to braue it out to breed me further paine No that I will not sure digest though I my selfe be slaine And therwithall in feeble fist his speare he trembling held Whose quaking lims by age opprest could scant his weapon weld And at proud Pyrrhus he lets driue his hurtles speare God knowes Wherof strong Pyrrhus might haue born for need a thousand blowes Achilles bastard borne quoth he by this I know thou art That dares presume before my face to play so hard a part Thou wretch thou misbegotten wretch that thus hast shewd thy kind For well I know thou art the man that bearst so bad a mind With that quoth he Neoptolemus my fathers sonne the same That was the bastard and not I for Pyrrhus is my name And for because in time to come thou shalt not vse me so With these hard tearms a token I will geue thee how to know My brother and my selfe apart wherfore thou shalt enquire Ere long of slaine Achilles ghost to proue thy selfe a lier And therwithall the spitefull Greek from sacred place did draw My noblemate by haire of head contrary to all law And through the bloud of his slaine sonne the aged man he drew And right before our sacred Gods my husband deare he slew With fatall blade before my face he piercde his tender side That right against the Gods themselues my louing husband dide The Gods no help at all would geue the Grecian to preuent Nor that the Troyan Prince should liue but they with one consent Did vow his death for former fault and for his sinnes offence No earthly wight for this his sinne could with their power dispence But die he must it was decreed and dreadfull death should end This bloudy war that after none in like case should offend My husband dead I did behold a grieuous sight to see His daughters all bewayld his hap which then did stand with me The cellers deep and hollow caues with wayling all did sound And from the hauty houses tops the Echo did rebound Ah heauy chaunce to see him slaine who was my chiefest ioy The Emperor of Asia great and stately King of Troy Who now lay slaine before my face but being then starke dead With louing zeale on Priam slaine my greedy eyes I fed What hath this princox boy quoth I my louing husband slaine Beside our Gods without reuenge what shall he still remaine Aliue to vaunt of this his deed or brag of such a fact Before the Greeks his cruell mates who ioyes at this his act Ye Gods ye sacred Gods I cride although your wrath be great Against vs Troyans now subdude whose ruine ye did threat For Paris sinne yet haue regard on Triam thus betrayd VVho now is dead by your decree wherfore his debt is payd But now quoth I graunt my request that this vile Greek may rue This cruell deed in time to come that euer he so slue The aged King for reuerence of gray and aged haires VVhose youth was come by yearly course to old and aged yeares Let not the slaughter of a King make proud his hauty hart Nor that he long may make his vaunt of this so hard a part But as your iustice now is seen in so reuenging wrong So Pyrrhus proud by your consent may rue this deed ere long VVhen Priam thus by Pyrrhus sword had breathed out his last And that the town was quite subdude by Grecians fighting fast The Greeks demaund Polixena because she first procurde Achilles death by fained loue through which he was allurde VVhom when they found this Pyrrhus craude to haue my louing child That so had causde his fathers death by working such a wilde But when she knew the earnest suite of fierce Achilles sonne For succour to me helples wretch with vaine hope fast did run VVith clasping armes about my neck on me she cride for ayd For Pyrrhus dead Achilles sonne had made her sore afrayd Help mother now at need quoth she still weeping on my brest A place too weak for greedy Greeks for there she might not rest Grim Pyrrhus with an eager look did teare her from my lap VVith churlish fist he gript the girle O hard and cruell hap That still mine eyes should witnes beare of this my wofull case And that both mate and children deare should die before my face By haire of head Polixena was drawne along the street VVhere diuers of her wofull frends in sorrowing sort did meete To waile with her for well they wist to dreadfull death she went Achilles death now to reuenge they knew proud Pyrrhus ment And as they thought it came to passe for Pyrrhus did deuise Vpon his fathers tombe as then my child to sacrifise Vnto the ghost of his slaine Sire his death to recompence And that Achilles ghost might know it was for her offence Polixena so halde along by such a cruell foe VVhat should become of this my child as then I did not know VVherfore to see I followed fast what would to her betide VVhere round about Achilles tombe a troup of Greeks I spide Which readie were to giue their aide if need should so require My daughters death with one consent each Gretian did desire And there before my face they bound both hand and foote full fast Of this my child that willing was of bitter death to tast But hauing spide me where I stood her hands and feete fast bound In token of her last farewell her head towards me she twound And fixt her eyes on me poore wretch with such a wofull looke With nodding head for want of limmes her last farewell she tooke Then Pyrrhus mad vntill reuenge did drawe his fatall blade And slewe my child vpon the tombe which he before had made In honour of his father dead and there with gorie blood Imbrewd the graue which cruell act did all the Gretians good These words he spake which well I heard quoth he take here thine end Thy soule vnto my fathers ghost for thine offence I send And for the fault of Paris slaine King Priam late did rewe His sonnes vile part for with this hand the aged man I slewe O fortune vile that sparde my life to see this wofull day My friends starke dead whom Grecians slewe in euery corner lay Not one was left to comfort me that could my woe redresse But mourning matrons whose hard hap increasde my heauinesse And last of al the angry Greekes to breede vs further care The traytours of our common wealth from sacke or spoile they spare Aeneas and Antenor he those that betrayde our towne In conquerde Troy had liberty as walkers vp and downe The spoile once had our stately towne with fire fierce did flame The gods decreed my life should last that I might see the same Then did I see our lofty towers consumde with fire to fall In burning houses children cride which number was not small A world of woe to call to minde the latter spoile of Troy When Greekes with fire
childe his tender limmes to teare He would by no meanes do the deede but did the infant spare And yet he thought how that ere long the boy must needes be dead But by that meanes he sought to free his hands from vile bloodshed He killde a pig and tooke the heart and brought it to the King And blooded certaine linnen clothes in token of the thing And tolde him that his childe was dead and there he might behold The heart and heart blood of his sonne wherefore he might be bolde To banish feare for this his childe should neuer him molest For he was dead and dead againe and therefore he might rest Now see the hap that to this man did afterward betide For Phorbas king of Corinth soile by chaunce that way did ride VVho spide the child as then aliue which wofully did cry VVith sprauling hands it reachd about full near at poynt to dy He causde his man to take it downe to saue the infants life Right glad he was wherfore foorthwith he brought it to his wife VVho barren was and had no child then this as for her own She did receiue from whence it came to them it was not knowne The child did grow they loude it well and then in course of yeares Of noble linage comes the boy quoth Phorbas it appeares For that the lad vvas dayly geuen to Martiall exercise And did delight to take in hand some noble enterprise At last king Phorbas sends his sonne vvith mighty men of vvar To fight against the Thebane King twixt vvhom there was a iar Sir Oedipus in battell strong did vtterly confound The Thebanes and to their king he gaue a mortall vvound VVherof he presently did die thus Laius had his end The Gods that knew hovv all things vvent such fate to him did send And Oedipus his mother takes and maries her in hast No thing vvas knovven to him as yet that earst vvas done and past Thus Laius dide by his ovvne sonne no botter could he speede It is no striuing with the gods if once they haue decreed Wherefore vexe not O Hecuba let not thy ghost so fret Against the gods for this their doome and further do not three Fell destinie or fortunes frowne for this that they haue done Was for some mighty sinne of ours which fate we could not shunne Or for the sinne of periurie a vile and hatefull deede Which first my father did commit and now vpon his seede The plague did fall deseruedly for such his bad abuse The gods themselues wil not accept for periurie excuse And I likewise a wilfull man as al my deedes did showe My wofull folly was the cause of this our ouerthrowe For when the Greekes did send to haue faire Helena againe I would not hearken to their sute but pufft with deepe disdaine Did flowt and mocke at their request and openly denide Their iust demaund which great abuse the sacred gods had spide When that my sonne had tane away sir Menelaus wife A filthy part the letcher plaid yet they to end all strife Would willingly digest that wrong so that I would restore The Gretian dame that Paris stole from Greece not long before And that no warre should once arise betwixt our Empires stout So gently they did intreat but if I went about To holde her stil they threaten warre and vowed by gods aboue That they would fight to haue againe sir Menelaus loue Whom I perforce vniustly held and stoutly did maintaine So vile a part that would in time cause thousands to be slaine But I did giue them answere thus I minde to holde her still Not Greece nor all the Princes there in this shall breake my will Let Agamemnon do his worst I passe it not a straw Let Menelaus fret his fill my will shall be a law And let them both with all their force against my power fight I mind to holde dame Helen still against all law and right I haue her now and here with me I minde she shall remaine Let them not spare but fall to warre and see what they shall gaine The walls of Troy are strong enough my power is not small I ready am to sight the field when Grecian trumpets call This will of mine was chiefest cause that did procure my smart For I contrary to a lawe maintainde so hard a part No reason would perswade my minde true iustice was away And wilfull follie helde the sword selfe-will did beare the sway The want of iustice was the cause that this our ruine wrought What was the cause that Troy did fall and so consume to naught So many thousand men to die was not my wilfull fact The chiefest cause that Asia by Grecian power was sackt What Empires great and kingdoms wide hath ruine ouer runne For want of iustice and good lawes Or what hath Princes wonne By such default but present death The world doth witnesse well What mortall man that wilfull was but so to him befel The mighty Caesar ruling Rome true iustice was debarde His will was taken for a law and iustice was refarde His gouernement the Roman crew did priuily disdaine They hate him so that he ere long by subiects hand was slaine Could Nero liue when he began to cleaue vnto his will When Rome mislikt his gouernement and found his deedes so ill With one consent the Roman state decreede that he should die Vnworthy for to raigne in Rome his subiects all did crie And he that hated was durst not vnto their mercy stand But slewe himselfe because he would not fall into their hand And Philip King Amyntas sonne true iustice did neglect And how to remed wrong with right the man had no respect He partiall vvas for fauors sake not passing vvhat vvas right For vvhile he liud all Macedon gaue place to vvilfull might The vvrongd might crie for remedy vvhilst he did stop his eare For vvhom he loude vvho durst accuse as plainly did appeare Pausanias vvhen he had sude vnto the King for grace And found in vaine he did complaine his suite could haue no place He turnde his malice from the man that first had done him spite And causde reuenge deseruedly vpon the King to light For vvith his svvord he stabd the King his folly to repres Himselfe vvas cause of this his fall the dooer did confes VVhat vvas the cause that Carthage fell and subiect vvas at last The Empire great of Affrica of Romane force to tast Did not their vvilfull folly first their vvofull state procure The vvant of iustice made the vvar a long time to indure Vntill their Empire cleane vvas lost their chiefest forces spent That Carthage fell for such a fault the vvorld did much lament Did Rome not fall for such offence vvas she not ouerthrovven By Brennus Captain of the Gauls vvhose force each vvhere vvas knovven For Allia brook can vvitnes yet vvhere thousand Romans dide The want of iustice was the cause it will not be denide If Empires thus and Princes fell what
