University of Virginia Library

Actus Quartus:

Scœna prima.

Enter Prince Cethus the sonne of King Naulus, and brother to Palamides.
Ceth.
With wondrous ioy they say, the Greekes returne
With Triumphes and ouations piercing Heauen,
Where e're they set but foot loude Pæans sung,
And Oades to spheare-like Notes tun'd in their prayse:
Whil'st Cethus like a forlorne shadowe walkes
Dispis'd, disgrac't, neglected and debosht;
Playing his melancholly, cares and sorrowes
On his discordant Hart-strings. Oh my fate!
Shall I, that haue this body and this braine,
A royalty stampt on mee in my birth:
Whose wrongs haue beene of marke through all the world
Troubling each eare, and being disputable
By euery tongue that hath beene taught to speake,
Euen in the mouthes of Babes, all rating mee
Of cowardesie and sloth: sleepe, an occasion
Being fairely offered? No, awake reuenge,
Ile bring the now to action.

Enter Pilades.
Pil.
Heare you the newes

Ceth.
Orestes friend, the noble Pilades?
Instruct mine ignorance, I know of none.

Pil.
This day the Prince, great Agamemnons heire
Orestes whom you truely call your friend,
Betroths the young and faire Hermione
Daughter to beauteous Hellen.

Ceth.
Hymens ioyes.
Crowne them with all true pleasure.

Pil.
Shall we haue your presence at the Contract?

Ceth.
Who's within?

Pil.
Onely Egistus, Clitemnestras friend,
The Queene and faire Electra.

Ceth.
Witnesse enough,
Then spare me for this time good Pilades,
Wee'le owe them greater seruice.

Pyl.
But tis a duty that I owe my friend,
My absence would distast him.

Exit.
Ceth.
Fare you well.
Doe, doe, contract and marry, ayme at Heauen,
But Hell is that they plunge in: Oh Palamedes
My basely betray'd brother, sold at Troy
As we would cheapen Horses, yet a Prince:
A Prince? nay Generall of the Greekish host.
Emperour and Keyser, chose to that command
By a full Iury of Kings, and by them rated
The prime & worthiest: who being far from equal
Could find in whole Greece no competitor.
Yet this peculiar man, this God of men,
By false Vlysses and Atreus sonnes
Agamemnon and Menelaus, basely supplanted;
Who, for they would conferre amongst themselnes
The soueraignty forg'd letters sent from Troy,
And coine withall mark't with King Priams stamp,
As if this father of his fame and Nation
Whose onely ends were aymd to honour Greece
Would haue betrayde his people: this suggested,
My brother was arraign'd, conuict, condemn'd;
For which I haue vow'd the vniuersall ruine
Of all the Kings of that corrupted bench.
Palamides thy blood in Asia shed
Shall make all Europe mourne since thou art dead.

Enter Egistus, Clitemnestra, Orestes, Pilades, Hermione, and Electra.
Cli.
Meeenaes King and Sparta's would be proud
To see this happy and blest vnion made
Betweene their royall Familyes.

Orest.
This faire Virgine,
Second from Læda to whom Ioue vouchsaf't
The strict Imbrace of his immortall arme,
Vnspotted with her mothers prostitution,
Wee'le thus receiue.

Hermi.
May my chast innocence
Breake through the Cloud which hath ecclips'd her fame,
Whose luster may out-shine my mothers fraileties,
And they through me may bee forgot in Greece.

Egi.
Hermione, your words tast of your breeding
Vnder this Queene your faire and Princely Aunt,
were young Electra but so well bestowed,
Great Agamemnon in so braue a match
Would thinke himselfe more grac'd, then in fruition
Of all the forraigne Trophies.

Ceth.
May shee prooue?
A whore like to her Mother: Prince Orestes,
And you bright Lady Spartans second light,
May all the vertues of this potent Queene
Take life in you, to prooue hereditary
That the great Arch-duke crown'd with fame and honour.
In his returne may adde a surplusadge
To his already surfet: find his bed
By this adultresse basely strumpetted,
And make the Downe they lye on quaffe their blood.

Orest.
How doe you faire Electra in your iudgement
Applaude your brothers choyce?

Elect.
As of a contract
Made by the gods aboue, and now by Princes
Here ratified on earth.

Orest.
I would my friend
Were to you sister, but as fast betroth'd
As I to Hellens daughter: But deare Pilades,
Tis Time must perfect all things.

Pil.
Madam you heare
This motion from your brother.

