bene abusde than now by Achylls Sonne More friendly founde Andromache Achaias famous soyle When with the gastly Grecian flame the Troian wealth did broyle But oh Orestes if to mée thou haue respect at all Lay hands on that which is thine owne and to thy bootie fall What if by falsehoode from thy folde thy flock be borne away Wilt thou take armes and for thy spouse to fight in fielde wilt stay Let Menelaus myrrour bée that for his rapted wife Did vndertake such honest warre and stirde such stately strife Who if had slept and slugde at home or loytred like an Asse My Dame had béene to Paris linckte as to my Syre she was Thou hast no néede a thousande shippes or bending sayles so haue Nor any Gréekish Souldiars helpe thy onely ayde I craue Yet rather so than not at all I should be fette againe T' is famous for a man to fight if wedlock suffer staine What was not Grandsire to vs both Atreus King Pelops sonne At least thou art my bresher if the marrige were vndonne I pray thée Brother helpe thy Sister husbande helpe thy Féere A dubble title will procure thée in my cause to stéere My Grandsire for his aged yeares and wisdome passing graue Who of his Neece had all the rule mée to Orestes gaue To Pyrrhus not acquainted with the match my Father vowde But most of both my Grandsires deade as caldste should be allowde When I with thée conidynde I wrongde none by my spousall right But if I â—incke with Pyrrhus their from thee I am not quight My Father Menelaus will wincke at my fact I knowe For cause himselfe hath felt the force of winged Cupids bowe That will he graunt his sonne in lawe which he himselfe hath looude My Dames example aydes my case that Venus sportes hath prooude Looke what my Syre is to my Dame euen that art thou to mée The slipper practise Paris playde with Pyrrhus doth agree And he is stoute and stately for the factes hys Syre hath donne So thou mayst bragge and boaste vpon the spoyles thy Father wonne Who all the trowpe of Tantals trayne Achylles eke did leade A chieftaine he among the Dukes a Souldier stoute at neade Thy Grandsire great King Pelops was and Pelops worthie Sire And if thou coumpte aright from Ioue thou art the fift esquire Thy manhoode is well knowne ynough thou foughtste I wote well whan But what shouldst thou doe in that case thy mother slue the man Would God vpon a better cause thy stoutenesse had bene wrought Yet dare I vaunt the cause was giuen to thee and neuer sought But thou didst bring it to effect that Aegisthe did with gore Of gaping wounde defile the floure as had thy Syre before And thereof Pyrrhus often prates and to reproche doth wrye Thy earned prayse and yet endures my presence with his eye I frette and as my face doth puffe so swelles myne inwarde minde And burning breast with silent flame of dolor scorcht I finde Before Hermions face imbrayded should Orestes bée I want but force and brainsick blade to be reuengde for thée But wéepe and wayle I may my fill which lessens parte of woe And downe on eyther side my face my teares as conduites floe Them onely to commaunde I haue and out I poure them still Alongste my stayned théekes eche hours the welling teares doe trill This fortune followes all our race and to our age is brought And all that are of Tantals line a séemely rape are thought I will not hete alleadge the lyes of false and fayned Swanne Ne yet complaine that Ioue in plume did lurck both God and manne Where Isthmos streatching out at length two Seas did so deuide Hippodamie on waxen whéeles and counterfaite cart did ride Faire Helen once conuaide away by craftie Theseus traine By Castor and sir Pollux was in fine restorde againe The selfesame Ladie through the Seas by Troian guest was brought For whome the noble Gréekish Péeres in wreakefull maner fought I scarce remember yet I minde how tho the people wept In mournefull moode and dismoll dreade into their hearts it crept The Grandsire gronde the sister sobde the brothers gan to broyle Lamenting Leda with the Gods and Ioue did kéepe a coyle And I with locks not long as then rent all about my hedde Exclamde O mother leauste me thus and from thy childe art fledde For then hir husbande was a lacke and least I shoulde be sed No Impe of Pelops broode I am a praye by Pyrrhus led O that Achylles had bene frée and scapte Apollos bowe Then woulde he blame the beastlye rage of Pyrrhus pride I knowe It neuer pleasde ne now would lyke Achylles if