University of Virginia Library

PHÆDRA. NVTRIX, HIPPOLYTVS.
NV.
To cure this puissant breach of illes no hope there is in vs:
Nor yet to quench his flashing flame: his furies fretting ire,
Doth fry in secret boyling breast, and though the smothrering fire
Be couerte close, yet bursting forth in welked face it fryes:
The sparkling flakes doe glowing flash from bloudred rowling eyes
She hanging downe her pouched groyne, abhors the lothsome light,
Her skittish wits and wayward minde can fancy nothing right:
Her faltring legs doe fayle her now, downe squatting on the ground
With sprauling lims her shittell griefe doth cast her in a swound:
Now scant shee on her lithy necke holdes vp her giddy hed,
Nor can commit her selfe to couche in rest vpon her bed.
Nor harbring quietnes in heart wyth drery dewle and plaint
She languisheth through out the night, and now her body faynt
She biddes them vp to lift: and now her downe agayne to lay,
And now hir crispen locks vndone abroade shee biddes display:
And strayt to wrap them vp agayne. Thus fickle fansie still
Doth fleete, nor is contented with his wayward wandring will.
No care she casteth on her health nor eates one crum of breade,
With feeble fumbling foote vpon the floore eke doth she treade,
Her strength alas is quight consumde, her fauor sweere doth faynt?
Nor ruddy sanguine purple deye her cherry checkes doth paynt:
Wyth greedy gripes of gnawing griefe her pinched limmes doe pyne:
Her foltring legs doe stagger now: the glosse of beauty fyne
In body Alabaster bright is shronke away and wast
Those Cristall Eyes that wonted were resemblance cleare to cast
Of radiant Phœbus gold arayes, now nothing gentry shyne:
Nor beare a sparke of Phœbus bright her fathers beams deuyne:
The trickling teares fril down her chekes, dew dampish dropping still,
Doth wet her watrye plantes, as on the toppe of Taurus hill
The watry snowes with lukewarme shoures to moisture turnd do drop
But lo the Princes pallace is set open in the top:
She lying downe vpon her golden bed of high estate
Hurles of hir wonted royal robes which wounded hart doth hate:

Ph.
Maydes, haue our purple garmentes hence, & vestures wrought wt gold,
These crimsō robes of scarlet red let not myne eyes behold.
And damaske weedes, wheron the Seres embrauder braunches braue,
Whose Silken substaunce gatherd of their trees aloofe they haue,
My bosome shalbe swadled in with cuttied gaberdine,
No golden coller on my necke nor Indian iewels fyne,
The precious pearles so whyte shal hang no more now at myne eares,
Nor sweete perfumes of Siria shal poulder more my heares.
My flaryng ruffled lockes shal dagling hang my necke aboute
And shoulder poyntes: then then apace it shattring in and out.
Let wyndes euen blow it where it list, in left hand wil I take
A quiuer of shaftes, and in my right a Boorespere wil I shake,
To cruell child Hippolitus such one his mother was,
As fleeting from the frosen Seas those countrey costes did passe,
And braue her hierdes that bet with trampling feete Th'Athenian soyle
Or like the trull of Tauais, Or like her wil I toyle,
Of Meotis that on a knot wounde vp her crispen lockes:
Thus wil I trot with moonelike targe among the wodes and rockes.

