hath sent me nowe haue I litle néede that thankes be to god haue founde my déerely beloued sonne whom I loste of a childe at the siege of Otranto Da. Worthy gentleman you frendship your alliaunce and the nobilitie of your birthe are suche as I haue muche more cause to desire them of you than you to request of me that which is already graunted therefore I gladly and willingly receiue the same and thinke my selfe moste happie now of all my life past that I haue gottē so toward a sonne in lawe to my selfe and so worthye a father in lawe to my daughter yea and muche the greater is my contentation since this worthie gentleman maister Cleander doth holde himselfe satisfied And now behold your sonne Ero. O father Pas. Beholde the naturall loue of the childe to the the father for inwarde ioye he cannot pronounce one worde in stéede wherof he sendeth sobbes and teares to tell the effect of his inwarde intention But why doe you abide here abrode will it please you to goe into the house sir Da. Pasiphilo hathe saide well will it please you to goe in sir Ne. Here I haue brought you sir bothe fetters boltes Da. Away with them now Ne. Yea but what shall I doe with them Da. Marie I will tell thée Neuola to make a righte ende of our supposes lay one of those boltes in the fire and make thée a suppositorie as long as mine arme God saue the sample Nobles and gentlemen if you suppose that our supposes haue giuen you sufficient cause of delighte shewe some token wherby we may suppose you are content FINIS Pasi subitò improuiso venit IOCASTA A Tragedie vvritten in Greke by Euripides translated and digested into Acte by George Gascoygne and Francis Kinvvelmershe of Grayes Inne and there by them presented 1566 The argument of the Tragedie To scourge the cryme of vvicked Laius And vvrecke the foule Incest of Oedipus The angry Gods styrred vp theyr sonnes by strife VVith blades embrevved to reaue eche others life The vvyfe the mother and the concubyne VVhose fearefull hart foredrad theyr fatall fine Hir sonnes thus dead disdayneth longer lyfe And slayes hirself vvith selfsame bloudy knyfe The daughter she surprisde vvyth childish dreade That durst not dye a lothsome lyfe doth leade Yet rather chose to guyde hir banysht sire Than cruell Creon should haue his desire Creon is King the type of Tyranny And Oedipus myrrour of misery Fortunatus Infoelix The names of the Interloquutors Iocasta the Queene Seruus a noble man of the Queenes traine Bailo gouernour to the Queenes sonnes Antygone daughter to the Queene Chorus foure Thebane dames Pollynices Eteocles sonnes to Oedipus the Queene Creon the Queenes brother Meneceus sonne to Creon Tyresias the diuine priest Manto the daughter of Tyresias Sacerdos the sacrifycing priest Nuntij three messangers from the campe Oedipus the olde King father to Eteocles and Pollynices sonne and husbande to Iocasta the Queene The Tragedie represented in Thebes ¶ The order of the dumme shewes and Musickes before euery Acte FIrst before the beginning of the firste Acte did sounde a dolefull and straunge noyse of violles Cythren Bandurion and suche like during the which there came in vpon the Stage a King with an Imperiall Crowne vpon his head very richely apparelled a Scepter in his right hande a Mounde with a Crosse in his left hande sitting in a Chariote very richely furnished drawne in by foure kinges in their Dublettes and Hosen with Crownes also vpon their heades Representing vnto vs Ambition by the hystorie of Sesostres king of Egypt who beeing in his time and reigne a mightie Conquerour yet not content to haue subdued many Princes and taken from them their kingdomes and dominions did in lyke maner cause those Kinges whome he had so ouercome to drawe in his Chariote like Beastes and Oxen thereby to content his vnbrideled ambitious desire After he had beene drawne twyce about the Stage and retyred the Musicke ceased and Iocasta the Queene issued out of hir house beginning the first Acte as followeth Iocasta the Queene issueth out of hir Pallace before hir twelue Gentlemen very brauely apparelled following after hir eight Gentlewomen whereof foure be the Chorus that remayne on the Stage after hir departure At hir entrance the Trumpettes sounded and after she had gone once aboute the Stage she turneth to one of hir moste trustie and estemed seruaunts and vnto him she discloseth hir griefe as foloweth The first Acte The first Scene IOCASTA SERVVS O Faithfull seruaunt of mine auncient sire Though vnto thée sufficiently be knowen The whole discourse of my recurelesse griefe By seing me from Princes royall state Thus basely brought into so great cōtempt As mine owne sonnes repine to heare my plaint Now of a Quéene but barely bearing name Seyng this towne seyng my fleshe and bloude Against it selfe to leuie threatning armes Wherof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine Yet once againe I must to thée recompte The wailefull thing that is alredy spred Bycause 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 employed 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 suche 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 nowe our Citie is Thou knowst how he desirous still to searche The hidden secrets of supernall powers Unto 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 wailful 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 Up 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
