what flowing sea Should wash thee in the salt Meotis streame Or Tethis at full tide o'rflow thy banks Still would the spots of murder sticke on them Orest. Why Grandsire I goe not about to wash By heauen 't was all the fruit thought to win To thinke all mischiefe here could be no sinne Tynd. See see thy mother looke vpon her now On her whose eyes thou hast for euer clos'd Which eyes haue often wakned at thy cry And hush'd thee with a lullaby to sleepe See see these hands which oft with so much care Wrapt gently vp thy vnset tender limbs See see this face wont at thy signes to smile When nature gaue not leaue vnto thy tongue To vtter thy childs meaning Ore See see these bones these nasty rotten bones Which had so often lock'd his hands in hers Here stood the tongue which oft had call'd her sweet Deare Glytemnestra and then stopt his speech And told his loue in a more speaking signe Here stood those eyes which fed vpon her face And made her of thy daughter a great Queene And thee made him a dish for loathed wormes Tyn. Suppose she did there was but one yet dead And with ones death againe should be repaid Orest. No Tyndarus had I desir'd but one I should haue thought I had desired none Why me thinks I should too haue kill'd thee The number is too little yet of three Tyn. Into what land what country wilt thou fly All earths all lands all countries will flie thee The heauens will look with a more cherefull brow On Cerberus Orest. Why let heauen looke as 't will it is my crowne That I haue done an act shall make heauen frowne Tynd. O what earth loues so much a guilty soule That it can beare thee Ore Why Sir this is mine And this shall beare mee Am I not righ heire Tynd. Thou heire to kingdomes thou a subiect rather To helpe to make a Players Tragedie Orest. Why that will make me swell with greater pride To thinke my name shall drop in lines of blood From some great poets quils who well shall paint How brauely I reueng'd my fathers death That is the thing I wish'd and 't is my glory I shall be matter for so braue a story But where 's my Crowne 1 Lord No murderers wee 'll rather ioyne with him This old man here to take away thy life Then such an homicide shall frame vs lawes Who hath himselfe rac'd out the lawes of Nature 2 Lord Yes and wee 'll set here Argos Crowne on him Who shall enact some punishment for thee Which although none can equalize this deed Yet what our griefes can thinke all shall be done And wee 'll forget thou' rt Agamemnons sonne Ore Why thinke you vpon your worst I scorne to craue I had three liues you but my one shall haue Tyn. Then since vile wretch thou hast committed that Which while there is a world throughout the world VVill be pronounc'd for the most horrid deede That euer came into the thought of man A thing which all will talke of none allow I here disclaime that name of Grandfather And I must quite forget that in thy veynes My blood doth flow but thinke it then let out VVhen thou letst out my daughters and since you Kinde Lords commit the state vnto my yeeres Yeeres too vnfit heauens know to beare a state My mind me thinks contends for to decree Somewhat which to my selfe I dare not tell Iust conceiu'd wrath and my affection striues Hate forbids pitty pitty forbids hate And exile is but barren punishment Yet let me banish thee from out these eyes O neuer let thy sight offend me more All thy confederates and all thy friends You Pylades wich did so smoothly cloake The damnde profession hee did vndertake You Strophius Stroph. My Lord I know not ought Yet since one foot is now in Charons boat If it please you let tother too afloate Tynd. Not so but I will banish you the court And you Electra come I must forget Affection too towards you you gaue the child Which you had charge of to the murderers sword Elect. Why Grandsire I herin no wrong do finde Since all these goe I would not stay behinde Tyn. Nay but no one shall company the other Hence thou Cocytus streame of this offence Strophius Pylades Electra hence Exeunt Stroph Pyl. Elect. Orest. Why farewell Grandsire since thou bidst I flie And scorn companions for my misery Exit Orest. Tynd. Vnto this punishment this one more I adde That none shall dare to giue