THE BRAZEN AGE, The first Act containing, The death of the Centaur Nessus, THE SECOND, The Tragedy of Meleager: THE THIRD The Tragedy of jason and Medea.  
THE FOURTH.  
uulcan's NET THE FIFTH.  
The Labours and death of HERCULES: Written by THOMAS HEYWOOD.  
LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes, for Samuel Rand dwelling near Holborne-Bridge. 1613.   

To the Reader.  
THough a third brother should not inherit, whilst the two elder live, by the laws of the Land, & therefore it might breed in me a discouragement, to commit him without any hereditary means, to shift for itself in a world so detractive & calumnious, yet rather presuming upon the ingenious, then afraid of the envious, I have exposed him to the fortunes of a younger brother, which is, most commonly, bravely to live, or desperately to hazard: yet this is my comfort, that what imperfection soever it have, having a brazen face it cannot blush; much like a Pedant about this Town, who, when all trades failed, turned Pedagogue, & once insinuating with me, borrowed from me certain Translations of Ovid, as his three books De Arte Amandi, & two De Remedio Amoris, which since, his most brazen face hath most impudently challenged as his own, wherefore, I must needs proclaim it as far as Ham, where he now keeps school, Hos ego versiculos feci tulit alter honores, they were things which out of my juniority and want of judgement, I committed to the view of some private friends, but with no purpose of publishing, or further communicating them. Therefore I would entreat that Austin, for so his name is, to acknowledge his wrong to me in showing them, & his own impudence, & ignorance in challenging them. But courteous Reader, I can only excuse him in this, that this is the Brazen Age.   

Drammatis Personae.  

HOMER.  
Oeneus K of Calidon.  
Althaea, &  
Her two brothers.  
Deianeira.  
Meleager.  
Hercules.  
Achelous.  
Nessus.  
jason.  
Atreus.  
Telamon.  
Nestor.  
Medea.  
Oetes.  
Absyrtus.  
Adonis.  
Atlanta.  
Apollo.  
Aurora.  
jupiter.  
Mercury.  
juno.  
Mars.  
Venus.  
Gallus.  
Vulcan.  
Lychas.  
Omphale.  
Her maids.  
Aeneas.  
Anchises.  
Laomedon.  
Hesione.  
Priam.  
Philoctetes.  
Water Nymphs.  
Castor.  
Pollux.  
Pyragmon.    

The Brazen Age, CONTAINING The labours and death of Hercules.  Enter HOMER. 
AS the world grows in years ('tis the heavens curse)  
Men's sins increase; the pristine times were best:  
The Ages in their growth wax worse & worse.  
The first was precious, full of golden rest.  
Silver succeeded; good, but not so pure:  
Then love and harmless lusts might currant pass:  
The third that follows we find more obdure,  
And that we title by the Age of Brass.  
In this more gross and courser metalled Age,  
Tyrants and fierce oppressors we present.  
nephews that 'gainst their Uncles wreak their rage,  
Mothers against their children discontent,  
A sister with her brother at fierce war,  
(Things in our former times not seen or known)  
But vice with virtue now begins to jar,  
And sins (though not at height) yet great are grown.  
Still with our history we shall proceed,  
And Hercules victorious acts relate:  
His marriage first, next many a noble deed  
Performed by him: last how he yields to Fate.  
And these, I hope, may (with some mixtures) pass,  
So you sit pleased in this our Age of Brass.  

Actus 1.  
Scoena 1.  Enter Oeneus, King of Calidon, Queen Althaea, Meleager, Deianeira, Plexippus, and Toxeus, brothers to the Queen. K. Oen. 
Thus midst our brothers, daughter, Queen and son,  
Sits Oeneus crowned in fertile Calidon  
Whose age and weakness is supported only,  
In those ripe joys that I receive from you.  Plex. 
May we long stand supporters of your royalties,  
And glad spectators of your age and peace.  Tox. 
The like I wish.  K. Oen. 
We have found you brothers royal,  
And subjects loyal.  Althaea. 
They are of our line,  
Of which no branch did ever perish yet,  
By Cankers, blastings, or dry barrenness.  
But Meleager let me turn to thee,  
Whose birth the Fates themselves did calculate,  Mel. 
Pray mother how was that? I have heard you say  
Somewhat about my birth miraculous,  
But never yet knew the true circumstance.  Althaea. 
'Twas thus: the very instant thou wast borne,  
The sisters, that draw, spin, and clip our lives,  
Entered my chamber with a fatal brand,  
Which hurling in the fire, thus said: One day, one date,  
Betide this brand and child, even be their fate.  
So parted they, the brand begins to burn:  
And as it wasted, so didst thou consume;  
Which I perceiving, leapt unto the flame,  
And quenching that, stayed thy consumption.  
The brand I (as a jewel) have reserved,  
And keep it in a casket, locked as safe  
As in thy bosom thou maintainst thy heart.  Melea. 
Pray keep it well: for if not with my mother,  
With whom dare Meleager trust his life?  
But sister Deianeira, now to you.  
Two worthy Champions must this day contend,  
And try their eminence in Arms for you,  
Great Achelous, and strong Hercules.  Deia. 
We know it: my love must be bought with blows,  
Not Oratory wins me, but the sword:  
He that can braveliest in the lists contend,  
Must Deianeira's nuptial bed ascend.  Oen. 
Brothers, conduct these Champions to the lists,  
Mean time Althaea state thee on that hand,  
On this side Deianeira the rich prize  
Of their contention.  Melea. 
Clamours from afar,  
Tell us these Champions are addresed for war.  Enter at one door the river Achelous, his weapons borne in by water-nymphs. At the other Hercules. K. Oen. 
Stand forth you warlike Champions, and express  
Your loves to Deianeira, in your valours.  
As we are Oeneus the Aetolians King,  
And under us command whole Calidon.  
So we contest we make her here the prize  
Of the proud victor:  Ache. 
Dares the Theban bastard  
Contend with us, as we are eldest son  
Unto the grave and old Oceanus,  
And the Nymph Nais, null on Pindus' mount,  
From whence our broad and spacious currents rise?  
So are we proud to cope with Hercules.  
near let my streams wash Acarnania's banks,  
Or we confined in Thous, our grand seat,  
Till (by the ruin of Alcmena's son)  
We lodge bright Deianeira in our arms.  Herc. 
Have we the Cleonean lions torn?  
And decked our shoulders in their honoured spoils?  
The Caledonian Boar crushed with our Club?  
The rude Thessalian Centaurs sunk beneath  
Our juiall hand? pierced hell? bound Cerberus?  
And buffeted so long, till from the foam  
The dog belched forth strong Aconitum spring?  
And shall a petty river make our way  
To Deianeira's bed impassable?  
Know then the pettiest stream that flows through Greece,  
I'll make thee run thy head below thy banks,  
Make red thy waters with thy vital blood,  
And spill thy waves in drops as small as tears,  
If thou presum'st to cope with Hercules.  Ache. 
What's Hercules that I should dread his name?  
Or what's he greater than Amphitrio's son?  
When we assume the name of Demi-god  
Not Proteus can transshape himself like us,  
For we command our figure when we please.  
Sometimes we like a serpent run along  
Our meadowy banks: and sometimes like a Bull  
Graze on these strands we water with our streams.  
We can translate our fury to a fire,  
And when we swell, in our fierce torrents swallow  
The Champion plains, and flow above the hills,  
Drown all the continents by which we run;  
Yea Hercules himself.  Herc. 
Me Achelous!  
I can do more than this: love Deianeira,  
Swin with her on my shoulders through thy streams,  
And with my huge Club beat thy torrents back,  
With thine own waters quench th'infernal fires  
Thy figure serpentine, flat on the earth:  
And when thouart Bull, catch fast hold by thy horns,  
And whirl thee 'bout my head thus into air.  
Thou fair Aetolian dame, I cannot woo,  
Nor paint my passions in smooth Oratory,  
But fight for thee I can, 'gainst Achelous,  
Or all the horrid monsters of the earth.  Melea. 
When begins your proud and hostile enmity?  
Behold the prize proposed, the victor's meed,  
Champions your spirits enkindle at her eyes.  Ache. 
It is for her this bastard I despise.  
Prepare thee Theban.  Herc. 
See, I am addressed  
With this to thunder on thy captive crest.  
I cannot bellow in thy bombast phrase;  
Nor deaf these free spectators with my braves.  
I cut off words with deeds, and now behold  
For me, the echo of my blows thus scold.  Alarm. Achelous is beaten in, and immediately enters in the shape of a Dragon. Herc. 
Be'st thou a God or hellhound thus trans-shaped,  
Thy terror frights not me, serpent or devil I'll pash thee.  Alarm. He beats away the dragon. Enter a Fury all fireworks. Herc. 
Fright us with fire? our Club shall quench thy flame,  
And beat it down to hell, from whence it came.  When the Fury sinks, a bulls head appears. Herc. 
What, yet more monsters? Serpent, Bull, and Fire,  
Shall all alike taste great Alcides' ire.  He tugs with the Bull, and plucks off one of his horns. Enter from the same place Achelous with his forehead all bloody. Ache. 
No more, I am thy Captive, thou my Conqueror:  
I see, no Magic, or enchanting spell  
Have power on virtue and true fortitude.  
No sleight Illusion can deceive the eyes  
Of him that is divinely resolute.  
I lay me at thy feet, a lowly vassal,  
Since thou hast reft me of that precious horn,  
Which tearing from my head in shape of Bull,  
Thus wounded me. Take Deianeira freely,  
Only restore me that rich spoil thou hast won,  
Which all the Nymphs and graces dwelling near,  
Shall fill with redolent flowers, and delicate fruits,  
And call it Cornucopiae, Plenty's horn,  
In memory of Achelous' loss,  
And this high conquest won by Hercules.  Hercu. 
Hadst thou not stooped thy horrid Taurine shape  
I would have piece-meal rent, and thy tough hide  
Torn into rags as thick as Autumn leaves:  
Take thee thy life, and with thy life that spoil  
Plucked from thy mangled front, give me my love,  
I'll store no horns at winning of a wife.  
Give me bright Deianeira, take that horn,  
So late from thy disfigured Temples torn.  Deyan. 
I have my prayers, Alcides his desires,  
Both meet in love.  Oen. 
Receive her Hercules,  
The conquest of thy warlike fortitude.  Herc. 
we take but what our valour purchased us,  
And beauteous Queen thou shalt assure his love,  
Whose puissant arm shall awe the triple world,  
And make the greatest Monarchs of the earth  
To thy divinest beauty tributary.  Meleag. 
Will Hercules stay here in Calidon,  
To solemnize the nuptials of our sister?  
I Meleager, rich Aetolians heir,  
Whose large Dominions stretch to Oeta Mount,  
And to the bounds of fertile Thessaly  
Will grace thy Bridals with the greatest pomp  
Greece can afford, nor is't my meanest honour  
To be the brother to great Hercules.  Herc. 
Thanks Meleager, sojourn here we cannot,  
My stepdame Juno tasks me to more dangers:  
we take thy beauteous sister in our guard,  
Whom by jove's aid we straight will bear to Thebes.  Oen. 
A father's wishes crown the happiness  
Of his fair daughter.  Mel. 
And a brother's love  
Comfort thee where thou goest: If not with Hercules  
Whom dare we trust thy safety.  Herc. 
Not loves guard  
Can circle her with more security.  
Time calls us hence, Aetolian Lords farewell.  Oen. 
Adieu brave son, and daughter, only happy  
In being thus bestowed, come Achelous,  
With you we'll feast, nor let your foil deject you,  
Or Deianeira's loss; he's more than man,  
And needs must he do this, that all things can.  Exeunt. Herc. 
Dares Deianeira trust her person's safety  
With us a stranger, only known by Fame.  Deyn. 
Were't 'gainst the lions in chimaera bred,  
Or those rude Bears that breed in Caucasus:  
The Hyrcan Tigers or the Syrian Wolves,  
Nay 'gainst the Giants that assaulted heaven  
And with their shoulders made those bases shake  
That prop olympus: lived Enceladus  
With whom love wrestled: even against those monsters,  
I'd think me safe encircled in these arms.  Herc. 
Thou art as safe as if immured in heaven,  
Paled with that Crystal wall that girts loves house,  
Where all the Gods inhabit, built by fate,  
Stay, I should know that Centaur.  Enter Nessus. Ness. 
That's Hercules I know him by his Club,  
Whose ponderous weight I felt upon my Skull  
At the great Bridal of the Lapithes.  
What lovely lady's she that in her beauty  
So much exceeds fair Hippodamia?  Herc, 
Oh Nessus, thou of all thy cloud-bred race,  
Alone didst scape by trusting to thy heels  
At Hypodamia's Bridals, but we now  
Are friends, are we not Nessus?  Ness. 
Yes great Hercules,  
(Till I can find fit time for just revenge)  
Methinks my brains still rattle in my skull)  
What lady's that in great Alcides' Guard?  Herc. 
Deianeira, daughter to the Aetolian King,  
Sister to Meleager, now our Bride;  
Won by the force of arms from Achelous,  
The boisterous flood that flows through Calidon.  Ness. 
A double envy burns in all my veins,  
First for revenge; next, that he should enjoy  
That beauteous maid whom Nessus dearly loves.  
Will Hercules command me? or his Bride?  
I'll lackey by thee wheresoe'er thou goest,  
And be the vassal to great Hercules.  Herc. 
We are bound for Thebes, but soft, what torrent's this  
That intercepts our way? How shall we pass  
These raging streams?  Ness. 
This is Euenus' flood,  
A dangerous current, full of whirlpools deep,  
And yet unsounded: dar'st thou trust thy Bride  
On Nessus back? I'll undertake to swim her  
Unto the furthest strand, upon my shoulders,  
And yet not lave her shoe.  Herc. 
I'll pay thee for thy waftage Centaur, well,  
And make thee Prince of all thy by-formed race,  
If thou wilt do this grace to Hercules:  
But ferry her with safety, for by jove,  
If thou but make her tremble in these streams,  
Or let the least wave dash against her skirt;  
If the least fear of drowning pale her cheek,  
I'll pound thee smaller than the Autumn dust  
tossed by the warring winds?  Ness. 
Have I not swam  
The Hellespont, when waves high as yond hills  
tossed by the winds, have crowned me, yet in spite  
Of all their briny weight I have wrought myself  
Above the topmost billow to o'erlook  
The troubled main: come beauteous Deianeira,  
Not Charon with more safety ferries souls,  
Than I will thee through this impetuous ford,  Herc. 
Receive her Centaur, and in her the wealth  
And potency of mighty Hercules.  Ness. 
Now my revenge for that inhuman banquet,  
In which so many of the centaurs fell,  
I'll rape this Princess, having passed the flood  
Come beauteous Deianeira, mount my shoulders,  
And fear not your safe waftage.  Exeunt. Herc. 
That done return for us: fair Deianeira,  
White as the garden lily, pyren snow,  
Or rocks of Crystal hardened by the Sun:  
Thou shalt be made the potent Queen of Thebes,  
And all my jovial labours shall to thee  
Be consecrate, as to Alcides' love.  
Well plunge bold Centaur, how thy boisterous breast  
Ploughs up the streams: thou through the swelling tides,  
Sailest with a freight more rich and beautiful,  
Than the best ship crammed with Pangeous' gold:  
With what a swift dexterity he parts  
The mutinous waves, whose waters clasp him round,  
He plays and wantons on the curled streams,  
And Deianeira on his shoulders fits  
As safe, as if she steered a pine-tree bark.  
They grow now towards the shore: my club and arms  
I'll first cast o'er the deep Euenus ford,  
But from my side my quiver shall not part,  
Nor this my trusty bow.  Deyan. 
Help Hercules.  Within. Herc. 
'Twas Deianeira's voice.  Deyan. 
The Traitor Nessus  
Seeks to despoil mine honour, jove, you Gods:  
Out traitorous Centaur: Help great Hercules.  Here. 
Hold, lust-burnt Centaur, 'tis Alcides calls  
Or swifter than jove's lightning, my fierce vengeance  
Shall cross Euenus.  Deyan. 