yet that you will me procure A royall tombe within my natiue realme And now shut vp with those your tender handes These griefful eyes of mine whose daseled sight Shadowes of dreadfull death be come to close Now rest in peace thus sayde he yeelded vp His fainting ghost that ready was to part The mother thus beholding both hir sonnes Ygone to death and ouercome with dole Drewe out the dagger of hir Polinices From brothers brest and gorde hir mothers throte Falling betwéene hir sonnes Then with hir féebled armes she doth enfolde 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 locasta 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 Queene twixt both hir sonnes lyes slayne The Queene whom you did loue and honour both The Queene 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 pensiuenesse without all helpe O weary life why bydst 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 reste And now also hath reft thée of thy life Alas what wicked dede can wrath not doe And out alas for mée 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 chine 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 this 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 iiij. OEDIPVS ANTIGONE CHORVS WHy dost thou 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 Unto your eares your sonnes are nowe both slayne Ne doth your wife that wonted was to guyde So piteously your staylesse stumbling steppes Now see 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 three 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 cheekes 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 v. CREON OEDIPVS ANTIGONE GOod Ladies leaue your bootelesse vayne complaynt Leaue to lament cut of your wofull cryes High time it is as now for to prouide The funerals for the renowned king And thou Oedipus hearken to my wordes And know thus muche that for thy daughters dower Antigone with Hemone shall 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 plagued still with penurie Wherfore
Which béeing 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 alyue 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 toke him home and gaue him to his wife With homelie fare to fede and foster vp Now harken how the heauens haue wroughte 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 kepe his princely court Unto whose wofull wife lamenting muche She 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 bycause his comely grace Gaue great suspicion of his royall bloude The infant grewe and many yeares was demde Polibus sonne till tyme that Oedipus For so he named was did vnderstande That Polibus was not his sire in déede Wherby forsaking frendes and countrie there He did returne to seke 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 aspecte of cruell planets all That can decrée such seas of heynous faultes Ioca. Then Oedipus fraight ful of chilling feare By all meanes sought t' auoyde this furious fate But whiles he wéende to shunne the shamefull dede Unluckly guyded 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 wherof 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 Nowe onely restes to ende the bitter happe Of me of me his miserable mother Alas howe 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 ful 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 As well two sonnes as daughters also twayne But when this monstruous 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 Unworthy more to see the shining light Ser. Howe coulde it be that knowing he had done So foule a blot he would remayne aliue Ioca. So déepely faulteth none the which vnwares Dothe 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 dothe more and more increase The cruell plagues of his detested gilte Where stroke of griesly death dothe set an ende Unto the pangs of mans increasing payne Ser. Of others all moste cause haue we to mone Thy wofull smarte O miserable Quéene Suche and so many are thy gréeuous harmes Ioca. Now to the ende this blinde outragious sire Should reape no ioy of his vnnaturall fruite His wretched sonnes prickt foorth by furious spight Adiudge their father to perpetuall prison There buried in the depthe of dungeon darke Alas he leades his discontented lyfe 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 stayne 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 Untill the course of one full 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 vp Thus yere by yere the one succéeding other This royall crowne should vnto bothe remayne Ser. Oh th unbridled mindes of ambicious men Ioca. Eteocles thus plast in princely seate Drunke with the sugred taste of kingly raigne Not onely shut his brother from the crowne But also from his natiue country soyle Alas poore Polynice what might he doe Uniustly by his brother thus betrayed To Argos he with sad and heauie chéere Forthwith conuayde him selfe on whom at length With fauning face good fortune smyled so As with