foord Herc. Receiue her Centaure and in her the wealth And potency of mighty Hercules Ness. Now my reuenge for that inhumaine banquet In which so many of the Centaures fell I 'le rape this Princesse hauing past the floud Come beauteous Deyaneira mount my shoulders And feare not your safe waftage Exeunt Herc. That done returne for vs faire Deianeira White as the garden lilly pyren snow Or rocks of Christall hardned by the Sunne Thou shalt be made the potent Queene of Thebes And all my Iouiall labours shall to thee Be consecrate as to Alcides loue Well plundge bold Centaure how thy boysterous brest Plowes vp the streames thou through the swelling tides Sail'st with a freight more rich and beautifull Then the best ship cram'd with Pangeous gold With what a swift dexterity he parts The mutinous waues whose waters claspe him round Hee plaies and wantons on the curled streames And Deyanira on his shoulders fits As safe as if she stear'd a pine-tree barke They grow now towards the shore my club and armes I 'le first cast or'e the deepe Euenus foord But from my side my quiuer shall not part Nor this my trusty bow Deyan. Helpe Hercules Within Herc. 'T was Deyaneiraes voyce Deyan. The Traytor Nessus Seekes to despoile mine honour Ioue you Gods Out trayterous Centaure Helpe great Hercules Here. Hold lust-burnt Centaure 't is Alcides cals Or swifter then Ioues lightning my fierce vengeance Shall crosse Euenus Deyan. Oh oh Herc. Darst thou deuill Couldst thou clime Heauen or sinke below the Center So high so low my vengeance should persue thee Hold if I could but fixe thee in my gripes I de teare thy limbes into more Atomies Then in the Summer play before the Sunne Deyan. Helpe Hercules out dog Alcides helpe Herc; I 'le send till I can come this poisonous shaft Shall speake my fury and extract thy bloud Till I my selfe can crosse this raging floud Hercules shoots and goes in Enter Nessus with an arrow through him and Deianeira Ness. Thy beauty Deyaneira is my death And yet that Nessus dies embracing thee Takes from my sences all those torturing pangues That should associate death to shew I lou'd thee I 'le leaue thee in my will a legacy Shall stead thee more then should thy father giue thee Vnto thy Dower the Crowne of Calidon Of such great vertue is my liuing bloud And of such prize that couldst thou valew it Thou wouldst not let one drop fall to the ground But oh I die Deyan. Teach me to rate it truely Ness. Now Nessus in thy death be aueng'd on him On whom in life thou couldst not wreake thy rage My bloud is poison all these pure drops saue Which I bequeath thee ere I take my graue I know thy Lord lasciuious bent to lust Witnesse the fifty daughters of King Thespeius Whom in one night he did adulterate And of those fifty begot fifty sonnes Now if in all his quests he be with-held By any Ladies loue and stay from thee Such is the vertue of my bloud now shed That if thou dipst a shirt steept in the least Of all these drops and sendst it to thy Lord No sooner shall it touch him but his loue Shall die to strangers and reuiue to thee Make vse of this my loue Deyan. Centaure I will Ness. And so whom Nessus cannot do thou kill Still dying men speake true 't is my last cry Saue of my bloud 't may steede thee ere thou die Deyan. Though I my loue mistrust not yet this counsell I 'le not despise this if my Lord should stray Shall to my desolate bed teach him the way Enter Hercules Herc. After long strugling with Euenus streames I forc't the riuer beare me on her brest And land me safely on this further strond To make an end of what my shaft begunne The life of Nessus liues the Centaure yet Deyan. Behold him grouelling on the sencelesse earth His wounded breast transfixt by Hercules Herc. That the luxurious slaue were sencible Of torture not th'infernals with more pangues Could plague the villaine then Alcides should Ixions bones rackt on the torturing wheele Should be a pastime the three snake-hair'd sisters That lash offenders with their whips of steele Should seeme to dally when with euery string They cut the flesh like razors but the dead Wee hate to touch as cowardly and base And vengeance not becomming Hercules Come Deyaneira first to consumate Our high espowsals in triumphant Thebes That done our future labours wee 'le persue And by the assistance of the powers Diuine Striue to act more then Iuno can assigne Exit Enter HOMER Faire Deyaneira vnto Thebes being guided And Hercules espousals