bestow Cornelia T' is true the Heauens at least-wise if they please May giue poore Rome her former libertie But though they would I know they cannot giue A second life to Pompey that is slaine Cicero Mourne not for Pompey Pompey could not die A better death then for his Countries weale For oft he search't amongst the fierce allarms But wishing could not find so faire an end Till fraught with yeeres and honor both at once Hee gaue his bodie as a Barricade For Romes defence by Tyrants ouer-laide Brauely he died and haplie takes it ill That enuious we repine at heauens will Cornelia Alas my sorrow would be so much lesse If he had died his fauchin in his fist Had hee amidst huge troopes of Armed men Beene wounded by another any waie It would haue calmed many of my sighes For why t' haue seene his noble Roman blood Mixt with his enemies had done him good But hee is dead O heauens not dead in fight With pike in hand vpon a Forte besieg'd Defending of a breach but basely slaine Slaine trayterouslie without assault in warre Yea slaine he is and bitter chaunce decreed To haue me there to see this bloody deed I saw him I was there and in mine armes He almost felt the poygnard when he fell Whereat my blood stopt in my stragling vaines Mine haire grew bristled like a thornie groue My voyce lay hid halfe dead within my throate My frightfull hart stund in my stone-cold breast Faintlie redoubled eu'ry feeble stroke My spirite chained with impatient rage Did rauing striue to breake the prison ope Enlarg'd to drowne the payne it did abide In solitary Lethes sleepie tyde Thrice to absent me from thys hatefull light I would haue plund'd my body in the Sea And thrice detaind with dolefull shreeks and cryes With armes to heauen vprea'd I gan exclaime And bellow forth against the Gods themselues A bedroll of outragious blasphemies Till griefe to heare and hell for me to speake My woes waxt stronger and my selfe grew weake Thus day and night I toyle in discontent And sleeping wake when sleepe it selfe that rydes Vpon the mysts scarce moysteneth mine eyes Sorrow consumes mee and in steed of rest With folded armes I sadly sitte and weepe And if I winck it is for feare to see The fearefull dreames effects that trouble mee O heauens what shall I doe alas must I Must I my selfe be murderer of my selfe Must I my selfe be forc'd to ope the way Whereat my soule in wounds may sally forth Cicero Madam you must not thus transpose your selfe VVe see your sorrow but who sorrowes not The griefe is common And I muse besides The seruitude that causeth all our cares Besides the basenes wherein we are yoked Besides the losse of good men dead and gone What one he is that in this broile hath bin And mourneth not for some man of his kin Cornelia If all the world were in the like distresse My sorrow yet would neuer seeme the lesse Cicero O but men beare mis-fortunes with more ease The more indifferently that they fall And nothing more in vprores men can please Then when they see their woes not worst of all Cornelia Our friendes mis-fortune dooth increase our owne Cicero But ours of others will not be acknowne Cornelia Yet one mans sorrow will another tutch Cicero I when himselfe will entertaine none such Cornelia Anothers teares draw teares fro forth our eyes Cicero And choyce of streames the greatest Riuer dryes Cornelia VVhen sand within a VVhirle-poole lyes vnwet My teares shall dry and I my griefe forget Cicero What boote your teares or what auailes your sorrow Against th' ineuitable dart of Death Thinke you to moue with lamentable plaints Persiphone or Plutos gastlie spirits To make him liue that 's locked in his tombe And wandreth in the Center of the earth No no Cornelia Caron takes not paine To ferry those that must be fetcht againe Cornelia Proserpina indeed neglects my plaints And hell it selfe is deafe to my laments Vnprofitably should I waste my teares If ouer Pompey I should weepe to death With hope to haue him be reuiu'd by them Weeping auailes not therefore doe I weepe Great losses greatly are to be deplor'd The losse is great that cannot be restor'd Cicero Nought is immortall vnderneath the Sunne All things are subiect to Deaths tiranny Both Clownes Kings one selfe-same course must run And what-soeuer liues is sure to die Then wherefore mourne you for your husbands death Sith being a man he was ordain'd to die Sith Ioues ownes sonnes retaining humane shape No more then wretched we their death could scape Braue Scipio your famous auncestor That Romes high worth to Affrique did extend And those two Scipios that in person fought Before the fearefull Carthagenian walls Both brothers and both warrs fierce lightning fiers Are they not dead Yes and their death our dearth Hath hid them both embowel'd in the earth And those great Citties whose foundations reacht From deepest hell and with their tops tucht heauen Whose loftie Towers like thorny-pointed speares Whose Temples Pallaces and walls embost In power and force and fiercenes seem'd to threat The tyred world that trembled with their waight In one daies space to our eternall mones Haue we not seene them turn'd to heapes of stones Carthage can witnes and thou heauens hand-work Faire Ilium razed by the conquering Greekes Whose auncient beautie worth and weapons seem'd Sufficient t' haue tam'd the Mermidons But whatso'ere hath been begun must end Death haply that our willingnes doth see With brandisht dart doth make the passage free And timeles doth our soules to Pluto send Cornelia Would Death had steept his date in Lerna-s blood That I were drown'd in the Tartarean deepes I am an offring fit for Acheron A match more equall neuer could be made Then I and Pompey in th' Elisian shade Cicero Death 's alwaies ready and our time is knowne To be at heauens dispose and not our owne Cornelia Can wee be ouer-hastie to good hap Cicero What good expect wee in a fiery gap Cornelia To scape the feares that followes Fortunes glaunces Cicero A noble minde doth neuer feare mischaunces Cornelia A noble minde disdaineth seruitude Cicero Can bondage true nobility exclude Cornelia How if I doe or suffer that I would not Cicero True noblesse neuer doth the thing it should not Cornelia Then must I dye Cicero Yet dying thinke this stil No feare of death should force vs to doe ill Cornelia If death be such why is your feare so rife Cicero My works will shew I neuer feard my life Cornelia And yet you will not that in our distresse We aske Deaths ayde to end lifes wretchednes Cicero We neither ought to vrge nor aske a thing VVherein we see so much assuraunce lyes But if perhaps some fierce offended King To fright vs sette pale death before our eyes To force vs doe that goes against our hart T' were more then base in vs to dread his dart But when
true borne Martialists Beheld the swift Rheyn vnder-run mine Ensignes The Brittaines lockt within a watry Realme And wald by Neptune stoopt to mee at last The faithles Moore the fierce Numidian Th' earth that the Euxine sea makes somtymes marsh The stony-harted people that inhabite Where seau'nfold Nilus doth disgorge it selfe Haue all been vrg'd to yeeld to my commaund Yea euen this Cittie that hath almost made An vniuersall conquest of the world And that braue warrier my brother in law That ill aduis'd repined at my glory Pompey that second Mars whose haught renowne And noble deeds were greater then his fortunes Proou'd to his losse but euen in one assault My hand my hap my hart exceeded his When the Thessalian fields were purpled ore With eyther Armies murdred souldiers goe When hee to conquering accustomed Did conquered flie his troopes discomforted Now Scipio that long'd to shew himselfe Discent of Affrican so fam'd for Armes He durst affront me and my warlike bands Vpon the Coastes of Lybia till he lost His scattred Armie and to shun the scorne Of being taken captiue kild himselfe Now therefore let vs tryumph Anthony And rendring thanks to heauen as we goe For brideling those that dyd maligne our glory Le ts to the Capitoll Anth. Come on braue Caesar And crowne thy head and mount thy Chariot Th' impatient people runne along the streets And in a route against thy gates they rushe To see theyr Caesar after dangers past Made Conqueror and Emperor at last Caesar I call to witnes heauens great Thunderer That gainst my will I haue maintaind this warre Nor thirsted I for conquests bought with blood I ioy not in the death of Cittizens But through my selfe-wild enemies despight And Romains wrong was I constraind to fight Anth. They sought t' eclipse thy fame but destinie Reuers'd th' effect of theyr ambition And Caesars prayse increasd by theyr disgrace That reckt not of his vertuous deeds But thus We see it fareth with the enuious Caesar I neuer had the thought to iniure them Howbeit I neuer meant my greatnes should By any others greatnes be o're-ruld For as I am inferior to none So can I suffer no Superiors Anth. Well Caesar now they are discomfited And Crowes are feasted with theyr carcases And yet I feare you haue too kindly sau'd Those that your kindnes hardly will requite Caes. Why Anthony what would you wish mee doe Now shall you see that they will pack to Spaine And ioyned with the Exiles there encampt Vntill th' ill spyrit that doth them defend Doe bring their treasons to a bloody end Anth. I feare not those that to theyr weapons flye And keepe theyr state in Spaine in Spaine to