University of Virginia Library

Actus I.

Scœna I.

Enter Homer.
Since moderne Authors, moderne things haue trac't,
Serching our Chronicles from end to end,
And all knowne Histories haue long bene grac't,
Bootlesse it were in them our time to spend
To iterate tales oftentimes told ore,
Or subiects handled by each common pen;
In which euen they that can but read (no more)
Can poynt before we speake, how, where, and when
We haue no purpose: Homer old and blinde,
Of eld, by the best iudgements tearm'd diuine,
That in his former labours found you kinde,
Is come the ruder censures to refine:
And to vnlocke the Casket long time shut.
Of which none but the learned keepe the key.
Where the rich Iewell (Poësie) was put.
She that first search't the Heauens, Earth, Ayre, and Sea.
We therefore begge, that since so many eyes,
And seuerall iudging wits must taste our stile,
The learn'd will grace, the ruder not despise:
Since what we do, we for their vse compile.
Why should not Homer, bee that caught in Greece,
Vnto this iudging Nation lend like skill.
And into England bring that golden Fleece,
For which his country is renowned still.
The Golden past, The Siluer age begins
In Iupiter, whose sonne of Danae borne,
We first present, and how Acrisius sinnes
Were punish't for his cruelty and scorne.
We enter where we left, and so proceed,
(Your fauour still, for that must helpe at need)

Alarme. Enter with victory, K. Pretus, Bellerephon, bringing in K. Acrisius prisoner, drum and colours.
Pretus.
Now you that trusted to your Darreine strength,
The brazen to wer that earst inclos'd thy childe,
Stand'st at our grace, a captiue, and we now
Are Arges King, where thou vsurp'st so late.

Acrisius.
Tis not thy power King Pretus, but our rigor
Against my daughter, and the Prince her sonne,
(Thus punish't by the heauens) haue made thee victor.

Pretus.
Twas by thy valor, braue Bellerephon,
That took'st Acrisius prisoner hand to hand.

Beller.
The duty of a seruice and a seruant
I haue exprest to Pretus.

Pretus.
By thy valor.
We reigne sole King of Arges, where our brother
Hath tyrannis'd, and now these brazen walles,
Built to inmure a faire and innocent maide,
Shall be thine owne Iayle. Gyue his legges in Irons,
Till we determine further of his death.

Acrisius.
Oh Danae, when I rude and pittilesse
Threw thee with thy yong infant, to the mercy
Of the rough billowes, in a mastlesse boat,
I then incur'd this vengeance. Iupiter,
Whose father in those blest and happy dayes
I scorn'd to be, or ranke him in my line,
Hath chastis'd me for my harsh cruelty.

Pretus.
We are Ioues rod, and we will execute
The doome of heauen with all seuerity:
Such mercy as thy guardiant Beldams had,
(Who for the loue of Danae felt the fire)
Thou shalt receiue from vs. Away with him:

Acrisius is led bound, and enters Q. Aurea.
Aur.
Why doth K. Pretus lead his brother bound,
And keepe a greater foe in liberty?
This, this, thou most vnchast Bellerephon,
And canst thou blushlesse gaze me in the face?
Whom thou so lately didst attempt to force,
Or front the Prince thy maister with such impudence,
Whose reuerent bed thou hast practis'd to defile.

Beller.
Madame, my Lord.

Aurea.
Heare not th'adulterers tongue,
Who though he had not power to charme mine eares,
Yet may inchaunt thine.

Pretus.
Beauteous Aurea,
If I can proue by witnesse that rude practise,
His life and tortures Il'e commit to thee.

Aurea.
What greater witnesse then Q. Aurea's teares?
Or why should I hate you Bellerephon,
That (saue this practise) neuer did me wrong?

Beller.
Oh woman, when thou art giuen vp to sin
And shamelesse lusts, what brazen impudence,
Hardens thy brow?

Aurea.
Shall I haue right of him?

Pret.
Thou shalt: yet let me tell my Aurea:
This knight hath seru'd me from his infancy,
Beene partner of my breast and secret thoughts.
His sword hath beene the guardian of my state,
And by the vertue of his strong right hand,
I am possest of Arges. I could reade thee
A Chronicle of his great seruices
Fresh in my thoughts, then giue me leaue to pause,
Ere I pronounce sad sentence of his death.

