THE Eyght Tragedie of Seneca. Entituled AGAMEMNON. Translated out of Latin in to English, by Iohn Studley, Student in Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge.

¶IMPRINTED AT LONDON in Fletestreat, beneath the Conduit, at the signe of S. Iohn Euangelyst, by Thomas Col­well. Anno Domini. M. D. LXVI.

¶In Agamemnona Senecae Thomae Newcei.

NOn secus a [...]rostro crudelis vultur, obunco [...]
Caucaseirodit iecur immortale promethe [...],
Inuida mens stolidi, vitio contorta perenni,
Derogat assidue famam nomen (que) merentis [...]
Cum legis hanc igitur, si quicquā versio ridet,
Non quid verba velint, sed quid [...]es ipsa, videto.
Sanguine spumante [...] pateras, cum mente reuoluit,
Saeuit in Atridem mens impia saenit adult [...]i.
Et Deus Atr [...]m patris de crimine, prolem
Perdit: et iniustae tollunt Agamemnona, parcae.
Debuit exemplum quosuis terrere superbos:
Et, cuiuis, opus hoc iuuenis, laudare molestum.
Sed siturbaruant in quaeuis aequora praeceps,
Flumine paem [...]rum iusto, Deus obruet [...]llos.

¶Uppon the same, to the same, the verses of the same.

SI [...]th frends to frends do frēdly graūt
in frednly cases muche,
And I perceaued that hys cause,
and hys request was suche:
[Page]How that, to paynfull laboured stuffe
my mynd I wolde annex:
And do but as his watched worke,
whych he doth here contex
Deserues: when as the Poets crab­bed
style I wayd aryght:
And saw how well, and saw how apt
and feetly he dyd wryte:
How hydden storyes oft he showes,
to make his poet playne:
(So as in double offyce he
might seeme for to remayne)
As sometyme barely to expound,
to cōment sometyme eke,
So that to vnderstand this booke,
ye neede no farther seeke:)
This well deserued worke of hys,
when as I weyed well,
And partly knew hys fyled frame,
as other men can tell,
And wholly knew his springing youth,
and yeares for age yet greene,
So that dame Natures graue aray,
on face was scarcely seene,
I could not chuse, but when I sawe
his labour to be sore,
And eke hys wery webbe, then this
for to deserue much more,
[Page]Furthwith at hys request, both to
refrsh hys watchyng eeys,
And praysed paynes to others prayse,
thys litle worke deuyse,
Least haply he sho [...]ld meete with such,
as wolde scarce speke the best,
Nor halfe that it deserues, but vn­to
nippyng wordes be prest.
And though I know this painfull wight
can not hys carpers want,
Whych often tymes discorage men,
and make such studyes skant,
Yet be not thou dismaid, go on,
and bolden well thy selfe,
The worthyest wyght that euer wrote,
did neuer want hys Elfe.
Such Emules, & such fyendly freaks,
if E thou take away,
Playn Mules they be, y • mump & mow,
and nothyng els can say.
Who if in ranckours poysoned sincke,
they lurke and wallow styll,
Nor yet with cancred venome bolne,
do leaue theyr waspysh wyll,
But slothfull sluggerds still vpbraid,
that paynfull heads deuyse,
And with their tryple forked tongs,
anoy thys enterpryse:
[Page]Discorage him from other worke,
and further fruytes of wit,
And other towarde paynes dysgrace,
if they such poyson spit.
Tak [...] heede: if tongs far worse do bite,
then double edged swerd:
If bytyng tongs be stinging ills,
why ma [...]ger then thy berd,
Thou canst not shun Ioues ruddy wrath,
that such deseruers haue,
Which willingly, though wofully,
them selues they do it craue.
In whom it is, if that they will,
much better to deserue:
And cease, theyr wytles [...]e appetyte
for any more to serue.
This wofull worke that Senec here
depayntes before thy face,
The bloody yre of myghty Ioue,
propounds in ruthfull case.
To such as by their deuilysh deedes,
and harts with rancour mixt,
Alreddy be, although they lyue,
in snakysh dongeon fixt.
The crumpled browes of lofty lord,
in cloudy throne that sytts,
His sore dyspleased mynd portend
to euill vsed wytts.
[Page]Who in hys fomyng wrath, can turne
the worlds well [...]etled seat:
And make an indigested thing,
and mingle mangle great [...]
Beware therfore: of Tantalus
that stem, and lynage vyle
May cause the wel, with vertues toole,
thy vycious lyfe to fyle.
For deadly deede whych Atreus dyd
vnto Thyestes chylde,
(Although Thyest hys brother, then
his spousall bed defyld)
Hys gryesly ghoast comes back againe
from deepe infernall pyt,
To make reuenge in Aegists harte,
hys onely sonne to syt.
That fylthy great adulter, streyght
to stryfe and blood yprest,
Thyestiall tables to reuendg,
doth scarcely take hys rest.
First Atreus lyfe he seekes, then, while
that Agamemnon laye
In Castrall campe, by Troyan towne
for countreys cause, streight waye
Thys drousie swynehead fylthy he
in brutysh pleasures wrapt,
Hath Agamemnons louyng wyfe,
in Cupid [...] snares entrapt.
[Page]Wherby, of sacred Hymeneus
the bonds, he makes her flye [...]
And, Agamemnons pryuate bed,
through pleasure to denye.
And, which is greatter greefe then this,
and vyllany moste vyle,
with deadly thought he makes the wife
vppon her husband smyle,
When as tryumphantly he came
a conquerour from Troy:
To thend he, should suspecte the lesse,
and haue the greater ioy,
And thinking nought, but mening wel:
myght take a cursed coat,
Which doing on, they ea [...]ly myght
the soner cut hys throte.
Thys deede was done: by Talyon lawe
here blood dyd blood requyer:
And now Thyest hath that reuenge,
that he dyd longe desyer.
Wherby thou cheefly mayst be taught
the prouydence of god:
That so longe after, Atreus fact
Thyests reuenge abod.
And to thy selfe take better heede,
least loytryng styll in sinne,
In pinching slaunders, touching talke
(whear greater greefes begyn)
[Page]Thy selfe alone thou do not plague,
which of it selfe is muche,
But also make thyne after stocke
to smarte, and for thy [...]uche.
For be thou sure, though god doth spare
thee for a season here,
And suffer thee with poysoned tonge
to frump, and carp thys gere,
That eyther thou thy selfe shalt feele
some bytter bytyng greese,
Or els shall thy posterytie
with payne haue their releefe:
Unluckye chyldren reape, that wyc­ked
parents handes haue sowne:
A warye wyght, by others woes
that knowes tauoyde hys owne.
Learne here to lyue a ryght, and know
how that thear is a god,
That well deseruers well rewardes,
andd ill, doth scurge with rod.
For to thys and is thys compylde
thys play thou hast in hand,
In vertues race to make thee run,
and vyce for to withstand.
Which well deseruyng worke of his,
if thou can well digest,
Then shalt thou haue hys buddyng pen,
to greater matters pre [...]t.

¶W. R. to the Reader.

IF troublous toyles most tragicall,
Or blooddie broyles of enuyous i [...]e,
Discrybde with art poetycall
Can moue thye hart or sett on fyre
Thy wauering mynd, then still procede
With good aduise this booke to rede.
¶For here in is se [...]t furthe at large,
With sugred sopps of lettered tonge,
Thun stable state of gloryous barge,
Which enuyous harte hath freshlie stong [...]
For when that hate encreaseth i [...]e,
Nought els but death can quench y • fier.
¶What did avayle the martiall dedes,
Which Agamemnons valyant hand
Did bring to passe? they sowe the sedes
Of enuyous hate in Mycene lande:
For Aegist, and his cruell wife,
At length do ridd him of his life.
¶Of fycle fortunes waueryng wyles
Thys booke ensample doth declare,
For when most pleasauntlye she smyles,
She doth nought els but plant a snare,
To catche at length w t woefull channce
The sa [...]e, whom she aloft did vaunce.
[Page]¶I nede not prayse this goulden booke,
So fullye freyght with lerninges [...]ore,
The worke enough (if thou doest looke)
Doth prayse it selfe, and neads no more:
For woordes auayleth not a rushe,
And good wine neads no tau [...]rne b [...]she.
¶Therfore ear that thou hast it redd.
With temerous rancour iudge none ill,
For oft the churlyshe curyous hedd
Condemneth youth as wantyng skyll:
Yet Daniell young sent Iudithe rest,
When horye hedds had her opprest.

Idem in Zoilum.

ZOile quid frendes? quid mandis spumea labra?
Quid vol at horrisono fulmen ab ore tu [...]?
Euome corrupto tabescens gultu [...]e virus:
Eructa bullas O furibunde vafras
Faucibus igniuomis minitans et dente lupino:
Proeda tuo denti non opus istud erit.
Non potes istius calami corrumpere fructus [...]
Conseruat famulos magna Minerua s [...]os.
Insulsus nitidum reprehendit sutor Apell [...]m.
Inuidiam virtus clara praeire solet.
Zoile tu (que), furis, iuuenis quum musa triumphet,
Iratus turges: verbula vana vomis.
[Page]Ipse tamen rigidi peries Acherontis in vrna,
Et Phlegethonteas ante natabis aquas,
Quam tu Studlei dimittes carmen in vmbras,
Quam possis nomen dilacerare suum.
Perpetuo viuet res inuictissima virtus,
Non abolent enses, vnda, necignis eam.

H. C. To the reader.

BE not to rash in iudgyng ought,
but waye well in thy mynde
The pleasure, and commoditie,
that thou herein shall fynde.
And deme him not presumtious,
whom muses moued ryght,
The statlye style of Senec. sage
in vulgar verse to wryght,
For though the worke of grauer age,
the connyng seme to craue,
Sumtyme we se yet younger yeares,
a ryper witt to haue.
Accept it therfore, as it is,
(of grener yeres in deede)
And as his paynes deserueth prayse,
So paye him for his meede.

To the Reader. Thomas Delapeend in the Translatours behalfe.

IN volume small [...] a present great
a worthy gyfte to thee
Good reader here is offered,
if thou so thankfull bee.
Accordyng to the valew full,
the same for to receue:
Uouchsaufyng for the wryters paines,
deserued paynes to geue.
He bouldly hath presented here
vnto thy gasyng eyes,
The wisdome great, & worthy thinges [...]
whych erst by Tragedyes
Sage Senec shewyng, so sometyme
in latyn verse dyd wryte.
The same, in perfect englysh ryme
thys Author doth endyte.
Which, though thy skilful iudgment maye
dyscerne of prayse to be
Well worthy. Yet by thys, I do
cōmend the same to thee,
Because that vertue praysed [...]tyll,
increaseth euery wheare:
And that, eche readers rygour hard,
the lerned should not feare.
[Page]Syth fame and vertue, euermore
pale Enuy doth pursue,
Nor Homer great hym selfe could styng [...]
of slaunderous wordes eschewe:
Contented better, men may take
the lot, whych vnto all
That euer wrote, (tyll thys time) doth
a lyke in commen fall.
Though curious c [...]rping Zoili,
breade rancour blacke within
Theyr poysened breastes, of infamie
the spytefull thred to spyn,
Let folye feede theyr frensye styll [...]
vnto theyr owne dyspyte:
For men dyscrete and learned will
read thinges with iudgement right.