Oh, oh.  Herc. 
darest thou devil?  
Couldst thou climb Heaven or sink below the Centre  
So high, so low, my vengeance should pursue thee,  
Hold; if I could but fix thee in my gripes,  
I de tear thy limbs into more Atomies  
Then in the Summer play before the Sun.  Deyan. 
Help Hercules (out dog) Alcides help.  Herc; 
I'll send till I can come, this poisonous shaft  
Shall speak my fury and extract thy blood,  
Till I myself can cross this raging flood.  Hercules shoots, and goes in: Enter Nessus with an arrow through him, and Deianeira. Ness. 
Thy beauty Deianeira is my death,  
And yet that Nessus dies embracing thee  
Takes from my senses all those torturing pangs  
That should associate death: to show I loved thee,  
I'll leave thee, in my will, a legacy;  
Shall stead thee more, then should thy father give thee  
Unto thy Dower the Crown of Calidon.  
Of such great virtue is my living blood,  
And of such prize, that couldst thou value it,  
Thou wouldst not let one drop fall to the ground:  
But oh I die.  Deyan. 
Teach me to rate it truly.  Ness. 
Now Nessus, in thy death be avenged on him  
On whom in life thou couldst not wreak thy rage:  
(My blood is poison) all these pure drops save,  
Which I bequeath thee ere I take my grave:  
I know thy Lord lascivious, bent to lust,  
Witness the fifty daughters of King Thespeius,  
Whom in one night he did adulterate:  
And of those fifty begot fifty sons:  
Now if in all his quests, he be withheld  
By any lady's love, and stay from thee,  
Such is the virtue of my blood now shed,  
That if thou dip'st a shirt, steeped in the least  
Of all these drops, and send'st it to thy Lord,  
No sooner shall it touch him, but his love  
Shall die to strangers, and revive to thee,  
Make use of this my love.  Deyan. 
Centaur, I will.  Ness. 
And so, whom Nessus cannot, do thou kill;  
Still dying men speak true: 'tis my last cry,  
Save of my blood, 'tmay steed thee ere thou die.  Deyan. 
Though I my love mistrust not, yet this counsel  
I'll not despise: this if my Lord should stray,  
Shall to my desolate bed teach him the way.  Enter Hercules. Herc. 
After long struggling with Euenus streams,  
I forced the river bear me on her breast,  
And land me safely on this further strand,  
To make an end of what my shaft begun,  
The life of Nessus, lives the Centaur yet?  Deyan. 
Behold him grovelling on the senseless earth,  
His wounded breast transfixed by Hercules.  Herc. 
That the luxurious slave were sensible  
Of torture; not th'infernals with more pangs  
Could plague the villain than Alcides should.  
Ixion's bones racked on the torturing wheel  
Should be a pastime: the three snake-haired sisters,  
That lash offenders with their whips of steel,  
Should seem to dally, when with every string  
They cut the flesh like razors: but the dead  
we hate to touch, as cowardly and base,  
And vengeance not becoming Hercules.  
Come Deianeira, first to consummate  
Our high espousals in triumphant Thebes,  
That done, our future labours we'll pursue,  
And by the assistance of the powers Divine,  
Strive to act more than Juno can assign.  Exit. Enter HOMER. 
Fair Deianeira unto, Thebes being guided,  
And Hercules' espousals solemnized.  
He for his further labours soon provided,  
As juno by Euritius had devised.  
The Apples of Hesperia first he won,  
maugre huge Atlas that supports the spheres:  
And whilst the Giant on his business ran;  
Alcides takes his place, and proudly bears  
The heavens huge frame: thence into Scythia hies,  
And their the Amazonian Baldric gains,  
By conquering Menalip (a brave prize)  
The warlike Queen that o'er the Scythians reigns.  
That he supported heaven, doth well express  
His astronomic skill, knowledge in stars:  
They that such practice know, what do they less  
Than bear heavens weight so of the Lernaean wars.  
Where he the many-headed Hydra slew,  
A Serpent of that nature, when his sword  
Pared off one head, from that another grew.  
This showed his Logic skill: from every word  
And argument confuted, there arise  
From one a multiplicity, therefore we  
Poets and such as are esteemed wise,  
Instruct the world by such morality.  
To conquer Hydra showed his powerful skill  
In disputation, how to argue well.  
(By all that understand in custom still)  
And in this Art did Hercules excel.  
Now we the Egyptian tyrant must present,  
Bloody Busiris, a king fell and rude,  
One that in murder placed his sole content,  
With whose sad death our first Act we conclude.  Enter Busyris with his Guard and Priests to sacrifice; to them two strangers, Busyris takes them and kills them upon the Altar: enter Hercules disguised, Busyris sends his Guard to apprehend him, Hercules discovering himself beats the Guard, kills Busyris and sacrificeth him upon the Altar, at which there falls a shower of rain, the Priests offer Hercules the Crown of Egypt which he refuseth. HOMER. 
In Egypt there of long time fell no rain,  
For which unto the Oracle they sent:  
Answers returned, that till one stranger slain,  
Immoved shall be the Marble firmament.  
Therefore the Tyrant all these strangers kills  
That enter Egypt, till Alcides came  
And with the tyrant's bulk the Altar fills:  
At whose red slaughter fell a plenteous rain.  
For he that stranger and usurper was,  
Whose bloody fate the Oracle forespoke.  
But for a while we let Alcides pass,  
Whom these of Egypt would their sovereign make,  
For freeing them from such a tyrant's rage;  
Now Meleager next must fill our stage.   

Actus 2.  
Scoena 2.  Enter Venus like a Huntress, with Adonis. Venus. 
Why doth Adonis fly the Queen of love?  
And shun this ivory girdle of my arms?  
To be thus scarfed the dreadful God of war  
Would give me conquered kingdoms: For a kiss  
(But half like this) I could command the Sun  
Rise 'fore his hour, to bed before his time:  
And (being lovesick) change his golden beams,  
And make his face pale, as his sister Moon.  
Come, let us tumble on this violet bank:  
Prithee be wanton; let us toy and play,  
Thy Icy fingers warm between my breasts;  
Look on me Adon with a steadfast eye,  
That in these Crystal glasses I may see  
My beauty, that charms Gods, makes men amazed,  
And stound with wonder: doth this roseate pillow  
Offend my love? come, wallow in my lap,  
With my white fingers I will clap thy cheek,  
Whisper a thousand pleasures in thine ear.  Adonis. 
madam, you are not modest: I affect  
The unseen beauty that adorns the mind.  
This looseness makes you foul in Adon's eye:  
If you will tempt me, let me in your face  
Read blushfulness, and fear; a modest blush  
Would make your cheek seem much more beautiful.  
If you will whisper pleasure in mine ear,  
Praise chastity, or with your loud voice shrill  
The tunes of horns, and hunting; they please best:  
I'll to the chase, and leave you to the rest.  Venus. 
Thou art not man; yet were't thou made of stone,  
I have heat to melt thee. I am Queen of love,  
There is no practive art of dalliance  
Of which I am not Mistress, and can use.  
I have kisses that can murder unkind words,  
And strangle hatred, that the gall sends forth:  
Touches to raise thee, were thy spirits half dead:  
Words that can power affection down thine ears.  
Love me! thou canst not choose, thou shalt not choose.  
Am I not Venus? Hadst thou Cupids arrows,  
I should have took thee to have been my son:  
Art thou so like him, and yet canst not love?  
I think you are brothers.  Adonis. 
madam, you woo not well, men covet not  
These proffered pleasures; but love-sweets denied:  
What I command, that cloys my appetite;  
But what I cannot come by I adore.  
These prostituted pleasures surfeit still,  
Where's fear, or doubt, men sue with best good will.  Venus. 
Thou canst instruct the Queen of love in love.  
Thou shalt not (Adon) take me by the hand;  
Yet if thou needs wilt force me, there's my palm.  
I'll frown on him (alas! my brow's so smooth  
It will not bear a wrinkle:) high thee hence  
Unto the chase, and leave me: but not yet,  
I'll sleep this night upon Endymion's bank,  
On which the Swain was courted by the Moon.  
Dare not to come, thou art in our disgrace;  
(Yet if thou come I can afford thee place.)  Adonis. 
I must begone.  Venus. 
Sweet whither?  Adonis. 
To the Chase.  Venus. 
What doest thou hunt?  Adonis. 
The Calidonian Boar,  
To which the Princes and best spirits of Greece  
Are now assembled.  Venus. 
I beshrew thee boy,  
That very word struck from my heart all joy:  
It startled me, methinks I see thee die  
By that rude Boar. Hunt thou the beasts that fly,  
The wanton Squirrel, or the trembling Hare,  
The crafty Fox: these pastimes fearless are.  
The greedy Wolves, and fierce Bears armed with claws,  
Rough shouldered lions, such as glut their jaws  
With herds at once, Fell Boars, let them pass by,  
Adon, these look not with thy Venus' eye.  
They judge not beauty, nor distinguish youth,  
These are their prey; My pity, love and ruth  
Lives not in them. Oh to thyself be kind,  
Thou from their mouths, my kisses shalt not find.  Wind horns within. Adonis. 
The summons to the chase, Venus adieu.  Ven. 
Leave those, turn head, choose those thou mayst pursue  Adonis. 
I am resolved, I'll help to rouse yond beast.  Venus. 
Thou art to dere his savage throat to feast.  
Forbear.  Adonis. 
In vain.  Venus. 
Appoint when we shall meet.  Adonis. 
After the chase. Farewell then.  Venus. 
Farewell sweet.  Adonis. 
This kissing.  Venus. 
Adon, guard thee well, express  
Thy love to me, in being of thyself  
Careful and chary: they that raze thy skin  
Wound me. Be wise my Adon.  Adon. 
Never doubt. So then  He kisseth her. Venus. 
But lip-labour, yet ill left out.  Exeunt. Wind horns. Enter with javelins, and in green, Meleager, Theseus, Telamon, Castor, Pollux, jason, Peleus, Nestor, Atreus, Toxeus, Plexippus. Melea. 
The cause of this convention (Lords of Greece)  
Needs no expression; and yet briefly thus:  
Oeneus our father, the Aetolians King,  
Of all his fruits and plenty, gave due rights  
To all the Gods and Goddesses, jove, Ceres,  
Bacchus, and Pallas; but among the rest,  
Diana he neglects: for which enraged,  
She hath sent (to plague us) a huge savage Boar,  
Of an unmeasured height and magnitude.  
What better can describe his shape and terror  
Then all the piteous clamours shrilled through Greece?  
Of his depopulations, spoils, and preys?  
His flaming eyes they sparkle blood and fire,  
His bristles pointed like a range of pikes  
Ranked on his back: his foam snows where he feeds  
His tusks are like the Indian elephants.  
Out of his jaws (as if jove's lightning flew)  
He scorches all the branches in his way,  
Ploughs up the fields, treads flat the fields of grain.  
In vain the Shepherd or his dog secures  
Their harmless fowls. In vain the furious Bull  
Strives to defend the heard o'er which he Lords.  
The Colonies into the cities fly,  
And till immured, they think themselves not safe.  
To chase this beast we have met on Oeta mount,  
Attended by the noblest spirits of Greece.  Tela. 
From populous Salamine I Telamon  
Am at thy fair request, King Meleager,  
Come to behold this beast of Calidon,  
And prove my virtue in his stern pursuit.  jason. 
Not Meleager's love, more than the zeal  
I bear my honour, hath drawn jason hither,  
To this adventure, yet both forcible  
To make me try strange masteries 'gainst that monster,  
Whose fury hath so much amazed all Greece.  Castor. 
That was the cause I Castor, with my brother  
Pollux, arrived, and left our sister Helen  
Embraced by our old father Tyndarus,  
To rouse this beast.  Pollux. 
Let us no more be held  
The sons of Leda, and be got by jove,  
Brothers, and called the two Tyndarian twins  
If we return not crimsoned in the spoils  
Of this fierce Boar.  Nestor. 
To that end Nestor came.  
Nestor, that hath already lived one age,  
And entered on the second, to the third  
May I near reach, if part of that wild swine  
I bring not home to Pylos where I reign.  Atr. 
My young son Agamemnon, and his brother  
Prince Menelaus in his swaths at home,  
Without some honour purchased on this Boar,  
May I no more see, or Myeenes visit.  Thes. 
Well speaks Atreus, and his noble acts  
Still equalize his language. Shall not Theseus  
Venture as far as any? heavens you know  
I dare as much 'gainst any mortal foe.  Tox. 
where's Hercules, that at this noble business  
He is not present, being near allied  
To Meleager, having late espoused  
His sister Deianeira?  Plex. 
He's for Busiris, that Egyptian tyrant,  Mel. 
Else noble valour, he would have been first  
To have purchased honour in this haughty quest.  Enter Atlanta with a javelin, horns winded. Atl. 
Hail princes, let it not offend this troop,  
That I a Princess and Atlanta called,  
A virgin Huntress, press into the field,  
In hope to double guild my javelins point  
In blood of yond wild swine.  Melea. 
Virgineam in puero, puerilem in virgin vultum  Aspicio. 
Oh you Gods! or make her mine,  
Stated with us the Calidonian Queen,  
Or let this monstrous beast confound me quite,  
And in his vast womb bury all my fate.  
Beauteous Atlanta welcome, grace her princes  
For Meleager's honour.  jason. 
Come, shall's uncouple Lords,  
Some plant the toils, others bravely mount,  
To unden this savage.  Melea. 
Time and my bashful love  
Admits no courtship, Lady rank with us.  
I'll be this day your guardian, and a shield  
Between you and all danger.  Atlant. 
We are free,  
And in the chase will our own guardian be.  
shalls to the field, my javelin and these shafts,  
Pointed with death, shall with the foremost fly,  
And by a woman's hand the beast shall die.  Enter Adonis winding his horn. Melea. 
As bold as fair; but soft, whose bugle's that  
Which calls us to the chase? Adonis yours?  Adonis. 
Mine oh you noble Greeks, we have discovered  
The dreadful monster wallowing in his den:  
The toils are fixed, the huntsmen placed on hills  
priest for the charge, the fierce Thessalian hounds  
With their flag ears, ready to sweep the dew  
From the moist earth: their breasts are armed with steel,  
Against the encounter of so grim a beast:  
The hunters long to uncouple, and attend  
Your presence in the field.  Atlanta. 
Follow Atlanta.  
I'll try what prince will second me in field,  
And make his javelins point shake even with mine.  Melea. 
That Meleager's shall.  Tela. 
Nor Telamon  
Will come behind Atlanta, or the Prince.  jason. 
Charge bravely then your javelins, send them singing  
Through the clear air, and aim them at yond fiend,  
denned in the queachy bog, the signal Lords.  All. 
charge, charge.  a great winding of horns, & shouts. Meleag. 
Princes, shrill your Bugles free.  
And all Atlanta's danger fall on me.  Enter jason and Telamon. jason. 
This way, this way, renowned Telamon,  
The Boar makes through yond glade, and from the hills  
He hurries like a tempest: In his way  
He prostrates trees, and like the bolt of jove,  
Shatters where ere he comes.  Tela. 
Diana's wrath  
Sparkles grim terror from his fiery eyes:  
One javelin pointed with the purest brass,  
I have blunted 'gainst his ribs, yet he unscared,  
The head, as darted 'gainst a rock of marble,  
Rebounded back.  jason. 
He shakes off from his head  
Our best Thessalian dogs, like Summer flies:  
Nor can their sharp fangs fasten on his hide.  
Follow the cry.  A shout. Enter Castor and Pollux. Castor. 
where's noble Telamon?  Pollux. 
Or warlike jason?  jason. 
hear you Tyndarides,  
Speak, which way bends this plague of Calidon?  Castor. 
Here may you stand him, for behold he comes  
Like a rough torrent, swallowing where he spreads,  
Over his head a cloud of terror hangs  
In which lean death (as in a Chariot) rides,  
Darting his shafts on all sides: 'mongst the Princes  
Of fertile Greece, Anceus bowels lie  
Strewed on the earth, torn by his ravenous tusks:  
And had not Nestor (by his javelins help)  
Leaped up into an Oak to have scaped his rage,  
He had now perished in his second Age.  Pollux. 