solemnized Hee for his further labours soone prouided As Iuno by Euritius had deuised The Apples of Hesperia first he wan Mauger huge Atlas that supports the spheares And whilst the Gyant on his businesse ran Alcides takes his place and proudly beares The heauens huge frame thence into Scithia hies And their the Amazonian Baldricke gaines By conquering Menalip a braue prise The warlike Quene that ore the Scithians raignes That hee supported heauen doth well expresse His Astronomicke skill knowledge in starres They that such practise know what do they lesse Then beare heauens weight so of the Lernean warres Where he the many-headed Hydra slew A Serpent of that nature when his sword Par'd off one head from that another grew This shewed his Logicke skill from euery word And argument confuted there arise From one a multiplicity therefore we Poets and such as are esteemed wise Instruct the world by such morality To conquer Hydra showed his powerfull skill In disputation how to argue well By all that vnderstand in custome still And in this Art did Hercules excell Now we the Aegyptian tyrant must present Bloudy Busiris a king fell and rude One that in murder plac't his sole content With whose sad death our first Act we conclude Enter Busyris with his Guard and Priests to sacrifice to them two strangers Busyris takes them and kils them vpon the Altar enter Hercules disguis'd Busyris sends his Guard to apprehend him Hercules discouering himselfe beates the Guard kils Busyris and sacrificeth him vpon the Altar at which there fals a shower of raine the Priests offer Hercules the Crowne of Aegypt which he refuseth HOMER In Aegypt there of long time fell no raine For which vnto the Oracle they sent Answeres return'd that till one stranger slaine Immou'd shall be the Marble firmament Therefore the Tyrant all these strangers kils That enter Aegypt till Alcides came And with the tyrants bulke the Altar fils At whose red slaughter fell a plenteous raine For he that stranger and vsurper was Whose bloudy fate the Oracle forespake But for a while we let Alcides passe Whom these of Aegypt would their soueraigne make For freeing them from such a tyrants rage Now Meleager next must fill our stage Actus 2. Scoena 2. Enter Venus like a Huntresse with Adonis Venus Why doth
And when we swell in our fierce torrents swallow The Champian plaines and flow aboue the hils Drowne all the continents by which we run Yea Hercules himselfe Herc. Me Achelous I can do more then this loue Deianeira Swim with her on my shoulders through thy streames And with my huge Club beat thy torrents backe With thine owne waters quench th' infernall fires Thy figure serpentine flat on the earth And when th' art Bull catch fast hold by thy hornes And whirle thee 'bout my head thus into ayre Thou faire Aetolian dame I cannot wooe Nor paint my passions in smooth Oratory But fight for thee I can 'gainst Achelous Or all the horrid monsters of the earth Melea. When 'gins your proud and hostile enmity Behold the prize propos'd the victors meed Champions your spirits inkindle at her eyes Ache. It is for her this bastard I despise Prepare thee Theban Herc. See I am adrest With this to thunder on thy captiue crest I cannot bellow in thy bombast phrase Nor deafe these free spectators with my braues I cut off words with deeds and now behold For me the eccho of my blowes thus scold Alarme Achelous is beaten in and immediatly enters in the shape of a Dragon Herc. Bee'st thou a God or hell-hound thus transhap't Thy terrour frights not me serpent or diuell I l'e pash thee Alarme He beats away the dragon Enter a Fury all fire-workes Herc. Fright vs with fire our Club shall quench thy flame And beat it downe to hell from whence it came When the Fury sinkes a Buls head appeares Herc. What yet more monsters Serpent Bull and Fire Shall all alike taste great Alcides ire He tugs with the Bull and pluckes off one of his horns Enter from the same place Achelous with his fore-head all bloudy Ache. No more I am thy Captiue thou my Conquerer I see no Magicke or inchanting spell Haue power on vertue and true fortitude No sleight Illusion can deceiue the eyes Of him that is diuinely resolute I lay me at thy feet a lowly vassaile Since thou hast reft me of that precious horne Which tearing from my head in shape of Bull Thus wounded me Take Deianeira freely Onely restore me that rich spoyle thou hast wonne Which all the Nymphes and graces dwelling neere Shall