springall which in sowsing waues of waters drowned was Goe now yee lusty bloudes the Seas with doubtfull lot to passe Though Idmon had the calking skyll of destentes before The serpent made him leaue his lyfe in tombe of Liby shore And Mopsus that to other men could well theyr fates escry Yet onely did deceyue him selfe vncertayne where to dy And he that could the secret hap of things to come vnfoulde Yet dyde not in his countrey Thebes Dame Theris husband oulde Did wander like an outlawde man Our Palimedes syre Did headlong whelm him selfe in seas Who at the Greekes retyre From Troy to rushe on rockes did them alure with wily light Stout Aiax Oleus did sustayne the dint of thunder bright And cruell storme of surging seas to quite the haynous guilt That by his countrey was commit in seas he lyeth spilt Alceste to redeeme her husbands Phereus lyfe from death The godly Wyfe vpon her spouse bestowed her panting breath Proude Pelias that wretch him selfe who bad them first assay The golden Fleece that booty braue by ship to fetch away Perboylde in glowing cauldron hoate with feruent heate hee fryes And fleering peece meale vp and downe in water thin he lyes Inough inough reuenged are O Gods the wronges of seas Be good to Iason doing that hee did his Eame to please THE FOVRTH ACTE Nutrix MY shiuering minde amazed is agast and sore dismayde My chillish lims with quaking colde do tremble all afrayde Such plagues vengeāce is at hand in what exceding wise Do sharp assaults of greedy griefe still more more arise And of it selfe in smothering breast enkindlesse greater heate Oft haue I seene how ramping rage hath forced her to freate With franticke fits mad bedlem wise against the Gods to rayle And eke bewitched ghosts of heauen in plunging plagues to trayle But now Medea beates her busie brayne to bring to passe A myschiefe greater greater farre then euer any was Erewhile when hence she tript away astonished so sore And of her poyson closset close shee entred had the dore Shee powreth out her Iewels all abrode to light shee brings That which she dreading lothed long most irksome vgly things She mumbling coniures vp by names of ills the rable rout In hugger mugger cowched long kept close vnserched out All pestlent plagues she calles vpon what euer Libie lande In frothy boyling stream doth worke or muddy belching sande What tearing torments Taurus breedes with snowes vnthawed still Where winter flawes and hory frost knit hard the craggy hill She layes her crossing hands vpon each monstrous coniurde thing And ouer it her magicke verse with charming doth she sing A mowste rowste rusty route with cancred Scales Iclad From musty fusty dusty dens where lurked long they had Doe craull a wallowing serpent huge his cōbrous Corps out drags In fiery foming blaring mouth his forked tongue hee wags He stares about with sparkling eyes if some he might espy Whom snapping at with stinging spit he might constrayne to dy But hearing once the magycke verse he husht as all agast His body boalne big wrapt in lumps on twining knots hee cast And wambling to and fro his tayle in linkes he rowles it round Not sharp enough quoth she the plagues tooles that hollow groūd Engenders for my purpose are to heauen vp will I call To reach me stronger poyson down to frame my feate with all Now is it at the very poynt Medea thou assay To bring about some farther fetch then common Witches may Let downe let downe that sprawling Snake that doth his body spred As doth a running brooke abroade his myghty channell shed Whose swelling knobs of wondrous sise buystrous bobbing bumpes Doth thumpe the great lesser beare that feete his heauy lumpes The bygger beare with golden gleede the greekish fleete doth guyde But by the lesse the Sidon ships their passage haue espide He that with pinch of griping fist doth bruse the adders twayne His strening hard clasping hande let him vnknit agayne And crushe their squeased venome out come further thou our charme O slymy serpent Python whom Dame Iuno sent to harme Diana and Apollo both those heauenly spyrites
case for Britans sake Ne can her ruthful piteous sorrow slake Though Neros wrath do sore constrayne her grace She nil esteemes the secrete closet place But boyling stil with equal peysd disdayne With mutuall hate gaynst him doth burne agayne My true and trusty loue that I do beare In vayne I see doth striue to comfort her Reuenging greedy griefe doth streight repriue T' appease her smarte the counsel that I giue Nor flame of worthy breast doth once relent But heaps of greefe her courage do augment Alas what griesely deedes for to ensue My feare foreseeth God graunt it be not true THE THIRD SCENE Octauia Nutrix O Staggering state O peerelesse yll With ease Electra I repeate And call to mynd thy mourning will With watred eies like smartiÌ„g sweat Thou mightst lament thy father slain Stil hoping that thy brother myght That deadly deede reuenge agayne Whom thou O tender louing wight Didst safely shield from bloudy foe And naturall loue did closely kepe But Neroes dreaded visage loe Doth feare me that I dare not weepe Nor wayle my parentes ruthful case By cruell lot this slaughter cought Ne suffers mee this geniall face To dash with teares to dearely bought With brothers bloud who onely was Myne onely hope in all my griefe And of so many mischieues as My comfort greate and sole reliefe Now loe reserud for greater care And to abyde more lingring payne Of noble famous lineage bare A drouping shade I do remayne Nutrix My Ladyes heauye voyce mee thought Within my listning eares can sounde And snaylish age in going soft Vnto her thews in not ybounde Octauia O Nurse our dolours witnes sure By curroll cheekes distilling rayne And heauy heartes complaynt endure Nutrix Alas what day shall ridde of payne With care your welnye wasted heart Octauia That sends this guiltles ghost to graue Nutrix This talke good madame set apart Octauia In rule my state theire destenies haue And not thy prayers O matrone iust Nutrix The doune soft easy God shall geue Your troubled mynd a tyme I trust More sweete then euer you did liue With feuell fayre as one content And glosed face but onely please Your man and make he will relent Octauia The Lyon fierce I shall appeale And sooner tame the Tygre stoute Then mankynd Tyrantes brutish breast He spytes the noble raced â—out Contemmes hygh powers disdaynes the least Ne can wel vse that princely weede Which venemous parent wrapt him in By huge vnspeakeable griesly deede Although that wight vnthankful grynne In Kingly throne that hee doth raygne Throughe cruel cursed mothers ayde Although hee pay with Death agayne So greate a gift it shal be sayde And after fates in long spent age That