still and made Your vertuous minde the way to your offence As if the Gods themselues had punish'd you For striuing to be innocent when they Had-fore decree'd your guilt take comfort Sir No man offends but where the will consents Oed. How well canst thou Antigone that bear'st A Magazen of vertuous thoughts within thee Speake words of comfort but accursed I Am most vncapable there 's nought in me But horrour greife despaire and misery Shew me some way of death or let me goe Anti. I cannot leaue you Sir nor shew your death But where I meane to beare you company Oed. I neuer should haue had a vertuous childe But to afflict me more nature will worke A miracle to make my sufferings greater The Sunne shall bring blacke night the Euening starre Vsher the day and seas shall meete the sky To make addition to my misery Anti. good Sir goe take some rest doe not destroy That life on which another life depends Oed. There 's none but thou has a commanding power Ore Oedipus if thou command me leape Into Sicilian Aetna's scalding throate I 'll gladly doo 't if thou wilt haue it so I will like Titius with my liuer feede A tiring vultur more I will take rest Nay most of all I le liue at thy request Anti. I see some signes of rest vpon him now Exeunt Scena secunda Aemon Aemon How well this sad and solitary place Suites with my thoughts these vnfrequented woods Where nature voide of artificiall robes Presents her naked and vngarnish'd face In such abodes as these dwelt piety White innocence and spotlesse chastity In that first golden age when Saturne reign'd And still me thinkes within these woods he reignes Though banish'd quite from all the world beside Here liues the soule of vertue here abides The faire Antigone whose matchlesse goodnesse Vpbraides and expiates this ages crimes And quite our-weighs th' impiety of Thebes This place the Gods disdaining other sights Behold with wonder when Antigone With pious hands directs her blinded sire The wofull Oedipus hither the Graces The chaster Nymphs and harmelesse Dryades Leauing their bowers of pleasure all resort To waite on her and beare her company Antigone Aemon Anti. My father is asleepe you powers aboue Send sweete refreshment to his wearyed soule Oh pity him and punish not too farre That crime which fate and you your selues haue made He has already beene himselfe a iudge Too cruell to himselfe to expiate His fatall errours left a crowne and scepter Fled mens society and day it selfe Torne out his innocent vnhappy eyes Now since he wants the comfort of your light Grant him a quiet vndisturbed night Young Aemon heere Aem. Pardon me royall virgin Thinke it not rudenesse in me thus to presse Vpon your priuacyes but call it seruice Or zeale to wait vpon you and behold What I doo most admire Anti. Sir t is no fault That I can apprehend or if it bee T is such a fault as punishes it selfe This is the house of sorrow nought is heere That can inuite or recompense your comming Aem. To visite you so you be pleas'd to grace That visite with a welcome is a blessing No place has power to lessen it would make Hells saddest caue a faire Elysium Anti. You come from Court and speake as that has taught you This place knowes no such language Aem. Aemon neuer Was tax'd of flattery nor will your worth Admit it gentle Lady be but pleas'd To thinke my heart speakes in my tongue to you Oh giue me leaue but to confesse my flame Which neuer can be hid a better fire More chast more true and full of constancy I dare maintaine it warmes no breast on earth No earthly power but sweete Antigone Can sentence me to blisse or endlesse woe Oh saue that creature that depends on you Make me immortall by a faire returne Of grace from you and fauour Anti. Noble Aemen That title though I hated you your worth Would challenge from my truth I loue you better Then so to worke your ruine Loue and wed-locke Haue still beene fatall in our family The balefull owles and croaking rauens sing Our Hymenaean songs and furies light Their brands for torches to our bridall bedds Aem. No wondrous maide you beare a heauen about you A heauen of vertue that is proofe against The furies rage and fortunes vtmost spite You are aboue them all Oh take me to you And by coniunction of your goodnesse make Me higher then the