Orestes foode And this decree shall stand I speake with griefe And here pronounce Orestes no reliefe Hence with these corps poore child what hadst thou don Thy Nurses prayers that there might spring a rose Where e're thou trod'st could not keepe backe thy foes Some plague he hath but such a matricide Should neuer die although he euer dide SCEN. II. Enter Elect. and Stroph Elect. THus neuer lesse alone then when alone Where to ourselues we sweetly tell our woes Thou Vncle cheife companion to our griefes And sole partaker of our miseries Why doe we liue when now 't is come to passe It is scarce knowne that Agamemnon was He dies far easier who at first doth drowne Then he which long doth swim and then sinks down Stroph. Nay Neece me thinks I now doe see the Hauen Where my ag'de soule must leaue this tossed barke Made weak with yeeres and woes yet I commend Vnto my Son the heart of a true friend That 's all the will I leaue and let him know Friendship should euer be but most in woe And so I leaue thee Neece I first must die To haste a periode to this Tragedy He dies Elect. O enuious Fates could you not vse me thus Haue not I griefe inough to burst my heart Was my life's thred twisted and knit so strong That the keen edge of all these miseries Can neuer cut it off Must I beare more 'T is all my safety now not to be safe Are there so many wayes to rid ones life And can I hit on none they say that death Is euery where and yet I finde him not Tush but I seeke him not why my owne hand Might graspe him to me if I did but striue Now hand helpe ease my heart and make a way Stabs her selfe To let out griefe that hath so long dwelt here Now knife tha 'st don good seruice there lie by Heauen well decreed it nothing life can giue But euery thing can make vs not liue SCEN. III Enter Cassandra NOw Priams ghost haste haste I say to looke With chearefull eyes on the sinister booke And there to Hecuba my mother show The tragique story of thy conquered foe And let Andromacha my sister see What Agamemnons race is come to be Now Troy gratifie that most sad doome Conquered by those that thus themselus or'ecome Let Greece so florish still let Argos be Puft with the pride of their great victory Let it beare Souldiers so
THE TRAGEDY OF ORESTES Written by THOMAS GOFFE Master of Arts and Student of Christs Church in OXFORD AND Acted by the STVDENTS of the same HOVSE LONDON Printed by I. B. for RICHARD MEIGHEN and are to be sold at his shop at the middle Temple-gate neere Temple-barre in Fleetstreet 1633 The Prologue THe hush'd contentment of two silent howres Breath pleasing ayres on these attentiue eares And since wee see in this well furnish'd roome All our best neighbours are so kindely met Wee would deuise some pleasing talke to spend The lazie howres of the tedious night But for our owne inuention 't was too weake Whereon our young Muse durst wholly leane We heere present for to reuiue a tale Which once in Athens great Eurypedes In better phrase at such a meeting told The learn'd Athenians with much applause The same we will retell vnto your eares Whose Atticke iudgement is no lesse then theirs We here as builders which doe oft take stones From out old buildings then must hew and cut To make them square and fitting for a new So from an old foundation we haue ta'n Stones ready squar'd for our new aedifice VVhich if in pleasing our weake skill offends In making corners disproportionate Some roome too narrow or some loft too high Yet we will hope if the whole structure fall Your bands like props will serue to beare vp all Spoken by the Authour himselfe The names of the Actors Agamemnon King of Greece Clytemnestra The Queene Tyndarus Clytemnestra's father Strophius Father to Pylades Orestes son to Agam Pylades son to Stroph Two deare friends Electra Daughter to Agamemnon Aegystheus Adulterer with Clytemnestra Mysander A Fauorite and Parasite A young Childe of Aegystheus Nurse Two Lords Chamberlaine A Boy Attendants The Tragedie of ORESTES Actus primus Scaena prima Enter as from warre Agamemnon Clytemnestra Orestes Pylades Aegysteus cum caeteris Agam. NOw a faire blessing blesse my dearest earth And like a Bride adorne thy royall brow With fruits rich Garand