giue mee that which himselfe wanteth whereof I haue sufficient but I will send him that which hee lacketh and I my selfe haue abundantly and as for threats and menaces I nothing at al regard for if I liue saith he my countrie will bring foorth things sufficiently to furnish my life withall so that I shall not need his rewards as for death I do nothing feare but exceedingly desire it which shall deliuer me from my old withered carkas Thus you may perceiue that this wise philosopher accounted them poore which were not satisfied and those rich which were contented Scho. Sir I doo verie well perceiue my error and doo acknowledge it for it standeth with good reason that the riches of this world is contentment and that a coueting and discontented minde is extreame pouertie therefore if it please you to procéed forward according to your pretence I shall according to my promise be attentiue Fa. Well séeing you are satisfied heerein I will proceede further The Philosopher Diogenes as I said before perceiuing the vnconstancie of vnfriendly fortune the mutability of honour with the vncertaintie of life so much contemned despised the vaine preferments and promotions of this transitorie life that he liued content and satisfied with a small portion of possession which was but his bare tub or tun wherein he was Lord and King without controlment crauing neither territories or confines to inlarge this his quiet kingdom finding this his poore patrimonie so voyd of all incumbraunces vexations and inuasions that he contented himself with this life vntill his end turning his tub in the summer toward the North for the coolenesse and shade from the Sunne in winter to the South for the heate and warmnes thereof making his vaunt merelie that he could rule his Lordship and possession as he listed from the inuasions of his enimies which was the sharpe bitter windes by turning his tumbling pallaice Thus liuing in contentment it chanced that Alexander the great king of Macedony hearing the rare fame of this Philosopher thought good to visit Diognes in his tub to heare his wisedome and the cause of his so solitarie liuing came vnto him being set in his tun saying My friend I haue long desired to see thee and to inrich thee being so a poore a philosopher therefore aske of mee what goods or liuing thou needest and I will inrich thee with it to thy great contentment To whom when Diogenes had giuen thankes for his great courtesie offered he saide If thou wilt doo mee this fauour as thou saist then I pray thee take not that from me which thou canst not giue me but stand from before the mouth of my tun that I may haue the light and warmnes of the Sunne which is to me great riches for now thou detainest that from me and canst not giue me the like therefore do me but this fauour and I will craue of thee no other substāce Then said Alexander My friend how much possession lands and reuenues woulde satisfie and content thee if now I should giue thee thyful contentment to whom Diogenes answered Euen as much Alexander as thou must be thy selfe contented with all in the end But at the first he misconstrued the meaning of Diogenes and thought him wonderfull couetous knowing that he himselfe had nowe most part of the world in possession and dayly striued to get the whole therefore he thought it an vnsatiable appetite of him not to be contented with lesse but after consideration on the cause he perceiued that Diogenes meant his length of ground to be sufficient patrimony for himselfe which in the end the greatest king of the earth must be contented withall then said Alexander to him againe My good friend what thing best contenteth thee in this world to whom Diogenes replied saying That thing sir King which thou art most discontented withall in the worlde which is a satisfied and contented mind to couet for no more than sufficeth which in thee saieth he I finde contrary Alexander was nothing at all offended at the reprehension of the wise Philosopher but rather smelling his owne follie said at that time Truely if I wer not Alexander I would be Diogenes But we see that he was Alexāder therefore he could not be Diogenes he was couetous therefore he could not be contented wherefore it appeareth that Diogenes had the gift of temperance not to couet his owne destruction as Alexander did but being rich in contentment despised fortune for that her force coulde not molest or touch him reiecting honour because of the mutablitie and varietie of the same regarding not life for the vncertaintie of it but liued as a man contented fearing no calamitie nor aduersitie whatsoeuer might happē to him but was readie with patience to digest it Sch. Truly it doth appeare most plaine that this man had the gift of temperance sufficiently and that he was nothing subiect to the wauering wheele of fortune neither passing of her smooth countenance nor louring looke liuing a stranger to her whereby he kept himself free from her force notwithstanding I would faine know if the end and death of him were as worthie as his life for No man is called happie before his end which being answerable I must needs confesse the man deserued merit Fa. Indeed you say true it is good in our conference orderly to proceede for the life of man cannot be so cleare but that it may be much dimmed and dusked by an ill ende making digression from the former life but truely Diogenes continued a sound Philosopher vntill his end at his death it is said that he lying grieuously sicke perceiuing it a thing vnpossible for him to recouer his former health by feeling his aged body so much weakened and hauing in this great extremitie of sicknesse smal friends to comfort or relieue him threw himselfe downe tumbling from the top of a bridge abutting néere to the common place of excercises and commanded the kéeper or ouer-séer of the bridge that when life failed and breath was quite departed hee should cast his carkasse into the riuer Ilissus Adeò pro nihilo duxit mortem sepulturam Diogenes So little regarded Diogenes the inuasion of death or the tranquilitie and quietnesse of his bodie in the graue But I say not that this end was commendable in a Christian for he was long before the incarnation of Christ being an heathen man notwithstanding indued with wonderfull wisdome Againe some report of his death after this sort saying he died when he was 90. yeares olde and being at the poynt of death willed his bodie to bee left vnburied saying That he would not be troublesome to his friends to digge and delue for him who had no pleasure in their paine vnlesse they would doo it to auoide the smell and stincking sauor whereby he were likely to annoy them but when his friends asked him whether he would lie aboue the ground to be deuoured of birds and beastes No friends
the mother did take rest with her children in the morning her two sonnes were founde dead whereby it was gathered that the greatest benefit that man could haue was in the middest of his glory and praise to end his fraile life that the vnconstancie of fickle fortune might not blot out any part of that which he had before gotten Croesus the rich King of Lydia demanding on a time of Solon who was the happiest man that euer he did sée thinking that he would say Croesus for his great riches and wealth but Solon said Tellus a man of Athens who had honest and good sonnes and they also had good children all which he sawe in his life and when he had liued a good time honestly at the last fighting against and vanquishing the enemies of his countrie he died a faire death was in the same place honorably buried of the Athenians When Croesus asked who was most happy next Tellus Solon named those whome hee knewe to liue and die most happiest not naming Croesus at al where at he being abashed said vnto Solon My friend of Athens settest thou so little by our felicitie that thou preferrest before vs these priuat persoÌ„s SoloÌ„ answered Truly Croesus in proces of time many things are seene that men would not see and many things are suffered that men would not suffer and speaking much of mans calamitie at the last he concluded saying Ante obitum nemo supremáque funera foelix No man is happie or thorowly blessed before his last and vttermost end and that the end of euery thing is to be looked on where to it shall come for God plucketh vp many men by the rootes vnto whom he gaue all thinges at pleasure therefore I cannot account any man happy before his end be knowne Croesus made hereto no countenance at al but esteeming Solon for a foole considering hee passed so lightly vpon things which appeared good let him depart A good space after Croesus attempting warre against Cyrus king of Persia was at the last taken of him who caused a great pile of wood to be made redy and Croesus to be gyued and set on the top therof to be burned Then forthwith Croesus remembring the words of Solon that no man liuing was blessed or on all parts happy lamenting cried O Solon Solon Solon which Cyrus hearing caused it to be demaunded of him who it was that he named Croesus with much difficultie told who it was and declared all that was before rehearsed which wheÌ„ Cyrus had heard remembring himselfe to be also a man sore repented that he went about to burne him which was equall to himselfe in honour and riches and commaunded him to be taken from the fire which then began to flame so with great difficultie he was deliuered who coulde not perceiue his own errour before experience had made him wise wherefore in such causes it may aptly be sayd Phryx plagis emendatur he bethought himselfe too late Scho. It is sufficiently apparant by your examples that the life of man cannot be happy vntill his ende and that man ought to liue accordingly to attaine to that happinesse but the nature of men is so farre from that consideration that they rather thinke themselues immortall and without end as doth appeare by their liues most euident for they liue now in these our dayes according as the Agragentines did in times past for the wise Plato said of them They bâ—â—ded as if they would liue euer and fedd as if they should alwayes die because of their costlines in building and their delicatenes in eating the one shewing the immortall minde of man and by the other contrary to their meaning they runne headlong to an vntimely death which surfetting end according to the opinion of the wise Philosophers can not be accounted happy but whereas temperance hath beene the originall ground of our conference it shalbe also expedient that you would make manifest what the want thereof is as well in princes and high estates as in the meanest subiect and what by their vnsatiable coueting they gaine Fa. It is very requisite and necessary truely to shew the vnsatiable appetite of aspiring mindes and what by their inordinate coueting they gaine which commeth by the want of the aforesaid gift whereof I am right wel content my good friend so that you will diligently marke what I shall say herein I will first begin with a king of the Hebrewes whose name was Amasius liued before the incarnation of Christ 853. yeares who although he liued well and contentedly for a space yet in the ende he forgat himselfe and especially he forgat the liuing GOD whom he before had serued which hapned by his successes and innumerable riches where withall he grew so proude that not contenting himselfe he wrote to Ioas king of the Israelites commaunding him his people to be vnder his obedience and gouernement But Ioas after defiance gathered an army and went against Amasius whose people fled before they came to strokes for feare of Ioas himselfe being taken and brought to the king who threatned to kill him except he caused the gates of Ierusalem to be opened that he with his army might enter in there Amasius was forced to breake downe of his owne Citie walles foure hundred cubites by which way his enemie Ioas might enter in being also led as prisoner by his foe into his owne where his aduersary spoyled and robbed him before his face of al the treasure of his house and citie with the treasure of the temple which he commanded to be caried to Samaria and afterward being deliuered his owne people slew him This gained he for his discontentment In like sort Marcus Antonius a noble Roman whome Augustus the Emperour highly fauoured making him companion in the Romane Empire with himselfe vsing him so louingly and friendly that hee wholie ruled and commaunded the Empire so far foorth as Augustus himselfe in consideration wherof Antonius by the lewd enticement of Cleopatra Q. of Aegypt aspired to the whole Empire and to put downe his true and trusty friend Augustus who before had aduanced him to that dignitie for which vnsatiable appetite he was destroyed of his very louing and faithfull friend Also if Caesar Pompey Cyrus Alexander Hanniball and diuers other great Princes had bene coutented with their owne large kingdomes and possessions they had neuer bin driuen to those extreme and shamefull ends as they were so that it may well be prouerbially spoken Aurum Tolosanum habem they died most miserably whose liues and ends I would sufficiently relate and vnfold to the better vnderstanding and perceiuing of the quiet state of contentment and the shamefull fall and destruction of couetous and aspiring mindes but it may be that I shoulde ouer-weary your eares with tediousnesse for where a briefe will serue it were méere folly to make a volume Therefore for the auoyding of the blameable cause of ouer much tediousnesse
