The brazen age the first act containing, the death of the centaure Nessus, the second, the tragedy of Meleager: the third the tragedy of Iason and Medea. The fourth. Vulcans net the fifth. The labours and death of Hercules: written by Thomas Heywood.

The brazen age the first act containing, the death of the centaure Nessus, the second, the tragedy of Meleager: the third the tragedy of Iason and Medea. The fourth. Vulcans net the fifth. The labours and death of Hercules: written by Thomas Heywood.

Table of contents

Title page

To the Reader.

Drammatis Personae.

The Brazen Age, CONTAINING The labours and death of Hercules.

Actus 1. Scoena 1.

Actus 2. Scoena 2.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

THE BRAZEN AGE, The first Act containing, The death of the Centaure Nessus, THE SECOND, The Tragedy of Meleager: THE THIRD The Tragedy of Iason and Medea.

THE FOVRTH.

UVLCANS NET THE FIFTH.

The Labours and death of HERCVLES: Written by THOMAS HEYWOOD.

LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes, for Samuel Rand dwelling neere Holborne-Bridge. 1613.

To the Reader.

[Page]

[Page]

THough a third brother should not inherite, whilst the two elder liue, by the laws of the Land, & therfore it might breed in mee a discoragement, to commit him without any hereditary means, to shift for it selfe in a world so detractiue & calumnious, yet rather presuming vpon the ingenious, then affraid of the enuious, I haue expos'd him to the fortunes of a yonger brother, which is, most cōmonly, brauely to liue, or desperately to hazard: yet this is my comfort, that what imperfection [...]oeuer it haue, hauing a brazen face it cannot blush; much like a Pedant about this Towne, who, when all trades fail'd, turn'd Pedagogue, & once insinuating with me, borrowed frō me certaine Translations of Ouid, as his three books De Arte Amandi, & two De Remedio Amoris, which since, his most brazen face hath most impudently challenged as his own, wherefore, I must needs proclaime it as far as Ham, where he now keeps schoole, Hos ego versiculos feci tulit alter honores, they were things which out of my iuniority and want of indgement, I committed to the veiw of some priuate friends, but with no purpose of publishing, or further cōmunicating thē. Therfore I wold entreate that Austin, for so his name is, to acknowledge his wrong to me in shewing them, & his owne impudence, & ignorance in challenging thē. But courteous Reader, I can onely excuse him in this, that this is the Brazen Age.

Drammatis Personae.

[Page]

HOMER.

Oeneus K of Calidon.

Althea, &

Her two brothers.

Deyaneira.

Meleager.

Hercules.

Achelous.

Nessus.

Iason.

Atreus.

Tellamon.

Nestor.

Medea.

Oetes.

Absyrtus.

Adonis.

Atlanta.

Apollo.

Aurora.

[...]upiter.

Mercury.

Iuno.

Mars.

Venus.

Gallus.

Vulcan.

Lychas.

Omphale.

Her maids.

Aeneas.

Anchises.

La [...]medon.

Hesione.

Priam.

Philoctetes.

Water Nymphes.

Castor.

Pollux.

Pyragmon.

The Brazen Age, CONTAINING The labours and death of Hercules.

[Page]

Enter HOMER.

AS the world growes in yeares ('tis the Heauens curse)

Mens sinnes increase; the pristine times were best:

The Ages in their growth wax worse & worse.

The first was pretious, full of golden rest.

Siluer succe [...]ded; good, but not so pure:

Then loue and harmelesse lusts might currant passe:

The third that followes we finde more obdure,

And that we title by the Age of Brasse.

In this more grosse and courser mettal'd Age,

Tyrants and fierce oppressors we present.

Nephewes that 'gainst their Vnckles wreake their rag [...],

Mothers against their children discontent,

A sister with her brother at fier [...]e warre,

(Things in our former times not seene or knowne)

But vice with vertue now begins to iarre,

And sinnes (though not at height) yet great are growne.

Still with our history we shall proceed,

And Hercules vistorious acts relate:

His marriage first, next many a noble deed

Perform'd by him: last how he yeelds to Fate.

[Page] And these, I hope, may (with some mixtures) passe,

So you sit pleas'd in this our Age of Brasse.

Actus 1.
Scoena 1.

[...] Oeneus, King of Calidon, Queene Althea, Meleager, Deianeira, Pl [...]xippus, and Toxeus, brothers to the Queene.

K. Oen.

Thus midst our brothers, daughter, Queene and sonne,

Sits Oeneus crown'd in fert [...]ll Ca [...]don

Whose age and weakenesse is supported only,

In those ripe ioyes that I receiue from you.

Plex.

May we long ftand supporters of your royaltyes,

And glad spectators of your age and peace.

Tox.

The like I wish.

K. Oen.

We haue found you brothers royall,

And subiects loyall.

Althea.

They are of our line,

Of which no branch did euer perish yet,

By Cankers, blastings, or dry barrennesse.

But Meleager let me turne to thee,

Whose birth the Fates themselues did calculate,

Mel.

Pray mother how was that? I haue heard you say

Somewhat about my birth mi [...]aculous,

But neuer yet knew the true circumstance.

Althea.

'Twas thus: the very instant thou wast borne,

The sisters, that draw, spinne, and clip our liues,

Entred my chamber with a fatall brand,

Which hurling in the fire, thus said: One day, one date,

Betide this brand and childe, euen be their fate.

So parted they, the brand begins to burne:

And as it wasted, so didst thou consume;

Which I perceiuing, leap't vnto the flame,

And quenching that, stayd thy consumption.

The brand I (as a iewell) haue reseru'd,

And keepe it in a casket, lock't as safe

As in thy bosome thou maintainst thy heart.

[Page]Melea.

Pray keepe it well: for if not with my mother,

With whom dare Meleager trust his life?

But sister Deianeira, now to you.

Two worthy Champians must this day contend,

And try their emin [...]nce in Armes for you,

Great Achelous, and strong Hercules.

Deia.

We know it: my loue must be bought with blowes,

Not Oratory wins me, but the sword:

He that can braueliest in the lists contend,

Must Deianeira's nuptiall bed ascend.

Oen.

Brothers, conduct these Champions to the lists,

Meane time Althea state thee on that hand,

On this side Deianeira the rich prize

Of their contention.

Melea.

Clamors from a farre,

Tell vs these Champions are a drest for warre.

Enter at one doore the riuer Achelous, his weapons borne in by Water-Nymphes. At the other Hercules.

K. Oen.

Stand forth you warlike Champions, and expresse

Your loues to Deianeira, in your valours.

As we are Oeneus the Aetolians King,

And vnder vs command whole Calidon.

So we contest we make her here the prize

Of the proud victor:

Ache.

Dares the Theban bastard

Contend with vs, as we are eldest sonne

Vnto the graue and old Oceanus,

And the Nymph Nais, borne on Pindus mount,

From whence our broad and spacious currents rise?

So are we proud to coape with Hercules.

Nere let my streames wash A [...]arnania's bankes,

Or we confin'de in Thous, our grand seat,

Till (by the ruine of Alcmena's sonne)

We lodge bright Deianeira in our armes.

Herc.

Haue we the Cleonean Lyons torne?

[Page] And deck't our shoulders in their honored spoyles?

The Calidoni [...] Boare crusht with our Club?

The rude Thessalian Centaurs sunke beneath

Our Iuiall hand? pierc'd hell? bound Cerber [...]?

And buffeted so long, till from the fome

The dogge belch't forth strong Aconitum spring?

And shall a petty riuer make our way

To Deianeira's bed impassable?

Know then the pettiest streame that flowes through Greece,

Il'e make thee run thy head below thy bankes,

Make red thy waters with thy vitall bloud,

And spill thy waues in droppes as small as teares,

If thou presum'st to coape with Hercules.

Ache.

What's Hercules that I should dread his name?

Or what's he greater then Amphitri [...]'s sonne?

When we assume the name of Demi-god

Not Prote [...]s can trans-shape himselfe like vs,

For we command our figure when we please.

Sometimes we like a serpent run along

Our medowy bankes: and sometimes like a Bull

Graze on these strands we water with our streames.

We can translate our fury to a fire,

And when we swell, in our fierce torrents swallow

The Champian plaines, and flow aboue the hils,

Drowne all the continents by which we run;

Yea Hercules himselfe.

Herc.

Me Achelous!

I can do more then this: loue Deianeira,

Swin with her on my shoulders through thy streames,

And with my huge Club beat thy torrents backe,

With thine owne waters quench th'infernall fires

Thy figure serpentine, flat on the earth:

And when th'art Bull, catch fast hold by thy hornes,

And whirle thee 'bout my head thus into ayre.

Thou faire Aetolian dame, I cannot wooe,

Nor paint my passions in smooth Oratory,

But fight for thee I can, 'gainst Achelous,

[Page] Or all the horrid monsters of the earth.

Melea.

When 'gins your proud and hostile enmity?

Behold the prize propos'd, the victors meed,

Champions your spirits inkindle at her eyes.

Ache.

It is for her this bastard I despise.

Prepare thee Theban.

Herc.

See, I am adrest

With this to thunder on thy captiue crest.

I cannot bellow in thy bombast phrase;

Nor deafe these free spectators with my braues.

I cut off words with deeds, and now behold

For me, the eccho of my blowes thus scold.

Alarme. Achelous is beaten in, and immediatly enters in the shape of a Dragon.

Herc.

Bee'st thou a God or hell-hound thus transhap't,

Thy terrour frights not me, serpent or diuell Il'e pash thee.

Alarme. He beats away the dragon. Enter a Fury all fire-workes.

Herc.

Fright vs with fire? our Club shall quench thy flame,

And beat it downe to hell, from whence it came.

When the Fury sinkes, a Buls head appeares.

Herc.

What, yet more monsters? Serpent, Bull, and Fire,

Shall all alike taste great Alcides ire.

He tugs with the Bull, and pluckes off one of his horns. Enter from the same place Achelous with his fore-head all bloudy.

Ache.

No more, I am thy Captiue, thou my Conquerer:

I see, no Magicke, or inchanting spell

Haue power on vertue and true fortitude.

No sleight Illusion can deceiue the eyes

Of him that is diuinely resolute.

I lay me at thy feet, a lowly vassaile,

Since thou hast reft me of that prccious horne,

Which tearing from my head in shape of Bull,

Thus wounded me. Take Deianeira freely,

Onely restore me that rich spoyle thou hast wonne,

Which all the Nymphes and graces dwelling neere,

Shall fill with redolent flowers, and delicate fruits,

And call it Cornucopiae, plenties horne,

[Page] In memory of Ach [...]lous losse,

And this high conqu [...]st won by Hercules.

Hercu.

Hadst thou not stoopt thy horrid Taurine shape

I would haue peece-meale rent, and thy tough hide

Torne into rags as thicke as Autumne leaues:

Take thee thy life, and with thy life that spoile

Pluckt from thy mangled front, giue me my loue,

I'le stoare no hornes at winning of a wife.

Giue me bright Deyanira, take that horne,

So late from thy disfigured Temples torne.

Deyan.

I haue my prayers, Alcides his desires,

Both meete in loue.

Oen.

Receiue her Hercules,

The conquest of thy warlike fortitude.

Herc.

Wee take but what our valour purchast vs,

And beauteous Queene thou shalt assure his loue,

Whose puissant arme shall awe the triple world,

And make the greatest Monarches of the earth

To thy diuinest beauty tributary.

Meleag.

Will Hercules stay heere in Calidon,

To solemnize the nuptials of our sister?

I Meleager, rich Aetolians heire,

Whose large Dominions stretch to Oeta Mount,

And to the bounds of fertile Thessaly

Will grace thy Bridals with the greatest pompe

Greece can affoord, nor is't my meanest honour

To be the brother to great Hercules.

Herc.

Thanks Meleager, soiourne heere we cannot,

My step-dame luno tasks me to more dangers:

Wee take thy beauteous sister in our guard,

Whom by Ioues aide wee straight will beare to Thebes.

O [...]n.

A fathers wishes crowne the happinesse

Of his faire daughter.

M [...]l.

And a brothers loue

Comfort thee where thou goest: If not with Hercules

Whom dare we trust thy safety.

H [...]rc.

Not loues guard

Can circl [...] her with more security.

[Page] Time cals vs hence, Aetolian Lords farewell.

Oen.

Adiew braue sonne, and daughter, onely happy

In being thus bestowed, come Achelous,

With you we'le feast, nor let your foyle deiect you,

Or Deyaniraes losse; he's more then man,

And needes must he do this, that all things can.

Exeunt.

Herc.

Dares Deyaneira trust her persons safety

With vs a stranger, onely knowne by Fame.

Deyn.

Wer't gainst the Lyons in Chimera bred,

Or those rude Beares that breed in Caucasus:

The Hyrcan Tigers or the Syrian Wolues,

Nay gainst the Giants that assaulted heauen

And with their shoulders made those bases shake

That prop Olimpus: liu'd Enceladus

With whom loue wrestled: euen against those monsters,

I'de thinke me safe incircled in these armes.

Herc.

Thou art as safe as if immur'd in heauen,

Pal'd with that Christall wall that girts loues house,

Where all the Gods inhabite, built by fate,

Stay, I should know that Centaure.

Enter Nessus.

Ness.

That's Hercules I know him by his Club,

Whose ponderous weight I felt vpon my Skull

At the great Bridall of the Lapithes.

What louely Ladie's shee that in her beauty

So much exceedes faire Hypodamia?

Herc,

Oh Nessus, thou of all thy cloud-bred race,

Alone didst scape by trusting to thy heeles

At Hypodamia's Bridals, but we now

Are friends, are wee not Nessus?

Ness.

Yes great Hercules,

(Till I can find fit time for iust reuendge)

Methinkes my braines still rattle in my skull)

What Ladie's that in great Alcides Guard?

Herc.

Deyaneira, daughter to the Aetolian King,

Sister to Meleager, now our Bride;

Wonne by the force of armes from Achelous,

The boysterous floud that flowes through Calidon.

[Page]Ness.

A double enuy burnes in all my veines,

First for reuenge; next, that he should enioy

That beauteous maide whom Nessus dearely loues.

Will Hercules commande me? or his Bride?

I'le lackey by thee wheresoer'e thou goest,

And be the vassall to great Hercules.

Herc.

We are bound for Thebes, but soft, what torrent's this

That intercepts our way? How shall we passe

These raging streames?

Ness.

This is Euenus floud,

A dangerous current, full of whirle-pooles deepe,

And yet vnsounded: dar'st thou trust thy Bride

On Nessus backe? I'le vndertake to swimme her

Vnto the furthest strond, vpon my shoulders,

And yet not laue her shooe.

Herc.

I'le pay thee for thy waftage Centaure, well,

And make thee Prince of all thy by-form'd race,

If thou willt do this grace to Hercules:

But ferry her with safety, for by Ioue,

If thou but make her tremble in these streames,

Or let the least waue dash against her skirt;

If the least feare of drowning pale her cheeke,

I'le pound thee smaller then the Autumne dust

Tost by the warring winds?

Ness.

Haue I not swomme

The Hellesepont, when waues high as yon hils

Tost by the winds, haue crown'd me, yet in spight

Of all their briny weight I haue wrought my selfe

Aboue the topmost billow to ore-looke

The troubled maine: come beauteous Deyaneira,

Not Charon with more safety ferries soules,

Then I will thee through this impetuous foord,

Herc.

Receiue her Centaure, and in her the wealth

And potency of mighty Hercules.

Ness.

Now my reuenge for that inhumaine banquet,

In which so many of the Centaures fell,

I'le rape this Princesse, hauing past the floud

[Page] Come beauteous Deyaneira, mount my shoulders,

And feare not your safe wastage.

Exeunt.

Herc.

That done returne for vs: faire Deianeira,

White as the garden lilly, pyren snow,

Or rocks of Christall hardned by the Sunne:

Thou shalt be made the potent Queene of Thebes,

And all my Iouiall labours shall to thee

Be consecrate, as to Alcides loue.

Well plundge bold Centaure, how thy boysterous brest

Plowes vp the streames: thou through the swelling tides,

Sail'st with a freight more rich and beautifull,

Then the best ship cram'd with Pangeous gold:

With what a swift dexterity he parts

The mutinous waues, whose waters claspe him round,

Hee plaies and wantons on the curled streames,

And Deyanira on his shoulders fits

As safe, as if she stear'd a pine-tree barke.

They grow now towards the shore: my club and armes

I'le first cast or'e the deepe Euenus foord,

But from my side my quiuer shall not part,

Nor this my trusty bow.

Deyan.

Helpe Her [...]les.

Within.

Herc.