power of fate can reach Anti. These are no times for Hymen when the frowne Of all the gods lyes heauy on our house Oh mooue that suite no more but yet as farre As my chast sorrow can admit of loue Let this suffice you I do loue your soule And if this storme should cleare and I haue power To marry euer Aemon is the man Of all the world I choose Aem. Oh heauenly voyce This promise from diuine Antigone More then fruition of the proudest beauty That ere mortality could boast reuiues me And makes me euer happy all the howers That from my countreys cause and from the warre I can be spar'd I le keepe as holy ones To pay deuotion heere heere I le relate What euer fortune throwes on doubting Thebes But one chast kisse and so farewell Anti. You haue it Yee powers of loue bee all auspicious now Hymen redeeme the wrongs that thou hast done Our house already had I neuer seene Young Aemon's face nere knowne his matchlesse worth No other man or minde had ere had power To warme Antigones cold breast with loue Prosper that flame that you your selues did mooue Dircus Ianthus Dir: T is so Ianthus Aemon is in loue With faire Antigone no other passion Could make so fresh a youth and spirit as his To seeke such sad retreats from that dark groue Which cloaths Cythaerens rough and craggy top Where farre from sight and company of men The wofull Oedipus laments alone His happlesse e errours fault vnseene by any But good Antigone his pious daughter How oft of late braue Aemon has beene mett What but her loue had power to draw him thither Ian. Shee is an obiect worthy of Aemon's loue The mirrour of her sexe a lassting patterne Of piety to all succeeding times Dir. As much true wortha nd manly vertue liues In noble Aemons breast hee 's the true brother Of braue Menaeceus whose deuoted head Sau'd Thebes from ruine Ian. True if Thebes be safe As neuer fairer were her hopes then now Th' Argolian forces are dishearten'd quite And of their seuen proud leaders which of late Beset the gates of Thebes but two are left Onely Adrastus and our banish'd prince If we I say be safe we owe that safety To Creons sonnes to braue Menaeceus death And Aemon's liuing valour one by death Gaue life to thousands t'other noble life Deseru'd an easier way to fame then death Dir. But I haue heard newes from the enemies campe All 's quiet there and t is
To mooue the King and feare not gratious madam The Princes life a while how ere Exit Dircus Eur. Farewell True faithfull Dircus all the gods assist Thy good entents and blesse thy loyalty Enter Creon Cre. What weeping still Eur. Would I could weepe my selfe Like Niobe to marble and become A wofull tombe to Aemon whom my wombe With fates disastrous brought into the world My vertuous Aemon Cre. Why is Aemon dead Eur. Why doe you aske that meane to murder him Cre. How murder him Eur. Yes in Antigone His most inseparable loue Cre. Must then Th' audacious giglot liue vnpunished To braue a King Eur. Were kings ordain'd to kill Vertues true seruants and controll her lawes Enter Tiresias Chorus senum Tir. Where is the king Cre. Hee 's heere What mischiefe now Com'st thou to vtter neuer from thy tongue Flow'd any good to me Tir. A guilty man Was neuer pleas'd with truth but heare me Creon I come to thee sent from the wrathfull gods To let thee know thy guilt and punishment Great plagues from heauen if Tiresias Truly diuine are threaten'd 'gainst thy house When I for thee vnthankefull man prepar'd A sacrifice within the open'd beast No signes but sad and fatall did afford None but th' infernall gods deign'd to appeare The blood was blacke the burning entrailes gaue No flame at all but darkely did consume Mouldring away to ashes and with blacke Vnsauoury smoake clouded the fearefull ayre Vnto our augury no birds at all But sad and balefull birds of night appear'd Nor to our orizons would th' inuoked gods Vouchsafe an answer but in signes alone Declar'd their wrath The cause of these their threats Against thy house is for thy cruelty To good Antigone and if she dy These plagues will surely fall Eur. Can we auoide them By sparing her Tir. The gods aboue relent At humane penitence and heare their prayers Nor like the fiends are they inexorable Eur. No longer Creon shalt thou now deny me Since heauen is ioyn'd