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 | Hippolytus, Medea, Agamemnon, Herculas Oetaeus |  |
Iason. Medea.
I packing, packing, Iason am: this still to chop, and chaunge
The fleeting soyle of my abode, to mee it is not straunge.
The cause of my departure yet (to me is straung) and new.
I wonted was in followinge thee all places to eschew:
I will depart, and get me hence, to whom for helping hande
Entendest thou to sende vs forth, whom hence to fly the land
Thou dost compell with thine alies? shall I repayre agayne
To Phasis flood, to Colchis Isle, or to my fathers raygne?
Or goary sweeting fieldes, that with my brothers blood do reeke?
What harbring lands aloofe dost thou commaund vs out to seeke?
What seas appoint yee me to passe? shall I my iourney dryue,
Uppon the parlous hatefull iawes of Pontus to arriue,
By which I did saufe conduct home kings valiaunt armies great,
Where rearing rocks with thundring noise the flapping waues do beate
Or on the narrow wrackfull shore, of Simplegades twayne?
Or els to small Hiolcos towne can I retourne agayne?
Or toyle, the gladsome pleasaunt lands of Tempe to attayne?
All places that I opened haue vnto thy passage free,
I shut them vp agaynst my selfe, now whether sendste thou mee?
A banisht wretch to banishment thou wouldest haue encline,
Yet to the place of her exyle, thou canst not her assygne,
Yet for all that without delay I must depart and go:
And why? forsoth the king his sonne in law commaundeth so.
Well: nothing will I stand against, with grypes of passing payne
Let me be scourgde, of my desarts such is the gotten gayne.
Let Creon in his pryncely ruffe lay to his heauy handes,
To whyp an whore in torments sharp, with iron giues, and bandes
Let her be chaynd, in hydeous hole of night for aye her locke:
Let her be cloyed with pestring payse of restlesse rowling rocke.
Yet lesse than I deserued haue, in all this shall I finde:
O thou vncurteous Gentleman, consider in thy mynde
The flamy puffes, and firy gaspes of gastly gaping bull,
And Ætas catell rych with Fleece of gorgeous golden wooll,
That went to graze amid so great and mighty feares in fielde,
Of vncontrouled Natton, whose soyle doth armies yeelde.
Reuoke to minde the deadly dartes of sodayne starting foe,
When gastly warriour (Tellus broode) to ground agayne did goe,
Through slaughter red of mutuall launce, to this yet further passe,
The lurched Fleece of Phrixes Ramme, that all thine errand was.
And vgsome Argos slumberlesse, whom fast I causde to keepe
His wery watching winking eyes with vnaquaynted sleepe.
My brother eke, whose fatall twist of feeble lyfe I shred,
And guilt that wrought so many guiltes when as with thee I fled.
The daughters whom I set on worke entrapt in wily trayne,
To slay theyr sire, that shall not ryse to quickned lyfe agayne.
And how to trauell other realmes, I set myne owne at nought.
By that good hope which of thy seede conceaued is in thought,
Eake by thy stable Mansion place, and mighty monsters, that
Downe beaten for thy health, I causde before thy feete to squat,
And by these drudging hands of myne vnspared for thy sake,
For dread of daungers ouer past that caused thee to quake,
By heauens aboue, and seas belowe, that witnesse bearers bee,
To knitting of out maryage vp, thy mercy vayle to mee.
Of all the heapes of treasure great so farre of being set,
Which Ætas sauage Scythians dyd trauell for to get,
From Ind, where Phœbus scorching blase doth dye the people blacke.
Of all this golde which in our bowers wee coulde not well compacke.
But tricke and trym wee garnished our groues with golde so gay,
I vanisht wretch of all this stuffe gat nought with mee away,
Except my brothers slaughtred flesh, yet I employed the same
On thee: the cares of countreyes health, my honesty and shame.
My Father, and my brother both hath yeelded place to thee,
This is the dowry that thou had my wedded spouse to bee.
To her whom thou dost abrogate restore her goods agayne.
IA.
When Creon in malicious moode had thought thee to haue slayne,
Entreated with my teares, exyle and life he gaue to thee.
ME.
I tooke it for a punishment, but surely as I see
This banishment is now become a friendly good rewarde.
IA.
While thou hast time to goe, be gone, for most seueare, and harde
The kings displeasure euer is.
M.
Thus wouldst thou dodge mee out?
Thy hated trull cast of thou dost, that please Creuse thou mought.
IA.
Dost thou Medea vpbrayde mee with the breach vnkynde of loue?