prison in Chalciaeco where he was miserably starued to death But before he died wrastling with hunger and fighting for life death with famishment further séeing before his face a most miserable lamentable and wofull end remembred vpon a sodaine the saying of Simonides crying out with a loud and pitifull voice thrée seuerall times in this sort saying O Simonides magnum quiddam in tuo sermone inerat ego vero inani persuasione sum adductus vt eum nullius momenti putarem O friend Simonides in thy watchword was a great and weighty matter included but as for me I was caried away with vaine persuasions and made small account of thy wise warning Also Craesus the rich king of Lydia because Solon would not account of him aboue all mortall men then liuing but rather preferred other honest men in beautitude and happy estate farre aboue Crasus nothing regarding the huge heapes of money and mighty masses of treasure which he then possessed Wherewith he was so eleuated with pride that he farre excelled and excéeded all earthly and mortall creatures in his owne conceit Most sharply reprehending Solon for that he so little regarded his mighty power as to preferre any man in blessed estate aboue him whom he ought not so much as once to compare with any mortall man but rather to haue lifted and extolled him to the heauens and recounted him amongst the Gods immortall For which his stately pride and vaine folly he was accordingly punished as is before rehearsed Where he most hartely repented himself of his foolish vanitie Nay there were diuers kings which not onely contented themselues with the stately stile of immortall Gods or satisfied themselues when their subiects both seperated made a difference betwixt them as farre as the heauens from the earth but also commaunded themselues to be adored and worshipped as the very liuing God and that all knees should bowe and be obedient at the hearing of their names as Nabuchodonozer the great and mighty King of Babylon when he perceiued that his power made the worlde to shrinke grewe so proud that he would be a God on the earth setting vp his picture or image commaunding those to be slaine which would not fall downe worship it but see how the high God plagued him most iustly for his proud folly taking his kingdome from him for a time to the intent he might know perceiue a difference betwixt the liuing God and his mortall carkasse being also transformed to an vgly shape of a beast whose head was like the head of an Oxe his feete like to the feete of a Beare his taile like the tayle of a Lyon and euerie haire on his bodie as big as an Eagles feather and he that would be a God before thinking the earth too vile and base for him to tread on was now faine to lay his flapping lips to the ground to gather his food and did eate hay the space of 7. yeres together being at the last againe restored both to his former shape and dignitie Alexander Magnus when hee had conquered most part of the world returned to Babylon holding ther his Parliament summoning the Kings of the earth to come and worship the sonne of Iupiter making such account of himselfe putting diuers to most cruel death who would not consent to his vile folly nor adore him as a God yea and those that were his very friends who had before time preserued him from death and also from diuers dangers which otherwise had greatly annoyed and molested him hee plagued with most vile torments because they would not vphold and maintaine his monstrous errour Notwithstanding for all these gréeuous punishments there were that could not brooke his stately pride but sharply reprehended laughed him openly to scorne for the wise Anaxarchus hearing that this God fell sicke on some sodaine sicknesse and that the Phisitions were sent for to him who ministred purgations vnto him and prescribed certaine receipts and potions for the recouerie of his health whereat he floutingly said thus At deo nostro spes omnis in sorbilatione patellae pofita est What is all the hope of our goodly God come now to the sipping of a platter for in such vessells were the confections and sirops giuen by the Phisitions Further saying after a scoffing manner It had been necessarie first that he should haue been Gods fellowe before he presumed to be a God in deed for so perhaps hee might haue purchased and obtained the good will of the Gods in attaining to his desired seate But he scaped not vnpunished to show the difference betwixt God and man whose miserable death is néedlesse to repeate being before spoken of Also Agrippa the sonne of Aristobolus after his good successes by the lewd entisement of his flattering counsailors and thorough the foolish perswasions of seruants was cōtent to haue such honour done to him as was due to a God yea also to suffer himselfe to be called by the name of a God notwithstanding he had before béen taken prisoner by Tiberius and vsed most cruelly in prison not like a man for he was gyued chayned with mighty chaines to yron But beeing afterward deliuered by Caligula who made him King of the Iewes setting a crowne of golde on his head giuing him a chaine of golde of the same weight that he had before worne in prison of yron so that by such sodaine changes his minde was so eleuated and lifted vp with pride that he no longer would be man but suffered himself to be wondred at by the people as a God causing himselfe so to bee tearmed and called by his subiects but in the ende hee was striken with an Angell in the sight of an infinite number of people wherewith his bodie smelled and wormes issued out with intollerable paines and horrible stench In the which torments grieuous paines he looked on his euill counsailors and flattring seruants saying Loe I whom you called a God am nowe in the paines of death And so most miserably hee died In like sort Menecrates being but a Phisition because he had cured diuers and sundrie diseases to his great fame and commendation did so swell in pride that hee called himselfe Iupiter or Iuuans Pater this arrogant asse sent vpon a time to Philip king of Macedony a letter wherein was written this sawcie salutation Menecrates Iupiter Philipo salutem c. Menecrates Iupiter to Philip sendeth greeting c. Whose vaunting vaine the King perceiuing wrote back againe in this manner and forme folowing Philippus Menecrati sanitatem c. Philip Macedo to Menecrates wisheth well fare c. Consulo vt ad Anticyram te conferas I counsaile thee to take thy iorney to Anticyra meaning by this drye frump that the man was moonesick and besides his wittes the aforesaide Philip on a time made a sumptuous and costly banquet whereunto he inuited and bad Menecrates commanding his seruants that there
my patrimonie which my Father left me but be contented therewith and leaue it to my sonne as it was left me Wherewith the king being not content went home sorowing remaining verie pensiue and heauie for that he could not lawfully or without great shame take away the vineyard of Naboth but when Iezabel fully perceiued the cause of the Kings sorowing and heauines she directed letters to y e Rulers of y e place wher Naboth dwelt making them priuie of her bloudie practise wishing and commaunding them to proclaime a fast in their Citie and then to hire and suborne two witnesses that should falsely accuse him before the Iudges and presently therevpon to lead him out of the Citie and stone him to death which cruel doome and execrable murder was forthwith accordingly executed But notwithstāding although for a time reuengement was deferred yet could she not scape vnpunished for so soone as Iehu was annointed King he was straightly cōmanded from the verie mouth of God to persecute the house of King Ahab with great crueltie and not to leaue anie one liuing that should pisse against the wall wherefore he presently warred on the Citie of Iezrael and spoiled the house and frends of Ahab vntill he came where Iezabel lodged who was most cruelly vsed in consideration of her former trespasse for she was throwen and tumbled downe headlong from a lofty window to the hard pauements of the stréete wherewith her bloud sprong about the postes and walles of the stréet so that dogges came and licked vp her bloud and eate her flesh the rest being troden to durt with horseféete and marching souldiers insomuch that there remayned no more vnspoyled and defaced but onely the palmes of her hands Thus was Iezabel most cruelly slaine and miserably vsed by the very commaundement of God for the murdering and sheading of innocent bloud Also Olimpias wife to Philip the Macedonian king and mother to Alexander the great cōmitted diuers most horrible shamefull murthers namely first it was suspected and layd to her charge the consenting to the murther of her husband king Philip who was slaine by the hande of Pausanias For after this Pausanias had trayterously slaine the king her husband had receiued iust punishment for his villanie she openly mourned for the death of the said murtherer And also it was well knowē that she had prouided horses ready against the deede was committed to the end the slayer of her husbande might the better escape Further when his body did hang on the galous she came thether the first night and crowned the dead head of Pausanias with a crowne of gold taking also the carkasse from the trée burying it most nobly and made a famous Tombe in the same place for his remembrance Which causes being thorowly considered can import no otherwise than an accessary and guilty mind This Olimpias after the death both of Philip her husband and Alexander her sonne in the time that the Macedonian Princes and successors to her sonne Alexander did contend and striue for the superioritie and regiment of their dead master came down into Macedon with a great power to warre on Philip king thereof and Euridice his wife who at that time were lawfull inheritors of that kingdome and gaue them battaile In which conflict she tooke the King prisoner and all his whole familie But Euridice his wife fled for her safetie into the Citie Amphipolis where not long after she also was taken Then seised Quéene Olimpias into her hand all the whole Realm of Macedon howbeit she very vngently entreated these her prisoners For first she caused the king and Euridice his wife to be put into a straite prison that they could hardly turne themselues within and had their meat geuen thē in at a little hole but after they had béen there awhile thus miserably dealt withall Olympias perceiuing that the Macedonians for very compassion they had of the said captiues greatly maliced and hated her wherefore she caused King Philip by certaine souldiers of Thrace to be slaine after he had reigned king sixe yeares and foure moneths And for because that Euridice not well digesting her shamefull crueltie in so treacherously betraying her dead husband and also somewhat insolently spake said that she had better right and title to the crowne and realme of Macedonia than Olympias had she therefore either without regard of the late dignitie royall that the sayd