CLYTEMNESTRA

¶So grievous is my careful case which plun eth me so soar That deal I cannot with delay, nor lynger nigh more. The flashing flames, and furious force of fyrye fervent heat, Outraging in my boiling breast, my burning bones does Beatrice: It sucks the sappy marrow out, the joyce it does convey, It frets, it tears, it rends, it gnaws, my guts and gall away. Now Feeble fear still eggs me on (with dolour being pressed) And cankered hate w to thwacking thumps does bounce upon my breast: The blinded boy that lovers hearts does reue with deadly stroke, Entangled hath my lynked mind with lewd and wanton yoke: Refusing Still to take afoyle, or clean to be confound, Among these broils, and agonies my mind besieging round, Lo Feeble, weary battered down, and under trodden shame, That wresteth, strives, struggleth hard, and fighteth with the same. Thus am I driven to dyuers shores, and Beatrice from bank to bank , And tossed in the fomye floods, that strive with courage crancke. As when here wind, & there y e stream when both their force will try, From sands allow, does hoist & rear the seas with surges hie, The waltering wave does staggering stand, not wetyng what to do, But (hovering) doubts, whose furious force he best may yield him to. My kingdom therefore I cast of, my sceptre I orsake As anger, sorrow, hope, me led, that way I mean to take. At all adventure to the seas I yield my beten Barge, At random careless will I ron, now will I rove at large. Where as my mind to fancy fond does gad, and ron astray, It is the best to choose that chance, and follow on that way. ¶He that is driven to utter pinch, and furthest shift of all, What neade he doubt his doubtful lot, or how his luck be fallen? In sylent shore thou sailest yet, thy trespass we may hide, If thou thy self detect it not, nor cause it be dyscryde. ¶Alas it is more blasd abroad, and further is it blown, Then any crime that ever in this princely court was sown. ¶It is avery foolishness to keep a mean therein, ¶But fire & sword to cure the same, the place of salve supply. ¶In working myschyfe men do take the redyest way they find. ¶Ten years have I been desolate, and led a widows life. Yet shalt I enter ay e anew my husband as his wife? ¶And eke my Daughters wedding blaze as yet forget I not. Achilles eke my son in law to mind I do not spare, How well he kept his vow that he to me his mother sware. ¶ I am ashamed herewith all, it makes me repine, That Tyndaris (who from the gods does fetch her noble lygne) Should gyve the ghost tasswage y e wrath of gods and them appeas, Whereby the grekyshe navy might have passage free by seas. My grudging mind Still harps upon my daughters wedding day, Whom he hath made for Pelops stock the bloody rawnsam pay. When as with cruel countenance imbrued with gory blood, As at a wedding altar side thunpy yfull parent stood, It erk worser Calchas woeful heart, who did abhor the same, His Oracle he rued, and eake the back reflyctyng flame. Oh wicked and ungracious stock that winnest ill with ill, Triumphing in thy filthy feats, increasing lewdness Still. By blood we win y e wavering winds, By death we purchase war. ¶With lucky fate attempt the seas did not the losed rout? For Aulis I'll, thungracious fleet, from port did tumble out: As with alewd unlucky hand the war he did begin, So fortune favoured his sum ces to thrive nomore therein. Her love as capty e holds him whom captive he did take. Not moved with the earnest suit that could Achilles make, Of Phaebus prelate Sminthicall he did retain the spoil: When for the sacred virgins love his furious breast does boil: Achilles rough and thundering threats could not him ualyfye, Nor he that does dir to the fa es above the starry sky. To us he is and Augur just, and keeps his promise dew But while he threats his captive truls of word he is not tr w. The savage people fierce in wrath once might not move his spright, Who did purloin the kindled tents with fire blazing bright: When slaughter great on Greeks was made in most extremest fight Without a foe he conquered. with leans pynes away In lewd and wanton chamber tricks he spends the idle day, And freshly he e des his lust, least that some other while His chamber chased should uva ̄ to a stews, that might the am defile. On Lady Brises love again his faneye found does stand, Whom he hath God, than wrested was out of Achilles hand. And carnal copulation to have he does not shame,, Though from her husbands bosom he hath snacht the wicked dame, Tush, he that does at Paris grudge, With wound but newly stroke Eflamd with Phrygian Prophets love, his boiling breast does smoke. Now after Trojan booties brave, and Troy overwhelmed he saw, Retournd he is a prisoners spouse, and Priam's son in law. Now heart be bold, take courage good, of stomach now bestowt, A field that easily is not fought, to pitch thou goest about. In practys myschife thou must put, why hopste thou for a day, While Priam's daughter come from Troy in Greece do bear the sway? But as for the poor selye wretch, a waiteth at thy place Thy wyddow, virgins, and Orest his fatherlyke in face, Consider their calamytyes, to come, and eake their cares, Whom all the peril of the broil does threat in thy affairs. Oh cursed captive, woeful wretch, why dost thou loiter so? Thy little brats a stepdame have, whose wrath will work their woe. With gashing sword (and if thou can none other way provide) Nor thrust it through and the ribs, then launch thy gory side. So murder twain w to brew worser blood, let blood immixed be, And by destroying of Thy self destroy thy spouse with thee. Death is not sawest with sops of sorrow if some man else I have, Whose breathl sse corpse I wish to pass with me to deadly graven. ¶It is no plague, if such a death thy native