vnto the right hand taking the crownes from the kings heads she crowned therwith the ij slaues casting the vyle clothes of the slaues vpon the kings she despoyled the kings of their robes and therwith apparelled the slaues This done she was drawen eftsones about the stage in this order and then departed leauing vnto vs a plaine Type or figure of vnstable fortune who dothe oftentimes raise to heighte of dignitie the vile and vnnoble and in like manner throweth downe frō the place of promotiō euen those whō before she hir selfe had thither aduaunced after hir departure came in Duke Creon with foure gentlemen wayting vpon him and lamented the death of Meneceus his sonne in this maner Actus .iij. Scena .1 CREON. CHORVS ALas what shall I do bemone my selfe Or rue the ruine of my Natiue lande About the which such cloudes I sée enclosde As darker cannot couer dreadfull hell With mine own eyes I saw my own deare sonne All gorde with bloud of his too bloudy brest Which he hath shed full like a friend too deare To his countrey and yet a cruell foe To me that was his friend and father both Thus to him selfe he gaynde a famous name And glory great to me redoubled payne Whose haplesse death in my afflicted house Hath put suche playnt as I ne can espie What comfort might acquiet their distresse I hither come my sister for to séeke Iocasta she that might in wofull wise Amid hir high and ouer pining cares Prepare the baynes for his so wretched corps And eke for him that nowe is not in life May pay the due that to the dead pertaynes And for the honor he did well deserue To giue some giftes vnto infernall Gods. Cho. My Lorde your sister is gone forth long since Into the campe and with hir Antigone Hir daughter deare Cre. Into the campe alas and what to do Cho. She vnderstoode that for this realme foorthwith Hir sonnes were gréed in combate for to ioyne Cre. Alas the funerals of my deare sonne Dismayed me so that I ne did receiue Ne séeke to knowe these newe vnwelcome newes But loe beholde a playne apparant signe Of further feares the furious troubled lookes Of him that commeth heere so hastilye Scena 2. NVNCIVS CREON. CHORVS ALas alas what shall I doe alas What shriching voyce may serue my wofull wordes O wretched I ten thousande times a wretch The messanger of dread and cruell death Cre. Yet more mishap and what vnhappie newes Nun. My Lord your nephues both haue lost their liues Cre. Out and alas to me and to this towne Thou doest accompt great ruine and decay You royall familie of Oedipus And heare you this your liege and soueraigne Lordes The brethren both are slayne and done to death Cho. O cruell newes most cruell that can come O newes that might these stony walles prouoke For tender ruthe to brust in bitter teares And so they would had they the sense of man. Cre. O worthy yong Lordes that vnworthy were Of such vnworthy death O me moste wretch Nun. More wretched shall ye déeme your selfe my lord When you shall heare of further miserie Cre. And can there be more miserie than this Nun. With hir deare sonnes the quéene hir self is slaine Cho. Bewayle ladies alas good ladies waile This harde mischaunce this cruell common euill Ne hencefoorth hope for euer to reioyce Cre. O Iocasta miserable mother What haplesse ende thy life alas hath hent Percase the heauens purueyed had the same Moued therto by the wicked wedlocke Of Oedipus thy sonne yet might thy scuse But iustly made that knewe not of the crime But tell me messanger oh tell me yet The death of these two brethren driuen therto Not thus all onely by their drearie fate But by the banning and the bitter cursse Of their cruell sire borne for our annoy And here on earth the onely soursse of euill Nun. Then know my Lorde the battell that begonne Vnder the walles was brought to luckie ende Eteocles had made his fotemen flée Within their trenches to their foule reproche But herewithall the brethren both straightway Eche other chalenge foorth into the fielde By combate so to stinte their cruell strife Who armed thus amid the fielde appeard First Polynice turning toward Gréece His louely lookes gan Iuno thus beséeche O heauenly quéene thou séest that since the day I first did wedde Adrastus daughter deare And stayde in Gréece thy seruaunt haue I bene Then be it not for mine vnworthinesse Graunt me this grace the victorie to winne Graunt me that I with high triumphant hande May bathe this blade within my brothers brest I know I craue vnworthy victorie Vnworthy triumphes and vnworthy spoyles Lo he the cause my cruell enimie The people wept to beare the wofull wordes Of Polynice foreséeing eke the ende Of this outrage and cruell combate tane Eche man gan looke vpon his drouping mate With mindes amazed and trembling hearts for dread Whom pitie perced for these youthfull knightes Eteocles with eyes vp cast to heauen Thus sayde O mightie loue his daughter graunt to me That this right hande with this sharpe armed launce Passing amid my brothers cankred brest It may eke pierce that cowarde hart of his And so him slea that thus vnworthily Disturbes the quiet of our common weale So sayde Eteocles and trumpets blowne To sende the summons of their bloudy fighte That one the other fiercely did encounter Like Lions two yfraught with boyling wrath Bothe coucht their launces full agaynst the face But heauen it nolde that there they should them teinte Vpon the battred shields the mightie speares Are bothe ybroke and in a thousande shiuers Amid the ayre flowne vp into the heauens Beholde agayne with naked sworde in hande Eche one the other furiously assaultes Here they of Thebes there stoode the Greekes in doubt Of whom doth eche man féele more chilling dread Least any of the twayne should lose his life Than any of the twayne did féele in fight Their angry lookes their deadly daunting blowes Might witnesse well that in their heartes remaynde As cankred hate disdayne and furious moode As euer bred in beare or tygers brest The first that hapt to hurt was Polinice Who smote the righte thighe of Eteocles But as we déeme the blow was nothing déepe Then cryed the Gréekes and lepte with lightned harts But streight agayne they helde their peace for why Eteocles gan thrust his wicked sworde In the lefte arme of vnarmed Pollinice And let the bloud from bare vnfenced fleshe With falling drops distill vpon the ground Ne long he stayes but with an other thrust His brothers belly boweld with his blade Then wretched he with bridle left at large From of his horsse fell pale vpon the ground Ne long it was but downe our duke dismountes From of his startling steede and runnes in hast His brothers haplesse helme for to vnlace And with such hungry minde desired spoyle As one that thought the fielde already woonne
O noble king to thée That I haue béene a Rebell in my youth I preast alwaies in pleasures court to bée I fled from that which Cupide still eschuth I fled from Care lo now I tell the truth And in delightes I loued so to dwell Thy heauenly house dyd séeme to me but hell Such was my rage the which I now repent And pardon craue My soule to saue Before the webbe of weary life be spent But marke what fruites dyd grow on such a trée What crop dyd rise vpon so rashe sowne séede For when I thought my selfe in heauen to bée In depth of hell I drowned was in déede Whereon to thinke my heauie hart doth bléede Me thought I swumme in Seas of all delight When as I sunke in puddles of despight Alas alas I thought my selfe belou'd When deadly hate Did play checke mate With me poore pawne that no such prancks had prou'd This when I tryed ay me to be to true I wept for woe I pined all for paine I tare my héere I often chaunged hewe I left delight with dollours to complaine I shund each place where pleasure dyd remaine I cride I calde on euery kinde of death I stroue eache way to stop my fainting breath Short tale to make I stept so farre in strife That still I sought With all my thought Some happie helpe to leaue my lothed life But hope was he that held my hande abacke From quicke dispatch of all my griping griefe When heate of hate had burnt my will to wracke Then hope was colde and lent my life reliefe In euery choice hope challengde to be chiefe When coldest crampes had cleane orecome my heart Then hope was hote and warnde my weary smart Then heart was heardie hope was still in dread When heart was faint With feares attaint Then hardie hope held vp my fearefull head Thus when I found that neither flowing teares Could drowne my heart in waues of wery wo Nor hardy hand could ouercome my feares To cut the sacke of all my sorrowes so Nor death would come nor I to death could go And yet I felt great droppes of secrete smart Distilling styll within my dying heart I then perceiude that onely care was he Which as my friend Might make an end Of all these paines and set my fansie frée Wherefore oh Care graunt thou my iust request Oh kyll my corpse oh quickly kyll me nowe Oh make an ende and bring my bones to rest Oh cut my thread good Care I care not howe Oh Care be kinde and here I make a vowe That when my life out of my brest shall part I wyll present thée with my faithfull hart And send it to thée as a Sacrifice Bicause thou hast Vouchsaft at last To ende my furies in this friendly wise Fato non Fortuna WHat greater glory can a Keysar gaine If madde moode moue his subiectes to rebell Than that at last when all the traytours traine Haue trode the pathe of déepe repentaunce well And naked néede with Cold and Hunger both Hath bitten them abrode in forren land Whereby they may their lewde deuises loth When hairbraind haste with cold aduise is scande If then at last they come vpon their knée And pardon craue with due submission And for this cause I thinke that Care of me Was moued most to take compassion For now I find that pittie prickes his mind To sée me plonged still in endlesse paine And right remorse his princely heart doth bind To rule the rage wherein I do remaine I féele my teares doe now begin to stay For Care from them their swelling springs doth soke I feele my sighes their labours now allaye For Care hath quencht the coles that made thē smoke I feele my panting heart begins to rest For Care hath staide the hammers of my head I feele the flame which blazed in my brest Is nowe with carefull ashes ouerspread And gentle Care hath whet his karuing knife To cut in twaine the thread of all my thrall Desired death nowe ouercommeth life And wo still workes to helpe in haste with all But since I féele these panges approching so And lothed life begin to take his leaue Me thinkes it meete to giue before I go Such landes and goodes as I behind me leaue So to discharge my troubled