Euridice had béen in or yet the common mutability variety of fortune sent her three liberall gifts to make her choyse thereof which was a sword a halter and poyson to end her life withal who of necessitie was forced to take one Thus whē the wofull Queene had receiued this present of Olympias seeing no remedie but that needs she must take and accept of one she said The Gods graunt like choyce to this cruell Olympias and that she may receiue like guerdon for her liberalitie heerein Thus when she had adorned the bodie of her husband Philip slaine in her presence and stopped vp the wounds to couer the deformitie of them then refusing the aforesaid presents of the curteous Queene in the best manner she could with her own girdle strāgled her selfe and so died Yet was not Olympias satisfied with these lamentable and execrable murders but soone after she had thus shamefully put them to death she made Nicanor Cassanders brother to be slaine and spitefully defaced the tombe of Iolas his other brother Ouer and besides this she picked weeded out an hūdred noble men of Macedonie which were frends to Cassander and caused their throates to be cut for which cruell and barbarous deed Cassander being moued gathered an Armie minding to reuenge himself on the Queen for her great crueltie and draue her at the last to the Citie Pidue where hee besieged her long vntil such time that vittaile failed her yet notwithstanding she would not yeeld although both her company and the Citizens dyed wonderfully by famine and greeuous plagues which chanced to them by reason of the dead bodies which lay in the town diches vnburied most horribly stinking insomuch that there dyed daily in the towne through these two causes aforesaid verie many citizens and soldiors Being also forced thorough extreame and miserable hunger to feed on the dead carkasses of the pined men The townesmen seeing theyr lamentable estate yeelded vp the Citie against Olympias will and humbled themselues willingly to the mercie of Cassander Then after this Queen was taken prisoner Cassander caused all the friends of them whom she had murdred to accuse her in the common place of iudgment before the assembly of the Macedonians Which thing they accordingly did where the Macedonians in the absence of Olympias hauing there neither any patrone or aduocate to defend her vniust cause condemned her to death For execution wherof Cassander sent 200. of his trustiest souldiers to kil her which entered her Pallace where she was Streightway so soone as she perceiued them
comming she marched couragiously toward thē willing them to execute their office With which boldnes the souldiers were all astonished sauing certaine of the friends of those whom she had slain before which stabbed her thorow the body whereof she presently died Yet this manly courage is to be noted in her that after she felt the wound to be mortall and that she fainted ready to yeeld vp her life she nesled her garmentes about her body plucking downe her neather skirts to her féete hauing a womāly care in all respects least that by striuing with life and death she might showe or vncouer the vndecent parts of her bodie Thus dyed the mightiest Princesse vnder the heauens for a iust reuenge of her former cruelties and merciles murders she was daughter to Neoptolome King of Epyre sister to Alexander then King of Epyre wife to Philip King of Macedon mother to Alexander the great and yet for all these high and mightie alliances the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished but caused such measure to be giuē to her which she before had meated to other In like sort Agrippina daughter to the noble Germanicus first being maried to Domitius had by him Nero and afterward was married to Claudius whom she poysoned with his sonne Britannicus to y e end she might make her first sonne Nero Emperor which indéede came accordingly to passe but now her sonne Nero being Emperour possessing the crowne by meanes of his mothers bloudie act whether it were that the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished or the wicked inclination of Nero but howsoeuer the case stood she receiued like reward for her son caused her to be most cruelly tormented commanding her wombe to be opened cut vp that he might sée the place wherein he lay and in the meane time while she was suffering such miserable torture he gaue so little regard to the wofull mournings pitifull cries of his naturall mother that he played on a cistern y e destruction of Troy and sung most pleasantly to his instrument Notwithstanding although he was ordeyned to scourge and plague his mother for the aforesaid horrible fact yet scaped not hee vnreuenged for so vile a déede For when he had a time raigned in Rome persecuting the guilties and innocent the Romanes at last detesting his bloudie disposition séeing y t his whole delight was in tormenting his natiue Country men began so deadly to hate him for his crueltie that by the whole consent of the Romanes the Senate decréed this sharpe sentence against him Vt more maiorum collo in furcā coniecto virgis adnecem caederetur his neck being fastned in a yoke or forke after the vilest order which was a most monstrous reproach and seruile slauerie amongst the Romanes should be beaten to death with rods But Nero hauing intelligence of their decrée fled in the midle of the night out of the citie taking with him not past one or two of his lewd cōpanions who also perished with him for feare of the Romans Thus being scaped from the punishment which was appointed for him he now determined to die a desperate death requiring one of his friēds which was with him to stab him through with his sword that he might ende his miserie Who when he had denied his sute as a thing vniust Nero cried out saying Itanè nec amicum habeo nec inimicum dedecorosé vixi turpius periam Surely neither haue I friend nor enemie meaning no friend in the Citie to defend his cause nor enemie nowe with him to ende his life I haue liued vilely I will perish as filthely and therewithall thrust himselfe through and so died Thus miserably ended Domitius Nero after hee had reuenged the cruell murther which his Mother committted and in the ende himselfe was driuen to the same shoare and forced to arriue at the same Port of miserable Destinie to be cut off with vntimely death for his most vile slaughters and cruelties Also Aristobulus sonne to Hircanus vnnaturally committed to prison his mother and his brother Antigonus and after most cruelly slew his said brother in prison for which grieuous offence God so strake him that all his bowells rent in his belly and hee vomited vp all the bloud in his bodie and so most pitifully he dyed in recompence of his former crueltie In like manner Antiochus Illustris sonne of the great Antiochus did also imbrew his hands in the bloud of his friends For giuing his sister in marriage to Ptolomaeus King of Aegypt and vnder pretence of familiaritie came to visite his brother in lawe vnder the coulour of alliance and that he might by treacherous meanes take from him the Kingdome of Aegipt and finding him sitting at supper saluted him with his sword which presently he thrust through his sides thus traiterously he slewe his brother Ptolome and ceazed on all Aegipt to his owne vse And after hée had done manie other cruelties at last hee was striken with a most horrible sicknesse that his bodie stanke and his flesh was so corrupt and putrified that no bodie could abide the sauour therof liuing wormes créeping and scrauling out of his bodie insomuch that in his great extremitie hee was forsaken of all his friends and seruants and so died as a iust recompence for his villanie It is farther well knowen that Archelaus King of Macedonia was murthered by the hands of Cratenas his Paramour who sore thirsted after his said kingdome which shamefull act beeing committed and Cratenas placed in the regall Throne according to his long desire raigned King not past thrée or foure dayes but was himselfe slaine in semblable manner by other mens meanes whereunto this saying may be well applyed Qui struit insidias alijs sibi damna dat ipse Who seeketh other men to insnare Nets for himselfe he doth prepare So that this man possessed his princely seate but a short space which he had purchased by wilfull murder I trust it is very well knowen also to the English Nation what cruell murders and miserable slaughters were committed by King Richard the third brother to Edward the fourth and sonne to the Duke of Yorke for that the Chronicles doo make mention thereof at large First bringing his owne brother the Duke of Clarence to vntimely death then shewing his tyrannie on the Barons and Nobles of the Land and after that his brother Edward the fourth died he miserably smoothered the two sonnes of his said brother Edward which were committed to his tuition and gouernment not sparing the néerest of his kinne but imbrewing himselfe in their bloud to the ende he himselfe might possesse the Crowne and Diadem of the Realme which in deede consequently came to passe But were it possible that such pitifull murders and execrable slaughters as he committed both in slaying of the Nobles of the Land and also in the deprauing of his swéete Nephewes of life and Kingdome should scape vnreuenged No truly it
were altogether wonderfull and verie vnlikely but that the liuing GOD who punisheth with shame such shameful murderers would be sharply reuenged on him for his monstrous crueltie in so slaying of the innocent For not long after he was slaine in Battaile by the right noble Henrie Earle of Richmond where his mangled corpes was laid being first despoyled of armes and stripped naked ouer a horse backe hanging downe in such sort that the filthie durt and myre did both spot and sprinkle the ill shaped carkasse of this abhorred Tyrant which was a most odious and detestable sight yet too worthie a funerall for so murderous a wretch This recompence happened to him for his intollerable crueltie Thus it plainly appeareth that murder is sharply punished as well in the Prince and Péere as in the silliest sot and poorest slaue for further proofe whereof to showe the iust reuengement of God on meaner personages this one example shall suffice The true and certaine report goeth that one Macharcus a sacrificing Priest of God Bacchus dwelling in Mityline in his exteriour countenaunce and fauour resembled great gentlenesse and courtesie yet in life manners and inward practises no man that liued coulde bee more wicked or abhominable It fortuned on a time y t a certaine soiorner lodged at his house and committed to his credite a certaine summe of mony in gold this Machareus being assaulted with auarice and carried as it were into captiuitie to couetousnesse makes a hole in a secret place of the temple with a mattocke and therein hides the gold which he was put in trust withall After a few dayes were expired the soiourner desired to haue his own again vpon which request Machareus led the man mistrusting no mischiefe nor doubting anie danger into the temple where vnder pretence cloake and colour to restore the man his right and hauing as he thought opportunitie time and place to worke his villanie murdred the man which being compassed to his contentation he tooke vp the golde and laid the right owner thereof whome he had iniuriously slaine in the selfe same place couering him ouer with earth and damd vp the pit in such sort as all things in his thinking were cock sure perswaded himselfe that as men be deceiued and mocked so the powers supernall the eternall God I meane might be deluded and blinded But the matter fell out vnhappely inough and had another euent than was hoped for on Machareus part for after a few dayes were passed the solemne Seruice and Obsequies of GOD Bacchus which were yearly approached and was celebrated according to ancient custome wherein Machareus behauing himselfe after a gorgeous and glorious estate being verie busie in the festiuall Ceremonie it chaunced that his two sonnes which were left at home as that day did imitate their Fathers order in holy seruice in such sort and effectuall manner that the yonger brother cast himselfe prostrate on the ground and laid his head vpon a blocke verie méekely which the elder brother with an olde rustie whinyeard or cankred wood-knife did chop off from the shoulders Anone came in the seruaunts which dwelled in the house séeing the childish murder that was committed gaue a great shoute making a terrible outcrie