The Argument.
Laivs King of Thebes, hadde by his Wyfe and
Queene IOCASTA, a Sonne named OEDIPVS:
Who being yet in his Mothers Wombe,
APOLLO his Oracle pronounced, that by the
handes of that childe, King LAIVS the father should bee
murthered. The feare whereof caused the King to commaūd
him to be put to death. The Kinges heardman, who had the
charge to see this done, on thone side mooued with compassion
ouer a tender weakeling: and on the otherside, afraid to incurre
the King his maisters displeasure, contented himselfe
onely to boare two hoales through the Infants two feete, and
with certayne plyable Twigges beinge thrust through the
same, hong him vp on a tree by the Heeles: supposing that
heereby hee should cōmit a lesse crime in suffring the childe
to perishe by famine, then in playing the Butcher himsefe. It
fortuned, that one PHORBAS heardman to POLYBIVS
King of Corynth, passing by that way & hearing a yong
Childe crye, went and cut him downe, and caryinge him to
Corynth, it so fell out that at length hee was giuen for a present
or gyft to MEROPE, Wyfe to the said King POLYBVS.
This OEDIPVS afterward going to Thebes, in
a certayne sedicious hurly burly in the countrey there, vnawares
and vnwitting slewe King LAIVS his Father. About
which tyme the City of Thebes, and Countrey there about
was meruelously infested with a monster called Sphinx: who
propounding a certaine Riddle, or obscure question to such as
passed that vvay, and deuouringe as many, as coulde not
assoyle the same. To him that coulde assoile it, and so rid
the Countrey from that so vgly and daūgerous a monster, the
mariage of Queene IOCASTA, and the kingdome of Thebes
was promysed as a recompence: OEDIPVS after many
others, taking the matter in hand, assoyled the Ryddle, &
slew the mōster. Whereupō marying the Queene, not knowing
her to bee his owne Mother, had by her foure Chyldren:
ETHEOCLES, POLYNICES, ANTIGONE, &
ISMENE. In the end, hauing knowledg, how first hee had
kylled his Father, and then incestuously maryed his Mother,
hee forsooke his kingdome being continually infested wyth
the plague, & (as one ashamed to loke any man in the face) pulled
out his own Eyes, and hid himselfe in corners and solitary
places. His Sonnes ETHEOCLES & POLYNICES
agreed to raigne enterchaungeably, that is to wit, ETHEOCLES,
one yeare, and POLYNICES the other. ETHEOCLES
hauing raigned his yeare, refused according
to the articles of agrement, to resigne the Crowne to his brother
for the next yeare. Whereupō they fel to mortal warres,
and in the end meaning by combat to ende the matter, they
mutually slew one the other. And note that this Tragedy,
was left by the Authour vnperfect, because it neyther
hath in it, Chorus, ne yet the fifth Acte.