'Twas Deyaneiraes voyce.

Deyan.

The Traytor Nessus

Seekes to despoile mine honour, Ioue, you Gods:

Out trayterous Centaure: Helpe great Hercules.

Here.

Hold, lust-burnt Centaure, 'tis Alcides cals

Or swifter then Ioues lightning, my fierce vengeance

Shall crosse Euenus.

Deyan.

Oh, oh.

Herc.

Darst thou deuill?

Couldst thou clime Heauen or sinke below the Center

So high, so low, my vengeance should persue thee,

Hold; if I could but fixe thee in my gripes,

I de teare thy limbes into more Atomies

Then in the Summer play before the Sunne.

Deyan.

Helpe Hercules (out dog) Alcides helpe.

Herc;

I'le send till I can come, this poisonous shaft

[Page] Shall speake my fury and extract thy bloud,

Till I my selfe can crosse this raging floud.

Hercules shoots, and goes in: Enter Nessus with an arrow through him, and Deianeira.

Ness.

Thy beauty Deyaneira is my death,

And yet that Nessus dies embracing thee

Takes from my sences all those torturing pangues

That should associate death: to shew I lou'd thee,

I'le leaue thee, in my will, a legacy;

Shall stead thee more, then should thy father giue thee

Vnto thy Dower the Crowne of Calidon.

Of such great vertue is my liuing bloud,

And of such prize, that couldst thou valew it,

Thou wouldst not let one drop fall to the ground:

But oh I die.

Deyan.

Teach me to rate it truely.

Ness.

Now Nessus, in thy death be aueng'd on him

On whom in life thou couldst not wreake thy rage:

(My bloud is poison) all these pure drops saue,

Which I bequeath thee ere I take my graue:

I know thy Lord lasciuious, bent to lust,

Witnesse the fifty daughters of King Thespeius,

Whom in one night he did adulterate:

And of those fifty begot fifty sonnes:

Now if in all his quests, he be with-held

By any Ladies loue, and stay from thee,

Such is the vertue of my bloud now shed,

That if thou dipst a shirt, steept in the least

Of all these drops, and sendst it to thy Lord,

No sooner shall it touch him, but his loue

Shall die to strangers, and reuiue to thee,

Make vse of this my loue.

Deyan.

Centaure, I will.

Ness.

And so, whom Nessus cannot, do thou kill;

Still dying men speake true: 'tis my last cry,

Saue of my bloud, [...]may steede thee ere thou die.

Deyan.

Though I my loue mistrust not, yet this counsell

[Page] I'lenot despise: this if my Lord should stray,

Shall to my desolate bed teach him the way.

Enter Hercules.

Herc.

After long strugling with Euenus streames,

I forc't the riuer beare me on her brest,

And land me safely on this further strond,

To make an end of what my shaft begunne,

The life of Nessus, liues the Centaure yet?

Deyan.

Behold him grouelling on the sencelesse earth,

His wounded breast transfixt by Hercules.

Herc.

That the luxurious slaue were sencible

Of torture; not th'infernals with more pangues

Could plague the villaine then Alcides should.

Ixions bones rackt on the torturing wheele

Should be a pastime: the three snake-hair'd sisters,

That la [...]h offenders with their whips of steele,

Should seeme to dally, when with euery string

They cut the flesh like razors: but the dead

Wee hate to touch, as cowardly and base,

And venge [...]ce not becomming Hercul [...]s.

Come Dey [...]eira, first to consumate

Our high [...]owsals in triumphant Thebes,

That don [...], our future labours wee'le persue,

And by the assistance of the powers Diuine,

Striue to act more then luno can assigne.

Exit.

Enter HOMER.

Faire Deyaneira vnto, The [...]es being guided,

And Hercules espousals solemnized.

Hee for his further labours soone prouided,

As Iuno by Euritius had deuised.

The Apples of Hesperia first he wan,

Mauger huge Atlas that supports the spheares:

And whilst the Gyant on his businesse ran;

Alcides takes his place, and proudly beares

The heauens huge frame: thence into Scithia hies,

[Page] And their the Amazonian Baldricke gaines,

By conquering Menalip (a br [...]e prise)

The warlike Quene that [...]re the Scithians raignes.

That hee supported heauen, doth well expresse

His Astronomicke skill, knowledge in [...]tarres:

They that such practise know, what do they lesse

Then beare heauens weight so of the Lernean warres.

Where he the many-headed Hydra slew,

A Serpent of that nature, when his sword

Par'd off one head, from that another grew.

This shewed his Logick [...] skill: from euery word

And argument confuted, there arise

From one a multiplicity, therefore we

Poets and such as are estee [...]ed wise,

Instruct the world by such [...]rality.

To conquer Hydra showed his powerfull skill

In disputation, how to argue well.

(By all that vnderstand in custome still)

And in this Art did Hercules excell.

Now we the Aegyptian tyrant must present,

Bloudy Busiris, a king fell and rude,

One that in murder plac't his sole content,

With whose sad death our first Act we conclude.

Enter Busyris with his Guard and Priests to sacrifice; to them two strangers, Busyris takes them and kils them vpon the Altar: enter Hercules disguis'd, Busyris sends his Guard to apprehend him, Hercules discouering himselfe beates the Guard, kils Busyris and sacrificeth him vpon the Altar, at which there fals a shower of raine, the Priests offer Hercules the Crowne of Aegypt which he refuseth.

HOMER.

In Aegypt there of long time fellnoraine,

For which vnto the Oracle they sent:

Answeres re [...]urn'd, that till one stranger slaine,

Immou'd shall be the Marble f [...]rmament.

Therefore the Tyrant all these strangers kils

That enter Aegypt, till Alcides came

[Page] And with the tyrants bulke the Altar fils:

At whose red slaughter fell a plenteous raine.

For he that stranger and vsurper was,

Whose bloudy fate the Oracle forespake.

But for a while we let Alcides passe,

Whom these of Aegypt would their souer aigne make,

For freeing them from such a tyrants rage;

Now Meleager next must fill our stage.

Actus 2.
Scoena 2.

Enter Venus like a Huntresse, with Adonis.

Venus.

Why doth Adonis flye the Queene of loue?

And shun this Iuory girdle of my armes?

To be thus scarft the dreadfull God of warre

Would giue me conquered kingdomes: For a kisse

(But halfe like this) I could command the Sunne

Rise 'fore his houre, to bed before his time:

And (being loue-sicke) change his golden beames,

And make his sace pale, as his sifter Moone.

Come, let vs tumble on this violet banke:

Pre'thee be wanton; let vs toy and play,

Thy Icy fingers warme betweene my breasts;

Looke on me Adon with a stedfast eye,

That in these Christall glasses I may see

My beauty, that charmes Gods, makes men amaz'd,

And stownd with wonder: doth this roseat pillow

Offend my loue? come, wallow in my lap,

With my white fingers I will clap thy cheeke,

Whisper a thousand pleasures in thine eare.

Adonis.

Madame, you are not modest: I affect

The vnseene beauty that adornes the minde.

This loosenesse makes you fowle in Adons eye:

If you will tempt me, let me in your face

Reade blushfulnesse, and feare; a modest blush

Would make your cheeke seeme much more beautifull.

[Page] If you will whisper pleasure in mine eare,

Praise chastity, or with your lowd voyce shrill

The tunes of hornes, and hunting; they please best:

Il'e to the chase, and leaue you to the rest.

Venus.

Thou art not man; yet wer't thou made of stone,

I haue heate to melt thee. I am Queene of loue,

There is no practiue art of dalliance

Of which I am not Mistresse, and can vse.

I haue kisses that can murder vnkinde words,

And strangle hatred, that the gall sends forth:

Touches to raise thee, were thy spirits halfe dead:

Words that can powre affection downe thine eares.

Loue me! thou canst not chuse, thou shalt not chuse.

Am I not Venus? Hadst thou Cupids arrowes,

I should haue tooke thee to haue beene my sonne:

Art thou so like him, and yet canst not loue?

I thinke you are brothers.

Adonis.

Madame, you wooe not well, men couet not

These proffered pleasures; but loue-sweets deny'd:

What I command, that cloyes my appetite;

But what I cannot come by I adore.

These prostituted pleasures surfet still,

Wheres feare, or doubt, men sue with best good will.

Venus.

Thou canst instruct the Queene of loue in loue.

Thou shalt not (Adon) take me by the hand;

Yet if thou needs wilt force me, theres my palme.

Il'e frowne on him (alas! my brow's so smooth

It will not beare a wrinkle:) hye thee hence

Vnto the chace, and leaue me: but not yet,

Il'e sleepe this night vpon Endimions banke,

On which the Swaine was courted by the Moone.

Dare not to come, thou art in our disgrace;

(Yet if thou come I can affoord thee place.)

A [...].

I must begone.

Venus.

Swee [...] whither?

Ad [...]nis.

To the Chace.

Venus.

What does [...] thou hunt?

[Page]Adonis.

The Calidonian Boare,

To which the Princes and best spirits of Greece

Are now assembled.

Venus.

I beshrew thee boy,

That very word strooke from my heart all ioy:

It startled mee, me thinkes I see thee dye

By that rude Boare. Hunt thou the be [...]sts that flye,

The wanton Squirr [...]ll, or the trembling Hare,

The crafty Fox: these pastimes fea [...] clesse are.

The greedy Wolues, and fierce Beares arm'd with clawes,

Rough shouldred Lyons, such as glut their iawes

With heards at once, Fell Boares, let them passe by,

Adon, these looke not with thy Venus [...]ye.

They iudge not beauty, nor distinguish you [...]h,

These are their prey; My pitty, loue and ruth

Liues not in them. Oh to thy selfe be kinde,

Thou from their mouthes, my kisses shalt not find.

Winde hornes within.

Adonis.

The summons to the chace, Venus adue.

Ven.

Leaue those, turne head, chuse those thou maist pursue

Adonis.

I am resolu'd, Il'e helpe to rouze yon beast.

Venus.

Thou art to de [...] his sauadge throat to feast.

Forbeare.

Adonis.

In vaine.

Venus.

Appoynt when we shall meet.

Adonis.

After the chace. Farewell then.

Venus.

Farewell sweet.

Adonis.

This kissing.

Venus.

Adon, guard thee well, expresse

Thy loue to me, in being of thy selfe

Carefull and chary: they that raze thy skin

Wound me. Be wise my Adon.

Adon.

Neuer doubt. So then

He kisseth her.

Venus.

But lip-labour, yet ill left out.

Exeunt.

Winde hornes. Enter with Iauelings, and in greene, Meleager, Theseus, Telamon, Castor, Pollux, Iason, Peleus, Nestor, Atreus, Tox [...]us, Plexippus.

[Page]Melea.

The cause of this conuention (Lords of Greece)

Needs no expression; and yet briefly thus:

Oeneus our father, the Aetolians King,

Of all his fruits aud plenty, gaue due rights

To all the Gods and Goddesses, Ioue, Ceres,

Bacchus, and Pallas; but among the rest,

Diana he neglects: for which inrag'd,

She hath sent (to plague vs) a huge sauadge Boare,

Of an vn-measured height and magnitude.

What better can describe his shape and terror

Then all the pittious clamours shrild through Greece?

Of his depopulations, spoyles, and preyes?

His flaming eyes they sparkle bloud and fire,

His bristles poynted like a range of pikes

Ranck't on his backe: his foame snowes where he feeds

His tuskes are like the Indian Oliphants.

Out of his iawes (as if Ioues lightning flew)

He scortches all the branches in his way,

Plowes vp the fields, treads flat the fields of graine.

In vaine the Sheepheard or his dogge secures

Their harmlesse fowlds. In vaine the furious Bull

Striues to defend the heard ore which he Lords.

The Collonies into the Citties flye,

And till immur'd, they thinke themselues not safe.

To chace this beast we haue met on Oeta mount,

Attended by the noblest spirits of Greece.

Tela.

From populous Salamine I Tela [...]n

Am at thy faire request, King Meleager,

Come to behold this beast of Calidon,

And proue my vertue in his sterne pursuite.

Iason.

Not Meleagers loue, more then the zeale

I beare my honour, hath drawne Iason hither,

To this aduenture, yet both forcible

To make me try strange maisteries 'gainst that monster,

Whose fury hath so much amaz'd all Greece.

Castor.

That was the cause I Castor, with my brother

Pollux, arriu'd, and left our sister Hellen

[Page] Imbrac't by our old father Tyndarus,

To rouze this beast.

Pollux.

Let vs no more be held

The sonnes of L [...]da, and be got by Ioue,

Brothers, and cal'd the two Tyndarian twins

If we returne not crimson'd in the spoiles

Of this fierce Boare.

Nestor.

To that end Nestor came.

Nestor, that hath already liu'd one age,

And entred on the second, to the third

May I nere reach, if part of that wilde swine

I bring not home to Pylos where I reigne.

Atr.

My yong son Agamemnon, and his brother

Prince Menclaus in his swathes at home,

Without some honour purchast on this Boare,

May I no more see, or Myeenes visit.

Thes.

Well speakes Atreus, and his noble acts

Stil equalize his language. Shall not Theseus

Veoter as farre as any? heauens you know

I dare as much 'gainst any mortall foe.

Tox.

Wher's Hercules, that at this noble busines

He is not present, being neere ally'd

To Meleager, hauing late espowsed

His sister Deianeira?

Plex.

He's for Busiris, that Aegytian tyrant,

Mel.

Else noble valour, he would haue bin first

To haue purchast honour in this hauty quest.

Enter Atlanta with a Iauelin, Hornes winded.

Atl.

Haile princes, let it not offend this troop,

That I a Princesse and Atlanta cald,

A virgin Huntresse, presse into the field,

In hope to double guild my Iauelins poynt

In bloud of yon wilde swine.

Melea.

Virgineam in puero, puerilem in virgine vultum

Aspicio.

Oh you Gods! or make her mine,

Stated with vs the Calidonian Queene,

Or let this monstrous beaft confound me quite,

[Page] And in his vast wombe bury all my f [...]e.

Beauteous Atlanta welcome, grace her princes

For Meleagers honour.

Iason.

Come, shal's vncupple Lords,

Some plant the toiles, others brauely mount,

To vn- [...]en this sauadge.

M [...]lea.

Time and my bashfull loue

Admits no courtship, Lady ranke with vs.

Il'e be this day your guardian, and a shield

Betweene you and all danger.

Atlant.

We are free,

And in the chace will our owne guardian be.

Shals to the field, my Iauelin and these shafts,

Pointed with death, shall with the formost flye,

And by a womans hand the beast shall dye.

Enter Adonis winding his horne.

Melea.

As bold as faire; but soft, whose bugle's that

Which cals vs to the chace? Ad [...]nis yours?

Adonis.

Mine oh you noble Greekes, we haue discouered

The dreadfull monster wallowing in his den:

The toyles are fixt, the huntsmen plac't on hils

Prest for the charge, the fierce Tbessalian hounds

With their flagge eares, ready to sweep the dew

From the moist earth: their breasts are arm'd with steele,

Against the incounter of so grim a beast:

The hunters long to vncupple, and attend

Your presence in the field.

Atlanta.

Follow Atlanta.

Il'e try what prince will second me in field,

And make his Iauelins point shake euen with mine.

Melea.

That Meleagers shall.

Tela.

Nor Telamon

Will come behinde Atlanta, or the Prince.

Iason.

Charge brauely then your Iauelins, send them singing

Through the cleare aire, and aime them at yon fiend,

Den'd in the quechy bogge, the signall Lords.

All.

charge, charge.

a great winding of hornes, & shouts.

[Page]Meleag.

Princes, shrill your Bugles free.

And all Atlanta's danger fall on me.

Enter Iason and Telamon.

Iason.

This way, this way, renowned Telamon,

The Boare makes through yon glade, and from the hils

He hurries like a tempest: In his way

He prostrates trees, and like the bolt of Ioue,

Shatters where ere he comes.

Tela.

Diana's wrath

Sparkles grim terrour from his fiery eyes:

One Iauelin pointed with the purest brasse,

I haue blunted 'gainst his ribs, yet he vnscar'd,

The head, as darted 'gainst a rocke of marble,

Rebounded backe.

Iason.

He shakes off from his head

Our best Thessalian dogges, like Sommer flyes:

Nor can their sharpe phangs fasten on his hide.

Follow the cry.

A shout. Enter Castor and Pollux.

Castor.

Wher's noble Telamon?

Pollux.

Or warlike Iason?

Iason.

Here you Tyndarides,

Speake, which way bends this plague of Calidon?

Castor.