he liude To heare a wifebounde Wight lament of lyked looue depriude What guilt of mine hath made the Gods and Heauenly powres so rage What cursed starre might I accuse to gouerne thus my age My Dame I was bereft in youth my father waged warre And though they both did liue yet I from them was kept afarre Not I to thée in tender yeares nor Cradell clowtes did crye Deare mother mine nor from my lippes the lisping words did flye Ne did I with my pliaunt armes thy séemely neck enfolde Nor thou vpon thy louing lappe thy babling Brat didst holde No carke of clothing me ne care did pierce thy pensiue brest Ne didst thou cause a marrige bed for Bridewife to be drest But when thou didst returne againe the troth I not denie I met thee but my Mothers face I coulde not then descrie But for thy beautie did surpasse for Helen thée I tooke And thou didst make enquirie then and for thy daughter looke Good hap in one respect I had that Oreste was my Make But he vnlesse he fight it out Hermion must forsake Mée Pyrrhus as a Vassell kéepes though Victor be my Sire This goodly guerdon haue I gainde for Troie burnt with fire When golden Titan ginnes to guide his glistring steades by day Then I vnhappie wenche some ease of pensiue paine assay No fooner blackfaste night doth growe in howling sort I hie Vnto my cankred carefull couche appointed there to lie In place of swéete and slumbring sléeps mine eyes with teares doe floe And from the man in all post haste I flée as from a foe Oft times mishaps doe make me muse vnmindefull of my case I touche with hande proude Pyrrhus parts vnwitting of the place I leaue to touch the man as soone as euer I knowe the fact And thinke my handes polluted straight with such a shamefull act Oft times for Neoptolems name Orestes doe I call And loue the errour of my tongue right well content withall I sweare by this vnluckie lyne and Lorde of all the race That Land and Seas yea haughtie skies afrayes with frowning face And by the bones of him that was mine Vncle and thy Sire Who owes thée for reuenge of those that did his death conspire Or I will in these flowring yeares abandon lothsome life Or I that
minde this Pistle doth expresse These suing lynes hir sluttish sute bewray Wherein to Hippolyte thus gan she say The fourth Epistle Phaedra to Hippolytus THe health and gréeting that she sendes the same shall Phaedra want Vnlesse thou Hippolyte such health vouchsafe to Phaedra graunt Receyue and reade what so is sent what damage may ensue In these perhaps there lurckes that may thy pleasures plight renue As well by lande as surging seas such writtes are woont to wende And foes that féede on rancour reade the lynes the foes doe sende Thrise was I bent to haue disclosde to thée my couert sute But thrise my foltring tongue was tide I stoode as one were mute I mingled bashfull shame with loue till loue furpassed shame Wherefore the woords I blusht to speake in wryting reade the same For what so Cupid giues in charge t' is madnesse to dispise For he doth conquer God and man as nature did deuise He when I stoode in gastfull dreade to penne my earnest sute Said write on Phaedra he shall yéelde and pay thy paynes with fruite Be prest thou mightie Prince of loue and as thy feruent fire Doth burne my brest so cause him frie with Phaedras hote desire I minde not by enormous guilt to breake my spousall knot For would thou wist my life as yet is frée from shamefull blot How much the longer t' is ere loue inuades a womans breast The sorer is the cruell gashe and bréedes the more disrest My inward parts are all inflamde my bowels boyle with heate My scorched heart forepinde with wo a lurcking wound doth freate As Bullocks may not well abide the crooked yoke at furst Nor trampling Colts with bit or brake to haue their iawes yburst So fares it by my skillesse brest that hardly may endure Vnwoonted loue or such vnrest as Cupid will procure In youth when skill by practise commes the knowledge is profounde But who so loues when youth is spent can not with Arte abounde The first taste of my spotlesse fame vnto thy share shall fall And eche of vs at once shall bée to sinfull lust in thrall T' is somewhat from the fraughted boughes to pluck the fruite at full And Primrose with a nimble nayle from slender stalke to pull Euen so the former brightnesse of my passed age was cleare Obscured with no cloudie crime as doth in prouse appeare But well it chaunceth