suppos'd they meane To fight no more but secretly dislodge And fly away by night Ian. T is like enough And would the King be rul'd by my aduice Hee should not follow them there has been spilt Already blood enough in that vniust Vnnaturall cause Those braue Argolians Whose vertues wee although their enemies Must needes acknowledge and lament their deaths Besides those dearer funeralls which Thebes Has mourn'd already for to iustifie The broken faith of King Eteocles But who 's that makes to vs so speedily Thy lookes speak newes what are they man be briefe Nuntius Dircus Ianthus Nun. The King was walking round the city walls When straight a parley sounded from the foe And Polynices our exiled Prince Himselfe appear'd who from below complain'd So many noble funerals had pay'd The forfeit of his brothers periury Defi'd him then and challeng'd him alone To end the difference in a single combate Dir. Oh horrid monstrous challenge Ian. Has the King Accepted it Nun. Yes with a seeming ioy And did complaine alone that he himselfe Was not the challenger Dir. Vnnaturall Nun. Though many that were by perswaded him He neede not answer it at all his strength Was great enough to keepe the crowne without it Ian. But piety how euer should forbid it Nun. It did not mooue his breast thou shalt quoth he Immediatly at head of all our troopes Finde vs prepar'd to answer and to take Mistake away wee 'll weare our royall crowne It grieues vs onely t' was thy motion first And one of vs when this blacke fight is done Shall without riuall keepe the Theban crowne Ian. Come Dircus let 's away and or preuent Or see the issue of this dire intent Exeunt Chorus Thebanorum Cho. Can Thebes yet finde no peace nor see A period of her misery What booted braue Menaeteus death Who gaue vp his deuoted breath To saue his Countrey what the falls Of all those worthyes whom the walls Of our sad Thebes late trembled at Bold Capaneus whose strange fate No human strength but from aboue The thunderbolts of armed Ioue Could worke the stout Hippomedon And Meleager's beautious sonne Apollo's sacred Prophet too Quicke to Auernus forc'd to goe Amphiaraus to preuent The fates by his so strange descent Frighting the Ghosts that dwell below Nor could the fatall sisters know Before they saw him 'mong'st the dead That they should cut his vitall thread These and a thousand worthyes moe Are fled downe to the shades below And yet the wicked part of warre Doth still remaine the Princes are Both yet aliue and yet doe hate What end can be compos'd by fate Their hate is impious but to try The cause were more impiety Our feares doe still encrease the skyes Are fill'd with nought but prodigyes Which woes and ruines doe display I long to heare what fate to day The field affords relate to vs How blacke so ere and ominous Nuntius Chorus Nun. Then heare a story that might make Amazed natures selfe to shake The Princes both are slaine alas Cho. What guilty hands could act such tragedyes Nun. Nay there 's the sorrow of it and a griefe Worse then their death 's are in a single combate They slew each other Cho. Oh blacke family But yet relate the manner of their death Nun. When this great warre of one diuided wombe Two brothers mett both armies stood at gaze Amazed both the greiued gods of warre Withdrew their presence from so blacke a fight Bellona broke her lance the blew-ey'd maide Fled from the field asham'd and Mars droue backe His Thracian charriot in whose stead the furyes Marshall'd the field and all th' Ogygian ghosts In a blacke ring beset the combatants Blasting the day with dampes of Acheron No Trumpets sounded nor shrill cornets peirc'd The wounded aire for these the nights sad King Thrice thunder'd from Auernus thrice the Earth with mournfull grones gaue signall to the fight Old men complain'd that they had liu'd too long To see that horrid sight the women shreik'd And weeping mothers from the walls forbad Their children to behold it but the Princes With such a furious hatred both encounter As if the soules of all their slaughter'd friends And both the armyes whom their cause engag'd Had liu'd in them till fate so cruelly Ballanc'd their strength that both were slaine yet both were guilty conquerours Cho. But did they dy Together then Nun: Eteocles fell first Ore whom before death closed vp his eyes Bloodlesse and feeble Polynices stood And from his head taking th' imperiall crowne Empal'd himselfe therewith at last quoth hee Thou art mine owne oh doe not close his eyes Pale death till he haue seene me weare the Crowne But I must leaue it too Oh short short raigne If there be iustice in the other world Before great Minos vrne it Minos vrne Be not a fable will I summon thee Nor shall this combate end our enmity Then on his brother falling downe he dy'd Cor. Oh horrid fight bright Phaebus hide thy head Wrap vp the day in foggy clouds and make An endlesse night to hide this tragedy From human eyes a blacker deed then this Thy light did nere discouer here let all The prodigyes that threaten'd vs haue end Nun. The Argiues all with winged speede are fled And Thebes once more has peace but that I feare Long cannot last Chor. What storme can threaten now Nun. Creon no sooner was saluted King For so hee was since both those Princes fell But he commanded Oh fond tyranny No man on paine of death should dare to bury One body of the Argiues they alas Remaine exposed in the open field To