ME.
And slaughter vyle, with trechery, whereto thou didst mee moue.
IA.
When all is done what canst thou say my guiltines to slayne?
ME.
Euen whatsoeuer I haue done.
IA.
Yet more this doth remayne:
That thy vngracious wickednes of harme should mee accuse.
ME.
Thine, thine, they are, they are all thine what euer I did vse,
Who that of lewdnesse reapes the fruict, is grafter of the same.
Let euery one with infamy thy wretched Spouse defame,
Yet doe thou onely take her part, her onely doe thou call
A iust and vndefiled wight, without offence at all.
If any man shall for thy sake polute his hand with ill,
To thee let him an innocent yet be accompted still,
IA.
The life is lothsome that doth worke his shame who hath it chose.
ME.
The life whose choyse doth worke thy shame thou ought againe to lose.
IA.
Let reason rule thy eger mynde so vext with crabbed ire,
And for thy tender childrens ease to bee at rest requyre.
ME.
I doe defy it, wholy I detest it, I forsweare,
That bretheren bred vnto my barnes Creusas wombe shall beare.
IA.
It will be trim, when as a Queene of maiesty and myght
Hath issue, kinne vnto the seede of thee a banisht wight.
ME.
So cursed day shall neuer on my wretched children shine,
To mingle base borne basterdes with the bloud of noble Lygne.
Shall Phœbus stocke (that beares the lamp of heauen in starry throne)
Be macht with drudging Sisiphus that roules in hell the stone?
IA.
What meanest thou wretch, both thee & mee in banishment to yoke?
I pray then hence.
ME.
When humbly I my mynde to Creon broke,
Hee gaue an eare vnto my suite.
IA.
What lyeth in my myght
To doe for thee?
ME.
If no good turne, then doe thy worst dispyght.
IA.
On this side with his swerd in hand king Creon doth mee scarre:
On other part with armed hoast Acast doth mee detarre.
ME.
Medea eke to coape with these, that more apaull vs may:
Go to, to skyrmishe let vs fall, let Iason be the pray:
IA.
I yeelde whom sore aduersities haue tyerd with heauy sway.
Learne thou to dred thy luclesse lot that ofte doth thee assay.
ME.
I euermore haue rulde the swinge of fortunes wauering will.
IA.
Achastus is at hand, and nygh is Creon thee to spyll:
ME.
Take thou thy heeles to scape them both, I doe not thee aduise,
That thou agaynst thy father in lawe in traytrous armes should ryse.
Nor in Achast thy cosens bloud thy wounding handes to gore,
The vowes vnto Medea made, doe trouble thee so sore.
Whyle yet thou hast not spilt there bloud, yet fly with mee away.
IA.
When armies twayne their banners of defiance shall display,
And marching forth in fielde to fyght seeke battayle at my hande,
Who then for vs encounter shall their puissaunce to withstand?
ME.
If Creon and Achastus king encampe together shall
Admit that these in one with them should ioyne their powers all
My Countreymen of Colchis Ile, and Ætas lusty kyng,
Suppose the Scythians ioyne with Greekes, to ground I will thē bring,
Cleane put to foile.
IA.
The puissaunt power of hawty mace I feare.
ME.
Take heede, least more thou do affect the same, then for to cleare,
Thy selfe of Creons seruile yoke.
IA.
Least some suspicion grow,
Of this our tatling long here let vs make an ende and goe.
ME.
Now Ioue hurle out thy flames & force thy thundring bolts to fly,
With fiery drakes bright brandishing disparst in burning sky:
Strayne forth thy dreadfull threatning arme, dispose in due aray
The tossing dint of lightning flashe, that wrecke our quarrell may.
With rumbling cracke of renting cloud cause all the world to quake,
And leuell not thy houering hand to stryke with firy flake
Uppon my pasht and crushed corpes, or Iasons Carcasse slayne:
For whether of vs thou smight to death his due rewarde shall gayne,
Thy thumps of thwacking boltes on vs amisse they cannot light.
IA.
Fy, let thy mynde on matters runne that seeme a modest wight.
And vse to haue more cheerefull talke, if any thing thou craue,
Within my fathers house to ease thy flyght, thou shalt it haue.
ME.
Thou knowst my minde both can, & eke is wont, to doe no lesse,
Then to contemne the brittell wealth that Prynces doe possesse.
This, this shalbe the onely boone that at thy hande I craue,
As mates with me in banishment, my children let mee haue,
That resting on theyr sighing breastes my carefull mourning hed,
I may my chrystall teary streames into theyr bosomes shed.
