Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	blood_n	child_n	womb_n	2,043	5	9.7787	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11909	Seneca his tenne tragedies, translated into Englysh; Tragedies. English	Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, ca. 4 B.C.-65 A.D.; Heywood, Jasper, 1535-1598.; Neville, Alexander, 1544-1614.; Studley, John, 1545?-1590?; T. N. (Thomas Nuce), d. 1617.; Newton, Thomas, 1542?-1607.	1581 (1581)	STC 22221; ESTC S117108	299,823	450

day of death to mee Thus earst to mee did say A charmed Oake and all the wood that range with yetling noyse Of Parnass hill the Temples shooke and thundred out this voyce The dead mans hand whom thou before hast slayne O Hercules shall murther thee agayne Thou hauing mot the space of gulph and grounde And deapth of hell heare shall thou bee confounde I therefore doe bewayle no more such should our ending bee That Hercles conquerde after him no man aliue may see Now let mee dye a manly death a stout and excellent And meete for mee this noble day shall valiauntly bee spent Fell all the Timber on the grounde hew down all OEta wood Let coales deuower Hercules let fyer fry his blould But ere I dye thou noble Impe of Peans royall race This dolefull duety doe for mee See that an whole day space My funerall fier flaming burne And now my tender Hill The last peticion of my mouth make vnto thee I will Among the captiue Ladies one there is a noble Dame Of royall bloud Euritus Chylde Iole is her name Accept her to thy spousall Bed whom victour I vnkind● Haue trayned from her natiue home and but my heart and mynde Poore silly mayde I gaue her nought and now shee shall mee lose Loe thus the wretched woman walles her still encreasing woes But let her foster that she hath conceaued as Ioues ally And childe to mee bee 't thyne by her that earst begot haue I And as for thee deare mother myne your dreary dole forgoe Your Hercules shall liue doe not vayne teares on him bestowe My manhoode made a strumpet thought a Stepdame vnto thee But if that eyther Hercles byrth shewe her vnsure to bee Or be a man my ster or els be falsified my kin Now let Ioues 〈◊〉 cease and let my mothers slaunder ●in I haue deserued a father well that haue aduaunst so hye The glory of the rolling heauens of nature tramde was I To worke the wondrous prayse of Ioue and Ioue him selfe doth Ioy To haue the name of Hercules begetting such a boy But pardon now my strayned teares but you as Ioue his niece Shall as a stately matrone bee among the Dames of Greece Though Iuno with the thunderer in spousall chamber lyes And in her heauenly hand doth weilde the scepter of the skies When euer bare shee such a Babe and yet though heauen she hould In heart agaynst a mortall man she fosters mallice oulde For spighte that borne of womans womb be counted thus I should Goe Tican goe run out thy Race thee onely I forsake I that went with thee foote by foote nowe to th' infernall lake And Ghostes I go yet with this prayse to 'th pit down will I passe That Hercules of open foe yet neuer foyled was But hee in open combats brought his conquests all to passe Chorus O Titan crownd with blas●ing bush whose morning moystures make The Moone her foamy bridell from her tyred teame to take Declare to 'th Easterlinges whereas the ruddy morne doth ryse Declare vnto the Irishmen aloofe at western Skies Make knowne vnto the Moores annoyed by flaming axentree Those that with the ysy Wayne of Archas pestred bee Display to these that Hercules to th' eternall ghostes is gone And to the bauling mastriffes den from whence returneth none With dusky dampe of filthy fog O Titan choake thy blaze With lowring light of wanny Globe on wofull wordlings gaze And let thy head bee muffled vp with cloudes and darknesse dim For Hercles sake when shall thou finde or where the like to him O wretched worlde to whom wilt thou henceforth thy woes cōplaine If any scattring pestilence on ear●h shall be renewde By uenom ranck from poyson mouth of scaly Dragon spewde If any Bore of Arcadie shall comber all a wood And teare the trauelers flesh with tuske embrewed in goary blood If any champion rough of Thrace with heart more hard in breast Then are the ysy rockes where as the frozen Beare doth rest Shall trample thicke his stables fowle with bloud of slaughterd men When people quake for feare of warre who shall assist them then If wrathfull Gods for vengeaunce will fo●he monsters to be bread Loe nowe enfebled all of force his Karkasse lyeth dead Whom Natures