University of Virginia Library

Actus Quartus.

Æphytus, Creon, Dircus, Antigone, Argia.
Æph.
Prince Polynices body is enterr'd
By these two Ladyes, whom I apprehende
Iust as the deede was done; nor did themselues
Deny the fact.

Cre.
One I suspected still,
And I am glad I haue her, what's the other?

Arg.
The wofull widow of that wronged Prince
Who stay'd behinde my countreymen, to doe
Those rites, which loue, and piety requir'd
To my dead Lord; if that be iudg'd a crime
Tis such a crime as I professe, and boast.

Cre.
Are you Adrastus daughter then?

Arg.
The same.

Cre.
You are our prisoner now, take her, Ianthus,
Into your custody this falls out fittly,
The ransome of this Princesse will come well
To fill our now-exhausted treasury.
But thou a Theban borne, bound to obey
Our crowne and lawes, what fury moou'd thy breast
(Disloyall maide) to scorne our edict so?

Anti.
No other fury then the loue of vertue,
And reuerence of the gods, moou'd me to this.
Which wer't to doe againe, not all the power
Of hell, and tyrants should affright me from it.

Cre.
Has guilt embolden'd thee? is this th'excuse
Thou mak'st to me?

Ant.
Creon, Let impious acts
Seeke for excuses; I nor can, nor will
So wronge the cause of heauen and piety,
As once to pleade a fond excuse for that,
Which is my merit, for that act I say
Which by direction from the gods themselues
I haue perform'd.

Cre.
Is disobedience merit?
Or do the gods command subiects to breake
The lawes of Princes?

Ant.
Yes, their wicked lawes,
Which thwart the will of heauen, the rule of nature,
And those pure principles, which human breasts
Did at their first originall deriue
From that Celestiall essence: Such a law
Was this which I haue broke, in giuinge rites
Of funerall to Polynices hearse,
My dearest brother, this disobedience
Thy seruants (durst they speake) would iustifie;
But forreine nations, and all future times
In spite of tirants threatnings shall commend
What I haue done, and though I dy for this
Vniustly now, yet the infernall iudges,
Whose sentence no mortality can scape,
But must to all eternity sustaine,
Shall from their iust vnpartiall vrnes bestow
Endlesse rewards beyond my sufferings farre.

Cre.
To those infernall iudges shalt thou goe,
And thanke my charitable doome, that sends
Thy soule to such great happinesse, if thou
Esteeme it happinesse, and doe not feare
What thou wouldst seeme to wish.

Anti.
No, tyrant, no;
Death cannot proue a punishment to me,
Whose life was nought but sorrow; free'd from this
Vnhappy world, in t'other I shall come
Most wish'd, and welcome to my fathers sight,
And that deare brother, for whose sake I dy.

Creo.
Thou shalt be banish'd from the light of day,
Nor then shalt thou immediately haue power
To see that other world thou so desir'st.
Ianthus, till our farther pleasur's knowne
Guard safe Argiaes person; Aephytus;
See present execution done vpon
Antigone; without the city walls
There is a new digg'd tombe, where neuer yet
Lay any funerall; in that enclose
Antigone aliue, and barre it fast
As thou entend'st to liue, there let her pray
To those infernall gods shee so adores,
To keep her there, or take her quickly thence.
Exit Cre.

Dir.
Oh black accursed doome; oh my sad fate,
That must report this newes to noble Aemon,
And with that breath destroy the best of men.
Exit Dir.

Argi.
Furyes haue left their darke abodes, to dwell
In human shapes on earth; there could not else
Liue such a monster, one so opposite
To heauen and goodnesse, as curs'd Creon is.
Ah dearest, dearest sister, did the fates
Differre so long our wisht acquaintance heere
To make vs meete so wretchedly at last?

Anti.
Weepe not deare sister; your calamity
Adds to my sufferings more: why were not all
The miseries of Cadmus wofull house
Confin'd within our selues, and bounded here
In fatall Thebes? why spread they so, to make
The best of soules partaker? happy else,
And safe for euer had your vertue liu'd
Admir'd in wealthy Argos, had you nere
Nere knowne the sad affinity of Thebes.

Arg.
Why did the tyrant thus diuide our sufferings?
The tombe, where thou art clos'd, had beene to me
More pleasing then a palace.

Anti.
Heauen forefend;
May the iust gods hereafter recompence
Argiaes vertue with a happyer loue
Then Polynices was, and happier friends
Then Thebes can giue, doe not lament for me,
Nor feare the torments of my lingring death.
I am prouided of a remedy
That shall delude the cruelty of Creon.
Farewell my dearest Æmon, whose lou'd presence
More then the sight of day afflicts my soule
To loose so soone, farewell where ere thou art,
Till in the other world we meete againe.