Here may you stand him, for behold he comes

Like a rough torrent, swallowing where he spreads,

Ouer his head a cloud of terrour hangs

In which leane death (as in a Chariot) rides,

Darting his shafts on all sides: 'mongst the Princes

Of fertill Gree [...]e, Anceus bowels lye

Strewd on the earth, torne by his rauenous tuskes:

And had not Nestor (by his Iauelins helpe)

Leap' [...]vp into an Oke to haue scap't his rage,

He had now perisht in his second Age.

Pollux.

Peleus is wounded, Pelegon lies slaine,

Eupalemon hath all his body rent

With an oblique wound: yet Meleager still,

And Theseus, and Atreus, with the rest,

[Page] Pursue the chace, with Boare-speares cast so thicke,

That where they flye, they seeme to darke the ayre,

And where they fall, they t [...]reaten imminent ruine.

Iason.

To these wee' [...] adde our fury, and our fire,

And front him, though his b [...]ow bare figured hell,

And euery wrinkle were the gulfe of Styx

By which the Gods contest: Come noble Telamon,

Diana's monster by our hands shall fall,

Or (with the Princes slaine) let's perish all.

Exe [...]t.

Hornes and shouts. Enter Meleager, Atlanta.

Meleag.

Thou beauteous Nonacris, Arcadia's pride,

How hath thy valour with thy fortune ioyn'd,

To make thee staine the generall fortitude

Of all the Princes we deriue from Greece,

Thy launces poynt hath on yon armed monster,

Made the first wound, and the first crimson droppe

Fell from his side, thy ayme and arme extracted,

Thy fame shall neuer dye in Calidon.

Atl.

We trifle heere, what shall Atlanta gaine

The first wounds honour, and be absent from

The monfters death, we must haue hand in both.

Melea.

Thou hast purchast honour and renowne enough,

Oh staine not all the generall youth of Greece,

By thy too forward spirit. Come not neere

Yon rude blood-thirsty sauadge, lest he prey

On thee, as on Anceus, and the rest,

Let me betweene thee and all dangers stand.

Hornes.

Fight, but fight safe beneath our puissant hand.

Atl.

The cry comes this way, all my shafts Il'e spend.

To giue the fury that affrights vs, end.

Melea.

And ere that monster on Atlanta pray,

This point of steele shal through his hart make way.

exeūt.

After great shouts, enter Venus.

Venus.

Adonis, thou that makest Venus a Huntresse,

Leaue Paphos, Gnidon, Eryx, Erecine,

And Amathon, with precious mettals bigge,

Mayst thou this day liue bucklerd in our wing,

[Page] And shadowed in the amorous power of loue:

My swannes I haue vnyoakt, and from their necks

Tane of their bridles made of twisted silke.

And from my chariot stucke with Doues white plumes

Lighted vpon this verdure, where the Boare

Hath in his fury snow'd his scattered foame.

A cry within.

What cry was that? It was Adonis sure.

That piercesant shrike shrild through the musicall pipes

Of his sweete voyces organs, thou Diana

If thou hast sent this fiende to ruin loue,

Or print the least skarre in my Adons flesh

Thy chastity I will abandon quite,

And with my loosenesse, blast thy Cinthian light.

Enter Theseus and Nestor, bringing in Adonis wounded to death.

Thes.

There lie most beauteous of the youths of Greece,

Who [...]e death I will not mourne, ere I reuenge.

Nest.

I'le second thee, thou pride of Greece adiew,

Whom too much valor in thy prime ore-threw.

Exit.

Ven.

Y'are not mine eyes, for they to fee him dead

Would from their soft beds drop vpon the earth:

Or in their owne warme liquid moisture drowne

Their natiue brightnesse: th'art not Venus heart,

For wer't thou mine, at this sad spectacle

Th'dst breake these ribs though they were made of brasse,

And leap out of my bosome instantly.

My sorrowes like a populous throng, all striuing

At once to passe through some inforced breach,

In stead of winning passage stop the way,

And so the greatest hast, breeds the most stay.

Oh mee! my multiplicity of sorrowes,

Makes me almost forget to grieue at all.

Speake, speake, my Adon, thou whom death hath fed on

Ere thou wast yet full ripe; and this thy beautie's

Deuour'd ere tasted. Eye, where's now thy brightnesse?

Or hand thy warmth? Oh that such louely parts

[Page] Should be by death thus made vnseruiceable.

That (liuest then) had the power to intrance Ioue:

Rauish, amaze, and surfet, all these pleasures

Venus hath lost by thy vntimely fall.

And therefore for thy death eternally

Venus shall mourne; Earth shall thy trunke deuoure,

But thy liues bloud I'le turne into a flower,

And euery Month in sollemne rights deplore,

This beauteous Greeke slaine by Dianaes Boare.

Exit.

The fall of the Boare being winded, Meleager with the head of the Boare, Atlanta, Nestor, Toxeus, Plexippus, Iason, Thesus, &c. with their ia [...]ellins bloudied.

Mel.

Thus lies the terror that but once to day

Aw'd all the boldest hearts of Calidon

Wallowing and weltering in his natiue bloud,

Transfixt by vs, but brauely seconded,

By noble Iason, Theseus, Peleus,

Telamon, Nestor, the Tyndarides,

And our bold vnkles, al our bore-speares stain'd

And gory hands lau'd in his reeking bloud,

To whom belongs this braue victorious spoile?

All.

To Meleager Prince of Calidon.

Mel.

Is that your generall suffrage?

Iason.

Let not Greece

Suffer such merite vnregarded passe,

Or valour liue vnguerdon'd, that fel Swine

Whom yet, euen dead, th'amazed people feare,

And dare not touch but with astonish [...]ent

Fell by thy hand.

Tel.

Thou stodst his violence,

T [...]l thy sharpe Iauelin grated gainst his broines,

Beneath his shield thou entred'st to his heart.

At that we guirt him till a thousand wounds,

Hee from a thousand hands receiu'd at once:

And in his fall it seem'd the earth did groane,

[Page] And the fixt Center tremble vnder him.

Castor.

The spoile is thine, the yong Adonis death,

Anceus slaughter, and the massacre

Of Archas, Pelagon, Eupateinon

And all the Grecian Printes lost this day,

Thou hast reueng'd, therefore be thine the fame,

Which with a generall voyce Greece shall proclaime.

Mel.

Princes wee thanke you, 'tis mine giuen me free.

Which faire Atlanta we bestow on thee.

Tox.

Ha, to a woman.

Plex.

And so many men,

Ingag'd in't, call backe thy gift againe.

Cast.

Greece is by this disparaged, and our fame

Fowly eclipst.

Pollux

Snatch't from that emulous Dame.

Mel.

Murmur you Lords at Meleagers bounty,

We first bestow'd it as our owne by guift,

Yea, and by right, but now we render it

To bright Atlanta, as her owne by due

As shee that from the Boare the first bloud drew.

Nest.

We must not suffer this disgrace to Greece.

Atre.

Let women claime 'mongst women eminence,

Our Lofty spirits, that honour haue in chace,

Cannot disgest wrongs womanish and base.

Cast.

Restore this woman and thy sex enuy

For fortitude, aime not at quests so hye.

Iason.

Castor forbeare.

Tella.

Hee giues but what's his owne.

Thes.

Tis the Kings bounty,

Mel.

By the immortall Gods,

That gaue vs this daies honour, the same hand

By which the Calidonian terror fell,

Shall him that frownes or murmurs lanch to hell.

A [...]l.

That will we try.

Mel.

Then reskue for Atlanta,

This day shall [...]all for thee, that art diuine,

Monsters more sauadge then Dianaes [...]wine.

[Page] A strange confused fray, Toxeus and Plexippus are slaine by Meleager, Iason and Tellamon stand betweene the two factions.

Ias.

No more, no more, behold your vnkles slaine,

Saue in this act two Noble Gentlemen,

Pursue not f [...]ry to the spoile of Greece,

And death of more braue Princes: let your rage

Be here confin'de, cut off this purple streame

In his mid course, and turne this torrent backe

Which in his fury else may drown'd vs all.

Tel.

I second Iason and expose my selfe,

Betweene these factions to compose a peace.

Mel.

Wee haue done too much already, [...]mpious fury,

How boundlesse is thy power: vncircumscribed

By thought or reason, th'art all violence,

Thy end repentance, sorrow and distast:

How will Althea take her brothers death

From her sons hand, but rash deeds executed

May be lamented, neuer be recal'd

Shall the suruiuers bee atton'd?

Atreus.

So it be done with honour on both parts

Wee haue swords to guard our fortunes and our liues,

And but an equall language will keepe both

Thus at the point.

Thes.

Ioyne hands renowned Princes,

The fury of the Prince of Calidon

Hath prey'd but on his owne, there let it end,

No further by your vrgent spleenes extend.

Castor.

We are appeas'd.

Iason.

Lords freely then embrace.

Mel.

First then, wee'le royally interre our vnkles,

And spend some teares vpon their funerall rites,

That done we'le in our Palace feast these Princes,

With bright Atlanta, whom wee'le make our Queene.

Our Vnkles once bestow'de into the earth,

Our mournings shall expire in Bridall mirth.

Exeunt.

[Page] Enter K. Oeneus and Althea, meeting the bodies of their two brothers borne.

Oen.

Come to the Temple there to sacrifice

For these glad tydings, since the Boare lies dead,

That fil'd our kingdome with such awe and dread.

Alth.

What ioy names Oeneus in this spectacle?

This of a thousand the most sad and tragicke,

Whose murdered trunkes be these?

Seru.

Your royall brothers, Prince Toxeus and Plexippus,

Althea.

Speake, how slaine?

Seru.

Not by the Boare, but by your sons owne hand.

Althea.

By Meleagers, how? vpon what quarrell?

Could the proud boy ground such a damned act.

Seru.

Your sonne to faire Atlanta gaue the prise

Of this daies trauell, which for, they with-stood

In mutinous armes they losse their vitall blouds.

Alth.

Shall I reuenge or mourne them.

Oen.

O strange fate.

An obiect that must shorten Oeneus daies,

And bring these winter haires to a sad Tombe

Long [...] ther [...] da [...]; I sinke beneath these sorrowes

Into my blacke and timelesse monument.

Althea.

My sorrowes turne to rage, my teares to fire,

My praiers to curses, vowes into reuenge.

Oen.

Peace, peace my Queene, let's beare the Gods vindiction

With patience, as wee did Dianaes wrath:

Where Gods are bent to punish, we may grieue

But can our selues nor succour, nor relieue.

Come, let vs do to them their latest rites,

Wait on their Hearses in our mourning blacke;

Their happy soules are mounted 'boue the spheares,

We'le wash their bodies in our funerall teares.

Exit.

Manet Althea.

Althea.

Althea what distraction's this within thee?

A sister or a mother wilt thou bee?

Since both I cannot, (for these Princes slaine)

[Page] Sister I chuse, a mothers name disdaine:

The fatall brand in which the murderers life

Securely lies, I'le hurle into the fire

And as it flames, so shall the slaue expire.

Mischeife I'le heape on mischeife, bad on ill,

Wrong pay with wrongs, and slaughter these that kill.

And since the Gods would all our glories thrall,

I will with them haue chiefe hand in our fall.

But hee's my sonne: oh pardon me deere brothers,

Being a mother if I spare his life,

Though it bee fit his sinne be plaug'd with death,

And that his life lie in yon fatall brand,

'T will not come fitly from a mothers hand.

Is this the hope of all my ten months paine,

Must he by th'hand of him that nurst him now be slaine?

Would he had perisht in his cradle, when

I gaue him twice life: in his birth, and then

When I the brand snatcht from the rauenous flame,

And for this double good, hast thou with shame

And iniury repaide me? I will now

A sister be, no mother, for I vow

Reuenge and death; Furies, assist my hand

Whilst in red flames I cast his vitall brand.

Exit.

A banquet, enter Meleager, Iason, Theseus, Castor, Pollux, Nestor, Peleus. Atreus, Atlanta.

Meleag.

For faire Atlanta, and your Honours, Lords

We banquet you this day: and to beginne

Our festiuals we'le crowne this Iouiall health

Vnto our brother, Theban Hercules

And Deyaneira, will you pledge it Lords?

Iason.

None but admire and loue their matchlesse worths,

Not faire Atlanta will refuse this health.

Atlan.

You beg of mee a pledge, I'le take it lason,

As well for his sake that beginnes the round,

As those to whom 'tis vow'd.

[Page]Tell.

Well spoke Atlanta, but I wonder Lords

What Prouince now holds Theban Hercules?

Thes.

He is the mirrour and the pride of Greece,

And shall in after ages be renoun'd,

But we forget his health, come Tellamon

Aime it at mee.

A fire: Enter Althea with the brand.

Althea.

Assist my rage you sterne Eumenides,

To you this blacke deed will I consecrate.

Pitty away, hence thou consanguine loue,

Maternall zeale, peccentall piety.

All cares, loues, duties, offices, affections,

That grow 'tweene sonnes and mothers, leaue this place;

Let none but furies, murders, paracides,

Be my assistants in this dam'd attempt:

All that's good and honest, I confine,

Blacke is my purpose; Hell my thoughts are thine.

Mel.

To bright Atlanta this loud musicke sown'd,

Her health shall with our loftiest straines be crown'd.

Althea.

Drinke, quaffe, be blith; oh how this festiue ioy

Stirs vp my fury to reuenge and death,

Thus, thus, (you Gods aboue, abiect your eies

From this vnnaturall act) the murderer dies.

Shee fires the brand.

Mel.

Oh, oh.

Atlan.

My Lord.

Mel.

I burne, I burne.

Iason.

What suddaine passion's this?

Mele.

The flames of hell, and Pluto's fightlesse fires,

Are through my entrals and my veines dispierst, oh!

Tell.

My Lord take courage.

Mel.

Courage Tellamon?

I haue a heart dares threate or challenge hell,

A brow front heauen; a hand to challenge both:

But this my paine's beyond all humane sufferance,

Or mortall patience.

Althea.

What hast thou done Althea? stay thy fury,

And bring not these strange torments on thine owne

[Page] Thou hast too much already, backe my hand,

[She takes out the brand.

And saue his life as thou conferust this brand.

Atlan

How cheeres the warlike Prince of Calidon?

Mel.

Well now, I am at ease and peace within,

Whither's my torture fled? that with such suddennesse

Hath freed me from disturbance, were we ill?

Come sit againe to banquet, musicke sownd,

Till this to Deyaneiraes health go round.

Althea.

Shall mirth and ioy crowne his degenerate head?

Whilst his cold Vnkles on the earth lie spread?

No, wretehed youth whilst this hand can destroy,

I'le cut thee off in midst of all thy ioy.

She fires the brand.

Mel.

Againe, Againe.

Althea.

Burne, perish, wast, fire, sparkle, and consume

And all thy vitall spirits flie with this fume.

Mel.

still, still, there is an Aetna in my bosome

The flames of Stix, and fires of Acheron

Are from the blacke Chimerian shades remou'd,

And fixt heere, heere; oh for Euenus floud,

Or some coole streame, to shoote his currents through

My flaming body, make thy channell heere

Thou mighty floud that streamest through Calidon

And quench me, all you springs of Thessaly

Remoue your heads, and fixe them in my veines

To coole me, oh!

Iason.

Defend vs heauen, what fuddaine extasy

Or vnexpected torture hath disturb'd

His health and mirth?

Mel.

Worse then my torment,

That I must die thus, thus, that the Boare had slaine me,

Happy Anceus and Adonis blest,

You died with fame, and honour crownes your rest;

My flame increaseth still, oh father Oeneus

And you Althea, whom I would call mother

But that my genius prompts me th'art vnkind,

And yet farewell, Atlanta beauteous maide,

I cannot speake my thoughts for torture, death,

[Page] Anguish and paines, all that Promethean fire

Was stolne from heauen, the Thiefe left in my bosome.

The Sunne hath cast his element on me,

And in my entralls hath he fixt his Spheare,

His pointed beames he hath darted through my heart,

And I am still on flame.

Althea.

So, now'tis done,

The brand consum'd, his vitall threed quite spun.

Exit.

Meleag.

Now'gins my fire waste, and my naturall heat

To change to Ice, and my scortch't blood to freeze.

Farewell, since his blacke ensigne death displayes,

I dye, cut off thus in my best of dayes.

He dyes.

Iason.

Dead is the flower and pride of Calidon.

Who would displease the Gods? Diana's wrath

Hath stretch't euen to the death, and tragicke ruine

Of this faire hopefull Prince, here stay thy vengeance

Goddesse of chastity, and let it hang

No longer ore the house of Calidon:

Since thou hast cropt the yong, spare these old branches

That yet suruiue.