and pitifull noyse as men meruailously confounded and amazed at sight of so strange and bloudie a spectacle The vehemencie of which lamentable clamor and outragious roaring speedely pearced the eares of the frighted mother who came like a mad woman to vnderstand the meaning of the matter and then séeing one of her sonnes slaughtered and weltering in streames of bloud and the other holding still a rustie glaue in his hand all to be stayned with the crimsen blood of his brothers flesh she caught vp a firebrand very fiercely and in the heate of her great rigor did so thumpe and souse her liuing sonne that he died the death in her presence Then was tidings brought to Macareus what butcheries were committed at home in his priuate house who immediatly vpon the report therof left the holy seruice like a man moonesick or rather a fiend of hell ranne home with might and maine hauing in his hand at the same instant a burning torche or taper where with he did so beate bounce and baste his wife ouer euery limme and ioynt that she in like case was soone dispatched of life Thus when the multitude had intelligence of these rare and lamentable murthers they forthwith apprehended Macareus and vrged him thorow examination and torment to confesse each circumstance of this bloudy Tragedie and as he was opening the matter and discouering the mischief which he had committed in the holy temple prophaning a seuerall and sacred Chappel with two notorious and inexpiable trespasses the paines of death oppressed him insomuch that he died sodenly before the whole assembly of people These miserable chances hapned to Macareus by reason of his monsterous murthers as a terrible and most fearfull example to the followers and imitators of his horrible profession Scho. O miserable ende and yet deserued hap no better successe is to be hoped for than such ruine and cruell destruction to those that doe imbrue their hands in the bloud of the innocēt contrary to the law of God and nature Besides these your examples we sée dayly what reuengement falleth to the share of those bloudy minded persons though their villanies for a time he did yet in the end the true God will not suffer them to scape vnpunished For I thinke is no people of ciuill gouernment so voyde of good and holesome lawes in this cause but that they prouide a sharpe punishment for wicked murtherers prouided alwaies that whosoeuer shall transgresse or willingly breake the saide ordinances and decrées that then such persons by vertue of the law shall suffer worthy punishment namely losse of life In your exaumples it is also manifest that those whose power and person far excéedeth and surmounteth a lawe and whose high dignitie disdayneth to stoupe to the law and decrée of the lande notwithstanding when neither people nor Péeres may decrée sentence against them for such detestable sin and cruell murthers the liuing God plagueth them in the ende with most sharp and grieuous punishments without remorse being much higher aboue them then they aboue their lawe whereby it seemeth that if Princes by reason of their high estate and dignitie doe escape the punishment and decreed sentence of a law yet the very prouidence of the highest bringeth them in the ende to open confusion vtter destruction as your aforesaid examples haue verified it Further it remayneth to vs that at what time the people craued answere of the Oracles expecting from thence the very flat determination of their God heard often most sharpe decrees against murtherers by their diuine Oracles pronounced for at such time as a certayne Musicion who played on the harpe singularly well did both play and sing at Sybaris in a solemne feast made and set forth in the honour of
had slaine with the fained loue of Polixena her daughter for causing doating Achilles to come to Pallas Temple after a subtle and treacherous sort where hee was traiterously slaine by Paris her sonne also In like case Neoptolemus otherwise called Pirrhus for his fierce and stearne visage the sonne of the most worthie Achilles after he had slaine aged Priamus King of the Troyans and murdred his sonne Polites at the Altar in the presence of Hecuba his tender mother and sacrificed his Daughter Polixena on the toomb of Achilles sharply reuenging his Fathers death wrought by Hecuba her daughter Thus when hee had both reuenged Menelaus wrongs and the traitrous murder of his Father Achilles was himselfe slaine by Orestes for certayne occasions about Hermione which happened in his absence Aiax a most renowmed Greeke being companion to Achilles alwaies accounted of the Grecians the next in force strength to noble Achilles therefore Aiax claimed the armor of his slain companion for that his strength farre surpassed al the Greeks and also in consideration of his good seruice done at that ùege notwithstanding Vlisses earnestly contended for the armour of slaine Achilles encountring Aiax with eloquence pleading also before the Greekes that he had conuayed the slaine bodie of Achilles to Thetis his mother on his backe which otherwise might haue lost the honour of his funeral Thus in the end Vlysses by his eloquent tongue obtained the armour for which cause Aiax fel mad chasing after wilde beasts threatning them by reason of his frantick moode to be the person of Vlisses and in this sort he died Vlisses also sonne to Laertes after hee had done many notable exploits at the same siege for that as the report goeth when he had conuated the sacred relique Palladium and fatall destinie of the towne away was himself driuen to sea by the displeasure of Pallas from whose temple he had conuaied the relique where he wandred the space of ten years losing in his perillous iourney the armor of Achilles for which he had so mightely contended leauing in that voyage his companion Achemenides in the dangerous den of the Ciclops where he lost other of his fellowes and mates by Poliphemus the cruell giant at the last hauing lost al both that which he brought from Greece and also that which he had gotten at the subuertion of Troy he chanced home againe where he remained for a time vnknown suffering many spitefull displeasures by the suters of Penelope his chast wife whom after he had vanquished by the helpe of Telemacus his sonne was finally in the same quarrell slaine himself by his bastard sonne Telogonus In like manner Palamedes was slaine at the siege of Troy by his countrimen which happened through the craft of Vlisses for when first the Gretians began to prouide for the Troyan war Vlisses being newly maried to fayre Penelope would willingly haue staid at home in Greece with his daintie loue insomuch that he fayned himselfe mad cupling dayes togeather fondly plowing frantickly in y t field but Palamedes loath to lose so fit a companion smelling also out the matter laide Telemacus the young Sonne of Vlisses in the furrow where his father came with the plough to proue his madnes Vlisses was not so mad but perceiued his sonne lifted his plough from the furrow to misse his child then cried Palamedes with a loud voyce saying Thy craft Vlisses is perceiued therefore lay aside thy plough and take in hand thy weapons so by the meanes of Palamedes the suttle craft of Vlisses was found out notwithstanding Palamedes scaped not unreuēged for as Dictis Cretensis whose person was there present and also whose works at this day remaine extant reporteth on this sort Igitur simulato quod thesaurum repertum in puteo cum eo partiri vellent remotis procul omnibus persuadent vt ipse potius descenderet Eumque nihil insidiose metuentem adminiculo funis vsum deponunt ac properè arreptis saxis quae circum erāt desuper orbuunt Vlisses with the help of Diomedes fayned that they had found secretly hidden in a well a certaine masse of money which they would willingly part with Palamedes if it shuld so please him perswading him to goe downe into the well which thing he vnaduisedly did by the help of a cord suspecting no euil at al but Vlisses and Diomedes flinging downe stones violently which lay there about ready for the purpose stoned Palamedes to death who mistrusted no such matter In this sort saieth Dictis Vlisses reuenged himself on Palamedes but other authors otherwise affirme saying that when Vlisses lay before Troy to work reuengment on him who was the cause of his being there he vsed this suttle policie he counterfeited letters from Priamus directed to Palamedes wherin he made mention of certaine money which he before had sent him giuing him hartie thanks for diuerse treasons which he before had condescended vnto also which money Vlisses had caused to bee hid in his tent by corrupting of his seruants now when these fayned letters were found Palamedes called in question about the matter Vlisses earnestly tooke part with him saying that he verily thought Palamedes had wrong and that these letters were fayned by the enemie which thing saith he may easilie be found for if you can finde any such money either about him or els where secretly hid by his meanes then no doubt he is gilty of this treason but if not as I am fully perswaded then ye must think that the man hath mightily béen iniured by some dispitfull foe then was search made in his tent where the same money was found closely digged in the groūd which y e counterfeit letters made mentiō of for which cause the whole hoast of the Gretians cried out for spéedie reuengement wherefore he forthwith was cōdemned by the péers of Grece to be stoned to death which iudgement presently was executed so died Palamedes who alwaies had been true to his countrimen Anticlus a noble peer of Greece in like sort at the same siege died in vntimely death for being in the huge horse which the Gretians had framed before Troy to be the fatall destruction of the Troyans with a number of other Gretian Lords secretlie hidden in his hollow paunch or woomb the rest of the Armie of Greece flying to Tenedos as if they would haue returned home to Greece againe Anticlus now remaining behinde in the holow horse which stood before Troy being accōpanied with these worthy Princes Thoas Vlysses Menelaus Neoptolemus Achilles brother with manie other noble states The Troians hearing that the Grecians had consecrated that horse to Pallas to appease her wrath now in the absence of the Greciās thronged and wonderfully clustred about the horse some of them wishing to burne it saying it was a false frame inuented of Vlysses to betray their Citie namely Lacon who cried out Breake downe or burne this hollow horse wherein
tooke land at new built Carthage where Dido otherwise called Elisa was Quéene gouernesse there being by her right friendly receiued willing both him and his companie to vse her Countrey as their owne possessions repairing his shaken shippes giuing freely al necessaries to the whole number of his wandring companions commaunding that nothing should be wanting that might pleasure the distressed Troians her selfe oftentimes vsing to welcome her wearied guest whereby she fel in loue with the comely parsonage of beautifull Aeneas euen so farre as plighted vowe on both partes could assure them Aeneas faithfully promising continuall stay and abode in her Countrey but being a Troian he could not digresse from his vnfaithfull progenitors for thorow his disloyal heart and wandring minde he priuily by night stole away from Carthage leauing the pensiue and sorrowfull Queene in the lurch and to holde herselfe to her owne harmes for which vnfriendly part seeing herselfe so deluded and mocked by the vnfaithfull Phrygian presently slewe herselfe for very griefe which she had conceiued thorowe his vnstedfast promise Notwithstanding the Romans still fauoring their predecessor do affirme to hide that vnfaithfull part that Aeneas was warned in his sleepe to depart from thence and seeke out a land which the gods themselues had predestinated to him and his issue meaning by Italie which he after won by force Thus when he was departed from Carthage and had spoyled and robbed diuers other coastes and Countries at the last landed in Italie where thorow corruption by gifts cruel threats by menacing meanes and also by faire promises and allurements he made such discord and dissention in the Countrey of Italie whereby great slaughters of people were horribly committed insomuch that in the ende he attained vnto the Diademe and Crowne of the whole Countrey firmely establishing himselfe in the kingdome which he by force had taken from the quiet Princes thereof there raigning king vntill hee