and Captive make Thy Hâ—…r frightfully staring recommand To order by some curious Dressers Hand This chance may raise thee to a better State Captivity hath made some Fortunate Andromache Was this then only wanting to our Woes This To rejoyce when Troy in Ashes glows O time for Nuptials fit but who denies Or doubts to Wed when Helen does advise Helen the Bane the Ruin and the Pest Of either Nation See these Graves where rest Their valiant Chiefs These Fields 'bout which are spred The bared Bones sad Reliques of their Dead These these thy Marriage scatter'd with a flood Of Europe's best and Asia's bravest blood Whilst thou at ease saw'st both thy Husbands sight Careless on which the Victory should light Go then and for these Wedding Joys prepare For Nuptial Lights and Torches never care Troy's Flames will those supply Now Troades The Marriage Rites of Pyrrhus solemnize As they deserve that is with tears and cryes Helen Though mighty Grief no curb no reason knows But oft hates those are sharers in its Woes Yet 'fore a Partial Judge can I defend My Cause who suffer more than you pretend Andromache for Hector Hecuba For Priam freely mourns I closely pay My conceal'd Sighs for Paris 'T is severe Hateful and sad a servile Yoak to bear Yet that have I endur'd these ten years past Your Houshold Gods are sack'd Ilium laid wast To lose ones native Land is a sad curse To fear like me without Relief yet worse A fellow-sufferance does your Woes asswage 'Gainst me the Victors both and vanquish'd rage Whom you must serve Chance yet hath scarce design'd I 'me sure without a Lot a Lord to find You 'l say I was to Troy the cause of War And her sad Ruin Take what you infer To be a Truth if you can prove that e're A Spartan Ship me to your Coasts did bear But if by Phrygians I a Prize was made And to her Judge a Gift by Venus paid Excuse then Paris For our Cause 't will come 'Fore a rough Judge it waits Atrides Doom But now Andromache thy Plaints laid by A while to bow this resolute Virgin try I scarce can hold from Tears Andromache The thing is sad That Helen weeps for it must needs be bad But wherefore weeps she say what new Deceit What mischief plots Ulysses that grand Cheat Must from Idaean Rocks the Maid be cast Or from this Tow'r or yond' Clifts into vast Seas hurld where with his crook'd and ragged side Lofty Sygaeum does imbay the Tide Speak What beneath thy looks sly vail is laid No Ill but 's less than Pyrrhus to be made To Priam Son in Law and Hecuba What Pains what Torments must we suffer say For this from our Woes sum may well be spar'd To be deceiv'd To dye w' are All prepar'd Helen Would Heav'n the Gods Interpreter had doom'd Me to have dy'd and at Achilles Tomb By Pyrrhus furious Hand t' have fall'n that I With thy sad Fate Polyxena might vye Whom Thetis Son t' his Grave first victim made Demands for Spouse in the Elysian shade Andromache See how great joy does her high soul express At her declar'd death Royal Robes and Dress Now she assumes now yields t' adorn her head To dye she Marriage thinks but Death to Wed. Her aged Mother yet at the Report Is Thunder strook nor more can Grief support With this surcharge opprest Courage recall Your Life and Spirits Madam On how small A Thread hers hang how little will suffice T' ease Hecuba of all her Miseries She breaths and comes t' her self again I find Death to the Miserable is unkind Hecuba Yet lives Achilles to the Phrygians Woe Yet does he plague us Is he still our Foe O Paris feeble Hand his very Grave And Ashes thirst our wretched Blood to have Once me a happy Troop of Children round On every side enclos'd enough I found T' impart to all my Kisses nor could tell 'Mong such a fair and numerous Issue well How to divide a Mother Now there 's none Left me but this my sole Companion My Joy and Comfort in Affliction This this poor Girl The last Remain of all Hecuba's Race she only lives to call Me Mother Leave hard-temper'd Soul my Breast And this one Funeral after all the rest Remit at length to me She changes hue A show'r of Tears does her pale Cheeks bedew Rejoyce dear Child gladly Andromache Gladly Cassandra thus espous'd would be Andromache We We poor Wretches Hecuba are most To be deplor'd who must on Seas be tost Now here now there and God knows whither hurried She 's happy by Fates destin'd to be buried In her own native Land Helen You 'd grieve yet more Did you but know what Lot's for you in store Andromache Is of my Woes yet any Part unknown Helen The Captives Dooms th' impartial Urn hath shown Andromache Whose Slave am I Whom must I Master call Helen Unto the Scyrian Youth by Lot you fall Andromache Happy Cassandra whom Prophetic Rage And Phoebus from the Lot does disengage Helen She 's Agamemnon's Prize Hecuba Is Hecuba By any sought for Helen You a short-liv'd Prey Are to Ulysses 'gainst his will become Hecuba O who could be Dispenser of a Doom So cruel and tyrannical that brings Queens to be Slaves to those that are not Kings What God does so unluckily dispose Poor Captives What stem Judge unto our Woes Weight adding does so little understand To choose us Lords and with a rigorous Hand Deals such cross Fates to Wretches What dire Lot T' Achilles Arms does Hector's Mother put Given to Ulysses Now indeed distrest I seem with all Calamities opprest I shame at such a Lord not Servitude Must he then who Achilles Spoils indu'd Have Hector's too And must the barren small And Sea-girt Ithaca give me Funeral Lead Lead Ulysses when you please no stay I 'le make but follow thee my Lord. And may My own Fates follow me No calms assuage The angry Seas let them with Tempests rage May Wars Fire mine and Priam's Miseries Pursue you and 'till those Plagues come suffice It this is sure You have your Lot I yet Have rob'd you of all hop'd for Benefit But see with a precipitated Pace Where Pyrrhus comes with fury in his Face Pyrrhus Why stopp'st thou in thy Bloody Race Sheath in this Breast thy Sword Let Death in fine Achilles Father in Law and Mother join Go on thou Murderer of the Aged On This Blood fits thee To Execution Drag hence a Captive Wretch And by so vile Abhorr'd a Slaughter Gods above defile And Ghosts below What shall I pray for you Seas to such dismal Sacrifices due On your whole Fleet your thousand Ships like curse Fall I wish that shall carry me or Worse CHORUS TO those that Mourn 't is sweet Relief When Nations Sorrows eccho to their Grief Less felt is that Afflictions Sore Which numerous Sharer's mutually deplore Sorrow is like Infection loves t'obtrude It's-self