with my petition Tir. You are not constant in persisting thus But obstinate Eur. Now I renew my suite Cho. In which we bend our knees release O king For Thebes for Aemons sake that vertuous maide And to preuent a feirce and cruell warre Vouchsafe to grant our suite and giue vs leaue To bury those dead Graecians in the field Cre. No more of them that last must not be granted For our command is past too farre already And must be iustifi'd not changed now But for the life of that Antigone Although it cannot suite well with our iustice To pardon her rebellious stubbornnesse Yet shee is thine Eurydice to thee Do we referre her wholly take this ring And absolute power to dispose of her Either to pardon or to punishment Eur. The gods reward thee for 't I le goe my selfe And bring her out with speede from that sad place Heauen grant that griefe haue not already kill'd her Nuntius Creon Nun. To armes my Lord if any armes so soone Can rescue Thebes from quicke destruction The mighty Theseus threatens you at hand Creon Why let him come Should I esteeme the name Of Theseus such a buggebeare it should fright Me from my constant resolution Haue our late conquests haue the ouerthrowes Of Argos and Mycenae taught the world Nothing of vs looke on you purple fields With slaughter dy'd and learne what Thebes can doe Where Capanaeus and stout Tydeus Parthenopaeus and Hippomedon Ly weltring in their gores and should we then So tremble at the threates of Theseus No power must daunt me 't is not Kingly now Vpon constraint to change my rough decree Though I relented now though my soft breast Were moou'd with piety yet thought of honour Would conquer that as now it conquers feare The feare of Theseus hand nor haue I left A place for wisedome now it comes too late I must preuent or meete my instant fate Dircus Aemon Dir. Yonder 's the tombe my Lord which though it seeme Too hard and solid for our strength to force I know a place will open presently Aem. Then let vs breake this wealthy Cabinet And take from thence a iewell which the ransome Of all the Kings on earth would be a price To poore to purchase Knew'st thou happy caue Or knew the world what true vnualew'd wealth Thy bare vnpolish'd bosome did containe Thou would'st despise the richest temples rear'd On Marble Columnes and high-roof'd with gold To thee would men with adoration come As to a place more sacred then the caue That nourish'd Cretan Ioue then Bacchus Nisa Or the Oetaean Mount from whence in flames The great Alcides mounted to the sky But I forget my selfe I first must know Whether I liue or no for in that caue Not heere does Aemon breath Antigone Anti. Who calls Antigone is it my Aemon Aem. Dircus I liue heardst thou that heauenly voice Which has inspir'd a happyer life into me Then my creation did Le ts loose no time In this sweete businesse Dir. I le ope the tombe Immediatly my Lord Aem. Sad Thebes adieu I le finde some happyer countrey to conuey My enuy'd treasure to Possest of her I shall be richer then the Theban crowne Can make me speake how fares my fairest loue Shall we be gone Ant. I would my dearest Aemon Begone with thee rather then liue but fate Too cruell fate preuents it Aem. How what fate Can let our iourney if thy loue consent Anti. I loue thee Aemon better then my life And neuer truly wish'd to liue till now But now I cannot liue Aem. Oh doe not mocke My ioyes Antigone or if thou doest not Tell me what sad disaster can befall Anti. That sad disaster is befall'n already Fearing the paines that such a lingring death Might bring vpon me I haue tane already A gentle poison downe which long before 'Gainst some such dire occasion I prepar'd I feele it worke my vitall spirits faile My dearest loue farewell Liue long and happy Let fate hereafter recompence to thee What ere her cruelty 'gainst me has wrought Aem. No fate can make me happy I am lost Beyond her cure Dir. What end of tragedyes Can wofull Thebes for euer hope to see After this sorrow Oh I more then feare The Princes fury Aem. Her white soule is fled What vnsubstantiall bubbles are the best Of humane ioyes how from the top of all My hopes and comforts in one fatall minute Has enuious fortune throwne me downe againe Into the depth of misery and woe Oh fortune how extreme thou