died whose death the Romans seeming to hide for that as they say hee descended from the goddesse Venus wherefore hee was taken vp into Heauen and there placed amongest the Starres for euer to raigne immortall Then after the death of this vnfaithfull fugitiue his sonne Ascanius raigned also after whose decease Siluius Posthumus his sonne succeeded who as both the Romans and Englishmen do affirme begat Brutus who slew Posthumus his father for which cause being vanished Italie when he had troubled diuers other quiet countries at the last tooke lande in the Ile which then was called Albion of one of the thirty daughters of Dioclesian which landed heere by chaunce and named it Britanie staying the huge and mighty Giants whom the deuills themselues had begotten on Dioclesians daughters as the English histories at this day reporteth a foolish toy for the inhabitants of this noble Ile to deriue themselues and fetch their pedegrée from deuills and then after from the gods First to cōfute this foolish error It is most certainely knowne that there was no such king in Syria who was called by the name of Dioclesian for that no ancient Authour of the Syrians make mention of any such name neither of his daughters which as the English Chronicles at this day affirme were put into a small vessell or boat by their father Dioclesian and committed to Sea without either pilote or guide chauncing to land in this Ile naming it after one of their names who was called Albion as the fond saying goeth and then forsooth this Ile being inhabited with deuills at their first arriuing the sisters were carnallie knowne by the deuills themselues and thereof did spring mightie and huge Giants which afterwardes were slaine by Brutus who descended from the gods as they also affirme Which vaine opinion in like sort is both ridiculous and foolish for that neyther the Commentaries of Iulius Caesar the works of Cornelius Tacitus nor the Histories of Diodorus Siculus who did write of this noble Ile made anie mention at all of any such Brutus being descended from the Troyans neither doo the Romans themselues nor the Greekes write of any one called Brutus before Iulius Brutus who did expell Tarquinius out of Rome which was long since the time of Siluius Posthumus It is also to be considered that if Iulius Caesar who made a conquest of this Ile a thousand and fiue hundred yeares since had then knowne that the people thereof had discended from the Troyans as both himselfe and all the other Romans did no doubt he would not haue made warre against this land but rather haue sought to ayd and succour it But the vanity of the English nation is such to deriue their genealogie from the Troians for that as I haue saide before they sprang and descended from the gods or els to fetch their original from Albion who brought forth huge giants by the helpe of diuells so that they must there is no remedy either descend from the gods or else from the diuells themselues this follie first sprang vp amongst the Romans who chalenged their pedegrée from the Troians which as they say descended from the gods and in like sorte the Englishemen to the intent they would spring from the gods as well as the Romans faine that Brutus sonne to Posthumus one of the Troian stocke arriued in this Ile and named it after his owne name Brytannia which truely in mine opinion can not bee true for that his name was Brutus which if you marke it is altogether vnlike vnto Britannia and to mend the matter also they affirme that first they sprang of deuills a goodly commendation to this noble Ile But for that the proude Romans thorow their vaunting vanity did deriue themselues from the gods which they right well knewe were but earthly kinges for that the heathen kinges in those dayes were called gods notwithstanding since the corruption of the time both the Romans and the Englishmen thinke that they are linially descended from the gods themselues for otherwise the Romans would not be so proude and stately as at this day they are wellknowne to be nor the Englishmen so vaine to challenge their pedegrée or recount their genealogie from the most wicked Troians vnlesse they were fully perswaded that the Troians came from the immortal gods which foolish opinion first sprang from the Romans by ouermuch esteming their progenitors Which fond and vaine errours to confute diuers learned men are of this opinion by studious seeking out of the workes of ancient historiographers that the Greekes when first their Cities became populous waxing rich and puissant after they knewe the cunning Art of Sailing first of al other people found out this Ile naming it Olbion which in Greeke is happie for the abundance of all thinges necessarie that they founde there therefore no doubt but that in so long a time as hath bene since Olbion by the corruption of the continuaunce might well he called Albion or else they at that time finding this land by the white rockes and
there was on either side in lamentable sort That Phrygia soile did flowe with blood the world can giue report When Phrygia thus was ouer-run by Grecians ouer stout Vnto the Troyan walls they marchde and compast it about Where Pryam held his stately court not passing of their spight Nor fearing future hap at all but still maintained fight Where from the top of stately walls we dayly might beholde Right neere our sight the slaughters great of Troyan youth full bolde And Greekes likewise on euery side the Troyans fierce did daunt They lay on heapes wherefore as yet they iustly could not vaunt Nor brag for that their mighty peeres in bloodie broile were slaine Wherefore to end the warre begun to sue did not disdaine To haue faire Helen backe againe for whom this warre begunne And eke to boote they offer made yong Polidore my sonne Whom Polymnestor King of Thrace had to the Greeks betrayde When Pryam first had placed him there in hope of better ayde For when we knew the Greekes did minde to make sharpe warre with Troy To Polymnestor King of Thrace we sent our yongest boy A mighty masse and treasure great with this our sonne we sent In hope to keepe him free from warre and from the Greekes intent But then the Thracian King betrayde O vile disloyall wretch The harmelesse lad vnto the Greekes this was the traitours fetch To holde the coyne which then he had and so to yeelde the childe Vnto the Greekes for lucres sake lo thus we were beguilde Which boy the Grecians brought to Troy and made request againe That Helen Menelaus wife in Troy might not remaine But be restorde then Polidore from their hands should be free And we our sonne might haue againe and warre should ended bee But if in case that we denied and Helen did detaine Then Polidore for brothers fault should presently be slaine Olde Pryamus would not consent that Helen backe should goe But helde perforce the wanton wench in spite of proudest foe And willd them for to doo their worst for Helen meant to bide Wherefore he would not yeeld her vp what euer might be tide It well was knowne vnto the Greekes that Pryam bade her chuse To stay in Troy or goe to Greece which she did flat refuse And forbecause she willing was with Paris to be still He would by no meanes send her backe against her owne good will Then sent he word to Grecian campe if that they had decreed His sonne should die his other sonnes should make them rue the deede And that the fieldes of Troy should flowe with gorie blood full fast Vntill the Grecians did repent their enterprised hast But now alas began my woe my sorrowe did increase For neuer day from this time foorth mine eies from teares did cease O Polidore my yongest boy sweete Polidore my sonne From Troyan walles I did behold how fast the Grecians run To doe thee wrong my harmelesse childe and mightie stones did bring Thicke thronging fast with furie great at Polidore they sling Who sure was tyed at fastned stake which I from Troyan wall Might well beholde how bouncing blowes did make my childe to sprall Not ceasing till my sonne were slaine nor then but still did smight The brused bones of my sweet boy within his mothers sight O hellish plague O torture vile me thinke I see it still How Grecians raging mad did strike the harmelesse soule to kill With wringing hands I looked on yet loath to see him die I turnd my backe and strait againe I coulde not chuse but prie For this my sonne who bleeding lay so bobde with waightie stones The flesh with blowes was mangled so eche man might see the bones Yet would mine eies haue passage still to this his carkasse dead Till that my liuing sonnes from top of Troyan wals had lead Their mother downe whose folding feete her body could not stay Which they perceiued so that from thence me wretch they did conuay To Grecian campe a messenger we did commaund to trudge To craue the body of my sonne which thing they did not grudge But sent the martyrde corps to Troy as custome did require They said not nay but graunted straight when Priam did desire And also did a present send to breede me further woe The bloudy stones that kild my sonne on me they did bestowe VVhose bloud and braines in vgly sort about the stones was seen A homely present to be sent to me most wretched Queen Then shrinde we vp with weeping teares our sonne so vilely slaine And put the stones in tombe with him for euer to remaine His brothers mad with this mischaunce for battell strong prouide And to reuenge their brother slaine to Grecian Campes they hide VVhere from the walles we had in view such cruell sturdy fight That mightie men to death were sent thus battell raignd downright The Greekes by thousands fell to ground their people goe to wracke And that ere long the Troyans stout by Greekes are beaten backe Thus Fortune playes in double sort sometime with vs to stand And then to flie to thother part and geue the vpper hand But while that Hector liued in Troy king Priams eldest sonne The proudest Peere that came from Greece his mightie hand would shun And fly the field before him fast they feared so his name So fierce he fought amongst their men each Greeke dooth know the same At last my lot was so extreame to see him likewise die In turret top from lofty towne his death I did espie For when as he had slaine that day in mighty battell strong Of kingly Peeres the chiefe of all that oft had doone vs wrong And there amongst the rest he had a noble Grecian slaine VVhose armour all was beaten golde which pray he went to gaine And drew him vp vpon his steede and rode foorth of the throng And for his better ease his shield vpon his back he slong VVhile he did spoyle him of his weedes carelesse of any wight His naked breast vnarmed then Achilles had in sight How he was busie and therefore from couert where he lay By stealing steppes behinde his backe he tooke the ready way And suddenly with fatall speare ere that he could aduert He vnawares with furie great thrust Hector to the heart Thus died he thorowe auarice whom thousands could not kill Vntill his wilfull foolishnesse himselfe did fondly spill My selfe I say that time did see from top of lofty towers The Troyan fieldes besprinckled with dew of bloudy showers That Hectors launce had letten out but now his latest fate I soone had spide and did lament to see the wofull state Of this king Priams eldest sonne and eke my chiefest ioy For well I wist that while he liude no harme could hap to Troy But now Achilles ouercrowed him whom he fearde before Wherefore he stabde him thorowly that he might liue no more I saw I saw how Hector lay as dead as any stone And yet the tyrant would not leaue but