Historian lib. 1. computes the Number after this manner He supposes that in every one of the greater Ships there might be 120. Soldiers in every one of the lesser 50 both amounting to 170. Of which sum of 170. taking a Medium by halving there will then remain 85. the Number of Men supposed to be in each Ship one with another Wherefore Multiplying the Number of Homer's whole Fleet being 1186. Ships by 85. the Product will be 100810. Soldiers or according to Thucydides his own List of the Ships being 1200. Multiply'd by 85 as asoresaid 102000 Men. o Her ruin yet repress'd The example of Marcellus at Syracuâ—…e in this particular is memorable and conformable to the Clemency here profess'd by Agamemnon as it is represented by Silius Italicus lib. 3. Post quam sublimis ab alto Aggere despexit trepidam clangoribus urbem Inque suo positum nutu stent moenia Regum An nullos Oriens videat lux crastina muros Ingemuit nimiumque viris tantumque licere Horruit propere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ir â Iussit stare domos Sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro praedâ fuâ—…t p Making Man to Man a Sacrifice The original of this impious kind of Sacrifice seems to be derived anciently from that Example of Abraham's obedience to the Divine Command in offering his Son Isaac Of which besides the authority of Scripture mention is made even by profane Historians as Eusebius in Praepar Evangel l. 9. c. 19. testifies from the Writings of Melo cited by Alexander Polyhistor Hence by Satanical emulation or instigation these humane or rather inhumane Immolations seem to have been propagated among the ancient Heathens in their Sacrifices to their Fictitious Deities Saturn Belus or Moloch Iupiter Apollo or Mithra Venus Diana Mercury nay to Heroes Emperours Kings Princes private Persons and what is yet worse even to Brutes and Monsters touching which to spare the citations of ancient Testimonies see the late Treatise of Iacobus Geusius De Victimis Humanis where whatever may concern that subject is laboriously collected Besides what the Reader may meet with in Stuckius De Sacrificiis Gentil Gerard. Io. Vossius De Origine Progressu Idolatr l. 1. and Saubertus de Sacrific Veterum c. 21. or in our learned Selden De Diiâ—… Syris Syntagm 1. c. 6. together with Andreas Beyerus thereupon In Additament and Schedius De Diis German c. 32. q Spar'd when his Suppliant Coming to implore the redemption of Hector's Corps of which see the relation in Homer's Iliad 24. r Ajax and Ithacus To these Homer Iliad 9. adds Phaenix as chief of the Embassy whom Ovid in Epist. Briseid ad Achillem follows These at the intreaty of Agamemnon su'd to make his peace with Achilles not only by proffering him to return Briseis but offering him also rich Presents both which the obstinate Hero refused s Upon his Lute Achilles besides his Martial Arts was train'd up by Chyron in Physic and Music Vocal and Instrumental in which he became an excellent Proficient and for which he is celebrated by the ancient Poets This Lute or Lyre of his is said to have been that of Mercury's which Corybas the Son of Iasion and Nephew of Dardanus is reported according to Diodorus Siculus l. 5. to have left at Lymessus and which Achilles when he took that Town sound and carried away with him From this yet Homer Iliad 9. dissents telling us that when the Embassadors sent from Agamemnon came to him they found him playing upon a Silver-neck'd Lute curiously wrought which among other spoils he brought from the sack of Eetionean Thebes t Breeds Scyrus such high Blood The Poet perhaps alludes to the Proverb or common by-word Scyrius Principatus which is meant of a mean and low Principality as Suidas testifies in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in regard the Island is stony and unfruitful whence according to Bochartus in Canaan l. 1. c. 12. the name seems to be deriv'd See likewise Erasmus in Adag Scyrius Principatus v Which knows No Brothers Sins As Myceâ—…ae and Argos were guilty of For Atreus and Thyestes the Sons of Pelops by Hippodamia were first guilty of the Murther of their Brother-in-law Chrysâ—…ppus whom Pelops begat on Axioche his Concubine Afterward Thyestes by the help of Aerope the Wife of Atreus whom he had seduc'd to play the Adulterâ—…ss became Master of his Brother 's Golden-Fleec'd Ram which was the fatal Ornament of his Kingdom upon which Atreus to be reveng'd kills three of Thyestes his Children then Hostages in his Court and inviting Thyestes to a Treatment of seeming reconcillation feasts him with the Flesh and Blood of his Children From the sight of which horrid Banquet the Sun is said to have withdrawn his light See Hyginus De Fabul Pausaniâ—… in 〈◊〉 and the Tragedy of Thyestes among those which go under the name of Senâ—…ca's x Thyestes noble House Great Atreus too Ironically spoken and reflecting upon the unhappy miscarriages of Agamemnon his Family of which in the foregoing Note being notwithstanding of a very Illustrious Original For Iupiter on Plutô Daughter of Hymâ—…s as Hyginus de Fabulis c. 15. makes her or as some will of Oceanus as others of Saturn begot Taâ—…talus He on 〈◊〉 or according to Hyginus c. 