woman wight shal haue alwaye This eloge yet and saying sage That he by her doth beare the sway Nutrix Let not your ragious mynde so walke But doe compresse your moody talke THE FOVRTH SCENE Octauia Nutrix THough much I beare that boyling brest do beate And tollerably take diuorcements threate Deathes only deadly darte I see an end Of al my broyle and pinching payne can send What pleasant light to me O wretch is left My natural Mother slayne and Syre be reft Of breathing life by treason and by gilt Of Brother eake depriude with miseryes spilt And wayling ouercome kept downe with care Enuyed of Make which I dare not declare To mayden subiect now and now defied What pleasant light can me O wretch abyde With feareful hart suspecting always ought Because I would no wicked deede were wroughte Not that I feare Deathes griesly gyrning face God graunt I do not so reuenge my case A better deede to dye for to behold The Tyrantes visage grimme with browes vprolde And with soft tender lippes my foe to kisse And stand in awe of beckes and noddes of his Whose will to please my griefe with cares yfirde Since brothers death by wicked wyle conspirde Could neuer once vouchsafe for to sustayne Lesse griefe to die then thus to liue in payne His Empyre Nero rules and ioyes in blood The cause and ground of death that Tirant wood How oft alas doth Fansie fondly fayne WheÌ„ slumber swete in pensiue parts doth raigne And sleepe in eyes all tyrd with teares doth rest I apprehend deare Brittans liuely brest Ere whyle me thinkes his feble shiuering hands He fenseth sure with deadly blasing brandes And fiercely on his brother Neros face With sturdy stinging stroakes he flies apace Ere whyle thilke wretch recoyleth backe agayne And to my thewes for aide retyres amayne Him foming foe pursues with hast to haue And whyle my brother I desire to saue And in my clasped armes to shield him free His goary bloudied falchion keene I see The boysterous raumping fiend to tugge hale Through out my shiuering limmes as ashes pale Forthwith a mighty trembling chattering quake From weary lims all souple sleepe doth shake And makes me woeful wretch for to recount My wayling sobbing sorrowes that surmount Hereto put to that gorgeous stately ouse All glistring bright with spoyles of Claudius house His parent deare in bubling boate did douse That wicked sonne this fisking dame to please Whom yet escaping daungers great of Seas He fiercer freake than waues that scantly rest VVith bloudy blade hir bowels did vnbrest VVhat hope of health can me O wretch abyde That after them thilke way I should not ryde My speciall foe triumphant wise doth weight VVith naked nates to presse by louers sleight Our spousall pure and cleane unspotted bed Gainst whom she burns with deadly foode bloud red And for a meede of filthy strumpets sport She causeth Make from spouse for to diuort O auncient Syre step forth from Limbo lake Thy daughters heauy troublous cares to slake Or your twygated hellysh porche vnfolde That downe through gaping ground I may bee rolde Nu. O piteous wretch in vaine alas in vaine Thou calst vpon thy fathers senselesse sprite In whome God wot there doth no care remaine Of mortall broode that here doth take delight Shall he thinke you asswage your sory cheere Or shape you forth some sleight to appall your paine That could preferre before his Brittan deere Th' imperiall throne a straunge begotten swaine And with incestiall loue benummed quyte His brother Germanicks daughter that could plyght And ioyne to him in solemne mariage rites VVith woefull and vnlucky louers lightes Here sprang the roale of hurly burly great Here beastly venomous slaughter gan to sweate Here wylie treasons traines appeared first Here rules desire and brutish bloudy thirst Syllanus first Prince Claudius sonne in lawe A bloudy mangled offring fall we sawe That in our graces Hymaeneal bed Ymatcht with you he might not couche his hed O monstrous slaughter worthy endlesse blame In steade of gift vnto that wanton dame A Carkasse colde pore soule and curelesse corse Sillane was giuen against his will perforce And falsly then attacht of traitors crime As one conspyring death in Claudius time VVith lothsome streakes spewde out vpon the wall
He all bedasht your fathers princely hall Eft stepped into seruile Pallace stroke To filthy vices lore one easly broke Of Diuelish wicked with this Princocks proude By stepdames wyle prince Claudius Sonne auoude VVhome deadly damme did bloudy match ylight And thee against thy will for feare did plight Through which successe this Dame of corage fine Durst venture mighty Ioue to vndermine VVho can so many cursed kindes report Of wicked hopes and actes in any sort Or such a womans glosed guyles can name That raumpes at rule by all degrees of shame Then holy sacred zeale put out of grace Her stagring steppes directed forth apace And sterne Erinnis in with deadly steps To Claudius Court all desert left yleps And with hir dririe drakes of Stygian fort Hath quite distainde the sacred princely port And raging riuen in twaine both natures lore And right to wrongs mishapen fourme hath tore That haughty minded dame first gaue her make A deadly poysoned cup his thyrst to slake Straight wayes againe through vise vnkindly touch Her Nero causde with him in hell to couch And thee vnhappy Britt in all that broyle Till that of breth and life he did dispoyle Thilk greedie bloudy tyraunt neuer stent VVhose dolefull death for aye we may lament Ere whyle vnto the world the starre that shone And was the stay of princely court alone Now loe light ashes easly puft aforne And griesly goast to graue with torche yborne VVhom blessed Babe thy stepdame did lament Nor from hir gushing teares did scarce relent VVhen as shee gaue eche trimme appointed parte And goodly portraide limmes with natures arte Of flaming stacke to be deuoured quite And sawe the scortching feruent fire in sight Thy naked ioynts to rauin vp a pace And like the flittring God thy comely face Oct. Dispatch he me least with this hand he fall Nut. That power you nature graunted not at all Oct. But wondrous dolor great and wrathfull yre And miseries will it graunt without desyre Nu. Nay rather cause your angry moody make VVith souple cheere his fury for to slake Oct. VVhat that he will by guilt once slaine before Aliue againe my brother mee restore Nut. Nay safe that you may liue and issue beare Your fathers auncient court for to repayre Oct. That court doth wayte another broode they say And poore Britts death tugges me another way Nut. Yet let the cities loue vnto your grace Your troubled minde confirme but for a space Oct. Their mindes so prest to pleasure me I know Great comfort brings but do