LOCRINE

If Locrine do not follow your advise, And bear himself in all things Like a prince That seeks to amplify the great renown Left unto him for and inheritage By those that were his ancestors, Let me be flung into the Ocean, And swallowed in the bowels of the earth. Or let the ruddy lightning of great Jove, Descend upon this my deuolted head. But for I see you all to be in doubt, who shall be matched with our royal son, Locrine receive this present at my hand, A gift more rich then are the wealthy mines Found in the bowels of America, Thou shalt be spoused to fair Guendoline, Love her, and take her, for she is thine own, If so thy uncle and herself do please. No longer let me well enjoy the crown, Then I do peerless Guendoline. Accursed stars, dammed and accursed stars, To abreuiate my noble father's life, Hardhearted gods, and too envious fates, Thus to cut off my father's fatal thread, Brutus that was a glory to us all, Brutus that was a terror to his foes, Alas too soon by Demago gons knife, The martial Brutus is bear to of life. No sad complaints may move joust Lacus. Thanks loving uncle and good brother too, For this revenge, or this sweet word revenge Must ease and cease thy wrongful injuries, And by the sword of bloody Mars I swear, Near shall sweet quiet enter this my front, Till I be venged on his traitorous head That slew my noble brother Albanact. Found drums and trumpets, muster up the camp, For we will straight march to Albania. Now am I guarded with and host of men, Whose haughty courage is invincible, Now am I hembde with troops of soldiers, Such as might force Bellona to retire, And make her tremble at their puissance, Now fit I Like the mighty God of war, When armed with his coat of Adament, Mounted his chariot drawn with mighty bulls, He drove the Argives over Xanthus streams. Now cursed Humber does thy end draw nigh, Down goes the glory of his victories, And all his fame, and all his high renown Shall in a moment yield to Locrines sword, Thy bragging banners crossed with argent streams, The ornaments of thy pavilions Shall all be captivated with this hand, And thou thy self at Albanactus tomb Shalt offered be in satisfaction Of all the wrongs thou didst him when he lived. But canst thou tell me brave Thrasimachus, How far we are distant from Humbers camp? Then courage soldiers, first for your safety, Next for your peace, last for your victory. Exeunt. Thus from the fury of Bellona's broils, With found of drum and trumpets melody, The Britain king returns triumphanly, The Scythians slain with great occision, Do aequalize the grass in multitude, And with their b ood have stained the streaming brooks, Offering their bodies and their dearest blood As sacrifice to Albanactus ghost, Now cursed Humber hast thou paid thy endue, For thy deceits and crafty treacheries, For all thy guises, and damned stratagems, With lose of life, and ever during shame. Where are thy horses trapped with burnished gold, Thy trampling coursers ruled with foaming bits? Where are thy soldiers strong and numberless, Thy valiant captains and thy noble peers? Even as the country clowns with sharpest sithes Do mow the withered grass from off the earth, Or as the ploughman with his piercing share Renteth the bowels of the fertile fields, And rippeth up the roots with razors keen. So Locrine with his mighty curtleaxe, Hath cropped off the heads of all thy Huns, So Locrines peers have daunted all thy peers, And drove thine host unto confusion, That thou mayest suffer penance for thy fault, And die for murdering valiant Albanact. I they are beasts that seek to usurp our land, And Like to brutish beasts they shall be served. For mighty love the supreme king of heaven, That guides the concourse of the Metiors, And rules the motion of the azure sky, Fights always for the Britons safety. But stay, me thinks I hear some shrieking noise, That draws near to our pavilion. Cam er, this am should be the Scythia ̄ queen. So fair a dame mine eyes did never see, With floods of woes she seems overwhelmed to be Hard is their thrall who by Cupid's frown Are wrapped in waves of endless carefulness. O love, the extreemst of all extremities. Let him go into his chair. Unreverent villains, strive you in our sighed? Take them hence Jailer to the dungeon, There let them lie and try their quarrel out. But thou fair princess be no whit dismayed, But rather joy that Locrine favours thee. The chance of war (my love) took him from ̄ thee He was and enemy to Locrines state, And slew my noble brother Albanact. Better to live, then not to live at all. Kings needs not fear the vulgar sentences. Is it a shame to live in marriage bonds? If thou wilt yield to Locrines burning love, Thou shalt be queen of fair Albania. Uncle, scorn you your royal sovereign, As if we stood for ciphers in the court? Upbraid you me with those your benefits? Why it was a subjects duty so to do. What you have done for our deceased sire, We know, and all know you have your reward. Seven years hath aged Corineus lived To Locrines grief, and fair Estrild S woe, And seven years more he hopeth yet to live, O supreme Jove, annihilate this thought. Should he enjoy the airs fruition? Should he enjoy the benefit of life? Should he contemplate the radiant son, That makes my life equal to dreadful death? Venus convey this monster from the earth, That disobeieth thus thy sacred hests. Cupid conum y this monster to dark hell, That disanulls thy mother's fugred laws. Mars with thy target all beset wiih flames, With murdering blade bereave him of his life, That hindereth Locrine in his sweetest joys. And yet for all his diligent aspect, His wrathful eyes piercing Like Linces eyes, Well have I overmatched his subtlety. Nigh Deucolitum by the pleasant Lee, where brackish Thamis slides with silver streams, Making a breach into the grassy downs, A curious arch of costly marble fraught, Hath Locrine framed underneath the ground, The walls whereof, garnish with diamonds, With ophirs, rubies, glistering emeralds, And interlast with sun-bright carbuncles, Lighten the room with artificial day, And from the Lee with water-flowing pipes The moisture is derived into this arch Where I have placed fair Estrild secretly, Thither eftsoons accompanied with my page, I covertly visit my hearts