bondage eake he leades the foalke of long assaulted Troyâ— Yet darest thou by pollecye attempt him to annoye Whom w t the dynt of glittryng swerd Achilles durst not harme Although his rash and desperate dickâ— The froward knyght did armeâ— Nor Aiax yet more hardye man vp yeldyng vitall breth Whom frantycke iurye fell enforste to wound him selfe to death Nor Hector he whose onlye lyfe procuerd the Grekes delay And long in war for victorye enforced them to staye Nor Paris shaft whose connyng hand with shot so sure did ayme Nor myghtye Memnon swart and black had power to hurt the same Nor Xanâ—hus flood wher to and froe dead caâ—kasis did swyme With armour hewd and ther with all some maymed broken lyme Nor Simois that purple wawmes with slaughter died doth steare Nor Cygnus Lylly whyght the sonnâ— of fenny god so deare Nor yet the muâ—teryng Thracian host nor warlyke Reâ—sus kynge Nor Amazons who to the wars did painted Quiuers brynge And bare their harâ—hets in their hands with target and wyth sheylde Yet had no powre with gastly wound to foyle hym in the feylde Syth he such scourynges hath escapte and plunge of peryls paste Entendest thou to murther hym returning home at laste And sacred alters to prophane with slaughter so vâ—â—ure Shall Grece th aduenger let this wroug longe vnreuengd endure The gâ—ym and fearce coragious horse the battails shouâ—es and cries The swelling seas which brusâ—d barks do dread when stormes aryse Behold the feildes w t streames of blood ouerflowne and depely droâ—â—d And all the Cheualrie of Troy in seruile bondage bounde Which Grekes haue writ in registers thy stubburne stomacke binde Subdue thy â—onde affections and pacyfie thy mynd◠¶ The .ii. Acte The .ii. Sceane Aegisthus Clytemnestra THe curssed tyme that euermore my mynd dyd most detest The dais that I abhorred haue and hated in my brest Are come are come that myne estate wyll brynge to vtter wracke Alas my harte why doest thou fayle and fayntyng flyest backe What doest thou meane at fyrst assaltâ— from armour thus to flye Trust thys the cruell gods intendâ— thy dolfull destinie To wrap thee in wyth peryls round and catche thee in a bande Endeuer drudge with all thy powre theyr plagues for to wythstand Wyth stomake stoute rebellious to fyre and swerd appeal Cly. ¶ It is no plague if such a death thy natyue destnies deal â—eg ¶ O partners of my peryls all begot of Leda thou Direct thy doinges aâ—ter myne and vnto thee I vowe This drosell fluggysh ryngleader thys stoute stronge harâ—ed â—yre Shall pay the so much bloâ—d agayne as shed he hath in fyre How haps it that hys treÌ„bling cheekes to be so pale and whyght Lyenge agast as in a traunce wyth fayntyng face vpryght Cly. ¶ His coÌ„scieÌ„ce wedloâ—k vow doth prick and brynges hym home agayne Let vs returne the selfe same â—rade a newe for to retayne To which at first we should haue stuck and ought not to forsake To couenaunt contynent a newe let vs our selues betake To take the trade of honestie at no tyme is to late He purged is from punyshment whose harte the cryme doth hate Aâ—g ¶ Why whether wilt thou gad o rashe and vnaduysed dame What doest thou ernestly beleue and fyrmly trust the same That Agamemnons spousall bed wyll loyall be to thee That nought doth vnderprop thy mind whych myght thy terrour bee Hys proud successe pufte vp to hyghe wiâ—h lucky blast of wynde Myght make so cranke and set alofte hys hawty swellyng mynde Amonge hys peares he stately was er Troian turrets torne How â—hynk ye then hys stomack stout by nature gyuen to scorne In haughtynes agmented is more in hym selfe to ioye Through thys tryumphant vyctorye and conquest got of Troye Before hys voyage miceane kynge moste mylâ—ly dyd he reygne But now a Tyrant truculent returnd he is agayne Good lucke and proud prosperytie do make hys harte so ryse With what great preparacion prepared solemne wyse A rablement of strumpets come that clonge about hym all But yet the prophetesse of Phaebe whom god of trueth we call