not slake my wo Nut. Of mighty power the people haue bene aye Oct. But princes force doth beare the greater sway Nut. He will respect his lawfull wedded wife Oct. His mynion braue can not so leade her life NV. Of no man shee esteemde Oct. But dear to make NV. She can not truely yet of wifehood crake Oct. Ere longe she shall a mother eke be made So farre therein I dare most boldly wade Nut. His youthfull heate at first in filthy loue With lusty crusty pangs doth boyle aboue Thylke corage quickly colde in lust apace As vapour sone extinct in flame giues place But holy louing chaste vnspotted spouse Her loue endureth aye with sacred vowes That wanton first that there durst couch hir hed And tumbling stayned quite your spousall bed And being but your mayde hath ruled longe Hir soueraine Lord with beauties grace bestong That pranked Paramour pert shal croutch with pain VVhen she your grace shall see preferd againe For Poppie subiect is and meeke of spright And now begins her goastly tombs to dight VVhereby she closely graunting doth bewray Hir secret hidden feare eche other day That swift vnconstant double winged lad With cloute before his blinded eyes yclad That fickle brayned God th unhappy boy Shall leaue hir in the midst of all hir ioy Although for beauty bright the bell she beare And goodly glistring garments new she weare And now do vaunt her selfe in gorgeous geere Shee shall not long enioy this gladsome cheere Be not dismayde Madame for such like paine The queene of gods was forced to sustaine VVhen to ech pleasaunt shape the heauenly guide And syre of Gods yturned from skyes did glyde The swannes white wings to se how they could fadge He did on him and cuckoldes bullysh badge That God shone bright in Golden raynie showre To Danaes brest through top of fortred towre The twinckling starres the twinnes of Laeda bright Whom Pollux some and Castor call aryght In large and ample space of starry scope With cristal glimering faces shyne wyde ope And Semeles sonne whom Bacchus we do call In heauenly byrthright doth himselfe ystall And Hercules that puissant Champion stoute His sturdy brawnes his Hebe wyndes aboute Nor once regardes how Goddesse Iuno fare Whose lowring stepdame now she is yframde That whyle on earth his prowes he did declare Agaynst that maryage aye was sore inflamd Yet loe her wise and closly couched greefe Debonaire face obeisaunce to her leefe Causde him at length his mynd for to remoue Through mortall feeres estraundge from Iunos loue And now that mighty heauenly Goddesse great No more adred of mortall strumpets feat Aloft alone in cloudy bowre contentes The thundring Lord which now to her relentes Nor now with earthly Ladyes beauty bright Yfyred leaues his starry specked right Now madam sith on earth your powre is pight And haue on earth Queene Iunos princely place And sister are and wyfe to Neroes grace Your wondrous restles dolours great appease Oct. Nay sooner shall the roaring froathy seas And mounting flashing flawes ymatch the skye And smoaking stifling parching fyer drye With dankish pooles agree and watrye fenne And griesly Plutoes filthy feltred denne With starbright heauen shal sooner coupled be And shyning light with glomy shades agree And with the cleere drye day the dewy night Than vnto seruile lore of husbande wight That brutish wyse in bloud takes his delight My heauy woeful mynd can I addresse Whyle brothers death my heart doth stil possesse O that of heauenly powers the prince and syre That shogges and shakes the earth with thūdring fyre And with his wondrous feareful cursed crackes And straunge mishapen monsters which he makes Our feareful musing myndes doth sore amase Would coyne some cureles burning wildfyre blase To pelt and pash with thumping fyer bright That diuelish pate that cruell cursed wight We saw from heauen with beames forthshoting farre Doubtles a dreadful heary blasing starre That spouted out a mortall fiery flake Whose force a princes bloud can only slake Euen where that hayting carman sloe Boote With chilling cold al starcke of frosen pole Doth guyde aright Charles whirling running rote In steade of night that neuer away doth role Loe now the open ayre in euery streate With doggish tyrantes breath is poysoned quite And dreadful starres some sodayne death do threate To people rulde by wicked Neroes spright So sterne a freake or mankynd tyrant stoute Not Tellus with the Gods displeasd brought out
When mighty Ioue neglected she vphorlde Huge vgly monstrous Typhon to the worlde A sorer plague a cleaner scouryng scourge With bloudy pawes that cityes boundes doth purge Is Nero dyre this cruell cursed wyght That doth himselfe gaynst God and man ydyght And thrustes from sacred shrynes their quiet porte And goodly temples gay the sancted sort That cittyes dwellers puts from countries fort That hath bereft his brother of his lyfe And launcht his mothers sides with goary knyfe Yet doth this present lightsome day enioye And leades his lyfe that doth vs sore annoy O Father of heauen in vayne why dost thou throwe Thy great vnuanquisht ratling thundring blowe Vppon the whistling woods and ample seas With force of princely power thy wrath t' appease Ou such an hurtful and pernicious freake Thy due and iust conceyued yre to wreake Why stay thy mighty puissaunt braunds so long Ere thou fling downe thy ratling cracking throng O Lord that Nero once might pay the price Of all his deuilish deedes and euery vyce Th' whole wyde worlds tyrant sterne wher he a stroke Doth beare which he ouerlades with burdnous yoke Of princely syre yborne but doth defame With beastly manners vyle his princely name Nun. Vnworth he is your spousall chamber place But yet your destnies force you must imbrace And wel abyde your fortunes crooked race Nor moue vnkyndly Neroes gauly yre One day perchaunce there wil as I desyre Some God reuenge your lamentable case And once I trust a gladsome day shal be When you shal ioy a fresh in wonted place Oct. Ah. no now long this court alas we see With heauy wrath of Gods displeased yre Hath ouercharged bene which Venus dyre With Messalinas monstrous ramping lust Shee first hath brought adowne into the dust Who madly maryed to prince Claudius grace But little myndful then of that same case And not regarding much th appoynted payne With cursed cressets maried once againe To which vnlucky incestuall brydall bed That drosell dyre that furious slut Erin With hanging hayre aboute her hellish hed And gyrt with snakes with deadly step went in And flaming brandes from spousall chamber cought In both their blouds ybathd hath quenched cleane And hath incenst prince Claudius burning thought In bloudy thratling stroake to passe all meane My mother first