Elect.
And I craue
Time to consider on't.

Orest.
Tis on foote,
Pursue it then with all aduantages,
Command my free assistance to beginne:
Had you Electra friend, as I Hermione;
We were at first as forraigne as you two,
And euery way as strange, but opportunity
That hath vnited vs, may make you one.
After some amorous parliance, let vs now
Vnto the Temple and there sacrifice
Vnto the gods, that Greece no more may mourne
But glory in our fathers safe returne,

Egist,
His safety is our danger, for know Madam,
Our loue hath bin too publick.

Ceth.
That's the ground
On which to build my proiect.

Cli.
Grant it hath.
Cannot a more then nine yeares widdow-head
Excuse mee being a woman? thinks the King
Wee can forget that lesson in our age,
Which was by him first taught vs in our youth?
Or was't his ayme to shew vs choyce delights,
Then barre vs their fruition? First to tast
Our pallat, next to make vs appetite;
And when our stomacks are prepar'd and sharpen'd
For Costly vionds plac't before our eyes,
Then to remooue the table? hee's vnkind;
And as hee hath dealt with vs, so must find.

Enter Synon.
Syn.
The Queene? to her my speed is.

Cli.
Speake on souldier.

Syn.
I am the herald of most happy newes,
Troy with the earth is leueld, sackt, and burnt;
Priam with all his memory extinct,
Queene, daughters, sonnes, and subiects ruin'd all.
Now like the vapour of their Citties smoake,
And of them no more found: And Madam now
The King your Lord, the Elder of the Atryd's,
Duke of the puissant and all conquering Host,
His temples archt in a victorious orbe,
And wreth'd in all the glories earth can yeeld
Is landed in Mycene a Conquerour.

Ceth.
How could they scape those fierce fires Naulus made
In vengeance of his sonne Palamides
To split their cursed Fleete vpon the rocks.

Cli.
Make repetition of their ioyes againe,
Beeing things that I cannot heare too oft,
And adde to them: Is Menelaus safe
My husbands brother? Hellen how fares shee?
Or is shee thence repurchast? fill mine eares
With such sweete Tones, 'tis all I can desire.

Syn.
Take your full longing then, for though the Seas
With tempests, stormes, rocks, shipwracks, shelues and sands
More dammag'd them then all the Troian siege.
Although the Beacons fir'd to draw their Fleete
Distressed and disperst vpon the rocks
Sunke many a goodly bottome: Yet the Generall
Scap't by the hand of Ioue, with him King Diomed,
Vlysses, and great Neoptolimus,
With Spartan Menelaus late attend
With beauteous Hellen cause of all these broyles:
All these attend vpon the Generall
To bring him home victorious, and this night
Will lodge in the Kings Pallace.

Cli.
Souldier thanks,
These twice fiue yeares I haue a widdow beene,
Thy newes haue now new married mee: giue order
For the Kings intertainment, all the state
Mycene can yeeld shall freely be expos'd
In honour of these Princes: your great hast
Doth aske some rest, therefore repose your selfe,
And for your fortunate newes expect reward.

Syn.
The Queene is royall.

Ceth.
And now to that diuell
Which I must coniure vp: Is the Queene mad?
Or thou Egistus sottish? see you not
The stake and scaffold, nay the Hang-man too;
And will you blind-fold run vpon your deaths
When there is way to 'scape them?

Egist.
What horrid fright
Is this propos'd by Cethus?

Ceth.
The King's return'd,
And doth not your veines gush out of your temples
In sanguine blushes? are not your adulteries
Famous as Hellens? nay, more infamous,
There was a rape to countenance what shee did,
You nought saue corrupt lust and idlenesse:
Tis blab'd in the Citty, talk't on in the Court,
All tongues surcharg'd, all eyes are fix't on you,
To see what fearefull vengeance he will take
For that your prostitution.

Cli.
Hee's a King.

Ceth.
True Clitemnestra, so he went from hence,
But is return'd a Tyrant flesht in blood:
Think'st thou that he who queld his foes abroad,
Will spare at home domestick enemies?
That was so prone to punish others wrongs,
And can forget his owne?

Cli,
If Menelaus
Haue pardon'd Hellen, may not he his brother
Make Spartaes King his noble president,
To doe the like to me?