die Caes. VVhom fear'st thou then Mark Anthony Anth. The hatefull crue That wanting powre in fielde to conquer you Haue in theyr coward soules deuised snares To murder thee and take thee at vnwares Caesar VVill those conspire my death that liue by mee Anth. In conquered foes what credite can there be Caesar Besides theyr liues I did theyr goods restore Anth. O but theyr Countries good concerns them more Caesar What thinke they mee to be their Countries foe Anth. No but that thou vsurp'st the right they owe Caesar To Rome haue I submitted mighty things Anth. Yet Rome endures not the commaund of Kings Caes. Who dares to contradict our empery Anth. Those whom thy rule hath rob'd of liberty Caes. I feare them not whose death is but deferd Anth. I feare my foe vntill he be interd Caes. A man may make his foe his friend you know Anth. A man may easier make his friend his foe Caes. Good deeds the cruelst hart to kindnes bring Anth. But resolution is a deadly thing Caes. If Cittizens my kindnes haue forgot whom shall I then not feare Anth. Those that are not Caes. What shall I slay them all that I suspect Anth. Els cannot Caesars empery endure Caes. Rather I will my lyfe and all neglect Nor labour I my vaine life to assure But so to die as dying I may liue And leauing off this earthly Tombe of myne Ascend to heauen vpon my winged deeds And shall I not haue liued long enough That in so short a time am so much fam'd Can I too-soone goe taste Cocytus flood No Anthony Death cannot iniure vs For he liues long that dyes victorious Anthony Thy prayses show thy life is long enough But for thy friends and Country all too-short Should Caesar lyue as long as Nestor dyd Yet Rome may wish his life eternized Caesar Heauen sets our time with heauen may nought dispence Anth. But we may shorten time with negligence Caes. But Fortune and the heauens haue care of vs Anth. Fortune is fickle Heauen imperious Caes. VVhat shall I then doe Anth. As befits your state Maintaine a watchfull guard about your gate Caes. VVhat more assurance may our state defend Then loue of those that doe on vs attend Anth. There is no hatred more if it be mou'd Then theirs whom we offend and once belou'd Caes. Better it is to die then be suspitious Anth. T' is wisdom yet not to be credulous Caesar The quiet life that carelesly is ledd Is not alonely happy in this world But Death it selfe doth sometime pleasure vs That death that comes vnsent for or vnseene And suddainly doth take vs at vnware Mee thinks is sweetest And if heauen were pleas'd I could desire that I might die so well The feare of euill doth afflict vs more Then th' euill it selfe though it be nere so sore A Chorus of Caesars friends O Faire Sunne that gentlie smiles From the Orient-pearled Iles Guilding these our gladsome daies VVith the beautie of thy rayes Free fro rage of ciuill strife Long preserue our Caesars life That from sable Affrique brings Conquests whereof Europe rings And faire Venus thou of whom The Eneades are come Henceforth vary not thy grace From Iulus happy race Rather cause thy deerest sonne By his tryumphs new begun To expell fro forth the Land Firce warrs quenchles fire-brand That of care acquitting vs VVho at last adore him thus He a peacefull starre appeare From our walls all woes to cleere And so let his warlike browes Still be deckt with Lawrel boughes And his statues new set VVith many a fresh-flowrd Coronet So in euery place let be Feasts and Masks and mirthfull glee Strewing Roses in the streete VVhen their Emperor they meete He his foes hath conquered Neuer leauing till they fled And abhorring blood at last Pardon'd all offences past For high Ioue the heauens among Their support that suffer wrong Doth oppose himselfe agen Bloody minded cruell men For he shortneth their dayes Or prolongs them with dispraise Or his greater wrath to show Giues them ouer to their foe Caesar a Cittizen so wrong'd Of the honor him belong'd To defend himselfe from harmes VVas enforc'd to take vp Armes For he saw that Enuies dart Pricking still their poysoned hart For his suddaine glory got Made his
assault it or attempt to lift Theyr humbled heads in presence of proud Rome But by our Lawes from libertie restraynd Like Captiues lyu'd eternally enchaynd But Rome alas what helps it that thou ty'dst The former World to thee in vassalage What helps thee now t' haue tam'd both land and Sea What helps it thee that vnder thy controll The Morne and Mid-day both by East and West And that the golden Sunne where ere he driue His glittring Chariot findes our Ensignes spred Sith it contents not thy posteritie But as a bayte for pride which spoiles vs all Embarques vs in so perilous a way As menaceth our death and thy decay For Rome thou now resemblest a Ship At random wandring in a boistrous Sea When foming billowes feele the Northern blasts Thou toyl'st in perrill and the windie storme Doth topside-turuey tosse thee as thou flotest Thy Mast is shyuer'd and thy maine-saile torne Thy sides sore beaten and thy hatches broke Thou want'st thy tackling and a Ship vnrig'd Can make no shift to combat with the Sea See how the Rocks do heaue their heads at thee Which if thou sholdst but touch thou straight becomst A spoyle to Neptune and a sportfull praie Toth ' Glauc's and Trytons pleasd with thy decay Thou vaunt'st not of thine Auncestors in vaine But vainely count'st thine owne victorious deeds What helpeth vs the things that they did then Now we are hated both of Gods and men Hatred accompanies prosperitie For one man grieueth at anothers good And so much more we thinke our miserie The more that Fortune hath with others stood So that we fild are seene as wisedom would To brydle time with reason as we should For we are proude when Fortune fauours vs As if inconstant Chaunce were alwaies one Or standing now she would continue thus O fooles looke back and see the roling stone Whereon she blindly lighting sets her foote And slightly sowes that sildom taketh roote Heauen heretofore enclinde to do vs good Did fauour vs with conquering our foes When iealous Italie exasperate With our vp-rising sought our Citties fall But we soone tickled with such flattring hopes Wag'd further warre with an insatiate hart And tyerd our neighbour Countries so with charge As with their losse we did our bounds enlarge Carthage and Sicily we haue subdude And almost yoked all the world beside And soly through desire of publique rule Rome and the earth are waxen all as one Yet now we liue despoild and robd by one Of th' ancient freedom wherein we were borne And euen that yoke that wont to tame all others Is heauily return'd vpon our selues A note of Chaunce that may the proude controle And shew Gods wrath against a cruell soule For heauen delights not in vs when we doe That to another which our selues dysdaine Iudge others as thou wouldst be iudg'd againe And do but as thou wouldst be done vnto For sooth to say in reason we deserue To haue the selfe-same measure that we serue What right had our ambitious auncestors Ignobly issued from the Carte and Plough To enter Asia What were they the heires To Persia or the Medes first Monarchies What interest had they to Afferique To Gaule or Spaine Or what did Neptune owe vs Within the bounds of further Brittanie Are we not thieues and robbers of those Realmes That ought vs nothing but reuenge for wrongs What toucheth vs the treasure or the hopes The lyues or lyberties of all those Nations Whom we by force haue held in seruitude Whose mournfull cryes and shreekes to heauen ascend Importuning both vengeance and defence Against this Citty ritch of violence T' is not enough alas our power t' extend Or ouer-runne the world from East to West Or that our hands the Earth can comprehend Or that we proudly doe what lyke vs best He lyues more quietly whose rest is made And can with reason chasten his desire Then he that blindly toyleth for a shade And is with others Empyre set on fire Our blysse consists not in possessions But in commaunding our affections In vertues choyse and vices needfull chace Farre from our harts for stayning of our face CHORVS VPpon thy backe where miserie doth sit O Rome the heauens with their wrathful hand Reuenge the crymes thy fathers did commit But if their further furie to withstand VVhich ore thy walls thy wrack sets menacing Thou dost not seeke to calme heauens ireful king A further plague will pester all the land The wrath of heauen though vrg'd we see is slow In punishing the euils we haue done For what the Father hath deseru'd we know Is spar'd in him and punisht in the sonne But to forgiue the apter that they be They are the more displeased when they see That we continue our offence begunne Then from her lothsome Caue doth Plague repaire That breaths her heauie poisons downe to hell VVhich with their noisome fall corrupt the ayre Or maigre famin which the weake foretell Or bloody warre of other woes the worst VVhich where it lights doth show the Land accurst And nere did good where euer it befell VVarre that hath sought Th' Ausonian fame to reare In warlike Emonye now growne so great VVith Souldiers bodies that were buried there VVhich yet to sack vs toyles in bloody sweat T' enlarge the bounds of conquering Thessalie Through murder discord wrath and enmitie Euen to the peacefull Indians pearled seate VVhose entrails fyerd with rancor wrath and rage The former petty combats did displace