moulde had made a match to thūdring Ioue in strēgth Hale out alas and let your playnt be hearde to townes at length Let women beat their naked armes and wring their trembling handes Untrusse their hayre and from theyr locks pluck of their binding bands Boult vp and lock the Temple gates of Gods and ●ape bee none But despret Iunoes Chapple doares O Hercles thou art gone To Lethes lake and streame of Stix from whence no Keele agayne Shall bring thee backe O silly soule thou goest to remayne Among the grisely goblins grymme from whence thou whilom came With triumph sooner daunted death and conquest of the same With gastly face and karrayne armes and neck that yeeldes to waight Thy ghost returnes but Carons boate then shall not haue her fraight As balased with thy onely payse and yet shalt thou not byde Among the rascall sprites but sit on bench by Eacus side And with the Iudges twayne of Creete as Umpier there to bee Appoynting paynes to soules that maye to their desartes agree Frō slaughter hold your guiltlesse hands bath not your blades in bloud Yee states that beare high sayle on earth and floa●e in worldly good It merits prayse a mayden sword vndipt in goare to beare And while thou rayne to keepe thy realme from cruell doings cleare But vertue hath a pryuiledge to passe vnto the skies To 'th top of frosen Apell tree O Hercules wilt thou ryse Or where the sunne with scorching blaze his burning beames doth rest Or wilt thou bee a shyning starre amid the lukewarme west Where Calpe Rocke is heard with roaring noyse of wrastling waue What place amid the azur skye entendest thou to haue What place shall be in all the heauens from hurley burley free When Hercules amid the starres shall entertayned bee Let Ioue appoynt thy byding from the ougly Lion farre And burning Crab least thou with grysely countnaunce do thē skarre And make the trembling starres in heauen for feare to breake aray And Titan quake while spring doth prank with flowers the tender spray Then hasty winter strip the trees of all their braunches greene Or sudden Summer deckt with leaues in busshy woods be seene And from the trees the Apples fall the haruest being doone No age on earth shall wipe away the fame that thou hast woone As farre as Sun or Stars can shyne thy glorious name shall goe Amid the botome of the Sea first Corne shall sprout and grow And brackish Seas his waters salt to water fresh shall chaunge And fixed starre of ysy beare from Clime to Clyme shall raunge And sink into the frozen poole agaynst his kindly sway Ere people cease the honour of thy triumphes to display O soueraygne Ioue wee wretched wightes this

spirites yre VVhose sonue we slew whereof doth yet remayne The wrath beneath and hell shal be their payne From burning lakes the furies wrath I threate And fire that nought but streames of bloud may slake The rage of winde and seas their shippes shall beate And Ditis deepe on you shall vengeance take The spirites crie out the earth and seas do quake The poole of Styx vngratefull Greekes it seath VVith slaughtred bloud reuenge Achilles death The soyle doth shake to beare my heauy foote And fearth agayne the sceptors of my hand The pooles with stroake of thunderclap ring out The doubtful starres amid their course do stand And fearfull Phoebus hides his blasing brande The trembling lakes agaynst their course do flite For dread and terrour of Achilles spright Great is the raunsome ought of due to mee Wherwith ye must the sprightes and hell appease Polyxena shal sacrifysed be Vpon my tombe their yreful wrath to please And with her bloud ye shall asswage the seas Your ships may not returne to Greece agayne Til on my tombe Polyxena be slayne And for that she should then haue bene my wyfe I wil that Pyrrhus render her to mee And in such solemne sort bereaue her life As ye are wont the weddinges for to see So shal the wrath of Hel appeased bee Nought els but this may satisfy our yre Her wil I haue and her I you require THE SECOND SCENE Talthibius Chorus ALas how long the lingring Greekes in hauen do make delay When eyther warre by seas they seeke or home to passe theyr way Ch. Why shew what cause doth hold your ships and Grecian nauy stayes Declare if any of the Gods haue stopt your homeward wayes Tal. My mynd is mai'd my trembling sinne wes quake and are affeard For straunger newes of truth then these I thinke were neuer heard Lo I my selfe haue playnly seene in dawning of the day When Phoebus first gan to approch and driue the starres away The earth all shaken