CREON

The Oracle (most noble king) is dark, and hidden lies. Apollo's use that is the troth in darksome dens to hold. Apollo then (most noble King) himself commandeth thus. By exile purge the Princes seat, and plague with vengeance endue That hapless wretch, whose bloody hands of late King Laius slew: Before that this performed be, no hope of milder air: Wherefore do this (Oh King) or else All hope of help despair. God grant I may it safely tell: the hearing was to terrible, My senses all amazed are: it is a thing so horrible, That I abhor to utter it (o God) for fear I quake And even at the very thought my limbs begin to shake. Assoon as I Appollos Church, had entered in afraid, Upon my face flat down I fell, and thus to him I prayed. O God if ever thou didst rue, on wretched misers state, If ever men oppressed thou eased, or didst their cares abate, If ever thou in present need didst present help declare, If ever thou afflicted Hearts with cares consumed didst spare: Show now thy wonted clemency and pity known of yore. Scant had I said: Refounding all the mountains thundering roar: And filthy fiends spout out their flames out of their darksome caves. And woods do quake, and hills do move, and up the surging waves Do mount unto the skies aloft, and I amazed stand. Still looking for and answer at Apollos sacred hand. When out with ruffled hair disguised that: Prophet comes at last: And when that she had felt the heat of mighty Phœbus blast. All puffing out she swells in rage, and pattering still she raves, And scant she entered had into Apollos shining caves, When out a thundering voice does burst that's far above men reach. So dreadful seemed then to me the mighty Phœbus speech. Than thus he spoke and thus at length into mine cares he rushed While sprawling still the Prophet lay before the doors in dust. The Theban City never shall be free from ̄ plagues (quoth he,) Except from thence the Kingkiller forthwith expulsed be: Unto Apollo known he was, or ever he was born. Do this: or else no hope of health, to this, the gods have sworn. And as for thee, thou shalt not long in quiet state endure, But with thy self wage war thou shalt & war thou shalt pro cure Unto thy children deer: & creep again thou shalt into thy mother's womb. The threatening of the prophecies, do still my breast beset. Alas you bid me that disclose which fear does bid me hide. You wish y thing to know, which you will wish unknown at length. Irksome Medicines and perilous in S cknes I abhor Kings often use to wish untold, which they bade tell before. Oh pardon me most noble king. Oh let me hold my pes, Of all the gracis Princes grant, what favour may be less? Great cause makes me my Princes death conceal and closiy bear Silence denied, what privilege may S lly Subject hold? Then pardon my constrained speech, slth silence for to break You me compel. A doleful tale (Oh king) my tongue must tell, And which I fear your majesty will not interpret well. Well than since needs I must: I am contented to obey. A wood there is from City far, enhanced with stately trees: Where many a plant, and her be does grow, which Phœbus never sees: With ever during bushes green, the Typresse there does rise, And puts his alde and leffty had withing the cloud Skies. The ancient Time eaten Oak with crooked be dead limbs. The To l tree slew: The Alder which in Neptune's kingdoms swims, The Baize with bitter berries eke the Elms deer f iends to Vyn And many a noble tree beside, as M rtels, Amid them all, one tree there is with large out Whose roaring found, & craking noise the lesser woods And overshades them all: a Tree of monstrous huge , Beset with fearful woods: there is that dire, and dreadful gate, That leads to loathsome Lymbo Lake, and pits that ever flow. Where choked miry mud does stream with slimy course full flow. Here when the priest was entered in with comely pace, He stayed not: No need there was, for night was still in place. Than all the ground wide open gapes, & smouthe ring apours rise, And fire and smoke, & styfling stink, mounts up unto the Shies. The Priest with wailing werde clad, his fatal read out ooke: And entering in, in black Array, full often times it shook. With heavy cheer and doleful pace: his hoary would re was twynde With bows of mortal Ewe. A tree wherewith the mourners wind, Their mourning heads, & Garlands make. In this guise all arayde, The sacred Priest does enter in, with trembling limbs dismayed: Than in the Sheep and Oxen black, by backward course are drawn And odours sweet, & Frankencence, on flaming fires are thrown. The beasts on burning, Altars cast, do quake with scorched limbs: And bloody streams with fire mixed, about the Altars . Than on the dark internal Gods, and him that rules them all: With deadly shrieking voice aloud, the Prophet begins to call. And rouls the Magic verse in mouth, and hidden Arts does prove: Which either power have to appease or else the Gods to move, Their bloody streaming Liquours black, with broiling heat do boil: And all the Beasts consume and burn. The Prophet than to toil Begins And mixed wine and Milk upon the Altars throws. And all the Dungeon dark, and wide with streamin bl odd it flows. Than out with thundering voice again the Prophet calls and cries. And straight as much w to mumbling mouth he champs in secret wise The trees do turn The Rivers S a ̄ . The ground with roaring shakes. And all the world as seems to me, with fearful trembling quakes. I am herd, I am herd, than out aloud the Priest began to cry: When all the damp ed foe less by heaps abroad outrushing fly. Then woods with rumbling noise, do oft resounding make. And Heaven, and Earth together go. And bows and trees do crake. And Thu ̄ dears roore. And Lightnings flash. And waves aloft do fly. And ground retires: and Dogs do bawl: and Beasts are herd to cry. And whither long of Acheron, that loathsome Flood that lowes All stinking streams: or of the earth, that out her Bowels throws, Free place to Sprights to give: or of that fierce infernal Hound, That at such times does bustling make w to chains, & railing found. The Earth all wide it open Gam es. And I did see on ground, The Gods with colour pale and won, that those dark kingdoms keep. And very night I saw in deed, and