Aurea.
Grant me my L. but a few priuate words
With this dissembling hypocrite: Il'e tell him
Such instance of his heynous enterprise,
Shall make him blush, and with efeminate teares,
Publish his riotous wrongs against your bed.

Pretus.
We grant you priuacy.

Aurea.
Neare vs Bellerophon.

Beller.
Oh woman, woman.

Aurea.
We are alone, yet wilt thou grant me loue,
Put me in hope, and say the time may come,
And my excuse to Pretus shall vnsay,
These loud exclaimes, and blanch this Æthiop scandall,
As white as is thy natiue innocence:
Loue mee, oh loue mee, my Bellerophon
I sigh for thee, I mourne, I die for thee,
Giue me an answere swift and peremptory;
Gaine by thy grant, life; thy deniall, death.
Wilt thou take time and limite mee some hope
By pointing me an houre?

Belleroph,
Neuer, oh neuer.
First shall the Sun-god in the Ocean quench,
The daies bright fire, and o're the face of heauen
Spread euerlasting darknesse.

Aurea.
Say no more.
Dogge, deuill, euen before my husbands face
Darst court me, Pretus canst thou suffer this?
Iniurious Traytor, think'st thou my chast innocence,
Is to bee mou'd with praiers, or brib'd by promises?
Hath the King hir'd thee to corrupt this bed?
Or is he of that slauish sufferance,
Before his face to see nice strumpeted?
Pretus, by heauen, and all the Gods I vow,
To abiure thy presence, and confine my selfe
To lasting widdow-hood, vnlesse with rigor
Thou chastice this false groome.

Pretus.
Bellerophon
Thou hast presum'd too much vpon our loue,
And made too slight account of our high power
In which thy life or death is circumscrib'd.

Beller.
My Lord, I should transgresse a Subiects duty,
To lay the least grosse imputation
Vpon the Queene, my beauteous Soueraintesse,
And rather then to question her chaste vertues
I laie my selfe ope to the strictest doome,
My seruice hath bene yours, so shall my life,
I yeeld it to you freely.

Pretus.
Aureas teares,
Contend with thy supposed innocence
And haue the vpper hand: to see thee die
My setled loue will not endure: but worse
Then death can bee, we doome thy insolence;
Go hence an exile, and returne no more
Vpon thy Knight-hood, but expose thy selfe
Vnto that monstrous beast of Cicily,
Cal'd the Chimera, t'hath a Lyons head,
Goats belly, and a poysonous Dragons traine.
Fight with that beast, whom Hoasts cannot withstand,
And feede, what Armies cannot satisfie.
My doom's irreuocable.

Beller.
For all my seruice
A faire reward, but by my innocence,
Vertues, and all my honours attributes,
That sauadge Monster I will feede, or foile,
Die by his iawes, or bring home honoured spoile.

Aurea.
Yet, yet, thy body meedes a better graue,
And kill not mee too, whom thy grant may saue.

Beller.
A thousand fierce Chimerae's first I'le feede,
Ere staine mine honour with that damned deed.

Aurea.
Againe to tempt me, hence base traytor flie,
And as thy guilt's meede, by that monster die.

Pretus.
Away with him, 'tis our milde sufferance
Begets this impudence, come beauteous Aurea
Thou shalt bee full reuengde, I know him honourable
In this, and will performe that enterprise
Which in one death brings many: let vs now
Inioy our conquests, hee shall soone bee dead,
That with base sleights sought to corrupt our bed.

Enter Perseus, Andromeda, and Danaus.
Perseus.
There stay our swift and winged Pegasus,
And on the flowers of this faire Medow grase,
Thou that first flewst out of the Gorgons bloud,
Whose head wee by Mineruaes aide par'd off,
And since haue fixt it on our Christall sheild.
This head that had the power to change to stone,
All that durst gaze vpon't; and being plac't here
Retaines that power to whom it is vncas'd:
Hath chandge great Atlas to a Mount so high,
That with his shoulders hee supports the skie.