Nu.
Leaue of thy bitter languishing vnto the silie sort
(That walter thus in waues of woe) griefe giues not resting port
Is any measure to be found in thy tormenting fire:
Some grace at wyld Dianaes hand with sacrifyce require.
O Goddesse greate of Woods, in hilles that onely setst thy throne,
And Goddes that of the craggy clyūes at worshipped alone,
Thy wrathful threatninges on vs all now turne to better plight
O Goddesse that in forrestes wyld and groues obtaynest might,
O shyning lampe of heauen, and thou the Diamon of the Night,
O threefold shapen Heccate that on the world his face
Dost render light with torch by turnes, vouchsafe to graūt thy grace
To further this our enterprise and helpe our piteous case,
O mollify Hippolytus his stubborne hardned hart,
And let him learne the pangues of loue and tast like bitter smart:
And yeeld his light allured eares: entreate his brutish breast,
And chaunge his mynd, in Venus boundes compel him once to rest.
So froward and vntoward now so crabbed curst and mad:
So shalt thou be with blandishing and smyling countnaunce clad.
Thy shimering clowde cleane fading hence then brightly shalt thou bear
And glisteryng hornes, then whyle by night vpon the whirling sphere,
Thy cloudy heeled steedes thou guydes, the raging witches charme
Of Thessal, shal not draw thee from the heauens nor do thy harme
No Shepherd purchase shal renoume. Thou comst at our request:
Now fauour dost thou graunt vnto the prayers of our Breast:
I do espye him worshipping the solemne Sacrifyce,
Both place and tyme conuenient by Fortune both arise:
We must go craftely to worke for feare we quaking stand,
Ful hard it is the buysy charge of guylt to take in hand:
But who of Princes standes in awe, let him defye all right,
Cast of the care of honesty from mind exiled quight,
A man vnfit is for the hest of King a bashful wight.

Hip.
O Nurse, how chaūce thy limping limmes do crepe into this place?
With blubbred Cheekes, & leaden lookes with sad and mourning face?
Doth yet my Father Theseus with health enioy his life?
Doth Phædra yet enioy her health my stepdam and his wyfe.

Nu.
Forgoe these feares, and gently come thy blessed hap to take,
For care constrayneth me to mourne with sorrow for thy sake,
That hurtfully thou looudes thy selfe with pangues of plūging payne:
Let him rubbe on in misery whom destny doth constrayne:
But if that any yeld himselfe to waues of wilful woe,
And doth torment himselfe, deserues his weale for to forgoe
The which he knowes not how to vse: tush, be not so demure,
Consideryng how thy yeares do runne, take part of sport and play,
Let mirry Bacchus cause thee cast these clogging cares away,
And reape the fruite of sweete delyght belonging to thy yeares,
For lusty youth with speedy foote ful fast away it weares.
Earst tender loue, earst Venus feedes the young monnes appetite,
Be blyth my Boy, why Widow like liest thou alone by night?
Shake of thy sollem sadnesse man that harty youth doth spill:
Huff, royst it out couragiously, take bridle at thy will.
Let not the flowre of blooming yeares all fruitles fade away.
God poynteth euery tyme his taske, and feades in due aray
Each age by order iust, as mirth the sappy youthfull yeares,
A forehed frayte with grauity becommeth hoary hayres.
Why dost thou bridle thus thy selfe, and dulles thy pregnant wit?
The corne that did but lately sproute aboue the ground, if it
Be rancke of roote, yet in the huske, with enterest at large
Unto the hoping husbandman shall trauel all discharge.
With braunched bough aboue the Wood the tree shall raise his top,
Whom rusty hand of canckred hate, did neuer spill nor lop.
The pregnant Wittes are euermore more prone to purchase prayse,
If noble heartes by freedome franckt be nourisht from decayes.
Thou churlish countrey Clowne Hodgelike not knowing Courtly life,
Delight in drousy doting youth without a louing wyfe.
Dost thou suppose that to this end Dame Nature did vs frame,
To suffer hardnes in this world and to abyde the same?
With courses and kerereyes fet the prauncing Steedes to tame?
Or bicker els with battails fierce, and broyls of bloudy warre?
That soueraygne Syre of heauen and earth, when fates do vs detarre,
With signes and plagues prognosticate prouided hath with heede,
For to repayre the damage done with new begotten seede.
Go to, let bedding in the world be vsed once no more
(That stil mankind from age to age vpholdes and doth restore)
The filthy world deformd would lie in yrksome vgly stay,
No floting ships on wambling Seas should hoysted Sayles display.
No Foule should skoare in azur Skie, ne Beast to woods repayre,
And onely whisking windes should whirle amid the empty ayre.
What diuers dreery deathes driue one mankind to dumpish graue?
The Seas, the sword and trayterous traynes whole countries wasted haue:
Yet for to limit forth our league there is no destny thincke,
So downe to blackefast Stigian dampes we of our selues do sincke.
Let youth that neuer felt the ioyes, in Venus lap which lie,
Alow the solitary life, what euer thou espye,
An hurliburly shall become for tearme of one mans life.
And worke it one destruction by mutuall hate and strife.
Now therfore follow natures course, of life the soueraygne guyde,
Resort vnto the towne: with men delight thee to abyde.

