University of Virginia Library

Creon. Medea.
ME.
My soueraygne liege, what greater crime haue I or lesse offence
Commit against thy maiesty, to be exiled hence?

CR.
Alas, the guiltlesse woman doth demaunde a reason why:

ME.
If thou be Iudge indifferent, ordaynde my cause to try,
Consider then my doubtfull case, and wey the ground of it:
If thou be king, cōmaund a Iudge for such a matter fit.

CR.
The princes powre thou shalt obey, b'it eyther right or wrong.

M.
The prosperous pryde of wronging crownes cannot endeuer long.

CR.
Auaunt, & yell out thy complaynts at Colchis, get thee hence.

ME.
Full gladly will I get mee home, if he that brought me thence,
Uouchsafe to beare me back agayne.

CR.
Alas, to late aryse
Entreating wordes, when as decree is taken otherwise.

ME.
He that not hearing eyther part, pronounceth his decree,
Unrighteous man accoumpted is, though ryght his sentence bee.

CR.
Whyle Pelias trusted to thy talke, from lyfe to death hee fell.
Go to, begyn, we gyue you leaue your goodly tale to tell.

ME.
That type of Regall maiesty, that erst by Fortunes hand,
Aduaunced to I dyd attayne, hath taught mee vnderstand,
How hard a thing it is of wrath the rygour to asswage,
When burning heate of boyling breast in flames begins to rage.
Eke for th'aduaūcement of their power more to display in sight
Theyr kingly corage bolstred out with maiesty of might.
They deeme it doth import asway, and hath a greater grace,
Whome stately scepter causde to climbe aloft to prouder place.
To perseuer with fansye fonde, in that to reasons spyght,
Whose greedy choyce attaynted fyrst his minde with vayne delight.
For though in piteous plyght I lye, throwne downe to great decay.
With heauy hap, and ruthfull chaunce, to myserable stay,
Thus hunted out from place to place, forsoke and left alone,
A wyddow while my husband liue, with cause to wayle and mone,
Perplext in maze of misery, wyth cloying cares so ryfe,
Yet whylom I in golden trone haue led in happy lyfe.
By high and noble parentage my bryght renowne doth shyne.
From Phœbus eake my Graundsire great deryued is my ligne.
Whear syluer streamed Phasis flood his wasshing waues doth shed,
Or with contrary croking wayes his bathing channell spred,
What euer wandring coast stretcht out is left aloofe behynde,
From whence the roaming Scithyan Sea his channell forth doth fynde,
Where as Mæotis fenny plashe with pure fresh water sprynges,
Doth season sweete the briny Sea, that tyde in thyther brynges.
Eke all the coastes enuyroned and kept within the bankes
Of Thermodon, where warlike troupes, & armed wyddowes ranckes,
With paynted bucklers on their armes holde all the land in feare,
With rigour rough of threatning sword, with force of denting speare.
So farre to all these wandring coastes and countreyes round about,
My Fathers ample regiment at large is stretched out.
I being thus of noble Race, and in an happy plight,
With glorious glosse of pryncely pomp in honour shining bright,
Then pearelesse Peares my Spousall bed did seeke and sue to haue,
But those to be theyr louing Feeres, now other Ladyes craue:
Rashe, ticle, peuish, vndiscreete, and wauering Fortunes wheele,
Hath cast me out, the crusshing cares of banishment to feele.
In Scepter proude and hauty Crowne fix thine affyaunce fast.
Sith vpsidowne with welkin wheele, whole mounts of wealth is cast.
This Prynces doe possesse, that should theyr royalty display,
Whose fame shall neuer razed be, with storme of lowring day,
To succour those whom misery in pit of paynes doth souse,
To shield and harber suppliaunts in roofe of loyall house.
This onely brought I from my Realme, the precious golden Fleece,
That Iewell chiefe, and eke the flower of Chyualry in Greece,
The sturdy prop, the Rampier strong the bulwarke of your wealth,
And Hercules the boystrous Imp of Ioue Ikept in health.
It was by meanes of my good will that Orpheus did escape,
Whose harmony the liuelesse Rocks with such delight did rape,
That forced euen the clottred lumpes with hobling prickt to praunce,
And eke the iocond nodding woods with footing fine to daunce.
And that those heauenly twins Castor, and Pollux did not dy,
My dew desart is doubled twise, sith them preserued I.
Of Boreas blustring out with puffed Cheekes, his blasting Breath,
His wynged Sons I kept aliue both Calais, and Zeath.
And Linceus, that with pearcing beames, and sharper sight of Eye,
Could Nauies on the farther banke of Sicill shore espy.
And all the Mynians that did come the golden Fleece to win.
As for the Prince of Princes all, I will not bring him in.
With silence Iason will I passe, for whom though him I saue,
Yet is not Greece in debt to mee, no recompence I craue.
To no man him I doe impute, the rest I brought agayne
For your auayle, that you thereby some profit might attayne.
But onely on my Iason deare, him for my owne loues sake
I kept in store, that hee of mee his wedded Wyfe should make.
None other fault (God wot) yee haue to charge mee with but this,
That Argo Ship by meanes of mee returned saufely is.
If I a shamefast mayde had not with Cupids bayte bene caught,
If more my Fathers health to haue then Iasons I had sought,
Pelasga land had bene vndone, and falne to great decay,
The lusty valiaunt Capitaynes, had cleane bene cast away:
And ioly Iason fyrst of all this now thy sonne in lawe,
The Buls had rent his swalowed lims in fiery chomping iawe.
Let Fortune fight agaynst my case as list her eluish will,
Yet neuer shall it grieue my heart, repent my deede I nill,
That I should for so many kings their reling honour saue,
The guerden due that I for this my crime commit must haue,
It lyeth Creon in thy hande, if thus it lyketh thee,
Condemne my guilty ghost lo death, but render fyrst to mee,
My fault that forced me offend, then Creon graunt I this,
Receauing Iason (cause of cryme) I guilty did amisse.
Thou knowst that I was such an one when couring low I lay,
Before thy feete in humble wise and did entreating pray,
Thy gracious goodnes mee to graunt some succour at thy hande.
For me a wreatch and wreatched Babes I aske within this lande
Some cotage base, in outcast hole, some couching corner vile,
If from the towne thou driue vs out to wander in exile,
Then some by place aloofe within this realme let vs obtayne.

