The order of the laste dumbe
shevve.
First
the Stillpipes sounded a very mournfull
melodye, in which time came vpon the Stage
a womā clothed in a white garment, on hir head
a piller, double faced, the formost face fayre & smiling,
the other behinde blacke & louring, muffled
with a white laune about hir eyes, hir lap full of
Iewelles, sitting in a charyot, hir legges naked,
hir fete set vpō a great round ball, & beyng drawē
in by .iiij. noble personages, she ledde in a string on
hir right hande .ij. kings crowned, and in hir lefte
hand .ij. poore slaues very meanely attyred. After
she was drawen about the stage, she stayed a lyttle,
changing the kings vnto the left hande & the
slaues vnto the right hande, taking the crownes
from the kings heads she crowned therwith the
ij. slaues, & casting the vyle clothes of the slaues
vppon the kings, she despoyled the kings of their
robes, and therwith aparelled the slaues. This
done, she was drawen eftsones about the stage in
this order, and then departed, leauing vnto vs
a plaine Type or figure of vnstable fortune, who
dothe oftentimes raise to heigthe of dignitie the
vile and vnnoble, and in like manner throweth
downe frō the place of promotiō, euen those whō
before she hir selfe had thither aduaunced: after
hir departure came in Duke
Creon with foure
gentlemen wayting vpon him, and lamented the
death of
Meneceus his sonne in this maner.