a new married Bride Vnto thy King and Husband who too long Hath left thee widdowed O me thinks I see How all my Grecians with vnsatiate lookes Turnes to the spectators And greedy eyes doe bid mee welcome home Each eare that heares the clamour seemes to grieue It cannot speake and giue a welcome King Come Clytemnestra let not anger make His wrinkled seat vpon my loues faire brow I haue too long beene absent from thy bed Chide me for that anon when arme in arme I shall relate those proiects in loue termes Which when they first were acted made Mars feare To see each man turn'd to a God of warre Clyt. O my deare Lord absence of things wee loue Thus intermixt makes them the sweeter proue That your departure pierc'd my tender soule Witnesse those Christall floods which in my eyes Did make a sea when you should goe to sea Those streames which then flow'd from the veines of griefe At your returne doe ouerflow the banks But t is with ioy Agam. Now these eares indeed Haue chang'd their place they which were wont to heare No musique but the summoning of warre Blowne thorow discords brazen instrument Are blessed now with accents that doe fill My age-dry'd veynes with youthfull blood againe These eyes which had no other obiect once But Hector twixt the armes of Greece and Troy Hewing downe men and making euery field Flow with a sea of blood now see 's blood flow In my Orestes cheeke heauen blesse this plant Orestes kneeles Sprung from the sap of this now iuicelesse oake Now be thy branches greene vnder whose shade I may be shaddowed from the heat of warre Rise young Orestes Oh how it glads my soule To see my Queene and Sonne my Sonne and Queene Clyt. But come my Lord true loue still hates delayes Let no eares first be blessed with your breath Till on my brest resting your wearied head You tell your warre where that the field 's your bed Aga. My Queen shal haue her wil see how times change I that last night thought all the world a sea As if our common mother earth had now Shot her selfe wholly into Neptunes armes And the strong hindges of the world had crackt Letting the moone fall into th' swelling waues Such watry mountaines oft did seeme to rise And quite o'rwhelme vs all the winds at warre Banded the sea one to the others coasts Ioue thinking Neptune gan to striue for heauen Sent a new sea from thence and with his thunder Bad silence to the waues they vncontrold Kept on their noyse and let their fury swell Turning heauen earth sea clouds and all to hell Such Troian that was saued then 'gan to cry Happy were they that did with Priam die It glads mee now to thinke that that night was No starre no not Orion there appear'd But this night 's turnd to day and heere doth shine For a good Omen my imbraced Queene With whom her Agamemnon still will stay Till age and death shall beare him quite away Exeunt Agamemnon Clytemnestra eumeateris SCEN. II. manet Egysteus Aegyst. ANd that shall be ere long tush shall be 's slow My vengefull thoughts tell mee thou now art dead Fie saint Apollo weakling infant-God Why wouldst thou let lame Vulcan's hammers beat Downe those braue Turrets which thou help'dst to build Venus I see thou art a woman now Which here are like to take a double foyle For me that whilome reueld in thy campe In the sweet pleasures of incestuous sheets Must leaue our lou'd vnsatiate desires But now begin thou blacke Eumenides You hand-mayds of great Dis let such a flame Of anger burne mee as doth Etna's forge On fury on our hate shall not die thus I 'll draw my poysonous arrow to the length That it may hit the marke and fly with strength Exit SCEN. III Enter Orestes Pylades Orest. COme now my dearest friend my other selfe My empty soule is now fild to the top Brimfull with gladnesse and it must runne o'r Into my deare friends heart those siluer hayres Which Time hath crown'd my Fathers brow withall Doe shine within mine eyes and like the Sunne Extract all drossie vapors from my soule Like as the earth whom frost hath long benumb'd And brought an Icie drinesse on her face Her veines so open at a sudden thaw That all plants fruits flowers and tender grafts Kept as close prisoners in their mothers wombe Starts out their heads and on a sudden doth The sad earths countenance with a summer looke So in this brest here in this brest deare friend Whiles Annus ten times circled in the world Ten clumzie winters and ten lagging springs Hath with my Fathers absence frozen beene All thoughts of ioy which now shall make a spring In my refreshed soule Things that wee daily see th' affections cloy Hopes long desired bring the greatest ioy Pyl. Nay but deare Cousin giue not the reines too much To new receiued ioyes lest that they runne With so much speed