And Campe to Campe did endlesse battailes wage VVhich on the Mountaine tops of warlike Thrace Made thundring Mars Dissentions common friend Amongst the forward Souldiers first discend Arm'd with his blood-besmeard keene Coutelace VVho first attempted to excite to Armes The troopes enraged with the Trumpets sound Head-long to runne and reck no after harmes VVhere in the flowred Meades dead men were found Falling as thick through warlike crueltie As eares of Corne for want of husbandry That wastfull shed their graine vppon the ground O warre if thou were subiect but to death And by desert mighst fall to Phlegiton The torment that Ixion suffereth Or his whose soule the Vulter seazeth on VVere all too little to reward thy wrath Nor all the plagues that fierie Pluto hath The most outragious sinners layd vpon Accursed Catiues wretches that wee are Perceiue we not that for the fatall dombe The Fates make hast enough but we by warre Must seeke in Hell to haue a haples roome Or fast enough doe foolish men not die But they by murther of themselues must hie Hopeles to hide them in a haples tombe All sad and desolate our Citty lyes And for faire Corne-ground are our fields surcloid VVith worthles Gorse that yerely fruitles dyes And choake the good which els we bad enioy'd Death dwels within vs and if gentle Peace Discend not soone our sorrowes to surcease Latium alreadie quaild will be destroyd ACTVS SECVNDVS Cornelia and Cicero AND wil ye needs bedew my dead-grown ioyes And nourish sorrow with
eternall teares O eyes and will yee cause I cannot dry Your ceaselesse springs not suffer me to die Then make the blood fro forth my branch-like vaines Lyke weeping Riuers trickle by your vaults And spunge my bodies heate of moisture so As my displeased soule may shunne my hart Heauens let me dye and let the Destinies Admit me passage to th' infernall Lake That my poore ghost may rest where powerfull fate In Deaths sad kingdom hath my husband lodg'd Fayne would I die but darksome vgly Death With-holds his darte and in disdaine doth flye me Malitiously knowing that hels horror Is mylder then mine endles discontent And that if Death vpon my life should seaze The payne supposed would procure mine ease But yee sad Powers that rule the silent deepes Of dead-sad Night where sinnes doe maske vnseene You that amongst the darksome mansions Of pyning ghosts twixt sighes and sobs and teares Do exercise your mirthlesse Empory Yee gods at whose arbitrament all stand Dislodge my soule and keepe it with your selues For I am more then halfe your prysoner My noble husbands more then noble soules Already wander vnder your commaunds O then shall wretched I that am but one Yet once both theyrs suruiue now they are gone Alas thou shouldst thou shouldst Cornelia Haue broke the sacred thred that tyde thee heere When as thy husband Crassus in his flowre Did first beare Armes and bare away my loue And not as thou hast done goe break the bands By calling Hymen once more back againe Lesse haples and more worthily thou might'st Haue made thine auncesters and thee renound If like a royall Dame with faith fast kept Thou with thy former husbands death hadst slept But partiall Fortune and the powerful Fates That at their pleasures wield our purposes Bewitcht my life and did beguile my loue Pompey the fame that ranne of thy frayle honors Made me thy wife thy loue and like a thiefe From my first husband stole my faithles griefe But if as some belieue in heauen or hell Be heauenly powers or infernall spirits That care to be aueng'd of Louers othes Oathes made in marriage and after broke Those powers those spirits mou'd with my light faith Are now displeas'd with Pompey and my selfe And doe with ciuill discord furthering it Vntye the bands that sacred Hymen knyt Els onely I am cause of both theyr wraths And of the sinne that ceeleth vp thine eyes Thyne eyes O deplorable Pompey I am shee I am that plague that sacks thy house and thee For t' is not heauen nor Crassus cause hee sees That I am thine in iealosie pursues vs No t' is a secrete crosse an vnknowne thing That I receiu'd from heauen at my birth That I should heape misfortunes on theyr head Whom once I had receiu'd in marriage bed Then yee the noble Romulists that rest Hence-forth forbeare to seeke my murdring loue And let theyr double losse that held me deere Byd you beware for feare you be beguild Ye may be ritch and great in Fortunes grace And all your hopes with hap may be effected But if yee once be wedded to my loue Clowdes of aduersitie will couer you So pestilently fraught with change of plagues Is mine infected bosome from my youth Like poyson that once lighting in the body No sooner tutcheth then it taints the blood One while the hart another while the liuer According to th' encountring passages Nor spareth it what purely feeds the hart More then the most infected filthiest part Pompey what holpe it thee say deerest life Tell mee what holpe thy warlike valiant minde T' encounter with the least of my mishaps What holpe it thee that vnder thy commaund Thou saw'st the trembling earth with horror mazed Or where the sunne forsakes th' Ocean sea Or watereth his Coursers in the West T' haue made thy name be farre more fam'd and feard Then Summers thunder to the silly Heard What holpe it that thou saw'st when thou wert young Thy Helmet deckt with coronets of Bayes So many enemies in battaile ranged Beate backe like flyes before a storme of hayle T' haue lookt a-skance and see so many Kings To lay their Crownes and Scepters at thy feete T' embrace thy knees and humbled by theyr fate T' attend thy mercy in this morneful state Alas and here-withall what holpe it thee That euen in all the corners of the earth Thy wandring glory was so greatly knowne And that Rome saw thee while thou tryumph'dst thrice O're three parts of the world that thou hadst yok'd That Neptune weltring on the windie playnes Escapt not free fro thy victorious hands Since thy hard hap since thy fierce destinie Enuious of all thine honors gaue thee mee By whom the former course of thy faire deeds Might with a byting brydle bee restraind By whom the glorie of thy conquests got Might die disgrac'd with mine vnhappines O haples wife thus ominous to all Worse then Megera worse then any plague What foule infernall or what stranger hell Hence-forth wilt thou inhabite where thy hap None others hopes with mischiefe may entrap Cicero What end O race of Scipio will the Fates Afford your teares Will that day neuer come That your desastrous griefes shall turne to ioy And we haue time to burie our annoy Cornelia Ne're shall I see that day for Heauen and Time Haue faild in power to calme my passion Nor can they should they pittie my complaints Once ease my life but with the pangs of death Cicero The wide worlds accidents are apt to change And tickle Fortune staies not in a place But like the Clowdes continuallie doth range Or like the Sunne that hath the Night in chace Then as the Heauens by whom our hopes are guided Doe coast the Earth with an eternall course We must not thinke a miserie betided Will neuer cease but still grow worse and worse When Isie Winter 's past then comes the spring Whom Sommers pride with sultrie heate pursues To whom mylde Autumne doth earths treasure bring The sweetest season that the wise can chuse Heauens influence was nere so constant yet In good or bad as to continue it When I was young I saw against poore Sylla Proud Cynna Marius and Carbo flesh'd So long till they gan tiranize the Towne And spilt such store of blood in euery street As there were none but dead-men to be seene Within a while I saw how Fortune plaid And wound those Tyrants vnderneath her wheele Who lost theyr liues and power at once by one That to reuenge himselfe did with his blade Commit more murther then Rome euer made Yet Sylla shaking tyrannie aside Return'd due honors to our Common-wealth Which peaceably retain'd her auncient state Growne great without the strife of Cittizens Till thys ambitious Tyrants time that toyld To stoope the world and Rome to his desires But flattring Chaunce that trayn'd his first designes May change her lookes and giue the Tyrant ouer Leauing our Cittie where so long agoe Heauens did theyr fauors lauishly