feede the foules or perish in the aire Nor must the Argiues only want the rites Of funerall but Theban Polynices Because with them he fought against his countrey Remaines exposed as the Argiues are In th' open aire who ere shall bury him His owne dead carcasse shall supply the place Cho. Thebes will I feare incurre the enmity Of nations by this act and we shall wish If Creon so begin his froward reigne Th' vnhappy house of Oedipus againe Finis actui primis Actus Secundus Ornitus Argia Deiphile Arg. WHere shall we vent our griefes what power on earth Can lend our woes redresse Deiph. Accursed Thebes I st not enough thy guilty soile hath drunke So many princes bloods but after death Vnto their Ghosts thou still shouldst prooue a foe And barre what nature and all lawes bestow Ar. Whither is goodnesse fled from humane breasts Tygers themselues if tygers could performe These rites of funeralls would now correct The malice of mankinde Arg. What shall we doe T' appease the ghosts of our vnbury'd Lords Deiph. Goe sue to Thebes perchance the sighs and teares Of weeping queenes may mooue the tyrants heart Or. No royall Ladies banish from your breasts That flattering hope no teares nor prayers can mooue The ruthlesse tyrants minde an impious oath Hath bound his cruelty his watchmen tell The carcasses and guard the place
interpreters of fate that looke With iust contempt downe on that small allowance Of knowledge which weake human breasts possesse Whose subtle eyes can penetrate the depth Of darke Auernus secrets and from thence Enforce an answer from th' obeying finds Let me from your deepe skill be guided now To know th' assurance of my future state It is a King that craues your aide a King Whose power has giu'n your art this furtherance By my command these carcasses haue lyen Vnburled heere for you to practise on If Creon then deserue it at your hands Resolue me of my fate 3. You haue your wish This carcasse shall relate it do not feare To heare him speake what herbs haue you prepar'd 1. I heere haue gather'd all in one The poisonous gelly of the moone Mixt with sulphur of the night Libbards bane and Aconite Dew gather'd ere the morne arose From night-shade henbane Cypresse boughs 'Mongst liuing creatures I haue sought And from each banefull brood haue brought What ere could aide to our worke giue Skinns stript from horned snakes aliue The Lynxes bowells blood of froggs The Schreichowles eggs the foame of Doggs The wings of Batts with Dragons eyes The Crowes blacke head the stone that lyes In Eagles nests and pebbles round That when the Ocean ebbs are found 3. Enough but I to adde to these so knowne And vulgar helps of our great art haue gone And found such simples whose concealed aide No witch ere vs'd or trembling god obey'd Thessaliaes valleys Colchos famed shore Nor Libyan squallid sands with Gorgons gore Bedew'd and sprinkled nere produced iuice That could so much enthrall the deityes When first I pluck'd them in yon gloomy vale The furies shreik'd and Hecate grew pale As loath to haue in that abhorred ground The power of simples and their weakenesse found 2. Then let vs now employ their powerfull helpe What place doe we designe for our blacke worke 1. There is within Cithaerons hollow side A darke and squallid caue where day nere peep'd Nor euer light but light by magike made Shot through that dismall aire pale mouldy filth Bred there by drery night orespredds the place The mouth of Taenarus that balefull bound Twixt heauen and hell appears not halfe so blacke To this sad cave th' accustom'd fiends ascend And thinke themselues still in their proper place But Ghosts that newly past Auernus lake Shun the ascent and though by vs inuok'd Tremble to enter to that place vnknowne And finde a hell more horrid then their owne 2. Then thither let vs beare this carcasse hence 3. 3. No no we scorne the helps of that darke place Nor is it honour to our art to finde But make a darknesse fit to serue our ends We that can force a Magike light to glide Through closest vaults can force in spite of day A mist of night to rise which all the rayes Of burning Phoebus shall want power to scatter Oh would it were not night but that the sunne Rode in his height of strength how proudly then Might we performe our rites and make it knowne We vse not natures darknesse but our owne 1. Lett 's goe no further then this place shall serue 3. 3. Apply your ointments to the body whilest I Prepare and speake a charme shall quickly call Th' affrighted soule backe to his mansion Cre. My ioynts beginne to tremble and I feare As much the meanes of knowledge as th' euent Of what I came to know Ian. How full of blacke And balefull horrour is this art of theirs Would I were well from hence let me hereafter Rather remaine in endlesse ignorance Then purchase knowledge by such meanes as these 3. 