〈◊〉 on Dioâ—…e Daughter of Atlas Pelops Who by Hippodamia only Daughter of Oâ—…omaus had Atreus and Thyestes Atreus by Aeropâ—… Daughter of Crateus Agamemnon and Menelaus thence call'd Atriâ—…s Though Servius in Aeâ—…id 1. tells us the name Atrides was 〈◊〉 usâ—…patum Agamemnon and Menelaus being the Sons of Plystheâ—…es and not of Atreus Which difference of opinion some reconcile thus making Plystheâ—…es the Son of Atreus and to have dy'd very young but to have been Father of two Sons Agamemnon and Menelaus whom he left to the care and tuition of their Grandfather Atreus whence they were call'd Atrides But the most common and most prevalent opinion is that they were really the Sons of Atreus and that after the Death of their Father slain by Aegysthus the Son of Thyestes they were convey'd as Tzetzes tells the Story Chil. Hist. 18. by one Trotecompâ—…us to Polypâ—…idus King of Sicyonia who the better to secure them from the malice of Thyestes sent them to Oenâ—…us King of Aetolia Not long after which Tyâ—…darus King of Sparta taking notice of them to be hopeful Princes adopted them for his Sons-in-law Marrying his two Daughters Clyteâ—…nestra and Helena the one to Agamemnon the other to Menelaus y Enjoys the Honours of the Deify'd Achilles soon after his death was honoured with Divine Rites Of which the ancient Scholiast upon Statius his Achilles explicating this Verse Iliaci scopulos habitare Sepulchri thus writes Ubi Achillem pro Deo consecraturi erant Mortales For near his Tomb on the Sigaean Promontary he had a Temple dedicated to him call'd Achilleion where he was worshipped by the Ilienses as Britaâ—…icus notes upon the same verse Pausanias in Laconicis tells of a Temple near
You faithful Consorts of our Woe Unbind your Tresses Let your Hair About your sad Necks loosely flow Powder'd with Troy's warm Ashes Bare Your Arms your Vestures slackly ty'd Beneath your naked Bosoms slide Down to your Wasts For whose Bed drest Vail'st Thou O Captive Shame thy Breast A looser Zone your Garments bind Your Cries with frequent strokes be join'd Hands prest t' assail Aye now you please Thus habited Now Troades I know you all Again renew Your mournful Plaints and strive t' outdo Th' Expressions common Sorrows vent 'T is Hector whom We now lament CHORUS Our Locks oft torn to wail the Dead See! We have all vnfilleted And 'bout our shoulders loosely thrown Upon our Heads warm Ashes strown Hecuba Fill then your Hands From Troy this yet Wee lawfully may take and let From your devested Shoulders slide Your Garments down on either side Now bared Bosoms call for Blows Now Sorrow All thy Powr's disclose Rhaetâ—…an Shores with Plaints resound And Eccho the sad Cries rebound Nor as shee 's wont ingeminate The last of Words but iterate Troy's Plaints entire that All the Main And All the Heav'ns may ring again Now let remorseless Hands infest With sounding strokes each suffering Breast W' are not with usual stripes content 'T is Hector whom We now lament CHORUS For Thee our Arms We beat and Blows On bleeding Shoulders thus impose For Thee our Heads these Strokes do bear Our nursing Breasts for Thee We tear The Wounds which since thy Death remain Yet green now freshly bleed again Thy Countries strength Fates Remora The tired Phrygians Only stay Troy's Rampart who upheld'st Her Tow'rs Ten Years against Assailing Pow'rs With Thee she fell One Day a Grave To Hector and his Country gave Hecuba Turn now your Plaints Let Priam too Be wept for Hector hath his Due CHORUS Receive our Tears twice captiv'd King Thee Reigning Fates no Cross did bring Single on Troy twice did she feel Herculean Shafts twice Grecian Steel When after All the Tragic Falls Of Hecub's Race and Funerals Of Princely Sons thy self in fine Did'st close their Tragedies with thine And to great Iove a Victim slain Troy's shores thy Headless Trunk sustain Hecuba Your Tears on other Subjects spend Ye Ilian Dames my Priam's End Is not to be lamented All Deceased Priam Happy call He to th' Infernal Shades went free Not thrall'd in Grecian Slaverie He ne're th' Atrides saw He never The false Ulysses knew nor ever Shall Bow his Captiv'd Neck a Prize In their Triumphed Victories Not shall his Hands which 〈◊〉 sustain'd A 〈◊〉 be behind Him chain'd Nor in Gold Fetters manacled Following the Victors Carr be led In Pomp through proud Mycenae CHORUS All Deceased Priam happy call Attended at his latest Fate With the whole Ruine of his State Who now in the Elizian Groves Delightful shades securely roves And 'mong the Pious Ghosts makes Quest For Hector Happy Priam Blest No less is Hee Who e're he be Who falling in Wars bloody strife Sees All things perish with his Life ACT II. SCENE I. Talthibius and Chorus of old Trojans Talthibius HOw long in Port the Greeks still wind-bound are When War they seek or for their Homes prepare CHORUS The Cause declare them and their Fleet detains What God it is that their Return restrains Talthibius Amazement strikes my Soul a trembling Cold Palsies my Joynts Prodigious Truths when told Are hardly credited yet these these Eyes Were Witnesses And now the Sun's uprise New gilt the Mountain Tops and Eastern Light Had clearly vanquish'd the whole Hoast of Night When on a sudden the sore-shaken Ground Breath'd from its Center a strange bellowing Sound Woods bow'd their Heads the sacred Groves with loud Cracks rung like Thunder breaking through a Cloud Stones from cleft Ida's Quarries fell Nor shook The Earth alone The Sea with Terror strook Th' Approach of her Achilles felt and laid Her swelling Waves Th' Earth yawning then display'd Her Immense Caves and from the Depths of Night Open'd