University of Virginia Library

PHÆDRA. NVTRIX. HIPPOLYTVS.
HIP.
Behold this secret place is voyde from any witnesse bye.

PH.
My faltring tong doth in my mouth my tale begun denye.
Great force constrayneth mee to speake, but greater holde my peace,
O heauenly Ghostes I you protest, tis this that doth me please.

HIP.
Cannot the minde that couers talke in wordes at will out brast?

PH.
Light cares haue words at will, but great doe make vs sore agast.

HIP.
Mother the griefe yt galles your heart come whisper in mine eare.

PH.
The name of Mother is to proude a name for me to beare,
Importing puissant power too much: the fancy of my minde
It doth behoue, a baser name of lesse renowne to finde.
Mee (if thou please) Hippolytus thy Louing Sister call.
Or wayting Maide, and rather so: no drudgry spare I shall,
If thou through thicke and thin in snowes to trauaile me desire,
Or else commaunde mee for to runne through Coales of flaming fire,
Or set my foote on Pindus frosen Rocks, it yrkes mee not.
Or if thou will me rashly runne thorow scorching fire hot,
Or rauening routes of saluage beastes I will not slowly rest,
With gory Launce of naked blade my bowels to vnbrest.
These Kingdomes left to mee in charge weild thou of them the sway,
And take mee as thy humble Mate, it fits mee to obay,
And thee to giue commaundement, it is no womans feate,
To claime her Title to the Crowne, to raigne in Parents seate.
Thou flourishing amid the pryde of lusty youthfull race
Supply a valiant Prynces roome with Fathers golden Mace,
Protect thy humble suppliant, defend thy lowly Maide
Embrast in mercies bosome, at thy Feete so meekely layde.
Take pitty on a siely Widdowes wo, and wretched plight.

HIP.
The God that raignes aloft, forbid such lucklesse lot to light.
My Father Theseus safe in health will straight returne againe.

PH.
The lowring Lord that deepe in strōg infernall Gaile doe raigne,
And damned vp alwayes to passe from Stygian Puddle glum,
Whereby to breathing bodies left alone the ground to cum,
Shall he let scape the Cloyner of his ioyes from spousall bed,
Unlesse that Plutos fancy fond by doting loue be led:

HIP.
The righteous Gods will make for him a right retourning way,
But while through feare our wauering wils in houering Ballāce sway,
Upon my brethren will I cast a due and earnest care,
And thee defend: beleue not that in Widdowes plight yee are:
And I my selfe will vnto the supply my Fathers place,

PH.
O Loue (alas) of credit light, O Loue of flickring Face,
Is this inought that hee hath sayd? entreatance will I try,
Deare chylde rue on my wretched woe, doe not my suite deny,
That lurcking close doth couch in secret mourning breast of mee,
Faine would I speake: yet loth I am.

HIP
What mischiefe may this bee?

P.
Such mischief as ye would not think, could light in Mothers minde.

H.
With mūbling voyce perplext yee waste your words against ye winde.

PH.
A vapor hoate, and Loue doe glow within my bedlem brest:
It raging ranke no inwarde iuyce vndried leaues in rest:
The fier sonk in skalded guts through euery vayne doth frie,
And smothering close in seething bloud as flashing flame doth flie,
With egar sweeping sway along vp burning beames on hie.

HIP.
Enamorde thus with Loue entiere of Theseus dost thou rage?

PH.
Euen so it is: the louely lookes of Theseus former age
Which hee a sweete welfauorde Boy did beare with comly grace,
When prety dapper cutted Beard on cleare complexionde Face
Gan sproute, on naked Chin, when hee the kennels clottred bloode
Beheld of mongrell Minotaur, and crooking Maze withstoode
By groping long vntwined thredes the beames of beawty bright
That shone then in his Face, his crispen lockes with labels dight,
Smooth stroked lay, his scarlet Cheekes by nature paincted bright
Pouldred with spots of golden glosse, and sharpe assaults of Loue
Preuayled in his fleshly armes: what grace doth shine aboue
In the Dianaes Face, or fiery crested Phœbus myne,
Or else in comely count'naunce of this louely face of thine,
Such Theseus had when Ariadnaes Eye he did delight:
Thus portly pacing did he beare his noble head vpright.
It is no counterfeyted glosse that shineth in thy Face,
In thee appeares thy manly Fathers sterne and lowring Grace.
Thy Mothers crabbed count'naunce eake resembled in some part
Puts in full well a seemelynesse, to please the Lookers hart.
The Scythian awfull Maiesty with Greekish fauour sweete
Appeares: if thou had with thy Syre attempt the Seas of Creete,
(One of those seauen from Athens sent elect by lucklesse lot
To pay such bloudy tribute, which King Minos of them got.
The rauening and bloudthirsty Minotaurus fowle to feede)
My Sister Ariadne would, for thee haue spunne the threede.
Therewith in crafty compast Maze to leade thee to and fro,
In vgly Laberynthus long returning from thy Fo.
Thee, thee O Sister deare whereso in all the Heauen thou are,
And shinest bright with blasing beames transform'de into a Starre,
I thee beseech come succour mee with like distresse now cloyde:
Alas vs siely Sisters twaine one kinred hath destroyde.
The Sire thy smart, the sonne hath brewd the bane that me doth lees.
Beholde an Impe of royall race layde humbly at thy Knees,
Yet neuer staynde, and vndefilde, an harmelesse innocent,
To thee alone of all the Worlde my crowching Knees are bent,
And for the nones my hawty heart, and Princely courage stout
I did abate, that humbly thee with teares entreate I mought.