3. Sad King of night whose balefull Monarchy The still repaired ruines of mankinde Through euery age encrease that greiu'st alone To see the heauenly gods for euer free From death's assaults and thy subiection Old formlesse Chaos thou that would'st deface Natures whole beauty quite disioint her fabrike And swallow vp in darke confusion Ten thousand worlds thou squallid ferriman Of still Auernus thou three-headed porter You snake-hair'd sisters punishers of guilt As you would gaine our aid or feare our threats Whip back againe into this vpper world That new-fled soule which did of late inhabite This pale and ghastly seate but if in vaine On you I call thou wretched wandering Ghost Not yet transported ore the burning streame But doom'd to exile for an hundred yeares If true rewards can tempt thee once againe Enter thy ancient prison and in lieu Of that shore pennance I will make thee free Releasing all thy tedious banishment Of faire Elisium with such powerfull rites I le giue thee buryall as no Magicke spells Nor incantations shall for euer call Thee backe nor trouble thine eternall rest Relate to Creon King of Thebes the fate That shall attend his reigne Ian. The carkasse stirrs Cre. The face retaines pale death yet seemes to liue The carcasse speakes Thy death is neare yet ere thou dy A great and strange calamity Shall seize thy house and thou in woe Shalt thinke the fatall sisters slow In giuing death desiring then Thy reignes short date had shorter beene Yet thou at last in death shalt haue Though thou denid'st it vs a graue fals Cre. Shame on your damned arts it does not ly Within the power of fate to worke this mischeife Ian. Beleeue it not my Lord lett 's quit the place And from the wise Tiresias seeke aduise Exeunt Aemon Dircus Aem. Dircus shee 's gone and I am worse then dead Oh would the villaines armes had had the power To haue dispatch'd me quickly Dir. Good my Lord Take fairer hopes and liue cast not away The Kingdomes ioy what cruelty can touch So sweet a vertue as Antigone Retire with me into yon little house I le there binde vp your wounds you bleede too fast And needes must faint before you reach the walls The wounds I tooke are scratches Aem. Honest Dircus What care can ere my body haue without The presence of my soule Dir. Delay not Sir Their goodnesse will protect them what other Lady Was that with her Aem. It seemes it was Argia Dead Polynices wife Adrastus daughter Or else some grace or goddesse in that shape Came to consort with good Antigone Dir. Wandering about the fields to finde out you I met with witches impious haggs that came As I suppose for execrable ends There to abuse the bodies of the dead Oh partiall fates oh too iniurious night Can these escape when piety must suffer Aem. A faintnesse seizes me I prithee Dircus Let me haue speedy newes Dir. You shall my Lord When I haue drest you I le to court and thence Bring you a true and swift intelligence Exeunt Chorus Argiuarum Deiphile Cho. By what new wayes of griefe shall we Our widow'd losses signifie What strange expression can become A woe so strangely burdensome No howles no shreikes no voice of woe Not such as widow'd turtles shew Nor such as
of Creon Farewell my dearest Aemon whose lou'd presence More then the sight of day afflicts my soule To loose so soone farewell where ere thou art Till in the other world we meete againe Exeunt Aemon Aeem. No newes of comfort or discomfort yet Forgiue me faithfull Dircus if my soule My loue-sicke soule vniustly doe accuse Thy diligent care and thinke thee slacke my heart Till thy returne is stretch'd vpon the wracke A racke of torturing thoughts more painefull farre Then tyranny could wish or foes inuent To punish foes dost thou delay because The newes thou bring'st is ill if my faire loue Be dead or doom'd to death why doo'st thou keepe My soule from her Celestiall company If all be well but oh presumptous soule Checke that too happy thought againe I know My fathers nature is vnmoouable In all resolues and this bound by an oath So deepe so solemne and inuiolable As ere 't be broke will break this heart of mine Enter Dircus See here he comes speake man what newes Ay me Thy very lookes haue blasted me before Thy tongue can be their sad interpreter No newes but black could force a souldiers teares Antigone is dead Dir. Not dead my Lord But liues among the dead Aem. How man Expound This Aenigmatike sorrow Dir. In a tombe Where neuer more she shall behold the day Nor Phoebus splendour by the Kings command Is faire Antigone enclos'd aliue To famish there and dy Aem. Enough enough Shut vp aliue to starue oh horrid doome As if that death alone though nere so gentle Had not beene punishment enough for her For such a cause as that but yet this sentence Giues respite to her death and leaues a way To our preuention I must spend no time In thinking now all action is requir'd Thus it must be be speedy faithfull friend Runne to my mother and with all the vowes And vehement protestations that thou can'st From me assure her if Antigone Be not releast in time it shall not ly In all the power of earth to saue my life Her loue I feare not though my father now Haue cast his frowne vpon me to this place Returne againe with all thy speed whilest I Deuise some other meanes if that should faile Dir. Feare not my care my Lord but let me craue By your owne worth I begge it and that fauour Which you were euer pleased to reflect On my poore seruices till I returne Attempt no other course I will be speedy And if perswasions of the queene doe faile Wee 'll finde a way to saue the princesse life But t is a desperate way and must be vs'd The last of all AEm. Oh comfortable Dircus Do but assure me that and I shall owe More then my life and all my fortunes to thee Vpon mine honour I le not stirre from hence Till thou returne nor stay thee now t' enquire More of the plot Dir. I will out-fly the winde Exit Aem. Clos'd vp aliue within a tombe to starue Oh horrid cruelty I would I could Forget whose