creatures they haue such Maeanders Their teares will come and goe with such Art Come now my Queene one sweet Ambrosian kisse O Nectar prethe hadst thou taught thy teares How they should flow before Clyt. No trust me loue I knew my teares would soon be at command And faith the boy had almost made me weepe Really once were not my curses rare Aegyst. Yes all was woman like but yet that boy He tooke it deepely would he were with his father So gon it skills not how were he away We would act freely all our lustfull play Clyt. O but my loue hee 's mine nor can the rauen Dig her sharpe beake into her owne birds brest He will forget his father woe will breake 'T is not the greatest griefe that most doth speake Egyst. O but hee 'll beare a still suspitious eye And who in bloudy Scenes doth act a part Thinks euery eye doth penetrate his heart Nor can we ere be free or I inioy True pleasures we must be but theeues at most Close in delights and haue a Pander still To be a Factor 'twixt thy bed and mine This we could haue before what now we doe The world should see done and applaud it too Clyt. Why my deare Loue I that would set my hand To staine my marriage sheets with husbands blood Would let these hands instructed now in ill Not leaue one arme of that vprooted tree Could but Aegystheus giue me any hope That from this top there should one spreading branch Grow vp and flourish Aegyst. Now thou art thy selfe Yes yes my loue there shall one spring from vs Shall be a lofty Pine let this be cropt Murder must murder guard guilt adde to guilt After one drop whole streams of blood be spilt walks away SCEN. III Enter Pylades Orestes Electra Strophius DEare friend what mean you to o'rwhelme your selfe In such a sea of griefe Orest. Father deare Agamem Pyl. Nay let this tempest fall thou hast lost a father Why t is but change my father shall be thine I 'll be thy brother nay I 'll be thy selfe Weepe when thou weep'st and where thou go'st I 'll goe And bring thee on thy pilgrimage of woe Elect. Brother looke vp haue not I lost a father Yes and would a riuer of fresh teares Turne Lethes streame and bring him from the wharf With a North gale of windy blowing sighs I would expire my soule become all teares Stroph. Come you haue lost a father I a brother The Queene a Husband all the Land a King Yet all thi 's but a man Therefore must die Our woes may all be in one ballance poys'd His booke of life the Fates had ouer-read And turn'd the leafe where his last period stood Now an immortall wreath circles his brow And makes him King in heauen who was before At most a God on earth Hence difference springs Kings are earths Gods and Gods are heauenly Kings Orest. Let vs ioyne words then now and Swan-like sing The dolefull dirge to a departed King Thou friend didst of this misery diuine Therefore the burthen of the song is mine Words Orators for woe which plead the cause When griefe 's the Iudge and sighs are all the lawes Each one a sob for Diapason beares Our tunes shall drowne the musique of the spheares O what Hirudo with vnsatiate thirst Could draw the blood from out those Princely veynes From whence flowes comfort to so many soules Spies his mother goes to her Mother when wept you last heere take a scarfe Dry your eyes now by Ioue you need none What shine of comfort hath dri'd vp your teares Clyt. Our sonne 's too sawcie with his mother Queene Why Sir shall you tell vs a time to weepe Orest. Vs good Who is 't makes the plurality 'T was wont to be my father does he liue Clyt. Sir curbe this lauish speech or I 'll forget You are my sonne and make you but a subiect Aegyst. Good Cousin adde not disobedience Vnto your mothers griefes Orrst. My mother no She