least in this That I haue kept my Maister company Both in his life and at hys latest houre Pompey the great whom I haue honored With true deuotion both aliue and dead One selfe-same shyp containd vs when I saw The murdring Egiptians bereaue his lyfe And when the man that had afright the earth Did homage to it with his deerest blood O're whom I shed full many a bitter teare And did performe hys obsequies with sighes And on the strond vpon the Riuer side Where to my sighes the waters seem'd to turne I weave a Coffyn for his corse of Seggs That with the winde dyd waue like bannerets And layd his body to be burn'd thereon Which when it was consum'd I kindly tooke And sadly cloz'd within an earthen Vrne The ashie reliques of his haples bones Which hauing scapt the rage of wind and Sea I bring to faire Cornelia to interr Within his Elders Tombe that honoured her Cornelia Ayh-me what see I Phil. Pompeys tender bones which in extreames an earthen Vrne containeth Corn. O sweet deere deplorable cynders O myserable woman lyuing dying O poore Cornelia borne to be distrest Why liu'st thou toyl'd that dead mightst lye at rest O faithles hands that vnder cloake of loue Did entertaine him to torment him so O barbarous inhumaine hatefull traytors Thys your disloyall dealing hath defam'd Your King and his inhospitable seate Of the extreamest and most odious cryme That gainst the heauens might bee imagined For yee haue basely broke the Law of Armes And out-rag'd ouer an afflicted soule Murdred a man that did submit himselfe And iniur'd him that euer vs'd you kindly For which misdeed be Egipt pestered With battaile famine and perpetuall plagues Let Aspies Serpents Snakes and Lybian Beares Tygers and Lyons breed with you for euer And let fayre Nylus wont to nurse your Corne Couer your Land with Toades and Crocadils That may infect deuoure and murder you Els earth make way and hell receiue them quicke A hatefull race mongst whom there dooth abide All treason luxurie and homicide Phillip Cease these laments Corn. I doe but what I ought to mourne his death Phil. Alas that profits nought Cor. Will heauen let treason be vnpunished Phil. Heauens will performe what they haue promised Cor. I feare the heauens will not heare our prayer Phil. The plaints of men opprest doe pierce the ayre Cor. Yet Caesar liueth still Phil. Due punishment Succeedes not alwaies after an offence For oftentimes t' is for our chastisement That heauen doth with wicked men dispence That when they list they may with vsurie For all misdeeds pay home the penaltie Cor. This is the hope that feeds my haples daies Els had my life beene long agoe expired I trust the gods that see our hourely wrongs Will fire his shamefull bodie with their flames Except some man resolued shall conclude With Caesars death to end our seruitude Els god to fore my selfe may liue to see His tired corse lye toyling in his blood Gor'd with a thousand stabs and round about The wronged people leape for inward ioy And then come Murder then come vglie Death Then Lethe open thine infernall Lake I le downe with ioy because before I died Mine eyes haue seene what I in hart desir'd Pompey may not reuiue and Pompey dead Let me but see the murdrer murdered Phil. Caesar bewail'd his death Corn. His death hee mournd whom while hee lyu'd to lyue lyke him hee scorne Phil. Hee punished his murdrers Corn. Who murdred hym but hee that followd Pompey with the sword He murdred Pompey that pursu'd his death And cast the plot to catch him in the trap He that of his departure tooke the spoyle Whose fell ambition founded first in blood By nought but Pompeys lyfe could be with-stood Phil. Photis and false Achillas he beheadded Corn. That was because that Pompey being theyr freend they had determin'd once of Caesars end Phil. What got he by his death Cor. Supremacie Phil. Yet Caesar speakes of Pompey honourablie Corn. Words are but winde nor meant he what he spoke Phil. He will not let his statues be broke Cor. By which disguise what ere he doth pretend His owne from beeing broke he doth defend And by the traynes where-with he vs allures His owne estate more firmely he assures Phil. He tooke no pleasure in his death you see Corn. Because hymselfe of life did not bereaue him Phil. Nay he was mou'd with former amitie Corn. He neuer trusted him but to deceiue him But had he lou'd him with a loue vnfained Yet had it beene a vaine and trustlesse league For there is nothing in the soule of man So firmely grounded as can qualifie Th' inextinguible thyrst of signiorie Not heauens feare nor Countries sacred loue Not auncient lawes nor nuptiall chast desire Respect of blood or that which most should moue The inward zeale that Nature doth require All these nor any thing we can deuise Can stoope the hart resolu'd to tyrannize Phil. I feare your griefes increase with thys discourse Corn. My griefes are such as hardly can be worse Phil. Tyme calmeth all things Corn. No tyme quallifies my dolefull spyrits endles myseries My griefe is lyke a Rock whence ceaseles strayne Fresh springs of water at my weeping eyes Still fed by thoughts lyke floods with winters rayne For when to ease th' oppression of my hart I breathe an Autumne forth of fiery sighes Yet herewithall my passion neither dyes Nor dryes the heate the moysture of mine eyes Phil. Can nothing then recure these endlesse teares Corn. Yes newes of Caesars death that medcyn beares Phil. Madam beware for should hee heare of thys his wrath against you t' will exasperate Corn. I neither stand in feare of him nor his Phil. T' is pollicie to feare a powrefull hate Corn. What can he doe Phil. Madam what cannot men that haue the powre to doe what pleaseth them Corn. He can doe mee no mischiefe that I dread Phil. Yes cause your death Corn. Thrise happy were I dead Phil. With rigorous torments Corn. Let him torture mee Pull me in peeces famish fire mee vp Fling mee aliue into a Lyons denn There is no death so hard torments mee so As his extreame tryumphing in our woe But if he will torment me let him then Depriue me wholy of the hope of death For I had died before the fall of Rome And slept with Pompey in the peacefull deepes Saue that I lyue in hope to see ere long That Caesars death shall satisfie his wrong CHORVS FOrtune in powre imperious Vs'd ore the world and worldlings thus to tirannize VVhen shee hath heap't her gifts on vs away shee flies Her feete more swift then is the winde Are more inconstant in their kinde then Autumne blasts A womans shape a womans minde that sildom lasts One while shee bends her angry browe And of no labour will allow Another while She fleres againe I know not how still to beguile Fickle in our aduersities And fickle when our fortunes
hath enricht the Empire with newe states Cass. Which with ambition now he ruinates Bru. He hath reueng'd the Gaules old iniurie And made them subiect to our Romaine Lawes Cassius The restfull Almaynes with his crueltie He rashly styrd against vs without cause And hazarded our Cittie and our selues Against a harmeles Nation kindly giuen To whom we should do well for some amends To render him and reconcile old frends These Nations did he purposely prouoke To make an Armie for his after-ayde Against the Romains whom in pollicie He train'd in warre to steale theyr signiorie Like them that stryuing at th' Olympian sports To grace themselues with honor of the game Annoynt theyr sinewes fit for wrestling And ere they enter vse some exercise The Gaules were but a fore-game fecht about For ciuill discord wrought by Caesars sleights Whom to be King himselfe he so one remou'd Teaching a people hating seruitude To fight for that that did theyr deaths conclude Bru. The warrs once ended we shall quickly know Whether he will restore the state or no Cas. No Brutus neuer looke to see that day For Caesar holdeth signiorie too deere But know while Cassius hath one drop of blood To feede this worthles body that you see What reck I death to doe so many good In spite of Caesar Cassius will be free Bru. A generous or true enobled spirit Detests to learne what tasts of seruitude Cass. Brutus I cannot serue nor see Rome yok'd No let me rather dye a thousand deaths The stiftneckt horses champe not on the bit Nor meekely beare the rider but by force The sturdie Oxen toyle not at the Plough Nor yeeld vnto the yoke but by constraint Shall we then that are men and Romains borne Submit vs to vnvrged slauerie Shall Rome that hath so many ouer-throwne Now make herselfe a subiect to her owne O base indignitie A beardles youth Whom King Nicomides could ouer-reach Commaunds the world and brideleth all the earth And like a Prince controls the Romulists Braue Romaine Souldiers sterne-borne sons of Mars And none not one that dares to vndertake The intercepting of his tyrannie O Brutus speake O say Seruilius Why cry you ayme and see vs vsed thus But Brutus liues and sees and knowes and feeles That there is one that curbs their Countries weale Yet as he were the semblance not the sonne Of noble Brutus hys great Grandfather As if he wanted hands sence sight or hart He doth deuiseth sees nor dareth ought That may exstirpe or raze these tyrannies Nor ought doth Brutus that to Brute belongs But still increaseth by his negligence His owne disgrace and Caesars violence The wrong is great and ouer-long endur'd We should haue practized conspierd coniur'd A thousand waies and weapons to represse Or kill out-right this cause of our distresse Chorus WHo prodigally spends his blood Brauely to doe his country good And liueth to no other end But resolutely to attempt VVhat may the innocent defend And bloody Tyrants rage preuent And he that in his soule assur'd Hath waters force and fire endur'd And past the pikes of thousand hostes 'To free the truth from tyrannie And feareles scowres in danger coasts T' enlarge his countries liberty VVere all the world his foes before Now shall they loue him euer-more His glory spred abroade by Fame On wings of his posteritie From obscure death shall free his name To liue in endles memorie All after ages shall adore And honor him with hymnes therefore Yeerely the youth for ioy shall bring The fairest flowers that grow in Rome And yeerely in the Sommer sing O're his heroique kingly Tombe For so the two Athenians That from their fellow cittizens Did freely chase vile seruitude Shall liue for valiant prowesse blest No Sepulcher shall ere exclude Their glorie equall with the best But when the vulgar mad and rude Repay good with ingratitude Hardly then they them reward That to free them fro