Enter Althea.

Althea.

She shall not, Iason no,

She shall not. Do you wonder Lords of Greece,

To see this Prince lye dead? why that's no nouell,

All men must dye, thou, he, and euery one,

Yea I my selfe must: but Il'e tell you that

Shall stiffe your haire, your eyes start from heads,

Print fixt amazement in your wondring fronts,

Yea and astonish all: This was my sonne,

Borne with sick throws, nurst from my tender brest

Brought vp with femine care, cherisht with loue:

His youth, my pride; his honour all my wishes,

So deere, that little lesse he was then life.

But will you know the wonder ('lasse) too true,

Him (all my sonnes) this my inrag'd hand slue,

This hand, that Dians quenchlesse rage to fill,

Shall with the slaine sonnes sword the mother kill.

Althea kils herselfe with Meleagers sword.

[Page]Tela.

The Queene hath slaine herselfe: who'l beare these newes to the sad King?

Enter a seruant.

Seru.

That labour may be spar'd:

The King no sooner heard of his sonnes death,

(wrought by his mother in the fatall brand)

But he sunke dead: sorrow so chang'd his weakenesse,

And without word or motion he expir'd.

Iason.

Wee'l see them (ere we part from Calidon)

Inter'd with honour: But we soiourne long

In this curst Clime; oh let vs not incurro

Diana's fury, our next expedition

Shall be for Colchos, and the golden Fleece,

Vnto which (Princes) we inuite you all.

Our stately Argoe we haue rig'd and trim'd,

And in it we will beare the best of Greece,

Stil'd from our ship by name of Argonauts.

Great Hercules will with his company,

Grace our aduenture, and renowne all Greece,

By the rich purchase of the Colchian Fleece.

Exit.

HOMER.

Let not euen Kings against the Gods co [...]test,

Lest in this fall their ruines be exprest.

Thinke Hercules, from clensing the fowle stall

And stable of Augeus, in which fed

Three hundred Oxen, (neuer freed at all,

Till his arriue) return'd where he was bred,

To Thebes; there Deianeira him receiues

With glad imbraces, but he staies not long,

Iason the Lady of her Lord bereaues:

For in the new-rig'd Argoe, with the yong

And sprighly Heroes, he at Colchos aimes,

Where the rich Fleece must publish their high fames.

Enter Dei [...]neira and Lychas: to her Hercules, receiued with ioy, after the presentment of some of his labours. To them march in all the Argonauts, Iason, Telamon, Atreus, Castor, Pollux, Theseus, &c. Iason perswades Heroules to the aduenture: hee leaues Deianeira, and marcheth off with the Argnauts.

[Page] Imagine now these Princes vnder saile,

Stearing their course as farre as high-rear'd Troy,

Where King Laomedon doth much bewaile

His daughter, whom a Sea-whale must destroy.

Obserue this well: for here begins the iarre

Made Troy rack't after in a ten yeares warre.

Sownd. Enter King Laomedon, Anchifes, yong Priam, Aeneas, Hesione bound, with other Lords and Ladyes.

Laomed.

Hesione, this is thy last on earth,

Whose fortunes we may mourne, though not preuent:

Would Troy, whose walles I did attempt to reare,

Had nere growne higher then their ground-fils, or

In their soundation buried beene, and lost,

Since their high structure must be thus maintain'd,

With bloud of our bright Ladyes: Oh Hesione!

Th'onely remainder of these female dames

Begot by vs, I must be queath thy body

To be the food of Neptunes monstrous Whale.

Priam.

Had you kept troth and promise with the Gods,

This had not chan [...]'t: You borrowed of the Priests

Of Neptune and Apollo, Sea, and Sunne,

That quantity of gold, which to this height

And spacious compasse, hath immur'd great Troy;

But the worke finish't, you deny'd to pay

The Priests their due, for which inraged N [...]ptune

Assembled his high tides, thinking to drowne

Our lofty buildings, and to ruine Troy:

But when the Moone, by which the Seas are gouern'd,

Retir'd his waters by her powerfull wane,

He left behind him such infectious slime,

Which the Sunne poysoning by his persant beames.

They by their mutuall power, rais'd a hot plague,

[Page] To slacke this hot pest, Neptune made demand,

Monthly a Lady to be chus'd by lot,

To glut his huge Sea-mo [...]sters raueno us iawes:

The lot this day fell on Hesione

Our beauteous sister.

Laom.

Priam 'tis too true,

Till now Laomedon nere knew his guilt,

Or thought the Gods could punish.

Hesio.

Royall father,

Mourne not for me, the Gods must be appeas'd,

And I in this am happy, that my death

Is made th'attonement 'tweene those angry powers

And your afflicted people, though my Innocence

Neuer deseru'd such rigor from the Gods.

Come good Anchises, binde me to this rocke,

And let my body glut th'insatiate fury

Of angry Neptune, and th'offended Sunne.

Anchis.

A more vnwilling monster neuer past

Anchises hand.

Laom.

Now, now the time drawes nye,

That my sweet childe by Neptunes whale must dye,

Priam.

The very thought of it swallowes my heart

As deepe in sorrow, as the monster can

Bury my fister.

A great showt within.

Laom.

Soft, what clamor's that?

Aeneas.

A stately ship, well rig'd with swelling failes,

Enters the harbour, bound (by their report)

For Colchos [...] but when they beheld the shores

Couered with multitudes, and spy'd from farre,

Your beauteous daughter fastned to the rocke,

They made to know the cause; which certified,

One noble Greeke amongst these Heroes stands,

And offers to incounter Neptunes whale,

And free from death the bright Hesione.

Laom.

Thou hast (Aeneas) quickned me from death,

And added to my date a second Age.

Admit them.

[Page] Enter Hercules, Iason, Castor, Pollux, Theseus, and all the Argonauts.

Herc.

'Tis told vs that thy name's Laomedon,

And that thy beauteous daughter must this day

Feed a sea-monster: how wilt thou reward

The man that shall incounter Neptunes whale?

Tugge with that fiend vpon thy populous strond,

And with my club sowse on his armed scales?

Hast thou not heard of Theban Hercules?

I that haue aw'd the earth, and ransack't hell,

Will through the Ocean hunt the God of streames,

And chace him from the deepe Abismes below.

Il'e dare the Sea-god from his watery deepes

If he take part with this Leuiathan.

Laom.

Thy name and courage warlike Hercules

Assures her life, if thou wilt vndertake

This hauty quest: two milke white steeds, the best

Asia ere bred, shall be thy valours prize,

Herc.

We accept them; keepe thy faith Laomedon,

If thou but break'st with Ioue-borne Hercules,

These marble structures, built with virgins bloud,

Il'e raze euen with the earth. When comes the monster?

Hesione.

Now, now, helpe Ioue.

Acry within.

Herc.

I see him sweepe the sea's along.

Blow riuers through his nostrils as he glides,

As if he meant to quench the Sunnes brightfire,

And bring a palped darknesse ore the earth:

He opes his iawes as if to swallow Troy,

And at one yawne whole thousands to destroy.

Lao.

Fly, flye into the Citty.

Exeunt the Troians.

Herc.

Take along

This beauteous Lady, if he must haue pray,

In stead of her Alcides here will stay.

Iason.

The heartlesse Troians fly into the towne

At fight of yon sea-diuell: here wee'l stand

To wait the conquest of thy Iouiall hand.

[Page]Herc.

Gramercy Iason, see he comes in tempest,

Il'e meet him in a storme as violent,

And with one stroke which this right hand shall aime,

Ding him into th'abisse from whence he came.

Hercules kils the Sea-Monster, the Troians on the walles, the Greekes below.

Priam.

The monster's slaine, my beautuous sister freed.

Iason.

Be euer for this noble deed renown'd,

Let Asia speake thy praise.

Telam.

The Argonauts

A [...]e glorifi'd by this victorious act.

Priam.

All Troy shall consecrate to Hercules

Temples and Altars: lets descend and meet him.

Laom.

Stay, none presume to stirre, wee'l parly them

First from the walles.

Herc.

Why doth not Troy's King from those wals descend?

And since I haue redeem'd Hesione,

Present my trauels with two milke-white steeds,

The prize of my indeuours?

Lao.

Hercules we owe thee none, none will we tender thee,

Thou hast won thee honour, a reward sufficient

For thy attempt: our gates are shut against thee,

Nor shall you enter, you are Greekish spies,

And come to pry but where our land is weake.

Priam.

Oh royall father!

Laom.

Peace boy: Greekes away:

For imminent death attends on your delay.

Herc.

The Sea nere bred a monster halfe so vile

As this Land-fiend. Darft threaten Hercules?

Would vniuersall Troy were in one frame,

That I might whelme it on thy cursed head,

And crowne thee in thy ruine. Menace vs?

Laom.

Depart our walles, or we will fir [...] your Argoe,

Lying in our harbour, and preuent your purpose

In the atchieuement of the golden fleece,

[Page]Herc.

Laom [...]don, Il'e tosse thee from thy walles,

Batter thy gates to shiuers with my Club,

Nor will I leaue these broad Scamander plaines,

Til thy aspiring Towers of Illium

Lye leuell with the place on which we stand.

Iason.

Great Hercules, th'aduenture fals to me,

Our voyage bent for Colchos, not for Troy,

The golden fleece, and not La [...]medon:

Why should we hazard here our Argonauts?

Or spend our selues on accidentall wrongs?

Telam.

Iason aduiseth well, great Hercules,

We should dishonour him, and th'expectation

Greece hath of vs, delude by this delay.

Thes.

Then let vs from this harbour launch our Argoe,

To Colchos first, and in our voyage home

Reuenge vs on this false Laomedon.

Herc.

You sway me princes: farewell trecherous King,

Nought, saue thy bloud, shall satisfie this wrong

And base dishonour done to Hercules.

Expect me; for by Olimpicke I [...]e I sweare.

Nere to set foot within my natiue Thebes,

See Deianeira, or to touch in Greecs,

Till I'haue scal'd these mures, inuaded Troy,

Ransack't thy Citty, slaine Laomedon,

And venge the Gods that gouerne Sea and Sunne.

Come valiant Heroes, first the fleece to enioy,

And in our backe returne to ransacke Troy.

Exeunt.

Lao.

We dread you not, wee'l answere what is done.

As well as stand 'gainst Neptune and the Sunne.

Enter Oetes, King of Colchos, Medea, yong Absyrtus, with Lords.

Oetes.

How may we glory aboue other kings

Being (by our birth) descended from the Gods?

Our wealth renowned through the world tripartite,

Most in the riches of the golden fleece,

[Page] And not the least of all our happinesse,

Medea for her powerfull magicke skill,

And Negromanticke exorcismes admir'd,

And dreaded through the Colchian territories.

Medea.

I can by Art make riuers retrograde,

Alter their channels, run backe to their heads,

And hide them in the springs from whence they grew.

The curled Ocean with a word Il'e smooth,

(Or being calme) raise waues as high as hils,

Threatning to swallow the vast continent.

With powerfull charmes Il'e make the Sunne stand still,

Or call the Moone downe from her arched spheare.

What cannot I by power of Hecate?

Absyr.

Discourse (faire sister) how the golden fleece

Came first to Colchos.

Medea.

Let Absyrtus know,

Phrixus the sonne of Theban Athamas,

And his faire sister Helles, being betraid

By their curst step-dame [...], fled from Greece,

Their Innocence pittied by Mercury,

He gaue to them a golden-fleeced Ramme,

Which bore them safe to the Syg [...]an sea,

Which swimming, beauteous Helles there was drown'd,

And gaue that sea the name of Hellespont,

That which parts Sestus and Abidos still:

Phrixus arriues at Colchos, and to Mars

There sacrific'd his Ramme in memory

Of his safe waftage, fauoured by the Gods.

The golden Fleece was by the Oracle

Commanded to be fixt there, kept and guarded

By two fierce Buls, that breath insernall fires,

And by a wakefull Dragon, in whose eyes

Neuer came sleepe: for in the safe conseruing

Of this diuine and worthy monument,

Our kingdomes weale and safety most consists.

Oetes.

And he that striues by purchase of this fleece,

To weaken vs, or shake our Royalty,

[Page] Must tast the fury of these fiery fiends,

A shoote

The nouell: speake.

Enter a Lord.

Lord.

Vpon the Cholchian shores

A stately vessell, man'd it seemes from Greece

Is newly lancht, full fraught with Gentlemen

Of braue aspects and presence.

Oetes.

Whose their Generall?

Lord.

Iason, he stiles himselfe a Prince of Greece

And Captaine o're the noble Argonautes.

Oetes.

Vsher them in, that we may know their quest

And what aduenture drew them to these shoares.

Sound, Enter Iason, Hercules, Theseus, Castor, Pollux, &c.

Iason.

Haile king of Colchos, thou beholdst in vs

The noblest Heroes that inhabite Greece

Of whom I, though vnworthiest, stile my selfe

The Generall; the intent of this our voyage

Is to reduce the rich and golden prise

To Greece, from whence it came, know I am come

To tug and wrastle with the infernall Buls,

And in their hot fiers double guild my armes

To place vpon their necks the feruile yoake,

And bondage, force them plow the field of Mars,

Till in the furrowes I haue sowed the teeth

Of vipers, from which men in armour grow

To enter combat with the sleepelesse Dragon,

And mauger him fetch thence the golden Fleece.

All this Oetes, I am prest to atchieue

Against these horrid tasks my life to ingage

Buls fury, Vipers poyson, Dragons rage.

Medea.

Such a bold spirit, and noble presence linkt,

Neuer before were seene in Phasis Isle,

Colchos be proud, a Prince demands thy Fleece,

Richer then that he comes for; let the Greekes

Our Phasian wealth and Oetes treasure beare,

So they in liew will leaue me Iason here.

[Page]Oetes.

Princes, you aime at dangers more in proffe

Then in report, which if you should behold

In their true figure, would amaze your spirits:

Yea, terifye the Gods; let me aduise you,

As one that knowes their terrour, to desist

Ere you enwrap your seffe into these perils,

Whence there is no euafion.

Herc.

Oetes, know

Peril's a babe, the greater dangers threaten

The greater is his honour that breaks through.

Haue we in th' Agoe rowed with sixty oares

And at each Oare a Prince; pierc't Samo-thrace,

The Chersoneson sea, the Hellespont;

Euen to the waues that breake on Colchos sho [...]res?

And Shall we with dishonour turne to Greece?

Know Oetes, not the least of sixty Heroes

That now are in thy Confines, but thy monsters

Dare quell and baffle.

Tellamon.

Much more Hercules.

Oetes.

Hercules.

Iason.

Starts Oetes at the name of Hercules,

What would he do to see him in his eminence;

But leauing that, this must be Iasons quest,

A worke not worthy him; where be these monsters?

Medea.

May all inchantments be confinde to hell,

Rather then he encounter fiends so fell.

Oetes.

Princes, since you will needs attempt these dangers

You shall; and if atchieue the Golden Fleece

Transport it where you please, meane time, this day

Repose your selues, w [...]l'e feast you in our Pallace.

To morrow morning with the rising Sunne,

Our golden prise shall be conseru'd or wonne.

Exit.

Medea.

If he attempts he dies, what's that to mee?

Why should Medea feare a strangers life?

Or what's that Iason I should dread his fall?

If [...], my fathers glory waines,

And all our fortunes must reward his paines.

[Page] Let lason perish then, and Colchos flourish.

Our pristine glories let vs still enioy,

And these our brasse-head buls the Prince destroy.

Oh! what distraction's this within me bred,

Although he die, I would not see him dead?

The best I see, the worst I follow still,

Hee nere wrong'd mee, why should I wish him ill?

Shall the Buls tosse him whom Medea loues,

A Tygresse, not a Princesse, should I proue?

To see him tortured whom I deerely loue?

Bee then a torteresse to thy fathers life,

A robber of the clime where thou wast bred,

And for some straggler that hath lost his way,

Thy fathers Kingdome and his State betray.

Tush, these are nothing, first his faith I'le craue,

That couenant made, him by enchantments faue

Enter Iason.

Iason.

My task is aboue strength, Duke Peleus sent me

Not to atchieue, but die in this pursuite,

And to preuent the Oracle that told him

I must succeed; Iason bethinke thee then

Thou com'st to execution, not to act

Things aboue man; I haue obseru'd Medea

Retort vpon me many an amorous looke,

Of which I'le studdy to make prosperous vse.

If by her art the Inchantments I can bind

Immur'd with death, I certaine safety find.

Medea.

Shall I o're-whelme vpon my captiue head,

The curse of all our Nation, the Crownes ruin?

