University of Virginia Library

THE SECOND SCENE.

Ægysthus,
Clytemnestra.
The cursed tyme that euermore my mynd did most detest,
The dayes that I abhorred haue and hated in my breast,
Are come, are come, that myne estate wil bring to vtter wracke:
Alas my hart why dost thou fayle, and faynting flyest backe?
What dost thou meane at first assalte from armour thus to flye,
Trust this, the cruel Gods entend my doleful destenie,
To wrap thee in with perils round and catch thee in a band?
End euer drudge with all thy power their plagues for to withstand:
With stomacke stoute rebellious to fyre and sword appeale

Cli.
It is no plague, if such a death thy natiue destnies deale.

Ae
(O partners of my perils all begot of Leda thou)
Direct thy doynges after myne, and vnto thee I vow,
This drosel sluggish ringleader, this stout strong harted sire,
Sal pay thee so much bloud agayne as shed he hath in fyre
How haps it that his trembling cheekes to be so pale and whight,
Lying agast as in a traunce with faynting face vpright.

Cl.
His conscience wedlocke vow doth pricke & bringes him home again
Let vs returne the selfe same trade a new for to retayne,
To which at first we should haue stucke and ought not to forsake,
To couenaunt continent a new let vs our selues betake:
To take the trade of honesty at no tyme is to late:
He purged is from punishment whose hart the cryme doth hate.

Aeg.
Why whither wilt thou gad (o rash and vnaduysed dame?)
What dost thou earnestly beleeue, and firmly trust the same;
That Agamemnons spousall bed wil loyall be to thee?
That nought doth vnderprop thy mynd which might thy terrour bee?
His proud successe puft vp to high with lucky blest of wynde,
Might make so cranke, and set aloft his hawty swelling mynd:
Among his peares he stately was ere Troyan turrets torne,
How thinke ye then his stomacke stoute by nature geuen to scorne,
In haughtines augmented is more in himselfe to ioy,
Throughe this triumphant victory and conquest got of Troy?
Before his voyage Miceane King most mildly did he raygne,
But now a Tyrant truculent returnd he is agayne.
Good lucke and proude prosperity do make his hart so ryse.
With what great preparation prepared solemne wyse,
A rabblement of strumpets come that clong about him al?
But yet the Prophetesse of Thebe (whom God of truth we call)
Appeares aboue the rest: she keepes the King, shee doth him guyde:
Wilt thou in wedlocke haue a mate and not for it prouyde?
So would not shee, the greattest greefe this is vnto a wyse,
Her husbandes minion in her house to leade an open life.
A Queenes estate cannot abyde her peere with her to raygne,
And ielous wedlocke will not her companion sustayne.

Cl.
Aegist in desprat moode agayn why seest thou mee a flote?
Why kindlest thou the sparkes of yre in imbers couered hot
If that the victors owne free will release his captiues care,
Why may not I his Lady spouse haue hope as wel to fare?
One law doth rule in royal throne, and pompous prince he Towres,
Among the vulgar sorte, another in priuate simple bowers.
What though my grudging fancy force that at my husbandes hand,
Sharpe execution of the law I stobbernly withstand?
Recording this that haynously offended him I haue:
He gently wil me pardon graunt who neede the same to craue?

Aeg.
Euen so on this condition thou mayst with him compound,
To pardon him if he agayne to pardon the be bounde.
The subtil science of the law, the statutes of our land,
(That long agoe decreed were) thou dost not vnderstand.
The Iudges be malicious men, they spyght and enuye vs,
But he shal haue them partiall his causes to discus.
This is the chiefest priuiledge that doth to Kinges belong.
What lawes forbiddeth other men, they doe, and doe no wronge.

Cly.
He pardned Helen, she is wed to Menela agayne
Which Europe all with Asia did plunge alike in payne.

Aeg.
No Ladies Lust hath rauisht yet Atrides in his life,
Nor priuily purloynd his hart betrothed to his wyfe.
To picke a quarrel he beginnes and matter thee to blame,
Suppose thou nothing hast commit that worthy is of shame?
What boteth him whom Princes hate an honest life to frame?
He neuer doth complayne his wrong, but euer beares the blame.
Wilt thou repayre to Spart and to thy countrey trudge aryght?
Wilt thou become a ronnagate from such a worthy wight?
Deuorcement made from Kinges wil not so let the matter scape,
Thou easest feare by fickle hope, that falsly thou dost shape:

Cli.
My trespas is disclosd to none, but to a trusty wight:

Aeg.
At princes gates fidelity yet neuer enter might.

Cl.
I wil corrupt and feede him so with siluer and with gold,
That I by bribing bynd him shall no secrets to vnfold:

Ae.
The trust that hyred is and bought by brybes and moneis fee,
Thy counsell to bewray agayne with brybes entyste wil be

Cl.
The remnaunt left of shamefastnes of those vngracious trickes,
Wherin of late I did delyght, my conscience freship prickes.
Why kep'st thou such a busie slurre and with thy flatring speach,
Enstructing me with lewd aduyse dost wicked counsell preach
Shall I forsooth of royal bloud with al the speede I can
Refuse the King of Kinges, and wed an outcast banisht man?

Aeg.
Why should you thinke in that Thiest was father vnto mee.
And Agamemnon Atreus sonne he should my better be?

Cly.
If that be but a tryfle small, and nephew to the same.

Aeg.
I am of Phœbus linage borne, wherof I do not shame.

