HERCULES

Unde iste (genitor) squalor, & lugubribus Amicta conjux? unde tam foedo obsiti Paedore nati? quae domum clades gravat? Ingratam tellus, nemo and Herculeae domus Auxilia venit? vidit hoc tantum nefas Defensus orbis? cur diem questu tero? Mactetur hostis: hanc ferat virtus notam, Fiat que summus hostis Alcidae Lycus. And hauriendum sanguinem inimicum feror. Theseu resist, ne quam vis subita ingruat: Me bellam poscunt. differ amplexus parens, Conjux que differ: nunciet Diti Lycus Me jam redisse. Date thura fla ̄ miss. Ipse concipiam preces, Jove, me que dignas. stet suo coelum loco, Tellus que , & aether, astra inoffensos agant A terna cursus: altam pax gentes alat, Ferrum omne teneat ruris innocui labour, Ensés que lateant: nullam tempestas fretum Violenta turbet: nullus irato Jove Exiliat ignis: nullus hyberna nive Nutritus agros amnis euersos trahat. Venena cessent: nullam nocituro gravis Succo tumescat herba: non saevi, ac truces Regnent tyranni: si quod etiamnum est scelus Laturam tellus, properet: & si quod parat Monstrum ̄ , meum ̄ fit. Said quid hoc? medium ̄ diem Cinxere tenebrae, Phœbus obscuro meat Sine nube vultum. quis diem retro fugat, Agit que in ortus? unde nox atrum caput Ignota proffer unde tot stellae polum Implent diurn ? primus en noster labour Coeli refulget part non minima Leo. Irá que totus fervet, & morsus parat. Jam rapiet aliquod sydus: ingenti minax Stat over, & ignes efflat, & rutilat iubam Cervice iactans. quidquid autumnus gravis, Hyems que gelido frigida spatio refert, Uno impetum transiliet, & verni petet, Franget que Tauri colla. Perdomitatellus, tumida cesserunt freta, Inferna nostros regna sensere impetus, Immune coelum est, dignus Alcidae labour. In altam mundi spatia sublimis ferar: Petatur aether, astra promittit pater. Quid si garet? non capit terra Hercule , Tandém que superis reddit, en ultro vocat Omnis deorum coetus, & laxat fores, Vnavetante. rrcipis, & reseras polum, And contumacis ianuam mundi traho? Dubitatur etiam vincla Saturno exuam, Contrá que patris impii regnum impotens, Avum resolvam. bellam Titanes parent Me duce furentes: saxa cum sylvis fer m, Rapiám que dextram plenam Centauris juga. Jam more ̄ to gemino limitem and superos agam. Videatsub Ossa Pelion Chiron suum: In coelum Olympus tertio positus gradum Perveniet, aut mittetur. Quid hoc? gigantes arma pestifera move ̄ to, Profugit & umbras Tity', ac lacorum gerens Et inane pectus, quam propè à coelo stetit? Labat Cythaeron, altam Pallene tremit, Marcent que Tempe. rapuit hic Pindi juga, Hic rapuit Oethen, saevit horrendum minans Flammifera Erinys: verbere excusso sonat, Regis que adustas propius, ac propius sudes In oram tendit: saeva Tisiphone caput Serpentibus vallata, post raptum cane Portam vacantem clausit, opposita face. Said ecce proles regis inimicilatet, Lyci nefandum semen: inviso patri Haec dextram jam vos reddet. excutiat leves Nervus sagittas: telam sic mitti decet Herculea. Caeteram prolem ervam, Omnes que latebras. quid morot? maius mihi Bellum Mycenis restat, ut Cyclopea Eversa manibus saxa nostris, concidant. Hunc eat, & illuc aulam, difiecto obice, Rumpát que posts: columen impulsum labet: Procumbat omnis regia. hic video abditum Gnatum scelesti patris. Teneo novercam: sequere, Dam poenas mihi, Jugo que pressum liberam turpi Jovem: Said ante matre ̄ parvulum ̄ hoc more ̄ stru ̄ auferam. Be habet, pude ̄ di regis excisa est domus. Tibi hunc dicatum maximi conjux Jovis Gregem cecîdi: vota persolvi libens To dignam, & Argos victimas alias dabit. Vtinultꝰ ego sim? Saepe error ingens sceleris obtinuit locum ̄ . Non sic furore cessit extinctus pudor: Populos ut omnes impio aspectum fugem. Arma, arma Theseu, flagito propere mihi Subtracta reddi: sanam si men's est mihi, Referte manibus telam: si remanet furor, Pater recede: mortis inveniam viam. Then these, Oh father yet again May any greater thing, or else More greuows feared be? Utinam cruorem capitis invisi deis Libare possem, gratior nullus liquour Tinxisset aras: victima haud ullam amplior Potest, magis que opima mactari Jovi, Quam rex iniquus. Licet Tonantis profuga condaris sinum, Petet vndecun que temet haec dextram, & feret. Quisquámne segnis tanta toleravit mala? His etiam ̄ pater Quid quam timeri maius, aut gravius potest? Cur animam in ista luce detineam ampli' Morer que , nihil est: cuncta jam amisi bona, Mentem, arma, famam, conjuge ̄ , naros, man', Etiam furorem. nemo polluto queat Animo mederi: mortem sanandum est scelus. That I should unrevenged be? Did ever man so greuows ylles without revenge sustain? Alive, I hurt: but if I die, I take the guilt also. I hast to rid the worllde of crime, even now before me so A wicked monster, cruel, and untamed, fierce, and stout Do the wander: now with thy right hand Begin to go about A great affair, yea more then all thy twice syx labours long. Yet stayste thou wretch, that late against the children waste so strong, And fearful mother? now except restoarde my weapons be, Of Thracian Pindus either I will tear down every tree, and Bacchus holly woods, and tops of mount Cythaeron hie Burn with my self. and all at once with all their housen I And with the Lords there of the roofs, with gods of Thebes all The Theban temples even upon my body will let fallen: And will be hid in town vpturnde: if to my shoulders might The walls themselves all cast thereon shall fallen a burden light, And couerde with seven gates I shall not be enough oppressed, Then all the weight whereon the world in middle part does rest, And parts the Gods, upon my head I'll turn and overthrow. My weapons geeue. Miserere genitor, supplices tendo manus. Quid hoc? manus refugit, hic errat scelus. Unde hic cruor? quid illam puerili madens Arundo leto, tincta Lernaea niece? Jam telam video nostra, non quaero manum. Quae potuit arcum flectere? aut quae dexteram Sinuare nervum, vix recedentem mihi? And vos revertor: genitor, hoc nostrum ̄ est scel'? Tacuere: nostrum est. Cernere hu ̄ c docui ne fa Veniam dabit sibi ipse, qui nulli dedit? Laudanda feci jussus, hoc unum meum est. Succurre genitor, sive to pietas movet, Seu triste fatum, five violatae decus Virtutis: effer arma, vincatur meam Fortuna dextram. Si vivo, feci scelera: si morior, tuli. Purgare terras propero, jam que dudum mihi Monstrum ̄ impium, saevum que , & immite ac ferum ̄ Oberrat: agedum dextram conare aggredi Ingens opus, labour bisseno amplius. Ignave cessas, fortis in pueros modo, Pauidam que matrem? arma nisi dentur mihi, Aut omne Pindi Thr acis excidam nemus, Bacchi que lucos, & Cythaeronis juga Mecum cremabo, totam cum domibus suis, Dominis que tectam, cum deis templa omnibus Theban , supram corpus excipiam meum: At que v be eversa condar: & si tortibus Leave pondus humeris maenia immissa incide ̄ Septem que opertus non satis portis premar, Onus omne media part quam mundus sedet, Dirimit que superos, in meum vertam caput. Red arma. wherefore I longer should sustain my life yet in this light, And lynger here no cause there is: all good lost have I quite, My mind, my weapons, my renown, my wife, my sons, my hands, And fury to. no man may heal and lose from guilty bands My mind defyellde: needs must with death, be healed so heinous ill. Least I should do it die I will. I taught him mischief for to see. Jam parce genitor, parce, In ̄ revoca manu ̄ Succumbe virtus, perfer imperium patris. Eat and labores hic quo que Herculeos labour, Vivamus artus alleua afflictos solon, Theseu parentis: dextram contactus pios Scelerata refugit. Nunc part ab omni genitor iratus tona, Oblite nati, vindica saeva manu Saltem nepotes: stelliger mundus sonnet, Flammas & hic, & ille In culetur polus: Rupes ligatum Caspiae corpus trahant, At que ales auida. cur Promethei vacant Scopuli? paretur vertice immenso, feras Volucrés que pascens, Caucasi abruptum latus, Nudúm que sylvis. illam, quae pontum Scythen Symplegas arctat, hinc & hinc vinctas manus Distendat alto: cum que revocata vice In see coibunt, saxá que in coelum expriment Acts vtrin que rupibus, & medium mare, Ego inquieta montium iaceam moram. Quin structum aceruans nemore congesto ag gerem, Cruore corpus impio sparsum, cremo? Sic, sic agendum est: inferis reddam Hercul . Dira furiarum loca Et inferorum carcer, & sonti plaga Decretam turbae, & si quod exilium latet Ulterius Erebo, Cerbero ignotum & mihi, Hunc me abde tellus: Tartari and finem ultimum Mansurus ibo. pectus o nimium ferum: Quis vos per omnem liberi sparsos domum, Deflere digne poterit? hic durus malis Lachrymare vultus, nescit. hunc ensem date, Date hunc sagittas, stipitem hunc vastum date: Tibi telam frangam nostra, tibi nostros puer Rumpemus arcus, actuis stipes gravis, Ardebit umbris: ipsam Lernaeis frequens Pharetra telis, in tuos ibit rogos. Dent arma poenas, vos quo que infaustas meis Cremabo