conscience And eke to set an order for my heyre Who might perhaps be put to great expence To sue for that which I bequeath him here Wherefore déere wenche with all my full intent I thus begin to make my Testament Fato non fortuna His last wyll and Testament IN Ioue his mighty name this eight and twentith day Of frosted bearded Ianuar the enemy to May Since Adam was create fiue thousand yéeres I gesse Fiue hundreth forty more and fiue as stories do expresse I being whole of minde immortall Gods haue praise Though in my body languishing with panges of paine alwayes Do thus ordaine my wyll which long in woes haue wepte Beséeching mine executours to sée it duely kept Fyrst I bequeath my soule on Charons boate to tende Vntill thy life my loue at last may light on luckye ende That there it may awaite to wayte vpon thy ghost Whē thou hast quite clene forgot what pranks now please thée most So shall it well be séene whose loue is like to mine For so I meane to trye my truth and there tyll then to pine My body he enbalmde and cloased vp in chest With oyntments and with spiceries of euery swéete the best And so preserued styll vntill the day do come That death diuorce my loue from life trusse hir vp in tombe Then I bequeath my corps to couche beneathe hir bones And there to féede the gréedy wormes that linger for the nones To frette vppon her fleshe which is to fine therefore This seruice may it doe hir yet although it do no more My heart as heretofore I must bequeathe to Care And God he knowes I thinke the gift to simple for his share But that he may perceiue I meane to pay my dew I will it shall be taken quicke and borne him bléeding new As for my funerals I leaue that toye at large To be as mine executours wyll giue thereto in charge Yet if my goodes will stretche vnto my strange deuice Then let this order be obseru'd mine heyre shall pay the price First let the torche bearers be wrapte in weedes of woe Let all their lightes be virgin waxe because I lou'de it so And care not though the twist be course that lends them light If fansie fume frée wil flame then must they néeds burn bright Next them let come the quier with psalmes and dolefull song Recording all my rough repulse and wraying all my wrong And when the deskant singes in tréeble tunes aboue Then let fa burden say by lowe I liu'd and dyde for loue About my heauy hearse some mourners would I haue Who migh the same accompany and stand about the graue But let them be such
men as maye confesse with me How contrary the lots of loue to all true louers bée Let Patience be the Priest the Clarke be Close conceipt The Sertin be Simplicitie which meaneth no disceipt Let almes of Loue be delt euen at the Chaunsell doore And feede them there with freshe delayes as I haue bene of yore Then let the yongest sort be set to ring Loues Bels And pay Repentance for their paines but giue thē nothing else Thus when the Dirge is done let euery man depart And learne by me what harme it is to haue a faithfull hart Those litle landes I haue mine heyre must needes possesse His name is Lust the landes be losse few louers scape with lesse The rest of all my goodes which I not here rehearse Giue learned Poets for their paines to decke my Tombe with verse And let them write these wordes vpon my carefull chest Lo here he lies that was as true in loue as is the best Alas I had forgot the Parsons dewe to paye And so my soule in Purgatorye might remaine alway Then for my priuie Tythes as kysses caught by stealth Sweete collinges such other knackes as multiplied my wealth I giue the Vickar here to please his gréedie wyll A deintie dishe of suger soppes but saust with sorrow stil And twise a wéeke at least let dight them for his dishe On Fridayes and on wednesdaies to saue expence of fishe Nowe haue I much bequeathed and litle left behinde And others mo must yet be serued or else I were vnkinde Wet eyes and wayling wordes Executours I make And for their paines ten pound of teares let either of them take Let sorrow at the last my Suprauisor be And stedfastnesse my surest steade I giue him for his fée Yet in his pattent place this Sentence of prouiso That he which loueth stedfastly shall want no sauce of sorrow Thus now I make an ende of this my wearie wyll And signe it with my simple hand and set my seale there tyll And you which reade my wordes although they be in rime Yet reason may perswade you eke Thus louers dote sometime The Subscription and seale MY mansion house was Mone from Dolours dale I came I Fato Non Fortuna hight lo now you know my name My seale is sorrowes sythe within a fielde of flame Which cuts in twaine a carefull heart that sweltreth in the same Fato non Fortuna ALas lo now I heare the passing Bell Which Care appointeth carefullye to knoule And in my brest I féele my heart now swell To breake the stringes which ioynde it to my soule The Crystall yse which lent mine eyes their light Doth now waxe dym and dazeled all with dread My senses all wyll now forsake me quite And hope of health abandoneth my head My wearie tongue can talke no longer now My trembling hand nowe leaues my penne to hold My ioynts nowe stretch my body cannot bowe My skinne lookes pale my blood now waxeth cold And are not these the very panges of death Yes sure sweete heart I know them so to bée They be the panges which striue to stop my breath They be the panges which part my loue from thée What sayd I Loue Nay life but not my loue My life departes my loue continues styll My lothed lyfe may from my corpse remoue My louing Loue shall alwayes worke thy wyll It was thy wyll euen thus to trye my truth Thou hast thy wyll my truth may now be sene It was thy wyll that I should dye in youth Thou hast thy wyll my yeares are yet but grene Thy penaunce was that I should pine in paine I haue performde thy penaunce all in wo Thy pleasure was that I should here remaine I haue bene glad to please thy fansie so Nowe since I haue performed euery part Of thy commaunde as neare as tongue can tell Content thée yet before my muse depart To take this Sonet for my last farewell Fato non fortuna His Farewell FArewell déere Loue whome I haue loued and shall Both in this world and in the world to come For proofe whereof my sprite is Charons thrall And yet my corpse attendant on thy toome Farewell déere swéete whose wanton wyll to please Eche taste of trouble séemed mell to me Farewell swéete deare whose doubtes for to appease I was contented thus in bale to be Farewell my lyfe farewell for and my death For thee I lyu'd for thee nowe must I dye Farewell from Bathe whereas I feele my breath Forsake my breast in great perplexitie Alas how welcome were this death of mine If I had dyde betweene those armes of thine Fato non Fortuna The Reporters conclusion WHere might I now find flooddes of flowing teares So to suffice the swelling of mine eyes How might my breast vnlode the bale it beares Alas alas how might my tongue deuise To tell this weary tale in wofull wise To tell I saye these tydinges nowe of truth Which may prouoke the craggy rockes to rush In depth of dole would God that I were drownde Where flattering ioyes might neuer find me out Or graued so within the gréedy grounde As false delights might neuer bréede my doubt Nor guilefull loue hir purpose bring about Whose trustlesse traines in collours for to paint I find by proofe my wittes are all to faint I was that man whome destinies ordeine To beare eche griefe that groweth on the mold I was that man which proued to my paine More panges at once than can with tongue be told I was that man hereof you maye be hold Whome heauen and earth did frame to scoffe and scorne I I was he which to that ende was borne Suffized not my selfe to taste the fruite Of sugred sowres which growe in gadding yeares But that I must with paine of lyke pursute Perceiue such panges by paterne of my peares And féele how fansies fume could fond my pheares Alas I find all fates against me bent For nothing else I lyue but to lament The force of friendship bound by holy othe Dyd drawe my wyll into these croked wayes For with my frend I went to Bathe though loth To lend some comfort in his dollie dayes The stedfast friend stickes fast at all assayes Yet was I loth such time to spend in vaine The cause whereof lo here I tell you playne By proofe I found as you may well perceiue That all good counsell was but worne in wast Such painted paines his passions did deceiue That bitter gall was mell to him in tast Within his will such rootes of ruine plast As graffes of griefes were only giuen to growe Where youth did plant and rash conceite did sowe I sawe at first his eares were open aye To euery tale which fed him with some hope As fast againe I sawe him turne away From graue aduise which might his conscience grope From reasons rule his fancie lightly lope He only gaue his mind to get that gaine Which most he wisht and least could yet attaine Not I
call out of this darkesome denne The lustleste lodge of my lamenting yeres O daughter deare thy fathers blinded eyes Into the light I was not worthy of Or what suche sight O cruell destenie Without tormenting cares might I beholde That image am of deathe and not of man Anti. O father mine I bring vnluckie newes Vnto your eares your sonnes are nowe both slayne Ne doth your wife that wonted was to guyde So piteously your staylesse stumbling steppes Now sée this light alas and welaway Oed. O heape of infinite calamities And canst thou yet encrease when I thought least That any griefe more great could grow in thée But tell me yet what kinde of cruell death Had these thrée sory soules Anti. Without offence to speake deare father mine The lucklesse lotte the frowarde frowning fate That gaue you life to ende your fathers life Haue ledde your sonnes to reaue eche others life Oed. Of them I thought no lesse but tell me yet What causelesse death hath caught from me my deare What shall I call hir mother or my wife Anti. When as my mother sawe hir deare sonnes dead As pensiue pangs had prest hir tender heart With bloudlesse chéekes and gastly lookes she fell Drawing the dagger from Eteocles side She gorde hirselfe with wide recurelesse wounde And thus without mo words gaue vp the ghost Embracing both hir sonnes with both hir armes In these affrightes this frosen heart of mine By feare of death maynteines my dying life Cho. This drearie day is cause of many euils Poore Oedipus vnto thy progenie The Gods yet graunt it may become the cause Of better happe to this afflicted realme Scena 5. CREON. OEDIPVS ANTIGONE GOod Ladies leaue your bootelesse vayne complaynt Leaue to lament cut off your wofull cryes High time it is as now for