sodaynly and from the hollow grownde My thought I hard with roaryng crye a deepe and dreadful sound That shoke the woods and al the trees rong out with thunder stroke From Ida hils downe fel the stones the mountayne toppes were broke And not the earth hath onely quakt but all the Sea likewyse Achilles presence felt and knew and high the surges ryse The clouen ground Erebus pittes then shewd and deepest dennes That downe to Gods that guyde beneath the way appeard from hence Then shoke the tombe from whence anone in flame of fiery light Appeareth from the hollow caues Achilles noble spright As wonted he his Thracian armes and bannars to disploy And weild his weighty weapons wel agaynst th assaultes of Troy The same Achilles seemde he than that he was wont to bee Amid the hostes and easiy could I know that this was hee With carkasse slayne in furious fight that stopt and fild each floude And who with slaughter of his hand made Xanthus runne with bloud As when in Chariot high he sate with lofty stomacke stoute Whyle Hector both and Troy at once he drew the walles aboute Alowd he cride and euery coast rang with Achilles sound And thus with hollow voyce he spake from bottom of the ground The Greekes shal not with litle pryce redeeme Achilles yre A princely raunsome must they geue for so the fates require Vnto my ashes Polyxene spoused shal here be slayne By Pyrrhus hand and al my tombe her bloud shal ouerstayne This sayd he strayght sanke downe agayne to Plutoes deepe region The earth then cloasd the hollow caues were vanished and gon Therwith the wether waxed clere the raging wyndes did slake The tombling seas began to rest and al the tempest brake THE THIRD SCENE Pyrrhus Agamemnon Calchas WHat tyme our sayles we should haue spread vppon Sygeon Seas With swift returne from long delay to seeke our homeward wayes Achilles rose whose onely hand hath geuen Greekes the spoyle Of Troia sore annoyde by him and leueld with the soyle With speede requiting his abode and former long delay At Scyros yle and Lesbos both amid the Aegaeon sea Til he came here in doubt it stoode of fall or sure estate Then though ye hast to graunt his wil ye shall it geue to late Now haue the other captaynes all the pryce of their manhood What els reward for his prewesse then her al onely blood Are his desertes thinke you but light that when he might haue fled And passing Pelyus yeares in peace a quiet life haue led Detected yet his mothers craftes forsooke his womans weede And with his weapons prou'd himselfe a manly man indeede The King of Mysya Telephus that woulde the Greekes withstand Comming to Troy forbidding vs the passage of his land To late repenting to haue felt Achilles heauy stroke Was glad to craue his health agayne where he his hurt had tooke For when his sore might not be salud as told Appollo playne Except the speare that gaue the hurte restoared help agayne Achilles plasters cur'd his cuttes and sau'd the King aliue His hand both might and mercy knew te slay and then reuyne When Thebes fel Eetion saw it and might it not withstand The captiue King could nought redresse the ruin of his land Lyrnesus litle likewyse felt his hand and downe it fill With ruine ouerturned like from top of haughty hil And taken Bryseys land it is and prisoner is she caught The cause of strife betwene the Kinges is Chryses come to naught Tenedos yle wel knowne by fame and fertile soyle he tooke That fostreth fat the Thracian flockes and sacred Cilla shooke What bootes to blase the brute of him whom trumpe of fame doth show Through all the coastes where Caicus floud with swelling stream doth flow The ruthful ruine of these realmes so many townes bet downe Another man would glory count and worthy great renowne But thus my father made his way and these his iourneyes are And battayles many one he fought whyle warre he doth prepare As wisht I may his merits more shall yet not this remayne Wel knowne and counted prayse enough that he hath Hector slayne Duryng whose life the Grecians al might neuer take the towne My father onely vanquist Troy and you haue pluct it downe Reioyce I may your parentes prayse and brute abroade his actes It seemeth the sonne to follow well his noble fathers factts In sight of Priam Hector slayne and Memnon both they lay With heauy theere his parentes wayld to mourne his dying day Himselfe abhord his handy worke in fight that had them slayne The Sonnes of Goddes Achilles knew were borne to die agayne The woman queene of Amazons that greu'd the Greekes ful sore Is turnd to flight then ceast our feare wee dread their bowes no more It ye wel waigh his worthynes Achilles ought to haue Though he from Argos or Mycenas would a Virgin craue Doubt ye herein allow ye not that straight his wil be done And count ye cruel Pryams bloud to