in Troy that durst presume Achylles once to meete VVho thus had slaine my noble sonnes and crouded vnder feete The brauest peere of Troy that durst incounter with his force VVith Grecian launce he threw to ground thus had he no remorce But still did striue by martial force to beat the Troyans downe And egerly maintained fight in hope to sacke our towne My sonnes thus slaine the warre increast and bloody sight did growe No Troyan durst within my sight incounter this my foe So that before our walls he marchde with glistring speare and shield Like mightie Mars he oft did dare the Troyans to the field Which made me woe to see him raigne that thus with me had delt Whose cruell hand to our great losse the haplesse Troyans felt A counsell then of matrons wise I presently did call How to reuenge my slaughtred sonnes to counsell straight we fall That fierce Achylles might not vaunt of this his cruel deede Together then we layde our heades in such a time of neede We thus conclude that best it were Achylles to insnare With some fine peece of Venus Court whose beauty shoulde be rare And forbecause the Greeke wel knowne to loue a daintie peece Which I had spide for that before he sayled home to Greece When Agamemnon tooke away sweete Briseis his delight No longer then he would abide nor for the Greekes did fight Till Briseis was againe restorde which thing I wel did note And was right glad that beautie faire could make my foe to dote And forbecause Polixena his sight did wel content When she to fetch her brothers corps to Grecian campe was sent So that at first he fraunted ber when we before had nay And whatsoeuer she did craue was done without delay Which wel I wist wherefore foorthwith my daughter I bedect With gorgeous geare in hope to bring my purpose to effect And presently to Grecian campes a messenger I send Vnto Achylles tent to shew what then I did intend Which messenger I did commaund his arrand thus to tell That Hecuba the Queene of Troy Achylles greeted well And further that he should declare Achylles should inioy My daughter faire Polixena the peerelesse flower of Troy No other wight I do desire for that mine eies behelde The noble valour of the man so tride in Troyan field The Greeke hath often made me glad to see his courage bolde For from the highest walls of Troy I gazing did beholde To view Achylles that braue Greeke so lyon-like to vaunt Before the towne and with his force the proudest foe to daunt And that although my sonnes were slaine in warre by lucklesse chaunce Yet were I glad their hap were such as that vpon his launce To end their liues that no reproch might happen to them dead And that Achylles right wel knew they died before they fled And for their death I nothing grieue for that my sonnes were slaine By such a noble Grecian peere whose like doth not remaine In all the world such worthy fame the peerelesse Greek hath woon Say thus quoth she I shall not rest till that he be my sonne My daughter for the courtesie that she with him did find Cannot forget the benefit but still doeth beare in mind The friendly vsage of the Greeke at whose hands she hath found Such sweet reliefe that euer since to this day she is bound To yeald to him her chiefest friend and willing to fulfill His mind in all respects and be obedient to his will And that because Achilles shall not think my words as vaine VVish him foorthwith to proue my mind and find if I doe faine Appoint some place wish him doe so and there my daughter she And I my selfe his louing friend will then attendant be Achilles knowes that oft I doe to Hectors tombe repare Apollos temple holds his bones in which I haue a care To doe him rights as custome is and yet the church did stand In greenish field without the towne not far from Grecian band In which if that Achilles will Polixena shall stay And I my selfe will come with her to celebrate that day Thus to the Grecian camps I sent my messenger in hast VVho soone vnto Achilles tent in secrete manner past And told him all that I had said who presently with ioy Besturd his stumps and was right glad my daughter was not coy For that when first he made his suite and did my daughter craue The wench was coy and thus replide No Grecian she would haue But now reuiude from former woe the man with ioy halfe mad Did send me thanks and ten times thanks that thus had made him glad I will quoth he be there indeede to offer with my frends For Hector slaine whose death I rue yet vvill I make amends VVith some oblation to his ghost right in his mothers view That she may say Achilles is become a frend full true To vs and to the Troyans all by souldiers faith I sweare It shall be so vvhile life doeth last this mind I still vvill beare And then foorthwith preparde himselfe to offer to my sonne VVhom he before had slaine but novv did vvish the deede vndone Meane vvhile vvhen that I knevv his mind and hauing place so fit I did inuent in secrete sort to cry the Grecian quit For slaying of my sonnes and for a thousand Troyans slaine VVhich vvere my frends for vvhose sake novv such frendship I did faine The presently I cald my sonne vvhom Fortune yet had sparde And made him priuy of my mind how that I had preparde To worke my foe a spitefull part when least he did suspect And sure I was no liuing wight as yet could it detect And thus I said my louing sonne euen as thou art my child And hast a care to wish me well that am thy mother mild And as thou knowest I tendred thee when Priam sentence gaue Thou shouldst be slaine yet I as then sought meanes thy life to saue Wherfore good Paris haue a care to ease thy mothers griefe And that I pine in paine not long before I find reliefe Which soon may be by thy good help wherfore lay to thy hand And shrinke not now in time of need but to thy mother stand Thou knowest my sonne quoth I how that thy brethren both are gone Whom well I loude and now in Troy aliue there is not one That dares so valiantly in field against our foe to fight But trembling we thou knowest it well doe feare Achilles might Euen now the time is come that we may banish feare away For that Achilles hath set down a certaine meeting day To meet thy sister and my selfe with others of my traine What time the wretch doeth make account my daughter for to gaine Apollos temple is the place where Hectors bones doo rest VVhich stands in field vvithout our rovvne a place mistrusted least In vvhich Achilles mindes to be and vovves if that he liue To keep the time expecting then my daughter I should giue
Because he held his lawful wife he would reuenge that rape For when that Paris late was slaine then this my sonne did take Faire Helen Menelaus wife which did against him make And now before my face this Greeke my louing sonne had cought Whom he before through all the towne full egerly had sought To make him rue his former deede and Paris being slaine He vowde my sonne that held his wife should yeeld her vp againe Lo thus I say before my face the greedy Greeke there helde My sonne who to the bedlem beast in humble sort did yelde But he in steade of clemencie did shewe his cruell minde My sonne that yeelded at his foote the tyrant vile did binde His nose he cut his eares and lips and plucked out his sight His other limmes in spiteful sort he did dismember quite Take heere quoth he the due reward of Paris fault forepast Thy brother dead for if he liude a worser plague should taste Wherefore commend me to his ghost and truely to him tell That I for his offences vile did send thy soule to hell And therewithall he stabde my sonne that willing was to die Which thing once done yet further griefe I chanced to espie For presently right neare my sight it was my hap to see My daughter whom full deare I loude my sweete Cassandra she Most vilely to be drawne along whose handes and feete were bound In spitefull sort by haire of head they dragged on bloody ground They hallde her still along the streetes where gory blood did flowe That when she past along by me I scarce her face did knowe But soone she spide me where I stoode and lifting vp her eies To haughty heauens and for redresse in wofull sort she cries And calls aloude to haue my ayde when I myselfe had neede Of ayde to succour my mishap and that to haue with speede Yet still she cryes O mother helpe lay to your helping hand Let not this Greeke misuse me thus while you on looking stand But rather seeke to succour me from this vile tyrant wilde And saue me from this cruell Greeke that mindes to force your childe Sweet mother help quoth she againe get Troyans to defend Me thus abusde But she in vayn her wofull voice did spend For I my selfe did quaking stand expecting still the end Amongst my foes I there was placde I could not spie a frend Yet following fast my daughter deere to see what might betide Who still for ayd on me poore soule continually cride To Pallas temple she was drawn in Troy a sacred place And there my daughter was abusde before her mothers face That bad vngodly Greek did deale with her and did abuse The holy place with such a fact her body to misuse Which when I saw I could not stay to geue the looking on But cried aloud for Troyan ayd although I could get none That holy temple was defilde with such a filthy deed For which offence that wretch ere long vnhappily did speed Away I trudgd opprest with grief vnable to geue ayd Or to reuenge my selfe on him that this vile part had playd And as I past from place to place it was my chance to see A hundred of my daughter-lawes which did enquire for me And quaking stood in open street with minds resolud to dy For well they knew the wayes were stopt that none away could fly With wofull cries we wayld a good down dropt the brinish teares But all in vain for dreadfull death in ougly shape appeares Yet lingring still in hope to line we seek to find reliefe And rangde about in streets vnknown which bred vs further grief For as I past I might behold an altar huge to stand In open street wherto we went to shun their cruell hand A sacred place where all our Gods were painted on a row There throngd we thick about that place to shrowd vs from our foe Which place we thought the angry Greeks durst not once be so bold Before the Gods our bloud to shed wherfore on them we hold And thought the Gods would vs defend and priuiledge the place And as a sanctuary safe to help in such a case Thus sitting there at last I spide old Priamus my mate Who yet had scapt their murdring hand but this his heauy state VVas death to me yea death it selfe my husband deare to see So chacte as hare before the hound who fast for life did flee The aged man whose quaking limmes could scant his body beare Had weapons got and armour bright vpon his back did weare His bending hams did beare the waight vnfit for Priams yeares VVith speare in hand as if no state of Grecian land he feares His manly mind was bent to fight his feeble force to try And he amongst his louing frends most willingly would dy The heauy harnesse ouer huge my husband would assay That being on his speare in hand could scarce his body stay But staggering stood not fit to fight infeebled so by age Yet he against his cruell foes in desperat wise did rage VVhich soon I spide wherfore as then I humbly did desire To rage no more but seeme content and pacifie his ire I wild him then without delay to sacred place repare VVhich thing to touch the greedy Greeks would haue especiall care For that the Gods there present were to keep vs free from spoyle VVhose presence what bold Grecian dares pollute with bloudy foyle And therwithall in hast I drew him to the altar side And set him down old feeble man but see what did betide By this time Pryams pallace faire was yealded to the Greekes And Pyrrhus fierce Achilles sonne in euery corner seekes For Priamus that aged sire and for his louing sonnes In hope to gaine them with the spoile full eagerly he runs And hauing found Polytes out in cruell sort did chase The fearfull youth who for his life did trudge the streets apace And comming where his father sate there hoping to haue ayd Yet scarcely come to wished place but that proud Pyrrhus stayd Our sonne and there within our sight with churlish fist fast held And presently in parents view Polites there he feld There panting lay our louing sonne by breathles course neare spent VVhile Pyrrhus stern his fatall speare through back and side had sent That dying straight his hands vp held to take his last farewell It makes me shrink to call to mind and greeues me now to tell VVhat after did ensue for that King Priam could not rest VVith such a sight as commonly each father dooth detest For to reuenge his sonne so slain he needs would take in hand VVhen he good man vnable was with feeble age to stand But he to shew his noble mind bad Pyrrhus proud pack hence Forth of his sight or els he would with speed driue him from thence VVhat darst thou now thou wretch quoth he thus in my presence stay VVhen that my sonne whom well I loude thou didst before me slay And wilt thou stand