to prouide The funerals for the renowmed king And thou Oedipus hearken to my wordes And know thus muche that for thy daughters dower Antigone with Hemone shall be wedde Thy sonne our king not long before his death Assigned hath the kingdome should descende To me that am his mothers brother borne And so the same might to my sonne succéede Now I that am the lorde and king of Thebes Will not permit that thou abide therein Ne maruell yet of this my heady will Ne blame thou me for why the heauens aboue Which onely rule the rolling life of man Haue so ordeynde and that my words be true Tyresias he that knoweth things to come By trustie tokens hath foretolde the towne That while thou didst within the walles remayne It should be plagned still with penurie Wherfore departe and thinke not that I speake These wofull wordes for hate I beare to thée But for the weale of this afflicted realme Oedipus O foule accursed fate that hast me bredde To beare the burthen of the miserie Of this colde death which we accompt for life Before my birth my father vnderstoode I should him slea and scarcely was I borne When he me made a pray for sauage beastes But what I slew him yet then caught the crowne And last of all defilde my mothers bedde By whom I haue this wicked ofspring got And to this heinous crime and filthy facte The heauens haue from highe enforced me Agaynst whose doome no counsell can preuayle Thus hate I now my life and last of all Lo by the newes of this so cruell death Of bothe my sonnes and deare beloued wife Mine angrie constellation me commaundes Withouten eyes to wander in mine age When these my wéery weake and crooked limme Haue greatest néede to craue their quiet rest O cruell Creon wilt thou slea me so For cruelly thou doste but murther me Out of my kingdome now to chase me thus Yet can I not with humble minde beséeche Thy curtesie ne fall before thy féete Let fortune take from me these worldly giftes She can not conquere this courageous heart That neuer yet could well be ouercome To force me yéelde for feare to villanie Do what thou canst I will be Oedipus Cre. So hast thou reason Oedipus to say And for my parte I would thée counsell eke Still to maynteine the high and hawtie minde That hath bene euer in thy noble heart For this be sure if thou wouldst kisse these knées And practise eke by prayer to preuayle No pitie coulde persuade me to consent That thou remayne one onely houre in Thebes And nowe prepare you worthie Citizens The funeralls that duely doe pertayne Vnto the Quéene and to Eteocles And eke for them prouide their stately tombes But Pollynice as common enimie Vnto his countrey carrie foorth his corps Out of the walles ne none so hardie be On peine of death his bodie to engraue But in the fieldes let him vnburied lye Without his honour and without complaynte An open praie for sauage beastes to spoyle And thou Antigone drie vp thy teares Plucke vp thy sprites and chéere thy harmelesse hearte To mariage for ere these two dayes passe Thou shalt espouse Hemone myne onely heire Antig. Father I sée vs wrapt in endlesse woe And nowe muche more doe I your state lamente Than these that nowe be dead not that I thinke Theyr greate missehappes too little to bewayle But this that you you onely doe surpasse All wretched wightes that in this worlde remayne But you my Lorde why banishe you with wrong My father thus out of his owne perforce And why will you denye these guiltlesse bones Of Polinice theyr graue in countrey soyle Creon So would not I so woulde Eteocles Anti. He cruel was you fonde to hold his hestes Creon Is then a fault to doe a kings cōmaund Anti. When his cōmaunde is cruell and vniust Creon Is it vniust that he vnburied be Anti. He not deseru'd so cruel punishment Creon He was his countreys cruell enimie Anti. Or else was he that helde him from his right Cre. Bare he not armes against his natiue land Anti. Offendeth he that sekes to winne his owne Cre. In spite of thée he shall vnburied be Anti. In spite of thée these hands shall burie him Cre. And with him eke then will I burie thée Anti. So graunt the gods I get none other graue Then with my Polinices deare to rest Cre. Go sirs lay holde on hir and take hir in Anti. I will not leaue this corps vnburied Cre. Canst thou vndoe the thing that is decréed Anti. A wicked foule decrée to wrong the dead Cre. The ground ne shall ne ought to couer him Anti. Creon yet I beseche thée for the loue Cre. Away I say thy prayers not preuaile Anti. That thou didst beare Iocasta in hir life Cre. Thou dost but waste thy words amid the wind Anti. Yet graunt me leaue to washe his wounded corps Cre. It can not be that I should graunt thée so Anti. O my deare Polinice this tirant yet With all his worongfull force can not fordoe But I will kisse these colde pale lippes of thine And washe thy wounds with my waymenting teares Cre.
liue and such a life leade I. The Sunny dayes which gladde the saddest wightes Yet neuer shine to cleare my misty moone No quiet sléepe amidde the mooneshine nightes Can close mine eyes when I am woe begone Into such shades my péeuishe sorrowe shrowdes That Sunne and Moone are styll to me in clowdes And feuerlike I féede my fancie styll With such repast as most empaires my health Which feuer first I caught by wanton wyll When coles of kind dyd stirre my blood by stealth And gazing eyes in bewtie put such trust That loue enflamd my liuer al with lust My fits are lyke the feuer Ectick fits Which one daye quakes within and burnes without The next day heate within the boosoms sits And shiuiring colde the body goes about So is my heart most hote when hope is colde And quaketh most when I most heate behold Tormented thus without delayes I stand All wayes in one and euermore shal be In greatest griefe when helpe is nearest hand And best at ease if death might make me frée Delighting most in that which hurtes my heart And hating change which might relieue my smart Yet you deare dame to whome this cure pertaines Deuise by times some drammes for my disease A noble name shall be your greatest gaines Whereof be sure if you wyll worke mine ease And though fond fooles set forth their fittes as fast Yet graunt with me that my straunge passion past Euer or neuer ¶ A straunge passion of a Louer AMid my Bale I hath in blisse I swim in heauen I sinke in hell I find amends for euery misse And yet my moane no tongue can tell I liue and loue what wold you more As neuer louer liu'd before I laugh sometimes with little lust So iest I oft and féele no ioye Myne ease is builded all on trust And yit mistrust bréedes myne anoye I liue and lacke I lacke and haue I haue and misse the thing I craue These things séeme strange yet are they trew Beléeue me sweete my state is such One pleasure which I wold eschew Both slakes my grief and breedes my grutch So doth one paine which I would shoon Renew my ioyes where grief begoon Then like the larke that past the night In heauy sleepe with cares opprest Yit when shee spies the pleasaunt light She sends sweete notes from out hir brest So sing I now because I thinke How ioyes approch when sorrowes shrinke And as fayre Philomene againe Can watch and singe when other sleepe And taketh pleasure in hir payne To wray the woo that makes hir weepe So sing I now for to bewray The lothsome life I lead alway The which to thée deare wenche I write That know'st my mirth but not my moane I praye God graunt thée déepe delight To liue in ioyes when I am gone I cannot liue it wyll not bée I dye to thinke to part from thée Ferendo Natura ¶ The Diuorce of a Louer DIuorce me nowe good death from loue and lingring life That one hath bene my concubine that other was my wife In youth I liued with loue she had my lustye dayes In age I thought with lingering life to stay my wādering wais But now abusde by both I come for to complaine To thée good death in whom my helpe doth wholy now remain My libell loe behold wherein I doe protest The processe of my plaint is true in which my griefe doth rest First loue my concubine whome I haue kept so trimme Euen she for whome I séemd of yore in seas of ioy to swimme To whome I dare auowe that I haue serued as well And played my part as gallantly as he that heares the hell She cast me of long since and holdes me in disdaine I cannot pranke to please hir nowe my vaunting is but vaine My writhled chéekes bewraye that pride of heate is past My stagring steppes eke tell the trueth that nature fadeth fast My quaking crooked ioyntes are combred with the crampe The boxe of oyle is wasted wel which once dyd féede my lampe The gréenesse of my yeares doth wyther now so sore That lusty loue leapes quite awaye and lyketh me no more And loue my lemman gone what lyking can I take In lothsome lyfe that croked croane although she be my make Shée cloyes me with the cough hir comfort is but cold She bids me giue mine age for almes wher first my youth was sold No day can passe my head but she beginnes to brall No mery thoughts conceiued so fast but she confounds them al. When I pretend to please she ouerthwarts me still When I would faynest part with hir she ouerwayes my will. Be iudge then gentle death and take my cause in hand Consider euery circumstaunce marke how the case doth stand Percase thou wilte aledge that cause thou canst none sée But that I like not of that one that other likes not me Yea gentle iudge giue eare and thou shalt see me proue My concubine incontinent a common whore is loue And in my wyfe I find such discord and debate As no man liuing can endure the tormentes of my state Wherefore thy sentence say deuorce me from them both Since only thou mayst right my wronges good death nowe he not loath But cast thy pearcing dart into my panting brest That I may leaue both loue and life thereby purchase rest Haud ictus sapio ¶ The Lullabie of a Louer SIng lullaby as women doe Wherewith they bring their babes to rest And lullaby can I sing to As womanly as can the best With lullaby they still the childe And if I be not much beguild Full many wanton babes haue I Which must be stild with lullabie First lullaby my youthfull yeares It is nowe time to go to bed For croocked age and hoary heares Haue wone the hauen with in my head With Lullaby then youth be still With Lullaby content thy will Since courage quayles and commes behind Go sleepe and so beguile thy minde Next Lullaby my gazing eyes Which wonted were to glaunce apace For euery Glasse maye nowe suffise To shewe the furrowes in my face With Lullabye then winke awhile With Lullabye your lookes beguile Lette no fayre face nor beautie brighte Entice you efte with vayne delighte And Lullaby my wanton will Lette reasons rule nowe reigne thy thought Since all to late I finde by skyll Howe deare I haue thy fansies bought With Lullaby nowe tak thyne ease With Lullaby thy doubtes appease For trust to this if thou be styll My body shall obey thy will. Eke Lullaby my louing boye My little Robyn take thy rest Since age is colde and nothing coye Keepe close thy coyne for so is best With Lullady be thou content With Lullaby thy lustes relente Lette others pay which hath mo pence Thou art to pore for such expence Thus Lullabye my youth myne eyes My will my ware and all that was I can no mo delayes deuise But welcome payne let pleasure passe With Lullaby now take your leaue