Peleus is wounded, Pelegon lies slain,  
Eupalemon hath all his body rent  
With an oblique wound: yet Meleager still,  
And Theseus, and Atreus, with the rest,  
Pursue the chase, with Boar-spears cast so thick,  
That where they fly, they seem to dark the air,  
And where they fall, they threaten imminent ruin.  jason. 
To these we'll add our fury, and our fire,  
And front him, though his brow bare figured hell,  
And every wrinkle were the gulf of Styx  
By which the Gods contest: Come noble Telamon,  
Diana's monster by our hands shall fall,  
Or (with the Princes slain) let's perish all.  Exeunt. horns and shouts. Enter Meleager, Atlanta. Meleag. 
Thou beauteous Nonacris, Arcadia's pride,  
How hath thy valour with thy fortune joined,  
To make thee stain the general fortitude  
Of all the Princes we derive from Greece,  
Thy lances point hath on yond armed monster,  
Made the first wound, and the first crimson drop  
Fell from his side, thy aim and arm extracted,  
Thy fame shall never die in Calidon.  Atl. 
We trifle here, what shall Atlanta gain  
The first wounds honour, and be absent from  
The monster's death, we must have hand in both.  Melea. 
Thou hast purchased honour and renown enough,  
Oh stain not all the general youth of Greece,  
By thy too forward spirit. Come not near  
Yond rude bloodthirsty savage, lest he prey  
On thee, as on Anceus, and the rest,  
Let me between thee and all dangers stand.  horns. 
Fight, but fight safe beneath our puissant hand.  Atl. 
The cry comes this way, all my shafts I'll spend.  
To give the fury that affrights us, end.  Melea. 
And ere that monster on Atlanta pray,  
This point of steel shall through his heart make way.  exeunt. After great shouts, enter Venus. Venus. 
Adonis, thou that makest Venus a Huntress,  
Leave Paphos, Gnidon, Eryx, Erecine,  
And Amathon, with precious metals big,  
Mayst thou this day live bucklered in our wing,  
And shadowed in the amorous power of love:  
My swans I have unyoked, and from their necks  
ta'en of their bridles made of twisted silk.  
And from my chariot stuck with Doves white plumes  
Lighted upon this verdure, where the Boar  
Hath in his fury snowed his scattered foam.  A cry within. 
What cry was that? It was Adonis sure.  
That perceant shriek shrilled through the musical pipes  
Of his sweet voices organs, thou Diana  
If thou hast sent this fiend to ruin love,  
Or print the least scar in my Adon's flesh  
Thy chastity I will abandon quite,  
And with my looseness, blast thy Cinthian light.  Enter Theseus and Nestor, bringing in Adonis wounded to death. Thes. 
There lie most beauteous of the youths of Greece,  
Whose death I will not mourn, ere I revenge.  Nest. 
I'll second thee, thou pride of Greece adieu,  
Whom too much valour in thy prime o'erthrew.  Exit. Ven. 
You're not mine eyes, for they to fee him dead  
Would from their soft beds drop upon the earth:  
Or in their own warm liquid moisture drown  
Their native brightness: thouart not Venus' heart,  
For were't thou mine, at this sad spectacle  
thoudst break these ribs though they were made of brass,  
And leap out of my bosom instantly.  
My sorrows like a populous throng, all striving  
At once to pass through some enforced breach,  
In stead of winning passage stop the way,  
And so the greatest haste, breeds the most stay.  
Oh me! my multiplicity of sorrows,  
Makes me almost forget to grieve at all.  
Speak, speak, my Adon, thou whom death hath fed on  
Ere thou wast yet full ripe; and this thy beauty's  
Devoured ere tasted. Eye, where's now thy brightness?  
Or hand thy warmth? Oh that such lovely parts  
Should be by death thus made unserviceable.  
That (livest than) had the power to entrance jove:  
Ravish, amaze, and surfeit, all these pleasures  
Venus hath lost by thy untimely fall.  
And therefore for thy death eternally  
Venus shall mourn; Earth shall thy trunk devour,  
But thy lives blood I'll turn into a flower,  
And every Month in solemn rights deplore,  
This beauteous Greek slain by Diana's Boar.  Exit. The fall of the Boar being winded, Meleager with the head of the Boar, Atlanta, Nestor, Toxeus, Plexippus, jason, Thesus, etc. with their javelins bloodied. Mel. 
Thus lies the terror that but once today  
Awed all the boldest hearts of Calidon  
Wallowing and weltering in his native blood,  
Transfixed by us, but bravely seconded,  
By noble jason, Theseus, Peleus,  
Telamon, Nestor, the Tyndarides,  
And our bold uncles, all our boar-spears stained  
And gory hands laved in his reeking blood,  
To whom belongs this brave victorious spoil?  All. 
To Meleager Prince of Calidon.  Mel. 
Is that your general suffrage?  jason. 
Let not Greece  
Suffer such merit unregarded pass,  
Or valour live unguerdoned, that fall Swine  
Whom yet, even dead, th'amazed people fear,  
And dare not touch but with astonishment  
Fell by thy hand.  Tel. 
Thou stoodst his violence,  
till thy sharp javelin grated 'gainst his broines,  
Beneath his shield thou enterd'st to his heart.  
At that we girt him till a thousand wounds,  
He from a thousand hands received at once:  
And in his fall it seemed the earth did groan,  
And the fixed Centre tremble under him.  Castor. 
The spoil is thine, the young Adonis' death,  
Anceus' slaughter, and the massacre  
Of Archas, Pelagon, Eupateinon  
And all the Grecian Prints lost this day,  
Thou hast revenged, therefore be thine the fame,  
Which with a general voice Greece shall proclaim.  Mel. 
Princes we thank you, 'tis mine given me free.  
Which fair Atlanta we bestow on thee.  Tox. 
Ha, to a woman.  Plex. 
And so many men,  
Engaged in't, call back thy gift again.  Cast. 
Greece is by this disparaged, and our fame  
Foully eclipsed.  Pollux 
Snatched from that emulous Dame.  Mel. 
Murmur you Lords at Meleager's bounty,  
We first bestowed it as our own by gift,  
Yea, and by right, but now we render it  
To bright Atlanta, as her own by due  
As she that from the Boar the first blood drew.  Nest. 
We must not suffer this disgrace to Greece.  Atre. 
Let women claim 'mongst women eminence,  
Our Lofty spirits, that honour have in chase,  
Cannot digest wrongs womanish and base.  Cast. 
Restore this woman and thy sex envy  
For fortitude, aim not at quests so high.  jason. 
Castor forbear.  Tella. 
He gives but what's his own.  Thes. 
'tis the king's bounty,  Mel. 
By the immortal Gods,  
That gave us this days honour, the same hand  
By which the Calidonian terror fell,  
Shall him that frowns or murmurs launch to hell.  All. 
That will we try.  Mel. 
Then rescue for Atlanta,  
This day shall fall for thee, that art divine,  
Monsters more savage than Diana's swine.  A strange confused fray, Toxeus and Plexippus are slain by Meleager, jason and Tellamon stand between the two factions. Ias. 
No more, no more, behold your uncles slain,  
Save in this act two Noble Gentlemen,  
Pursue not fury to the spoil of Greece,  
And death of more brave Princes: let your rage  
Be here confined, cut off this purple stream  
In his mid course, and turn this torrent back  
Which in his fury else may drowned us all.  Tel. 
I second jason and expose myself,  
Between these factions to compose a peace.  Mel. 
we have done too much already, impious fury,  
How boundless is thy power: uncircumscribed  
By thought or reason, thouart all violence,  
Thy end repentance, sorrow and distaste:  
How will Althaea take her brother's death  
From her son's hand, but rash deeds executed  
May be lamented, never be recalled  
Shall the survivors be atoned?  Atreus. 
So it be done with honour on both parts  
we have swords to guard our fortunes and our lives,  
And but an equal language will keep both  
Thus at the point.  Thes. 
join hands renowned Princes,  
The fury of the Prince of Calidon  
Hath preyed but on his own, there let it end,  
No further by your urgent spleens extend.  Castor. 
We are appeased.  jason. 
Lords freely then embrace.  Mel. 
First then, we'll royally inter our uncles,  
And spend some tears upon their funeral rites,  
That done we'll in our Palace feast these Princes,  
With bright Atlanta, whom we'll make our Queen.  
Our Uncles once bestowed into the earth,  
Our mournings shall expire in Bridal mirth.  Exeunt. Enter K. Oeneus and Althaea, meeting the bodies of their two brothers borne. Oen. 
Come to the Temple there to sacrifice  
For these glad tidings, since the Boar lies dead,  
That filled our kingdom with such awe and dread.  Alth. 
What joy names Oeneus in this spectacle?  
This of a thousand the most sad and tragic,  
Whose murdered trunks be these?  Seru. 
Your royal brothers, Prince Toxeus and Plexippus,  Althaea. 
Speak, how slain?  Seru. 
Not by the Boar, but by your sons own hand.  Althaea. 
By Meleager's, how? upon what quarrel?  
Could the proud boy ground such a damned act.  Seru. 
Your son to fair Atlanta gave the prize  
Of this days travel, which for, they withstood  
In mutinous arms they loss their vital bloods.  Alth. 
Shall I revenge or mourn them.  Oen. 
O strange fate.  
An object that must shorten Oeneus days,  
And bring these winter hairs to a sad Tomb  
Long ere there date; I sink beneath these sorrows  
Into my black and timeless monument.  Althaea. 
My sorrows turn to rage, my tears to fire,  
My prayers to curses, vows into revenge.  Oen. 
Peace, peace my Queen, let's bear the God's vindiction  
With patience, as we did Diana's wrath:  
Where Gods are bent to punish, we may grieve  
But can ourselves nor succour, nor relieve.  
Come, let us do to them their latest rites,  
Wait on their Hearses in our mourning black;  
Their happy souls are mounted 'bove the spheres,  
We'll wash their bodies in our funeral tears.  Exit. Manet Althaea. Althaea. 
Althaea what distraction's this within thee?  
A sister or a mother wilt thou be?  
Since both I cannot, (for these Princes slain)  
Sister I choose, a mother's name disdain:  
The fatal brand in which the murderer's life  
Securely lies, I'll hurl into the fire  
And as it flames, so shall the slave expire.  
Mischief I'll heap on mischief, bade on ill,  
Wrong pay with wrongs, and slaughter these that kill.  
And since the Gods would all our glories thrall,  
I will with them have chief hand in our fall.  
But he's my son: oh pardon me dear brothers,  
Being a mother if I spare his life,  
Though it be fit his sin be plagued with death,  
And that his life lie in yond fatal brand,  
'T will not come fitly from a mother's hand.  
Is this the hope of all my ten months' pain,  
Must he by th'hand of him that nursed him now be slain?  
Would he had perished in his cradle, when  
I gave him twice life: in his birth, and then  
When I the brand snatched from the ravenous flame,  
And for this double good, hast thou with shame  
And injury repaid me? I will now  
A sister be, no mother, for I vow  
Revenge and death; Furies, assist my hand  
Whilst in red flames I cast his vital brand.  Exit. A banquet, enter Meleager, jason, Theseus, Castor, Pollux, Nestor, Peleus. Atreus, Atlanta. Meleag. 
For fair Atlanta, and your Honours, Lords  
We banquet you this day: and to begin  
Our festivals we'll crown this jovial health  
Unto our brother, Theban Hercules  
And Deianeira, will you pledge it Lords?  jason. 
None but admire and love their matchless worths,  
Not fair Atlanta will refuse this health.  Atlan. 
You beg of me a pledge, I'll take it lason,  
As well for his sake that begins the round,  
As those to whom 'tis vowed.  Tell. 
Well spoke Atlanta, but I wonder Lords  
What Province now holds Theban Hercules?  Thes. 
He is the mirror and the pride of Greece,  
And shall in after ages be renowned,  
But we forget his health, come Telamon  
Aim it at me.  A fire: Enter Althaea with the brand. Althaea. 
Assist my rage you stern Eumenides,  
To you this black deed will I consecrate.  
Pity away, hence thou consanguine love,  
Maternal zeal, parental piety.  
All cares, loves, duties, offices, affections,  
That grow 'tween sons and mothers, leave this place;  
Let none but furies, murders, parricides,  
Be my assistants in this damned attempt:  
All that's good and honest, I confine,  
Black is my purpose; Hell my thoughts are thine.  Mel. 
To bright Atlanta this loud music sowed,  
Her health shall with our loftiest strains be crowned.  Althaea. 
Drink, quaff, be blithe; oh how this festive joy  
Stirs up my fury to revenge and death,  
Thus, thus, (you Gods above, abject your eyes  
From this unnatural act) the murderer dies.  she fires the brand. Mel. 
Oh, oh.  Atlan. 
My Lord.  Mel. 
I burn, I burn.  jason. 
What sudden passion's this?  Mele. 
The flames of hell, and Pluto's sightless fires,  
Are through my entrails and my veins dispersed, oh!  Tell. 
My Lord take courage.  Mel. 
Courage Telamon?  
I have a heart dares threat or challenge hell,  
A brow front heaven; a hand to challenge both:  
But this my pain's beyond all human sufferance,  
Or mortal patience.  Althaea. 
What hast thou done Althaea? stay thy fury,  
And bring not these strange torments on thine own  
Thou hast too much already, back my hand,  [She takes out the brand. 
And save his life as thou conserv'st this brand.  Atlan 
How cheers the warlike Prince of Calidon?  Mel. 
Well now, I am at ease and peace within,  
Whither's my torture fled? that with such suddenness  
Hath freed me from disturbance, were we ill?  
Come sit again to banquet, music sound,  
Till this to Deianeira's health go round.  Althaea. 
Shall mirth and joy crown his degenerate head?  
Whilst his cold Uncles on the earth lie spread?  
No, wretched youth whilst this hand can destroy,  
I'll cut thee off in midst of all thy joy.  She fires the brand. Mel. 
Again, Again.  Althaea. 
Burn, perish, waste, fire, sparkle, and consume  
And all thy vital spirits fly with this fume.  Mel. 
still, still, there is an Aetna in my bosom  
The flames of Styx, and fires of Acheron  
Are from the black Chimerian shades removed,  
And fixed here, here; oh for Euenus' flood,  
Or some cool stream, to shoot his currents through  
My flaming body, make thy channel here  
Thou mighty flood that streamest through Calidon  
And quench me, all you springs of Thessaly  
Remove your heads, and fix them in my veins  
To cool me, oh!  jason. 
Defend us heaven, what sudden ecstasy  
Or unexpected torture hath disturbed  
His health and mirth?  Mel. 
Worse than my torment,  
That I must die thus, thus, that the Boar had slain me,  
Happy Anceus and Adonis blessed,  
You died with fame, and honour crowns your rest;  
My flame increaseth still, oh father Oeneus  
And you Althaea, whom I would call mother  
But that my genius prompts me thouart unkind,  
And yet farewell, Atlanta beauteous maid,  
I cannot speak my thoughts for torture, death,  
Anguish and pains, all that Promethean fire  
Was stolen from heaven, the Thief left in my bosom.  
The Sun hath cast his element on me,  
And in my entrails hath he fixed his Sphere,  
His pointed beams he hath darted through my heart,  
And I am still on flame.  Althaea. 
So, now 'tis done,  
The brand consumed, his vital thread quite spun.  Exit. Meleag. 
Now 'gins my fire waste, and my natural heat  
To change to Ice, and my scorched blood to freeze.  
Farewell, since his black ensign death displays,  
I die, cut off thus in my best of days.  He dies. jason. 
Dead is the flower and pride of Calidon.  
Who would displease the Gods? Diana's wrath  
Hath stretched even to the death, and tragic ruin  
Of this fair hopeful Prince, here stay thy vengeance  
Goddess of chastity, and let it hang  
No longer o'er the house of Calidon:  
Since thou hast cropped the young, spare these old branches  
That yet survive.  Enter Althaea. Althaea. 