Clamours of men, and woemens loud exclaimes.

Burnings of children; the vniuersall curse

Of a great people, all to saue one man,

A straggler (God knowes whence deriu'd, where borne,

Or hether where Noble? let the proud Greeke die,

Wee still in Colchos sit instated hye

Oh me! that looke vpon Medea cast

Drownes all these feares, and hath the rest surpast.

[Page]Iason.

Madam, because I loue I pitty you,

That you a beauteous Lady, art-full wise,

Should haue your beauty and your wisedome both

Inuelopt in a cloud of Barbarisme:

That on these barren Confines you should liue,

Confin'd into an Angle of the world.

And ne're see that which is the world indeed,

Fertile and populous Greece, Greece that beares men,

Such as resemble Gods, of which in vs

You see the most deiected, and the meanest.

How harshly doth your wisedome sound in th'eares

Of these Barbarians, dull, vnapprehenfible,

And such, in not conceiuing your hid Arts,

Depriue them of their honour; In Greece springs

The fountaines of Diuine Phylosophy,

They are all vnderstanders; I would haue you

Bright Lady with vs, enter to that world

Of which this Colchos is no part at all.

Shew then your beauty to these iudging eies,

Your wisedome to these vnderstanding eares.

In which they shall receiue their merited grace,

And leaue this barraine, cold, and stirrill place.

Medea.

His presence without all this Oratory

Did much with vs, but where they both conioyne

To entrap Medea, shee must needs bee caught.

Iason.

I long to see this Colchian Lady clad

In Hymens stateliest roabes, whom the glad Matrones,

Bright L [...]dies, and Imperiall Queenes of Greece

Shall welcome and applaud, and with rich gifts

Present, for sauing of their sonnes and kinsmen

From these infernall monsters: As for Iason

If you Medea shall despise his loue,

He craues no other life then to die so,

Since life without you is but torturing paine,

And death to men distrest is double gaine.

Medea.

That tongue more then Medeaes spels inchants,

And not a word, but like our exoreismes

[Page] And power of charmes preuailes, Oh lone! thy Maiesty

Is greater then the triple Hecates,

Bewitching Circes, or these hidden skils,

Ascrib'd vnto th'infernall Proserpine.

I that by incantations can remoue

Hils from their syts, and make huge mountaines shake,

Darken the Sunne at noone, call from their graues

Ghosts long since dead, that can command the earth,

And affright heauen, no spell at all can find

To bondage loue, or free a captiue minde.

Iason.

Loue Iason then, and by thy Diuine aide,

Giue me such power, that I may tug vnscorcht

Amidst the flames with these thy fiery fiends,

That I vnuenom'd may these Vipers teeth

Cast from my hand, through Morpheus leaden charmes,

Ouer that wakefull snake that guards the Fleece,

For which liue Iasons happy Bride in Greece.

Medea.

A match, what hearbs or spels, what Magicke can

Command in heauen, earth, or in hell below,

What either aire, or sea can minister,

To guard thy person, all these helps I'le gather

To girdle thee with saf [...]ty.

Iason.

Be thou then

For euer Iasons, and through Greece renown'd

In whom our Heroes haue such safety found,

Our bargaine thus I seale.

He kisseth her.

Medea.

Which I'le make good

With Colchos fall, and with my fathers bloud.

Enter [...]yrtus

Absyr.

Prince Iason, all the Heroes at the banquet

Inquire for you, twice hath my father Oetes

Made search for you; Oh sister!

Medea.

No word you saw vs two in conference.

Absyr.

Do you take me to be a woman, to tell all I see,

And blab all I know, I that am in hope one day to

Lie with a woman, will once lie for a woman,

Sister, I saw you not.

Iason.

Remember; come Prince, will you leade the way?

[Page]Absyr.

I haue parted you that neuer parted fray

Come sir will you follow.

Exit. Manet Medea.

Medea.

The night growes on, and now to my black Arts,

Goddesse of witchcraft and darke ceremony,

To whom the elues of Hils, of Brookes, of Groues,

Of standing lakes, and cauernes vaulted deepe

Are ministers; three-headed Hecate

Lend me thy Chariot drawne with winged snakes,

For I this night must progresse through the Aire.

What simples grow in Tempe of Thessaly,

Mount Pindus, Otheris, Ossa, Appida [...],

Olimpus, Caucas. or high Teneriff.

I must select to finish this great worke,

Thence must I flye vnto Amphrisus Foords,

Aud gather plants by the swift Sperchius streames,

Where rushy Bebes, and Anthedon flow,

Where hearbes of bitter iuice and strong sent grow;

These must I with the haires of Mandrakes vse,

Temper with Poppy-seeds and H [...]locke iuice:

With Aconitum that in Tartar springs,

With Cypresse, E [...], and Veruin, and these mix

With Incantations, Spels, and [...]

Of wonderous power and vertue; oh thou night,

Mother of darke Arts hide mee in thy vaile,

Whilst I those banks search, and these mountaines skale.

Sownd. Enter King Oetes, Absyrtus, and Lords.

Oetes.

Vpon the safeguard of this golden Fleece

Colchos depends, and he that beares it hence

Beares with it all our fortunes; the Argonautes

Haue it in quest, if Lason scape our monsters

I'le rather at some banquet poyson him,

And quaffe to him his death, or in the night

Set fire vpon his Argoe, and in flames

Consume the happy hope of his returne,

This purpose we, as we are Colchos King,

[Page] Absyrtus where's your sister?

Absyrtus.

In her chamber.

Oetes.

When you next see her giue to her this noate,

The manner of our practise, her fell hand

Cannot be mist in this, but it shall fall

Heauy on these that Colchos seekes to thrall.

The howre drawes nigh, the people throng on heapes,

To this aduenture in the field of Mars,

And noble Iason arm'd with his good [...]hield,

Is vp already and demands the field.

Enter Iason, Hercules, and the Argonauts.

Iason.

Oetes, I come thus arm'd, demanding combat

Of all those monsters that defend thy Fleece:

And to these dangers singly, I oppose

My person as thou seest, when setst thou ope

The gates of hell to let thy deuils out?

Glad would I wrastle with thy fiery Buls,

And from their throats the flaming dewlops teare.

Vnchaine them, and to Iason turne them loose,

That as Alcides did to Achelous;

So from their hard fronts I may teare there hornes,

And lay the yoake vpon their vntam'd necks.

Oetes.

Yet valiant Greeke desist, I, though a stranger

Pitty thy youth, or if thou wilt persist

So dreadfull is the aduenture thou persuest,

That thou wilt thinke I shall vnbowell hell,

Vnmacle the fiends, and make a passage

Free for the Infernals.

Iason.

I shall welcome all.

Medea now if there be power in loue;

Or force in Magicke; if thou hast or will

Or Art, try all the power of Characters,

Vertue of Symples, Stones, or hidden spels,

If earth Elues, or nimble airy Spirits,

Charmes, Incantations, or darke Exorcismes.

[Page] If any strength remaine in Pyromancy,

Or the hid secrets of the aire or fire.

If the Moones spheare can any helpe infuse,

Or any influent Starre, collect them all

That I by thy aide may these monsters thrall.

Oetes.

Discouer them.

Two fiery Buls are discouered, the Fleece hanging ouer them, and the Dragon sleeping beneath them: Medea with strange fiery-workes, hangs aboue in the Aire in the strange habite of a Coniuresse.

Medea.

The hidden power of Earth, Aire, Water, Fire,

Shall from this place to Iasons helpe conspire.

Fire withstand fire, and magicke temper flame,

By my strong spels the sauadge monster's tame:

So, that's perform'd, now take the Vipers teeth

And sow them in the furrowed field of Mars.

Of which strange seed, men ready arm'd must grow

To assault Iason. Already from beneath

Their deadly pointed weapons gin to appeare,

And now their heads, thus moulded in the earth,

Streight way shall teeme; and hauing fr [...]ed their fate

(The stalkes by which they grow) all violently

Pursue the valiant Greeke, but by my sorcery

I'le turne their armed points against themselues

And all these slaues that would on Iason flie

shoutes

Shall wound themselues and by sedition die.

Yet thriues the Greeke, now kill the sleeping snake

Which I haue charm'd, and thence the Trophy take,

These shouts witnesse his conquest, Ile discend,

Heare Iasons feares and all my charmes take end.

Hercules.

Oetes, [...]ow is this rich and pretious Fleece,

By Iasons sword repurchast, and must turne

Vnto the place whence Phrixus brought his Ramme.

Oetes.

That practise by your ruins; Ile preuent,

And sooner then with that returne to Greece,

[Page] Your slaughtered bodies leaue with this rich fleece.

Iason.

Since our aduenture is atchieu'd and done,

The prize is ours, we ceize what we haue wone.

Oetes.

Enioy it Iason, I admire thy worth,

Which as it hath exceeded admiration,

So must we needs applaud it. Noble gentlemen.

Depart not Colchos, ere your worths and valour

We with some rich and worthy gifts present.

The conquest of our Buls, and Dragons death,

(Though we esteem'd them) yet they sad vs not,

Since we behold the safety of this prince.

Enter our palace, and your praise sownd hye,

Where you shall feast, (or all by treafon dye.)

Exeunt

Absyr.

I haue not seeene my sister to day, I muse she hath not beene at this solemnity, me thinkes she should not haue lost this triumph; I haue a note to deliuer her from my father. Here she comes.

Enter Medea.

Sister, peruse this briefe, you know the character,

It is my fathers. This is all.

Exit. She reads.

Medea.

Iason with his Argonauts this night must perish, the fleece not be trāsported to Greece—Medea, your assistance.

This is my fathers plot to ouerthrow

Prince Iason, and the noble Argonauts,

Which Il'e preuent: I know the King is sudden,

And if preuention be delay'd, they dye:

I that haue ventured thus farre for a loue,

Euen to these arts that Nature would haue hid

As dangerous and forbidden, shall I now

Vndoe what I haue done, through womanish feare,

Paternall duty, or for filiall loue?

No Iason, thou art mine, and my desire,

Shall wade with thee through bloud, through seas, through fire.

Enter Iason.

Iason.

Madam.

Medea.

My Lord, I know what you would say,

Thinke now vpon your life, the King my father

Intends your ruine, to redeeme the fleece,

[Page] And it repurchase with your tragicke deaths:

Therefore assemble all your Argonauts,

And let them (in the silence of the night)

Lanch from the Colchian harbour; Il'e associate you

As Iasons bride.

Iason.

You are my patronesse,

And vnder you I triumph: when the least

Of all these graces I forget, the Gods

Reuenge on me my hated periury.

Must we then lanch this night? you are my directresse,

And by your art Il'e manage all my actions.

Medea.

Then flye, Il'e send to see your Argoe trim'd,

Rig'd and made tight: night comes, the time growes on:

Hye then aboord.

Iason.

I shall.

Exit.

Medea.

Now populous Greece,

Thanke vs (not Iason) for this conquer'd fleece.

Enter Oetes.

Oetes.

Medea, we are rob'd, despoil'd, dishonored,

Our Fleece rap't hence, we must not suffer it,

Since all our ominous fortunes it includes,

I am resolu'd Iason this night shall dye.

Medea.

Should he suruiue, you might be held vnworthy

The name of King; my hand shall be as deepe

As yours in his destruction.

Oetes.

A strong guard

I will select, and in the dead of night,

When they are sunke in Leth [...], set vpon them,

And kill them in their beds.

Medea.

Il'e second you,

And laue my stain'd hands in their reeking blouds

That practise your dishonour.

Oetes.

Iason then dyes,

When he most hopes for this rich Colchian prize.

Exit.

Medea.

But ere the least of all these ils betide,

This Colchian strond shall with thy bloud be dy'd.

For Iason and his Argonauts I stand,

And will protect them with my art and hand.

Enter Iason with the Fleece, and all the Greekes muffled.

[Page]Iason.

Madam Medea [...]

Medea.

Leaue circumstance, away,

Hoyse vp your sailes, death and destruction

Attends you on the shoare.

Iason.

You'l follow Madam.

Exit.

Medea.

Instantly: Blow gentle gales, assist them winds and tide,

That I may Greece see, & liue Iasons bride.

Enter Absyrtus.

Absyr.

How now [...]ister, so solitary?

Medea.

Oh happy met, though it be late Absyrtus,

You must along with me.

Absyr.

Whither pray?

Medea.

Il'e tell you as we walke.

This lad betweene me and all harme shall stand;

And if the King pursue vs with his Fleet,

His mangled limbes shall (scattered in the way)

Worke our escape, and the Kings speed delay.

Come brother.

Absyr.

Any where with you sister.

exeunt.

Enter HOMER.

Hom.

Let none to whom true Art is not deny'd,

Our monstrous Buls, and magicke Snakes deride.

Some thinke this rich Fleece was a golden Booke,

The leaues of parchment, or the skins of Rammes,

Which did incl [...] the Art of making gold

By Chimi [...]ke skill, and therfore rightly stild,

The Golden Fleece, which to attaine and compasse,

Includes as many trauels, mysteries,

Changes and Chymicke bod [...]es, fires and monsters,

As euer Iason could in Colchos meet.

The sages, and the wise, to keepe their Art

From being vulgar: yet to haue them tasted

With appetite and longing, giue those glosses,

And flourishes to shadow what they write,

Which might (at once) breed wonder and delight.

So did th' Aegyptians in the Arts best try'd,

In Hierogliphickes all their Science hide.

But to proceed, the Argonauts are fled,

Whom the inrag'd Oetes doth pursue,

And being in sight, M [...]dea takes the head

[Page] Of yong Absyrtus, whom (vnkinde) she slue,

And all his other limbes strawes in the way

Of the old father, his pursute to stay.

The Shew.

In memory of this inhumane deed,

These Islands where his [...]ughtered limbes lye spred,

Were cal'd Absyrtides: But we proceed

With King Laomedon, 'gainst whom are led

The Argonauts, Troy by Alcides rac'd,

Askes the next place, and must in ranke be plac'd.

Enter Laomedon, Priam, Anchises, Aeneas, Hesione, &c.

Lao.

The Argonauts return'd?

Anchi.

They are my Lord:

Lao.

And landed?

Anchi.

Landed.

Lao.

Where?

Anchi.

At Tenedos.

Lao.

Could not those Colchian monsters in their bowels

Bury the Greekes, but must they all suruiue

To threat vs with inuasion. Speake Anchises,

March they towards Troy?

Anchis.

In conduct of the mighty Hercules,

Wasting with sword and fire where ere they march:

Scamander fields they haue strew'd with carkasses,

And Simois streames already purpled are

With bloud of Troians.

Priam.

Let vs giue them battell.

Lao.

In vaine, our forces are disperst abroad,

Nor haue we order to withstand their fury:

Best were we to immure our selues in Troy,

And trust vnto the vertue of our walles.

Shouts.

Aeneas.

Do not delay your safety, you may heare

Their cryes, and lofty clamors, threatning Troy:

They dogge vs to our gates, and without speed

And expedition, they will enter with vs.

Come then, our threatned liues we will immure,

And thinke vs in our strong built walles secure.

Exent.

After an alarme enter Hercules, Iason, Theseus, Telamon, and all the other Argonauts.

[Page]Herc.

Pursue the chace euen to the gates of Troy,

Then call th'ingrate Loamedon to parlee.

Iason.

The periur'd King shall pay vs for the wrong

Done to Alcides in his promis'd steeds.

Telam.

Better he had the monster had deuour'd

His beauteous daughter, then t'abide our furies.

Nestor.

He did exclude our vertue from the Citty,

And now therefore he shall admit our fury.

Castor.

These wals first rear'd at the great Gods expence,

Wee'l ruine to the earth: let's summon him.

Herc.

We will call him to parlee.

A parlee.

Enter vpon the wals, Laomedon, Anchises, Aeneas, Priam, &c.

Herc.

Laomedon, we do not summon thee

To parlee, but to warne thee guard thy walles,

Which (without pause) we now intend to scale.

Laom.

Wilt heare me Hercules?

Herc.

I listen'd thy periurious tongue too late.

Scale, batter, mount, assault, sacke, and deface,

And leaue (of Troy) nought saue the name and place.

Alarme. Telamon first mounts the walles, the rest after, Priam flyes, Laomedon is slaine by Hercules, Hesione taken, Enter with victory.

Herc.

Thus is the tyrant, that but late aw'd Troy,

Buried amidst his ruines; he chastis'd,

And we reueng'd: the spoyle of this rich Towne

Rated as high as Iasons Colchian prize,

You shall diuide: but first these lofty walles,

Builded by periury, and maintain'd by pride,

Wee'l ruine to the earth: Who saw yong Priam?

