HERCULES

I that returned from dens of death, and Stigian stream defied And ferried over Lethes lake, and dragged up, chained, and tied The tryple headed mastiff hownd, when Titans teem did start So at the ugly sighed that he fell almost from his cart. Even I whose pith the kingdoms three of Gods full well have known Lo yet mine end I daunted am by death and overthrown But yet no bloody blade against my rived ribs does crash It is no rock that unto death my bruised bones does pash Nor as it were with Oh sir hill that cloven were in twain, Nor with the sway oh all the mountain falling am I slain. The glaring eyed giant grim does not now squeaze my coarse With paise of Pindus roch and thus not feeling enemies force I conquered am and yet alas this coarsie frets me more Oh feeble force of man: he whom no might could match before Withouten any conquest made does end his latter day, Without exploit or feat of arms my self I pass away. Oh mighty vmpier of the world and all you Ghosts above That witness how in quarrel good my right hand ever strove Oh all you lands, Oh earth alas, may it your mercy please To spoil the spiteful sting of death that daunts your Hercules Fie fie, what shame is it to us what filthy fate we have? A woman proved shall boast her bane brought Hercles to his graven Then what are they whose mortal maim Alcides weapon gave If thus with sway invincible my fatal wheel do run And need must on this shameful rock my fatal twist be spun: As by a woman's cursed hand my blood should thus be shed Yet Juno's malice migh have poured this vengeance on my head, So might a woman's deadly band have brought me to my beer: But pet a woman wellding sway amid the welkin clear But this seemed ouerprowde attempt for Gods to take in hand The paples dame in Scythia born where pight on High oh h S;tanned The Apeltree whereon the underpropped poales do sway It might as well have be her hap to take my breath away, What woman's might may master me Queen Juno's hateful foe Fie stepdame fie the fouler shame by this to thee does grow? Why dost thou triumph in this day? why did dame Tellus breed Such perilous bugs thy humour rank of colour hot to feed? A mortal woman's peauishe spite does pass thy rancour rough, Thou sayest thou cannot have revenge on Hercules enough Then are we twain y pass thy power the Gods may blush for sham? To see their malice ouermacht by such a mortal dame. Would God the ramping Lyons paw that noyed Neme wood, Had fillde his greedy mounching Jaws with plenty of my blood: Or while the twining snakes had hembde me in by hundreds thick, Why might not Hydra swallow up my wrinched body quick? Why was it not the centaurs hap my silly flesh to gnaw? Or that I bound on Tantalls rock should gape with greedy Jaw? In vain to catch the fleeting food when deep from Tartar soil, Where at the Gods aggrized were, I did purloin the spoil. And from the dark infernal Styx I God again to light, Or Ditis dungeon all the stops and stays I conquerde quite. Death shrank from me in every place that I a noble knight At length might end my days in shame, and in dishonour spoylde O Jove the creatures terrible thou knowest that I have foylde The threefold shapen mastiff cur whom up I draggde in chain, He starring from the sunnewarde could not hale me back again. The shepherds churlish rabble that aloof in Iber he Under the Spanish fervent climb could never master me. Nor serpents twain that unto me in tender cradle creapt. Aye woe is me that valiant death so oft I overleapt: What honour shall I die withal? If ugly grested Caused asue. In chain of yrone link Should bind me as ag oning pray the greedy gripe to feed Yet from mine eyes it should not strain a broke ̄ tear indeed If wandering Symplegads would me wish either rock assail, To bide the brunt of double wrack my courage would not quail. Let Pindus tumbled be on me, huge Aemus let me have Or Athos rock in Thracian seas that breaks the weltering wave, And bode the boultes of thundering Jove although thunweildy mass Of all the world should fall on me and might be brought to pass That Phœbus flaming apeltree should burn upon my graven No uncouth cry should force the mind of Hercles thus to rave. Let meet a thousand savage beasts and rend me all atonce Let Stymphal oules