University of Virginia Library

THE THYRDE ACTE.

Hercules.
O comfortable guyde of light, and honour of the skye,
That cōpassing both Hemyspheres with flaming chariot hye
Thy radiāt head to ioyful lāds about ye world dost bring,
Thou Phœbus pardon geue to me, if any vnlawful thing
Thyne eyes haue seene: (cōmaūded) I haue here to light out set
The secretes of the worlde: and thou of heauen o guider gret,
And parent eke, in flashe out throwne of lightning hide thy syght.
And thou that gouernest the seas with seconde sceptors myght,
To bottome synke of deepest waues: who so from hye doth see,
And dreading yet with countnaunce newe the earth defil'de to bee,
Let him from hence turne backe his sight, and face to heauen vpholde,
These monstrous sights to shun: let twayn this mischiefe great behold,
Hee who it brought, and shee that bad. for paynefull toyles to mee,
And laboures long, not all the earth thought wide inough may bee
For Iunoes hate: things vncome to all men I did see,
Unknowne to sonne, and spaces wyde that darke and shadefull bee
Which woorser poale geues dyrer Ioue to raygne and rule therein.
And yet if thyrde place pleased more for mee to enter in,
I there coulde raygne, the Chaos of eternall nyght of hell,
And woorse then night, the dolefull Gods I haue that there doe dwell,
And Fates subdu'de, the death contemn'de I am return'de to light.
What yet remaynes? I sawe and show'de the spryghts of hell to sight:
Appoynct, if ought be more, do'ste thou my hands so long permit
Iuno to ceasse? what thing byd'st thou to be subdued yet?
But why doe cruell souldiars holde the holy temples wyde?
And dread of armour sacred porche beset on euery syde?

Amphitryon, Hercules,
Theseus.
Doo eyther els my great desyres delude and mocke myne eyes?
Or hath the tamer of the world and Greekes renowme likewyse,
Forsooke the silent howse, besette with cloude full sadde to see?
Is this my sonne? my members loe for ioy amased bee.
Oh sonne, the sure and sauegard late of Thebes in misery,
See I thy body true indeede? or els deceiu'de am I
Mockt with thy sprite? art thou ye same? these brawnes of armes I know
And shoulders, and thy noble handes from body hie that grow.

Her.
Whens (father) happes this vglines, and why in mourning clad
Is thus my wyfe? how happes it that with filth so foule bestad
My children are? what misery doth thus my house oppresse?

Am.
Thy father in law is slayne: the kingdome Licus doth possesse.
Thy sonnes, thy parent and thy wyfe to death pursueth hee.

Her.
Ungrateful land, doth no man come that will an ayder bee
Of Hercles house? and this behelde so great and haynous wronge
Hath th'ayded world? but why were I the day in playnt so long?
Let thenmy dye and this renoume let strength obtayne in haste,
And of Alcides enmies all let Lycus be the last.
I driuen am to goe to shedde the bloud of enmye out.
Watch Theseu that no sodayne strength beset vs here aboute:
My warres require, embracing yet deferre O father deare,
And wyfe deferre them: Lycus shall to hell this message beare
That I am now returnd.

The,
Shake of O Queene out of thyne eyes
This weping face, and thou synce that thy sonne is safe likewyse
Thy dropping teares refrayne: yf yet I Hercles euer knew
Then Lycus shall for Creon paye the paynes to him ful due.
T'is lyght, he shal, he doth and that's to light he hath it done.

Am.
Now God that can them bring to passe, spede wel our wishes soone,
And come to helpe our weary woes. O noble harted mate
Of my stout sonne, of his renowne declare vs all the rate:
How long away doth leade to place where sory sprites doth dwell,
And how the hard and heauy bondes the dog hath borne of hell.

The.
The deedes thou dost constrayne to tell, that euen to mynde secure
Are dredful yet and horrible, scant yet the trust is sure
Of vitall ayre, sore blunted is the sharpnesse of my sight,
And dulled eyes do scant sustayne to see th'vnwoonted light.

AM.
Yet Theseus throughly ouercome what euer feare remaynes
In bosome deepe, nor do thou not of best fruict of thy paynes
Beguilde thy selfe. What thing hath once to suffre beene a care,
To haue remembred it is sweete, those dredfull haps declare.