of wretches all the most With stripe of deadly sword gaue vp her ghost And now extinguisht quite left me forlorne With dolours pyning panges and mourning worne And after her in hellish teame doth hayle Vnto the senseles soules of Plutoes iaile Her make and Brittannick her sonne that way And first this ruinous court did she betray Nut. Let be Madame with teares your face to dight Ne so renew your bitter wayling iust Ceasse troubling now your parents piteous spright That payed hath the price of raging lust THE FIFT SCENE Chorus God graunt the talke wee hearde of late To rashly trusted euery where And blowne abroad through each estate No badge of truth that it may beare And that no fresh espoused dame Our Princes thewes do enter in But that OCTAVIA keepe the same And that the seede of GLADIV Skin May once bring forth some pledge of peace That to the world rest may redowne And wrangling stryfe may easly cease And Rome retayne her great renowne The peerlesse Princesse Iuno hight Her brothers wedlocke yoke retaynes VVhy is AVGVSTVS sister bright VVhere like betroathed league remaynes From stately pompe of court reiect VVhat doth deuoutnes her auayle To sayncted syre who hath respectt VVhat doth her Virgins life preuayle And CLAVDIV Snow in ground ylayed Euen wee to much vnmyndefull be VVhose worthy steme we haue betrayed Throught feare that made vs to agree In breast our elders did embrace The perfect Romayne puissaunce The true vnstayned worthy race And bloud of Mars they did aduaunce The proude and lofty stomackt trayne Of lusty hauty mynded Kinges They could not suffer to remayne VVithin this noble Cities winges And iustly they reuengd thy death O Virgin chast VIRGINIA pure Depriude by syre of vitall breath That bondage thou mightst not endure And that his shameles brutish lust So good a meede might not enioy Although by filthy force vniust Thy chastity he would annoy Thee likewyse whom thyne owne right hande VVith sword did pearce LVCRETIA true VVho tyrantes rape could not withstand Did bloudy broyles and warres ensue And with her proude disdaynfull Make Lord TARQVIN ympe of cursed seede Correction due doth TVLLIA take For her vnkindly shameles deede VVho on her Fathers mangled corse To mischiefe bent and wicked bane The Carman shee to driue did force His cruell brusing wombling wane And quite agaynst all natures law Euen from her owne dismembred syre The sacred rytes she did withdraw Denaying wonted burial fire This griefe our woeful age doth feele Through monstruous act agaynst all kinde VVhen as in deadely crafty keele To TYRRHEN seas and wrastling wynd The proude presuming Prince did put His mother trapt in subtil sort The Mariners appoynted cut The swelling Seas from pleasaunt port The clash resoundes with stroake of Ores The Ship out launcht apace doth spinne In surging froath aloofe from shores And ample course of seas doth winne VVhich glydyng forth with leusned plankes In pressed streames with peysed weight The riftes do open closed crankes That hidden were with secrete sleight And gulpeth vp the leaking waue The woeful roaring noyse and crye VVith womans shrikes themselues to saue Do reach and beate the starry skye Then griesly present death doth daunce Before their eyes with pyning Cheekes VVhose deadly stroake and heauy chaunce For to auoyde then each man seekes On ryuened ribs some naked lie And cutte the beating waues in twayne And some theyr skilful swimming trye To get vnto the shore agayne The greatest part that sayled there By destnies dire to men prefixt In whirling swallowes drowned were The brinkes of Seas and ground betwixt Queene AGRIPPYNE her garments rendes Shee teares her ruffled lockes of hayre Abundant blubbring teares she spendes Through deepe distresse of faynting feare VVho when no hope of health shee spies Enflamde with wrath which woes appeasde O sonne for so greate giftes shee cryes Hast thou with such reward me pleasd This keele I haue deserued sure That bare and brought thee first to light VVho empyre witles did procure And CAESARS title for thy ryght Shew forth thy feareful spritish face O CLADIVS now from Limbo lake And of thy wyfe in wretched case Reuenge and due correction take Thy deth I causeles did conspyre VVhich now I rue with woeful harte I dressed eake a funerall fyre Vnto thy sonne by deadly smart Lo now as I deserued haue Vntombde go to thy guiltles Ghost Encloasd in seas in stead of graue And wrestling waues of Romayne coast The flasshing flawes do flappe her face And on her speaking mouth do beate Anone shee sinkes a certayne space Depressed downe with surges grea Anone shee fleetes on weltring brim And pattes them of with tender handes Through faynting
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
kele to beare to hie a sale Vnleeful thinges that should be shund we gredely desyre But matters meeter for our state we seldome do require The pytying of aduersity doth oft enkindle more The feruent fittes of loue and this perhappe doth vrge him sore To see her reaft of natyue soyle it may his fancy touch Her hayre not tuct with tresses trimme nor dect with golden ouche Perhap the man with pitty prickt doth loue her for her care Vnto his noble hart to pitty prisoners t is not rare The sister deare of Priamus fayre Lady Hesyon he Did cause to Thelamon the Greeke in wedlocke knit to bee Account how many wyues before and maydens did he loue And raung'd abroade to coole the rage that Venus brand did moue Fayre Auge mayde of Arcadye ententiue set to leade Dianas drunce by force of him did leese her mayden hed And yet no token could she shew nor pledge of any ioue What shall I speake of any more or doth it mee behoue To prate what prankes he playd with fifty daughters in one night And yet how soone of such a pange he ouer came the might He set much store by Omphale of Lidia land the Queene When like a guest on Timolus the mount he hath bene seene He was so prict with Cupids dart and caught in Venus trap That tucke in womans weede he sat with distaf in his lap And spoon the flaxe with fombling fyst and rudely thumbde the threede Aud flong from him the syons case the price of noble deede With tresses tricke on plaited lockes he wayled as a mayde With myrre his ftiseled poale was smeard and curry bush was brayde Thus euery where as fancy flits the fondling dotes in loue But in such sort as easely he can the same remoue DEI. But they whom fickle fansies fits haue taynt doe learne at last In linke of loue by tract of time to fix affiaunce fast NV. Trow yee that hee this captiue queane and on whom hee doe see The daughter of his deadly foe will more esteeme then thee DE. As gladsome groues at Prime of spring in beauties pride are seene When