is not here no she hath hid her selfe In some odde nooke or angle vnperceiu'd She might not see this impious stygian world Clyt. Aegistheus canst thou still suffer thy dul sword i' th sheath Take the ranke head from this o'r-growing weed Stro. Remember Clytemnestra he 's your sonne Clyt. He is so and I 'll learne him to be so Had I a brazen bull it should be heat Hotter then for the Tyrant Disobedient More harsh then Adders hisses is thy voyce Sir you shall die but with a liuing death He still shall liue but liue to know he dies Who strait threats death knowes not to Tyrannize Exeunt Aegystheus Clytemnestra Stro. What temper 's growne on the distracted Queene Hath griefe conceiu'd for her late husbands death Brought her so farre shee hath forgot her selfe Orest. No Vncle no by heauen I doe suspect O my propheticke soule diuines much ill Well I will flie but heare this stratagem It shall be rumor'd i' th eare o' th Court I was found dead I 'll put a new shape on And liue alone to heare how things goe here Pyl. Nay not alone Orestes whilst I liue Shouldst make thy bed vpon the rigid Alps Or frozen Caucasus wrapt in sheets of snow I 'd freeze vnto thy side we will tell tales Of Troian warriers and deposed Kings Tell of strange shipwracke of old Priams fall How mad Andromacha did teare her hayre When the wild horses tore braue Hectors limbs Wee 'll thinke they all doe come and weepe with vs Griefe loues companions and it helpeth woe When it heares euery one grone forth his Oh It easeth much and our plaints fall more sweet When a whole consort in one tune doe meet The halfe-dead ship-man which hath shipwracke borne Seeing many drown'd it makes him lesse to mourne It made Deucalion care the lesse to die When hee had all the world in company Thus we will sit and our teares turnes shall keepe Thou for thy father I for thee will weepe If actors on the stage hauing no cause But for to winne an hearers hands applause Can let fall teares wee 'll thinke wee Actors be And onely doe but play griefes Tragedie Orest. O but deare friend should we but act a part The play being ended passion left the heart And we should share of ioy but my whole age Must neuer moue from off this wofull Stage But we must take our leaue Vncle farewell Remember what I spake and Sister you Must tarry here my thoughts shall busied be To finde the man that let my father blood Can I but finde Aegystheus did consent To spill one drop O I would pierce his heart With venom'd daggers and so butcher him That all Apollo's skill in physicke hearbs Nor Aesculapius th' Epidaurian God Should keepe his soule out of Enio's hand Come my deare friend to all the rest farewell If heauen relate it not I 'll know 't from hell Exeunt Pylades Orestes SCEN. IIII Enter Aegysteus Clytemnestra
Mysander Strophiues Electra another way Aegyst. WHat is Orestes fled sure there 's some plot If you deare Queen but search Elect well You 'll finde she knowes whither her brothers gone Clyt. If in her heart there be but lodg'd a thought Vnknowne to mee this hand shall rip her brest And search her inparts but I 'll finde it out Mysander call Electra Aegyst. O were that moat tane from our comforts beams No cloud could euer then o'rshade our ioyes His life must be cut off without delay Mischiefe by mischiefe findes the safest vvay But here 's Electra Clyt. Why how now Minion what a blubbering still Huswife pray vvhere 's your brother where 's my sonne Elect. Mother pray wher 's my father wher 's your husband Haile to my gratious Queene here 's one at doore Enter Strophius and speaks Brings you a message hee vvill not relate To any but your selfe he saies t is sad Clyt. Why the more dismall the more vvelcome 't is But as for you Elect. Good mother doe your worst No plague can euer make me more accurst Nothing is worse then death that I 'll not flye Clyt. Yes life is worse to those that faine vvould die But vvhere 's the messenger SCEN. V. Enter Nuncius WHat whirlewind rising from the wombe of earth Doth raise huge Pelion vnto Ossa's top That both being heapt I stand vpon them both And with an hundred Stentor-drowning voyce Relate vnto the world the saddest tale That euer burdned the weake iawes of man Aegyst. Why