art in all Thy fauours and thy frownes Dir. Most noble prince Collect that strength of man which all the world Expects from you and arme your selfe to beare With fitting patience this calamity The passiue fortitude is great and noble As is the actiue Aem. Strike that string no more Doe not in vaine torment a desperate man With thy dull counsell T is as possible Thou should'st perswade a dead man to arise After his soule is fled as me to liue Now shee is dead I doe coniure thee Dircus By all the loue thou bearst me by that faith Which I haue euer found and priz'd in thee To leaue me heere Dir. My Lord I will obey And thus I take my leaue Dyes Aem. Too cruell Dircus Was I not miserable enough before But thou must loade my sufferings with thy death What cause hadd'st thou to dy thou hast not lost A loue why should my losse extend so farre As to the ruine of so braue a friend Thy death has iniur'd faire Antigone And made a strange Diuision in my griefe For all the sorrow which this breast could hold Was due to her before I must encroach Vpon her right in spending teares for thee My breast 's too narrow for so great a griefe And must be quickly open'd Thou pure soule Of my Antigone which still suruiu'st Though this faire palace be demolish'd quite By deaths vngentle hand thou heauenly substance True obiect of a chast and spotlesse loue Thy Aemon comes and from these bonds of nature Flyes forth to meete thee in the other world To wedd thee there to finish there the rites Of long-cross'd loue and tast eternall sweetes Dyes Ianthus Aephytus Eurydice Ian. Oh horrid spectacle see Aephytus The Prince Antigone and Dircus dead Aeph. All dead Eur. Ay me Ian. Looke to the Queene she sownes Aephy. Alas t is more then so cold death has seiz'd her I feare beyond recouery Lett 's in And certifie the King who now may see The dire effects of his rash cruelty Theseus Chorus Thebanorum The. Our warre 's already ended and the death Of sauage Creon whose dire soule is fled To pacifie the Argiues wandring ghosts Hath satisfi'd our iustice heere we sheath Our sword againe and free your towne from feares And now enterre with fitting obsequies The Carcasses of all your slauter'd foes Let cruell Creon too though he at all Deserue it not haue rites of funerall Cre. Those pious rites will we performe with ioy And thankes to mighty Theseus may the Gods Assist thee euer and great Hercules Beholding thy braue actions from the sky Reioyce and not disdaine at all to be Esteem'd thy aequall by posterity The. Send backe Argia to her father's court With faire attendance and t is left to you To place the Theban scepter where t is due Cho. Thebes humbly bowes to mighty Theseus And layes her crowne and scepter at his feete The. No still let Thebes be gouern'd by her owne T' was not our warres intention to enthrall Your land but free it from a tyrants yoake And to preserue the conquer'd not destroy them We drew the sword of iustice not of conquest Ambitiously to spread our Kingdomes bounds But to auenge the lawes of nature broke This act being done Theseus is peace againe Souldiers march on to Athens Thebes adieu Now let mankinde enioy a happy peace Oh let no monsters breede on earth to glut Themselues with human slaughter let no theeues Infest the woods no tyrants staine the cities With blood of innocents but if such monsters Must needes be bred to plague the wretched earth 'Gainst nature and her holy lawes to striue Let them appeare while Theseus is aliue FINIS LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Beniamin Fisher and are to be sould at his shop at the signe of the Talbot without Aldersgate 1631