Iason.

Hee's fled, and tooke the way to Samo-thrace,

With him Anchises, that on Venus got

The yong Aeneas, they are fled together,

And left the spoyle of all the towne to vs.

Herc.

Which shall enrich Thebes, and the townes of Greece,

[Page] And Telamon, to do thy valour right,

For mounting first ouer the walles of Troy,

The first and choyce of all the spoyle be thine.

Telam.

Then let Alcides honour Telamon

With this bright Lady, faire Hesione,

Sister to Priam, daughter to Laomedon,

Whose beauty I preferre before the state

And wealth of Troy.

Herc.

Receiue her Telamon,

Shee is thine owne by gift of Hercules.

Telam.

A present more delighting Telamon,

Then were I made Lord of high Illiums Towers,

And heire vnto the dead Laomedon.

Hesio.

I am a Princesse, shall my fathers ils

Fall on my head? If he offended Hercules,

He hath made satisfaction with his life.

Oh be not so seuere, to stretch his punishment

Euen after life; hast thou from death redeem'd me,

To giue me captiue, and to slaue my youth?

Things worse then death: rather let Hercules

Expose me to the rocke, where first he found me,

To abide the wrath both of the Sea and Sunne.

Oh! rather make my body food for monsters,

Then brand my birth with bondage.

Telam.

Faire Hesione,

I will not loose thy beauty, nor thy youth,

Nor part with this my honour, couldst thou giue me

For ransome of them, both our Argoes cram'd

With gold and gemmes; you are my valours prize,

And shall with me to populous Salamine.

Hesione.

Can you so wrong the daughter of a king,

To giue her as a Dukes base Concubine?

Touch me not Telamon, for I deuine,

Ifere my brother Priam re-build Troy,

And be the king of Asia, hee'l reuenge

This base dishonour done Hesione;

And for his sister, rauish't hence perforce,

[Page] Do the like out-rage on some Grecian Queene,

In iust reuenge of my iniurious wrong.

Herc.

Should all the kings in Asia, or the world,

Take part with Priam in that proud designe,

Like fate, like fortune with Laomedon

They shall abide: renowned Telamon,

She is the warlike purchase of thy sword,

Enioy her as the gift of Hercules.

And now braue Grecian Hero's, lets towards Greece

With al these honored spoils from Colchos brought

And from the treasures of defaced Troy.

Faire Deianeira longs for vs in Thebes,

Whom we will visit next, and thence proceed

Vnto our future labours. Cacus liues

A bloudy tyrant, whom we must remoue:

And the three-headed Gerion swayes in Spaine,

Notorious for his rapes and out-rages;

Both these must perish by Alcides hand,

And when we can the earth from tyrants cleare,

In the worlds vtmost bounds our pillers reare. ex [...]

HOMER.

Loath are we (curteous auditors) to cloy

Your appetites with viands of one tast,

The beauteous Venus we must next imploy,

Whom we saw mourning for Adonis last.

Suppose her still for the yong Adon sad,

But cheer'd by Mars, their old loues they renue,

And she, that (whil'st he liu'd) preferd the Lad,

Hath quite forgot him, since the Boare him slue.

Mars is in grace, a meeting they deuise,

Iealous of all, but fearing most the Sunne,

Hee that sees all things from his first vp-rise,

And like a blab, tels all that hee knowes done.

Our mortals must a while their spleenes asswage,

And to the Gods, for this Act, leaue the Stage.

[Page] Enter Mars and Venus.

Mars.

I knew loues Queene could not be long vnkind,

Though (whil'st I absent, to teach Armes in Thrace)

You tooke th'aduangtage to forget your Mars,

To doate on Adon, and Anchises too;

Yet (those worne out) let vs renue our loues,

And practise our first amorous dalliance.

Venus.

How can I hate; that am the Queene of loue?

Or practise ought against my natiue power?

As I one day, playd with my Cupids shafts,

The wanton with his arrow raz'd my skin.

Trust me, at first I did neglect the smart:

At length it rankled, and it grew vnsound,

Till he that now lies wounded, cut'd my wound.

Mars.

Come shall we now, whilst Vulcan plyes his forge,

Sweats at his Anuill, choakes himselfe with dust,

And labours at his bellowes, kisse and toy?

Venus.

Why met we else? Here is a place remote,

An obscure caue, fit for our amorous sport:

In this darke cauerne wee'l securely rest,

And Mars shall adde vnto my Vulcans crest.

But how if we be spy'd?

Mars.

Whom need we feare?

Vnlesse the Sunne, who now the lower world

Lights with his beames; I meane the Antipodes,

The tell-tale blab is busie now else-where:

And I will set to watch at the caues doore,

My trusty groome, who (ere the Sunne shall rise

With his bright beames to light our Hemispheare)

Shall waken vs.

Venus.

For all the world I would not haue the Sunne

Discouer our sweet sport, or see whats done.

Mars.

Be that my charge. Wher's Gallus?

Enter Gallus.

Gal.

At hand fir: I am not that Gallows that is made of three trees, or one that is neuer without hangers on: nor that Gallus that is latine for a French-man; but your owne Gallus gallinacius, seruant and true squire to God Mars.

[Page]Mars.

Syrrah, you know this Lady.

Gallus.

Yes, Mistresse Vulcan, shee is as well knowne in Paphos here for her Meretrix, as any Lady in the land, shee was the first that deuis'd stew'd meate, and proclaim'd pickle-oysters to bee good for the backe; shee is the first that taught wenches the trade of Venery, and such as were borne to nothing but beauty, she taught them how to vse their Talent: Yes, I know her I warrant you.

Mars.

Syrrah attend, this night yon Queene and I

Must haue some priuate conference, in yon caue,

Where whilst we stay, 'tmust be thy care to watch

That no suspicious eye pry through these chinks,

Especially I warne thee of the Sunnes.

Gallus.

I smell knauery, if my Lady Venus play the whoore

What am I that keepe the dore?

Mars.

See thou do call vs, e're the Sunne vprise,

But sleepe not for by all my Armes I sweare,

If by thy carelesse floth, or negligence

We be describe, thy body I'le translate,

To some strange Monster.

Gallus,

I'me hard fauor'd enough already, you need not

Make my face worse then it is.

Mars.

Com enter then faire Queene, we are secure,

Now safely maist thou claspe the God of warre,

Spight of Sunne, Moone, or a iealous starre.

Venus.

Loue answers loue, desire with ardor meetes,

Both which this night shall tast a thousand sweetes.

Exeunt.

Gallus.

I see you can make shift to go too't without sheetes: How shall I passe this night away till morning, I am as drowsy as a dormouse, the very thought that I must wake, charmes mee a sleepe already, I would I durst venture on a nap; Hey ho, sure I may wake againe afore they rise, and neuer the wiser, I will stand to't, there is not a more sleepy trade in the world then a watchman, nor one that is more acquainted with deeds of darkenesse, tell mee of the Sunne! the Sunne will not rise this two houres; well, let them watch that will, or can, I must haue a nod or two, God night to you [Page] all, for here am I fast till morning.

Enter Aurora, attended with Seasons, Daies, and Howers.

Aurora.

The day-starre shines and cals me blushing vp.

From Tithons bed to harnesse Phoebus Steeds.

My roseate fingers haue already stroakt

The element where light beginnes to appeare,

And straight Apollo with his glistering beames,

Will guild the East, the Seasons, Months, and Dai [...]

Attend him in the pallace of the Sunne.

The Howers haue brought his Chariot to the gate

Of Christall, where the Sunne-God mounts his throne,

His fiery Steeds haue all their traces fet,

Th'vnruly stalions fed with Ambrosy

(With their round hoofes shod with the purest gold)

Thunder against the Marble floores of Heauen,

And waite till Phoebus hath but don'd his beames,

Which I the blushing Morning still put on.

And now's the howre (for thus time fleeteth still)

That the Sunnes vp to clime the Easterne hill.

Enter Phoebus to them, kisses Aurora, and they all exeunt.

Phoebus.

Beauteous Aurora, for full twice twelue howers

Till in my spheare I haue compast round the world

Farewell, I with my beames will dry these teares

Thou shedst at parting; we haue chac't hence night,

And frighted all the twinkling starres from heauen,

And now the steepe Olimpus we must clime,

Till from the high Meridian we peruse

The spatious bounds of this large vniuerse,

And thence decline our Chariot towards the West,

Till we haue washt our Coach-steeds and our selfe

In Isters icy streames: Wee with this eye

Can all things see that mortals do on earth,

And what wee find inhumane, or to offend,

Wee tell to Ioue, that he may punish sinnes.

For this I am term'd a tel-tale and a blab,

And that I nothing can conceale abroad.

But let spight spit the worst and wrong me still,

[Page] Day hateth sinnes, and light despiseth ill.

Hee [...]pies Mars & Venus.

And now behold a most abhorred deed,

Mars beds with Venus, shall not Vulcan know it?

By my light hee shall; I haue seene, and I will tell,

The Sunne hates sinne but crownes them that do well.

Exit.

Enter Mars.

Mars.

Venus awake, wee haue ore-slept our selues,

The Sunne's aboue in his diurnall taske,

I saw his piercing beames pry through a cranny,

And cast his right eye full vpon our bed.

Enter Venus.

Venus.

We are betraide, the blab will tell the Smith,

Our loue will come to th'eare of [...]upiter

And all the other Gods, what will Diana

Say when shee heares of our inchastity?

Or how will Iuno take this spouse-breach from vs?

Mars.

Nay rather, how will Vulcan tast our sport?

He might suspect, but neuer proue till now,

Where is the villaine Gallus set to watch?

Venus.

See where he snorts, the slaue is dead asleep.

Mars.

Awake thou drowsy Groome, thy chaflisement

Shall exceed torture.

Gallus.

Hey ho, what's the matter there, ha?

Mars.

Looke, hast thou eies? is not the Sun two howres

Mounted aloft? hath he not seene theesleeping

At the Caues dore, Yea beheld vs too?

Gallus.

More shame for him to looke in at any bodies window.

Mars.

Speake, how canst thou excuse this?

Gallus.

Oh great God Mars.

Mars.

Behold, this is thy doome, thy negligence

Thus I'le chastice, thou shalt thy humane shape

Henceforth forgo, I will translate thy body

Into a bird shall euer beare thy name,

Bee Gallus still, a Cocke, and be thy nature

Euer hereafter this; to watch the Sunne,

And by thy crowes and clamours warne the world

Two howres before he rise, that the Sunne comes

Clap with thy wings, and with thy shrieking loud,

[Page] Proclaime his comming when thou thrice hast crowed.

Gall [...]s sinkes, and in his place riseth a Cocke and crowes.

Venus.

The slaues right seru'd, let this his punishment

Liue to all ages, and let Gall [...]s name

Thy iust reuenge to all the world proclaime.

But whither shall we now?

Mars.

I will to Thrace, go you to Lemnos.

Venus.

Will you leaue me then

To Vulcans rage, no let vs once more meete

In Paphos, and if Vulcan needs will chide

Giue him some cause.

Mars.

Content faire Queene of loue.

For more, he cannot be much more displeas'd,

Let's score on still, and make our reckoning full,

As yet [...] alas faire Queene, the debts but small,

Make vp the summe, and answere once for all.

Venus.

Content sweete Mars, and since that he was borne

To be a Cuckold, let's augmennt his horne.

Exeunt.

Enter Vulcan with two Ciclops, Pyragman, and Berontes.

Vulcan.

Make hast with that shield, see [...] hammer'd well,

For when 'tis done I'le giue't my father Ioue,

'Tis of the purest mettall Lemnos yeelds.

Pyrag.

I shall sir, must the plate of two cubes high,

Be put into the Forge?

Vulcan.

Pyragmon yes, that masse must be wrought well

And soundly temper'd, bid your fellow Cyclops

Worke lustily, it must be soone dispatcht.

Pyrag.

When saw you my Lady Venus?

Vulcan.

No matter when, the Huswiffe's too fine finger'd,

And saith, the very smoake my Fordge doth cast

Choakes her, the very aire of Lemnos (man)

Blasts her white cheekes, she scarce will let me kisse her,

But shee makes vergisse faces, saith my visadge

Smug'd thus with cole-dust, doth infect her beauty,

And makes her weare a beard, shee's, sure, in Paphos,

Cypresse, or Candy, shee's all for play

Whilst we Ioues thunders hammer hard all day.

[Page]Pyrag.

I heard her once mocke that polt-foote of yours

How came it pray?

Vulcan,

I'le tell thee man, I was when I was borne

A pretty smug knaue, and my father Ioue

Delighted much to dance me in his lap.

Vpon a time as hee was toying with mee

In his high house aboue, that Phaeton

Had at that instant set the world a fire,

My father when he saw heauens bases smoake,

Th'earth burne, and Neptunes broth to seeth with heate;

But startles vp to thunder-strike the lad,

And lets me fall: downe tumbled I towards the earth:

I fell through all the Planets by degrees,

From Saturne first, so by the Moone at last:

And from the Moone downe into Lemnos Isle

Where I still liue, and halt vpon my fall,

No maruell if't lam'd mee, for, Pyragmon.

How high I tumbled, who can gesse aright,

Falling a Summers day from morne to night?

Pyrag.

'Twas maruell you did not breake your necke.

Vulcan.

Had I not bene deriu'd from God-like seed,

Trust me Pyragmon I had don't indeed.

The Cocke crows and enter Phoebus.

But to the Forge, for I Appollo spie,

Hee that sees all things with the daies bright eye.

Good morrow Phoebus, what's the newes abroad [...]

For thou seest all things in the world are done,

Men act by day-light, or the sight of Sunne.

Phoebus.

Sometime I cast mine eie vpon the sea,

To see the tumbling Seale, or Porpoise play,

There see I Marchants trading, and their sayles

Big bellied with the wind; sea fights some times

Rise with their smoake, thick [...] clouds to darke my beames.

Sometimes, I fixe my face vpon the earth

With my warme feruour, to giue mettals, trees,

Hearbes, plants, and flowers life; here in gardens walke

Loose Ladies with their louers arme in arme,

Yonder the labouring Plow-man driues his Teeme.

[Page] Further, I may behold maine battels pitcht,

And whom I fauour most (by the winds helpe)

I can assist with my transparant raies.

Heere, spye I Cattell feeding, Forrests there

Stor'd with wilde beasts; here Shepeheards with their lasses

Piping beneath the trees, whilst their flockes graze.

In Citties, I see trading, walking, bargening,

Buying, and selling, goodnesse, badnesse, all things.

And shine alike on all.

Vulcan.

Thrice happy Phoebus,

That whilst poore Vulcan is confin'd to Lemnos

Hast euery da [...] these pleasures. What newes else.

Phoebus:

No Emperour walks forth, but I see his State,

Nor sports, but I his pastimes can behold,

I see all Coronations, Funerals,

Marts, Faires, Assemblies, Pageants, Sights; and Showes.

No hunting, but I better see the chase

Then they that rowse the game, what see not I?

There's not a window but my beames breakes in,

No thinke or cranny but my raies pierce through,

And there I see (oh V [...]lcan) wondrous things.

Things that thy selfe nor any God besides

Would giue beliefe to.

Vul.

What, good Phoebus speake.

Phoe.

Here, wantons on their day-beds, I see spread

Clasping their amorous louers in their armes,

Who euen before my face, are not sometimes

Asham'd to shew all.

Vulcan.

Could not god Phoebus bring mee to see this pastime.

Phoebus.

Sometimes euen meane fellowes

A bed with noble Ladies whom they serue,

Seruant with seruant, married men with maides,

And wiues with Batchelours.

Vulcan.

There's simple doing.

Phoebus.

And shall I tell thee Vulcan, tother day

What I beheld, I saw the great God Mars.

Vulcan.

God Mars.

[Page]Phoebus.

As I was peeping through a cranny; a bed.

Vulcan.

A bed; with whom? some pretty wench I warrant.

Phoeb [...].

Shee was a pretty wench.

Vulcan.

Tell me good Phoebus,

That when I meete him [...] I may floute God Mars,

Tell mee, but tell me truely on thy life.

Phoebus.

Not to dissemble Vulcan, 'twas thy wife!

Vulcan.

Out on her whore, out on him Cuckold-maker,

Phoebus I'le be reuendge on great God Mars,

Who, whilst I hammer here his swords and shields,

Hammers vpon my head, I will complaine

To Ioue, and all the Gods, and tell them flat

I am a Cuckold.

Phoe.

Vulcan be aduis'd,

I haue had notice where they vse to meete,

Couldst not deuise to catch them by some wile?