fresshest warmth the naked twigges doth clad in pleasant greene But when coulde Boreas boysteous blast the pipling puffes doth stop Of south winde sweete rough wynter powles the naked busshes top The bare woode with misshapen stumpes doth shew a withered Face Euen so my beauty marching forth a season on his Race Still fades away and euermore abates his glimsing glosse And what so euer was in mee by care is come to losse And that which earst by fansy fed the greedy gazing eyes Is fallen away by bearing childe so oft it droupes and dyes And since I came to mothers state I faded fast away And wrinckled age with furrowed face steps in with quick decay But yet this bondmaydes â—eauter fresh her sorrow better brookes Her comely countnaunce crazied is with leane and wanny lookes And yet for all her kark and care amid her deepe distress Shee beares a glimse of beauty bryght and fauour nothing lesse Her heauy hap and frowning rate can nothing from her plucke Saue Scepter from her royall hande by all this lowring lucke By meanes of this first faynting feare did lodge within my breast That makes mee wake the weary nightes and leese my kindely rest In all mens eyes at first I seemde to be a blessed Wyfe And Ladies all at our estate repining very ryfe Did wyshe my watch in spite of fate what Stepster shall I hope As match in maiesty to Ioue within the heauenly coape Deare fosterdame whom shall I make my feere in spowsall bed Although Euryst that Hercules to all these toyles hath led Doe linke with mee in bridall bandes my state shal be impayrde T is small worth to deserue to bee to kingly wedlock rayrde NV. But Issue is the thing that doth in marriage kindell loue DE. And Issue is the thing that doth in marriage mallice moue NV. This while the bondmayde to thee for present shal be braught DE. Loe hee â—etreth vp and downe with pryncely pore full haught And buckles fast about his Loynes the liuely Lyons case Who doth inuest the wretched with the right of kingly mace Deposing those from honoures type that late so lofty sat And pestereth his puissaunt pawes with huge dvnweildy bat Of whose exploytes and maarciale actes the Seres sing aloofe And all enclosde in Ocean sea thereof haue perfit proofe Is now became an amorous knight the honour of his name Doth nothing touch his conscience to tender once his fame Hee roueth through the worlde as on that doth no whit esteeme Although that men as soone to Ioue shall him vnworthy deeme Nor like the man whose credit through the townes of Greece is greate Hee seekes to compasse his desier to worke a Louers feate With single Dames is his delight If any him deny Then to attayne his lawlesse lust by rigour doth hee try With men hee fareth frantickly to others smart and blame Hee wins his Wyues his folly frayle is cloackt by vertues name The noble City Oechalie is made a razed towne The Sunne twixt morne and euen did set in one day vp and downe One day did see it stand in state the same did see it fall These bloudy broyles and wasting warres of Loue proceeded all As oft as parents vnto him deny theyr daughters deare So oft I warrant them they neede his wrathfull fury feare So oft a man with Hercules shal be at deadly foode As hee denies his stepfather to bee by ioyning bloude If hee may not be sonne in law then doth hee rage and raue Why doe these guiltlesse handes of myne still keepe him from his graue Till hee dissemble franticke fits to bend his ayming bowe And deaths wounde on my chylde and me with bloudy hands bestowe Thus hawty Hercules was wont his wedlockes to deuorce Yet nought there is that lawe of guilt on him might haue recorse Hee makes the worlde blame Iuno for the ills hee hath commit O rigour of my rage why dost thou quallify my fit Now must thou set thy hands on worke too 't while thy hands bee hot N. Thy husband wilt thou slay D. Him whoÌ„ his Leman lewd hath got NV. But yet he is the sonne of Ioue DE. And so Alemenas sonne N. With stroke of steele D. With stroke of steele if it cannot bee donne Then for to bring his death to passe I le set for him a snare NV. What kinde of madnesse may it be that makes thee thus to fare D. Such as my husband hath mee taught N. Wilt thou thy spouse destroy On whom the stepdames spite yet had no power to work annoy D. The wrathes of heauenly mindes do make theÌ„ blest on whoÌ„ they light So doth not spite of mortall men N. Oh silly wretched wight For beare thy rage and feare the worst mans force may not assayle Him that agaynst the power of hell and death coulde once preuayle DE. I le venter on the dint
vnfeareful arme loe ouerchargde with woe My breast lies bare vnto thy hand Stryke I thy gylt forgeue The fâ—endes infernall for their sinne thy soule shal neuer greeue What yerking noyse is this we heare what hagge here haue we fowndâ— That beares aboute her writhen lockes these vgly adders wound And one her yrksome temples twayne her blackysh â—innes do wagge Why chase ye mee with burning brandes Megera filthy hagge Alcides can but vengeance aske and that I wil him get But haue the iudges dyre of hell for yt in counsell set But of the dreadful dongeon dores I see th unfoulding leaues What auncient sier is he that on his tatred shoulder heaues Th' unweildy stone that borne toth top agayne doth downward reele Or what is â—e that spraules his lims vppon the whirling wheele Lo heare stood ougly Tisiphon with sterne and ghastly face And did demaunde with steaming eies the manner of the case O spare thy strypes Megera spare and with thy brandes away Th' offence I did was ment in loue but whether do I sway The grouÌ„d doth sinke the roofe doth cracke whether went this raging route Now al the world with gasing eyes stand staring me about On euery side the people grudge and call for their defence Be good to me O nations whither shall I get mee hence Death onely is my loade of rest there may my sorrowes byde I do protest the fiery wheeles that Phoebus charyot guide That heare I dye and leaue the worlde ther 's Hercles yet behynde Hi. Away she runnes agast aye me shee hath fullylde her mynd For purposed she was to dye and now remaynes my wil For to preuent her that by force her selfe she shall not kill O mise rable prety if I my mother saue I sin agaynst my father then but if vnto the graue I let her goe then toward her a trespas soule there lyes And tâ—hus alas on eyther syde great mischiefe doth aries And needes her purpose must be stayde I le hie and take in hand To stop her despret enterpryse and mischiefy to withstand Chorus FVll true the dytty is That holy ORPHEVS sang On Thracian harpe with sounde whereof the Rocks of Rodop rang That nothing is creat For euer to endure Dame Natures byrdes each on must stoupe when