telis, o nouercales manus. Facere ne possim occidam Que ̄ locum ̄ profugus petam ̄ ? Ubi me recondam? quave tellure obruam? Quis Tanais, aut quis Nilus, aut quis persica Violentus undam Tigris aut Rhenus ferox, Tagúsve bera turbidus Gaza fluen S, Abluere dextram poterit? Arctoum licet Maeotis in me gelida transfundat mare, Et totam Tethys per meas currat manus, Haerebit altum facinus: in quas impius Terras recedes? ortum, and occasum petes? Ubi que notus perdidi exilio locum. Me refugit oh bis, Obliqua cursus ipse Titan Ce berum Meliore vultum vidit. o fidum caput Theseu, latebram quaere, longi quam, abditam ̄ . Quicun que semper sceleris all ni arbiter Amas nocentes, gratiam meritis refer: Vicem que nostris. red me infernis precor Umbris reductum: me que subiectum tuis Restitue vinclis. ille me abscondet locus: Said & ille now to. Not oh hath shame yet given place with fury drowned quite: But peoples all I rather should drive from my wicked sighed. My weapons, weapons Theseus, I quickly crave to me withdrawn to be restoard again: if sound my mind now be, Restore to me my weapons: if yet last my rage of mind, Then father flee: for I the way to death my self shall find. Shall he give pardon to him self, that to none else it gave? I being bidden praise deserved, this deed mine own doth prove, Help father now, if either else thy piety thee move, Or else my heavy fate, or else the honour and renown Of stained strength: my weapons bring, let fortune be thrown down With my right hand. Forbear Oh father now, forbear, withdraw thy hand again. My manhood yield, thy father's will, and Impery sustain. To Hercles labours now likewise, let this one labour go, Let me yet live lift up from ground hafflicted limbs with woe, oh Theseu of my parent: for from godly touch does fle My wicked hand. what place shall I secke roonaga e for rest? Where shall I hide my self? or in what land my self engrave? What Tanais, or what Nilus else, or with his persyan wave what Tigris violent of stream, or what fierce Rhenus flood, Or Tagus troublesome that flows with I bear treasures good May my right hand now wash from guilt? although Mae 'tis collde The waves of all the Northern seae on me shed out now wollde, And all the water thereof shoolde now pass by my two hands, Yet will the mischief deep remain. Alas into what lands wilt thou oh wicked man resort? to East, or western cost? Eke where well known, all place I have of banishment quite lost From ̄ me the world does flee a back, the stars that spdelyng ro n Do backward drive their turned course, even Cerberus the So better countnaunce di b. hold. oh faithful friend I say oh Theseu, secke some lurking place, farce hence, out of the way. Oh thou awarder of men's gyltes what ever judge thou be That hurtful men dost love, repay a worthy thank to me: And my deserts. I he beseech, to ghosts of hell again Send me that ones escaped them: and subject to thy rain Restore me yet to those thy bands. that place shall me well hide: And yet even that place knows me well. QComfortable guide of light, and honour of the sky, That continued ̄ passing both hemyspheres with flaming charyot his Thy radiant head to joyful lands about the world dost bring, Thou Phœbus pardon give to me, if any unlawful thing Thine eyes have seen: (commanded) I have here to light out fette The secrets of the world: and thou of heaven oh guider grette, And parent eke, in flash out thrown of lightning hide thy sight. And thou that governest the seas with second sceptors might, To bottom sink of deepest waves: who so from hie doth see, And dreading yet with cowntnance new the earth defylde to be, Let him from hens turn back his sight, and face to heaven uphold, These more ̄ strous sights to shoes: let twain this mischief great behold, He who it brought, and she that bad. for painful toils to me, And labours long, not all the earth thought wide enough may be For Juno's hate: things uncome to of all men I did see, Unknown to son, and spaces wide that dark and shadesull be Which worser poale geeues dyrer Jove to reign and rule therein. And yet if third place pleased more for me to enter than, I there could reign. the Chaos of eternal night of hell, And worse then night, the doleful gods I have that there dood ll, And fates subdued, the death contemnde I am returned to light. What yet remains? I saw and showde the spryghts of hell to sight: Appoint, if