louer forsaken written by a gentlewoman who passed by him with hir armes set bragging by hir sides and lefte it vnfinished as followeth WEre my hart set on hoygh as thine is bent Or in my brest so braue and stout a will Then long ere this I coulde haue bene content With sharpe reueng thy carelesse corpes to kill For why thou knowest although thou know not all What rule what raygne what power what segnory Thy melting minde did yéeld to me as thrall When first I pleasd thy wandring fantifie What lingring lookes bewray'd thyne inward thought What panges were publisht by perplexcitie Such reakes the rage of loue in thée had wrought And no gramercie for thy curtesie I list not vaunt but yet I dare auowe Had bene my harmelesse hart as harde as thine I coulde haue bounde thée then for starting nowe In bondes of bale in pangs of deadly pyne For why by profe the field is eath to win Where as the chiefteynes yéeld them selues in chaynes The port or passage plaine to enter in Where porters list to leaue the key for gaynes But did I then deuise with crueltie As tyrants do to kill the yéelding pray Or did I bragge and boast triumphauntly As who should saye the field were mine that daye Did I retire my selfe out of thy sight To beat afresh the bulwarkes of thy brest Or did my mind in choyce of change delight And render thée as reffuse with the rest No Tygre no the lyon is not lewd He shewes no force on seely wounded shéepe c. VVhiles he sat at the dore of his lodging deuising these verses aboue rehersed the same Gentlewoman passed by againe and cast a longe looke towardes him whereby he left his former inuention and wrote thus HOwe long she lookt that lookt at me of late As who would say hir lookes were all for loue When God he knowes they came from deadly hate To pinch me yit with pangs which I must proue But since my lokes hir liking maye not moue Looke where she likes for lo this looke was cast Not for my loue but euen to see my last Si fortunatus infoelix Another Sonet written by the same Gentlewoman vppon the same occasion I Lookt of late and sawe thée loke askance Vpon my dore to sée if I satte there As who should say If he be there by chance Yet maye he thinke I loke him euery where No cruell no thou knowest and I can tell How for thy loue I layd my lokes a side Though thou par case hast lookt and liked wel Some newe founde lookes amide this world so wide But since thy lookes my loue haue so in chaynd That to my lokes thy liking now is past Loke whâ—re thou likest and let thy hands be staynd In true loues bloud which thou shalt lack at last So looke so lack for in these toyes thus tost My lookes thy loue thy lookes my life haue lost Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ To the same gentlewoman because she challenged the Aucthour for holding downe his head alwaies and for that hee looked not vppon hir in wonted manner YOu must not wonder though you thinke it straunge To sée me holde my lowring head so lowe And that myne eyes take no delyght to raunge About the gleames which on your face doe growe The mouse which once hath broken out of trappe Is sildome tysed with the trustlesse bayte But lyes aloofe for feare of more mishappe And féedeth styll in doubte of deepe deceipte The skorched flye which once hath scapt the flame Wyll hardlye come to playe againe with fyre Whereby I learne that greeuous is the game Which followes fansie dazled by desire So that I wynke or else holde downe my head Because your blazing eyes my bale haue bred Si fortunatus infoelix ⧠The Recantacion of a Louer NOw must I needes recant the wordes which once I spoke Fond fansie fumes so nie my noose I nedes must smel the smoke And better were to beare a Faggot from the fire Than wylfully to burne and blaze in flames of vaine desire You Iudges then giue eare you people marke me well I saye both heauen and earth record the tale which I shall tell And knowe that dread of death nor hope of better hap Haue forced or perswaded me to take my turning cap But euen that mightye Ioue of his great clemencie Hath giuen me grace at last to iudge the trueth from heresie I saye then and professe with free and faithfull heart That womeÌ„s vowes are nothing els but snares of secret smart Their beauties blaze are baites which séeme of pleasant taste But who deuoures the hidden hooke eates poyson for repast Their smyling is deceipt their faire wordes traines of treason Their wit alwaies so full of wyles it skorneth rules of reason Percase some present here haue heard my selfe of yore Both teach preach the contrary my fault was then the more I graunt my workes were these first one Anatomie Wherein I painted euery pang of louers perplexitye Next that I was araignde with George holde vp thy hand Wherein I yéelded Bewties thrall at hir commaund to stand Myne eyes so blinded were good people marke my tale That once I song I Bathe in Blisse amidde my weary Balâ— And many a frantike verse then from my penne dyd passe In waues of wicked heresie so déepe I drowned was All which I now recant and here before you burne Those trifling bookes from whose lewde lore my tippet here I turne And hencefoorth wyl I write howe mad is that mans minde Which is entist by any traine to trust in womankind I spare not wedlocke I who lyst that state aduance Aske Astolfe king of Lumbardie howe trim his dwarfe coulde daunce Wherefore fayre Ladies you that heare me what I saye If you hereafter see me slippe or séeme to goe astraye Of if my tongue reuolte from that which nowe it sayth Then plague me thus Beleeue it not for this is nowe my faith Haud ictus sapio ¶ In prayse of Bridges nowe Lady Sandes IN Court who so demaundes what Dame doth most excell For my conceyt I must néedes say faire Bridges beares the bell Vpon whose liuely chéeke to prooue my iudgement true The Rose and Lillie séeme to striue for equall change of hewe And therewithall so well her graces all agrée No frowning chéere dare once presume in hir swéete face to bée Although some lauishe lippes which like some other best Wyll saye the blemishe on hir browe disgraceth all the rest Thereto I thus replie God wotte they litle know The hidden cause of that mishap nor how the harme dyd grow For when Dame nature first had framde hir heauenly face And thoroughly bedecked it with goodly gleames of grace It lyked hir so well Lo here quod shée a péece For perfect shape that passeth all Apelles worke in Greece This bayte may chaunce to catche the greatest God of loue Or mighty thundring Ioue himself that rules the roast aboue But out
vpon him this same name and for proofe bringeth him for a witnesse which hath bene euer reputed here for Erostrato Phi. I will tel you sir let me be kept here fast in prison at my charges let there be some man sent into Sicilia that may bring hither with him two or thrée of the honestest mē in Cathanea and by them let it be proued if I or this other be Philogano and whether he be Erostrato or Dulipo my seruant if you finde me contrarie let me suffer death for it Pa. I will go salute master Doctour Cle. It will aske great labour great expences to proue it this way but it is the best remedie that I can see Pa. God saue you sir Cle. And reward you as you haue deserued Pa. Then shall he giue me your fauour continually Cle. He shall giue you a halter knaue and villein that thou arte Pa. I knowe I am a knaue but no villein I am your seruaunt Cle. I neither take thée for my seruāt nor for my friend Pa. Why wherein haue I offended you sir Cle. Hence to the gallowes knaue Pa. What softe and faire sir I pray you I praesequar you are mine elder Cle. I will be euen with you be you sure honest man. Pa. Why sir I neuer offended you Cle. Well I will teach you out of my sight knaue Pa. What I am no dogge I would you wist Cle. Pratest thou yet villein I will make thée Pa. What will you make me I sée wel the more a man doth suffer you the worsse you are Cle. Ah villein if it were not for this gentleman I wold tell you what I. Pa. Villein nay I am as honest a man as you Cle. Thou liest in thy throate knaue Phi. O sir stay your wisedome Pas What will you fight marie come on Cle. Well knaue I will méete with you another time goe your way Pas Euen when you list sir I will be your man. Cle. And if I be not euen with thee call me out Pas Nay by the Masse all is one I care not for I haue nothing if I had either landes or goods peraduenture you would pull me into the lawe Phi. Sir I perceiue your pacience is moued Cle. This villaine but let him goe I will see him punished as he hath deserued Now to the matter how said you Phi. This fellow hath disquieted you sir peraduenture you would be loth to be troubled any further Cle. Not a whit say on let him go with a vengeance Phi. I say let them send at my charge to Cathanea Cle. Yea I remember that wel it is the surest way as this case requireth but tel me how is he your seruant and how come you by him enforme me fully in the matter Phi. I will tell you sir when the Turkes won Otranto Cle. Oh you put me in remembrance of my mishappes Phi. How sir Cle. For I was driuen among the rest out of the towne it is my natiue countrey and there I lost more than euer I shall recouer againe while I liue Phi. Alas a pitifull case by S. Anne Cle. Well procéede Phi. At that time as I saide there were certaine of our countrey that scoured those costes vpon the seas with a good barke well appointed for the purpose and had espiall of a Turkey vessell that came laden from thence with great aboundance of riches Cle. And peraduenture most of mine Phi. So they boarded them in the end ouercame them brought the goods to Palermo 〈◊〉 whence they came and amōgst other things that they had was this villeine my seruaunt a boy at that time I thinke not past fiue yéeres olde Cle. Alas I lost one of that same age there Phi. And I beyng there and liking the Childes fauour well proffered them foure and twentie ducates for him and had him Cle. What was the childe a Turke or had the Turkes brought him from Otranto