JASON

Not Meleagers love, more then the zeal I bear my honour, hath drawn Jason hither, To this adventure, yet both forcible To make me try strange masteries against that monster, Whose fury hath so much amazed all Greece. Come, shall's vncupple Lords, Some plant the toils, others bravely mount, To un- en this savage. Charge bravely then your Javelins, send them singing Through the clear air, and aim them at yond fiend, Den'd in the quechy bog, the signal Lords. This way, this way, renowned Telamon, The Boar makes through yond glade, and from the hills He hurries Like a tempest: In his way He prostrates trees, and Like the bolt of Jove, Shatters where ere he comes. He shakes off from his head Our best Thessalian dogs, Like Summer flies: Nor can their sharp phangs fasten on his hide. Follow the cry. Here you Tyndarides, Speak, which way bends this plague of Calidon? To these wee' add our fury, and our fire, And front him, though his b owe bore figured hell, And every wrinkle were the gulf of Styx By which the Gods contest: Come noble Telamon, Diana's monster by our hands shall fallen, Or (with the Princes slain) let's perish all. Let not Greece Suffer such merit unregarded pass, Or valour live unguerdoned, that fell Swine Whom yet, even dead, amazed people fear, And dare not touch but with astonish ent Fell by thy hand. Castor forbear. Lords freely then embrace. None but admire and love their matchless worths, Not fair Atlanta will refuse this health. What sudden passion's this? Defend us heaven, what fuddaine ecstasy Or unexpected torture hath disturbed His health and mirth? Dead is the flower and pride of Calidon. Who would displease the Gods? Diana's wrath Hath stretched even to the death, and tragic ruin Of this fair hopeful Prince, here stay thy vengeance Goddess of chastity, and let it hang No longer over the house of Calidon: Since thou hast cropped the young, spare these old branches That yet survive. We'll see them (ere we partly from Calidon ) Interred with honour: But we sojourn long In this cursed Climb; o let us not incurro Diana's fury, our next expedition Shall be for Colchos, and the golden Fleece, Unto which (Princes) we invite you all. Our stately Argoe we have rig'd and trimmed, And in it we will bear the best of Greece, Stiled from our ship by name of Argonauts. Great Hercules will with his company, Grace our adventure, and renown all Greece, By the rich purchase of the Colchian Fleece. The heartless Trojans fly into the town At fight of yond sea-diuell: here we'll stand To wait the conquest of thy Jovial hand. Be ever for this noble deed renowned, Let Asia speak thy praise. Great Hercules, th'aduenture falls 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 selves on accidental wrongs? Hail king of Colchos, thou beholdest in us The noblest Heroes that inhabit Greece Of whom I, though unworthiest, style my self The General; the intent of this our voyage Is to reduce the rich and golden prize To Greece, from whence it came, know I am come To tug and wrestle with the infernal Bulls, And in their hight fierce double guild my arms To place upon their necks the feruile yoke, And bondage, force them blow the field of Mars, Till in the furrows I have sowed the teeth Of vipers, from which men in armour grow To enter combat with the sleepelesse Dragon, And maugre him fetch thence the golden Fleece. All this Oetes, I am pressed to achieve Against these horrid tasks my life to engage Bulls fury, Vipers poison, Dragons rage. Starts Oetes at the name of Hercules, What would he do to see him in his eminence; But leaving that, this must be Jasons quest, A work not worthy him; where be these monsters? My task is above strength, Duke Peleus sent me Not to achieve, but die in this pursuit, And to prevent the Oracle that told him I must succeed; Jason bethink thee then Thou comest to execution, not to act Things above man; I have observed Medea Retort upon me many and amorous look, Of which I'll study to make prosperous use. If by her art the Enchantments I can bind Immured with death, I certain safety find. Madam, because I love I pity you, That you a beauteous Lady, artful wise, Should have your beauty and your wisdom both Inuelopt in a cloud of Barbarism: That on these barren Confines you should live, Confined into and Angle of the world. And never see that which is the world indeed, Fertile and populous Greece, Greece that bears men, Such as resemble Gods, of which in us You see the most dejected, and the meanest. How harshly does your wisdom found in ears Of these Barbarians, dull, vnapprehenfible, And such, in not conceiving your hid Arts, Deprive them of their honour; In Greece springs The fountains of Divine Philosophy, They are all understanders; I would have you Bright Lady with us, enter to that world Of which this Colchos is no partly at all. Show then your beauty to these judging eyes, Your wisdom to these understanding ears. In which they shall receive their merited grace, And leave this barren, cold, and stirrill place. I long to see this Colchian Lady clad In Hymen's stateliest robes, whom the glad Matrons, Bright L die, and Imperial Queens of Greece Shall welcome and applaud, and with rich gifts Present, for saving of their sons and kinsmen From these infernal monsters: As for Jason If you Medea shall despise his love, He craves no other life then to die so, Since life without you is but torturing pain, And death to men distressed is double gain. Love Jason then, and by thy Divine aid, Give me such power, that I may tug unscorched Amid the flames with these thy fiery fiends, That I vnuenom'd may these