Hip.
No life is more deuoyd of sinne, and free from grieuous thralles,
And keeping fashions old, then that which leauing Townish walles,
Doth take delight in pleasant Woods, he is not set on fyre,
Enraged sore with burning Byle of couetous desyre.
Who hath addict himselfe among the mountaynes wilde to liue,
Not prickt with pratling peoples bruite, no credit doth he geue.
Toth Uulgar sort disloyall still, vnto the better part
Nor cankred rancour pale doth gnaw his blacke and fretting hart.
Nor fickle fauour forceth he, he bound doth not obay
The payse of Scepter proude: but weildes the massy scepter sway.
At ebbing honours gapes he not, nor moyles for fleeting mucke,
Remoued farre from houering hope and dread of backward lucke,
Not bitter gnawing Enuy rancke teares him with tooth vnkind,
Not quaynted with the mischiefe that in Cittyes and in mynd
Of people presseth thicke: nor quakes at euery blast that flies
With guilty conscience to himselfe, nor frames himselfe to lies.
Nor couets rich with thousand pillers close his head to shroude,
Nor guildes his beams with glisteryng gold for fancy fond and proude
Nor gushing streames of bloud vpon his innocent Alters flow.
Nor Bullockes bright their hundred heads as whyte as flakie Snow.
Do yeeld to Axe, whyle scattered is on thaulter sacred grayne,
But al the quiet countrey round at wil he doth obtayne.
And harmles walketh too and froe amid the open ayre,
And onely for the brutish Beast contriues a trapping snare.
Another whyle vppon the swift Alpheus banckes he walkes
Now vp and downe the breary Brakes of bushy woods he stalkes
Where lukewarme Lemas christall floud with water cleare doth shine,
And chaunging course his Channell out another way doth twyne:
And heare the piteous plaining Birds with chirping charmes do chide,
And Braunches trembling shake whereon soft windye puffes do glyde.
And spreading Beches old do stand, to fast and shake my shankes:
To stampe and daunce it doth me good on running Riuers bankes:
Or els vpon a withred clod to steale a nap of sleeepe,
Whereas the fountayne flowes amayne with gushing waters deepe.
Or els among the baulmy flowres out braying sauours sweete,
Wheras with pleasant humming noise the bubbling brooke doth fleete.
The Apples beaten of the tree do rauening hunger staunch,
And Strawberyes gathered of the bush soone fill with hungry paunch.
He shoons assaultes, that doth himselfe from regall royall hold.
Estates do quaffe theyr dreadful drinke in Bolles of massye Golde:
How trimme it is water to lap in palme of naked hand:
The sooner drowsye Morpheus byndes thy Browes with sleepy bande:
The carelesse corpes doth rest at ease vpon the hardest Couch:
The Cabin base hauntes not by Nookes, to prig and filch a pouch:
In house of many corners blynd his head he doth not hyde,
He loues to come abroade and in the light to be espyde:
The Heauens beare witnesse of his life, they liued in this wise.
I thinke, that scattred did of Gods in alder time arise.
No doting couetous blinde desire of Golde in them was found:
No stones nor slakes set vp in field did stint the parted ground:
The sayling Ship with brazen Stem cut not the waltring waue,
But euery man doth know his coast and how much he should haue.
No hugy Rampires raysed were, nor Ditches delued deepe,
Nor countermured Castle strong the walled Townes to keepe.
The Souldier was not busied his blunted Tooles to whet,
Nor rapping Pellets, Cannon shot the barred Gates downe bet,
Nor soyle with yoaked Oxe was strainde to beare the cutting share,
The field euen fertill of it selfe did feede the World with fare,
The plentifull aboundant Woods great wealth by nature gaue:
A house of nature take they had a dimme and darksome Caue:
The couetous minde to scrape vp wealth, and despret furious ire,
And greedy Lust (that eggeth on the minde all set on fire.)
First brake the bands, and eger thirst of bearing sway slept in,
To be the strongers rauening pray the weaker did begin,
And might went for oppressed right: the naked Fist found out
To scratch and cuffe, to box and bum, with dealing blowes about.
The knarrie Logs, and snaggie shine were framed weapons strong,
The gatten Tree vngrayned was with Pikes of Yron long.
No nor the rusty Fawchon then did hang along the side,
Nor Helmet crest vpon the head stood peirking vp for pride,
Pale spightfull griefe inuented Tooles, and warlick Mars his braine
Contriu'de new sleights, a thousand kinde of deathes he did ordaine:
By meanes hereof eche Land is fild with clottred gore yshed,
With streames of bloud the Seas are dyde to hue of sanguine red,
Then Mischiefe wanting measure gan through euery house to passe,
No kinde of vitious villany that practise wanted was.
By Brother, Brother reft of Breath, and eake the Fathers Life
By hand of Childe, eake murthred was the husband of his Wyfe.
And Mother lewde on mischiefe set destroyde their bodies seede,
I ouerpasse the Stepdame with her guilt and haynous deede,
And no where pitty planted is, as in the brutish beast:
But womankinde in mischiefe is ringleader of the reast,
The instrument of wickednesse enkindling first desire,
Whose vyle vncesteous whoredome set so many Townes on fire.
So many Nations fall to warre, eake Kingdomes ouerthrowne,
And raysed from the ground, to crushe so many people downe.
Let other passe: by Iasons Wyfe Medea may wee finde
By her alone, that Women are a plaguy crabbed kinde.