She shall not, jason no,  
She shall not. Do you wonder Lords of Greece,  
To see this Prince lie dead? why that's no novel,  
All men must die, thou, he, and every one,  
Yea I myself must: but I'll tell you that  
Shall stiff your hair, your eyes start from heads,  
Print fixed amazement in your wondering fronts,  
Yea and astonish all: This was my son,  
Borne with sick throws, nursed from my tender breast  
Brought up with femine care, cherished with love:  
His youth, my pride; his honour all my wishes,  
So dear, that little less he was then life.  
But will you know the wonder ('las) too true,  
Him (all my sons) this my enraged hand slew,  
This hand, that Diane's quenchless rage to fill,  
Shall with the slain sons sword the mother kill.  Althaea kills herself with Meleager's sword. Tela. 
The Queen hath slain herself: who'll bear these news to the sad King?  Enter a servant. Seru. 
That labour may be spared:  
The King no sooner heard of his sons death,  
(wrought by his mother in the fatal brand)  
But he sunk dead: sorrow so changed his weakness,  
And without word or motion he expired.  jason. 
we'll see them (ere we part from Calidon)  
Interred with honour: But we sojourn long  
In this cursed Clime; oh let us not incur  
Diana's fury, our next expedition  
Shall be for Colchos, and the golden Fleece,  
Unto which (Princes) we invite you all.  
Our stately Argo we have rigged and trimmed,  
And in it we will bear the best of Greece,  
Styled from our ship by name of Argonauts.  
Great Hercules will with his company,  
Grace our adventure, and renown all Greece,  
By the rich purchase of the Colchian Fleece.  Exit. HOMER. 
Let not even Kings against the Gods contest,  
Lest in this fall their ruins be expressed.  
Think Hercules, from cleansing the foul stall  
And stable of Augeus, in which fed  
Three hundred Oxen, (never freed at all,  
Till his arrive) returned where he was bred,  
To Thebes; there Deianeira him receives  
With glad embraces, but he stays not long,  
jason the Lady of her Lord bereaves:  
For in the new-rigged Argo, with the young  
And sprightly Heroes, he at Colchos aims,  
Where the rich Fleece must publish their high fames.  Enter Deianeira and Lychas: to her Hercules, received with joy, after the presentment of some of his labours. To them march in all the Argonauts, jason, Telamon, Atreus, Castor, Pollux, Theseus, etc. jason persuades Hercules to the adventure: he leaves Deianeira, and marcheth off with the Argonauts. 
Imagine now these Princes under sail,  
Steering their course as far as high-reared Troy,  
Where King Laomedon doth much bewail  
His daughter, whom a Sea-whale must destroy.  
Observe this well: for here begins the jar  
Made Troy racked after in a ten years war.  Sound. Enter King Laomedon, Anchises, young Priam, Aeneas, Hesione bound, with other Lords and Ladies. Laomed. 
Hesione, this is thy last on earth,  
Whose fortunes we may mourn, though not prevent:  
Would Troy, whose walls I did attempt to rear,  
Had near grown higher than their ground-fills, or  
In their foundation buried been, and lost,  
Since their high structure must be thus maintained,  
With blood of our bright Ladies: Oh Hesione!  
Th'only remainder of these female dames  
Begot by us, I must bequeath thy body  
To be the food of Neptune's monstrous Whale.  Priam. 
Had you kept troth and promise with the Gods,  
This had not chanced: You borrowed of the Priests  
Of Neptune and Apollo, Sea, and Sun,  
That quantity of gold, which to this height  
And spacious compass, hath immured great Troy;  
But the work finished, you denied to pay  
The Priests their due, for which enraged Neptune  
Assembled his high tides, thinking to drown  
Our lofty buildings, and to ruin Troy:  
But when the Moon, by which the Seas are governed,  
Retired his waters by her powerful wane,  
He left behind him such infectious slime,  
Which the Sun poisoning by his perceant beams.  
They by their mutual power, raised a hot plague,  
To slack this hot pest, Neptune made demand,  
Monthly a Lady to be choosed by lot,  
To glut his huge Sea-monster's ravenous jaws:  
The lot this day fell on Hesione  
Our beauteous sister.  Laom. 
Priam 'tis too true,  
Till now Laomedon near knew his guilt,  
Or thought the Gods could punish.  Hesio. 
Royal father,  
Mourn not for me, the Gods must be appeased,  
And I in this am happy, that my death  
Is made th'atonement 'tween those angry powers  
And your afflicted people, though my Innocence  
Never deserved such rigor from the Gods.  
Come good Anchises, bind me to this rock,  
And let my body glut th'insatiate fury  
Of angry Neptune, and th'offended Sun.  Anchis. 
A more unwilling monster never passed  
Anchises hand.  Laom. 
Now, now the time draws nigh,  
That my sweet child by Neptune's whale must die,  Priam. 
The very thought of it swallows my heart  
As deep in sorrow, as the monster can  
Bury my sister.  A great shout within. Laom. 
Soft, what clamour's that?  Aeneas. 
A stately ship, well rigged with swelling fails,  
Enters the harbour, bound (by their report)  
For Colchos: but when they beheld the shores  
Covered with multitudes, and spied from far,  
Your beauteous daughter fastened to the rock,  
They made to know the cause; which certified,  
One noble Greek amongst these Heroes stands,  
And offers to encounter Neptune's whale,  
And free from death the bright Hesione.  Laom. 
Thou hast (Aeneas) quickened me from death,  
And added to my date a second Age.  
Admit them.  Enter Hercules, jason, Castor, Pollux, Theseus, and all the Argonauts. Herc. 
'Tis told us that thy name's Laomedon,  
And that thy beauteous daughter must this day  
Feed a sea-monster: how wilt thou reward  
The man that shall encounter Neptune's whale?  
Tug with that fiend upon thy populous strand,  
And with my club souse on his armed scales?  
Hast thou not heard of Theban Hercules?  
I that have awed the earth, and ransacked hell,  
Will through the Ocean hunt the God of streams,  
And chase him from the deep abysms below.  
I'll dare the Sea-god from his watery deeps  
If he take part with this Leviathan.  Laom. 
Thy name and courage warlike Hercules  
Assures her life, if thou wilt undertake  
This haughty quest: two milk white steeds, the best  
Asia ere bred, shall be thy valour's prize,  Herc. 
We accept them; keep thy faith Laomedon,  
If thou but break'st with Jove-born Hercules,  
These marble structures, built with virgin's blood,  
I'll raze even with the earth. When comes the monster?  Hesione. 
Now, now, help jove.  A cry within. Herc. 
I see him sweep the sea's along.  
Blow rivers through his nostrils as he glides,  
As if he meant to quench the suns bright fire,  
And bring a palped darkness o'er the earth:  
He opes his jaws as if to swallow Troy,  
And at one yawn whole thousands to destroy.  Lao. 
Fly, fly into the City.  Exeunt the Trojans. Herc. 
Take along  
This beauteous Lady, if he must have prey,  
In stead of her Alcides here will stay.  jason. 
The heartless Trojans fly into the town  
At fight of yond sea-devil: here we'll stand  
To wait the conquest of thy jovial hand.  Herc. 
Gramercy jason, see he comes in tempest,  
I'll meet him in a storm as violent,  
And with one stroke which this right hand shall aim,  
Ding him into th'abyss from whence he came.  Hercules kills the Sea-Monster, the Trojans on the walls, the Greeks below. Priam. 
The monster's slain, my beauteous sister freed.  jason. 
Be ever for this noble deed renowned,  
Let Asia speak thy praise.  Telam. 
The Argonauts  
Are glorified by this victorious act.  Priam. 
All Troy shall consecrate to Hercules'  
Temples and Altars: let's descend and meet him.  Laom. 
Stay, none presume to stir, we'll parley them  
First from the walls.  Herc. 
Why doth not Troy's King from those walls descend?  
And since I have redeemed Hesione,  
Present my travels with two milk-white steeds,  
The prize of my endeavours?  Lao. 
Hercules we owe thee none, none will we tender thee,  
Thou hast won thee honour, a reward sufficient  
For thy attempt: our gates are shut against thee,  
Nor shall you enter, you are Greekish spies,  
And come to pry but where our land is weak.  Priam. 
Oh royal father!  Laom. 
Peace boy: Greeks away:  
For imminent death attends on your delay.  Herc. 
The Sea near bred a monster half so vile  
As this Land-fiend. darest threaten Hercules?  
Would universal Troy were in one frame,  
That I might whelm it on thy cursed head,  
And crown thee in thy ruin. Menace us?  Laom. 
Depart our walls, or we will fire your Argo,  
Lying in our harbour, and prevent your purpose  
In the achievement of the golden fleece,  Herc. 
Laomedon, I'll toss thee from thy walls,  
Batter thy gates to shivers with my Club,  
Nor will I leave these broad Scamander plains,  
Till thy aspiring Towers of Illium  
Lie level with the place on which we stand.  jason. 
Great Hercules, th'adventure falls to me,  
Our voyage bent for Colchos, not for Troy,  
The golden fleece, and not Laomedon:  
Why should we hazard here our Argonauts?  
Or spend ourselves on accidental wrongs?  Telam. 
jason adviseth well, great Hercules,  
We should dishonour him, and th'expectation  
Greece hath of us, delude by this delay.  Thes. 
Then let us from this harbour launch our Argo,  
To Colchos first, and in our voyage home  
Revenge us on this false Laomedon.  Herc. 
You sway me princes: farewell treacherous King,  
Nought, save thy blood, shall satisfy this wrong  
And base dishonour done to Hercules.  
Expect me; for by olympic Jove I swear.  
near to set foot within my native Thebes,  
See Deianeira, or to touch in Greece,  
Till I'have scaled these mures, invaded Troy,  
Ransacked thy City, slain Laomedon,  
And venge the Gods that govern Sea and Sun.  
Come valiant Heroes, first the fleece to enjoy,  
And in our back return to ransack Troy.  Exeunt. Lao. 
We dread you not, we'll answer what is done.  
As well as stand 'gainst Neptune and the Sun.  Enter Oetes, King of Colchos, Medea, young Absyrtus, with Lords. Oetes. 
How may we glory above other kings  
Being (by our birth) descended from the Gods?  
Our wealth renowned through the world tripartite,  
Most in the riches of the golden fleece,  
And not the least of all our happiness,  
Medea for her powerful magic skill,  
And Necromantic exorcisms admired,  
And dreaded through the Colchian territories.  Medea. 
I can by Art make rivers retrograde,  
Alter their channels, run back to their heads,  
And hide them in the springs from whence they grew.  
The curled Ocean with a word I'll smooth,  
(Or being calm) raise waves as high as hills,  
Threatening to swallow the vast continent.  
With powerful charms I'll make the Sun stand still,  
Or call the Moon down from her arched sphere.  
What cannot I by power of Hecate?  Absyr. 
Discourse (fair sister) how the golden fleece  
Came first to Colchos.  Medea. 
Let Absyrtus know,  
Phrixus the son of Theban Athamas,  
And his fair sister Helles, being betrayed  
By their cursed stepdame Ino, fled from Greece,  
Their Innocence pitied by Mercury,  
He gave to them a golden-fleeced Ram,  
Which bore them safe to the Sygean sea,  
Which swimming, beauteous Helles there was drowned,  
And gave that sea the name of Hellespont,  
That which parts Sestus and Abydos still:  
Phrixus arrives at Colchos, and to Mars  
There sacrificed his Ram in memory  
Of his safe waftage, favoured by the Gods.  
The golden Fleece was by the Oracle  
Commanded to be fixed there, kept and guarded  
By two fierce Bulls, that breath infernal fires,  
And by a wakeful Dragon, in whose eyes  
Never came sleep: for in the safe conserving  
Of this divine and worthy monument,  
Our kingdoms weal and safety most consists.  Oetes. 
And he that strives by purchase of this fleece,  
To weaken us, or shake our Royalty,  
Must taste the fury of these fiery fiends,  A shoot 
The novel: speak.  Enter a Lord. Lord. 
Upon the colchian shores  
A stately vessel, maned it seems from Greece  
Is newly launched, full fraught with Gentlemen  
Of brave aspects and presence.  Oetes. 
whose's their General?  Lord. 
jason, he styles himself a Prince of Greece  
And Captain o'er the noble Argonautes.  Oetes. 
Usher them in, that we may know their quest  
And what adventure drew them to these shores.  Sound, Enter jason, Hercules, Theseus, Castor, Pollux, etc. jason. 
Hail king of Colchos, thou beholdest in us  
The noblest Heroes that inhabit Greece  
Of whom I, though unworthiest, style myself  
The General; the intent of this our voyage  
Is to reduce the rich and golden prize  
To Greece, from whence it came, know I am come  
To tug and wrestle with the infernal Bulls,  
And in their hot fierce double guild my arms  
To place upon their necks the servile yoke,  
And bondage, force them blow the field of Mars,  
Till in the furrows I have sowed the teeth  
Of vipers, from which men in armour grow  
To enter combat with the sleepless Dragon,  
And maugre him fetch thence the golden Fleece.  
All this Oetes, I am priest to achieve  
Against these horrid tasks my life to engage  
bulls fury, viper's poison, dragon's rage.  Medea. 
Such a bold spirit, and noble presence linked,  
Never before were seen in Phasis Isle,  
Colchos be proud, a Prince demands thy Fleece,  
Richer than that he comes for; let the Greeks  
Our Phasian wealth and Oetes' treasure bear,  
So they in lieu will leave me jason here.  Oetes. 
Princes, you aim at dangers more in proof  
Then in report, which if you should behold  
In their true figure, would amaze your spirits:  
Yea, terrify the Gods; let me advise you,  
As one that knows their terror, to desist  
Ere you enwrap yourself into these perils,  
Whence there is no evasion.  Herc. 
Oetes, know  
Peril's a babe, the greater dangers threaten  
The greater is his honour that breaks through.  
Have we in th' Ago rowed with sixty oars  
And at each Oar a Prince; pierced Samothrace,  
The chersonesan sea, the Hellespont;  
Even to the waves that break on Colchos shores?  
And Shall we with dishonour turn to Greece?  
Know Oetes, not the least of sixty Heroes  
That now are in thy Confines, but thy monsters  
Dare quell and baffle.  Tellamon. 
Much more Hercules.  Oetes. 
Hercules.  jason. 
Starts Oetes at the name of Hercules,  
What would he do to see him in his eminence;  
But leaving that, this must be jasons quest,  
A work not worthy him; where be these monsters?  Medea. 
May all enchantments be confined to hell,  
Rather than he encounter fiends so fell.  Oetes. 
Princes, since you will needs attempt these dangers  
You shall; and if achieve the Golden Fleece  
Transport it where you please, mean time, this day  
Repose yourselves, we'll feast you in our Palace.  
Tomorrow morning with the rising Sun,  
Our golden prize shall be conserved or won.  Exit. Medea. 
If he attempts he dies, what's that to me?  
Why should Medea fear a stranger's life?  
Or what's that jason I should dread his fall?  
If he o'ercome, my father's glory wanes,  
And all our fortunes must reward his pains.  
Let Jason perish then, and Colchos flourish.  
Our pristine glories let us still enjoy,  
And these our brass-head bulls the Prince destroy.  
Oh! what distraction's this within me bred,  
Although he die, I would not see him dead?  
The best I see, the worst I follow still,  
He near wronged me, why should I wish him ill?  
Shall the Bulls toss him whom Medea loves,  
A tigress, not a Princess, should I prove?  
To see him tortured whom I dearly love?  
be then a torturess to thy father's life,  
A robber of the clime where thou wast bred,  
And for some straggler that hath lost his way,  
Thy father's Kingdom and his State betray.  
Tush, these are nothing, first his faith I'll crave,  
That covenant made, him by enchantments fave  Enter jason. jason. 
My task is above strength, Duke Peleus sent me  
Not to achieve, but die in this pursuit,  
And to prevent the Oracle that told him  
I must succeed; jason bethink thee then  
Thou com'st to execution, not to act  
Things above man; I have observed Medea  
Retort upon me many an amorous look,  
Of which I'll study to make prosperous use.  