our City great did vtterly destroy Fierce was the flame on euery side downe falls the buildings faire The temples of our sacred gods the fier did not spare Till all things flat vpon the ground did lie like desart plaine For memorie of this our tovvne the vvalls did not remaine Dovvne to the earth it smoking lay defaced so vvith fire To ruine novv all things vvere come vvhich vvas the Greekes desire The bodies of the Troyans slaine in Zanthus floud did svvimme Eche channell deepe vvith crimson blood stoode floting to the brimme The members of our martred men in barren fields they flung In fertile sort to fat the earth in steade of other dung That where the towne of Troy did stand in little space was seene Where houses stoode there grasse did growe in sprouting sort full greene And where the Temples of our gods in stately maner stoode The dockes and weedes were cherished by losse of Troyans bloode No place of Troy vntoucht did stand but all for waste was layde The Greekes cride quit with that vile part that Paris first had playde When that mine eies had seene all this the sorrowes which were past Eche wofull hap once callde to minde starke mad I fell at last And raging in the fieldes I ran where lately Troy did stand From thence when I had raylde my fill I passde to Thracia land Where Polymnestor that vile wretch and traytor bad did raigne Who had betrayde yong Polidore my sonne for filthie gaine Which cruell acte though then starke mad in minde I still did beare That for reuenge on him I fell and out his eies did teare To worke him woe for this his deede my frantike minde was fierce The cheekes of this disloyall wretch my nayles did soundly pierce That he foorthwith had lost his sight for this his former deede O would to God all traitours thus for treacherie might speede This deede once done my troubled minde somewhat I did appease For wel I wist the wretch was blinde which did my sorrow ease And also to my further ioy proude Pyrrhus lost his life When he returned home to Greece by reason of the strife That stout Orestes had with him for Hermion that wench That nothing else but present death could this their quarrell quench Achylles sonne at last was slaine Orestes had his ioy And Pyrrhus might repent the time that first he came to Troy Where he imbrewde himselfe with blood and slewe the aged King Which was the cause of his mishap and sure no other thing The gods that knew his cruell minde and saw his wilfull fact Could not lesse do than make the Greeke repent his bloudy act Orestes slue Achylles sonne thus Pyrrhus being dead Like hearbes to pot his flesh was chopt no otherwise he sped This newes to me some comfort was in this my wofull state To heare what hard mishap befell to him that slue my mate And well I wist his father first for vsing me so ill Was slaine himselfe by my consent for Paris did him kill And also how that Thracian King that Polymnestor hight For so betraying of my sonne and doing me that spite Receiude a guerdon for his fact his lumen lights he lost Wherefore the traytor of his gaines I thinke could scarcely bost Of all the rest it did me good for that my hands had done Such due reuenge on that vile wretch that so betrayde my sonne I ioyde a while at this my deede my sorrow wel did flake For that I knew they dide the death of whom before I spake But when againe I callde to minde my children that were gone And deere alies of whom the Greekes aliue had left not one And how olde Pryamus my mate before my face did die On Pyrrhus blade that Grecian grim while I in vaine did crie For helpe to free him from the hand of this his spitefull fo In vaine I cride for that the gods decreede it should be so And then when that I thought on Troy on Troy our stately towne Which was the eie of all the world but now by Greekes throwne downe And like a desart place did lie no signe of Troy did stand The empire stout of Asia great so wrested from our hand That I the greatest Queene on earth so was my stately stile In time forepast and now to be a helplesse wretch most vile So base and humbly was I vsde farre from my former state That harborlesse I rangde about this was my haplesse fate Despisde of all receiude of none refusde of those that faund On me before when I their Queene did euery thing commaund But now although I vsde them well in elder time before They to requite my courtesie did shut me foorth of dore And let me lie without reliefe this kindnesse they did showe In Princes place to me they sude but now they would not knowe Their haplesse Queene in miserie but let me raging runne In euery corner where I would eche wight me wretch did shunne Not Greekes I meane but subiects mine who sometime did professe In Asia soile me for their Queene and now in this distresse The Greekes had awde their minds so far they durst not on me looke But as a thing that venyme was eche liuing wight forsooke Which when I spide and callde to minde my former stately place And now againe did see my selfe to liue in such disgrace In frantike sort my heart was vext the anguish of my minde Like bedlam beast did make me run the spitefull Greekes to finde That were the causers of my woe that I reuenge might take On all the wrongs that they had done and for my husbands sake Whom they had slaine before my face and for my children deare For whose sweete sakes amongst the Greekes I went without al feare With eger fist I laide on loade with nayles and feete at length But slender hurt a womans hand could do to men of strength Yet notwithstanding my good will was seene by this my force And theirs againe O wretched me by vsing such remorce For when that I had done my worst and shewed my vtter might And breathlesse stoode for want of breath by this my feeble fight The Greekes with stones did compasse me whose force I stil defide Till they with stones did strike me downe where presently I dide Lo thus when that all vile mishaps had chaunced vnto me Whome fortune followed to the death with such extremitie And that mine eies to my great griefe such wofull things had seene But would to God before the warre long time I dead had beene When all such haps of hatefull dome that fortune could assigne Did chaunce to me by haplesse hap such luckelesse lot was mine To ende my dayes in great disgrace I dide among my foes They stoned me to death poore wretch a heauy end God knowes Had euer any such mishap since first the world begunne Or any one did know such woe that liued vnder sunne As I my selfe poore wretched Queene though bootelesse now
I mourne For remedlesse the cause remaines when Planets all had sworne And haughty gods to worke me woe for Paris filthie sinne Who would to God had dide the death when life did first begin Or would to God I wish too late the waues had beene his graue When he to Lacedemon went faire Helen for to haue O Neptune fierce couldst thou not frowne and Eolus out call With whirling windes to drench his ship his company and all But safely so to suffer him to swimme with gale at will The doting youth in prime of yeres his fancie to fulfill In Simois and Zanthus flood his ships did seeme to saile So quiet was the seas as then because he should preuaile What did ye seaish Gods decree together with consent To plague the Troian state so farre as angrie Pallas ment Ye Gods that rule both land and sea why did ye thus decree That Neptunes towne at first so cald to Greekes a pray should bee If otherwise ye ment at all his ship should not haue past So quietlie through surging seas by helpe of Boreas blast For Triton mild did shewe his face so happilie that day That Paris past with sprouting sailes into the Gretian bay What was become of Palemon did Glaucus hide his head Their swift recourse far from his ship in partiall sort was fled The Strencoucht Antiphates Parthenope was gone That wonted were to keep their course but novv there vvas not one Not Circe nor Calipso vvould their vvonted magike vse Although they knevv the lecher meant Atrides to abuse So Zephirus and Eurus fell with Aquilo did lurke And hid themselues while Boreas with frendly gale did work Nereides were past away Latonas imps did shine Ech thing did smoothly smile that day by help of Gods diuine And all was for the Troyan wracke to plague my sonnes offence For Paris needs to Greece would goe and soon returnd from thence But would to God the brinish seas with raging waues so wild Had drownd that baud that Theseus first in filthy sort defilde And that my sonne had dide with her before he came to shore Then Troy had stood and flourisht still as long it did before But Helen Menelaus wife that was Sir Paris ioy VVas first occasion of our woe and latest fate to Troy O would the tygers first had torne the lims of this my sonne VVhen aged Priam sentence gaue on that which was not done The cause wherof was mine own deed which act I now repent For that the Oracle did shew before the boyes intent But now I know I wish too late the angry Gods had sworn To plague our state for some offence For Paris being born VVhose desteny the Oracle did openly declare And yet to see my hap was such that wicked babe to spare VVho was the cause of this mischaunce and breeder of our woe His death had been to vs a life and life to thousands mo Yet I for pitie sake would not consent that this my boy The tygers brood his tender lims should vtterly destroy VVhat power diuine did hinder me or what infernall fiend VVhat did both heauen and earth to this their vtter forces bend O what offence did we commit that all the Gods should frowne And thus decree with one consent to pluck our Empire downe Did they appoint that I should breed and foster in my lap A scourge to plague the parents sinne and cause of their mishap VVas it king Priams fathers fault that Laomedon bad That builded Troy vvith borovved coyne for he receiued had Of Neptune and Apollos Priests a summe of money great And when the day appoynted came the wretch forsware the debt With mighty vowes the periurde man at altar side did say He borrowed none to buyld his walles and therfore none would pay But whether twere for periurie or for my sonnes offence I cannot tell but well I know it was a recompence For double and for treble sinne so many thousand dide From Nations far the world dooth know the people thether hide In hope of pay to either side great troupes of men did run But what was gaind saue deadly fight or what but death was won Did euer any feel such woe as I poore wretch did tast Did euer Fortune yeeld such lookes as she on me did cast O hauty Gods what hap was mine to feel such bitter paine Did destiny assigne me that to make me thus complaine I would that I had been vnborn or borne I dead had been For then these wofull miseries I wretch had neuer seen Why did the Gods cause me to liue why did they thus decree Was this their will that I should liue with present eyes to see My louing mate and children slaine and Troy to burn with fire If they did will it should be so then they had their desire But fie on that vile destinie O fie on that hard curse The Gods themselues could not deuise how they should plague me worse And then with wringing hands she wept with wayling voice she cride Which griende me sore about I turnd where presently I spide An aged man both graue and grim for that he seemed sad Right father like for grayish haires with Princely robes be clad Vnto the wofull Queen he marchd and thus in modest sort Began to quip her frantike mood as I shall geue report What madnes now hath mooude thy mind quoth he O louing mate That thus thou fretst against the Gods and frantikelie doost prate Can this thy fuming mind redresse or cause the things vndone To be againe No if we liude againe we could not shun The Gods decree wherfore be still shake off such heauines In vaine it is to vexe thy selfe where cause is remedles VVhat shall thy ghost that now should rest in worldly cares still dwell And thinke on things that carst were past O plague far worse than hell Then suffer thou thy ghost to take her quiet ease at last And call thou not to mind againe that vvhich is gone and past Thou knovvest our destinie vvas so vve could it not preuent For that the Gods to plague our sinne for some abusesment What should we kick against the spur or swim against the tide Or striue for that to haue at will which angry Gods denide When I had sent my sonne to death and that he should be kild His life thou sauedst wherfore thou seest that destenie it wild But I to shun Simphlegades on Hebrus lake did light And coasting from Charibdis gulfe on Scilla rock did smite Thus seeking how all dangers great by counsell I might shun Did vnawares ere that I wist to present perils run Was I the cause that Helen faire with Paris came to Troy No sure it was fell destenie or fickle Fortune coy For when the Oracle had told what hap in time should fall I wild to take away the cause For witnes now I call The sacred Gods who knew my mind my sonne I would haue slaine I was content my flesh and bloud the tygers