bloude Aloofe from your conspyracie refrayning farre hee stoode His harmelesse handes put not in vre with goary tooles to mell But thou that setst on fyre fyrst these mighty mischiefes fell Whom shamelesse womans wily braine and manly stomack stout Doe set a God for to attempt to bring all ils about And no regarde at all thou hast how sounding trumpe of fame With ringing blast of good or ill doe blowe abrode thy name Get out and clense my fyled realme away together beare Thyne hearbes vnmilde of sorcery my Lyege 's ryd fro feare Transporte thee to some other lande whereas thou may at ease With odious noyse of diuelish charme the troubled Gods disease ME. If needes thou wylt haue me auoyde my shyp to mee restore Or els my mate with whom I fyrst aryued on this shore Why dost thou bid that by my selfe I onely should be gone I came not heather at fyrst wythout my company alone If this do thee aggryese that brunt of warres thou shalt sustayne Commaund vs both the cause thereof to shun thy realme agayne Sith both are guilty of one art why dost thou part vs twayne For Iasons sake not for myne owne poore Pelias was slayne Annex vnto my traytrous flight the conquerde booty braue My hoary headded naturall sier whom I forsaken haue With brothers bloudy flesh that mangled was with caruing knife Or ought of Iasons forged lies he gabbes vnto his wyfe These dreary deedes are none of myne so oft as I offend Not for myne owne cōmodity to come thereby in th ende CR. Time is expierd by which thou ought to haue bene gone away Wyth keeping such a chat why dost thou make so long delay ME. Yet of thy bounty ere I goe this one boone will I craue Although the mother banished so sore offended haue Let not the vengeaunce of my fault through wrathfull deadly hate Myne innocent and guiltlesse Babes torment in wreached state CR. Away with louing friendly grype thy children I embrace And as a father naturall take pity on theyr case ME. Euen for the prosperous good encreace of fertill spousall bed Of Glauce bright thy Daughter deare whom Iason late hath wed And by the hope of fruictfull seede whose flowre in time shall bloome By th' onour of thy glystring crowne ythralde to fortunes doome Whych shee so full of chop and chaunge with ticle turning wheele Whirls vp and downe in staggring state makes to and fro to reele I thee beseech sith to exile I am departing now O Creon but a litle pawse for mercy mee alow Whyle of my mourning brats with kysse my last farewell I take Whyle gaspe of fayling breath perhap my shyuering lyms forsake CR. With craft entending some deceipt thou crauest this delay ME. What falshode for so litle time be cause of terrour may CR. No tot of time is short ynough displeasure to preuent ME. Can not one iot to weeping Eyes and trylling teares be lent CR. Although agaynst thy ernest suite vnlucky dread do stryue One day to settle thee away content I am to gyue ME. This is to much and of the same somwhat abrydge yee may CR. Make speede apace if from our land thou get thee not away Ere Phoebus horse with golden gleede theyr streaming beames doe shed Of dawning lampe thou art condemde to leese thy wretched hed The holy day and brydall both doe call me hence away And wils mee at the sacred aare of Hymeneus to pray Chorus LAuish of life and dreadlesse was the wyght Attempting fyrst in slender tottring Barge Wyth sliuing Ore the slyced waue to smyte And durst commit the dainty tender charge Of hazered life to inconstant course of wynde That turnes with chaunge of chaunces euermore To vew the land forsooke aloofe behynde And shoouing forthe the Ship fro safer shore And glauncing through the fomy Channell deepe On sunder cut with slender Stemme the waue Twixt hope of lyfe and dread of death to sweepe In narrow gut him selfe to spill or saue Experience yet of Planets no man had They needed not the wandring course to knowe Of Starres wherewith the paynted sky is clad Not Pleiads which returne of sayling show Nor Hyads that with showrs the Seas doe beate No nor the sterne Amaltheas horned head Who gaue the lyppes of sucking Ioue the Teate Were wont to put the blundering ships in dread They feared not the northerne Isy wayne Whych lazy olde bootes wieldes behinde And twynes about no name