Appeares aboue the rest she kepes the kynge she doth hym guyde Wylâ— thou in wedlock haue a mate and not for it prouyde So wolde not she the greatâ—st greefe this is vnto a wyte Her husbandes minion in her house to leade an open lyfe A queenes estate can not abyde her peare with her to reygne And Ielous wedlock will not her companyon sustayne Cly. ¶ Aegâ—st in desprat mode agayne why seâ—st thou me a flote Why kyndlest thou the sparkes of ire in imbers couered hote If that the vyctors owne free will releas his captyues care Why may not I hys lady spouse haue hope as well to fare One lawe doth rule in royall throne and pompous pryncely towers Amonge the vulgar sorte another in pryuate symple bowers what though my grudgyng fansy force that at my husbandes hande Sharpe execution of the lawe I sâ—ubbernly withstande â—ecordyng thys that haynousâ—ye offended hym I haue â—gently wyll me pardon graunt who nede the same to craue Aeg. ¶ Euen so on thys condicion thou mayst wyth hym compounde To pardon hym if he agayne to pardon thee be bounde The subtle scyence of the lawe The statutes of our lande That longe ago decreed were thou doest not vnderstande The Iudges be malicious men they spyâ—hte and enuye vs But he shall haue them parciall hys causes to dyscns Thys is the chiefest pryuiledge that doth to kynges belonge What lawes forbyddeth other men they do and do no wronge Cly. ¶ He pardned Helen she is wedd to Menela agayne Whych Europ all wyth Asia dyd plonge alyke in payne Aeg. ¶ No Ladyes luste hath rauyshte yet Atrides in hys lyfe Nor pryuelie purloynd hys harte betrâ—thed to hys wyfe To picke a quarell he begyns and matter thee to blame Suppose thou nothyng hast coÌ„mytâ— that worthy is of shame What â—oteth hym whom prynces hate an honest lyfe to frame He neuer doth complayne his wronge but euer beares the blame Wylt thou repayre to Spart and to thy countrey trudge aryght Wylt thou becom a ronagate from such a worthy wyght Deuorcement made from kynges wil not so let the matter scape Thou easest fear by fyckle hope that falsly thou doest shape Cly. ¶ My trespas is dysclosd to none but to a trustye wyght Aeg. ¶ At prynces gates fydelytye yet neuer enter myght Cly. ¶ I wyll corrupt and feâ—de him sâ— with syluer and wyth gould That I by brybyng binde hym shall no secrets to vnfould Aeg. ¶ The trust that hyred is and bought by brybes and moneys fee Thy counsell to bewray a gayne with brybes entyste wyll bee Cly. ¶ The remnaunt left of shamfaâ—nes of those vngracyous â—ryckes Wherin of late I dyd delyght my concience freshly prycks Why kepest thou such a busy stur and wyth thy flattryng speache Enst ructyng me wyth lewd aduise dost wicked counsell preache Shall I forsooth of royall blood with all the speede
thou hale and pull They chyflye ought to worshyp god whose hartes with grefe be dull Cass. ¶ My feare by this aflyction is cleane abated al Nor prayeng to the heauenly ghostes for mercye will I call Although they wer disposd to chafe and fret in fustien fumes They nothyng haue me to displease fortune her force consumes Her spyte is worne vnto the stumpes what contrey haue I lefte Wher is my syre am I of all my systers quyt bereft The sacred tombes and alter stones our blood haue dronke and swyld Where are my bretherne blessed knot destroyed in the fylde All wyddow wyues of Priams sonnes may easly now behould The pallace voyd and cast of court of syllye Priam ould And by so manye marriages so many wyddows ar But onlye Hellen commyng from the coast of Lacon far That Hecuba the mother of so many a pryncelye wyght whose frutful womb did breed y â— brand of fyer blasyng bryght Who also bare the swinge in Troy by practis now doth learne New lawes and guyse of destynie in bondage to discerne On her she taketh hart of grace with lookes so sterne and wylde And barketh as a bedlem bitche aboute her strangled chyld Dear Polidor the remnaunt left and onely hope of Troy Hector and Priam to reuenge and to restore her ioy Cho. ¶ The sacred