If by her art the Enchantments I can bind  
Immured with death, I certain safety find.  Medea. 
Shall I o'erwhelm upon my captive head,  
The curse of all our Nation, the crowns ruin?  
Clamours of men, and women's loud exclaims.  
Burnings of children; the universal curse  
Of a great people, all to save one man,  
A straggler (God knows whence derived, where borne,  
Or hither where Noble? let the proud Greek die,  
we still in Colchos sit instated high  
Oh me! that look upon Medea cast  
Drowns all these fears, and hath the rest surpassed.  jason. 
Madam, because I love I pity you,  
That you a beauteous Lady, artful wise,  
Should have your beauty and your wisdom both  
enveloped in a cloud of Barbarism:  
That on these barren Confines you should live,  
Confined into an Angle of the world.  
And ne'er see that which is the world indeed,  
Fertile and populous Greece, Greece that bears men,  
Such as resemble Gods, of which in us  
You see the most dejected, and the meanest.  
How harshly doth your wisdom sound in th'ears  
Of these Barbarians, dull, unapprehensible,  
And such, in not conceiving your hid Arts,  
Deprive them of their honour; In Greece springs  
The fountains of Divine Philosophy,  
They are all understanders; I would have you  
Bright Lady with us, enter to that world  
Of which this Colchos is no part at all.  
Show then your beauty to these judging eyes,  
Your wisdom to these understanding ears.  
In which they shall receive their merited grace,  
And leave this barren, cold, and sterile place.  Medea. 
His presence without all this Oratory  
Did much with us, but where they both conjoin  
To entrap Medea, she must needs be caught.  jason. 
I long to see this Colchian Lady clad  
In Hymen's stateliest robes, whom the glad Matrons,  
Bright Ladies, and Imperial Queens of Greece  
Shall welcome and applaud, and with rich gifts  
Present, for saving of their sons and kinsmen  
From these infernal monsters: As for jason  
If you Medea shall despise his love,  
He craves no other life then to die so,  
Since life without you is but torturing pain,  
And death to men distressed is double gain.  Medea. 
That tongue more than Medea's spells enchants,  
And not a word, but like our exorcisms  
And power of charms prevails, Oh lone! thy Majesty  
Is greater than the triple Hecate's,  
Bewitching Circe's, or these hidden skills,  
Ascribed unto th'infernal Proserpine.  
I that by incantations can remove  
Hills from their sits, and make huge mountains shake,  
Darken the Sun at noon, call from their graves  
Ghosts long since dead, that can command the earth,  
And affright heaven, no spell at all can find  
To bondage love, or free a captive mind.  jason. 
Love jason then, and by thy Divine aid,  
Give me such power, that I may tug unscorched  
Amidst the flames with these thy fiery fiends,  
That I unvenomed may these viper's teeth  
Cast from my hand, through Morpheus leaden charms,  
Over that wakeful snake that guards the Fleece,  
For which live jasons happy Bride in Greece.  Medea. 
A match, what herbs or spells, what Magic can  
Command in heaven, earth, or in hell below,  
What either air, or sea can minister,  
To guard thy person, all these helps I'll gather  
To girdle thee with safety.  jason. 
Be thou then  
For ever jasons, and through Greece renowned  
In whom our Heroes have such safety found,  
Our bargain thus I seal.  He kisseth her. Medea. 
Which I'll make good  
With Colchos fall, and with my father's blood.  Enter Absyrtus Absyr. 
Prince jason, all the Heroes at the banquet  
Inquire for you, twice hath my father Oetes  
Made search for you; Oh sister!  Medea. 
No word you saw us two in conference.  Absyr. 
Do you take me to be a woman, to tell all I see,  
And blab all I know, I that am in hope one day to  
Lie with a woman, will once lie for a woman,  
Sister, I saw you not.  jason. 
Remember; come Prince, will you lead the way?  Absyr. 
I have parted you that never parted fray  
Come sir will you follow.  Exit. Manet Medea. Medea. 
The night grows on, and now to my black Arts,  
Goddess of witchcraft and dark ceremony,  
To whom the elves of Hills, of Brooks, of Groves,  
Of standing lakes, and caverns vaulted deep  
Are ministers; three-headed Hecate  
Lend me thy Chariot drawn with winged snakes,  
For I this night must progress through the Air.  
What simples grow in Tempe of Thessaly,  
Mount Pindus, Otheris, Ossa, Appidane,  
olympus, Caucas. or high Teneriff.  
I must select to finish this great work,  
Thence must I fly unto Amphrisus' Fords,  
And gather plants by the swift Sperchius' streams,  
Where rushy Bebes, and Anthedon flow,  
Where herbs of bitter juice and strong scent grow;  
These must I with the hairs of Mandrake's use,  
Temper with Poppy-seeds and Hemlock juice:  
With Aconitum that in Tartar springs,  
With Cypress, Ewe, and Vervin, and these mix  
With Incantations, Spells, and Exorcisms  
Of wondrous power and virtue; oh thou night,  
Mother of dark Arts hide me in thy vail,  
Whilst I those banks search, and these mountains scale.  Sound. Enter King Oetes, Absyrtus, and Lords. Oetes. 
Upon the safeguard of this golden Fleece  
Colchos depends, and he that bears it hence  
Bears with it all our fortunes; the Argonautes  
Have it in quest, if Jason scape our monsters  
I'll rather at some banquet poison him,  
And quaff to him his death, or in the night  
Set fire upon his Argo, and in flames  
Consume the happy hope of his return,  
This purpose we, as we are Colchos King,  
Absyrtus where's your sister?  Absyrtus. 
In her chamber.  Oetes. 
When you next see her give to her this note,  
The manner of our practice, her fell hand  
Cannot be missed in this, but it shall fall  
Heavy on these that Colchos seeks to thrall.  
The hour draws nigh, the people throng on heaps,  
To this adventure in the field of Mars,  
And noble jason armed with his good shield,  
Is up already and demands the field.  Enter jason, Hercules, and the Argonauts. jason. 
Oetes, I come thus armed, demanding combat  
Of all those monsters that defend thy Fleece:  
And to these dangers singly, I oppose  
My person as thou seest, when setst thou ope  
The gates of hell to let thy devils out?  
Glad would I wrestle with thy fiery Bulls,  
And from their throats the flaming dewlaps tear.  
Unchain them, and to jason turn them lose,  
That as Alcides did to Achelous;  
So from their hard fronts I may tear there horns,  
And lay the yoke upon their untamed necks.  Oetes. 
Yet valiant Greek desist, I, though a stranger  
Pity thy youth, or if thou wilt persist  
So dreadful is the adventure thou pursuest,  
That thou wilt think I shall unbowel hell,  
Macle the fiends, and make a passage  
Free for the Infernals.  jason. 
I shall welcome all.  
Medea now if there be power in love;  
Or force in Magic; if thou hast or will  
Or Art, try all the power of Characters,  
Virtue of Simples, Stones, or hidden spells,  
If earth Elves, or nimble airy Spirits,  
Charms, Incantations, or dark Exorcisms.  
If any strength remain in Pyromancy,  
Or the hid secrets of the air or fire.  
If the moons sphere can any help infuse,  
Or any influent Star, collect them all  
That I by thy aid may these monsters thrall.  Oetes. 
Discover them.  Two fiery Bulls are discovered, the Fleece hanging over them, and the Dragon sleeping beneath them: Medea with strange fiery-works, hangs above in the Air in the strange habit of a Coniuresse. Medea. 
The hidden power of Earth, Air, Water, Fire,  
Shall from this place to jasons help conspire.  
Fire withstand fire, and magic temper flame,  
By my strong spells the savage monster's tame:  
So, that's performed, now take the viper's teeth  
And sow them in the furrowed field of Mars.  
Of which strange seed, men ready armed must grow  
To assault jason. Already from beneath  
Their deadly pointed weapons 'gin to appear,  
And now their heads, thus moulded in the earth,  
Straight way shall teem; and having freed their fate  
(The stalks by which they grow) all violently  
Pursue the valiant Greek, but by my sorcery  
I'll turn their armed points against themselves  
And all these slaves that would on jason fly  shouts 
Shall wound themselves and by sedition die.  
Yet thrives the Greek, now kill the sleeping snake  
Which I have charmed, and thence the Trophy take,  
These shouts witness his conquest, I'll descend,  
Hear jasons fears and all my charms take end.  Hercules. 
Oetes, how is this rich and precious Fleece,  
By jasons sword repurchased, and must turn  
Unto the place whence Phrixus brought his Ram.  Oetes. 
That practice by your ruins; I'll prevent,  
And sooner than with that return to Greece,  
Your slaughtered bodies leave with this rich fleece.  jason. 
Since our adventure is achieved and done,  
The prize is ours, we seize what we have won.  Oetes. 
Enjoy it jason, I admire thy worth,  
Which as it hath exceeded admiration,  
So must we needs applaud it. Noble gentlemen.  
Depart not Colchos, ere your worths and valour  
We with some rich and worthy gifts present.  
The conquest of our Bulls, and dragon's death,  
(Though we esteemed them) yet they sad us not,  
Since we behold the safety of this prince.  
Enter our palace, and your praise sound high,  
Where you shall feast, (or all by treason die.)  Exeunt Absyr. 
I have not seen my sister today, I muse she hath not been at this solemnity, methinks she should not have lost this triumph; I have a note to deliver her from my father. Here she comes.  Enter Medea. 
Sister, peruse this brief, you know the character,  
It is my fathers. This is all.  Exit. She reads. Medea. 
jason with his Argonauts this night must perish, the fleece not be transported to Greece— Medea, your assistance.  
This is my father's plot to overthrow  
Prince jason, and the noble Argonauts,  
Which I'll prevent: I know the King is sudden,  
And if prevention be delayed, they die:  
I that have ventured thus far for a love,  
Even to these arts that Nature would have hid  
As dangerous and forbidden, shall I now  
Undo what I have done, through womanish fear,  
Paternal duty, or for filial love?  
No jason, thou art mine, and my desire,  
Shall wade with thee through blood, through seas, through fire.  Enter jason. jason. 
Madam.  Medea. 
My Lord, I know what you would say,  
Think now upon your life, the King my father  
Intends your ruin, to redeem the fleece,  
And it repurchase with your tragic deaths:  
Therefore assemble all your Argonauts,  
And let them (in the silence of the night)  
Launch from the Colchian harbour; I'll associate you  
As jasons bride.  jason. 
You are my patroness,  
And under you I triumph: when the least  
Of all these graces I forget, the God's  
Revenge on me my hated perjury.  
Must we then launch this night? you are my directress,  
And by your art I'll manage all my actions.  Medea. 
Then fly, I'll send to see your Argo trimmed,  
rigged and made tied: night comes, the time grows on:  
High then aboard.  jason. 
I shall.  Exit. Medea. 
Now populous Greece,  
Thank us (not jason) for this conquered fleece.  Enter Oetes. Oetes. 
Medea, we are robbed, despoiled, dishonoured,  
Our Fleece rapt hence, we must not suffer it,  
Since all our ominous fortunes it includes,  
I am resolved jason this night shall die.  Medea. 
Should he survive, you might be held unworthy  
The name of King; my hand shall be as deep  
As yours in his destruction.  Oetes. 
A strong guard  
I will select, and in the dead of night,  
When they are sunk in Lethe, set upon them,  
And kill them in their beds.  Medea. 
I'll second you,  
And lave my stained hands in their reeking bloods  
That practise your dishonour.  Oetes. 
jason then dies,  
When he most hopes for this rich Colchian prize.  Exit. Medea. 
But ere the least of all these ills betide,  
This Colchian strand shall with thy blood be died.  
For jason and his Argonauts I stand,  
And will protect them with my art and hand.  Enter jason with the Fleece, and all the Greeks muffled. jason. 
Madam.  Medea. 
Leave circumstance, away,  
Hoist up your sails, death and destruction  
Attends you on the shore.  jason. 
You'll follow Madam.  Exit. Medea. 
Instantly: Blow gentle gales, assist them winds and tide,  
That I may Greece see, & live jasons bride.  Enter Absyrtus. Absyr. 
How now sister, so solitary?  Medea. 
Oh happy met, though it be late Absyrtus,  
You must along with me.  Absyr. 
Whither pray?  Medea. 
I'll tell you as we walk.  
This lad between me and all harm shall stand;  
And if the King pursue us with his Fleet,  
His mangled limbs shall (scattered in the way)  
Work our escape, and the king's speed delay.  
Come brother.  Absyr. 
anywhere with you sister.  exeunt. Enter HOMER. Hom. 
Let none to whom true Art is not denied,  
Our monstrous Bulls, and magic Snakes deride.  
Some think this rich Fleece was a golden Book,  
The leaves of parchment, or the skins of Rams,  
Which did include the Art of making gold  
By Chemic skill, and therefore rightly stilled,  
The Golden Fleece, which to attain and compass,  
Includes as many travels, mysteries,  
Changes and Chemic bodies, fires and monsters,  
As ever jason could in Colchos meet.  
The sages, and the wise, to keep their Art  
From being vulgar: yet to have them tasted  
With appetite and longing, give those glosses,  
And flourishes to shadow what they write,  
Which might (at once) breed wonder and delight.  
So did th' Egyptians in the Arts best tried,  
In hieroglyphics all their Science hide.  
But to proceed, the Argonauts are fled,  
Whom the enraged Oetes doth pursue,  
And being in sight, Medea takes the head  
Of young Absyrtus, whom (unkind) she slew,  
And all his other limbs straws in the way  
Of the old father, his pursuit to stay.  The Show. 
In memory of this inhuman deed,  
These Islands where his slaughtered limbs lie spread,  
Were called Absyrtides: But we proceed  
With King Laomedon, 'gainst whom are led  
The Argonauts, Troy by Alcides razed,  
Asks the next place, and must in rank be placed.  Enter Laomedon, Priam, Anchises, Aeneas, Hesione, etc. Lao. 
The Argonauts returned?  Anchi. 
They are my Lord:  Lao. 
And landed?  Anchi. 
Landed.  Lao. 
Where?  Anchi. 
At Tenedos.  Lao. 
Could not those Colchian monsters in their bowels  
Bury the Greeks, but must they all survive  
To threat us with invasion. Speak Anchises,  
March they towards Troy?  Anchis. 
In conduct of the mighty Hercules,  
Wasting with sword and fire where ere they march:  
Scamander fields they have strewed with carcases,  
And Simois streams already purpled are  
With blood of Trojans.  Priam. 
Let us give them battle.  Lao. 
In vain, our forces are dispersed abroad,  
Nor have we order to withstand their fury:  
Best were we to immure ourselves in Troy,  
And trust unto the virtue of our walls.  Shouts. Aeneas. 
Do not delay your safety, you may hear  
Their cries, and lofty clamours, threatening Troy:  
They dog us to our gates, and without speed  
And expedition, they will enter with us.  
Come then, our threatened lives we will immure,  
And think us in our strong built walls secure.  Exeunt. After an alarm enter Hercules, jason, Theseus, Telamon, and all the other Argonauts. Herc. 
Pursue the chase even to the gates of Troy,  
Then call th'ingrate Laomedon to parley.  jason. 
The perjured King shall pay us for the wrong  
Done to Alcides in his promised steeds.  Telam. 
Better he had the monster had devoured  
His beauteous daughter, then t'abide our furies.  Nestor. 
He did exclude our virtue from the City,  
And now therefore he shall admit our fury.  Castor. 
These walls first reared at the great God's expense,  
we'll ruin to the earth: let's summon him.  Herc. 
We will call him to parley.  A parley. Enter upon the walls, Laomedon, Anchises, Aeneas, Priam, etc. Herc. 
Laomedon, we do not summon thee  
To parley, but to warn thee guard thy walls,  
Which (without pause) we now intend to scale.  Laom. 
Wilt hear me Hercules?  Herc. 
I listened thy perjurious tongue too late.  
Scale, batter, mount, assault, sack, and deface,  
And leave (of Troy) nought save the name and place.  Alarm. Telamon first mounts the walls, the rest after, Priam flies, Laomedon is slain by Hercules, Hesione taken, Enter with victory. Herc. 