fill with redolent flowers and delicate fruits And call it Cornucopiae plenties horne In memory of Achelous losse And this high conquest won by Hercules Hercu. Hadst thou not stoopt thy horrid Taurine shape I would haue peece-meale rent and thy tough hide Torne into rags as thicke as Autumne leaues Take thee thy life and with thy life that spoile Pluckt from thy mangled front giue me my loue I 'le stoare no hornes at winning of a wife Giue me bright Deyanira take that horne So late from thy disfigured Temples torne Deyan. I haue my prayers Alcides his desires Both meete in loue Oen. Receiue her Hercules The conquest of thy warlike fortitude Herc. Wee take but what our valour purchast vs And beauteous Queene thou shalt assure his loue Whose puissant arme shall awe the triple world And make the greatest Monarches of the earth To thy diuinest beauty tributary Meleag. Will Hercules stay heere in Calidon To solemnize the nuptials of our sister I Meleager rich Aetolians heire Whose large Dominions stretch to Oeta Mount And to the bounds of fertile Thessaly Will grace thy Bridals with the greatest pompe Greece can affoord nor is 't my meanest honour To be the brother to great Hercules Herc. Thanks Meleager soiourne heere we cannot My step-dame Iuno tasks me to more dangers Wee take thy beauteous sister in our guard Whom by Ioues aide wee straight will beare to Thebes Oen. A fathers wishes crowne the happinesse Of his faire daughter Mel. And a brothers loue Comfort thee where thou goest If not with Hercules Whom dare we trust thy safety Herc. Not loues guard Can circle her with more security Time cals vs hence Aetolian Lords farewell Oen. Adiew braue sonne and daughter onely happy In being thus bestowed come Achelous With you we 'le feast nor let your foyle deiect you Or Deyaniraes losse he 's more then man And needes must he do this that all things can Exeunt Herc. Dares Deyaneira trust her persons safety With vs a stranger onely knowne by Fame Deyn. Wer 't gainst the Lyons in Chimera bred Or those rude Beares that breed in Caucasus The Hyrcan Tigers or the Syrian Wolues Nay gainst the Giants that assaulted heauen And with their shoulders made those bases shake That prop Olimpus liu'd Enceladus With whom loue wrestled euen against those monsters I 'de thinke me safe incircled in these armes Herc. Thou art as safe as if immur'd in heauen Pal'd with that Christall wall that girts loues house Where all the Gods inhabite built by fate Stay I should know that Centaure Enter Nessus Ness. That 's Hercules I know him by his Club Whose ponderous weight I felt vpon my Skull At the great Bridall of the Lapithes What louely Ladie 's shee that in her beauty So much exceedes faire Hypodamia Herc, Oh Nessus thou of all thy cloud-bred race Alone didst scape by trusting to thy heeles At Hypodamia's Bridals but we now Are friends are wee not Nessus Ness. Yes great Hercules Till I can find fit time for iust reuendge Methinkes my braines still rattle in my skull What Ladie 's that in great Alcides Guard Herc. Deyaneira daughter to the Aetolian King Sister to Meleager now our Bride Wonne by the force of armes from Achelous The boysterous floud that flowes through Calidon Ness. A double enuy burnes in all my veines First for reuenge next that he should enioy That beauteous maide whom Nessus dearely loues Will Hercules commande me or his Bride I 'le lackey by thee wheresoer'e thou goest And be the vassall to great Hercules Herc. We are bound for Thebes but soft what torrent 's this That intercepts our way How shall we passe These raging streames Ness. This is Euenus floud A dangerous current full of whirle-pooles deepe And yet vnsounded dar'st thou trust thy Bride On Nessus backe I 'le vndertake to swimme her Vnto the furthest strond vpon my shoulders And yet not laue her shooe Herc. I 'le pay thee for thy waftage Centaure well And make thee Prince of all thy by-form'd race If thou willt do this grace to Hercules But ferry her with safety for by Ioue If thou but make her tremble in these streames Or let the least waue dash against her skirt If the least feare of drowning pale her cheeke I 'le pound thee smaller then the Autumne dust Tost by the warring winds Ness. Haue I not swomme The Hellesepont when waues high as yon hils Tost by the winds haue crown'd me yet in spight Of all their briny weight I haue wrought my selfe Aboue the topmost billow to ore-looke The troubled maine come beauteous Deyaneira Not Charon with more safety ferries soules Then I will thee through this impetuous