W. Parkar to the Reader.

TO beat y e brain about such trifling toyes
whose vaine delights by fickle fāsie fed,
Enforce y e mind tembrace such fadyng ioyes,
Doth argue playne a fond vnstedfast head,
As to inuey, enraged with rancours bile,
& raile on thē, whose works deserueth praise,
Or els to glose, and paint with colourd style
Their cloked craft, when reasons groūd de­cayes:
[Page]Or as the proude enflamed with desyer
Of prayse, and gape for glorious renoume,
Haue vtter shame (theyr due reward & hyer)
Wheras they hopte of an immortal crowne.
And some there be, that pining pangs of loue
Describe at large, & shew their frantick fits,
( Cupidoes thrals) whom fond affections moue,
plain to bewray their wantō wauering wits.
But Studley prict with feruent harty zeale,
And vertues force preuailing in his mynd,
Regarding laude and honour neuer a deale,
Not raunging wide lyke harebraynd rouers blid
attēpted hath, to publish this his boke,
This tragedy of worthy Seneca,
whose sawes profoūd (who so theron do loke)
To vertues race do shew a ready way.
Persist therfore, thy happy yeares to traine
In sciēce lore, that fame thy brute may blase,
And soūd thy praise, that euer shal remayne:
No terme oftyme thy doinges may deface.

T. B. To. the Reader.

WHen Heiwood did in perfect verse,
and dolfull tune set out,
And by hys smouth and fyled style
declared had aboute,
What roughe reproche the Troyans o [...]
the hardy Grekes receyued,
When they of towne, of goods, & lyue [...]
togyther were depryued.
How wel did then hys freindes requite
his trauayle and hys payne,
When vnto hym they haue (as due)
ten thousand thankes agayne?
What greater prayse might Virgill get [...]
what more reno [...]me then this,
Could haue ben gyuen vnto hym,
for wrytyng verse of hys?
Did Virgill ought re [...]uest but thys,
in labouryng to excell?
Or what did fame gyue to him more,
then prayse to beare the bell?
May Heywood this alone get prayse,
and Phaer be cleane forgott.
[Page]Whose verse & style doth far surmoun [...]
and gotten hath the lot?
Or may not Googe haue parte with hym,
whose trauayle and whose payne,
Whose verse also is full as good,
or better of the twaine?
A Neuyle also one there is,
in verse that gyues no place
To Heiwood (though he be full good)
in vsyng of his grace.
Nor Goldinge can haue lesse renome,
whych Ouid dyd translate:
And by the thondryng of hys vers [...]
hath set in chayre of state.
With him also (as semeth me)
our Edwardes may compare,
Who nothing gyuyng place to hym
doth syt in egall chayre.
A great sorte more I recken myght,
with Heiwood to compare,
And this our Aucthor one of them
to compte I will not spare.
Whose paynes is egall with the re [...]
in thys he hath begun,
And lesser prayse deserueth not
then Heiwoods worke hath done.
Gy [...]e therfore Studley parte of prayse [...]
to recompence hys payne:
[Page]For egall labour euermore,
deserueth egall gayne.
Read ear thou iudge, then iudge thy fill.
But iudge the best, and mend the ill

Vale.

¶F [...]l [...]s escaped in the verses.

¶First in the english meter, of Tho­mas Nuce, in the .iii. page, the seconde line for refrsh read refresh, in [...]he .viii. line of y • verses of Thomas Delap [...]ēd for paynes read prayse. In the .xii. line of the verses of T. B. for agayne read for gayne.

¶To the right honorable sir William Secill, knight. One of the most honorable priuy Counsell, Maister of the Wardes and Liueries, Secretarie to the Queenes hyghnes, & Chance­lour of y e Uniuersitie of Cam­bridge. Iohn Studley, wisheth longe lyfe, with increse of honour.

WHen as I had (right ho­norable Syr) at the re­quest of my frendes, both performed and minded to publysh thys my symple translation of so notable a Tragedie, written by the prudent, and sage S [...]neca: I thought it good for diuers consideracions [...] to bestowe this the fyrst frutes of my good will, & trauaile, rather vpō your honour, thē vpon any other person: first in y • I cōsidered your honours aucthorie, wisedome, & learning, (takyng the tuicion of it vpon you) might be a ter [...]rour, and abashment, to such slaunderous [Page] tonges, who by my symple & slender skill, eyther in this or any other lyke facultie, myght take courage rather of malicious­nes (then of ryght) to reprehend my do­ings, furthermore hauing vnderstanding partlye by the report of men, and partlie perceauyng when I was somtyme schol­ler in th [...] Queenes maiestties Grammer schole at Westmins [...]er, the hartye good­will, and frendlie aff [...]ction [...] that your ho­nour bare towardes all studentes, I con­ceiued this hope, that you would accept my good wyll and doynges the better, in that I professe my selfe to be a student, & that in the vnyuersytye of Cambrydge, wherin somtyme your honour were trai­ned vp in learnyng, and now being most worthelie Chaunceler ther of, do greatly tender the commo [...]y [...]ye of the studentes in the same, wyth t [...]e aduauncement & encrease of learny [...]ge, furtheraunce of v [...]rtue, and abolyshment of vice. Thus th [...]rfore trusty [...]g y [...]u [...] honours court [...]sie will haue me [...]xc [...]s [...]d for my rude bolde­nes. [Page] and except my good wyll herein sygny­fyed, I leaue you to the turssyon of all­myghtye god, who encrease you wyth honour, graunt you longe lyfe with eter­nall felycytye.

Your honours to commaund, Iohn Studley.

¶ The Preface to the Reader.

BEholde gentle Reader, howe SENECA in this present Tra­gedie hath most liuelie painted out vnto thee, the vnstabilytie of fortune, who when she hath aduaun­ced to the hyest hym, with whom (as the cat with the mouse) it liketh her to daly, sodeinly she t [...]rning her wheele, doth let hym fall to greater mysery, then was his former felicitie: wherof AGAMEMNON may be a perfect paterne, as is at large shewed in the Tragedie it selfe: whyche although it be but groslye, & after a rude maner translated, contemne it not for the b [...]senes of the phrase, but embrace it for the excellencie of the matter therin con­teyned. And althoughe that the other Tragedies which are set furthe by Iasper Hetwood and Alexander Neuyle, are so excel­lently well done (that in reading of them it semeth to me no translation, but e [...]en [Page] SENECA hym selfe to speke in englysh) take no offence that I (beinge one of the moste that can do least) haue thus rashly attempted so great an enterprise, to min­gle my barbarusnes w t others eloquencie: for when I had at the ernest requeste of certaine my familiar frendes, thus rude­lye perfurmed the same, they yet not sa­tysfyed herewith willed me, not to hyde & kepe to my selfe that small talent which god hath lente vnto me to serue my coun­trey w t all, but rather to applye it to the vse of suche yonge Studentes as therby myght take some cōmoditie, therwith I consideringe, that keping it close it could profyte nothinge, and againe being pub­lished it could do no hurte, trusting of thy gentlenes that thou wilt esteine this my good will, I haue presumed to set it furth thus simply and rudely: submitting it to the freindly correction of the learned. Thus desiringe thee to beare with my boldnes, & pardon my ignoraūce, I leaue thee to God.

Farewell.

¶The names of the speakers of this Tragedie.

  • Thyestes.
  • Chorus.
  • Clytemnestra.
  • Nutrix.
  • Aegisthus.
  • Eurybates
  • A companie of Grekes.
  • Cassandra.
  • Agamemnon.
  • Electra.
  • Str [...]philus.

¶The fyrste Acte.

Thyestes.
SEparting from y e darkned dens
whiche Ditis low doth kepe,
Loe here I am sent out again
from Tartar dungeon [...]pe,
Thy [...]stes I, that whether coast
to shun do stand in doubt,
Thinfernall fe [...]ndes I flye, the [...]oalke
of yearth I chase about.
My conscience lo abhors, that I
shuld heth [...]r passage make,
Appauled sore with feare and dread
my tremblyng sine w [...] shake:
My fathers house, or rather yet
my brothers I espye,
This is the ould and antique porch [...]
of Pelops progenye.
Here first the Grekes on p [...]nces hedds
do place the royall crowne,
And here in throne aloft they lye,
that letteth vp and downe,
With statelye Scepter in theyr hand,
eake here theyr courtes do lye,
This is theyr place of banquetyng,
returne therfore will I.
[Page]Naye: beter were it not to haunt
the lothsome Limbo lakes,
Wher as the stygion porter doth
aduaunce with lustye crakes
His tryple gorge be hong with mane
shagg hearye, rustie, blacke:
Wher Ixions carkas linked fa [...],
the whyrlyng whele doth racke,
And rowleth styll vppon him selfe:
whear as full oft in vayne
Much toyle is lost, (the tottryng stone
down tomblyng backe agayne)
Whear growing guts the gredie gripe
do gnaw with rauenyng bitts.
Wher parched vp with burning thur [...]
amydd the waues he [...]ytts,
And gapes to catche the fletyng flood
with hungry chapps beguylde,
That paies his painefull punyshment,
whose fea [...] the gods defylde:
Yet that olde man so step [...] in yeares
at length by tract of tyme,
How great a parte belonges to me
and porcion of his cryme?
Account we all the grysly ghostes,
whom gyltie found of ill,
The Gnosian iudge in plutoes pytts
[...]oth t [...]sse in tormentes styll:
[Page] Thyestes I in dryrye dedes
wyll far surmount the rest,
Yet to my brother yeld I, (though
I gorged my blooddye brest,
And stuffed haue my pawmpred panche
euen wyth my chyldren three,
That crammedly with in my rybbes,
and haue theyr tombe in mee,
The bowels of my swalowed babes,
deuowred vp I haue,
Nor fyckle fortune me alone
the father doth depraue,
But enterprysyng greater gylt
then that is put in vre,
To fyle my daughters bawdye bed,
my lust shee doth alure.
To speake these words I do not spare,
I wrought the haynous dede,
That therfore I through all my stocke,
myght parent styll procead.
My doughter driuen by force of [...]a [...]es
and destenyes deuyne,
Doth brede younge bones, & lades her womb,
w • synfull [...]eede of mine.
Lo nature chaunged vpsyde down,
and out of order turnde
This myngle mangle hath she made,
(O fact to be forlorn [...].)
[Page]A father and a grandsyre loe,
confusedlye I am,
My doughters husband both become,
and father to the [...]ame.
Those babes y t should my nephewes be,
when nature ryghtlye runns,
She beinge iumbled doth confounde,
and myngle with my sonns.
The chrystall clearenes of the daye,
and Phoebus beames so bryght,
Ar myxed with the foggye cloudes,
and darkenes dym of nyght.
When wyckednes had weryed vs,
to late truce taken was,
Euen when our detestable dedes
were done and brought to passe.
But valyant Agamem [...]on he
graund captayne of the o [...]te
Who bare the sway among the kinges,
and ruled all the roste,
Whose flanting flagg, & banner bra [...],
displayed in royall sorte,
A thousand sayle of sowsyng shypps
did gard to Phrygian porte,
And with their swelling shatling s [...]iles:
the surging seas dyd hyde,
That heateth on the bankes of Tr [...]ye,
and floweth [...]y her syde:
[Page]When Phoebus cart the Zodiack
ten tymes had ouer runne,
And wa [...]te the battred walles do lye
of Troye destroyde and woon,
Retournd he is to yeld his throte
vnto his traytresse wyfe,
That shall with force of blooddie blade
beryue him of hys lyfe.
The glytering swerd, the hewing axe,
and woundyng weapons mo,
With blood for blood new set a broche
shall make the floore to flow.
With sturdy stroke, & boysteous blow,
of pythye Pollar geuen
His beaten braynes are pasht abroad,
his cracked skull is reuen.
Now myschiefe marcheth on a pace,
Now falshod doth appeare,
Now butchers slaughter doth approch,
and murther draweth neare.
In honowr of thye natyue daye
Aegisthus they prepare
The sollemne feast with i [...]n [...]ketyng,
and dayntie tothsom fare.
Fye, what doth shame abashe thee so,
and cause thy courage quayle?
Why doubts thy right hand what to do?
to smyte why doth it fayle?
[Page]What he forecastyng myght suspect,
why shouldst thou take aduyse?
Why fret [...]est thou, demaundyng if
thou may it enterpryse [...]
Naye: yf amother it beseme,
thou rather mayst surmyse.
What now? how hapneth it that thus
the smylyng sommers nyght,
When Phaebus from Thantipodes
should render sone the lyght,
On sudden chaūg their turns w t nights
that last and lyng [...]r longe,
When wynters bore as bitter blastes,
doth puff the trees among?
Or what doth cause the glydyng [...]tarrs
to stay styll in the skye?
We wayght for Phaebus: to the worlde
bryng daye now by and by.