crime it were that my free hate Might not be check'd by duty to a father Should I approue his action 't were a sinne So great 'gainst vertue as no time could pardon Should I condemne it I must then abhorre Th' offendor and that piety forbidds Oh why should piety and vertue striue That piety which I so much admir'd In faire Antigone my selfe transgresse In louing her crosse to my fathers will Yet in obeying him I must approoue Her piety or else condemne mine owne What thoughts will reigne in this diuided brest Till Dircus doe returne but courage heart More strong is he that can his doubts deferre Then he that knowne calamities does beare Exit Chorus of old men 1 Oh smooth thy frowne at last great queene of heauen Let not vnhappy Thebes for euer feele The dire effects of thy too mindefull wrath What could the wretched Semeles offence Or poore Alemenas errour more deserue Then they themselues haue suffer'd from thy hand Or if succeeding branches needes must bleede For parents faults before a goddesse wrath Can be appeas'd could not Actaeons wounds Athamas maddnesse Inoes wofull death Nor pitti'd Oedipus his fall suffice 2. Could not the actions of great Hercules Nor Bacchus glorious deedes which all mankinde For euer shall renowne weigh downe the crimes Of their vnhappy mothers and such crimes As only Ioues resistlesse power could force 3. A feircer warre by farre now threatens Thebes Then that which old Adrastus with the aide Of all his rash confederates could make The mighty Theseus whose all-conquering hand No Kingdome yet with safety could withstand Arm'd with a cause in which the prayers and wish Of nations ioyne is marching towards vs 1. In vaine alas did we expect an end Of this dire warre when both the princes dy'd When th' Argiues fled must out owne victory Become our greife and draw vpon vs now A greater ruine then our foile had done 2. 2. It must it must since Creons cruelty Most vnexpected barbarous cruelty Will haue it so oh friend I could belieue Were not the noble Aemon Creons sonne And heire apparent to our Diadem We had beene happyer farre t' haue beene subdu'd Then brought by victory to such obedience 3 True friend there 's all out trust the gods in nought But that braue Princes life haue left vs hope Of any future fauour to redresse The miseries which we so long haue felt But for this imminent nay present danger What were we best to doe 1. Aduise the King Rather to change his purpose then expose His weakened Kingdome to great Theseus fury Though he should prooue neuer so obstinate Better that any one for good aduice Should suffer from his fury then the land In generall should smart 2. You counsell well But who should be the man 3. There 's none so fit As old Tiresias that most holy man Taught from the gods aboue whose words by all Our Theban Princes haue beene long esteem'd As oracles him Creon will obey 1. 1. Then thither let vs and with him aduise How to redresse our present miseries Actus Quintus Euridice Dircus THat was my feare before I thought my sonne Too farre in loue to beare with patience His Ladies death and therefore did entreat The King with teares and sighs that would haue moou'd A rocke of flint but hee more hard then rocks Deafer then Northerne winds with rage repuls'd My oft repeated suite and now ay me What most I fear'd is proou'd my sonne will dy For he has vow'd neuer to pardon her Dir. Must I returne the Prince this killing newes Eur. No gentle Dircus stay a little while T will not be long before the King returne I le mooue him once againe Dir. Your highnesse pardon Not for the world would I delay the time Vpon vncertainties I feare I haue Already stay'd too long My quicke returne Is th' only meanes to keepe the prince aliue Please it your highnesse then when I am gone
To mooue the King and feare not gratious madam The Princes life a while how ere Exit Dircus Eur. Farewell True faithfull Dircus all the gods assist Thy good entents and blesse thy loyalty Enter Creon Cre. What weeping still Eur. Would I could weepe my selfe Like Niobe to marble and become A wofull tombe to Aemon whom my wombe With fates disastrous brought into the world My vertuous Aemon Cre. Why is Aemon dead Eur. Why doe you aske that meane to murder him Cre. How murder him Eur. Yes in Antigone His most inseparable loue Cre. Must then Th' audacious giglot liue vnpunished To braue a King Eur. Were kings ordain'd to kill Vertues true seruants and controll her lawes Enter Tiresias Chorus senum Tir. Where is the king Cre. Hee 's heere What mischiefe now Com'st thou to vtter neuer from thy tongue Flow'd any good to me Tir. A guilty man Was neuer pleas'd with truth but heare me Creon I come to thee sent from the wrathfull gods To let thee know thy guilt and punishment Great plagues from heauen if Tiresias Truly diuine are threaten'd 'gainst thy house When I for thee vnthankefull man prepar'd A sacrifice within the open'd beast No signes but sad and fatall did afford None but th' infernall gods deign'd to appeare The blood was blacke the burning entrailes gaue No flame at all but darkely did consume Mouldring away to ashes and with blacke Vnsauoury smoake clouded the fearefull ayre Vnto our augury no birds at all But sad and balefull birds of night appear'd Nor to our orizons would th' inuoked gods Vouchsafe an answer but in signes alone Declar'd their wrath The cause of these their threats Against thy house is for thy