Ceth.
Tush shallow Queene,
How you mistake; see imminent fate affront you,
And will not shun it comming? If his brother
Be branded as a scandall to the world,
What consequence is it that he will grone
Vnder the selfe same burden? rather thinke
He hath propos'd a vengeance dire and horrid
To terrifie, not countenance such misdeeds:
And this must fall on you, lest time to come
Should Chronicle his family for a broode
Of Cuckolds and of Strumpets:

Egist.
This thy language
Strikes me with horrour.

Cli.
And affrights mee too.

Ceth.
Is hee not King? hath he not Linxes eyes,
And Gyants armes, the first to see farre off,
The last as farre to punish? was hee so poore
In friends at home, to leaue no Argus here
To keepe his eyes still waking? thinke it not
But that he knew the treason of his bed,
Hee had not faire Briscis snatcht perforce
From th'armes of great Achilles.

Cli.
That I heard.

Ceth.
Why hath he a new mistresse brought from Troy,
But to state her in Clitemnestraes stead,
And make her Micenes Queene whilst you poore wretches
Like malefactors suffer, mark't for the Stag
And most ridiculous spectacles.

Cli.
You shew the danger,
But teach vs no preuention.

Egist.
Set before vs
The obiects of our feares and difficulties,
But not the way to auoyde them.

Ceth.
Heare me then,
Preuent your death's by his.

Cli.
How? kill the King?
So we heape sinne on sinne and basely adde
Vnto adultery murder.

Ceth.
Perscelus semper tutum sceleribus iter.
Boldly you haue begun, and being once in,
Blood will cure lust, and mischiefe phisicke sinne.

Cli.
Perhaps our guilt lies hid.

Ceth.
In a Kings Pallace
Can lust in such great persons be conceald?

Cli.
The first offence repents mee, and to that
I should but adde a greater.

Ceth.
Perish, doe.
Or what concernes this mee? I shall be safe,
I haue strumpetted no Agamemnons Queene,
Nor bastarded the issue of the Atrides:
Or why should I thus labour their securities
Who study not their owne?

Egist.
Resolue then Queene,
The Kings austeere, and will extend his Iustice
Vnto some sad example.

Cli.
Oh but my husband.

Ceth.
After ten yeares widdow-hood
Can Clitemnestra thinke of such a name?

Cli.
You haue halfe wone me, when shall this be done?

Ceth.
When but this night? delayes are ominous:
Ere he haue time to thinke vpon his wrongs,
Or finde a tongue to whisper, ere suspicion
Can further be instructed or least censure,
To call his wrongs in question: instantly,
Euen in his height of ioy, fulnesse of complement
With th' Argiue Kings: whilst cups are brim'd with healths,
Whilst iealousies are drown'd in Bacchus boles.
This night before he sleepe, or that his pillowe
Can giue him the least counsell, ere he can spare
A minute for the smallest intelligence,
Or moment to consider: I haue done
If you haue either grace in apprehension
Or spirit in performance.

Egist.
I haue both,
What answers Clitemnestra?

Cli.
I am swayd,
And though I know there's difference of Justice
In Princes sitting on the skarletbench,
And husbands dallying in the priuate bed:
I'le hold him as one sits vpon my life,
Not one that lies inclos'd within mine armes;
Hee's now my Iudge, not Husband, here I vow
Assistance in his death.

Ceth.
And so suruiue
Secure and fortunate.

Egist.
This night?

Cli.
'Tis done.

Ceth.
The proiect I haue cast with all security,
And safety for your person: smooth your browes,
And let there shine a welcome in your lookes
At the Kings intertainment: nay begone,
By this time you are expected; what remaines
Is mine in forme, but yours in action.
Exeunt.
Now father stile me a most worthy sonne
Palamides, a brother, what neither fires,
Nor rocks could doe, what neither Neptunes rage,
Nor Mars his fury, what the turbulent Seas,
Nor the combustious Land, that Cethus can:
Hee that succeedes my brother in his rule,
Shall first succeede in death: none that had hand
Or voyce in his subuersion that shall stand.

Exit:
Enter Thersites and Synon.
Ther.
Well met on Land kind brother, wee are now
Victorious: let's be proud on't.

Syn.
Thou say'st true,
Wee are Conquerours in our basest cowardise,
Wee had not beene here else.

Ther.
Valiant Hector,
Achilles, Troilus, Paris, Aiax too.
They are all falne, we stand.

Syn.
Yes, and will stiffe
When all the Grecian Princes that suruiue
Are crampt and ham-string'd.

Ther.
Wast thou not sea-sicke brother?

Syn.
Horribly, and fear'd
In the rough seas to haue disgorg'd my heart,
And there to haue fed Haddocks.