destinies deal. ¶His continued ̄ scie ̄ ce wedlo k vow does prick and brings him home again. Let us return the self same rode a new for to retain, To which at first we should have stuck and ought not to forsake, To covenant continent a new let us our selves betake: To take the trade of honesty at no time is to late: He purged is from punishment whose heart the crime does hate. ¶ Aeg st in desprat mode again why see st thou me a float? Why kyndlest thou the sparks of ire in embers covered hight? If that the victors own free will releas his captyues care, Why may not I his lady spouse have hope as well to fare? One law does rule in royal throne, and pompous princely towers, Among the vulgar sort, another in private simple bowers. what though my grudging fancy force that at my husbands hand, Sharp execution of the law I S ubbernly withstand? ecordyng this that heinous you offended him I have: gently will me pardon grant who need the same to crave? ¶He pardned Helen, she is wed to Menela again, Which Europe all, with Asia did plunge alike in pain. ¶My trespass is dysclosd to none, but to a trusty wight. ¶I will corrupt and fe de him S with silver and with gold, That I by bribing bind him shall no secrets to unfold: ¶The remnant left of shamfa nes of those ungracious ryckes, Wherein of late I did delight, my conscience freshly prycks. Why keepest thou such a busy stir, and with thy flattering speech Enst ructyng me with lewd advise dost wicked counsel preach? Shall I forsooth of royal blood with all the speed I can, Refuse the King of kings, and wed and outcast banished man? ¶If that be but a trifle small And Nephew to the same, ¶This heinous deed permit shall I (most churlesh cruel drab) Against my will though I offend, the fault I should not blab: Nay, rather come apart with me, and let us join our wits, To wrap our selves out of this woe, and perilous threatening fits. ¶The tidings of a message good unto mine ears is blown. Where stays my spouse who ̄ longing for ten years I have out scanned? What does he yet sail on the seas, or is he come a land? Yet hath he fyxt and set his foot back stepping home again Upon the sandy shore, that long he wished to artayne? And does he Still enjoy his health enhaunc e in glory great, And painted out in pomp of prays whose fame the sky does beat? ¶ And eke the gods though gracious Yet dealing long delay: Declare if that my brother's wife enjoy the vital air, And tell me, to what kind of Coast my sister does repair. ¶Show what unlucky chance it is that hath our Navy spent, What storm of seas dispersed hath our Captains hear and there? ¶Speak out, and utter it: him self with terror he does fill, Whose heart his own calamytie and cark, does loath to know: The heart whom doubted damage duls with greater grief does glow. ¶Oh whither may I now lame to, and weep with wailing sad, Or shall I else in that my spous returned is be glad? I do rejoice, and yet I am compelled to bewail My countries' great calamytie that does the same assail. Oh father great whose majesty does thundering sep ers shake, The lowering Gods unto the Gr kes now favourable make, With garlands green let every head rejoicing now be crowned. To to thee the pipe in sacrifice m lodiously does found, And on thine altar lies slain and Heyferdlyly White, Before the same do present stand with hanging locks vndyght, A car full Trojan company in heavy woeful plight, On whom from ̄ heigh the Laurel tree with spreading branch does shine, Whose virtue hath inspired them with Phaebus grace divine, ¶What man is he, that ever thee to be a virgin took? ¶A manly stomach stout thou hast with swelling hawtye heart. Subdued with sorrow learn thou shall to play a woman's partly. ¶Hereafter shall I tame, and teach thy gyrlysh tonge to prate. And make the know, how to a queen high taunting oh for bear. ¶Enquirer where thy brother is, So seek about my son. ¶Go fetch him out of hand. ¶Gyve me to understand, Where does he lurking hide his head? where is he shrunk away? ¶To day by death thou shalt receive thy fatal destynye. ¶Oh thou that of my perylls all dost suffer partly with me, And in my realm dost also rule with equal dignity, Aegisthus art thou glad at this? (as does her not behoove,) With checks & taunts y daughter does her mother's mallyce move. She keeps her brother's counsel close Conveyed out of the way. ¶To snapp her head of with thy sword Aegist dost thou refrain? Let her gyve up the ghost: or bring Her brother Straight again: Let her be locked in dungeon dark, and let her spend her days, In Caves & Rocks, w to painful pangs, torment her every ways. I hope him whom she hidden hath, she will again descry, Through being clapped in prison strong and suffering poverty With earksom and unsavoury smells on every side annoyed, En orst to wear a widows weed, er wedding day enioyde: Put in exile and banishment when eke man does her hate: So shall she be by misery compelled to yield to late, Prohibyted of holsom air fruision to have. ¶I would have granted it to the, if thou should it deny. Unskilful is the tyrant, who by suffering wretches die Does end their pains. ¶Go to, prepare thy self to die thou frantic raging wight. ¶w to thy mother more modest should y u be. ¶ high self do y u haylefelow with us esteem? ¶And if thou do desire to die, the same see you refrain. Lay would ̄ ds irs on this woe ̄ drous wretch, whom being carried on, Even to the furthest corner of my jurisdiction Far out beyond Mycena's land in bonds let her be bound, With darkness dym in hiddious hold let her be closed round. This captive spous & wicked quean, the trull of princes bed Shall pay her pains, and suffer death by losing of her head. Come hale her on, that she may follow, that way my spouse is gone, Whose love rome me enticed was.