Chorus.

O Fortune, that dost fayle
the great estate of kynges,
on slyppery slydyng seat
thou placest loftie thynges
And syt [...]t on tottring sort,
where peryls do abounde
[Page]yet neuer kyngdome calme,
nor quyet could be founde:
No day to scepters sure,
doth shyne, that they myght saye,
To morow shall we rule,
as we haue don to daye.
One clod of croked care
another bryngeth in,
One hurlye burlye done,
another doth begin:
Not so the ragyng sea
doth boyle vpon the sand,
Whear as the southern wynd
that blowes in Affryck lande,
One waue vppon another
doth heap wyth sturdye blast:
Not so doth Euxine sea,
his swellyng waues vp cast:
Nor so his belchyng streame
from shallow bottom roll,
That borders hard vppon
the ysye frosen poall:
Whear as Bootes bryght
doth twyne hys wayne about,
And of the marble seas
doth nothyng stand in doubt.
O how doth fortune tosse
and tomble in her whele
[Page]The staggring states of kynges,
that reddye be to rele?
Fay [...]e wold they dreded be,
and yet not setled so
When as they feared are,
they feare and lyue in woe.
The sylent Ladye nyght
so sweete to man and beast,
Can not bestow on them
h [...]r safe and quyet rest:
Slepe that doth ouercom
and breake the bond [...]s of greefe,
I cannot ease theyr har [...]es,
nor mynister releefe:
What castell stronglye buylt,
what Bulwark, tower, or towne,
Is not by mischyfes meanes,
brought topsye tur [...]ey downe?
What ramperd walls are not
made weake by wicked war?
From statelye courtes of kynges
doth iustice flye afar:
In pryncelye pallacies,
of honestie the lore,
And wedlock now deuoute,
is set by lytle store.
The bloodye Bellon th [...]se
doth ha [...]nt with gorye hand,
[Page]Whose lyght and vayne conceit
in paynted pomp doth stand.
And those Erinnys wood
turmoyles with frensyes fitts,
That euer more in proud
and hautie howses sitts,
Which fycle fortunes hand
in twynklyng of an eye,
From hygh and proud degre
dryues down in dust to lye.
Although that skyrmish [...]eace,
no banners be displayed
And though no wyles be wrought
and pollecye be stayd,
Down paysed with theyr wayght
the massy thynges do synke,
And from her burden doth
vnstable fortune shrynke.
The swelling Sayles pu [...]t vp
with gale of western wynde,
Do yet mystrust therof
a tempest in theyr mynd:
The threatnyng tops (that touche
the clowdes) of loftye towers
Be sonest payd and bett
with south wynd raynye showres:
The darksome wood doth see
his tough and sturdye Oke,
[Page]Well waynd in yeares to be
clean ouerthrown and broke:
The lyghtnyngs flashyng flame
out breakyng in the skye,
Fyrst lyghteth on the mountes,
and hylls that are most hye.
The bodies corpule [...]t
and of the largest syese
Are ryfest styll to catch
deseases when they ryse.
When as the flocke to g [...]ase,
in pasture fat is putt,
Whose necke is larded best,
hys throte shall fyrst be cutt:
What f [...]rtune doth aduaunce,
and hoysteth vp on hy [...],
She setes it vpp to fall
agayne more greuouslye.
The thynges of myddle sorte,
and of a meane degree,
Endure aboue the rest
and longest dayes do see:
The man of meane estate
most happye is of all,
Who pleased with the lott
that doth to him befall,
Doth sayle on sylent shore.
wyth calme and quyet tyde,
[Page]And dreads wyth brused barge
on swellyng seas to ryde:
Nor lawncyng to the depe
where bottom none is founde,
may with his rudder search,
and reach the shallow grownd.

¶The second Act.

