University of Virginia Library

Hercules. Alcmena
Alc.
Whence roares this thundring voyce, yt doth against mine eares reboūd,
And biddeth mee to stint my teeres? I know it now I know,
The darksome dungeons daunted are, and Dennes of Lakes alow.
O Sonne art thou returnd to me from Stygian gulph agayne?
And can thou twise of ougly death the conquest thus obtayne?
And brast the balefull prisons twise, of glum and gastly night.
Against th'infernall fyrryesoorde preuayling thus by might?
May any scape from Acheron? Or dost thou scape alone?
Hath hell no power to holde thy sprite, when breath from breast is gone?
Or els hath Pluto baalde thee out, for feare least thou alone
Should cloyne his Scepter from his hand, & pluck him from his trone?
For I am sure I sawe thee layde vpon the burning trees:
And from thy Corps the flame and sparkes agaynst the welkin flyes:
That sure thou wast to poulder burnt, and feeble lyfe was lost:
But sure the deepes and pits of hell did not lock vp thy ghost.
Why were the deuills afrayde of thee? why quaked Ditis grim?
And did thy noble ghost seeme such a gastly bug to him?

HE.
The dampy dikes of Cocitas coulde not keepe me from light.
Nor Carons fusty musty Barge transported hath my sprite.
Now Mother mourne no more: once haue I seene the Hags of hell,
And all the stearne and steaming fiendes in dungeons deepe that dwell.
That mortall moulde I tooke of you to nought the flames haue fryed:
Heauen hath the substaunce that I tooke of Ioue: in fier yours died.
And therefore pawse your playntius teares, which parents vse to shed,
When wretchedly they wayle their sonnes, that dastardly are dead.
Thus vulgar varlets weepe: loe vertue hopes the Starres to get:
But faynting feare stil dreames on death, from heauen where I am set,
You heare my voyce: Euristeus now shal byde the deadly push
With charyot sway his cracked scull ye shal on sunder crush
Now must I hence aduaunce my Ghost vp to the rolling skyes
Once more I daunt the deuilles, and do the goblins grim aggrise

Alc.
But stay awhile my sonne: he fades and shrinketh from my sight
Aduaunst he is among the starres: doth this my charmed Spirite
Dote in a traunce? or do I dreame that I haue seene my sonne
A troubled mynd can scante beleue the thinges he seeth done.
But now I see thou art a God possessing heauen foraye.
I see it sure. I wil to Thebes thy triumphes to display.