University of Virginia Library

THE SECOND SCENE.

Talthibius, Chorus.
Ch.
Why, shew what cause doth hold your ships? and Grecian nauy stayes,
Declare if any of the Gods haue stopt your homeward wayes.

Tal.
My mynd is mas'd, my trembling sinnewes quake and are affeard,
For straunger newes of truth then these I thinke were neuer heard.
Lo I my selfe haue playnly seene in dawning of the day,
When Phœbus first gan to approch and driue the starres away,
The earth all shaken sodaynly and from the hollow grownde:
My thought I hard with roaryng crye a deepe and dreadful sound:
That shoke the woods, and al the trees rong out with thunder stroke,
From Ida hils downe fel the stones, the mountayne toppes were broke.
And not the earth hath onely quakt, but all the Sea likewyse,
Achilles presence felt and knew, and high the surges ryse.
The clouen ground Erebus pittes then shewd and deepest dennes,
That downe to Gods that guyde beneath, the way appeard from hence.
Then shoke the tombe from whence anone in flame of fiery light,
Appeareth from the hollow caues Achilles noble spright.
As wonted he his Thracian armes and bannars to disploy
And weild his weighty weapons wel agaynst thassaultes of Troy,
The same Achilles seemde he than that he was wont to bee
Amid the hostes and easly could I know that this was hee.
With carkasse slayne in furious fight, that stopt and fild each floude.
And who with slaughter of his hand made Xanthus runne with bloud.
As when in Chariot high he sate with lofty stomacke stoute.
Whyle Hector both and Troy at once he drew the walles aboute.
Alowd he cride, and euery coast rang with Achilles sound,
And thus with hollow voyce he spake, from bottom of the ground.
The Greekes shal not with litle pryce redeeme Achilles yre,
A princely raunsome must they geue, for so the fates require
Unto my ashes Polyxene spoused shal here be slayne
By Pyrrhus hand, and al my tombe her bloud shal ouerstayne.
This sayd, he strayght sanke downe agayne to Plutoes deepe region,
The earth then cloasd, the hollow caues were vanished and gon
Therwith the wether waxed clere, the raging wyndes did slake,
The tombling seas began to rest and al the tempest brake.