Exeunt.
Æmon.
Æem.
Enter Dircus

Dir.
Not dead, my Lord,
But lines among the dead.

Æm.
How man? Expound
This Ænigmatike sorrow.

Dir.
In a tombe,
Where neuer more she shall behold the day
Nor Phœbus splendour, by the Kings command,
Is faire Antigone enclos'd aliue—
To famish there and dy.

Æm.
Enough, enough.
Shut vp aliue to starue, oh horrid doome!
As if that death alone, though nere so gentle,
Had not beene punishment enough for her
For such a cause as that; but yet this sentence
Giues respite to her death, and leaues a way
To our preuention; I must spend no time
In thinking now; all action is requir'd.
Thus it must be; be speedy faithfull friend,
Runne to my mother, and with all the vowes,
And vehement protestations that thou can'st
From me assure her, if Antigone
Be not releast in time, it shall not ly
In all the power of earth to saue my life.
Her loue I feare not, though my father now
Haue cast his frowne vpon me, to this place
Returne againe with all thy speed, whilest I
Deuise some other meanes if that should faile.

Dir.
Feare not my care, my Lord, but let me craue
(By your owne worth I begge it, and that fauour
Which you were euer pleased to reflect
On my poore seruices) till I returne,
Attempt no other course, I will be speedy,
And if perswasions of the queene doe faile;
Wee'll finde a way to saue the princesse life,
But tis a desperate way, and must be vs'd
The last of all.

Æm.
Oh comfortable Dircus,
Do but assure me that, and I shall owe
More then my life, and all my fortunes to thee
Vpon mine honour, Ile not stirre from hence
Till thou returne, nor stay thee now t'enquire
More of the plot.

Dir.
I will out-fly the winde.

Exit.
Æm.
Clos'd vp aliue within a tombe to starue!
Oh horrid cruelty, I would I could
Forget whose crime it were, that my free hate
Might not be check'd by duty to a father.
Should I approue his action, 'twere a sinne
So great 'gainst vertue, as no time could pardon;
Should I condemne it, I must then abhorre
Th'offendor, and that piety forbidds,
Oh why should piety, and vertue striue?
That piety, which I so much admir'd
In faire Antigone, my selfe transgresse
In louing her crosse to my fathers will.
Yet in obeying him I must approoue
Her piety, or else condemne mine owne.
What thoughts will reigne in this diuided brest.
Till Dircus doe returne? but courage heart,
More strong is he, that can his doubts deferre
Then he that knowne calamities does beare.

Exit.
Chorus of old men.
1.
Oh smooth thy frowne at last, great queene of heauen,
Let not vnhappy Thebes for euer feele
The dire effects of thy too mindefull wrath:
What could the wretched Semeles offence,
Or poore Alcmenas errour more deserue,
Then they themselues haue suffer'd from thy hand?
Or if succeeding branches needes must bleede
For parents faults, before a goddesse wrath
Can be appeas'd, could not Actæons wounds
Athamas maddnesse, Inoes wofull death,
Nor pitti'd Oedipus his fall suffice?

2.
Could not the actions of great Hercules,
Nor Bacchus glorious deedes, which all mankinde
For euer shall renowne, weigh downe the crimes
Of their vnhappy mothers, and such crimes,
As only Ioues resistlesse power could force?

3.
A fiercer warre by farre now threatens Thebes
Then that which old Adrastus with the aide
Of all his rash confederates could make.
The mighty Theseus, whose all-conquering hand
No Kingdome yet with safety could withstand,
Arm'd with a cause, in which the prayers and wish
Of nations ioyne, is marching towards vs.

1.
In vaine, alas, did we expect an end
Of this dire warre, when both the princes dy'd,
When th'Argiues fled, must our owne victory
Become our griefe? and draw vpon vs now
A greater ruine then our foile had done?

2.
It must, it must, since Creons cruelty,
Most vnexpected, barbarous cruelty
Will haue it so, oh friend, I could belieue,
Were not the noble Aemon-Creons sonne,
And heire apparent to our Diadem,
We had beene happyer farre t'haue beene subdu'd
Then brought by victory to such obedience.

3.
True friend; there's all out trust, the gods in nought
But that braue Princes life, haue left vs hope
Of any future fauour to redresse
The miseries, which we so long haue felt.
But for this imminent, nay present danger
What were we best to doe?

1.
Aduise the King
Rather to change his purpose, then expose
His weakened Kingdome to great Theseus fury.
Though he should prooue neuer so obstinate:
Better that any one for good aduice
Should suffer from his fury, then the land
In generall should smart.

2.
You counsell well,
But who should be the man?

3.
There's none so fit
As old Tiresias, that most holy man,
Taught from the gods aboue, whose words by all
Our Theban Princes haue beene long esteem'd
As oracles, him Creon will obey.

1.
Then thither let vs, and with him aduise
How to redresse our present miseries.