But as for thee, new gotten sonnes of wife new wed doe stay.
IA.
I graunt that vnto thy request I wishe I might obey:
But nature mee with pity pryckes, that needes I must deny.
For though both Creon and Achast, in torments force mee lye,
I could not yeelde vnto theyr willes: on this my lyfe doth rest:
In times of teares, this is the ioy of dull afflicted brest
For better farre I can abyde the wante of vitall breath,
And succour of my lymmes, or loose, the light of worlde by death.
ME.
What loue vnto his seely Babes is deeply graft in him?
This worketh well I haue him tript, loe now there lyeth brim.
An open place whereby receaue a venny soone hee may.
Let mee or I departe, vnto my seely children say.
These lessons of my last adewe, and graunt to mee the space,
With tender grype of colling last theyr louing limmes t'embrace:
This wilbe comforte to my heart: yet at the latter woorde
I aske no more but onely that you shoulde mee this afoorde.
If eger anguish cause my tongue to cast out woords vnkinde,
Let all thing fly, let nothing be engraued in your minde
But let remembraunce otherwhyle of mee to touch your thought,
Let other thinges be wypte away that byle of wrath hath wrought.
IA.
I haue forgotten euery whit God graunt thou may of shake,
These surging qualmes of frounced minde & milder mayste it make:
For quietnesse doth worke theyr ease that dented are with woe:
ME.
What is he slily slypt and gon? falles out the matter so?
O Iason dost thou sneake away, not hauing minde of mee,
Nor of those former great good turnes that I haue done for thee?
With thee now am I cleane forgot: but I will bryng about
That from thy carefull sighing minde shall not bee banisht out:
Apply to bring this to effect, call home thy wits agayne,
And all thy wyly fetches farre, eache artificiall trayne.
This is the perfect fruict that may to thee of mischiefe spryng,
To presuppose that mischiefe is not graft in any thing.
Scant haue I oportunity for my pretensed guile,
Because wee are mistrusted sore: but try I will the whyle
To set vpon them in such sort, as none can deeme my sleyght:
March forth, now venture on, fall to, both what lyeth in thy myght,
And also what doth passe thy power. O faythfull nourse and mate
Of all my heauy heart breaking, and dyuers cursed fate.
Come help our simple meane deuice. Remayning yet I haue
A robe of Pall the present that our heauenly Graundsire gaue,
Chiefe monument of Cholchis Ile, which Phœbus did bestow
On Ætas for a pledge, that him his father he might know.
A precious fulgent gorget eake, that brauely glytters bryght,
And with a seemely shyning seame of golden thryds is dight,
Through wrought betwene the row of pirles doe stand in borders roūd,
Wherewith my golden crispen Locks is wonted to be croūd.
My lytle children they shall beare these presents to the Bryde,
That first with slibber slabbar sosse of chauntments shalbe tryde.
Request the ayde of Hecate in redinesse prepare
The lamentable sacrifice, vpon the bloudy Aare.
Enforce the fiers catching holde vpon the rafters hye
With crackling noyse of flamy sparkes rebound in azur sky.
O lucklesse
lot of frowarde Fates, O cruell Fortunes hap,
Both whē she list to smite, or spare, in woe she doth vs wrap
A like, the salue yt God hath geuen so oft, to cure our griefe,
More noyeth then the sore it selfe, and sendeth lesse reliefe:
If for her good deserts to me, amendment I should make.
I hazard should my ventrous lyfe to leese it for her sake.
If I will shun my dismall day, and will not for her dy,
Then want the loue of loyalty, O wretched man must I.
No dastards dread my stomacke stout can cause to droupe & shrynke,
But meere remorse appaulleth me, when on my babes I thynke.
For why? when carefull parents are once reft of lyfe and breath,
Sone after them their wretched seede are drawne to dolefull death.
O Sacred righteousnesse (if thou enioye thy worthy place
In perfect blisse of happy heauen) I call vpon thy grace,
And thee for witnesse here alledge, how for my childrens part
With pity prick: I haue commit these things agaynst my hart.
And so I thinke Medea her selfe the Mother rather had,
(Though frantickly as now she fares with rage of heart so mad
And doth abhor with paynfull yoke of combrous cares to toyle)
Her spousall bed, then that her seede should take the plunging foyle.
I did determine in my minde, to goe her to entreate
With gentle wordes, & pray her cease, in feruent wrath to freate.
And loe, on me when once she caste the beames of glauncing Eye,
Full blythe she leapes, she iumpes for ioy, in fits she ginnes to fry.