Phi. They saide he was a Childe of Otranto but what is that to the matter once .xxiiij. Ducattes he cost me that I wot well Cle. Alas I speake it not for that sir I woulde it were he whome I meane Phi. Why whom meane you sir Liti. Beware sir be not to lauish Cle. Was his name Dulipo then or had he not another name Liti. Beware what you say sir Phi. What the deuill hast thou to doe Dulipo no sir his name was Carino Liti. Yea well said tell all and more to doe Cle. O Lord if it be as I thinke how happie were I why did you change his name then Phi. We called him Dulipo bycause when he cryed as Chrildren doe sometimes he woulde alwayes cry on that name Dulipo Cle. Well then I sée well it is my owne onely Childe whome I loste when I loste my countrie he was named Carino after his grandfather and this Dulipo whome he alwayes remembred in his lamenting was his foster father that nourished him and brought him vp Li. Sir haue I not told you enough of the falshood of Ferara this gentleman will not only picke your purse but beguile you of your seruaunt also make you beleue he is his son Cle. Well goodfellow I haue not vsed to lie Liti. Sir no but euery thing hath a beginning Cle. Fie Philogano haue you not the least suspecte that may be of me Liti. No marie but it were good he had the most suspecte that may be Cle. Well hold thou thy peace a litle good follow I pray you tell me Philogano had the child any remembrance of his fathers name his mothers name or the name of his familie Phi. He did remember them and could name his mother also but sure I haue forgotten the name Liti. I remember it well enough Phi. Tell it then Liti. Nay that I will not marie you haue tolde him too much al ready Phi. Tell it I say if thou can Liti. Cā yes by the masse I cā wel enough but I wil haue my tong pulled out rather thā tell it vnlesse he tell it first doe you not perceiue sir what he goeth about Cle. Well I will tell you then my name you know alredy my wife his mothers name was Sophronia the house that I came of they call Spiagia Liti. I neuer heard him speake of Spiagia but in déede I haue heard him say his mothers name was Sophronia but what of that a great matter I promise you It is like enoughe that you two haue compact together to deceiue my maister Cle. What nedeth me more euident tokens this is my sonne out of doubt whom I lost eighteen yeares since and a thousand thousand times haue I lamented for him he shuld haue also a mould on his left shoulder Li. He hath a moulde there in deede and an hole in an other place to I would your nose were in it Cle. Faire wordes fellow Litio oh I pray you let vs goe talke with him O fortune howe much am I bounde to thée if I
leuie threatning armes Whereof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine Yet once againe I must to thee recompte The wailefull thing that is already spred Bicause I know that pitie will compell Thy tender hart more than my naturall childe With ruthfull teares to mone my mourning case Ser. My gracious Quéene as no man might surmount The constant faith I beare my souraine Lorde So doe I thinke for loue and trustie zeale No Sonne you haue doth owe you more than I For hereunto I am by dutie bounde With seruice méete no lesse to honor you Than that renoumed Prince your déere father And as my duties be most infinite So infinite must also be my loue Then if my life or spending of my bloude May be employde to doe your highnesse good Commaunde O Quéene commaund this carcasse here In spite of death to satisfie thy will So though I die yet shall my willing ghost Contentedly forsake this withered corps For ioy to thinke I neuer shewde my selfe Ingratefull once to such a worthy Quéene Ioca. Thou knowst what care my carefull father tooke In wedlockes sacred state to settle me With Laius king of this vnhappie Thebs That most vnhappie now our Citie is Thou knowst how he desirous still to searche The hidden secrets of supernall powers Vnto Diuines did make his ofte recourse Of them to learne when he should haue a sonne That in his Realme might after him succéede Of whom receiuing answere sharpe and sowre That his owne sonne should worke his wailfull ende The wretched king though all in vayne did séeke For to eschew that could not be eschewed And so forgetting lawes of natures loue No sooner had this paynfull wombe brought foorth His eldest sonne to this desired light But straight he chargde a trustie man of his To beare the childe into a desert wood And leaue it there for Tigers to deuoure Ser. O lucklesse babe begot in wofull houre Ioc. His seruant thus obedient to his hest Vp by the héeles did hang this faultlesse Impe And percing with a knife his tender féete Through both the wounds did drawe the slender twigs Which being bound about his féeble limmes Were strong inough to holde the little soule Thus did he leaue this infant scarcely borne That in short time must néedes haue lost his life If destenie that for our greater gréefes Decréede before to kéepe it still aliue Had not vnto this childe sent present helpe For so it chaunst a shepheard passing by With pitie moude did stay his giltlesse death He tooke him home and gaue him to his wife With homelie fare to féede and foster vp Now harken how the heauens haue wrought the way To Laius death and to mine owne decay Ser. Experience proues and daily is it séene In vaine too vaine man striues against the heauens Ioca. Not farre fro thence the mightie Polibus Of Corinth King did kéepe his princely court Vnto whose wofull wife lamenting muche Shée had no ofspring by hir noble phéere The curteous shepherd gaue my little sonne Which gratefull gift the Quéene did so accept As nothing séemde more precious in hir sight Partly for that his faitures were so fine Partly for that he was so beautifull And partly for bicause his comely grace Gaue great suspicion of his royall bloude The infant grewe and many yeares was demde Polibus sonne till time that Oedipus For so he named was did vnderstande That Polibus was not his sire in déede Whereby forsaking frendes and countrie there He did returne to seeke his natiue stocke And being come into Phocides lande Toke notice of the cursed oracle How first he shoulde his father doe to death And then become his mothers wedded mate Ser. O fierce aspect of cruell planets all That can decrée such seas of heynous faultes Ioca. Then Oedipus fraight full of chilling feare By all meanes sought t' auoyde this furious fate But whiles he wéende to shunne the shameful déede Vnluckly guided by his owne mishappe He fell into the snare that most he feared For loe in Phocides did Laius lye To ende the broyles that ciuill discorde then Had raysed vp in that vnquiet lande By meanes whereof my wofull Oedipus Affording ayde vnto the other side With murdring blade vnwares his father slewe Thus heauenly doome thus fate thus powers diuine Thus wicked reade of Prophets tooke effect Now onely restes to ende the bitter happe Of me of me his miserable mother Alas how colde I féele the quaking bloud Passe too and fro within my trembling brest Oedipus when this bloudy déede was doone Forst foorth by fatall doome to Thebes came Where as full soone with glory he atchieude The crowne and scepter of this noble lande By conquering Sphinx that cruell monster loe That earst destroyde this goodly flouring soyle And thus did I O hatefull thing to heare To my owne sonne become a wretched wife Ser. No meruayle though the golden Sunne withdrew His glittering beames from suche a sinfull facte Ioca. And so by him that from this belly sprang I brought to light O cursed that I am Aswell two sonnes as daughters also twaine But when this monstrous mariage was disclosde So sore began the rage of boyling wrath To swell within the furious brest of him As he him selfe by stresse of his owne nayles Out of his head did teare his griefull eyne Vnworthy more to sée the shining light Ser. How could it be that knowing he had done So foule a blot he would remayne aliue Ioca. So déepely faulteth none the which vnwares Doth fall into the crime he can not shunne And he alas vnto his greater gréefe Prolongs the date of his accursed dayes Knowing that life doth more and more increase The cruell plages of his detested gilte Where stroke of griefly death dothe set an ende Vnto the pangs of mans increasing payne Ser. Of others all moste cause haue we to mone Thy wofull smarte O miserable Quéene Such and so many are thy gréeuous harmes Ioca. Now to the ende this blinde outrageous sire Should reape no ioye of his vnnaturall fruite His wretched sons prickt foorth by furious spight Adiudge their father to perpetuall prison There buried in the depthe of dungeon darke Alas he leades his discontented life Accursing still his stony harted sonnes And wishing all th' infernall sprites of hell To breathe suche poysned hate into their brestes As eche with other fall to bloudy warres And so with pricking poynt of piercing blade To rippe their bowels out that eche of them With others bloud might strayne his giltie hands And bothe at once by stroke of spéedie death Be foorthwith throwne into the Stigian lake Ser. The mightie Gods preuent so fowle a déede Ioca. They to auoyde the wicked blasphemies And sinfull prayer of their angrie sire Agréed thus that of this noble realme Vntill the course of one ful yere was runne Eteocles should sway the kingly mace And Polynice as exul should departe Till time expyrde and then to Polynice Eteocles should yéelde the scepter
