JOCASTA

A fortunate and happy Dame Agave may be thought, Who (though with bloody hands) her son to fatell death she brought, And from the shoulders chopped his head, and boar the same about In b oudy hand, at Bacchus feast withau inspired rout Of sacrificers, quartering poor Pentheus mangled limbs: Though this her cruel fact, somewhat her commendation dymmes: Yet even in these her phrantick fits she stayed her self in time From further harm, not adding more to aggravate her crime. My gilded were light, if I had not some others guilty made: And yet is this but matter light: I took a biler trade. For, Mother I am unto those that in all vice excel, And who in most abhorred sins condignly bear the bell. To all my woes and miseries there wanted only this, That I should love my Countries foe, who Polynices is. Three snowy Winters passed are, and Summers three be gone, Since be and exiled wretch abroad hath led his life in moan: And sought his bred among the fremmd: till now compell'de perforce. He craves relief of Greekish Kings, on him to have remorse. He married hath the Daughter of Adrastus, who at beck Rules Argive people, swaying them with awe of Princely check: And he to advance his son in law to his most lawful right Hath with him brought from seven Realms a warlike Crew to fight. What doom I should in this case give, which side I wish to win, I cannot tell: my mind amazed, yet doubtful rests therein. Th'one of my Sons (as right it is) requires the Crown as endue: I know it so accorded was: his cause is good and true. But in such sort, by force of Arms to rely mand the same, Is ill and most unnatural, herein he is to blame. What shall I do, what may I say? I mother am to both: And thus my Sons at deadly fewde to see I am full loath. Without the breach of mother zeal I can no way devise: For what good had I wish to th'one, thence th'others harm does rise. But though I love them both alike, yet sure my heart inclines To him that hath the better cause: though wronged thus, he pynes: As one by frowning fortune thrilde from pillar unto post: His Credit, Country, friends, and wealth, and treasure being lost. The weaker side I will support, and further all I can, Most mercy always should ut showed unto oppressed man. If that thou gape so greedily a Kingly Crown to wear: And that thou canst not rest content, till thou a Sceptre bear: Behold each quarter of the world affordeth Kingdoms store. No doubt thou mayest win some of them, if that thou seek therefore. On one side here, lies Tmolus mount, a soil bethwact with Vines: There runs Pactol S noble stream with golden Send and mines. On that side crooked Maeander glides through amid of Phrygia fields: On this side Hebrus swift of course much fruit to Thraciam yields. Near thereunto lies Gargarus, renowned each where for Corn, And Trojan Xanthus swelling flood, that prick and price hath born. There Sestos and Abidus stand in mouth of Ionian Sea, Which now is called Hellespont: and here and other way Are countries', which more Eastward lie. There Lycia full of Creeks And Havens strong is situate: these kingdoms, he that seeks, Is Like to win: these would I have thee conquer with thy Sword: These, these to win let King Adrast to thee his aid afford. In some of these, let him thee make a King: in Thebes as yet, Suppose thy father Oedipus in seat of King to fit. Thy banishment much better is to thee, then this return, Sith all thy drift is cruelly to wast, to spoil, and burn. Thy banishment reputed is to grow through others crime: This thy return, in such a sort to Kingly state to climb, Is ill and faulty every way: with this thy warlike crew Thou shalt do better Realms to seek, where bloody gilded ne grue. Yea, this thy Brother, whom thou dost pursue with deadly hate Whose life, whose health, whose house thou dost with curses dire rahate Will aid thee with all p were he can: himself will also go And serve in field for thine avail, gainst him that is thy foe. Advance thy pour, march boldly forth to take this war in hand. Wherein thy parents wish thee good, and will thy helpers stand. A Kingdom God mischievously, and snatched with grudge of mind, More grievous is then exiles all, of what soever kind. Of war, the doubtful hazards all set down before thy sight, And thoroughly weigh thuncertayne chau ̄ ce, that longes to martial ight. Though all the power of Greece thou bring thy quarrel to