a passage to Aetherial Light The Tomb disburd'ning whence the Ghost arose Of great Achilles Such when Thracian Foes The Prelude of thy Fates Troy he o'rethrew And the white hair'd Neptunian Cycnus slew Or when in Heat of Fight with strenuous Force Through Troops he charg'd and stopp'd the Rivers Course With slaughterd Carcasses while Xanthus Tide Seeking a Passage through did slowly glide Or such when Victor trailing by the Heels Hector and Troy born on Triumphant Wheels Then with this voice of Anger fills the Coast Go Go ye lingring Greeks and rob our Ghost Of it's due Honours weigh ingrateful weigh Your Anchors through our Seas to make your Way 'T was not with Trifles Greece did satisfy Achilles Anger nor a Price less high Shall she now pay Polyxena be wed T' our Ashes and her Blood let Pyrrhus shed This said he shrouds himself in Night and sinks To Hell again the Earth together shrinks Closing her gaping Clefts the quiet Main Becalmed lies the Winds their Rage restrain The smooth Seas move with gentle Murmurings And Triton thence the Hymeneal sings ACT II. SCENE II. PYRRHUS AGAMEMNON Pyrrhus VVHen Home you thought to Sail full Fraught with Joy Achilles fell by whose sole Arm fell Troy Whose All-ore-mastering Valour soon repaid The Loss of that delay which Scyros made And Lesbos that divides th' Aegean Flood For Troy's Fall doubtful still he absent stood Should you now haste to satisfy his Will Yet were it tardy Satisfaction still Now every Chief his proper share hath took For less Reward can so much Virtue look Merits he Nothing Who when charg'd to shun Wars Hazards his Life's Course he might have run In peaceful Quiet beyond Nestor's years Yet slighting his Disguise and Mother's Fears He himself Man by assum'd Arms confest When Telephus with barbarous Pride represt Our Entrance into Mysia his yet rude Hand in that Prince's Blood he first imbru'd Who felt with what a force the Same could wound Yet in his Cure that no less gentle found Thebes and Eetion by his Arms pursu'd Both tell His State and He at once subdu'd The small Lyrnessus Mountain-seated Tow'rs He with like Slaughter level'd by his Pow'rs Enobled by fair Briseis Captive made He Chryse cause of Kingly Difference laid In her own Ruins Tenedos renown'd By Fame and Cilla rich in fertile Ground To Phoebus sacred whose fat Pastures fed Large Thracian Flocks by him were vanquished What and those Lands through which Caycus flows Whose Streams augment by dissolv'd Vernal Snows These so great Slaughters Nations mighty dread Like Whirle winds through so many Cities spred Which might have been anothers closing Fame Were but his Marches Actions thus He came And in so many Glorious Conquests shaâ—…'d The Spoils of War while he for War prepar'd Though we
His other Merits should refrain Were not this One sufficient Hector slain He Ilium conquer'd 't was but sack'd by you Our Parents Noble Praises We 'l pursue And his brave Acts for which that Praise is due Who knows not Hector in his Fathers Sight In 's Unkles Memnon fell by him in fight Whose Death his Parents Cheeks with sorrow pal'd And Morning's rosy Looks in Mourning vail'd Himself abhorr'd the fatal Precedent And learn'd that Sons of Gods were not exempt From Death Penthesilea too of All Our Fears the last did by his Valour fall A Virgin then might but his Due be thought Though even from Argos or Mycenae brought Priz'd you his Merits justly Can you move A Doubt yet or refuse his Will t' approve Think you 't is Cruelty to Peleus Son To offer Priam's Daughter when your own A Sacrifice to Helena was made For what even Precedent allows We plead Agamemnon 'T is Childish Weakness not to rule our Ire Others the Heat of Youth inflames This Fire In Pyrrhus is Hereditary We Have felt thy Fathers Rage and th' Injurie Of his high Threats have suffer'd heretofore ' The more thy Power thy Patience should be more Why with the Blood of a Young Virgin slain Seek'st Thou so Great a Leader's Ghost to stain 'T is fit this first We learn to know what e're The Victor ought to do the Vanquish'd bear No violent Dominions long endure 'T is Moderation makes a Throne stand sure When Fortune swells our State to an Excess 'T is Wisdom to restrain our Happiness The Turns of Chance and too propitious Powr's Still fearing Conquest teaching how few Hours Can to subversion bring the Greatest State Troy's Fall hath rais'd our Thoughts to too elate Too stern a Pride In the same Place We stand From whence she fell Once with too proud a Hand I must confess I bare my self but what Might have rais'd others Thoughts Success ev'n that Hath humbled Mine Thou Priam make me Proud Thou bid'st Me fear What but a splendid Shroud Of Vanity may We think Crowns to be Our Brows impaling with false Majestie Which Chance in one short Hour may make her spoil Without a Thousand Ships or Ten Years Toil. So slow a Fate attends not All. And Greece If with thy leave I may confess it This I 'le say I would have Ilium distrest Nay more subdu'd her Ruin yet represt But the hot Rage of an incensed Foe And Victory by Night obtained know No Curb What cruel or unworthy Fact May seem committed that Revenge did act And Darkness which does Fury forward thrust And the Victorious Sword whose killing Lust Having once tasted Blood 's ne're satisfy'd If ought of ruin'd Troy may yet abide After All This now let it stand secur'd Enough more than enough she hath indur'd That at thy Father's Tomb the Princess shou'd Be made a Sacrifice and with her Blood Sprinkle his Ashes or that yet so vile Cruel a Murder We should Nuptials style We 'l ne're permit 't is We must bear the Blame Who ought yet not forbids Ill bids the same Pyrrhus Shall then Achilles Ghost due Honours want Agamemnon Dues it shall have and every Tongue shall chant His Praise and Lands