cruelty To good Antigone and if she dy These plagues will surely fall Eur. Can we auoide them By sparing her Tir. The gods aboue relent At humane penitence and heare their prayers Nor like the fiends are they inexorable Eur. No longer Creon shalt thou now deny me Since heauen is ioyn'd with my petition Tir. You are not constant in persisting thus But obstinate Eur. Now I renew my suite Cho. In which we bend our knees release O king For Thebes for Aemons sake that vertuous maide And to preuent a feirce and cruell warre Vouchsafe to grant our suite and giue vs leaue To bury those dead Graecians in the field Cre. No more of them that last must not be granted For our command is past too farre already And must be iustifi'd not changed now But for the life of that Antigone Although it cannot suite well with our iustice To pardon her rebellious stubbornnesse Yet shee is thine Eurydice to thee Do we referre her wholly take this ring And absolute power to dispose of her Either to pardon or to punishment Eur. The gods reward thee for 't I le goe my selfe And bring her out with speede from that sad place Heauen grant that griefe haue not already kill'd her Nuntius Creon Nun. To armes my Lord if any armes so soone Can rescue Thebes from quicke destruction The mighty Theseus threatens you at hand Creon Why let him come Should I esteeme the name Of Theseus such a buggebeare it should fright Me from my constant resolution Haue our late conquests haue the ouerthrowes Of Argos and Mycenae taught the world Nothing of vs looke on you purple fields With slaughter dy'd and learne what Thebes can doe Where Capanaeus and stout Tydeus Parthenopaeus and Hippomedon Ly weltring in their gores and should we then So tremble at the threates of Theseus No power must daunt me 't is not Kingly now Vpon constraint to change my rough decree Though I relented now though my soft breast Were moou'd with piety yet thought of honour Would conquer that as now it conquers feare The feare of Theseus hand nor haue I left A place for wisedome now it comes too late I must preuent or meete my instant fate Dircus Aemon Dir. Yonder 's the tombe my Lord which though it seeme Too hard and solid for our strength to force I know a place will open presently Aem. Then let vs breake this wealthy Cabinet And take from thence a iewell which the ransome Of all the Kings on earth would be a price To poore to purchase Knew'st thou happy caue Or knew the world what true vnualew'd wealth Thy bare vnpolish'd bosome did containe Thou would'st despise the richest temples rear'd On Marble Columnes and high-roof'd with gold To thee would men with adoration come As to a place more sacred then the caue That nourish'd Cretan Ioue then Bacchus Nisa Or the Oetaean Mount from whence in flames The great Alcides mounted to the sky But I forget my selfe I first must know Whether I liue or no for in that caue Not heere does Aemon breath Antigone Anti. Who calls Antigone is it my Aemon Aem. Dircus I liue heardst thou that heauenly voice Which has inspir'd a happyer life into me Then my creation did Le ts loose no time In this sweete businesse Dir. I le ope the tombe Immediatly my Lord Aem. Sad Thebes adieu I le finde some happyer countrey to conuey My enuy'd treasure to Possest of her I shall be richer then the Theban crowne Can make me speake how fares my fairest loue Shall we be gone Ant. I would my dearest Aemon Begone with thee rather then liue but fate Too cruell fate preuents it Aem. How what fate Can let our iourney if thy loue consent Anti. I loue thee Aemon better then my life And neuer truly wish'd to liue till now But now I cannot liue Aem. Oh doe not mocke My ioyes Antigone or if thou doest not Tell me what sad disaster can befall Anti. That sad disaster is befall'n already Fearing the paines that such a lingring death Might bring vpon me I haue tane already A gentle poison downe which long before 'Gainst some such dire occasion I prepar'd I feele it worke my vitall spirits faile My dearest loue farewell Liue long and happy Let fate hereafter recompence to thee What ere her cruelty 'gainst me has wrought Aem. No fate can make me happy I am lost Beyond her cure Dir. What end of tragedyes Can wofull Thebes for euer hope to see After this sorrow Oh I more then feare The Princes fury Aem. Her white soule is fled What vnsubstantiall bubbles are the best Of humane ioyes how from the top of all My hopes and comforts in one fatall minute Has enuious fortune throwne me downe againe Into the depth of misery and woe Oh fortune how extreme thou art in all Thy fauours and thy frownes Dir. Most noble prince Collect that strength of man which all the world Expects from you and arme your selfe to beare With fitting patience this calamity The passiue fortitude is great and noble As is the actiue Aem. Strike that string no more Doe not in vaine torment a desperate man With thy dull counsell T is as possible Thou should'st perswade a dead man to arise After his soule is fled as me to liue Now shee is dead I doe coniure thee Dircus By all the loue thou bearst me by that faith Which I haue euer found and priz'd in thee To leaue me heere Dir. My Lord I will obey And thus I take my leaue Dyes Aem. Too cruell Dircus Was I not miserable enough before But thou must loade my sufferings with thy death What cause hadd'st thou to dy thou hast not lost A loue why should my losse extend so farre As to the ruine