maintain, And though great armed multitudes of Soldiers thou re ayne: Yet chance of war still doubtful hangs, and hard it is to know, Who carry shall the victory, thou or thy vowed foe. Mars to no party tied in: what he decrees, shall be, As chance allots, so falls it out: this dome abideth free. Sword, hope and fear makes equal those, betw ene whom otherwise Great odds there is: blind Fortune's lot the case between them tries. Thy rash attempt with crime begun, gropes after doubtful gain: And found devises enterprisd oft reap deserved pain. Admit that all the God S in heaven did further thy request, And to promote thy hot desire both willing were, and pressed: Yet all thy friends are fled away, and all recoiled back, And Soldiers here and there in Fields are come to deadly wrack. Although thou joy hereat receive, although the spoils thou take Of vanquished Brother, yet the palm of victory must slake, And not to thee be given whole. What kind of war (alas) Is this, thinkest thou? is't not more strange then ever any was? Wherein if he that victor is, joy therein any whyt, Most execrable wickedness he (doubtless) does commit. This Brother thine, who ̄ now so feign thou wouldst bereave of breath, I wis, if he were once dispatched, thou wouldst bewale his death. And therefore make no more ado, but cease from wicked bral, Rid country out of trembling fear, and parents dole forestal. Thy talk I Like, I will be gone: I'll go with might and main: This head of mine I jeoperd will, between them to be slain. In thickest throng of all the Troops I purposed am to stand, And try what grace, or courtesy rimaynes in either Bond. If Brother's bear malicious minds each other to subdue, Let them first onset give on we, and me to death pursue. If either of them be endued with any spark of grace, Or Nature's laws or Filial awe does any whit embrace, Let him at mother's suit lay down his Pikes and glaues of war, And weapons of hastility let him abandon far. And he that cancard stomach bears his Brother there to quell, Forgetting Nature, let him first with me his Mother mell. These heady youths from further rage I Silly Trot will stay: I wittingly will not behold such mischief carry sway. Or if I live to see the same, it shall not be alone. What whirlewynd swift might I procure to bear me through the air? What monstruous flying Sph will help, that I were quickly there? Of all the Birds Stimphalides (with wings so huge and large That Phoe burr rays they shadowed quite) will any take the charge To carry me to yonder place? what ravenous Harpy Burd With ugly talantes all with flith, and dirty dung befurde, (Which hungrestarud King Phineus, that had put out the Eyes Of children his) will at this pinch a mean for me devise, That I aloft may hoised be, and with all speed be set, Where yonder cruel armies two in open field be met? Thy sword in hand fast clasped keep: On head thy Basnet tie: On Left Atme hold thy Targat sure, and on thy Guard rely. At all points armed prepared stand: all future doubts prevent: Be sure to see thy Brother first unarm himself content. And now to thee Etheocles some speech I am to use: Thou first wast cause of all this war, do not therefore refuse Down first to lay thy brawling Blade, and yield to Reasons lore: If name of peace so hateful be, if that thou any more Entendest this war to prosecute, in this so savage sort, Let mother yet this courtesy from thee (her son) extort That some small time of trusty truce thou wilt with willing mind Consent unto: till I my Son thy Brother most unkind May after flight go kiss end oel, now first or last of all. While I for peace entreaty make, you men unarmed I call To listen unto that I say: thy Brother fears thee: And thou fearest him: and I fear both. But this my fear you see Is nothing for my self at all, but for avail of both. Why seemest thou thy naked sword to put in sheath so loath? Be glad to take the benefit of any little stay: In matters lewd 'tis wisdom good to stand upon delay. You enter into such a war, wherein he speedeth best That vanquished is: both of you fear to be by fraud distressed Through practised means and subtle plois of Brother's spiteful drift, Or ouerteacht by policy of some devised shift. But if deceive or be deceived by him that is our Friend We needs must be: in such a case we shall the less offend In suffering wrong then doing harm: But fear thou not a whit, You both