that I am attacht with worthie flame A foule Adulter than the fact doth bréede a fouler shame Though Iuno would to Phaedras vse of Ioue renounce hir right Yet Phaedra would Hippolytus preferre with all hir might And now which thou wouldst scarcely déeme I am not as I was I haue delight in quechie groues by brutish beastes to passe Now Dian with hir bended how and shaftes is all my care I yéel de mée wholy to thy will in wrack and wealth to fare My pleasure is to haughtie hilles and bushie brakes to hie To pitch my hay or with my Houndes to rayse a lustie crie Or else with weake and willing arme a trembling dart to throwe Or wearie limmes in grasse and greaues with pleasure to bestowe T' is oft my practise in the plaine a Charret for to guide And with a bitte to wrest and winde the horse from side to side Sometimes by restlesse raging fittes much like to Bacchus Nunne Or to Cibeles brainsick Nymphes in Ida Mount I runne Resembling those whome Dryades and Faunes doe force to flée Whome Semigods we déemen and halfe heauenly wightes to bée This tale is tolde to me at large when furious fittes are past To mee I say whose couert parts with silent loue doe wast We may perhaps vnto the fate and fortune of our kinde Impute this loue and Venus longs by tribute vs to binde For first the faire Europa was of mightie Ioue imbrast Who in the figure of a Bull did play a sluttish cast Another brutish Bull my Dame Pasiphae beguilde Who with an vgly Monster was by him begot with childe False Theseus by my sisters shifts and track of silken twine The crooked Caue and doubtfull denne of Dedal fled in fine And last of all least I should séeme to swarue from Minos trade The remnaunt of that noble race the like attempt haue made And that by fatall doome procurde one house two Nymphes hath woonne My sister looude the father well and I imbrace the sonne Two sisters were away conuaide by thée and by thy Syre Erect two Trophées of one house whereto you did aspyre That time when we in Athens did to Ceres incense yéelde Would Gods that Gnosian quiet soyle in Creta me had helde Then most of all but euer well thou stoodste in Phaedras grace And chiefely tho thy piercesant loue my yéelding heart did race Thy vesture was as white as snow and head with garlands deckt Thy visage swarth was séemely then with Rosie redde infect Thy countnance which to other Dames so clownish séemes and grimme For clownish comely Phaedra thinks hir eye doth iudge it trimme Fye on those fonde vnmanly men that séeke in nice attyre Against their kinde the curious tricks of women to aspyre Thée Hippolyte thy warlike face and staring locks commend Thy countnance grymed all with dust a comely shape doth lend Where thou with Raine dost rule thy horse and gallop in the fielde I maruell at thy Arte that so canst force a Courser yéelde Or where thou with thy nymble arme a thyrling Launce dost cast I muse how such a slender Dart should pierce the ayre so fast Or where thou holde thy hunting staffe ytipt with stubburne stéele Or ought dost else it glads my minde my heart the ioy doth feele Wherefore this rygor to the woods and knarrie trées expell I am not shée that doth deserue to die for louing well O to what purpose wilt thou put Dianas feates in proufe And take from Venus all hir due and stand from hir aloufe For what so lacks successiue rest and respite after toyle Which should refresh the fainting limmes must néedes sustaine the foyle For tryall take thy crooked bow and let it stand ybent And neuer cease to shoote and thou shalt féele his force relent Though Cephalus in silent woods were woont to waste his time And kill his game with dexter hande when sauage were in prime Yet naythelesse to Auroras Couch and Cabbin would he wende In lothed Tythons woonted roome the ioyfull tyme to spynde Not once nor twise but sundrie sithes the Goddesse Venus lay With Adon in the waylesse woods hir pleasures to assay So with the faire Atlantas loue sir Meleager glowde Whome he in proufe of perfect loue the monsters spoyle allowde So let vs now at length I pray be numbred with the mo The rudenesse of your chase appeares if Venus it forgo My selfe will follow at a foote though rockie hilles say nay No gnashing Bore with threatning tuskes thy Phaedra shall affray Two seas there are that with their waues enuiron Isthmos so That all the Iland