NV.
Why, for one womans fault of blame shall euery one haue part?

HIP.
I hate, detest, abhore, I loth, I curse them from my heart.
Bee't reason, right, or Natures law, or vengeance fury fell,
It likes me to abhorre them still: the burning fire shall dwell,
And bide with quenching water first, the daungerous quick Sand
Shall promisse Ships with safetinesse vpon the shold to land,
And Western Thetis soonke aloofe and drencht in deepest nooke,
Shall force the ruddy Morning Sunne from scarlet Skies to looke,
The Woolfe shall yeelde his fleering Chaps to suck the Tet of Do
Ere woon by womans loue, to her I crouch and stoupe alow.

NV.
Loue bridles oft with snaffling bits the stubborne wayward heart,
Beholde thy Mothers natiue land in Scythia euery part,
The saluage women feele the force of Venus yoaking band.
Thou onely Childe thy Mother had dost this well vnderstand.

HIP.
This onely comfort of my Mother must I keepe behinde,
That leefull vnto me it is to hate all Womankinde.

NV.
Euen as the stiffe and sturdy Rocks haue waltring waues wythstoode,
And dasheth backe from shore aloofe the fomy flapping floode:
So lightly he contemnes my talke: but Phædra runneth mad
Because of this my long delay with crushing cares yclad:
What will she doe? Aye me alas how shall she now be spead?
Her breathlesse body to the ground drops sodenly downe dead.
A fallow hue like gastly death ouerstrikes her frenzy Face,
Looke vp and speake beholde thy deare sweete heart doth thee embrace.