ATREUS

The greatest good of kingdom may be thought, That still the people are constraynde their princes deeds as well To praise, as them to suffer all. The tr praise full oft hath happened to meaner men to fallen: The false but unto mighty man. what ill they, let them will. Where leefull are to him that rules but honest things lone, There reigns the king by others leave. Such holiness, such p tie, and faith the, Are private goods: let kings run on in that that likes their will. It is but right to do to him, that wrong to brother were. What heinous hurt hath his offence let pass to prove? or where Refraynde the gilded? my spouse he stale away for echerie, And reign by stealth: the ancient note and sign of impetie, By fraud he got: my house by fraud to vex he never ceased. In Pelops house there fostered is a noble worthy beast, The close kept R mme: the goodly guide of r tche and fairest flocks. By whom through out on every side depend a down the locks Of glittering gold, with fleece of which the new kings wonted wear Of Tantalls lock their sceptors guile and mace of might to bear. Of this the owner reigneth he: with him of house so great The fortune fleeth: this sacred Ra ̄ a loof in safety shet, In secret mead is wont to graze, which stone on every side With rocky wall encloses round the fatal beast to hide. This beast (aduentryng mischi fe great) adjoining yet for pray My spoused mate, the traitor false hath hens conuayde avua e. From hens the wrongs of mutual hate, and mischief all up sprung: In exile wandered he, through out my kingdoms all a long: No part of mine remaineth safe to me, from trains of is. My Fierce deflourde, and loyalty of empire broken is: My house all vexed, my blood in doubt, and nought that trust is in, But brother foe. What stayest thou yet? at length l now begin, Take heart of Tantalus to that , to Pelops Can to thine eye: To such examples well beseems, I should my hands apply. Tell thou which way were best to that cruel head to death. Thou speakest of th'end: but I him would oppress with greater pain. Let tyrantꝭ vex with torment more: should ever in my rain Be gentle death? Depart thou hens all piety, if in this house as yet Thou ever weary: and now let all the flock of furies dire, And full of strife Erinys come, and double brandꝭ of fire Megaeta shaking: for not yet enough with fury great And rage doth burn my boiling breast: it ought to be replete, With monster more. Not such a one as may the mean of wonted gree abide. No gilded will I forbear, nor none may be enough despite. And that is yet to light. Thyestes self. He could not taken be, Except him self would take: but now my kingdoms hopeth he. For hope of this he would not fear to meet the mighty Jove, Though him he threatened to destroy, with lightning from above. For hope of this to pass the threatꝭ of waves he will not fail, Nor dread no whit by doubteull shelves, of Lybike seas to sail. For hope of this (which thing he doth the worst of all believe,) He will his brother see. His evil hop will soon believe it well. Yet to my sons the charge which they shall to their uncle tell, We will commit: that home he would from exple come again, And Misery's for kingdom change, and oh er Argos reign A king of half: and though to harden of heart our prayers all Him self despise, his children yet nought w ting what may fallen, With travels ierde, and apt to be e tysde from misery, Requestꝭ will move: on thone side his desire of Impery, On hother side his poverty, and labour harden to see, Will him subdue and make to yield, although full stout he be. Not so: for day by day the grief of ill increases all. Tys light to suffer Misery's, but euy them endure. The younger sort the worse preceptꝭ do easily harken to. Though neu r man to them the ways of guile and gil have taught, Yet kingdom will. Fearest thou they should be made by counsel aught? They are so born. That which thou a cruel en erpryse, And dyrely deemest do ne to be, and wickedly likewise, Pe haps is wrought against me there. A privy counsel Close to keep, is lea nde with many woes. this kingdom can with wain full well agree. you me depry of glory great, except you that mpyre take. Except your partly you will sustain mine own forsake I will. The regal crown as you beseems upon your head then take: And I thappointed sacrifice for gods, will now go make. To little that. I grant: a tumbling tumult quakes, within my