such rewardes My mariage dost thou minde for to enrich O Father shall thy Daughter thus be dowde Hymen deceyude doe way thy bridall brandes And flee this wicked lodge with troubled foote On me ye swarth Erinnyes fling the flames You beare therewith to make my buriall blase O happie sisters lincke with better lucke But aye my fact in mindefull breast retaine Alas what hath the sielie Babe deserude So lately brought to light and lothsome Skyes What fact of his the Grandsires wrath might stir Let him be thought to haue deserude the same If so he could deserue But out alas His mothers guilt the Miser Infant byes O Sonne thy Mothers dole the pray of beastes O thou the day of byrth thy Dame berest O childe of haplesse loue the piteous pledge This day thy first and this shall be thy last Ne lawfull was for me with yolded teares To bath thy corps nor on thy graue to cast My clipped locks and tresses cut thereto Ne lay I on thy limmes ne from thy mouth The chillie kisse I caught and latter breath But gréedie beastes my rapted bowels rent And I by lurching wound the infants ghost And shadew will pursue ne will be saide A Mother long nor voyde of Babe to be But thou whom all in vaine and all for naught Thy wretched Sister hopt the scattred benes Collect in fielde of thy yong Sonne and mine And bring them to their Dame place theÌ„ there Let one selfe vrne our bodies both containe Remember mée and bath my Herse with teares Ne feare the corps of hir that looude thee well I craue thée to fulfill thy sisters Hestes A Miser most of all and I will séeke My cruell Fathers will to put in vre Thy dying wyfe and sister sayes adewe The Argument of the xij Epistle entituled Medea to Iason IAson in youthfull yeares to Colchos came And with the Fleese be filcht away a Mayde Medea cleapt and gan his voyage frame To Thessalie where once arriude he stayde The feeble Aeson she reducde againe By solemne charme to lustie youthfull age With fresher bloud enstuffing erie â—aine She made him yong to sight that earst was sage King Pelias daughters deare she did perswade A monstrous acte to kill their aged Syre In hope she would the Prince a princoxe made Which they poore sielie Maydes did most desire With other fowler factes which when shee had For Iasons loue as she reported donne He shooke hir off which made Medea mad And causde hir write these lynes to Aesons Sonne She sigth she sude she sobde she manast eke To be reuengde vpon the guilefull Greke The .xij. Epistle Medea to Iason I Minde it yet how I of Colchos Queene Aplide to thée when thou my succor craudste That I by Arte wold gard thée froÌ„ aÌ„noy The sisters tho the mortall twist dispence There flaxen webbe should haue vnfolden quite Then might I Medea well haue lost my breath From that my lingred life is but a paine Aye mée Why euer forst with youthfull armes Came Iasons shippe to fet the Phrygian Fléece At Colchos why Magnetian Arge arriude And Gréekish route of Phasian flood did drinke Why more than néeded I thy golden lockes Did lyke thy featurde shape glosing tongue If once for that a forraine shippe to shore At Colchos came brought vndaunted wightes And dreadlesse men to lande Iason vnwares Not Phisickt first had ronne to breathed flames And poynant hornes of fell and yrefull Bulles Or sowne the seede and had as many foes And Tilman had of tillage so bene slaine How much disceite vnthrift with thée had dide And I of how much wo acquited bene It is some pleasure to vnthankfull wightes For to obiect the good forepassed tournes That I will vse of thee that onely ioy And solace I will gaine thou faythlesse man Thou hauing charge at Colchos to arriue In vncouth Hulke my wealthfull kingdome and My Countrie camste vnto where I was then The same that here thy nouell spouse is déemde My father was as rich as is hir Syre He Ephyren with double Sea possest In frostie Scythia tother gouernde all As farre as Pontus lefter side doth lye Oeta tooke the youthfull Greekes to guestes With him you men of Thessale did soiourne Then sawe I thée and gan to knowe thy name That season brought my minde to ruine first I both did sée and perisht eke inflamde With fire vnknowne fride with strauÌ„gie gleade As fore the Altars burnes the torche of Pyne Both featurde well thou were and fates me drue Thine eyes my dazeled lightes did rauish quite Which quickly thou discridste For who may well Kéepe loue in mewe that no man it discerne Aye flame it selfe by casting light bewrayes Meanewhile the king coÌ„maunds