thousand shapes to creep, From out those filthy stinking Lake's, and loathsome pits of Hell. Where all the evils under Son, in darksome shades do dwell. So quaking all for fear I stood with mind right soar apalde, While on those Gods w to trembling mouth the Priest full often called. Who all at once, out of their dens did skip with grie lie Face. And Monsters grim, and stinging Snakes seemed wander in that place. And all the foulest Fiends of Hell, and Furies all were there. And all tram ̄ sformed Ghosts & sprights, that ever Hell did bear. With Cares, and all Diseases vile, that mortal minds do crush, All those, and more I saw out of those Dangeons deep to rush, And Age I saw, with riveled Fa e, and Need, & Fear, and Death. And Fire, and flames, & thousand ills out from those Pits to breath. Then I was gone: and quite amazed. The wench in worse case. And yet of old, acquainted with her Father's Arts she was. The Priest himself unmoved stood, and boldly cited out: Whole Armies of king Ditis men, who clustering in a Rout: All flittering thin Like Clouds, dispersed abroad in Air do fly. And bearing sundry shapes and forms do sc worser abou in Sky, A thousand woods I think have not so many leaves on trees. Ten thousand meadows fresh have not so many flowers for bees. Ten hundred thousand rivers not so many Foul can show: Nor all the drops and streams, and gulfs that in the Seas do flow If that they might be weighed, can sure so great a number make As could those shapes and forms that flew from out of Limbo lake. Both Tantalus and Zetus too, and pale Amphions Ghost: And A gave, and after her ten thousand Sprights do post. Than Pentheus, and more and more, in Like estate ensue: Till out at length comes Laius with foul and grisly hue: Uncomely breast in wretched plighted with filth all overgrown: All pierced with wounds, (I loath to speak) with blood quite overflown A Miser right as seemed to me, and most of Misers all: Thus in this case, at length he spoke, and thus began to call. Oh Cadmus cruel City v le, that still delightste in blood, Oh Cadmus thou, which kinsmen's death, accountest as chiefest good Tear out the bloody Bowels of your Children, learn of me, Do that, and rather more, then you would bide the day to see Like ills as late on me are light. Lo mother's love (alas) Hath caused the greatest misery that ere in Thebam was. The Country with the wrath of Gods at this time is not tossed. Nor earth nor air infect is not the cause that all be lost. No No. A bloody King is cause of all these mischiefs great: A bloody wretch: A wretched child that sits in Father's Seat: And Mother's bed defyles (Oh wretch) and entereth in again, In places whence he came from once and doubles so her pain, While that he ils the hapless womb where in himself did lie With graceless seed and causeth her twice childbirthes pangs to try: Unhappy Son, but Father worse and most unhappy he, By whom the laws of sacred shame so soar confounded be. For that that very bests (almost) do all abh rre to do, Even of his mother's body he hath brother's got two. Oh mischief great: Oh dreadful deed, then Sphinx, Oh more ̄ ster more: Example unto ages all of Gods foretold before. But I thee, thee, that Sceptre boldst, thy Father will pursue, And wreacke my self on thee and thine with plagues & vengeance endue. All restless rage of spite and paiue I will upon thee blow, And all the furies foul of hell upon thee I will throw. I will subvert thy Houses clean, for this thy loathsome lust: I will do this thou wretch: And thee, and thine consume to dust. Wherefore dispatch at once (I say) into exile driven your King. That ground y first of all he leaves, with fresh green grass shall spring. And sweet, and pleasant Air, and healthful blasts shall rise, And all the evils under Sun, that mortal men surprise: The Pocks, the Piles, the Botch, the blain, & death with him shall fly. And with him mischiefs all shall pass, and Monsters under Sky. And as for him I know he would depart with willing mind: But I will clog his Fec , and hands, hss way he shall not find. But groping with his aged staff, shall pass from place to place. This shall he do. And none shall rue upon his ruthful case. Rid you the Monster from the Earth, for Heaven let me alone. No sooner said, but straight away, his dreadful Ghost was gone. And fast by thousands after him, th'other Sprights in hide: Than Cold & trembling fear began through all my bones to glide. Alas would I my Sister of, her lawful kingdom spoil? Think you such treason may have place in brother's breast to boil? If that mine Oath could me not keep content with my degree: But that contemning mean estate, I would cl me aloft to be. Yet should ill Fortune me deter, from such attempts I trow: Whose guise it is on Princes heads, huge heaps of Can es to throw. I would advise your grace betimes this charge from you to cast: Least lingering long all unawares, you be oppressed at last. Assure your self, in baser state, more safer you may live: And shun a thousand Cares, & G ess: which Princes hearts do rive. I would persuade them so (Oh King) who freely might possess Their Realms such piteous cares I see, do Princes hearts oppress: But as for you of force you must your Fortune's change abide. Shall not my service long suffice my truth for to defend? It is so sir, but as for me, of goods I have my fill. A great resort. A pleasant life: from Princely cares exempt. All these might (surely) me dissuade from such a foul attempt. There is no day almost (Oh King) the whale year thorough out, Where in some royal gifts are not from countries' round about Unto me sent, both Gold, and pearls, and things of greater cost, Which I let pass, least I should seem but vainly for to boast. Beside the life of many a man hath been preserved by me. In such a bliss ull state (Oh King) what can there wanting be? Shall I than guiltless die (alas,) my cause and all untried? The mind which causeless dreaded appawls, true cause of fear be wrays That continued ̄ scie ̄ ce is not guiltless sure, which every blast dismates. Who so the cruel tyrant plays, and guiltless men does smite, He dreads them that him do dread, so fear does chiefly light On causers chief. A joust revenge for bloody minds at last. So hatreds rise.