Monarchy whil'st these Argolians all Vnburied lie wandring a hundred yeare Exil'd from him for want of sepulcher 2 Thine anger bootes not Creon 't is all one Whether the fire or putrefaction Dissolue them all to natures bosome goe And to themselues their ends the bodies owe If now the Argiues bodies be not burn'd They shall when earth and seas to flames are turn'd Earth will inspite of thee receiue againe What euer she brought forth and they obtaine Heauens couerture that haue no graues at all Thou that deny'st these people funerall Why dost thou fly those slaughter-smelling fields Breathe if thou canst the aire this sad place yeelds Those vanquish'd carcasses alone possesse The ground and barre the conquerours accesse 3 When that annoyance shall be vanish'd quite The wandring ghosts will still remaine and fright The balefull place plowmen shall feare to toyle In furrowes of this ill-manured soyle This ghostly land of ours perchance shall be Tane for Avernus by posterity And claim'd by Pluto as his monarchy Where thousand wandring soules together fly Cleare Dirce shall be made the Poets theame Instead of muddy Styx whose fatall streame The ghosts so striue to be transported ore By churlish Charon to Elysiums shore And rather then so great an hoast should seeme Exil'd from thence it will be thought by them Another Acheron shall heere be made And they possesse their owne Elysian shade 1. What shall we doe to cure this fatall staine Vpon our nation 2. Nothing but complaine Actus Tertius Aemon MY feares haue brought me early to this place The night is young No watches yet are set How sad and deepe a silence does possesse These mourning fields but why should that seeme strange Why shake I thus Why do my coward thoughts Tell me t is ominous is it not night And who dares tread on this forbidden ground The Rauens Wolues and Vulturs heere haue fill'd Their hungry mawes and now are gone to rest What noise should I expect vnlesse the Ghosts Of these dead Greekes with querulous cryes should fill The aire of night what horrour thus inuades me Is it because the Schreich owle cry'd about me Passing the gates of Thebes because to night I haue so often stumbled on dead men Tut these are toyes for children let not feare That euer was a stranger to this breast Reigne in it now But t is Antigone Whom cruell vertue will command to night Into a world of danger is the cause Of all my feare Oh faire Antigone Why art thou good so excellently good To make me more then wretched you bright starres That doe alternatlie with Phoebus rule And measure time if vertue be a kinne To heauen and you if your faire influence Gouerne this lower world let not the night Which is your time of reigne giue priuiledge To murders witchcrafts and infernall arts Whilest vertue suffers and white innocence Is made a prey I le watch the fields to night But not be seene till time require mine aide Secretly shrowded in yon Cypresse groue I le watch what fortunes doe attend my loue Exit Menaetes Argia Men. Madam the place is neere the noisome aire Which those vnburyed carcasses exhale Growes stronger still and from that feeble shine Which to the night halfe-clouded Cynthia lends How large a shade the lofty Theban walls Spread ore this field of death those twinckling lights Which we from hence discerne burne in the tower Of Creon's cruell watch Arg. Oh Thebes a name Once deare to me but now a word of horrour And endlesse sorrow yet giue leaue t' enterre My husbands hearse and I will loue thee still And leaue my heart for euermore to dwell On thy deare ground behold with what attendance What state the great Adrastus daughter comes To claime her right at Thebes how poore a claime The wronged wife of Polynices makes T is not thy wealth nor Cadmus stately throne Nor crowne nor septer that Argia claimes I craue but mourning free but death and dust And such abhorred dust as thou disdainst To harbour louingly bestow but what Thou hat'st on me and take the greatest thankes A queene can giue and thou beloued ghost Of my dead Lord if through these fields thou wander And loue the rites that I performe to night Direct me where thy wronged body lyes Men. Madam this way nearer the city walls My Lord was slaine there perchance he lyes Exeunt Dircus with a Torch Dir. Prince Aemon is abroad and woe is me Gone with too great a confidence I feare Vpon my plot which is defeated quite The watch is doubled and more strictly kept Then heretofore no possiblity To lay them all asleepe what he entended To worke vpon it is quite frustrate now Oh could I meete him but to let him know What has befall'n I le range these fields to find him Exit Menaetes and Argia with the dead body Arg. Was this the sight was promis'd me at Thebes Are these the triumphs of my dearest Lord Thus to thy natiue countrey dost thou bid Argia welcome thus dost thou requite The entertainement that kind Argos gaue