Of which conflicte the ende must néedes be this That one do liue that other die the death Ioca. Alas alas this did I euer feare Nun. Now sith in summe I haue reuealed that Which you haue heard with great remorse of mind I will procéede at large to tell the whole When your victorious sonne with valiant force Had chast his foes into their ioyning tents Euen there he staide and straight at sound of trumpe With stretched voice the herault thus proclaimde You princely Gréekes that hither be arriued To spoile the fruite of these our fertile fields And vs to driue from this our Natiue soile O suffer not so many giltlesse soules By this debate descend in Stygian lake For priuate cause of wicked Polynice But rather let the brethren hand to hand By mutuall blowes appease their furious rage And so to cease from sheding further bloud And to the end you all might vnderstand The profite that to euery side may fall Thus much my Lord thought good to profer you This is his will if he be ouercome Then Polynice to rule this kingly realme If so it happe as reason would it should Our rightfull prince to conquere Polynice That then no one of you make more adoo But straight to Argos I le hast home againe This thus pronounst vnto the noble Gréeks No soner did the sound of trumpet cease But Polynice stept forth before the host And to these words this answere did he make O thou not brother but my mortall foe Thy profer here hath pleased me so well As presently without more long delay I yeld my selfe prepared to the field Our noble King no soner heard this vaunt But forth as fast he prest his princely steppes With eger mind as hoouering falcon woonts To make hir stoope when pray appeares in sight At all assayes they both were brauely armed To eithers side his sword fast being girt In eithers hand was put a sturdy launce About Eteocles our souldiers cloong To comforte him and put him then in mind He fought for safetie of his country soile And that in him consisted all their hope To Polynice the king Adrastus swore If he escaped victor from the fielde At his returne he would in Greece erecte A golden Image vnto mightie Ioue In signe of his triumphing victorie But all this while séeke you O noble quéene To hinder this your furious sonnes attempte Intreat the Gods it may not take effecte Els must you néedes ere long depriued be Of both your sonnes or of the one at least Nuncius returneth to the camp by the gates Homoloydes IOCASTA ANTIGONE ANtigone my swete daughter come forth Out of this house that nought but woe retaines Come forth I say not for to sing or daunce But to preuent if in our powers it lie That thy malicious brethren swolne with ire And I alas their miserable mother Be not destroide by stroke of dreadfull death Antigone commeth out of hir mothers Pallace Anti. Ah swete mother ah my beloued mother Alas alas what cause doth moue ye now From trembling voice to send such carefull cries What painefull pang what griefe doth gripe you now Ioca. O deare daughter thy most vnhappie brethren That sometimes lodgde within these wretched loynes Shall die this day if Ioue preuent it not Anti. Alas what say you alas what do you say Can I alas endure to sée him dead Whom I thus long haue sought to sée aliue Ioca. They both haue vowde I quake alas to tell With trenchant blade to spill eche others blood Antig. O cruell Eteocles ah ruthlesse wretch Of this outrage thou only art the cause Not Polynice whom thou with hatefull spight Hast reaued first of crowne and countrie soyle And now doest séeke to reaue him of his life Ioca. Daughter no more delay le ts go le ts go Anti. Ah my swéete mother whither shall I go Ioca. With me déere daughter to the gréekish host Anti. Alas how can I go vnles I go In daunger of my life or of good name Ioca. Time serues not now my well beloued childe To way the losse of life or honest name But rather to preuent if so we may That wicked déede which only but to thinke Doth hale my hart out of my heauie brest Anti. Come then le ts go good mother let vs go But what shall we be able for to doe You a weake old woman forworne with yeares And I God knowes a silly simple mayde Ioca. Our wofull wordes our prayers our plaintes Pourde out with streames of ouerflowing teares Where Nature rules may happen to preuayle When reason power and force of armes do fayle But if the glowing heate of boyling wrath So furious be as it may not relent Then I atwixt them both will throw my selfe And this my brest shal beare the deadly blowes That otherwise should light vpon my sonnes So shall they shead my bloud and not their owne Well now déere daughter let vs hasten hence For if in time we stay this raging strife Then haply may my life prolonged be If ere we come the bloudy déede be done Then must my ghost forsake this féeble corps And thou deare childe with dolour shalt bewaile Thy brothers death and mothers all at once Iocasta with Antigone and all hir traine excepte the Chorus goeth towards the campe by the gates Homoloydes CHORVS WHo so hath felt what faith and feruent loue A mother beares vnto hir tender sonnes She and none other sure can comprehende The dolefull griefe the pangs and secret paine That presently doth pierce the princely brest Of our afflicted Quéene alas I thinke No martyrdome might well compare with hirs So ofte as I recorde hir restlesse state Alas me thinkes I féele a shiuering feare Flit to and fro along my flushing vaines Alas for ruth that thus two brethren shoulde Enforce themselues to shed each others bloud Where are the lawes of nature nowe become Can fleshe of fleshe alas can bloud of bloud So far forget it selfe as slay it selfe O lowring starres O dimme and angrie skies O geltie fate suche mischiefe set aside But if supernall powers decréed haue That death must be the ende of this debate Alas what floudes of teares shall then suffise To wéepe and waile the néere approching death I meane the death of sonnes and mother both And with their death the ruine and decay Of Oedipus and his princely race But loe here Creon cōmes with carefull cheare T is time that now I ende my iust complaint Creon commeth in by the gates Homoloydes CREON. NVNCIVS ALthough I straightly charge my tender childe To flée from Thebes for safegarde of him selfe And that long since he parted from my sight Yet doe I greatly hang in lingring doubt Least passing through the gates the priuie watch Hath stayed him by some suspect of treason And so therewhile the prophets hauing skride His hidden fate he purchast haue the death Which I by all meanes sought he might eschewe And this mischaunce so much I feare
the more How much the wished conquest at the first Fell happily vnto the towne of Thebes But wise men ought with patience to sustaine The sundrie haps that slipperie fortune frames Nuncius commeth in by the gates Electrae Nun. Alas who can direct my hastie steppes Vnto the brother of our wofull Quéene But loe where carefully he standeth here Cre. If so the minde may dread his owne mishap Then dread I much this man that séekes me thus Hath brought the death of my beloued sonne Nun. My Lorde the thing you feare is very true Your sonne Meneceus no longer liues Cre. Alas who can withstand the heauenly powers Well it beséemes not me ne yet my yeares In bootelesse plaint to wast my wailefull teares Do thou recount to me his lucklesse deathe The order forme and manner of the same Nun. Your sonne my Lorde came to Eteocles And tolde him this in presence of the rest Renoumed King neither your victorie Ne yet the safetie of this princely Realme In armour doth consist but in the death Of me of me O most victorious King So heauenly dome of mightie Ioue commaunds I knowing what auayle my death should yéeld Vnto your grace and vnto natiue land Might well be déemde a most vngratefull sonne Vnto this worthy towne if I would shunne The sharpest death to do my countrie good In mourning wéede now let the vestall Nimphes With fainyng tunes commend my faultlesse ghost To highest heauens while I despoyle my selfe That afterwarde sith Ioue will haue it so To saue your liues I may receyue my death Of you I craue O curteous Citizens To shrine my corps in tombe of marble stone Whereon graue this Meneceus here doth lie For countries cause that was content to die This saide alas he made no more a doe But drewe his sword and sheathde it in his brest Cre. No more I haue inough returne ye nowe From whence ye came Nuncius returneth by the gates Electrae Well since the bloud of my beloued sonne Must serue to slake the wrath of angrie Ioue And since his onely death must bring to Thebes A quiet ende of hir vnquiet state Me thinkes good reason would that I henceforth Of Thebane soyle should beare the kingly swaye Yea sure and so I will ere it belong Either by right or else by force of armes Of al mishap loe here the wicked broode My sister first espoused hath hir sonne That slewe his fire of whose accursed séede Two brethren sprang whose raging hatefull hearts By force of boyling yre are bolne so sore As each do thyrst to sucke the others bloude But why do I sustaine the smart hereof Why should my bloud be spilt for others gilte Oh welcome were that messenger to me That brought me word of both my nephewes deathes Then should it soone be sene in euery eye Twixt prince and prince what difference would appeare Then should experience shewe what griefe it is To serue the humours of vnbridled youth Now will I goe for to prepare with spéede The funerals of my yong giltlesse sonne The which perhaps may be accompanyed With th' obsequies of proude Eteocles Creon goeth out by the gates Homoloydes Finis Actus 4. Actus 4. CHORVS O Blisful concord bredde in sacred brest Of him that guides the restlesse rolling sky That to the earth for mans assured rest From heigth of heauens vouchsafest downe to flie In thée alone the mightie power doth lie With swete accorde to kepe the frouning starres And euery planet else from hurtfull warres In thée in thée such noble vertue bydes As may commaund the mightiest Gods to bend From thée alone such sugred frendship slydes As mortall wightes can scarcely comprehend To greatest strife thou setst delightfull ende O holy peace by thée are onely founde The passing ioyes that euery where abound Thou onely thou through thy celestiall might Didst first of al the heauenly pole deuide From th' olde confused heape that Chaos hight Thou madste the Sunne the Moone and starres to glide With ordred course about this world so wide Thou hast ordainde Dan Tytans shining light By dawne of day to chase the darkesome night When tract of time returnes the lustie Ver. By thée alone the buddes and blossomes spring The fieldes with floures be garnisht euery where The blooming trées aboundant fruite do bring The cherefull birds melodiously do sing Thou dost appoint the crop of sommers séede For mans reliefe to serue the winters néede Thou doest inspire the heartes of princely péeres By prouidence procéeding from aboue In flowring youth to choose their worthie féeres With whome they liue in league of lasting loue Till fearefull death doth flitting life remoue And loke how fast to death man payes his due So fast againe doste thou his stocke renue By thée the basest thing aduaunced is Thou euerie where dost graffe such golden peace As filleth man with more than earthly blisse The earth by thée doth yelde hir swete increase At becke of thée all bloudy discords cease And mightiest Realmes in quiet do remaine Wheras thy hand doth holde the royall raine But if thou faile then al things gone to wracke The mother then doth dread hir naturall childe Then euery towne is subiect to the sacke Then spotlesse maids the virgins be defilde Then rigor rules then reason is exilde And this thou wofull Thebes to our great paine With present spoile art likely to sustaine Me thinke I heare the wailfull wéeping cries Of wretched dames in euerie coast resound Me thinkes I sée how vp to heauenly skies From battred walls the thundring clappes rebound Me thinke I heare how all things go to ground Me thinke I sée how souldiers wounded lye With gasping breath and yet they can not dye By meanes wherof oh swete Meneceus he That giues for countries cause his guiltlesse life Of others all most happy shall he be His ghost shall flit from broiles of bloudy strife To heauenly blisse where pleasing ioyes be rife And would to God that this his fatall ende From further plagues our citie might defend O sacred God giue eare vnto thy thrall That humbly here vpon thy name doth call O let not now our faultlesse bloud be spilt For hote reuenge of any others gilt Finis Actus quarti Done by F. Kinwelmarshe The order of the laste dumbe shevve FIrst the Stillpipes sounded a very mournful melody in which time came vpon the Stage a womā clothed in a white garment on hir head a piller double faced the formost face fair smiling the other behinde blacke louring muffled with a white laune about hir eyes hir lap ful of Iewelles sitting in a charyot hir legges naked hir fete set vpō a great roūd bal beyng drawē in by .iiij. noble personages she led in a string on hir right hand .ij. kings crowned and in hir lefte hand .ij. poore slaues very meanly attyred After she was drawen about the stage she stayed a little changing the kings vnto the left hande the slaues
