University of Virginia Library

THE SECOND SCENE.

Atreus,
Thyestes.
Entrapt in trayne the beast is caught and in the snare doth fall:
Both him, and eke of hated stocke with him the ofspryng all,
About the fathers syde I see: and nowe in saufety stands
And surest ground my wrathfull hate: nowe comes into my hands
At length Thyestes: yea hee comes and all at once to mee.
I scant refrayne my selfe, and scant may anger brydled bee.
So when the Bloudhound seekes the beast, by step and quick of sent
Drawes in the leame, and pace by pace to wynde the wayes hee went,
With nose to soyle doth hunt, while he the Boare aloofe hath founde
Farre of by sent, he yet refraynes and wanders through the grounde
With silent mouth: but when at hand he once perceiues the pray,
With all the strength he hath he striues, with voyce and calls away
His lingring maister, and from him by force out breaketh hee.
When Ire doth hope the present bloud, it may not hydden bee.
Yet let it hydden be. beholde with vgly hayre to sight
How yrkesomely deform'de with filthe his fowlest face is dight,
How lothsome lyes his Bearde vnkempt: but let vs friendship fayne.
To see my brother me delights: geue now to me agayne
Embracing long desyred for: what euer stryfe there was
Before this time betwene vs twayne, forget and let it pas:
Fro this day forth let brothers loue, let bloud, and lawe of kinde
Regarded be, let all debate be slakte in eythers mynde.

Thy.
I coulde excuse my selfe, except thou wert as now thou art.
But (Atreus) now I graunt, the faulte was myne in euery part:
And I offended haue in all, my cause the worse to bee,
Your this dayes kindnes makes: in deede a guilty wight is hee,
That would so good a brother hurt as you, in any whit.
But now with teares I must entreate, and first I me submit.
These handes that at thy feete doe lye, doe thee beseeche and pray,
That yre and hate be layde aside, and from thy bosome may
Be scraped out: and cleere forgot for pledges take thou these
O brother deere, these guiltles babes.

Atr.
thy hands yet from my kneese
Remoue, and rather me to take in armes, vpon me fall
And yee Daydes of elders age, yee litle infants all.
Mee clyp and coll about the necke: this fowle attyre forsake,
And spare myne eyes that pity it, and fresher vesture take
Lyke myne to see. and you with ioy, the halfe of emperie
Deere brother take: the greater prayse shall come to mee thereby,
Our fathers seate to yelde to you, and brother to relieue.
To haue a kingdome is but chaunce, but vertue it to geeue.

Thy.
I iust reward for such deserts, the Gods (O brother deare)
Repay to thee: but on my head a regall crowne to weare,
My lothsome lyfe denyes: and farre doth from the sceptor flee
My hand vnhappy: in the mydst let leefull be for mee
Of men to lurke.

Atre.
this kingdome can with twayne full well agree.

Thy.
What euer is (O brother) yours, I count it myne to bee.

Atr.
Who would dame fortunes gifts refuse, if shee him rayse to raigne?

Thy.
The gyfts of hir eche man it wotes, how soone they passe againe.

Atr.
Yee me depryue of glory great, except yee th'empyre take.

Thy.
You haue your prayse in offring it, and I it to forsake.
And full perswaded to refuse the kingdome, am I still.

Atre.
Except your part yee will susteine myne owne forsake I will.

Thy.
I take it then. and beare I will the name there of alone:
The ryghts and armes, as well as myne they shall be yours eche one.

Atre.
The regall crowne as you beseemes vpon your head then take:
And I th'appoyncted sacrifice for Gods, will now goe make.

Chorus.
Woulde any man it weene? that cruell wight
Atreus, of mynde so impotent to see
VVas soone astonied with his brothers sight,
Mo greater force then pietye may bee:
VVhere kynred is not, lasteth euery threat,
VVhom true loue holdes, it holdes eternally.
The vvrath but late vvith causes kyndled great
All fauour brake, and did to battayle cry,
VVhan horsemen did resounde one euery syde,
The swoardes eche vvhere, then glystred more & more:
VVhich raging Mars vvith often stroke did guide
The fresher bloud to shed yet thyrsting sore.
But loue the sworde agaynst theyr vvills doth swage,
And them to peace perswads vvith hand in hand.
So sodeyne rest, amid so great a rage
VVhat God hath made? throughout Mycenas land
The harnesse clynkt, but late of cyuill strife:
And for their babes did fearefull mother quake,
Her armed spouse to leese much fearde the vvyfe,
VVhen sworde vvas made the scabberde to forsake,
That now by rest vvith rust vvas ouergrowne.
Some to repayre the vvalles that did decay,
And some to strength the towres halfe ouerthrowne,
And some the gates vvith gyns of Yrne to stay
Full busie vvere, and dredfull vvatch by nyght
From turret high did ouerlooke the towne.
VVoorse is then warre it selfe the feare of fight.
(Nowe are the threats of cruell sworde layde downe,
And nowe the rumour whists of battayles sowne,
The noyse of crooked trumpet silent lyes,
And quiet peace returnes to ioyfull towne.
So when the waues of swelling surge aryse,
VVhyle Corus wynde the Brutian seas doth smight,
And Scylla soundes from hollowe Caues within,
And Shipmen are with wafting waues affright,
Charybdis casts that erst it had drunke in:
And Cyclpos fierce his father yet doth dred,
In AEtna banke that feruent is with heates,
Least quenched be with waues that ouershed
The fire that from eternall Fornace beates:
And poore Laërtes thinkes his kyngdomes all
May drowned be, and Ithaca doth quake:
If once the force of wyndes begin to fall,
The sea lyth downe more mylde then standing lake.
The deepe, where Ships so vvyde full dredfull vvere
To passe, vvith sayles on eyther syde out spred
Now fallne adowne, the lesser Boate doth beare:
And leysure is to vewe the fyshes ded
Euen there, vvhere late vvith tempest bet vpon
The shaken Cyclades vvere vvith Seas agast.
No state endures the payne and pleasure, one
To other yeldes, and ioyes be soonest past.
One howre sets vp the thinges that lowest bee.
Hee that the crownes to prynces doth deuyde,
VVhom people please with bending of the knee,
And at whose becke theyr battayles lay aside
The Meades, and Indians eke to Phebus nye,
And Dakes that Parthyans doe with horsemen threat,
Him selfe yet holdes his Sceptors doubtfully,
And men of might he feares and chaunces great
(That eche estate may turne) and doubtfull howre.
O yee, vvhom lorde of lande and vvaters wyde,
Of Lyfe and death grauntes here to haue the powre,
Lay yee your proude and lofty lookes aside:
VVhat your inferiour feares of you amis.
That your superiour threats to you agayne.
To greater kyng, eche kyng a subiect is.
VVhom dawne of day hath seene in pryde to raygne,
Hym ouerthrowne hath seene the euening late.
Let none reioyce to much that good hath got,
Let none dispayre of best in vvorst estate.
For Clotho myngles all, and suffreth not
Fortune to stande: but Fates about doth driue.
Such friendship finde wyth Gods yet no man myght,
That he the morowe might be sure to lyue.
The God our things all tost and turned quight
Rolles with a whyrle wynde.