University of Virginia Library

[Scene]

SCENE the Court.
Enter Atreus, Captain of the Guard.
Atr.
Thyestes eldest Son fallen in my Hands?
I find the Gods are tyr'd with holding up
The ponderous Villain, long above my Sword,
And mean to let him fall, in the mean while
They fling his Race like Vipers from their hands.
Bring in the Youth—
Enter Guard with Philisthenes.
How now Boy? what Affair?
What vast Affair; in value worth a Life,
Made thee adventure to this dangerous place?

Phi.
Love to my native soyl; I came to see
The Court and Kingdom of my Ancestors;
And this great Palace where I had my birth:
For I was told King Atreus was so good,
He pardon'd and forgot his Brothers faults?

Atr.
How bold and ready art thou in a lye?
Who cou'd inform thee I had pardon'd faults
Which cannot be forgiven by Men or Gods?
To what strange thing didst thou believe me turn'd
To a tame Beast? no Beast but loves Revenge:
To a mild God? He cannot be a God
That wants Revenge. 'Tis a Gods chief delight,
They mark it for their own: what then, a Tree?
Alas! why did not thy good Father come
And whore my Wife under my Bawdy Shade?
So dumb a Husband need not have been fear'd,
Nor such a piece of Lumber of a King.
And thou didst come to cut me down, in hopes
My Subjects were as weary of my Life,
As thy lewd horrid Father has made me.

Phi.
I scorn an act so Villanous and base.

Atr.
What crowd is this assembled in my Breast?
My Soul's a Theatre with Furies fill'd.
[Aside.
The Ghastly throng fling all their eager looks
Upon a Table spread with mangled Limbs,
And smoking bowls ore-gorg'd with reeking blood;
Their Eyes grow larger with the pleasing sight;
And the deluded Guest, who eats his Son,
Stamps all their Cheeks with a malicious smile.
The Vision takes! the Story's great and brave,
I'le give it my Revenge to Copy out.
Now with my Daughter I'le entice this Youth
To cheat his Father with a proffer'd Crown.
To meet a Crown, he'd rush on thundring Jove,
Plunge in the Sea when Winds and Billows fight,
Or on deep quicksands, that wou'd swallow hills;
Nay, worse than all these joyn'd,—he wou'd meet me—
Yes, and he shall— (Aside.)
Philisthenes, bold Youth;
Something in thee has made Friends in my heart,
Who by plain force have master'd my Revenge,
After a long and fierce and dubious fight,
And make it bow to offer thee thy Life.
What sayst thou, Youth? hast thou a mind to live?

Phi.
Let Nature answer for me.

Atr.
But to live
On the ill terms of being Friends to me?

Phi.
What God puts those good thoughts into your Soul?

Atr.
Thy own desert; I love thee, noble Youth.

Phi.
Oh! I am overwhelm'd?

[Weeps and falls at the Kings Feet.
Atr.
The sweet Youth weeps,
And prostrates at my Feet; this must not be:
Rise, rise, my own best blood, my own best self,
The Hope and Pillar of our falling House:
What wilt thou disobey my first command?

Phi.
Which of the best of Gods have done this good?

Atr.
Come to me, near my Heart, within my Heart.
As soon as ever I beheld thy Eyes,
Something flew from 'em, like a Charming God,
And bid the Furies leave my troubled Breast;
They strugled hard, but now they are all gone;
And now my heart is free for all my Friends.
Oh! that I had thy Father in my Arms;
In what perfection wou'd be my full joy?

Phi.
And can you be so excellent to forgive
My Father too?

Atr.
Ay! sooner than my self.
My barb'rous Rage I never shall forgive.

Phi.
How good are you? For you had been most kind,
When you most heavily was wrong'd.

Atr.
No more;
Dear Youth, let all thy Fathers Errors dye;
My mortal spite shall only be at them,
And his too lasting hatred. Wou'd I knew
Where my poor wandring exil'd Brother rov'd,
That I might send, or rather go my self
To Court him to my Arms, and to a Crown,
To be my Friend, and be my King, his turn.

Phi.
And do you mean it, Sir?

Atr.
That is unkind!
Dost thou suspect my Truth?

Phi.
I do not, Sir;
But I am so transported with my Joy,
I know not what I think, or what I say.

Atr.
Then know'st thou where thy Father is, dear Youth?

Phi.
I do not, Sir; but good old Peneus does.

Atr.
Does he indeed?

Phi.
Yes, my poor Father, Sir,
Has all his bread from him.

Atr.
Oh! false old Rogue!—
[Aside.
Alas! poor Brother, art thou fall'n so low,
To live upon old Servants broken Meat?
But, good old Peneus, thou giv'st what thou hast,
By all the Gods thou shalt have thy reward.
See, here he comes! come hither pious man.

Enter Peneus.
Pen.
What means this change?—

[Aside.
Atr.
I am to give thee thanks
For my own innocence, my Brothers Life;
It seems, 'tis thou, that hid him from my Rage,
And given him Bread, and starv'd my fierce revenge.

Pen.
Who told you this?

Atr.
Nay, be not startled, Man;
No other hurt is meant thee, than my Love;
But I'm so bad a Man, men shun my Love,
And think the Gods curse all whom I embrace.

Pen.
I'm sure you once were good, but potent wrongs
To flaming vengeance grappled you so fast,
I thought no Art or Strength cou'd set you free.

Atr.
A thousand things conspir'd thy strong advice:
The tempting sight of this most noble Youth;
And last my Nature tyr'd with standing bent
Always to ill, bowed down by force of wrongs,
Starts up for ease, to its own posture, Love;
Love of my Bother, this dear Youth his Son;
And of my Sov'reign happiness, my Wife:
What think you, Sirs, did I not love my Wife?