To thee a stranger why prepar'st thou not The Theban palace to receiue thy queene But why complaine I vainely thou alas Art held a stranger to thy natiue Thebes Nay more a foe to whom the cruell ground Denyes that common bounty which in death The meanest creatures challenge at her hand But woe is me t' was I that caus'd thy fall T' was I that moou'd my father to this warre And all those Graecian Princes happy else Mightst thou haue liu'd at Argos still with me And ne're set foote on this accursed ground Did I for this entreat those valiant Greekes To warre with Thebes to see my dearest Lord Thus all deform'd with gore trod downe in dust And couer'd ore with filth Men. See Madam see The mortall wound yet gaping on his breast Arg. Was this a brothers hand but in that name I finde thy guilt as much I le rather thinke Thou nere hadd'st any kindred neuer brother Nor other name of blood which nature meant A name of loue For where are all their teares Where is their sorrow now if not in Thebes Where hast thou kindred none laments but I To me alone is Polynices dead Where is thy mother and thy sisters now Where is that good Antigone so fam'd For piety whom thou so oft would'st praise And tell such pleasing stories of her vertue Antigone with a Torch Ant. About this place he lyes deare Ghost forgiue Thy Sisters slacknesse and with fauour now Accept these louing though late rites I doe A Graecian Lady so her habit speakes her Some pious sorrow brings her to this place Lady the gods assist your piety Arg. Are you a wofull widow'd Lady too That come to breake dire Creons sauage law But yet you seeme a Theban all their bodyes Haue rites of funerall perform'd already Or does your too too charitable griefe Extend to some vnhappy Graecian soule Anti. I know not how to answer
you the man Whose hearse I seeke was once a Thebes prince But since his natiue soile did proue to him So cruell and vnnaturall I dare Not call him Theban Gentle Argos proou'd A kinder home to him and freely gaue What Thebes though due deny'd a princely state With royall nuptialls now among the soules Of those vnbury'd Graecians wanders he And still perhapps desires to bee esteem'd One of their company hating for euer Ah woe is me the memory of Thebes His name was Polynices my vnhappy Though dearest brother Arg. Oh my heart are you That good Antigone whom I so long Haue wish'd to see Ant. I am that wofull maide Arg. Then see your brother my deare husbands hearse Your griefe is mine Ant. Pardon me royall sister Are you Argia great Adrastus daughter Let me adore the best of woman kinde Has your most faithfull vnexampled loue Brought you so farre and on so cruell hazards To my dead brother was it not enough That first so great a princesse as your selfe Aduanc'd a banish'd man and freely gaue That loue to him which happyest princes sought But that his dire misfortunes euermore Should make your vertue wretched Arg. Dearest sister Whose knowledge I am proud though thus to meete By this true knot of euerlasting loue Our sorrow tyes to night I here protest No griefe no losse that banishment could bring Did mooue so much sad Polynices heart As parting from thy dearest company No name to him was halfe so deare in Thebes No name so often as Antigone Would his sad tongue to me alone repeate Antigo. And witnesse all yee sacred deities Though Polynices from his natiue Thebes Were banish'd long yet from a sisters heart The loue of thee could neuer be exil'd Nor Thebes without thy presence pleasing to me How oft haue I vpon Cytherons mount Appeas'd my fathers anger toward thee And dost thou thus visite thy sister heere Oh my wrong'd brother Arg. Oh my dearest Lord When first at Argos I beheld thy face It was deform'd with blood and wounded then Yet then I lou'd it fortune to my loue Shew'd thee at first a pityed spectacle As now at last dearest Antigone My brother Tydeus met him then at Argos Both strangers there before affinity Had made them brothers in a mutuall rage They fought but all the blood that then was drawne Seem'd but a sacrament that did confirme Their after rare and vnexampled loue Anti. Ay me how different was it from the loue Which heere a naturall brother shew'd to him Argos how farre dost thou disgrace our Thebes In nature and in