desire, Without suspicion of the meanest eye, For love aboundeth still with policy: And thither still means Locrine to repair, Till Atropos cut off mine uncle's life. What pratest thou peasant to thy sovereign Or art thou strooken in some ecstasy? Dost thou not tremble at our royal looks? Dost thou not quake when mighty Locrine frowns? Thou beardless boy, Wertenberg not that Locrine scorns To vex his mind with such a heartless child, With the sharp point of this my battale-axe, I would send thy soul to Puri legiton. Menacest thou thy royal sovereign, Uncivil, not beseeming such as you. Injurious traitor (for he is no less That at defiance stands with his king) Leave these thy taunts, leave these thy bragging words, Unless thou mean to leave thy wretched life. Wilt thou abuse my gentle patience, As though thou didst our high displeasure scorn? Proud boy, y thou mayest know thy prince is moved, Yea greatly moved at this thy swelling pride, We banish thee for ever from our court. Peace uncle peace, and cease to talk hereof, For he that seeks by whispering this or that, To trouble Locrine in his sweetest life, Let him persuade himself to die the death. Tell me Assarachus, are the Cornish chuffs In such great number come to Mertia, And have they pitched there their petty host, So close unto our royal mansion. It makes me laugh, to think that Guendoline Should have the heart to come in arms gainst me. What is the tiger started from his cave? Is Guendoline come from Cornubia, That thus she braveth Locrine to the teeth? And hast thou found thine armour pretty boy, Accompanied with these thy straggling mates? Believe me but this enterprise was bold, And well deserves commendation. Thinkest thou to dare me bold Thrasimachus ? Thinkest thou to fear me with thy taunting braves, Or do we seem too weak to cope with thee? Soon shall I show thee my fine cutting blade, And with my sword the messenger of death, Seal thee and acquita ̄ ce for thy bold attempts. Exeum ̄ to. Oh fair Estrilda, we have lost the field, Thrasimachus hath won the vic ory, And we are lest to be a laughing S ocke, Scoffed at by those that are ou enemies, Ten thousand soldiers armed with sword & shield, Prevail against and hundredth thousand men, Thrasimachus incensed with uming ire, Rages amongst the faint heart soldiers Like to grim Mars, when covered with h his arge He fought with Diomedes in the field, Close by the banks of silver Simois, Oh lovely Estrild now the chase begins, Ner shall we see the stately Traynovant Mounted on the coursers garnished all with pearl Ner shall we view the fair Concordiam, Unless as captives we be thither brought. Shall Locrine then be taken prisoner, By such a youngling as Thrasimachus ? Shall Guendolina captivate my love? Ner shall mine eyes behold that dismal hour, Ner will I view that ruthful spectacle, For with my sword this sharp curtl axe, I'll cut in sunder my accursed heart. But Oh you judges of the nine old Stix, Which with incessant torments rack the ghoa S Within the bottomless Abissus pits, You gods commanders of the heavenly spheres, Who e will and laws irrevocable stands, Forgive, forgive, this soul accursed sin, Forget Oh gods this foul condemned fault: And now my sword that in so many fights kiss his sword. Hast saved the life oh Brutus and his son, End now his life that wishes still for death, Work now his death that wishes still for death, Work now his death that hates still his life. Farewell fair Estrild, beauty's paragon, Framed in the front of forlorn Misery's, Ner shall mine eyes behold thy sunshine eyes, But when we meet in the Elysian fields, Thither I go before with hastenened pace. Farewell vain world, and thy enticing snares. Forwell oule sin, and thy enticing pleasures. And welcome death the end of mortal smart, Welcome to Locri es overburdened heart. Uncle and princes of brave Britanny, Since that our noble father is intombd, As best beseemed so brave a prince as he, If so you please, this day my love and I, Within the temple of Concordiam, Will solemnize our royal marriage. And is this true, is Albanactus slain? Hath cursed Humber with his straggling host With that his army made of mongrel curs, Brought our redoubted brother to his end. Oh that I had the Thracian Orpheus harp For to awake out of the infernal shade Those ugly devils of black Ereb S, That might torment the damned traitors soul: Oh that I had Amphions instrument To quicken with his vital notes and tunes The flinty joints of every stony rock, By which the Scythians might be punished, For by the lightning of almighty Jove The Hun shall die, had he ten thousand lives: And would to God he had ten thousand lives, That I might with the armstrong Hercules Crop off so vile and Hidras hissing heads, But say me cousin, for I long to hear How Albanact came by untimely death? Then frolic lordings to fair Concords walls, Where we will pass the day in knightly sports, The night in dancing and in figured masks, And offer to God Risus all our sports. Not aged Priam King of stately Troy, Grand Emperor of barbarous Asia, When he beheld his noble minded sons Slain traitorously by all the Myrmidons, Lamented more then I for Albanact. Sweet fortune favour Locrine with a smile, That I may venge my noble brother's death, And in the amid of stately Troinonant, I'll built a temple to thy deity Of perfect marble and of Jacinth stones, That it shall pass the high Pyramids Which with their top surmount the firmament. Sayest thou so Estrild, beauty's paragon? Well we will try her chollor to the proof, And make her know Locrine can brook no braves. March on Assarachus, thou must led the way, And bring us to their proud pavilion. Exeunt. Upon mine honour thou shalt have no harm. Tears cannot raise him from the dead again, But where's my Lady mistress Guendoline? And let her there provide her mourning weeds And mourn for ever her own widowhood. Ner shall she come within our palace gate, To countercheck brave Locrine in his love. Go boy to Deucolitum, down the Lee, Unto the arch where lovely Estrild lies, Bring her and Sabren strait unto the court, She shall be queen in G endolinas room. Let others wail for Corineus death, I mean not so to macerate my mind, For him that barred me from my hearts desire. Farewell proud boy, and learn to use thy tongue.