ought be more, dost thou my hands so long permit Juno to cease? what thing bydst thou to be subdued yet? But why do cruel sowldyars hold the holy temples wide? And dread of armour sacred porch beset on every side? Do either else my great desires delude and mock mine eyes? Or hath the tamer of the world and Greeks renown likewise, For sooke the silent House, beset with cloud full sad to see? Is this my soon? my members lo for joy amazed be. O son, the sure, and safeguard late of Thebes in misery, See I thy body true in deed? or else deceyude am I More to with thy spright? art thou the same these brawns of arms I know, And shoulders, and thy noble hands From body hie that grow. Whence (father) haps this vglynes, And why in mourning clad Is thus my wife? how haps it that with filth so fowl bestead My children are? what misery doth thus my House oppress? Ungrateful land, doth no man come that will and aider be Of Hercles House? and this beheld so great and heinous wrong Hath the aided world's? but why wear I the day in plaint so long? Let enemy die: and this renown let strength obtain in haste, And of Alcides enemies all let Lycus be the last. I driven am to go to shed the blood of enemy out. Watch Theseu, that no sudden strength beset us here about. Me wars require. embracing yet defer Oh father deer, And wife defer them: Lycus shall to hell this message bear That I am now returned. Cast into fires the trankencense. Would God the blood of hateful he Even unto gods on hie I might out shed, for liquour lo more acceptable none Might altars stain: nor sacrifice more ample any one Nor yet more plentiful may be To Jove above down cast, Then king unjust. I will the prayers make, for me And Jove full meet. than his endue place Let stands the haughty sky, And land, and air, and let the stars drive forth eternally Their course unstaid: let restful peace keep nations quietly, Let labour of the hurtless land all iron now occupy, And sooprdes lie hid: let tempest none full violent and dire Disturb the sea: let from the skies no flash of lightning fire Fallen down while Jove full angry is: nor yet with Winter snow Increased flood the ground vpturnde and fields quite overthrown. Let poisons cease: and from hensfoorth let up from ground arise No grievous herb with hurtful sap: nor fierce and fell likewise Let tyrants reign: but if to sight some other mischief bring The ground yet shall, let it make haste: and any monstrous thing If it prepare, let that be mine. but what means this? mid day The darkness have enclosed about, lo Phœbus Goth his ways With face obscure without a cloud. who dryues the day to flight, And turns to east? from whence does now his dusky h worser the night Unknown bring forth? when ̄ ce fyl the so many Round about Of daytyme stars? lo here behold my labour First full stout Not in the lowest part of heaven the lion shineth bright, And fervently doth rage with ire, And byttes prepares to fight. Even now lo he some star will take with mouth full wide to see He threatening stands, and fires out blows and mane up rustleth he Shaking with neck. the harvest sad oh shape, what ever thing, And what soever Winter c llde in frozen time doth bring, He with one rage will overpass, of Spring time bull he will Both seek, and break the necks at once. The land is taemde, the swelling seas their surges did assuage, The kingdoms low of hell likewise have felt and known my rage, Yet heaven is free, a labour meet for Hercules to prove. To spaces high I will he born of hawghtye skies about: Let the be skaelde, my father doth me promise stars obtain. What if he it denied? all earth can Hercles not contain, And geeues at length to gods me calls of own accord behold The whole assembly of the gods, and doth their gates unfold, While one for bydds receyuste thou me, and openest thou the sky, Or else the gate of stubborn heaven draw after me do I? Do I yet doubt? I even the bond from Saturn will undo, And even against the kingdom proved of wicked father lo, My grandsire lose. let Titan's now prepare again their fight With me their captain raging: stones with woods I will down smyght, And hie Hills tops with Centaur's full in right hand will I take. With double mountain now I will a stair to gods up make. Let Chiron under Ossa see his Pelion mountain grette: Olympus up to heaven above in third degree then set Shall come it self, or else be cast. What means