the hands Of a Tyrant nere regard In what plight their person stands For high Ioue that guideth all When he lets his iust wrath fall To reuenge proud Diadems VVith huge cares doth crosse Kings liues Raysing treasons in their Realmes By their chyldren friends or wiues Therefore he whom all men feare Feareth all men euery where Feare that doth engender hate Hate enforcing them thereto Maketh many vnder-take Many things they would not doe O how many mighty Kings Liue in feare of petty things For when Kings haue sought by warrs Stranger Townes to haue o'rethrowne They haue caught deserued skarrs Seeking that was not theyr owne For no Tyrant commonly Lyuing ill can kindly die But eyther trayterously surprizd Doth coward poison quaile their breath Or their people haue deuis'd Or their guarde to seeke their death He onely liues most happilie That free and farre from maiestie Can liue content although vnknowne He fearing none none fearing him Medling with nothing but his owne VVhile gazing eyes at crownes grow dim Caesar Mar. Anthonie Caesar O Rome that with thy pryde dost ouer-peare The worthiest Citties of the conquered world Whose honor got by famous victories Hath fild heauens fierie vaults with frightfull horror O lofty towres O stately battlements O glorious temples O proude Pallaces And you braue walls bright heauens masonrie Grac'd with a thousand kingly diadems Are yee not styrred with a strange delight To see your Caesars matchles victories And how your Empire and your praise begins Through fame which hee of stranger Nations wins O beautious Tyber with thine easie streames That glide as smothly as a Parthian shaft Turne not thy crispie tydes like siluer curle Backe to thy grass-greene bancks to welcom vs And with a gentle murmure hast to tell The foming Seas the honour of our fight Trudge not thy streames to Trytons Mariners To bruite the prayses of our conquests past And make theyr vaunts to old Oceanus That hence-forth Tyber shall salute the seas More fam'd then Tyger or fayre Euphrates Now all the world wel-nye doth stoope to Rome The sea the earth and all is almost ours Be' it where the bright Sun with his neyghbor beames Doth early light the Pearled Indians Or where his Chariot staies to stop the day Tyll heauen vnlock the darknes of the night Be' it where the Sea is wrapt in Christall Ise Or where the Sommer doth but warme the earth Or heere or there where is not Rome renownd There lyues no King how great so e're he be But trembleth if he once but heare of mee Caesar is now earths fame und Fortunes terror And Caesars worth hath staynd old souldiers prayses Rome speake no more of eyther Scipio Nor of the Fabij or Fabritians Heere let the Decij and theyr glory die Caesar hath tam'd more Nations tane more Townes And fought more battailes then the best of them Caesar doth tryumph ouer all the world And all they scarcely conquered a nooke The Gaules that came to Tiber to carouse Dyd liue to see my souldiers drinke at Loyre And those braue Germains
enuious foe so hote VVicked Enuie feeding still Foolish those that doe thy will For thy poysons in them poure Sundry passions euery boure And to choller doth conuart Purest blood about the hart VVhich ore-flowing of their brest Suffreth nothing to digest Other mens prosperitie Is their infelicitie And their choller then is rais'd VVhen they heare another prais'd Neither Phoebus fairest eye Feasts nor friendly company Mirth or what so-e're it be VVith their humor can agree Day or night they neuer rest Spightfull hate so pecks their brest Pinching their perplexed lunges VVith her fiery poysoned tongues Fire-brands in their brests they beare As if Tesiphon were there And their soules are pierc'd as sore As Prometheus ghost and more VVretches they are woe-begone For their wound is alwaies one Nor hath Chyron powre or skill To recure them of their ill ACTVS QVINTVS The Messenger Cornelia Chorus Messenger VNhappy man amongst so many wracks As I haue suffred both by Land and Sea That scorneful destinie denyes my death Oft haue I seene the ends of mightier men Whose coates of steele base Death hath stolne into And in thys direful warre before mine eyes Beheld theyr corses scattred on the plaines And endles numbers killing by my side Nor those ignoble but the noblest Lords Mongst whom aboue the rest that moues me most Scipio my deerest Maister is deceas'd And Death that sees the Nobles blood so rife Full-gorged triumphes and disdaines my lyfe Corn. We are vndone Chor. Scipio hath lost the day But hope the best and harken to his newes Corn. O cruell fortune Mess. These misfortunes yet must I report to sad Cornelia Whose cease les griefe which I am sorry for Will agrauate my former misery Corn. Wretch that I am why leaue I not the world Or wherefore am I not already dead O world O wretch Chor. Is this th' vndaunted hart that is required in extremities Be more confirmd And Madam let not griefe abuse your wisdom lyke a vulgar wit Haply the newes is better then the noyse Let 's heare him speake Corn. O no for all is lost Farwell deere Father Chor. Hee is sau'd perhaps Mess. Me thinks I heare my Maisters daughter speake What sighes what sobs what plaints what passions haue we endurde Cornelia for your sake Corn. Where is thine Emperor Mess. Where our Captaines are Where are our Legions Where our men at Armes Or where so many of our Romaine soules The earth the sea the vultures and the Crowes Lyons and Beares are theyr best Sepulchers Corn. O miserable Chor. Now I see the heauens are heapt with rage and horror gainst this house Corn. O earth why op'st thou not Chor. Why waile you so Assure your selfe that Scipio brauely dyed And such a death excels a seruile life Say Messenger The manner of his end will haply comfort this your discontent Corn. Discourse the manner of his hard mishap And what disastrous accident did breake So many people bent so much to fight Messenger Caesar that wisely knewe his souldiers harts And their desire to be approou'd in Armes Sought nothing more then to encounter vs And therefore faintly skyrmishing in craft Lamely they fought to draw vs further on Oft to prouoke our warie wel-taught troopes He would attempt the entrance on our barrs Nay euen our Trenches to our great disgrace And call our souldiers cowards to theyr face But when he saw his wiles nor bitter words Could draw our Captaines to endanger vs Coasting along and following by the foote He thought to tyre and wearie vs fro thence And got hys willing hosts to march by night With heauy Armor on theyr hardned backs Downe to the Sea-side Where before faire Tapsus He made his Pyoners poore weary soules The selfe-same day to dig and cast new Trenches And plant strong Barricades Where he encampt Resolu'd by force to hold vs hard at work Scipio no sooner heard of his designes But being afeard to loose so fit a place Marcht on the suddaine to the selfe-same Cittie Where few men might doe much which made him see Of what importance such a Towne would be The fields are spred and as a houshold Campe Of creeping Emmets in a Countrey Farme That come to forrage when the cold begins Leauing theyr crannyes to goe search about Couer the earth so thicke as scarce we tread But we shall see a thousand of them dead Euen so our battails scattred on the sands Dyd scoure the plaines in pursuite of the foe One while at Tapsus we begin t' entrench To ease our Army if it should retyre Another while we softly sally foorth And wakefull Caesar that doth watch our being When he perceiues vs marching o're the plaine Doth leape for gladnes And to murder vow'd Runnes to the Tent for feare we should be gone And quickly claps his rustie Armour on For true it is that Caesar brought at first An hoste of men to Affrique meanely Arm'd But such as had braue spirits and combatting Had powre and wit to make a wretch a King Well forth to field they marched all at once Except some fewe that stayd to guard the Trench Them Caesar soone and subt'ly sets in ranke And euery Regiment warn'd with a worde Brauely to fight for honor of the day He showes that auncient souldiers need not feare Them that they had so oft disordered Them that already dream'd of death or flight That tyer'd would nere hold out if once they see That they o're-layd them in the first assault Meane-while our Emperor at all poynts arm'd Whose siluer hayres and honorable front Were warlike lockt within a plumed caske In one hand held his Targe of steele embost And in the other graspt his Coutelas And with a cheerefull looke surueigh'd the Campe Exhorting them to charge and fight like men And to endure what ere betyded them For now quoth he is come that happie day Wherein our Countrey shall approue our loue Braue Romains know this is the day and houre That we must all liue free or friendly die For my part being an auncient Senator An Emperor and Consul I disdaine The world should see me to become a slaue I 'le eyther conquer or this sword you see Which brightly shone shall make an end of me We fight not we like thieues for others wealth We fight not we t' enlarge our skant confines To purchase fame to our posterities By stuffing of our tropheies in their houses But t' is for publique freedom that we fight For Rome we fight and those that fled for feare Nay more we fight for safetie of our lyues Our goods our honors and our auncient lawes As for the Empire and the Romaine state Due to the victor thereon ruminate Thinke how this day the honorable Dames With blubbred eyes and handes to heauen vprear'd Sit inuocating for vs to the Gods That they will blesse our holy purposes Me thinks I see poore Rome in horror clad And aged Senators in sad discourse Mourne for our sorrowes and theyr seruitude Me thinks I see them