Adrastus king of Argiues there He founde suche fauour and affinitie As to restore my sonne vnto his raigne He hath besedge this noble citie Thebes And hence procéedes my most extreme annoye For of my sonnes who euer doe preuaile The victorie will turne vnto my griefe Alas I feare such is the chaunce of warre That one or both shall purchase death therby Wherfore to shunne the worst that may befall Thoughe comfortlesse yet as a pitifull mother Whom nature bindes to loue hir louing sonnes And to prouide the best for their auaile I haue thought good by prayers to intreate The two brethren nay rather cruell foes A while to staie their fierce and furious fight Till I haue tried by meanes for to appease The swelling wrath of their outraging willes And so with much to doe at my request They haue forborne vnto this onely houre Ser. Small space god wot to stint so great a strife Ioca. And euen right now a trustie man of mine Returned from the campe enforming me That Polynice will straight to Thebes cōme Thus of my woe this is the wailefull sōme And for bycause in vaine and bootelesse plainte I haue small néede to spend this title time Here will I ceasse in wordes more to bewray The restlesse state of my afflicted minde Desiring thée thou goe to Eteocles Hartly on my behalfe beseching him That out of hand according to his promise He will vouchsafe to come vnto my courte I know he loues thée well and to thy wordes I thinke thou knowst he will giue willing eare Ser. O noble Quéene sith vnto
the thing that I would not haue tolde If I haue you offended with my words Blame then your selfe and eke your frowarde fate Cre. cruell words oh oh what hast thou sayde Thou cruell southsayer Tyr. Euen that that heauen Hath ordeined once and needes it must ensue Cre. Howe many euils hast thou knit vp in one Tyr. Though euill for thée yet for thy countrey good Cre. And let my countrey perishe what care I Tyr. Aboue all things we ought to holde it deare Cre. Cruell were he that would not loue his childe Tyr. For cōmō weale were well that one man waile Cre. To loose mine owne I liste none other saue Tyr. Best Citizens care least for priuate gayne Cre. Departe for nowe with all thy prophecies Tyr. Lo thus the truthe dothe alwayes hatred get Cre. Yet pray I thée by these thy siluer heares Tyr. The harme that cōmes from heauen can not be scapt Cre. And by thy holy spirite of prophecie Tyr. What heauen hath done that can not I vndoe Cre. That to no moe this secrete thou reueals Tyr. And wouldst thou haue me learne to make a lye Cre. I pray thée holde thy peace Tyr. That will I not But in thy woe to yéelde thée some reliefe I tell thée once thou shalt be Lorde of Thebes Which happe of thine this string did well declare Which from the heart doth out alonely growe So did the péece corrupted playnly shewe An argument most euident to proue Thy sonne his death Cre. Well yet be thou content To kéepe full close this secrete hidden griefe Tyr. I neither ought ne will kéepe it so close Cre. Shall I be then the murtherer of mine owne Tyr. Ne blame not me but blame the starres for this Cre. Can heauens condemne but him alone to dye Tyr. We ought beléeue the cause is good and iust Cre. Uniust is he condemnes the innocent Tyr. A foole is he accuseth heauens of wrongs Cre. There can no ill thing come from heauēs aboue Tyr. Then this that heauen commaunds can not be ill Cre. I not beléeue that thou hast talkt with God Tyr. Bicause I tell thée that doth thée displease Cre. Out of my sight accursed lying wretche Tyr. Go daughter go oh what a foole is he That puts in vre to publishe prophecies For if he do foretell a frowarde fate Though it be true yet shall he purchase hate And if he silence kéepe or hide the truth The heauy wrath of mightie Gods ensuth Apollo he might well tell things to come That had no dread the angry to offende But hye we daughter hence some other way Tyresias vvith Manto his daughter returneth by the gates called Electrae Scena ij. CREON MENECEVS OH my deare childe well hast thou heard with eare These wéery newes or rather wicked tales That this deuine of thee deuined hath Yet will thy father neuer be thy foe With cruell doome thy death for to consent Me. You rather ought O father to consent Unto my death since that my death may bring Unto this towne bothe peace and victorie Ne can I purchase more prayseworthy deathe Than for my countreys wealth to lose my breath Cre. I can not prayse this witlesse will of thine Me. You know deare father that this life of ours Is brittle short and nothing else in déede But tedious toyle and pangs of endlesse payne And death whose darte to some men séemes so fell Brings quiet ende to this vnquiet life Unto which ende who soonest doth arriue Findes soonest rest of all his restlesse griefe And were it so that here on earth we felte No pricke of payne nor that our flattring dayes Were neuer dasht by frowarde fortunes frowne Yet béeing borne as all men are to dye Were not this worthy glory and renowne To yéelde the countrey soyle where I was borne For so long time so shorte a time as mine I can not thinke that this can be denied Then if to shunne this haughtie highe behest Mine onely