Ther.
Troians were fellowes
In all their fury to be parlied with:
But with the tempests, gusts, and Furicanes,
The warring windes, the billowes, rocks and fires
There was no talking: these few times we pray'd,
The gods would heare no reason.

Syn.
Twas because
The billowes with their roaring, and the winds
Did with their whistling keepe them from their eares:
But now all's husht, could wee finde time to pray,
They might find time to heare vs.

Ther.
Shall wee be
Spectators of the royall inter-view
Betwixt the King and Queene?

Syn.
Ten yeares diuorst
Should challenge a kind meeting, let's obserue
The forme and state of this Court-complement,
(things I did neuer trade with:) Harke loud musicke
Giues warning of their comming.

Loud musicke. Enter at one doore Agamemnon, Vlysses, Diomed, Pyrhus, Menelaus: Synon and Thersites falling into their trayne. At the other Egistus, Clitemnestra, Cethus, Orestes, Pylades, Hermione, Electra, &c.
Aga.
Vnto our Country and our Houshold-gods
Wee are at length return'd, trophied with honours,
With Troyes subuersion and rich Asiaes spoyles,
This is a sacred day.

Egist.
Such Troy had once.

Aga.
Vnto the gods wel'e sacrifice.

Ceth.
So Priam fell
Before the holy Altar.

Aga.
This Citty is not Troy.

Ceth.
Where Hellen treades,
I hold the place no better.

Aga.
See our Queene,
Orestes and Electra, for our sake,
Princes of Greece daigne them your best salutes,
Deare Clitemnestra.

Clit.
Royall King and Husband.

After their salute. All the rest complement as strangers, but especially Pyrhus and Orestes.
Aga.
What's he that kneeles so close vnto our Queen?

Clit.
Egistus and your seruant.

Aga.
Hee was young
When we at first set sayle from Aulis Gulfe,
Now growne from my remembrance: we shall finde
Fit time to search him further.

Ceth.
Marke you that.

Egist.
Yes, and it toucht me deepely.

Mene.
Our sister, and this young Hermione,
Daughter to vs and Hellen.

Ther.
Prity puppy,
Of such a common brach.

Men.
Young Neoptolemus,
This is the Lady promist you at Troy,
For your great seruice done there: she's your owne,
Freely imbrace her then.

Syn.
I see we are like
To haue a iolly kindred.

Orest.
Pyrhus, inioy
Her whom I haue in contract?

Pyr.
Beauteous Lady,
The great'st ambition Pyrhus aymes at now,
Is how to know you farther.
Hath beene so mighty to reuenge the wrongs
Of my faire mother, can from Hermione
Challenge no lesse then welcome.

Orest.
Oh you gods,
Pyrhus, thou wert more safe in burning Troy
With horrour, fury blood, fires, foes about thee.
Then in my fathers court.

Ceth.
Another Collumne
On which to build my slaughters. Patience Prince,
This is no time for braues and Menaces,
I further shall instruct you.

Orest.
I haue done.

Ther.
See now the two Queenes meete, & smack in publick,
That oft haue kist in corners

Syn.
Thersites?
Thou art growne a monster, a strange thing scarse knowne
'Mongst souldiers, wiues and daughters.

Ther.
They are two sisters.

Syn.
Yes, and the two King-brothers royally
Betweene them two cornuted.

Ther.
We are to loud.

Dio.
Princes of Greece, since we haue done a duty
To see our Generall mid'st his people safe,
And after many dreadfull warres abroad
In peace at home. 'Tis fit we should disperse
Vnto our seuerall Countries instantly,
I purpose for Ætolia, where my Queene
With longing waites my comming.

Aga.
Not King Diomed,
Till you haue seene Mecæna's pompe and state
In ampliest royalty exprest at full,
Both tasted of our feasts and Princely gifts.
The faire Ægiale, who hath so long
Forborne your presence, will not I presume
Deny to spare you to vs some few dayes,
To adde to the yeares number, though not as Generall
Yet will I lay on you a friends command
Which must not be deny'de.

Dio.
Great Agamemnon
With mee was euer powerfull, I am his.

Cli.
And now faire sister welcome back from Troy,
Be euer henceforth Spartaes.

Hel.
Your great care
In my enforced absence (gracious Queene)
Exprest vnto my deare Hermione,
Hath much obliged me to you. Oh my fate,
How swift time runnes: Orestes growne a man,
Whom I left in the Cradle! Young Electra
Then (as I tak't) scarce borne, and now growne ripe,
Euen ready for an husband!