Vipers teeth Cast from my hand, through Morpheus leaden charms, Over that wakeful snake that guards the Fleece, For which live Jasons happy Bride in Greece. Be thou then For ever Jasons, and through Greece renowned In whom our Heroes have such safety found, Our bargain thus I seal. Remember; come Prince, will you lead the way? Oetes, I come thus armed, demanding combat Of all those monsters that defend thy Fleece: And to these dangers singly, I oppose My person as thou seest, when settest thou open The gates of hell to let thy devils out? Glad would I wrestle with thy fiery Bulls, And from their throats the flaming dewlops tear. Unchain them, and to Jason turn them lose, That as Alcides did to Achelous; So from their hard fronts I may tear there horns, And lay the yoke upon their untamed necks. I shall welcome all. Medea now if there be power in love; Or force in Magic; if thou hast or will Or Art, try all the power of Characters, Virtue of Simples, Stones, or hidden spells, If earth Elves, or nimble airy Spirits, Charms, Incantations, or dark Exorcisms. If any strength remain in Pyromancy, Or the hid secrets of the air or fire. If the Moons sphere can any help infuse, Or any influent Star, collect them all That I by thy aid may these monsters thrall. Since our adventure is achieved and done, The prize is ours, we ceize what we have won. Madam. You are my patroness, And under you I triumph: when the least Of all these graces I forget, the Gods Revenge on me my hated perjury. Must we then launch this night? you are my directress, And by your art Il'e manage all my actions. I shall. Madam Medea You'll follow Madam. The perjured King shall pay us for the wrong Done to Alcides in his promised steeds. He's fled, and took the way to Samo-thrace, With him Anchises, that on Venus God The young Aeneas, they are fled together, And left the spoil of all the town to us. Our business was to Thehan Hercules, 'Twas told us he remained with Omphale, The Lydian Queen. Alas! This Hercules? This is some base effeminate groom, not he That with his puissance frighted all the earth: This is some woman, some Hermophrodite. Woman we know thee not. We came to seek the Jove-borne Hercules, That in his cradle strangled Juno's snakes, And triumphed in the brave Olimpicke games. He that the Cleonean Lion slew, The Eremanthian Boar, the Bull of Marathon, The Lernean Hydra, and the winged Heart. He that dragged Cerberus from hell in chains, And stownded Pluto in his Ebon Chair. That Hercules, by whom the Centaurs fell Great Achelous, the Stymphalides, And the Cremonam giants? Where is he? He that the Amazonian Baldric won, That Achelous with his club subdued, And won from him the pride of Calidon Bright Deianeira, that now mourns in Thebes For absenc of that noble Hercules. To him we came, but since he lives not here, Come Lords, we will return these presents back Unto the constant Lady, whence they came. Amongst women? On that condition (Princes) lets stay a little. Think that was Deianeira's voice, Than calls thee home to dry her widowed tears, And to bring comfort to her de olate bed. Never was Hercules so much himself, How will this news glad Deyaneira's heart, Or how this sighed enrage fair Omphale? What alteration's this? a thousand pangs I see even in his visage, in his silence He does express even hell. Warlike Theban, Whence comes this fury? is this madness forced, That makes Alcides thus blaspheme the Gods. Yet be your self, renowned Hercules, Strive with your torture, with yourrage contend Seek to overcome this anguish. Why this is well, once more repair Jove's Altar. Kindle these holy Tapers and proceed. Let us not leave him Princes least this outrage Make him lay violent hands upon him self. If Deyaneira's heart, were with her hand, She is her sexes scandal, and her shame Even while Time lives, shall every tongue proclaim. Juno thou hast done thy worst; he now defies What thou canst more, his fame shall mount the skies. What heavenly music's this? No more, no more, behold your uncles slain, Save in this act two Noble Gentlemen, Pursue not f ry to the spoil of Greece, And death of more brave Princes: let your rage Be here confined, cut off this purple stream In his mid course, and turn this torrent back Which in his fury else may drowned us all. Will Telamon persuade me this is Hercules The Libian Conqueror, now a ssaues slave. He lived in amid of battles, this amongst truls: This wields a distaff, he a conquering Club. Shall we bestow fair Deianeira's presents On this (heaven knows) whither man or woman? 'Twas she that made Alcides womanish, But Deianeira to be more then man. For thy wives sake thou art renowned 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 every where Begin to oppress, thinking Alcides dead For so the fame's already. Shall a Strumpet Do this upon the Theban Hercules? And Deyaneira, fair, chased absolute In all perfections, live despised in Thebes? Princes, his torments are above Physic help, And they that wish him well, must wish his death, For that alone gives perjod to his anguish. Who now shall monsters quel, or tyrants tame? Oppressed free, or fill Gr ece with their fame. Princes your hands, take up these monuments Of his twelve labours in a marble Temple (We will erect and dedicate to him) Reserve them to his lasting memory: His brazen pillars shall be fixed in Gades, On which his monumental deeds we'll graven. Armed with these worthy Trophies lets march on Towards Thebes, that claims the honour of his birth. His body's dead, his fame shall never expire, Earth claims his earth, heaven shows his heavenly fire.