unknown resound his Fame And celebrate the Glory of his Name If yet his Ashes nought but Blood can ease Let that of slaughter'd Herds his Ghost appease But let no Blood be spilt to be bewail'd By wretched Mothers How ye Gods prevail'd Or whence did this inhumane Custom rise Of making Man to Man a Sacrifice Think but what Hate would to thy Sire accrue Should such dire Rites be to his Honour due Pyrrhus Thou insolently Haughty in Success As fearfully dejected in Distress Tyrant o're Kings does new-sprung Love infest Yet once again with suddain Flames thy Breast Does Agamemnon think that he shall still Thus wrong Achilles No know Pyrrhus will Or see this Victim offer'd to his Grave Or else a greater worthier Victim have This Sword here thinks it does too long abstain From Royal Blood and Priam's Ghost would fain Have a King's bear it Company Agamemnon 'T is true The greatest Praise that is to Pyrrhus due Is that he murder'd Priam whom his Sire Spar'd when his Suppliant Pyrrhus 'T is Truth entire We know 't that They who were my Father's Foes Were forc'd to be his Suppliants you 'mongst those But Priam was the Stouter of the Two He came in Person to petition You Not yet so Valiant as to supplicate Like a tame Coward chose to delegate Ajax and Ithacus to make your Prayer Whilst you lay sculking and kept close for fear Agamemnon But your brave Father fear'd not 't is confest He 'mongst fir'd Ships and slaughter'd Greeks could rest Secure unmindful of his Charge and run Upon his Lute nimble Division Pyrrhus Yet was great Hector who your Arms despis'd At sound but of his Lute with fear surpriz'd And in the mid'st of Terror and dismay His Navy yet in peaceful Quiet lay Agamemnon Yes the same Navy Priam durst to board Pyrrhus 'T is Kingly to a King Life to afford Agamemnon Then why a King did you deprive of Breath Pyrrhus There 's Mercy sometimes shown in giving Death Agamemnon So you 'd in Mercy Sacrifice a Maid Pyrrhus And such a Sacrifice can you dissuade Who offer'd your own Child Agamemnon Their Kingdom 's Good Kings should prefer before their Childrens Blood Pyrrhus Forbid a Captiv's Death no Law e're did Agamemnon What the Law does not is by Shame forbid Pyrrhus What likes is lawful by All Victors thought Agamemnon T' whom much is lawful to like little ought Pyrrhus 'Fore these thus vant'st thou who by Pyrrhus are Freed from the Bondage of a Ten Years War Agamemnon Breeds Scyrus such high Blood Pyrrhus Scyâ—…us which knows No Brothers Sins Agamemnon Which strait'ning Seas inclose Pyrrhus Yes Seas that owe us a Relation Indeed Thyestes noble House W' have known Great Atreus too Agamemnon Out thou Girls Bastard Brat Got by Achilles when scarce Man Pyrrhus Achilles who to the whole World ally'd Enjoys the Honours of the Deifi'd Who can a Claim to Seas by Thetis move To Hell by Aeacus to Heav'n by Iove Agamemnon Yes He who fell by Paris feeble Hand Pyrrhus Whom yet not any of the Gods durst stand In open fight Agamemnon Sir I could rule your Tongue And give your Boldness due Correction But that this Sword of Ours knows how to spare Ev'n Captives Let the Gods Interpreter Calchas be call'd and what the Fates command By Him to that We willingly will stand Enter Calchas Agamemnon Thou Sacred Minister who loos'dst the Bar Which stop'd the Grecian Navy and the War Whose Art unlocks the Heavens expounds their Laws And from Beasts Entrails Thunder Comets draws The sure Presages of ensuing Fate Whose Words We purchas'd at so dear a Rate Now here declare what 't is the Gods
intend And this our Strife let thy grave Counsel end Calchas The usual means Fates of Return afford The Greeks To th' Tomb of the Thessalian Lord The Virgin must be sacrific'd so drest As Grecian Brides are at their Nuptial Feast And Pyrrhus wedded to thy Sire by Thee With these due Rites shall she espoused be Yet is not This our Fleets sole Remora More Noble Blood than Thine Polyxena The Fates require Great Hector's only Son From some high Turret must be headlong thrown So have the Gods decreed he should be slain Then may your Conquering Navy plough the Main CHORUS IS it a Truth or Fiction blinds Our fearful Minds That when to Earth We Bodies give Souls yet do live That when the Wife hath clos'd with Cries The Husbands Eyes When the last fatal day of Light Hath spoil'd our Sight And when to Dust and Ashes turn'd Our Bones are urn'd Souls stand yet in no Need at All Of Funeral But that a longer Life with pain They still retain Or dye We quite nor ought We have Survives the Grave When like to Smoak immix'd with Skies The Spirit flies And Funeral Tapers are apply'd To th' naked Side What e're Sol's Rising does disclose A Setting shows What e're the Sea with flowing Waves Or ebbing laves Old Time that moves with winged pace Doth soon deface With the same swiftness the Signs rowle Round round the Pole With the same course Day 's Ruler steers The fleeting Years With the same speed th'oblique-pac'd Moon Does wheeling run We all are hurried to our Fates Our Lives last Dates And when we reach the Stygian Shore Are then no more As Smoke which springs from Fire is soon Dispers'd and gone Or Clouds which we but now beheld By Winds dispel'd The Spirit which informs this Clay So fleets away Nothing is after Death and this Too Nothing is The Gaol or the extremest space Of a swift Race The Covetous their Hopes forbear The Sad their fear Ask'st thou when e're thou com'st to die Where thou shalt lie Where lie th' unborn Away Time rakes us Then Chaos takes us Death's Individual like kind To Body or Mind What e're of Taenarus they sing And Hell 's fierce King How Cerberus still guards the Port O' th' Stygian Court Are all but idle Rumours found And empty Sound Like the vain Terrors of the Night Or Dreams that fright ACT III. SCENE I. Andromache Senex