giues in charge The bulles with brawned necks to bring to yoke Mauors his bulles they were dreadfull for horne Not sole but breathing out a gastly flash Whose houes were brasse compact their noses set with gads of steele which blak with breathing lookt Moreouer in open fieldes to cast the séede Engendring men thou were commaunded the Which wold assaile thée with their late borne darts A thancklesse crop for him that tilde the soyle The waker Dragons eyes that neuer slept To guile of all thy trauels was the last Thus spake Oetes vp in gastefull dréede Ye rose eche one and from the Table start How farre from thee was then Creusas dowre And raigne in ioynture giuen thy Fatherlaw How farre mightie Creons daughter deare Away thou wentst dismaide with vapord eyen Whome I pursude and softly bid adewe As soone as wounded I to Cabbin came Where lay my couch I spent the night in teares Before mine eyes the balefull Bullocks stoode The cursed séede the watchfull Dragon eke Here feare quiuering dréed there loue did stand The feare it selfe my loue to more increast In dawning to my lodge my sister came Where me with toren tresse and lying groufe Vpon my face besprent with teares she found She craude my helpe for men of Thessalie What she requirde that I to Iason gaue There stands a groue with Béech houlme so black As scarce Apollos rayes may pierce the same There is in that or tho at least there was Dianas Church the Goddesse standing there With barbarous hande yframde of massie golde Minde you or is the place with me forgot Thither we came yfeare with ruthlesse tongue And guilefull mouth when thou didst bourd me thus To thée hath fortune right and powre assignde Of life and dreadfull death within thy hande By hir appoynted lore my state doth stay Sufficeth powre to spoyle if any take Therein delight but I reserude from scathe Shall make thy former prayse and glorie growe And blast thy brute in Trumpe of endlesse fame By my sinister haps which lyes in thée For to redresse and by thy noble race And Grandsire that all mortall things surueyes And by the triple forme of Dian and Hir priuie sacred rytes this Countrie Gods If any
portende a good retourne Now doe I this display for thou in armes Too ventrous shouldst not be procure that this My feare to vaine and vacant windes may turne And sort I wote not whome appointed hath To vndeserued fate that first of Gréekes With forwarde foote shall touch the Troian soile O cursed Feme that first shall waile the losse Of hir adempted feare I craue the Gods Thou shew not then thy selfe excessiue stout Of thousand shippes let thine the latter bée And last of all the sundred waues deuide And this for warning take go last on lande T' is not thy natiue soyle thou flittest too At thy returne let sayle and Oare be plyde And haste thy Barck to thy well knowne shore Where Phoebus lurke or else doe shine aloft Both day and night thou bréedste my griefull wo. But most by might for that a season is To women that with clinching armes im brace Their louers limmes of sugred sport and ioy For falsed sléepes I hunt in carefull Couch Féeding on false delights for want of true But why to me thy Image pale appeares And from thy mouth why such coÌ„plaint procéeds Enforst to watch the yrkesome ghostes of night And visions I adore no Altare through All Thessalie my fuming smoke doth lacke Incense I yéelde with intermedled teares Which mingde doe surge as wine ycast in flame When I with gréedie armes shall thée retourde Imbracing lie and senselesse ware for ioy When lodgde with me in one selfe carelesse couch Wilt thou the valiant factes of battaile blase Which whilst thou shalt describe though I to heare Shall long yet will we coll and kisse betwixt For kissing deckes the tale with better grace And stay procures the tongue more prompt to parle But when I think of Troie both wind and Seas Returne to minde and hope by hoofull feare Is vanquisht cleane and put to sodaine flight And that the windes your middle passage barre Moues me In spite of waues you minde to passe Who to his Countrie would with frowarde gale Against the will of windes shape his returne And you from Greece in troublous teÌ„pest trudge Vnto his towne Neptunus barres your course Whither hast you eche vnto his home retyre Why whither go you Gréekes beholde the winds And couÌ„terthwarting blasts Some God procures Not soddain chauÌ„ce no doubt this lingring stay What