from ambushed treacheries your Mother will acquit. What say you Sons: shall this request of mine with you prevail . Or shall I curse my luckless faie, and on my Fortune rail And judge your Sire and happy man, in that he lives blind And cannot see the thing which I behold with pensive mind? In coming unto you, did I bring with me this intent, To end these broils? or did I come to see some dire event? Etheocles, some what appeased, hath pitched his Spear in ground, And not a weapon blood to she, in hand of his is found. Now Polynices, unto thee my former suit I bring, Regard thy Mother's mournful plighted, and yield unto the thing That she with tears entreats to have. Oh Son, at length I see, I hold with hands, I kiss with mouth, I touch with joyful glee This Face of thine, the sighed whereof I wanted have so long: And have more often wished for, then can be told with tongue. Thou hast from native Soil be changed sde to Coast of foreign king, And crossed be with trouncing force of frowning Fortune's sting. Thou many a Storm, and many a brunt in many a foaming Sea, In Wandering sort and banished guise, didst oftentimes assay. Thy Mother at thy Spousal feast was absent far away, And could not do such nuptial Rites as tell for such a day. Into thy wedding Chamber she brought thee, ne yet thy Bride, Ne yet in solemn sort the house with herbs and odours plide: Ne yet did with a Ryband white the wedding Torches tie, As use and custom wills to be at such solemynitie. Adrastus, Father to thy Wife, and father in law to thee, With Daughter his, hath not defrayed much store of gold or Fee. No Dower hath he bestowed on her, her wealth was very small, Of Cities, Lands, and Revenues he gave her none at all. War, War: is it thou only hadst, by taking her to Wife: In levum of other gifts, he helps to kindle all this Strife. Thou Son in law art unto him, that is our Countries Foe: Thy Native soil thou leavest, and to foreign Courts dost go. Thou feedest now at Strangers board, and makest more account Of new acquaintance God abroad; as though it did surmount The friendship of thy country here: thou art a banished wight, And livest in exile, for no fault, but through thy brother's spite. In thee appears resemblance plain of all thy Father's Fate, In which there acketh not so much as thoyse of wedded Mate. Whom with as ill mischance and hap as ever Father's was, Thou haste in luckless hour and time of marriage brought to pass. Oh Son, thy mother's only hope, for whom such care I take: Whose sighed, now after many years, does me most oyfull make. For whom I have full many a time to Gods devoutly prayed: Whereas in deed, thy new return to me, may well be said To take away as great a joy, and bring as great a grief, As it to these mine aged years is comfort and relief. I prostrate at the Oracle, besought Apollos Grace To tell me, when I should not need to further fear thy case. Who flouting this my found demand, anon did flatly tell, And spoke these words, which yet (I trow) I do remember well. Thou fearest thy son, least harm he take, as is a mother's guise: But thou I say more cause shalt have, to fear him otherwise. For if this war unraised had be I should thy presence lack: And if thou Wertenberg not, Theban Land might free remain from Sack. The sighed of the does cost us all a hard and nipping price, Yet does it Like thy mother well: so that her found advice In this one thing thou follow will. Dispatch these Armies hence: Even presently, while yet of blood there hath not be expense. So foul a Fact to be so near, is heinous out of doubt: I shake, I quake to think thereon, in every Joint throughout. My hair stands upright even for fear, two brothers thus to see Aloof, and ready one to chop at th'other, cruelly. Howneere was I (poor Mother theirs, a bloudier act to-have seen.) Then father blind yet ever saw, or ever yet would ween? And though my fear be overpassed and th'act unbrought to pass: My self yet do I wretched think, that done so near it was. By all the throws for ten months space, in womb when ̄ I thee bore, And for thy Sisters sake both twain, which shine in very e rare: And by those Eyehoales of thy Sire for which with wrekefull Paw He pulled his Eyes, because (unwares) he stained Nature's law, I thee beseech from Theban Walls sent back these armed Bands, Which threatening all our throats to cut, against our Country stands: Yea though you