death throwes out the lure The head wyth Crispen lockes or goulden hayres full In time hath borne an hoary bush or bin a naked scull And that which tract of time doth bring out of the grayne Olde SATVRNE sharps his Syth at length to reape it downe agayne Though PHOEBVS ryse at morne with glistring rayes full proude Hee runnes his race and ducketh downe at length in foggy Clowde Toth Gaetans ORPHEVS sang such kinde of melody And how the gods themselues were bounde to lawes of destiny The God that doth the yeare By egall partes dispose Howe fatall webbe in euery clyme are dayly spunne he showes For all thinges made of moulde The grounde agayne will gape As Hercles preacheth playne by proofe that nothing can escape For shortly shall ensue Discarge of Natures Lawe And out of hande the gloming daye of doome shall onwarde drawe Then all that lies within The scorching Libicke clyme The poale antarticke of the South shall ouerwhelme in tyme Poale articke of the North Shall iumble all that lyes VVithin the Axeltree whereon drye BORES blasinge flyes The shiuerynge Sunne in Heauen Shall leese his fadyng lighte The Pallace of the frames of Heauens shall runne to ruin quight And all these blockish Gods Some kynd of Death shall quell And in confused CHAOS blynde they shall for euer dwell And after ruin made Of Goblin Hegge and Elfe Death shall bringe finall destenye at last vppon it selfe VVhere shall be then bestowde The world so huge a masse The beaten hye way vnto hell is like away to passe To leade vnto the Heauens That shall be layed flatt The space betwene the Heauen and earth inough thinke ye is that Or is it not to much For worldly miseryes VVher may such heaps of sinnes be lodgd what place aboue the skyes Remaynes but that the sea VVith Heauen and lowest Hell Three Kingdomes cast in one are like within one roofe to dwell But hark what roaring crye Thus beates my fearefull eare But lo it s Hercules that yelles t is Hercules I heare THE FOVRTH ACTE Hercules Chorus REtyre retyre thy breathing breastes O Titan blasing bright Vnfold thy mysty mantle blacke of dim and darkesome Night And dash this dreary day wherin I Hercules must die With blemish black of filthy fogge defyle the griesly skye Preâ—â— enâ— my stepdames naughty mynd Now should I haue resignde O Father my inheritaunce of Plutoes dungeon blynd Heauen frames should here there be brast eyther poale should crack Why sparest thou the starres and least thy Hercles go to wracke Now Ioue loke round aboute the heauens and if thou can espye On gyant heaue the Thessaill cliues agaynst th assalted skye Vnburdned be Enceladus of hugye Osir hill And hurled be on Hercules the mighty mountayne still Prowde Pluto shall vnbarre the gates of blacke and glummy caue Yet maugre all their might o Father Ioue I wil thee saue From fury of thy foes and set thee vp agayne in skyes Yet lo Ioue loe her that on earth thy thunderdint supplies And for to be liuetenaunt of thy boultes on earth was borne Is sent to burning Limbo lake in tormentes to be torne The sterne Enceladus agayne in ramping rage shal ryse And hurle the weighte that now doth croâ—de him downe against the skies Thus by my death they shal presume to conquer heauen all But ere that day vppon my corse compel the heauens to fall Breake downe breake downe the welkin that thou suffrest to decay Ch. O sonne of thunder thumping Ioue no shadowes do thee fray Now Ossa mount of Thessalie shal Pelion hill downe crush And Athos pilde on Pindus toppe his bushy hed shall push Among the starry skes therby aboue the craggy rockes Typhoëus vp shal clyme and thumpe with store of baâ—tryng knockes Iuarmen stone in Tyrren sea from thence eake shall he beat The smoaky forge of Aetna mount that glowes with stewing heate Enceladus not ouerthrowne yet with the thunder cracke Shal hew the mountayne syde in twayne and trusse it on his backe The signes of heauen shal follow thee and goe with thee to wracke Her I that returnde from dennes of death and Stigian streame defyed And ferryed ouer Lethes lake and dragd vp chaind and tyde The tryple headded mastiffe hownd when Tytans teeme did start So at the ougly sight that he fel almost from his cart Euen I whose pith the kingdomes three of Gods ful wel haue knowne Lo yet myne end I daunted am by death and ouerthrowne But yet no bloudy blade agaynst my riued rybbes doth crash It is no rock that vnto death my brused bones doth pash Nor as it were with O sir hill that clouen were in twayne Nor with the sway of all the
with a night engendred hath to thee If East and West if Scithia and euery burning plot That parched is with glowing glede of Phoebus fier hot Doth sing my prayse and if the earth ful satisfyde with peace If languishing and wayling woords in euery towne doe cease If none their alters do imbrew with any guiltles gore Then Ioue let my vncaged spirite haue heauen for euermore As for th infernall dennes of death they do not me detarre Nor scouling Plutoes dungeon darck but Ioue I do abhorre Vnto those gastly Goblins as a stlly shade to goe Sith I am he whose conquering hand gaue them their ouerthrowe Withdraw these foggy clowdes of night display the glimsyng light That Hercles broyld with flying flames the Gods may haue in sight And if thou do denye O fyre the starres and heauen to mee To geue me them agaynst thy will thou shalt constrayned bee If glutting griefe do stop thy speach the Stygian goulphes set oape Aud let mee dye but first declare within the heauenly coape That thou accepst me as thy soone this day it shal be wrought That to bee raysd aloft to starres I may be worthy thought Thou hast doone litle for me yet it may be doubted well Whether Ioue did first beget his sonne or damnd him first to hell And quoth he let my stepdame see how wel I can abyde The scorching heate of burning brandes for fyer then he cride And sayth to me O Philoctet in hast vppon me throw The burning logges why quakest thou dost dastard thow forslow For feare to this wicked deede O coward peasant slaue Thou art to weake to bende my bow vnmeete my shaftes to haue What aylest thou to loke so pale and as thou seest mee lye With cherefull looke couragiously do thou the fier plye Behold me wretch that broyle and burne my father opes the Skyes And vnto me sonne Hercules come come away he cryes O father Ioue quoth he I come with that I waxed pale And toward him a burning beame with might and mayne I hale But backe from him the billets flye and tumbling out they leape And from the limmes of Hercules downe falleth all the heape But he encrocheth on the fyre as it from him doth shrinke That many mountaynes whole were set on fyer a man would thinke No noyse was hard and all was husht but that the