That at vnwares his brothers dagger drawne And griped fast within the dying hand Vnder his side he recklesse doth receiue That made the way to his wyde open hart Thus falles Eteocles his brother by From both whose breasts the bloud fast bubling gaue A sory shewe to Greekes and Thebanes both Cho. Oh wretched ende of our vnhappie Lordes Cre. Oh Oedipus I must bewaile the death Of thy deare sonnes that were my nephewes both But of these blowes thou oughtest féele the smarte That with thy wonted prayers thus hast brought Such noble blouds to this vnnoble end But now tell on what followed of the Quéene Nun. Whē thus with piecced harts by their owne hands The brothers fell and wallowed in their bloud That one still tumbling on the others gore Came their afflicted mother then to late And eke with hir chast childe Antygone Who saw no sooner how their fates had falne But with the doubled echo of alas She dymmde the ayre with loude complaints and cryes Oh sonnes quod she too late came all my helpe And all to late haue I my succour sent And with these wordes vpon their carcas colde She shriched so as might haue stayed the Sunne To mourne with hir the wofull sister eke That both hir chekes did bathe in flowing teares Out from the depth of hir tormented brest With scalding sighes gan draw thefe weary words O my deare brethren why abandon ye Our mother deare when these hir aged yeares That of themselues are weake and growne with griefe Stoode most in neede of your sustaining helpe Why doe you leaue hir thus disconsolate At sounde of such hir wéeping long lament Eteocles our king helde vp his hand And sent from bottome of his wofull brest A doubled sighe deuided with his griefe In faithfull token of his feeble will To recomfort his mother and sister both And in steade of swéete contenting words The trickling teares raynde downe his paled chekes Then claspt his hands and shut his dying eyes But Polynice that turned his rolling eyen Vnto his mother and his sister deare With hollow voyce and fumbling toung thus spake Mother you see how I am now arryued Vnto the heauen of mine vnhappie ende Now nothing doth remaine to me but this That I lament my sisters life and yours Left thus in euerlasting woe and griefe So am I sory for Eteocles Who though he were my cruell enimie He was your sonne and brother yet to me But since these ghostes of ours must néedes go downe With staggring steppes into the Stigian reigne I you besech mother and sister bothe Of pitie yet that you will me procure A royall tombe within my natiue realme And now shut vp with those your tender bandes These grieffull eyes of mine whose dazeled light Shadowes of dreadfull death be come to close Now rest in peace this sayde he yéelded vp His fainting ghost that ready was to part The mother thus beholding both hir sonnes Ydone to death and ouercome with dole Drewe out the dagger of hir Pollinice From brothers brest and gorde therewyth her throt◠Falling bet wéene hir sonnes Then with hir féebled armes she doth vnfolde Their bodies both as if for company Hir vncontented corps were yet content To passe with them in Charons ferrie boate When cruell fate had thus with force bereft The wofull mother and hir two deare sonnes All sodenly allarme allarme they crye And hote conflict began for to aryse Betwene our armie and our enemyes For either part would haue the victorye A while they did with equall force maintaine The bloudy fight at last the Gréekes do flie Of whom could hardly any one escape For in such hugie heapes our men them slew The ground was couerde all with carcases And of our souldiers some gan spoyle the dead Some other were that parted out the pray And some pursuing Antigone toke vp The Queene Iocasta and the brethren both Whom in a chariot hither they will bring Ere long and thus although we gotten haue The victory ouer our enemies Yet haue we lost much more than we haue wonne Creon exit Cho. O hard mishap we doe not onely heare The wearie newes of their vntimely death But eke we must with wayling eyes beholde Their bodies deade for loke where they be brought Scena 3. ANTIGONE CHORVS MOst bitter plaint O ladyes vs behoues Behoueth eke not onely bitter plainte But that our heares dysheuylde from our heades About our shoulders hang and that our brests With bouncing blowes be all be battered Our gastly faces with our nayles defaced Behold your Quéene twixt both hir sonnes lyes slayne The Quéene whom you did loue and honour both The Quéene that did so tenderly bring vp And nourishe you eche one like to hir owne Now hath she left you all O cruell hap With hir too cruell death in dying dreade Pyning with pensifenesse without all helpe O weary life why bydste thou in my breast And I contented be that these mine eyes Should sée hir dye that gaue to me this life And I not venge hir death by losse of life Who can me giue a fountaine made of mone That I may weepe as muche as is my will To sowsse this sorow vp in swelling teares Cho. What stony hart could leaue for to lament Anti. O Polinice now hast thou with thy bloud Bought all too deare the title to this realme That cruell he Eteocles thée refte And now also hath rest thée of thy life Alas what wicked dede can wrath not doe And out alas for mee Whyle thou yet liuedst I had a liuely hope To haue some noble wight to be my phéere By whome I might be crownde a royall Quéene But now thy hastie death hath done to dye This dying hope of mine that hope hencefoorth None other wedlocke but tormenting woe If so these trembling hands for cowarde dread Dare not presume to ende this wretched life Cho. Alas deare dame let not thy raging griefe Heape one mishap vpon anothers head Anti. O dolefull day wherein my sory sire Was borne and yet O more vnhappie houre When he was crowned king of stately Thebes The Hymenei in vnhappie bed And wicked wedlocke wittingly did ioyne The giltlesse mother with hir giltie sonne Out of which roote we be the braunches borne To beare the scourge of their so foule offence And thou O father thou that for this facte Haste torne thine eyes from thy tormented head Giue eare to this come foorth and bende thine eare To bloudie newes that canst not them beholde Happie in that for if thine eyes could sée Thy sonnes bothe slayne and euen betwéene them bothe Thy wife and mother dead bathed and imbrude All in one bloud then wouldst thou dye for dole And so might ende all our vnluckie stocke But most vnhappie nowe that lacke of sighte Shall linger life within thy lucklesse brest And still tormented in suche miserie Shall alwayes dye bicause thou canst not dye Oedipus entreth Scena 4. OEDIPVS ANTIGONE CHORVS WHy dost thou
now ere long in brauery The tender buddes whom colde hath long kept in Will spring and sproute as they do now begin But I alas within whose mourning minde The graffes of grief are onely giuen to growe Cannot enioy the spring which others finde But still my will must wither all in woe The cold of care so nippes my ioyes at roote No sunne doth shine that well can do them boote The lustie Ver which whilome might exchange My griefe to ioy and then my ioyes encrease Springs now else where and showes to me but strange My winters woe therefore can neuer cease In other coasts his sunne full cleare doth shine And comforts lends to eu'ry mould but mine What plant can spring that féeles no force of Ver What floure can florish where no sunne doth shine These Bales quod she within my breast I beare To breake my barke and make my pith to pine Néedes must I fall I fade both roote and rinde My braunches bowe at blast of eu'ry winde This sayed shée cast a glance and spied my face By sight whereof Lord how she chaunged hew So that for shame I turned backe a pace And to my home my selfe in hast I drew And as I could hir woofull wordes reherse I set them downe in this waymenting verse Now Ladies you that know by whom I sing And feele the winter of such frozen wills Of curtesie yet cause this noble spring To send his sunne aboue the highest hilles And so to shyne vppon hir fading sprayes Which now in woe do wyther thus alwayes Spraeta tamen viuunt An absent Dame thus complayneth MVch like the séely Byrd which close in Cage is pent So sing I now not notes of ioye but layes of déepe lament And as the hooded Hauke which heares the Partrich spring Who though she féele hir self fast tied yet beats hir bating wing So striue I now to shewe my feeble forward will Although I know my labour lost to hop against the Hill. The droppes of darke disdayne did neuer drench my hart For well I know I am belou'd if that might ease my smart Ne yet the priuy coales of glowing iellosie Could euer kindle néedlesse feare within my fantasie The rigor of repulse doth not renew my playnt Nor choyce of change doth moue my mone nor force me thus to faint Onely that pang of payne which passeth all the rest And cankerlike doth fret the hart within the giltlesse brest Which is if any bee most like the panges of death That present grief now gripeth me striues to stop my breath When friendes in mind may méete and hart in hart embrace And absent yet are faine to playne for lacke of time and place Then may I compt their loue like séede that soone is sowen Yet lacking droppes of