University of Virginia Library

THE THIRDE ACTE.

Antigone.
Iocasta. Nuntius.
Poast , poast, be gone, and trudge for life: Queene mother make no stay:
That twixt my Brothers, perfect league and truce continue may.
You that be Mother to them both, vse your auctority:
Out of their handes their weapons wrest, and make them warres defye.
Your bared Breastes which once they suckt, hold out amid their Swordes:
Beare of the brunt of all their blowes, or end this warre with wordes.

Ioc
Thy talke I like, I wil be gone: Ile goe with might and mayne:
This head of myne I ieopard wil, betwene them to be slayne.
In thickest thronge of all the Troupes I purposd am to stand,
And try what grace, or curtesy remaynes in eyther Bande.
If Brothers beare malicious myndes each other to subdue,
Let them first onset geue on mee, and me to death pursue.
If eyther of them be endude with any sparke of grace,
Or Natures lawes or Filiall awe doth any whit embrace,
Let him at mothers suite lay downe his Pikes and glaues of warre,
And weapons of hostility let him abandon farre.
And he that cancard stomacke beares his Brother there to quell,
Forgetting Nature, let him first with me his Mother mell.
These headdy youthes from further rage I seely Trot wil staye:
I wittingly will not behold such mischiefe cary sway.
Or if I liue to see the same, it shal not bee alone.

Ant.
The Standardes are displayd in field, the Ennemyes are prone
To fall to fight: the clashing noyse of weapons heare you may.
Much murther, death, and dreadfull dule, cannot be far away.
Their stony hartes goe mollify, with sugred termes perswade
Their wilful myndes O Queene, before they furiously inuade
The one the other: yonder see how they in armour bright
Bestirre themselues from place to place: (O dire and dismall sight.)
My trickling teares, my blubbring Eyes, may put you out of doubt
That all is true which I haue sayd: looke, looke, how al the route
Of eyther part doth slowly march as loth (belike) to trye
By dent of Swerd so straunge a case: But both my brothers hie
Apace, to grapple force to force, and ioyne with handy blowes:
This day wil breeede the bitter smart of euer during woes.

Ioc.
What whirlewynd swift might I procure to beare me through the ayre?
What monstruous flying Sphinx wil helpe, that I were quickly there?
Of all the Byrdes Stimphalides (with winges so huge and large
That Phœbus rayes they shadowed quight) wil any take the charge
To cary mee to yonder place? what rauenous Harpye Burd
With vgly talantes all with flith, and dirty dung befurde,
(Which hungrestarud King Phineus, that had put out the Eyes
Of children his) wil at this pinch a meane for me deuyse,
That I aloft may hoysed bee, and with al spede be set,
Where yonder cruel armies two in open field be met?

Nunt.
Shee runnes apace, like one of wit and senses all distract:
No Arrow swifter out of Bow: no Ship with Sayle ful thwackt
With wynd at will more way can make: with motion such shee flyes
As glyding Star whose leames do drawe a Furrow longe in Skyes.
As much agast she trottes apace: and now in Campe she standes:
Her presence and arriuall there hath parted both the Bandes.
At mothers great entreaty made, the bloudy broyle is husht:
And where before with goring Glaue the one at thother pusht,
With ful entent to kill and slay, appeas'd is now their yre
And they well pleasd to bend to peace, as she doth them require.
The Sword agayne in sheath is put, that lately out was drawne
To pash out Braynes of Brothers Scull: she ceasseth not to fawne
Upon them both, their strife to stint: her gray and hoary haires,
Her Snow whyte lockes with tears besprent in ruthful sort she teares.
She Motherlike seekes how to linke their hartes in one assent,
With brynish teares she wettes the cheekes of him thats malcontent.
That Child that staggryng longe doth stand, with mother to dispute,
May seeme vnwilling mynd to beare to yeeld to Mothers sute.