with houling hoarse lay strokes upon my bones Or scrowling bull on tother side strike on with head and horn Or else of other serpents wild let all my parts be orne With roaring earthquakes, hougy lumps be puffed upon me With gripping grief let all my limbs to nothing pined be Although I be to powder crushed I will with patience peace In spite of beasts or bruising blows my sighs and tears shall seance Aye me and wellaway, What Scorpion scrapes within my Maw? what cralling Crab I say With crooking cleaze to cumber me, from scorching zone returns, And boat within my boiling bones the seathing Marrow burns. My River whilom rank of blood my rotting Lunges it taws, And teareth them in shattered gubs, and filthy withered flaws. And now my Gall is dried up my burning Liver glows. The stewing heat hath stulde away the blood, and Jove he knows My upper skin is scorched away and thus the Cankar strong Does eat and hold that get it may my wretched Limbs among, And from my frying Ribs (alas) my Liver quite is rend. It gnaws my flesh, deuowers all, my Carcase quite is spent, It soaks into the empty bones, and out the juice it sucks The bones by lumps drop of while it the joints a sunder plucks My corpulent Carks is consumed of Hercules every Jim Yet stauncheth not the festering ot that feeds fast n him Oh what a tingling ache it is that makes me thus to smart, Oh bitter plague, Oh pestilence that gripeth to the heart. Lo Cittes, lo what now remains of Hercules the great. Are these the arms that did with stripes the roaring Lion beat? And in Nemea wood did tear him from his hary case Might this hand bend y bow from clouds the Stimphall foul to chase? Are these the shanks that coapt the heart who shifting pace full oft? Did bear his branched head ypranckt with garland gay aloft? Was Call e craggy clive of these my feeble clowches broke? To raise a dam in eas that did their foamy channel choke. Had these arms pith the breath of Kings, of Beasts, and bugs to stop? Or might these shoulders tough the payse of heaven underprop? Are these the lusty Limbs and Neck that shrank not at the payse? Are these hands that I against the weltering heavens did raise? Alas whose hands shall now perforce from hence hell Iaylo lead? Alas the noble courage erst that now in me is dead. Why call I Jove my Father great of whom my stock should rise? Why by the Thunderer make I my challenge to the skies? Now, now Ampitrio is my ster all men may it avouch. Come out thou murreyn fowl that dost within my bowels couch. Why dost thou thus with privy wound my careful Carcase foil? What gulf under the frozen Climb in salvage Scythian soil Engendered the ? what water Hag did spawn thee on the shore? Or stony C lpe Rock in Spain that borders on the Moare: Oh irksome ill, and art thou not the Serpent that does sting With crest on ugly head, or else some other loathly thing, Or sprung of Hydraës blood, or left here by the hellick hound. Art thou no plague? and yet a plague in whom all plagues abound? What ghastly countnaunce carriest thou (alas) yet let me know? What kind of mischief may thou be that dost torment me so? What salvage soar, or murreyn strange, or uncouth plague thou be? With open combat face to face thou should encounter me. And not thus rankle in my flesh, nor soak into the sap. By sowltring heat within my bones thy boiling bane to wrap, And in the mid thereof to fry the Maroe that does melt. My jagged skin is ripped, and out my smoky Bowels swelled. From bursten Paunch my self do flay the skin with grasping pause, And from the naked bones do tear the mangled flesh by flaws, I searched for thee through my Maw, yet further dost thou creep, And festering farther in my flesh hast gnawn and hold more deep. Oh mischief match to Hercules, what grief could make me greet? When ̄ ce flow these streams of trilli ̄ g tears y down my cheeks do fleet The time hath been no plunging pangs could cause our courage quail, That never use with crystal tears our anguish to bewail. Ah, fie, I am ashamed that I should learn these tears to shed: That Hercules in weeping wise his grief hath languished: Who ever saw at any day in any time or place? All bitter brunes I bore with dry, and eake vnreky face The manhood that so many ills hath mastered heretofore, Hath