heauēly dew with wéedes is ouergrowē The Greyhound is agréeu'd although he sée his game If stil in slippe he must be stayde when he would chase the same So fares it now by me who know my selfe belou'd Of one the best in eche respect that euer yet was prou'd But since my lucklesse lot forbids me now to taste The dulcet fruites of my delight therfore in woes I wast And Swallow like I sing as one enforced so Since others reape the gaineful crop which I with pain did sow Yet you that marke my song excuse my Swallowes voyce And beare with hir vnpleasant tunes which cannot wel reioyce Had I or lucke in loue or lease of libertie Then should you heare some swéeter notes so cléere my throte would be But take it thus in grée and marke my playnsong well No hart féeles so much hurt as that which doth in absence dwell Spraeta tamen viuunt In prayse of a Countesse DEsire of Fame would force my féeble skill To prayse a Countesse by hir dew desert But dread of blame holds backe my forward will And quencht the coales which kindled in my hart Thus am I plongd twene dread and déepe desire To pay the dew which dutie doth require And when I call the mighty Gods in ayd To further forth some fine inuention My bashefull spirits be full ill afrayd To purchase payne by my presumption Such malice reignes sometimes in heauenly minds To punish him that prayseth as he finds For Pallas first whose filed flowing skill Should guyde my pen some pleasant words to write With angry mood hath fram'd a froward will To dashe deuise as oft as I endite For why if once my Ladies gifts were knowne Pallas should loose the prayses of hir owne And bloudy Mars by chaunge of his delight Hath made Ioues daughter now mine enemie In whose conceipt my Countesse shines so bright That Venus pines for burning ielousie She may go home to Vulcane now agayne For Mars is sworne to be my Ladies swayne Of hir bright beames Dan Phoebus stands in dread And shames to shine within our Horizon Dame Cynthia holds in hir horned head For feare to loose by like comparison Lo thus shée liues and laughes them all to skorne Countesse on earth in heauen a Goddesse borne And I sometimes hir seruaunt now hir friend Whom heauen and earth for hir thus hate and blame Haue yet presume in friendly wise to spend This ragged verse in honor of hir name A simple gift compared by the skill Yet what may séeme so déere as such good will. Meritum petere graue The Louer declareth his affection togither with the cause thereof WHen first I thée beheld in colours black and white Thy face in forme wel framde with fauor blooming stil My burning brest in cares did choose his chief delight With pen to painte thy prayse contrary to my skill Whose worthinesse compar'd with this my rude deuise I blush and am abasht this worke to enterprise But when I call to mind thy sundry gifts of grace Full fraught with maners méeke in happy quiet mind My hasty hand forthwith doth scribble on apace Least willing hart might thinke it ment to come behind Thus do both hand and hart these carefull méetres vse Twixt hope and trembling feare my duetie to excuse Wherfore accept these lines and banish darke disdayne Be sure they come from one that loueth thée in chief And guerdon me thy friend in like with loue agayne So shalt thou well be sure to yéeld me such relief As onely may redresse my sorrowes and my smart For proofe whereof I pledge deare Dame to thée my hart Meritum petere graue A Lady being both wronged by false suspect and also wounded by the durance of hir husband doth thus bewray hir grief GIue me my Lute in bed now as I lie And lock the doores of mine vnluckie bower So shall my voyce in mournefull verse discrie The secrete smart which causeth me to lower Resound you walles an Eccho to my mone And thou cold bed wherein I lie alone Beare witnesse yet what rest thy Lady takes When other sléepe which may enioy their makes In prime of youth when Cupide kindled fire And warmd
foot is crept vnder mine eye and remembring the long sute that this gentelemaÌ„ had in youth spent on me considering therewith all that grene youth is well mellowed in vs both haue of late sought to perswade a marriage betwene vs the which the Knighte hath not refused to here of and I haue not disdayned to thinke on By their mediation we haue bene eftsoones brought to Parlee wherein ouer and be sides the ripping vp of many olde griefes this hath bene cheifly rehearsed obiected betwene vs what wrong and iniury eche of vs hath done to other And here aboutes wée haue fallen to sharpe contencion He alleadged that much greater is the wrong which I haue done vnto him than that repulse which hée hath fithenes vsed to me and I haue affirmed the contrary The matter yet hangeth in varyence Now of you worthy Gouernour I would be most glad to heare this question decided remembring that there was no difference in the times betwene vs And surely vnles your iudgment helpe me I am afrayde my marryage will hée marred and I may go lead Apes in hell Ferdenando aunswered good Pergo I am sory to heare so lamentable a discourse of your luckles loue and much the soryer in that I muste néedes giue sentence agaynst you For surely great was the wrong that eyther of you haue done to other and greater was the néedelesse greife which causelesse eche of you hath conceyued in this long time but greatest in my iudgment hath bene both the wrong and the greife of the Knight In that notwithstanding his desertes which your selfe confesse he neuer enioyed any guerdone of loue at your handes And you as you alledge did enioy his loue of long time to gether So that by the reckoning it wil fal out although being builded in your owne conceipt you sée it not that of the one twenty yeares you enioyed his loue vii at the least but that euer he enioyed yours wee cannot perceiue And much greater is the wrong that rewardeth euill for good than that which requireth tip for tap Further it semeth that where as you went obout in time to trie him you did altogither loose time which can neuer be recouered And not only lost your owne time whereof you would seeme nowe to lament but also compelled him to lease his time which he might be it spoken with out offence to you haue bestowed in some other worthy place and therefore as that greife is much greater which hath no kind of coÌ„fort to allay it so much more is that wrong which altogether without cause is offered And I sayd Pergo must needes think that much easier is it for them to endure grief which neuer tasted of ioye and much lesse is that wrong which is so willingly proffered to be by recompence restored For if this Knight wil confesse that he neuer had cause to reioyce in all the time of his seruice then with better contentacion might he abyde greife than I who hauing tasted of the delight which I did secretly coÌ„ceiue of his desertes do think ech grief a present death by the remembrance of those for passed thoughts lesse wrong séemeth it to be destitut of the thing which was neuer obtained then to be depriued of a Iewel wherof we haue been already possessed so that vnder your correction I might conclude that greater hath béene my griefe and iniury susteined than that of the Knight To whome Ieronimy replied as touching delight it maye not be denied but that euery louer doth take delight in the inward contemplation of his mind to think of the worthines of his beloued therefore you maie not alledge that the Knight had neuer cause to reioyce vnlesse you will altogeather condemne your selfe of worthines Mary if you will say that he tasted not the delightes that louers seeke then marke who was the cause but your selfe And if you would accuse him of like ingratitude for that he disdained you in the later vij yéeres when as he might by accepting your loue haue recoÌ„penced him selfe of all former wronges you must remember therewithall that the crueltie by you shewed towards him was such that he could by no means perceiue that your change procéeded of good will but rather eftsons to hold him enchained in vnknown linkes of subtile dealings therefore not without cause he doubted you yet without cause you reiected him He had often sought occasion but by your refusals he could neuer find him you hauing occasion fast by the foretop did dally with him so long tyl at the last he sliped his head from you then catching at the bald noddle you fouÌ„d your selfe the cause yet you would accuse another To conclude greater is the griefe that is susteined without desert much more is the wroÌ„g that is offered without cause Thus Ferdinando Ieronimy decided the question propounded by Pergo and expected that some other Dame should propound another but his Mistresse hauing hir hand on another halfpeny gan thus say vnto him Seruant this pastime is good and such as I must nedes like of to driue away your pensiue thoughtes but sléeping time approcheth I feare we disquiete you wherefore the rest of this time we will if so like you bestowe in trimming vp your bed and to morrow wée shal meete here and renewe this newe begon game with Madame Pargo Mistresse quod hée I must obeye your wil and most humbly thanke you of your great goodnesse and all these Ladies for their curtesie Euen so requiring you that you wyll no further trouble your selues about mée but let my Seruaunt aloane with conducting mee to bed Yes seruaunt quod she I wil sée if you â—an sléepe any better in my shéetes and therewith commaunded hir handmayde to fetche a payre of cleane shéetes the which being brought maruaylous fine and swéete the Ladies Fraunces and Elinor dyd curteously vnfold them and layd them on the bed which done they also entreated him to vncloath him and go to bed being layd his Mistresse dressed and couched the cloathes about him sithens moistened his temples with Rosewater gaue him handkerchewes and other freshe linnen about him in doing wherof she whispered in his eare saying Seruaunt this night I will bée with thée and after with the rest of the Dames gaue him good night and departed leauing him in a traunce betwéen hope and dispayre trust and mistrust Thus he laye rauished commaunding his seruaunt to goe to bed and fayning that him selfe would assaye if he could sléepe About ten or eleuen of the clocke came his mistresse in hir night gowne who knowing all priuye wayes in that house verie perfectlye had conueied her selfe into his chamber vnséene and vnperceiued and being nowe come vnto his beds side knéeled downe and laying hir arme ouer him sayde these or lyke wordes My good Seruaunt if thou knewest what perplexities I suffer in beholding of thine infirmities it might then suffice eyther vtterlye to driue away the mallady or much