Phaebus prophet is with sodaine sylence husht A quakyng tremblyng shiueryng fear throughout her lymbs hath rusht Her face as pale as asshes is her fillits stand vpryght The soft and gentle goldilocks starte vp of her affrigyt Her panting breathing brest stuft vp within doth grunt and grone Her glaring bryght and steaming eies are hether and thyther throwneâ— Now glauÌ„cyng vp downe they roll now standyng styffe they stare she stretcheth vp her head more streight then commenly she bare Bolt vp she goes her wrastling iawes that fast together clinge She doth attempt by dyuers meanes on sonder how to wringe Her moÌ„bling words in gabling mouth shut vp she doth asswage As Menas mad that Bacchus ares doth serue in furious rage Cass. ¶ How doth it hap o sacred tops of hyghe Parnassus hyll That me be rapt of sens with pricks of fury fresh ye fill Why do you me with ghost inspyre that am besyde my wits O Phaebus none of thyne I am releas me from the fyts Infixed in my burnyng brestes the flames extinguysh out Who forceth me with fury fell to gad and trot about Or for whose sake inspird with spryte mad momblyng make must I Why play I now the prophet cold syth Troy in dust doth lye The day doth shrinke for dread of war the nyght doth dym myne eyes With mantell black of darknes depe cleane couerd is the skyes But loe two shynyng Sunnes at oneâ— in heauen appereth bryght Two Grecian howses muster do their armies twaine to fyght Amonge the myghty Goddesis in Ida woods I see The fatall shepherd in hys throne as vmpier plast to bee I do aduise you to beware beware I say of kynges A kyndred in whose cancred hartes olde pryuy grudges sprynges That cuntrey clowne Aegisthus he this stock shall ouerthrowe What doth this folish despret dame her naked wepons showe Whose crowne entendeâ—h she to crack in weede of Lacon lande With hatchet by the Amazons inuented fyrst in hand What face of myghty maiestie bewitched hath myne eyes The conquerour of saluage beastes Marmarick Lyon lyes Whose noble necke is wurried with currysh fange and tooth The churlysh snappes of eger Lionesse abyde he dooth Alac ye gostes of all my frendes why should ye say that I Among the rest am onlâ—e safe from perils far to lye Fayne father folow thee I wold Troy beyng layd in dust O brother terrour of the Grekes O Troyans ayd and trust Our auncient pomp I do not see nor yet thy warmed handes That ferce on grekish flaminge flete dyd flyng the fyry brandes But maÌ„gled meÌ„bers schorched corps and eake thy valyant armes Harde piniond and bound in bandes sustaynyng greuous harmes O Troylus a match vnfit encounteryng with Achill That myghtye man of armes to sone com vnto the I wyll I do delyght to sayle with them on stynkyng Stygian flood To vew the churlyshe mastyfe cuâ— of hell it doth me good And gaping mouâ—hed kyngdome darke of gredy Ditis raygne The barge of fylthy Phlegethon this day shall entertayne Me conqueryng and conquered and prynces soules with all You flyteryng shades I you beseche and eake on the I call O Stygian poole wheron the gods theyr solemne othes do take Unbolt a whyle the brasen bars of darksom lymbo lake Wherby the Phrygian folke in hell may Micean state be holde Loke vp ye sellye wretched soules the fates ar backward roulde The sqallye sisters do approch and deal thier bloodye strokes Their smultring faggots in their haÌ„ds halfe burnt to asshes smokes Their visages so pale do burne with fyrye flamyng eyes A garment blacke theyr gnawed gutts doth gyrde in morning guyse Dire dred of night begins to howle the bones of bodye vast With lieng long do rot corrupt in myrie pudle cast Behold the werye aged man his burnyng thurst forgot The waters dalyeng at his lypps to catche endeuors not But murneth for the funerall that shall ensue anon The Troyan prince hys royall robes tryumphant putteth on Cho. ¶ The furious rage clean ouerpast begyns it selfe to slake And flyps away euen as a Bull that deadly wounde doth take On gasshed neck afront the ares come let vs