University of Virginia Library

Scæna. 1.

Before this Act Megæra riseth out of hell, with the other Furies, Alecto and Tysyphone, dauncing an hellish round: which done she saith.
Sisters be gone, bequeath the rest to me,
That yet belongs vnto this Tragædie.
The two Furies depart down.
Vengeance and death from foorth the deepest hell
I bring the cursed house where Gismund dwels.
Sent from the grislie god that holds his raigne
In Tartars vglie Realm, where Pelops sire
(Who with his own sonnes flesh whom he had slain
Did feast the Gods) with famin hath his hire.
To gape and catch at flying fruites in vaine,
And yeelding waters to his gasping throte,
Where stormie Æoles sonne with endlesse paine
Rowles vp the rock: where Titius hath his lot
To feede the Gripe that gnawes his growing heart.
Where proud Ixion wherled on the wheele,
Pursues himselfe: where due deserued smart
The damned Ghosts in burning flame do feele,
From thence I mount: thither the winged God,
Nephew to Atlas, that vpholds the skie,
Of late downe from the earth, with golden rod,
To Stigian Firrie, Salerne soules did guide,
And made report, how Loue that lordly boy,
Highly disdaining his renownes decay,
Slipt downe from heauen, haue fild with fickle ioy,
Gismunds heart, and made her throw awaie
Chastnes of life, to her immortall shame,
Minding to shew by proofe of her foule end,
Some terror vnto those that scorne his name.
Blacke Pluto (that once found Cupid his friend
In winning Ceres daughter Queene of hels)
And Parthie moued by the grieued Ghost
Of her late husband, that in Tartar dwels,
Who praid due paines for her, that thus hath lost
All care of him, and of her chastitie,
The Senate then of hell by graue aduice
Of Minos, Æac, and of Radamant,
Commands me draw this hatefull aire, and rise
Aboue the earth, with dole and death to dant
The pride and present ioyes, wherewith these two
Feed their disdained hartes, which now to do
Behold I come, with instruments of death.
This stinging snake which is of hate and wrath,
Ile fixe vpon her fathers heart full fast,
And into hers, this other will I cast,
Whose rankling venome shall infect them so
With enuious wrath, and with recurelesse wo
Each shall be others plague and ouerthrow.
“Furies must aide when men surcease to know
“Their gods: and hel sends foorth reuenging paine
‘On those whom shame from sin cannot restraine.

Megæra entreth into the pallace, and meeteth with Tancred comming out of Gismunds chamber with Renuchio and Iulia, vpon whom she throweth her Snake.