Astyanax mute Andromache VVHy tear you thus your Hair and weeping beat Your wretched Brests ye Phrygian Dames We yet Suffer but lightly if we suffer what Is onely to be wept Troy fell but late To you to me long since When in our view Cruel Achilles at his Chariot drew My Hector's Limbs whilst with a Weight unknown The trembling Axletree did seem to groan Then then was Troy o'rethrown then Ilium fell Sense of that Grief makes me unsensible And now by Death free'd from Captivity I 'd follow Hector but this Boy here he Witholds me he sweet Child my Will restrains And from a much-desired Death detains 'T is he that makes me yet the Gods intreat He to my Griefs a longer time hath set And though my greatest Comfort took from me The greatest Comfort in my Misery Security from Fear no place doth rest For happier Fortune with the worst opprest And saddest Miseries For to fear still When Hope hath left us is the worst of Ill. Senex What sudden Fear does thy sad Mind surprize Andromache From our great Ills still greater Ills arise Nor yet can Iliums fatal Woes have end Senex What further Miseries does Heaven intend Andromache Hell 's open'd and our Foes that we might n'ere Want Terror rising from their Graves appear And can this onely to the Greeks befall Sure Death is equally the same to all That common Fear all Phrygians doth distress But my sad Dream doth me alone oppress Senex Declare what did thy dreadful Dream present Andromache Two parts of quiet Night were almost spent And now the Seven Triones had wheel'd round Their glittering Wain when Rest a Stranger found To my afflicted Thoughts in a short Sleep Upon my wearied Eyes did gently creep If such Amaze of Mind yet Sleep may be Strait to my thinking I did Hector see Not such as when against the Argives bent On Graecian Ships Idaean Flames he sent Nor such when he his Foes with slaughter struck And real Spoils from false Achilles took Nor did his sprightly Eyes with Lightning glance But with a sad dejected Countenance Like mine he stood his Hair all soil'd and wet It joy'd me although such to see him yet His Head then shaking thus at length he spake Awake my dear Andromache awake And quickly hence Asâ—…yanax convey Let him be closely hid no other way Is left to save him thy sad Cries forbear Griev'st thou Troy's fall'n would God it wholly were Quickly dispatch and to some secret place Convey this small last hopes of all our Race Sleep from my Senses a cold horrour shook When staring round with an affrighted look Wretch I my Child forgot for Hector sought But lo the fleeting shadow whilest I thought To have embrac'd it fled O my dear Joy True Bloud of thy great Sire sole Hopes of Troy Unhappy Issue of too fam'd a Race Too like thy Father even such a Face My Hector had his Gait such so he bare His conqu'ring Arms so did his curled Hair Part on his threatning Forehead so from 's Head Covering his Neck 'bout his tall Shoulders spread O Son too late unto thy Countrey born Too soon unto thy Mother will that Turn That happy Revolution never come That I may see thee build up Ilium And her fled Citizens reduce once more And to their Town and them their Name restore But I forget my self and fondly crave Too happy things Enough poor Captives have If they may live What place Wretch can secure Thy Fears sweet Child where shall I hide thee sure That late proud Palace rich in Wealth and Fame Built by the Gods worthy ev'n Envy's Aim Is now to a rude Heap of Ashes turn'd All 's levell'd with the Ground the whole Town burn'd In wastful Flames nor doth there now abide So much of Trâ—…y as may one Infant hide What place would fittest serve for my intent Hard by 's my Husbands stately Monument Which ev'n the Enemy doth reverence Which with much Cost nor less Magnificence On his own Sorrows too too prodigal Old Priam built there I may best of all Intrust him with his Sire A cold Sweat flows O're all my Limbs my Mind distracted grows And dreads the omen of the dismal place Senex Oft a suppos'd Destruction in this case Men from a real Ruine hath preserv'd No other Hope of Safety is reserv'd A great and fatal Weight on him doth lie The Greatness of his own Nobility Andromache Pray Heav'n no one discover or
betray him Senex Let there be none to witness where you lay him Andromache How if the Enemy demand the Boy Senex Say He was murder'd in subverted Troy Andromache What boot's it to lie hid a while that past To fall into their cruel Hands at last Senex Despair not hope for better Fate The first Charge of the Victors Fury is the worst Andromache Alas what should we hope if he can ne're Be kept conceal'd without apparent Fear Senex Choice of their Safety the Secure may make Those in distress must hold of any take Andromache What Desert place or unfrequented Land Will give thee safe Repose What friendly Hand Protect us To our Fears who'll comfort yield O thou who always didst thy own now shield Great Hector This dear Treasure from thy Wife Receive let thy dead Ashes guard his Life Come Child enter this Tomb back why dost start Scorn'st thou to lurk in holes His Fathers Heart In him I see he shames to fear Quit quit Thy Princely thoughts now and take such as fit Thy present state See all of Ilium That 's left a Child a Captive and a Tomb. Submit to Heavens Decree nor fear to enter Thy Fathers Monument go boldly venture There if on Wretches Fates compassion have Thou 'lt Safety find if Death they give a Grave Senex He 's hid but lest thy Fears should him betray Remove some distance hence another way Andromache The nearer that we fear we fear the less But if you please let 's withdraw Senex Whist peace Madam your sad Complaints a while suspend The Cephalenian Prince this way does bend Andromache Cleave Earth and thou dear Spouse rend up the Ground From lowest Hell