what portentuous newes Amaze vs not Tell vs what e'r it be Nun. Were my minde settled would the gellid feare That freezeth vp my sense set free my speech I would vnfold a tale which makes my heart Throb in my intralls when I seeme to see 't Clyt. Relate it quickly hold 's not in suspence Nun. Vpon the mount of yonder rising cliffe Which the earth hath made a bulwarke for the sea Whose peerlesse head is from the streames so high That whosoe'r lookes downe his braine will swim With a vertigo The space remou'd so farre The obiect from the eye that a tall ship Seem'd a swift flying bird vpon this top Saw I two men making complaints to heauen One's voyce distinctly still cry'd Father King Great Agamemnon whose diuiner soule Fled from thy corps exil'd by buchers hands His friend still sought to keepe his dying life With words of comfort that it should not rush Too violently vpon the hands of Fate He deafe as sea to which he made his plaints Still cryed out Agamemnon I will come And finde thy blessed soule where e'r it walke In what faire Tempe of Elisium So e'r it be my soule shall find it out With that his friend knit him within his armes Striuing to hold him but when t was no boot They hand in hand thus plung'd into the maine Strait they arose and striu'd me thought for life But swelling Neptune not regarding friends Wrapt their embraced limbs in following waues Vntill at last their deare departing soules Hastned to Styx and I no more cloud see Stro. O 't was Orestes 't was my Pylades Which arme in arme did follow him to death Elect. O my Orestes O my dearest brother 'T is he 't is he that thus hath drown'd himselfe Aegyst. Why then if Agamemnon and his sonne Haue brought their leafe of life to the full end I am Thyestes sonne and the next heyre To sit in Argos Throne of Maiesty Thanks to our Alpheus sea who as' t'ad striu'd To gratifie Aegystheus rais'd his force And gathered all his waters to one place They might be deepe inough to drowne Orestes But come my Queene let vs command a feast To get a kingdome who 'ld not thinke it good To swim vnto it through a sea of blood ACT. III SCEN. I. Enter Tyndarus Misander Tynd. OVr daughter send for vs how fares she well She mournes I 'm sure for her husbands death Mis. My Lord shee tooke it sadly at the first But time hath lessen'd it Tynd. I griefe soone ends That flowes in teares they still are womens friends But how is 't rumord now in Argos though That Agamemnon dyde Mys. Why hee was old And death thought best to seise on him at home Tynd. 'T was a long home hee got by comming home Well well Misander I like not the course The peoples murmure makes my cheekes to blush Mis. My gracious Lord who trusts their idle murmure Must neuer let the blush goe from his cheeke They are like flagges growing on muddy banks Whose weake thin heads blowne with one blast of winde They all will shake and bend themselues one way Great mindes must not esteeme what small tongues say All things in state must euer haue this end The vulgar should both suffer and commend If not for loue for feare great maiesty Should doe those things the vulgar dare not see Tynd. O Sir but those that doe commend for feare Doe in their hearts a secret hatred beare Euer learne this the truest praise indeed Must from the heart and not from words proceed I feare some foule play doth Aegystheus meane Then totally for to inuest himselfe In Agamemnons seat Where 's young Orestes Mis. Why my Lord hee for the great griefe conceiu'd Being young not knowing well to rule himselfe With sway of reason ranne vpon his death And threw himselfe with my Lord Strophius sonne Into the midst of Alpheus so was drown'd Tynd. How took my daughter that Mis. Why wisely too And like her selfe not being in despaire Her royall wombe will bring forth many more Shall be as deare as e'r Orestes was Tynd. I feare heauen cannot looke with equall eyes Vpon so many deaths but meanes to send Plague after plague for in a wretched state One ill begets another dismall Fate But goe and tell my daughter I will come And helpe to solemnize her nuptiall night Her hasty wedding and the old Kings neglect Makes my coniecturall soule some ill suspect Exeunt SCEN. II. Enter