yielded only unto thee, to thee thou Cankar soar. Thou first of all hast straynde the tears out of my weeping eyes Thy gargle face thy visage man that does me soar aggrise. More towgh then mossy Rocks, more hard then Gads of sturdy sleele, Or roaming stream of Simplegade, whereby this smart I feel Hath crushed my cracking Jaws, & wrong the streaming tears from ̄ me. Oh wielder of the Welkin swift, lo, lo the Earth does see How Hercules does weep and wail, and to my greater pain My Stepdame Juno sees the same, behold, behold again My Lunges do fry, the scorching heat prevaileth more, and more. Whence fell this thunder Boult on me that burns in me so soar? I am your Hercles mother deer, whom thus ye see here lost. Acknowledge me all though God knows I seem but as a ghost. Why do you turn your face away and mourning visage mild. Are ye ashamed that Hercules should counted be your child? By treason of his Wife Thou seest how wretched Hercules do lose his loathed Life. That which a wrathful Dame does seek to case her of her spite. I to a Shyrt the woman had conuayde it for the nonce. The vesture by the poison rank de Our is with me. I think within my guts, That hideous Hydra hissing Snake his slowghy body puts, A thousand plagues of Lerna Pool within my Bowels ramps: What raging deer is this that drives up all Sicilia damps? What E me of Hell forbids the day to pass the boiling one? Oh Ma es amid the greedy gulfs and pools let me be thrown. What Ister can my Carcase cool? no not the Ocean main Of these my stewing vapours may the raging quench again? (All moisture of my limbs in these my fits are fried away) The juice will soon be soaked up, what president of hell Let me return from under ground again with Jove to dwell He ought to have retained me still, receive me once again Into thy dungeon dark that hell may in this pickle plain Behold the man that conquered that, no booty bring I will Away with me: why dost thou quake for fear of Hercles still. Set on me death courageously for now I may be killed Oh where is death where is he now? of all that I do rew: Can any witness what it is? let death now bend his bow A naked hand is strong enough to make me stoup full low Let any wight in all the world attempt to set on me I warrant him, approach let him, Ah wretched might I be This wayward agony hath take his perfect wits away. Have hence his tools, and eake his shafts for danger hence continued vay. His ruddy gills that glow Like fire some mischief do pretend. To shroud my self (alas) into what corner shall I weened? This malady a frensy is, this only is the mean To conquer Hercules, why then do I as doting quean Thus fallen to tears and seek to shrink, may be that he will have, Alcmena's hand to give the stroke, to bring him to the graven. But die he in a Murreynes name, ere I for coward will Such deadly penance be enioynde, that on my doings still, His baynous hand may vaunt it self, lo how the pangs full deep, With stuggling ceased, do hind the purple vains with deadly sleep, And beating soar lift up and down his faint and panting breast: If I Oh Gods of this my noble Child be dispossessed: Be gracious yet, and for the world some lusty champion save. Rid his annoy and let his limbs again their courage have. What means Thrachin craggy crest to show before mine eyes? Or now forsaking man am I advanced above the skies. Why do the heavens provide for me? the father Jove I see, And eake my stepdame Juno dire appeased now with me. What heavenly harmony is this that soundeth in mine ear. Dame Juno calls me son in law, I see the palace clear (Of crystal skies and beaten rakes of Phœbus flaming wheel) I see the dumpish moary den of glowming lady night Here he commandeth darkness dim to show it self in sighed. What means this, who is it that the heavens against me sparres? And am I thus Oh father mine brought down again from stars. Even now Appolloës sowltring car did fume about my face So nigh I passed the pinch of Death, lo Thrachin top in place Who brought me back to ground again, beneath me erst it lay And all the world was under me, thou smart Wertenberg worn away, Thou forcest me confess the same. Ah mercy, mercy now. In stead of farther vengeance do these humble words allow. Lo Hillus, lo thy mother's gifts