honour Menae. Royall Ladyes The night growes old and danger threatens vs Be speedy now these obsequies perform'd You may with more security enioy Each others mutuall loue and then discourse Of Thebes and Argos danger and the time Will not permit it now not farre from hence Are many fragments left of funerall fire Where Thebans haue beene burn'd those let vs vse And then retire from this vnhappy place Aephytus with the watch Aeph. VVhere didst thou see those lights 1. About the place VVhere Polynices body lyes Aeph. If any Haue there perform'd forbidden obsequies They cannot farre escape pursue with speede Spare none you know your oath and penalty Aemon and Dircus Aem. The watch is vp and with a winged speede Pursues those lights which my presaging soule Tells me attend on faire Antigone Should what I feare prooue true they must not seize her If all perswasions promise of reward Nor gold preuaile not the deare cause will lend This arme a strength aboue mortality Exeunt Creon Ianthus Cre. The watch is diligent they doe not know That I am in the field Ian. No sure my Lord For your disguise is perfect and no notice VVas giuen from me at all Cre. VVhat things are these Two haggs passe ouer the stage Ian. Witches my Lord that come to exercise On these dead bodyes that bestrew the field Their damned arts here in the depth of night With incantations and abused herbes They turne the dead's pale faces to enquire And heare the horrid oracles of death Th' infernall gods ore master'd by their power Or else perswaded by some piety Which pleases them deny these witches nothing Which they request the soules of those dead men Are forc'd t' obey their charmings and returne Backe to their ancient prisons to reueale To these dire haggs the secrecies of fate And things to come Cre. I le follow them Ianthus And know what fortunes shall attend my reigne Ian. Ah good my Lord vse not so bad away You haue at hand a nobler meanes to know The truth of all the old Tiresias Taught from the wisedome of the gods aboue Who by a magike more diuine and pure Surueyes the course and influence of the starrs And in that glorious booke reads the euent Of future things rather repaire to him Let him prepare a sacrifice and aske The pleasure of the gods Cre. Tut tut Ianthus Astrolog'i 's vncertaine and the gods In mystike riddles wrap their answers vp But he that dares with confidence to goe Enquire of deaths blacke oracles below In plainest terms the certaine truth shall know Exeunt 2. Haggs 1. We come too late nor can this field To vs a speaking prophet yeild The carcasses whose cold dead tongues From whole and yet vnperish'd lungs Twixt hell and vs should hold commerce And be the blacke interpreters Of Stygian counsells to relate The hid decrees of death and fate Those carcasses I say are growne Corrupt and rotten euery one Their marrow 's lost their moistur 's gone Their Organs parched by the sunne That there the Ghost drawne vp from hells Darke entrance nought but broken yells And dismall hizzings can afford Not one intelligible word 2. But from this field of slaughter I Haue gather'd vp a treasury As dead mens limms wet in the raine Cold gelled tongues and parched braine The slime that on blacke knuckles lyes Shrunke sinnews and congealed eyes Bitt from their fingers nailes ore growne And from young chinns pull'd springing downe Flesh bit by Wolues I tooke away And robb'd the vultur of her prey Where Thebans funerall pyles had made I did the mourning fire inuade And there blacke raggs with ashes fill'd And coales on which their fat distill'd I gather'd vp and tooke from thence Halfe-burnt bones and Frankincense And snatch'd the fatall kindling brand From out the weeping parents hand 1 Once more lett 's trott the fields about To finde a fresher carcasse out And speake a charme that may affright All pious loue from hence to night Lest we by funerall rites do loose What Creons cruelty bestowes The 3 Hagge with a carcasse 3 By Creons trembling watch I bore This new slaine carcasse but before I brought him thence I grip'd him round The filletts of his lungs are sound His vitalls all are strong and whole To entertaine the wretched soule Whom forced furies must affright Backe from hell to vs to night Enter Creon Ianthus Cre. You wise