Orestes and Pylades Orest. IF euer God lent any thing to earth Whereby it seem'd to symphatize with heauen It is this sacred friendship Gordian knot Which Kings nor Gods nor Fortune can vndoe O what Horoscopus what constellation Held in our birth so great an influence Which one affection in two mindes vnites How hath my wo beene thine my fatall ill Hath still beene parted and one share beene thine Pyl. Why dearest friend suppose my case were thine And I had lost a father wouldst not thou In the like sort participate my griefe Orest. Yes witnesse heauen I would Pyl. So now thou hast lost a father Orest. True Pylades thou putst me well in mind I haue lost a father a deare deare father A King a braue old King a noble souldier And yet he was murdered O my forgetfull soule Why should not I now drawe my vengefull sword And strait-way sheath it in the murderers heart Minos should neuer haue vacation Whilst any of our progeny remain'd Well I
'de see my mother burnt before I de goe Why shouldst thou bring her she would stifle thee Stifle thee in thy bed as my mother did Pylad. Still harping on thy mother Orest. Harping no Let Orpheus harpe O I she was she was A very very Harpie Pyl. Thus madnes playes And keeps a certaine measure in his words Orest. O I suckt out my mothers dearest blood I did indeed O she plagues me for 't now O I must goe lie downe in Tytius place Ixion too he Sir would faine resigne I scorne your petty plagues I 'll haue a Worse O the vulture the wheele the vulture Pyl. See how his conscious thoughts like fiends of hell Doe arme themselues and lash his guilty soule He see 's no vulture nor no Scorpion strikes Yet doth his conscience whip his bloody heart He needs no witnesses he hath within A thousand thoughts which testifie his sin No punishment so strickt no deadly smart As priuate guilt that smiteth on the heart Orest. I did I confesse I did I kild them all Ript vp the wombe that bare me nay I did O Tantalus thy plague some meate some meate Who pulls those apples hence let them alone Nay sinke to the bottom I will follow thee Lies downe to drinke The riuer 's drie my mother hath drunke all Pyl. Alas come goe with me we will finde drinke Orest. Is Pluto's buttry ope his drinks too hot I doubt 't will scald me but I 'll taste on 't yet Th' Eumenides stand to whip me as I goe Nay I will passe you I will out-slip them all Exit currens Pyl. See in his conscience lies hels punishment Our own thoughts iudges none are innocent Exit SCEN. VI. Enter 2. Lords 1 Lord WE that haue here ben born to see this change May leaue the court and tell our children tales Of the dire fall of Inachus great house The young Prince mad the Princesse kild her selfe Old Strophius dead from griefe and murder heapt Corps vpon corps as if they ment t' inuite All hell to supper or som Iouiall night 2 Lor. Nay but my Lord this is most pittifull That the yong Prince should thus from dore to dore Beg for his foode and yet none dare to giue I saw him wandring yesterday alone Flying from euery crow or pratling Pie Crying out mother and as if there had Tormenting Furies following him with fraud And truth I thought to tell old Tyndarus To moue his ruthfull yeeres to pitty him And will you ioyne petitioner with me Wee 'll tell the cause 't is good to ease misery 1 Lord My Lord I like your motion and will ioyne For Agamemnons sake my honor'd Master Exeunt SCEN. VII. Enter Orestes Pylades with naked rapiers Orest. MY Fury leaues me now I 'me at my last And now me thinks thou truely art a friend Now with vndaunted spirit preuent my griefe And let thy rapier drinke blood greedily As if it lou'd it cause it is thy friend Now rid me of my woe thy friendly vow Neuer did truely shew it selfe till now Pyl. Why then deare friend I thus erect this arme And will be strong to thee as thou to me Wee 'll looke vpon our deathes with better face Then others doe on life come Tyndarus see We scorne to liue when all our friends are dead Nor shall thy Fury make base famine be The executioner to my dearest friend Whilst I can kill him therefore spight of thee Wee 'll free our selues past all calamity Orest. Yes Pylades we will beguile our time And make him search through euery