fyer did hisse In Hercles glowing paunch when as his liuer burning is It boysteous gyant Typhus had amid this fire bene throwne These torments would haue straind his teares forst him sigh grone Or tough Euceladus that tost a mountayne on his backe But Hercles lifted vp himselfe amid his fyres all blacke With smoake besmeard his corps halfe burnt in shiuers gube flawes And downe the throate his gasping breath flames at once he drawes Then to Alemen he turnd himselfe O mother myne quoth hee Should ye so stand at Hercles death should you thus wayle for me And thus betwene the fire and smoke vpright and stiffe he standes And neyther stoupes nor leanes awrye but moues and stirs his hands With al his liuely gestures still and thus he doth perswade His mother leaue the langusshing and mourning that she made And did encourage all his men t' encrease the fyre than As though he were not burning but would burne some other man The people stoode astonished and scant they would beleeue That fire had any force on him or that it did him greeue Because his chereful looke had such a maiesty and grace And neuer wilde vs meue the fyre that he might burne apace And now when as he thought he had endured pangues ynough And stoutly bode the brunt of death the blocks hee doth remoue That smothering lay to make theÌ„ burne then downward doth he shoue And where the stewing heate did chiefely scorch and burne most hot That way he thrusts his frying lims and thether hath hee got With steaming countnaunce vnapaulde his mouth now doth he fill With burning coales his comely Bearde theÌ„ blazde about his cheekes And now when as the sparkling fier vnto his visage seekes The flame lickt vp his sâ—â—ged hayre and yet he did not winke But open kept his staring eyes But what is this my thinke Alomene cometh yonder as a woefull wight forlorne With sighes and sobs and all her hayre befrounced rent and torne And beares the remnaunt in her Lap of Hercules the great Alcmena Philoctetes LEarne Lordings learne to feare and dread th' unwelldy fatall force This little dust is all that 's lefâ— of Hercles hugy coarse That boysteous Giaunt is consumde vnto these ashes small O Titan what a mighty masse is come to nought at all Aye me an aged womans lappe all Hercules doth shrowde her lap doth serue him for a graue and yet the champion prowde With all his lumpe stils not the roome Aye mee a burthen small I feele of him to whom whole heauen no burthen was at all O Hercules beare chylde O sonne the season whilom was That thou to Tartar pits and sluggish deus aloofe didst passe For to repasse from deepe of hell when wilt thou come agayne For to put loyne the spoyles thereof or bring from captiue chayne To life thy friendly Theseus But when wilt thou returne Alone can flaming Phelegethon thy ghost in torments burne Or can the mastiâ—â—e Dogge of hell keepe downe thy woefull sprite Where then might I come see thy soule and leaue this loathed light When shall I rap at Tartar gate what Iawes shall mee deuower What death shall dâ—wnt mee goest thou to hell and hast no power To come agayne alas why do I wast the day in teares and 〈◊〉 O wretched lyfe why dost thou last thou shouldest droupe and saynt And loath this dreary daye how can I beare to Ioue agayâ—e Another noble Hercules what sonne may I obtayne So valiunt to call mee thus Alcmena mother myne O happy spouse Ampliterio twyse happy hast thou bene In entring at the dennes of death and through the noble sonne The Deutis arthy presentes quake to see thee thether come Though thou but forged father were to Hercules of late Whether shall old beldam goe whom many kinges do hate If any prince remayne with blody breast and murdring mynde Then woe to mee if groning babes be any left behynd That sorrow for theyr parentes deathes now now for Hercles sake Theyr mallice let them wrecke on mee on mee dyre vengeance take If any young Bustris be I feare the Persians sore Wil come and take me captiue hence in chaynes for euermore If any tyrant feede his horce with gubbes of straungers flesh Now let his pampred iades vnto my Carksse fall a fresh Perhap dame Iuno coueteth on me to wrecke her yrâ— And eâ—vs of her burning breast wil turne the flaming fire Her wreckful hand doth loyter now sith Hercules is slayne And now to feele her spurning spyte as harlot I remayne My valyant sonne is cause of this my wombe shall barrayne be Least I should beare another
child as hardy as was hee Oh whether may Alcmena goe or whether shal she wend What countrey or what kingdomes may my careful hed defend Where may I couch my wretched coarse that euery where am knownde If I vnto my natiue soyle repayre among myne owne Euristeus is of Argoe lord thus woefully forlorne I wil to Thebes where I was wed and Hercules was borne And where with Ioue I did enioy dame Venus deare delight O blessed woman had I bene and in most happy plight It Ioue with flash of lightning leams and blasing flakes of fyre Had smolthred me as Semele was sowst at her desyre Would God that Hercles whyle he was a babe had rypped bene Out of my wombe then wretchedly I should not this haue seene The pangues and tormentes of my sonne whose prayse doth couÌ„teruaile Euen Ioue then had I learnd that death at length might him assayle And take him from my sight O child who wil remember thee For now vnthankfulnes is great in men of each degree 〈◊〉 for thy 〈◊〉 I do not know where entertaynd to bee The â—word of the Cleonies I will attempt and fyre Whom from the Lyon rescâ—wde he and made the monster dye Or shal I too th' Archadians go where thou didst sleâ— the boare Where thy renowne remaine 〈…〉 of great exploytes before The parlous 〈◊〉 Hydra heare was slayne there fel he dead That with the flesh of slaughtred men his greedy horses fedde And yonde 's were the Stimphall burdes compelde to leaue the saye And tamed by the handy toyle now doth the Lyon frie And belketh 〈◊〉 fumes in heauens whyle thou liest in thy groue O if mankynd but any sparke of thankful nature haue Let all men prcace to succour mee Alcmene thy mother deare What if among the Thracians I venter to appeare Or on the 〈◊〉 of Hebet floud thy prowesse euery where Hath succoured all these soylts for earst in Thrace thou did put downe The fleshy meangres of the King and put him from his crowne By slaughter of the saluage printe the people liue in peace Where diddest thou denye thy helpe to make tormoyling cease Vnhappy mother that I am a shryne where may I haue To shrowde thy coarse for all the world may striue aboute thy graue What temple may be meete to shryne thy reliques safe for aye And hallowed bones what nations vnto the ghost shal pray O noble sonne what sepulchere what hearse may serue for thee