Dana.
Perseus, great sonne of Ioue and Danae.
Famous for your atchieuements through the world
Mineruaes fauorite, Goddesse of Wisedome,
And husband of the sweete Andromeda.
Whom you so late from the Sea-monster freed,
After so many deedes of Fame and Honour,
Shall we returne to see our mother Danae?

Perseus.
Deere brother Danaus, the renowned issue
Of King Pellonus that in Naples raignes,
Where beauteous Danae is created Queene,
Thither I'le beare the faire Andromeda
To see our Princely mother.

Andro.
Royall Perseus,
Truely descended from the line of Gods,
Since by the slaughter of that monstrous Whale,
You freed me from that rocke where I was fixt
To be deuoured and made the Monsters prey,
And after wonne me from a thousand hands
By Phineus arme, that was my first betroathed,
Ingrate were I your fellowship to shunne,
Whom by the force of Armes you twice haue won.

Enter Bellerephon.
Perseus.
Towards Naples then, but soft, what Knight's that
So passionately deiect? Let vs Salute him,
Whence are you gentle Knight?

Beller.
I am of Arges.

Perseus.
But your aduenture?

Beller.
The infernall Monster,
Cal'd the Chimera bred in Cicily.

Perseus.
Thou canst not stake thy life against such oddes,
And not be generously deriu'd, I Perseus
The sonne of Ioue and Danae, offer thee
Assistance to this noble enterprise.

Beller.
Are you the noble Perseus, whom the world
Crownes with such praise and royall hardinesse?
Fam'd for your winged steed, and your Gorgons sheild,
And for release of faire Andromeda?

Pers.
Wee Perseus are, and this Andromeda,
King Cepheus daughter, rescued by our sword,
The keene-edged harpe.

Beller.
Let me do you honours
Worthy your State, and tell such newes withall
As shall disturbe the quiet of your thoughts,
I am of Arges where Acrisius raigned.

Pers.
Our Grand-sire, and raignes still.

Beller.
His brother Pretus
Hath cast him both from stile and kingdome too,
Nor let Bellerephon himselfe belie,
It was by vertue of this strong right arme
Which he hath thus requited, to expose me
Vnto this strange aduenture, the full circumstance
I shall relate at leasure,

Pers.
Dares King Pretus
Depose Acrisius, knowing Perseus liues?
Guide me faire Knight vnto my place of birth,
Where the great King of Arges liues captiu'd,
That I may glaze my harpe in the bloud
Of Tyrant Pretus.

Beller.
I am sworne by oath
To dare the rude Cycilian Monster first,
Whom hauing slaine, I'le guide you to the rescue
Of K. Acrisius.

Perseus.
Thou hast fir'd our bloud,
And startled all our spirits Bellerephon,
Wee'l mount our Pegasus, and through the ayre
Beare thee, vnto that fell Chimeraes den:
And in the slaughter of that monstrous beast
Assist thy valour. Thence to Arges flye,
Where by our sword th'vsurper next must dye.

Beller.
We are proud of your assistance, and withall
Assur'd of Conquest.

Perseus.
Faire Andromeda,
Danaus shall be your guardiant towards Arges,
Where after this atchieuement we will meet,
To giue our grand-sire freedome. Come, lets part,
We through the ayre, you towards Darreine towre,
Where Tragicke ruine Pretus shall deuoure.

Exeunt.
Enter K. Pretus, and Q. Aurea.
Pretus.
Aurea, we were too hasty in our doome,
To loose that knight, whose arme protected vs,
Whose fame kept all our neighbour Kings in awe:
Nor was our state confirm'd, but in his life.

Aurea.
Let Traitors perish, and their plots decay,
And we still by diuine assistance sway.

Pretus.
But say some Prince should plot Acrisius rescue,
Inuade great Arges, or siege Darreine tower,
Then should we wish Bellerephon againe,
To expose their fury, and their pride restraine.

Aurea.
To cut off all these feares, cut off Acrisius,
Appeare to him a brother full as mercilesse
As he a cruell father, to his childe,
The beauteous Danae and her infant sonne.