Thus is the tyrant, that but late awed Troy,  
Buried amidst his ruins; he chastised,  
And we revenged: the spoil of this rich Town  
Rated as high as jasons Colchian prize,  
You shall divide: but first these lofty walls,  
Builded by perjury, and maintained by pride,  
we'll ruin to the earth: Who saw young Priam?  jason. 
he's fled, and took the way to Samothrace,  
With him Anchises, that on Venus got  
The young Aeneas, they are fled together,  
And left the spoil of all the town to us.  Herc. 
Which shall enrich Thebes, and the towns of Greece,  
And Telamon, to do thy valour right,  
For mounting first over the walls of Troy,  
The first and choice of all the spoil be thine.  Telam. 
Then let Alcides honour Telamon  
With this bright Lady, fair Hesione,  
Sister to Priam, daughter to Laomedon,  
Whose beauty I prefer before the state  
And wealth of Troy.  Herc. 
Receive her Telamon,  
She is thine own by gift of Hercules.  Telam. 
A present more delighting Telamon,  
Then were I made Lord of high Ilium's Towers,  
And heir unto the dead Laomedon.  Hesio. 
I am a Princess, shall my father's ills  
Fall on my head? If he offended Hercules,  
He hath made satisfaction with his life.  
Oh be not so severe, to stretch his punishment  
Even after life; hast thou from death redeemed me,  
To give me captive, and to slave my youth?  
Things worse than death: rather let Hercules  
Expose me to the rock, where first he found me,  
To abide the wrath both of the Sea and Sun.  
Oh! rather make my body food for monsters,  
Then brand my birth with bondage.  Telam. 
Fair Hesione,  
I will not lose thy beauty, nor thy youth,  
Nor part with this my honour, couldst thou give me  
For ransom of them, both our Argoes crammed  
With gold and gems; you are my valour's prize,  
And shall with me to populous Salamine.  Hesione. 
Can you so wrong the daughter of a king,  
To give her as a Duke's base Concubine?  
Touch me not Telamon, for I divine,  
I fear my brother Priam rebuild Troy,  
And be the king of Asia, he'll revenge  
This base dishonour done Hesione;  
And for his sister, ravished hence perforce,  
Do the like outrage on some Grecian Queen,  
In just revenge of my injurious wrong.  Herc. 
Should all the kings in Asia, or the world,  
Take part with Priam in that proud design,  
Like fate, like fortune with Laomedon  
They shall abide: renowned Telamon,  
She is the warlike purchase of thy sword,  
Enjoy her as the gift of Hercules.  
And now brave Grecian Hero's, let's towards Greece  
With all these honoured spoils from Colchos brought  
And from the treasures of defaced Troy.  
Fair Deianeira longs for us in Thebes,  
Whom we will visit next, and thence proceed  
Unto our future labours. Cacus lives  
A bloody tyrant, whom we must remove:  
And the three-headed Geryon sways in Spain,  
Notorious for his rapes and outrages;  
Both these must perish by Alcides' hand,  
And when we can the earth from tyrants clear,  
In the world's utmost bounds our pillars rear. exit  HOMER. 
Loath are we (courteous auditors) to cloy  
Your appetites with viands of one taste,  
The beauteous Venus we must next employ,  
Whom we saw mourning for Adonis last.  
Suppose her still for the young Adon sad,  
But cheered by Mars, their old loves they renew,  
And she, that (whilst he lived) preferred the Lad,  
Hath quite forgot him, since the Boar him slew.  
Mars is in grace, a meeting they devise,  
jealous of all, but fearing most the Sun,  
He that sees all things from his first uprise,  
And like a blab, tells all that he knows done.  
Our mortals must a while their spleens assuage,  
And to the Gods, for this Act, leave the Stage.  Enter Mars and Venus. Mars. 
I knew loves Queen could not be long unkind,  
Though (whilst I absent, to teach Arms in Thrace)  
You took th'advantage to forget your Mars,  
To dote on Adon, and Anchises too;  
Yet (those worn out) let us renew our loves,  
And practise our first amorous dalliance.  Venus. 
How can I hate; that am the Queen of love?  
Or practise aught against my native power?  
As I one day, played with my Cupid's shafts,  
The wanton with his arrow razed my skin.  
Trust me, at first I did neglect the smart:  
At length it rankled, and it grew unsound,  
Till he that now lies wounded, cured my wound.  Mars. 
Come shall we now, whilst Vulcan plies his forge,  
Sweats at his Anvil, chokes himself with dust,  
And labours at his bellows, kiss and toy?  Venus. 
Why met we else? Here is a place remote,  
An obscure cave, fit for our amorous sport:  
In this dark cavern we'll securely rest,  
And Mars shall add unto my Vulcan's crest.  
But how if we be spied?  Mars. 
Whom need we fear?  
Unless the Sun, who now the lower world  
Lights with his beams; I mean the Antipodes,  
The tell-tale blab is busy now elsewhere:  
And I will set to watch at the caves door,  
My trusty groom, who (ere the Sun shall rise  
With his bright beams to light our Hemisphere)  
Shall waken us.  Venus. 
For all the world I would not have the Sun  
Discover our sweet sport, or see what's done.  Mars. 
Be that my charge. where's Gallus?  Enter Gallus. Gal. 
At hand fir: I am not that Gallows that is made of three trees, or one that is never without hangers on: nor that Gallus that is latin for a Frenchman; but your own Gallus gallinacius, servant and true squire to God Mars.  Mars. 
sirrah, you know this Lady.  Gallus. 
Yes, Mistress Vulcan, she is as well known in Paphos here for her Meretrix, as any Lady in the land, she was the first that devised stewed meat, and proclaimed pickle-oysters to be good for the back; she is the first that taught wenches the trade of Venery, and such as were borne to nothing but beauty, she taught them how to use their Talon: Yes, I know her I warrant you.  Mars. 
sirrah attend, this night yond Queen and I  
Must have some private conference, in yond cave,  
Where whilst we stay, 'tmust be thy care to watch  
That no suspicious eye pry through these chinks,  
Especially I warn thee of the Suns.  Gallus. 
I smell knavery, if my Lady Venus play the whore  
What am I that keep the door?  Mars. 
See thou do call us, ere the Sun uprise,  
But sleep not for by all my Arms I swear,  
If by thy careless sloth, or negligence  
We be describe, thy body I'll translate,  
To some strange Monster.  Gallus, 
I'm hard favoured enough already, you need not  
Make my face worse than it is.  Mars. 
Come enter then fair Queen, we are secure,  
Now safely mayst thou clasp the God of war,  
Spite of Sun, Moon, or a jealous star.  Venus. 
Love answers love, desire with ardour meets,  
Both which this night shall taste a thousand sweets.  Exeunt. Gallus. 
I see you can make shift to go to't without sheets: How shall I pass this night away till morning, I am as drowsy as a dormouse, the very thought that I must wake, charms me asleep already, I would I durst venture on a nap; heigh ho, sure I may wake again afore they rise, and never the wiser, I will stand to't, there is not a more sleepy trade in the world than a watchman, nor one that is more acquainted with deeds of darkness, tell me of the Sun! the Sun will not rise this two hours; well, let them watch that will, or can, I must have a nod or two, God night to you all, for here am I fast till morning.  Enter Aurora, attended with Seasons, Days, and Hours. Aurora. 
The day-star shines and calls me blushing up.  
From Tithon's bed to harness Phoebus Steeds.  
My roseate fingers have already stroked  
The element where light begins to appear,  
And straight Apollo with his glistering beams,  
Will guild the East, the Seasons, Months, and Days  
Attend him in the palace of the Sun.  
The Hours have brought his Chariot to the gate  
Of Crystal, where the sun-god mounts his throne,  
His fiery Steeds have all their traces fet,  
Th'unruly stallions fed with Ambrosy  
(With their round hooves shod with the purest gold)  
Thunder against the Marble floors of Heaven,  
And wait till Phoebus hath but donned his beams,  
Which I the blushing Morning still put on.  
And now's the hour (for thus time fleeteth still)  
That the Suns up to climb the Eastern hill.  Enter Phoebus to them, kisses Aurora, and they all exeunt. Phoebus. 
Beauteous Aurora, for full twice twelve hours  
Till in my sphere I have compassed round the world  
Farewell, I with my beams will dry these tears  
Thou sheddest at parting; we have chased hence night,  
And frighted all the twinkling stars from heaven,  
And now the steep olympus we must climb,  
Till from the high Meridian we peruse  
The spacious bounds of this large universe,  
And thence decline our Chariot towards the West,  
Till we have washed our Coach-steeds and ourself  
In Ister's icy streams: we with this eye  
Can all things see that mortals do on earth,  
And what we find inhuman, or to offend,  
we tell to jove, that he may punish sins.  
For this I am termed a tell-tale and a blab,  
And that I nothing can conceal abroad.  
But let spite spit the worst and wrong me still,  
Day hateth sins, and light despiseth ill.  He spies Mars & Venus. 
And now behold a most abhorred deed,  
Mars beds with Venus, shall not Vulcan know it?  
By my light he shall; I have seen, and I will tell,  
The Sun hates sin but crowns them that do well.  Exit. Enter Mars. Mars. 
Venus awake, we have o'erslept ourselves,  
The sun's above in his diurnal task,  
I saw his piercing beams pry through a cranny,  
And cast his right eye full upon our bed.  Enter Venus. Venus. 
We are betrayed, the blab will tell the Smith,  
Our love will come to th'ear of Jupiter  
And all the other Gods, what will Diana  
Say when she hears of our inchastity?  
Or how will juno take this spouse-breach from us?  Mars. 
Nay rather, how will Vulcan taste our sport?  
He might suspect, but never prove till now,  
Where is the villain Gallus set to watch?  Venus. 
See where he snorts, the slave is dead asleep.  Mars. 
Awake thou drowsy Groom, thy chastisement  
Shall exceed torture.  Gallus. 
hay ho, what's the matter there, ha?  Mars. 
Look, hast thou eyes? is not the Sun two hours  
Mounted aloft? hath he not seen thee sleeping  
At the Caves door, Yea beheld us too?  Gallus. 
More shame for him to look in at anybody's window.  Mars. 
Speak, how canst thou excuse this?  Gallus. 
Oh great God Mars.  Mars. 
Behold, this is thy doom, thy negligence  
Thus I'll chastise, thou shalt thy human shape  
Henceforth forego, I will translate thy body  
Into a bird shall ever bear thy name,  
be Gallus still, a Cock, and be thy nature  
Ever hereafter this; to watch the Sun,  
And by thy crows and clamours warn the world  
Two hours before he rise, that the Sun comes  
Clap with thy wings, and with thy shrieking loud,  
Proclaim his coming when thou thrice hast crowed.  Gallius sinks, and in his place riseth a Cock and crows. Venus. 
The slaves right served, let this his punishment  
Live to all ages, and let Gallius name  
Thy just revenge to all the world proclaim.  
But whither shall we now?  Mars. 
I will to Thrace, go you to Lemnos.  Venus. 
Will you leave me then  
To Vulcan's rage, no let us once more meet  
In Paphos, and if Vulcan needs will chide  
Give him some cause.  Mars. 
Content fair Queen of love.  
For more, he cannot be much more displeased,  
Let's score on still, and make our reckoning full,  
As yet. alas fair Queen, the debts but small,  
Make up the sum, and answer once for all.  Venus. 
Content sweet Mars, and since that he was borne  
To be a Cuckold, let's augment his horn.  Exeunt. Enter Vulcan with two Ciclops, Pyragman, and Berontes. Vulcan. 
Make haste with that shield, see't hammered well,  
For when 'tis done I'll give't my father jove,  
'Tis of the purest metal Lemnos yields.  Pyrag. 
I shall sir, must the plate of two cubes high,  
Be put into the Forge?  Vulcan. 
Pyragmon yes, that mass must be wrought well  
And soundly tempered, bid your fellow Cyclops  
Work lustily, it must be soon dispatched.  Pyrag. 
When saw you my Lady Venus?  Vulcan. 
No matter when, the housewife's too fine fingered,  
And saith, the very smoke my forge doth cast  
Chokes her, the very air of Lemnos (man)  
Blasts her white cheeks, she scarce will let me kiss her,  
But she makes vergisse faces, saith my visage  
Smuged thus with coaldust, doth infect her beauty,  
And makes her wear a beard, she's, sure, in Paphos,  
Cypress, or Candy, she's all for play  
Whilst we jove's thunder's hammer hard all day.  Pyrag. 
I heard her once mock that polt-foot of yours  
How came it pray?  Vulcan, 
I'll tell thee man, I was when I was borne  
A pretty smug knave, and my father jove  
Delighted much to dance me in his lap.  
Upon a time as he was toying with me  
In his high house above, that Phaeton  
Had at that instant set the world afire,  
My father when he saw heavens bases smoke,  
Th'earth burn, and Neptune's broth to seethe with heat;  
But startles up to thunderstrike the lad,  
And lets me fall: down tumbled I towards the earth:  
I fell through all the Planets by degrees,  
From Saturn first, so by the Moon at last:  
And from the Moon down into Lemnos Isle  
Where I still live, and halt upon my fall,  
No marvel if't lamed me, for, Pyragmon.  
How high I tumbled, who can guess aright,  
Falling a Summer's day from morn tonight?  Pyrag. 
'Twas marvel you did not break your neck.  Vulcan. 
Had I not been derived from Godlike seed,  
Trust me Pyragmon I had done't indeed.  The Cock crows and enter Phoebus. 
But to the Forge, for I Apollo spy,  
He that sees all things with the days bright eye.  
Good morrow Phoebus, what's the news abroad?  
For thou seest all things in the world are done,  
Men act by daylight, or the sight of Sun.  Phoebus. 
Sometime I cast mine eye upon the sea,  
To see the tumbling Seal, or Porpoise play,  
There see I Merchants trading, and their sails  
Big bellied with the wind; sea fights some times  
Rise with their smoke, thick clouds to dark my beams.  
Sometimes, I fix my face upon the earth  
With my warm fervour, to give metals, trees,  
Herbs, plants, and flowers life; here in gardens walk  
Loose Ladies with their lovers arm in arm,  
Yonder the labouring Ploughman drives his Teem.  
Further, I may behold main battles pitched,  
And whom I favour most (by the winds help)  
I can assist with my transparent rays.  
Here, spy I Cattle feeding, Forests there  
Stored with wild beasts; here Shepherds with their lasses  
Piping beneath the trees, whilst their flocks graze.  
In Cities, I see trading, walking, bargaining,  
Buying, and selling, goodness, badness, all things.  
And shine alike on all.  Vulcan. 
Thrice happy Phoebus,  
That whilst poor Vulcan is confined to Lemnos  
Hast every day these pleasures. What news else.  Phoebus: 
No Emperor walks forth, but I see his State,  
Nor sports, but I his pastimes can behold,  
I see all Coronations, Funerals,  
Marts, Fairs, Assemblies, Pageants, Sights; and Shows.  
No hunting, but I better see the chase  
Than they that rouse the game, what see not I?  
There's not a window but my beams breaks in,  
No think or cranny but my rays pierce through,  
And there I see (oh Vulcan) wondrous things.  
Things that thyself nor any God beside  
Would give belief to.  Vul. 
What, good Phoebus speak.  Phoe. 
Here, wantons on their day-beds, I see spread  
Clasping their amorous lovers in their arms,  
Who even before my face, are not sometimes  
Ashamed to show all.  Vulcan. 
Could not god Phoebus bring me to see this pastime.  Phoebus. 
Sometimes even mean fellows  
a-bed with noble Ladies whom they serve,  
Servant with servant, married men with maids,  
And wives with Bachelors.  Vulcan. 
There's simple doing.  Phoebus. 
And shall I tell thee Vulcan, other day  
What I beheld, I saw the great God Mars.  Vulcan. 
God Mars.  Phoebus. 
As I was peeping through a cranny; a bed.  Vulcan. 
A bed; with whom? some pretty wench I warrant.  PHoebus. 
she was a pretty wench.  Vulcan. 