nooke a' th world If he in all his race can euer spie Two that like vs did liue like vs did die But we delay our death now brauely come And the last parting word shall be strike home they run at one another run again Pyl. O brauely strook deare friend yet once again Orst. Yes at one thrust two friends must not be slain O how I loue these wounds heauen dropping showers When the outragious dogge makes clouds of dust Vpon the thirsty earth come not more sweet Then the blest streames of blood thy rapier raines Hence weapon for my loynes now scorne all props But my friends armes O beare good leggs a while The weight of murder sits vpon my soule And bends my staggering ioynts vnto the earth Pyl. Haste haste I faint but O yet let my strength Be Atlas to sustaine the falling world Breath breath sweet vapours of two trusty hearts And let our breaths ascend to heauen before To make a roome hard by the frozen pole Where that our winged soules shall mount and sit More glorious then the Concubines of loue Wreath'd with a crowne of rich enamel'd starres Leauing all ages to deplore our death That friendships abstract perish with our breath Orest. Fly thou best part of man where Hecate Borne on the swarthy shoulders of the Euen Sits in a groue of oakes till gray eye'd morne Bids her to throw off nights blacke Canopie Pyl. Wil 't die before me Stay stay I come Orest. O graspe me then our names like Gemini Shall make new starres for to adorne the skie Is thy breath gone Pyl. O yes 't is almost past Then both together thus wee 'll breath our last They fall downe dead embracing each other SCEN. VIII. Enter in haste Tyndarus Lords with others Tynd. WEnt they this way my Lords you moue mee much Could I find him now I would seat him new In his right Kingdome which doth weigh downe mee 1 Lord I see my Lord Orestes and his friend Without your leaue haue made themselues an end Tynd. Then now is Argos Court like to some stage When the sad plot fills it with murdred Trunckes And none are left aliue but onely one To aske the kinde spectators plaudite All else haue bid valete to the world The man reseru'd for that is Tyndarus Who thus hath seen his childrens childrens end His Grandchild a bad sonne a most deare friend The Scene must now be ouerflow'd with grones Each man sits downe to waile his priuate mones One for the Queen doth weep one for the King All taste the bitter waters of this Spring The Nurse bewails the child that part she beares All haue their subiects to bedew with teares Each one yet haue but one but all of mee Challenge a part in griefes sad sympathy Orestes Clytemnstra I must call These all for mine thus must I weepe for all Let none belieue this deed or if they doe Let them belieue this punishment then too 'T is vile to hate a Father but such loue As breeds a hate to 'th mother worse doth proue Our life consists of ayre our state of winde All things we leaue behind vs which wee find Sauing our faults witnesse Orestes here VVho was his owne tormentor his owne feare VVho flying all yet could not fly him selfe But needs must shipwrack vpon murders shelfe And so his brest made hard with miserie He grew himselfe to be his enemy Thus griefe and gladnesse still by turnes do come But pleasure leastwhile doth possesse the roome Long nights of griefe may last but lo one day Of shining comfort slideth soone away He whom all feare on earth must feare a fate For all our powers are subordinate Three howres space thus well can represent Vices contriu'd and murders punishment A Monarchs life can in this little space Shew all the pompe that all the time doth grace His risings and his falls and in one span Of time can shew the vanity of man For none of vs can so command the powers That we may say to morrow shall be ours Now Fortunes wheele is turn'd and time doth call To solemnize this friendly funerall No force so great no so disaster wrong As can vnknit the bands which holdeth strong Vnited hearts who since they thus are dead One roome one tombe shall hold them buried And as these friends ioyn'd hands to beare their Fate So we desire you to imitate VVho since they all are dead we needs must craue Your gentle hands to bring them to their graue THE END