cause O father doth you moue Be sure you séeke to take from me your sonne The greatest honor that I can attayne But if your owne commoditie you moue So much the lesse you ought the same allowe For looke how much the more you haue in Thebes So much the more you ought to loue the same Here haue you Hemone he that in my steade O my deare father may with you remaine So that although you be depriued of me Yet shall you not be quite depriued of heires Cre. I can not chuse deare sonne but disalowe This thy too hastie hote desire of death For if thy life thou settest all so lighte Yet oughtest thou thy father me respect Who as I drawe the more to lumpishe age So much more néede haue I to craue thine ayde Ne will I yet with stubborne tong denye That for his common weale to spende his life Doth win the subiect high renoumed name But howe in armoure to defende the state Not like a beast to bléede in sacrifice And therewithall if any should consent To such a death then should the same be I That haue prolonged life euen long enough Ne many dayes haue I nowe to drawe on And more auaile might to the countrie come Deare sonne to holde that lustie life of thine That arte both yong and eke of courage stout Than may by me that féeble am and olde Then liue deare sonne in high prosperitie And giue me leaue that worthy am to dye Mene. Yet worthy were not that vnworthy chaunge Cre. If such a death bring glorie giue it me Mene. Not you but me the heauens cal to die Cre. We be but one in flesh and body both Mene. I father ought so ought not you to die Cre. If thou sonne die thinke not that I can line Then let me die and so shall he first die That ought to die and yet but one shal die Me. Although I father ought t' obey your hestes Yet euil were not to this yelde your wil Cre. Thy wit is wylie for to worke this wo Me. Oh tender pittie moueth me thereto Cre. A beast is he that kils himselfe with knife Of pittie to preserue an others life Me. Yet wise is he that doth obey the Gods Cre. The Gods will not the death of any wight Me. Whose life they take they giue him life also Cre. But thou dost striue to take thy life thy selfe Me. Nay them to obey that will I shall not liue Cre. What fault O sonne condemneth thée to death Me. Who liueth father here without a fault Cre. I sée no gylte in thée that death deserues Me. But God it séeth that euery secrete séeth Cre. Howe shoulde we knowe what is the will of God Me. We knowe it then when he reueales the same Cre. As though he woulde come doune to tell it vs Me. By diuers meanes his secrets he discloseth Cre. Oh fonde is he who thinkes to vnderstand The mysteries of ioue his secrete mynde And for to ende this controuersie here Loe thus I say
I will we both liue yet Prepare thée then my hestes to holde and kéepe And pull a downe that stubborne heart of thyne Me. You may of me as of your selfe dispose And since my life doth séeme so deare to you I will preserue the same to your auaile That I may spende it alwayes to your will Cre. Then thée behoues out of this towne to flie Before the bolde and blinde Tyresias Doe publish this that is as yet vnknowne Me. And where or in what place shall I become Cre. Where thou mayste be hence furthest out of sight Me. You may commaunde and I ought to obey Cre. Go to the lande of Thesbeotia Me. Where Dodona doth fit in sacred chaire Cre. Euen there my childe Me. And who shal guide my wandring steps Cre. high Ioue Me. Who shall giue sustenance for my reliefe Cre. There will I sende thée heapes of glistring golde Me. But when shall I eftesoones my father sée Cre. Cre long I hope but nowe for nowe depart For euery lingring let or little stay May purchase payne and torment both to me Me. First woulde I take my conge of the Quéene That since the day my mother lost hir life Hath nourisht me as if I were hir owne Creon goeth out by the gates Homoloydes Cre. Oh tarry not my deare sonne tarry not Me. Beholde father I goe You dames of Thebes Praye to almightie Ioue for my retourne You sée howe mine vnhappie starres me driue To go my countrie fro and if so chaunce I ende in woe my pryme and lustie yeares Before the course of Nature do them call Honor my death yet with your drery plaints And I shal eke where so this carkas come Praye to the Gods that they preserue this towne Meneceus departeth by the gates Electrae CHORVS WHen she that rules the rolling whéele of chaunce Doth turne aside hir angrie frowning face On him whom erst she deigned to aduaunce She neuer leaues to galde him with disgrace To tosse and turne his state in euery place Till at the last she hurle him from on high And yeld him subiect vnto miserie And as the braunche that from the roote is reft He neuer winnes like life to that he lefte Yea though he do yet can no tast of ioy Compare with pangs that past in his annoy Well did the heauens ordeine for our behoofe Necessitie and fates by them allowde That when we see our high mishappes aloofe As me our eyes were mufled with a cloude Our froward will doth shrinke it selfe and shrowde From our auaile wherewith we runne so farre As none amends can make that we do marre Then drawes euill happe striues to shew his strēgth And such as yeld vnto