Clytemnestr [...]. Nutrix.
O Drowsie dreaming dotyng soule,
what commeth in thy brayne,
To seke about for thy defence
what waye thou mayest attayne?
What aiels thy skittish waiward wits,
to wauer vp and down?
The fyttest shyft preuented is,
the best path ouergrown:
Thou myghtest ons mayntayned haue
thy wedl [...]ck chamber chast,
And eak haue rulde with maiestie,
by fayth conioyned fast:
Now nurtures lore neglected is,
all ryght doth clean decay,
Relygion and dygnitie
with fayth are worne awaye:
[Page]And ruddy sha [...]e with blushing cheeks
so farre god [...]ot is past,
That when it would it cannot now
com home agayn at last.
O let me now at randon run
with brydle at my wyll:
The safest path to myschyfe is
by myschef open styll.
Now put in practyss [...], seke about,
search out and learne to fynd
The wylie traynes, and craftye guyles
of wicked woman kynd:
What anye dyuelysh tray [...]erous dame
durst do in workyng woe,
Or anye wounded in her wittes
by shott of Cupids bowe:
What euer rygorous stepdame could
committ with desperate hand,
Or as the wenche who flaming faste
by Venus poysonyng brand,
Was dreuen by lewd vncesteous loue
in shypp of thessail land,
To flytt away from Cholchos Ile,
where Ph [...]sis channell depe
With siluer streame down from y • hils
of Armenie doth swepe.
Get weapons good, get bylbow blades,
or temper poyson strong,
[Page]Or with som yonker trudge frō Grece
by thefte the seas along:
Why dost thou faynt to talke of theft,
exile, or priuie flyght?
These came by hap: thou therfore must
on greater myschife lyght.
Nu.
¶(O worthy queene) among y e Grekes
that beares the swinging [...]waye
And borne of Ledas royall blood,
what mut [...]r [...]ng dost thou say [...]?
What furye fell enforceth the,
bereued of thy wyttes,
To rage & raue wyth bedlam braynes,
to frett with franticke fitts?
Though madam thou do counsell kepe,
and not complayne thy case,
Thyne anguysh playne appeareth in
thy pale and wanny face:
Reueal therfore what is thy grefe,
take leysure good and staye,
What reason could not remedye,
oft eured hath delaye.
Cly.
¶So greuous is my carefull case
which plun [...]eth me so sore [...]
That deale I cannot with delaye,
nor lynger [...]nye more.
The flashing flames, and furyous force
of fyrye feruent heat,
[Page]Outragyng in my boylyng brest,
my burnyng bones doth beat:
It suckes the sappye marowe out,
the ioyce it doth conuaye,
It frets, it teares, it rents, it gnawes,
my guttes and gall away.
Now feble feare still eggs me on
(wyth dolor beyng prest)
And cancred hate w t thwacking thumps
doth bounce vppon my brest:
The blynded boy that louers hartes
doth reue wyth deadly stroke,
Entangled hath my lynked mynd
with lewd and wanton yoke:
Refusyng styll to take afoyle,
or clean to be confounde,
Among thes broyles, and agonyes
my mynd besegyng rownd,
Loe feble, wery [...] battred downe,
and vnder troden shame,
That wresteth, striueth, strugleth hard,
and fyghteth wyth the same.
Thus am I dryuen to dyuers shores,
and beat from bancke to bank [...],
And tossed in the fomye floods,
that stryue wyth corage crancke.
As when here wynd, & there y e streame
when both theyr force wyll trye,
[Page]From sandes alow, doth hoyst & reare
the seas with surges hye,
The waltryng waue doth staggrynge stand,
not wetyng what to doe,
But (houeryng) doubts, whose furious force
he best may yeld him to.
My kyngdome therfore I cast of,
my scepter I [...]orsake
As anger, sorow, hope, me lead,
that way I meane to take.
At all aduenture to the seas
I yelde my beten Barge,
At randon carelesse will I ron,
now wyll I roue at large.
Whear as my mynd to fancy fonde
doth gad, and ron astray,
It is the best to chuse that chaunce,
and folow on that waye.
Nu.
¶This desperate dotage doth declare,
and rashnes rude and blynde,
To chuse out chaunce to be the guyde
and ruler of thy mynde.
Cly.
¶He that is dryuen to vtter pynche,
and furthest shyft of all,
What neade he doubt hys doutful lot,
or how hys lucke be fall?
In sylent shore thou saylest yet,
thy trespasse we may hyde,
[Page]If thou thy selfe detect it not,
nor cause it be dyscryde.
Cly.
¶Alas it is more blasd abrode,
and further is it blown,
Then any cryme that euer in
this pryncelye court was sown.
Nu
¶Thy former fault with pensiue harte
and sorow thou doste rew,
And fondly yet thou goest about,
to set abroche anew,
Cly.
¶It is auery folyshnes
to kepe a meane therin,
Nu.
¶The thing he feares he doth augmēt,
who heapeth syn to syn.
Cly.
¶But fyre & swerde to cure the same,
the place of salue supplye.
Nu.
¶Ther is no man who at the fyrste
extremytie wyll try.
Cly.
¶In workyng myschyfe men do take
the redyest waye they fynd.
Nu.
¶The sacred name of wedlocke once
reuoke and haue in mynd,
Cly.
¶Ten yeares haue I bin desolate,
and led a wydowes lyfe.
Yet shalt I enter [...]ay [...]e anew
my husband as hys wyfe?
Nu.
¶Consydor yet thy son and ha [...]e
whom he of the begot [...]
Cly.
[Page]
¶And eke my doughters wedding blase
as yet forget I not.
Achilles eke my sonne in lawe
to mynde I do not spare,
Howe well he kepte hys vowe that he
to me hys mother sware.
Nu.
¶When as our nauye myght not passe
by wynd, nor yet by stream,
Thy doughters blood in sacryfyce
theyr passage did redeme:
She sturd and brake the sluggysh seas,
whose water styll dyd stand,
Whose feble force myght not hoyse vp,
the vessells from the land.
Cly.
¶ I am ashamed herewith all,
it maketh me repyne,
That Tyndaris (who from the gods
doth fetche her noble lygne)
Shold gyue the ghost tasswage y e wrath
of gods and them appeas,
Wherby the grekyshe nauye myght
haue passage free by seas.
My grudgyng mynd styll harpes vpon
my daughters weddyng daye,
Whom he hath made for Pelops stocke
the blooddye rawnsam paye.
When as with cruell countenaunce
embrewd wyth gorye blood,
[Page]As at a weddyng alter syde
thunpy [...]yfull parent stood,
It erk [...]d Calchas wofull harte,
who dyd abhor the same,
His Oracle he rewd, and eake
the backe reflyctyng flame.
O wycked and vngracyous stocke
that winnest ill with ill,
Tryumphyng in thy fylthy feats,
encreasyng lewdnes styll.
By blood we win y e wauering windes,
By death we purchase warr.
Nu.
¶But by this meanes a thousand ships
at once released ar:
Cly.
¶With lucky fate attempt the seas
did not the losed rowt?
For Aulis Ile, thungracious flete,
from port did tumble oute:
As with alewd vnlucky hand
the war he did begin,
So fortune fauoured his su [...]ces
to thryue nomore therin.
Her loue as capty [...]e holdeth him
whom captyue he did take.
Not moued wyth the ernest sute
that could Achilles make,
Of Phaebus prelat Sminthicall
he did retayne the spoyle:
[Page]When for the sacred virgins loue
his furious brest doth boyle:
Achilles rough and thundring threates
could not him [...]ualyfye,
Nor he that doth dir [...]t the fa [...]es
aboue the starrye skye.
To vs he is an Augur iuste,
and kepes his promys dewe [...]
But whyle he threats his captiue truls
of word he is not tr [...]w.
The sauage people fearce in wrath
once myght not moue his spright,
Who did purloyne the kyndled tentes
with fyer blasyng bryght:
When slaughter great on Grekes was made
in most extreamest fyght
Without a foe he conquered.
with leanes pynes awaye
In lewd and wanton chamber tricks
he spendes the idle daye,
And freshly [...] he [...]e [...]des his lust,
least that som other whyle
His chamber chast shuld wāt a stewes,
that myght the [...]ame defyle.
On Ladye Brises loue agayn
his faneye fond doth stand,
Whom he hath got, tha [...] wrested was
out of Achilles hand.
[Page]And carnal copulacion
to haue he doth not shame,,
Though from her husbandes bosom he
hath snacht the wicked dame,
Tushe, he that doth at Paris grudge,
With wound but newly stroke
Eflamd with Phrygian Prophets loue,
his boyling breste doth smoke.
Now after Troyan boties braue,
and Troy ouerwhelmd he saw,
Retournd he is a prysoners spouse,
and Priams sonne in lawe.
Now hart be bolde, take courage good,
of stomake now bestowt,
A fyelde that easely is not fought,
to pytche thou goest about.
In practys myschife thou must put,
why hopste thou for a daye,
While Priams doughter com from Troy
in Grece do beare the swaye?
But as for the poore selye wretche,
a wayteth at thy place
Thye wyddow, virgyns, and Orest
his fatherlyke in face,
Consyder theyr calamytyes,
to com, and eake theyr cares,
Whom all the peryll of the broyle
doth threat in thy affayres.
[Page]O cursed captyue, wofull wretche,
why doest thou loyter so?
Thy lytle brats a stepdame haue,
whose wrath will worke theyr wo.
With gasshing swerd (and yf thou can
none other way prouyde)
Nor thrust it through an [...]thers ribbes,
then launche thy gory syde.
So murther twayne w t brew [...]d blood,
let blood immixed be,
And by destroyeng of thye selfe
destroy thy spouse wyth thee.
Death is not sawst with sops of sorowe
if som man els I haue,
Whose breathl [...]sse corse I wish to passe
wyth me to deadlye graue.
Nu.
¶Queene, brydle thyne affections,
and wyselye rule [...]y rage,
Thy swellyng moode now myt [...]igate,
thy chollure eke asswage.
Way well the wayghtye enterpryse
that thou doest take in hand,
Tryumphant victor be retournes
of myghty Asia lande
Auengyng Europs iniurye,
with him he bryngs awaye
The spoyles of sacked Pargamie,
a huge and myghtie praye.
[Page]In bondage eake he leades the foalke
of long assaulted Troy [...],
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 dick [...]
The froward knyght did arme [...]
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 Xan [...]hus flood, wher to and froe
dead ca [...]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 sonn [...]
of fenny god so deare:
[Page]Nor yet the mu [...]teryng Thracian host:
nor warlyke Re [...]sus kynge:
Nor Amazons, who to the wars
did painted Quiuers brynge,
And bare their har [...]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 v [...]ure?
Shall Grece thaduenger, let this wroug
longe vnreuengd endure?
The g [...]ym and fearce coragious horse,
the battails shou [...]es and cries,
The swelling seas which brus [...]d barks
do dread, when stormes aryse,
Behold the feildes w t streames of blood
ouerflowne and depely dro [...]d,
And all the Cheualrie of Troy
in seruile bondage bounde,
Which Grekes haue writ in registers.
thy stubburne stomacke binde,
Subdue thy [...]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 assalt [...]
from armour thus to flye?
Trust thys, the cruell gods intend [...]
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.
[...]eg.
¶(O partners of my peryls all,
begot of Leda thou)
Direct thy doinges a [...]ter myne,
and vnto thee I vowe,
[Page]This drosell, fluggysh ryngleader,
thys stoute stronge har [...]ed [...]yre,
Shall pay the so much blo [...]d agayne
as shed he hath in fyre.
How haps it that hys trēbling cheekes
to be so pale and whyght,
Lyenge agast, as in a traunce,
wyth fayntyng face vpryght?
Cly.
¶His cōsciēce wedlo [...]k vow doth prick
and brynges hym home agayne.
Let vs returne the selfe same [...]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.
A [...]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?
[Page]Hys proud successe pufte vp to hyghe
wi [...]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 [...]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 myl [...]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:
Wyl [...] thou in wedlock haue a mate
and not for it prouyde?
[Page]So wolde not she, the great [...]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.
Aeg [...]st in desprat mode agayne
why se [...]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 s [...]ubbernly withstande?
[...]ecordyng thys that haynous [...]ye
offended hym I haue:
[...]gently wyll me pardon graunt
who nede the same to craue?
Aeg.
[Page]
¶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 spy [...]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,
betr [...]thed to hys wyfe.
To picke a quarell he begyns,
and matter thee to blame,
Suppose thou nothyng hast cōmyt [...]
that worthy is of shame?
[Page]What [...]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 fe [...]de him s [...]
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 shamfa [...]nes
of those vngracyous [...]ryckes,
Wherin of late I dyd delyght,
my concience freshly prycks.
[Page]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 I can,
Refuse the kynge of kynges, and wed
an outcast banysht man?
Aeg.
¶Why should you thinke in that Thyest
was father vnto mee,
And Agamemnon Atreus sonne
he should my better be?
Cly.
¶If that be but a tryfle small
Ad Nephew to the same,
Aeg.
¶I am of Phaebus linage borne,
wherof I do not shame.
Why makste thou Phaebus aucthor of
thy wycked pedagrew,
Whom out of heauen ye forste to fly
when brydle backe he drew?
When lady nyght with mantell black
dyd spred her sudden shade,
Why makest thou the gods til suche
reproche fulnes to wade?
Whose father hath thee conning made
by fleyght and subtle guyle
To make thy kynsman Cockold, while
hys wyfe thou do defyle.
[Page]What man is he whom we do know
to be thy fathers mate,
Abusyng luste of lecherye
in suche vnlawfull rate?
Auaunt, go packe the hence in ha [...]e,
dispatche, out of my syght
This infamie, whose blemysh staynes
this blood of worthy wyght.
Aeg.
¶Thys is no newe exile to me
that wyckednes do haunt,
But if that thou (o worthy queene)
cammaund me to a [...]aunt
I wyll not onely strayght auoyde
the house, the towne, and feild,
My lyfe on swerd at thy request
I redy am to yeild.
Cly.
¶Thys haynous dede permit shall I
(most churlesh cruell drab)
Agaynst my wyll though I offende,
the fault I should not blab:
Nay, rather come aparte wyth me,
and let vs ioyne our wyts,
To wrap our selues out of thys wo,
and parlous threatnyng fyts.

Chorus.