and in that dark Profound Hide our Loves pledge He comes he comes his Pace And Looks speak Plots there 's Mischief in his Face SCENE II. Enter Ulysses Ulysses THe Minister of a severe Decree I come yet beg this first that you would be So charitable tow'rds me to believe Although they utterance from my mouth receive The words I shall deliver are not mine But what the Votes of all the Greeks enjoyn Whose late Return to their lov'd Homes withstands Great Hectors Heir Him Destiny demands Still doubtful Hopes of an uncertain Peace And fear of Vengeance will the Greeks oppress Nor suffer them to lay down Arms so long As thy Son lives Andromache Andromache This Song Does Calchas your great Prophet sing Ulysses Although He had said nothing Hector tells us so Whose Stock we dread A generous Race aspires Unto the Worth and Virtue of their Sires So the great Heards small Play-fellow which now Sports in the Pastures with scarce budded Brow Strait with advanced Crest and armed Head Commands the Flock which late his Father led And so the tender Sprout of some tall Tree Late fell'd shoots up in a short time to be Equal to that from whence it sprung and lends To Earth a Shade to Heav'n its Boughs extends So the small Ashes of a mighty Fire Carelesly left into new Flames aspire Grief does indeed matters unjustly state And makes of things but a wrong Estimate Yet if our Case you duly shall perpend You 'll not think strange if after ten Years end Th' old Souldier spent with Toil new Wars should fear And never enough ruin'd Troy for ne're Can we enjoy Security of Mind Our selves not safe whilest still we fear to find Another Hector in Astyanax Then rid us of this Terror that thus wracks Our thoughts This is the onely cause of stay Unto our Fleet ready to wing its way Nor think me cruel 'cause by Fates compell'd I Hectors Son require had Heav'n so will'd I had as soon ask'd Agamemnon's Son Then suffer what the Victors self hath done Andromache Would God dear Child I had thee in my Hand Or knew thy present Fortune or what Land Now harbours thee though Swords transpierc'd my Breast Though galling Chains my captiv'd Hands opprest Or Flames beset me round they ne're should move Me yet to quit a Mothers Faith or Love Poor Infant O where art thou what strange Fate Is fall'n on thee wandrest thou desolate In untrac'd Fields or perishedst thou my Joy Amidst the Smoke and Flames of burning Troy Or hath the Victor in a wanton Mood Of Cruelty plaid with thy Childish Bloud And murder'd thee in sport Or by some Beast Slain do thy Limbs Idaean Vultures feast Ulysses Come come dissemble not 't is hard to cheat Ulysses Know we can the Plots defeat Of Mothers although Goddesses â—…ay With these vain shifts and where thy Son is say Andromache Where 's Hector Priam all the Trojans You For one ask I for all Ulysses Torture shall scrue Since our Persuasions cannot gain a free A forc'd Confession from thee Andromache Alas she Is 'gainst the worst of Fate secured still That die not onely can but ought and will Ulysses These Boasts at Deaths approach will quickly fly Andromache No Ithacus if me thou'dst terrifie Threaten me Life for Death 's my wish Ulysses Fire Blows And Tortures shall enforce thee to disclose The Secrets of thy Brest Oft-times we see Severity works more than Lenity Andromache Doom me to Flames dissect with Wounds and try All torturing Arts that witty Cruelty Did e're devise Thirst Famine all Plagues through My Bowels burning Irons thrust or mue Me up in some dark noisom Dungeon And If yet you think not these enough command Whatever Cruelties on captiv'd Foes A haughty barbarous Victor dare impose No Tortures e're shall a Confession wrest Nor Terrors daunt my stout Maternal Brest Ulysses This obstinate Love thou to thy Child dost bear Warns all the Greeks to like Parental Care After a War so far so long loss I Should fear the Ills Calchas does prophecy Feard I but for my self but 't is not us Thou threatst alone but my Telemachus Andromache And must I comfort then afford my Foes Against my will I must Sorrow disclose Thy hidden Griefs Now ye Atrides chear And be thou still to Greeks the Messenger Of happy News Great Hector's Son is dead Ulysses Where be the Proofs may make this credited Andromache So fall on me what e're the Victor's Rage May threat so Fates to my maturer Age An easie close and where I had my Birth Afford me Burial So may the Earth Lie light on Hector's Bones as he bereav'd Of Light lies 'mongst the Dead and hath receiv'd The dues of Funeral Ulysses Fate 's in his Fate Accomplish'd and firm Peace to Greece then strait Pronounce Ulysses Stay fond Man what dost Shall Grecians thee and thou a Mother trust Perhaps she feigns nor fears her dreadful Curse Fear Imprecations they that fear nought worse Sh 'as sworn 't is true if so then her Sons loss What can she fear to her a heavier Cross Now â—…mmon all thy slights together be Wholly Ulysses Truth 's ne're hid long We Must sift her throughly See she weeps sighs mourns With anxious steps