ease at last Her lymbes that of the spryte of god hath felt the myghty blast Returning home agayne at lengthe and cround with Lawrell bow A sygne of worthy vyctorye is Agamemnon now The wyte to mete her husband doth her spedy passage plye Returning hand in hand and fote by fote most louingly ¶ The .iiii. Acte Agamemnon Cassandra AT lengthe I do aryue agayne vppon my natyue soyleâ— God saue the o dear loued land to thee is huge a spoyle So many barbarous people yeilde the flowre of Asia Troy To beare thy yoke submyts her selfe that longe did lyue in ioye Why doth thys prophet on the grouÌ„d her sprawling body layd Thus rele and stagger on her neck all tremblynge and dismaide Sirs take her vp with lycour warme let her be cheryshed Now peepes she vp agayn w t drouping eyes sonke in her head Pluck vp thy spryte here is the porte wisht for in myserye This day is festiuall Cass. ¶ At Troy so was it wont to be Aga. ¶ Let vs to Chalters worshyp gyâ—e Cass. ¶ At Chalters dyed my syer Aga. ¶ Pray we to Ioue Cass. ¶ To Ioue whose grace diuine doth me inspire Aga. ¶ Dost thou suppose that Troy y u seist Cass. ¶ And Priam eke I see Aga. ¶ Troy is not here Ca. ¶ wher Helen is there take I Troy to bee Aga. ¶ Fear not as maid to serue thy dame Cass. ¶ Nay fredome draweth nye Aga. ¶ take thou no thought how y u shalt liue Cass. ¶ All cares for to defye
Death gyues a corage vnto me Aga. ¶ Yet say I once agayne There is no daunger left wherby thou myghtest hurte sustaine Cass. ¶ But yet much troublous dauÌ„ger doth hang ouer thy head I wot Aga. ¶ What mischeife may a victor dread Cass. ¶ Euen that he dreadeth not Aga. ¶ Ye trusty meny of my men come cary her away Tyll of the spryte she ryd her selfe lest fury force her say That may be preiudicall her toâ—ge she can not frame To thee o father flyngyng furth the lyghtninges flasshing flame That dost disperse the cloudes rule the course of euery starre And guide the Globe of earth to whom the booties woon by warre With tryumphe victors dedicate to thee o Iuno hyght The syster deare of doughty Ioue thy husband full of myht Both I and Greece with flesh blood and eke our vowed beast And gorgyouâ—â— giftes of Arabie gyue worshyp to thy hest Chorus O Grece by noble Gentlemen in honour shyning clear O Grece to wrathfull Iuno thou that art the darlyng dear Some ioly worthy lusty blood thou fosters euermore Thou hast made euen the gods y t were a number od before That puyssant myghtie Hercules a noble impe of thine Deserued by hys trauels twelue rapt vp in heauen to shyne For whom the heauens did alter cours and Iupiter with all Did iterate the howres of nyght when dampish dewe doth fall And charged Phaebus charyot swyfte to trot with slower pace And leasurely bryght lady moone thy homward wayne to trace Bryght Lucifer that yeare by yeare hys name a newe doth chaunge Came back againe to whom the name of Hesper semed straunge Aurora to her commâ—n course her reared head addrest And cowchyng bacward down agayn the same she did arest Uppon the shoulder of her spouse whose yeares with age are worne The east did fele so felt the west that Hercules was borne Dame nature could not clean dispatch to vtter in one nyght That boystous lad the whyrling world did wayght for such awyght O babe whose sholders vnderprop the ample spacious skye In clasped armes thy prowes dyd the crusshed Lion trye Who from his fyrye yawnyng throte spewes out his broyling brande The nimble hynd in Menall mount hath known thy heauy hand The Bore hath felt thy fyst which diâ— Arcadia destroye The monstrous conquerd Bul hath rord that Creta did anoye The Dragon dire that bredyng beast in Lerna poole he slew And choppyng of one head forbadd therof to ryse anewe Wtih cloobbed brusyng battring batte he cranckly did subdew The bretherne twins y â— tewd on teat wherof .iii. monsters grew Of tryple formed Gerion the spoyle into the east A droue of cattell Hercules dyd fetch out of the west Away from tyrant Diomede the Thracian hors he led Which