TH.
All ryght of worlde, and thee lykewyse I praye ye bearst the rayne
In kingdome wyde, and thee, for whom all round about in vayne
Thy mother throughout Ætna sought, that secret things alowe
And hid in ground, it freely may bee lawfull for to showe.
The Spartane land a noble toppe of hyll aduaunceth hye,
Where Tænarus with woods full thick the Sea doth ouerly.
The house of hatefull Ditis here his mouth doth open set,
And rocke of hyll aboue doth gape, and with a denne full gret
A huge and gaping cleft of ground with Iawes full wyde doth lye,
And way full broade to people all doth spred to passe thereby.
Not straight with darkenes doth begin the way that blindes the sight.
A litle lingring brightnes loe behinde of late left light,
And doubtfull glittring yet of sonne afflicted falles alowe,
And mocks the sight: such light is wont vndoubtedly to showe
The dawne of day, or twylight els at edge of euening tyde.
From hence to hollowe places voyde are loaste the spaces wyde,
To which needes peryshe must all kinde of men that once are throwne.
Nor it a labour is to goe, the way it selfe leades downe.
As oft the ships agaynst theyr willes doth tosse the swelling surge,
So downward doth that headlong way, and greedy Chaos vrge:
And backe agayne to drawe thy pace thee neuer doe permit
The sprits who what they catch hold fast. alowe within doth flit
In chanell wyde with silent foorde the quiet lake of lethe,
And cares doth rid: and that there may to scape agayne from death
No meane be made, with many turnes and windings euery way
Foldes in his floude. in such sorte as with waue vnsure doth play
Mæander wandring vp and downe, and yeldes himselfe vnto,
And doubtfull stands, if he toward banke, or backe to spryng may goe.
The foule and filthy poole to see of slowe Cocytus lyes.
On th'one the Grype, on th'other side the mournefull Howlet cries,
And sad lucke of th'vnhappy Strix likewise resoundeth there.
Full vglily in shady bowes blacke Locks of lothsome heare,
Where Taxus tree doth ouer leane, which holdeth slouthfull sleepe,
And hunger sad with famisht Iawe that lyes his place to keepe,
And shame to late doth hide his face that knowes what crimes it hath,
Both feare, and quaking, funerall, and fretting raging wrath,
And mourning dyre doth follow on, and trembling pale disease,
And boystrous battayles set with sworde: and hid beyond all thease
Doth slouthfull age his lingring pace help forth with staffe in hand.

AM.
Of corne and wyne in hell alowe is any fertile land?

TH.
No ioyfull Meades do there bring forth with face so greene & fayre,
Nor yet with gentill Zephyrus wagges ripened corne in th'ayre,
Nor any tree hath there such bowes as doe bryng apples out.
The barrayne compasse of deepe foyle full filthy lyes about,
And withred with eternall drought the lothsome land doth waste
And bond full sad of thinges, and of the worlde the places laste:
The ayre vnmoued stands, and night sits there full darke to see
In slouthfull world, all thinges by dread full horrible there bee.
And euen farre worse then death it selfe, is place where death doth bide.

AM.
What? he that doth those places darke with regall sceptor guide,
In what seate set, doth he dispose and rule those peoples light?

TH.
A place there is in turne obscure of Tartarus from sight,
Which mist full thick with fearefull shade doth holde and ouergoe.
From hence a double parted streame from one wellspring doth floe:
The tone, much like a standing poole (by this the gods doe sweare)
The which the sacred Stygian lake with silent floude doth beare:
The t'other fierce with tumult great is drawen his course to goe,
And Acheron with raging floud the stones dryues to and froe
Unsaylable. with double foorde is rounde about beset
Agaynst it Ditis pallace dyre, and mansion house full gret
In shadefull woode is couered: from wide den here the posts
And thresholds of the tyrant hang, this is the walke of ghosts:
This of his kingdome is the gate: a fielde about it goes,
Where sitting with a countnaunce proude abroade he doth dispose
Newe soules. a cruell maiesty is in the God to knowe:
A frowning forehead, which yet of his brethren beares the showe,
And so great stocke: there is in him of Ioue the very face,
But when he lightens: and great part of cruell kingdomes place,
Is he himselfe the lorde thereof: the sight of whom doth feare,
What euer thing is fear'de.