yet could they fayne For Boreas rough nor smother western wynde Yet Typhys bould on open seas durst show His hoysted sayles and for the wyndes decree New lawes as now full gale aloofe to blow Now tackle turride to take syde wynde alee Now vp to farle the crossayle on the mast There safe to hang the topsayle now to spred Now missel sayle and drabler out to cast VVhen dagling hanges his shottring tackle red VVhyle stearsman stur and busye neuer blin VVith pyth to pull all sayles eke to display VVith tooth and nayle all force of winde to wyn To sheare the seas and quick to scud awaye The golden worlde our fathers haue possest VVhere banysht fraude durst neuer come in place All were content to liue at home in rest VVith horye head gray beard and furrowed face VVhych tract of time within his countrey brought Riche hauing lytle for more they did not toyle No vente for wares nor Traficque far they sought No wealth that sprange beyond theyr natiue soyle The Thessail shyp together now hath set The Thessail ship together now hath set The Worlde that well with Seas disseuered lay It biddes the flouds with Oares to be bet And streames vnknowen with shipwrack vs to fray That wicked Keele was lost by ruthfull wrack Ytossed through such perylles passing great Where Cyanes Rocks gan rore as thunder crack Whose bouncing boult the shaken soyle doth beat The sowsing Surges dasshed euery starre The pesterd seas the cloudes aloft berayde This scuffling did bould TYPHIS minde detarre Hys helme did slip from trembling hande dismayde The ORPHEVS with his drowping Harp was mum Dead in her dumpes the flaunting ARGOS glee All husht in rest with silence wexed dum What hardy heart astound heere would not bee To see at once eche yawning mouth to gape Of Syllas gulph compact in wallowing paunch Of dogges who doth not loth her mongrell shape Her visage breast and hyddeous vgly haunch Whom erketh not the scoulde with barking still To here the Mermaydes dyre who doth not quayle That lure the Eares with pleasaunt singing shrill Of such as on Ausonius Sea doe sayle When ORPHEVS on his twanckling Harpe did play That earst the Muse Calliop gaue to him Almost those Nymphes that wonted was to stay The shyps he causd fast following him to swim How deerely was that wicked iourney bought MEDEA accurst and eke the golden Fleece That greater harme then storme of seas hath wrought Rewarded well that voyage first of Greece Now seas controulde doe suffer passage free The Argo proude

mountayne falling am I slayne The glaring eyed giant grym doth not now squeaze my coarse With paise of Pindus roch and thus not feling enmyes force I conquerd am and yet alas this coarsie frets me more O feeble force of man he whom no might could match before Withouten any conquest made doth end his latter day Without exployt or feat of armes my selfe I passe away O mighty vmpier of the world and all ye Ghostes aboue That witnes how in quarell good my right hand euer stroue O all ye landes O earth alas may it your mercy please To spoyle the spiteful sting of death that dauntes your Hercules Fy fye what shame is it to vs what filthy fate we haue A woman prowde shall boast her bane brought Hercles to his graue Then what are they whose mortall mayme Alcides weapon gaue If thus with sway inuincible my fatal wheele do run And neede must on this shameful rocke my fatall twist be spunne As by a womans cursed hand my bloud should thus be shed Yet Iunoes mallice migh haue powrd this vengeance on my head So might a womans deadly band have brought me to my beere But pet a woman wellding sway amid the welkin cleare But this seemde ouerprowde attempt for Gods to take in hand The paples dame in Scithia borne where pight on hie ●o●h s tand The Apeltree whereon the vnderpropped poales do sway It might as wel haue bene her hap to take my breath away What womans might may maister me Queene Iunoes hatefull foe Fye stepdame fye the fowler shame by this to thee doth grow Why dost thou triumph in this day why did dame Tellus breede Such parlous bugges thy humour ranck of colour hoate to feede A mortall womans peauishe spight doth passe thy rancour rough Thou sayst thou cannot haue reuenge on Hercules inough Then are wee twayne y passe thy power the Gods may blushe for sham To see their mallice ouermacht by such a mortall dame Would God the ramping Lyons pawe that noyed Neme woode Had fillde his greedy mounching Iawes with plenty of my bloude Or while the twining snakes had hembde mee in by hundreds thick Why might not Hydra