NOw chaunt it lustye laddes.
Apollos prayse suborne,
To thee the frolyke flock
theyr crowned heads adorne.
To thee kynge Inachs stocke
of wedlock chamber voyd,
Braid out their virgyns lockes
and theron haue employd,
Theyr sauorie garlandes greene
It wy [...]t of Lawrell bow.
Draw nere wyth vs o Thebes,
our daunsyng folow thou.
Come also ye, that dryncke
of Ismen bublyng flood,
Wheras the Laurell tree
full thycke on bankes doth bood.
Eke ye whom Man do mild,
the Prophetesse diuyne,
(Foreseenge fate) and borne
of hyghe Tiresias lygne,
Hath styrd to celebrate
with sacred vse and ryght
Appollo and Dian
borne of Latona bryght.
O victor Phaebe vnbend
thy nocked [...]owe agayne,
[Page]Syth quyetnes and peace
anew we do retayne.
And let thy twāckling harpe
make melodie so sh [...]yll,
Whyle that thy nymble hande
stryke quauers with thy quill.
No curious descant I
nor lus [...]ie musick cr [...]ue,
No ioly rumbling note,
nor trowlyng tune to haue.
But on thy treble Lute
(accordyng to thy vse)
St [...]yke vp a playne song note,
as when thy learned Muse
Thy lessons do record,
though yet on baser strynge
It lyketh thee to play
the songe that thou did synge:
As when from fyry heauen
the dynt of lyghtnyng flew,
Sent downe by wrath of gods,
the Titans ouerthrew.
Or els when moūtains were
on mountaynes heaped hye
That raise for G [...]auntes fell
theyr steppes into the skye,
The mountaine Ossa stood
on top of Pelion layde,
[Page] Olymp (wheron the Pynes
theyr buddyng braunches brayd)
Downe paised both: draw nere
o Iun [...] noble dame,
Both spouse of myghty Ioue
and syster to the same:
Thou that doest r [...]le w t hym
made ioynter of his mace,
Thy people we of Greece
gyue [...]onour to thy grace:
Thou onely dost protect
from peryls Argos land,
That euer carefull was
to haue thine honour stand,
(Most supplient ther vnto)
thou also with thy myght
Dost order ioyfull peace
and battels fearce of fight,
Accept o conquering queene
these braunches of the bays,
That Agamemnon here
doth yeild vnto thy prayse:
The holow boxen pype
(that doth with holes abound)
In syngyng vnto thee
doth gyue a solemne sound:
To thee the damsels ek [...]
that play vpon the strynges,
[Page]With connyng harmonie
m [...]lodious musick synges.
The ma [...]rons eke of Gr [...]c [...]
by ryper yeares more graue,
To thee the [...]aper paye,
that vowed oft they haue,
The beyferd yonge & whit [...]
companyon of the Full
Unskilfull, yet by proofe
the paynful pl [...]in to pull,
whose neck was neuer worn [...]
nor gald wyth prynt of yoake,
Is in thy temple slayne
receyuing deadly stroake.
O layde Pallas thou
of mo [...]t renoumned hap
Bred of the brayne of Ioue
that smytes with thonder clap.
Thou loftie Troian [...]owres
of craggy knotty flynt
Hast bet with battryng blade,
and strooke with iauelyng dyn [...]
The elder matrons with
the dames that yonger be
Together in myngled heapes
do hono [...]r due to thee.
when tho [...] approching nighe
thy commyng is espyde,
[Page]The preiste vnbarrs the gate
and opes the Temple wide:
By clustring thronges the flocks
thyne altars haunt apace,
Bedecte with twysted crownes
so trym wyth comely grace.
The olde and auncyent men
well stept and growne in yeares,
Whose feble tremblyng age
precureth horye hear [...]s,
Obteyning theyr request
craued of thy grace deuyne,
Do offer vp to thee
theyr sacryficed wine,
O bryght Dian whose blase
sheds lyght three sundry wayes,
We myn [...]full are of thee,
and render thankfull prayse,
Delon thy natyue soyle
thou dyddest fyrmly bynde,
That to and fro was wont
to wander with the wynde:
Which with foundacion sure
mayn ground for byd [...] to passe:
For Nauies (after whych
to swim it wonted was)
It is become a Road
defyenge force of wynde,
[Page]The mothers funerals
of Tantalus his kinde.
The doughters seuen by death
thou victresse doest accompte,
Whose mother Niobe
abydes on Sipill mounte
A lamentable rocke,
and yet vnto this howre
Her teares newe gusshyng, out
the marble olde doth powre.
The godhead of the twins
in sumpteous solemne wise,
Both man and wife adore
with sauory sacryfyse.
But thee aboue the rest,
o father great and guide,
Whose myghty force is b [...]
the burning lightning tryde [...]
Who whē thou gauest a beek
and didst thy head but shake,
At once the [...]tremest poales
of heauen and earth did quake.
O Iupiter the rote
that of our lynage arte,
Accept these offered giftes
and take them in good parte:
And thou o graundsire great
[...]o thy posteritie
[Page]Haue some remors, that do
not swarne in chyual [...]ye.
But yonder [...]o w t stiuing steps
the soldi [...]r comes a mayne
In all post hast, with token that
good newes declareth playne
A lawrel braunche, that hangeth on
hys speare head he doth brynge:
Eurybates is come, who hath
ben trustye to the kynge.

¶The thyrd Acte.