bosoms lo, And round it rolls: I moved am and wot not whereunto. But drawn I am: from bottom deep the roaring soil doth rye The day so fair with thunder sounds, and house as all from High Were rend, from roof, and rafters craks: and lares turned abought Have wryde their sight: so beet, so beet, let mischief such be sought, As you Oh gods would fear. thy hands yet from my kneese Remove, and rather me to take in arms, upon me fallen. And you oh aids of elders age, you little infantꝭ all. Me clyppe and colle bout the neck: this fowl ire forsake, And spare mine eyes that pity it, and fresher vesture take Like mine to see. and you with joy, the half of empery Dear brother take: the greater praise shall come to me thereby, Our father's seat to yield to you, and brother to relieve. To have a kingdom is but chance, but virtue it to geeue. Who would dame Fortune's gyfiꝭ refuse, if she him raise to reign? Believe that here even in thine arm thy children present be. For here they are, and shall be here, no part of them from thee Shall be withheld: their loved look now give to the I will, And with the heap of all his babes, the father fully fill. Thou shalt be glutted, fear thou not: they with my boys as yet The joyful sacrifices make at board where children fit. They shall be called: the friendly cup now take of courtesy With wine vpfylde. I will, and never day again shall them from the withdraw. but take to thee with joy thy children now, And rather them embrace: at length thy children all, of thee So long wy for, (for no delay there stands now in me,) Enjoy and kiss, embracing arms divide thou unto three. what ever part yet of thy children all Remains, he e shalt thou have: and what remaineth not, thou haste. Thou hast deuou de thy soons, and fyld thy self with wick worser meat. A mean in mischief ought to be, when guilt thou dooste commit, Not when thou quytst: for yet even this, to little seems to me. The blood yet warm even from the wound I should in sighed of thee Even in thy saws have shed, that thou the blood of them mightest drink That lived yet: but while to much to haste my hate I think, My wrath beguiled is. my self with sword the wounds them gave, I strake them down, the sacred fires with slaugh er vowed I have Well pleased, the carcase cutting that and lyutles lymms on ground I have in little parcels chopped, and some of them I drowned In boiling cawderns, some to yres that burnt full slow I put, And made to drop: their sinews all and lymms atoo I cut Even yet alive, and on the spytte that thrust was through the same I harden the liver wail and cr e, and with my hand the flame I oft kept in: but every wh the father might of this Have better done, but now my wrath to lightly ended is. He rend his soons with wicked gum, him self yet wotyng nought, Nor they thereof. now praise I well my hands, Now got I have the palm: I had be overcome of thee, Except thou sorowdst so: but now even children born to me I count, and now of bridebed cham e the faith I do repeat. In that, that thine they wear. I do, and (which is best) The certain soons. what wedlock godꝭ? I know thy grief prevented now with wrong, thou dooste complain: Nor this thee irks, that fed thou art with food of cursed kind, But that thou hadst not it prepared: for so it was thy mind, Such meats as these to ette before thy brother woe ing nought, And by the mother's help, to have likewise my children caught, And them with such like death to slay: this one thing l tted thee, Thou thoughtest them thine. But vexed to be I thee the while, eeue to thy children all. Nay let the ̄ both from fault and blame be free. For what shall need in mischiefs such as I to work intend, To mingle them? let all my hat by me alone take end. Thou leauste thy purpose ill my mind: if thou thine own forbear, Thou sparest him. Wherefore of this let Agamemnon hear Be minister: and client eke of mine for such a deed, Let Menelâu present be: truth of seed, By such a pracktise may be tried: if it refuse they shall, Nor of debate will bearer be, if they him uncle call, He is their father: let them go. but much the fearful face Betrays it self: even him that feigns the secret weighty case, Doth oft betray: let them therefore not know, how great a guyl They go about. And thou these thy gs in secret keep the while. with father's rmes embrace them quickly now, For here they are lo come to thee: dooste thou thy children know?