swallow vp my wrinched body quick Why was it not the centaures hap my silly flesh to gnawe Or that I bounde on Tantalls rocke shoulde gape with greedy Iawe In vayne to catch the fleeting foode when deepe from Tartar soyle Where at the Gods aggrized were I did purloyne the spoyle And from the darck infernall Styx I got agayne to light Or Ditis dungeon all the stops and stayes I conquerde quight Death shranke from mee in euery place that I a noble knight At length might ende my dayes in shame and in dishonour spoylde Oh Ioue the creatures terrible thou knowst that I haue foylde The threefolde shapen mastiffe curre whom vp I draggde in chayne Hee starring from the sunnewarde could not hale mee back agayne The sheepherdes churlishe rabble that aloofe in Iber hee Vnder the Spanishe feruent clyme coulde neuer maister mee Nor serpents twayne that vnto mee in tender cradell creapt Aye woe is mee that valiant death so oft I ouerleapt What honour shall I dye withall CH. Beholde how death and hell Cannot appaule the verteous mynde that of deseruing well By guiltlesse conscience warrant hath the death that doth him spoyle Irkes not as thus of such an one to take this filthy foyle If with this torment life were lost his mynde should much be ●asde As with vnwe●ldy Gyauntes sway hee had his body squeasde Or Titans burden with his monsters all he woulde abyde Or wishe of raging Gyants rent in pieces to haue dyde And if thy d●lefull death because that monster none is left Who may be worthy thought by whom Alcides life bee reft But thine owne hand to doe the deede HE. Aye me and wellaway What Scorpion scrapes within my Mawe what cralling Crab I say With crooking cleaze to comber mee from scorching zone returnes And boat within my boyling bones the seathing Marowe burnes My Riuer whilom ranke of bloude my rotting Lunges it tawes And teareth them in shattred gubs and filthy withered flawes And now my Gall is dryed vp my burning Lyuer glowes The stewing heate hath stulde away the bloude and Ioue hee knowes My vpper skin is scorcht away and thus the Cankar stronge Doth eate an hole that get it may my wretched Limmes amonge And from my frying Ribs alas my Lyuer quite is rent It gnawes my flesh deuowers all my Carkas quite is spent It soakes into the empty bones and out the iuyce it suckes The bones by lumps drop of while it the ioyntes a sunder pluckes My corpulent Carkes is consumde of Hercules euery Iim Yet stauncheth not the festring rot that feedeth fast on him O what a tingling ache it is that makes mee thus to smart O bitter plague O pestilence that gripeth to the heart Loe Cittes loe what now remaynes of Hercules the great Are these the armes that did with stripes the roaring Lyon beate And in Nemea wood did teare him from his hary case Might this hand bend y bow from cloudes the Stimphall foule to chase Are these the shankes that coapt the heart who shifting pace full oft Did beare his braunched head ypranckt with garlond gay aloft Was Cal●e craggy cliue of these my feeble clowches broake To rayse a dam in ●eas that did their foamy channell choake Had these armes pith the breath of Kings of Beastes and bugs to stop Or might these shoulders tough the payse of heauen vnderprop Are these the lusty Lims and Neck that shrank not at the payse Are these handes that I agaynst the weltring heauens did rayse Alas whose handes shall now perforce from hence hell Iaylo●● leade Alas the noble courage earst that now in mee is deade Why call I Ioue my Father great of whom my stock should ryse Why by the Thunderer make I my challenge to the skyes Now now Ampitrio is my ster all men may it auouch Come out thou murreyn fowle that dost within my bowells couch Why dost thou thus with priuy wound my carefull Carkas foyle What gulph vnder the frozen Clyme in saluage Scithian soyle Engendred them what water Hag did spawne thee on the shore Or stony C●lpe Rock in Spayne that borders on the Moare O yrksome ill and art thou not the Serpent that doth sting With crest on ougly head or els some other lothly thing Or spronge of Hydraës bloude or left heere by the hellick hound Art thou no plague and yet a plague in whom all plagues abound What gastly countnaunce cariest thou alas yet let me know What kinde of mischiefe may thou be that dost torment mee so What saluage sore or murreyn straunge or vncouth plague thou bee With open combat face to face thou should encounter mee And not thus ranckle in my flesh nor soake into the sap By sowltring heate within my bones thy boyling bane to wrap And in the mid thereof to fry the Maroe that doth melt My