presently depart: yet are you much to blame, And there is endue unto you both, a lot of during shame: Because this Country round about hath pestered be with pour, And troops of Soldiers stout and brave, it ready to devour. With pensive hearts a mourning minds, these Eyes of ours have seen Your prau ̄ cing couriers w to their Feet, spoil Theban Meadows green. We oft have seen your houlty Peers in warlike Chariot ride: And oft our houses to have brunt with wildfier have be spied. And last of all And act we saw (which even to Thebes is strange.) Two Brothers warring mortally, all Nature's bonds to change. Each one in Army saw this sighed, the people witness be. Your Sisters two, and Mother I this all did plainly see. Your Father, he may thank himself: that he did not behold This lamentable spectacle and havocs manifold. Call now to thy remembrance here, thy Father Oedipus, Whose doom, did Facts (by error done) even plague, & punish thus. With Fire, & sword subvert not clean (good Son) thy cou ̄ trey deer, And Thebes whereof thou wouldst be king) surcease with force to tear. What Bedlam pang enchants thy mind? what might thy meaning be? Thou claymst a Realm, which to subvert thou geeuest licence free. In seeking thus a countries rule: a country thou destroyest: Which thou thine own would make, thou marrest, & (as it none) and noyesto. Hereby thou hindrest much thy self, in y to thou makest spoil, And burnest up does Corn and Grass, and keepest a shameful coil, In cham king men out of their homes: (Oh desperate witless part) What man alive, to waste his own, can thus find in his heart? These things that thou continued ̄ maundest thus by rage of sword & flame To be consum'de: and other man thou thinkest does owe the same. If thus for princely Chair you twain by ears your title try: The state of Realm and Commonwealth will totter soon awry. Seek it, while you your Country stands unblemished by decay: It so enjoy, and so to reign, I Count the better way. Ah, canst thou f de in heart to burn, and spoil these houses brave? The like whereof in all the world beside, thou canst not have: Canst thou destroy and ruinate the noble Theban wall, To whose first building stones apace at Dan Amphions call Came dancing of their own accord, through tunes of warbling harp: And ought themselves in order right upon the Turrets sharp, Without all help of worckmans hand, or Pully up to draw Such pieces as most weighty were? Wilt thou by lawless law Throw down these worthy Monuments? wilt thou from hence convey And carry with thee all these spoils? wilt thou such pageants play? Thy Father's old acquainted mates, wilt thou by force surpryze And lead as captive where thou goest in proud triumphing wise? Shall these thy cutthroat Soldiers drag and le mother's old? Shall they, grau ̄ worser Matrons ried in chains, from ̄ unfold? Shall Theban Maids, & Damsels chaste of Fresh and lusty Age, Be mingled with the raskal rout, and hampered be in Cage? Shall they as presents, forced be in dabbling dirt to toil Unto the mynsing Mistress's, and Trulles of Argoa Soil? Shall I thy Silly Mother trudge with Pinyond hands behind? Shall I this triumph of my Chilled to furnish be assigned? Canst thou with grudgelesse mind, behold thy Countreyfolkes arrow, Slain, mangled, spoylde, in pieces hewed, thus to their death's to God? Canst thou bring in a deadly Foe, thy Country to subdue? Shall streets of Thebes run all with blood? shall all y e Cou ̄ trey rue Thy coming home with flame and fire? hast thou and heart so hard? A breast so tipped with flint? a mind to rage so well prepared? If thus thou fare, and swell with ire while yet thou art no King: What wilt thou be in Princely throne, if thou shouldst win the Ring? Surcease therefore and qualify this outrage of thy mind: In thee let all thy Country, grace and Princely myldnes find. Fear not my Son, he shall be paid, and paid again, I trow: He shall be King and reign in Thebes, his pain shall even be so. A pain in grain I warrant him. And if thou doubtful be, Let Graundsyre Laius and thy Sire examples be to thee. Sir Cadmus will the same display, and Cadmus offspring all Can witness be that none in Thebes yet reigned without a fallen. None yet the Theban Sceptre swayed, that hath not felt the whip. And promise breach made most of them from regal Crown to skip. Now if thou Wilt, thou mayest insert within this bedroll here Thy Brother.