Deepe deadly blackish hate she seemes in outwarde brow to beare,
And wholly in her frowning face doth glutting griefe appeare.
ME.
Both whē she list to smite, or spare, in woe she doth vs wrap
A like, the salue yt God hath geuen so oft, to cure our griefe,
More noyeth then the sore it selfe, and sendeth lesse reliefe:
If for her good deserts to me, amendment I should make.
I hazard should my ventrous lyfe to leese it for her sake.
If I will shun my dismall day, and will not for her dy,
Then want the loue of loyalty, O wretched man must I.
129
But meere remorse appaulleth me, when on my babes I thynke.
For why? when carefull parents are once reft of lyfe and breath,
Sone after them their wretched seede are drawne to dolefull death.
O Sacred righteousnesse (if thou enioye thy worthy place
In perfect blisse of happy heauen) I call vpon thy grace,
And thee for witnesse here alledge, how for my childrens part
With pity prick: I haue commit these things agaynst my hart.
And so I thinke Medea her selfe the Mother rather had,
(Though frantickly as now she fares with rage of heart so mad
And doth abhor with paynfull yoke of combrous cares to toyle)
Her spousall bed, then that her seede should take the plunging foyle.
I did determine in my minde, to goe her to entreate
With gentle wordes, & pray her cease, in feruent wrath to freate.
And loe, on me when once she caste the beames of glauncing Eye,
Full blythe she leapes, she iumpes for ioy, in fits she ginnes to fry.
Deepe deadly blackish hate she seemes in outwarde brow to beare,
And wholly in her frowning face doth glutting griefe appeare.
I packing, packing, Iason am: this still to chop, and chaunge
The fleeting soyle of my abode, to mee it is not straunge.
The cause of my departure yet (to me is straung) and new.
I wonted was in followinge thee all places to eschew:
I will depart, and get me hence, to whom for helping hande
Entendest thou to sende vs forth, whom hence to fly the land
Thou dost compell with thine alies? shall I repayre agayne
To Phasis flood, to Colchis Isle, or to my fathers raygne?
Or goary sweeting fieldes, that with my brothers blood do reeke?
What harbring lands aloofe dost thou commaund vs out to seeke?
What seas appoint yee me to passe? shall I my iourney dryue,
Uppon the parlous hatefull iawes of Pontus to arriue,
By which I did saufe conduct home kings valiaunt armies great,
Where rearing rocks with thundring noise the flapping waues do beate
Or on the narrow wrackfull shore, of Simplegades twayne?
Or els to small Hiolcos towne can I retourne agayne?
Or toyle, the gladsome pleasaunt lands of Tempe to attayne?
All places that I opened haue vnto thy passage free,
I shut them vp agaynst my selfe, now whether sendste thou mee?
A banisht wretch to banishment thou wouldest haue encline,
Yet to the place of her exyle, thou canst not her assygne,
[129]
And why? forsoth the king his sonne in law commaundeth so.
Well: nothing will I stand against, with grypes of passing payne
Let me be scourgde, of my desarts such is the gotten gayne.
Let Creon in his pryncely ruffe lay to his heauy handes,
To whyp an whore in torments sharp, with iron giues, and bandes
Let her be chaynd, in hydeous hole of night for aye her locke:
Let her be cloyed with pestring payse of restlesse rowling rocke.
Yet lesse than I deserued haue, in all this shall I finde:
O thou vncurteous Gentleman, consider in thy mynde
The flamy puffes, and firy gaspes of gastly gaping bull,
And Ætas catell rych with Fleece of gorgeous golden wooll,
That went to graze amid so great and mighty feares in fielde,
Of vncontrouled Natton, whose soyle doth armies yeelde.
Reuoke to minde the deadly dartes of sodayne starting foe,
When gastly warriour (Tellus broode) to ground agayne did goe,
Through slaughter red of mutuall launce, to this yet further passe,
The lurched Fleece of Phrixes Ramme, that all thine errand was.
And vgsome Argos slumberlesse, whom fast I causde to keepe
His wery watching winking eyes with vnaquaynted sleepe.
My brother eke, whose fatall twist of feeble lyfe I shred,
And guilt that wrought so many guiltes when as with thee I fled.
The daughters whom I set on worke entrapt in wily trayne,
To slay theyr sire, that shall not ryse to quickned lyfe agayne.
And how to trauell other realmes, I set myne owne at nought.