And lay their guilt, wide open to the Gods,

Then mightst thou haue fit colour of complaint.

Vulcan.

Enough, I haue deuis'd a secret snare,

A draw-net, which I'le place vpon the Couch

Where they still vse to bed, a wire so temper'd,

And of such finenesse to deceiue the eie.

So catch them when they are at it, and by this

I may presume, and be sure I am Cuckold.

Phoebus.

That's the way to be satisfied.

Vulcan.

If I can catch them, all the Gods I'le call

To see my wrongs, there sports I'le neere to marre,

And venge me on that letcherous God of warre.

Enter the Nymph, Cloris, with two more, with floures in their laps.

1. Nym.

Cloris, you are the Nymph whose office is

To strow faire Venus bed with hearbes and flowers,

Here is the place shee meanes to sport her selfe.

Clo.

I am the hand-maide to the Queene of loue,

And vnto all her pleasures minister,

When she drinkes Nectar, 'tis from Cloris hand,

If feede on sweete Ambrotia, or those fruits

That Cornu-copia yeelds, I serue them vp,

[Page] Come let vs with fresh Roses strow her Couch

With pances and the buds of Eglantine,

Her pillow is the purple Violet banke,

About whose verges the blancht Lillies grow,

Whose bodies twin'd about with wood-byne leaues

Make a confused sweetnesse, so 'tis well,

Come Venus when shee please to take her rest,

Her Arbour's dight, and all things well addrest.

Enter Vulcan and Pyragmon with his net of wire.

Vulcan.

By her baud Charis, this I know the place,

Which with adulterate pastimes they pollute.

Here will I set my pit-fall for these birds,

And catch them in the closure of this wire,

So, so, al's fit, my snare in order plac't,

Happy the time, that I this Charis trac't.

Enter Mars and Venus.

Mars.

Once more in spight of Phoebus and these eies,

That dog our pastimes, we are closely met,

And whilst the Cuckold Vulcan blowes the fire,

Our amorous soules their sportiue blisse conspire.

Venus.

Hee's limping thus, and like a cripple halts

From Forge to Fornace; where were Venus eies,

When she made choise of that foule polt-foote Smith,

He smels all smoake, and with his nasty sweate

Tawnies my skinne, out on him vgly knaue,

Mars is my loue, and he my sweets shall haue.

Vulcan.

Gramercy my kind wife.

Venus.

Come God of warre,

I'le teach thee a new skirmish, better farre

Then thy sterne battails, meete me with a kisse

Which I retort thus, there's spirit in this,

What's he would play the coward and turne face,

When such sweete amorous combats are in place?

My hot incounters, leaue me wound nor skarr [...]

Yet naked I dare meete the God of Warre.

Vulcan.

Out of her Whoore.

Mars.

I am arm'd for thee, prepare thee, for this night

[Page] Il'e breast to breast dare thee to single fight.

Venus.

Come tumble in my lap, great Mars I dare

To do his worst.

Vulcan catcheth them fast in his net.

Vul.

'Tis well, your sports are faire.

Mars.

Betraid? bound? catcht? release me, or by Ioue,

Thou dy'st what ere thou art.

Vul.

God Mars, good words;

This is a fight in which you vse no swords.

You haue left your steele behinde.

Ven.

Sweet vulcan.

Vulc.

No more.

Venus.

Canst thou vse Venus thus?

Vul.

Away you whore,

Il'e keepe you fast, and call the Gods to see

Your practise, Neptune, Ioue, and Mercury,

Phoebus and Iuno, from your spheares looke downe,

And see the cause I weare a forked crowne.

All the Gods appeare aboue, and laugh, Iupiter, Iuno, Phoebus, Mercury, Neptune.

Mars.

The Gods are all spectators of our shame,

And laugh at vs.

Venus.

Oh! I could cry for anger.

Sweet Vulcan let me loose. Vulc. When Gods and men

Haue seene thy shame, but (strumpet) not till then.

[...]up.

See how Mars chafes.

I [...].

But Venus weeps for rage

Nept.

Why should Mars fret? if it so tedious be,

Good God of warre bestow thy place on me.

Merc.

By all the Gods, would she do me that grace,

I would fall too't euen before Vulcans face.

Vul.

To Gods and men let it be fully knowne

I am a Cuckold.

All.

Vulcan is no lesse.

Vul.

Now since red shame your cheeks with bloud hath dy'd,

I am reueng'd, and see my net's vnti'd.

Phoeb.

The Gods haue laught their fill, Vulcan's reueng'd,

And now all friends: speake, are we?

Iup.

Mars still frownes,

Iuno.

And Venus scarce well pleas'd.

Vul.

For my part (oh you Gods!) what's past is past,

And what is once done, cannot be recald:

[Page] If Vulcan in this ieast hath pleas'd the Gods,

All his owne wrongs he freely can forgiue.

Venus we are friends, to Lemno [...] we will hast,

And neuer more record what's done and past.

Ven.

No foole, before I did offend with feare,

My guilt was but suspected, but not prou'd:

And therefore I selected priuacy,

Closenesse of place, and bashfully transgrest;

But since both Gods and men now know my sinne,

Why should I dread to say I loue God Mars?

What helpe hast thou in prouing thy wife false?

Onely to make me doe with impudence,

What I before with feare did, on thy selfe

Brought a most certaine shame, where it before

Was but suspected.

Vul.

Venus speakes good sence,

That's certaine now, which was before suspence.

Ven.

Now fare well iealous foole, for my disgrace,

Him whom I loue, I blushlesse thus imbrace,

And may all such as would their wiues so take,

(Although they might) be seru'd thus for thy sake.

Vul.

I am vndone, be warn'd by me oh men,

Although you know your wiues false, where and when,

Take them not in the manner, though you may:

They that with feare before, now blushlesse stray,

Their guilt 'tis better to suspect then know,

So you may take some part of that you owe.

Where I by seeking her good name to thrall,

Haue made my selfe a scorne, and quite left all.

Iup.

To Lemnos then, to make our Thunders fit,

Which against mortals we haue cause to vse,

Mars, you to Thrace, Venus in Paphos stay,

Or where you please, we to our seuerall spheares.

Vulcan, thy morrall this good vse contriues,

None search too farre th'offences of their wiues.

Exeunt

HOMER.

Our last Act comes, which lest it tedious grow,

What is too long in word, acc [...]pt in show.

[Page] Thinke Hercules his labours hauing ended,

The Spanish Gerion kild, and Cacus slaine,

As farre as Lydea he his palme extended,

Where beauteous Omphale this time doth raigne.

He that before to Deianeira sent,

As presents, all the spoyles that he could win,

Now fils her heart with iealous discontent,

She heares how Hercules doth card and spin

With Omphale, and serues her as a slaue.

(She quite forgot in Thebes) her griefe to cheare,

Th'assembled Princes with their Counsels graue,

Are come to comfort and remoue her feare.

By these all his stor'd labours he hath sent

To call him home, to free her discontent.

Ashew. Enter Deianeira sad, with Lychas: to her Iason, Telamon, Castor, Pollux, Nestor, &c. They seeme to comfort her, she sends Lychas, who brings the Trophies of his twelue labours, she deliuers them to the Princes, to beare to her husband. They part seuerall waies.

Hom.

Iason, and the other Hero's for her sake,

Trauell to Lydia, to perswade him thence

And by his twelue knowne labours, vndertake

To moue him, quite t'abandon his faire wench.

Further then this her iealousie extends,

Afarre worse present she by Lychas sends.

Enter Deianeira, and her seruant Lychas.

Lych.

Madam, these sorrowes are too violent

For your weake sex, I do not thinke tis true,

Your husband can preferre that Omphale

Before your beauty.

Deian.

Hee's forgot in Greece.

Greece that was wont to clangor with his fame,

Is now all silent, who but Iason now,

And Telamon, that scal'd the walles of Troy,

Alcides is a name for got amongst vs,

[Page] And Deianeira too forgot with him.

Oh! that I had the tempting strumpet here

That keepes my Lord away, confining me

Vnto the coldnesse of a widowed bed.

Lyc.

Madam, these presents sent, & so wel knowne

Coming from you, must needs preuaile with him.

These Princes haue great interest in his loue,

And can perswade much.

Deia.

But that strumpet more.

Lychas, he doates vpon her tempting lookes,

And is so much with her inchantments blear'd,

That hee's turn'd woman: woman Lychas, spinnes,

Cards, and doth chare-worke, whilst his mistres sits

And makes a cushion of his Lyons skin,

Makes of his club a rocke. I loose my selfe

In thismy sorrow, and forget the meanes;

I still keepe by my me, to restore my loue,

Lychas, fetch me the shirt within my chamber,

I haue bethought me now.

Lych.

Madam I shall.

Dei.

This shirt (in bloud of Centaur Nessus dipt,

And since washt out) Il'e send my Hercules,

Which hath the power to make his hot loue dye

To any stranger, and reuiue to me.

This (as his last) the dying Centaur spake,

To this Il'e trust, all other hopes forsake.

Enter Lychas

Lych.

Madam the shirt.

Dei.

This as my best and deerest,

Present me (trusty Lychas) to my Lord,

Intreat withall, that if he haue not quite

Put off my loue, hee'l daine to put on this.

If he despise my gift, returne it backe,

And in it my death.

Lych.

Feare not faire Princesse,

I hope to proue as fortunate as faithfull.

De [...].

Farewell, proue as thou speakest. If my gift faile,

I haue sentenced all my sorrowes to one death,

[Page] Whilst Deianeira hath a hand to vse,

Shee'l not liue hated where she once did chuse.

Exit.

Enter Omphale, Queene of Lydia, with 4 or 5 maids, Hercules attired like a woman, with a distaffe and a spindle.

Omph.

Why so, this is a power infus'd in loue,

Beyond all magicke; Is't not strange to see

A womans beauty tame the Tyrant-tamer?

And the great Monster-maister ouer-match?

Haue you done your taske?

Herc.

Beauteous Queene, not yet.

Omph.

Then I shall frowne.

Herc.

Before that (louely faire)

Augment my taske, vnto a treble chare.

For one sweet smile from beauteous Omphale,

Il'e lay before thee all the monstrous heads

Of the grim tyrants that oppresse the earth.

I that before, at Iuno's strict behest,

The hundred gyants of Cremona slue,

Will twice fiue hundred kill for Omphale.

Finde me a Cacus in a caue of fire,

Il'e dragge him from the mountaine Auentine,

And lay his bulke at thy victorious feet.

Finde me me another Gerion to captiue,

All his three heads Il'e tumble in thy skirt.

Bid me once more sacke hell, to binde the furies,

Or to present thee with the Gods in chaines,

It shall be done for beauteous Omphale.

Omph.

Leaue prating, ply your worke.

Herc.

Oh what a sweetnesse

Liues in her lookes! no bondage, or base slauery

Seemes seruitude, whilst I may freely gaze

(And vncontrold) on her: but for one smile,

Il'e make her Empresse ore the triple world,

And all the beauteous Queenes from East to West,

The Lydians vassails, and my fellow-slaues.

There is no Lord but Loue, no vassailage

[Page] But in affection, and th'Emperious Queene

Doth tyranize ore captiue Hercules.

Enter a maid.

Maid.

Madam, some Dukes of Greece attend without,

And craue to see your captiue Theban here.

Omph.

Admit them, they shall see what pompe we haue,

And that our beauty can the loftiest slaue.

Enter Iason, Telamon, Cast [...]r, Pollux, Nestor, Atreus, &c.

Iason.

Our businesse was to Thehan Hercules,

'Twas told vs he remain'd with Omphale,

The Lydian Queene.

Tel.

Speake, which is Omphale? or which Alcides?

Omph.

We are queene of Lydia,

And this our vassaile. Do you know him Lords?

Stoope slaue, and kisse the foot of Omphale.

Herc.

I shall.

Nest.

Oh wonderous alteration!

Cast.

Till now I trusted this report was false,

And scarcely can I yet beleeue mine eyes.

Pol.

Lady, our purpose was to Hercules,

Shew vs the man.

Omph.

Behold him Greekes there.

Atreus.

Where?

Omph.

There at his taske.

Iason.

Alas! This Hercules?

This is some base effeminate groome, not hee

That with his puissance frighted all the earth:

This is some woman, some Hermophrodite.

Herc.

Hath Iason, Nestor, Castor, Telamon,

Atreus, Pollux, all forgot their friend?

We are the man.

Iason.

Woman we know thee not.

We came to seeke the Ioue-borne Hercules,

That in his cradle strangled Iuno's snakes,

And triumpht in the braue Olimpicke games.

He that the Cleonean Lyon slue,

The Eremanthian Boare, the Bull of Marathon,

The Lernean Hydra, and the winged Hart.

He that drag'd Cerberus from hell in chaines,

[Page] And stownded Pluto in his Ebon Chaire.

That Hercules, by whom the Centaurs fell [...]

Great Achelous, the Stymphalides,

And the Cremona giants? Where is he?

Tel.

That traiterous Nessus with a shaft trans-fixt,

Strangled Antheus, purg'd Augeus stalles,

Wan the bright Apples of the Hesperides,

And whilst the Giant Atlas eas'd his limbes,

Bore on his shoulders the huge frame of heauen.

Herc.

And are not we the man? see Telamon,

A woman do this? we would see the Theban,

That Cacus slue, Busiris sacrific'd,

And to his horses hurl'd sterne Diomed

To be deuour'd.

Pol.

That freed Hesione

From the Sea-whale, and after ransackt Troy,

And with his owne hand slue La [...]medon.

Nest.

He by whom Dercilus and Albion fell,

He that Oecalia and Betricia wan.

Atr.

That monstrous Gerion with his three heads vanquisht

With Linus, Lichas that vsurp't in Thebes,

And captiu'd there his beauteous Megara.

Iason.

He that the Amazonian Baldricke wan,

That Achelous with his club subdu'd,

And wan from him the pride of Calidon

Bright Deianeira, that now mournes in Thebes

For absenc of that noble Hercules.

To him we came, but since he liues not here,

Come Lords, we wil returne these presents backe

Vnto the constant Lady, whence they came.

Herc.

Stay Lords.

Iason.

[...]Mongst women?

Herc.

For that Thebans sake

Whom you professe to loue, and came to seeke,

Abide awhile, and by my loue to Greece,

Il'e bring before you that lost Hercules,

For whom you came to enquire.

Iason.

On that condition (Princes) lets stay a little.

[Page]Tela.

It workes, it workes.

Herc.

How haue I lost my selfe?

Did we all this? where is that spirit become

That was in vs? no maruell Hercules,

If thou beest strange to them, that thus disguis'd,

Art to thy selfe vnknowne. Hence with this distaffe

And base effeminate chares.

Omp.

How slaue? submit and to thy taske againe.

Dar'st thou rebell?

Herc.

Pardon great Omphale.

Ias.

Will Telamon perswade me this is Hercules

The Libian Conquerer, now a ssaues slaue.

He liu'd in midst of battailes, this 'mongst truls:

This welds a distaffe, he a conquering Club.

Shall we bestow faire Deianeiraes presents

On this (heauen knowes) whether man or woman?

Herc.

Who nam'd my Deianeira? Iason you?

How fares my loue? how fares my beauteous wife?

I know these presents, did they come from her?

What strumpet's this that hath detain'd my soule?

Captiu'd my fame, trans-shap't me to a foole?

Made me (of late) but little lesse then God,

Now scarce a man? Hence with these womanish tyres,

And let me once more be my selfe againe.

Tel.

Keep from him Omphale, be that your charge,

Wee'l second these good thoughts.

Omph.

Alcid s heare me.

Cast.

By your fauour madam.

Herc.

Who spake?

Iason.

Thinke that was Deianeira's voyce,

Tha [...] cals thee home to dry her widowed teares,

And to bring comfort to her de [...]olate bed.

Herc.

Oh Deianeira.

Om.

Heare me Hercules.

Herc.

Ha Omphale?

Pollux.

You shall not trouble him.

Ias.

'Twas she that made Alcides womanish,

But Deianeira to be more then man.

[Page] For thy wiues sake thou art renown'd in Greece,

This Strumpet hath made Greece forget thee quite,

And scarce remember there was such a man.

Thebes that was wont to triumph in thy glories,

Is now all silent. Tyrants euery where

Beginne to oppresse, thinking Alcides dead

For so the fame's already. Shall a Strumpet

Do this vpon the Theban Hercules?

And Deyaneira, faire, chast absolute

In all perfections, liue despis'd in Thebes?

Herc.

By Ioue she shall not, first I'le rend these eies out,

That sotted with the loue of Omphale

Hath transhapt me, and deepely iniur'd her.