his might at length He leades them by necessitie the way That destinie preparde for our decay The Mariner amidde the swelling seas Who séeth his barke with many a billowe beaten Now here now there as wind and waues best please When thundring Ioue with tempest list to threaten And dreades in depest gulfe for to be eaten Yet learnes a meane by mere necessitie To saue him selfe in such extremitie For when he seeth no man hath witte nor powre To flie from fate when fortune list to lowre His only hope on mightie Ioue doth caste Whereby he winnes the wished hauen at last How fond is that man in his fantasie Who thinks that Ioue the maker of vs al And he that tempers all in heauen on high The sunne the mone the starres celestiall So that no leafe without his leaue can fall Hath not in him omnipotence also To guide and gouerne all things here below O blinded eies O wretched mortall wights O subiect slaues to euery euill that lights To scape such woe such paine such shame and scorne Happie were he that neuer had bin borne Well might duke Creon driuen by destinie If true it be that olde Tyresias saith Redeme our citie from this miserie By his consent vnto Meneceus death Who of him selfe wold faine haue lost his breth But euery man is loth for to fulfill The heauenly hest that pleaseth not his will That publique weale must néedes to ruine go Where priuate profite is preferred so Yet mightie God thy only aide we craue This towne from siege and vs from sorrowe saue Finis Actus tertij The order of the fourth dumbe shevve BEfore the beginning of this fourth Acte the Trumpets sounded the drummes and fifes and a greate peale of ordinaunce was shot of in the which ther entred vpon the stage .vj. knights armed at al points whereof three came in by the Gates Electrae and the other foure by the Gates Homoloides either parte beeing accompanied with vij other armed men and after they had marched twice or thrice about the Stage the one partie menacing the other by their furious lookes and gestures the .vj. knights caused their other attendants to stand by and drawing their Swords fell to cruell and couragious combate continuing therein till two on the one side were slayne the third perceiuing that he only remayned to withstand the force of .iij. enemies did politiquely runne aside wherewith immediatly one of the .iij. followed after him and when he hadde drawen his enimie thus from his companie hee turned againe and slewe him Then the seconde also ranne after him whome he slewe in like māner and consequently the thirde and then triumphantly marched aboute the Stage with hys sword in his hand Hereby was noted the incomparable force of concord betweene brethren who as long as they holde togither may not easily by any meanes be ouercome and being once disseuered by any meanes are easily ouerthrowen The history of the brethren Horatij Curiatij who agreed to like combate and came to like ende After that the dead carkasses were caried from the Stage by the armed men on both parties and that the victor was triumphantly accompanied out also came in a messanger armed from the campe seeking the Queene and to hir spake as followeth Actus iiij. Scena j. NVNCIVS IOCASTA Nuncius commeth in by the gates Homoloides O Sage and sober dames O shamefast maides O faithfull seruants of our aged Quéene Come leade hir forth sith vnto hir I bring Such secrete newes as are of great importe Come forthe O Quéene surcease thy wofull plainte And to my words vouchsafe a willing eare The Queene vvith hir traine commeth out of hir Pallace Ioca. My seruant deare doest thou yet bring me newes Of more mishappe ah werie wretch alas How doth Eteocles whome heretofore In his encreasing yeares I wonted ay From daungerous happe with fauoure to defend Doth he yet liue or hath vntimely death In cruell fight berefte his flowring life Nun. He liues O Quéene hereof haue ye no doubte From such suspecte my selfe will quite you soone Ioca. The vētrous Gréekes haue haply tane the toune Nun. The Gods forbid Ioca. Our souldiers then perchance Dispersed bene and yelden to the sword Nun. Not so they were at first in daunger sure But in the
or of the one at least Nuntius returneth to the camp by the gates Homoloides 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 nowe Ioca. O deare daughter thy most vnhappie brethren That sometimes lodgde within these wretched loynes Shall die this daye 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 ech others blood O cruell Eteocles ah ruthlesse wretch Of this outrage thou only art the cause Not Pollinice 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 welbeloued 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 for worne 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 shall 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 locasta vvith Antigone and all hir traine excepte the Chorus goeth tovvards the campe by the gates Homoloydes CHORVS WHo so hath felt what 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 bloude Where is the lawes of nature nowe become Can fleshe of fleshe alas can bloude of bloude So far forget it selfe as slaye it selfe O lowring starres O dimme and angrie skies O giltie