child as hardy as was hee Oh whether may Alcmena goe or whether shal she wend What countrey or what kingdomes may my careful hed defend Where may I couch my wretched coarse that euery where am knownde If I vnto my natiue soyle repayre among myne owne Euristeus is of Argoe lord thus woefully forlorne I wil to Thebes where I was wed and Hercules was borne And where with Ioue I did enioy dame Venus deare delight O blessed woman had I bene and in most happy plight It Ioue with flash of lightning leams and blasing flakes of fyre Had smolthred me as Semele was sowst at her desyre Would God that Hercles whyle he was a babe had rypped bene Out of my wombe then wretchedly I should not this haue seene The pangues and tormentes of my sonne whose prayse doth coūteruaile Euen Ioue then had I learnd that death at length might him assayle And take him from my sight O child who wil remember thee For now vnthankfulnes is great in men of each degree 〈◊〉 for thy 〈◊〉 I do not know where entertaynd to bee The ●word of the Cleonies I will attempt and fyre Whom from the Lyon resc●wde he and made the monster dye Or shal I too th' Archadians go where thou didst sle● the boare Where thy renowne remaine 〈…〉 of great exploytes before The parlous 〈◊〉 Hydra heare was slayne there fel he dead That with the flesh of slaughtred men his greedy horses fedde And yonde 's were the Stimphall burdes compelde to leaue the saye And tamed by the handy toyle now doth the Lyon frie And belketh 〈◊〉 fumes in heauens whyle thou liest in thy groue O if mankynd but any sparke of thankful nature haue Let all men prcace to succour mee Alcmene thy mother deare What if among the Thracians I venter to appeare Or on the 〈◊〉 of Hebet floud thy prowesse euery where Hath succoured all these soylts for earst in Thrace thou did put downe The fleshy meangres of the King and put him from his crowne By slaughter of the saluage printe the people liue in peace Where diddest thou denye thy helpe to make tormoyling cease Vnhappy mother that I am a shryne where may I haue To shrowde thy coarse for all the world may striue aboute thy graue What temple may be meete to shryne thy reliques safe for aye And hallowed bones what nations vnto the ghost shal pray O noble sonne what sepulchere what hearse may serue for thee The world it selfe through flying flame thy fatal tombe shal be Who taketh here this payse from me his ashes which I beare Why loath I them imbrace his bones keepe stil his ashes here And they shal be a shield to thee his dust that thee defend To see his shadow princes prowde for feare shal stoupe and bend Ph. O mother of noble Hercules forbeare your dreary playnt His valiant death thus should not be with femal teares attaynt Ye should not languish thus for him nor count him wretched man In dying who by noble mynd preuent his destny can His cheuatry forbyddeth vs with teares him to bewayle The stately stomacke doth not sloupe they sigh whose hartes do fayle Alc. I le mone no more behold behold most wretched mother I Haue lost the sheild of land end sead where glittring Phoebe displayes With whirling wheeles in foamy gulphes and red and purple rayes The losse of many sonnes I may lament in him alone Through him I lifted Kings to frowne when crown my selfe had none Ayd neuer any mother liude that neded lesse to craue Of Gods then I I asked naught while I my sonne might haue What could not Hercles tender loue like on me to bestow What God would once den●● to 〈…〉 or what he held me froe I was in my powre to aske and haue If Ioue would ought denye My Hercules did bring to passe I had 〈…〉 by What mortall mother euer bare and lost so deare a sonne Earst downe the cheekes of Niobe the 〈…〉 When of her deare and tender brattes she wholly was hereuen And did bewa●le with strayned sighes her children seuen and seue● And yet might I compare this one my Hercles vnto those And I in him as much as shee in all her imp●s die lose The mothers that are mourning dames do lacke on h●d and chefe And now Alcmene shal be shee depriude of all releefe Cease woeful ●●thers cease if that among you any are Constrayne to shed your streaming teares by force of peas●ue care● Ye Lady whom lamenting song of women fourmed rockes Geue place vnto my gluttyng greefe beat on with burning knockes Ye handes vppon my riueled breast alas am I alone Enough for such a funerall to languish and to moue Whom al the world shall shortly neede yet steech thy feble armes