 | The Tragedy of Orestes |  |
Scen. I.
Enter in state, Ægystheus: Clytemnestra: Tyndarus: Strophius: Electra: Nutrix: cum nouo partu:Ægyst.
Neuer but when a royall off-spring comes
From a Kings loynes, can hee be truly King,
Then doth he sit firme, rooted in his state,
Then is he truly man, and then the Gods
He knowes doe loue him, which when Kings doe want,
The curse of nature doth deny them fruit,
And brands their bed with loath'd sterility.
Tynd.
Ægystheus, since the Gods haue bless'd you so,
Haue care their blessings turne not to your woe.
Your ioy, my daughters ioy, and my ioy too,
Haue care it be preseru'd, and brought vp well:
And take heed, sonne, of Agamemnons blood,
Pierce not with enuy the Babes tender heart.
Ægyst.
Tush father, now not without griefe I speake
All brookes which from the Princely Ocean ranne,
Are quite dry'd vp, onely Electra here,
Our deare Electra, whose great weight of loue
Is in our ballance equally so poys'd,
That shee shall euer thinke her father liues,
Our heart shall be so parallell with hers.
El.
Yes, great Ægystheus, wer't but our mothers will,
What she thinkes good of, I must not thinke ill:
Besides, your loue e'r since my fathers death,
As if it came from his departing soule,
And forth-with had reuiu'd againe in you,
Hath held a prospectiu for me, to see
His care redoubled, though the obiect's chang'd,
And for I lost a brother, if you please,
Here doe I tie with all affections bands,
My selfe vnto this Babe, which is as deare
Vnto my soule, as were Orestes here.
Clyt.
Daughter, your heart now with obedience strung,
Makes a sweet musique sounding from your tongue.
Nurse, bring the Babe, giue it Electra, so,
You daughter shall haue ouersight of it.
Nutr.
O, shall I part from't then?
Clyt.
No, good Nurse, no,
Electra with her care, you with your paines.
Nutr.
Now by Lucina, had it gone away,
I should haue sit, and sob'd away my heart;
'Tis the sweetest Babe that euer Nurse did kisse.
Ægyst.
Looke here good father, looke my nobles here,
Vpon this Babe scarce crept yet out of earth,
For you shall grow an Autumn of ripe yeeres,
When time hath brought it to maturity,
Looke on thy Grandchilde, Tyndarus, see, 'tis thine,
This came from thee, old man, see how it smiles
Vpon the Grandsire, as if wise nature had
Taught him his kindreds names fore he came forth.
Tynd.
I see't Ægystheus, and my ag'd blood grows warme,
As if my selfe were a new father made,
And all the blessings I can render it,
Shal drop like golden showers on the head:
Me thinks it doth recall my sliding age,
And makes swift time retire backe againe:
It doth vnfold those wrincles in my face,
Which griefe and yeeres had fixed as their signes
Vpon my brow, and now it shall be seene,
Althoug my hayres are gray, my ioyes are greene.
Clyt.
Long may our father his opinion hold,
And you, our daughter, let not sinister thoughts
Wrong your suspicious minde, though this being young,
It makes our Lord, and me to speake our ioyes,
Yet our affection and our naturall loue,
Is not a whit to you diminished.
A mother can be mother vnto many,
And as from one roote hid within the ground,
Springs many flowers, that lends sap to all:
Which, though to many, they without doe flow,
Yet from one heart, one root, they all doe grow.
Elect.
I hope our gracious mother cannot thinke
We doe suspect her loue, witnesse this charge,
Which you haue bless'd my armes and soule withall,
And as your loue committed it with care,
My care shall still defend it with my loue.
Ægyst.
We thanke our daughter, come Lord Strophius, come,
Griefe still sits heauy on your sighing heart
Be frolike, learne of vs, in all the grace,
And pleasure our Court extends, you shall haue place.
Stroph.
I thanke my gracious Lord, time hath by this.
Almost eate out the memory of our sonne,
And since the heauens let fall their dew on you,
And watred Argos with such springing hopes,
I will not seeme a stocke, vncapable
Of such a generall comfort, but reuiue
My buried thoughts, and for my Souerignes sake,
Old Strophius will a young mans person take.
Ægyst.
We thanke old Strophius, and if honour can
Keepe thee still young, our Princely hand is wide,
And freely shall extend all graces on thee,
And you all our subiects, which beare part
Thus in our ioy; and here I doe proclaime,
And personally from my owne mouth pronounce,
Sealing it with the signet of my State,
A generall immunity to all
Murders, rapes, treasons, thefts, conueyances,
Which haue beene from the birth of our deare childe,
In all the confines of our Empire done;
Nor shall your licence date be quite expired,
Till the slow yeere seuen times runnes out his course
Our selfe thus speake it; vntill then all's free,
Kings win their subiects by immunity.
Exeunt omnes.
Manet Strophius, & Electra.
Stroph.
Electra, you are happy in your charge.
Electr.
Yes, Vncle, and you happy in my fauour.
Nur.
Madam, shal I stay here vntil you come?
comes back.
Yes, Nurse, sit downe and sing, looke to the Babe,
I'll onely with my Vncle change a word.
Nurse
sings.
Lullaby, lullaby Baby,
Great Argos ioy,
The King of Greece thou art borne to be,
In despight of Troy.
Rest euer wait vpon thy head,
Sleepe close thine eyes,
The blessed guard tend on thy bed
Of Deities.
O, how this brow will be seeme a crowne!
How these lockes will shine!
Like the raies of the Sun on the ground,
These lockes of thine.
The Nurse of heauen still send thee milk,
Maist thou suck a Queene.
Thy drinke Ioues Nectar and cloaths of silke,
A God mayst thou seeme.
Cupid sit on this Rosean cheeke,
On these rubie lips
May thy minde like a Lambe be meeke,
In the vales which trips,
Lullaby, Lullaby Baby, &c.
Elect.
You neuer heard from my brother, Vncle,
Nor from your sonne, they haue beene long away?
Stroph.
In troth, Electra, I am in despaire,
Almost of euer seeing them againe;
Sure if Orestes liue, and euer heare,
Vnto what passe Ægystheus brings his state,
Seated him in the throne of his mothers bed,
And like to leaue Argos hereditary
To his posterity, it cannot e'r be borne,
Orestes spirit will endure no scorne.
Elect.
Vncle, his long delayes make mee surmise,
Or he will neuer come, or come with prize;
Hee, if now come, hee must not shew himselfe,
But liue vnknowne, vnnam'd, or change his name.
Str.
His name, Electra, yes, and's nature too,
But if we hear not from them now e're long,
I'll listen by some meanes about the land,
To heare of them; meane time you to your charge,
Officious duty must our liues enlarge.
Elect.
Come Nurse.
Exeunt.
| The Tragedy of Orestes | |