HIP.
O soueraygne Sire of Gods, dost thou abide so long to heare
This vile abhomination? so long dost thou forbeare
To see this haynous villany? if now the Skies be cleare,
Wilt thou henceforth at any time with furious raging hand
Dart out thy cracking thunder dint, and dreadfull lightnings brand?
Now battred downe wt bouncing bolts the rumbling Skies let fall
That foggy Cloudes with dusky drouping day may couer all,
And force the backward starting starres to slide a slope wythall
Thou starry crested crowne and Titan prankt with beamy blase
Come out, with staring bush vpon thy kindreds guilt to gase.
Dash out and drowne thy leaming lampe eclisde in glummy Skyes,
To shrink in shimmering shape: why doth thy right hand not aryse
O guide of Gods and men? how haps the worlde yet doth not burne,
Enkindled with three forked brand? on me thy thunder turne,
Dash out on mee thy bobbing bolt, and let thy fiery flake
Whirlde out with force, burnt Cinders of my wasted Carcasse make:
For guilty (Ioue) I guilty am, deserued death I haue,
My Stepdames Fancy I haue fed: shall I most sinfull slaue,
Be worthy thought to blot my Fathers honorable Bed?
Canst thou for mischiefe such through mee alone be lightly sped?
O Caitiue thou of womankinde for guilt that beares the bell,
Whose enterprised hainous euill doth passingly excell,
Thy Monster breeding Mothers fault with whoredome shee alone
Defilde her selfe, when storming sighes with sorrow gan shee grone,
Through beastly lust of Bull: till it the Minotaurus sier
In act of generation, had quencht her foule desier:
And yet the time concealed long, the grim twishaped seede
At length bewrayd with Bullike browes, thy Mothers naughty deede,
The doubted Infant did disclose: that wicked wombe shee bare.
With thrise, yea, foure times blessed Fate of lyfe depriu'de yee are,
Whom swolne of waltring Seas haue sonck, me cankred hate of breath
Dispoyled hath, and traytrous traynes haue quelde by daunting death.
With Stepdames banes and sorcery O Father, Father myne,
I rue thy lot, not to be slayne of milder Stepdame thyne.
This mischiefe greater, greater farre the wickednesse doth passe
That by Medea despret Dame of Colchis practisde was.

PH.
And I doe know, what vncouth luck vpon our stock hath light,
The thing that we should shun, we seeke, it is not in my might
To rule my selfe: through burning fire runne after thee I shall,
Through raging Seas, & craggy Rocks, through fleeting Ryuers all,
Which boyling waters ruffling rayse, what way so goe thou will,
I bedlem Wight with frantick fits will follow, follow still.
O stately Lorde before thy feete yet fall I once agayne.

HIP.
Doe not with shamelesse fawning Pawes my spotlesse body staine.
What meaneth this? with hawsing mee t'imbrace she doth begin:
Draw, draw my sword, with stripes deseru'de Ile pay her on the skin:
Her hayre about my left hand wound, her head I bacward wride,
No bloud Diana better spent thine Aulter yet hath dyde.

PH.
Hippolytus, now dost thou graunt to mee mine owne desire,
Thou cooles my ramping rage, this is much more than I require,
That sauing thus mine honesty I may be geuen to death,
By bloudy stroake receiued of thy hand to loose my breath.

HIP.
Auaunt, auaunt, preserue thy lyfe, at my hand nothing craue,
This filed Sword that thou hast toucht no longer will I haue.
What bathing lukewarme Tanais may I defilde obtaine,
Whose clensing watry Channell pure may washe mee cleane againe?
Or what Meotis muddy meare, with rough Barbarian waue
That boardes on Pontus roring Sea? not Neptune graundsire graue
With all his Ocean foulding floud can purge and wash away
This dunghill foule of sinne: O woode, O saluage beast I say:

NVT.
Thy crime detected is: O soule, why droupes thou all agast?
Let vs appeach Hippolytus with fault vpon him cast:
And let vs lay vnto his charge, how he by might vniust
Deflowre would his Fathers Wyfe with mischiefe, mischiefe must
Concealed bee: the best it is, thy foe first to inuade,
Sith that the crime is yet vnknowne who can be witnesse made,
That either first wee enterprisde, or suffred of him then?
Come, come, in hast Athenians, O troupes of trusty men
Help, help, Hippolytus doth come, hee comes, that Uillaine vile,
That Rauisher, and Lecher foule, perforce woulde vs defile.
Hee threatens vs denouncing death, and glittering Blade doth shake,
At her who chastly doth withstand, and doth for terrour quake:
Lo headlong hence for life and death hee tooke him to his flight,
And leaues his Sword in running rash, with gastly feare afright:
A token of his enterprise detestable wee keepe,
Sirs chearish her, that storming sighes with pensiue breast doth weepe.
Her ruffled hayre, and shattred Locks still let them daggle downe,
This witnesse of his villany so beare into the Towne.
(O Lady mine be of good cheare. Plucke vp your sprights againe,)
Why dost thou tearing thus thy selfe abhorre all peoples sight?
Not blinde Mischaunce but fancy wont to make a shamelesse Wight.