Cl.
Why makste thou Phœbus author of thy wicked pedagrew,
Whom out of heauen ye forst to flye when bridle backe he drew,
When Lady Night with mantel blacke did spread her soden shade,
Why makest thou the Gods in such reproachfulnes to wade?
Whose father hath thee conning made by sleight and subtil guyle
To make thy kinsman Cockold whyle his wyfe thou do defyle.
What man is he whom we do know to be thy fathers mate,
Abusing lust of Lethery in such vnlawful rate?
Auaunt, go packe thee hence in hast, dispatch out of my sight
This infamy, whose blemish staynes this bloud of worthy wyght.

Aeg.
This is no new exile to me that wickednes do haunt,
But if that thou (O worthy Queene) commaund me to auaunt,
I wil not only strayght auoyde the house the towne and field
My life on sword at thy request I ready am to yeeld

Cli.
This heynous dede permit shall I (most churlish cruell drab)
Agaynst my wil though I offend, the fault I should not blabbe:
Nay, rather come apart with mee, and let vs ioyne our wittes:
To wrap our selues out of this woe and parlous threatning fits.

Chorus.
Now chaunt it lusty laddes, Apollos prayse subborne,
To thee the frolicke flocke their crowned heads adorne.
To thee King Inachs stocke of wedlocke chamber voyde,
Brayd out their virgins lockes and theron haue employd
Theyr sauory garlandes greene Itwist of laurell bow.
Draw neare with vs O Thebes our dauncing follow thou.
Come also ye that drinck of Ismen bubling flood,
VVheras the Laurell treeful thicke on bankes doth bood.
Eake ye whom Mando mild, the Prophetesse diuine,
(Foreseyng fate) and borne of high Tiresias lygne,
Hath stird to celebrate with sacred vse and right.
Appollo and Dian borne of Latona bright.
O Victor Phæbe vnbend thy noked bow agayne.
Syth quietnes and peace anew we do retayne.
And let thy twanckling harpe make melody so shril,
Whyle that thy nimble hand stryke quauers with thy quill.
No curious descant I nor lusty musick craue,
No iolly rumbling note, nor trouling tune to haue.
But on thy treble Lute (according to thy vse)
Stryke vp a playnsong note as when thy learned muse
Thy lessons do record, though yet on baser string
It lyketh thee to play the song that thou did singe:
As when from fyery heauen the dint of lightning flue,
Sent downe by wrath of Gods the Titans ouerthrew
Or else when mountaynes were on mountaynes heaped hie
That rayse for Giauntes fell theyr steppes into the skye,
The mountayne Ossa stoode on top of Pelion layd,
Olymp (wheron the Pynes theyr budding braunches braide)
Downe paised both: drawe nere O Iuno noble dame,
Both spouse of mighty Ioue and sister to the same.
Thou that dost rule with him made ioynter of his mace,
Thy people we of Grece geue honor to thy grace:
Thou onely dost protect from perilles Argos land,
That euer careful was to haue thyne honour stand,
Most supplient thereunto thou also with thy might
Dost order ioyful peace and battails fearce of fyght
Accept O conquering Queene these braunches of the bayes
That Agamemnon here doth yeld vnto thy prayse:
The hollow boxen pype (that doth with holes abound)
In synging vnto the doth geue a solemne sound:
To thee the Damsels eake that play vppon the stringes,
With conning harmony melodious musicke singes.
The matrons eke of Greece by ryper years more graue,
To thee the Taper pay that vowed oft they haue,
The Heyferd young and whyte companion of the Bull.
Vnskilful yet by proofe the paynful plow to pull.
VVhose neck was neuer worrie nor gald with print of yoke,
Is in thy temple slaine receiuing deadly stroke.
O Lady Pallas thou of most renoumed hap
Bred of the brayne of Ioue that smites with thunder clap.
Thou lofty Troian towres of craggy knotty flint
Hast bet with battring blade, and stroke with iaueling dint:
The elder matrones with the dames that yonger be
Together in myngled heapes do honour due to thee,
VVhen thou approching nighe thy comming is espyde,
The priest vnbarres the gate, and opes the Temple wide:
By clustring thronges the flocks thine altars haunt apace,
Bedeckte with twisted crownes so trim with comely grace.
The olde and auncient men well stept and grown in yeares,
VVhose feeble trembling age procureth hory hayres
Obtayning their request crau'de of thy grace deuine,
Do offer vp to thee their sacrifysed wyne,
O bright Dian whose blase sheds light three sondry waies
VVe myndful are of thee, and render thankefull prayse,
Delon thy natiue soyle thou diddest fyrmely bynde,
That to and fro was wont to wander with the wynde:
VVhich with foūdation sure mayn ground forbyds to passe
For Nauies (after which to swim it wonted was)
It is become a road defying force of wynd,
The mothers funeralles of Tantalus his kinde.
The daughters seuen by death thou victresse dost accompt
VVhose mother Niobe abydes on Sipil mount
A lamentable rocke and yet vnto this howre
Her teares new gushing, out the marble old doth powre.
The Godhead of the Twins in sumpteous solemne wyse,
Both man and wyfe adore with sauory sacrifyce,
But thee aboue the rest O father great and guide,
VVhose mighty force is by the burning lightning tryde:
Who when thou gauest a becke and didst thy head but shake
At once thextremest poales of heauen and earth did quake,
O Iupiter the roote that of our lynage arte,
Accept these offered gifts and take them in good parte:
And thou O graundsire great to thy posteritie.
Haue some remorse, that do not swarue in chyualrie.
But yonder lo with stiuing steps the souldier comes amayne
In all post hast, with token that good newes declareth plaine
A Lawrell braunch, that hangeth on his speare head he doth bringe
Eurybates is come, who hath ben trusty to the kynge.