Syn.
In whose absence
If but one handsome sweete-heart come in place,
Shee'l not turne tayle for't, if shee doe but take
After mine old Naunt Hellen.

Enter a Lord.
Lord.
The great and solemne preparation
Of the Court, state and glory mighty Princes,
Attend for you within.

Aga.
All are consecrated
Vnto your royall welcomes, enter then,
Wee'l feast like earthy gods, or god-like men.

Loud musick. They possesse the Stage in all state, Cethus stayeth behind.
Ceth.
My brayne about againe, for thou hast found
New proiect now to worke on, and 'tis here,
Orestes hath receiu'd Hermione
From Clitemnestra's hand, her soule is his,
And hee her Genius, two combind in one:
Yet shee is by the fathers Oath conferd
On Pyrhus, which shall breede a stormy flawe
Ne're to be peec't againe, but by the deaths
Of the two hopefull youths: perhaps the hazard
Of all these Kings if my reuenge strike home.
(Of that at leasure) but the bloody stage
On which to act, Generall this night is thine,
Thou lyest downe mortall, who must rise diuine.

Enter Orestes to Cethus. Musicke and healthing within.
Orest.
Oh Cethus what's this musicke vnto me,
That are compos'd of discords? what are healths
To him that is strucke heart-sicke? all those ioyes
Whose leaders seeme to pierce against the roofes
Of these high structures, to him that is struct downe
Halfe way below the Center?

Ceth.
Were you lower,
Yet here's a hand can rayse you, deeper cast
Then to the lowest Abisme: It lyes in me
To aduance you to the height of happinesse,
Where you shall liue eternis'd from the reach
Of any humane malice.

Orest.
Hadst thou seene
Her, in whose breast my heart was paradis'd,
Kist, courted, and imbrac'd.

Ceth.
By Pyrhus.

Orest.
Him:
What passionate and insidiating lookes
Hee cast on her, as if in scorne of me:
Shall hee inioy my birth-right, or inherite
Where I am heire apparant? shall he vsurpe,
Or pleade my interest, where I am possest?
Rule where I raigne? where I am stated, sit?
Braue me in my peculiar Soueraignty?

Ceth.
Hee must not, shall not.

Orest.
Show mee to depose
The proud Vsurper then.

Ceth.
Prince, make't my charge.
In the meane time, from your distracted front
Exile all discontent, let not least rage
Raigne in your eye, or harshnesse in your tongue,
Smooth waters are still deep'st: waite on the King,
And be no stranger to your mothers eye,
Or forraigne to your Kindred: the feast spent,
And night with it: the morrow shall beget
Proiect of more import (scarse thought on now.)

Orest.
I build vpon thy Counsell.
Exit Orestes.

Ceth.
Which hath proou'd,
Fixt as a rocke, still constant, and vnmoou'd.

Enter Egistus.
Egist.
What Cethus here? why no such matter now
No cause of feare, or least suspicion.

Ceth.
Your reason?

Egist.
Tush, presume it, we are safe.

Ceth.
Obserue it, they are still securest, whom
The Diuell driues to ruine.

Egist.
Harke, their healths
Carrowsing to the Generals Victories,
In all thy heate of ioy, and fire of wine,
No sparke of iealously, all th'Argument
Of their discourse, what they haue done at Troy.
Still health on health, and the great Generall
So farre from seeming to haue least distaste,
That in all affable tearmes hee courts his Queene,
Nay more, cuts off all banquet Ceremonies,
To hasten his bed-pleasures, as if times distance
Betwixt his boord and pallade, seemed more tedious
Then all his Ten yeares siege.

Ceth.
Goe, lost man,
Sinke on firme ground, be shipwrackt in a Calme.
These healthes are to your ruines, his reuenge:
Hath not Egistus read of a disease
Where men dye laughing: others that haue drunke
Poyson in steed of Cordials, perish so?
To dye tis nothing, since tis all men due:
But wretchedly to suffer, fall vnpittied,
Vnpittied? nay derided, mockt, and curst:
To dye as a base Traytor, and a Thiefe,
The adulterator of his Soueraignes bed,
The poyson of the Atredas family,
And scandall of his issue, so to dye?

Egi.
Egistus will preuent, he by this hand
Must fal, 'fore whom all Asia could not stand.