this? the giants worser pestiferous arms assay, And Tityus from the sprights is fled, and bearing torn to see And empty bosom, lo how near to heaven it self stood he? Cythaeron falls, the mountain hie Pallene shakes for fear, And torn are Tempe. he the tops of Pindus cawght hath here, And Oethen he, some dreadful thing threatening doth rage about Crinnys bringing flames: with stripes she sounds now shaken out, And burned brands in funerals, lo yet more near and near Throws in my face: fierce Tisyphone with head and ugly hear With serpents set, now after dog fetched out with Hercles hand, That empty gate she hath shette up, with bolte of fyry brand. But lee the stock of enmiows king doth hidden yet remain, The wicked Lycus seed: but to your hateful father slain Even now this right hand shall you send let now his arrows light My bow out shoot: it seems the shafts to go with such a flight Of Hercles. His other br ods I overthrown will quyght, And corners all. What stay I yet? to me a greater fight Remains then all Mycenes lo, that rocky stones should all Of Cyclops being ouerturnde with hand of mine, down fallen. Let shake both here: and there the house, with all stays overthrown, Let break the posts: and quite let shrink the shaken pyller down: Let all the palace fallen at once. I here yet hidden see The son of wicked father. Though runagate in bosom of the thunder hid thou be, This right hand shall from every where Thee seek, and bring to sight. I hold my stepdame: follow on dew penawnce pay to me, And bownden Joan from filthy bound deliver free away: But I before the mother will this little monster slay. 'Tis well, the House of shameful king is now quyght overthrown. To thee Oh spouse of greatest Jove I have lo beaten down This offered flock: I gladly have fulfyllde my wishes all Full meet for thee, and Argos now geeue other offerings shall. Take mercy father, lo I lift to thee my humble hands. What means this? my hand fleeth back, some privy guilt here stands. When ̄ ce coms this blood? or what does mean flowing with death of chyllde The shaft, enbrewde with slaughter onc of Lerney monster kyllde? I see my weapons now, the hand I seek no more to wit. Whose hand could bend this bow but mine? or what right arm but that Could string the bow, that unto me Even scantly doth obey? To you I turn: Oh father deer, is this my guilt I pray? They healed their peace: it is mine own. From every partly now father throw in wrath thy thunders might, And of thy son forgetful now, with cruel hand requyght At least thy nephews: let the world that bears the stars sound out, And let both th'one and th'other p ale, fling down thy flames about: And let the banks of Caspian sea my bownden body tear, And greedy fowl. Wherefore do of Promethens lack hear The rocks? with huge and hawtye top let now prepared be, Both feeding beasts and fowls, the side Of Cawcas torn to see, And bore of woods, the isle that Bridge Of Scythe that thereby stands Simple gas joins, both here and there Let it my bounden hands Stretch out abroad: and when with course returned accustomdlye They shall together drive, and shall the rocks toss up to sky With banks together being thrust, and eke the middle seaye, Let me between the mountains lie unquiet restless stay. But building up with wood thrown on a heaped pile on hie, My body thus with wicked blood besprynkt, why burn not I? So, so that must be done: to hell I Hercles will restore. The furies places dire And dung on deep of sprights than hell and place of tormentrrye To guilty ghosts, and banishment if any yet do lie Beyond Erebus, yet unknown to Cerberus and me, There hide me ground: to farthest bound of Tartarus to see To tarry there I'll go. Oh breast of mine to fierce and wte: Who you my children thus dispersed through all my house about, May worthily enowghe bewail? in all my euylls yet This countnaunce harden, can never weep. a sword now hither set, My shafces reatche hither, hither reatche my mighty club also: To thee my weapons break I will, to thee my son, atwo I'll knap my bows, and eke my club this block of heavy weight, Shall to thy spryghts be burned lo: this self same quiver freight With Lerney shafts, to funeral of thine shall likewise go. Let all my weapons penawnce pay, and you unhappy to Even with my weapons burn I will, Oh stepdame's hands of mine. Full oftentimes did error great the place of guilt obtain.