nether with the grasse that grew by Styrmon flood he fed Nor yet on Heber bankes but them the vyllayn dyd refresh His gredy mounching cramming iades with aliantes blood and flesh Their rawfed iawes imbrewd wer with the carmans blood at last The spoyles and shaftes Hipolyte saw from her bosom wrast As sone as he with clatryng shaft the duskye cloud did smyte The Stymphal byrd that shadowed the sun did take her flyght The fertyll tree that aples beares of gould did feare him sore Which neuer yet acquayntaunce had with â—asters toth before But whipping vp w t lyuely twygges into the ayre she flyes And while the chinking plate doth souÌ„d then Argos full of eyes The watchman shrinking close for cold that slepe yet neuer knew Doth here the noyse while Hercules with mettall of yellow hew Wel loden packs away and lefte the groue befylched cleane The hound of hell dyd holde his tonge drawne vp in triple cheane Nor barkt with any boughing throte nor could abyde the hewe Or colour of the heauenly lyght whose beames he neuer knew When thou wert captayne generall and didst conducte our Hoste They that of Dardans lygne to come theyr stock do falsly boast Were vanquished by force of armes and since they felt agayne thy gray goose winge whose bitternes to feare myght them constraine ¶ The .v. Acte Cassandra WIthin a reuell rexe is kept as sore as euer was EueÌ„ at y e .x. yeres seige of Troy What thing is this alas Get vp my soule and of the rage auengment worthy craue Though Phrygians we be vanquyshed the victorie we haue The matter well is brought abought vp Troy thou rysest now Thou flat on floore haste pulde downe Grece to lye as low as thou Thy conqerour doth turne hys face my propheseing spryght Did neuer yet disclose to me so notable a syght I see the same and am thearat and busyed in the broyle No vision fond fantasticall my senses doth beguile Such fare as Phrygians feasted with on last vnhappy nyght At Agamemnons royall court full dayntyly they dight With purple hangings al adornd the brodred beds do shyne In olde Assaracks goblets gylt they swinck and swill the wyne The kinge in gorgyous royall robes on chayre of state doth syt And pranckt with pride of Priams pomp of whom he conquerd it Put of this hostile wede to hym the queene his wyfe gan saye And of thy louyng lady wrought weare rather thys araye This garmeÌ„t knit It makes me lothe that shiuering here Island O shall a kynge be murthered by a banysht wretches hand Out shall Thadulterer destroy the husbande of the wyfe The dreadfull destynies approcht the foode that last in lyfe He tastâ—d of before hys death theyr maysters blood shall see The gubs of blood downe dropping on the wynd shall powred bee By traytrous tryck of trapping wede hys death is brought aboute Which being put vppon his head his handes could not get out The stopped poake with mouth set opâ— hys muffled head doth hyde The mankynd dame w t trembling hand the swerde drew from her syde Nor to the vtmost of her myght it in hys fâ—esh she thrast But in the giuing of the stroke she stayed all agast He as it were a brystled Bore entangled in the net Among the brears in busshy woods yet tryeth out to get w t strugling much the shrinking bands more streyghtly he doth bynd He stryues in vayne and wold slip of the snare that doth hym blynd Which catcheth hold on euery syde but yet then tangled wreatch Doth grope aboute hys subtle foes with grypyng hand to catche But furious Tyndaris prepard the pollax in her hande And as the preyst to sacryfyce at Thalter syde doth stande And vewes with eie the bullocks neck ear that with axe he smyte So to and fro she heaues her hand to stryke and leuell right He hath the stroke dispatcht it is not quyte chopt of the hed It hangeth by a lytle crop here from the carkas ded The spoutyng blood cam gusshing out and there the head doth lye With waloing bobling muÌ„bling tong nor they do by and bye Forsake him so the breathles coors Aegist doth all to coyle And mangled hath the gasshed