The world it selfe through flying flame thy fatal tombe shal be Who taketh here this payse from me his ashes which I beare Why loath I them imbrace his bones keepe stil his ashes here And they shal be a shield to thee his dust that thee defend To see his shadow princes prowde for feare shal stoupe and bend Ph. O mother of noble Hercules forbeare your dreary playnt His valiant death thus should not be with femal teares attaynt Ye should not languish thus for him nor count him wretched man In dying who by noble mynd preuent his destny can His cheuatry forbyddeth vs with teares him to bewayle The stately stomacke doth not sloupe they sigh whose hartes do fayle Alc. I le mone no more behold behold most wretched mother I Haue lost the sheild of land end sead where glittring Phoebe displayes With whirling wheeles in foamy gulphes and red and purple rayes The losse of many sonnes I may lament in him alone Through him I lifted Kings to frowne when crown my selfe had none Ayd neuer any mother liude that neded lesse to craue Of Gods then I I asked naught while I my sonne might haue What could not Hercles tender loue like on me to bestow What God would once denâ—â— to 〈…〉 or what he held me froe I was in my powre to aske and haue If Ioue would ought denye My Hercules did bring to passe I had 〈…〉 by What mortall mother euer bare and lost so deare a sonne Earst downe the cheekes of Niobe the 〈…〉 When of her deare and tender brattes she wholly was hereuen And did bewaâ—le with strayned sighes her children seuen and seueâ— And yet might I compare this one my Hercles vnto those And I in him as much as shee in all her impâ—s die lose The mothers that are mourning dames do lacke on hâ—d and chefe And now Alcmene shal be shee depriude of all releefe Cease woeful â—â—thers cease if that among you any are Constrayne to shed your streaming teares by force of peasâ—ue careâ— Ye Lady whom lamenting song of women fourmed rockes Geue place vnto my gluttyng greefe beat on with burning knockes Ye handes vppon my riueled breast alas am I alone Enough for such a funerall to languish and to moue Whom al the world shall shortly neede yet steech thy feble armes To thumpe vppon thy sounding breast thy griefe with boleful 〈◊〉 And in despyte of al the gods powre put thy woeful erye And to receiue thy flowing teares thy warry cheekes applye Bewayle Alcmenas woful state the sonne of Ioue bewayle Whose byrth did cause the duâ—ay day in kindly course 〈◊〉 fayle The East compact two nightes in one Lo to a greater thing Then glorious day the world hath lost now let your forrowes ring Yet people al whose lowryng lordes he draw to dennes of death Theyr blades that reckt with guiltles 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 into the sheath Bestow on him your Christall teares which he deserued wellt Howle out ye heauens ye mardle seas and goulphes with gronings yell O Crete Deare darling vnto Ioue For Ioue of Hercles roâ—e Ye hundred cityes beate yond armes my sonne for euermore Is gone among the griesâ—y ghostes and shimmering shades of hell Lament for him ye woeful mightes that here on 〈◊〉 do dwell Hercules Alcmenâ— WHy Mother wayle you mee an 〈◊〉 〈…〉 hoâ—t of hell Or 〈…〉 of death sith I among 〈◊〉 Spheares doe dwell Forbeare forbeare to moane for mee for vertue opened hath To mee the passage to the Starres and set mee in the path That guides to euerlasting Lyfe whence coâ—s this dreadfull sounde Alc. Whence roares this thundring voyce that doth against mine eares rebosid And biddeth mee to shine my teares I know it now I know The darksome dungeâ—â—â— daunied are and Demies of Lakes alow O Sonne art thou retâ—rnd to the from Stygian gulph agayne And can thou twise of ougly death the con quest thus obtayne And brast the balefull prisons twise of glum and gastly night Agaâ—â—st 〈…〉 thus by might May any scape from 〈…〉 thou stape alone Hath hell no power to holde thy sprite when breath from breast is gone Or els hath Pluto baalde thee out for feare least thou alone Should cloyne his Scepter from 〈◊〉 hand pluck him from his front For I am sure I sawe thee layde vpon the burning trees And from thy Corps the flame and sparkes agaynst the welkin flyes That sure thou wast to poâ—ldee burne and feeble lyfe was lost But sure the deepes and pits of 〈◊〉 did not lock vp thy ghost Why were the deuills alrayde of thee why quaked Ditis grim And did thy noble ghost seeme such a gastly bug to him HE. The dampy 〈◊〉 of Cocitas coulde not keepe me from light Nor Carons fusty musty Barge transported hath my sprite Now Myther 〈…〉 more once haue I seeme the 〈◊〉 of hell And all the 〈…〉 that dwell That mortall moulde I tooke of you to nought the flames haue fryed Heauen hath the substaunce that I tooke of Ioue in fier yours died And therefore rawse your playntius teares which parents vse to shed When wretchedly they wayle their sonnes that dastardly are dead Thus vulgar varlets weepe loe vertue hopes the Starres to get But faynting feare 〈◊〉 on death from heauen where I am set You heare my voyce Euristeus now shal byde the deadly push With charyot sway his cracked scull ye shal on sunder crush Now must I hence aduaunce my Ghost vp to the rolling skyes Once more I daunt the deuilles and do the goblins grim aggrise Alc. But stay awhile my sonne he fades and shrinketh from my sight Aduaunst he is among the starres doth this my charmed Spirite Dote in a traunce or do I dreame that I haue seene my sonne A troubled mynd can scante beleue the thinges he seeth done But now I see thou art a God possessing heauen for aye I see it sure I wil to Thebes thy triumphes to display Chorus LO vertue scapes the gastly shades of hell Ye noble peeres that shyne in vertue bright Dire desteny cannot constrayne you dwell Among the glowming glades of ougly might Nor sinke your fame in loathsome lakes of spyte But when deaths day drawes on the gasping howre You purchast glory shall direct your right To fynd the passage to the heauenly bower When flesh doth fall and breathing body dies Then Fame the child of Vertue doth arise But sluggish sottes that sleepe their dayes in sloth Or geue their golden age to loath some lust Them and their names the wretches bury both When as their bones shall shryned be in dust The clay shall couer their carkases forlorne As though such kaytisses neuer had bene borne But if that ought of memory they haue In thafter age it shal be filthy shame The gnawing wormes torment not so in graue Their rotten flesh as tounges do teare their name That dayly kild to further mischiefe liues Lo both the fruites that vice and virtue giues FINIS Ouid. Omne genus scripti grauitate Tragoedia vincit
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