Pen.
Your passion for her hatred shew'd your Love;
Though some believe she's wrong'd as much as you.

Atr.
Faulty or not, so powerful was my Love,
My wounded dying Love, had greater strength
Than all my rage in its most vigorous Youth,
And held me from her Life, that still she lives.
'Tis true, in heavy sorrow, so she ought
If she offended, as I fear she has,
Her hardships though she owes to her own choice.
I've often offer'd her my useless Couch;
For what is it to me? I never sleep.
But for her Bed, she chuses the hard floor.
My Table is spread for her; I never eat:
And she'll take nothing but what feeds her grief.
Hair-cloth and Chains she wears, but by that means
She makes me wear 'em, 'cause I feel her pains.

Phi.
Oh! how Report has wrong'd this excellent King?

Atr.
But now I've hopes to see my Brother's Face:
My spacious Arms extend to Heaven and Hell;
And I've the choice of both, which is soon made.
Oh! Peneus! bring my Brother to my Arms,
And greater joy shall lift the down-cast head
Of Pelop's House, than ever it beheld.
I'le give my Daughter to my Brother's Son,
And then our joys are fastned at the root.

Phi.
I shall run mad with Joy.—

[Aside.
Pen.
Is not this Art?
[Aside.
Methinks on this so fine Carv'd Pedestal,
An Image with two Faces I discern.

Atr.
Dear Peneus, hasten on thy Embassy.

Pen.
An Embassy that's worthy of a God;
And wou'd I were a God, that I might find
The wandring Prince, and finish this blest work.

Atr.
Know'st thou not where he is then?

Phi.
Oh! yes, Sir!
Ah! Peneus, why do you distrust the King?

Pen.
Ah! poor deluded Youth—

[Aside.
Atr.
He fears I'm false;
I blame him not, for I am a bad man:
I deserve all the wrongs I have indur'd;
All I desire is leave to pardon wrongs.

Phi.
Oh! Father of my Father, thou whose great
And pious Charity preserv'd his Life,
Do not destroy us all by needless doubts.

Pen.
Gods! guide me in this doubtful Labyrinth.
[Aside.
Let me not be misguided by vain doubt,
To be the death of seeming new-born joy:
But if the King dissembles, (oh good Gods!)
Let not my age, and this unknowing Youth,
Be worse misguided both, to be the death
Of his dear Father he, I of my Friend.

Atr.
The wary wise old man distrusts me still.
Oh! Brother, thou hast Friends, but I have none.

Pen.
Yes, I am, Sir, your Friend, as much as his
But more to Faith and Honesty than both.

Atr.
Well, I will put my Kingdom in thy hands.
Behind the Palace, in a sacred Field,
Secur'd by twenty Walls, and watch'd by Guards,
Rests all the Fortune of our Royal House.
A shining Ram whose yellow Fleece is Gold;
The Sands of Tagus are not half so rich;
Whoever has possession of this Beast,
Has all the Fortune of our House in pawn,
An Hostage all our Gods cannot redeem,
They are in perfect Friendship with that Prince
To whom they send this Wealthy Minister;

Pen.
By long Experience, Sir, I know all this.

Atr.
Ho! there! go catch and bind the Sacred Ram.
A Field discover'd; a Golden Ram seen in the Head of a Flock of Sheep; a Guard round the Field; they bring the Ram to the King.
Peneus, this present to my Brother bear,
As a rich Pledge of my Eternal Love.
Give it to him, on no Condition,
But that he come and take his turn to Reign.

Phi.
Oh! good Gods!

Atr.
Still dost thou harbour doubt?

Pen.
Whether I Dream or no.

Phi.
Oh! on my knees,
I beg with Tears suspect the King no more;
I've had no joy in all my Youth till now,
And now good Fortune, like a Noon-day Sun,
Breaks out upon me, if with Cloudy doubts
You darken all again, I shall run mad.

Atr.
I'le say no more; be witnesses ye Gods,
If never Joy come more under this Roof,
If it be any, any fault of mine.

Phi.
Sir, I will bear you witness the short while
My poor life last; which lies in Peneus's hands.
If he will still keep up this wall of doubt
'Tween joy and me; I'm at my Journeys end.
Resolve me, Peneus, will you let me dye?

Pen.
No: but I quickly shall, my feeble age
Can never climb up this high hill of joy,
But I shall faint before I reach the top;
Howe're I'le go as far as e're I can:
I'le send, for bring is too much joy for me
(Most excellent King) your Brother to your Arms.
But I go hence so surfeited with joy
I shall not live to see you any more.

Atr.
Oh! stay, thou richest blessing of our House;
The dear Philisthenes shall go alone.

Pen.
He is to his Father wonderfully dear;
But he is young, his Father may distrust
The weakness of his soft and easie youth.
My wary faithful age he will not doubt;
That I must go my self; farewell, good King.

Atr.
Farewell, thou pious, sacred, blest old man.
Farewell sweet Youth, henceforwards my dear Son.

Phi.
Sir, I wou'd call you,—cou'd I speak for Tears,
Father,—and giver of my best new life.

Atr.
My Dear Antigone shall know thy Love;
I'le tell such Stories of thee, thou shalt find
At thy return her Love exceeding thine.

Phi.
Peneus thy hand! I am so stun'd with joy,
I cannot see my way.

Atr.
My Chariot there!
And Guards attend 'em—Farewell to you both,
[Ex. Pen. Phi.
I think I've counterfeited rarely well.
He who wou'd rule so damn'd a World as this,
Where so many dissembling Villains dwell,
Must cheat the Devil, and out-dissemble Hell.

[Ex.