of so braue a friend Thy death has iniur'd faire Antigone And made a strange Diuision in my griefe For all the sorrow which this breast could hold Was due to her before I must encroach Vpon her right in spending teares for thee My breast 's too narrow for so great a griefe And must be quickly open'd Thou pure soule Of my Antigone which still suruiu'st Though this faire palace be demolish'd quite By deaths vngentle hand thou heauenly substance True obiect of a chast and spotlesse loue Thy Aemon comes and from these bonds of nature Flyes forth to meete thee in the other world To wedd thee there to finish there the rites Of long-cross'd loue and tast eternall sweetes Dyes Ianthus Aephytus Eurydice Ian. Oh horrid spectacle see Aephytus The Prince Antigone and Dircus dead Aeph. All dead Eur. Ay me Ian. Looke to the Queene she sownes Aephy. Alas t is more then so cold death has seiz'd her I feare beyond recouery Lett 's in And certifie the King who now may see The dire effects of his rash cruelty Theseus Chorus Thebanorum The. Our warre 's already ended and the death Of sauage Creon whose dire soule is fled To pacifie the Argiues wandring ghosts Hath satisfi'd our iustice heere we sheath Our sword againe and free your towne from feares And now enterre with fitting obsequies The Carcasses of all your slauter'd foes Let cruell Creon too though he at all Deserue it not haue rites of funerall Cre. Those pious rites will we performe with ioy And thankes to mighty Theseus may the Gods Assist thee euer and great Hercules Beholding thy braue actions from the sky Reioyce and not disdaine at all to be Esteem'd thy aequall by posterity The. Send backe Argia to her father's court With faire attendance and t is left to you To place the Theban scepter where t is due Cho. Thebes humbly bowes to mighty Theseus And layes her crowne and scepter at his feete The. No still let Thebes be gouern'd by her owne T' was not our warres intention to enthrall Your land but free it from a tyrants yoake And to preserue the conquer'd not destroy them We drew the sword of iustice not of conquest Ambitiously to spread our Kingdomes bounds But to auenge the lawes of nature broke This act being done Theseus is peace againe Souldiers march on to Athens Thebes adieu Now let mankinde enioy a happy peace Oh let no monsters breede on earth to glut Themselues with human slaughter let no theeues Infest the woods no tyrants staine the cities With blood of innocents but if such monsters Must needes be bred to plague the wretched earth 'Gainst nature and her holy lawes to striue Let them appeare while Theseus is aliue FINIS LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Beniamin Fisher and are to be sould at his shop at the signe of the Talbot without Aldersgate 1631
you the man Whose hearse I seeke was once a Thebes prince But since his natiue soile did proue to him So cruell and vnnaturall I dare Not call him Theban Gentle Argos proou'd A kinder home to him and freely gaue What Thebes though due deny'd a princely state With royall nuptialls now among the soules Of those vnbury'd Graecians wanders he And still perhapps desires to bee esteem'd One of their company hating for euer Ah woe is me the memory of Thebes His name was Polynices my vnhappy Though dearest brother Arg. Oh my heart are you That good Antigone whom I so long Haue wish'd to see Ant. I am that wofull maide Arg. Then see your brother my deare husbands hearse Your griefe is mine Ant. Pardon me royall sister Are you Argia great Adrastus daughter Let me adore the best of woman kinde Has your most faithfull vnexampled loue Brought you so farre and on so cruell hazards To my dead brother was it not enough That first so great a princesse as your selfe Aduanc'd a banish'd man and freely gaue That loue to him which happyest princes sought But that his dire misfortunes euermore Should make your vertue wretched Arg. Dearest sister Whose knowledge I am proud though thus to meete By this true knot of euerlasting loue Our sorrow tyes to night I here protest No griefe no losse that banishment could bring Did mooue so much sad Polynices heart As parting from thy dearest company No name to him was halfe so deare in Thebes No name so often as Antigone Would his sad tongue to me alone repeate Antigo. And witnesse all yee sacred deities Though Polynices from his natiue Thebes Were banish'd long yet from a sisters heart The loue of thee could neuer be exil'd Nor Thebes without thy presence pleasing to me How oft haue I vpon Cytherons mount Appeas'd my fathers anger toward thee And dost thou thus visite thy sister heere Oh my wrong'd brother Arg. Oh my dearest Lord When first at Argos I beheld thy face It was deform'd with blood and wounded then Yet then I lou'd it fortune to my loue Shew'd thee at first a pityed spectacle As now at last dearest Antigone My brother Tydeus met him then at Argos Both strangers there before affinity Had made them brothers in a mutuall rage They fought but all the blood that then was drawne Seem'd but a sacrament that did confirme Their after rare and vnexampled loue Anti. Ay me how different was it from the loue Which heere a naturall brother shew'd to him Argos how farre dost thou disgrace our Thebes In nature and in honour Menae. Royall Ladyes The night growes old and danger threatens vs Be speedy now these obsequies perform'd You may with more security enioy Each others mutuall