To thumpe vppon thy sounding breast thy griefe with boleful 〈◊〉 And in despyte of al the gods powre put thy woeful erye And to receiue thy flowing teares thy warry cheekes applye Bewayle Alcmenas woful state the sonne of Ioue bewayle Whose byrth did cause the du●ay day in kindly course 〈◊〉 fayle The East compact two nightes in one Lo to a greater thing Then glorious day the world hath lost now let your forrowes ring Yet people al whose lowryng lordes he draw to dennes of death Theyr blades that reckt with guiltles 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 into the sheath Bestow on him your Christall teares which he deserued wellt Howle out ye heauens ye mardle seas and goulphes with gronings yell O Crete Deare darling vnto Ioue For Ioue of Hercles ro●e Ye hundred cityes beate yond armes my sonne for euermore Is gone among the gries●y ghostes and shimmering shades of hell Lament for him ye woeful mightes that here on 〈◊〉 do dwell Hercules Alcmen● WHy Mother wayle you mee an 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ho●t of hell Or 〈…〉 of death sith I among 〈◊〉 Spheares doe dwell Forbeare forbeare to moane for mee for vertue opened hath To mee the passage to the Starres and set mee in the path That guides to euerlasting Lyfe whence co●s this dreadfull sounde Alc. Whence roares this thundring voyce that doth against mine eares rebosid And biddeth mee to shine my teares I know it now I know The darksome dunge●●● daunied are and Demies of Lakes alow O Sonne art thou ret●rnd to the from Stygian gulph agayne And can thou twise of ougly death the con quest thus obtayne And brast the balefull prisons twise of glum and gastly night Aga●●st 〈…〉 thus by might May any scape from 〈…〉 thou stape alone Hath hell no power to holde thy sprite when breath from breast is gone Or els hath Pluto baalde thee out for feare least thou alone Should cloyne his Scepter from 〈◊〉 hand pluck him from his front For I am sure I sawe thee layde vpon the burning trees And from thy Corps the flame and sparkes agaynst the welkin flyes That sure thou wast to po●ldee burne and feeble lyfe was lost But sure the deepes and pits of 〈◊〉 did not lock vp thy ghost Why were the deuills alrayde of thee why quaked Ditis grim And did thy noble ghost seeme such a gastly bug to him HE. The dampy 〈◊〉 of Cocitas coulde not keepe me from light Nor Carons fusty musty Barge transported hath my sprite Now Myther 〈…〉 more once haue I seeme the 〈◊〉 of hell And all the 〈…〉 that dwell That mortall moulde I tooke of you to nought the flames haue fryed Heauen hath the substaunce that I tooke of Ioue in fier yours died And therefore rawse your playntius teares which parents vse to shed When wretchedly they wayle their sonnes that dastardly are dead Thus vulgar varlets weepe loe vertue hopes the Starres to get But faynting feare 〈◊〉 on death from heauen where I am set You heare my voyce Euristeus now shal byde the deadly push With charyot sway his cracked scull ye shal on sunder crush Now must I hence aduaunce my Ghost vp to the rolling skyes Once more I daunt the deuilles and do the goblins grim aggrise Alc. But stay awhile my sonne he fades and shrinketh from my sight Aduaunst he is among the starres doth this my charmed Spirite Dote in a traunce or do I dreame that I haue seene my sonne A troubled mynd can scante beleue the thinges he seeth done But now I see thou art a God possessing heauen for aye I see it sure I wil to Thebes thy triumphes to display Chorus LO vertue scapes the gastly shades of hell Ye noble peeres that shyne in vertue bright Dire desteny cannot constrayne you dwell Among the glowming glades of ougly might Nor sinke your fame in loathsome lakes of spyte But when deaths day drawes on the gasping howre You purchast glory shall direct your right To fynd the passage to the heauenly bower When flesh doth fall and breathing body dies Then Fame the child of Vertue doth arise But sluggish sottes that sleepe their dayes in sloth Or geue their golden age to loath some lust Them and their names the wretches bury both When as their bones shall shryned be in dust The clay shall couer their carkases forlorne As though such kaytisses neuer had bene borne But if that ought of memory they haue In thafter age it shal be filthy shame The gnawing wormes torment not so in graue Their rotten flesh as tounges do teare their name That dayly kild to further mischiefe liues Lo both the fruites that vice and virtue giues FINIS Ouid. Omne genus scripti grauitate Tragoedia vincit