CR.
How I am none that tyrant like with churlish Scepter raygne,
Nor proudly or disdaynfully, with hawty corage hie,
With vaūting foote doe stamp them downe that vndertroden lye,
And daunted are in carefull bale, thys playnly doth disclose,
In that to mee of late I such a sonne in lawe haue chose,
Who was a wandring pilgrim poore, with sore afflictions fraight,
Dismayde with terrour of his foe, that lay for him in wayght.
Because Acastus hauing got the crowne of Thessail lande,
Requyreth in thy guilty bloude to bath his wreackfull hande.
He doth bewayle that good olde man his feeble father slayne,
Whom waight of yeres with bowing back to stoupe alow constrayne
The godly mynded systers, all yblinde with misty vale
And cloking colour of thy craft durst ventrusly assayle.
That mount of myschiefe marueylous, to mangle heaw, and cut
Theyr Fathers dere vnioynted limmes in boyling Caldron put.
But for thy open guiltinesse if thou can purge the same,
Strayght Iason can discharge him selfe from blot of guilty blame.
His gentle handes were neuer staynde with goare of any bloude.
Aloofe from your conspyracie refrayning farre hee stoode.
His harmelesse handes put not in vre with goary tooles to mell.
But thou that setst on fyre fyrst these mighty mischiefes fell,
Whom shamelesse womans wily braine and manly stomack slout
Doe set a Gog, for to attempt to bring all us about.
And no regarde at all thou hast, how sounding trumpe of fame
With ringing blast of good or ill doe blowe abrode thy name:
Get out and clense my fyled realme, away together beare
Thyne hearbes vnmilde of sorcery, my Lyeges ryd fro feare.
Transporte thee to some other lande, whereas thou may at ease
With odious noyse of diuelish charme, the troubled Gods disease.

ME.
If needes thou wylt haue me auoyde, my shyp to mee restore,
Or els my mate with whom I fyrst aryued on this shore:
Why dost thou bid that by my selfe I onely should be gone?
I came not heather at fyrst wythout my company alone.
If this do thee aggryefe, that brunt of warres thou shalt sustayne,
Commaund vs both the cause thereof to shun thy realme agayne:
Sith both are guilty of one art, why dost thou part vs twayne?
For Iasons sake not for myne owne, poore Pelias was slayne.
Annex vnto my traytrous flight the conquerde booty braue,
My hoary headded naturall sler, whom I forsaken haue,
With brothers bloudy flesh that mangled was with caruing knife,
Or ought of Iasons forged lies he gabbes vnto his wyfe.
These dreary deedes are none of myne, so oft as I offend,
Not for myne owne cōmodity, to come thereby inthende.

CR.
Time is expierd, by which thou ought to haue bene gone away,
Wyth keeping such a chat, why dost thou make so long delay?

ME.
Yet of thy bounty ere I goe, this one boone will I craue.
Although the mother banished, so sore offended haue,
Let not the vengeaunce of my fault through wrathfull deadly hate,
Myne innocent and guiltlesse Babes torment in wreached state.

CR.
Away: with louing friendly grype thy children I embrace,
And as a father naturall take pity on theyr case.

ME.
Euen for the prosperous good encreace of fertill spousall bed,
Of Glauce bright thy Daughter deare, whom Iason late hath wed.
And by the hope of fruictfull seede, whose flowre in time shall bloome.
By th'onour of thy glystring crowne, ythralde to fortunes doome,
Whych shee so full of chop and chaunge, with ticle turning wheele
Whirls vp and downe, in staggring state makes to and fro to reele.
I thee beseech, sith to exile I am departing now
O Creon but a little pawse for mercy mee alow,
Whyle of my mourning brats with kysse, my last farewell I take.
Whyle gaspe of fayling breath perhap my shyuering lyms forsake.

CR.
With craft entending some deceipt thou crauest this delay.

ME.
What falshode for so little time be cause of terrour may?

CR.
No tot of time is short ynough displeasure to preuent.

ME.
Can not one iot to weeping Eyes, and trylling teares be lent?

CR.
Although agaynst thy ernest suite vnlucky dread do stryue,
One day to settle thee away, content I am to gyue.

ME.
This is to much, and of the same somwhat abrydge yee may.

CR.
Make speede apace if from our land thou get thee not away,
Ere Phœbus horse with golden gleede theyr streaming beames doe shed,
Of dawning lampe, thou art condemde to leese thy wretched hed.
The holy day, and brydall both doe call me hence away:
And wils mee at the sacred aare of Hymeneus to pray.