Ceth.
The banquet is broke vp, sleep cals to rest,
And mid-nights houre for murther, still showes best.

Exit.
Loud musicke. Enter Egistus with his sword drawne, hideth himselfe in the chamber behind the Bed-curtaines: all the Kings come next in, conducting the Generall and his Queene to their Lodging, and after some complement leaue them, euery one with torches vshered to their seuerall chambers, &c.
Aga.
Methinkes this night, we Clitemnestra meete,
At a new bridall; all Attendants leaue vs,
Wee now are onely for bed-priuacies.

Cli.
Great sir, I that so long haue bin your widdow,
Will be this night your hand-mayde.

Aga.
You told me, Queene,
Orestes was a cunning horse-man growne:
It pleasde me much to heare it.

Cli.
Greece reports
No Centare can ride better.

Aga.
And young Electra,
In all th'indowments that may best become
A Princesse of her breeding, most compleate.

Cli.
It was in your long absence, all my care,
(Being my charge) that you at your returne
Might finde them to your wishes,

Aga.
Thankes for that.

Cli.
How cunningly he seemes to carry it!
But we must finde preuention.

Aga.
Who's without there?

Cli.
Why started you?

Aga.
Not all the Asian Legions, no not Hector
Arm'd with his bals of wild-fire, had the power
To shake me like this tremor: Is our Pallace
Lesse safe in Greece, amidst our subiects here,
Then were our Tents in Asia?

Cli.
Where, if not here in Clitemnestraes armes,
Can safety dwell?

Aga.
And faire Queene, it should bee so.

Cli.
But why sir cast you such suspicious eyes
About your Chamber? are wee not alone?
Or will you to the priuate sweetes of night,
Can tell tale witnesse?

Aga.
Now tis gone agayne. Shall we to rest?

Cli.
So please you royall Sir.

Aga.
How hard this Doune feeles, like a monument
Cut out of marble. Beds resemble Graues,
And these me-thinkes appeare like winding sheets,
Prepar'd for corses.

Cli.
Oh how ominously
Doe you presage: you much affright me sir
In this our long-wisht meeting.

Aga.
All's shooke off,
I now am arm'd for pleasure: you commended
Late one Egistus to me, prithee Queene
Of what condition is he?

Egist.
Tyrant this.

Cli.
And I am thus his second.

They both wound him, at which there is a greate thunder crack.
Aga.
Treason, murder, Treason:
This showes, we Princes are no more then men.
Thankes Ioue tis fit when Monarches fall by Treason,
Thunder to all the world, would show some reason.

he dies.
Egi.
The deede is done, lets flye to some strong Cittadell,
For our more safety.

Cli.
Hee thus made diuine:
Now my Egistus, I am soly thine.

Exeunt.
A noyse of vproare within. Enter all the Kings with other Seruants halfe vnready, as newly started from their Beds. Orestes, Hermione, Pillades, Electra, &c.
Mene.
What strange tumultuous noyse is this so late,
To rouse vs from our beds?

Pyr.
Prodigious sure,
Since 'tis confirm'd by Thunder.

Orest.
In mine eares
Did neuer sound seeme halfe to terrible.

Hel.
Nor to your eyes, as this sad obiect is,
See great Atrides groueling.

Ceth.
What damn'd Villaine
Was auther of this proiect?

Omnes.
Horrid sight.

Ore.
Rest you amazed all, as thunder struke,
And without sence or motion Apoplext,
And onely heare me speake: Orestes, he
Who as if marbled by Medusæes head,
Hath not one teare to fall, or sigh to spend,
Till I finde out the murderer, and on him
Inflict remarkable vengance: for I vowe
Were it my father, brother, or his Queene,
Hadst thou my weeping sister hand in it.
If hee? whom equall, (if not rankt aboue)
I euer did, and shall loue Pylades?
Wert she whose wombe did beare me, where I lay
Full nine moneths bedded ere I saw the Sunne,
Or the most abiect Traytor vnder Heauen,
Their doomes were all alike, and this I vowe.
Now you whom this silent and speechlesse King
Hath oft commanded, this now sencelesse braine
As oft directed, this now strengthlesse hand
More oft protected in a warre, that shall
Be to all times example: Lend your shoulders
To beare him, who hath kept you all in life,
This is a blacke and mourning funerall right,
Deedes of this nature must be throughly searcht,
Nay be reueng'd: the gods haue sayd tis good,
The morning Sunne shall rise and blush in blood.

They beare him off with a sad and funerall mareh, &c.