CORNELIA AT LONDON Printed by Iames Roberts for N. L. and John Busbie 1594 To the vertuously Noble and rightly honoured Lady the Countesse of Sussex HAuing no leysure most noble Lady but such as euermore is traueld with th' afflictions of the minde then which the world affoords no greater misery it may bee wondred at by some how I durst vndertake a matter of this moment which both requireth cunning rest and oportunity but chiefely that I would attempt the dedication of so rough vnpollished a worke to the suruey of your so worthy selfe But beeing well instructed in your noble and heroick dispositions and perfectly assur'd of your honourable fauours past though neyther making needles glozes of the one nor spoyling paper with the others Pharisaical embroderie I have persum'd vpon your true conceit and entertainement of these small endeuours that thus I purposed to make known my memory of you and them to be immortall A fitter present for a Patronesse so well accomplished I could not finde then this faire president of honour magnanimitie and loue VVherein what grace that excellent GARNIER hath lost by my defaulte I shall beseech your Honour to repaire with the regarde of those so bitter times and priuie broken passions that I endured in the writing it And so vouchsafing but the passing of a VVinters weeke with desolate Cornelia I will assure your Ladiship my next Sommers better trauell with the Tragedy of Portia And euer spend one howre of the day in some kind seruice to your Honour and another of the night in wishing you all happines Perpetually thus deuoting my poore selfe Your Honors in all humblenes T. K. The Argument CORNELIA the Daughter of Metellus Scipio a young Romaine Lady as much accomplisht with the graces of the bodie the vertues of the minde as euer any was was first married to young Crassus who died with his Father in the disconfiture of the Romains against the Parthians Afterward she tooke to second husbande Pompey the great who three yeeres after vpon the first fiers of the ciuill warres betwixt him Caesar sent her fro thence to Mitilen there to attende the incertaine successe of those affaires And when he sawe that hee was vanquisht at Pharsalia returnd to find her out carrie her with him into Egipt where his purpose was to haue re-enforc'd a newe Armie and giue a second assault to Caesar In this voyage hee was murdred by Achillas and Septimius the Romaine before her eyes and in the presence of his young Sonne Sextus and some other Senators his friends After which shee retyred herselfe to Rome But Scipio her Father beeing made Generall of those that suruiued after the battaile assembled new forces and occupied the greater part of Afrique allying himselfe to Iuba King of Numidia Against all whō Caesar after he had ordred the affayres of Egipt and the state of Rome in the end of VVinter marched And there after many light encounters was a fierce and furious battaile giuen amongst them neere the walls of Tapsus Where Scipio seeing himselfe subdued and his Armie scattered he betooke himselfe with some small troope to certaine shippes which he had caused to stay for him Thence he sailed towarde Spayne where Pompeys Faction commaunded and where a suddaine tempest tooke him on the Sea that draue him backe to Hippon a Towne in Affrique at the deuotion of Caesar where lying at anchor he was assailed beaten assaulted by the aduerse Fleete And for hee woulde not fall aliue into the hands of his so mightie Enemie hee stabd himselfe and suddainly leapt ouer boorde into the Sea and there dyed Caesar hauing finished these warres and quietly reduc'd the Townes and places there-about to his obedience return'd to Rome in tryumph for his victories Where this most faire and miserable Ladie hauing ouer-mourn'd the death of her deere husband and vnderstanding of these crosse euents and haples newes of Affrique together with the pitteous manner of her Fathers ende shee tooke as shee had cause occasion to redouble both her teares and lamentations wherewith she closeth the Catastrophe of this theyr Tragedie ⧠INTERLOCVTORES M. Cicero Phillip Deci. Brutus M. Anthony Cornelia C. Cassius Iulius Caesar The Messenger CHORVS CORNELIA ACTVS PRIMVS CICERO VOuchsafe Immortals and aboue the rest Great Iupiter our Citties sole Protector That if prouok'd against vs by our euils You needs wil plague vs with your ceasles wroth At least to chuse those forth that are in fault And saue the rest in these tempestious broiles Els let the mischiefe that should them befall Be pour'd on me that one may die for all Oft hath such sacrafice appeas'd your ires And oft yee haue your heauie hands with-held From this poore people when with one mans losse Your pittie hath preseru'd the rest vntucht But we disloiall to our owne defence Faint-harted do those liberties enthrall Which to preserue vnto our after good Our fathers hazarded their derest blood Yet Brutus Manlius hardie Sceuola And stout Camillus are returnd fro Stix Desiring Armes to ayde our Capitoll Yea come they are and fiery as before Vndera Tyrant see our bastard harts Lye idely sighing while our shamefull soules Endure a million of base controls Poysoned Ambition rooted in high mindes T' is thou that train'st vs into all these errors Thy mortall couetize peruerts our lawes And teares our freedom from our franchiz'd harts Our Fathers found thee at their former walls And humbled to theyr of-spring left thee dying Yet thou reuiuing foyl'dst our Infant Towne With guiltles blood by brothers hands out-lanched And hongst O Hell vpon a Forte halfe finisht Thy monstrous murder for a thing to marke But faith continues not where men command Equals are euer bandying for the best A state deuided cannot firmely stand Two Kings within one realme could neuer rest Thys day we see the Father and the sonne Haue fought like foes Pharsalias miserie And with their blood made marsh the parched plaines While th' earth that gron'd to beare theyr carkasses Bewail'd th' insatiat humors of them both That as much blood in wilfull follie spent As were to tame the world sufficient Now Parthia feare no more for Crassus death That we will come thy borders to besiege Nor feare the darts of our couragious troopes For those braue souldiers that were sometime wont To terrifie thee with their names are dead And ciuill furie fiercer then thine hosts Hath in a manner this great Towne ore-turn'd That whilom was the terror of the world Of whom so many Nations stood in feare To whom so many Nations prostrate stoopt Ore whom saue heauen nought could signorize And whom saue heauen nothing could afright Impregnable immortall and whose power Could neuer haue beene curb'd but by it selfe For neither could the flaxen-haird high Dutch A martiall people madding after Armes Nor yet the fierce and fiery humor'd French The More that trauels to the Lybian sands The Greek Th' Arabian Macedons or Medes Once dare t'
for feare of an ensuing ill We seeke to shorten our appointed race Then t' is for feare that we our selues doe kill So fond we are to feare the worlds disgrace Cornelia T' is not for frailtie or faint cowardize That men to shunne mischaunces seeke for death But rather he that seeks it showes himselfe Of certaine courage gainst incertaine chaunce He that retyres not at the threats of death Is not as are the vulgar slightly faied For heauen it selfe nor hels infectious breath The resolute at any time haue stayed And sooth to say why feare we when we see The thing we feare lesse then the feare to be Then let me die my libertie to saue For t' is a death to lyue a Tyrants slaue Cicero Daughter beware how you prouoke the heauens Which in our bodies as a tower of strength Haue plac'd our soules and fortefide the same As discreet Princes sette theyr Garrisons In strongest places of theyr Prouinces Now as it is not lawfull for a man At such a Kings departure or decease To leaue the place and falsefie his faith So in this case we ought not to surrender That deerer part till heauen it selfe commaund it For as they lent vs life to doe vs pleasure So looke they for returne of such a treasure CHORVS WHat e're the massie Earth hath fraight Or on her nurse-like backe sustaines Vpon the will of Heauen doth waite And doth no more then it ordaynes All fortunes all felicities Vpon their motion doe depend And from the starres doth still arise Both their beginning and their end The Monarchies that couer all This earthly round with Maiestie Haue both theyr rising and theyr fall From heauen and heauens varietie Fraile men or mans more fraile defence Had neuer power to practise stayes Of this celestiall influence That gouerneth and guides our dayes No clowde but will be ouer-cast And what now florisheth must fade And that that fades reuiue at last To florish as it first was made The formes of things doe neuer die because the matter that remaines Reformes another thing thereby That still the former shape retaines The roundnes of two boules cross-cast so they with equall pace be aim'd Showes their beginning by their last which by old nature is