mighty Hercules Wasting with sword and fire where ere they march Scamander fields they haue strew'd with carkasses And Simois streames already purpled are With bloud of Troians Priam Let vs giue them battell Lao. In vaine our forces are disperst abroad Nor haue we order to withstand their fury Best were we to immure our selues in Troy And trust vnto the vertue of our walles Shouts Aeneas Do not delay your safety you may heare Their cryes and lofty clamors threatning Troy They dogge vs to our gates and without speed And expedition they will enter with vs Come then our threatned liues we will immure And thinke vs in our strong built walles secure Exent After an alarme enter Hercules Iason Theseus Telamon and all the other Argonauts Herc. Pursue the chace euen to the gates of Troy Then call th' ingrate Laomedon to parlee Iason The periur'd King shall pay vs for the wrong Done to Alcides in his promis'd steeds Telam. Better he had the monster had deuour'd His beauteous daughter then t' abide our furies Nestor He did exclude our vertue from the Citty And now therefore he shall admit our fury Castor These wals first rear'd at the great Gods expence Wee 'l ruine to the earth let 's summon him Herc. We will call him to parlee A parlee Enter vpon the wals Laomedon Anchises Aeneas Priam c. Herc. Laomedon we do not summon thee To parlee but to warne thee guard thy walles Which without pause we now intend to scale Laom. Wilt heare me Hercules Herc. I listen'd thy periurious tongue too late Scale batter mount assault sacke and deface And leaue of Troy nought saue the name and place Alarme Telamon first mounts the walles the rest after Priam flyes Laomedon is slaine by Hercules Hesione taken Enter with victory Herc. Thus is the tyrant that but late aw'd Troy Buried amidst his ruines he chastis'd And we reueng'd the spoyle of this rich Towne Rated as high as Iasons Colchian prize You shall diuide but first these lofty walles Builded by periury and maintain'd by pride Wee 'l ruine to the earth Who saw yong Priam Iason Hee 's fled and tooke the way to Samo-thrace With him Anchises that on Venus got The yong Aeneas they are fled together And left the spoyle of all the towne to vs Herc. Which shall enrich Thebes and the townes of Greece And Telamon to do thy valour right For mounting first ouer the walles of Troy The first and choyce of all the spoyle be thine Telam. Then let Alcides honour Telamon With this bright Lady faire Hesione Sister to Priam daughter to Laomedon Whose beauty I preferre before the state And wealth of Troy Herc. Receiue her Telamon Shee is thine owne by gift of Hercules Telam. A present more delighting Telamon Then were I made Lord of high Illiums Towers And heire vnto the dead Laomedon Hesio. I am a Princesse shall my fathers ils Fall on my head If he offended Hercules He hath made satisfaction with his life Oh be not so seuere to stretch his punishment Euen after life hast thou from death redeem'd me To giue me captiue and to slaue my youth Things worse then death rather let Hercules Expose me to the rocke where first he found me To abide the wrath both of the Sea and Sunne Oh! rather make my body food for monsters Then brand my birth with bondage Telam. Faire Hesione I will not loose thy beauty nor thy youth Nor part with this my honour couldst thou giue me For ransome of them both our Argoes cram'd With gold and gemmes you are my valours prize And shall with me to populous Salamine Hesione Can you so wrong the daughter of a king To giue her as a Dukes base Concubine Touch me not Telamon for I deuine I fere my brother Priam re-build Troy And be the king of Asia hee 'l reuenge This base dishonour done Hesione And for his sister rauish't hence perforce Do the like out-rage on some Grecian Queene In iust reuenge of my iniurious wrong Herc. Should all the kings in Asia or the world Take part with Priam in that proud designe Like fate like fortune with Laomedon They shall abide renowned Telamon She is the warlike purchase of thy sword Enioy her as the gift of Hercules And now braue Grecian Hero 's le ts towards Greece With al these honored spoils from Colchos brought And from the treasures of defaced Troy Faire Deianeira longs for vs in Thebes Whom we will visit next and thence proceed Vnto our future labours Cacus liues A bloudy tyrant whom we must remoue And the three-headed Gerion swayes in