saue a shamefull drabbe and harlot rancke By this your warre battayles broyle is sought Whilst yet you may and lawfull is your sayles And flitting Barckes back to Achaia bende But why doe I reuoke or call thée home Let all abodements go I pray the windes And calmed waues to further thine intent I spite at Troian Dames that shall suruay The Funerals of their Féeres waileful spoiles Nor haue their foes farre froÌ„ their couÌ„trie bouÌ„ds The late betrothed spouse hir selfe will d'on Hir husbands Helme and harnesse with hir hand She will giue armour and whilste armour shée Doth giue a gratefull thing to both will kisse And fellow forth hir spouse with charge to make Retyre and say to Ioue thy weapons vowe Reseruing he his recent charge in minde Will warely fight and cast an eye to home She at returne will loose hir spouses Helme And doe his Targe away his wearie limmes Relieuing with hir ayde as best she may We doubtfull in suspence and dreade doe stande Fearing eche thing that may by fortune fall Yet whilste in forraine coast thou wagest warre Of War that represents thy face I haue A table made to whome I tell my tale And kisse as I thy corse was wont to coll The picture is more than it séemes to sight In fayth allowe the waren forme a sounde And it will be Protesilaus out right That I beholde and in my husbandes steade Betwix my paps doe place and frame complaint Thereto as though it had the powre to speake By thy retourne and corps my saints I sweare By egall lightes of mariage and of minde And by thy head which fright with siluer locks To fine that I may sée and that thou mayst In health reuert I sweare that whither thou Shalt giue in charge to thée I will repayre As fellowing Mate whether thou liue or oh That more I dreade and stand oh more appald With this precept and onely charge I ende Respect thy selfe and haue remorse of me The Argument of the xiiij Epistle entituled Hypermnestra to Lyncius TO fiftie daughters Danaus was Syre His brother Aegypt had as many sonnes Whome be to match did earnestly desire With Danaus daughters he the mariage shonnes And reason why the Oracle had sed His sonne in lawe should hewen off his bed Aegyptus wroth with this his brothers deede Of purpose that to Argos went his way For cause the mariage should not so proceede Sent all his sonnes with Souldiars for to stay Their Vncle or his daughters at the least To take to wiues and make a mariage feast The siedge was layde and Danaus in fine Of force compellde for safties sake to yeelde His brothers sute although he did repine When mariage day approcht the father willde His daughters to destroie with cruell kniues Their husbandes and to reaue their Nephewes liues The day was come eche slue hir slumbring Make Saue Hypermnestra that of all the rest Spared hir spouse and warned him to take His flight such ruth did lodge in louing breast According to hir counsell so he did And by that meane himselfe from daunger rid In dawning when the father came he sawe Eche daughter had hir sleepie husband slaine Saue Hypermnestra whome withouten lawe He sent to warde in Prison hir to paine Where being lodgde these lynes to Lynceus she Deuisde and sent from Gyues releast to be The .xiiij. Epistle Hypermnestra to Lynceus TO him that of so many brethren lyues And sole suruiues I Hypermnestra sende The rest by their wiues guilt were fowly slaine I lode with Giues in Prison am detainde And not aguilting is my cause of scath For that my hande to murther not presumde I did offence but so I had done euill And ruthlesse bene I semblant prayse had wonne More leffer I accoumpt guilt to sustaine Than in such sort to please mine angrie Syre Ne loth I hands of murther voyde to haue Though me my Syre whoÌ„ I ne wrongde at all With threatfull flame consumde or manace with The fire that present was at sacred rytes Or slea with sworde which shamefully he gaue And wife sustaine the death hir husbande should Yet shall he not my dying iawes enforce For to repent or loth such friendly ruth Let Danaus and my sisters for their fact Agrise This ende such mischiefe aye ensues Recounting of that bloudie night doth make My heart to quake and sodaine tremor force My hand to stay from that I thought to write She whom they déemd could haue hir husâ—…d slain Of murther not committed dreedes to write But yet I will assay With mantle black When yrkesome shade gan ouerspreade the soyle And fayling day did