Eurybates. Clytemnestra.
SOre tyred after many yeares
with trauaile & with toyle
Scant credityng my selfe, the Gods
of thys my natyue soyle,
The temple, and the alters of
the sainctes that rule the skye,
In humble sorte with reuerence
deuoutly worshyp I.
Now pay your vowes vnto the Gods:
returned is agayne
Unto hys countr [...]y court, where wont
he was to rule, and reygne,
[Page]Prince Agamemnon, victor he,
of Grece the great r [...]n [...]um [...].
Cly.
¶The tydynges of a message good
vnto myne eares is blowne.
Where staies my spouse whō longing for
ten yeares I haue out scand?
What doth he yet sayle on the seas,
or is he come a land?
Yet hath he fyxt and set hys fote
back stepping home againe
Uppon the sandy shore, that longe
he wisshed to artayne?
And doth he styl enioy his health
enhaunc [...]e in glory great,
And paynted out in pomp of prayes
whose fame the skye doth beate?
Eury.
¶Blesse we with burnyng sacryfyce,
at lengthe this luckye daye.
Cly.
¶ And eke the gods though gracious
Yet dealyng long delaye:
Declare if that my brothers wyfe
enioy the vitall ayre,
And tel me, to what kynd of Coast
my syster doth repayre.
Eury.
¶God graunt & gyue vs better newes
then thys that thou doest craue:
The heuy hap of fyghtyng floods
[...]orbyddes the trueth to haue.
[Page]Our scat [...]red fleete the swelling seas
attemptes in such a plyght,
That shyp from ship was taken cleane
out of eche others syght.
Atrides in the waters wyde
turmoyld and strayeng far,
More vyolence by seas sustaind
then by the blooddy war.
And as it were a conquerd man
escaping home all weete
Now bringeth in his companie
of such a myghty fleete,
A sorte of brused broken barkes,
beshaken, torne, and rent.
Cly.
¶Shew what vnluckie chaunce it is
that hath our Nauye spent,
What storme of seas dispersed hath
our Captaines heare and theare?
Eury.
¶Thou willest me to make reporte
of heauy wofull geare.
Thou biddest me most greuous newes
with tydynges good to parte:
For vttryng of thys wofull hap
my feble mynde doth starte.
And horrybly appauled is
with thys so monstrous ill.
Cly.
¶Speke out, and vtter it: hym selfe
with terrour he doth fyll,
[Page]Whose harte hys owne calamytie
and carke, doth lothe to know:
The harte whom doubted domage duls
with greater greefe doth glow.
Eury.
¶Whē Troian buyldings blasing bright
did burne away, and broyle,
Enkindled firste by Grekish brand,
they fall to parte the spoyle:
Repairing fast vnto the seas
agayne we come a boorde,
And now the soldiers wery loynes
were eased of hys sworde,
Their bucklers cast aside vpon
the hatches lie aboue:
Their warlike handes in practise put,
and Oers learne to moue:
Eche lytle hyndraunce semes to much
to them in hasty plyght,
When of recours the Admirall,
gaue watchword by his lyght,
And trumpet blast began to call
our army from delaye,
The painted Pup with gilded snowt
did firste guyde on the waye:
And cut the course, which fol [...]ing on
a thousand shippes did ryue,
Then first a winde with p [...]pling puffes
our launcing ships did dryue:
[Page]Which glyded downe vpon our sailes:
the water being calme
With breath of westerne wind so mild
scant moued any walme.
The shynyng seas bespred aboute
with shyppes, doth glyster bryght,
And also couerd with the same,
lay hyd fro Phaebus lyght:
It doth vs good, to gase vpon
the nak [...]d shore of Troy:
The desarte Phrygian plots so bar [...]
to vewe, we hopp for ioye:
The youth echone besturrs thē selues,
and strykyng altogether
They tough theyr ores, & w t their toyl [...]
they help the winde and weather.
They tug, and chearly row by course,
the spyrtyng seas vp dash,
Agaynst the ratlyng rybs of shippes
The flapping floods do flash [...]
The hory froth of wrestlyng waues
which ores alo [...]t doth rayse,
Do drawe and trace a furrow through
the marble faced seas.
When strōger blast with belly swolne
our hoysted sayles dyd fill,
They row no more, but let the Pup
to go with wynde at will,
[Page]Their sheryng Ore [...] layd asyde
our Pilot doth espye,
How far from anye land aloofe
our sayles reculyng flye.
Or bloody batells doth displaye,
the threates of Hector stoute,
Or of his ratlyng Waggins tells,
wherin he rode about:
Or how his gasshed carckas slayne
and traynd about the fylde,
To funerall flames, and obit ryghtes
for coyne agayne was yeld.
How Iupiter embathed was
all in his royall blood.
The frolyck fyshe desposed was
to myrth in Tyrren flood,
And fetchyng fryskes both in and out
playes on the waters brym,
And on his broad and fynny back [...]
about the seas doth swym,
With gamballs quick in rings aroūd,
and syde to syde enclynd,
Erwhyle he sportes afront the pup,
and whyps agayn behynd,
Now fydlyng on the snout before,
the dalyeng wanton rowt
With iocundarye ioly tryckes
doth skyp the flete about.
[Page]Somtyme he standeth gasyng on
and eyes the vessells bryght,
Now euery shore is couered clean,
and land is out of syght,
The parlous poynct of Ida rocke
in syght doth open lye,
And that alone espye we coulde
with fyrm [...]ly fyxed eye,
A dusky clowd of sti [...]lyng smoke
from Troy did smolter blacke,
When Titan from the werye neckes
the heauy yokes did slacke.
The fading light did grouelyng bend,
and down the day did shrowd,
Agaynst the stars amountyng vp
a lytle mystie clowd,
Came belchyng out in irksom lompe,
and Phaebus galland beames
He spewd vpon, bestayning them
duet down in westerne streames.
The Sun set swaruyng in such sorte
with diuers change of face
Did gyue vs cause, to haue mistruste
of Neptunes doubted grace.
The euening first did bun [...]nish bright,
and paynt with stars the skye,
The wynds were layd, & clean forsoke
our sayles, that quiet lye.
[Page]whē cracking, ratling, rumbling noise,
rusht down wi [...]h thundryng swaye
From top of hyls, which greater stur
doth threaten and bewray.
With belowinges, & yellynges lowd,
the shores do grunt an [...] grone,
The craggye clyues, & roryng rockes,
do howle in hollow stone.
The bublyng wa [...]ers swelles vpreard
before the wrastling winde,
When suddenlye the lowryng lyght
of moone is hid and blynde.
The glymsyng starres do go to glade,
the surgyng seas are tost
Euen to the skyes, among the clowde [...]
the lyght of heauen is lost [...]
More nyghtes in one compacted are,
wyth shadow dym and blacke,
One shade vppon another doth
more darknes heape [...] and packe,
And euery sparke of lyght consumd
the waues and skyes do mete.
The ruflyng wynds range on the seas [...]
through euerye coast they [...]lytt.
They heaue it vp wyth vyolence.
ouerturnd from bottom low,
The westerne wynde flat in the face
of easterne wynd doth blow.
[Page]With hurley burley Boreas
set ope his blastyng mouth,
And gyroeth out his boysteous breth,
agaynst the stormy south,
Eache wind w t all his might doth blow,
and worketh daungers depe,
They shake the floods, a sturdye blast
along the seas doth swepe.
That rowles, & [...]ūbles waue on waue,
a northern tempest stronge
Aboundaunce great of flackye snow [...]
doth hurle our shipps among.
The south winde out of Lybia
doth rage vppon a shold,
And with the puyssaunt force therof
the quycke sandes vp be rould,
Nor bydeth in the south, which doth
with tempest lump and lower,
And force the flowyng floods to ryse
by powryng out a shower.
The stubbern E [...]r [...]s erthquakes made,
and shoke the countryes eas [...],
And E [...]s cost, where Phaebus fyrst
aryseth from his test.
How violent Corus strecht and tare
his yawnyng mouth [...]ull wyde?
A man wold sure haue thought y • world
did from his center flyde,
[Page]And that the frames of heuen broke [...]p
the gods adown wold fall,
And Chaos darke confused heape
wold shade and couer all.
The stream straue w t the wind, y • wynd
dyd beat it backe agayne,
The springyng sea within his bankes
can not it selfe contayne,
The ragyng showr hys tryllyng drops
doth myngle with the seas,
And yet in all this miserye
they fynd not so much eas,
To see and know what ill [...] it is,
that worketh theyr decaye.
The darknes dim oppresseth styll
and kepes the lyght awaye:
The blacke facst nyght w t hellicke hew
was clad of stygian lake
And yet full oft with glimsyng beames
the sparklyng fyre out brake.
The cloud doth crack, and beyng rent
the lyghtnyng leapeth out,
The wretches lyke the same so well
it shinyng them about,
That still they wysh such light to hau [...].
(although god wo [...] but ill)
The nauy swaying down it selfe
doth cast awaye, and spyll.
[Page]One syde with other syde is crackt,
and helme is rent with helme,
The shypp it selfe the gulpyng seas
do hedlong ouer whelme.
Erwhyle a grydie gapyng gulphe
doth sup it vp amayne,
Then by an by tost vp aloft
it spewes it out agayne,
She with her swaggyng full of sea
to bottom low doth sinke,
And drencheth depe asyde in floodes
her tottryng broken brynke.
That vnderneath a dosen waues
lay drowned out of syght,
Her broken plankes swym 'vp & down,
spoyld is her tacle quyght,
Both sayle and Ores clean are lest,
the mayn mast cake is gon.
That wonted was to bea [...]e vpryght
the sayle yard therupon,
The tymber and the broken bordes
lye on the waters brym,
When cold & shiueryng feare in vs
doth stryke through euery lym [...]
The wysest wy [...]ts entocksycate
dare nothyng enterpryse,
And conning practise nought auayle [...],
When fearfull stormes aryse,
[Page]The mareners lettyng dutie slyppe
stand staryng al agast,
Theyr scoopyng ores sodainly
out of theyr handes are wrast.
To prayer then apace we fall,
when others hope is none,
The Grekes & Troyans to the Gods
alyke do make theyr mone.
Alack what succour of the fates
may we poore wretches fynde?
Agaynst hys father Pyrrhus beares
a spytefull cancred [...]ynde,
At Aiax grudge Vlysses doth,
kynge Menela doth hate
Great Hector: Agamemnon is
with Priam at debate.
O happy man is he, that doth
lye slaine in Troyan ground,
And hath deserued by handy stroke,
to take hys fatall wounde,
Whom fame preserueth, taking vp
hys tombe in conquered land.
Those momes whose melting cowards hart
durst neuer take in hand,
Or enterpryse no noble acte,
those force of floods shall drowne,
But fate forbearyng long, will take
stoute brutes of hyghe renoume,
[Page]Full well we may ashamed be,
in such a sorte to dye,
If any man hys spytefull mynd
yet can not satysfie,
with these ou [...]ragious plūging plages
That downe from gods are sent,
Appeace at length thy wrathfull god
agayne, and eke relent.
Euen Troy for pitie wold haue wept,
to see our wofull case,
But if that in thy boylyng brest
black rancour styll haue place,
And that the Grekes to ruin run,
it be thy purpose bent,
Why do these Troyans go to wrack?
for whom thus are we spent?
Asswage the rygour of the sea
that threa [...]nyng hyls vp reares:
This drenched fleete the Troyan folke
and Grekes together beares.
Then from theyr prayers ar they put,
theyr foultryng tonges do stay,
the roring seas doth drown their voyce
and cares their cries awaye.
Then myghty Pallas armed with
the leppyng lyghtning fyre,
That testy Ioue doth vse to hurle
prouokte to swellyng ire,
[Page]With thretning Iaueling in her hand,
her prowe [...] meanes to trye,
And eke her force whoes boyling brest
with Gorgon [...] fyts doth frye,
Or what with target she can do,
and with her fathers fyre.
Then from the skyes another storme
begynnes abrode to spyre,
But Aiax nothyng yet dysmayd
all force withstandeth stout,
whō when he spred his swelling sailes
with cable stretched out,
She lyghtyng downe did wryng hym hard,
& wrapt him in her [...]ame,
And flange another flasshyng dint
of lyghtnyng on the same,
With all her force and violence
her h [...]nd brought back agayne,
She tost hym out, as late that feate
her [...]ather tought her playne.
Both ouer Aiax and hys Pup
she slyeth ouerthwart,
And rentyng man and shyp, of both
she beares away a parte,
Hys corage nought abated yet
he al to syngde doth [...]eme,
Euen lyke a stubberne ragged rock
amid the striuing streame,
[Page]He traynes along the roaryng seas
and eke the waltryng waue
By shouyng on hys bourly brest
in sonder quyte he draue,
The Barke with hand he caught, & on
it selfe dyd type it ouer,
Yet Aiax shyneth in the flood
which darknes blynd doth couer.
At length attaynyng to a rock
hys thundryng crakes were thes,
I conquered haue the force of fyre
and rage of fyghtyng seas,
It doth me good, to mayster thus
the anger of the skye,
with Pallas wrath, the lightnyng flames
and floods tumultyng hye.
The terrour of the warlyck god
once could not make me flye,
The force of Mars and Hector both
at once sustaynd haue I.
Nor Phaebus dartes could me cōstrayne,
from hym one foote to shoon,
All these besyde the Phrygians
subdued we haue, and woon:
when other Mecocks flings his dartes
shall I not them withstand?
Yea, what if Phaebus came him selfe,
to pytche them with hys hand?
[Page]When in hys melancholy moode
He boasted without meane.
Then father Neptune lyft hys head
aboue the waters cleane.
The beaten rocke with forked mace
he vndermynyng pluckte
From bottom loose, & suncke it doune,
when doune hym selfe he duckte.
Theare Aiax lay, by land, by syre,
and storme of seas destroyd,
But we by sufferyng shypwrack, are
with greater plagues anoyd.
A subtyle shallow flood thear is
flowne on a stony shold,
Where crafty Caphar out of syght
the lurkyng rocks doth hould,
Uppon whose sharpe and ragged top [...]
the swellyng tide doth flow,
The boylyng waues do beat theron
styll sweaing to and fro:
A turret noddyng ouer it
doth hange with fallyng swaye,
From whence on either side frō height
prospect espye we maye
Two seas: and on thys hand the coast
where P [...]lops ons did reygne,
And Istmus flood in narrow creeke,
reculyng back agayne,
[Page]Doth stop Ionian sea, lest in
to Hellespont it run,
On thother part is Lemnon flood
that fame by blodshed woon.
On thother syde Calcedon towne
doth stand agaynst thys forte,
A [...]d Aulis Ile that stayd our shyps
that thyther dyd resorte.
Thys Castell here inhabyte doth
our Palimedes sier,
Whose cursed hand held in the top
a brand o [...] flamyng fier,
That dyd alure oure fleete, to turne
on lurkyng rocks a ryght,
Entysyng them with wily blase
to come vnto the lyght.
All into fitters shaken are
the ve [...]sels on the shold,
But other some do swym, and some
vppon the rocks are roulde.
And other slyppyng back agayn [...]
so to eschew the rocks,
Hys brused rybbes and ratlyng sydes
agaynst ech other knocks,
Wherby the other he doth brea [...]e,
and broken is hym selfe,
Then wolde they launce int [...] the depe,
for now they dr [...]ad the shelfe,
[Page]Thys peck of [...]roubles chaun [...]t to hap
in dawning of the daye.
But when the Gods (besought of vs)
began the rage to staye,
And Phaebus golden beames began
a fresh to render lyght,
The dolfull day dys [...]ryed all
the domage done by nyght.
Cly.
¶O whether may I now lame [...]t,
and wepe with waylyng sad,
Or shall I els in that my spous
returned is be glad?
I do reioyce, and yet I am
compelled to bewayle
My countreys great calamytie
that doth the same assayle.
O father great whose maiestye
doth thundryng sep [...]ers shake,
The lowryng Gods vnto the Gr [...]kes
now fauourable make,
With garlands greene let euerye head
reioysyng now be cround.
To to thee the pype in sacryfice
m [...]lodiously doth sound,
And on thyne alter lyeth slayne
an Heyferdlyly whyte,
Before the same do present stand
with hangyng lockes vndyght,
[Page]A car [...]full Troyan companye
in heuy wofull plyght,
On whom frō heygh the Lawrell tree
with spredding branche doth shyne,
Whose vertue hath inspired them
with Phaebus grace diuine,
Chorus. Cassandra.
ALas the cruell stynge of loue
how swetely doth it taste,
A myserye to mortall man
annext whyle lyfe doth last?
The path of myscheife for to flye,
now syth there is a gap,
And wretched soules be franckly calde
from euery wofull hap
By death, a pleasant port, for aye
in rest them selues to shroude,
Where dredfull tumultes neuer dwell
nor stormes of Fortune proude:
Nor yet the burning fyry flakes
of Ioue the same doth doubt,
whē wrongfully with twacking thūpes
he rappes hys thunder out:
Hear lady peace thinhabitours
doth neuer put in flyght,
Nor yet the victors threatny [...]g wrath
approchyng nyg [...] to fyght,
[Page]No whyrling western wynd doth [...]rge
the rampyng seas to praunce,
No dustye cloud that raysed is
by sauage Dimilaunce,
On horseback riding rancke by ranck,
no ferse and cruell ho [...]t,
No people slaughtred, w t their townes
clean topsie tur [...]ey tost:
Whyle that the foe with flamyng fyre
doth spoyle and wast the wall,
Untamed and vnbridled Mars
destroys and batters all:
That man alone who forceth not
the ficle fates a strawe,
The vysage grym of Acheront
whose eyes yet neuer sawe,
Who neuer vewd with heauy chear [...]
the vgsome Limbo lake,
And puttynge lyfe in hasarde dare
to death hym selfe betake.
That parson is a prynces peare,
and lyke the gods in myght,
Who knoweth not what death dothe mean
is in a pitious plight
The ruthfull ruin of our na­tyue
countrey we beheld:
That woful nyght, in which the roofe [...]
of howses ouerqueld,
[Page]In Dardans Cytie blasing bryght
with flasshyng fiery flames.
when as the Grekes w t burning brands
enkindle did the frames,
That Troy whō war & dedes of armes
myght not subdue and take,
As ons did mighty Hercules,
whose quyuer ca [...]sde it quake,
Which neither he that Peleus sonne,
and sonne to Thetis was,
Nor whom Achilles loued to wel,
could euer brynge to passe,
When glyteryng bright in fild he ware
false armour on hys back,
And counterfayting fearse Achill
the Troyans draue to wrack.
Nor when Achilles he hym selfe
hys mynd from sorow wrast,
And Troyan women to the walles
dyd scuddyng leape in hast.
In myserie she lost her proud
estate, and last renoume,
By being stoutly ouercome,
and hardly pulled downe.
Yeares fyue & fyue dyd Troy resiste,
that yet hereafter must,
In one nyghts space by destenie
be layed in the dust.
[Page]Theyr fained giftes well haue we tri [...]
that huge and fatall gin:
We lyght of credit with our own
ryght hand haue haled in,
That fatall gyft of Grekes: what tyme
at entrye of the gap
The [...]gye hors did shyueringe stand,
wher in them selues did wrap
The captaynes close, in holow vautes
with bloody war yfreight.
When lawfully we myght haue tryde,
and serched theyr deceight:
So by theyr owne contryned snares
the grekes had byn confound:
The braseen buclers being shoke
did gy [...]e a clattryng sound.
A pryuie whysperyng often tymes
came tycklyng in our ear.
And Pyrrhus (in a murreynes name
so redye for to heate.
The craftye councell picked out
of false Vlisses brayne,)
Did iangle in the holow vautes,
that rang therof agayne.
But fearyng and suspectyng nought
the heddy youth of Troy
Layd handes vpon the sacred ropes,
to hale and pull with ioye,
[Page]On this syde young A [...]styanax
came garded with his trayne,
On thother part Pollixena
disponsed to be slayne
Upoon Achilles tombe, she com [...]
with maydes, and he with men,
A ioly flocke with equall yeares
as young as they were then.
Theyr vowd oblations to the gods
in holyday attyre,
The matrons bryng and so to churche
repayreth euery syre.
And all the cytie did alyke,
yea Hecuba our queene
(That synce the wofull Hectors death
or now was neuer sene)
She mery is: o grefe accurst,
a [...] all thy sorowes depe
For which that fyrst, or last befell,
entendest thou to wepe?
Our battred walls which heuenly han­des
erected haue and framd?
Or els the burnyng temples which
vpon their Idolls flamd?
Lamentyng these calamyties
we haue not tyme and space,
O myghtye parent Priam we
poore Troyans wayle thy case.
[Page]The old mans thratlyng throt I sawe,
(alas) I saw yborde
With cruell Pirrhus blade, that scante
with any blood was gord.
Cass.
¶Refrayne your teares y • down your chekes
should tricle euermore
Wyth wofull waylynges piteously
your pryuate frendes deplore
My myseries refuse a mate,
so much accurst as I:
To rewe my carefull case, refrayn
your lamentable crye.
As for myne owne distresse to murne,
I shall suffyce alone.
Cho.
¶To mingle teares w t other teares
it doth vs good to mone:
In those the burnyng teary streames
more ardently do boyle,
Whō secret thoughts of lurking [...]ares
in pryuy brest [...]urmoyle:
Though that thou were a gossop stout,
that brooke much sorow may
I warraunt the, thou myghtest well,
lament this sore decay.
Not sad and solemne A [...]don
that in the woodes doth synge
Her sugred ditties fynelye tunde
on sweete and pleasaunt stryng:
[Page]Recordyng [...]tys wofull hap
in dyuers kynde of note,
whom Progne though he were her chyld
and of her wombe begot,
For to reuenge his fathers fault,
she did not spare to kyll:
And gaue his flesh and blood for food
the fathers maw to fyll.
Nor Progne who in swallows shape [...]
vpon the rydges hye,
Of houses sitts in Biston town
bewaylyng peteou [...]lye,
With chatteryng throte, of Tereus
her spouse the cruell act,
(Who did by strength & force of arms
a shamfull brutyshe fact.
Defyle the syster of his wyfe,
fayre Philomel by name,
And [...]ake cut out her tonge, least shee
should blab it to his shame)
Though Progne this her husbandes rape
lamentyng very sore
Do waile, and wepe w t piteous plaint,
yet can she not deplore
Sufycientlye, though that she would
our contreys petious plyght:
Though he him selfe among the swans
syr Cygnus lyllye whight.
[Page]who dwelles in streame of Ister [...]ood,
and Tanais channell could,
His weping voyce most ernestlye
though vtter out he would:
Although the mornyng Halcyons
with dolefull syghes do wayle,
At such tyme as the fyghtyng floodes
their Cyex did assayle,
Or rashly weryng bould attempt
the seas now layd at rest,
Or beyng verye fearefull fede
their broode in tottryng nest,
Although as sqeimysh harted men
those preistes in bedlem rage,
Whom mother Cyble beyng borne
[...]n hyghe in lofty stage,
Doth moue, so play on shalmes, Atys
the Phrygian to lament,
Yet can not they this lot bewayle,
though brawn frō armes they rent.
Cassandra in our teares ther is,
no mesure to refrayne,
Those miseryes all mesure pa [...]se,
that plunged vs in payne.
The sacred fillets from thy heds,
why doest thou hale and pull?
They chyflye ought to worshyp god,
whose hartes with grefe be dull.
Cass.
[Page]
¶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 • brand,
of fyer blasyng bryght:
[Page]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 throwne [...]
Now glaūcyng vp & downe they roll:
now standyng styffe they stare.
she stretcheth vp her head more streight
then commenly she bare,
[Page]Bolt vp she goes, her wrastling iawes
that fast together clinge,
She doth attempt by dyuers meanes,
on sonder how to wringe.
Her mōbling 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:
[Page]But loe two shynyng Sunnes at one [...]
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 entende [...]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.
[Page]Alac ye gostes of all my frendes
why should ye say that I,
Among the rest am onl [...]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 māgled mēbers, 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 cu [...]
of hell, it doth me good.
And gaping mou [...]hed kyngdome darke
of gredy Ditis raygne.
The barge of fylthy Phlegethon
this day shall entertayne,
[Page]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 hāds
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:
[Page]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 soyle [...]
God saue the o dear loued land,
to thee is huge a spoyle
[Page]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 groūd
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 gy [...]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
[Page]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 daūger 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 to [...]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 gorgyou [...] 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.
[Page] Aurora to her comm [...]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 di [...]
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.
[Page]Wtih cloobbed brusyng battring batte
he cranckly did subdew.
(The bretherne twins y • 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 [...]asters toth before.
[Page]But whipping vp w t lyuely twygges
into the ayre she flyes,
And while the chinking plate doth soūd
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
Euē 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:
[Page]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 garmēt 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 tast [...]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,
[Page]The stopped poake with mouth set op [...]
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 f [...]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.
[Page]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 mūbling tong:
nor they do by and bye
Forsake him so: the breathles coors
Aegist doth all to coyle:
And mangled hath the gasshed corpes:
whyle thus he doth him spoyle,
She putteth to her helpyng hand:
by detestable dede
They both accord vnto the kynd,
whereof they do proceade.
Dame Helens syster ryght shee is,
and he Thyestes sonne:
Lo doutfull Titan standeth styll
the day now being don,
Not knowyng whether best to kepe
styll on his wonted waye
Or turne his wheles vnto the path
of dyre Thiestes daye.