By that good hope which of thy seede conceaued is in thought,
Eake by thy stable Mansion place, and mighty monsters, that
Downe beaten for thy health, I causde before thy feete to squat,
And by these drudging hands of myne vnspared for thy sake,
For dread of daungers ouer past that caused thee to quake,
By heauens aboue, and seas belowe, that witnesse bearers bee,
To knitting of out maryage vp, thy mercy vayle to mee.
Of all the heapes of treasure great so farre of being set,
Which Ætas sauage Scythians dyd trauell for to get,
From Ind, where Phœbus scorching blase doth dye the people blacke.
Of all this golde which in our bowers wee coulde not well compacke.
But tricke and trym wee garnished our groues with golde so gay,
I vanisht wretch of all this stuffe gat nought with mee away,
Except my brothers slaughtred flesh, yet I employed the same
On thee: the cares of countreyes health, my honesty and shame.
130
This is the dowry that thou had my wedded spouse to bee.
To her whom thou dost abrogate restore her goods agayne.
IA.
When Creon in malicious moode had thought thee to haue slayne,
Entreated with my teares, exyle and life he gaue to thee.
ME.
I tooke it for a punishment, but surely as I see
This banishment is now become a friendly good rewarde.
IA.
While thou hast time to goe, be gone, for most seueare, and harde
The kings displeasure euer is.
M.
Thus wouldst thou dodge mee out?
Thy hated trull cast of thou dost, that please Creuse thou mought.
IA.
Dost thou Medea vpbrayde mee with the breach vnkynde of loue?
ME.
And slaughter vyle, with trechery, whereto thou didst mee moue.
IA.
When all is done what canst thou say my guiltines to slayne?
ME.
Euen whatsoeuer I haue done.
IA.
Yet more this doth remayne:
That thy vngracious wickednes of harme should mee accuse.
ME.
Thine, thine, they are, they are all thine what euer I did vse,
Who that of lewdnesse reapes the fruict, is grafter of the same.
Let euery one with infamy thy wretched Spouse defame,
Yet doe thou onely take her part, her onely doe thou call
A iust and vndefiled wight, without offence at all.
If any man shall for thy sake polute his hand with ill,
To thee let him an innocent yet be accompted still,
IA.
The life is lothsome that doth worke his shame who hath it chose.
ME.
The life whose choyse doth worke thy shame thou ought againe to lose.
IA.
Let reason rule thy eger mynde so vext with crabbed ire,
And for thy tender childrens ease to bee at rest requyre.
ME.
I doe defy it, wholy I detest it, I forsweare,
That bretheren bred vnto my barnes Creusas wombe shall beare.
IA.
It will be trim, when as a Queene of maiesty and myght
Hath issue, kinne vnto the seede of thee a banisht wight.
ME.
So cursed day shall neuer on my wretched children shine,
To mingle base borne basterdes with the bloud of noble Lygne.
Shall Phœbus stocke (that beares the lamp of heauen in starry throne)
Be macht with drudging Sisiphus that roules in hell the stone?
IA.
What meanest thou wretch, both thee & mee in banishment to yoke?
I pray then hence.
ME.
When humbly I my mynde to Creon broke,
Hee gaue an eare vnto my suite.
IA.
What lyeth in my myght
To doe for thee?
ME.
If no good turne, then doe thy worst dispyght.
IA.
On this side with his swerd in hand king Creon doth mee scarre:
On other part with armed hoast Acast doth mee detarre.
[130]
Medea eke to coape with these, that more apaull vs may:
Go to, to skyrmishe let vs fall, let Iason be the pray:
IA.
I yeelde whom sore aduersities haue tyerd with heauy sway.
Learne thou to dred thy luclesse lot that ofte doth thee assay.
ME.
I euermore haue rulde the swinge of fortunes wauering will.
IA.
Achastus is at hand, and nygh is Creon thee to spyll:
ME.
Take thou thy heeles to scape them both, I doe not thee aduise,
That thou agaynst thy father in lawe in traytrous armes should ryse.
Nor in Achast thy cosens bloud thy wounding handes to gore,
The vowes vnto Medea made, doe trouble thee so sore.
Whyle yet thou hast not spilt there bloud, yet fly with mee away.
IA.
When armies twayne their banners of defiance shall display,
And marching forth in fielde to fyght seeke battayle at my hande,
Who then for vs encounter shall their puissaunce to withstand?
ME.
If Creon and Achastus king encampe together shall
Admit that these in one with them should ioyne their powers all
My Countreymen of Colchis Ile, and Ætas lusty kyng,
Suppose the Scythians ioyne with Greekes, to ground I will thē bring,
Cleane put to foile.