Come we will shake off this effeminacy

And by our deeds repurchase our renowne.

Iason and you braue Greekes, I know you now,

And in your honours I behold my selfe

What I haue bene, hence Strumpet Omphale,

I cast thee off, and once more will resume

My natiue vertues, and to proue this good

This day vnto the Gods I'le sacrifice

To grace which pompe, and that we may appeare

The same we were, before vs shall be borne

These of our labours twelue, the memory,

Vnto Ioues Temple, grace vs worthy Heroes

To assist vs in this high sollemnity.

Whilst we vpon our manly shoulders beare

These massy pillars we in Gades must reare.

Exeunt.

Manet Omphale.

Ompale.

We haue lost our seruant, neuer yet had Lady

One of the like ranke. All King Thespius daughters,

Fifty in number, childed all one night,

Could not preuaile so much with Hercules

As we haue done; no not faire Yole

Daughter to Cacus, beauteous Megara,

Nor all the faire and amorous queenes of Greece,

Could slaue him like the Lydian Omphale.

[Page] Therefore where e're his labours be renown'd,

Let not our beauty passe vnregistred.

Bondaging him that captiu'd all the earth,

Nor will we leaue him, or yet loose him thus

What either beauty, cunning, flattery, teares

Or womans Art can, we will practise on him.

But now the Priests and Princes are prepar'd

For the great sacrifice, which we will grace

With our high presence, and behold aloofe

These rights vnto the gods perform'd and d [...]ne

We'le gaine by Art, what we with beauty won.

Enter to the sacrifice two Priests to the Altar, sixe Princes with sixe of his labours, in the midst Hercules bearing his two brazen pillars, six other Princes, with the other six labours, Hercules staies them.

Herc.

Now Ioue behold vs from thy spheare of Starres,

And shame not to acknowledge vs thy sonnes.

Thus should Alcides march amidst his spoiles,

Inguirt with slaughtered Lyons, Hydraes, Whales,

Boares, Buls, grim Tyrants, Hel-hounds, Monsters, Furies,

And Princes his spectators: oh you Gods,

To whom this day we consecrate your praiers,

And dedicate our sacred orisons,

Daine vs your cies, behold these sholders beare

Two brazen pillars, trophies of our fame,

That haue eas'd Atlas, and supported heauen,

And had we shrunke beneath that heauenly structure

The Spheares, Orbs, Planets, Zeniths, Signes, and Stars,

With loues high Pallace, all confusedly

Had shattered, falne, and o're-whelm'd earth and sea,

Wee haue done that, and all these labours else,

Which we this day make sacred, lune see

These we surrender to thy loue and thee.

set on.

As they march ouer the Stage, enter Lychas with the shirt.

Lych.

From Deianera I present this guift,

[Page] Wrought with her owne hand, with more kind commends

Then I haue measured steps to Lydia

From Thebes, which she intreats you weare for her.

Herc.

More welcome is this guift to Hercules

Then Iason's Fleece, Laomedon's white Steeds,

Or should Ioue grace me with eternity,

Here stand our pillars, with non vltra insculpt,

Which we must reare beyond the Pyrene Hils

At Gades in Spaine (Alcides vtmost bounds)

Whilst we put on this shirt, the welcome present

Of Deyianeira, whom we deerely loue,

Lychas thy hand, In this wee'le sacrifice

And make our peace with her and Iupiter.

Iason.

Neuer was Hercules so much himselfe,

How will this newes glad Deyaneiraes heart,

Or how this sight inrage faire Omphale?

Tell.

All his dead honours he reuiues in this,

And Greece shall once more echoe with his fame.

Hercules puts on the shirt.

Herc.

With this her present, I put on her loue,

Witnesse heauen, earth, and all you Peeres of Greece,

I wed her once more in this ornament,

Her loue and her remembrance sit to me

More neere by thousands then this roabe can cleaue.

So now before Ioues Altar let vs kneele,

And make our peace with heauen, attone our selfe

With beauteous Dyaneira our chast wife

And cast away the loue of Omphale.

All the Princes knele to the Altar [...]

Priest.

Princes of Greece assist vs with your thoughts,

And let your prayers with ours ascend the Speares,

For mortals ori [...]ons are sonnes to Ioue,

And when none else can, they haue free accesse

Vnto there fathers eare, haile sonne of Saturne,

To whom when the three lots of heauen, of sea,

And hell were cast, the high Olimpus fell.

Herc.

Oh, oh.

Priest.

That with a nod canst make heauens collomes bend,

[Page] And th'earths Center tremble, whose right hand

Is arm'd with lightning, and the left with feare.

Herc.

No more, are all the furies with their tortures,

Their whips and lashes crept into my skin?

Hath any sightlesse and infernall fire

Laid hold vpon my flesh? when did Alcides

Thus shake with anguish? thus change face, thus shrinke?

Shall torture pale our cheeke? no, Priest proceed,

We will not feele the paine, thou shalt not breed,

Iason.

What alteration's this? a thousand pangues

I see euen in his visage, in his silence

He doth expresse euen hell.

Priest.

Thou sacred Ioue

Behold vs at thy Altar prostrate here

To beg attonement 'tweene our sins and thee,

Lend vs a gracious eare and eye.

Herc.

Priest no more,

I'le rend thy Typet, hurle Ioues Altars downe,

Hauock his Offerings, all his Lamps extinguish,

Raze his high Temples, and skale heauen it selfe

Vnlesse he stay my tortures.

Iason.

VVarlike Theban,

VVhence comes this fury? is this madnes forc't,

That makes Alcides thus blaspheme the Gods.

Tell.

Patient your selfe.

Herc.

I will not Iason, cannot Tellamon,

A stipticke poyson boyles within my veines,

Hell is within me, for my marrow fries,

A vulture worse then that Promotheus feeles,

F [...]ers on my entrails, and my bulke in flames.

Iason.

Yet be your selfe, renowned Hercules,

Striue with your torture, with yourrage contend

Seek to ore-come this anguish.

Herc.

VVell, I will,

See Iason, see renowned Tellamon

I will be well, I'le feele no poison boyle,

Though my bloud skal'd me, though my hot suspires,

[Page] Blast where I breath like lightning, though my lungs

Seeth in my bloud, I will not pale a cheeke,

Nor change a brow, I will not, spight of torture

Anguish, and paine, I will not.

Omp.

What strange fury

Hath late possest him to be thus disturb'd?

Iason.

Why this is well, once more repaire Ioues Altar.

Kindle these holy Tapers and proceed.

Herc.

To plucke the Thunderer from his Christall thron [...]

And throw the Gallaxia, by the locks,

And amber tresses, drag the Queene of heauen.

Nestor.

Alcides.

Herc.

Princes, Iason, Tellamon,

Helpe me to teare of this infernall shirt,

Which rawes me where it cleaues, vnskin my brawnes,

And like one nak't rowl'd in a Tun of spikes

Of thousands, make one vniuersall wound,

And such is mine: oh Deyaneira false,

Treacherous, vnkind, disloyall; plucke, teare, rend

Though you my bones leaue naked, and my flesh

Frying with poyson you cast hence to dogs.

Dread Neptune, let me plundge me in thy seas,

To coole my body, that is all on flame.

Or with thy tri-sulke thunder strike me Ioue,

And so let fire quench fire, vnhand me Lords,

Let me spurne mountaines downe, and teare vp rocke [...]

Rend by the roots huge Okes, till I haue dig'd

A [...]way to hell, or found a skale to heauen.

Something I must, my torments are so great,

To quench this flame and qualify this heate.

Exit.

Iason.

Let vs not leaue him Princes least this out-rage

Make him lay violent hands vpon him selfe.

If Deyaneiraes heart, were with her hand,

She is her sexes scandall, and her shame

Euen whilst Time liues, shall euery tongue proclaime.

Exit

Omph.

I'le follow to, and with what Art I can,

Striue this his rage and torture to allay.

Exit.

[Page]Lych.

What's in this shirt vnknowne to me that brought it?

Or what hath iealous Deyaneira done?

To employ me, an vnwilling messenger,

In her Lords death: well, whosoe're it proue

My innocence I know, I'le, if I may

Looke to my life, and keepe out of his way.

Enter Hercules.

Herc.

Lychas, Lychas, where's he that brought this poyson'd shirt,

That I may teare the villaine lim from lim.

And flake his body small as Winters snow,

His shattered flesh shall play like parched leaues,

And dance in th'aire, tost by the sommer winds.

Lychas.

Defend me heauen.

Herc.

Oh that with stamping thus,

I could my selfe beneath the Center sinke,

And tombe my tortured body beneath hell.

Had I heauens massy columnes in my gripes,

Then with one sway I would or'e-turne yon frame,

And make the marble Elementall sky

My Tombe-stone to enterre dead Hercules.

Oh father Ioue thou laist vpon thy sonne

Torments aboue supporture, Lichas, oh!

I'le chase the villaine o're Oetaes rockes,

Till I haue nak't those hils, and left no shade

To hide the Traytor.

Lichas.

Which way shall I flye

To scape his fury? if I stay I dye.

Hercules sees him.

Herc.

Stay, stay, what's he that creeps into yon caue?

Is not that Lycas Dyaneiraes squire,

That brought this poysoned shirt to Hercules?

I thanke thee Ioue, yet this is some allayment

And moderation to the pangues I feele,

Nay, you shall out fir Lychas by the heeles.

Hercules swings Lychas about his head, and kils him.

Thus, thus, thy limbs about my head I twine,

Eubaean sea receiue him, for he's thine.

Enter Iason, Tellamon, and all the Princes, after them Omphale.

Ias.

Princes, his torments are 'boue Physicke helpe,

[Page] And they that wish him well, must wish his death,

For that alone giues period to his anguish.

Tell.

In vaine we follow and pursue his rage,

There's danger in his madnesse.

Nest.

Yet aloofe,

Let's obserue him, and great Ioue implore

To qualifie his paines.

Phy.

As I am Philoctetes I'le not leaue him,

Vntill he be immortall, Princes harke,

Hercules withi [...]

Cannot these grones peirce heauen and moue to pitty

The obdure Iuno.

Omph.

Beneath this rocke where we haue often kist,

I will lament the noble Thebans fall,

The Lydian Omphale will be to him

A truer Mystresse, then his wife, whose hate

Hath brought on him this sad and ominous fate.

Nor hence, for any force or prayer remoue,

But die with him whom I so deerely loue.

cry within.

Cast.

His torments still increase, heare oh you Gods,

And hearing pitty.

Enter Her [...] from a [...]cke aboue, tearing downe trees.

Herc.

Downe, downe, you shadowes that crowne Oeta Mount,

And as you tumble beare the Rockes along.

I will not leaue an Oake or standing Pine

But all these mountaines with the dales make euen,

That Oetaes selfe may mourne with Hercules.

Hah! what art thou?

Omph.

I am thy Omphale.

Herc.

Art thou not Deyaneira come to mocke

Alcides madnesse, and his pangues deride?

Yes, thou art she, thou, thou hast fier'd my bones,

And mak'st me boyle in poyson, for which (minion)

And for (by fate) thou hast shortned my renowne,

Behold, this monstrous rocke thy death shal crowne,

Hercules kils Omphale, w [...]h a peece of a rocke.

So Deyaneira and her squire are now

Both in their sins extinct.

[Page]Thes.

What hath Alcides done? slaine Omphale,

A guiltlesse queene that came to mourne his death.

Herc.

Torment on torment. But shall Hercules

Dye by a womans hand? No, ayd me Princes,

(If you haue in you any generous thoughts)

In my last fabricke: Come, tosse trees on trees,

Till you haue rear'd me vp a funerall pile,

Which all that's mortall in me shall consume.

Cast.

Princes, let none deny their free assistance,

In his release of torture. Ther's for me.

Pol.

My hand shall likewise helpe to bury him,

And of his torments giue him ease by death.

All the Princes breake downe the trees, and make a fire, in which Hercules placeth himfelfe.

Her

Thanks, thus I throne me in the midst of fire,

And with a dreadlesse brow confront my death.

Olimpicke thunderer now behold thy sonne,

Of whose diuine parts make a starre, that Atlas

May shrinke beneath the weight of Hercules.

And step-dame [...], glut thy hatred now,

That hast beene weary to command, when we

Haue not beene weary to performe and act.

I that Busiris slue, Antheus strangled,

And conquer'd still at thy vnkinde behest,

The three-shap't Gerion, and the dogge of hell,

The Bull of Candy, and the golden Hart,

Augeus and the fowles of Stymphaly,

The Hesperian fruit, and bolt of Thermidon,

The Lernean Hydra, and Arcadian Boare,

The Lyon of Naemea, Steeds of Thrace,

The monster Cacus; thousands more then these,

That Hercules in death dares thee to chide,

And shewes his spirit, which torments cannot hide.

Lye there thou dread of Tyrants, and thou skin,

He burns his Club, & Lyons Skin.

Invulner'd still, burne with thy maisters bones:

For these be armes which none but we can weild.

My bow and arrowes Philoctetes take,

[Page] Reserue them as a token of our loue,

For these include the vtmost fate of Troy,

Which without these; the Greekes can nere destroy.

You Hero's all fare-well, heape fire on fire,

And pile on pile, till you haue made a structure

To flame as high as heauen, and record this

Though by the Gods and Fates we are ore-throwne,

Alcides dies by no hand but his owne.

Iupiter aboue strikes him with a thunder-bolt, his body sinkes, and from the heauens discends a hand in a cloud, that from the place where Hercules was burnt, brings vp a starre, and fixeth it in the firmament.

Iason.

Iuno thou hast done thy worst; he now defies

What thou canst more, his fame shall mount the skies.

What heauenly musicke's this?

Tel.

His soule is made a star, and mounted heauen,

I see great Ioue hath not forgot his sonne:

All that his mothers was is chang'd by fire,

But what he tooke of Ioue, and was deuine,

Now a bright star in the high heauens must shine.

Enter Atreus.

Nest.

We all haue seene Alcides deifi'd.

But what newes brings Atreus?

Air.

A true report of Deianeira's death,

Who when she heard the tortures of her Lord,

And what effect her fatall present tooke,

Exclaim'd on Nessus, and to proue herselfe

Guiltlesse of treason in her husbands death,

Witth her owne hand she boldly slue herselse.

Pel.

That noble act proclaim'd her innocent,

And cleares all blacke suspition: but faire princes,

Let vniuersall Greece in funerall blacke,

Mourne for the death of Theban Hercules.

Ias.

Who now shal monsters quel, or tyrants tame?

Th'oppressed free, or fill Gr [...]ece with their fame.

Princes your hands, take vp these monuments

[Page] Of his twelue labours in a marble Temple

(We will erect and dedicate to him)

Reserue them to his lasting memory:

His brazen pillers shall be fixt in Gades,

On which his monumentall deeds wee'l graue.

Arm'd with these worthy Trophies lets march on

Towards Thebes, that claimes the honour of his birth.

His body's dead, his fame shall nere expire,

Earth claimes his earth, heauen shewes his heauenly fire.

Exeunt omnes.

HOMER.

He that expects fiue short Acts can containe

Each circumstance of these things we present,

Me thinkes should shew more barrennesse then hraine:

All we haue done we aime at your content,

Striuing to illustrate things not knowne to all,

In which the learnd can onely censure right:

The rest we [...], whom we vnlettered call,

Rather to attend then iudge: for more then sight

We seeke to please. The [...]erstanding eare

Which we haue hitherto most gracious found,

Your generall loue, we rather hope then feare:

For that of all our labours is the ground.

If from your loue in any point we stray,

Thinke HOMER blind, and blind men misse their way.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The brazen age the first act containing, the death of the centaure Nessus, the second, the tragedy of Meleager: the third the tragedy of Iason and Medea. The fourth. Vulcans net the fifth. The labours and death of Hercules: written by Thomas Heywood.

Heywood, Thomas, d. 1641.

Edition statement

1613

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A03189

ID [STC]

STC 13310

ID [STC]

ESTC S104054

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99839794

ID [PROQUEST]

99839794

ID [VID]

4246

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A03189)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 4246)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 839:10)

Source

— The brazen age the first act containing, the death of the centaure Nessus, the second, the tragedy of Meleager: the third the tragedy of Iason and Medea. The fourth. Vulcans net the fifth. The labours and death of Hercules: written by Thomas Heywood., Heywood, Thomas, d. 1641..

Extent

[84] p.

Printed by Nicholas Okes, for Samuel Rand dwelling neere Holborne-Bridge,. London :: 1613.. (In verse.) (Cf. Folger catalogue. which gives signatures: A² B-L⁴.) (The last leaf is blank.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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