new-fram'd So peopled citties that of yore were desert fields where none would byde Become forsaken as before yet after are re-edified Perceiue we not a petty vaine cut from a spring by chaunce or arte Engendreth fountaines whence-againe those fountaines doe to floods conuart Those floods to waues those waues to seas that oft exceede their wonted bounds And yet those seas as heauens please returne to springs by vnder-grounds Euen so our cittie in her prime prescribing Princes euery thing Is now subdu'de by conquering Time and liueth subiect to a King And yet perhaps the sun-bright crowne that now the Tyrans head doth deck May turne to Rome with true renoune If fortune chaunce but once to check The stately walls that once were rear'd and by a shephards hands erect VVith haples brothers blood besmear'd shall show by whom they were infect And once more vniust Tarquins frowne with arrogance and rage enflam'd Shall keepe the Romaine valure downe and Rome it selfe a while be tam'd And chastest Lucrece once againe because her name dishonored stood Shall by herselfe be carelesse slaine and make a riuer of her blood Scorning her soule a seate should builde within a body basely seene By shameles rape to be defilde that earst was cleere as heauens Queene But heauens as tyrannie shall yoke our basterd harts with seruile thrall So grant your plagues which they prouoke may light vpon them once for all And let another Brutus rise brauely to fight in Romes defence To free our Towne from tyrannie and tyrannous proud insolence ACTVS TERTIVS Cornelia and Chorus THE cheerefull Cock the sad nights comforter Wayting vpon the rysing of the Sunne Doth sing to see how Cynthia shrinks her horne While Clitie takes her progresse to the East Where wringing wet with drops of siluer dew Her wonted teares of loue she doth renew The wandring Swallow with her broken song The Country-wench vnto her worke awakes While Citherea sighing walks to seeke Her murdred loue trans-form'd into a Rose Whom though she see to crop she kindly feares But kissing sighes and dewes hym with her teares Sweet teares of loue remembrancers to tyme Tyme past with me that am to teares conuerted Whose mournfull passions dull the mornings ioyes Whose sweeter sleepes are turnd to fearefull dreames And whose first fortunes fild with all distresse Afford no hope of future happinesse But what disastrous or hard accident Hath bath'd your blubbred eyes in bitter teares That thus consort me in my myserie Why doe you beate your brests why mourne you so Say gentle sisters tell me and belieue It grieues me that I know not why you grieue Chorus O poore Cornelia haue not we good cause For former wrongs to furnish vs with teares Cornelia O but I feare that Fortune seekes new flawes And stil vnsatisfide more hatred beares Chorus Wherein can Fortune further iniure vs Now we haue lost our conquered libertie Our Common-wealth our Empyre and our honors Vnder thys cruell Tarquins tyrannie Vnder his outrage now are all our goods Where scattered they runne by Land and Sea Lyke exil'd vs from fertill Italy To proudest Spayne or poorest Getulie Cornelia And will the heauens that haue so oft defended Our Romaine walls from fury of fierce kings Not once againe returne our Senators That from the Lybique playnes and Spanish fields With feareles harts do guard our Romaine hopes Will they not once againe encourage them To fill our fields with blood of enemies And bring from Affrique to our Capitoll Vpon theyr helmes the Empyre that is stole Then home-borne houshold gods and ye good spirits To whom in doubtfull things we seeke accesse By whom our family hath beene adorn'd And graced with the name of Affrican Doe ye vouchsafe that thys victorious title Be not expired in Cornelias blood And that my Father now in th' Affrique wars The selfe-same style by conquest may continue But wretched that I am alas I feare Chorus What feare you Madam Cornelia That the frowning heauens Oppose themselues against vs in theyr wrath Chorus Our losse I hope hath satis-fide theyr ire Cornelia O no our losse lyfts Caesars fortunes hyer Chorus Fortune is fickle Cornelia But hath fayld him neuer Chorus The more vnlike she should continue euer Cornelia My fearefull dreames doe my despairs redouble Chorus Why suffer you vayne dreames your heade to trouble Cornelia Who is not troubled with strange visions Chorus That of our spyrit are but illusions Cornelia God graunt these dreames to good effect bee brought Chorus We dreame by night what we by day haue thought Cornelia The silent Night that long had soiurned Now gan to cast her sable mantle off And now the sleepie Waine-man softly droue His slow-pac'd Teeme that long had traueled When
rise shee scoffs at vs That blynd herselfe can bleare our eyes to trust her thus The Sunne that lends the earth his light Behelde her neuer ouer night lye calmely downe But in the morrow following might perceiue her frowne Shee hath not onely power and will T' abuse the vulgar wanting skill but when shee list To Kings and Clownes doth equall ill without resist Mischaunce that euery man abhors And cares for crowned Emperors shee doth reserue As for the poorest labourers that worke or starue The Merchant that for priuate gaine Doth send his Ships to passe the maine vpon the shore In hope he shall his wish obtaine doth thee adore Vpon the sea or on the Land VVhere health or wealth or vines doe stand thou canst doe much And often helpst the helpes hande thy power is such And many times dispos'd to iest Gainst one whose power and cause is best thy power to try To him that n'ere put speare in rest giu'st victory For so the Lybian Monarchy That with Ausonian blood did die our warlike field To one that n'ere got victorie was vrg'd to yeelde So noble Marius Arpins friend That dyd the Latin state defend from Cymbrian rage Did proue thy furie in the end which nought could swage And Pompey whose dayes haply led So long thou seem'dst t' haue fauoured in vaine t' is sayd VVhen the Pharsalian field be led implor'd thine ayde Now Caesar swolne with honors heate Sits signiorizing in her seate and will not see That Fortune can her hopes defeate what e're they be From chaunce is nothing franchized And till the time that they are dead is no man blest He onely that no death doth dread doth liue at rest ACTVS QVARTVS Cassius Decim and Brutus ACcursed Rome that arm'st against thy selfe A Tyrants rage and mak'st a wretch thy King For one mans pleasure O iniurious Rome Thy chyldren gainst thy children thou hast arm'd And thinkst not of the riuers of theyr bloode That earst was shed to saue thy libertie Because thou euer hatedst Monarchie Now o're our bodies tumbled vp on heapes Lyke cocks of Hay when Iuly sheares the field Thou buildst thy kingdom and thou seat'st thy King And to be seruile which torments me most Employest our liues and lauishest our blood O Rome accursed Rome thou murdrest vs And massacrest thy selfe in yeelding thus Yet are there Gods yet is there heauen and earth That seeme to feare a certaine Thunderer No no there are no Gods or if there be They leaue to see into the worlds affaires They care not for vs nor account of men For what we see is done is done by chaunce T' is Fortune rules for equitie and right Haue neither helpe nor grace in heauens sight Scipio hath wrencht a sword into hys brest And launc'd hys bleeding wound into the sea Vndaunted Cato tore hys entrails out Affranius and Faustus murdred dyed Iuba-and Petreus fiercely combatting Haue each done other equall violence Our Army 's broken and the Lybian Beares Deuoure the bodies of our Cittizens The conquering Tyrant high in Fortunes grace Doth ryde tryumphing o're our Common-wealth And mournfull we behold him brauely mounted With stearne lookes in his Chariot where he leades The conquered honor of the people yok't So Rome to Caesar yeelds both powre and pelfe And o're Rome Caesar raignes in Rome it selfe But Brutus shall wee dissolutelie sitte And see the tyrant liue to tyranize Or shall theyr ghosts that dide to doe vs good Plaine in their Tombes of our base cowardise Shall lamed Souldiours and graue gray-haird men Poynt at vs in theyr bitter teares and say See where they goe that haue theyr race forgot And rather chuse vnarm'd to serue with shame Then arm'd to saue their freedom and their fame Brutus I sweare by heauen th'Immortals highest throne Their Temples Altars and theyr Images To see for one that Brutus suffer not His ancient liberty to be represt I freely marcht with Caesar in hys warrs Not to be subiect but to ayde his right But if enuenom'd with ambitious thoughts He lyft his hand imperiously o're vs If he determyn but to raigne in Rome Or follow'd Pompey but to thys effect Or if these ciuill discords now dissolu'd He render not the Empyre back to Rome Then shall he see that Brutus thys day beares The selfe-same Armes to be aueng'd on hym And that thys hand though Caesar blood abhor Shall toyle in his which I am sorry for I loue I loue him deerely But the loue That men theyr Country and theyr birth-right beare Exceeds all loues and deerer is by farre Our Countries loue then friends or chyldren are Cassius If this braue care be nourisht in your blood Or if so franck a will your soule possesse Why hast we not euen while these words are vttred To sheathe our new-ground swords in Caesars throate Why spend we day-light and why dies he not That