fate such mischiefe set aside But if supernall powers decreed haue That death must be the ende of this debate Alas what floudes of teares shall then suffise To wéepe and waile the neare approching death I meane the death of sonnes and mother both And with their death the ruine and decay Of Oedipus and all his princely race But loe here Creon cōmes with carefull cheare 'T is time that nowe I ende my iust complaint Creon commeth in by the gates Homoloydes CREON NVNCIVS ALthough I straightly chargde my tender childe To flie from Thebes for safegarde of hymselfe And that long since he parted from my sight Yet doe I greatly hand in lingring doubt Least passing through the gates the priuie watch Hath stayed him by some suspect of treason And so therewhile the prophetes 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 Howe 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 Unto the brother of our wofull Quéene But loe where carefully he standeth here Cre. If so the minde maye dreade 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 withstande the heauenly powers Well it beséems not me ne yet my yeares In bootelesse plaint to wast my wailefull teares Do thou recount to me his lucklesse deathe The order fourme 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 yeeld Unto your grace and vnto natiue land Might well be demde a most vngratefull sonne Unto this worthy towne if I would shunne The sharpest death to do my countrie good In mourning weede nowe let the vestall Nimphes With fauning tunes commende 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 vvas content to die This saide alas he made no more a doe But drewe his sworde and sheathde it in his brest Cre. No more I haue inough returne ye nowe From whence ye came Nuncius retourneth by the gates Electrae Well since the bloude of my beloued sonne Must serue to slake the wrathe 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 shoulde beare the kingly swaye Yea sure and so I will ere it be long 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 sire of whose accursed séede Two brethren sprang whose raging hatefull hearts By force of
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 bothe 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 burst in bitter teares And so they would had they the sense of man Cre. O worthy yong Lordes that vnworthy were Of suche vnworthy death O me moste wretche 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 Be iustly made that knewe not of the crime But tell me messanger oh tel 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 euil Nun. Then know my Lorde the battell that begonne Under the walles was brought to luckie ende Eteocles had made his foemen flée Within their trenches to their foule reproche But herewithall the bretheren streightway Eche other chalenge foorth into the fielde By combate so to stinte their cruell strife Who armed thus amid the field appeard First Pollinices turning towarde 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 Unworthy triumphes and vnworthy spoyles Lo he the cause my cruell enimie The people wept to heare the wofull wordes Of Pollinice foreséeing eke the ende Of this outrage and cruell combate tane Eche man gan looke vpon his drouping mate With mindes amazde 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 harte 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 summens 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 Upon 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 he Eteocles gan thrust his wicked sworde In the lefte arme of vnarmed Pollinice And let the bloud from thinne 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 That at vnwares his brothers dagger drawne And griped fast within the dying hand Under 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 bloudfast bubling gaue A sory shewe to Greekes and Thebans both Cho. Oh wretched ende of our vnhappie Lordes Cre. Oh Oedipus I must be the death Of thy deare sonnes that were my nephewes both But of these blowes thou oughtest feele 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 pierced harts by there owne hands The brothers fell had wallowed in their bloud Th one tumbling on the others gore Came their afflicted mother then to late And eke with hir hir chast childe Antygone Who saw no sooner how their fates had falne But with the doubled echo of alas Sore 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 these 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 néede 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 féeble will To recomfort his mother and sister both And in the steade of swéete contenting words The trickling teares raynde downe his paled chekes Then claspt his handes and shut his dying eyes But Pollinice that turned his rolling eyen Unto his mother and his sister deare With hollow voyce and fumbling toung thus spake Mother you see how I am now arryued Unto the hauen of myne 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 enimy He was your sonne and brother yet to me But since these ghosts of curs must needes go downe With staggering steppes into the Stigian reigne I you beseche mother and sister bothe Of pitie