¶The .v. Acte. The .ii. Sceane.

Electra
O Thou whom of our fathers death
the onely helpe we haue,
Fly, fly, frō force of furious foes,
make hast my selfe to saue:
Our house is topsey turuey tost,
our stocke [...] is cast away,
Our ruthfull realmes to ruin ronne,
our kyngdomes do decaye.
Who cometh here in Chariot swyft
this gallopyng a mayne?
Brother, dysguysed in thy wede
let me thy person fayne.
O bussard blynde what dost thou mean
from forayn folke to flye?
Whom dost thou shun? it doth behoue
to feare thys famylie.
Orestes now be bould, and set
all shiuering fear a syde,
The certayne succour of a trustye
freinde I h [...]ue espyde.

¶The .v. Acte. The .iii. Sceane.

Strophilus. Electra.
WIth solemne pompe I Strophilus
forsakyng Phocis lande,
Bearing a braūche of palme, y t growes
at Elis in my hand,
Returned back I am, the cause
that wyld me hether wend,
Is with these gyftes to gratefie
and welcome home my freynd,
Whose valiyent armie skalde, & shooke
the tattryd Troyan walles,
Who weryed with the ten years war
now flat on floore she falles.
What woful wight is this that staines
her mourning face with teares,
And drouned depe in drousy dumpes
oppressed is with feares?
I know full well thys damsell i [...]
of prynces lynage borne.
What cause Electra hath thys ioy­full
familie to mourne?
Elec.
¶By treason that mi mother wrought
my father lyeth slayne,
And drinkyng of their fathers cup
the chyldren do complayne.
[Page] Aegist engroceth Castels got
by fornication.
St [...]o.
¶Alack that of so longe a tyme [...]
fylicitie is none.
Elec.
¶I thee request euen for the loue
my father thou doest owe,
And for the honour of the crowne,
whose brute abrode doth growe
In euery coast: and by the gods
that dyuersly do [...]eal,
Take into thy tuicion,
conuey away, and steal,
Thys poore Orest: such kynd of theft
is pietie indede.
Stro [...]
¶Although that Agamemn [...]n [...] death
doth teache me to take hede,
Yet will I vnder [...]ake the same,
and with all diligence
Orestes shall I go aboute
with strengthe to haue thee hence.
Prosperytie requyreth fayth,
but troble exacts the same,
Haue here a pryce for those that do
contende and wage in game.
An ornament with comely grace
ordaynd to deck the brow,
And let thy head be [...]ouerde with
thys greene and pleasaunt bow.
[Page]And cary thys vyctoryous
triumphant braunche in hand.
God graunt this palme y t planted was
in fertill Pisa land,
(where solemne games wer celebrate
Ioues honour to expresse)
May both a sauegard be to to thee
and brynge thee good successe.
Thou that bestryds thy fathers steeds,
as he before hath done,
Go stryke a league of amytie
with Pylades my sonne.
Now nimble nagges let Grece hereof
recordyng testifye,
With headlong scouring cours amain
this traytrous contrey flye.
Elec.
¶He is escapt and gone, and with
vnmesurable myght
The Chariot horse with rayne at will
do send out of my syght.
Now free from peryll on my foes
attendance will I make.
And offer willingly my head
the deadly wound to take.
The cruell conqueress of her spouse
is come, whose spotted wede
With sprynkels (signe of slaughter) do
beare record of her dede.
[Page]Her gory handes new bathed in blood
as yet they be not drye,
Her rough & churlish rigorous lookes
the facte do notyfye.
Unto the temple will I trudge.
Cassandra suffer mee,
Opprest with egall greefe, take parte
of sacryfyce wyth thee.