loue and then discourse Of Thebes and Argos danger and the time Will not permit it now not farre from hence Are many fragments left of funerall fire Where Thebans haue beene burn'd those let vs vse And then retire from this vnhappy place Aephytus with the watch Aeph. VVhere didst thou see those lights 1. About the place VVhere Polynices body lyes Aeph. If any Haue there perform'd forbidden obsequies They cannot farre escape pursue with speede Spare none you know your oath and penalty Aemon and Dircus Aem. The watch is vp and with a winged speede Pursues those lights which my presaging soule Tells me attend on faire Antigone Should what I feare prooue true they must not seize her If all perswasions promise of reward Nor gold preuaile not the deare cause will lend This arme a strength aboue mortality Exeunt Creon Ianthus Cre. The watch is diligent they doe not know That I am in the field Ian. No sure my Lord For your disguise is perfect and no notice VVas giuen from me at all Cre. VVhat things are these Two haggs passe ouer the stage Ian. Witches my Lord that come to exercise On these dead bodyes that bestrew the field Their damned arts here in the depth of night With incantations and abused herbes They turne the dead's pale faces to enquire And heare the horrid oracles of death Th' infernall gods ore master'd by their power Or else perswaded by some piety Which pleases them deny these witches nothing Which they request the soules of those dead men Are forc'd t' obey their charmings and returne Backe to their ancient prisons to reueale To these dire haggs the secrecies of fate And things to come Cre. I le follow them Ianthus And know what fortunes shall attend my reigne Ian. Ah good my Lord vse not so bad away You haue at hand a nobler meanes to know The truth of all the old Tiresias Taught from the wisedome of the gods aboue Who by a magike more diuine and pure Surueyes the course and influence of the starrs And in that glorious booke reads the euent Of future things rather repaire to him Let him prepare a sacrifice and aske The pleasure of the gods Cre. Tut tut Ianthus Astrolog'i 's vncertaine and the gods In mystike riddles wrap their answers vp But he that dares with confidence to goe Enquire of deaths blacke oracles below In plainest terms the certaine truth shall know Exeunt 2. Haggs 1. We come too late nor can this field To vs a speaking prophet yeild The carcasses whose cold dead tongues From whole and yet vnperish'd lungs Twixt hell and vs should hold commerce And be the blacke interpreters Of Stygian counsells to relate The hid decrees of death and fate Those carcasses I say are growne Corrupt and rotten euery one Their marrow 's lost their moistur 's gone Their Organs parched by the sunne That there the Ghost drawne vp from hells Darke entrance nought but broken yells And dismall hizzings can afford Not one intelligible word 2. But from this field of slaughter I Haue gather'd vp a treasury As dead mens limms wet in the raine Cold gelled tongues and parched braine The slime that on blacke knuckles lyes Shrunke sinnews and congealed eyes Bitt from their fingers nailes ore growne And from young chinns pull'd springing downe Flesh bit by Wolues I tooke away And robb'd the vultur of her prey Where Thebans funerall pyles had made I did the mourning fire inuade And there blacke raggs with ashes fill'd And coales on which their fat distill'd I gather'd vp and tooke from thence Halfe-burnt bones and Frankincense And snatch'd the fatall kindling brand From out the weeping parents hand 1 Once more lett 's trott the fields about To finde a fresher carcasse out And speake a charme that may affright All pious loue from hence to night Lest we by funerall rites do loose What Creons cruelty bestowes The 3 Hagge with a carcasse 3 By Creons trembling watch I bore This new slaine carcasse but before I brought him thence I grip'd him round The filletts of his lungs are sound His vitalls all are strong and whole To entertaine the wretched soule Whom forced furies must affright Backe from hell to vs to night Enter Creon Ianthus Cre. You wise
Philomel when shee High seated on a poplar tree Sends sweet sad notes through th' aire of night Wailing the husbandman's despite That reau'd her of her dearest nest Our losse cannot be so exprest No nor by actions such as are The rending of disheuel'd haire Or beating of our breasts these all No more then death and funerall Can shew but in our husbands we Receiue a greater iniury Then death had done the common rite Of funerall barr'd in despite Deiph. Cease widowes longer in that straine To waile or 'gainst the fates complaine For funerall rites but vnderstand Great Theseus whose victorious hand In conquests neuer yet has faild Is he with whom we haue preuail'd For aide and thinke what action He vndertakes already done He will reuenge on Creon's head The wrongs that we haue suffered Our deare Lords Ghosts shall righted be Then ioine your voyces all with me And in triumphant songs let vs Renowne the noble Theseus Cho. Theseus is he whose warrelike hand Defends mankinde in euery land No lesse by tyrants fear'd and knowne Then was the faire Alcmenaes sonne T was he whose iust reuenging steele Subdu'd and made dire Schinis feele The selfe-same torture in his death By which he tooke from others breath When trees together bowed were And parted thence againe did teare Poore wretches but by Theseus he Was forc'd to tast that Tragedy Deip. Procrustes that inhuman thiefe Monster of nature past beliefe That made all passengers whom he Surpris'd within the woods to bee By an vnheard of cruell sport Stretch'd longer out or else cut short To fit their stature to his bed By Theseus hand was conquered And doomed then himselfe to dy By the same kinde of cruelty Cho. 