University of Virginia Library

The .xiiij. Epistle. .

Hypermnestra to Lynceus

To him that of so many brethren lyues,
And sole suruiues, I Hypermnestra sende:
The rest by their wiues guilt were fowly slaine.
I lode with Giues in Prison am detainde,
And not aguilting is my cause of scath.
For that my hande to murther not presumde,
I did offence: but so I had done euill
And ruthlesse bene, I semblant praise had wonne.
More lesser I account guilt to sustaine
Than in such sort to please mine angrie Syre.
Ne loth I hands of murther voyde to haue.
Though me my Syre (whō I ne wrongde at all)
With threatful flame consumde, or manace with
The fire that present was at sacred rytes,
Or slea with sworde which shamefully he gaue,
And wife sustaine the death hir husbande should:
Yet shall he not my dying iawes enforce
For to repent, or loth such freendly ruth.
Let Danaus, and my sisters for their fact
Agrise: This ende such mischiefe aye ensues.
Recounting of that bloodie night doth make
My hart to quake, and sodaine tremor force
My hand to stay from that I thought to write:
She whom they deemd could haue hir husbād slain
Of murther not committed dreedes to write:
But yet I will assay. With mantle black
When yrkesome shade gan ouerspreade the soyle,
And fayling day did yielde to growing night:
We sisters led to Danaus Castle came,
And there Ægypt his daughters entertainde,
Which priuily were armde wt wreakfull blades,
On euery side the golden Lamps did shine,
And in vnwilling flames the incense fumde.
The people Hymen cryde, but Hymen fled
The place, and Iuno tho hir towne forewent.
When staggring they with wine, & fellows crie,
With garlandes fresh about their moysted locks,
To lodgings glad (their buriall places) go,
And on their funerall beddes their corpses cast,
With Wine and slumber now they loden lay,
And quiet rest throughout all Argos was,
When (to my seeming) round about I heard
Of dying men the grunts: which I in deede
Did heare, and as I drad, it fell at last.
My bloud was fled, the heate forsooke my limmes
And in my nouell couch full colde I lay.
As Zephyrus the slender Reedes doth stirre,
And winter ayre doth shake the Popple tree:
Euen so (or more) I quooke: astraught thou layst,
Whe wine I gaue thee, was to forcen sleepe.
My fathers charge all feare had quight exilde,
I rose, and tooke in trembling hande the sworde.
(I tell but truth) thrise caught I vp the toole,
And thrise from out my reaching fist it fell.
I naythelesse constrained by my Sires
Ruthlesse precept, and wailefull warning giuen,
Unto thy throte applide the threatning sworde.
But feare and pitie my attemptes withstoode:
My ruthfull fist refusde my fathers charge.
Renting my purple robes and tresses downe,
In whispring wise then thus I gan to speake.
Thy father (Hypermnestra) cruell is
To thee, fulfill his Hest: a fellow let
Thy husband Lynceus to his brothers goe.
Ah, I a maiden am by nature and
By age debonaire, ne my hande for warre
And slaughter sitting is, vnseemely fact.
But what? go to, and whilste occasion serues,
Thy valiant sisters sue: I deeme by this
They all their Feeres haue sent to Plutos Court.
Fye, if this hand could any murther done,
Unto my bloud it should an issue giuen.
For bearing rule within their vncles reigne,
They not deserued death, which naythelesse
To forraine sonnes in law should bene assignde.
Put case the men had well deserude to die,
What haue we misers done? or how aguilt?
What makes that I should not be ruthfull aye?
Fie? what with cruell sword haue I to doe?
What should a Maid wt warlike weapons deale?
My handes for turne and twist more fitter were.
Thus I, and whilste I plaine, my teares ensude,
And from my face vpon thy carcasse fell.
Whilst me to colle, yu threwst thy senselesse armes
The sword well nie thine armes had recht a woūd
At length of Sire, his seruants and the daye
Dreading these words to breake thy sleepe, I spake
Lynceus, that of thy brothers sole doste liue,
This night (vnlesse thou haste) will be thy last.
Thou startst affright, and sleepe abandoned
In trembling fist thou sawste the cruell sword.
To thee that tho didst long to know the cause,
Whilst night wil giue thee leaue (flee, flee, quoth I)
By night thou fledst, and I remainde behinde.
Aurora rose, when Danaus gan to compt
And tell the corses of his murthred sonnes:
Thou onely of the tale were founde alack.
That of his nephewes one had scapte the death,
He tooke in rage, complaining not inough
Bloudshed to be: such was his eger thyrst:
I from my fathers feete was taken straight,
And halde by the haire, to cruell prison thrust:
Of ruthfull pitie such the guerdon was.
Dame Iunos wrath hath euer sith endurde,
That Iö of a Nimphe a Cowe became
And from a Cowe to Goddesse was transformde
Alas, t'was paine inough a sielie maide
To lowgh in fieldes, and not hir Ioue to please.
But lately made a Cowe, hir fathers banckes
She stoode vpon, and gazed in the flood
Upon the hornes which earst were neuer hirs,
And minding for to speake she lowght a good,
Both of hir forme, and of hir voyce afrayde.
Why Myser dost thou flee? why musest at
Thy selfe in foorde, and numbrest so thy feete?
That art to other members now transmude?
Thou, whome Dame Iuno had in great suspect,
With boughes, and sedge thy famine dost expell.
Of floud thou drinkste, and gazest all agast
Upon thy forme, dreading the hornes thou bearst,
And one, of late so rich as might accoye
The mightie Ioue, lyest bare vpon the soyle.
By Seas, by landes, and cosin flouds thou runst,
Both sea and lande, and lakes doe giue thee way,
Passage both sea and lande, and Lakes allowe.
What is thy cause of flight? why (Iö) why
Ranglest thou so the largie Seas about?
Thine owne countnance yu mayst not wel auoide.
Why (Iö) whither fleest? the thing thou shoonste
Thou followste aye, and doste by flight pursue:
Thou doste both leade and follow hir that leades.
Nilus, to sea with seauen folde streame yt flowes,
Made hir doe way hir brutishe shape at last.
What neede I name the reast, that aged folke
Recite? my yeares occasion yeelde of plaint.
My Syre and Uncle warre, wee sisters wee
Of Realme and raigne exilde, are banisht farre,
He cruell both the Seate, and Scepter rules,
We needie rangle with our needefull Syre.
Of brethren now the lesser parte doth liue.
Whome I (as well the parties done to death
As Authors of the cruell facte) bewayle.
For looke how many brothers I am bereft
So many louing systers loste I eke.
For eyther part my dolefull teares I shead.
Lo, I (cause thou doste liue) sustaine the smart.
What should I guiltie beare? what tormēt bide,
That wrongfull paine without desert endure?
I that was one of hundred allyes earst,
One brother liuing Miser shall be slaine.
But thou (O Lynceus) if regarde at all
Of ruthfull Syster lodge within thy breast,
And worthie be, the friendship I haue showde
Or ayde mee, or with death foredoe my corse.
And laye my limmes deuoide of lyfe by stealth
In earth, my bones engraue with faithfull teares,
And on my Tombe this slender title write.
Much more in heart yet coulde I finde to write,
Saue that my hands ye clincking chaines doe lode,
And gastly feare my wonted strength bereaues.