Tell me good Phoebus,  
That when I meet him, I may flout God Mars,  
Tell me, but tell me truly on thy life.  Phoebus. 
Not to dissemble Vulcan, 'twas thy wife!  Vulcan. 
Out on her whore, out on him Cuckold-maker,  
Phoebus I'll be revenge on great God Mars,  
Who, whilst I hammer here his swords and shields,  
Hammers upon my head, I will complain  
To jove, and all the Gods, and tell them flat  
I am a Cuckold.  Phoe. 
Vulcan be advised,  
I have had notice where they use to meet,  
Couldst not devise to catch them by some wile?  
And lay their guilt, wide open to the Gods,  
Then mightst thou have fit colour of complaint.  Vulcan. 
Enough, I have devised a secret snare,  
A draw-net, which I'll place upon the Couch  
Where they still use to bed, a wire so tempered,  
And of such fineness to deceive the eye.  
So catch them when they are at it, and by this  
I may presume, and be sure I am Cuckold.  Phoebus. 
That's the way to be satisfied.  Vulcan. 
If I can catch them, all the Gods I'll call  
To see my wrongs, there sports I'll near to mar,  
And venge me on that lecherous God of war.  Enter the Nymph, Cloris, with two more, with flowers in their laps. 1. Nym. 
Cloris, you are the Nymph whose office is  
To strew fair Venus' bed with herbs and flowers,  
Here is the place she means to sport herself.  Clo. 
I am the handmaid to the Queen of love,  
And unto all her pleasures minister,  
When she drinks Nectar, 'tis from Cloris hand,  
If feed on sweet Ambrotia, or those fruits  
That Cornucopia yields, I serve them up,  
Come let us with fresh Roses strew her Couch  
With pansies and the buds of Eglantine,  
Her pillow is the purple Violet bank,  
About whose verges the blanched Lilies grow,  
Whose bodies twined about with woodbine leaves  
Make a confused sweetness, so 'tis well,  
Come Venus when she please to take her rest,  
Her Arbour's dight, and all things well addressed.  Enter Vulcan and Pyragmon with his net of wire. Vulcan. 
By her bawd Charis, this I know the place,  
Which with adulterate pastimes they pollute.  
Here will I set my pitfall for these birds,  
And catch them in the closure of this wire,  
So, so, als fit, my snare in order placed,  
Happy the time, that I this Charis traced.  Enter Mars and Venus. Mars. 
Once more in spite of Phoebus and these eyes,  
That dog our pastimes, we are closely met,  
And whilst the Cuckold Vulcan blows the fire,  
Our amorous souls their sportive bliss conspire.  Venus. 
he's limping thus, and like a cripple halts  
From Forge to Furnace; where were Venus' eyes,  
When she made choice of that foul polt-foot Smith,  
He smells all smoke, and with his nasty sweat  
Tawnies my skin, out on him ugly knave,  
Mars is my love, and he my sweets shall have.  Vulcan. 
Gramercy my kind wife.  Venus. 
Come God of war,  
I'll teach thee a new skirmish, better far  
Than thy stern battles, meet me with a kiss  
Which I retort thus, there's spirit in this,  
What's he would play the coward and turn face,  
When such sweet amorous combats are in place?  
My hot encounters, leave me wound nor scar  
Yet naked I dare meet the God of War.  Vulcan. 
Out of her Whore.  Mars. 
I am armed for thee, prepare thee, for this night  
I'll breast to breast dare thee to single fight.  Venus. 
Come tumble in my lap, great Mars I dare  
To do his worst.  Vulcan catcheth them fast in his net. Vul. 
'Tis well, your sports are fair.  Mars. 
Betrayed? bound? catched? release me, or by jove,  
Thou diest whate'er thou art.  Vul. 
God Mars, good words;  
This is a fight in which you use no swords.  
You have left your steel behind.  Ven. 
Sweet vulcan.  Vulc. 
No more.  Venus. 
Canst thou use Venus thus?  Vul. 
Away you whore,  
I'll keep you fast, and call the Gods to see  
Your practice, Neptune, jove, and Mercury,  
Phoebus and juno, from your spheres look down,  
And see the cause I wear a forked crown.  All the Gods appear above, and laugh, jupiter, juno, Phoebus, Mercury, Neptune. Mars. 
The Gods are all spectators of our shame,  
And laugh at us.  Venus. 
Oh! I could cry for anger.  
Sweet Vulcan let me lose. Vulc. When Gods and men  
Have seen thy shame, but (strumpet) not till then.  Iup. 
See how Mars chafes.  Iun. 
But Venus weeps for rage  Nept. 
Why should Mars fret? if it so tedious be,  
Good God of war bestow thy place on me.  Merc. 
By all the Gods, would she do me that grace,  
I would fall to't even before Vulcan's face.  Vul. 
To Gods and men let it be fully known  
I am a Cuckold.  All. 
Vulcan is no less.  Vul. 
Now since red shame your cheeks with blood hath died,  
I am revenged, and see my net's untied.  Phoeb. 
The Gods have laughed their fill, Vulcan's revenged,  
And now all friends: speak, are we?  Iup. 
Mars still frowns,  juno. 
And Venus scarce well pleased.  Vul. 
For my part (oh you Gods!) what's past is past,  
And what is once done, cannot be recalled:  
If Vulcan in this jest hath pleased the Gods,  
All his own wrongs he freely can forgive.  
Venus we are friends, to Lemnos we will haste,  
And never more record what's done and passed.  Ven. 
No fool, before I did offend with fear,  
My guilt was but suspected, but not proved:  
And therefore I selected privacy,  
Closeness of place, and bashfully transgressed;  
But since both Gods and men now know my sin,  
Why should I dread to say I love God Mars?  
What help hast thou in proving thy wife false?  
Only to make me do with impudence,  
What I before with fear did, on thyself  
Brought a most certain shame, where it before  
Was but suspected.  Vul. 
Venus speaks good sense,  
That's certain now, which was before suspense.  Ven. 
Now fare well jealous fool, for my disgrace,  
Him whom I love, I blushless thus embrace,  
And may all such as would their wives so take,  
(Although they might) be served thus for thy sake.  Vul. 
I am undone, be warned by me oh men,  
Although you know your wives false, where and when,  
Take them not in the manner, though you may:  
They that with fear before, now blushless stray,  
Their guilt 'tis better to suspect then know,  
So you may take some part of that you owe.  
Where I by seeking her good name to thrall,  
Have made myself a scorn, and quite left all.  Iup. 
To Lemnos then, to make our thunder's fit,  
Which against mortals we have cause to use,  
Mars, you to Thrace, Venus in Paphos stay,  
Or where you please, we to our several spheres.  
Vulcan, thy moral this good use contrives,  
None search too far th'offences of their wives.  Exeunt HOMER. 
Our last Act comes, which lest it tedious grow,  
What is too long in word, accept in show.  
Think Hercules his labours having ended,  
The Spanish Geryon killed, and Cacus slain,  
As far as Lydia he his palm extended,  
Where beauteous Omphale this time doth reign.  
He that before to Deianeira sent,  
As presents, all the spoils that he could win,  
Now fills her heart with jealous discontent,  
She hears how Hercules doth card and spin  
With Omphale, and serves her as a slave.  
(She quite forgot in Thebes) her grief to cheer,  
Th'assembled Princes with their Counsels grave,  
Are come to comfort and remove her fear.  
By these all his stored labours he hath sent  
To call him home, to free her discontent.  Ashew. Enter Deianeira sad, with Lychas: to her jason, Telamon, Castor, Pollux, Nestor, etc. They seem to comfort her, she sends Lychas, who brings the Trophies of his twelve labours, she delivers them to the Princes, to bear to her husband. They part several ways. Hom. 
jason, and the other Hero's for her sake,  
Travel to Lydia, to persuade him thence  
And by his twelve known labours, undertake  
To move him, quite t'abandon his fair wench.  
Further than this her jealousy extends,  
Afar worse present she by Lychas sends.  Enter Deianeira, and her servant Lychas. Lych. 
Madam, these sorrows are too violent  
For your weak sex, I do not think 'tis true,  
Your husband can prefer that Omphale  
Before your beauty.  Deian. 
he's forgot in Greece.  
Greece that was wont to clangor with his fame,  
Is now all silent, who but jason now,  
And Telamon, that scaled the walls of Troy,  
Alcides is a name for got amongst us,  
And Deianeira too forgot with him.  
Oh! that I had the tempting strumpet here  
That keeps my Lord away, confining me  
Unto the coldness of a widowed bed.  Lyc. 
Madam, these presents sent, & so well known  
Coming from you, must needs prevail with him.  
These Princes have great interest in his love,  
And can persuade much.  Deia. 
But that strumpet more.  
Lychas, he dotes upon her tempting looks,  
And is so much with her enchantments bleared,  
That he's turned woman: woman Lychas, spins,  
Cards, and doth char-work, whilst his mistress sits  
And makes a cushion of his lions skin,  
Makes of his club a rock. I lose myself  
In this my sorrow, and forget the means;  
I still keep by my me, to restore my love,  
Lychas, fetch me the shirt within my chamber,  
I have bethought me now.  Lych. 
Madam I shall.  Dei. 
This shirt (in blood of Centaur Nessus dipped,  
And since washed out) I'll send my Hercules,  
Which hath the power to make his hot love die  
To any stranger, and revive to me.  
This (as his last) the dying Centaur spoke,  
To this I'll trust, all other hopes forsake.  Enter Lychas Lych. 
Madam the shirt.  Dei. 
This as my best and dearest,  
Present me (trusty Lychas) to my Lord,  
Entreat withal, that if he have not quite  
Put off my love, he'll deign to put on this.  
If he despise my gift, return it back,  
And in it my death.  Lych. 
Fear not fair Princess,  
I hope to prove as fortunate as faithful.  Dei. 
Farewell, prove as thou speakest. If my gift fail,  
I have sentenced all my sorrows to one death,  
Whilst Deianeira hath a hand to use,  
she'll not live hated where she once did choose.  Exit. Enter Omphale, Queen of Lydia, with 4 or 5 maids, Hercules attired like a woman, with a distaff and a spindle. Omph. 
Why so, this is a power infused in love,  
Beyond all magic; Is't not strange to see  
A woman's beauty tame the Tyrant-tamer?  
And the great Monster-master overmatch?  
Have you done your task?  Herc. 
Beauteous Queen, not yet.  Omph. 
Then I shall frown.  Herc. 
Before that (lovely fair)  
Augment my task, unto a treble char.  
For one sweet smile from beauteous Omphale,  
I'll lay before thee all the monstrous heads  
Of the grim tyrants that oppress the earth.  
I that before, at juno's strict behest,  
The hundred giants of Cremona slew,  
Will twice five hundred kill for Omphale.  
Find me a Cacus in a cave of fire,  
I'll drag him from the mountain Aventine,  
And lay his bulk at thy victorious feet.  
Find me me another Geryon to captive,  
All his three heads I'll tumble in thy skirt.  
Bid me once more sack hell, to bind the furies,  
Or to present thee with the Gods in chains,  
It shall be done for beauteous Omphale.  Omph. 
Leave prating, ply your work.  Herc. 
Oh what a sweetness  
Lives in her looks! no bondage, or base slavery  
Seems servitude, whilst I may freely gaze  
(And uncontrolled) on her: but for one smile,  
I'll make her Empress o'er the triple world,  
And all the beauteous Queens from East to West,  
The Lydians vassals, and my fellow-slaves.  
There is no Lord but Love, no vassalage  
But in affection, and th'imperious Queen  
Doth tyrannize over captive Hercules.  Enter a maid. Maid. 
Madam, some Dukes of Greece attend without,  
And crave to see your captive Theban here.  Omph. 
Admit them, they shall see what pomp we have,  
And that our beauty can the loftiest slave.  Enter jason, Telamon, Castor, Pollux, Nestor, Atreus, etc. jason. 
Our business was to Theban Hercules,  
'Twas told us he remained with Omphale,  
The Lydian Queen.  Tel. 
Speak, which is Omphale? or which Alcides?  Omph. 
We are queen of Lydia,  
And this our vassal. Do you know him Lords?  
Stoop slave, and kiss the foot of Omphale.  Herc. 
I shall.  Nest. 
Oh wondrous alteration!  Cast. 
Till now I trusted this report was false,  
And scarcely can I yet believe mine eyes.  Pol. 
Lady, our purpose was to Hercules,  
Show us the man.  Omph. 
Behold him Greeks there.  Atreus. 
Where?  Omph. 
There at his task.  jason. 
Alas! This Hercules?  
This is some base effeminate groom, not he  
That with his puissance frighted all the earth:  
This is some woman, some hermaphrodite.  Herc. 
Hath jason, Nestor, Castor, Telamon,  
Atreus, Pollux, all forgot their friend?  
We are the man.  jason. 
Woman we know thee not.  
We came to seek the Jove-born Hercules,  
That in his cradle strangled juno's snakes,  
And triumphed in the brave olympic games.  
He that the Cleonean Lion slew,  
The Eremanthian Boar, the Bull of Marathon,  
The Lernaean Hydra, and the winged Hart.  
He that dragged Cerberus from hell in chains,  
And stounded Pluto in his Ebon Chair.  
That Hercules, by whom the Centaurs fell,  
Great Achelous, the Stymphalides,  
And the Cremona giants? Where is he?  Tel. 
That traitorous Nessus with a shaft transfixed,  
Strangled Antheus, purged Augeus' stalls,  
won the bright Apples of the Hesperides,  
And whilst the Giant Atlas eased his limbs,  
Bore on his shoulders the huge frame of heaven.  Herc. 
And are not we the man? see Telamon,  
A woman do this? we would see the Theban,  
That Cacus slew, Busiris sacrificed,  
And to his horses hurled stern Diomed  
To be devoured.  Pol. 
That freed Hesione  
From the Sea-whale, and after ransacked Troy,  
And with his own hand slew Laomedon.  Nest. 
He by whom Dercilus and Albion fell,  
He that Oecalia and Betricia won.  Atr. 
That monstrous Geryon with his three heads vanquished  
With Linus, Lichas that usurped in Thebes,  
And captived there his beauteous Megara.  jason. 
He that the Amazonian Baldric won,  
That Achelous with his club subdued,  
And won from him the pride of Calidon  
Bright Deianeira, that now mourns in Thebes  
For absence of that noble Hercules.  
To him we came, but since he lives not here,  
Come Lords, we will return these presents back  
Unto the constant Lady, whence they came.  Herc. 
Stay Lords.  jason. 
'Mongst women?  Herc. 
For that Thebans sake  
Whom you profess to love, and came to seek,  
Abide awhile, and by my love to Greece,  
I'll bring before you that lost Hercules,  
For whom you came to inquire.  jason. 
On that condition (Princes) let's stay a little.  Tela. 
It works, it works.  Herc. 
How have I lost myself?  
Did we all this? where is that spirit become  
That was in us? no marvel Hercules,  
If thou be'st strange to them, that thus disguised,  
Art to thyself unknown. Hence with this distaff  
And base effeminate chares.  Omp. 
How slave? submit and to thy task again.  
Dar'st thou rebel?  Herc. 
Pardon great Omphale.  Ias. 
Will Telamon persuade me this is Hercules  
The Libyan Conqueror, now a slaves slave.  
He lived in midst of battles, this 'mongst trulls:  
This wields a distaff, he a conquering Club.  
Shall we bestow fair Deianeira's presents  
On this (heaven knows) whether man or woman?  Herc. 
Who named my Deianeira? jason you?  
How fares my love? how fares my beauteous wife?  
I know these presents, did they come from her?  
What strumpet's this that hath detained my soul?  
Captived my fame, trans-shaped me to a fool?  
Made me (of late) but little less than God,  
Now scarce a man? Hence with these womanish tires,  
And let me once more be myself again.  Tel. 
Keep from him Omphale, be that your charge,  
we'll second these good thoughts.  Omph. 
Alcid s hear me.  Cast. 
By your favour madam.  Herc. 
Who spoke?  jason. 
Think that was Deianeira's voice,  
That calls thee home to dry her widowed tears,  
And to bring comfort to her desolate bed.  Herc. 