such presents she prepared Ah, might my truncheon punch her puddings once as whilom farde The haughty Lady Amazon well trounsed for her pride On th'edge of ysy Caucasus afront the mountain side. Oh noble lady Megara were thou my wretched wife, When rapt in rage of frantic fits, I rest thee of thy life Give me my batt and bow in hand, my wrists I will embrue. And force you all your brages on me with blemish black to rue. Thus let of Hercules exploits a woman be the last. He hath his will: all is dispatched, our Fates themselves display. This is the day of death to me. Thus erst to me did say, A charmed Oak, and all the wood that range with yetling noise Of Parnass hill the Temples shook, and thundered out this voice. The dead men hand whom thou before hast slain, Oh Hercules shall murder thee again. Thou having mote the space of gulf and ground, And depth of hell, hear shall thou be confound. I therefore do bewail no more, such should our ending be. That Hercles conquerde after him no man alive may see. Now let me die a manly death, a stout and excellent, And meet for me: this noble day shall valiantly be spent. Fell all the Timber on the ground hew down all Oetam wood. Let coals deuower Hercules, let fire fry his blould. But ere I die thou noble Imp of Peans royal raze. This doleful duty do for me: See that and whole day space My funeral fire flaming burn. And now my tender Hill, The last petition of my mouth make unto thee I will. Among the captive Ladies, one there is, a noble Dame, Of royal blood, Euritus Child, Jole is her name: Accept her to thy spousal Bed, whom victor I unkind Have trained from her native home and but my heart, and mind Poor silly maid I gave her nought, and now she shall me loose. Lo thus the wretched woman walls her still increasing woes. But let her foster that she hath conceived as Jove's Alley, And child to me, be't thine by her that erst begotten have I: And as for thee deer mother mine your dreary dole forgo, Your Hercules shall live: do not vain tears on him bestow: My manhood made a strumpet thought a Stepdame unto thee, But if that either Hercles birth show her unsure to be, Or be a man my ster or else be falsified my kin. Now let Jove's cease, and let my mother's slander in, I have deserved a father well that have advanced so hie The glory of the rolling heavens, of nature tramde was I. To work the wondrous praise of Jove, and Jove him self does Joy, To have the name of Hercules, begetting such a boy. But pardon now my strained tears, but you as Jove his niece. Shall as a stately matron be among the Dams of Greece. Though Juno with the thunderer in spousal chamber lies And in her heavenly hand does weilde the sceptre of the skies, When ever bore she such a Babe, and yet though heaven she hold In heart against a mortal man she fosters malice old, For spight that born of woman's womb becounted thus I should. Go Tican go, run out thy Raze, thee only I forsake. I that went with thee foot by foot now to infernal lake. And Ghosts, I go yet with this praise to'ch pit down will I pass That Hercules of open foe yet never foiled was. But he in open combats brought his conquests all to pass. The dampy of Cocitas could not keep me from light. Nor Carons fusty musty Barge iramsported hath my sprite, Now Myther more once have I seem the of hell, And all the that dwell. That mortal mould I took of you to nought the flames have fried: Heaven hath the substance that I took of Jove: in fire yours died. And therefore rawse your playntius tear , which parents use to shed, When wretchedly they wail their sons, that dastardly are dead. Thus vulgar varlets weep: Joe virtue Hope's the Stars to get: But fainting fear on death, from heaven where I am set, You hear my voice: Euristeus now shall bide the deadly push With charyot sway his cracked scull you shall on sunder crush Now must I hence advance my Ghost up to the rolling skies Once more I daunt the devils, and do the goblins grim aggrise Oh blinded anquish: die she should of Hercles furious hand) Thus Licas hath his marrow lost the heat of burning breast Will have me on the breathless coarse for to revenge the rest Why does she not yet feel her force both let her want a graven And on her cursed flesh to feed let beasts her carcase have.