AM.
Is fame in this poynct true, yt there
Such rygours are, and gilty Ghosts of men that there remayne
Forgetfull of theyr former faulte, haue there deserued payne?
Who is the rector there of ryght, and iudge of equity?

TH.
Not onely one extorter out of faultes in seate set hye
The iudgements late to trembling soules doth there by lot awarde:
In one appoyncted iudgement place is Gnossian Minos harde,
And in an other Radamanthe: this crime doth Aeac heare.
What eche man once hath done, he feeles: and guilt to th'author theare
Returnes, and th'hurtfull with their owne example punisht bee.
The bloudy cruell captaynes I in pryson shet did see,
And backe of tyrant impotent euen with his peoples hande
All torne and cut. what man of might with fauour leades his lande,
And of his owne lyfe lorde reserues his hurtlesse handes to good,
And gently doth his empyre guide without the thyrst of blood,
And spares his soule, he hauing long led forth the lingring dayes
Of happy age, at length to heauen doth eyther finde the wayes,
Or ioyfull happy places ells of fayre Elysius woode.
Thou then that here must be a iudge abstayne from man his bloode,
Who so thou be that raygnest kyng: our gyltes are there acquit
In greater wyse.

AM.
Doth any place prescript of lymite shit
The gylty Ghosts, and as the fame reportes, doth cruell payne
The wicked men make tame that in eternall bondes remayne?

TH.
Ixion roll'de on whyrling wheele is tost and turned hye:
Upon the necke of Sisyphus the mighty stone doth lye.
Amyd the lake with thyrsty Iawes olde Tantalus therein
Pursues the waues, the water streame doth wet and washe his chin,
And when to him nowe ofte deceyu'de it doth yet promise make,
Straight flits the floud: the fruicte at mouth his famyne doth forsake,
Eternall foode to fleeing foule doth Tytius hart geue still:
And Danaus daughters doe in vayne theyr water vessells fill.
The wicked Cadmus daughters all goe raging euery way:
And there doth greedy rauening byrde the Phiney tables fray.

AM.
Nowe of my sonne declare to me the noble worthy fight.
Brings he his willing vnckles gyft, or Plutoes spoyles to sight?