now this now that way turns And our words catches with a heedful Ear We must use Art she does not grieve but fear That with the sorrows of some Mothers we Condole 't is fit but we must gratulate thee Happy in misery and thy Sons loss For whom a heavier Death intended was Who from that lofty Tower which now alone Remains of Troy was destin'd to be thrown Andromache My Heart faints Fear shakes all my Joynts a cold Congealing Frost upon my Bloud lays hold Ulysses See see she trembles this must be the way Her Fears a Mothers Love in her betray I 'll fright her further yet Go search with speed This Foe that by his Mothers Fraud is hid This onely Plague of Greece find him where e're He lies So have y'him bring him here Why lookst thou back and tremblest Now he dies To himself Andromache Would God this Fear from present grounds did rise 'Las 't is with us habitual The Mind From what it long hath learnt is late declin'd Ulysses Since thy Sons better Fate prevented hath The Lustral Sacrifice thus Calchas saith Our Fleet may hope return if we appease With Hector's Ashes the incensed Seas And raze his Monument unto the Ground Now since the Son by death a way hath found To scape the Justice of his destin'd doom We must exact it from his Father 's Tomb. Andromache What shall I do my Mind a double Fear Distracts here my poor Child the Ashes there Of my dear Husband Which shall I first prize Bear witness ye relentless Deities And thy blest Manes real Gods to me Nought Hector in my Son I pleasing see But thy self onely Long then may he live Thy Representative And shall I give My Husband's Ashes to the Waves O're vast Seas suffer that his rifled Bones be cast Let t'other rather die And canst thou be Spectatress of thy own Childs Tragedy See him thrown headlong from the Tower's steep height I can and will rather than Hector yet Be after death the Victor's Spoil again Think yet this lives hath sence can feel his pain Whilest t'other Fates from Ills secured have Why staggerest thou resolve strait which to save Ingrateful doubt'st thou there thy Hector is Mistaken Wretch either is Hector This Yet young and living who in time may be Th' Avenger of his Father's death Still we Cannot save both Resolve o' th' two howe're To save him yet whom most the Grecians fear Ulysses The Prophet's words shall be fulfill'd the place I will demolish Andromache Which ye Sold Ulysses Deface The Monument Andromache The Faith of Gods and thee Achilles we appeal to Pyrrhus see Thy Father's Gift made good Ulysses Down it shall go And with its Ruines the wide Champain strow Andromache No Wickedness ye Greeks have you refrain'd But this alone Temples you have profan'd And Gods propitious to you yet ye you spar'd The Mansions of the Dead I amprepar'd To hinder their intent and will oppose With weak unarmed Hands these armed Foes Anger and Indignation strengthen me Penthesilea like I 'll 'mongst them flie Or mad Agave that the Woods did trace Shaking her Thyrsus with a frantick pace Dealing dire Wounds insensibly and by Defending bear his Ashes company Ulysses What does a Womans passion move your hearts And vainer Cries On Slaves and ply your parts Andromache First by your bloudy hands let me be slain Up from Avernus break thy fatal Chain Rise Hector rise Ulysses to subdue Thy Ghost alone will be sufficient View How Arms he brandishes how Flames do flie From his stout Hands See y'him Or is it I That see him onely Ulysses Down with 't to the Ground Andromache What dost wilt see one Ruine then confound Father and Son Perhaps my prayers may yet Appease them strait resolve or else the weight O' th' falling Tomb will crush thy Child to death First lose he any where his wretched Breath Or e're the Father the Son's ruine be Or Son the Father's Thus Ulysses we Low as thy Knees fall and beneath thy Feet These Hands which yet no Mans e're touch'd submit Pity a Mother's woes with patience hear Her pious plaints and lend a gentle Ear. And how much higher Heav'n hath advanc'd thy state So much the less depress a Wretches fate When to the Miserable we extend Our Charity we unto Fortune lend So to the chast Embraces of thy Wife May'st thou in peace return and Fates the life Of old Laertes till that day extend So may thy Son thy Age's hope transcend Thy hopes and wishes live more Years to see Than hath his Grandsire wiser prove than thee O pity all my comfort 's in this Boy Ulysses Produce him first then what you ask enjoy SCENE III. Ulysses Andromache Astyanax Andromache FOrth from the hollow Entrals of the Tomb Thou wretched Theft of thy sad Mother come The Terror of a thousand Ships here see Ulysses this poor Child down on thy Knee Thy Lord with humble reverence adore And Mercy with submissive hands implore Nor think it shame for Wretches to submit To what e're Fortune wills the thoughts now quit Of thy great Ancestors nor Priam call To mind nor his great Pow'r forget it all And Hector too assume a Captives state And though unsensible of thy own fate Poor Wretch thou be yet from our sence of woes Example take weep as thy Mother does 'T is not the first time Troy hath seen her Prince Shed tears so Priam when a Child long since The wrath of stern Alcides pacifi'd He who so fierce was who in strength outvy'd Ev'n Monsters who from Hell's forc'd Gates could yet Through ways impervious open a Retreat Quell'd by the Tears of his small Enemy Resume says he thy former Royalty And in thy Father's Throne and Empire reign But Faith more firmly than he did maintain Happy that such a Victor him did seize Learn thou the gentle wrath of Hercules Or onely please his Arms See 'fore thine eyes No less a Suppliant than that Suppliant lies And begs but onely Life his Crown and State He leaves to Fortune and the will of Fate Ulysses Trust me the Mothers Sorrow moves me much But nearer me the Grecian Mothers touch To whose no little Grief this Child aspires Andromache And shall he then the Ruines which these Fires Have made repair these Hands erect Troy's Fall Poor are the hopes she has if these be all We Trojans are not so subdu'd that yet We should to any be a Fear is 't Great Hector in him you look at think withall That Hector yet was dragg'd 'bout Ilium's Wall Nay he himself did he now live to see Troy's Fate would of an humbler Spirit be Great Minds by pressures of great Ills are broke Or would you punish Than a Slavish Yoke What to free Necks more grievous let him bring His Mind to serve This who'll deny a King Ulysses Not we but Calchas this denies to thee Andromache O thou damn'd Author of all Villany Thou by whose