'T was he alone that did set free Athens from that sad slauery Which Minos fury for the losse Of his belou'd Androgeos Had brought them to when with clew He scap'd the Labyrinth and slew Fierce Minotaurus that had beene The monstrous issue of the Queene Pasiphae Whom vnnaturall Prodigious lust had made to fall Before a Bull the monster held Both shapes and her foule guilt reueal'd Deiph. Against a farre worse monster now The noble Theseus armes to goe Inhumane Creon that denyes To worthiest soules due obsequyes And what those monsters would not doe Does after death his hate pursue Cho. Oh let that still victorious sword Be now as prosperous and afford To wicked Creon the iust meede That is deseru'd for such a deede But 't is against all holy lawes To doubt successe in such a cause Actus Quartus Aephytus Creon Dircus Antigone Argia Aeph. PRince Polynices body is enterr'd By these two Ladyes whom I apprehende Iust as the deede was done nor did themselues Deny the fact Cre. One I suspected still And I am glad I haue her what 's the other Arg. The wofull widow of that wronged Prince Who stay'd behinde my countreymen to doe Those rites which loue and piety requir'd To my dead Lord if that be iudg'd a crime T is such a crime as I professe and boast Cre. Are you Adrastus daughter then Arg. The same Cre. You are our prisoner now take her Ianthus Into your custody this falls out fittly The ransome of this Princesse will come well To fill our now-exhausted treasury But thou a Theban borne bound to obey Our crowne and lawes what fury moou'd thy breast Disloyall maide to scorne our edict so Anti. No other fury then the loue of vertue And reuerence of the gods moou'd me to this Which wer 't to doe againe not all the power Of hell and tyrants should affright me from it Cre. Has guilt embolden'd thee is this th' excuse Thou mak'st to me Ant. Creon Let impious acts Seeke for excuses I nor can nor will So wronge the cause of heauen and piety As once to pleade a fond excuse for that Which is my merit for that act I say Which by direction from the gods themselues I haue perform'd Cre. Is disobedience merit Or do the gods command subiects to breake The lawes of Princes Ant. Yes their wicked lawes Which thwart the will of heauen the rule of nature And those pure principles which human breasts Did at their first originall deriue From that Celestiall essence Such a law Was this which I haue broke in giuinge rites Of funerall to Polynices hearse My dearest brother this disobedience Thy seruants durst they speake would iustifie But forreine nations and all future times In spite of tirants threatnings shall commend What I haue done and though I dy for this Vniustly now yet the infernall iudges Whose sentence no mortality can scape But must to all eternity sustaine Shall from their iust vnpartiall vrnes bestow Endlesse rewards beyond my sufferings farre Cre. To those infernall iudges shalt thou goe And thanke my charitable doome that sends Thy soule to such great happinesse if thou Esteeme it happinesse and doe not feare What thou wouldst seeme to wish Anti. No tyrant no Death cannot proue a punishment to me Whose life was nought but sorrow free'd from this Vnhappy world in t'other I shall come Most wish'd and welcome to my fathers sight And that deare brother for whose sake I dy Creo. Thou shalt be banish'd from the light of day Nor then shalt thou immediately haue power To see that other world thou so desir'st Ianthus till our farther pleasur 's knowne Guard safe Argiaes person Aephytus See present execution done vpon Antigone without the city walls There is a new digg'd tombe where neuer yet Lay any funerall in that enclose Antigone aliue and barre it fast As thou entend'st to liue there let her pray To those infernall gods shee so adores To keep her there or take her quickly thence Exit Cre. Dir. Oh black accursed doome oh my sad fate That must report this newes to noble Aemon And with that breath destroy the best of men Exit Dir Argi. Furyes haue left their darke abodes to dwell In human shapes on earth there could not else Liue such a monster one so opposite To heauen and goodnesse as curs'd Creon is Ah dearest dearest sister did the fates Differre so long our wisht acquaintance heere To make vs meete so wretchedly at last Anti. Weepe not deare sister your calamity Adds to my sufferings more why were not all The miseries of Cadmus wofull house Confin'd within our selues and bounded here In fatall Thebes why spread they so to make The best of soules partaker happy else And safe for euer had your vertue liu'd Admir'd in wealthy Argos had you nere Nere knowne the sad affinity of Thebes Arg. Why did the tyrant thus diuide our sufferings The tombe where thou art clos'd had beene to me More pleasing then a palace Anti. Heauen forefend May the iust gods hereafter recompence Argiaes vertue with a happyer loue Then Polynices was and happier friends Then Thebes can giue doe not lament for me Not feare the torments of my lingring death I am prouided of a remedy That shall delude the cruelty