by his death we wretches may reuiue We stay too-long I burne till I be there To see this massacre and send his ghost To theyrs whom subtilly he for Monarchie Made fight to death with show of liberty Bru. Yet haply he as Sylla whylom dyd When he hath rooted ciuill warre from Rome Will there-withall discharge the powre he hath Cass. Caesar and Sylla Brutus be not like Sylla assaulted by the enemie Did arme himselfe but in his owne defence Against both Cynnas host and Marius Whom when he had discomfited and chas'd And of his safety throughly was assur'd He layd apart the powre that he had got And gaue vp rule for he desier'd it not Where Caesar that in silence might haue slept Nor vrg'd by ought but his ambition Did breake into the hart of Italie And lyke rude Brennus brought his men to field Trauers'd the seas And shortly after backt With wintered souldiers vs'd to conquering He aym'd at vs bent to exterminate Who euer sought to intercept his state Now hauing got what he hath gaped for Deere Brutus thinke you Caesar such a chyld Slightly to part with so great signiorie Belieue it not he bought it deere you know And traueled too farre to leaue it so Brut. But Cassius Caesar is not yet a King Cas. No but Dictator in effect as much He doth what pleaseth hym a princely thing And wherein differ they whose powre is such Brutus Hee is not bloody Cassius But by bloody iarres he hath vnpeopled most part of the earth Both Gaule and Affrique perrisht by his warres Egypt Emathia Italy and Spayne Are full of dead mens bones by Caesar slayne Th' infectious plague and Famins bitternes Or th' Ocean whom no pitty can asswage Though they containe dead bodies numberles Are yet inferior to Caesars rage Who monster-like wyth his ambition Hath left more Tombes then ground to lay them on Brut. Souldiers with such reproch should not be blam'd Cass. He with his souldiers hath himselfe defam'd Bru. Why then you thinke there is no praise in war Cass. Yes where the causes reasonable are Bru. He
another on A suddaine tempest takes him by the way And casts him vp neere to the Coasts of Hyppon Where th' aduerse Nauie sent to scoure the seas Did hourely keepe their ordinary course Where seeing himselfe at anchor slightly shipt Besieg'd betraide by winde by land by sea All raging mad to rig his better Vessels The little while this naual conflict lasted Behold his owne was fiercely set vpon Which being sore beaten till it brake agen Ended the liues of his best fighting men There did the remnant of our Romaine nobles Before the foe and in theyr Captaines presence Dye brauely with their fauchins in their fists Then Scipio that saw his ships through-galled And by the foe fulfild with fire and blood His people put to sword Sea Earth and Hell And Heauen it selfe coniur'd to iniure him Stepts to the Poope and with a princely visage Looking vpon his weapon dide with blood Sighing he sets it to his brest and said Since all our hopes are by the Gods beguil'd What refuge now remaines for my distresse But thee my deerest nere-deceiuing sword Yea thee my latest fortunes firmest hope By whom I am assurde this hap to haue That being free borne I shall not die a slaue Scarce had he said but cruelly resolu'd He wrencht it to the pommel through his sides That fro the wound the smoky blood ran bubling VVhere-with he staggred And I stept to him To haue embrac'd him But he beeing afraid T' attend the mercy of his murdring foe That stil pursued him and opprest his ships Crawld to the Deck and lyfe with death to ease Headlong he threw himselfe into the seas CORNELIA O cruell Gods O heauen O direfull Fates O radiant Sunne that slightly guildst our dayes O night starrs full of infelicities O triple titled Heccat Queene and Goddesse Bereaue my lyfe or lyuing strangle me Confound me quick or let me sinck to hell Thrust me fro forth the world that mongst the spirits Th' infernall Lakes may ring with my laments O miserable desolate distresful wretch Worne with mishaps yet in mishaps abounding What shall I doe or whether shall I flye To venge this out-rage or reuenge my wrongs Come wrathfull Furies with your Ebon locks And feede your selues with mine enflamed blood Ixions torment Sysiph's roling stone And th' Eagle tyering on Prometheus Be my eternall tasks That th' extreame fire Within my hart may from my hart retyre I suffer more more sorrowes I endure Then all the Captiues in th' infernall Court O troubled Fate O fatall misery That vnprouoked deal'st so partiallie Say freatfull heauens what fault haue I committed Or wherein could mine innocence offend you When being but young I lost my first loue Crassus Or wherein did I merrite so much wrong To see my second husband Pompey slayne But mongst the rest what horrible offence What hatefull thing vnthought of haue I done That in the midst of this my mournfull state Nought but my Fathers death could expiate shy death deere Scipio Romes eternall losse Whose hopefull life preseru'd our happines Whose siluer haires encouraged the weake Whose resolutions did confirme the rest Whose ende sith it hath ended all my ioyes O heauens at least permit of all these plagues That I may finish the Catastrophe Sith in this widdow-hood of all my hopes I cannot looke for further happines For both my husbands and my Father gone VVhat haue I els to wreak your wrath vpon Now as for happy thee to whom sweet Death Hath giuen blessed rest for lifes bereauing O enuious Iulia in thy iealous hart Venge not thy wrong vpon Cornelia But sacred ghost appease thine ire and see My hard mishap in marrying after thee O see mine anguish Haplie seeing it T' will moue compassion in thee of my paines And vrge thee if thy hart be not of flynt Or drunck with rigor to repent thy selfe That thou enflam'dst so cruell a reuenge In Caesars hart vpon so slight a cause And mad'st him raise so many mournfull Tombes Because thy husband did reuiue the lights Of thy forsaken bed Vnworthely Opposing of thy freatfull ielosie Gainst his mishap as it my helpe had bin Or as if second marriage were a sin VVas neuer Citty where calamitie Hath soiour'd with such sorrow as in this VVas neuer state wherein the people stood So careles of their conquered libertie And careful of anothers tiranny O Gods that earst of Carthage tooke some care Which by our Fathers pittiles was spoyl'd When thwarting Destinie at Affrique walls Did topside turuey turne their Common-wealth VVhen forcefull weapons fiercely tooke away Their souldiers sent to nourish vp those warrs VVhen fierd their golden Pallaces fell downe When through the slaughter th' Afrique seas were dide And sacred Temples quenchlesly enflam'd Now is our haples time of hopes expired Then satis-fie your selues with this reuenge Content to count the ghosts of those great Captains Which conquered perisht by the Romaine swords The Hannons the Amilcars Asdrubals Especially that proudest Hanniball That made the fayre Thrasymene so dezart For euen those fields that mour'd to beare their bodies Now loaden groane to feele the Romaine corses Theyr earth we purple ore and on theyr Tombes We heape our bodies equalling theyr ruine And as a Scipio did reuerse theyr powre They haue a Scipio to reuenge them on Weepe therefore Roman Dames and from henceforth Valing your Cristall eyes to your faire bosoms Raine showres of greefe vpon your Rose-like cheeks And dewe your selues with springtides of your teares Weepe Ladies weepe and with your reeking sighes Thicken the passage of the purest clowdes And presse the ayre with your continuall plaints Beate at your Iuorie breasts and let your robes Defac'd and rent be witnes of your sorrowes And let your haire that wont be wreath'd in tresses Now hang neglectly dangling downe your sholders Careles of Arte or rich accoustrements That with the gold and pearle we vs'd before Our mournfull habits may be deckt no more Alas what shall I doe O deere companions Shall I O shall I liue in these laments Widdowed of all my hopes my haps my husbands And last not least bereft of my best Father And of the ioyes mine auncestors enioy'd When they enioy'd their liues and libertie And must I liue to see great Pompeys house A house of honour and antiquitie Vsurpt in wrong by lawlesse Anthony Shall I behold the sumptuous ornaments Which both the world and Fortune heapt on him Adorne and grace his graceles Enemy Or see the wealth that Pompey gain'd in warre Sold at a pike and borne away by strangers Dye rather die Cornelia And to spare Thy worthles life that yet must one day perrish Let not those Captains vainlie lie inter'd Or Caesar triumph in thine infamie That wert the wife to th' one and th' others daughter But if I die before I haue entomb'd My drowned Father in some Sepulcher VVho will performe that care in kindnes for me Shall his poore wandring lymbs lie stil tormented Tost with the salte waues of the wasteful Seas No louely Father and my deerest husband Cornelia must liue though life she hateth To make your Tombes mourne vpon your hearses VVhere languishing my famous faithful teares May trickling bathe your generous sweet cynders And afterward both wanting strength and moysture Fulfilling with my latest sighes and gasps The happie vessels that enclose your bones I will surrender my surcharged life And when my soule Earths pryson shall forgoe Encrease the number of the ghosts be-low Non prosunt Domino quae prosunt omnibus Artes Tho: Kyd.