TH.
A dyre and dredfull stone there is the slouthfull foordes fast bye,
Where sluggish freat with waue aston'd full dull and slowe doth lye:
This lake a dredfull fellow keepes both of attire and sight,
And quaking Ghosts doth ouer beare an aged vgly wyght:
His Bearde vnkempt, his bosome foule deform'de in filthy wyse
A knot byndes in, full lothesome stand in head his hollowe eyes:
He Feary man doth steare about his Boate with his long Ore.
He driuing nowe his lightned Ship of burden towarde the Shore,
Repayres to waues: and then his way Alcides doth requyre,
The flocke of Ghosts all geuing place: alowde cryes Charon dyre,
What way attemptest thou so bolde? thy hastening pace here stay.
But Nathales Alemenaes sonne abyding no delay,
Euen with his owne poale bet he dothe full tame the shipman make,
And clymes the ship: the barke that coulde full many peoples take,
Did yelde to one: he sat, the boate more heauy like to breake
Whith shyuering ioyntes on eyther syde the lethey floud doth leake.
Then tremble all the monsters huge, the Centaures fierce of myght,
And Lapithes, kindled with much wyne to warres and bloudy fight.
The lowest Chanelles seeking out of Stygian poole a downe,
His Lerney labour sore affright his fertile heads doth drowne.
Of greedy Ditis after this doth then the house appere.
The fierce and cruell Stygian dogge doth fray the spirites there,
The which with great and roaring sounde his heads vpshaking three,
The kingdome keepes his vgly head with filth full foule to see
The serpentes licke: his hayres be fowle with vypers set among,
And at his crooked wrested tayle doth hysse a Dragon longe:
Lyke yre to shape. when him he wyst his pace that way to take,
His bristle hoyres he lifteth vp with fierce vp bended snake:
And sounde sent out he soone perceyues in his applyed eare,
Who euen the sprits is wont to sent as soone as stoode more neare
The sonne of Ioue, the doubtfull dogge strait couched downe in denne,
And eche of them did feare. beholde with dolefull barking then
The places dumme he makes a dred, the threatning serpent stout
Through all the fieldes about doth hysse: the bawling noyse sent out
Of dredfull voyce from triple mouth, euen sprits that happy bee
Doth make afrayde. from left side then strayte way vndoeth hee
The cruell Iawes, and Lyons head once slayne in Cleon fielde
Agaynst him sets, and couer doth himselfe with mighty shielde.
And bearing in his conquering hande a sturdy club of Oke,
Nowe here, now there he rolleth him about with often stroke:
His stripes he doubles: he subdew'de his threates asswaged all,
And all his heads the weary dogge at once full lowe let fall,
And quite out of the denn he fled. full greatly feared (set
In regall throne) both king and queene, and bad him to bee fet.
And me likewyse they gaue for gyft to Hercles crauing mee.
The monsters heauy neckes with hand then stroaking downe all three,
In lynked chayne he byndeth faste forgetting then his strength
The dogge the watchefull keeper of the kingdome darke at length
Layth downe his eares full sore affray'de: and suffring to be led,
And eke acknowledging his lorde, following wyth lowly hed,
With tayle that snakes theron doth beare he both his sides doth smight.
But after that to Tænare mouth we came, and clearenes bright
Had strooke his eyes of light vnknowne, good stomacke yet agayne
He takes although once ouercome, and now the happy chayne
He raging shakes: he had almost his leader pluckt from place,
And headlong backward drawne to hell, and moued from his pace.
And euen to my handes Hercles then his eyes did backward cast,
Wee both with double ioyned strength the dogge out drawne at last
For anger woode, and battells yet attempting all in vayne,
Brought vp to world. as soone as he the cleere ayre sawe agayne,
And spaces pure of bryght fayre poale had once behelde with eye,
The nyght arose: his sight to ground he turned by and by,
Cast downe his eyes, and hatefull day forthwith he put to flight,
And backward turnd away his looke, and streight with all his might
To th'earthe he falles: and vnderneath the shade of Hercles then
He hyd his head. therewith there came a great resorte of men
With clamour glad, that did the bay about theyr forheads bryng:
And of the noble Hercules deserued prayses sing.

Chorus.
Evrystheus borne with swiftned birth in hast,
Did bid to bottome of the Worlde to go:
This onely lackt of labours all at last,
To spoyle the Kyng of thyrde estate also,
The dongeons darke to enter ventred hee,
Where as the way to sprits farre of doth bring
Full sadde, and woode so blacke and fear'de to bee;
But full with flocke full great him following.
As great a preasse as flocke in cyties streetes,
To see the Playes of Theatre newe wrought:
As great as at Eléus thundrer meetes,
When Sommer fift the sacred game hath brought:
As great as when comes houre of longer night,
And willing quiet sleepes to bee extent,
Holdes equall Libra Phœbus Charlots light,
A sorte the secrete Ceres doe frequent,
And from theyr howsen left doe hast to comme,
The Atticke priestes the nyghte to celebrate:
Such heape is chaste beneath by fieldes so dumme.
With age full slowe some taking forth their gate
Full sad, and fillde with life so long now led:
Some yet doe runne the race of better yeares,
The virgins yet vnioynde to Spowses bed,
And yonglings eke on whom grow yet no heares
And Infant lately taught his mothers name.
To these alone, (that they the lesse might feare)
Is graunted night to ease with foreborne flame.
The rest full sad by darke doe wander theare:
As is our mynde, when once away is fled
The lyght, when eche man sorry feeles to bee
Deepe ouerwhelmde with all the earth his hed.
Thick Chaos standes, and darknesse fowle to see,
And colour ill of night, and slouthfull state
Of silent World, and diuers Cloudes about,
Let hoary age vs thyther bring full late.
No man comes late to that, whence neuer out,
When once hee is come, turne agayne he may.
To hast the hard and heauy Fate what vayles?
This wandring heape in wyde landes farre away,
Shall goe to Ghosts: and all shall geue their sayles
To slowe Cocytus all is to thee enclinde,
Both what the fall, and rise of sonne doth see:
Spare vs that comme, to thee wee death are signde:
Though thou be slow, our selues yet haste doe wee.
Fyrst houre, that gaue the lyfe, it loast agayne.