IA.
The puissaunt power of hawty mace I feare.
ME.
Take heede, least more thou do affect the same, then for to cleare,
Thy selfe of Creons seruile yoke.
IA.
Least some suspicion grow,
Of this our tatling long here let vs make an ende and goe.
ME.
Now Ioue hurle out thy flames & force thy thundring bolts to fly,
With fiery drakes bright brandishing disparst in burning sky:
Strayne forth thy dreadfull threatning arme, dispose in due aray
The tossing dint of lightning flashe, that wrecke our quarrell may.
With rumbling cracke of renting cloud cause all the world to quake,
And leuell not thy houering hand to stryke with firy flake
Uppon my pasht and crushed corpes, or Iasons Carcasse slayne:
For whether of vs thou smight to death his due rewarde shall gayne,
Thy thumps of thwacking boltes on vs amisse they cannot light.
IA.
Fy, let thy mynde on matters runne that seeme a modest wight.
And vse to haue more cheerefull talke, if any thing thou craue,
Within my fathers house to ease thy flyght, thou shalt it haue.
ME.
Thou knowst my minde both can, & eke is wont, to doe no lesse,
Then to contemne the brittell wealth that Prynces doe possesse.
This, this shalbe the onely boone that at thy hande I craue,
As mates with me in banishment, my children let mee haue,
That resting on theyr sighing breastes my carefull mourning hed,
I may my chrystall teary streames into theyr bosomes shed.
131
IA.
I graunt that vnto thy request I wishe I might obey:
But nature mee with pity pryckes, that needes I must deny.
For though both Creon and Achast, in torments force mee lye,
I could not yeelde vnto theyr willes: on this my lyfe doth rest:
In times of teares, this is the ioy of dull afflicted brest
For better farre I can abyde the wante of vitall breath,
And succour of my lymmes, or loose, the light of worlde by death.
ME.
What loue vnto his seely Babes is deeply graft in him?
This worketh well I haue him tript, loe now there lyeth brim.
An open place whereby receaue a venny soone hee may.
Let mee or I departe, vnto my seely children say.
These lessons of my last adewe, and graunt to mee the space,
With tender grype of colling last theyr louing limmes t'embrace:
This wilbe comforte to my heart: yet at the latter woorde
I aske no more but onely that you shoulde mee this afoorde.
If eger anguish cause my tongue to cast out woords vnkinde,
Let all thing fly, let nothing be engraued in your minde
But let remembraunce otherwhyle of mee to touch your thought,
Let other thinges be wypte away that byle of wrath hath wrought.
IA.
I haue forgotten euery whit God graunt thou may of shake,
These surging qualmes of frounced minde & milder mayste it make:
For quietnesse doth worke theyr ease that dented are with woe:
ME.
What is he slily slypt and gon? falles out the matter so?
O Iason dost thou sneake away, not hauing minde of mee,
Nor of those former great good turnes that I haue done for thee?
With thee now am I cleane forgot: but I will bryng about
That from thy carefull sighing minde shall not bee banisht out:
Apply to bring this to effect, call home thy wits agayne,
And all thy wyly fetches farre, eache artificiall trayne.
This is the perfect fruict that may to thee of mischiefe spryng,
To presuppose that mischiefe is not graft in any thing.
Scant haue I oportunity for my pretensed guile,
Because wee are mistrusted sore: but try I will the whyle
To set vpon them in such sort, as none can deeme my sleyght:
March forth, now venture on, fall to, both what lyeth in thy myght,
And also what doth passe thy power. O faythfull nourse and mate
Of all my heauy heart breaking, and dyuers cursed fate.
Come help our simple meane deuice. Remayning yet I haue
A robe of Pall the present that our heauenly Graundsire gaue,
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On Ætas for a pledge, that him his father he might know.
A precious fulgent gorget eake, that brauely glytters bryght,
And with a seemely shyning seame of golden thryds is dight,
Through wrought betwene the row of pirles doe stand in borders roūd,
Wherewith my golden crispen Locks is wonted to be croūd.
My lytle children they shall beare these presents to the Bryde,
That first with slibber slabbar sosse of chauntments shalbe tryde.
Request the ayde of Hecate in redinesse prepare
The lamentable sacrifice, vpon the bloudy Aare.
Enforce the fiers catching holde vpon the rafters hye
With crackling noyse of flamy sparkes rebound in azur sky.
| Hippolytus, Medea, Agamemnon, Herculas Oetaeus | |