University of Virginia Library

Scena prima.

Viden sola.
Viden.
VUhy should I lyue and lynger forth my time
In longer liefe to double my distresse?
O me most wofull wight whome no mishap
Longe ere this daie could haue bereued hence.
Mought not these handes by fortune or by fate,
Haue perst this brest and life with Iron reft,
Or in this Pallaice here where I so longe
Haue spent my daies, could not that happie houre
Ones, ones haue hapt ī which these hugie frames
With death by fall might haue oppressed me
Or should not this most hard and cruell soile,
So oft where I haue prest my wretched steps
Somtyme had ruthe of myne accursed liefe,
To rende in twaine and swallowe me therin.
So had my bones possessed nowe in peace
Their happie graue within the closed grounde
And greadie wormes had gnawen this pyned hart
Without my feelynge paine: So shulde not nowe
This lyuynge brest remayne the ruthefull tombe
Wherin my hart yelden to death is graued:
Nor driery thoughts with panges of pining griefe
My dolefull minde had not afflicted thus.
O my beloued sonne: O my swete childe,
My deare Ferrex, my Ioye, my lyues delyght.
Is my welbeloued sonne, is my sweete childe,
My deare Ferrex, my Ioye, my lyues delight
Murdered with cruell death? O hatefull wretche,
O heynous Traytour bothe to heauen and earth,
Thou Porrex, thou this damned dede hast wrought
Thou Porrex, thou shalt dearely abye the same,
Traitour to kinne and kinde, to Sire and me,
To thyne owne flesshe, and Traitour to thy selfe
The Gods on the in hell shall wreke their wrath,
And here in earth this hand shall take reuenge
On the Porrrex, thou false and caytife wighte,
If after blode, so eigre were thy thirst
And Murderous minde had so possessed thee,
If suche hard hart of Rocke and stonie Flint
Lyued in thy brest, that nothing elles could like
Thy cruell Tyrantes thought but death & bloode
Wild sauage beasts mought not ye slaughter serue
To fede thy gredie will, and in the myddest
Of their entrailes to staine thy deadlie handes
With blode deserued, and drinke therof thy fyll:
Or if nought els but death and bloud of man
Mought please thy lust, could none in Bryttain land
Whose hart be torne out of his louyng brest
With thine owne hand, or work what death thou woldest
Suffice to make a Sacrifice to appeaze
That deadlie minde & murderous thought in the?
But he who in the self same wombe was wrapped
Where thou in dismall hower receiuedst life?
Or if nedes, nedes thie hand must slaughter make
Moughtst thou not haue reached a mortall wound
And wt thy sworde haue persed this cursed womb?
That the accursed Porrex brought to lyght?
And geuen me a iust rewarde therfore.
So Ferrex, if swete life mought haue enioyed
And to his aged father comfort brought,
wt some yong sonne in whom thei both might liue
But wherevnto wast I this ruthefull speche?
To the that hast thy brothers bloud thus shed
Shall I stil think yt from this womb thou sprong?
That I thee bare? or take thee for my sonne?
No Traytour, no: I the refuse for mine,
Murderer I thee renounce, thou art not mine:
Neuer, O wretche, this wombe conceued thee,
Nor neuer bode I painefull throwes for thee:
Changeling to me thou art, and not my childe
Nor to no wight, that sparke of pytie knewe,
Rutheles, vnkind, Monster of Natures worke.
Thou neuer suckte the milke of womans breaste
But from thy birth the cruell Tigres teates
Haue nursed, nor yet of flesshe and bloud
Formed is thy hart, but of hard Iron wrought.
And wilde and desert woods breade thee to lyfe:
But canst thou hope to scape my iust reuenge?
Or that these handes will not be wrooke on thee?
Doest thou not knowe that Ferrex mother lyues
That loued him more dearelie then her selfe?
And doth she lyue, and is not venged on thee?