Spaine Notorious for his rapes and out-rages Both these must perish by Alcides hand And when we can the earth from tyrants cleare In the worlds vtmost bounds our pillers reare exit HOMER Loath are we curteous auditors to cloy Your appetites with viands of one tast The beauteous Venus we must next imploy Whom we saw mourning for Adonis last Suppose her still for the yong Adon sad But cheer'd by Mars their old loues they renue And she that whil'st he liu'd preferd the Lad Hath quite forgot him since the Boare him slue Mars is in grace a meeting they deuise Iealous of all but fearing most the Sunne Hee that sees all things from his first vp-rise And like a blab tels all that hee knowes done Our mortals must a while their spleenes asswage And to the Gods for this Act leaue the Stage Enter Mars and Venus Mars I knew loues Queene could not be long vnkind Though whil'st I absent to teach Armes in Thrace You tooke th' aduangtage to forget your Mars To doate on Adon and Anchises too Yet those worne out let vs renue our loues And practise our first amorous dalliance Venus How can I hate that am the Queene of loue Or practise ought against my natiue power As I one day playd with my Cupids shafts The wanton with his arrow raz'd my skin Trust me at first I did neglect the smart At length it rankled and it grew vnsound Till he that now lies wounded cur'd my wound Mars Come shall we now whilst Vulcan plyes his forge Sweats at his Anuill choakes himselfe with dust And labours at his bellowes kisse and toy Venus Why met we else Here is a place remote An obscure caue fit for our amorous sport In this darke cauerne wee 'l securely rest And Mars shall adde vnto my Vulcans crest But how if we be spy'd Mars Whom need we feare Vnlesse the Sunne who now the lower world Lights with his beames I meane the Antipodes The tell-tale blab is busie now else-where And I will set to watch at the caues doore My trusty groome who ere the Sunne shall rise With his bright beames to light our Hemispheare Shall waken vs Venus For all the world I would not haue the Sunne Discouer our sweet sport or see what 's done Mars Be that my charge Wher 's Gallus Enter Gallus Gal. At hand fir I am not
sprighly Heroes he at Colchos aimes Where the rich Fleece must publish their high fames Enter Deianeira and Lychas to her Hercules receiued with ioy after the presentment of some of his labours To them march in all the Argonauts Iason Telamon Atreus Castor Pollux Theseus c. Iason perswades Hercules to the aduenture hee leaues Deianeira and marcheth off with the Argonauts Imagine now these Princes vnder saile Stearing their course as farre as high-rear'd Troy Where King Laomedon doth much bewaile His daughter whom a Sea-whale must destroy Obserue this well for here begins the iarre Made Troy rack't after in a ten yeares warre Sownd Enter King Laomedon Anchifes yong Priam Aeneas Hesione bound with other Lords and Ladyes Laomed. Hesione this is thy last on earth Whose fortunes we may mourne though not preuent Would Troy whose walles I did attempt to reare Had nere growne higher then their ground-fils or In their foundation buried beene and lost Since their high structure must be thus maintain'd With bloud of our bright Ladyes Oh Hesione Th' onely remainder of these female dames Begot by vs I must be thy body To be the food of Neptunes monstrous Whale Priam Had you kept troth and promise with the Gods This had not chanc't You borrowed of the Priests Of Neptune and Apollo Sea and Sunne That quantity of gold which to this height And spacious compasse hath immur'd great Troy But the worke finish't you deny'd to pay The Priests their due for which inraged Neptune Assembled his high tides thinking to drowne Our lofty buildings and to ruine Troy But when the Moone by which the Seas are gouern'd Retir'd his waters by her powerfull wane He left behind him such infectious slime Which the Sunne poysoning by his persant beames They by their mutuall power rais'd a hot plague To slacke this hot pest Neptune made demand Monthly a Lady to be chus'd by lot To glut his huge Sea-monsters rauenous iawes The lot this day fell on Hesione Our beauteous sister Laom. Priam 't is too true Till now Laomedon nere knew his guilt Or thought the Gods could punish Hesio. Royall father Mourne not for me the Gods must be appeas'd And I in this am happy that my death Is made th' attonement 'tweene those angry powers And your afflicted people though my Innocence Neuer