Pretus.
Onely his ruine must secure our state,
And he shall dye to cut off future claime
Vnto this populous kingdome we enioy.
Our guard, command our captiue brother hither.
Whom we this day must sentence. Oh Bellerephon!
Thy wrongs I halfe suspect thy doome: Repent,
Since all thy acts proclaime thee innocent.

Guar.
Behold the King your brother.

Pretus.
We thus sentence
Acrisius brought in by the guard.
Thy life Acrisius, thou that hadst the heart
To thrust thy childe into a mastlesse boate;
With a faire hopefull Prince, vnto the fury
And rage of the remorslesse windes and waues:
To doome these innocent Ladies to the fire,
That were her faultlesse guardians; the like sentence
Receiue from vs: We doome thee imminent death
Without delay or pause. Beare to the blocke
The tyrant, he that could not vse his raigne
With clemency, we thus his rage restraine.

Acris.
Thou shew'st thy selfe in rigor pittifull,
And full of mercy in thy cruelty,
To take away that life, which to enioy
Were many deaths, hauing my Danae lost
With her sonne Perseus: hauing lost my kingdome,
All through the vaine feares of Prophetike spelles:
Why should I wish a wretched life to saue,
That may rest happy in a peacefull graue?

Pre.
What shout is that? the proiect?

A flourish and a shout. Enter a gentleman.
Gentl.
Strange and admirable.
Bellerephon and a braue strange knight,
Both crownd in bloud in the Chimeraes spoyle,
Haue cleft the ayre on a swift winged steede,
And in your Court alighted; both their swords
Bath'd in the Serpents bloud, they brandish still,
As if they yet some monster had to kill.

Pretus.
Bellerephon return'd?
Thou hast amaz'd vs.

Enter Perseus Danaus, and Bellerophon, with Andromeda. Kill Pretus and Aurea, beat away the rest of the guard.
Perseus.
One monster (then the rude Chimere more fell)
That's Pretus, Danaes soone must send to hell.

Pretus.
Treason. Our guard.

Perseus.
Liues there a man, the tyrant Pretus dead,
Saith that the Crowne shall not inuest his head?

All.
We all stand for the King Acrisius.

Pers.
Then by his generall sufferage once more raigne,
Since by our hand th'vsurper here lyes slaine.

Acrisius.
Our hopelesse life, and new inuested state,
Strikes not so deepe into Acrisius ioyes,
As when he heares the name of Danaes sonne.
Liues Danae?

Perseus.
Grand-sire, thy faire daughter liues
A potent Queene: we Perseus are her sonne,
This Danaus your hopefull grand-childe too:
Nor let me quite forget Andromeda,
By Perseus sword freed from the huge Sea-whale,
And now ingraft into your royall line.

Acris.
Diuide my soule amongst you, and impart
My life, my state, my kingdome, and my heart.
Oh had I Danae here, my ioyes to fill,
I truely then should be immortalis'd.
Renowned Perseus, Danaus inly deere,
And you bright Lady, faire Andromeda,
You are to me a stronger sort of ioy
Then Darreines brasse, which no siege can destroy.

Dana.
My gran-sires sight doth promise as much blisse,
As can Elisium, or those pleasant fields,
Where the blest soules inhabite.

Andro.
You are to me
As life on earth, in death eternity.

Acrisius.
Let none presume our purpose to controwle:
For our decree is like the doome of Gods
Fixt and vnchanging: Perseus we create
Great Arges King, crown'd with this wreath of state.

Perseus.
With like applause, and sufferage shall be seene,
The faire Andromeda crown'd Arges Queene.

Acrisius.
Onely the Darreine tower I still reserue
In that to pennance me a life retir'd,
And I in that shall proue the Oracle.
Faire Danaes sonne instated in my throne,
Shall thus confine me to an Arch of stone.
There will I liue, attended by my guard,
And leaue to thee the manadge of my Realme.
Our will is law, which none that beares vs well,
Will striue by word or action to refell.

Pers.
The Gods behest with your resolue agree
To increase in vs this growing maiesty.
Bellerephon, we make thee next our selfe
Of state in Arges: Danaus you shall hence,
To cheere our mother in these glad reports,
And to succeed Pelonnus: but first stay,
Rights due to vs ere we the state can sway.