¶The .v. Acte. The .iiii, Sceane.

Clytemnestra. Electra. Aegisthus. Cassandra.
O Thou thy mothers enimie,
vngracious saucy face,
After what sorte dost thou a maid
appere in publyque place?
Elec.
¶I haue with my vyrgynitie
the bowres of baudes forsoke.
Cly.
¶What man is hee, that euer thee
to be a vyrgyn tooke?
Elect.
¶what your own doughter?
Cl.
¶w t thy mother
more modest shuld y u be.
Elec.
¶Do you at length begyn to preache,
such godlynes to me.
Cly.
[Page]
¶A manly stomake stout thou hast
wyth swellyng hawtye hart.
Subdued with sorow learne thou shall
to playe a womans part.
Elect.
¶A swerd and buckler verye well
a woman doth beseme
(Except I dote)
Cl [...]:
[...]hy selfe doe [...] y u
haylefelow with vs esteme?
Elec.
¶What Agamemnon new is this,
whom thou hast got [...]f late?
Cly.
¶Hereafter shall I tame, and teach
thy gyrlysh tong to prate.
And make the know, how to a queene
[...]hy tauntyng [...]o for beare.
[...]ec
¶The whylst (y u widdowe) answer me
directly to this geare.
Thy husband is [...]ereued quyght
of breath, his lyfe is don.
Cly.
¶Enquier wher thy brother is,
So seke about my son.
Elect.
¶He is departed out of Gre [...]e.
Cly.
¶Go fetch him out of hand.
Elect.
¶Fetche thou my father vnto me.
Cly.
¶Gyue me to vnderstand,
Where doth he lurking hyde his head?
where is he shrunk awaye?
Elect.
¶All plonge of perills past he is,
a [...]d at a quyet staye.
[Page]And in another kyngdom where
no harme he doth mistrust,
This aunswere were sufficient,
to please a parent iust.
But one whose brest dothboil in wrath,
it cannot satesfye.
Cly.
¶To daye by death thou shalt receiue
thy fatall destynye.
Elect.
¶On this condicion am I pleasd,
the Alter to forsake.
If that this hande shall do the dead,
my death when I shall take.
Or els if in my throte to bathe
thy blade, thou do delyght,
Most willynglye I yeld my throte,
and gyue the leue to smy [...]e.
Or if thou wyll chop of my head
in brutysh beastly guyse,
My necke a waytyng for the wound
out stretched redye lies.
Thou hast committed synfully
a great and greuous guylt.
Go purge thy hardned handes, y • which
thy husbandes blood haue spil [...].
Cly.
¶O thou that of my perylls all
doest suffer part wyth me,
And in my realme doest also rule
with egall dignitie,
[Page] Aegisthus art thou glad at this?
(as doth her not behoue,)
With checks & taunts y • doughter doth
her mothers mallyce moue.
She kepes her brothers counsell close
Conueyd out of the waye.
Aegist.
¶Thou malipert and wi [...]les wench
thyne eluysh pra [...]yng staye,
Refrayne those wordes vnfytt thy mo­thers
glowing ears to vex.
Elect.
¶What shall the breder of this broyle
controll me with his checkes,
Whose fathers gilt hath caused him
to haue a doubtfull name,
Who both is to his syster sonne,
and nephew to the same?
Cly.
¶To snapp her head of with thy swerd
Aegist doest thou refrayne?
Let her gyue vp the ghost: or bryng
Her brother strayght agayne:
Let her be lockt in dungeon darke,
and let her spend her dayes,
In Caues & Rocks, w t painefull pangs,
torment her euerye wayes.
I hope him whom she hidden hath,
she will agayne discrye,
Through being clapt in pryson strong
and suffring pouertye
[Page]With earksom and vnsauory smells
on euery syde annoyde,
En [...]orst to weare a widdowes wede,
er weddinge day enioyde:
Put in exile and banyshment
when eche man doth her hate:
So shall she be by myserye
compeld to yeld to late,
Prohibyted of holsom ayr
fruision to haue.
Elec.
¶Graūt me mi dome bi means of death
to passe vnto my graue.
Cly.
¶I would haue graunted it to the,
if thou should it denye.
Unskilfull is the tyrant, who
by suffryng wretches dye [...]
Doth end their pains.
Ele.
¶what after death
doth any thing remayne?
Cly [...]
¶And if thou do desyre to dye,
the same se you refrayne.
Lay hāds [...]irs on this wōdrous wretch,
whom beyng caryed on,
Euen to the furthest corner of
my iurisdiction
Far out beyond Mycenas land
in bondes let her be bound,
With darknes dym in hiddious hold
let her be closed round.
[Page]This captiue spous & wicked queane,
the trull of prynces bed
Shall pay her paynes, and suffer death
by losyng of her hed.
Com hale her on, that she may folowe,
that way my spouse is gon,
Whose loue [...]rom me entised was.
Cass.
¶Do not thus hale me on.
I will before you take the waye,
these tydynges fyrste to tell
Unto my contrey men of Troy
beneath in lowest hell.
How ouerquelmed shypps eche whea [...]
ar spred the sea [...] vppon [...]
And Micoene countrey conquerd is
brought in subiection.
He that of thousand captaynes was
graund captayn generall,
Com to as great calamytie
as Troy it selfe did fall,
Entrapped was by treaytrus trayn,
and whordom of his wife,
And by a gyft receaued of her
depreued of his life.
Let vs not linger: on with me,
and thankes I do you gyue.
I ioy, that it myght be my hap,
thus after Troy to lyue.
Cly.
[Page]
¶Go to, prepare thy selfe to dye
thou frantyque ragyng wyght.
Cass.
¶The fransy fyts of fury fell
on you shall also lyght.

¶ Eurybates. Added to the Tragedie by the [...]ranslatour.

ALas ye hatefull [...]ellysh hagges
ye furies foule and fell,
Why cause ye rusty rancours rage
in noble hartes to dwell [...]
And cancred hate in boylynge brestes
to grow from age to age?
Cold not the graūdsyres painful pāges
the chyldrens wrath asswage?
Nor [...]a [...]yne faint of pynyng paunche,
with burnyng thurste of hell,
Amid the blackest stream of styckes
where poysnyng breathes do well.
Where vapors vyle parbrakyng out
from dam [...]ysh myry mud,
Encrease the paynes of Tantalus
deserued by gyltles blood.
[Page]Could not thyne owne offence suffyce
Thyestes in thy lyfe,
To fyle thy brothers spousall bed,
and to abuse hys wyfe?
But after breath from body fled,
and lyfe thy lymbes hath left,
Can not remembraunce of reuenge
out of thy brest be reft?
What, yet hast thou not layd thy lyps,
to cast of Lethes flood?
Now after death why dost thou come
to moue thy sonne to blood?
Could cruell Ditis graunt to thee
thy pasporte back agayne?
To worke thys wo vpon the world,
and make such rygour reygne,
That Clytemnestr [...] is become
the fyfty syster dire
Of Danaus doughters, that did once
theyr husbandes death conspyre.
Lo here how [...]icle fortune gyues
but brytle fading ioy.
Lo, be who late a Conquerour
tryumphed ouer Troy.
Enduring many sturdy Formes
with m [...]ghty toyle and payne
To sowe the seede of fame, hath reant
small fruite therof againe.
[Page]When as hys honour budding furth
with flowre began to bloome,
(Alas) the stock was hewed downe
and sent to deadly doome.
And they that of hys vyctorie
and commyng home were glad,
to sodain murning change their mirth
with heauynes bestad.
The lusty pompe of royall courte
is dead: (O dolfull day)
The people mone theyr prynces death
with wo and weal away:
with howling, crieng, wringing hands
with sobs with syghes, and teares,
And w t their [...]ists they beat their bre [...]tes
they pull and hale theyr heares.
And as the shepe amased run,
and rampe aboute the fyeld,
When as theyr shepherd to the wolfe
hys gory throte doth ye [...]lde:
Euen so as mad they rage and raue
throughout Micaenas land,
Depriued of theyr prynce, they feare
the blooddy Tyrantes hand.
While thus were woful wailings hard
in euery place aboute,
The good Cassandra (come from Troy)
to death is haled out.
[Page]Like as the Swan, who when the time
of death approcheth nye,
By nature warned is therof,
and pleased well to dye,
Doth celebrate her [...]unerall
with dirge and solemne songe:
Euen so the noble vyrgyn who
in wo hath lyued longe,
Most ioyfull goes she to her death
wyth mylde and pleasaunt face,
Stout boulst ryng out her bourly brest
with pryncely port & grace.
Nothyng dysma [...]de with corage bolde,
and chearefull countenaunce,
On stage ordeyned for her death
she gan her selfe aduaunce,
As though she had not thyther come,
to leue her lothsome lyfe,
As though she had not come, to taste
the stroke of fatall knyfe.
But euen as if in brydale bed
her iurney were to meete
Corebus dear, not hauyng mynd
of death, nor wyndyng sheete,
When lookyng round on euery syde
she toke her leaue of all,
From vapourd eyes of yonge and ol [...]
the tryclyng teares do fall.
[Page]The Grekes them selues to greefe a [...] moued
to see this heuy sight,
So pytie pearest the headmans hart,
that thryse aboute to [...]myte
He staide the smot: w t shiuering hand
yet once agayne he tryed.
And frō her shoulders stroke her head.
and thus the vyrgyn dyed.
But now the Grekes another cause
of murnyng haue in hand:
Orestes Agamemnons sonne,
is for [...]st to flye the lande.
Amonge olde rotten ragged rocks
[...]hear lyes an vgly place,
A dongeon dep [...], as darke as hell,
vnknowne to Phaebus face.
An holow huge wyde gapyng hole,
with way styll bendyng downe,
whose mouth with venomous withred weedes
is hid & ouer growne,
where stinking smels com belching out
from filthy durty dyke,
where verment vile do crepe & craule,
in bell is not the lyke.
Il fauourd, foule mysshapen [...]ugges,
do lurke aboute thys caue,
With dreadful sounds [...] & roryng noyse
within the pyt they raue.
[Page]Euen hether is Electra sent,
in darkenes depe to lye,
In pouertie, and comfortlesse
without the lyght of skye,
Fast clogd with iron boultes & chaines,
thus by her mother layd
In tormentes, tyll by her to death
Orestes be betrayde:
Who (as Cassandra telleth) shall
reuenge his fathers death,
Depryue with swerd thadulterour,
and mother both of breath.
So after all these bloody broyles,
Greece neuer shall be free:
But blood for blood, and death by turnes,
the after age shall see.
FINIS.

¶Faultes escaped in printing.

Letter. page. Li.  
B. 6. 23. for sytst read setst
B. 8. 13. for I cannot read It cānot
B. 8. 25. for now read vow
B. 14. 21. for wresteth read wrastleth
E. 1. 6. for others read other.

In B. the .15. page, against the .27. lygne in the margent, read Nutrix.

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