Oh Deianeira.  Om. 
Hear me Hercules.  Herc. 
Ha Omphale?  Pollux. 
You shall not trouble him.  Ias. 
'Twas she that made Alcides womanish,  
But Deianeira to be more than man.  
For thy wives sake thou art renowned in Greece,  
This Strumpet hath made Greece forget thee quite,  
And scarce remember there was such a man.  
Thebes that was wont to triumph in thy glories,  
Is now all silent. Tyrants everywhere  
Begin to oppress, thinking Alcides' dead  
For so the fame's already. Shall a Strumpet  
Do this upon the Theban Hercules?  
And Deianeira, fair, chaste absolute  
In all perfections, live despised in Thebes?  Herc. 
By jove she shall not, first I'll rend these eyes out,  
That sotted with the love of Omphale  
Hath trans-shaped me, and deeply injured her.  
Come we will shake off this effeminacy  
And by our deeds repurchase our renown.  
jason and you brave Greeks, I know you now,  
And in your honours I behold myself  
What I have been, hence Strumpet Omphale,  
I cast thee off, and once more will resume  
My native virtues, and to prove this good  
This day unto the Gods I'll sacrifice  
To grace which pomp, and that we may appear  
The same we were, before us shall be borne  
These of our labours twelve, the memory,  
Unto jove's Temple, grace us worthy Heroes  
To assist us in this high solemnity.  
Whilst we upon our manly shoulders bear  
These massy pillars we in Gades must rear.  Exeunt. Manet Omphale. Ompale. 
We have lost our servant, never yet had Lady  
One of the like rank. All King Thespius' daughters,  
Fifty in number, childed all one night,  
Could not prevail so much with Hercules  
As we have done; no not fair you'll  
Daughter to Cacus, beauteous Megara,  
Nor all the fair and amorous queens of Greece,  
Could slave him like the Lydian Omphale.  
Therefore where'er his labours be renowned,  
Let not our beauty pass unregistered.  
Bondaging him that captived all the earth,  
Nor will we leave him, or yet lose him thus  
What either beauty, cunning, flattery, tears  
Or woman's Art can, we will practise on him.  
But now the Priests and Princes are prepared  
For the great sacrifice, which we will grace  
With our high presence, and behold aloof  
These rights unto the gods performed and done  
We'll gain by Art, what we with beauty won.  Enter to the sacrifice two Priests to the Altar, six Princes with six of his labours, in the midst Hercules bearing his two brazen pillars, six other Princes, with the other six labours, Hercules stays them. Herc. 
Now jove behold us from thy sphere of Stars,  
And shame not to acknowledge us thy sons.  
Thus should Alcides march amidst his spoils,  
engirt with slaughtered lions, Hydra's, Whales,  
Boars, Bulls, grim Tyrants, helhounds, Monsters, Furies,  
And Princes his spectators: oh you Gods,  
To whom this day we consecrate your prayers,  
And dedicate our sacred orisons,  
deign us your eyes, behold these shoulders bear  
Two brazen pillars, trophies of our fame,  
That have eased Atlas, and supported heaven,  
And had we shrunk beneath that heavenly structure  
The Spheres, Orbs, Planets, Zeniths, Signs, and Stars,  
With loves high Palace, all confusedly  
Had shattered, fallen, and o'erwhelmed earth and sea,  
we have done that, and all these labours else,  
Which we this day make sacred, lune see  
These we surrender to thy love and thee.  set on. As they march over the Stage, enter Lychas with the shirt. Lych. 
From Deianeira I present this gift,  
Wrought with her own hand, with more kind commends  
Then I have measured steps to Lydia  
From Thebes, which she entreats you wear for her.  Herc. 
More welcome is this gift to Hercules  
Then jason's Fleece, Laomedon's white Steeds,  
Or should jove grace me with eternity,  
Here stand our pillars, with non vltra insculpted,  
Which we must rear beyond the Pyrene Hills  
At Gades in Spain (Alcides' utmost bounds)  
Whilst we put on this shirt, the welcome present  
Of Deianeira, whom we dearly love,  
Lychas thy hand, In this we'll sacrifice  
And make our peace with her and jupiter.  jason. 
Never was Hercules so much himself,  
How will this news glad Deianeira's heart,  
Or how this sight enrage fair Omphale?  Tell. 
All his dead honours he revives in this,  
And Greece shall once more echo with his fame.  Hercules puts on the shirt. Herc. 
With this her present, I put on her love,  
Witness heaven, earth, and all you Peers of Greece,  
I wed her once more in this ornament,  
Her love and her remembrance sit to me  
More near by thousands then this robe can cleave.  
So now before jove's Altar let us kneel,  
And make our peace with heaven, atone ourself  
With beauteous Deianeira our chaste wife  
And cast away the love of Omphale.  All the PRINCE's kneel to the altar. Priest. 
Princes of Greece assist us with your thoughts,  
And let your prayers with ours ascend the Spears,  
For mortals orisons are sons to jove,  
And when none else can, they have free access  
Unto there father's ear, hail son of Saturn,  
To whom when the three lots of heaven, of sea,  
And hell were cast, the high olympus fell.  Herc. 
Oh, oh.  Priest. 
That with a nod canst make heavens columns bend,  
And th'earth's Centre tremble, whose right hand  
Is armed with lightning, and the left with fear.  Herc. 
No more, are all the furies with their tortures,  
Their whips and lashes crept into my skin?  
Hath any sightless and infernal fire  
Laid hold upon my flesh? when did Alcides  
Thus shake with anguish? thus change face, thus shrink?  
Shall torture pale our cheek? no, Priest proceed,  
We will not feel the pain, thou shalt not breed,  jason. 
What alteration's this? a thousand pangs  
I see even in his visage, in his silence  
He doth express even hell.  Priest. 
Thou sacred jove  
Behold us at thy Altar prostrate here  
To beg atonement 'tween our sins and thee,  
Lend us a gracious ear and eye.  Herc. 
Priest no more,  
I'll rend thy Typet, hurl jove's Altars down,  
Havoc his Offerings, all his Lamps extinguish,  
Raze his high Temples, and scale heaven itself  
Unless he stay my tortures.  jason. 
Warlike Theban,  
Whence comes this fury? is this madness forced,  
That makes Alcides thus blaspheme the Gods.  Tell. 
Patient yourself.  Herc. 
I will not jason, cannot Telamon,  
A stiptic poison boils within my veins,  
Hell is within me, for my marrow fries,  
A vulture worse than that Promotheus feels,  
Fires on my entrails, and my bulk in flames.  jason. 
Yet be yourself, renowned Hercules,  
Strive with your torture, with your rage contend  
Seek to o'ercome this anguish.  Herc. 
Well, I will,  
See jason, see renowned Telamon  
I will be well, I'll feel no poison boil,  
Though my blood scaled me, though my hot suspires,  
Blast where I breathe like lightning, though my lungs  
seethe in my blood, I will not pale a cheek,  
Nor change a brow, I will not, spite of torture  
Anguish, and pain, I will not.  Omp. 
What strange fury  
Hath late possessed him to be thus disturbed?  jason. 
Why this is well, once more repair jove's Altar.  
Kindle these holy Tapers and proceed.  Herc. 
To pluck the Thunderer from his Crystal throne  
And throw the Gallaxia, by the locks,  
And amber tresses, drag the Queen of heaven.  Nestor. 
Alcides.  Herc. 
Princes, jason, Telamon,  
Help me to tear of this infernal shirt,  
Which raws me where it cleaves, unskin my brawns,  
And like one naked rolled in a Tun of spikes  
Of thousands, make one universal wound,  
And such is mine: oh Deianeira false,  
Treacherous, unkind, disloyal; pluck, tear, rend  
Though you my bones leave naked, and my flesh  
Frying with poison you cast hence to dogs.  
Dread Neptune, let me plunge me in thy seas,  
To cool my body, that is all on flame.  
Or with thy trisulc thunder strike me jove,  
And so let fire quench fire, unhand me Lords,  
Let me spurn mountains down, and tear up rocks  
Rend by the roots huge Oaks, till I have digged  
A way to hell, or found a scale to heaven.  
Something I must, my torments are so great,  
To quench this flame and qualify this heat.  Exit. jason. 
Let us not leave him Princes lest this outrage  
Make him lie violent hands upon himself.  
If Deianeira's heart, were with her hand,  
She is her sex's scandal, and her shame  
Even whilst Time lives, shall every tongue proclaim.  Exit Omph. 
I'll follow to, and with what Art I can,  
Strive this his rage and torture to allay.  Exit. Lych. 
What's in this shirt unknown to me that brought it?  
Or what hath jealous Deianeira done?  
To employ me, an unwilling messenger,  
In her Lords death: well, whosoe'er it prove  
My innocence I know, I'll, if I may  
Look to my life, and keep out of his way.  Enter Hercules. Herc. 
Lychas, Lychas, where's he that brought this poisoned shirt,  
That I may tear the villain limb from limb.  
And flake his body small as Winter's snow,  
His shattered flesh shall play like parched leaves,  
And dance in th'air, tossed by the summer winds.  Lychas. 
Defend me heaven.  Herc. 
Oh that with stamping thus,  
I could myself beneath the Centre sink,  
And tomb my tortured body beneath hell.  
Had I heavens massy columns in my gripes,  
Then with one sway I would o'erturn yond frame,  
And make the marble Elemental sky  
My tomb-stone to enter dead Hercules.  
Oh father jove thou layst upon thy son  
Torments above supporture, Lichas, oh!  
I'll chase the villain o'er Oeta's rocks,  
Till I have naked those hills, and left no shade  
To hide the Traitor.  Lichas. 
Which way shall I fly  
To scape his fury? if I stay I die.  Hercules sees him. Herc. 
Stay, stay, what's he that creeps into yond cave?  
Is not that Lycas Deianeira's squire,  
That brought this poisoned shirt to Hercules?  
I thank thee jove, yet this is some allayment  
And moderation to the pangs I feel,  
Nay, you shall out fir Lychas by the heels.  Hercules swings Lychas about his head, and kills him. 
Thus, thus, thy limbs about my head I twine,  
euboean sea receive him, for he's thine.  Enter jason, Tellamon, and all the Princes, after them Omphale. Ias. 
Princes, his torments are 'bove Physic help,  
And they that wish him well, must wish his death,  
For that alone gives period to his anguish.  Tell. 
In vain we follow and pursue his rage,  
There's danger in his madness.  Nest. 
Yet aloof,  
Let's observe him, and great jove implore  
To qualify his pains.  Phy. 
As I am Philoctetes I'll not leave him,  
Until he be immortal, Princes hark,  Hercules within 
Cannot these groans pierce heaven and move to pity  
The obdure juno.  Omph. 
Beneath this rock where we have often kissed,  
I will lament the noble Thebans fall,  
The Lydian Omphale will be to him  
A truer Mistress, than his wife, whose hate  
Hath brought on him this sad and ominous fate.  
Nor hence, for any force or prayer remove,  
But die with him whom I so dearly love.  cry within. Cast. 
His torments still increase, hear oh you Gods,  
And hearing pity.  Enter Hercules from a rock above, tearing down trees. Herc. 
Down, down, you shadows that crown Oeta Mount,  
And as you tumble bear the Rocks along.  
I will not leave an Oak or standing Pine  
But all these mountains with the dales make even,  
That Oeta's self may mourn with Hercules.  
Hah! what art thou?  Omph. 
I am thy Omphale.  Herc. 
Art thou not Deianeira come to mock  
Alcides' madness, and his pangs deride?  
Yes, thou art she, thou, thou hast fired my bones,  
And mak'st me boil in poison, for which (minion)  
And for (by fate) thou hast shortened my renown,  
Behold, this monstrous rock thy death shall crown,  Hercules kills Omphale, with a piece of a rock. 
So Deianeira and her squire are now  
Both in their sins extinct.  Thes. 
What hath Alcides done? slain Omphale,  
A guiltless queen that came to mourn his death.  Herc. 
Torment on torment. But shall Hercules  
Die by a woman's hand? No, aid me Princes,  
(If you have in you any generous thoughts)  
In my last fabric: Come, toss trees on trees,  
Till you have reared me up a funeral pile,  
Which all that's mortal in me shall consume.  Cast. 
Princes, let none deny their free assistance,  
In his release of torture. there's for me.  Pol. 
My hand shall likewise help to bury him,  
And of his torments give him ease by death.  All the Princes break down the trees, and make a fire, in which Hercules placeth himself. Her 
Thanks, thus I throne me in the midst of fire,  
And with a dreadless brow confront my death.  
olympic thunderer now behold thy son,  
Of whose divine parts make a star, that Atlas  
May shrink beneath the weight of Hercules.  
And stepdame Iuno, glut thy hatred now,  
That hast been weary to command, when we  
Have not been weary to perform and act.  
I that Busiris slew, Antheus strangled,  
And conquered still at thy unkind behest,  
The three-shaped Geryon, and the dog of hell,  
The Bull of Candy, and the golden Heart,  
Augeus and the fowls of Stymphaly,  
The Hesperian fruit, and bolt of Thermidon,  
The Lernaean Hydra, and Arcadian Boar,  
The Lion of Nemea, Steeds of Thrace,  
The monster Cacus; thousands more than these,  
That Hercules in death dares thee to chide,  
And shows his spirit, which torments cannot hide.  
Lie there thou dread of Tyrants, and thou skin,  He burns his Club, & lions Skin. 
Invulnered still, burn with thy masters bones:  
For these be arms which none but we can wield.  
My bow and arrows Philoctetes take,  
Reserve them as a token of our love,  
For these include the utmost fate of Troy,  
Which without these; the Greeks can near destroy.  
You Hero's all farewell, heap fire on fire,  
And pile on pile, till you have made a structure  
To flame as high as heaven, and record this  
though by the Gods and Fates we are o'erthrown,  
Alcides dies by no hand but his own.  jupiter above strikes him with a thunderbolt, his body sinks, and from the heavens descends a hand in a cloud, that from the place where Hercules was burnt, brings up a star, and fixeth it in the firmament. jason. 
juno thou hast done thy worst; he now defies  
What thou canst more, his fame shall mount the skies.  
What heavenly music's this?  Tel. 
His soul is made a star, and mounted heaven,  
I see great jove hath not forgot his son:  
All that his mothers was is changed by fire,  
But what he took of jove, and was divine,  
Now a bright star in the high heavens must shine.  Enter Atreus. Nest. 
We all have seen Alcides deified.  
But what news brings Atreus?  Air. 
A true report of Deianeira's death,  
Who when she heard the tortures of her Lord,  
And what effect her fatal present took,  
Exclaimed on Nessus, and to prove herself  
Guiltless of treason in her husband's death,  
with her own hand she boldly slew herself.  Pel. 
That noble act proclaimed her innocent,  
And clears all black suspicion: but fair princes,  
Let universal Greece in funeral black,  
Mourn for the death of Theban Hercules.  Ias. 
Who now shall monsters quel, or tyrants tame?  
Th'oppressed free, or fill Greece with their fame.  
Princes your hands, take up these monuments  
Of his twelve labours in a marble Temple  
(We will erect and dedicate to him)  
Reserve them to his lasting memory:  
His brazen pillars shall be fixed in Gades,  
On which his monumental deeds we'll grave.  
Armed with these worthy Trophies let's march on  
Towards Thebes, that claims the honour of his birth.  
His body's dead, his fame shall near expire,  
Earth claims his earth, heaven shows his heavenly fire.  Exeunt omnes. HOMER. 
He that expects five short Acts can contain  
Each circumstance of these things we present,  
methinks should show more barrenness than rain:  
All we have done we aim at your content,  
Striving to illustrate things not known to all,  
In which the learned can only censure right:  
The rest we crave, whom we unlettered call,  
Rather to attend then judge: for more than sight  
We seek to please. The understanding ear  
Which we have hitherto most gracious found,  
Your general love, we rather hope than fear:  
For that of all our labours is the ground.  
If from your love in any point we stray,  
Think HOMER blind, and blind men miss their way.  
FINIS.