deseru'd such rigor from the Gods Come good Anchises binde me to this rocke And let my body glut th' insatiate fury Of angry Neptune and th' offended Sunne Anchis. A more vnwilling monster neuer past Anchises hand Laom. Now now the time drawes nye That my sweet childe by Neptunes whale must dye Priam The very thought of it swallowes my heart As deepe in sorrow as the monster can Bury my sister A great showt within Laom. Soft what clamor 's that Aeneas A stately ship well rig'd with swelling failes Enters the harbour bound by their report For Colchos but when they beheld the shores Couered with multitudes and spy'd from farre Your beauteous daughter fastned to the rocke They made to know the cause which certified One noble Greeke amongst these Heroes stands And offers to incounter Neptunes whale And free from death the bright Hesione Laom. Thou hast Aeneas quickned me from death And added to my date a second Age Admit them Enter Hercules Iason Castor Pollux Theseus and all the Argonauts Herc. 'T is told vs that thy name 's Laomedon And that thy beauteous daughter must this day Feed a sea-monster how wilt thou reward The man that shall incounter Neptunes whale Tugge with that fiend vpon thy populous strond And with my club sowse on his armed scales Hast thou not heard of Theban Hercules I that haue aw'd the earth and ransack't hell Will through the Ocean hunt the God of streames And chace him from the deepe Abismes below I l'e dare the Sea-god from his watery deepes If he take part with this Leuiathan Laom. Thy name and courage warlike Hercules Assures her life if thou wilt vndertake This hauty quest two milke white steeds the best Asia ere bred shall be thy valours prize Herc. We accept them keepe thy faith Laomedon If thou but break'st with Ioue-borne Hercules These marble structures built with virgins bloud I l'e raze euen with the earth When comes the monster Hesione Now now helpe Ioue A cry within Herc. I see him sweepe the sea 's along Blow riuers through his nostrils as he glides As if he meant to quench the Sunnes bright fire And bring a palped darknesse ore the earth He opes his iawes as if to swallow Troy And at one yawne whole thousands to destroy Lao. Fly flye into the Citty Exeunt the Troians Herc. Take along This beauteous Lady if he must haue pray In stead of her Alcides here will stay Iason The heartlesse Troians fly into the towne At fight of yon sea-diuell here wee 'l stand To wait the conquest of thy Iouiall hand Herc. Gramercy Iason see he comes in tempest I l'e meet him in a storme as violent And with one stroke which this right hand shall aime Ding him into th' abisse from whence he came Hercules kils the Sea-Monster the Troians on the walles the Greekes below Priam The monster 's slaine my beautuous sister freed Iason Be euer for this noble deed renown'd Let Asia speake thy praise Telam. The Argonauts Are glorifi'd by this victorious act Priam All Troy shall consecrate to Hercules Temples and Altars le ts descend and meet him Laom. Stay none presume to stirre wee 'l parly them First from the walles Herc. Why doth not Troy's King from those wals descend And since I haue redeem'd Hesione Present my trauels with two milke-white steeds The prize of my indeuours Lao. Hercules we owe thee none none will we tender thee Thou hast won thee honour a reward sufficient For thy attempt our gates are shut against thee Nor shall you enter you are Greekish spies And come to pry but where our land is weake Priam Oh royall father Laom. Peace boy Greekes away For imminent death attends on your delay Herc. The Sea nere bred a monster halfe so vile As this Land-fiend Darst threaten Hercules Would vniuersall Troy were in one frame That I might whelme it on thy cursed head And crowne thee in thy ruine Menace vs Laom. Depart our walles or we will fire your Argoe Lying in our harbour and preuent your purpose In the atchieuement of the golden fleece Herc. Laomedon I l'e tosse thee from thy walles Batter thy gates to shiuers with my Club Nor will I leaue these broad Scamander plaines Til thy aspiring Towers of Illium Lye leuell with the place on which we stand Iason Great Hercules th' aduenture fals to me Our voyage bent for Colchos not for Troy The golden fleece and not Laomedon Why should we hazard here our Argonauts Or spend our selues on accidentall wrongs Telam. Iason aduiseth well great Hercules We should dishonour him and th' expectation Greece hath of vs delude by this delay